《Classroom of Doom》


 Volume 1 - Chapter 1: Welcome to hell.

    "Are you listening?"

    "Yes, sir. I am listening."

    How?

    "Due to your criminal activity, you will receive appropriate punishment for it. Are we clear?"

    How did it end up like this?

    "...Sir, I''m not understanding something. What''s there to punish me for? I''m a minor. You''ll just give me a minor at maximum, honestly."

    Here was I, worried about the scolding that my parents would give me when I returned home yet this old looking police officer is spouting utter nonsense. My crime wasn''t that severe even. Come on. Give me the warning so I can get this over with.

    "Wait, is that what you think?"

    "Sorry?"

    What the hell is this guy implying...

    "Your actions have consequences, young man. You are lucky that you are 15 years old, otherwise, you''d be going straight up to jail."

    Yeah, I''m aware of that. But what''s the point of telling me this? I guess he just wants to be "right".

    "Oh... My bad there. You''re actually out of luck."

    "Huh?"

    "No, don''t get me wrong here. Not going to jail should be considered the highest level of luck considering the circumstances, but really... You''re really unlucky, my guy."

    Did this boomer just call me ''my guy''?

    "How am I unlucky exactly? I''ll agree that not going to jail is fairly good. No, it''s really good, actually! But just what the hell are you saying exactly? You''ve been saying words that seem to have a deeper meaning to them compared to what they have on their surface."

    "You''re correct on that. Well then, allow me to tell you-"

    Roughly one hour later.

    "Well, we are here. Don''t worry though. This program is approved by the government. I will make sure to tell your parents all the necessary details so that they don''t worry about their irresponsible son."

    For the record, if I knew that irresponsibility had such consequences, then I would''ve been a good boy and had behaved myself. But of course, against all odds, my luck runs out. More so because this old dude is actually Satan in disguise. Seriously, who the hell approves of this shit!?

    "Please let me speak to someone related to the government. I am confident in my argument, trust me."

    "You''re speaking to one right now."

    "Oh, is that so?"

    "Mhm. Tell me your argument. I''m all ears."

    This geezer probably isn''t expecting these sour words coming out from me, but I will show no mercy just because I happen to be younger and he happens to be older.

    "Merry fucking Christmas. Also, fuck you. Who sends someone to a private school during Christmas day!? That''s against literal common sense!"

    Taking the seat belt, I leave the comfy car seat. I never really appreciated a drive from a cop but there was something oddly good about this one. As I open up the door to leave...

    "How dare you say that! I could be spending time with my family right now yet I had to return to duty because some kid decided to stir shit up. Oh, poor you. Because you totally have something to look forward to, huh!?"

    I must say, I didn''t expect the old man to reply to me in such a fierce tone. Especially one mixed with explicit sarcasm.

    "Well, you could''ve literally just let me off the hook yet you decided to take me here because of ''government orders'', was it?"

    "Unlike you, there are people out there who have to follow the rules to win some money to feed their families. Haha, well, it''s not like a kid like you would know, huh?"

    He said those spiteful words as he left off.

    I suppose I should do some explaining.

    According to the old man, the government has issued a certain private program that revolves around morally reforming teenagers like me who have committed severe crimes that would lead to immediate jail. Thus, they have created a private school just to do so.

    The most compelling part is their reasoning for choosing this. It would make the most sense for someone who has committed a crime at my age to be a subject of this program, however... Against popular belief, there just so happens to be another reasoning for this. Only those who have committed crimes that would lead to jail immediately are to be subjected to this program.

    Needless to say, I''m qualified.

    But still, there is something wrong here. For such words, this school, from an outsider''s perspective, looks exactly like an average one. What the hell is up with that? I thought this was a secret program. I was expecting like a warm welcome and some badass chills to be sent down my spine. But no.

    Plain normal.

    Why?

    Also, what exactly am I supposed to do? The old man said absolutely nothing about that. That''s of course because even though I asked, he answered not.

    Although, there is one thing that I know so far. In a distant staircase, there is someone smoking. That intrigues my inner interest for two reasons.

    One, I really could use directions and some explanations.

    "Hm? Who are you? Never seen you around here."

    Two, I smoke.

    "Bro, please lend me a cigar and a lighter."

    "Hell no. Fuck off."

    I know I just got arrested for a crime, but it would seriously be ironic if I killed this guy out of spite just for denying my humble request. Who the fuck denies such request to a homie like that.

    Let''s try something else---

    "Alright, we are off to a bad start huh? But yeah. I''m new here."

    "Is that so? Then what are you waiting for? Come on in."

    "No, you see..."

    God, how do I explain this guy why I''m here... This is gonna be so damn awkward... But, I''m a man with balls of steel. No need to be afraid. Besides, this guy has rebooked me in such a manner. What the hell could go wrong.

    "What is it? Out with it. Once this cigar goes out, I''m peacing out."

    "A cop just sent me here. Is that normal?"

    "Usually no. However, since I happen to be someone who came here through the same way as you did, I''m assuming you were up to no fucking good huh?"

    C-Could this guy...

    "So you are a lost cause too! My brother!"

    I almost want to hug this guy.

    "Huh!? Don''t lump me with you. I am not a lost cause! Just because I killed 7 people and robbed 2 banks, that doesn''t mean I''m a lost cause! What a weak argument."

    "Nah, bro. Why are you acting all tsundere for! Just accept the fact that you are trash as hell. Don''t worry, I''ve accepted that fact a long time ago."

    Seriously, I''m glad I''m able to meet someone who shares the same origins as I do.

    "...I''m not trash. Also, what did you do to be here? It must have been some pretty hardcore shit, right?"

    "Oh, it wasn''t nothing compared to what you did."

    It was then I realized. I realized because I didn''t actually think at the time. Right here, in the middle of this haphazard cold, I am exchanging words and trading glances with someone who has killed 7 people and robbed 2 banks.

    7 people dead.

    2 banks robbed.

    What the fuck.

    I decided to hold my surprise back and continued the dialogue.

    "A-Anyways, what''s the deal here? What am I supposed to do?"

    I''m finally asking the real questions.

    "I don''t know. All I know is that the program is only effective on January 1st. Meaning that we have to wait until then. As far as I also know, once that day arrives you are supposed to direct yourself to block F. I''ve been here since October. What I am saying is, if I haven''t found anything more than what I already have, then you are wasting your time. Oh right, one piece of useful information that I should relay on you is, our dorm is located at the very end of the school. Meaning... Well, whatever, I''ll show you the way."

    "Wait a second, I forgot to ask something important."

    "What?"

    "Your name."

    "My God, what a fucking princess you are. Who gives a shit about names? Just call me bro or something."

    This guy does not qualify to be a bro so far so that''s out of the table.

    "I''m Daniel Lead."

    "Oi, did you hear me just yet... Well, whatever... Kan. And don''t ask me my surname."

    I wanted to ask why but he showed an expression that omitted rage for some reason so I held my breath on that.

    Additionally, I extended my handshake. Ah, don''t get me wrong. This isn''t the sign of a new friendship starting to bloom. I''m just trying to get on the nice side of a killer who has also stolen 2 banks supposedly. This is by all means correct.

    However...

    Nope. He just walks away.

    "Let me offer you a piece of advice. Don''t. And I mean this, but seriously. Don''t. Ever. Talk. To. Anyone. In. That. Dorm. Myself included. Unless you have a death wish. I''m not bragging, but my moral compass isn''t so broken to the point where I can''t have a normal conversation with another human being, but..."

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    You call that normal? A normal person would''ve shat themselves instantly when they learned those things.

    "Those guys haven''t seen a single sunrayin their lives. If you think about it, the fact that I''m talking to you right now is still a miracle for you. Maybe one for me as well. Why is that though?"

    As we walked in the freezing snow, only one answer came to mind.

    "It''s a miracle for me because you have killed 7 people and I shouldn''t be a problem in any situation whatsoever, right?"

    Also, I am not sure what he meant by ''sunray'' but I''m assuming that he was talking about the emotional side of it. Essentially, someone who has not seen a sunray in their lives has been living a life full of darkness.

    "Oh, good. You get it. Nice. Very nice."

    I don''t like Kan''s reply. It''s not full of malice but full of arrogance which pisses me off for some reason.

    "It''s a supposed miracle for me because, whatever you did, I should also be a target for that, right?"

    He''s not wrong but it''s not like he''s right.

    "That''s not really relevant, right? Besides, I got what you mean. I should not interact with anyone, yourself included because you have no idea how they would interact."

    "No, Daniel. That''s wrong. I''m telling you this becauseI know how they will react once you do interact with them."

    So it wasn''t a groundless assumption but a warning.

    "Got it. So, this is it? Man, what the fuck."

    "What the fuck indeed."

    Kan wasn''t really surprised but he sighed incredibly heavy in the face of this monstrosity. This monstrosity being, our so-called dorm. I''m a simple man, you see. If I have a place to sleep, I will not complain. But this?! I could write a 1000 word essay on how terrible it looks!

    "Either way... Why is our dorm so different from every single other block? It''s like we are in a rich kid''s school but then there is this section that''s made for the plebs. Oi, why are there two dorms? Oi, why does that one, in our right look so much better than ours?!"

    "Ah, you mean the girls'' dorm. About that... Listen. Do not go near it as well. Can you imagine how crazy chicks interact with each other?!"

    Kan had a point. What if my dick got chopped up or something? That''s not even funny. Not one bit.

    "I''ll make sure to stay away from it."

    "I have no idea what you just thought right now, but your expression is showing a traumatized experience on the surface."

    I wouldn''t call it a ''traumatized experience''. Isn''t this what they meant by vivid imagination or am I wrong here?

    "George, we got a new guy. Tell him what he needs to know. I''m fucking sleepy as hell. Good thing I have some weed though..."

    He said those last words silently, but I for sure heard them.

    I also was interested in the ''weed'' part.

    However, my worries became gigantic once I gazed upon the real monstrosity. Of course, you''d think that after you are assigned to a dorm that has nothing cleaned in it. Nothing appealing to it. Nothing to stand out for. Nothing to really say: "Oh wow, I want to live here for a damn while except not!", that nothing could get worse, that was when...

    "Hello. I''m this dorm''s supervisor. You may call me George."

    A tall man, whose origins, under my guess, would be African, stood there in front of me.

    His words were actually nice. It''s just that...

    It bothers me when a guy like George shows up.

    A guy that can literally and realistically use your whole body like weight training.

    This guy has such a build that his uniform is screaming. I''m not even joking, I think I just heard something rip.

    "Please don''t hurt me."

    I thought about squealing but that would really be a pussy move so I used my only defensive mechanism. Mercy begging.

    "Now, now. Why would I hurt you? I''m the supervisor here, nothing more than that. I only do what a supervisor should do. To keep peace in check."

    Hey, I might have just found a normal guy who doesn''t have a twisted way of thinking or an obscure way of doing things.

    "That''s good to know. Kan said that you''d tell me something that I needed to know."

    "Mhm? Oh yes... It''s your room number. It''s 23. That is all."

    Really? Is that all...?

    I feel like this is too anti-climatic and normal though.

    Well, okay. I''ll just go to my room.

    "By the way, where is the bathroom? Also, they serve meals here, right? I''m not gonna starve, right?"

    "Each student here has a bathroom in their own room. And yes, we do serve meals. Once in the morning and once in the evening."

    "Ah, that''s really reassuring."

    Wait a second. No, it''s not.

    "Um, George?"

    "It''s King George, newbie."

    Excuse me what?

    I''ll just pretend I didn''t hear that.

    Weird.

    "Where is the lunch part? I noticed that you missed out on that."

    "Oh, but I didn''t. You think you trash ass cans actually deserve food, to begin with?"

    Oh no. My image of George is shattering. Wait, don''t go, nice guy George!

    "W-W-W-W-Why wouldn''t we!?"

    "Oh, I don''t fucking know. Let''s see... Maybe because you''re all fucking insane!? Who the fuck commits crimes and expects a single shred of mercy to begin with!? Just be glad you got a place to sleep, shit and eat! Now go to fucking sleep!"

    I wanted to point out how insane he probably was but all my courage was depleted by those loud shots. If I had stood there and had withstood all of those shouts with fierce eyes, then I would call myself brave. But no. I''m just a human, sorry.

    "I''m so sorry for even trying..."

    With shame, I walked on.

    Until...

    "I forgot to mention..."

    "Yes!?"

    In hope for some words that would mean anything good, I turned my whole body around and looked towards George who put the devil''s grin on his face.

    "I sleep at midnight. Everyone in this dorm knows that already but you, the newbie, know not. So I will tell you this once and I will not repeat it again. If you are still awake past midnight, if you do any sort of noise, I will kill you in your sleep!!"

    Immediately understanding my situation, I nodded with all my might and turned back.

    I ran as fast as I could towards my room which was at the end of the hall.

    Plus, I realized one thing. George said that he would not repeat his words again. I know why. Because I would not be alive to have those words told to me.

    It''s official. I have not met such nutcases consistently constantly ever. Furthermore, I actually expected something from George. But nope. It reminded me of how in some movie someone said: ''I am the law!''

    Farewell, nice guy George.

    Nothing remotely noteworthy happened in the next days. I did see some of my roommates but never really interacted since I was taking Kan''s advice seriously. I was basically just killing time until January 1st.

    Also, my bed only had one blanket. In the winter.

    In addition to that, I saw George. No, that''s wrong. I saw, King George verbally lashing at one of my roommates for whatever reason. I silently prayed that I would not be next.

    Maybe something noteworthy to note would be the fact that this is the first time that I spent both Christmas and the New Year without celebrating it. Not that I care about it. It just occurred to me simply.

    I might''ve been slightly pissed over the fact that I didn''t get free gifts, mainly money, because I wasn''t at my house, to begin with.

    At last, the day had come.

    Putting up the uniform that was automatically in my closet, I dressed up. I''m assuming that the uniform was initially there for students to wear it when it was class time. Otherwise, it doesn''t really make any sense.

    I feel like calling myself Captain Obvious for stating something so obvious now.

    "Captain Obvious."

    I said that as I looked at the fragmented mirror.

    That''s right.

    Not even a mirror is safe here. I would very much like to know just who would do such cruelty do a mirror, especially a mirror a man would feel manly just by looking at himself. What a sinner.

    Am I forgetting something?

    "Nope."

    What time is it though?

    "8.30 am. Huh. I''m thirty minutes early. Damn, what a nerd I am."

    Wait a fucking second.

    "Holy shit! It starts at 8''o clock!"

    Without wasting any more time, I made haste.

    However, I needed to ask King George something.

    "King George, where''s everyone at!?"

    "Block F. Didn''t anyone tell you?"

    I was too worried about the fact that I was late as hell to remind myself that Kan did tell me that.

    Unlike any other day, there were a plethora of students around this time. Without giving care, I ran towards block F. However, something bothered me. While I was running, each student would get scared the moment I got close to them. I didn''t get close to them because I wanted but because they were in the damn way.

    Why was that though? I''m not physically scary. It makes no sense.

    Eventually, as I got to block F, something immediately caught my attention.

    "No!! You can''t do this to me!! I stayed in this hell hole for 3 years!! I deserve my freedom, you can''t throw me into jail after all this time!! I didn''t do anything wrong!!! Come on!!"

    A bald tattooed man, who was turbulently revolting around was being chased down by two men in a black suit.

    Just what the...

    "Your opinion is irrelevant. You failed."

    "I didn''t fail! I didn''t fail! You''re all fucked up!! You fucking liar!! You promised that I could do it!!"

    Then, appearing from the door which was closed, submerged a man who also had a black suit.

    "Sorry about that. I don''t keep promises. Take him away."

    The two black-suited men said ''Yes, sir!'' at the same time.

    It felt hard to understand what was going on.

    "What a shame. If only he wasn''t stupid to that point then he could''ve passed through the test. Oh well. Failures will be failures. He will have plenty of time to reflect that about jail. His jail time is 25 years. What were his crimes again...? Multiple rape accusations, was it?"

    I didn''t have the time to be shocked. The scene just didn''t allow me to. Just the thought of ending up like that guy completely strengthened my resolve to escape his fate.

    "However, I must say. To actually come 30 minutes late during the first day. Man, the audacity of you criminals is absurd. This is basically a second chance for you people yet no. You people just throw every opportunity away."

    He was obviously talking to me, even though he wasn''t looking at me.

    "I''m sorry, my clock is broken."

    "Your brain is not your clock."

    I really wanted to retort back but there were more important issues at hand.

    "Come on in. The class never starts without the last member of it anyways."

    "Huh? Isn''t that weird? Since this is criminals we are talking about, there is no way that they will go to a class!"

    "Normally, yes. However, for every class you miss, your years in jail, once you are eighteen, will increase by 2, if you skip a single class."

    "W-What the hell!? But no one told me about that!"

    "Did you tell your victim what you were going to do when you did your crime? I bet you didn''t. Why were you expecting equal treatment?"

    No point in arguing with this guy it seems.

    "Also..."

    Closing our distance, that man, whispered to my ear the following words:

    "Once you are over 10 years of jail time worthy, you will get executed."

    "C-Cut the bullshit! Execution isn''t allowed in this day of age!"

    "That''s where you are wrong. Did you even bother to read the regulation system index that was in your room? Every student should get it, right?"

    W-What the hell! I saw nothing of that! What sort of sick joke is this?!

    "I didn''t get anything like that..."

    "Criminals resorting to lies as a defensive mechanism. Saw that already plenty of times. Also, from now on, call me Basara-sensei."

    Walking inside the classroom, I saw nothing but malicious looks directed at me. If what Basara-sensei said was true, then I should''ve received a regulation system index, but I didn''t. Which means something is off.

    Coincidentally, a girl also walked in at the same time as me. With silk pink hair, she stood there at my side. I really wondered, at the time, just what a girl, that is so beautiful, could have done to end up in this room.

    As a matter of fact, something was not right. Most of these people do not seem like real criminals. But one thing was for sure. Their appearances didn''t matter since the fact was already enticed. All people here, myself included, are not mentally sane.

    "I''m sorry I''m late. Where do I sit?"

    "This is a seat-free room. I couldn''t care less where you sit, just sit."

    Said Basara-sensei in response to the girl''s question.

    "Okay."

    I had already taken my seat. I didn''t even bother to choose a cool sit or anything like that. I just sat on the table that was for two that was closest to the door.

    It widened my eyes to how she took the place that was next to me. However, she gave me a stare that said to me ''Don''t talk to me, trash''.

    Now, don''t get me wrong here. I wasn''t expecting anything romantic to happen. If there is something that I''ve learned thus far is that, from these people, you should expect not the best, but the worse.

    I then firmly stared into Basara-sensei who looked at the rest of the class and said:

    "Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Basara Tenma. Your teacher. I will be responsible for all of you in the upcoming 3 years. I''ll put it simply, but, if you manage to graduate from this while passing every test, then your penance will be abolished. Otherwise, you either go to jail for the rest of your lives or if you act like a smartass, like the other guy just now, you know what you''re getting yourself into. Any crime you commit or any violent conduct, be it malicious or not, will not be forgiven. Consequences will be applied. You were given the chance that many people wish they could take. Act like it, please."

    "Yo, Basara. Tell me this, what happens if I decide to kill every single person in this room, right now, just because? What then?"

    "It''s Basara-sensei, you idiotic moron. Also, you will receive execution for that. Furthermore, I am fluent in martial arts. I will take you down with ease, should you try anything too funny."

    Jesus, these dudes have no chill... One calling a teacher by his name like that is already fairly offensive, but the other literally saying ''Come at me!'' doesn''t make this any less absurd.

    "It''s a joke, Basara-sensei~ Was just testing ya."

    "Let this be an example for all of you. I don''t tolerate jokes or any type of retorts. You are free to interact with each other the way you want to if it''s under the conduct. However, to superior authorities such as I, there will be punishment. Starting now, you have all received a penalty. Let''s see... What would be appropriate here..."

    As Basara-sensei thought about it, our eyes could not look in other directions. We were so worried about what he might say.

    "Ah, I''ve decided. You will all receive a charge for murder."

    "What!?"

    The whole class, including me, shouted like hell.

    "Wait a second, sensei! There''s something off here, I don''t deserve any of this, he does!"

    This time, my neighbor exalted herself and claimed that the dude, who I don''t know his name, who said those things should be punished independently. I will have to agree.

    "The fuck bitch? Speak to me again and I''ll slice your fucking throat off!"

    "You think I''m scared of you just because you are acting tough? I despise people like you!"

    "Silence!"

    Echoing throughout the whole room, Basara-sensei manages to create silence.

    "If one suffers, you all will suffer. None of you has any right to complain after what you did."

    How right he is. But, a true criminal would not care.

    "Excuse me, but I''ve been curious for a while but could you tell me how will we, who have committed crimes of serious large scales, manage to nullify our own jail time in the upcoming future?"

    "Hyunda, was it? Good question. Unfortunately, I''ve already given you that answer, dumbass. By passing tests, how else?"

    "I get that. But are you seriously telling us that we simply need to sit here and just pass tests and viola, the whole jail thing is gone? Not that I''m against such simplicity but I find it completely strange."

    "They are tests, yes. But tell me this, do you actually believe that they are just mere tests? Do people of your caliber actually deserve such treatment?"

    "No, I suppose not."

    This is by far the first good impression that I have on a classmate of mine. Not only is he reasonable but he also shows a mature stance.

    "I guess you are all curious about those types of exams, right? Want me to tell you all about it?"

    I, out of instinct, say:

    "Yes!"

    Then as if to mock me, Basara-sensei puts a devilish grin and says:

    "Hell no."

    That was when I realized. Hell is on Earth.

 Volume 1 - Chapter 2: Pretty girls exist and thats a problem.

    Now, I''m not too sure about what one would expect from this classroom since I was just about to find that out. My name, since it starts with the letter ''D'', will most likely be called out initially. Furthermore, this class seems to have no more nor less than 30 students? I could be wrong here.

    ---Roughly about a week later.

    Again, nothing remotely interesting happened. That''s worrying the hell out of me. What''s up with this scenario? Aren''t we supposed to interact at least one way or another? It''s pissing me off how no one, but I mean this, literally no one is interacting. They either are silent or they just do their own stuff.

    Basara-sensei doesn''t mind this, which shocks me. Although he said such strong words about how we should behave, he doesn''t seem to give a fuck about what we do in class.

    "Akihiko Kogami."

    "Aye, here."

    Akihiko Kogami. The dude has short red hair and spends all of his time talking to himself. I mean this, okay!? The dude is always talking to himself. Murmuring, to be more precise. It makes me think that he is some sort of narcissist who is overly conscious about it. Aside from that, I could not come up with a clue as to why he is here.

    The main premise of bothering to do this is for one simple reason; I wish to know just what each student here has done to deserve jail after 3 years. Ultimately, no one, even the teachers are opening up this case.

    "Sana Nasha."

    "Oh my god! You are so noisy all the time! Would you keep your mouth shut for one second!?"

    Mocking his side partner, Akihiko waits one second and then says:

    "One second has passed."

    As a side note, Akihiko had a smug expression on his face. Sana was not happy at all. In fact, she grabbed her pencil and raised up in the air.

    "I will kill youuuuuuuuuuuuu. Oneeeeeeee moreeeeeeee worddddddddd and you''re deadddddddddd. Hear me!?"

    "You can''t take away my freedom of speech. I am a free person! I have all the right to speak! Aren''t I right, sensei!?"

    "Akihiko, shut up. I get that you''re insane, but talking to yourself is a level of sadness no one would hope to achieve. Tone it down please."

    I would just like to add something. Sana is very pretty honestly. Having pink hair and a set of clothes that are just as stylish as hell, one would assume that she would immediately be a good girl.

    I didn''t.

    I am not someone to fall under such cliched scenarios.

    It was obvious from the get-go that Sana had something off about her. Now, I''m not talking about the fact that she just grabbed a pencil and aimed it at Akihiko''s throat. No. It''s about the fact that she spends all of her time drawing Akihiko''s face.

    And of course, it''s not just casual drawing... She makes a perfect sketch out of Akihiko''s face and then starts to pierce it violently until there is nothing left. It doesn''t end there though. She does it all over again.

    Ah, there is a time where that doesn''t happen. That time is when Akihiko isn''t present.

    I don''t think she''s a necessary nutcase, but just a conditional nutcase.

    Her emotions seem out of the place though.

    "Kan Aken- How many times do I have to say that you can''t smoke weed in class!? Are you retarded!?"

    "Yo, teach... Why don''t you come here too?~ This is lit, yo..."

    It was no use. Kan was officially high.

    Kan Akenama. I had already met him earlier before this even started. With short brown hair, Kan had a black earring on his left ear. Nonetheless, I did manage to get his surname. He didn''t want to tell me, but this was bound to happen. He just spends his time rolling joints.

    I might be slightly curious to know where he got all that weed.

    "Kan, you''re a lost cause. Yukishiro Kyoko."

    We all heard her name. The question was, did she?

    No, no way she didn''t. Kan''s table partner wasn''t exactly a nutcase. She um...

    What''s the correct way to describe her?

    Oh yeah.

    Someone who doesn''t give a fuck about anything.

    "Oi, Yuki. If you make me call your name again I''m gonna break that cellphone of yours."

    Threatening words came out from Basara-sensei. I wouldn''t doubt Basara-sensei if I was Yukishiro.

    Basara-sensei calls her Yuki because it''s easier. But no, still no response.

    Then, without a shred of mercy in his eyes, Basara-sensei puts down his book and walks toward her.

    "Last time. Yukishiro Kyoko, are you present?"

    10 seconds passed. I''m assuming that the 10 seconds mark meant something like a death sentence.

    Ultimately, it happened.

    Basara-sensei grabbed her cellphone and just as he was about to shatter it...

    "Wait, wait, wait!! I was listening to music! Sorry about that! Won''t happen again, promise!"

    She wasn''t listening to music.

    What a bad liar she is.

    "Don''t care. Enjoy texting with a broken phone."

    I have no idea that inside this planet, no, all around this round planet, that there was someone as evil as him. Supposedly, we are all more morally corrupt than him. Having crimes on our records already makes us people that are immoral in one way or another.

    What''s more evil about it, is that as soon as Basara-sensei saw Yuki shedding tears for her cellphone, a devilish grin arose in his facial expression.

    Devil!

    But yeah, aside from the fact that she is always on her phone, what''s remarkable about her is her long blonde hair. Oh, and her glowing orange eyes. That''s certainly rare.

    "Ikkiri Rikishima."

    "Aye, aye! I was waiting for you to call me, Basara-sensei~! Good morning everyone! How is everyone?! Did you all sleep well!? Did any of you had nightmares!? If so, how many!? You can tell me anything honestly, I am always down to listen to anything! I mean it!"

    Perhaps the most unnecessary reply of all time, but she is eccentric.

    I don''t understand...

    Sana was one thing. She probably has problems controlling her emotions. If taken into consideration, emotion instability can be, without a doubt, a strong reason to commit crimes. Killing out of revenge and out of spite is something that is common, I believe.

    However, if we look at the other two, Yukishiro and Ikkiri. There really is nothing off about them. One spends time on her cellphone, constantly, while the other should be in the infantry due to her attitude.

    "I''m just gonna ignore you. Hyunda Hajime."

    "Here."

    Something to note about Ikkiri would be that, as soon as she gets ignored, she always turns her whole body to her left side. Her voluminous blue hair could be seen by everyone as soon as she turned to Hyunda.

    "Hey, Hyunda! Basara-sensei decided to ignore me! What now?!"

    "What now? What do you mean by ''What now?!''"

    Hyunda''s expression had the resemblance of someone who was so bored that he wanted to commit toaster mashup. He also had the famous Manga/Anime protagonist''s ultimate power.

    That''s right. His sit was the last table at the end of the room, right next to the window. Call this intuition but I could tell that this guy, wasn''t a joke at all.

    "Huh!? I mean, what should I do now!? I get lonely pretty easily, just so you know."

    "That''s great."

    "No, it''s not! How am I supposed to solve this problem of mine!?"

    It could be my imagination but Ikkiri''s expression, instead of showing frustration showed anger. Wait, what''s up with that?

    "Not my problem. I don''t care, sorry."

    He has not looked her in the eye even once. This man is too bored to care.

    "Hahahaha. Haaaaahaaaaaaaaa."

    I''m not the type of person to get scared by every single thing but that laugh just now sent me some major chills down my spine.

    Hyunda, however, didn''t care, as he continued to look outside of the window. I wonder what''s so interesting about it.

    Both Hyunda and Ikkiri have contrasting behaviors. Hyunda is someone who basically does nothing at all. It''s like the man wants to die or something. He has no will to live. While Ikkiri is the complete opposite. She shows a strong passion for her own words. Plus, she demonstrates a more than an average will to interact.

    At first, I did say that there was no visible interaction yet just today, these people have interacted with each other in one way or another. Hyunda is a prime example of this. In the past week, he did not bother to even reply to Ikkiri''s words, not even once. Yet now, for some reason, he felt the need to minimally do so.

    I''m still worried about Ikkiri''s creep laugh though.

    Are we gonna witness a murder or something? This is not a joking matter, I swear.

    "Ryoken Koutarou."

    Finally, Basara-sensei resumes his stance.

    Much like Hyunda, Ryoken doesn''t possess any spectacular behavior. He is just... normal.

    Hyunda''s hair is silver which is somewhat similar to Ryoken''s gray hair. At first, I thought he was suffering from old man syndrome but I was wrong.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    "I''m here."

    In the end, he belonged to the type of guys in this class where I would have to wonder about the reason why they are here in the first place. I say, without any anecdotical evidence, this is surprisingly hard.

    "Gale Iris."

    Another weird name is called. Unlike Ikkiri, who is vivacious, Gale is a bookworm.

    ...........

    How the hell did a bookworm commit a crime in the first place? Is there a crime for being too silent?

    Or maybe I''m just too quixotic.

    Just like any other bookworm out there, she had glasses. Her luscious violet hair could lure anyone in. However, her attitude was a silent one. She simply raised her hand and Basara-sensei accepted that as an answer. Much like her partner Ryoken, she portrayed a normal behavior.

    Furthermore, unlike the rest of the girls who choose to walk with an average skirt, she wears a long one.

    "Kanawari Gayakirima."

    "Here, present~!"

    Look, it''s not as if I hate her straight up but I simply dislike girls like Kanawari from the get-go. Throughout my whole life, any girl that has approached me was never sincere, to begin with. I feel as if Kanawari is no different. She has brunette hair and tons of makeup. She smells good. No, extremely good. Call me biased, but I could tell from miles away that she was hiding a whole personality behind her mask.

    Or not. Maybe she could be an extremely good-hearted girl.

    ...As if. Would anyone with an extremely good heart be here in the first place?

    Hell no.

    Actually, why am I having these thoughts?

    Do I secretly hate pretty girls who show fake personalities only to hide their true personality on the inside?

    I''m not reflecting on my bad and immoral thoughts, really. I''m just extremely proud of having them.

    "Kuzan Takeshi."

    "Iye, U um hire, Busiro-sunsui!"

    I think I might have found as to why this guy is here. Though it''s a groundless assumption without any evidence to back it up... Kuzan might just be someone addicted to stealing. How could someone so average looking, have luxurious food on his table?

    My thoughts tell me that Kuzan actually stole that food from the cafeteria. Now, why do I say this?

    Because we couldn''t fucking eat this morning!!

    "I should''ve fucking known it was you!! Bastard pig!"

    "You dare to steal our breakfast!? You will pay so hard, Kuzan! King George will only feed us in the night!"

    Voicing those complaints were Rayazaki and Tatsu, two male students who had still had yet to be called.

    By the way, isn''t this calling taking way too long!? I''ve been here for five minutes and my name has not been called. I even had time to notice two things amidst it. One, Basara-sensei isn''t calling us by alphabetic order, although, Akihiko''s name was called first. However, that was merely just a coincidence since Sana''s name came next.

    Two, our tables are for both girls and boys to be in it, hence the duality.

    I would like to voice my opinion on Tatsu''s assumption. He is assuming that King George will actually allow us to eat tonight. I would very much like to remind him that we did not eat anything last night because the food mysteriously disappeared. Yet, I remained silent. This was turning chaotic. And someone who couldn''t read the mood decided to say some unnecessary things.

    "Oh my. Only two meals per day? I didn''t know that you boys were genuinely that poor."

    It wasn''t a question about money. That whole point was totally invalid, Sana. However, I truly believe that she simply wanted to state that to bring some salt.

    "Um, actually. It''s not a question about money, we are ruled by a tyrant. But, of course, you little princesses wouldn''t know this right? What a sweet and nice life you girls must-have."

    This was weird. Kuzan, who just had finished eating, decided that it was a good idea to voice his opinion. Is this guy stupid or what? Can''t he get a clue? It''s obvious as fuck that we are going to roast his ass for dinner at this rate.

    "Kuzan, you dumb fuck! It''s all your fault that we are being ridiculed by this lowly girl! What the fuck man!

    ...What? Seriously, that''s your complaint, Susaga!?

    You are more worried about your gender complex rather than the fact that we haven''t eaten anything in almost 24 hours!? Oh right, that motherfucker Kuzan probably did.

    "Lowly girl!? Have you looked at the mirror, you plebian!? Oh, that''s right, you probably can''t afford it."

    I almost clapped out of instinct, but this chaotic conversation was interrupted by Basara-sensei, who slammed his book on the table.

    He didn''t say a word, but instead, continued.

    "Kuzan, to the principal''s office, now. Rayazaki, Tatsu, Susaga. I''m assuming that by the looks of it, you want to go to the principal''s office, like Kuzan?"

    "Wait a second. How come Sana isn''t getting a lecture too?"

    "This isn''t a lecture, dumbass. This is a mere suggestion. But, you just happen to be somewhat right. Sana, don''t do that again."

    "Kay."

    She glanced back at Tatsu, who claimed that she shouldn''t get away with it just because. I would like to commend him on that.

    "Teach, but I haven''t done anything wrong. Why should I go to that monster''s office!?"

    So far, no one here has visited the principal''s office. Kuzan would be the first. If so, why is he calling the principal a monster?

    "This morning, your dorm''s supervisor said to me the following: ''A rat decided to infiltrate the kitchen at 4 am and took everything there. If I see that rat stealing my motherfucking food again, I will clobber him.''"

    Kuzan got rapid-fire goosebumps. Even so, his eyes didn''t show defeat.

    "Oh, i-is that so? Man, that rat sure is giving King George a bit of trouble! Guys, we got to eliminate that rat, before he starts to eat all the food."

    "Kuzan, you''re the rat!!" Said the boys, Basara-sensei included.

    Looking down, Kuzan took the walk of shame, and then, the boys, myself included, glared at him with famine eyes.

    "That''s it. I don''t give a fuck anymore. It''s pointless to call out to every single one of you if you are all just gonna do some stupid shit like Kuzan."

    It seems that Basara-sensei arrived at that conclusion earlier than expected. To my surprise, this was the very first time where I saw some interaction with my classmates. Nevertheless, it didn''t involve me. And most surely not my female partner who has still to talk to me over a week.

    "Open your books at page 28. I''ll begin the classroom."

    Roughly speaking, our classes were extremely average. We simply learned the same subjects that we would learn as if we were in high school. However, since we were apart from this program, our situation was a little bit different.

    Allow me to explain some special rules.

    The first class, one week earlier.

    "Hey, what the fuck is this? Are we playing students or something?"

    The class was in a state of chaos. Everyone didn''t want to respect Basara-sensei who stood there on his desk, with his legs crossed. Furthermore, he was smoking.

    I felt like I was the only one who wanted to get answers out of Basara-sensei.

    Yet, as if he could read my moves, as soon as I decided that I would speak up, he put his full index finger on his mouth as if to indicate that I shouldn''t speak.

    Right after, Basara-sensei started to write something on the board.

    It didn''t take long for all the class to stop talking and sit down. Because, even I, who had initially good intentions, stood in my sit frozen. The side glances that were constantly cast at me didn''t bother me. I knew as to why they bothered to cast those glances, to begin with.

    It didn''t really bother me.

    "Oh great. You all decided to shut the fuck up. Nice, you people can use your brain cells. I''m flattered that I was given such consideration. I''m also flattered that I wasn''t obligated to enforce some sense via physical force."

    Nobody bothered to say a word due to how shocked they were with what was written on the board.

    Without caring for anyone''s surprises, he continued.

    "Most people would not believe that you all would be capable of such feats but you know, it really brings me excitement when I am in the same room with you criminals. Ah, you''re wondering about what''s written on the board, right?"

    "W-What the hell is those numbers!? I-I know that what I did was wrong, but if those numbers are what I think they are..."

    "Sagasuga Hiroyoshi, 10 years of jail. Yeah. What''s so surprising about it?"

    "I-it can''t be... I..."

    "You? You what?"

    "...Nothing..."

    "As you all can see, these numbers, of course, those which are on the right side of your full name stand for how many years in jail you will have to fulfill."

    Multiple expression which resembled shock and some even had excitement in them, could be seen all over the classroom. However, there was one thing that I could not understand. What I previously did should not justify this sentence.

    "Still, I must say, to be in the presence of someone who has 1000 years of jail to fulfill, hahaha."

    Basara-sensei, no, everyone, including the female individual on my left side looked at me.

    Yes, apparently, I have 1000 years to spend in jail.

    I wasn''t just going to randomly accept that though.

    "That''s wrong."

    "What?"

    "I said, that''s wrong."

    "Now, why is it wrong though?"

    Basara-sensei asked me a good question. A question, so good that I had no answer to it.

    "Could I know where you got the evidence? I''m assuming you are saying all of this because you have evidence, correct?"

    "That''s right, that''s right!"

    "Show us some evidence!"

    It''s not as if anyone is backing me up on this, all of them just wanted to know whether or not that''s actually true.

    "You people must never have heard of a little thing called ''reports''. Of course, I have evidence."

    I suspected as such. After all, he wasn''t just writing those numbers at random earlier. Basara-sensei held onto a sheet where he probably had those reports. I simply wanted to confirm two things. One, whether or not it was the real deal and two, just what I had actually done.

    That old geezer simply arrested me for what I had done. But, what I did does not justify the fact that I supposedly have 1000 years of jail to fulfill.

    Eventually, Basara-sensei decided to hand out the reports to the respective individuals. Some even rejected the reports for their own personal reasons.

    And just as I was about to receive my own report, I caught the glimpse of something interesting.

    Lus.

    However, she immediately realized that and collected her whole report.

    That was probably her name.

    As soon as I received my report, I read it.

    Well, this is unexpected. This crime did not correspond to the one I previously did. Of course, it didn''t.

    Why would it, even? I wanted to complain about this, but I immediately began to thought about the afterword.

    Assumingly, if I complained about my situation, what then, really? I needed some sort of evidence to back my argument up. Plus, there is the fact that Basara-sensei is a cold aloof human being. I didn''t feel certain about this, therefore I remained silent.

    She would cast side glances at me as I was reading my own report but I didn''t really care for them. I, however, did care that she might be trying to secretly read my report. To counter that, I made sure to completely blind her by putting my left arm in a way where it covered her whole vision.

    Sooner or later, she gave up.

    "First rule, you are not allowed to interact with anyone in school. The only exceptions to this are school staff and students in this class. Also, by school staff, I mean the staff that is responsible for you. Anyone who isn''t responsible for you, cannot be talked to. Consequences of disobeying this rule: You are removed from this program. Did anyone not understand this?"

    "Sensei, I have a doubt. What happens if someone is removed from the program?"

    That answer evidentially came with a question. Hyunda, surprisingly took an interest and asked Basara-sensei this question.

    "Well, you go back to your normal life. Pretty cool, right?"

    "So, what happens once we hit 18? If that someone who had been removed from the program hits the legal age to go to jail, what then?"

    "Are you dumb? You go to jail obviously."

    Perhaps his real intention was to simply extract information from Basara-sensei, so he didn''t really mind Basara-sensei calling him dumb. Regardless of how supposedly basic this was, there was no guarantee that someone would get thrown to jail after dropping out of the program.

    I''m thankful for Hyunda. He asked such a basic question but he got a doubt of the way. Smart.

    Hyunda resumed his silence then.

    "You have all read the rules, correct? If so, there is no need to explain the rest. I just felt the need to repeat this rule in case someone didn''t get it. Also, you are free to drop out whenever you want. Please, don''t feel obligated to do this. If you want to drop out, by all means, do so."

    No way that''s an option.

    It was meaningless to repeat my earlier words. Basara-sensei didn''t believe me when I said that I really didn''t receive a book with the rules. For my own safety, in the future, preferably a close one, I would have to get my hands on that book.

    Present time.

    This reminded me, I needed to talk to someone in order to review the rules from the book.

    .........

    I didn''t want to resort to this but there were no consequences to this.

    It will only be ephemeral. There was no reason to get nervous here. Besides, what could go wrong.

    I stole a glance at her yet her eyes seemed as if she was looking at something so horribly abhorrent that it almost stole all of my commitment. Then, she would look at her lascivious nails, which, by the way, were beautifully decorated. Her attitude, while looking at them showed zealously.

    .....

    Unfortunately, maybe now wasn''t a good time.

    No.

    In order to get some useful information, I need to contact someone. That''s right. That someone would be the one who is right next to me. On the other hand, I would have to conduct myself carefully. I know nothing about her.

    Provided that, I should not just start with a direct encounter.

    Another key thing to remember is that I already saw her argue with someone earlier. I am by no means expecting a gentle reply, but I am trying to think of a way in which she doesn''t flat out reject me.

    Significantly 2 minutes after, I managed to come with a simple solution.

    In conclusion, as Basara-sensei was talking about the subject, he would forcefully interact with other students. Basara-sensei was a problem too. I could not be caught by him. Even though the other students just do whatever the hell they please, what they don''t notice is that they become Basara-sensei''s prey later on.

    With this in mind, it''s natural that, right now, the ones that are being questioned are them.

    Notwithstanding the pressure, I made my move.

    Now, how will you react?

    My nervous mental state hits its peak as I forcefully put a small piece of paper on her notebook.

    By the way, all that was written in that small piece of paper was: ''Hey.''. She had no reason to reject this. All she had to do was to reply with a ''Hey.'' back. Fairly simple, right?

    Yet...

    Without opening the paper, which, I, out of nobility, wrapped it up, she decides to do something completely abrupt and unnecessary.

    "Sensei."

    "Yes?"

    "Can I toss this paper in the garbage can?"

    "I''m happy that someone actually reminded to use manners for once. Sure, go on."

    It''s not wrong to have a strong desire to slap someone who just tosses your paper into the garbage without reading, right?

    "Thank you."

    I''m a fair man. I believe so. That''s why, if Basara-sensei wasn''t here, I would two slap this bitch without any mercy. No, I would probably do something far crueler. A kick? A punch? So many options. Nonetheless, such was not possible because Basara-sensei would without a doubt apply those called ''consequences''.

    By contrast, she starts to write something. I was curious so I decided to gaze.

    With that said, she gave me equal treatment as earlier. My vision was totally blocked.

    Then, in a heartbeat, she puts a paper, which was wrapped as well, in my notebook.

    If this was a way of apologizing then I might reconsider my previous thoughts.

    I was in a forgiving mood, honestly. Therefore, I opened it.

    "Sensei, can I toss this paper in the trash can?"

    My hand was twitching huh? Well, that''s normal.

    "...Sure..."

    I got up from my seat and tossed the paper which said: ''Don''t talk to me, creep <3'' to the garbage can.

    This is why we can''t have nice things.

 Volume 1 - Chapter 3: The man of culture, Tsudo Toharoh.

    Dinner time.

    I forgot to mention something. My schedule, no, everyone''s schedule isn''t exactly light. We start classes at 8 am, then have a break of 15 minutes every 2 hours.

    2. HOURS.

    But, nonetheless, that''s not what pisses me off. We, the boys, just do something random during our supposed lunchtime. Yes, because we do have lunchtime, but we eat absolutely nothing! No, that''s still not it! It''s not it.

    The girls, all go to their dorms. It doesn''t take a fool to realize the situation...

    "Those bitches eat and we don''t..."

    Exactly! How is this fair!? Those ungrateful bitches, especially that bitch, get to eat during lunch when we don''t!

    Still, I''m surprised that my thoughts are loud to the point where I''ve started to listen to them. No, hearing my thoughts is completely normal, it''s just that, they felt genuine. You know, there''s a difference between the sound of your inner thoughts and real words when they are spoken.

    Oh, wait...

    "Waahhh!! Who are you and what master do you serve!?"

    "I serve no master!! Now drop your chopsticks!"

    "You still didn''t answer me who you are!"

    I and this guy were causing a ruckus for apparently no reason. Actually, it is for a reason. I didn''t notice this guy. At all. He just stealth moded me like a ninja, what the fuck.

    "Oh. Sorry about that. I was just looking for a place to sit, but then I was like: ''Man, none of these guys actually talk at all. It''s soooooooo boring.'', so I went to your table. Mister 1000 years to fulfill in jail, hahaha!!"

    I chopped his head since that wasn''t a laughing matter.

    "Your name...!"

    "Wait, seriously? You don''t know my name!? What the hell dude! We''ve been in the same class over a fricking week! Come on!"

    I seriously didn''t know this guy''s name.

    "Alright, alright! Tsudo. Tsudo Toharoh."

    "Daniel Lead."

    "Yeah, unlike you I actually knew your name, loool."

    No way, did this guy just use ''loool'' in real life? Eh, it''s not as weird as it sounds. I thought it was simply an expression limited to the online world only.

    Aside from that, I asked something out of pure curiosity.

    "Tsudo, why are you here?"

    "Why am I here? Let''s see... One, I''m starving because we didn''t eat anything for breakfast and for dinner yesterday, and two because I wanted someone to talk to."

    His points were reasonable. I was just insecure because of what Kan told me. He had told me to not interact with anyone. Interacting with criminals under the premise that they have done such an immoral thing would normally alert anyone. Additionally, if I was someone else and given that ''I'' would interact with the real me, knowing what I did, then ''I'' might just not interact at all.

    However, he didn''t get my question.

    "Not that..."

    "I know, I know. You want to know my crime, right?"

    I nodded in response.

    "I don''t mind telling you, but only under special conditions."

    "I''m listening."

    "But first... do you prefer them small or big?"

    "...What exactly are we talking about? I don''t want this to be the type of conversation where one side remains clueless until the end."

    "I''m talking about breasts! Breasts!"

    Oh, what a silly question. This guy.

    I check my surroundings and then, after noticing that no one is looking at our table, I say:

    "To be honest, I prefer all kinds. It''s fine if she is flat or if she has big boobs. I really don''t mind. However, I truly prefer them medium size. The medium size is perfect. You can''t go wrong with medium size. What about you?"

    "I prefer them big! I just don''t get the appeal of small chests, man. If there is nothing to play with, then what''s the deal? Big chests, on the other hand, allow a far bigger entertainment. Wouldn''t you agree?"

    This is turning into a conversation that I like.

    Could this guy be...

    "Pardon me for saying this, but you''re at fault here, Tsudo."

    "Eh?!"

    I needed to explain to him the real deal.

    "Small chests are not for everyone. Their infinite beauty is so profound that an average mind would immediately think nothing about them. Yet that''s it. They are nothing. Nothingness in itself holds such a beautiful affinity with the observer."

    "I see. I think I understand what you have just said. In other words, I need to see it beyond my horizon, huh? Maybe my own perspective is flawed and my obsession with big boobs is blinding me."

    No way. He''s reflecting on this.

    This guy!

    I know. A test.

    "Tsudo. Answer me this question seriously, like your life depends on it."

    Tsudo then puts down his chopsticks and firmly glances at me. His eyes shone red, like magma.

    "Ass or boobs?"

    Without even thinking about it for a bit, he spills out his own words.

    "You see, that''s a tricky question. As we have discussed previously there exists a certain affinity between breast sizes, however, when it comes to asses, there is simply something far more alluring. If someone asked me whether I wanted to see a girl in her swimsuit or bikini, I would think about it. Because the whole premise of having a swimsuit isn''t to see whether or not the boobs fit in. No! It will obviously fit it! That''s not the point! The point is, how will the ass be!? Subsequently, should anyone ask me whether or not I would see a girl in her bikini from the front or back, I wouldn''t even think about it. Because my answer would obviously be, from the back! I am an ass man until I die! No! Foolish me! Allow me to amend that!"

    "Permission granted!"

    Not being capable of hiding my inner happiness, I hastily permit him from going forward.

    "I am an ass man forever and beyond!"

    I couldn''t hold back my tears. That''s right. My manly tears had come out. Although, they were quickly interrupted by someone clapping as that someone came in our direction.

    "Bravo. I have never heard such a truthful speech in my whole life."

    I do remember his name though.

    "Sagasuga, are you an ass man too?"

    "Sorry, I prefer personality. I mean, what''s the point if she''s good looking, has a great body but then her personality is utter shit? Doesn''t make any sense to me."

    To contrast Tsudo''s question, Sagasuga gives a completely different answer that has nothing to do with the question. I could be an asshole and just simply say that he didn''t answer the question, but I am not gonna be that guy. After all, Sagasuga did say some fat facts. What''s the point if her looks are the only she has to stand out for?

    However---

    "Eh... A girl having a nice personality is a dead myth. It''s a legend now. Do you actually think that, within our class, there exists a girl that has a good personality and a good body!?"

    "Nope. They''re all fucked up as hell."

    He wasn''t lying.

    "But you know, I thought you were being idealistic. What I mean is, I thought you were being hypothetical about it. Are you actually aiming for someone within our class? It''s only been one week, chill out."

    Sagasuga really had a point, but it''s not like he knew that Tsudo was aiming for someone. Besides, you have to be utterly insane to aim for any of the girls in our class.

    "There''s no point in aiming for someone in our class right now. But I was thinking about something interesting..."

    Tsudo then told, Sagasuga, who had already taken a seat in our table, and me, what he had in store.

    "I see. That''s certainly a possibility. But, aren''t there multiple flaws in your plan already? For example, the fact that we can''t interact with any other girls from this whole school immediately cucks our options. Wouldn''t it make more sense to aim for someone on the outside? No, even then, you are only allowed to leave school once a month."

    That''s right. Our class is only allowed to leave school once a month. There were stores in our school, therefore we didn''t really need to leave out of school. However, those stores, just like any, ask for money from you if you are going to buy something. Therefore the reasonable thing to do was to ask for an allowance from our parents. Or so, did Basara-sensei say.

    Furthermore, we had a free month of storage spending. Meaning that we could buy anything to a certain degree from the stores. Otherwise, we would just starve.

    More importantly, Tsudo suggested that even though we are attending classes for the sake of abolishing our jail sentences, that we shouldn''t let that blind us. What he truly meant was that, even though Basara-sensei said that we should not interact with anyone in school except our school staff and classmates, that we should, instead, let our youth bloom.

    In order to do so, we had to go against Basara-sensei''s words and seek out the beauty in our surroundings. In other words, we should try our luck with the girls in our school. I wanted to talk about how flawed this whole plan is, but I felt that, if we actually tried hard enough, we could somehow make this work.

    And so, I held on to that hope.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Sagasuga, think about it. Why is it that we can''t interact with other students?"

    "Because Basara-sensei said so?"

    "That''s very true. However, how would he know?"

    "Mhm, good question. I have my own thoughts, but I would like to hear about Daniel''s first."

    How the hell did such a reasonable individual get a jail sentence?! This isn''t making any damn sense.

    "Well, the first thing to state is that our uniforms are different from the rest of the students in school. Therefore we are extremely recognizable, by a long shot. The second thing to also mention is that things such as cameras and reports are an option. If we are caught interacting with other students outside of our own class by the cameras, that would give Basara-sensei the ultimate providence. Furthermore, students out of spite or just any reason at all can report us to the teachers... This really isn''t gonna work..."

    I felt that my opinion was a bit harsh and that it had a chance to crush Tsudo''s spirit, but his sudden smirk said otherwise.

    "As expected from a fellow ass man. Your opinion is correct. That''s why I have come up with the ultimate weapon! Listen up and be amazed!"

    Both Sagasuga and I listened to Tsudo''s ultimate plan.

    .......

    For a second, I really thought that there was nothing off about Tsudo. Appreciating a woman''s body does not make you a bad person, I believe. I, additionally believe that as long as you don''t do something extremely stupid with that adoration of yours that you are technically one hell of a person. But Tsudo''s plan, somehow, managed to enlighten me on what type of crime he might''ve just committed.

    "And then, we will get their uniform-"

    "Tsudo, I''m just gonna stop you right there. Stealing uniforms? Now, I''m not questioning the moral sense of that, since I believe that we are morally corrupt to a point where we do not care about it anymore, but, shouldn''t we avoid stirring up shit?!"

    To put it into a retrospective, Tsudo claimed that the right plan would be the following:

    At the beginning of the month, when we are allowed to leave school, we would assault a group of three students.

    I immediately began to saw his plan, and yes, I did fully guess it.

    All we had to do was to gather some ski masks and bang gang this group of three students in an isolated area. We would not be wearing school uniforms, instead, we would be wearing casual clothes.

    This was to prevent the students, who, after getting knocked out, being able to identify that the ones who orchestrated this whole plan were no other than from this school itself.

    Plus, our uniforms are different from theirs. That would be flat out stupid.

    Given that we had that taken care of, we would then, beat them up to a whole new level. Beat them so hard that they would go to the hospital.

    I didn''t oppose this part.

    It''s true.

    If we wanted to make this work then we needed some motherfucking courage backing us up. Being a pussy wasn''t an option.

    However, the flaw came next.

    Tsudo said that after that, we would randomly infiltrate the school and started to interact with someone pretty girls.

    That was illogical for one reason and one reason alone. There is no one. And I mean this, no one that hasn''t seen what we look like. It''s irrelevant whether or not our uniforms change, because our faces sure won''t.

    "Also, let me add something to Sagasuga''s opinion, if those students decided to tell the teachers about this, then we would be suspects. It doesn''t take a fool to realize that we, the ones who are forbidden from interacting, would most likely be the masterminds of this. It also doesn''t matter if they don''t have evidence, the fact remains, we males, would be suspects."

    "You guys... You were really ready to commit huh?"

    He asked a strange question. However, I and Sagasuga immediately nodded.

    "By the way, what did you guys do?"

    I insisted on this subject since Tsudo initially wanted to discuss this before moving on the actual matter at hand. It''s not as if there isn''t any more room for discussion about the plan, but rather, this is far too rushed. If Tsudo wants to create a successful plan then he should think first.

    No, that''s wrong.

    He did think.

    He just didn''t think about the plan thoroughly.

    "Oh, you mean the crimes?"

    "Yeah, you got 25 years of jail. Why?"

    "Oh, that''s because... I killed someone."

    I''m not sure what shocked me more, the fact that Tsudo didn''t even flinch or the fact that I didn''t. I didn''t because what I did was something on a higher scale, supposedly. So I had to act like it.

    "Why though? You don''t seem like a bad person, at all."

    Tsudo really had a point. Sagasuga looked like the type of dude to actually take the bullet for you.

    "It''s actually really fucking dumb... Are you sure you wanna listen?"

    "Yes."

    Both Tsudo and I, without hesitating, said.

    "So, I have a sister. A 16-year-old sister who was dating this thug. I am not someone who is overly protective but I knew something was off about that guy. Nevertheless, I didn''t want to be a hypocrite and stop their relationship due to my biased opinion. I say ''hypocrite'' because I wouldn''t like if someone did the same to me. Having freedom is nice."

    It''s a weird scenario where the younger brother has to stand out for his older sister. Coincidentally, everyone in our class is 15 years old. It feels as if it''s not a coincidence though.

    "Eventually, I was returning home one day, when I heard my sister screaming for help. At the same time, I was terrified. I was so terrified because I just heard the damn bastard feeling good about the situation."

    Then suddenly---

    His eyes just took a 180-degree turn.

    The noble Sagasuke who had the expression of someone who could not hurt a fly began to clench his fists so hard that he started bleeding from his inner palms.

    The only logical explanation would be that while clenching his fists, he broke his nails, thus the bleeding coming from it. Nonetheless, he held a completely different expression.

    Both anguish and rage could be viewed.

    "My sister was being raped. Now, what I''m about to say next isn''t probably something relatable to normal people, so I''ll tell you two, since you two really aren''t normal, right?"

    We couldn''t disagree. Our reasons might diverge, but we, without a doubt, have gone beyond the boundary of what is qualified as ''being normal''.

    "I felt immense courage. I felt the need to protect my sister at all costs. No, the correct feeling would be euphoria. I felt like I could do anything. So, I dashed to the kitchen and then grabbed as many knives as I could. It was hard to believe that the thoughts of killing someone never crossed my mind. After I went to my sister''s room, I didn''t announce my presence. It just naturally happened. My sister was traumatized to a dramatic extent. She will probably never recover, honestly. That''s why I made sure the guy would never be able to recover as well. I''m not trying to justify myself or anything. I admit and I believe to truly be an evil person. I didn''t feel sorry for the guy nor do I regret what happened."

    Tsudo and I just kept our mouths shut. We both couldn''t escape from this scenario. I felt guilty for pursuing this yet I felt relieved. After all, what I did, wasn''t so far from this.

    I have no idea about what Tsudo is thinking though.

    Then, just as we were reaching the climax, Sagasuga''s expression completely changed again.

    This time he showed an extremely devilish smile as he said the following words.

    "Nonetheless, it fucking happened. I killed him so hard that he stopped reacting. At first, he tried to resist. It was useless, I stabbed him all over the place. I made sure to aim for the legs first. The bastard had to suffer. It couldn''t be helped, right? I wasn''t in the wrong. He did that to my sister. He needed to be punished for it. Anyone who harms those I love will receive death. That''s why I must apologize to you two. I lied about something."

    "Haha, don''t worry about it, man."

    "Yeah, if you don''t feel like telling us anymore, then that''s fine."

    We tried to give him some words of encouragement, but we were na?ve.

    "Oh no, it''s just... I didn''t just kill him."

    "What!?"

    Unable to contain our surprises, we both exclaimed.

    "I killed his whole family as well. I''m not very proud of having this ability, but once I truly look into someone, even their family is not safe. I already knew from the get-go where he lived. I always took into consideration the possibility of that guy treating my sister badly, but never did I imagine that he would flat out rape her."

    After that, he continued to tell us how he killed the thug''s whole family.

    Needless to say, after that, I couldn''t sleep all night.

    The next morning.

    My slumber was interrupted at 4 am by King George''s shouts.

    "Wake up, you motherfuckers!! If you aren''t in the cafeteria in the time span of 5 minutes, you will not receive any food for the next month!!"

    Hearing that absurdity, I dressed up as fast as I could.

    No way am I sacrificing food, especially when I barely get any.

    Hell no!

    The cafeteria, 4 am.

    "Man, what the fuck is this shit!? Give me my sleep back!"

    "Kawahara, shut the fuck up! All of you, listen! You can all go back to sleep at any time! However, the fucking rat that stole food from the kitchen will experience the truest of all hells by yours truly!"

    "You don''t tell me what to do! Our agreement was that we respected you and slept before midnight! I have been doing that shit every single fucking day and yet you have the nerve to act like a tyrant now!? Give me some logic! Explain the damn situation..."

    Kawahara Ryou. Unlike him, everyone else was on their pajamas, but no, this guy was here without his shirt. Flexing his abs. Unnecessary flex, if you ask me.

    "What? Didn''t your teacher told you, people, that someone had been stealing food from the kitchen!? I''m not even worried about serving you people, because I have bigger worries right now. That''s right! It''s fucking empty! Nothing left! I can''t fucking eat!!!"

    I''m surprised I didn''t go deaf right here.

    "Ah shit, I was probably sleeping..."

    "You were. Sensei informed us that someone had been stealing from the kitchen."

    Thankfully, Hyunda clarified it to him.

    "What the fuck!? Who did this shit!?"

    Nonetheless, Kawahara''s aggressive behavior remained.

    "Wasn''t it Kuzan?"

    Said Kan, with a cigar in his mouth. Wow, this guy does not chill.

    "Oi, Kuzan! Speak up!"

    It was then that Rayazaki, the one who shouted at Kuzan, noticed that Kuzan wasn''t there. In fact, Kuzan was nowhere to be found.

    "Oh my fucking god, where did that bastard go!? I wholeheartedly refuse to mandatorily skip breakfast again!"

    Not only was Tsudo angry, but everyone else was too.

    Unfortunately, I had a bad premonition and I couldn''t demonstrate anger, instead, I showed worry.

    I hope that the premonition doesn''t become real.

    "The fuck are you little shits waiting for!? You better find that rat as soon as possible! Or else you will all be starving! And if I have to starve, then you will all become my food! You hear me!?"

    "Sir, yes sir!" We all said out of fear.

    "It''s King George, motherfuckers!!"

    Thus, we left.

    The basic ground rules say that activity from midnight until 6 am is forbidden. The fact that King George didn''t care for this rule just proves how dire the situation really is.

    I had to take into consideration his possible escape factors. However, as soon as I had thought about that, a superior thought came along. Nonetheless, someone was already way ahead of me.

    "Hey, why don''t we all make teams? This way we can make our search more effective."

    Akihiko''s proposal sounded incredibly logical and reasonable in my eyes. There was just one slight problem.

    "Fuck off, pussy. Teaming up and shit like that, what are you, 5?"

    "Kawahara, I understand that you''re a special nutcase, but we all are. Can''t we just stand united when the goal is the same? It''s literally so fucking illogical to fight over this, I swear."

    "Hell no. You''re all weak as shit. Depending on people you barely fucking know. Can''t you use your heads a little?"

    "That''s my question, but you really aren''t following my trail."

    "Tsk. I don''t care. I''ll just find that piece of shit and beat the crap out of it. Damn it. Why do I have to do all this to get food?"

    Blasting off, he left. Right now, we were only 11. 10, if you count Kawahara out.

    We had to do something in order to avoid starving. However, things weren''t looking good. The rest of the boys weren''t really looking forward to Akihiko''s team up proposal anymore.

    "His attitude has flaws, sure, but his whole point wasn''t flawless. When he said that we were depending on people who we don''t even know, I''ll have to agree with him on that. We should just search Kuzan via solo without any hard feelings."

    Tatsu''s opinion wasn''t incorrect.

    No one spoke after that. They both went in different directions.

    Now then, what to do?

    There is no way that Kuzan is somehow still in the dorm. I bet King George is looking for him in it like mad. Plus, as Rayazaki said earlier, he was supposedly right there, so in that time, he barely had time to escape. He could not have gone that far.

    What''s more, is that, even though he could not have gone far, that''s assuming his physical ability is weak. If I take into consideration to evaluate his physical ability as high, then it''s fair to assume that he went somewhere far away.

    It''s impossible to access such things as classrooms. It''s also out of the question for Kuzan to infiltrate other dorms. In other words, Kuzan''s only options were places he could access for now.

    Or maybe not.

    If he holds out for 2 hours, then he can simply infiltrate any surroundings.

    What I don''t understand is, why would you do this just to steal some food?

    Especially when you are going to get caught later on. It''s utterly meaningless.

    So why?

    "I''m going back to sleep."

    "What nerve you have! Didn''t I say that you all could only sleep when Kuzan was found out? So what do you think you''re doing?"

    "This is pointless, King George, and let me explain to you why."

    Since I was close and since I still hadn''t left my initial position, I went back a little to King George''s office and heard the talk that was going on between him and Hyunda.

    "But before that, Daniel, come here, you''re essential for this to work."

    Busted.

    I''m not even going to pretend to not listen.

    There''s no reason to.

    "Listen up well. There is only one place that Kuzan could''ve gone to and it''s plainly obvious where. I didn''t see where he went but the chances of him being inside the girls'' dorm are extremely high. I''m confident that he could not have gone anywhere else."

    As I thought, it really came down to that.

    But, what the fuck?

    Is Kuzan nuts? Of course, he is.

    Is he expecting some sort of romantic development or something by going to the girls'' dorm?

    No, no way.

    Kuzan is the type of guy whose character is extremely dense. I just don''t see him going there for that reason.

    Thus, he went there to hide.

    "But now what? We know that he''s there, but without any plan of infiltration, we can''t get Kuzan out of there."

    "Your worries are relatable, but the real worries are far more fierce. This is all assuming that Kuzan isn''t somewhere else. That''s why I will do you the favor of investigating the places that I think that Kuzan could''ve gone to in the meanwhile. But no more than that. After that, I sleep. That''s why---"

    After exhaling a bit, Hyunda resumes his speech.

    "Daniel, you alone stand no chance of infiltrating the girls'' dorm. However, I want you, to create a team of 5 people who are down to this."

    Then, to assure that I couldn''t run away, he does the most cowardly move ever.

    "I am counting on you."

    On top of putting his hands on my shoulders, his dark eyes reflected the image of someone saying: ''Don''t fuck this up or we''re all dead''.

    Man, this guy shouldn''t be a father in the future if he hates so much responsibility.

    "I''ll see what I can do..."

    "Also, forget about Kawahara. You cannot get him to cooperate, yet."

    "Yet? You mean there will be a time where I can?"

    "It''s hard to know. But I''m sure you have realized this by now, a failure from someone means failure for all of us."

    Saying such strong words, Hyunda leaves off.

    Now then.

    What do I do?

 Volume 1 - Chapter 4: A quest for equality.

    Hyunda''s words bore heavy weight in the back of my mind.

    In order for this plan to work, I would need to form a team of 5 people. I''m assuming I only need to gather 4 more people since I''m included.

    Still, I would like to know Hyunda''s reasoning for this ''5 man team''.

    It''s scary how Hyunda, the supposed bored guy comes up with this stuff without giving a second thought.

    Is this what you call natural?

    Man, what the hell.

    Bored individuals are to be feared and respected.

    I''m starting to believe that this guy has the skills to rule Japan or something.

    Am I glorifying him too much?

    I am, aren''t I?

    It can''t be helped. Anyone that sits in the back of the class right next to the window has all the flags to become overpowered.

    I might be starting to fear his whole existence.

    ........

    Why are eyes so scary?

    "Hey."

    Perhaps the scariest ''Hey.'' I''ve ever heard in my entire life.

    Either way, King George, who was, by the way, staring into my soul, said such words with dead eyes.

    "Sorry, I was thinking."

    "Oh, okay then. If you were thinking about how to solve the current situation, then that''s excusable."

    "Sorry, I lied. I was reflecting my inner thoughts about Hyunda''s suspicious existence! I will, however, work right away!"

    It was time to get working.

    First, I needed to gather people that I knew would work with me. I had two people in mind from the get-go. Sagasuga and Tsudo. I''m sure they would agree with me. However, I needed a fourth person... Kan came to my mind, but the dude was nowhere to be found.

    He''s probably fucking smoking weed in a bush or something. His weed must be his food, I bet.

    Unfortunately, this is the limit of my competence. In fact, I am currently only competent because I happened to meet Tsudo and Sagasuga today.

    Wait.

    Why did I happen to meet them both yesterday?

    Hold on. This is really interesting.

    I''m about to theory craft this mother down.

    Let''s suppose that Hyunda, the bored individual just so happened to have foreseen this event and made it so that I would be the key to solving this matter.

    What if, assuming that this all works, this was all just part of Hyunda''s plan just because he happened to seek entertainment?

    Wait. Wouldn''t that mean that Kuzan, stealing all the food, earlier, was just a part of his plan?!

    Then, what about the meeting today? I feel like it wasn''t a pure coincidence, but instead, it was all part of someone''s plan. Or was it just a coincidence?

    Man, am I overthinking this? I can''t get these thoughts out of my head.

    I''ve watched too many animes and have read too many mangas and so, I strongly believe that Hyunda is a main character from an anime/manga incarnated.

    Well, I''ll think about this later.

    For now, I had to re-direct myself towards Sagasuga. It would be way more reasonable to go to him instead of Tsudo. I have not forgotten about his past and how horrifying dangerous he is when provoked, but when he is not in that killer mood of his, he is incredibly reasonable.

    Sagasuga went in the direction of the gymnasium. Why though? Isn''t it locked? What sense does it make to go there?

    After dashing for a grand total of 30 seconds, I arrived at the gymnasium.

    As I entered the gymnasium block, also known as block E, I heard two echoing voices.

    By the sound of their voices, they were somewhat distant.

    I got curious and decided to check what was up. However, I proceeded with caution.

    "...Seriously, why do we have to meet up here at 4 am? Couldn''t you pick a better moment or time to invite me out?"

    "...Sorry... I just wanted to see you so badly."

    Huh? Are my ears failing me or something!?

    Why am I hearing Sagasuga''s voice!?

    Why the fuck is my blood boiling?!

    "Geez..."

    They both stopped talking. Out of instinct, I merely glanced at them from far away.

    I then cried.

    Make no mistake, these tears were not shed out of sadness nor out of joy.

    These were tears of blood.

    That fucking traitor!! How dare he betray the code!

    No, wait! I haven''t issued the code yet! Damn it! I was waiting until we become full-fledged bros for that!

    What''s more is, the girl he''s kissing is Tateyama from our girl!

    Damn it, I will not forgive this guy!

    Out of spite, I take my leave.

    However---

    "Sorry Tateyama. I just really wanted to see you. But right now, I need to take care of something first. I promise to make it up to you later."

    I decided to stay.

    It can''t be helped.

    "Why? What''s something that''s more important than me?"

    This is bad. Is Sagasuga a man enough to tell her the truth?

    "The truth is, the male dorm''s supervisor begged me on his knees for something. Only I could do it!"

    Fucking beta.

    "W-What is it? What is the one thing you could only do!?"

    "You seeeeee. He can''t sleep at night unless I watch over the dorm for him. So, I have to watch the dorm for him while he sleeps. I am sacrificing my own sleep to watch over the dorm. Everyone is a lost cause who is always making noise, even after midnight. I''m sorry..."

    My guy, you have a lot of fucking nerve. I will remember those words. Even if I have to cut myself while writing a full essay all over my damn body!

    However, losing sight of my original goal would be crucial right now. The fact stands, I need his help.

    After breaking ways with Tateyana, whose long dark blue hair shone through the moonlight, I was free to make my move.

    Although I had to wait like a few seconds in order to come out from hiding, it was time.

    "Yo, man! You found him yet?!"

    "H-Huh!? Daniel? Man, what a coincidence! N-Nah, not at all."

    Coincidence my ass, you bloomer. Oh no. Such a sad life! To have a girlfriend already one week in. Seeing your sight makes me want to slash my own wrists right now, I swear.

    "Listen, I know where he is at!"

    "What!? Where?"

    "The girls'' dorm, actually."

    "Wait, are you serious? What makes you think that?"

    "Hyunda said the following: ''Daniel, you alone stand no chance of infiltrating the girls'' dorm. However, I want you, to create a team of 5 people who are down to this.''"

    "That does not explain why we should suspect the girls'' dorm in the first place."

    Oi, you fucking white knight, stop protecting your girlfriend.

    "Hyunda additionally said Kuzan does not have anywhere else to go other than the girls'' dorm. Plus, it would be a good idea to infiltrate the girls'' dorms since all the girls are sleeping right now. I hate to admit but, Kuzan is a bit smart for a rat."

    "That''s still just an assumption. There is no guarantee that he is in the girls'' dorm."

    I''m sorry, I just can''t. No more.

    "Boi, are you fucking serious now? Of course, there is no evidence! We have to play guess to find this fucking rat or else we ain''t getting breakfast in the morning and most certainly, not later on when the dinner comes! Oh fucking right, it won''t come because we won''t have food to eat! Man up and agree with me!"

    I might''ve partially forgotten the fact that this guy, who I''m lashing my rage at right now, has killed more than 1 person. I even used the ''boi'' word. That just goes to show how serious I am.

    "Alright! I get it... I''m with you. Can''t stand another damn morning without food..."

    Eventually, the white knight drops his bullshit and mans up.

    It must be hard when you''re literally swimming in pussy that you forgot your own damn brothers who are suffering in hell while you''re not!

    "Now, we have to get another 3 people to team up."

    "Just what exactly is the plan!?"

    I did give some thought about this on the way here.

    "First of all, we should explore the parameter. Furthermore, we should not make noise, at all."

    "Bro, they have vigilance cameras, this plan is utter shit."

    "I fucking know it is! But it can''t be helped! We don''t have an option! We''re at that rat''s existence''s mercy!"

    My bloodlust for Kuzan is tremendous as we speak.

    "Plan aside, how do you plan to gather 3 more people?"

    "Tsudo should accept this. I was thinking about adding in Akihiko. But what about the last?"

    "What about Hyunda though? He''s the one who came up with the infiltration idea."

    "No, he can''t. He made sure to check other areas where he thought that Kuzan might be hiding. In other words, he is making sure that there aren''t any flaws here."

    "How come he is so reliable yet unreliable? It''s weird. I can''t really decipher his character."

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    I see that Sagasuga also shares the same thoughts as me.

    Coincidentally, we met up with Tsudo. Without wasting time, I informed him.

    "Broooooooo. Infiltrating the girls'' dorm!? Are you nuts!? I''m fucking in."

    Somehow, I expected this exact reply.

    However, I really believe that it will not go as he expects.

    For instance, instead of ''Kyaas'' we will most likely get knives in our abdomens.

    "Tsudo, I need 2 more people to infiltrate the girls'' dorm. Who do you think would be the best suggestion here?"

    "If this is a team, then Akihiko for sure. I mean, the dude literally proposed teams. It wouldn''t make any sense for him to refuse."

    I''m glad for his assistance. However, the real problem has arrived.

    "What about the fifth though?"

    ......

    I decided to hold my breath on that.

    Firstly, why 5 people, Hyunda?

    I could not possibly understand his reasoning.

    Is his logic beyond human comprehension!? Is he a god masked in human disguise!?

    I-It can''t be...

    "Wait, why don''t we get George to do it?"

    Sagasuga asked a question that had a reply so obvious that both Tsudo and I remained silent.

    Eventually, Sagasuga realized the stupidity in his own question and retried.

    "Okay so... Rayazaki?"

    Hearing that proposing, we three, simultaneously gazed at the radiant yellow moon.

    I have no problem with Rayazaki. Except for one thing. Just a little thing.

    He has a god complex.

    Now... How do you convince someone with a god complex to join your team?

    "I''m down to try. I thought about something that might just work."

    Confidently, I delivered my opinion.

    "Let''s hope it works. Also, I saw Rayazaki heading towards the football stadium. On the other hand, Akihiko headed towards the main gate."

    I see. It indeed makes sense to head towards the main gate. By jumping the gate, all he has to do is hold out a few hours and he will be free.

    Also, this makes it easier.

    "Sagasuga, Tsudo, please leave Rayazaki to me."

    "Aight. Where do we meet up?"

    "In front of the girls'' dorm. I might be a bit late, but I will be there."

    "Oki. Well then. Godspeed."

    Says Sagasuga as we depart ways.

    I was oddly confident. But it was for one reason.

    This wasn''t my first time dealing with someone who had a god complex.

    Football Stadium.

    I thought that much. As I arrived at the stadium, I already knew that there was no way that Rayazaki was here to search for Kuzan. In fact, he couldn''t care less about Kuzan.

    Although he doesn''t show this behavior, I know he possesses it. The behavior of someone who only dominates.

    It was useless to search for him. He is nowhere to be seen among the long green grass that covers the whole field. Not even the lights are up. It feels as if I''m blind.

    Think.

    Where could he be?

    If he''s not here, then could he be in the locker rooms?

    Regardless of the distance, I walked to see it.

    To only take and never to give. I wonder what''s his creed.

    The male locker room had the door all destroyed.

    It''s not hard to imagine yet with a kick of decent potency backed up with physical force, breaking through this door wouldn''t be a pipe dream. Ultimately, it''s very much possible.

    As I walked in, my footsteps'' sound grew higher.

    By the time I am in front of him, he should have noticed that someone was here.

    I have to say, his position is the mixture of arrogance and calamity.

    He stands on his seat with his closed fist right on his right cheek. He was doing a thinker''s pose, without a doubt.

    I wanted to start the conversation, but it seems that even then, he was still ahead.

    "Get out."

    "No."

    "Why not?"

    "I need a favor from you. That''s why."

    "Go and ask someone else. There are other people who can do that favor for you. Leave."

    He''s certainly not wrong.

    But-

    "Hey."

    "What?"

    "Fight me."

    "..."

    He is shocked. However, he is no demonstrating an attitude of such. He is calmly analyzing the situation.

    "I will kill you. You know that, right?"

    "You can''t kill me. I am better than you at this."

    "...Fuck off, you piece of shit. Don''t make me lose my mood..."

    It seems that this wasn''t enough. I had to go deeper.

    If he reacts to this, then it will most likely happen in a flash.

    "Damn, I didn''t know you were arrested for being a pussy. How does it fe-"

    Leaping straight away from his seat, he launches a crushing fist straight at me.

    I have to dodge this though. If this hits me, then I will most likely be in a state of confusion.

    By dodging to my right, I avoid the direct confrontation, however---

    "It doesn''t end there."

    "Kuh--"

    This time, I could not dodge his attack. I, therefore, fended it instead. Not exactly the same as dodging but it holds a similar purpose.

    "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!! What''s wrong, huh!?"

    Unfortunately, I was in a position where I could only fend his attacks by reacting supremely fast to his attacks.

    I am under the impression that he went through some sort of martial arts training regime.

    I say this because, usually, after someone strikes you, they create openings which then permits counterattacks. However, this guy did not stop.

    Not for once, did he create a rupture in his stance. If I recall correctly, that''s a Krav Maga stance.

    It''s not hard for someone who knows Krav Maga to kill someone. As a matter of fact, it is by all means, easy.

    I have to break away from this loop though. His physical resistance could very well match mine but I can''t continue this forever.

    I must make progress before it''s too late.

    It seems that I have to apply the necessary measures to end this fight.

    "Come on! You''re making this boring! What''s wrong!?"

    "Sorry about that. Now, it''s my turn, right?"

    Although I said that, this isn''t a scene where I suddenly turn around this whole fight.

    My plan was to make sure that he suffers a penalty from that stance.

    That stance has a major weakness. Once it goes forward, it cannot retract.

    This stance fits a fighter like him. An impulsive radical individual like Rayazaki was truly fit for this stance.

    Nonetheless, it ends here.

    I''m prepared to get hurt a little, but it will most likely hurt like hell.

    Finally, the preparations were all set. With a wall on my back, he will for sure take this bait and attack me.

    In the past 2 minutes as our fight prolonged, we were only fighting in an open space. I could freely dodge and rotate thanks to that.

    That applies to this scenario no more.

    I am locked.

    Without a way out.

    "Kah---!!"

    I receive his brutal punch right in my face.

    With that said, it was finally created.

    That''s right, an opening could be seen.

    As soon as I received the punch, his whole right shoulder and forearm were completely exposed.

    This would not have worked if I hadn''t received the attack. By receiving the attack, I allowed myself to get pierced by it.

    Ultimately, I took a grab on his shoulder and immediately reversed our positions.

    Right now, Rayazaki was against the wall with his shoulder under my total control.

    Alas, I seemed to have turned the tides.

    Now then, let''s get to work.

    "I will break your shoulder if you don''t do me the favor I want to do."

    When confronting someone with a god complex, most people would think that going along with their wishes is one way to solve it. However, that''s wrong. That''s not solving at all, that''s delaying it. The correct measure to apply is to completely defeat someone with a god complex in their domain.

    Even so, that''s only the primary step. They always believe that there is a second chance to make things up.

    "Break it! I don''t fucking care! Heh... I bet you''re confident as fuck right now. Think you won? Well, think again. I will hunt you down, moron. Can you truly be safe? You can''t. You will never know when I will attack again. What if I attack you in your sleep huh?! What then? While you''re taking a shit! In the middle of a crowd! There are infinite possibilities, you are so screwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeed!!"

    "Attack again? Don''t worry..."

    Rapidly asserting my main point, I pushed my lips close to his right ear.

    "There won''t be another time."

    Crack.

    "Gahhhhhhhhh!!!----"

    "But, that''s not enough, right? You have an untamable spirit. You will strike back regardless, right? But, you need your whole body to counterattack, right? So, I''m going to break all of it."

    The second step is to make them conscious about the consequences that are to be followed. They never care about the consequences, they just want the aftermath.

    "How about both of your legs? You won''t be able to walk. Hey. Imagine, you, crawling on the ground, asking for help. Hahaha, man that''s fucking hilarious. Don''t you think so? Hey, you do, right?"

    "Kuhhh... Let me go..."

    "Hm? Can''t hear you."

    "I said let me go, you bitch!"

    Still acting spiteful, huh?

    "Have you ever tasted blood in your mouth for a very long period of time? It tastes like iron and it just sucks so much. However, I do believe in opinions. Tell me yours, please."

    Krawk.

    "Uhmm!!!---"

    And I broke his jaw.

    However, I didn''t break it to the point where he couldn''t talk. I just alerted him of my true intentions.

    That I would do anything to get his favor.

    "What do you want?"

    His eyes show no spirit. They are completely dead.

    The third and final step is to completely shatter their spirit.

    There is no such thing as an untamable spirit in the face of stronger adversity. I simply said that earlier to provoke him even further.

    Therefore, I''ve won.

    "I need your assistance. This is regarding Kuzan. Do you have any idea where he might be?"

    Might as well ask.

    "No way he isn''t hidden in the girls'' dorm."

    He probably shares a reasoning similar to Hyunda''s.

    "I think so too. Either way, what I want you to help me with is, infiltrating the girls'' dorm. It''s 5 am right now. This is urgent. If we don''t get the food back then we won''t be able to eat by the morning."

    "Shit... That''s bad... Alright..."

    "Great. Here, need a hand?"

    "Don''t fucking wanna. I can walk just fine."

    "I see."

    "Also, what the fuck man. Why didn''t you just ask me that you needed help to infiltrate the girls'' dorm straight up? You literally broke my shoulder and jaw over such a trifling matter! What the fuck!"

    I was also screaming inside.

    Girls'' dorm entrance.

    "My God, what in the fuck happened?"

    "Don''t ask."

    Perhaps he was still salty over the fact that he lost but Rayazaki couldn''t help but rebook Akihiko''s aggressive question.

    Seeing Akihiko on their side confirmed that Tsudo and Sagasuga were successful with their persuasion. Or maybe there was simply no persuasion at all. After all, Akihiko probably just said ''Yes!'' straight up.

    Just as I was about to question the location of his existence, the man in my mind appears unraveled in the darkness of the night.

    "Hyunda, how was it? Did you find him?"

    "I''m afraid not. I checked every possible space that he might be hiding but didn''t find anything. The rest is up to you guys. Also, good work Daniel. Assembling a team like that should give you an upper edge while looking for him."

    "Wait, man. Why don''t you come with us? Wouldn''t that make it easier?"

    "I know this might sound crazy but imagine the following scenario: I go along with you guys and attempt to find Kuzan. Then, randomly out of nowhere, Ikkiri just so happens to be awake. What would her reaction be when she sees me?"

    It''s not hard to imagine but to think that he was already that far ahead. As I thought this guy...

    "Yeah, she would go nuts over you. Does she have a crush on you?"

    "Haha, no way, no way. She just wants someone to talk to."

    I also then realized something.

    Hyunda just roasted us.

    Midst such realization, Rayazaki, Tsudo, Akihiko and Sagasuga couldn''t realize it!

    Damn it!

    Hyunda basically just said that a girl would go crazy over him because she wanted to talk to him and that no girl would go crazy for us because none of the girls would go crazy for us!

    "Also, Sagasuga. Be careful to not encounter any familiar faces. Avoid causing a ruckus at all costs."

    "Um, okay?"

    Pretending he doesn''t know what Hyunda is talking about, Sagasuga shrugs it off.

    Could it be that Hyunda knows about the fact that Sagasuga and Tateyana have hooked in secret?

    What the fuck, how!?

    Am I misunderstanding something here?

    Why would Hyunda say those words especially to Sagasuga and not, for example, me, who has a 1000 years to fulfill in jail?

    "Well, I''m off. I''ll try to enjoy my 3 hours of sleep if possible. I''ve told everyone that the problem has been solved. Even King George is sleeping as we speak. Good luck, my guys!"

    "My guys my ass!! Hyunda, you bastard, you''re just passing us the torch of responsibility!! Man the fuck up and come with us right now! If that annoying bitch dares to appear I will knock her out to the motherfucking ninth realm!"

    "Rayazaki, you''ve misunderstood my intention. My true intention is that I''ve put extreme faith in you guys. I know that you can do it. You have no way to fail this, right? If not you, then who? The people who are sleeping right now? Most certainly not, right? Get this, the boys that are already sleeping are expecting a warm breakfast to eat in the morning. You wouldn''t ruin everyone''s expectations out of spite, would you?"

    "You manipulating trickster! I am not your toy, you damned..."

    For a second, Rayazaki then stopped and reflected on something.

    Then, he slowly began to form an extremely smug expression.

    "Oh... That''s right... No one but me huh... Can''t be helped! What would you all be without me, the supreme being! Onwards, lads!"

    Who uses the word ''lads'' at 5 am...

    By the way, Hyunda was already gone. It''s official, this guy is either coincidentally making this easier for all of us or we are simply puppets to him.

    Furthermore, Hyunda just tossed all the responsibility back to us. He made sure that we could not leave that dorm with an L on our foreheads. Instead, we had to come out with a W in our foreheads.

    This scenario is making me flustered.

    My sleep was shit. I want to eat. And for some reason...

    I really want to have revenge against that bitch.

    Against her will, I still had to do something malicious to the point where she would regret mocking me.

    I really want to drop a bucket of cold water on her while she sleeps, but priorities are priorities.

    In conclusion, we had to make this work. Therefore, we needed to make sure that we cannot fail no matter what.

    And for that to happen, the words I am about to say must represent justice and law within my brethren.

    Out of necessity, I took a step back and asserted some distance.

    "D-Daniel? What are you doing?"

    Akihiko, out of curiosity asks. Not to worry. You are about to find out.

    "Men! Listen up and listen up well! Life is difficult! Although we were created by chance, our purpose and motivation throughout life are not by chance! It is created by our own wills which were given birth due to our powerful intersections with the outside and inside world that we live in!"

    "The fuck? Did he turn philosopher or something?"

    "Right now, we are on a mission! To secure our food, we must capture and then torture the living fucking shit out of a rat that goes by the name of Kuzan Takeshi!"

    "Ohh!! That''s more like it, Daniel! Nice, keep it going!"

    Rayazaki''s bursts of excitement aside, I needed to lay it out.

    "In order to achieve such, we have to infiltrate this cursed fortress also known as girls'' dorm! While our main reason for doing so will be to collect a certain''s individual''s body, we must not forget! Our enemies are not distant! In fact, they will fight us! Should we encounter them!"

    "Hehehe, but think about it. You get to sneak a peek at the girls in her sleep. Hey, I wonder if Mayabashi sleeps with her pajama on? Can you imagine seeing those Himalayas exposed!?"

    "Yoooooo, you''re speaking some true shit, Tsudo."

    "For real, for real. Just imagining it is making me droll.

    "Huh?"

    While Rayazaki''s confusion was both comprehensible and not comprehensible, I would like to smack Sagasuga for saying such erotic comments when he already has a damn girlfriend!!

    No!!

    I must not get swayed.

    They are fools.

    They no nothing about the truth!

    "You damn fools! There is no time such childish activities! We will act on the premise of peace! However! Should any member from the opposite gender fight back, you must fight back! Any man who refuses to lay a hand on a girl just because she is a girl is naive! We fight for multiple purposes! One of them being, gender equality! No, we will not highlight our gender yet we will not allow them to highlight theirs! Punch their boobs! Kick their bosoms! Knee her vaginas! Do anything you must do to fight back! That which is in the back of your mind which is considering an evil-doing must be applied! Are we fucking clear!?

    "I have no idea why but my body is telling me, no, but my mind, my mind is telling me yes!"

    "You just earned a severe portion of my respect. Onwards with the thot-slaying."

    I didn''t mean that there would be any thots but Rayazaki seems oddly motivated now. The only problem was those two. In the odd chance that their thoughts are conflicted, I gazed at them.

    Then, Tsudo, comes over in my direction and raises his arm up, as if to make a treatment. He then shouts:

    "For gender equality!"

    "For gender equality!"

    I lift my arm up as well.

    Now...

    "Sorry, I can''t really agree with you on this... Sure, I can take them on but I will not brutalize them."

    I was not in the mood for another speech since it was almost 5:30 am. It really drains my soul to do this but I had no other option.

    I need to reform this pussy.

    "Sagasuga, come closer, I need to tell you a secret."

    "Hm? What now?"

    Putting a devilish grin that took quick resemblance to Basara-sensei''s devilish grin, I murmur to his ear.

    "You and Tateyana, when did it start?"

    "We shall march forward for a brighter tomorrow! Eliminate anything that comes your way. Bring me Kuzan''s head!"

    I''m surprised that he got what I said immediately.

 Volume 1 - Chapter 5: Paranoia, Lust, Lies and Arguments.

    After my strident speech, it was time.

    Firsts and foremost, this was only possible because the girls have the audacity to leave their dorm open.

    It''s as if they are saying: ''Come on in, we are not afraid of you.''

    Fine by me, bitches.

    "Um, how exactly are we gonna do this though?"

    An excellent question came in from Rayazaki.

    "The girls'' dorm isn''t that different from ours. If you look at it from the outside, it resembles the same structure as ours. In other words, we should act as if we were in our dorms since they most likely have the same structure."

    Out of spite I almost assumed that this rat Sagasuga managed to sneak into Tateyana''s room somehow, therefore he knew this all along, but I won''t assume much since he is most likely correct on that.

    "So if we are going to move around like we were in our dorm, shouldn''t our strategy be the following: We each will investigate the five floors to see if Kuzan is there, right?"

    Quite the simple strategy coming in from Akihiko, I just had to slightly disagree.

    "No, we have to investigate places where Kuzan could be hiding without being dead in the first place. There is no way that Kuzan is hiding in a girls'' room. Think about it. It''s Kuzan we''re talking about here."

    "True, I mean, no way that virgin manages to get laid somehow, hahah."

    While that was completely unrelated and uncalled for, we were simply stating out loud that there is no way possible that Kuzan is hiding within any girls'' room. Which means...

    "Before we enter, I think that we should all agree onto something. We have to search for any place that isn''t the girls'' room."

    "Weird, you were passionate about confronting the girls and now-"

    "My words still stand."

    I had to correct Rayazaki''s assumption before he assumed something utterly stupid.

    Not wasting any more time, we approached the door. From here on, we had to talk extremely low.

    I would''ve liked to have practiced hand signals ahead of time, but no way that was possible.

    Also, I was wrong.

    The girls never left the door open.

    The door which was open, was only open because the lock was broken.

    In other words, this should serve as evidence that someone infiltrated the girls'' dorm through physical force.

    "No doubt, someone broke in."

    In the middle of the silent atmosphere, Tsudo reminded us that we were searching for someone who could do such things without making much of a mess.

    Right after, I made hand signals for my comrades.

    Fortunately, they immediately understood what I meant.

    I raised my hand with a 5 signal.

    Rayazaki with a 4 signal.

    Sagasuga with a 3 signal.

    Tsudo with a 2 signal.

    Lastly, Akihiko raised a single index finger to symbolize the number 1.

    Also, I fucking swear if Sagasuga chose the third floor because Tateyana happens to live in there, then I will brand him.

    Before departing, I had to say something.

    "Listen, we don''t need to wait for one another to meet up. When you are done investigating your respective floor, then move the fuck out. We can''t risk being caught."

    Hopefully, they did not understand my actual intention here.

    I then extend a massive brofist for the gang to bump.

    They all bumped.

    Thus, we all departed.

    1st floor, Akihiko''s side.

    Unlike our class'' calling order that Basara-sensei does every morning, each room is alphabetically ordered.

    Plus, there are 12 girls in our class.

    It makes no goddamn fucking sense for there to be 5 floors. As I thought, the structure really is different.

    Meaning that one of the floors is most likely just a proxy floor. In other words, one of us has the better odds of finding Kuzan than the rest. Furthermore, the only similar thing about our dorm is the outside structure, the inside structure is completely different.

    I know I shouldn''t talk out loud, but...

    "Maaaan, what a drag... This all could''ve been solved way earlier if that bastard Kawahara had teamed up. We basically wasted more than an hour just to form this team! Imagine if we had formed a team from the get-go..."

    Of course, even though I talked out loud, I did it as silent as possible.

    "Also, why are they always bothered by the fact that I talk alone? Is it mandatory for you to speak to another person instead of yourself? It makes no sense... If you want to talk you should just talk..."

    My inner complaints aside, something caught my attention.

    As I was venturing through the floor, I took notice of one disturbing thing.

    A door was open.

    What shocked me more was who came out of it.

    Sana.

    What the hell!?

    Why Sana?!

    Her name starts with ''S'' not fucking ''A''!

    In a quick beat, I decided to hide inside the pantry that was right next to me.

    At the same time, while entering it, I made some noise.

    "Hmmmmmmmmmm? Did I hear something...?"

    Oh crap. Oh crap. Oh crap.

    Okay, confession time. I have anxiety.

    Haha, who the fuck doesn''t!?

    "Yep. No doubt. Someone is here. Gotta grab my knife."

    Oiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!

    You damn lost cause, stop misunderstanding the situation and go back to sleep!

    Actually, she isn''t misunderstanding the situation at hand. But she has no idea that a boy is here!

    It was then that I noticed...

    There was a small black pack on the floor of this pantry.

    As an attempt to completely hide, I grabbed the black pack and buried myself into a small corner that was completely hidden due to the other cleaning accessories.

    "Knock knock. Who''s there? Nobody? That''s wrooooooooong. There is me!"

    I am fucking terrified!

    No more!

    Did this lunatic seriously play a knock-knock joke right now?! On top of that, it had such a cryptic answer!

    Wait...

    No way.....

    OH MY GOD!

    "Please don''t kill me! Please don''t kill me! Please don''t kill me! Please don''t kill me!"

    I really tried to not say that out loud, but a small squeak came out.

    It didn''t bother me to an absurd extent that Sana is holding a long knife in her right hand while smiling like a creep. It did bother me, but what truly bothered me to a whole new level was that she was sleepwalking.

    Please, this is too sad! You''re obviously never going to get married now!

    "Huhhhhh? Wait....... I forgot my hammer... I''ll be right back, I guess!"

    What the fuck woman!

    Hammer my ass! You certainly need a hammer to fix your loose screws in your damn head, sure!

    Crap, crap!

    I have no idea what I should do in this situation!

    Calm down, calm down.

    She is returning now. That''s right. She took distance from her room in order to come here. Plus, she is sleepwalking, which means that she can''t see me. I mean, she had her eyes closed, okay!?

    It should work in theory!

    But what then? What if she suddenly opens her eyes and decides to ghost me?

    I''m seriously not fit for this type of situation... I know that what I did to come to this school supposedly qualifies me as someone who should not be afraid of this type of situation, but guess what!?

    I''m different, okay?

    Why can others simply just not show fear on the surface? What''s the trick?!

    I don''t know! What''s worse is, while I am chained by these realistic thoughts, I can''t come up with a single solution.

    Damn it, I''m sorry, Daniel! Rayazaki! Tsudo! Akihiko! Best of luck! I''m fucking dipping!

    .........

    I''ll take this bag though...

    Somehow my intuition tells me that this will make some difference...

    No wait isn''t that just my desperation!?

    I haven''t even checked what''s inside!

    Ah crap, she''s coming back!

    Sink or swim, they say.

    I''ll have to choose the swimming option.

    Ultimately, I dashed rapidly without saying anything. I remembered Daniel''s words.

    He did say that after each individual is done investigating their respective floor that they are free to go.

    Look, it''s nothing personal but I need to...

    I need to what?

    Am I gonna pussy out like this!?

    Didn''t Daniel said that if a female individual happens to clash with us that we should fight back, by all means!?

    Reaffirming my resolution, I slap myself.

    "Ouch!"

    Why did I expect that not to hurt!?

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    Either way, I''ll knock her out. She''s always saying that she will kill me. I''ll show this hoe what''s up.

    After grabbing the black pack, I stood there in the middle of the hall. I was no longer afraid.

    I see! I achieved it! I have defeated my superficiality. I have officially climbed to the league of the fearless.

    Ah no.

    No.

    Nope.

    Can''t.

    Sorry.

    "I can''t believe that I got tricked by a bitch who will never get married! That''s a chainsaw you dumbass!"

    I''m not at fault here. I can''t fight back against a chainsaw. Fuck this shit, I''m out!

    "Heeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyy....! Come back here...! I won''t hurt you, I promiseeeeeeee!"

    I feel relieved about the fact that she doesn''t recognize me yet I can''t shake this fear off.

    Without showing a trace of investigating the rest of the hall I descended down the stairs.

    It just occurred to me that I said those words to Sana a bit loud. Oh well, what''s done is done.

    Also, this bag is heavy as fuck. Just what the hell is in it?

    Yet it also occurred to me one thing. Even though only Sana came out from her room, she made considerable noise. I as well. Given that, aren''t I a bit too lucky to only have Sana after me? Something seems off.

    Oh well! I guess it''s natural to be lucky and unlucky at the same time.

    ....................

    Did I jinx myself or something?

    "End of the line, pervert."

    Please don''t call me a pervert when you girls aren''t that appealing.

    However---

    Guys, please realize before it''s too late!

    2nd floor, Tsudo''s side.

    This event happened roughly around the same time as Akihiko''s.

    To be honest, it''s not the first time that I haveinfiltratedinto someone''s house like this. However, this is a thrilling experience because I was never granted the possibility nor the suggestion of infiltrating a girls'' dorm.

    Oh, it''s at times like these as to why I am reminded. Reminded of the reason for being in this school. I happen to be a slave to thrilling experiences. I get bored easily. A quick peril is enough to give me stimulation for months straight but it will eventually expire.

    However---

    "Wow, Akimiyashika was spot on. We did have some perverts in this dorm infiltrated. I can''t believe this. I really wanted to tell her that she was wrong from the get-go. Impressive, both Ikkiri and Akimiyashika managed to think this up."

    Shizuku Mayuraki. I''m somewhat self-conscious about her. There really isn''t anything that outstanding about her. She is often sarcastic, yet that''s about it. Although, if I had to say, there is something that always manages to catch my eyes.

    Those gigantic melons. I can''t even look at her in the face.

    Because my eyes are looking at them.

    "....I need to thoroughly inspect this floor. Please let me."

    "Could you look into my eyes and say that?"

    "I''m sorry, I really can''t do that."

    I am not lying. I may be mischievous but I do not lie.

    This is also a strategy. I know how to deal with this type of girls pretty easily. They can''t sustain indirect sexual harassment. So, that''s exactly what I''m doing.

    "My, my. Are you that attracted to my body?"

    "N-Yes!"

    Shit!

    "Oho. Then, do you wish to see more?"

    My blood pressure might''ve slightly just risen.

    93cm. 58cm. 87cm. I knew these numbers all along. It won''t allude an eye like mine to know that, Shizuku, these are your three sizes!

    But!

    "....Pass....."

    I can''t forget my original objective. Plus, this is not working. She seems to be overly conscious about the fact that she possesses such harmful weapons to any male creature out there. She''s dangerous.

    Let''s try something else...

    "...Have you seen another male student around here?"

    "Aside from you, nope. Oh, wait. Don''t tell me that there are more to come! Hahaha. That''s great. You do realize you''re all screwed, right?"

    "...How come?"

    "It''s against the rules for boys to be in the girls'' dorm. It''s common sense, idiot."

    Yeah, I was extremely aware of this. However, we were actually all aware of this consequence. It seems that I had to go forward, despite her presence.

    "I will just check this floor."

    "No, you won''t."

    "Out of my way, boobs."

    "That doesn''t faze me. I''m aware of how big they are. Look at them giggling, come on, look!"

    Crap, she''s a fucking exhibitionist who is self-aware of her own body!

    W-Wait, did I just saw a nip-

    SHE''S NOT WEARING A BRA?!

    "Kahh!"

    Blood streams down from my nose. That damage right there felt like lethal damage! I must make haste.

    "Ara, ara, what''s wrong? Too much for you? Did you ''lose'' already?"

    The nerve! She meant ''lose'' in a sexual way! She''s clearly testing me! However, you are a fool, Shizuku Mayuraki! If you knew what I committed you''d be quaking right now!

    Right now, I was standing in the middle of the second floor''s hall. 2 meters in front of me, was, Shizuku. There were three rooms on this floor. One of them, being Shizuku''s room, was open. I knew that inspecting the rooms would be meaningless.

    What I was really aiming for was the bathroom that was at the end of the hall. The lock was slightly open and I could see someone peeking through them. Therefore, I needed to confirm who it was.

    "....Are your two roommates sleeping?"

    "I think so?" She says tilting her head.

    "Then, why is someone in the bathroom?"

    "Nice try, but you can''t fool me. That was a really bad attempt, I was expecting something better honestly."

    She doesn''t believe me. I needed to convince myself then.

    "I really need to pee. Please let me pee."

    "H-huh!? Can''t you hold it in?"

    Oh, what is this? She''s becoming embarrassed? Weird, you are self-aware of your own body yet you are not very knowledgable about these themes it seems. A chance, then.

    "I''ll give you thirty seconds. Otherwise, I will just pee right here. I will take my fucking dick out and paint this hall in yellow! Don''t think I''m joking!"

    "I-If you do that then I will call all the girls in this dorm! Think about it. You would have to withstand an everlasting period of being mocked. Besides, your size is probably small as fuck. Might as well keep that in, heh."

    Your retorts, were, unfortunately, already part of my initial plan.

    That''s right. This was all bait to make her say those words. Because as soon as he heard them, he left the bathroom at the speed of light.

    By doing the following it would mean that I would have to be sacrificed. But, I''ve noticed something from the get-go. Shizuku mentioned Ikkiri and Akimiyashika earlier. I can''t overrule the possibility that our arrival was predicted. What if they let Kuzan enter on purpose? If that was the case, then we were expected.

    Although it''s just a possibility, I am able to realize such. Given that, it''s safe to assume that I never had a way out, to begin with.

    "Ara, did you go silent from my ultimatum? Pathetic."

    "This is... my last stand!"

    "W-What?"

    Taking a deep breath, I take every possible oxygen flowing through my body to shouts these important words of mine so the whole dorm could listen...

    "Everyone!! Kuzan was on the second floor! He''s heading up!! Don''t let him run away!!!"

    I didn''t say their names thankfully...

    Of course, as soon as I say that, Shizuku, Arkalee and Yulia, the residents of this floor completely incapacitate me.

    "The rest is up to you guys...!!"

    I let out my last war cry.

    3rd floor, Sagasuga''s side.

    This also happened at the same time as Akihiko''s and Tsudo''s.

    Jesus fucking Christ, how did he find out? I knew it! It was far too suspicious for him to be there at that time. I was careless. I allowed my secret relationship to be found out. I absolutely can''t allow Daniel to spill the beans out.

    Nonetheless, that issue aside, there is a more worrisome problem at the moment. No way this plan is gonna work. Nope.

    I mean, let''s think about it. This dorm has cameras. Our movements are basically tracked. There is also the fact that we aren''t silent at all. I bet Rayazaki is gonna make this whole dorm quake when he talks. The conclusion being, there is only one person that could lessen our punishment.

    That''s correct, that person is no other than I.

    The question was, how would I explain to her this whole situation? I seriously can''t think of a convenient lie. We''ve only been dating for a week but I do know that she can see through lies pretty easily. She probably didn''t believe me when I said those words earlier.

    Damn, what should I do?

    I should not lie here, I''m just gonna explain to her how it is. Lying is useless here because we are going to get caught regardless and so, if I''m caught lying, the situation will only get worse.

    Don''t get me wrong here, I have no problem telling Tateyana how it is. What truly concerns me is the possibility of this not working at all. After all, how exactly am I going to explain that I have infiltrated here?

    Wait. That''s exactly it.

    This is so easy actually. Heh, alright then.

    "Do I smell good?"

    I smelled my sleeve to test whether or not I smelled good.

    And I do. Not to flex or anything but my colonies are quite expensive. It''s only natural that I smell good.

    Yosh.

    I knock the respective door. Yes, we exchanged contacts already, I was fully aware of where she was.

    "Mhm... What now?"

    I didn''t say a single word. I just stood there and stared.

    However, as soon as she was about to speak, I placed my right index finger on her mouth.

    Then I took a step forward.

    I continued to do so. While at it, I closed the door, slowly and silently.

    We were now the only ones that could possibly exist in this current moment. No possible interruptions could arise.

    Finally, I took the finger out of her mouth. Nonetheless, my heart was beating pretty fast.

    Although I demonstrate a placid attitude most of the time, her ethereal lips kept dragging me in.

    I was both exultant and elated. Maybe it was due to my debonair appearance, but she slightly kept blushing.

    We were both abashed. Furthermore, what would be usually interpreted as taciturn attitudes were actually our own way of being equanimous before each other.

    In my eyes, Tateyama really is a comely girl. I could not take my eyes off her cerulean dark hair that made me wanna have a loutish sexual attitude straight up.

    ---No.

    This was not the time to state facts. I had to get on with it.

    "I really need to talk to you."

    "I-I can see that!"

    "I... will tell you the truth. Can you promise me not to freak out?"

    "Don''t worry, I might not look like it, but I can handle all times of information maturely!"

    Trusting her own words, I told her the situation.

    "What!? You want me to help you and your friends just because you think that Kuzan is inside this dorm?!"

    I was fooled. The previous mood was way too suggestive. I can''t believe this.

    "Yes... Look, I''m aware that we can''t escape the consequences, so I will ask you this one favor. I won''t ask that you completely let us go. I know that it''s completely unreasonable to do so."

    "Then what?!"

    "Don''t tell the teachers about it."

    "Sagasuga, you''re not making any sense... How can you expect us not to tell the teachers that we are currently being invaded by 6 boys!? It''s completely against the rules to do this! You know this!"

    I really don''t hate this attitude of her, but damn, would it hurt to side with me on this one?

    "Please! We can''t afford to get punished! Can''t you think of something that will convince the other girls?"

    "...We really aren''t united you know... Only Shizuku, Akimiyashika and Ikkiri are the ones that bother to communicate. The rest just doesn''t bother. Even if I ask..."

    "That''s fine! Just tell them to not tell the teacher about it, please."

    "...Okay. If it''s for you, I don''t mind..."

    "Phew, thank you so much..."

    Oh no, this was going down like this!

    Which means that a romantic development is bound to happen! Damn it, it''s not as if I don''t want it to happen I just need to find out where that rat Kuzan is!

    "I-If you want..."

    I automatically place my index finger on her lips, once again.

    I couldn''t allow her to say those words. They would immediately shatter my fucking will.

    "I''m sorry. Right now, I can''t, you see, I-"

    Just as I was about to utter such words, I heard a loud shout which supposedly came from the second floor.

    "Everyone!! Kuzan was on the second floor! He''s heading up!! Don''t let him run away!!!"

    That was definitely Tsudo. But why would he shout like that? Why can''t he simply pursue Kuzan? What''s the deal here?

    Also, she was grabbing my arm with tremendous strength.

    "Tateyana, please let me go."

    "No can do."

    Oh crap. I might''ve just fallen into the basic trap of all time. No way. She wouldn''t do me like this...

    Out of nowhere, she pulls out a cellphone from her pajama pockets.

    I fucked up big time, it seems.

    I was stuck with two options. One, break free and catch that rat Kuzan. Two, break free and jump out of the window. It''s alright. I did learn parkour. A 12-meter fall is nothing to me. However!

    "Phew. Who would''ve thought that you''d be so dumb? Hahaha, men are so easy to manipulate, ahhh.

    Coming from the hall, I could hear fast footsteps. Damn it! That bastard is gonna get away! Please notice this, Rayazaki!

    "Heh. I have to say, your plan wasn''t half bad. But that''s about it."

    "Bluffing, are we? I already knew from the get-go that you would come."

    Also, as a side note, she probably took her phone out to stop the recording that was happening. She means to use that in the future as evidence.

    "Yeah, I would always come for you."

    "S-Stop."

    That''s right, you can be a two-faced bitch but you can''t escape the fact that you can''t handle my godlike flirting skills.

    "If you don''t let me go, I will flirt with you until you turn tomato."

    "F-Fine."

    Thus, it began.

    4th floor, Rayazaki''s side.

    Ahhh... Man, it fucking hurts... I''m surprised I can even speak.

    My jaw is supposedly broken, correct? If so... How the hell can I...

    ...Mhm? Oh, what''s her name, again?

    Shit, I don''t really give a fuck about it. Whatever, now that she''s in front of me, I will just knock her the fuck out.

    No, I''m not doing this because of what that fucker said or anything like that. Coincidentally, I just shared the same thoughts as him. Women, baby, dogs, I don''t give a fucking fuck. Whoever gets in my way gets clobbered.

    "Surrender, you have no way to turn back. If you do so, I won''t give you a harmful punishment."

    "Shut the fuck up, you tiny bitch. Out of the way or I''ll throw you out of the damn window."

    I really will.

    "Don''t talk to me like that, pleb."

    "Pleb? You dare to insult the mighty I?"

    "So arrogant, you are. Utilizing the word ''I'' to describe yourself."

    "I''m not arrogant, I''m confident. Get the difference, dwarf."

    "That''s what they all say. Back off or I will destroy you."

    "You took the words right from my mouth!"

    I didn''t care about the fact that I just shouted extremely loud, but I couldn''t help but notice something weird.

    Although I have shouted nobody, except this bitch, was standing here. This should''ve been enough noise to wake some people up. What''s going on?

    Regardless, I charged at her with a low-kick.

    .......

    She rolled her way out of it.

    If I recall correctly, that''s...

    "What''s the matter? Is that all you got?"

    "Heh, I''m not surprised that you know ninjitsu. Hey, I''m curious now. What type of shit did you do to get your ass in here? Killed your master or some shit? Hahaha!"

    "That''s.... none of your damn business!"

    A childish comeback but the problem was that she wasn''t all words. We were both similar in that sense. She immediately climbed the right side wall and delivered a fast high kick at me. I wanted to fully block it but I couldn''t. My broken right shoulder didn''t allow me to.

    Oh... One of my teeth came out. I see. I should not undermine her. Besides, I am not in the mood to lose. Never am nor ever have. However, if by some fucking coincidence I happen to lose again, I feel like I might explode.

    Plus... She aimed at my jaw. Perfect. Just perfect. I would question her but I''m positive that she is aware that my jaw and right shoulder are not moving properly.

    "You''re injured. Wanna stop?"

    "Is that pity, you little bitch?"

    "Damn right it is."

    Alright, she''s fucking dead.

    I, once again, charged, however, this time, it wasn''t just a simple charge. I predicted that she would roll her way out again and so--

    "Ah-"

    I managed to counter her roll by spin wheel kicking her legs while she did so.

    Of course, she immediately backed off a few meters to regain her stance.

    If this fight were to happen a few hours earlier, I would''ve demolished her by now. Unfortunately, the spin wheel kick made me use my right arm on the floor as support. Thus, my shoulder was in pain again.

    "...."

    This time around, she said nothing.

    Oh? Did she fell silent out of fear? Don''t think that I won''t notice that!

    "You''re wide op-"

    As I tried to form a dash, I saw a familiar face passing by. I did hear someone shout a while ago but I didn''t bother to give a fuck.

    I also became aware as to why she didn''t say anything. She might''ve thought that she would be in a scenario of 2vs1.

    "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!"

    "Finally, the primary intruder appears. You shall not pass!"

    As much as I would like to help her out with that, I had to take out Kuzan first. That rat just can''t be allowed to breathe another portion of air.

    "Hold on, Kuzan! Where do you think you''re go- Hey don''t get in my way!"

    "That''s my line! What do you think you''re doing? Back off!"

    "What am I doing, you say!? Why the fuck do you think I''m here in the first place?! It''s to catch that motherfucker! Now, fuck off!"

    "I-I don''t care either way! Anyone who invades this dorm that doesn''t belong in it will get punished!"

    "What the hell!? That''s what you''re worried about?!"

    "Should I not be?! You''re not making any sense! Starting making some!"

    "It''s completely irrelevant whether or not we are here, you dumbass! I just came here to hunt that fucker dow--- Ah!! He got away!! Damn it! It''s all your fault!"

    "Excuse me!? How was that my fault!? If you had not gotten in the way, I would''ve captured him by now but mister perfect over here thinks that I''m at fault now!"

    "Don''t you dare use sarcasm to bail out of this situation! This is definitely your fault! Think about it, if you just had backed off from the start then I wouldn''t have to force myself to fight you and then this whole argument wouldn''t even have started!"

    "Your argument is so dumb! You were the one who charged at me! You''re not thinking about this at all, are you!? I told you to back off the moment you arrived here! I even said it in a peaceful manner, you jackass!"

    "I don''t take orders well! I will never obey yours nor anybody''s words, you hear me!?"

    "I''m glad we share the same sentiment!"

    Lastly, she shrugs.

    The rat was already gone. It was completely up to that bastard now.

    I say this because I have 5 girls surrounding me right now. One of them has a chainsaw. Just what the fuck happened!?

 Volume 1 - Chapter 6: The glimpse of gender equality.

    While climbing up the stairs, I faced no adversity. Not only... but also, something that surely alerted me happened. There were two staircases apparently. On the fifth floor, there weren''t any assigned rooms in the first place.

    However, one of the staircases would connect to a certain location. What crossed my mind was the possibility of one of the staircases entwining with the entrance of the rooftop. I realize just how convenient of a hiding spot that would be to Kuzan.

    Despite this, I couldn''t take both. I had to take one.

    "Shall we flip a coin?"

    If I get tails I go left, if I get heads I''ll go right.

    "..."

    Tails it is.

    I took the right way regardless. Fuck logic.

    Then...

    "Everyone!! Kuzan was on the second floor! He''s heading up!! Don''t let him run away!!!"

    I heard Tsudo''s war cry from the lower floors. That''s good. Which means that I just have to wait for Kuzan to come. Either Sagasuga or Rayazaki could stop Kuzan yet I feel as if our infiltration did not go that well. After all, the fact that Tsudo is saying such words probably means that he is in the face of danger.

    Similarly to how one reflects about life in any place, I reflected on the plan as a whole while I climbed the staircase. And what I found at the end was...

    "What? It''s just a damn kitchen."

    Yet, what I glanced at, completely gave me premature happiness...

    "...Let''s assume the worst. This fails and they are all busted. That''s fine, I can still escape. I know that there is an emergency escape route here... Plus... If I take all of this in, then I bet King George can make something out of it."

    Not checking my surroundings, I continued.

    I grabbed an apple and took a bite. It was perfect. I''m not an apple lover but once you only get two meals per day, consider it normal to adore apples.

    Apples are great actually.

    Seriously, how come I never paid any attention to them earlier?

    I am dumb.

    "This is really good..."

    Another key thing to remember is that this was all an act. My real target had arrived. I do recognize that scent. The profound scent of blueberries filled my nostrils right away.

    By contrast, I continued to play dumb.

    "Now, all I need to do is grab that bag and take all this food.

    3.

    "I''m sure they will all thank me for this. Hahaha. Maybe I''m gonna get worshipped or something? Damn, that would be nice."

    2.

    "Also, with this much food, we won''t have any difficulties anymore."

    1.

    "I wonder if I should suggest King George to add lunch to the menu? A normal eating schedule wouldn''t be a bad idea."

    0.

    "Drop it. All of it."

    I could''ve easily disarmed her by now yet I choose not to. I actually wanted to talk to her.

    "Wow, you''re paying attention to me now, what happened? Change of heart?"

    Of course, this was a simple mockery. My audition is far too good honestly. No flex intended. Also, Kuzan obviously took the other staircase that would lead to the roof. He was already locked, so to speak. Now, I just had to deal with her.

    "I''m not gonna repeat again. Drop it, or I will kill you."

    It was hard to take a girl with such a baby face seriously yet what her eyes told, were a totally different story.

    I decided to act out of my way.

    "Nah. I won''t. But hey, I can see it."

    "You can see what?"

    "You. You have killed someone before, right?"

    I already knew this but the way she holds her knife isn''t the way of an amateur. It''s not as If I''m expecting every person in my class to be experienced in combat or anything but it takes minimal skill to commit crimes which indicate a sentence of 50 years of jail time.

    Yes, this pink-haired girl who looks at me with the devil''s eyes did something that gave her a sweet grand total of 50 years in jail.

    Furthermore, her stance isn''t bad at all. She is ready to counterattack.

    Having said that, I really just wanted to confirm whether she truly did it or not. Anecdotal evidence is always nice.

    We then stood under the silence which she created by not responding to my question.

    Looks like I have to press her to talk or else she won''t remove her knife from the border of my throat.

    Indeed, my situation was in theory, dire.

    "Let''s assume you kill me. Then what? It''s meaningless to actually threaten me. I know that you aren''t illogical to that point."

    "Do you really believe that I won''t kill you?"

    Christ, she''s probably the type of girl who takes sarcasm serious.

    "Not my point. My point is, you can definitely kill anyone but you shouldn''t do that."

    "I''ve been hearing what you''ve to say for the last minutes and you aren''t making any sense. Give me one reason as to why I can''t just kill you."

    Oh you dumb, dumb, girl. I could give you trillions of reasons yet you are so self-absorbed to notice that.

    Regardless of the facts, I should go with the route that will give me the upper edge in this.

    After all, I will not let my previous heroic speech die in vain.

    "Well, since you asked---"

    Tilting my torso to the back of the sink, I perform a full reverse backflip, which resulted in her knife flying away.

    She tried to get the knife back but I was faster than her and grabbed her right wrist.

    I, of course, slammed her petite body into the wall.

    "I will kill you... I will kill you... I will kill you... I will kill you!!"

    However, her reaction was totally beyond my measure. I never thought that she would react so turbulently. Did I trigger some sort of bad memory for her? This wouldn''t take a good turn, therefore I let her go--- is what I would say but I need her to confirm this.

    "I need your help right now. This is important. I can''t do this without you. Can you please listen to me? I will let you go if you do."

    Yet, she continued. She fully dived into my neck while biting.

    If this was a vampire story then I would''ve fucking dipped the moment she did that but for some reason, her bite, even though it hurt like hell, only went that far.

    It was impossible not to hear her tearful noises and it was true, her lachrymose face did have tears in it.

    Even so, I had no fucking patience for such a dramatic scenario.

    "Stop crying."

    "Give me a few seconds!"

    By giving me an impulsive answer she gave her conditions. No, I would not wait still.

    "I want you to convince all the other girls that we only came here because Kuzan was here as well. That''s all."

    "...Why did you come here?"

    Does this girl have a brain? I literally just fucking said why.

    Although, if her question meant: ''Why did you come after Kuzan?'', then it would be dumb to rush to the conclusion that she asked that question just because.

    "He stole all of our food. We are starving."

    "Is that why you were stealing food?"

    "Yes. In case this failed, I needed to provide everyone with something to eat."

    I could''ve said much more but she doesn''t need to know that I am acting on the premise that this will work. Hyunda''s words still haunt my mind. That guy and responsibility clearly don''t synergize.

    "Are you hungry right now?"

    "Yes. I am so hungry right now. Feed me."

    I''m not the type to go with cliches. If this girl wants to offer me food as a way of showing affection or something like that, then, by all means, do.

    "Do you like green soup?"

    Oh, fucking hell...

    "I''m good."

    "W-What''s that supposed to mean!? All I asked is if you liked it!"

    "Get a damn clue, you idiot! Who the hell enjoys green soup!? I''m not a Shrek devotee!"

    "How dare you talk bad about Shrek!"

    "That''s what we''re arguing about?!"

    No, wait. Priorities.

    "What time is it?"

    Heeding my request she takes out her cellphone from her pocket.

    "6 am. Why?"

    Damn it!!

    "Please, just do what I told you."

    "Hey, I won''t do it though."

    Excuse me, what the fuck did she just say?

    I was pretty saturated from this unnecessary tired ''morning''.

    Thus, I let go of all possible nobility that I had. Then I realized, I was betraying my early speech.

    What about those words I said out of pure heroism?! Were they for naught?!

    Hell no!

    "Listen up, you damn damsel in the distress, I''m not sure if you have any brains cells in your brain at this point but get this straight. You have no possible upper edge on me, ever! Don''t even get me started on that paper you wrote to me yesterday! I was so furious at you that I could''ve ripped your neck off if I really wanted to! You think that I am a man who merely obeys you just because you have a rare hair color? Or did you think it was because of your stylish nails! I will not pledge!!"

    Naturally, I closed the distance of our faces to make sure that she got the full message.

    "Too close! You''re too close!"

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    That was the whole point.

    "Throughout the previous week, you didn''t even look at me. Don''t misunderstand, it''s not as if I wanted you to. But you have to question the audacity of someone who constantly treats others like trash! I bet you''ve lived a life full of luxury and all that but don''t think you can act like how you want around me! I''m a man with a purpose which is to fulfill the purpose of being a man! You''d do well to remember that!"

    I felt like she wanted to retort at me but my voice was far too high.

    That''s right, cliched romantic developments aren''t my cup of tea. That''s not how equality works. The male subject should not have to go lower than the female subject just because the female subject refuses to go lower! No! That''s wrong!

    "...I''m counting on you."

    Refusing to torment her soul even further, I ended our conversation on that.

    I left the kitchen and went straight to the other staircase. She followed me but instead of going to the other staircase, she descended. We didn''t trade any glances. However, as I was reaching the top of the staircase, she decided to call out to me.

    "Hey."

    "What? You gonna apologize for treating me rudely?"

    "Oh no. I just wanted to tell you something more important."

    Something more important than an apology? Well, I didn''t really care about the apology, I just wanted her to reflect on her unnecessary stupidity. That paper didn''t do anything to deserve that treatment. My boy deserved better.

    "Out with it."

    Then, as if to raise my expectations, she creates a crescent smile and closes her eyes while saying:

    "Please kill yourself, you waste of oxygen."

    Sorry, there is no reaction coming from me. If she said anything remotely positive, then I would be genuinely surprised, however, this was to be expected.

    Realistically speaking, I should not expect her to be able to accomplish anything. I just wanted to create a better interaction with her. Besides, knowing how she acts, she might not even try to fulfill my task. No, I made sure to enforce that she would. She, however, is probably not gonna accomplish much.

    Ultimately, this was the last place.

    As I opened the door to the rooftop, a massive gale of wind blows my hair to the back.

    Aloof at the bay of the rooftop, stood a certain individual. In order for this to work, I could not express my anger towards him.

    "Yo, man."

    "Yo."

    What a guy. Everyone''s blood is out for this guy yet this guy doesn''t give a fuck. Around him are two massive bags that are closed. This could very well be a hint that connects what type of person he is and what type of crime he commits.

    I don''t believe that it''s easy to steal from King George, even when he is asleep. After all, his demonic sixth sense must be tremendous. Knowing such, you''d have to be either stupidly good at stealing or just a lucky bastard. So far, I couldn''t tell which category fits Kuzan the best.

    "Please don''t kill me."

    "That''s kinda hard, Kuzan."

    We didn''t really exchange glances. We just traded those words casually while staring at the morning sunrise.

    "Here, I''ll share you a quarter of this bread. You don''t have to kill me then."

    Says Kuzan as he offers me a quarter of his bread. Not half. Not more than half, which by common sense, would be a good idea in this scenario to give to the person who is, out of nobility, not killing you. Yet no. A quarter.

    "Sure, Kuzan. Thank you."

    I eat the tasty quarter of the bread.

    "Please give me more."

    "Sorry I can''t."

    "Why though?"

    "I don''t really have that much food to share. A quarter was the only portion I could share. My apologies."

    He''s really testing my patience, isn''t he? He most likely has a plethora of bread inside his pack yet he refuses to share because he supposedly could only share a quarter.

    Now, how should I make this guy realize just how troublesome this guy is?

    I also noticed something bad.

    There were girls staring into us literally from the entrance.

    "Oh? Are you worried about the girls? Don''t be. They can''t really harm me."

    Wow, this guy is a joke.

    "This is just a hypothesis, but maybe they will surround us with their number and eventually bring us down. Just a hypothesis though. Don''t let it get to your head."

    "Ummmm... Wait, isn''t that like, really bad?"

    Wow, you think?

    "Yeah. What do you think you should do?"

    "Oh, it''s fine. If they harass me then I will just report it to Basara-sensei and then they will receive punishment."

    "You fucking retard!! You managed to steal all the food from our dorm and to illegally invade the girls'' dorm at the same time!! It''s one hell of a feat, to be honest, but god, only a fucking retard would do it!!"

    "Hehehe, are you praising me?"

    Someone hold me, please.

    Sigh.

    I take a deep breath to calm myself down.

    I suppose this is meaningless if I go in this direction. I need to solve the problem here, but I need his cooperation at the same time.

    "Why don''t you share the food that it''s the kitchen with the rest of us?"

    "Huh? Why should I? It makes no sense to share anything, to begin with. Taking ahold of something right away is always the best move. It''s illogical to wait around to get what you want."

    I''m surprised. I didn''t expect this sudden retard to say such logical things. Surely, they are immoral yet they are logical. His desire for survival might just be the highest in class.

    "I agree. It''s illogical to wait around to get what you want. But, is running away all that you want to do?"

    "I don''t really mind. No one has ever accepted me. I''m fine with that actually."

    Oh no, is Kuzan being emo? Fuck my life, I didn''t want this conversation to take this turn!

    "But at this rate, you will receive a heavier punishment, you know?"

    "...You''re right, I suppose. But everyone''s angry at me. I wanted to fit in but I couldn''t resist the urge to steal. Coincidentally, what I did, happened to piss everybody off..."

    "So you want to fit in?"

    "Duh, of course, I do! I have a 40-year jail sentence! Do you think that even though I have committed crimes that are immoral that I don''t want to be accepted? Man, look around... In this world, there are people who judge people on the surface all the time. Don''t be that person."

    I didn''t really judge him. However, I understood his main point. What he is trying to say is that even if you have a few screws loose, you can act like a human being.

    "At this rate, you might just drop out due to too many disciplinary warnings. You already got one, right? Actually, I think you got more than one at this point."

    "Yeah..."

    To be more precise, disciplinary warnings are warnings given to students who have broken the rules. At the accumulation of 10 warnings, you are expelled. That''s actually so generous. I''m assuming that Kuzan had already been called to the principal''s office before. Otherwise, his past words about the principal yesterday wouldn''t make sense.

    "So, what now? What are you gonna do?"

    "I don''t really know. Is jail all that bad? I mean, you get to eat every day there, correct?"

    "Please don''t tell me that you are trying to make a comparison between prison and this school, because I swear, if you are, you need to get a brain fix."

    "Relax. I am not. But it''s just... I''ll never be able to interact with you people. Everyone is so against each other. The thought of being pulled together with criminals is putting everyone off. Hey, I don''t really mind it though! Isn''t it kinda exciting?"

    Yeah, man.

    Being in the same class as people who can kill you in a flash.

    The definition of excitement right there.

    Though, I could see where he was coming from. It''s truly exciting to be in a class without normies.

    "What the hell... So that''s your problem? Then, how about starting to show that you actually want to interact?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "You''ve been acting like you don''t want anything to do with the rest of the class. Very much like the rest, there is this thread of insecurity that doesn''t allow you to genuinely interact with another person."

    "Aren''t you kinda the same though? You don''t really talk much. In fact, I was confident that no one would bother to come to where I was. I didn''t expect anyone to come, especially you."

    Why especially me?

    I would like to ask that, but I couldn''t care less.

    "My goal is not to interact, honestly. I just want to successfully pass this program so I don''t receive the same fate as that baldy."

    "Oh yeah... That''s pretty fucked up. Studying for three years only to achieve what you were hoping not to achieve. Hey... There is no guarantee that all of us will pass. As a matter of fact, we know nothing about the exams that Basara-sensei told us."

    "Yes. We know nothing about it. But we will eventually know. It''s just a matter of time."

    While this conversation is appealing in a sense, I needed to get this over with.

    "Kuzan, I''m gonna be honest here. You are bound to suffer consequences for what you did. However, if you return all the food that you have stole to King George then that''s all there will be."

    "Haha, what a lie! Everyone in that dorm wants me dead, haha."

    "Not necessarily."

    "Huh, what do you mean?"

    To please people that are mad, you just have to give them something that far excels that which they have.

    "Well, even though there are stores in this school, none of them actually sells food for meals. They just serve appetizers which are a bummer. You could, however, strike a nice deal with King George."

    "W-What? Are you insane?! I can''t strike deals with the Demon King! That''s absurd."

    I wanted to laugh but I just couldn''t.

    "When the month ends, buy as many foods as you can."

    "Oh... I think I know where you are going with this. But I can''t bring outside food to school, remember?"

    "Exactly. Hence, you will strike a deal with King George. Ask him to meet up. Then, after you buy that food, give it all to King George. King George is part of the school staff. He is the one who brings the food to our dorm if you haven''t noticed."

    "I think I can ask my parents the money, yeah. Though, is that it? Will everyone be nice to me if I just buy the food?"

    "No way in hell, dude. Buying food is only the beginning. We starve every day during lunchtime. And you, Kuzan, are the guy who is going to put a stop to that. Starting next month, as a compensation, you will cook the lunch for everyone in the dorm."

    "Brooo. What a drag! Are you gonna do me like this!? I''ll be worked to the bone..."

    "Shut your fucking mouth, Kuzan! Do you not understand how fucked up your situation is!? People actually want to kill you, in that dorm! Stop being so damn selfish for once and do something for others."

    "But no one does anything for me though."

    It feels like I''m talking to a child or something. It appears he has yet to understand something very basic.

    "Kuzan, we live in a world of chance. If you do nothing for others then chances are, no one will do anything for you. If you do something for others, then chances are, others will do something for you. You don''t live in a world where everything is guaranteed. Just because you see people who are lucky to have what they want for granted, that doesn''t mean that the others are equal. You and I are part of the majority, not the minority. And, let me tell you something additional to that, everyone in our class is part of the majority."

    God man, I didn''t want to essay Kuzan like this but he really needs to process this useful information that he is receiving right now. I swear this is not hard to understand, by minimal standards.

    "So I have to do something for others and others will do something for me, right? Mhm... Interesting. Then, if I pay you a beer once the month is over, you''ll do something for me, right?"

    I already am doing something for you. I am offering you the best suggestion to get out of this situation without getting harmed yet this guy has the balls to tell me that I will, only after paying me a beer, have to do something for him.

    No words for this guy.

    "Kuzan, do you agree with this?"

    "Mhm... I guess? It''s probably gonna work so I''m confident!"

    I wanted to tell him that it''s probably not going to work since the others aren''t as forgiving as I am, but I decided to not tell him.

    Furthermore, Kuzan could not be allowed to be caught here. That''s right. There was a bigger problem at hand. Since we were out of sight, we couldn''t see their demonic gazes, but I could feel them. I knew that the moment I would descend that judgment day would come.

    Seriously. Fuck you, Kuzan. I hate your emo problems so much.

    Nevertheless, I had to tell Kuzan something.

    "Kuzan, you know the emergency escape right?"

    It was a serious question. I was down on the floor checking whether or not all the girls were there. And they were. All 12 of them. They did not look happy. In the slightest. But, this confirmed it. If they were all there, then there would be no one to intercept the emergency escape exit. Kuzan could not afford to get caught here.

    "Yeah. Do you think I didn''t know? I might not be the smartest but I''m somewhat clever when it comes to stealing."

    You''re definitely not the smartest.

    "Good, go that way. I will face the girls."

    "B-But Aniki!"

    .........

    I think something amazing just happened.

    "Good, go that way. I will face the girls."

    "...Ok?"

    No, not the answer I wanted.

    "Good, go that way. I will face the girls."

    "...Aniki, is there something wrong? Oh sorry, I meant to say, Daniel Aniki."

    Alright, that does it.

    "Kuzan, I will protect you with all my might. Go on and be free. Leave everything to your Aniki."

    "Aye. Catch you later, Aniki."

    I might''ve hit a bar of happiness that I didn''t know it even existed.

    Also, he is gonna pay me a beer at the end of the month.

    Although I''m still 15 years old, I''m happy nonetheless.

    Wait, that''s illegal.

    Now then. Onto the main problem. After parting ways with Kuzan, who out of respect called me Aniki, I gazed upon the rising sun from afar. That, for some reason, steeled my resolve.

    After briefly descending down the stairs, I was immediately assaulted by the looks of several girls.

    If this was a harem, I would be blushing. But this isn''t.

    My poor comrades were all defeated in one way or another.

    For example, Tsudo had handcuffs on his wrists. Akihiko was trembling in fear. Rayazaki was being held down to the ground by a girl in our class, who is rather small, called Hinagiku.

    Well, to be more precise, Tsudo had actual handcuffs but what bothered me was how Shizuku, was the one applying them. As for Akihiko...

    "Please for the love of all gods put that chainsaw away! Why is no one doing anything about this?!"

    I had the same doubts. Sana was for some reason, holding a chainsaw, which was not active, against Akihiko. Rayazaki, despite being held down was not resisting. Crap, did I shatter his spirit too much?

    And, of course, the one who, for some reason isn''t receiving any harsh treatment as the others, is being held down by Tateyana. By the way, her face is red as fuck. I have no idea what one could do a girl to make her blush that much.

    "Wait. Where is Kuzan?"

    The one asking me that was, Akimiyashika.

    I had no reason to tell her the truth.

    "He''s still on the roof. He decided not to come down after all. What a shame. After trying to persuade him, it failed."

    "Well, you''re a bad liar. I''m assuming you don''t know the limit to our vigilance cameras."

    "What does that have anything to do with it?"

    "Everything, really. Ikkiri, sorry, could you show him?"

    "Aye, sure thing! Here, look at this! Right in the middle!"

    Her cellphone, which she already had in her hands, on the screen, displayed a video being played. However, it wasn''t recorded. It was actually happening. Kuzan was escaping through the emergency staircase.

    "W-What the fuck, Daniel!? You let Kuzan go!? Are you nuts!?"

    "What about the food!? We can''t afford to starve more!"

    I wish they had a bit of patience. Nevertheless, Rayazaki and Tsudo''s complaints were fairly understandable.

    "Relax. It''s all under control. Have a little faith."

    "Faith? Faith!? Faith my fucking ass! I''m better off chopping off a leg and roast it! Because this way I will actually have a breakfast to eat and not have to depend on the chances of Kuzan returning the food or not! What in the fuck is wrong with y-- Kaah!!"

    Unfortunately, before Rayazaki could finish his massive salty rant, Hinagiku knocked Rayazaki the fuck out. She stepped on his balls by the way.

    "You''re being so rude right now! Why do you boys curse so much!? I can''t comprehend!"

    "Hinagiku, it''s fine."

    Akimiyashika looked Hinagiku in the eyes as if to say: ''Leave this to me''.

    "Daniel, I''m a reasonable person, so..."

    Someone who has supposedly committed a crime isn''t reasonable in some way, however, I decided to wait for what she had to fully say.

    "We can decide how to punish this group and as a whole, Kuzan included, now or we can wait until cl-"

    Unexpectedly interrupting this conversation, two huge black silhouettes could be spotted. I tried to hide my happiness but a wide smile on my face unraveled itself in the end.

    "Yo, deepshits! Good fucking news! King George just started to make breakfast!! Would you fucking believe it! The rat actually returned his food back!!"

    Bursting with energy, Kawahara waved at us while saying those reassuring words.

    Also---

    "Kuaaahhh... Wh-What''s going on here? It''s so cold here outside, come on in."

    Hyunda, with his hand on his mouth, showed a sleepy expression.

    Though, someone was not happy about this.

    "Could you two not interrupt?! We are having a very serious conversation here."

    "Huh? What''s your deal? You got something against us having breakfast?!"

    Acting out of his character, Kawahara stands up to Akimiyashika.

    Since this was about to escalate into an argument, Hyunda intervened.

    "Akimiyashika, we will discuss this is class. I believe it''s for the better interest of both parties to do so. Wouldn''t you agree with me on this?"

    "The fuck?! Don''t get in my way man!"

    Now, acting more like his character, Kawahara throws a punch at Hyunda... only to be intercepted by Sagasuga. Smart move. Sagasuga probably understood the necessity for this event to happen.

    In all likelihood, we are in a bad position. We can''t possibly retaliate here.

    "Chill. Let him do this."

    Realizing his fist was completely blocked, Kawahara angrily backs off and returns to the dorm, which allowed the conversation to proceed.

    Thus, Sagasuga returned to his initial position, alongside Tateyana.

    "That''s fine. It''s meaningless either way. This group will receive proper punishment regardless."

    In response to Akimiyashika''s words, Hyunda turned his back without saying any other word.

    Akimiyashika then spoke up.

    "Well, let''s eat, shall we?"

    Even though she demonstrated leadership, not all the girls followed. Especially one, who traded a single glance with me.

    Let''s see if she can do something about this mess.

 Volume 1 - Chapter 7: Losers vs Losers.

    I believe that despite whether or not you can convince someone to truly atone for their actions that they should repent for their actions regardless.

    "No!!! Anything but that!! Please!"

    In addition to that, if you had to suffer because of that person, despite how trivial that reason was, then, that person has to suffer. If we are being kind, then minimal punishment should be applied.

    "Stop resisting motherfucker! You get what you deserve! Now stay the fuck still or I''ll knock you the fuck out!"

    "Please knock me out! It''s way better than this!! What sort of twisted bastards am I living with?! Aniki, help me!!"

    Well, in conclusion, no person should receive special treatment when it comes to receiving punishment. However, I am being extremely biased right now. Kuzan, who is being tied down against a Christian cross by Kawahara and Rayazaki, is crying out for help.

    Unfortunately for him, before we were to have breakfast, King George made a fair proposal, really. We would tie Kuzan down and then each of us would have a shot at punishing Kuzan. King George further added that anything would go as long as it doesn''t kill. We were savages but not clinically insane, after all. Actually, I''m not too sure about the clinically insane part.

    Oh, as to why I was being biased against Kuzan was because he started calling me Aniki. It seriously can''t be helped. I''ll have to be biased towards Kuzan and instead of giving him the normal punishment, I will give him the minimal punishment.

    "Line up, motherfuckers! I don''t care about the order just remember to make him feel bad about his existence! Make him feel so hurt that he won''t have the audacity to steal from my kitchen ever again! Begin!"

    "Back off, all of you! I will go first! I will fight for the first place, you hear me?!"

    "I don''t care! Get this over with!"

    I assumed that Rayazaki would retort back at Kawahara''s unreasonable orders but it seems that he didn''t mind it. I certainly didn''t. I needed time to think about this, so I went to the back of the line.

    Something I should explain is, even though Kuzan spoke to King George about his supposed deal, he was still being punished by what he did. It would be illogical to not punish him. He needs to learn a lesson. A lesson that will mark him for a lifetime. Knowing this, everyone who saw the massive Christian cross that is in the middle of our cafeteria simultaneously had the same brilliant and genius idea.

    That idea being; we should crucify Kuzan out of spite.

    "Well, well. I''m up first! Kuzan!! I am so fucking tired of your existence that I was already dreaming of killing you before you escaped like a damn rat to the girls'' dorm like a fucking pussy! Do you want to know how I killed you in my dream? Well, do you!?"

    "I-I-I-I-I promise to make this up to all of you! I already regret stealing food! Please!!"

    "Oh? You regret? Well, that''s funny, you bastard! You think regret''s gonna cut it!? King George, pass me the shaver!"

    N-No way, was he going to...

    "Hey, think about it this way. Most criminals have a common sense of fashion. Do you get at what I''m referring to here?!

    "Eeeeeeeeeeek!!! You monster!! You''d do something that immoral to a chad like me! How dare you! Actually, don''t dare!"

    Kuzan, to fully make a comparison, you, instead of being the chad who always stands up for his friends and lets them have their way, you are that virgin zoomer who listens to mumble rap out only to give to the people around you the full knowledge of what your existence is capable off. Although, he doesn''t listen to mumble rap. Otherwise, I would''ve branded him already.

    Also, Kawahara was really about to do something that a man should, almost, never do to another man.

    "Cut that ball of hair all off!"

    "I was already going to!"

    "Stoooooooop!!! NO, no! Pleeeeeeeeassssseeeeeeeee!!

    Roughly after 3 minutes of massive crying, Kuzan looks at me with dead eyes as if they were saying: ''I believed in you, Aniki''.

    I''m sorry.

    F for Kuzan.

    "I''m next bitches! Now then, what should I do to you!?"

    "N-No more... I''m already bald..."

    Hey, maybe Kuzan will become Saitama and knock us all out all.

    "Ah... Considering all things, I have some steam to blow off."

    Rayazaki rapidly glanced at me. Don''t blame me for it. You were the one who rushed at me. All I did was to taunt you, no matter how you look at it.

    But, from the looks of it, his right shoulder seemed to be in so much pain. I did receive an attack from him, however, it really didn''t do much. No flex intended but no way that Rayazaki''s attacks would ever be that troublesome. His fighting pattern is far too predictable.

    "Do we have a permanent color pen or something? Pink would be nice too."

    I have no idea as to why he asked something that there is no way we would have. Who the fuck carries something like that around in the first place?

    "Oh that''s right. I just soooo happened to have it!"

    I''m gonna call Rayazaki gay if he doesn''t explain himself. Carrying a pink permanent color pen? Massive confusion just hit the house.

    "W-What the hell are you gonna do..... Oi!! King George!! This can''t be allowed!"

    "Shut the fuck up, damn rat! Who the fuck gave you the permission to speak!?"

    I''m starting to admire King George honestly. Either way, Rayazaki was writing something on Kuzan''s chest.

    ........

    My condolences for you Kuzan. I have no idea how tough your love life will be with that on your chest.

    "Perfect! Hahahaha!!! Imagine when he tries to make a move on a girl and the girl is like: ''Hey, let me strip you real quick!'' but then she sees his chest and starts to panic! Hahahaha!!"

    If I was a millionaire, the first thing I would do is to get Rayazaki the world''s greatest therapist in order to heal his mental condition. No, I''m afraid that''s useless. He might be beyond healing at this point.

    After all, only someone with a broken moral compass would write ''Vagina? NO. Penis? YES.'' on someone''s chest. Let''s not forget, it''s written with a permanent color pink pen.

    After that, the rest either punched him or just did some physical things. Nothing worth mentioning. However, this gave me some time to think about minimal punishment. Alas, it had to be done.

    I think I''m pretty kind, with all things considered. To give a biased factor onto someone who had stolen my food constantly just because that someone called me Aniki? That''s pretty damn kind.

    Though, something was bothering me. Even though the rest of the boys who had finished giving their personal punishment to the crucified Kuzan were eating like mad wolves, a single student whose existence was by far, in the eyes of others unremarkable, was missing.

    My turn had come. I never thought that it would be so hard to punish someone. In all my life, it was clear whether or not what punishment to give but this was seriously confusing. How would you punish someone who acts like a miserable desperate rat for more than a week and then, that pathetic rat calls you ''Aniki'' out of sheer respect? This is, by no means, easy. However, I had taken into consideration the one punishment that can be called cruel yet kind.

    "......Aniki......"

    As I glanced upon the almost dead Kuzan, he uttered those words with a monochrome tone.

    Perhaps I''m making myself be misunderstood here but I don''t want anyone in this scenario to believe that I am acting out of consideration for Kuzan. While it is true that he did call me Aniki, his punishment is far more important. As decided, I will apply the minimal punishment possible. This is extremely logical and supremely reasonable.

    "Yo, Kuzan. Life''s been rough on you today?"

    "...Hahah... Don''t mention it... But..... If y-you..."

    If I? What?

    No, seriously.

    What?

    "Hm?"

    "I-If you have some mercy left inside your soul... p-please.... spare me... Aniki..."

    I do have plenty of mercy, to be honest. But, punishments are punishments.

    "Kuzan, I want you to look at me in the eyes."

    Then, with a low shred of hope, Kuzan raises his head up to meet my eyes. I really needed him to understand this.

    "As your Aniki, please forgive me."

    "A-Aniki? Ogha!!!"

    I silently yet fiercely smash Kuzan''s divine chamber.

    Hopefully, someday, Kuzan understands the true meaning of this. Kuzan, just so you know, your Aniki saved you the trouble of you ever finding a girl. After all, you will never be able to give her a child after what I just did.

    Yep.

    That''s pretty soft. Regardless of how it''s viewed, I just did Kuzan a huge favor. In a world where the male individual would go crazy over a fine ass or a pack of greatly shaped boobs, it''s meaningless if you can''t give her the daddy milk. He will one day thank me. Yeah, I know he will.

    Kuzan''s dead balls aside, where the hell is he?

    Is he so absent-minded that he missed out on this opportunity?

    Maybe he''s a really good guy.

    "Alright, that''s all you get Kuzan! Welcome to the dorm motherf-"

    Interrupting the massive breakfast holding, a certain individual slams the door as if to penetrate the atmosphere with his presence.

    "Oh! Damn, how unlucky for you, Kuzan! Just as you were about to receive a great welcome, there was still one person missing! Serves you right, rat!"

    Man, whoever you are, even if you are God himself, or just anything at all, please don''t steal food from this man. You will taste literal constant verbal lashes. Plus, King George allowed almost torture. This is basically a zoo at this point. Nevertheless, the missing figure hit the scene.

    "Sorry about the late arrival. I was just searching for something inside Kuzan''s room and I happened to find something that caught my honest interest."

    Hyunda was carrying two things. One, an Axe spray. Two, a deck of cards.

    "Still, I didn''t know you had such hobbies Kuzan. Don''t get me wrong, I do admire the gimmick from card games overall but to think that a criminal actually plays Yu-Gi-Oh... That''s a really interesting thing to know. Really interesting."

    "............Nothing matters anymore.......... Kill me.......... My dreams were shattered, just like my balls...... Huh...... W-Wait..... N-No......... N-Not that......... P-P-Please............ It''s my childhood........ Y-You can''t do this!!!"

    I thought for sure that Kuzan''s spirit was completely dead but his soul seemed to have reignited the moment Hyunda showed him the deck of cards in his hands.

    "Oh? So you like this huh? It''s your childhood, after all."

    "Hey, what''s happening? Why is Kuzan still retaliating? Wasn''t your nutcracker fist enough to completely break him?!"

    Tsudo''s weird name for a fist aside, his question brought a reasonable doubt indeed. Even though that was the minimal punishment, how could someone still have spirit after all that? I see. I undermined Kuzan. His spirit is the real thing. He may act like a complete retard but his soul is far too extense.

    Compelling as it seems, I couldn''t help but have a bad premonition.

    I was already eating my breakfast. By the way, it was fucking delicious. God, King George can be a tyrant but his kitchen skills would make Gordon Ramsey kneel the fuck down.

    The man puts so much soul into his food, honestly. In all likelihood, King George''s talent was greatly wasted on the likes of us. This is the greatest yakisoba I''ve ever had. Although, something far more interesting to add was that I wasn''t the only one, who from the dining table, was paying attention to the scenario. Everyone was.

    Enjoying our long-awaited and well-deserved breakfast, Tsudo, Akihiko and Sagasuga were wondering what Hyunda was up to. I don''t think that whatever Hyunda has in store for Kuzan could make him feel a stronger terror compared to what I did yet I had this feeling...

    No, no way.

    "No, no. I don''t censure people who are stuck on nostalgia or things like that. Sometimes you really need to look deeply into the past before moving forward. Ah, yes. The so-called motivation, was it? A good source of willpower is it not?"

    Hyunda''s words had a bit of sadism in them. Why is he bothering to confirm every single thing? Just get on with it.

    "But--- Without your source of motivation, what would you do? You''d tremble pretty easily, right? No, no way. I''m wrong here. Kuzan isn''t someone who would have his spirit broken over mere cards."

    "They are not mere cards! They are my soul! Get away from them!!"

    Kuzan was howling at this point. And Hyunda was low-key smirking.

    "Oh, I see. So you do value them on such a high scale? To go as far as labeling them as ''soul'', was it? Plausible. That''s cute."

    "J-Just what is your deal!? End me already!!"

    "End you? No, that was never my intention. You see, it''s pointless to shatter someone without a concrete reason for it. Did you know? If you crush someone''s sense of purpose of being and existing then that person will feel like death is always the better option?"

    "Heh. If that''s what you think of me then you are mistaken! Nothing will break me, nothing!"

    Well, your balls can''t really say the same.

    "Oh well. You see... I was somewhat pissed about what you did. So I will make you feel equally pissed. Fair, right?"

    Kuzan''s chains began to tremble as if he wanted to break free.

    Nevertheless, ignoring Kuzan''s animalistic behavior, Hyunda went to Kan''s table.

    Why though?

    I still had not understood as to why he bothered to bring that Axe spray and that deck of cards. Is he a sadist or something? Does he feed off the negative emotions that people have?

    "Kan, can I borrow your lighter for a second?"

    "What? You gonna take a smoke too? Didn''t know you smoked. Guess you never know, damn."

    "Oh, I don''t. I just need the lighter, that''s all."

    "Ayo, sure. Return it right after it though."

    Grabbing Kan''s lighter, Hyunda once again returns to Kuzan''s front.

    Just what was this guy up to? It was almost time for classes anyways...

    "Kawahara, help me out here."

    "I don''t fucking take orders."

    "C''mon. It''s fun. Don''t be such a boring person. Boredom is bad for mental health."

    "I am not a boring person!!"

    Without realizing that he was being manipulated, after slamming his hands on the table, Kawahara gets up and meets up with Hyunda.

    "Spray this Axe spray when I say to spray it, okay?"

    "Huh? What the hell are you... Oh.... Oh!! You bastard!! Hey, that''s pretty fun, hahaha!"

    "Haha, you finally have caught up, huh?"

    It was not only Kawahara. Everyone in the room, including Kuzan had clocked.

    "Y-You wouldn''t...! Only Satan would do that!!"

    "Yosh. I''ll light it up. As soon as I do, I''ll count to three."

    By ''I''ll light it up.'' he meant as in, he will light the lighter up. In addition to that, he put the deck of cards up so he wouldn''t get his hands burned. However, Hyunda was carefully just holding the deck at its border. In other words, if Kawahara aimed for the rest of the deck except where Hyunda''s hands were located, which is a small portion now, he would get the result done.

    "Three.... Two... O-"

    Kawahara could not wait and sprayed the hell out of it.

    A massive flame had burst. Kuzan''s warcry was so loud that I think if I were inside the girls'' dorm right now, I would listen to it.

    To give an illustration of what just happened this was a simple yet deadly trick. For this to work, a lighter needs to be on. If you aim your Axe''s spray towards the lighter''s flame, then it will create an ardor. Essentially, Hyunda, along with Kawahara''s help was burning down Kuzan''s deck.

    Is it just me or did Hyunda hold a massive grudge about this? It''s just food man.

    No---

    It''s not just food. I see.

    I was naive. I should learn from Hyunda. Giving a soft punishment due to bias is completely unfair. I should have treated Kuzan like another person and not a privileged person just because he called me Aniki.

    After having fun burning down all of Kuzan''s deck, Hyunda grabs a chair and surprisingly joins in the rest of us. By the way, this wasn''t an official group. We were all just sort of in a hurry and decided to not be picky at where we sit.

    "So, how was it?"

    Hyunda''s question was purely vague but I could understand where he was coming from. Although he is so fucking irresponsible, even he realized that it was about time we talked about this.

    "We failed. But I''ve been thinking about it... Wouldn''t we have more chances of succeeding this plan if we had formed a larger team?"

    Making that question, Tsudo, Sagasuga, and Akihiko nodded as if to say that they agree with my question.

    However, Hyunda kept on eating. Like a mad man. Eventually...

    "No. The plan was going to fail regardless."

    "Then, what was the whole point of this?"

    "That''s self-explanatory. The result was."

    Leaving everyone else in that table with doubts, Hyunda quickly left.

    And so did we, since we were already late for class.

    30 minutes earlier, girls'' dorm, cafeteria.

    "Hey, is my makeup fine? I feel like I added it a bit too much..."

    "Y-You look really cute! Makeup totally suits you, Kanawari!"

    Every day is the same. This is getting a bit repetitive.

    "Really!? Gosh, you''re so cute Hinagiku! Your face is so adorable!!"

    "N-No, not at all...!"

    "Eh...? But it''s the truth! I feel like protecting your smile, honestly!"

    I think I''ve gotten used to the amount of small talk that goes down inside this dorm. Although we aren''t united as a whole, some girls stay closer to others. Is that what they call friendship? I don''t understand. The only goal you should have is to make sure you can clear your jail sentence, yet...

    "God! I hate Kawahara! How does he dare to talk to me like that!? Does he even know what awaits him!? How can anyone be so ruthless with his own words!?"

    "It''s alright, Aki! We just have to follow with the plan, right?"

    "That''s true, but still, it''s entirely unreasonable how someone can be that rude especially when you are being polite. It''s against all common sense to behave like that!"

    All of them have positive interactions with one another. No, not everyone. Some are like me. Arkalee and Gale are shy. That''s not my case though. I know that they wish to interact but something is blocking them. Something just keeps coming in their way of communicating. It''s the complete opposite for me, however. I don''t feel the necessity to communicate with them...

    Plus, they are complete nutcases. They behave properly in front of the boys, but in here---

    "Oh gosh, my period is up... Not again..."

    Even though I''m trying to eat my meal peacefully, Shizuku''s comment from a faraway distance manages to reach my ears while drastically disturbing me,

    I suppose from the past week, I have, not willingly, learned some things about my dormmates.

    Shizuku Miyaraki. She, most of the times only talks about things that are related to her appearance. It seems that she is undeniably proud of her body.

    .....

    No comments about that.

    "Hehe, hang in there, Shizuku!"

    Hinagiku Mayabashi. By far, the one who looks the youngest out of all of us. It''s hard to believe that she did something to deserve 50 years of jail. Is she a wolf hiding in sheep''s cloth? She seems really innocent, but her innocence is confusing because it contrasts the situation she is in. A total mystery, if I had to say. For future reference, Shizuku''s jail years are 15. She got it pretty soft in comparison to some others.

    "Oh my god, what happened to you? What did he say? What did he say?"

    "...He kept praising me..."

    "Yeah, I know! But the exact words! That''s what I want to know! Also, who is this mysterious boyfriend of yours!? It''s in the class, right?!"

    This has been a hot topic lately. Apparently, Tateyana got a boyfriend in class. I could not care less, but in contrast to my preference, Sana was highly interested in knowing who it was.

    "Shhh!! Don''t speak too loud... It''s a secret..."

    Regarding Tateyana, she seems completely normal but there''s something odd about her. I will trust my female intuition and label her as someone who does everything for attention. No matter how I look at it, she just seems like a person who wants attention at all costs. For 20 years of jail, I have my own theories about what she could have done yet I will not care enough to delve into them.

    Both Tateyana Kaneta and Sana Nasha seem to be pretty good friends, but if I had to say, they are just drama queens at the end of the day. Sana also just seems to be your generic girl. However---

    I''m fairly sure that nobody here is open about their true natures. The reason as to why we all ended up here. Our pride that we cannot show, no matter what.

    I won''t describe every single one of them to the core. But the ones who have caught up my attention are the strongest figures of this dorm. Although she acts like a leader the majority of the time, she doesn''t force anyone to enter her group. Plus, her group consists of Hinagiku, Tateyana, Ikkiri and herself, Akimiyashika.

    Unlike her usual behavior, she demonstrates a non-polite stance often. Mainly as a way to complain and vent, she formed a plan to punish all the boys. I neither care nor support the plan, but I just have been reminded that she strictly said for everyone in this dorm to follow with her plan.

    Her plan is flawless no matter how I look at it. Also, there is another thing that I''ve been reminded of. I forgot his name, but he did ask, no, ordered me to ask the girls to remove their complaints or something like that. Although I couldn''t care less about the plan, I wasn''t against it.

    No one likes to be invaded at 4/5 am. Especially when that someone gives you a speech that shakes your own very core. I''ve decided not to help him. No, it''s not that I''ve decided it right off the bat. I didn''t even give a single thought about it. There is no way that someone like me will ever take orders from someone else.

    But---

    This will be interesting.

    I''m curious to know to what extent he will be mad about the fact that I didn''t bother to do a single thing.

    Honestly, I couldn''t do anything about this. Akimiyashika''s plan is utterly perfect. There is no way to counter it. Besides, she struck first. The boys probably think that they struck first but they didn''t realize that she was already way ahead of them.

    ...........

    Green soup is really good in the morning. I blew some whistles at the soup but I really like it warm.

    It''s so good!

    Also, I think I just heard someone shout.

    Present time, 35 minutes after.

    I had to take a quick leak so I arrived at block F a bit too late. To my surprise, every single male student from my class was present, but not inside. That''s right, they were standing right outside the main door entrance for some reason. As I walked at them, I could see that Tsudo was trying to spy inside the classroom through the keyhole.

    "So!? What''s he saying!?"

    "Ohhh!! He just said: ''Your chest is so flat that even tables laughed!''"

    "No, you damn idiot! I want to know what he is saying!! Ugh, out of the way! I''m fucking tired of this secrecy! I''m blasting through!"

    In a rush to take the door down, Kawahara seemed to be going for a massive takedown. But, Sagasuga was not going to stand for this.

    "Stop it, damn it! Didn''t you hear what Basara-sensei said!? If we interrupt then we are screwed!"

    "Don''t care! Don''t care! Also, bastard... Why the fuck are you getting in my way every time?! This morning was one thing but now too!? The fuck. Do you want to die or something!?"

    "I am getting in your way because you keep on doing something utterly stupid every time! You were going to punch Hyunda for no reason this morning and now you were going to rush that door down just because you can''t be patient."

    Speaking of Hyunda, he seemed to be in deep thought.

    "........What are the odds...."

    He really was indulging in thinking deeply.

    "Death it is!"

    Kawahara, the emperor of nonsense just could not stand Sagasuga''s white knight attitude and formed a fist. To be honest, Sagasuga''s white knight attitude has been annoying me for a while too. I''m partially supporting Kawahara in this one.

    Nonetheless, as we were about to see a clash, the door slowly but surely opens.

    While opening the door, it emitted a cryptic sound. Like those old doors that are so old that they just can''t help but to make noise all over the place.

    Of course, both Sagasuga and Kawahara weren''t dumb enough to the point of ignoring the man who had emerged from the creepy door.

    "You guys..."

    Oh god.

    "What the fuck did I say about making any noise? Do I need to extend your sentences or something like that? Is that it!?"

    Thus, in a symphony, we all replied.

    "No, sir no!"

    "Then shut the fuck up! One more noise coming from you lot and I will fry your eyeballs for dinner!"

    Ultimately, the demon also known as Basara-sensei closes the door.

    I really hope he didn''t mean those words!!

    Roughly 3 minutes after, we created an awkward silence. I wanted to ask what was going on, but I formed an immediate grasp. Since the girls were missing in action, it was fair to assume that Basara-sensei was talking to them. This also raised a sudden suspicion within me.

    Could it be that Akimiyashika was doing complaints?

    If so, shouldn''t we break this awkward silence and come up with a strategy?

    What if she---

    "Everyone. I need to ask you all something. Please respond to this without lying."

    "Hey, we can''t make noise man..."

    "I''m aware, Tatsu. However, I need to confirm something. Did all of you check your school bags this morning before moving to this block?"

    "The fuck, Hyunda? It''s a school bag. We don''t even need to carry that much stuff, what''s the point in checking."

    Kawahara''s point was really missing the margin here. We do need to carry that much stuff, but it goes without saying that most of us don''t even care about the classes, therefore we don''t bring that much stuff to it. As a matter of fact, we barely bother to change what''s inside our bag.

    I say this because I certainly don''t.

    "I see. Then, I have something to say that is of urgency. Last night, while I did say that we had found Kuzan, I lied about that. The truth is, in order to capture Kuzan, Daniel, Sagasuga, Rayazaki, Akihiko, and Tsudo had to invade the girls'' dorm in order to track down Kuzan. Thus, I strictly believe that the girls are charging complaints about them right now."

    "Hold on a second... I''m aware of the fact that we do shit all the time but this doesn''t really have anything to do with the rest that didn''t go to the girls'' dorm. I hope that you are not trying to put the blame on everyone just because they possibly and most likely fucked their invasion up."

    Oddly enough, Kan was right. There was no reason as to why Hyunda had to say this out loud. We were already aware of our fated destiny. What was the point of this?

    "...I want you all to look at this."

    Rashly taking his cellphone of his pocket, Hyunda shows a video.

    "W-What the hell!? When!?"

    "This makes no sense! We were in their dorm earlier! Explain this, Hyunda!"

    Unable to resist the urge to complain, Rayazaki and Tsudo voiced their questions.

    To be more precise, what Hyunda just showed us was footage of our dorm''s hall. In that footage, everyone saw the appearances of Ikkiri and Akimiyashika. Although, I had absolutely no idea as to how Hyunda got that evidence.

    "This is pre-recorded footage. This happened while we were searching for Kuzan. They both entered at the same time."

    "Man, why are you so scared? They entered our open dorm, but so what?"

    "If you think about it, why would they enter our dorm? I''ve been thinking for a while and arrived at a few conclusions. The most credible one being..."

    Leaving Kan in suspense, Hyunda continued...

    "...Please check what''s inside of your bags..."

    Fully trusting Hyunda''s words due to his anecdotical evidence, we all checked what was inside of our bags.

    "T-This is---"

    1 hour later.

    We are so fucked.

    Oh, this isn''t even funny, damn it!

    We are fucked on so many possible levels!

    "After the next Mathematic exam, I will start a new theme, which is topology."

    Noticeably, we were having a normal class.

    Nothing was out of the picture here. Although, my table partner kept glancing at me for some reason.

    I completely forgot about her, to be honest.

    Also, what was this feeling? This climatic feeling. It feels like the calm before the storm.

    But why do I feel this way?

    Everything''s going so normal.

    "......mpfhm........."

    That small sound was alone to break Basara-sensei''s tempo. Since Basara-sensei was telling us about the new theme that we will be learning soon, we all noticed something surprising that was happening.

    "Yulia. What''s the matter?"

    ".....mpfhm........"

    Yulia was crying.

    Oh for fuck sake. What the fuck happened. I hate when people cry. I mainly hate people who are bad at controlling their emotions overall.

    "...I-I''m okay.... Sorry for disturbing..."

    "No, Yulia! This can''t go on for any longer!"

    "I-It''s fine, Aki! Don''t worry about me. I''m fine..."

    I hated everything about this scenario right now. It felt so fake that it made my skin crawl.

    "Sensei! I''m sorry to say this while you are teaching but can I say something of great urgency?"

    "Mhm... You are lucky, Akimiyashika. I just so happened to have finished teaching everything about algebra for today. In other words, go ahead."

    "Thank you. But, can I go to the podium instead of saying it here?"

    "Sure thing."

    I really hated this scenario.

    Because I had an extremely bad feeling about it.

    Also, that feeling came with a reason.

    Shortly after arriving at the podium, Akimiyashika glanced at the Yulia who was still crying.

    "Everyone, I need your attention right now! Please listen to what I have to say. This morning, even though it shames me to say this, several pieces of underwear from every single room has been stolen! After an intense research all over the dorm, we did not find it. So, I would like to ask every single male individual present, except sensei himself to empty their school packs."

    I knew it! I so fucking knew it! We''ve been had! How could this happen?!

    "That''s ridiculous! We stole nothing! Besides, you are saying meaningless things in the first place! You don''t even have a shred of evidence to back that false argument up!"

    Rightfully speaking, Sasuga, speaks his mind out loud. It is true. Akimiyashika just made the boldest of all claims honestly.

    ".....W-Who... Who did this...? Why are you all so cruel...?!"

    Yulia, the one crying voiced her crying words. Ah, I see. She was supposedly crying because of that.

    "W-What is this!? We aren''t cruel! We did nothing!"

    "That''s right! Your claim is too illogical! A girl crying won''t even prove your point, to begin with! Sensei, please silence her!"

    However, despite Kuzan, whose head as shaved by the way, and Ryoken who made the last point, Basara-sensei was in deep thought. He seemed to be somewhat similar to Hyunda in that sense.

    "Hahaha. Akimiyashika. I can''t really take that seriously. Unless the boys somehow decide to empty their bags and in the result where there is actually underwear inside the bags, then I will take you seriously. But your claim is far too illogical."

    "No, I believe not. I will charge all the boys in this class as suspects for stealing our underwear!"

    "What!?"

    Perhaps the most simultaneous ''What!?'' I''ve ever seen yet we just couldn''t let that slide.

    "Sensei! This is not fair! She can''t place a complaint without any sort of evidence!"

    "That''s true. That''s true. But---"

    The usual logical Basara-sensei who had no remorse for when it came to this, was different today. There was something off about him today.

    "Hm. I see. This is an interesting turn of events. No, really. It really is. I didn''t expect such a chance to come this early but I''m not feeling like letting this go. Alright, I will allow the charge to be placed."

    And just as we were about to uproar again, Basara-sensei follows that up and says:

    "However! You all must have been curious about something right?"

    Not knowing what Basara-sensei was on about, Kawahara made the first move.

    "Curious about what?!"

    "The one thing that will decide your future! Whether or not you actually graduate comes down to one thing, and that is, the special exams issued by the government. Now, allow me to explain. Since I am the one responsible for you all, I really feel bad for not explaining this earlier."

    Basara-sensei was saying some interesting words. Alas, he moved from his desk and went to the podium in which he stood right next to Akimiyashika.

    "Every month, according to the government, the one who is responsible for the program subjects, will realize a special exam up to his own liking. Now, any decent teacher with the minimum decency would have explained this from the get-go. But not I. I decided that it would be too boring. I was silently waiting around and this morning, an angel came to me and said: ''Rejoice, young man!''. At first, I couldn''t understand what it meant but then, after witnessing this, I finally understood something... That it was time for the special exam.

    No way, did he just make a Fate reference!? How can you step so low!?

    "Sensei, could you be more specific?"

    Impatiently asking, Akimiyashika strictly asked Basara-sensei to get to the point.

    "I am a sucker for arguments. But only good ones. Bad ones are boring and horrible. I truly dislike them. That''s why, given that I was curious about this argument now that I will allow the special exam to begin. Akimiyashika, take your seat. I will now be explaining the contents of the special exam."

    This was really out of his character. I didn''t know that this demon had an actual passion for arguments. On top of that, good ones, apparently. Still, Akimiyashika took her seat.

    "Since this argument about whether or not the boys stole the girls'' underwear caught my attention, I will revolve the special exam around it. It''s fairly simple. There will be two sides. Boys and girls. The argument will be the one that Akimiyashika stated. The girls'' side will attempt to prove that the boys actually stole the underwear. However, the boys will, in an attempt to defend themselves, try to create a stronger argument. Essentially, however, manages to come up with better argument wins. Needless to say, I will be the judge, jury, and executioner."

    See, this is what I mean. By now it''s pretty clear but, inside our school packs, there are multiple pieces of underwear in each bag. In my bag, there is a blue bra and dark purple panties. If this was a perverted scenario where we would all rejoice due to bras and panties, then it would be amazing.

    In contrast, this was the worst-case scenario.

    Actually, it wasn''t that bad. They couldn''t force us to empty our bags. Invading our right to privacy isn''t an option.

    Also, Basara-sensei''s special exam was already favoring one side completely. I didn''t need to say which side was that.

    "But first, some ground rules. The first one is, I will only allow this argument to go on for 1 hour. This is to say that it should last an hour but if it escalates that long, then it will end at that. Whoever made the most logical points will win, if it goes overtime. Second rule, I will only allow logical arguments to be made. Things such as emotion and spite are to be left out. If your argument contains little to zero logic then I will invalidate it. Third rule, no interruptions. Each side will choose one representative to voice their argument. Each side will, additionally, have the right to voice their argument under 5 minutes. You can either declare your argument finished or once it hits the 5-minute mark, the other side will get a chance to argue back. However, only the representative or the ones in question are allowed to argue. This refers to the no interruption rules. Also, arguments without any evidence will be considered invalid."

    I can''t believe this Kotomine Kirei quoter just essayed us like this...

    Well, this was good though. In fact, this could be seen as an even match from now on.

    "Sensei, you said that each side will fight to see who wins this argument, right? Then, what happens to the side that loses?"

    "They will receive the consequence of losing."

    "And that is...?"

    "Hyunda, why not lose to find out? Or just win to laugh about."

    Hyunda, who always gives vague answers just got a taste of his own medicine, basically.

    "With that said, I will allow anything as long as it''s valid for the sake of evidence. Let''s see... It is 8:30 am. Thus, by 9:30 am this should be finished. By the way, whoever gets to decide on their representative will go first. Furtherm--"

    Getting interrupted all over the sudden, Akimiyashika, who did not waste any time whatsoever, took the chance immediately.

    "Sensei, I am the representative."

    "...I didn''t finish speaking. But, it wouldn''t matter. However, I won''t take that for granted, Akimiyashika."

    "I know. You must want to ensure that my claim about I, being the representative, is correct, right?

    "Yes."

    It somewhat pisses me off how she addressed herself as ''I''.

    With that said, Basara-sensei decided to ask the girls'' side the question that would determine whether or not Akimiyashika would take the role of representative.

    "Do you all agree with what Akimiyashika just said?"

    In a perfect symphony, all the girls, including my table partner replied:

    "Yes, we agree."

    ...........

    This is staged, isn''t it? Did they practice this or something?

    Although, this is fine. As long as Akimiyashika doesn''t have any evidence then she is screwed as well.

    "Then, it is decided. Akimiyashika will be the representative of this side. Knowing this, I will give the boys a grand total of 5 minutes to decide on their representative. If by the time of 5 minutes, there is no chosen representative, then the girls win automatically. In other words, not only do you get your bags checked but you also get the consequence of losing."

    It''s fantastic how I can''t even tell which one I should be worried more. The losing consequence or having a fucking blue bra and dark purple panties coming out from my pack!

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Finalizing his words, Basara-sensei takes a sit.

    "Guys, I don''t mean to flex but let me be the representative."

    "Fuck off! If anyone should be the representative then it should be me! I will give these bitches the spiciest of all arguments!"

    "No... Let me do it!"

    It was odd for Kuzan, whose head was so shaved off to say that. This became an argument for supremacy basically. Kuzan, Rayazaki, and Kawahara decided to spend the upcoming minutes arguing about who was the best. That''s right. They were not worried about losing to Akimiyashika. They were not worried about the consequence of failing to win against her, they just wanted to see who came out on top.

    This is without a doubt, what you call a clash of egos.

    I noticed her too.

    The hell does she want?

    She keeps glancing back and forth. At me.

    I wanted to make a joke about her being potentially attracted to me but the current situation was of great importance. I had to think carefully now. I will ignore everyone''s existence right now and only focus on thinking about what I know.

    To start, if I go by the premise that Akimiyashika will launch an argument that revolves around blaming the boys while claiming that they stole their underwear, then that''s a weak argument. I could just accuse someone of stealing my money if they happen to have it. Does that make my argument appealing or credible? No, it does not.

    I''m using that logic because it''s valid in the scenario where she has no evidence. Although Yulia could not say it, she most likely implied that her underwear got stolen or something and that she had no underwear on. Of course, no one would actually just say: ''Hey, flip your skirt or you are lying.''. No, no way that works.

    Regardless, this is a bad assumption. I should assume that she will fight back with the vigilance cameras. I''m assuming this because Ikkiri showed us footage of Kuzan escaping. It''s undeniable that the possibility is there. It pains me to say this but, if she has footage of us, then we are essentially screwed.

    Proper reasoning to checkmate us would be the usage of the footage of the cameras from their dorm against us. I mean, if one thinks about it, the fact that we were there already proves that we are indeed suspects. Nonetheless, we didn''t actually do it.

    I have no idea how she is going to prove that we did. By common sense, she doesn''t have any possible way to do so. Which means that if she''s smart, she''s not going to. Worst case scenario, I would rely on Hyunda''s footage but even then, I am not too confident about it. Not because I don''t have the right evidence; I do, but because Hyunda might not even allow me to use it for his reasons.

    His earlier words still haunt me. He said that the plan was meant to fail. What did he mean by that?

    While I was ignoring everyone''s existence, something, no, someone speaking broke my reflection.

    "You deepshits, are you just not going to choose a representative? It''s been three minutes you goddamn morons!"

    Shit! I was thinking for way too long...

    I feel like it''s constantly unnecessary to note this but she is still stupidly trading glances in and glances out.

    On a side note, I decided to analyze my side. Who would be the representative, realistically speaking?

    Kan was rolling joints without a care in the world. Typical.

    Ryoken seemed to be in deep thought, however, his nervous expression made me assume that he was going to assume the role at the last minute. Having a nervous representative can be crucial. Although, if in the end, there isn''t anyone else to take the role, Ryoken would have to be the obvious choice.

    Akihiko though... He looked the same as in the morning. Terrified as hell. If I remember correct Sana had a chainsaw this morning... Just what the hell happened?! Either way, Akihiko was definitely not an option.

    Same with Tsudo. He just kept saying ''Fuck'' while seeing what was inside his bag. Way to make it obvious.

    Hyunda just looked outside of the window as usual. He had gone to his own world. But---

    As soon as my eyes met his figure, he glanced back at me for a short second with serious eyes.

    Kawahara, Rayazaki, and Kuzan were definitely out of the question. Besides, they would never reach a consensus.

    Tatsu was silently writing something by the looks of it. In other words, useless.

    Susaga was reading manga. JoJo, if my vision doesn''t fail me. But he''s reading Stone Ocean. I hate Stone Ocean.

    Lastly, there was Sagasuga. Now, I have not forgotten about this guy. He''s been trying not to stand out but I''ve noticed that he occasionally glances at me out of worry that I might tell his little secret.

    Your time will come. Judgment day is near.

    Though, that wasn''t exactly relevant right now. What truly pissed me off was how he had the looks of a winner.

    ........

    Let''s just say that I wanted to confirm something.

    It''s not out of curiosity, but instead, out of spite.

    "That bastard."

    After glancing at Tateyana at the speed of light, I noticed that she was red as hell. Still the same tomato as the morning. I''m going to call her Tomatana at this rate.

    And oops. I did say that out loud. My partner became even more warry of me. However, she refused to speak and I refused to notice her existence.

    So, what''s the grand conclusion here? Well, we might just be fucked big time. Assuming the worst-case scenario and that Akimiyashika is intelligent about this, we have no chance of winning.

    I''m not even sure on what premise to act.

    But, I know one thing.

    And that is, we don''t necessarily have to be the only losers here.

    With that in mind, I had finished my thoughts about the situation. From here on out I had to proceed with caution.

    "15 seconds left."

    "S-Sensei, I..."

    "Basara-sensei, I will be the representative."

    No, I am not trying to sound cool. I simply just didn''t want to lose by default.

    "Very well then. Please remind yourselves of the rules. I will not tolerate any rule-breakers."

    It was about to begin it seems.

    "Well then, Akimiyashika, you may begin."

    "Thank you, sensei."

    "But, since I am the judge, I will ask some questions that need to be asked first, regarding the argument itself. Akimiyashika, remind me again, what was that you claimed?"

    "I claimed that the boys are the primary suspects of stealing multiple pieces of underwear. Also, I demanded a thorough investigation of their bags."

    "I see. What''s your basis for that?"

    "My basis for the first claim is due to the fact that they invaded our dorms at 4 am. No--- As a matter of fact, someone already had invaded our dorm via physical force way before that."

    She''s exaggerating honestly. It wasn''t way before that. Kuzan invaded the dorm at 4 am.

    "So you want to perform an investigation based on the assumption that your dorm was invaded by the boys at 4 am? Why the bags though? Is there a specific reason for that?"

    "The reason is quite simple. To be honest, we are in a desperate situation so we need to search for o-o-our underwear that is missing in a place where the suspects might have put them."

    "And you think that of all places to hide underwear that it would be inside a school bag?"

    "I know it sounds ridiculous but if you think about it, we have nothing else to search. They could have very well hidden inside their own rooms. Yes, that''s the highest possibility. However, their school bags are by far the only approachable thing that we can search for them. Please understand."

    "Argument rejected. Your reason for this is far too emotional. It barely contains any logic. Unless you can present some solid evidence to back your argument up, I will pass the turn to Daniel."

    "Of course, it would be utterly ludicrous to form an argument without any solid evidence to back it up."

    "So you have it or are you simply bluffing?"

    "I do have it--- But, can I question a certain individual first?"

    "Permission granted."

    She just claimed to have evidence. Lying in this situation would not do her any good. Knowing this, it''s fair to assume that she will rely on vigilance cameras. Just how the hell does she have access to it? I need to know about that.

    "Kuzan Takeshi, where, exactly, physically, were you today at 4 am?"

    I''m surprised she bothered to say the word ''physically''. She must not be in the mood for jokes or sarcasm.

    Kuzan is impulsive by nature, very much like Rayazaki and Kawahara so I doubt he realizes that he has the right to remain silent.

    "I was sound asleep in my bed! Where else would I be?"

    "Are you sure that''s your claim?"

    Oi, she''s not playing around Kuzan. Don''t lie.

    "I was snorting like a pig!"

    AHHHHHHH.

    "I see. That''s all I wanted to ask. Sensei, and everyone in this classroom, just now, you witnessed Kuzan Takeshi''s answer. You are all witnesses."

    Without asking for our opinion, Akimiyashika went out of her way and claimed such.

    "Akimiyashika."

    "Yes, I''m sorry. I will proceed now."

    It seems like Basara-sensei was really not in the mood for the way Akimiyashika was acting. From a moral stance, what she just did could be considered manipulation. Well, with all things considered, manipulation such as what she just did can be controversial. Because she has multiple valid arguments to back her up.

    "Can I utilize the computer? I need to upload a Pendrive. Inside it, the evidence lies."

    "Sure. Just hurry up. You have one minute left."

    Indeed, a total of four minutes went down the drain in all this.

    Roughly 30 seconds after, Akimiyashika used the remote controller to turn the projector on. Just like in many schools, this was used to serve as a way to project subject exercises or documents like that.

    Yet, as soon as we could see what was projected, 6 videos could be seen. Of course, none of them were playing.

    "I will now play the first video."

    "How long is it?"

    "40 seconds."

    "Rejected. Either save it for your next turn or pass the turn."

    "I see. I will rightfully pass it to Daniel then."

    Smart decision. She realizes how valuable time is in this situation. Assuming that she thinks that she can end this argument in less than an hour, she is saving as much time as she can. I have not underestimated her. However, she is dangerous to face. Because she is not a fair person.

    Given that it was my turn, what exactly was I going to argue about? I''m screwed regardless of what I say. The only visible piece of evidence I can use lies within Hyunda''s footage or Akimiyashika''s 6 videos. Knowing this, I had absolutely no reason to argue.

    It was pointless. Arguing without evidence is massively counterproductive. Therefore, I need to wait for some.

    "Daniel, it''s your turn."

    Reminding me of who''s turn it was, I once again took a glance at the clock. It was 8:40 am. I''m also at fault here. I took 5 minutes in the beginning for no reason. It was clearly obvious that no one would be the representative. Akimiyashika wasted 5 minutes basically. However, in it, she managed to stand her own ground and prepared the climax for what might be coming. Interrogating Kuzan might have been partially manipulating the crowd, although it could very well be used against us since Kuzan is the dumbest motherfucker on this planet and decided to lie.

    "I''ll pass the turn right back at her."

    Akimiyashika was stunned actually. What?

    Did you actually think that every single one of us was incapable of using our best weapon called a brain?

    Naive, biatch!

    "....How dumb...."

    H-Huh!?

    Did this bitch at my side just say that!?

    Am I missing something here?

    No, she''s probably mad that I haven''t paid her attention.

    I have to believe that it was the right decision. Yes, it was.

    Actually, why am I even bothered?

    She''s speaking nonsense.

    I let out a small grin to piss her off.

    It worked, she smashed one of her pages.

    "Please pay attention, all of you. What I am about to show you contain a very serious degree of importance."

    Said Akimiyashika confidentially. Not rejecting her words, we all glanced upon it.

    The first video contained me, Rayazaki, Tsudo, Sagasuga, and Akihiko. It was my gender equality speech. However, there was something that literally pissed me way more off than the fact that we were in a losing situation thanks to that footage.

    "Akimiyashika, what happened to the audio?"

    "Oh... Our cameras are actually quite old. These ones don''t have audio. But not to worry, they provide footage which is the necessary ground for my evidence to be displayed."

    That''s right. No fucking audio! They can''t listen to my great and might speech! I bet they would quake their boots if they heard that.

    The video ended after my speech was terminated. However, before ending, we were seen entering the girls'' dorm. Thankfully for me, something crucial came along.

    "Now that you have all watched this video, I would like to interrogate the individuals in the video. Am I allowed to, sensei?"

    "Yes, you are."

    "Thank you. First of all, Daniel, what were you doing there at 4 am?"

    I will attempt to demonstrate an example. Hopefully, the other 4 dorks follow my example.

    "....."

    Wow, her face looks as if she''s going to grab a hammer and smash all my bones with it. Chill out, Akimiyashika, I get that you hate to be ignored but you knew this would happen.

    Ah yes. I opted to remain silent. What''s there to say about this? That we were going to hunt down Kuzan.

    .......

    Wait a second.

    Silence isn''t the right option here.

    I noticed that there was an extremely piece of evidence to prove that we weren''t the first ones to start this whole thing.

    In the video, I was shown to open the door, but it''s crystal clear to anyone that the door lock was broken.

    "I-"

    No, wait!

    You dumbass! What if it''s a bait?! You know she''s intelligent. The very fact that she is making that angry expression could symbolize manipulation.

    It''s possible that she wants me to comment on the fact that the door lock is broken. There is no way that she wouldn''t notice that.

    Akimiyashika utilizes everything to her disposal as much as she can. If she doesn''t utilize it then it''s for a reason.

    I hate to admit but this girl has me stuck in a dilemma.

    Should I tell her that we weren''t to blame for breaking in since Kuzan was the one who did so, then we would also be screwed. Because if Kuzan takes the blame, so do we. On the other hand, should I remain silent now, I am letting go of the chance of calling her out on that.

    But think, what''s the importance of that? I have no idea about the context of the next videos. Even if I tell her, she could simply say that she was simply curious about my location.

    This isn''t enough evidence to counteract, it seems.

    "I will stay silent."

    My side looked revolted as soon as I said that.

    However, I really wanted to pass down the example. Don''t take her bait!

    "Sensei, is that allowed?"

    "It indeed is allowed to be silent. It''s a right."

    "I understand. Then, Tsudo, what do you have to say about your position at 4 am, on our dorm''s entrance?"

    Stay silent. You got this, Tsudo.

    "We were just chilling outside, nothing much."

    You fucking retard!! You saw the number of videos she has!! What makes you fucking think that ''we were just chilling outside, nothing much.'' is actually gonna help us here!? If the next videos have evidence of you walking in the dorm then you literally just lied for no reason!!

    Ah fuck.

    I''m surrounded by retards.

    "By this, sorry, ''chilling'', what are you implying?"

    Akimiyashika really hates vulgar words it seems.

    "Huh? You know. Chilling. Get it? Because the weather is chilly?"

    I would kill myself after that one.

    "Since the individual at the question is refusing to answer my question seriously, I will assume that he is lying since the video clearly shows that there is more to it than what he actually suggests. Am I allowed to do that, sensei?"

    "Yes, you are. Proceed."

    Who the fuck trolls in such a situation, Tsudo! Actually, he probably wasn''t trolling, he was just being serious in his own way.

    "Rayazaki, what were you doing at our dorm''s entrance at 4 am?"

    "What I was doing?! What the hell else!? I was entering your dorm so I could hunt that rat Kuzan down since he had stolen all of our food! We had to infiltrate the whole area to do so!"

    No more.

    This is too much.

    Just how can someone be this dumb and not read the atmosphere. Do you have a brain glitch, Rayazaki?

    "So you are saying that Kuzan willingly infiltrated our dorm? Now, why would he do that?"

    "Huh!? Hell if I know! All I know is that that rat Kuzan stole all of our food from King George and went off somewhere else! Coincidentally he was in your dorm! That''s all!"

    My god, I''m losing brain cells. I''m officially naming this a brain cell genocide.

    I also think that my IQ just went down 100 points.

    Oh, that''s bad. What if I have less than 100!?

    "Lmao, King George? What gives?"

    I''m more surprised at the fact that Basara-sensei doesn''t know the existence and might of King George rather than the fact that he said ''Lmao'' out loud.

    Though, that wasn''t a question that was actually supposed to be answered, so the main conversation began. Yes, she even made sure it would.

    "Sensei, please focus. This is very serious. I would appreciate it if you could devote your entire attention to the argument as a whole."

    "Yeah, sure. I will give you my wholesome attention. To the argument that is."

    What the fuck do you mean wholesome you pervert?! You''re a fucking teacher for Christ''s sake!

    "Taking into consideration of what you just said, Rayazaki, you fully confirmed to have, willingly invaded our dorm to supposed perform a search for Kuzan, correct?"

    "Why are you repeating the same shit all over again!? Are you deaf, bitch?"

    "D-Don''t talk to Aki like that...!"

    It seems Hinagiku was not going to stand for that. But this is Rayazaki that we are talking about.

    "You again midget!? Know your place!"

    "H-How rude! All you do is curse against Aki''s logical questions! Brute!"

    "The fuck was that!?"

    And then, slamming his book on his table.

    "Order!"

    Wow, Basara-sensei, please, you''re way too much into this.

    "I said that I wouldn''t tolerate any type of interruptions. It''s interruptions like those that make arguments unnecessary. Hinagiku, you are forbidden from leaving the school in the upcoming month."

    "What!"

    "Furthermore, that interruption of yours will penalize Akimiyashika''s argument as a whole."

    "Hahahaha, way to go dumbass!"

    "Stop laughing you retard, you are equally to blame. You will receive the same treatment as her. And, you two, for the rest of the class, you will only answer or talk if something is asked at you. Politely at it. I will apply serious measures if you two don''t behave properly next time."

    Wait, what just happened? Did this demon just show mercy? What is this! Does he really love arguments that much?!

    Nonetheless, both Hinagiku and Rayazaki didn''t answer back. They couldn''t talk. But for some reason, after seeing Rayazaki''s defeated look, Hinagiku got smug.

    Well, it''s not as if we were on the winning side or anything but Rayazaki just made our situation a whole lot worse.

    "Akimiyashika, you only have 1 minute left."

    "Yes, I''m aware. Next up is..."

    She took a while to think about this. This was because there wouldn''t be time to interrogate both. She was probably also analyzing the intelligence of the two in her mind. She made the right move to question Rayazaki and Tsudo. It was the right move because she managed to extract free information basically. Since the ones she questioned were utterly retarded while answering.

    But, it looks like she made her mind up.

    "Sagasuga, what do you have to say about yourself?"

    She ignored Akihiko for some reason.

    "Me? Well, I was just going to visit my girlfriend at 4 am. Something wrong with that?"

    Broooooooooo. Why flex at a time like this?!

    Actually, scratch that. That was a malicious flex. I will not forget that.

    "E-Erm... Please be more explicit."

    "Hm? What? Okay, I''ll repeat it. I went to visit my girlfriend at 4 am."

    I think he''s asking for a serious beating.

    But this was a good call. They could either take his opinion seriously or just take it as sarcasm. Either way, it didn''t matter. What mattered was that he wasn''t giving Akimiyashika any useful information.

    "Why would you need 4 other individuals to do that though?"

    "Isn''t that pretty basic? I suggested to them that we would team up in order for me to accomplish my goal. I just could not stand being away from my love."

    I know that this is a really good strategy since they can''t counter it but it really is triggering me to a whole new level how he is flexing his relationship status.

    COINCIDENTALLY, Tateyana was looking in the opposite direction all this time.

    "Akimiyashika, your time is up. Daniel, your turn. Are you going to speak even?"

    That''s a good question actually. There was one thing that I could do though. I owe this opportunity to Sagasuga.

    Here it goes.

    "Yeah, I will speak."

    "Wow, I thought you were just going to remain silent throughout the whole thing. Do you have an argument to counter Akimiyashika''s?"

    "Not exactly, it''s not a counter-argument, I am simply going to reinforce an argument that was already stated. Is that allowed?"

    "Anything is, as long as you think that it will suffice against her argument."

    I glanced at the clock. 8:45 am. I wasn''t going to waste that much time if possible.

    However, I had to strike back.

    "Since this involves the whole class, I am free to ask anyone I want, right?"

    "Yes, that''s correct. You are free to do that."

    Well, that''s perfect actually.

    For future reference, if what I''m about to do caused something amazing to happen then I deserve all credits.

    "Tateyana, if you don''t answer the following question then I will assume, out of principle that the outcome is positive. But, where were you today at 5 am?"

    That''s right... I used the 5 am card.

    She''s free to remain silent. But I made sure that she would suffer a consequence by doing so. Yes, this could be labeled as manipulation. Though, my intention is completely unclear.

    She did not bother to even look at me. Oh right, I was standing next to Sagasuga, of course, she couldn''t.

    And I was not going to wait anymore.

    "Sensei, can I assume that she isn''t going to answer?"

    "I''ll wait ten more seconds."

    No matter how you look at it, she had no way of actually knowing what I was talking about. She could at maximum create an assumption.

    But, 5 seconds later...

    "I-I was sleeping in my room."

    "I see. Well, changing my question, Sagasuga, this love of yours, was she asleep at 5 am?"

    "No, she wasn''t."

    "How come you know this, Sagasuga?"

    I really wanted to fucking punch this traitor.

    "Because I was with her in her room. We talked, no, flirted for a very long time period. It was impossible for her to sleep, so to speak."

    One day, I swear.

    "I see, well, thank you very much."

    This is all I needed for now.

    "Wait, what was the main point of this? I''m curious now."

    Of course, you''d be. However---

    "...."

    This might be called abuse of privileges but Basara-sensei can''t just alter rights like that.

    Actually, he''s unreasonable as fuck. If he actually wanted to, he would. Please don''t be so thirsty for an answer that you will receive soon.

    "I see. Is that all?"

    Oh good. He understood. Well, of course, he would. Since he''s an argument lover then he would understand my silent yet fierce decision.

    "Yes."

    I only wasted 3 minutes, so it was 8:48 am.

    Subsequently, it was Akimiyashika''s turn.

    "I will now show the second video."

    All students inside the classroom, once again, indulged themselves in watching yet another footage.

    This one only contained a scene of two individuals. It was on the first floor.

    Furthermore, I finally saw how much of a pussy Akihiko was. Actually, considering what happened, I think I can understand his trauma. The man almost got cut up by a chainsaw. But, something caught my eye. As the video was ending, Akihiko took a black bag with him.

    Why though?

    No.

    What truly got my attention was the sight of Ikkiri. She was showing a nervous face. Hyunda also took notice of that and stared right into her soul.

    Immediately after seeing that, Akimiyashika closed the video.

    Ikkiri wanted to tell something to Hyunda but he just kept staring.

    I don''t know his strategy but I like it.

    "Akihiko, what were you doing on our dorm''s first floor at that time?"

    "Haha. Hahaha. Hahahaha."

    The fuck.

    "What''s so funny? Are you incapable of answering my question?"

    "Ah, no.... It''s just... What was I doing again?"

    "Excuse me? Are you playing dumb?"

    "Why do I feel like I''m forgetting something important...?"

    I had no idea what Akihiko was going through right now but his past trauma seemed to be completely gone all over the sudden.

    What the hell happened...?

    To give the bigger picture, Akihiko had been acting like someone who was terrified. I thought that the reason for that was because he was traumatized. Ultimately that trauma would come from being threatened by Sana.

    Yet... He''s acting completely normal right now. He has a calm and collected pose.

    "Sorry, ask the question again, please."

    Akimiyashika probably thought that Akihiko was flat out playing dumb or just using sarcasm.

    No, from observing Akihiko I doubt that he is someone who would lie this easily. There is a possibility that he''s acting might''ve been just an act, but something feels weird here. His reactions are way too natural.

    "...As you saw from the video, what were you doing there at 4 am?"

    "Well, for starters, according to the video''s time, I was there supposedly at 5 am."

    That''s correct. We did start out infiltration at 5 am. However, my previous speech was still within 4 am. Essentially, it happened between 4: 55 am to 5:00 am.

    "But, from what I can tell, I was there at that time only to be found by Sana, right? I have no idea what she said to me but the fact that I had to hide in a pantry is worrying. Also, there''s the fact that Sana grabbed a chainsaw. What about that?"

    "...That''s not important right now."

    Oi, Akimiyashika, that''s way too biased.

    "No, it is important. Everything must be taken into consideration."

    Thankfully, Basara-sensei realized the absurdity of the situation and said that.

    "Yes, sensei. Well, Sana, what were you doing at 5 am with a chainsaw?"

    "I can''t sleep without it. Can you imagine what it''s like to sleep knowing some perverts are going to invade your dorm at 5 am? It''s terrible!"

    Her point isn''t bad, because she said that due to the possibility of being invaded by perverts (the boys) during the night that she had to form some way of self-defense. Well, she didn''t say the self-defense part but she heavily implied it.

    "Sensei, from my perspective, Sana was afraid of potentially being molested by those perverts who invaded our dorm at 5 am, therefore, as a self-defense mechanism she used the chainsaw to fend off Akihiko who showed signs of doing such."

    "No, please. I would never molest her. She''s not even attractive, please."

    Speaking out of his order, Akihiko makes that claim.

    Although, saying out of his order isn''t completely right. The only individuals present in that scene are Sana and Akihiko.

    "Oh!? Then, what were you doing there?!"

    "Huh? I''ve literally just explained it though..."

    "She probably meant to say: ''Why were you there at that time?''"

    This time, Akimiyashika corrected Sana. Even though I, for a second thought I could intervene, I was reminded that it was Akimiyashika''s turn. Therefore, it was meaningless for me to talk.

    "That''s the thing, you see... I don''t actually know as to why I am there in the first place. If what Sana said about me molesting, well trying to molest her, at 5 am is true then I have no idea what happened. I don''t think I could ever fall that low, sorry. I am guiltless."

    Akihiko probably did not realize how much he was roasting Sana with his honest opinion. His opinion is somewhat false though. Sana is a target worthy of molesting. However, if we take her personality into consideration, then hell no.

    "That''s all you have to say to defend yourself?"

    It seemed as if Akimiyashika was going to end this round. This didn''t exactly favor us due to the fact that there was no audio. The fact that there is no audio is far too convenient for Akimiyashika. No---

    It could be convenient for both sides if used correctly.

    "Uh, yes. I really can''t remember, sorry."

    While it was completely irrelevant whether or not he actually remembered... no, it was relevant actually.

    It''s basically a shame that Akihiko couldn''t remember what it happened. Assuming that he really can''t remember.

    Also, Basara-sensei accepted Sana''s chainsaw logic for self-defense which Akimiyashika reformed.

    Apparently we live in a world where defending yourself with a chainsaw is plausible. Even though it was clear that Sana began the attack. However, it was labeled that Sana was acting out of self-defense.

    ........

    3 minutes had passed.

    My question was, was Akimiyashika going to make any more stands?

    "I''ll pass my turn to Daniel."

    8:51 am.

    39 minutes for this to end. Assuming that she uses the upcoming video to reinforce her primal argument, this is bound to take a long turn.

    Having my turn passed to me, just what could I do?

    Akimiyashika had the total upper hand every time. Each time she presented an argument, she demonstrated different pieces to fight back.

    My plan, well, there was never a plan, but my way to strike back would be to counterargue. Basara-sensei most likely realized that and gave me a little hint about that earlier.

    Knowing that Basara-sensei accepted that flawed chainsaw logic really doesn''t bring a smile to my face. I was planning to argue against how stupid that is.

    I would like to know Basara-sensei''s thought process on that.

    Nevertheless, there was one thing that I could use...

    "Akihiko, at the end of the video you left the dorm with a black bag, right? Where is it?"

    To be honest, I somewhat already knew that the black bag meant something. No way that it didn''t. Akimiyashika might not have shown visible confusion but Ikkiri did. Based on that, it''s safe to assume that there was something important in it.

    If Kuzan was smart then he would have left bags with food on separate floors. But it was crystal clear that Kuzan was selfish to the point of no forming such a minimal smart strategy.

    "I don''t know dude. Probably at my room, honestly."

    That''s it! This is my chance. If that bag actually contains some solid evidence then maybe we can--

    "Sensei, could I go and bring that bag that might be in Kuzan''s room!?"

    "No way. That''s out of the question. You are not allowed to leave this room. No one is until the class is over."

    Oh right, he never lets us leave the classroom, not even for toilet purposes. Yeah, this was not going to work.

    Worth the shot though.

    8: 53 am.

    "I''ll pass my turn then..."

    Not showing a single wasted movement, Akimiyashika immediately plays the third video.

    Well---

    If this follows the same pattern, then Tsudo is up next. Now, let''s see what sort of shit he did to be screaming the word ''Fuck!'' so much.

    ........

    From the video itself, this could be interpreted as a love comedy scene but in reality, it seems that Shizuku has taken a good hold at what sort of man Tsudo really is. Right as Tsudo was infiltrating the second floor, Shizuku confronted him...

    With extreme light clothes. Revealing at it.

    I took a glance at Shizuku but she was not shaken at all. According to common sense, any fragile girl that tastes the wrath of Tsudo''s nature is bound to flee in terror.

    But, he just happened to have met the one person who would not do so.

    I couldn''t help but feel that Shizuku, being there, and that time, was not a coincidence.

    And of course, the most noticeable thing about the whole video was Tsudo''s massive nosebleed.

    I didn''t think that you could actually nosebleed that much.

    I thought that it was an anime thing.

    On a side note, the reason as to why he was bleeding was no other than Shizuku herself. She jiggled her boobs in the video.

    Normally, embarrassment would be a common trait to show here. But...

    She just doesn''t care.

    "Tsudo, care to explain yourself?"

    Pressuring Tsudo out of the blue, Akimiyashika fires a bullet at him.

    "It''s not my fault."

    "Sorry?"

    I understood what he meant to say. It was definitely not his fault. But Tsudo, you''re talking to Akimiyashika of all people. She probably did not understand your manly complex words.

    "I said it''s not my fault. She started it."

    "Not my fault you ''lost'' so quickly."

    Oi, why is this conversation taking this turn?

    Please, guys, keep this Pg 13.

    "I d-d-d-d-d-didn''t ''lose'' quickly!"

    "You''re bluffing! You so did! Hahaha!"

    "Kuhhhh!!!"

    Tsudo flushed his face full of embarrassment under his notebook.

    "Tsudo! I''ll ask again! What were you doing there, on the second floor, at 5 am?"

    "Nothing!"

    "No, the video suggests you were doing more than ''nothing'' though."

    "It''s the truth! I was just searching for Kuzan! I thought that he was there! Shizuku appearing there at that time was nothing more than a coincidence..."

    No, I''m extremely convinced it wasn''t. No other girl could confront a man of your caliber without unleashing a scream.

    "Searching for Kuzan, was it? Then, Shizuku, what do you have to say about this?"

    Akimiyashika changed the target of her question this time.

    "Well, you see, Aki... From what I understand Tsudo is a massive virgin."

    The whole class, except Tsudo, of course, burst out of laughter.

    "And so, since we were being invaded, I took advantage of the fact that he is a massive virgin to delay his actions. However----"

    "Yes, Shizuku?"

    Shizuku for some reason fell silent, but Akimiyashika pressed forward despite that.

    "He asked me to do... embarrassing things..."

    "What!"

    Tsudo revolted for some reason, couldn''t help but to exclaim.

    "But, I won''t be shy and just say it out loud. Because this will contribute to Aki''s investigation, of course."

    I had the feeling that someone was about to face massive shame.

    "He said to me first: ''Shake that ass.''"

    "I said no such things!! Sensei, this is abuse! If we had audio then I would prove it! She''s lying!"

    "But Tsudo, no matter how you look at it, she did shake it in the video. Your words are contradicting."

    Not even Basara-sensei could save him here. Also, this was not normal. Shizuku was actually liking what was happening. Is she an M?

    Plus, this was somewhat cringy.

    "Nonetheless, there is more where that came from. He then said that if I didn''t do what he would say next that he would do things that I would regret doing with him... So he asked me to jiggle my chest..."

    Hinagiku seemed like she really wanted to let Tsudo have a taste of her own words but Tsudo was not going to stand for that.

    "Blasphemy! Okay, sure! Your body is amazing. No, wait. Too amazing! But I wouldn''t do any of that! Please, sensei! How can you trust her own words when we don''t have the audio to do so!?"

    "I''ll agree that not having audio is problematic but you are trying to deny physical acts that contain physical evidence. Argument invalid, Tsudo!"

    "B-But..."

    "And there you have it. This is solid proof that Tsudo, the individual at the scene, not only invaded our dorm, illegally. But also, he verbally sexually harassed Shizuku and threatened her to do things against her own will."

    "It wasn''t against her own will! It was her own will!"

    "Silence, you vermin! Don''t interrupt me while I''m speaking."

    Akimiyashika had officially snapped.

    "That''s all the evidence that I needed. I will pass the turn back to Daniel."

    Now, could I defend Tsudo in this scenario? No, I couldn''t. But---

    Tsudo forgot to mention one very important thing. At the end of the video, Kuzan could be seen as he climbed the staircase to the third floor. Furthermore, the video didn''t actually contain all the necessary evidence for me to counter Akimiyashika''s point, which was, Tsudo deliberately sexually harassed Shizuku.

    If the video had ended when Tsudo was locked down and had screamed that Kuzan was inside the dorm, then maybe I could have used that. But the video was most likely edited.

    We are far too outmatched.

    8:57 am.

    "So, will you speak or not?"

    "No, Basara-sensei, I''ll pass."

    Tsudo looked at me with puppy eyes.

    The fuck do you want from me? You got baited by your lust to this extent, what were you expecting?

    "Then, Akimiyashika, if you still have more."

    "Indeed, I have plenty."

    Luckily, if this follows the same pattern then my chance to strike back should be here soon.

    Without any time wasted, she displays the video.

    .........

    I really will brand him. I feel like I''ve been saying this a lot lately but this bastard cannot be allowed to live apparently. It''s like his life is an offense to every other man who struggles with love out there.

    So, in the video, the bastard decides that instead of searching for Kuzan that he should knock inside a room.

    Although, since it was in the middle of the dark, the room''s number could not be seen.

    Thus, the video simply showed the empty hall, because the bastard had entered someone''s room!

    "Sagasuga, do you have anything to say for yourself?"

    Akimiyashika in a rush to get some sort of information from Sagasuga interrogated him.

    "Do I need to explain myself again? I went there to meet my love. What''s so hard to understand about this?"

    "So you willingly forced your way into a girl''s room!?"

    "No, please. I''m a gentleman. Why would I do such a brute thing? She gave me permission."

    "I''ve been meaning to ask, but who is this ''love'' you have been speaking of?"

    "C''mon, Akimiyashika. Is that how you speak to someone who is saying free information that he doesn''t even have to say it? I could remain silent, but out of nobility I am responding to you but now you ask me such a private question... That''s rude."

    I''ll admit it, Sagasuga is utilizing this situation to his advantage pretty well. I mean, the fact that he is using the right to privacy like that proves it. Well, he mentioned that he could have been using it all this time.

    Still, his attitude is pissing me off.

    "...You are correct. That was rude of me. However, you confirm entering a girl''s room, correct?"

    By the looks of it, Akimiyashika prioritizes the way she speaks in public a bit too much.

    "Yes, Akimiyashika. I entered a certain girl''s dorm."

    "...Well, that''s all. I''m passing my turn."

    What? That was pretty weak by her. Or maybe Sagasuga''s points were just that uncounterable. The reason as to why they are uncounterable is because they have no way to be proven or denied. It''s a fact that Sagasuga entered a girl''s room. With that said, it could be the confirmation that Tateyana, for reasons unknown, is refusing to argue against his point.

    But, something was additionally bothering me when it came to Sagasuga. Every time he finished making his point, he had a low smirk.

    Unsure, I glanced at Tateyana once again.

    My side partner, for whatever the fuck reason did the same as well.

    Well, this confirmed it. There was something going on.

    No, I''m not referring to the relationship that''s supposedly going on between them. It''s something else.

    This feels like some sort of competition.

    "Once again, I will question the same person with the same question. Tateyana, what were you doing at 5 am?"

    I had to pressure her because this would allow me to follow that up with something nice.

    "I already told you that I was sleeping."

    "Okay. Where?"

    "Huh? In my room, where else?"

    "Yeah, but where exactly? The floor?"

    I realized something amidst this. Sagasuga was looking at her with his smirk. She also noticed that. Good going, Sagasuga!

    "O-On the second floor."

    You''re a bad liar.

    "Tsudo, did something else happen after the video ended?"

    He probably didn''t realize the meaning of my question but it didn''t matter. He wasn''t going to lie about this.

    "Well, after the video, Shizuku, Arkalee, and Yulia arrested me. That''s all there is to it..."

    The perfect answer.

    Thus, I had to respond with the perfect answer.

    "Then, where did Shizuku, Arkalee, and Yulia came from?"

    "Huh? That''s obvious, dude. From their rooms."

    Yes, exactly.

    And now...

    "How many rooms were there on the second floor?"

    "Only 3. AH!"

    I''m surprised it took him that long to realize my goal here. As obvious as it may sound, I needed to confirm whether or not what Tateyana said was true.

    "I was sleeping with Shizuku. We are good friends. And besides, I came to her room when I heard the sound of people coming in, immediately."

    "That''s true. She was worried about the sudden presence of a certain ''someone'', no, in this case, it''s certain ''someones''. There is no rule that says that a girl can''t sleep in another girl''s room."

    Not even giving me a chance to continue my questioning, Tateyana launches a possible lie straight at me while using Shizuku''s room as a defense. By her logic, she was not on the third floor but in the second floor at that time.

    What the hell! How low can these bitches get, lying to me like this!

    It is what I would say, but her words weren''t the smartest and I was about to take advantage of that.

    "That''s weird, Tateyana. You said that you were sleeping in your room. Yet now you said that you were sleeping inside Shizuku''s room, which is located on the second floor, right? Knowing this, could it be that you were lying when you said that you were sleeping in your room? Because every student gets a room to them, right? Then, knowing this, why would you say that you were sleeping in your room when you actually weren''t?"

    Checkmate, bitch.

    "I-I studdered. That''s right. I spoke my words badly. I mistook Shizuku''s room for mine."

    No, no way was I going to let that one slide.

    "Oh, alright. So your original room isn''t on the second floor, but on another floor, then. So. Which floor?"

    "Daniel, you have 1 minute left."

    It appears that my argument was taking a bit too long. However, the endgame to it should be around the corner.

    This is a test to see if she''s minimally smart or not.

    "..."

    Silence, huh? I reject silence.

    "Oh, it''s fine if you don''t speak. But, under the assumption that the next videos show footage of the upcoming floors, I will naturally confirm where your floor was. That''s right, I don''t mind telling you all this since it''s been made clear for some time. With time, I will confirm where your room floor is located. Using a simple strategy called elimination."

    The strategy was not that simple, however, it was practical. If Akimiyashika limits herself to show how it went down on the upcoming floors, then I will have many witnesses to my hand. But, there is one major flaw to this. Let''s say that, after Akimiyashika shows all the floor videos, I ask Rayazaki which girls arrested him. He will answer the question sincerely of course. Under the assumption that Tateyana doesn''t have her room on the fourth floor, that only leaves us with two options.

    Undoubtedly, the first option would be that her room is located on the third floor, which is what I am exactly trying to confirm. And the next option would be---

    However, my thought process got interrupted. She actually decided to speak.

    Well, she''s not that smart then.

    "My room is located on the third floor..."

    "Daniel, time is up."

    "That''s fine. I got what I wanted."

    If she had said that her room was located on the first floor, I had no way to counter that. Because Akihiko didn''t actually, supposedly, remember the girls that lived on the first floor.

    It''s understandable as to why Tateyana could not form a solid grasp of that possibility.

    She was nervous as hell.

    On the other side... How was she going to react?

    The time is 9:05 am. She has not demonstrated enough evidence to fully blame us.

    Which means that she would follow a pattern that would allow her to do so.

    I also doubt that she would argue against me. She didn''t really want to argue against me.

    Akimiyashika just wanted to prove her point and her point alone. To allow that, she made sure that I would not have any valid points to make in order to fully erase the possibility of me counterarguing her in some way.

    Plus, whether or not we know Tateyana''s room isn''t going to help us win. I''ve, at this rate, completely abandoned the possibility of winning.

    It was also meaningless to stall. Otherwise, I would''ve done it a long time ago.

    "I will not show the fourth video, which contains further evidence that the boys were clearly performing a full investigation of our surroundings."

    Rayazaki''s turn was up. It looked as if we were seeing an action movie. I had no idea that Hinagiku, yet another blue-haired girl from our class, was actually capable of fighting.

    Unfortunately, I had no knowledge of what sort of martial art it was. The relevant part about the video was that Rayazaki initiated the fight and Hingaku used self-defense in response.

    What''s more, is, the fight was interrupted by Kuzan storming the scene.

    I''m fairly sure that Rayazaki could have won. If, he had not fought me earlier.

    But in all seriousness, I had no idea as to how Akimiyashika was going to prove that we supposedly stole the underwear. That''s the hard part. She had no way to actually prove something that we had never done.

    Thus, the path she had to take was obvious. She would most likely frame us for something we could have done given that the following evidence suggested such. And then, by appealing her argument to Basara-sensei, she would get what she wanted, which is to perform that so-called investigation on our bags.

    It pisses me off though. It pisses me off how I am capable of understanding all of the possibilities but still remain unable to fight back no matter the circumstance.

    No---

    It was not over yet.

    "Hinagiku, could you tell me what happened on the fourth floor so late at night?"

    Something to remember was that, in addition to the punishment of not being able to leave the school at the end of the month, Hinagiku and Rayazaki were not allowed to make a single noise unless asked or in question.

    Which was the exact moment.

    "Yes, with pleasure, Aki. That savage came into the fourth floor and told me to stay away. I couldn''t do that, out of principle, so I politely asked him to leave. He, however, told me to back off. I said I couldn''t and he decided to initiate a fight."

    Contrasting Shizuku''s probably fake opinion this one felt more truthful. Honestly, I just could not sense a single shred of lies in it.

    But, Hinagiku was without a doubt a little bit too aggressive.

    "Is that true, Rayazaki?"

    Akimiyashika asked Rayazaki whether or not that was true, but it probably wasn''t to make sure whether or not it was true but with the intention of seeing what type of answer Rayazaki would give.

    "Yeah, it''s true. I wanted to search the floor to determine whether or not the rat was there! But this tiny bitch got in my way! However... Well... I was wrong."

    What is this? Is he turning humble all over the sudden? Why!?

    "But! I was right! Kuzan did appear on the fourth floor! I was about to catch him and end this once a for all! But, she got in my way again!"

    "I did not get in your way! You got in my way! You were both intruders, you were both going down either way!"

    "As I said, my intrusion is excusable because it was only for the pure intend of hunting that bastard down! As soon as I was done I was going to leave the girls'' dorm! Can''t you understand something so simple?!"

    "I don''t believe you! You were obviously working with Kuzan together! What you just told me now is a lie in order to allude the audience! While in reality, you were going to use that lie to fool everyone here! I''m not stupid!"

    "You have some serious trust issues, I''m telling you! Why the hell would I cooperate with anyone in the first place?! The only reason why I even bothered to invade the dorm was to hunt that motherfucker down! How many times must I say this for you to get that through your head!?"

    This was escalating way too high.

    "Make silence, you two. You are not allowed to argue in the meantime as well. I will let this slide because I forgot to mention that and it was my fault. However, I will not forgive you two if this happens again."

    Hinagiku and Rayazaki could not understand each other and thus it seemed as if they hated each other.

    "Rayazaki, you confirm to be the one who initiated the fight, correct?"

    With all things considered, Akimiyashika was not bothered by the fact that those two were arguing all the time.

    Her question this time seemed to be the main reason as to why she even bothered to show this video.

    "Are you blind!? Of course, I was."

    ........

    Why can''t this guy get a clue...

    "Well, thank you for that. I am passing my turn back to Daniel."

    Ugh, this sucks. I can''t, in no way possible, form an argument to defend Rayazaki here. I could appeal over the fact that Kuzan was seen in the scene to enforce the theory of Kuzan being the main reason as to why we were there in the first place, but it was too soon for that.

    9:08 am.

    Oh well, there was still one thing to do.

    "Rayazaki, you were arrested by which girls exactly?"

    "Oh, huh... The midget, her and her."

    He pointed at Hinagiku, Kanawari, and Yukishiro.

    I don''t think he actually knows their names.

    They were also somewhat offended that he couldn''t be bothered to remind of their names.

    Don''t be offended, it''s not as if he can''t call back to how you were called in the first place. He doesn''t give a fuck.

    "I see. That''s all. I''m passing my turn."

    I really just wanted to confirm whether or not Tateyana was lying about her room. This also gave me more assurance about one of my final points.

    9:10 am.

    "In the upcoming video, it will be the last video before the final in which I will demonstrate perhaps one of the most necessary pieces of evidence."

    So this was, according to Akimiyashika, perhaps her strongest stand so far?

    Oh, I made a JoJo reference.

    "Please pay attention."

    As we did, the video contained content that showed not what I was expecting. I was expecting the fifth-floor scenes, in which I and my partner had a heated event. But no, it was something else completely.

    In it, we could see the entrance of the dorm. This was at 6 am. In other words, in a time that was further ahead. Also, Tsudo, Rayazaki, Akihiko, and Sagasuga were present in the scene. In all likelihood, this footage happened between the time I was talking with Kuzan in the roof or something like that.

    But, so what? What was Akimiyashika''s point, exactly?

    Given that the video ended, she spoke up immediately.

    "Like you, all can see, after arresting the suspects of entering our dorm illegally, where were the other two who entered the dorm? Additionally, all of us, the girls, were present down there. Not a single one of us was inside the dorm."

    "Akimiyashika, what''s your point?"

    "Sensei, my point is, this when it all happened. And--- the video that I''m about to show next should prove that it did indeed happen."

    I still failed to see how she was going to appeal her argument even further but I guess we were about to see.

    "Go ahead and show it then."

    She had 4 minutes left.

    And what we saw was...

    Kuzan escaping through the emergency staircase. However, this happened 5 minutes later. In other words, in the last video where it is seen all of the girls outside of the dorm with Rayazaki, Tsudo, Akihiko, and Sagasuga, the time was 6:05 am.

    In this video, the time was 6:10 am.

    I then started to see the bigger picture.

    "So? What am I supposed to see from this footage? Other than the fact that Kuzan was escaping with two bags?"

    "This is where my final theory will be formed. I strictly believe that within those five minutes, Kuzan, who had two bags took a massive portion of our underwear since the rooms were open. Nothing was stopping him from doing so. Plus, our underwear was actually there before. We noticed that our underwear was missing after that."

    I see...

    "Just one question out of curiosity. Daniel, where were you at the time that Kuzan escaped? I''m asking this because you aren''t there at the dorm''s entrance."

    Well, we were screwed. There was nothing that I could do to change that. Also, Akimiyashika had this one in the bag from the start.

    No, really. Think about it. I have no idea how she obtained the footage but by cutting the audio and showing only certain amounts of footage, she managed to win this.

    No, wait... That''s where she is wrong. The fact that she only showed certain portions of evidence via vigilance cameras just goes to show that she is using methods of pure convenience.

    Also, regarding my possible answer here, I was screwed. If I answer that I was walking down the girl''s dorm right back to the entrance then that would make me a primary suspect. No other answer would cut it because I was without a doubt there.

    Besides, the girls saw my whole figure walking down from the entrance. It was impossible to argue back.

    "....."

    Yep, no use in talking here.

    "Since Daniel isn''t talking, I will ask the primary suspect. Kuzan, what''s inside of the bags that you were carrying?"

    As a final wish, I hoped that Kuzan would follow my example, but nope. Dude''s dumb as fuck.

    I really hate Kuzan''s parents for having the idea of creating such a disaster only to screw me on this day.

    "Food. Yep, I''m gonna tell you guys the truth. I had stolen all the food from King George''s kitchen and was planning on camping on your rooftop for a while with all that food. But then Aniki pursued me into returning the food and I had no choice but to go back. Ah, Aniki said that I should use the emergency staircase to avoid getting caught though."

    Humans like Kuzan make me want to commit Kermit.

    "Who is this Aniki?"

    "Huh? You mean you don''t know who Daniel Aniki is?"

    How can someone who has his love life completely ruined for two reasons and on top of that, has a shaved haircut, speak in such tone?

    Incomprehensible. It''s as if his own stupidity doesn''t faze him.

    "Daniel, do you have something to say on the case?"

    "...."

    Well, I could say out loud out retarded Kuzan is, but what''s the point? It''s already a universal fact.

    "I see. In opposition to what Kuzan just said, I don''t believe this whole food argument. It''s far too convenient that between the time gap where we left our dorm and Kuzan escaped that he wasn''t the one who did it. I believe I have provided enough evidence to perform an investigation on the suspects'' bags, haven''t I, sensei?"

    "Well, it is true that you have provided some solid evidence. However, this isn''t done yet. The other side still has a chance to create a final argument."

    "Very well then."

    In conclusion, Akimiyashika wanted to blame Kuzan and potentially me for stealing their underwear. Her reasoning for her theory is that in the time gap where Kuzan supposedly performed his escape, he, instead of escaping right away, took 5 minutes to steal the girls'' underwear. It''s a reasonable assumption at the end of the day.

    Alas, I had to make my last stand.

    Make no mistake here, I wasn''t going to pull any sort of trump card that I had been hiding all this time. This so-called ''trump card'' was already in the back of my mind all this time.

    However---

    Something weird happened. As our eyes met, he nodded sideways with his head as if to say: ''Don''t do that.''

    ...But I have to do that.

    If I don''t, then they will lose nothing.

    I had to make them lose something.

    Akimiyashika had passed her turn to me. She was done, basically. It was a strong final argument. I doubt that Basara-sensei will not approve of her argument. It doesn''t have any visible flaws. Yet.

    "Ikkiri, where were you at 4 am?"

    "Sleeping like a rock in my bed, hahaha. Why do you ask?"

    "No real reason, really. Akimiyashika where were you at 4 am?"

    "I was sleeping inside my room. First floor. Why?"

    "I see. I see. Well. Since you two have said it, there is no way that you would go back on your own words regardless of any circumstance, right?"

    "Yes, correct. What''s your point?"

    I then exchanged glances with him once again.

    This time he nodded his head as if to say: ''Go for it.''

    "Sensei, can I use the computer as well?"

    "Is it regarding evidence?"

    "Yeah, it is. I will use the projector to form evidence as well."

    Once again, this will not save us. We were already screwed the moment we decided to invade the girls'' dorm. We had broken a rule that we should never have broken.

    It''s amazing and horrifying what a man must do to get his food back.

    Passing through his seat, he hands me down his phone.

    Thankfully, he unlocked the code of his phone. Thus, I went down the gallery section. Ultimately, I reached the video section and....

    ..........

    Why does this guy have so many porn videos?!

    What the fuck Hyunda!? How am I supposed to show this?!

    In response to my preoccupation, he secretly raised two fingers.

    That meant the number 2.

    Oh...

    There was a second gallery. Well, this one only had one video. This must be it.

    Plugging the USB cable inside Hyunda''s charing spot, I received access to what I wanted to show all along.

    "This video will serve as the ultimate proof that we were not the only ones who invaded the respective dorms'' illegally."

    Without wasting time, I uploaded it.

    Akimiyashika and Ikkiri were shocked by what they saw. They did not imagine in a million years that they would a taste of their own medicine. Of course, they would be surprised.

    The most important thing to notice is how Hyunda was somehow already aware of this. He mentioned earlier that the plan was meant to fail. I still failed to understand his words.

    As expected of the anime/manga protagonist himself.

    Ultimately, in the video, it showed the hallway of our dorm in which everyone saw Akimiyashika and Ikkiri.

    "Hahaha, what the hell. I thought this was too perfect to be true. So, what were you two doing there at that time?"

    Then, to completely shock the boys'' side, Akimiyashika said:

    "They were making so much noise that we couldn''t sleep anymore. I woke Ikkiri up and asked for her help. We then went to see what was going on but nobody was inside the boys'' dorm. That''s all. Isn''t that right, Ikkiri?"

    "Yes! The boys wouldn''t shut up for a second, gosh. We went there in order to talk to their supervisor but he was nowhere to be found. We looked and looked for him but he couldn''t be found. Having that in our minds, we left the dorm. But then, at the arrival of our dorm..."

    "We found Akihiko, surprisingly. It was then that we realized that our dorm was being invaded."

    These lying bitches have no dignity! How do they live with themselves!! What the hell!?

    "Oh, I see. Man, here was I thinking that this was the big turn around for the boys but it seems that even through physical footage it''s not enough."

    "No, sensei. Hear me out. I don''t believe in what they are saying! I believe that they were the ones who put the underwear inside our bags!"

    "Daniel, that''s not a bad assumption. Everyone was outside the male''s dorm, it would be the perfect chance for them to screw everyone over. However, you are missing an important factor. Where are they carrying underwear? They are just on their pajamas. Your reasoning just isn''t there..."

    I forgot that part. Unlike Kuzan, who was carrying two bags, they were carrying nothing. It would make the most sense for them to not be suspects here. As a matter of fact, the blame will start to fall under Kuzan now that this was clear.

    On second thought, if Hyunda knew that this would fail, why is he, unlike the rest of the boys, so composed?

    Questions aside, my logic just got countered.

    I had nothing else to say. The time was currently 9:13 am. There was no point in dragging this any longer.

    "I have nothing to say. That was my last argument..."

    It was all up to Basara-sensei right now. He would determine who the winner would be.

    Although, to our surprise, Basara-sensei started to clap.

    "Man, that was decent. Not bad, not bad. Akimiyashika, you''re good at this. Go a little easy on them next time."

    "You flatter me, sensei."

    I don''t like how the bitch is smiling even after lying through her teeth so damn much.

    "Now then, to decide the winners and losers, I will have to go through each statement you made and give my honest logical opinion about it."

    Your opinion isn''t logical, you allowed a chainsaw to be left out for the sake of self-defense!

    "Let''s start with the girls'' side. Akimiyashika, the one who made the primal argument argued that due to their missing underwear that they should perform a thorough investigation of their bags because they might contain their underwear. Furthermore, you showed physical evidence that they were in your dorm. Not only did the boys break the rule of entering the opposite gender''s dorm, but they even did questionable things at it."

    Even though it''s pure common sense to not be in the opposite gender''s dorm, we still did it.

    "To be honest, even though you have no way to fully prove whether or not they actually have the girls'' underwear, you madea valid point such as; stating that in the time gap where you were all present at the dorm''s entrance, Kuzan and Daniel could have potentially, in that 5-minute gap stole massive portions of underwear. Given that your rooms do not have cameras, it''s a fair assumption. I will allow that assumption to be used since the only people who were still inside the dorm at that time were Daniel and Kuzan."

    As I thought this really was the only point that would be remarkable.

    "The rest of the points were questionable. Sana using a chainsaw in her defense isn''t something I can overlook. Do not use it anymore. Tsudo''s controversial sexual harassment seems like an invalid suggestion to me because Shizuku in the video seemed to be more willing about it than Tsudo. As a matter of fact, Tsudo is too much of a virgin to unleash sexual harassment of that sort, therefore he gets the pass too. Sagasuga, you entering the female dorm to meet your ''love'' isn''t a justifiable reason. You still broke into the dorm. Rayazaki, you clearly started that fight. Hinagiku is not to blame since she was defending herself. Lastly, Daniel, you were nowhere to be seen, so I can''t blame you for anything except invading the dorm too."

    Essentially, he just stated that we were to receive a charge for charging into the female dorm when we couldn''t. I think everyone on my side was fully aware of this. I''m just glad that no one else got an extra punishment.

    "With all of this said, the only valid point I will allow to pass is the one I stated formally; the theory where Kuzan got a massive portion of underwear in that time-gap."

    It seems as if Basara-sensei was done, however---

    "And now, the good part. The boys'' side. My god, you stupid dumbfucks. How could you fuck this up so badly? Are you all out of your mind?! Your stupidity aside, I''m surprised you even had the balls to argue back, Daniel."

    Yeah, I''m surprised too.

    "The only somewhat valid point you made was with that video of yours. Yet I find it hard to believe now that they have given the explanation. And besides, I am not invaliding the point you made just out of their explanation. No, if all they had to their side was that then I would consider validating your point. The problem was, you claimed that they were the ones who put the underwear in your bags, right? But how would they do that? They were not carrying anything, you bimbo. Your whole point was flawed from the get-go."

    He thinks that I don''t know that but I was just not expecting Akimiyashika and Ikkiri to go so low when lying.

    My bad there.

    Next time, I will make sure to expect the utter worse from them.

    "Oh, right. Don''t even get me started on the food argument. You actually want me to believe that someone with minimal rationality would hide all the food inside the one place they can''t ever enter? That''s utter stupidity."

    I had to argue back.

    "But sensei, Kuzan is utterly stupid. It''s possible for him!"

    "No, no! Even Kuzan would not be that dumb!"

    "No, no! Kuzan would be that dumb! In fact, he is that dumb!"

    "I don''t believe it! No one would hide food in the girls'' dorm!"

    "But think about it! Kuzan is the type of guy who would do that! Please believe me!"

    "Rejected. I''m not approving of your whole food argument. It''s too dumb and ridiculous. There is also no evidence that what he had in the bags was food. Besides, if he had food inside the bags then why would he bother to escape from the emergency staircase?! It makes no sense! Just come down like a man and face the whole punishment you are about to get!"

    It was useless. There was no possible argument I could use. The foundation of our argument about Kuzan stealing the food from King George''s kitchen is even stupider. Besides, Basara-sensei was right. Kuzan escaping from the emergency staircase was without a doubt way too suspicious.

    And, I am to blame for that, since it was my suggestion.

    "With all things considered, there was one thing I could not understand. Why did you bother to question Tateyana''s room?"

    "Oh. That''s because I highly believe that Sagasuga had sex with her."

    Hearing what I just had said, Sagasuga fell off his chair. As a matter of fact, the rest of the class was pretty shocked overall. However, they could not speak due to Basara-sensei''s rules.

    "...How is that relevant to the argument at hand?"

    "It''s not. I was just curious about it. Hey, is no one curious about it too? Sagasuga just entered a girl''s room like that. On top of that, Tateyana confirmed that her room was on the third floor. Oh, right. But she did say that she was sleeping on the second floor inside Shizuku''s room, correct? I don''t believe that, sorry. Sagasuga and Tateyana definitely have something going on."

    "Waaaah, is that true, Tateyana?!"

    "You naughty, naughty girl, I didn''t think about that..."

    Sana and Shizuku could not ignore that and started to question her.

    "Oi, Sagasuga! You were supposed to look for Kuzan and you decided to hook up with a girl!? What the fuck is wrong with you man!?"

    "That''s right! You traitor! We had a mission but you just went straight to the goal! That''s cheating!"

    Also, Rayazaki and Tsudo were not happy about it. But, the one who had some explaining to do, spoke.

    "Y-You''re wrong! I was really searching for Kuzan! Isn''t that right, Tateyana?! I came to your room to ask if you saw Kuzan, didn''t I?!"

    We, the boys, out of instinct, pressured Tateyana to speak with our wavering glances.

    "H-How could you.... It was even my first..."

    Wait a fucking second. I just said that jokingly. That''s right, I was in the mood to vent because everything and everyone was against me, but you mean to tell me that something might''ve actually happened?!

    Oi, Sagasuga!!

    "Uh, guys! Don''t look at me like that! Seriously, stop it already! You are misunderstanding!"

    And just as we were about to perform a gangbang onto Sagasuga, he slammed the book once again.

    However this time he did not speak. His eyes said it all.

    ''If I have to say a single word to you all, it''s the last one you''ll hear from me.''

    Respect the demon.

    "Sagasuga, sexual relationships are not allowed."

    "But I didn''t do it! What Daniel just said is false!"

    "I will solve your case later. It''s about time to close this up."

    It was finally time.

    The losers and the winners would be decided.

    Thus, Basara-sensei moved the podium while the rest of the students went to their seats.

    "Both sides should have lost honestly. In fact, I''m willing to give both sides a loss. The reason as to why I believe the girls'' side should lose is because they invaded the males'' dorm without any permission. Besides, it''s against the rules. I can''t overlook that.... is what I would say, but I decided to add a fun rule to this special exam. That''s right. I''m not a boring person. I will make every special exam interesting in their own way."

    Oh god, just what was this man who has no room for soul and innocence about to say!?

    "The winners will get rule immunity. However, only the representative can choose. Of course, it''s only one rule and it will be immediately applied. This isn''t appliable to any other exam, only this one."

    Why are you only telling us this now!? Satan!!

    "It should be no surprise here, but the side that managed to present more logical points and valid evidence is the girls'' side, undeniably. With that said, the clear winner should also come without a surprise, the girls."

    It was finally decided. No one celebrated victory, except one idiot...

    "Hahahaha! Take that! Buuuuu!! Get rekt, hahaha!!!"

    Ikkiri, out of spite, said those words out loud, but to one person only.

    He did not care, however. The birds were more appealing, apparently.

    "Ikkiri, silence. I will now announce the winners'' privilege and the losers'' consequences, so pay attention. The winners will get three things. The first one being, you get to take 5 years or less from your jail sentence and lower the sentence. The second is the rule immunity. Lastly, since you requested this to happen, you are free to investigate their bags, Akimiyashika."

    "Thank you so much, sensei! Then--"

    "Wait. I will not explain the consequences to the losers now. Since you idiots lost so fucking hard, you will get---"

    I could not believe my ears when I heard what he said next.

    Also, this was our first and hopefully last, official loss to the girls.

 Volume 1 - Chapter 7.5: Doompedia.

    F class'' students:

    Student 1:

    Name: Daniel Lead.

    Gender: Male.

    Eye color: Black.

    Hair: Short.

    Hair color: Black.

    Age: 15

    Birthday: February 10th, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Aquarius.

    Height: 176 cms.

    Weight: 64 kgs.

    Blood type: O.

    Nationality: American.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Black.

    Favorite Manga: JoJo''s Bizarre Adventures Part 7: Steel Ball Run.

    Favorite Anime: Kimetsu no Yaiba.

    Jail sentence: 1000 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 2:

    Name: Lus Sera.

    Gender: Female.

    Eye color: Green.

    Hair: Long.

    Hair color: Pink.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: August 7th, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Leo.

    Height: 159 cms.

    Weight: 58 kgs.

    Blood type: A.

    Nationality: Ukrainian.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: White.

    Favorite Manga: Doesn''t read Manga.

    Favorite Anime: Hates Anime.

    Jail sentence: 50 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 3:

    Name: Sana Nasha.

    Gender: Female.

    Eye color: Hazzle.

    Hair: Semi-long.

    Hair color: Brunette.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: March 2nd, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Pisces.

    Height: 167 cms.

    Weight: 53 kgs.

    Blood type: A.

    Nationality: Japanese.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Yellow.

    Favorite Manga: Horimiya.

    Favorite Anime: Plastic Memories.

    Jail sentence: 30 years.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 4:

    Name: Kan Akenama.

    Gender: Male.

    Eye color: Yellow.

    Hair: Short.

    Hair color: Brown.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: May 20th, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Taurus.

    Height: 187 cms.

    Weight: 79 kgs.

    Blood type: B-.

    Nationality: Japanese.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Red.

    Favorite Manga: Never read a Manga before.

    Favorite Anime: Has no idea what an Anime is.

    Jail sentence: 90 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 5:

    Name: Ikkiri Rikishima.

    Gender: Female.

    Eye color: Purple.

    Hair: Long.

    Hair color: Light blue.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: 15th June, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Gemini.

    Height: 164 cms.

    Weight: 62 kgs.

    Blood type: A.

    Nationality: Japanese.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Purple.

    Favorite Manga: Boku no Hero Academia.

    Favorite Anime: Hunter X Huner 2011.

    Jail sentence: 150 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 6:

    Name: Ryoken Koutarou.

    Gender: Male.

    Eye color: Blue.

    Hair: Short.

    Hair color: Gray.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: 29th June, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Cancer.

    Height: 181 cms.

    Weight: 82 kgs.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Blood type: B+.

    Nationality: Japanese.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Gold.

    Favorite Manga: Shingeki no Kyojin.

    Favorite Anime: Shingeki no Kyojin.

    Jail sentence: 35 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 7:

    Name: Akihiko Kagami.

    Gender: Male.

    Eye color: Orange.

    Hair: Short.

    Hair color: Red.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: 11th September, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Virgo.

    Height: 173 cms.

    Weight: 67 kgs.

    Blood type: A.

    Nationality: Japanese.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Purple.

    Favorite Manga: One Punch Man.

    Favorite Anime: Konosuba.

    Jail sentence: 80 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 8:

    Name: Kanawari Gayakirima

    Gender: Female.

    Eye color: Gold.

    Hair: Light gold.

    Hair color: Blonde.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: 3rd October, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Libra.

    Height: 171 cms.

    Weight: 56 kgs.

    Blood type: B.

    Nationality: Japanese.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Pink.

    Favorite Manga: Doesn''t read Manga.

    Favorite Anime: Has only watched Death Note and refused to watch any other anime because she thinks that there is no point because in her mind nothing rivals Death Note.

    Jail sentence: 40 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 9:

    Name: Tsudo Toharoh

    Gender: Male.

    Eye color: Pitched dark blue.

    Hair: Short.

    Hair color: Black.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: 14th November 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Scorpio.

    Height: 169 cms.

    Weight: 69 kgs.

    Blood type: O.

    Nationality: South Korean.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Red.

    Favorite Manga: Emergence (Metamorphisis).

    Favorite Anime: Highschool DxD.

    Jail sentence: 55 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 10:

    Name: Hyunda Hajime.

    Gender: Male.

    Eye color: White.

    Hair: Short.

    Hair color: Silver.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: 7th December, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Sagittarius.

    Height: 182 cms.

    Weight: 60 kgs.

    Blood type: O.

    Nationality: Japanese.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Blue.

    Favorite Manga: Berserk.

    Favorite Anime: Hunter X Hunter 2011.

    Jail sentence: 200 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 11:

    Name: Gale Iris.

    Gender: Female.

    Eye color: Violet.

    Hair: Semi-long.

    Hair color: Black.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: January 19th, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Capricorn.

    Height: 157 cms.

    Weight: 52 kgs.

    Blood type: A.

    Nationality: Spanish.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Green.

    Favorite Manga: She only reads novels.

    Favorite Anime: Watched one or two animes but they never piqued her interest.

    Jail sentence: 60 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 12:

    Name: Arkalee Kitsuya.

    Gender: Female.

    Eye color: Brown.

    Hair: Long (Twin-tails).

    Hair color: Brown.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: July 17th, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Cancer.

    Height: 161 cms.

    Weight: 67 kgs.

    Blood type: O.

    Nationality: Japanese.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Brown.

    Favorite Manga: Kaichou Wa Maid Sama.

    Favorite Anime: Ao Haru No Ride.

    Jail sentence: 110 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 13:

    Name: Kawahara Ryousuke.

    Gender: Male.

    Eye color: Brown.

    Hair: Short, but almost semi-long.

    Hair color: Blonde with black locks.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: June 4th, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Gemini.

    Height: 191 cms.

    Weight: 78 kgs.

    Blood type: B.

    Nationality: Japanese.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Bright Red.

    Favorite Manga: Kengan Ashura.

    Favorite Anime: Baki (2018).

    Jail sentence: 150 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 14:

    Name: Tateyana Kaneta.

    Gender: Female.

    Eye color: Green.

    Hair: Long.

    Hair color: Dark Blue.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: April 1st, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Aries.

    Height: 172 cms.

    Weight: 66 kgs.

    Blood type: B.

    Nationality: Japanese.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Black.

    Favorite Manga: Doesn''t like to read.

    Favorite Anime: Only likes to watch television series.

    Jail sentence: 20 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 15:

    Name: Kuzan Takeshi.

    Gender: Male.

    Eye color: Dark Yellow.

    Hair: Long (Bald currently).

    Hair color: Black.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: March 30th, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Aries.

    Height: 183 cms.

    Weight: 68 kgs.

    Blood type: A.

    Nationality: Japanese.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Silver.

    Favorite Manga: One Piece.

    Favorite Anime: Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds.

    Jail sentence: 40 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 16:

    Name: Akimiyashika Izayoi.

    Gender: Female.

    Eye color: Green.

    Hair: Long.

    Hair color: Red.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: December 9th, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Sagittarius.

    Height: 184 cms.

    Weight: 71 kgs.

    Blood type: A.

    Nationality: Japanese.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Doesn''t have one.

    Favorite Manga: Pandora Hearts.

    Favorite Anime: Noragami.

    Jail sentence: 500 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 17:

    Name: Rayazaki Saitou.

    Gender: Male.

    Eye color: Black.

    Hair: Short.

    Hair color: Black.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: August 11th, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Leo.

    Height: 179 cms.

    Weight: 73 kgs.

    Blood type: O.

    Nationality: Japanese.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Yellow.

    Favorite Manga: The Breaker: New Waves.

    Favorite Anime: Fate/Zero.

    Jail sentence: 420 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 18:

    Name: Yukishiro Kyoko.

    Gender: Female.

    Eye color: Glowing orange.

    Hair: Long.

    Hair color: Blonde.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: November 18th, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Scorpio.

    Height: 174 cms.

    Weight: 65 kgs.

    Blood type: O.

    Nationality: Japanese.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: White.

    Favorite Manga: Tokyo Ghoul (and :re)

    Favorite Anime: Shiki.

    Jail sentence: 80 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 19:

    Name: Tatsu Hirakibo.

    Gender: Male.

    Eye color: Brown.

    Hair: Short.

    Hair color: Blue.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: January 5th, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Capricorn.

    Height: 177 cms.

    Weight: 78 kgs.

    Blood type: B.

    Nationality: Japanese.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Black.

    Favorite Manga: Only reads Light Novels (Classroom of the Elite is his favorite).

    Favorite Anime: Oregairu.

    Jail sentence: 90 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 20:

    Name: Yulia Hikaru.

    Gender: Female.

    Eye color: Pink.

    Hair: Long.

    Hair color: Light blonde.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: August 31st, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Virgo.

    Height: 162 cms.

    Weight: 57 kgs.

    Blood type: A.

    Nationality: Colombian.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Dark green.

    Favorite Manga: 3-Gatsu no Lion.

    Favorite Anime: Kekkai Sensen.

    Jail sentence: 100 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 21:

    Name: Susaga Setsuna.

    Gender: Male.

    Eye color: Green.

    Hair: Short.

    Hair color: Green.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: March 17th, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Pisces.

    Height: 188 cms.

    Weight: 73 kgs.

    Blood type: O.

    Nationality: Japanese.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Orange.

    Favorite Manga: Slam Dunk.

    Favorite Anime: Haikyuu.

    Jail sentence: 25 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 22:

    Name: Hinagiku Mayabashi.

    Gender: Female.

    Eye color: Blue.

    Hair: Medium.

    Hair color: Blue.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: February 13rd, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Aquarius.

    Height: 152 cms.

    Weight: 49 kgs.

    Blood type: A.

    Nationality: Chinese.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Lilas.

    Favorite Manga: Akatsuki no Yona.

    Favorite Anime: Angel Beats.

    Jail sentence: 50 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 23

    Name: Sagasuga Hiroyoshi.

    Gender: Male.

    Eye color: Black.

    Hair: Short.

    Hair color: Black.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: September 25th, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Libra.

    Height: 173 cms.

    Weight: 62 kgs.

    Blood type: O.

    Nationality: Japanese.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Gray.

    Favorite Manga: Fairy Tail(lol).

    Favorite Anime: Sword Art Online(beta af).

    Jail sentence: 25 years.

    Crime: Massive murder of multiple individuals.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Student 24:

    Name: Shizuku Mayuraki.

    Gender: Female.

    Eye color: Light purple.

    Hair: Short.

    Hair color: Brown.

    Age: 15.

    Birthday: May 5th, 2004.

    Zodiac sign: Taurus.

    Height: 178 cms.

    Weight: 73 kgs.

    Blood type: B.

    Nationality: Japanese.

    Occupation: Student.

    Favorite color: Red.

    Favorite Manga: Gintama.

    Favorite Anime: Gintama.

    Jail sentence: 10 years.

    Crime: Unknown.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Teacher:

    Name: Basara Tenma.

    Gender: Male.

    Eye color: Black.

    Hair: Short.

    Hair color: Black.

    Age: 22.

    Birthday: February 16th, 1997.

    Zodiac sign: Aquarius.

    Height: 195 cms.

    Weight: 91 kgs.

    Blood type: O.

    Nationality: Italian.

    Occupation: Teacher.

    Favorite color: Black.

    Favorite Manga: Vagabond.

    Favorite Anime: All trash because Vagabond isn''t an anime under his opinion.

    Jail sentence: 0 years.

    Crime: None.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Dorm Supervisor 1:

    Name: George Kentucky.

    Gender: Male.

    Eye color: Blue.

    Hair: Bald.

    Hair color: Brown (due to his color).

    Age: 30.

    Birthday: May 18th, 1989.

    Zodiac sign: Taurus.

    Height: 196 cms.

    Weight: 120 kgs.

    Blood type: A.

    Nationality: South-African.

    Occupation: Supervisor.

    Favorite color: Has none.

    Favorite Manga: Only reads history documents.

    Favorite Anime: Too much of a boomer to know what an anime is.

    Jail sentence: 0 years.

    Crime: None.

    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 Volume 2 - Chapter 8: Troll Gimmick.

    So, let''s say that someone asked you what were your thoughts on jail. But then someone would say: ''What is even more horrifying than jail?''.

    Honestly, I had no idea. I think jail is the worst possible thing a human being could face.

    But, I was, once again, naive to a fault.

    "Too slow, trash! Get to work or you''ll not sleep tonight!"

    "Y-Yes!!"

    And right now, I was unwillingly being whipped on my back.

    Oh right, it wasn''t just me. Every single boy was sharing the same fate as I did.

    Yeah, yeah, I know. An explanation, right?

    Well, it''s quite simple. Long story short, our bags got investigated and despite our meaningless struggles, we did not manage to come out on top. The only thing that truly mattered was our consequences.

    "Can''t hear you! Kuzan! Move faster!"

    "I-I can''t! We''ve been at this since 10 am! It should be night now!"

    Also, this is referring to my point earlier. I never thought that there was something more fearful than jail, but I remembered it quickly. Although I had never experienced it, after experiencing it to a reasonable degree, it became clear to me that this was far worse than jail.

    "My God! This hurts to watch! Stop! Rest for 5 minutes! Work will resume after that!"

    Apparently, even after our sentences got longer for another additional 20 years, Basara-sensei added that we would have to fulfill the natural consequence of losing the exam. Because you know, having 20 years added to our sentences just isn''t enough to satisfy that demon''s unquenchable thirst.

    "H-Huhhhh... Finally... Some rest.... Hey, Daniel, how long has it been?"

    "6 hours if my memory doesn''t fail me."

    Allow me to give the audience a bigger picture. Against our knowledge, this school has an underground. And this underground was actually an old mine. It is said that there have been times where gold was found here and that the ones who did so, massively profited from such action.

    Now that the times have passed, this mine has regained, probably, the same old structure. That would explain why we are being worked like slaves. No, that''s actually the main thing I wanted to explain.

    Basara-sensei said that we would have to, in order to reverse the 20 years sentence back to normal, win this exam.

    Essentially, this is what you call a backup exam.

    However, there was something very fucked up about this situation.

    "Oops! 5 minutes have gone by! Back to work bitches! Hiiiyyyhaaaaa!!"

    By the way, the one who had been lashing at us with a whip all this time was no other than our supervisor, King George.

    My main point was, slavery was way worse than jail. At least in jail, you can reflect on your bad decisions, but slavery!? The fuck are you supposed to reflect about!? The nut you busted last night?! Oh fucking wait, that''s not possible because you will die due to overwork since you were worked to the utter bone!

    What pisses me off about this is that Basara-sensei suggested this without showing any consideration whatsoever.

    What were his words again...

    Something like: ''Come back rich or come back poor, hahaha!''

    Oh, that''s right. The premise of this exam is to retreat a piece of gold and to deliver it to Basara-sensei. Therefore, not only is that bastard already winning in a way but on top of that, he gets to enjoy our suffering while sitting on a bench.

    There was something slightly interesting about the exam though.

    The one who delivered the gold piece first would return to the surface first.

    Yes, we are not on the surface. This is the underground. And so, this jackass of a teacher is sitting on his bench as if he is on a beach or something. The balls this guy has I swear!

    2 hours later.

    "You''ll sleep in these cells until at least one of you gets finds gold. Enjoy, hahahaha!!"

    Leaving us in front of these dark, cold and rustic cells, Basara-sensei leaves the scene.

    Needless to say, Basara-sensei was not the one who was whipping us earlier. It was King George. I had already stated that but I felt the need to say it in case someone didn''t realize the main problem here.

    "Hey, what about the food though!? You can''t just work me to the bone like this, bastard!"

    Even though Kawahara''s question was the question we all wanted to ask, we all knew what would happen if any of us dared to ask that question.

    Getting violently slapped, one of Kawahara''s teeth was seen flying off his mouth.

    "Shut the fuck up!! You think you losers have any right to speak here!? Nonsense! But, I will tell you something interesting! The first one to get the gold will receive my special noodle menu! If you get this then shut your fucking mouth and sleep!"

    "No fucking way! I don''t give a fuck if you beat me, I will not stop! Give me food or I will fucking devour every single one of these fuckers!!"

    This was looking a tad too serious. The bloodlust that resided inside Kawahara''s eyes was not even a joking matter.

    "Man... shut the fuck up already... I want to sleep. I can''t sleep if you keep screaming like a little princess, Bitchara."

    For future reference, this wasn''t a divided cell, this was a cell where we were all standing on the ground. In other words, if someone wanted to create a fight then it would not be a bad idea to do so. Even so, Kan throws some salt at Kawahara.

    "Little princess!? Come and say that to my face, I double fucking dare you!"

    Slowly getting up from the ground while acting out of his character, Kan stands in front of Kawahara and says:

    "Little queen who only knows how to bitch. Did you learn that from your mother?"

    "You''re fucking dead bastard!"

    I''m not even going to bother to tell how it went down. A massive fight broke down and after a few bones from both sides were severely shattered, the fight stopped. This took about 30 minutes.

    I did nothing in the meantime.

    I had to use this free time to reflect on certain things.

    The first thing I really wanted to reflect on was how I completely ignored Kan''s initial advice. I remember how he told me to not communicate with anyone yet I unconsciously began to do so. What I could tell from this is that Kan sees everyone differently than I do. I say this because I cannot understand how I''m not supposed to interact. The very fact that I am someone who has little to no morals enables me the ability to interact with people who share the same level of malice.

    No, that''s correct. I don''t know them honestly.

    I want to say I do, but I really don''t. After all, our past conversations have been forced interactions. There was only one single genuine interaction and that was, Sagasuga''s confession about his crime.

    There was something else bothering me. I''m surprised I didn''t forget about this, but this goes back to the first day. As soon as Basara-sensei told me that I could get executed from accumulating too many sentences, he indicated that this was stated in some index or something like that.

    I never got that index.

    By no means, was this a coincidence. Although Kan might have suspicious behavior and may have trust issues, maybe he was right about what he said. I say this because I''m starting to suspect everyone right now. There is no way that my index would simply just disappear like that.

    In other words, it was most likely stolen before I could even read it.

    I avoided not thinking about this but it''s extremely bothersome to know that there might be a thief who intentionally tried to fuck me up.

    To be fair, I was losing my patience over this matter. It really pissed me off how easy the person who stole my index is getting away with.

    .................

    "No fucking way can I sleep on this rock hard ground..."

    I''m not sure what''s worse, to be in prison or to be at that demon''s mercy.

    Is he trying to make us feel guilty about the crimes we did?

    As only darkness could be seen, amidst it, no one could be seen.

    I had to wonder just how used to the darkness everyone in this cell was.

    However---

    A sensible sensation shook my shoulder right away.

    "Yo. You awake?"

    It was Hyunda''s voice apparently. He was speaking really low though.

    This is perfect. I wanted to talk to him regarding what happened earlier.

    "Yeah, I''m awake."

    "Perfect. I can''t stand being inside here. Let''s break out."

    "What? There''s no point. We will just receive a worse punishment. Plus, King George would surely..."

    "No, not now. I''m talking about breaking out of this cell."

    "No, no, no. That''s even more impossible, Hyunda. You can''t break out of these steel bars."

    "...Think for a second. What is strong against steel?"

    "...What are you getting at?"

    "Grab Kan''s lighter. We can use his lighter to melt these bars. Although it will take time, it will work."

    "No way man! Kan would murder me. After his fight with Kawahara he seemed pretty pissed about it."

    Hyunda wasn''t really making much sense. Besides, what was the point of breaking out now?

    "This is important. I really need to tell you something in private. It''s regarding this exam."

    "Well, what is it? We are in private here."

    "Nah, it''s way too risky. I can''t afford to get caught. Just so you know, it''s your choice. But I really will not be able to talk to you during the day."

    ...Nope. No matter how I look at it, I am asking to die if I steal Kan''s lighter.

    Besides, it''s way too dark right now.

    The next day.

    "Oh. Hey, I found it."

    "Congratulations, you just saved your ass from even more trouble! Now, take the exit and direct yourself to your teacher."

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Wait what the fuck?

    What happened?

    How come Susaga just found out a piece of gold this easily? I don''t see him being particularly skilled at this, so I guess it was luck?

    Either way, Basara-sensei was not here. As we were being worked to the bone to dig for some gold, Basara-sensei was giving the girls the usual classes. He would probably come here to mock us once his shift is over though.

    "Oh, alright. Well then."

    Our bellies howled quite loud once we saw the figure of Susaga leaving to the surface.

    Ah...

    I wonder what the sun looks like? How come I can''t remember it? Hey. Am I going to die just because I haven''t seen the sun for more than a day?

    No!!

    If that bastard did it, then so can I!!

    "Ahhhh!!!!!"

    I let out a warcry that captivated all my other companions. Ah, please don''t think that this is a moment of unity. Everyone started to dig for the gold just so they can actually get the fuck out of this hell.

    But, in the upcoming three days, nothing happened.

    We were unable to produce any positive results, unlike Susaga.

    Why though?

    "Damn it! I need that gold. That gold is that good shit! I need it!"

    Kuzan sounded like a crack addict speaking while he was devouring the rice that King George had prepared for all of us. To be honest, he just prepared food because he didn''t feed us for 2 days straight. We might''ve actually died if he didn''t feed us today.

    Furthermore, our wounds were getting a little bit too serious. The whiplashes were not a joke, realistically.

    "I don''t understand how Susaga did it though. Was it out of sheer luck?"

    "No fucking way it was... If it was out of sheer luck then we should have found it right about now, but that ain''t happening..."

    Kuzan''s answer to Sagasuga''s question wasn''t bad, but it felt like there was more to it.

    In the meantime, I felt the need to remind myself of Hyunda''s proposal. He said that he had something to say regarding this exam. I couldn''t shake this assumption that just kept screaming that Hyunda might actually know whether or not Susaga''s discovery was out of sheer luck or not.

    But, to get a deal with him, I needed to grab Kan''s lighter. Although, I had no idea how that was going to happen.

    4 days went by next. An official week had passed.

    We were not making any progress despite how much we tried.

    I never played Minecraft but this is a really good simulator if I do say so myself.

    "...Crap... Where is it?"

    That''s strange. While we were on break, Kan was panicking all over the sudden.

    "Fuck it. I''ll ask you this but have you seen my lighter?"

    Oh. So that''s what this was about.

    In response, Hyunda didn''t falter.

    "I don''t have it, Kan. You can check me if you want.

    "Well, that''s exactly what I''m going to do."

    Kan performed a full-body investigation onto Hyunda just like that. But the question remained. Why was Hyunda offering up being checked like this?

    It didn''t really matter, but this only made my deal worse.

    But, that was only because I didn''t realize something quite simple.

    Later on in the night, as I was sleeping, I was forced to wake up my a trembling sensation.

    "...........Mhmn............"

    As my eyes started to slowly open, I could see a massive yet lively flame being held.

    "Don''t speak. Not a single word. Just wait until I''m done."

    No doubt, it was Hyunda''s words. Plus, he was burning down a portion of the steel bars with a lighter.

    But, how come he has a lighter though? I thought that you needed Kan''s lighter to melt the bars...

    Oh, I''m dumb. But so dumb.

    How did I not notice it from the get-go?

    This is Hyunda we are talking about. He has anime protagonist''s powers. Of course, he would be up to something that I wouldn''t be aware of.

    I silently watched the steel bars being melted in the scene.

    Thankfully, everyone was way too tired from the digging and they were sleeping like rocks.

    "Follow me."

    Without uttering a single word, I followed Hyunda, who used Kan''s lighter as a way to light up the path.

    We did follow a path that would leave us way too far away from everyone else. Additionally, our digging paths have caused problems recently. Some of us couldn''t go back to where they were digging because they got confused by how the paths were structured. In other words, right now, you need an extremely good memory to travel around, otherwise, you will be stuck in a labyrinth.

    "Okay, you can speak now."

    I was really going to ask him where he hid the lighter out of principle but opted to do a better question since this scenario immediately reminded me of a scene that I have been trying to accomplish these days.

    "Was this not where Susaga obtained the gold?"

    "Nice, you noticed. That saves me the trouble. I had to steal Kan''s lighter because you were too much of a pussy to do so."

    Those words really hurt but I couldn''t argue back. I behaved like a true pussy.

    "So? Why did we have to come all the way here? Why couldn''t we just speak inside the cell."

    "That''s because--- I really dislike this type of exam. It''s boring, but really boring. Plus, I discovered the gimmick of it on the first day."

    "Wait, then why are you still here? Was it a coincidence that Susaga obtained the gold too or did he also understand the gimmick?"

    "No, it was pure luck. He didn''t understand the gimmick. He, however, coincidentally played right into the gimmick, thus he was lucky. But either way, the gimmick aside, I need to tell you something first."

    "No, please tell me the gimmick. I''m really curious as to how I can get out of this nightmare."

    "...Sure, I can tell you, but you have to promise that you will not try to win right away."

    To be honest, I was feeling like being a little bitch but I was tremendously curious as to why he dragged me so far in if his goal was not to tell me the gimmick but something else. In other words, I was going to behave properly.

    "You have my word. I will not try to win right away."

    "Well, then, it''s really simple. The first thing you actually have to take into account is that there is no real gold inside this ''mine''. Hell, this isn''t even a mine. This is just underground. That''s why you haven''t been nailing anything in the past few days. However, the gimmick makes you think that this actually is a mine while it isn''t. Listen, the thing about the gimmick is that it replaces itself over and over."

    ...?

    ?

    ?

    Sorry, I couldn''t help but feel dumb right now. Was Hyunda''s logic way too advanced for me or something?

    "Ah... I''ll simplify, don''t worry. What I meant by the gimmick replacing itself is; the gold that was found is replaced right back at the same place every night. Here, take a look at this..."

    .....

    Oh, I see now. Well, this is a really dumb trick.

    "As you can see, the same piece of gold is here. Nobody would bother to dig this place after it was already proven that there was technically no gold there. Furthermore, according to my hearing, I suspect that King George might be the one who puts the gold here, after it is found. Of course, this is only later on in the middle of the night. Conclusion being, let''s say that you win and take this gold. You will give it to Basara-sensei and then, Basara-sensei will most likely give it to King George so he can abuse the same trick again.

    That troll teacher!!!

    Wait, then this means...

    "Oi, doesn''t this mean that they are all screwed!? They are so dumb that they are not going to realize this! They will spend an eternity here!"

    "That aside, Susaga''s case was really lucky. This was most likely the primary place of the piece of gold. Susaga who happened to have struck it had begun my suspicion. I confirmed my suspicions right after the night Susaga was gone and it became true. In addition to that, the fact that no one was able to find any gold several days later confirmed my theory. That this wasn''t an actual mine but just a simple plain underground."

    Wow, Hyunda, I really get it, okay.

    I''m aware of how awesome you are, stop flexing, please.

    "But no, there is still a point I must explain. King George is seen to leave us for 15 minutes when he says that it''s lunchtime but doesn''t actually feed us anything, right? I think that it''s in that time gap where King George received the piece of gold from sensei. Correct me if I''m wrong but I just don''t see another time where he could receive it? No, wait. There is another time. King George doesn''t sleep in here. Therefore... An exchange could happen in those times. However, that was simply my main point. My point is, ultimately speaking, that King George buried the piece of gold here in this exact same spot out of sensei''s orders."

    "Hyunda, I''m not sure if you realize but your existence on the surface doesn''t overwhelm many but once you start talking, people will actually feel useless against you. Please stop. Have some consideration."

    I had to say it. Getting essayed was one thing. But having multiple logical facts thrown at me only to prove how dumb I am for not forming such easy theories? Good game.

    "Whatever. Moving on, now that I''ve explained the gimmick of it, what I wanted to talk to you goes way back to the argument we were having against the girls yesterday."

    "Oh. My bad there. I really tried but it was impossible."

    "No, don''t blame yourself. You did well. You were actually supposed to lose. I created that scenario in order for you to lose, you see."

    "Wait, you''re not making any sense. You say that but didn''t you try to make my argument win when you gave me your phone at the end?"

    "Hahaha, what? No way you were going to win. C''mon. You were just trying to make them lose. Listen, the reason as to why I allowed you to show the footage was because I wanted to see what sort of lie Akimiyashika and Ikkiri had upon her sleeves. Plus, it did confirm something along the way."

    So he really was aware of how desperate and hopeless the situation was.

    Even so---

    "Hey, why did you bother to create a losing scenario? What the hell, man. I don''t like to lose."

    "Oh, please don''t misunderstand. I created a losing scenario just so I could achieve a possible win scenario."

    "But that''s impossible. We already lost to the girls. The battle is over."

    "Yes, it is. But we fought a battle that we would never win in the first place. I''m talking about the war that''s going on. Hey... Tell me, don''t you find it a little bit too convenient? The cameras not having the audios? The fact that we were all busted with underwear inside our bags even though Ikkiri and Akimiyashika had no visible way to put all that underwear in all of our bags? The fact that I couldn''t access any other camera aside from the main one from the hall? So many things are just not making any damn sense, huh?"

    "Wait, so you knew all of this? Can''t you explain it to me, please? So I can follow it up."

    "Well, sure. It''s meaningless to hide, but let me explain something regarding the current events. They were most likely staged. Let''s think for a second. You and me. Do you actually believe that Akimiyashika and Ikkiri are smart enough to replace cameras that were clearly different from the ones that are in our dorm?"

    "Hold on. How can you say that with certainty? Weren''t the cameras just facing audio issues?"

    "Hahahahaha!! That''s what you believe? Man, no way they were. They were complete different models. I''ll confess a little something but when you were off forming off your team, I was actually taking advantage of the calamity that Kuzan had caused and decided to see from my own two eyes what the cameras from the girls'' dorm looked like. I really wanted it to confirm something first before that. So I asked King George the question. He said that despite the dorm, the vigilance cameras will always have the same model. YET, my own two eyes glanced at something completely different. See, this is where it all began. The nonsense coming out from Akimiyashika was so laughable that I felt like dying inside sometimes. It was really hard to stay composed."

    M-Monster...

    No!

    That was a wrong thought. I was just surprised by the way he is acting right now. He is acting as if he was thoroughly enjoying the whole situation.

    Hyunda might be more terrifying than I originally thought.

    "Also, also. I know I wasn''t there but don''t you think it''s a little odd how the girls just didn''t react to Kuzan at all? Kuzan broke their frontal door lock, which, by the way, is hardly silent after it''s broken. Yet they did not show reactions until your team arrived, correct? Isn''t it a little bit too convenient how Kuzan was ignored for no reason and then you people were automatically busted? It''s as if they already knew that you people were already going to enter that dorm, to begin with. And no, there is no way in hell that Kuzan entering the dorm alone provides one enough reason to assume that a whole group of boys will come after him. That''s beyond stupid."

    Now that he mentions it, it was indeed odd how they didn''t react to Kuzan entering at all. I just assumed that they were asleep and they didn''t notice him enter. But knowing Kuzan, he''s the type of guy who storms all over the place while creating massive noise along the way.

    I overrated Kuzan it seems.

    I have two options right now, either keep believing in my own theory about Kuzan or believe in Hyunda''s words, which are by far more credible, and see what reasoning will come out on top.

    "But, if the cameras were from different models, then how could someone from the girls'' dorm just swap cameras out like that?"

    "I''ll admit I''m somewhat still in doubt when it comes to that. But I really believe that it will come down to one thing."

    "That being...?"

    "We have been screwed over by things that they had no way of knowing right? Then, if they had no way of knowing such things, just what is that implying?"

    "That they were not the source of their own knowledge?"

    "That''s exactly correct, Daniel. Akimiyashika left a strong argument with a very solid stance but in the end, she was only good at arguing and abusing the evidence that she had. Outside of that, she didn''t really do much. Didn''t you notice that whenever a point didn''t come along with the evidence she had in store that she would occasionally freak out?"

    "Oh!! I get what you mean. When I asked Tateyana those questions, she did not bother to even argue back at all!"

    "No, those questions were random as fuck, sorry."

    Damn it.

    "Although, if they are not the primary source of their own knowledge, then could that mean that their intuition is really good?"

    Then, as if to call my opinion stupid, he chokes and laughs in a very malicious way.

    "Hahahahaha!!!! Intuition!? INTUITION!? Man, why do people even believe in that shit, hahahaha... Listen. If their knowledge doesn''t come from them, then it most likely comes from another source. Now, think about it and gather the most logical and possible answer to what I''m about to say... If they had no idea of knowing that we would invade their dorm, then how in the hell could they know!? Where does this mysterious knowledge come from!?"

    "Hold on... If we think about it, the only people who had knowledge about this invasion would be, you, Sagasuga, Tsudo, Akihiko, and Rayazaki. Which means that one of them could have...!"

    "That''s actually not a bad theory there. Unfortunately, I was way ahead of you. After checking the camera models, while you were away, I gathered everyone into the dorm and when they had come back, I told them one single thing. And that was that Kuzan was most likely in the girls'' dorm."

    "Wait a second. By everyone you mean everyone except my team, right?"

    "Yeah, that''s right. Essentially, what I want you to grasp here, that''s where the primal source of knowledge began. I uttered those words. And under my assumption, the source of knowledge was without a doubt, one of the boys that were there at that time."

    "What?! That doesn''t make any sense! Why would someone betray us?"

    "Daniel, you''re the one who''s not making any sense. We are all criminals. I could have killed you like a million times already but I choose not to. The same for everyone. What my point here is; we are holding our true nature back in order to pass this fucked up system so we don''t go to jail once we are 18. That''s why the majority wears a mask. You see how I act in class, right? Like a total boring human being. Do you think I actually like doing that shit!? Fuck no! I just want to unleash my inner savagery and break free, but---- We all supposedly want to get rid of our jail sentences."

    "I don''t get it, your point was too vague..."

    "Allow me to finalize, Daniel. This traitor is someone who was not in your group but someone who heard me say those words. I additionally said at the moment that Daniel and his group would take care of it. I deliberately gave this information for a reason. You see, I didn''t receive my index. I''m aware that you didn''t receive yours either. What I''m saying is, someone from our side, is most likely cooperating with the girls. And trust me when I say this, taking out our index just so we can commit baseless mistakes that could fuck us big time, is already big damage."

    ...I had no idea that this was what was going on. From my understanding, Hyunda was trying to find the snitch who stole his index. However, since he would have no way to find the culprit, he couldn''t do anything. But then, out of suspicion, he made the culprit vulnerable when he baited him into the act.

    Hyunda''s words at that time were only to confirm whether or not the culprit was associated with someone else.

    On a side note, it''s scary how vengeful Hyunda truly is.

    "Ultimately, when I said that you were supposed to lose, this was what I meant. It was nothing more than pure bait for the culprit to take. I couldn''t care less about the whole argument, really."

    Even though his last words infuriate me due to how much I struggled with the whole argument, his initial words are reassuring.

    They symbolized the hope that there was when it came to finding the culprit.

    "Plus, this exam is the real deal. Because the traitor is very likely in it."

    "Yeah, but what about Susaga though?"

    "Susaga does not have the social skills to talk to girls. I very much doubt that he is the traitor. But oh well. Let''s return. We can''t afford to make suspicions right now."

    Wrapping our talk, we went back to the cell.

    At last, I was able to see through his perspective.

 Volume 2 - Chapter 9: Sarcastically logical.

    Let''s go over some simplicity for old times'' sake. I never really missed my opposite gender this much, honestly.

    It''s a meaningless feeling, really. Besides, we were sabotaged by those bitches, quite literally. That''s something that I''m not understanding. Hence, I said simplicity. Because even though this seems simple to understand I can''t seem to process as to why they harbor this indirect or maybe direct hatred for our very existence.

    Otherwise, why would they even bother screwing us that far?

    Plus, according to Hyunda there is a traitor in our dorm. Just what sort of beta would cooperate with girls?!

    No, please, don''t misunderstand something. This guy who is betraying us isn''t a chad but a full-fledge beta.

    Nonetheless, a bigger question remained...

    How were we going to find this traitor?

    2 days passed after that. It has been 1 week and 2 days since I''ve seen the surface. By the way, we have not showered. I''m sorry for mentioning that but I really just felt like it was necessary to mention that.

    But, we had at least toilets. I had not made contact with Hyunda for 2 days. Look, even after he explained some things, I did not understand what I was supposed to do.

    Should I simply just go back to the surface? All I have to do is to find the gold back at the same place and then I will be able to return. Furthermore, I could really use a shower. This shit is driving me insane.

    "Ohhh!! Fucking found it, bitches!! Averiderchi!"

    However, it seemed that Hyunda was not going to wait around any more. He purposedly led Kawahara to the same place where Susaga found the gold.

    Was this an indirect signal that Kawahara was not worthy of being considered the traitor? If I think about it, Kawahara and Rayazaki had a very low chance of being the traitors. They seem to not care about whether or not a girl has a vagina or a pair of boobs.

    Whatever. In the end, Kawahara returned to the surface... However, things were not going to remain that simple. Hyunda seemed to have something planned, thus he contacted me later on in the night. By the way, it''s a miracle how King George has not noticed the melted bars. Well, to be honest, it''s a very small portion. I and Hyunda have to literally perform acrobatics to go over it, but still.

    "Finally, you didn''t say anything for the last 3 days."

    "Sorry. I was forming a strategy."

    Note to take, strategies take days to take shape according to Hyunda.

    "So, what was the strategy?"

    "I''m changing the gold''s position. I''m planning to stay here for about a month or two, so if you want to go to the surface then go back right now."

    "W-Wait, what!? You can''t just stay here for one or two months, Hyunda! That''s reckless! We can''t miss the special monthly exam! Plus, we missed some regulars exams while we were here!"

    "It can''t be helped. I don''t mind failing them. However, I really need to track down this traitor. As long as he stays on the run then I can''t rest assured."

    Damn it, I didn''t know that this guy was this reckless. Sure, he has plenty of tenacity, but the fact that he is opening up the possibility of staying here for another month or maybe more just goes to show how serious he is.

    "That''s not a good strategy. It''s really bad."

    "What? No. It''s a good strategy. Don''t you understand? We will keep being screwed over and over if this guy isn''t found. Returning to the surface right now will do nothing. We have not eliminated the possibility of him screwing us again. Do you want the same shit to happen again? Don''t be illogical."

    "Look, I understand where you are coming from, but staying here isn''t an option..."

    "I don''t understand your words. It''s necessary to stay here and fully analyze every single person to determine the traitor. I already analyzed Kawahara, so he is out. Eventually, I will find him. This will take just a bit of time."

    No, there was no way I could allow Hyunda to follow with his reckless strategy. Hyunda is really intelligent but this strategy is reckless. He is going to kill his chances of graduating at this rate. Which is why---

    "Hey."

    "What?"

    We could feel the chilly temperature as we explored the paths we had build from doing so much digging. Nevertheless, my body felt completely natural despite that.

    "I think I have a strategy which, might not identify the traitor right away, but it will give us a massive clue on what type of person this guy is. And, it will last just a week."

    "...Are you saying that just to defy my strategy? Explain your strategy first."

    At last, we arrived at the same place of conversation as last time.

    To be completely honest, this strategy could backfire right away, but I was somewhat confident that it would work.

    And after explaining it to Hyunda...

    "I see... I see. I can actually see some usage here."

    "But please, take that reckless strategy off your mind. We can''t afford to get our jail sentences any more years added to them."

    "I get it, I get it. If we manage to gather something important with this strategy, then I will abandon my previous one. But I have to say... this strategy is pretty stupid."

    I couldn''t deny that. And thus, after finishing our conversation up, we went back to our cells.

    Also, we did not alter the gold''s position since I explained along with my strategy that altering its position would not make any sense.

    The next day.

    "What the fuck is this pace!? Are you humans or turtles!? I can''t fucking tell the difference!!"

    As per usual, we got worked to the bone by King George.

    Not yet.

    Our time to strike would be when it was lunchtime.

    To be honest, I''m starting to laugh every now and then about my own stupidity and everyone else''s stupidity, except for Hyunda of course, since they will never realize where the piece of gold is.

    It''s a time like this that I thank Hyunda for being alive. It bothers me how if he wasn''t alive right here and now that I would never find the piece of gold''s location.

    Alas, it was lunchtime.

    "Rest! And eat up well! You''ll need strength for the rest of the day!"

    Unlike the other days, this time around, King George gave us some food. It was his usual rice. I fucking swear we were so starved that we started to shed tears while eating. Regardless of how desperate the situation was, I could not forget my own strategy.

    Thus, I initiated it.

    We were all inside the massive cell, so this was a good time to start a conversation like this.

    "Hey, Hyunda, haven''t you been all over Ikkiri lately?"

    "What can I do? The girl''s so damn cute. I feel like kissing her instead of talking to her."

    "Wha-"

    Upon hearing our strange exchange of words, Tsudo choked on his rice. But that wasn''t all. Everyone just stopped eating for a second. No, to be more precise, everyone else looked at Hyunda, who ignored the glances and decided to keep on eating his rice with fury.

    Eventually, they all resumed their eating.

    But, I wasn''t going to let that happen.

    "So, why not just confess to her? It wouldn''t be awkward. I mean, Sagasuga is in a relationship, isn''t he?"

    "Ah!"

    Everyone, including I and Hyunda, except Sagasuga himself, exclaimed out loud. That''s right you little bitch. Did you think I actually forgot? No, the most surprising part is the fact that everyone else had forgotten. I just had to remind ourselves of what happened.

    "Sagasuga! You bastard! Explain yourself! I can''t believe that I''ve forgotten about that!"

    "Ah, we really aren''t in a relationship. Well, technically we are, but I''m going to break up with her..."

    I couldn''t tell whether or not he was pussying out, but I wasn''t going to let him have his way.

    "No, but Sagasuga, Tateyana mentioned something about being her first time... right? What exactly was that?"

    "W-What are you talking about? I didn''t do anything like that!"

    "No, Sagasuga! You totally did! How could you betray us at such a crucial time!? We just had to hunt Kuzan down and we wouldn''t have gotten into that whole argument!"

    "Daniel, what the fuck are you on about!? The moment we invaded their dorm we were going to have charges on us! We were doomed regardless of the circumstance the moment we stepped onto their dorm!"

    Following up Sagasuga''s words, Hyunda, as expected intervened.

    "But isn''t that awkward though? I mean... think about it. We were fucked regardless of the circumstances, right? Why was that?"

    This was basically what we were aiming for.

    "That''s because the girls somehow already were expecting our presences, right? Plus, with Kuzan entering first, it really wasn''t anything too surprising."

    "But that''s what I''m talking about though. How come they didn''t bust Kuzan completely? Isn''t that way too strange?"

    "Oh yeah... Now that you mention it, I managed to roam around the dorm for a little. That''s really weird."

    Kuzan didn''t understand that this whole conversation was for this simple purpose.

    He also didn''t understand that Hyunda was manipulating him to speak by arguing with Sagasuga.

    "Wait, isn''t that way too awkward? It doesn''t make any sense how they didn''t arrest Kuzan up completely... What''s going on here?"

    It seems that Tsudo had caught up. It was about time.

    "In my opinion, this is Sagasuga''s fault. I bet he told Tateyana that we were coming up and knowing her, she just told Akimiyashika and the rest that we were coming up and then we got busted."

    "Wait. I didn''t do that."

    "Oh really? Then what were you doing at that time?!"

    I was intentionally pressuring Sagasuga to speak for a reason.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    "It doesn''t matter what I was doing, Daniel... It''s completely unreasonable to doubt me in this circumstance."

    "No, it''s not. You could have very well sold us out for the sake of making your girlfriend happy. Eh, think I haven''t met betas like you before? They just do everything they want in order to satisfy their girlfriends... Sagasuga! You''re no different!"

    "You haven''t been making any damn sense, you moron! If I was truly the culprit then there was no way that I would have went along with you guys in the first place!! We received an extra 20 years of jail sentence thanks to that shit! Are you too dumb to realize that whoever actually sold us out wasn''t there at that time!?"

    Hyunda and I smirked at the same time. This was working for some reason.

    There is something that I''ve noticed from Sagasuga. Despite how supposedly angry he gets, he never abandons any certified logic or just factual reasonings.

    "Hold up... I''ve been keeping myself away from this talk, but I couldn''t help but notice a major flaw in your words Sagasuga... you said that there was someone who sold them out, right? Care to explain?"

    I and Hyunda had not actually explained that theory to anyone else. In other words, it seems that Sagasuga had come up with a theory on his own.

    "Oh, that... Well, whatever, I guess it doesn''t really matter if I explain this but... I realized this the moment the infiltration group was busted by the girls who were already waiting up for them and not Kuzan. I really don''t believe that they would let Kuzan just have their way freely without a reason behind it. My initial logic for this was that they noticed Kuzan''s presence and they thought that there would be more of us coming..."

    "Sorry for interrupting, but that''s so unlikely. It doesn''t make any sense as to why they would let Kuzan just roam around the dorm. He could literally just rape them or something."

    "Oi!! I would do no such thing!!"

    Kuzan''s retort aside, Ryoken was arriving at the main point.

    "I know that. That''s why... Something must have happened between the time where Kuzan entered the dorm and in the time where we entered the dorm... I''ve been thinking for the last few days about this but I still haven''t arrived a single conclusion..."

    Sagasuga and Ryoken fell silent since they couldn''t arrive at a conclusion.

    It makes sense no matter how you look at it. They had no basis to form a conclusion.

    "Hold your horses, guys. Doesn''t this mean that whatever the case is, our group is safe from suspicion? Think about it, if this happened in that time gap, then there is no way that we were the ones who sold us out."

    Akihiko put that in a really strange way, but I didn''t say anything about that.

    "Maybe nothing happened and you are all just overthinking. Besides, why bother with it at this point? Does it even matter anymore?"

    Speaking for the first time into this conversation, Tatsu says those words.

    True, from an outsider''s perspective, this didn''t hold any relevant meaning anymore.

    "No... I''m confident now... It''s far too strange that I wasn''t caught from the get-go. To be honest, I broke their frontal door lock with brute force. There was no way that they wouldn''t wake up from that. Plus, I went to hide with speed. This goes without saying but my footsteps made a lot of noise..."

    "So, Kuzan, according to you, there was no way that they wouldn''t wake up and bust you from the get-go, correct?"

    Wanting to confirm it from the intruder himself, Hyunda once again pressures him.

    "I really thought that they were just too afraid to react honestly. I can tell from experience that when you are being assaulted, you either freeze or just strike back. I just assumed they would freeze."

    "No fucking way they would! Are you joking!? Even a dwarf knows martial arts! How the fuck didn''t you get your ass kicked?!"

    "Yeah, I know! I know! But I didn''t know at the time! Only after watching those videos from Akimiyashika did I arrive at that conclusion! In other words... it''s a miracle that I wasn''t busted..."

    I think I see what Hyunda is doing. By allowing this conversation to proceed, he can extract multiple different opinions.

    "A miracle? Isn''t this a bit too coincidental to be called a miracle? Kuzan, they have a numerical advantage on you. And there''s also the fact that they are all criminals. Don''t underestimate them just because they are girls. I''m fairly sure that they could have whipped the floor with you if they wanted."

    What Hyunda just said is true. So far, regarding the girls, three of them knew how to protect themselves. My table partner how I have not seen for more than a week. Sana, who seemed to be somewhat experienced with lethal weapons and Hinagiku who fought Rayazaki with some sort of martial art. As a matter of fact, Rayazaki was the one who said to Kuzan that a dwarf, Hinagiku, knew martial arts and that there was no way in hell that he would have gotten away just like that.

    "I agree with Hyunda here. No matter how we look at it here, this was not a mere coincidence. So, we can arrive at the conclusion that something happened in that time gap."

    At this rate, we were just making sure we were not missing anything that might prove to be crucial. However, as Ryoken said, we had formed a grasp of something, that being; something happened in that time gap.

    I glanced back at Hyunda, and he understood what I wanted to say.

    Although, just as he was about to speak.

    "I disagree with Hyunda. They had no way of knowing whether or not Kuzan had the actual numeric advantage. It wouldn''t be dumb to assume that Kuzan could have brought a few people along to ensure that his infiltration wouldn''t fail. It was purely coincidental the fact that Kuzan went there alone. It''s called expecting the worse."

    This time, Kan had opposed. He normally doesn''t give a single fuck about what''s happening but this time around, he was participating in this conversation instead of smoking. Oh right, he ran out of weed.

    Furthermore, Hyunda said he found the lighter later on and said that Kan had probably lost it while digging. Kan accepted the probability of him losing it while digging and just took it without complaints.

    "Isn''t that odd then, Kan? If they had assumed the worst, then why did they decide to fight back the moment the rest of them showed up on their dorm?"

    "If I recall correctly, Akimiyashika and Ikkiri were away at that time, right? You were busted by them, correct, Akihiko?"

    "Hm, yeah, I guess."

    "Knowing that, it wouldn''t be a bad assumption to assume that either Akimiyashika or Ikkiri just formed a counterattack straight up."

    "No, that''s a really bad theory, Kan. You forgot to take something into account. During the time Akihiko was chased out by Sana, Sana was already out of her room. Thus, they were already ready for our presence."

    Unable to digest Kan''s theory, Tsudo counters.

    "You''re the one who is forgetting something crucial. Was Sana actually awake when she chased out Akihiko?"

    "Huh? Of course, she was! How else would she chase Akihiko out...?"

    "It seems you have never seen someone who sleepwalks before? Let''s go back a little. When Akimiyashika showed the video of Akihiko storming the first floor, although he did it silently, Sana immediately reacted. But, never once, did she call out his name. I''m convinced that she sleepwalks, sorry."

    It would''ve been nice if Akihiko could remember but apparently he couldn''t, for whatever the fuck reason.

    "B-But then, how did Shizuku counter me on the second floor straight up?!"

    "I still have my doubts about it, so I won''t say anything. Anyways, that''s it."

    Kan was done talking it seems. However, from Hyunda''s eyes, it was crystal clear that he rejected Kan''s theory from every single angle. However, he refuses to speak his true mind out.

    This conversation, by the way, hit the point where it would be too awkward to talk anymore.

    Realizing that, we slept.

    The next day.

    Essentially, the same strategy would be applied. But this time, we would force different individuals to talk.

    Since it was already lunchtime, we had nothing to do except to enjoy the boring silence.

    But---

    "I''ve been meaning to say this but, what do you think about the compatibility between Akimiyashika and Kawahara?"

    Probably the stupidest question I could''ve asked but I had to start something. Actually, our strategy revolved around forming small talk just so we could get on to the big talk.

    "They are complete opposites. You might as well call that a sunk ship."

    Not like I shipped them or anything but when everyone is paired up with a girl on their side, it''s normal to low-key ship it.

    "Hm, I see... Then... Hinagiku and Rayazaki?"

    Another dumb question from me, but it was with a reason.

    "What the fuck! We almost have a 20 centimeters difference!"

    So his reason for rejecting my possibility is by mentioning their possible height difference?

    "No, no, I really think that you and Lus would be better."

    To be honest, we did not have a single positive interaction so far. Besides, we didn''t actually mean what we were saying. Hyunda and I were just fucking around.

    "Hey, Sagasuga. Yesterday, if I recall correctly, you said that we were sold out, right?"

    "Mhm? Well, yeah."

    "Oh. Then who sold us out?"

    "Who...? That''s a difficult question... If I could arrive at the conclusion of what happened in the time gap then it would be possible to determine the suspect?"

    Then, Hyunda who was talking to Sagasuga all this time said something that caught everyone''s interest.

    "Hey, I know who sold them out."

    "Then tell! Who the fuck is this bastard!?"

    Rayazaki''s impulse quickly rose all over a sudden.

    "I''m curious too, tell us."

    Hyunda, who was with his back against the prison steel bars got up slowly and glanced at all of us, who were sitting right on the ground.

    "Well, I don''t know who this ''who'' really is, but if you think about it, something did happen in that time gap. Ryoken, do you remember what that was?"

    "No, I really don''t know. Unless you are talking about..."

    "So you arrived at that conclusion as well? Then, do you want to talk instead of me?"

    "Yeah sure. I was going to say it regardless."

    I had a certain suspicion about Ryoken. Although he barely talks, he has been more active lately. He seems to be the type of person that slowly gets more talkative along with time. Besides, I wondered if Ryoken had arrived at the same conclusion that Hyunda had.

    "I remembered while I was trying to sleep last night..."

    It was at this moment that I really wanted to laugh at Ryoken''s face for being so dirty but I had to resist the urge to do so.

    "Something crucial slipped my mind, and to make sure what I''m about to say is possibly correct, Kuzan, where were you at 4:45 am?"

    "Huh? Oh... I was actually eating somewhere first. I only really entered the girls'' dorm 5 minutes later..."

    "That confirms it. Hyunda, you told us around 4:45 am that the problem was solved because Daniel and the others were going to take care of it. You also said that Kuzan was already inside the girls'' dorm. But that''s false, isn''t it? The problem really wasn''t solved. What was that for?"

    Lightly smirking and relaxing his back, Hyunda said in a relaxed tone.

    "Well, I was already aware that Kuzan wasn''t inside the girls'' dorm at that time to be honest. I had spotted him eating in the main entrance''s staircase. But, do you realize as to why I lied?"

    "Yes, I think so. It bothered me to know that you lied to us, but I think I know why. And knowing why formed a strong belief within me."

    Despite being lied to, Ryoken had accepted the possibility of the existence of a greater factor at hand and questioned Hyunda''s action.

    "Given that the times do not match, the girls had absolutely no way of knowing about Kuzan. In other words, you lied to us about Kuzan being inside the girls'' dorm when he wasn''t. Kuzan had only entered the dorm at 4:50 am according to his own words. However, you told us all, except Daniel, Akihiko, Rayazaki, Sagasuga, Tsudo, and Kuzan, at 4:45 am that Kuzan was already in the dorm when he wasn''t. My theory here is, you purposedly told that lie in order to set up a trap."

    I''m impressed, Ryoken managed to arrive at the point from a different angle than I did. Actually, I didn''t arrive at the conclusion, I was just spoiled. However, Ryoken had managed to go through crucial logical fractures and had come to the conclusion that Hyunda lied about the fact that I had accomplished success. Furthermore, he lied about the time when Kuzan got inside the girls'' dorm.

    "The trap was of course not clear at the time, but, I think that you wanted to purposedly tell a lie for a reason. You... were testing whether or not there was a traitor on our side, were you not?"

    All this time, Hyunda had bulging eyes. I suppose he was really surprised at Ryoken. He probably never expected him to arrive at the conclusion on his own. Well, Ryoken didn''t truly arrive at the conclusion on his own. Hyunda and I forced that talk last night which forced Ryoken to think about this. In a sense, he was forced to think and then, since Ryoken, has surprisingly a minimal amount of intellect to arrive at this conclusion, he was able to come this far.

    "Hahahaha! Yeah, man. Fuck my life, I thought I would have to explain every single thing for you dumbfucks to get it. I''m really glad you got what I mean."

    Several offended people in this cell started to silently curse. Myself included.

    "That''s right. There is no way possible that the traitor isn''t among the people who I told that information at 4: 45 am. In other words, someone who is right here lying like a fucking pussy handed out the information that Kuzan was already at their dorm to the girls."

    "Hyunda, wait. Aren''t you forgetting something essential? It''s illogical for you to claim that everyone here who wasn''t the ones who invaded their dorm at that time, is a suspect of betraying us. It''s illogical because Kawahara and Sasuga are not here. Why are you excluding them?"

    "I''m biased towards them, sorry. First off, I don''t think that Susaga is socially decent to the point of making contact with another girl. For fuck''s sake, he can''t even look at his table partner in the eye! Plus, Kawahara is Kawahara. No way in hell did he sell us out."

    "That''s not really acceptable. Susaga and Kawahara could very well be putting up an act. You can''t just exclude them like this."

    From what I noticed, Kan and Hyunda often had opposite opinions, but what I''m glad about it is, even though their opinions often contrasted, they were willing to work towards the same goal. Even though they constantly argue about the credibility of their own theories.

    "I know that. Well then, given that the ones present in the time where I told that information, I will call you out. Kan, Ryoken, Kawahara, Susaga, and Tatsu. You are all suspects of selling that information out to the girls. I couldn''t care less to who in specific you sold this information to, just be aware that whoever you are, you will be found out."

    Hyunda seemed to not be fucking around by the tone of his voice. Unlike his usual relaxed tone, he had a heavy monochrome tone this time around.

    "Aren''t you being a little bit of a hypocrite, Hyunda? Why are you accusing us but not you? What gives? You are the most likely to be the primary suspect. You could just be telling us this to allude us. Why are you trying so hard, dude? Haha."

    I wanted to point that out but it seems that Tatsu was way ahead of me. There is no friendship here. I already had in mind the possibility that Hyunda could very well just be playing us like puppets.

    But, it seemed that my worry was for nothing, because...

    "Oh? Hahaha. Okay, okay. Little shit. So, from your perspective, if I was the one behind this then I would just tell you all this? In what fucking world would the culprit, which by your logic is me, tell all this deliberately? To fool the fucking audience? Man, get your fucking ears out of the fucking shit you have been living in. Why the fuck would I have to tell you all this when you can''t even realize that it wasn''t a pure motherfucking coincidence that Kawahara and Susaga both got the gold piece from the same place?!"

    "You''re just angry because you have been found out. No need to be so try-hard about it."

    "You''re so right. Because, you know, i-it''s not like I could''ve just ended this exam a long time ago by going back to where Kawahara and Susaga found the gold piece and then take it away to get my ass out of here or anything like that."

    Hyunda was acting like a tsundere in a manner of sarcasm. But it still surprised me.

    Are they this dumb?

    "Hahaha, look at you using sarcasm to defend yourself. If the piece of gold was actually there, then why would you bother to stay this long here?"

    "It was to transmit this whole message, you retard!"

    "...So you are saying that the piece of gold is actually there, Hyunda?"

    Interrupting their salty argument, Tsudo, who was slowly walking out of the cell, asked that question.

    "Mhm? Well yeah. As I said, it was no coincidence."

    "I see. That''s really good to know. Now, if you''ll excuse m-"

    Rayazaki who also had caught up grabbed Tsudo''s left shoulder and stopped him from walking.

    "Guys, I''m feeling generous today. Therefore, I will go back to digging early. I will do you all a favor and do all of your work. So, stay relaxed right there!"

    "L-let go of my arm, Rayazaki! You relax! I''ll do all the work! That''s right! Your shoulder seems broken, right? You won''t be able to handle the work!"

    It was still broken huh?

    "N-No such thing! Let me do it! Hahaha!"

    Then, a quick silence was inserted into the atmosphere.

    Subsequently, we all got the fuck up and ran like hell for the piece of gold.

 Volume 2 - Chapter 10: Why are we still here? Just to suffer?

    "Out of my way bitches! I''m the one who''s gonna claim the gold piece and arise as the victor, hahaha!!"

    "Fuck you, Rayazaki! You haven''t worked for shit this past week! I''ve seen you when King George wasn''t watching you! You''d take breaks often! You don''t deserve this chance! Back the fuck away!"

    "What was that!? That''s it! I thought that you would all be reasonable and let I, the one with the greatest chance of succeeding this exam, win this without any sort of interruptions, but... You''re all dumb as fuck!"

    "You''re the dumb one you retard!! There''s nothing reasonable about letting you win!!"

    The situation was the following, the rest of us, which were still here, were rushing for the gold. To avoid direct confrontation, Hyunda and I took different paths. Plus, Rayazaki''s unreasonable argument with Tsudo just goes to show how much of a pain this is.

    Ah crap, this is all Hyunda''s fault, why did he fall for Tatsu''s taunt...

    Whatever the case is, Hyunda and I know the way to where the gold piece is located. I''m fairly sure everyone knows it but Hyunda had already memorized the whole path to it.

    That''s really good. With his help, I will surprise him and steal the gold piece. I''m sorry to say this, Hyunda, but I am quite fast actually.

    But.

    Um.

    It''s just...

    I just have a simple question right now...

    "HYUNDA, WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU!?"

    Coincidentally, as I was looking away for a clue as to where the rest of them were, Hyunda, during that time gap had completely gone off on his own.

    Damn it!

    I can''t afford to lose sight of Hyunda!! He''s the only one who knows the path to it. I''m going to be really honest and just say this but, after so much digging, we have created an actual mine here. Well, supposedly not, but a very confusing labyrinth.

    Knowing this, I had to take into consideration my current location.

    As soon as we all left, four paths were visible from the get-go. Most of us followed Hyunda, but Hyunda and I decided to speed up to contrast their tendencies.

    The path that we followed would lead to a dual path, in other words, a path where we had to choose between two paths.

    And that''s where I lost sight of Hyunda. As soon as I came to it, I was staring down at two dark paths. Ultimately, one of them would lead to where Hyunda is.

    To be precise, this isn''t a hunt for the gold, but a hunt for Hyunda.

    Then, just as I was about to decide on which path to take, a creepy hand touches my back.

    ..!!

    "Yooo, chill, it''s me brah!"

    "Whoever the fuck you are, don''t you ever use the word ''brah'' unless you''re Indian!"

    Despite how supposedly dangerous the situation could get I had to establish some common sense first.

    Erupting from the chilling darkness that covered this whole underground, what I saw was the figure of no other than...

    "Wait, what? I thought you could use ''brah'' as a synonym of ''bro''."

    "No, Kan. You can''t. That''s against the true law."

    "Anyways... Where did he go?"

    "You mean Hyunda? Well, he actually went towards---"

    Wait a minute. Why should I tell Kan the truth? So far, there is only one undeniable truth. That being, Hyunda took one of these paths. Knowing this I can...

    "He went to the left. Hey, I''ll go to the right, so you---"

    Once again, Kan''s gigantic creepy hand reaches all the way to my shoulder.

    "No... You''ll come with me..."

    Crap, this guy isn''t dumb. Just because he''s on cloud 9 24/7, that doesn''t mean that his brain cells are in a state of evaporation. Furthermore, this guy is the guy who has trust issues.

    "No, no, Kan. We both should check the paths before it''s too late. That bastard Hyunda is probably at the end of one of these tunnels. Therefore, we have to split up here. Whoever finds him basically fights him for the gold."

    Understanding my reasoning, Kan puts his right index finger on the bottom of his chin as if to reflect.

    Honestly, this didn''t exactly favor me. The plan would be, if Hyunda was not at the end of my path, then I would sprint back and confront Kan, and then take the whole piece of gold.

    Besides, our strategy was already completed. There would be no more reason to stay here. The goal of my strategy was to create a scenario where we would be able to identify the suspects. Ultimately, we had fulfilled the purpose of being here in the first place. According to Hyunda, this event was far more important than the special exam we just lost.

    "I see. That''s good reasoning. Then, go left."

    ...I might have seen a mini silhouette of someone at the end of the right entrance, hence my decision of going to the right. Then again, I wasn''t going to let that cloud my judgment.

    "Alright. See you."

    We then parted ways.

    .........

    This is weird...

    I don''t recall this path being this long...

    No...

    I don''t recall this path at all.

    For the record, we had helmets with lanterns on top of it, so we could safely explore any zone we wanted, regardless of whether or not we were lost.

    But, something was bothering me. It might have been my impression, but I, for a second, thought I heard secondary footsteps.

    Wanting to confirm that, I stopped. Then, coincidentally or not, the sound of the footsteps, which under my assumption didn''t belong to me, stopped making a single sound.

    "Maybe I''m hearing things... This shit is driving me insane, it''s only normal."

    No way was I hearing things. This was a simple bluff to see whether or not my stalker would take the bait.

    But, after roughly waiting around for 30 seconds, I noticed that he wasn''t taking the bait.

    I wonder who it is? Kan? It''s possible, he might''ve suspected that I was lying or something. He also has trust issues, it wouldn''t be such a bad thing to assume that it''s Kan.

    Even so, this is weird... The one who is following me is fluent in this.

    Nevertheless, I decided to walk again.

    On my way to the destination, I touched the humid walls. I''m pretty sure that on the surface, it''s raining or something. This was also the first time that I didn''t know what day of the year it was. It happened to me more than once not knowing what time it was, but this is the very first time that I''m clueless about what day it is.

    Isn''t it close to February or something?

    ..........

    This guy is such a pussy...

    I repeated the same trick and yet no response.

    I walked again, but this time, I wasn''t in the mood to fuck around.

    In order to fully utilize the maximum potency of the speed in my legs, I assumed a running stance. It''s fairly basic, with all things considered. Instead of using the back and medium area of your feet, you simply run while utilizing the toes. This way, the sprint you give is, not only faster but unreachable.

    The aim was not to be faster but to be unreachable. Unreachable in the sense where my footsteps would not be heard at all. Besides, while running in this stance, the lower half of your body feels that it''s totally on ecstasy. Needless to say, but, this often causes a sprain on the twin leg muscles.

    Alternatively speaking, I could''ve just run in the opposite direction and confront this pussy.

    Yet...

    "Not again..."

    Except this time, instead of being a dual path, it was a triple choice. I was not with patience for this, so I decided to follow the middle one.

    Whether or not that fucker who is stalking me ends up facing me along the way, is a possibility that I couldn''t care less. Plus, I''m convinced that the only reason as to why this guy who is stalking me is up on my ass is because I happened to follow the same way as Hyunda.

    Knowing this, this guy isn''t in a good position too. Which was a good thing because this confirms that Hyunda is most likely at the end of Kan''s way.

    Or maybe he followed a different way, overall.

    I sprinted for a great round of 3 minutes, which then allowed me to realize something. A shimmering low voice could be heard from far away. Once again, this path was extensive. Who even did all these paths though?

    It hardly feels like a coincidence now that I think about it.

    What if Hyunda dug all this just for this one moment?

    No, wait. What gives me the certainty that it was only Hyunda?

    Nothing...

    Rapidly reaching the end of the path, I spotted from far away, a single figure. However, since I wanted to remain incognito, I slowed down.

    By the way, the footsteps which I was listening to, stopped, but only after I stopped sprinting too.

    What this means is, the guy who was stalking me, managed to follow the same path that I did.

    "One more week? Are you sure? Won''t that raise suspicions?"

    Stumbling upon this conversation might be the greatest thing that has happened so far. Well, it''s far too early to call it a conversation. However, what I meant to say was, although I am hiding in the darkness with my back against the wall, I could hear those words coming out from someone.

    Unfortunately, I had to keep my distance, which was a shame since I wanted to hear whoever was speaking those words.

    No.

    I had to close my distance.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    This was crucial. I had to know who was speaking those words out loud.

    After all, those words were definitely suspicious.

    "Huh? No, it''s fine. No one is suspecting about that, it really is fine."

    I kept on hearing more intriguing words as my distance closed in. I had to walk sideways just so my footsteps could not be heard that much.

    But... against all odds, some rocks decided that it was a good time for them to crumble. Basically, noise could be heard.

    "I''m going to have to end the call here. Someone''s here."

    Well, since I was most likely found out, there was no point in hiding myself anymore. Plus, that seemed like a phone call. How the hell can you make a phone call from down here?

    Makes no sense...

    "Might as well..."

    Once again, I resumed my running stance.

    I wasn''t going to allow that bastard to escape. Because, even though I couldn''t determine whose voice it was, that might have been the traitor straight up.

    Thus, the sprinting began once again.

    However, I didn''t expect this... The one who was most likely talking was already way up ahead. Undoubtedly, a giant silhouette could be spotted, but as I was making my way, I noticed that two paths once again appeared.

    Meaning that they would diverge. Regardless of that, I picked the one that went all the way to the top. The path that most likely diverged from the original path was to my left.

    Additionally, a rush of footsteps could be heard from up ahead, not from my left.

    "Wait..."

    At last, I had finished. In contrast to my expectations, this path was finished. Going back to my previous paths, there was not once, a time where the end path was visible. There was always another route to take or just another continuous path. That''s essentially how I have arrived here.

    But, this time around, it was a different story. 5 paths that were visible to me connected right to this end path. The most surprising part was when I arrived here.

    Everyone else was already present.

    "Is this it!? I''ve searched up all the possible routes and it always led here! Which means... the gold is here!!"

    Apparently, Rayazaki had already searched for all the possible paths in the meantime. With his speed, it''s not a blunder to assume that he is capable of doing such.

    "Alright, boys. I''m just going to say this but whoever gets in my way will get knocked the fuck out. Nothing personal, but this right here is a kill free zone. In other words, I could kill every single one of you and nothing will happen."

    Kan was being illogical. There is no way that''s true. If you kill everyone here then you will be the primary suspect.

    Unless you accuse King George out of spite, but then again, what are the odds of it working?

    "Fine by me. I couldn''t give a fuck about all of you. Whether you''re all breathing or not, same shit."

    "That settles it then. Ryoken, since you were the one who released those words, I will start with you."

    "Wait."

    Acting as the pillar of peace, Sagasuga wanted to say something.

    I wonder if he wanted to say the same thing.

    "What now, Sagasuga? I get it, I get it. You''re next. Just line up, then."

    "No, not that. It''s just that... where is Hyunda?"

    "Huh? Hyunda is here. Right, Hyunda? Huh? Hyunda? Oh shit..."

    Kan, at last, had noticed. That motherfucker was nowhere to be spotted.

    "Wait, why isn''t Hyunda here!? He was the one who came here first, right!?"

    Not knowing what to assume, Tsudo spoke his worries.

    Besides, it was a bit premature to assume that he passed here. After all, if everyone here, except Hyunda, doesn''t know where he is, then chances are, he led us all here on purpose.

    "What does that matter? It doesn''t. You fuckers will die first. Hyunda can come next."

    Grabbing Ryoken''s collar, Kan pulls out a knife from his boxers. Well, I cannot believe he had a knife hidden that close to his dick.

    Plus, shit was getting too real. Kan might actually kill Ryoken if no one stops him.

    "Actually, it does matter a lot. We all came here under the assumption that Hyunda was not lying. Why don''t we confirm where the gold is before we assume things? If I recall correctly, this is the place where Kawahara and Susaga found the piece of gold. If Hyunda is not lying then it SHOULD be here, right?"

    "Sagasuga, what''s your fucking point?"

    It seems that Kan was not in the mood to play guess and thus he said those words to Sagasuga. Besides, Sagasuga does have this weird habit of never getting to the damn fucking point.

    "What I''m saying is, let''s actually play fair. There''s not a single reason as to why we should just kill each other for this fucking piece of gold! It''s a piece of gold, that you will have to give it to sensei, for fuck''s sake! Look, if you could keep it then I would understand. I would murder the living shit out of anyone who dared to get that gold before me!"

    Wow, Sagasuga, you are totally not going to where you wanted to be. It''s like he made his whole point on another point which led to this exact point, which then will be followed by the ultimate point.

    "However! That''s not the damn case, damn it! No point on getting emotional for something that will never be ours!"

    "Your fucking point?!"

    Kan reasonably snapped because Sagasuga, yet again, refused to get to the motherfucking point! Is that the secret to conquering girls!? To never get to the point! What a fucking simple world we live in!

    "What Sagasuga wants to say is, we should search for the gold around this perimeter and see if Hyunda was actually lying or not."

    "Thanks a fucking a lot, Tatsu! Take some fucking notes you shitty pointless turtle!"

    I''m trying to identify the references here and I think that what Kan meant by pointless is the fact that Sagasuga refused to get to the point, therefore pointless. And turtle because his verbal pacing was extremely slow. What a weird analogy.

    "Um, well, actually-"

    "Shut up, Sagasuga!!"

    Sagasuga was about to retort but all of us except him just told him to zip it basically.

    I''m proud of this necessary yet malicious synergy that we sometimes have.

    "Nothing personal but I''m stealing the gold from whoever finds it first."

    "I think we can all agree that that thought is not uncommon around here. In fact, we will all attempt to do the same, aren''t we?"

    "Yep!"

    Although Sagasuga tried to make sure we solved this matter at hand peacefully, the rest of us naturally agreed that despite the circumstances, we would not hold back if someone found the gold.

    I thought that everyone was forgetting about the fact that as soon as someone found the piece of gold, that someone would most likely hide it.

    However, whenever it comes to being scumbags, we are professionals.

    Thus, instead of searching for the piece of gold, we would massively trade glaces to see if someone had found the gold.

    "Oi... You guys..."

    I had to make sure about this.

    "Hm, what is it?"

    Everyone simultaneously looked at me straight up.

    "W-Why..."

    "Yeah...?"

    They continued to remain clueless.

    "Why... the fuck are we not searching for the fucking gold?! Are you all stupid or some shit!?"

    "Then, you search for it."

    Damn it! They are all lost causes! They refuse to cooperate even for the greater good! Do they not realize that we are allowing Hyunda to remain free!? Not only that, but they told me to search for it...

    "Fuck you guys! Can''t you understand that we all need to work together for this to work!?"

    "Well, no. I mean, if you just search for it, then we don''t really need to work together!"

    Shit! Are these guys immune to the Shounen friendship development?!

    Fuck this shit. I''m not going to work just because these guys refuse to work together.

    "Serve yourselves then. I''m not searching. You can all fucking go to hell for all I care."

    "But, hey, aren''t you letting Hyunda get away for free? Isn''t that bad!?"

    What in the fucking fuck is Tsudo on about!? If it''s so fucking bad for you then search for it!!

    Also, if you realize that, then what the hell are you doing!?

    "I don''t care. I really don''t. Hyunda probably lied to us about the gold being here anyways... How much do you want to bet?"

    "How can you know for sure? The gold could be here. If you get it, then you can leave the underground, right?"

    "Oh, haha, you think you''re so funny, don''t you, Rayazaki? As soon as I get the gold I will be mobbed by you desperate fucks..."

    I was confident about being able to run at a decent speed, regardless of whether or not they all came after me. What bothered me was that these dumbfucks are being emotional for no reason at all.

    It was then that I had the brilliant idea of being intelligent.

    "I''m leaving. Have fun."

    "W-What?"

    Tsudo said in such a shocked tone yet I did not understand why. Plus, the rest was also staring at me as if they all had question marks above their heads.

    "I said I''m leaving. I''m going back to work."

    "Why though!?"

    "I love to work, you see."

    No one loves to work without a good reward. Therefore, this was a bad lie, because there was technically nothing to be gained. Instead, I would search for Hyunda, whose location was unknown.

    Despite the fact that there was no guarantee whether or not Hyunda had escaped with an ulterior motive, there was no point in being there.

    If I think about it, I can justcome back here during the night as I did with Hyunda. Assuming that Hyunda already has the gold, he must have given it to King George and thus, went all the way back to the surface.

    Therefore, I just have to wait for the gold location to reset and I will be free by tomorrow.

    Fuck these little shits. They will never know how to leave this place and that''s fan-fucking-tastic.

    "Wait, Aniki!"

    Suddenly, Kuzan spoke the one word I could not ignore.

    I tried to not look in his direction with all my might, but my fragile soul could not resist.

    "What?"

    A cold answer to match a heartwarming call. Damn it, what is wrong with me?

    "I need to take a dump. I''m coming too."

    I''m starting to lose hope.

    "Wait a fucking second. Why is Hyunda not here though? I can''t form a single conclusion..."

    Huh? Is Rayazaki this dumb? Does he not realize that Hyunda probably played a trick on us from the get-go?

    "...Ah....!!! That''s it! I don''t care if I get the gold stolen! I''m searching for it!"

    Kuzan, contrasting his early words of having to take a dump grabs his shovel, which we all have, and starts digging. For the record, we were all lethally armed.

    "Yeah, I don''t care as well. I''m searching for it."

    Ryoken quickly abandoned his grudge about not wanting to work and got to work quickly.

    C-Could it be!?

    Is this the friendship development that we have all been waiting for to happen?!

    Wait, why is Ryoken holding the shovel like that?

    Oi.

    Why are you holding the shovel as if you are going to kill Kuzan, you damn psycho!

    Fuck, you''re all hopeless!

    "Wait... I just had the most genius idea of all time..."

    "It''s probably something utterly retarded, isn''t it?"

    "No, no, listen! This makes all sorts of sense! What if we..."

    Even though Akihiko initially retorted at Rayazaki, we all had our eyes on Rayazaki''s mouth.

    "The gold piece is actually a bar, right? You know, like in that Indiana Jones movie! There is this bar of gold that can be split into multiple pieces regardless of the size, right!? What if we did the same?"

    Is he talking about Lost Ark, Temple of Doom or Last Crusade? I never watched Kingdom of the Crystal Skull so I have no idea. Either way, by far, Rayazaki was not making much sense.

    "You dumbfuck, don''t you realize how hard gold is? How the hell are we supposed to split it!?"

    "Ah, right..."

    Well, Rayazaki is more retarded than expected.

    "But you know, Rayazaki, even though your point was completely flawed, you made me think of something. What if we delivered the piece at the same time?"

    "Ryoken, what do you mean?"

    Interested in what Ryoken could imply, Sagasuga interjects.

    "Susaga delivered the gold alone. Kawahara did the same. Then, what gives us the absolute certainty that it won''t happen? Aren''t we just acting way too cautious about it?"

    "...It could work..."

    "...."

    After the massive silence that was transmitted to the current atmosphere, we all started to dig rapidly.

    Roughly 30 minutes later.

    "Fuck!! Fuck! Fuck! Fucking fuck! It''s not here, damn it!"

    "I so fucking knew it! That damn Hyunda took the gold all for him!"

    Well, this wasn''t surprising. What was surprising is the fact that we even managed to reach the status of consensus in the first place. After discarding our selfish yet emotional reasons aside, we decided to dig, only to find absolutely nothing.

    In my consciousness, I could have simply explained everyone who is present right now how the gimmick works but knowing how impulsive some of us are, it wouldn''t be too surprising if King George changed the gold''s location just to make this even harder.

    That was absolutely out of the question.

    "Let''s just return... Besides, our lunchtime is over... King George must be searching for us like a mad man."

    Furthermore, this was really a wasted endeavor. Because I could not determine who said those suspicious words earlier. We were all there at the same time. Though, it certainly did not belong to Kawahara and Susaga, because they are not here.

    I can''t exclude Hyunda because his location is currently unknown.

    Nonetheless, we decided to make a run for it to see if Hyunda was in the cell or something.

    After 10 minutes of running (yes, it''s that long), we had arrived at the base. I''m calling it base because, at this point, it''s the only place where we can know the location of for sure.

    But, what we encountered at our arrival, burned our hearts with a searing sensation. A hapless door from far away was open. A door that would lead to our freedom.

    "O-Oi... Is that...?"

    "...No mistake about it..."

    Instead of caring whether or not Hyunda was here, our insatiable greed was being tested as we speak.

    And so, Tsudo, the greediest of us all, took the chance.

    "Sayonara, bitches!! Enjoy the hell ride, hahaha!!"

    "Ah!! Wait, I''m coming too!"

    Something was wrong...

    Why would King George, someone who applied multiple locks onto the door just to make sure that we could never actually break the door, leave the door open like that? It''s staggering how cliched this situation is.

    A door to the surface was open. But why?

    This felt way too simple.

    "Almost there! I can see it! Actual solar light!"

    "Finally, I will get to breathe fresh air! Oh, my nostrils just got an erection!"

    I had no idea that your nostrils could get erected, but let''s give Rayazaki the benefit of the doubt.

    "Also... I wanted to tell those bitches a little fucking something! Especially that midg- AHHHHHH!!!!!!"

    "Damn Shizuku, I won''t ''lose'' aga- AHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

    Oh. So this is what this was about.

    "Muhahahah! You predictable rats! How do you like my trap hole!? It''s utterly flawless! I so fucking knew it that you greedy plebs couldn''t resist the sight of freedom!"

    Emerging from the darkness, comes the darkness himself. King George starts by sayinghow foolish Rayazaki and Tsudo were for falling for such obvious bait. I almost fell for that too. Luckily, Rayazaki and Tsudo were way ahead of me. Essentially, King George had most likely set up a trap hole.

    What truly bothered me about the trap hole is the visibility of it. Basically, from far away one could identify where the trap hole is. But, not this one. It''s as if there is clay on it which would lead us to think that it''s just part of the underground yet that''s the whole bait.

    It appears as if there is a deep hole to the ones who step on it. But seriously, how come there is a hole underneath the clay?

    Curious about how deep the hole truly was, the rest of us went to check out...

    "Jesus Christ... Are they even alive?!"

    "What? Of course, they are! It''s just 10 meters!"

    I''m not sure if King George realizes this but, not all of us, in fact, none of us has a build similar to his, therefore we could actually, non-ironically die from the fall.

    Yet despite this, Rayazaki and Tsudo were smart enough to land in a safe position.

    It''s as if they have been in this situation or something.

    "Wait, King George, have you seen Hyunda?"

    "Yeah, damn right I have! While you rats were slacking off, he delivered me the piece of gold! Learn from him, you morons! He probably worked his ass off for that gold! He got what he deserved, that being, freedom! And you motherfuckers who did nothing to deserve it will stay here, muhahaha!!"

    Hearing those words hurt like hell.

    Because that''s not true at all.

    Hyunda is not someone who would go out of his way to work hard. He''s irresponsible. Someone irresponsible does not work in the first place.

    Also, this confirmed it.

    Not only did Hyunda fool us, but, he had the gold from the get-go. This explains how he was able to pass this exam.

    Although, something is not quite explained. Just how exactly did I lose sight of Hyunda, and, even after that, how come he didn''t cross anyone along the way of his escape?

    Did he know every path or something?

    My reasoning for determining how Hyunda got the gold is really simple. He most likely just left the cell while we were all asleep and hid it on his pocket or something.

    In other words, he baited us. Fooled us. Trolled us. Tricked us. And most importantly, sweet-talked us.

    I realized something too.

    Hyunda is not someone who I should trust.

 Volume 2 - Chapter 11: Deflected boners apparently matter.

    I don''t mean to act like the hero, but in order to actually get everyone out of here, I really need to act like one. It''s not a heroic act purposedly, but essentially, I''ll have to perform a heroic act out of necessity.

    That truly pisses me off. I always hated those moral speeches that preach heroism and idealism to an absurd extent. Even more so, if I was ever in such a situation, I vowed to not act like a hero, but this is conflicting.

    This is by no means a simple rejection or just an act out of hatred for moralities. I simply despise how supposedly cliched everything is and that it''s way too boring to follow the normal line of things.

    Furthermore, right now, thanks to that bastard Hyunda, this whole situation just got a whole lot worse. Not for me, of course. I simply just have to wait until King George resets the location of the gold and then I can dip the fuck out. However, that''s not the problem. The problem is that the dumbfucks that are surrounding me right now have absolutely no idea about the simple gimmick.

    Besides, I can''t even tell them about how simple the gimmick is. Under my assumptions, let''s say that I told Rayazaki about this gimmick. His reaction would probably be an impulsive one. He''s not the type of guy who can remain silent about this. Not to mention that we are acting a little bit desperate as of lately.

    I think that Akihiko just took a bite on his forearm as if to eat it.

    ...

    .

    How tasty is it anyway?

    NO!

    I have not fallen that low!

    Well, to summarise the situation, I might need to act like a beta to get everyone out of here. I had an idea. Since the only ones left here are... Tatsu, Sagasuga, Rayazaki, Akihiko, Ryoken, Kuzan, Kan, and Tsudo. That''s nine people. Myself included. The conclusion here being, my idea would be to secretly put the gold under a visible spot so everyone here could take it once at a time.

    Essentially, this would take around 9 days to achieve.

    But, I had a good idea. Ryoken''s words came to life earlier. He said that we haven''t tried to show the piece of gold altogether. Nothing says that it won''t work. The problem is that the tyrant, also known as King George will most likely flat out reject the possibility.

    Gladly rejecting our opinions is something that King George has done a lot.

    So, what can I assume from this?

    Can I do this alone? Of course, I can. But, there is a consequence to this. I will have to act like a beta and save everyone here. The only reason why their presences matter in the first place is due to the reason that we are massively screwed if we don''t participate in the special monthly exams.

    Hyunda had a point. If one suffers, we all suffer.

    It''s also not hard to imagine why it was made that way. Perhaps the government wants us to act asa unit in an attempt to morally reform us. What a predictable strategy... and a lame one at it.

    Therefore, in order to not be a beta, I had to try the ultimate chad strategy.

    And for that, I needed the help of Ryoken.

    To be honest, I was kinda excited about my ultimate chad strategy.

    Alas, I had to wait until night.

    Because, you know, my back is currently being whipped by King George''s whip.

    Later on during that night.

    It''s impressive how we aren''t really talking with each other at all.

    After all that development I thought that Kuzan, Akihiko, Tsudo, Rayazaki, and Sagasuga, would talk to each other but nope. Nobody here deliberately talks out of compassion. It''s as if they are in a constant state of reflection about the crimes they did or something.

    Oh yeah...

    Why was I accused of that crime again? I have no clue about it. All I know is that I have 1000 years to fulfill.

    When did I do it? I can''t really recall. Do I have amnesia or something like that? I''m not trying to portray the cliched amnesiac character development onto myself but that really seems to be the case.

    I guess I''m similar to Akihiko in that sense...

    Speaking of Akihiko, I''ve been meaning to ask him about that.

    We really aren''t eating anything, by the way, we are just blankly staring at nothingness. Endlessness is here to stay, endlessness won''t wash away. Ah damn it, why did I have to remind myself of how much I love Final Fantasy XV. If only the plot was more decent.

    ...Meaningless worries aside, I decided that it was time to reach out to him.

    "What?"

    Immediately reacting to my approach, Ryoken makes that question with an aggressive expression. I wasn''t really going to small talk. I know how everyone here acts. Either make your point or shut the fuck up.

    "Let''s try your strategy tomorrow."

    I only said that and went off to sleep.

    In the next morning, even though we were being lashed physically by King George over and over, Ryoken would glance at me occasionally. Speaking of glances, it reminded me how my table partner was totally glancing at me constantly during that day.

    Well, I officially had enough. No more of this shit. This has prolonged itself for way too long. Not to mention that we are experiencing slavery right now. I would complain but then again, with a 1000-year-old jail sentence, that''s not really that good.

    "Come with me."

    "What? What do you want?"

    God, why is this guy so hostile?

    "Do you want to get out of here or not?"

    Fortunately, he understood that I was up to something good and shut his mouth. Not too long after that, by escaping King George''s malicious vigilance, Ryoken and I went to the same place as yesterday.

    Without speaking a word, I used the shovel in my right hand and stroke a massive strike onto the ground. I kept on digging and digging just so Ryoken could get the bigger picture.

    "Are you not gonna take it?"

    "Why is it here...?"

    "Well, it''s really simple actually. But, now that you know its location, have you arrived at some sort of conclusion on your own? You seem to be good at forming independent conclusions when provided enough logical evidence to do so."

    "Let''s see... this might be connected to Hyunda. No... It''s definitely connected to Hyunda. In the first place, he might not have been lying about the gold location. But that''s weird... because it wasn''t here yesterday. I really have no idea how it got here in the first place."

    I really didn''t feel like there was a point in explaining this whole thing just for him to understand. What he needed to understand, however, was another thing.

    "Ryoken. With this, we can all get out of here. Remember what you said about how we could all just show this to King George if we all get it together?"

    "Oh, I see where you are going with this. I see. But, you know, they are an illogical bunch. We could get a few of them to side with us but the majority would just be greedy as hell."

    "You wouldn''t be?"

    "No real point in being greedy, is there? Isn''t it so fucking stupid? This whole scenario, man. It''s so repulsive. Everyone thinks that just because we are criminals that we cannot interact or something. That we will just pull out a fucking knife and kill each other... I''m so sick of it..."

    Well, this turned an interesting turn. It reminded me of when I was having a somewhat deep talk with Kuzan back on the girls'' dorm rooftop. It might be important to make an emotional connection right now in order to get him to cooperate though.

    Therefore...

    "You don''t really seem like the rest, Ryoken. From what I''ve seen you seem to be emotionally conflicted about something. What is it?"

    "I''m not really emotionally conflicted though. I''m just pissed off. I know that I didn''t come here to make friends or to enjoy school life, but... I''m living my life you know!? I don''t want to fucking waste 3 years of my life without any sort of joy just because I happened to have fucked up! I don''t care if happiness has a cost or not, it pisses me off how subjective it is, especially in this scenario..."

    So Ryoken''s problem wasn''t about whether or not he liked the people around him. Normally, when choosing who to befriend, if you create distance, then it''s most likely due to some sort of dislike. But, it''s different in this scenario. Ryoken is simply pissed about the whole scenario because it''s creating a disruption in his happiness'' progress.

    I suppose it''s fairly understandable. There is no one who doesn''t want to be happy. Maybe there are people who think that they don''t deserve happiness but, without a doubt, happiness is a natural feeling to a desire.

    However, that''s exactly the problem here. Everything is going against Ryoken''s way. If he can''t have happiness then he detests everything apparently. He said that he is not emotionally conflicted but he is. The fact that he isn''t aware that he desires emotional understanding is evidence alone.

    "Why not change that though?"

    "No way that''s possible. Look, it''s fine. I''m used to it. I have a plethora of troubles that have little to zero solutions. Regardless of the situation, it''s normal to feel frustrated sometimes. But I just can''t bear the thought of spending three years like this."

    "That''s what I meant by my previous question. The situation isn''t going to change unless it is changed."

    "Huh...? I don''t get what you are on about..."

    "Well, just watch and learn. Something fun is about to happen. But first, I need you to gather everyone as a group-"

    Just as I was about to continue with my proposition, Ryoken interrupted.

    "I can''t. They piss me off. I can''t stand emotionless people like those. Sorry."

    Of course, that much I was aware. His earlier disagreement with Kan proved that. Though, this guy is way too emotional about everything. It''s as if his whole being is the embodiment of emotions as a whole.

    "Besides, why do we have to bother with them? You have a good attitude about this Daniel. I couldn''t care less about what you did to deserve 1000 years of jail time, but from my understanding, you want to solve this situation, right? Then, let''s escape together."

    Woah there, bromance is not my thing. Nope, nah aha. Fuck that shit.

    "I can''t. I really just want to leave you all here without a second thought, but I really fucking can''t. Can''t you see? Even though we don''t want to cooperate we are essentially being forced to. Under this system that the government has put us under, there is no other way!"

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    "I won''t do it then. You can escape yourself. I''m not helping you. I don''t feel like it anymore."

    Is this guy fucking serious right now...

    "Bro, what do you mean you don''t feel like it anymore? Do you enjoy the shit we have to go through? I think I have my back muscles so fucking sour that I hardly feel anything anymore."

    "Of course I don''t enjoy this shit, but I refuse to cooperate with them. They are not good people."

    Wait, is Ryoken''s argument seriously based on morals?

    "Did you forgot that no one here is a good person? We are all fucked up. What we did, we can''t redo. Why not just accept the fact that you will be marked for the rest of your life and move forward?"

    "Because I don''t want to live a life where I don''t get to atone for my own actions! Yes, I want to be a good person! Surprised, huh!? You really thought that among us, who are most surely criminals that there wouldn''t be an individual that wants to change his mindset regardless of how fucked up the rest of his life is!? Fuck that! I want to live my own way too!"

    "Then live the life you want to live! Why do your ideals of life have to come into play!? Just because they don''t share your mindset that doesn''t mean you can''t interact with them in a positive manner..."

    "No, that''s wrong. That''s precisely it. I want to change, but no one else wants to. I get that I am in no position to talk about it but I will talk it regardless."

    That''s hypocrisy but I suppose he doesn''t care at this point.

    "I need to pass this program. I really need to have some sunshine in my life. Why can''t you understand that?"

    "I can understand that. What I can''t understand is why you have to be so emotional about this. All I''m asking is for cooperation. Being dramatic for no reason won''t help the situation."

    "Except I''m not dramatic unless I have a reason, in which case, I do. I said that I wanted to change as a person and aim to be better yet I can''t do that in this environment. It''s as if everyone in this class just adores their own malice."

    "The environment is irrelevant, Ryoken. What''s relevant is the will to pursue the ideal. You are afraid of committing your desired endeavors because your way of thinking is wrong. When are you going to realize that people around you will either oppress you or cherish you? It''s not a choice, damn it! It''s a mandatory duality!"

    "Then, what the hell am I supposed to do? You''ve been talking as if you have some major clue or something. Come on. Go on. I''m really curious. Tell me about it."

    Christ, I really didn''t expect this guy to be this emo. And you thought Kuzan was something, get a load of this guy over here...

    Regardless, the first priority when dealing with an emotional person is to make them understand how they want to feel. Not how they feel, but how they want to feel.

    "In order for you to achieve change, something needs to change in you first, Ryoken!"

    "And that is!?"

    "Your flawed perspective about how everyone''s at fault is childish, for starters. If others do worse, then why can''t you do better? There''s nothing stopping you. Except there is. Only one person is stopping you and you don''t even realize that that person is yourself."

    "How exactly am I stopping myself though? Haha. It''s amazing. You don''t even realize how hypocritical you are being right now, do you?"

    Except I do realize, but my moral compass is broken beyond measure, honestly. It''s just that when convincing people like you, fancy words won''t do.

    "Can''t you see? Take a look around you. No one rejected you. I never rejected you, for example. Yet earlier, when I approached you acted all hostile. Realize this already, Ryoken... You reject people instead of accepting them."

    To be honest, I''m not sure whether or not that''s true, I just want him to reveal more of his emotional problems. Then, I could move forward and get him on my side so to speak.

    "I don''t reject people. I just apply myself distant. There''s a vast difference."

    "That''s exactly my point... You want to change your standards but you keep blaming the environment around you for how you can''t seem to reach a consensus with everyone. All of this just because everyone else is supposedly not treating you with respect or something like that."

    "That''s not my point. I never wanted respect in the first place. Why can''t this scenario change? It''s so infuriating..."

    "The scenario obviously can''t change. The only ones who change the scenario are the actors of it, not the spectators. Right now, you are a spectator. A spectator is exactly the type of person who enrolls in society and constantly hopes that the situation that revolves around the spectator can suddenly change."

    "My god, you''re annoying. What''s your point even?"

    "My point is, you won''t be able to change your situation as long as you are the spectator."

    "That is to say...?"

    "Fuck my life, are you seriously this clueless? Can''t you see where I am getting at?! Ascend, motherfucker! Become the actor in your own environment! Let me tell you something additional to that. Almost everyone in this class has the perspective of a spectator. I said almost, right? Do you know the exceptions? Take Akimiyashika for example. She ruled her own tempo by assuming command and won. Hyunda, the guy who FUCKING lied to us all, even though he was a son of a bitch about it, still managed to defeat us all with his trolling strategy. Man, what more do I need to say? What are you not understanding here!?"

    "What I don''t understand is how I can become this ''actor'' you are speaking of?!"

    "Hell if I know! You think I have all the answers in the world or something!? Don''t be a damn idiot! What you become is something you decide!"

    This is it. If after all this emo talk, Ryoken can''t process these simple little factors that there are about life, then I will have to use the beta strategy. It was already pretty beta to be in this emo talk though. But it couldn''t be helped.

    You counter emotion with emotion.

    "...Well, that makes sense, I guess... What I become is something I decide. Hey, I became a subject to this program due to the choice I made, right?"

    Is this guy incapable of understanding the basic natural consequences of his own actions or something?

    "Yeah. We all did."

    "I got it. I will ascend."

    Wow, it worked.

    Maybe Ryoken is truly capable of setting aside his turbulent emotions and rationally think about such simplicity, huh?

    "So, let''s review this. We need to gather everyone in order for this to work, yes?"

    He''s finally coming into an agreement. Maybe all that emo talk was worth it.

    Regardless, this is what it comes down. Plus, there''s no actual guarantee this works. This has a chance to work, but that doesn''t mean it will necessarily work.

    "Yep. That''s the first step. But for that to work, we need them to understand the meaning of our own actions."

    "Got it. I will make sure that they are not allowed to fight back in any way possible. As a matter of fact, I will apply physical force if necessary. I got this, man."

    "No, please don''t use violent methods."

    Ryoken''s questionable set of methods aside, after ending this conversation, I grabbed the gold and returned, along with Ryoken to the main location that we were digging.

    "Faster, bitches!! You''re all so fucking slow that I''ve yawned a hundred times under a motherfucking minute!!"

    As per usual, those verbal lashes belonged to one person only. We had to wait until lunchtime in order to get this to work. Because if I just tell everyone the plan then King George will realize that it was an obvious lie.

    Plus, what''s the point? A discussion had to be made first.

    Lunchtime.

    Ryoken was oddly looking forward to this. Unlike his usual unspirited attitude, he had firm eyes. It''s as if he was accepting the likelihood of everything instead of rejecting the possibility of rejection.

    As a clarifier, I will say this.

    Never for once did I mean the words I have said. Regardless of how they are viewed, the outsiders will never understand the primal mindset of the human being who spoke those words to them. I am the same. Even though I did give Ryoken an inspirational speech, all I did was to make him understand his own emotions better.

    It might be somewhat heartless of me, but I really couldn''t care for his situation. However, I do care for mine, and since my own situation seems to require the assistance of others, I have not much of a choice.

    "Who wants to get out of here?"

    Although Ryoken said those words against them, they did not respond in any manner possible.

    It''s fairly normal because, at this point, hope was nowhere near sight.

    "Really? No one. Kay. Then, I''ll just get out of here myself, I guess. After all, this should allow me to."

    "Ryoken, tone the jokes down, bro. No one here cares. Shut up al-"

    The deadness in his eyes really spoke out loud. It was clear that Kan had lost a huge fragment of hope in these last few days, however, in the sight of that, he couldn''t help but be at awe.

    It wasn''t only him though. Everyone looked at Ryoken as if he was a massive eruptive flame midst the endless darkness.

    "Let me have it!!!"

    I did take into account the possibility of this guy, who was so desperate about this whole situation, to perform his strike at this time.

    But, sincerely, Ryoken and I were not in the mood for such stupid developments, thus we utilized what we had at our disposal.

    Rayazaki, the one who leaped straight at Ryoken''s piece of gold was immediately countered with a heavy strike on the back of his head. Needless to say but, the one who stroke him was no other than me. However, I couldn''t allow him to be knocked out. Therefore, I only gave him a somewhat light strike.

    "Oi! What''s the deal, Daniel!? Why are you siding with Ryoken?! We all agreed that we would steal the piece of gold without any remorses, what gives!?"

    I did say ''Yep!'' at that time, right? Well, I guess this is an awkward moment to go back on my own word. But oh well.

    "Well Tsudo, do you want to know why I''ve sided with Ryoken?"

    To be honest the situation was getting a bit dangerous. Even though Ryoken and I were holding our shovels, they had a greater number.

    "It doesn''t matter! It''s mine! I''ve missed the opposite gender so fucking much! I think my boner got deflected yesterday!"

    "How the fuck is that any relevant right now?! I couldn''t care less if your boner got deflected!"

    "Deflected boners matter, Daniel! Masturbation is the healthiest thing a human being can do! It''s heresy to have a deflected boner!"

    "Masturbation!? Oiiiiiiii!!!! You fucking masturbated in the darkness you fucking shameless prick?!"

    "Got a problem with that!? I wouldn''t have to be so desperate but I am desperate! I haven''t seen a girl for more than two weeks now!! All I see are boys. BOYS!! I''m not fucking European!"

    Crap, I seriously didn''t think that Tsudo was this desperate. I also forgot what sort of person this guy is.

    "All of you, stay back and listen to my words! We will all leave here together!"

    "Stop screwing around, Ryoken! You know that shit ain''t happening ever! Hand over the fucking gold and I will spare your ass!"

    "Shut the fuck up, Kan! I''m tired of your shit! Stop being so damn selfish, all of you! I will share this piece of gold with everyone if you all cooperate! Otherwise, I will fucking eat it right now!"

    Great going! Nice going, Ryok- Wait, what!?

    "Oi, oi, Ryoken! You can''t be serious!"

    "I''m so fucking dead serious!! And don''t think you''ll be able to get it after I take a shit! I''ll just eat my own shit back!!"

    What the fuck!!!!

    "Oh god, I think I''m going to throw up..."

    "Fuck, fuck, I can''t unsee it!! Ahhhhh!!!!"

    Not gonna lie, but I felt like throwing up too.

    "If you fucking understand then cooperate, or I will do it! Don''t test my wits, you fuckers!"

    Oh no, what monster have I created... This is not how inspirational speeches are supposed to portray themselves!!!

    "Hah, you''re fucking bluffing. You don''t have the balls to fucking eat that shit!"

    T-Tatsu!? What the fuck are you doing bro!? Get a fucking clue, you colossal idiot!

    "Oh!? Fine by me bitch. Watch and test the might of my will!"

    He ate it.

    "OIIIIIII!!!! DON''T TELL ME YOU ACTUALLY ATE IT!!"

    Out of desperation, Kan drops his shovel and grabs Ryoken''s collar, thus slamming him into the wall.

    "Well, I haven''t yet. But I will if you all don''t cooperate. Yes or no?"

    This situation was so fucking disgusting that for a second, in my mind, that beta strategy sounded like a better idea. However, these stubborn dumbfucks weren''t falling for what Ryoken was saying. They truly believed that he wasn''t going to eat that.

    "Oh? No answer. Well then, I''ll just swallow it."

    "Stop!!!! You were actually going to swallow that, weren''t you!? I saw your throat contract!! You were actually going to fucking swallow it!! Fine, I''ll side with you!!"

    This is the first time I''ve seen Kan this desperate. Also, Tsudo and Rayazaki were throwing up. Their poor souls were far too young for what they just went through right now.

    "Not enough. All of you, say it!"

    "Yes, we''ll fucking side with you! Just don''t use such disgusting threats like that, Jesus fucking christ!"

    I''m somewhat sad. I thought that the past emo talk with Ryoken would lead him to become a better person. Honestly, for a couple of hours, I felt good about myself. I thought that I had achieved something good for once.

    But, the reality is sad.

    Sometimes your speeches which were meant to make someone understand their own emotions better manage to turn that person into a monster who uses threats to have people side with him.

    Don''t get me wrong, I''m glad this worked out, but it''s undeniably sad that it had to come down to this.

    Also, let''s remind ourselves that Ryoken is supposedly aiming to become a better person.

    "Phew. I thought I really was going to have to swallow that for a second. Yo, Daniel! It worked!"

    "Yeah man..."

    I can''t look at him in the eyes.

    I''m sorry.

    "Why aren''t you looking at me, Daniel?"

    I''m sorry.

    "What''s wrong? Is there something on my face, Daniel?"

    I''m so sorry.

    "Explain it, Daniel."

    I''m really sorry. I''ll reflect on this.

    5 minutes later.

    Well, after we reached a consensus, it was about time to get this plan on the move. Of course, I didn''t tell the actual plan to Ryoken. He would not have understood the profundity in my ultimate chad strategy.

    Coming out from our cells, we resumed digging.

    Ryoken explained something really basic. Essentially, before King George returns, since he leaves the underground when it''s lunchtime, Ryoken was going to put the gold in the same place as Hyunda said. This way, this was naturally bound to result in something good.

    Seeing the huge black silhouette of King George that came right from the surface''s entrance, he couldn''t help but be surprised at the fact that we were already digging without him having to tell us to do so.

    Even his mayonnaise sandwich fell off from his greasy hands.

    "Y-You guys... I can''t believe this..."

    "Huh? What are you talking about, King George! We love digging! Isn''t that right, guys!?"

    "Damn right we do! Digging banzai!!"

    We all shouted those sarcastic words out loud only to allude King George.

    10 minutes later.

    Having reached our desired destination, the supposed piece of gold''s location, we had to act all together now.

    "Hm? What is this? Oi, Rayazaki, I think I stumbled upon something all myself."

    "Yourself? Hahaha, what are you on about, Tsudo? WE stumbled upon in!"

    "Oh, hahah. Silly me, of course WE did."

    "That''s right, that''s right. What a splendid teamwork WE have."

    "You''re damn right, Sagasuga! WE are number one!"

    Weird time to make a Lazy Town reference, but whatever. Tatsu''s reference aside, this was going perfectly.

    "Hey Daniel! Should WE show what WE found TOGETHER to King George?"

    "Sure, Ryoken! I''m sure that King George will be happy when he finds out what WE found!"

    The reason as to why we were acting sarcastic was because King George was basically right there.

    "Oya, it seems you all have found something. What is it!?"

    "Well, actually, I found i-"

    I had to smack him before he got any weird words out.

    "King George, what Rayazaki was going to say is that, after OUR tremendous effort, WE just so happened to have coincidentally stumbled upon this rare piece of gold! And would you believe me when I say this!? WE ALL FOUND IT TOGETHER!"

    "Hm. That does seem to be the case. But, I can''t let you all go just like that. I''m afraid only one of you can go. So, work that out."

    Now!

    "Actually, about that. I''ve been thinking, just in case this situation happened. What if we could solve this from another angle?"

    "Excuse me?"

    "King George, you like fights, right? Like real bloody fights, right?"

    "Well, yes. A contest to the death is how it should be done!"

    Alright, he took the bait.

    "May I offer a suggestion that will not only solve this situation but also please your insatiable quench for bloody fights?"

    "You caught my interest now. Normally, I would just two slap you until your tooths were all depleted. This better be good."

    This either works or it doesn''t...

    "Well, about that... have you ever heard of a game called Street Fighter?"

 Volume 2 - Chapter 12: The trash talk paradox.

    "Huh? The hell is this ''Street Fighter'' you speak of?"

    You mean to tell me this boomer doesn''t know what Street Fighter is?!

    "W-Well, Street Fighter is a video game!"

    "Video games!? This isn''t what I signed up for!!"

    "Wait! Wait! Please let me explain!"

    It would be seriously bad if I screwed up this golden chance just because this boomer refuses to listen to me.

    "So Street Fighter, as I have said, is a game! But it''s not just any game! In it, the main character, Ryu, fights a lot of different opponents! Well, not a lot, but 10! And so, bloody fights for glory and honor are witnessed!"

    "Oh, I see! That''s really cool! So?"

    "E-Erm! By winning fights, the winners get to obtain prizes!"

    "Interesting! So?"

    Why is this boomer telling me to fuck off in a sweet way!?

    Whatever, I must get to the point.

    "And by winning prizes, the winners get to rejoice! Thus, I was thinking. In order to decide whether or not we can''t all just simply return to the surface by handing the piece of gold altogether, we should go at this from a fair way!"

    "Hm? Yeah, that''s exactly what I''ve said a while ago, retard!"

    Oh no, I can''t let his extremely intimidating voice get the best of me.

    "But you know, since we are 10 people here I thought that we could form a tournament of strength and might to decide the winner!"

    "Hm? But, aren''t you counting the numbers wrongly? Let''s see, with you, it''s one. With Rayazaki, two. Sagasuga, three. Tsudo, four. Tatsu, five. Ryoken, six. Kan, seven. Kuzan, eight. And lastly, with Akihiko it makes nine. That''s all the people we have here. Your idea really wasn''t bad. The winner would get the piece of gold. But you can''t make a tournament without an even number."

    Correct.

    In fact, extremely correct.

    However, King George. What you failed to realize and what you underestimated was my ultimate desperation.

    "Pardon my impudent rudeness, King George, but I believe you are the one who counted the numbers wrongly."

    "Boi, I don''t tolerate this type of talk. I''m never wrong."

    You know shit is serious when King George is forced to use the word ''boi''.

    Regardless, he had yet to understand something crucial.

    "Then can I count our numbers instead?"

    "Ho? You think that I don''t know how to count, Daniel?!"

    "No, not that, but I feel like you might have forgotten something."

    "Very well then. Prove me wrong!"

    I might die here if I fuck this up somehow, but that''s pretty hard. Regardless of the scenario, the only thing that surrounded this humid atmosphere was no other than the lights around this supposed mine. Not only that but the stares of my fellow remaining classmates. Essentially, this was now or never.

    This would determine the beginning of our way out.

    "As you said, I am the first. Rayazaki is the second. Sagasuga is the third. Tsudo is the fourth. Tatsu is the fifth. Ryoken is the sixth. Kan is the seventh. Kuzan is the eightieth. And you said that lastly, Akihiko was the ninetieth. However, you forgot the most essential and crucial piece for this tournament to work. I need a piece that will make this number have an even number. Therefore---"

    What I did, not only put many of my classmates in shock, but I was shocked that I mustered the courage to do something so suicidal. Just as I was about to finish my sentence, I lifted my right index finger and pointed at the last remaining person who would be the tenth person.

    "What, what? Why are you pointing at me? Don''t you know that pointing at others is a sign that you lack manners?"

    "I''m not lacking manners in the slightest. The tenth member is you!"

    "Muhahaha!!! What are you talking about, boi!? What do I have to win by participating in this tournament of yours!?"

    "If you win this tournament, which I have yet to explain how it works, then we will all be your slaves for the rest of our lifetimes!"

    "A-Are you insane, Dani-KAH!"

    I''m glad Ryoken understood the necessity to put this situation on a serious degree. I''m additionally thankful that he stroke Rayazaki with his shovel right on his balls.

    "So, what do you think!? A more than a fine deal, huh!?"

    To be honest, if King George denied me right now, I had absolutely no way to counterattack.

    Though, from my understanding, King George is not a reasonable person. And what is the one thing that unreasonable people love?

    An unreasonable proposal that extremely benefits them.

    "You might have slightly caught my interest. Explain how the tournament works and I will give you my word then."

    Well, at least he''s not dumb. Otherwise, I could''ve arranged rules in my favor.

    "I was thinking of making this exactly like in Street Fighter. In other words, we would hold a tournament in which we would have our respective matches and the winner would arise as the victor. So, simple to understand right?"

    "And let''s supposedly say that one of you plebs win, what is the prize?"

    "For starters, I believe that if any of us wins, then we should all be allowed to leave to the surface together."

    "I see! So, in your mind, you actually believe that despite running this mini-tournament, you will actually win against me!? That''s utterly pathetic, son!"

    King George just used the son card on me. I''m without a doubt being looked down on. However, he is right. What would be the point if it all came down to that? It''s extremely stupid and suicidal to actually believe someone would have a chance against this guy. That''s why...

    "Since we are 10, we will first hold 5 fights. As a way to show I''m serious, I will allow King George to choose the fights for the first round. The fights will, of course, revolve around physical fighting. I think we all expected that to some extend."

    Obvious as it may sound, the whole premise was already known the moment I said Street Fighter. Plus, this was also with the secondary intention of pleasing King George''s violent tastes.

    "Of course, the fights will be 1vs1. The winner moves on and the loser gets left out. Which means that only 5 of us will be able to move forward. However, since the number is uneven, the one who finished his previous fight faster will automatically move on. Thus, we then are left with an uneven number once again. However, if King George manages to reach that far, then he will automatically be placed in the finals. Ultimately, a semi-final will occur in order to determine who will face the finalist. But, let''s suppose that King George doesn''t make it. The same treatment will be applied. The conclusion here is, the one who finishes the fight faster in the first round will automatically move to the final."

    I wasn''t going to bother to make this fair. Because we would all agree if this whole tournament was unfair. Furthermore, under the assumption that you actually finish your fight as the fastest in the first round, it represents a tremendous advantage.

    Additionally, I made sure that King George would get the best out of this. In other words, he doesn''t even have to finish his fight fast in order to move on to the finals.

    Also, it''s not a blunder to assume that King George will most likely knock the fucking lights out of whoever is paired up with him. Also, King George received my own word when it came down to deciding the matches. What this means is, if I was suddenly paired up against him and got sent to the shadow realm, then this might backfire immediately.

    "Interesting, boy."

    Well, this time he didn''t use the word ''boi''. Is this a sign of minimal respect?

    "But I will not choose the first round fighters. I want my opponent to be a surprise!"

    An alternative meaning to what he just said would be that King George approves of the tournament. Well, why wouldn''t he? We are basically slaves for the rest of his life if he wins. However, I had yet to establish the most important factor in this tournament.

    "King George, sorry to say this but, in other to make this tournament minimally playable, I will have to nerf you, is that fine?"

    "What is this ''nerf'' you speak of?"

    I was not going to explain this Millenial concept to a boomer like King George.

    "What I''m saying is, you shouldn''t be allowed to be at full strength. Because honestly, we have no way to beat you, whoever which one of us ends up with you will get killed. So, I thought that it would be fair to establish a rule. If you get hit once, you will lose."

    The whole point here was to still appeal to the factor that King George, despite being under this rule, will still have us as slaves for the rest of our lives if he wins.

    Nonetheless, I was, without a doubt, acting way too freely. It''s a miracle that I haven''t been countered yet.

    "Now, why should I allow that?"

    Good question really. But, Ryoken already knew what to do in this situation.

    "Pardon my intrusion, but that''s a silly question to make."

    "What!? You got some nerve, boi!"

    "Nerve or not, we are already offering our lives to you, given that we lose here. As a matter of fact, you are the one who has the nerve here. Can''t you see? We are already doomed if we don''t succeed. You don''t understand our fear. Our feelings are incomprehensible to a monster like you. We are clinging onto this last hope of ours because we want to succeed. Would you be such a coward to the point of framing our valiant attempt to succeed this?"

    I don''t like how Ryoken acts. Let me clarify something, I usually don''t form a tendency of liking or disliking unless I''m somehow involved. In this scenario, I''m still being haunted by how my supposed speech influenced his mindset.

    My point is, since Ryoken wanted to try and aim to be a better person, he should have formed a tendency to aim for morally right fundamentals. In contrast to that, so far, Ryoken, after that speech, has resorted to not only threatening but also, as of now, he is resorting to manipulation.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    He knows that King George isn''t someone who would back down from what Ryoken just said. King George is the type of purpose whose only purpose in life if given a choice, would probably be... proving everyone that they are wrong.

    Please don''t misunderstand. This is great. This is fantastic. We want this. But, considering Ryoken alone, he is going way too far to change himself and it''s not working. As a matter of fact, it''s backfiring. And since I happen to have a somewhat guilty consciousness sometimes, this is one of those times.

    I can''t believe my speech somehow managed to fuck someone up this bad. Why?

    "Are you serious just now? Do you actually think that I, King George, have the necessity to run away!? Muhahahaha!!! You fools!!! I never run away!"

    Honestly, I doubt anyone here present didn''t expect this to work.

    "So, how do we decide who fights who? King George doesn''t want to choose. What now?"

    "I have some dices! We could use that!"

    "Why the fuck do you have dices, Kuzan!?"

    "Whatever, Rayazaki! Just listen! In theory, if we choose numbers for ourselves then two dices should do."

    "What the hell, explain."

    "We need to first get the first six people elected. In other words, we should choose a number for ourselves, from one to ten. Then, let''s say, person number one rolls a dice. Depending on the result the dice produces, the first person, in other words, the one who is number 1, will be paired up against the number that person just rolled."

    "So, why do we need to get the first six out of the way first? Why can''t we just elected all from the get-go?"

    That was a really dumb question by Rayazaki but I suppose Kuzan just somehow had to make this ultra complex.

    "Because then, numbers 7, 8, 9, and, 10, will be able to be elected. This is to say that those numbers will roll a dice but will ignore the 5 and 6. In addition to that, they will just roll a singular dice because it can conflict with the results if we roll two dices. Also, 7, 8, 9, and, 10, will be labeled as 1, 2, 3, 4. And so, the numbers that are paired up will fight. Are we clear?"

    I can''t tell if Kuzan is either retarded or just occasionally a genius. No, he has never proven to be a genius. Also, this isn''t a genius idea. This is quite complex, but oh well.

    "Okay but how do we determine what numbers we are?"

    "Well, we roll the dices. We will, however, ignore 11 and 12, since we are 10. Okay?"

    In response to Kuzan''s complex logic, we just nodded.

    It''s quite likely that we just don''t want to think about it. This is just a method of selection. We had bigger worries ahead of us.

    "I''ll go first, then. Hey, Rayazaki, blow it."

    Kuzan just made the gayest request to Rayazaki, who immediately retorted back.

    "Fuck off, piece of shit. Roll it."

    Also, by ''blow it'', Kuzan meant to say that Rayazaki should have blown some wind with a single whisper to the two dices that Kuzan was holding in his hand.

    "A grand total of 3 and 4, therefore, I am 7."

    "Aight, I''m next!"

    Rayazaki landed his two dices which landed on...

    "1 and 1!? The fuck is that!? I''m great as fuck! How come I didn''t receive two sixes!?"

    "Shut the fuck up, Rayazaki. You''re number 2. Pass them to me."

    Next up was Kan.

    "5 and 5? I''m 10 I guess."

    Although we were rolling the dices that Kuzan for whatever the fuck reason mysteriously had onto the cold ground, we were also noting down the names and the numbers each one of us would get. Actually, it was only I and Ryoken who bothered to do such. We were using our index fingers on the ground, by the way. You cannot get sadder than this.

    "1+5, that means I''m 6."

    Well, this was quick in the long run. In the end, we all got our numbers decided. We were also retarded to the point of not realizing that if we rolled two dices continuously that we could never know who the person with the number of 1 would be. Ultimately, it fell onto me.

    The list is the following:

    1 - I.

    2 - Rayazaki.

    3 - Tatsu.

    4 - Akihiko.

    5 - Tsudo.

    6 - Sagasuga.

    7 - Kuzan.

    8 - King George.

    9 - Ryoken.

    10 - Kan.

    Okay... This line feels way too coincidental. Then again, that''s what happens when you play a game that''s essentially revolved around luck.

    "Alright! We can finally get this started! So, what are the rules!?"

    Tsudo was for some reason oddly happy about this. Was it because he was going to fight Sagasuga? I see. I totally see why he is excited. He probably hasn''t forgiven Sagasuga for potentially banging Tateyana.

    Honestly, my suspicion was still young. After all, what the hell would you have to do to a girl to leave her that red?

    Go get him, Tsudo. May the forces of the gods be with you.

    Ah well, but first, everyone was staring at me, since I was the one who came with this whole idea.

    But, I seriously thought that the rules were obvious.

    "There is only one rule - There are no rules. Use whatever means you want to win. The fight ends the moment the other person loses consciousness. Any objections?!"

    Once again, I''m not the type of person to go with cliched stuff. I wasn''t going to make this tournament something exciting. I wanted this shit to be over as fast as possible. No way am I in the mood to enjoy some pathetic dispute of spirit. Actually, no one is.

    "Nope."

    "Perfect."

    "Exactly what I was hoping to hear."

    Multiple agreements came forward. However, there was still something I had to establish as well.

    "The place where each fighter will fight is inside our sleeping cell. I say this because otherwise, we would have unlimited places to hide. Again, any objections?"

    "Christ, I don''t fucking care man, just begin."

    "For real though, stop being such a damn pussy about this shit!"

    Alright, you ignorant fucks.

    "Daniel, Rayazaki, step the fuck in! You two are up first! Show us something good!"

    "Go, Aniki! Good luck!"

    I''m not sure how Kuzan has managed to keep a positive stance when he is facing off against King George.

    Is this the premature acceptance of death? It must be.

    King George additionally led the rest of the fighters, except me and Rayazaki, to a place where they would be able to watch the fight nicely. Essentially, they were up on a higher plane. Like an upper floor and thus, they were sitting on the edge of the plane.

    Though, I was also aware of how troublesome this line up was. I really cannot afford to lose here. I need to be the one who is up against King George. I''m not confident that I can win, but I believe that if I am up against him, then, I can hope to land one blow.

    To ensure that happens, failure isn''t an option.

    Besides, I wasn''t really feeling threatened by Rayazaki. I noticed how his shoulder was broken. Plus, his fight with Hinagiku worsen his physical state. Oh, what I''m about to say applies to us all, but, we aren''t in any way possible at our physical peak.

    King George''s daily physical torture with his whip on our backs fucked us up pretty badly.

    As I carried my shovel, I and Rayazaki walked towards the cell. We didn''t say anything to each other. Even if Rayazaki is furious about how I''ve beat him up previously, if he''s smart about this, he will fight this fight with caution.

    Plus, anything goes here. We can literally use shovels. It would be an understatement to say that this will be bloody. Because it will obviously go beyond that.

    "I won''t lose this time. I might kill you at it too. Blame yourself for this. It''s your fault for pissing me off this hard."

    To be honest, I couldn''t care less. Rayazaki was looking forward to this way more than I was. In fact, he probably forgot about the tremendous advantage that the fastest fight has in this tournament.

    However, I wasn''t really going for it. Assuming that King George does manage to score a victory, which let''s be honest, there''s no way he doesn''t, then he is guaranteed to be in the final. There was just one slight problem.

    Rayazaki was hungry and thirsty for blood. Otherwise, it would be strange to engage in an assault with your adversary the moment your adversary got inside the cell. As for who''s blood he''s thirsty for, it''s without a doubt mine.

    Oh, and, he really initiated an immediate assault with his shovel, thus I''m on the ground, right now.

    "Bastard!!!! My shoulder''s been in so much fucking pain that I''ve thought of killing myself all this time!!!"

    Aside from his emotional crisis, he kept on plumming and plumming me with a decent amount of strikes on my abdominal area.

    "Kuh..."

    "What''s the matter huh!? Not gonna fight back!?"

    This was a common scenario. Basically, Rayazaki was on top of me right now. After his barrage of effective strikes, I had fallen right into the ground. This all started because as soon as we got inside the cell, I was dumb.

    Quickly striking my head with his shovel, Rayazaki managed to gain the upper hand. Thereafter, he continued to inflict considerable damage upon my abdomen. Of course, this was only possible because he took advantage of the fact that my equilibrium lost its composure due to the shovel attack.

    Subsequently, the scene that followed was me falling into the ground. Rayazaki had also kicked the shovel out of my right hand.

    Well, what I mean to say is, as I''m being punched on my face back and forth, I''m somewhat fucked.

    "That''s...!! What...! You...! Get...! After...! Messing....! With...! ME!!!"

    For the record, his punches got heavier every time he uttered a new word. And so, the last one hurt like hell.

    Noticeably, Rayazaki abandoned his shovel. Instead of using it, he gave his fists priority.

    First things first, since I need to win, I naturally need to get out of this situation.

    But, that''s not possible in this situation. The main reason as to why I can''t leave my current position is because Rayazaki is applying enough body weight in the zone where he is sitting on. Knowing that he is positioned in my pelvis zone, I can''t muster the strength to use my legs. No, I can use the lower parts, but I can''t utilize the pelvic area which is the most important one in this scenario.

    Furthermore, I was already occupied with blocking, well, trying to block his punches with my arms.

    Now, what the hell can I do in this situation?

    "Fucking fight back!!"

    Well, shit, I would if I could, but as the situation stands, either I take some massive damage and achieve something from it or I just keep blocking until something new happens.

    I really like gambling though. So I''m willing to follow through my gut.

    "Kahh!!!"

    I loosened my arms and took off my guard. I took his left punch, which, from my reaction was already plenty.

    It wouldn''t be surprising if I had a broken tooth at this rate. However, the main goal was to catch his right arm and for that, he needs to throw a punch with his right arm, which then will allow me to grab his right shoulder and further dislocate it.

    But...

    "The fuck''s wrong little bitch? Got cocky just because you got lucky once? Don''t be so naive, you piece of shit!"

    I''ll admit that I wasn''t expecting him to be minimally smart about this. Realistically, I didn''t expect Rayazaki to have learned anything from our fight, but I was wrong.

    He was not using his right side at all. He wasn''t taking the bait. He simply kept on striking my left side of the face with his left fist. In other words, he wasn''t using his right fist nor any movement that would involve his right shoulder.

    Smart.

    This way, he will not be vulnerable to my strategy. Plus, his words imply that he is aware that I want to fuck his right shoulder up even more. I underestimated him.

    However, I can still compensate for that.

    "Oi, Daniel! You''re getting your ass kicked! You''re gonna die at this rate, hahaha!!"

    I could hear Kan''s voice from far away. He''s not joking. I had to make my move. It can still work, regardless of how it is done. I just wanted the additional advantage of fucking up his shoulder which is already broken, but I don''t mind if I have to do it again.

    As Rayazaki kept on striking with his left fist, I attempted to intercept it with my right fist, as an alternative attempt to clash with him.

    However...

    "Guhhh...!!"

    "You really thought that was going to work?"

    How!? How was he able to predict my movements!? If I had intercepted his left fist then I could have used my strength and pull him closer to me, which then would allow me to gain some sort of advantage but he immediately intercepted my right fist my grabbing me with a hold by utilizing his right hand.

    Ultimately, I had yet taken another punch to the face.

    I could actually taste my blood at this point. I might seriously die at this rate.

    That''s it... I''ll probably break a tooth or two, no, it''s gonna be way more but this is bound to be successful.

    "I fucking had enough of this shit..."

    "Oh!? Finally talking huh!? Well, too fucking bad the situation isn''t going to change! Whatever you do, I''ll counter it! It''s impossible for you to have a way out!!"

    Not only is this situation unfavorable in all senses, but Rayazaki was showing to be tactically superior in a sense. He made the first strike, which was already a superior tactic.

    "....!!! W-What the fuck!?"

    I would be surprised too if my opponent did what I just did.

    "You''re out of your fucking mind! Gah...!"

    Blood was flushing out of his right fist. It''s somewhat normal, considering the situation. Plus, Rayazaki was way too shocked about the current situation to persist with his barrage of strikes, which gave me time to get up, since he backed off a little.

    Damn it, I can hardly get up though. He applied so much weight in my pelvic area that my pelvis feels crushed. Not only that but, my face feels like it''s about to fall off. Oh, thanks to what I just did, I just lost two tooths.

    "Woaaaahhhh!! Are you sure you aren''t an animal under disguise, Aniki!?"

    Kuzan''s comment wasn''t off the mark. After all, what I did was quite animalistic. Just as Rayazaki was about to unleash a mighty right strike at me, I took a bite out of his fist. Yes, I have just devoured some of his flesh. Although, I spat it aside. In order to gain some momentary advantage, I need to incapacitate him in one way or another.

    Also, I won''t commit the same mistake twice. What happened so far was my fault. If I was cautious for the first time then I would''ve anticipated his attack yet I was arrogant and let my guard down. And, this is the cost. By the way, I took a huge bite out of his fist. I could literally feel the bones from his fingers cracking. In other words, his right fist should be almost useless.

    "What''s the matter? Come at me already! Or are you gonna pussy out like a little bitch!? Weren''t you looking forward to this rematch!?"

    Honestly, the rematch is beyond my caring. All that matters now is asserting the victory. Confidentially speaking, since Rayazaki is an emotional person who has absolutely no control over his own emotions, he will rush. That''s right. He will fall for such petty tricks. All this, because, his pattern of action is far too obvious.

    However...

    "Oi, Rayazaki! What happened to you, man!? Why did you go silent!? Did your balls got frozen or some shit!?"

    "Nah man! He realized how utterly meaningless it is to fight against Aniki!"

    Tsudo and Kuzan''s comments were ticking me off honestly. They do not match with what''s happening right now.

    In fact, what is happening right now?

    Under my prediction, I claimed that Rayazaki was someone who had absolutely no emotional control. Along those lines, I also claimed that he would rush at me yet...

    "..."

    He''s not moving at all. We haven''t been moving at all. So far, this battle has been a singular one-sided onslaught by Rayazaki, but right now, he is looking at me as if nothing exists except me.

    What actually happened though? Why the sudden change in his behavior?

    "Hahaha. Oi. Don''t be like this. It''s anticlimactic if you just go dead silent like that in the middle of the climax after all that shit you spoke to me. You afraid or something?"

    I didn''t realize the contradiction of my own actions and how our actions contradicted our initial actions. Rayazaki started the taunts and the trash talk, yet now I am the one who is doing that.

    Mysteriously enough, Rayazaki seemed to be on the edge of calamity.

    He refused to move no matter what. Perhaps it was those eyes that told my instincts this...

    That I''ve been trapped inside a cage with a lion.

 Volume 2 - Chapter 13: Street Fighter gone wrong.

    Rayazaki''s side.

    I''m not dumb. Every single one of them just thinks that I am someone who doesn''t even have the capacity to form a single rational thought.

    "Hahaha. Oi. Don''t be like this. It''s anticlimactic if you just go dead silent like that in the middle of the climax after all that shit you spoke to me. You afraid or something?"

    I''m not afraid. I''m never afraid.

    Shit.

    Even though I hit him with a massive barrage of punches, he is still retaliating. What''s worse is, the fucker took a bite out of my fucking fist.

    Honestly, I could not give a shit about whether or not I leave this underground or whoever I fight next.

    Nobody beats me more than once.

    Yes, that''s right.

    I''m not someone who is invincible, as a matter of fact, I am someone who is far from invincible. Throughout my whole life, I''ve been beaten over so many times yet it was never more than once.

    Should a second time come, then I always turn undefeated.

    This fucker is not an exception.

    I''m also done underestimating him. From this moment on, I will fight him as if I''m facing my nemesis.

    "Yo, Rayazaki!!! I knew that you were a pussy but, haha, this is something else!!"

    Ryoken''s comment pisses me off. However, the main point of this act is to purposely bait the fucker to strike.

    I''ve noticed certain things about him.

    From our past battle, he took advantage of the pattern that I had. It''s as if he held the first minutes in which he simply received strikes from me only to analyze me.

    Fucker.

    Unfortunately for you, between the time gap of our previous battle and the current one, nothing except revenge has consumed me.

    He probably doesn''t realize that I was the one who followed him when we were after the piece of gold.

    All of that was for the sake of studying. I study whoever comes across me and defeats me. I always religiously analyze and find every single thing about whoever I will decimate a second time.

    The way you breathe. The exact moment when you relax. The precise time where you think it''s fine to relax. Your cardiac rate. Your dashing pattern. What gets you confident about victory. Your drive. Emotional triggers. Reasons.

    It never really matters how they perceive me since I always evolve tremendously in that time gap.

    "This isn''t like you at all, Rayazaki? What happened to your fighting spirit?"

    He doesn''t learn, does he?

    Ignorant like the rest, they always believe that I am incapable of changing myself or that I am incompetent to the point where I can''t adapt to the situation at hand.

    I will prove you all wrong.

    "This isn''t like me, you say? What are you talking about?"

    "Oh, you''re talking now. Nice, nice. So, um, as I was saying, you would always rush in when you are fighting, but you haven''t made a single move for the last minute. Did something happen?"

    "No, not really."

    Nothing really happened, in all honesty. That''s right. Nothing is happening nor will it happen.

    To go against the expectations of others, it exists a necessity to contradict the swirl of normalcy within the expected.

    "Then, I will end this fight right here and now."

    ......

    He''s not joking from the look in his eyes. I''ve never been curious about until now but I wonder what sort of past does he has? No...

    Is that really worth questioning? I''m fairly sure that every single person in my whole class has a fucked up past. It''s only normal that the one who I''m fighting happens to have a fucked up past.

    Regardless, the point of this observation is to find his emotional trigger. His reason for being.

    "I will win."

    There''s a vast difference between winning and losing. But overall, the vastest difference lies between whether you win or you just make your opponent lose.

    I will win; I will not make him lose. I will make myself win.

    At last, he made his move. This time around he tried to rush to his shovel.

    No way was I going to let that happen.

    As soon as he gets in range of my striking area, I will allow him to grab the shovel. Then, I will strike him with my shovel immediately as he tries to back off.

    "!"

    ...

    "Wow, you were going to kill me just now, weren''t you? Nope, no doubt about it. If I hadn''t backed off, my head would''ve been sliced off from my neck."

    It''s not as if he made me use that move on purpose, but he just didn''t have any other choice but to back off.

    Also, it was about time I broke this rhythm.

    "That''s where you''re wrong. Your neck will still get sliced off!"

    By grabbing my shovel, I dug a massive portion of sand and threw it in his direction.

    Furthermore, by throwing my shovel in his direction as a follow-up, this would give him no other choice but to move as I pleased.

    "...!"

    Exactly as predicted, in order to avoid the sand from hitting his eyes, he rushed towards the left. Rushing to his left side was something he would do. Because that''s where he tried to pick up the shovel.

    I''m fairly sure he realized that without a shovel that he cannot break through my onslaught.

    Nevertheless, I rushed immediately to where he went and launched an attack with the shovel.

    "...You''re getting a bit annoying you know..."

    "You''re one to talk, Rayazaki. I-I can barely predict what you will do now...!"

    Fancy words from someone who is using every ounce of his strength to hold the shovel''s head just so it doesn''t hit him. Yes, my attack was intercepted.

    Though, that was already far from obvious. What was necessary was to think what after.

    If he blocked my shovel attack, then he would be forced to use both of his hands to block it. Occasionally, it would be possible to block it by utilizing one hand, however, I put way too much impulse in that strike for that to become an option.

    Hell, I couldn''t care less about the shovel strike, the important part was that his hands were busy.

    "Predict? Then... predict this, please!"

    "!"

    Most people froze just up at the moment instead of realizing how to utilize their bodies to the maximum. If your hands are busy, then use your fucking legs.

    It didn''t hit home, but that''s fine.

    I was aware that the left low kick that I threw had a chance of not hitting. It''s a simple bait, at the end of the day.

    Anyone can dodge a low kick by positioning their body well. In this case, he managed to avoid the left low kick by slowly jumping back.

    This created a distance that he couldn''t resist. An average person would lose from what he was about to do.

    "Rayazaki, I really thought that you were up to something impressive, but if this is all, then it all ends her- KAHH!!!!"

    It''s nothing impressive.

    Given that he repositioned his body in which I would be vulnerable to a side kick, it made perfect sense to utilize his own two hands which were holding my shovel to bring me closer.

    Essentially, a flawless counter.

    No, that''s wrong. It''s a good counter, but not flawless.

    He brought me closer and launched a side kick which would be aimed at my stomach. Furthermore, my left leg was badly positioned. This was, by all means, a good move. Just not the correct one.

    "This one is for my jaw."

    I forgot to mention, even though he brought me closer to him, I did the simple thing of letting go of my hold which then allowed me to take some distance. Otherwise, I would not have been able to intercept the side kick.

    No, I didn''t intercept the side kick. I allowed it to be.

    Ultimately, I moved to the side zone, in which, his side kick was completely visible. A simple body rotation to the left was enough to make sure I had the upper hand here.

    This time around, it was your own mistake. You got impatient and prematurely assumed that I would not be able to fight back.

    Crack.

    A disturbing sound that signified the result of a bone being broken filled the tense atmosphere of this humid underground.

    In the meantime that he had launched that side kick, since I was in a sideway, I immediately took a hold of his knee with my right hand and additionally grabbed his ankle. All this to make sure that he had no possible way to escape the attack that would decide the outcome.

    Of course, since I was holding those two important components and he was in a position where he couldn''t respond in any possible way, I fired the decisive knee strike which was aimed at the center of his left calf.

    I had officially broken his calf with that knee strike.

    "A-Aniki!!!!"

    "Gaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!"

    I really hate how observant I get whenever I am put in a scenario where I have to face someone for the second time. It''s not my fault. It''s yours for going up against me the first time.

    Now then, it was time to finish the job.

    He was holding on to his broken left calf while crying in pain on the floor.

    Why though?

    Does he not realize that it won''t come back regardless of how much you scream?

    What a bastard this fucker is. He breaks my shoulder and jaw which should indicate that you wouldn''t complain if something similar happened to you yet he has the motherfucking audacity to be like this...

    "God fucking damn it, you piss me off so much!!"

    Since he was aiming to fuck my shoulder up, I will show you what it''s like to fuck with something that''s already broken from the get-go.

    "GAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!"

    "Take that! Take that! Take that! C''mon! What''s the matter huh!? Not feeling too hot right now, are you!? You''re all so fucking dumb! Did you all actually think that I would fucking lose this shit!? Don''t fuck with me, you bastards!!! All of you!! You''re all weak as shit!! As long as I exist, you all will never climb higher than me no matter how hard you try!!!"

    Daniel''s side.

    Fuck, fuck, fuck!!!

    Ah, shit!!! It hurts so fucking much!!!

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Oh, I fucked this up hard. Nope, I''m not even sure if I can win at this point. Not with a broken left calf.

    Besides, Rayazaki is continuously kicking my left calf with his right foot. He seems to have a grudge against me by the look of his face...

    Well, of fucking course he does. This is basically a revenge match. He must have harbored so much hatred towards me that ruling this possibility out is utterly ridiculous.

    Also...

    Why is Rayazaki speaking to every single person in here and not me?

    It''s weird no matter how you look at it. Those words should be directed at me yet he seems to be more preoccupied with assorting dominance against everyone that is present.

    Furthermore, it''s actually a miracle that he hasn''t knocked me out.

    I''m standing on the ground suffering from his brutal kicks on my broken left calf but he could have ended this fight as soon as he unleashed that knee strike yet he''s not even looking at me.

    He''s drunk on asserting supremacy.

    Which means... It''s now or never!

    I have to just accept the fact that I have a broken calf at this point. This whole fucking pain makes me want to die but that''s how it is. Fucking screaming about it won''t solve this for shit!!

    "GAAAHH!!!"

    "Look at him! He tried to predict me again yet he failed miserably!! You''re all equal to him!! What you do, I already did!!"

    God fucking damn, his arrogant trash talk is pissing me off to a whole new extent! But what''s pissing me off, even more, is that, despite his arrogant self-absorbed stance, he kept in check the possibility of my counterattack.

    I tried to take a hold of his right foot but he immediately used his left foot while backing his right foot away to crush my right hand.

    It''s actually impressive that he is able to be so absorbed into the amount of shit he is speaking while effectively countering me at the same time.

    "You were never anything praise-worthy from the damn start! You got damn lucky, but so, damn lucky that you actually thought you had a visible shot at beating me, didn''t you!? Well, look around now! Only you and I are fighting and the winner is as a clear as sunlight!! I AM!"

    For future references, I am never doing an in real life Street Fighter tournament like this ever again. Rayazaki isn''t aware of how accurate his attitude towards this whole tournament is. Plus, he''s not even acting, it''s his fucking natural persona!!

    Also, broken bones!? What the fuck man, I didn''t sign up for this shit!

    "However!! I am generous! I am aware of how superior I am in comparison to everybody who happens to share the same air as me! I understand the visible difference between I and someone who was born in my generation! Given that you are one of those unfortunate people, I, the ruler of this match, will give my ultimate decree! Daniel Lead, you are free to surrender! That''s right! This is mercy! I am allowing you to pass on the chance of being knocked out cold!"

    ........

    I had enough of this shit. I didn''t want to use this set of methods but Rayazaki has gone too far.

    I don''t care if what I''m about to do is childish or immature, but after those words, no way in fucking hell am I losing this fucking match.

    Uniting every ounce of my strength, I collect my spirit and resolution. Even though he was clearly smashing my calf''s bone to the upper limit, I refused to give a shit anymore.

    All this physical pain is partial. It''s not a necessity to give a shit about it anymore. Yes, it does hurt. Of course, it fucking does. My point is, physical pain shoulder never be a priority in these types of situations.

    "Rayazaki..."

    "Alas, witness this scenario, mere fools! The clear loser has decided to speak in response to my solemn decree! Feast your eyes upon his answer!"

    "...Your zipper is open... It''s been distracting me this whole match."

    I''m not lying, it literally has been disturbing the living hell out of me.

    "....."

    Given by the silence that everyone else, including Rayazaki himself, created, they were all staring down at one place alone.

    "Yikes."

    "Hahahaha!!! What the fuck, how come I didn''t notice that!? This is hilarious as shit loooooooooool!"

    "O-Oh my god, I think I''m gonna die from laughing so hard...!! Hahaha, my ribs!! Take me to a fucking hospital please!!"

    "Y-You''re all wrong!!! I always make sure to check my zipper in the morning!! H-He must have done it!!! You goddamn bastard, you will pay for this tric- WAAAAH!!"

    I could have said that he had his zipper open a while ago, but his attitude was far too composed. Rayazaki, however, as soon as he got the complete upper edge of me, got way too cocky. Surely, he didn''t abandon the possibility of upcoming counter attacks. In other words, the right time to use this information would be when he lost all of his past composure.

    Nevertheless, as soon as he got absorbed into the opinions of my classmates, he became distracted. Therefore, I took that chance to grab his left ankle which threw him into the ground.

    Swiftly after, I made sure to turn his whole body around, ultimately allowing me to be on top of his back.

    It didn''t matter that my left calf bone was broken, because Rayazaki''s ankle was at such a close distance that I simply had to take a hold of it. Oh, also, Rayazaki, someone who is bothered by the opinion of others too much, stopped attacking my left calf just to check his zipper.

    "Off me!! You''ll fucking die, I swear!!!"

    To be honest, I had to finish this right here and now. Rayazaki''s physical condition was far greater than mine. A broken shoulder is less worrying than a broken calf. At least you can walk properly with a broken shoulder, but not with a broken calf. My whole dashing speed would be cut if we had a contest of speed yet again.

    This time around, Rayazaki was unable to move because I was pressuring his broken shoulder. Additionally, since he was facing the ground with his back against me and not the other way around, there is hardly any way for him to come back from this.

    However, I was not going to pressure his shoulder. The aim of the match is to knock him out, not to torture him.

    "I never lose a second time! It''s useless!! I will always win, regardless of the situation!!! Just accept the fact that you are going to lose and get off m- GAH!"

    "Good game, Rayazaki."

    "And we have a winner! A round of applause for Daniel, boys!!"

    King George had given that order and thus, my fellow classmates, which were also in this tournament gave a shower of claps to me.

    Thank you, thank you.

    But, um.

    Guys.

    Why are you all smiling like so damn psychopaths?!

    Oh right, you''re all psychopaths.

    Damn it!

    Are you all looking forward to fucking your adversaries up this hard?!

    I had bigger worries since I was walking out of the cell with only one leg, but it still disturbed me how no one was scared. After witnessing what just went down, you would expect there to be terror and fear, but nope.

    These dudes are all hopeless as fuck.

    "Aniki! Aniki" Over here!!"

    With the match over, King George walked into the cell and carried the knocked out Rayazaki out of the cell. Simultaneously, Kuzan started to wave at me while calling me ''Aniki'' out of respect.

    Can''t be helped then, I''ll just ignore this massive physical pain to heed his call.

    As I walked into the observation plane, I could feel a tense atmosphere amidst two certain individuals.

    "Aniki!! What was that just now!? Is that like a secret ninja move?!"

    Although he didn''t say anything, Kan was looking in our direction sneakily.

    "That wasn''t a ninja move. I simply knocked Rayazaki out by targetting one of his pressure points."

    "Wow! Amazing, Aniki! So, what''s the name of the technique!?"

    Kuzan probably just said that in hope that I randomly responded to him while saying something that would appeal his weird interest in ninja stuff. Yet, the move I used to knock Rayazaki out really has a name.

    "What, are you interested in martial arts?"

    "Of course! I love the gimmick of fighting!"

    "Is that so? Alright then. It''s called Brachial stun."

    "Brachial stun!? So, if I use that on King George, will I be able to win!?"

    "Kuzan, come closer."

    Kuzan, just like me, is still young. And so, since we are young, we adore being foolish. But, this is too much. I can''t bear what''s about to happen to my boy.

    "W-What is it?"

    "Come on. Closer."

    "Y-You aren''t going to do anything weird, right?"

    "Nope. Not at all. Trust your Aniki on this."

    "Alright..."

    Kuzan was acting a little too cautious. I would act too. Nevertheless, he finally closed the distance and so, I proceed to hug him.

    "W-What!? Why are you hugging me!?"

    "Yosh, yosh. It''s going to be alright."

    I vow to carry Kuzan''s ashes after his fight with King George. Additionally, I will bury his body in a nice place where no one will bother his tormented soul. I''ll remember Kuzan for being the one person who called me Aniki and who thought that despite all odds that he could knock King George out with a Brachial stun.

    His soul was young yet wild.

    "W-Why are you shedding a tear?! OI!!! I feel so mocked right now!!!"

    "There''s no reason to feel that way, Kuzan. You died a hero. Most people would probably shit themselves if they were up against such monstrosity yet you, in contrast, have shown great ardor for this. You have my infinite respect. I pray that your life in the farplane does not meet the same fate as this one!"

    "What are you talking about!!! I won''t die!!! You''re overreacting, Aniki!!"

    I wish I was overreacting, I really do.

    "Daniel, could you tell me more about this ''Brachial stun'' that you were talking about a while ago?"

    Unable to keep on just observing Kan decided to ask that question.

    "Google it."

    "I don''t have any mobile data and there''s no fucking wi-fi here you dipshit!!"

    "I don''t care!! Don''t interrupt me while I''m comforting a premature dead soul!!!"

    Kan has no manners. Can he not see how sad this is!? Why is he not paying respects for Kuzan!!

    Besides, I wasn''t going to explain what a Brachial stun was. After all, there''s nothing that says that I won''t be against Kan any time soon. Although the technique is really easy to understand, it''s hard to know when to apply.

    "Tch. It''s nothing special anyway..."

    That''s where you''re wrong, Kan. A well-applied Brachial stun onto the side of the neck will cause the one who received it to lose complete consciousness. What Rayazaki suffered that gave him a surefire defeat was the result of an extremely well-timed Brachial stun.

    To use the Brachial stun, you can use a variety of attacks, as long as they hit the side of the neck with accuracy. Furthermore, it needs a certain amount of power applied to it. I decided to apply a chop onto Rayazaki''s neck from the left side which resulted in his defeat.

    As to why I didn''t want to use it earlier... Well, it could very well work in a death scenario. But, I''m confident that I haven''t applied that much strength into it to come down to that.

    "By the way, Aniki, who do you think is gonna win?"

    "Who you ask...?"

    I was, of course, aware of what Kuzan was asking me. Although the two individuals were not near us anymore, they had moved onto the fighting spotlight.

    Though, honestly, I had no idea about the two individuals'' physical prowess.

    "Has anyone seen one of them fighting?"

    Tsudo asked a really good question.

    "I don''t think so. But, since Akihiko and Tatsu mutually agreed to this tournament without any objections, I''m assuming that they have some sort of plan..."

    Sagasuga was on point here. If you had any sort of complaint with the fact that we were basically playing Street Fighter in real life, then it would make sense to voice that complaint yet the fact that Akihiko and Tatsu mutually agreed with the rest of us means that they are confident about this in one way or another.

    "Akihiko doesn''t seem that strong honestly. I have no idea what type of crime he committed but I reckon that most of us have engaged in physical activities as a way to prepare ourselves for such troublesome occasions, right?"

    True enough, Ryoken laid the truth out.

    "Not necessarily. There are so many crimes that do not require the usage of physical activity. It would be an overstatement to say that both Akihiko and Tatsu are minimally physically prepared just because they might''ve committed crimes that require a well functioning body."

    However, Sagasuga refused to agree. I share the same opinion as Sagasuga. Even though we are constantly on the blood for each other, that could simply be viewed as a defensive mechanism. Plus, Akihiko himself is only known for his self-talking trait. He never really showed to be physically intimidating unlike some of us.

    Tatsu''s the real mystery though. I have no opinion about him.

    "So you''re suggesting that one of them might not even be qualified to win this?"

    "All I''m saying is, it''s far more correct to assume all kinds of possibilities instead of immediately labeling someone as a weakling just because they don''t possess any sort of visible physical prowess."

    "But Sagasuga, isn''t that awkward man? What sense does it make to not have any sort of physical prowess while agreeing into this whole tournament?"

    "You don''t really need any sort of physical prowess because we are armed with a lethal weapon if used correctly, Kuzan."

    This time I''ll disagree with Sagasuga. You do need physical prowess in order to win constantly in a physical tournament that requires physical interaction with your opponent.

    "Why don''t you all stop theory crafting and just observe? The winner is gonna be decided by the result of their fight, not by your words, you bimbos."

    After Kan''s reasonable proposition, silence hit the atmosphere. Our eyes turned front into the same place. We were all curious about the outcome of the match, so we feasted our eyes onto the present scenario.

    But first, King George, who was putting Rayazaki''s body in a special zone that was somewhat far away from our current location, had yet to speak.

    "Alright, finally done putting the trash in its place."

    I don''t feel bad for Rayazaki. After all that trash talk, he deserves this.

    "Now then! Since Daniel managed to secure the win against this trash can, the next match will begin! Who will win?! Trash can number 3 or trash can number 4!?"

    King George''s rude match introduction aside, I''m surprised that they haven''t said a word to each other. They are both highly composed as well. What the hell. Are they that confident in that own abilities?

    "Yo, wanna make some bets?"

    "Fine by me. So, what are we betting?"

    Shady words were going down between Kan and Kuzan.

    "Money."

    "Nope. I''m broke as fuck."

    We all are broke as hell. I''m not sure what Kan was thinking when he proposed such a thing.

    "Then... well... let''s make weightless bets, I guess. Just for fun."

    "Oh yeah. That works too. Well, I''m betting on Akihiko. Anyone who Aniki approves has my approval too."

    I never approved of Akihiko. As a matter of fact, Tatsu''s mysteriousness is far more alerting to me than Akihiko''s unknown yet to see abilities.

    "I''m betting on Tatsu then. I have no real reason as to why I should bet on him, but I certainly don''t have a reason to bet on Akihiko. The dude just seems way too kind for some reason. I never have sensed a shred of malice coming from him."

    Well, Kan was right. For a supposed criminal, Akihiko was behaving like a goodie. There was nothing off about him except the fact that he refuses to keep his thoughts inside. But, that wasn''t exactly being witnessed right now. He had not spoken a word.

    "My bet''s on Tatsu too. I share the same reasoning as Kan''s."

    "Same thing. No way Akihiko wins this. Someone who doesn''t have the balls to face a girl is bound to get rekt in any scenario."

    Said Sagasuga and Tsudo. So far, only Kuzan was betting on Akihiko. Kan, Sagasuga, and Tsudo were all betting on Tatsu to win.

    "But he was against a chainsaw, though. Either way, my bet''s on Akihiko. He might just do something unexpected."

    "Still a pussy. Look at me, I faced Shizuku despite her obnoxious sexual tendencies!"

    Rebooking Ryoken''s opinion, Tsudo reasoned that Akihiko was a pussy just because he didn''t man up and stood up against a girl with a chainsaw. Meanwhile, Tsudo also claimed that he was the greater catch because he managed to stand up against Shizuku''s ''sexual tendencies''.

    "So, Daniel, what''s your take?"

    I could just not voice my take on this but since this is a weightless bet, why not.

    "Tatsu. Akihiko seems way too absent-minded for some reason. He''s not even talking to himself like usual."

    "Oh yeah! That''s true! But you know, Aniki, he hasn''t talked to himself ever since the day we infiltrated the girls'' dorm! What exactly happened?"

    "I don''t know..."

    Kuzan was really speaking the truth. Ever since that day, Akihiko had been acting out of character for some reason...

    "Alright, so basically... I, Sagasuga, Daniel, and Tsudo are betting that Tatsu will win, meanwhile Kuzan and Ryoken betted that Akihiko would actually win, right? Or am I missing something here?"

    "Well... We still are missing one person, right?"

    "O-Oi, you can''t be serious..."

    "But I am serious. Aren''t you curious as well, Kan?"

    "...Sure. You call him."

    Not sure as to why Kan''s acting so reserved.

    "King George, before you begin, can you come here for a second!?"

    "The fuck!? Can''t you dipshits see that I''m trying to spice this fight up!?"

    Maybe this was why Kan refused to speak his mind about this.

    "Who do you think will win!?"

    "I will!!!"

    And I''m not too sure as to why I even bothered to question this when the answer he would give was obvious as hell.

    "See..."

    Kan''s exhausted toned answer was reasonable, I guess.

    "Ah, before we begin, can I just offer a handshake to Tatsu? I want this to be a decisive match, after all."

    "What? You finally decide to speak and that''s what you choose to say?"

    "Hm? Yeah. Is there a problem with a simple handshake? It''s a common thing in sports. It''s a sign of sportsmanship. Have you ever heard of it?"

    "Yes... But, I don''t think you understand the gravity of the situation..."

    Tatsu was placing his right palm on his whole face as a sign that he was disappointed. Truly, if my opponent was this clueless about what was about to go down then I would share the same sentiment. Despite holding onto to his shovel, Akihiko was not behaving like someone who was supposedly about to fight someone to the death.

    "Oh, but I do. Seriously. Here, a handshake!"

    Taking his hand off his face, Tatsu finally faces Akihiko and decides to move forward as if to accept Akihiko''s request.

    "Don''t blame me for thi-"

    Bam.

    "............."

    "Surprise, bitch."

    D-Did this guy seriously just!?

    "Oi, you little shit! I didn''t announce that the match could begin! Who said that you could knock your opponent out straight up!?"

    "Uh? Um, well... Daniel said anything goes so I figured I would fool Tatsu and knock him out like this... Is something in the matter?"

    "No, there''s nothing in the matter! We have a winner!!"

    I did say anything would go, but I certainly wasn''t expecting Akihiko to knock Tatsu out with his shovel before the match even began.

    ...................

    Even though Tatsu was kind enough to accept Akihiko''s request, the handshake was never realized because Akihiko knocked him out with a frontal shovel attack as soon as their eyes met.

    Tatsu, of course, was not expecting this and got immediately knocked out cold.

    ..................................

    Akihiko might be slightly dangerous.

 Volume 2 - Chapter 14: Criminals vs Criminals.

    "I didn''t know that you had zero dignity, Akihiko."

    "Are you kidding me? Why would you have dignity in that situation? Tatsu was dumb as fuck for thinking that I would actually extend a noble handshake. Of course, I was going to knock the living life out of that bastard. Nobody facepalms me."

    That''s what he''s mad about?!

    "No, but seriously, I''m really surprised. I didn''t think that you''d pull out something like that. Looks really can be deceiving huh."

    "What''s that supposed to mean, Kan? There''s no way that I lose once I want to win."

    "Yeah, yeah, sure. Have a seat though, the next battle is about to go down."

    Akihiko for some reason didn''t seem to be saying those last words as a joke. Normally you''d boast about your victory and say some confident words as a way to intimidate your possible upcoming opponents but he just said those words as if they were natural.

    To summarize, so far, Rayazaki, who was knocked out cold by a Brachial stun and Tatsu, who was knocked out by a surprise shovel attack, are out of the tournament. In other words, only three fights remain for the first round.

    "And now! For the upcoming trash fight, we got no other than... trash can 5 versus trash can 6!! Come on you pieces of shit, get in the cell already!!"

    ...

    I had no idea who would win this fight. Actually, I think I do. Sagasuga supposedly killed someone along with that someone''s family. It''s just that... I think Sagasuga is the type of person who cannot get into a fighting mood without a real reason. He''s a good person on principle yet he is, conditionally, a bad person.

    Well, that''s what I think at least. After what Akihiko showed me, I figured it would be dumb to take someone for granted.

    As for Tsudo... I seriously believe that he committed crimes that involve perverted actions. Or maybe that''s just his nature.

    "Tsudo, let''s have a good match."

    Sagasuga followed the same move as Akihiko. No, no way Sagasuga would be dumb to the point of actually trying to imitate the same movement...

    "Sagasuga, where have those fingers of your right hand been?"

    Tsudo had asked a very serious question that everyone present was curious about.

    "...What?"

    "Oi. Don''t fuck with me. You goddamn bloomer. I''ll repeat myself only once. Where have those fingers of your right hand been?"

    "I-I''m seriously not understanding what you are trying to say!"

    With the shovel in his right hand, Tsudo looked down to the ground for some reason.

    "I see... A white knight until the very end. I thought that you would show some actual compassion and share your sins, but... it appears... that you must die!!! FORGIVE ME, MASTER, I MUST GO ALL OUT!!!"

    I''m fairly sure that Tsudo doesn''t have a master and just said that to boost his mental strength. Tsudo then proceeds to dash towards Sagasuga at full force.

    Kill him, Tsudo.

    "W-What the hell!! Woah!!! You''re not making any sense!!"

    "Silence!! Stop dodging! I will purge your very existence from this planet! Thou shall know my wrath!!!"

    I really want to support Tsudo in this but Tsudo is not hitting a single attack.

    His motives are reasonable, in fact, they are essential when it comes down to take down someone like Sagasuga, but this is a little bit too easy for Sagasuga.

    "You sinful being!! How dare you escape your punishment!! You think it''s alright for you to have all the pussy for you!? BLASPHEMY!!!"

    "Again, I have no idea what you are on about!!"

    "Don''t... play... dumb... with... me...!!! Damn it!!! Why am I not hitting this bastard''s crotch!?"

    I would like to note that Tsudo might have a chance to land a good hit if he wasn''t aiming at Sagasuga''s crotch all the time. It''s as if Tsudo doesn''t actually want to knock Sagasuga''s consciousness out but he wants to make sure that Sagasuga never has the power to display his manhood to a girl ever again.

    If I was allowed to, I would intervene in this fight. But, this is too decide whoever advances to the next round.

    "Stop aiming at my dick!! Explain yourself!! Why are you mad at me!?"

    Wait, is Sagasuga this clueless about the true reason as to why Tsudo wants him dead?

    Nevertheless, since so far, this has been a one-sided onslaught, a failed onslaught at it, Tsudo decided to stop attacking as if to make sure he said some words first.

    "You can''t fool me, Sagasuga. You don''t understand me! You can''t comprehend the fragile feelings that a virgin like me has! How dare you swim to the other side before any of us!!"

    Oi.

    "Again, what the hell are you talking about!? Be more specific please!!"

    "Holy shit, Sagasuga, he''s mad because you banged Tateyana instead of patiently waiting for the right time to bloom!"

    "Eh? But isn''t my age fine to bloom?"

    "SO YOU REALLY DID IT!! RAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!"

    Once again, Tsudo wildly charged that Sagasuga. This time around, with a bit of more speed to it.

    It was a mistake to answer Kan''s question in such an honest and disrespectful manner like that, Sagasuga.

    You''ll pay for that flex.

    "You''re misunderstanding!! All I said was that my age is fine for blooming!"

    "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! I don''t wanna hear it!! Also, stop fucking dodging you beta cuck!! Let me kill it!! It must die!!!"

    Regardless of Tsudo''s words, Tsudo''s target would always be the same in this fight.

    Well, honestly speaking, no matter how much I internally want Tsudo to win this fight, Sagasuga just keeps on dodging. Tsudo''s attacks aren''t slow, Sagasuga is just really agile. But, Sagasuga is for some reason still trying to understand the situation despite how fucking obvious it is.

    "Look! I haven''t done anything to Tateyana! Can you chill out?!"

    "Hahaha, you take me for a fool you damn traitor!? The evidence is there!! We were supposed to hunt Kuzan down yet you were too busy blooming!! Motherfucker!!!"

    "The hell are you on about!? I was trying to convince Tateyana to not charge us!!!"

    "Convince? Oh sure. Yeah, oh, here Tateyana, have my fucking dick as a bribe, hahaha. DIE!!!!"

    This is sad to watch. I know for a fact who will win this battle, but it''s sad nonetheless. It''s sad because the one who is gonna win does not deserve to win.

    Go to hell, Sagasuga.

    "What!? You actually think I had sex with her!?"

    "I don''t have to think about it!!!!"

    "You goddamn dork! Why would I taint a girl''s treasure spot like that!? I''m not worthy of it!"

    "Shut up, Sagasuga!! Your whole white knight speech is killing my will to live!!! How dare you lie about it!"

    "Tsudo!!! Listen to me for a second!! I didn''t do anything to her! We just had a special kind of talk, that''s all..."

    "Oi..."

    "Oh! Are you finally calm now?"

    "W-Why are you blushing while saying that...?"

    I was curious too.

    "E-Eh? W-Well... Since you''ve calmed down I guess I could share... To be honest, I and Tateyana were doing a flirt challenge. Needless to say, I won!"

    "Y-You''re..."

    Tsudo needn''t say the words. Red tears were streaming down from his face. Coincidentally, the same was occurring to the majority of the spectators, myself included.

    "Ah, but just so you know, she was pretty good at it. Nyahaha, I almost lost sometimes!"

    "...Lost? Care to explain?"

    "Mhm? Uh, well... The things she said put me in a tight spot for a second, hahaha."

    Sagasuga''s choice of words was extremely poor. He just had not noticed it. He was too much of a white knight to notice it.

    "...Oh... I see... What else, Sagasuga...?"

    Tsudo looked to be raging with fury from faraway. This might just be the trigger that he needs to win.

    "What else...? Oh, right! When she was feeling pressured, she would squirt sometimes! Man, that was cuteeeeee as hell, hahaha."

    Oh god... What have you done, Sagasuga!?

    "King George, is the door to the surface locked?"

    Tsudo was asking a question that might''ve been interpreted as a strange question to many yet to the likes of me, I completely understood his intention.

    "Yeah. Why would I leave it open?"

    "Oh, that''s good. No, sorry, sorry about that stupid question. I was just making sure that Sagasuga would have no possible place to escape."

    "...Eh? Tsudo, what''s wrong? Why are you saying such hostile things towards me?"

    "Hostile things? Is that what you think this is about? No, no. This isn''t hostility... This is a necessity! Breathe your last breath, since it''s going to be your fucking last!!!!"

    After that questionable event for a physical fight to happen, Tsudo resumed his onslaught.

    "What the hell!? I thought that my words would you understand what truly happened!"

    "THEY MOST SURELY FUCKING DID!!!"

    "Then, why are you still doing this!?"

    Okay, this is bugging the fuck out of me. Why hasn''t Sagasuga knocked Tsudo out? I''m sorry, Tsudo. No matter how truthful and accurate your reasons are, there is no way that you are winning this. Sagasuga is clearly going easy on you. YET, this pussy refuses to perform any sort of offensive strike onto Tsudo.

    The fuck is this.

    This fight could never end, honestly. Sagasuga is just searching for a valid reason to pull Tsudo out of his misery but he is so convinced that it''s not worth it to knock Tsudo out cold just because Tsudo doesn''t understand his version of the situation.

    These two seem like two complete opposites, with all things considered. Tsudo enjoys enforcing reason to put down his opponent meanwhile Sagasuga refuses to enforce reason and will only act when he fully understands the situation. Or, in this case, if the one he is up against understands the situation.

    There''s just a big problem here. Tsudo refuses to listen to Sagasuga''s version of what actually happened. At least according to Sagasuga. Although, Sagasuga really is at fault for thinking that Tsudo can understand his version of the situation. The core reason as to why Tsudo can''t comprehend the situation is mainly because Sagasuga''s words are very misleading.

    "Why am I doing this you ask!? Because I hate bloomers like you! Think about your surroundings for a second!! Do you think it''s a fine thing to just bang Tateyana like that!?"

    "Wait... I''ve been curious about something, but could it be that you have a crush on Tateyana?"

    Sagasuga, once again, completely did not understand Tsudo''s words. It didn''t matter if it was Tateyana or not. It''s just the fact that he went ahead to the end goal way too fast and Tsudo''s furious about that.

    "Huh!? Who the hell would have a crush on her!? Are you out of your mind?!"

    "Wait... Then why are you speaking idly of her? I don''t get this. It''s one thing to target me. I can understand that, but why are you targetting Tateyana?"

    "What? I''m not targetting her! I''m just speaking of your unforgivable acts with Tateyana!"

    "Hey... Stop speaking her name, Tsudo. You don''t have the right."

    It''s funny that we are all criminals yet we are trying to somehow solve this through morally correct methods. Especially Sagasuga, who despite killing a whole family, acts righteous day in, day in. Not a single day out.

    "But she''s the one who you did it with. She''s also at fault, no matter how you look at it. A sinner''s partner should be branded as well!"

    "Shut up..."

    "You don''t tell me to shut up! I hate every single thing about righteous people like you! Especially when they manage to swim inside the red lake before me!"

    "You really don''t know anything, do you..."

    Hm? What''s happening?

    Why is Sagasuga''s voice so monochrome now? It was full of energy a while ago yet for some reason it''s as if Sagasuga just doesn''t want to talk anymore.

    "The hell!? Of course, I know! Whatever, I had enough of this talk! It''s pointless when you are the one who is going to die! Repent!!"

    There was something off about the way this was going. Tsudo held his shovel quite high as if he was going to execute a strike on Sagasuga''s head. In the previous minutes, Sagasuga had not bothered to overlook that since he was purposedly dodging.

    He was dodging because he wanted to reason with Tsudo.

    But, that could not be seen no more.

    As Tsudo charged right at Sagasuga, Sagasuga pressed forward in a flash and high-kicked Tsudo''s head.

    This worked out because Tsudo was aimlessly rushing towards Sagasuga.

    Ultimately, Tsudo went flying outside of the cell, which indicated that he had been completely knocked out.

    Honestly, even though the rest of the spectators were shocked to the point where their jaws dropped, I wasn''t.

    Call it high expectations but I didn''t expect any less from Sagasuga.

    Sure, he might be a white knight and whatnot, but as soon as he abandons reason, he resorts to his cold malicious side.

    "And we have a winner! It appears that ultra virgin Tsudo could not avenge his fragile feelings and as a result, got utterly knocked the fuck out by Sagasuga!"

    Overall, the fight somewhat sucked. It was more like a misunderstanding than anything. Tsudo was mostly at fault for unknowingly pissing Sagasuga off. Regardless of what he did, he was not going to win. It was just a matter of time before Sagasuga gathered the will to knock him out.

    Whatever Tsudo did probably didn''t involve that much physical activity. Although, that''s somewhat premature to assume. Sagasuga is no joking matter when it comes to physical things. Again, Tsudo''s attacks weren''t slow or anything like that. Tsudo was just unlucky that he faced an opponent that had the total upper edge onto him.

    Also, there is a very bigger worry right now.

    "Aniki! What was that just now!? Sagasuga just destroyed Tsudo with that!"

    "Oh, Kuzan. Well, that was a high kick. Although a high kick usually requires tremendous flexibility and a considerable amount of practice in order to use it like that, Sagasuga pulled it off. But, given that Tsudo was rushing in his direction and had no guard whatsoever, anything could have ended the fight, honestly."

    His spirit is as high as ever. What a grand existence.

    "Aniki, can you do the same?"

    "Not exactly..."

    I never really enjoyed kicks. I always hated the fact that I had to stretch the living shit out of my legs just for them to be effective.

    Plus, with a broken calf, there''s absolutely no way I can do one.

    "Hey, Aniki!"

    "What, Kuzan?"

    "Do you think that I can win the upcoming fight?"

    As his Aniki, it''s my duty to make sure he gets the most truthful of all answers.

    "Kuzan, once the fight starts, immediately knock yourself out. You don''t have to suffer from the wrath of that violent beast."

    I''m going to confess something. I wasn''t really paying that much attention to the fight that just happened. I was, instead, trying to search for an answer that would allow Kuzan to not die from the upcoming match.

    And so, this is the ultimate answer that I have arrived at. If Kuzan knocks himself out before the fight even begins then there won''t be any room for suffering. The fight ends once a fighter is knocked out.

    "Hahaha, what? Don''t say such things. I''ll win this and get us all out of here, Aniki!"

    Kuzan, you goddamn fucking idiot!

    "No, Kuzan! Listen to your Aniki! You must absolutely knock yourself o-"

    "Interesting words, boi!"

    Christ, when the fuck did he get here?!

    "Please, give us a little more time! I need to discuss something of great urgency with Kuzan!"

    "Hell no! Kuzan, get your ass up, son!"

    Monster!! How can someone be so cold-blooded!!

    "Alright! I''m off then! Wish me luck, Aniki!"

    Damn it, Kuzan! Don''t give me those words! No matter how much luck I wish you it won''t change a fucking thing!!

    As I struggled to watch King George take away Kuzan from my side, Sagasuga had returned. Of course, King George was only here because he was done putting Tsudo''s body in its place.

    Rayazaki, Tatsu, and, Tsudo were officially lined up.

    Oi.

    They''re not dead, are they!?

    "Hey, Sagasuga, do you think that they are dead?"

    I made a serious question to Sagasuga who seemed to be completely out of the scene. His facial expression resembled rage instead of his blissful usual expression.

    "Sorry, don''t talk to me for a while. Once I''m in a mood to talk, I will talk. Until then, don''t bother me."

    Figured that much. Although he isn''t moody usually, once he gets moody it manages to get the best of him.

    Besides, some very questionable words were being exchanged between the two fighters in the cell.

    While Kuzan and King George stood in front of each other, their height difference was somewhat horrifying, even though it wasn''t that much of a difference honestly.

    Plus, for some reason, King George took out a mini notebook and a pen from his uniform''s pocket.

    "Kuzan Takeshi, that''s your full name, right?"

    "Ah, yes. Why though?"

    "Kuzan Takeshi... I see."

    King George was slowly noting down what Kuzan was saying.

    "Where do you live, Kuzan?"

    "Uh, does it matter?"

    "Very much so. Also, be extremely specific about where you live. This is important."

    "Tokyo, Chichibu. But seriously, why though?"

    Once again, King George took note of what Kuzan said.

    "Your address?"

    "Sorry, can''t remember."

    "That''s fine. I''ll do an extensive search for your parents."

    "My parents?"

    "Yes, what is the name of your parents?"

    "Oh, um, my father''s name is Shinsegawa Takeshi. As for my mother, her name is Aoi Takeshi. But seriously, why do you need this information, King George?"

    King George, however, did not answer. He simply continued to write down Kuzan''s words down.

    "Last question. What is your favorite place in Japan?"

    "Eh... That''s a really good question honestly. I like the imperial palace. I always wanted to live there for some reason. But... If I truly had to say... My favorite place is definitely Mt. Fuji!"

    "I see. It will be somewhat challenging to get to the top of it, but I will, nonetheless, achieve your wish as a sign of respect."

    "I really don''t get this, King George. Can we just begin the fight already? This is boring. I don''t like to just stand here and do nothing at all!"

    "Good grief... You really are in a rush to die, aren''t you? Very well then. I declare the match to begin!"

    "That''s what I''m talking ab-"

    "NAIVE, BOI!"

    Shouting such loud words like that, King George slaps Kuzan to the ninth realm.

    No words are needed to describe what just happened. I will, of course, attend Kuzan''s funeral.

    "King George, I will carry him. Please, get away from my boy."

    "If only your boy hadn''t stolen my food then I might''ve been willing to show minimal mercy. But no one and I mean this, NO ONE steals my fucking food!!"

    I wanted to retort at King George for how childish his complaint was, but he had a point. Stealing food is a massive crime. Regardless, my boy didn''t deserve this.

    Walking with a broken calf, I slowly made my way to where Kuzan was. Then, I took a look at his face which was marked with a huge slap mark... It can''t be...

    "Look how they massacred my boy..."

    This by no means an intentional Godfather reference. I''m serious about this. Look at him.

    Grabbing his left arm, I put it right on top of my left shoulder and carried him into the pile.

    By pile, I mean where the rest of the defeated losers are.

    Leaving his body there, I was about to take my leave, until...

    ".........A-Aniki..........."

    "K-Kuzan!? Is that you!?"

    His eyes could barely open, but I was certain! Kuzan said something!

    ".......P-Please......"

    "You don''t have to say it! It''s fine! Don''t force yourself! Just rest already, Kuzan!! Your Aniki will avenge you!!"

    "......N-No......I have to say it.........Y-You must get everyone out of here........Only you can do it......"

    I then dropped Kuzan''s body on the floor.

    To think that such a beta like him called me Aniki. It seems I need to reform his beta ideology about saving everyone here.

    Regardless, I will avenge Kuzan. And for that reason, I need to win the upcoming round.

    I then slowly walked right into the observation plane.

    An interesting fight was about to go down, or so I would assume.

    "I''m not going to bother with any more fighting announcements. Begin whenever you feel like. Go wild!"

    "Aight, King George. So, how confident are you, Ryoken?"

    "Was about to ask you the same thing since you seemed to be quaking on your boots."

    And the trash talk had begun.

    For the last match of the round, Ryoken and Kan were up against each other.

    They both seem fairly strong, honestly. The question is, who will win?

    "I have no patience for prolonged fights, so I''m gonna end this pretty quickly. One strike will decide it all. It won''t be like the previous fights."

    Did Kan forget that Kuzan was knocked out cold due to a single slap from King George?

    "Well, I''m glad we finally agree on something. Come at me, bro."

    "Nope. You come at me. I''m not gonna move a single inch."

    Wait, what?

    Normally when someone says ''Come at me, bro.'' you''d expect that person to rush in but Kan is keeping a calm pose about this.

    "Well, okay then."

    Oddly enough, Ryoken began to dig dirt from the ground.

    "What, you gonna throw some dirt at me?"

    "Yeah, problem?"

    I''m not sure what Kan''s plan here is but having dirt thrown at his direction will naturally force him to move. Maybe that was Ryoken''s true intent.

    "No, not really. It just won''t do you any good."

    "We''ll just... have to see about that!"

    Taking Kan''s taunt head-on, Ryoken throws the dirt that was engulfed into the spade right at Kan.

    "This is why it''s useless to resort to that sort of trick."

    Cleverly enough, Kan simply swayed all the dirt thrown at him by swinging his shovel in a horizontal direction. This way, the back of the spade''s head would cast the dirt away.

    "If you want to win, then come closer. Let''s have a proper fight. Is that not why we are here?"

    "Haha, weird, man. Are you proposing something fair or am I tripping?"

    Ryoken''s definitely tripping, there''s no way that that''s a truthful proposition. It''s one-hundred percent bait.

    "I''m serious right now. If you come closer then we will engage in a physical fight. No need to resort to cheap tricks. Why are you prolonging the fight like this? Just come."

    "Aren''t you the one prolonging this? You were the one who said for me to come at you but you don''t even intend on making a move. Your words are contradicting, Kan."

    "Oi, you''re not gonna scold me, are you? I''ll fucking kill you if you have the audacity to speak such boring lines."

    "Ah, then kill me. But of course, you need to come closer for that, don''t you?"

    I see where Ryoken''s getting at. Apparently, the first strike will decide this for sure. That much was already obvious. The problem is, none of them are willing to initiate the first move.

    "...Hey, what did you do to get in here?"

    "Would you tell me what you did?"

    "Definitely not. But, seriously, aren''t you holding back a little too much? Just come at me."

    "No, I don''t think I will. I''m fine here."

    You can''t be serious...

    Are these two...

    "You fucking pussies, I''m not gonna stand for this shit! If neither of you makes a move in 5 minutes then I will come in there and knock some motherfucking sense into you bitches!"

    Predictable as it may be, there would be no way that King George was just going to let that slip by.

    As a matter of fact, why should he?

    "Hear that, Ryoken?"

    "Yeah, I heard that. My question is, did you?"

    Wait, do they not realize the consequence of continuing with this stupid act!?

    Just make the move pussies!!

    "Fine... Well, I have a coin. Let''s decide this since we obviously aren''t going to move according to our wills. Heads or tails?"

    "Tails."

    "I''m heads then. I''ll toss the coin."

    Then, as the coin which was tossed in the air returned to Kan''s wrist, the outcome would be initiated.

    "The result is tails. Therefore, you go first."

    "Oi, that was definitely heads! You fucking liar! Why are you so stubborn about this?!"

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "Wait, how am I stubborn? Aren''t you the one who is refusing to attack?"

    "You''re the same, you goddamn idiot!!"

    "Am I though?"

    "Huh? Yes, you a-"

    While Ryoken was too busy complaining about Kan''s stubbornness, Kan had taken that chance to make the first move. Well, I wasn''t sure whether or not Kan would stick to his stubborn behavior but he must have had something in mind, surely.

    Maybe striking when Ryoken would show a visible frustration was his call?

    "Woah, what the hell, you can do backflips? No wonder you''re such a clown."

    Although Kan attempted to strike Ryoken head-on with a horizontal shovel swing, Ryoken performed a backflip which allowed him to gain the distance.

    "Fucking funny coming from a liar like you."

    "Let''s see you do more of those backflips, shall we?"

    Kan then continued to swing his shovel horizontally in order to hit Ryoken, but Ryoken would backflip every time, until...

    "End of the fucking line, clown."

    Kan''s whole aim was probably not to hit Ryoken but to force him to backflip onto one direction alone. Previously, since he had only been striking with his shovel, a shovel by itself has a tremendous range which requires the one who is being attacked to back off for a great amount. Yet, despite knowing that, Ryoken continued to back away without striking back.

    Ultimately, Ryoken is now with his back against a wall, literally. That was Kan''s ultimate aim.

    "No choice, huh?"

    "What?"

    Intercepting Kan''s horizontal swing, Ryoken held Kan''s shovel with his left hand.

    Taking advantage of that momentum, Ryoken stroke Kan''s stomach with an uppercut, since it was wide open.

    "Kahhhh!"

    Additionally, due to this uppercut on his stomach, Kan''s shovel was tossed aside by Ryoken''s right kick. Furthermore, he grabbed Kan''s hair and unleashed a knee strike onto his nose. All of this was possible just because Kan was on his knees.

    "Well, so much for that, huh? What was that about me being a clown? Care to say that in front of me again?"

    "...Just end me already. I don''t wanna hear it."

    "Tsk, that was the whole point, you fucking retard."

    Hearing Kan''s words, Ryoken held his right fist high as if to perform an execution onto Kan''s head.

    "Heh, retard."

    "Wh-"

    The moment Ryoken''s fist was about to make a connection with Kan''s head, Kan lifted his right hand and stabbed Ryoken''s right fist with a mini knife.

    "Kuhhhhhhh!!!"

    Taking a quick note of what just happened, Ryoken backed off immediately.

    His right fist tendons were most likely shattered from that. If not his bones, as well.

    After all, he had just taken a full swing at an entire knife''s blade. Blood was streaming down from his right fist as if it was water from a rising waterfall.

    "Son of a bitch... Y-You''d actually resort to lethal weapons?"

    "Huh?! What the hell is your point, Ryoken! Of fucking course, I would! Also, you have a shovel, right? Fucking use it then!"

    Kan''s right. Ryoken had not utilized his shovel thus far. It made me wonder if Ryoken just didn''t want to become vulnerable to being countered. Yet, he got countered this time around.

    "I don''t need it to defeat you. Only cowards utilize weapons to their own benefit!"

    "What!? Your whole logic is so flawed! This is a fight to see who knocks out the other first! It makes perfect sense to utilize weapons to your own benefit! Are you seriously retarded to this extent?!"

    "I don''t care. I will show you just what I mean. After all, I will change the situation!"

    For the first time, Ryoken was showing a strong grit by the looks of it.

    "What can you even do though? Your right fist is useless. I will keep on mutilating your body until you are left useless!"

    "My fist isn''t useless!"

    Allowing his emotions to come into play, Ryoken this time around, rushed to Kan. But, the outcome would be catastrophic, should Ryoken fail.

    "You don''t learn your fucking lesson, huh!?"

    Kan met Ryoken''s encounter and decided to swing his left fist right to Ryoken''s face.

    As a counter, Ryoken performed a bridge in order to dodge Kan''s swing.

    However, that was the real bait. Because inside Kan''s right hand was the mini-knife that he had used previously.

    This time around though, Ryoken, who was already ahead of Kan, had used his left hand to take a hold of Kan''s right hand, which then allowed him to raise his torso back up.

    With both fists out of his way, Ryoken delivered a low kick onto Kan''s left lower leg.

    "GAAAH!!"

    I must say, Ryoken''s playing this out fairly well. I didn''t expect so much competence coming from him.

    Kan isn''t doing too shabby either but right now, as of this moment, Ryoken has the obvious upper edge.

    "Take this!"

    Says Ryoken as he delivers as sidekick onto Kan''s face. Kan, this time around, had no way of dodging it which proved to be fatal.

    Ryoken immediately got on top of him and started to fire a barrage of fists from left to right and so on.

    Unlike any other fights in which some sort of character could come back from this, Ryoken was not allowing Kan to ever get back up.

    His fists were far too rapid for Kan to keep up. In fact, they were too fast for Kan''s consciousness to keep up as well.

    Thus, the fight was decided. It really didn''t end in a single strike but the most successful combination of strikes that belonged to Ryoken, allowed to gain the ultimate edge of this match.

    Kan was, without a doubt, knocked out cold.

    Something important to not misunderstand here is that Kan was not weak. Ryoken was simply way more clever than him. Plus, Ryoken''s resolution seemed to be at its peak. Nonetheless, as Ryoken left the cell, an endless bloodstream could be seen.

    "Yo, I did it."

    "Good work out there, Ryoken."

    After all the talk we had back then, it''s alright to assume that we are connected to a bond that is close to friendship. I don''t particularly care about it, but since it gives Ryoken the motivation he needs to succeed in this, then that''s something good.

    "Alright, now that I''ve put trash can 5 in the pile, let''s move on! I am automatically in the finals! Therefore, struggle all you want plebs and rejoice! You don''t get to experience what Kuzan experienced. YET!"

    Yeah ok, boomer.

    Flex all you want, one strike is all we need.

    Also, the fights were already decided. I would go up against Akihiko and Sagasuga would go up against Ryoken.

    .........

    I can''t help but be alerted when I''m up against Akihiko. I don''t want to suffer the same tragic fate as Tatsu.

    "Hey, Daniel, don''t worry, even if you don''t win, I just have to win the rest. It''s actually fine to win since I will win the rest."

    In response to Ryoken''s strong words, I was expecting Sagasuga to retort since he is his opponent, but Sagasuga didn''t utter a word out of his mouth. His mood is still negative.

    If this keeps up, then I wouldn''t be too confident about Ryoken''s victory.

    Regardless, the whole idea was that we all, despite losing to each other or not, had to inflict just a single strike onto King George.

    In the end, it didn''t even matter who would win. Even so, we had to obey the basic premise of the tournament which is to knock the opponent out cold.

    ...............

    Hypothetically speaking, it wouldn''t be such an incorrect thing to assume that I might lose. I have a broken calf. The odds are against me. Sure, I have plenty of emotion inside me. To be more precise, I have this undying spirit that refuses to acknowledge the supposed good part about losing and only allows me to see the positive side of winning.

    That''s not enough though. Akihiko''s physical condition is untouched. It''s at its peak so to speak.

    "Hey! For how long are you going to make us wait!? Get in the damn cell, you two lazy bitches!"

    I was actually going to get up now, but then I realized that Akihiko had not gotten up from the cold stiff ground as well.

    "...What was it again? I feel like I had something important to do... Gahhhh... What the hell..."

    "Oh, you''re back to talking to yourself again, Akihiko!"

    "Huh? But I never talk to myself, Daniel. I got no idea what you are on about..."

    Is he playing dumb? Is this somehow a strategy to fool me?

    "That''s not true, Akihiko. In class, you were always talking to yourself. Sana got pretty mad at you often."

    "Wait, really? Why though...? I don''t really recall ever speaking to myself..."

    "Well, whatever. Let''s get on with it."

    "True that."

    I really could not understand whether or not Akihiko was making a fool out of me or if he really couldn''t recall back to those times. I have a feeling that he is under some sort of amnesia. Sometimes when a certain individual gets traumatized too severely, that individual loses his memories.

    Is that the case?

    Either way, Akihiko was already way ahead of me. Of course, given that my calf was broken, matching his pace was something impossible.

    "Hey, why are you even going to fight me? You''re just going to lose, you know?"

    Yeah, this makes sense. If you were watching someone walk as slow as a turtle from far away then it doesn''t make any sense as to why you should view them as a threat.

    I''ll make a random guess. Akihiko is probably underestimating me in his mind right now. If I was in his position then I would too.

    Let''s face reality and collect the biggest fact. I have a broken calf. What the hell can I do in a fight where I have to utilize my speed in order to create a chance to make myself deliver a strike?

    Absolutely nothing.

    But let''s suppose that----

    "Yeah, I''m wondering about that as well."

    In case I lose, I''m entrusting Ryoken with the task of striking King George down.

    "Ahhh.... This hurts so fucking much..."

    I''m not lying. It really does hurt. It hurts so much that I have been listening to my bones crack in such resonance for the last 20 or so minutes...

    "I''ll help you out, Daniel."

    Thus, Akihiko who was already inside the cell came back to my rescue.

    "Lean on my left shoulder."

    "Seriously. Thank you so much."

    I was showing a fragile face even. Who would doubt me in a situation like this?

    What could I possibly do? I wasn''t even carrying a shovel.

    "Don''t mention it, really. After all, you''ll lose either way--- Huh? Why am I...? I------"

    I realize that I''m not an original person, but I don''t care regardless. It''s natural to be overconfident about victory once the one you are up against shows a plethora of weaknesses.

    Yet overconfidence is a weakness itself.

    "And the winner is, the Brachial stun abuser, Daniel!!!"

    Yes, I used the Brachial stun yet again. Just as Akihiko was about to lend his shoulder, I hastily performed a strike with my arm as if it was a knife slicing through butter. I hit the side of the neck and he started to lose consciousness.

    For the record, I know a lot more techniques than this, but this situation doesn''t favor me in the slightest.

    I feel proud of myself though. I have read plenty of stories where the protagonist has several wounds all over his body YET always manages to fucking win through plot armor. I''m so fucking glad that I was different.

    Basically, I''m bragging about how supposedly different I am despite my immoral conduct here. I did trick Akihiko. Then again, he tricked Tatsu. I''m not saying that I am using that as a reference to justify my own actions, it''s just that, Akihiko should have expected this to some extent.

    "King George, you know about it?"

    "The Brachial stun? I for sure do. I once managed to rip through a neck that had a thick wall of muscle and killed that fucker! Hahaha!"

    ...

    No.

    I should not be surprised that King George has killed someone.

    What sense would it make to put a supervisor that hasn''t killed anyone in a dorm full of killers? No sense there.

    Of course, he has killed someone. But it''s just that...

    I get the feeling that he might want to flex his own Brachial stun in the finals or something.

    And, if coincidentally, I happen to be the one who he is up against, then I might be slightly fucked.

    "Ahhh, but you know. You only have shown to be able to perform a Brachial stun. Does this mean you don''t know the rest?"

    "What?"

    This time, I had no idea what King George was on about. What did he mean by the rest? There''s only a Brachial stun as far as I know.

    Then, while carrying Akihiko''s unconscious body, he turns around and says:

    "If you get in the finals, I''ll demonstrate my own words and what they meant."

    Unlike any of the other previous times where he treated everyone else with massive disrespect, King George was slightly serious about showing me what he meant.

    Needless to say, I got the goosebumps.

    Alas, I made my way to the observation plane.

    I reflected a bit on the situation.

    Having successfully advanced to the semi-final by knocking Akihiko out, my next opponent would either be Sagasuga or Ryoken.

    I might have said this more than once already, but I don''t really have a way to win the next fight. I''m hopeless. I have used all of my cards.

    Both Sagasuga and Ryoken are aware of my Brachial stun. I doubt that they will just let their guards down for a second. Plus, even though Ryoken is losing a ton of blood, he isn''t showing any signs of suffering from it.

    The hell. Is that guy even human?

    And then there''s Sagasuga. His mood has not gone down a little bit.

    In all likelihood, if Sagasuga''s mood remains the same, then I seriously don''t see myself nor Ryoken win against him.

    "You''re abusing it you know?"

    I figured that Ryoken was aware of my own tactic. I do have a broken calf. Engaging in an actual fight makes little to zero sense.

    "What did you expect? I''m not some Shounen protagonist. I can''t pull out a fucking miracle just because I don''t want to lose."

    While some might call what just happened a miracle, I wouldn''t. It was Akihiko''s naiveness for the most part. If he was not naive, then I would''ve lost. Point.

    If Rayazaki had not lost his composure and focused on knocking me out in our previous fight, I would''ve lost. In a sense, I haven''t won. My opponents just lost to themselves due to their own incorrect tendencies.

    But, the ones that were left we for sure not naive nor stupid. Especially Sagasuga. I feel as if he has no way to fuck this up when he''s in that silent mood of his.

    Knowing such, just how can Ryoken come out on top?

    "What are you two waiting for? Get the fuck going."

    "Yo, Sagasuga, let''s go."

    "..."

    Even after listening to King George''s request and Ryoken''s words, his mood still did not change.

    Regardless of it, they both advanced to the cell.

    The winner of this match would face me.

    "Sagasuga. Talk to me. This is important. Please."

    "I won''t speak any more than this. In a fight, you only use your fists, not your words."

    "I can''t accept that logic of yours. A fight is so much more than just a simple exchange of fists. I thought someone who had a good attitude like you would know this the best."

    Sagasuga was not lying. Usually, regardless of how the other would speak to him, he would always talk back. But, all that happened was the fixation of his dead eyes onto Ryoken''s right fist which was bleeding.

    Thus, Sagasuga did not rush, however, he started to walk towards Ryoken.

    "Are you seriously only capable of this? I looked up to you. Despite all the trash we have in class, you manage to never abandon your own set of morals. I really thought you were something else, man..."

    Ryoken didn''t seem to be lying. He looked a bit frustrated when he said those words back to Sagasuga, who just kept on walking up to Ryoken.

    "You''re hollow, like this. No character, no reason for being, nothing at all. You''re just existing right now. Prove me wrong. Hey. I know you''re listening, Sagasuga. C''mon, talk back if you have the balls to!"

    It was useless. I bet Ryoken wanted to say more but Sagasuga immediately released a straight right fist aimed at Ryoken''s face. Although Ryoken managed to dodge it to his right, Sagasuga followed that up with a lighting speed left jab which hit Ryoken right in the face.

    "Kuh! Goddamn it, you really are trying hard, huh!"

    Being quick-witted, Ryoken gained some distance from Sagasuga.

    "Really? You''re making me talk all alone in here. Reason with me for a second, will you?"

    Ryoken''s endeavor is proving to be futile. Sagasuga isn''t even trying. Yes, Ryoken is quite physically capable of putting up a fight, but Sagasuga seemed to have done some intense training in the past.

    I''m starting to think that there''s more to Sagasuga than what he originally told me.

    Would Sagasuga lie about the crime he committed?

    I don''t want to doubt it but I can''t help to.

    There must have been some other event then. Either that or the event that he told me didn''t happen at all.

    It''s just so strange, really.

    In the end, it''s just a suspicion.

    "Yo, shrimp, how''s the leg going?"

    For the very first time, King George approaches me. Makes sense, I mean, what''s the point of widening our distance any further, right?

    "Pretty bad. I might not make it to the finals."

    "You won''t. You''re not beating that monster over there for sure."

    Speaking of which, Sagasuga, just a while ago had taken ahold of Ryoken''s face with his right palm and began to pulverize it to the cold ground endlessly. He wasn''t showing any signs of stopping it either.

    But, King George was wrong about something. To make it to the finals, I didn''t have to beat Sagasuga.

    ''I'' wasn''t the essential piece.

    ''Sagasuga'' was.

    "I guess Ryoken''s not winning, huh?"

    "He can''t win. Not against Sagasuga. Let me tell you from experience, goodies that have a fucked up past like him are the worst there is. Think for a second, lad. Why would someone be nice if they have done things that prove that they are not goodies?"

    "I think it''s all part of an act. Maybe they are so ashamed of what they have committed that they refuse to show that side of them."

    "Far. Too far away. Not even close. Someone like Sagasuga is a goodie not by option, but because he has to be one. Can you guess as to why he has to be a goodie?"

    King George''s talk was awfully intriguing. I was basking my eyes in the scenario that was similar to that of a horror movie. Ryoken''s face was being smashed into the ground. His facial features were all being fucked up by Sagasuga again and again.

    I think that at this point, both King George and I were aware that he wasn''t going to stop that anything time soon.

    Yet, we were not going to do anything about it. Ryoken was at fault here. He knew about the consequences.

    "Well, let me guess then. He has to be a goodie because he doesn''t like to be a bad person?"

    "Now, about that. I''m not too sure, actually. From my experience, again, Sagasuga isn''t someone that can control his hidden side pretty well."

    "Hidden side?"

    Honestly, I couldn''t care less about the fact that Ryoken is on the verge of death right now. What this man is saying right now is by far one of the most interesting things that have happened in weeks.

    Missing out on this is not an option.

    "Everyone has a hidden side. It''s common among you criminals who have committed actions that require extreme measures to be applied. From my understanding, only certain individuals are able to bring out their hidden side only through certain triggers."

    Well, he''s certainly right. In order to be a criminal, you have to break some sort of barrier that a lot of normal people would not be able to freely break on their own.

    "Sagasuga just so happens to be among those individuals. Can''t you tell as to why he has to behave like a good person most of the times though? I thought it was pretty obvious."

    "Didn''t I already said that he might be acting like that because he doesn''t like being a bad person?"

    "If you really think about it, when committing actions that are deemed as bad, does the executioner feel anything bad about it? In a criminal''s mind, evil is the freedom to act while control is fundamental to all evil."

    "What''s that supposed to mean?"

    "Basically, what I''m saying is, I really doubt that Sagasuga feels bad about being a ''bad'' person. Do you feel bad when you do morally wrong things?"

    "Honestly, no. But, I''m not Sagasuga, you know."

    "Yes, you''re not. But both of you share the same foundation. You act maliciously on necessity. Yet, can Sagasuga truly control himself whenever such a situation which requires the usage of evil arises?"

    I see where King George''s getting at.

    "So you''re saying that the reason as to why he is acting like that is because such a situation arose?"

    "Good, you get it. The important part when facing someone who is evil on necessity is to know where the root of the trigger lies."

    "Wait... what happens once you are able to identify the root of the trigger?"

    "You arrive at the solution, of course. Let me tell you something additional to Sagasuga''s case. He doesn''t act like a goodie because he doesn''t like being evil. If someone like him only has the capacity to act evil on the necessity and not on his own accord, then that can only mean one thing."

    King George''s dark smile widened when he said the upcoming words.

    "He cannot tame the beast inside him."

    And so, he terminated our conversation. All this because he had to stop Sagasuga from killing Ryoken.

    Well, my opponent was already decided. Truly, Ryoken never stood a chance. Tsudo''s partially to blame.

    I''m saying that because when King George mentioned that someone like Sagasuga, who is evil on the necessity of the moment, must have a certain trigger triggered to bring out his hidden side. His hidden side which is visible at the moment is only present because Tsudo managed to trigger something that brought out the hidden side of Sagasuga.

    Another thing to mention would be King George''s unexpected wisdom in this area. I mean, can I really call it wisdom? Yeah, that''s the correct way to go about it, really.

    I also learned that, according to King George, Sagasuga is a necessary evil person.

    Essentially, someone who is evil on necessity. Furthermore, according to King George, I am someone like that as well.

    "Jesus Christ, what a damn mess this is. Your face looks like tortured garbage."

    Ryoken''s face was full of blood.

    However, he did not care. He just kept on walking in my direction as if what he just did was an everyday thing.

    He didn''t bother to cast a glance at me. Sagasuga simply stood in a faraway distance with his fists out there in the open. Regardless of the fact that the tips of his fists were showing open bones, he cared not.

    Sagasuga surely opened such wounds when he was on the verge of killing Ryoken earlier.

    Once again, while King George carried another defeated participant''s body to the pile, I used that time to reflect on something.

    I alone, had no chance of defeating Sagasuga. What mattered here was to destroy whatever purpose he had inside his mind. If I recall correctly, Sagasuga got mad when Tsudo started to utter Tateyana''s name.

    But, was he really mad because Tsudo talked about Tateyana or was it something else? I swear, what Sagasuga is showing is far from wanting to protect the name of your beloved one. It''s as if he didn''t exactly care about whether or not it was Tateyana.

    From what I understand, I think that even if the person in the subject was different from Tateyana, then Sagasuga''s reaction would''ve been the same. Plus, Sagasuga said that he wanted to break up with her. What sense does it make to get this pissed off about a random dude who spouted some bullshit about your very likely sexual endeavor with your future to be ex?

    Makes no logic.

    It doesn''t add up.

    Therefore, it can''t be about the person. Rather, what Tsudo might have triggered was an emotional crack. But, on what exactly? Emotional cracks are only visible whenever someone''s feelings get hurt. If such is the case, then what was the trigger here?

    In order to fully emphasize even further, it''s necessary to know that there''s a certain degree of seriousness into one''s feelings if their reaction just so happens to be this large.

    ........

    It''s hard to arrive at a certain conclusion. That''s actually the way it''s supposed to be.

    Yet, if it''s not about a person, then Tsudo must have hit a nail somewhere... Hm...

    What did Tsudo say back then exactly?

    I can''t exactly remember. But I do remember that Tsudo said some bad things about Tateyana.

    Oh, but I do remember a few Sagasuga''s words back then.

    He asked Tsudo why he was targetting Tateyana instead of him?

    Then maybe, that''s where the root of the problem lies in.

    Could it be that Sagasuga is not bothered by the fact that Tsudo was targetting Tateyana alone, but by the fact that Tateyana was being targetted because of Sagasuga''s assumed actions?

    This means that Sagasuga is essentially someone who can''t tolerate when others target others at the cost of his own presence. Well, that''s assuming that''s the case.

    "Sagasuga, you said that I couldn''t talk to you, but I''ll talk anyway. Was the crime that you told us back then the truth? Or just a lie?"

    Yep, not talking. He doesn''t really go back on his own words, does he?

    But, he''s not speaking because he doesn''t want to. Therefore, I simply have to utilize methods that will make him do so.

    "I''ll knock myself out in the upcoming match. Against King George, please deliver a strike. Or, do you want all of our lives to be at King George''s mercy? You can''t fail. It''s your responsibility."

    Sagasuga''s dead eyes then widened. Even if they seem dead, my words didn''t ring hollow.

    "Also, I won''t blame you if you fail. It can''t be helped, right? It''s King George we are talking about. You need to be one hell of a monster t-"

    "I won''t fail!!! Shut up already!"

    At last.

    "Hey, you two! Get going! I ain''t got all day! I still want to watch my telenovela!"

    WHO THE FUCK WATCHES TELENOVELAS?! YOU BOOMER!

    King George''s boomer customs aside, as the semi-finalists, we both went to the cell.

    Of course, I had to go at a slower pace. Regardless, I did get there.

    And when I did, I realized that I could not beat Sagasuga in a million years. Not in this condition. I''m fairly sure that if I was at top condition that I could really win.

    But the situation was as clear as day. Winning a physical contest against Sagasuga, right now, is not an option.

    Ryoken''s words, although they didn''t resonate that much within me, they started to come back to me now. I remember him saying how a fight doesn''t have to ultimately revolve around only fists, but far more than that.

    His ideology wasn''t correct nor incorrect. But he didn''t realize as to why it wasn''t incorrect. That''s because the only reason as to why his ideology isn''t correct is due to the fact that when talking to someone like Sagasuga, you have to resonate with his ideas, not your own ideas.

    "Sagasuga, whether you win this fight or not is completely irrelevant. I think we can both agree on this. The end goal is the same, to inflict a strike onto King George so we all get the pass. Therefore, you should knock yourself out."

    "...Are you out of your mind?"

    Of course, he''s talking. I''m saying things that actually make all sorts of sense to talk about. Ryoken was merely boasting about his ideas and how Sagasuga''s behavior didn''t match them like they used to.

    I couldn''t care less about ideas.

    What matters is talking Sagasuga out of this.

    "Nope. I''m perfectly stable right now."

    "...Then why are you suggesting something unreasonable? You know you can''t win, therefore you are making your last stand by bluffing."

    "Well, you''re correct onto something. I can''t win. But, haven''t I already implied that? You don''t matter right now. Sure, the fact that you are standing here isn''t a coincidence. You defeated your past two opponents via brute physical force. By all means, you deserve to be here. Strictly speaking, you obviously deserve to be in the finals."

    "Then what!? What are you getting at!?"

    Sagasuga isn''t someone who can ignore unreasonable things for so long. Surely, he is still moody and has visible rage on the surface, but he is now talking.

    "What I''m getting at is... it doesn''t matter if you win here. Because you won''t be able to finish the end goal."

    "You''re wrong about that, Daniel. Out of all the people here, I have the highest chance of succeeding this."

    "No, you don''t. I do. Let me tell you why you won''t be able to succeed. Sagasuga, you are terrified of failure. You can''t come into terms with the possibility of failure. You are way too blind about the possibility of losing so you don''t even think about countering that possibility."

    "And how are you different? I bet that you are terrified too! You have a broken calf for fuck''s sake! How is it any logical for someone who has such a vital part of his body broken to fight King George!? Don''t fuck with me! I know what I''m goddamn doing!"

    "I''m not terrified about failure though. That''s because I honestly couldn''t give a shit about the consequences."

    "What? There''s no way that''s true. Don''t lie about this."

    "I''m serious though. The consequence of losing against King George and not inflicting a single strike is that every single one of us that are present, will become his slaves for the rest of our lives. But, so what?"

    "''So what?'' Don''t give me that shit! You know fucking damn well that that involves you too! Why are you acting like it doesn''t?"

    It seems that Sagasuga has yet to understand something vital here.

    "I won''t be his slave. If I lose, then I will bite my tongue off and suicide. I refuse to be someone''s slave."

    "W-What!? You can''t be serious! You made such an unreasonable tournament only to end your own life in case you lost?! Are you fucking retarded?!"

    I wasn''t actually serious about the suicide part, but, well, I could see myself suiciding if such happened.

    "Can''t you see, Sagasuga? My resolve is beyond yours. You are doing this because of their existence. While I am doing this for the sake of victory. You can''t bear the thought of being at fault for losing just in case you lost so you will blindly rush for the win and lose."

    "I''m not a good person..."

    Well, this was random.

    "What? I didn''t say you were a good person. You''re morally wrong for using their existences as a motivational trigger to your resolve. But that''s beside the point. You don''t actually care about them, you are just conflicted about the fact that if you happen to lose that it''s your fault. You can''t fucking live with that. That''s why you should give me this shot."

    "But I''m stronger than you! You have no chance at this! How can you be so sure that you will succeed?!"

    "I''m not, honestly. Plus, it doesn''t matter whether or not you are stronger than me. The fact that you are blind enough to see yourself only winning will make you naive. Sagasuga, you will fail.

    "I will not!"

    "Yes, you will! Fucking listen to me! We are fighting for the same reason! Whether you win or lose, it won''t matter! What matters is that one of us can achieve the end goal! You will never achieve the end goal with that mentality of yours!"

    "And why will you be able to achieve it!? Just because you are not afraid of failure?!"

    "That''s right, damn it! I don''t give a shit about every single one of you! Winning and losing is a gamble to me, yet you treat it as a mandatory one-sided duality while it''s a dual choice."

    "You''re not making any sense though. Look at me, I am physically better than you. There''s nothing you can say that will convince me otherwise. Should I just resort to physical strength to shut your mouth? After all, I will win."

    Ah, shit. He''s abandoning reason yet again. I can''t let that happen.

    Or else this ends here.

    "Sagasuga... Can''t you see it, man?"

    "What!? What can''t I see?!"

    "We''ve been arguing for about 10 minutes over something that has the same end goal. And, amidst this argument, there''s one major flaw that you haven''t noticed."

    After all, this whole argument was leading up to this point.

    "Do you actually think you can live with yourself if you fail?"

    "Huh? What are you talking about?"

    "Clueless, huh? Well, it''s natural, I suppose. So, right now you and I are on constant discord because we each believe that only one of us, which in this case it is ''I'' or ''you'', should go to the final. We both know that our endgame is the same. But you still failed to realize that you aren''t doing this for them. You are just doing this to satisfy your selfish ego."

    "You''re the same though... You just want victory in this scenario."

    "Isn''t that fine though? Everybody will profit from my victory. And everybody will, in case I lose, suffer the same fate. Equality is there. But, in your case, it''s a little different. I already told you my version. If I lose, then I will kill myself. Honestly, I don''t value my life that much, but that''s partial. What I want to say is, everybody will profit from your own victory but in case of your loss, not only will everyone else suffer, but you will suffer even more. Your ego can''t handle the possibility of you being responsible for all these losses."

    This isn''t to say that he''s a good person. Sagasuga is without a doubt, just like me, a person who is evil only on the necessity to be evil.

    "I''m not that different from you in that regard, though. I really don''t care about them. What makes you think I do?"

    "Haven''t you been listening to me? I never said that you actually care for them. I''ve said this again and I will say it again. You''re simply using everyone here as an excuse to boost your ego."

    "And what of it?!"

    "What of it? Well, nothing really. We are both not good persons. But, as I already have said, you lose far more than I will ever lose. Whether I win or not, it''s completely irrelevant to me. Okay, sure, I would really enjoy winning this, but if I lose, then that''s fine. You''re not equal to me in this scenario. It''s not fine if you lose."

    "But I won''t fucking lose, Daniel!"

    Alright, Sagasuga''s getting a bit too obnoxious. I need to give his mind a fresh reboot.

    Firstly, he needs to hear the actual truth from the one who would most surely demonstrate to him just how hopeless the situation really is.

    "King George, tell me your take on this, but, what are the chances of Sagasuga landing a hit on you?"

    Perhaps he digs these spicy arguments a little bit too much. I mean, the fact that King George has not made a single complaint thus far should be evidence of that.

    "The chances of him landing a hit on me are so low that even Antarctica doesn''t feel like a cold place, muhahaha!!"

    This alone would not do though.

    "Then, what about me?"

    "You? Muhahahah!! Ahahaha!!! Wait, you''re serious about this?"

    I allowed the seriousness in my eyes to confirm that to King George.

    "Oh shit son, you are. Well... I have no idea how many zeros I would have to add, but... It would go beyond trillions. Ah, negative trillions. Essentially, your chances of hitting me are negative trillions!"

    I don''t think I''ve ever felt this roasted.

    Regardless, I''m glad King George gave me that answer.

    "As you can see, neither of us has an actual chance of landing a hit onto him."

    "...Then, why are we even fighting in the first place?"

    Wow, Sagasuga finally realized! There''s no actual point to our fucking fight! He''s fucking thinking at last!

    "I''m so fucking glad you caught up, Sagasuga! What I''ve been meaning to say all this time is that you should let me win because I will inflict a strike onto King George!"

    "No, sorry! Didn''t you just hear what he just said?! We basically have no chances at it!"

    "Not true. I won''t fail actually. I have a plan that will undoubtedly work."

    "And you think I don''t have one either?"

    "You don''t. You never really form a plan, do you?"

    "...I could try..."

    "Bitch, please. Let me do this already."

    "Fuck... But... Even so, I understand that it''s basically impossible considering my opponent. I understand that my chances are beyond negative..."

    "Look,my chances are negative. But, with my plan,my chances will become positive. Once again, if I win, we win the same thing. But, isn''t it more important to consider what we lose instead of what we win? Do you want to lose that part of yours, Sagasuga?"

    Sagasuga had a part of him that he refused to let go, no matter what. Plus, he gets extremely argumentative once his mood gets this worse. It was way worse earlier when he absolutely refused to listen to anything. I bet if I had talked earlier than I did that he wouldn''t even pay any attention to me.

    The only difference was Ryoken, who said uninteresting words which then allowed me to remediate that as I turned my own words into words that Sagasuga wanted to hear.

    "So, it all comes down to whether or not you can inflict a strike huh?"

    "Are you finally passing me the torch?"

    "Honestly, I don''t really care anymore. I think I''ll kill myself too if we share the same fate. Let''s follow onwards in case that you do fail."

    Oi, that''s unfair. How dare you pressure me with your life?! Sagasuga, I fucking hate you!

    "Well, thanks. Now, knock yourself out."

    "Huh? What?"

    "What what? The fight can only be decided if one of us is knocked out. Fucking knock yourself out, bro!"

    Wait, could this guy be...

    "Oi... You''re not afraid of hitting yourself, are you!? You literally just pounded Ryoken to freaking death! This is too hypocritical!!"

    "I-It can''t be helped! Of course I don''t enjoy hitting myself! I''m not some masochistic bastard!!"

    "I never said you had to enjoy it, damn it! Just knock yourself out!"

    "Hell no! I refuse to! It''s fucking painful! I''m so fucking strong that I might rip my own head off on accident!!"

    Oi.

    Just what is he telling me exactly?

    What am I supposed to assume or interpret from his words?

    Was that a flex? Or is he actually that scared?!

    "Fine then! I''ll knock you out! I''ll do it swiftly!"

    "Wait! How are you going to do it though?!"

    "I''ll apply a Brachial stun. You know how I''ve defeated Akihiko, right?"

    "Uh, well... I mean, does it hurt?"

    "You fucking pussy!! Just close your eyes, it doesn''t hurt!!"

    "Okay..."

    Well, the Brachial stun certainly doesn''t hurt THAT much.

    "Also, good luck with the upcoming fi- KAH!!"

    But, I''m not too sure about this. This might hurt.

    No.

    It has to hurt.

    A lot.

    It''s totally wrong if it doesn''t hurt.

    "T-This isn''t what we agreed on..."

    Says Sagasuga as he passes out.

    I don''t quite agree with what he just said.

    Why did he lie like that?

    This was what we agreed on. The deal was that I would apply a Brachial stun.

    It''s not my fault that you didn''t specify where.

    "You''re going to revolutionize the Brachial stun if you keep on giving it magnificent usages to it like that!"

    "You flatter me. After all, he deserved it."

    I had no forgotten about Sagasuga all this time. It was always on the back of my mind.

    Ever since the special exam, I vowed to make him suffer.

    A Brachial stun on to his balls is only the beginning.

    Furthermore, I needed to avenge Tsudo''s endeavor.

    "Wait a few moments. I''m gonna add the penultimate body to the pile."

    "Huh? Wasn''t that the last body though?"

    "Nope. You''re fucking next, boi."

    Shit, not the ''boi'' again.

    "Finally here huh?"

    Man, how anticlimactic this was. I had intended on building this tournament to be something like Street Fighter, and don''t get me wrong, most of the fights were pretty accurate. However, in terms of actual events and how they went down, they were definitely unexpected at some points.

    Also, as I did say previously, I could never beat Sagasuga right now. All I did was to make himself be in a position where he could be defeated. Although, that''s the actual essence to make someone taste defeat. To put them in a position where they will lose.

    So far, I technically had won all my matches, but if we go by logic itself, I won none. They all lost to themselves.

    Rayazaki lost to himself because he got way too cocky and delayed the fight for far too long.

    Akihiko also lost to himself for the simple reason of being far too overconfident in his own ability.

    Lastly, Sagasuga lost because he didn''t fight me. At all.

    Pretty pathetic, if you ask me.

    But, that''s all partial. The actual fight starts now.

    And thus, it was time to put the plan to work.

    King George had just gotten back, which indicated that the final would start.

    "So, are you ready to be a slave for the rest of your life? Oh, right. According to you, you''ll kill yourself, right?"

    "Mhm? Well, yeah."

    "Though, since you''ve come this far, I thought of giving you a reward, and so I came up with one."

    "Oh yeah? What is this reward you speak of?"

    "I won''t kill you in this fight."

    How fucking generous.

    "I''m very grateful, King George."

    "By the way, what are you doing?"

    "What am I doing? Getting ready for the match, what else?"

    "Well sure. But first, put that tiny sorry excuse of an organ away. You''re making Chinese men looking good with that size."

    Wow.

    "No--- This is my weapon."

    "Huh? This is a battle of physical strength! You''re not making any damn sense!"

    "No, no. Think about it. Isn''t this also related to physical strength?!"

    "Y-You can''t mean...!"

    "I mean exactly what I just meant to mean!"

    I had no fucking clue whether or not he actually understood where I was going with this.

    "Very well then. By the way, was it all in your plan to not have any other witnesses just for this scenario?"

    "Yep. This cannot possibly be witnessed by any other people. This is the ultimate privilege of the finalists!"

    "I see. I must admit, this didn''t cross my mind at all. It makes perfect sense now. There''s no fucking way in hell that inflicting any sort of strike upon this body of mine would be possible. Therefore you went with the only option that you thought was possible to achieve victory."

    It seems that King George has caught a firm grasp of my ultimate chad strategy.

    That''s right.

    The whole Street Fighter tournament was pure bait.

    The real show was about to start.

    "HOWEVER! How naive you are, son! Did you completely overlook my origins!? Do you actually think that tiny thing of yours has a chance against this!?"

    Stripping his whole uniform, I witness the holy light.

    "W-What the hell! I thought Tyranoussarus Rex went extinct!"

    "Back in high school, the girls called me Elephant George. Can you take a guess as to why that was the case!?"

    "I don''t fucking have to guess! With that monstrosity attached to yourself it''s only normal! Holy shit, can you tell me the difference between that and a railway?! Because I can''t find a difference!"

    "The only difference is that the railway ends but this... Oh, son... This is the apex of infinity!!"

    Shit! I miscalculated!

    "Heh, whatever boomer! Let''s fight!"

    "Fight!? Hahahaha!!! You want to fight me with that tiny sword of yours!? How ridiculous! If that''s a sword, then what the hell is this!? A claymore!? Hahaha!!"

    Mock me all you want. On behalf of the white race, I will not back down.

    "Then, dodge this!"

    Without wasting any more time, I swung my holy Excalibur right at his tainted claymore.

    However---

    "Fool! The longer it is, the bigger its flexibility! Take this, genetic difference!"

    "Kahhh!!!"

    This is bad!

    Very bad!

    He countered my whole attack by doing a clock swing which then created an angle for his claymore to unleash a severe whiplash.

    "Hey, what''s the matter!? Is that all your parents'' genetics are worth!?"

    "S-Shut up!! How dare you talk back when you have science by your side!"

    But I wasn''t done yet! I just needed to connect with a single strike.

    This time, I used my hips to create an impulse. This way, once the rotation was about to turn to the left side, the attack would be massive.

    "Close! But no cigar!"

    Damn it! The tip of the claymore was almost shattered! It was only for a brief moment, but if King George had not stepped his whole body back, then it would''ve surely connected!

    "My turn now!"

    W-Wait.

    Why is he jumping up high!? I don''t get it! What do you hope to achieve with this?!

    I don''t get it!

    Unless...

    N-No...

    He couldn''t be...

    "Taste my wrath, Tyrannical slash!"

    "Gaaah!!!"

    Fuck, that hurt!

    My holy Excalibur is already in this state...

    I won''t last much longer it seems...

    Plus, his tactic was good. By jumping high, his forbidden claymore performed a vertical slash onto my Excalibur.

    That was, without a doubt, a good play.

    "Had enough, boi? Ready to be my slave?!"

    "Never! I was born for this! I never liked claymores either way!"

    I seriously don''t enjoy them that much.

    Regardless, it was now or never.

    "I will fix that foolishness of yours when you become my slave! It all ends here!"

    Taking a massive swing to the left, King George''s hips were hiding the monstrosity that would come towards my holy Excalibur at any second now.

    I had no options left.

    If I take it head-on, then I will lose every strength that my Excalibur currently contains. Yet, I needn''t any more strength.

    That''s right, this alone will be enough.

    Thus, in order to meet up with his strength, I rotated my hips to the left and unleashed the almighty last stand of my Excalibur.

    The result was....!

    "..!!"

    "!"

    N-No way...

    "I..."

    "H-How is this possible...!?"

    Our eyes couldn''t believe what was happening right now.

    My Excalibur refused to go down!

    "You''ll still lose though!!"

    "Come on!! Come on!! Hold it!!"

    Damn it! I was trying to make sure that my holy sword still had the strength to match his claymore but in the end...

    "..."

    "Well met. Who would''ve thought that someone from Japanese origins could stand up to my claymore for more than a whole minute."

    "Hold it. I''m not Japanese."

    "Wait, you''re not?"

    "Nah. I''m American. Otherwise, I would''ve lost immediately. Well, I still did."

    Nothing personal to my classmates but it''s a scientific fact.

    "That explains it to some degree. But yes. You still lost in the end. Which means that I win the final."

    Hm?

    "No, I won the final the moment you counterattacked me. The rule was that if someone got a single strike in you then you''d lose."

    "Oh... Crap, I forgot about that part. Meh, whatever. Still crushed you as fuck though."

    I was expecting King George to immediately rebook at me and apply some unreasonable tyranny like usual, but he just accepted it like a man.

    He must have taken this whole event seriously as hell.

    As we were dressing our clothes back, I had to get to the point.

    "Since I won, this means that we have officially passed the exam, right? So, what now? What are we going to do about those that are still knocked out cold?"

    "Oh, leave them to me. In the meantime, hurry back to the surface. The door is open."

    Wait, the door is open?!

    "Y-You mean to tell me... all this time..."

    "Ah yeah. You could''ve just escaped or something like that. Then again, I would''ve just busted you, so no real point in trying to escape, is there?"

    ............

    Not to mention, I have a broken calf.

    "I see... Then, I will be going on ahead."

    "By the way..."

    "Hm?"

    "I''m treating you nice right now because you managed to last more than a minute, but once we are in the dorm, don''t you fucking dare talk to me casually like you are just now."

    As if his words weren''t enough, King George started to crack his fingers.

    I''m sorry for existing.

    "U-Understood."

    I wasn''t curious to the point of finding out how King George was going to take care of the rest, what I was truly aiming towards was the surface.

    Slowly but surely, even though in pain, my body moved on instinct.

    The feeling of the surface and how normal oxygen feels like. Those feelings, I needed to experience them as fast as I could.

    "Finally..."

    Pushing with all my might the heavy door, the doorway to the surface was open.

    But, it was fucking raining.

 Volume 2 - Chapter 14.5: Imagine being this salty.

    3 hours later.

    F block, main classroom.

    "This is a classroom, not a hospital, just for future reference."

    ...

    Well, we couldn''t exactly counter his words, honestly.

    "Just what the hell happened? All you idiots had to do was find a piece of gold. How did it escalate to that extent?"

    I''m glad no one took Basara-sensei''s question seriously.

    "Aniki prop-"

    "Kuzan, shut up!"

    Shit, I forgot Kuzan was in this classroom for a second.

    Not to mention, I had to shout back at with a loud tone of voice.

    Everyone in the classroom immediately stared back at me.

    The fuck are you all looking at me for?

    "Well, regardless of that, congratulations. By clearing this recovery exam, none of you will get an additional 20 years added to your jail sentence. Rejoice!"

    "Yey!"

    It''s amazing how Kuzan, the one who got slapped to the ninth realm by King George is this energetic. For the record, we all, the boys, except Hyunda, Susaga and Kawahara have wounds in several places.

    Ryoken''s the most worrying case. He has so many bandages all over his face. We all have bandages.

    Bandages for everyone.

    Also, I have no idea what King George did, but he managed to wake everyone up, even when they were knocked out cold.

    In the end, the end goal was achieved. That''s all it matters.

    Hopefully, now, I can return to my not so average life. In comparison to that underground life, my school life from now on would surely be something to look forward to.

    Of course, something to mention is that before getting to the classroom, I had to pass in the nurse''s office.

    No, there''s no hot nurse, just an ugly old boomer.

    Life''s hard.

    Something that was said to happen and didn''t happen was King George''s words. If I recall correctly, he said that there was more to just the Brachial stun.

    Unfortunately, even though I was heavily curious, I had to go with a sword fight. That fight was decisive since it allowed us all to escape slavery and to escape to the surface earlier.

    Right now, the class is proceeding just like normal.

    I haven''t forgotten how being in a classroom feels like but it feels somewhat refreshing to be here instead of digging the ground 24/7.

    Also, it was February 19th today. It was official, I spend my birthday underground. I never actually celebrated my birthday on my own though. It was either friends or family that reminded me that on that certain day it was my birthday.

    Nonetheless, as of now, I didn''t bother to think much about things.

    The exact time right now was 11 o''clock...

    Wait, what the fuck?

    I''m aware that we absolutely had no concept of time whatsoever back there but what sense does it make for the hour here to be at 11? Especially in the morning... Well, of course, it''s in the morning.

    My point was, we still had another hour of class before lunch.

    Which reminded me...

    How was Kuzan going to fulfill his deal with King George if he didn''t leave the school at the end of the month...?

    Although, realistically speaking, he just had to wait until the end of February, right? Even so, it sucks that you supposedly can''t leave the school just because you missed the end of the month.

    I say supposedly because I don''t know for sure if that''s true.

    In addition, something else to mention is that the traitor, according to Hyunda, was not him nor Kawaraha and Susaga. Which means that the traitor participated in the tournament.

    I will, without a doubt come back to this matter. It''s just that...

    I''m tired?

    No.

    I''m exhausted?

    Yes, that''s the correct one.

    I had not gotten a wink of good sleep in more than two weeks. Nor have I slept in a comfortable place thus far.

    Plus, all that physical work from King George and the fact that my left leg calf''s broken isn''t really helping.

    Yeah, I did go to the nurse''s office, but the bone will only be fully healed with time. Nothing that can be done about it.

    Honestly, my physical situation isn''t that bad when you compare it to Ryoken''s. Or even Kan''s.

    Have I missed something that I was supposed to reflect on this?

    Well, regardless if I did, all I want right now is to get a bit of rest. Therefore, I will resort to the good old sleeping in class tactic.

    I''m pretty sure that Basara-sensei doesn''t even care about people who sleep in class. After all, Kawahara is sleeping all the time in class.

    He hasn''t even noticed that we all came back to class.

    "I guess I''ll just..."

    Then, as I was about to put the side of my head on the table, I had noticed that I was facing a certain person on my left side.

    "..."

    "..."

    Our eyes met in that moment.

    Her radiant green eyes would make your average teenager immediately look away.

    Besides, she was looking at me as if she was hoping that I would look away.

    She must be quite proud of her rare hair color to be showing it off like that.

    "..."

    We just kept looking at each other.

    Again, something to not misunderstand is that there''s nothing romantic involved.

    This was a simple trade of glances that had extended itself for longer than usual.

    Essentially, I was not going to look away.

    Why?

    Because I have never lost a single staredown match throughout my whole life.

    It has always bothered me you see.

    Why do we, men, not look at them in eyes for more than they do to us?

    Is that not a sign of cowardice?

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    I can''t comprehend why would a man just look away when a girl stares at you.

    Are you afraid of what you have to show?

    I''m not.

    "..."

    Impressive.

    In the past, any girl that realized that she was hopeless against my soul stare soonly came to the conclusion that they had no chance of winning and thus, they would look away.

    But, not her.

    She has the same eyes as me.

    ......

    Does she have experience in this?

    Christ, look the fuck away already. Just let me rest!

    ...

    Should I make her look away, then?

    I mean, she''s not budging in.

    Just what is so interesting about my black eyes?

    "Look to your left side, please."

    "No, you."

    "I already am..."

    I can''t believe I''m being made to talk to a girl that doesn''t even know how directions work!

    "..."

    She''s starting to piss me off.

    It''s against the universal law of romance to be engaged in a staredown for this long and only feel the desire of absolutely wanting to win in a staredown match.

    I''m starting to think that only psychopaths are capable of holding very long staredowns.

    "I''m not going to look away..."

    "Neither am I..."

    ............

    The fuck is wrong with this bitch.

    Are you this addicted to staring at people?

    "Oi. You''ve been staring at me more than often. What do you want?"

    "I have no idea what you are talking about."

    It''s truly impressive that her facial expression that has a poker face as a sleeve has not managed to change.

    "Don''t play dumb. I know."

    "You know what...?"

    "You have a crush on me, don''t you?"

    We were speaking to each other on almost a dead tone, but we could understand our own words, even in this almost silent conversation.

    "You''re ugly as shit."

    "Shit can be cute sometimes though. Look at you for a second."

    This took a weird turn for sure. We''ve gone from simple staring to staring and roasting.

    Furthermore, this was also our second longest interaction.

    I wasn''t forcing this interaction. I wasn''t going to lose this match, no matter what.

    "Your words won''t work. I know you don''t mean them."

    "Damn, you''re right."

    S-She managed to find out that I didn''t mean my previous words? Could it be that she''s evolving?

    "Why are you staring at me...?"

    "I''ve never lost a staredown match. Please don''t misunderstand. I wouldn''t want to have you think that there''s something else involved."

    I''m serious about this.

    "...Really now...?"

    "Yes. Against popular belief, I believe that staredown matches hold a far deeper meaning to what they initially suggest."

    "Such as...?"

    She''s awfully curious about this for some reason.

    "The common assumption that a staredown match has no meaning is wrong from the get-go. By engaging in one, you get to know just how strong you truly are. I''m not afraid of someone who has won a staredown match against the same person a million times, I am, instead, afraid of someone who has won a staredown match against a million different people a million times."

    I''m not actually afraid, I''m just quoting Bruce Lee.

    "There''s more to that, actually... The loser loses its soul..."

    N-NANI!?

    "Don''t screw around, this isn''t the time for jokes like that."

    She then puts up a grin against me.

    "It''s not a joke though. If I lose this match then I lose my soul. If you lose this then you lose yours."

    "Oi, you''re not making any sense. If you lose this then nothing will happen."

    "Don''t you believe in abnormal occurrences?"

    "This has nothing to do with that, though."

    "Except it has. What do you think happens once two people who are equally matched in a staredown match face each other?"

    "We are not equally matched. I will win."

    Can''t let her get ahead of herself for absolutely no reason at all.

    "We''ll see about that. Either way... It''s more than just a coincidence. Don''t you think?"

    "No, this is purely a coincidence. I happened to be tired and wanted to rest but our eyes met. That''s about it."

    "Now, why did that happen?"

    Is she serious?

    "It happened because I coincidentally turned around. I could''ve just turned to my right but I didn''t think this would happen."

    "It wasn''t a coincidence. This was fate. We were meant to stare at each other at this exact time."

    Seriously? I, from time to time, wondered what sort of person she was but it turns out that she is someone who believes in abnormalities?

    "Whatever. So, what now?"

    "What do you mean by ''what now?''?"

    "Please just look away already. You''re going to miss out on what Basara-sensei is teaching."

    "Not to worry, I have already studied the current subject as a precaution measure."

    Why are girls so fixated on studying? For what reason? Questions science can''t answer.

    "Also... I''ve never lost a single staredown match. Why else would I be talking to you in the first place?"

    Ah, I see. So that''s why. Her behavior was so out of character that it was bothering me.

    "You''re about to lose for the first time though."

    "I never lose."

    Famous last words.

    1 hour later.

    "And classroom dismissed. I''ll resume classroom at 1 pm. Don''t come late or I''ll leash you."

    I really want to scratch my cheek.

    Alternatively, my eyes are feeling itchy.

    At such times, parts of my body just so happen to feel that way.

    "Go on. It''s lunchtime for you."

    "Fool. We boys only have breakfast and dinner. How naive of you to think that we would actually look forward to this time of the day!"

    "Ara, my bad. I completely forgot how shit your lifestyle was."

    ''Ara'' me again and I''ll break your fucking hip.

    "But, you surely are hungry, no? I mean, you girls do have lunch, right?"

    "I''m on a diet."

    How can she say that with such a petite body? You goddamn compulsive liar.

    "You''ll get fat from lying so much."

    "Your retorts are really bad, you know?"

    Her words aside, since we were close to the entrance door, everyone that was leaving the classroom would, before leaving the classroom, cast a quick stare at us.

    Damn it, don''t get the wrong idea!

    "Here, I''ll give you some money just so you can buy something to eat. I''m feeling extreme caring right now, you see."

    "I see. Then, give me the money."

    She then took out her purse without taking her eyes off my eyes.

    Lastly, she pulled out a penny which she lifted up just so my eyes could see what it was.

    Well, that certainly is enough to buy something, surely.

    Ultimately, I extended my right palm fully open.

    "Here. Eat well."

    "Ah, thanks. But, I''ll... pass!"

    Of course, I threw the penny in the garbage can.

    What the hell does this bitch take me for?

    "...Rude."

    "Oh, sorry about that. Here, I''ll give you a penny in return. Extend your hand."

    "Well, sure."

    I did dive my right hand in my pocket which had some pennies. However, as I was about to take my hand off my pocket, I left without a single one.

    I extended a fist, which would indicate that I would drop the penny onto her palm, yet as I opened it...

    "Here."

    "...I don''t see a single penny."

    Well, she''s dumb as hell.

    "That''s because there''s no penny there."

    "I noticed..."

    "Yeah, you sure did. You even looked at it to make absolute certainty that there was a penny missing in your right palm."

    "Hm? Yeah, I di-"

    It took her a while to realize it.

    "You tricked me!"

    "Oi, you started it! Don''t put the blame onto me!"

    "That''s not how you play a staredown match! You are supposed to keep on staring until eventually one of us gives up! You just cheated!"

    "We never established any rules, you bimbo! You''re just using that for the sake of your convenience! I won''t accept such a convenient logic!"

    "You didn''t win, then."

    "What!? I literally just did! The match ends when one of us stopped staring at each other, right? You lost the moment you took your eyes off my eyes. Don''t be salty and just accept your defeat!"

    I was fine with shouting at her. After all, we were the only two left in class. Plus, Basara-sensei doesn''t actually force anyone to leave the classroom even on breaks.

    "I''m not salty! I''m just mad that you used a secondary method for this!"

    "That''s called being salty! You are mad that I outsmarted you! Get over it!"

    "Never! I will not approve of this match. You''re disqualified for cheating. I win."

    The fuck!

    "What the hell!? We never agreed to rules, you idiot! You can''t just implement rules like that!

    "Why not!? You cheated, right? Then, why can''t I make up some rules on my own!?"

    "Do you not realize that the result has been decided already?!"

    "But it hasn''t!"

    "Yes, it has! You lost the moment you looked away! We''ve been staring at each other for a literal fucking hour! Don''t come at me and say that load of bullshit, you!"

    "It''s not bullshit, you''re bullshit!"

    Why did I even bother with this bitch?

    Didn''t we have a somewhat similar argument before?

    God, I hate people who are this spiteful.

    Especially when they can''t fucking recognize their own defeat.

    "I don''t care if you recognize my victory or not. The fact stands, you didn''t win. I haven''t stopped staring at you. You stopped for a moment, therefore we can both agree that I certainly didn''t lose. You''re not going to disagree on the premise of a staredown match, are you!?"

    I''m pretty sure that our argument could have been heard all over the block. After all, we were communicating through shouts at this point.

    "Yes, the premise of the staredown match is that the loser is the one who takes her/his eyes off her/his opponent."

    "Then-"

    "However! That''s about it! That''s literally about it! Nothing says that it should revolve around any more than that! Yet you went and manipulated me to look away!"

    "You were aiming for the same thing, you vile bitch!"

    "N-No I wasn''t! After all, you were the one who committed the act. Therefore you are to blame!"

    "What''s your point even?"

    "My point is, you can''t be the winner! There''s no official winner to this match!"

    I wasn''t actually going to argue here, simply because she forgot about something essential.

    "Well, fine. I guess that''s correct. I did commit the act of manipulation, even though you aimed for the same thing. But let''s suppose that was not the case."

    "That was not the case!"

    "Aye, aye. So, we can agree that there''s no winner to this match, right?"

    "Oh? I''m glad you understand at last."

    "But you know, despite whether or not there is a winner, the fact remains, you did take go back on the premise of a staredown match."

    "N-No I didn''t! I already told you, you didn''t win!"

    "Yes, I''m aware. But, you lost. For sure. Yep. Certainly. I mean, I didn''t win because I went back on the premise and managed to manipulate you into looking away, but it''s crystal clear that you did look away, right? Or are you going to deny something that actually happened?!"

    There are times in life that the feeling of watching someone lose is far greater than seeing yourself winning. Because seeing others lose is the ultimate victory.

    "...Well, I guess it did happen."

    "Oh, great. Then, you admit of losing, loser?"

    "Don''t call me a loser!"

    "Nope. You''re a loser here. Loser, loser, loser, loser, loser, loser, loser, los-"

    "Ahhhh!!! Stop it, stop it! Don''t say it anymore! This never happened! Don''t talk to me again!"

    Angrily retorting at me like that, she grabs her school bag and takes off.

    However----

    "Wait! I need to tell you something, sorry."

    "Didn''t you hear what I just said? Don''t talk to me!"

    "But it''s important! I know that you don''t want me to talk to you, but please, just this one time!"

    I was on my knees even. I had to make sure that she understood that I was truly desperate to get my wish granted.

    "...What? Are you going to apologize for what you just called me?"

    What? No way in hell.

    "You''re going to eat right now, right?"

    "Yes, what of it?"

    Well, I''m glad she is.

    "Okay. So, when you are about to eat, can I ask you to do something?"

    "I''ll consider it if this is your way of apologizing."

    She''s really in high hopes, isn''t she?

    "Please make sure to add salt to your food."

    She then slams the door and leaves.

 Volume 3 - Chapter 15: All bloomers must die.

    "Sensei, when is the special exam coming up?"

    "Shut up, Akimiyashika. I didn''t say you could speak."

    Well met.

    "Y-Yes, I''m so sorry!"

    "But... It will be around this month, still, for sure."

    "Thank you for the confirmation, sensei!"

    Why is Akimiyashika looking so forward into this!? Are we going to get fucked yet again? Please no...

    The current situation was just like any other. After lunch, we resumed classroom, but for the very first time, all students from this class were actually present. Thus, Akimiyashika took the chance to boldly say such words like those.

    Honestly, I was once again clueless. The last special exam not only gave us consequences that we didn''t want to face, but we lost to the girls unfairly.

    Our consequence for invading the girls'' dorm had yet to be announced. That''s right. I was simply just waiting around in order to know what sort of hell awaits me next.

    Just give me the damn consequence already.

    Why am I still here? Just to suffer?

    No, seriously. Answer me, this.

    Am I?

    "Ah... I have... well..."

    Even though I was paying zero attention to class, I couldn''t help but notice the reluctance in Basara-sensei''s words. This was so unlike him. Ultimately, as he was about to say his words, he put down the book of the current subject on his desk.

    "Sensei, what''s wrong? You seem down."

    "Yes! It''s unusual to see sensei down like this!"

    Kanawari and Hinagiku were right. Something was off.

    Basara-sensei was acting worried. He was showing actual human emotion.

    This is news. I didn''t know that monsters could harbor such weak feelings.

    "Sigh... I... Have something important to say to you all."

    What is this?

    What the hell was happening.

    As long as his next words aren''t ''ZA WARUDO'' then I''m really looking forward to them.

    "It''s alright, sensei! You can tell us anything, no matter how embarrassing!"

    "Tsudo, shut up! This is actually important!"

    "Aye!!"

    Collecting his pose, Basara-sensei adjusted his necktie in the meantime. To follow that up, he took a deep breath.

    "A new teacher will be coming in a few minutes..."

    "WOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

    "HELL YEAH!!! DARK RULER NO MORE!!!"

    "LET''S PARTY ALL NIGHT TODAY, DRINKS ARE ON ME!!!"

    "THE DEMON''S GOING BACK TO THE ABYSS AT LAST!!"

    Unable to contain our excitement after hearing Basara-sensei''s words, Tsudo, Kawahara, and Kan shouted those heated words out loud.

    By the way, the last words belonged to me.

    Yet we immediately cooled down as soon as we looked at Basara-sensei.

    "I will kill you four punks if you don''t shut the fuck up right at this instant."

    It can''t be helped. Despite our enormous excitement about this new information, we couldn''t really afford to die while the demon''s still at power.

    "Sensei... I''ll miss you, though."

    "What are you on about Ikkiri? Why would you miss me?"

    "Eh? That''s because... you''ll be leaving right?"

    "What? No."

    Wait, what?

    "All that''s going to happen is the following: the government has agreed that instead of only having one teacher that you people needed more than one teacher. All this because some horny teenagers couldn''t fucking contain themselves and decided to storm a certain gender''s dorm out of the blue."

    It wasn''t out of the blue. But Basara-sensei refuses to accept my argument about Kuzan.

    Plus, I''m worried now. All my excitement vanished since Basara-sensei said he wasn''t leaving.

    Fuck you. How dare you play with my hopes like this.

    "Wait... we stormed the girls'' dorm? What for?"

    I forgot to mention something. Rayazaki had officially lost his memory.

    And, of course, I am to fucking blame. All of it, my fault. Rayazaki lost a certain portion of his memory thanks to my Brachial stun.

    "You really don''t remember...?"

    Hinagiku was already aware of this, but since it''s only been a few hours, she was still suspicious about it.

    Rayazaki''s case was different from Akihiko. Rayazaki''s reason for losing his memory was actually justifiable and I had the full knowledge of it.

    "Sorry... I just can''t remember anything after King George woke us up at 4 am for some reason..."

    Hypothetically speaking, how mad would Rayazaki be when he got all of his memories back?

    He''s a pain in the ass. He''s fine as he is now.

    I''m pretty sure he would be up on my ass 24/7 if he got his memories back.

    "No use on playing dumb, evidence was already shown. As so, to counterattack this sort of malicious and perverted behavior, the government decided that having one teacher was too little. I did give you all too much freedom, honestly. I just didn''t think that you''d all be such dumbfucks."

    Freedom!? We were fucking enslaved for weeks! That''s the exact opposite of freedom you heartless devil!

    "Sensei, if I may ask, for what purpose will we receive a new teacher? We weren''t in the wrong here."

    "I know, Arkalee. The problem is, it doesn''t matter which side is right or wrong in this scenario. The decision was already made by the government and thus, you will all receive a new teacher. I won''t be leaving, we will simply instead have our own respective subjects to teach."

    "Ah, I see... So you won''t teach us all the subjects from now on?"

    "Yes, I won''t. Furthermore, instead of having me as your homeroom teacher, she will be the one. Therefore, you will all see her a lot more instead of me."

    Hm?

    Did I just hear that correctly?

    Her?

    "S-Sensei, could it be that... we are getting a female teacher...?!"

    Hinagiku unable to contain her excitement, while swinging her blue hair around, slams the palm of her hands into the table.

    "Yes..."

    "That''s amazing!"

    Wait... Something''s very wrong.

    While the whole girls were celebrating, well, almost all, I noticed that something was oddly wrong about this situation.

    Was Basara-sensei someone who would act so worried just because this happened?

    "Sensei, why are you acting so worried about this new teacher?"

    Hyunda, breaking his own silence, formed the question that was in my mind.

    "Ah... It''s just that... well... you''ll see."

    Fuck, I''m worried. This is freaking me out.

    If that monster is acting worried then what the fuck is in store for us!?

    Is this new teacher someone who is capable of superior malicious acts?

    Why would Basara-sensei show such visible worry like this?!

    "Hey, sensei, if you''re not the homeroom teacher anymore, then is this new bitch gonna be the one who will be in charge of the upcoming special exams?"

    "Yes, this new bitch will be in charge of that, Kawahara."

    Is it just me or did Basara-sensei agree with Kawahara out of spite for this new teacher or am I missing something here?

    "Well, the time is up. Everyone, I wish you luck. I''ll see you all tomorrow."

    Basara-sensei''s last words put everyone in silence. He just up and left the classroom while looking in front with an exasperated expression.

    Now, what could I expect from this new teacher?

    Shit, I have no idea. I wish I had some sort of idea because then I would be allowed to form speculations, but no.

    Nothing.

    "Hey, are you excited about this?"

    I tried asking her this question, but she''s still salty about our past argument.

    Perhaps she noticed that my intentions weren''t to know whether or know she was excited about this new teacher, but rather, to get her to talk.

    I''ve been meaning to ask her about what happened to the ''convincing the other girls to drop their charge on us'' but she doesn''t want to talk.

    It''s not a priority but it''s just a curiosity of mine.

    Regardless, I didn''t exactly hold a particular grudge about it. If she failed to do anything then that''s fine. The outcome was already decided a long time ago.

    "Don''t talk to me. I''ll stab you with my pen the next time you do."

    Shit, she''s serious. At least she''s considerable about this and didn''t give me the immediate silent treatment without a warning.

    Whatever the case, everyone''s attention was drawn into one place alone.

    The main door was being slowly open.

    "Ahhh.... Is this the right one...? It is, right? It has to be... Oh no, they''re all staring at me...!"

    Weird. A person just looked at us through the door entrance while only showing a bit of her face and she closed the door immediately.

    "..........."

    And then, yet again, she...

    "I-I-I-I have to, don''t I?! Come on, you can do it...!"

    This is really weird. I can''t tell if someone just got lost or if that person right there is our supposed new teacher...

    "Um... Do you need help!?"

    "This is our classroom, in case if you are wondering..."

    Hinagiku and Rayazaki came forward to the door and said those words to the suspicious individual.

    "I-It''s an angel..."

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    "Eh? Where''s the angel?"

    "She''s probably referring to you, no?"

    I''m not sure if Rayazaki meant to flirt or anything like that, but one thing is for certain, old Rayazaki would have trash-talked Hinagiku right there at that moment.

    What the fuck is this?

    Another white knight in the making?

    "E-Eh...!"

    "W-Well, that''s what I think at least..."

    If Rayazaki keeps this behavior up then I will make sure to bring his memories back. I do have some experience when it comes to dealing with people who suffer from amnesia.

    Realistically speaking, he will be thirsty for revenge, but this white knight behavior is unexcusable.

    We do not need a Sagasuga 2.0.

    "Excuse me, but are you the new teacher?"

    "Ah... Y-Yes, I am!"

    Answering Tatsu''s question, our apparent new teacher slams the door to the left as if to make her stand.

    I did not expect this.

    I wasn''t expecting anything at all, because I didn''t know what to expect, but I didn''t expect a teacher that was a complete nerve rack.

    But, I guess my virgin classmates were too busy staring at her somewhat big boobs and somewhat big ass.

    I guess I''m also a virgin too.

    "!"

    W-What was that just now?!

    Why did I feel an intense stare? I was going to die if I kept staring, weren''t I?

    "Hey, are you really the new teacher? You seem too incompetent to be someone who that demon was cautiously speaking about just now."

    Kawahara got down to business as expected. He probably couldn''t overlook the idiocy that was going down.

    "D-D-D-Demon!? Who are you talking about?"

    "Huh? Don''t play dumb, woman. I''m talking about the only demon that''s capable of actually keeping us, criminals, all in one place."

    Who would''ve thought that Kawahara secretly had respect for Basara-sensei deep down. Plus, he''s right. If it wasn''t for Basara-sensei then we would''ve behaved however the hell we pleased.

    "Please excuse his wrong words, he''s dumb."

    "Oi!!"

    "He''s talking about a man named Basara Tenma, our previous homeroom teacher."

    It was beyond me as to why someone thought that Kawahara and Akimiyashika paired up in the same table would not result in a chaotic combination.

    "My words aren''t wrong, you know! Don''t interrupt me every fucking time!"

    "Your conduct is horrible, someone had to correct it."

    "That''s not the problem damn it!"

    And so, they started to argue, again. I mean again because they argue a whole lot. Only when Kawahara opens his mouth though. Aside from that, Akimiyashika doesn''t really mind.

    "Eh... So you really a senpai''s students! What a relief! I was starting to think that I was in the wrong place, hahaha!"

    Wait, did she just say senpai?

    Then...

    "Wait, wait, there''s something going on!? You mean to say that Basara-sensei has someone?! This is news!"

    Now, this was just unnecessary. This is such a girly development. Of course, Sana just couldn''t resist this chance.

    "Now that you mention it, sensei seems a bit ripped from the outside. His uniform fits him a bit too well. And our new sensei over here has a body to match that!"

    Shizuku followed that up. Okay, but seriously, can''t you people see that Basara-sensei has the persona of Satan incarnated? Why are you people assuming that such things happened in the first place?

    "C-Can you imagine their relationship? H-How kinky do you think they are in be-"

    "EHHHHHH!!!! Y-You three, what are you talking about! It''s not like that!"

    Tateyana just put the cherry on top with that question.

    "I don''t know about that! Sensei seemed worried when he was speaking about you! There''s something going on, for sure!"

    Ikkiri also couldn''t resist speaking on the matter.

    Why are all girls slaves to romance? Why?

    Logic, please.

    "A-Again, there''s nothing going on! You''ve got it all wrong!"

    "Aye, I don''t really care, could you introduce yourself already?"

    Hyunda seemed to be pretty impatient about this. Perhaps this whole gossip wasn''t his cup of tea.

    I wholeheartedly understand where he is coming from.

    "O-Oh..."

    "Wait a minute, Hyunda! Why are you being so rude!?"

    "Rude? What makes you think that? I''m just assuming priorities. Plus, there''s no way that there''s some actual romance going on. Get over it."

    "What!? That''s totally unreasonable and you know it! Take a look at her! Do you think sensei could resist a body like that!?"

    "Honestly, yes. Sensei''s the type of guy to be able to hold his boner back in a beach full of nude models."

    Hyunda''s answer made Ikkiri blush for a second. She wasn''t expecting the brutally honest truth.

    "W-What does that have to do with it?"

    "Just about everything. sensei doesn''t seem like someone who would go crazy over a blonde bimbo like her just because."

    Okay, Hyunda was going a bit too savage.

    Blonde bimbo to someone who you just met? Damn bro.

    "Hey... You''re being rude, she can listen to you..."

    "Don''t care. Furthermore, I''ve seen sensei eat raw onions once. Someone who has eaten raw onions like he was eating an apple cannot ever have a proper romance."

    "Wait, really?"

    "Yeah. Also, I bet that sensei was just talking with caution due to how much of a failure this bimbo truly is. I bet that we could all just leave the room without any consequences whatsoever."

    I seriously don''t understand as to why Hyunda''s saying such radical things, but one thing''s certain...

    She''s not happy about it. She''s been tic tocking her nails on Basara-sensei''s table like crazy.

    Something ticked her off.

    "Hyunda... Was it?"

    "Mhm? Yeah. My name is Hyunda. Hyunda Hajime. Got a problem?"

    "Ah... I''ll introduce myself. My name is Yukagari Mikazuchi. But you can just call me Yuka-sensei, if you prefer."

    Well, she tells her name at last. She even bothered to grab chalk to write it on the board.

    "So? Are you the new teacher or not, Mikazuchi?"

    Oi!!! You just called her by her first name you savage!

    "Ara ara, Hyunda, you seem to be a little bit out of the line."

    "What can I say? Hate being normal, feels like I''m sick whenever I''m in a mood to be normal."

    It was still a mystery to me as to why Hyunda was acting like this.

    And besides, Yuka-sensei doesn''t seem, someone, you should worry about in the first place.

    There''s nothing striking about her.

    It''s as if there''s no catch here. Yet, knowing so, why was Basara-sensei acting so worried?

    Makes no sense...

    "But i-is that all you can say to me? Aren''t you capable of saying harsher things?"

    Hm? What is this?

    "Oh, I am. I was just stupefied that such a dumb bitch like you who can''t even understand that there''s only one room in this entire damn block that is holding a class, is, in fact, the classroom you were supposed to direct yourself to from the start."

    "A-Anymore spiteful words?!"

    Huh? Wait, why is Yuka-sensei blushing?

    "Well, there''s also the fact that you are taking a Millennium to fully introduce yourself. It''s beyond me as to why Basara-sensei acted the way he acted when you''re this shit at what you do. What''s the qualification for being a teacher nowadays even? Being fucking blonde? Hahaha."

    "O-Oh!! S-So you''re truly c-capable of unleashing such a deadly combination of evil words like that! M-More please!"

    "H-Huh? Well, sure..."

    Oh no...

    Hyunda, you have to realize it before it''s too late!

    There''s always a catch!!

    "Since you''ll be in charge of the special exams, I''m not expecting jackshit coming from you. It''s probably something that even an elementary school student would pass anyway. Why bother with breathing when you''re probably useless at everything you do? I guess you never realized it since you have that hair color but I bet you think your opinion straight up matters if you manage to get an erection or two from someone else... Um..."

    Hyunda had not realized so far that he was getting baited into this.

    There is an ultimate counter to roasting.

    "Yes! That''s it! Ahhhh!!! Those words, they hit the spot, right there! Such benevolence! Young ones are truly capable of performing radical acts without a shred of mercy! As expected of senpai''s students!"

    Damn it!

    So this is was why Basara-sensei was worried!

    She''s a fucking masochist!

    "......"

    Realizing that there was no meaning into his words anymore, Hyunda created silence yet again.

    "H-Hehehe."

    Please don''t say that!

    What the hell was the government thinking, damn it?!

    It''s one thing to have a tyrant like Basara-sensei teaching us, but what the hell are we supposed to do against this masochistic bitch!?

    "W-Well! I''m sorry about that! Just so you know, if anyone here behaves unproperly then I will have to apply brute methods, so, please! Let''s all behave properly from now on!"

    Her positive attitude was not a problem. What mattered is that our words were utterly useless against her.

    Yuka-sensei even managed to beat Hyunda at his game.

    But, now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense.

    Basara-sensei wasn''t worried because Yuka-sensei was someone that was far scarier but because she was a masochist.

    And being a masochist for this type of job is extremely questionable.

    "Yuka-sensei! Basara-sensei said we would have new subjects! Could you tell me more about that?!"

    "Ohh!! You''re the angel!"

    "Yuka-sensei, her name is Hinagiku Mayabashi."

    For some fucking reason, Rayazaki just had to correct Yuka-sensei.

    What the fuck is mentally wrong with you?

    How dare you act like such a beta? I''m starting to think that even Sagasuga can''t fall this low.

    "Y-Yes, that''s my name..."

    And why is she blushing!? Rayazaki, you disgrace of man, suicide right now!

    "Aye, aye! Well, Hinagiku! From what I know, Basara-senpai has been teaching you all the basic subjects such as the mandatory set of languages, maths, science, geography, and morals. However, I will teach you all far more than that!"

    "Ohhh!!! What will those subjects be!?"

    "Ah, sorry, but, from now on, whenever speaking, could you say your name as you are about to finish your sentence? This way, I''ll know for sure what you''re name is!"

    "My name is Ikkiri! Ikkiri Rikishima!"

    It''s hard to believe that these people actually committed crimes. What sort of psychopaths am I sharing this moment with? If given a thought, they must be incredibly dangerous to be able to act like this while masking their true nature.

    "Ikkiri, huh? Well, for starters, lots of physical education!"

    "YEAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! THAT''S WHAT I''M TALKING ABOUT!!"

    Kawahara apparently loves P.E.

    I have no opinion about P.E.

    "Yuka-sensei, why P.E of all subjects? Name''s Akimiyashika."

    "Eh... That''s a long name. I''ll just call you Aki."

    That''s what basically almost everyone calls her though. Her name''s a literal essay.

    "You see Aki, as your upcoming P.E teacher, I really need to see what you''re all capable of. I also love fighting you see! I''m a black belt at Karate, hahaha!"

    That''s seriously worrying if Yuka-sensei''s not lying.

    "I see..."

    Akimiyashika fell silent after hearing that. Of course, if she''s actually related to Basara-sensei in the sense where she had the same academic training as him, then she could be equally dangerous.

    I shouldn''t judge her simply based on her masochistic tendencies. After all, Basara-sensei was most likely worried about her masochistic attitude, but it would not make any sense for him to be worried if the teacher was minimally competent, in which case, she might turn out to be.

    "In addition to that, Citizenship will also be a new subject. Essentially, a lot of subjects that study moral things will be implemented."

    Supposedly, this was predictable. This new teacher should come here with the purpose of enforcing our moral structure. Furthermore, to ensure that we don''t commit the same mistakes again, I''m fairly sure that the government must have instructed Yuka-sensei with specific orders about that.

    "Also---- Regarding your upcoming special exam, it will be realized on February 25th, so note that down, please!"

    Well, that was good news. At least Yuka-sensei didn''t have the same malicious tendencies as Basara-sensei.

    However, there was still one question to be made.

    "Yuka-sensei, what will the exam revolve around? My name''s Daniel."

    "Daniel? Isn''t that an English name? Are you a foreigner?"

    "Yeah... But please answer my question, it''s serious."

    Aside from the fact that I came to Japan when I was 3 years old, I was indeed born in America. The US to be more precise.

    "I don''t know... I haven''t thought about it, but I will think about it, for sure!"

    Wow, such encouraging words. In other words, basically look forward to another special exam where you know absolutely fucking nothing about it and if you just happen to lose then you may experience slavery round two again, hahaha.

    It''s seriously all funs and games until the consequences arrive. Which, by the way, I had yet to know our consequences for invading the girls'' dorm.

    After that, the class proceeded mediocrely.

    Overall, the girls seemed to love the new teacher for some reason.

    I really didn''t have much of an opinion about her, unless we are talking about the masochistic side that she showed when Hyunda verbally abused her. Putting that aside, she seems to be a somewhat normal teacher.

    Unless you fucking bring out her masochistic side. It''s as if her entire existence is useless against our trash-talk.

    End of the classroom.

    Christ, I finally get to go back to the dorm.

    I really wanted to catch up to some weekly animes like Cautious Hero or even Vinland Saga but I''m dead as fuck.

    I''ll just have to watch those at another time. And I really need to read the new Demon Slayer chapter.

    Goddamn, Muzan''s in for it.

    But still. You know...

    It''s against my principles to bother someone unless that someone bothers you yet...

    I might have to go against my own principles today.

    "U-Um..."

    "O-Oh... Rayazaki, do you need something? Did you forget to note down what Yuka-sensei said? I could borrow you some of my notes if you want..."

    "A-Ah, actually, I noted them down! You told me, remember? Hahaha!"

    "Is that so? Then, that must have been it!"

    This is hard to watch.

    I can almost feel this searing pain inside my soul.

    To think that I had my calf broken by this fucking virgin.

    "...So I was thinking, um... Isn''t it the weekend in two days from now?"

    "Hm? Yes... Now that you mention it. But, does something interesting happen at the weekend?"

    I''m not sure as to how a Brachial turn could lead to this.

    Almost everyone had left the classroom. Especially the boys. They must want to sleep with all their might.

    So do I.

    But, even though they left, only 5 people remained inside this classroom.

    Me and my table partner. Yuka-sensei. And of course, Hinagiku and Rayazaki.

    My table partner was simply packing her stuff before leaving without paying me any sort of attention. Yuka-sensei was somewhat doing the same, but...

    Those two...

    "Ah, not really... It''s just that..."

    "Hm?"

    Hinagiku was acting all innocent which made Rayazaki cower like a little pussy.

    Oh fucking wait, he already is one.

    "...I wanted to go to the Anime comic con that''s happening at the end of the month... I was wondering if you''d like to go..."

    "E-Eh? But isn''t that at the end of the month...? Why did you mention the upcoming weekend then?"

    "T-That''s... I was thinking that we should plan this out better, together... AH, of course! Only if you want to..."

    My table partner had officially left. She was probably listening but gave no fucks.

    Yuka-sensei waved a single goodbye at me as she was leaving the classroom.

    I pretended to just be there while fiddling with my phone.

    Well, how typical.

    The school Wi-Fi is shit. What a shocking surprise.

    Regardless, I was just pretending to be fiddling with my phone, while in reality, I was religiously listening to their conversation.

    If I look at Hinagiku from a perspective where I consider her as a whole, then I would say that she is pretty charming. She acts innocent, which, let''s be real here, she''s probably not. She has a lovely charisma, which is, obviously suspicious. Her way of talking is that of a child so she''s adorable in that sense.

    Hinagiku also has blue hair, which is naturally attractive. Her height is small, but that''s actually not a bad thing.

    Because let''s face it, no one likes tall girls. Unless you are, um, well. I don''t fucking know... Stupid?

    But what''s confusing the living shit out of me is Rayazaki''s sudden feelings.

    Or maybe... They were never sudden.

    Could it be that since Rayazaki has an aggressive attitude, or, had an aggressive attitude in the past that he completely hid his own feelings for Hinagiku and just acted tsundere unknowingly?

    What a load of bullshit, Rayazaki.

    How could you fall this low?!

    "I-I don''t mind..."

    Oh no.

    She started to twinkle with her hair.

    OH NO.

    "T-Then, wanna exchange numbers?"

    RAYAZAKI, SHE''S 15 YOU IDIOT! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND?!

    "...S-Sure."

    Crap.

    He doesn''t know.

    My dude does not know what ''jailbait'' means.

    Plus, he''s blooming. I''m not particularly against people who decide to bloom, but I''m slightly bothered by how they conduct their procedure towards it.

    It''s as if they refuse to be original about it and just choose the beta course of action. That''s what pisses me off to a whole new extent.

    "Did you get the message I just sent you?"

    "Yep! Well... It''s getting kinda late, so..."

    "Ah, I''ll text you in case I need anything! I gotta go now! Have to do stuff! Later!!"

    "B-Bye bye!"

    Fucking bloomers.

    At long last, Hinagiku left the room.

    I might have, but, just a big ''might'', but, I think that there''s a possibility that inside me, I have been holding a grudge against Rayazaki for giving me this tremendous physical pain.

    I''m obviously talking about my broken calf.

    "Oh, Daniel? You''re not going back? What''s wrong, dude?"

    "How nice. Hahaha."

    "...What?"

    "Oh, nothing. It''s just... isn''t life just so nice and fair? You must think so too, right?"

    "Hm... I really didn''t think that way, but maybe after today... I think I''ll be able to understand what you just said!"

    No, I''m afraid you''ll never reach an understanding point. Because my words just now were fake.

    "Hey, what''s your phone model?"

    "Mhm, I don''t know... I know for sure that it''s a Huawei..."

    "Let me see it. I want to know the model of it. I need to buy a new phone pretty soon and yours looked really appealing, you see."

    "Ah, is that so? Can''t be helped then. Here, see it for yourself!"

    I''m fairly certain that what I''m about to do won''t be enough to bring back the old Rayazaki, but it''s a start. Never in my life did I imagine that I wanted that impulsive idiot back, but after today, I''m certain.

    As Hyunda would say, priorities are priorities.

    "Oh wow, this is a really cool phone!"

    "Haha, I know right!? Man, it was quite expensive as well."

    Man.

    What a fucking shame then.

    "Hey, with all things considered, I''m fairly sure that by the time you buy this model in the future that it will be way cheaper."

    "Well, true. After all, the prices tend to go down a lot. But, um, why would I need to buy one in the future?"

    "Oh, why, you ask? Well, why don''t you see it for yourself, you goddamn bloomer!!"

    Crack.

    Utilizing my whole physical strength in my hands and forearms, I smash Rayazaki''s Huawei in half.

    "WHY!!!!!!!!!!"

    Nothing personal kid.

 Volume 3 - Chapter 16: Im about to end this whole mans career.

    Dinner time.

    Even though it''s dinner time, Rayazaki didn''t come to the dining hall.

    Everyone except him was already having their long-awaited dinner beforehand. I say long-waited because none of us unless we count out Susaga, Kawahara, and Hyunda, had a single meal yet.

    Rayazaki was no different. This isn''t thought of preoccupation yet if he doesn''t come to eat then he will really take a heavy blow.

    The last time we had eaten something was two days ago.

    It doesn''t matter whether or not he remembers this, his body will surely remember.

    Regardless, he was nowhere to be sighted. If I recall correctly, he didn''t even bother to attack me or anything like that.

    As soon as I broke his phone he just stood there crying like a little baby.

    That pissed me off so hard.

    "Fucking coward..."

    Yes, I was eating at a table completely isolated from everyone else. It''s not as if they were talking all together though. In fact, some of us got even colder to one another.

    Kan and Ryoken could not trade glances at all, otherwise, they would just kill each other out of impulse.

    Tsudo seems to be pissed off about Sagasuga even though he is with a calm and serene expression right now.

    Oh right, I can tell that because Sagasuga is right in front of me right now.

    "What? Can''t you see I''m devouring this curry like there''s no tomorrow?"

    "Well, can''t I join you? I''m starved as fuck too, just for the record."

    Well, of course, you are. After all, you went through the same as me.

    "Suit yourself. Touch my curry and bend your spine."

    I wasn''t joking about bending his spine. Nobody, but I mean this, NOBODY, touches my curry.

    Mine.

    M.

    I.

    N.

    E.

    But seriously, what the hell does this man add up to his food to make it so tasty? I''m on the verge of crying tears of joy.

    Ignoring my dangerous words, Sagasuga took a seat in front of me. It''s at times like this that I forget that I''m sharing moments with people who have committed crimes of high magnitudes yet the only one I supposedly know the crimes he committed is standing in front of me right now.

    But, with all things considered, his words don''t match with his actions. Why would you become so physically competent when all you had to do was murder a few people?

    I understand the requirements of physical utility but it feels like it was a bit of an overkill. Hence, I''m suspecting whether or not Sagasuga''s words were true or not.

    "How did you win?"

    "What do you mean?"

    Sagasuga''s question could be interpreted in a lot of different ways, therefore I asked. Though realistically speaking, he was undoubtedly referring to the decisive battle.

    "Don''t play dumb. No one here knows except me. I was the only one who saw you pass to the finals with my defeat."

    Truly, Sagasuga''s on point. There was no point in asking me who won since everyone''s freedom indicated that they had been freed for a certain reason. That reason being, one of us had won. Either I or Sagasuga, it didn''t matter who, what mattered was that the endgame result was manufactured.

    In the end, it wouldn''t be uncommon for Sagasuga to be curious about how I won.

    Before answering that question of his, I, once again, dove my spoon into the curry thus taking a wide portion of it right into my mouth.

    It was blazing hot, but that''s how curry is supposed to be eaten. An alternative argument would be that curry can also be eaten cold. I would agree with that. Curry can be eaten both hot and cold, preferably.

    Nevertheless, you can''t argue that curry is better when warm. Plus, it''s spicy as hell. I love spice.

    "Hey... Did you listen to my question?"

    "Mhm."

    Taking my time to chew all that down, I finally gave my answer.

    "I delivered a mighty strike onto King George, end of the battle. Simple, right?"

    "Hey. Don''t fuck around. If I probably couldn''t land a hit on him, then how can you, someone who still has a broken bone on his calf, be able to?"

    That''s a really good question, Sagasuga. However, what you are perceiving right now in your imagination is without a doubt not what happened.

    I''m confident to a reasonable degree that Sagasuga is thinking that I and King George brawled it out and then I, in an epic clash, managed to hit that abomination.

    The hell. How dumb do you actually have to be to believe that?

    Alternatively, I also believe that Sagasuga is holding this questioning in order to confirm the truth. If that''s the case, then calling him dumb is wrong. He''s just being cautious about it.

    "Do you actually think that it was a normal fight?"

    Paying an extreme amount of attention to the words I just spoke, Sagasuga paused his movement and thus, the spoon that had a considerable amount of curry in it did not go inside his mouth.

    "...Hm, so, in other words, it wasn''t a physical battle?"

    "No, it was a physical battle. But... just not what you are thinking about, probably."

    "What? Explain."

    Whether or not Sagasuga would believe the truth was out of my caring perimeter. To completely say that was all there was to it, would be a blunder. What if Sagasuga didn''t accept the truth in a gentle manner?

    I''m not saying that I can''t deal with Sagasuga. but---

    Actually, that''s literally it. I have no way to deal with his mood. I like to believe that even if I told him the truth that he wouldn''t snap, but I wouldn''t know.

    A Brachial stun in the balls heals far quicker than a broken bone, which I''m referring to my broken calf, of course...

    "Does it even matter, Sagasuga...? I won, that''s all that matters."

    "No. I''m curious about how you won and what sort of physical battle you two engaged on."

    If King George was somewhere to be seen, I would''ve called him over in a very dignified and respectful manner, but such was not the case. King George was completely missing in action today for some reason.

    After he made the dinner for all of us, he just left the scene. I wonder what''s up.

    "Can you solemnly vow that you will not get pissed off regardless of how dumb and ridiculous the truth might be?"

    "Huh? Is that what was going on through your mind? Why would I get pissed off though?"

    Oh, I don''t know.

    Maybe because you almost flat out murdered two of your dormmates in a non-official real-life Street Fighter tournament?

    Nothing to worry about that for sure! It''s just your everyday thing to smash everyone who dares to oppose you once you are in the mood to crush someone, isn''t it, Sagasuga?!

    "Well, okay..."

    Yet again, I dug a huge portion of curry with my spoon and ate up.

    "Lend me your ear, no one else can hear this."

    "Damn, I''m curious now."

    Perhaps my hot breath made him uncomfortable since his right ear twitched.

    After laying out the information necessary out to him, I resumed my furious curry digging.

    "I don''t believe y-"

    "It''s the truth. Don''t bother questioning it."

    "No, no matter how you look at it, there''s no way that your di-"

    "Shut up and accept the damn truth. It happened."

    Here was I, trying to convince Sagasuga that what truly happened was what I just told him. Also, I couldn''t let him utter such biased words like that. The nerve, I swear.

    "But it makes no sen-"

    "I''m serious. It really happened. I know that you can''t picture it, but I''m going to need you to accept that version of the truth since it''s the actual real version."

    Why are you doubting me you dubious bastard? Are you that confident that your katana can overwhelm my holy Excalibur?

    Don''t get cocky when I have the genetic advantage you damn rat.

    "Bah, whatever. All that matters is that you achieved the result."

    I''m glad you finally understand that there was no meaning to this talk whatsoever.

    "By the way, where is Rayazaki?"

    "Hm? Probably sulking in his room."

    "Huh!? Rayazaki? Sulking!? No way that''s possible!"

    "Well, it''s my fault actually."

    Wrong actually. It was Rayazaki''s fault for acting like such a beta. How foolish of him to think that I would overlook his bloomer behavior. Hopefully, he learned his lesson and doesn''t try anything funny next time.

    "What the hell did you do..."

    Huh? Why is Sagasuga looking at me like that? No, you''ve got it wrong.

    I didn''t do anything that''s incorrect. Maybe I did something wrong, sure. But, it was certainly the correct choice.

    But before that, I had to confirm something first.

    "Sagasuga... You saw my battle against Rayazaki, right?"

    "Yeah, I did. Why? Did something happen during that fight that it''s related to the fact that Rayazaki is sulking right now?"

    "Well... You recall when I applied the Brachial stun to end the fight, correct?"

    "Yes, I watched it. But why is that relevant? Again, how does that connect?"

    "Don''t jump onto conclusions that fast. Let me explain it first."

    Sagasuga''s casual obnoxiousness was getting on my nerves.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    "Ah, sure."

    "There is a side consequence of the Brachial stun. Since the Brachial stun that I applied to Rayazaki''s neck was specifically aimed at the Greater Auricular Nerve, it exists a connection between the nerve and the spine."

    "I see. But, what of it?"

    Can this guy not interrupt me every damn second, please.

    "...The ultimate consequence is that, even though the chances are low..."

    "Yeah? What? Seriously, tell me."

    "Fuckin'' hell, Sagasuga, Rayazaki lost a portion of his memories thanks to what I did!"

    "Huh!? How is that even possible!?"

    "The whole idea behind the Brachial stun was to create a strike that would facilitate knocking someone out with a single hit. Thus, by hitting the carotid artery, a pressure point, Rayazaki was knocked out."

    "Yeah, dude, I know that! But, how the hell did he lose a portion of his memories of that!?"

    "Well, it literally turns out that since the carotid artery is connected to the spine... there is a chance of the whole damage affecting your cortex. All in all, the Brachial stun was what basically gave him this weird amnesia."

    "..."

    Unlike his past actions, Sagasuga dug up a portion of curry and started to eat after I told him what truly happened.

    He must be reflecting on whether or not what I told him was true or not.

    Likewise, I also dug up yet another portion. My curry was endless, but that was only because I had a huge plate on my part.

    "Okay, I understand that. I don''t know anything about the Brachial stun, so I''ll take your word for it. But, how is that any related to Rayazaki''s sulking? I can''t understand."

    Naturally, what I just had said, didn''t actually explain as to why Rayazaki was sulking. However, it would serve as an essential piece of understanding when I would explain Sagasuga Rayazaki''s reason for sulking.

    "Now that I''ve explained that, I''ll explain the rest. Basically, I caught him blooming with Hinagiku. I couldn''t forgive his bullish behavior and I broke his phone. And now, he''s sulking like a little baby because he can''t contact the girl he likes."

    I don''t particularly favor Rayazaki in a good light, but what I just did to him is something only a true bro would do.

    And we''re not even bros, therefore, I just did God''s work for him.

    "What the fuck... Dude, you''re literal human trash..."

    "Aren''t we all?"

    But in all seriousness, I understood just how much trash I was for doing that. Regardless, I didn''t regret it.

    "No, no. You have some serious issues, man. I understand that we all have issues, otherwise, we would not be here but you''re on some next level shit... Also, Hinagiku and Rayazaki? When did that happen?"

    "I don''t know about that actually. From my understanding, Rayazaki unknowingly had this crush on her and now that his temper is locked away, he has decided to demonstrate his feelings to her. Plus, she didn''t seem to mind him, at all."

    "Isn''t that weird...? I mean, Hinagiku was always furious about his behavior for the most part."

    "Yes, but now that his usual impulsive and rash behavior is nowhere to be seen, it''s as if Rayazaki had turned a completely new leaf."

    "And despite knowing that you broke his phone in half!?"

    "It couldn''t be helped. It was hard to watch them have that sweet talk. I was cringing way too hard."

    No lie here, I almost pissed myself.

    "Even so, that''s fucked up! You can''t just interrupt someone''s blooming phase out of spite!"

    "Of course I can. After all, all I did was to make sure Rayazaki didn''t follow the path of slavery."

    "What!? Path of slavery!? The fuck are you on about, Daniel!"

    It seems that Sagasuga has been blinded by Tateyana''s charms and thus, his vision cannot see even the most obvious of all things.

    "Rayazaki himself isn''t aware, but if you think about it, just a little, you can arrive at little conclusions. Rayazaki''s crush aside, why would Hinagiku accept him out of the blue?"

    "Because she''s a teenager and teenagers fall in love extremely fast!? It''s normal as hell!"

    "No... Sagasuga... You''re so wrong about that..."

    Christ, how can we become so blind? I understand that there''s less clarity every day, but that shouldn''t be an excuse.

    "Hinagiku most likely harbors a deep hatred for Rayazaki. She''s a nice girl. And nice girls only act out of reason. Furthermore, it makes no sense to accept Rayazaki as a potential love interest. Yo, I''m not saying that it actually happened, but under my assumption, Rayazaki was about to commit a deep mistake."

    "Daniel, I swear you''re not making any damn sense. They even sit together in class... They must have developed this romantic affection in this little time..."

    Sagasuga, you''re dumb as shit and you don''t even know it.

    Rejoice, I''m kind enough to enlighten you on to why you''re a concrete dumbfuck who is blinded by a woman''s charm at the speed of light.

    "I am making sense. You are just not seeing it from my perspective. Rayazaki himself is an argumentative person, and Hinagiku has not shown any signs of liking him in that regard. What sense does it make to develop this sudden crush in a few hours? Can she truly forget all those days that Rayazaki endlessly mocked her from left to right?"

    "Wel... Sure, that doesn''t add up. But it''s possible to develop a crush on someone in just a couple of hours. And besides, Rayazaki was pretty kind to her."

    "No, Sagasuga. It''s so unlikely for that to happen after the plethora of arguments they''ve gotten themselves into. There''s no way in hell that Hinagiku actually developed a crush on Rayazaki. It''s beyond my understanding as to why Rayazaki suddenly developed a crush on Hinagiku though."

    "Didn''t you say that Rayazaki secretly might''ve had feelings for her all along?"

    "That''s true. He is a simpleton. But that''s my whole point. Rayazaki''s a simpleton without any possible good features about himself. Therefore, for what reason would Hinagiku show feelings of acceptance?"

    "I don''t get where you are going with this, Daniel. Are you jealous or something?"

    Sagasuga''s dumber than I originally thought. That''s disappointing and worrying, with all things considered.

    "Where am I going with this? Ah yes. Let''s remind ourselves, for a second. For what reason did we endure slavery for almost a month straight up?"

    "For what reason? Well, that''s because we lost to the girls---"

    He stopped halfway.

    Good.

    Sagasuga finally, after spouting such nonsensical bullshit had caught up.

    "But, there''s no way that they would just..."

    "I also had the same premonition. Yo, mind if I join in?"

    With a plate full of curry, Hyunda was standing up in front of us.

    I simply nodded and allowed him to take a seat right next to me.

    But, something was wrong here...

    "Hyunda, how did you know about this?"

    "Let''s just say that I have my way of knowing these things by myself."

    I wasn''t going to bother to squeeze the truth out of him. Because, all that mattered was, Hyunda somehow knew the situation at hand.

    "So... do you actually think that they are planning on using Rayazaki against us?"

    "That''s supposedly the first thing to assume, right? I think that Hinagiku is accepting Rayazaki''s approach because she wants Rayazaki to be under her control. I also believe that either Akimiyashika or Ikkiri are behind this."

    "Wait a second, Hyunda. How can you know that for sure? Aren''t you two being way too cautious about this?"

    "Certainly, there''s no actual way of knowing it. But, the truth stands, Rayazaki and Hinagiku had something going on this afternoon. From Daniel''s past words, it wouldn''t make any sense for Hinagiku to accept Rayazaki''s sudden romantic approach, right? Therefore, what exactly can be assumed from this?"

    "I assumed that Hinagiku was using this chance to use Rayazaki and somehow create conflict or just open up some sort of chaotic event against us again. The thought of something like the previous events happening to us just because Rayazaki was under Hinagiku''s influence is far too dreadful."

    Nevertheless, this was all speculations.

    It could very well be that Hinagiku is just a teenager searching for love and that Rayazaki''s change grabbed her heart straight up. It''s very possible. However, if we were to consider what the likelihood of that to happen is, then it doesn''t take a fool to realize that there are certain possibilities that should be given immediate priority.

    "...I see... So you two are saying that what just happened to Rayazaki wasn''t a romantic development but a set-up? But still, this is way too soon. How can they form a strategy like that without any sort of communication?"

    "That''s a naive way of looking at things, Sagasuga. You''re forgetting that they did communicate."

    As I thought...

    "What? When?"

    "During lunchtime, when else? Rayazaki''s memory loss was only witnessed once he came back to the classroom during the morning. You cannot eliminate the fact that Hinagiku was already aware of this."

    Hyunda was truly right. It wouldn''t be a blunder to assume that Hinagiku passed on this information to Akimiyashika or Ikkiri.

    "Then, Rayazaki''s being used and he doesn''t even know it?"

    "No, he''s not being used, right now. Since I broke his phone, he has absolutely no way of blooming. In other words, to happily communicate to Hinagiku which would lead in Rayazaki being used."

    Sagasuga and Hyunda then looked at me as if they were looking at trash.

    Oi.

    What I did was for the greater good of Rayazaki! This is actually such a noble deed yet you plebs are looking at me like that!

    Why!?

    "Daniel''s questionable set of evil methods aside, he did a necessary thing, which was, to stop him from communicating with Hinagiku. Also, out of curiosity, since I was only watching it from a distant position, who declared who would send the first text?"

    Regarding Hyunda''s mysterious location in this, he had asked a question that I had not considered given importance whatsoever. Therefore, I answered it in a heartbeat.

    "It was Hinagiku. She said that she would text Rayazaki in case if she needed to."

    "Basically, she enticed it. Sagasuga, can you turn blind on this possibility so soon?"

    Although Hyunda had a deeper understanding, he was following a similar questioning pattern. Essentially, it starts with a basic construction of understanding which then allows the one who is asking the questions to move forward and thus asking the necessary complex questions.

    "...Is this about how we were set-up? Are you saying that it might happen again if we are not careful enough?"

    "Do you even have to question it at this point? Sagasuga, the traitor''s on the loose. I''m sure that you''re aware of this, but aside from me, Kawahara and Susaga, the traitor''s definitely among the rest. Knowing that we are essentially being crossed out, can we afford to allow yet another potential traitor to arise from the shadows?"

    Oh wow, so that''s what Hyunda had in mind...

    He didn''t want to let a similar event happen again, but this time around he was searching for more clues that would link to the traitor. Also, Hyunda had noted before January''s special exam that the dorm invasion plan was meant to fail.

    Yet he never said that he could not have simply won.

    In other words, Hyunda was without a doubt hiding something.

    "I guess you do have a point. However, what are you going to do about it?"

    "Me? Absolutely nothing. Why you ask?"

    "...I thought that you were bringing this up because you were forming a counter-strategy against the girls. Was that not why you came here in the first place?"

    "Don''t be ridiculous. I''m not the type of person who would do some sort of pathetic scheme in order to beat them. There''s nothing really to worry about despite how dangerous the situation looks on the surface. As long as Rayazaki stays in a position where he doesn''t become Hinagiku''s puppet then we are fine."

    Hold on a second. Hyunda''s words are really contradicting right now. For what purpose exactly would he make us be aware of how dangerous the situation is on the surface when he''s not going to do anything about it?

    "But if Rayazaki doesn''t stay in a position where he is under some sort of vigilance then how are we supposed to counter the girls? We can''t afford to wait around, you know."

    It''s as if we were babysitting a baby to make sure he doesn''t fuck something up. The baby in this case being, Rayazaki.

    "Then, why wait around? Let''s check the situation for ourselves."

    "Hm? Sorry, I don''t get it. What did you mean by checking the situation by ourselves?"

    "I''m saying we go to Rayazaki''s room right now and check the situation."

    Well, I was out of curry.

    Usually, I would deny events like this, but Rayazaki''s attitude towards this was pissing me off nonetheless.

    He was too much of a beta to fight back which triggered the living fuck out of me.

    I wonder how he is taking the fact that his phone was broken?

    Not denying my interest, I said to Hyunda:

    "Alright, I''m with you. Sagasuga, come."

    "...Aye."

    After placing our empty plates in the kitchen, we made our way towards Rayazaki''s room which was on the second floor. The stairway was extremely old, so every time we took a step forward, you could hear this cryptic sound from the stairs.

    "Which one of this rooms is Rayazaki''s room?"

    Hyunda was utterly clueless because his room is on the third floor and since he''s always late for class, he never really gets to witness Rayazaki, who is always oddly early, leave his room.

    "The middle one, I think."

    "It is the middle one. My room is right next to his''s."

    Precisely speaking, it was on the left side, but that was about it.

    As we walked normally to Rayazaki''s room door, we could hear a fainting voice coming out from the inside.

    "Dude, don''t give up! I''ll let you borrow my phone! You still remember her number, right?!"

    "Y-Yeah! For sure, how could I forget!? But, really?! You''ll borrow me your phone?!"

    "Of course, my dude! Aniki''s so rude sometimes! I have no idea what went through his mind to break your phone like that!"

    "Kuzan!! I never knew that you were so reliable! I see you on a whole new light now!"

    Hm?

    Kuzan?

    "Also, Aniki''s just mad that you found your lifetime romance while he hasn''t yet."

    Although we were eavesdropping from the lock of Rayazaki''s door, those were some words that I could not ignore.

    "H-Hey, what are you doing!?"

    Sorry, Sagasuga.

    You wouldn''t understand.

    "Wh--- Who''s there?!"

    "Kuzan, hand over that cursed phone, right now."

    I had officially, along with Hyunda and Sagasuga, successfully stormed inside Rayazaki''s room.

    "A-Aniki!? What are you doing here?!"

    "That''s not important, Kuzan. Don''t make me break your damn phone, too."

    Kuzan wasn''t leaving me much of a choice right now.

    However, someone else decided to intervene.

    "S-Screw you!! What the hell did you do that for!? That was rude and uncalled for!"

    Rayazaki''s beta vocabulary is making me want to commit toaster mash-up.

    First of all, ''S-Screw you!!''? Yo, to think that you kissed your mother with that mouth. No fucking shame whatsoever. Regardless, weak as fuck.

    Secondly, ''rude and uncalled for!''?

    Is this your way of showing off your presence?

    Lastly, I really am starting to miss Rayazaki back. Or maybe I''m just detesting this new behavior of his.

    "He''s right, Aniki! You shouldn''t interfere with someone else''s love life just because you don''t have one."

    I couldn''t let that one slide.

    "Awawauwauh!!! My ear! You''re going to rip it off!"

    "Let go off Kuzan right at this instant, you vile creature! You''re evil!"

    I was in pure confusion as we speak. I had no idea what was worse, the fact that none of them bothered to fight back despite the fact that I was physically applying force onto Kuzan''s left ear by pushing the bay of the ear or the fact that Rayazaki is still throwing such trashy insults.

    Also, just how does a memory loss alter one''s behavior this much? I''m probably done with Brachial stuns, honestly.

    "Kuzan, this is for your own good. You''ll thank me later."

    Forcefully taking the phone that was in Kuzan''s right hand, I decided to crush the phone in half as I did with Rayazaki''s, but---

    "Wait, Daniel."

    To my surprise, the one who had put his right hand on my left shoulder was Hyunda.

    "What now?"

    "Calm down, will you? You''ve been acting strange ever since we came here. We came here with a purpose, remember?"

    Honestly, the purpose was beyond my caring. Kuzan''s words along with Rayazaki''s cancerous mixture of beta vocabulary are giving me permanent aids right now.

    "Ah, don''t worry, Kuzan. I won''t let your phone be broken."

    What the fuck?

    Why are they both against me?

    First Hyunda and then Sagasuga.

    "I hate you, Daniel! Why did you break my phone earlier?!"

    "Because you''re being tricked by her, you damn fucking idiot."

    Well, you can''t say that I didn''t say it.

    "What!? Tricked!? You''re out of your mind! I love Hinagiku with all my heart! She doesn''t leave my mind! Can''t you see that my time as finally come!?"

    Instead of getting pissed off, I had the most brilliant idea ever.

    Quickly taking my hand off Kuzan''s ear and his phone, I pulled out my phone.

    After that, I committed a certain action and put back my phone.

    "Sorry, Rayazaki, but you really didn''t make it clear for me. Just what exactly are your own feelings for Hinagiku, exactly?"

    "Huh!? Do I have to repeat it? I said I love her! She''s been on my mind all day long! What? Are you jealous or something?! Was that why you broke my phone!? Were you afraid of the possibility of her loving me back!? You don''t have to worry! I will make sure to utilize everything in my arsenal to portray my feelings back to her!"

    "W-Wow... Rayazaki, you really are..."

    Even Sagasuga couldn''t hide his surprise.

    However, I had to make sure that this bastard, who fucking broke my left calf bone, would suffer in the worst possible way.

    "That''s cute and all, but is that it? So? What of it? Are feelings all you are capable of showing? No actions? All talk but no delivery, huh?"

    "W-What!? What the hell are you on about! I''ll prove it to you! God, I''m so mad at you! It doesn''t matter whether or not you broke my phone! That''s it! Thanks for the help Kuzan, but I have decided! I will confess to her tomorrow, without fail! I''ll prove you wrong, you bastard!"

    In the future, don''t blame me for this, Rayazaki.

    After all, you were the one who brought this on yourself.

 Volume 3 - Chapter 17: Evil minds will never explain their true minds.

    According to scientific studies, someone who is under immense pressure will most of the time speak the absolute truth without realizing it. Furthermore, against the popular belief that humans constantly lie per day, the truth that comes out of a human being''s mouth is thanks to those lies.

    Without lying first, the truth cannot come out first.

    Knowing that I just have to wonder.

    How much did Rayazaki deny his feelings for Hinagiku?

    "You''ll c-confess!? You''re not afraid of being rejected, Rayazaki?!"

    Kuzan was looking at Rayazaki with eager eyes. It was as if he was looking at his new hero.

    Oi, stop that.

    Your Aniki is here, how dare you look at someone else with those eyes.

    "Nonsense, Kuzan! A true man cannot be afraid of rejection! How are we supposed to move forward in life if we are constantly thinking about the possibilities that the future holds in store for us!?"

    Well, here we go.

    "I see! So instead of being preoccupied with what life has to offer, we should just move forward!?"

    I''m not sure if this is Kuzan''s intention or not, but he is giving Rayazaki a gigantic ego boost right now.

    I wasn''t feeling like interrupting their pathetic exchange of words, so I allowed them to proceed.

    Plus, Sagasuga was observing the situation as if he was watching a telenovela.

    Hyunda, though. I have no idea. What''s on his mind exactly?

    No matter, I had to pressure the topic at hand even further. Today''s seeds will be the fruits of another day.

    "That''s exactly right, Kuzan. Listen up."

    Rayazaki then sits down on his bed while patting down a soft spot on his bed. In other words, he wanted Kuzan to sit down and listen to his words, which he did.

    "I''ve decided that after committing the crime that I committed that it was about time I would settle down... I... don''t have much time left... you see..."

    Oi, what the fuck is this piece of shit actually saying?

    You''re fucking 15, stop acting like you''re about to pass away!!

    "W-What!? It can''t be..."

    And of course, Kuzan, the dumbest motherfucker on this planet is going along with Rayazaki''s words.

    "Unfortunately, it is. Life is short yet the moments you can share with the ones you love will feel like a bliss itself. That''s why... I want to truly love someone before I die-"

    "You''re not gonna die you melodramatic piece of shit! Get off your high horse already! She''s manipulating you! How the fuck would someone like you get the attention of a pretty girl like Hinagiku!? Yeah, sure, you got her attention, but in a bad fucking way, you colossal retard!"

    Rayazaki was not understanding a single bit of the situation at hand, not only that but he was also spouting some of the most bullshit sentences I''ve officially come across.

    Furthermore, he''s been speaking about his life as if it was coming to an end. What the fuck? You might not be mentally healthy but from my understanding, you are incredibly physically healthy.

    "Shut up, man! You don''t get to decide that! My time to bloom has come and there is nothing you can do to stop it!"

    Fucking bloomer, actually kill yourself.

    "I couldn''t give a fucking shit about your blooming phase, Rayazaki!"

    Actually, I do care about that. Bloomers are my natural enemies. My first thought when I was born, believe it or not, was to actually eradicate all bloomers from this Earth''s surface.

    "Then, what''s your deal, man?!"

    Our argument was actually escalating pretty loudly. I wouldn''t be surprised if we managed to attract the attention of the rest of our dormmates.

    "Wanna know my deal? Fine. I broke your phone earlier because the girls might actually take advantage of the fact that you are going to be in contact with a girl in order to sabotage us yet again in the upcoming special exam!"

    "That''s ridiculous! No way am I getting manipulated here! You''re just jealous of our relationship!"

    "You two don''t even have a relationship, to begin with! The hell are you on about!?"

    "Oh, right... Hehehehe, that''s about to change, though.... hehehe."

    One more ''Hehe'' and I''ll break his fucking face.

    "What the fuck is all this noise, damn it?!"

    Given that we, well, my strong words, in particular, were creating a whole lot of noise, the attraction was bound to be formed.

    "Don''t abuse it just because King George isn''t around, you guys..."

    First Kawahara and then Tatsu. They had both gotten themselves here on their own.

    "It''s Daniel''s fault! He''s the one who broke my phone!"

    And of course, Rayazaki just had to say that out loud.

    "And? What of it? Is that the reason why you are on a whining spree?"

    "Whining spree, hahaha."

    Hyunda apparently found something funny about Kawahara''s words. Also, this man was showing off his abs even though we are in the middle of the winter.

    I''m somewhat glad he didn''t participate in the tournament. He might''ve been a huge threat. A build that strong is not to be overlooked.

    "Are you kidding me!? What gives him the right to do that?!"

    "Right? Are you fucking high or something? How is he to blame? You were actually expecting a guy that has a fucking 1000 years of jail sentence to not be fucked up in one way or another?"

    "W-What?! 1000 years?! Why!?"

    Apparently his memory is so disfigured that he doesn''t remember the event where Basara-sensei showed everyone''s jail sentences. Even if I wanted to answer Rayazaki''s question, which I don''t, I wouldn''t be able to. Because I can''t remember it for some damn reason.

    "Hell if I know. My point is, we''re all fucked up, regardless of what we did. You''re dumb as fuck to expect something non-malicious from any of us."

    "But he thinks that I''m being manipulated by Hinagiku!"

    Perhaps Kawahara didn''t notice that he was actually being kind by telling Rayazaki how it was. But, I didn''t do what I did out of malice.

    I had no reason to commit a malicious act in the first place. It''s just Rayazaki''s interpretation at the end of the day.

    "Hold on. Why would you assume that, Daniel?"

    Instead of asking Rayazaki the question himself, Tatsu questioned me.

    "I believe that this is their way of manipulating someone from our dorm into committing a major mistake. I didn''t forget how we were punished for something we didn''t do in the previous exams. I just don''t want the same to happen again."

    "I knew it... That bitch Aki is planning something again, isn''t she!? Alright, hand over your phone, Rayazaki! I''ll break it myself!"

    "No, Kawahara, I already did that."

    Kawahara then raised his left hand as a signal for me to high five.

    I obviously high fived.

    "What the hell is wrong with you people!? Just let me have my romance!"

    "Wait, romance? Explain."

    Tatsu was completely clueless about that as well.

    "That bastard''s getting in my way only because I like Hinagiku!"

    "Like? I thought you loved her. Guess I misheard then."

    I didn''t mishear his previous words.

    "N-No! I love her, damn it! Don''t get it twisted!"

    That''s a good boy.

    "But Rayazaki, according to Daniel, he only broke your phone because he didn''t want you to be manipulated by the other girls, right? Therefore, he didn''t break your phone out of jealousy but out of action, no?"

    Hopefully, Tatsu''s analogy manages to reach out to Rayazaki in a logical manner.

    "That doesn''t make any sense! How come I''m the only one who is being suspected!? Then, if in the future other girls approach the rest of us, then, is it alright for me to break all their phones too?! What a load of bullshit!"

    Well, well.

    I had not thought about that yet. I''m aware that my action can be considered a malicious act, but that''s beyond my caring. However, what Rayazaki just said caught my inner interest quite hard. If the other girls start to make a move on the boys, then how will we counterattack?

    "Why not tell the rest about this? This way, a counterattack strategy could be formed..."

    Sagasuga made a reasonable proposition. There was just a slight problem. Most of us didn''t actually give a fuck about it.

    "Why bother with that shit even? How the hell can those bitches even get something rolling just by communication alone? I don''t expect anything from you fuckers, but I''ll never fall for that shit."

    Of course, this was exactly what I was talking about. Sagasuga is proposing that we think as a unit, but in reality, everyone here is far too independent or just completely distant from that mindset of his.

    "But, Kawahara, can we really afford to lose another special exam like that?"

    "Huh? What''s the harm? It''s just another exam. Sure, we got some consequences for this failure, but all we have to do is pass the recovery exam."

    I had the same idea as Kawahara, honestly.

    Yet, Hyunda began to speak as if to differ.

    "I finally managed to get my hands on the rule index. Hey, Kawahara, did you read it?"

    "Rule index? What are you on about, dude?"

    Hold on... Did Kawahara also not receive it?

    "So you didn''t receive it too. I see. Well, rule #8 states that there is only 3 recovery exams available. Do you know what happens once you aren''t able to take another recovery exam?"

    Hyunda was speaking news to me. Since I had no idea about the rules, I could not know a single thing about it.

    "Bastard, you can''t be serious right now..."

    "What? Did you actually think that we could just fuck around all these 3 years without anything to act as a drawback?"

    "Where the hell is that index?! Let me see it!"

    They weren''t exactly telling us what they were thinking about, it''s as if they had already understood what they meant and thus were communicating on that premise. They did not care about our lack of knowledge whatsoever. Also, this situation got Kawahara pretty pissed off, since he formed a fist at Hyunda.

    "Not here. I can''t tell you where I got it, but I can tell you this, I''m in the same position as you are. But, I have the clear superior knowledge here, so listen up well. It''s fucking retarded to wait around and just let us be fucked by a dumb strategy like that again."

    "What the fuck are you saying exactly..."

    "I''m saying that if you don''t want to spend your life in jail then you should act in a way that will benefit you towards that goal. Not the other way around."

    It''s not like Hyunda truly was scolding Kawahara, he just wanted Kawahara to be aware of his own situation. But, Kawahara''s temper is extremely short.

    "Fuck off. I don''t take orders!"

    Angrily kicking Rayazaki''s room door, Kawahara makes his leave.

    From what I understand, rule #8 specifically states that on the occasion of a fourth special recovery exam, there will be a massive consequence to it. Although, I really had no truly understand what the whole rule was.

    "Hyunda, what''s the full rule? The eight rule, I mean."

    "It''s pretty self-explanatory. After we exhaust our recovery exams, the whole class is out of the program. No--- To be more precise, it stated that the individuals that were subjected to such will be expelled from the program. Therefore, the whole class isn''t necessarily involved in this."

    "Wait, if that''s the case, then why are the girls screwing us up like this? Makes no sense!"

    Kuzan did have a strong point here. What was the point of screwing us if you were going to suffer the same fate?

    "Kuzan, you need to listen to my words more carefully next time. I said that the individuals who were subjected to the recovery exam for more than a third time will be expelled only. Now, tell me something real quick, were the girls subjected to any sort of recovery exam?"

    "Y-You can''t mean..."

    "Truly, I don''t have any concrete confirmation about whether or not what I''m about to say is the true truth but... they might want to expel us for some reason. Well, the reason doesn''t matter honestly. What matters is that we are being targeted."

    Although this is only Hyunda''s hypothesis, it could very well lead to the truth. If the rule specifically states that only the ones who were subjected to a recovery exam for more than 3 times are to be expelled, then it would make sense for the other girls to try and sabotage us.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    While Hyunda did say that the reason for sabotaging is completely irrelevant, it will be important in order to determine as to why they are doing this in the first place. Of course, this is under the premise that they are actually aiming for this scenario.

    Yet, why?

    I couldn''t understand.

    "So, Rayazaki, do you see where am I going with this?"

    "...No, sorry."

    "Are you serious, man..."

    Hyunda facepalmed as soon as Rayazaki said those words. I would too, since it''s sorta obvious that Hyunda was aiming somewhere with all of this yet Rayazaki was far too absorbed into the fact that I ripped his phone to shreds to notice Hyunda''s goal.

    "...Whether you believe this or not is beyond my caring, but the possibility of Hinagiku using you is fairly high. I''m not saying that you should give up on your love or anything like that, but don''t reveal anything unnecessary. Keep us out from being targeted, will you?"

    Wait, what?

    Isn''t that bad, though?

    What is Hyunda thinking? I thought that his whole aim was to make sure that he stopped Rayazaki from approaching Hinagiku in order to avoid stirring shit up, but now he is suggesting Rayazaki to do exactly that.

    It doesn''t matter if you tell Rayazaki to not reveal something unnecessary. Rayazaki is exactly the type of person to do exactly that. There''s no way that Hyunda isn''t aware of this.

    ........

    In the end, I can''t understand what Hyunda just did.

    "...Gotcha. So, you really think I can do it!?"

    Rayazaki just accepted Hyunda''s words without a second thought. It wasn''t a coincidence, really.

    He only did that because Hyunda essentially approved of the possibility of Rayazaki succeeding in his romantic endeavor.

    Also, Tatsu had left in the middle of this. The situation itself wasn''t worthy of observing anymore, basically.

    "Well, of course. But you are rushing this a little bit, don''t you think?"

    "You think so too, huh? Honestly, I was keeping myself from talking because I was analyzing Rayazaki''s situation from a romantic perspective and I just found it catastrophic."

    "W-What do you mean by catastrophic, Sagasuga!?"

    "Wait, listen to him, Rayazaki. He''s not wrong you know. Even though our main worry was the possibility of you being manipulated by Hinagiku, you can, nonetheless, make this work. Your approach is just way too hasty. Confessing straight up? Are you insane? You need to let her develop proper feelings for you first. Don''t just waste a climax like that."

    Huh...? Is Hyunda serious about helping out Rayazaki? I can understand Sagasuga, but I didn''t know that Hyunda was actually like this...

    "But I really want to let her know!"

    "You fool. You can''t. Can''t you see? You have three years up ahead of you. Three years with Hinagiku. You have to treasure her for the upcoming three years."

    "That''s right, Rayazaki. Listen to Hyunda. If you don''t stay with her in the next three years, then you won''t be able to develop your romance."

    Wait...

    "It''s exactly as Sagasuga says. In order for you to be with Hinagiku at all times, you have to demonstrate that you actually care about being in her presence. In other words, you have to be there at that moment."

    "And let me add something to Hyunda''s words. If we pass every special exam, then that will for sure mean that you will be able to spend more time with Hinagiku."

    These guys...

    "I-I see!! I see now! How could I not notice?! If I fail the special exams then my love life is ruined! What an idiot I am!"

    "I''m glad you understand, Rayazaki. You should, therefore, aim to do your best and do everything in your power to completely crush any sort of opposition in the upcoming special exam. Because, you know, if you fail, then you are making your days with Hinagiku all the less possible. You just wouldn''t want that, right?"

    "That''s true... In order to make sure that a future where I can spend time with her happens, I have to eliminate every single thing that gets in my way of doing so... I won''t forgive anyone who dares to jeopardize my happiness."

    "But Rayazaki, you must also understand something important. It won''t just take a simple crushing in this scenario. Since our enemies are the girls, you have to be merciless against them, no matter what."

    "I know, Sagasuga. Don''t worry. I alone will carry this whole special exam. You guys just relax."

    I''m so conflicted right now.

    Rayazaki has no idea what''s going on.

    What bothers me about this is how we were arguing to Rayazaki that he is being manipulated yet Hyunda and Sagasuga are resorting to the same methodology.

    "Hey, Rayazaki. I have an extra phone. Do you want me to borrow you? This way, you''ll be able to contact Hinagiku tonight. Better start blooming as soon as possible, am I right?"

    Once again, Hyunda was doing something beyond my understanding. I was already aware that he and Sagasuga were manipulating Rayazaki''s emotions by giving him a massive ego boost but what was the whole point of giving Rayazaki a cellphone?

    Is Hyunda that helpful?

    Maybe I saw him in the wrong light.

    "Seriously!? You''d do that!?"

    "Yeah, I don''t really mind. I''m just repaying the favor since Daniel refuses to do the same."

    What favor exactly? You didn''t owe him anything.

    But I guess Rayazaki''s ego is so fucking big to realize the contradiction in Hyunda''s words.

    "Well... true."

    I wasn''t going to deny it. However, I will not overlook his bloomer behavior.

    He might think that he can get away freely but just he waits once this is over.

    Speaking of which, we were literally overstaying inside Rayazaki''s room. I understand that this type of development was bound to happen but I didn''t expect it to happen so soon.

    I mean...

    Can I even call it soon?

    It''s been a month and more than a half. This is sorta late, it''s just that since majority of my dormmates are somewhat antisocial, I guess it was normal for this development to be delayed.

    Also, something was triggering me right now.

    Therefore, I had to ask him.

    "Rayazaki, is that a PS4?"

    "Hm? Yeah."

    "How the hell did you get a PS4 in here...?"

    "Huh? What do you mean how? I brought it from my home. How else?"

    "No, I get that. But, how the hell did you leave school to do that? You can only leave school at the end of the month."

    "What? No. You can leave at any time, as long as it''s once per month."

    "Wait, seriously?!"

    "Yeah. Ah, but be aware... You have to tell Basara-sensei that you want to leave school first."

    "And why is that though?"

    I was asking a question that I most likely already knew the answer to either way.

    However, instead of Rayazaki answering me that question, Sagasuga took the chance to do that.

    "Daniel, we are criminals. Therefore, once out of school, the individual will be escorted by two guards. They aren''t cops from my understanding. They had black suits and glasses."

    "Oh, those dudes from the first day?"

    "Yes, exactly. Otherwise, how the hell would you be allowed to leave school in the first place? Plus, it doesn''t matter where you go, for that whole day, while you are out of school, they will trace you everywhere you go. Can you imagine what it would be like to let a beast like Kawahara roam around for free?"

    Well, Hyunda sorta put that in a way that anyone could understand. Ultimately, the conclusion would be that Rayazaki got that PS4 by going back to his home. If I wanted to leave school at any time soon, then I would be escorted.

    It makes perfect sense though. We are criminals and those guards are most likely suited to taking us down any time. In fact, it''s a miracle that we are privileged enough to have freedom like this.

    "Fair enough. But, if that''s the case..."

    All of this aside, if what they told me just now is the absolute truth, then I needed to make sure of something first.

    "Kuzan, what the fuck are you doing? Are you fucking with me or something?"

    "E-Eh!? What are you talking about Ani-"

    "Oi. Don''t you play dumb with me. We''ll crucify you again if you don''t do your deal."

    "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!! B-But I don''t have the money, Aniki!"

    "Huh? The fuck are you talking about? Just ask your parents and get on with it."

    "That''s kinda the problem... I can''t get my parents to give me an allowance. They haven''t forgiven me for what I did..."

    "Not my problem. You have until the end of the month to fulfill the deal. Otherwise, something far cruel awaits you."

    To be honest, I wasn''t in the mood for this anymore. I had agreed to check on the situation because I wanted to see Rayazaki''s suffering yet I got the opposite of that. Essentially, Hyunda, Sagasuga, and Kuzan were helping Rayazaki bloom.

    Now, I do understand that Hyunda and Sagasuga are manipulating him into blooming by making Rayazaki become extremely self-conscious about the consequence of the special exam. All in all, a well-timed tactic. However, what truly threw me off the hook was the fact that Hyunda offered him an extra phone.

    Well, he had not given Rayazaki the phone yet but he already had said so, therefore I doubt that Hyunda would go back on his word like that. That action of his was totally beyond my understanding. I can understand the fact that you want to manipulate Rayazaki yet why bother so much?

    Perhaps I viewed Hyunda far too high.

    Regardless of whether or not I allowed myself to view him that way, it didn''t matter anymore.

    Something else was on my mind right now. The fact that Kuzan had not fulfilled his deal was pissing me off. I don''t tolerate liars to this extent. Usually, if it''s not related to me, I will tolerate but if it is related to me then I will really show a glimmering dislike for such attitudes.

    Since I had already left Rayazaki''s room, all that was left was to go to sleep.

    What''s done is done.

    Plus, I need to rest. My physical condition as of the moment is terrible. I can barely walk too.

    "Crap... I''m feeling thirsty..."

    Thankfully, there was free water in the kitchen, always.

    Everyone was most likely already in their rooms since I didn''t catch the sight of anyone in the kitchen.

    For the record, King George had not come back yet.

    That was unusual. He was always around the dorm either watching his boring telenovela or just reading a history documentary yet to contrast that he wasn''t here.

    "The hell, why am I so thirsty...?"

    I had drunken two water glasses already.

    Normally, one glass would be enough yet for some odd reason I was really indulging myself in drinking water.

    I was already aware that I was going to pee a barrage but decided not to give a fuck.

    "Aren''t you drinking way too much? It''s just water."

    ...!!

    "Pffftttttt!!!"

    Crap, I spilled all my water, now who the hell is--

    "Oh... It''s just you. Turn on the light dude. Don''t scare me like that."

    I thought that it was common sense to turn on the light when you enter a kitchen but maybe he has a different idea in mind.

    "Oh, I thought King George was here. I had to turn on the light to realize he''s not."

    Wow, Hyunda... How can anyone just...

    No words for you.

    "Are you thirsty too?"

    "No, not really. But, I don''t mind drinking water. No one does, if you think about it."

    Water is a natural component, of course, no one minds it. When you think about whether or not you want to drink water, either you fully agree with drinking water or you just don''t mind it.

    There''s not a single moment that I''ve felt that I just had to strongly refuse water.

    Unless I''m missing something of course.

    Either way, Hyunda grabbed a glass of water and drank it.

    Slowly but surely, he put his back on the wall and then looked into my direction.

    "So, why are you here exactly?"

    "Hm, you could tell?"

    "What exactly did you do to get away when I was chasing the piece of gold?"

    "Oh... Hahaha, that? It''s pretty simple. You know, while you lazy asses were busy lazying around in your free time, I was building multiple paths. Accordingly, I had built a path for my escape. It''s alright, you aren''t to blame here. You were never aware that I had such an escape route in the first place."

    "But what for? Why are you doing all of this? For someone who doesn''t take any responsibility, you are going through such lengths. I don''t get it. Why?"

    "Why? Daniel, don''t you understand? It doesn''t matter if you know it now, it won''t matter in the slightest because that information already holds no value. You often ask questions that have no real value, by the way."

    "It matters to me because I don''t like to be manipulated. Hyunda, I won''t be your puppet anymore."

    I''ve been meaning to say this for some time now but I will not follow Hyunda''s way of doing things any longer.

    "You were never my puppet. Everything you did, wasn''t it through your own accord?"

    "What do you mean? You set the stages twice already. You could have prevented that dorm invasion and you could have let everyone out of the underground if you had put minimal effort to do so yet you didn''t do that. You created a scenario where everyone else was a puppet to you, regardless of the situation."

    "No, I don''t really agree with that. You''re viewing me from a wrong angle, Daniel. Everything I do is for the sake of my freedom. I love freedom. I think it''s the nicest thing there is. What you are calling a stage set up is actually my freedom pursuit. If you think about it, the other events all happened coincidentally. After all, what happened after I was gone from the underground was beyond my control. Or are you going to argue back against this?"

    So in other words, from his reasoning, I wasn''t actually being manipulated into doing all of that but it just happened coincidentally? Inside my mind, I couldn''t agree with what Hyunda had just said. The events that followed previously all happened far too accordingly.

    His ideal of freedom is something I really couldn''t care though.

    But it''s a reasonable trait to pursue, I suppose.

    "I won''t argue. No point, right? After all, you already thought of everything, right? But, if that''s the case, then why are you helping out Rayazaki like this? We both know that this is a set-up. Or are you like Kuzan and Sagasuga, who believe that this is a romantic development?"

    "Hahaha, no way, man. It''s plainly obvious that Rayazaki''s one-sided crush for Hinagiku is all there is. Hinagiku behaves like a girl who hides a mountain of feelings behind her smile. I''m familiar with her type. However, Rayazaki is not, which makes him the perfect target."

    Hyunda seemed to be quite thirsty honestly, this was already his third water glass.

    "And with all things considered, Hinagiku is most likely not acting on her own. If I had to produce a wild guess as to who is acting behind the scenes, then it would either be Akimiyashika or Ikkiri. Whatever the case, it doesn''t really matter who is behind this. What truly matters is how they use Rayazaki."

    "Huh? But, isn''t that dangerous for us? Are you going to allow them to use Rayazaki freely like that?"

    "Me? I''m not going to do a single thing. Just so you know, I wasn''t joking when I said that I was on a freedom pursuit. True freedom requires liberation from all sorts of responsibilities. I can''t pursue my ideal if I''m chained by responsibility like this."

    His philosophical talk aside, it was as if Hyunda was saying something else...

    "I don''t get you, Hyunda. Why do you even bother to state things that matter when you don''t do a single thing about it?"

    "That''s because I don''t care. I''m acquiring knowledge about the situation at hand for two reasons alone. One, I''m simply curious about the situation. I get bored easily. These types of things manage to ease my boredom quite a bit. And two, the traitor."

    "The traitor?!"

    "Yeah. You seriously have to think about it a little. It''s not hard, trust me. If the traitor is involved with the girls, then he is without a doubt aware of the situation, which means that he will do something about this, no? Now I just have to wait and see if he takes the bait."

    "Bait? What do you mean?"

    "Well, that''s enough questions. But, listen up. I''ve got something important to say. This is probably going to help us out a lot in the upcoming special exam. I say this because we really can''t afford to become Akimiyashika''s dolls during this special exam."

    True enough, that situation could never happen again. Although, I really couldn''t tell where he was going with his words. He had already convinced Rayazaki to take the special exam to a serious degree.

    What else was there?

    "Do you remember when I said I would give Rayazaki an extra phone? Why do you think I said that?"

    As I thought... He wouldn''t do something without a logical reason behind it.

    Even so, I couldn''t really form a superficial guess about it, but...

    "Well, one thing I know for sure. It''s for the sake of contacting Hinagiku, right? But isn''t that counterproductive? If Rayazaki makes contact with Hinagiku then he might get manipulated into doing something perilous..."

    "That''s correct to some degree. While on the surface the whole idea of giving him an extra phone will expose him to the possibility of being manipulated, it''s not counterproductive and I''ll explain why."

    After his fourth glass of water, Hyunda placed the glass on the table and took a cellphone out of his pocket, which he then raised up.

    "This right here is the key to success."

    "...A phone? But how? Isn''t that the phone that you are going to give to Rayazaki?"

    "I''ll borrow, not give. But, yeah. Also, do you see this SIM card?"

    "Of course. You''re basically shoving it on my face."

    He really was.

    "Good. Inside this phone, there is a SIM card that is exactly the same as this. Now, what you will do is: you''ll insert the SIM card that I''m holding inside your phone. Your phone model allows you to, correct?"

    Coincidentally, it does.

    But where was he going with this?

    "But what for?"

    "That''s simple. You''ll share the same number as Rayazaki and will, therefore, receive the same messages as him."

    W-What the hell!?

    "H-Hold on. Why though?"

    "You will supervise their conversation. But, that''s about it. You cannot interfere, EVER. This is for the purpose of simply knowing if Rayazaki is about to commit something that might put us in a tough spot."

    "No, wait. Why don''t you do this instead? Why does it have to be me?"

    "I actually considered it. Seeing the conversation of two virgins developing their romantic tendencies. I happen to be a sucker for romances, but then I thought that you''d be the best individual for this."

    "Okay, but why am I the best individual for this exactly?"

    "That''s due to one reason."

    "That being?"

    I was rapidly answering him back since I could not understand the meaning behind his words.

    "You actually hate romance, don''t you? Plus, you were recording the earlier conversation for a certain reason, right? Let me guess... You want to fuck Rayazaki up in the future for some reason. Maybe when he gets his memories back? Or maybe--"

    "I''ll do it. Say no more."

    Shit, Hyunda knows way too much about it.

    How the fuck though?

    As expected of a real-life anime protagonist.

    Plus, I accepted it because I realized that I could take screenshots of the conversation to add up to the torture fodder against Rayazaki.

    This was actually a once in a lifetime golden opportunity.

    "Also, make sure to have your phone on silent mode. It would be way too awkward to have both of your phones ring at the same time should you two happen to be close."

    That''s certainly true. I almost forgot about that.

    "But still... Is that all there is to it?"

    "No, there''s a bit more actually. But I''m getting sleepy so I''ll just leave it at that."

    Hyunda was starting to yawn a lot now. Well, I was sleepy as hell too.

    "Give me the SIM card then. Also, what''s the pin?"

    "It''s an 8 code pin, be aware. The pin is: 42042069."

    ................

    "Just curious what would your pin be if it allowed letters?"

    "I''ll leave that to your imagination."

    Shit, he''s way too cultured.

    "Ahhh, also... I need you to understand something before we end this conversation. Well... Not really understand but... it''s just a trade of opinions..."

    Well, he''s got my interest now.

    "Sure, what is it?"

    "What''s your take on manipulation?"

    "Manipulation? I guess it''s really good if used correctly especially if the individual that''s being manipulated doesn''t realize that he/she is being manipulated. Even if the individual that is being manipulated realizes it, if it''s too late, then it doesn''t matter."

    "That''s a reasonable opinion. I believe manipulation to be virtually invincible as a method. There are no visible ways to defeat manipulation if done correctly. Knowing this, if you were up against a manipulator, how would you fight back?"

    ...

    Is he hinting something here? He does tend to do that a lot.

    If I think about it, he could be referring to the situation at hand, which would then be...

    "By manipulating the manipulator?"

    "...That doesn''t work. Because, the manipulator, if clever enough, will never allow itself to be manipulated. Again, manipulation is only virtually invincible if used extremely correctly."

    "Then, there''s no way to fight back, I guess."

    "Supposedly, fighting back against the manipulator is the wrong move. So --- in order to actually win against the manipulator, you don''t fight the manipulator."

    "Huh...?"

    "Can''t you see where I am going with this? The only way to win against the manipulator is to beat the manipulator at his/her game. Yet it''s not by facing the manipulator straight up. But instead, to manipulate the one who the manipulator is manipulating from the shadows without the primal manipulator noticing it."

    "I see... But, why are you telling me this---"

    "About time you caught up. I thought you were retarded or some shit."

    "So that''s why you bothered to do all that..."

    "Unfortunately, yes. Daniel, I''m not sure if you truly understood what I wanted you to truly understand, so I''ll say it. Right now, you are being given the opportunity to potentially beat a manipulator. I created the chance, but it''s up to you to do something with it. Whether you screw this up or not is beyond my caring. Use Rayazaki as you see fit."

    Leaving the SIM card on the table, Hyunda leaves off to his own room.

    It seems that the situation at hand just got a whole lot better.

 Volume 3 - Chapter 18: Virgin Texting.

    ..................

    ............

    ........

    "Bzzz..."

    .........

    ......

    "Bzz...."

    ......

    ...

    "Bzz."

    What the hell is all this noise...?

    "The hell..."

    I can''t put my phone on silence mode because I have my alarm clock, but it''s fucking 3 am and these two virgins are...

    "Ah... Great..."

    It''s not great. I was frustrated over the fact that my phone''s constant vibration managed to wake me up.

    My sleep was going perfect too. I think that I was snoring so loud that I sounded like a chainsaw.

    ��Hey, are you awake...?��

    As soon as I checked my phone, I noticed a plethora of messages from Rayazaki, such as...

    ��It''s me, Rayazaki!��

    �� Hear this! That bastard Daniel broke my phone! So I had to ask for a borrowed phone in order to contact you! Hehehe, I didn''t forget your number ?? ��

    Oh no, not the shady sunglasses emoji...

    I thought it couldn''t get worse, but...

    ��What are you doing?��

    ��Hey, why aren''t you answering? Is your phone broken?��

    ��Hahaha jk LOL!��

    I''m definitely screenshotting this cringe.

    How am I going to call this folder?

    By the way, all these messages were recent. Therefore, Hyunda must have given him his extra phone a while ago...

    But seriously... 3 am of all times? Fuck off Hyunda, how dare you make me bear the responsibility for this shit?

    You''re lucky that I''m actually looking forward to the endgame of this.

    Regardless, so far, Rayazaki''s messages have been incredibly one-sided.

    Even knowing so...

    ��Btw, what''s your favorite song? I wanna listen to it!��

    What the hell is this guy even trying to achieve...

    Just accept the fact that she''s either asleep or completely ignoring you.

    Honestly, Hinagiku is most likely asleep.

    Well, whatever...

    I''ll leave the door open just so I can make sure to listen to the outside noises.

    This way, I''ll for sure listen to noise when everyone else is awake.

    In other words, I''ll be able to put my phone on silence mode.

    After going to the definition bar, I was about to place my phone on my headboard, until...

    "Seriously... How much of a virgin are you, Rayazaki!?"

    Unbelievable. Even after getting so many empty messages in, you should realize that---

    "Wait..."

    ��Rayazaki? Is that you? Ohh sowwyyy... I was in the middle of sleeping.��

    Against all odds, Hinagiku replied Rayazaki.

    And of course, Rayazaki, being the massive virgin that he is, immediately replied back.

    ��Heyyyyyy!!!! It''s fine, it''s fine! Don''t worry about it! Anyways... How was your day?��

    Rayazaki, you dumbfuck. It''s common sense when texting a female to always leave her two minutes hanging if not more. If you reply to her that quick then you are no different from the rest of her ''friends''.

    However, since Rayazaki is far too blinded by her charms he doesn''t care. Well, it doesn''t matter if he cares or not since he probably isn''t aware of this.

    Also, what the fuck? ''How was your day?''?

    Dude, what the hell kinda question is that!?

    ��Fine... I''m a bit tired >3 How about chu?��

    Why do I have the feeling that it''s against the universal laws of romance to read a conversation this innocent...

    No, no.

    She''s most likely going to manipulate him! I have to be there!

    To screenshot the cringe, of course.

    ��I... really wanted to talk to you!��

    Not what she asked you, you goddamn moron.

    ��OwO, what is it?��

    Oh fuck me, not that...

    ��Erm, actually never mind... Don''t mind me...��

    Wow, you pussy, at least finish it.

    ��Okay. XD.��

    Don''t you just love it when the other side gives you ''XD'' as their last reply?

    What a tremendous demonstration of originality.

    After that, Rayazaki stopped messaging Hinagiku.

    He really pussied out like that, holy.

    "I can''t blame him when you get an ''XD'' as a reply, you really can''t do much."

    I''m not speaking from experience but it''s really not your fault that the other side sucks at texting this much.

    Especially when they use ''>3'' ''<3'' '':3'' or some other shitty signatures like that. I understand that it''s somewhat of a female''s etiquette but come on...

    Once again, as I was about to turn off my phone''s screen...

    ��I''m going to sleep now...��

    Don''t answer it.

    Don''t you fucking dare. This is such a shitty bait, Rayazaki.

    Don''t fall for it!

    ��W-Wait!!"��

    Damn it!

    ��We can talk tomorrow, Rayazaki... Aren''t you sleepy too?��

    Or maybe it wasn''t a bait? Is Hinagiku really trying to end the conversation?

    ��NO! WAIT!��

    Did you know if you capslock someone like that, you are most likely an abusive person?

    Perhaps I should crush Rayazaki''s balls the same way I did with Kuzan''s.

    On second thought, back when Rayazaki was arrested, Hinagiku was literally crushing them, so...

    ��Do you have any plans for the next month!?��

    Could Rayazaki be taking the lead here?

    Find out on the next episode of Rayazaki Sucks Balls.

    No, but seriously.

    Was he?

    ��Hahaha, what kind of question is that?��

    Truly, he had to be more explicit with his own words.

    ��Let''s hang out.��

    Woah.

    Talk about a switch up.

    ��E-Eh...?��

    Unlike Rayazaki''s previous replies that were storming up at the speed of light, this time, no such replies came forward.

    ��Are you... there?��

    This time, it was Hinagiku who was blankly replying.

    I don''t think that Rayazaki''s the type of person to ignore someone. Most surely when that person just happens to be his crush...

    What exactly happened...

    ��I''m really tired... I''ll answer you tomorrow in school, k?��

    Why am I feeling like I have to cut my arm off or something?

    ��Well... Um...��

    No, stop. I can''t take this anymore.

    I will repent, I promise!

    ��Sleep well...!��

    I think my soul just got cleansed.

    Ultimately, after reading that diabetic exchange of words going down, I went to sleep.

    For the record, no more exchange of words, also known as, messages, went down.

    I could, therefore, finally sleep.

    9 am, block F classroom.

    Well, the sleep wasn''t that bad.

    But, one thing was in the back of my mind all this time.

    "Where the hell is he...?"

    Perhaps I said that a bit too loud since my table partner looked at me for a second.

    Ah, she''s still salty about that. It can''t be helped. Under normal circumstances, we will probably never talk again.

    I have no patience for her type of character. If she''s moody, then let her be moody.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "Sensei, what''s your relationship with Yuka-sensei?"

    "There is no relationship. Pay attention please."

    Basara-sensei was being bombarded with questions like that from the girls ever since the classroom had started.

    Why aren''t you telling them to fuck off?

    Hey.

    Why are you giving them such nice treatment?

    Hey.

    What about that time you basically told us that you would kill us all and you weren''t showing any sign of joking about that?

    Hey.

    Why are you telling them that''s not the case but you aren''t explaining why such is so.

    "Hypocrite."

    I didn''t care whether or not she was bothered by it at this point, I was developing some Akihiko self-talking skills, honestly.

    Speaking of which, Akihiko was not talking to himself, at all, for some damn reason.

    "Well... That''s it for today. Please behave in Yuka-sensei''s presence..."

    "Sensei!"

    Just as Basara-sensei was about to take his leave, Hyunda raised his hand high.

    "What? I swear, if it''s something stupid, I''m just going to ignore it."

    "No, it''s not something stupid, or at least I like to believe it''s not..."

    "What is it then? Out with it!"

    Christ, why is this so heated up?

    It''s just a question, guys. Chillax.

    "W-Why didn''t you tell me!?"

    "...What? Be more specific plea-"

    "I thought that you were supposed to serve as the example, sensei. Why didn''t you tell me that she was an M?"

    "M? Hey, Hyunda, what''s an M?"

    Ikkiri somehow didn''t get what Hyunda meant by ''M''.

    "Fucking dumbass, you expected me to actually tell you that! Use your cranium for once, you oval moron!"

    I wasn''t sure what he meant by ''oval moron'' honestly.

    "I can''t win against that! Tell me, how did you do it!?"

    Being slightly curious too, I looked at Basara-sensei instead of looking at a certain romantic conversation happening between two individuals.

    To my surprise, Basara-sensei, who usually denies any request, at first sight, sighed deeply and then looked at Hyunda with serious eyes.

    "Well... Since we still have 2 minutes before she comes, I''ll tell you..."

    "I see. I will pay an incredible amount of precise attention to those words."

    "No, please don''t."

    "Heyyyyyy, don''t ignore me! What''s an M?!"

    Unable to read the mood, Tsudo takes on Ikkiri''s question.

    "Huh? You seriously don''t know it means being a mas-"

    "Tsudo, shut your fucking mouth. What sort of crap are you about to say to a 15-year-old girl?"

    Fortunately, Hyunda was there to prevent him from speaking the truth.

    "Ehhh, just tell me!! Or I''ll get seriously mad!"

    It''s amazing how Hyunda just refused to look at Ikkiri.

    "Come here, Hyunda. I can''t tell all of it to the rest..."

    Honestly, not all people here were giving a fuck. Especially those two.

    I''m starting to think that I''m actually wrong and that Sagasuga was right.

    Although, that just gives me more the will to purge the living shit out of Rayazaki.

    I was even thinking of going easy on him because of the possibility of him being manipulated but if such is the case then I have no reason to hold back.

    If I was wrong, then I have to reflect on it for sure. Let''s suppose that Hinagiku is serious about giving Rayazaki a chance. What then?

    Did Hyunda miscalculate?

    Given that Hyunda might know that, why would he bother with all this...?

    Speaking of Hyunda...

    "Y-You can''t mean...!"

    "Yes... But that''s not all. Listen closely to what I''m about to say next..."

    They were literally trading words while being extremely away from everyone else.

    Ikkiri was fuming for some reason.

    "O-Oh...! A-Are you serious right now!? But, what about rule 34?!"

    "Rule 34!?"

    Tsudo, being the pervert that he is, couldn''t contain his excitement.

    "Well... about that... You see..."

    They kept on trading words in secret. Realizing that nothing could be heard, the majority of us were not even paying attention to it. In fact, it was a miracle that this was any relevant.

    Also, can we just talk about how Basara-sensei supposedly didn''t deny his knowledge about rule 34?

    That''s how you know a man has been spending quality time online.

    "Shit, I must get going. She''s coming. Don''t tell this to anyone or I''ll expel you from the program."

    Oi!

    You goddamn failure of a teacher, that''s going too far!

    "I got it. I will protect this piece of information with all I have!"

    Don''t say that, Hyunda!! Counter his absolutely unreasonable words!

    Unless...

    W-Was...

    Was that information all that good!?

    Even though the majority of us were barely paying any attention, we all got our attention directed onto one place alone.

    The typical entrance via slamming the entrance door was being witnessed.

    "Hello, my students!! How was your sleep!? Did you all sleep well?"

    She''s certainly charismatic, unlike our previous homeroom teacher.

    "Yuka-sensei!! Hyunda''s bullying me!!"

    "I am not bullying you, for crying out loud. There''s a huge difference between bullying and opting not to say a word. Besides, you''re just a whiny baby who cries every time when you don''t get what you want."

    "That''s bullying though! Silence is bullying! I don''t like it!"

    "Deal with it."

    I cannot fathom what it feels like to have Ikkiri constantly argue with you day in day in without a single day out.

    "Hey. Let go."

    "Ara, but I thought we could talk a little bit~"

    Yuka-sensei, noticing that Basara-sensei was about to leave, took a hold of his right arm using her cleavage as a weapon to seduce him.

    "Woman, I swear on my life that I will break your ovaries if you don''t let go of my arm right now."

    W-What is this feeling?!

    Why am I feeling so much respect for this evil teacher right now!?

    "Y-You will!?"

    However, Basara-sensei should know this the best, that sort of insult will only backfire.

    Though it wasn''t to my best interest, I could tell that my side partner was digging this scene quite a lot.

    What? What''s so appealing about it?

    "Hey! Don''t cause me to hit you, damn it! I swear I will!"

    "I-I see!! Then, go ahead!"

    She was seriously looking forward to this, she even closed her eyes.

    No, I''m not talking about my side partner, but Yuka-sensei.

    Although, she was quite attentive to this.

    Well, nothing was really happening. What''s the harm of trying to talk to her, right?

    And besides, the virgin texting between Rayazaki and Hinagiku had stopped for now.

    They were happily talking to each other.

    I might have to kill myself if I don''t purge his existence off this planet.

    "Can you imagine what their sex must be like?"

    .......

    Okay, maybe not the best starter.

    But, I''m sure she heard it.

    Look, I''m seriously not trying anything funny with her, I''m just bored.

    You can''t blame a bored man for every single thing.

    Well, let''s go at it again.

    "Personally, I think that they would be an S&M coupl-"

    "Shut up."

    .........

    I really hate this world.

    About 1 hour later.

    "Everyone brought their P.E set of clothes, right!? No one else forgot, right!? RIGHT!?"

    "I made sure that we, the bois, didn''t forget!"

    Kawahara truly did. After all, he literally woke the whole dorm at 7 am just so we didn''t forget to bring our P.E clothes.

    Oh right...

    Yesterday, Yuka-sensei said that we would be attending P.E classes every day and thus, we were to ABSOLUTELY not forget to bring our set of P.E clothes today.

    But, if you were to ask me, Kawahara was mainly just looking forward to the fact that we would finally be attending P.E classes.

    A pack of P.E clothes was given at the start of the year, so naturally, everyone had them. However, we didn''t have them on. We had yet to change into them.

    "Then, it''s settled! Everyone, let''s go to the outside field!"

    Without much to complain about, we moved out.

    The freezing air was almost making me cry yet what truly worried me was the fact that we were going to most likely do a P.E class out on a field in the middle of the winter.

    "A-Aniki, it''s freezing!! I dun wanna do this!!"

    I was officially ignoring Kuzan until he manned up and got his deal done.

    To ensure that he fully understood that, I plugged my earplugs in my ears.

    The song I chose from my playlist was random,yet it was "Water Breathing."

    Damn it. I''m not saying Water Breathing is bad, in fact, it''s damn good, but I kinda wish it was Rengoku''s theme instead.

    Honestly, I''m not too sure if I''ll be able to hold my tears in the upcoming movie.

    Oh well, the Dimensional Infinity Fortress Arc is the thing I''m looking forward to the most.

    "Aniki!! Don''t ignore me!! You''ve been giving me the silent treatment ever since morning!"

    Allow me to add something more to that.

    The fools that think that the anime was truly something will eat their own fucking words once Ufotable decides to further adapt the source, which is the Manga.

    It makes no sense to not adapt any further.

    I''m fairly sure that the profit was massive. I can also understand why they decided to do the Infinity Train arc into a movie.

    The arc is certainly short, therefore a movie was a good call.

    "I told you that I can''t pay for the food! Please understand!!"

    I would say the only problem would be the massive budget.

    Then again, Unlimited Budget Works, am I right?

    All in all, it would be a huge waste to not adapt the rest. Plus, considering that the fights in the Dimensional Infinity Fortress Arc are arguably the most epic thus far, from an economic stance, it''s bound to rend quite a lot of profit. Ultimately, it benefits Ufotable greatly.

    Unless they decide to just not do anything at all...

    However, I seriously doubt that''s the case.

    My inner dialogue aside, Kuzan''s shouts were so damn loud that even max volume didn''t do shit against them.

    I felt like slamming his face on the ground for a second, but we had arrived at our lockers in the meanwhile.

    "...Sagasuga, you bastard, how dare you have a body like that..."

    Tsudo, out of jealousy, threw some salt at Sagasuga.

    Right after entering, we started to strip. Thus our bodies could be witness by one another.

    "Huh? What are you on about? This is average."

    "Average my ass! That''s fucking eight packs oi!!!"

    I wonder if Tsudo is aware that you can achieve 10 packs.

    "No, Sagasuga, is right. That is average as hell."

    "...What did you mean by that, Kawahara?"

    "I meant what I meant. That''s average as fuck. What kind of wuss training did you do?"

    No, guys, please don''t argue about your abs.

    Don''t make this gayer than it already is.

    I beg of you.

    "I don''t know, you tell me. Only 6 packs, what a joke. Where did you get that, in your mother''s basement?"

    "My mother''s already dead, bastard."

    Wow, that went dark real quick.

    As suggestive as this event may sound, not all of us were fit like hell.

    People like Susaga and Tsudo had average bodies, for example.

    It''s fair to assume that most of us did criminal activities that involved a lot of physical activity.

    I didn''t want to flex so I changed from my student uniform to my P.E clothes at the speed of light.

    Also, some of us were already with their P.E clothes.

    And, ALSO, a certain someone, would not get the fuck out of his phone.

    "Rayazaki. Fucking dress up. Right now."

    "Eh, wait a second. Texting."

    Yeah, I fucking know that.

    That''s exactly why I''m telling you this.

    "Oh yeah! Listen up, you anti-social bastards, there''s a crush in class, hahaha!!"

    "No one really cares, Kawahara. Why are you speaking like a little bitch right now...?"

    Kan had a point. Only a little bitch would be so into romantic stuff like this.

    "What was that!? Aren''t you getting a little too high of yourself, Ran?!"

    "It''s Kan, you retard... Also, what crush? I''m not interested in it particularly, but since you''re bitching about it, might as well say it."

    In other words, Kan didn''t really want to know except he wanted to.

    The rare male tsundere.

    "Oh, that. I love Hinagiku."

    ........

    Why is this man so beta yet so chad?

    I can''t understand this paradoxical fusion of contrasts!

    "So you love jail bars too? Just asking."

    "T-The hell is that supposed to mean, Akihiko?"

    "It''s the truth, no matter how you look at it. If you have a taste of that cursed fruit, you will go to jail for sure."

    "No, but Akihiko, isn''t Rayazaki being smart about this in a sense? He''s already going to jail anyway, what''s the point of denying it at this point? If this is his last stand then that''s pretty commendable."

    "I see what you mean, Tatsu. Well, if that''s his aim, then go for it. I don''t think anybody here will judge you for that."

    And nobody really did, which just goes for show how twisted we really are.

    We are essentially approving of Rayazaki''s hell sentence.

    Because no jail time will ever be enough for you to atone for what you are about to do to her.

    "W-What the fuck are you people on about!! You goddamn psychos!"

    Or, that''s what I would like to think.

    Actually no.

    I don''t really like to think that.

    I will allow Rayazaki to think that he has a chance of blooming but when the time comes, I will bring his old usual self back.

    Boy oh boy, that will be a fucking sight to see.

    Nevertheless, as soon as we were done, we took off to the center of the field, where surprisingly, all the girls, along with Yuka-sensei were present.

    "What the fuck... No skirt, no bloomers... Is this hell!?"

    Although I refused to voice my opinion on Tsudo''s complaint, he was right.

    All the girls were dressed up in jerseys.

    Talk about anti-climatic.

    Accordingly, this is one way to get your boner deflected.

    "Gyaaaa!!"

    "W-Why is he..?!"

    Ah, of course.

    Our alpha male, Kawahara, just couldn''t resist the urge to flex.

    "Hey, Kawahara, put a shirt on!"

    "Huh? What for!? Can''t you see that I''m damn comfortable like this!?"

    The one that had the courage to step up while the vast majority of the girls were looking away out of embarrassment was no other than Akimiyashika.

    "It''s completely irrelevant whether or not you are feeling comfortable! It''s against the rules to not be wearing your P.E clothes!"

    "Rules are for pussies! Therefore, all of you!"

    Ouch, okay, chill out brother.

    "Yuka-sensei, this is qualified as sexual harassment, right!?"

    W-What? Is Akimiyashika seriously going to go that far!?

    "Well... I can''t say it doesn''t... Kawahara, please put your shirt on..."

    "What!? Hell no! I like to express myself! Physically as well! I have every right to express myself!"

    "You also have every right to go against my own words and suffer the consequences."

    Hearing that, Kawahara took a full 180-degree turn and went back to the locker''s room.

    "Are all of you like Kawahara, physically?"

    "No."

    Maybe we all had different reasons to deny Yuka-sensei''s question, but I denied it because it''s really troublesome to attract unnecessary attention.

    Girls'' attraction for abs is something that I can''t even hope to comprehend.

    Oh, my bad.

    When I said ''we'', I lied.

    Apparently, one of us begged to differ.

    "Well, hehe, actually---"

    What perfect synergy we have, seriously.

    We all looked at Sagasuga with murderous eyes as if to tell him to shut his fucking mouth.

    But in all seriousness, it was so fucking cold. How the hell can Kawahara just be like that?

    Is this some unknown form of masochism?

    "Oh, he''s back! That was quick!"

    Kawahara was indeed back. Though, he looked fucking pissed off alright.

    There are consequences to flexing, that''s why you don''t always flex.

    You want to flex sometimes, but not all the time.

    "Happy now, you blonde thot?"

    "Y-Yes!"

    "......."

    Well, Kawahara was asleep during the whole introduction so he didn''t know about that.

    Still, blonde thot? C''mon dude.

    You barely know her, why would you---

    Okay. Time to get these beta thoughts out of my head.

    "Kuzan, kick me."

    "W-What? A-Aniki, what the hell!? We are in the middle of... you know..."

    "Just do it. No one''s looking."

    We were hiding behind the lines here, no risks here.

    "Why though..."

    "God fucking damn it Kuzan, this is urgent just fucking do it----!!!"

    Oh crap, that hurt way more than I thought.

    Was he holding a grudge against me or something?

    No matter, the beta thoughts are officially gone. That''s what actually matters in the end.

    "You''re weird, Aniki..."

    "Thanks."

    I take ''weird'' as a compliment, honestly.

    If someone were to call me ''normal'', I would flip my shit on that person.

    How dare you call me someone who is equal to the rest?

    I strive for the difference in my individuality, damn it.

    "Yuka-sensei, what will we be doing today? You''ve just been standing there without saying anything..."

    It was rare to see Yulia talk. However, she was right. Yuka-sensei was indeed taking far too long.

    What for?

    "Hm... Hm...."

    She seems to be in deep thought...

    Again, what for?

    "Oi, fucking give us something to do already."

    Hyunda, why are you saying that in an offensive tone when you know what''s going to happen?

    "D-Don''t be rude to Yuka-sensei, Hyunda! She''s thinking about something!"

    Whether she was really thinking about something or not, we knew not, yet Hinagiku still defended her on that matter.

    "Be more patient, Hyunda. Just relax."

    And of course, white knight cuck number 1 Rayazaki is reporting for duty.

    "Yosh!! I''ve decided! Y''all listen up!"

    Y''all.

    Y''all.

    Sorry, I just can''t process that without cringing inside.

    Friendly reminder, I was born in America.

    "I''ve thought about what the special exam and what I''ve came up with is---"

    Yeah, sorry about that. Cliffhanger''s a bitch, I know.

 Volume 3 - Chapter 19: No homo.

    Amidst Yuka-sensei''s jubilant yet mysterious words, I had no single clue on what the special exam for this month would base itself on.

    Strictly speaking, a special exam should be based on something that has a serious amount of variety of things into it or just a certain theme that contains a very high degree. Yet, our first special exam was a simple argument.

    Well, it wasn''t definitely simple, but my point is, it was somewhat arranged. Basara-sensei just came up with it on the spot and the rest of the class was bound to come to an agreement regardless of possible internal disagreements.

    Still, the most noteworthy thing about the previous special exam was how the girls were somehow extremely prepared for it even though Basara-sensei had not mentioned a single thing about it.

    I''ve thought about the possibility of them knowing about the contents before-hand yet that sounds extremely unlikely because Basara-sensei came up with it on the spot.

    Therefore, there was something else---

    "Let''s do a matching contest!"

    ...

    "What!?"

    I don''t think anyone in my class actually missed out on saying that. In other words, we all interrogated Yuka-sensei in an aggressive tone right away.

    "E-Ehh!? What''s wrong? I thought you''d all agree with me straight up!"

    "Yuka-sensei! How can you be this dumb!?"

    Okay, Ryoken, her idea isn''t dumb, you''re being way too savage about it without knowing the full extent of it.

    "I really thought it was going to be something serious this time around... What a letdown..."

    Even Gale, someone who doesn''t speak at all voiced her opinion.

    Although I did say ''What!?'' back then, I''m fairly sure that it wasn''t due to the same reason as these people.

    Now, why would I say that you ask?

    Because the whole premise is for bloomers.

    "You''re all misunderstanding. Let me explain."

    Finally ceasing our chaotic confusion to an end, Yuka-sensei probably said the words we all wanted to listen.

    "My idea for the upcoming special exam would have to be something that entwines with a certain moral aspect. In other words, I thought about developing friendships along with the students here!"

    No, please no.

    It won''t work.

    "And so, I figured that since this class is around 24 students, that we could form pairs for this!"

    "Okay, but what for?"

    She seemed to be somewhat aggressive about the situation too since it was unusual for Yukishiro to be speaking.

    This is what happens once a girl if off her phone.

    Talkative 100.

    "Erm, you are...?"

    How the hell did you still not know your own students'' names?

    "Yukishiro..."

    "Oh, alright! Well, Yuki, I have decided that in order to create this matching contest that I would use a very simple method and that is, physical compatibility."

    Now that''s absurd. There''s no way that there are people here who are actually evenly matched. What''s more, is, if your aim is to create friendship among us, then you should literally drop this idea. Because you''ll most likely develop rivalry instead of friendship.

    "But, before you assume anything first, I will first explainhow the physical compatibility works! Unlike what some of you might''ve already thought about, the physical compatibility that I have in mind will match the strong with the weak!"

    ...

    At least I said it in my mind, okay.

    "Now, you might be like: ''Ehhhh!? Matching me with someone who is weaker than me!? What a drag?! I don''t want that!!'' I know that feeling! But, if you think about it, isn''t it fun!?"

    And how exactly is it fun to be matched with someone who is physically weaker than you?

    But, well, knowing Basara-sensei, he was most likely plotting something evil from the get-go, so this can''t be that bad, right...?

    Meanwhile, just as Yuka-sensei was about to continue, an interruption came forward.

    "Sorry to interrupt, but how is this match compatibility even going to work? I mean this without any sense of disrespect but aren''t we males supposedly more physically capable than most of the females here?"

    Although Susaga probably didn''t mean to stir something up, he certainly got multiple glares from certain females.

    Honestly, I would normally agree with him, but I just can''t. If a midget like Hinagiku can whip the floor with someone like Rayazaki then what exactly tells me that they are all supposedly weak?

    Absolutely fucking nothing!

    "Saga, was it?"

    "Susaga..."

    Hey, at least she remembered a part of your name. Be glad, dude.

    "Ok, so, Susaga, while you do have a point, I had already thought about that. You see, the match compatibility will be between girls and boys only!"

    "...Huh? I don''t get it..."

    Well, same.

    What''s the harm with match compatibility between people of the same gender? I really don''t see the harm.

    No homo, of course.

    "It''s no fun to match boys with boys or girls with girls! I know about the physical difference between genders overall. Therefore, it will all work out under this premise: the most physically capable boy will be matched with the least physically capable girl! The least physically capable boy with the most physically capable girl, and so on!"

    I see.

    If we go by this premise then it''s certainly possible to form a physical match. Although, the whole premise invites the exact opposite of what average match compatibility would suggest. Essentially, instead of matching someone who is physically strong with someone is equally physically strong, it''s the exact opposite. Someone who is extremely physically capable will be matched with someone who is basically physically incapable.

    "That''s cute and all but how are you going to determine the compatibility though?"

    Christ, Hyunda refuses to acknowledge her as a teacher or something.

    I''m starting to think that he has something against blondes.

    "W-Well, you see..."

    You made her blush, you ruthless moron!

    "Oh sorry... I meant to say, Yuka-sensei, could you please tell me the details of how you''ll perform your delicate selection for the upcoming special exam that you have thought about?"

    Weird... Why did Hyunda change his tone like that?

    "You''ll see."

    What''s even weird was how Yuka-sensei answered Hyunda with a slight hint of anger in her tone.

    What the hell just happened?

    "Thank you for your answer, Yuka-sensei, very much appreciated."

    Hyunda even bowed. What?

    "Tsk."

    Wait, why are you clicking your own tongue?

    Huh?

    Am I missing something here!?

    "Well, Hyunda over here, made a good point. How exactly would I determine the compatibility between the students here? Especially when it''s a gender type of match, right?"

    Yuka-sensei seemed slightly angry for some reason. Unlike her usual go-happy behavior she had the expression of a bull right now. Hyunda, what have you done?

    "That''s why I''ve decided to apply a very miscellaneous method for this! You will all be doing a 50-meter sprint run! Your timings will be essential to determine the compatibility, overall. With that said, everyone... run around the field for the upcoming ten minutes! After that, we will begin!"

    "Ehhhh!?"

    For the record, not a single boy complained.

    Yuka-sensei was going to the office to do something. Essentially, her office stayed in the middle of the boys'' locker rooms and the girls'' locker rooms. I had a general assumption that she was going to bring out a timer or something like that, in order to count our running speed time.

    Also, even though Yuka-sensei had given that order, the majority of the girls weren''t running, they were in the middle of running and walking.

    Yes, I said the majority because there were some who were sprinting like some dumb idiots.

    Namely, Ikkiri and Kanawari.

    Wait, Kanawari? I would never have guessed that she was that fast.

    Regardless, the true dumb idiots were Kawahara and Kuzan. They were running up ahead like madmen.

    Well, I didn''t exactly care about them honestly. I was going at the same pace as a certain individual.

    "Be careful to not lose again."

    And thus, I took off.

    Around 3 minutes later, even though I wasn''t sprinting she had caught up with me.

    I wasn''t running seriously because there was no point. And besides, I wanted to talk to a certain someone.

    Yet, she kept running in my direction like crazy.

    I had the feeling that my life was in danger.

    The running platform on this field was an oval one. Pretty simple essentially. I wasn''t trying to show off yet I had to somewhat accelerate.

    "Hey, Hyunda!"

    "What?"

    Hyunda didn''t seem like he was running seriously. Although to be fair, at the pace he was running, an average person could not keep up. The important part to notice about Hyunda was that he was breathing just like he was breathing a few minutes ago. In other words, he was breathing the same way before we even started running.

    What I want to say is, it didn''t matter whether he was running or not, this pacing was not even a problem for him.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    He also wasn''t being accompanied by anyone. He was in a line where he was neither close to anyone nor far too distant. It''s as if Hyunda was purposedly trying to not be noticed overall.

    Regardless, he was my true aim in this warm up sprint.

    "What exactly did you do?"

    "...What do you mean?"

    "You made her angry, didn''t you? How?"

    "...I can''t tell you. Actually, I can''t tell anyone."

    Hyunda was probably referring to how he vowed to Basara-sensei that he would never speak a word about it.

    By ''it'', I was referring to their earlier conversation. Yes, this was basically what I was aiming for. Basara-sensei said something to Hyunda regarding Yuka-sensei and I was awfully curious about it.

    "Come on. I won''t tell anyone."

    "No, you don''t get it. The information is far too good to be on someone else''s hands."

    "What the hell, dude? You got something against me?"

    "It''s not about you, really. It wouldn''t matter who had asked me this question. You could be an Alien Emperor and I still wouldn''t speak a single word."

    "But Aliens probably have a way to scan your memories you know?"

    I couldn''t allow Hyunda to forget about that possibility. It''s been implied on so many movies and games that Aliens most likely have the ability to scan your memories. Therefore there was no point in telling me that type of stuff.

    "I was speaking hypothetically. Besides, I wouldn''t see an Alien Emperor go out of his own way--- Well, ''his''? I don''t even know if they have genders. That''s a human thing, really. Well--- I wouldn''t know. Whatever, my point is, I''m not telling you."

    For something hypothetical, he made a huge deal about it. Hyunda even went as far as ranting about the secondary factors. Impressive, but still...

    "Is that information that bad to the point where they wouldn''t bother with it?"

    "What? No. The information is good. But like, there''s no superficial value to it. To be more precise, it''s only good against Yuka-sensei."

    No point in acting surprised about the fact that he said ''Yuka-sensei'' since he was most likely aware that I was here under that premise.

    "By the way--- I''ve been meaning to ask you this ever since you arrived here..."

    "Oh? What is it? You got me curious now."

    Hyunda has never asked me a question.

    No homo, but I''m slightly excited.

    "Erm, why is she...?"

    Looking back, Hyunda asked me that question.

    Oh, what the hell? That''s the question. Low-key disappointed now, really.

    "You mean that?"

    "Yeah, that."

    "I don''t know really. I guess she''s in high spirits."

    "No, no, no! That''s way too high-spirited. And I can''t help but feel that you''re involved."

    "What? Hell no. She probably wants to produce some good results, that''s all."

    "You see, I get that. But she''s not even looking at anywhere else but you at this point."

    I wish this was a romantic situation. Because then, Hyunda''s words would have made my heartbeat. Not by his own words alone but because his own words would imply that the one who is running after me is actually looking at me and only me.

    But no---

    She was looking at me alright. But, it was, without a doubt, not the look of someone who was searching for a romantic scenario.

    The heart is red. Often, a red heart is used to decorate a romantic scene.

    Yet, the only red she was most likely searching for was my blood, damn it!

    "Don''t worry, Hyunda. She''ll run out of breath."

    "Dude, what the hell is that?!"

    Oh right, I forgot to mention, we had caught up with Kan. I''m surprised that someone like Kan, who smokes weed all the time, has the lunge capacity to run at this rapid pace.

    Although Hyunda wanted to stay at his own pace, even he slowly realized that it was about time that he sped up.

    "H-Hey, maybe we should speed up a little!"

    I wasn''t trying to suggest that we formed a competition or anything but I had a very wide feeling that my life was about to end for some reason.

    She had surpassed Rayazaki, who, by the way, was staying behind only to talk with Hinagiku. Furthermore, the likes of Tsudo, who was staying behind the lines for cultural reasons, had been surpassed by her. Ultimately, not even Tatsu and Akihiko could keep up. Oh right, Susaga was basically like the majority of the girls at this point.

    Between slow running and walking.

    "I''m not moving from this position onwards, you two can do whatever the fuck you please."

    Kan, however, objected to my proposal. Hyunda didn''t, thus we sped up a little.

    I think that overall 7 minutes had passed.

    Yuka-sensei was nowhere to be seen.

    Also...

    "By the way, how is it going?"

    "Um, I think that we might''ve been wrong..."

    I''m saying this assuming that he''s asking what I think he is asking.

    "What do you mean?"

    Well, it was natural that he wanted an explanation...

    "So far, nothing has really happened. She''s not showing any signs of manipulating Rayazaki..."

    "I see. So, it''s just a romantic type of talk?"

    "Yeah, exactly. So far, it''s only been that."

    Really disappointing though. I was hoping for some intense manipulation to happen yet so far, nothing of that sort has happened. I''m not saying that the possibility is fully erased or something like that.

    I can''t simply overrule the possibility like that. But, realistically speaking, so far, Hinagiku and Rayazaki have been texting like some massive virgins.

    "If such is the case, then what are you waiting for...?"

    "Sorry?"

    "Don''t ''Sorry?'' me. What I''m asking is, why aren''t you making your move?"

    I was slightly afraid that our conversation was being heard but that was somewhat impossible. The only ones in front of us were Sagasuga, Kawahara, and Kuzan. Sagasuga slowly climbed his own way to where Kawahara and Kuzan were.

    And besides, we had, a while ago, surpassed Ryoken. His body was still aching.

    Since my leg was already fine, I really didn''t mind it.

    All I had to do is to use my toes instead of using my full foot. Otherwise, the bone would contract, which I could not let it happen.

    Yes, my bone was broken but it wasn''t fully shattered. It was just a matter of time, realistically speaking.

    Wow, what a bad logic.

    Nonetheless, that was somewhat partial. What truly was on my mind right now was Hyunda''s question.

    "How am I supposed to make my move if there isn''t any manipulation going on? If Hinagiku doesn''t make her move on Rayazaki then I can''t possibly make mine."

    "Ah... So that''s your reasoning."

    By the way, can we just talk about how Ikkiri, Kanawari, Arkalee, and Akimiyashika are in front of us?

    What the actual fuck? What happened to the ''boys are physically stronger than girls''?

    Science is a myth, honestly.

    Regardless, we were keeping our distance, otherwise, this whole conversation had no point.

    "Is my reasoning wrong somehow?"

    "It''s not really wrong. But, it''s incorrect right now."

    "And why is that?"

    Looking back, all Hyunda told me was that I had this chance. He reasoned that to beat someone who was committing manipulation, you, the secondary manipulator had to utilize the one that primal manipulator was manipulating to your own benefit.

    What I assumed from his words was that, in order to defeat Hinagiku''s scheme, I had to manipulate Rayazaki when she made her move.

    Was I wrong somehow? I really think that this is the correct reasoning here.

    "It''s incorrect because that reasoning only works under the premise that Hinagiku makes her move on Rayazaki. If she doesn''t, then that reasoning is useless."

    No, but isn''t that a good thing, actually?

    "If Hinagiku doesn''t make a move on her then it''s completely fine, right?"

    "Sure, it''s fine. But, are you just going to sit back and let the situation be fine?"

    "What?"

    "Dude... You''re... Ah, how do I say this... Really slow?"

    "Huh?!"

    I was seriously not understanding why Hyunda was saying something like that. Obviously, I got somewhat trigged.

    "The only reason why I gave you that opportunity wasn''t to make sure the situation was fine. It was to make sure that it wasn''t fine. Of course, it''s naturally beneficial for us that the situation is fine for us, yet is that really the potential of the situation?"

    Certainly, the potential of the situation was far too wide in this case. I didn''t exactly think about the potential of the situation since I was far too absorbed on making Rayazaki''s life a living hell in the future.

    "So you are saying that I should make the best out of the situation?"

    "You do you. I already told you that. However, I''m just going to say this again... Rayazaki, right now, is yours to control. Yet if you only act on the premise that Hinagiku will make her move, then Rayazaki is irrelevant here. Because you''re only acting on that premise."

    Basically, what Hyunda just told me was that, the premise itself had already been established and that it was extremely fine for the situation to be fine. He, however, argued against his own words and said that the situation doesn''t have to just be fine.

    It could, essentially, be something more.

    "Alright, but how do I use Rayazaki if Hinagiku isn''t acting on the premise of manipulation?"

    "Oi, oi. You can''t be serious right now. I gave you the opportunity. But I refuse to babysit you. Have some originality, damn it!"

    Shit, he was right. It was pretty non-sensical of me to ask all these questions while looking for an answer. What a sorry sight I am being right now.

    "Also--- Please do something about that already..."

    "Relax, she''ll run out of breath soon!"

    Why hasn''t she ran out of breath yet!?

    "She''s obviously not running out of breath, you damn idiot!"

    "Damn it, you''re right!"

    "Yeah, I fucking know I''m right! Just confront her already! She obviously wants something with you!"

    Fuck, I did say those words back then because I seriously thought that it would be fun to throw some salt at her but she didn''t like my joke it seems!

    "Hey, I''ve been meaning to ask, but are you going to run seriously?"

    "...Who knows..."

    I asked that because despite that, we were basically sprinting at this point, his breath rhythm had not changed.

    It makes me think that it was perhaps a good thing that Hyunda wasn''t a part of the Street Fighter tournament.

    Was I running alongside a monster or something like that?

    Oi, someone, tell me.

    "Well, let''s just speed up a little bit..."

    "Dude, we''ve been running for literally one reason alone. If I stay in the same position, nothing will happen to me. It''s you who has to run, not me."

    Hyunda had a point. Nothing happened to Kan, from the looks of it.

    But, just in case---

    "Just come along dude."

    "Fuck no! I''m not going to be your shield!"

    Shit, he realized my intention straight up.

    "Tsk, guess you can''t trust anybody these days..."

    After I left those salty words, I decided to further speed up.

    But---

    "Hey, Daniel."

    Hyunda apparently wanted to say something before we departed ways.

    "Hm? What? I gotta speed up. Can''t you see that I have an abomination coming after me!?"

    "Yeah, I know, but I just wanted to say... Good luck!"

    "Thanks, man..."

    Leaving a smile behind, I officially had taken off.

    Damn, what a bromantic moment.

    No homo.

    9 minutes must have passed, if not more.

    I was constantly looking back and forth.

    Usually, when someone is out for your blood, you would hear some sort of warcries or something of that sort.

    Yet...

    She was dead silent. Plus, she had her eyes wide open.

    I noticed that she tied her hair and had a ponytail, but that was completely out of my caring right now.

    What truly mattered was that she had some sort of evil intention towards me.

    ''Oh look, another harem protagonist being chased by a girl. Fucking damn it, I wish I was being chased by a girl all day longtoo.''

    Me, when I watched To Love-Ru. Yeah, I was always high-key jealous of Rito honestly.

    I really wanted to always have a girl chasing after me.

    Well, I regret that.

    I was actually going to fucking die!

    Our distance was around 7 meters at this point.

    Thus, I decided to speed up even further, which would imply that I would have to be at the same pace as Kawahara, Kuzan, and Sagasuga.

    This also naturally meant that I would have to surpass the four girls ahead of me.

    "..."

    You know that awkward moment when you run past girls and they just look at you without saying nothing?

    That''s the moment you know you are being judged by them.

    Fuck off you four, like I give a fuck about how you view me inside your mind.

    "Wahh- Aniki!?"

    After awkwardly surpassing the girls, I had gotten closer to where the rest was.

    "Oh? You''re approaching me?"

    I can''t honestly tell if Kawahara meant to make that JoJo reference, but I am proud that he did, regardless of his intention.

    "Instead of running away, you''re coming right to me?"

    Did he just--

    No, no way, right...?

    "Hey, you caught up! You''re fast, Daniel!"

    "Oh, I like running, what can I say!"

    I really don''t. All this commotion is truly bothersome. I just want to escape from the demon who is looking at me with malicious eyes.

    "Then, you are up for a challenge, right?"

    "Unfortunately, Kawahara, Yuka-sensei had just left the office. Therefore, we will stop running pretty soon."

    I had to let him know that there was no meaning behind a challenge at this time.

    Still, I must say. I actually didn''t expect Kuzan to be this physically competent. I guess I never saw the extent of his abilities.

    Actually, I never saw anything from him. It was far too premature to judge him straight up.

    He was up against King George back then. It didn''t matter the opponent, anyone who is up against King George under normal circumstances is bound to get knocked the fuck out.

    "Hey, hey. Don''t be such a pussy now. Right now, we are exactly 100 meters away from the beginning."

    True enough, we were exactly on the halfway of the running course. He was speaking the truth, no matter how I look at it.

    "Therefore, the one who reaches the beginning the fastest is the strongest of all!!"

    No, seriously.

    I wasn''t even going to try here. I didn''t actually care about his challenge.

    "Very well then... You''re on!"

    Kuzan had officially fallen into Kawahara''s intention.

    Although Sagasuga didn''t say a word, he wasn''t exactly denying it either.

    "Oh!? You''re actually serious, aren''t you!?"

    No, I wasn''t serious about this.

    Right now, after Kawahara said those words, we had officially stepped our game up.

    But, um...

    I''m seriously not running at the same pace as them for the sake of winning.

    It''s actually for the sake of not losing my life.

    She had already surpassed the previous girls too.

    What the actual fuck?!

    "Alright, that''s enough!"

    As we were about to hit the endgame, I looked back to see if she had heard Yuka-sensei''s words.

    Sagasuga and Kawahara didn''t really care and just kept on running, but after noticing that she had stopped, I also stopped.

    Kuzan also did the same.

    We had no reason to run anymore.

    Shortly after, we went to Yuka-sensei''s location, which was the center of the field.

    "Aniki, you run fast too, huh?"

    I was still officially ignoring Kuzan. Make no mistake, my previous talk didn''t break this.

    The condition was that, if I wanted to talk to Kuzan, I would. But, if he initiated the conversation, then he would get ignored.

    Bring some food already, you pest.

    "Wow, I didn''t expect you all to be so physically competent! As expected of criminals! You really try hard about every single thing, huh!?"

    Oi.

    Why does her sarcasm who has a slight hint of seriousness in it hurt so much?

    "Physically competent? All? Haha, what a load of shit! The only one who is physically competent here is me! After all, I finished first!"

    Ah, Kawahara was bragging about winning a warn up race.

    That''s just sad, but no one bothered to counterargue. Not even Sagasuga who supposedly lost to him.

    "Yosh then! Since you are so hyped up for this, why don''t you start the first race then?"

    This was predictable to some degree. Hence why no one bothered to speak in the first place.

    I''m not saying that Kawahara wasn''t aware of this but it wouldn''t have made a difference because Kawahara is always trash-talking no matter the situation.

    "That was the plan all along."

    Smirking against Yuka-sensei''s strong proposal, Kawahara went up to the beginning line that Yuka-sensei pointed at.

    To contrast the cold weather, since my blood was fairly warm, the cold weather began to feel irrelevant. I suppose that''s the good part about exercising.

    Eventually, we all, except Kawahara himself, went to the sidelines where we took a sit essentially. Some stood up, by some, I meant, I, Sagasuga and Kuzan.

    I wasn''t feeling in the mood to sit down.

    Yuka-sensei was the end line, which was at the end of the 50 meters. Naturally, Kawahara was in her exact opposite direction. Regardless of the field being oval, there was a straight line at the end of every angle.

    Besides, it wasn''t completely oval, it was just majorly oval.

    Furthermore, Yuka-sensei was holding on to a timer, or I would assume it was a timer. In addition to that, she was holding a whistle on her luscious lips.

    "Three, two, one...! Go!"

    A loud whistle blow could be heard all over the place.

    Noticeably after, Kawahara ran fast as hell and reached the end line without much commotion.

    If I count correctly that was about 5 seconds if not less...

    What the hell...

    "Damn, Kawahara has it, Aniki! He''s hot, damn!"

    Well, he sure has it. I didn''t expect Kawahara to produce a result like 6 seconds but 5 seconds is overdoing it, he just wants to flex at this poin-

    Huh?

    Wait.

    What did you just say, Kuzan?

    ''He''s hot, damn!''

    Hey.

    Why aren''t you saying ''No homo.''

    Hey.

    Why aren''t you showing signs of saying it!?

    Kuzan!!!

 Volume 3 - Chapter 20: Salty girls have unexpectedly good taste in music.

    "Hey, how was your timing?"

    "5,23 seconds, bitches. Outscore that, I dare you."

    Not sure if Kawahara realizes that the whole aim of this certain event is to match someone who is the exact opposite of you with you, but, in Kawahara''s mind, I guess this just didn''t click yet.

    Also, his words were meant to Sagasuga, who had asked his timing.

    "Next up is, Hyunda!"

    Well, well.

    I was expecting the classic moment where the real-life anime protagonist would come in last, but it literally came right up.

    Needless to say but, I was extremely looking forward to this.

    "Sigh..."

    Despite that, Hyunda left the bench with a bored expression. He was the total opposite of Kawahara. It''s as if he didn''t even want to do this.

    Honestly, after watching his expression, I''m not sure if I''m looking forward to this that much.

    "That bastard..."

    And Kawahara was rumbling on his own for whatever reason he had to be rambling.

    Another fair mention would be that I was receiving glares from a certain individual. I really didn''t have to mention what person it was at this point.

    Hyunda essentially went to the running platform with a dead composure. Dead as in, he wasn''t showing any signs of living.

    "...Are you ready, Hyunda?"

    "Ah, yes. Go easy on me, Yuka-sensei..."

    Once again, Yuka-sensei''s expression stiffened.

    ...

    I really can''t see his pattern here. This man is a living enigma whenever he wants to be one.

    "Two, one, go!"

    Why are you skipping out the three?!

    "..."

    "Oi..."

    "Is he serious?"

    Realistically speaking, there''s no rule against this. If you truly are that physically incapable, then it''s actually understandable that you show this time of performance.

    "........Ahhh.......... Ahh........."

    ...

    But why though?

    What''s the necessity for this?

    I know that''s nowhere near his actual speed. Well, I don''t know his actual speed, but, is there some sort of strategy that I''m not seeing here?

    Truly, I''ve already given thought about the strategy of going slow just in order to purposely manipulate the match compatibility.

    However, Hyunda was way into it. It was as if he was a master of acting.

    His slow running skills might just get him last place in class. I wish I was saying this with a sense of exaggeration or just with a simple sense of sarcasm, but this man was going as fast as a grandma who is walking down the street while moving at 2 seconds per step.

    "Aniki, why is Hyunda?"

    Kuzan must be some sort of masochist. Does he not realize that no matter how much he talks to me that I will not respond to his initiation?

    "That fucking bastard... Fucking with me..."

    Yet again, Kawahara was fuming due to Hyunda''s over performance. It was truly a sight to see, but I''m not sure if Kawahara actually understood what was going on.

    Hyunda was purposely going slow for some reason.

    Roughly about 11 seconds later...

    Well, he went faster than I thought. I seriously thought for a second that he was going to take his slow running to the next level.

    "......Uff....... Uf...... Damn, this is too much..... I gotta take it easy or I might die...."

    "Hyunda..."

    "...Eh? Ah.... I''m so sorry for my lame result, Yuka-sensei! I really tried to demonstrate my best but I just couldn''t do it! Will you find a room in your heart to forgive me!?"

    The slow running act was one thing, but this was an ongoing act. Hyunda had been treating Yuka-sensei with a strange type of kindness. It''s as if Hyunda was purposely aiming towards being kind with only one person, which was, Yuka-sensei.

    "What a pathetic performance. Go and sit with the rest of your classmates. Reflect on your useless endeavor right away, please."

    Yuka-sensei, instead of acting kind, acted like she was some evil stepmother towards Hyunda.

    "Yes.... Once, again, I''m really sorry!!"

    Hyunda had nobly bowed his head towards the Yuka-sensei who has her hands twitching out of rage for some reason.

    "Out of my sight, you slug!"

    "Y-Yes..."

    ...That was awkward.

    No, what was truly awkward was how Hyunda, while getting back, smirked a low smile in a quick beat.

    "Hey, you fucktard, what was your score?!"

    As soon as Hyunda got back, he was immediately confronted by the angry Kawahara.

    "13 seconds. Yours?"

    "5, 23 seco- Not my point, damn it!"

    You had no made your point yet, Kawahara.

    "Well, what is it then? I''m really tired. I could use a sit to relax my body, honestly. Could you move out of the way?"

    "Fucking little shit, why aren''t you taking this seriously?!"

    Using a typical move from him, Kawahara grabbed Hyunda''sP.E uniform.However, despite that, Hyunda didn''t resist.

    "But I am taking this seriously. Can''t you see just how tired I am?"

    "Cut the fucking shit bastard... I saw you running earlier! You were faster."

    "Ah, well, that''s true. But then again, I wasted all my sprint back then. That''s the main reason as to why I couldn''t run as fast. Hey, I even managed to form a physical theory against your own claim."

    "Hyunda, you retard... You actually think I don''t know that you''re lying, huh!?"

    Kawahara pressed even further and slammed Hyunda into a walk.

    Well, this was turning to be quite the scene.

    Regardless, no one was showing any signs of stepping up.

    "I never lie though. I''m an honest person. I can''t live with myself if I lie to someone. Trust me here, this is the full extent of my physical abilities. What other proofs do you need?"

    "I don''t give a shit about these ''proofs'', you better take this shit seriously or else-"

    "Or else what? No, seriously. What are you going to do?"

    "Do you even need to fucking ask!? I''ll kill you!"

    Imagine killing someone just because that someone didn''t take a running event seriously at all.

    "You''ll kill me because I didn''t take a run the way you wanted? Not because I couldn''t, according to you, but because according to you, I could yet I failed to meet your expectations? Seriously? What are you, a child? Grow a brain cell, maybe that brain cell will actually give you a shred of intelligence."

    I guarantee you that an average person would be quaking right now, but Hyunda was somehow fully composed against Kawahara''s almighty push.

    "Any last words...?"

    This time, Kawahara was seriously raising his fist. Wait, is no one going to do a thing about this?

    They can''t possibly have immense faith in Hyunda. The hell, these heartless people don''t even care if this situation escalates itself to the absolute worse.

    "Tell your mom I said hi."

    "Alright, fucking die now."

    Regardless of Kawahara, who was aiming at Hyunda''s face with his right fist, nobody was showing any sign of acting.

    Unlike most people here, I actually have faith in Hyunda. There''s no way that a real-life anime protagonist loses here.

    And besides...

    "Kawahara, what are you doing?"

    "F-Fucking let go of me...!!"

    "Cease your behavior or I will break your arm, right now."

    She wasn''t really joking about that by the looks of it. Kawahara was already locked ever since she took a hold of his arm.

    "...Eh, it was only a joke, right, Hyunda!?"

    "Oh boy, it sure was. Yuka-sensei, please show a bit of mercy to him! He didn''t mean what he said!"

    Once again, the kind act began.

    "S-See? Now, if you please would let go of my arm...!"

    Kawahara was seriously starting to show a hurt expression.

    "One more interruption and I will cut your balls off."

    After hearing that, Kawahara immediately went back to his seat.

    I can only be glad that Yuka-sensei said those words to Kawahara only. My golden twins don''t need to see such a tragic ending to their life.

    "Next up, Sagasuga."

    "Aye!"

    Not going to even bother with Sagasuga. He ran quite fast, as predicted. Nothing worth mentioning actually happened.

    The students kept on being called, but I had a slight problem.

    I was growing bored of watching all of this.

    Therefore, I decided to ease my boredom a little bit.

    This normally wouldn''t be possible but since she does behave like a lone wolf, it makes it easy for someone like me to approach her.

    She was neither too close nor too distant from the girls and boys. While the whole class was mostly united under a certain place, she was all the way to the left.

    I pretended to take out the garbage that I had in my pocket which was just a small paper.

    By the way, I had no idea what the paper even was.

    "Too bad I won."

    Hm.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Maybe that wasn''t enough.

    Should I try something more?

    I mean, the sight of Tsudo running is giving me endless boredom.

    "Flawless victory followed by a flawless defeat."

    Of course, by ''flawless defeat'', I was referring to her supposed ''defeat''.

    Now, was she going to take the bait---

    Ah well, that escalated quickly.

    "What?"

    "You should value your life a bit more. Who knows, you might end up losing it without even noticing it."

    She had confronted me at long last.

    Eh, well, we were attracting a bit of small attention, but most probably interpreted it as partners'' interaction or something like that.

    It wasn''t unusual for table partners to interact, under normal conditions.

    But my case was totally different.

    "Losing it? Ah, I see what you mean by those words. But, of course, you''d know them the best, right?"

    "What''s your deal? You keep randomly talking to me. Why?"

    Honestly, I was just fucking around. It''s fun to see someone this confused. Plus, I can''t stand when I''m bored.

    And what better way is there except to torment my partner with low-level mind games?

    "Do I even need a reason to talk to you though?"

    That''s something I never really understood about human interaction. Why do humans talk with a reason for talking?

    Interaction should be the aim to create a better understanding right?

    "Maybe you don''t. But I do. Give me one."

    Woah, she''s serious about this.

    Now how exactly do I answer her...

    I''m pretty sure if I try a sarcastic flirt she will take it as an insult.

    Damn, is it written all over my face that I actually don''t care about her looks or something?

    Still...

    "The hell? Screw you. I talk whenever I want to, not on the premise that I need a reason to."

    Letting a bitch get her heads in the clouds this high is a true mistake to commit.

    "Then, you do understand that the same will be applied, right?"

    "What are you on about? Are you trying to imply that I talked to you because I thought you would answer back? Hahaha."

    Ah shit, it still wasn''t my turn...

    Akihiko is next...

    Which means that I had to keep myself entertained for a bit more.

    "Was that not why you bothered to speak those words? Or am I somehow misunderstanding the situation here?"

    "Ah, you are. I was speaking to myself essentially. Somewhat rude of you to interrupt me and glare at me like that."

    "Liar. You know that''s not true. Just admit it. You want to talk to me. After all, I am your table partner."

    Well, well, isn''t this bitch getting a little too far ahead.

    Then...

    "No, not really. Seriously, give me one reason as to why I should even speak to you."

    "I can give you more than one if you want."

    I''m pretty sure that whatever she''s going to say is utterly false or beyond my current knowledge, but why not.

    "Sure, go ahead."

    "Hmpf. Well, for starters, I am well educated-"

    "Ah, so well educated that you wanted to kill someone for stealing food, yes, yes. Tell me more."

    "Don''t interrupt me, bastard..."

    Yeah, I''m not really scared of you no matter how much you stare at me like you want to slice and dice my throat.

    "Right, right. Let''s hear it."

    "You know what, forget it. You''re not even going to listen, are you? I hate people like you, who only hear, but never listen."

    I''m surprised she knows the difference, but it was still way too early to end this conversation.

    "No, I''m serious now. I''ll hear you out. Come on."

    "...If you interrupt me a single time, you''ll regret it."

    Hey, stop staring at my balls.

    Damn it, why always them!?

    Leave them alone you vile creature!

    "As mentioned, I am fairly educated. Although I may not look like it, I can hold my ground pretty well with words."

    Please don''t tell me that her reason is that she is supposedly well educated.

    God, I could seriously care less.

    "In addition to that, I hold tremendous knowledge in astrology."

    ...

    "Furthermore, I constantly strive to be different from the rest, so I am therefore original."

    No, no, you clearly don''t understand how originality works if you believe that isolating yourself from everyone else makes you original. You''re just being distant.

    Plus, originality certainly doesn''t come from difference alone.

    "There, I gave you three reasons as to why someone would be interested in talking to me. Happy now?"

    "But how are people supposed to know that about you if don''t even tell them?"

    "Well, that''s up to them."

    Ah, I see.

    This is the type of girl I''m dealing with.

    No, no.

    I''m fairly experienced--- no, I have unique knowledge about her type.

    She''s the type of girl who expects anyone in this world to be lured away by her female charms. Therefore, she believes that it''s only natural that people will naturally talk to her.

    Not because of what she said, obviously.

    Against common logic, she most likely believes that people are somehow supposed to guess these certain traits about her.

    Well, that''s just fucking retarded.

    And it still wasn''t my turn. Kan was up next since Akihiko had finished.

    "Nobody will ever talk to you, honestly."

    Not unless you are some desperate virgin, which, let''s be honest, the chances are quite high considering the world we live in nowadays.

    I suppose that my words were contradicting then.

    Maybe I should''ve reinforced them with a bit of logic.

    "Because you say so?"

    "Well, obviously not. I forgot to state the reason as to why no one will ever talk to you. Are you curious now?"

    Since there weren''t any of the boys left to run, except me, after Kan would be done, I was without a doubt next.

    Ultimately, this conversation would cease to be in a few instants. This was all for the sake of fulfilling my boredom.

    "There''s no such reason..."

    "Oh, but there is."

    And Kan was done.

    My name was called out from afar.

    I was about to walk away without saying a single another word, but---

    "Hey, you''re not going to tell me!?"

    Oh, so that''s why she bothered to squeeze my wrist.

    Then...

    "You don''t talk to anyone, therefore no one will speak to you. If you think about it, I was the one who started to talk to you, not you. Not because of your traits, but because I just wanted to talk. Essentially, if the other individual never takes the initiative, that''s how it''s going to be. And you aren''t even going to bother to change that."

    I wasn''t speaking in such a loud tone where anyone could just listen to the conversation.

    What I just said wasn''t meant with any sense of kindness. I was just concluding our conversation.

    Realistically speaking, I had a bigger problem at hand.

    If you can even call it a problem that is...

    "Three..."

    Would I run slow or run fast?

    I could run between slow and fast.

    What was important to think about here was that my partner would be the exact opposite of me.

    In other words, should I run too fast, my partner will be a slow person. And should I run slow, my partner will be fast.

    Then again, what was the whole point? We had no idea of what this compatibility was for...

    I understand that it''s a selection method, but what for?

    No one, except Yuka-sensei, knows.

    Ultimately, I decided that it was best to go between slow and fast.

    "7,13 seconds. Well done!"

    Not really. Well, it wasn''t that bad by normal standards but I could''ve done way better.

    What kept my mind busy until the P.E class was over was who would be my partner.

    Objectively speaking, nothing really interesting happened. After the girls were done running, we dressed back and returned to the classroom in a somewhat long time after.

    Mainly because the girls were damn slow to dress up...

    The classroom, 11:30 am.

    Although I said some strong words back to her, she was not showing any signs of talking.

    Yes, she would stare sometimes but eventually quit and then stare back.

    Meanwhile, I was too busy indulging myself in two certain individuals'' romance.

    Can you imagine how supposedly embarrassed you have to be to text your crush when she''s literally right next to you?

    What''s more, Hinagiku was equally embarrassed too.

    How nice.

    Keep blooming Rayazaki. While you can, that is.

    Yuka-sensei was still not in class for whatever reason, so we were basically doing nothing.

    Well...

    She was somewhat bothering me, yet when I said these words, I didn''t bother to look at her.

    "What? You wanna say something?"

    "..."

    I swear that I have no patience for this type of development. I''m not asking for a romantic development but if you want to talk, then talk.

    While I wasn''t asking for the development itself, I somehow wanted to know how she would react.

    "If this is about what I said earlier, then don''t be salty about it."

    "I am not salty..."

    Said every salty person ever.

    "I don''t care. If you have something to say about it, then say it. Don''t beat around the bush. Looking at me all the time won''t answer your internal questions."

    I wasn''t exactly sure whether or not she had internal questions regarding this, but she kept looking at me for a reason.

    "You''re wrong."

    What?

    "Explain."

    "You''re just wrong. You don''t know anything about me."

    "And how exactly am I supposed to know anything about you? Actually, I do know some things about you. How you are supposedly extremely well educated, love astrology and whatnot."

    "That doesn''t count. I deliberately told you that."

    No fucking shit, you literally made sure that was the case.

    "Your point being?"

    "My point is that you don''t know anything about me, therefore you shouldn''t assume that you do!"

    "No, listen you damn mess of emotions, I didn''t assume anything, I just told you what I know about you because you told me, remember?"

    "Again, that doesn''t count!"

    I wasn''t seriously in the mood.

    "If that''s all you''ve got to say then don''t even bother speaking. All I did was tell you my opinion on your own issue."

    "I don''t have issues."

    "Oh fuck off."

    Her aside, since Yuka-sensei was taking way too long, I decided to listen to some music.

    Oh no...

    Out of all the songs...

    Given that I had to lower the music volume a little bit, the music itself wasn''t that loud.

    However, since my earplugs are somewhat good, the maximum potency is quite high.

    "Linkin Park?"

    ...

    "I will slap you."

    "You wouldn''t dare to."

    This bitch seriously is disregarding how serious I am about gender equality.

    "And besides, ''Crawling in my skin'' sucks. Why not listen to ''Numb'' or ''In the end''?"

    "They are overrated. Sure, they are forever epic, but a bit overrated."

    "What!? No, they''re not! Gosh, how can you be this wrong all the time!"

    "You''re the one who''s wrong... But, seriously, do you still have something to say?"

    It seems that I somehow had to end this stupid argument. Ignoring her wasn''t going to work most likely.

    Also, she''s somewhat talkative when provoked.

    Hey, she was exactly like that in the first place.

    When Basara-sensei gave that punishment to us all, she protested first.

    "I was going to say something, but your shit music taste got my attention in a bad way."

    Oi.

    That, I will not forgive.

    "My taste in music is not shit... It''s just different from yours."

    "Yeah, therefore, shit."

    "What happened to being well educated? Why are you cursing, miss?"

    "I-I''m not cursing!"

    At least that tsundere reaction was natural.

    "Whatever, prove your point. If my taste in music is shit, then you must have something better, right?"

    Little did she know that ''Crawling in my skin'' was a random song from my gigantic playlist.

    I had more than 100 songs to counter her.

    "Lend me your earplugs. I will show you what true music is all about."

    "I swear if you pull out some mumble rap shit, I will break your phone."

    "What do you take me for?"

    Without saying much, she took off her phone from her pocket and I lend her my earplugs.

    She then inserted my earplugs in her phone''s earplug cable.

    "...What exactly do you listen to?"

    "Something far better than what you listen to."

    She must be oddly confident to be judging my taste in music after listening to a random Linkin Park song that I have on my playlist.

    "Here, plug it in."

    It was about time, I was about to find out what she listens to. Additionally, she had the other piece of the earplugs on her right ear. Apparently, she wasn''t even going to share the whole pleasure of listening to her own music to me.

    "This better be worth it."

    ...

    .........

    .................

    I suppose I''m somewhat dumb?

    How did I not guess it, honestly?

    It was literally the widest of possibilities when it comes to the type of music that would appeal to females nowadays.

    At least she isn''t a Taylor Swift devotee, but this is...

    As much as I would like to complain, I really couldn''t. Perhaps I was far too biased towards this type of music and never tried it for that reason.

    Kinda like how some pieces of music just seem terrible from miles away yet as soon as you listen to them you start to enjoy them without knowing why.

    This was one of them.

    We listened to the music for roughly 4 minutes without saying anything to each other, until it came to an end.

    "...So?"

    "Wait, is that it? Aren''t there more songs to it?"

    "Huh..? Y-You mean, you want to..."

    "If you know it, then don''t say it, just play the next one."

    I was honestly feeling a little weak for enjoying something like that.

    Damn it, how could I fall into her trap of K-pop!?

    "...Alright..."

    Letting the next song play in, I deeply reflected on my poor decision making.

    Wait, I mean...

    It''s not even bad though. I can''t actually call it bad straight up. I don''t have a possible counterargument here.

    Denying it out of spite would be far too biased.

    Why didn''t someone tell me that K-pop was actually good...

    I seriously thought that it was just a bunch of random Korean dudes who got plastic surgeries that had no singing skills whatsoever, yet...

    "Hyallo, I''m back! Please, all of you, take your seats."

    And Yuka-sensei had returned.

    ...

    I really didn''t want the class to resume. Yuka-sensei was picky about the fact that we were distracted from class, thus she would often send ultimatums back at us if we were to be distracted.

    I''m fairly sure she realized this immediately and began to stop the music.

    That, I could let not.

    "...What are you doing?"

    "The class is going to resume. I''m putting it back, otherwise..."

    "Just put it in the middle of our chairs, she won''t notice it..."

    "Why are you going so far, it''s just mus-"

    Thankfully, she realized the foolishness in her own words and went with my idea.

    By the way, I wasn''t going to let out a single comment about K-pop to her.

    I could not.

    Regret do I have when I say this, but, admitting it to her, is absolutely out of the question.

    "Now, you might''ve been wondering as to why I''ve been away this whole time! Well, fear not, I shall explain! You see, I was matching every student here!"

    Wow, what a surprise.

    Totally did not see it coming from a mile away.

    "And so, I will now post the results on the board!"

    Of course, she had to write them on the board.

    Also...

    "Can''t you just put it on a shuffle? Why does it end every time...?"

    "...Are you addicted to it?"

    "No, don''t be stupid. Don''t assume things like that. Just put it on a shuffle already."

    "Only if you admit that you are addicted to it."

    "Hell no."

    "Then, no music."

    Unfortunately, my ego is bigger than my penis.

    I painfully let go of the music and retrieved my earplugs.

    Furthermore, my name was already on the board along with my partner.

    Regardless of that, I had no opinion about it.

    "As you can see, these are the pairings! I would explain what the special exam would be based on, but, it''s lunchtime! In other words, I will see you all after lunchtime! Bon appetit!"

    Yuka-sensei left in a hurry. I wonder why.

    That''s good news actually.

    Because...

    "Hey, are you going to eat right now?"

    "Yes, I am."

    "No, please don''t."

    "...What?"

    "I''m saying, don''t go."

    I really want to listen to your music, that''s all.

    But, I will never tell you this, of course.

    "Why can''t I go?"

    "Actually, my bad. You can go. Just leave your phone here."

    "So you want to listen to the rest, is it?"

    "Well, it''s not that. I was just curious about the rest. It''s not a desire, but a curiosity, you see..."

    "Heh, I guess you might as well admit it, you''re hooked."

    Damn right I am.

    "Is that a yes?"

    "...Well, only for 10 minutes. I''ll then really have to eat."

    "Alright, sure."

    Yesssssssssss!!

    "But, before that, how about we trade playlists?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "It''s pretty basic. You listen to mine and I listen to yours. This is a way to repay for listening to mine."

    "Good choice."

    After switching our phones, I told her something in addition.

    "Ignore those messages that are popping up on the screen please."

    "Don''t worry, I have zero interest in your personal life."

    If that was a roast, then you failed.

    Because that was Rayazaki''s personal life lol.

    "Also, where should I start?"

    "You like Korean songs, right? Therefore you like Japanese songs too? Or not?"

    "I guess I don''t mind them."

    "Then, try some SPYAIR songs. I think you might like them."

    You really can''t go wrong with SPYAIR if you are new to J-Pop.

    Weirdly enough, we were developing a somewhat good interaction, even though it was solely due to music.

    I also realized that if it wasn''t for music then we would be arguing right now, probably. Well, no, she would be eating as we speak.

    There''s nothing remotely noteworthy about this interaction. You can be the complete opposite of a certain person yet if your musical tastes collide, then you are bound to receive a well-deserved interaction in return.

    Plus, there was a bigger alert right now.

    Someone was approaching my direction.

    Even though she was absorbed in my playlist, even she noticed a third existence approaching me.

    Well, I guess this was bound to happen...

    I really didn''t want to make things awkward, but I had to make a move to talk to my partner at some point.

    Before leaving, the pairs were already supposedly talking.

    My table partner, by the way, isn''t my partner for the special exam.

    "Hey, are you free right now? Wanna have lunch?"

    It was Yulia, a girl who I have never spoken to in my whole life.

    Furthermore, this was a bad time to ask that because I was in the middle of listening to music.

    "Sorry, I don''t really have money."

    "I''ll pay you, come with me, Daniel. I want to talk to you."

    My table partner was somewhat glaring at Yulia for no reason.

    This was hard for me.

    To prioritize the music or to prioritize my special exam partner?

    Decisions, decisions.

 Volume 3 - Chapter 21: Resist the temptation.

    This was not the first time that I''ve been approached by a girl but her astonishing appearance took me aback for an instance.

    I''m not the type of guy to contemplate the appearance of something or in this case, someone yet her effulgent light blonde hair was the first thing I noticed from Yulia''s overall appearance.

    Sincerely, a normal boy would immediately feel abashed just from looking at her straight up. Plus, her pink-colored eyes were truly alluring. They felt as if they would capture anyone who would look at her in the eyes if that time you looked into her eyes were either short or long.

    Perhaps my view of girls overall, in order for them to be perfect is far too quixotic, however---

    Yulia was somewhat, if not, completely qualified when it came to appearance alone.

    Furthermore, regardless of the cold chilly winter, she was wearing black tights along with the usual semi-long skirt.

    Essentially, in conclusion, her whole appearance was ecstatic, really. Clear yet tan skin was enough for some, but in addition to that, Yulia also had red lipstick.

    Nonetheless, I wasn''t going to let those enthralling traits blind me.

    "I''ll pass. I''ve got something to d--"

    "I''m leaving. 10 minutes have passed."

    Are you fucking with me?!

    Seriously!? After all that hype, you''re just gonna take that music away?!

    Hell no!

    "No, please. Stay."

    I didn''t really care if the situation was being awkward, I wasn''t going to let her leave.

    "What? The deal was that I stayed here for 10 minutes. The deal is over. Bye."

    ....................

    Well, she had officially taken off.

    I was expecting a certain someone to also leave after I said the word ''pass'' but she really didn''t leave.

    While I hate to internally admit it, she is right. I''m extremely addicted to her songs. It''s actually not her songs, it''s just the genre.

    ...

    Even though I wasn''t looking at her, she was looking at me still.

    It''s supposedly my fault here. I''m aware that she is my partner for the upcoming special exam but what''s the point of talking to each other right now? We don''t know the contests of the upcoming special exam, do we?

    Therefore, our interaction itself has no purpose. Oh right, this brought me back a little. I recall my partner saying something similar, how a person needed a reason to interact with another person. I never really disagreed with her whole idea, I just brought different points up which confused her a little.

    But, right now, there''s no reason at all. Sure, she said that she would pay me lunch, but---

    Wait.

    She said she would pay me lunch?

    Did I hear that correctly?

    I''ll make sure.

    "Um, does your offer still stand?"

    "Yep. You know... We will run out of time at this rate... So, it''s gotta be now--"

    "I''m in. Lead the way."

    It''s not manipulation when the one who thinks that is doing the manipulation doesn''t realize that the one she''s manipulating is actually aware of her schemes.

    More importantly, I have not eaten a damn lunch in weeks. This calls for a celebration.

    Assuming that I do get to eat...

    "Wow, that was quick. What changed your mind?"

    In addition to her heavenly appearance, I had noticed a Spanish accent. Given by her tan skin, she was most likely not from Japan...

    "I''m just hungry. You''ll pay me, right? RIGHT?"

    "Aye, aye, I will. Just follow me. I do have some words to say to you, after all."

    With that in mind, we left off.

    However, I wasn''t exactly sure as to where she would take me. If I recall correctly, the girls all had lunch in her own cafeteria, but she was walking in the exact opposite direction.

    Yulia, was, instead, walking towards the main school which was fairly distant from the F block. It''s as if the F block itself is a partial existence from the rest of the school blocks.

    "Aren''t you curious as to where I''m going?"

    "Yeah, honestly. But then again, I didn''t really have an idea as to where you''d go. But still, are you seriously thinking of..."

    In comparison to our usual days, we would noticeably only ever interact with the rest of the people in the class. Actually, we really didn''t. My point was, the situation was far too different from the usual situation where our only links of interaction would be the students in our class.

    This time around, it was different because, we were officially walking in the middle of the main school blocks, where multiple people could see us.

    "Are you scared?"

    Yulia lightly smirked at me. Realistically, all these stares were a bit comprehensible. Our only way of interaction would be with people in our class. If they were not from our class then we could not interact with the other students.

    I didn''t particularly care about this.

    "Why would I be?"

    "Hehe. As expected of someone who has 1000 years of jail to fulfill."

    Some people that were scaredly passing by immediately created distance.

    Oi, seriously, would you actually believe someone who says that there''s someone on this planet who has 1000 years of jail to fulfill? That''s just absurd.

    Yet absurd, it is the case, it seems.

    "...Where are you taking me exactly?"

    "The main cafeteria. Hey, did you know? There, they actually serve meals. Anyone can buy them at any time, however, you need to pay for them. Of course, if you are a student at this school, you get them daily for free. From my understanding, teachers have to pay for them."

    Yulia''s information was certainly something that I was going to question first, but these side stares weren''t the nicest thing there is. Therefore...

    "Eeeeeeeeek!!! He looked in my direction!!"

    "H-Hey, let''s report this to the teachers!!"

    I''m fucking sure you can''t report this to the teachers. I simply glared back. Well, it might''ve been with malicious intent, but it''s not something that can be qualified as a rule breaker.

    Regardless the two little shits ran like hell for some reason.

    If I take Yulia''s words for granted then the main cafeteria, according to the school plant was in block A. We were essentially in block C still. It would still take a bit of walking to get there.

    Also---

    "How come you know all of this, Yulia?"

    "Oh, that''s because I eat there every day. The food at my dorm sucks so much. The big major reason as to why most of the girls in our class avoid eating is either because they don''t have the money to pay for the meals or they just don''t want to be viewed as criminals by the rest of the students. Well, if you were to ask me, that''s really counterproductive. Why bother with how someone looks at you?"

    "Ehh, I didn''t expect you to say all of that. It''s true though. I can say this because I''m a man but it doesn''t bother me in the slightest how anyone perceives me."

    Speaking strictly, humans are constantly bothered by how they are perceived, however, that''s only if you believe that you have something that you lack. I''m aware that I lack certain aspects, but I''m confident that I can conquer those aspects if I actually put the minimal effort into them.

    That''s why I''m not bothered. Because I haven''t tried to ever live up to their expectations nor will I ever.

    "Daniel, whether you are a man or not, it doesn''t matter, in my opinion. Anyone is capable of upholding this perspective. Wouldn''t you agree?"

    She''s not defending her gender yet she isn''t exactly striking back at my gender at the same time...

    What is this sense of integrity that I''m feeling?

    "Yeah, I agree. But you know, it''s up to the individual to be able to uphold that perspective. And, as you might not or might know, not everyone is capable of ignoring their surroundings like we are."

    Honestly, I was lying a bit. I did get bothered by the looks but all I did was glare back. It''s nothing that impressive yet it still showed a bit of contradiction in my own words.

    In light of that, Yulia was the one who truly didn''t care.

    "True. That might just be too hard for some people. Yet, aren''t you and I different in that regard?"

    "I suppose we are."

    Without saying much after that, we eventually made our way to block A.

    Obviously, we were met with glares, but it''s whatever. What actually was confusing me was how they already knew that we were specifically the ones in class F.

    How did they know that?

    "Choose whatever you want. I''ll pay for it."

    "Well, thanks. But, what will you be having?"

    The choices were abundant, honestly. That was only the case because once we sat on a table, the lunch menu was already there. Also, Yulia was receiving looks from several guys in a lustful way while I was receiving them in a hateful way.

    It appears that a misunderstanding has been formed.

    If I was a casual virgin, then I was done for. Yulia, who was performing somewhat shameful conduct while choosing what to have for lunch, made the boys around her delirious.

    To be more precise, Yulia was holding her thumb on her lips while holding her cleavage against the table.

    "Hmm... You choose."

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    She looked at me with enchanting eyes for a split second.

    Given that she was right in front of me, it wouldn''t be such a blunder to assume that we were on a date or something.

    However, that was clearly not the case.

    Also, I wasn''t going to show her any mercy.

    "Korean noodles."

    "Wuuahh. You''re serious?"

    "Dead serious. Plus, you said that it was my choice, right? Are you backing down on your own words?"

    I had to make sure she didn''t forget what she said.

    "No--- I''m just stunned. Are you perhaps a spice lover too?"

    Swallowing all my remaining saliva, my jaw fell a little bit.

    Never ever did I think that I would meet someone who liked spicy things too.

    "Saying the word ''lover'' is a bit of an understatement... I happen to be someone who adores the very existence of spice."

    "Seriously!? I''m the same! Then, why don''t we make a competition to see who can hold out the longest?"

    "Say no more. I''ll order the exact same then if you don''t mind."

    "Ahh, we have to call a waitress though. Still, I''m surprised that a waitress has not arrived yet. Normally, someone comes right away, but this time..."

    "...Did something happen?"

    "No, it''s just weird."

    "Hold on, I''ll check it out."

    A true alpha will never make a girl wait, regardless of the occasion. Especially when Yulia is paying me something to eat. This is the least I can do.

    Nevertheless, the whole cafeteria was somewhat full. Therefore, where would I start?

    Accordingly, calling a waitress would be the correct thing to do, but after witnessing that amale waiter had a certain uniform, I took the independent action of consulting someone who had the same uniform, but, was not busy attending someone.

    Ultimately, there were both male waiters and waitresses.

    Regardless, the one I picked was a casual male waiter.

    Despite being a shallow fat man, he had the uniform of a male waiter. In other words, he would do.

    Still, why the fuck are you on your phone instead of doing your damn job...

    "Hey. I want to place an order. Could you come to attend me and my acquaintance at our table?"

    "I''ll be there in a minute..."

    What?

    What the fuck did this fucker just say?

    In a minute? Oh well, for the record, I don''t have a good past withpeople who do this type of shit.

    By common sense, if you are someone who is employed to a certain job then it''s your duty to do your job, right?

    If that''s the case, then what''s up with this shitty attitude?

    "Not in a minute. Right now."

    I wasn''t speaking in a loud tone, so no one except this fat idiotic piece of shit could hear me.

    "Ahhh, what the--- Just give me a minute, damn it. I''ll be right the---"

    It''s against my policy to bother people with a killer intent but I don''t exactly forgive this type of bullshit.

    "Why aren''t you doing your job? Just come on to the damn table. Or are you disobeying me?"

    "N-No, I''ll come right away..."

    At least he had caught up. Unfortunately, I attracted the attention of a few students who were looking at themale waiter who had a frozen expression. Thankfully, he followed my lead and went to the table.

    Small talks could be heard from here and here, but I didn''t really care. I can''t stand employees who do this shit on a daily basis. Quit your job if you aren''t going to do it.

    Lastly, I sat on the table back with Yulia, who was waiting.

    "W-What will you two be having...?"

    His bad breath was also getting on my nerves. Furthermore, every time he spoke he would spit out small portions of saliva at to who he was speaking.

    "We will be having the Korean noodles menu. Extra spicy. Ah, I''ll drink a lemon ice tea."

    "I''ll have the exact same."

    I didn''t have a reason to agree with Yulia here. Although, I prefer peach ice tea instead of lemon ice tea. But, lemon ice tea isn''t bad at all.

    "I will pay in the end, if that''s possible."

    For some reason, he was showing signs of spite. His facial expression was emitting a small glimpse of frustration and rage.

    He might just deny her request at this point...

    Not of course, unless...

    "..."

    "O-Of course, it''s without a doubt possible. Then, just wait a bit, the menus will be ready under five minutes or so..."

    Well, it didn''t seem like he was lying this time. That''s a good thing.

    Fortunately, I didn''t have to cast a killer intent on to him yet again.

    It''s funny how it works. There''s supposedly no logical explanation to a killer''s intent, it''s just a tremendous fear that someone feels when someone who has the intention of killing them stares right at them. There''s nothing that says that this will work, but once you are able to transmit a minimal yet enough portion of rage with a mixture of bloodlust to who you want to feel fear, they will naturally feel it.

    Pathetically walking away, I was finally alone with Yulia yet again.

    "...What just happened?"

    "What do you mean? We were attended. Isn''t that normal considering the circumstances that we were under?"

    From an outsider''s perspective, what just occurred was nothing more than simple attendance. Whether or not the employee showed a frightened expression while attending us, is completely partial and irrelevant.

    Needless to say, that wasn''t quite the case. I had to make sure he at least understood who he was trying to disobey. After all, rebellion is something I can barely overlook.

    Yet, in the midst of Yulia''s captivating lips who stole my entire field of vision, I slowly forgot about that.

    They weren''t exactly close but they weren''t that distant as well.

    Sincerely, it was getting hard to stay composed.

    I must pat myself on the back if I survive this long without showing a fascination for Yulia''s salacious appearance.

    "I get that, but his words were a bit too odd. After all, it''s as if he was scared of something..."

    "Who knows. Maybe he''s just bad at attending. Well, what truly matters is that we got our request taken. Even if it meant searching for someone whose job is to attend someone. How ironic, right?"

    "Well, yeah. But that aside, I''ve been curious about something."

    "What? What are you curious about?"

    ..............

    I began to think that her cleavage would collide right to my chest as soon as she began to move to the seat right next to mine. That''s right, instead of being right in front of me, Yulia had moved right next to me.

    In addition to that, my nostrils were quickly being filled up with a wondrous substance. This was, without a doubt, her perfume, which, under my guess would be apple perfume.

    Seriously, why does it smell so good?

    That aside, I could barely look at her in the eye despite the fact that we were undoubtedly physically close. No, it was truly because of that.

    As a matter of fact, her lips were at a distance which could be qualified as almost connected.

    Resist, damn it!

    "Um, are you..."

    No reason to be tense here. Even if Yulia just so happens to be basically perfect when it comes to appearance, that alone isn''t reason enough.

    That''s right, she is---

    She is what?

    No, seriously, what''s there to say about her so far that can be labeled as bad?

    Frankly, I began, with time, to create an idea. My idea revolved around the fact that the majority of the time, pretty girls are pretty because they have to compensate for the lack of their personality.

    Realistically speaking, a wide number of pretty girls can be a bliss to gaze at, but they just have so many personality issues that it almost feels as if their beauty is a sign of compensation. Therefore, I created that idea that pretty girls only are pretty.

    That personality is a myth.

    But this---

    This girl that''s in front of me has so far shown me the exact opposite of my idea. It''s as if her own existence was made to contrast my idea. Regardless, it''s way too soon to assume that she doesn''t have any personality issues.

    No----

    She obviously has personality issues. My point is, I''m aware that she is a criminal which would, therefore, indicate that she has a twisted mind. Yet Yulia has not shown any signs of possessing an annoying personality.

    Now that I think about it. What actually bothers me in a pretty girl is how much they lack personality. It''s not as if I''m bothered by their personality, I''m bothered by how much they lack it. In light of that, if someone like Yulia possesses both personality and looks, what''s actually the catch here?

    Damn it, it''s too late to think about that!

    Is she actually going to kiss me!?

    Why are your lips so close?

    "...What?"

    "Daniel, are you gay or something?"

    ...........

    Oh, I see. So that''s what this was about.

    I guess it makes sense now.

    "No, Yulia, I''m not. Why do you ask though?"

    I''m not homophobic nor am I gay. In all likelihood, if life goes well, which, let''s be honest, it probably won''t, I would like to have a girlfriend.

    There''s just a slight problem when it comes to that.

    "Are you sure you aren''t? It''s fine if you are. I really don''t judge."

    It appears that she is not convinced.

    Then--- should I prove my point straight up?

    "Do you want evidence?"

    "Mhm, wait, how can you prove whether or not you are g---"

    This time, I was the one who closed our distance, but I didn''t fully connect. In fact, our lips didn''t connect, they were just borderline close to each other. This was all for the sake of proving my point.

    "E-Erm, my bad there. I''ll believe you, I really will."

    And on top of that, I managed to get a cute reaction out of Yulia, who, in order to hide her transient embarrassment, moved to her initial seat, which was in front of me.

    "Sorry about that... It''s just..."

    She didn''t finish her own words for some reason. More like, she was far too self-aware of what she wanted to say yet she wouldn''t complete them out of nobility.

    "What? Are you surprised that I haven''t shown any signs of being embarrassed despite how gorgeous you look?"

    I was expecting a somewhat embarrassed reaction from Yulia, but she didn''t really show a reaction that resembled that.

    "Haha, sorry about that. I might be getting a little too ahead of myself here, but I think you''re the first person who hasn''t been awkward around me despite my appearance."

    Yulia isn''t exactly denying her appearance, which could mean that she does take pride in her appearance.

    "No, this is hard. Believe me, it is for me."

    "Wow, blunt. Wait, seriously?"

    "Hm? Yeah. I won''t deny it. You are cute, truly."

    No flirt intended I''m just spreading a fact.

    Plus, I was trying to get a cute reaction out of her but she wasn''t budging in.

    Also---

    In order to not make this conversation any more awkward, I should get to the main point...

    "But, more importantly, what is it that you wanted to talk about? It wasn''t that, right?"

    "Ah, no. No, it was something else. Since today is February 20th, I thought that we, since we are a selected pair for the upcoming exam, could think about how to prepare ourselves for the exam..."

    Fair enough. That''s something that''s been on my mind for a while too.

    What would our approach as a pair, be, for this upcoming exam?

    I''m also glad that she is cooperating on this independently. I''ll admit, if it were completely up to me then I wouldn''t make a single move.

    However---

    "We don''t actually have a way to prepare ourselves for the upcoming special exam. And that''s because we don''t know what the contents of it will be in it. However, that will change in the afternoon, since Yuka-sensei will give us a full explanation about that."

    There was no real point to this conversation for that reason, really. I only accepted to have this conversation under the premise that I would have lunch, which appears to be the case, in theory.

    "I''m aware. But, hey, why not play a guessing game to see who is right?"

    "Is there even a point? We will get the answers out anyway."

    "Yes, that''s certainly true. But, don''t you think it would be fun? Don''t you like competition, Daniel?"

    "I don''t mind it. It''s just that competition should have a point. Mindless competition really goes against the premise of competition which is to determine the outcome of something."

    "But that''s exactly it! You even said it. The whole point of this is to determine which one of us is right!"

    "So if let''s say, both of our predictions are wrong, then what?"

    "I guess neither of us wins and we both lose?"

    "Hm, that does sound acceptable."

    In the meantime, our noodles had arrived.

    Once again, I bothered to trade glances with him just to make sure that he wouldn''t show any signs of possible retaliation.

    "Well, one thing at its time. Firstly, we have to fight over this."

    "That''s true. However, let me show you how serious I am about this."

    My first move would be to grab the spicy-sweet chilly spice bottle. Next, by grabbing a portion of wasabi, I, manly, took the courage to put them all in my noodles while shuffling the noodles around the cup.

    "..."

    For the very first time, Yulia had fallen silent.

    Was this too much for her? Such a shame.

    I was deeply looking forward to this.

    "!"

    "Hehe, okay then. Let me show you how serious I am about this too."

    "H-Hey, you can''t be serious!!"

    Is she insane!? She''s going to explode if she gets a taste of all that!

    "Oh, but I am serious!"

    Shit, she wasn''t joking about it.

    As we speak, Yulia was doing what I had done but instead of applying the same portions, she was going even further and beyond.

    Yulia, you''re insane.

    "Damn it! Fine, I''ll do it too!"

    I couldn''t just stand still and watch her pour all those seasonings into her noodles while having the inferior portion of sauces in my noodles.

    "Well-- This should be enough, don''t you think?"

    "Yes, for sure."

    Being provocative and adamant about this, Yulia was ready to begin.

    Now then---

    "Shall we begin?"

    "Of course. Any tim--"

    Too bad I wasn''t going to wait for you.

    "I see how it is! I won''t hold back then!"

    Zurp.

    We had officially engaged in a noddle eating contest.

    The first few chews weren''t anything special.

    They never are.

    Anyone who is fooled by how simple and not spicy their noodles initially are is a fool.

    It''s common sense to never expect anything that spicy from noodles at the start.

    What would truly matter was after that...

    "Hey, hey, what''s with that face? You want to throw the towel?"

    While eating the noodles, I threw that jab at Yulia.

    "Not happening. How about you though? You''re getting pretty red."

    Well, soare you.

    But we both knew why.

    "From here on out is where it gets hard. Can you keep up with me?"

    Digging a massive portion of the noodles onto my chopsticks, I dove right into this contest with fury.

    ...!!!!

    It''s so fucking hot, Jesus!!

    I-I know that''s to be expected, but it actually feels like this is Satan''s caldera or something!

    B-But, she must be feeling something, right!?

    "!"

    C-Crap, she''s not even budging! How!?

    We put the same sauces, right!? How is it humanly possible to hold out for that long!?

    Even though our noodle cups were still half full, I was essentially almost on the verge of giving in.

    Yet, I simply couldn''t show any signs of doing that.

    "What''s wrong? Don''t you want to drink a bit of ice tea?"

    "Hm? Yeah, you''re rig-- No way in hell will I!"

    Stubbornly denying her offer, I resumed my furious yet painful eating.

    I don''t think that my lips have ever gotten to this state. I can''t even feel them.

    The only feeling I can feel is a searing sensation on my throat.

    It''s telling me to fucking stop or I might stop functioning.

    But, my pride as a person who adores spice could not allow myself to be defeated here.

    "I-I''m almost done! How about y--"

    Naive fool.

    Did you actually think I would back down from that?

    Your words can''t possibly faze me when I''m this serious about something.

    I''m gonna bring this mother down!!

    "I''ll finish first! It''s useless!"

    Don''t ''MUDA'' me like that you monster!

    "No, I''ll be the one who finishes it first!!"

    Grasping all my possible lung strength, I took a massive breath of oxygen and embarked on the movement that would decide who would be the loser and who would be the winner.

    Roughly a few seconds later, I had finished and therefore was about to slam the cup of noodles right into the table but...

    "!"

    ...

    We both slammed the cup of noodles into the table at the exact same time...

    "...A draw huh?"

    "...It seems..."

    I did try my best to eat as fast as possible. I''m also trying my hardest to not show any signs that I want to drink my ice tea or that I just feel like I''m actually breathing fire right now.

    No, there''s no way in hell, pun intended, that I was going to show her that weak side of me.

    But...

    "..."

    "..."

    "Aren''t you going to drink your ice tea, Yulia?"

    "No, I''m good. I''ll pass, Daniel."

    Yulia was showing an equal stubbornness it seems.

    It might just be that our minds aren''t that different in this regard.

    "..."

    "..."

    .......

    In the end, without showing any signs of resistance, we rapidly grabbed our ice teacups and drank like we were stuck on the Saara desert for days.

 Volume 3 - Chapter 21.5: Happy Slapsgiving, everyone!

    My lips feel like they''ve just been in hell. No... They feel as if they are currently experiencing hell...

    "Ahh, that feels good..."

    Please don''t say that without context in public.

    Although I perfectly understand that you are saying that because you just finished depleting every single drop of ice tea from the ice tea bottle.

    Of course, I did the same thing.

    "Oh yeah, what did you do to get yourself a jail time of 1000 years? I''ve been thinking about it a lot and I just can''t seem to figure it out..."

    It''s natural that you couldn''t figure it out. Basara-sensei only posted our jail years on the board that time, but he didn''t write down the reasons as to why we received those years of jail. Furthermore, I''m actually surprised that someone like Yulia who has in theory 100 years of jail to fulfill is behaving this nicely.

    Accordingly, I only know the truth about Sagasuga''s reason. But, I''m starting to think that there''s way more to what he just said...

    That aside, what the hell do you have to do to get yourself a wholesome 100 years of jail?

    Also, her question was really hard for me to answer...

    "I don''t actually know. Would you believe me if I said that?"

    "No, I wouldn''t. If you don''t know it then who does?"

    Apparently Basara-sensei? And the government too.

    With that said, there''s no reason for her to believe me. Nevertheless, I spoke the truth.

    I have no idea.

    "I don''t know. But, hey, what did you do? You got 100 years of jail, right?"

    Midst this, our surroundings began to flee. They must have heard our unusual conversation.

    Yulia, however, melancholically replied to me with a smile.

    "I can''t tell you if you don''t tell me your reason first."

    As much as I wanted to backlash at her for being the type of girl who would always seek out the information from the opposite gender first without giving anything in return, I was to blame here. It was a fact that I didn''t tell her the reason as to why I supposedly have to fulfill 1000 years of jail.

    It can''t be helped though. I''m simply not aware of the reason. Then again, only a fool would believe that.

    "But--- I can give you a hint."

    "Oh? Tell me then."

    This is different. Although Yulia''s not telling me the concrete reason she launched a proposal at me. A hint would be issued straight away, or so I thought...

    "Naha. I can''t just give you the hint without anything in return."

    Moving her right index finger from right to left, Yulia made the common no signal to me.

    "Then what? I can''t give you a hint as well since I don''t actually know."

    I was truly speaking the honest truth. How am I supposed to give her a hint about the crime or crimes that I''ve committed if I can''t recall the reason for that?

    Something I won''t deny is my inner curiosity for her crimes, but if her proposal involves me telling what I did, then I won''t be able to fulfill her request.

    "You don''t have to lie. I know it''s something that you obviously can''t tell anyone, but you can trust me."

    If I knew, I wouldn''t tell her regardless.

    It''s not about having something personal against her, I simply refuse to tell high-info secrets like those to anyone at all. Plus, I really don''t know...

    "No, I''m serious. I actually can''t remember."

    "Hm... Well, let''s suppose that''s true. Then, how about you give me your number and I will give you a hint?"

    ...

    Am I talking to someone who is romantically experienced?

    Normally, I would be glad, but this situation seems like it''s telling me that I''m losing in some sense.

    Hey, wait.

    Isn''t it always the guy who asks the girl her number?

    What the fuck is this!?

    "No, you give me your number, please."

    Always use the ''No u'' card.

    "Um, sure."

    "Uh..."

    Shit, why!?

    What do I have to do to get a cute reaction out of her!?

    Whatever, it doesn''t matter, I won this.

    Unless her true intent was always---

    "Hm? What is it? Here, you see my number right? Add me."

    "Alright..."

    It appears that I''ve been defeated. From the looks of it, as Yulia began to slowly mark a smile on her lips, that would indicate that it was her whole intent all the time.

    She didn''t care whether or not I refused, her true aim was to get my number all the time.

    What''s worse is the possibility of no romance being involved here. Ultimately, this was for the sake of winning, in which she did.

    "So, what''s the clue?"

    "Oh, right. That. So, listen up. Here, come closer."

    I then lend my right ear to her lips and she swiftly told me this:

    "I didn''t do it."

    The scent that her lipstick emitted right into my nostrils was consuming my current thought process, but my thought process was quickly shaken when I heard those mysterious words.

    "I''m sorry, what?"

    "You heard me, didn''t you? Or do you need me to tell you again?"

    "No..."

    Truthfully, I heard her alright. I just didn''t understand what she meant by ''I didn''t do it.''. Was Yulia here unfairly?

    If so...

    "Hey, but if you are here unfairly, then why not tell Basara-sensei about it? Unlike the majority who probably have committed some serious crimes, if you are just bearing the blame, then you should do something about it."

    Regardless of whether or not it''s possible to abolish your sentence for the reason of you being guileless alone, it''s still worth the shot. Of course, you naturally have to gather multiple pieces of evidence and find the culprit who did those crimes instead of you.

    "Hold on... I feel like you''re misunderstanding something here..."

    "No, listen to me. You don''t have to be here if you weren''t the one who did the crime or crimes. It''s completely unfair."

    I wasn''t trying to pull out a heroic act or anything like that. It''s simply illogical as to why someone would stay here for no reason at all.

    "Ahh... So that''s what''s going on. I see. I get it now."

    Oh? Does this mean that Yulia gets where I am going with this? Although her way to convince Basara-sensei might be truly hard, if she manages to gather enough anecdotical evidence then she might just---

    "Daniel, I didn''t do it."

    "Huh? Yeah, you already..... said that....."

    Why is she smiling like a damn psychopath right now? What am I not understanding here?

    "I really didn''t do it."

    She said that right after she said her previous words which had similar resemblances yet I couldn''t help but feel like I was totally wrong about my own assumptions...

    "And, that''s all I''ll tell you. I''m willing to negotiate if you have something regarding your own crime or crimes, but until then, no more from me, kay?"

    Yulia finished her sentence quickly blinking her right eyelashes.

    Thus, all that I could conclude was that the hint revolved around the fact that she didn''t do it. And how exactly can you receive jail time of 100 years without actually doing the crime yourself?

    In the end, I couldn''t help but feel like I wasn''t understanding something simple...

    "Well, that aside, I''ve been meaning to ask you this..."

    "Oh? What? What? What is it that you want to ask me?"

    Why is Yulia looking at me with those condensing eyes? It''s the type of eyes that would lead a massive virgin to get an immediate erection.

    "You''re not Japanese, are you?"

    "Ahh, you noticed. As expected of someone who is American."

    "Wait... How do you know that? I never said anything about it..."

    "Don''t you remember? You told Yuka-sensei that you were a foreigner. And based on your accent, you are American for sure."

    "Still, how exactly did you know?"

    It doesn''t add up, honestly. I don''t think you can simply determine whether someone is American or not by accent alone. Or... Is it really that simple?

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    "That''s simple! I''m also American! Ahh... Well, only continent-wise. I''m South-American, you see."

    See, this is what I''m talking about. I couldn''t possibly determine whether or not she was South American just from her accent alone. Her accent implies that she is Spanish or that she is from a country that holds Hispanic origins. Knowing that, I couldn''t possibly determine something like that. Therefore, what sense does it make for you to be able to determine whether or not I am American on my accent alone?

    I could be Australian or British--- No... The accents are so different now that I think about it. I would probably kill myself if I had an Aussie accent.

    No shots fired intended but it''s the truth bros and sisters.

    "That still doesn''t explain. How did you know?"

    "Eh? Don''t you know that North-American people are just usually full of themselves?"

    THAT''S YOUR REASONING!?

    "Listen here! That has absolutely nothing to do with it! Also, I''m not full of myself! We''ve never interacted before this conversation, why would you assume such things?!"

    "Well, let''s see... Firstly, you took the courage to enter in our dorm despite probably being aware of the consequences. Secondly, you argued back against Akimiyashika while most likely knowing that it wouldn''t amount into anything. Thirdly, although you ran at a medium pace in today''s sprint test, I''m under the suspicion that you are way faster than that. After all, I did saw you ran with Hyunda earlier. What? Did you think that I wouldn''t notice? Fourthly, so far, you haven''t shown any signs of backing off thus implying that you don''t have anything to hide. I could go on, honestly..."

    Well, she''s right about, um, practically everything. Yulia isn''t saying things without any evidence behind it. Every single one of her points has a certain logic to it. If I had to say, the most questionable point she made would be the sprint test one. Although I ran fast with Hyunda in order to escape someone''s wrath, that alone should not truly determine whether I''m fast or not.

    Then again, the very fact that she wasn''t running at all allowed her to stay in the backlines.

    Surprisingly, this girl notices about every single thing.

    "Regardless, that''s an illogical assumption. You can''t determine my nationality for those reasons alone."

    I was right. She was trying to force her belief of me possessing some sort of American superiority complex while that''s not the case at all!

    Damn it, just because I love Senator Armstrong''s speech against Jack about America that doesn''t mean that I secretly have a superiority complex!

    In all honesty, the speech was probably one of the most epic pieces of sound that my ears have ever gotten the experience of hearing.

    Nonetheless, that''s completely unrelated.

    "Hm, that''s somewhat true. The truth then."

    Goddamn it, what was that reference for?

    "I''m from Colombia, hence my tan skin tone. Plus, my father is a North-American. Therefore, I have experience when it comes to holding a conversation with someone who has a North-American accent. That''s how I found out."

    Colombian huh? I see. That certainly explains her beauty.

    No, I''m not saying that every Colombian female is straight-up beautiful, but, hey, maybe I just happen to be saying that while denying it unknowingly.

    "That makes sense, I suppose. But still, how the hell did you get here?"

    "That''s what I''m thinking too when I look at you! Who would''ve thought that I would meet someone who is American too here!?"

    Yes, I''m aware that both North America and South America are in theory different continents, but overall, it could be said that the whole American continent contains: North America, Central America, and South America. In that sense, Yulia''s completely right.

    "Yeah! I know right? Haha, damn it sure is a jubilant feeling to meet someone from the same continent as you!"

    It''s a weird yet happy feeling nonetheless. Though somewhat hard to describe, for some reason, you can''t help but feel blissful in this scenario.

    We did share a laugh too while at it.

    "Still, were you serious about that thing you said about America?"

    "Hm? Yeah, I was."

    "I''m not going to make America great again, but please stop insulting my country like that."

    Nothing personal, but I refuse to let an international diss slide.

    "But I''m not insulting your country. I''m just telling the truth about the stereotype that North America holds."

    In other words, you are basically saying that the people in it are trash but not the country. Because you know, it''s not as if the people who are in the country are what make the country be what it is.

    "I see. Fairly understandable. I''m also surprised you aren''t addicted to drugs. What a shocking scenario this is."

    "Ohhh?! So you are holding a grudge huh!?"

    Not sure what she expected honestly.

    "It''s retribution. A dual roast. Fair, right?"

    "Yes, sure. But Colombians aren''t drug addicts."

    And other hilarious jokes you can tell yourself.

    "Sure... Well, that aside, are we still playing that guessing game?"

    "What do you mean by ''Sure...''? Well, yes."

    "Mhm. But, what does the winner get?"

    That''s what I truly wanted to know. There''s no point in participating in this only to know who''s right or wrong. I couldn''t care less about such trivial matters.

    "I''ll tell you that, but---"

    Yulia, not finishing her sentence, held her index finger on her thumb lip in a very seductive way.

    "You have to absolutely compromise that you are in this and that there is no turning back, kay~?"

    What Yulia essentially just said was that I would either commit or nothing would in general, happen.

    Worst case scenario I could be a massive scumbag and go back on my own word, but that''s only in a worst-case scenario. In other words...

    "Yeah, sure. I''m in."

    "Greaaattt. To start things off, we should both make our own minimal rewards. Basically, this way, we will know what we will give to the winner."

    I hope that she''s not forgetting that if we both happen to lose that we won''t get anything from each other. It will be a boneless endeavor. Hence my initial dislike for this sort of competition. Since it''s quite likely that we won''t form any guesses that will be right from the start.

    Plus, we will literally get our answers in 20 minutes from now. In 20 minutes, the lunch break will be over.

    "Okay, I''m with you there."

    Thus, Yulia and I talked about the possible rewards that we would like to have in case one of us won and after 5 minutes or so we reached an agreement.

    Needless to say, in order to advance to the actual guessing game, we had to sort out the reward for one another. Ultimately, that was achieved.

    "Now that we''ve gotten that out of the way, here is how the guessing game will proceed. I make a guess and you make a guess. Really easy, right?"

    "Just so we are clear, nothing happens if we both lose, right?"

    "Correct! So, what do you think?!"

    "Hm... I don''t really have anything against it. After all, you will fulfill my reward if I win and I will, erm..."

    "You will...?"

    It''s so awkward to say it...

    "I will... fulfill your reward too if I lose."

    Why that of all the possible things you could''ve chosen...?

    "Now that''s what I''m talking about. So, who goes first and who goes second?"

    "I''ll start."

    Against popular belief, it''s not ladies first, it''s chads first.

    "Oh? Okay then."

    Why does Yulia keep saying ''Oh?'' so much? Is she secretly a DIO follower? Hey, maybe that''s how DIO met his other children''s mothers, by somehow going to Colombia.

    Haha, what a bad theory. No way, no way.

    Still, I had to consider a few things first.

    Noticeably, it took me a while to form a plausible theory before guessing.

    15 minutes later.

    "I''ll talk to you later, then."

    "Ok."

    Yulia and I then parted ways. My seat was right next to the door while her seat was all the way to the front.

    Already seated on her seat, my table partner was looking at her phone with a monochrome look on her face.

    Not that I cared, therefore I took a seat.

    Yuka-sensei was already in class too.

    No one was missing.

    My god, can I just say?

    Noodles for lunch is probably not the healthiest thing, but I''m currently a very happy pleb.

    I have to offer Yulia-sama divine gratitude for offering me such a delicious yet hellish lunch.

    "Yosh, everyone''s present, right?"

    "Aye, Yuka-sensei!"

    "Everyone''s here, sensei!"

    Stop following Hinagiku up, Rayazaki. Your time is nigh.

    Don''t think you''ll be able to keep your virgin feats forever, you detestable bloomer.

    Oh, I know, I know.

    ''Hey, aren''t you on the road to becoming a bloomer too? After all, that development with Yulia was something else.''

    Shut the fuck up. How dare you assume my feelings.

    Never ever, will I pledge like Rayazaki.

    I''m not a doomer but that doesn''t mean that I''ll eventually become a bloomer.

    The middle line is always possible.

    I''ll admit, Yulia is borderline goddess status with that appearance. Plus, her personality is desirable.

    HOWEVER, against common belief, I will never subject myself to the road of a bloomer.

    It has to be different.

    "Then, as promised, I will now explain the content of the special exam which will be held in five days from now, February 25th!"

    You didn''t really promise but ok.

    "As you might''ve noticed previously, I paired up everyone in this class with the person who got the opposite score of you in the sprint test!"

    Yeah, I would have to call myself dumb if I didn''t notice that.

    "However, that was only for one big reason! You might''ve wondered why I even bothered to form pairs. And that was to cause competition between pairs! No, not the one whom you''re paired with, but, with other pairs!"

    And I wasn''t starting to understand what this dumb bitch had just said.

    "Yuka-sensei, can you get to the point please?"

    Impatiently desiring for quick answers, Yukishiro pressured Yuka-sensei to get to the point.

    If I were, to be frank, Yuka-sensei was just following a pattern of explanation that would cause everyone in this room to thoroughly understand what she had in mind. While Yukishiro might completely understand what Yuka-sensei will soonly say, there''s no guarantee that others will.

    In a sense, Yuka-sensei''s approach is correct, if not totally correct.

    "Yuki-chan, don''t be so impatient, I will get to the point, I promise!"

    I''m surprised Kan can put up with her attitude.

    Actually, no.

    Both Yukishiro and Kan just never talk at all. Yukishiro is on her phone 99% of the time and Kan is always too busy rolling joints.

    Also, I haven''t had a smoke in weeks. Shit''s rough, man.

    If only Kan shared.

    "Tch..."

    Perhaps she didn''t like to be called ''Yuki-chan'' in an innocent way. Maybe that''s why she clicked her tongue.

    "The matchmakings were made for one reason alone. And that was because I wanted to pair two exact opposites. Thus, the exam will revolve around a pair fighting a pair that is the exact opposite of that pair!"

    ...Huh?

    What the hell is she saying...?

    "But, allow me to demonstrate. For example, Kawahara and Gale, who are a pair that is the exact opposite of each other, will fight a pair that suffers from the exact problem as them. Therefore, if you got a good score and your partner got a bad score, then your opponents will be the same. Get that?"

    "Sensei, can''t you explain it in a casual manner, please?"

    Kuzan, without afraid of demonstrating his dumbfuck behavior, spoke out loud.

    Though, that''s actually a good thing.

    Because I wasn''t exactly getting anything that Yuka-sensei was saying.

    "Eh... Well, Kuzan, who are you paired with?"

    "Sana."

    Goddamn, Kuzan just spoke her name out loud without even looking at her.

    Actual savage.

    "Did you get a good score, or not, Kuzan?"

    "6,03 seconds is pretty good, right?"

    It''s more than good.

    "Sana-chan, what score did you get?"

    Showing a little embarrassment, Sana answered Yuka-sensei a bit shyly.

    "9,63 seconds..."

    I would like to know how exactly Yuka-sensei did this matchmaking stuff. I''m assuming she just matched people who had the exact opposite scores. The fastest with the slowest and so on.

    "Overall, Sana-chan''s score still has ways to go about it. But, that''s another point of this exam too. To improve and work as a team. Furthermore, both Kuzan and Sana will face a pair that has the most similar score. But, I will not tell who that pair is since that''s partial to my explanation."

    So, in other words, it would be a battle between pairs who had essentially the same scores. From my understanding, this would imply that pairs who are complete contrasts would battle a pair that is the exact same. However, their scores couldn''t be that different.

    Therefore, I''m assuming that, for example, the pair that has the fastest runner in class with the slowest runner in the class, will face a pair that holds the second-fastest runner in class with the second slowest runner in class.

    Still, this is far too messy.

    Why complicate something this much?

    It even brought me back to the selection method Kuzan came up with.

    Man, that was some stupid shit, not gonna lie.

    "Now that I''ve explained as to why I went through the pair selection and my reason for doing so, I will move on. On February 25th, the pairs who come out victorious against their selected opponents will pass the exam. As for the losers..."

    This is the truly important part. It was as if the whole winning part was far beyond irrelevant in comparison.

    Realistically, I could afford to lose here and just have the supply exam, but that was way too unnecessary right now.

    Winning was the most optimal option.

    "I figured the supply exam was far too cliched so I decided to add a rule on my own. However, since the supply exam is a natural consequence, I can''t simply eliminate it. Think of it as a double-consequence. The pairs that lose will have to stay paired up until the end of the year, respectively."

    "What!?"

    Uh?

    Why are they all objecting?

    Am I the only one who''s looking forward to this change?

    Ah, no.

    That''s the whole bait, actually. Yuka-sensei probably thinks that by saying those words that people like me, who have nothing against their paired person, will immediately feel secure.

    Well, I don''t fucking care either way. But I refuse to be subjected to another supply exam.

    If the supply exam was like an average exam, then I wouldn''t mind.

    But from my experience, I refuse to experience something like slavery again.

    In the end, it would all come down to Yuka-sensei''s preferences. Yet for some reason, I wasn''t feeling too secure when it came to that regard.

    "Ehhh!? Why are you all so unhappy?! This is for the sake of developing a better connection!"

    "I don''t fucking want a better connection, you blonde bitch! How the hell am I supposed to win if I''m paired with this fucking slug?!"

    "....I''m not a slug...."

    For the record, there were some chaotic pairings. I''m mainly talking about Kawahara and Gale. Imagine a bookworm getting paired up with someone whose probably only redeeming quality is his physical body.

    "Except you fucking are! I won''t take this shit! This is too illogical! It doesn''t make any sense to be paired up with someone who is the exact opposite of you! If it''s for the sake of competition then you should be paired up with someone who is equally strong not with someone who is the EXACT damn opposite!"

    Gale was somewhat far away from Kawahara yet Kawahara was shouting in her direction. Thus, the person that was hearing his words the loudest was his table partner, Akimiyashika.

    "Kawahara, that''s enough! Can''t you see that you are being a major issue right now!?"

    "I don''t fucking care if I am! It has to be said! This makes no sense and you know it! Or are you too dumb to realize it too!?"

    "Regardless of that, you don''t have the right to shout at your partner like that. Just accept the exam and focus on improving with your partn---"

    And Akimiyashika''s sentence was fully interrupted because something, that''s in theory not unusual considering the scenario, just happened.

    That''s right.

    Akimiyashika instantly received a slap on her left cheek with a potent force behind it.

    Oh boy.

 Volume 4 - Chapter 22: Trash.

    One thing to know about Kawahara is that he respects strong people the best. Or so would I assume. I would assume that since he has behaved well thus far when Basara-sensei was in charge.

    However, now that that''s not the case...

    "Kawahara!!"

    Maybe what echoed throughout the room wasn''t Kawahara''s slap onto Akimiyashika''s left cheek but Yuka-sensei''s immediate shout. She even slammed her own two hands on her desk.

    Briefly, after the slap, a quick silence filled the atmosphere.

    Unlike a normal girl, Akimiyashika wasn''t showing any signs of retaliation.

    Even more so, she held her hand in Yuka-sensei''s direction thus symbolizing her to not move.

    "Happy now?"

    "...What?!"

    This certainly was a weird turn of events. Akimiyashika wasn''t exactly looking at Kawahara, but she wasn''t fighting back either.

    "I asked you if you''re happy now that you''ve got what you wanted. Or, are you gonna keep hitting people until you''re satisfied?"

    Damn, what a noble approach. But, seriously, will that work against Kawahara?

    "Are you fucking with me, you bitch!? Do you think that I''ll show mercy just because you aren''t showing any signs of retaliation!? How wrong!"

    Once again, Kawahara began to form an uptight grip with his hand. This would symbolize that he was about to throw yet another slap or potentially a punch.

    Sincerely, this was fun to watch. I didn''t actually care who got hurt or not.

    "Kawahara!!"

    Unfortunately, this little show wasn''t showing any signs of progression because Yuka-sensei had the face of someone who was flowing with rage.

    "What the fuck is it now?!"

    "To the principal''s office, now!"

    Ah, of course. The good old ''principal''s office'' card.

    "I don''t fucking care anymore. I''m out this bitch."

    Angrily kicking his table, Kawahara decides to leave the room. Well, it must''ve been awkward to have your slap be confronted with such words.

    Although, I''m somewhat impressed that Kawahara was able to detect the consequences. Naturally, if Akimiyashika reports him for what he did, he is bound to receive consequences, but since it only applies to him alone, I couldn''t give a fuck.

    Either that, or he was too moody to stay in the same room as we.

    "Aki!! Are you okay?!"

    "Are you hurt, sis!?"

    Since when did Akimiyashika become your ''sis'', Hinagiku?

    Nevertheless, both Ikkiri and Hinagiku surrounded Akimiyashika out of worry.

    "I''m fine, I''m fine. It''s nothing to worry about--"

    "What are you talking about!? That violent creature just slapped you! Sensei, can I go with Aki to the nurse''s office!?"

    "That''s right, that''s right! That creature that belongs to that gender just slapped her!"

    Oi.

    Why are they heavily implying something while using the fact that Akimiyashika got slapped as an excuse to portray their tendencies!?

    "Sure... Please, take care of yourself."

    "I will."

    In the end, both Ikkiri, who accompanied Akimiyashika, and Hinagiku left the classroom.

    ...

    Am I overthinking about this?

    No, no way, right?

    "I hope none of you try anything like that ever again."

    Uttering such cold words, Yuka-sensei looked at us like some demon.

    What is this? Why is the world so cold all over the sudden?

    "I''ll continue. To prepare for the upcoming special exam, I will hold daily physical education extra classes. What I''m saying is, aside from the normal classes that you all have, I will, out of kindness, give you all opportunities to overcome the odds with my help."

    That''s good to know. At least she isn''t completely illogical like Basara-sensei who does special exams to satisfy his insatiable thirst for spicy arguments. This time, it was different. Yuka-sensei was offering help.

    Help, to us, criminals. I''m fairly sure that that''s a demonstration of a certain moral aspect. Maybe compassion?

    Immediately wanting to know something, I held my right hand high.

    Yuka-sensei didn''t seem to be in the mood to be tolerating interruptions, therefore, interrupting her might cause something unnecessary. Plus, if my request gets rejected, then that''s fine.

    I''m aware that she will eventually get to this point.

    "What? If it''s something not related to this, you will receive the same punishment."

    Cold.

    Though, luckily, it''s exactly related to that.

    "No, it is related. I was just wondering what the real content of the exam is."

    "What do you mean by ''real''?"

    Hm?

    Was I not explicit enough?

    Apparently not.

    "Um, well, you''ve been saying that we will compete with another pair and something like that. But, what exactly does this competition revolve around? I know that it must be something physical, otherwise you wouldn''t bother to do a physical test in order to form the pairings, right?"

    It''s been on my mind for a while. If Yuka-sensei went through the trouble of using a physical check-up test to evaluate our speed, then the exam must be related to something that involves physical activity. I was already pretty confident that that was the case.

    What I wasn''t sure of was what the exam would revolve around. In other words, what sort of physical activity would we be engaging in?

    "That''s a good question. Although I formed the pairings through a speed test, the special exam won''t simply revolve around running only."

    Only?

    Then...

    "I want everyone to look at what I''m about to write on the board, please."

    As soon as she said that, my phone vibrated.

    Unfortunately, I knew the reason why.

    No, it wasn''t Hinagiku''s message. Hinagiku and Rayazaki weren''t talking and that''s mainly because Rayazaki was, oddly enough, paying extreme attention to the explanation.

    Ah right. The fucking bloomer wants to pass the exam for romantic reasons.

    Maybe it wouldn''t be such a bad idea to lose honestly.

    "Woah... seriously..."

    "No way can I do that..."

    Small talk was going on between the girls in the class. In contrast, my table partner just stood still without complaining.

    "This is the contents of the exam. On February 25th, this is the area you will be evaluated around."

    Written on the board were the following words:

    ? 5 km run

    ? 50 squats

    ? 30 push-ups

    ? 50 sit-ups

    ? Planks (5 mins)

    ....

    I wasn''t going to call this hard, but I doubt that some people here can actually just do this on their own.

    "Now, before you complain, I will explain yet another important piece of understanding when it comes to what I just wrote. Since this is a competition between pairs, naturally, the pairs will have to split this up with their partner. In other words, you will have to distribute all this physical work with your pairing in order to fully make a 50%."

    Noticing that some of us were making weird expressions, Yuka-sensei assumed that some of us didn''t understand what she was on about.

    She was not wrong.

    Therefore, Yuka-sensei started to write yet again.

    "Seeing how confused the majority of you are, I will illustrate. To fully complete the exam and get the maximum score, the pairing that is being tested will have to equally split the tasks with each other in order to get a 100% result. Now, how does a pair split their tasks? That''s quite simple, as you can see..."

    Ah, I see. Well, that does make sense.

    Of course, I only got the bigger picture once she wrote additional information on the board.

    "You can''t equally split the tasks. In other to raise the difficulty bar in this exam, in every task, the slowest person in a pair will have to fulfill the task far more. Therefore, let''s say that Kuzan, who is paired up with, Sana, who didn''t run faster than him, is about to be tested. I can''t allow Kuzan to do the 5 kilometers run on his own. Furthermore, it can''t be equally split. This means that they can''t do 2.5 kilometers each other. No. The weakest runner will always have to do a bigger portion. Ultimately, Sana will have to do, 2.6 kilometers and Kuzan 2.4 kilometers. This way, it won''t even out."

    Talk about cruel.

    Making a girl who has no physical upbringing to her run that much? Certainly, to someone who has minimal physical experience in running, this is actually so little yet to people who don''t, it will seem like pure hell.

    Also, from my understanding, this alone didn''t apply to the 5 kilometers run only. It would, most likely, apply to the rest of the tasks. This is what Yuka-sensei meant by splitting the tasks. However, it will never be an even split. The weaker element will always have to do the hardest part.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Hence, I could understand what Yuka-sensei wanted out of this. To help out the partner. It actually didn''t matter how fast I could be, what mattered was that, in my case, Yulia would have to be the one who would succeed.

    "Needless to say, this applies the same to the rest of the tasks. Of course, what I''m saying is all under the premise that you will be aiming for the maximum score. In case you are wondering, the failure score will be applied when the pairing can''t obtain a higher score than 49%. 50% is the bare minimum. If the pairing can''t even complete each task completely then they will be heavily penalized."

    In addition to the consequences that we would naturally suffer from being the losers, a fair method was being applied to determine who would lose and win.

    As much as I like how logical this currently is, the main problem was that there was only about 4 days to prepare, not myself, but my partner. I was already fully confident about myself, the problem was my partner.

    If this exam was made the other way around and the pairings were formed under the formula where, instead of two contrasts, two equals would be paired up, then, the stronger equals would naturally excel in this exam.

    Nevertheless, that''s obviously not the case.

    "Wait, sensei, I have one question."

    Whiteknight Sagasuga thus held his left hand up high.

    "Go ahead, Sagasuga."

    Weirdly enough, Yuka-sensei''s mood had gone up a bit. Maybe the fact that no one was violently interrupting her like Kawahara made her relax a bit.

    That''s a relief. I would very much like to understand the components of this exam to a reasonable degree.

    "I understand that if the pairing score goes overall below 50% that the pairing will fail the exam, but why is that the case though? Wasn''t the main premise of the consequences based on the results of the pair fights?"

    Well, his question might sound bizarre, but Sagasuga did make an intriguing point. Yuka-sensei had previously stated that the losing pair will suffer the consequences of losing yet she never mentioned this.

    "Those are additional consequences and, in my opinion, the soft ones."

    What did she just say?

    Soft ones?

    Oh, I see.

    So being subjected to a supply exam which implies something malicious like slavery and whatnot, and, cherry on top, being paired up with your partner in this exam for the rest of the year, is soft?

    I mean...

    The second part was kinda nice actually.

    "Then, what is the main one...?"

    "For starters, to achieve the main consequence, you need to lose first. Although I''m a somewhat fierce person sometimes, I believe that this exam isn''t that hard. But, if you lose, aside from the consequences I''ve already said, 100 years of jail will be added to your sentence."

    I don''t even care anymore when it comes to that. 1100 years. Wow, such difference.

    Because, you know, it''s not as if I will die before my sentence hits 100 years or anything.

    Though, that was a different case for someone like Sagasuga who has 25 years of jail.

    Realistically, you can''t compare Sagasuga''s jail sentence to someone like me.

    Even if it doesn''t faze me, that''s a different story for the rest.

    "Sensei, isn''t that a bit too much!? Why add so many consequences for no reason?"

    "Tsudo, no reason?"

    Tsudo missed the perfect chance to shut his own mouth.

    It''s fucking obvious as to why she''s applying this many consequences, you damn idiot.

    "...Yeah?"

    "Hahahah. Hahahaaaa... Do you... No, no. But, I just want to make sure. Do you actually think that this is normal to happen at all?"

    "W-What do you mean... Why are you laughing like that? Did I say something funny?"

    "Funny is an understatement. Tsudo, do you realize how many people in this entire world would desire a chance like this? All of you, irresponsible brats, have the audacity to complain about this situation when all you have to do is pass one exam. A single stupid fucking exam."

    Woah, she''s mad. Tsudo, what have you done.

    "No, it''s more than that. While there are criminals out there who have families to see, you people get to leave once per month, right? And, what do those criminals get? A visit every now and then? For sure, that''s a privilege yet you absurdities are taking this as if it''s some sort of purgatory. Please don''t spout such shit if all you''re going to say is utter nonsense."

    Christ, why am I smelling roasted smokes from Tsudo''s direction? I guess the roast was enough to tell the tale.

    Still, lesson learned. Don''t piss Yuka-sensei off. She might be a masochistic bitch, but she''s not too different from Basara-sensei when it comes to being spiteful.

    "Are we clear~?"

    "Yes..."

    Tsudo, after being roasted, looked down for a while. Public humiliation is one of the worst things a human being could face in today''s society.

    This is why, the majority of the time, you keep your mouth shut. Impulsive people are often wrong.

    Nevertheless, this malicious bitch just smiled at him like she was some sort of saint.

    "And with that, my explanation is concluded. You are always free to ask questions, but for now, let''s resume the class."

    After that, the class went on as normal.

    Kawahara never made his return to the classroom, however, to contrast that, Ikkiri, Akimiyashika, and Hinagiku eventually returned to the classroom.

    In a swift yet slow time, classes were over for the rest of the day.

    To be honest, I was somewhat in a rush because I wanted to contact someone right away.

    That certain someone was nowhere to be seen in the classroom.

    Apparently, she had already left.

    Although she had been the first one to contact me, I sent a message right back at her.

    ��Where are you? ��

    I roughly waited for about 10 seconds while I was walking out of the block and shortly after, a reply came forward.

    ��Find me to find out. ��

    Oh, fuck off.

    I have anime to watch.

    Even if it means that I''ll have to watch it on this tiny phone of mine, I''ll watch it regardless.

    Therefore, I decided to call her straight up.

    "..."

    She''s not picking up...

    What the fuck...

    ��Please pick up...��

    Oh no, why the hell did I say that?

    I sound like some desperate ex-boyfriend who failed hard in his relationship.

    ��No.��

    Okay, why though?

    ��Please. It''s important.��

    It really is.

    ��We can talk.��

    Great, then--

    ��In person that is.��

    Yeah, no fucking shit.

    Then, why the hell can''t you tell me where you are?!

    ��At least give me a hint...��

    Knowing her, she probably won''t deny this.

    Also, for the first time, I actually wanted to contact someone. Of course, this was because I refused to get cucked in the upcoming exam for no reason.

    I wasn''t going to let my anti-social tendencies kick in right now.

    ��A place where the usual would fell at disarray. And that''s all!��

    Are you serious...?

    I had to go out of my way just to find her?

    Why?

    Why is it always like this?

    I fucking swear, if it wasn''t just for this not random important circumstance, I would literally not give a shit.

    However, the situation is different. I urgently need to speak to her.

    "Oh."

    Just as I was about to walk out of the block, a familiar figure stroke me.

    Her light silk pink hair shone even midst the already late weather.

    The coldness in her eyes was enough to send your average virgin to suicide watch.

    It''s rare to see her leave this late.

    But, now that I think about it, we did talk for a fair bit today, right?

    Therefore, we should be able to interact again without any problems, I think.

    "Hey, do you--"

    "Don''t care."

    .....

    I fucking hate you all.

    Block A.

    Where is she?

    "Hey, is that..."

    No, seriously, where?

    She said ''disarray'' therefore I''m assuming that she''s in a place where the majority of us would feel at confusion. I say this because she said ''the usual'', which would imply that she''s ultimately referring to our classmates.

    I''ve looked around this whole block yet still found nothing.

    The side glares weren''t bothering me, but I needed to get this over with pretty soon.

    Knowing that I can''t ask the people around here for clues, I was a bit lost.

    No...

    That''s not entirely true. I''m simply forbidden from interacting with other students. Verbal interaction is forbidden, to be more precise.

    The school staff was entirely different.

    Basara-sensei did say that I could talk to them. Damn it, I wish I actually had that index that Hyunda talked about.

    Well, in the end, the goal was formed. I would have to talk to the school staff. In every block, there is always at least one staff member, so that shouldn''t be a problem.

    As a matter of fact, I''m eyeing one right now.

    It''s a really old lady and she''s cleaning the hallway.

    There''s nothing that remarking about this scenario, it''s just that she keeps cleaning the same spot that gets tramped over by the students passing by.

    Yet, why does she keep doing that...?

    Why not just wait around for them to begone and then be over with?

    "Excuse me, can you-"

    "Not now, I''m cleaning."

    "...Right."

    Well, this was awkward. I decided to sit in a near-by bench to wait for when she was done to ask her if she saw the likes of Yulia here, but she just kept doing the same thing over and over.

    ....

    It''s been 5 minutes and yet...

    Why

    The

    FUCK

    Do

    These

    Pieces

    Of

    Shit

    keep on doing this?

    It''s actually impressive how they can''t get a damn clue. She just keeps on cleaning the same spot yet the students won''t stop passing by that spot. It''s not as if it''s the only spot you can pass by as well. There is way more space. If you simply go to the right a little bit then you won''t have to pass where she''s cleaning.

    The same could be said if you go to the left.

    Essentially, this was prolonging itself because these rich kids refused to move out of their way.

    Therefore---

    "Let me help you clean. Do you have an extra broom?"

    "Hm? Do you want to help me clean? Sure thing. Pick up that broom over there."

    Rightly after hearing her words, I went to pick up the broom that was on lining onto her desk''s bay.

    I don''t have an interest in truly helping this school servant, but some people needed to actually get a clue.

    Oh, that''s right. This wasn''t being done because students were leaving the classrooms or anything like that.

    It was being done by the same people over and over.

    "Gahaha, how fucking dumb do you have to be to do this shit every day?"

    "She''s probably mentally retarded, what did you expect?"

    "Still, you have to be dumb as shit to not notice, hahaha!"

    They''ve been talking for a while. Although I haven''t traded glances with them in order to not attract attention, I was already aware of their existence.

    It''s not uncommon to see this but you have to be certainly on another level to take this type of shit on someone whose years of life is probably greater than you three fuckers combined.

    "Hey, let''s go over there again."

    "Yeah, she now thinks that she''s finished cleaning! Look at her relax, hahaha!"

    Their reason for doing this is completely unrelated.

    I had to take into consideration my own circumstances right now.

    Evidentially, the necessity to find Yulia and talk to her was strong yet for the sake of that, I need to confirm whether or not she''s been here in order to accumulate clues on Yulia''s possible location.

    The source of my clues would be someone who is responsible for this block. It''s crystal clear that this block''s school servant would be my primary source.

    It''s not as if there are any other choices when it comes to investigating who has been around this block. If it wasn''t due to the rule that forbids interaction then I would obviously just have asked the students around if they had seen someone who is gorgeous and had a tan skin tone.

    Alright, they probably wouldn''t be able to tell that it was Yulia who I was talking about if I said the word ''gorgeous'', but I''m heavily confident that if I were to ask a male individual on this matter then they would most likely be able to meet my expectations.

    Regardless, what was important right is getting information from my one and only source.

    However, there''s obviously a slight problem here. She said she would only talk after she was done cleaning. I was always about to talk to her but those fuckers just kept on stepping under the same place.

    In other words, my conversation could never initiate. Sometimes it would, but this servant is more preoccupied with cleaning than anything else, honestly.

    What''s important to conclude here is that there isn''t any supposed moral reason as to why I''m doing this. This would all link back to the source. I had to talk to this servant. Get clues. Find Yulia. Talk about how we were going to prepare for the exam and then...

    Watch fucking anime!!

    That''s right, this was all for the sake of watching anime.

    I''m going to be a bit honest over here, I''ve been getting into Vinland Saga and my god, can I just say. Wit Studios.

    I have no idea what they do, but every single one of those beautiful motherfuckers deserves a damn fucking raise at the end of the month.

    In addition to that, I''ve been avoiding Vinland Saga this whole time but now that it''s over I can finally get into it. I refuse to watch ongoing anime, the hype every week is so unhealthy. I have no idea how people do it.

    Thus, I really need to hurry up.

    Yet...

    "Oi, oi, look."

    "Someone''s decided to join the fray."

    I''m fairly confident that if I put enough killing intent that I could make them flee from the get-go, but they were still talking trash despite the fact that I haven''t made any eye contact with them.

    "Granny, where do you need help cleaning?"

    I already knew what needed to be cleaned up though.

    "Ahh, my back hurts. Sorry, you wanted to talk to me about something?"

    Well, at least she was aware.

    But--

    "That can come later. Just tell me where I need to clean up and we''ll talk afterward, alright?"

    "Alright, young man. Then, could you clean that spot, please?"

    She was pointing right at a spot that was between the lockers and the staircase, essentially, the entrance. The spot kept on getting dirty because it was raining a bit outside. If hypothetically speaking, someone wanted to truly dirty a spot constantly, then it wouldn''t be such a bad idea to dirty your own shoes for that purpose.

    Mud doesn''t come off easily hence its irritable disgust factor linked to its existence.

    Coincidentally, these three retards had mud on their shoes.

    Would you look at that? A coincidence, huh?

    "Most certainly."

    By extending her chair to the old lady, I allowed her to take a seat.

    "Thank you..."

    Now, then. I had some cleaning to do.

    Truly, as soon as I began to clean with the broom I held on both of my hands, the mud didn''t come off easily.

    Yet with more than necessarily minimal effort, it was finally cleaned up.

    It took me roughly around 40 or so seconds.

    Right after I made my own way to her, I took note of the sound of certain footsteps. Of course, I was aware of who those footsteps belonged to.

    "Hahaha, fucking retard."

    Additionally, I heard that too.

    At last, I had arrived. I was ready to engage in a conversation about Yulia''s possible whereabouts now.

    I did, in theory, clean the spot.

    "I''m don-"

    "Ahh, that won''t do. There is still dirt in it."

    I wasn''t sure whether or not she was not noticing what was going on or if she had poor vision.

    It didn''t matter, really. I already knew that it had dirt in it.

    "I see. I will clean it then. But, this time. I''ll clean all of it."

    Yet again, I took off.

    Purposely not making eye contact with them allowed those three individuals to gain a certain degree of confidence towards this.

    It''s common sense that someone who looks down on the ground far often is someone who has low-self esteem. I was doing exactly that.

    There was nothing telling them that I was minimally ready to fight back or something like that. If they were to engage in a conversation with the goal of possible intimidation then it would work, most likely.

    "Hey. I haven''t seen you around here. You fuckin'' new?"

    Nevertheless, I focused on cleaning. Because, in theory, that was the one thing I had to get it done.

    In order to get an audience, I had to clean this spot up.

    It couldn''t be helped, really.

    "Oi, oi, he''s ignoring you, Shariolo."

    Shariolo, what kind of fucking name is that?

    Although I''m trying extremely hard to portray a serious act, that name almost made me burst.

    "Tsk. Just watch."

    Ah.

    How weird.

    The spot that I was done cleaning was being dirtied yet again.

    That really can''t be allowed, no matter how I look at it.

    "Well, I did say I would clean all of it, didn''t I, granny?"

    "Uh? Yes..."

    "Then, I better keep my words."

    Time to take out the trash.

 Volume 4 - Chapter 23: All this just to talk to a single girl.

    From the surface, this situation might seem a bit tricky, but is it really?

    I do know that I can''t verbally interact with other students, but how can the ones responsible for the people in the program that I am in apply punishment to me?

    It''s not as if they have some sort of magical way to know it. Knowledge only comes through information sources. Thus, there is about one good way to transmit that.

    "Look at me. Hey. You can hear me, right?"

    Shit... Is this guy even alive? I made sure that he would stay alive but he turned out to be incredibly fragile...

    Well, how exactly did it come down to this?

    30 minutes earlier.

    Who the hell is this dude? Is he fucking retarded like that hag as well?

    "Hey. Look at me."

    Even though I said that, this retard has not looked at me once. He''s only looking down. He''s afraid alright.

    He said something like keeping his own words or something, but who the fuck cares.

    Yet this bastard...

    "Yoo, he''s totally ignoring you. Maybe he''s too scared to even look at you."

    Damn it! Who the hell does this guy think he is? Making me feel like an incompetent little shit in front of these guys...

    I heard that there were some criminals in this school now, but I don''t think that rumor is even true anymore.

    Shit, I have to make this guy look at me or else...

    "Fucking look at me already!"

    This time, I pushed the guy back to make sure he looked at me...

    Yet...

    The fucker just keeps on cleaning the same damn spot! What the fuck!?

    "Hey, granny, I''m done."

    Huh? Is this guy truly that fucking retarded!? Does he not realize what I will do?! What the fuck!

    "Oh, I see. Then--"

    Not on my fucking watch. That hag is one thing but what the hell is up with this guy''s retarded behavior? I''m aware that the hag has bad vision and she never notices that I''m fucking her spot all the damn time.

    It''s not my fault that you have aged to be this fucking bad. What can I say? Bad luck?

    You should probably kill yourself if you''re this shit at life, hahaha.

    "Ahh, it''s dirty again."

    Damn right, it is.

    "Hahaha..."

    Those two fuckers just keep on laughing instead of fucking helping with this.

    "Hey, you two. Let''s take this guy into a place that has no cameras. I want to teach him a lesson."

    Even though we were sitting on the stairsteps, they realized what I meant.

    "But, the dude just keeps on ignoring you. He''s too afraid to even look at you, loool."

    "Why not just leave this for another day? We got a party, remember?"

    I couldn''t give a shit about the party now. Nobody disrespects me like this. Plus, I really want to see this retard ignore me after I pull my knife out.

    How much do you wanna fucking bet that he will immediately shiver?

    Gonna be priceless to see the fucker''s face afterward.

    "The party can come later. I''m serious about this. Help me out."

    Showing my pocket knife, they stopped laughing immediately.

    "Wow, you''re serious about this. The dude pissed you off huh?"

    "Yo, let''s do it then. But, it can''t be here."

    That much I know.

    "I know. A place where no one will see us and not even vigilance cameras will be able to spot us. You''re in, aren''t you?"

    These two retards have been my lapdogs for quite a while. Ever since last year, they''ve always followed me everywhere. Just in case they try to even deny my request, I made sure to hold the knife with a strong grip. Should anything not come my way, then I don''t even mind killing that old hag.

    "O-Of course..."

    "Let''s just do it..."

    Ah no, that''s wrong.

    They just didn''t randomly follow me.

    I remember now. They were always on the verge of getting good grades and shit like that. Shit, I can''t even recall their names so I just call them by ''they''.

    Never for once did they think I would just bully them daily huh? This glasses dude has a pretty hot sister, who I forcefully dated just to insert fear onto him. I had to make sure that he realized that I could do whatever the fuck I wanted with her.

    Besides, even though she was hot, she was ugly as shit.

    And this other guy is a rich kid who has a secret youtube channel that just uploads kids'' content. I threatened him to link it to the rest of the class in case he went against my will.

    Basically, they are just pawns. They have no free will on their own so to speak.

    "What a damn shame. I better clean it up, yet again, huh?"

    However, this retard just keeps on getting back to the spot.

    "Hey, surrounder her field of vision."

    I told the glasses fucker to simply block the hag''s field of vision.

    I''m fucking aware that she can''t do shit either way, yet this was important.

    Since I was going to pull a knife. Frankly, the fact that the rich dickhead is surrounding this retard from behind is quite useful.

    Thus, when her field of vision became blocked, I made my move.

    I pulled out my knife close to his abdomen, however, I didn''t touch it.

    "If you don''t want to die, then come with me."

    The camera angle has no way of getting ahold of this right now. All that it''s receiving is an image of my back. It can''t even capture the fact that I''m currently holding a knife against this guy.

    ...!

    He finally looked up, yet instead of me to the camera.

    Not paying any attention huh?

    I looked at the rich dude who was on his back and signalized him to hold his arms.

    "I''ll be back soon, granny."

    He said those words and looked at me.

    "Finally looking at me, huh? Follow me or you''ll fucking die."

    However, he didn''t answer back.

    "Hey, take him to that place."

    "Yeah."

    For some reason, he didn''t look at me like he was afraid or something. He just looked at me like he was looking at some other person.

    Damn fucker.

    I''ll fucking teach you how to look at someone who is holding a knife.

    Eventually, we three left block A. There was just about one place that didn''t have any cameras and that was the backyard of the school. It was getting dark too. In other words, it would be rare to see someone spot us from this distance.

    That''s because everyone else was already in their dorms or some shit. Realistically speaking, the majority would either be in their dorms or just leave the school. You can always return to school at a maximum of 11 pm.

    Nevertheless, it took us a while to get to the backyard.

    "Hey, what if he''s deaf?"

    "Hahah, fuck me, that would be sad as hell."

    "No, no, if you think about it, he would always just look at the hag''s lips. Maybe this is what they said when deaf people could do lip-reading, gahahaha!"

    "Nah, no way, he''s just scared as shit. After all, he''s got a knife against his back, doesn''t he?"

    I made sure to pressure the edge of the knife against his back. Particularly, I stabbed him a little on the back but he didn''t make any sounds.

    And why the hell is he looking at the cameras?

    Oh, I see. He''s probably thinking that he will be able to tell the teachers about this.

    Hahaha, this retard is so delusional! He actually thinks that that will work!

    He probably doesn''t know that we are going to beat the shit out of him. This retard has no way of knowing the amount of shit he''s about to go through.

    It was also going perfectly. The backyard stays in the back of block C. Block C isn''t close to any dorms. At maximum, it''s close to the second years'' dorms yet that''s about it. They had no way of actually seeing us at this time.

    That''s for the simple reason of classes being over already.

    However, some people did come here often. To have sex or to smoke. You''re not allowed to do any of those in dorms, so some students blow their steam off a bit here sometimes.

    Yet as we arrived at the location, no one was there.

    Of course, no one was there. It''s fucking freezing.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Ah, it started raining too. Perfect.

    Is there a better way to beat someone to death while raining?

    "Yep. No cameras here."

    Checking around, I concluded that this place was truly vigilance camera free.

    "What a smart move."

    "Hm, yeah. Hey, push him around---"

    Wait, who the hell just spoke right now?!

    Shit, I was too busy looking for cameras that I accidentally took my eyes of him!

    Furthermore, what the hell happened to those two fuckers?! They are on the floor already.

    "What the hell did you do?"

    There''s no point in acting scared or anything just because he spoke.

    However, I''m highly curious about what the fucker just did. How come those two are on the ground lying there unconsciously while the rain just keeps on pouring on them?!

    "Huh? What? Can''t you see? I knocked them out."

    No, no.

    No fucking way you did. Although they are my lapdogs they aren''t such weaklings.

    "That''s not possible. You were acting scared just a while ago!"

    This fucker can''t lie to me! I saw the look on his eyes back then! He was looking so fucking down that he emitted the image of a coward! How the hell can a coward like him possibly knock them out!?

    Plus, there''s no way you can simply knock the two of them out in 2 seconds!

    2 seconds!

    That''s the amount of time I took my eyes off him! There''s no possible way!

    "Oh, that? Sorry, that was just an act. Either way, before wrapping this up, I gotta ask. Did you see a very pretty girl going to block A? Ah, I''ll describe her... She''s got some nice light blonde hair, red lipstick, clear skin, a nice personality and two purses on her right wrist. Of course... Since you''re a man, you must have noticed that she was wearing an almost mini-skirt. Come on. You must have noticed that, right?!"

    What the fuck is this fucker on about...

    Well, it is true that I did saw someone like that, but how the hell can you act so carefree in this scenario?

    Is he fucking serious?

    I have a knife. I can literally just stab the living shit out of him and no one will ever know.

    "Are you retarded?"

    I just had to make sure of that one. Although I''m fucking positive that he is one.

    "Hey, please answer my question. I''m desperately looking for her!"

    I don''t give a fuck about your crush.

    Also, why the hell are you looking at me while smiling like that? That''s not an average smile but a smile that reflects mockery and pitty.

    This fucking rain isn''t helping out either.

    What the hell happened... Damn it!

    Why the fuck are those two knocked out! That''s what I want to know!

    "Hey, fucking tell me! What the fuck happened to those two!? Answer me clearly or else you''ll die right here and now!!"

    "What? Are you retarded or some shit? I already told you. I knockedthem out. Ah, I see. You want to how I knocked them out. Well, you see. Since you are fucking retarded and decided to take your eyes off me for two split seconds, I used that time to knock them out."

    "HOW?!"

    Stop fucking dodging the question, damn it!!

    "...I''m ashamed of myself honestly. But... I used the Brachial stun, again!! I''m so unoriginal, damn it!"

    Brachial stun!? What the fuck is that!? And why are you punching the ground like you are frustrated?!

    "Ah, but seriously, have you seen her?"

    "Hey..."

    "Hm? What? You finally going to answer?"

    I wonder if this retard even realizes the situation he is in...

    "Do you know what your situation is right now?"

    "My situation? Well, let''s see... I''m currently being soaked like hell because the rain won''t stop pouring. I''m also, additionally looking for an acquaintance of mine. And... Wait, isn''t that about it?"

    "Do you know what I have in my right hand right now?"

    "Of course, I know! It''s a knife!"

    "If that''s the case, then why aren''t you begging for your life right now!? I can just stab you and kill you!!"

    This guy is a true fucking retard, he doesn''t even realize the current situation.

    "Mhm? But why should I? You''ve never killed someone in your whole life."

    Huh? What the fuck is that bastard on about?

    While it is true that I haven''t killed someone in my life, that shouldn''t matter.

    "You''re probably thinking that you can just kill me because you are holding a knife. But, it''s not that simple. The first time is always terrifying."

    "I''m not fucking afraid, damn it!"

    "Right now at least. But, hey. Come here. Try to stab me."

    I was already going to anyway!

    H-Huh...?

    Why is my right hand not moving?

    "Ahh, see this is what I meant. You probably don''t even want to do this. Let me guess... You''re pissed off about something and you decided to threaten me in order to gain respect or something like that?"

    Move! Move! Move! Move!

    I''m gonna fucking murder this fucker so hard! Damn it, just move!! Why!?

    Why won''t you move, you stupid useless hand?!

    "Regardless of that, although you probably aren''t aware of this, you don''t want to kill me. Can you live with yourself after you''ve killed someone? Let me tell you from experience. It''s living hell. When you think back at all the people you have killed, you slowly start to realize that your life has gone to shit and that no matter what you do, you will never be able to erase the fact that you have killed at leastone person in your life."

    W-Wait... From experience...?

    What the hell is this guy on about...

    "What the hell do you mean by experience...?"

    "Oh! I like how you''re not even trying to understand the situation at hand and why your hand is just not moving! That''s fine! Ah, about that... You know... I have killed some people in my life."

    "N-No way you have!"

    "Oh, but I have. Hey, aren''t you curious as to why I didn''t talk to you earlier? Surely, you must''ve wondered. ''Why isn''t this coward talking to me?'' ''Is he ignoring me?''.

    "Huh? You didn''t talk because you were scared as fuck!"

    "Scared as fuck? Come on. Don''t tell me that''s the best your brain can muster. Think about it for a bit... In this scenario, who is truly afraid. Me? Or you?"

    What the hell is this guy on ab-

    Wait...

    Me?

    No way, no way.

    This guy was totally afraid of me earlier!

    That''s right!

    I just have to think about it logically! Why would someone not be afraid of me, who held a knife onto his back the whole time!? It doesn''t add up! Of fucking course he''s scared!

    ''Oh, that? Sorry, that was just an act.''

    He did say those words, but that was just a bluff! Right now, he''s truly scared, isn''t he!?

    I mean, just look at his face----!!

    Shit, he''s smiling so widely...

    "Oya? Did your brain click? So, have you arrived at the conclusion that you are the one who is scared and not me? Otherwise, you would have already killed me already, according to your own logic. But, there''s more where that came from! I can''t actually talk to other students except from the students in my class! Can you actually believe that shit?! Hilarious!!"

    I don''t know what to think about anymore...

    Fuck it!

    I''ll prove this guy that I''m not afraid...

    "I''m not afraid, you bastard..."

    "Yeah, you are. But, you can prove me wrong by stabbing me and killing me. After all, there aren''t any cameras here, right? The perfect scenario! If you stab me with that knife of yours, then I''m fucked! Aren''t I right!?"

    "If you fucking know that then prepare to fucking die!"

    --------!!!

    What the fuck!? Even though I was ready to stab him this time and even though I went with the movement this guy just...

    "Oops, sorry. The climax was way too good."

    With a kick, he just threw my knife away.

    Fuck, I have to get it back before it''s too late!!

    "Well, this is dragging out a little bit, so..."

    The knife isn''t so far away!

    I''m quite fast, honestly!

    I can catch it!

    And once I do, I''ll stab him this tim--

    "Bahhh!!!"

    "Dude, turning your back in a fight? It''s common sense to never do that! If you turn your back in a fight then someone with minimal fighting experience will do what I just did! Kick you right in the back! Hahaha!!"

    That fucking hurts!! What the hell!! I thought he was just joking when he said that he had knocked them out! Is this guy actually experienced in fighting!?

    It doesn''t make any fucking sense! Why would he just hold back like that?!

    "Hey, hey! Let me guess... This doesn''t add up, right? You''re right! But you know, I told you already. I can''t verbally interact with other students except for my own class. Do you know what class I''m in?"

    "W-What class are you--"

    "F class! You must''ve heard of it, right!? It''s a class full of criminals! But hey, do you know what I get if I interact with other students verbally? Apparently, I get executed! Real execution! Now, I would normally doubt that, but the one who told me that wasn''t exactly joking about that..."

    Wait... It wasn''t a rumor then this guy...

    "T-There really is a class full of criminals...!?"

    Shit, the constant water droplets from the rain aren''t helping out! That kick was so powerful that I can''t muster any strength to get myself up...

    Fuck, am I going to stay on the ground forever!?

    No! No!

    He will fucking kill me!! I don''t fucking know who he is but he doesn''t seem to be joking about anything so far!!

    This is dangerous, I really have to get up----!!!!

    "GAHH!!!!"

    "There is. They all have massive jail sentences to fulfill. It''s actually insane how the school agreed to this. But hey, the government is government. Whatever they say, someone has to fulfill. Oh, does it hurt? I''m sure it does, but don''t worry, that''s actually cartilage of your body that doesn''t have many blood vessels linked to it. What I''m saying is, if I really wanted and aimed my low-kick at certain other places then you''d be in greater pain right now."

    My legs! I can''t feel my legs!!!

    Fuckkkkkk!!!!

    "B-Bastard!! You''re so fucked! The school will find out about you!!"

    "How exactly though?"

    "Isn''t that obvious?! I will fucking tell a teacher that you beat us all up and then you''ll get executed!! After all, according to what you''ve said, if you verbally interact then you will get the consequences, won''t you!?"

    "Supposedly. But, how exactly will you tell the teachers about that?"

    What...?

    "Are you blind? I''ll tell them in person, of course!!"

    I don''t care if I don''t have any evidence that it was him, but the fact that I''m already this beaten up should prove it! I can''t feel my fucking legs, damn it!! Why aren''t they moving?!

    Damn it!!!

    "In person? Oh. Oh... Hahah... Hahahaha!! Ha.... You''re assuming that you''ll escape here alive?"

    "H-Huh? What? Are you going to kill me?! You fucking wouldn''t! If you do, then---"

    "Then what? What exactly will happen? No, tell me. I''m curious about it now."

    Fucking bastard, getting all cocky just because he happened to be a little physically stronger than I am!!

    He''s even kneeling down just to see my face on the ground, damn it!

    However, you are so fucked, you literal retard!

    "If you kill me then the cameras here will give anyone evidence that you killed me!! You wouldn''t do it! You don''t have the balls to do it!"

    I don''t give a shit if he killed people or not, it''s plain common sense that if you kill someone then you will receive consequences for it, damn it!

    "Cameras? Ah, you mean those over there?"

    He pointed at the back of the warehouse, but thanks!

    That will only prove my point!

    "That''s right! They are the--"

    .....................

    "Hey. What''s the matter what''s up with that sudden silence? That''s so unlike you! Come on. They are there, aren''t there?"

    "I-I...."

    "Hm? Oh, wait a second. No, they aren''t there. But why though? Isn''t the school supposed to be protected with multiple vigilance cameras?"

    F-Fuck...!!

    How could this happen to me!?

    Fuck, fuck! How could I''ve foreseen this event!?

    Damn it, it''s not my fault! It''s not my fault!

    I had no fucking clue nor a slight idea that I was messing with a real fucking killer!

    What the hell is wrong with this world!? How the hell can a school allow this type of shit!?

    Why is a killer in my damn school!?

    Damn it!

    Fuck this world!!

    B-But wait...

    He hasn''t killed me yet.

    No---

    He truly doesn''t have the balls to kill me! Otherwise, he would''ve already done it!

    He''s prolonging this far too long! That''s not a coincidence!

    I know it''s not! He''s not going to actually kill me!

    So...--

    "I-I''m sorry!! Please don''t kill me! I wasn''t thinking straight! I''m so sorry!! I''m always like this! I promise that I will reflect on my actions! I won''t bother you ever again, I swear!"

    No fucking way I meant those words.

    But that''s enough. Now, fall for it!

    "Ah, well. You''re right. You''ll never bother me again. You won''t be able to. But before getting into that..."

    Huh? What the hell did he mean by those words...?

    "I hate to repeat myself so I''llask this only once. Depending on your answer, I will show you my mercy."

    Yes!! He fell for it!!

    He''s actually going to forgive me!! Haha, this fucking retard!

    No, no, you can''t smile!

    Don''t smile yet!!

    Let him spare you and then laugh it off!

    "A-Any question! Just ask!"

    "Alright. You remember that girl I asked you about? I even gave you her description. Therefore -- do you remember whether or not she passed through block A?"

    That''s it!?

    Hahaha, how fucking easy!!

    "Y-Yes... I saw this beautiful figure! She looked exactly like the one from your description! However, she was only in block A for a bit, she then moved to the library thatis in block B!"

    "Ahhh... Library huh? Well, I was going to block B anyway. Well, thanks. That''s exactly the answer I was looking forward to. Well, that spares me a great deal of time. Now I don''t have to talk to that stupid hag. Seriously, major thanks."

    "No problem..."

    Yes!

    Yes, yes!!

    I''m fucking saved!!

    "Oh right. I said something about showing mercy, right? To be honest, I was initially thinking about killing you, but you''ve provided me with some nice answers. Therefore, as a way of thanking you, I won''t kill you!"

    "T-Thank you so much! Seriously, thank you so mu---"

    Huh? What?

    Why are you?

    Huh...?

    You didn''t keep your word...

    Present time.

    "Look at me. Hey. You can hear me, right?"

    Shit... Is this guy even alive? I made sure that he would stay alive but he turned out to be incredibly fragile...

    Good thing that there aren''t any vigilance cameras around here.

    I''ve just been punching this guy left and right. Of course, I had to keep on punching him in the head.

    There''s a very high risk that he might die though. After all, my true aim is to cause a concussion. By plumming his head with a barrage of continuous heavy fists, after 5 minutes, he stopped resisting.

    Honestly, I couldn''t give a fuck if he died or not. I just didn''t want him to hold any memories whatsoever.

    "Y-You didn''t keep your word... B-Bastard..."

    Oh! He''s still here! Nice, nice...

    "Still up, huh? That''s good. I just wanted to tell you something. You and your friends will either die because of my doings, but, just in case you all live, there''s a 70% chance that you will get either brain tumors or concussions. Regardless, my point is, if you somehow live and manage to escape the 70% chance of getting a brain tumor or a concussion, I just want you to know..."

    This was the part where I had to seriously tell him my words without a shred of lie behind it.

    "I will kill your whole family. No, not just yours. Should you still remember these words and somehow attempt to report me, I will make sure to make your lives a living hell from now on. Your two other friends are also included. However... realistically speaking, you shouldn''t be able to remember this. Either way, that''s about it. Remember those words."

    Oh, he passed out. No matter. I kept on plumming him. However, I stopped after 2 minutes.

    And that''s because my phone suddenly vibrated.

    It was probably Yulia, yet I didn''t bother to check. Because it might''ve been Hinagiku contacting Rayazaki.

    Alas, I left the scene, I went down south, back to block B.

    Yet, out of curiosity, I decided to check my phone immediately.

    But, something caught my inner interest immediately. It was raining so much that someone should not be in this rain. To contrast that, a person with the same school uniform as I passed right through me.

    He had a flashy figure and glasses.

    I just found it weird that someone would be taking a stroll at this time.

    Before he passed through me, I hid my fists in my pockets, since the fists were in bad shape.

    Anyone could tell just by looking at them that they were wounded.

    After all, it was because I punched the hell out of that kid.

    "Weird..."

    Nevertheless, I decided to check the message.

    No, it wasn''t from Hinagiku to me(Rayazaki).

    It was from Yulia.

    ��It''s raining hard. I went to my dorm.��

    All that shit, just to get this.

    "Ahh.... Great..."

 Volume 4 - Chapter 24: Delusion 100.

    As I was about to walk into my dorm, a massive uproar could be heard from the entrance.

    Truth to be told, despite it being loud as hell, I was prioritizing the fact that I needed a quick shower before anything else.

    However, the appearance of Kuzan immediately stroke me before I could walk any further into the hall.

    "Aniki! It''s terrible! You gotta see this!"

    "Sorry, maybe tomorrow. Right now I need to shower. I''m soaked, as you can see."

    I wasn''t in such a high mood where I could intentionally ignore Kuzan. Especially because Kuzan seems like the type of person to keep on trying despite being rejected.

    He was immune to such feelings as those.

    Nevertheless, priorities are priorities. Besides, I bet it''s just some stupid shit as always. Nothing worth thinking, honestly.

    "I''m serious about this, Aniki! It''s King George, he''s---"

    It appears that, against my initial mindset, I could not ignore Kuzan''s words this time.

    Cafetaria.

    Crowded. Plus, they are all together for once, in a circle.

    How unusual.

    What the hell is the situation?

    "King George left a letter on the table for all of us to see! You need to see it, Aniki!"

    Hey, did you know?

    Kuzan can read minds apparently.

    Hard to believe this was a coincidence, but I''m not in the mood to be logical.

    "So? What does it say?"

    If they all got the same information then why are they circling around it?

    It makes no sense unless the message is truly that important.

    I''ve noticed something too. Aside from all of us that are here in the circle, there is one person missing.

    "It depends, Aniki. Which letter?"

    "Huh? There''s more than one letter?"

    I was confused right now. What the hell did Kuzan mean by ''which letter?''?

    "Oh. Perfect timing. You were the last one missin--- Hey, what happened to your fists?"

    "Ryoken. It''s nothing."

    "No, it''s definitely not nothing. What happened?"

    Are we seriously prioritizing emotional caring instead of seeking out the actual situation?

    "It''s really nothing, don''t worry about it."

    "But--"

    "More importantly, what''s happening, why is everyone here?"

    Although I said everyone, I was extremely aware that a certain someone wasn''t here.

    "Well, I was the first one who got here, so let me actually explain the situation to everyone, now that we are...... all here..."

    Susaga, unexpectedly, took control of the situation right away. Though, he hesitated when he said those final words. Of course, the chances of him being aware that the fact that this certain individual not being here might turn out to be a problem, are quite high.

    "Please look at this. This piece of paper is a letter written by our supervisor."

    Dude''s got some balls to be disrespecting the king like that.

    I can''t tell whether I should respect Susaga for that or if I should pity his poor soul instead.

    "I''ll read it out loud... E-Erm...!"

    Damn, Susaga even went to the top of the table.

    Someone give this man a mic.

    "Your King here. The one and only. I''ll be out for a whole week! If any of you fuckers fuck anything up while I''m gone you''re all dead!! P.S: If you want to eat, then make your fucking own food!!"

    I''m surprised that I''m not surprised. Nevertheless, my reaction wouldn''t be the same as the others...

    "W-What the hell!? What do we do if King George isn''t here to cook the damn food for us!?"

    Tsudo had a point. King George is technically in charge of that but he just pulled out the ''Fuck that shit I''m out'' card on us like that.

    Although he said for us to cook, that was assuming we actually knew how to cook.

    Hey, maybe if we were in a gender bender Manga and swapped to the feminine gender, then we could be able to cook. After all, we would be kitchen masters.

    "Please don''t get impulsive, Tsudo. We can work on that later. Also, Susaga, isn''t there more to where that came from?"

    Sagasuga was most likely referring to something that would ring a bell to Kuzan''s early words about which letter. Under my own assumption, I simply assumed that he was talking about multiple letters yet it might not even be more than two.

    "Ah... Yes... But, seriously, who does he think he is..."

    What was Susaga mumbling on about...?

    Is that what''s written in the letter?

    "Hey, Susaga, what''s wrong? Do you want me to read it for you? You don''t have to do it if it''s troubling you..."

    Shut the fuck up Rayazaki. Your bullshit white knight stance is pissing me off because it''s not even directed at a girl only. At least you are selective garbage if you are a white knight to a girl only.

    But to every single person in the fucking world?

    Jesus fucking Christ, how do you even look at the mirror in the morning!?

    "Sorry, it''s just... I can''t really stand his attitude... It''s been pissing me off for quite a while."

    Yet again, I could not read the whole situation. Although I had various assumptions about it, the truth remained unclear.

    "Hand it over to me."

    This time, Hyunda stepped forward and reached out his right hand to Susaga.

    Without showing any resistance, Susaga threw the letter right back to Hyunda.

    Thankfully, Hyunda was almost right next to me.

    "..."

    "Who the hell wrote this?"

    After seeing what the second letter''s content, Kan spoke out loud for all of us.

    However, he spoke with a cold tone. Well, for sure, who wouldn''t?

    "Hold on, Kan. Don''t rush into conclusions."

    "And why the fuck not?"

    Although Tatsu tried to calm Kan down, it seemed to have backfired.

    I would like to add something while I''m at this. I''m not familiar with any of my dormmates'' handwriting, so I had absolutely no way of knowing who wrote this.

    Kan most likely didn''t too, hence his questions.

    "The message is far too childish. I don''t think that the individual who wrote it would be dumb enough to stand in this crowd. After all, this is basically a war declaration."

    "I was thinking the same too, Tatsu. But, if it''s not any of us who wrote this, then who?"

    Is Sagasuga overly cautious or overly retarded?

    I can''t tell.

    Why?

    Because it''s fucking obvious that there''s a certain individual missing here.

    Plus, who the hell else would write in real-life all caps a letter, saying: ''I''M THE KING NOW!''?

    "Oh please. It''s obvious who did it. Don''t beat it around the bush. Let''s do something really simple, shall we? How about we check if everyone from our dorm is present right here and now?"

    The often silent Akihiko decided to speak.

    "No need. It''s crystal clear that the one who''s missing is Kawahara. I''m one billion percent sure that he was the one who wrote this letter. Or does anyone here have a different opinion?"

    "Wait a second, Hyunda. We shouldn''t just randomly accuse someone out of the blue like that."

    "It''s not out of the blue, Ryoken. Tell me, since you were thesecond one who got here, have you seen Kawahara around here? Anywhere? At all?"

    "No... But my point still stands. It''s wrong to randomly accuse someone like that."

    "It doesn''t matter whether it''s right or wrong. I''m talking about the probabilities and please don''t ignore them... Also, something that everyone here can confirm is that Kawahara never actually returned to today''s class after he was offed by Yuka, correct?"

    Wow, calling Yuka-sensei just ''Yuka''.

    Chilllllllll.

    But, he was right. Kawahara never returned to the classroom. The chances of him returning to the dorm earlier are still available.

    "Regardless of that, you have no way to prove it."

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "Of course I don''t. That''s why I''m playing around the probabilities. If there isn''t any concrete evidence, then assumptions should be built around the highest of probabilities and just as I''ve stated previously, Kawahara''s absence is most likely connected to this letter."

    Hyunda was really digging this.

    He was speaking way more than usual.

    "Furthermore, allow me to add something to that. The fact that you have not seen Kawahara in the beginning when you walked in and now, in this present time, is no coincidence. Deny this all you want, it won''t amount to anything."

    "That''s still the wrong approach, Hyunda!"

    "You''re way too sentimental. You''re also unsuited for the job at hand. I''m out."

    Ouch.

    Though, Hyunda is right. Ryoken is far too sentimental.

    But it''s weird that Ryoken mentioned those sudden moral aspects.

    I know that he doesn''t actually have to do it, but from my understanding, if you want to become someone who excels at the greater good or just morals overall, then shouldn''t your aim be to produce actions that represent your image of ''good''?

    His words additionally contrasted his previous actions. Back when Hyunda was pushed around by Kawahara, Ryoken could have at least interfered. Again, I''m not saying that he should have or that he should yet if you truly want to perceive yourself as a good person, then stopping a conflict of that scale might turn out to be profitable to your mindset.

    Let''s not forget when Akimiyashika was slapped. His words and actions are way too contradicting.

    Not like I care, but if I was in his position and was aiming to become a ''good'' person, then I would change my methodology right away.

    Well, in the end, Hyunda truly left.

    Sincerely, I was thinking of doing the same as well.

    Besides, the main reason as to why I came here in the first place was not to speculate whether or not the one behind the letter was Kawahara.

    It was because I was curious about King George. If King George returned, then our punishment for intruding the girls'' dorm would''ve been addressed. I''m fairly positive that the majority has forgotten about that part, but I can''t help but constantly wonder about it.

    "Ok, but where''s Kawahara at though?"

    I had to break the sudden silence. The atmosphere was getting awkward.

    Hating on atmospheres like that is my usual thing, therefore, I had to shatter the repulsive silence.

    "Aniki, I don''t think anyone knows..."

    Kuzan might''ve had a point. But, if that''s the case, then I should prove my own point as well.

    "If no one knows where he is, then what''s the deal here? I don''t get it. He wrote that, but so what?"

    Truly, I wasn''t understanding why everyone was just standing there frozen.

    "No... It''s far more serious than that... He went too far...!!"

    Now Tsudo was speaking up.

    So maybe there was a reason as to why everyone was just standing here.

    "What did he do though?"

    "H-He... He burned all my Emergence Metamorphosis volumes!!! How the fuck am I supposed to jack off!? How does that fucker dare to take a man''s pleasure like that!! Unforgivable!!"

    W-What!?

    Tsudo had such cultural journals?!

    M-MASAKA!

    "He stole my wig too, Aniki!!"

    Oh right. I forgot to mention. Kuzan couldn''t bear the fact that he was bald so he got a wig somehow. Nevertheless, in front of me, he has been bald for a while.

    Lol, he looks like a used condom. I can barely hold my laughter while looking at his head.

    "Kawahara, that bastard... I won''t forgive you for stealing something for important..."

    Rayazaki seemed to be mourning about something that Kawahara stole.

    Furthermore, his spirit and anger were being synergized right now.

    I like the look on Rayazaki now!

    "Damn it... I was going to give it to her..."

    Thank you, Kawahara. I''m truly thankful for what you did.

    "Guys, complaining won''t solve a thing. I''m sure you have all noticed but he robbed stuff from our rooms."

    "Wait, what are you talking about, Sagasuga?"

    "What? You don''t know---? Oh right, you came late, so you don''t know this but, there is a very high chance that Kawahara barged into every room in this dorm and stole things from it."

    Then that means!!

    "A-Aniki!? Where are you going!?"

    Damn it, it can''t be!

    Come on, no way!

    You''ve gotta be shitting me!

    There''s just no way he went for that!

    It might not be too late still! If I make it back in time...!

    "Aniki! Answer me!"

    "Kuzan, either shut the fuck up or help me search! If you find something beneath my bed tell me right away!"

    Kuzan was starting to piss me off honestly, but I needed as much help as I could.

    I had to make sure that Kawahara didn''t get his hand onto that!

    "Got it, Aniki! I''ll search for it! But, what exactly am I supposed to search!?"

    "That''s nothing of your business. It''s the only thing under my bed! If you feel something by touch then tell me immediately! If you look at it, I will kill you!"

    "A-Alright, I got it, Aniki! Don''t worry, I understand!"

    Fuck, fuck, fuck.

    I couldn''t let anyone get ahold of that no matter what!

    "Hey Aniki..."

    Shit, we''ve been searching all over my room and nothing...

    I didn''t want to face reality so soon, but...

    "Damn it!!! That fucker''s so dead! Where is he?!"

    "No one knows, Aniki! Hey, where are you going!?"

    The fuck no one knows. I''m damn fucking sure that he must know his location.

    "Hyunda''s room, where is it!?"

    "It''s on the---"

    Oh. What?

    We didn''t even need to go to it, since...

    "Let me guess. You want to know where he is, right?"

    "I''m glad you got to the point quickly. So?"

    "I''ve already searched through the whole dorm, even in his room and he is not there. However, there is still one place left."

    "Hyunda, did he steal something from you too?"

    "No, he didn''t. More like, he couldn''t. I''ve got nothing in my room in the first place."

    I sometimes forget that Hyunda is a real-life anime main character.

    "Wait, then how come you haven''t explored that one other place that''s left, Hyunda?"

    Kuzan asked the question that I truly wanted to know.

    "That''s obviously the only place no one would dare to step their paws in."

    The one place that no one would dare...

    What is he talking ab--

    "O-Oi, you can''t mean!"

    "I mean exactly just that. Kawahara apparently is feeling pretty confident and bold. Bold enough to step into Satan''s territory."

    Is Hyunda actually serious...

    "But, before that, I''ve gotta ask. What''s your intention here?"

    "Intention? Isn''t that obvious? To get back what he stole from me!"

    "I''m the same as Aniki! I refuse to be bald forever!"

    No, Kuzan. You will not be bald forever, but you''ll definitely be bald for a while.

    "And how exactly are you two idiots going to get your things back? Do you actually intend to use physical force on Kawahara?"

    "What if I do?"

    I don''t see how Kawahara is a problem here. I''m confident enough that if I get more than minimally serious that someone like Kawahara won''t stand on the same ground as me.

    "I see. So that''s your approach. Well, good luck with that."

    Huh?

    "Wait, Hyunda. Is there something wrong with my approach?"

    "Something wrong you say? Well, the approach itself isn''t totally wrong per se. However, is your approach the correct one for the one you are up against?"

    "Does it even matter who I''m facing here?"

    "Maybe it does. But, that''s up to you to find out. I''m sleepy. It''s naptime for me... Guaahhh..."

    Typical.

    Always gives enigmatic clues but then bails out immediately.

    Regardless, I couldn''t allow myself to be indulged in Hyunda''s never-ending questions that hold little to no answers.

    Hyunda went up and we descended. I had a good clue as to where Kawahara was.

    "Hey, Aniki... Are you thinking of convincing Kawahara via brute force...?"

    "There''s not many options. What he did, I cannot overlook."

    Against my expectations, Kuzan hastily put himself in front of me.

    "What the hell are you doing? Move it!"

    "No, wait, Aniki! I had an idea! How about we ask everyone else to cooperate!? If we have the numeric advantage then we most surely can win!"

    Honestly, even though Kuzan''s idea was obvious from the start, I can''t call it a dumb idea. It was just inconvenient because I didn''t want any unnecessary witnesses.

    Plus, I wasn''t intending on letting Kuzan see what Kawahara stole from me. Realistically speaking, I would have to use drastic measures on Kawahara should he fail to compromise.

    "Kuzan, you can''t ever be truly strong like that. How can you be strong yet rely on others constantly?"

    From a spiritual point of view, what I just said might not seem wrong from the get-go, but if I think about it logically then it''s obvious that Kuzan''s choice is the correct choice here.

    I was simply portraying a heroic behavior to him. Because Kuzan is someone who allows himself to receive any type of experience from his surroundings.

    "But... They all have the same goal! I''m sure it''s fine, Aniki!"

    Kuzan, I''m truly proud that you are finally developing intelligence. You noticed the major flaw in my words and you decided to back that up by enforcing your previous point.

    I am impressed, so to speak.

    However, Otouto, you are still young, therefore naive and foolish.

    "That''s not important. Do you remember what Hyunda said? How my approach didn''t matter but how the one I''m facing does? The one I will be facing, Kawahara, is he fighting with any numbers by his side?"

    Hyunda didn''t say that my approach didn''t matter. I made that up.

    Because it was relevant to further enlighten Kuzan onto something.

    "Kawahara? He''s only fighting by himself. But, as I said, if we overwhelm him then it won''t matter!"

    Kuzan for once was showing signs of frustration.

    "That''s actually correct. However, is it really honorable to fight someone who is only one with this many numbers? Aren''t you even ashamed of having such thoughts?"

    "Ashamed...? What are you talking about, Aniki...?"

    "It seems you don''t know this yet but, your actions portray a certain value of honor depending on how you individually execute them. Actions cannot gain individual attributes if you share them with others around you. That''s called sharing, which is an interpretation of kindness."

    "But isn''t that a good thing Aniki? Let''s share this experience with everyone! This way we will--"

    "Kuzan! Listen! There''s no honor in teamwork or friendships like that! If you have to do something then you must do it yourself! Others are completely useless! Do you actually think that Kawahara has such a different mindset in comparison to mine?!"

    "Aniki, you''re being cold..."

    "That doesn''t matter. Honor is everything. From the moment we are born to the moment we die. To not have honor is the same as not living. Can you bear to live a life like that!?"

    "Of course, I don''t want that! But I don''t get what you are saying, Aniki! You''re saying too much complicated stuff! How am I supposed to understand!?"

    "You can''t understand. But, you can hope to comprehend by following me."

    "I won''t! I can''t, Aniki! I just can''t agree with your viewpoint!"

    "Then fucking fuck off!!"

    "Aniki..."

    "What!? Did you not hear what I just said!? Or do I need to repeat myself, huh!?"

    I''m purposely yelling at Kuzan for various reasons, honestly.

    "I hate you, Aniki!"

    And there he goes, running off like a little crybaby.

    Well, it''s a good thing that I didn''t mean half of the things I just said. Realistically speaking, I had to cut down any possible witnesses.

    This little dramatic act was good enough for that. Kuzan isn''t a bad person, in all likelihood. Although I don''t know what he did to get in here, the way he acts shows that he is a good person.

    His nature might be either good or evil, but what truly matters on the surface is how you portray your beliefs to the outside world. Knowing that, it''s fair to assume that Kuzan has a strong capacity for compassion in his heart.

    And that''s why I used this scenario to take advantage of that.

    Someone who has compassion for such little things such as teamwork or sharing experiences will never be able to accept any superficial contrasts to their ideas. Accordingly, someone who additionally holds to such ideas can never hold the capacity to change their mindsets.

    It''s not as if Kuzan tried to understand my viewpoint. He couldn''t understand and therefore got confused. In the end, he decided that it was a good idea to defend his own ideas and left out of spite.

    In contrast to Kuzan''s belief, while I was theoretically defending my idea, deep down, that was all an act.

    I couldn''t care about honor nor glory.

    "Well, this is it, right?"

    I''ve been walking for a bit, but this should be the place...

    The door is also semi-open...

    It''s as if he''s telling me or just anyone in general that it doesn''t matter who it is, they are free to come in.

    "Ahhh!! What the hell!? This level''s too hard, man! How the hell am I supposed to fight this guy!? He just keeps on one-shoting me like that!"

    Figured that much.

    Though the place is pretty flashy and the bed is gigantic, it obviously wasn''t made for someone like Kawahara in the first place.

    A lot of animals are on the wall too. This sight would terrify many simply because the animals are hanged on the wall. They are dead, by the way.

    From my knowledge, two tigers, one lion, three elephant heads and---

    Wait, what the hell!? What kinda monster is he anyway!?

    "Ohhh!!! The first one comes at last! I was getting tired of waiting!"

    But, it appears that Kawahara was by no means beat around the bush the fact that I was here inside King George''s room.

    That''s right. This guy has the audacity to infiltrate the King''s room like this.

    If King George is ever aware of this then Kawahara is as good as dead.

    Nevertheless, I had to make my stand here before it was too late.

    "I''m not here to fight."

    "What? Then fuck off."

    "No, I want to ask the King something."

    "Oh? Fine then. The true King will grant you an audience!"

    I''m surprised that he''s so into this. I''m also fairly sure that if Kawahara was in the mood to absolutely decimate me that he would''ve done it already yet he''s actually showing a composed reaction which contrasts his usual attitude.

    "King, could I have my things back?"

    "Rejected!"

    "Can I ask why though, King?"

    "Sure thing, plebian. You see, what I acquire is mine and mine alone."

    "But what if those things that you acquired already belonged to someone first?"

    "That doesn''t matter! What the King acquires automatically belongs to him eternally, regardless of whether or not it had a predecessor!"

    I truly didn''t imagine that Kawahara had the capacity for such vocabulary.

    "And what if the predecessor wants to suddenly take back what was rightfully his?"

    "That can''t happen. Those who go against the King''s decree will be eliminated! It doesn''t matter what sort of reason they have, rebellion is not allowed!"

    Am I dealing with a 12-year-old kid?

    Seriously, somebody tell me.

    This act is fucking embarrassing as hell.

    "Then, can the predecessor be allowed to regain their objects through a contest of victory?"

    "Oh? Speak more clearly about this, peasant!"

    Congratulations, Kawahara, you''re managing to piss me off to the ninth realm.

    "I was going to propose that a pleasant like me should be given the chance of fighting back by winning a contest. Of course, King, you can choose which contest. If you win, I''m your servant for the rest of your life but if I win, then I will get what you ''rightfully acquired'' from me."

    Rightfully my ass.

    Fucking delusional brat that can''t get the difference between stealing and acquiring things.

    "Hm, interesting! So you dare to go against me, despite knowing how low, no, how negative your chances are of winning! Very well! I''ll rightfully accept since you stand absolutely no chance of winning!"

    It''s hard to believe that the usually impulsive Kawahara is somehow demonstrating a grand attitude in spite of being so damn arrogant about it.

    "But, I must ask. This. What the hell is this?"

    Kawahara raised up the exact thing that I was looking for.

    Well, it was no wonder that he asked me that question in such a serious tone.

    After all, that''s----

    Sorry, cliffhanger.

 Volume 4 - Chapter 25: Damn bro.

    There is always something that I carry with me regardless of the time, but yesterday, I put it below my bed because we would be having P.E, so I didn''t want to risk the chance of losing it somehow.

    Yet, I never expected this event to happen.

    "Hey, I asked you a question. Answer me, right now. What is this?"

    The following situation implies that King George will be out for the rest of the week. But, for what reason, exactly?

    "It''s not like I don''t know what I''m holding right now, but I just have to make sure that you do."

    For intruding the girls'' dorm, we have yet to receive our supposed consequence for it. Honestly, it wasn''t just that. This was a pure mess. In theory, we would have to cook for ourselves, so it''s already going to be a disaster when it comes to that.

    Not only that but, in addition to that, soon, we would have a special exam. I would''ve liked to had a conversation with Yulia but she refused to be cooperative.

    I''m also not with patience for her bullshit. If she doesn''t cooperate then I won''t give a fuck anymore.

    Nevertheless, that wasn''t, surprisingly enough, the worst part about my ordeal of problems.

    "Does it really matter what it is?"

    "Of course it does! The King has the right to know everything and knowledge is just another one of his birthrights!"

    Right now, Kawahara was playing games with a PS4 remote. I''m assuming that Kawahara is playing games on a PS4, which just happens to be Rayazaki''s.

    On second thought, why didn''t Rayazaki show rage and fury over the fact that Kawahara stole his PS4? Are you seriously telling me that some girl is more important than a PS4? It doesn''t make any sense.

    Why do people think like that? Is a girl that you spent some hours with suddenly more important than the PS4 that you spent days, no, weeks if not more? That''s illogical.

    "Why are you so into this act? I don''t get it. Are you delusional or just pretending to be delusional?"

    I''m very much aware that this might trigger Kawahara on a certain level and that he might engage in a physical combat contest with me straight up.

    "How nice. I''m actually in a good mood today! Normally, I would show no mercy to those words, but today is a different day! It''s King''s day!"

    Yep, delusional.

    But, that''s fine.

    "And so, I will ask you this, once more, plebian. Should you not answer, I, the King, will grandly execute you right here and now!"

    In other words, if I didn''t answer Kawahara''s question, then he would execute me right here. Of course, it''s obvious what he means by execution.

    He''s referring to killing me.

    "Right. That''s an object wrapped up in a bandage."

    "I know that! What I''m asking is, are you aware of what''s underneath?"

    "Yeah, I am."

    "Then, you should know what it is, right? Tell me."

    "...I can''t."

    I really can''t.

    "Hey. Are you fucking with me right now? I''m serious about what I just said. I will fucking execute you."

    Even though Kawahara said such words, he couldn''t stop playing PS4. By the way, King George''s TV is gigantic as hell. It''s no wonder that someone would be interested in his room.

    Pure tyranny, if you ask me. We get a simple room yet King George has this palace just for him.

    What''s next? A personal maid?

    "I won''t tell you. Not even if you kill me."

    "Why though? You do realize that I''ve taken a look at it, right? And that it doesn''t matter whether you hide the truth or not, I''m still someone who knows what you are hiding."

    Truly, Kawahara right now was the first person to know what I was hiding.

    I couldn''t blame anyone but myself for making such a careless mistake.

    "So, are you going to tell the whole class about it?"

    "Maybe. It does seem like it would be a fun topic. Hey, can you imagine the look on their faces when I reveal this to them? Hahaha, I''m thinking of bringing this tomorrow and pretend to apologize to Akimiyashika for that slap. But then, here''s the plot twist, instead of giving her an apology I''ll give her this, hahaha!!------ Woah, those are some nice eyes! Did I hit a nerve or something?"

    "Don''t do that."

    "And why not? You surely don''t think that I''m afraid of you just because you''re looking at me like you want to kill me, right?"

    "I''ll take you down with me, bastard."

    "Oh!? Is that so, then--- No, wait. I''m curious now. I swear, I would usually just kill you right now, but I happen to be highly curious about something. This. What happened exactly? Also, how do you even have this? What did you do?"

    Surprisingly, well--- It''s not surprising, but Kawahara seems to have a childlike wonder. It''s been more than once that Kawahara has held himself back. Instead of purely relying on his physical tendencies, he decides to seek out the truth. A curious textbook person.

    "I can''t tell you anything. Don''t be such a selfish person, dude. You wouldn''t tell me what you did too, right?"

    It''s common sense to never trade information as long as you don''t receive equal or higher information in return.

    "Of course I won''t. But you can. It doesn''t have to be this way. Hey, look, let''s make a deal. If you tell me, then I won''t reveal to the whole class about this."

    I hate how he didn''t include in his deal that he would return my belonging.

    Therefore---

    "No. I won''t tell you. Also, why didn''t you include in that deal of yours that you would return it?"

    "Ah, that? That''s because I want to keep this. From the looks of it, you treasure this, for whatever reason. Your eyes don''t lie you know? There must be something to it. That amount of rage was not normal. An average person would immediately quake."

    He''s not lying, but it''s impressive nonetheless. According to my intuition, engaging in a physical battle with Kawahara would be a mistake. Unlike Hyunda, I sincerely don''t think that my stance is completely incorrect, but Hyunda is right about something. The one I''m dealing with, Kawahara, is a hard opponent if my stance is a physical one.

    "So you want to keep that just because, according to you, I treasure it?"

    "That''s right. I believe that you do. And therefore, this is mine now."

    Well, let''s leave that aside for now...

    "Kawahara, why did you steal everyone''s things?"

    "I wanted to see what they were all hiding. I came out a bit disappointed though. However, when I went to your room and explored beneath your bed, when I found this, I was dumbfounded."

    "Are everyone''s belongings that boring in comparison?"

    "It''s not as if they are boring. There are some interesting things here. Look here, you see this gadget? I took it from Susaga''s room. I then searched on the internet how much it was worth. It went above the ten thousand price bar. Crazy, right? And here--- are some diamonds --- I found them in Kuzan''s room. The dude may act like a dumb little shit, but he has diamonds, can you believe it!?"

    How Susaga and Kuzan got a hold of such things, was a topic worth delving in, but there was a more serious topic at hand right now.

    "Are you even serious about graduating, Kawahara?"

    "What''s with that? I was in the middle of explaining, don''t do me like that. Ah, about that... Well, I don''t care. When I''m out, either by graduating or if I''m sent to jail, I''ll keep on doing whatever I want. If I go to jail, then I''ll just have to escape it, and resume my spree."

    His words are contradicting. If Kawahara truly believes that, then there''s something that''s not adding up.

    "If you can escape something like jail, then why are you still here?"

    "Hm? Oh, that. That''s because I love her."

    As I thought, Kawahara is staying here not because of what he said but because Kawahara doesn''t really have the ability to escape this school and its guards. Escaping is impossible simply because we have guards at the end of each school''s entrances. In other words, no matter how much you brag about your supposed escaping maneuvers, it doesn''t really matter in the end.

    Well, that clears up something. It seems that Kawahara is---

    "Huh, wait what?"

    "It''s nice and warm in here, isn''t it? That fraud of a ''King'' has a heater here while the rest of the dorm just spends a chilling eternity suffering from cold. Unfair, right?"

    No, I seriously couldn''t ca- Oh wait, that''s true. What is this injustice?!

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Still!

    "No, not that! What you said before that?"

    "Hm? What of it?"

    "You... love her?"

    "Yeah, I love her."

    "Okay, who is this ''her''?"

    That''s what I actually wanted to know. I want to know because my reasoning just got countered. I initially thought that Kawahara was simply bluffing and, don''t get me wrong, he still might be, but the part that shocked me was that he said that he was here in this school because he loved a certain ''her''.

    "No way I''m telling dumbass."

    "But, just to get this clear, the main reason why you are staying in this program isn''t that you want to abolish your jail sentence but because you love her?"

    "Yeah... Well, I don''t really understand it well, so I don''t think about it often, but it''s the truth."

    Oh, is that so.

    So even brutes like this guy are capable of harboring such feelings, huh? Nonetheless, I''m glad that Kawahara isn''t being a full bloomer about it though.

    He doesn''t seem to be that excited about it though. Kawahara just spoke those words in a monochrome tone as if it was an everyday thing.

    "Got it. I''ll tell the girls about it. This way, she''ll eventually notice it."

    "Ah, thank-- OI!"

    What? Why is he acting so surprised now?

    "What''s the matter? If I tell every girl about it, then it will work out perfectly, won''t it!?"

    Shit, he was getting up from the bed with a pissed-off expression.

    "Don''t fuck around, I will fucking kill you right here and now!"

    "Why though? I''m just doing the King a great favor! If your love interest notices this then I''m sure she will gladly accept you!"

    "Stop screwing around, damn it! I wouldn''t choose someone that simple!"

    And he took a hold of my uniform''s collar. He was serious about this. Well, so was I.

    "Oh, I see. But you know, isn''t it a waste!?"

    "What''s a waste!?"

    Damn it, it was getting hard to keep his physical force in check. If I had to say, from what I have observed thus far, Kawahara would be the one with the best physical ability.

    "It''s a waste not to tell her, King! If you don''t---"

    "Stop the damn act!"

    Oh, so he wasn''t delusional after all.

    "Alright then. I want to make a deal with you."

    "I don''t make deals. You either shut the fuck up or you die."

    "No, hear me out first. This deal, in my opinion, is v-very valuable to y-you... Damn it, can you let go, I won''t do anything, I swear!"

    "This better be good then. You will die right here and now if it isn''t."

    "Ah, okay. By the way, can I play Fifa too? There''s a second remote. I''ll tell you the deal while playing."

    "Sure. 1vs1 or no balls."

    "You''re on."

    Thus, I grabbed the second remote and turned it on.

    The bed seemed fluffy and warm, so I sat on it, right next to Kawahara who was now playing Fifa. For the record, he was playing a game that was different from Fifa just a while ago, but he kept on getting one-shoted because he was facing a side quest boss that was way above his level.

    No wonder he got one-shoted.

    It was also understandable as to why he switched to Fifa. But what Kawahara had no idea was that...

    "Manchester United? What''s wrong with City?"

    "I don''t even care about football that much. The symbol is just way cooler."

    "Guess my team is Manchester City then."

    The team didn''t really matter, I just wanted to get the match rolling.

    And no way in hell will I narrate the game. Because the outcome was decided from the start.

    "Speak."

    "The deal would be the following... I don''t tell anyone about this and you don''t tell anyone about that. But, there''s more to that. I would additionally like to have my belonging back. I don''t care about others'' belongings at all. I just want mine back."

    "Rejected. That deal is way too unbalanced. And besides, you gain more than I do, which equals my loss here, no matter how you look at it."

    "Hold on. I''m not done yet."

    "Oh?"

    Kawahara would have the upper edge here since, in actuality, his argument is correct. But that would only be the case if that was all there was to it.

    "I want my belonging back and your silence on it, but to do that, I will offer you the biggest deal a bro can ever offer you."

    "Wait, there''s such deal?"

    "There is."

    According to ancient times, it was never the first person who held the love interest for another person who made the decisive move and actions to make the love interest fall in love with him/her. No...

    People often forgot about the existence of a certain type of human creatures that rarely come to this Earth.

    Creatures so rare that true love has fallen off the crater of the Earth''s core.

    "I will help you out."

    "Yeah, I know you will. You''ll keep shut about it and never speak a word about it to anyone, or else you''re dead meat."

    Kawahara heavily misunderstood my words, it seems.

    "No, not that. I''ll help you out with your love life."

    "What? Explain."

    "You can take criticism, right?"

    "Of course I can."

    I bet he can''t.

    "Kawahara, to be blunt, your personality is so aggressive and impulsive that I don''t think anyone in our class, assuming you love a girl in our class--"

    "I do."

    "As I was saying, your personality is that, so there''s a massive problem."

    "Which is?"

    "No one likes you honestly. You''re basically like Giyuu."

    "Who the hell is Giyuu?"

    Ah, I see that Kawahara lives a sad life.

    "Whatever, what''s important to note here is that your personality is so shit that making someone fall in love with you is out of option."

    "Hey, it''s not my fault. Also, my personality isn''t shit."

    "No, it is shit. Christ, you just slapped someone today just because she went against your words. That''s the ultimate sign of immaturity. Whoever you are in love with won''t probably admire that. And yes, I''m aware that the majority of the girls, probably, deep down, have fucked up personalities, but the chances of you getting her to fall in love with you are evidently low."

    "She deserved it though. Akimiyashika was wrong. The exam''s set up is illogical. Or don''t tell me you actually agree with her on that?"

    "No, I agree with you there. It''s complete bullshit that you have to be paired up with someone who did the exact opposite of you."

    "Right!? I knew I wasn''t the only one who thought that it was illogical! It would''ve made way more sense if the exam was with people who are equally as strong as you are. Because then, not only would you have a sense of rivalry but you would actually look forward to the exam! But no! Fucking stupid blonde thot thinks that it''s reasonable to set up a stupid non-sensical exam like this!"

    As previously said, I agree with Kawahara''s whole point of view. I have nothing against Yulia but the exam will only be hard for me for one reason and one reason alone. And that reason is, of course, Yulia. There''s also the fact that she refused to meet up in person after class today.

    Though, one could argue that I took way too long. If only some retards knew where they belong in the first place...

    "You''re not seeing it from Yuka-sensei''s point of view though. She intends on making the physically stronger people help out the physically inferior ones. Remember, they intend to reform us."

    "I couldn''t give a fuck about her intention. It just pisses me off how illogical it is. I''m not doing the exam."

    I like how this conversation just changed from one point to another. Kawahara is quite random. Then again, the fact that I''m allowing the conversation to be random like this doesn''t make me exactly the superior person here. One could say I''m equally random.

    "Why not though? You do know that if you don''t pass the exam that you will have to do a supply exam... I know that you don''t care about the jail sentences and all that, but isn''t it a little bit unnecessary for you to just throw this opportunity out of the window like this...?"

    "No, it''s fine. I don''t care about these exams or anything like that. Also, there''s no way in hell that my partner will actually do shit in this exam. She''s equally screwed and I''m fine with that."

    Gale is a girl that loves to read and, also, she did the worst timing in the sprint test. Kawahara obviously had the best score, but Kawahara probably didn''t think this through at all. If Kawahara truly cared about this exam then he would''ve run slow instead of running fast.

    This way, he would be paired up with a girl that had the same speed as him. Needless to say, this would imply that Kawahara would''ve had to hold back. But that''s the problem.

    He doesn''t hold back. I''m not sure if he doesn''t know how to hold back or if he doesn''t care enough to do so.

    "That''s actually the main point."

    "Which is?"

    "If you keep on screwing up like this and just fail every exam, then how will you be with her?"

    "I''ve been thinking about that too. But, I''m pretty sure that it''s transient. I doubt that I''ll keep on feeling this way forever."

    "What if it''s not transient? What if you keep on feeling that way until the day you die? It''s possible you know."

    "Oh, I think I see where you are getting at. You''re basically saying that I should try hard and pass the exams just to be with her. But, that won''t work, sorry."

    "Why not though? Aren''t you in love with her? Isn''t it natural for you to want to stay with her?"

    "I''m not sure about whether or not it''s natural, but I know one thing for sure. I do have feelings for her. But, I won''t do a thing about it."

    "What?"

    I''m no expert when it comes to love, but aren''t his words contradicting?

    "How do I say this... I love her, but she''ll never know because I won''t tell her. Also, it''s just a feeling. It doesn''t go beyond that. Taking actions for this feeling that''s probably gonna fade away pretty soon isn''t worth it."

    Strangely enough, Kawahara was acting like a total doomer.

    Shit, is Kawahara secretly a doomer though?

    Nevertheless, his words are interesting. I certainly didn''t expect this much emotion from him.

    "So, you''re a pussy, basically?"

    "Oi. Don''t piss me while I''m playing. I''m focusing quite hard, you know?"

    "Yeah, I''m aware. But, you''re being a pussy about it. Sure, the chances of the one you love rejecting you are quite high, but not doing anything about it is equally, if not worse than that."

    "Why though? I''m only doing nothing because it''s not worth it. Also, she''ll definitely deny me. Hey, I think she hates now."

    To be honest, a lot of girls hate Kawahara, so I couldn''t tell what girl he was implying when he said those last words.

    "That can change. Hey, wouldn''t it be nice if she came to love you?"

    "I don''t know. What then?"

    "Maybe then you can find out if that feeling of yours is transient or not. Waiting for it to go away is pretty pathetic, don''t you think?"

    "That''s true. All I''m doing is waiting for it to be over. So, you''re saying that I should confirm whether she likes me or not?"

    "No... Not you at least..."

    "Huh? Then what? I don''t get where you''re going with this..."

    At last, all the points were established. I had to get them out of the way just so Kawahara actually understands his own situation. This was equally important to me as well. Because there was a need to strike a deal with him. As he previously said, the deal was far too inferior for him and superior to him.

    I''ll admit, I tried to sack him but it didn''t work. What can I say, I don''t exactly expect someone who acts out of impulse all the time to be this logical.

    But, now I know.

    "As I said previously, I''ll help you out. I will make her notice your feelings for you."

    "No way can you do that. You don''t even know who she is."

    "You could help me and tell who she is..."

    "Nope. No way. She''ll notice it immediately."

    "Fine, I''ll help you regardless."

    "What!? You''re not making any sense, dude. How can you help me if you don''t even know who I''m in love with!? It doesn''t make any sense..."

    "That''s where you''re wrong. Although I don''t know the exact person, the person you like is a girl in our class, right? Therefore, I only have to look into 12 people in our classroom. Plus, from your reactions, I will be able to tell who she is. No matter how you look at it, it will only be a matter of time."

    There''s absolutely no way in hell that I won''t be able to tell who he likes just by his reactions. That''s not how human feelings work, Kawahara.

    "Eh... So, um, you can actually help out in this scenario? No, no. What''s your plan, actually?"

    "I''ll wingman you. You''ve heard of the term, right?"

    "Yeah. A scenario where a secondary character makes two characters fall in love with each other, I think."

    "Uh, not exactly, but your idea isn''t totally wrong. Here''s what I will do. Once I find out who this girl is, I will make her fall in love with you. While at it, I will guide you with all my wisdom. In other words, I will make your upcoming love relationship bloom. So, what do you think? An undeniable deal, right?"

    "Let''s review the deal a bit. You want that back and you want my silence for it and nothing more, correct?"

    "Yes, that''s correct. That''s all I''m asking for it."

    Although, I massively implied that he should take the upcoming special exam seriously. Otherwise, he can kiss his sweet moments goodbye.

    Kinda like how Hyunda and Sagasuga influenced Rayazaki but this time around, there was no guarantee that he would take the exam seriously. After all, his complaints won''t simply disappear because of this...

    "And I get your silence on this and in addition, you said you would make her notice my feelings for her, right?"

    "Yeah sure. Hey, I''ll do even more. I''ll make her see you on a whole new light."

    "Is that even possible?"

    "I don''t even know honestly."

    Not gonna lie, it was looking a bit hopeless when it came to that.

    "But, if that''s all then there''s no deal."

    "Okay, but why though?"

    "The deal is even. We both equally profit from it."

    I''m glad Kawahara understands the equality in this deal.

    "But, that''s it. I don''t want an equal deal. I want a superior deal for me."

    Ah, you greedy motherfucker.

    "That''s why I thought and I will close the deal if you tell me the story behind that."

    Not only is he greedy, but he is playing dirty. However, I couldn''t let Kawahara being in the possession of that for long. As a matter of fact, I had to retrieve it immediately.

    "Basically, you''ll keep your silence about this, give that back, and I, in return, will keep my silence about your case, wingman you, while, ultimately, also telling you the story behind that. Is that it?"

    "Yes, it is. Also, I should mention. Conversation from this point on is useless. Fucker, why didn''t you tell me?"

    "What do you mean? I''ll also accept the deal you''ve made. Now give that back please."

    "Only if I beat you in a match!"

    Shit,I might never have it back then.

    "But, you''ll keep the deal if you win, right?"

    "Yeah, I''ll keep my word. But, you better take this seriously."

    "Of course, I will."

    I forgot to mention. I''m a pro at Fifa.

 Volume 4 - Chapter 26: What did you just say?

    "Crap... I didn''t sleep for shit..."

    Kawahara refused to be a reasonable person about the fact that he lost I don''t know how many games of Fifa and willingly made me stay up all night inside King George''s room while playing Fifa on Rayazaki''s PS4.

    Can I just mention that I had to lose on purpose just for him to give me my belonging?

    Of course, I couldn''t just lose on purpose... I had to make it look like I was in a pinch and then lost on purpose. Because, to Kawahara, that was a believable occurrence. Nevertheless, I wasn''t actually serious about it.

    As a result, I ended up going to bed at like 5 am. I could''ve just lost on purpose from the start but that would not have worked out. I got my belonging back and that''s what truly mattered.

    "Hey, what do we do about this?"

    Well, this was predictable. After Kawahara''s declaration of being the King of the dorm, there was no way in hell that he would do nothing.

    No dinner yesterday and no breakfast today.

    By the way, I was the one who asked that question to Hyunda, who was sitting next to me. Right now, we were pretending to have breakfast, but realistically, almost no one was here.

    I suppose I should explain how we normally get our breakfast. King George, at exactly 7 am, cooks an equal portion of food for everyone in this dorm to eat. Basically, he leaves each portion on the kitchen sink.

    And no, there was absolutely no way for us to steal other portions and that''s because King George would always remain vigilant about it. In other words, he was there.

    Now, that''s a different story. He isn''t here. King George said that we should cook for ourselves but the main problem was that there was absolutely nothing to cook with.

    That was a problem, hence my question to Hyunda.

    "Was I wrong about it? I really don''t think so..."

    "Are you listening to me?"

    "Yeah, yeah. But, it''s just... I''m ashamed to admit this but I didn''t think that this event could happen."

    "Just so we are clear, which event are you talking about?"

    "This one, of course. Why is Hinagiku being this nice to Rayazaki? She''s not showing any signs of pursuing him through the usage of manipulation from the looks of it. Rayazaki''s one thing, but Hinagiku? Did I expect way too much out of her? I thought that since Rayazaki is an individual with little to no intellect that he would be the perfect target to squeeze information out of, but Hinagiku and Rayazaki are just... normally in love with one another? What a huge disappointment."

    Ah, so that''s what he was talking about.

    Right, I should mention. As I walked to the cafeteria this morning and sat on my usual spot, Hyunda approached me and asked me how the progress was going.

    By ''progress'' he was referring to Hinagiku and Rayazaki''s conversation.

    For someone who refuses to take responsibility, he involves himself quite a lot. However, never directly.

    "I''ll insist on this again, but, are you not going to take action?"

    "That again? Do I really have to? I know you said that the situation, if not fine, then it''s best for us, but--"

    "Wait, that wasn''t correctly emphasized. What I meant by that was that you should not act on the premise of the quality of the situation."

    ...What?

    "Hold on, I don''t get that."

    "Are you stupid? Just reach out to Rayazaki already."

    "Meaning?"

    "Bro. I... Lol."

    He just said ''Lol'' out loud.

    Also, I can''t help but feel mocked whenever I speak to Hyunda. It''s as if he roasts every person he speaks with regardless of whether or not that''s his actual intention.

    "What? Is it another thing that''s easy to understand and that I''m somehow not understanding?"

    "You have no idea."

    "Then do it yourself. I don''t wanna do it."

    "Seriously though? You''re gonna be whiny about this for no reason? Aren''t you still pissed off about it?"

    "Pissed off about what?"

    "How the girls just one-sidedly won that argument. Do you not want revenge against them?"

    Hyunda was speaking some interesting words.

    "And you''re saying that I can get revenge on them by using Rayazaki?"

    "I didn''t say that. I was just sorting out your feelings about it."

    "Then what? Didn''t you imply that there was a connection between Rayazaki and a way to get revenge on the girls?"

    "There is if you think about it. But it''s not Rayazaki only. I''m saying that Rayazaki is an alternative here because he is, without a doubt, connected to one of the girls."

    "But you said ''only'', does this mean that there are other alternatives?"

    "The other alternative is the traitor. He is, without a doubt connected to the girls. I don''t need to explain to you why that''s the case, correct?"

    "Yeah."

    Although I and Hyunda didn''t know who the traitor was, we concluded that the girls could not have gotten the information they had without an outside source. By outside source, I mean how there was obviously someone who, from our dorm, was present in the previous events.

    For some goddamn reason, this fucker was deliberately handing out free information to those girls.

    Also, Hyunda wouldn''t stop cracking his fingers. He has been doing that for the last minute too.

    How the hell do you crack the same fingers you have cracked just a while ago?

    "Well, do you need any more clues?"

    "About what?"

    "Are you being dumb on purpose or is it natural? I can''t tell the difference."

    Oi. That hurts.

    Don''t verbally abuse your real-life anime protagonist powers on someone like me, damn it!

    "Just tell me already."

    "It''s obvious. Manipulate Rayazaki into getting information about the girls."

    Does Hyunda truly take me for someone who is dumb?

    I already knew that... That''s not really the problem though.

    "Okay, but how?"

    "What do you mean ''how?''? It doesn''t matter how it''s done, but don''t you think it''s a little too dumb to have such a huge opportunity to freely get your hands on some good information now that it is possible?"

    Of course, Hyunda''s words sound reasonable from a theoretical point of view.

    But...

    "You said ''now'', does this mean that it will expire?"

    "My initial thoughts about it were that Hinagiku would attempt something, but at this rate, she probably won''t. I''m not overruling the possibility of Hinagiku trying something in the future, but as we are speaking, they are in the middle of developing their romance. And that''s why I said ''now''. Because once this development is closed, whether it works or not, they will either grow closer or distant. Regardless, you will not be able to extract any information from both scenarios. Hence the time now is the ideal and perfect one for it."

    For the record, I''m trembling over the shivering cold that is being inflicted on this cafeteria atmosphere yet Hyunda is just standing right next to me like it doesn''t affect him.

    "Also... Rayazaki''s extremely easy to influence. And that''s because he holds Hinagiku in a very high position. Plus, his memories are gone, for whatever reason. Oh yeah, about that. What happened?"

    "I don''t know."

    No reason for me to tell him.

    "Well, it doesn''t matter. That''s all I had to say. Whether you actually use this chance or not is up to you. It also doesn''t matter how you do it, but as long as this virgin texting keeps rolling, you could strike a nice deal with Rayazaki. Because he''s shit at this. Look at these virgin messages..."

    "Dude, I know... I know..."

    I really do.

    It''s been bugging me. Not because he''s blooming, but because he''s shit at what he is doing.

    Whatever the case, Hyunda was ignoring something that was important right now.

    "Why are you acting like you aren''t bothered by the situation?"

    Returning my phone back to me, Hyunda yawns out loud before speaking. Hyunda was with my phone because he had asked me to check the messages between Hinagiku and Rayazaki.

    I''ve thought multiple times to intervene and just tell Rayazaki how to properly flirt, but that''s not my aim. Right now, I need to let Rayazaki feel like he can bloom.

    "What situation exactly? I thought you were referring to the virgin texting."

    "Dude, I''m talking about the fact that we didn''t eat breakfast. Aren''t you bothered by that?"

    It''s far more bothersome than that, actually.

    "I''ve got some money with me. I can eat something elsewhere. Kawahara''s rebellion is not a problem."

    "Lucky you. You have money. Did you get them from your parents when you left school at the beginning of the month?"

    "What are you talking about? None of us left at the beginning of the month. We were enduring slavery during that time, remember?"

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    "Oh yeah. How could I forget..."

    Maybe the experience was just that bad for me that I wanted to forget it as soon as possible.

    "But, if that''s the case, then how do you have money?"

    "It would be convenient to not have money around, right?"

    "Yeah, but how?"

    "Always carrying at least a few pocket changes is quite logical, after all."

    Ah, I see.

    He''s not telling me how he got it.

    "What? Are you poor or something?"

    "Yeah, I am poor right now."

    To be honest, I''m not someone who always has money around. I always waste it way too fast.

    "Need a penny to eat something? I don''t mind lending one to you if you''re truly hungry. I can understand someone else''s hunger. It''s never easy."

    "Hyunda... You..."

    Maybe he really does understand me.

    "You don''t have to say it. Just extend your hand, I''ll lend you something."

    I can''t believe this. This guy, who I perceived as a manipulator and cold-hearted is acting out of kindness for someone like me.

    Maybe I truly need to change my mind about him.

    "There. This should do it. Eat what you can with it. Don''t hold back. Ah, but only open your palm in ten seconds from now. I don''t want you to be shocked about the portion I just gave you. Also, the class is starting. I''ll be going on ahead!"

    Thus, Hyunda leaves while sprinting out of the cafeteria right into the hallway.

    Well, I was officially looking forward to today now.

    "Alright, ten seconds have passed, let''s see what I can do with it this--- Ah..."

    Why is there a mini penny in my palm?

    Hey, isn''t this the lowest of all economical values in terms of pennies?

    Why?

    "Hahaha..."

    Oh, I see.

    I bet you''re laughing right now, aren''t you, Hyunda!?

    Classroom, morning time.

    While I didn''t want to make it obvious, I was somewhat mad at Yulia for acting like such a little bitch. No, the wounds on my fists weren''t even the main source of my anger. It was just the simple fact that I needed her to cooperate in this yet she literally refused to do so yesterday.

    "Sensei, can you expel Kawahara?"

    "Ohh?! You''ve got a lot of balls to be saying that, Tsudo!"

    I hate to be the one who always takes the initiative first, but it must be done. I''ll talk to her. Nevertheless, I refused to look in Yulia''s direction. Plus, my facial expression wasn''t showing any signs of visible frustration, so that''s fine.

    "........I''m pretty sure that what you are doing isn''t allowed..."

    Also, my table partner was really curious about my fists for some reason. Sure, it would attract attention, but I figured since we are all criminals that it wouldn''t be such a weird thing.

    Regardless, I must say, what I did yesterday was pretty dangerous. I''m aware that verbal interaction is forbidden between students of class F and other classes yet I simply assumed that the only way for someone to get caught was through the cameras or just any witnesses in general.

    "I don''t care about your quarrel. I''m not your homeroom teacher anymore. Ask your homeroom teacher that instead. Also, shut the fuck up. One more unnecessary word from any of you and I will practice pin-point throws with sharp pencils on you."

    Without any vigilance cameras around, there was no way for me to get caught, which means that the only way for me to get into trouble was for those three retards to tell a higher force that I was the one who did it. But, I made sure to completely erase that possibility.

    Worst case scenario, if, for some odd reason, I am told on, I will follow the words I said to him religiously.

    Crap, I can''t remember his name. It was actually so awkward of a name.

    "Y-Yes! Sorry for the interruption!"

    Class was going normally. Basara-sensei was teaching us some subject that I could not afford to give a damn.

    As it stands, I have way too many things to consider.

    However, it was rare for Tsudo to be making a complaint. Then again, considering what happened, it was pretty normal.

    Today was February 21st.

    Only 4 days until the exam was left.

    P.E class, 2 hours later.

    "Sensei, I have a complaint to make!"

    "Not now, Tsudo. Later."

    "Okay! Later, then! You said it! Later!"

    Tsudo was acting like he was on his man period and man periods don''t even exist in the first place.

    Surely enough, his complaints about Kawahara would be reasonable, but I don''t think anyone has the balls to tell Yuka-sensei about Kawahara for one simple reason.

    Kawahara will most likely kill you.

    As a matter of fact, Kawahara was silently staring at Tsudo like a mad man.

    By the way, we were officially holding P.E classes every day until the exam.

    I''m thankful for that.

    "Aye aye! Well, I''m glad no one forgot to bring their P.E clothes! Otherwise, we would definitely have some problems!"

    Hey, why are you cracking your knuckles like that?

    It''s just P.E clothes.

    "Sensei, what will we be doing today? We even skipped the normal classes just to have P.E. Or will we have P.E classes every single day too? Please no..."

    And of course, Sana complains. Girls hate P.E, what else is new?

    "Not every day, but just until the special exam. Remember what I said earlier?"

    "Ah true... You said something like that... But what for?"

    "For partner practice, of course!"

    That much was obvious. If P.E classes are being held until the special exam then it comes with a reason behind it.

    "Therefore, I suggest you all team up with your partner and figure out a winning strategy for the upcoming special exam! I will not intervene, so you are all free to take independent action. P.E is over when it''s lunchtime. After lunch, we will resume P.E once again! How fun, isn''t it?! Back in my day, I used to always want to have P.E class all day! I couldn''t stand having lecture classes or anything like that!"

    Yeah okay, boomer.

    "Yes..."

    Why the massive sigh though?

    Oh right.

    The partners each of us had were contradictory.

    In the end, Yuka-sensei went to her office.

    We were officially alone. Also, something worth mentioning was that none of us took the immediate initiative to reach out to our partners.

    This is what happens once you put a bunch of sociopaths/psychopaths who have hidden personas together.

    Unfortunately for me, that sort of behavior would not benefit me at all.

    There was absolutely no reason for me to follow this trend.

    "Let''s talk."

    Well, shit.

    How awkward.

    I was the only one who broke the silence and no one else followed up. Previously, before reaching out to where Yulia was, my resolve was steadily firm yet now, it was wavering like a pendulum swing.

    No one, Yulia included was speaking a single word. They were just staring at me like I was a complete outcast.

    ...................

    "Hey, are you there...? Can you see me? No...?"

    I had to make sure that I wasn''t under some sort of supernatural invisibility spell or something.

    This silence could be the work of an enemy stand, of course.

    "Yeah. Yeah, I''m here... Hahaha..."

    Hey, don''t you dare look down when talking to me.

    Are you saying that the ground is more appealing!?

    Now, what do I do? It''s a very awkward moment for sure. Being surrounded by people who give you constant glances have a tendency to shaken someone''s mental core to the absolute maximum.

    But---

    "Let''s practice, shall we?"

    "Yeah..."

    She says ''Yeah...'' but she isn''t showing any signs of moving.

    I can''t tell if she''s doing this on purpose or not. She''s not the type of person to be antisocial or shy to this extent, I think.

    Yesterday''s Yulia was passionate about her words yet for some reason, she seems extremely negative now.

    Yulia''s psychological pattern would usually be beyond my caring, but not right now.

    Because I need her to perform well to actually win.

    Also, since she wasn''t showing any signs of moving, I had to do the obvious thing.

    "Come on, let''s go."

    "Y-Yes..."

    No need to make this even more awkward, Yulia.

    Why are you acting embarrassed? Just because I''m holding your hand?

    Oh please, like it''s your first time. I never understood why holding hands is considered a courageous act. Is it really that hard to take hold onto someone''s hand?

    Also, I wasn''t just randomly taking her away. I had a plan in mind. If you can even call it a plan that is...

    While the field was huge, I would need something that would be convenient for what I had in mind.

    As far as my knowledge about the areas that we could utilize for training goes, there is the field, the gymnasium and other areas such as the volleyball field, basketball field, and so on.

    Knowing such, I was holding on to Yulia''s hand while taking her to the gymnasium.

    But it seems that I wasn''t the only one who had the same idea.

    After all, the ones that were following us were...

    "Do you think we will do well...?"

    "Don''t talk to me."

    Rayazaki and Yukishiro.

    In my mind, this would not be such an odd combination because they both seem rude individuals at firsthand, but since Rayazaki lost his memory, he was affected by the white knight maneuvering.

    However, the most interesting part was how they even came into an agreement about this.

    If I recall correctly, Rayazaki ran fast as hell.

    Probably because he wanted to impress Hinagiku. Hinagiku must''ve run equally as fast, but that would obviously have contradicting results. If Rayazaki''s aim was to be together with Hinagiku then he should''ve just talked to Hinagiku and arranged things first.

    Let''s say that Hinagiku would purposely score terribly and that Rayazaki would score absurdly high. Then, chances are, they would be paired up together.

    But, more importantly...

    "Why did you act like that yesterday?"

    "What do you mean...?"

    Well, the gymnasium was like a block away. Furthermore, it was a public one, but from the looks of our surroundings, the majority of the students would be in class right now.

    "I just wanted to talk about the exam... Why go through such lengths? Why didn''t you just talk to me straight up?"

    I felt it was also meaningless to pursue her through messages so I didn''t text her any further.

    The unreasonable ''silent treatment'' seemed like the thing that would come into play in this scenario...

    "I''m disappointed. You didn''t find me."

    "That''s because you said that you went to your dorm..."

    "Yes, I know. But still, before that, you could''ve found me."

    What is this shit? Am I supposed to feel something here?

    "No, that doesn''t make any sense. Why should I have to find you to speak of such triviality?"

    "Are you mad?"

    No, not really.

    "I''m not. It was just a shame to waste a day like that."

    "But, it''s fine, isn''t it? We get to talk now."

    Not my point, damn it.

    But, whatever. No use crying over spilled milk.

    "That''s true."

    We had arrived at the gymnasium. I was avoiding looking behind because of Rayazaki and Yukishiro. Not because I had something against them but because I had literal zero interest.

    In addition to that, the gymnasium had a nice smell to it. It seems that it was cleaned recently. It was open since it was for public use.

    Yet...

    "Ahh.... Ahhh..."

    I had no idea that there was someone using the bodybuilding machines.

    Furthermore, what caught my attention was not the fact that a man was doing muscular exercises, but the fact that the man who was doing that was the very figure I mysteriously crossed yesterday in the rain.

    This time though, he didn''t have his glasses.

    Plus, I avoided crossing glances with him as well.

    I don''t know why but I wasn''t feeling exactly secure with a person like him present. Maybe I was unconsciously feeling insecure because I almost killed three people yesterday?

    "So... What are we going to... do...?"

    I''ll just be blunt from here on out.

    "Do you have any experience in physical activities?"

    "E-Eh... You mean...?"

    Oi, why are you blushing?

    I can''t believe you interpreted my question so wrongly!

    "Just so we''re clear, I''m talking about physical exercises..."

    "Oh... No, not really..."

    Though so. Well, it wasn''t that hard to figure it out.

    Nevertheless, there was a huge problem with this exam...

    How exactly was I going to make Yulia perform well in this exam?

    It''s at times like these that I wish I had some sort of moral motivation inside my soul, but all I wanted was for Yulia to somehow perform well. But, in just 4 days?

    Probably less, actually...

    Still, it''s pretty unrealistic.

    "I''m being a nuisance, aren''t I...?"

    "Yeah, you are."

    I wasn''t going to lie to her. Because, for starters, she needs to understand the gravity of the situation. Also, my mood dictated that I wasn''t going to sugarcoat her.

    Yet, it was already obvious that the weakest element would be the main source of problems.

    "Sorr-"

    "But that''s alright."

    "It is?"

    Somewhat. For now, it isn''t. But, accordingly, if progress can be made then Yulia won''t have to be a problematic source, in all likelihood.

    "By the way, did you understand what Yuka-sensei explained?"

    "I think so. So, according to what I understood, we need to split each task or just the tasks as a whole so we will get a 50% percentage, correct?"

    "Yeah, that''s it. So I was thinking... Since each task implies that, we should leave the bigger percentages to me. I''m no expert in Math, but it would be well if we simply went with the most basic strategy, which is for you to do 51% of the task, alright?"

    "But... I don''t think I''ll be able to do it..."

    That''s what I''m worried about, essentially. I''m fairly aware that Yulia will most likely just fail to do it.

    "That''s fine. I will complete the other half. Listen, we will most likely not be able to score the maximum but we will not fail the exam."

    "Oh, I see. But, can you do it?"

    "I should be able to. Still, you can''t score terribly. And that''s why we will need to work this out together."

    Let''s go over some simplicity, real quick. If Yulia doesn''t get at least 1% of the her performance then my 49% will not matter at all.

    Oh, I know. How unrealistic huh? I mean, Yulia should be able to score the minimal that''s asked, but, is it that simple though?

    Underestimating how bad someone can be at physical exercise is something that should not be done in the first place. Yulia probably has never practiced physical exercise in her whole life, so that''s saying something.

    I''m also not saying this because she is fat or anything like that. No. Surprisingly, she''s the exact opposite. She''s got a model figure, but that doesn''t mean much in this regard.

    "Also, why were you acting so shyly back then?"

    "Ahh, it was just... awkward. Everyone was making silence..."

    So you went along with it?

    By going along with it, you are just making the progression even worse, you know?

    "I see."

    He''s been looking in my direction for a while, but I really made sure to not cross any glances with him.

    Also, what the hell are you even doing here at this time? Is your schedule this free where you can just go to the gymnasium during your free time like this? Not only that, but shouldn''t you be in class?

    Meanwhile...

    "Please talk to me! Also, drop the phone! I really need to pass this exam!"

    "Blah, blah, don''t care."

    Rayazaki was in for something. He''s been trying to reach out to Yukishiro who does not leave her phone for one damn second.

    Tough luck, huh bloomer?

    "Since we are doing this together, do you, um..."

    Ultimately, from what I could tell, he was about to leave the gymnasium. Although I wasn''t looking directly at him, any human being only has access to 70% of the field of vision that their eyes grant them. Right at the end of the field of vision that my left eye transmitted, I saw a figure looking right at me for a while. Nonetheless, he had taken his leave.

    Why the hell can''t I shake this feeling off?

    "Would you like to t-train me.....?"

    "Yeah, sure thing."

    I''m not sure why I''m feeling like this. Perhaps I''m going over simple things and I''m not noticing something obvious but why would someone be in the middle of the rain, torrential rain at it, just like that? I''ll admit being a rain lover, but even that amount of rain makes me want to go home straight up.

    Back on the person at hand, Yulia had asked me to train her.

    I see. That''s perfectly understandable. After all, I am---

    Wait a second.

    "What did you just say?"

 Volume 4 - Chapter 27: Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice.

    "I said, would you like to train me...?"

    Surely, for a second there, I thought my ears were failing me after hearing such a surreal request but it appears not.

    "Please say that again."

    You can never be too sure. Maybe you were just hearing the wrong things at the right time.

    "Are you teasing me? Is this what this is about?"

    "No, please. I''ll train you. Don''t get mad at me."

    I might''ve pushed my luck a little bit too much here.

    Still, training? If I recall correctly, there were five components that we needed to incorporate ourselves in. The 5-kilometer run, the 50 squats, thirty push-ups, 50 sit-ups and lastly, the planks, which we had to do 5 minutes in total. It was fairly easy to recall this but what wouldn''t leave my mind was that I wasn''t the problem.

    If I was the problem then I could have worked myself up on this exam by indulging in the areas even further. Yet that''s not it. That''s not it, at all.

    I already knew from the start that no matter what I would say to her or how I ''trained'' Yulia, it wouldn''t make much of a difference. Simply because the time is far too short.

    This isn''t pessimism, this is me being realistic.

    "Where have I seen him...?"

    "Sorry, did you say something?"

    "That guy who got out of the gym just now. I think I saw him somewhere but I can''t really remember where... Weird..."

    Yulia''s questionable words aside, I had no interest in that guy. The coincidence of meeting someone in the rain sure caught me off guard, but there were more important issues at hand.

    "What was your score, Yulia?"

    "Rude. Don''t you know that asking that to a girl can lead to instant rejection?"

    I''m glad she''s joking about this.

    "I did 10,53 seconds. Pretty slow, right?"

    "Yeah, that''s pretty slow."

    "Can you be a little more considerative?"

    "What do you mean? I am being considerative. I''m asking you this because I need to analyze the situation, Yulia."

    Truth to be told, knowing her score is relevant here. In order to truly know where to start this, I need to know just how bad her score was.

    "You could be a little more kind though."

    I am being kind though.

    Am I not?

    "Can you run now?"

    "R-Right here...? There are people here you know..."

    "The only people around here are Rayazaki and Yukishiro. Furthermore, they are arguing. Well, no... Rayazaki''s trying to convince Yukishiro to cooperate but she''s not willing to. What''s the harm? They are not even paying attention."

    For some reason, I wondered why there weren''t more pairs inside the gymnasium, but to each their own. Additionally, I''m aware of just how chaotic this probably is for the rest.

    "Hey, I''m willing to cooperate but you have to show a little compassion, okay? Otherwise, I won''t do it."

    "What are you talking about? What does compassion have to do with anything? We just have to score a redeemable score. Compassion or not, it doesn''t make a difference."

    "No... Compassion is important. Since this is an exam that revolves around teamwork, shouldn''t we develop our interaction?"

    "Aren''t we fine as we are though? We already talked and we know each other a bit well."

    "Alright, sure. But, we barely know each other. Don''t you think that if we knew each other even better than we could develop and perform greatly in this exam?"

    I''m not sure if Yulia realizes that what she is saying is completely irrelevant to the exam. The exam asks you to perform physical exercises, not to show how interactive you can be with your partner. My strategy essentially will imply that I will have to perform the most but even then, what''s the use for all of what Yulia''s saying?

    "I get your point, but that''s way too sentimental. You should have a more logical approach in this."

    "I know it''s sentimental, but it''s the way I am. I won''t cooperate unless you show a reasonable degree of compassion!"

    It''s hard to view this as a romantic development. Yulia''s simply demanding a reasonable emotional treatment, which according to her, involves being showered with compassion. I also understand that I''m not exactly the kindest of all people but am I incorrect here?

    My approach is not incorrect, but Yulia doesn''t think that my approach is correct.

    "Then, what should I do? Will kind words motivate you?"

    "Maybe, that''s a start. For starters, asking a girl to just run like that is unreasonable. I have free will too. You didn''t consider that, did you?"

    Again, so emotional. I just want us to score greatly.

    Yet she will never understand my true approach.

    "I don''t get you. When have I not considered your free will?"

    "You told me to run, but aren''t you implying that I have to do all the work? Why don''t you help me out too?"

    But I just wanted to analyze the flaws in your running stance and how to possibly correct them...

    Sincerely, wasn''t it obvious that that was my approach?

    Must I explain every single thing to her?

    "So you want to run against me? Is that what you are saying?"

    "I can''t run against you..."

    "Then, what are you saying? Be explicit, please."

    "You have to show me how I should perform so I can learn from you. That''s what I had in mind when I said ''train me.''."

    "You could have just told me that from the start."

    "Stop being so rude. It''s not easy to say some words..."

    Why not though? What Yulia said was something I could not comprehend.

    Isn''t speaking your mind the logical thing to do when you have something to say or something that needs to be immediately addressed?

    I''m confused...

    "I get it. My bad."

    Arguing here with Yulia could take all day. Unfortunately, I hate to lose in arguments, but I hate to waste time unnecessarily even more.

    Being kind towards her might produce a nice result. However, truly speaking, I''m not too certain if I''m competent in that emotional regard.

    "I''ll use this running machine. Watch me, then."

    "Alright..."

    Before getting on top of the running mat, I glanced at Rayazaki, who coincidentally looked at me with angry eyes.

    My current relationship with Rayazaki wasn''t good because I broke his phone. Nevertheless, my relationship with Rayazaki was never good. Not before he lost his memories nor after. Therefore, talking to him was meaningless.

    For now.

    "Pay attention to my stance. While the initial speed won''t be fast, once the speed velocity contrasts to the initial one, you will notice how my original stance will change. It''s important to prioritize your stance when running because it''s a huge factor that could decide the outcome."

    Regardless of the outcome, what truly mattered when forming a stance was how explosive your start would be. As the run progresses, to dictate the impulse of your movements, stances will need to be traded. Essentially, there will be a time in the middle of the process where you will need to discard your original stance for a far greater one.

    A stance that can collect all the possible impulse your body gathers to create an explosive dash and a formidable speed.

    Although, there was no way in hell that I would bother to tell Yulia all of this. Yulia cannot comprehend something she isn''t capable of understanding in the first place. To understand, there is a necessity to create a certain foundation to further extend your train thought capacity.

    "Should I note that down?"

    Somehow she brought her mini-notebook and a pen. For a second, I thought that her suggestion wasn''t so bad but it was completely unnecessary.

    "No... But remember my words, alright? That''s what matters."

    "Got it."

    After delivering my final words, I pushed the starting button.

    Naturally, I attracted the attention of Rayazaki and somehow, Yukishiro''s. Simply because the machine was making noises.

    I couldn''t hear Rayazaki make his loud complaints, which means that he either completely gave up or...

    He''s watching me.

    Though, I couldn''t care.

    The speed was still quite slow, therefore I didn''t need to adjust my current stance. My stance, right now, was firmly basic. There was nothing outstanding about it.

    "When running, don''t forget to inhale. A lot of people forget about that and that costs them a great deal of effort later on..."

    It''s true. One of the most common mistakes amateurs make is to solely consume air through their mouths instead of taking large inhaling breaths first and then exhale. There''s a certain reason as to why the majority forgets this, and that''s because they are too busy focusing on the run.

    That is wrong. Breathing is far too essential.

    "You can talk while running!?"

    Why wouldn''t I?

    "For now, yes. Once the speed goes up then it will be hard for me to do so."

    "Ohhh. Anything else I should know?"

    "Yes. Use your arms, they create a necessary vacuum which will generate impulse in your stride. Not only in your initial stride, but in any stride."

    Maybe to a normal person, talking right now would be out of the question. After all, the pacing was getting somewhat fast. Yet to me, it was only normal.

    Besides, I had no intention of displaying my true abilities. All that I wanted to demonstrate was how to correctly run. It doesn''t matter if I show her how fast I am because she will never be as fast as me.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    I''m not throwing a flex, I''m just appealing to the fact that there is no necessity to go on an all-out performance for absolutely no reason. What needs to be transmitted here is the correct way and nothing else.

    "Also, use your hips. You see how I''m moving them from right to left constantly? Don''t stop this movement."

    "I see..."

    This should be basic to understand. In other words, there is no need to go into this anymore. If anyone can grasp these basics then, with proper training, anyone can become considerably and decently fast.

    Of course, you''d need to do a whole lot more, but again, that''s not the point.

    "I''m stopping the machine now. Did you get what I said?"

    "Eh? You''re not gonna run anymore...?"

    "I don''t have to. I just wanted to show you a proper running stance mid-stride and how to execute a stance pre-stride."

    Honestly, I was somewhat reluctant about this. Because if Yulia had not understood what I just had said, then I would be in trouble.

    But that''s something I immediately realized.

    That I could not put myself in a situation where I would be in trouble. Therefore...

    "Do you want to try and run now? You don''t have to if you don''t want to, though."

    This time, instead of being imperative about my demands I threw a suggestion with a proposition. Yulia didn''t have to do this if she wanted to.

    I''m aware that Yulia might be an individual where, the better you emotionally know her, the better the outcome, but I really, really, couldn''t give a fuck.

    Although I can pretend to give a fuck.

    "Yeah... Yeah, I think I''ll go at it. But, don''t expect much, okay?"

    "Alright, sure. Take it easy. Remember, this is training. Making mistakes is a fine thing."

    "Thanks..."

    Maybe this is working out. Are people seriously this fragile when words of kindness that have no shred of genuineness in them are given to them just like that?

    Also, even though I didn''t notice, I took a seat right where she was previously seating.

    Now, the truly important part would begin.

    I''m not a fool. There''s no way in hell that I would purposely bother myself with all these serious details without a clear reason behind it.

    "...Do you have to look...?"

    "I do. It''s completely necessary. It''s for the purpose of checking your stance. I''m worried about you."

    "I-I see..."

    I am truly glad you misunderstood my real intention, Yulia.

    In addition to that, I am supremely glad that you bothered to bring extremely thin gym clothes. I expected nothing less from an attractive person like you, Yulia.

    It can''t be helped, alright?

    This is, in theory, for the sake of correcting her stance''s flaws.

    Also, why are red leggins so alluring? What''s the reasoning behind that?

    Can someone explain to me, please?

    "So... I-Is there anything wrong so far....? Ahhh..... Ahhh.... I''ve b-been doing.... Ahhh... What you prev-viously had said... Ahhh..."

    Aside from the fact that I''m burning my eyes on her leggins and thigs, she was struggling. While I wanted to enjoy the scenario a bit more, I had to take into consideration her physical condition.

    It''s not easy to talk while you are running. It creates a conflict with your breathing rhythm which is something that not a lot of people can consistently do well.

    "You''re doing fine. You can quit whenever you want. Remember to move your hips though, you aren''t moving your hips enough."

    "E-Ehh...? Okay."

    She was moving them considerably, but of course, that wasn''t the true intent here.

    Also, I could feel Yukishiro''s glare coming straight at me.

    What the fuck do you want bitch?

    Go back to your phone, thot.

    But still, just how is it possible to possess such a powerful arsenal? I''m pretty sure that Yulia could destroy models if she wanted to. While her emotional side is somewhat annoying, if we take that aside, then there''s barely anything to complain about.

    Oh right, I said barely, right?

    Scratch that, because there isn''t a single thing to complain about.

    For the very first time in my life, I earned the feeling and desire to not take my eyes off this heavenly scenario.

    I had to keep a straight face though in order to make sure that Yulia thinks that I am serious about this.

    Yulia would also look in my direction constantly. She''s probably suspecting that I am up to something.

    "Why aren''t you s-saying... Ahhh.... anything...? Ahhh..."

    Did I mention how misleading her words can be sometimes if not all the time?

    "I''m analyzing something."

    "Oh yeah...? Ahhh.... What? Ahh..."

    What would her reaction be if I told her: "Hey, I''m actually firmly staring at your beautiful ass, I hope you don''t mind."?

    There are other alternatives such as: "Your whole body is making me thirsty." "Why is it that every time I look at you I feel something rising?"

    Okay, definitely not the last one. Regardless, I had to answer her in a way that she would accept.

    Also, in a way where I wouldn''t upset her mood.

    "Your breathing. I understand that you have little practice in this but I feel like there''s something wrong in the way you breathe. It''s not your average breath."

    To be more precise, she would constantly whizz or just simply take short breaths. I remember telling her to take long and deep inhales but, to my understanding, she didn''t fail to understand that. Which means that there was something else.

    "You have asthma, don''t you?"

    Yulia was done running if you can even call it that and came to meet me up.

    "Don''t tell this to anyone please..."

    "I won''t. But you should''ve told me sooner. If I had known beforehand then I wouldn''t make you do all of this. I''m sorry."

    "It''s fine... I can run, just not like everyone else..."

    Maybe I truly was at fault here. Perhaps Yulia was being defensive because she didn''t want me to be aware of the fact that she has asthma. I suppose it can be embarrassing to a certain degree to reveal your weakness like that.

    If Yulia was a girl that simply wanted to receive praise or something like that then she probably would have told me from the start.

    Well, she still is kinda like that, though.

    "Don''t stress too much. As long as you can perform your limit, then that''s fine. You don''t have to go beyond that because if you do, then your asthma will be triggered, right?"

    "Yes... Unfortunately, I have it since little. There''s nothing I can do here. You''re really unlucky to have a partner like me, you know?"

    "Aren''t we pretty good though? I mean, just look at that. It''s been a one-sided argument and she has no intention of obeying him."

    "Trueeee. Maybe I wasn''t unlucky, after all."

    "What do you mean? How can you be unlucky? We will win, you know?"

    "Aye aye, I trust your ability, since you seem to know your stuff. I just thought that you would not show any compassion."

    Still about that huh? Frankly, I was trying quite hard to keep up this fake attitude just to please her mood.

    It was important that I did so.

    Maybe it wouldn''t hurt to understand her better since it might prove to be essential to the exam.

    "Do you want to talk?"

    "Hahaha, aren''t we already talking though?"

    Well, Yulia was right. But she was a bit off the mark here.

    "Not that. Personal talk. You reasoned that we should get to know each other better for the sake of making our synergy better, right? Then maybe you are correct. Maybe we do need to understand each other better."

    "What happened...? Why the sudden change of heart?"

    "It''s just... It won''t matter if we physically practice any of the exercises. You can''t just suddenly improve in this short time-span, right?"

    "Yeah... But that doesn''t mean I can''t try."

    "There''s no point though..."

    "Seriously? You''re being rude to me, again?!"

    "No, listen to me. I''m just saying that instead of working towards the physical activities that maybe we should focus on something we can equally achieve."

    "But didn''t you say what mattered was that we scored a redeemable score? I''m not saying I agree with what you said but I can''t understand what made you change your approach here..."

    "Do you not understand? Take a look at Yukishiro and Rayazaki. Rayazaki is fairly physically competent but if Yukishiro doesn''t comply then what''s the point?"

    "If that''s the case, then, won''t they fail?"

    I had to say this a bit low in order for them not to hear me. Nevertheless, Yulia''s apple perfume was penetrating straight through my nostrils in a rapid way.

    Can''t say I don''t enjoy it.

    "What determines whether or not they fail is if they are able to agree with each other. If they can, then they will be able to reach a consensus and then they can aim towards a progressive goal. In that sense, we could easily crumble too."

    "Are you saying that there''s a chance that we might just break up?"

    Wrong words, but I''m sure she didn''t mean them in that way.

    "If by breaking up you mean, as partners, then yes. You demand things that I have difficulty in giving. I can''t demand anything from you because you are incapable of giving them to me."

    "Well, I''m so sorry Mist-"

    "But that''s fine. I don''t need anything from you."

    "What''s that supposed to mean?!"

    "Let me know you. That''s what I want to say."

    The fact that I said that in a deep tone made her eyes widen for a split second there.

    "As you can see, there''s this barrier between the students in our class. We can''t truly interact because we are hiding something..."

    "Are you talking about everyone''s crimes?"

    Yulia caught on quickly. I''m grateful.

    "Our argument earlier told me something. I think you were on the defensive side because you didn''t want me to find out about the fact that you have asthma. From the way I was talking to you, you interpreted my request as unreasonable. Yet wasn''t that because you were trying to hide it?"

    "You were still rude about it. It doesn''t matter if I have asthma or not, I can''t tolerate your thoughtless words sometimes."

    Now I''m thoughtless? Here was I, thinking that I often put a load of thinking before committing, but according to her, I''m thoughtless.

    That''s kinda funny.

    "Whatever. My point is, that caused an argument to rise. If I had known beforehand then it most likely wouldn''t lead to it. But, isn''t that what''s constantly happening? Aren''t arguments caused because both parties lack certain knowledge?"

    "Yes, arguments are caused by many reasons. One of them is misunderstandings. Which was what happened..."

    "Then, let''s just not argue anymore."

    "What...? That''s impossible. We don''t know that much about each other..."

    "Yulia, in this school, you are by far, the girl I''ve talked the most with. I want to take this chance to make things clear."

    "O-Oh yeah...?"

    "I reasoned that arguments are often witnessed due to misunderstandings, right? Therefore, let''s actually get to know each other. We are both criminals and thus, there is only one way for us to reach a level of interaction where we can be truthful to each other."

    Not known to many, the biggest secrets bring out the best elements out of someone. But, never for once, will the person who is holding that secret, think that way.

    It''s contradictory for them to think like this, according to their beliefs.

    "Are you going to tell me what you have done, at last!?"

    So that''s what she was thinking.

    But...

    "I can''t. I don''t recall the event, remember?"

    "Then, what? You''re not expecting me to tell you what I did, right?"

    "No, I''m not. I can''t even trade information for information. Asking for a piece of information without giving something of equal value in return is quite unreasonable."

    "I''m glad you understand..."

    "But as I said, it''s not about the crime. What I want to know is your mind."

    "What do you mean by ''your mind''?"

    "It''s simple. You have another mindset that completely contrasts the one you are currently demonstrating to me, right? Let me see your true self, for once."

    "Haaa... I don''t think I can do that. I don''t trust you. You might be a manipulator and maybe you just want to know something about me to feed on my emotions. Don''t joke around. I''m not dumb. I won''t fall for a simple trick like that."

    By confirming that you are aware of a possible manipulation occurring, you are already confirming your insecurities to me though. However, I''m assuming that Yulia just isn''t aware of that just yet. Regardless of whether or not she realizes, Yulia is a smart girl though.

    "What if I show you a bit of mine though?"

    "...What? No way you would do that, right?"

    Perhaps I could put on a little performance for Yulia.

    "Why not though? Ah, of course, I will only show you if you do the same."

    "You''re bluffing. Think about it, we both gain nothing here... You''ll probably put on an ac-"

    "I''ll be serious about it. I swear."

    I closed our distance and looked closely into her eyes. Simply because Yulia had to realize how serious my resolution was.

    "W-Why...?"

    "I''ve already said it. We need to know each other better. Chit-chat won''t do. It won''t allow us to grow truly closer."

    "I see... So you think that if we reveal our true mindsets then we will grow closer?"

    "Yeah. Easy, right? Quite simple, actually. However, it''s just a bit."

    Only revealing a bit would be the correct choice here. Because there''s no way in hell that Yulia would compromise if we had to bet everything at stake here.

    "...Alright. But, how do we do this...?"

    "I''ll reveal an action that I have done that can only be done once I have my true mindset. After that, you do the same. Do you understand?"

    "Yeah, it''s pretty easy to understand... But will you really do i-"

    "Haven''t you wondered why there are a small fraction of my bones sticking out from my fists?"

    "Huh? I--"

    "Yesterday, I beat up three guys. They are average students, I think. But, the thing is, I beat them quite hard. I''m not sure if they are even alive in the first place. The reason for the whole event is stupid so I won''t mention but I might''ve committed murder yesterday. There is a chance that they are dead, but I believe that they are still alive. I told one of them that if they retaliate that I would kill their families..."

    I wasn''t looking at Yulia while saying this but I looked at the ground coldly. All of it, in order to create an atmosphere where Yulia could tell that I wasn''t lying.

    Nevertheless, Yulia could still suspect my actions being a lie.

    "Why would you... Don''t you know what happens once you are caught talking to other students from other classes!?"

    "I won''t get caught. I talked to them in a place where there are no cameras. I''m safe."

    "There''s such place...?"

    "Yeah. Coincidentally, I pretended to be dragged into it by them. Hahaha, I bet they didn''t see that one coming."

    "So that''s an action you would do with your true mindset?"

    "Yeah... I would resort to killing and out of spite, I would kill further people just to make sure that certain lives experience hell. What do you think? Pretty simple, right...?"

    Honestly, killing isn''t anything too special.

    It''s only horrifying and excruciatingly hard to do it in your first time, but aside from that, there''s nothing much to it.

    "...Are you serious...? Right now, am I talking to a killer...?"

    "Are you scared? I could kill you, if that''s what you are thinking."

    "Will you...?"

    "No. Why would I do that in the first place?"

    "I was just making sure since you don''t seem to be lying about it."

    Now...

    "I told you mine. Tell me yours, Yulia."

    ".......This is for the sake of making us grow closer as partners, right?"

    "Yes. You''ll be surprised how much we can develop our interaction just by unraveling this glimpse of truth."

    "Can you promise not to tell anyone ever? If you break your promise, then I won''t forgive you. I''m not nice when I don''t forgive."

    Yulia was serious about this, it seems.

    "I''ll promise if you don''t tell anyone either. I''m not nice in general, so don''t exp-"

    "Of course, I won''t betray our conversation. I just hate liars, okay?"

    So you hate the whole human race?

    "I promise. You have my word."

    "I see! Then... Give me your ear. I can''t let the other possibly hear this..."

    "Alright..."

    It seems that the climax was set. My expectations weren''t too high. Yulia probably didn''t do anything too massive.

    Furthermore, this wasn''t about her crime, but an action that she did with her true mindset.

    Once again, my nostrils were filled with a nice scent. This distance was enough to make a man shiver from excitement. Needless to say, it was hard to contain myself.

    "I have made someone commit suicide."

    "I see. But, was that your crime?"

    "No, no. It''s just something that I have, well-- I didn''t do it. But I''m technically involved..."

    "What are you saying?"

    "I''ve made someone suicide, but that someone will never know that I was the root of all the problems that led to suicide in the first place."

    She did say something similar earlier... How she didn''t do the crime. Perhaps the methodology is linked here.

    "Was it just someone though?"

    "Nanana. That''s way too much for you to know. We only agreed on revealing one action."

    "I got curious, I guess."

    "Haha... That''s perfectly natural. So, what can we conclude from this, now that we have revealed the actions of our true mindsets?"

    Well, that''s obvious.

    "Let''s talk about them. Because then, we are discussing something truthful, aren''t we?"

    "Are you addicted to killing or something?"

    "Well, are you addicted to making people suicide without them knowing you were the root of it?"

    We had asked each other too very immoral questions.

    By the way, it was lunchtime. Rayazaki and Yukishiro had already left but since they had achieved nothing, this was basically a waste of time for them.

    A fruitless endeavor.

    I think we both realized it was lunchtime but the conversation was starting to seem interesting.

    Students could be seen from outside the windows walking and talking to each other like it was an everyday thing.

    But, Yulia and I, kept talking without a care in a world.

 Volume 4 - Chapter 28: Spite.

    February 22th.

    I think I stayed way too late chatting with Yulia last night...

    "I can''t stand for this! No one is actually doing jack-shit about this! Aren''t you all pissed off about it too?"

    Midst the cafeteria, a young brave man stood on top of the steel tables. Carrying his usual golden pendant around his neck, Tsudo shouted in direction of all of us. By all of us, I mean the people who even bothered to show up in this cold cafeteria.

    "Shut up already. You know he''s in for some shit once he returns..."

    While Tatsu was correct, it still didn''t deny the fact that there was no one doing anything about Kawahara''s rampage.

    It had been the second day ever since Kawahara had taken a hold of all the food from the kitchen.

    Now, what was I doing here?

    Certainly, there would be no point in being here.

    No food to eat. The freezing chilly air that consumed this atmosphere in the middle of the winter would make anyone want to crawl right back to their comfy beds right away...

    Therefore, what for...?

    "Will this really work though...?"

    I had decided to ignore Tsudo''s verbal rampage and marched forward to a certain location. Coincidentally, that location just so happened to be in the cafeteria.

    The cafeteria is fairly simple, there''s nothing remotely remarking about it. I almost confuse it for a relaxing lair more than anything since it''s obnoxiously dead in terms of vividness...

    There were 10 tables overall and almost every single one of them was not occupied. Right now, the only ones who stood in this cold room were Tsudo, Tatsu, Ryoken, I, and...

    "Hey, man..."

    Located in the furthest table down south, stood aloof Rayazaki, who was already in his uniform. Usually, we only dress up when we have to leave for classes, but for some reason, Rayazaki was already in his green uniform.

    The ever standard green blazer followed up with a red tie. Noticeably, a set of green pants were accompanied with it.

    As for me, I simply had my blue pajamas. Because there was no reason to embrace this cold in such a cruel manner.

    "....What!?"

    Oops. It appears that I''ve startled Rayazaki from the looks of it. It''s fairly common. His reaction, that is. His fingers are constantly shaking due to the fact that he is texting in this pure cold.

    That has to be hard.

    "Don''t be so hostile. I just want to talk..."

    "I don''t believe you. Stay the hell away from my phone or I will report you!"

    Maybe there was a rule about this yet I didn''t bother to care. There was another chair right next to Rayazaki''s seat, but he had the expression of a scared cat who would run away the moment you would approach him.

    "Who''re you texting?"

    "How is that any of your business...?"

    Come on, Rayazaki, don''t be so dumb. Who would bother to text someone on this broad light shivering atmosphere right at this moment... There was also nothing appealing about this cafeteria. It was just your usual blue colored room with the purpose of sitting down.

    Usually, when sitting down you''d have at least something to eat or drink, but there was absolutely no sight of that coming from any of us here.

    Regardless, Rayazaki posed a good question. How was that any of my business?

    "It''s not. But you''re shaking man. Why not go back to your room? What''s the point of being here?"

    "Since when are my actions of your concern..."

    Ah, yes. Rayazaki was blocking the screen of his phone so I couldn''t possibly see what he was doing. Rayazaki was facing the opposite direction of me, who was still standing.

    In other words, he had his entire back against me.

    "When are you gonna pay me back, by the way?"

    "What do you mean, Rayazaki?"

    I had already taken a seat on the dual table alongside him on his left, but he wasn''t bothered by my presence anymore. Projecting any sort of hostility was out of the question.

    This cold wasn''t a joke. Just by checking my phone, there were 7-celsius degrees... It''s impressive how someone can stand here...

    Especially for someone like Tsudo, who is still somehow trying to make his point to the audience...

    "I haven''t forgotten, you bastard! You and your schemes, your misconceptions, you should be damn ashamed of being this wrong about something and not showing any remorse for it!"

    "Oh, you''re talking about that? Just relax, man. You''ve got a new phone now, don''t you?"

    "Yes... Hyunda borrowed me. Hyunda''s a good guy. But you, are the worst... Stop approaching me please..."

    Hyunda? A good person?

    Since when?

    I guess that''s normal in this scenario. Rayazaki has no idea what Hyunda has in mind, so, someone like Hyunda who offered him a phone might seem like a savior.

    Hyunda is probably Rayazaki''s Messiah, right now. Without Hyunda''s existence, the bridge between Rayazaki and Hinagiku would grow shorter and shorter yet thanks to Hyunda, it''s only growing larger. In a good way.

    "Look, I''m sorry about it. Isn''t there any possible way that I can make up for it?"

    "Are you deaf? Retarded? Autist? Did I not mention how to make up for it already? Just pay me back!"

    "I can''t do that. Paying you back is without a doubt impossible right now..."

    It''s true. It sucks to admit, but I''m financially inferior to almost anyone here. If it weren''t for Yulia who paid me yesterday''s lunch, I would be starving by now.

    What a kind person she is.

    This isn''t to say that I''m not feeling hungry right now though.

    "So...?"

    "So, let me make up for it in a way that I can. Not in a way that I can not. Get it?"

    "What are you talking about, dude? I just want my phone back or at least money equivalent to the phone you broke. I don''t want anything else... You''re lucky I''m a kind person and that I''m willing to let that one slide."

    Wow, look at you.

    Such a nice person, so full of morals.

    A person breaks your phone and what do you do?

    Oh well, better forgive that person.

    "I''m grateful for your kindness. But I just can''t shake this guilty feeling off my consciousness. There must be a way that I can make up to you, in a convenient and more plausible way. In a way that not even money will come close to it..."

    Rayazaki''s expression stiffened quickly. He wasn''t bothering to hide his phone screen anymore. My words had captured his attention like a child who had discovered the first toy ever. Truly a wonderous expression.

    "I can''t understand what you are talking about, dude..."

    "For now, you don''t. But, think about it. There might just be something."

    "Huh? What?"

    I then left the cafeteria. It was necessary to leave Rayazaki in a state of confusion.

    What is unbeknownst to Rayazaki is that, in a state of confusion, he will be forced to think about those confusing words until he forms a concrete and solid conclusion about the meaning of them.

    Furthermore, I wasn''t going to bother with anything else. What had to be started was already in motion.

    While almost leaving the cafeteria, before doing so, I cast a short glance at Ryoken, who was admiring Tsudo''s justice speech somehow admirably.

    Plus, it was fucking cold as hell. No fucking way am I staying in this cafeteria any longer.

    9.am. Block F. Main classroom.

    Who would''ve thought? Even in this somewhat decently structured classroom, a plag of cold was storming inside it. For instance, I thought of complaining due to how unacceptable this is, but I was quickly remembered that this classroom doesn''t have an air conditioner.

    No heater also.

    In addition to that, every single chair in this classroom was made of sheer steel. Steel so cold that even through uniform clothes, they were emitting permanent cold through my skin.

    I guess I have myself to blame over the fact that I don''t have any warmer clothes. My table partner, for example, seems pretty comfy. She has a black scarf which contrasts her stunning pink hair.

    Even her blue collants came out astonishing. Of course, since the males'' uniform had the colors of green and red to it, so did the girls''.

    Instead of pants, they had a flowering appealing average size green skirt which was followed with a green blazer.

    Although one could argue that the red tie did not suit them, I would say it''s exactly the opposite.

    Nevertheless, my point was that she was fully dressed up to be warmer than I am, which caused me to be slightly jealous because I was trembling in this abysmal cold.

    "Sensei, hear me out today and now, please!"

    "Ohh... But I was going to ask everyone to get ready for the P.E class..."

    P.E class, you fucking monster?

    Do you not have dignity in your soul!? What in the fuck is going through your head for you to think that it''s an extremely healthy thing to exercise in the middle of this colossal cold?!

    "I need to complain now that everyone is here! It needs to be said!"

    Alas, the only one who was in high spirits for a negative reason, was Tsudo. Yes, yesterday, Tsudo did not get his complaint out for one simple reason.

    Yuka-sensei just ignored him for the rest of the day.

    "Um... I''ll give you 5 minutes. Any more than that and it''s a no-go. Okay?"

    "Sensei, he''s probably going to say something stupid. We are wasting time here..."

    Arkalee wasn''t off the mark by assuming that whatever Tsudo had in store for us to hear would be stupid. Rude, still. Also, it was rare to see Arkalee talk in the first place. Arkalee, under my impression, was just this introverted who had adorable twin-tails.

    Just what is it about twin-tails? I love it so much yet I can''t grasp the reason for my adoration.

    "It''s not stupid, I swear! Don''t you dare use your feminine bias towards me!"

    "I wasn''t doing that, jerk..."

    Instead of impulsively retaliating at Tsudo, Arkalee just says those passive words.

    "So?"

    Impressively enough, Yuka-sensei was taking off her jacket to the point where she only had a white shirt visible along with her teacher uniform. Her slender tighs would make any virgin quake, but that''s another story.

    Nevertheless, she was impatient already. Surely enough, Tsudo had to speak up.

    "Our dorm advisor left for a week and hasn''t shown any signs of returning before that. How is that admissable?! Aren''t dorm advisors supposed to be there to administer order and law for the sake of a better environment!?"

    "Hm... Why didn''t you say this sooner, Tsudo?"

    "I wanted to, but you didn''t grant me permission yesterday!"

    "I see. Go on."

    "His absence allowed chaos to make its entrance to the dorm and it''s barely anything you''d consider secure! For example, Kawahara has stolen all the food from the kitchen! Now, before you all assume something unnecessary, I brought along some crucial and real evidence!"

    In order to compensate for his strong words, Tsudo immediately reached out from his own right pocket and brought up a piece of paper along with it.

    If that''s what I think it is, then that''s a good start for his own argument.

    "Read this, please."

    Tsudo''s woody classroom table was right in front of Yuka-sensei''s desk which contrasted my classroom table when it comes to that distance. Therefore, all Tsudo had to do was to reach out for Yuka-sensei for her to grab that piece of paper and start reading it.

    "Let''s see... It says... E-Erm, pardon me... ''Your King here. The one and only. I''ll be out for a whole week....! If any of you f-fuckers fuck anything up while I''m gone you''re all dead......!! P.S: If you want to eat, then make your fucking own food......!!'' or so it says..."

    Yuka-sensei was showing visible embarrassment for having to read all that profanity out loud.

    Please don''t misunderstand. She wasn''t embarrassed just like a normal person would be. She was slightly horny.

    "As you''ve read, our advisor left us with that message! What would this mean, then!? I think what he meant for us to grasp was that we needed to divide all the food that was in the fridge and in the storehouse in order to eat collectively. Because that''s what a normal dorm does. It shares food amongst its peers. Right?"

    In all honesty, Tsudo''s point was starting to be visible for some of the girls. We, boys, already knew what he was up to. It was something that wasn''t on a distant shore but rather, in a close avenue.

    Tsudo''s spirit was something that was often witnessed but this time, it was grand.

    "Yes... That would be the whole point. If your dorm advisor tells you to do such, you are supposed to obey what he tells you to do. It''s the same for you girls, right?"

    "Yes, sensei! Our advisor is so kind! Whenever she is awake, we have all sorts of talks! She also lets us sleep a little bit late, hehe! She''s amazing!"

    Once Hinagiku voiced her opinion about what Yuka-sensei had said, Rayazaki flashed a smile.

    What for? Are you seriously happy about the situation? Why though?

    Just because they have an advisor that''s not draconian about his methods? Why don''t you feel sorry for yourself, Rayazaki?

    "Of course, that''s the desirable scenario! That should ALWAYS be the scenario! Yet... There is more to that!"

    With quick lighting speed, Tsudo takes out yet another piece of paper and hands it to Yuka-sensei.

    "If you may."

    He even bowed while saying those words. Tsudo must truly want to prove his point.

    "Alright... It says... Wait, is this it?"

    "Please say it!"

    Tsudo was really trying here. Luckily for him, a certain someone was sound asleep. Even though that someone might just be called out in a matter of seconds...

    "Oh well... ''I''m the King now!'' or so it says... So, what is this supposed to tell me?"

    "I''m glad you asked. You see, a certain someone had this stupid idea of stealing every food from just about everywhere and refuses to share with anyone! Furthermore, just because our room advisor is gone, he is abusing his brute strength as if he is a dictator now!"

    Right at that moment, my phone had ringed. I took a moment to look at Rayazaki and Hinagiku but none of them were texting each other from the looks of it. Which means there was only one person who could''ve texted me right now.

    I gave an appropriate reply to her just because I was looking forward to this event and its conclusion.

    "Tsudo, calm down. You''ve been shouting non-stop. Also, who is this certain someone?"

    "I''m talking about him! Look at that posture! Those manners! He''s not even paying attention damn it! Look! He burned my favorite Manga! He burned Kuzan''s wig! Now the dude has no choice but to accept the fact that he really is bald for life!"

    "Hey!"

    "There''s more though! Susaga said that some of his accessories had been stolen too! I''m sure if you ask everyone around here from the male dorm that they will have complaints! This cannot be overlooked any longer! Not only is stealing food intolerable but to steal personal belongings on top of it!? That''s straight-up unforgivable, Yuka-sensei!"

    Leaving everyone in awe, Tsudo continued his verbal barrage. Honestly speaking, I wasn''t expecting him to complain this much, but it was a reasonable complaint.

    Also, Tsudo, how are you going to get away from the fact that you just showed everyone in this class a burned hentai manga? Do you realize how idiotic that was?

    And of course, let''s not forget Kuzan''s wig who is not with us anymore. Although your time was short, Kuzan is on his way to embrace baldhood thanks to your absence.

    "Well, is this true, boys?"

    "Yes!"

    "Well, yeah..."

    "It sure is. I''ve never starved this much for once..."

    Multiple replies came straight-up, but I didn''t bother to give my opinion about it although I was glanced at by Yuka-sensei.

    Whatever the reason, Tsudo''s point was being made.

    And now, the important event was about to start...

    "Kawahara... Kawahara. Kawahara! Hey!"

    When looking at Kawahara''s desk, who, by his side was Akimiyashika, the only visible thing from his side would be his head on top of his crossed forearms.

    In other words, the classic sleeping in class posture. But, I don''t think a few shouts will do it.

    "What is this disrespect!? You steal and steal but then you refuse to take the blame for it!?"

    Funny how Tsudo has done acts (supposedly) that imply that several moral codes have been broken yet he fearlessly makes his stand nonetheless.

    Sink or swim, eh?

    "Aki, could you-"

    "Right away!"

    She didn''t even let Yuka-sensei finish her sentence...

    What the hell are you gonna do, you vile creature!?

    "Gahh!!"

    Unexpectedly, Akimiyashika stroke her right elbow onto Kawahara''s back which immediately forced him to come to his senses.

    Why am I suddenly reluctant about sleeping in class now? What if that was me?

    "I think he''s back to his senses now."

    Yeah, no shit. You elbowed him like the world was going to end.

    "Thank you. But please, be more gentle next time, alright?"

    "Yes, my bad. I''ll reflect on my action..."

    Did Akimiyashika even mean those words? It''s as if she''s only saying those words for the sake of saying them. If this made any sense.

    "Cough... Cough..... Cough...."

    That''s weird.

    Am I hearing what I am hearing from Kawahara?

    Could he be...?

    "Kawahara, good morning! How are you doing today!? Who would''ve thought that you had the audacity to sleep in my class!"

    After a short while, Kawahara raised his face and...

    Why does this man look so dead...?

    ".......Sorry. Cough, cough. I''m sick. I didn''t sleep at all last night."

    "You damn liar! You''re not sick, you''re only pretending to be si-"

    "Cough, cough!! Cough!!"

    Either this is brilliant acting or he''s really sick. Regardless, Tsudo was not able to finish his sentence due to Kawahara''s coughing abruptly interrupting him.

    "Do you have some tissues with you that I can use...? Cough, cough..."

    "You must be joking."

    Just give the man some damn tissues, Akimiyashika. I bet you have them.

    Is your pride this big? Seriously?

    "Please, just one. Or else I might just sneeze all this snot onto you accidentally..."

    Now that would be a sight.

    "Sensei, can we please continue!? It''s obvious he''s trying to delay my point by portraying his act! Come on!"

    That could very well be the case. Kawahara''s non-stop coughing aside, if this was an act then it would be necessary to set up a few steps first.

    "We don''t have time for this anymore, Tsudo. However, I will personally investigate the dorm later. Talk to me after class and bring me the details about this, okay?"

    "Y-Yes!! Thank you so much! Really, really, thank you so much!!"

    Yuka-sensei had not forgotten the 5-minute mark and ended the classroom right at that moment. Whether Kawahara was truly sick or not was something beyond my caring.

    But, wasn''t he screwed if Yuka-sensei performed a full-on investigation later on in our dorm though?

    Did I overestimate him too much?

    Also, something to notice is that Yuka-sensei would really be working on this. In other words, our complaints were effective to some degree. That degree being, to where they are acknowledged.

    All of us started leaving the classroom with quickness and it was then that I met up with her.

    "What was that all about? Is it true?"

    Our block had a total of five rooms. Two stayed at the upper floor while three remained at the very bottom.

    I have no idea why there are five rooms in total when we only use the upper one that''s located on the left side of the right one. It''s vast and extensive yet that''s what''s necessary for a classroom of 24 people. Right now, I was descending the small staircase while coming up with a proper answer to give her.

    "To some degree, yes. Kawahara truly stole all the food. Now, whether or not he''s sick, I have no idea. As Tsudo mentioned, it could very well just be an act."

    Yulia noticed that I was walking slow on purpose to prolong our conversation and to create distance. The reason I wanted to create distance was so our conversation could not be heard...

    I have something to confess...

    No, it''s not regarding me, but rather...

    "Ah, I see. If you need to eat just tell me. I don''t mind taking you to one of the places in school where you can actually eat."

    "Oh, thanks, but--"

    "Though, hear me out, Daniel! Yesterday, I thought long and hard and I came up with new suicide methods! First of all, what do you think about this? The person who wants to commit suicide goes all the way to the beach and just starts walking towards the sea! Then, when that person has reached a point where the water''s depth is so profound that swimming is the only option, the person will not swim, but will keep on walking! Eventually, the person will reach a point where breathing will be impossible and that person will die! How aesthetic is that?!"

    This is what I''m talking about.

    Ever since we opened up slightly to each other, Yulia''s been speaking about suicide methods non-stop. At first, I thought that she was being suicidal and that she was looking at life through a negative perspective, but in reality, she''s thinking about these methods not for her, but for other people.

    I had no idea it would turn out to be like this.

    There''s also a slight additional problem.

    "That''s pretty cool. But it should be done if the person is feeling an immense depression, no? Like, for example... Imagine that if the person who wants to do this type of suicide had just lost his/her loved one... If that''s the case, then the depression would make synergy with the water''s depth because it would symbolize the depth of the depression."

    "I see! I also thought about that! Usually, isn''t a suicide method created out of the one who wants to commit suicide in the first place? It''s an extreme way to express creativity, in my opinion!"

    The problem is that I don''t mind her conversation but instead I like it.

    She''s been in high spirits ever since then, but all she talks about is suicide methods.

    "You said methods, right? How many more are there?"

    Yulia and I had passed through the whole staircase by now and were on our way to the block''s entrance. The chilly weather suddenly became more apparent.

    I let out a small breath just to see the freezing air manifest itself. For some reason, I always find joy in doing that.

    "Um... Let''s see, there are two more. I didn''t want to bother you with common ones so I thought about them for a bit, as I briefly mentioned. Alright so... Imagine that you are on a private jet while crossing over the Pacific ocean, but then you decide to suicide by throwing yourself to an endless ocean! But here is the tricky part! You don''t die here! Let''s suppose that somehow you are able to survive the massive fall and that you find an empty island. In that empty island, which could be a deserted one, you will stay there for a day. Can you guess what happens after a day?"

    This scenario is far too hypothetical and unpractical but this is just for the sake of steeming our imagination so what''s the harm...

    "Does a water tornado suddenly rush over and storms the whole island and the person dies?"

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    "Naaahhh. You see, that wouldn''t be suicide, would it?"

    "Well, that''s true."

    I failed to take that into consideration.

    "I''ll tell you. The next day, you''d wake up and nothing, for now, would happen."

    "Wait, what? That''s so anti-climatic."

    Her scenario aside, my lips were starting to freeze. The P.E class would occur in a faraway block so we still had to walk a bit. Yet Yulia cared not. She was far more concerned about her own tales of suicide.

    "I said ''for now'', right? Which means that something eventually happens. You see, you would wait a few hours and see this small wave on the horizon. That''s odd, right? Because the horizon line simply doesn''t change for no reason. But the true reason for that is because, from very far away, a gigantic tsunami had been formed! And you, a person who wants to suicide, would be fascinated by that, right!?"

    "Well, yeah."

    I''m pretty sure that Yulia''s not referring to me concretely, but just as the person in her scenario.

    I also stopped by the drinking fountain that was along the way. Essentially, when leaving block F, there is a small lead way to block E, but before getting to block E, there is a path that diverges to the left and to the right. The path to the right takes you to the public bathrooms while the opposite way simply takes you to the other blocks.

    Regardless, there was obviously a structure difference, well no--- structure differences, between block F and the other blocks.

    Our block seemed haunted while the other seemed perfectly clean and not dusty.

    Nevertheless, the drinking fountain stood in the middle of the left way.

    Yulia didn''t mind stopping there, even without me not mentioning it.

    "Ultimately, you''d just wait for the whole tsunami to consume you. Can you imagine the terror a person would feel when facing something gigantic as a tsunami? Simply imagine yourself facing something that big and tell me that''s not scary! Furthermore, you''d get scared and then try to run, but no... It was already too late since the abysmal tsunami had already killed you! Hahaha!"

    I also can''t drink the water properly because she''s worrying me with her cryptic dialogue.

    When I was finished drinking, I looked at Yulia''s phenomenal appearance. Just her looks alone would be enough to overpower any man on this man that is straight. Yet, in addition to that, her enthusiasm for this is surprisingly tremendous.

    Though, that''s what''s sorta scary.

    Because you''d never guess what goes through her mind.

    "That''s cruel, but that''s interesting. Although, you''d have to be extremely brave to deliberately put yourself in front of a tsunami for this to work. The nice twist where the person who wants to commit suicide runs away from the tsunami just as it is about to hit the person is good. It added a glimpse of terror into it."

    "Isn''t that the whole point of suicide!? Nobody truly wants to commit it, but they just can''t stand living any longer, hahaha! They refuse life but then they refuse to kill themselves out of pure fear! How contradicting."

    We should probably get going or else we might be late for the class calling. Therefore, I walked towards the P.E field. It didn''t really have a name to it, like block F or the other blocks, but it was located at the very south of this school.

    Given that our block is located in the middle east, it was a walk.

    "It''s mainly about how they are not ready for the experience. As you mentioned, someone who wants to suicide doesn''t want to suicide. However, they don''t have any choice, do they? Their lives are so shit that they have to bet that they end up having a better life in another world or something like that."

    "That''s what''s funny about it. They will willingly do it without any shred of reluctance yet where is the guarantee that they will receive the compensation for suicide?"

    Yulia had a point. What would truly be the point of committing suicide if there is no possible guarantee that there is life next? Your whole being could simply cease to exist.

    If that''s the case, then isn''t it way more worth it to make something out of this life that you exist in?

    "You have a lot of knowledge about this. Just how much do you truly know?"

    Even though we were walking on this freezing cold, Yulia swayed her skirt and posed herself in front of me with her right index finger on the border of her lips. Plus, she blinked her right eye, additionally.

    "Not telling~"

    Of course, you''re not.

    All this talk has been hypothetical so far. Nothing that she has told me is real. Or so I think.

    "We''re going to be late at this rate, you know?"

    I had to alert her about this. We had lost like a good 5 minutes while chatting on our way to the respective P.E block.

    Also, I felt some small raindrops on my wrists, which indicated that there was a good chance that rain would start pouring soon.

    "I know, I know. But, I haven''t told you about the third method, have I?"

    Yulia just kept on walking in front of me. It was as if she didn''t want me to miss out on anything.

    I suppose it would inconvenient to just stop the conversation right now.

    "You''re right. You haven''t."

    "You want to hear it, right?"

    With a simple nod, Yulia took the hint and started speaking.

    Frankly speaking, there were a few students passing by but I did not care enough to look at them in the face. All that I know is that some of them would immediately flee due to Yulia''s intense words about suicide.

    Something I had not understood yet was why they would just flee. Is it really that horrifying to you to be in the presence of people who have done nothing to you?

    Unless of course, they are aware of our actual crimes, somehow.

    "How about just letting yourself die?"

    "Huh...?"

    I''m not sure if I got what Yulia just said...

    "It''s simple... Let''s suppose you do the following... You put yourself in a coffin for as long as you can. The amount of oxygen you breathe will automatically be limited. Surely, at the time, you won''t notice it but as you go on, it will start to be effectively apparent. Furthermore, you won''t get to eat or drink anything. Plus, you''ll start to attract bugs onto you. Eventually, you will just rot away."

    "I get that, but, isn''t that incredibly boring?"

    Really, how is that method of suicide any interesting to say the least? If all you do is follow the natural course of death then how do you deal with that boredom?

    "Sure, if you look at it from a physical perspective. The body only rots away, but, what about the mind? Can you imagine the insanity of a person who wants to kill him/herself so badly that rotting away is the only thing they can think of? Will that person even be able to keep up with it?"

    "Won''t the person then just stop the suicide? As you mentioned before, Yulia, nobody truly wants to suicide, they just want a better life. Suicide is an alternative."

    "You''re correct, Daniel. That''s why, for this scenario, to make sure you''d not be able to escape or just simply quit this fearsome endeavor, you''d have to bury yourself in a coffin and tell someone to bury you very deep underneath the soil. Or just simply lock your coffin."

    That''s one way to go about it. If you lock yourself in a coffin for a very long time then you won''t make it out. Eventually, you''ll just cease to be and rot away.

    Unless your name is Dio Brando.

    "Anyways, the main thing to capture here isn''t the physical development of the body rotting away, but the mental development and how the person who is doing this will reach virtual insanity soonly. Being trapped in a coffin where you will certainly die, isn''t that fascinating!? You can scream all you want but no one will hear you. You can move as you please, it will still not later the result! If you think about it, isn''t this method brutal and not practiced due to its brutality? Henceforth, this method is interesting!"

    Although I''m somewhat emotionally confused about how it is possible for Yulia to insert so much passion onto this depraved topic, her relentless spirit is nonetheless admirable.

    Both I and Yulia didn''t have our P.E clothes on. This meant that we would have to dress up and thankfully, we were really close to the P.E block. The massive field could be spotted from afar.

    Just on our left, there was an extension of three volleyball fields, while on the main field which was subsequently followed in front of the volleyball fields, there was a soccer field.

    Oddly enough, it was divided to a point where there was a basketball court on its right while the soccer field would be on the left. Around them though, was the sprinting and dashing platform that we had already practiced our sprints/dashes in.

    "True, it is interesting. But it''s only thanks to your reasoning. From the surface, the method itself looks bland and obvious. To contrast that, you mentioned something like virtual insanity. I swear you know a little bit too much about this. Did you practice this or something?"

    "Hehe, it''s just imagination. Anyone''s capable of upholding high and vivid thoughts about any topic if they have compassion. Compassion, that was the very feeling that you deemed as useless, was it not?"

    It is useless. However, there was something I could conclude here. The feeling may be useless for me, but it certainly isn''t for everyone else.

    For someone like Yulia who treasures compassion, this could very well be an emotional trigger for her.

    "But, that''s not all, Daniel! With compassion, you can take your passion for something to a higher level! Ascend it!"

    Certainly, from a moral perspective, you are not wrong.

    But Yulia, there''s something that you are misunderstanding and that vague misconception is something that has blinded you for only you know when.

    That''s not compassion.

    It''s obsession.

    Later on that day, at 7 pm.

    "Pardon my intrusion...!"

    "Thank you so much for coming, sensei!"

    I think that there wasn''t a single person in this dorm, except for Kawahara, who isn''t here.

    After all, as we stood at our dorm''s entrance, Yuka-sensei had paid us a visit.

    Christ, it was freezing. Regardless, we had to be there to receive her. Although I wasn''t initially looking forward to this, I was undeniably starving.

    Relying on Yulia every damn time for the same thing is pathetic.

    Of course, Tsudo was the one who welcomed her. We were still on our uniforms yet some of us preemptively popped smirks on their faces.

    It seems that they are really looking forward to this.

    "You all waited for me? Aww, thank you."

    None of us bothered to oppose her words and we unwillingly trusted Tsudo to handle this.

    "Now then, where is Kawahara? Does anyone know?"

    Yuka-sensei went right to the topic at hand, but Kawahara was not here.

    Well, she asked the question for a reason.

    "Probably in his room. I haven''t seen him anywhere else..."

    While delivering a controversial answer to Yuka-sensei, Tsudo rubbed his chin with his fingers. He was most likely wondering where Kawahara was yet it was obvious.

    If we go by the premise that Kawahara truly is sick, then, of course, he is inside his room.

    "I see! Well, will anyone bring him here or do I have to?"

    The real reason why nobody so far approached Kawahara was due to his brutal methods. If Kawahara, someone who is capable of burning your entire manga collection, lives in the same dorm as you, then you''d instinctively run away.

    Besides, Tsudo wasn''t physically capable of taking on someone like Kawahara.

    "Aniki, wasn''t Kawahara inside King George''s room though?"

    "W-What!?"

    The majority of us were surprised by what Kuzan had just said. Also, I couldn''t really look at Kuzan without wanting to laugh at him.

    No offense to bald men out there, but there are times where looking at that shiny shaved head of yours can turn into a rhapsody of laughs.

    "Yuka-sensei, it''s as Kuzan says. He''s in our King George''s room."

    "Aye, okay. But why do you all call your advisor by ''King George''?"

    Ah.

    To a stranger, of course you would wonder. Why, really?

    Why go through such lengths just to show respect?

    "That''s not relevant right now, Yuka-sensei. Either way, can you accompany us and search for Kawahara?"

    "Sure, Sagasuga. That''s what I''m here for anyways."

    Thus, Yuka-sensei entered the rustic dorm. For the record, if any girl entered this dorm, it would automatically be a turn-off.

    The air here is almost toxic. And the fact that there isn''t a heater in this storm just makes this a dorm with absolutely no conditions.

    King George''s room is right on the first floor, therefore we didn''t have to walk that much.

    "By the way, are you all practicing hard with your partners? I''ve seen some chaotic... pairings so far. Please take this seriously. It''s for your own good."

    Usually, I would ignore this type of advice, but Yuka-sensei was correct here. Passing the exams is essential to our overall safety.

    "Sensei, my partner refuses to practice with me. What should I do...?"

    "Rayazaki, your partner is Yukishiro, right? Why can''t you two just practice together though?"

    "That''s because she doesn''t leave her phone... Can''t you forbid the usage of phones, please?"

    "What are you talking about? I already do, though."

    "Then, why does she get away with that?"

    "I''ll talk to Yukishiro. Leave it to me."

    "Thanks. But, can''t you tell her to actually practice with me though? I really, really want to pass the exam!"

    It''s amazing how we are just keeping this silence going on.

    Great job, my guys. Only Rayazaki and Yuka-sensei are speaking to each other while the rest of us is walking towards King George''s room.

    "I can''t do that, Rayazaki. You and Yukishiro need to work that out. Not just you and her. But the rest of you... Erm... Hyunda, can''t you be a little more practical, please?"

    "But, sensei, I am trying. It''s just that my physical capacity is extremely low. It''s really not my fault that my partner is highly athletic, just saying."

    If I recall correctly, Hyunda''s partner was Arkalee. Accordingly, Arkalee was someone who is highly athletic and judging by her scores, she is most likely fluent in running.

    Unlike Hyunda who demonstrated a total embarrassment.

    "That''s not true though. You can do it. But, you aren''t even trying. How can you know if you don''t even try, Hyunda?"

    Um, that''s not how it works.

    This is the perfect example of blind motivation.

    Someone cannot simply do something accurately just by believing that he/she can do it.

    Practice is way too important, but I feel like that''s not preached anymore.

    In the end, Hyunda remained silent. Perhaps he didn''t have any words to say or just didn''t felt like saying them.

    "Sensei, I''m having a similar problem... My partner... Quite literally refuses to cooperate. She''s always doing the work by herself instead of us working together as a team..."

    "Tsudo, your partner is Lus, right?"

    "Yeah. Every time I approach her she just verbally lashes at me... Isn''t there something I can do about it?"

    "Yuka-sensei, there''s no one here..."

    I had to interrupt the small talk to notice Yuka-sensei about something crucial.

    Kawahara was not present in the room that we have been walking towards, also noticeably knows as King George''s room.

    There was something that further caught my attention.

    Rayazaki''s PS4, Susaga''s gadget, and Kuzan''s diamonds, they were all gone.

    What the hell is going on?

    "Hey, Daniel, what''s the whole point in checking here? Of course Kawahara isn''t here. This isn''t his room! We should''ve just checked his room from the start!"

    "He was here previously, believe it or not..."

    "I call it bullshit. I bet you sided with that fucker just to delay us. The fuck is this all about, huh?"

    Kan was right about to approach and grab me by my collar, but Yuka-sensei stood in front of me to prevent that.

    Furthermore, the situation just put me under suspicion for whatever reason.

    "Stop that. If he isn''t here, then we will check his room. Even all the other rooms."

    "Wow, sensei, please not that. Anything but that!"

    It appears that Tsudo had something to hide.

    Also, what''s the matter with Kan? He''s been confusing me so much lately.

    Every single one of his words and actions, I can''t seem to comprehend them that much.

    His words about not interacting with anyone here left a mark on me since he was the very first person I met in this school but I had not deciphered the meaning of those words yet.

    He never speaks his mind.

    "On what floor is his room?"

    "Third floor, sensei!"

    This time, we were running towards the third floor. Tsudo gave the indications right away.

    The rustic staircase almost felt like it would crumble as soon as we all started to climb it at a fast rate. On the other hand, right as we were about to reach the third floor, a small coughing voice could be heard throughout the whole hallway.

    "...Tsudo, you didn''t lie about this, did you?"

    "Of course I didn''t! You even asked everyone else about this, sensei!"

    "Just for the record, you all didn''t lie to me, right? RIGHT?!"

    "NO, we did not!"

    In a perfect symphony, we gave the perfect answer to this scenario.

    Yuka-sensei was probably interpreting the coughing that''s coming from the hallway as Kawahara''s coughing.

    "Alright then... Well, let''s see what he has to say about that..."

    On the third floor, which was the floor we were currently in, there were three rooms. The middle one was most likely Kawaraha''s room since it was the only room in the hall that had a door semi-open.

    "Cough... Cough! Cough!"

    Jesus Christ, is he faking it or is this really a case of sickness?

    Nevertheless, Yuka-sensei rushed to the semi-open door and what she found was...

    "Kawahara...?"

    "...Ayeee, thash mee. Ya neeed shumuthing, Yuuka-shensei?"

    Why is this man so sick?

    Also, why is this man full of snot on his damn nose?!

    "N-No way... Please don''t let him fool you, Yuka-sensei! He stole all of our food! Everyone here knows this!"

    It''s hard to believe that when you are saying those heartless words at someone who is looking at Kawahara in that state.

    Kawahara, who is someone known for walking with a naked top even during the winter is on his polar pajamas which contrasts his usual style of clothes. Plus, he has a ton of tissues on his bed, along with boxes and boxes of tissues.

    Just by looking at his nose, you could tell that his nose was on fire. That''s the sign that someone has been sneezing a lot and the constant whipping movement provokes that.

    We also had firmly invaded Kawahara''s room and...

    "What the hell, he reads...?"

    I couldn''t help but say that out loud, but there are just a lot of action mangas here.

    Kengan Ashura. And Omega too.

    Damn, amazing. Never did I think that I would see a physical copy of Kengan Omega''s volumes in real life like this.

    Either way, he had plenty of bookshelves filled with mangas. His bookshelves were on the right of his bed, which stayed in the upper left corner of the room.

    I suppose it''s easier to reach out to them that way?

    At the end of his bed, there were plenty of action figures. Mainly Baki ones, though I could spot some Hajime no Ippo ones.

    Is that Takamura?

    "I know, Tsudo. I already asked everyone about this and they didn''t deny it. That''s why, Kawahara, you and I, have some talking to do."

    Despite seeing the sorry state that Kawahara was in, Yuka-sensei still approached him.

    "Giche mee shujst a secund pwease."

    I''m fairly sure that either his throat is in a bad state or the amount of snot in his immunity system is making him speak strategy.

    It could be both, alternatively.

    Kawahara weakly took hold of one of the tissues that were on his right before getting up from his bed and proceed to blow his nose.

    "Brrrruuuuuuuuuu."

    I think we all just quaked while hearing that monstrosity of a nose blow.

    "Brrrruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu."

    But, it continued.

    Susaga, tried to come closer, but he accidentally stepped on one of Kawahara''s weights.

    "Ow!"

    What''s there to complain about? They are all over the place.

    Blame yourself for being blind to the point of kicking something that is visible to the naked eye.

    "I''m good now. I can talk. So?"

    At last, Kawahara could speak normally.

    And, without wasting any time, Yuka-sensei went straight to the point.

    "Kawahara, according to Tsudo and just about everyone else, except me, you stole food from the kitchen among with several other accessories that did not belong to you. Is this correct?"

    "No, it''s not."

    Somehow I had a premonition that this would be the case and unfortunately, it was.

    "You damn liar! We all saw it, damn it! Just this morning, nothing on the fridge! The storehouse, all empty! You gain nothing by lying here! Coward, just admit that you are at fault for once!"

    "If you''re not gonna tell the truth at least prepare yourself for a beating, Kawahara!"

    Both Tsudo and Kan were demonstrating a considerable amount of anger for Kawahara. In addition, the rest of us were showing revolted expressions. Because, Kawahara, was, without a doubt, lying about this.

    "No one is gonna beat anyone, Kan. But, Kawahara, they all are saying that you have done it. Are you still going to stand by your own words?"

    Instead of just giving him the final judgment, Yuka-sensei attempted to reason with Kawahara once again, perhaps in hope for a different answer.

    "I will stand by my own words. Because I''m not lying. They are. They want to blame me for what they did. If I may speak more, they hate me. So, what do they do? They charge me for something I didn''t do. Now, that''s unfair. Being charged for someone I didn''t do is something that even I can''t recover from. Plus, I''m in a very weak physical state. The perfect chance for this, right?"

    What is he talking about...?

    What is the point in all this? Yuka-sensei will find out once she checks the kitchen and the storage.

    You are just digging your own hole, Kawahara.

    "Cut the bullshit, man! You''re so full of shit! I can''t believe you can''t even admit your own mistakes! Just do it, damn it! Don''t prolong this shit anymore! You took advantage of King George''s absence to start this! It''s over once we go to the kitchen! You can''t do fucking shit against evidence, you know?!"

    Tsudo was furious from the looks of it.

    Lies aren''t his cup of tea. Then again, whose cup of tea is it?

    "Evidence? Why are you lying? You, nor anyone here has such a thing against me. See, Yuka-sensei, take a note here. This is manipulation. What''s happening right now is Tsudo abusing his numbers to his advantage. By psychologically pressuring me, he is making sure that I make the incorrect choice here. However, I will not falter. Regardless of whether or not they all hate me, I will not lie. I didn''t do it."

    "Manipulation!? You''re the one who''s attempting to do that here, you damn coward!"

    "Say what you want, Tsudo."

    It''s obvious that Kawahara is lying but what was going through my mind was something else.

    If it''s so obvious that in theory, he will lose this argument, then what''s the point of being this stubborn about it...?

    "Tsudo. Kawahara. I understand that you two have different points, so I will consider both sides equally. Kawahara, I will investigate this dorm fully just to see whether or not what you said is true."

    "Yuka-sensei, if I may propose something interesting... What do you say about a challenge?"

    "Kawahara, I''m not in the mood for jokes..."

    "Come on. I''m serious. Just think about it. What are the odds of me winning here? Pretty laughable once you think about it. Therefore... Should I somehow be correct here, do I get to receive something in return?"

    "Don''t push your luck, Kawahara. The only thing you will receive, in case you are correct, is being free from punishment. And that is, of course, if you are correct."

    "Tsk. Boring."

    "Also, be prepared for the consequences in case you are incorrect, Kawahara. I will not tolerate the fact that you took time out of my personal agenda just for the sake of this."

    What''s the point here...?

    What am I not seeing here...?

    I couldn''t help but keep on wondering and thus, instinctively I looked at Hyunda.

    "?"

    Why is he smirking like that...?

    "Of course, Yuka-sensei. However, shouldn''t you distribute equal punishment?"

    "Kawahara... I told you not to push your luck..."

    "But I''m not pushing my luck though. It''s about being fair. If they are all incorrect about their claim then shouldn''t they receive punishment for being incorrect? Why do I have to be the only one who receives punishment so one-sidely? That''s unfair and you know it. Therefore, it would be logical for the punishment to be equally distributed. Or am I wrong here?"

    "You''re not wrong here, for sure, but--"

    "Also, I just want to briefly mention that this could very well be yet another scenario of manipulation. By increasing the credibility of their claim with numbers, they planned to force this one-sided punishment onto me for absolutely no reason. Tsudo called me a coward, but, isn''t he the cowardly one? To suggest something like this without being minimally prepared for the same consequences in case of failure. Injustice, I say."

    Kawahara was speaking way too much.

    It took the majority of us by surprise how his behavior suddenly contrasted from his usual impulsive self.

    And Tsudo was boiling with anger, from the looks of it.

    "How many times do I have to tell you that lying won''t get you anywhere?!"

    "Try all you want, Tsudo. I will not be the victim of your scenario."

    Things were heating up quite hard. Tsudo''s thirst for Kawahara was incredibly high.

    "That''s enough! I want you all to accompany me! First of all, we will check the third floor altogether, alright!?"

    And so, apparently, that was the plan right now. To check every room in this dorm.

    I seriously don''t understand why we simply aren''t just checking the kitchen but Yuka-sensei must have a different idea in mind, surely.

    "Also, Kawahara, you are coming along. I don''t care if you are sick or not."

    "I get it, I get it. Well, I wasn''t planning on staying here either way. I''ve got a point to prove."

    Ultimately, even though Tsudo''s facial expression was showing even more anger in it, Kawahara got up and came along. Though he distanced himself quite hard.

    Roughly 5 minutes later.

    Since there were only two other rooms on this floor, we investigated the two remaining rooms.

    The end result was that there was nothing in them. By nothing, I meant "food" from the kitchen.

    We were all split but we reunited in the middle of the hall once Yuka-sensei called out to all of us.

    "Let''s check the second floor then."

    "Sensei, we are wasting time... Can''t we just go to the kitchen and check it? Same with the storage! It''s easier!"

    "I hate to admit, but I agree with Tsudo here, Yuka-sensei. It will make my point immediately evident. There''s no need to waste time checking the other rooms. Why is that? Because there''s nothing there. The food is where it has always been, in the kitchen, in its respective places."

    Tsudo and Kawahara agreed with each but it wasn''t a friendly agreement, of course.

    "I''m in charge here. I make the decisions. We will waste time if you two argue all the time. Therefore, follow me and stop blabbering at once!"

    I wasn''t complaining. Because I was genuinely interested in the outcome of this.

    Hyunda''s early smirk is somehow in my mind still.

    There were far too many things to consider yet once this investigation was done, it would all be clear.

    20 minutes later.

    "Told you it was a waste of time."

    I''m not sure what the point of all of this is if Kawahara somehow fails here.

    Saying ''somehow'' is wrong because, in theory, Kawahara is doomed to fail regardless.

    Also, we had checked every room in the dorm. Even King George''s.

    Not even the cafeteria and the bathrooms were unchecked.

    We were all in the initial position where it all began.

    Right at the entrance, we all stood.

    Yuka-sensei was in front of the entrance for some reason.

    "With this investigation to every room and every other partial room, I''ve concluded that there is absolutely no food within the rooms. Not even in Kawahara''s room nor Tsudo''s room, which are the subjects at hand. You are all witnesses of this, correct? Therefore, we can all mutually agree that we saw the same thing, right?"

    "Yes."

    Every single one of us mutually agreed to what Yuka-sensei had said.

    "Good. Then, we will start investigating the places we have not investigated yet. Which are the kitchen and the storage."

    "We should''ve done that from the start, sensei! It was pointless to spend this time searching inside everyone''s room!"

    Tsudo was especially salty because we witnessed all of his hentai mangas.

    Why be salty though?

    You''re overflowing with culture. That''s not a reason to be salty.

    "What I did was for the purpose of no one blaming someone else in case the food happens to be in its place. This way, since we''ve checked every room, that won''t happen. Plus, it would''ve been the same one way or another. If there isn''t anything inside the kitchen and the storage then we would''ve checked the rooms too. Do you all understand now?"

    We simply nodded because what Yuka-sensei had just said was incredibly easy to understand.

    There was no degree of hard understanding here.

    However, Kawahara begged to differ it seems.

    "I can''t agree with that. And that''s because there''s food in the kitchen and the storage which would nullify Tsudo''s whole point. Aren''t you sugarcoating him a bit too much here, Yuka-sensei?"

    "I''m not sugarcoating anyone. I had both sides to consider, Kawahara."

    "Not necessarily. There was no need to prove Tsudo''s point. Because his point is false and therefore it will be a waste of time. Shall I make a prediction? You will reach the kitchen and you will witness every drawer full of food in its respective places. Same with the storage. Absolutely nothing changed."

    "Kawahara, keep your assumptions to yourself, please. Your arrogant attitude is pissing me off."

    "Aren''t I allowed to express myself in this scenario though? It''s eleven against one. Not only is the numerical advantage greater but they are making false claims."

    The kitchen entrance was only a few meters away from the cafeteria. By walking through the entrance hall there are two ways. The right way will take you to a staircase on the end of the floor, while the cafeteria stays right in between the staircase and the entrance.

    Something to note is that this is commonly called floor zero. Therefore, there are rooms here. Four, to be more precise.

    Regardless, what truly was important to note here is that the way to the kitchen was all the way forward.

    Though the hall was long, the kitchen itself soon turned out to be visible.

    Also, Yuka-sensei started to ignore Kawahara, who got slightly obnoxious.

    "This is it, right?"

    Asked Yuka-sensei as she started at a large door.

    "Yes, Yuka-sensei. That''s the entrance of the kitchen."

    Sagasuga, who was for some reason, reserved today, spoke.

    What''s wrong with Sagasuga?

    "It''s open, right?"

    "Uh, yes, Yuka-sensei."

    Hm?

    Why is this taking so long? Just open the door.

    Of course, it''s open.

    Sagasuga was forced to respond to her this time.

    "There aren''t any rats in the kitchen, ri-"

    "Oh my fucking god woman, just go in!"

    Kan''s angry response was accurate. Why the fuck are you afraid of walking into a kitchen?

    You can perform arm locks but you are afraid of rats?

    Nonsense.

    "W-What...? But how...?"

    As soon as Tsudo walked into the old kitchen, he was rendered speechless. Surely, he wasn''t the only one.

    Almost all of us became speechless too.

    I was still trying to comprehend how this scenario was possible. To be frank, I had never visited the kitchen with all the food in it.

    In previous times, I had paid a visit here sometimes but it was in a time where Kawahara had all the food in King George''s room. But, as witnessed such as not the case. I''m not saying it''s impossible to eat all the food but it''s a possibility yet that was not the case.

    "I told you so. But, don''t worry. You want to check the storage as well, correct? Go ahead. Hey, why don''t we all eat? Tsudo, make dinner for us, will ya? Hahahaha!"

    Kawahara, once witnessing his victory scenario openly mocked Tsudo and said for him to cook the dinner.

    From what I could interpret this was a way of saying: ''You lost so pay for it.''

    "Shut up, Kawahara! This hasn''t been decided yet--"

    "Unfortunately, Tsudo, it has."

    While this little chat was going down, Yuka-sensei had already checked the storage which is right next to the kitchen. Ultimately the result turned out to be in Kawahara''s favor.

    "What!? You can''t be serious! This doesn''t make any damn sense! Come on, seriously! No, seriously! It''s clear that Kawahara put all the food in here this morning! Think about it, what another way would this be possible! In the morning, the food was no here! It was gone! Everyone here agrees with me, right?!"

    "................"

    Nobody agreed with him.

    We quickly noticed how futile it was to side with Tsudo. You''d have to be stupid to side with him at this point.

    Not because he was incorrect, but because the evidence was against him.

    "T-Then, check the vigilance cameras! I''m sure they will tell a different story! Come on, do it!"

    That wasn''t a bad idea, but there was just a slight problem.

    "Oi, oi, Tsudo. Just stop it, bro. This is so sad to watch. Oh, right. What was it that you said...? That lying wouldn''t get me anywhere? Damn, would you look at that? I, for once, did not lie and considering how the events turned out, aren''t you the one who''s lying here? Or are you going to lie in the face of evidence?"

    "Stop screwing around, you manipulator! You obviously set this up! I don''t know how but you got all the food in here to your own advantage! I bet you faked your illness too for the sake of it!"

    "Tsudo, that''s not a very logical claim. Me? Faking illness? Are you retarded or something? Why would I do that? How could I possibly gain the upper edge in an argument through faking illness? Are you mad, bro?"

    Oh, he did not just.

    "Yeah, you did! You faked illness just so you could look physically weak in front of Yuka-sensei! You even claimed that we were the ones manipulating, but that''s not true at all!"

    "Me being sick is completely irrelevant here. I won this argument through words and words alone. My physical condition did not play a role in this, therefore your point is invalid. Also, you say strange things. I still stand by my own words. You did manipulate the whole scenario. And the fact that no one agreed with you a few seconds ago just goes to show what happens once the leader of a manipulative scenario fails. The rest loses as well!"

    "You''re so fucking full of sh-"

    The situation itself was escalating to be pointless.

    Tsudo was already deemed as the loser and Kawahara was the apparent winner.

    I still stand by the idea of having the surveillance cameras checked but Tsudo''s credibility just went down so much that no one is bothering to stand by his idea any longer.

    "Tsudo, that''s enough."

    And Yuka-sensei was the one who put the argument to an end.

    There was no point anymore.

    "As far as evidence goes, the kitchen is full of food and the storage shares the same scenery as well. This is meant to say that Tsudo''s whole claim was false and that Kawahara is free from punishment. I''m using evidence as a ground of certification here since it''s the most common use and we even went through several rooms just to check this so-called ''evidence''."

    We were all, except for Yuka-sensei, aware that Kawahara was lying through his teeth but couldn''t do anything about it. Because somehow, Kawahara had put all the food back to its respective places.

    But that''s not all. All the stolen accessories returned to its respective places in the owner''s rooms. This was something that was witnessed back when we checked every room.

    If we follow a logical train of thought and accept what we are perceiving, then Kawahara is the victor here.

    Nonetheless, Yuka-sensei continued.

    "And so, Tsudo and the rest of the boys who agreed with him back in class about his claim will all share the same punishment. If I recall correctly, the ones who didn''t agree with his claim were Hyunda, Akihiko and Daniel. Of course, I''m excluding Kawahara since he''s rightfully freed from punishment. Nevertheless, the rest, who agreed will all be given punishment for it, as agreed."

    Well, I was saved.

    I didn''t really care much about this anymore. While it is true that Tsudo lost, we got the food back in the end.

    We can now safely eat, as long as Kawahara doesn''t go on a rampage again.

    Also, I''m just gonna be honest here.

    This isn''t for ''we''.

    This is for ''I''.

    "Oh, I can''t wait for this, I wonder what sort of punishment you will all receive, hahaha. That''s what you get for attempting such an evil act!"

    And of course, Kawahara springs some salt back to us.

    Tsudo was unable to make a comeback because he knew that no matter how much he argued, it wouldn''t work.

    "Kawahara, make silence. This isn''t a joking matter. As for the punishment, it will be applied to everyone who agreed with Tsudo''s early claim. In other words, Tsudo, Kuzan, Sagasuga, Tatsu, Susaga, Kan, Ryoken, Rayazaki, you are all to receive punishment. Also, I do not care if you never had the intention of agreeing with Tsudo or not, the fact remains, you all did."

    "Hold up teach, that''s not right. I just agreed because it was true. This morning, there really wasn''t any food. You gotta believe me!"

    "Kan, don''t be stupid. It''s already been proven. Or, are you going to be like Tsudo and go against evidence?"

    Needless to say, Kan fell to silence. No one else bothered to make their own stand because it would be useless to do so.

    Sincerely I was quite happy with this situation.

    However, Tsudo started to glare at me furiously for some reason.

    He was right across the kitchen table, which is the exact opposite of my direction.

    "Now, allow me to declare the punishment. In the upcoming exam, which is three days from now, should any of those I mentioned and their pairings fail, then the male individual will receive a double supply exam. What does this mean? This means that if you fail, then you will take two supply exams instead of one. For the record, all of you have already taken one. Shall I remind you what happens once you are unable to take your fourth supply exam? I will remind you, anyways. You get expelled. Now, do you know what happens once you are expelled?"

    "We get sent to jail? Oh, sorry! You guys do! Hahaha, because I won''t take a part of the supply exam either way!"

    Once again, Kawahara throws salt at us for no reason at all.

    The fucker''s enjoying this so hard that he can''t erase that damn smug smirk off his face.

    "Kawahara, if you don''t take your exam seriously then you won''t be in a great position either. Don''t think that you are in any position to be celebrating this much."

    Something I''ve noticed is that Yuka-sensei''s words have been really cold lately.

    Why are the world and its people so cold?

    "This punishment will take motion at the start of February 23rd, in other words, in a few hours. Any last words?"

    It didn''t really matter what I had to say because it turned out to be crucial to the fact that I was silent back then.

    If anything, I''m proud of myself for unknowingly making the smart move.

    I think I''ll have a good sleep tonight.

    "Wait, sensei. I have something to say..."

    "Speak then, Tsudo."

    I should mention something, Tsudo, all this time, instead of looking at Kawahara with those eyes of fury, is, instead, looking at me.

    This is something beyond my current comprehension. What the hell was there about me more infuriating than Kawahara?

    He was the one who screwed you up...

    "While it is true that those who agreed with the claim should be punished and obviously, I, who made that claim should respectively get punished too, shouldn''t those who have gotten themselves involved to some degree, even if minimal, be a part of this too?"

    "I''m sorry?"

    Yuka-sensei, unable to understand what Tsudo wanted to say, questioned him.

    Everyone was puzzled too, myself included, of course. Even the winner, Kawahara, couldn''t quite catch up to what Tsudo was saying.

    "Hyunda didn''t involve him in this at all. He just searched every room and didn''t agree with me back then. Same with Akihiko. I believe that they should be excluded. But, there is one person who got slightly involved in this and isn''t being punished for it... and that is you, Daniel!"

    W-What?!

    Why is he pointing at me?!?!

    "What the hell are you talking about, Tsudo! I did absolutely nothing here!"

    "No, not true, Daniel! In the beginning, Kuzan asked you if Kawahara was inside King George''s room! To Kuzan, you replied affirmatively! You can''t deny your involvement in this! By confirming that he was there, you intentionally agreed with my statement about this! Otherwise, you would have done nothing!"

    What is this fucker talking about?!

    How does that involve me into this?!

    "That has nothing to do with it! I confirmed that Kawahara had been inside King George''s room previously but I never said that he was there right now! All I said is that it was worth checking since he had been there! That doesn''t mean that I agree with you!"

    "No... It''s all there. You didn''t agree with me because back then, you knew that if you had spoken that you''d lost. You already knew this far up, didn''t you? If one thinks about it, couldn''t you''ve been the one who put all the food back there?"

    "You''re speaking utter nonsense! It''s already been proven that the food never left its place, damn it!"

    Although I knew I was lying, there was no backing down now.

    "Regardless, you didn''t clarify it to anyone that you had a different opinion about it. Otherwise, what sense does it make to go back on your own words? You said where Kawahara might''ve been, but wasn''t that because there was a hidden purpose behind it? Because you wanted Kawahara to be found? Ultimately, you agreed with me and you know it!"

    "Fuck off, Tsudo! I never agreed with you. You''re just making shit up this time!"

    "Well, Yuka-sensei, isn''t it unfair how all of the rest gets punished just for agreeing with my claim but someone who entices further details about the suspect''s location doesn''t? Isn''t that wrong!?"

    Shit, this fucker...

    He''s not even speaking to justify himself, he just wants to send me to the same hell!

    "Although your conduct about this is malicious, I can''t ignore your point. It''s unfair to blame everyone else who made the claim and to let Daniel out of the thread. As a matter of fact, Daniel did worse than agreeing with you, therefore he will receive the same punishment as you."

    "What!? You can''t be serious right now! All I did was just for the sake of making this less time-consuming!"

    "Yes, Daniel. While I am grateful for what you have done, and that you have contributed to this investigation, you will still receive punishment. Don''t worry, all you have to do is pass the exam and nothing bad will happen. Same with the rest who received the punishment. Oh yeah, you haven''t received, so why are you all crying like little babies?!"

    I think that I became slightly furious to the point of slamming my hands into the table while arguing but I didn''t notice it.

    Shit...

    Why do I live in such an unfair world?

 Volume 4 - Chapter 28.5: This is...

    Well, it was official. Tsudo screwed me over for his own selfish reasons.

    Not that it wasn''t totally out of the option, I just simply didn''t expect him to be a total bitch about it.

    I got so mad that I left the scene and went to sleep immediately.

    And yet, the next morning...

    "...Hey, sorry, man. Forgive me, will ya?"

    "Fuck you. Don''t you dare talk to me again."

    While I do somewhat appreciate the fact that you went to the door of my room right in the morning to apologize, it doesn''t change the fact that you acted like a complete bitch, Tsudo...

    "Dude, you gotta listen to me on this. I couldn''t lose that badly to Kawahara! You know the fucker was lying, right!?"

    "Yeah, but so what? You got rekt. No point in talking about the past."

    Also, if Tsudo stays in front of me with that stupid face any longer then I might just flat out kill him.

    It''s not every day that someone who screws you over for some damn stupid reason acts this audacious.

    "So you do believe me! Thank God, man! I thought for sure that I lost the trust of everyone back then!"

    You didn''t get the trust out of anyone, we were all just desperate to eat something and if your plan somehow worked the result would be free food.

    Nevertheless, it was actually somewhat late. Time was running out, so I walked out of my room. I applied a soft lock onto the door lock and took a few steps forward which would lead to the staircase, yet...

    "Just wait, damn it! Don''t ignore me! I get that you''re mad but just listen! I didn''t have much choice back there!"

    "Shut the fuck up. You unreasonably acted out like that to someone who didn''t do anything to you in the first place. I don''t care about your explanations but you''re fucking dead to me. I thought that you were someone trustworthy for a second and that we had some similar affinities but you''re really bad, you know?"

    "I know I''m at fault but it''s precisely because it''s you that I thought that I could use this chance! I thought you''d understand my intention! My intention wasn''t to screw you over but instead, it was to let Kawahara completely not have the win!"

    Oh, I see. So basically...

    "So you used me as a scapegoat because you were a sour loser? Fuck yourself. Approach me again and I''ll decimate you. I won''t repeat myself."

    I descended the staircase without looking back. Truth to be told, whenever I''m in a somewhat pissed mood I don''t eat.

    To me, eating is something that I do either out of complete necessity or out of joy.

    Coincidentally, I wasn''t feeling like doing both.

    And Tsudo took my advice seriously since he didn''t approach me all the way to block F. He walked massively behind me but seriously refused to talk to me.

    To be honest, I couldn''t tell what I would do if I was further screwed by someone yet again.

    "Ahh... Seriously? Rain? Today?"

    While walking through the school camp, soft and wet droplets started to rain down upon my hair.

    Though, I didn''t exactly care, since I love rain.

    And that makes me a weird person.

    8:45 am. Main classroom. Block F.

    "I heard what happened! Another food argument, was it? Seriously, what''s with you people''s obsession with food? I understand and fully comprehend that food is necessary for survival but you retards are taking this was too serious."

    Lately, Basara-sensei has been out of the scene. With Yuka-sensei taking the charge for most of our classes, he only got one hour per day with us.

    And for that, I''m eternally grateful. It''s not like I fully support Yuka-sensei in a dignified manner but this demon is not meant to be a teacher.

    Friendly reminder that he made us endure slavery just for failing an exam.

    "Also, I''ve been meaning to ask you, but are you, idiots, going to fail the exam once again? Your grades have not been looking hot, honestly. This isn''t to mention your special exam ones, where you utterly fucking failed, hahaha!"

    For the record, Basara-sensei wasn''t even looking at any of the girls while saying those cold words, but instead, was looking at us, the boys. Furthermore, since we have normal exams and learn normal subjects just like any high-schooler would, there is not much point in hiding it, but, we obviously just suck at them.

    I''m not even gonna mention my own grades.

    "Sensei, I''m going to accomplish a huge result in the upcoming special exam! Mark my words!"

    "Rayazaki, is that really you? I can''t even distinguish you from your past self! What was that? Oh right, you got amnesia and you turned over a new leaf, was it?"

    At this point, since Basara-sensei has finished explaining the current subject matter, he''s openly mocking all of us until the clock hits 9 am.

    "That doesn''t matter! As a matter of fact, I can tell that the majority of the boys will try hard too! After all, yesterday''s argument had special meaning! Some of us might be in big trouble if we fail! So we have to try hard!"

    ..........

    Why do I have the feeling that Rayazaki should not have spoken out loud like that?

    "Wait, Rayazaki, what do you mean by that?"

    Of course, obnoxiously curious, Ikkiri asked Rayazaki that question.

    Even though their classroom tables were four tables away, they had initiated contact with each other.

    Plus, Basara-sensei was letting this proceed. He had a weird smile on his face for some reason.

    That was when I noticed, I wasn''t listening to music. Usually, when Basara-sensei''s attention is drawn to the class as a whole, it''s an extreme peril to listen to music on my earphones even if the volume is low.

    But, now was the perfect chance to do so.

    And, while doing so, I attracted the attention of someone.

    She avoids looking at me and I don''t look at her on principle.

    "What I mean is--"

    Just as Rayazaki was about to stupidly deliver a truthful answer to the eccentric Ikkiri, Ryoken intervenes.

    "Rayazaki, don''t say it. What stays in our dorm stays in our dorm."

    How surprising. Ryoken did a really good action. However, potentially a dumb one.

    Regardless, letting Rayazaki speak the truth of this matter was by far the one thing that we could not allow them to achieve.

    Noticeably, according to the messages between Rayazaki and Hinagiku, Rayazaki has not spoken yet of this matter.

    It should stay this way, but, I know that Rayazaki might just be forced to answer Hinagiku if she so asks her.

    "Why not? What''s so special about it?"

    "Yeah, what gives? Why are you being like this, Ryoken?"

    Both obnoxiously replying at the same time to Ryoken, who was having a hard time facing them, Ikkiri and Rayazaki didn''t let him have his way easily.

    Ryoken to me looked a bit stressful. Ever since the pairings, there were a couple of people who had been acting out of their personas.

    Such worthy mentions are Sagasuga and the one at hand, Ryoken.

    "What Yuka-sensei said to us only applies to us. Others should not know it."

    I think it was fairly easy to understand what Ryoken was trying to imply but things weren''t going to be this easy.

    "Oh? So that means you have something to hide, doesn''t it? The fact that you are covering it up means that whatever Rayazaki has to say is relevant somehow but you don''t want ''others'' to know. By the way, who is this ''others'' you speak of? Why are you being so secretive?"

    Undoubtedly, Ikkiri was being aggressive here. Ryoken was starting to sweat a bit and his eyes looked dead for some reason.

    In addition to that, after Ikkiri''s aggressive reply, Ryoken formed a formidable silence.

    Perhaps he had gained even more mental fortitude over his past losses.

    Luckily for him, I was in the mood to be aggressive too, today.

    "Ikkiri, leave him alone. If he doesn''t want to answer then he will not answer it."

    And suddenly, all eyes turned on me. Well, of course, they would.

    Why would they not, right? We are 24 people yet only four are remotely talking right now.

    "I won''t take no for an answer. I want to know and you can''t do anything about that!"

    I looked at Basara-sensei who coincidentally looked at me at the same time I did the same. From the looks of it, he wasn''t showing any signs of intervening, which means that this was completely up to me.

    Also, Ikkiri.

    You should know something before you speak. When it comes to giving information, there is always something anyone can do.

    "Very well, I''ll tell you. You don''t need to tell her, Rayazaki."

    "Wait, are you sure? If you want, I can do it inst-"

    "No need, Rayazaki. I''ll take over from here."

    I couldn''t let him speak out the truth in a stupid way.

    "The truth is, yesterday, Tsudo decided to masturbate onto the kitchen''s food."

    "WHAT!?"

    Before everyone else could express their surprise, Tsudo flipped his notebook and shouted those angry words at me.

    "According to what truly happened, Tsudo has a thing for peaches. Yesterday, Yuka-sensei witnessed a peach with a hole in it, which for some odd reason, had semen onto it. With a thorough investigation, we concluded that it was Tsudo, who is the most perverted by nature of us, to have done it."

    "That is a lie, sensei! Please don''t believe him! He''s lying!"

    Some cracked a smile while some started to laugh out loud. Some even had expressions of disgust all over their faces, mainly my table partner, who I bothered to cast a short glance.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Tsudo''s furious expression was something worth enjoying because of what he had done to me yesterday.

    Even Kawaraha, who was sound asleep started to laugh out loud.

    But I wasn''t going to stop.

    "No, it is true. There''s no point in hiding it, Tsudo. You love peaches. If we are talking about peaches in a sexual meaning then peaches can be identified as vaginas. I''m fairly certain that you all can see the pattern here. Regardless, I''ll explain it in detail. The shape of the fruit peach has an abundance of similarities when it comes to the physical organ called the vagina."

    "Daniel, you can stop now."

    "I can''t, Basara-sensei. Ikkiri wants to know the truth, so I have to let her know. Even if it means unraveling one of the most embarrassing moments yet."

    "It''s fine, I don''t want to know it anymore..."

    That''s too late, Ikkiri.

    You started this and you will finish this.

    "That is contradicting. You said that I couldn''t do anything about it and now that I am doing something about it you tell me to quit it? No, sorry. Either way, we were stupefied when we saw the recordings of it via a security camera. The recording showed a very explicit demonstration of role-playing... Tsudo, I really didn''t think you''d..."

    "Stop talking, Daniel! All of you, stop laughing! It''s not true! It''s not true, damn it!"

    In the end, I joined the waves of laughter as I pretended to find the situation funny.

    Obvious as it may sound, I wasn''t doing this for the sake of making the situation enjoyable, it was only with two goals in mind.

    To elude the truth and to make Tsudo suffer.

    "Tsudo, there''s nothing to be embarrassed about. Masturbation is a very healthy thing, in all likelihood. But, what kind of retard starts doing it with a peach, hahahaha!!"

    "Sensei!! Please don''t tease me! I didn''t do it! Ryoken! Rayazaki! Tell him!"

    Rayazaki was laughing too hard at the moment, he even started to roll on the floor, but Ryoken managed to calm down a bit and thought for a second on how he would deliver his answer.

    "...Tsudo, you should choose a more appropriate place next time, really..."

    "I seriously hate you all..."

    Against the maelstrom of laughs, Tsudo sank his head onto his table with his arms crossed. Shizuku, being his table partner continued to tease him yet that was beyond my caring.

    What needed to be accomplished was accomplished, that being, Tsudo''s first wave of suffering.

    "Tsudo''s questionable fetishes aside, I hope you all take the next special exam seriously. There have been many cases of students who neglected the first three waves of special exams and got sent to jail immediately afterward. Perhaps I should additionally briefly mention that in case if your crime is far too severe that execution will be applied."

    "About that... Sensei, what are the execution methods...? Are they scary?"

    That was a stupid question by Tateyana.

    Anything involving death should at least have a minimal degree of fear to you.

    "As far as I know the most common ones are the electric chair and asphyxia. However, I am only aware of the minimal methods of execution. There could be more."

    Both are considered deadly. As a matter of fact, they are deadly.

    "B-But I don''t want to die..."

    "Tateyana, no one wants to die, if you think about it. But, you surely didn''t think about that when you did what you did, right? Therefore, stop bitching and nail the exams and the government, which is kind enough to overlook your massive stupidity, might just give you freedom."

    "Sorry to interrupt, but what did you mean by ''might''? Shouldn''t it be a certification to freedom if we do pass all the exams?"

    Yukishiro was the one who made that question. I was thinking about the same thing. If all we had to do was pass the exams, then this should be a breeze, so why use the word ''might'' here?

    "It''s Basara-sensei, you bimbo. Also, what I said still stands. By ''might'', I was referring to the possibility of you not fucking this up somehow. Isn''t it apparent? All you have to do is pass the exams and you get a free ticket to freedom, but that is if you are able to accomplish that without putting yourself in a position where all exams you have accomplished will become irrelevant. Let me do you a little demonstration."

    It was 8:58 am, which means that he had 2 minutes to give the explanation yet Basara-sensei took hold of a certain folder that was at the top of his desk and went to a certain page for some reason.

    All of our eyes were drawn onto that folder since it could provide good answers to some of our questions.

    Even though Yukishiro was the one who bothered to ask, along with Tateyana.

    "According to this, there was a student in the past who had partaken this program and was doing fairly well. The student had aced all exams even. Remarkably, the student was set out to have freedom. That was, until the third year when the student did a certain action which put the nail the coffin."

    "What action was that, Basara-sensei...?"

    Curious to a more serious extent now, Yukishiro addressed Basara-sensei in a dignified manner.

    "It doesn''t specify. It, however, states that the student was accused of multiple rape attempts and that the student was condemned to death via asphyxia."

    "But how is that possible...? Didn''t that student did all the exams correctly?"

    "Certainly, Yuki, you''re not incorrect there. Taking all the exams correctly is the sure way to succeed here. However, can criminals deny their nature in order to do the correct thing? Is that not the reason why you are all here? Because you all refused to do the correct thing and followed your nature?"

    "Are you saying that the student didn''t get expelled from the program via exam failure but because the student did something else?"

    "That''s right, Yuki. That was what I was implying. As a last warning, let me tell you---"

    Perhaps it''s in her veins to make such strong entrances, but Yuka-sensei didn''t even wait. As soon as it was 9 am, she slammed the door in such a brute manner that Basara-sensei''s upcoming words were completely erased.

    Something to remark was that she was wearing a ponytail today along with her usual teacher uniform.

    "My time is up, it seems. I''ll see you all tomorrow. Behave well, retards."

    God, such a nice way to say goodbye to your students, to call them retards.

    "Ara, you can stay if you want!"

    "I don''t want to stay. Out of my way, right now. I''ll german suplex you."

    "I-It can''t be helped then..."

    This was getting weird. Basara-sensei was trying to leave through the main door but Yuka-sensei was prioritizing blocking his way.

    What the hell?

    "Yuka, I fucking swear, if you don''t get out of my way right now I really will do it!"

    "That''s the whole point, Basara!"

    "Well, ok---"

    While this was getting heated up, there was a person who was innocent to the point of coming to Yuka-sensei''s rescue, who, was probably and most likely, about to receive a german suplex.

    "Please no fighting! Yuka-sensei! Basara-sensei!"

    It was kinda like a mother and father who were having a very intense argument and then their children, who was bearing the whole argument while listening to it, comes out of its room only to stop them.

    But seriously, this was entirely stupid. I can''t believe that Hinagiku had to go there just to stop this BDSM type of argument.

    "My, you''re so cuteeeee! Hinagikuuu!"

    "Staph thastt!"

    Yuka-sensei was pulling Hinagiku''s cheeks out for some reason and was playing with them because they were probably adorable in her eyes.

    In the middle of this, Basara-sensei had officially taken off.

    10 am. Gymnasium.

    "H-How do you even do this...? Ahh... I can only do one! Just one!"

    "It''s normal at first, you''ll get there. The trick isn''t strength but flexibility and what movements you waste in order to contract your arms."

    Right now, I was teaching Yulia how to do push-ups, but it was meaningless.

    I even tried several alternatives such as push-ups with knees on the ground, push-ups with bars, incline push-ups, and whatnot.

    Yulia was practicing them on a mat but it didn''t matter at all.

    Also, we were alone in the gymnasium. For some reason, Rayazaki and Yukishiro did not show up today.

    Since it was raining outside, we had agreed to close the windows and the blinds while turning up the lights. Realistically speaking this gymnasium was fantastic. The air condition was nice and it had multiple body-building machines for some odd reason.

    I say this because it isn''t normal for a gymnasium to be this fancy. It even has a sandbag which corresponds to boxing itself. Just what exactly is the purpose here?

    Right now, we were in an area that had the correct machines for training the abdominal area.

    But I really wasn''t starting to see the point here. Of course, I wouldn''t say that to Yulia who was trying hard here in order to stabilize her mood.

    "I can''t do this... I just can''t..."

    Yulia had given up, it seems. She even put her wrist on her forehead while wheezing quite hard.

    Naturally, my eyes were focused somewhere else at all times yet mentioning that and thinking about that would lead to bad results.

    Punching myself in that area would be unnecessary right now.

    Also, I wasn''t going to fixate myself on the current topic, which was push-ups.

    Thus, I said to Yulia, who was lying on the mat with her body facing up this time:

    "Who do you think is going to fail?"

    Maybe I should have mentioned to Yulia that it would be better for her to sit down on one of the benches that are right at the entrance of the gymnasium. Nevertheless, my position remained the same, as I stood close to her while looking down at her.

    "Ah.. Ahhh.... Um..."

    She''s obviously tired. Even though she had not done a considerable amount of physical exercise yet, Yulia was without a doubt, tired. Her breathing was all over the place and, as shown, she could not form a proper initial answer.

    "You don''t have to answer if you don''t want to. I was just curious."

    I wonder what size she wears.

    "N-No, I''m just... tired. But... I don''t think anyone is going to pass this exam, honestly. It doesn''t make any sense to expect something out of pairings whose physical abilities contrast."

    That much was obvious. That''s also why I see no point in practicing.

    Neither Yulia nor anyone who shares the same degree of physical strength as her will be able to achieve a remarkable evolution in just a few days.

    It''s impossible.

    "So you think that we are going to lose?"

    I had to ask her that question. Simply because she didn''t exclude us from her previous statement.

    "I''m sorry... As I''ve said, it''s not your fault... But the exam itself is illogical and I can''t help but feel that we are doomed to fail no matter how we go at it."

    "Don''t say that, Yulia. If that''s the case, then everyone will fail too."

    "Yeah, that''s what I said. It''s so unfair how we can''t do anything about it. I''ve asked you to train me but it''s not going to work, is it?"

    Yulia was asking me the truth and this time around, I had no intention of denying it.

    But, being blunt about it could have a counter-productive result on her emotions.

    "You''re correct about that. But, it''s not your fault. A physical exam immediately puts you at a disadvantage. Furthermore, Yuka-sensei said that the weakest element of the pair will have to do 50% of the tasks. To put it in a basic way of understanding it, in a 5km run, you will have to run a minimum of 2.4kms. In 30 push-ups, you''ll have to do 16. It must seem impossible to you, I bet."

    It''s no easy task to simply just do all these in the span of 5 or so days.

    Plus, it''s completely against any sort of logical way of thinking when someone thinks that a student who has asthma on top of it, can perform these physical exercises.

    "Hey, Daniel..."

    "What, Yulia?"

    Instead of looking to me with her eyes, she folded her whole right forearm onto her eyes. I, however, didn''t take my eyes off her. Nonetheless, the tone of her voice was losing strength.

    Not due to any physical reaction or problem, but because she was being hopeless about the situation.

    So far, Yulia had been negative about the whole situation.

    "Let''s just skip practice and fail the exam. There''s no point in trying, right? Therefore, what are we even here for? Your intentions are simple and understandable. You want to pass the exam. Honestly, what you have done to get 1000 years of jail worth must be pretty severe, hence you are trying to buy your ticket for freedom. But I just can''t..."

    It wasn''t only her voice that got weaker. Her legs were starting to shake. For some reason, Yulia was demonstrating how guilty her conscience truly was.

    If that''s the case, then something doesn''t make sense.

    "Hey, Yulia. You''re being pretty honest right now, you know? I appreciate that, but are you really being serious? Are you sure that you aren''t trying to pull out anythin-"

    "Is that what you seriously are thinking...? Really?"

    Although it was just a test to see whether or not she was being genuine about this, her voice tone got stronger, to say the least.

    "No, it was just a test. But, aren''t you in the same position as I am? Can you afford to fail without trying?"

    "You''ve failed the previous exam, Daniel. I''m not in the same position as you. Should you fail this exam then you will accumulate the second supply exam. This would be my first. I don''t mind failing here."

    The rain outside was pouring hard. It was entirely noticeable due to the fact that the droplets were bouncing straight at the steel blinds.

    With that said, the sound of the droplets made the atmosphere a bit suspensive, to say the least.

    "That''s a naive way of thinking. What if all the special exams from now on are physical ones? Are you just going to have the same mindset? That''s stupid. If that''s the case then you will just fail every time."

    I realize how blunt I was while saying this but Yulia had to understand how idealistic she was being while saying those words.

    But, to my surprise, Yulia got up from the mat and faced my face from a closer distance. There were only a few centimeters separating us.

    "Would Basara-sensei suggest an exam like that? He wouldn''t right? Then, isn''t this Yuka-sensei''s fault? Isn''t she entirely to blame for this?"

    "Yulia, what are you saying exactly? Yuka-sensei was the one who thought the exam up. You can''t entirely blame her. All exams are like that."

    Yulia''s started to bite her nails furiously which was a sign of frustration. She didn''t even care that her bangs were out of the place as well.

    Something was wrong with Yulia.

    Yet, what?

    "No... I don''t agree with your logic. She is to blame, Daniel. From the start, it''s illogical to suggest an exam like this. An exam should test individuality, but, I understand that I, individually, lack physical prowess in order to excel in this exam. Yet, the bitch did this willingly. That''s wrong. It can''t be allowed."

    And now she was using a stronger vocabulary.

    But Yulia...

    "It can''t be helped. Of course, she would put us under a scenario like this. Remember, we are criminals, in her mind, we don''t deserve any shred of mercy. This is probably her way of showing ''equality''. There''s nothing we can do about it. We just have to accept our fate, I think."

    I truly meant those words, but Yulia was showing a demonic expression and even grabbed me two hands. Subsequently, she also closed our distance even more.

    "Daniel, we don''t have to surrender to her like that. As I previously mentioned, Basara-sensei would not be the type of person to do illogical exams like this. Therefore, he is the superior choice when it comes to selecting special exams, correct?"

    "From what he has shown, yes. But, Yulia, that doesn''t mean that he won''t resort to exams like this. You know it''s a possibility..."

    However, as I spoke, it was as if my own words didn''t even matter in the first place.

    "Don''t you get it, Daniel? Since Basara-sensei is the superior choice, he should be the one to select and administrate the special exams in the first place!"

    "That''s not possible anymore, though. Basara-sensei isn''t our homeroom teacher any longer."

    "But... Why is that, Daniel?"

    "Why? Isn''t it obvious? Because Yuka-sensei took his place..."

    Where is Yulia going with this?

    I can''t comprehend her intentions right now...

    "That''s right! The bitch took his place! And so, her whole existence allowed this event to happen in the first place. Nonetheless, if you think about it, her existence is to be blamed for this event!"

    "Yes, I know that. But so what? There''s nothing we can really do now."

    "Ahhh... No."

    "What?"

    I had officially hit a state of confusion that was perpetually high.

    "As I''ve mentioned, her existence is the source of this exam. Without her, this won''t happen. Plus, if her existence is eliminated then this whole exam will probably be canceled, right? It wouldn''t make any sense to continue an exam whose premise belonged to someone else."

    "Yulia, what are you saying exactly?"

    "I''m saying what I''m saying. Daniel, you have killed before, right?"

    It wouldn''t make much sense to deny this since I''ve done it and due to the fact that I said out loud to Yulia that I did an act that might''ve implied the death of three people.

    "What does that have to do with it though?"

    Ultimately, she closed the distance between us. Not one that would symbolize a kiss but close to it.

    However, it wasn''t for any romantic purposes, or so spoke my intuition.

    And, I was correct.

    "Everything. Daniel. You and I. Let''s kill her."

 Volume 5 - Chapter 29: I hate you.

    February 23rd, 7:30 am.

    Since the special exam annunciation, I couldn''t help but look forward to my partner. I was especially excited because I would finally be able to communicate with someone else without having to make the move first.

    But, it turned out to be disappointing, to say the least.

    Now, I know I read a lot of romance literature but it doesn''t hurt to think that a romantic scenario could happen to you pretty soon, right? Most surely when you are paired up with a boy.

    The chance is there, therefore, what gives?

    Why is my partner so utterly useless in every department?

    Those were the thoughts of someone like me, who loves maintaining her appearance, in the morning before going to school.

    "Mhm... Mint or cupcake flavor...?"

    Something I personally heavily like is toothpaste flavors. Not in the sense where you eat them, but in the sense that when you brush your teeth, you can feel a luscious sensation.

    "I''m feeling like choosing cupcake flavor, honestly. Mint sometimes feels too fresh. It''s nice to have a change."

    Given that I hadn''t had this flavor for quite a while, it''s been a bit.

    I''ve got a plethora of things to do still. To start off, after brushing my teeth twice, I''ll have to apply multiple facial creams. In order to create a pleasant appearance, a facial cream is a must.

    Needless to say, since my hair is currently a mess, I need to fix it. My usual look revolves around my noticeable brown twin-tails.

    My crystal-like white skin turns out to be very alluring so I naturally take care of it with consistency.

    "I''m this pretty yet I''m still single..."

    I said those words to the mirror that was in front of me while I kept on brushing my teeth.

    Am I far too idealistic to think that romance will naturally come to your life along its years?

    Surely, in my past years, I''ve had plenty of boyfriends.

    It was simply a shame for what happened, but it can''t be helped.

    "Really, what gives? Why? Why is Hyunda so useless when it comes to physical exercise? At this rate, we will fail and for that, it will all be his fault..."

    Hajime Hyunda. That''s the silver-haired boy who was paired up with me. I''m familiar with the formula for this selection, but it''s purely absurd how someone can be this bad at physical exercise.

    Obviously, I excel at physical exercise but not to the point where I would put myself in a position to call myself an expert in that area.

    Hyunda just sucks at it and, he doesn''t try to improve it!

    It''s been two days ever since and he hasn''t shown any sign of desiring a change!

    Not only is that bad for me, but for him as well, yet he acts as if he doesn''t care!

    It''s impossible not to care in this scenario because he''s doomed if he fails...

    "I need to make him be successful in order to make myself be successful!"

    As I spat out my saliva mixed with the toothpaste cream to the bottom of the clean sink while saying those words out loud, I had to question some things first...

    The real question wasn''t if we were going to fail or not, but what could I do to make sure we wouldn''t.

    Fortunately, I think I just have the right solution in mind. Hyunda, over these last two days, has shown no signs of improvement nor any signs of taking the practical lessons seriously.

    He even skips Yuka-sensei''s after classes class... This is pure proof that he doesn''t care.

    Yet, I''ll make him care.

    "This is going to work. I know it will!"

    After all, Hyunda, just like any of the other guys has a very vulnerable weakness and that is, belonging to the male gender.

    9:15 am, main classroom, block F.

    I could tell that the P.E classes were about to start but what I additionally could tell was that there were multiple eyes on me for a good reason at it too.

    That''s right. In order to fully capture Hyunda''s attention and to drive him into a person who will do what I please, I will resort to my natural beauty as a weapon. It''s not as if I haven''t done this before, but I had to make sure that he would finally compromise.

    Even though it''s winter, I am the only girl who is crazy enough to wear her skirt this short. Of course, that wasn''t all, I put on my purple lipstick and had a considerable amount of perfume smell on me, which was noticeably amazing.

    Plus, as always, I put on a radiant smile for everyone to see me. Tatsu, the one next to me, is looking at me in and out.

    He probably thinks that I don''t notice his looks but I do.

    Do all boys think that we just don''t notice?

    How stupid.

    My current position in comparison to Hyunda''s is in the middle line. There are three lines with a total of eight tables on each of the lines, but I was in the middle line while Hyunda was on the left line.

    If I were in the left line then my table would be in front of his just by one table.

    In other words, from his position, he can see me pretty well.

    It''s theoretically impossible to deny my abundant feminine charm yet...

    "Are we even real, Hyunda? Hey, I found something on the internet last night. Wanna know what it is?"

    "What, Ikkiri...?"

    Something worth mentioning about Hyunda is that he never takes his face off the outside scene. What I''m saying is that Hyunda never looks at anything except what''s outside.

    Never for once does he pay attention to class nor does he form any sort of conversation.

    The only remarkable interaction from him would be when he and Basara-sensei had that weird one to one talk for whatever reason.

    Nevertheless, aside from that, he doesn''t cast a single glance at anyone else.

    Or, so I thought, but somehow...

    "Solipsism! It''s so scary but interesting! So listen up, according to Solipsism, there''s a vast chance that we are not even real in the first place! Isn''t that amazing?!"

    "That''s not entirely true though. You''ve explained it badly... Listen, Solipsism is a concept that incorporates the very theory and possibility of the ''self'' being the only person who truly exists. This isn''t referring to the metaphysical position but-- Actually, I''m wrong... Both in metaphysics and epistemology, the mind of the ''self'' is the only thing that exists... Also, it''s not a possibility, it''s a certainty. Only you exist, the scenario."

    Although they are talking in another line and in a place where I''m technically in front of them, I could hear their conversation.

    Occasionally, I would steal glances at Hyunda, who, for some reason, looked at Ikkiri when talking to her.

    Usually, I would interpret that as basic manners but something was entirely wrong in this instance.

    Ikkiri was all over his face. It was as if she forced herself onto his field of vision by clinging onto his side of the table favorably.

    That was troublesome because it would completely erase the possibility of Hyunda paying attention to me and to look at me.

    I''m your partner in this exam, right?

    You''ve surely thought of me for a second, haven''t you, Hyunda?

    Yet you act like you haven''t by not looking at me...

    "Wow, you do know about it! I knew it. Tell me more about it, then. I don''t need to search more of it if you''d be as kind as to tell me the rest."

    "It''s not something worth knowing in the first place. It''s also a really stupid belief. Some even believe that reality isn''t even real and that it''s all a simulation. Don''t bother with it. You''re better off believing fairytales."

    Why are you not even paying the slightest of attention when I''m looking at you this constantly?

    ..........

    He just keeps on talking back to her.

    Why?

    Also, why isn''t sensei just ending the class and moving us to P.E class where I can actually talk to Hyunda?

    "Bold of you to assume that I don''t believe in fairytales. Also, isn''t everything incorporated by our beliefs in the first place? It''s fine to believe in Solipsism since it''s a possibility."

    "No, it''s not... It''s not a healthy belief... You... You do realize that whatever isn''t confirmed or known surely is called a possibility, correct? If so, then the possibilities are infinite..."

    "Then, I''ll just have to infinitely believe in all possibilities..."

    "That''s great, Ikkiri. Really great..."

    "Hehe, I know."

    Doesn''t Ikkiri realize that Hyunda just used sarcasm? How can you be so clueless about Hyunda?

    It''s also pretty obvious that he doesn''t want to talk to you anymore, so why are you on his face even after that?

    I don''t understand.

    What''s the whole point of Ikkiri''s constant nagging? From what I can observe, she''s not demonstrating any romantic affections.

    A girl usually begins to talk to another guy this much when she is romantically enveloped with him or when she has minimal feelings for him, but this isn''t it.

    This is just a simple conversation with no real goal. It''s so casual.

    If that''s the case, then what''s your whole deal even?

    Why are you acting so out of your way with Hyunda, Ikkiri?

    10:00 am.

    Only after a great total of 45 minutes, did we get into the athletic field where we usually train.

    Yuka-sensei mentioned something like we could use any place that would allow us to train.

    Anyone could just simply boycott by using a valid excuse here but I think everyone knows that boycotting isn''t exactly an option.

    So, in conclusion, only those seeking to strive would take this seriously.

    And lastly, I was alone with Hyunda, who was behind me while following me to one of the running platforms.

    I should mention that unlike my female companions, I''m wearing a sports skirt and they are wearing sports jeans.

    Naturally, I got quite a few looks on me but it can''t be helped.

    Even though I was freezing in cold, I could not show that.

    All of this just to capture the attention of someone who seemed detached from reality itself.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    "Hey, Hyunda, let''s do a run!"

    "Why? You''ll just win. You''re faster too."

    Not off to a good start, it seems.

    But that''s fine. You''ll soon realize that whatever defenses you have, that they will be ultimately useless.

    "Don''t think like that! That''s a negative way of thinking."

    "And what''s wrong with it? Being negative most of the time brings the realistic side of the situation to face immediately. Negativity is a good thing."

    Why is Hyunda not looking at me when I''m talking to him...?

    I understand that we are still a bit far away from the platform since it stays a bit far away from the usual one, but what gives?

    "Why don''t you look at people when they are talking to you?"

    "It''s pointless to look at people when talking to them. What matters are the words that come out from your mouth. If looking is so important then will my eyes making contact with your eyes bring out more information? No, they won''t. The mouth is what matters because the mouth tells what my thoughts are, not my eyes."

    Yet you look at Ikkiri...

    Or do you think that I didn''t notice it...?

    Also, why is he so blunt about things? Doesn''t he know how to show courtesy to someone who is talking to you in a sweet manner? Especially when it''s someone like me who far excels at looks.

    It''s by chance that I''m giving you permission to have a chance to talk to me but you, instead, use your own individuality in the most intoxicatingly excruciating way ever, Hyunda...

    "The eyes tell a lot, you know?"

    "They don''t. All they tell is the color, nothing more. Well, enough of this nonsense, what are you going to make me do today...?"

    "It''s not nonsense..."

    Also, how strange. Hyunda, this time around, asked me what I was going to make him do.

    While it is excessive to claim that I am making him do all these physical exercises, he is showing signs of cooperation, for once.

    "Hey, what happened?"

    "Nothing happened, Arkalee... You will make me do the physical exercises regardless of whether I say no, right?"

    That''s the first time he called me by my real name.

    Previously, he only had treated me as ''You'', but this time, he called me my real name.

    Suddenly, I stopped caring for the chilly weather that was corrupting the fragility of my legs'' sensibility.

    "Yeah, because we must pass the exam. So, I''ll put you into shape now that we are here! Come on, give me ten laps in 5 minutes around the course!"

    "You can''t be serious... 10 laps...? I''m going to die."

    "That''s not true, Hyunda! You got this. Go for it, good luck!"

    "As if luck''s going to do anything..."

    Since we were already in this huge running oval platform, all Hyunda had to do was run 10 laps all over the 100-meter course.

    In other words, a full kilometer. In 5 minutes. This is pretty basic.

    I''m sure that Hyunda can do this if he applies himself enough.

    5 minutes later.

    He''s on his 4th lap still...

    How slow can you be?! This is a child''s play!

    Well, he now finished his fifth lap and passed right through me.

    His breathing was completely out of the place...

    What is he doing?!

    "Hyunda, stop!"

    "Ahhh.... T-Thank you lord..."

    I''m somewhat angry at him, but it''s not entirely due to his failed result but because he is doesn''t look like he is trying.

    Hyunda, so far, has not truly exhausted himself, from my point of view. From the looks of it, he''s just running at his desired pace...

    Therefore, I had to put my right hand on his slender yet rigid shoulder in order for him to stop running.

    "Why aren''t you taking this seriously, Hyunda!? Do you want to fail?"

    "What are you talking about...? Can''t you see I''m taking this seriously? I''m about to die here you know..."

    "Don''t play dumb. You''re not trying! I hate when people don''t take me seriously!"

    It''s infuriating when someone who is paired up with you has the absolute audacity to take this training that I personally came up with minimal effort!

    But...

    It''s foolish to vent my anger to him because right now, what I need to do is something entirely different.

    "But... What must I do for you to take this seriously?"

    "I told you a million times already, Arkalee. I''m taking this seriously. You''re just not believing me because you''re convinced or under the impression that somehow I have greater potential when it comes to physical exercise."

    "That''s not true. I saw you when you were running with Daniel. In that run, you ran at a fast pace. You can''t fool me..."

    What does he take me for?

    There''s nothing that I don''t notice.

    "Also... Please look at me! It''s embarrassing to say something to a person who''s not even looking at you!"

    After all this time, Hyunda has not looked in my direction at all. He seems more interested in the flying birds.

    What the hell?

    This doesn''t make any sense.

    Any boy would hastily feast their eyes on my overwhelming looks and beautiful face yet this guy...

    He''s not even replying!

    "Hyunda, are you listening to me? Did you hear what I just said?"

    "I heard you loud and clear."

    "Good. So, you do remember when I asked you what you wanted in order to take this seriously? Let me further emphasize on that... I can.... G-Give..."

    Purposely speaking slowly, I started to show visible embarrassment in my speech.

    To make sure that Hyunda would pay attention to my words, I put myself in front of him just so our eyes would make contact.

    His white eyes looked at me without looking elsewhere.

    Normally, my appearance is so empowered with irresistible traits that it''s virtually impossible for any boy to stare at me for so long yet Hyunda looked at me as if he was piercing through me...

    Speaking of which, why is his jawline so--

    "Aren''t you going to finish your sentence? What is it, Arkalee? We are here alone. If it''s something embarrassing to the outside public now''s the chance. After all, you made sure to completely isolate us from everyone else..."

    Again, he called me by my name...

    O-Oh no, I got lost in my train of thought!

    Um, what was I going to say again...

    Why am I the one who''s starting to feel physically intimidated now that we are physically closer...?

    "Forget it... Erm!"

    I had to turn around to avoid looking at him in the eye for now.

    Something went wrong, it seems.

    Thus, regaining my firm posture should be my first objective here.

    Deep breaths, deep breaths...

    That''s right, deep breaths always help.

    Cool down...

    "10 push-ups on the floor! Right now! After that, 10 squats! All under a minute!"

    "What..."

    "No complaining, do it!"

    Although I wasn''t looking at him, I heard the sound of his palms connecting to the cold and stiff ground.

    The hard ground that was only a few meters from me, in there stood Hyunda, who I looked at now.

    Certainly, he was showing struggle with his push-ups but his form isn''t bad.

    His back trapezium is contracting fairly well, the only problem is the slowness in his arms.

    Once I regained focus on my task, my cool came back.

    "Gah... I can''t do it anymore."

    "Only 6!?"

    Unbeliavable! How can someone be this weak?!

    Aren''t you ashamed to look this bad in front of a girl?!

    To stay on the floor that is so cold for so long as well?!

    "It is what it is."

    Now that Hyunda is tired, I should take this chance to...

    "Are you seeing someone right now, Hyunda?"

    "It depends. Do I count? I hang out with myself quite a lot."

    ...What?

    What kind of answer is that!? How can you ruin the mood with such a crappy joke?!

    Why is everything going wrong today when it comes to this guy?!

    Is my appearance not having any effect on him!?

    "I-I see. Well, what do you think of me today? How do I look?"

    "You look ready to be banged. Almost mini-skirt in this winter? You''re making whores look bad."

    I stepped on his face.

    "Sorry, I won''t say that again."

    "I''m serious. Give me a serious answer or I''ll step you elsewhere."

    While most people would consider what Hyunda just said as a joke, I don''t.

    It''s not even funny to joke about those types of things.

    In response to my words, Hyunda got up immediately perhaps because he didn''t want to test where I would step on him next.

    Nevertheless, I purposely stepped on him for a reason, just so he could have a sacred view.

    "You''re fine, I guess? Your twintails are nice. What''s there more to say?"

    What?

    Is that it?!

    Are you serious? What about the fact that I smell this good? What about my skirt that I''m wearing while catching this horrendous cold just to capture your attention? What about my lipstick which I only use on occasions? And my crystal clear skin?

    Do you have any idea how much effort I went through just to make this worth it? I''m even being kind to someone like you, whose only kind words were ''You''re fine, I guess? and ''Your twintails are nice.''! Yet that''s not even kind enough!

    Christ, I even put on black makeup when I knew that it would ruin itself when doing physical exercise! Earrings of gold too! Don''t get me started on my hand gestures which symbolize my innocence!

    But no, all you can say is that I''m fine and that my twintails are nice?!

    What is wrong with you!!!

    "Wow, what''s with the expressio-"

    "Shut up right now. Not a single word. Go do some laps while you''re at it."

    I can''t make my anger obvious so I gave a task to Hyunda, who, fortunately, followed the lead.

    Why do I feel like pulling out my divine hair strands right now?! I''ve never ever been this embarrassed in my whole life!

    Calm down, calm down...

    "Deep breaths... One... Two and three...! Uuuuu."

    I kept on doing the repeated breathing exercises to calm down. It''s something that I''ve done ever since little only when I''m truly stressed, but right now, I''m not only stressed but confused.

    What can I possibly do in my power to gain Hyunda''s attention?

    My experience tells me that it is impossible for a man to not fall in love with my womanly charms but Hyunda''s whole existence is repelling a whole new answer.

    Think.

    Think.

    Think!

    ............

    Isn''t it just an act? Now that I think about it, a lot of men just put up a strong front in order for women to think that they are untangibly emotionless yet that''s not true at all.

    It doesn''t matter who you are, if you are capable of harnessing feelings of attraction, then you will surely fall in love too.

    Appearance isn''t irrelevant, it is, in fact, far more relevant than what people think.

    "Hyunda... Your individuality is grand, but it won''t stop the impossible."

    Luckily, Hyunda is far away while running at a disastrous pace.

    But I had made my decision.

    As soon as he passes here, I will allure him with my words.

    And eventually...

    "Stop, Hyunda! I need to say something!"

    "Ahhh... What is it?"

    Not looking at me, are we?

    My, oh my, you still haven''t learned your lesson, have you?

    "Why can''t you look at me? Are you embarrassed?"

    In the middle of this plain platform only used for running, only two people stood in it.

    Noticeably, me and this silver-haired boy who refused to look at me in the eye.

    By closing the distance between us, I made absolutely sure that our eyes would make contact.

    However, closing just the distance wasn''t enough. I couldn''t let any blank spaces left between us.

    This is for the sake of motivating him and to do that, I''m willingly going through lengths of sheer shame.

    It can''t be helped, alright?

    "W-Why are you...?"

    "Oh? You''re finally showing embarrassment!"

    "Of course I am, your cleavage is touching my chest, how am I not supposed to feel embarrassment?"

    "I thought you were gay for a second. Just admit it, you can''t resist my looks..."

    "No, they are resistible. What''s not resistible is your cleavage. I don''t want to show embarrassment, but you are triggering my human instincts."

    So it wasn''t meaningless after all. It''s going perfectly.

    If I can keep Hyunda like this then it should be easy to manipulate him into trying harder. This way, he will produce a better result in the exam.

    Once you are seduced, there is no going back. You can''t simply retake the experience.

    That''s not how attraction works. Especially, physical one.

    "I-I see! So you do recognize them! Then, you will try hard, o-okay?"

    "...What? That''s entirely unreasonable. My attraction isn''t according to my will at all... It''s a physical reaction, not a chemical one. Also, I''ve mentioned how I can''t perform more just because you want me to. Also, why are you so red...?"

    "I-I''m not red! You''re red!"

    "Yeah, well, at least I admit it. Also, can you back off? Aren''t you embarrassed right now? I''ve got no idea what your aim is but this is a bit excessive..."

    My mind is going blank for no reason.

    Ever since I made contact with them, I thought for sure that I would be in complete control yet he''s showing the ability to control himself even in such a situation!

    How is this possible!?

    I must retreat for now...

    "H-Hm... It appears that you are experienced in this! It''s not possible to not feel attracted to me, you can''t lie! Admit it, that I''m beautiful!"

    "I can''t, Arkalee. I don''t want you to get the wrong impression of the truth."

    "Why are you so rude!? Are you implying that I''m not beautiful?! You must be blind then!"

    "Would a blind person be able to follow you all the way here willingly while not knowing the way? Maybe if the person was guided by a hand, but that wasn''t the case-"

    "Enough with your jokes! Take this seriously! I can''t take your sarcastic behavior! It''s obvious that you are feigning ignorance! What must I do to change that!? I just want to pass the exam but you are not cooperating!"

    In the middle of this, he has stopped looking at me once again.

    Hyunda''s behavior is truly beyond my understanding. I''m totally convinced that he is simply not taking this seriously but I have no clue why and that makes me angry!

    What''s the deal with him!?

    "You ran the fastest from all the girls, you were destined to be paired up with a slowpoke like me. I realize that you were unlucky but, oh well."

    "Don''t ''Oh well'' me! It''s your fault and you are taking responsibility for it! Take this seriously right now, or else...!"

    This time, though, Hyunda looked at me with his fierce white eyes.

    I have no clue whether or not my face is still red but I had to transmit my serious seriousness onto him right now.

    Failing the exam isn''t an option.

    Also, I won''t fail just because Hyunda''s incompetent. If Hyunda was truly incompetent then I wouldn''t care and just would''ve accepted the fact that I was unlucky, but that''s not the case.

    He''s hiding something! I know it!

    Therefore, I will act on my intuition!

    "I''m getting tired of having to repeat myself so here goes this for the last time. I can''t possibly produce whatever results you have in mind because you view myself far too high. These are my limits. You have to accept that. And, it doesn''t matter what you say, I''m not taking responsibility."

    How irresponsible can you be?!

    It''s so unfair!!!! Agh!

    You leave me no choice, then...

    "I will accuse you of raping me if you don''t show any signs of cooperation!"

    "Don''t say such bullshit. You can''t be serious right now."

    "We are here all alone, there were witnesses who saw us leaving the main field just to be alone. Plus, your fingerprints are on my shirt which is coincidentally the place I forced you to touch. My b-boobs! That''s right, you don''t have any choice!"

    I didn''t want to resort to this, but I can use this whole event to my advantage.

    Now, hopefully--

    "What a flawed claim. But, it''s a supposedly reasonable one. However, that''s only under the scenario that you manage to deliver that information with pieces of evidence to a higher force. I can simply tear your shirt to shreds and that will immediately delete any sort of anecdotical evidence you have."

    "Sure, but who says I need anecdotical evidence, anyway? Hyunda, I can also use the fact that I''m wearing a skirt today to my side of the argument here. Think about it, isn''t it just foolish to claim that you didn''t rape me when I look this daring? Come on, why don''t you admit it?"

    To taunt him even further, I played with me skirt by swaying it from left to right but he wasn''t showing any visible frustration at all.

    "You''re so bad at this. Go ahead. Accuse me of ''raping you''. Just know this, you will have to go through so much effort just to make a solid claim at me without any anecdotical evidence. You want my cooperation, right? Fine. I''ll be minimally serious about this then. Just because I don''t have the time to deal with you and also there''s the fact that I want to pass this exam too."

    "Ha, I knew it-"

    "Also, I would never rape you. Hell, you''re not even worth doing it. Don''t make up such false claims while they are false in all senses."

    H-How does he dare to embarrass me to this extent!

    "Whatever... You said you''ll take this minimally serious, right? What does that mean even?"

    "I''ll do the minimal tasks that imply me taking this minimally serious. Therefore, Arkalee, I will do the tasks that are in the exam for me to do, but only those that are needed for the minimal positive score. I will not go above that. Plus, I will not train anymore."

    "No, Hyunda! You will train. You have to show me that you are minimally capable of doing the tasks!"

    "Arkalee, don''t boss me around too much. I''m a nice person by nature but I do have my emotional triggers as well. If you push my buttons, you might just come out ripped."

    You''re not even a nice person...

    You''re just a horrible person who can''t appreciate the obvious cute aspects of my appearance.

    Even my personality is entirely desirable.

    "I don''t care... You''ve hurt my feelings when I was entirely nice to you. I won''t forgive that."

    "So you''re hurt because you can''t control your own emotions? That''s just sad."

    "Hey! Change that temper, or I will really accuse you!! Don''t doubt me!"

    "Alright, Arkalee. I''ll try to keep up with your messy emotions. Just don''t cry too hard, please. I''m not good with emotional people, that''s why I may not show compassion that often. Be glad that I''m going out of my way to explain such simplicity."

    Subsequently, after saying those words, Hyunda formed an explosive dash and took off with a formidable speed while applying a remarkable stride.

    Dust was also, consequentially, scattered all over the place.

    For the very first time in my life, this was, by far, the only boy to ever show this much resistance and rejection towards my whole being. I can''t help but feel offended every time he speaks.

    Personally, currently, I hate him. Every fiber of my being screams whenever I look at him.

    This was also, my first real talk with Hyunda and how we started off from the wrong foot.

 Volume 5 - Chapter 30: I love you.

    February 24th. 7:00 am.

    From all the accumulated stress, I didn''t sleep all night. Right now, I''m staring at the ceiling of my room from my bed. There''s nothing spectacular about it, it''s a white ceiling after all.

    Currently, I''m also blankly staring while trying to empty these calamitous thoughts out of my head.

    "At least he''ll cooperate now..."

    Though, yesterday, Hyunda was quite fast. Not in an amazing way, but his speed became way faster. Simply speaking, he showed me his minimally serious side and completed the training that I made him do.

    But...

    "Why... Can''t you be a little more caring, damn it?!"

    The main reason for my current fury isn''t because of his lack of cooperation. No, that already has been settled. Through shameless blackmail, I managed to bribe him by claiming that I would accuse him of raping me.

    All I wanted was his cooperation and I got that, but I can''t forgive his loutish words and languid manner at the same time.

    I will not let him have his way.

    "But, what can I do...? I''ve been thinking about it all night and I still haven''t found any possible solutions to this... Does his behavior have any weaknesses so to speak? Even when he got bribed he showed an extremely relaxed expression..."

    Given that he will cooperate, there is something else that I must achieve and that is, his approval. Not because I want his attention but it''s because no man has ever shown signs of resistance this high --- It must be purely coincidental ---- therefore something is wrong here.

    His being is not above mine. I can find out his soft spot and hopefully make him mine.

    Yet, why am I in such a rush to do this...?

    This was originally an attempt to make him cooperate but now, why am I doing this...?

    Ah... That''s right, that''s right.

    It''s to win and make him regret ever saying those uncouth words to a munificent person like me.

    There''s nothing else to it, that''s the main reason.

    "It''s so strange though... Why am I feeling so emotionally conflicted right now?"

    Unfortunately, my low tone words used to speak to myself were interrupted by my morning clock.

    Right... I forgot to turn it off. Then again, I had no idea that I wouldn''t be able to sleep all night...

    Also, I don''t look forward to mornings that much. I wish I could just stay in bed all day long.

    I have no friends in this dorm nor in my class. Everyone is a stranger so to speak so there''s no point in starting any conversation in the first place.

    Not like I would go out of my way to start one either way.

    Hyunda''s case is special since I needed his cooperation.

    And... Today, I was going to try something different.

    8:00 am. Boys dorm entrance door.

    This is it, right?

    I''m in the correct place, yes?

    It''s 8 am yet none of them have left the dorm.

    Right now, I''m standing in one of the two benches that there is outside of the boys'' dorm.

    Of course, I''m wearing a similar outfit as yesterday, though, I changed a few things such as perfume and my lipstick.

    By the way, this dorm is extremely creepy... Why does it look like a haunted house? It''s staggering to me how they can live in such a horrible place like this...

    Nevertheless, I was in a faraway bench that was in front of the main door but from a bit far away. Essentially, I was avoiding being noticed.

    The main door is still closed, or so I thought until I looked again and I saw...

    "Is that Kuzan...?"

    Why is Kuzan running so fast with food in his hands?

    "GET THE DAMN RAT!!! DON''T LET HIM ESCAPE ALIVE! CAPTURE HIM AT ALL POSSIBLE COSTS! DEAD OR ALIVE, FIND HIM!!"

    E-Eh?

    W-What''s going on...?

    Why are Kawahara and Kan chasing Kuzan so rapidly? Kuzan, who just escaped from his dorm with massive portions of bread and pieces of fruit all over his hands was running towards the main school buildings...

    Needless to say, since Kawahara and Kan, who had the most bed hairs ever, were chasing him to the depths of hell, they didn''t notice my presence that was somewhat distant from their positions.

    It''s also a fair mention to say that a few shouts came from the dorm as well.

    More importantly, it wasn''t Kan nor Kawahara who angrily shouted those words, but it was instead...

    "It was Tsudo, wasn''t it...? What''s going on...?"

    Well, that was weird, but that''s none of my business. Because I was expecting a certain someone.

    Surely, whenever men are caught in by surprise their hearts skip a beat, and Hyunda, you are no different.

    Furthermore, it''s only a matter of time before you come out of the dorm.

    In the meantime, until Hyunda came out from his dorm, I fiddled with my phone constantly only to make time go away.

    Of course, in the middle of that time, several boys passed through me and looked at me. Both from my class and from other classes. Naturally, I greeted them with a smile but they couldn''t keep looking at me for too long.

    My wonderous beauty was far too powerful. Consequently, to such fact, their eyes would immediately look straight face the ground. Some would even take their time to decide whether or not they should ask me my number, or so would I assume since they were fiddling with their phones.

    Something that I like to do is to fiddle with my hair, mainly my braids.

    In order to further create an alluring sensation to my surroundings, it was a piece of cake.

    ..............

    It''s so cold though.

    Plus, it''s 8:15 am. The class starts in a few minutes, Hyunda.

    Where are you...?

    Why haven''t you left the dorm yet? You do know it''s meaningless to skip since Basara-sensei will not allow that to be overlooked.

    Whatever. I''m sure that once he sees me that he will be shocked over the fact that I''ve been waiting here long enough. He''ll probably ask me if I was here for a long time but I''ll just say no to that question.

    Although it''s not true, it''s for a greater purpose, it''s to make him feel relaxed around me. Yesterday, we started off from the wrong foot and it''s partially my fault for that, but today will be different.

    I''ll make you acknowledge me.

    If you get out of the dorm, that is...

    Come on... It''s getting late...

    So far, from what I can tell, only two boys are left and that''s Daniel and Hyunda.

    I couldn''t care less about Daniel, but if he gets out first, I''ll ask about Hyunda...

    When is Hyunda going to come out of his do---

    "Oh, is that...?"

    Unable to hide my surprise, I immediately got up from my stiff seat and glanced upon the figure who left through the main door.

    Our eyes did connect and after a while, he decided to look away.

    We were somewhat distant in terms of meters, but he looked at me again and walked to my territory.

    Could it be that he is...?

    "Arkalee, what are you doing here? You''re not gonna skip, are you? You''re not going to make Basara-sensei angry for no reason, are you? Please don''t."

    ............

    Why is this mega-dork even approaching me?

    Your grades are horrible and yet you have the sheer audacity to talk to me, who always keeps up with the class'' subjects way better than you!

    Piece of garbage...

    But, I must ask him an important question.

    Smile, remember, smile.

    "Hello, Daniel! Oh, no! I''m not going to skip! I''m just waiting for Hyunda! Do you know where he is?"

    There''s nothing appealing about this guy. It''s crystal clear that he just woke up and didn''t even do his hair.

    Did he even shower? Also, why is his breath so...

    His uniform tie is also out of the place...

    I think I might puke if we prolong this conversation long enough.

    Creating a smile towards someone you don''t like immediately is by far one of the hardest things ever.

    "Hyunda? He''s still in the dorm? Are you sure he didn''t leave? Well-- Don''t be late for class, please."

    "T-Thank you for the consideration!"

    What''s his deal...?

    Logically speaking his intentions were pure but he only said those words because he didn''t want me to skip out on classes. There was absolutely nothing kind about that.

    Why are people so insensitive?!

    As he walked off, I stared at him and cursed him to the depths of hell.

    I hope you die from lack of oxygen you waste of flesh.

    "8:20 am... Maybe he really left early..."

    Somehow I just can''t imagine that. In my mind, Hyunda is the type of guy to always show up at the last second, not someone who follows schedules.

    Hyunda is far too flawed to follow any sort of decency in the first place...

    The students around were starting to decrease since the classes had already began but I decided to wait just five more minutes...

    If Hyunda doesn''t come out of his dorm, then I''ll just assume that he isn''t here in the first place and that he got up early for some reason.

    "Oh, Arkalee! What are you doing here? I didn''t expect to see you here!"

    From behind the bench that I''m sitting on, a mysterious and feminine voice captured my audition straight up.

    Just who---

    "Ah... I-Ikkiri, what are you doing.. here..?"

    Why is she, of all people here?

    This carefree girl who has the most carefree looks ever. Her light blue hair seems like something boys would love, but it''s not as enthralling as people think. What is so special about it even?

    Also, wearing long skirts in winter? Zero appeal.

    How does she dare to even start a conversation with someone as grand as me...?

    "Oh, why...? Nothing special, really. But you didn''t answer my question. What are you doing, here, Arkalee?"

    Why is Ikkiri persisting with her question? Can''t she get a clue? Her blatant behavior is an eyesore...

    But, could it be that she is here because of...

    No, no way.

    It''s not possible.

    I also didn''t have to give her a real answer.

    "I''m here because I''m bored. I usually spend time like this, haha! But hey, class is about to start, you should get going!"

    "Hm... I see, Arkalee. But, you go ahead. I have something to take care of. Well, bye. See ya, in a while."

    "O-Oh, okay. See you in a while, too."

    Sure, you said those words, but what exactly are you going to take care of?

    I still have three minutes. I''m in no rush.

    Also...

    Why are you walking straight into the boys'' dorm?

    Does she not know that it''s forbidden for such interac-

    "Ikkiri, I told you to not do that..."

    "You were taking way too long. You didn''t reply to my message. I thought you were sick or something, Hyunda."

    "Even if I was sick, I still couldn''t skip class. Let''s go, we are late."

    E-Eh?

    What?

    Why are they...?

    Why is Ikkiri...?

    No, why is Hyunda?

    I''m so confused. I have so many questions.

    Oh no...

    What if Hyunda sees me? He will question why I''m here and it will be awkward.

    And... Are my legs failing me? Why are they trembling? What is this...?

    Ultimately, before they could launch their eyes onto me, I walked straight to block F with a fast stride.

    8:45 am, block F, main classroom.

    For some reason, it was hard to even keep a straight face. I simply didn''t want to stay in the same room as Hyunda and Ikkiri any longer.

    Unknown to me, something was piercing my heart like a massive needle.

    But... what was it?

    In this classroom, while I pretended to care for the subject at hand, I was only thinking about my feelings right now.

    Perhaps I should analyze why I''m feeling this way.

    From the start, I wanted to surprise Hyunda but I was severely interrupted a couple of times...

    It would work, right? I was going to surprise him and capture a portion of his heart, yet why didn''t that happen...

    "Why..."

    Tatsu, who was standing next to me looked at me, but I started to slowly crush my paper notes...

    Making loud noises was out of the option yet I needed to vent my frustration a little.

    In the past days, my efforts towards Hyunda have been mainly useless.

    Why though?

    I understand that Hyunda has a complex persona and that he is a living enigma, but there must be something else...

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    What, though?

    Slowly and steady, I looked at Hyunda who was behind me only for a brief moment.

    In that instance, it was enough for me to tell something.

    A certain presence was always there for some odd reason.

    Her whole existence desecrated my planned event. It was perfect, yet...

    "Do aliens exist, Hyunda?"

    "How am I supposed to know?"

    "But, don''t you know everything?"

    "No, Ikkiri. I might have an option for everything, but that doesn''t mean that I know everything... I just have my takes on things, nothing more..."

    As always, she was all over his face.

    I can''t understand this! Why!?

    How can you be this clueless and still pursue talking to someone who hasn''t shown any interest in you?

    She''s so dumb... But what I can''t understand is why Hyunda always looks at her...

    Am I going over things?

    No.

    No, I''m not.

    She''s in the way, isn''t she? This morning, if it wasn''t for her, if she wasn''t there at that exact time, I would''ve gotten the opportunity to capture his heart.

    How does she dare to get in my way of winning something...

    But, to my surprise...

    "Eh..."

    Why is he... Did Hyunda just look at me for a second, instead of Ikkiri while Ikkiri is speaking to him?

    Why...?

    O-Oh no, I must look away...

    What just... happened?

    It was just a look, why am I covering my head in my slender arms like this...?

    But, he did look at me, didn''t he?

    Could it be that the side effects of yesterday''s seduction are finally coming into play?

    Of course...

    Yes.

    Yes...

    Yes!

    Now it all makes sense. Of course, this is what happens. It''s just impossible for any man to resist me and as said previously, Hyunda is not on higher ground when it comes to this aspect.

    It''s only natural that Hyunda would feel attracted to my godlike charms.

    Which means that Ikkiri is completely partial right now.

    It''s working, at long last.

    10:00 am.

    "Okay, everyone, since it''s the last day before the exam, you should all take this very seriously and work with your partners. I shouldn''t have to remind you what happens if you fail this exam, correct, boys?"

    "No need..."

    In harmony, some of the boys showed desperation towards Yuka-sensei''s speech. Why though...?

    Also, something worth mentioning would be that Hyunda was looking at me with consistency now...

    Even though I noticed, I wasn''t going to constantly look back as well.

    That''s not how you play this game. At this stage, you cannot show the boy any type of attention, which, in return, will leave him desiring you even more.

    I knew it. Hyunda''s no different.

    Plus, yet again, I was wearing a similar skirt to yesterday. In the middle of the center of this mini-running platform stood all of the class and would you look at that, he just can''t stop looking at me.

    It''s only a matter of time before he approaches me now that I''ve stolen his heart.

    Regardless of the current circle, I was in front of him in the circle and therefore could feel the glares coming from him.

    Ara, I wonder if they are lustful glances?

    "Good. With that said, give it your best. You can even skip out on lunch if you want to."

    "Yes, sensei..."

    Once again, the boys who sound dead answered Yuka-sensei.

    Now that she is going to her office, this would mean that the pairs would work and go to their respective places to train. Normally, since Hyunda refused to show any cooperation, I had to be the one who engaged the conversation first, but...

    Not today.

    Today, either he started or nothing happened.

    While the rest of the pairings went to their desired locations to train, I didn''t look at Hyunda who was behind me and pretended to be spacing out.

    But... Ikkiri glanced at me for some reason. Only shortly though.

    What was that for?

    "Arkalee. Are we training today or not?"

    At last, Hyunda had bequeathed himself before my glorious and penetrating figure.

    It appears that Hyunda also had bereaved his stubborn behavior.

    So, I had to act like I was remotely attracted to him in order to allude him.

    "Um... I''ve been thinking. I''m sorry about yesterday. I said some unnecessary things. I just wanted your cooperation. I even used drastic measures to achieve it. Can you... forgive me...?"

    Once you are open to affection, it becomes harder to deny words that have entrails of cuteness all over them. And thus, this situation fits the glove perfectly.

    "No. Why should I? You threatened me by saying that you would accuse me of raping you. Are you an idiot? There''s no forgiveness to that."

    "A-Ah... Of course... not..."

    Eh...?

    Why is he acting so savagely...

    This doesn''t make sense... Once you are attracted you are supposed to change your attitude otherwise it will not work... Therefore, why are you being this rude, Hyunda?

    "So, are we doing it or not, Arkalee? If not, just say so."

    "Y-Yes, we are! Of course, we are!"

    This is far too confusing at the moment... Also, how can he say those words while some people were still around...?

    Gladly, they are not that close to the point where they can listen to our conversation otherwise we''d have a problem.

    "Alright. This time, I''ll decide where we train. Follow me."

    He didn''t even ask for my permission and just went on a full imperial tone...

    Why do I have the feeling that something is not right...?

    Since there are three running platforms, I thought for sure that Hyunda would go to one of them but he didn''t...

    Instead, he took me to...

    "Hey, this is the cafeteria, what gives?"

    "Oh, you have a good eye, Arkalee. I thought for a second that you wouldn''t recognize the fact that this is an open cafeteria. Nice."

    The public cafeteria, which is always open has nobody in it because this is classtime and so, every student is inside their classrooms.

    Also, Hyunda just kept on walking straight forward to the staircases. This building has three floors, so I''m assuming that we are going all the way up to the upper floor.

    I decided to additionally ignore his bilious sarcasm.

    And now, it would be a good time to...

    "Hyunda, you''ve been looking at me ever since class... Is there something... wrong?"

    This silver-haired boy who kept on walking without replying wasn''t even paying attention to my words. This staircase is also fairly long...

    "I''m just going to be honest here. What do you want from me?"

    "Sorry...?"

    "Don''t play dumb, Arkalee. I have a personal philosophy of mine that implies the following: I will never bother anyone as long as anyone doesn''t bother me. Pretty simple, right? But, you, for some odd reason, you''ve been looking at me instead. You want something, don''t you?"

    ....................

    How come he noticed that....?

    Still...

    "Sorry, I... I''ve felt guilty ever since yesterday and I wanted to apologize to you about it. I don''t have any friends here and so it''s hard for me to communicate well."

    While saying this, I was looking down on the floor, which would reflect negativity and a sign that I was truly feeling guilty about it.

    No boy on his right mind would dare to hurt a single girl in this fragile scenario...

    "No, I don''t care about that. Your problems aren''t of my concern. I''ve already guaranteed you my cooperation so why are you unnecessarily acting out of your own way just to get my attention? It doesn''t make sense. It does not add up either. Acting out of your way for my cooperation was reasonable. You even gave me a threat. But now? There''s no reason. Explain yourself."

    "W-What do you mean acting out of my way...? I didn''t approach you..."

    This is true.

    Also, why can''t he be less boorish and tone down the aggressiveness in his words...?

    It''s making me feel uncomfortable, but of course, he''s just looking forward while climbing this staircase.

    This should be the second floor but he is not showing any signs of stopping.

    "...Alright. I was just confirming something. There''s a possibility that I might''ve been wrong here."

    How strange. He''s actually reflecting on his own action, even though he is correct.

    However, he has absolutely no way of knowing why he is correct.

    "But Arkalee, why were you looking at me back in class? You didn''t explain that yet."

    "Why were you looking at me as well...?"

    "You were constantly glancing so I glanced back. I tried to make eye contact with you but you refused to comply. Therefore, you want something from me, otherwise, I can''t possibly comprehend your behavior."

    ....

    Why is his intuition this good?

    There should be no clues... And besides, it''s just normal for people to look at other people.

    Why is he making such a deal out of a few glances...?

    Obviously, I can''t give him the real answer, so...

    "Didn''t I already told you...? I was feeling guilty and so--"

    "Don''t lie to me. You don''t feel guilty. If you do feel guilty then you won''t charge me for ''raping'' you. Show me that you don''t feel guilty."

    "Okay... But how...?"

    We had arrived on the upper floor and there was only an empty room here.

    A blank and empty room.

    Noticeably, there was a singular massive window with the view to outside, which, Hyunda, immediately went towards.

    From my distance, his mystic white eyes shone mysteriously. They were so powerful that I spaced out for a second.

    "No cameras in here..."

    Huh?

    Why did he say that...?

    Now that I think about it and now that I look around, there really aren''t any cameras here.

    How is that possible though...?

    "Hyunda?"

    At long last, he looked in my direction and pulled out his phone from his pocket.

    "Let''s make a deal, shall we? You can prove that you are feeling guilty and that you truly are sorry by voicing the truth and having me recording it. This way, should you ever try to charge me, it will never work because I have this. So, what do you say?"

    Ah, I see.

    So that''s why he dragged me out here. This also confirmed that we weren''t going to do any physical training despite being in our P.E clothes.

    Furthermore, I was being driven to a corner as we speak. If I said yes, then he would have full protection against me and onwards, he can just do whatever he wants.

    But, if that''s the case, then my whole endeavor will be ossified.

    And, I cannot allow that to happen.

    This means that in order to further my progress, I will need to take this to the next level.

    "..........Ah. You caught me. I was lying about that, sorry."

    "Thought so."

    "But, you know, Hyunda, I can tell you something interesting instead."

    I started walking next to Hyunda who was now looking at me, but still beside the massive window.

    It was snowing outside, it seems. What a fantastic sight.

    "I''ll admit it. I''m attracted to you."

    It doesn''t take any effort to say this because I don''t mean those words.

    Though, why isn''t his expression a surprised one...?

    "Really? What about me is attractive?"

    "H-Huh? You know... I like your hair... Silver is a really cool color. And there''s also the fact that you dress up, nicely..."

    "Arkalee, it''s only my uniform. What''s so nice about it? Just admit it, there''s another reason. You don''t have to lie about it. Come on, just tell me."

    "N-No, it''s the truth!"

    Huh...?

    Why did I say that?

    I didn''t even think of my own words...

    O-Oh no, how will I justify this...

    "You got red. There appears to be a shred of truth in your words, after all. Previously, you were lying, but just now, those words, they were the truth."

    "No, you got it wrong. Don''t misunderstand!"

    "What the hell? First, you tell me that you are attracted then you say you aren''t. Decide, Arkalee."

    What the hell is going on!?

    Why is my mind going blank right now?!

    This wasn''t supposed to happen!!

    I just wanted him to recognize my features since I couldn''t tolerate him overlooking them, but how did it turn into this scenario?!

    "You''re so red. Hey, calm down."

    "N-No! I don''t have to calm down! That''s right! I am attracted to you! So, admit it already, I''m beautiful!"

    Huh..........!?

    What am I saying!?

    Why are these words coming out from my mouth like this?!

    "You''re average. Why are you making such a big deal about yourself? Even that messy personality of yours manages to be more attractive. There''s nothing genuine about your fabricated looks, but your messy personality at least has a bit of genuineness."

    W-What...?

    Fabricated...?

    Messy?

    H-How does he...

    "How dare you say that! Do you not have any sense of shame! Is this seriously how you treat someone who tells you their feelings straight up!? Can''t you show some decency for once?! God, I hate you!"

    "Oh, you hate me? How coincidental. You''re lying constantly and you refuse to take back your stupid lie of a claim. And then you say you are attracted to me. Not that I cared about it anyways. Also, why are you crying? Stop crying."

    "I''m not crying!"

    "Arkalee, you are totally crying."

    "Stop joking about my sentiments! Why are you laughing while saying those words!? I hate how insensitive you are!"

    Unfortunately, I could feel the tears streaming down from the bottom of my eyes to my cheeks.

    "Am I not allowed to be this way? I am like this and you are like that. What did you expect? A sudden miracle?"

    "No, but Hyunda, why can''t you just admit it!?"

    "Admit what, really...?"

    "How many times do I have to say! Look at me! I am pretty, aren''t I?! Why can''t you simply just... Ugh... Ahh..."

    It appears that my crying wasn''t stopping any time soon.

    What pissed me off, even more, was how he wasn''t caring about the current situation at all.

    He just kept on looking at me with the same glance over and over. His posture and facial expression did not change at all.

    "Why are you so obsessed with recognition mainly involving your supposed beauty?"

    "What do you mean by ''supposed''?! Are you implying that I''m not pretty, is that it?!"

    "No, Arkalee, listen. Truly, you are pretty. But that''s it. You''re nothing more than products. Your personality is as fabricated as your looks."

    "So you do admit it... I knew it, hahaha!"

    "Hey, did you listen to what I said after that?"

    "It doesn''t matter, you admitted it! You did, Hyunda! You can''t take back your own words."

    To be honest, I think I got so exultant that I started jumping around like a little kid.

    Nevertheless, my tears increased.

    "You''re not pretty without your products though. You don''t possess natural charm."

    "Eh...? What are you talking about? What does that matter? You already said it... Hey, don''t go back on your own words... That''s being a coward..."

    "You must be feeling like your whole endeavor was ultimately efficacious but you missed my whole point. Surely, I called you pretty but that''s because you most likely use products to enhance your beauty since you possess none. Without them, you and trash, don''t have that many differences. Assuming there are any, to begin with. Also, your personality is ruined from the start. Don''t ignore my own words, Arkalee."

    "Wait... But that doesn''t matter, r-right? After all, I am---"

    "Oh yes, you said something about being attracted to me, right? What happened to that? Let me guess... That was just a bridge to connect to this obsession of yours about looks, right? Is that why you have been looking a bit over the top lately? How pathetic."

    How can someone be this heartless...

    I don''t understand...

    What did I do wrong...?

    "Please don''t say that.... I''m really hurt right now..."

    Why does my heart feel like it''s being pulled out and tossed around like a tennis ball...?

    Hey... Hyunda, was what I did to you so horribly wrong that you had to treat me this way...?

    "You brought this upon yourself. I''m going for a walk. Also, I don''t give a shit if you report me about this ''rape'' attempt anymore. You''re not even worth taking caution of."

    "N-No, don''t go... We can still talk... about this... right...?"

    Why are you walking so far away from me, Hyunda?

    Why aren''t you responding to my calling?

    Why are my knees on the floor suddenly?

    This erratic situation is making my heart quake.

    "Ah... He''s gone..."

    In this lone and empty room with only a window worth mentioning, stood only one person, that being, me.

    As I looked upon the floor, there was a certain liquid on it.

    "What is it...?"

    It looks like water...

    But--- I soon realized ---- they were my own tears.

    "It''s alright, it''s alright! Stop crying, Arkalee! It''s fine, it''s going to be fine. It must be fine! He doesn''t mean anything to you! There''s no reason to cry at all! All my words to him were lies anyway! There''s no need to feel this way!"

    Yet what is this sadness and sorrow?

    Why does the fact that I told him lies feel so transparent right now?

    Plus, why do his words which were the truth according to him, hurt so much?

    Aren''t lies supposed to hurt more than the truth...?

    "Why did no one tell me about this...?"

    Amidst this cold empty white room, I slowly walked and crawled to the darkest corner and sat down while grabbing on my knees with my back against the wall.

    In order to let my tears fully dry, I needed some space.

    I realize that I''m quite sentimental but why is the world so cold?

    "Maybe I shouldn''t have lied about it..."

    But wouldn''t it have changed the situation...?

    All I wanted was his approval because no one before has denied my looks so I got offended when someone as heartless as him utterly denied such a thing.

    Maybe I truly was wrong...

    "No..."

    I''m not wrong.

    If other people say it, then why is the opinion of someone like him even important? It''s illogical to consider the opinion, of a single person like Hyunda who has no sentiments at all, grandly.

    "He''s at fault and he''s wrong. I''m not wrong... I know it''s true... Also, what the hell... My looks aren''t fabricated...! Why... are you such a liar?!"

    Also...

    I do have a personality, okay?

    You think that you are saying the truth but you are just speaking about what I have shown you!

    That''s right! You don''t know my true personality!

    What gives you the right to judge me when you don''t even know me?

    You''re just so wrong and you don''t even know it!

    I get that I was in the wrong for lying about my feelings but you never for once were considerative towards me! It''s not my fault that I''m this fragile!

    "Damn it... I just wanted his approval, how did it turn out to be this way...? Where did I go wrong...?"

    Why is it so hard to get his approval? I''m not doing this because I feel attracted to Hyunda but because no one says no to me!

    As I sink my head deeper into the blank space between my legs and belly, I feel the constant tears welling up on my face.

    "Something doesn''t add up... How come I went this far just because he disapproves? It shouldn''t be such a bad thing, because it''s just an opinion and he is wrong. I know he is wrong... So, why am I going this far for someone whose opinion is wrong...?"

    I can''t figure that out...

    Let me think about why I even bothered to interact with Hyunda in the first place...

    "His dreadful attitude was an immediate turnoff and his innate lack of caring didn''t resonate well. Nevertheless, I did what I did to get his cooperation and that was it, end of the story. It should just be that... But I bothered to interact more because I wanted his approval. I know why I wanted his approval. To prove him wrong. But that didn''t work..."

    The real question would be why I''m still bothered by it...

    I''ve concluded that he is wrong and that there''s nothing I can do about this case. It simply can''t be helped.

    That''s right since he is wrong, there''s nothing to be done...

    Yet...

    "Why am I still feeling this way?! I don''t comprehend!!"

    What else is there?!

    Did I not do this for the sake of approval and to prove to him that he is wrong?

    Surely, I won''t get his approval, but I realize why. And that''s because he is wrong.

    "What else is there... What else..."

    What is this feeling called even? Frustration? Need for approval?

    No, there''s no reason to feel both in this scenario.

    This reminds me...

    "I''ve never truly fallen in love with someone. I wonder how it feels like... You have to feel attracted, right? In my case, everyone else felt attracted first so I didn''t really have a choice there."

    But, I do know one thing.

    For some reason, I want to make this right. This event, given that it''s beyond repair, left me emotionally crushed and why was that...?

    Could it be that Hyunda somehow matters and that I''m just not seeing it how...?

    "Hahaha, maybe this is love, hahaha.................."

    ..............

    How does love work anyway?

    Maybe I''m truly attracted to him---

    "No, no! That''s absurd! He''s rude, spiteful, insensitive and stupid! It makes no sense to feel attracted to him!"

    .................

    "But, wasn''t he the first person to ever defy me in the aspects that I''m proud of? I know that that pisses me off, but isn''t that a brave thing to do? Normally, in the face of such overwhelming force, the natural reaction would be to accept that I do possess such arsenals... But he... He defended his version of the truth even though I consider it wrong! Yet he did..."

    Hm?

    Why is my heartbeat suddenly faster...?

    What?

    As soon as I put my two hands onto my chest, I felt this immense pulse within my heart...

    Why does it feel so warm...?

    "I... want to talk to him.... right now. I can still make this right! I know I can! We started off from the wrong foot, but so what!? If this feeling inside my heart is strong then I can convey it to him how genuine it is and then... And then...!"

    Oh no, what then...?

    "Whatever! I must talk to him! And so, I will find him! In order to do so, I can''t stand in this corner crying infinitely!"

    Grasping every ounce of my physical strength, I got up while simultaneously whipping the tears off my eyes.

    First things first, I must know where he is...

    "Luckily, I can view him from the window, hopefully."

    Therefore, I launched a quick stride and clung to the window immediately and there...

    The view was massive, after all, I could see up to two blocks. However, since it was time for classes, there wouldn''t be many people, if any at all, walking around the school grounds.

    I looked to my left view but saw nothing.

    Same to my right. Of course, I had to look carefully since the depth of this scenery was immense.

    Yet, my heart just told me to keep going and eventually...

    "He''s there! I see him! Right at the top of that tree! Okay, I''ll be there, just wait!"

    Immediately after, I performed perhaps my strongest initial stride yet and ran towards Hyunda''s location.

    Hyunda isn''t that far! He''s two blocks away and he is at the top of the tree in the main public garden!

    I know that my words will reach out to him this time!

    "Almost there... Almost there!"

    I ran with all my might and I got there in a good 20 seconds.

    However---

    "Where is he!? He was right here at the top of the tree!"

    Although it was snowing, I didn''t care.

    Leaves were all over this garden, but more noticeably, this rustic tree, where Hyunda was in, seemed quite old.

    In a state of confusion, I desperately looked in all directions to find him, but I didn''t find anything.

    My surroundings were public stone tables and trees. On my right, there was a massive path that would extend itself to the school''s entrance, so I took it.

    I also realized that I didn''t care much about proving my point anymore, which was surprising. For some reason, I really just wanted to talk to him or make him stay in a moment where we could exist.

    Subsequently, I let out a smile, but that smile vanished as soon as I saw the figure of Hyunda from far away.

    Hyunda was seating in one of the stone tables peacefully.

    If I were to act on my premise, I would meet up with him immediately, but there was a problem right now, so I hid in the back of a green bush that was along the way in order to make sure that Hyunda and... that bitch, would not notice me...

    Seriously...

    What the hell...

    Why is she...?

    Fortunately, the bush hid my whole figure completely, but I could still witness their interaction from far away. Although, I couldn''t hear them.

    "Why is he smiling like that to her... After our argument...? Aren''t you supposed to reflect on your words.... Yet, why are you enjoying your time with that... torpid, picayune and acrid bitch...!?"

    Why?

    Why is Ikkiri here...?

    Why are they just smiling at one another?

    What?

    I don''t get this.

    How can you...

    "You said those words but... your face... it''s not showing any sign of regretting it..."

    Right now, I was planning on making up to Hyunda by admitting where I was a bit excessive, but a certain brash existence made her way up to him.

    "Ikkiri... You fucking slut... And Hyunda, you... How could you.... After what I just went through... This isn''t right... This is not how it''s supposed to work...!"

    Additionally to my negative emotions returning, my tears also returned.

    It was impossible to feel that triumphant feeling that I was feeling a while ago anymore.

    "You pushed me aside and you then go for another girl, Hyunda? Why? What''s so special about that nefarious creature!? Hyuuuuuuuuuuuuuunndaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"

    How does he dare?!

    No, no!

    "It''s not entirely Hyunda''s fault! Hyunda''s partially to blame and for that, I will show him the true meaning of messing with my emotions! He can kiss this exam''s ass goodbye!"

    But what truly mattered---- was how this meretricious wretch would be punished ---- and for that...

    "Her irksome interruptions thus far have been nonstop, but that''s about to change. Hyunda... I''ll make you mine because I truly and really love you. I realize it. I love you so much. That''s right. No other person dared to defy me in my aspects yet your whole existence challenges my inner self! And for that reason alone, I will erase this execrable menace! In other words, you, Ikkiri..."

    It can''t be helped.

    This is concomitant when it comes to love.

    To erase your enemies.

 Volume 5 - Chapter 31: It cant be helped.

    Fleeing the scene, I went back to the empty white room at the top of the cafeteria. It''s not as if I developed a liking for this room, I just needed some time to think, surely.

    "How am I going to screw this bitch up..."

    Fuck... Fuck!

    How does she dare to steal my first love like that...!

    Who does she think she is?! What''s her deal, even?

    In order to relieve some stress, I kicked the wall right in front of me furiously.

    "Hyunda''s not at fault totally. I know this. He doesn''t know about the situation, therefore he can''t be blamed for this. However, what that bitch did, is unforgivable and for that, she''ll have to pay the price!"

    But... how?

    I''ve thought of killing her since we share the same dorm but then I''m screwed. It''s important that I don''t aggravate any considerable consequences to my side.

    Otherwise, I can''t enjoy my time with Hyunda. In other words, I need to take care of Ikkiri in a way that I am not jeopardized completely.

    Think...

    Think...

    What can possibly screw her here...

    "Wait... Didn''t Yuka-sensei mention how the losing partners will stay paired up...? If... If that''s the case, then I''m doing the correct thing by making Hyunda lose in this upcoming exam! But what about Ikkiri though? What if she wins...? How does that work out...?"

    Yuka-sensei never truly bothered to explain these rules.

    I can''t possibly know how it all works if I don''t know in the first place...

    "Who is Ikkiri''s partner in this exam anyways...?"

    If I recall correctly, Ikkiri ran considerably fast, but obviously not faster than me.

    Of course she wouldn''t be able to run faster than me. That pesky and pretentious vile creature will never be better than me at any possible aspect.

    "It''s Tatsu, isn''t it...? I remember... It is Tatsu. Tatsu is her partner."

    But wait... If Ikkiri has the time to defile my relationship with Hyunda then things must be going pretty bad with Tatsu. Because, Ikkiri''s absence would imply that somehow she treasures the time she has with Hyunda, for now, considerably more than the time she has with Tatsu.

    All in all, that should be proof that Ikkiri and Tatsu aren''t even aiming to work together here.

    "I can use that... If Tatsu and Ikkiri are having trouble cooperating then that means that something is wrong with their interaction. And of course, Ikkiri, you obnoxious clown, I won''t let this opportunity slide!"

    Nevertheless, I could really use some knowledge to make my situation better. There are certain things that I must know before I act...

    While this might be considered evil, it can''t be helped.

    It''s entirely justifiable since it''s for the sake of love. Anything is justifiable, then.

    "In the end, who will I contact first...? Yuka-sensei or Tatsu?"

    Well, for starters, I don''t know where Tatsu is, but just by simply asking my fellow classmates about his whereabouts, I can form a solid conclusion about his location. Therefore, Tatsu is, right now, partial.

    "That leaves only one person then..."

    I vow to make this right. I really do.

    P.E field main office, door entrance. 10:30 am.

    Am I allowed to come in...?

    Firstly, I''ll knock on the door.

    Ahhh... I can feel a warm sensation coming from the inside of this office, even though the door isn''t open yet.

    What should I say in order to make my entrance entirely justifiable...?

    After forming a solid thought, I knocked on the door and spoke.

    "Yuka-sensei, are you there...?"

    No response came forward.

    Should I knock harder...?

    "The door hold is open though... I''m just being diplomatic about this, but maybe I should..."

    No, no.

    I must get my audition in the best way possible for this to work. Mistakes can be crucial, especially in this type of scenario.

    Therefore, I knocked on the door yet again.

    "Sensei, it''s me, Arkalee. I want to talk to you."

    After roughly waiting for 20 seconds, no response came forward.

    Well, I do realize that this isn''t diplomatic at all, but I''ll just come in.

    Plus, this shivering cold is the worst and I get the feeling that if I go inside the office that I''ll be warmer anyway...

    "I''m coming in..."

    As expected, this truly does seem like an office. There are piles of sheets all over the place. Nevertheless, in the huge office table stood a certain attractive figure.

    I must say, while I am pretty, she isn''t anything to laugh at.

    "Zzzz...."

    Noticeably, her face is lying face down in front of a computer. It seems that she was doing some sort of work but fell asleep in the middle of it.

    Still, what a babyface. It''s hard to believe that you are in charge of criminals when you are sleeping so innocently like that...

    Shortly after walking a few steps, I tried to reach out to her by saying some words first...

    "Yuka-sensei... Are you there...? I have a few doubts..."

    "Mhm... Not now... Later..."

    ...?

    What?

    You''re not even opening your eyes. Are you even paying attention to me in the first place or was that an instinctive reaction...?

    That must be it, I think.

    I''ll try again.

    "It''s serious... I''m confused about certain aspects regarding the upcoming exam and so, I need your help..."

    This time, I was far more concrete about my shortcomings rather than showing a lack of interest in her answers.

    "Ahh... Not there..."

    ...What?

    What am I listening to?

    Why do I get the feeling that her previous words aren''t even connected to my current words?

    That''s it... I''ll wake her up by giving her a touch or two in the back. I''m sure she''ll come back to her senses and stop speaking such nonsense.

    Seriously, just what is she...

    Then, as I attempted to reach her back...

    "A-Ahhh! S-Sensei...?"

    "Hm... Not on my sleep, okay?"

    It hurts, it really does! Why is she gripping my right wrist with such brute strength!?

    All I wanted was to touch her...!

    "Sensei, you''re hurting me! Let go of me! It really hurts!"

    "Hmm...? Arkalee... Oh... Oh...! I''m so sorry!"

    Finally, she let go of the hold...

    Consequently, I took a few steps back...

    "Oh dear, I''m so sorry! I fell asleep! Sorry, are you okay? Your wrist, it hurts, right!? Do you need to apply some medicine to it!? Do you!?"

    And now, she''s showing a tremendous amount of grief and is apologizing for what she did...

    Although I''m extremely curious about what that was all about, it didn''t hurt to the point where my wrist needed proper caring, since the pain I felt was transient.

    "No... It doesn''t hurt that much, don''t worry about it! But, thank you for caring! It''s alright now, trust me!"

    "Really!? Are you sure!? It''s alright to tell me if it hurts... Again, I''m sorry for hurting you, Arkalee. It wasn''t my intention. I''m not sure if you believe me or not, but it was an instinctive reaction. When I''m sound asleep, it happens all the time!"

    "Don''t worry, Yuka-sensei! I really do believe you. So, there''s no need to worry anymore, honestly."

    "Ah, I see... But, allow me to apologize one more time, Arkalee. I really am sorry for treating a student in this manner, especially when it''s my student!"

    She''s so kind... She''s even bowing! How admirable!

    Not only did she apologize after hurting me, but she justified her reasons!

    What a great person...

    "Um, so, Arkalee, what are you doing here in my office?"

    "A-Ah, I knocked but you didn''t reply so I came in... Sorry about that... But, I really just wanted to get some doubts out of my mind regarding the upcoming special exam. Or am I not allowed to clarify my doubts...? Sorry, if I''m not then I''ll go back to the class..."

    Surprisingly, Yuka-sensei greeted my reluctant words with a wide smile which implied that I was about to get a favorable answer.

    "How nice!! I was waiting for this moment!"

    "Eh...? W-What?"

    "I left some massive rules out of the table in order to steer up some curiosity in my students but none of them thus far have gathered the will to ask me about them! I was wondering what was going wrong... Maybe too much individuality? Ego? Pride? Independence! But then, you came in, Arkalee! I''m so glad that you have doubts! Let me help you with them! But first, take a seat! Would you like something to eat? Tea! Do you like tea? I only have black tea though..."

    "N-No, I really like black tea!"

    "Really!? I''m so glad! I love it too! Do you want sugar cups in it too!?"

    "Yes, yes! I love sugar!"

    "Ahh! Sugar sisters, are we!?"

    "It appears so!"

    I wasn''t expecting such a jubilant mood to simply invade this dead atmosphere, but there is only happiness and excitement co-existing within this moment and that makes me truly happy.

    Because it made me forget my negative emotions and my abysmal hatred for Ikkiri.

    While Yuka-sensei was preparing the black tea, which I seriously adore, I took a seat in the comfortable chair and enjoyed the warm temperature that was being emitted all over this tiny room.

    How nice...

    If only I could share this moment of happiness with you too, Hyunda...

    "Here you go! Be careful though! It''s hot!"

    "Thanks, Yuka-sensei! I''ll be careful then..."

    I blew a few gusts towards the warm cup of tea in order to attempt to stabilize the almost volcanic temperature it possesses.

    Yuka-sensei, too, did the same...

    "How is it going with your partner, Arkalee? If I recall correctly, it''s Hyunda, isn''t it?"

    "Ah yes... We... Um... Had an argument and we started off wrongly... So, things aren''t going too well right now..."

    "Right now? Does this mean that there will be a time where it will be well? Or did you mean to say something else?"

    Spot on. Certainly, there are times when people just use words they don''t mean, however, such was not the case here.

    "N-No, I mean what I just said. I plan on making things right. But, a certain problem arose and I''m seeking to eliminate that problem, you see."

    "I see. I''m glad that you are taking the initiative to fix your situation, Arkalee. The majority of your classmates aren''t even slightly interested in changing their situation and that worries me because the consequences might become major if they don''t take this seriously. To be honest, it''s additionally worrying about how your classmates are just rejecting such a simple way to be granted freedom. It''s pretty nonsensical if you ask me. Nevertheless, I profoundly rejoice that you are thinking differently."

    Truly, it''s pretty illogical to not take this seriously. I don''t think that there is anyone in my class who wants to suffer a possible execution or even jail years...

    But she''s right. I am taking the initiative unlike the rest of my classmates which automatically makes me someone who wants to, not only pass this exam in theory but to stabilize the relationship between me and my partner.

    However, the truth is, I didn''t want to pass this exam, but rather, to fulfill the latter.

    "Yeah, I don''t get them... It''s as if they don''t care about their situation that much, huh..."

    "Not to worry though, Arkalee! I made sure that the majority of the boys would take this exam seriously. Unfortunately, Hyunda was not included in this majority..."

    That''s weird. Why not though...?

    Although this is news to me, I''m fairly interested now.

    I kept on blowing gusts to my hot teacup, but it was still far too hot.

    "Why not, sensei? I thought that was the reason why Hyunda decided to take me seriously today..."

    Of course, I knew that the reason why he showed a degree of seriousness was because of my previous threat but I was trying to obtain information about the source of Yuka-sensei''s words.

    Because I didn''t know how her words connected to the fact that some boys were forced to suddenly take this seriously.

    "Oh no. You see, it''s a really stupid argument. Basically, boys being boys, you get me?"

    "Ah, that''s understandable. Fair enough, let''s not lose time with that."

    There was no point in losing time here because I had to make my stand right here and now in order to get some progress.

    I took a small sip of the black teacup even though it was hot. However, it was a short sip since it was abnormally hellish when it comes to its own temperature.

    After doing so, I put down the teacup and made my move.

    "Sensei, can a pairing be disqualified in this exam?"

    "What do you mean? You''re going to have to be way more specific~~~"

    Ah, she''s truly enjoying her black tea regardless of the temperature, but it seemed to me that she was taunting me when she said those words.

    "Let''s say, for example, that one partner got injured physically and that the partner cannot comply with any of the criteria. What then?"

    "That''s simple. Just like in any physical competition, if you are not in the physical condition to do such performances, then you will not be allowed to do them in the first place. I surely thought that this was common sense so I didn''t bother to emphasize that parameter. Also, if your partner is physically incapable of performing, minimally, then the pairing automatically loses. Get this, Arkalee. In this exam, it''s not the individuality that I''m evaluating, but the duality that the exam is proposing."

    This confirms it.

    Essentially, I realize that Yuka-sensei was speaking in the second person only for the sake of bringing a heavier clarity to my understanding, but I also understand that she was referring, not only to me but to all of us. What this means is that, this applies to every single one of us and that it''s impossible to escape it.

    "Thank you for clearing one of my doubts, but I must ask you this, sensei... Don''t you think that you are being far too rash when it comes to this exam? There''s an obvious contrast in physical capabilities among my peers... Not that I''m standing up for them, I''m just seeking the logic and your point of view here."

    Once again, I have no interest in standing up to anyone, I just find it completely bizarre the suggestion of this exam as a whole.

    "Nice insight, Arkalee. Well, since you are the first one to seek me out like this, I''ll tell you something of good interest as a reward. You see... There are additional criteria for this exam, but I''ll never explain that criteria. What I can say in addition is that the criteria is related to the premise of this exam."

    "Oh, I see. Like a double-catch, yes? Kinda how the initial proposition proposes way more than what the surface shows?"

    "That''s the correct analogy. Essentially, should you find out the additional criteria, it could even bring a pairing that is completely the opposite of each other when it comes to physical regard, to victory."

    Hm...

    That''s really interesting to know. Nevertheless, I couldn''t care about it now. It was just something that was on my mind for a while. Also, with this, Yuka-sensei''s mindset was somewhat explained.

    Perhaps she was focusing more on the other criteria rather than this initial one. In a sense, if the two individuals in a pairing combine their intelligence to firmly grasp this possibility, then they can potentially arrive at the conclusion that there is way more to the surface than what it shows initially.

    But, it''s irrelevant to me. Because I want to fail.

    I don''t need to say why I need to fail at this point, do I?

    "The losing pairs will be paired up until the end of the year, correct?"

    "Yes, that was an original consequence that I bothered to address at the last minute because I thought to myself that in order to work unity as a whole that the pairings if they fail, they should learn about the concept of unity as a whole. I''m sure you know this but this program is an attempt to morally reform criminals such as you people and for that to come into play, the teachers, such as I and Basara, are responsible for teaching the students how to incorporate and how to put morality into practice."

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    I''m truly grateful that Yuka-sensei thought of that consequence at the last minute. Otherwise, this would be entirely pointless.

    While the morality reformation aspect is efficacious, it''s surely easy to manipulate that.

    After all, my intentions are hardly moral, to begin with. They are entirely emotional and I''m fine with that.

    "Is physical inability the only aspect that can bring disqualification in the upcoming exam? There must be more, right? I''m just worried because I fear that an accident could happen and I want to have the ability to counterattack quickly. I really, but really, want to pass the exam, sensei..."

    In the meantime, the tea got slightly warmer which made it possible for me to comfortably drink it without having to constantly blow gusts against the water.

    Therefore, I grabbed the cup and drank a bit.

    "I''m glad that''s the case, Arkalee. But, that''s something you have to work with your partner. And besides, it''s the last day. It''s somewhat unlikely for that to happen. Although, I understand your worries... If you and Hyunda can communicate better then I advise you to think together. It''s never a good thing to think individually far too much when you are together with someone."

    "T-Together with someone?! N-No, not yet, we...!"

    O-Oh no, I got so embarrassed that I accidentally spit out a bit of my tea...!

    I did not expect this! Not at all!

    "Hm? Ara, did I hit the mark? Is that it? Is it? Hm? Hm!?"

    "N-No, it''s not like that...! We had a misunderstanding so it''s not possible, you see...! And... and.... there is a certain problem in the way..."

    "Waah, Arkalee, why did your expression get so dark suddenly?!"

    Huh? It did...?

    "A-Ah... It''s nothing... Erm, more importantly, since we''ve had an argument and we haven''t talked since then... our communication slightly decreased! And that''s a problem..."

    It really is a problem. But what''s truly problematic is that my circumstances of communicating with Hyunda keep on being intercepted by a single buffoon...

    "But that''s something you have to work on with him. You told me that you were going to make it right, correct? What happened to that?"

    "No! I really intend on making it right..."

    "Hm, is that so. That''s good. But, let me answer your question since I haven''t answered it yet. You asked me if physical inability was the only thing that could serve as a method for disqualification and while physical inability is commonly used as a bridge for disqualification, it''s more versatile to break rules instead of relying on pure facts such as those. Basically, since physical inability is such an abundant and permanent factor to disqualification, people tend to forget what truly counts when it comes to disqualification, such as breaking rules."

    "A-Ah, I see... So physical inability isn''t the only thing that can be viewed as a way to get disqualified, but there are other alternatives for such..."

    "Yes, Arkalee. However, I''ll explain that tomorrow when the exam is about to begin. I don''t want to give anyone the ability to break the rules ahead of time. I''m sure you can understand, right?"

    Well, that sucks. I wish she would be kind enough to tell me some more methods that I can use in order to bring a certain person''s demise, but this will do.

    "Of course. I also understand that you are delivering this information out of goodwill, which is something I honestly appreciate."

    "I''m also saying this because you seem to be someone who truly wants to fix her situation and to buy herself a ticket to freedom surely. As long as you show the will to cooperate, I will always help you and anyone who wants to change their situation. Just know this, it''s never too late, okay?"

    "Yeah... thanks. I really am grateful. Your words are truly reassuring. And that''s all I have left to say. Thank you for clearing my doubts, sensei! The tea was delicious..."

    Since there was no reason to stay here any longer, I got up from my comfy seat instantly.

    "No problem! You can always count of me, after all, that''s the duty of a teacher, to teach and to be there for her students, right? Don''t hesitate to ask about anything, really."

    Her words were suggesting more than what she was saying.

    Maybe...

    Maybe I should be a little greedy here...

    Although I''m in a rush, I could use advice on something... Since, currently, I''m having trouble identifying the correct route for this to overall work.

    Surely, I know how to deal the final blow onto Ikkiri, but there was a massive problem. Hyunda''s individuality was far too overwhelming.

    Though it was quick, I realized my love for him and since my attraction is becoming more obvious to myself, I will need to make him mine and only mine.

    And for that reason, I need to know how to conquer someone who excels at individuality this excessively.

    "Um..."

    "Hm? What is it, Arkalee? Do you still have any more doubts?"

    "Well..."

    They aren''t related to the exam itself so I''m wondering if this isn''t worth asking. However, it''s probably worth the shot.

    "Are you experienced in love...?"

    I asked this question with little hope since Yuka-sensei seems like a Christmas cake...

    But, she looked at me with a shocked expression.

    "What do you mean? Of course, I am! What do you take me for? There''s nothing I don''t know when it comes to love! But... could it be that you are troubled by the fact that you are possibly struggling with love? Mhm? Is that is...? It is, isn''t it!?"

    W-Why is she so excited about this...?

    Regardless, this excitement might just be proof that she is willing to heed my calling, even though this has absolutely nothing to do with the exam.

    Also, why is her expression way more happy regarding this circumstance rather than the exam circumstances...?

    Nevertheless, I took a seat once again since Yuka-sensei seemed to be totally open with discussion.

    I additionally, should be a bit more open about my case rather than leaving small hints behind the trails.

    "I am... in love with someone..."

    "I knew it! That innocence of yours is so cuteeee. So, who is the lucky person!?"

    "T-There''s no need to know that...! I was just wondering if I could get a bit of solid advice from someone who is romantically experienced and has minimal knowledge about it..."

    "M-Minimal knowledge!? Arkalee, my cutie, I don''t have such thing... And that''s because my knowledge when it comes to love isn''t minimal, it''s vast and infinite! I''ll prepare another tea for you since we might be here for a while then."

    I was already feeling the need to pee but I guess I could let this one slide since I do love black tea to an absurd extent.

    Not more than I love Hyunda though.

    "You can speak about it while I prepare the second tea, Arkalee."

    "A-Ah, okay...! So... I accidentally fell in love with this person for reasons that are not even supposedly good in the first place..."

    "Ara, so you''ve fallen in love with someone who treats you wrongly?"

    "Well... I won''t deny that. But that''s just his persona, I guess. Therefore it''s not entirely my fault. And while I do partially despise his persona for being harsh, I still fell in love with him..."

    The kettle noises got a bit louder, but Yuka-sensei was truly listening to me. It was as if her entire attention was undividedly directed to me.

    That made me feel relieved since what I''m talking about is a very sensitive topic...

    "Hm... But if his persona is bad then why did you fall in love with him? Well--- I guess I can understand. Sometimes, even though temper is something that''s detestable, there are one or two things that make the entire person completely lovable. Is that it?"

    "Yes! Yes, that''s it! You do get it! As you said, even though his persona is a bit flawed, he possesses characteristics that I find charming so to speak. Only after erring, did I realize that I suddenly loved him! Although, I''m somewhat scared because I fell in love quickly... Usually, it takes time to fall in love, right? What if this is a mistake? What if--"

    "I''m sorry for interrupting you, Arkalee, but you can''t think like that. Love is never a mistake. People often think that timing and the people that they fall in love with, even the ''self'', are to blame, but that''s completely wrong. In love, what matters is the feeling you feel not your logical approach. Love is an emotion, right? So, why think about it logically? Let your emotions speak out to you. Hey, what do they say?"

    Perhaps for the very first time in my life, someone''s words never spoke out to me this much...

    This person is... fantastic...

    "A-Ahh... What do they say...?"

    "Yes. Listen to your heart. And tell me what it says. Don''t worry. I won''t tell anyone about this. I can keep secrets quite well!"

    Listen to my heart...?

    Well... I can''t just put my head at the side of my heart, but I''m sure that what she meant to say was to listen to my emotions...

    "I... really love him. I want to be with him. Every moment without him is too painful. I don''t like it. It feels horrible. I also don''t like it when other people are around him... I feel intense hatred for them. They don''t deserve him. And, I know that I possibly don''t deserve him, but I don''t care. Because that''s what my heart tells me. It tells me that in order to fulfill the void in my heart that I need him in my life..."

    I-I said it...

    Waaahhh, I want to hide in a hole right now!

    Why is it so embarrassing to say these things out loud?!

    I''m weird, aren''t I?! No one falls in love this fast... There must be something wrong with me...

    ...............

    Why did Yuka-sensei fall silent...? The only things that I could previously hear were my words and the kettle noises, but now that the tea is ready, I don''t hear anything.

    Even though I''m hiding my head in my arms due to my embarrassment, I suddenly got curious about why she is silent and decided to stop hiding my head and looked towards her...

    And...

    "E-Ehh!? Why are you crying!? Is everything alright, sensei!? Did something happen?!"

    She has tears running down from her eyes, but why...?

    What happened, exactly? I couldn''t help but form a couple of worries regarding this event.

    "So passionate... Humph... You truly have a heart of gold... humph..."

    She even grabbed the nearest by tissues to wipe out her streaming long tears.

    "I-It''s nothing special..."

    "No, no, Arkalee. It is special! Normally, a human being doesn''t possess such a strong passion for individuals in such a short time. Just out of curiosity, how short are we talking about...?"

    "Um... I don''t think it''s been an hour... Oh god, is that a bad thing?"

    As I thought, it really means that I''m weird... Falling in love this quickly is obviously--

    "No, not at all! There''s nothing wrong with falling in love and harboring strong feelings for someone this quickly!"

    "Eh...? Are you sure that''s the case...?"

    "I''m certain. Listen here, falling in love quickly isn''t a bad thing. It just means that you are extremely passionate about certain things that you notice in someone. Plus, your level of passion is high! Super high! There''s nothing wrong with falling in love this way, as a matter of fact, it''s the opposite! It''s a good thing!"

    "I-I didn''t know that! I thought that I was weird because falling in love quickly for someone who you barely know can be something dangerous but I''m not afraid. I think I''m ready... But I just don''t know how to advance..."

    Naturally, I had realized my obtuse feelings for Hyunda, but I wasn''t sure how I would approach him romantically.

    As previously mentioned, I''ve never truly fallen in love with someone so in the past, when someone would ask me out and if they were good looking, I would just accept. But this is different...

    It feels genuine.

    "I want to help you, Arkalee. I really do. But you''ll need to describe your situation better for me to help you. Also, here is your tea."

    "Thank you..."

    Yet again, I performed high blows while gusting the enormous heat erupting from the top of the teacup.

    "I know that you can''t tell me who he is but this is important since I really want to help you. Your passion cannot be allowed to be wasted."

    I''m truly eternally thankful that she''s helping me out...

    Now, I just need to describe the situation in a way that it doesn''t tell her much about Hyunda in an indirect way.

    "Alright... So... I got extremely bossy with him for selfish reasons entirely. And while I still stand by those reasons, I think that after falling in love with him that I''ve stopped caring about those reasons a little bit. Not to the point where I will abandon them, but I''m willing to make an exception and to tone it down a little bit... if this made any sense..."

    "Oh, I see. So you were persistent for your own reasons and you refused to abandon them. Ultimately, you got a bit too persistent which then caused him to show a negative expression or something like that...?"

    "Yes... We therefore argued and got aggressive about it. Although it didn''t escalate into physical contact, we got pretty reckless and started to profoundly argue in a loud tone... In the end, it was my fault because I ruined the moment."

    "Arkalee, it might''ve not been your fault entirely though. Sure, you were selfish about certain things but isn''t he at fault for not respecting you a little more? You showed him respect, didn''t you...?"

    "Um, yeah... But it''s fine. That''s just the main problem. I have no clue how I''m supposed to advance from this moment on..."

    "You said that there was a problem stopping you from doing so, right? What were you referring to?"

    I guess I did say something like that huh...?

    Hm...

    I can''t mention her name straight up, but I suppose I can, for instance...

    "It''s not that big of a deal since I''ve got it covered. That problem will cease to exist shortly. However, what I''m struggling with is thinking beyond that... How do I approach someone who I just argued in a rude way...?"

    "Isn''t it fine to just convey your true feelings to him? For example, tell him those things that you said to me a while ago. I''m sure that his heart will skip a beat!"

    "E-Ehhhh!? I can''t do that! It''s way too embarrassing, sensei!"

    "But, there''s no choice here. The more you delay, the worse it is. What matters is how you convey your feelings not when or where. But how."

    How...?

    If I knew I wouldn''t be asking it...

    "Arkalee, you have to show how strong your feelings are for him. There are ways to show those feelings. Whether it is by actions or words, they will create an effect in his heart. He will surely remember your words. So, even if you fear failure, you must try."

    Is that how it really works? Will my feelings towards Hyunda be convinced if I portray them through actions or words?

    Those were my thoughts as I sipped my tea.

    It''s not as if I fear failure though. Hyunda will be mine soon enough and I''ve already thought of certain measures in order to make sure that a certain problem does not get in the way.

    "And also, you excel at passion. Your sentiments are strong, so I don''t see how you''ll fail. I''ve told you how you can show your affection, but what you say, does matter afterward. Remember, listen to your heart and what it says instead of listening to negative thoughts regarding your sentiments."

    "I got it, sensei. Really, thanks! I''ll make sure to remember your words. I''m sure that they will matter when the time comes!"

    Never did I expect her to be this useful, but her advice isn''t something to underestimate. I feel that we speak the same emotional language too.

    I''m just glad that I was able to profit by coming here.

    "By the way, it''s Hyunda, isn''t it?"

    "W-What!? No...! No, it''s not!"

    "Aww, you''re so cute when you''re flustered! It''s alright, I can keep secrets, as I''ve said previously!"

    "N-N-N-No, you got it wrong! It really isn''t Hyunda! Who would fall in love with such an insensitive jerk! Gosh, I''m glad that I''ll pass the exam and that I''ll never have to speak with him again!"

    "Oh come on, you even mentioned how you argued with him and when you were explaining your situation, you mentioned the word ''argument'' quite often!"

    "That''s wrong! That''s wrong! There''s really, absolutely, nothing going on! It''s a different person!"

    Kuhh...!!!

    I can''t let anyone absolutely find out about this. Nobody else needs to know that I love Hyunda.

    He''s mine...

    "Well, still, good luck with your endeavor, Arkalee. Hyunda''s stonecold."

    "Oh, I kno- Wait, no!!!!"

    I''m starting to get mad... She''s got no evidence linking me and Hyunda together, it''s completely illogical to claim such things without knowing what''s really going on!

    While I do appreciate the fact that you''ve done plenty to me in such a short time, you really shouldn''t push your luck too much...

    "I''m leaving! Thank you for everything!"

    "Ah, okay! Come again, if you need more advice, Arkalee!"

    Hopefully not. I didn''t enjoy getting teased in such a manner as that.

    Thus, without finishing my second cup of tea, I forcefully closed the door and embraced the everlasting winter cold as soon as I got outside of the office.

    "Now... Tatsu."

    Tatsu would be my next connection here. For a certain reason, I needed him.

    Luckily, there were plenty of pairs practicing physical exercises in the main running platform. Unlike the previous days, there were some pairs that were motivated enough to pursue training in the first place, despite their shortcomings.

    With that on my mind, I walked into the platform and directed myself to the pairing that would most likely interpret my coming as a friendly one.

    "Are you okay? Can you keep on doing it?"

    "Yeah, Sagasuga. I''m not that tired, but we have been going at it for quite a bit, haven''t we?"

    From what I could tell, Shizuku and Sagasuga were practicing push-ups together, even though Sagasuga obviously had the upper edge. Nevertheless, Shizuku wasn''t showing any signs of backing off.

    Nevertheless, I never paid any possible attention to this pairing to know whether or not this is an impressive interaction.

    Also, Shizuku seems to be friendly and playful while Sagasuga has a friendly aura around him.

    Therefore, with that in mind, I approached them.

    "Um... Hi..."

    My greeting came out pretty shyly... Regardless of that, I got noticed immediately by Sagasuga who looked in my direction despite performing squats.

    Yes, they had just changed exercises.

    "What''s up? Is there anything I can help you with, Arkalee?"

    Normally, I would complement Sagasuga''s somewhat attractive appearance in the back of my mind, but that''s not the correct thing to do since I already love someone else.

    Nonetheless, I am glad he noticed my words. That instantly evoked a sense of completion.

    "Yes... Have you seen Tatsu? I need to talk to him about something..."

    "Tatsu? Isn''t he with Ikkiri? Well, since they are paired up, you should look for Ikkiri first and you might find Tatsu along."

    "Thanks..."

    Why are you telling me to chase after that bitch, Sagasuga?

    "Ah, Arkalee. Ahh... Ahh... If you are looking for them I think I saw them going to the basketball field for some reason."

    Shizuku gave a more appealing reply in contrast to Sagasuga''s completely useless answer.

    Truly something to preach.

    The basketball field wasn''t that far away...

    "Alright, thank you for the answer! Continue training, you two!"

    "Hey, thanks!"

    "We will!"

    Stop talking already, Sagasuga.

    I didn''t mean these words to you, I just said it for the sake of saying them.

    Though Shizuku is fine I guess.

    Now... There were two basketball courts, to my knowledge. The first one was a public one which was all the way up to block A. But, instead of being inside block A, it was outside of it. It was still pretty good nonetheless.

    As for the second court, I believe that there is one behind block F.

    ...

    If you can even call it a court.

    By far, from what I know, Ikkiri was definitely not with Tatsu, which means that Tatsu was most likely alone.

    Of course, this is all assuming that he is alone and not with Ikkiri right now.

    Yet, let''s be real. Would a bitch like Ikkiri, whose need for attention is insatiable, let go of someone like Hyunda? Obviously not. Therefore, I need to assume the worst.

    Also... It''s quite unlikely that Tatsu is in the basketball court located outside of block A. Which means... He is at the block F''s court instead.

    This time though, I didn''t run since it wasn''t that far away. I left the running platform and made my way towards Tatsu''s possible location.

    "He''s got a crush on me, doesn''t he? I''m pretty sure he does..."

    Unlike Hyunda, Tatsu is most likely enveloped with my beauty far more often. It''s not bold to assume that Tatsu has developed a crush for me just by my appearance alone.

    Plus, I act quite nicely.

    This is perfect then. Someone like Tatsu, who is often a lone-wolf to develop a crush on me, is truly perfect. Also, he is not the type of person to speak about his crush. In other words, he will be completely surprised that I will be the one who approached him.

    "And would you look at that..."

    In this crappy and sad excuse of a basketball court, stood a simple looking boy practicing basketball in a harsh but practical way.

    Block F isn''t a block which is visited except by our class, but behind it, there is a basketball hoop. And, as long as you have a basketball ball you can literally just play it. How nice, to be playing basketball this lonely just to hone your skills.

    Fortunately, there was a bench nearby, so without noticing my presence, I simply took a seat and allowed Tatsu to continue playing on his own.

    Surely, I never saw him put this much effort into something. But that''s mainly because I never paid any attention to Tatsu in the first place.

    I would only act once he noticed my presence, because that will for sure, take him by surprise instantly.

    Yet...

    He is always hopping...

    At this rate, he will really never notice my existence.

    Or so I thought, but the ball just started coming in my direction...

    It started to approach my shoes but Tatsu arrived to catch the ball before it could crash. In order to do so, he bends over.

    And only after raising his head up, did he notice my whole existence.

    "Arkalee... What are you doing here...?"

    He backed off a few steps, but it was about time I put on my act, honestly.

    "Hm? I''m here to see you play. I got sooo bored with Hyunda and I decided to take a stroll. Ah, that was when I discovered this place. I didn''t know that there was a basketball court."

    "Yeah, there is one here, surprisingly. It''s really cool because no one comes here..."

    How typical. He''s not even looking at me in the eye anymore. He''s totally acting shyly.

    "But, I didn''t know... You do basketball? That''s pretty cool!"

    "...Well, th-thanks, I guess... Do you... um, like basketball too?"

    "Nah, I don''t know much about it. But, just by watching you play, you''re making me interested, you know?"

    It really wasn''t interesting at all.

    "By the way, where is Ikkiri? Isn''t she your partner?"

    Tatsu, now, started to dribble with his ball for some reason while creating some distance.

    "Stuff happened. To each their own, I suppose."

    "Eh? What happened?"

    "What? You really wanna know that badly?"

    "Yes, I do. Take a seat here and tell me about it!"

    "A s-seat..."

    "Yes?"

    Don''t be a coward now. I noticed that you are purely attracted to me, but you wouldn''t act cowardly in the face of the girl you like, would you?

    And as expected, after resisting for a while, he took a seat.

    But, at the bay of the bench, though. Probably because he was self-aware of his sweat.

    Unfortunately, I was far more self-aware when it came to that...

    "So...?"

    I pushed the subject and forced him to talk about what had happened with him and Ikkiri. Even though I clearly, deep down, didn''t care.

    "She''s way too eccentric... She doesn''t stop talking. She can''t appreciate silence and is always walking around the school instead of practicing with me. It''s not that she lacks the physical ability, she''s just childish and so, it''s impossible for us to even work."

    Very typical of Ikkiri. To be obnoxious in all senses, I guess there''s nothing else that I could''ve expected, honestly. Still, this is great.

    "Aren''t you going to do something about it, Tatsu?"

    "No... I''m not going to change just because she is like that. For one second, she''s serious about this but then second after she''s like: ''Hey, let''s take a tour around the school!''... Screw that... I''m really serious about this here..."

    "I see... Ikkiri''s at fault, isn''t she? If she cooperated then you wouldn''t have to go through this. It''s not your fault, Tatsu..."

    "Thank you for understanding... She''s oblivious as well. She doesn''t stop whining as well. How am I supposed to win with her!?"

    That''s something that is impossible and you truly need to understand why Tatsu.

    So, in order to convey my words better, I closed our distance.

    "H-Hey, you''re too close..."

    "Forget that. Listen, shouldn''t you just fail the exam?"

    "W-What!? Are you mocking me...? How could I fail this exam... It''s so important..."

    "I know that, but if you fail the exam, then, won''t Ikkiri suffer? Hey, I''ve heard something interesting. Did you know, apparently, if your partner isn''t able to compete physically, then you can just take her role and do all of her work?"

    "A-Are you serious right now, Arkalee? Where have you heard that...?"

    "It''s just a rumor going around between the girls. Apparently, someone talked to Yuka-sensei and she told those words... It''s up to you to believe them or not, but don''t you think that it would be far more possible for you to pass this exam by achieving these tasks alone? I''ve been looking at you and you seem to be pretty capable of doing such. So, why depend on Ikkiri when you can do this yourself?"

    Of course, this is a lie. Nevertheless, I told Tatsu that this is a rumor which means that I don''t know truly if this is true or not. In other words, if he believed me, then this would work.

    But I didn''t have to care about that, because if you are in love with someone then you are bound to find their words credible without questioning them.

    And, additionally, I added words that implied that I''ve been watching Tatsu from afar while I have not.

    It was necessary to lie for this to work and this must work.

    It can''t be helped.

    "Are you suggesting that if Ikkiri somehow presents physical incapacity that I might be able to do the tasks alone?"

    "I-If you can..."

    "I can do them!"

    "I-I see! That''s great to know!"

    How easy to manipulate. I feel like yawning.

    "But how can Ikkiri present physical incapacity when she is actually someone who is physically capable? I''m just not sure whether or not she''ll take the exam serious and that is troublesome."

    "Tatsu, it''s very easy. You have to do it."

    ".....What?"

    "Can''t you see? Ikkiri alone won''t do it, but if you do it..."

    "W-Wait, what are you suggesting me to do, Arkalee?"

    "For her to present physical inability, you have to do something in order for that to happen. Now, I''m not going to suggest something like beating her up, but instead, why not make her physically incapable while she doesn''t know that you have done it? For example... Give her something bad to eat. Something that will surely make her unable to participate in tomorrow''s exam, for instance. It can be anything, just something to prevent her from attending tomorrow''s exam."

    "But why are you going this far, Arkalee? I don''t understand."

    Of course you don''t. And I have no intention of truly explaining it to you. But, I''ll tell you something that is true, Tatsu.

    "I hate Ikkiri. I can''t stand her... She''s so annoying and she doesn''t shut up. She thinks she''s funny while she''s not. Do you get the gist of it...?"

    "So you feel that way towards her too? Even so... You''re expecting way too much from me..."

    He started to show reluctance for some reason.

    Hm?

    Why though?

    Aren''t you talking with the girl you love? And you tell her that I''m expecting too much from you? Then, isn''t your duty to meet my expectations since you are in love with me?

    What gives?

    ..........

    I''m not going to let that be the case, Tatsu.

    It seems that I must use secondary methods for this, even though I seriously didn''t want to do this to someone who is sweaty...

    How disgusting...

    But it can''t be helped.

    "Please... Tatsu... I can''t do it... So I thought that I could count on you..."

    Since our distance was closed, I swiftly grabbed his left arm and pulled it closer to my chest.

    "A-Ah..."

    It was meaningless to resist. No one can resist me when we have come this far.

    While it is disgusting and it pains me to do this, I swear to never do this ever again, Hyunda.

    I just need his cooperation, that''s all!

    It can''t be helped.

    "Are you going to say no still...?"

    "I-I-I.... I''ll see what I can do about it...!"

    No, that''s not enough.

    Man up, please.

    "Tatsu, please... Only you can do this... I need a yes..."

    Shamefully, I put on a desperate act in order to convince Tatsu.

    It seriously can''t be helped. This is for the sake of something greater. The current events are absolutely partial.

    They will not matter in the future.

    "Okay... I got it. I''ll make sure she won''t be coming tomorrow."

    "Really!? Thank you, Tatsu! You''re a lifesaver! Really, thank you so much!"

    To further allude Tatsu, I started to jump around like a kid while smiling.

    Also, Tatsu had just left the scene while I was pretending to be happy. It seems that he was going to get his plan or whatever he has in mind to work.

    Just wait a little, Hyunda...

    Soon... Soon, we will be together and that depraved creature will not be in my way any longer. The perfect scenario will be achieved where only you and I will be together.

    Although what I''m currently doing might be something questionable and false, it doesn''t matter.

    I don''t harbor any feelings for Tatsu, so this is fine.

    Because I don''t care about anyone but you.

    It''s alright, isn''t it, Hyunda?

    It can''t be helped, yes?

 Volume 5 - Chapter 32: An average day of a not so average person.

    In a dark alley, someone is trying to run from me. The person often stumbles upon some useless things such as trash cans or just trips over shattered pieces of glass.

    The sun has gone out and now the full moon rises to greatness.

    Midst the dark night, I could feel no anxiety and the pursuit of a higher sensation fully consumed my body as I kept on slowly walking towards my next victim.

    There is no one coming from you, so why are you running away from me?

    As a matter of fact, why are you running away from me in the first place...?

    "Stop! Stop! Stop! I haven''t done anything to you, why are you doing this to me?! I want to live, I want to live! Please let me live! Why!? Why did you kill all my family! You monster!"

    After tripping yet again, the figure that was running away from me accidentally stood on the cold and dark ground in this deserted alley.

    Speaking of which... It''s a girl.

    A really young one at it.

    But her words. They confuse me.

    "What are you talking about? I didn''t do any of that... Why are you so afraid? Why are you taking a few steps back like that? Is there something wrong with me? I just wanted..."

    Hm? What did I want again?

    I can''t remember...

    "You did! You did! I saw them! As soon as I got home you were stabbing my mother in the back!! You can''t lie to me! Not only my mother but you killed everyone else too! My brother, father, grandpa, they are all dead! Stay away from me!!"

    What is she talking about...? I have no recollection of such events...

    And why is this petit little girl speaking to me like that...?

    No one will help you, therefore why are you even bothering to scream...?

    Nevertheless, the girl was finally against the back of the wall. She brought this upon herself by trying to escape me.

    In my right hand, I held a sharp silver knife with trails of blood all over its edge.

    Maybe I really did kill...?

    "Hey, you don''t have to cry. Why are you crying? Hey, answer me. What''s wrong? You''re not stopping."

    "Let me live please..."

    Huh...?

    Why did she ask me that question...? Her tears that flow straight down her lachrymose face are abnormal. I don''t think that I have ever seen so much fear in one person. She''s even refusing to look at me.

    Why though...?

    Mhm.........

    I can''t remember why I''m here and why I''m chasing down a girl with a knife in my hand in the first place?

    For what reason would I chase down a young short black haired girl like this in the middle of the night...?

    Isn''t this dangerous for me...? Still... No matter how much I think about it, I can''t form a good answer regarding this.

    ....!

    "S-Stoooooooooop!!!! It hurts!!! Why are you doing this!!! Take it off, it hurts!"

    Why did my body just move and instinctively stabbed her left shoulder like that?

    Also, is it just me or can''t I speak? I''ve tried to answer her for quite a while but only my thoughts are alive right now.

    Why am I stabbing her though?

    "Go to hell! I hope you burn in hell!!"

    Ah, no good.

    After stabbing her so much all over her body, she just died. It all happened in a rhapsody though.

    I know it''s not alright, but I can''t help but be happy about breaking the habit.

    February 23rd. 8 am.

    "AHHH!!!"

    Unexpectedly, I woke up by falling from my bed... I couldn''t help but let out a scream because I just had a terrifying nightmare...

    "Not again... I killed someone in my dreams again...."

    This has been happening from time to time now.

    There are times where I have these weird and terrible nightmares...

    Nightmares where I kill people for some reason...

    "Why can''t I remember anything at all...?!"

    It''s been consuming my mind how I can''t seem to ever grasp any sort of possible recollection of why I am dreaming like this...

    "Myaauuu..."

    And while I was here panicking about my strange nightmare, my cat just came to meet me. Speaking off which, I just fell from my bed and...

    "Shhh. Don''t make any noises or else they''ll hear you, Oliver."

    "Myaaauu!"

    "That''s a good boy... Mhm... You''re so fluffy..! I wish I could stay here and cuddle all day long with you, but..."

    When I reached out for my phone that was on my mini-desk, I looked at the time...

    "Heavens, I''m gonna be late at this rate! And I haven''t eaten anything! Oliver, do you think I can still eat something and be on time for the class!? I know I''m going to get scolded but...! I''m hungry..."

    "Myaaauu! Myaauu!"

    Oliver got on top of my body which tickled me, but I soon realized that I didn''t have much time left, so, after getting ready and giving Oliver some proper food, I quickly ate something and left the dorm.

    As I was about to do so, I had a strange thought which immediately turned into something that I would say out loud...

    "...Why... am I even here...?"

    These thoughts and events were something that I, Akihiko Kagami, frequently had in this month of cold, February.

    8:30 am. Main classroom. Block F.

    I''m arguably one of the very first people to reach this class but the person next to me is always here first.

    Her name is Sana. Sana Nasha, correct?

    Every time that I entered this obnoxiously normal classroom, she would meet my gaze, since I was the first person to look at her, yet we would immediately look away after two split seconds.

    For no particular reason should we look at each other in the first place, but we still did.

    "Why did she look in my way, anyway?"

    "Sorry?"

    And in the middle of this, I got the attention of one of my male companions, which is...

    Damn, I can''t remember.

    "Hey... K-Kyoren...?"

    "It''s Ryoken, Akihiko."

    "Ah, right..."

    Apparently that''s the name of the male figure who caught me speaking out loud while I was entering the classroom.

    "So, were you speaking to me, or...?"

    "Ah, no. I wasn''t. Sorry."

    After clearing that misunderstanding I went to my seat and stood right next to Sana, who is a person that has a figure of considerable appeal.

    Her brunette hair really does go along with her and besides, her almost short hair is nice. I don''t really like long hairs that much but a perfect balance is nice.

    "And she''s writing songs again in hope that I don''t notice. Of course, she won''t realize this but her way of hiding is really bad. Especially because I can just take a look at it from this angle."

    For this to work, I had to tilt my torse to the left just so I could look at what she was writing.

    "Oh gosh, when will you ever shut up!? Keep those thoughts to yourself!"

    Did I say that out loud?

    "I guess I said that out loud."

    "Yeah, I know you did! You don''t have to say it!"

    "She''s moody too, how troublesome."

    "What the hell did I just tell you!? Keep your thoughts to yourself since I don''t want to hear them!"

    Did I accidentally speak out loud yet again?

    But why is she so mad?

    Nevertheless, I kept that thought to myself and took a seat. Sana''s aggressive, but way too aggressive.

    Why though?

    Are my loud thoughts that annoying? I just can''t seem to find a problem with them, honestly.

    The class had begun and so, Sana packed her sheets in which she was writing her lyrics in her school bag.

    "Can I read it?"

    "I''ll kill you."

    Why do you have to be so rude...? I was serious about this.

    After that, minutes just kept on flying by. I pay attention to class, but sometimes I do feel bored and prioritize my thoughts instead of paying that much attention to class.

    If my loud thoughts are annoying to Sana, then should I try something else? Like, for example, lower the volumes of my thoughts...?

    This is fine because our table is right against the right wall and I just so happen to be against it.

    Therefore, I awkwardly embraced the wall and started to self monologue about some doubts.

    "Why am I here anyway? I can''t remember, I can''t remember... No, why is everyone here...? Should I ask Sana about this or is she too emotionally unstable to answer my question nicely and in a logical manner? Probably. Mhm... Damn, this sucks... Why can''t I remember anything-- Auww."

    I got kicked in the middle of this, but she refused to look my direction.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    "Sana, why are you here?"

    No answer.

    "Hey, Sana, don''t ignore me... I know you can hear me. Listen, your lyrics really aren''t that bad, they just have some major iss- Auwwwww."

    This time, it was a barrage of three kicks.

    "Stop that... It really hurts."

    "It''s about to hurt a whole lot more if you don''t shut up..."

    "Oh. You answered me! That''s nice! But don''t talk too loud or else he''ll notice...!"

    By he, I meant the monster that was teaching us.

    "You''re the one talking loud, you know? What do you want, Akihiko? Can you promise to shut up if I answer your question?"

    "Yes, yes. I promise. So, why are we here?"

    "Are you dumb? We are here because we have done things that we shouldn''t..."

    "Ah, very informative, Sana. So, what were those things?"

    Realistically, I had no clue what Sana was talking about. I just assumed that she was being vague about it so I pressed the subject.

    "Crimes, you moron."

    "W-What!? C-Crimes?! But, why? W-What did you do...? I-I knew it...! I always found it strange the fact that such an emotionally unstable person such as you were here in the first place! It appears it was true, you really did--- Auuwwwwwwwwwwwww!!"

    I felt that really hard on my knee.

    Why is her kick so strong...

    "Don''t you dare speak like you are in a different position..."

    Suddenly, Sana paused her writing and put down her pencil to further emphasize.

    "Listen, I have no idea what your game is, but I''m not a fool. You''ve been acting strange these past days for no reason and I won''t accept the ''memory loss'' cliche. I know what you are up to and it''s not going to work. I would also appreciate if you''d stop calling me emotionally unstable when that''s clearly not the case. You are annoying to an absurd extent, it''s only normal for someone to show signs of being disturbed in the presence of the likes of you..."

    Waah, how harsh.

    "I''m serious though. I have no clue about what''s going on or why I''m here in the first place. You said that we did crimes right? But I can''t remember anything regarding that... Hey, if that''s true, then what have you done?"

    "Stupid, I''m not telling you. I have no reason to tell you, especially you of all people."

    "But why though? Is it something that you just can''t tell me or is it because it''s me? If so, does that mean that you can tell other people but not me? That''s harsh, Sana. Really harsh."

    "Stop blabbering, I am not telling it to anyone, regardless of who it is."

    Okay, but why though? Why bother keeping it a secret?

    "Then, what have I done? According to your reasoning, everyone here has done crimes, right? If so, then I can conclude that I must have done something, correct? What?"

    "Hell if I know. You never told me about it, also, can you drop the act already? It''s plainly obvious that you are messing with me..."

    "What are you talking about? I''m not messing with you. You are so insecure. Trust issues? Oh, you''ve been betrayed before or something like that? You don''t have to worry, I''ll never do such a thing."

    "...Let''s suppose that you are not lying and you are telling me the truth. You have amnesia or something like that, right?"

    "I''m not sure, Sana. All I know is that I can''t remember anything after the supply exam... It must be connected."

    "That is amnesia, you idiot."

    "Can you not call me an idiot? It''s really infuriating. I am not an idiot. Where have I shown signs of idiocy?"

    "The fact that you don''t even know that makes you the bigger idiot, Akihiko. Talking to yourself is the reflection of a lunatic. Also, you act like an idiot. It''s written all over your face."

    "I don''t agree with that, Sana... You''re the idiot."

    "Excuse meee?!"

    Oh no, I''ve pissed her off yet again.

    It''s not really my fault though...

    Is talking alone that bad? It helps me organize my thoughts, it is, therefore, correct to speak alone out loud.

    Our distance grew closer physically but for bad reasons. She was holding her pen in a menacing way.

    Put that away, please.

    "Drop that pen, Sana..."

    "Drop that attitude, Akihiko."

    "No, you should really drop your pen! What are you thinking right now?! See, this is what I mean when I said that you were emotionally unstable! Who in their right mind just physically threatens someone when things don''t go their way!? That''s just psychotic and you know it!"

    What were we talking about again?

    Were we seriously arguing about whether or not I had amnesia?

    "Well, that''s why you are an idiot, Sana. Because you can''t even distinguish the fact that it''s obvious that I do have amnesia. Tsk. Dumb bi- AHHHH!!!!"

    As soon as I was about to finish that sentence, I felt a staggering pain on my left leg...

    "Did you seriously just stab me with your pen on my left leg?!"

    This bitch''s insane! Who does that openly in the middle of an ongoing classroom!? I''m sure that she will be punished by this---

    "Akihiko. Earth to Akihiko."

    Hm? Why is this monster suddenly in front of me and grabbing the top of my skull with just his right hand?

    How come I''m feeling extremely terrified right now? Why is his face so close? Why is he smiling so diabolically?!

    MOM!!!

    "Now, I''ve been calling your name for quite a while but somehow, you have the balls to completely ignore me. You should know something, you self-talking retard. Ignoring me is the worst thing you can possibly do. I don''t bother much with human beings in general, but when I do, I make sure that they get my point. However, you were too busy screaming right now. How do you explain this?"

    "It''s Sana''s fault."

    "Sensei, it''s not... Akihiko was just talking to himself and faked a scream."

    "No, sensei, she obviously stabbed me with her pen! It''s right there, look!"

    "Sensei, he did that to himself. He''s a lunatic!"

    "Not true, sensei! Sana''s lying through her teeth!"

    "Akihiko''s accusation is false because I was paying attention to class."

    "Wrooooong. She wasn''t paying attention to class, she was writing her horrible ly- AHHHH! Oi, sensei! You saw that, didn''t you? You did, didn''t you?!"

    She kicked me again!

    What the hell is wrong with this girl!?

    "Both of you, to the principal''s office. Now!"

    ...........

    Without showing much resistance, we marched forward to the principal''s office which was all the way to block A. We surely didn''t talk to each other as well.

    No...

    I attempted to but she looked so pissed that I felt that my own life was in pure danger if I attempted something...

    Not to mention, we ended up attracting attention along the way...

    Principal''s office.

    "What is it this time? It''s the third time this week that someone has been sent here and they are all from the same class. Class F. Mind explaining me what happened?"

    In this fairly average office stood in his desk a man of considerable height with a bald head.

    His look was more penetrating than anything and just by looking at that tight suit, I got the feeling that he was physically strong.

    There were two chairs so we took our respective seats.

    "Principal, would you believe me if I told you a tale of a lunatic that wouldn''t stop talking to himself?"

    "It depends. Is it relevant or not?"

    Perhaps his figure was so physically repulsive that I couldn''t help but form a silent atmosphere. Not even my lone and loud thoughts came out this time.

    However, Sana was taking the lead here, which was something that was bad for me.

    And in the end...

    Roughly after waiting for 10 minutes and roughly after plenty of arguments between me and Sana, the principal reached his conclusion.

    "Let me get this straight. Sana, student from F class, said that Akihiko, the one who you sit right next to, has a bad habit of talking to himself and that even Akihiko himself denied this. On the other hand, Akihiko appealed to his argument by saying that it''s natural to talk out loud... Right?"

    "Yes, that is correct."

    "And furthermore, since he didn''t stop bothering you, you kicked him a few times and---"

    "Please don''t forget the part where I said she stabbed me with her pen out of fury and anger!"

    No way was I going to let that point be forgotten.

    "Don''t interrupt me, Akihiko, student from F class."

    Why is he mentioning my class like it''s important?

    "Sorry..."

    "Either way, both sides are at fault. Akihiko, student from F class, in class you are supposed to be silent. Disobeying basic rules such as this will only aggravate the consequences. And Sana, student from F class, you are not allowed to kick nor stab someone just because that someone is annoying. Moderate your temper. With that said, you''ll both receive your first warnings."

    Oh, just a warning?

    How sweet. I thought we would get something way more extreme.

    "Can''t you reconsider this, principal?!"

    For some reason, Sana got up from her seat and made her stand towards the heartless principal sitting on the steeled desk.

    "No, I will not reconsider. You two are dismissed. I hope to not see you again."

    "Yes..."

    Sana and I, after saying that, left the principal''s office and made our way back to class.

    But, there was something that I didn''t understand.

    Why was Sana so worried about just a single warning...?

    "Hey, Sana, why are you..-"

    Suddenly, Sana fastened her pace while leaving block A. Truly, we were being confronted with a lot of students, but her pace didn''t decrease, in fact, it only increased.

    "Don''t talk to me... Ever again... Because of you, I got a warning..."

    Her words started to sound lower and lower since the students just kept on talking and talking.

    Also, why are they forming so much distance between us...?

    To catch up with Sana, I increase my pace.

    "Hey, what does it matter? It''s just a warning, you know?"

    Contrasting her previous actions, she fully stopped walking and looked on the ground for two seconds straight.

    "Sana...? What? What''s wrong?"

    "You... You really don''t know anything, do you? Life must be pretty easy for you. You don''t have a care in the world, do you? Well, guess what? I do! I care about my own circumstances and I''m pissed off that I even got a warning just because I got involved with the likes of you! I can''t believe that I have to suffer because of you!!"

    Her emotions once again began storming violently. Furthermore, while shouting at me, she would often raise her index finger just for the purpose of pointing at me, indicating that I am the one at fault.

    Truly, I realize that I''m somewhat in the wrong and that talking alone can be pretty disturbing, but I still didn''t get it.

    "Why are you stressed out about this? Look, I admit, I was wrong here. Talking alone must be something that''s pretty disturbing. But why are you being so... worried over a warning? It''s just a warning... Nothing bad will happen due to it."

    Something to further mention is that everyone from the other classes was looking at us with worried expressions. But it''s mainly because Sana is being very aggressive about this for no reason at all.

    In the middle of this hall that had plenty of students in it, it wouldn''t be a surprise if there was an intervention coming up soon.

    It might just be a matter of time before this block''s guard comes to us.

    Or so I''ve learned over the past two weeks. My memory only knows this much regarding this.

    "Just a warning? Are you serious right now? Well, okay. Since you are sooooooo dumb, let me tell you something useful! Once you have accumulated ten warnings, you are out of this program, you big dumb idiotic simpleton. And being out of this program means that I don''t get what I want! And do you know what I want!? Huh? Do you!?"

    I wish I knew, but so far, I have no clue what''s going on, other than the fact that Sana is pissed off to a whole new level.

    I''m not even sure why I''m in this school in the first place.

    None of this makes any sense to me.

    "I''ve told you that I don''t really know what''s going on... You can just tell so I can hopefully comprehend but you haven''t done that either, Sana!"

    "Oh yeah? Then get this. What I want is freedom. Freedom from what I have done and to hopefully not repeat it again and that''s why I can''t screw up! I already have to deal with you daily, Kuzan too and everyone else too! Don''t you dare project your easy-going methods on someone like me who takes everything she does seriously!"

    I see.

    It seems that Kuzan is somehow connected to her stress, otherwise, she would not bother to mention it.

    Regardless, I had bigger worries right now, because a bulky man just walked into this block.

    While it would be really good to understand her problems to get a better gist of the situation, it appears that the situation at hand is far worse.

    "Sana, we have to get out of here, fast---"

    "No!!"

    Once again, for reasons unknown, she did a strange thing, which was to push my whole body back.

    "I''ve had enough of you. You are driving me insane every single day, Akihiko! You, and everyone else! What the hell are you all looking at, huh!? Don''t you all have lives as well!? Then stop fucking looking at me already!"

    "Eeeeek!"

    The majority of them just fleed the scene, but there was seriously something that she needed to understand because Sana was not making this easy for me...

    "I get that! I''ll listen to your complaints later, but right now we need to-"

    "You two. What is this all about?"

    Crap...

    "What!? Who are you? What do you want? Can''t you see that I''m talking to him? Can''t you take a clue and realize the situation or are you immensely clueless as well? Is that why you''re so bulky? Because your brain is too tiny to fit in!?"

    Sana, this isn''t the time to be roasting this block''s guard, you idiot!

    "I see... This behavior... The principal told me about it, how there was a ''disturbance'' in this block... But to think that it would be the rumourous criminals that this school is keeping. I''ve never been a fan of keeping criminals around, but this..."

    Is that a baston...?

    Why does this man have a baston?

    "Will you shut it already? You''re annoying. Piss off!"

    S-Sana, what are you doing!? Can''t you see that he has a baston in his hands?! What if he...?

    "The principal told me something in addition. Against criminals and only them, if they break the rules, I am allowed to use the right ways to punish them..."

    "Please forgive us! We didn''t mean to start anyt-"

    "Silence, you pest! You broke the peaceful atmosphere and corrupted it with vicious pollution with your own actions! It''s forbidden for you to interact with other students yet you did just that! Not you in specifically, but this lousy girl over here! How are you going to atone for that!?"

    My attempt to persuade him by reason completely failed and he kept on ticking with his baston on his right hand''s palm...

    I get the feeling that we should not be here and I wish that she would take a clue, but...

    "I don''t care about that rule! It makes no sense why I can''t interact with them! They''ve talked to me, why can''t I talk back!?"

    "Shut up!!!!! You don''t get to talk, you filthy criminal! Right here and now, you will repent for your own actions!"

    Just as Sana was about to fire another verbal barrage of comments at him, his right arm which was fully loaded since his baston was in his right hand, did a contradictory swing and it was clear that he was about to hit Sana at full force.

    Is this seriously allowed?!

    There are people watching even...!

    "Ahhh, damn it!!"

    Against my initial intentions, I intercepted the strike that was directed at Sana by putting myself in the way, but nonetheless, my whole body got shot to the steel lockers.

    Shit... That was so powerful.

    "You dare to get in my way!? Preposterous! How can you disobey and attempt to rebel against me when you have broken the rules!? It''s unforgivable and I will not concede such an act!"

    Ahhhhhh....

    Blood....

    It''s coming out, from my nose. I took that blow with my whole face and it triggered a physical reaction, therefore my whole nose is bleeding right now.

    Just by hovering my whole hand onto it, I can feel the surreal amount of blood tripping out.

    "W-What are you doing!? Y-You just hit him! Why!? Akihiko didn''t do anything wrong to deserve that!"

    Hearing those words from you isn''t exactly the nicest thing on Earth considering how contradicting they are. A moment ago you were lashing at me with all your might but now you are showing a docile expression while speaking words of care?

    What a strange and confusing girl.

    "Shut up!!! You got lucky because that strike right now was meant to hit you!! How dare you talk back after what you have done!? You''ve disturbed the peace of this block just by scaring every other student away!! How will you pay for that?!"

    I don''t really get what''s going on, but what the hell is he saying?

    You were the one who scared them all out when you started to swing that baston and now you are accusing her of doing something that''s not entirely true?

    Ah, sure, she was emotional and whatnot. Even annoying to an obnoxious point, but why are you about to swing that baston at her nonetheless?

    You said criminals, but do you even know what we did? You don''t, do you?

    If so, why are you acting like you are in a superior position?

    Also... This intense feeling streaming down my veins... I can''t help but find it particularly interesting...

    Ever since I''ve been hit by that baston of his, I started feeling rage and feeling fire in my veins.

    But, I''m not entirely sure why...

    ..................

    "W-What!? How dare you get in my way twice!? Fuck off!!"

    And yet again, I was sent flying back to my initial position.

    I''m not even sure if I understand what just happened. Was that instinct? Was that why I intercepted his attack once again?

    My steeming curiosity about the way I''m feeling right now feels like the key to remember certain parts of my memory.

    Why...?

    Is this stage meant to be?

 Volume 5 - Chapter 33: Waking the dragon.

    "Oww..."

    This is going unexpectedly wrong but I guess that''s expected?

    "W-What''s happening...?"

    A really pointless question just came out from Sana, who is standing in the outside border of the scene while watching me get absolutely annihilated by this so-called guard''s baston.

    What''s more, his attacks are making every part of my body numb as soon as they connect with the respective parts. My two forearms feel dead and if he hits me one more time in the face then it feels as if my head is gonna come off...

    "I will once again apologize... Please forgive us... We didn''t mean to do what we just did."

    "Apology accepted! Now suffer!"

    That''s not how the apology process works...

    And I can''t even fight back, because all I''m doing is forming a stand whenever he tries to attack Sana. I have no doubts, if Sana gets a single hit of this baston, then she will be heavily injured.

    Given that he was about to launch yet another heavy attack on her, I guarded using my left shoulder this time.

    Nevertheless, I got immediately trashed onto the locker. For further mention, being ravaged against the steel lockers hurt like hell. Especially because my back is in deep trouble right now.

    "How is this even allowed..."

    The insides of my mouth were starting to taste like iron... Which was due to the fact that I was starting to considerably bleed.

    And...

    "I-I-I-I-I.....!!"

    She''s panicking all over the place. Sana''s probably confused right now because her initial intention was to vent her emotions onto someone like me who has been annoying her all day long but now, she can''t decide what to do since I''m the one preventing her from being hit.

    Unless there is something more.

    However, this isn''t the time for horse-play. I need her to do something right now.

    For that to happen, I gather every ounce of my strength to get up from the floor.

    But it was no good. Because I was already far too weak.

    I have to bet on the chance that she hears my low voice...

    "Sa.....na....."

    Ah shit, this isn''t going to work, is it? Luckily for me, the guard just keeps on slow-walking in my direction instead of delivering the finishing blow.

    I suppose that he must be feeling prematurely cocky...

    Which is bad, since I won''t be able to defend her anymore. Therefore, she needs to go.

    But...

    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry..."

    What the hell...?

    Why is she panicking this hard? I don''t get it...

    "Look at what you have done! Not only are you at fault for all of this but you even made your companion cry... Have you no shame?!"

    After saying those hypocritical words, the guard proceeded to perform a horizontal slash onto the lockers above me for some reason.

    If that hits me, I...

    No, more importantly...

    I must reach out to her someway... She has to stop looking down while crying in order for this to work.

    Something... Something to make her notice...

    I need an object to throw at her so she can notice me, but I don''t have any strength left in my body to stand up. And besides, there aren''t any objects near-by.

    .................

    No, that''s not entirely true.

    My phone is still in my pocket, so...

    "Don''t blame me for this, it''s the orders from the principal. You understand, don''t you? That you have erred and so, you need to be punished. Punishment is a natural course of life, for whatever you do wrong must receive a certain penance..."

    He kept on slashing the lockers in order to inflict a possible dreadful sentiment onto my soul and...

    It''s working... Shit, I''m so scared to even reach out to the phone that''s in my right pocket...

    W-What if that hits me...?

    He''s not even going to show a single shred of mercy, is he?

    No way he is...

    But... It''s been on my mind for a while. Every time I look at those horizontal slashes, they bring up a certain reminiscence to which I have no recollection yet every time I look at it, it just so happens...

    Why is it that every time that reminiscence occurs there is someone immediately knocking me out...?

    It''s so confusing because I can only see the movement and not the one who is doing it...

    "Please forgive me! Please forgive me! Please forgive me! Please forgive me! Please forgive me! Please forgive me!"

    .............

    This isn''t good. I can''t be afraid if she''s even more afraid. No help will come at this rate because no one will bother to stand up to him and accordingly, this is correct from his perspective.

    Even though the other class'' students are forming a circle on the outside of the block, they are far too afraid to come in...

    And...

    Are those cheers that I''m hearing...?

    "Hear that? You can hear them, can''t you? Do you want me to tell you what they are shouting?"

    Unfortunately, I could listen to those shouts loud and clear.

    Yet my voice was far too weak to even start chanting itself...

    "I''ll tell you regardless. ''Get this trash out of here!'' ''Kill them!'' ''Make them pay!'' and many other lines. Do you now understand? No one wants the likes of you here. Get out of here."

    Oh, I really want to retort back to this bastard and every single one of those cowards back there, but I just can''t.

    "Not to worry though! Even in the case that I am not getting through you, I will show you just how serious I am. Without order, there cannot be peace and so, the ones in charge of reinforcing peace are the authoritative forces who have the power to empower peace itself! In other words, I!"

    "What are you talking ab--- GAAAAAAH!"

    "Silence!! You don''t get to talk back!! How dare you interrupt me while I''m speaking?! I''ll murder you, you fuck!"

    Shit! Shit! Is he seriously hitting my back with that monstrosity!? At this rate, my spine will...

    "After I''m done with you, she''s next! It doesn''t matter the order, because you both will not escape."

    Regardless of his words, he kept on pounding my back with his baston to the point where my voice wouldn''t leak out any scream or shout in response to the physical trauma that I was going through.

    Since I was lying on the ground with my face down on the floor, my whole body was lying in the same position as well. Nevertheless, he wasn''t noticing my actual goal...

    He is far too caught up on his delusion.

    "How do you like that, huh!? So painful that you can''t even speak!? Serves you right! You damn criminal! You''ll never steal from me again!"

    Huh...?

    When the hell did I steal from him...?

    I don''t have time to pay attention to this guy''s delusions. While I was miraculously enduring the barrage of strikes unleashed from his massive steel baston, I looked right in the direction of the essential piece that would potentially fix this situation.

    However...

    "Hm? Where are you looking at? Isn''t my beating enough, is that what you are saying? Oh, I see. I get it now. You like to pretend to be righteous by trying to make me think that you have someone to save, don''t you? So that''s why you keep on looking at her, don''t you?!"

    Shit, he noticed my intentions! I thought that he was far too consumed and drunk on delusion to notice such a thing but I underestimated him!

    Yet something instantly caught my intention.

    I could not feel pain anymore nor see his brash movements against me.

    "H-Hey, where are you...?"

    I can''t possibly raise my head high enough due to the fact that my back is hurting like hell, but I can''t help but to feel extremely worried right now.

    Where did he go...?

    "No, stop! Let go of me! Let go of me!!"

    "Don''t resist, you damn bitch!"

    Paow.

    Just like that, I heard a concrete sound that echoes throughout the empty hall all the way to my eardrums.

    Out of instinct, I looked in Sana''s direction and she was being assaulted right now.

    The guard had her wrists fully captured. Just from his left hand, her two wrists were united while he had paused his baston on the right side of the wall.

    Sana''s lachrymose expression was a visible expression to every sight that dared to capture that moment. Brutally, he was taking ahold of her bangs as well after slapping her left cheeks.

    Furthermore, she was getting pushed to a brick of a wall.

    "See? This is the weight of your consequences. Rules are there to be respected and those who do not will receive their respective consequences. I did say that after I was done with you that I would go to her, but..."

    Why is he putting his knee in the middle of her legs...?

    No way is he planning on...?

    "Don------"

    Once again, my voice will not reach out. It''s far too weak.

    "Poor you. He''s trying to speak out but he can''t. Hahahaha!!! Would you look at that? He''s probably thinking along the lines of ''I must save her'' or ''It''s my duty'', but, those are lies!"

    Even after getting slapped once again, Sana did not yell or scream. She''s far too terrified to even scream.

    And me?

    No hope left. Call this pessimism, but it''s impossible to change this situation on my own. My plan was to throw my phone at Sana so she would look in my direction.

    Furthermore, I was going to tell her to reach out to one of our teachers but it''s completely useless now.

    I understand how negative I am about this situation, but there is nothing that I can do.

    I''m useless and hopeless. It''s not very surprising but as far as I can remember, my own inner will was never strong enough in the first place.

    However, that''s me. I comprehend my own flaws and that they cannot be changed in mere time. It''s impossible to simply change them just because I want them to change. This weakness overpowers me day by day and night by night, yet I can''t do anything about it.

    It would be fine if I was the only one who suffered from this negative circumstance but that''s unfortunately not the case, because right now, there is someone who is in far worse shape than I am.

    Sana isn''t even trying to resist it at this point. She''s not strong-willed, she just puts up a strong front.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    And that''s why as long as she is kept by his hands, she cannot do anything.

    .................

    This isn''t to say that she will be able to do anything afterward, but there is a small chance that she might. Right now, she won''t because she can''t.

    Therefore, I need to change that, somehow.

    "I................ I''m really sorry............. I won''t do it again........."

    "What? I can''t hear you. Speak louder."

    I don''t have time to try and understand the situation at hand, because from what I can tell, his attention is fully on Sana right now.

    It''s beyond me how this is even allowed, but no point in questioning something that is already in motion.

    Nevertheless, to assure this has a chance of working, I need to gather every strength in this feeble body to do so.

    Every fiber, every vessel, my own blood that rushes through my veins right now, give me the strength I need to pull this out...!

    "!"

    .......Too weak, huh?

    "What is this? A phone?"

    But he noticed. Even though my throw was ultimately weak, it was enough for him to notice and to take ahold of my phone. His curiosity turned out to be his ultimate flaw here.

    And simultaneously, to investigate the object I just threw at him, he had to let go of Sana to do so...

    Which gave me the perfect chance to perform the necessary actions.

    However, given that my strength was noticeably weak, there was only this shot.

    "Sana!! Can you hear me!? Sana!"

    Fuck, my whole body hurts just by making a single movement! I had no idea that moving even my tongue could be this painful...

    This painful sensation evokes a searing feeling spreading through my whole body like it will form ruin.

    My blood vessels feel so mutilated that they refuse to give me the benefit of moving my body minimally.

    But, Sana was far too terrified to look at me. And while this was happening, he had caught up.

    Though, there is still time. He''s still analyzing my intents.

    "Sana, you need to reach out to our teachers! Sana!! You must do this or else we are done for! No one will help us!"

    "N-No one? No... That''s just impossible... I''m sure that someone will not overlook this..."

    "That''s not true! No one is giving a damn about what''s happening to us! He''s got the principal''s order to punish us even though we didn''t do anything to deserve that! Nonetheless, you have to reach out to them----- GAAAH!!!"

    Without letting me finish my sentence, the bulky guard steps on my right hand with his boots and crushes a few of my metacarpals instantly.

    The pain that I felt was something I wish was transient yet it felt staggering long.

    "Well, well, aren''t you getting a bit too high of yourself, criminal? You think that in the face of ME, you can hope to talk your way out of this!? As I thought, I must get rid of you first before getting rid of her! Very well then! I''ll personally address a fitting punishment for you! A simple beating won''t do... Therefore... Let''s give the crowd a bit of joy, shall we!?"

    W-What is he talking about...?

    C-Crap, my body can''t stop shaking... Shit, this isn''t the time to think of negative things but I just can''t help but think that I am in deep trouble...

    Why is he coming in my direction?!

    "What the hell are you going to do...?"

    "The crowd outside is hungry. Entertainment is an underrated form of living, in my opinion, and that''s why I have to show everyone just how useless your endeavors were. In other words, I''ll give you a public beating because this wasn''t enough. Blame yourself, since you brought this upon yourself with your hypocritical acts!"

    When did I ever commit hypocrisy...?

    Fuck.... Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!

    I can''t get up. No strength and my will are completely shattered while my paranoia is outgrowing any positive thoughts I have in my brain.

    I''m doomed, aren''t I? I''ll be realistic. I have no way to escape this situation and there is nothing in my power that I can do to alter that.

    If that''s the case, then I must come into terms with my own situation.

    While it is hopeless to hope for a change there is something that I must do before meeting my demise.

    "Sana! I know you can hear me! Stop crying! What happened to the very girl that had the guts to argue against me a while ago!? Ha! I guess she just doesn''t exist anymore, huh!? Well, what a shame! I guess you''ll forever be weak! You said something about not being a fool but what happened to that?! You''ll stay a fool forever, then! Prove me wrong, I dare you!"

    That took everything I possibly had.

    Whether those words reached out to her or not, I don''t know. Because right now, the guard is grabbing my right ankle while dragging me outside of the block.

    There, I looked up and saw unknown faces smiling at me with a shred of malice behind those smiles.

    I would like to know what is going on and why I''m being treated this harshly but I can''t even muster the strength to think positively.

    Fear has fully consumed me as I abandoned all hope.

    "I have no idea what those words were all about but let me tell you something, you filthy criminal. No teacher will help you in this situation. Also, this is officially a public beating, meaning that anyone can partake in this!"

    As soon as he finished uttering those words, he threw me to the ground by doing an ankle throw. Needless to say, I started to receive kicks on my stomach for absolutely no reason at all.

    I wanted to guard but it was meaningless, my whole body was numb from all the previous hits.

    "Please stop..."

    Unable to say stronger words, I instantly cried out for help.

    Yet the kicks wouldn''t stop. My face was welling up as well.

    "Hey Rodrick, you said that we could do anything we want, then does that mean that I can pull his hairs out too?"

    One of the guys who was kicking me non-stop asked the guard that question suddenly.

    "Of course! Give him everything you have! No one is allowed to hold back, you hear me? The principal has allowed this, there are no possible consequences for this! Go wild!"

    He can''t be serious is he seriously going to grab my hair?!

    "N-No, stop! Not that! Stop, please!"

    Crap. Even my tears are coming out.

    I''m too afraid to even be conscious in the first place, so I lost consciousness while reflecting on my situation.

    Thus, Akihiko tinged the state of what was called unconscious.

    "Hey... Rodrick, he''s not even conscious anymore. What the hell? Hahaha. Did he get too scared to the point where he can''t even be conscious? That''s fucking hilarious! I can''t stop laughing, hahaha!!!"

    Coming from class A, a boy named Zen who was partaking in this one-sided beating mentioned to Rodrick, the block''s guard, the current situation.

    Rodrick right now was far too focused on presenting a plausible scenario for every spectator to watch. Every boy from class A was partaking in this one-sided beating but as soon as Akihiko lost his consciousness, they all were stunned for a moment.

    They did not know what to do and that was confusing Rodrick since this middle-aged man was expecting a perfect demonstration of his abilities yet the sudden act of fear from Akihiko was totally beyond his wildest dreams.

    In the middle of this, every student would stare intensively onto Rodrick''s face to see what he would say or what the next step would be. In other words, they were massively confused about whether or not they should continue to beat Akihiko, who was not presenting signs of being conscious.

    "Don''t stop! Observe well! He''s a typical criminal and so, he thinks that he is good at acting! Don''t fall for his bluff, he isn''t actually conscious!"

    To further illustrate, Rodrick took hold of Akihiko''s head and smashed it to the cold ground.

    Everyone was stunned by the amount of brutality Rodrick was using on an unconscious person and they began to question whether or not they should even continue this.

    Rodrick, however, noticed this event and the fear in their eyes. Their expressions emitted a signal of weakness and that all past bravery was completely shattered.

    Additionally, Rodrick began to think that this couldn''t go on and that if this prolonged itself any longer, then all of his past words would ring hollow forever. Therefore, he had to take drastic measures.

    "There''s no reason to be afraid! You will all do it, right?! There isn''t another alternative! If you let this little feeling inside your heart which goes by the name of ''fear'' consume you then you will all stay weak! Are you all weak?!"

    Class A had a strong pride for their top grades and excelling at everything. Surrendering to fear was not an option.

    So, they abandoned all possible human traits and began to pursue what their egos told them.

    To not surrender to fear. That was the main philosophy of class A.

    "...I''ll show this kid... Who does he think he is!? Criminals are not above me! They will never be!"

    "He''s full of crap! Beat him up! Make him regret breathing the same air as we!"

    "Piece of shit! I hope you''ll learn your lesson after this!"

    Onto the unconscious Akihiko lying on the ground, the rest of the boys landed multiple barrages of kicks onto his abdomen, skull, shoulder, legs and even his intimate parts.

    With that, Rodrick had gained his lead yet again.

    While this was happening, Sana, who was previously shaking in fear, took the chance to flee the scene. Although she had gathered her will, she couldn''t stop crying and shaking in response to the current situation.

    It was incomprehensible to her why Akihiko was going through such physical bullying.

    Nevertheless, once she steeled her resolve, she sought help from the two teachers that could possibly fix the current situation.

    However, Sana was far too scared to think and couldn''t form a single thought. All that she had in mind was to find either her homeroom teacher Yuka or Basara. Yet that was impossible for Sana.

    Just like previously, fear would take full control of her body and thus, she hid inside the girls'' bathroom out of safety.

    Sana was far too experienced in scenarios of fear.

    Meanwhile...

    "A-Aren''t we going to kill him at this rate...?"

    Sugimoto, the weakest classmate of Zen, asked that question as he forcefully kicked the unconscious Akihiko''s abdomen reluctantly.

    Even though he was doing this, he wasn''t exactly feeling confident about this.

    "Sugimoto, what are you talking about? So what if we kill him? This is allowed. And besides, it''s just a criminal. Criminals are bad people. They don''t deserve second chances in the first place!"

    Zen had finished those words while delivering strong kicks onto Akihiko''s crotch.

    "But..."

    "No buts, Sugimoto. Are you in or are you out?"

    Sugimoto, feeling pressured by Zen''s words, couldn''t simply ignore them. Throughout his years of life, Sugimoto had always been pressured by Zen''s superior actions and doings which would lead to an inferiority complex on Sugimoto''s part.

    Unbeknownst to Sugimoto himself, he kept on delivering blows with all of his might onto the unconscious boy out of fear of losing to Zen in this contest.

    To Sugimoto, this wasn''t about beating up someone but winning against Zen.

    "I''m in..."

    After Sugimoto had confirmed his resolution, Zen lightly smirked in response. In the meantime, Rodrick was simply observing the scenario with grace.

    There was nothing more satisfying to him than this.

    Ever since his young age, Rodrick had been bullied throughout his life by drug addicts who would steal his money daily and in case if he didn''t have it, they would beat him up.

    Regardless, he was constantly receiving physical bullying which would later add far more psychological pressure onto his consciousness.

    In order to possibly change his situation, Rodrick moved out to another school yet unfortunately and coincidentally, his former bullies didn''t let him escape and transferred to the same school as Rodrick.

    Rodrick was, without a doubt, losing hope. Yet, his hatred for criminals remained. He often thought to himself that it wasn''t okay nor it was right to allow this situation to go on.

    Thus, to change his situation, at the age of 16, Rodrick went to the army to fully become a soldier who would later turn out to be someone with considerable skills in martial arts. Furthermore, his body was fully marked with scars of both his training and real-life situations where he acted as a true soldier.

    Years later, the criminals couldn''t recognize Rodrick due to how much he had changed.

    Firstly, they attempted to sugarcoat their way of the situation yet Rodrick fully massacred every single one of them on sight.

    Unknown to the public, Rodrick additionally killed every other drug addict that was swarming around his neighborhood.

    While this gave Rodrick premature happiness and the feeling of fulfillment, he would soon realize that it wasn''t enough.

    And that there are still criminals out there. That it didn''t matter whether or not he cleared all the criminals that were close to him. Evil was still lurking around in distance.

    After many years later, Rodrick''s endeavors had earned him fame for putting down many criminals and that caught the attention of the government where they proposed him to attend a school as block A''s guardian.

    What was unknown to the public would be that the government gave Rodrick full authorization of putting down any of the criminals that were on the list, regardless of how it was done.

    However, despite this, Rodrick was only allowed to perform such acts if the criminals would step out of the line.

    Given the current scenario, Rodrick could not have asked for more and he was fully looking forward to his time in this school.

    Even so, he failed to calculate the upcoming scenario.

    "W-What the hell!? How can he be?!"

    Shocked by seeing Sugimoto sent flying by a high kick, Rodrick''s comfort atmosphere was immediately shattered.

    Never did he imagine that the present scenario would happen. Instantly, he attempted to draw conclusions of what was happening yet Rodrick had never for once witnessed such a thing.

    What was currently happening was surreal to him and anyone else watching this scene.

    "Sugimoto...?"

    Zen, also in shock, stared down at the fallen Sugimoto who had just received a kick so powerful that sent him flying to one of the classroom''s glass window. Of course, the glass was completely shattered in the process.

    Everyone had taken a step back since they could not possibly believe the scenario that they were perceiving at the moment.

    "What is happening right now...?"

    Clausolas, yet another student from class A, couldn''t help but form that obvious question, which was, in fact, a common question in every mind of the current spectators.

    "Hey, Rodrick, how is this even possible?! He was practically on the verge of death, so how--"

    "Shut up kid! I''m trying to think!"

    Yet it didn''t matter what Rodrick thought, he would not be able to form a single concrete guess as to why Akihiko was standing up despite his own eyes being closed and his whole physical figure instinctively shaking.

    After concluding that he could not come up with any reasonable conclusions, Rodrick had made up his mind.

    This was no time to be afraid because there was no reason to be afraid, or so he thought.

    "Whatever the case is, strike him down! Put him down at this instant!!"

    There are four stages of competence, accordingly.

    The two stages of competence revolve around unconscious competence and conscious competence while the two stages of incompetence likewise revolve around the duality of unconscious incompetence and conscious incompetence.

    Someone who is unconsciously competent will never believe in scenarios of victory, nevertheless, they are competent to the point of pulling out such winning scenarios, yet why?

    What simply gives such people the upper edge? This stage, which is, the unconscious competence fully delves the possibility of someone being extremely competent despite their shortcomings regarding their believes.

    Akihiko Kogami is one of those people.

    His mentality tells him that he is consciously incompetent but the reality reflects something different.

    Someone like him, who is unconsciously competent without knowing why, can never believe that he will ever be competent in any possible regard.

    "I don''t know how this is possible, but you are going down regardless! Hyaaa!!!"

    Clausolas, without understanding the situation at hand firmly rushed to the standing figure of Akihiko who was not conscious yet standing.

    In an attempt to strike Akihiko on the nose with his right fist, Akihiko fully intercepted it with his elbow.

    If a powerful fist is delivering upon an elbow that has all the arm''s physical strength backing it up, then who performed the punch, upon clashing with the elbow, will have their border metacarpal edges completely broken.

    Furthermore, the clash will send an instant physical trauma to the whole body should the weight behind the punch be immense.

    Which, for someone like Clausolas, who has considerable experience in boxing, is.

    "AAHHHHHH!!!! What the fuck!? My fist! It''s broken!! What the hell did this bastard do?!"

    Clausolas, unable to comprehend why Akihiko had just performed a movement out of his calculations, kneeled down on the floor and cried in agony.

    However, that cry would be put to an immediate stop since Akihiko ultimately and subsequently, delivered a knee strike on his sphenoid bones which are right upon his forehead.

    The impulsive figure of Clausolas fell on the floor after a swift turn of events.

    Scientific studies upon the consciousness, indicate that as long as there is a minimal brain activity that there is a 10% chance of your brain state completely not hitting the state of unconscious.

    Furthermore, in the case of multiple concussions in the brain, there is highly any chance of truly remaining conscious throughout the whole thing.

    However, people often confuse being unconscious and being knocked out. All of Akihiko''s surroundings assumed that Akihiko himself was unconscious and if such was the case, then chances are, he would not be able to stand.

    Yet, such was not the case. Akihiko was knocked out which changes the scenario completely.

    While in theory, if there is no brain activity, the human being cannot form any possible physical stands, that''s only assuming that you do hit a stage where you will not have any brain activity.

    To remain unconscious means you do not have any brain activity, yet what would happen in the case of a person being knocked out while still having brain activity?

    The students of class A and Rodrick were witnessing such a scenario and this was completely unknown to them.

    "What is going on...? Where did this guy learn all of this...?"

    Zen, who was analyzing the situation could not possibly understand why Akihiko was even standing in the first place because under his own perception, Akihiko was not knocked out, but unconscious.

    What they fail to realize was that Akihiko''s consciousness had hit a stage of paranoia which forcefully turned enough brain activity down so he would not have to think about such thoughts of fear.

    Ultimately, in response to enough physical trauma, if even the minimal brain activity is present within someone''s brain, the person could alternatively, stand up.

    Even though the chances are minimum, the possibility still remains there. Nevertheless, without proper martial education, this cannot be pulled off.

    "All of you, back off... This isn''t the playground anymore. See, this is what I was talking about. Criminals are able to put on such acts to allude the audience. This is one of those scenarios. By allowing us to beat him up, no one thought that he would be capable yet what just happened? Two of you guys were immediately knocked out."

    Rodrick''s own perception told him that he was not wrong and that the only possible way for Akihiko to be silently standing was through an act.

    In response to Rodrick''s words, every single student from class A backed off from Akihiko, who was not showing any signs of truly being there yet in response to physical attacks, the results could be...

    Lethal.

 Volume 5 - Chapter 34: Paranoia.

    10:30 am.

    Although what was happening was far too entertaining for some to miss out on, the classes had already begun and thus, it was impossible for other classes who had their respective classes already starting to stay and watch.

    Outside teachers were not allowed to intervene against any of the principal''s orders, who mysteriously ordered the full punishment of both Akihiko and Sana, hence the homeroom teachers responsible for the rest of the classes issued their students to come right away.

    However, in the middle of the outside of block A, stood almost an entirety of a single class, respectfully a portion of them being male students.

    Why were they standing there instead of simply attending classes? For what reason were they unable to accomplish this simple task?

    "How are we losing to one single guy... He''s not even awake... Is he? His eyes are closed. So how come he is standing up? This makes no sense..."

    Shurit, an average height boy who is part of class A stood in the middle of this unbelievable scenario while questioning how Akihiko, who was previously shown to be unconscious, is still standing up despite all the physical attacks.

    "He''s not attacking as well, which means that if we don''t attack him then he most likely won''t attack us. After all, he only managed to strike Sugimoto and Clausolas down because they initiated the attacks on their own..."

    Further delving into the subject at hand, Shurit observed from afar Akihiko''s pattern and had come to the quick conclusion that Akihiko was not deliberately striking anyone unless that anyone stroke him in the first place.

    "Kid, I''ve been listening to you for a while now, but what are you talking about?"

    Unable to hide his surprise, Rodrick asked Shurit that question and since he did, everyone else looked at Shurit too. Naturally, they were curious why Akihiko was not striking them deliberately.

    Regardless, Shurit would compromise and give a succinct answer according to his own thought process.

    "I''m not an expert in the area of consciousness but there is a slight chance of this possibly happening. You''ll have to believe me here, otherwise, this is pointless."

    Without any sort of objection coming in from Rodrick nor anyone who stood at this moment, Shurit continued.

    "I don''t think that he is unconscious."

    "What? Then how do you explain this, Shurit?"

    Impulsively demanding an immediate answer, Zen interrupted Shurit in a flash.

    Since Zen was immensely struggling with understanding the current scenario, it has been bothering him for a while how incomprehensible this is to him.

    "If he is unconscious, then it would be impossible for him to stand up. That much is obvious. But, what if he just tapped out? In martial arts, it''s a common move to do so, to forcefully shut down your own consciousness for a small portion. However, the fighter will not hit the state of unconscious, he will simply tap out."

    "So you are saying that he simply tapped out and that is why he is still standing up? But how? What''s the difference between tapping out and being unconscious?"

    "Zen, tapping out could very well symbolize the synonym of being knocked out, which was what actually happened. That''s the only logical explanation I can possibly come up with. Also, the fact that he is only reacting when we do strike him is pure proof that he isn''t aware of this. In other words, he is maintaining minimal brain activity which is allowing him to be physically present."

    "I see, Shurit. According to your reasoning, he is physically standing, which means that he isn''t mentally here, correct? Subconscious then?"

    "That''s what I think, Catastor. The difference between the unconscious and subconscious could very well be the key to understanding the situation. If he is subconscious, then that would allow physical instincts to come into play. Hence, I think that is why he is able to fight back. Because he must be trained to a point where he can produce such ridiculous results."

    After hearing what Shurit had just said, the rest started to truly believe that Akihiko was never unconscious in the first place but that he simply hit the state of being knocked out. Even though it can be hard to distinguish the differences, Shurit was able to deliver concrete reasoning to his classmates as to why Akihiko was still standing.

    "Hold on, I''m not understanding something. If he can fight this well, then why didn''t he do it in the first place? He knocked Sugimoto and Clausolas out already but earlier he was acting like a complete coward. Also, Rodrick, if we go by Shurit''s reasoning, I sincerely doubt that this is an act. He is simply subconscious right now."

    Certainly, it wasn''t impossible to pull out an act like this, but the likelihood of succeeding should be fairly small.

    Nonetheless, Rodrick truly wanted to disagree with Zen''s words yet as soon as he gazed upon the standing figure of Akihiko he concluded that there was no other possible way.

    "I see... Then, this criminal, who is standing right here just a few meters in front of us, is an actual monster?"

    Icore, yet another student from class A posed those shaking words to the atmosphere of the chilling winter.

    "Though, there is no reason to be afraid. So far, from what we could tell, he can only strike back once you go into his radius. He doesn''t wait for you to land a strike on him. Additionally, as soon as you enter his radius, he will supposedly knock you out. If that''s the case, then we should all just straight-up gang up on him. Because, if we go one by one, it might just prove to be fatal."

    Once again, Shurit said reassuring words to the rest of the class yet this time, not all people agreed with him.

    "That''s ridiculous. There is no necessity to be so try-hard about this... I''ll finish him on my own."

    Glacia, a proud student that was far too confident in his physical abilities begged to differ against Shurit''s reasoning this time.

    But, Shurit noticed the flaws in Glacia''s words.

    "Glacia, don''t be stubborn about this. Can''t you just put your individuality aside for a while? He''s not a joke, you know? Being foolish about this isn''t a good thing."

    "Shut up, Shurit. You''re making way too much of a deal about this. This guy is nothing to fear..."

    "You''re not getting my point, Glacia. Although I said that he wasn''t something to joke about, we should not prioritize such things as pride. If we fight him together, then he will stand no chance. Come on, just look at him! His body is so fragile that it feels as if he''s gonna crumble any minute now!"

    "That''s even better, Shurit. If he''s in such a state, then teaming up is absolutely unnecessary. Also, I can''t believe you are being so cautious about this."

    Realizing it was far too late to change his mind, Shurit was taken aback and fell silent right away.

    Without fear, Glacia marched forward to the lone standing Akihiko who was putting up a fighting stance yet no signs of showing independent movements regarding his escape.

    This told Glacia that Akihiko was purely acting out on instinct and that nothing could possibly go wrong in a scenario of physical strength.

    "Shurit, you said something that he only strikes the ones who meddle in his radius, right? Let''s test that."

    The lone figure that was the target of Glacia was shaking uncontrollably due to too much accumulated physical trauma yet that wasn''t enough for Glacia to let down his guard.

    In order to test Akihiko''s radius range, Glacia performed a low kick onto Akihiko''s left calf with his right leg.

    Yet, Glacia was intercepted with Akihiko''s knee in response which caused pain to be inflicted quickly onto Glacia''s leg.

    Thus, Glacia instantly backed off a few steps.

    "Dangerous bastard, I''ll give you that much. Hey, did you all see that? In just a matter of split seconds, he countered my low kick and was ready to continue his assault if I had remained in his radius. Also, it''s supposedly around 60 centimeters but not more, I think. This means that by the time you enter that radius, you will get your lights knocked the hell out."

    "If you know that then you---"

    Shurit attempted to reason with Glacia yet again but was immediately cut off by Glacia''s unexpected words.

    "Don''t get me wrong. I''m just demonstrating. I will handle this guy by myself regardless of how dangerous he is."

    At the same time, Rodrick was using this situation to get any possible information of Akihiko, who was a current mystery to him and anyone else standing.

    "How about we go one at the time? It makes more sense this way."

    "What? Zen, are you saying that I''m going to lose like those two there?"

    Harshly replying to Zen, Glacia pointed at the two knocked out figures on the ground.

    "Your right leg is shaking quite hard. You might not show it that much, but it did considerably hurt, did it not? Therefore, this is just assuming that you will lose. So, yes, I do think that you are going to lose."

    In response to Zen''s taunt, Glacia clenched his fists tightly while forming a swirl of anger.

    It was additionally visible how pissed off Glacia was by being looked down upon by Zen.

    "You''ll all regret mocking me..."

    Ultimately, Glacia resumed his initial objective and walked into Akihiko''s direction, however, he could not resist saying a few words before he got onto the real thing.

    "Just checking, but what are you? Can you listen to this? Are you pretending to listen to this or something? Hm? What''s the deal here? This is too good to be true. Under my impression, you are pulling out an act. You seem fairly trained. It takes another person who is experienced in martial arts to know the same, so I can tell. That''s why, if you are acting, then you can stop it."

    But no response came forward.

    All that could be heard was the chilling gale passing by and Akihiko''s nervous breathing.

    "No response? Well, whatever. I''ll be serious now. No hard feelings, alright? I just respect people that practice martial arts as well, but from the looks of it... You''re just another damn fucking fake!!"

    Glacia had realized something before initiating his battle sequence.

    Akihiko''s pattern functioned on counter-attacking. The very fact that he isn''t striking first shows that yet that would be false to assume because previously, as soon as Glacia entered Akihiko''s radius, he received an immediate counter-attack.

    Nonetheless, assuming that Akihiko purely functions on counter-attacks can be lethal.

    Glacia had not eliminated the possibility of it being the other way around. In other words, as soon as Glacia entered Akihiko''s radius, he did not strike and simply stood there to see what was about to happen.

    "As I thought, you will only act once you are att-"

    Unknowingly, Glacia had relaxed the moment he had entered Akihiko''s radius, which proved to be fatal to him, since Akihiko''s right palm took immediate hold of Glacia''s face, rose it up on the air and ultimately splashed it into the ground.

    This alone confirmed that Akihiko was not functioning on counter-attacking alone, but whoever that got inside his radius would perish without mercy.

    Blood started to flush from Glacia''s face who was lying face down. Needless to say, several parts of his face got brutally crushed and disfigured in consequence.

    As a result of his former cockiness, Glacia was officially out of action.

    "Monster..."

    "How are we even going to beat that...?"

    As this was happening, the majority of the class A boys had even forgotten why they were fighting Akihiko in the first place and were simply consumed on winning.

    Mainly Zen, who was observing the situation clearly.

    "I see. So he doesn''t just counter-attack, but the moment you infiltrate his radius, he will strike back. Therefore, it was a pure coincidence to assume that he would counter-attack. Sugimoto and Clausolas initiated firstly, so it made sense to assume such, but from what I have just seen, that''s not how his modus operandi works."

    "That''s not all, Zen. His instincts are far too sharp. Glacia only relaxed for a split second yet the moment he did, this guy took ahold of his face and smashed it on the ground in a flash..."

    Zen and Shurit were being analytical about this in order to conclude what could be done to win in this scenario.

    "Kid, weren''t you the one who said that you were next in case that he lost?"

    So far, Rodrick was out of the fight in order to gather some more evidential clues on how Akihiko''s habits essentially worked and just how far he could go, but he made sure to remind Zen what he had previously said.

    Though, Zen was far too relaxed and lax about this.

    Never for once, in his life, did Zen truly know the concept of fear.

    "I did say something like that, didn''t I? Fair enough, I will end this. Plus, it''s getting late. Aren''t we like 20 minutes late? Haha, this is too much of a joke. And... I have finished concluding everything that there is about this guy. This should be a wrap."

    Noticeably, after saying those words, Zen did the same as the knocked out Glacia and walked towards Akihiko and proceed to attempt to taunt him.

    "You''re not winning this, by the way. It''s impossible. Wanna know why? Because martial arts have one fatal weakness and that is weapons. Your eyes are closed because you are supposedly subconscious right now. I get it, but I really wish you could look at this sharp knife that I''m currently holding. To be honest, I could have just ended this from the start but for the sake of analyzing any possible flaws, I prolonged this on purpose."

    Even though he was not getting any verbal responses from Akihiko, without entering his radius, Zen continued to explain his reasoning.

    "Surely, your instincts are top-notch. I dare say that if this was a martial arts fight that I would straight up lose. I''m experienced in jiu-jitsu but even I am not confident that I can go up against that monstrosity of skills you possess. And that''s why I will not fight you in a fight of physical contact, instead, I will permanently force your body to rest, by stabbing you so hard that you will enter in a physical state of inability. Because, this way, not only will you be heavily injured but not even your body will be able to sustain the pain. And trust me, I''m aware of how fragile your body is right now."

    Despite admitting his short-comings, Zen was not afraid to admit that he was inferior to Akihiko in some departments. But, that obviously staggered Zen''s consciousness a little bit, since he could not accept inferiority well.

    And, from the looks of it, since Zen started to swirl around with his medium-sized sharp knife, it would indicate that Zen was not done talking just yet.

    "Let me guess, you will attack me despite my choice of not attacking right? Then, I will just stab you with whatever you throw at me. Should you throw a straight fist at me, you will swallow this knife''s blade edge so deeply that not even someone like you will be able to escape. Likewise, should you throw me a kick or just any movement at all, you will meet the same destination. Don''t you get it? You are doomed. I am following a flawless strategy without any chance of you countering it back. Of course, if only you were conscious right now, you could hear me and form a plan to counter this, but that''s not the case."

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Having determined the possible outcomes of the upcoming clash, Zen was looking pretty confident and so was Shurit, who didn''t differ Zen''s reasoning. Nevertheless, Zen still issued some words before moving on.

    "Then again, this is pretty pointless to say. I''m talking to a vessel right now, not an actual person, so to speak. Let''s just finish this. Everyone, go back to the class, will you? I got this."

    "Wait, Zen, are you sure?"

    "What, Shurit? Are you honestly doubting me?"

    "That''s not it... Didn''t this guy defeat everyone''s expectations so far? I''m not saying that we should not follow your strategy and trust me, I do support it, but what if you fail? Shouldn''t there be a backup plan?"

    "What are you talking about? We already have a backup plan. Rodrick himself is the one responsible for this. So, should I somehow fail, he will take care of this. All he did was to give us the privilege to partake in this beating. Also... I''m not failing. Don''t speak to me in that tone, got that?"

    Zen''s last words pierced Shurit''s confidence straight up due to how serious they were to him. Never had he seen Zen so serious about this.

    To Shurit, Zen was someone who he looked up to for the simple reason of how brilliant he was in whatever he did. In contrast to such belief, Shurit could not shake off this unusual sentiment of worry from his being.

    He could not stop thinking the following lines: ''What if something happens?'' ''What if this fails?''

    Yet shortly, he realized that Zen would not lose since Zen had never lost in sight of him.

    While this conversation was going on, the remaining boys of class A carried the three knocked out figures with them and left the scene.

    Shurit had left as well since he was placing immense confidence onto Zen.

    Right now, since it was class time, there were no other people around except Rodrick, Zen, and Akihiko.

    Since the blinds of the classrooms'' windows were closed, no other person could see what was currently happening nor could any teacher be allowed to intervene.

    "What are you waiting for?"

    Impatient to the lack of action, Rodrick asked Zen, who was standing with his palms open in this snowy day, what was he waiting for.

    After all, Rodrick was puzzled why Zen was taking so long despite all that confident talk.

    "I was just appreciating the weather."

    "Get on with it. I don''t have all day long."

    "Alright, alright."

    To Zen, time was nigh. In front of him, just a few meters away, stood Akihiko who was severely injured.

    "Now then... Show me what you got!"

    Swiftly forming a dash, Zen quickly infiltrated Akihiko''s range.

    In response to this action, Akihiko launched a kick onto Zen''s waist.

    Just as Zen was about to receive a powerful kick, he intercepted the horizontal kick by stabbing Akihiko''s left leg in the process.

    If there is something that Zen learned is that a moment of carelessness can be crucial so Zen immediately took out the knife that was pierced inside Akihiko''s left leg to intercept the following right hook that was immediately directed at him.

    To do so, Zen firmly held the edge of his knife and allowed Akihiko to connect the hook straight to the edge of his knife.

    "Told you so. Whatever you do, I will counter it. It''s useless, no matter how much you try."

    For this to work, Zen could not leave his knife on the body part that just tried to attack him for a long period of time, otherwise, his way of counter-attacking was nullified.

    And so, as soon as Akihiko tried to launch a quick left punch, Zen did the exact same.

    Akihiko''s fists were bleeding from the inside of his tendons so much that a bloodstream started to form.

    "What did I just tell you? It''s--- What...?"

    To Zen''s surprise, Akihiko, for the very first time, completely backed off a few meters to regain his stance, yet Akihiko''s left and right fists were down for the count since he could not put them up high like previously. Additionally, Akihiko''s left leg wasn''t showing any signs of strength.

    "What is this? You''re backing off? Just like that? Talk about disappointing. But, logically speaking, this is the correct reaction. It doesn''t matter how much you try, your body has its limits. And you, have just hit a fair share of them, so to speak."

    Smoking a cigar, with his back against the wall, Rodrick thought to himself that this was all that there was.

    That it was impossible to come back from this scenario.

    But something caught Rodrick and Zen off guard.

    ".......................ot lose............."

    A weak voice just leaked out, and they both realized immediately to who it belonged to.

    "So you can speak, huh? Or was that an instinctive reaction as well?"

    Zen was confidentially slowly walking towards Akihiko who was about 3 meters away from him. His confidence came from the fact that Akihiko''s body was shaking violently in response to the over-accumulation of physical trauma.

    "Your stance is gone. Your body can barely move, but you can talk. Even though your eyes remain closed. Therefore, this was an instinctive reaction. Nevertheless, the time has come. It''s about time to end this, don''t you think?"

    Yet again entering Akihiko''s radius, Zen stood tall inside the dreadful range of mortality, but Akihiko did not do anything.

    "No? Nothing. Okay then. I''m not afraid of striking independently. So, here we go...!"

    Although Zen still remained puzzled by Akihiko''s unfinished words, he nonetheless proceeded to strike Akihiko''s left shoulder.

    Zen additionally knew that both of Akihiko''s fists and his left leg would not be able to keep up, so he thought to himself that the only alternatives of defense were his right leg, but since Zen was aiming far too high, there would not be any chance of that happening.

    But, Zen failed to foresee the act of savagery that Akihiko would perform in order to gain the upper edge.

    Just as the edge was about to clash on his shoulder, Akihiko took a strong bite at the edge, which instantly caused several of his nerves to flush out bloodstreams.

    "A-Are you serious?! You''re bitting the knife''s edge!? Are you insane?!"

    Never for once did Zen see this coming. It was far too insane of a move to bite a knife in the first place.

    Only someone who was truly desperate would do that in the first place.

    "But so what!? I''ll just take it out and do another atta..........ck?"

    Yet Zen couldn''t. Akihiko''s bite was far too strong for him to take a hold of his knife again.

    This caused Zen to enter a state of paranoia. In which, after seeing that his strategy had failed, could not form a single thought.

    His mind went, unbeknownst to him, blank all over a sudden.

    "Bastard! Let go of it, right now!!"

    While Zen was attempting to retrieve his knife back, he had officially let down his guard and was fully prioritizing the recovery of his knife.

    Which was why he didn''t notice Akihiko''s sudden movement with his right leg on his crotch.

    "Kuaaaaaahh.... H-How could this.....?"

    Once a male individual takes a deep kick into the crotch, it''s hard to get up and in the majority of the cases, it''s enough to put someone out of the fight right away.

    "Ahh..... Ahhhhhh..."

    Akihiko''s breathing got a whole lot heavier.

    And, while this horrifying turn of events was going down, a certain girl was watching the scene from very far away.

    All this time, she was far too scared to make her move due to the absurd number of people ganging up on Akihiko yet after coming out of the toilet and watching this fight, Sana had regained her confidence.

    Although minimum, Sana was able to move out and call out to a certain teacher.

    Back to the scene, only three people stood in the middle of the scene.

    One was Akihiko, who was somehow still standing unknowingly, the second was the knocked out Zen and the other was a middle-aged bulky man whose duty is to keep the peace of the block he is responsible for.

    Thus, he decided to punish Akihiko and Sana the only way he knew.

    Rodrick''s methods are undoubtedly violent and unfair, but in his mind this is alright.

    Because the one he is facing right now, in his mind, absolutely deserves everything that is bad in this world and that it doesn''t matter if he is ganged up, he still deserves it.

    Though, to contrast his way of thinking, Rodrick started to clap his hands to the injured Akihiko standing far away.

    "Bravo, bravo. I must admit, even I am speechless. No one has ever survived my methods, realistically speaking. You are the first one to ever climb yourself to such heights. And for that, I will grant you a reward."

    To Rodrick, this was nothing more than entertainment. He already knew that if he was minimally serious that Akihiko stood absolutely no chance of beating him.

    "How about a swift death? Oh right. You can''t respond to me. You are subconscious, according to them. If you ask me, what this kid just did was truly pathetic. He seriously thought that martial arts, as a whole, doesn''t have any way to counter knives. Knives, hahaha!!! Now that''s something to laugh at."

    With this said, Rodrick had firmly rejected Zen''s way of thinking about martial arts. Truly speaking, it is foolish to think that martial arts can be stopped just by simple weapons.

    There are multiple arguments about this yet the truth is, there are several martial arts created and made to combat weapons.

    Assuming that weapons can solely dominate a fight can be foolish.

    Nevertheless, it always depends on what weapon we are talking about here.

    "You... can''t even stand anymore. Look at your body for a second. It''s just a touch away from being shattered. Still, very impressive stuff. I don''t think that I have ever praised a criminal before, but you do deserve some praise alright. What are you? 15? Surely around. YET, you performed this good. Your martial education must''ve been rigid."

    In the middle of this, Rodrick had thrown out his cigar and started to step on it furiously, which didn''t make a lot of sense because he was praising Akihiko while doing so.

    Unless he was being passive-aggressive about this.

    "Regardless, you are a criminal. No matter how many I get rid of, your kind will just keep on swarming. Sorta like spiders or cockroaches. The more you kill, the more they come at you. Kill one, two come back the other day and so on."

    In addition to all this, Rodrick started to strip his white uniform shirt and exposed his bulky body to this shivering weather.

    "And that is why I will finally put you down. It''s a shame that you will never hear my words of praise, but this is good. Wanna know why? Because this way, you''ll at least not have to die in a painful way. Be thankful for I am being generous against your kind! And now... die!"

    Since Rodrick was building up a swing with his right arm, as soon as he infiltrated Akihiko''s radius, he threw a massive bomb at Akihiko.

    Yet, Akihiko could not respond. His body was done for.

    It was over for him.

    This was the limit of Akihiko''s body.

    "...What is this?!"

    To his surprise, Rodrick''s thick right arm swing was stopped from behind, and it wasn''t from Akihiko, but from someone who he did not know was there.

    "Is this him, Sana?"

    "Yes, sensei..."

    "I see. Sana, take care of him, if you would."

    "Umu."

    Sana simply nodded in response and rushed towards the badly injured Akihiko who could not even strike back despite his radius being invaded by Sana''s figure.

    "Who the hell are you?"

    "Me? My name is Basara Tenma. And I''m responsible for the little shit you were just about to beat. Oh, my bad. The little shit you beat up. Also, according to my student''s information, it wasn''t just you. Mind explaining that in detail?"

    In front of Rodrick, whose upper body was fully exposed, stood Basara Tenma. This man was wearing a black tuxedo with a red tie along with his fashionable short spiky black hair.

    Enough to capture anyone''s attention, Basara was fully capturing Rodrick''s arm.

    "Get lost. I''m in the middle of applying punishment to him."

    "I see that you are lacking manners. How not surprising. But that was not my question, was it? I''ll ask again. Would you mind explaining to me in detail how my student is so beaten up? And why you were about to hit him? Also, according to her, you were going to hit her too. Why is that? Explain."

    Basara didn''t care enough to ask this unknown person his name and was, instead, far more curious about the current situation.

    But, this would have a bad result, since Rodrick did not like Basara''s involvement in this.

    Not one bit.

    "Your student? Are you their teacher then?"

    "Yes, I am."

    "Mhm, I see. Well, sure, I will explain. Only if you let go of my arm."

    "That, I cannot do. You will be reported for being suspect of performing illegal actions on my students. You are not responsible for them. Only I and my companion are."

    Something to mention would be that Rodrick was attempting to release his arm from Basara''s right hand but that was not working and it was stressing Rodrick out.

    Especially when Rodrick was trying to show a professional front to a teacher like Basara.

    "I see... But, your students interacted with other students. That little pest there verbally lashed at students from class A. H-How are you going to justify that, teacher? Also, c-can you let g-"

    "That''s still not a plausible argument. I am responsible for them, therefore I will give them the consequences. An outsider like you, who has no business interfering with the program''s subjects that I am responsible for, is completely and utterly irrelevant here. Begone from my sight before you get fired."

    Rodrick was feeling far too oppressed.

    He could not stand the thought of being controlled by Basara like this.

    Furthermore, Rodrick could not see his actions as wrong, even though Basara had not mentioned them being wrong once.

    His rage was accumulating far too much at this point.

    "Begone...? Just who the hell do you think you are talking to---- Ow! Ow! Ow!! Let go!! You''re gonna break it!"

    "You have dodged my question, not once, not twice, but thrice. Are you joking with me? Answer my questions right now or else I really will break your arm."

    Rodrick was on his knees due to Basara applying immense force onto his right arm while performing an arm lock.

    But, Rodrick didn''t believe that Basara would actually break his arm.

    "You wouldn''t do it. After all, you will get fir--- GYAAAAAAA!!!!!!"

    "I will get what? Sorry, I couldn''t hear you. Sana, how is he?"

    Without letting Rodrick finish his sentence, Basara dislocated Rodrick''s right arm in the opposite direction, therefore, causing it to break.

    As Rodrick screamed in agony, Sana, who was at Akihiko''s side, couldn''t help but feel extreme anxiety and worry.

    "H-He, he- he... He''s..."

    "Calm down, please. Take a few breaths and answer me then."

    Said Basara, as he ignored Rodrick''s loud screams.

    Right now, in order to understand the situation, Basara had to resort to dreadful measures, hence he decided to try his luck once again with Rodrick.

    "So? I can let go and stop the pain if you just tell me."

    "A-Ahhhhh!!!!! Ahhh...!!!! It hurts so much, it seriously does!!!"

    "Is that so? Perfect then. So?"

    "Are you heartless!? Insensitive!? What the hell is wrong with you!? You just break the arm of someone you just met?!"

    "And you were just about to beat up my students for no apparent reason. Of course, unless there is a reason. Also, I don''t want to hear those words unless it''s from a woman, for fuck''s sake."

    Unable to care for Rodrick''s obvious torment, Basara insisted on the matter at hand.

    And since Rodrick was with his right arm broken, things weren''t looking very good for him.

    "A-Alright, I get it! Look, the principal gave me the orders alright!? I''m not to blame! He just told me to punish these two students if they acted out of the line, which they did! You can''t deny that!"

    "That''s another partial case. Go on."

    "And... To punish them, I was just going to play a little prank, you see!"

    But, to contradict Rodrick''s credibility, Sana intervened quickly.

    "Liar... You kept on launching attacks at us with your baston even inside the block... How is that a little prank!?"

    "N-No, it''s the truth! All I seriously did was to play a little prank! You''ve got to believe me! You wouldn''t believe some random criminals, right?"

    Yet, Basara kept on physically pressuring Rodrick''s right arm''s bones.

    "What did this prank revolve around?"

    "A-Ahhh!!! It revolved around showing these two how there is consequences to everything!"

    "You''re being far too vague. Do you want me to break your left arm next?"

    Rodrick was experiencing a sense of paranoia far too great to overcome.

    In the past, he had suffered constant bullying due to the fact that he was unable to fight back and for the sole reason of being a coward.

    Therefore, he always thought to himself that as long as he had the strength and mental fortitude to prevail that everything would go his way.

    As a matter of fact, it did. His training produced amazing results which resulted in impressive feats.

    But, for the very first time in his life, Rodrick felt that he was fighting a monster that could not be beaten no matter how much he trained.

    He was experiencing a feeling of terror, a searing sensation that evoked all sorts of negative emotions inside his heart. A repulsive thought of not being able to make it fully consumed Rodrick.

    Because Rodrick was no longer experiencing the stage of fear, which he had already overcome, he was instead, experiencing the advanced stage of fear called paranoia.

    "N-No! Stop! Stop! Stop! I''ll say it, just stop, please!"

    However, Basara did not stop.

    Instead, he moved on to Rodrick''s left arm and dislocated it in the process.

    Basara was never serious when he gave that ultimatum. Because Basara was already intending on crushing Rodrick''s left arm from the start.

    While this was happening, Sana was bursting into tears for two reasons.

    One, this was all her fault and two, she was experiencing a similar feeling to terror just by being present in this scene.

    "GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!! Y-You said that you wouldn''t break my left arm...!!"

    "No, I didn''t. Stop lying. Now, answer me. Or do I have to go deeper?"

    "I admit it! I really do! I tried to kill them due to my hatred for criminals! I additionally tried to kill him with a few students from class A! But it failed! I don''t know how your student did it, but he managed to fight back! Now, let go!!"

    "So you tried to kill my students just because they spoke to some random students? Don''t get me wrong, they will be punished for that, but what the fuck? Are you retarded? Why would you attempt murder publicly?"

    "It''s not my fault! The principal told me that I could punish them however I please!"

    Basara was confused about something in the meantime.

    The principal''s supposed involvement was beyond his expectations.

    He wasn''t also buying into the idea of Rodrick being allowed to do this with the principal''s consent.

    But right now, that was not a priority to Basara.

    "What about this kid? Were you responsible too?"

    Basara was pointing at the knocked out Zen who stood coldly on the ground.

    "N-No! Your student did that!"

    "Why do I find that hard to believe?"

    "I''m serious! I really am! He was standing up and fought back against some of the class A students! I''m really serious about this, I swear! I''m not lying! Please believe me!"

    But...

    "No way in hell am I believing that. You could''ve just knocked the kid out and pretend to come up with this scenario. I call it bullshit. And for lying, you''ll get what you deserve."

    Rodrick''s left arm further contracted in response to Basara''s words.

    "Kuuuuuuhhhhh!!!!!!!"

    The sound of his bones cracking was something that Sana, Basara, and Rodrick himself, heard far too well.

    "Obviously, I''ll report you for misconduct, even if you claim to have the principal''s consent. In which case, I''ll have to contact the principal about this..."

    "B-But you won''t get away... I''m sure that the principal will fire y-"

    "No, he won''t. I''m contracted by a special governmental force that is operated partially from the laws of this school, so the principal cannot lay a single hand on me. Do you get it? Right now, I could do whatever the hell I want to you and you would not be able to do anything about it."

    Rodrick''s imagination suddenly began to imagine the worst types of scenarios possible.

    At worse, the ultimate demise Rodrick could receive was death itself.

    "W-What are you planning on doing?"

    "Right now? Oh, I don''t know. Maybe I should kill you? Or just plain torture you?"

    "Y-You wouldn''t...!"

    "I wouldn''t? Really? That''s what you think?"

    Basara''s face got closer to Rodrick''s in order to meet his eyes up close.

    They say that if you stare long enough into the abyss that the abyss will stare back.

    Without any doubt, Rodrick was feeling a similar sentiment.

    "But, I can''t. I also wouldn''t do that. My student is watching. I have to show her that there are times to be rigid yet that ultimately it''s correct to show mercy. Therefore, I will let you go. Go on, scram."

    "R-Really?! Thank you so much! Really, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

    "Though--- Should something of this circumstance ever happen again... I don''t think that I will be able to show kindness."

    Upon hearing those words, Rodrick immediately wet himself out of sheer fear.

    He didn''t want to exist anymore in the same moment as Basara.

    His natural instincts told him to flee right now.

    "I understand............. I''ll never do it again............."

    Unable to shake his sense of paranoia off his body and mentality, Rodrick began to cry while spouting snot from his nose in response.

    Additionally, his body was shaking violently as well.

    "Then fucking scram already."

    Without looking back, Rodrick fleed the scene without direction.

    It didn''t matter where he went, as long as it''s not in the same place as Basara, he could feel a minimal sense of safety.

    "Are you calmer now? I''m sorry about that. I needed to understand the situation better."

    "I........... It''s all my fault......."

    Basara truly wanted to tell her how right she was about saying that all of this might''ve been her fault, but it was not appropriate to do so.

    Sana was feeling guilty and Basara knew that forcing even more guilt onto someone who has a guilty consciousness, will not do you well.

    "No, it''s not. All that should''ve happened is you two receiving your respective warnings. That''s it. That''s all it should have happened. I''ll say that breaking the rule of interaction will lead to consequences, but that lunatic didn''t have the right to intervene. It''s not your fault, Sana. Don''t blame yourself."

    Basara''s words were reassuring but Sana could not stop her flowing tears from falling down.

    "I-I-I-I...... He''s so hurt..."

    "He sure is. We best take him to the nurse, no?"

    "We will miss class.... Is that fine...? You said that we could not miss any class no matter the occasion."

    "That would only apply if I was your homeroom teacher, Sana. Since I''m not, that doesn''t apply. Also, I''ll talk to Yuka about this. Take him to the infirmary, alright?"

    "Are you going to talk to Yuka-sensei now, sensei?"

    "If you are worried that you might get a penalty, don''t you worry. But, I do need to stop in a certain place first..."

    For some reason, Basara decided not to mention that place to Sana.

    "But of course, I have to help you carry that mountain of blood. Just what the hell even happened?"

 Volume 5 - Chapter 35: Dont be so hard on yourself.

    The summer feels eternal. It''s ironic how you wish for just a single gust of wind in the middle of the summer yet once the winter arrives, you wish for the exact opposite.

    Along with that, the cicadas perform a full-on opera with their loud noises. It becomes impossible to ignore them despite how annoying they are.

    "Kogami! Get back to training!"

    "I don''t want to! I already told you, I will not---"

    It''s not so horrible but once you are stuck with this routine every day of the summer, you will eventually grow a stagnant desire of abandoning everything. It''s natural, so to say.

    But...

    Just what is this place? Why is the sun so bright? I can''t see anything in front of me.

    Who is speaking to me, right now?

    Those last words, they were mine, right? If so, then to who am I speaking right now?

    Unfortunately, that moment where I could only see the bright sunlight was transient to the point where I moved on to another scenario.

    And in this scenario, I am receiving a massive beating for some reason.

    Someone is striking me down with a wooden sword while I''m just cowering on the floor trying to protect myself.

    "Kogami! How many times do I have to tell you that''s not the correct way!?"

    "     , stop it already!! I can''t do this! It''s impossible for me! I''m useless and weak!"

    Huh? What?

    Why couldn''t I say that first word?

    The sunlight keeps blocking my vision... I can''t feel anything excepting the blazing heat and my ears are experiencing a never-ending resonance of orchestrated cicada noises...

    Just what is happening even?

    And yet again, the scenery changed, but I soon realized something.

    Who was speaking to whom didn''t matter. Because it wasn''t my option to talk in the first place.

    "This wasn''t supposed to happen!     , hang in there! I''ll save you right now! I really will, so stay with me,     !"

    Different from the other scenarios, the sunlight is nowhere to be seen yet the scene was fully dark. It was impossible to capture what was even happening.

    "Kogami..."

    "Stay with me! Stay with me! Don''t go anywhere,     !! This can''t be happening! Damn it, this wasn''t supposed to be happening!!"

    Although this event is beyond my knowledge, my heart feels shattered for some reason.

    It was hard to stay inside this moment.

    What is this feeling? Why does my heart feel like it just got split in half?

    This is too scary. I don''t want this.

    That''s enough, I really don''t want to be here any longer.

    Someone stop this. It''s horrifying. I have no clue why but I''m feeling so sad right now.

    ".....................ko................"

    Why is there blood in my hands?

    Is this my fault?

    Why can''t I tell what''s happening!? This is so confusing! Why am I even feeling this way?!

    Nothing is making any damn sense!!!

    "Akihiko!!"

    "Guaaaah!!"

    After hearing a fragile yet strong voice pierce my eardrums, I came back to reality right away.

    "....Another dre--- GAAAAH!"

    What is this pain!? What?

    "Stay still! You''re not okay! You need to rest, right now! Lay down!"

    Huh? Huh?

    Who is this person?

    Where am I?

    What happened!?

    Why is my body in so much pain!?

    Why are my fists wounded like this?! Why do my lips feel like hell?!

    How come my whole body won''t stop trembling?!

    What the hell is going on!?

    As I entered a state of confusion, I could not obey this strange person''s orders and uncontrollably looked around for clues.

    Right now, I am laying down on a bed and this seems like an infirmary.

    Oh god, I am injured!?

    What!?

    "Akihiko... You were badly injured..."

    That voice...

    I looked right away to my left side and there she was.

    "Young man, stay still! It''s not good for your injuries if you keep on violently moving around like that!"

    And that voice again, that belongs to the person who is all the way on a sink.

    Why is he preparing a serum...? That needle is huge though.

    Why is he coming my way?

    "S-Sana, what is happening!?"

    I ignored the massive pain in my left hand and grabbed Sana''s fragile right forearm which was extended right away.

    "Calm down! As the doctor said, you are badly injured...."

    "Okay, but why though?"

    "Don''t you remember, Akihiko?"

    Remember...?

    Why am I here in the first place...?

    Let''s try recalling past events.

    .....................

    Sana and I got called to the principal''s office, after that she started arguing and after that...

    A guard? With a baston? But why?

    No, why did I get beat up afterwards....?

    Especially by a lot of students...?

    Talk about embarrassing...

    But I remember something! I told Sana to contact a teacher, so she must have...

    "I remember now! I was getting beaten up and then I told you to call a teacher and that must''ve been what happened! Your actions saved me, Sana!"

    "N-NO, I....!"

    "You don''t have to say it! I''m heavily injured but what matters is that you called out a teacher to my rescue! I am so grateful! Surely, I must''ve been beaten up quite hard..."

    "Akihiko, you are missund-"

    "Again, don''t mention it. And, it was my fault. I''ll not talk to myself again. It was reasonable for you to create an argument over my own idiocy. I''m at fault for not seeing how wrong I was. As a consequence, the guard beat me up. It''s pretty embarrassing but I guess I got my ass handed by a lot of students huh...? I have to know my limits. Look, it''s my bad here. I''ll be a good boy from now on!"

    Wow... She really saved my ass back then. In my memory, I am getting beaten up by some other students along with the guard, but the fact that despite all this she immediately called out to one of our teachers as I asked...

    What a saviour.

    Yet, she''s looking down now.

    Why?

    "Stay still."

    In the meantime, the doctor had arrived with a serum needle.

    Stay away, please.

    "W-What are you going to do?!"

    "This is for your own good, young man."

    "No, it''s not! That''s evil! Get that needle away from me right now! I hate needles! They are scary! Eeeeeeek!!"

    "Are you going to act that way in front of a girl?"

    "My safety is a million times way more important!!"

    But my words were useless.

    This sly old man just keeps on approaching my left arm without showing any signs of stopping. I really want to move my arm, but I have no strength.

    If I was beaten up this badly then I should stay away from them...

    Furthermore, it''s thanks to her that I''m still alive...

    I could have died back there!! But the fact that I didn''t indicates that she''s completely the sole reason as to why I''m still alive!

    "You''re exaggerating. Also, be sure to thank the young girl for calling out to a teacher back then. Because from what your teacher told me, you got beaten up pretty badly. Well, it doesn''t take a teacher to tell me that... Just by looking at your hands anyone can immediately tell that the case was like that..."

    He''s right.

    And so, I looked at Sana once again.

    My gratitude must get to her, even if I''m feeling a plethora of different types of pain right now.

    However, to my surprise, Sana''s hands were covering her face while she crooked down her posture to her knees.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Why is she acting like this...?

    "Hey, Sana... Look at me, I have something important to say."

    "No..... Don''t say that, please.... This is too much."

    How weird... Why isn''t she looking at me in the face...?

    Wait...

    Could it be that she''s worried about me?

    That''s it...

    On top of being my saviour, she''s worried about my current condition, but she''s such a humble person to the point where she refuses to accept any type of gratitude.

    So that''s why she doesn''t want to hear my words because she blames herself over the fact that I got beaten up!

    And what''s more, Sana probably thinks that if she was more competent that she could have done way more!

    That must be it!

    But, Sana. It''s not your fault...

    It''s my own for being too weak and being annoying. And so, you must know the truth.

    Thus, I reached out my two hands which were with bits of blood over it to her crying face and removed her soft hands from her face.

    Someone as kind as you don''t deserve to cry, Sana.

    "Sana, I need you to look at me."

    "No, please don''t..."

    Despite her hands being off her face, she continued to cry.

    Seriously, what a gentle girl you are...

    "Stop. Just listen to me. Don''t blame yourself. You did the right thing and without you, I was probably going to go through a whole lot more. The fact that you called out one of our teachers to intervene in the scene turned out to be crucial. And besides, it''s my fault. If I wasn''t annoying in the first place then we wouldn''t be called to the principal''s office and then this whole argument which led to this unfortunate event wouldn''t happen. It''s my fault and that''s why you can''t blame yourself."

    Sana has to understand every point of the story here.

    I recall what truly happened. After I told her to call out to one of our teachers, I was dragged outside by the guard who unreasonably grabbed my ankle and then threw me into the ground where I got beaten up by multiple students.

    Kicks after kicks. Truly a terrifying sight yet in spite of this, despite Sana''s initial terror, she was courageous enough to call out to a teacher.

    While it would seem normal for someone to do that, it is hard to do that for someone who is annoying to you, which just reflects how kind she is. Despite the fact that this was all my fault, Sana nonetheless strived to do the right thing.

    That''s amazing!

    "You don''t have to cry... You can stop, Sana. I''m really grateful, alright? I... don''t know how I can repay this to you, but I''ll stop causing you troubles. You mentioned how you wanted freedom as soon as possible? I get it. I''m also at fault regarding that. I''m sorry. It won''t happen again."

    While it is regrettable that I can''t do anything to virtually repay her right away, except by telling her words of gratitude, there should be some way to further show her how thankful I am.

    "Sana........ What... What can I do to show you how grateful I am? Just tell me something and I will do it."

    But she won''t look at me, even though I am looking at her.

    She''s really fragile but kind.

    Emotional yet caring.

    I can''t allow this type of events to unfold once again. I''ll at least make sure that I keep that in check.

    Also, this bastard stabbed me with the needle in the meantime.

    "See? It didn''t hurt, did it? Your name is Akihiko, right?"

    "Yes... But I''m having an important conversation right now, so could you---"

    "While it isn''t any of my business what happened, wouldn''t it be better if you allowed her to speak? She was the one who truly called out your teacher but don''t you think it''s important to let her explain the version of the story...?"

    .......................

    He''s possibly right. I''ve been a bit obnoxious with my non-stopping dialogue.

    "Alright... Sana, can you tell me what truly happened, then?"

    I still didn''t allow her to place her hands on her face again, because she doesn''t have a reason to cry.

    Sana has to realize that she''s not at fault here.

    "It''s not like you think, Akihiko... I didn''t do anything..."

    "But you called out a teacher, right? If that''s the case, then you did do something."

    "I did call out Basara-sensei, but... It wasn''t immediate. I was too scared to move firstly..."

    "Sana, it''s alright. I understa--"

    "Akihiko, don''t interrupt her..."

    The sly old man firmly interrupted me straight up.

    He''s right though.

    I''m developing a bad habit, aren''t I?

    "Sorry, go on, Sana."

    "You were getting beaten up by a lot of students, and so, I hid in a certain place out of fear... It took me time to gather courage but when I did try and reach out to Basara-sensei, you were... beating up a student from class A..."

    Huh?

    "No, no, that''s impossible, because I have never fought in my whole life. And besides, I lost consciousness while I was getting kicked all over the place, Sana."

    "But it did happen! I saw it with my own two eyes! I don''t know what happened in detail but you were standing up, Akihiko!"

    "Sana... That''s impossible. There is no possible way for a person who loses consciousness to stand up in the first place. Look, I''ll even ask the doctor. Doc, is that phenomenon possible?"

    Unfortunately, the doctor was preparing yet another serum.

    "Under normal circumstances no. It''s very unlikely. And I don''t believe that someone like you can pull it off. Well, I''m not an expert in that area so my take on that is that it''s not possible."

    "But I saw it! It really happened, okay!? Minutes earlier you were getting ganged up, but minutes later you were standing up! And according to you, you have never fought your whole life, right!?"

    "That''s true, Sana. That''s why it''s impossible. Are you sure you didn''t hallucinate the whole event?"

    "I didn''t hallucinate anything! It honestly happened!! Why can''t you just believe me?!"

    "There''s no reason to be flustered, Sana. You don''t have to make up plausible arguments or scenarios just to make me feel better. I''m aware of how weak and pathetic I am..."

    It''s been on my mind for a while. Since Sana is a very kind person, she might try to make myself feel less bad about the situation, but I can''t allow that to happen.

    "I''m not making anything up, you jerk! You were also about to be attacked by the block''s guard!"

    "But, you saved me, didn''t you? By calling out Basara-sensei, you---"

    "That''s not my point, Akihiko! It''s all my fault and you are misunderstanding this! Please stop assuming that I rescued you when I didn''t!"

    "That''s not true, Sana. You were the one responsible for my current state. Ahhh! I don''t mean that in the sense where I got beaten up because of you, but I''m still alive thanks to you! If you didn''t have the courage to act then I would most likely be dead right now!"

    "No, no! Listen to me, Akihiko! By the time I decided to reach out to Basara-sensei, you were standing up and fighting that student while the guard was watching. All of the students from class A were gone as well! Can''t you see!? It doesn''t add up and that''s because you did all of that by yourself!"

    What...?

    She''s not making any sense.

    Sana is saying that I actually stood up and fought someone...

    Even if this is her way of showing gratitude, her lies are getting a little bit too much on my skin...

    "Sana, stop it already... We both know that''s not possible... I understand what you are trying to achieve here. Just stop, please... I feel bad enough already for my own lamentable sorry state..."

    Yet despite my words, Sana got up from her seat and exalted herself in an aggressive way.

    "You don''t get what I''m trying to achieve here, Akihiko! You just don''t get it! You said that you were saved because of me, but that''s not true, this is all my fault! If it wasn''t for my moody decisions then this wouldn''t have happened in the first place! And, and! Why are you refusing to believe me!? Why!? Just why!?"

    "Because, Sana, what you just said is completely not true... I''ve never fought in my whole life, so how could I even stand up in the first place. Plus, I lost consciousness while I was getting kicked yet you are suggesting that I somehow was still fighting. ....What? You''re taking this too far for a joke..."

    "It''s not a joke... You were standing up with your eyes closed! Just ask Basara-sensei about it later!"

    "Sana, I''m not going to ask something that''s a blatant lie... Are you listening to yourself even? You just said that I fought with my eyes closed... That''s not possible."

    "I know it''s not possible but it happened and that''s confusing the hell out of me! Doctor, there must be a logical explanation to this, right?"

    Oh right, yet another needle was stabbed in my right arm but I was too distracted to even notice.

    "I''m not trying to make you upset, Sana, but Akihiko has a point. Again, I''m no expert regarding this area, but it''s just not possible for someone to fight with their eyes closed, especially when someone is supposedly unconscious. Your version of the story doesn''t make much sense..."

    "What!? Why is it so hard for you two to believe me!? Do you two have something against me, is that it?! Just say it if you do! Because I''m not going to stand here and be a fool while I''m explaining what truly happened out of goodwill! Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to confess something like this!? You two don''t, do you?!"

    This time, I could not let Sana have her way with her own words since they were not true anymore.

    "What about you? Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is for me to confess all this? What, do you think it''s just easy or something? Don''t be like this, Sana. I don''t believe you because you are not making any sense and you know this, but to think that you would say those words even when they are not true..."

    "How can you even propose such a thing?! Does it hurt to believe me or something!?"

    Sana was basically almost spitting fire and looked ready to kill me.

    "It''s about making sense, Sana. I''ve told you how I have never gotten into a fight yet you suggested that I somehow fought a person. I''ll let you onto something as well. I have extreme anxiety and constant fear from my surroundings, but nonetheless. according to you, I fought someone! How ridiculous can you be?!"

    "I know it doesn''t make sense and I''ve explained to you why, but you still have to believe me! Do you realize how guilty I feel right now!? You don''t! Furthermore, you keep claiming that I saved you but really all I did was to cower myself in a damn toilet! So, stop claiming things that are not true at all, Akihiko!"

    "What is wrong with you? Why can''t you accept my gratitude? What? Is it seriously that much?"

    "Yes, yes it is! Because you have no reason to be grateful... After all, all I did lead you to this state..."

    ...This has turned itself into the wrong direction.

    "Can''t you both just admit being at fault without needing to prioritize who has the superior blame?"

    The doctor said such a thing.

    And both Sana and I fell silent for a while.

    But, I can''t agree with his words in this scenario.

    "I am to blame. I''ve already explained why. Whether she refuses to believe this or not, is up to her."

    "God, you are such a hypocrite! You say those words yet you refuse to believe my words! What do you gain by making claims that are higher than what they suggest!? A sense of morality? Mental satisfaction!? Is that it? Are you prioritizing the way you feel over the truth?!"

    She seemed to have misunderstood some things.

    "It''s not that. It''s about credibility. Is it wrong to prioritize credibility?"

    "So... you don''t care for my own words...?"

    "I do. But I also care about the logic in your own words and by far, it''s none."

    "...Make up your mind. My own words or the logic in them?"

    Why is she acting like this?

    Am I saying something wrong here?

    "Both? If your words made sense, then I would believe them. But they don''t, so I refuse to believe them. But, I''m still grateful nonetheles--"

    "I don''t care about your gratitude! Because your gratitude is not correct and it''s fabricated!"

    "Say what!?"

    "Bah, forget it! I''m done here! I was so stupid to think something would be different from you but you still remain the same annoying prick every damn time! Enjoy failing the exam!"

    "Huh?! Failing the exam!? What are you talking about!? Hey, Sana, where are you goin-- Ahhhkk!!"

    Not good, this pain is far too painful. Getting up isn''t even an option.

    "Hmpf."

    Did she just seriously do that?!

    On top of that, Sana had left the infirmary room straight away out of spite while I stood there in this hospital looking bed contemplating my injuries.

    Furthermore, the door got slammed way too hard.

    How did it come to this?

    "That was something."

    "You tell me..."

    The doctor whose name I still didn''t know made that unnecessary side comment but I just couldn''t help but agree with him right away.

    Also, something interesting and worrying was the fact that Sana mentioned the exam...

    If I recall correctly, it''s a physical education one...

    So...

    "Wait, how the hell am I going to do it if I''m this injured!? No way I can!! AHHHHHH!!!!"

    I let out a wild and paranoic scream suddenly.

    "Hey, doc, why aren''t I feeling that much pain anymore?"

    Coincidentally, my body wasn''t aching in pain like it was previously...

    Therefore, I decided to ask that question to the old man, who still somehow has some white hair left in his head, out of curiosity.

    Then again, he won''t stop messing with the serums.

    And why is this geezer facing me with his back when I''m speaking to him? Oi.

    "It''s thanks to the pain serums and antibiotics. They have eased the amount of pain you are feeling... Also, you will need to stay in recovery for about 2 weeks or so..."

    "2 weeks!? I can''t do that! I don''t think that I''m allowed to miss out on classes..."

    Or maybe I could, but previously, when Basara-sensei was our homeroom teacher, we just couldn''t.

    Although I have no recollection of what happened in the previous supply exam, most of us, the boys, came out severely injured.

    And apparently, that was when I got amnesia too.

    "Well, you certainly aren''t in a condition to move around. Whether you like it or not, that''s how it''s gonna go!"

    It''s not like I disliked the possibility of recovering, but just the thought of receiving any conceivable consequence for it makes me scared.

    Why do I have to potentially get punished when I almost got slaughtered for no reason?

    "Geezer, what''s your name? Sorry, I haven''t asked."

    "My name? Silvestre. Quite unusual, wouldn''t you say?"

    "Well... A little bit."

    In comparison to my name, I can''t deny that it is unusual.

    "You and that girl argue quite a lot, don''t you?"

    "You mean Sana? Unfortunately, we do. You see, I have this bad habit of talking to myself out loud and she gets annoyed by it..."

    "Once you start hitting my age, talking to yourself will be your everyday thing!"

    "Wait, seriously?"

    "Seriously! Only when you are young will the people around you think that it is strange, but as you grow older, the little irrelevant details start to not matter so much anymore."

    Silvestre said those words as he handed me out a pill and a glass of water.

    I immediately assumed that it was some sort of medicine and went on with it.

    "Hey, Silvestre, I''m pretty screwed. I have a really important exam coming up but I won''t be able to attend it. Do you have any advice right now? I''m trying not to freak out but I''m barely succeeding."

    It''s true, I''ve been feeling this way ever since I realized that I automatically excluded myself from the upcoming exam due to my horrible condition.

    Hinagiku, I''m sorry, but you''ll fail as well.

    "Just recover for now. I can call your teacher if you want to since you aren''t in any condition to move."

    "Really? You can? Ahhh... But, it''s fine, I really don''t want you to force yourself..."

    "Hahaha, just wait there. Where are you currently having class, Akihiko?"

    I wish to stop him from doing what he is about to do since he seems to be forcing himself but I''m really in no position to do so.

    "In one of the physical education fields. My teacher is a blonde woman, who is not so old. She''s fairly young honestly. If you find someone like her, then talk to her... Her name is Yuka."

    "Yuka, is it? I got it. I''ll be back soon. In the meantime, take this pill, please."

    "Aye."

    Why are you feeding me so many pills, Silvestre?

    Am I about to die or something?

    Please don''t scare me like that.

    "......What am I going to do now...?"

    From this room, there was a window right next to me, without blinds, so I could see a garden from afar.

    In it, the stripped brown woods stood amidst the raining snow brilliantly.

    Out of curiosity, I checked my wallet that was in my left pocket.

    Because I didn''t know whether or not those bullies had stolen any of my money or not.

    Hey, money is crucial, okay? What is a human being without money today?

    A straight vagabond, I''ll tell you that.

    "It''s here... Well, at least that''s comforting."

    But something else caught my attention. On the backside of the wallet, in one of the mini-sleeves, there was a paper there.

    I don''t exactly remember ever putting a paper there...

    "What does it say...?"

    To my insatiable curiosity, as soon as I picked it up and unfolded it, all that was written was:

    ''Every month, it all ends.''

    What?

    "This is my letter right...?"

    How strange... When did I write this...?

    "Weird..."

 Volume 5 - Chapter 35.5: Transparent intentions.

    Right after accompanying his student Sana and his injured student, Akihiko, to the infirmary, Basara had left the scene to go to a certain place.

    The infirmary room stayed at the top of block C and the place where Basara wanted to stop by stood at the top of another block, coincidentally.

    Since it was break time now, Basara had decided to take this chance to make his presence be known yet as he descended down the staircases, several female students couldn''t help but be stunned when his youthful debonair posture marked its existence onto the scene.

    "Who is he? Is he new in school? I never saw him..."

    "He''s hot though..."

    Basara never for once in his whole life had looked down. He truly has a personal belief that people that look down are weak and thus, he only either looks forward or up, which gives him a sense of fearlessness.

    This astonishing bravery would certainly attract the attention of several girls who were idly spending their break time randomly talking.

    In addition, Basara would greet them with a simple gesture or even if they got close, he would just reply with the proper answer to them despite his lack of caring for what they actually thought of him.

    Because, something that these girls did not know about Basara, was that, in contrast to his marvelous dominating and fierce posture, he was a teacher.

    A few days ago in the month of February, Basara had officially hit the age of 22 yet it was purely rare to see such a young man become a teacher this young.

    Although rare, it wasn''t impossible.

    "What a pain..." Said Basara as he firmly arranged his loose tie knot.

    Basara has a bad habit of letting his tie a bit loose because he dislikes the pressure it puts on his skin, which sometimes, would turn out to be irritating.

    Furthermore, Basara thought to himself that he should contact his companion Yuka first, but he quickly changed his mind in a flash.

    As he walked out of the block, he looked at his pricy gold watch on his right wrist to check the time.

    "They must''ve already started it, which means that right now isn''t the best time to intervene. That''s fine though. That just makes this move the best one in course."

    Thus, Basara went to the previous block A, where he had willingly humiliated Rodrick, the responsible guard for block A.

    Subsequently, as soon as Basara stepped on the shimmering ground of block A, his loud footsteps inside the block made the forward hall echo loudly.

    He had noticed one thing too, the previous student who was in the scenario where Basara had encountered Rodrick, Sana, and Akihiko was gone.

    But, that wasn''t relevant to him at all.

    Once again, he was greeted with multiple gazes who spoke numerous opinions of him right away.

    Seeing a figure not wearing a uniform was totally strange because, in this school, even teachers had to use their respective uniforms. Not to mention, students were always obliged to be wearing their own uniforms.

    A certain group of rebellious boys attempted to approach him but as soon as their gaze met up with Basara''s they immediately aborted their possible endeavor.

    Nevertheless, Basara had use for them right now and asked them a question.

    "Where is the principal''s office?"

    "Are you a student here? Don''t you know that you need a uniform? Can someone call Rodrick? Ahh... The Principal''s office is right at the top..."

    This not relevant student despite being intimidated by Basara attempted to pursue a valiant act by showing how bossy he could be but in the end, he ended up giving Basara what he wanted.

    Plus, he was wondering where Rodrick, the guard of this block was.

    "Thanks."

    Giving a simple word of retribution, Basara continued to move forward and kept on climbing the staircases to the top.

    "Hey.....! Didn''t you hear what I just s.......ay....?"

    This student wanted to keep on talking to him and reprehend him, but his words were not fazing Basara at all.

    Not because Basara was rigid or uptight but because Basara refused to care about something as trivial as someone else''s words unless they concerned his duty.

    On one floor at the time, Basara had arrived at the desired location.

    In this singular floor, stood only one door, which was right in front of the uprising staircase Basara had just climbed.

    That massive tall door was noticeably decorated with hard silver steel and in the middle of it, there was a border saying ''Principal''s Office'', which to Basara, was reassuring since now he was definitely in the right position.

    Of course, no student would dare to climb this high unless they wanted to receive punishment.

    Ultimately, Basara knocked on the door slowly yet loud enough to be heard on this aloof floor.

    "Come in."

    Without asking who it was, a stern and deep strong voice answered Basara''s knocking.

    To this man who had just answered Basara indirectly and unknowingly, this was common. Whether he liked it or not, complaints and misconduct in school was something that was natural. Therefore, this was nothing more than his agenda.

    Nevertheless, Basara opened the heavy door and made his stance to the man who didn''t even pay attention to him.

    "Excuse me."

    Closing the door, Basara made his presence be noticed by this man who wore glasses and his most noticeable feature was without a doubt his bald head.

    His black suit resembled similarities to Basara''s tuxedo, however, to contrast Basara''s red tie, this man wore a blue tie instead.

    To notice Basara who had just entered this dark room, which was supported by the minimum daylight from what the blinds half closed allowed to infiltrate this room, he had to stop doing his paperwork and additionally stop clicking on his computer for that to happen.

    "Forgive my rudeness, but who are you? And why aren''t you, a student from this school, wearing your obligatory uniform?"

    Confronted by a sudden barrage of questions, Basara proceed to swiftly erase further possible misunderstandings.

    After all, despite being a teacher in this school, this was the very first time that these two had crossed each other.

    "I''m not a student from this school. I''m a teacher."

    "I see. Even so, why aren''t you wearing your respective uniform? Also, what class are you teaching, teacher?"

    In the principal''s mind, it made no sense at all for a teacher who is under the duty of teaching to be wearing a casual black tuxedo like that.

    That alone alerted the principal who was seated on his massive chair, which was by far, way taller than his current posture''s height.

    "I teach class F."

    At that moment, the principal realized his wrong assumptions and strongly stood up from his massive chair to apologize.

    "My! My deepest apologies!"

    "No, it''s no problem at all. It''s perfectly natural to ask someone those questions, especially when that person is wearing a black tuxedo which contradicts the respective teachers'' uniforms. I should have made it clear from the start that I was teaching class F. My apologies on that regard."

    Without allowing the apology segment to be one-sided, Basara bowed down to the principal who was frustrated over his misassumptions.

    "Please, have a seat! I will make some tea!"

    "That would be very much appreciated."

    Even though Basara had just apologized, he felt that it would be bad-mannered of him to deny the kind act from the principal who just apologized on his own behalf, thus he took a seat instantly.

    Meanwhile, the nervous bald principal was occupied preparing a tea for the sudden guest.

    "I suppose I haven''t properly introduced myself. My name is Basara Tenma. I am one of the teachers of class F, a partial class that holds no common ground from the rest of the classes in this school. As for the reason as to why I''m not wearing a uniform, it''s because in my protocol it says nothing of that sort. Therefore, I would like you not to think that I am disrespecting your code or anything like that. I simply like tuxedos. They give me a great sense of wellbeing."

    This was a surprise to the principal since he didn''t think that someone as young as Basara had common sense regarding fashion. For a second, he reflected on his own old-fashioned way of thinking and that perhaps judging people from the eye was something he would do a lot.

    "I couldn''t agree more, Basara! Or do you prefer if I call you Tenma?"

    "Whichever you prefer. Pardon me, but I would like to know your name."

    Basara didn''t have a specific preference to his name in this situation since it was important for him to make this conversation worthwhile.

    "My name is Yamato. I would also like to apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I just simply thought to myself that you were a student since you look so youthful."

    "It''s alright, I get that a lot. And besides, I''m even surprised that I am teaching a class in the first place."

    "Why?"

    Principal Yamato was awfully curious about why Basara had mentioned such thing and couldn''t help but to ask regardless of how personal it might be.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    "As you might know, the class I teach isn''t your average class. Or, were you simply not aware, Yamato?"

    While a common interpretation of calling someone like principal Yamato by his name is called disrespect, Basara truly didn''t mean to do approach the field of disrespect and was, instead, showing genuineness in response.

    "Yes, I am aware. As a matter of fact, it doesn''t leave my mind. You teach a class full of criminals, correct?"

    "That is the case. Essentially, all I can tell you is that this task was suddenly forced onto me."

    "I see, Basara. It must be hard for you to teach a class full of people who have criminal records, is it not?"

    Midst this subtle conversation, Yamato had handled out the teacup full of tea to Basara, who put it down on the principal''s desk bay.

    "Thank you. No, it''s not hard. But they are certainly rebellious yet so far, they haven''t done anything out of the ordinary, which is surprising considering that they have criminal records. Under my own understanding, this could symbolize maturity from their part."

    "Or maybe they are just behaving properly while hiding their true personas."

    Fiercely intercepting Basara''s opinion, Yamato cut to the chase.

    "That might be the case. But nonetheless, they are a troublesome bunch."

    "Indeed they are, Basara. Don''t you think it''s necessary to make sure that they stay in order and don''t destroy the peace of this school?"

    Basara had noticed that Yamato''s tone was getting slightly sharper yet he remained unfazed despite that.

    "True. If criminals go on a sudden rampage, then the damage can be spread widely without having any possible way to counterattack."

    "I am glad that you understand. I''m also aware that your students are all subjects of a program that the government suggested."

    "You were the one who accepted the program, correct?"

    "That is true, Basara. Without my consent, they would not be present in this school in the first place."

    "If it''s not too much to ask, may I ask why you accept such a direful task? It surely must''ve crossed your mind that keeping the likes of criminals in your school could bear a strong danger for your students."

    Taking a sip of his hot tea, Basara swallowed down a few after posing that interesting question.

    Accordingly, if one wanted to keep peace in check, there should be an ulterior reason or motive as to why someone would bother to be apart of this, even if the government was the one who suggested it in the first place.

    After hearing that question, Yamato went to check the outside view from his window''s blinds. There, he saw students interacting happily with one another, idly spending the break time they had with each other.

    Simultaneously, that provoked a smile to Yamato.

    "Beautiful, is it not?"

    "...What is?"

    Confused by Yamato''s vague words, Basara could only assume that he was referring to the scenery outside yet a hunch told Basara that there might be something more.

    "Peace. I like peace. But, you know what I like the most? Something that even far surpasses peace? Success. From where I once stood and where I stand now, the road to success is never easy. Basara, I''m sure you have noticed, but this is an elite school. Every student here, under my guidance, will ultimately achieve abundant success in their upcoming years of life."

    As the principal spoke, not in Basara''s direction, but to where he was looking through the window, Basara continued to take a sip of his warm tea, since he rightfully assumed that he was not done with his speech.

    "On the other hand, it''s crucial and important for every student to take their school years seriously. What they fail to perceive and wrongly discard is their future in exchange for their youthful experiences. That itself is wrong and so, it must be corrected. But, how can I achieve correction? After all my years of being the principal of this well and successful school, I thought to myself that maybe there was something more. Something else missing. A lost piece of the puzzle. An unknown substance. This fragment of cryptic origins, just what is it that I am looking for exactly? What can I possibly gather from all of this to complete my ambition of success and pass it on to my students?"

    Basara continued to stay silent in spite of all.

    "That''s when it happened! I saw a glimpse of a new opportunity! From my vast experience, I know that to show how to achieve success there is a necessity. That necessity being, to demonstrate rightfully how to be superior enough to abolish any inferiority that stands in their way. Ultimately, I realized the major flaw that I have been doing all these years. By completing their years of study and follow to the road of success, they were missing an essential part of success, which is the ability to conquer!"

    Although he knew that his timing wasn''t correct, Basara decided to voice his opinion to Yamato, who was triumphally speaking about his ideals.

    "Are you potentially suggesting that as soon as a governmental force proposed to you this program that it was then that you saw a glimpse of this opportunity?"

    Yamato, unable to contain his inner excitement, turned around and faced Basara while clapping.

    "Bravo, monsieur Tenma. That''s exactly it. As soon as the government proposed this dire yet rare opportunity, I thought to myself that this wasn''t a coincidence. That after all these years, that God spoke to me out loud and granted me the task of making the best usage of this."

    Amidst this, Basara continued taking small sips of the still-warm tea.

    "Criminals and average students co-existing in the same common ground. How ludicrous is that? No way am I exposing my own beloved students to this peril! Absolutely out of the question! .....Were my naive thoughts back then, but after some thinking, I realized just how unique this chance is. Wouldn''t you say that if my students are able to stay in the same common ground as criminals that they will be granted the power of fearlessness, Basara?"

    "It''s still pretty dangerous regardless. If they didn''t have to follow a protocol nor if they were granted freedom in reward for their good behavior, who knows what they might''ve done. You might''ve just exposed your students to plenty of unnecessary danger."

    But that thought didn''t stop Yamato from speaking his true mind.

    "I know, right!? If my students are exposed to such danger then they will grow to be afraid and could just not desire to attend school at all. That would certainly be possible if this was an average school, but that''s not the case, is it now? Every student is forced to attend every class without any sort of complaint possible. Unless it''s a physical injury or just something that would put any student out of commission. Yet, psychological cases will be overlooked. I specifically made that possible by altering that rule. Wanna know why? Because they need to feel fear to evolve."

    "But my students will not interact with yours as long as they stay in the line. They have to follow plenty of rules and one of the primary ones is to not verbally interact with any other students except the ones from their own class."

    Yamato looked deeply into Basara''s eyes and took a seat on his chair once again.

    He relaxed his back and presented a lax posture in front of Basara, who had just said his opinion on the current matter.

    "To tell you the truth... I hate that rule. It doesn''t make much sense to me."

    "What?"

    Basara could not hide his surprise and remained puzzled between the interval of Yamato''s answer and his own interrogation.

    "Surely, it makes sense. Your students need some sort of restraint and according to the program, the main premise is to morally reform them. But that''s completely unnecessary. Why you may ask? Because it''s partially affecting the growth of my own students. As I''ve already explained, I accepted the government''s program because the co-existence between my own students and the respective criminals will entice a new experience. Under my understanding, it is the very formula to the success that they must achieve, correctly. That''s why it doesn''t make much sense to me since it''s taking away my plan entirely."

    Considerably, throughout all of this, Basara was refusing to speak his own mind on the subject and was plausibly listening to every single word that Yamato was uttering in maximum detail.

    "Plus, what''s the harm? What are they going to do anyway? Threatening someone? They can''t because that will immediately get them expelled from this school."

    "Ah, that''s not how it works. The only ones responsible for them are me and my companion. I''m not saying your reasoning is wrong, but it won''t work. Although, not to worry, I can understand where you are coming from."

    This slightly angered Yamato, who used his middle finger to adjust his shiny glasses in the meantime.

    Nonetheless, Yamato conducted himself professionally.

    "I suppose you are right, Basara. Although they are in my school, they are not, ironically, my responsibility. The government must''ve placed a fair share of responsibility on you and your companion, right?"

    "I can''t deny that. After all, we are the only ones who are responsible for them."

    "That is the case."

    At last, the conversation had hit a brick point.

    It seemed that at last, both sides wanted to get to one thing straight and so, Yamato took the first move.

    "It seems I unwillingly dragged on the conversation and that it turned into a stagnant direction. Allow me to compensate for that. Basara, today, what brings you here?"

    What had been avoided for a while was the reason why Basara was here in the first place.

    Mostly due to both sides delaying it long enough to be this way.

    "I''ll be blunt about it. Two of my students, who you met up earlier, were in a dire situation just a while ago. As a matter of fact, I had to take Akihiko, to the infirmary."

    "Goodness, what happened!? Is that young man alright?"

    "He certainly isn''t and for a good reason. I would like to report this block''s guard, Rodrick Mattew, for not only attempting to strike down violently Sana, one of my students but for being suspect of directly harming Akihiko, yet another one of my students."

    Yamato was showing visible shock.

    He could not stand the fact that someone in his school got hurt, especially when one of his most entrusted guardians was potentially responsible for that.

    "This might be insensitive from me and I would like to prematurely apologize for that, but you do have evidence, correct, Basara?"

    "Certainly. Every corner of block A has multiple security cameras and just by checking them you can confirm what I just said. You do have access to them, don''t you?"

    "Of course, Basara. Can you come to my side? I will show you right away."

    "I''m grateful."

    Getting up from his seat, Basara stood at the left side of Yamato, who immediately showed him all the footage from the cameras of block A.

    "When did it happen, do you know?"

    "I don''t. However, assuming that it happened firmly after I sent those two here, then it must''ve happened between the time where you dismissed them and 10:45 am, which was the time I caught this block''s guard misconducting himself. Therefore, around 10:20, perhaps."

    "Let''s see..."

    Quickly backtracking the time in the security cameras, a certain angle caught Yamato''s attention right away.

    In response, his jaw dropped a few centimeters.

    "My god... I... I didn''t know..."

    Inside that footage, Akihiko was being dragged out by Rodrick, the block A guardian, to the outside parameter where he started to receive a massive beating from other students as well.

    "Sorry, but I would like to report all of those students too. It''s against the rules to beat someone up, regardless of the circumstances, correct?"

    "Y-Yes, of course! They will receive an immediate suspension and will reflect on their horrible behavior! I will additionally fire Rodrick for misconducting himself this badly! I am so sorry! I just don''t understand why they would do this in the first place..."

    At that moment, Basara gazed upon the trembling figure of Yamato who was despairing.

    "According to Rodrick, one of my students broke the rule of interaction and that triggered the whole event. Naturally, I will give the respective student the respective consequences. My companion is partially at fault and I am as well. They need to be instructed in a more severe manner, otherwise, this will keep on happening."

    "Goodness, this is just... terrible. Once again, I am so sorry..."

    "There is no need to apologize. That was all that I wanted to say and I am happy that the ones responsible for Akihiko''s condition will receive their appropriate treatment."

    "Naturally, of course. This cannot be overlooked. I''m just... shocked. I didn''t expect an outrageous event of this scale! This massive violence being inflicted on one student alone deserves to be thoroughly investigated, wouldn''t you say?"

    Basara was glad that this event was being received the way it should be.

    He also knew that he would have to contact the respective homeroom teacher of class F for one simple reason.

    "I agree. I will handle my responsibility, but I would just like you to handle this swiftly, principal Yamato."

    "Yes, of course. This is unforgivable. Events like this were never overlooked and they will not be overlooked now. The respective consequences will be applied to the ones in the scene. I thank you, Basara. Without your reports, I might''ve missed this subtle information and once again, allow me to apologize."

    Since Basara was done talking, he had turned his back onto the principal who was bowing down rigidly to Basara, who was just about to leave.

    "I''ll be taking my leave then. I''m profoundly grateful for your time, principal Yamato."

    "It is my pleasure and obligation."

    Everything that Basara wanted to confirm was set and done.

    Except for one single thing. The sole purpose of this endeavor, which he knew that would most likely amount to nothing, was lingering on the back of his mind.

    And so, just as he was about to place his right firm hand onto the door''s lock, Basara reluctantly but intentionally stopped his movement.

    Noticing this, Yamato couldn''t help but be confused.

    "There is just this last thing... I didn''t want to ask this because it might be bad manners from my behalf, but..."

    "What is it?"

    Looking at Yamoto one last time, Basara went on.

    "I heard something funny from Rodrick. While I interrogated him, he said something... amusing."

    While saying the word ''amusing'', Basara was touching his chin, for reasons only he knew.

    "Obviously, I asked him why he did what he did, but it just didn''t make any sense to me. Why would he, knowing that beating a student up would lead to getting fired and more consequences so to come, commit anyway? I also noticed that his mind was in a questionable place. And that was when... He mentioned it. That it was your order, to beat my student up."

    "What? That''s preposterous! I would never harm a student, regardless of it being a criminal or not."

    "I know. I was just confirming. Plus, he seemed to be out of his mind, so blaming you would be a convenient thing to do."

    "Basara, do you think that I would do such a thing?!"

    "No. I just found his choice of words interesting, that''s all."

    Not having any more reason to be there, Basara left the scene.

    As soon as he closed the door, he took out his phone to contact a certain person.

    Since all students were in class by now, there was no one to spot him descending down the staircases.

    Soon, after roughly 3 seconds, the individual picked up.

    "This is rare, you nev-"

    "Have you started class yet?"

    "I have... Why?"

    "I want you to go to the infirmary in block C. There, Akihiko, is recovering. He is injured. Go and talk to him. Also, if you see Sana, then additionally talk to her."

    "Where are you?"

    "I don''t see how that''s relevant, Yuka. Just get on with it. I''m hanging."

    "Eh!? But wh-"

    With lighting speed, Basara ended the call right away and muttered the following words to himself:

    "What is happening..."

 Volume 6 - Chapter 36: There is and will only ever be one Kuzan Takeshi.

    February 23rd.

    Hello, my name is Kuzan.

    I''ll just be frank, I have a huge goal in life, and that is to steal whatever is rare.

    Basically, whatever is worth the value or is hard to get must be mine at all costs.

    But something unexpected happened. For certain reasons, I was put here in this school and I have no way of getting out of it until I graduate like a normal student. So, every day for me has been stressing me out...

    "First, I got chased out by my roommates for stealing food and then I received a lecture from Aniki. Secondly, I also received some questionable punishments from Aniki and from them... Gahhhhh!!!! Why can''t they just die?!"

    Perhaps my anger origins from the fact that I am currently bald. Not to brag, but my black spiky wavy hair was pretty damn cool.

    But now this?

    What am I supposed to say when I look at the mirror anymore?!

    How am I supposed to praise myself every morning for my blessed looks?!

    I just can''t!

    .................

    "Am I even going to make it? I''ve been getting myself into the hands of that bald principal a lot lately... I''m probably going to get expelled at this rate..."

    I, Kuzan, reflected upon my situation while watching some comedy television shows on FOX.

    But they all suck. Their sense of humour is seriously outdated. Simpsons isn''t even watchable anymore.

    It''s also 7 am, and yesterday, Kawahara somehow returned all the food back to the place...

    What was that all about?

    "Dude''s got some issues I swear..."

    I don''t have a strong opinion about Kawahara. He was the one who gave me this malicious bald haircut. One day, I will have my revenge.

    Yet more importantly, as I continued to indulge myself into boredom, I heard a light knock onto my door.

    That immediately caught my attention, thus I got up from my comfy bed sheets and checked out who was knocking.

    "Who is this?"

    "Kuzan, you''re up?"

    "Oh, Rayazaki. Come on in. It''s hot in here."

    Fortunately, I do have a lot of accessories and furniture to survive this horrible winter.

    Of course, they are stolen.

    "Thanks..."

    Rayazaki closed the door lock sloppily and he was looking down on the floor a lot.

    That''s pretty unusual. I recall Rayazaki being very high-spirited yet he now seems to be completely different.

    His blue pajamas go along with his mood.

    "What happened? Is everything okay?"

    Out of all the people, if I were to exclude Aniki, Rayazaki would be the person who I talk to the most. Aniki is ignoring me right now, which deeply pains me, but Rayazaki is fairly friendly in his own regard.

    Despite still not looking at me in the eye, Rayazaki sat on the bed sheets ultimately.

    "Dude... I''m not gonna pass the exam! I know I''m not and that''s freaking me out!!!"

    "Woah...!"

    Suddenly, Rayazaki desperately grabbed onto my shirt''s upper buttons, but I could instantly see his anxiety straight up.

    "Calm down, man. I know how you are feeling! My partner isn''t even good in her own area but we will get there. Sure, she''s pretty annoying and whatnot, but it''s a matter of persistence! You gotta try and---"

    "No, no, that''s not it! That''s not it at all, Kuzan! She refuses to try! Hear that!? She refuses! How am I supposed to get her to cooperate!? At this rate, I will fail and then.... and then.... then.....!!! Ahhhhh!!! I''m screwed!!"

    Rayazaki''s seriously freaking out. This is news.

    "The penalty must be getting to you too huh? I know, I know. After all, if we don-"

    Twice in a row, Rayazaki further interrupted me again.

    "Kuzan, what are you blabbering about......... The penalty? Hahaha, please.... That doesn''t matter. Hey. Get real, come on."

    "It doesn''t? Then why are you so upset, Rayazaki? I thought that you were all stressed due to the penalty that Yuka-sensei gave us yesterday."

    Certainly, this is one of the main reasons as to why I''m stressed.

    If I don''t score positively along with my partner in this exam, then there won''t be more supply exams.

    That''s seriously bad, oi.

    What about my ambition?

    I can''t let it die just like that.

    "Kuzan... I''ve told you about Hinagiku, yeah?"

    "Yeah, you did. Honestly, you did it to everyone. I''m surprised no one has told anyone about it for the funs."

    It''s probably because it''s mostly irrelevant but Aniki seemed to be fairly intrigued by it for some reason.

    "T-That aside, listen to this... Right now, I''m seated next to her, right? But that can change! If I lose here, then what will happen?! I will have to change to different seats!! Different seats!! Damn it!!!"

    Rayazaki is talking somewhat loud, so I wouldn''t be surprised if someone took an interest in this conversation, though I doubt that the likelihood is high.

    "It''s just different seats, bro. You can still talk to h-"

    "Noooooooo!!! It''s not just different seats! Don''t you get it!? If I lose then someone else will seat and be with her until the end of the year!! Someone else!! How the hell is that tolerable!?"

    ...........

    Perhaps I failed to understand Rayazaki''s point of view.

    "I see... It must be you... I guess I can sympathize with that sentiment..."

    "Yes, I knew you''d understand! Also, her partner is Akihiko! Hinagiku, since she''s my future bride to be, is far too good for him. The fact that he dares to breathe the same air as she repels me to the absolute extreme!!"

    Erm, aren''t you the one who''s being extreme, Rayazaki?

    "But what are you going to do if Akihiko loses?"

    "What do you mean?"

    Has Rayazaki not caught up on this yet?

    Can''t be helped then...

    "This upcoming exam is an exam that mostly evaluates teamwork, but not just in the physical department."

    "Hm."

    "What this additionally means is that a pairing can easily fail due to the weakest member."

    "I see. Go on."

    "Alternately, it doesn''t even have to matter how physically adapt you are if your partner is just useless. Take Yukishiro for example. Even though your physical abilities are pretty good, if she doesn''t cooperate or does anything at all, then what''s the point?"

    "..........I see, Kuzan. You make a good point."

    "No, Rayazaki. I haven''t made my point yet. I''m just referencing your pairing as an example."

    "Is that so? Proceed then."

    I would very much like to know why Rayazaki is being this bossy? Is it in his nature or something?

    "If we take Hinagiku''s partner, Akihiko into consideration, hypothetically speaking, should Hinagiku truly perform out of her min-"

    "Kuzan, don''t say such nonsense. She''s capable of producing feats that equal the value of her existence!"

    "Oh, okay, nice. But, um, can I go on?"

    "Yes, please."

    Thanks.

    "As I was saying, should Hinagiku perform really well, which you can confirm she will-"

    "You are correct on that, Kuzan."

    "So, even if she does well if Akihiko does poorly, then it won''t matter."

    "I see! You make a good logical and sound argument, Kuzan! I must get rid of Akihiko then!"

    "No, please wait! Let me finish."

    "Hm? Well, okay."

    Am I talking to a 5-year-old child right now?

    "Look, my point is actually totally partial towards Akihiko."

    "Really? How come? Didn''t you just say that Hinagiku might fail because of him?"

    "I did mention something like that, but that''s just to make you aware that a single person in a pairing has more power than the other, that being, the weakest element. Which, by the way, is Akihiko."

    So far, from what I could observe, this was the most obvious point. Exorcising your all-mighty power instead of pursuing your partner into performing better is simply counterproductive.

    Of course, this is assuming that you are the strongest element and not the weakest.

    "I don''t get it. You said this was completely partial to Akihiko, but then you mention that he is the weakest element which would then imply that he is at fault."

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    "Surely, that was the case. But here is my main point. It doesn''t matter if you succeed or not, because if Akihiko so decides to not perform well, then Hinagiku and Akihiko will stay together as a pair for the rest of the year. You can try all you want with Yukishiro and for your own good you should, but it''s a different story when---"

    "No, that''s unacceptable! I won''t accept that! I can and must do something about it. For starters, I will convince this bitch Yukishiro to cooperate and next up, I will talk to Akihiko and give him the sweet talk. I seriously hope for his own good that he doesn''t screw up this golden opportunity..."

    Rayazaki''s eerie smile is creepy right now.

    "It doesn''t work like that though. You might have control over Yukishiro since she is your partner, but Hinagiku is Akihiko''s partner. This won''t work and you know it..."

    "But I must do something, right?!"

    "Why again?"

    I think I forgot the reason why Rayazaki was so worried about this in the first place.

    "Because if I don''t then Hinagiku will belong to someone else! I can''t let that happen! I love her!"

    Oh right.

    The hopeless romantic.

    "I think you are misunderstanding something, Rayazaki. I will admit that the likelihood of your bond between you and Hinagiku growing is quite high if you two stay together as table partners throughout the year, but you can just equally develop outside of class too. As a matter of fact, if you do show that you care for her outside class, then it might just have a better outcome for you, don''t you think?"

    If his aim is to truly show her that he cares for her, then I don''t really think that a seat or two will make a difference...

    "That''s wrong Kuzan. Hear me out. I have thought this out well. So, if I show that I care about her in this scenario and that I do want to be physically close to her, then she''ll start craving for me. Can you see the idea and pattern here?"

    I see. I didn''t think about it from that perspective.

    I do have to consider that Rayazaki is high-key narcissistic.

    "Yeah, okay, I get the gist of it. You''re still screwed regardless if Akihiko decides to bail out on her."

    "That will not happen."

    As Rayazaki said those words, his eyes shone a dark crimson.

    "Hey, Kuzan. Are we gonna be here all morning? What about breakfast? I''m hungry..."

    "Shit, you''re right. But, just so we are clear, Kawahara was the obvious culprit, right?"

    "Yeah... Even though the blame fell onto Tsudo, it''s pretty clear that Kawahara was the one who did it."

    However, that doesn''t really matter.

    The food is back.

    Now that matters.

    10 am. P.E court.

    "Begin training!"

    Um, hi.

    Kuzan here. This is awkward.

    My partner, Sana, and Akihiko, have not returned ever since a while ago.

    I know that they went to the principal''s office for disobeying and being bad mannered towards Basara-sensei but this is really awkward.

    You see, I really, but really want to pass the exam... Seriously, I do.

    But...

    I can''t do anything if my partner isn''t here in the first place!

    Damn it! I can''t let Yuka-sensei return to her office just like that!

    "Sensei! Yuka-sensei!"

    In the hope she would return a positive answer back, I persisted more.

    "Sana isn''t here! Where is she?"

    "Oh, Kuzan. Aren''t Sana and Akihiko still in the principal''s office though?"

    No way they are. It''s been over an hour.

    "I don''t think so. But what am I supposed to do while she''s out?"

    "Hm... Well, since you don''t have anything to do, can''t you assist other pairings?"

    "Sorry?"

    "Yes, that would be perfect for you, Kuzan!"

    Don''t let her sweet smile deceive you, Kuzan. She''s tricking you!

    "B-But there should be a more fitting task for me...."

    "No, not true! This is perfect for you Kuzan. As of right now, you are officially my side-kick. You will act as an adviser for the other pairings. In other words, you will supervise what they are doing wrong and how you can help them!"

    H-Huh!?

    "Y-You can''t be serious! There''s no way that I can--- Oi!!!! Don''t turn your back on me!!! Sensei!!! Yuka-sensei!!!"

    Ah, she''s gone.

    The moment she plugged her earphones inside her eardrums, I stopped existing.

    That''s really perfect. Exactly what I needed.

    Damn it! I''m not cut out for situations like these! Truly, but truly, I was looking forward to training with my partner but she''s missing in action and now I have to do things a side-kick is supposed to do?

    "Screw that!!!"

    But, as soon as I screamed those words out loud into the vast empty court, I had a brilliant idea.

    It''s a weird feeling, but it just quirks.

    Whenever I am in a stressful situation, ideas of great importance come to mind, however, before realizing that idea...

    I''m somewhat interested in the other pairings'' situations.

    It would be fun just to see their miserable situations and how well they don''t fit in the first place.

    Firstly, the closest pairings next to me are in the gymnasium or other partial fields.

    Since we group here entirely as a class, in the main court, a lot of pairings departed ways from here because the equipment for training just isn''t here.

    Should I even make contact with them in the first place?

    Let''s see...

    10:10 am. Volleyball field.

    Something I should mention is that I''m partially quite agile whenever I want to be.

    Naturally, I can climb onto high heights without much difficulty and since in this volleyball field there is a massive tree, I went behind it and climbed to the very top just to remain completely unnoticed.

    Plus, the chilly weather does not make this any simple because it''s hard to grasp the rustic tree with my fingertips like this.

    Nevertheless, as soon as I got into the top of the tree, I hid under the small bushes that were there and observed the following situation.

    "You are useless. And because of that, I will fail. Bear that in your consciousness, please."

    "I told you that it''s not my fault that I''m not physically adapt..."

    "Susaga, you are at fault. Let''s make a future prediction shall we? I will perform all the required tasks to the highest degree and we will still fail because you are just that useless."

    "Akimiyashika, can you please stop calling me useless...? I am ashamed of myself, but I can''t do anything about it."

    "That''s where you are wrong, Susaga. You see, if you kill yourself then you will be out of this exam."

    "W-What?"

    She''s extreme, damn.

    "Don''t you get it? How can I participate in the upcoming exam without a partner? I can''t. That''s why if you stop existing, I might have a chance to get a minimally competent partner instead of a useless lump of flesh like you, Susaga."

    "Why are you so rude, Akimiyashika!?"

    "I''m not rude, I''m truthful. People like you can''t handle the truth well, I know. But, it''s not my fault, no matter how you look at it."

    "I''ve already apologized, but I will not just suicide for the sake of your goal... That''s just stupid."

    "Oh, I know you won''t suicide. Hence I called you useless. Because you have no utility, not even a superficial one. Therefore, useless."

    "Can you quit it!? What do you gain from all of this?"

    "Ah, relax. It''s just a joke. You aren''t entirely useless. You can always prove me wrong by doing the one thing you are capable of to turn yourself useful, just saying."

    Akimiyashika has been smiling in a psychotic way thus far. Plus, she''s not even facing Susaga and she''s just practicing volleyball movements all alone.

    This is...

    It''s as if Akimiyashika isn''t even trying to make Susaga someone who can pass the exam but instead she''s passing her time to make him realize how he can''t pass the exam despite the possibility still being there.

    "Fuck you... I''m not doing this..."

    "Yeah, I know."

    In spite of his initial retort, Akimiyashika didn''t mind it at all, and in fact, returned it right back.

    Ultimately, Susaga went for a walk because Akimiyashika was simply too much for him.

    I can''t blame him. Someone with such low intensity can''t possibly rise to her heights presumably.

    10:15 am. Main running platform.

    At least Akimiyashika and Susaga talked to each other.

    But this is...

    I mean--- Do I even need to hide behind this side of the bracket?

    Does it even matter if I mark my presence in this lonely territory?

    Hell, they aren''t even talking to one another.

    To firmly describe what''s happening, Kawahara is sprinting like a mad man. Normally, this is good.

    Because it means that someone is actually trying.

    However, there is just this lonesome figure sitting in the background, with a giant book on her tiny hands.

    To make that more obvious, she even covers her whole face and buries it in the book''s pages.

    Who is she?

    She''s Gale Iris, Kawahara''s partner.

    More importantly, why aren''t they even communicating?

    What happened to Kawahara''s flame earlier on?

    There''s so much that I don''t understand.

    Which means that staying here will probably amount to nothing.

    10:25 am. Main Basketball court.

    In order to have a far greater insight into the current situation, I climbed onto the emergency ladder and stood in the border of one of the blocks.

    This was also for them to not notice me.

    "Do you believe in ghosts, Tatsu? I do, I do. To tell you the truth, I think I saw one last night... Wanna hear about it?"

    "No...."

    "Eh? Why not though?"

    "Because we are supposed to practice..."

    "Oh.... right! Yeah, let''s practice!"

    From the start, this was bound to be an awful combination. Ikkiri is outgoing while Tatsu is reserved.

    They say opposites attract but I don''t see that happening right here and now.

    And Tatsu seems to be puzzled by how quick Ikkiri can change her mind.

    He is not accustomed to such a wild card.

    "On second thought, I don''t wanna. This is boring.... So boring...."

    "Why do you complain so much, Ikkiri?"

    "I''m just being honest. This sucks. Hey, are you good at making jokes?"

    Additionally, Tatsu seems to be visibly pissed off about Ikkiri''s lack of caring.

    "Stop screwing around..."

    "That''s your joke? Buuuuuuuuuuu. 3/10. Ah, but I''ll give it a 7/10 if it was sarcasm. Hey, was it sarcasm, was it?!"

    "What the hell is wrong with you? Are you incapable of performing such a simple task without getting bored every ten seconds?"

    "It''s actually 5 seconds, Tatsu."

    This is a disaster.

    No point in staying here.

    10:30 am. Street workout park.

    I''m surprised that there is a street workout park in the middle of the school.

    Noticeably, it contains a lot of pieces of equipment that are extremely versatile when it comes to physical exercise and whatnot.

    Something worthy of mention is that, right here, there are 3 pairs and a single lone girl.

    And furthermore, there isn''t exactly a place to hide.

    This is place is far too open.

    With that in mind, I calmly approached the petit blue-haired girl who was day-dreaming while looking upon the cerulean sky in the middle of the winter.

    Her hands were basically shaking due to the cold and she couldn''t help but enlace her tender forearms inside her jersey pockets.

    "Pretty damn cold, honestly..."

    Hi, my name is Kuzan and I''m terrible at starting conversations.

    "Oh, hey there, Kuzan. What''s up?"

    "Nothing much. Sana isn''t back from the principal''s office so I don''t have much to do. What about you, Hinagiku?"

    Hinagiku would repeatably form white breaths just to see her clear chilly breath upon the air.

    That''s cool so I did it too.

    "I''m the same. Something happened, surely. Akihiko isn''t back yet, so I have to wait. So I''m here watching the others train!"

    From the start, I could see that. She''s been looking at them for a while.

    By them, I mean Tsudo and Lus, Tateyana and Ryoken, and Kan and Kanawari.

    However, as obvious as it may seem to perceive, none of the pairings are in a symphony.

    Speaking of pairings, where are Aniki and Yulia?

    I should investigate that next, but I''m starting to get bored with this.

    Well...

    I wouldn''t truly say that.

    But maybe, just maybe, my greed for that previously mentioned idea is starting to outgrow my patience.

    "Kuzan.... Sorry if this is rude, but---"

    "Don''t ask. It just happened."

    "Ehhh...? But you don''t even know what I''m going to say?"

    "Trust me, I do. It''s fine. You don''t need to know."

    Leave my shiny trophy shaved head alone, you innocent creature.

    "How did you get bald, Kuzan?"

    "Oi, that''s rude. Don''t underestimate how sentimental someone bald can be. Hair is like an emotional barrier and without it, I''ve become sensitive."

    As soon as Hinagiku captured those words of mine, her expression became that of a child.

    "I-Is that true!? Do bald people become more sensitive without hair!? Is that why senile people are often fragile, emotionally speaking?"

    For the record, I meant this as a joke, but what she just said didn''t seem too far from the truth.

    What if that''s the cause for old age depression?

    "I was joking, but you might be on point, Hinagiku."

    "You think so? Ah, wait... If that was a joke, then you don''t have a reason to hide how you got bald, do you?"

    Unfortunately, my manly pride just can''t spell it out.

    "My circumstances aside, I have something to talk to you."

    "What? You do? That''s strange. This is basically the first time we have truly talked. But I still haven''t forgiven you, boys, for entering our dorm..."

    Her expression just got grim.

    Hey, stop it, that''s not cute.

    "Erm, that event aside, it concerns Rayazaki."

    "Rayazaki...?"

    Now that''s a cute expression, filled with eyes of innocence and a playful smirk.

    Thankfully, I''m far too absorbed at the moment to pay attention to the disastrous interactions of the present pairs who are just a few meters away.

    "You see, Hinagiku, this could just be my gut feeling, but isn''t he slightly attracted to you?"

    "No way that''s true..."

    "Are you sure? Isn''t he different now from previously?"

    "Yeahhhhhhhh!!! I know, right!? He changed so much! He used to be this rude and impudent individual who would always curse and blabber badly but now he is kind and delicate and even chooses his own words carefully..."

    "But why do you think he has changed though?"

    "I don''t really know how to answer that, Kuzan... It just happened."

    I overlooked how entertaining it is to tell Hinagiku indirectly in a subtle manner that Rayazaki has a crush on him.

    This is actually hilarious.

    "Oh come on. You know that''s not true. I think he has feelings for you and he chose to turn a new leaf because of you."

    "Come on... Stop joking, hahaha."

    It''s been bothering me for a while but why does her voice get slightly heavy when I mention this type of stuff?

    It happened earlier too. Or am I overreacting?

    Maybe it''s best to not pressure the subject.

    "That aside, I''m going to check out on something else. Later."

    "Alright, Kuzan, later!"

    Pretending to go check on other pairings, I completely left the scene.

    Realistically speaking, with all things considered, I''m purely grateful that Sana has given me this chance. If it wasn''t for her mini-absence then I probably was stuck passing my time with her, but since that was not the case, I could finally perform the idea that came up on my mind.

    Truth to be told, I am addicted to stealing.

    However, rarities intrigue me the most.

    If it''s not rare then I don''t want it.

    Nevertheless, how can I know what to steal if I don''t know what to find or where to find?

    That''s why the idea came to my mind a while ago.

    There are two places to investigate and those are, both the boys and the girls'' dorms.

    "Now, all I need to do is to get there... But how should I make this worthwhile...?"

    As I was directing myself towards the dorms, I thought of something witty and original for a change.

    Something that would carve this experience into stone.

    An unforgettable experience for both I, the stealer, and the person who will get stolen.

    That''s right.

    I will pick one person and that person will have something stolen from him or her.

    But, I will, by contrast, make sure that within every fiber of my own very being, the person nor anyone ever finds out about it.

    My name is Kuzan Takeshi and throughout my life, whenever I wanted to steal something, I always did, no matter how hard it was.

    And that has not changed now.

    That sentiment of possession lives in me, for now, and forever.

 Volume 6 - Chapter 37: ?Please die. Thank you.?

    February 23rd.

    Regarding the exact time where or when this phenomenon began, I am not certain, but certainly, I think that after it took place, I, Yukishiro Kyoko have begun to hate everything there is in existence.

    Everything that is around me or just anything in general, whether it is objects or humans, I hate them all.

    Though, if I were to be more specific, I hate humans in general far more than anything else.

    This hatred swirling inside my heart, the unreasonable intensity for these strong resentments, I know the source.

    My hatred for everything is far too strong.

    There are times where the sentiment is so intense that my heart feels like it''s on fire. It often happens to me, but the searing feeling of wanting to hate everything consumes me consistently.

    "............."

    As I woke up, my eyes immediately blinked. It''s impressive, even after closing the blinds, this daylight makes my eyes blink constantly.

    I hate it. I hate it all so much.

    I hate the fact that I have to get up every damn morning just to attend some stupid classes. I hate that I allowed myself to be in this position and that there is nothing that I can do except to obey the system in order to escape.

    God, I wish how every other human would just die.

    Wouldn''t it be nice?

    I''m not a narcissistic person, but I deeply like silence and an aloof atmosphere where I am able to solely exist, but that''s just not possible.

    Other humans still breathe.

    ...

    Right now, I could simply just go and descend down to have breakfast but I would have to look at their faces.

    I don''t want that. They are extremely repugnant and their tendencies are repulsive.

    And for that reason, I will just wait in my room for the right time to come out. Mainly when class begins.

    Just the thought of being greeted by every single one of them is urging me to vomit.

    "Shit..."

    As a matter of fact, just by thinking about it, that urge became far too realistic and so, I went to the bathroom and threw up on the toilet.

    While throwing up, I reminded myself of my previous life before this.

    It wasn''t half-bad.

    But having to endure this feeling of disgust every day and night is stressing me out.

    I''m not sure if I can take this for too long.

    This daily effort of enduring unnecessary struggles isn''t making much sense anymore.

    I need to escape from here.

    9:45 am.

    Something I always do is being on my phone. It''s very helpful.

    In the presence of humans who I dislike, which is just about every single one of them, it helps me take my mind off the never-ending hatred that I feel for this species.

    I like to search for animals though. Something that has human influences or the hands of a human behind it isn''t worth the outlook.

    Animals, however, are different.

    They are cute and sweet. They value their own private space but can be caring at the same time.

    Back in my old apartment, I had a cat named Tobias.

    Now that I think about it, I spent a crazy amount of time with him. It''s scary how much I devoted my whole being towards something that doesn''t belong to the human species.

    Nonetheless, it died.

    It happened when I was walking home from school and a truck passed by a street parallel to my old apartment''s street.

    Without a single stop, the truck went ahead and killed Tobias.

    Furthermore, the driver didn''t even notice.

    Tobias just died and no one cared about it.

    But not me.

    I cared.

    So much.

    Although, the bastard never returned and I couldn''t catch a glimpse of the bastard''s face.

    I was mainly sad for two reasons. The first reason was that Tobias had just died and the second one because I could never do justice for him.

    On top of being my source of hatred, humans never cease to take away what I love without a second thought.

    "Yo, got a lighter? Mine just went out last night."

    Obnoxiously interrupting my deep reflection, this oblivious human being named Kan, spoke to me.

    His breath stinks.

    Plus, his dialogue is always full of either profanity or lax words.

    It''s not as if I care about what he does, but I once took a short notice of what he does and it''s straight-up disgusting.

    Not only is he being undiplomatic towards someone like me, who has never for once spoken firstly to him, but he has the sheer audacity to roll joints in my presence.

    Needless to say, I ignored him.

    But, that wasn''t enough. I moved my chair to the maximum edge of my table just to be vastly far away from him.

    "Tch. What''s her problem? All I did was ask."

    Kan mumbled to himself shortly.

    However, his words piss me off.

    First of all, I don''t have any problems. You do.

    Your lack of manners is an immediate turn-off and the mere fact that you are upholding a non-hygienic stance in front of me proves that you simply aren''t worthy of consideration.

    Aren''t your nails too long as well? What''s with that? Can''t you take better care of your self? Your teeth are borderline yellow. My stomach just took three spins just from that thought alone.

    Secondly, why would I have a lighter? I do not share your unpleasant habits, you feeble creature.

    Even if I did have a lighter, why would I give it to you? Do you think that you are suddenly worthy of touching whatever is mine? That''s pure nonsense.

    Humans don''t think much in general, do they?

    Why not though?

    Is it really hard to be considerative when speaking to another person? I don''t feel that difficulty, but I will never show retribution in spite of that.

    Thirdly, I hate you.

    Oh, lastly, I don''t care.

    Die.

    "Alright! Class is over, but we will move on to P.E next, so follow my lead!"

    Out of many things I hate thus far, this specific event surely takes the cake.

    For some unpleasant reason, someone decided that it was a logical thing for students of this class to take special exams that have massive distinguishing features from your average exam.

    While that sounds appealing in its nature and in theory, in practice, it''s very bitter.

    If it was an individual test where I can proudly demonstrate my ability and keenness, that would be very much welcomed.

    Yet, such was not the case.

    In this horrible scenario, pairings were formed.

    How detestable.

    Despite that feeling of rage and oppression, my sad excuse for a partner approached me without a second thought.

    He did not even let me pack my stuff inside my bag, he just intruded like that.

    "Kyoko, let''s do our best today! I''m counting on you!"

    "Don''t talk to me, trash."

    Don''t ever spell my name with such excitement like that, you waste of oxygen.

    "Look, I get it. You hate me. But you know, Kyoko, we do share something in common."

    "We share nothing in common. We stand on different grounds at all times. Also, do me a favor and recall what I just said to you a while ago, would you?"

    Though, he''s correct about the fact that I hate him.

    His existence is poisonous, his past persistence and current attempts of persuasions are pathetic as well.

    And so, I moved on from the classroom that was still full of students to the rightful field of physical education.

    Still...

    "Wait just a second, will you!? We should talk! No, we have to talk! Listen, I don''t care if you despise me or something of that sort, the truth still stands, we need to work together in order to win the upcoming exam! I want to win, you want to win, so why not make the best effort possible into winning!?"

    Additionally, I hate when people refuse to pay attention even if minimum, to the true meaning of my words.

    If I tell you to not speak to me, why do you persist?

    Even after speeding up a tad bit, this benevolent creature continued to chase after me.

    Why?

    "Ignoring me won''t work, just saying. I don''t mind being ignored. I know that I''m not one of a kind, but damn, I am not letting you be the one who screws up my victory chance!"

    Just as I was about to step outside block F, he stood there blocking my way.

    With his arms fully extended to his right and left, Rayazaki illogically kept on being annoying.

    Your poor strategy to get my cooperation will not work Rayazaki.

    Because I''ve already decided to screw you up in the worst way possible.

    "Move."

    "I won''t. Not until you give me your consent."

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    "And what will my consent do? If I say yes, then I can just go back on my word. You can''t do anything about this."

    So annoying...

    So annoying...!

    "I don''t understand you. I''ve tried to endlessly talk to you in the previous days in order to achieve your cooperation, but you either ignore me or just give spiteful replies. What gives? Did I do something to deserve this? I don''t think I did, but enlighten me please, if I''m wrong here."

    He''s too much of a fool to understand that it doesn''t matter who it is.

    Whoever was my partner in this stupid nonsensical exam would get backstabbed the second he was selected to be paired up with me.

    My hatred for the likes of you is increasing potency within each second you mere plebians speak such sporadic and preposterous words to me.

    "You''re not passing the exam. Let me tell you some words of truth for once, just so you can get a clear image of what''s about to happen. You will attempt to pursue me by using fancy reasonings and whatnot, but it will not work. And that''s because I''m deadset on failing this exam. I refuse to be apart of this bullshit. This parasitic co-dependence and spew of teamwork can all go to hell. I''m not doing it."

    He''s still in the way...

    Do I have to call out to a teacher?

    "I understand where you are coming from, but you will be prejudiced way more than I will if you fail this exam-"

    "No, I won''t. Are you retarded? On second thought, I don''t have to question such an undeniable factor."

    "What!? Watch your tone!"

    "Or what? You''ll hit me? You''ll report me? You''ll do what?"

    "Kyoko, you''ve been unreasonable for days now! What the hell must I do to get you to cooperate!? I''m desperate, you know? Don''t make me use secondary methods..."

    I can hear the descending steps of the rest of my classmates from afar.

    This means that this will drag out to be a scene should we remain here.

    But that''s fine. I don''t exactly care if I have to be dramatic, I will prove my point nonetheless.

    Secondary opinions will not get in my way.

    "What are those secondary methods you speak of? Surely they must be able to produce flawless results if you are speaking in such dreadful tone about them. Let me guess... Violence? Is that it? Ah, it is. I hit the jackpot. Your exasperated expression tells it all. It''s so typical. Whenever someone loses a political argument, they will always attempt to utilize force because they know that they cannot win!"

    "Do you just not care at all!?"

    Though I didn''t look behind me, I''m fairly sure that certain existences have stepped into this dramatic territory by now.

    "That''s right. I don''t care. You will suffer far more than I will. Sure, I will get a supply exam, but you? That''s the second one. Your loss is far more reassuring than any victory of mine."

    Because your defeat equals a victory to me, after all.

    "What the hell! You''re just like a bomb, you know!? Whoever you are set on will explode along with you!"

    "And? What about it? What''s your point?"

    Unfortunately, my endeavor was fully stopped by a familiar feminine voice who spoke out loud despite the current scenery.

    "What''s going on?"

    Rayazaki looked like he was ready to fire complaints but my mouth is far faster, thus I gained the immediate upper edge in this.

    "Rayazaki started this. He is complaining about my lack of cooperativeness but he''s just insensitive about my situation and in addition to that, he''s unreasonably demanding far too excessive tasks which are beyond my current keen..."

    To the still youthful and gorgeous figure who I spoke out to, Yuka-sensei was looking severely worried about the situation.

    I can understand why you would be worried about your own students especially when they refuse to behave like partners, but the truly important part is that I make Rayazaki feel completely hopeless.

    Hopeless to the point where he will realize his inner useless and superficial hypocrisy.

    Also, behind her, there were a few of my classmates observing the scene.

    This is uncomfortable. Stop looking at me.

    Look elsewhere...

    "Sensei, that''s not true at all! I just attempted to talk to her normally! I never demanded anything unreasonable! She refuses to cooperate, please do something about this!"

    There is no way that I will allow those words to just go out to the air like that.

    "He''s lying... Several times, he asked me to cooperate and that implied doing physical activities beyond my power. Isn''t that abuse? How am I supposed to cooperate when Rayazaki is demanding outwardly things from me..."

    It''s not my first time faking to cry in public, but it always manages to have a positive effect. Plus, it aids my argument''s appeal in the face of sensitive people.

    And, it''s undeniable that emotional responses can be provoked by triggering memories of unpleasant moments, which I have just implied.

    "Rayazaki, is this true...?"

    "Mph..."

    I continued to pretend to cry, which was visibly angering Rayazaki.

    "No! It''s not true, alright!? I would never demand such unreasonable things from her!"

    "But I can''t ignore the fact that she is crying. You did do something, didn''t you, Rayazaki?"

    Perhaps he was feeling slightly pressured, but Rayazaki strongly kicked the block''s steel door with a powerful kick, which even shocked me a bit.

    "I didn''t do anything of that sort! Damn it, please believe me! I''m trying to succeed here, but she''s not making this easy! Yeah, I know that I''m acting violently right now, but she''s lying alright?! Also, can''t you be a little more competent and supervise the actual fucking training sessions!? What''s the damn point of you being a teacher if you can''t even do such basic fucking shit like that?!"

    It appears that Rayazaki has abandoned all sorts of reasons and is going full ahead with his anger.

    The fact that he called out to Yuka-sensei like that just sealed his fate.

    He''s not winning this. And his expression of frustration with an exquisite mixture of rage is delightful.

    "Rayazaki! Don''t speak to Yuka-sensei like that..."

    A fragile and small voice came from behind me, but she made her appearance be noticed in a flash.

    Her blue hair shone deeply despite the cold weather contrasting the usual amount of sunlight.

    What''s more, Hinagiku was showing a worried expression when talking to Rayazaki, who still had to explain his side of the argument here.

    "............."

    But, Rayazaki just looked down on the ground without replying.

    What? What am I missing here?

    What happened to his anger? There''s no way it''s that short-lived...

    How strange. What gives?

    Yet, he was still clenching his fists.

    "Hinagiku, sweetie, it''s fine."

    "Sensei..."

    "Rayazaki, you''re right about one thing. I''ve been neglecting my supervision for quite a while, but I don''t intend on changing that. Whatever you do to achieve victory in the upcoming exam will be the result of the choices you make now. Whether they are the correct ones or not, only you know. That''s why I will not intervene. Because it''s not up to me to know what to do here. It''s up to you."

    Since the door was fully open now, with only his body covering up the entrance, a massive gust of chilly wind invaded this tense atmosphere.

    By contrast, Rayazaki gritted his teeth rigidly which showed frustration on his part.

    "You don''t need to tell me what I already know. I know that it''s entirely up to me to make my decisions and how to perceive the correct path with them. I know. However, I can''t help but notice the major flaw in this whole thing, and that is her!"

    Still not giving up, Rayazaki had the gal to point at me.

    Not only has he not made his side better but he still continues to blame me in this scenario.

    Idiot. Do you not realize just how much of your grave you are already digging?

    "She does nothing. If she doesn''t, then how am I supposed to get a good grade? It''s unreasonable. She can just easily screw me over by not doing anything. And what will she get? A supply exam? That''s just fucking bullshit! In contrast, I receive a grand worth of a supply exam which counts as two supply exams! That''s right because according to last night, we got screwed about this, isn''t that right guys?!"

    In the middle of this, Hyunda had just passed by Rayazaki''s shadow secretly.

    To surprise me, who did not expect a positive reaction from any of the current boys in the background, they erupted like creeping darkness.

    "Rayazaki''s right, teach! There are far more consequences for us than to them! What''s up with that?!"

    Out of nowhere, Tsudo was the first one to make such bold accusations.

    "It''s not fair, Yuka-sensei! This is such a rigged exam! We demand equality!"

    Following Tsudo''s spiteful words up, Susaga continued by claiming this exam to be rigged.

    What a joke.

    "If we get a grand punishment, then why can''t they receive punishment as well?!"

    Kuzan this time, also participated in this side of the argument.

    Although I wasn''t expecting anything from anyone else, my expectations contradicted themselves surely.

    "What are you boys talking about? The consequences are partial because you bunch did something to deserve them surely, otherwise, it wouldn''t make any sense to alter the consequences from the start. Also, this exam isn''t rigged and just for the record, you boys are a pain in the ass to deal with, so don''t make your sides of the argument seem to be something that is totally different from the reality."

    Great going, Akimiyashika.

    "Bullshit! Consequences regarding the exam should be equal to all, not to just some of us!"

    "No, they shouldn''t. You are so wrong, Tsudo. Why should the consequences be equal when our side did nothing to deserve them in the first place? Surely, we will receive the natural consequences of the exam if we do fail, but now you are trying to make an argument while appealing that it''s fine for us, who are completely uninvolved in this to suddenly receive the exact same treatment as you boys?"

    "Aki, you forgot that they are also just arguing for convenience. Isn''t it just funny how they all talked as soon as Rayazaki mentioned their names? Hahaha!"

    "You''re right, Ikkiri. So, on top of being unreasonable, you are all being sly about this."

    Amazing.

    Amazing!!

    Hahahaha!

    Not only did you make the worst argument possible, Rayazaki, but you dragged the rest of your crew along with you!

    Serves you right, piece of shit.

    "All of you who are not Yukishiro and Rayazaki have the right and should remain silent. Furthermore, you are all dismissed from this scene. Go to the usual place in P.E and I will meet you all up there in a while. Those who remain here even after this warning will receive punishment. I hope that I don''t have to repeat myself~"

    Those words that came out from the stunning figure that is our homeroom teacher were enough to make sure that after a few moments, there would only be three people in the current moment.

    After they all left, the scene would resume itself.

    This seemed to have escalated itself into big trouble, but that''s entirely fine.

    As long as I can screw Rayazaki along, it doesn''t matter what has to be done.

    No one can bend over my will as they please and if they even try to, they will for sure feel my wrath as a consequence.

    "Rayazaki, before you say anything, you do know that you, along with several other boys, received that additional consequence due to the aftermath of yesterday, correct?"

    This is news to me.

    It''s been implied that something did happen, however, what exactly?

    I couldn''t help but screw my posture and tilt my head in order to give it some thought.

    ".......Yes. It''s still not fair, regardless."

    "You could argue that it''s not fair, but that isn''t relevant to the situation, is it?"

    "Of course it is! I''ve been trying extra hard lately because I don''t want to receive that hellish consequence! Can''t you see this from my perspective, sensei!? I''m stuck with a useless lump of meat who refuses to do anything and is spiteful even after I showed visible caring for her!"

    I''m sorry, what did you just say?

    You fucking trash can. No way, did you just? What?

    Useless lump of meat!? How dare you... How dare you!!!

    And visible caring?! Where?! By constantly verbally pursuing me without ever respecting my free will!?

    You call that caring?! That is the opposite of caring, you retard, it''s called complete oppression.

    God, I hate you humans so muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch!!!!!

    I swear, I will catch you in your sleep and I will slice your throat in hal-

    Oh no.

    I''m showing too much rage.

    That''s not good. That''s really not good at all.

    My acting will be gone if that''s the case.

    I am the victim here. I must portray such an act, otherwise, it''s all for nothing.

    Hold it in. You can do it.

    You''ve been through worse, this is absolutely nothing in comparison to those days...

    "Rayazaki... Why are you trying this hard to censure me... Mph... I''ve done nothing to you yet you are so spiteful towards me..."

    "I know what you are up to, you cunning cow. Your acting may fool the rest, but it won''t fool me."

    "W-Why do you keep making such spiteful accusations!? What did I do!?"

    You''ll pay dearly for calling me that false nickname, you mountain of shit.

    "As I''ve said previously, I''m not allowed to change anything here. However, I will give you both words of advice, otherwise, you two will just not be able to advance at all. Learn to respect each others'' wills."

    "Sensei, that''s impossible. I can''t respect someone''s will when her will implies me failing this exam. It''s unacceptable."

    "T-That''s not true! I do intend on passing this exam! It''s just that I can''t coop up with your demands, that''s all..."

    "Enough already... I have no patience for this. I''m skipping today."

    At long last, he quit.

    Finally, he realized just how futile it was to compete against me in a political argument.

    Fucking moron, hope you die in a dumpster fire.

    But, luck isn''t on his side today. He said many things that he should not have said.

    Bet you didn''t take that into consideration, did you, you obnoxious peasant?

    "Not so fast, Rayazaki. While it is true that I don''t have time to lecture you right now because I have a class to commence, your actions were far too repulsive. Therefore, you will have to reflect on your behavior. Seek Basara and have a talk to him for a while. Think of this as kindness, because I could have just led you to the principal''s office instead."

    "What!? But that''s worse! That monster''s batshit crazy! No way!"

    "Do you prefer the principal''s office? Well, that''s fine with me. But don''t be surprised that by the time you start to accumulate too many warnings that you--"

    "Wait, stop. I get it. Thanks. Tsk."

    Yet in our presence, Rayazaki kicked the door so hard that it started to swing like an uncontrollable pendulum.

    Typical.

    Violence is their only way out and when that doesn''t work, they meet defeat.

    "Are you alright? If something is troubling you, you can just tell me, Yuki."

    "Thanks... But, it''s nothing that big of a deal..."

    "No, he made you cry. That itself is outrageous. Something did happen, didn''t it?"

    I hate how easy humans are easy to fool.

    It just shows how inferior they are in all possible regards.

    "He made me do tasks which severely are affecting my health... Ever since I was little I had heart problems but he kept on pressuring me to run and do physical exercises even after I''ve explained it clearly that it was impossible for me to do them..."

    In the process of explaining this, I clung onto Yuka-sensei''s body while strongly hugging her. Furthermore, I had to keep up my crying to ultimately finalize this act.

    "I know that what I''m about to say might not aid the current problem, but please try to talk to him. You know that he feels opressed constantly, so someone needs to show him the way to correctly act, and that''s one of the main points of this exam, to guide your partner."

    But that''s counterproductive. Rayazaki has all the rights to suffer.

    As a matter of fact, he is facing opressions caused by no other than me.

    There is no greater joy than inflicting pain and anger to other humans out there.

    "I''ll try to..."

    "Come on. Let''s get going, or else the other will be waiting. Can you walk on your own?"

    "Yes..."

    Ultimately, Yuka-sensei and I talked about several things on our way to the P.E court, but my mind was fully occupied with knowing just how oppressed Rayazaki is feeling.

    I bet that he wants to kill me or something right now.

    It''s just purely funny how they think that their hatred for me can ever outgrow my own hatred that I feel towards them.

    Nevertheless, Rayazaki, you are on my blacklist.

    There will be respective consequences for calling me out like that.

    And this is just the beginning.

    10 am.

    It''s not as if I was going to cooperate with Rayazaki either way, so I decided to go to somewhere quiet.

    Every single one of them are going to distinctive sections, so I suppose that the gymnasium should be fine.

    Thus, I went exactly there.

    So far, my day has been going fairly well, which is rare.

    It gives me vast joy to see the likes of Rayazaki suffer like that.

    Seeing massive oppression in another person''s expression is simply ecstatic if I do say so myself.

    "Hm? The door is open...?"

    How weird.

    I don''t recall the gymnasium ever being open like this previously, which means that someone is here.

    "That sucks. Unreal."

    Just out of curiosity, who is it...?

    And, as I looked into the inside of the gymnasium, without being noticed by the two people who were having an intense discussion, I stumbled upon the most interesting conversation thus far.

    "...What does that have to do with it though?"

    Is that Daniel?

    Ah, I remember this trash. He couldn''t stop staring at Yulia''s body parts vulgarly...

    He even tried to play the fool, but I know that he was looking at her with perverted and dirty intentions.

    Scumbag.

    "Everything. Daniel. You and I. Let''s kill her."

    That is Yulia, right?

    Yep, it is, and why is she-

    "Huh? Wait, what?"

    Unable to hide my sudden shock, I mumbled those words quickly.

    ..................

    What is this conversation?

 Volume 6 - Chapter 38: Its already over.

    "Everything. Daniel. You and I. Let''s kill her."

    Although she said those strong and powerful words, her melancholic expression along with her closure on our bodies surely made me think of the possibility of Yulia just being sarcastic.

    But I knew, this was not it.

    She was dead serious on what she had just said out loud to me.

    "...What''s wrong? Why are you not answering me...?"

    It also seems that I was taken aback a little bit too much.

    Looking into Yulia''s eyes is the equivalent of being sucked into an infinite spiral of attraction.

    You just don''t want to get out of it.

    "Sorry. I was thinking for a moment."

    In reality, I was simply too baffled to know what to say. As a matter of fact, I''ve not given much thought about her words.

    "That''s fine. As long as you understand."

    That''s the problem, Yulia... I do understand, it''s just...

    "This isn''t really practical, you know."

    Her expression stiffened a bit and Yulia started to bite her lower lips in response to my sour answer.

    So, I continued in order to clear the possible misunderstanding.

    "I''m not against the idea, the only problem is that it''s really hard to pull out. It''s also not a question of whether or not I can do it, but what comes afterward. Have you thought about that?"

    Her breaths are so close that we can feel this powerful intimacy between us yet none of us is showing any visible frustration in contrast to that.

    Plus, I''m making sure that I am putting up a good serious face and that I''m only looking at Yulia right now.

    "So, you don''t deny the fact that you and I are capable of pulling it out?"

    This also has been troubling me for a bit...

    "Yulia, by ''I'', which is you, are you implying that you are capable of producing such things as murdering someone? I''m not doubting you, I just want to make sure if that''s what you meant..."

    If this was us back in a day or two, my responses would be far blunter, but I''m proceeding with caution in regard to Yulia''s fragile feelings.

    "Wow, you are truly showing a caring attitude now. That''s really reassuring, Daniel. Thank you. But yes, I am."

    "Then, yes. I am capable of pulling it off. I could also do it alone, but in this case, you want us to do it together, right?"

    I have extreme confidence when it comes to my own skills and even if Yulia is feeling insecure about this, that wouldn''t be a problem.

    However, Yulia isn''t feeling insecure about this. The very fact that she was the one who launched this offer immediately goes to show how true that is.

    "...Yes... But we can''t get caught, or else we are done for."

    ............

    I just can''t like this. I see her idea and all, but this is far too rushed and reckless from my point of view.

    Though, if we were to exploit several weaknesses that this school possesses, then it would be possible to pull it off.

    "We should not do this, Yulia."

    And of course, in response, Yulia''s expression showed oppression.

    "And why not?!"

    "Because it''s not worth it. I''ve mentioned how any teacher can just replicate the same feat as Yuka-sensei, and you did point out that Basara-sensei would be the ideal target for your ideology of exams to work, but can''t you see? This isn''t the end for us if we fail, but if we commit to that idea of yours, then what if we get caught? We will receive death sentences for sure..."

    After I pointed out the possible consequence, Yulia looked down a bit while crooking down her neck for a while.

    Her point isn''t bad, it''s just that its high-risk high reward. If the risk was minimally low, then I wouldn''t mind.

    Because no matter how I look at it, if I do fail here, I am not in a good position.

    "Are you going to quit on me, just like that? After I opened up to you?"

    What?

    "No, that was not my intention, Yulia."

    "Then what was your intention when you said those words? To make me understand the consequences and the degree of risk in this stupid crazy idea of mine? What, did you think that I didn''t know? How nonsensical this is?!"

    So she knew...

    "If you know, then you should also know that it''s essentially suicide. There are cameras about everywhere--"

    "No, Daniel. Not true. You mentioned about a place where there are no cameras, right? So, how about we bring her there? We can just form a plausible excuse and drag her out there."

    Except I already thought of that possibility already.

    "Yulia, what if someone sees us? Plus, our alibis are just not there. Furthermore, what sort of excuse can you give her just to drag her out like that?"

    "Can''t we work on that? We have time still. It doesn''t have to be like this. Hey, let''s think together, okay?"

    Don''t say those words with such a kind smile, please...

    You''re not making this easy, you know?

    "You know that I have nothing against you, right?"

    "Well, if you show me that you don''t have anything against me or if you don''t do actions that imply such, then I will surely know!"

    Yet again, that effulgent smile consumes my whole field of vision.

    It''s hard because Yulia''s not getting the true meaning of my words...

    "...Alright, let''s think this out. Let''s eat something, okay?"

    "Aye, sure thing!"

    I need some time to think of plausible reasonings. It doesn''t have to be this way.

    No, I''m not doing this just to stop her from doing something wrong, I am potentially doing this in order to stop a far too counterproductive event from happening.

    Regardless of how I look at this, I am not rewarded here.

    From Yulia''s perspective if we do kill Yuka-sensei, then the whole exam will be revoked and this exam might cease to exist.

    But she doesn''t realize just how quixotic this whole thing is. It''s just a possibility, not a certainty.

    Is it really that worth it to bet on a possibility like this?

    "Hey, were those footsteps just now? They sounded so loud. Maybe the person or persons are close?"

    Despite being concentred in my own mindset, I did notice the loud sound of footsteps, but I just assumed that it was someone who wanted to enter the gymnasium.

    And it would''ve been disrespectful to tell Yulia in the middle of the conversation that somewhere was at the door''s step for a while.

    Nevertheless, I don''t think that whoever was there, was actually paying attention.

    "Isn''t it fine? It''s probably a pairing. Utilizing the gymnasium right now is ideal, right?"

    Though, once I grasped the door hold, there was not a single person in my sight.

    Which means that the person was in a rush for whatever reason.

    "That''s true. But, where are they?"

    Although Yulia is saying ''they'', I don''t think that it''s more than one person in the first place.

    Well, I could be wrong though.

    "I don''t know."

    How am I supposed to know? But, I suppose it''s natural to question the person or persons'' locations...

    Also...

    We''ve hit the brick of silence right now.

    I know that it''s partially my fault for not carrying out the conversation in a positive manner or in a way where the conversation would not go down the drain like this, but right now I need to think.

    That was my number one priority right now, as we walked towards the previously visited cafeteria.

    But...

    "Soooooooo, um, tell me more about you."

    Yulia shot that question at me.

    Geez, I know that I fucking suck at making conversations last, but this is just sad.

    A world where a girl has to drag out the conversation and not the guy, what''s next?

    World war 3?

    Still, more about me?

    That''s hard because...

    "I don''t know."

    "What do you mean you don''t know? Only you know yourself. So, tell me things about yourself. Like your hobbies and perhaps more."

    Ah, sure. I''ll just tell her that I like to watch anime and reading manga.

    Whatever could go wrong, right?

    Yosh, let''s do it--- Hell no!

    "I... like grasshoppers!"

    What!? I hate grasshoppers! What the fuck is wrong with me!

    "...Seriously?"

    "Ah, no. You''re probably going to laugh at me, but... I really like animes. You know animes, don''t you? Actually, what am I talking about? There''s no way you d-"

    In contrast to my expectations of awkward silence and pure rejection, Yulia interrupted me in a rapid quickness and spoke excitedly towards me.

    "Of course I know what animes are! Who doesn''t know that?!"

    And with that, all the past tense feelings had just vanished. It felt natural for some reason.

    "Oh, so you know!"

    "Well, duh. Why wouldn''t I?"

    "I don''t know, I just assumed that girls weren''t into anime or stuff like that. Because being into anime is enough to be labeled as a nerd."

    Never in my mind did I picture girls being into anime. Yulia''s the first exception to this.

    "It''s always about preferences, Daniel. If your cultural preferences subject you into choosing something that is viewed as orthodox to the outside world, then it''s normal that you will get viewed as an outcast, because to them, you are going against the flow. I adore anime and manga. I''m not sure if you like manga too, so I''ll just say that I do, but that''s my opinion about it. Also, get rid of that nonsensical idea of yours about girls, because boys aren''t much different in this regard."

    I felt like immediately arguing back after hearing those last words, but in order to cultivate a stronger conversation with Yulia, I held my breath.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Also, I think I just saw Rayazaki from afar, but I didn''t really mind it too much.

    "I like both anime and manga too. Hey, what''s your favorite anime and manga?"

    "Have you watched Kekkai Sensen?"

    "No."

    I really haven''t.

    "You should! It''s really goooood. Basically, it''s a story about a human called Leonardo that has to co-exist amidst supernatural events and a plethora of bizarre additional settings, but I think the strongest point of the show is how the characters manage to be diverse throughout the whole thing!"

    "Oh yeah? Maybe I should try it."

    "Not maybe, you have to!"

    "Only if you try Demon Slayer though."

    "Daniel, what is that? Are you sure you didn''t misspell Goblin Slayer?"

    Disrespect is real.

    "No, Yulia. It''s pronounced as Demon Slayer, but also alternatively known as Kimetsu no Yaiba. Haven''t you heard of it? It''s super-duper famous by now."

    Also, how the hell do you know about Goblin Slayer?

    "I haven''t been in touch with anime lately, because I found a really awesome manga to read and I''m loving it very much! Hey, wanna know what manga I''m talking about? Huh, I bet you do!"

    "Tell me, tell me."

    Yulia is bursting with excitement right now.

    What a rare sight.

    "It''s called Sangatsu no Lion, or 3-Gatsu no Lion. Actually, it''s March comes in like a lion in English. At first, I thought that it was just a boring slice of life manga with little to it, but it took me by surprise! The dialogue is so rich, the characters are so distinctive from one another! Plus, the emotional struggles of each character in it just feels so real! What I love the most about it is how it teaches various life lessons throughout the whole thing!"

    You''d think that such an eccentric girl like her wouldn''t be addicted to suicide methods.

    Yet here is Yulia, speaking her heart out about it.

    Though, she''s got me curious now.

    "Is it really that good, Yulia?"

    "It is! Also, also... what''s your favorite manga?"

    This is it, ladies and gentlemen.

    If you ever want to know someone''s worth, it all comes down to how someone replies to this question.

    Should your love interest just reply in a form of disgust when you give the answer, then your love interest sucks, I''m sorry.

    However, in the rare case that your love interest answers this positively and in a light manner, while being completely serious, then you might just be lucky.

    I''m not implying that''s the case, but it''s pretty evidential.

    "About that... Have you ever heard of JoJo''s Bizarre Adventures?"

    I''m also trying not to get my hopes up but my instinct prevents me from doing so.

    May Speedwagon bless my soul.

    "I''ve watched part 3, I think."

    I gasped.

    No, wait, did she just skip part 1 and 2!? Yulia''s a part skipp-

    No, no. Calm down. Stop assuming.

    Behave.

    "What about the previous parts...?"

    "Ahhh, regarding that... I read somewhere on Reddit that you can actually just start at part 3 because it introduces stands while part 1 and 2 don''t."

    Fuck you Reddit, that''s not a valid reason to skip parts!

    Also, against popular belief, there are eight sins. Pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, sloth and, lastly, skipping JoJo parts.

    Committing the last sin will give you a worse punishment than what Diavolo received.

    "Oh, I see. Well, you really, but really, should go back to them."

    "Well, okay. If you say so. But, what''s your favorite manga though? I''ve already asked you..."

    Perhaps Yulia did not realize where I was going with this, nevertheless, I''ll explain it to her.

    "My favorite manga is JoJo''s Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run. It''s truly unrivaled. According to MAL, it''s only second to Berserk!"

    "MAL?"

    "MyAnimeList. A pretty well-known site that reviews tons of anime, mangas, light novels and so on."

    It''s hard to call them reviews because the majority of the time it''s just plain roasting.

    But, then again, if something is shit and isn''t enjoyable to the audience, then it deserves to get roasted, no matter how I look at it.

    "Ehh... You know a lot about this, don''t you?"

    "I do know a bit. But not a lot, I think."

    "I don''t think so. You might know more than your average person. Still, I''ll try it after I am done with Sangatsu no Lion. Ah, a coffee, please. Do you want a coffee too, Daniel?"

    "Hm? Yeah sure. With sugar, please. Lots of it."

    "Will that be all?" Said the waitress that was right at the edge of our table.

    "Yes." Replied Yulia in a short but sweet tone.

    That''s right, as we were discussing stuff, we were already in the cafeteria.

    Plus, we took our seats and stood in front of each other with only the table separating us.

    "Yulia, there''s something that you must know."

    "What is it, Daniel?"

    This is really important, okay?

    "Don''t immediately read part 7. Read the previous parts too. Actually, don''t."

    "Huh?"

    "There are anime adaptations of parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 thus far. Watch them. They are really good. David Productions is a wonderful blessing to this world."

    Pun intended.

    "Also, since there aren''t any further adaptations so far, you have to read part 6 after you are done with the previous parts. And then, you can get into Steel Ball Run."

    Although I''m not a Stone Ocean fan personally, you have to read it.

    T-posing Pucci is still one of the most menacing phenomenons ever.

    "So you''re telling me to read 6 mangas before getting into just one manga...? Not sure if I can understand that."

    "Look, it doesn''t make much sense in the surface, I know, but it will, okay? Trust me on this."

    "Here are your coffees."

    Meanwhile, the coffees had shortly arrived. I immediately poured down more sugar from the mini-sugar packs that were on the table right into my coffee.

    "Thank you."

    Yulia gave the waitress her compliments but I was too busy pouring down sugar.

    "Daniel..."

    "Ah, also... Araki never forgets. That''s just a huge misconception formed by the community because their brains just lack cells in general. Whenever you think that Araki has forgotten, you must think outside the bubble and then the outcome will be clear..."

    This is also important. Misunderstanding something this basic will have you spin around in circles in a never-ending guess game.

    "You didn''t forget, did you?"

    "Forget what...?"

    Actually, I might''ve forgotten something important regarding JoJo...

    Just what though...

    But then it immediately clicked.

    "Ah! How could I forget... Pay attention to the openings. When the final boss'' stand is about to be revealed, the opening gives clues about what it does by changing bits of the opening. It''s honestly quite creative if you ask m-"

    "Just stop already."

    "........."

    Sorta rude, but I understood what Yulia meant.

    True to be told, I''ve been dragging this out on purpose, but she didn''t erase her previous intentions.

    After all, the number one reason why we are here is to discuss something important.

    "I''ve been thinking. For what reason would Yuka-sensei deny our request? We are a pairing and I think she would be glad to help, would she not?"

    "Surely, that''s one way to look at it. But, Yulia, what do we do about the body? Also, as previously mentioned, we can''t be seen. This means that we have to choose a very specific timing for this..."

    There are so many things to take into consideration...

    Also, the coffee smells really good.

    Seriously, the aroma is fantastic.

    "Daniel.... You are already thinking that far ahead.... I''m so glad!!"

    I don''t like the way Yulia''s smiling at me. That devoid smile symbolizes innocence pilled under corruption.

    "But yes, the timing is indeed important. If we are going to pull this off, then we have to take everything into consideration."

    Yulia, I don''t think you realize just how many things it is necessary to take into consideration...

    "We should do it now, honestly."

    "Why though?"

    Yulia looked puzzled as she asked that question even though it''s kinda obvious why.

    "Everyone''s busy. By everyone, I mean every single student right now. Look at this cafeteria. Empty. Why? Because the students are in class. So, if we reach out to Yuka-sensei now, then we should be able to pull it off. Because we had a valid alibi if you think about it. Yuka-sensei isn''t watching over the class, so everyone in our class can be considered as guilty as we."

    Logically speaking, right now, if we somehow drag out Yuka-sensei to the zone without cameras then we will be able to achieve a position of safety surely.

    Nevertheless, there are too many flawed points about this overall, but that will have to come later.

    "I see. But what about the body though? What are we supposed to do about it...?"

    "Just leave it. We can''t do anything about it. We are forbidden to leave school grounds and we can''t hide it... Well, we can, but it will surely be found out sooner or later. My point being, it''s not even worth giving a thought about her body. What matters is that we kill her, correct?"

    The desirable result is to not be found out and to kill Yuka-sensei.

    That''s ultimately the best scenario possible.

    "Yes, yes. So, should we move out now? Or do we need to think more?"

    "Idiot. We obviously need to take further things into consideration..."

    "Don''t call me that..."

    Ah, oops. My bluntness came out.

    "Sorry."

    "It''s fine... But just this once. So, what are you thinking more?"

    Plenty of things honestly.

    "While it''s really good, in theory, our plan, we are forgetting the cameras that there are all over school. In other words, the cameras will ultimately capture us as the last two people who were with her. Hence, we will be the primary suspects."

    "Isn''t that odd, Daniel? If that''s the case, then aren''t you screwed too? Because the cameras caught you entering a zone without any cameras... Shouldn''t you be the primary suspect in case if they tell on you?"

    "It was three versus one. The odds aren''t there. Plus, I''m fairly sure that I didn''t kill them. Just simple concussions... Worst case scenario, I''ll come up with something. Nonetheless, that scenario is different. We are going to actually kill her. It''s different because I potentially didn''t kill them, or at least according to my own ability, I didn''t. And in this scenario, since we are going to commit, it''s not a ''potentially'', but a ''certainty''..."

    Yulia was additionally, sipping the edge of her coffee in a silent manner while looking at me with cautious eyes.

    She also seems a bit nervous for some reason...

    "Then... what do we do? Doesn''t that mean that we have to take care of the cameras first?"

    "Yulia, I''ve thought about that and for that to work, we need to perform a blackout."

    "A what!?"

    She got so surprised to the point where her hands clashed with the table. And along with it, a portion of the coffee was spilled.

    Of course, the waitress looked in our direction immediately.

    Though, isn''t Yulia overreacting? Is there something that worrying about what I just said?

    "You heard me. A blackout. If we do, we can drag Yuka-sensei to the supposed location without being trailed by the cameras. The only downside is, if we get caught while attempting to perform the blackout, we will be labeled as the possible primary suspects. Yulia, the only problem is the traces left to track us down and if there are none, then we are safe."

    There are far better alternatives but they require way more time and set up. Considering how little time we have until the exam, which is just two days from now if not less, we need to be quick.

    I''m sure that Yulia is happy. She wanted this and I offered a sufficient strategy to perform a good result.

    "I see......."

    Yet, in spite of that, her hands are trembling.

    This might just be a superstition, but I''m starting to think that she doesn''t want to do this anymore.

    And besides, if she''s this scared about it, then has Yulia truly killed someone before?

    I recall her words previously. She said something along the lines of ''I didn''t do it'', which could imply that she never had any direct involvement at all.

    People who desire direct confrontation but never have done it, never ever realize the contradiction in their desire.

    You can''t just do something because you want to. You can do something because you know you can do it. If you don''t, then don''t bother.

    "It''s gonna work, right...? We just have to do the blackout.... And then... then... we c-can... kill her.... right? That''s fantastic, yeah!? Because then, not only will she be dead but the exam will..."

    She''s not honest at all.

    It''s crystal clear that you are terrified of commitment, Yulia.

    "Yulia."

    I called out her name in a serene tone, and as soon as I did such, she stopped her fingers from trembling any further while looking at me in the eyes.

    She''s breathing irregularly too. That''s not normal.

    "...Yeah...?"

    Simultaneously, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a grand total of 3 seconds before speaking.

    Is this alright? I''m screwing up a golden chance by not committing to this, but, it''s far too risky and right now, I''ve got not that much to lose.

    This isn''t the time for the last resort.

    Ultimately, I turned my whole attention and being towards Yulia, whose expression looked stressful.

    "Let''s just fail the exam. Also, before you complain, hear me out. No, I''m not saying this without any reason whatsoever. Supposedly, we were going with your idea because we did not want to fail the exam. I get that. But, it''s pretty clear that you don''t want to do this. It''s bothering you, isn''t it? How you have to force yourself to do a radical decision like this just to pass an exam, but that''s not the correct way, I think."

    "But won''t you get a big penalty if you fail the exam? Rayazaki mentioned something about it this morning..."

    Right, that little drama.

    Though, Rayazaki made a good point.

    A good portion of us, the boys, will suffer double the penalty if we fail. Yet, there is a far worse penalty if we are caught doing this stupidity.

    Suffering that type of penalty is not an option.

    "Yeah, I will. But so what? I''m not out of the program. Sure, I''ll have to work my ass off from now on and apply seriously, but that''s fine, I suppose. It just means that I can''t lose from now on, but you can. You can lose one more time. No... You can lose two more times. Yet, if we commit this and we fail, then there will be nothing more to lose anymore afterward."

    "Wh-"

    "Because we will surely lose everything."

    It''s ridiculous how our fate is on the line over these stupid exams, but it can''t be helped.

    You can''t defeat a system by complaining about it. If that worked, then every single complaint would have an effect, yet it never does.

    "...How can you just accept all of this? Aren''t you terrified of the consequences that will come after?"

    "It can''t be helped. I can''t do anything against the consequences unless I prepare myself for them."

    "But you had no way to prepare for them, Daniel. After all, the moment you were paired up with me..."

    "Honestly, after watching a few pairings going at it, you are pretty good for a partner. I don''t regret having you."

    Not physically speaking of course, but that was my fault. If I had not run fast and had run slower, then I would be paired up with someone who was physically capable.

    The conclusion being, I had already failed the exam the moment I was dumb enough to allow my own perceptions to deceive me.

    "I also don''t regret having you, Daniel..."

    She said that awkwardly and shyly while trying to hide her embarrassed face.

    "With that said, I should clarify something. I won''t help you out if we happen to have a similar exam like this. It''s not my problem anymore."

    "What...!? What did you just say---"

    "However, speaking entirely on possibilities, if I should ever be paired up with you again, Yulia, then I will deal with the one responsible for creating such a thing. In other words, I will kill the source, whether it''s a teacher or a system."

    Because then, it would be my problem.

    Yulia in addition to her revolted words went from a rebellious face to a confused one.

    "I don''t know how to feel about that... You are saying that you will not help me out unless you absolutely have to?"

    "Yeah. That''s exactly it. Easy to understand, I think."

    "Don''t be sarcastic right now. That''s mean and inappropriate. ...But you will help me if the same happens again, right...?"

    Lastly, the coffee had just gone out. I was enjoying myself while drinking this sweet coffee.

    I kinda wanna ask for more, but I feel like this is a bad moment to do so...

    Shame...

    "Yeah, I will. I will even take care of it before it becomes a problem."

    "Then, be my partner from now on."

    "I already am. Assuming that we do fail, we will be paired up together."

    Why is she repeating herself this much?

    I don''t get it.

    "No... Not that."

    "Then, what?"

    Even if I''m being a bit impulsive right now, Yulia should just get on with it.

    Yet she''s shying away again... Why...?

    "...Erm! What I''m saying is, if there is ever a scenario where we could require help from one another, would you be willing to help me out, even without being my partner in an exam?"

    "Yes? Have I not told you that already...?"

    "I don''t think you are understanding what I''m saying..."

    How am I not?

    What?

    "But I am, aren''t I? I already said that I will help you out whenever there is a scenario where we are paired up together..."

    "Ah! You really didn''t get it! Pay attention to my words for once! I said a scenario where we could require help from one another, not a scenario where we are paired up together..."

    Oh, so that''s what she''s fuzzing over?

    Wait...

    "Yulia, are you requesting coherent help from me or am I misunderstanding something here?"

    "Do I have to spell it out for you!? Seriously, you are so insensitive even when you try not to be!"

    Oh no, please don''t get mad.

    You''re not making this easy, because I can barely hold my temper back too.

    But she continued nonetheless.

    ".....Well, it might just be that. Simultaneous coherence, what do you say?"

    "You mean coherent help, but that''s probably... But..."

    Hmmm...

    I''m puzzled. Why did Yulia ask me such a thing? Did I ever look reliable to her?

    "Ahh... You don''t have to answer now. You can think about it later. But make sure to talk to me when you have a concrete answer, okay?"

    As she said those words, I checked the time and it''s around 11:30 am...

    The exam is not so far.

    "Yeah, sure. I could give you the answer now though..."

    "N-No! Think about it, please!"

    Why is Yulia so flustered?

    She keeps on shaking her hands from right to left for some reason too.

    "Okay... But, what are we going to do now? We don''t have anything to do. We were supposed to pass the time by practicing but if we are set on failing, then what will we do? As I thought, we should practice... If Yuka-sensei somehow catches us skipping out like this..."

    Kawahara tried to do it once but he was immediately caught.

    How can someone who spends all the time in her office just now that a student is skipping out like this?

    "Don''t worry, Daniel! We can always continue our talk!"

    "Oh, about anime and manga? That''s perfect because I---"

    And just as I was about to unleash my happy mood into my future words, Yulia swiftly and cunningly interrupted me.

    "No, not that! Suicide, let''s discuss more methods!"

    "Ah."

    I''m not sure what I was expecting honestly.

 Volume 6 - Chapter 39: Guys, Kuzan has a sister.

    Later on that night, at the dining hall.

    "Fuuuuh. Cup noodles aren''t so bad, after all."

    Chicken flavor is alright, but curry flavor is just the absolute best.

    Also, shrimp flavor just sucks. It''s practically the equivalent of pineapple in Pizza.

    Nonetheless, it wasn''t me who spoke out those words.

    It was the very person that I was ignoring with all my might.

    "Hey, Aniki, you want some? I bet you do. Just say it, anytime!"

    Why hasn''t this retard fulfilled the deal yet?

    Did I not make myself clear back when I had my talk with Kuzan at the girls'' dorm rooftop?

    Also, I know that I''m not eating noodles, but apples are good too.

    Quit acting so high and mighty just because you got yourself a cup of noodles, bitch.

    "You''re still ignoring me, huh...? I see... That''s.... No, no, that''s fine. I deserve it. After all, I haven''t fulfilled the deal yet..."

    "Yet?"

    Fuck, my tongue slipped.

    "A-Aniki! You''re back! I thought you were deaf or just mute!"

    "I don''t care about that. You said yet, what did you mean by that?"

    Kuzan''s stupid rumbling aside, I''m extremely curious about what he meant when he said that specific word.

    And deep down, I want to continue with my silent treatment, but if he truly has a valid saying, then I must hear him out.

    "I''ve explained how I couldn''t get any money because my parents didn''t believe me, right?"

    I''m not too sure if that was the concrete case, but his words don''t ring hollow.

    "Yes."

    But I still fail to see how that''s a valid excuse. You can steal constantly from us, but not from your parents?

    Stealing money from parents is the most basic of all things.

    Before speaking his words, Kuzan, with his chopsticks, grabbed a portion of the noodles in the cup and took them right into his mouth.

    Suddenly, this red apple in my right palm is looking inferior.

    "So, I should make them believe me."

    "That''s really nice Kuzan. You do that."

    "No, Aniki. I can''t do it on my own. I have a bad history of records with my parents when it comes to asking them favors. Let''s just say that the tide doesn''t go in my favor..."

    Kuzan kept on eating the noodles in a rapid manner while still talking.

    "But you have to do on your own. No one else will do it for you, Kuzan..."

    In a sudden burst of movement, Kuzan put down his cup on the table straight away.

    It looked to me that he was forming a grand entrance or that he had something very important to say.

    "About that. Something came to me a while ago. Wasn''t the main reason why we couldn''t leave the school grounds at the end of January because we weren''t able to?"

    "Mhm? Yeah. We were on the underground suffering the penalty from failing that stupid argument/exam. It''s natural that we couldn''t take that chance because we weren''t allowed to leave the underground back then."

    Truly, those were times of unhappy recollection. I think some of King George''s whiplashes are still on my back.

    Sometimes when sleeping, I can''t help but turn around in order to avoid direct pain.

    "That''s right, but now it''s a different story. At the end of this month, we can leave the school grounds for a day, accordingly."

    "I know that, Kuzan. What''s the point in telling me something that I already know?"

    "There is a point. I want you to help me out, Aniki. Since the year is 2020, the last day of February is surprisingly 29th and not 28th. Therefore, on February 29th, I want you to talk to my parents about this!"

    This idiot actually expects me to help him out something that he has to do on his own?

    On top of that, he wants me to waste my precious day of freedom in his own endeavor?

    "I''m not helping. It''s your problem, not mine. We''ve discussed this."

    In response to my flat denial, Kuzan took ahold of my two shoulders right away, while applying considerable strength.

    No, he didn''t do that to physically pressure me, but most surely, in order to make sure that I didn''t take my eyes off him.

    "Please, Aniki! It can''t be done in any other way! You are the only one who I know that can help me out with this!"

    "What are you talking about, Kuzan? I''m pretty sure that there are others who can help you out with your endeavor if you ask them. Also, hands off my shoulders."

    "Ahh, sorry."

    Kuzan slowly but surely took his stiff hands off my tender shoulders at once.

    And with that, he resumed his noodle eating.

    Only for a short while though.

    "Aniki, others are... Well, how should I say this... They... don''t really like me."

    "What about Rayazaki though? Weren''t you two in very high spirits back then?"

    I recall Kuzan and Rayazaki having a heated discussion about Hinagiku and I for sure am looking forward to the time where I will use that whole event to my power.

    Your memories might be gone, but not for long, Rayazaki.

    "About that... I don''t have a problem with Rayazaki. He''s a really cool dude. We have debates from time to time and all, so I really don''t have a problem. Plus, he''s a pretty friendly person to be around now. It''s just..."

    Why are you so reluctant Kuzan?

    The hell.

    "Out with it. Now."

    I pressured Kuzan into saying what was on his mind swiftly.

    "He''s not suited for this. I just can''t imagine a scenario where Rayazaki would willingly be helpful and against my parents, I need someone who can hold out on his temper pretty well. So, I thought of you, Aniki!"

    Kuzan just called Rayazaki useless in a very subtle manner.

    For a thief, you are pretty doting sometimes, Kuzan.

    "And you are pressuring me into this task because in your mind I am the only competent person? Also, no one likes you because you stole all the food. Take what happened yesterday for example. We all know that Kawahara is the culprit yet the blame just fell massively upon to us..."

    "Kawahara was a jerk about it though. He lied through his teeth and didn''t even admit! He also didn''t face punishment like a brave person like me! He deserves to be crucified!"

    No, Kuzan, you really aren''t any better than him.

    You were a jerk about it too. In fact, you angered the wrath of every single one of us at borderline dawn.

    .......!

    W-What am I feeling right now?

    Who''s grabbing my left shoulder?!

    "A-A-A-Anikiii!!!"

    I quickly glanced at Kuzan and there was a naked forearm surrounding him completely, plus, Kuzan looked absolutely terrified.

    "Oh ho! How bold of you two to trash talk in my presence!"

    T-That voice...!

    It can''t be!

    "Eeeeek!!! Stay away from me, Satan! I would go every day to the church if I could! I have a healthy sister, she''s pretty beautiful, so I''ll offer her to you, just don''t hurt me! I have a family as well, so don''t harm them! I''m really, really sorry!!!"

    Oh no, Kuzan is giving in!!

    "Auuuh."

    Surprisingly, Kuzan got a small hit on the back of his head. Just a tiny slap yet that was enough to make Kuzan''s head shake.

    The one who did such was in the middle of the empty space between me and Kuzan and he hastily took that spot without asking.

    "What the hell are you talking about? I''ve got no interest in your family nor your sister. Also, I''m not Satan. Get rid of that misconception."

    This person also brought a plate full of french fries and two hamburger stakes.

    How though? Did he cook them by himself?

    "T-Thank you, Satan..."

    "I''m not Satan!"

    Kawahara angrily shouted and spilled onto Kuzan''s face in a brash manner in response.

    Also, Kawahara isn''t wearing anything except his pants.

    Full naked top.

    "So, what were you two talking about me? You got me curious now. Or, did you two think that you could just talk behind my back? Don''t be such pussies!"

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    In addition to those strong words, he was devouring his dinner furiously, without showing any stops of calming down.

    He did not even slice his burger in halves and ate that big portion of it with a huge chunk.

    This is rare though. Kawahara of all people to be here.

    "Nothing..."

    Kuzan is trying to pussy his way out, but I''m convinced that that method of doing things will not work here.

    "Oh come on! I heard you two! Something about me being the culprit and whatnot! No need to hide it, I know all about it!"

    "A-Aniki! He knows!"

    Yeah, no shit you idiot. Why do you think he approached us in the first place?

    But isn''t this situation like good though?

    Maybe it''s worth trying something here.

    "Kawahara, what brings you here?"

    "Hm? I already told you, I wanted to listen to what you two dweebs were talking about since it concerns me."

    "You lied yesterday, Kawahara... And we got the full blame due to it..."

    Not that I was expecting Kawahara to man up and take the blame or anything, it''s just plain annoying how I have to suffer double the penalty just because this selfish prick decided to act immaturely like that.

    "What are you on about? I never lied though. Tsudo did. Was it not proven? Are you denying a scenario where evidence was shown and used to prove my point? Is that your point?"

    And of course, he''s just gonna argue this way...

    "Well, we don''t believe that and we were accusing you of doing the opposite of what you claim."

    "Aniki''s right! You lied way too hard yesterday just to screw us over!"

    Now''s not the time to vent over your anger, Kuzan.

    With that bald head, unless you are over 30 years old, no one will take you seriously.

    "Illogical. All of your accusations are false and I went to extreme borders just to prove it to all of you yet you have the damn audacity to say that I am wrong? That''s just sad because it demonstrates how not understanding you people are."

    I must say, being in a scenario where you know who the culprit is and yet despite knowing that, the fact that you can''t do anything about it just triggers me.

    That''s why it''s meaningless to argue over this.

    Kawahara isn''t going to tell us the truth, even though at this point it doesn''t matter whether he does or not.

    "But, it''s not really my fault here. Tsudo started this, you two were just dumb to tag along. Get a clue next time. If you lump dumpster fire with dumpster fire the result is explosive. And no, not in a good way."

    Now he just called us dumpster fires and equals to Tsudo.

    I can''t even take that with a grain of salt because he is correct here.

    "Are you here to insult us or just to annoy us for the sake of being annoying?"

    "Bingo. I like being annoying, and seeing how you two can''t do anything about it puts a smile on my face."

    Well, that confirms his intentions.

    "I see. Then I''m taking my leave then."

    I''ve got no real reason to stay here in this current scenario any longer.

    "Aniki..."

    But, as soon as Kuzan spoke those words, a strong grip prevented me from leaving the table.

    A grip so strong that it entirely phased my whole left shoulder for two seconds.

    "Sit down. I have something of urgency to discuss with you two."

    "..........."

    I took back my seat since this upcoming scenario could lead to a scenario where I would get what I want.

    "Wait, you said two... That means I''m included too!"

    "No shit."

    Kuzan just can''t stop making retarded sentences constantly.

    Furthermore, Kawahara''s ruthless replies do not phase Kuzan at all. It makes me think that Kuzan is deep down a child.

    "Before you speak, Kawahara, why us two?"

    Why not talk to the rest about this?

    "Are you stupid? They hate me right now. You two don''t seem to mind me that much, or do you? If you do, then speak out already!"

    "N-No, sir! We don''t!"

    Kuzan gave that reply.

    Though, it''s bold of you to assume that we just don''t mind you just because we let you have a sit on our table.

    Well...

    That''s not really correct.

    Kawahara forced himself here so there was no such thing as permissions in the first place.

    "Go on."

    I also gave my reply to Kawahara who was looking at me with heavy eyes.

    "Daniel, your point wasn''t half-bad though. If everyone didn''t currently hate me, I would discuss this in-group, but right now, that''s not an option. Be thankful that I am spending my precious time with inferiorities like you two. Such a grand force of nature like myself stepping into the mortal realm only happens once in a century."

    Here we go again.

    His delusion is back. That didn''t stay away for long.

    Also, if your problem is everyone''s current hatred, then why would you do something that would obviously incinerate hatred throughout the whole dorm?

    Is Kawahara bipolar or is this one of his acts?

    "And because of that rare event, I need my pawns to act. You see, right now, I want the girls to get a taste of defeat. It''s unforgivable that I lost in the previous exam and thus, that shan''t be the case any longer."

    Who are these pawns that you speak of?

    And, how are you not cold? Even when I''m in my pajamas, I feel chills all over the place.

    Is flexing really all that worth it when it''s cold that you have to endure as a cost?

    Perhaps it''s just a minimal partial side effect.

    "Since I have no one else but to rely on, under my great guidance, we will surely achieve victory."

    Although Kawahara was fluently speaking his mind, Kuzan just couldn''t help himself and interrupted Kawahara right away.

    "Kawahara, I hate to burst your bubble, but there is no way to achieve victory without us losing. If we were to win in this exam then that means that our partners must win as well..."

    I''ll have to agree with Kuzan here. There isn''t a way to defeat the girls here, because that means defeating ourselves along the way.

    And there is absolutely no way that''s acceptable.

    It''s funny that I''m thinking this way when I''ve already accepted my defeat in the upcoming exam.

    "Kuzan, you fool. How could you not realize the mere simplicity that I am bothering to explain to you feeble-minded creatures? Listen up, our victory is their defeat and their defeat can only come with our defeat."

    "Goddamn it, I knew it! You are asking us to lose here!"

    Considering his words thus far, I''m not too shocked that that was what Kawahara was initially proposing to us. Therefore, Kuzan''s sudden burst of anger is understandable, to say the least.

    "No... You''ve missed out my entire point, you idiot. I never said that it had to be us..."

    "Wait... Are you saying what I think you are saying, Kawahara?"

    I couldn''t hide my words any longer when I thought that Kawahara might be up to something like that...

    "Huh? What? What do you mean, Aniki? What''s happening? Hey, explain. Heeeeeeeey!"

    "Kuzan, shut up. Not now. Anyway, what are you plotting exactly, Kawahara?"

    The loud sound of his fork clashing with his steel plate marked the atmosphere quickly, but what was more remarkable was his gigantic smirk to me.

    "You see all these other dumb fucks? Fuck them. And fuck their partners too. Let''s make them all lose."

    "But how exactly? Also, why?"

    Kawahara is remarkably random the majority of the times but right now he''s asking something unreasonable.

    "How? There are plenty of ways, really. We could beat them up and by doing so, their physical condition would not allow them to proceed to the physical check-ups. We could just give them food poisoning. That would certainly hit the nail in the coffin. Oh, I know! I''ll steal the food once again and they won''t even notice. What will this do? Well, will they be able to compete at their best without any physical strength? I hardly doubt that. If we act on time, there will only be this meal left and nothing more!"

    For the record, Kawahara''s maniac expressions were starting to attract the attention of the rest of the boys and they were most likely starting to suspect that something was up.

    "Kawahara, you''re insane! Why the hell would we do that?!"

    "Don''t be such a pussy, Kuzan! You know it will be fun! What do you say, Daniel?"

    His eyes were full of wonder and shining with positiveness. It was hard to speak firmly when such a brute person is this eccentric about his own ideas.

    Yet I must say it.

    "I''m out. I already lost the exam."

    "You what?! Already?"

    "No need to act surprised, Kawahara. It''s just the truth. And, I have no reason to go along with this. I''m not such an illogical person where I will just screw others for the sake of it. Fun is good and all, but I gain nothing here. I am not going through with this one, sorry."

    I don''t need any more problems right now. Definitely not.

    First Yulia and now Kawahara? What''s up with this bizarre coincidence? They both are asking me unreasonable demands with little to earn.

    "Oh, right. I didn''t mention why you two should do this. Excuse me."

    See, this is what I mean by bipolar.

    He acts high and mighty but then acts polite and apologies. What the fuck?

    "I will do everything in my power to make sure that you two never ever fail an exam in the upcoming three years if you vow infinite fidelity to me and me alone. Anything that stands in you two''s way, will stand in my way. So, what do you say? Not a bad deal, right?"

    It wasn''t my intention to get stunned all over the sudden, but it just happened naturally.

    My own two eyes along with Kuzan''s eyes widened so much in surprise that they were almost out of place for a second.

    What Kawahara had just said could be interpreted as manipulation, but he said those words so seriously that I did not sense a single lie in his words.

    "Just think about it for a second. All you have to do is grant me the power to control you and I will not only help you out, but I will make sure that in the end, you will escape this hellhole after these three long years. It''s not a bad deal, no matter how you look at it."

    Certainly, it''s not a bad deal.

    I just have one major issue with this.

    "I suppose I should show you two my seriousness. You two must have something you want right now? Just ask me. As long as it''s not something unreasonable or authentically stupid, I will achieve it."

    "You can''t be serious, Kawahara.... There''s no way that you can do them..."

    Kuzan voiced his doubts immediately, but Kawahara looked completely unphased as if Kuzan''s words didn''t reach out to him at all.

    "I don''t think so. Just say it. I''ll do it. Think of this as a token of my sincerity. After I am done accomplishing both the tasks that you, Kuzan, and you, Daniel, will issue me to do, then, you two will witness how capable I am and that I am not lying."

    So Kawahara is aware of the major issue which is regarding credibility.

    "Then... Can you, along with Aniki convince my parents to give me money to buy food!? Please, it''s really important!!"

    Okay, why did Kuzan just include me?

    Kawahara literally just said that he could do the task yet you just had to include me in it.

    There''s no way that I''m allowing that.

    "Sure-"

    "Wait a second, Kuzan. You don''t need my assistance here. Kawahara can do all of this on his own."

    Or at least according to his own information. It''s fine if he screws up because that will just show how not true his words were, which will clear up the misunderstanding.

    "Daniel''s right, Kuzan. I can do this on my own. As a matter of fact, I am better off doing this on my own."

    I twitched my eyebrows uncontrollably in response to those words right away.

    "Ah, I see... I thought that Aniki would be able to pull it off, but since you say so..."

    "I can be extremely polite and I will talk to your parents in a very persuasive manner. Which is not something that Daniel here can do, since he loses his temper far too easily."

    "I do not lose my temper easily..."

    I seriously don''t. Aren''t I a good temper holder? Or am I missing something?

    It should be a fact that I am extremely good at holding my temper when I''m able to progressively talk with someone as fragile as Yulia.

    I''m getting the hang of holding my temper back.

    This is veridic, alright?

    "If you didn''t, you wouldn''t argue back, but you just did. Come on, notice the contradiction in your words, hahaha!"

    Kawahara started to laugh so loud that his abdominals contracted profoundly as he grasped his face with his right hand in a psychotic manner.

    In that expression that was fully covered by his hand, only his abundant smirk could be witnessed.

    He is mocking me.

    "Kuzan, change of plans. I''m coming along. I''ll treat your sister with care."

    I''m not being stubborn here. It would just feel sour if I let Kawahara get this cocky. Especially when he''s laughing in such a disrespectful manner.

    "Um, Aniki, what does my sister have anything to do with it though?"

    "Oh ho? You just couldn''t accept defeat huh? That''s fine, quitters aren''t worthy of being under my command. I expected no less, Daniel!"

    Whatever.

    "Now that Kuzan has said his share, I''ll say mine to test whether or not what you''ve said is truly verdict or not..."

    "Aniki, please don''t ignore my question. I''m worried now. Hey, don''t ignore me please."

    There''s no way that Kawahara can do my task. It''s strictly impossible.

    I''ll prove to him just how high is the height of his hypocrisy.

    "Go ahead, Daniel."

    Confidentially speaking and smiling with security, Kawahara gave me permission to speak my mind.

    "Make me pass the upcoming exam. If you can, then I will believe in your ability and my doubts will be clear."

    This is sorta cruel from me because I know that there is no way in hell that Kawahara can have the upper edge in this task.

    The only ones responsible for the potential victory in my exam are Yulia and I. There''s nothing that an outside source can do about this.

    In the end, I just launched such an impossible task at Kawahara because he said those words, but they were lies. Also, if he considers this within the limits of stupidity or impossible, then that just goes to show how weak his overall abilities are.

    And---

    "That''s it? Alright, I will do it."

    ........................

    "What? Are you even listening to yourself right now? There''s no way that you can do this task! Just stop this river of lies already..."

    "It''s not a river of lies though. But, I guess actions speak louder than words, right?"

    "If you know that, then show me or tell me how I can possibly pass the exam despite all my short-comings."

    So far, Kawahara has not given me the answer to this problem that I am facing.

    I know for a fact that Kawahara is a compulsive liar, but I''ll prove it to him just how much a liar he truly is.

    "Today''s 23rd, right?"

    "Yeah."

    Kuzan gave Kawahara the confirmation, but why exactly is the date relevant here?

    "Essentially, one day and so hours left. Either come to my room at 24th in the night, except when I''m not sleeping or just talk to me on the morning of the 25th. I will then tell you how to pass this childlike exam with ease. Just don''t be surprised when you realize how easy it actually is. You''ll feel dumb."

    "Big talk... I bet you''re not even going to tell me the truth and you''re just going to try and screw me over..."

    "Daniel, is that what you think?"

    "Why would I not think like that? You constantly manipulate those around you all the time and you expect me to suddenly believe you?"

    "Ahhhhhhhhh. I see. So that''s your doubt. My credibility is low so it''s hard to believe and along with the previous acts that have demonstrated my manipulative side, you believe that I am not capable of forming a truthful stance in front of someone."

    In the middle of it all, Kawahara got up and started to walk with his back against Kuzan and me.

    Yet his words did not stop.

    "But, you''re wrong, Daniel. And I''ll be the one who will prove you wrong. Remember my words, if you want to pass the exam!"

    Ultimately, with his stern back showing his vigor figure, Kawahara left the hall without saying anything else.

    I can''t help but be a little pissed off at his arrogant words...

    "Aniki, you still haven''t answered my ques-"

    "Kuzan, shut up."

 Volume 6 - Chapter 40: Why are you acting like that?

    The following morning, my sleeping time was forcefully interrupted by the massive footsteps in my hall.

    "........W-What the hell.....?"

    So early in the morning too....

    "............What time is it...?"

    As I checked my phone and the plethora of messages going on between Rayazaki and Hinagiku, I quickly realized that it was almost 8 am...

    "Wait, that''s really fucking late!"

    With that in mind, I dressed up fastly, but it was evident that I didn''t put much effort into it. My tie was so out of place, there''s no time to shower and little time to have breakfast.

    Plus, with all the commotion going on, I checked what was going on by going down to the dining hall.

    Dining hall. 8 am.

    "Alright, who the fuck stole it!? Hands up or I''ll apply physical force! Just confess and let''s get this over with!"

    Violently slamming one of the tables with his bare hand, a man with his naked top and his noticeable blonde hair that possessed long black chocks made his existence be noticed aside from everyone in the current dining hall.

    "Guys, don''t fall for it! It''s just one of his stupid acts!"

    Tsudo, seating in a parallel table with an angry expression said those spiteful words to Kawahara.

    Also, for the record, nobody was eating anything.

    I did try to access the kitchen, but it was locked for some damn reason.

    "Insecure fucks. Wait.... Where is Kuzan?"

    Now that Kawahara mentions it, where is Kuzan? It''s rare for him to miss out on breakfast like this...

    Usually, Kuzan is the one person who always likes to be the first one to get his food, but he''s nowhere to be seen right now.

    "Kawahara, you''re not lying, right?"

    "I''m dead serious now! Who the hell closed the door?! Also, how the hell can someone close the kitchen''s door when nobody has the key except King George?"

    Kawahara had a point. Although King George had left the kitchen open for free use, before he left, he would always lock the kitchen up.

    Yet, not once, but twice, the kitchen has been infiltrated regardless of always being locked whenever King George was around.

    Oh.... I''m starting to see what''s going on...

    "Isn''t Kuzan the one who stole the food, AGAIN? If you recall correctly, the kitchen is up for free individual use but, previously, despite that, didn''t Kuzan steal food? What''s more awkward about it was that the kitchen was supposedly closed..."

    I haven''t seen him speak in a while, but Sagasuga delivered quick reasoning.

    Also, he seems slightly angry.

    Well, I am too. Because I expected a little better from Kuzan, but right now, it''s pretty clear that Kuzan is the one behind this. Unless I''m missing something.

    Or, if Kawahara is just pulling out one of his acts.

    "Good point, Sagasuga..." Reflected Kawahara while placing his right index finger on his chin base.

    "Huh...? Wait, isn''t that...?"

    Ryoken who was at the door''s entrance too pointed out in the direction of the kitchen''s door and what everyone saw was the figure of someone leaving with food in his arms folded.

    There was no mistake. Only one person would be this greedy and a complete rat about it.

    "Oh, hell no...!!"

    "Fucking rat''s not gonna have his way again..."

    Kan and Kawahara were in synergy with their hatred, meanwhile, I was just exasperating.

    Realistically, my disappointment is excruciatingly high and Kuzan, you just screwed up again.

    Why do something this counterproductive, Kuzan...?

    While I was too busy getting disappointed, Kawahara and Kan stormed out and pressed forward on their chase for Kuzan.

    Tsudo was also on his way, but Kan and Kawahara just had overall superior speed in comparison, thus they were on the lead of the hunt for Kuzan.

    Lastly, as Tsudo stormed out too, he yelled his angry warcry so loud that nobody would miss out on what he was about to say.

    "GET THE DAMN RAT!!! DON''T LET HIM ESCAPE ALIVE! CAPTURE HIM AT ALL POSSIBLE COSTS! DEAD OR ALIVE, FIND HIM!!"

    Christ, they are really out for Kuzan''s blood.

    Though, if Kuzan doesn''t return the key then they won''t be the only ones out for his blood.

    Unfortunately for Kuzan, should he push his luck, then I will have to join the fray as well.

    On a more sub-par note, the dining hall wasn''t that full as I thought. Either the majority was busy chasing Kuzan or they were somewhere else...

    Nonetheless, now that the situation is cleared out, I can move on to my real assignment.

    Truth to be told, this person always sits on the most distant place of all in the dining hall...

    It''s as if he refuses to let his presence be noticed or as if he is indirectly telling others that it won''t matter if you approach him or not.

    Plus, he was sleepy from the looks of it. With his face down, as I approached him, I could only see his silver hair sparkling out.

    "Bro, did you even sleep?"

    ".........Not really much......"

    His response was hollow and his voice tone had no strength at all yet in spite of that, he was in his school uniform already.

    I took the seat that was right next to him instantly.

    That''s right. I was here for one purpose alone.

    Since eating was not an option, talking to this one person about certain things would be essential later on.

    "...........Is everyone gone.......?"

    "Yeah, Hyunda. Though, you should really sleep more. Or else you''re just going to be dead all day long..."

    Aside from his dead hollow tone, his tender arms were extended. They were almost making contact with the cold floor for instance.

    But why did he ask me that question? Nevertheless, I answered truthfully.

    The time was almost there and the grand majority of us had left the dorm or something like that.

    "Mhmmmmmmm!!!!!!"

    Suddenly, his arms rose up to full height and Hyunda lazed immediately, while simultaneously cracking his fingers along the way.

    In order to make eye contact with me, he attempted to clear his eyes, but that took a while.

    Ultimately, he also yawned to finish it off.

    "Dude, what happened?"

    Something must''ve happened or he just didn''t sleep at all. Even then, there should be a reason for not sleeping, right?

    "Daniel.... This is random, but..."

    "But...?"

    What? What is it?

    "Never enter a last reply battle with a girl. It''s fucking exhausting..."

    "...What?"

    Last reply battle? What is Hyunda talking about?

    "Oh, I see. It never happened to you. Perfect, perfect. Learn from my mistake, Daniel. Never attempt this. It''s not worth it. Ah, yes. It might sound fun at first but then as you are about to sleep, you start to hope for a break. Like, you begin to think to yourself that it would be really niiiiiiiiice if she would reply to you in the morning. Yet, as soon as you place your phone on the desk, it vibrates and all hope is lost. You try again and again, and when you''ve come to it... It''s morning!!"

    Why is this man saying such words with intense despair? Stop creeping me Hyunda!

    Let go of my shoulders! It can''t be that scary, right?!

    "Let me guess... Arkalee?"

    I tried to take a full guess on who he was talking to in order for this event to happen in the first place, so his partner came to mind.

    "God, no. Arkalee''s the type of girl who probably assumes that if I don''t reply straight away that I am sleeping or something. If only that was the case. Also, I don''t have her number nor do I intend on achieving it."

    "If it''s not her, then who...?"

    "It doesn''t really matter who does it now?"

    Yet the clear sounds of his phone vibrating are accumulating in this silent atmosphere.

    "Just turn it off, no?"

    "Good idea... That''s really good, Daniel. Nice one. How come I haven''t thought of that before? Seriously, good one."

    I can''t tell if he''s being sarcastic or if he really didn''t remember that he had that option.

    "By the way... Have you seen Akihiko?"

    Now that he mentions it...

    "No, I haven''t. Why?"

    It''s not like I pay a great deal of attention to Akihiko, but I have not seen him ever since he and Sana got sent to the principal''s office yesterday.

    Maybe something happened?

    "Oh, why? It''s just a baseless hunch, nothing much... It''s just weird since I haven''t seen him today nor yesterday. If he doesn''t come to class then it''s fair to assume something happened to him."

    "What? Are you worried about him?"

    "I''m not. I''m just curious... If he can be absent from classes, then why can he? For what reason? Hey, finding out a loophole in order to avoid these boring-ass classes would be pretty neat if you asked me."

    "That''s true."

    There was no way that Hyunda would be worried about him, after all. I just wanted to know why he would bother to question it, and it turns out that he was looking for the reason as to why he is missing.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "So, Daniel. You feel pretty confident about this exam or no?"

    Honestly...

    "No... But there might be some hope."

    Of course, this is all assuming that Kawahara wasn''t lying previously, which might just be the case.

    "I see. You and Yulia are overcoming your own insecurities while fighting them together, or something of that sort, right?"

    "Well... Yeah, I guess you could say that. We understand each other a little better now, really. Though, I can''t do anything about her physical incapability."

    Perhaps the most horrifying thing about this exam is the fact that you are feeling hopeless all the time without being able to do anything about it.

    That''s why Kawahara''s words got me curious.

    "That''s really good. If you can understand her insecurities and she can understand yours, then your teamwork is bound to be minimally accepted. Though, it''s better to put it into practice honestly. Otherwise, when the time comes you might just be screwed in some departments."

    About that...

    "Hyunda, honestly I think that I''m going to fail. Yulia sucks at this and it doesn''t matter what I do, it won''t amount to anything. I also think that it''s my fault here. Because if I knew earlier, I would''ve run slow like you and would be paired up with an excellent partner."

    "Wow, throwing out the shades at her, huh? Harsh. Though realistically speaking, you can''t fully blame yourself for that. There was no concrete way of knowing that this exam would revolve around contrasts."

    Yet you, despite that, ran slow and got paired up with Arkalee, which is arguably one of the best runners from our class.

    It''s hard to believe that that''s a coincidence...

    "Can you be honest for a second?"

    "I''m always honest. Wanna know something interesting about honesty? Honesty comes with genuineness and if you are a fully genuine person then you will never feel the need to lie to yourself. It''s a different story to the others around you."

    "So you''re saying that you are honest to yourself but not to the others around you?"

    "That''s exactly what I''m saying. Good job there. But, that''s because truth has an undeniable worth. Not everyone is worthy of the truth."

    As I glanced upon the massive clock in the dining hall, I took a short notice of the time.

    8:10 am...

    I should wrap this up, shouldn''t I?

    "Then, am I worthy of your truth?"

    "Nobody is. Worth is a subjective concept because it''s always a concept that''s debatable and open for change. If that''s the case, then I can''t just apply a natural value to the worth of my truth, especially when the ones after me aren''t worthy of it."

    Essentially, he just said that I''m not worthy of it, but Hyunda bothered to express why that''s the case.

    "Well, fine. But... You can give me your opinion still, right?"

    "Anyone can, Daniel. What is it? You''ve got something to say, right? Otherwise, you wouldn''t approach me in the first place."

    I''m surprised he noticed, but I guess it''s to be expected.

    "What pairings are passing this exam?"

    Hyunda''s eyes widened a bit for some reason in response.

    "Woah... That''s... A lot to consider you know. But, not many are, I think. The only ones who are passing are those who are able to fulfill the physical matchability between themselves. In other words, pairings that were intentionally paired up with one another will surely win. Did you notice something when everyone else was running? Sagasuga ran extremely slow, but not slower than me and Shizuku ran extremely fast. Sagasuga is fast, in reality, and Shizuku is also fast. These two have most surely won already. No debate there."

    How the hell does he notice these little things...

    "Unfortunately, that''s about it. That''s the only pairing that I can see winning truly. If we are taking into consideration the exam''s formula and not any partial substances, then I would say Sagasuga and Shizuku will take the win. Of course, it''s a completely different story about the other pairings. Because there are idiots like you who do not realize the obvious contradiction. But, as said previously, you had no way of knowing it."

    "If I had noticed the contradiction then I would have ran way slower just like you. Speaking of which, you ran slow on purpose, right?"

    Though, I''m not sure if this question has an overall value here, honestly. Hyunda can just put up a fake front and tell me that that was his maximum speed or something like that.

    "This is a filler exam. I could''ve easily set myself to the path of victory, but that''s not important right now."

    "How come? Is it not important to pass the exam? If you lose then you will have to fulfill a supply exam, Hyunda..."

    Or maybe there is something far greater here.

    "This exam can fuck itself. What actually matters is finding out the rat hiding."

    "Kuzan?"

    When the word rat comes up, I can only think of him now.

    "No. The other rat. The son of a bitch trying to act clever in the shadows. Though... I think I already know who he is... But there isn''t enough evidence to link it to him. That''s why in this exam, more evidence will come up. Only then will I be able to form a resolute grasp on his pattern of actions. After that, it will just be a matter of time."

    "Ah! The traitor!"

    Damn, how could I forget?!

    "Yeah, him."

    "But you said that you think you already know who he is... Who is he?!"

    "Daniel, there''s hardly any point in throwing any baseless assumptions right now. Be patient, his demise will soon meet him."

    "Ehhhh! But I really want to know! Come on, I don''t mind guesses, seriously!"

    I''m extremely curious right now. Just the thought of Hyunda already being aware of this guy is makes me want to jump around like a child!

    "I''m not telling. Don''t insist. Plus, this is my problem. When the time comes, you will know. No need to be impatient about this..."

    "Ohhhh come on! I wanna go at it! Just tell me who it is and I will be able to observe his behavior well!"

    "That''s kinda why I''m not telling you. Because you might do something unnecessary..."

    Oh ok.

    Ouch, bro.

    "Now... I''m not saying this to get your high hopes up... But, this shouldn''t last more than a month or two. Just don''t assume anything, please."

    "Dude, you''re awesome. How is your insight this amazing?!"

    I think I''m fascinated by Hyunda. There are so many things that I feel like I can learn when I''m talking to him.

    I also know that it''s getting late but this conversation isn''t boring to me. Not at all.

    "It''s not. You''re over-glorifying me. Also, shouldn''t you get ready...? It''s getting late, after all..."

    He also refuses to take my compliment for whatever reason. Even though it''s rare for me to praise someone.

    Nonetheless, he is right... It''s getting a bit late.

    "Ahhh, you''re right. But, why don''t you come, Hyunda?"

    "Just let me rest for a bit... I''ll be out in a while. Also... If, by some bizarre coincidence you see Arkalee outside, then talk to her."

    "Eh, why though? What am I supposed to say to her?"

    "Just form some random small talk. However, immediately wrap it up if it''s nothing involving me. On the other hand, if she asks about me, then don''t give away my location. Well... You should either tell her that I was in the dorm or that I already left earlier. On second thought, just tell her that I left the dorm already."

    "Sure, I don''t mind... But what are the odds of Arkalee being outside?"

    That''s what I want to know. Unless they combined something, I don''t see why Arkalee would wait around for him.

    "I''m not certain about the odds, but the chances might be positive."

    "Okay, but if you and she have something combined then, shouldn''t you just talk to her to make this easy? Why me?"

    Hyunda has this bad habit of running away from responsibility so I wouldn''t be surprised if this was just another case...

    If that''s the case, then I refuse to be his scapegoat.

    "No, you got something wrong. This is just an assumption. We have nothing combined. Absolutely nothing at all. In theory, the chances of Arkalee being present outside should be as low as some girl having a crush on Kuzan."

    Kuzan deserves the roast. Thieves have no dignity, after all.

    "I see... If that''s the case, then I probably don''t have to worry much. I was just preoccupied because we have never spoken to each other."

    "Yeah, well, just do what I told you, okay?"

    "Well, sure. I don''t mind."

    Yet before I got up, as I placed my right hand on the edge of the table, I asked Hyunda the final question.

    "Hyunda, are you passing the exam?"

    "Doubt it."

    Essentially, that''s what I wanted to know. His opinion on his own situation.

    I then grabbed my school bag and exited the dorm.

    And, coincidentally, on my way out of it, I could spot a figure that had a mouthwatering appearance.

    From my distance, I think I saw her lips moving as she got up from the bench that she was sitting on.

    Ultimately, our eyes did connect, but I looked away for a short bit because I couldn''t actually believe that this was happening.

    Is Hyunda ever wrong about something? What''s the point of doubting him if he nails it every damn time?

    He said that the chances were as low as a girl standing around waiting for Kuzan, which should be infinitely low yet for some reason here she is.

    Although I looked away, as an alpha, it is my duty to look into a female''s eyes with confidence and have a stern permanence while doing so.

    "Arkalee, what are you doing here? You''re not gonna skip, are you? You''re not going to make Basara-sensei angry for no reason, are you? Please don''t."

    Since Hyunda already had confirmed me his assumption, I was just starting some random small talk to see whether or not she was actually skipping or if she wanted to know something about Hyunda.

    Nevertheless, her smile was spontaneous. Truly high-appeal.

    Her twin-tails are pretty cute too...

    "Hello, Daniel! Oh, no! I''m not going to skip! I''m just waiting for Hyunda! Do you know where he is?"

    ..................

    Well, no point in being surprised...

    If he''s right about his own assumptions, then I ought to follow his own words.

    "Hyunda? He''s still in the dorm? Are you sure he didn''t leave? Well-- Don''t be late for class, please."

    Though I answered a bit vague, I made sure to point out that Hyunda potentially had left the dorm.

    But, Hyunda, there are two things that I don''t understand.

    Why did you go through all this commotion and why did you say that you will fail the exam?

    Are you seriously that dead-set on failing it or is there something else that I am not seeing...?

    "T-Thank you for the consideration!"

    Arkalee said that reluctantly still with a huge smile on her face.

    Without having much left to say, I left the scene and went to our classroom.

    Also, is my breath okay? I feel like since I was in such a rush that I didn''t properly take care of myself...

    I made a quick stop and exhaled some of my breath just to test it.

    "Hm... Perfect."

    Truly fine.

    But, why am I feeling a sudden chill right into my spine?

    Must be the cold I guess.

    8:30 am. Main Classroom. Block F.

    Sometimes, since I am paired up with Yulia a lot, I forget that I have another partner.

    Although, this partner of mine is far colder and detached in comparison to Yulia.

    Also, I think that I want to alert Yulia about the news. That maybe there is a chance of us passing the exam.

    I''ll say to her that this is all assuming that Kawahara''s information is actually true and that she should not expect anything, yet I think that will give her strong emotional security right now.

    "Sensei! Where is Akihiko!? He''s late! Why are you starting class when all of us except him are present?! Didn''t you say at the beginning that classes would not start unless all students would be present in the classroom so why are you starting the classroom?!"

    Tateyana of all people said that.

    Hm? Tateyana? Seriously? Was she always this aggressive? No, I don''t recall such...

    ....................

    Just to make sure I''m going to look at a certain person...

    "None of your business. Akihiko will most likely be absent for a while. I will also not take any questions regarding Akihiko. If you want to know more, talk to your homeroom teacher. Also, his absence doesn''t mean that any of you are allowed to skip classes. Consequences still remain the same."

    "Say what?! He can skip classes for whatever reason but not me? Isn''t that injustice?"

    Tateyana kept on ranting despite Basara-sensei clearly stating that he would not take any more questions.

    Jesus, what is this? Is it that day of the week for her?

    No.... I think it''s more related to something partial.

    Of course, I could only assume such when I looked in the direction of Sagasuga, who was forcefully taking his mind off the current situation.

    A situation where it regards Tateyana. That''s not normal for Sagasuga.

    Fucking white-knight, what have you done?

    "Tateyana, go take a chill pill in the principal''s office."

    "Uggggh!!! Bullshit!"

    Woman, why are you so angry? You even kicked the door while leaving.

    What exactly happened?

    "Hey, did something happen with her?"

    "How would I know... Also, your breath stinks. If you refuse to stay at least 100 miles away from me, then don''t ever talk to me again..."

    Oh come on, that''s not true!

    Don''t look at me with such disgust! You''re exaggerating.

    Man, why is my table partner so rude all the time? Salty must be her life-moto or something.

    Since there was no point in pursuing the conversation, the class proceed as normal.

    But, it was a totally different story when Yuka-sensei arrived.

    Tateyana was not present, yet someone else asked the same question but in a slight more positive manner.

    "Yuka-sensei, Akihiko is missing and Basara-sensei told us that we should ask you about it if we have something to say about it. I''m not going to speak for everyone, but I am curious."

    Something worth marking is that Akihiko''s table partner is indeed present. Although, she refuses to make eye contact with anyone. Sana''s constantly looking down.

    "I was going to explain that eventually, Tatsu. Before moving onto the last P.E practical class, I would like to inform everyone here that Akihiko is in a very bad physical condition right now..."

    What?

    What happened?

    "The details are unknown, but his absence is entirely justified due to his current immense physical incapability. If you wish to visit him, then go to block C and direct yourselves to the infirmary."

    Unknown details? But if that''s true then he will not be able to do the exam...

    However, someone caught up with this way faster than I did. Possibly anyone in this classroom.

    "Wait a second. Then... Does that mean that he won''t be able to do the exam? That''s not it, right? The partner is rightfully excluded, right?"

    Rayazaki was speaking out with all of his might in a very aggressive tone.

    I knew why though. As a matter of fact, any boy knew.

    "Unfortunately... That''s not how it works... While it is unlucky, the situation will not be changed. It wouldn''t be fair for everyone, Rayazaki. A student can''t receive individual privilege while the rest doesn''t."

    Additionally, I wasn''t aware that it worked like that. Physical incapability will not allow a pairing to perform at all. And of course, since Yuka-sensei''s reasoning for this is what it is, Rayazaki isn''t most likely going to accept this with ease.

    "What!? How is that acceptable?! Who cares about being fair, show some logic! If someone is physically incapable of performing the exam, then the remaining person, who is capable, should be paired up with someone else too!"

    He''s letting his blind rage consume him. To the point where he didn''t realize how illogical his request now just was.

    "I can''t do that. The numbers are even. If a single person is excluded, then there is not a single person left for that person to be paired up with. It''s an undeniable fate. Also, I wouldn''t have proposed this exam unless the exact number of every single one of you was an odd number. Since it''s an even number, I did propose it."

    That much was obvious. An irregularity would surely be left if this class had, for example, 25 students.

    But it has 24 students. 24 is an even number.

    "What.........!"

    Even though Rayazaki was fuming, he did not press this any further.

    I suppose I can emphasize with his rage. After all, this is a death sentence to Hinagiku, regarding the upcoming exam.

    Also, I got curious to know what happened to Kuzan, but the death stares from Kan and Kawahara were giving him paranoia, so I didn''t bother.

    10:30 am. Cafeteria.

    Yulia and I were back in the same place as yesterday, having our random talks or just straight up talking about suicide methods, her favorite.

    Yet, when I found the window of opportunity to talk to her open, I made my move and told her the news.

    "Yulia, this might be sudden, but I think I found a way to pass the exam. I don''t know yet nor am I sure if the information that I will receive about it is true yet if all goes well, we should be able to pass it."

    I do realize how much trust I am blindly putting into Kawahara, but if Kawahara cannot fulfill this then he will be viewed as someone incompetent.

    Kawahara is not someone who likes being viewed as weak.

    ".......What? What are you talking about? Didn''t we agree on failing the exam...?"

    "Yeah, I know. But now that a possible path to victory is here, or could be here, I wanted to inform you about this. Hey, maybe we are actually going to pass it! Don''t get your hopes too high, but it might just happen!"

    But for some reason, Yulia was starting to lose her serene expression.

    She got gloomy and dark extremely quick.

    Huh? But, wasn''t what I just said reassuring? Did something happen?

    "Daniel..."

    "Yeah...?"

    Her dark voiced tone is alerting me for some reason...

    "Are you joking?"

 Volume 6 - Chapter 41: He can probably steal your girl.

    "Are you joking?"

    I think I spilled a small portion of my coffee in the process of all this.

    "W-What?"

    "Don''t ''What?'' me. Didn''t you just hear me? I asked you if you were joking just now. Was that some sour joke or some of your sarcastic innuendos?"

    Yulia''s expression is so sour right now. In the sense where her words are cutting me like knives. Although, I''m the one who''s actually not understanding the situation here.

    "No... I wasn''t being sarcastic nor was I making jokes. I was serious just now! We might''ve got a chance to pass the exam! Isn''t that a reason to celebrate though?"

    And besides, when did I ever show signs of joking? Was it because I expressed my unusual charismatic enthusiasm about the possible positive outcome of the situation or...?

    "But did you forget? We made a deal that we would fail the exam and that was it. There''s no going back now..."

    As I sipped the coffee that was slowly but surely sapping away my lack of sleep away, my confusion gradually increased.

    "I see what you are on about... But that deal doesn''t have to be relevant anymore. If we have a way out, then what does it all mat-"

    But, without letting me finish my sentence, Yulia''s aggressive toned words interrupted my own in a flash.

    "It is relevant! We made a deal! If we make a deal and if we give each other our own words about keeping it through the end, then we should keep it! No, we have to keep it! You can''t just say those irresponsible words now, that''s cowardly!"

    I really am trying to remain calm and I''m additionally trying not to surrender to my argumentative tendencies, but she''s not making this exactly easy...

    "...I understand what you are saying Yulia..."

    "Well, do you? I don''t think you do... If you truly do understand then don''t insist on this..."

    ........................................

    Let''s try this nicely one more time...

    "Yulia, don''t you think that it benefits us both if we pass this exam? What I meant by the deal not being relevant was that passing this upcoming exam should be far more important and that if we do manage to pass it, then the deal is irrelevant. The deal is only relevant to the premise that we fail. However, should I be able to alter that---"

    "Ahh, you really don''t get it. I thought as much. I knew it. I so knew that you''d try something like this. There''s just no way that you''d accept the situation. That''s just not like you. You''ve been disturbed about the possibility of failing ever since day one. It was dumb of me to assume that someone like you, Daniel, would be fine with this ultimately...!"

    Wasn''t I nice about this? Did I do something wrong? Was my approach somehow unreasonable? Was my argument full of flaws or something like that? If so... I wish that I was able to see those flaws right away...

    Because I can''t see them and that''s making me think that I am right in this argument.

    Oh well. I give up.

    "Of course I''m not accepting the situation. I get the grand total of a punishment that will equal the equivalent of two supply exams. Add that to my previous supply exam and you get three supply exams. Not so rough for you, truly. You only get one, but what do I get? Three? That''s not something I can obviously flat out ignore."

    Shit... I forgot to pour sugar onto the coffee... It''s so sour.

    It''s like I''m drinking gasoline. A taste so sporadic that it feels like my vomit will gush out at any second now.

    "Your situation is understandable and all, Daniel. But didn''t you already come into terms with your situation the moment you proposed your proposal yesterday?"

    "I only came to terms with my situation because I couldn''t do anything about it. But now that I possibly can, that''s a totally different story. It doesn''t have to be this way for me. No... Not only for me but for you as well."

    Yet despite my words, Yulia''s not showing any signs of backing off from this stupid argument that she made to defend her idea... I can''t even describe what''s she''s trying to do right now because she''s not leaving any clues about it.

    "I already told you that''s not relevant... Daniel, you can''t just go back on your own word. It''s ride or die. We made the deal, so we are going with it!"

    Out of despair, I placed my right hand on my warm forehead in order to potentially calm myself down, but just as I looked to the table mirroring my face, I couldn''t accept a state of mind that reflected ''calm''.

    "Stop being so stubborn already. It''s not reasonable for me to get this many complaints out of you just because you are being a whiny baby about it. Listen to me for a second and realize how stupid you are being right now."

    "There you go again, using heartless words in your defense!"

    They are not heartless if we consider all the words I can just say right now.

    Though, it''s for the best of my interest if I ignore her previous complaint.

    "Isn''t the ultimate goal of these exams to grant us a feeling of security? A feeling that will be given to us due to the fact that we excelled the exam''s demands and that, lastly, we can rejoice because we will be able to feel at ease? If that''s the end goal, then how can you afford to be this sentimental about it? I''m informing you that there might be a way out and this is what you tell me? That somehow, a deal that we made previously, which was based on the premise of failing, is suddenly more important than the actual success? What?"

    Although I''m not the best emotional speaker of all, I did try to put my words into sentiments so Yulia could have a better comprehension of what I wanted to say, but every time I look at her, it''s as if my own words were meaningless from the start.

    "You don''t get it! You don''t get me at all. I''m fine with failing the exam because you gave me a greater feeling of security, so the exam itself isn''t relevant anymore! Those words back then, really mattered, you know? But now you are trashing them by trying to replace them with a simple possibility! No. You know what? It doesn''t matter if it''s a possibility. It can be a certainty and I will still not accept it. That''s not how things work with me. You either are in or you are out."

    She''s saying I don''t get her but I truly do get her point. She''s more worried about me keeping my own words about the deal because apparently, she has a strong sense of loyalty or just values the length of companionship, but what for?

    What does it all matter if the outcome can potentially be resolved? That''s what I don''t understand.

    "Yulia, you can''t be fine with failing the exam. That''s not the correct way to feel about this. You can''t just suddenly feel secure just because we came into terms with our demise. Are you just going to prioritize the way you feel instead of doing what must be done?"

    Furthermore, I would like to briefly mention again that this is just a possibility, but she doesn''t seem to care about it that much. As a matter of fact, Yulia even said that it doesn''t matter if it''s a certainty.

    "Yeah, I am. Screw what you think. If you''re not going to value our deal, then what do I stand to gain here? Absolutely nothing!"

    "Or maybe you could think twice and listen to my words for once! Think! If you abandon your stupid mindset and side with me here then you stand to gain way more than just a transient feeling of security. Why choose to be this picky about it instead of selecting the obvious logical option?"

    In the process of yelling at her, I managed to make my shout so loud that it echoed throughout the whole empty cafeteria, which ended up attracting the attention of the present waitress.

    Plus, my plastic coffee cup was entirely squeezed.

    "I don''t need to think about your words even once! I know that I am right and that''s not gonna change the way I feel about this! If you get this, then repent about your own words right now and show that you actually care!"

    Unconsciously, I kept on performing small repeated steps on the floor in order to discard some of my anger off.

    Why do you have to be like this? I understood you, didn''t I? So, why can''t you do the same for me?

    "Hey, Yulia. You said that I didn''t understand you, but is that really true? Show me how and where I didn''t understand you, please."

    Maybe I''m just wrong here and I didn''t see that. I think I can accept it if that''s the case.

    Thus, to show that I was down to listen to what she was going to say, I took my seat once again and looked at her with serious eyes.

    Though, her expression was still like a raging tempest. Refusing to calm down.

    "First of all, disregarding our previous deal was so disrespectful. If I give you my word, then I am keeping it. If you do, then you should keep it. I expect equal treatment yet now you are coming at me with that bullshit like that. Don''t do that... Secondly, if you truly understood me then you''d know that I wouldn''t be fine with this. It meant a lot to me to be able to open up in the slight to you, but to you, it just doesn''t seem like you get that. Lastly... I said that you should repent for your own words, but you aren''t showing any signs of backing off... Why is that?!"

    It''s pointless. She''s not getting my point at all. I''ve tried countless times now to portray my own view and explained to her about my point, but Yulia refuses to abandon her own point. Her obsession with her own point is making this argument impossible.

    It''s very likely that I was on the losing side from the start.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Then, if that''s the case, then what the hell do I stand to gain here?

    "I won''t back off, Yulia. Also, sure, I will admit that I got a bit disrespectful when I disregarded our deal, but I just didn''t expect you to be this stupid about it. I now know why you are being so obnoxious about this. Proving your point is apparently more important than the actual situation, huh?"

    Truthfully speaking, I never disregarded the situation. It might be true that I did disregard the deal, but that was because I issued a better one? If that''s the case, then how come it''s so illogical of me to propose a better one? According to Yulia''s perspective, that''s the case.

    Also, I am getting progressively aggressive with my own words yet again.

    "Stubborn. Whiny baby. Stupid. Sentimental. Stupid mindset. Obnoxious. And stupid again! That''s eight insults you have thrown at me! Why are you being like this suddenly?! You were so nice until now, but now... You''re back to being rude... Does that mean that you don''t even care enough at this point? If so, then were all your previous words lies too? Hm? Were they?!"

    "No, I did care. I had to care. And of course, those weren''t lies. I wouldn''t do that to you. But, you. It''s unfair what you are doing to me. I''m trying to consider and understand your feelings about this, but you are completely rejecting my own approach."

    "Daniel, I am rejecting your own approach because it''s wrong and because it means that you are betraying me. I can''t allow that!"

    So it''s fine if you completely disregard me as a whole as long as I don''t ''betray'' you?

    Seriously? Is this how we are going with this, Yulia? I thought you could do better and ultimately, be better.

    But I guess hopes never really work with me.

    "I''m not betraying you. I am showing that I care for you and the situation at the same time. That''s the best scenario in my mind. A scenario where we both come out happy in the end about this. But you aren''t making this easy. Let''s suppose that I do keep my deal and we fail the exam. What about it? How am I supposed to be happy about this, overall? Happy about failing? Are you joking? It might be subtle for you to notice, but that''s essentially the worse scenario for me and you both..."

    It''s not even about me being happy, but I''m trying a new sentimental approach about this just to see if Yulia''s brain somehow clicks and sees my words in a whole new light.

    And honestly, the fact that I''m still talking to her and trying to persuade her with reasonings, should be evidence that I care to a minimal degree. I can''t even deny that.

    "It''s not the worse scenario for me. The best scenario for me would, of course, be, passing this exam without any trouble... But I''ve changed my mind about that. Your words were really reassuring back then. I put my ultimate trust in you and settled down with our agreement. Even in my mind, passing the exam suddenly became not a priority. That''s how much of an impact your words had on me. But now? What was it all for? Was it all just a joke to you?"

    Why the hell are you so sentimental about this...

    "Yulia, you''ve disregarded me yet again... You mentioned how it''s not your optimal scenario now but what about mine? Can''t you see? This only favors you and only you. I could just be a rude jack-ass and not try to understand where you are coming from and all that. But that''s not what''s happening, is it? I have asked what''s wrong and I''ve explained how my idea ultimately benefits us both. You''re also saying all these words about me not trusting you but what about you? You''re not trusting me either."

    "What are you talking about?! Of course I trust you! But I can''t side with you and your lack of faithfulness."

    "The same goes for you. Just accept my idea for once. I am not disregarding you in any aspect. You misunderstood my intentions from the start. All I wanted was to show you a better alternative. An alternative where we both don''t lose."

    That''s all I really wanted.

    "If accepting your idea means that you will just keep on being this spiteful and bashful toward me, then forget it. No, that''s not enough. Your idea implies that you will go back on your words... I can''t accept that, you see. You just don''t understand the value of sentiments and that forbids you to see things from my perspective."

    No way it works like that... Logic is what enables a human being to see things from another person''s perspective, not emotions.

    There''s just... No way it is like that.

    "Yulia, going back on my words here, is a reasonable action, if you think about it. I wouldn''t go back on my words if it meant hurting your feelings in the process. It''s reasonable because it''s giving us a greater chance of winning. If that''s the case, then isn''t it fine for me to go back on my own words?"

    "No, it''s not! How stubborn! Stop arguing about this, at this instant!"

    My teeth started to form a strong grit in all of this because Yulia''s attitude starting being way too obnoxious for my liking. Through it all, I was fine with her being this way, but now that she thoroughly refuses to see things from my perspective, it''s getting pretty pointless to keep up with this facade.

    "I already said that I won''t stop!"

    "This is the last chance for you to show that you do care, Daniel! After this, I''m not going to be kind anymore..."

    "You call this being kind? Are you serious? You''ve been obstinate for just about every second I came, so how can you even call that kind?"

    "Rude! Don''t you know that I''ve been kind thus far?! Quit it already! Show me that you are sorry!"

    You''re gravely mistaken about something, Yulia.

    I''m never truly sorry.

    "I am not sorry for my own words, because they were my genuine words about this. If you can''t see how considerative I am being toward you, then it''s your fault, not mine."

    "My fault?! How is this my fault? This pointless argument started because you couldn''t keep a single word! If you want to blame someone, then blame yourself."

    Except it was never pointless. You just deemed it as pointless because my point never had value to you, even though it should have.

    But, saying all these words wouldn''t make any sense. Because Yulia would not acknowledge them.

    "And I already told you that I did that for a reason... A reason that you just can''t seem to accept!"

    "The reason is non-sensical! That''s why I can''t accept it. Honestly, I expected way better than you, but I''m starting to regret every single thing now!"

    What is this dramatic scenario? Why are the waitresses watching this scene like it''s from a Korean drama?

    Stop looking at us like that!

    "What''s there to regret? I try my best but you don''t let me try! How the hell am I supposed to show you that I truly care if you don''t let me show it to you?! You''re making my ideas useless!"

    "H-How dare you! Stop talking to me in that aggressive tone right now or I am going to get mad at you! You won''t like it, trust me!"

    "You don''t tell me what to do, Yulia! You''re the one who needs to understand my perspective and see things from my light because from what I see from your perspective is nothing more than a strong feeling of security and satisfaction and damn, we could have way more than that!"

    I really don''t like how the waitresses are gossiping with each other. I really don''t.

    "That''s what I need and want, Daniel! If you can see things from my perspective like that, then understand how wrong you are already!"

    "I am not wrong, damn it! You are!"

    "Shut up, I''m not!"

    "Yeah, you are!"

    Crap, we are forming such a misunderstanding of the sneaky waitresses, but I don''t even care at this point.

    "Alright! I''m mad now! And that means that I''m leaving! Don''t approach me nor follow me, you hear me?! You''re also going to get respectfully ignored! Bye! Not a pleasure to meet nor to talk to you!"

    Huh?!

    "W-Wait! We can still talk about this, right?!"

    But she suddenly grabbed her purse and went to the cafeteria''s counter to pay her bills.

    "Hi, I would like to pay. A coffee and another coffee for an insensitive jerk. That would be all!"

    "Certainly!"

    Don''t just agree with her in such resonance, you damn waitress!

    "Thank you very much!"

    After Yulia was done paying, her quick steps become noticeably faster.

    But I wasn''t going to chase her. I''m not at fault here.

    And without looking back, Yulia went off to unknown locations.

    "I see. You and Yulia are overcoming your own insecurities while fighting them together, or something of that sort, right?"

    No, not really, Hyunda. It just got a lot worse.

    Not only did I fail to make her see my point but she also got mad at me.

    ...I wonder how are things going on his side? I get the feeling that if Hyunda actually tries and stops being lazy that he should be able to work this out really well with Arkalee.

    "He''s most likely going to pass this exam, isn''t he...?"

    Although he said that he doubts it, I just can''t see him fail. Unless he really doesn''t try at all.

    Amidst my reflection, I noticed the waitress that had served me the sour coffee approaching me. Furthermore, without asking me whether or not it was fine for me to take a seat, she began to talk to me.

    "That''s what you get!"

    ..........?

    To puzzle me further, she also left the moment she took her seat.

    "...What..."

    I don''t understand what the hell just happened. I am also starting to think that I don''t understand women in general.

    Maybe it''s really my fault. No...

    There might be a way to make things right with Yulia. We don''t have to end like this. And to make sure of that, I need to consult a certain person first...

    11 am.

    From afar, I could see his spontaneous figure running around the sprinting course at full force. His figure, was, additionally, with his top naked.

    Noticeably, he was already attracting the attention of many female students from other classes since it was already break time, but that didn''t exactly stop him from continuing what he was doing.

    With his black shorts on, he sprinted on and on without showing a tired expression and always kept on looking forward. Another thing to mention would be that he is not caring for his partner whatsoever.

    Before I got into the platform, it bothered me how some of the girls weren''t exactly bothered with his presence but as soon as I entered the platform they were immediately creeped out.

    If you are creeped out because I am a criminal then how come you are showing the same for Kawahara?!

    I have feelings too, you know?!

    "Look at him go... As expected, truly fast."

    But honestly, it feels as if Kawahara is just doing this to give a performance and nothing more.

    Show-off.

    "........"

    I did try to glance at his partner, but she was sitting on the stern ground with her giant book all over her face.

    These two weren''t even arguing about each other in the first place. Maybe they never bothered to actually talk to one another.

    And then, since Kawahara was only looking forward, he was bound to notice my figure as soon as he turned to his left in the course. Of course, he stopped as soon as he saw me.

    "Daniel. What brings you here? Wanna run with me?"

    Not only was Kawahara not showing signs of being tired, but he kept on stretching his arms to the audience.

    It must be fucking nice to have these many girls fanning for you.

    "No. I want to know it, now."

    I wanted to know if what Kawahara had in mind was true or not. If it was just an act, then I would attempt to speak with Yulia about it, but if not, that''s a whole different case.

    Also, why aren''t you wearing your shirt? Stop flexing.

    "It? Oh... Oh! That. Mhm, I see. But, hey, didn''t I tell you that you were free to contact me this evening or tomorrow morning? Don''t ignore that."

    There''s no way that I wasn''t aware of that, but I''m feeling impatient right now... I want to know.

    "Why do I have to wait for such a long time? Why not just tell me right now?"

    "Well... I said that because I thought that I would be busy all day long training. This is my routine. So, there you go. That was the main reason. Also... Look, I can''t just put it into immediate two or three words for you to understand. I need to truly break it down for you to understand. My words might be magical, but they are not magic, you know?"

    If this is his routine, then is that why he is always sleeping in class or is it because he''s too bored to pay attention? A different case from Hyunda, because Hyunda is bored for his own reasons, but Kawahara might just be physically tired.

    "Though, I couldn''t help but notice. Unlike Kuzan, you saught me immediately. Not immediately, but sooner than expected, for sure. I''m surprised. You really are in high hopes, aren''t you? Fantastic. I recognize your persistence now! And if you want to know then help me out! I have to complete my routine of physical exercise and competing against someone like you might just prove to be worthy of my time!"

    Kawahara''s enthusiasm was showing signs of progressively increasing throughout this conversation.

    His wide smile was fully formed by his own expectations, but it was impossible to ignore his sudden burst of excitement.

    "You''re saying that if I help you out with your training that you will give me an audition?"

    "Yeah, Dan. That''s what I just said."

    Dan? That''s a first.

    "But, Kawahara, what are you going to do about this crowd? Your own kind will start to hate you..."

    "So what? Not my fault I''m this attractive. Gotta be the ladies man if no one else can be. Then again, I don''t believe anyone can take my place, so they are making the right choice. I''m allowing them to feast their eyes on this national treasure. No, scratch that! Not national, but universal! Look at my abs! Touch them! They are as hard as diamonds!"

    I wholeheartedly refuse to touch your abs, Kawahara. For multiple reasons.

    Also, you''re a goddamn narcissist, aren''t you?

    But, from what I can understand, Kawahara doesn''t really mind how the jealous boys are currently viewing him with hateful glares. No, that''s wrong... He is feeding off their jealousy. It''s not as if he doesn''t care, he''s making sure that he is viewed this way so that they get this jealous about it.

    "No, thanks... What''s your training routine, though? Let''s get this over with so you can tell me. I''ll help you out."

    "Ho?! The gal! I like that audacity of yours! You truly think that you can keep up with my strict regime! Very well, Dan! I''ll tell you all of it along the way! Follow my lead! A 5 kilometers run in less than 15 minutes... Starting now!!"

    For some reason, I stripped my top too and threw my shirt at random somewhere else before taking off.

 Volume 6 - Chapter 42: The truth.

    "Kawahara...."

    "Yeah? What''s up? Don''t tell me you''re tired!"

    Although that''s not 100% incorrect, that''s not really the case here, no matter how I look at it.

    "Make them shut up. They are annoying the shit out of me!"

    As soon as Kawahara heard my words, he waved at the crowd and the crowd full of girls from all of the three years screamed in response.

    "Kawahara!"

    They even know his fucking name, what is this?!

    "A shame I can''t talk to them. It hurts my soul having such a loyal and faithful audience when it''s impossible for me to show my gratitude. Can''t be helped, Daniel. Another 5 kilometers!"

    "Kawahara, we are way above 5 kilometers right now! I think that we have definitely hit the 10-kilometer mark by now!"

    I still don''t know his routine, by the way. All we have been doing is running across the platform non-stop. It''s without a doubt tiresome since 10 kilometers is no joking matter... Yet these eternal fangirl screams directed at Kawahara are pissing me off...

    Because they are only directed towards him!

    "Chill out! What''s the harm? Don''t tell me that this is too much for you? Well, is it?"

    "N-No! But didn''t you say that you were going with only 5 kilometers?! What the hell have you been doing this whole time?"

    "Hahahaha!"

    He didn''t laugh at me, he laughed at the gigantic crowd gathering outside of the platform. Some are even taking pictures. Damn show-off!

    "Dan, I''ve been doing the exact same stuff. There''s really no excuse when it comes to physical practice. The more you limit yourself the weaker you become. That''s why... RUN WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT!"

    Said Kawahara as he took off with an explosive dash. Of course, I couldn''t allow myself to be defeated and as he said, I did run with all my might.

    45 minutes later.

    "Ahhhh!!! Ahhhhh!!"

    Shit, I haven''t run like this in such a long time. My muscles are so sour that they feel like dead weight. As I looked at the massive blue cerulean sky above me while lying down on the concrete and hard ground, I tried to regain my posture yet I was only able to raise myself up after Kawahara extended me his right hand.

    "Here. Get up."

    Without saying anything, I just took ahold of his with gratitude.

    By the way, there is no crowd now since it''s class time for the other classes.

    "Have you done some sort of martial arts? Or just physical exercise? It''s not every day I see someone keep up with me. Well... You tried to keep up with me, didn''t you? But then your arms gave in while doing push-ups! Don''t feel too bad about it, okay? You were born in the same generation as I, it was bound to happen. This moment where you would lose and I would win!"

    It''s true. While doing push-ups, I''ve hit a state of physic where I couldn''t bring my own body to do more push-ups than him.

    His arrogant attitude, though.

    "Oh, shut up. It was only by a slight margin, don''t get this cocky over it."

    "Hahaha, you mad? So, did you do it or not?"

    "No, I didn''t."

    Kawahara''s arms went from being folded to vastly opening up themselves in order to express his surprise.

    "No way that''s possible dude. How do you justify your physical ability then?"

    How...?

    "I just took swimming lessons when I was little. Hey, before you say anything, you shouldn''t underestimate the power of swimming lessons!"

    "Uh-huh. Sure, sure. Swimming lessons. Yeah, I totally trust you. Well, whatever. Onto what''s important. Did you find out who she is yet?"

    Kawahara''s unexpected question got me confused for a great total of 5 seconds. Furthermore, I formed a stupid expression of wonder which just told Kawahara that I ultimately had forgotten about it.

    "Oi..... You forgot?! How?!"

    Before he could get physical on me, I quickly reminded him about it since my brain decided to click at the last second.

    "U-Uhh.. No, I didn''t forget! I was just too focused on the exam, you see. But, hey, how the hell am I supposed to guess if you are sleeping all the time in class?! You don''t leave any clues, damn it!"

    One thing is to forget about it, which I eventually did, but there is another factor to this. Whenever you are in love with someone, you are supposed to give special attention to that certain someone, but Kawahara is literally always sleeping.

    That sort of behavior is contradicting, overall.

    "Yeah, I know I don''t. Told ya that you wouldn''t guess who she is. I play hard. You''re not winning this, Dan."

    Midst this, I put on my shirt that was in the middle of the running platform, lost and dirty.

    Nevertheless, Kawahara still remained with his top naked.

    "Can''t you give me at least one clue? Come on..."

    "I can''t. It becomes too easy if I give you a clue."

    Yet that''s a clue itself.

    "Alright... I''ll pay more attention to this matter. But, what about her? Is she the one?"

    I pointed at Gale who was sitting far away with her back against the wall enjoying her reading session. Her face could not be seen. Essentially, all that was visible were her black sports jeans and her small hands holding a massively thick book.

    "Dude, I''m not falling for that one. You''re just gonna ask me about every single one of the girls in our class until I give my answer, aren''t you? That''s a cheap trick, ya know? Ah, but no. No way in hell. She''s just too boring. Plus, I''m low-key mad about the fact that I''m going to fail the exam because of her."

    Ah, damn it. I really wanted to bait him with that one. Though, thus far I''ve gathered about three clues on who Kawahara''s crush might be.

    First, he said that it would become too easy if he gave me a clue, which means that who she is, is not obvious, but that''s exactly it. If I think outside the bubble here, then it will most likely become obvious who she is.

    Second, he just confirmed that it''s not Gale. Though, that could just be a lie. Yet I''m not buying it. And lastly, he said that she is too boring, which might indicate that someone who isn''t boring is in his preferences.

    Overall, that''s something to work on.

    But, something else captured my attention entirely.

    "Kawahara, didn''t you say that you had the answer to this exam? I thought all this time that you weren''t talking to her because you were already on the winning side. Was I wrong?"

    While we were talking to each other, we exited the running platform and went around for a stroll.

    But damn, his black locks are amazing. The combination of his vast blonde hair with his dark black locks at the end of each hairpiece is phenomenal.

    "Well... I''ll explain that to you once we get into my secret location."

    Though it caught my attention the fact that Kawahara bothered to put his shirt on, what he said to me just now was something I couldn''t ignore.

    "Secret location?"

    "Yeah. Secret location. Since you and Kuzan will be my pawns soon, what''s the point of hiding it any more? It will be our general meeting location. Don''t tell this to anyone. Not even Kuzan. Kuzan will know eventually. Should you tell this to anyone, you will be branded as a traitor."

    Kawahara''s expression which is usually carefree and relaxed became suddenly serious in just a matter of seconds.

    "Say, what happens once we are branded as traitors?"

    Without wasting any moves, Kawahara did the knife throat movement with his right hand on his own throat immediately, which made me realize how serious he was about this.

    "Got it? But hey, I know that you and Kuzan wouldn''t be dumb enough to defy me in the first place. This is gonna be fun..."

    His malicious grin worries me. Plus, Kawahara''s overly confident attitude just demonstrates how much he trusts his own actions. Even though I haven''t said anything about being his pawn.

    It''s all in his mind.

    And eventually...

    "Wow..."

    Just... how...?

    "So? What do you think? Pretty neat huh? I was bored out of my mind and I decided to come here in one night and would you look at that, there was a secret entrance with a secret room all along! Can''t believe they kept us from this!"

    The first thing I noticed when we arrived at this location was that I was feeling a sense of reminiscence. A sense that I have already been here and that it wasn''t in a time-gap that was too far away from the current one.

    Ultimately, after trespassing into this humid atmosphere, the droplets that hit my head made me realize that this was where we had our first supply exam. However, I was fairly sure that even underneath this unknown underground that there wasn''t anything like this.

    A place that dispels the mundane setting that this underground possesses. That''s right. A secret entrance that was located underneath a hole that was not visible from the start.

    Kawahara somehow had caught up on this and as soon as we entered the underground, after walking all the way to the left zones, there was an invisible hole that was covered with hard mud. Underneath it lied a wood ladder that would lead to our current location.

    "How the hell did you even find this? No... How did you even get in here?"

    Although we hadn''t come here via the gateway, Kawahara found a secret door behind King George''s fridge. It was tiny, but we eventually found ourselves here, after crawling through a mundane path.

    "I told you, man! I was bored! In that boomer''s room, once I found this, I almost screamed! Can you believe this?! All of this, for free?!"

    "Yeah... I kinda find it hard to believe..."

    For the record, Kawahara wasn''t referring to the whole underground, because right now we were in a secret room that had actual conditions. As a matter of fact, it was a room that had a couch along with many other pieces of furniture.

    Though, the most interesting part was how among the pieces of furniture, there was a bookshelf. There were books of literature, but there was an interesting book that caught my attention.

    It was fairly simple to perceive as the title was: ''Remnant''s life''.

    "Yo, have a seat! Are you gonna stare into the abyss all day long?"

    Kawahara told me to have a seat on the massive couch that was in this small room. The light was nice, but I just had to question how this room was here and how it was being supported with electricity. This overall event was beyond puzzling.

    Nevertheless, I laid back and allowed my body to relax a little.

    "Fuuh..."

    But, Kawahara''s words came flying at me like a barrage despite the fact that I required a bit of silence.

    "You know, since that boomer is gonna come back sooner or later, it''s gonna be extremely inconvenient to access this room. And it''s basically impossible to access this place via main gate because the tall steel door is impossible to crack down. That''s why I was thinking that we should somehow connect a path to one of our rooms."

    Well, once King George returns, there is no way in hell that we are going to be able to access this room, that''s for sure.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    We are here because Kawahara found out a way to access the underground through King George''s room.

    It''s suicide to consider this an option later on, so it makes sense to consider creating alternatives already.

    "But how, Kawahara? Are you suggesting that we dig?"

    If so, please no.

    "That might just be the case. If we have an easy way to access this area then things would become a lot easy. I''m mainly talking about meetings and stuff like that. It''s good because we will be able to keep secrecy between us. This way, people won''t necessarily meddle in our business."

    Kawahara just suggested that we should dig, AGAIN.

    Seriously? Why? No, I understand why, but do we have to go through this mountain of effort just to access this room as our secret base?

    "You''re already assuming that Kuzan and I will be joining you in your cause... Well, I don''t doubt that Kuzan will since he is gullible as fuck, but aren''t you assuming too many things at once?"

    Then our eyes crossed, once we tilted our necks into the opposite directions.

    "That''s because it''s gonna happen. But... I have to prove it to you, don''t I, Dan?"

    "At least you know..."

    That still doesn''t mean that I will comply though. This is just to see whether or not I still should insist on Yulia or not. But honestly, my lack of caring is starting to increase and my desire to speak to Yulia, which might turn out to be an immense drag, is slightly decreasing.

    And it would be nice if Kawahara wasn''t lying through all of this. My patience is not at its peak right now.

    "Mhm.... The exam right? You wanted to pass the exam, right?"

    Once Kawahara said those words in a monochrome tone, I couldn''t help but to raise my head a bit and crook my neck in response.

    "Yeah. You said that there was an easy loophole to it and that I would feel dumb just by listening about it. Was it true or was it just a lie? Hey, if it''s a lie, just tell me. I''m not with patience today... I and Yulia got into a pretty sour argument. I don''t feel like being treated like shit by her if it means that what I will be doing is false and meaningless."

    Though, I didn''t treat Yulia that nicely either, but if we were to put this in a perspective of who treated who better, then I think that I come out on top.

    I undoubtedly insisted on her and showed comprehension, not to mention, a rare sight of where I don''t completely just deny her opinion. Yet despite that, she remained so stubborn about her own opinion and point.

    "Dude, stop doubting me. It''s pissing me off. If I tell you something isn''t a lie, then that''s the case."

    "Ah, is that so? Then tell me. How can I pass this exam? I even screwed my situation even further. How the hell can I somehow make my situation into a positive one?"

    Truth to be told, relying on people makes me feel weak, but if it means that I will have a free ticket to my freedom, then what''s there to lose.

    Being stubborn here for the sake of pride is not worth it. Anything or just something that can help me overcome my situation is essential right now.

    "Oh well..."

    With a quick impulse, Kawahara got up from the couch and grabbed a nearby plastic chair that was for some reason there and took a sit on it, with the chair backward yet with his body turned in front.

    "What do you think it''s necessary to do in order to win this exam, Dan?"

    Pretty obvious, if you ask me.

    "Me and my partner, which is Yulia, have to perform the physical tasks and excel at them respectively. That also should go for just about everyone."

    "That''s true. That''s what that blonde bitch said anyway. Without a doubt, that''s one of the winning formulae. Excel in your respective performances and you two will be granted a good score. Pretty simple, right?"

    Yet there''s way more to that.

    But wait...

    "You just said formulae, didn''t you?"

    "Yeah, I did."

    "That''s the plural for formulas if I recall correctly..."

    Or if my brain doesn''t fail me.

    "Impressive. Yes, that''s the case. And that means that there isn''t just one formula to this. You were presented with the respective formula that should be the mandatory and primal formula to excel at this exam, right?"

    "Everyone was, Kawahara."

    Not a single person from my class was told otherwise at the very exact moment when Yuka-sensei told us how we should perceive the exam.

    But wait a second... She didn''t tell us how to perceive it... She only told us how we should go about it and she ultimately only told us about the main formula...

    Which means...!

    "Judging from your shocked face, it seems that something clicked. So, are you feeling dumb yet?"

    It can''t be...! Shit, I''m so shocked that I''m even facepalming at myself. How could I have been this ignorant about it...

    "But relax. Although you have realized the reality of the situation, it wasn''t always evident. As a matter of fact, the blonde bitch played it out quite well. She didn''t exactly make it obvious in the first place, so if you have found yourself struggling in the past over this matter, then think nothing of it. It was necessary for you to struggle about it to finally realize that you couldn''t reach the conclusion on your own."

    His words always cut me like swords, but it''s true. If Kawahara didn''t make me realize about it, then I couldn''t have arrived at the conclusion at hand.

    "There''s more than one formula, right? That''s what I think I''ve discovered... It is, isn''t it?"

    There was also a chance that my sudden realization could be wrong, so I just wanted to confirm.

    "Yes, that''s correct, Dan. Did you know, an exam like this can''t be accepted in the first place?"

    "Huh? Why not? Isn''t it just your average physical exam?"

    "Average?! Hahaha!! Sure, for us. But, hey, take a look at your partner. She can''t do jackshit about it. It''s also not just your partner. Mine hasn''t even tried a single exercise. It also doesn''t exactly matter if I insisted. Fuck, I was pissed off when I was paired up with a weakling like her, but it was obvious from the start that I was on the losing side here."

    That''s because you were the fastest... In contrast, Hyunda and Sagasuga were most likely the ones who took this into consideration the most.

    Of course, this is assuming that Hyunda purposely trolled.

    "I don''t get it. Why does the physical condition of the other students have to come into play here?"

    This is something that I just can''t understand. Physical exams are obviously unfair for those who are physically incompetent, but that''s just the nature of the exam.

    Or am I missing something?

    "Dan, get this. For an exam to be accepted, an acceptable criterion has to be created in the first place. Without it, it''s impossible for it to be accepted. And considering that we haven''t had that many P.E classes, suggesting an exam where every student has to perform such surreal tasks is insane."

    "But isn''t this their way of being unfair? They know that we are criminals so they are willing to punish us..."

    Plus, this isn''t the first time that I have witnessed this. I can understand the harsh treatment because apparently it''s reasonable to treat others who did evil things accordingly.

    Accordingly as in, they get what they deserve.

    "That''s not an unreasonable way to look at it, but that''s also not it. One thing is that monster who constantly throws chalk and calls us retards all day long."

    Basara-sensei really loves throwing chalk at our heads every time we try to be a little expressive. But almost never against the girls.

    Why?

    "Another thing is this blonde bitch, whose pattern of actions dictates that she must obey a moral code. The monster doesn''t give a fuck, but not the blonde bimbo. She cares. If so, then she wouldn''t issue such an unreasonable exam in the first place. Furthermore, as I have mentioned, the criterion must be acceptable. There''s no way in hell that this criterion is acceptable. It''s flat-out unreasonable. Therefore, in all common sense, there is only one logical explanation regarding this whole bullcrap.

    So according to Kawahara, what actually matters here is Yuka-sensei and since she is a morally righteous person, she would therefore not issue an exam full of unfairness or just about any unfairness at all.

    If that''s the case, then this doesn''t make any sense at all.

    "Then--"

    "Hold it. Let me boil it down for you."

    Coincidentally, I was in his way of speech, so I backed off.

    "As I was saying, since this whole exam is unreasonable and that the criterion should not be acceptable, there is only one possible logical route of options here. That being, it''s a facade."

    Kawahara''s most likely referring to how there is a secondary formula, which would lead to the ultimate path.

    "I''ve already explained why the first formula doesn''t make much sense. Little time to prepare and beyond unreasonable tasks were proposed. Certainly, calling this a facade might be wrong, but the first formula is only a small fragment of what you are actually being evaluated. Don''t get me wrong, if you nail the first formula along with your partner, then you really don''t have to worry about this, overall. Yet, let''s be real. That''s not the case."

    His words are starting to be like magic. After explaining how everything revolves, it''s all starting to come to life.

    "The fact that the blonde bitch didn''t bother to even tell us that this was the only absolute mandatory way of nailing the exam is basically proof. If there wasn''t another formula, then she would''ve said something regarding that, yet she didn''t."

    But, um, weren''t you away from class back then, Kawahara? How the hell do you know all of this? What? I don''t get it.

    "Kawahara, sorry to interrupt, but how do you know all this? Weren''t you away from the whole time that Yuka-sensei explained all of this?"

    "I stayed close to the classroom. Although I said that I was going for a walk, I stood in a place close to it and listened to the explanation fully."

    "Ah, okay."

    Then, was it all just an act or was that slap you gave to Akimiyashika the real thing? I don''t get this man. So bipolar but so logical. It''s confusing.

    "Continuing on, I immediately suspected this and thought about it for a bit. Eventually, after gathering and trying to link all the pieces, some just didn''t fit in. The criterion, the little time we had, the fact that the exam was essentially proposing something unfair which the blonde thot would just not go along with. Nothing really matched."

    "And that was how you arrived at the conclusion that the only logical solution was that there could only be another formula?"

    By the way, Kawahara has some serious issues with Yuka-sensei or just blonde people in general. He can''t stop insulting her every damn time he mentions her.

    "Yes. Although, I can''t deny the possibility of there being more formulas. Strictly speaking, I''ve thought of other formulas, but after observing her behavior and how the blonde hooker progressively mentioned that we needed to understand our partner and how it was essential for both you and your partner to work together, I found it strange. Why would the blonde attention whore mention the fundamentals of teamwork but not how to generally improve when it came to physical exercise? That didn''t make much sense because what does teamwork matter if the students are able to nail every single exercise? Would it simply not make more sense to suggest the pairings to train?"

    Now that Kawahara mentions it, it doesn''t make much sense honestly.

    Why suggest the improvement of teamwork fundamentals instead of suggesting the improvement of your physical abilities?

    "Plus, you have to take into consideration how she doesn''t even stay vigilante anything at all. Why? At first, I thought that this was just mere incompetence. She''s blonde, after all."

    Lol.

    "But, no, that also didn''t make much sense. I hate to admit it, but the whore is far more clever and logical than that. Therefore, what? What was I missing? What would she accomplish by not staying vigilant? Hey, Dan. Answer that question for me."

    "Maybe she wanted the pairings to work on their own issues independently? I think that if she intervened too much, then all the potential individual pieces of interaction formed between the two elements wouldn''t be as strong as their own individual interaction."

    Besides, we both know that if Yuka-sensei was constantly insisting about it that the interaction would be far too forced.

    In other words, it''s a good move to allow the pairings to interact in their own space at their respective pace.

    "That''s what I thought too. But why? Just to increase their interactions? Or was there something else? If we take into account that it doesn''t make any sense to prioritize how the pairings interact instead of potentially giving us some actual surveillance on how to pass the exam through the formula that was presented, then why would the fucking cow give us so much free space? It just didn''t click to me at first, but then I saw it!"

    Did I mention how Kawahara literally always talks up a storm? I bet he could form a drama just with his lines alone.

    Crazy if you think about it.

    "What did you see, Kawahara?"

    "I saw how obvious it was. Shit, I laughed so hard at the moment that I felt like dying!"

    "Just tell me what it is, man... Or do I still have to understand something else?"

    I''m assuming that the main reason as to why he didn''t just get to the point was because he was too busy explaining his thought process. Though, I''m actually pretty grateful for that, honestly.

    "No, the explanation is done. I can deliver you the conclusion. The conclusion was that, since it didn''t make sense to pair contrasts with one another, there was essentially an unknown layer. A layer so thick yet translucent. That layer is the second formula."

    Kawahara is over-glorifying his own words right now and basically, he is delaying the actual answer........

    "Dan, the reason why contrasts were paired up with each other, the reason why the physical gap is there, that''s all a facade. It''s something that the blonde witch made you think that was relevant, but what was relevant was not that, but it was in fact, somewhat irrelevant. I say somewhat because it''s not totally irrelevant..."

    ...............................

    Is this guy ever going to get to the damn point...?

    "However! Since it was all a facade, it means that the facade was enticed with a reason. That reason was, there was something to hide. In other words, the already mentioned second formula!"

    "Yeah, I know! But what the hell is that second formula?!"

    I didn''t mean to shout, but I might''ve been hiding a bit of frustration. All of this because Kawahara remained stubborn about getting to the point.

    He said that the explanations were done, but they were not.

    Although I''m complaining, I''m deep down grateful.

    "Chill, bro. I told you that I would get there. Don''t interrupt my phenomenal thought process."

    "Ah, sure, okay."

    "From what we already know, given that the first formula is a facade and from the queen of all lying blonde bitches in the world''s behavior, we can safely assume that she definitely prioritized the progression thus far of the pairings and not the overall physical progression of each pairing. Because, with such little time, what would be the point of prioritizing that?"

    Ahhhhhhh.......

    Why are you such a narcissist dude........

    "...There is no point. I get it, I really do. Don''t worry, it''s obvious that Yuka-sensei prioritized increasing each pairing''s interaction progressively throughout all of this instead of actually persisting with our physical growth. But what''s the point on going all over this again, Kawahara?"

    That''s what I really don''t understand. It''s like he''s overthinking or just creating a storm of ideas.

    "The point was so that you would get that the chances of the blonde Lilith being up to something that would generally involve the interaction of pairings and not the actual physical work are actually quite high. So, tell me, what do you generally call the perfect interaction between two people who are contrasts?"

    Lilith? This time I don''t really get i-- Ohhhhhhhh.

    "Um, isn''t that what you call soulmates? Two opposites attract?"

    "Dude, what the fuck are you on about? Don''t give me shit like that. I wasn''t talking about love or bullshit like that. The interaction between two people on a high scale, a positive one at it, is called teamwork."

    "Teamwork?"

    "Yes. If you think about it, it''s been inforced several times that the pairings should get along. Yet why? Getting along won''t allow your partner to suddenly pass the exam..."

    That''s certainly true. Yulia and I were on the right foot a while ago but the end goal was disastrous.

    "That''s why, this second formula clicked immediately, Dan."

    "And I''ve been meaning to ask you, what''s that second formula you speak of!?"

    "What are you talking about? I already told you the second formula."

    What?

    "Huh? When...? Ohh... Wait, seriously, that''s it?"

    "Fucking simple, I know!"

    Holy shit... Kawahara was right, once I knew about this, I would feel extremely dumb.

    Though, only through a reasonable amount of reasoning was Kawahara able to arrive at this conclusion. Furthermore, there is no actual evidence that this is it.

    "But how can you be sure? Isn''t this all just a speculation?"

    "Yes, Dan. This is speculation. A theory. A possibility. The majority of things are. Yet people constantly bet on their own speculations day by day. Speculations that evolve into theories, through reasoning become possibilities and that''s why I bothered to explain all of those details. It was to increase the credibility of my theory. Whether you believe me or not, that''s your choice. But Dan, let me tell you something."

    "What?"

    Before speaking, Kawahara posed with his right palm on his face and smirked confidently.

    "My theories are never wrong."

    And after that, he took a seat right next to me in the comfortable blue couch.

    That alone, symbolized that he was done explaining, as he sighed deeply as soon as his back hit against the couch.

    "So... I should aim for teamwork with Yulia in order to pass the exam?"

    Although Kawahara had explained his theory, the method that I should take was not yet settled.

    "That should be the gist of it. In front of the blonde queen of the red light district, you have to demonstrate that you and your partner are essentially on the same page. And no, I don''t mean that from a physical perspective. You both have to demonstrate that despite your contrasting physical capabilities that as a team, you and her, are attempting to overcome the odds. That''s quite it. Teamwork doesn''t necessarily mean to win, but that you and your partner are on the same page, synergy-wise."

    "Well, thanks a lot, I guess. But there''s still something I don''t understand in all of this."

    And trust me, this has been on my mind for a while...

    "What is it? I like questions, just ask me."

    "You know all of this but you haven''t taken action and you said that you were already failing the exam... What the hell?"

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhh.... That''s what''s bugging you? Hahaha, what the fuck. It''s pretty simple, my dude."

    Subsequently following his own words, Kawahara pointed with his right index finger at himself.

    "I. Only I. No one else. No fucking way in hell am I teaming up with someone. Fuck, I''ll do the tasks, I''ll ace them for fucking real, I will. Now, teaming up with someone? That''s a fucking no if I''ve ever seen one!"

    I sometimes forget what sort of person Kawahara truly is.

 Volume 6 - Chapter 42.5: Wait, is this seriously happening?

    "So, what are your overall thoughts on what I just told you?"

    Extremely efficacious if true, but far too counterproductive if the information itself is false.

    Is what I would tell him, but knowing Kawahara, it wouldn''t be much of a surprise if he just pulled out a moody stream of outbursts in response.

    "It''s okay. I think it''s cool that you are able to share your opinion on this. Thanks."

    "Dan, it''s not my opinion. It''s a fact. You''ll see it for yourself. Now, how about you join me?"

    I forgot. This had an ulterior purpose.

    "No way. What if this is all false? Also, you said that you would do something no matter what I and Kuzan asked and that that would be the demonstration of your ''ability''. That''s why I must confirm it first."

    Still, no guarantee that I will join him in his unknown endeavors. Actually, it''s probably an extremely good idea that I just take this piece of information and just that.

    I can''t help but feel insecure whenever I''m making deals with Kawahara.

    "And I told you it''s the truth. That''s why I''m proposing you side with me earlier. Because you will just waste time. Here is what will happen... You will see that I am right and you will realize that I was right all along, therefore, aligning with me."

    "Yeah, yeah, keep on talking. But even if you are supposedly right, Kawahara, it doesn''t really matter in the end..."

    That''s right. Because right now, it doesn''t fully matter if I know how to pass the exam, there is a greater wall that I must trespass in order to fulfill my desire of excelling at this exam.

    "Why? I just told you how to beat the exam, how does that not matter at all? Are you insecure or something?"

    "No... Ugh, listen. Even if I know how to beat the exam, what good does it do if my partner doesn''t cooperate?"

    As soon as I told him this, Kawahara''s expression went from being puzzled to an expression that would symbolize immediate understanding.

    "I see! You and Julia had a stupid argument!"

    "It''s Yulia, y''know?"

    "What does it matter? You''re going to bother with some stupid pronunciation details?"

    "Well, it''s fine I guess."

    He''s right. I''m not too fond of pronunciation details, really.

    And I''m somewhat mad at her.

    "Wanna make a deal, Dan? It''s super gooood. I would advise you to listen to it."

    I''m not trusting that smirk. That smirk of his means that he''s up to something bad. Plus, there''s no point in being here anymore.

    Figuring out a plan of action with this information is fairly advisable.

    Manipulating Yulia into doing something that is beneficial for our passage is still passable, even if she will never be aware of it.

    "No. I''m fine. If your information is correct, then that''s all I really need."

    "Hm? That''s odd. A while ago you were complaining that my information wasn''t enough and now you say the exact opposite. What exactly changed your mind in this one minute, Dan? There must be something that your brain just suddenly clicked, right? What was it? Tell me."

    "Nothing happened. I wasn''t just thinking straight. That''s why, now that I''ve thought this out a bit, I''ve come to the conclusion that I can pull something off."

    All that happened was the sudden realization that Yulia was not yet beyond my reach and that that would give me the superior edge if I acted accordingly.

    But realistically speaking, it will be a pile of work.

    "Mhmmm. I see... But ya know. My deal, the deal that you just declined without even listening to it, if you accept it, then I can tell you how to make your partner swiftly side with you. Sure, I don''t know what argument you two had, but if you don''t mind explaining it to me, then I can be of great help."

    I knew it would be something like this...

    Then again, I can just use the same strategy, which is to make him willingly tell me what he has in mind without actually having to comply with his deal.

    But, that won''t work. Because if I accept his deal, which is still unknown to me, I will be dragged into his game.

    Thus, I took my seat yet again. All this time, I was viewing the cryptic enigmatic books on the bookshelves and some even caught my interest. I''m definitely bringing a certain book with me when I leave this place.

    "Explain your deal, first."

    Kawahara''s smirk exploded as soon as I uttered those words. His omniscient smirk is going to be on my nightmares for sure.

    "I like that attitude. Not too prideful to know when you could use an upper hand but you take small cautions by taking small steps on at the time. Really good, if you ask me. Well, here is the deal. I did tell you how to achieve positive results in the exam, which was by nailing the second formula. However, I didn''t give you the method. Surely, the method will depend on whether or not your partner complies and that''s why, I''m saying, I can help you with that."

    "So you are saying that you could somehow help me solve my problem with Yulia? But what do you want in return though?"

    That''s what I wanna know honestly.

    "For I, to be able to help you out, you''ll have to explain the whole situation first. What do I want in return? Let''s see... I could just ask you to immediately comply with me in my ideas but you need proof first, so you''ll just reject me."

    I''m surprised that even though his ego is inflated, Kawahara can see that that would be what I would exactly do, should he propose something that unreasonable.

    "That''s why I will give you something worthy. I''m feeling generous right now, so listen up. You are passing this exam along with your partner. No doubt. As long as you follow everything I tell you, that is. But what about the exam in March?"

    "What about it? We are like one month prior to it. Are you saying that I have to be cautious about it even though we are so far from it?"

    Subsequently, Kawahara facepalmed me in response?

    Why though?

    "Dude... That''s such a narrow way of thinking. Of course you have to be cautious. Thus far, there has been 1 exam and with the upcoming one, it will be the second one. Quick maths, but if we are to evaluate how many exams we will have throughout the future from here on out, then that''s a grand total of 34 special exams. Now, let me ask you this, are you feeling confident enough that you can pass through 34 special exams like it''s a breeze?"

    "I think if I seriously try then I should have no problem."

    "Naive. Dan, you can''t be serious. The degree of difficulty in the upcoming exams will surely increase. If we were only dealing with the degree of difficulty, then I would say that''s nothing to really worry about, but we have to worry about way more than that."

    Who knew that the carefree Kawahara actually had this much on his mind?

    Could it be that he''s secretly nervous about this?

    "I get it. I shouldn''t be this carefree about it. But what''s your point?"

    I didn''t mean for my words to sound rude, but he has this bad habit of delaying the actual point.

    "My point is that even though you can pass this exam, there is no guarantee that you will pass the next one. Well, normally, that would be the case."

    "Normally? What are you talking about?"

    Though, I''m seriously confident that if I stop being lazy about the exams that I can pass them. It''s just unfortunate that we had a sudden exam that revolved around pairings.

    "Without a doubt, should you pass this exam, then you''d have to worry about the upcoming one. Because if you fail the upcoming one then you would have two supply exams accumulated. Now, I''m not sure if you have noticed but if it wasn''t for my grand kindness, you would be a sitting duck right now. If it wasn''t for I, you would not pass this exam, which would give three supply exams."

    I will kill Tsudo one day, I swear.

    "Get this now, if you fail this exam and the upcoming one AFTER this one, then you are done for. That''s it. Game over. Next life."

    So Kawahara truly believes that whoever is out of the program will actually be subjected to those forms of execution? Dying from an electric chair is horrifying, but dying from asphyxia is mortifying.

    "Kawahara, I would appreciate if you''d stop evaluating yourself this high. I''m better than you are expecting me to be."

    "Yet thus far you haven''t shown any signs of that. Fuck, we lost the first exam because you motivated the other retards to invade the girls'' dorm! On a scale of 0 to 10, how retarded do you think that is?!"

    ".........Sev-"

    "INFINITE! So, shut up and listen."

    His mood exploded once again. But we just couldn''t be defeated back then. It couldn''t be helped.

    It had to be done.

    "Your methods are essentially suicidal for all I know. It doesn''t take a fool to know this. That''s why, my deal will involve, I, giving you the correct methods to pass the upcoming exam."

    "......Serious?"

    His offer is somewhat irresistible, in all likelihood.

    "Dead serious. The conclusion being, I''m willing to offer you protection for not only the exam that we will have tomorrow but in the upcoming one in the next month."

    "Yeah okay, but what''s the catch? There has to be a catch..."

    It''s pure insanity to think that Kawahara would just give all of this for free. He''s not the type of person to just make deals this willingly and kindly.

    Without a doubt, there has to be a catch.

    "There is no catch. That''s the catch."

    "What?! No way that''s true. Come on, spill it out. What is it?"

    "Dude, I''m fucking serious. Learn to believe."

    I can believe sometimes, but this is just too hard.

    "Oh, I get it. Evidence first. Fuck, why not? I''ll tell you how to solve your situation and then you will realize at the end of this just how much of an awesome person I am!"

    In addition to proposing unexpectedly profitable deals, I can''t tell if Kawahara just wants to do actions that would make him someone great or if he wants to help me.

    ...It has to be the first option, no doubt.

    "But Dan, in order for me to do so, you have to tell me every single detail. It actually matters."

    ............

    "Sure..."

    There are no consequences in telling him this or so I thought, thus I went forward and explained the whole thing to him.

    "Man, what a bitch."

    I chuckled.

    "B-But, haha, there must be something that I can do, right?"

    My laughing aside, it would all come down to either me or Kawahara. In my mind, I already have a plan, but I wanted to know how he would perceive this.

    "There are plenty of things that you can do. I already have a few plans in mind. The problem isn''t what you can do, but if you can do it."

    "What are you on about? Why would I not be able to do it?"

    It''s seriously confusing how there is supposedly something I can''t do when this is obnoxiously easy to solve.

    With all things considered, I should just respect Yulia more and more and pretend that I care when I don''t.

    That''s how I should perceive this.

    "No... I''m not saying that you can''t do it. But there is a high chance that you will object my way of perceiving this. Essentially, it''s pretty obvious how you should go about this. From what you have told me, you and she have developed a level of intimacy which would be considered high. I''m even surprised that there isn''t any sort of tension between you two. Or you lied about it."

    What is Kawahara talking about...? Why would there ever be a level of intimacy between I and Yulia?

    Makes no sense...

    "There isn''t really any tension between us."

    "Mhm! I see why there isn''t any tension between you two now!"

    The thing about Kawahara is, whenever he is self-indulging and colliding with his own thoughts, he makes this really deep and thoughtful face yet as soon as he realizes something he bursts with excitement.

    "Dan, you really are dense. That''s why you haven''t noticed. But why haven''t you noticed...?"

    "Huh?! How am I dense?"

    It''s against my creed to be dense and act like a harem protagonist. I thought that I made this clear already yet this guy thinks that I am dense.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Bullshit.

    "Dude, you are totally dense. So, from what you have told me, she wants to know things about you and thus, you two even share secrets, which you didn''t tell me by the way."

    "I''m not telling you. I can''t. It''s a thing between me and her. Apologies."

    "That''s exactly my point! If you two have this hidden chemistry then how come you haven''t noticed what''s going on?! The only logical explanation is... you are fucking dense as hell."

    Kawahara''s so wrong but he doesn''t even understand why he is wrong. Guess I have to prove to him why he''s wrong.

    "I''m not dense, man. This is just normal, there''s nothing going on. This exam''s essence is for you and your partner to work it out better, so it''s only normal for you to get to know your partner better. Even if that means growing a bit closer. But it''s all for the sake of passing the exam."

    Hopefully, Kawahara realizes just how flawed his point of view is now.

    "Hahaha! That''s what you think?"

    "Yeah, it is..."

    "Well, you''re wrong. While you perceive the essence correctly, that doesn''t matter right now. What I meant by dense, you completely explained to me why you are dense just now."

    "I don''t get it. I seriously don''t. You keep on calling me dense, but I just can''t see how I am dense. Mind explaining?"

    Being called dense over and over is surprisingly annoying. Furthermore, claiming that I''ve explained why I am dense just adds salt to the injury.

    It''s like Kawahara''s saying that I''ve defeated my own argument with my own words.

    "Daniel, you built up this bond with her for the sake of passing the exam, but you just don''t get it, man. You don''t get them at all."

    Them?

    "What?"

    Kawahara, before speaking to me again, inhaled deeply.

    "Women! Girls! Those fragile creatures that are around you, that also unknowingly get attached to insensitive assholes like you on accident! Get it now?!"

    His words resembled a bit of white-knight mannerism, but I could sense a small fragrance of truth behind them. Plus, his intention wasn''t to protect the opposite gender.

    Although I know that, I still can''t see his point.

    "No, I still don''t get it. I''m also not insensitive. I''m actually quite emotional deep down, you know?"

    "Your deep down doesn''t count because on the surface you don''t speak about your emotions. Therefore you are perceived as insensitive, heartless and whatnot. In other words, you basically are emotionally incompetent."

    No way that''s true.

    Do I not express myself constantly? I think I do.

    "Not true. If that was the case, then I wouldn''t have made any progress with Yulia at all. Yulia is an emotional person and to synergize with her, I had to show her a bit of emotion."

    "Oh, you dumbfuck, realize this already! You only were able to synergize with her to a reasonable extent because you were worried about the exam. Thus, you faked your caring and all that. And that''s why you are dense. Because you don''t realize that she bothered to talk to you because she cared about the exam. If she knew that she would already fail the exam, then why would she continue to speak to you? Especially about her secrets? No sense. That''s why there is an ulterior reason, dumbass."

    Kawahara''s so rude. I bet that I would start to cry if I was an emotional person.

    His words sting yet that''s about it.

    "What ulterior reason though? Also, that''s why I''m dense? Because I care about the exam? Well, so sorry for actually caring about what needs to be taken care of!"

    "Not my point, Dan... Not my point at all... Caring about the exam is really good. But you didn''t realize something or maybe it just didn''t click to you. Without Yulia, you can forget winning. If you knew this, then you would just analyze the situation and realize that you were wrong about certain aspects. Yet, what do you do? You fucking argue. You show an insensitive coherence. Lack of caring. Fuck, you didn''t even chase her back. It''s as if you are telling her: ''Whatever, I don''t need you anyway. Go take a hike, thot.''"

    Why am I receiving such a sassy scolding...?

    "I can''t believe you. Are you arguing that I should have done the right thing instead of the wrong thing? Are you deep down a righteous person?"

    This caught my attention. Kawahara might turn out to be an incredibly good person.

    "You keep on missing my point. Wow. Just wow. Alright... My point overall is that you can''t see things from her perspective and that''s the main reason why you and Yulia are constantly arguing. Though, she''s really dumb. Why the fuck would you deny a chance of winning all just for the sake of this loyalty bullcrap? Unreasonable."

    "I know right?! If only Yul-"

    "Not the time to vent. I said that there was an ulterior reason for all of this. The reason as to why she has done all of this despite knowing what the end goal would be. Do you know that reason?"

    Now that Kawahara mentions this yet again, it doesn''t make much sense. All this time, the reason as to why I bothered to talk to her was to please her mood, which would ultimately benefit me since that would give her some sort of emotional strength. Which, in the end, might prove to be useful in the exam.

    Then again, we decided to quit. After that, she was pretty happy. It''s still on the back of my mind, her constant smiling.

    She was happy because I went along with her plan, well, my plan, but that vanished as soon as I proposed that we should take a new approach.

    Hell, Yulia even viewed that as infidelity.

    But why? I can''t understand her pattern.

    Why would she do something when it doesn''t regard the exam anymore?

    "No... I don''t think I can find a possible answer. If it doesn''t concern the exam then I don''t see why she would bother to create such interaction with me."

    I tried to think more and more by relaxing my back on this comfy couch, but nothing was coming to mind.

    "Yulia was totally fine with failing. Why is that though?"

    ...She never really explained that.

    "Let me answer that for you since you have no way of knowing it."

    "And you do?"

    "Yeah. The losers will be placed next to each other throughout the whole year. That''s a huge reward for her."

    Is it? How? I don''t get it.

    Shouldn''t your priority be, passing the exam?

    "Furthermore, Yulia showed to be revolted once you proposed a winning strategy. Not really a winning strategy, but just the idea that there might be a winning condition. Aren''t you curious to know why she expressed herself in such a revolted way?"

    "She''s just really emotional, what do you expect? Also, she viewed that as an act of betrayal. No clue why, though."

    "Truly dense. I don''t think harem protagonists have a single chance against you. They are mortals while you are their god. Clap yourself on the back."

    "Your sarcasm hurts. Please stop."

    It really does okay?

    Saying that I am the god of harem protagonists is excruciatingly hurtful.

    "It wasn''t sarcasm."

    It wasn''t?!

    "Anyway, as I was saying, there is an overall reason for all of her reactions. Since it doesn''t make any sense for her to be revolted about this without having an actual reason for being so revolted, you have to think about her emotional state. But, you can''t do that. Yulia even told you why. You just can''t see things from her perspective. There is something that''s forbidding you from doing so."

    "Oh? But what? Don''t tell me it''s my lack of emotion. I already told you that''s not the case."

    Because, if it was the case, then what about the times where I have shown her plenty of emotion?

    It doesn''t make much sense for him to claim that I can''t see things from her perspective just because my emotions aren''t on a higher level.

    "It''s your obnoxious dogmatic tendency to supremely focus on the exam and nothing else. Listen, you are correct. So correct. Winning is the overall goal, but you don''t know how to win and that''s killing you right now. Even though the answer to winning was in front of you all this time."

    "You mean Yulia? I get that. She''s important, I really get it. But I screwed up. It''s too late."

    Kawahara then dropped another smirk bomb in my direction.

    "You''re not out of luck, my guy. It''s still not too late. But let me tell you the reason for her actions thus far. Otherwise, you might view your actions as illogical. Now... prepare yourself. Your virgin heart might not be ready for this, so hold on tight."

    "Oi."

    While I''m happy that Kawahara will finally explain the overall reason as to why Yulia has been acting the way she has, his words are so painful.

    Virgin heart? Bruh.

    "This is just a single hypothesis, but... I''m noticeably right and correct here. Out of the 1143 options that were there to evaluate and to take into consideration, this is it. No doubt here, this is the ultimate option."

    What the hell?! 1143 options!? What is this Doctor Strange shit?!

    "Dan..."

    W-What?! Why are you placing your hands on my shoulders without saying no homo?!

    "Yulia has a crush on you."

    ?

    "Nonsense. No way that''s possible."

    I have no clue why, but my brain completely and immediately rejected that idea of his.

    "Do I have to explain my entire theory to you as to why I think she has a major crush on you EVEN THOUGH it''s completely obvious?! Well, I like explaining my theories, so why not."

    Bipolar man strikes again.

    But there''s just no way that''s possible.

    "I''ll just point out a few references Yulia made to you, but you, being the obnoxious little shit that you are, refused to notice her signals. Ah, fuck. Why do all the hotties fall for the wrong selfish pricks?! I''m alive you know, world?!"

    Says the guy who''s borderline narcissistic and the guy who essentially has a fan club at this point.

    Hypocrite!

    "First clue! She asked for your number! There is literally no reason why she would ask you for your number if you think about it. If she already knew that she was going to fail the exam, then why even bother? Although, out of all my clues, this is the weakest one. So, if you want to disregard this one, feel free to do so. I have stronger clues anyway."

    "I will respectfully do so."

    "Second clue! She played a game of catch with you. Remember when she texted you saying that you had to find her and in the end, she didn''t give you her location? That''s Yulia saying that she wanted you to seek her. Of course, I would immediately label her as an attention whore, if it wasn''t for the upcoming clue!"

    Kawahara, back when I was explaining the whole situation even asked me about that. The man wants to know everything.

    "Third clue! She talks to literally no one EXCEPT you! Not her table parter, Susaga, but you. Fuck, you can''t tell me that''s coincidental. I know all about being socially awkward since I have a history with that, but no way is this a coincidence. In other words, she''s not an attention whore because she wants your attention alone. It would be a different story if she wanted the attention of others along the way, but that''s not the case."

    What did he mean by having a history with that?

    "Fourth clue! She allowed you to train her and ultimately allowed you to stare at her body while planking. How the fuck is that even allowed?!"

    He''s burning with jealously while explaining his points. Kinda funny.

    "Fifth clue! She pays you meals. Why would she do that? Does she seem like someone who wants to extract the truth from you by paying her food? No, you denied that already. Therefore, she wants to have quality time with you. Basically, she most likely had in mind a plan or something."

    I thought she did that out of kindness.

    "Sixth clue! Noodle challenge!"

    Seriously?

    "Seventh clue! You two have an astonishing level of intimacy considering you two only started to talk a few days ago. My lord, you two even shared secrets supposedly. And considering she most likely only opened herself to you, how the fuck are you blind to the point of not seeing the obvious signal here? Listen up, you prick, girls don''t emotionally open up unless they are telling you a blatant lie OR if they want to share something with you. Now, I have no clue what she saw in you, but apparently, you are worthy of her!"

    Kawahara''s shouts are piercing my eardrums. This is worse than that one time when I listened to music way too loud and was almost deaf.

    "Eighth clue! Even after trying to possibly struggle and pass the exam, as soon as you gave her reasoning and as soon as you told her that she didn''t even try at this exam, she immediately agreed with you. And no, don''t view this as something that happened due to her physical inability. To her, she must''ve viewed this as an act of kindness!"

    All this time, I really wanted to argue with him on his points but they are slowly clicking in.

    "Ninth clue! Not only did she agree with your plan because she viewed that as an act of kindness but there is yet another reason! Remember how the pairings that lose will be paired up until the end of this year? After this exam, March will hit the scene. That''s motherfucking 10 months paired up with you! Remember, we don''t have vacation because this system is unfair as fuck, so from her perspective, it makes total sense to be by your side throughout the whole year!"

    Just how many clues will he bother to explain to me? He''s making me feel dumb.

    Not because of his words, but due to his reasonings.

    "Tenth clue! She saw your act as infidelity because, in her mind, you were already deemed to be paired up with her for a long time yet as soon as you project an objection to her idea, she showed you a revolted response because it''s like you are saying that you don''t want to be with her. Fuck, normally that''s fine, but she''s clearly upset because you are too dense to see things from her perspective and that killed her mood. That''s why she''s currently mad at you. Because you are not understanding the whole damn thing even though it''s so fucking obvious!"

    His perception is amazing. He knows all of this even though he wasn''t present on the actual scene. In other words, this is all just according to my words alone.

    I wonder just how far would he be able to perceive the whole situation if he was present?

    Well, I bothered to explain to him the whole thing to a very vast extent though.

    "For the record, I have way more clues, but these were to me, the most obvious ones. Now, the question is, do you still believe that she doesn''t have a crush on you?"

    "...It''s hard to say now. I was convinced that she didn''t but your words are making me see this whole event from a different light. I''m surprised just how much I''m accepting the possibility even though I literally rejected the possibility in my mind initially."

    Plus, I''m extremely confused and have no clue how I should act when I''m around her again.

    Suddenly, a spiral of anxiety and insecurity began to swirl around under my consciousness.

    "What''s important is that you acknowledge the possibility that she has a crush on you. But what''s more important than that is that you don''t act like it''s a possibility. Act like it''s a fact. This is what I was talking about earlier. Remember when I said that there was a chance of you not being able to coop up with my words? This is it. I''m asking you to act like Yulia''s crush on you is the most apparent and obvious fact on this planet. Well, can you do that?"

    This time, I smirked back.

    Kawahara formed a shocked expression in response, as expected.

    And that''s because he doesn''t know that I also possess narcissistic tendencies and views about myself, although minimal, to my arsenal.

    "Leave it to me. Actually, no. Just how is this any relevant to the situation?"

    I was too focused on what Kawahara had just told me to realize the flaw here.

    How would this connect to winning the exam?

    "It''s plenty of relevant, trust me. She''s mad at you for the reasons I''ve already explained. And you, are going to please her mood."

    "What are you suggesting exactly?"

    How the hell can I possibly please her mood? Well, I already know the answer to that though.

    Initially, my plan was to leave the scene and find Yulia and just talk this out to her. And then, I would manipulate her into siding with me.

    Though, now that Kawahara has explained to me that she might have a crush on me, that completely changes things. Because if that''s the case, then my acting could all just be a waste.

    "Go out with her. Answer her feelings. Make her be aware of how she actually feels towards you because there is a chance that she''s not even aware of this. Man up, essentially."

    "What? Are you kidding me? I don''t even love her... I can''t possibly do something like that."

    "Why not though? Are you secretly noble? Is that why you are being a wuss about this? Just pretend that you love her and it will be fine. Your feelings are not important, her''s are. Can you not see what I''m telling you? You don''t have to be genuine about this, all you have to do is show a genuine act. Acting and being are worlds apart."

    "I see... Essentially, all I have to do is to portray a more genuine act and I don''t have to be genuine about this at all? But what then? Let''s suppose that this works... We would probably grow closer and all that. I don''t think I can coop up with that."

    "Dan, it''s easy. Take your time, but don''t be too slow either. But you must get this done quickly. As soon as you are done portraying how you feel towards her, IN A POSITIVE WAY, you have to trick her. Lie to her over and over. Show her that you have similar feelings and that she must cooperate with you. Explain her the second formula and that it doesn''t matter if you two won''t be paired up all year. Do something fun such as saying that instead of being paired up, you two could become something greater. Hey, that''s a pretty good line now that I think about it."

    This guy''s actual human garbage.

    But I''m not in a greater position.

    "With that said, what are you waiting for?"

    "Huh?"

    "Dude, fucking call her. No messages. You have her number right? Spam her fucking voicemail until she picks up."

    He''s not taking into consideration that Yulia might''ve turned off her phone.

    Yet it''s arguably worth the shot. I think what Kawahara is saying is that, by calling her, I''m showing that I actually want to chase after her.

    Though, that''s a huge problem.

    "I can''t do that. The guy can''t chase after the girl. That''s a beta way of acting."

    "Shut the fuck up and call her right now or I will."

    "Yeah, okay."

    I''m still right though.

    5 minutes later.

    "Well, at least her phone isn''t turned off which means that the missed calls are actually going through. She''s just not picking up. Keep on trying though. The moment you can''t even call her means that you have to find her physically but until she does that, you have to keep on trying."

    It seems Kawahara doesn''t exactly care about the alpha code.

    He just does whatever must be done in his mind.

    Strangely enough, I''m starting to think that his mindset and way of doing things will turn out to be successful.

    "Let''s try again... 24th call, what could go wrong?"

    Roughly 10 seconds after, I heard my call being picked up but no voice came from it.

    It took me around two seconds to act, and I acted because Kawahara gave me a push on my shoulder.

    "I want to talk to you."

    But she turned the call off as soon as I said that.

    "What the fuck, she turned the call off!"

    "Just insist again. If she picked it up it means that it''s working. If you stop now, the effect will be gone. Try again!"

    It hurts my soul to chase after a girl like this, but according to Kawahara, this is absolutely mandatory.

    Thus, I called her once more.

    This time, it only took her 5 seconds.

    "Please don''t cut the call. I really want to-"

    Ah fuck, not again.

    I didn''t have to look in Kawahara''s direction to realize what had to be done once more.

    One second this time.

    "What?"

    What a surprise, she actually spoke. But her voice is aggressive as hell.

    "I''m sorry, I was wrong and you were right all along. Please let me talk to you in person. I think we both would like to have it that way."

    "...That way?"

    "Yeah. You''ll see what I mean in no time."

    Kawahara blew a whistle as soon as he heard those words.

    "Where?"

    "Where do you want to talk, Yulia?"

    Giving her the priority here is also mandatory.

    "Where do you want to talk, Daniel?"

    "Wherever you want to talk, Yulia."

    Claps came from Kawahara.

    It''s giving me a strong feeling of embarrassment. I wish he would stop.

    "Do you remember that time when I gave you that riddle? Well, that''s it. Good luck!"

    After saying that, she cut the call.

    "That''s enough. Don''t insist. Do what you must now."

    "What about you, Kawahara?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "What are you going to do? Are you just going to stand here?"

    If so, then he was literally going to skip out a lot.

    "Yeah. Gotta take a nap. Pretty comfy couch, if you ask me. Perfect for a nap. Might just read some of the books here. They''ve been on my mind for a while. Now, you go. No need to thank me when you pass the exam. Let that serve you as evidence that I am omnipotent in this small round world! It''s small because the grandness of my existence makes the Earth''s Axis quake!"

    How can someone change his own mood so quickly? It''s actually impressive.

    Yet before leaving, I just had to ask him one small question.

    "Kawahara... Um... I know that I have to find out who she is, but if you know all of this then why haven''t you made your move yet?"

    Since he has someone he loves, why hasn''t he made his move even though the result could potentially be great?

    Also, as soon as I got up from the couch, Kawahara''s legs extended throughout the whole couch as he formed a napping position.

    He even yawned on top of it, before replying to me.

    "Shut up. Everybody''s got their problems."

    Around 1 day left until the exam.

 Volume 7 - Chapter 43: We JOKINGLY started a betting system.

    February 25th, the upcoming morning.

    Just like any other morning, you would either get up and do absolutely nothing or just about what you had in mind or, alternatively, you would get up and descend down the stairs to have morning breakfast.

    Something to know is that, right now, you have to prepare your breakfast. Either that or just grab a piece of food.

    Unfortunately for me, I only have experience regarding cooking eggs and sausages.

    You can''t get more American than this.

    Alas, this would mean that, since there was no frying pan, I was stuck eating a brutal cold piece of bread that had some redeemable butter in it.

    "Ishuzoku Reviewers is awesome man, I can''t get enough of it. Japan finally decided to open their fissured eyes and allowed us, human beings, to experience the might of true culture!"

    Not only that, but I was stuck leaning to an annoying existence that for some reason thinks that it''s a good idea to talk to me right now.

    Why is this guy so relaxed? Doesn''t he know that I''m pissed off at him and that I can warp strike his fucking throat any time I so like?

    "You don''t have to ask what it is about, because I''ll explain it to you, cultured brother in arms. While the title might leave you in wonders, the premise itself is incredibly interesting! It''s about a group of cultured individuals who wish to venture into the lands of culture and so, they review those cultured places! Well, to be more precise, they review just about any sort of erotic attraction and since there is a vast amount of opinions regarding them, they wish to end this controversy by spreading the truth about them!"

    If it wasn''t for him then I could be severely more relaxed about what''s going to happen today. Although, I''m somewhat relaxed either way.

    With all things considered, if everything goes as planned, then the overall results should be positive.

    Tsudo''s meaningless words aside, something far more interesting was happening right now.

    Across this fifty/fifty half empty/half full cafeteria, Kan''s voice could be heard throughout the cafeteria.

    "Fuck off or I will kill you too. Don''t fucking think I won''t, bastard!"

    Kan''s tone leads me to believe that he is serious about this and that those words are not meant to be taken with a hint of sarcasm or a glimpse of kindness.

    Plus, his fists were essentially fully prepared to fight, as they were clenched.

    The only problem here was that it wasn''t Kan only. There were far more people who were mad about yesterday''s incident that took place just about this exact time.

    "Why are you protecting him?! Yesterday you ran off to get him, which means that you must be equally mad too!"

    Sagasuga attempted to reason with the person who was protecting a certain individual yet it was all for naught. How surprising though. Sagasuga is showing to be moody even though that rarely happens.

    I guess he either shuts up or he blasts through everything.

    "Guys, don''t fall for his bait! He probably planned this a long time ago, I bet..."

    And Tsudo was no longer seating beside me. Which was great, since he was also trying to reason along with the rest.

    "It''s just food! You don''t have to be mad about it!"

    Even though the certain individual at hand attempted to justify his claim against the horde of angry and perturbed individuals, he was quickly countered by harsh replies.

    "Shut the fuck up, you rat! Have you not learned your lesson?!"

    "That''s meaningless to ask, Kan... Of course he hasn''t... Apparently, Kuzan needs to suffer a greater punishment than just his hair going away."

    Sagasuga is forgetting that I took care of his potential upcoming blissful events. Kuzan may try to get a girl pregnant and it will not work.

    "We need to lock him! Why not lock him in the toilet?"

    Tsudo just proposed something cruel. Apart from the toilets in our rooms, there is a public bathroom in this dorm. But why use it when we already have the ones in our room anyway?

    Nevertheless, the entrance requires a key and since the door to it is made of heavy steel, it''s basically impossible to leave it if you are locked in it.

    "You''re all insane! It''s just food bros! You can''t censure a bro for being hungry! It''s also not my fault that you are all slow in the uptake! Did you all think that I would just stand here and quietly watch you all eat that delicious food?! Are you all idiots?!"

    Kuzan''s retarded. He thinks that he is in a greater position and that he can survive a full-on onslaught from the angry Kan and the rest.

    This bread sucks by the way. It''s like I''m eating a cockroach''s shell. My teeth feel like they might disappear if I keep on silently bitting this sorry excuse of a bread.

    "That''s it! Enough with his bullshit! You''re fucking dead! I don''t give a fuck if I meet my death earlier than expected because your death is far more fucking worth it!!"

    See, this is what was I thinking. Why would Kuzan act all high and mighty when he''s just going to get run over by Kan who apparently doesn''t even care about the consequences of killing someone.

    But I guess Kuzan isn''t fully retarded. And that''s because he is in a position to act all high and mighty, right now, at least.

    "One last time, so you hear me. Out of the fucking way."

    Of course, the main reason why Kuzan hasn''t been ravaged and slaughtered in every conceivable way possible is due to a single person''s effort.

    "Nope. Go take a spin, Kan. Kuzan''s under my protection now. Mess with him, you mess with me. Got that? If so, fucking fuck off!"

    And realistically speaking, no one in their right mind would step up to Kawahara. What I would like to know is how Kuzan got Kawahara to protect him.

    Yet it''s really not hard to imagine honestly. Knowing Kuzan, he got way too greedy and most likely feel into Kawahara''s web thread a bit too early.

    "What the fuck?! Why are you acting like this suddenly?! Weren''t you the one who strictly opposed this shit?! Yet now you side with this rat!? What?!"

    Both Kan and Kawahara were quite close to each other yet Kawahara wasn''t wavering at all. But Kan''s physical movements would imply that he is ready to get down and dirty.

    "Things happened. What can I say, I change my mind often."

    To contrast all of us, which are on their gym clothes already, Kawahara only had his black shorts on. Naked top as always.

    I seriously thought that since Kawahara was exhibiting that well-built top of his that Kan would take the psychological effect and immediately back off, but that wasn''t the case at all.

    "Alright. I tried. Now, die!"

    Shit, this was actually happening. Right after Kan condemned Kawahara as dead in his mind, he took a full dash and strode to his location fastly.

    Kan was ready to perform a straight punch that has considerable strength behind it, but Kawahara blocked it and kicked his abdomen as a countermeasure, which sent Kan flying across all the tables.

    "Gaaah!!!"

    I instantly assumed that Kawahara was going to slaughter Kan by rushing to his location, which was buried amidst the tables, but Kawahara didn''t move a single inch.

    "If only trying was enough. Now, is there anyone else who wants a piece of me?! Huh?! Step up you fuckers! I will take you all on! It doesn''t matter the order, just come at me, all of you bitches!!"

    Midst this, Kuzan was forming a stupid confident smirk just because he was in a greater position. You fucking idiot.

    You said you want to interact with everyone here but by siding with Kawahara you are entirely killing your wishes.

    Shortly after Kawahara said those strong words, the opposition was completely destroyed as the majority of them just moved away from the scene.

    Ryoken went to see if Kan was okay, but from what I could see, Kan was knocked the fuck out.

    "Ah.."

    I muttered as soon as I realized that I was wrong about something. The opposition was still there, just minimal.

    Sagasuga was standing up to Kawahara who was not moving either. All this time, Kuzan was behind Kawahara, which was the main reason why no one could just approach him.

    They could''ve gone behind him, but I''m not sure if that would work. Considering how fast Kawahara was to counteract, it wouldn''t be much of a surprise if all the opposition shrank as soon as they tried something funny.

    "What? You got something to say?"

    "This is the second time this has happened. I will not forgive a third time. You''ve been warned, Kuzan."

    It suddenly clicked how Sagasuga didn''t punish Kuzan the first time. He just allowed it to happen yet he wasn''t exactly happy about it. He was simply passive.

    Yet now, he''s being passive-aggressive towards Kuzan.

    And even though the words were directed to Kuzan, it was Kawahara who posed the question. In other words, Kawahara was essentially protecting Kuzan from all evil in this world.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    In addition to that, with an angry face, Sagasuga grabbed his school bag and took off.

    "W-What did he mean by that...?"

    "Chill, Kuzan. It doesn''t matter what he tells you. You''re under my guard now. Just tell me and I will come to your aid as soon as possible."

    I wouldn''t be too sure about that. The last time I saw Sagasuga that angry things didn''t go well for just about everyone. Kuzan didn''t see it back at the Street Fighter tournament, but Sagasuga''s an actual monster.

    Kuzan should feel a tremendous amount of fear right now but he can''t because he doesn''t have a reason to.

    Kawahara''s presence is healing all of his insecurities.

    "Fuck... It''s already 8 am. I should brush my teeth for the third time today. Do I need to do my hair more nicely...? No, I feel like I''m going to kill the entire mood if I actually try too hard... It will kill the mood, right?"

    With all things considered, I just want to be somewhat plausible. And that''s because I have this tendency of not caring for my looks since I believe to already be naturally attractive, but that''s my opinion.

    It''s an entirely different matter when it regards the opinion of others. Well, one person in particular.

    "Talking alone this early in the morning...? Wuaaaaah. Is the pressure getting to you?"

    I was too focused on my inner monologue to notice his existence suddenly approaching me.

    But he was yawning once again, just like yesterday. Though, something caught my attention immediately. He was carrying, along with his usual onions, a piggy bank in his arms.

    "Only devils eat raw onions and don''t cry. Are you Satan in disguise?"

    Furthermore, he eats them like he''s eating an average apple. Never did I imagine someone eating raw onions the same way someone eats apples.

    That''s by far one of the most cursed things I could ever imagine.

    "It''s pretty good though. Try it. Don''t let the looks of an onion deceive you from the truth. The truth being, it''s actually quite good. Like, you know how there are foods in this world that you initially thought was bad but then as soon as you got a taste of them you were consumed by a sensation of explicit joy? This is it. Raw onions are the zenith of explicitness."

    His words got me curious. Could raw onions, something that I truly despise, be good? Normally I would reject the idea of eating something like raw onions, but his reasoning was somewhat appealing.

    Because, throughout my life, there have been occasions where the look of certain foods just aren''t as appealing as they initially seem to be yet as soon as you get a taste of them, they turn out to be amazing.

    If so, then I have nothing to lose. Plus, he''s already extending his right arm with raw onion on his right hand.

    Ultimately, I swallowed all my saliva along with my worries and took a bite.

    "Pfft! Blegh! Hyunda, this sucks!"

    "Hahaha, raw onions aren''t for everyone, you see. The moment you are able to enjoy raw onions is the moment something crucial is happening in your life."

    I''m not sure how to take that, is that a saying that a certain omen will happen the moment I''m able to enjoy this sporadic existence called onions? Or that something jubilant will come to your life once you are able to enjoy them?

    Wait...

    "Is that even true? If so, that means that something is happening to your life right now, right?"

    It bothered me how Hyunda just took a seat and continued to eat raw onions like apples. There must a secret or is he pretending that the taste is not bothering him? Kinda like how ghouls faked to like human food for the sake of not being found out.

    I see, then Hyunda is a gh-

    "No, I just said that the moment you start to enjoy them, something crucial will happen. Of course, I''m talking based on personal experience. In other words, I''m speaking nonsense. And I''ve enjoyed the taste of raw onions for way too long. I can''t even remember when it began anymore."

    Hm, I see. So that''s his reasoning.

    Well, sure. But I''m still more curious about something.

    "Hyunda, what is that?"

    I pointed at the piggy bank that was in the shape of a Maneki cat. Truly, it was adorable, but I just couldn''t help but wonder the purpose of it being here.

    "Can''t you tell? It''s a piggy bank. Pretty useful to save money. We still aren''t old enough to get bank cards, remember?"

    "Oh, I see. And you are going to start saving money for what reason?"

    There is a slight chance that I don''t know the meaning of the concept of personal space.

    And Hyunda''s right. We can''t just store money into credit cards or vice-versa. Physical money all the way. The only problem is that we had no way of getting money except through our parents.

    I''m speaking for the rest of us, not me in particular though.

    "I had this strange thought last night. We all leave school once per month, right?"

    "Hm."

    "But our only way to get money is from sources that supplement us with money. The obvious answer would be, parental aiding. However, it doesn''t have to be this way only."

    "How come? I thought that the majority of us would have to rely on parental supplements to get money. And given that you have to pay your own money for food in this school, I would say it''s pretty much essential that the majority do that."

    Not to mention, there are several stores in our school that serve as a mini-mall. Basically, this school is a little bit too excessive yet that''s fine actually.

    "It''s too situational, I would say. Some of us might not even have that chance or maybe they don''t want to rely on their parents. The reason is irrelevant, but what came across my mind was how I could start increasing my own money which is essentially none right now, to a formidable amount."

    Isn''t he being too idealistic? How exactly can you increase your own money out of barely anything, especially in a place like this?

    Is he proposing that he''s going to somehow find a way to increase his own finances?

    "Is that why you came to me? It''s rare, normally I have to come to you, Hyunda."

    "This benefits you if you are in and well, it''s fun."

    So that''s his reason.

    "Before telling you what I have in mind, how do you feel about gambling?"

    "High-risk high reward, but if it fails, it''s extremely counterproductive, basically."

    "I see. I like gambling. Sometimes, I can get a bit too addicted to it. But it''s overall fun. You either win big or you lose big. The risk is a pleasure, essentially."

    "Hyunda, is gambling somehow related to what you have in mind?"

    Otherwise, why bother telling me all of this? And he needs me for some reason.

    According to him, I also strongly benefit from what he has in mind.

    "Yeah. I was thinking about creating a betting system."

    "A betting system? But doesn''t that revolve around way too much money? We are broke right now, so how exactly can we profit from this?"

    "You''re right on that. We are broke and without a minimal budget, we can forget even trying to form a betting system. Plus, right now, it doesn''t strongly benefit us both to invest."

    He''s already speaking his mind about ideas without explaining why he has those ideas. How exactly can I know that right now, we don''t benefit?

    I know that we don''t benefit but that''s because the budget is non-existent. And he said ''right now''. Is he implying that that will change?

    But more importantly...

    "Hold on. Can you explain what this betting system of yours revolve around?"

    "Oh, what? It''s self-explanatory. It revolves around betting. Though, if your question is on what we are betting, then it comes down to the idea that I had. Listen up, Daniel. With every exam, there are winners and losers. Winners.... and..... losers......"

    Hyunda dared to explain that slowly just because he thought I wouldn''t understand his intention immediately, but I completely got it, fortunately.

    "You want to make bets regarding who will win and who will lose, right? Yeah, I get it. But how exactly will it work? Furthermore, there must be some ground rules, otherwise, a lot of cheating shenanigans will go down."

    "It''s too early to decide that. I''m just speaking about the idea that I had in mind. I do know that it will take work, but the biggest problem is that the budget is non-existent, for now."

    "What do you mean for now? Will it ever increase?"

    "Naturally. But think of it like this, I, as the primal creator of this system will need at least a profitable budget. Sorta like how people rely on banks. Therefore, I will gather some money which will give us a redeemable budget. That''s what this piggy bank is for. For the goods to be put there. Yet as you can see..."

    Hyunda dropped his onion which was almost fully eaten in order to shake the piggy bank.

    The sound was incredibly hollow. As a matter of fact, no sound came from it. I was just imagining it.

    "Nothing. Right now, we have absolutely nothing. But... At the end of the month, I suppose that could change."

    "What do you have in mind, Hyunda?"

    "Well, just leave it to me, I guess. I''ll work something out. On the more important side, although I only wanted to start this system when I got a minimal budget, I don''t see a reason to not start right now."

    This confused me. Wasn''t the main reason why he couldn''t just start this because he couldn''t afford a minimal budget?

    "We can''t start right now. I get that we can bet on who will win and lose in this exam. Mainly regarding the pairings. But we don''t have anything to bet. Unless we are talking about things aside from money..."

    That would be extremely disappointing though. The primal reason why people even bother to bet is that money is a formidable reward and millions agree with this idea and point of view of mine.

    But, Hyunda, to argue back, pulled out a similar penny to the one he gave me a few days ago. I still haven''t forgotten about that and he isn''t showing any signs of apologizing for the troll.

    "See this? Right now, we will bet using this. It''s minimal money possible. You must have at least this or are you just incredibly broke?"

    "No, I do have it."

    My question is, Hyunda, do you have more money than that? Although you just joked about it, I''m starting to believe that you are secretly poor as hell.

    Then again, so am I.

    Nevertheless, I pulled out a penny from my pocket and placed it on the table.

    "Perfect. Now, today, the exam will go down and the victors and the losers will be decided. That''s essentially the main premise of this bet. The winner will take both pennies, which is the total value. Of course, once I gather actual budget, prizes will be attributed and we can actually start to form prize selections with quotas and whatnot."

    Imagine forming a serious bet when the prize is two pieces of the minimal financial value possible.

    This is so sad Alexa.

    Well, ultimately, Hyunda put the two pennies inside the adorable piggy bank, and thus, the sound wasn''t hollow anymore. Hyunda even bothered to shake the piggy bank once again just to prove that the sound wasn''t massively hollow.

    "And with this, this is how we will bet."

    From his pockets, he pulled out two white sheets, which were wrapped, and two pens.

    "You just need to write the pairings that you think are going to win and the pairings that you think are going to lose. Normally, when I have a bigger budget, I will allow such things as betting for only two people or so on. It will honestly depend on the exam. Let''s just say that you won''t be forced to bet on every single pair like right now. Anyway, that''s it. Start writing, but don''t reveal it to me. I will turn around and when you are done, hand me the sheet wrapped up. I will not look. Plus, I will put it on the piggy bank. We can only look when the exam is done and the results are handed. The winner will be the one who got the most guesses right. In case of a draw, we both get our pennies back. Sweet, right?"

    "Sure, it''s sweet, but don''t you need to write it too?"

    "Ah, don''t worry. I already did that last night. You go. Well, I''ll turn around now."

    Time was on the clock and honestly, there wasn''t much time, realistically, so I just wrote down the pairings that I thought were going to lose and those that I thought were going to win.

    "But Hyunda, can''t you just alter the results and make it so you are the winner? I mean, as soon as the exam is done, all you have to do is alter your prior results and that''s that."

    I simply didn''t bother making much of a scene about this because I genuinely thought that it was not worth it. Creating a melodramatic scene just for two pennies?

    Talk about desperate.

    "About that, come with me."

    "Oh, alright."

    Without any complaints, I followed Hyunda and we ended up in...

    "This place stinks... No wonder no one comes in here..."

    Our public bathroom even makes cockroaches flee. No... It should be the exact opposite...

    Yet in the middle of this dirty bathroom, Hyunda kept on walking to the last door and as we entered it...

    Hyunda raised the toilet sink and as he did that, he pulled out a mini-key, which fit exactly in the lock that was there in the middle of the sink, somehow...

    The most disturbing part about it was how unphased he was about this. As soon as he was done opening the lock, he handed the key to me.

    "Huh? Why?"

    "I''m giving it to you. Do you see this combination of eight numbers? Not four, but eight. Only I know the combination to it. And now, look away, since I''m going to open the lock."

    I did try to sneak a look while he was doing that, but he was completely blocking the entire field of vision, which made my endeavor impossible.

    "There we go... Alright, it''s in there."

    Ultimately, Hyunda placed the piggy bank on mini spot that was inside the sink. Is this toilet sink even fake? No, how the hell does Hyunda even know about this? Did he create it?

    Since there was barely any time left, I didn''t bother to question it, but I sure did in my mind.

    "The lock automatically resets. Since I gave you the key, it means that I can''t open up the sink. And since you don''t know the code, you are in the same position. Get it? This way, we both don''t have many ways of getting into the lock. I said many because you could, alternatively, either try to break the sink, which will not work since this is made of pure steel and iron OR you could try and decipher the code. However, it''s an eight-digit code. Good luck with that. Alternatively, you can just trust me and be a reasonable person about this."

    Trusting Hyunda isn''t an option. I think I got some sort of PTSD from our last supply exam.

    "I won''t try anything, don''t worry. But we should come here together."

    "We have to come here together. You have the key and I have the knowledge of the code. We are like 50% of this if you think about it. Also, don''t tell this location to anyone. No matter what. This is a secret and if somehow this location is found out, then you will be the primary suspect. As a consequence, you are banned from the system if this is leaked."

    "Alright, alright, I get it. I wasn''t planning on doing such thing anyway."

    Who knows, maybe this will turn out to profit so much that in the future, the money will be there.

    But man, he sure is harsh about this. Banning the one person who you decided to collab with? Hurt.

    "If you get it, then let''s go. It''s exam time."

    Thus, we accelerated our footsteps and dashed towards the classroom.

 Volume 7 - Chapter 44: You dont know it, do you?

    "Hyunda, what is this!? Why am I so hyped right now?!"

    "How am I supposed to know?! Ah shit, we are ten minutes late! We''re gonna get scolded so hard... I knew it was a bad idea to tell you all of this so suddenly."

    "N-No! I''m super glad you decided to tell me all about it! That''s why I''m hyped right now! Because my financial situation might just change!"

    "I can''t believe you''re getting excited over two coins... Talk about desperate..."

    Before arriving at the classroom, Hyunda and I had this roundup conversation before parting ways. The chilly weather was making my thumbs frozen instantly but since we were in a rush, we barely noticed any of that.

    Something that was bothering me was how I was taking this new betting system way more seriously than the exam that we were about to face.

    Well... We would only face the exam once it was 9 am, and since that was the case, it would mean...

    Main classroom. Block F. 8:40 am.

    "Both of you get one warning, sit down."

    I cruelly decided to accept my fate of getting one warning which is the equivalent of a walk into the principal''s office and since our absence was being taken into consideration, the class had not started yet.

    "Shit!"

    For the record, I didn''t say that. Hyunda did.

    "Two warnings."

    "Motherf- Alright, I get it. My bad."

    Hyunda kept on cursing towards Basara-sensei but he eventually stopped and took his seat. What was eating him? Oh right, he''s somewhat mad that we talked this out for way too long and that is why he''s regretting it.

    While I''m thankful, he sure isn''t.

    Also, getting a warning is no joke.

    "Now that the remaining retards have arrived, let''s have a grand total of 20 minutes of class because that''s apparently what this comes to! By the way, should anyone try something as funny as this again, it will be 5 warnings!!"

    Oh no, he''s angry. Christ, he even slammed his hands into his desk. It provoked such a grand sound that it completely caught everyone''s attention straight up. Although, he was the only one who got remotely angry. All of the others didn''t mind this because this meant that they would get some free time before starting class.

    But, as soon as I took my seat, something caught my attention and that was, our number of students in this classroom severely decreased.

    Noticing this, I couldn''t help but question Basara-sensei about this right away.

    "Basara-sensei, how come you are starting class without Ikkiri and Arkalee...?"

    I''m surprised that no one bothered to question this. It wasn''t just those two, but Akihiko as well. Akihiko''s case was already explained, but what about those two? Why were they able to not be present?

    "Their absences are entirely justified. However, you''ll have to ask your homeroom teacher about that. Your absence can only be justified if you actually have a valid reason to skip. However, the only one who can see whether or not that reason is justifiable isn''t me, but her."

    By her, he meant Yuka-sensei, no doubt. Still, what the hell is this? Why are three people just missing? What the hell?

    I know that I could have paid a visit to Akihiko, but I just couldn''t be bothered to do so.

    "Thank you."

    Ultimately, after thanking Basara-sensei, I didn''t bother to insist anymore since I could just ask Yuka-sensei later on. Nevertheless, it was still bothering me.

    How were the pairings that are missing be able to perform if their other partner was away? I have no clue now that I think about it...

    Maybe I should''ve asked Kawahara about that...

    Or, I could try my luck with someone else...

    Though, as soon as I looked in her direction, it''s like I was entering a frozen tundra. Her seriousness invited no one in. Just a simple glance at her made me realize that talking to her would most likely not result in a positive manner.

    Her fashionable look which mostly lied in her long luscious pink hair and stylish nails could fool just about anyone into thinking that she would be friendly yet the cold reality was that she would immediately turn you down.

    Regardless, I didn''t let that bother me. She might know something.

    "What happened? You know something, don''t you?"

    With two girls entirely missing from the scene, there was a very vast chance that she might''ve caught onto something, however, instead of answering my question, she went with something else.

    "You remembered to wash your teeth this morning? Impressive. You''re no longer a sewer rat. Congratulations."

    Crude bitch. Who the hell is a sewer rat? Fuck you and your high standards. Also, I''m not minimally presentable because of you.

    Knowing this, I decided to force the question once again.

    "So? Do you know something or not?"

    "Even if I knew, I wouldn''t tell you. I''m not bothered to know whatever goes through their lives."

    "Oh, I see."

    So she knows nothing. Why not just tell me that from the start? Do you actually think that I would bother with someone like you? If there was someone else next to me, then I wouldn''t bother to even ask you.

    But, the option to ask this to the ones that are in front of us is still an option, but they are sometimes too fierce or just not active enough to approach.

    I''m talking about Sana and Akihiko yet the former is out of the scene, thus Sana is firmly paying attention to class like nothing''s on her mind.

    "Hold on. What was that just now?"

    Oh, what? She''s still talking to me? Why?

    "A confirmation. Don''t tell me you need to know what confirmation is?"

    Do I need to show her the actual meaning of it? If so, then pulling out a Google definition should be fun. However...

    It''s the end of the month and I don''t have any mobile data. There is no Wi-Fi here in this entire block.

    It appears that I''m going to have to swiftly be logical about this because apparently she''s not understanding something fairly simple.

    "Of course I know what it is. What I meant was that what you just did makes no sense at all."

    "What? How does it not make any sense at all? Are you dumb? I asked you a question, you didn''t know the answer, that''s it, we are done. No room for further discussion. This makes perfect sense."

    This was additionally bothering me. To the point where I even stopped pulling out my notebook from my schoolbag.

    However, although this rarely happens, she stopped noting down what Basara-sensei was writing on the board with his white chalk and looked in my direction.

    One thing that worried me was how fiercely she looked at me once she did exactly that.

    "I am not dumb, you''re dumb. You ask a question and you expect an immediate positive answer? Ridiculous. You''re supposed to ask a question to that person in a manner that the person finds it fit to give you the answer."

    That''s actually a good remark, but there was no way in hell that I would just say: ''Hey, you''re right. My bad''.

    No, fuck you. A question is a question, it doesn''t get more simple than this.

    "It doesn''t matter now. You don''t know the answer to that question anyway. You even confirmed it."

    She really doesn''t and she actually confirmed it herself. She can''t possibly deny this. Plus, teasing her on these occasions is starting to become worthwhile because her pissed off expression just makes me want to smirk.

    "I thought I told you that I can''t be bothered. It''s not a question about not knowing the answer, if I wanted to know the answer to that question then I could easily. However, it''s not worthy of my time."

    "Oh, alright. Sure."

    It seems that she cares a great deal about something that entirely regards her. Although she''s not showing in her words that she does, her face tells it all.

    Such a shame though. She looks adorable but then you find out that she''s a wolf wearing sheep''s clothing once you minimally interact with her.

    Though, this is pretty good. I finally can interact with a girl without having to care about her entire feelings and just say whatever comes to my mind.

    "Stop. I get sarcasm. Don''t do that in my presence. Answer me seriously. Do you actually think that if I put enough effort into something that I can''t just know the answer to it?"

    Not sure if she noticed, but this was revenge for the first time she answered me. Although, she wasn''t being sarcastic most likely. That was her oblivious rude opinion about myself.

    "You''re probably useless. Win this exam if you can, then maybe I''ll change my opinion about this."

    No way she wins this exam. Plus, when I was betting, I made absolutely sure to write her name along with Tsudo firstly. This just shows how confident I am that she''s going to fail.

    There is just no way of winning for her. When you are paired up with someone like Tsudo, you are not winning. It''s over.

    "Prepare to face defeat. You''ll regret this."

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "Woah, look at you. Don''t break yourself down with that fake attitude."

    However, she did not reply to my insult and grabbed her pen once again while forming silence.

    Wait, is she serious? No, even if she is, she can''t possibly win. She''s argumentative and far too arrogant to win this. How can someone who only excels individually possibly win an exam that contrasts the former saying?

    And, I forgot about something important. Because right now, someone is staring at me like she wants to condemn me to hell.

    Come on, it''s just a simple conversation, nothing is actually happening...

    9 am.

    "Bad luck in the exam, morons."

    You''re supposed to say good luck... I''m seriously and sincerely glad that he''s not our homeroom teacher anymore.

    And noticeably, Yuka-sensei wasn''t here. That''s because yesterday, she told us that we should move to the P.E field instead of waiting here.

    Which meant that we would have to ultimately move by ourselves. That''s actually perfect now that I think about it. And also, since we are going to do physical tasks, every single one of us is already on their P.E clothes.

    Considerably, I''m dressed in all black. Black shoes, black pants, black shirt, black hair, you name it.

    After Basara-sensei left, the majority of the pairings either left together or just went straight to the field. However, I went to search for someone who was already far ahead of me.

    Well, she was walking with fast steps, for some reason. I only took a short notice of this when leaving through the main door located at the left end of the classroom. Of course, I immediately went to her location even though she looked like she didn''t want to meet me...

    "Hey. Hey, Yulia... Yes, you, Yulia, can you hear me...? Oiiii."

    I even put myself in front of her just to make sure that she would notice a bit of my existence and it worked, but...

    "Yes, I can hear you. What do you want?"

    But she just kept on walking while going in another direction.

    "Are you mad at me? Was it because I was talking to her? Don''t be, I can actually explain..."

    This was the only reason I could think of, and taking into consideration certain events that happened yesterday, I could totally understand her intentions.

    Nonetheless, Yulia has to understand that it was actually a stupid argument with only sour intentions being displayed.

    "Oh, you already know it then. Start talking."

    Fortunately, we were all alone since the majority of the pairings or just the overall students from our class had already taken off. Otherwise, this would''ve raised a strong level of controversy. As a matter of fact, I would very much avoid someone to get a look at this.

    Kawahara''s words came to my mind once again. How I had to portray a genuine act yet not be genuine.

    If so, then I will once again deliver my genuine act.

    "I asked her if she knew something about Ikkiri and Arkalee. You might not know this but I''m quite curious at times, so I decided to ask the person that was closer to me, physically speaking, about it. However, we ended up arguing about it because she refused to give me a straight answer about it."

    Although, our conversation prolonged itself due to my own teasing, but mentioning that is absolutely out of the question.

    "And you couldn''t wait to ask me instead?"

    How foolish of me. Forgetting to prioritize her opinion. I''m still green in this it seems.

    "You are right. I am sorry. I should have waited and just asked you. I got greedy due to my own curiosity. Alright, from now on, I will prioritize your opinion above my curiosity, I promise."

    If I were to take into consideration how I should have acted, then I''m definitely in the wrong here. There''s no excuse for this.

    "With that said, let''s get going or else we will be late. In the meanwhile, tell me about it, please."

    I made sure to add the please in the end to show just how much I care to her.

    As we descended downstairs, our steps'' pace slowly decreased.

    Naturally, I would comment on how pretty she looks despite being in her gym clothes. I like to think that if you are in your gym clothes, then your essential appearance would decrease in terms of vigor and prestige, but that''s not the case at all.

    This is also not the first time I have witnessed this. However, perhaps it''s in the way that she walks or in the way that she swings her hair braids, she always looks astonishing. Furthermore, her skin is so well taken care of that it really makes me think that she put a great deal of effort into taking care of it.

    Though, her hair braids are new ones this time. Waterfall braids, if my memory is correct. Yet as mentioned, now is not the time to praise her looks. That can come later.

    "I said that you should have asked me earlier for a few reasons, however, the main one would be, I know why they are not present. Although I have no direct contact, I heard Akimiyashika and Hinagiku murmuring something about Ikkiri suffering from a stomachache. And considering that both Aki and Hina are close to her, I would say that''s entirely true. However, I have no idea what happened to Arkalee. She has not left her room whatsoever."

    Thus, according to Yulia, Ikkiri is suffering from stomachache and Arkalee''s reason for her absence is also unknown. It doesn''t actually matter honestly.

    I could have just asked Yuka-sensei about this when I''m with her. Though, that would miss out on the whole point. Sure, getting information earlier about this is nice yet the main reason why I bothered was to make sure that Yulia would view my action as an action that would show that I care for her.

    Hopefully, she sees that I bothered to ask her all of this for this reason.

    "I see, you do know a lot about this. You''re knowledgable. Thanks. I was simply curious because Akihiko is missing as well and according to Yuka-sensei, he''s also absent for reasons that are not so different from both Ikkiri and Arkalee."

    Though, I have no clue why Arkalee is absent. What exactly happened regarding that? Doesn''t this mean that Hyunda is in trouble?

    "Well, you know, once you get to know me, I really do know a lot when I want to know. And I wouldn''t miss out on this, at all. I also got curious too when I noticed that they weren''t present, but the reason for Ikkiri''s absence immediately connected to what I heard from Aki and Hina earlier.

    Yulia''s smiling while saying all of this which makes me believe that she isn''t that worried about the trifling matter of me speaking to my table partner at all.

    Now that I''m through this and now that there is no more necessary room for discussion, I suppose I should show a progressive increase of caring from my part.

    "Did you sleep well? I''m sorry for still not asking about this."

    Not the greatest starter, but at least I have to start somewhere. That''s what actually matters.

    "A-Ah.. I slept well, thank you for asking. But... It... took me a while to sleep... because... you know..."

    "I-I see...!"

    I do know why, but it''s suddenly awkward to look at her in the eyes for some reason. Subsequently, I''m feeling a dreadful sense of shame right now.

    Furthermore, I''m starting to regret certain words I said back then because right now, this sensation of tingling embarrassment is consuming the hell out of me.

    "What about you...? Did you also have the same similar trouble?"

    Considering how you didn''t explain your actual trouble, it''s hard to tell. However, if we are talking based on assumptions and if mine is entirely correct, then without a doubt...

    "Yeah... It took me a while to sleep. I think I stayed up until like an hour or two. It got incredibly hard for me to sleep... Ahh... I don''t really wanna talk about it..."

    In order to hide my embarrassment, which was manifesting itself now, out of all the times, I placed my two palms on my face to completely hide my face and visible embarrassment.

    "Talk about it, please!"

    But I should''ve known better. Because Yulia''s the type of person who asks such unreasonable things at the most inconvenient times...

    Yet right now, if I am to be consumed by this embarrassment; it''s a bad thing. The whole point is to show and portray a genuine act. Therefore, that implies being truthful on my behalf.

    "Look... I wasn''t expecting to say it, but I did, and once I thought about it, later on, I got..."

    "Y-You got....?"

    It also doesn''t help the fact that she''s basically on my face. I can''t hide my face in my palms any longer, thus I avoided looking directly at her all this time, but right now...

    "I got stupidly embarrassed. I think I wanted to commit suicide on the ninth degree. I wanted to hide in a hole. And never come out of it. That''s how embarrassed I got."

    It was actually way more than that. However, to keep my sanity, I constantly reminded myself that this was all for the greater good of passing the exam and nothing else.

    Though, if the words back then were immensely genuine then I would have most likely just straight up kermit.

    Depending on someone else''s emotions is something completely orthodox to me.

    "Why would you want to commit suicide....?"

    As soon as she asked me that question, I looked at her and saw the resemblance of a small dangerous expression, which probably meant that she misunderstood something.

    If that''s the case then I will have to further my act... Who knew that being genuine even for the sake of pulling out an act could be this outrageously hard...

    Damn you, Kawahara!

    "Ahhh! Don''t misunderstand, please! It''s just... Those were words I never thought I would say to anyone at all... That''s why I said that I wanted to commit suicide because it was unthinkable of me to say those words in the first place."

    Future self, friendly reminder, although portraying yourself as genuine might initially sound easy, it''s actually not.

    "I-It was embarrassing for me too! Don''t think that you were the only one who went through ordeals of shame..."

    Oh, I''m really grateful to hear that. My virgin heart is racing as we speak, but that''s not exactly making me feel more relaxed. In fact, it''s giving me an insane amount of exhilaration.

    "But... What''s done is done. I don''t regret saying those words to you. Don''t misunderstand that, that''s all I ask you."

    It would be extremely bad for me if she thought of my words as fake or superficial. Convincing her that that''s not the case at all is an important part of this.

    "Me too... I don''t regret it. You know, it feels pretty good to open yourself up to someone when you have never done it in your whole life. These words right now, they always remained unthinkable and surely, I didn''t imagine that I would meet someone who I could be this open to, especially in a place like this. But, it happened. Therefore, I will treasure every single moment of it!"

    I might be starting to slowly regret pulling this act. If Kawahara is surely correct, then it was ultimately worth it. But if not, then I''m entirely screwed. Although, I will kill Kawahara if he''s incorrect.

    He must think to himself as the strongest, but he''s no match for me, at all.

    "Do you remember when you asked me if I had something planned for the end of the month?"

    "Y-You remember that....?"

    Barely honestly. It almost slipped my mind, but now that it came across my thoughts, I could utilize this chance to give her a stronger emotional connection.

    "Of course I remember. How could I forget? But regarding that, I wanted to ask you something."

    "Oh, ask, ask."

    Her crooked expression from below was weirdly showing how curious she was about my upcoming question.

    "Can I meet your parents?"

    "Eh?"

    Yulia''s expression went blank, but it wasn''t for just a random reason. I was aware of my own question and what a girl would often interpret from this.

    However, this is such a good card. I never truly understood why it was always underrated.

    "I was thinking about it. Since at the end of the month we can leave school, shouldn''t we pass our time together? It''s just such a waste to spend my time if it''s not with you, Yulia."

    Even though I''ve already said to Kuzan that I would accompany him, realistically speaking, I could very well just alter the events to my own convenience. Plus, since Kawahara already said that he''s going along with him, I''m not entirely needed.

    Yet I''ll still go if I have the time. Kawahara''s taunt hasn''t left my mind.

    "Why are you saying stuff like that right now!? Don''t you know how embarrassing it is?! Geez!"

    Good point. But I already knew that it was embarrassing. It was meant to force out your reaction, though. And it didn''t backfire.

    Your facial expression mixed with your rare visible embarrassment is something worthwhile, Yulia.

    "S-Sorry. I''m getting ahead of myself, aren''t I...?"

    Am I?

    I''m perfectly aware of my own intentions yet she isn''t. That''s why I''ll go out of my own way to explain them.

    "But what do you want to meet my parents for...?"

    Most likely, she''s trying to confirm my intentions and that''s completely fine. Why would I ask something like that? Why would I give up my free time that only happens once per month just to meet her parents?

    Surely, she must''ve thought to herself that I am not someone who would vastly prioritize her, but she''s wrong.

    It doesn''t matter if I know she''s wrong, I have to show her that she''s wrong.

    "Oh, why? You see, that''s because I need to tell them something urgent. I was really aware of it all this time, but now, I feel the need to let them know. It has to be them in specific."

    Almost all the time, whenever attempting to understand or visualize something, or simply perceive something as a whole, there is always a singular thing that just about everyone else will miss.

    I, however, rarely miss those things and right now, it became completely obvious. Nevertheless, I already knew all about it, really.

    "W-What is it? Did something happen? What is this urgent thing that you must absolutely tell my parents?"

    Our pace is quite slow, which means that if we continue this conversation we will arrive late. And considering what happened this morning, I would say that''s out of the question.

    Of course, unlike Hyunda, I will not massively curse if I am reprehended with two warnings, but I''ll still be angry about it, even though I won''t show it.

    And just like that, we had arrived at the edge of the block. Slowly but surely, I pushed the main entrance door which emitted a rusty noise.

    Looks like this will work. After all, as soon as I say these words, I should be able to get her on a high emotional state which will benefit me and of course, I will have to run for my life.

    Not because the danger is about to reach the surface but because I can''t talk to Yulia after I say these upcoming embarrassing words.

    Enough is enough.

    "So you really want to know? What I must tell your parents in specific? I''m afraid that they don''t know this. Otherwise, it just wouldn''t make any sense for someone of your caliber to be here."

    Yulia started to pout because I wasn''t telling her a single thing and I was slowly but surely only getting into it. Am I getting this from Kawahara?

    No, no way.

    "Just tell me what it is! I want to know!"

    "Even if you don''t know it?"

    "Even if I don''t know it!"

    I wonder if someone has told her this already? If so, that''s unfortunate. However, if fate is on my side, then I will be the first one.

    Ah man, this chilly weather is becoming a serious problem right now. My sacred thumbs feel like they are about to go numb. Given that that''s the case, I ought to hurry up, which means I have to end this now.

    "Hehehe, alright. Listen up, this might come to you as a surprise, but it seems no one knows this yet. I''m lucky to be the first one to notice it, so don''t be too shocked!"

    "Oh my gosh, just tell m-"

    "You''re beautiful."

    Alright, nigerundayo.

 Volume 7 - Chapter 45: Expectations vs Expectations Part 1.

    After sprinting like hell and leaving Yulia behind, I arrived at the ultimate destination, which was the P.E field.

    There, stood essentially and basically the rest of the class, aside from Yulia and the other students that were dismissed. Shortly right after putting my school bag in the locker rooms, I went to the respective location.

    "I''m sorry for being late..."

    My words were a bit hollow since the atmosphere was slightly dead and I didn''t exactly direct those words to about anyone. Especially because my entrance wasn''t really noticed, to begin with.

    It would be an entirely different story if that were the case.

    "We are starting the exam. I''ll establish some ground rules first. To start off, since this is an exam that ultimately evaluates the strength and combination of the pairings present, those that do not have a partner are rightfully excluded since they can''t participate without their partner."

    Just as I was about to take a seat, Yuka-sensei fired the shotgun like that. Mercilessly, she said that despite your past efforts, if you do not have your partner, then you are excluded. I suppose I should be thankful since I managed to get my partner to cooperate.

    Nonetheless, that wasn''t the case for everyone. Multiple disagreements and revolted expressions could be seen, yet Yuka-sensei wasn''t bothered enough to care.

    Amidst this cold atmosphere, she stood, with her classic gym jersey along with a swift ponytail, handing out the truth.

    "The usage of invalid methods such as cheating or anything of that sort will not be overlooked and they will result in your failure. Furthermore, partner exchange will not be allowed. Example: Person A wants to swap with partner B''s partner. It doesn''t matter the reason, it will not be allowed. Don''t try to argue about this. Moving on, aside from being tasked with your already known physical tasks, there will be a timer for the respective tasks, which I will respectfully reveal once that task is about to begin."

    Truly standard no matter how I look at it. She essentially had already explained just about everything there was. However, if Kawahara is correct, then I have to strictly follow the second formula and completely abandon any thoughts regarding the first formula.

    But, I already discarded such thoughts.

    "What I am about to say concerns more about the exam pattern rather than the essential rules before starting the exam. In other words, if you are already excluded, then you don''t have to pay attention to what I''m about to say. Regardless of this, if you are not, then heed these words carefully, since they will prove to be of great help."

    Yulia is not here, but that''s fine. I can simply tell her all about this and besides, if it''s so important then I ought to pay extreme attention and detail to this.

    No one is bothering to interrupt Yuka-sensei which either demonstrates a lack of interest or a strong affinity with the attitude of caring.

    "My method of evaluation will revolve around points. Since there are five tasks, which I''ll remind you of in a while, I will use the same method of evaluation in every single task. A 5-kilometer run, 50 squats, 30 push-ups, 50 sit-ups and 5 minutes of planking. All of these are the only tasks you''ll have to fulfill. However, I will have to evaluate the pair as a whole and not just individuals, which means that if the pair is not on the same page, then I''ll strictly have to discount a portion of their points."

    Despite paying attention, I turned around and saw the figure of Yulia who was looking at me with a semi-embarrassed expression from far away yet she has to go to her locker room first before being here.

    "Here is how the points will work. I''ve already explained how I''ll evaluate, but not how I''ll distribute the points. Essentially, should a pair get a score that goes above the positive score, then I will give that pairing the minimal of 1 point. By the way, the minimal score is around 50% and it will stay one point unless it goes above 69%. Above 69%, it will be two points if it''s between 69% and 80%. Noticeably, from 80% to 89%, it goes up to three points. Ultimately, the best score would be in-between 90% and 100%. That''s the perfect scenario which gives the pairing a grand total of 4 points. Reminder, this is all in one task. This will stack under other tasks as well."

    Fairly basic to understand overall, however, I dislike the fact that she started with the positive scores instead of the negative ones.

    What the hell is up with that? Just tell us what it will actually mean if we go below the positive mark.

    "On the other hand, in-between 49% and 35%, you get -1 point. 35% to 20% means you get -2 points. Furthermore, if you get a score in-between 20% to 10%, then it''s -3 points off. Lastly, below 10% or any lower than that means that you get -4 points. And now... Here comes the complicated part that might confuse some..."

    I mean, just how confusing can this truly get? This is a basic way of evaluation, it can''t get harder than this, I think.

    "Each task holds a respective percentage considering how much you perform. Let''s say that a pair manages to perfectly ace a task, it is obvious that the pair will receive the grand percentage of 100% to them. Because the strongest element did 49% of the task while the other did the 51%. Now... Regarding the possible negative scores, if a pair does one task... let''s say that it''s the push-ups one. If the pair as a whole does a grand amount of push-ups below 15 push-ups, then that equals a 49% percentage which gives you -1 point."

    Wait, what about the other ones? What''s the exact percentage?

    Yet, as I questioned those, Rayazaki fearlessly asked Yuka-sensei what he had in mind despite the fact that she was busy explaining how things would work out.

    "Sensei!! If I want to do all the tasks perfectly, then just what is the acceptable quota for my partner to fulfill the remaining 1%?!"

    Rayazaki''s essentially claiming that his partner, Yukishiro is basically useless and that he will most likely ace the whole thing without her effort. However, he recognizes that she is needed and thus, he wants to know just what is the acceptable quota for her to comply in his case.

    "It depends on the tasks. Though, I don''t mind going into detail. In the 5-kilometer run, if you do 2,4 kilometers, which I will count on this pedometer, your partner has to simply run to the point where your 2,4 will be 2,5 kilometers. Anyone who is going to run will have to wear this pedometer though, otherwise, there is no way to count the kilometers. For the record, Rayazaki, your partner only has to run 100 meters. That''s how much it is. However, that''s only if you are able to pull off your scenario."

    I''m fairly sure that this formula is repeated. Under my assumption, this not only applies to the 5-kilometer run, but to all the other tasks as well. Although, you have to be a fool to not see the obvious pattern here.

    "I see! And, is there any rule if my partner refuses to do all of those tasks? Even if minimal?!"

    Dude''s so aggressive when his partner is present. Though, if I see things from his perspective, he probably inherited this rage when Yuka-sensei said that the pairs that do not have their partners are automatically disqualified.

    News flash, Hinagiku is disqualified.

    "No such thing, Rayazaki. No one is forced to do this. As a matter of fact, if you don''t want to do this, then you can just tell me. No one holds an obligation to do this at all. However, you will have to at least attempt it. I''m not saying that you have to absolutely push yourself if you don''t want to, you must, however, attempt."

    Essentially, put in some effort before quitting, because that totally makes sense...

    "That makes no sense. What''s the point of giving a chance of trying if someone can just quit the moment they attempt to perform that task?! Wouldn''t it be more logical and practical if that someone had to fulfill a minimal quota?!"

    I get what Rayazaki''s trying to do. He''s fighting his own paranoia by trying to make sure that Yukishiro is able to do the minimal allowed, but I don''t think that''s going to work.

    In my opinion, Rayazaki and Hinagiku aren''t in different positions, because their results will ultimately and most likely be the same. However, Rayazaki will have to undoubtedly endure a certain amount of suffering, if my assumption is correct.

    Because Yukishiro can''t get rid of that stupid smirk of hers, even though she attempts to hide it all the damn time.

    Admittedly, Rayazaki''s situation ignites a level of anger inside my soul, but situations like these were bound to happen, especially when all of us are criminals.

    There is a level of malice swimming around the invisible water right now.

    "Rayazaki, it''s already decided. I''m not changing the rules just because you don''t put any trust in your partner. Also, I said that you weren''t allowed to argue yet you''ve done plenty of it. I''m going to ask you to remain silent or else I''ll disqualify you."

    Although it took him a while since he was refusing to let go of his ground, Rayazaki backed off after a few seconds.

    Thus, Yuka-sensei resumed her words.

    "The thing about these points is that positive points, which are the points above the negative ones can be used to demolish the negative points. Example: Your pair has done four tasks that sum up the equivalent of 4 negatives points. In other words, the situation has to be a situation where the pair has scored in-between 49% to 35%. If such is the case, then throughout the four tasks, there has been applied an ultimate score of -4 points to the pair. However, should the pair, for whatever reason, obtain a score in-between 90 to 100%, then the pair will gain 4 points, which will automatically be used to abolish the negative points. In this situation, for better or worse, that pair will be on a 50% ground, which will result in the pair passing the exam."

    I see. So that''s why they are there. Negative points can essentially change into positive points should you have the respective amount of points to abolish the negative ones.

    Again, just like the former formula, it will most likely be applied the same way. An equal distribution.

    "Of course, if you over accumulate negative points to the point where even if you get a good amount of positive points, if they are below the former negative points, then it will be meaningless because they hold no value at all. Another thing I wanted to mention is how a pair can pick the order of the tasks. However, in the case of a disagreement between the respective elements, then the tasks will be followed as originally intended. Think of this as a token of good luck and fair play."

    This is actually pretty good, but only if you know why it''s good. Depending on how you choose this order, you can ultimately preserve your physical condition.

    Also, if you have minimal knowledge about this overall, then taking the 5-kilometer run first will backfire. A 5-kilometer run will obviously backfire. Therefore, the obvious selection would be the physical exercises that require the least strength and effort.

    Mainly squats and sit-ups. This is how I feel about them, however, this is probably debatable. I just don''t think that you would start this off with running because it will burn you out faster than any of the other exercises.

    In the middle of all this, Yulia had arrived, but I was too focused on arguing against myself.

    "I can''t believe you said those irresponsible words and ran off..."

    Trust me, it''s for the greater good. I might''ve turned into a real-life tomato if I had stayed in that doki-doki atmosphere any longer...

    "Remember them, or you might forget them. That would be a waste."

    I''m surprisingly good at this, or, Yulia''s just insanely easy to embarrass. If I was someone honest and entirely truthful I would assume that Yulia''s easy to embarrass but something tells me that I''m minimally good at this.

    After all, she looked in the opposite direction as soon as I said those words.

    "Lastly, in order to give a fairer chance to you all, I will do another act of kindness, which is to allow each individual to decide how much the individual will perform. Now, before you get confused, allow me to clearly explain how it works. I''m sure you all must have at least a minimal expectation on how much you will perform, right? You can uphold your expectations with me and if your expectation is correct, then I will allow the individual to gain a positive point. This will however not apply to the pair, but just the individual. What the individual can do with that point is, either give it to the pair as a whole OR, the individual can use the point to make the individual''s partner''s score positive."

    Huh....? Why bother with giving your partner a positive score? What''s the damn point? Isn''t it just more worth it to give the positive point to the pair overall? I don''t see a point here.

    As I wondered the purpose of this, I accidentally came across Kawahara''s glance.

    Mhm? Why is he looking at me like that? He''s looking at me so seriously. But why? Why are you looking in my direction?

    It''s confusing me. Why would he look at me in the first place?

    And then, he did an act of mockery. He tapped the right side of his head where the brain is located while looking at me. I realized what he meant immediately.

    Furthermore, he used his lips while not speaking. In other words, mute''s language.

    "....What? ..e ...r ..a.n?"

    Those were the only letters I truly understand.

    Yulia was too busy being embarrassed however, Kawahara sighed deeply and spoke in his mystic language again. Though slowly this time.

    It pissed me off how he spoke so slowly. It seriously got on my nerves.

    ".se your ..ain?"

    Oh.

    "Use your brain?"

    He confirmed, even though we are quite far away with a single nod.

    But am I not using my brain though? Or did he mean to say that I''m not using it the correct way?

    Let''s review my thought process. Right now, Yuka-sensei is busy answering doubts from all my classmates, but as we speak, there is something that I am not understanding. Something completely invisible.

    Vast yet translucent.

    Kawahara only bothered to look at me when Yuka-sensei said those words about the duality of both options. Surely, I entirely think that giving the pair the points is far better than giving your partner the single point because you are ultimately contributing to the pair.

    You and your partner. What else is more important?

    Unless...

    Unless I''m thinking this out from the wrong perspective. If I take into consideration that my perspective fills something that Kawahara has already spoken out to me, then the only remarkable thing I can honestly remember openly is the second formula.

    ......!

    "I see!"

    "W-What? What do you see?!"

    My thought process is still filled with the first formula, however, that itself is completely useless right now. In other words, I have to see Yuka-sensei''s words from the second formula''s perspective.

    Midst this, I was ignoring Yulia''s exclamation because I was prioritizing this sudden realization.

    I''m such an idiot... I should not have realized this at a time like this... Though, there is still time. It''s fine.

    Accordingly, the second formula revolves around working this out together with your partner. Yulia will be in a losing situation all the time.

    What''s the point of handing out my point to both of us, if Yulia is bound to fail every single thing? If, however, I hand out the positive point to better her score and not mine, then won''t that be viewed as an attitude that shows that it''s more important to win along with my partner rather than attempting a solo effort?

    Perhaps that''s the whole point. To ensure that my partner and I, in the end, work out together.

    "Ahh, please all of you, pay attention now. I forgot something. I will only allow the bonus point thing once per pair. In other words, it''s not available every task. The individual can only use this bonus point to their liking throughout the whole exam once. Of course, in a pair, if both the two individuals manage to obtain a bonus point, then that''s the same as two points if you haven''t noticed. Otherwise, every pair could simply just abuse this. This option is so strong and that''s why it''s an act of kindness. See, this is something you all must learn. In the face of the weak, you must distribute something that will allow the weak to be strong."

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    You literally just called us all weaklings you insensitive bitch.

    "Hey... What''s wrong, are you thinking deeply or something?"

    I did not realize something. Yulia''s literally in my face as we speak.

    Coincidentally, I looked towards Kawahara, who was jokingly doing the kissing signature with his lips.

    Fucking moron, I swear, if you are incorrect I will hunt you down not only for this but for that.

    "No, sorry. I zoomed out. We are winning this though. I''m just saying this in case if you are feeling nervous. Are you?"

    At this point, I''m just fueling my anger barrage for Kawahara in case that he lied to me. This way, I''ll be sure to commit to a straight murder.

    I honestly don''t care if I get some sort of death penalty for that, it''s a million times worth it.

    Suddenly, deep down, the thought of killing Kawahara just didn''t come across as something so consequential.

    Yet, more importantly, I wanted to know how Yulia was actually feeling regarding the situation as a whole.

    "Yeah... Sorry about that. I just can''t erase this feeling of anxiety even though you said plenty of comfortable words to me. I''m really... helpless, aren''t I?"

    Self-doubt is something that becomes less transparent in the face of a situation where you feel massively outmatched. This was, to Yulia, one of those situations, without a doubt.

    Furthermore, when you are put in a situation where you have to entrust your entirety to someone that has said to deliver the results, then you must at least once or twice doubt that someone before putting your ultimate faith onto that person.

    However, she doesn''t need to know about this dark side of the truth right now. What she needs right now is the complete opposite. A new page.

    "You''re not helpless. You''ve stuck with me thus far because you have selected that I was worthy of your faith. I won''t let you down as long as you stick with me through the end. You can''t win if you don''t see yourself winning."

    If you can''t see a victory scenario ahead of you and still, you obtain victory somehow, then that''s either the inferiority of the situation in the face of the actuality or just the luck factor.

    Realistically speaking, that would be a scenario where you didn''t lose yet you didn''t win. Can you truly call something a victory if you don''t fully accomplish it yourself?

    That''s fucking ridiculous to even consider.

    "I wish I had your optimism, I really do..."

    It''s not optimism; it''s realism. If there is someone who wishes to have optimism, then it''s me for sure.

    But she holds an idea of me possessing optimism when that''s not the case. It would be bad if I shattered her delusion because that''s actually helpful right now.

    "Do you want to have a portion of it?"

    "Eh?"

    Considering that the questions that Yuka-sensei is answering are slowly decreasing, I would say that the exam will finally start in a few moments.

    If so, my time is short. The upcoming words have to weigh on her even harder than the ones I delivered yesterday.

    Thus, in order for Yulia to get how serious I was, I did the unthinkable as I thought of an action that would surely grab her attention.

    I firmly pressed my forehead onto Yulia''s forehead slowly without saying anything. I sincerely didn''t care if anyone else noticed, but since the majority was absorbed into Yuka-sensei''s orbit, I took the chance.

    Plus, we are on the back of the whole crowd, just in case.

    Her forehead is cold though. Luckily enough, my forehead happens to be warm. How weird.

    "Did you know? Optimism can''t be gained unless you feel a very high level of negativity first, Yulia. The most optimistic people were once the most negative of people. That''s why you can''t remain like this. Those thoughts need to crawl off. Let them go, right now. Believe in victory and nothing else, because that''s why I will deliver to you."

    How she chooses to express her words, her thoughts, her emotions, her convoluted actions... that option remains alone with Yulia through the very end.

    Yet how she chooses to be influenced, that, she doesn''t have many options. Although, she actually does. But right now, she''s in an emotionally fragile state where she doesn''t realize that she holds that option.

    Thus, it will come to her naturally, once someone goes out of his own way to help her out to this extent that it''s fine to be influenced. Because, to her, I care for her.

    Even beyond that, so to speak.

    "Alright...... Then, I''ll put my trust in you because you have put your trust in me. T-Though, are you sure it''s a good idea to be this close, especially publically like this? W-What if they...?"

    Why aren''t her eyes meeting my eyes? I can''t believe that someone like you is forced to look down even in a moment like this.

    That has to change.

    "What about them? They don''t care. I do care. Everything you do, I automatically care. Also, don''t look down. Hey, look at me."

    If they actually cared, they would use their words instead of their own eyes. How simple is that, I wonder?

    Gradually, although she was initially looking down a lot, her pinkish eyes met mine in a moment of pure silence. Even though words could technically be listened to, it felt like an omnipotent silence had penetrated the current atmosphere.

    "You really... I can''t my eyes off you, you know. I''m trying to, but I just can''t. Can''t we stay like this for a little longer?"

    Although I''m seriously doing my best effort into this act, my natural instincts are literally screaming.

    "Don''t say those words, they are unfair, Yulia."

    "Then I''ll be unfair. I''ll be unfair for as long as it takes, as long as I get to be in this moment."

    It seems that she no longer cares for her surroundings. I wish I could share that ability too, but no. It''s actually eating me. The fact that we are with our foreheads connected right now.

    In addition to that, I can sense Kawahara''s stupid face looking in my direction for some reason, yet I''ll not let that bother me.

    My words need to be portrayed.

    "We can''t be in this moment forever. We will have to move on to the exam."

    "That''s... Can''t we just fail and be together more?"

    And she''s taking steps that she should not be taking but then again I am to blame, aren''t I?

    Is Kawahara making that stupid laughable expression because he realizes just how much of an idiot I am being right now?

    Should I have asked him how to portray an act to this extent? Fuck no. That would be so awkward to ask, Jesus Christ.

    "No, we can''t, Yulia. Remember what we agreed on? We will pass the exam and that can come later."

    "Yeah, I get that! But, still, I''m deep down still not agreeing with the idea of being separated from you the whole year... Wouldn''t it make more sense for us to be together throughout this whole year?"

    It also seems that she didn''t pay attention to my past words at all.

    "Don''t you remember? We will be together throughout furthermore. Being together in seats is irrelevant when you have the former."

    Even with our foreheads connected, Yulia formed a pouting expression suddenly, although, I really wasn''t understanding something here.

    "But it would be better if I could have both... Why can''t I have both...?"

    "Silly. That''s because you can only get placed with me if we lose. And we are not going to lose, remember?"

    All in all, it would just be extremely counterproductive if she got obsessed with the idea of being paired up with me just for the sake of being together with me.

    Not only is that ultimately counterproductive but it''s counterproductive because it will make me fail the exam.

    That can''t happen.

    "But..."

    "No buts. Just hold on for a bit longer..."

    "Okay..."

    This is getting... awkward so to say... Even though we are looking at each other in the eyes, we can''t leave this moment. It''s not as if I don''t actually share her sentiment.

    I''ve come this far, therefore, why back off? However... We will eventually have to burst this moment into pieces.

    Plus, I''m sensing a few looks onto us. Especially one in general.............

    "Aniki? What''s happening? Do you have a fever? Is that why you and Yulia are so close to each other? Here, let me try too."

    "H-Hey, what are you doing?!"

    Yulia''s forehead was forcefully removed from mine since Kuzan separated our connected foreheads and Kuzan, out of respect and care, connected his forehead with mine.

    "Hmm... It''s warm, Aniki... Are you sure you can do the exam? Don''t push yourself, Aniki! Your life is mor-- Aniki... That hurts... You''re going to break my hand, Aniki!!!!"

    I''m looking at Kuzan with an absolute cold death stare because right now, I can''t believe that I got cockblocked by someone who calls me Aniki and is bald on top of it.

    However, Kuzan is the type of person that can''t just understand that. He can''t read the mood. At all. Never. Yet, his body will react if I apply considerable strength to his body.

    Which is why I almost just broke his right hand, that I am currently holding with a monstrous grip.

    "Kuzan. Don''t do that again."

    In the end, Kuzan swiftly fleed the scene, but not due to my words, but because Yuka-sensei had just spoken out.

    "We are starting the exam now! All of the pairs that are not the ones that are about to be called are to stay out! Preferably, outside of the running platform. Anywhere is fine, as long as you are not inside."

    With that said, all of us moved out and went to the same place, which was a massive horizontal block of stone where we could all seat in.

    And since the block of stone wasn''t that far from Yuka-sensei''s location, we could just essentially hear what she was saying perfectly. I took a seat on the left edge of the block with Yulia on my right side.

    Ultimately, inside the vast running platform stood only one person, which was our homeroom teacher. On her hands now, she had a notebook with her black pen. Furthermore, she was viewing something in her notebook.

    Most likely the criteria if I had to guess...

    "Erm... Tatsu and Ikkiri!"

    Upon hearing his name, Tatsu immediately got up, however, from the look on his face, he was completely dead.

    I understand. If your partner is unavailable, then you are essentially a sitting duck. And although Tatsu had no reason to get up except to report his situation, he insisted on asking something to Yuka-sensei even though it had already been answered previously.

    "Sensei... You said that if someone doesn''t have a partner that they can''t perform, right? But what if I can perform all the tasks on my own? I don''t need a partner, I can do all the tasks myself."

    Honestly, I almost laughed, because, if these are Tatsu''s honest thoughts, then he surely and quite literally misunderstood the essence of the exam.

    "That idea of yours defeats the whole purpose of the exam. If your partner isn''t feeling well, then you two should have developed some sort of responsibility between you two. However, since Ikkiri isn''t here, then that means, you obviously didn''t, did you, Tatsu?"

    That''s such a bad logic, but, in other words, Tatsu is apparently at fault because Ikkiri''s suffering from a stomachache. I''ve also lost the curiosity to ask Yuka-sensei about the true reason for both Ikkiri and Arkalee''s absence.

    "Tsk, what a fucking retarded logic. Can''t even muster the guts to give me such a simple thing. Should''ve known you''d be incompetent. Shit."

    It really is a retarded logic, but you are even more retarded for not understanding the essence of the exam.

    Or maybe he understood the essence but was somehow convinced that his idea of performing solo would work?

    It''s strange because he''s showing such a frustration even after hearing Yuka-sensei''s explanation on how the exam would work.

    Why would you convince yourself of an idea that will not work over and over? Doesn''t make any sense...

    Well, in the end, he went to sit on the edge of the block away from just about everyone else with an angry face.

    Yuka-sensei did not bother to reply and most likely, in her notebook, just drew the X on both Tatsu and Ikkiri.

    With that, one pair was down.

    "Next, Arkalee and Hyunda......."

    Is she calling the pairs based on their absences or what? Because if not, then this is legit funny.

    I feel like cracking a stream of laughter.

    Hyunda, since he was the only one present went in Yuka-sensei''s direction slowly and delivered the only word he chose to say.

    "Present."

    Just about everyone present, except the moody ones, cracked a smile when they heard Hyunda''s careless and singular word which expressed authentic carelessness.

    Although, if this really is a presence call, then there is no reason for truly laughing.

    "Hyunda... Your partner is absent... Do you want to know why?"

    "Sure, why not."

    Hyunda''s yawning in front of her for some reason. I don''t think that he cares about his situation. I''m aware of just how much I do tend to think of him as someone who is generally superior but that''s because I''m gradually gathering more reasons to confirm my reasoning behind it.

    Yet, when you look at Hyunda... He just portrays this extremely average person act who essentially does nothing at all.

    Even in front of his homeroom teacher, who is about to explain why his partner is absent.

    "She''s extremely sick. On any other occasion, I would overlook this but she has a fever of 41 degrees... Therefore, it''s impossible for her to be present. I know this because I went to her room yesterday. I get that it''s not your fault but since she''s not present, you fail the exam. Sorry."

    "No problem. Also, can I visit her? I''m worried about her."

    It''s hard to believe he is. I mean, his face should show some sort of revolted expression but he''s not showing that.

    His face and overall movements remain still far too carefree.

    In addition to that, I felt a slight hint of sarcasm when he said ''No problem.''. Are you seriously okay with failing here like this? Or is this actually intended?

    Because according to him, failing the first exam was also intended.

    "Visit her? Boys are forbidden to visit the girls in their dorms, Hyunda..."

    "Oh, come on. I won''t do anything. And besides, I can just ask the dorm supervisor to guide me. There are plenty of cameras, sensei. I just want to check her condition. At least let me have that if I''m going to fail the exam. Also, I want to confirm whether or not she actually got a fever."

    His arms movements seem similar to that of a clown jester honestly. I want to take his words seriously but I just can''t.

    Sincerely, I can only feel the sarcasm. It takes someone fluent in sarcasm to get another person''s sarcasm.

    "Then fine. You are at your own risk. Don''t abuse your luck."

    "Thanks, sensei."

    Why do I feel like Hyunda, even though he just failed the exam, is about to win something greater?

    I know I don''t have a single reason to feel this way, but that gigantic smirk on his face tells me that he''s up to something....

    Damn....

    I want to know what he''s up to though....

    Yet I can''t right now. I can only watch his figure leaving the scene while going towards the girls'' dorm.

    Noticeably, most of the girls were actually revolted yet none of them did anything about it. The exam was apparently more important.

    Or maybe they just didn''t saw Hyunda as someone who is harmful, which would make sense, since that''s how he portrays himself.

    "And next up is... Hinagiku and Akihiko. Please step up. Oh, wait."

    Wow, did she seriously just make that joke? How bad can you be?

    Besides the joke, Hinagiku eventually got up from her seat, but, before she fully could, Rayazaki sprinted in Yuka-sensei''s direction.

    Hinagiku, was without a doubt, surprised when she saw Rayazaki did that. Not only her but the rest. Yet, it was quite expected. Of course the white knight wouldn''t keep quiet. Never.

    Brave regardless.

    "Sensei, wait! Are you open to new and creative ideas?!"

    Considering that he doesn''t have many options, Rayazaki opted to try something innovative. Yet, that''s good thinking, because if you surely go by the established rules, then Hinagiku will obviously fail.

    Without a doubt, this is the correct way to go about it. Because, realistically speaking, there are no other alternatives except creating your own.

    "Rayazaki, I already said no. Don''t be stubborn for no reason."

    But he didn''t give up. Telling Rayazaki to stop being stubborn goes against his own catalyst.

    "It isn''t no reason though, at least hear me out! This will work out, trust me!"

    Rayazaki has considerable high hopes when it comes to his own actions, but he fails to realize that his version of reality doesn''t actually apply to the actuality.

    He''s delusional to a high degree, so to say.

    And surely, Hinagiku started to notice his behavior and rushed to where he was standing.

    "No is no. This is the last time I''m warning you, Rayazaki. You do know what happens once this last time expires, don''t you? I''m even being kind right now. If you are intelligent you will recognize this and back off."

    "Screw you. Warnings mean nothing to me, at all. Just listen to me instead of denying me, will you?! Because I ha-"

    Lingering to his right hand that was moving violently, Hinagiku tried to intervene by stopping him, since Rayazaki was essentially about to get physical.

    "Rayazaki, it''s alright, you don- Ahh."

    But, something that caught her off guard was the fact that his movements were far too wild. Wild to the point of accidentally slapping her.

    To contrast what would appear to be an intentional slap, Hinagiku held her ground and just simply said:

    "It''s okay. Don''t worry about it! Sensei, it''s unfortunate, but I''ll try my best next time if I can! Thank you for giving me a chance! Rayazaki, don''t be mean to sensei! You can''t do that! I thought we talked about this!"

    They did? Damn, I gotta get back to reading their diabetes-level texts.

    I will commend Hinagiku for fixing the situation though. On top of being slapped, she held her ground, thanked for being given the chance even though she automatically fails due to Akihiko''s absence and lastly, she''s starting to put a leash onto Rayazaki.

    It''s funny because as soon as his memories come back, this will all reverse.

    But I mustn''t use that card yet. Not yet. Let them have their moments.

    My calf has not forgotten what you have done, Rayazaki...

    "But, I can fix your situation if she just listens! You don''t have to fail, it''s not your fault!"

    I have no clue what happened to Akihiko, but unless it was intentional, then it really isn''t her fault.

    Also, Rayazaki keeps arguing back to Hinagiku even though she said not to do so.

    "That''s enough! Don''t do that! I have my own free will too and I''m accepting my situation! Or are you going against my decision?!"

    When did she become this fierce? Am I missing something? I should''ve read their texts, shouldn''t I...?

    "Listen to Hina, Rayazaki. We also have free will too."

    We? Oh, I see what this is about. I guess every man is just to blame huh.

    It''s even more triggering when a pseudo-masochist sorry excuse of a teacher says that.

    "You are not thinking straight. Just trust me here, I got this. With my idea, you''ll not only pass the exam, but you''ll feel great about yourself! I want that for you!"

    I would start chanting the word ''Kiss'' if I could right now. I just don''t want to accidentally be disqualified for breaking the serious atmosphere.

    And while this was happening, Yulia, who had been silent all this time, was looking at the two with passionate eyes. She was covering her cheeks with her right hand while clasping my right hand with her left hand.

    "I know what I want for myself and I''ve decided! Don''t go against my own decision, I will get mad!"

    "Ah, fine! Get mad! I''ll still do it for you though! You''ll thank me later, trust me!"

    Yulia''s clasping got even more intense and I wondered what was going on as I watched this drama go on between Rayazaki and Hinagiku.

    "No, you will not! I''m not talking to you ever again if you keep on doing this, Rayazaki!"

    I can''t believe she used the ''I won''t talk to you ever again'' card on Rayazaki. How do you even come back from that?

    "B-But, I just want to help you......"

    Rayazaki, after realizing just how futile he was before Hinagiku toned down his voice with sadness as he looked down on the ground in response.

    "I know that. I reaaaally do. But, as I''ve mentioned already, it''s my decision. If I lose, then that''s on me, not on you. Come on, let''s go."

    ".................Aye..............."

    Most depressed ''Aye'' in all history. The wounded lion left the stage while the charming princess dragged him out with her.

    On the other hand, something else was bothering the hell out of me. Why was Yulia clasping my hand so tightly like this...?

    "........So romantic...."

    She muttered those words almost silently.

    Yulia must be referring to what just happened. I''m not sure if I would label that as romantic, honestly.

    Although, I could argue against myself if Hinagiku had feelings for Rayazaki, which we still don''t know.

    I''m keeping Hyunda''s hunch still alive in my soul. Maybe I''m over-glorifying him for not thinking that he can possibly be wrong here.

    It''s like we live in the same world except not. He''s partial to me and the rest. It''s as if I''m living with an alien.

    What an obscure feeling...

    "Oh my gosh, weren''t they just so romantic just now?!"

    This time, after stopping her own muttering, Yulia talked in my direction while still clasping my hand.

    "Rayazaki has feelings for Hinagiku. Did you know?"

    "Whaaaaaaaaaat? No way, really?! Ah, but it makes all sense now! The reason why he''s been insisting on this matter was that he didn''t want to see his beloved fail! Isn''t this just something out of a Korean drama?!"

    Hey, Yulia, stop breaking the 4th wall. It can''t hold out much.

    "Do you know the best part about it? Both of them haven''t even confessed to each other."

    More like Rayazaki just doesn''t have the balls and Hinagiku might just be flat out using him. After this exam is done, I do plan on finally utilizing Rayazaki.

    But right now, he needs to be broken down and taste defeat before knowing he actually has to rely on someone first.

    "They should! They should! Can you imagine what their dates will look like?! I bet they are the type of couple that enjoys being silly all day long and just has fun as if they are kids! They are too young and innocent, honestly!"

    They are not innocent. No one here is. Yulia''s simply far too obsessed with her idea of romance right now.

    Well, since she is by my side, I decided to whisper on her ear something, which, in order to do so, I had to close our distance a fair bit.

    "Their sex must be so experimental. Both are so new to it, so they must-"

    "D-Don''t say that! They must go slooooooowly before doing that!"

    Kinda cute how embarrassed she got once I mentioned the word ''sex''.

    "What? Don''t tell me you aren''t curious about it."

    "W-W-Welllllllll, m-maybe a little bit...!"

    "Ahhhh, I knew it."

    "Don''t misunderstand, please! I''m not a pervert, I just think they really have a strong affinity, that''s all! Look how much they care for each other! Rayazaki insists with Hinagiku and attempts to save her from an unrealistic situation while Hinagiku, despite Rayazaki''s efforts, denies them because she believes that her own decision matters as well! However, Rayazaki can''t see that and then they start to argue! Isn''t that so like couples?!"

    Her weird movements such as shaking her hands from left to right whenever she''s embarrassed are starting to become something quite cute.

    "If they argue, then they lack general understanding yet they argue as an attempt to further their understanding of one another. Maybe one day they will truly understand each other."

    Not happening since Rayazaki''s destructive by nature. He can''t even hide it even though a portion of his memories are gone.

    Now, imagine Rayazaki on his prime. God, I almost laugh just from thinking about it.

    "Then... Does that mean we automatically understand each other if we don''t argue...?"

    "We accept each other. That''s why we have already understood each other. If we aren''t arguing, then that might as well be the case."

    Ikkiri and Tatsu.

    Arkalee and Hyunda.

    Hinagiku and Akihiko.

    While exams start off with high hopes, we are starting with three failures.

    Without a doubt, this is the opposite of a good start.

    "T-Then I really do understand you... I think I want to keep on understanding you..."

    I lied about that, Yulia.

    You can''t ever possibly understand me.

    Because, you know, there is something you should know about me yet you''ll never know this.

    I often don''t understand myself.

 Volume 7 - Chapter 46: Expectations vs Expectations Part 2.

    "Kan and Kanawari, step up, please."

    It would be awkward if there was yet another pair that was malfunctioning due to absences, however, this time, that was not the case.

    Kan, once he heard his name got up immediately, but Kanawari''s response was a bit slower than his. But, regardless of that, she looked extremely charismatic.

    Aside from her long light blonde hair, she just... seems like your normal beautiful girl. The type of girl you might accidentally form a crush on but also the type of girl you''d just not go out of your way to talk to.

    Though, her gym clothes do look nice, really. If we were to evaluate looks alone, then she''d most likely be high on the list. The only problem is that she is...

    "Hiii! How are you today, sensei?"

    Unlike the majority of the girls who either have their hair tied or in other forms, Kanawari held her long majestic blonde hair freely to contradict that expectation.

    If I recall correctly, back when I was running with Hyunda to escape someone''s wrath, I saw Kanawari run with Ikkiri quite fast. Kan ran considerably fast too, but she was without a doubt faster.

    Whether or not Kan was serious, that''s a whole partial matter.

    All in all, Kanawari had been the one to start the conversation with Yuka-sensei by greeting her with friendly words.

    Speaking of which, they both look quite alike. However, Yuka-sensei''s blonde hair is darker than Kanawari''s. Their builds are almost perfect though. Not only are their three sizes evenly matched, but they seem to be two people who take care of their body health quite often.

    And wait, isn''t Kanawari''s ass just--------

    "Yulia........... It''s starting to hurt.... You''re clasping my hand a little bit too much...."

    While Kanawari and Yuka-sensei had their respective talk before getting into the exam, Kan stood there exercising and stretching just to make sure that his body would be fine before starting anything.

    The only problem is that Yulia started to aggressively clasp my hand even further for some reason.

    "Oh, is that so? My bad. I just sensed something odd in the atmosphere."

    What do you mean? Why are you smiling so fakely now? I can''t surpass my instincts you know?

    "You''re misunderstanding. There''s nothing odd about this."

    "Are you saying that what just happened wasn''t odd but the opposite of odd, which could be interpreted as natural? Is that what you are trying to imply? I would choose my words carefully if I were you."

    It''s just an ass. There are 7 billion of asses in this world. Why do you have to be so mad about it, Yulia?

    Yet I can''t project these types of thoughts honestly. It''s far too counterproductive and while some chit-chatting is going down between the respective members, I should take this chance to further talk with Yulia, since we will be here for a while.

    "Sorry. I was just looking at her physical structure in order to possibly determine her physical potential. I know it gave you the wrong impression but just a simple look at someone''s way of walking can be a great factor to achieve greater insight into someone''s physical condition. I''ve already seen a few moments of Kan, therefore I have a good idea of what he''s capable of, but not Kanawari. By the way, what did you think I was doing all this time?"

    Kan had already lost twice in physical fights. His spirit is stubborn since after facing defeat twice, you''d normally be faced with a sense of realism yet Kan just doesn''t feel realism. It''s like there is something blocking him from truly falling down.

    Even after losing to Ryoken and Kawahara, his gut is still there, from the looks of it.

    Furthermore, something I will never forget is that Kan was the first person I''ve met here.

    That will never change.

    "....Is that really the truth...?"

    She''s doubting me. I get why.

    Still.

    "I wouldn''t lie to you. But, I will tell you something. Even after looking at her physical structure, I''ve arrived at a different conclusion. Yulia... she''s no match for you, honestly."

    "What do you mean? I''m faster than her?"

    Her sudden misunderstanding provoked a literal smirk on my lips that just expanded itself horizontally and uncontrollably.

    And once again, I closed our distance and whispered something on her ear slowly.

    "I''m not talking about that. What I''m talking about is... the overall structure. Your body''s entirely superior."

    "...What? I don''t get it--- Ah. A-Aaahh... Eee-Eeeeh... Don''t tell me you...."

    This time I didn''t speak. I simply let my abundant lips mixed with my quirky smirk do all the talking so that Yulia would understand.

    Her lips started to shake uncontrollably which was a first to me, yet I couldn''t help but be sucked to that action of hers which contained an insane degree of cuteness into it.

    "D-D-Don''t say that...! I told you not in public, what if someone listens...!"

    The thing about negative emotions is, they are easily forgotten if you are consumed by a plethora of positive emotions instead.

    You don''t need to be self-conscious about this since this will be automatically provoked. It''s a natural reaction.

    And in the end, if you are already in stimulation that you consider yourself happy, at that moment, then the further your stimulation outgrows the previous, the happier you''ll become.

    "What of it? You''re more important anyway. Don''t tell me you think I would prioritize what the rest of them thinks over you? Is that it? Well, is it?"

    Although, this could just be seen as a way to talk about the upcoming tactics since we were given enough reasons to think like that.

    It wouldn''t be strange to assume that we are having a strategical conversation as well. Overall, nothing says that we are actually having a romantic conversation while that happens to be the case.

    "I-It''s not that...! It''s just that I don''t want them to find out... We would keep this a secret, remember...?"

    I''m slowly starting to forget the number of things we said to one another yesterday, but it appears that I have to remind myself of them again.

    Nonetheless, it''s kinda hard to take those words seriously when you are so red.

    "It''s our secret. No one will find out. But... I can''t help myself."

    Honestly, if I was truly trying to keep this a secret, I would just wait for us to be privately together, but since I''m not, I barely have any reasons at all to even attempt to do so.

    Plus, although she''s saying that she doesn''t want this, she''s a bad liar.

    "Y-You can''t! Not in public..."

    Our distance is fairly close to one another. It''s almost like we are sticking like glue. And since we are sitting on the farthest edge of the stone block, I made sure to apply some distance towards the rest.

    "Why not?"

    Simultaneously, as I said those words, I moved my face closer to her face due to the fact that Yulia wasn''t looking at me in the eyes again.

    "......What do you want to do...? We really can''t do anything in public, you know... You''re leaving me confused..."

    It''s true. All this time, I''ve been vague about what I actually wanted to do, but that was because her reactions are just that cute. I think I''m starting to get addicted to her reactions.

    Yulia''s like a drug, but she''s free for my use only.

    "Wanna kiss?"

    As soon as I threw that question in the air, I looked in Kanawari and Kan''s direction once again. It looked to me as if they still too busy choosing their order and their desired quantity in exercises.

    Since they closed their distance with Yuka-sensei, we could not hear a single thing this time. I''m surprised they aren''t arguing, but Kanawari doesn''t seem like the type of person who would argue with you.

    She''d most like just confirm or agree with you, I think. Which is perfect in this case, since Kan is quite argumentative at times.

    Perhaps Kan will take the lead?

    "..."

    Still silent. But she''s beating around the bush a little too much. I surely meant that as a joke, but I don''t mind taking it to a serious degree.

    It''s incredibly fine to be this open because these moments are only important right now. After this exam, they will no longer have any relevance.

    "...Can it come later...? I think I need some time to prepare myself... Sorry! I know that you were looking forward to it, but I... need to still figure a few things out by myself."

    She actually took it seriously. She did not see my action as something of a joke but as something that was purely meant to be.

    Anxiety took its entrance when I realized just how serious she was just now.

    Taken in awe, I drew back a little, since her presence started to become overwhelming to me. Suddenly, I felt like I wasn''t in control any longer. I have no idea how to describe this feeling, but Yulia seemed like she was ready to fully take the charge with her next words.

    "I''ve been thinking about what you said about wanting to meet my parents... The truth is... My parents and I aren''t in a good relationship right now. This means that if I meet them now, after all this time, the result will most likely be disastrous. However... If you are willing to come with me, then I think I can gather some courage and finally talk to them again. And then... As a reward, after all of it, I can give you a... a... a....!"

    No good, I got overwhelmed sooner than expected. Kan and Kanawari''s exam was about to begin, which gave me the perfect time to use this card.

    "Ahh, it''s starting! Finally, we will be able to see what an actual pair can do! Hey, who do you think is going to win, Yulia?"

    I''m not sure what exactly happened, but a tempest of anxiety consumed my entirety for a second there. What was that feeling and why did I feel like that?

    I can''t understand...

    "T-T-True! But, we still have to talk about this. So, after they are done, let''s resume, kay?"

    Yulia''s not the type of girl to just abandon a conversation once she gets started. I know that.

    But somehow, I have to be on the lead again. For some damn reason, I feel extremely uncomfortable when she takes the lead like that.

    Was it because she delivered that mountain of responsibility to me straight up?

    However, even if that''s the case, I can''t simply falter like this. I''m not supposed to be genuine, I have to act like a genuine person to her. Which is why I''ll get back to this.

    "Although this is about to start, I''m not trying to dodge the subject, I just need to collect a few thoughts. Don''t think that I''m rejecting you."

    Wouldn''t it just be inconvenient and misleading if Yulia thought that I was driving her out of the edge just because I decided to end our previous conversation?

    Yeah, I knew where she was going with it, but this concerns me more than it does to her, honestly.

    Because then, the situation after this exam might turn out to be beyond my control if I don''t use my cards correctly.

    "I know. You wouldn''t do that to me. But I saw it."

    "You saw it? What did you see?"

    It''s weird how she isn''t that revolted about the fact that I straight up delayed the conversation. In all likelihood, I would have to be a fool to think that the current exam is a valid reason to delay the conversation.

    "Your face. You, just about a few seconds ago, you blushed! Haha!"

    W-When did I make such a face...?

    Damn, if I really did that, then I can''t afford to lose here...

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    "You sure you want to talk about that? You couldn''t even finish your sentence. Say it again, I dare you."

    In response to these daring words of mine, her expression got even more brazen, which was unexpected to me.

    "Really now? Ahhh, maybe I''ll really say it!"

    "Go ahead then! I know you won''t say it!"

    Taking into consideration how embarrassed Yulia was just a while ago, I really doubt that she is capable of saying it.

    Also, it looks like they are starting with the 5-kilometer run. Kan is going first. Now, I''m not too sure who is the weakest element here, however, just by watching who runs the longest, I will be able to tell.

    Of course, this is assuming that both of them do fulfill the respective quota.

    In the middle of my thought process, I stopped looking in Yulia''s direction and had focused on observing how Kan''s exam would play out. However, that was a mistake.

    Because I allowed Yulia to infiltrate my surroundings, namely my ear, which allowed her to gain grand advantage yet again, as soon as she whispered the following words.

    "I won''t say it. Know why? Because I''ll do it."

    After submerging myself into another round of pure embarrassment, I fully focused on the situation.

    Yuka-sensei said something about there being a timer and since Kan is holding a pedometer in a form of a watch on his right wrist while running at a considerate speed, I would say that Kan either deliberately told her his expected timing or just not at all.

    If I take into consideration that this oval course contains a grand total of 500 meters as a whole, then 10 laps around it are enough to fully complete this yet that can''t happen at all.

    Especially since Kanawari will have to do her part.

    In the end, after spriting fast and dashing with respective power, Kan did two laps and a little more than that. Since I can''t know what distance he truly covered, if I go by my reasoning, two laps are the equivalent of 1 kilometer and since he ran a few meters ahead, then... maybe 1 kilometer and like... 200 additional meters?

    "I thought Kan would run faster. He seemed like the type of guy who was great at physical things."

    Why are you suddenly praising Kan? How can someone who constantly smokes weed have such a lung capacity in the first place? It''s suicidal.

    Also, why did you see Kan in that light, Yulia?

    "He''s nothing to worry about. Plus, this might''ve just been a tactic. If Kanawari fulfills the majority of the upcoming intended quota, then it makes perfect sense for Kan to demonstrate such a low-level performance. And besides, he''s running out of breath. No use on expecting him to be awesome, to begin with."

    I can''t understand why she would think positively of Kan in any perspective at all. Why even?

    "Ohhh... This is... rare."

    But then she said those daring words with a playful tone behind it. Immediately struck with confusion, I obtained an intangible level of perpetuity.

    "What is? If you are talking about the current situation then it''s not really rare. You might''ve not noticed, but the guy literally smokes all the time and just spends about his whole time rolling joints. Of course he''s useless. He''s not fit for this at all."

    Surprisingly enough, Kanawari, who was still left to run started to run slow, however, with time, she got progressively faster.

    A simple strategy, I suppose? It''s common sense to not run full ahead like Kan and instead to utilize your speed to your best. Which in Kanawari''s case, after slowly accelerating, she tinged a very formidable degree of speed.

    Yet in the end, she did four laps only which goes by the equivalent of 2 kilometers. Therefore, in total, 3 kilometers, and 200 meters, if I''m correct.

    This is only acceptable if Kan was the weakest element, which might''ve been the case since Yuka-sensei isn''t showing any signs of complaints at all.

    "Nope. Not at all. You''re not noticing it, are you?"

    "Yulia, what are you talking about? What is it that I''m not noticing? I thought we were talking about Kan''s sorry performance. Was that not the case? Did I misunderstand?"

    "Hahaha, sorry performance, hahaha!! Ahh! Sorry, sorry! That was funny, I''m really sorry for laughing when you''re this serious, hihihi."

    This is annoying me. What is Yulia trying to say? I would just force the question but I noticed that my level of crudeness has gone up a little bit so I''m tuning it down for now.

    Actually, it''s probably best that it''s not only for now but for a long time. I have to control my urge to be crude, for her emotional sake.

    "Just tell me. I don''t mind if it''s something stupid or anything like that."

    Perhaps she''s hiding it because it''s something incredibly stupid? Otherwise, I just can''t see it. I''m right about Kan''s performance, and the fact that Kanawari had to be the strongest element in this just proves it.

    Hell, even now, he can barely squat. His knees are a mess. Only 7 squats. Just how much of a mess are you, actually, Kan?

    "Mhmmmmm. Nah, I don''t think I will."

    "Huh? Come on, just tell me, please..."

    Her playful smile is adorable, but I''m curious now. Was there something that I didn''t understand here? If so, I would really like to know what.

    "You haven''t noticed it yet...? Ahhh. I won''t tell you now though. This is fun and enjoyable. Maybe I''ll tell you one day!"

    "You can''t be serious now... Don''t do me like this. You know me and my curiosity together are explosive, don''t you?"

    "Yep! And that''s why I won''t tell you! Think for as long as you like, you won''t guess it!"

    Maybe another time though. Right now, I''m more focused on the fact that Kanawari did about 10 squats, which was higher than Kan.

    Kan, why are you selling your gender out this much? Is this some unknown form of masochism that I''m simply not aware of? No... You look like you are actually trying, damn it!

    Trying to catch his breath, Kan moved on to doing push-ups yet he was only capable of pulling out 6. Though, Kanawari this time wasn''t much different as she only did 5.

    Definitely getting the X in the push-ups department.

    "...At least give me a hint, Yulia..."

    It''s eating me honestly. What the hell did I miss? I''m trying to take my mind off by examing the current situation but it''s not working.

    My thoughts can''t be washed away just because I want them to be washed off.

    "Nah-ah. No clues either."

    "Why not...? What did I do this time? I would understand if there was a reason for me to not receive any clues, but this is straight-up unfair, Yulia..."

    Although I''m talking to her, I''m not looking in her direction; I''m looking forward where I''m seeing the very figure of Kan struggling while attempting to plank.

    Not even a single minute. Motherfucking disgrace.

    Oh, but this is nice. Kanawari is planking now. This is nice. Really nice. Her light blue leggings are showing me the greatest view of all.

    Hey, Tsudo, try not to get a boner while watching this, because I as well, can barely contain myself---- Auu.

    Without any mercy at all, Yulia delivered a painful kick onto my right calf.

    "You just gained a reason. Congratulations."

    I have no excuse here. No reasoning can possibly save me here.

    It appears that I was caught acting according to my gender. What a natural mistake this is.

    "It''s really not what you think, Yulia."

    "Ahh, is that so?! Your face and stupid smirk tell a whole different version of the truth though..."

    Smirk? When did I?

    Oh, it''s true. Just by feeling my own lips with my thumbs, I can sense an elevated expression of myself in that zone. I can''t believe it actually happened though.

    "W-Well, maybe I would''ve focused less if you had given a clue! Then, I would''ve given serious thought about it!"

    "Is that right!? Well, so sorry then! If I had known, I wouldn''t even have brought this up in the first place!"

    Right now, this would be the standard point of starting an argument. If this was two days ago, then this would instantly escalate to a serious argument.

    However, I''ve had the situation under my control this whole time. After all, seeing the pathetic figure of Kan only achieve 12 sit-ups is making me crack up on the inside.

    "Can you describe to me your parents? I want to at least visualize meeting them in my mind."

    It surprised her how I simply changed the conversation, but if I remind her that I am simply not interested in the current situation and that I absolutely prioritize the former situation which was by far more important, then she will immediately understand that I do not care about our current argument and that I hold higher priorities.

    Priorities that she would be happy to comply.

    I bet Kan wants to hide in a hole right now. He''s looking suicidal. I would too if a pretty and kind girl like Kanawari pulled out 23 sit-ups which legit contrast what you just did.

    "Are you dodging the subject just to make me forget this? Don''t do that... You know how I feel towards that type of stuff. I must solve every situation."

    "Sorry. I know that. It''s just... When I think about what to prioritize, I feel like an argument where we are arguing over me isn''t really relevant. However, to me, something about yourself is a million times more worth it."

    "That''s also not gonna work. Don''t take me for a fool, please. You can''t sugar talk your way out of this."

    That, I slowly yet surely started to understand, Yulia. Which is why I already formed a path to my own security.

    "I''m aware. Which is why I will not sugar talk to you. I never have, honestly. You are mad because I looked at Kanawari instead of you, right? Then, can I, instead, look at you at all times instead of anyone else?"

    I don''t mind doing this. Sure, looking at Kanawari with lustful eyes turned out to be a natural reaction from me because she''s undeniably alluring overall.

    Yet, priorities are priorities. The exam is still ongoing and without a doubt, Yulia''s emotional security is something fragile. From a single moment it might seem strong and unbreakable but a feeble word, just one singular word that implies what it initially proposes to her, in a bad way, will spell out defeat for me.

    How can that be allowed when the top priority is the exam?

    "Y-You won''t do that... You are too curious about the exam..."

    "That''s not a problem. You can just report me how it''s occurring while I look at you all the time. There, problem solved. And furthermore, this way, I will not look at any of the remaining participants. Especially female ones."

    It''ll be a shame though yet trying this out has no consequences for me. I''m only looking forward to one result alone, but I sincerely doubt the bitch will be able to pull the victory off.

    Arrogant bitch with an arrogant attitude. You''ll realize that being paired up with Tsudo is the ultimate recipe for defeat.

    "Fine...! Don''t come to regret this!"

    "I don''t have a single reason to regret this though."

    Although I kept on firmly looking at Yulia, she, instead, looked towards the running platform where Kan and Kanawari were about to finish the exam.

    They had already done the run, squats, planking push-ups, and sit-ups. What else was left again?

    "It''s already over. Since the exam revolves around the five tasks which are; the 5-kilometer run, the 50 squats, the 30 push-ups, 50 sit-ups and a grand total of planking for 5 minutes, it''s only to be expected for them to already have concluded the exam."

    Such crystalized skin. It''s like I''m attempting to touch a jewel that I''ve randomly found in the middle of a frozen dessert that randomly was there, by pure coincidence. You know the jewel is worth a lot yet you wouldn''t even dream of selling it for all your life since the existence of that value far outgrows any price.

    "Ahhh, but Yuka-sensei just called out a new pair up! It''s Sagasuga and Shizuku!

    Her often captivating and eccentric attitude is pulchritudinous so to say. It truly makes me think that I''m sent to another realm where my entirety stops and reflects on how much of a waste it really is to only use her for my own selfish needs.

    "They look so composed and they are even dialoguing with one another! Could it be that they are going to demonstrate a great deal of synergy?! Unexpected teamwork arriving on the surface?"

    Every time I dig into the mine that are her luscious lips, they seem like candy to me. For every second that I stand here and from where I stand, your refined manner of speech that could attract the whole world seems like a stunning relic of the past that had lost its way throughout ages only to find itself midst an unexpected place.

    That precious vast blonde hair of yours makes me confuse it for actual gold. Not for the affinity nor the similarity in the color, but because everything about you spells the word rare to me. Yet you are on a far higher scale than all of this Yulia. If the rest in my eyes is decent and tantalizing then you surely are dazzling and divine.

    Furthermore, your waterfall braids are mouthwatering. They were probably intentional and thus, you must''ve expected me to notice them. Foolish of you to assume that I haven''t noticed.

    I notice just about everything there is regardless of how little I speak of it. And you, Yulia, are not partial to this circumstance of mine.

    "Sagasuga has just run without catching a breath! He''s not tired at all from the looks of it! Hm... If I had to say, that was the maximum he could''ve run. Ahh, just my guess but that was the 2,4 kilometers. And now, it''s up to Shizuku to perform the rest. Will she be able to though? Hmmm... You''ve been silent for a while.... Yo-You really don''t have to do this though..."

    Her words just now were like a magnet completely repelling me from my hidden thought process. All this time I had not noticed, but I was daydreaming about her.

    What a stupid thing to do.

    "I was just showing you that I''m serious. I think Shizuku might be able to pull off the 2,6 kilometers though."

    "Why is that...?"

    Her expression which was previously fascinating and splendid turned into a more convoluted and fearsome expression.

    I see. Mentioning the good appeals of Shizuku pissed her off. That must be it. That''s not a problem though.

    "Hyunda mentioned this. I have no opinion regarding her. What about you? What do you think?"

    According to Hyunda, the only pair that would truly pass or the pair that he was most confident that would pass is the current one.

    In addition to that, I wonder what his bets were? Did he foresee his own defeat? Actually... Now that I think about it...

    If Hyunda somehow already knew about Arkalee''s situation and he betted on his defeat, then that''s already a point for him....

    Clever bastard...

    Something else I noticed at the moment was how Yulia''s expression decreased in terms of uneasiness and reversed back to her soft and pure expression.

    "Hmmm.. She might be fast but I wouldn''t truly count on it. Doing the 2,6 kilometer sounds crazy for a girl overall. Yeah, I get that I''m dissing my own gender, but I just can''t see myself doing it, for example."

    And therefore you apply the whole gender as a defensive mechanic to your aid? Really, Yulia?

    Though, I''ll not mention this for obvious reasons.

    "Why are you so hard on yourself?"

    "I am just realistic about myself. If I have flaws then I have to be aware of them in order to evolve. That''s what you told me yesterday, remember?"

    I see. So this isn''t just a form of feeling sorry for yourself, instead, she''s using this as a window of improvement.

    That''s actually fantastic.

    "You''re already doing massive improvement just by being aware of that. Though, that''s not what I meant. Even though you should be aware of them, you don''t have to label yourself as useless in order to trigger something within you."

    Because that completely backfires. What''s the point in being hard on yourself if what you do entirely contrasts with what you initially were hoping to become? Negativity roams around negativity only.

    "I got it, don''t worry. As long as I''m with you, I won''t feel useless. You make me feel like I''m something that can hopefully turn out to be better."

    I would appreciate it if Yulia stopped getting so many high hopes, but that''s how she is. I can''t change her emotional swings and just how much she takes words for value.

    "Ahh, she''s really fast! No doubt, she fulfilled it! The remaining 2,6 kilometers are hers! Who knew that she was so fast! She ran like a Chitta!"

    Sagasuga and Shizuku might just have redeemable synergy because Sagasuga is accurate the majority of the time. If I were to guess the likelihood of him purposely running the way he did in the selection exam just to get paired up with someone like Shizuku, then I would say the likelihood is fairly high.

    By the way, I''m still looking at her. It''s amazing how she constantly shows visible expressions that symbolize embarrassment yet Yulia says not a word about it.

    Moments after, both Sagasuga and Shizuku had concluded their tasks almost perfectly according to Yulia. The only remarkable flaw was that Shizuku could only to 1 minute and 50 seconds of planking yet Sagasuga nailed every single other aspect perfectly.

    Almost flawless so to speak. As expected of Sagasuga, I guess? No, if it wasn''t for Shizuku then Sagasuga''s effort might''ve been completely useless on his own.

    Sagasuga wasn''t lucky though. He created his own situation and it worked out for him.

    This is what you''d call someone who is intelligent.

    "Um... Next up, Yulia and Daniel. Come on up please."

    Just like that, we were called. However, I still didn''t take my eyes off Yulia.

    This bothered her though, as we walked into the running platform.

    "Y-You can stop you know! I''m really, really thankful but it''s far too embarrassing!"

    She said that almost silently since she didn''t want her surroundings to listen to what she had just spoken.

    "Don''t come regretting it later, alright?"

    "You''re not allowed to venture through the lands of lust with those eyes... Just saying."

    Not an issue because right now, it would come down to all of what we could unleash.

    Both Sagasuga and Shizuku nailed the exam for sure. They have passed. However, I can''t do the same feat as Sagasuga even though our physiques aren''t that different in the first place.

    He had a really good partner thanks to his keen insight. On the other hand, since I messed up, I was placed with an inferior partner.

    The only thing I have going out for me is to rely on Kawahara''s words and demonstrate the synergy between Yulia and me.

    My individuality and entirety will have to be put aside the moment the exam begins for sure.

    No, this won''t mean that my individuality will entwine with Yulia''s individuality.

    What it means is that; we''ll have to become part of something that transcends individuality and ascends synergy equally.

    Nevertheless, that''s something fully unknown to both of us.

    "Yulia, which one do you want to do first?"

    "Mhm, I think you would be best here to choose, so I''ll leave that to you."

    "Is that so? Alright then. We''ll start off with something slow. Just remember this: You don''t have to push yourself. I''ll be on the same page as you which will let you be on the same page as I. Got it?"

    She looked slightly puzzled for a minute there, but since our distance from where we are now and Yuka-sensei is starting to decrease, it would mean that our final words would finally come to life.

    "Ahhhh, I''m not nervous, I''m not nervous, I''m not nervous!"

    "Worst case scenario we stay together until the end of the year. Or if we pass we could be more. Remember my past words, alright?"

    "Y-Yeah."

    As we arrived at our final destination, which was no other the middle of the platform, at the center, remained a single figure, our homeroom teacher.

    But..........

    This is all too illogical so to speak. How did this all come to life in the first place? It''s puzzling to even consider more than half of the events and lines if there isn''t any line of coherence nor any correspondence to any reasonable logic here.

    This is why, in order to do so, we will have to go back to yesterday, where it all began.

 Volume 7 - Chapter 47: It has to be this way.

    February 24th.

    Scouring my way through the butchered shortcut that Kawahara managed to discover which would essentially connect King George''s room to the underground, I left the underground to do what I had to do.

    King George has not been here for a very long time, I think. Could it be that he is gone for good? I hope so. I don''t miss the times where I would just wake up in the middle of the dawn due to his painfully loud shouts.

    Nonetheless, as soon as I crossed our dorm''s main entrance and experienced the semi-chilly weather that was expanded throughout the atmosphere thanks to the current season of the dreadful winter, I was reminded of the only clue I had to find Yulia.

    "Something about the usual would feel at disarray, right?"

    Walking without a final destination, as I mindlessly walked, I kept on thinking about what Yulia could be mentioning.

    ...

    By usual she''s referring to that time where she said that the majority of us, our class students in general, would feel out of place right?

    But if that''s the case, then is she referring to places where our class would just feel at disarray?

    "She did say something about how the girls refused to leave the dorms just because they didn''t want to be viewed as criminals by the rest, I think. If so, then that means that she must be in a public place..."

    After noticing how long this school is overall, I started to take immediate action by searching every public place in this school.

    Noticeably, public places such as plazas, libraries, stores, and whatnot were my first assumptions yet after exploring the school as a whole and after being viewed by the other students from other classes who viewed me with a strange amount of paranoia, I arrived at the conclusion that I was wrong and that my assumption was incorrect from the start.

    One of these days, I will find out what the main reason is for me to be viewed like this by the other students. Because thus far, it makes no sense at all. All I can form is baseless assumptions such as; they know my jail sentence, my unknown crimes or just about any stupid rumor that might''ve been spread about me.

    That frustrated me a tad bit since I was stressing out considerably to find a certain person. Not only that, but interaction was strictly forbidden.

    I didn''t want to show Yulia that I wasn''t trying at all, so, after searching the entirety of this school, well, the majority of it at least, I grasped the possibility of missing a certain place.

    In order to think deeply furthermore, I took a seat and formed a napping position on a near-by bench.

    Although the sky is cerulean, this weather is making me crawl right now. It''s essentially impossible not to shake. Plus, just a single gust with my breath emits an ephemeral amount of shroud.

    "I didn''t miss any place at all. I would recognize her the moment I would see her and considering her appeal is far higher than anyone else, she was not there at all. Therefore, where?"

    ''The usual'', initially, was something that was assumed to be the rest of my classmates, mainly the girls, but could it be that I have heavily misunderstood that?

    To further my thinking, I put my hands behind the back of my head in order to avoid direct contact with the metal arm at the beginning of the bench.

    "If it''s not the girls, then who is she referring to as the usual? Us, the boys? Even if that''s the case, where exactly would we just feel at disarray?"

    Disarray implies disorganization for the most part, which would mean that we would feel massively disorganized in the place where Yulia is, yet what is that place even?

    "I can enter just about any place in this school. Hell, I even entered the underground a while ago, what''s the deal here? Ahh, as if there is a single place in this school that I can''t enter. If I''m sneaky enough, I think I can even infiltrate the principal''s office, even though I''ve never been there. Yep, as I thought, there really isn''t a single place that I can''t ent--- Oh..."

    But then my brain suddenly clicked. There really was a single place in this school that I would generally not dare to enter.

    "No, no... But why would she make such a reference...?"

    I''m starting to doubt myself but my current assumption is too good to be doubted. Because my assumption is the only place where I would just not see myself walk into.

    Not only do we still have to fulfill an unknown consequence for invading it but just the single thought of entering it while the respective consequence is yet to be applied is sounding incredibly dangerous to me.

    "But what if...?"

    Given that I''ve already explored any surroundings except the ones I can''t obviously enter, the only place I can see myself missing and the only place where Yulia could freely be right now is...

    "No, wait... Aren''t the dorm supervisors supposed to forbid you from entering the dorm while you are having class? What sense does it make for Yulia to be there if she can''t be there...?"

    Unless... The supervisor isn''t there. Could it be that they have some sort of schedule? If so, then Yulia could infiltrate the place if she knew that the supervisor isn''t there.

    Hinagiku once described the supervisor as kind, so there is also the chance of the supervisor allowing her to stay in the dorm.

    "I guess it''s worth checking it..."

    Thus, I slowly returned to a crooked position while sitting in the middle of the metal bench. After yawning while crooked, I regained my posture and marched towards my intended location.

    In the end, my insecurity about this kept on rising terrifyingly accurately every time I got closer to the intended location. If her supervisor is there, then how am I supposed to enter her dorm in the first place?

    All of the other girls are busy attending class but not her. What if I encounter another girl from my class? What then? Will I be reported?

    There''s also nothing telling me that Yulia won''t simply report me. In all essence, this is far more counterproductive than productive yet I must make it work.

    "Talk about nice. Just by looking at this place, I already regret sleeping in such a haunted dorm."

    The girls'' dorm is far more superior to ours in just about every aspect. The architecture structure is more appealing. On the outside, it seems constantly clean and there isn''t a single scrap of trash swirling around the entrance which just contradicts ours.

    To further contrast our dorm, this looks like a mini-mansion for princesses to take shelter. Ah, the white-colored pattern mixed with a fantastical shred of blue reflects such a beautiful scene.

    Isn''t this overkill though? Did the person or people who built this dorm have some sort of issue against the opposite gender or boys in general? Why no equality?

    "I wonder if it''s open..."

    My biggest worry right now, on top of getting denounced by the security cameras is finding this luxurious tall golden door locked.

    What this would mean is the following: I most likely had no way to enter this dorm at all.

    "Oh.."

    It''s open though. Just by rotating the door hold, I found my way to enter this dorm. My biggest worry right now would be if I instantly encountered the dorm supervisor.

    Speaking of which, I''ve actually never seen what she looks like. I''ve only ever heard of her existence.

    Yet as soon as I let the door fully unfold itself, I only saw a clean hall ahead of me. There was a small desk in the middle of the hall, which I assumed was the same as King George''s. Therefore, that would be where the supervisor would be, but, she''s not here.

    Now, the biggest question. Where is Yulia in the middle of all of this? Where to start searching?

    "Should I just shout her name?"

    No, that''s a really stupid idea. I should not attract any attention at all. What if the supervisor is here secretly?

    And why am I suddenly fearing their supervisor? I get that I might''ve caught some sort of PTSD from King George, but this is just sorrowful.

    This reminds me, back in the invasion, I was at the top of the dorm, which was my table partner''s room. Should I check her room?

    How funny would that be? What if she secretly is all childish and has just a ton of fluffy things in her room?

    God, I would laugh so fucking much. But...

    "I need to find her..."

    With that said, I slowly walked into the first floor by climbing the stairs at the end of the entrance hall. While avoiding making any noise, on each floor, there were doors for sure.

    However, firstly, I would check if there was a single door open, otherwise, Yulia might just be flat out creeped out if she saw me acting like a stalker.

    This isn''t stalking though. She gave me consent. This cannot be labeled as stalking. Please understand that, universe.

    "No door open, it seems."

    I murmured those words almost silently. With that said, I moved on to the second floor.

    Realistically speaking, checking the rooms entirely would be something that is completely possible. Or at least checking if they are open or not.

    On the other hand, since all of us were given keys to our rooms on the first day, I hardly imagine that anyone would just leave their rooms open. It''s pure idiocy.

    This is why I think that if you are alone in this dorm, right now, you wouldn''t bother to leave the door open.

    There are only three floors above the second one.

    Man, this sweet aroma of lycoris is magnificent. If only we could receive a damn EQUAL treatment too.

    Though, my previous repulsive thought instantly vanished as soon as I saw a semi-open door at the end of the hallway. Surely, I was still at the beginning of the hallway yet the semi-open door completely caught my utter attention.

    Now...

    I wasn''t going for it. Nor was I going to make it obvious that I am here, at least. Not by walking into it. Not by making my presence be known.

    Firstly, I need to confirm where she is.

    Thus, in order to start working, I pulled out my cellphone and decided to text her. In the middle of this, I took a seat against the wall that was at the beginning of the hallway, with my legs fully extended forwardly.

    ��Are you there?��

    It took her a while to reply. Which made me wonder what exactly she was doing. Was she openly ignoring me in order to tease me or was she actually busy?

    Taking the situation into consideration, I would deem the most obvious answer to be the first one.

    ��It''s been an hour... ��

    It really has been. But that''s because you bothered to be so secretive about this.

    ��I know. It could''ve been less than five minutes if you have just told me where you were in the first place though.��

    ��I''m not telling you where I am. Give up already. Use this time to think about your dumb decision.��

    It''s not dumb though. However, there''s little to almost no point in arguing about that, seriously.

    ��I''ve made my decision actually. You are right about it. But I still need to have my saying. I told you that you were right and I was wrong. I wasn''t kidding about that.��

    Not really. Yet, to further portray my message, I sent the decisive text in the same chain.

    ��I''m at the cafeteria. Can you come and meet me? I admit. I have no idea where you are. I''ve tried to think about it, but I can''t form a single assumption about it. You win.��

    I bet she''s smirking right now. Who wouldn''t? Nobody likes to lose and everyone likes to win.

    ��Give me 3 minutes. I''ll be there in no time.��

    She said. I put my phone in the back of my pocket and held my head down while pretending to be asleep.

    It really wasn''t much of an act, but once you are completely focused onto something then, sometimes, it will completely slip your mind to take caution or just pay any sort of attention to your surroundings.

    Three minutes is essentially the amount of time it takes for a person from here, in this current location, to get to the cafeteria. A correct measure of time, honestly.

    However, all in all, there are times where you are just so focused that you even forget to pay attention to everything except the one thing you are focused on.

    She''s not an exception to this it seems. Because she just went past me.

    Although I couldn''t see her since my head was crooked down, as soon as she started descending down the staircase, I spoke out.

    "Yulia."

    This time, I did look at her, however, she was still looking forward. Also, my voice was far too monochrome. I almost sounded hollow.

    Which is not a surprise since that was the whole intention.

    Still in the same gym clothes, I see.

    "You lied to me just now."

    Yulia still did not look in my direction as she said those words in a weak tone. Perhaps she couldn''t even look at me. Furthermore, she''s prioritizing the fact that I lied to her instead of questioning how I''m even here.

    Or maybe she formed a hypothesis regarding how I''m here? Either way, it doesn''t matter.

    "Sorry. But, I was here and you didn''t even notice me. That''s impressive."

    It seriously is. How do you not notice that a boy is sitting against the back of a wall on the same floor that you live in?

    Though, I''ve already formed my reasoning on why she couldn''t notice my existence.

    "That''s because I seriously believed in you. But you lied... again."

    Am I secretly a compulsive liar? I wonder.

    "But hey, you''re surprised aren''t you? Wouldn''t it just be entirely anti-climatic to go back to the same place? Talk about no originality coming from me. Yet, here I am. In your dorm."

    This is somewhat questionable because she might still be prioritizing my lie over the fact that I planned a surprise. Well, overall, I wouldn''t admit defeat, but I could''ve done so earlier.

    Regardless, Kawahara''s words are still on the back of my mind. How I have to act like Yulia''s crush on me is a fact and not a possibility. If that''s the case, then I will act like that.

    "I don''t care about that. If you are here, you should have just told me that."

    It appears that she still values actual information over the fact that if I stated my existence here, I would be labeled as a creep.

    Maybe not by her though.

    "I am here though."

    I said that with a little laugh behind to light up the mood a bit since it was so heavy.

    "It''s too late to say that..."

    She still refuses to face my direction for some reason, but I will not move from my position right now.

    If I force certain actions, then they will backfire. Dealing with a person that''s a stick of living dynamite in terms of emotions that way will produce only negative results.

    "Is it though? Aren''t I here with a reason though?"

    "You said something about me being right and you being wrong. Were you joking about that? Was that another one of your lies?"

    On the surface, no.

    "It... took me a while to realize it. I forgot to take your feelings into consideration and focused on mine entirely. I complained about you not taking mine into consideration but isn''t that normal though? I didn''t take yours and you didn''t take mine. That''s equal treatment."

    Perhaps the result would''ve been initially different if I simply had taken her feelings as a whole into consideration for once. Never did I try to perceive her side, the only thing I attempted to do was to force my own view and deep down, I hoped that she would side with me.

    That''s the essence of blind hope. Expect nothing but positive results. But, however, does that always work?

    I don''t think so.

    "Furthermore, I was the one who mentioned about failing the exam and you were happy about that. I also failed to take that into consideration. Of course you would label that as an act of infidelity. Because I betrayed your expectations that were already set a stone. Ultimately, aren''t I simply at fault here? This is why you are right and I am wrong. Because my actions and words have turned a full 180-degree spin which allowed them to contradict."

    Her feelings for me, are something that I had no clue and still have no clue about them, but if Kawahara is right then I have nothing to fear.

    After all, it does take more than just this to get this mad and affectionate about what I did.

    "So you realize it."

    "Yeah, I do."

    Finally, she looked in my direction and thus, I rose my head back up which eliminated my previous crooked posture.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    However, she did not ascend to my position and just stood in the middle of the stairs.

    "And that means that you are not against my idea of failing the exam? Can I assume that?"

    That would completely contradict my intentions and I had to let her know that she should not assume that.

    Especially since Yulia is thinking that I''ve ultimately agreed to her idea and my initial idea of failing the exam.

    "No, don''t do that, please."

    "What...? I don''t understand. First, you admit your mistakes but then you say that you are going to keep the same action that you were not supposed to commit in the first place. Why bother to explain why you are wrong if you are just going to keep acting in the wrong?!"

    There it is, the sudden burst of anger. Her emotions can go from 0 to 100 in such an instant.

    But I''ll have to deal with them. No, I''ll have to embrace them, starting from now.

    "I bothered to explain why I was wrong because I was wrong. However, I want the best for you and at the same time, I want to simultaneously respect your decision as well."

    "No, you really don''t. If you wanted the best for me, then you would just agree with me, because that would really, but really make me happy. Right now, I''m extremely sad, which is the opposite of happy, in case you haven''t noticed. How can you disagree with me so much after all of this?! Plus, if you truly wanted to respect my decision then why are you still insisting? Do you think I like to argue for no reason? I argue to explain my reason but you flat out ignore it!"

    Except I have noticed. Not thanks to my own reasoning, of course. But thanks to someone else.

    If it wasn''t for him, then I would not notice how the pieces are starting to connect one another. How the entirety of your being is linked to respective elements that you demonstrated to me throughout this whole event yet I ignored all of this.

    In this scenario, without a doubt, I am the dumb one.

    As I fiddled my front hair a bit with my right palm, I wondered about my next words. How I would respond to her sudden waterfall of emotions.

    Being rude and saying my honest opinion is out of the question. My entirety and my individuality as a whole goes against her characteristics.

    "Yulia, just now, you said that the best for you would be if I agreed with your take, however, I don''t necessarily agree. It''s true, I''m not showing respect to you if I don''t agree with you. Yet, that''s because I know what''s best for you."

    "Do you? If you did, then you would already know that your past words were entirely wrong..."

    She''s so right. They were truly wrong.

    Because my past words did not relate to her at all, but my situation.

    Maybe if I used my mind right, in a perspective where I could see the good in that situation, maybe then, I would''ve noticed the flaw.

    The flaw being, I didn''t care.

    Right now though, I''ll show you what it means to care.

    "Yes, they were wrong. But I still remain right. I do know what''s best for you. And failing the exam certainly isn''t the best for you. Which is why I''ve thought and thought about a way. A way where you can pass the exam while still being happy about this."

    It did require a bit of time, but as I was exploring the school, I''ve arrived at a simple conclusion.

    After this exam is done, what''s the point of our connection? Do we just wait for another moment where we will have an excuse to be together? We aren''t the type of people that just keep in contact with one another for no reason at all.

    That''s why, a reason to exist, must be created.

    "There isn''t a way though...."

    "There is!"

    My loud sudden shout echoed throughout the whole dorm, I think. And surely, it surprised Yulia in the process.

    However, I couldn''t stop here. Not now.

    "I don''t want you to fail the exam because if you do, then you are just accumulating supply exams and a plethora of consequences to follow that up. It might sound like child''s play now, but this isn''t something to fuck with. This sense of security you have right now is entirely false and it will crumble as time goes on. Which is why you have to pass this exam. Not me, but you."

    "But I don''t want to!"

    "Why though? Why do you not want to? Explain to me that. I need to know the truth."

    Kawahara''s assumption aside, it''s far more important if I know the truth and right now, the mood dictates that she''s bursting with so many emotions that holding up to them anymore will only backfire.

    Plus, Yulia''s not someone who can just hide her emotions. She''s not a liar too. Lying wasn''t always an option for her, if it was ever.

    "You''ll not understand. Why bother to say it? I''m speaking to a puppet right now. You keep saying exam this, exam that, but you can''t take your mind off it, can you? It''s just not in you, you know?"

    Truth to be told, if Kawahara hadn''t told me about this and how dense I supposedly am, then I would''ve kept on insisting with the exam.

    Essentially, that''s still what I am doing, however, with an ulterior motive.

    "It wouldn''t be possible, but I realized something strange a while ago. Maybe it just clicked. Well, still, why not say it? While it''s true that I do care about the exam, can''t you see why I care about the exam? What were my last words to you?"

    If Yulia''s too blind to notice, I did drop a hint. Yet amidst her emotional burst, there is a slim chance of her not noticing it.

    And besides, she isn''t showing any signs of calming down.

    "You said that it was for me and not for you, but I don''t believe that. It''s just one of your tricks. You constantly lie to me. What, do you expect me to believe every single thing you tell me? You would like to, but if you lie to me over and over then it''s only normal that I will suspect you. Plus, you don''t actually give me a reason to believe you in the first place!"

    "So you need a reason for me to believe my words? Is that what you are saying? That without a reason, a reason that you automatically can get behind with, you can''t believe me."

    Credibility comes with a reason, so her argument actually makes full sense. If you believe every single thing then you are either massively stupid or soft-hearted. There''s no in-between.

    Reason for believing has been a thing through many centuries.

    "Yes, that''s what I''m saying. Give me just a single reason for me to believe you because right now, I really want to, but I just can''t! And besides, how is passing the exam suddenly more important to me than you? What?"

    Her first request aside, I can actually explain why it''s more important for me that she passes than my own passage.

    Though, that''s actually not true in the first place.

    "It''s more important to me because I can help you pass the exam. After this exam, I don''t know if I can. Nothing tells me that I will have a direct connection to you or maybe you''ll just cut me off. Something like that. Not being in power to help, essentially. How can I help you in the future if I''m not there? How can I be of use if I can''t show you any utility? Think about that. I care so much, not about the situation, but your entirety that I''m willing to explain why it''s more important for me that you pass this exam than me."

    "Huh? Wait, what did you just s-"

    Yulia wanted to ask me about something but I had to keep going. It would be bad if my point went to a misdirecting tide.

    "Throughout my life, I''ve managed to turn situations of losing into winning by putting my mind into it. That''s essentially the most basic trick. These exams aren''t that much of a deal if I take them seriously, in all likelihood. However, you aren''t in the same position as I am. Not even close. Fuck, you even need my help constantly. What is this shit? Can''t you take care of yourself?"

    And just as she looked ready to burst more emotional vents onto me, I took the step forward.

    "That''s why I''ve come to the conclusion that you need me. Not because you want to depend on me, but because you need to depend on me. But, aren''t you tired of that? Do you not want to depend on me without feeling the need to depend on me? Doesn''t dependence intoxicate you?"

    Nobody truly enjoys depending on others fully. Sure, there are people that enjoy dependence to a considerable high degree, but when you feel useless without that dependence you slowly begin to hate it.

    It can''t be helped, it''s a natural way to feel. To seek means to abandon something.

    "I don''t need you though. Why are you acting all high and mighty? Don''t think just because you are my partner right now that I need you. It''s just a coincidence."

    And this is where I fabricate the best lie of all. The birth of reason.

    "It''s not a coincidence though. Do you think I''m dumb?"

    "What?"

    "I could have had a greater partner if I wanted to. All I had to do was to run slow and bam. It wasn''t hard to guess that it would turn out to be this way. Nevertheless, if I already knew all of this, why would I go out of my way to be paired up with you? Why didn''t I allow another one to take my place?"

    A reason that would connect all of the hints entirely.

    Her feelings for me are somewhat relevant, but not right now. Only when I start to fabricate my own, will her remaining feelings be completely relevant.

    Right now, it''s far too premature to simply let her explain her feelings to me. Since the order for this implies that I have to go out of my way, then I will go all out.

    "What? Did you feel sorry for me, was that it? You felt so much pity for me and you decided to pity someone you never knew? All this time, you''ve tricked me! You''re fucking horrible, you know? I hate people like you, for the record. Throughout my life, I''ve met plenty of trash, but this is the first time that I''ve met such a piece of trash like you. Congratulations, I''m never trusting someone ever again!!"

    And of course, why would you not assume all of this? Some guy just basically tells you that he literally set you up from the start without your knowledge and that he pretended to care for you all along.

    Except where exactly did I tell you that I pretended to care? Aren''t you assuming things a little bit too far? But, considering her emotional condition, it''s fairly natural, I suppose.

    "You''re assuming things. I... really don''t like that. At least let me finish before you attempt to demolish me."

    "Why should I? It''s pretty obvious what your intentions were. All of us are criminals and have criminal records. Of course trusting a guy with 1000 years of jail to fulfill would naturally backfire. I was seriously dumb. Ah, but I must thank you. Probably thanks to you, I''ll never be dumb in my life again. You have taught me something precious, Daniel. Which is not to trust anyone!"

    Again with the assumptions. This is seriously getting on my nerves. But it was bound to happen, was it not?

    "You''ve got something wrong though. What I did wasn''t because I saw you as a target for anything of what you just said. Initially, I had no intentions. I knew that I could put myself safely, but I didn''t. Because I thought it would be fun to put myself in a position where I was already behind and still win. What''s the point of winning an easy victory? I dislike easy wins. Something that I have to go out of my way to earn for is far more worth it."

    You, for example.

    And gradually, she is starting to take small steps while getting closer to my location.

    "Even if that''s the case, it doesn''t add up, because you would be paired up with someone that had inferior physic. Therefore, your plan completely backfired. My flaws will cost you this exam and there is nothing you can do about it."

    "Your flaws, that which you realize that drags you down all the time, in order to evolve, just by being aware of them, you are taking a new step. Creating a new page. However, you don''t do anything about it. No, I''m not talking about your physic, I''m talking about your emotional outbursts and how you refuse to just accept my opinion unless it somehow entwines with yours."

    If you view yourself as useless, then to you, you are useless. And vice-versa.

    To the outside world, in a world of miscellaneousness, that''s not the case. However, those who know themselves the best will never accept any different opinions regarding them, especially when they are just in the middle of the remaining 7 billion.

    However, if it''s one in a billion, a person that exists at that moment, then, the case could alter.

    "Where are you getting at?! You''re not making any sense, you know? If your aim was to drag yourself down along with me, then what for? You''re just going to fail too."

    "My aim was never to drag myself down with you though. My aim was to take you higher."

    Yes.

    "And furthermore, not only now, but for as long as I can. Because, after this, I will not be able to, under normal circumstances and that''s eating me. It''s eating me because I am powerless in the upcoming scenarios yet not this one. That''s why let''s win. I''ll win for you and you''ll win for yourself. We don''t have to lose for no reason."

    I already know why she wants to lose. However, she will not tell me why though. Unless, of course, you are constantly pressured to tell me why.

    Unlike direct confrontations, I have not constantly asked her why she wants to lose, I just stated why I want her to win and that it doesn''t make any sense for her to lose here in any circumstance.

    That is, of course, unless, there is a reason for her to be fine with losing.

    We were a bit closer to one another. Only about four steps would be all it would take for us to get together, physically. Yet I was at the top while she was at the bottom thus far.

    "You... I can''t take you anymore. You don''t understand why I want to lose, do you?"

    "How am I supposed to know something I don''t know? It''s virtually impossible."

    That''s why, in order to let me understand, you''ll have to subtly explain it to me. Nevertheless, I wonder how she will go about it.

    Will it be a straight confession or do I have to take that step myself?

    "I''m starting to not see the point in explaining it to you now. I''m holding my breath on it so to speak. After all, I gain more here than you do. You might see this as cowardice, but I''m not telling you."

    That really is a coward act, but I will not let that be the case.

    "I explain my reasons but you don''t explain yours? You''re right, that''s extremely coward. Weren''t you the one who said something about infidelity, Yulia? What happened to that? Why are you doing the same thing?!"

    I put a more aggressive tone this time, which contradicted my usual monochrome voice.

    "So I''m betraying your expectations, is that what you are saying?"

    "Yeah, that''s right! You are doing just that. Here I am, explaining why I want the best and the world for you, but then you give me those words? That''s not fair. Tell me the reason, Yulia. And don''t think that I''m not gonna care for it. I''ve come this far by caring. If I didn''t care at all, then would I even be here? Hell, I wouldn''t bother with you in the first place. Yet here I am."

    Yulia has to see just how not different what she''s doing compared to what I previously did. If we do the same actions but with different intentions, then we can''t possibly come into a consensus.

    I''m also fed up with this plethora of drama and meaningless misunderstandings.

    Yet as I look to her face, she looks like she''s in so much pain. Her eyes remain there but to me, it''s like they are ready to cry an ocean of tears.

    "I don''t care anymore, I''ll just say it. I held back on my opinion because I thought that you didn''t care but according to you, you do care. However, I''m still not sure if I should believe that. You might be dead to me depending on how you respond to this or how you tend to portray your future actions. Even so, do you want to listen to the reason? The reason why I want to lose this badly?"

    Alas, we''ve reached the final hour. After all of this nonsensical drama, could it be that we are about to arrive at the desired conclusion?

    It''s all up to me, essentially.

    "Tell me all of it. I''m here not because I''m pretending to be here, I''m here because I care."

    After my serene-toned voice allowed my words to fly to Yulia, I granted her permission and a reason to speak about it.

    Two steps away now. Our distance isn''t far at all, in fact; close.

    ".......Wouldn''t it be nice if we could stay like this through the whole year? We could talk so much and just have fun together! Not to mention, we could help each other! But right now... I don''t like this. I don''t like how we essentially argue all the time. It''s sickening. I want it to end."

    She''s not being fully blunt about it, which is expected. Instead, she''s dropping small hints.

    I see. Yulia has not come to terms with her feelings. Either that or Kawahara is wrong. However, this isn''t the time for self-doubt.

    This calls for decisions to be made.

    "That''s true. We could talk to each other so much throughout the whole year. If you are paired up with me and I am paired up with you, it could mean that. There''s no doubt there. You''re also right. We do argue all the time. Why is that though?"

    "We... struggle to understand each other because we keep on defending our points. Your views are different. It can''t be helped. But... if our views are different all the time, then will we ever stop arguing...? We... won''t, will we?"

    Surely, if perspectives differ, then arguments are formed. If points remain unconnected to other partial points, then doubt is created. Ultimately, how can understanding be different from a reality that is only visible from a faraway shore?

    It has to connect, all of it.

    "We can put an end to that. You and me. We can do it."

    "How though...? Don''t our views just significantly differ all the time?"

    "That''s because we are stubborn in defending our points. It''s a defensive mechanism. That mechanism is used against those who you deem is wrong. However, do we have to feel that way about one another? What does it matter if we are wrong? Why don''t we strive to correct ourselves, in a way that we can both agree?"

    Slowly, she climbed yet another step. Only one step is our distance right now.

    "But how can we agree with each other? Aren''t we just prone to argue every time?"

    Essentially, yes. However, it''s important to fight back against the way things are settled in order to create anew.

    "We can agree with each other by accepting each other. Mutual acceptance so to say. That''s how we will stop arguing. We have to share everything with one another and then, no more arguments. No more rounds of endless drama. No more sections of doubt and curtain shows of anxiety. All of it, together."

    I also do realize what I am implying.

    Although you can just label this as friendship, if there are stronger feelings involved, then that''s a really lackluster endeavor. Because her strong feelings will be the deciding factor here.

    "Don''t say those words... You... have no idea what you are saying, do you? You''re just saying those words to resonate logic within me, but they are really irresponsible. You should know this."

    Yeah, I do know.

    How irresponsible these words really are. However, you aren''t taking the step here, even though I''m leaving you hints.

    You are also leaving me hints yet I''m slowly but surely advancing. But at this rate, it will not work. It won''t be enough.

    Something decisive needs to convey all my words in one singular move. Otherwise, this will all just be words. Words only have effect when their meaning is portrayed, otherwise, they are shallow.

    "I do intend on taking responsibility. For as long as I can continue to exist."

    "Hm?"

    She''s puzzled by my words, but that''s fine.

    With a quick impulse, I pulled my body back up and faced her.

    Never in my mind did I imagine this to be a moment where I would say these words with actual meaning, but such is the case. It''s necessary.

    "Do you know how I feel about you?"

    "What... are you talking about?"

    And now, she''s attempting to force me into revealing what I truly am saying.

    Will words alone convey my thoughts and needs? They won''t.

    Actions do the finishing moves while words begin the initiation of the momentum and right now, the climax is here.

    "Oh, what? You don''t...? Hm, I see. Then.. I guess it must be this way."

    "H-Huh?!"

    Our distance is fairly close right now. She doesn''t need to take a step forward for this to happen since I''ll happily take that step myself.

    And in a heartbeat, a swift connection between our lips was made. Not transient yet not everlasting, just the right amount of time necessary.

    Something I never imagined doing happened, which is surprising in all senses.

    What would be bad for me is if I allow the silence that was formed after the kiss to overpower me.

    "I love you."

    She seemed to be away for a moment as she kept on looking in my direction while in a state of daze.

    Perhaps it was her first time?

    Once again though, the silence would become bad to me, thus, I took yet another step forward.

    "This is how we will be together. I''m not sure if you share the same sentiment and I am ready for rejection, however, this is the way I''ve found. I''m sorry it has to be this way."

    The connection between my lips and her luscious lips is still replaying in the back of my mind. Who knew that such a powerful moment created from an argument could be this exciting?

    Yet showing actual excitement here would backfire essentially.

    In the end, even after saying those words, she did not spoke. All Yulia did was to firmly look down while grabbing my black jersey with her own two hands, softly.

    "I understand your desire to stay with me throughout the whole year. But, all this time, I''ve felt a stronger desire, you see. Seeing you fail would mean that you are closer to fail the program as a whole. I can''t allow that. Otherwise, your entirety will be gone. Do you realize why I want to win now? This isn''t exactly for myself, as I''ve mentioned."

    While the feeling of love could be viewed as selfishness, my action to her, is the following: I am doing what I am doing because I don''t want her to fail. I''ve already thought of Kawahara''s words regarding the second formula and I''ve come up with a decent plan.

    Yulia''s way too insecure about herself to take the lead here, therefore, someone with extreme confidence such as myself is the perfect individual for this occasion.

    Regardless, I''m still ready to get rejected. I can simply just accept that Kawahara was wrong and I can move on. Or maybe she''ll just reject me out of fear.

    Either way, I''m only looking forward to the result and what her thoughts are.

    "In addition to my feelings, there is a really stupid reason why I haven''t bothered to tell you sooner. This might''ve been selfish of me, but I wanted you do possibly feel the same way as me, so I allowed the events to escalate. I hope you can forgive---"

    "I don''t care about that..."

    At last, she looked at me, but instead of carrying a normal facial expression, her expression was a lachrymose one. Tears were firmly falling down from her eyes as they streamed down to her cheeks.

    "You don''t?"

    "No... I... adore you. No, I love you! But I''m no different. I''m the terrible one here. I did everything for the sake of just being with you. I''ve disagreed with your takes just so I could have a better chance of being with you and that is why I still want to lose...!"

    She''s holding my jersey tightly as if she doesn''t want to let go and it seems that she truly does regret her selfish actions in spite of it all.

    Of course she does. After all, it was for the purpose of pursuing her crush. She might''ve imagined something like developing further feelings for me as I''ve would start to develop feelings for her slowly.

    That''s certainly possible. However, Kawahara was the one who woke me up to the reality that she loves me.

    "There still another reason why I think we should win. I haven''t explained it to you, but I guess I can now. I do want to be with you, however, why are we prioritizing the seats?"

    "Because then we will be together forever?"

    Those words literally created a fissure of exhilaration in my heart straight up.

    That sudden burst of excitement consumed me insanely fast.

    "We already will be. That''s why it''s meaningless."

    "N-No, it''s not! We can be together and still be seated together throughout this! Even when it''s over, I''ll still convince the teachers!"

    But that implies that I will lose the exam. That can''t literally happen.

    All of this is for a singular purpose only and thus, going against the tide is not an option.

    Her tears which are overflowing are making me skeptical about my upcoming decision, but I can''t allow these thoughts to consume me.

    Emotion only blinds.

    "Yulia, it''s alright. We have to pass the exam. The idea that I''ve come up with is that we pass the exam and that we will be together regardless. Can''t you see? This is our mutual acceptance. Screw some seats. We will have way more time than that."

    "B-But... I really just want to... be together with you......"

    Her voice started to slowly fade away while looking at me with condensing eyes.

    Furthermore, her grip kept on increasing as she pressed her head into my chest.

    "We can''t be together unless we pass every exam. Remember what I told you about that sense of security that failing one exam is fine? It''s fake. Youll get addicted to failure. Once you fail and see nothing wrong in it, then you are destined to fail again and again. That''s how it works. I won''t allow you to experience that."

    Although, you can always rise up from below to above if your will is strong.

    But that''s the thing. Is your will strong?

    Not in this case, Yulia.

    "Can''t you allow me to be selfish here...?"

    "Definitely not. This isn''t me rejecting your take, I''m giving you a stronger option. It''s far more worth it. This is my way of caring for you. After this, even though we will be on different seats, you''ll always be on the back of my mind."

    Hardly true since I''m always gonna have to worry about the upcoming exams. My survival is the most essential part of this.

    "Ahhhh.... Alright. Alright. Alright! I get it, I really do. Just... a second, please."

    "Ah, okay."

    I can''t break my attitude right now, or else I''ll feel massive embarrassment. Just hold on for a bit longer, self.

    And Yulia asked me to give her a second to wipe out her remaining tears since this was all a bit sudden.

    Was it sudden though? I feel like I did the necessary preparations though.

    "I know that you and Lus talk from time to time."

    When did you notice that? Also, they are literally the sourest arguments ever. To call those arguments ''talk'' is a heavy misconception and lack of understanding from your part.

    The worst part would be if she thinks I''m flirting with her. Because that''s really not the case.

    Don''t judge our relationship based on our proximity, please.

    "I don''t care about her. I only have eyes for you, sorry."

    "I-I see! Still, don''t talk to her. Or any girl in general. Unless the situation absolutely requires you to, or I''ll get mad."

    Bros before hoes is my middle name so I''ll prioritize a bro talk with a bro instead of talking with the random hoes.

    Yulia has nothing to worry about.

    "Also, this is just between us. Don''t tell this to anyone, please."

    "Yeah, I know, I know.  Why would I tell this to anyone though?"

    "I don''t know... I just... don''t want others to know it. We should be like this in private. Because others don''t have any business meddling in."

    So that''s her reason. That''s something I actually agree with though.

    "I agree. This is something between us, not other people. I never understood why people just share their relationship status with other people. Others don''t matter at all, as you are my only priority."

    For now, you are.

    "Y-You too! I feel the same way about it too! If you love someone then you should reaaaalllyyy only hold your hopes for that person, shouldn''t you?"

    "Y-Yeah!"

    I''m really starting to lose my strength to keep this act. Because her charms are dragging me into being enveloped with her at this rate. And that can''t happen at all.

    Therefore, I need to change the subject.

    With that in mind, I proposed to Yulia that we would go and have lunch, since then, I would explain to her my plan of action for tomorrow in the upcoming exam.

    Now that she had sided with me, 50% of the exam was essentially already conquered.

    Her cooperation was the necessary 50% and the rest 50% will be important too.

    However, above all, what actually only matters, in the end, is winning.

    In order to win, you have to survive and live to see yourself winning and never lose.

    No matter the cost, victory is always above.

    No matter what.

 Volume 7 - Chapter 48: Expectations vs Expectations Part 3.

    "Do you two need some time to discuss your order? I''m being generous even though you two could have simply discussed this while the others were doing the exam."

    It''s true. But, since I already had premature knowledge about this situation, yesterday, I formed a solid plan to win this.

    To score a beyond positive score in this exam, I have to highlight everything about the unspoken golden second formula.

    Yuka-sensei''s generous offer would be extremely acceptable if it wasn''t for the fact that it wasn''t needed.

    "Not to worry, we don''t need time to discuss that. Isn''t that right, Daniel?"

    "Yeah, you''re right, Yulia."

    From this moment on, my actions will be split into two and not one; unlike normal circumstances.

    "I''ll explain this once more in case of possible misunderstandings. You have all the freedom in the world to choose your task order and the number of attempts at each exercise within that task. Furthermore, I''ll put a timer onto the tasks. For the record, aside from the 5 minutes of planking, which are entirely optional, in case you aren''t feeling competent enough to completely fulfill it, the 5-kilometer run is a grand total of 20 minutes maximum. Pretty generous, with all purposes intended."

    At first, 5 kilometers will seem like nothing. After all, you will be extremely confident from your initial dash.

    You just can''t see how something like mere 5 kilometers could possibly drag itself to 20 minutes, especially when it''s split onto two people.

    However, under no circumstances, outside of having minimal or decent physical exercise experience, should you allow yourself to feel confident enough to think that this is simply easy.

    Well, it is to me though.

    "The remaining three tasks such as push-ups, sit-ups and squats have a limit of three minutes. It''s still a timer of a very high tolerance scale if you ask me. And of course, you''ll have to run with a pedometer. You see this?"

    Our one and only homeroom teacher pointed at the pedometer watch that was on her right wrist, which was the only object present here to count the grand total of meters you''d overall pursue in the 5-kilometer task.

    Though, considering what''s about to happen, I dare say it''s meaningless and useless. As a matter of fact, the timings won''t even be relevant to us at all.

    Yuka-sensei has no clue about this though.

    "It''s just for the sake of keeping a track. You are free to quit at any time if that is your wish. I''ll repeat myself; you don''t have to force yourself to do this."

    While saying those comforting words, she looked at Yulia way more than me, which was fairly understandable. Judging from her serene expression, Yulia didn''t allow herself to fall into a mental state where she would see Yuka-sensei''s words as sham or mockery, which is perfect.

    Yulia doesn''t have any necessity to feel that way. My words already took care of it all.

    "That''s alright! We will win this and go at our own pace, won''t we? And besides, it''s way more fun when we work things out together. Let''s show them what actual teamwork looks like, Daniel!"

    I don''t think I could ask for better words to be spoken right now. It''s also not as if Yulia just read my mind since I have no idea that she would say something that good, but it suffices. No, it goes further than simple sufficing.

    Thus, I abandoned my usual monochrome attitude and took a new angle this time.

    "Yeah! No other pair will synergize better than us, that''s guaranteed! And that''s because our unity will bring an end to the rest of them! However, this isn''t about shutting others down; we are doing this for ourselves!"

    Yulia''s eyes are brimming with confidence. Her smile no longer has doubts splashed around it. This time, it feels completely genuine.

    Naturally, my sudden eccentric attitude might''ve caught her by surprise a little bit yet she reacted just fine.

    "Myyyy!! You twoooo!! I''m so surprised!! Saga and Shizu did pretty well, but if we are to evaluate attitudes and values, then you might just have it! But, don''t let your current attitude backfire, otherwise, you can say goodbye to passing this exam. Especially you, Daniel. You know what happens, don''t you?"

    "Yes, I comprehend entirely what will happen to me. But as said, we won''t lose. Not me, we. Got that?"

    It''s important that Yuka-sensei doesn''t think that this is a solo endeavor. Additionally, Yulia is brimming with even more confidence now.

    "With that said, we will start with the 5-kilometer run, please."

    The order is, once again, completely irrelevant, but that would show a great deal of carelessness from me, which isn''t exactly recommendable in the first place.

    "I see. Are you two going to aim for the extra points or not?"

    Yulia looked in my direction since I was looking at hers''s too. The only beneficial thing about the extra points is in case you fail the tasks.

    Truth to be told, the end result isn''t that far from it, but once again, I''ll have to demonstrate a deal of care just because it would represent a lack of care otherwise. If I show that, then it''s as if we not taking this seriously.

    No, it would be implied that we are not taking this seriously. We have to try. By trying, it means that we formed an attempt, but it must be solid and not completely non-sensical to the point where we will be quickly outgrown by the reality of the situation.

    The reality of our situation has to be a reality where we can both firmly be on the same level.

    "What do you think?"

    Yulia asked. Without any further thoughts, I answered back to her.

    "I think it''s a really good option. Although we are confident in our teamwork, we can''t undermine the exam."

    Clasping her hands together, she formed an even brighter expression bursting with sudden excitement.

    "Then, we should take this option! Not because we aren''t confident in our victory, but because it can increase the chances of our end score!"

    Her prominent red lips are starting to cause some sort of emotional conflict within me. I realize that I''m not supposed to truly feel attached since this is all an act, but human instincts are highly lethal to me in these types of scenarios.

    Every time she smiles it''s as if a bomb is dropped from the sky above and I try to run to a safe place as a result. However, there is no safe place on this planet. She''s undeniable.

    "What are you talking about? We already are going to win this, whether or not our chances are increased. But you are right, it''s definitely nice to have it as a backup measure, Yulia! Sensei, we''ll take it!"

    Happily, Yulia took my confident words for granted and settled with a sweet elastic smile in response. Nonetheless, my words had a secondary meaning to them, which would automatically entice something.

    "Alright. Now tell me, I know your first task, but you''ll have to tell me the rest, otherwise, it becomes extremely advantageous for you two to perform the other tasks at your own will."

    She''s right. However, it takes someone skilled enough in the area of physical exercise to know how to abuse the correct order.

    I wonder which order Hyunda would have gone with...

    "As already mentioned, we will do the 5-kilometer run. After that, we will go with sit-ups followed by push-ups. The sequence of squats will come right as those previous tasks are finished. Ultimately, the grand 5 minutes of planking will be our last task. Yulia, do you agree with this?"

    Once again, the order is entirely irrelevant and I did not construct this order according to any specific magnificent reasoning. It''s just for the sake of existing for the reasons I''ve already explained.

    Why is it so irrelevant though? That''s something that no one except Yulia and I only knew.

    "Of course. I did give you my permission, so anything you say, I will do."

    Please don''t use those words out of context.

    "Thanks. Sensei, as you can see, this is it. However, we need to determine our respective quota per task, right?"

    Usually, the quota is only relevant when we are aiming towards the extra positive points, but that''s not actually the case. It''s a facade to believe that we are.

    Nevertheless, the number of quotas has never been specified. It''s something not even worth thinking since you''d usually only be interested in producing extremely high results and not negative ones.

    Therefore, why would you even think of using your quota is a way that is not intended on producing spectacular results?

    "If you are aiming for the extra points, then yes, it''s obligatory."

    Point systems are essentially quite easy to understand. There''s almost nothing hard about understanding a point system, which is why they are made in the first place.

    And for an event that was hardly prepared for, I would say, using a system that revolves around points, isn''t a bad idea.

    But no one would simply expect the possible outcome of this. Not even myself, if I look back a few days ago.

    "Sensei, by quota, you mean the number of repetitions of the exercise that is addressed to our task?"

    Yulia still had some doubts regarding that part so he asked Yuka-sensei about it. Even though I already knew all about it.

    It''s a good thing though. Because Yulia will be the one who will decide our quota overall.

    "Let me demonstrate for you, Yulia, my sweetie. Since you are going to run and you have to do 51% of it in order to grasp a positive result, you just have to do 2,6 kilometers. However, it entirely differs here. You can choose how much you want to run and if you hit your score right, then you''ll individually get a positive point. Though, as I''ve mentioned before, you can only receive one point individually. Therefore, it would be wise to know in which task you''d want to use this chance."

    It doesn''t matter. The end goal isn''t even this stupid system point. I didn''t tell Yulia to pretend to care, but right now, that''s clearly what I''m doing.

    Remarkably, the only interesting thing about this point system is, if you nail your quota correctly, then you gain one positive point. Yuka-sensei said that it could make someone''s score positive, but that''s still not going to save us.

    From everyone''s perspective at least. Because, despite potentially using our positive points, which would be two, accumulated from the correct quota, we would just be abolishing a single negative point.

    You can''t possibly turn that into a positive score if you already have a plethora of negative points accumulated. In other words, Yuka-sensei''s explanation was badly explained.

    It was far too optimistic, so to say.

    "Just one, huh? Mhmm, should we use it just now, Daniel?"

    Within every look in my direction, her light blonde hair would totally and sometimes permanently steal my whole vision field due to how luscious it is from my position.

    That aside, whether we use it now or later isn''t actually irrelevant.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "I don''t think we should. I think that we should use the chance when it truly matters."

    Although I say this, it won''t exactly make that much of a difference. We could use it now, but that would ruin something that I think is not worth throwing out of the window right now.

    Which is why...

    "Let''s save it for last, alright, Yulia?"

    "That''s fine by me. I''ll do anything you say."

    I can''t tell if she''s doing this on purpose anymore. Though, from the corner of her mouth, she''s starting to form this almost invisible smirk every time she says that.

    "Daniel, Yulia, you''ll still need to fulfill the quota though."

    I wanted to ask why, because it doesn''t make much sense honestly. I understand that you need to know our quotas when something is at stake, but now that it''s not, why even bother?

    Unless something is actually being tested right now. Yet, I wasn''t going to bother. Arguing is not a priority here.

    "Yulia, do you want to choose first?"

    We actually have already discussed about the answer to this question yesterday back at lunch.

    "Mhm! I''ll choose first!"

    With her confirmation out of the way, the part that Yuka-sensei most likely would not expect from any of us would begin shortly.

    It''s pure suicide, under normal circumstances.

    "I will... run a great deal of 500 meters!"

    Hm? I did say that she was allowed to take independent action, but is she confident that she can even do 500 meters?

    Oh, she is. Her angry eyes and pouting expression quickly defeated my doubts. I just hope that she actually knows what she is doing.

    "Um... sorry? Did I just hear that correctly? Or am I mishearing? Could you repeat what you have just said, Yulia?"

    It''s natural. After going through a fair share of length just to explain how you could win this exam, as soon as you''d listen to someone say words like those, which contradict any hope to victory at all, you might get a tad bit mad.

    Yet Yulia did not change her attitude, as planned and happily spoke her words once again.

    "Oh, sure! I will do 500 meters!"

    Yuka-sensei looked extremely puzzled to the point of even zooming her own eyes in and out, weirdly.

    Who knew that she would have such a weird reaction... But, is it weird, considering the scenario? I don''t think so. Most surely not when your student has the happiest innocent smile after saying words of defeat. Yulia''s closed eyes express even further happiness.

    "Daniel, am I hearing correctly? Yulia said that she will do 500 meters."

    "Yeah. I''ll do 450 meters though. Since Yulia has a higher priority, she''ll be in charge here, not me. Therefore, I''ll do a swift 450 meters."

    It pains me to say such weak words in response to someone that just wants to confirm the truth. To someone who still refuses to believe in the current scenario.

    Noticeably, it''s actually irrelevant for us to care about the percentages anymore because it only matters once you go above 50%. However, 500 meters is either the equivalent of 10% or 15%.

    I could calculate the percentage, but I''m not bothered to do such. It''s so fucking irrelevant. What needs to be portrayed here isn''t our negative effort and doomed endeavors.

    But our delusional hope and blind teamwork.

    "Are you even serious right now?! Didn''t you listen to anything I''ve just said?! Yulia, how come you were so happy and still are, but you are saying words like that! Please change your mind! And you, Daniel! Why are you acting like your situation doesn''t matter at all!?"

    This is confusing me right now. If Kawahara is right, then why is she making such a drama about this? Is this an act? Is this a way to drive us out of the second formula?

    Unfortunately, I can only accept that possibility and ride on it.

    "It''s fine, sensei! We are confident in our victory, right?"

    Smiling with her eyes closed, Yulia passed the verbal baton to me.

    "Of course! That''s why, sensei, accept our quotas, please!"

    To further portray my seriousness, I bowed down.

    Yuka-sensei can''t be allowed to think that this isn''t even remotely serious. This must be serious. This has to be serious.

    I can imagine Yuka-sensei''s confused face right now, but that''s irrelevant. I just want this to be over with.

    "...Don''t tell me I didn''t warn you. We already wasted too much time. Yulia, get ready."

    "Aye!"

    Without further ado, she handed the pedometer watch to Yulia, who went to the middle of the starting line. The starting line would stay outside of the current field yet still inside the running platform. Our zone, which Yuka-sensei and I stand in, is a partial area in comparison to the oval running platform.

    Yulia attempted to form a running stance, but it was so bad that I just wanted to laugh it off. Her knees are positioned so wrongly. In the first place, a decent running stance would imply you to bend over, but she''s not even doing that.

    She''s just pressing her legs backward. Though, that''s kinda cute, to be this clumsy unknowingly.

    "And... begin!!"

    After whistling and giving Yulia the permission to start, Yulia ran with all of her might.

    It was unspoken that even if this was a grand total of 500 meters, she was still struggling overall. Although I''m far away, I can see her heavy breathing throughout the gust of white shroud she forms every time she takes a plethora of heavy breaths.

    8 minutes. Maybe that''s not bad for someone who hasn''t done physical exercise in all of her life, but that''s really bad overall.

    Ultimately, I went to meet her at the starting line, although, Yulia was still catching a lot of air while putting her two clasped hands onto her shirt while also additionally supporting her chest with them.

    "You didn''t have to do 500 meters, you know? Just a simple 100 or so would do. Are you hurt, though?"

    "Ahhh...... Ahhh....! Th-Thank you for asking! I am...! Ahhh...! Fine....! Ahhh....!"

    No, you''re not. You look like you''re on the brink of collapsing. Hot mess expresso.

    "I''ll take my sweet time. Rest while I do my stuff, Yulia."

    "Ahhh... Okay! Good luck!!"

    Slowly drifting away from the starting line, Yulia left the pedometer with me and those words of luck as well.

    Before I reached here, at this exact location, I had already told Yuka-sensei my quota.

    Sincerely, my quota was already decided the moment Yulia had decided on her quota.

    That''s right! How simple, right?!

    And just like that, after 8 minutes of receiving multiple loud laughs from the audience known as my whole class and pretending to be incredibly slow, I had ended my run of 450 meters.

    For the record, you have to be incredibly skilled to do this for 8 minutes exactly while not pausing constantly. Because, otherwise, you can just tell the current timer just by looking at the pedometer.

    "They are going too far..... How do they not realize that this isn''t your true extend... Bunch of ignorant jerks."

    Greeting me at the starting line, Yulia spoke out those spiteful words. Though, I was just going to speak the truth here.

    "It doesn''t matter what they say. Don''t pay attention to them, alright?"

    "But..."

    Well, more importantly, Yuka-sensei was about to meet us, since she came to us instead of us coming to her.

    Carrying her notebook and a pen on her right hand, she noted down our results, that I could not see.

    "Daniel, the pedometer, if you may."

    "Yes."

    As soon as I had done 450 meters, I stopped the timer and the meter counter, so I had no longer any utility for it at all. Therefore, I handed it over to Yuka-sensei who demanded it in a polite yet rigid way.

    "You two are horrible. Either way, sit-ups next, right? What will your quotas be?"

    So cold suddenly. What, did you think your illogical exam could be taken in a positive light when there are people that just lack the physiques, to begin with?

    Or just another act of hers?

    "Yulia, you go first, please."

    "Why, thank you very much. Sensei, I''ll be doing 5 sit-ups!"

    You''d want to laugh but then you are reminded that fat people can barely do a single sit-up since their whole gigantic obtuse weight will just drag them down in one go.

    "I can''t believe what I''m hearing. However, it is what it is."

    Thus, we followed Yuka-sensei to the inner of the field. It really didn''t where we did it, but doing it on the concrete is always uncomfortable.

    Nonetheless, the field was just a little bit less hard yet still concrete.

    "Daniel, support her."

    "Yes, that was my intention all along."

    After Yulia had lied down on the floor, I kneeled down in front of her and took a soft hold of her own two shoes.

    "Yulia, it''s alright if you can''t do a single one."

    Though my words will be interpreted as rude, I did display a light smirk on my face while looking down on her from my position.

    Thankfully, she realized my joke but still opted to reply in a manner that she found appropriate.

    "I''ve been practicing in secret! I think I can do 5... That''s why... believe in me."

    It''s draining my inner energy just looking at her. Not because she''s annoying, not because she''s inconsistent nor because she''s anything of that sort. Her natural appeal is far too high for my count.

    "I already do. You don''t have to make requests that I already am doing, you know?"

    But our conversation was cut short by the upcoming imperial words.

    "Begin!!"

    Every time she would slowly rise up, with a great deal of effort and difficulty, our faces would almost collide and our breaths were transiently connected to one another.

    By the time the first time happened, Yulia''s movements would become faster and faster, which made me think that she was going to go above 5 sit-ups.

    "Hey, don''t overdo it! You''ll burn yourself out."

    "E-Ehh...? A-Ahh... R-Right..!"

    Shockingly enough, she might''ve actually pulled more, but I don''t really know why that''s the case. Her physique''s really bad. Not in shape, since her body shape is fantastic and all-natural, but in terms of strength and reflexes, it''s pretty questionable.

    Therefore, how was she suddenly able to pull out such fast movements? I don''t get it.

    Her face is red, but it''s probably due to the physical exercise that she''s not used to doing.

    "Daniel, your quota?"

    "I''ll do 4 sit-ups."

    Roughly after noting down what I just said, Yuka-sensei was ready to whistle yet again.

    All I had to do was to switch positions with Yulia, which happened just about right after.

    4 sit-ups, by the way.

    Clock that.

    "Begin."

    What was that? Why was my ''Begin.'' suddenly so hollow and effortless?! What is this?

    Of course, that aside, the only noticeable thing was that Yulia''s face would get redder every time I rose my torso back up since our faces were quite close to connecting.

    That''s not all though, our lips were essentially not too far from each other every time my body would rise back up slowly.

    Slowly because there is supposed to be a similarity in our pattern.

    After that, we followed the sequence of push-ups.

    Yulia, being an absolute beginner realized that push-ups were totally out of her league and thus went with a very reasonable number of push-ups.

    "I''ll be doing two push-ups!"

    "You two don''t really want to pass, do you now?"

    That''s non-sense coming from her. Why would we not want to pass the exam?

    I can''t let Yuka-sensei think like that even for a second.

    "We want and will pass. Just watch us."

    My words are so contradictory that it''s hard not to crack a smile. Yulia''s showing a faint smirk too.

    "Alright, whatever kid. Begin!"

    Again with the random coldness. Nonetheless, Yulia performed very difficult two push-ups.

    It took around 10 or so seconds, which is a damn lot, but her arms simply gave up on her.

    Subsequently, I took her place and slowly, but seriously, very slowly, I pulled out one push-up with the greatest of all ease.

    I think my back trapezium fully contracted itself so much that I managed to feel the muscles. What a creep sensation.

    And now... The reason why I''m not succumbing to massive depression. The exercise that I''ve waited all day long.

    The moment of true glory, where men feel alive and rats rejoice.

    Everybody wake up. It''s that time.

    "I''ll do 20 seconds of planking."

    "Wait, Yulia, are you sure?!"

    Unexpectedly, I expressed immediate concern. In my mind, only twenty seconds was downright unacceptable.

    Yulia looked confused and worried, but that''s partially because that''s basically the amount of time she can actually plank for.

    "Don''t worry... I can at least do this much!"

    Ah, she failed to see my point. But, it works. Because this could be interpreted as an act of caring. I alternatively expressed my concern about Yulia doing 20 seconds of planking.

    In other words, I just said that it might be too much for her, yet she''s holding on strong.

    I guess I''ll have to feast my eyes on her for 20 seconds only. Such is life.

    "Begin........"

    She lost all hope. What is that bored expression!? If you don''t want to do this, then don''t, damn it!!

    Well, Yuka-sensei aside, I decided to increase my focus on Yulia for probably another 500% or so and started to contemplate her divine parts.

    Whoever came up with this exercise is a godsent, no doubt.

    Yulia can''t look in my direction due to her vision being focused on the ground below and not from where I stand, which makes this all secure.

    Nevertheless, 20 seconds are 20 seconds. They are short as hell.

    As soon as those 20 seconds were over, Yulia fell on the ground for a bit but then got up immediately. I attempted to drag her up, but she did that herself just fine.

    I see. So even in moments of weakness, she doesn''t like to totally be clingy.

    "I''ll do 10 seconds, sensei."

    "Sure, don''t care. Go on."

    I can''t take this bitch anymore.

    Well, it''s official. Apparently five minutes of planking equal 30 seconds. Oh, is that why she''s mad? Because we are both ruining her idea that she had in mind?

    Was she that happy that Sagasuga and Shizuku showed such synergy because they both match each other physically!? Well, fuck! Maybe do an exam that doesn''t revolve around your opposite and I''ll show you something!

    "I must congratulate you both. Thus far, your quotas have been impeccable. I can''t say the same about your points. If we sum both individually then Daniel, you have -16 points and Yulia, you have the same. However, since the points function not on individuals but on the pair, you two have -16 points. You two do realize you are screwed, right?"

    "Not to worry! We will pass the exam! The only reasons why our quotas were right and still will be is that we understand each other and have an undeniable synergy! Our teamwork cannot be defeated!"

    Yulia quickly countered Yuka-sensei''s words with the blindest optimistic argument ever.

    "With that said, sensei, we will be aiming for the positive points now, both."

    Our simultaneous act would all come down to this act that would stupidly show how convinced we are that our teamwork, despite being ACTUALLY quite good, would not amount to anything at all.

    "It''s far too late. I thought you two had something to back those words up but it''s purely a bluff, huh? I''ll still permit it since I did say it. Now, the quotas, please."

    Squats are up next, but it''s meaningless. I''ve said this countless times already. The end result will always be the same. Yet, why do these points suddenly matter?

    "Yulia, wanna do the honor?"

    "My pleasure. I will do 4 squats! What about you, Daniel?!"

    She asked with a burst of exhalation. Swiftly, I replied:

    "I''ll do 2 squats."

    "Ahh, aren''t you sure you want to do 1?"

    "Hey, Yulia, I was thinking of doing 3! But wouldn''t that be, like, too obvious?! Hahaha!"

    "Hahaha! You are so right! It would be obvious, hahaha!"

    While we were just being sarcastic to one another, Yuka-sensei was fuming so hard that clouds of steam started to form above her head, in my imagination.

    If she''s really pissed off, then I''m starting to lose hope here. Because why would she be mad if we are completely nailing the second formula?

    Okay, I''m just repeating questions at this point, aren''t I? It can''t be helped though. I overthink sometimes.

    "On with it. Do your last pathetic attempt at this exam that you two have deliberately tainted!"

    Salvaging her harsh words onto us, Yulia began to squat and after she was done, so did I.

    It was done. This was it.

    Either this works or it doesn''t.

    However, there was still the final step.

    "Yulia. Daniel. Since you two have completely answered the quotas correctly, you both gain an individual positive point. How will you use them though? Will you use increase the overall score of your performance by taking off two negative points OR will each of you, individually, use your individual positive point on each other?"

    The answer was already obvious. Both Yulia and I smirked with supreme confidence while simultaneously answering Yuka-sensei at the same time.

    "We will use the point on each other, of course!"

    In other words, our individual positive point would be used on our partner. Mine on Yulia and Yulia on me. Simple.

    "I don''t get your excitement. It won''t change a thing, but fine. Dismissed."

    With a smile, we left the scene as Yuka-sensei called out the next pair.

    I let out a small laugh when we passed through the pair.

    Yes, I realize that technically, we lost just now. However, the morons that just passed think they can actually win.

    Especially a pink-haired bitch who thinks too highly of herself.

    "Kinda too late to ask, but is this really going to work...?"

    I could just tell Yulia that it might not, but why do that? I rather stimulate her mentality instead.

    "If it doesn''t work, then it works, for you, right?"

    "Right!"

    She''s not going to bother to deny it.

 Volume 7 - Chapter 49: Pull me closer cause Im all yours.

    February 25th. Around 10 am.

    Yesterday''s events ignited my resolution to achieve a scenario where Ikkiri would meet her downfall and as expected, Tatsu did the correct thing by completely putting her out of the scene, which is extremely perfect for me.

    The bitch just should lie down on her bed and drown from the toxic air that she emits every time she talks.

    "................This sucks though......."

    Although Ikkiri''s case has just been taken care of, in the future, I will need to apply even more necessary countermeasures to her entire existence. I wish I could just go up to her room and stab her with a knife a thousand times in her heart, but I can''t.

    Not because I don''t want to, trust me, I reaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllyyyyyyyy dooo, but because it would be far too inconvenient to me.

    "I hope he''s not too mad at me for having failed the exam..."

    It couldn''t be helped though. Yesterday, as soon as the classes were over, I emerged with activities that would give me heat.

    Such things as physical exercise and anything that would simply make my blood rush were beyond necessary for this to work. I''ve tried a plethora of things such as raising the temperature in my room, watching television, taking multiple hot baths without passing out and then, it happened.

    I successfully faked a high fever. However, the result was far bigger than expected. Yes, the outcome would be my absence, but that was already all planned out. My absence would mean that Hyunda would fail and then, as a result, Hyunda would be together with me and not that bitch Ikkiri!

    Flawless, if you think about it. Not only that, but I managed to drag Ikkiri along the way.

    I wonder just how much regret are you feeling right now? Are you feeling insecure? Does it concern you that no matter how much you think about it, you won''t be able to form a positive answer regarding how you got a stomachache? Are you feeling a dreadful sense of hatred from someone you have no idea who it might be?

    Hopefully, that''s the case. Enjoy the sections of anxiety, you fucking bitch.

    "Ahhhhhhh, Hyuundaaa....."

    Just by thinking about him, it makes me feel happy. A single thought that has him in it is an instant medicine to me. I''ve been dreaming about him too.

    This night, I dreamt of Hyunda saving me from a thief who was about to corrupt me. His heroic entrance stole my heart even in my dreams. Obviously, the thief stood no chance, since Hyunda is amazing and will not lose.

    But I.... really want to see him!!! I just want to get out of here, outside of this cramped room and meet him!

    Yet I cannot. Right now, I''m lying down on my bed while getting rest due to this high fever of mine. I talked to Yuka-sensei about this as soon as I noticed the signals of high fever, therefore my absence is entirely justified.

    "I can''t wait to meet you... I don''t care if it''s just a day away, a second feels worse than a day in comparison."

    If a second feels so staggering without you, then I''ll feel suicidal without your sunshine in my life, Hyunda.

    "But... No way. He''s not going to come to me. He''s too cold to do that. I should not expect something that will never happen..."

    It saddens me deeply though. However, it is to be expected. Hyunda''s affection isn''t something that I can just easily achieve. There are multiple reasons why I feel massively attracted to him and of course, his cold attitude turns out to be something exciting.

    How is it not exciting? He doesn''t let anyone in, which means, if I become the first person he let''s in, then I will become someone...

    "Special..."

    I know, I know. It takes time, but I don''t want to wait. I want it now. Why is the world so unfair?! Why can''t I just be with him whenever I want to?

    Although I complain about this, I know why. There are other existences in my way, particularly speaking, one in specific. Such trivial existences have to be put down.

    Their only meaning in life is to oppose me. They don''t deserve to live.

    Especially you, Ikkiri.

    "I wonder what you are doing right now..."

    Is he just watching the exam go on? Truly, I would''ve liked for us to go to the exam together! I really think that if he were to be totally serious and I as well, we would score higher than anyone else!

    That''s simply not an option though.

    Feeling a sudden need to exasperate, I sighed deeply. At this moment, aside from watching television and being inside my bed, nothing was happening. At all.

    That''s why I couldn''t help but have thoughts of wanting to see him.

    Amidst this endless spew of boredom and trivia, I took hold of a small flower that had about 12 petals from a nearby jar.

    My right arm extended itself quite slowly since I''m feeling quite weak, yet I grasped it.

    Thus, I started to pull out the petals one by one very slowly.

    "I love him, I love him, I love him, I love him, I love him, I love him, I love him, I love him, I love him, I love him, I love him, I love him!"

    Mhm...

    Why do people always say ''I love him not'' after saying ''I love him'' or before? If you love a person then why would you bother to do such a thing?

    Don''t you know that just shows how insecure you are about your feelings? I am not insecure about the way that I feel for example. This is remotely real; it can''t get more genuine than this.

    "I wish for a miracle right now. Oh, Venus goddess of love, hear my calling. Make my beloved appear!"

    .......

    "Ahhh, I knew it. Hopeless. Don''t stress, Arkalee. It will soon work, just not now..."

    What a bummer though. It''s not as if I have a strong belief in Venus or any god in general, but I think that my strong display of faith should be rewarded.

    As I thought though, he''s not going to show up. I''m right.

    "Young man, you can''t come inside! Leave at this instance!"

    Once I heard Olivia''s worried voice which was flowing across the hallway outside of my room, I lowered the television volume immediately.

    This was rare. Why was Olivia screaming so loud? And who is this person? She said young man...

    Then that means... another one of them invaded this dorm yet again? Fucking perverts. I hope this guy dies in a dumpster fire.

    "Ease up already. Just ask my teacher, she''ll tell you that it''s true. I do have permission to enter here. Get off my case, old hag."

    !!!

    That voice... It can''t be....! No, no, I''m certainly mishearing things. This is surely not his voice. My mind must be playing tricks on me. Yet, I kept on looking at my door while attempting to hear their conversation that was ongoing.

    "It doesn''t work like that! You can''t just come in here! If you have permission to do so, then you should have brought your teacher along."

    It''s been mentioned twice. Something about permission. If that''s true, then this isn''t an invasion, I guess?

    Either way, their steps are progressively getting louder and louder and it feels as if they are coming closer to my room''s location.

    "I already told you that she can''t be here since she''s the one in charge of the exam. Understand that already. Also, I''m not going to do anything malicious, chill out. Ahh, where is her room at? Hey, you know, don''t you? Damn, why don''t these rooms just have identification plates? What if you mistook your room for another one? The key models aren''t the same, but it still creates a great deal of confusion."

    The voice that doesn''t belong to Olivia isn''t as loud as hers'' which makes it harder for me to identify it, but somehow I just knew.

    That carefree attitude and curiosity! It must be him!

    "It''s against the rules for a boy to be here! And if you are having an exam, then, shouldn''t you be attending it? Leave!"

    "I can''t. My partner is absent. That''s why I''m here. Let me see her. Hey, is this her room? It is, isn''t it?"

    His partner is absent...? There are only two females that are currently absent. It can''t be Tatsu. It doesn''t make any sense to be here.

    Tatsu is also way more reserved and not as outgoing as this person. That''s it! It is him!

    But Olivia''s trying to drive him away! I can''t let that happen!

    "You can''t! I won''t let you enter! She''s resting now. Leave her be! Begone!"

    As soon as I heard her imperial words, I slowly got up yet I attempted to get up from my bed with all might, which took a while still.

    My forehead feels like a living volcano and my whole body feels like hell. Nevertheless, that didn''t stop me.

    Still on my orange pajamas, even though my looks weren''t in perfect condition, I swiftly grabbed my key and aimed to unlock my door''s lock instantly.

    "Man, why so many restrictions suddenly? What did I even do to you?"

    Unable to tell the outside scenery, I quickly opened up the doorlock and saw the only person that I wanted to meet right now.

    However, Olivia was in the way. She was almost blocking my field of vision by trying to protect my door, which I already opened.

    "A-Arkalee... You should be resting right now!"

    Hearing those words almost made me vomit. How can I rest when he''s here? Also, why are you in the way?

    "Who is here, Olivia?"

    I asked because she''s literally blocking my view and I can''t see him even though I already know it''s him!

    Luckily, she finally decided to step aside and I ultimately was granted the ability to view him with my own two eyes.

    Unbelievable...

    "I''ll report him, don''t worry. Just go back to resting. You need to lay dow--"

    "No, it''s fine! It''s fine! Ummm! It''s really fine, so you can leave now!"

    I did try to portray nice words to her, but I hardly achieved in doing so. I even mixed some repeated words due to the current tide of hatred I''m feeling for this lump of meat that stands in my way.

    Just fuck off already. Throw yourself from downstairs and die.

    "I can''t leave you here with another boy! What if he--"

    I was ready to argue back, but he understood my intention immediately, it seems!

    "I won''t do anything. I just want to check her condition. I''ll leave now that I''ve witnessed the case. She really does have a fever. On second thought, I''ll verify it myself."

    Then, with a quick step, he stepped up and closed our distance by connecting both of our foreheads.

    My heartbeat accelerated so much at that instance that it felt surreal. It felt as if my heart was about to jump off my chest.

    "Yeah, that''s pretty high. Alright, take care of yourself. Bye."

    After doing such a thing, Hyunda turned his back on me. Midst this, I was still speechless and in a state of wonder. I didn''t want to let go of the sensation I just felt, so every second that came after that sensation was made felt quickly mundane.

    Hyunda was leaving though. He just took a few steps away from both I and Olivia. Olivia is still confused, but now that Hyunda is saying that he will leave, she isn''t rejecting him any longer.

    Wait. Where are you going, Hyunda?

    This can''t be.

    "W-Wait....!"

    I tried to reach out with my right arm in his direction but fell down the floor in the process of doing so.

    I''m feeling so weak right now... Damn it!

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    "Arkalee, are you alright?!"

    "Y-Yes, but...!"

    The one who came to my rescue wasn''t Hyunda but Olivia, who was still here for whatever fucking reason.

    Please just stop existing. It''s not much to ask, honestly.

    "How many times do I have to tell you?! You need to rest and lay down!"

    I''ve had enough of her. Right now, I''m laying down on my knees, but by forming a little bit of resolution within my being, I grasped the wall and held onto it in order to support my upcoming movements.

    He''s going away. It''s typical of him to not care for this situation! I know that! That''s why I can''t let him go!

    Thankfully, my room stays at the end of the hallway, so he''ll have to go all the way up before descending. Even so, he''s making quick progress!

    Why are you so distant.... I love you!

    "Hyunda.... Stay..."

    Those weak words were muttered, but they felt so weak that I have to question if they even reached him in the first place.

    His bright white jersey is all I can see right now.

    "No way. I''m not staying. I lost thanks to you. Plus, you have a huge fever right now. Stop being stubborn and listen to what she actually says."

    He''s still not looking... Why...? Even when I''m trying, you always remain so...

    But, if you think I''m going to give up just because you are telling me to, then that just gives me even more reason not to!

    I don''t care if what I''m about to say is rude or anything of that form, I''ll say it regardless!

    "I need to talk to you....!! Stay please, it''s important! I don''t mind your presence here!!"

    His steps stopped. He was about to descend but now, he stopped! C-Could it be that he...

    "You don''t, but she does. Do something about that first. Otherwise, I can''t literally stay here. Use your brain a little."

    Hyunda pointed out at Olivia, who was still here...! Even though he said those cold ruthless words to me, I don''t mind them at all.

    That''s just how he is. It would be selfish of me to not learn how he is. I love him for his essence, after all!

    "I won''t allow this! You are breaking the rules--"

    She''s getting a little bit annoying for my taste. Does she actually think that she holds any authority here?

    Surely, since she is supervising criminals, she must have some sort of defensive mechanism upon her sleeve, but who does she think she is...?

    You dare to exist at the same moment as me and Hyunda?!

    "Olivia! He''s my partner this exam! He''s also correct! It''s my fault! Let me at least talk to him, please... That''s all I''m asking you... I.... can''t stay up much longer. Hyunda, my room, if you may..."

    I know that I''m in no position to demand, but I have to make this at least redeemably worth it. Right now, Hyunda has no reason to talk to me since he only wants to check my condition.

    Since he already has done that, he decided to leave. Nonetheless, that just can''t happen.

    We need to be together every time it is possible and right now, it is possible.

    "Hear that? She gave me her permission. If you are still doubting me, then go all the way down to the field that is in the southeast direction and you will find a group of students holding physical activities. Ask my teacher whether or not she gave me permission to visit Arkalee."

    Hyunda! He''s defending his reason to stay! He''s even arguing back just to prove Olivia''s point wrong!

    Then does that mean that he does care enough to stay and have a conversation?!

    "Fair enough. I''ll see whether or not you are right. If you dare to lay a hand on her though..."

    "I won''t do anything. I''ve told you that already."

    He''s not even addressing her formerly... That''s... kinda cool.

    In the end, while I was still clinging onto the wall, Olivia left and Hyunda slowly turned his back to me.

    His very striking figure melted me immediately. With a white jersey and his silver hair, I didn''t know that he looked so... hot!

    I think I might faint! Not only do I have the hots for this guy but I have an extremely high fever!

    "Let''s talk in your room. You''re a mess, you need to lie down. Hurry up."

    The coldness in his eyes when he says his words.... So ruthless...

    "I-I am so sorry! You''re right, I do need to lie down! So...."

    My arms and legs... They feel so weak... I can''t walk...! But I can''t say that to him! He''ll think I''m too clingy and that I''m weak!

    He keeps on walking in my direction while looking at me insensitively, but why is he going in my direction instead of going to my open room?

    I... can''t... my breath is too heavy. I''m feeling so hot...

    I----

    "Why did you even get up if you are in no condition? I wondered if you were lying or something like that, but you really are in a sorry state. Hold on tightly."

    Never did I imagine this to happen, but Hyunda took a hold of my fragile two legs from behind my knees and with his left arm, he supported my legs along with his right arm which was supporting my upper body.

    Furthermore, he rose my whole body to his chest closely and started to carry me to my close distance room.

    Oh, I see. Then, that''s pretty normal. I''m sick. Of course he would carry me like a princess. Makes sense. It really does. I just can''t see something abnormal about th-

    "Eee-Ehhhhhh....!!"

    "What was that just now? Don''t tell me you''re embarrassed? You can''t walk due to your weak physique so I''m carrying you. Stay still and don''t do anything. Thankfully, you''re light as hell."

    I can''t believe I let out that embarrassing shout.

    As a way to hide my embarrassment, I covered my face with my two bare hands.

    How embarrassing!!

    Hyunda''s carrying me like a princess! Is this a dream?! No, it''s definitely not!

    Right now, he''s carrying me to my room while I''m on my fluffy pajamas! It''s really happening!

    I''m definitely not forgetting this. I think I might not sleep the whole week after this.

    I''ll also not forget the fact that he said that I am light. Honestly, that''s praise I never thought it could be so reassuring to hear.

    "I''ll put you down now."

    After saying those harsh words, since I wanted to stay like that forever, he put me down on my bed while enlacing my body with my bedsheets.

    One by one, they covered my body correctly and my body achieved a state of quick comfort, all thanks to him.

    "Th-Thank you! I didn''t expect you to come here today! I''m still... sorry for what I did, just so you know..."

    Hyunda was fairly close to me and I was freaking out due to it. In my bed, there was me inside it but on the outside of it, on the edge of my bed, he was seated there while looking at me.

    "I don''t care about that. We''ve also discussed that already. You''re not sorry. If you were sorry you''d just record that voice tape and be done with. However, that''s fairly irrelevant now. That was only relevant in the scenario where my cooperation with you would matter. It doesn''t matter anymore. We lost. Why? You got a fever which made you unavailable in the exam."

    "I''m sorry! I''m so so sorry! You had high hopes about the exam, I know, but I caught a fever unexpectedly! I only found out this morning... There was nothing I could have done..."

    His words don''t hurt anymore since I''ve learned to respect his essence. That''s just the way it is.

    I love him too much to deny his being.

    "How did that happen though? What exactly happened for you to get a fever this high suddenly?"

    "I exposed myself to a lot of warm heat since it was so cold yesterday. I''m so stupid... I should not have done that..."

    It was more than that though. However, he can''t be allowed to know that I purposely massacred myself to this extent just for the sake of sabotaging us both.

    And more importantly, I really want to talk to him about something.

    "But... Hyunda, yesterday, where did you go...? I looked everywhere for you yet I couldn''t find you... Were you mad at me?"

    This is something I too know. He was talking with the wretch known as Ikkiri.

    However, before replying to me, he scratched his right cheek a little.

    "Nowhere really. Just taking my mind off. Also, you had something to say, right? What was it---"

    "Are you sure you weren''t somewhere else with someone else? You''re not lying, right? I did look for you extensively, but I couldn''t find you anywhere...."

    Why are you lying to me....? Don''t tell me that you are lying in order to protect her....

    No, you wouldn''t do that, would you, Hyunda? She''s not important to you, I am. That''s why you are here. Because I''m a higher priority.

    You can''t hide the truth from me.

    "I was just walking around the campus. Stop worrying about trivialities."

    "It''s not trivialities. Tell me the truth. Were you really doing that...?"

    He''s still lying about it.... I see.... It wasn''t enough to put her out of commission, because right now, in his thoughts, she must be there.

    Otherwise, I just don''t see a single reason why you would lie to me this far.

    "I was. It''s the truth. You also didn''t find me because I didn''t want you to find me."

    I need to think of a way of Ikkiri not being relevant to Hyunda in any shape or form. This is repulsive.

    He has lied to me not once, not twice, but thrice, because you exist. Don''t think I''ll overlook that, you cynical little bitch.

    "I see... Then... can we talk now...? You won''t leave, will you?"

    Surely my words would capture any man''s heart by now since I''m even pushing his jersey''s sleeve with my soft right hand yet this is Hyunda we are talking about.

    Yet, I do know that even he can''t resist to physical attraction.

    "I am here because I want to hear what you have to say. You said you didn''t mind my existence, so here I am. If you have something to say, then say it. I won''t be here all day long."

    That''s really sad to hear...

    But...

    "Hyunda...! I was... far too argumentative and spoke out of line about certain things that I should not have. That''s what I wanted to apologize for. I hope you can forgive me. I won''t do it again... I promise!"

    Honestly, I just want to tell him how I feel but that will have to come later. My execution will be flawed if Ikkiri still manages to be relevant.

    I''ll also have plenty of time this upcoming year.

    "It''s fine. I don''t exactly care. It was also uncalled of me to act in the way that I did. I don''t do well with your type. Well, if that was all, then I''m leaving. Don''t be stupid and get an insanely high fever like this again. Let me check the temperature once more just in case."

    "W-Wait just a second...! I...!"

    "Stay still."

    "Okay......"

    H-He''s coming closer! Closer! His face isn''t even that far away from mine, he just keeps on closing our distance by slowly eliminating the distance that we had just a while ago.

    Eventually, I felt his forehead connecting my forehead. It was cold but that''s to be expected. The outside weather must be terribly chilly.

    Our lips are so close... Wh-What if I just....?

    "About 39 degrees. What the hell. That bitch told me it was around 41. Liar."

    As soon as he breathed, I instinctively consumed all his breath by breathing all of it.

    Though, truth to be told, it was around 41 degrees initially. Yet it seems that my fever has gone down.

    "Do you think you can be in better condition tomorrow, Arkalee?"

    "Why...?"

    Why is Hyunda asking me if I can be in better condition? Does he need me for something?

    This tingling sense of curiosity devoured me straight up.

    "No particular reason. Oh, did you know? Ikkiri has a stomachache. Both of you are just extremely unlucky it seems."

    "Haha.... Is that so....? I guess we are just unfortunate... But... from both of us, which one are you most worried about...?"

    It pains me. It pains me every single time anything is related to that bitch somehow.

    Therefore, I need to determine how he feels in this situation first.

    "You. Why would I be worried about Ikkiri?"

    My heart almost fell out of place once he said those words of great value to me.

    I couldn''t help but form a smile in response to his words.

    "I-Is that so...! Uhm... This is... Thank you so much...."

    Unknowingly, my head had turned to the other side where I would be facing Hyunda''s opposite direction, this way, our eyes wouldn''t meet.

    Of course, that comes with a reason. My happiness is bursting and ever-expanding itself every time Hyunda says such powerful words of grand importance like that!

    It''s impossible to keep a straight face when he says that I matter more than Ikkiri!

    "I lied about something."

    "E-Ehh?"

    Is he going to confess that he actually went to meet up with Ikkiri instead of just wandering around the campus?

    That would be a great start---

    "I said no particular reason, but the truth is, I was wondering about something. Since tomorrow is February 26th, it means that we get a grand total of 2 days after that, since February, this year, only has 28 days. What this means is, at the end of the month, every single one of us is allowed to leave the school grounds for the whole day. This means, on February 28th, it will be given to me the chance of leaving the school grounds."

    If I recall correctly, Hyunda couldn''t leave the school grounds last month because he had lost the exam...

    Although I left the school grounds, I really didn''t do anything special. I just went to the mall and that was it. Bought some clothes and whatnot, but not much.

    "Arkalee, what are you doing on that day? Will you be busy?"

    What?

    Wait, could this be... N-No way, I''m overthinking...

    There''s just...

    "Umm, no... I might go to a place or two but that''s about it... I really don''t have any specific place to be. Why...?"

    I think if what I think will happen truly happens, then I would be the luckiest person on this planet.

    But even I realize. Although I was extremely lucky to get my love to visit me, I shouldn''t think that I will receive higher chances. I should just be happy that I''ve got a sudden visit from him. That along completely made my day.

    Asking for more than that will simply kill all my hopes. It''s fine to go this slow. Even though I... really want more than just going at a certain pace.

    I wish to go at a pace where my happiness could grow further and further.

    "I see. Hey, face my direction. This is important."

    Instantly, I took ahold of a small portion of my bedsheet and pulled it up to my face so it would cover my cheeks.

    Hyunda can''t see me this embarrassed! That''s why we will only make contact but...

    "!!"

    He was forming a ducking position while maintaining his face so close to mine...

    "I''ve got some places I want to go to. I could use someone for certain things. I was thinking of asking Ikkiri but---"

    "I''ll do it! I really will!"

    "That''s great. I wasn''t expecting you to agree to my request so fast even though I haven''t explained where I will go."

    "Y-You don''t have to! I really will go, so don''t change your mind about that!"

    It doesn''t matter what it is, I''ll do it. Especially when you are considering Ikkiri as an option.

    Ikkiri can''t be an option and I''ll show you just how weak she is in comparison to me, Hyunda.

    "Arkalee, you don''t seem to be that worried about the fact that we just failed the exam. Why is that?"

    "Wh-What are you talking about?! I am worried... It''s just... We''ve lost due to my incident... It couldn''t be helped."

    It really couldn''t be helped.

    "And that gives you an excuse not to be worried about the upcoming supply exam? It doesn''t make much sense if you ask me. Why would you not be worried when you just failed? You explained your reason as to why we failed, but that alone doesn''t justify it."

    "S-Sorry... I...--"

    "Well, that''s okay. You''ve got what you wanted, right?"

    "What?"

    What did Hyunda mean by I got what I wanted? I don''t get it.

    There''s no way he can be aware that I sabotaged him. My reasons are there and it is true that I couldn''t attend today''s exam because my physique was far too weak to be put to the test.

    Whether my intentions were pure or not, that''s a different story. Yet, it''s a story he has no way of knowing.

    "In case you are better tomorrow, remember that the seats have swapped. Do you want me to go to your table or will you come to mine?"

    Now that I think about it, is that how it''s going to go down? If that''s the case then... If I go to his table I can take Ikkiri''s place right in front of her.

    Better yet, without her knowing it! I can easily attend tomorrow, but it would just be perfect to splash it on her face.

    Ahhhh, what type of face will she make once she realizes she''s outmatched and that all of her efforts were in vain?

    I can''t wait.....

    "I''ll go to yours... Please wait for me, okay?"

    "I''m not going anywhere. Why are you saying stuff like that?"

    "N-No reason."

    In case Ikkiri shows up, I want to be there so I can demonstrate to her who''s in charge.

    But Ikkiri, this is just the beginning. I''ll drive you insane.

    "Your room''s cute, by the way. Didn''t know you had this sort of furniture here."

    "Thank you..."

    "That''s all I''ve got to say though. Now, sleep."

    With a quick impulse, Hyunda rose his body to full height and faced my door''s direction.

    It looks like he is ready to leave...

    All I can see is his remarkable figure and white jersey facing me from behind...

    I don''t want him to leave though...

    "Hyunda... What are you going to do?"

    Before reaching the door hold, this impertinent question of mine stopped him from doing so.

    "I''ll attend class. After the exam is done, we will most likely go back to class."

    "..............ip......"

    My voice suddenly got slightly lower but that was just because I couldn''t say the word I wanted to say clearly.

    "Did you say something?"

    This time, I faced the opposite direction yet again, since looking in his direction became difficult due to how happy I would feel every time our eyes would cross.

    ".................skip...."

    Finally, I said it, though it took a while...

    "Why? Do you need me for something?"

    Not for something. I just have so much to express to you, but I''m struggling to do so...

    As I''m thinking about the waterfall of feelings I have for you, your absence strikes me with horror.

    I don''t want you to go, Hyunda.

    ...Is what I want to truly say, but...

    "...Can''t you watch over me? I need you to regulate my towel and I''m feeling too weak to do so..."

    I do know that I don''t have a mini-towel on the top of my forehead right now, but it helps the fever to go down.

    And also, I know that Hyunda might not do this. He still doesn''t see me that way... But even so!

    "Do you want me to check your temperature again?"

    "Ye--- No! It''s fine...! Um, I do heavily appreciate it though! Just the towel, please... I''m feeling so weak right now... I''m sorry, I know I''m being clingy but it''s just..."

    "I understand. I''ll watch over you for an hour maximum."

    A-An hour?! Is he serious?!

    "Or is it too much?"

    "No! Not at all! I accept your generosity!"

    Suddenly, the thought of Hyunda possibly crossing Ikkiri''s room by accident scared me, even though I was in the middle of receiving the happiest words of my life.

    What if that happened? She''s an attention whore. She''ll do anything to grab his attention.

    She might just be waiting for him to leave my room to make her move. I see what you are trying to do.

    But it won''t work.

    "I''ll get it ready then."

    As Hyunda went to the bathroom to wet the towel a little bit, I felt the need to lock the door but I couldn''t.

    I don''t want to lock the door for any particular reason. Right now, inside this dorm, there is only Hyunda, I and Ikkiri.

    His reaction.... I wonder what it would be like if I locked him up in my room suddenly?

    Would he go for the key or would he...?

    No, no. Don''t think about that...! Not yet, you must... Go at the respective pace.

    "It might be a bit cold, but it''s for the best."

    "Oh, I know. Thanks though..."

    Ultimately, Hyunda placed the semi-cold watery mini-towel at the top of my forehead with ease.

    His motion throughout the process, that delicate movement that exhibited a minimal demonstration of caring for my well-being; I adore.

    You might not know this yet, but Hyunda, I think I love you so much that I would die for you at any given moment.

 Volume 7 - Chapter 49.5: False victory.

    The sudden harmonic lunchtime came in just as the clock swing hit the mark of 1 pm.

    Apart from the absence of Akihiko, Arkalee, and Ikkiri, everyone else was present in this semi-chilly classroom.

    Not in my black jersey any longer, I was able to completely have back the lost sensation of being in my usual school uniform, as I adjusted my tie before taking a seat in my usual seat.

    Beside me stood an irritating creature whose facial expression was beyond smug at this point yet I refused to make eye contact and only looked at Yuka-sensei who was on her desk still writing some things on her ever common sheets.

    That''s right. For us, the students of this class, to be present right here and now, it means that the exam has come to an end. Which means, every respective pair did their respective performance and will receive their respective result.

    Some pairs even pulled out extremely respectable results despite the odds...

    "So, I must ask you. How are you feeling right now? Feeling pathetic yet?"

    Ignore. Ignore. Ignore and ignore.

    She can talk all alone by herself for all I care. If I show that I''m visibly flustered even by a single margin, then this is all in vain.

    "You''re not going to answer? Ara, are you sure? Weren''t you the one who said that I was going to lose? Because I was paired up with Tsudo? What happened to that confidence of yours? Did the cat get your tongue? How laughable."

    Why is this bitch suddenly so fucking talkative? Go back to your cold attitude already. Fucking annoying.

    Oh, I know why she''s suddenly this talkative BUT you don''t have to be like this.

    I can''t even look at her yet I can already imagine her smug smile as I sunk into my arms in despair.

    How the hell did she....

    "Hmmm, attention please. I''ll be announcing the results now. I''ll additionally give my reasoning and opinion about the overall result, so without further ado, let''s get started."

    Finally, onto what actually matters. I think I''ve grown so tired of this exam that I feel like suiciding. It''s not a joke, I swear. It''s starting to drive me insane how I had to do a plethora of unnecessary things just to potentially achieve a positive result here.

    Sure, it''s not unnecessary, but it feels like it is, if this completely fails.

    My angst is rising.

    "Tatsu and Ikkiri, but since Ikkiri is absent, I''ll just direct these words to you, Tatsu. You have failed the exam due to your partner''s absence. Therefore, you two get a grand score of zero. Understand that I''m not doing any biases here and that this is all apart of the same chain of coherence."

    Tatsu looked a bit devasted. He additionally looked so hopeless as he scratched the back of his head constantly.

    It''s unfortunate for him. There was nothing he could have done. Ikkiri''s absence is not his fault, so he shouldn''t blame himself.

    Yuka-sensei, after saying those words to Tatsu, moved on to the next pair, which was coincidentally suffering the same case as the previous one.

    "Hyunda..."

    "Yes? That''s my name. How can I help you?"

    That cracked me an immediate swift smile but it didn''t last long.

    It was good to break the ice though.

    Hyunda, the individual who I made certain bets on which pairs would win, is seating quite lax on his chair, with a questionable posture.

    "I''ve heard from Olivia, you went to check on Arkalee. I hope that''s seriously the only thing you did."

    "For the last time --- Bah, forget it. I didn''t do anything. I just went to check on her as I said. Olivia confirmed you that, right?"

    I''ll have to ask him later about that. Even if it''s Hyunda, it''s unacceptable for him to cross that line just yet.

    Wait, aren''t all the signals there though? There''s no denying it, he must''ve... Ahhh, so that''s why he was smiling.

    Bastard, you went on ahead without waiting for me?!

    "Yes, that is true. Thank you. As for your result, you get a zero, just like Tatsu, by default. Arkalee was absent and therefore, you could not do anything about it."

    "Alright, thank you so much. I wholeheartedly appreciate the valiant effort in sticking out with me."

    That was sarcasm 100%. No denying it. After Hyunda received her words of confirmation, Hyunda went back to eyesight beyond the window per usual.

    His attitude never changes, does it? He''s always looking at things that I can''t perceive. I''ve wondered just what is the meaning of constantly looking outside, but I haven''t been able to grasp a single conclusion.

    The only hypothesis that I''ve drawn is that he is bored and that''s it. But I feel like there''s something more to it.

    "Next up... Hinagiku, you already know, don''t you?"

    Why is she showing mercy to a girl by not savagely telling her that she lost due to his partner''s absence when she did exactly that to the previous two boys? I''m feeling biased siding here...

    "Yes! I understand my situation... I got unlucky, but it''s my fault for not being in contact with my partner..."

    "N-No, it''s not--- Gahhh!!! That hurts..."

    Rayazaki tried to counter her opinion by perhaps saying that Hinagiku wasn''t truly at fault, which honestly, is true, but Hinagiku seems to have firmer beliefs regarding that. To ensure that Rayazaki would get her message, she even stepped on his shoes powerfully, hence Rayazaki''s reaction.

    "Don''t interrupt me, please. As you can see, sensei, it is my fault, which is why I''ll gladly accept the result! Furthermore, I''ll reflect on my mistakes!"

    I''m starting to think that Hinagiku was put here by accident. Thus far, at least a few individuals in our class have shown psychotic ideas, but mostly not behaviors.

    For example, Kawahara''s bipolar attitude sometimes forces him to commit physical aggression without caring for any consequences. Although, I feel like there''s way more to that.

    Hyunda''s a manipulative trickster that I just can''t perceive no matter how much I try. Rayazaki has this abysmal superiority complex. Sagasuga hates to lose and has shown to possess the necessary methods to truly achieve victory on command.

    I could go on, but my point is that you have to be incredibly skillful to hide the amount of clusterfucking that goes through your head, such as your psychotic ideas. I know that because I constantly do that.

    Yet as I look at Hinagiku, the only thing I see is a jewel that should be protected. Something so innocent that you would hold your breath on claiming that she''s a criminal.

    Another enigma? Or just here on accident?

    I don''t know.

    On a side note, something to keep in mind is that there are already 6 people subjected to the supply exam. 3 failed pairs equal that. Since there are 24 of us, that''s already 18 left.

    "I''m truly glad you think that way. I pray for your luck in the next exam, since you''ll need it."

    What was that? Is this bitch seriously throwing salt right now?

    "Either way, finally, next up, Kan and Kawanari! At last, a pair that doesn''t have to suffer from absences."

    "Hiii! I''m super duper excited for the results! I can''t wait!"

    Per usual, Kanawari starts off with an eccentric introduction. By contrast, Kan simply remained silent with a bored expression.

    They aren''t even paired up together, table-wise, yet their reactions are so different. It''s as if Kan isn''t even looking forward to this.

    Well, he shouldn''t be.

    "I appreciate your caring, Kanawari. However, someone smokes a little bit too much. Kan, why do you smoke? For confidence? For a sense of importance?"

    He''s a living chimney, therefore his lungs most likely failed to produce something that could be qualified as favorable to him.

    "None of your fucking business, woman. The results. On with it!"

    Kan''s aggression is typical of him and normally, if this was Basara-sensei, he would retort aggressively by throwing chalk at him or something like that, but this time...

    Ahh... Kan doesn''t realize it. The poor soul.

    There''s a reason why you don''t retort back to this bitch.

    "Aaa-ahh... I see! Well, then!"

    I can''t believe she faked an orgasm!

    This woman is mad!

    "E-Erm, as you can see, here on the board, I''ll write down the results of both you and Kanawari, so wait a little bit."

    Eventually, after quickly writing them down, everyone could witness the difference between Kanawari''s ability and Kan''s.

    It was crushing, so to speak. Kan was a bit mad about it, but Kanawari just kept on smiling as usual.

    "First off, Kan, you started off with the 5-kilometer run and did a grand total of 1 kilometer and 213 meters. Kanawari, on the other hand, Kanawari did 2 kilometers and 34 meters."

    Yuka-sensei knows the exact timings because the pedometers recorded it. Otherwise, it wouldn''t be possible.

    Nevertheless, the gap is visible and apparent.

    "Your score aside, something I mentioned was that the weakest element, which is, by the way, you, had to do at least 51% of the task. You did not do that at all. And thus, I''ll be discounting 25% of the overall score thanks to the performance. This applies to all the tasks, ultimately."

    "Great. Just great..."

    Kan''s sarcastic reply to Yuka-sensei''s explanation is understandable. After all, you didn''t know that you are about to be even more screwed.

    Kanawari, though, did not blink in spite of the bad news. Her smile kept shining even brighter.

    She even looked at me, since I was looking at her firmly and decided to wave, but I did not respond and looked in Yuka-sensei''s direction instead.

    "Moving on, you two opted to choose squats next and Kan did 7 while Kanawari, you did 5. Needless to say, this contradicts my former saying because Kan surely filled the 51%. However, it doesn''t matter since the score is too negative."

    It seems as if she''s only going to tell the overall score after explaining why they failed. She''s giving them their results firstly to make them understand.

    "Push-ups, Kan did 6 while Kanawari did 5. Horrible, so to say. Next, planking. Kan, you did 40 seconds. That''s impressive. Not in a good way, of course. Kanawari, on the other hand, did 2 minutes and 12 seconds, which far outgrows Kan''s timing. Finally, Kan did 12 sit-ups, while Kanawari did 23 by contrast. And the final result is..."

    Although Kan managed to get the best out of two situations, Kanawari managed to do that thrice.

    However, even then, their scores in each task are either so different or so equal that it doesn''t make this less bad. They won''t pass this, for sure.

    "34%. Which is negative, in case you haven''t noticed. I expected more. And now, I''ll give my personal opinion about the score and the pair and hopefully, some words of advice that they should take into consideration."

    Here comes the sass...

    "Kan, you need to stop smoking and have a more realistic approach towards this. I recall when you pointed out that you''d do 2,6 kilometers but your final score was definitely not that. Overall, you are not physically prepared or motivated. Work on both of those components, please."

    "Whatever."

    "It''s not ''Whatever'', I mean it. Take this seriously, please. Kanawari, you are... pretty good, but still, you have to improve in certain departments too. Those that you have failed. Also, you should not have let Kan take the lead with his unrealistic approaches. Next time, make sure you speak up too."

    So, Kanawari allowed Kan to blindly take the lead and that affected them somehow? Nonetheless, if this was a demonstration of actual physical prowess, they would''ve lost either way, since Kan was technically inferior to Kanawari.

    Essentially, what happened was completely natural. Kanawari suffered from a bad partner and met her downfall like that. Yet she just smiles like she doesn''t mind...

    "Oki! Kan tried hard though! Didn''t you, Kan?"

    "Who tried? I didn''t. Could''ve done more for sure."

    "Oh, is that so? My bad then, hahaha."

    Now that felt fake. Kan''s arrogance cost her this exam and furthermore, the fact that she was paired up with a smoker should have ignited a raging flame inside her, but she refuses to show any signs of anger.

    "In conclusion, you two need to set up realistic standards about each other. Hence, you''ll have the rest of the year to do that!"

    By that, Yuka-sensei meant how they will be paired up together.

    Which meant that Kuzan''s right seat would be lonely from now on. Same with Yukishiro''s.

    "And next, Sagasuga and Shizuku! Congratulations! I''m not going to bother with the details since you two are surely aware that you have passed the exam! Although it wasn''t a perfect score, it was still 94% which is quite high!"

    Yuka-sensei started to clap in response yet she was the only one who did that since no one else bothered to continue.

    As expected of Sagasuga, I guess? There''s nothing surprising here. I know that Sagasuga can essentially do anything once he puts his mind to it. However, Sagasuga is focused on winning the majority of the time, hence his success.

    "Still, I must ask, Sagasuga, did you know that I was going with the method of matching contrasts? I''m asking you this because you clearly ran slower in the first run, meanwhile, in the exam, you ran a full 2,6 kilometers without breaking a sweat. I feel like that was hardly a coincidence."

    Sagasuga, the man in the question, despite being asked such a serious question, looked phased for some reason. He was constantly looking down right now.

    His dark hair has gotten a bit long though? How do I describe it...?

    Give it a few weeks and he will have the rapist hentai haircut.

    Yup, that sums it up perfectly actually.

    "It was a coincidence. I just developed more speed while training. That''s what those training sections were for, correct? To develop overall physical prowess. That''s my explanation. There''s just no way that I could see that far ahead."

    I don''t buy it. He''s lying for sure. You can''t develop such speed in just less than a week. It does not work like that, Sagasuga.

    Only fools will eat your lie.

    "Ara, really? Mhm, I thought for sure that your keen insight could see through my intentions, but it appears not."

    "There''s no way I could... I obviously can''t..."

    "Eh? I see..."

    Why is Sagasuga speaking in such a depressed tone? I don''t get it. He''s usually lively, but he seems like a corpse right now.

    Tateyana isn''t batting an eye to him and is, instead, facing the opposite direction of him seemingly mad at the same time.

    I see. Something happened.

    Their relationship is confusing. I remember Sagasuga saying that he was going to break up with her but I never heard anything new about it ever since. That''s also because Sagasuga grew distant and hasn''t really talked.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Shizuku didn''t say a single word and just calmly accepted her victory.

    And now...

    "....Daniel and Yulia... Do I even need to say anything?"

    Our time to speak was nigh, however, our exam truly wasn''t over yet.

    If our spirit wavered here, then unknown consequences could rise to the surface.

    "Please. We don''t mind harsh criticism."

    "That''s right. We will gladly accept any opinion regarding our performance!"

    I do realize that I''m asking to be roasted, but I''m glad Yulia followed my words up last.

    "Alright... Overall, you two failed horribly at every task. The 5-kilometer run was a disgrace. Both of you managed to take 8 mins to do so little! Don''t even get me started on the other tasks. Sincerely, I''m massively disappointed. At least you two did better than the other pairs that had their partner absent, but that''s it. You were only better than people who couldn''t even partake in this exam! 8%!"

    The part where she said 8% out loud stroke me really hard because if that was all there is, then we, without a doubt, failed.

    All in all, a crushing defeat.

    Nothing to be surprised here. Though, I wish Yulia would remove that smirk off her face. She''s already accepting defeat.

    We are not here for that.

    "Thank you very much for your appreciated opinion."

    "We appreciate it! And will reflect on it, together!"

    Why did she have to say those unnecessary words? You''re gonna give everyone the wrong idea...

    But that''s exactly what she wants though... Although you said that you wanted to keep this a secret, you deliberately fired a barrage like that.

    Ultimately, there is nothing to reflect. Either Kawahara is right and something out of my expectations happens, or he is useless.

    Instinctively, I traded glances with Kawahara who was highly composed, with his fingers spontaneously connected with one another.

    Both of his palms weren''t connected yet his fingertips were all connected, which created a certain gap in his palms.

    His confident attitude had a meaning and I just had to wait until it unraveled itself soon enough.

    "Following that up, Lus and Tsudo! Throughout all of your sections, you two did not demonstrate any teamwork whatsoever, so it surprised me that you two managed to firmly grasp unity this fast!"

    Oh fuck off, you''re not even paying attention to Yuka-sensei''s words!? Stop looking at me like that! I already want to cave, stop!

    "Lus, you did a grand total of 2,2 kilometers while Tsudo did 2,3 kilometers, surprisingly. Since Tsudo was the weakest element, he did a good thing by going above you in his own tasks!"

    How the fuck did Tsudo do 2,3 kilometers... He never struck me as athletic...

    Wait...

    Why are you...? It''s strange, I''m looking in his direction and Tsudo looks completely terrified out of existence. Eh, what? What is this?

    I don''t understand his attitude. Shouldn''t he be celebrating now that he got a positive score and won''t fail the exam? What gives...?

    "It was nothing more than what I expected. I can only thank my partner for doing his best. Thank you, Tsudo."

    With an eerie smile, she said those words of gratitude to the terrified Tsudo who refused to look anywhere else but the bottom of his table.

    Not only that, but he did not reply.

    "As for the other tasks, I''m severely impressed too. Push-ups, Tsudo did 21 while Lus did 19. Sit-ups, Tsudo got a total of 27 while Lus got 24. Furthermore, Tsudo got 31 squats while Lus got 29. Lastly, Tsudo did a grand total of 2 minutes and twelve seconds while Lus did two minutes and four seconds! Overall, very good! Though, not as good as Sagasuga and Shizuku. Nonetheless, impressive."

    How could this happen to me...

    I was so convinced that Tsudo was so physically weak and he should be, so how was he able to suddenly pull out this many repetitions?

    It makes no sense. No, what doesn''t make any damn sense is how they both won.

    At this rate, I might as well completely cave once I hear the score.

    "79%! Congratulations, you two pass!"

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

    I want to scream.

    Fuck this. I won''t accept this defeat. I''ll learn just how Tsudo and this convinced bitch managed to win together. How the hell do you win with this annoying bitch at your side? It should be thematically impossible!

    "Why, thank you so much. I am just glad that I was able to overcome the odds and certain expectations!"

    She''s not looking at me, but it''s as if she is. Those words, those crude and cold words could only be meant at me.

    I absolutely refuse to make eye contact with this bitch.

    "Now, on a note so-high note, another pairing that suffered a huge defeat was... Gale and Kawahara..."

    "Hold on. Don''t get it twisted. She lost, not I."

    I understand what Kawahara is saying, but this is a paired exam. If your partner loses, then you lose.

    But I guess he just can''t abandon his selfish ego no matter the occasion.

    "Kawahara, that excuse will not work just because you got every single score maximized. This was an exam that revolved around teamwork, not on solo experience."

    The truth about this pair is that the difference is so colossal that Kawahara managed to perfectly ace every single task to the point of even going above and beyond, but Yuka-sensei did not count the additional repetition since they did not count.

    Gale on the other hand just did a single exercise each one at the time, but no more than that.

    This is exactly what happens when you match contrasts.

    "Yet I still placed better than all of you, did I not?"

    "You did not. You placed equal to the same as the others that aced all the tasks, Kawahara."

    Akimiyashika spoke up. I thought she suddenly grew a fear of talking ever since Kawahara had slapped her on the face, but that doesn''t seem to be the case.

    She''s not allowing herself to be brought down.

    "Wrong! I did so much more than just the required tasks. Didn''t you watch? I did 100 push-ups and more!"

    "That doesn''t count! The maximum amount of push-ups you could do was 30. It doesn''t matter if you did 100, it doesn''t count. The same goes for all of the other exercises!"

    Her long bright red hair unleashed itself magnificently as soon as she argued back against Kawahara in a more fierce tone.

    "Stupid. Your idea is flawed. Do you honestly think that I''m going to limit myself to some rules?! No way! I make the rules! These stupid limits can fuck off! I did more than it was required, which further approves of my greatness! Don''t twist my argument with some random rules!"

    In response to Kawahara''s harsh words, Hinagiku got a bit helpless and formed a semi-angry expression, however, Akimiyashika was not wielding in this argument, at all.

    "That''s just in your imagination. You''re delusional. Your view of reality is what is twisted. You can''t even recognize what was asked of you and you decide to shape reality as you see fit. You''re wrong about my idea being flawed because my idea is right."

    "That''s right! Aki is right! You''re too arrogant, Kawahara!"

    Hinagiku joined the fray for some reason. Well, if I had to guess a reason, then it would be because Hinagiku has a bond with Akimiyashika.

    Akimiyashika, Ikkiri, and Hinagiku seem to share a bond, however, I have no clue how it was formed.

    "Rayazaki, shut the bitch up before I rip her jaw off. This is a warning. Consider it the last."

    "What did you just say!?"

    Ah, this is bad. Rayazaki''s protective nature immediately reacted to Kawahara''s spiteful words and he looks ready to rumble since his fists are clinched right now.

    "I said what I said. Oh, what is this? Why are you all looking at me like that? Can''t you all take an opinion that differs yours? That''s just sad. It just shows how close-minded you all are!"

    Right now, almost everyone in this room, except Hyunda and Tsudo are glaring at Kawahara with hateful glares.

    I''m not though since I can understand his point of view. But his point of view is far too unrealistic.

    "Shut up, Kawahara. You''re only talking shit. Just shut the fuck up already."

    "Talking shit when you lost this badly, Kan? To a fucking girl? Holy shit, I can''t possibly imagine what that feels like since I literally just fucking crushed one!"

    Amidst this, Gale started crying and Ryoken attempted to immediately comfort her. However, it provoked an even further reaction in him.

    Nevertheless, I massively wondered why Yuka-sensei wasn''t intervening. Why was she just sitting there while doing absolutely nothing?

    It''s as if she wants this argument to escalate itself. Why though?

    "The only good thing about you is your physique. You have no brain, Kawahara. Insult me all you like, it''s not going to change that, you retard!"

    To Kan, forming such a conclusion isn''t abnormal, but I just can''t see Kawahara the way Kan sees it.

    "Why are you like this, Kawahara?! Yuka-sensei was just explaining why you lost yet you went and made the situation chaotic! Have you no shame!? Look what you have done!"

    How surprising. Ryoken is at long last acting up. But you don''t understand, Ryoken. Your emotional outburst will not work on someone who feeds on negative emotions.

    "Oh?! The bitch''s crying! Hahaha, this is fucking hilarious!! Hey, why don''t you all start crying too?! What a fucking sight that would be!"

    This was no longer about Akimiyashika, Hinagiku nor Ryoken. All of the girls were furiously staring at him. As a matter of fact, some even decided to take action against him immediately.

    "That''s it! No more of you! I''ll give you five seconds to fuck off from my sight or I''ll kill you here, right here!!"

    "This is unforgivable, Kawahara. You''ve gone too far now. I understand that your hypocrisy is out of this world, but you''ve done it now. Leave!"

    "Never come back either! Nobody wants you here!"

    Firstly Sana, then Shizuku and ultimately Yulia.

    Yulia seemed to be quite furious at Kawahara''s remark. Rayazaki was trying to get up from his seat, but Hinagiku was keeping him there.

    Ryoken wanted to burst at him, but even he knew that it wouldn''t work to anything. Because, this morning, Kawahara beat Kan.

    Essentially, you can''t win against him in a physical fight.

    With that said, she''s burning with rage too... But she''s not doing a single thing. It''s a passive rage. Silent treatment so to say.

    I think if Kawahara were to come close to our location, his head might just be sent flying.

    "Ho?! You''re all so mad! What''s wrong!? Wasn''t my opinion so irrelevant?! What''s matter suddenly!? Could it be that I''ve managed to tick you all off!? Imagine getting pissed off over a single person when you are all 19! Fucking laughable!"

    Why is she not doing anything....

    It''s pissing me off. What? Why? You do realize if this escalates even further that it will get physical, right?

    You must know this, but you are allowing this to escalate...

    "Alright, I warned you."

    Sana amidst this took ahold of her writing pen and clicked once, thus the edge of the pen was no longer plain and had a sharp edge now.

    She, furthermore, looked exhausted yet haunting.

    "Come at me, bitch. I''ll make you join the crying line. Hear that? You got more coming. Now, come!"

    Kawahara, as soon as he finished those words, issued a challenge to Sana by getting up from his seat and expanding his arms.

    Sana, in response, started to get up from her seat with a dreadful expression.

    For the record, I don''t intend on doing anything. They can all die for all I care.

    But why is this happening? I don''t think Kawahara would act like this for no reason. He has demonstrated a degree of intelligence that transcends his current figure.

    Could this be something that I just can''t perceive? Am I supposed to perceive something here?

    "You asked for it---"

    Although Sana started to form a swift dash, her words were interrupted by a greater force.

    "Sensei, just send him to the principal''s office already. Why aren''t you doing something about this?"

    Hyunda spoke up. He spoke the truth. Why was she doing absolutely nothing?

    I can''t comprehend this inactivity coming from Yuka-sensei.

    She''s simply with her back against the board while not expressing herself.

    "I was just observing. Kawahara, you... What was your childhood like?"

    Sana had stopped her dash and was looking at Yuka-sensei who had just asked a puzzling question. Midst this chaotic situation, she asked such a question.

    In addition to that, Kawahara started to form a psychotic facial expression in response to her sudden question.

    "That''s absolutely irrelevant!"

    "Oh, is that so? Well, in my opinion, you suffer from an attention deficit. Henceforth, you''ll always act like this. You even bothered to call out every person in this room, when you were solely arguing with Akimiyashika. Then you involved one person after another. Well, am I incorrect here? This is the typical behavior of someone who has a gigantic attention deficit."

    In my opinion, that''s just his bipolar attitude.

    Though, I''ll go ahead and form a further hypothesis that he might be acting up if there is something else to this exam. If so, then I will have reason to believe that Kawahara does possess a keen farsight.

    "Hahaha, what is this shit? I say my opinion and you spew this non-sensical train of trash clusterfucked thoughts to your students? I argue because I''m right, not because I need attention. Don''t confuse me for you, fucking whore!"

    Sincerely, I thought that since Yuka-sensei is an M that she would take his words in a pleasurable way, but what happened next was beyond my expectations.

    "Kawahara, you are suspended. Honestly, this event alone is enough to expel you from the program but I''ll give you a chance to reflect on your stupidity. Your suspension will last one week. Additionally, this means you can''t leave school at the end of this month. Unfortunate. Don''t make me apply physical force to you or call Basara. Be a good boy and move along, please."

    A one-week suspension? Now that I think about it, a suspension at the right time, if, for example, it is during a special exam, it means that you will lose the exam.

    However, this means that Kawahara''s day of freedom will be overlooked.

    "Fucking fine. I refuse to let you all breathe the same air as I. I''ll not go because you tell I, but because it''s what my will tells I. I fucking hope you all die and eat shit!"

    Slamming the door, after quickly packing his stuff inside his school bag, Kawahara left with haste.

    That slam created a vast silence in the whole classroom immediately.

    If it wasn''t for Hyunda, then this would''ve escalated itself quite high. I''m also unaware of whether or not Kawahara knows that he loses to Yuka-sensei or Basara-sensei, since last time, Yuka-sensei performed an arm lock on him.

    "Gale, I''m sorry for his attitude. He''s a meanie, don''t mind him. And since he is too violent with his words, I''ll isolate him. I can''t pair up people who can''t behave with one another."

    She''s still crying. Why are you crying though?

    It makes sense to cry if your aim was to win, but Kawahara is a force to be reckoned with. You can''t possibly keep up with him, especially with a fragile body like that.

    Overly emotional people are always so complicated. I feel useless since I can''t relate.

    "Sensei, about that! I think I have a method that can solve Kawahara''s problem once and for all! We can discuss it after class though."

    Akimiyashika said those words boldly.

    Lmao.

    She actually thinks she can solve his problem. That''s funny.

    "Interesting. Thank you, Aki. Well, I''ll continue. But since it''s lunchtime, I''ll just point out the results quickly, so listen up. Also, in case you are interested in my reasonings, ask me so on private."

    Kawahara''s whole drama managed to suck up for a grand ten minutes which means that our time was heavily reduced, thus Yuka-sensei quickly drew the results to the surface.

    "Gale and Kawahara, 2%. Akimiyashika and Susaga, 8%. Rayazaki and Yukishiro, 1%. Kuzan and Sana, 61%. Lastly, Ryoken and Tateyana, 53%. In conclusion, this is very bad. Because only 4 pairs passed! 4 out of 12 pairs!! I can''t possibly express my disappointment!"

    A curious question rose to the surface immediately. However, it was inside my mind. What happens to an individual that was part of a successful pair? What I mean is, the seats should be swapped if the pair loses, but what if, for example, a pair wins while the other loses?

    Kuzan''s case is that. Kuzan has won, but Kanawari has lost. What will happen here?

    Kuzan doesn''t have to swap and neither does Sana. But Kanawari will have to and so will Kan.

    This is confusing me deeply.

    Nonetheless, the class was over. And that''s when it came to me.

    I truly had lost. I trusted the wrong person, it seems.

    Yet, I might as well, see whether or not it''s a facade. Why would Kawahara bother forming such a big lie?

    Assuming it is a lie, of course. Kawahara doesn''t strike me as someone who would just build up a lie for no reason.

    Therefore, there is a degree of truth here. However, I''m perceiving this incorrectly.

    "Too shocked to stand up? That''s what you get."

    Said my table partner as she left off to have lunch.

    Although everyone else was leaving, Yuka-sensei stood on her desk.

    Yulia was also here, looking at me with worry, but, I only looked in Yuka-sensei''s direction.

    To be honest, I couldn''t care less about that bitch''s retort just now, what actually mattered was knowing whether or not if Kawahara''s information was legit.

    Thus, I formed silence while doing absolutely nothing.

    No further sounds were created in this hollow classroom. It had become a peaceful atmosphere filled with eternal silence.

    Though, that was not going to be the case, of course.

    "Daniel, Yulia, it''s lunchtime. Go on and eat."

    Yulia looked far too confused to speak, which was ideal just now since this solo lead belonged to me alone.

    "We won, didn''t we?"

    "...Sorry?"

    That attitude will not work.

    I''ve noticed it. She always looks to her left side whenever something close to the second formula is mentioned.

    Plus, she made that second option of giving your positive points to your partner even though the first option was obviously superior.

    There is a reason.

    "This exam is illogical. As you mentioned, only 4 pairs passed. It''s ludicrous to even think about this exam as something ''logical''. How was an exam that required pairs to excel in physical tasks in one week suddenly acceptable? Is this some sort of unfair treatment?"

    "N-"

    "No, right? Yeah, I figured as much. Therefore, how was this accepted in the first place? A non-sensical criterion like this can''t possibly be accepted. Unless... there is an acceptable criterion. A criterion that isn''t as non-sensical as the first one."

    "Are you saying that I''ve delivered an unreasonable criterion and therefore this exam should not have happened in the first place?"

    In a sense, yes. But that would be disregarding the hidden second formula completely.

    You can''t simply deliver an unreasonable criterion. Plus, as soon as I mentioned unfair treatment, she immediately denied it.

    That confirms it. She did not deliver an unfair criterion. It can''t happen.

    "Normally, an exam solely based on this first criterion should not be acceptable for the reasons I''ve explained. However, what if this isn''t even the first criterion?"

    "...What are you talking about?"

    She looks fragile now. Her words are starting to become fragmented.

    I can see it now, Kawahara. Your vision.

    It''s all clear now.

    "Hypothetically speaking, filling two criteria isn''t something that abnormal. It''s just simply not common yet it''s possible. In other words, what I''m trying to insinuate is, if there is an acceptable criterion as first, then the second criterion could be completely irrelevant since the first criterion is the main one. The second criterion will only be relevant if the first one isn''t relevant. Now, how can someone make a hidden criterion suddenly relevant? If you swap the second unreasonable criterion with the first criterion during the exam, then that''s acceptable. Because you ultimately presented the first criterion, which was reasonable yet you swapped with the second unreasonable criterion. Frankly, it baffles me that this is a possibility."

    Yuka-sensei''s expression started to become pale. It''s normal. It means that I''m not that far from it.

    Yet, I can''t stop here. My reasoning is only halfway through.

    Kawahara, you gave me your vision, however, the method that I must use in order to become successful; it''s up to me.

    "Furthermore, you mentioned how this exam is about unity, but what we have witnessed just now was pure chaos as a result. You did not supervise the exam, yet why? Why would you not? If your aim was to form a unity, which is the moral concept you are trying to reinforce, why would you not do such? That''s when I realized. You aren''t even going to attempt it. Physical prowess is all that mattered to this criterion. No teamwork will allow you to pull the impossible off. Unless, of course, cases like Sagasuga and Shizuku happen."

    But that''s because Sagasuga purposely set himself up.

    "Teamwork. Unity. These two components don''t add up. It makes no sense. How are they related when all you are doing is demanding physical tasks from all of us? If teamwork and unity could be formed from it, then the results would be harmonic yet they were chaotic by contrast. Which is why, the first criterion can''t be something like teamwork or unity; it''s physical prowess, isn''t it?"

    Which would mean...

    "Therefore, the secondary criterion exists. However, you swapped them on purpose, because that was valid. You sneaky wretch. You actually screwed all of your students up, unreasonably."

    "Ahh, but it wasn''t ''unreasonably''. I was testing everyone''s intelligence. Think of it as a sub-par element of fun to these exams."

    That makes no fucking sense. Why would you sabotage your own students like this?

    As I thought, there really is some biased treatment here. However, why? I don''t think I can figure this out. What is the source of this biased treatment? Does this school have some sort of control over our exams?

    "So you admit to using a secondary criterion?"

    As soon as Yuka-sensei confirmed those words and said that it wasn''t unreasonable to pull out a facade like this, she implied that I was telling the truth.

    "You got me. I did use the second criterion. However, you must see something here. Only those who truly bothered enough to genuinely win would go to your length. Nobody else went through the same length as you. Or should I say, you both?"

    Considering that I''m using someone else''s information as a way to achieve victory, that doesn''t exactly make me feel good about myself.

    That question was aimed at Yulia too, who was observing me silently.

    "Sensei... Does that mean that we... won?"

    What I actually wanted to know. It''s meaningless to completely nail all of these points if we don''t win.

    Useless knowledge, so to say.

    Yet, to my surprise, a quick smile flashed on Yuka-sensei''s face.

    "Yes. I was secretly evaluating the teamwork of all pairs. And you two were the best out of all the pairs. I''m not sure if it was intended or not, but it was superb. You have my honest praise, you two."

    Yulia''s celebrating while looking at me with happy eyes and a jubilant smile, but that''s still not it.

    "What does it mean to win here? Do we get to pass the exam?"

    She said ''Yes'', but she wasn''t specific about it, which made me skeptical.

    "The first criterion, which is technically the teamwork and unity one, will always have priority over the second one. On the surface, it''s the opposite, but in reality, the first criterion is, as you concluded, the teamwork and unity one while the second criterion is the physical prowess one. Therefore, if you pass on every single aspect of the first criterion, then you automatically win. I was sincerely going to tell the pairs that managed to win via teamwork/unity yet there was only one pair. You two being that pair."

    I see. At long last, she gave me words of comfort.

    Unintentionally, I leaned my back to my chair and relaxed swiftly for a short while.

    "With that said, enjoy your win. You two earned it. There won''t be more classes for the rest of the day. Bye-bye!"

    That''s actually perfect since I could use a good sleep.

    Yuka-sensei grabbed her fashionable purse and left the classroom.

    Slowly, I connected my forehead with my cold table and took a deep breath.

    A breath so deep that would simply act as a way to eliminate all this anxiety that I''ve been accumulating.

    All of this work; was worth it. Every single step, it paid off.

    However...

    It wasn''t me....

    I won due to my abilities but my abilities were only useful because I knew the truth about the situation. What if I never knew about it?

    "Daniel! We won! We won! We really, really won!"

    Since my eyes are currently closed, I can only feel Yulia''s soft uniform hugging my back entirely from behind, but that''s completely partial right now.

    "I know, it''s a great feeling..."

    No, it''s not...

    "Yeah! I can''t believe you managed to figure that out on your own! You''re amazing!"

    It wasn''t me....

    Yulia''s squashing me at this point. Her hug is so comfortable yet powerful.

    Truly, I just want to enjoy this moment of comfort, but a single thought will not vanish from my mind.

    It wasn''t me....

    It... wasn''t me.

    Kawahara, you... are dangerous.

 Volume 8 - Chapter 50: Conditionally invincible.

    "10-2. I win."

    "...I can''t believe this. This gap... it''s ridiculous!"

    How did I just lose to someone who didn''t even participate in the exam?!

    Who is this guy?!

    "You managed to get two wins though. You and Yulia surprisingly passed and as expected you betted on Sagasuga and Shizuku. Impressive, I honestly thought I would have this whole thing flawlessly, but you took me by surprise and created an unexpected twist."

    I don''t think Hyunda realizes how crushed I''m feeling right now. It''s one thing to have an evenly matched competition, but this was so one-sided that it hurts.

    As Hyunda attempts to praise me, in my room, we were analyzing our bets and Hyunda got 10 rights while I only got 2 rights.

    At the bottom of my room''s floor, I can''t believe that I''ve lost this bet so hard. Then again, I think it''s time I got some truth out of him for once.

    This unbelievable guy who is getting smug over two pennies that are worth essentially nothing.

    "Hyunda... You knew that you were going to lose, right? Arkalee''s absence was already something you already knew, right? That''s not fair, man..."

    "You sure you wanna talk about being fair, dude? You betted on you and Yulia winning even though you two got 8%."

    "Ah, do you want to know how we won?"

    I wonder if he''s aware of it. The second formula.

    "Not interested. I already told you. This exam is a filler exam. Boring. Also, I didn''t know about her situation. Nevertheless, I was intending on losing either way. That''s why I made a bet on my defeat. Not because I had already information regarding her situation, but because that would be the end result either way."

    But why would he want to lose though? He says that this exam is a filler exam for the purpose of linking elements of evidence to the traitor, but can he afford to be this lax about it?

    Hyunda looks extremely confident in winning though. The fact that he''s with his legs spread out while being at the top of my bed, while I am just in my chair means that no matter where he is, he always feels like he''s in charge.

    "Doesn''t that affect you though? You just lost the exam, again. Why aren''t you making use of your abilities?"

    "I don''t have to. If you don''t have to do it, then don''t do it. I''ll fail the upcoming exam too. Because I can. After that, I will win every single exam over and over until it stacks infinitely. Oh no, it won''t go on for infinity since this will all end in three years. Then... I''ll just have to keep on crushing the exams afterward with the respectable minimal effort. Daniel, spectacular wins are only spectacular if you win in a spectacular way."

    Ah, I see. That''s another one of his philosophies? The ''If I don''t have to, then I won''t''? Lazy as hell if you ask me, but he''s right to some extent.

    Furthermore, he said that he will fail the upcoming exam too... Not that he might, but he will...

    Then that means that after the next exam is done, he will have to be minimally serious about it?

    "I don''t really understand that last line though. Spectacular wins are only spectacular if you win in a spectacular way?"

    "All of you are so focused on winning that you forget about how you should win. Not for the sake of victory, but for the sake of sending a message."

    "A message?"

    What message?

    "I''m not one to fuck with."

    Hyunda said as he tossed both of the small pennies up in the hollow air, catching them with both of his hands while intercepting them mid-air at the same time.

    "That''s the message. You''re all boring. And that kills me. Winning should have a deeper meaning than just accumulating a positive result. A meaning that transcends just the accumulation of victory. The creation of a dreadful signal to anyone that dares to oppose you. In other words, the message I just said."

    Could it be that he craves a greater challenge and that is why he always takes things minimally serious or not serious at all?

    No one got 100% in this exam, but if Hyunda was minimally serious about this, could he have prevented Arkalee''s situation and furthermore, ace the exam completely?

    "Hyunda, you said... um, do you remember when you said that we would become Akimiyashika''s dolls in this exam? We didn''t though? Weren''t you wrong about that?"

    Hyunda said that I needed to utilize Rayazaki, otherwise, we would''ve become Akimiyashika''s puppets but that didn''t exactly happen.

    I couldn''t overlook that since I engraved his words deeply.

    "I said that before the actual exam was announced. You should''ve known that those words lost value as soon as this was a pairing contest. Akimiyashika doesn''t seem to have control over all girls. Just Hinagiku and Ikkiri and maybe a few more. However, her existence is limited since she''s dependant on someone else to excel in this exam. She doesn''t go well with other people, especially when those ''others'' are weaklings like Susaga. That''s why she didn''t do anything. She couldn''t. Alternatively, she might''ve influenced Ikkiri and Hinagiku to screw the boys, and would you look at that? Both of them lost the exam."

    Ah, he''s right... Thus, he''s saying that Akimiyashika''s power becomes limited once she has to rely on someone else she has no control over?

    "But aren''t their cases different though? Hinagiku lost because Akihiko is currently wounded. Was that really Akimiyashika''s work? Plus, in Ikkiri''s case, she managed to screw Tatsu, but would she go that far just to hound him?"

    "Only alternatively speaking, as I''ve mentioned. I doubt that''s what actually happened. As a matter of fact, it didn''t. I''ve visited Akihiko already and he really is injured. Apparently he got ganged up."

    What?

    "What happened to the guy?"

    "From what I know, he got in a situation where students from class A started to gangbang him right away. Furthermore, Sana is the main source of this since she broke the rule of interaction. Though, that''s all I know. I could have found out more, but it''s pretty irrelevant so to say. His case explains Hinagiku''s failure, which means that Akimiyashika did not have any control over her. That only leaves Ikkiri, right? I can''t tell you why, but I know her case is the real deal."

    "And why can''t you tell me?"

    This immediately bothered me. He''s sharing so much but then he just backs off. Was he about to get to a crucial part?

    Don''t make me this curious and then pussy out.

    "It''s related to the traitor, believe it or not. If I tell you unnecessary information and the traitor finds out, then he might go into hiding and not over-extend as usual. I can''t allow that. In other words, your existence could become a hindrance to my hunt."

    Ikkiri''s absence is related to the traitor? How though? Wasn''t Ikkiri''s absence caused due to a stomachache?

    How can a natural cause be related to the traitor?

    "I won''t tell anyone though. You can trust me, I''m serious."

    "It''s not a question about trust. That''s incredibly partial to this. If you are forced to speak or act in a way that you show that you know about the information that I am hiding, it will send the traitor mixed signals. That''s simply not an option right now."

    Something I''ve noticed is Hyunda''s obsession with this traitor. He reasons that everything he is doing is for the sake of catching him and that losing the exams is something that he is doing on purpose just to make the traitor more comfortable.

    "So you are insinuating that I might give the traitor some sort of mixed-signal even if I''m not aware of it?"

    "Yes. It''s not about you being aware that you are sending it, but the traitor noticing it that you are doing it. You can''t prevent it, because the information is relatively intriguing. You''re a curious person and that''s why telling you certain things will immediately backfire."

    Did he just call me a child in a very subtle manner?

    "Well, whatever. So Akimiyashika truly didn''t have power over us, right? But explain to me, how did you know which of the other pairs were going to win and lose?"

    "That''s simple. Let''s start off with the ones I got wrong. For the record, I didn''t bother to think outside of the box, hence my lack of care for the alternative routes of this exam."

    Alternative routes? Is he throwing shade that he knew about the second formula?

    I don''t think it was that obvious. If it was that obvious, then there would be more victorious pairs yet such was not the case.

    "You and Yulia should not have won, as a matter of fact, you both lost. However, according to you, you two won. I''ll trust you on that. If you are still together with Lus in the next morning then it means it was true."

    Truth to be told, I told Hyunda that Yulia and I actually won and he didn''t bother to object or argue about my baseless claim.

    Frankly, as he said, he can just verify it tomorrow. Plus, he had bet on our defeat, however, he just swallowed my claim.

    "I trolled while voting for Sagasuga and Shizuku. I knew they were going to win. I even suggested you think positively of them. Nevertheless, I betted against them in order to give you a compensation win. Rejoice."

    "Dude..."

    Seriously? Ouch.

    "Don''t worry, I could afford to give you this many victories. Following that up, I took every other bet with consideration. Although, it wasn''t hard, honestly. Quite easy, so to speak. Kan and Kanawari would lose because Kan is too bossy and although Kanawari forms a gentle attitude on the surface, she most likely has a superiority complex. It''s not a coincidence that she performed better than Kan. I''m sensing sadism too. It''s hardly a coincidence that she allowed Kan to win twice, as Yuka-sensei said. If you allow your partner to win twice but you win thrice, then you are essentially telling your partner that you at least tried, but it didn''t actually matter in the first place since you were always going to win anyway. Sadism."

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    It baffles me how he knows this much even though he was away the whole time. Can he seriously form these annoyingly accurate reasonings just based on Yuka-sensei''s words?

    Unreal.

    "Akihiko didn''t show up the whole afternoon before it was announced and you most likely thought he was going to come back. Why though? You already knew that he was going to absent. Why did you bet on their victory?"

    "I was too focused on the exam. Sometimes I forget to think about the simple things."

    I''m serious. I''m feeling dumb just by remembering.

    "I understand. Well, there was nothing you could''ve done regarding Ikkiri and Arkalee. You didn''t have knowledge about them, so you betted on their victories despite that. Ikkiri and Tatsu do not synergize. Perhaps physically, to some extent, but their personalities are complete polar opposites. Though, that has barely anything to do with it. I can''t give you my reasoning why I already knew Ikkiri was going to be absent, so you''ll have to bear with me on that one."

    Midway, I was starting to question Hyunda''s reasoning, but apparently, Ikkiri''s absence is related to the traitor and since he already knew ahead of time that she was not going to be present, he voted against her win.

    "Same with Arkalee. It was only announced that she caught a fever in the morning, prior to our bets. In other words, the only source of knowledge that was completely veridic was Akihiko''s absence which would mean that Akihiko and Hinagiku would lose automatically. However, you didn''t take advantage of that. Not that it would''ve mattered either way. Here comes the crushing part."

    It''s frustrating, but he''s right. It wouldn''t have mattered if I betted in Akihiko and Hinagiku''s favor, my defeat was still visible to him.

    "Your table partner, I''m not sure if you have noticed yet, but she''s highly competitive, even though she doesn''t show it. Your scores are a mess in the exams outside of the special ones. But her scores? They are top-tier, in case you haven''t noticed. What does this mean? She hates to lose. If she hates to lose, then would she really just be screwed due to Tsudo''s existence? I don''t think so. That''s why she managed to get on Tsudo''s side and made him perform considerably well. How she did it though, I don''t know. Though, Tsudo''s terrified expression should tell us something."

    She''s so irrelevant that I never paid any attention to the exams'' scores which are partial to the special exams''. Truth to be told, I have to score higher, but it''s hard to care for exams that are partial to the main ones.

    If Hyunda''s correct, then it makes sense. If she truly hates to lose, then she wouldn''t allow herself to lose in the first place, right?

    My main question is... Just what exactly did she tell or did to Tsudo in order for him to line up?

    "Kawahara and Gale. I have no clue how you thought that this pair was going to win. What the fuck went through your mind?"

    Now that he mentions it, I did glorify Kawahara a little bit. I just couldn''t see him lose despite his proud words of saying that he was going to fail the exam.

    In my mind, Kawahara is not someone who could accept defeat like that, but I was wrong. He does; because he''s delusional as fuck.

    "Kawahara''s physique is outstanding."

    "And? Gale''s physique isn''t. Plus, how can you expect an outgoing loud person like Kawahara to synergize well with the biggest introvert of the class, Gale? It wouldn''t work, no matter how you look at it."

    Since Kawahara has a habit of pulling out acts, I simply considered it a possibility that he might''ve been lying just to trick me.

    "Moving on, Akimiyashika and Susaga. I''ve told you how Akimiyashika only excels at delivering results or at least from what she has shown us, she does. Though, how far can she go with someone who''s entirely useless? She can''t do anything. She aced all of the tasks just like Kawahara, didn''t she?"

    "Yes... Though, how did you know? You weren''t present..."

    This isn''t making any damn sense... His perception can''t be this accurate. I refuse to believe it.

    "Don''t Kawahara and Akimiyashika argue just a little bit too much? Every time they speak, the class is thrown into chaos. That''s the result of two colliding forces. Yet, there seems to be more than this. It''s as if they are competing against each other outside of their own arguments. Akimiyashika even bothered to protest against Kawahara''s wrong point of view. Why did she do that? Because she had something to uphold. Something that would have a relation to Kawahara acing all the tasks. Therefore, a simple relation link would be the possibility of her producing the same feat as Kawahara. It appears I wasn''t wrong since you confirmed it just now."

    It really is his perception. For example, intuition can form several guesses yet the majority of the time, they barely contain any logic to justify their claims.

    Perception is completely different. There is always unknown reasoning that the human being has to achieve in order to perceive it.

    "Ryoken and Tateyana won, but that was simply due to the odds."

    "Odds?"

    "Yeah. If there is a vast number of students that run incredibly fast and then there is also an equal portion that runs slow, then they will be paired up. That''s what the exam told you, essentially. However, there will be those that don''t necessarily run neither slow nor fast, thus, such abnormalities are paired up together and they form the bare minimum required. The result was 53%, which is basically the minimum."

    I failed to think about that. If there are those who run fast and those who run slow, then they will be paired up.

    Now, what about those who don''t fit those categories? Both Ryoken and Tateyana weren''t even contrasts so to speak.

    "Rayazaki and Yukishiro, also known as the worst pair. These two would never work and here is why. Yukishiro."

    "What about her...?"

    I still remember that argument and little drama that both Yukishiro and Rayazaki had, but since Rayazaki usually tries to insist on the person, I thought that they were going to win.

    But...

    "She doesn''t show it, but she''s most likely spiteful. Essentially, whoever was paired up with her would meet their demise soon enough. As you mentioned previously, I wasn''t there to see it, but for them to get 1%, I''m guessing one of them completely did absolutely nothing?"

    "Yeah. Yukishiro refused to do a single exercise, but eventually, she was forced to do them. However, she only did 1 of each in every task."

    Rayazaki was fuming through this since he was getting screwed by Yukishiro, but I just can''t see why Yukishiro would hate Rayazaki for no reason.

    Though, according to Hyunda, anyone would''ve suffered the same fate.

    "That''s not all though. Rayazaki hasn''t been himself lately. I wonder why that''s the case."

    As he fiddled with his silver hair, he looked at me with a doubtful glance.

    "That''s true. Would he be able to win if he was his old self?"

    "No. There''s no changing this. If you are paired up with Yukishiro, then you will die. She''s most likely a living bomb. If you press her switch, you die."

    There isn''t concrete reasoning about her true intentions, yet Hyunda believes that she is simply spiteful towards anyone and for that reason, she would gladly drown everyone with her.

    If that''s the case, then she''s incredibly dangerous.

    "Lastly, to round this up, Kuzan and Sana. They won because they were essentially just like Ryoken and Tateyana. Though, there was another winning factor here. Kuzan''s attitude. Don''t you think that it''s a little too weird that his spirit hasn''t been brought down yet? His cards were burned. He was crucified. His hair is gone. His balls are also gone. That''s odd. He didn''t give up nor has shown signs of his spirit dying, even though the situation always implied that he should just feel sadness and sorrow. Nevertheless, he still continues to harbor high hopes. Therefore, he did not quit on Sana and managed to achieve a grand total of 61%. In conclusion, I solely betted on his spirit and it worked."

    It is weird, but I think Kuzan''s motivation comes partially due to the words I spoke to him during the invasion.

    Either that, or there is something that we are missing here.

    No, no way. Kuzan''s not intelligent enough to hide a persona. He''s addicted to stealing. I refuse to believe that there is more to him.

    "That''s how I got 10 pairs correct and you only got 2."

    His explanation was over, from the looks of it.

    Since it was afternoon right now, I had invited Hyunda to my room for us to discuss this and here we are.

    Just by looking at this paper, I feel crushed. His force is far too overwhelming.

    It''s a shame he doesn''t do anything with it though.

    "What''s that look for? You''re gonna succumb to depression or something? Cheer up, it was just a silly bet. I won''t partake in the upcoming bets."

    Huh...?

    "You won''t? Then how will we keep the system live? Weren''t we two going to do it?"

    If Hyunda doesn''t participate in the bets then won''t it just be me? Then, how are we supposed to keep the system from dying?

    "We two alone can''t do it. The whole point of the betting system is to earn money from it. Remember? This way, we will have money without having to resort to parental aid. But we can''t support this system just by ourselves. Not to mention, it would be pretty boring if we are always up against each other. That''s why we need to expand! Expansion! New members need to be included! And that''s why, I''m leaving the recruitment to you, Daniel!"

    Not again...

    "Hyunda, you can''t keep on doing this. You''re just using me at this point."

    "What''s wrong with that? Isn''t it fine to be used if it benefits you along the way? People complain about not liking to be used, but they only truly complain when they are being used and it doesn''t benefit them along the way. Don''t be like those people. Judgemental stereotypes make my skin crawl. Realize the truth here; by gathering new members, our budget can expand. Furthermore, new members will make this interesting."

    It''s so typical of him. He uses beneficial points as a way to connect his manipulation with his envisioned success.

    "You''re manipulating me into doing what you should be doing. Isn''t this whole idea yours in the first place?"

    When I said those words, Hyunda looked and me and got up from my bed while cracking his right-hand fingers in the process.

    "This isn''t manipulation. To answer why this isn''t manipulation, I''ll answer why I''m not taking general charge in recruiting new members, even though I''m the OG creator. Simply speaking, you have more interactions with the rest than I have, which makes it easier for you to approach them. I don''t have that. Subsequently, I don''t have a very high opinion of anyone in general, so that will cloud my selection skills. You do have a few people in mind, right?"

    "Yeah... But still, can''t you be a little more proactive?"

    "Proactive? How? I can only be proactive when I get my budget, which will be at the end of the month. In the meantime, I''m asking you to recruit members. I still have some planning to do, hence my inactivity. In addition to that, I''ll have to do the supply exam, which is still unknown to me."

    Hyunda will be busy with the supply exam which is without a doubt unknown thus far and therefore he needs time to do his things.

    Given that I don''t have to do the supply exam, although I''ll still have to attend classes, I should use that time to recruit some members.

    That''s what he''s basically saying.

    "How are you going to gather budget though? I''m seriously curious. Are you going to rob a bank?"

    "No. I don''t have to rob a bank. Know why? I stole something greater than a bank. That something will be useful for a very long time. Until I get tired of using it."

    What is he talking about? Is he referring to a certain object?

    Bank cards perhaps? That would explain.

    "Oh, you mean credit cards or something like that? I see, I see."

    Hyunda, in response, laughed at me and sighed swiftly right after, before replying to me in a soft tone.

    "You didn''t get my play of words. That''s fine though. Can you do that favor for me? You said you had people in mind. Make this work. I''m not lazy to the point of overlooking actions that are necessary for the success of my endeavor, I simply have higher priorities and I trust you to fulfill the bottom priorities since I can depend on you."

    Play of words? He mentioned how he got something that was greater than a bank. I realize that arguing that credit cards are greater is a bad argument, but in his mind, there is something greater.

    Something that he sees use in and will use it until he gets tired of it.

    I can''t see what he''s talking about though...

    "Not to worry, I got it. Though, can you guarantee that you will be able to leave school this month? Last time, we couldn''t because we were in the middle of the supply exam."

    "I don''t see your point. I could''ve gone outside the school at that time if I wanted too. I had the supply exam in the palm of my hand the whole time. Should I''ve decided to end it, I would''ve been able to explore the boundaries outside of this school. But why? Why? Why? Don''t you think it''s a little bit of a waste? This is what I''m talking about. Winning like this is the equivalent of losing. You lose so much more, that you are not even aware of just how much you lost."

    Hyunda speaks his words with either a bored tone or an accelerated tone, which was the one he just spoke in, which made me wonder if there was something more to it.

    In the end, he stayed in the underground in order to lure out the traitor. I already know this.

    He''s referencing how everything will have an end goal which is to lure out the traitor.

    Isn''t this just starting to become an obsession? Hyunda even said that this was a ''hunt''.

    "Why are you so obsessed with this guy? Does it really piss you off that he''s leaking information? Why are you doing all of this?"

    "I can''t tell you why I''m doing it. But with time, my actions will tell. It''s up to you to know the meaning of them, of course. I''m tired though. Gonna go to my room and sleep like a horse..."

    He always does this. Telling me to look forward to things without actually saying them.

    This gives me adrenaline since I can''t decipher Hyunda. His actions to me are unpredictable. Expectations don''t exist.

    "Hey, Hyunda, before you go... could you tell me something...?"

    "...What?"

    His eyes look dead. His cheeks look like they are falling down. Why is he so suddenly drained?

    That''s the impression he gave me, just as he was about to leave my room, on this fine afternoon.

    "Are you better than Kawahara?"

    After the exam that had occurred just a while ago, Kawahara went up a lot to me. From someone who displayed this irrational behavior, I''m starting to see him on a whole new light.

    Which is why I wanted to ask Hyunda if he sees himself as someone who is better than Kawahara.

    "Define better."

    ...Hmm.....

    "Well... If you two were up against each other, in any given scenario, would you win or would you lose?"

    "Daniel... Do you realize just how vague your question is...? There are infinite scenarios..."

    "No, but in a scenario where you must absolutely win, without a shadow of a doubt, would you win or lose?"

    Deeply sighing, with his head connect to the surface of my door, he answered back.

    Furthermore, he started to loosen up on his uniform tie to relieve some tension.

    "I won''t win if I don''t want to win. I''m just the type of person you come across in the streets and never see that person again in your whole life. I''m extremely common if I say so myself. I''m also not one in a billion. Not a genius nor anything that can be qualified as out of this world. However, hypothetically speaking, in a scenario where I would want to win, in a scenario where I wasn''t just doing what I am doing because I must win, but because I want to win... I would always win, one hundred percent certain."

 Volume 8 - Chapter 51: I am not trash!

    "Is this the right quantity, master?"

    "A bit more, servant. I like my coffee without sugar, also. All the way to the top, but don''t let it overflow."

    Certainly, I''m fairly convinced that only psychopaths drink coffee without adding sugar.

    The psychotic recipe is the way of achieving a high level of psychosis.

    "I understand, master. How about now, is it good enough?"

    "Yes, it is. Leave it there, servant."

    The person that''s being addressed as ''master'' ordered his ''servant'' to put his coffee cup at the top of the slick desk that this person was seating in.

    Furthermore, this person, behind the gigantic desk that extended itself horizontally grandly, was reading a book of great interest.

    In this illuminated place that stood below the normal ground, where all the students currently are, there are only three people here.

    "Servant."

    "Yes?"

    After hearing what his master had said to him, the servant immediately turned around and faced him, with a voluminous smile on his face.

    Nevertheless, despite his smile, subsequently, as soon as he got close to his master, his hopes of praise-worthy words were broken at that instance.

    "This sucks. Do it again. It''s the fucking third time that I have told you that tea and coffee are completely different!"

    A sound of dripping water came forth as soon as the supposed master dropped every bit of tea that was on that teacup onto his servant''s head.

    Although, realistically speaking, the servant''s head was shining due to his inner bald head. It would certainly have been tragic if the servant had any hair to begin with.

    "Apologies, then. I will surely not forget this time!"

    I''m surprised we even have a mini-kitchen in here. Was it always here? As far as I can remember, this was just a mini-room that had a gigantic desk, a couch, and multiple bookshelves.

    How did it develop to this extent?

    Those were some of the thoughts I had, as I observed the situation unfold from the entrance door.

    "You are here, at long last. I was expecting your arrival."

    Noticing my presence finally, the previous person that was being addressed as the master by his servant looked in my direction while simultaneously putting his book down on the top of his desk.

    Without any reason to hold myself back any longer, I advanced to the couch and leaped on it.

    "What was that just now?"

    "Hm? Oh. Kuzan has submitted his contract. He''s smart. By submitting his signature on the contract of fidelity that yours truly has come up with, you will receive protection for as long as you are here in this school. I seriously cannot fathom why someone would deny this bestial offer!"

    "Kawahara... You made him your servant..."

    I know that Kuzan has a few screws lost, but I find it hard to believe that he would be this dumb.

    "Yes, I did. But that''s part of the process. By compiling your infinite fidelity to I, you are bound to have infinite success as long as you are here!"

    His definition of ''infinite'' only applies by the time you will be in this school, which sums up to a total of 3 years.

    But why did Kuzan accept this deal of his?

    "Kuzan''s retarded."

    Kuzan''s close by since there is apparently another door.

    This door stands in the middle of the two bookshelves that are in front of my position. To be more specific, the two bookshelves are able to split themselves and create distance, which will then light a secret way.

    Whoever created this surely had it all planned out. Nevertheless, it was most likely Kawahara the one who figured it out.

    "Is he? Hey, tell me something. What was Kuzan''s score on this exam?"

    He wasn''t present since he created that little drama, so he''s asking me. Though, I''m sure he already knows Kuzan''s result.

    If Kuzan is here, then it''s not hard to believe that Kawahara already knows...

    Therefore, he''s purposely asking me this.

    "Don''t you know it already?"

    No point in answering something he already knows, then.

    "Smart. Yes, I do know. Hey, servant! What was your score again?!"

    Kawahara had to let out a medium shout to Kuzan who was on the other side still.

    Nonetheless, a quick reply came forth, though from a short distance.

    "61%, master!"

    "Hear that? 61%. Kuzan passed the exam. And, according to my expectations, so did you. Or am I just wrong here, Daniel? I don''t think I am. As a matter of fact, there is no way that I am!"

    There he goes again with his arrogant flamboyant attitude...

    "Yeah, I passed. Chill. I get it. Though, did you influence Kuzan''s victory?"

    Ever since this morning, Kuzan has received exaggerated protection from Kawahara, which means that either today or before this day, Kuzan has submitted himself to Kawahara.

    If such is the case, then it''s not hard to imagine Kawahara''s influence.

    "Of course! What were you even thinking when you made that stupid question? Anyone aligned to me will have a portion of my power at all times!"

    "That''s nice, but how did you do it?"

    Kawahara didn''t exactly like my first words and twisted his expression a little bit before replying to me.

    "That''s confidential. I can''t tell it to outsiders like you."

    Apparently, I''m an outsider, even though I am in the supposed secret base, that anyone else, except Kawahara, I and Kuzan, have no knowledge of.

    He''s correct though. Unlike Kuzan, I haven''t submitted myself, but it''s not as if I plan on doing it either way.

    I''ll admit being curious about certain things, but after I deplete this curiosity out of my system, I will get on with my important task.

    "That can change though. Join me, Daniel."

    It''s quite predictable what''s he''s trying to achieve. Why he bothered to insinuate that he had influence over Kuzan''s mysterious victory.

    Hyunda didn''t explain how Kuzan won, however, he deducted that Kuzan''s high hopes were the essential factor to his victory.

    That might mean that the one behind Kuzan''s motivation might''ve been Kawahara.

    No, it''s not a ''might''ve been'', it''s a certainty now.

    "I''ll pass. Your power is praise-worthy, but I won''t be your lapdog."

    Unless Kuzan''s attempting to gain something from Kawahara, I hardly see the point in joining him. Though, if I follow a logical way of thinking, joining him wouldn''t be counterproductive when it comes to future exams.

    But, siding with Kawahara means that you''ll have to give up a grand part of your freedom.

    Amidst this, Kuzan had arrived with a new cup on his right hand.

    "Lapdog? Nonsense. You seem to have gotten the wrong impression of this, Daniel. Kuzan, tell him, please."

    For the first time, Kawahara stopped addressing Kuzan as ''servant'' and called him out by his name.

    I thought that the whole master and servant thing was part of the contract, but was it just an RP? What the fuck?

    Swiftly after hearing his name though, Kuzan turned and faced my direction, after placing the cup on the border of Kawahara''s desk.

    "Aniki, I''m not his lapdog! How rude of you. Master has helped me tremendously and without him, I would''ve failed the exam. This is my way of thanking him."

    "Your way of thanking him...?"

    I''m so confused. You say you are not his lapdog but then you call him ''master'' in the same sentence?

    "Mutual help. By helping out master Kawahara, he''ll help me in return. Hence, I address Kawahara as ''master'' now."

    "I don''t think you realize how stupid and contradicting your words are, Kuzan..."

    What am I listening to? Kuzan just said that he addresses Kawahara not due to being involved in anything but because that''s his way of thanking him.

    "Daniel, hear me out. Kuzan didn''t explain it correctly. You see this piece of paper here?"

    At the top of his desk, there was a small paper sheet that was always there in the middle. I''ve had a soft guess at what it is and it seems that I was correct...

    "This is the contract. However, in it, there is nothing saying that you''ll have to give up your freedom in the process. Only when your cooperation is required, will you have to mandatorily attend the general meetings. Aside from that, I do not mention anything regarding freedom. This is Kuzan''s choice. Criticize it however you see fit."

    Who the fuck shows his thanks by proposing a master and servant type of relationship?! Kuzan, what is mentally wrong with you!?

    In the process of all this, I can''t even look at Kuzan in the face. Thoughts of disappointment started to swell as I downcasted my glance to the ground.

    "Aniki... Is something wrong?"

    Kuzan asked. Thus, I replied.

    "Yeah. You."

    "What...?"

    "Hahahahaha!!"

    Kawahara let out a loud laugh while Kuzan did not understand what was even going on.

    "Hold on, this is not funny! What''s going on?! Can someone explain it to me?!"

    Enthralled with endless confusion, Kuzan kept on spewing questions of interrogation along the way.

    Though, this is not what I am here for. This nonsensical waste of time is not really beneficial to me.

    Also, my phone has been ringing all this time. I''ve muted Hinagiku''s messages, but not a certain number...

    "If you are not here to join my side, then why are you here? Daniel, I''m only allowing you here because I thought you''d join forces with me. Have I not shown you what I''m capable of? What else is there to doubt?"

    In other words, if I do not join forces with him, then I will not be able to visit this place. Though, honestly, we haven''t built another path to connect with another place.

    Therefore, once King George returns, the access to this place will vanish.

    Will Kawahara let that be the case nevertheless?

    "As I''ve mentioned previously, your power is something to be aware of. However, I''m not joining forces with you. Nor will I ever."

    "Ehhh! Aniki, why not?!"

    Kuzan''s so dumb. He doesn''t understand that Kawahara''s sugarcoating the dark side of the truth here.

    He said that his actions will not affect our freedom, but that''s essentially just wrong.

    "Kuzan, you''ll be dragged too. By helping Kawahara, you are making an enemy out of everyone that is against Kawahara''s way of doing things. Did you even notice the uproar that he caused this morning?"

    While I was speaking to Kuzan, who was now at the right side of the couch with me, Kawahara was silently sipping his coffee, which I suspect is tea.

    Weirdly enough, Kawahara is someone who would always lash back when he''s mentioned but he''s keeping his silence...?

    "But Aniki, master planned that out! The uproar was all for the sake of---"

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Just as Kuzan was about to reveal an important piece of information, Kawahara stopped sipping and intervened with haste and precision.

    "Kuzan, shut up. What did I tell you? Outsiders are not to be given information. Keep your mouth shut."

    "Ooops! Sorry, Aniki!"

    Oh, I see. I''m receiving biased treatment because I''m an outsider.

    Though, Kuzan''s words alone confirmed something. Although I don''t know why Kawahara did it, it''s evident that Kawahara planned the uproar.

    Alternatively speaking, the uproar had another meaning.

    "It''s fine. Kawahara had already mentioned that in the first place."

    I was simply trying to bait Kuzan into telling me the truth, but Kawahara caught my attention.

    A bit too late though. Nevertheless, it''s not as if I just got a huge piece of information. It''s important for me to know what he''s planning on doing, not that he is.

    Why is it important? Kawahara''s power is chaotic and if it''s turned against me, I need to fight back respectively.

    "You could know now though. Don''t be stubborn, Aniki!"

    Kuzan''s referring to the option of siding with Kawahara. That''s not an option though.

    "Kuzan. Stop insisting. If he doesn''t want to side with us, then let him think that way. He''s free to do so."

    Frankly. Kawahara''s way too calm about this. How weird.

    "Daniel, if your final choice is to not side with us, then I will have to ban you."

    "Huh, what?"

    Ban? Did I just hear that word?

    "This place is restricted to my personal comrades only who I find worthy of. Therefore, I will have to forbid you from entering this closed place. As a matter of fact, starting from this point on, you are banned from entering this place. Consequences of great danger will be applied to you, should you disobey this omnipotent rule, Daniel."

    Although Kawahara''s saying those words with serenity and a shred of calmness behind them, he looks dead serious to me.

    His eyes are so fixated onto me that it feels like I''m stuck on a cage with an eagle looking at me and only me as the eagle readies itself, in order to feast on its prey.

    "Let I add more to that though. This can change any time you so want. All you have to do is contact I. By doing so, I will give you this contract which was made by I, and then, you will become part of my personal crusade. Do not misread my honest intentions. I do see you as someone who has potential, henceforth I''m giving you the chance of turning back and realize how stupid and baseless your decision of not joining I, is."

    He keeps addressing himself as ''I'' with an absurd amount of arrogance thus far.

    Though, I will not falter in front of his harsh yet kind words.

    "My decision is not baseless. Nor stupid. I don''t need you."

    Kawahara''s glare got even more powerful as I said those spiteful words back to him.

    "Get out then."

    "Yes."

    No point on staying here. However, I might as well do two things before leaving this deep place.

    As I got up from the couch, I traded glances with Kuzan once. Kuzan, in response, titled his head in confusion.

    "Kuzan, I need to talk to you about something with urgency. Tomorrow, if possible. After class."

    To be honest, I''m somewhat exhausted. The fact that we don''t have classes for the rest of the day is fantastic.

    I used this little free time to get into contact with Kuzan and I figured that he might be here and I was correct.

    By contrast, in the process of reaching out to Kuzan, I got banned.

    So this is what it feels like? To leave a place but not being able to return? Surely, I can come back any time I so want, but that means that I will have to trade my will for it.

    "Gotcha!"

    After Kuzan confirmed this, I simply looked ahead at the steeled door that was ahead of me without looking back.

    Yet, before completely grabbing the door hold, I spoke one last time.

    "Kawahara..."

    "What?"

    His voice tone is so sour. As I thought, he might be slightly angry yet he''s not showing it.

    If that''s the case, then I wonder how he will react to this...?

    What a shame. As soon as I deliver those words, I''ll leave this place immediately. I am done here. No point on staying here.

    "Are you better than Hyunda?"

    With a quick motion, I opened and closed the door in a fast way.

    After I returned to the surface, I went to sleep and embraced the upcoming day to come.

    February 26th. 8:30 am. Main classroom.

    "Why are you still here? Don''t you know that the losers are supposed to switch places?"

    "Last time I checked I won."

    I''ve got no clue the honest process in all of this, but right now, just about everyone, no, the losers from the past exam are switching places with one another to stay paired up with one another.

    And of course, if your score, which was highlighted as negative yesterday, is well-known to about everyone, then, if you are not obeying the switch places consequence, then you will be questioned.

    Yes.

    My impertinent table partner is currently bugging me about this.

    "No, you definitely lost. Move it."

    "Just ask Yuka-sensei, you dumb bitch."

    Those two last words might''ve triggered me a little bit too much. Thankfully, our beginning of a possible sour argument is not being given any attention whatsoever, since everyone is either too busy doing their own stuff or just arranging their new places.

    "Dumb what?!"

    "Dumb bitch. B-I-T-C-H. Want me to spell it out for you slowly?!"

    Man, what the fuck does she want? Does she actually think that I like being paired up with her? She''s drunk on delusion.

    "You''ll regret those words. Sensei! He doesn''t want to move out!"

    Aggressively calling out to Yuka-sensei, who was sitting at the top of her desk''s edge, my table partner begged to differ with my opinion.

    It took Yuka-sensei a while to answer, but at the same time, it managed to grab the attention of a few people in this classroom.

    "Oh, but he won the previous exam. He doesn''t have to move out."

    "Take that."

    I understand that you''d generally oppose the idea of my presence here, but to show this much aggression? I can''t help but feel offended.

    In addition to that, she exhibits a strong disgust every time she objects me.

    Profoundly deep down, I''m glad we share the same sentiment.

    "But he and his previous partner got 8%! You even said so!"

    "I did say so, yes. But that was only regarding the physical exam results. It''s a different story on the overall exam though."

    "What?! That makes no sense. Only the physical exam was supposed to matter! It doesn''t make any sense what you are telling me just now."

    "Lus, sweetie, that''s my final decision. Are you going up against it?"

    She''s on fire. I feel like laughing so hard. Actually, I let out a small laugh just now.

    This is just too funny. Her pissed off expression is making my abdominals hurt as they twist themselves endlessly in this hilarious scenario.

    She has no idea what actually happened and she''s in massive confusion, so to speak.

    "I do not approve of this."

    Sourly saying those words of denial almost silently, she gave up on pursuing Yuka-sensei.

    Basking in victory, I started to laugh mildly, which caught her attention.

    "What? What? What?! What is it?!"

    Fiercely looking at me now, she let out that emotional outburst. Her pink hair even got on her face for a little bit.

    "Regret my words? What happened to that? Where did all of your confidence go? Huh!?"

    "You''re trash. You vermin pleb. Speak to me again and I''ll crush your dick."

    I swallowed all my saliva instinctively for some reason. Her final words spoke dreadful to me.

    Honestly, I was confident in my retort as it was payback for what she had told me yesterday, but I can''t help but feel incredibly assaulted when she says stuff like that.

    Plus, crush my dick? Aren''t you giving yourself too much credit?

    "Sal-"

    Wow, she''s going to kill me. She''s ready to do it.

    Forget about talking back.

    My dick might really get crushed at this rate!

    After that, the class proceeded as usual.

    Something I had no understood today that had happened was why Yuka-sensei was here instead of Basara-sensei.

    Did something happen to him?

    Akihiko was not present still. What is made of him?

    To contrast his absence, both Arkalee and Ikkiri showed up.

    The pairings now are the following:

    Me and the dumb bitch.

    Hyunda and Arkalee.

    Kawahara and Akimiyashika.

    Ikkiri and Tatsu.

    Hinagiku and Akihiko.

    Yukishiro and Rayazaki.

    Kuzan and Kanawari.

    Sana and Kan.

    Ryoken and Gale.

    Shizuku and Tsudo.

    Sagasuga and Tateyana.

    Susaga and Yulia.

    For the record, I have no clue why Sana and Kan are paired up. Same with Kuzan and Kanawari, Yulia and Susaga or Akimiyashika and Kawahara. Is this what happens once there are a winning individual and a losing individual in the previous exam?

    That''s odd then... Didn''t both Kawahara and Akimiyashika lose...? Why are they technically paired up still? It''s confusing me. Even after Yuka-sensei wrote the table partners on the board, I can''t figure out why Akimiyashika and Kawahara are still paired up.

    Such a weird way to arrange this...

    Kawahara and Akihiko are absent for completely different reasons, which means that Hinagiku was standing all alone due to Akihiko''s absence.

    Akimiyashika had mentioned something about putting an end to Kawahara''s rampage, but since Kawahara is absent due to his suspension, we are not going to see that yet, it seems. Nevertheless, just like Hinagiku, Akimiyashika also stood alone, since her partner was not present.

    "...You did something, didn''t you...? If you tell me what it is, I''ll let you listen to it..."

    It seems that I was too focused on my thought process to notice her unusual small voice.

    Strange. Why would you say all of those harsh words but then speak to me twenty minutes after?

    "How unusual. You are talking to me."

    I guess this is natural? It''s been two months. Eventually, I and she would talk to each other. I''m just surprised it took us this long, as table partners.

    "Don''t misunderstand. Every line you speak is disgusting and it repulses me to a whole new level every time you speak."

    "Oh, is that so? Then stop talking to me and you won''t have to hear me speak another line."

    Her stupid insults won''t get on my skin this time. It''s pretty clear what she''s trying to do.

    She even said ''I''ll let you listen to it''. Do you think you can bribe with your awesome k-pop playlist?!

    Well, you''re goddamn wron-----

    "Now, tell me."

    When did I put her yellow earplugs on my right ear?! When did this happen?!

    What is this sorcery!?

    "Amazing. BTS or EXO?"

    I did do some research on k-pop recently, before going to sleep, but I don''t recognize this song.

    Did she put her playlist playing randomly? I do that all the time since I have no patience to listen to songs in any given line possible.

    "Ara, you don''t even know? It''s KARA. An underrated band that deserves more attention, honestly."

    "Waah, seriously? This is underrated? Why? They are so good."

    "I knooow. But if you want I can tell you mo--- No, just tell me how you did it already."

    Damn it, I tried to drive her away from the topic.

    Though, she''s dumb if she thinks I''m just going to tell her.

    I don''t have a reason to do so.

    "Why do you want to know?"

    Unlike her, I''m not focused on the current scenery that is going on. Yuka-sensei is just explaining moral subjects and writing stuff on the board. I couldn''t care less.

    Yet, she had the gal of somehow splitting her earplugs with me, although, the music volume is sorta low. I kinda wanna turn it up, but her phone is inside her skirt''s pocket...

    "It doesn''t matter why I want to know it. I shared something you like. Therefore, you are obliged to share something I like. How you passed the exam, for example."

    Oh, I see.

    So that''s what she was thinking. It was pretty obvious that she was going to bribe me and I will admit of being a fool for unconsciously accepting the bribe. But she''s got the wrong idea.

    Usually, against someone with a minimal amount of morality, this is a ''fair'' deal. Equivalent exchange.

    Though, that only works against someone that upholds any bare minimum morality.

    "Not gonna."

    "Okay, why?"

    "I don''t want to. Simple as that."

    It''s more than that. While this is mainly to get back at her, her pissed off expression is starting to take shape, which is exactly what I wanted.

    "You mean to tell me after I went out of my way to please you, you are not going to reward me back?!"

    Now that was a bit too loud.

    "Quiet down. You''ll attract attention..."

    "And? What of it? Am I simply not allowed to retaliate after you did what you just did? Or what, do you think you are going to ''win'' unfairly again?"

    "Are you talking about the last time? That staredown match...? I told you already, I won fair and square. You looked away and I won. Stop bitching about it, salty girl."

    "You did not just call me salty girl!"

    "Um, yeah I did?"

    Her voice is slowly rising.

    Her cheeks are getting slightly red too. Plus, she''s writing down furiously, by the looks of it.

    "Don''t call me that ever again. Piece of shit. Trash. Garbage."

    "Trash and garbage mean the same thing, Miss Sodium."

    "It takes one to know the other."

    Waaah, she thinks she''s something else huh?!

    "What do I gain by telling you how I did it?"

    "You already have gained my generosity. Consider it payment in advance. Hence, you''ll tell me how you did it. Don''t be a retard. Oh wait, that''s really impossible. You''re already one."

    "Your insults are weak. I would advise you to stop it. You''re making yourself look sad. On second thought, that''s already happening."

    I can''t believe that she thinks she has a higher trash talk game than I do.

    Pathetic.

    Meanwhile, Yuka-sensei had declared break-time, thus, our classmates were leaving the room one by one.

    "That''s the best you can come up with? As expected of someone with weak integrity, everything there is about you is feeble."

    "Funny how you''ve lost twice in arguments thus far, but I only did once. I can admit that it was premature to judge your abilities, but you''re expecting me to tell you how I won just because you allowed me to listen to some songs from your playlist?"

    "But they are awesome songs."

    "They are indeed awesome songs."

    "So, tell me."

    "No, you tell me. How did you pass with Tsudo? That garbage can''t possibly be of any use."

    I still refuse to believe that it happened.

    Deep inside my mind, there''s no way that someone paired with Tsudo, can excel in a physical exam.

    "Congratulations! You''re right for once! He is garbage! I, however, am not. It''s natural that I carried out the exam flawlessly."

    Not sure what I was expecting to hear from her.

    "See, you''re not going to tell me either. What the fuck is your reasoning then? You think that some k-pop songs will do?!"

    "Some?! Watch your tongue, because it might be sent flying!"

    "Your ultimatums don''t scare me, you know? I won''t tell you how I did it. However, I could potentially change my mind if you tell me how you won, instead."

    It''s fine to increase my voice now, everyone should''ve left this classroom to enjoy the mini-break.

    Therefore, it''s also fine if I speak more aggressively now too.

    "Don''t joke around. Why should I give you TWO favors when you''ve only given me ONE favor!?"

    "Oh, I don''t fucking know, maybe because that''s not enough to trade for the high information value that I know?! Are you seriously expecting people to give you their secrets just because you''ve shared some random pieces of music!?"

    Pardon me, I do know that they are not random, but I just can''t let you win.

    Furthermore, we are not standing against each other while also pointing against each other with our fingers. This is the argumentative physical stance that we were prone to reach.

    "Random!? I dare you to say that again! Tell me that again, I seriously dare you!"

    "You said it yourself, right? Underrated? Therefore, random!"

    They are actually quite good. But, um, yeah.

    I can''t say that right now.

    "They are not random, you uncultured pig! God, you make me want to curse at you! That''s how annoying and repulsive you are!"

    "Way ahead of you, bitch! I don''t need to hold myself back against you and I will never do. Your songs are nothing special either."

    No, that''s not true either.

    Pandora and Step are fine, to be honest. It hurts to deny it and to call them ''nothing special''.

    "You''re a bad, bad liar! The fact that you are clinging to my earplugs still proves it! You''re addicted, huh?! You can''t even lie properly, can you!?

    "T-That''s...!"

    Why the fuck am I still clinging to them!? Come on, let them go! Just buy one for yourself at the end of this month.

    This bitch''s pieces of music mean nothing anyways!

    Ultimately, I took the earplugs off and put them down on our table.

    "Hmpf, I don''t need them. Also, for the last time, I''m not telling you. Oh, right! It''s break time now! You know what you should do?! You should go and buy a sack of fucking salt and devour it straight up!"

    "I will leave! Not because you told me to, but because I need to calm myself down before I slaughter you! Hopefully, when I return here, you''ll not be here. I hope a meteor crushes you in the head!"

    Bam. The door slamming sound was so loud that it echoed throughout the whole hollow classroom.

    And that''s 2-1 for me. It sucks that I''ve lost one time, but winning 2 times far outgrows her score.

    Her red expression just from that argument is making me laugh.

    Fucking laughable.

    "Hahahaha!!!"

    I laughed out loud, as soon as my mind accepted the fact that there was no one else in this classroom.

    A laugh so loud that my body started to hurt. The type of laugh you just can''t help but put your whole palm on your face to express your happiness.

    "That''s what you fucking get for attempting to argue back against me. Get cocky and act cold as ice for your accidental victory once and I''ll destroy you twice!"

    I do not regret these words that I''ve said out loud, because they are my honest thoughts. Boy, does it feel good, being honest.

    "I wonder if she actually applies that much salt on her food? God fucking damn, I cringe just by thinking about it."

    "Oh, you do?"

    "Huh?"

    Unaware of the presence in this room still, my eyes widened and my expression twisted in response to that person''s sudden words.

    I immediately recognized her voice. I also realized that I was extremely fucked as well.

    No, it wasn''t the salty bitch that had just left.

    It is...

    Oh god. Oh god, oh god, oh god, she''s gonna brand me.

    Fuuuuuuuuck, I forgot about what she had said about not talking to other girls!

    N-No...

    I gotta face her and tell her that this is all a misunderstanding and that it was an actual argument. Once I tell her the truth, she''ll understand.

    That''s right, that''s right.

    "Y-Yulia... How... are you doing?"

    "How am I? That''s an interesting question. After you left yesterday, you said nothing to me. Weird. I assumed you were tired but you marked all my messages as read, which means that I was ignored. Hahaha, I''m sure you must have a strong reason to ignore me suddenly. Actually, I HOPE you have a strong reason. Thus, I was expecting some sort of apology from you. Maybe you''d meet me early and tell me something? Well, nope. Nothing of that sort happened. I''m feeling sour so to speak. But what actually baffled me was how I told you not to speak with another girl and you just did that. Were my words a joke to you, is that it?"

    Yulia''s were started coming at me like bullets from a gun. It wouldn''t matter where I would go, they would eventually find their way to hit me deep down.

    "I-I do have a strong reason! You might not believe this, but I was really tired yesterday! And today! Um... This was just an argument. I''ve explained it to you, right?"

    "......."

    "Huh? Hey, Yulia? You there?"

    She''s not speaking.

    What''s going on?

    On second thought, why are you looking at me like you are looking at a trash can you just came across on the street? A trash can so dirty that you''d never want to cross it ever again in your whole life.

    "I''m disappointed in you."

    Without looking back, Yulia left through the main door.

    "Huh?"

    She doesn''t think I''m trash, right?

    Nah, no way she does.

 Volume 8 - Chapter 52: Kings Return.

    "What happened to your wig?"

    "Kawahara stole it."

    "Yeah, I know that, but since you are now afflicted with him, shouldn''t he have returned it by now?"

    Unless Kuzan just likes to be bald in the first place. Maybe that''s the case.

    "It''s fine. I plan on buying a new wig at the end of this month, either way."

    "Just a wig? Don''t you have higher priorities...?"

    I shouldn''t have to remind him what we are hoping to achieve at the end of this month...

    Yet as I glance upon this oddball which goes by the name of Kuzan, mindlessly staring into the numerous gray clouds in the sky, I can''t help but doubt myself.

    "I know, Aniki. I really do! The lunch deal, right?!"

    "Yeah! Fuck, we haven''t eaten a single lunch in a very long time!"

    Usually, Yulia would pay me but today was a bit different.

    The fact that I am here in our dorm''s rooftop and not with Yulia should tell us this much.

    There''s also the fact that I don''t care enough to insist on Yulia anymore.

    Her purpose has been fulfilled.

    "Remind me again... What was the deal...?"

    "You goofball. You need to convince King George. If you tell him that you are willing to create lunches for everyone with food from the kitchen then you should be able to do it."

    "Will that really work? I mean, he''s been gone forever. What if he never returns?!"

    "That''s impossible. He''s our supervisor. I''m sure he must have a strong reason to be absent."

    The unknown consequence has been giving me anxiety as of late, to be honest.

    It will happen, I just don''t know when which is freaking me out.

    "Mhm... Even so, what if he rejects my idea?! Furthermore, we need money! Money! Otherwise, we can''t buy anything!"

    Actually, it''s you who needs the money, not me. Though, it would be nice if we got some.

    ...Man, this breeze feels nice though. I feel like I could sleep in here. With my back against the entrance shell, as I get beamed by the enormous sunlight that''s erupting from the clouds above, my entire body collected a comfortable feeling of heat.

    Feels good...

    "Kuzan, we just have to ask your parents right? Kawahara can''t come, you know? He''s suspended."

    "I know that. But will it really work? My parents hate me. Ever since I was little I''ve stolen things from them. I''m a compulsive thief, I can''t help myself."

    Frankly speaking, I would generally not bother with Kuzan but I have a few reasons to do so.

    Kawahara''s absence means that he will not be able to attend Kuzan''s parents.

    I''ve still got to see how it all works out. Can we truly just leave school like that? I feel like there will be a catch.

    "Is your crime related to thievery? I really doubt it''s not."

    "As expected of Aniki. But, it''s a little bit more complicated."

    "How so?"

    "That''s... a secret."

    "But why is it a secret? Do you dislike what you did? Do you feel shame?"

    I don''t understand it otherwise. Either you feel extreme guilt for what you''ve done and thus you refuse to tell anyone about it or there is another partial reason.

    "It''s confidential, Aniki. If I tell anyone, then it will mean that you will have to die too."

    "Huh...?"

    "Ahh, nothing, nothing. Don''t mind me!"

    What was that just now? I''ll have to die too?

    What was Kuzan on about?

    "Well, whatever. Still, the fact remains. You do need money. Wouldn''t it just be better if you had the money?"

    "That''s true. But, as you know, I have no way to obtain money except to get it by myself or by asking my parents. There''s no point in stealing from anyone here. Plus, everyone''s just so wary. Everyone''s rooms are closed... Furthermore, the doorlock''s model can only be brought down with severe physical strength. That or I can just decipher the model and construct keys that will allow me to enter the rooms..."

    He''s not even denying it. Kuzan''s honesty is brutal to an incredible extent.

    "Kuzan. You are just going to get hated if you keep on doing this shit over and over. Kawahara''s protecting you but aren''t you depending on him a bit too much?"

    "Isn''t that fine though? He''s protecting me as long as I side with him. Mutual help, as he said."

    "Weren''t you the one who wanted to form bonds with everyone? What happened to that?"

    Were his words back then superficial or do they still uphold any meaning whatsoever?

    "I''ve been thinking, Aniki. Isn''t it impossible?"

    "What is?"

    "To ''form'' bonds. We all want something from one another. It''s impossible to form a genuine bond then. Hey, Aniki. You want something from me, don''t you? See, this is what I mean. It will never feel ''genuine''."

    This scenery feels so harmonizing but at the same time, there is this sensation of truth swimming around us.

    As we both look towards the sun while sitting on the cold hard floor, we traded those words of interest.

    "Sorry."

    "Nah, it''s fine. But... There won''t ever be anything of that sort here. Every person in our class pretends to be something that they aren''t. But, I will not. I''m a thief, so I will continue to do what I feel like doing, even if everyone views me with spite and hatred in the process."

    Kuzan''s ideology changed, apparently. No... Was his ideology ever formed before? It''s only starting to take shape now.

    According to him, he refuses to be like everyone else in our class. Fake people that have a front for unknown motives. He can''t agree with this view.

    "Why do you steal though?"

    "Why...? I''m possessive. Is it that bad of a trait to have?"

    "So you steal because you are possessive? Is that it? That shouldn''t be enough to go this far."

    There''s no way that''s it. How can you be so addicted just for the sake of being possessive?

    That''s not how it works. There must a reason behind it.

    "Man, why all the sudden questions, Aniki? Not fair! I didn''t ask anything regarding your wrongdoings, did I?"

    "That''s because you didn''t ask."

    "Then, if I ask, will you answer?"

    "I can''t, I don''t even know why I''m here."

    I do know that I got into some pretty intense shit and was driven here by that boomer back then.

    Wonder how he''s doing? Did he jump off a cliff and end his meaningless life? Or maybe he shot himself in the face in front of his kids?

    "That''s weird. Are you sure you''re not here by mistake? No, wait. Your evil nature is undeniable, you must be here for a reason."

    "I am not evil..."

    "You totally are, Aniki! You crushed my balls so hard I blacked out!"

    "That was for the greater good. Would someone evil do something for the greater good? No way in hell, Kuzan!"

    "How is crushing my balls greater good?! I''m spermless now!"

    Why are you worried about not being able to hand out your sperm? Actually, you''re exaggerating, Kuzan.

    You just won''t be able to get a girl pregnant. That doesn''t mean you won''t be able to skyrocket while in water.

    "You''ll understand my actions one day. More importantly, I''ve got something I want to talk to you. Something that will most likely revolutionize our lives while here."

    Kuzan, who was drinking his caned pear juice midst our conversation, stopped sucking the straw and turned his eyes onto me at once.

    "Revolutionize? What can that possibly be? We are stuck here without a way out, unless we pass the special exams. What are you thinking?"

    Just like me, Kuzan happens to be desperate for money. Thus far, I''ve been connecting our necessities to achieve money and how nice it would be for us to have some pocket money.

    Though, I didn''t exactly convince Kuzan into changing his ways...

    "Are you a gambler?"

    "No. Thieves don''t need to gamble. Why gamble, when you can steal?"

    That''s actually reasonable.

    However.

    "Thieves get into trouble a lot though."

    "I don''t need to worry about that. Kawahara will have my back."

    "So you''re a pussy then."

    "What....?"

    Why is he questioning me? Do I have to explain why Kuzan''s a pussy? I thought it was obvious, even to him.

    "Kawahara this, Kawahara that. You can do your own stuff, but you are fucked the majority of the time. And now you think it''s okay for you to be this irresponsible just because someone has your back? Kawahara said you weren''t his lapdog, but is that really true?"

    I''ve noticed how childish Kuzan has been acting lately, but to think he hasn''t realized the flaw in his behavior.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Is he a child?

    "I am not his lapdog. It''s mutual help!"

    "Mutual help, my ass. You just want an excuse to act irresponsibly again. Why not do something that involves responsibility for once?"

    "Why should I? It''s a pile of work. If Kawahara can take care of it, then that''s all I need."

    "Don''t you find it strange? Why Kawahara said that he would do so much for you just like that?"

    "It''s part of the deal..."

    A deal you don''t see the other side of.

    "You fucking idiot. Why do you think I haven''t accepted his deal? Are you this naive?"

    "You didn''t want to be his lapdog, I know but---"

    "That''s one reason, yes. But, there is a more important one. Kawahara is manipulating you and you don''t see it, man. He''s sugarcoating you with protection but sooner or later he''ll make demands that you won''t be able to achieve and you''ll suffer in the process."

    Although, I really couldn''t care about this in general. Nor Kuzan''s situation.

    I''m just showing him that I do care, essentially.

    "Don''t I just have to achieve what he wants?"

    "Are you stupid? Kawahara can make enemies with whoever he wants and everyone in their mother will go and slaughter you in the process if you do. Sana almost killed him yesterday..."

    "She''s not okay... She should just be put in an asylum..."

    It''s common sense not to actually attempt to kill someone while in class but Sana almost went and done it yesterday.

    Yet, Kawahara probably would come out unscathed.

    "Hey. Stop depending on him. Or just about anyone. Everything you own, doesn''t belong to you, does it? Where did you get that pear juice anyways?"

    "I stole it. Some students left their school packs on the back of a basketball field and I just stole it from one of the school bags. Do you want some? Preeetty good if you ask me!"

    His pockets are full as well. I doubt that was the only thing he stole.

    He needs to see beyond what he can see, first.

    "No, I don''t. It''s not yours. Doesn''t it bother you?"

    "What? It''s mine now. If we go by your logic, then your logic defeats the whole purpose of starting selling products. Nothing is originally from anyone since everything is either natural or artificial. Though, if it is artificial, then I guess the one who came up with it and created it, is to be called the ''original owner''."

    "You didn''t understand my logic in the first place. To acquire something, you have to pay the price for something. Isn''t that a fair way of doing things?"

    But it''s really stupid. If you can steal something then you shouldn''t waste your money....

    Yet, I can''t just say that. I would be agreeing with Kuzan''s logic, then.

    "Fair? C''mon. We''re beyond that, Aniki. You never bothered with that concept. Why are you bringing that up?"

    "I''m not spewing about the conception because I support the moral aspect of it. However, doesn''t it feel great to acquire something with your power alone?"

    "How isn''t stealing acquiring? I am doing it with my power."

    "That''s not the correct way to acquire something..."

    "I don''t understand. Why should I have to care if it''s correct or not?"

    Ahhh... This is... troublesome.

    Truth to be told, I do agree with him on a lot of points and that''s why this is getting hard. I''m going to have to twist the truth a little bit, it seems.

    "You have to care. What you obtain, marks an achievement in your life, no matter how small. Think of it this way. As you acquire things in life, you should view those achievements as trophies. How you obtain and achieve, will tell you how the value of your actions."

    "Trophies...?"

    He seems puzzled from the look on his face. His twisted eyebrows are rising up slowly.

    "Visualize the following: An action you do, your methods to achieve it, will have a value regarding the trophy. Let''s say that you do an action that took everything you had and was incredibly hard to achieve in the process! That''s a gold trophy. Yet, let''s say that you did not put everything you had, your methods were average, nonetheless, you still did it. You get a silver trophy. Ultimately, if your methods were lackluster and despicable, then you get a bronze trophy. The worst one of all."

    "Ohhh, I see. Then, I must have a ton of gold trophies!"

    "Do you though? Remember, to achieve a gold trophy you have to struggle a lot to achieve that which you desire. What you did a while ago, the action of stealing that pear juice can do you think that''s worthy of a gold trophy?"

    After receiving my question, Kuzan paused his finger on his chin and thought for a while.

    "...It wasn''t much of an effort. I was just thirsty. It also wasn''t anything that amazing. I was just bored. Well, it can''t be a gold trophy, I guess. Nor a silver one... That leaves... A bronze trophy."

    "Lame, right? Your actions have lost value. But you know what''s worse than doing low-value actions? Doing irresponsible actions while relying on others to have your back while your actions weren''t even that high-value in the first place. I can''t imagine what it''s like to be in that situation, but you sure do. After all, it''s what''s happening to you right now. Kawahara will clean up your shit every time and you are fine with that."

    Kuzan started to cast a glance upon the gray concrete that he was seating on with negative eyes.

    Furthermore, he squashed a bit of his pear juiced can suddenly.

    "I get it... You don''t have to tell me. I''m not dumb."

    "My whole point wasn''t to hurt your feelings, Kuzan. It was just to make you realize that your actions do have a meaning."

    "I also get what you are trying to say. Basically, my actions'' value will either increase or decrease based on how I perform, right?"

    "Yes. But there''s more to it. Depending on how you generally perform, you''ll have to bear the consequences or the benefits of your actions. You are not allowing yourself to be in that position. Right now, who will bear the consequences of your actions?"

    I didn''t need to say who it was since it was crystal clear to both of us.

    Kuzan even got too ashamed to say his name out loud, thus I continued.

    "Don''t let him control you. Who do you belong to?"

    "Myself."

    "That''s right. You have supreme control over yourself but you are allowing this manipulator to take control of you. Don''t you feel weak right now?"

    "Aniki... I''m not really in a position where I can just defy him. I''ve signed the contract."

    "That''s completely different though. I''m not talking about the fact that you are afflicted with Kawahara. I''m talking about your own actions. Don''t let him take responsibility for your actions. If you allow your actions'' consequences to fall under someone else''s responsibility and not yours, then you are a coward."

    It''s the truth. He is a coward. A big one at it.

    I would argue that someone like Hyunda is a coward too, but his unknown power makes me question that.

    "A coward is someone whose actions'' consequences never fall onto the individual but onto someone else? Essentially, someone who doesn''t have the guts to face the consequences from the imperfection that was created?"

    That''s one way to put it.

    "Basically."

    "Then, that makes me a really big coward... I guess...huh..."

    He''s starting to sulk. That''s not great. He''ll succumb to depression if I don''t explain what the whole point of this is.

    "You don''t have to be a coward though."

    "Is that really possible? Isn''t the destiny of a thief to always steal, run and never turn back? If I can''t turn back, then I can''t face the consequences..."

    Changing his ways is far too hard to do. However, there is something that I can alter. It''s not a necessary change, but an addition to his arsenal.

    "Once you steal, you are subjected to that railway of methods and the plethora of consequences that are to follow. Though, isn''t that only if you steal?"

    "Aniki, I can''t stop. I won''t stop. I will not change. This is who I am. I am not doing what I''m doing just because I''m in denial about something; I''m in approval and I believe that as long as stealing is an option that I should not have to obey rules of society."

    You misunderstood something, Kuzan. Deeply.

    "Who said anything about changing?"

    "Huh?"

    "If you want to keep on stealing, then keep on stealing. It''s your choice. But, don''t you think that you should only steal when you truly need it? What sense does it make to live the life of an outlaw when you have the capacity to have what you want without stealing?"

    Stealing implies that the individual has the necessity to steal. The majority of the cases are either starvation or financial crisis. It''s fairly understandable why you''d want to steal.

    You need to steal. Yet, that''s it. You have a need to steal.

    "But I don''t have the capacity. If I had the money to buy stuff, I would do so, but that''s totally not possible, as you can see. I have to endure rounds of hatred from all of the people I steal from. Why are you saying stuff like capacity when I have none?"

    "Oh, right. You are poor. Just like me. We both need money. What a shame though. There isn''t anything we can do about that. We have to ask your parents to give us money... or... do we?"

    "What?"

    If you have any minimal financial capacity, then what sense does it make for you to steal something small? None.

    By that logic, your vice should be controlled once you have some sort of financial capacity.

    "I''ve found a way to potentially solve our financial crises. However, what I am about to tell you, you can''t tell anyone. Not even Kawahara."

    Especially Kawahara.

    "Are you serious? You''re not just joking, are you?!"

    "I''m not. Hear me out. Remember what I told you about gambling?"

    "Yeah?"

    "What if I told you we could make money out of it?"

    "Okay, but how? And where do we gamble exactly?"

    "How? You should talk to Hyunda about this. Where? We can bet anywhere. Right now, I''m looking for members to join our system. Thus far, we only have Hyunda, the creator himself and me. I figured, since you were pretty desperate for money, just like I am, you''d be interested in it."

    "Hyunda...? Hyunda planned this? That''s odd. I didn''t take him to be the type of person who''d take action."

    "Well..."

    You''re not exactly wrong, Kuzan.

    "All you need to know is that you need to seek him. He''ll explain to you everything since he is deciding on the rules. I''m just a member recruiter."

    "Wait, why don''t we invite more people though?!"

    "Stupid! We can''t just let random people in. This is supposed to be serious..."

    Though, with time, it will have to increase.

    "Oh... I see. But what will we be betting about? Does Hyunda even have the funds for it?! Gambling takes a lot of money!"

    "He said he was going to gather budget at the end of this month, so unless he lied about that, the system should come to life at the start of the month."

    "Yeah, but what will we be betting about?"

    I told Kuzan the gambling criteria with quick haste immediately.

    "Ohhh! That''s really simple, actually. How come I didn''t think about it?"

    "Because the idea is nice but unrealistic. The idea needs financial support and without it, it''s a pipe dream. Nevertheless, for someone like Hyunda, a guy that takes no responsibility at all, to say such words, I doubt that he''s just lying."

    "But you''re still coming with me, right?"

    "Where?"

    "To visit my parents! We need to get the deal done!"

    "First off, we need King George to show up. Otherwise, a deal won''t ever come to life. It would be great if he showed up, but I digress. Secondly, if he shows up, we should worry about worse things."

    "Worse things? Such as?"

    Did he forget?

    "We still have to be punished for our invasion... And Kuzan... Let me tell you something... I don''t think people are going to be happy about it..."

    "Yikes! Kan''s gonna kill me! He''s been eyeing me in class a lot!"

    I''m pretty sure it''s not just Kan... Sagasuga did warn him and I don''t think he gives a single fuck about Kawahara''s protection.

    "Hey, Kuzan...?"

    "Yeah?"

    "What kind of punishment will we receive...?"

    "Hopefully not another round of the underground... Though, I''ve got no clue. Shouldn''t our punishment be related to the girls in some way, or am I just being optimistic here?"

    How is that optimistic?

    Imagine being leashed by the girls, Kuzan. On second thought, I don''t even wanna imagine it.

    "I hope that''s not the case... But you are making me think that it will be..."

    "You don''t have to worry. I bet it''s nothing!"

    "Oi, Kuzan. Our punishments haven''t been soft thus far. What if we had lost this exam? Wouldn''t we be on three supply exams?!"

    "You''re right! And after that, we would be..."

    A quick silence was formed because we both had the words on our tongues but just didn''t want to say it in a direct manner.

    "...Aniki, do you think it''s true...?"

    "I don''t know... I can''t tell if Basara-sensei was just joking about it or if it''s really true."

    "It has to be a joke. It''s pure-nonsense to consider execution at this day of age."

    That... I''m not so sure. Kuzan''s being way too optimistic. Electric chair and asphyxia are valid execution methods still in this day of age.

    Nonetheless, I doubt that executions are performed publicly.

    "We should be in jail, you know? Sometimes... although I don''t like it here... I can''t help to feel a bit blissed. What if we were in jail right now?"

    "Ehh, we can''t go to jail. We are only 15!"

    "I''m actually 16 now."

    "...Happy late birthday."

    Is he feeling guilty about it?

    "Dude, don''t sulk like that. I don''t celebrate birthdays. It''s just another day."

    "Mhmmm, that''s true. I haven''t seen the point on celebrating mine either."

    Plus, it''s not as if I tell anyone about my birthday. I''m not seeking attention.

    "If we fail, we die. You don''t really believe that... do you, Aniki?"

    It''s straight-up unbelievable to believe that we will be subjected to death sentences, but the fact that I can''t deny the possibility is terrifying the living shit out of me.

    I know that it''s unrealistic, but if there is nothing to deny it, then for what reason should I remain optimistic about it?!

    "Kuzan...!"

    "Y-Yeah?!"

    "If... for some reason... that''s true... then... we can''t afford to fail! You have Kawahara by your side. I''ve already told you how I felt about that. However, if it''s for the sake of your survival here, then do what you must. I will not criticize your choice if it''s for this reason alone."

    "But... You''re going to fight this alone? What if the exams get harder?! Wouldn''t you just be subjected to the consequences?! It doesn''t have to be this way. Kawahara''s right!"

    "Get off my case, Kuzan. I got this. This pathetic dependence made me look feeble, but if it''s an individual exam, then I will excel. I''ve simply not had the chance to demonstrate it."

    There''s also the fact that we lost the first exam thanks to you, Kuzan. But that''s a whole different story.

    "Consider it, at least. It''s for your own sake--"

    "Kuzan, by depending on someone, you are acknowledging your inner weakness. I am not weak. Because, strong people have themselves to rely on, not others."

    "Um, Aniki?"

    "What?"

    Kuzan''s eyes lit up a small crimson flare deep down as he looked at me with rage.

    "I am not weak!!"

    "Oh yeah? But without Kawahara, you wouldn''t have passed the last exam, wouldn''t you?!"

    "T-That''s completely irrelevant! Wait, you are in the same position as well!"

    "Shut up, Kuzan! That doesn''t make you less weak!"

    "And how does that make you stronger than me?!"

    "At least I haven''t signed a damn contract out of despair!"

    "It was not out of despair!"

    "It was!"

    "Was not!!"

    "No, it really was!"

    "I keep telling you it''s not ---- Woooaaaahhh!"

    "W-What the hell?!"

    While we were arguing, a sudden disturbance in the force took place.

    Right now, we are on the rooftop of our dorm, yet the ground began to shake violently which made both of us fall on the floor in response.

    "A-Aniki! What was that?!"

    "I''ve got no clue... An earthquake?"

    It was an earthquake, but just what the...

    Was it a natural earthquake or...?

    No, what am I thinking?! Of course it was a normal earthquake.

    However, as soon as I gained those optimistic thoughts, the ground shook, once again, tremendously.

    "Waaaaah!!!!"

    "Kuzan, hold on to my hand!"

    Kuzan, in response to the second round of the earthquake, tumbled down and down while I grabbed the rooftop''s door hold to secure myself.

    Nevertheless, by taking ahold of my hand, Kuzan managed to hold on.

    "Aniki!!! What is going on?!"

    "I''ve got no fucking clue... Just what the--"

    Then, against all odds, an unspoken loud roar was heard throughout the whole dorm, even though it came from downstairs.

    A roar so loud that it almost made me deaf.

    "WHO THE FUCK CAME INTO MY ROOM WHILE I WAS GONE?!?!?"

    That was when, Kuzan and I, after looking at each other with terrified glances that expressed worry and anxiety, knew.

    The King had returned.

 Volume 8 - Chapter 53: Destructive egoism.

    Afternoon. Although it''s afternoon, I have no clue what time it is.

    The clouds have vanished from the omnipresent sky and thus the sun has made its entrance.

    Beaming through my eyes which can barely be open thanks to the impertinent solar light that the sun transmits every time I raise my head slightly up, I questioned the entirety of this situation.

    "All of you motherfuckers better start speaking. I ain''t going to be here all day long!"

    Firmly whipping the ground with his whip of unknown origins, the ruthless draconian supervisor, also known as King George, stroke horror onto all of us.

    At the edge of the entrance of our dorm, in a horizontal line, stood every male member from our dorm on their knees. Except Akihiko, of course.

    Kuzan and I were no exceptions to this. No one was.

    Plus, we all had a very big portion of rock boulders on our knees which made our bodies extremely uncomfortable in the process.

    "K-Kawahara did i--"

    "Tsudo shut the fuck up! I will kill you while you''re sleeping!!"

    Attempting to immediately end this unrealistic painful situation, Tsudo decided to cut to the chase by telling King George the truth, however, he was quickly interrupted by the culprit himself.

    Kawahara lashed at him so aggressively that Tsudo silenced himself instantly.

    "No! Tsudo, speak! Only I give the orders here, boi! Who the fuck do you think you are, huh?!"

    "Gaaah!!! What the fuck is that whip?! How is this shit allowed!?"

    After being whipped on his knees, Kawahara complained about his unfair treatment.

    Serves him right though. He is truly to blame.

    "King George! Kawahara was the one who invaded your room while you were gone! But that''s not all! He wreaked havoc too!"

    This is a known fact. I just don''t think Tsudo understands how serious Kawahara might''ve been when he said that he would kill Tsudo in his sleep.

    "All of you! Answer me! Is this true?!"

    Once again, King George whipped his whip on the floor.

    To be honest, the worst part of this situation wasn''t that King George was here to strike fear onto us. We just have to tell that it was Kawahara who did it.

    The honest problem is...

    "K-King! Can''t we do this elsewhere!? This is too embarrassing!"

    Rayazaki was the first to complain about this, but it must''ve been on everyone''s mind thus far.

    Because there were multiple windows open from the opposite dorm. Not only that, but some of them even bothered to come out.

    That bitch''s smirk is pissing me off, for the record.

    She''s just standing there on the bench that is only slightly prior to the entrance of her dorm with her legs crossed while laughing endlessly.

    Oh, I fucking hate you.

    "Not my fucking question, pest! Is this true or not?! Or is there someone else?!"

    "Actually, it was---"

    "Shut the fuck up! Who gave you permission to speak?! You''re being interrogated! Lie down like the dog that you are!!"

    Yet again, Kawahara was put down with his face facing the floor since King George stepped on his face.

    This surely was a magnificent scenario for the girls since they''ve gradually started to hate Kawahara.

    Akimiyashika and Hinagiku''s hateful glares from far away could be seen from just about every single one of us.

    "I''ll ask you all again! Y''all better answer or I''ll do this shit with you all too! Now, was he the one who invaded my room while I was gone?! Or is there some other rat?!"

    No one would have the sheer audacity to deny the truth here. Thus, just as everyone was about to speak along, I formed my words too.

    "It was Kawah--"

    But, a voice cut louder than all of us in the process of all of this.

    "It wasn''t Kawahara, King! Ryoken did it!"

    Kuzan''s voice spoke out loud in such a fierce and open tone suddenly.

    "What?! I wasn''t the one! What the hell are you talking about, Kuzan?! Kawahara was the one who did it!"

    Interjecting Kuzan''s choice of words and words in general, Ryoken, who was almost at the beginning of the horizontal line, while Kuzan was in the middle of the horizontal line, begged to differ.

    "That''s completely wrong, Ryoken. You were the one who did it!"

    Why is Kuzan being like this? It''s obvious that it was Kawahara who did it.

    Even though Kawahara''s face is still facing the concrete downcast, Ryoken''s fuming about this.

    "You''re speaking nonsense! Everyone here knows that it was Kawahara who did it! Why are you siding with him?! Hey, Tsudo! Wasn''t Kawahara the one who did it?!"

    Kuzan was not going to win this. If we go by numbers, then there are people here who hate Kawahara deeply.

    "Y-Yeah... Kawahara was the one. Kuzan, what the hell, man! You... You aren''t siding with him, are you?!"

    "No, it''s obvious that he is! The past morning, he got Kawahara''s protection, remember?! He''s choosing to protect Kawahara in return now! I bet this is some sort of deal!"

    Not too shabby, Kan. He''s connecting the fact that prior to this day, yesterday morning, he was defeated by Kawahara who was protecting Kuzan.

    Exactly now, the opposite is happening.

    "This is not a deal. It''s the truth. Kawahara wasn''t the one who did it. Ryoken was. He got Kan and Tsudo to side with him and now he''s trying to sugarcoat the truth. Fuck, I knew you guys were pussies, but to think that you were pussies all the way? Geez, guys, chill, hahaha."

    "Kuzan!!! You motherfucker! I''ll fucking kill you! How! Just how! A pussy?! I''ll show you who''s the pussy when I break your spinal cord!"

    Kan violently intercepted Kuzan''s obnoxious play of words by warning him about the consequences of saying what he just said.

    Both Tsudo and Ryoken were looking pretty pissed, but they didn''t get verbal about it.

    "Resorting to physical punishments? Come on. Just admit it, Kan. It was Ryoken. King, that''s the final decision!"

    "King, you can''t believe him! If you ask literally everyone in here who it was that invaded your room, everyone, except Kuzan and Kawahara himself will tell you that it was Kawahara! You gotta believe me! It''s the honest truth!"

    Only looking to King George, who was still crushing Kawahara''s face to the concrete, both Kuzan and Ryoken made their stances.

    "That''s nice. But that was not what I fucking asked!! Are you motherfuckers deaf?! I asked you ALL, not just a small portion of you retards! But apparently, that''s too much for you limp-dick spineless fish heads to understand! Therefore, I''ll ask every single one of you! The highest voted person will face my wrath!"

    Thus, starting with the first one in line, the silver-haired individual, who was, just like us, still on his uniform, Hyunda was called up.

    Despite being pressured physically by the rock boulders, Hyunda''s expression maintained itself iconically; expressionless and bored.

    Something worthy of mentioning is that, since the female dorm is quite literally just a few meters from our dorm, this whole situation was being overheard by the girls.

    Hardly any girl was missing this out.

    Yet, one, in particular, was paying attention to this, while not being as far away as the others. As a matter of fact, she was facing our direction while still being at least 10 meters away, with a worried expression.

    "Hajime! Who the fuck did it!? You''re the smartass here, aren''t you?!"

    "No such thing, sir. Your words of praise do please me though."

    His other name is Hajime. His first name.

    "Answer my fucking question, you dickless rabbit! Who did it?!"

    To strike fear onto Hyunda, although it completely failed, King George whipped his whip on the ground with velocity and precision.

    "Ryoken."

    What?

    "Hyunda! What the fuck!? It was Kawahar--"

    "Silence, bitch!!"

    Shouting in Ryoken''s direction, King George spoke his imperial words, which, as a result, froze Ryoken instantly.

    Despite the sudden confusion of Hyunda''s words, King George was not done yet.

    But why is she so...? She''s looking at Hyunda with such a worried expression. But why though?

    "Hajime! Why do you think it was Ryoken who did it?"

    "What? You''re asking my opinion? Could it be that you are feeling insecure about your own?"

    I-Idiot! What the hell are you doing?! If you speak in that bad-mannered tone, then you will...

    "Shut the fuck up."

    Then, with a precise motion, King George dealt a frontal kick onto Hyunda''s face without any mercy.

    Nevertheless, Hyunda, despite the kick did not change his expression, as he just accepted the kick.

    Amidst this, a certain twin-tailed girl was almost sure to join in, but Hyunda was strictly looking at her, in spite of her intentions to possibly intervene.

    It''s still a mystery to me why Arkalee is here. The only girls that aren''t here to watch this are Ikkiri and Gale. The rest are just laughing their asses off as usual.

    Yet Arkalee is behaving in the opposite way. In fact, she looks pretty pissed off.

    "Hirakibo! Who did it? I don''t seriously think that you will be a smartass like Hajime and try your luck with a fancy play of words, or am I wrong?!"

    Tatsu was now called. Damn, what the hell is this first name thing?!

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Fucking Japanese culture. I hate how I can''t relate.

    "Kawahara did it. No doubt."

    Two contrasting opinions were thus formed. Hyunda, for some reason, defended that Ryoken was the one who did it, meanwhile Tatsu differed by saying that Kawahara was the one who did it.

    "Koutarou! Do you change your mind or not?!"

    "No, King! Kawahara was the one who did it!"

    It wouldn''t make any sense for him to blame someone else since this most likely going to turn into a battle to see which side supports Ryoken more or Kawahara more.

    But... Am I seriously the only one who has noticed the major flaw here?!

    Even if we...

    "Setsuna! Who?!"

    I sometimes forget Susaga exists. He''s there but... Barely. His spiky green hair is noticeable, surely. But aside from that, I''ve seen nothing remarkable coming out from him.

    He has to fulfill the supply exam too. And since he received Yuka-sensei''s consequence, then he is one supply exam from failing the program.

    "Kawahara..."

    With a soft voice, Susaga refused to look at Kawahara, whose face looked like a mess.

    Three votes were against Kawahara thus far, while there was one against Ryoken.

    Hyunda was being eyed by Ryoken who was furious.

    "Akenama! Answer my damn question without arguing back! Who did it!?"

    "Do you even have to ask!? I''ve already said who did it! It was Kawahara!"

    4-1. This is not looking favorable for Kawahara. At all.

    "Toharoh! Who!?"

    "Kawahara!"

    Not hesitating to wait around, Tsudo said the same answer as Kan previously, which made the score 5-1.

    Kawahara has no chance of winning. He was dumb. This is what happens once you make an enemy out of everyone.

    Everyone will gang up on you. Your physical strength will not save you at times like these.

    Yet... Hyunda... why?

    "5-1, Ryousuke. Shit''s looking pretty rough. If you admit it now, I''ll spare you minimally."

    Kawahara''s turn was up. Thus far, Kawahara had not said who it was that did it. Would he stubbornly still stick to the option of objecting the truth even when the chances of winning are so small?

    "Admit what? The truth? Oh, alright. Ryoken did it. There''s the truth."

    "Lying bastard!"

    Replying with spite, Ryoken lashed those words out to Kawahara, who was smiling with an absurd amount of confidence.

    5-2.

    "Takeshi! If you want to change your mind, do it now! Who?!"

    "Ryoken! I will not change my mind!"

    "Kuh!"

    Ryoken, yet again, frustrated by Kuzan''s bluntness and unjust opinion, gushed out a bit.

    This makes it 5-3.

    "Saitou! You''ve been silent! What the fuck is the matter?! Cat got your tongue!? Did your spirit die?! Well, shit, I don''t fucking care either way! Tell me, who!?"

    Rayazaki''s facing something I have no knowledge of. No... His face reflects anxiety and anger at the same time.

    Plus, with Hinagiku watching, he''s feeling a degree of embarrassment which could be qualified as high, logically speaking.

    His spirit is slowly being crushed and it''s just going to get worse from here on out.

    "....Ryoken, sir...."

    Now that''s weird.

    "Rayazaki! Why?!"

    Yet, despite Ryoken''s question, Rayazaki did not answer. I''m curious as well. Why are you blaming Ryoken when you know for a fact that it was Kawahara the one who did it...?

    I don''t understand what''s happening. I can understand Kuzan''s case, but Hyunda and Rayazaki? What the hell is going on?

    5-4.

    The next two choices will be decisive. Because... normally, it would be a third choice, but I''m sure everyone has noticed by now...

    Since I''m at the end of the line while enduring the pain from this rock boulders and facing the twisted laugh coming from that pink-haired wretch, only Sagasuga was before me.

    To be honest, I''m starting to feel confused right now. Who do I choose?

    I know for a fact that it was Kawahara, but... Hyunda, just what...?

    "Hiroyoshi! Your decision actually fucking matters a lot, you know?! Use your words wisely!"

    It''s true. Sagasuga''s choice would make my choice the most relevant. Unless he sides with Ryoken. Then, my opinion won''t matter.

    However, if the opposite happens, then it will be me who decides the outcome.

    "Kawahara was the one."

    "And that''s settled then! However, I will still ask the last remaining pleb here! Maybe he''s got something in store that contradicts all of your opinions!"

    Slowly walking up to me, King George whipped his whip on the concrete one last time.

    His stoic and muscular appearance wasn''t surprising to me, considering his origins.

    "Lea-- Oh. You''re fucking American right? Different treatment, then! Daniel! Who did it?!"

    Woooooooooow.

    Not nice.

    But still.

    Just what exactly do I say here? I can blame Kawahara because that''s the truth. Kawahara was the one who did it. Without a doubt.

    That''s a truth that many support yet some do not.

    "Not answering?! Do I need to insert some sense onto you!?"

    Hyunda... Why...?

    What are you seeing that I''m not seeing? You know that Kawahara did it yet you sided with him...?

    Your actions often have deep meanings, don''t they? I just can''t see your choice of words as something simple as this.

    Therefore... I need to see what you see!

    "Sorry! I was... huh... thinking! Anyway! ...Ryoken did it!"

    "Daniel, you fucking traitor!!"

    Though Ryoken said those spiteful words at me, he should realize that it doesn''t matter even if I side with Kawahara.

    Because the score is still 6-5. Kawahara lost.

    Ultimately, King George, after achieving what he wanted, returned to the center and looked down on all of us, before administring his judgment.

    "Shit, I can''t believe you spineless bitches made me waste so much fucking time just to get the truth. Y''all need some discipline, for fuck''s sake! But... Kawahara! You rat! You tenacious two-faced rat! You were the one, weren''t you!? It''s been confirmed! You were the pest that dared to enter my fortress! You''ll feel my wrath, privately and personally, boi!"

    Kawahara was about to face King George''s supreme and final judgment. He had this coming.

    It was dumb to even try. What did he think was going to happen? His hopes were unrealistic.

    "Wait."

    Spoke Kawahara, in response to King George.

    "Nah-nah! I don''t fucking care anymore for what you have to say! Your time is now!"

    Back and forth, King George whipped his whip around endlessly in order to scare Kawahara. Yet, even in the face of King George, Kawahara did not lose his spirit and continued on.

    "You said it''s been confirmed, but I just can''t see how."

    "Kawahara... Just admit your loss already! Don''t be a fucking sore loser about this!"

    "Ryoken, shut the fuck up. Who the fuck asked you? I wasn''t talking to you. Zip it, dipshit."

    "What!?"

    "King. Didn''t you say that you were going to ask everyone about the truth? While it is true that to obtain the truth, considering everyone''s opinions along the way is a mandatory thing, however, why did that not happen?"

    He noticed...

    And I suspect that Ryoken was trying to silence down Kawahara because Kawahara had caught on the loophole here.

    Or maybe, Kawahara had this in mind all along.

    "Are you implying that I forgot to take into consideration the opinions of all of you!? Huh?!"

    Going against the King''s word is an absolute no in anyone''s dictionary, but Kawahara still did not falter.

    "Certainly, you asked everyone present here. But, isn''t it strange?"

    "What is?"

    "The end score was 6 to 5. Really weird, if you ask me. We are twelve, overall. But, right now, aren''t we just eleven?"

    Everyone kept silent about this in response. Even Ryoken himself.

    Confirming this and the fact that King George was allowing him to progress, Kawahara proceeded.

    "Isn''t it unfair to take all of these opinions instead of taking them all? Akihiko is absent and he can''t be here. Ryoken could''ve planned this ahead and just used the numbers to his advantage. It''s not bullshit, that which I''m speaking. Because isn''t that what''s happening right now? Aren''t I being screwed by some random fucking numbers? What sense does it make to make a voting section without an even number overall? None."

    This scenario would only be possible to argue over if the number difference was 1, which is the case.

    Otherwise, the difference would be so crushing that it would just seem like a sore loser is speaking, yet that''s not the case.

    What he says actually makes sense.

    In retrospect, the King digressed.

    "Why is that little shit absent?"

    "He''s injured. Heard he got ganged on some class A students. Therefore, he could not be here. Furthermore, he is in no condition to get up. Hence, he can''t be present."

    "I see your point, Ryousuke. You''re bitching that since the number is uneven that this is also an uneven situation. Even so, why do I have to care?"

    Realistically speaking, the King doesn''t have to care.

    Kawahara should''ve seen this coming. King George has never taken any of our opinions with kindness.

    "I don''t understand you. You call yourself the King but then you create these unfair situations? Now that makes no sense. The King rules and applies justice to everyone. What you are doing right now, is tyranny. But I guess the ''King'' is too childish to see this outspoken truth."

    Is he seriously planning on taunting him? Kawahara should know that that action can backfire quickly...

    "You amuse me. You will suffer my wrath but you still say your pathetic words before ceasing to be!"

    Just what the hell does he plan on doing with Kawahara?

    "They are not pathetic. This event is illogical and should be automatically invalid. You''re also being biased right now. You are completely ignoring the possibility of Ryoken manipulating this situation as it is and using the numbers to his advantage. Because the fact still remains. The numbers are uneven!"

    "Your silly argument is that the situation is unfair because Ryoken might be manipulating the situation yet couldn''t that be said to you as well? What if you are just using your words to your own advantage?"

    "I discord. All I''m doing is defending my position and utilizing what I can in order to make you see the truth of the situation. Ryoken has sheer power over me right now. That''s undeniable."

    I find it hard to believe that Kawahara just admitted that Ryoken has the upper edge in this situation.

    "Nonetheless, the fact that I''m receiving biased treatment and he isn''t, is repulsive. By biased treatment, I mean how you are treating me as if I am truly the culprit with the solo evidence that the numbers are against me. But, aren''t you using that evidence in an illogical manner though? If numbers are truly your way of evaluating my situation and that I am the culprit, then every member and every number should matter. Why are you excluding Akihiko?!"

    "Boi, I don''t have the time to wait for some random pest to show up. It''s been decided. You are the one!"

    "No. There must be another way. It''s true. Akihiko is not present, but what if we fight for his number?"

    What is he talking about...?

    "Fighting for his number? Explain."

    "It''s simple really. Since Akihiko''s absence will be, actually, it already is a major factor into this, what if we gambled on his number?"

    "I don''t know what you are trying to insinuate, but it won''t work, Ryousuke."

    What did Kawahara mean by gamble?

    I understand that he has not given up on saving his situation, but what can he possibly hope to achieve here in this hopeless scenario?

    "I wouldn''t be so sure about that. Didn''t this situation make this event pretty clear? There are two sides to the coin right now. There aren''t more sides than two. A certain side has voted against me while a certain side voted against Ryoken. But, what if we battled it out to decide which side deserves to win?"

    "What are you spewing exactly? Your random bullshit won''t work, I''m telling you."

    Despite the King''s retort, despite being rejected over and over and not supported by anyone currently, Kawahara marched on.

    "It''s not bullshit nor random. You know what I''m talking about, right?"

    "What?"

    "Your return. Did you return without nothing to give us?"

    "No, I do have some bad news for you people. News that y''all should''ve seen it coming miles away!"

    Here it is... I''ve waited a long time for this and now, it''s time to face them...

    "As a respective consequence for invading the girls'' dorm, y''all will have to make up for such a rule breaker. This involves all of you, by the way, so don''t even think of escaping!"

    "Hold on! I got a more interesting proposal to make!"

    "What?! You dare to interrupt me, Ryousuke?!"

    Is he seriously going against his words again, even when it''s the respective consequence that we should have received?!

    Is he crazy?!

    "Yeah! Listen up! You see this here!?"

    From his back pocket, Kawahara pulled out a red flyer and held it up high just so everyone could see it.

    Truth to be told, I recognized it immediately, however, since it was limited to the rest of the school only, nobody mentioned a single word about it.

    It''s been distributed ever since last week throughout the school, but we just ignored it.

    "What the fuck does that have to with anything?!"

    "Everything! All of it, actually! Every season, apparently, this damn school forms a seasonal school festival! Therefore, I say that we should all compete!"

    After hearing his ludicrous opinion, I, along with many others begged to differ.

    "What?! Are you nuts!? We can''t do that!"

    "That''s right! We''re going to get shamed by the public..."

    It''s common sense that we are being viewed badly for some reason yet this guy is proposing something outrageous as participating in the seasonal school festival...

    What is he thinking?!

    "No! Hear me out, before judging my decision! As you see, there are prizes for the respective winners and those that prize the best in every competition. Moreover, this festival starts as soon as spring starts."

    "I still don''t fucking see your point, son."

    "God damn it. Look, there are two sides here, right!? How about we compete against the whole school and against each other!?"

    "How is that relevant to the situation?!"

    I''m harboring the same sentiment of confusion as King George''s, who continues to question Kawahara''s actions.

    "Firstly, these festivals are optional by default, but the prizes are no joke. There are money prizes. I can guarantee you something beforehand. Everyone that sided with me, as a team, will not lose in any of the competitions. Secondly, should I fail to produce these results of victory that I speak, then I will harbor the consequence myself. Plus, I will take full responsibility for supposedly invading your room. Ultimately, I will also give you all the money prizes. However, should my team as a whole do better than the other one, you will have to take that claim off me."

    It was truly rare to see the day of age where money prizes became a thing.

    Never did I imagine the golden age of money prizes yet in this school, it is possible. I completely comprehend that we are minors and that by law that should not be possible.

    Yet, for some reason, it is. This is a situation that should not be overlooked. But still, what he is proposing...

    Does he seriously intend to shaming us in the process just for his victory here?!

    "King, wait. This is illogical. Kawahara lost already. He''s now trying to drag everyone along. This is absurd."

    "Don''t be a pussy, Ryoken. Just because you are afraid of some competition, that doesn''t mean everyone else is. Plus, you''re all fucking scared of competition?! Why!? Let''s fucking show all these limp-dick beta motherfuckers that they are not above us!"

    Right now, the King is glancing upon the red flyer that Kawahara had on his hand a while ago.

    Most likely, he is looking at the money prizes. Usually, the King would object, but now...

    And there''s also the fact that what Kawahara just said is true. Every single one of them. From day one. All those times that they''ve acted in disgust and in distance.

    I can''t express how revolted I''ve felt every time.

    "Kawahara, you''re so selfish! You are just dragging everyone down along with you just for the sake of winning an argument! It''s an argument! Learn to lose, damn it!"

    "Selfish? I cannot agree, Ryoken. How is this selfish? I''m putting myself in massive danger. No one except me will suffer in the case if I lose. Should I lose, I get the plethora of consequences I''ve mentioned, yet what do you people get? A ''defeat''? Big shit. Don''t fucking whine when you aren''t even correct."

    He''s still dragging us all along, regardless.

    That is if King George accepts this deal. I don''t know the exact prizes, but for him to be taking this into consideration...

    They must be good.

    "Interesting. Truly interesting. Are you not afraid of being publicly shamed, Ryousuke?"

    "By who? These cowards? Nope. Let me at em. I''ll show them hell."

    Kawahara was not showing any signs of backing off.

    How did this situation turn into this...?

    "Let me get this straight, then. You are asking me to overlook direct orders from higher forces just for the sake of saving your ass?"

    "That''s exactly it. That is what I''m asking you."

    "Bold! So bold! But to think someone had the guts to come up with something like this. That deserves recognition. I''ll remember your words, Ryousuke. Should you and your team fail, Armageddon awaits you."

    Making his own way to his room, the King entered the dorm and closed the door with brute force.

    After that, Kawahara removed all of his stone boulders and stood up in the center as he loudly roared to every single one of us.

    "Checkmate, motherfuckers!"

    I can''t believe someone would go this far just to win a single argument.

 Volume 8 - Chapter 54: Sorrow and Misery.

    After the events that took place on February 26th, roughly three days passed, marking the beginning of March.

    Unremarkable or simply unworthy of mentioning events took place, which made the connection to this day way more relevant than the previous ones.

    At last, the long-awaited day of freedom had come.

    "Put these bracelets on your ankles. They will serve the purpose of tracking your location throughout the entirety of today."

    Just outside of the school perimeter, two mid-aged black-suited guards awaited us. Ultimately, after walking outside, Kuzan and I were forced to insert ankle bracelets on our ankles in order for us to be tracked down.

    "Eeeeh, this is not comfortable at all!"

    Picky as always, Kuzan let out a fast complaint. However, the other guard replied.

    "Any funny ideas will immediately expel you from the program. Don''t even think about removing it. Or crushing the inner chip. Your movements will be tracked down."

    Truth to be told, this ankle bracelet is really not comfortable, at all.

    Kuzan told me yesterday that we should leave early and the school is technically open at 8 am, thus we are here earlier than the majority. This is essentially a day-off. Classes will resume themselves tomorrow.

    "You have until six o''clock to return. Any later than that and you two will be subjected to the consequences."

    "Aye, sir!"

    I wasn''t speaking at all since I was wary of the guards themselves. Kuzan was delivering all the answers while talking to them at the same time.

    Their semi-bulky appearances alerted me fairly.

    Plus, their pistols on their wrist-belts were dangerous and could imply being lethal in case we did something absurd.

    All in all, if Kuzan is up to something stupid, then I should stop him.

    Nevertheless, after putting the ankle bracelets, we made our way to the respective location.

    "Wait... Where is this exactly?!"

    "Tokyo. We just need to travel to Saitama, remember?"

    Tokyo is overall gigantic and massive, but this private school stayed behind a mountain which made its location secretive, certainly.

    Who came up with the idea of building a school in such a hideous location?

    "But isn''t that long as hell?! We''ve got no money! We''ll have to walk! Waaaalkkk!! WALK!"

    Why is Kuzan freaking out?

    Also, I never noticed how there is a long stairway all the way to the rural city when you leave school.

    Essentially, right after you leave the abysmal entrance gate, as you descend down the usual staircase, if you keep on going forward, you will either find a forest or a stairway that will go down.

    Our starting point would be this massive stairway, but...

    "What the hell... Does this even end?"

    "Aniki, are you serious about walking to Saitama!? That''s insane!"

    "We''ve got no choice on this matter, Kuzan. No money, therefore, we have to use our legs. Or, are you afraid of a little adventure?"

    "No way! You''re on!"

    "That''s the spirit!"

    3 hours later.

    "Ahhh...! Ahhh....! Never... again.....! This was such a stupid idea! Why did I think that reaching Saitama on foot from all the way back to Tokyo was easy?! In my mind it was!"

    "I told you it was insane to go on foot! Ahhh!!! I''m dead! I need to catch a breath! Oxygen! Air! Anything!!"

    Almost on our knees, we both desperately inhaled as much oxygen as possible.

    Apparently, we had arrived at the correct location.

    Unbelievable. We lost three hours due to this stupid idea. Am I even going to make it in time for my other meeting?

    "This is it, right?"

    "Yeah... Yeah, same old house. Nothing has changed."

    Below this grand cerulean sky, the chilly air made it easy for us to catch a breath quickly.

    Furthermore, in front of us, as we stood in front of a small gate, there was a house. Quite average so to say.

    A fully yellow house was being viewed by my own two eyes. Yet the most noticeable part was how the front door that was not so far from the small gate, was open, although barely.

    From the small entrance that was visible, I could see the eyes of someone eavesdropping the current scenery.

    "Kuzan... I think someone is there. Look..."

    Kuzan, who was still catching his breaths, at last, looked at the entrance door and how there was someone literally eavesdropping.

    Remarkably, the only thing I could tell is that we are being watched.

    "Emi... I already told you it''s bad manners to eavesdrop someone''s conversation..."

    Bam. The door quickly closed.

    "That stupid idiot. She probably got scared."

    "Kuzan, who was that just now? How can you tell who it was when that person didn''t even show itself?"

    I did hear the name ''Emi'', which should mean that it''s a female individual and considering that the door was slammed after Kuzan said those words, then the individual is most likely related to Kuzan.

    His infamous sister, perhaps?

    "Let''s just come in..."

    "Alright."

    Though he said those words of affirmation, Kuzan is looking exasperated. He''s even trembling while putting his house-key on the gate lock.

    His eyelids are looking down too. This is stressing him, for some reason.

    When Kuzan unlocked the door once again with his key, nobody was there to receive him. He lightly turned on the lights and spoke in a loud tone.

    "I''m home! Anybody here!?"

    Yet, no one spoke.

    With a linear path ahead and a stairway to the right which would lead to the above rooms, after taking off our shoes, we walked forwardly.

    Although... I can still sense that someone is watching us...

    "Are your parents even at home?"

    "Not my mother. But my step-father is, always..."

    Once again, Kuzan exhibited a drained facial expression while speaking.

    Also, step-father? I thought since he said ''his parents'' that he was referring to his father and mother. I never heard of a step-father.

    Nevertheless, before knocking onto a certain room that was in the middle of the hallway, Kuzan reluctantly held off his attempt while still attempting to knock the door.

    .....

    Something is wrong. He''s stressed out, but this isn''t your average dose of stress.

    "Kuzan, what''s the matter?"

    "...Nothing... We... just have to get this done, right? After the talk, can we leave? I don''t mind returning to school earlier..."

    "What? You want to waste your precious day of freedom like this?"

    How could he suggest something like returning to school earlier? Is he out of his mind?

    This day is supposed to be enjoyable, not wasted.

    "Ahh... It''s just... Nevermind."

    "Huh?"

    He''s not being very explicit. Nonetheless, he ended up knocking on the door.

    ...Except not.

    A swift miniature figure came right at us with a wooden pole in order to strike us down. From the unknown darkness that lied in the shadows of the other rooms that were not illuminated, we were about to be ambushed.

    "Thieeeveeeessss!!!!"

    In a quick attempt to strike Kuzan down, who was about to knock, a cute, young and feminine voice was heard, as the wooden pole almost connected with Kuzan''s head.

    However, Kuzan seemed to be further ahead, as he intercepted the strike, by crossing his arms, thus forming the X block.

    "W-What?! My legendary unseen mystic scattershot was stopped!? I demand to know who you are!"

    What the hell. ''Legendary unseen mystic scattershot''? Who comes up with stuff like that?

    "You damn idiot. Lower your voice..."

    "T-That voice! It can''t be..."

    Finally erupting out of the darkness that could only emit long silhouettes of her figure, a young girl with red braids made her appearance, while being in her school uniform, from the looks of it.

    "Yes... It''s me, Emi."

    "E-Eh..? No, impossible! You have my brother''s voice, but you are not my brother! My brother would never abandon his hair! You are just a random bald thief who happens to have a similar voice, that''s all!"

    She looks to be around 12 years old, from her physical structure. I understand that girls in Japan are naturally quite small since that''s how genetics here work, but her tiny size is adorable.

    "I did not abandon my hair, you convoluted idiot! Also, would anyone else on this planet know how to block the LUMS with an X block?!"

    Did Kuzan seriously just abbreviate her attack name?

    "N-No way! It is... you! Waaah!!! Where have you been?!"

    Wooooow. Must be nice man.

    Being hugged extremely tightly by your sister who smells very good honestly.

    I am not jealous whatsoever.

    Kuzan''s additionally patting her in the head.

    Kuzan... You... How dare you. I thought of you as someone who lived in the normal boundaries of this world yet all this time, you...

    "I''ve been busy..."

    "Kuzan, please stop patting her. She has free will."

    Yet, as soon as I''ve said those words that resembled a great deal of caring, Emi looked at me with lion eyes.

    Woah, calm down.

    I''m only trying to get Kuzan on the line. Good thing I crushed his balls. Now Kuzan can''t follow the incest route.

    "I thought you died from coronavirus, brother..."

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    "Don''t kill me off like that, Emi..."

    For all of you reading, I am sorry for breaking the 4th wall, but take care of yourselves, please. It''s really dangerous.

    "Anyways, who is this guy!?"

    Repeatedly, after switching between being comfortable with Kuzan''s nonstop head-pattings or glaring at me unfairly, Emi finally spoke out to me.

    "I''m Daniel. One of Kuzan''s friends."

    Though, not really. More of an acquaintance. I don''t have any friends in general.

    I did attempt to extend my hand for a handshake, but she did not accept it.

    "Brother, don''t trust others so easily. You always get so..."

    "He''s trustworthy, don''t worry."

    "Brother..."

    Oh please, stop this already.

    I get it, Kuzan.

    You love to see it.

    "Emi, is he here...?"

    "Yeah... But... don''t go in there."

    Any specific reason why Kuzan has just been so reluctant about barging into this room?

    Does he seriously need a helping help to do something so simple?

    I entirely comprehend that whatever lies beyond this door might be a sensitive topic for him, but what''s the hold-up?

    "Did he do something to you while I was gone...?"

    "......"

    Emi kept her silence this time while only hugging Kuzan''s body tightly.

    They both formed a transient silence that was quickly disrupted after Kuzan pulled Emi away from his body. Furthermore, he kneeled down in order to meet her height.

    "Go to your room upstairs and don''t come out of it."

    "W-What are you going to do...?"

    "Hehe. It''s nothing special really. Same old talk. You know the drill. Be a good girl, Emi. For your brother''s sake, please..."

    Ultimately returning one last glance at me, Emi walked past me and climbed upstairs while looking severely depressed in the process of doing so.

    It seems that whatever was beyond this door was a sensitive topic for both Kuzan and Emi.

    However, it''s been implied that the word ''him'' might mean his stepfather. But, I''m certain now.

    It has to be his step-father.

    "Do you want me to knock the door instead of you?"

    Since Kuzan was immensely struggling to do so, as soon as I saw how reluctant he was to knock on the door, I proposed that to him.

    Initially, this was all for the sake of not surrendering to Kawahara''s taunt back then, but to think it would come down to a serious and tense situation like this.

    "Not to worry. I''ve done this countless times... I was just feeling an unusual feeling. I''m not sure how to describe it. Well......... here it goes..."

    Finally, Kuzan knocked on the door strongly, instead of knocking it softly.

    But no response came forward.

    Regardless, Kuzan opened the door at long last.

    Inside that room, I almost couldn''t believe my own two eyes when I saw the scene that was reflected and claimed as ''reality''.

    An obtuse fat man, amidst the endless pile of trash scattered around the room, which differs from junk food, plastic bottles, videogames to tissues and broken pieces of glass.

    Yet, the most shocking part that I was not expecting was... the fat man was masturbating to porn while watching it from his computer screen from afar.

    Furthermore, there were cumshots everywhere.

    I felt like vomiting immediately, however, I decided to switch glances with Kuzan, who looked emotionless in response to this scenario.

    "Shin."

    Even after Kuzan spoke to him in a monochrome tone, this repulsive fat figure who wore full-framed black glasses hit the climax and ejaculated from the porn video that he was watching.

    "Shin."

    Despite barely having any clothes on, this ugly person, also known as Shin, who barely has hair, to begin with, kept on ignoring Kuzan.

    Not wanting to get any closer, I simply stood by the front door as I watched the scene unfold.

    "Shin..."

    "What?"

    At last, he replied to Kuzan, nevertheless, he just kept on browsing through the internet without looking to Kuzan.

    Since he is on his chair, this fat and overly sized creature refused to look at someone else that was from behind.

    "We need to talk. Can we talk, please?"

    "Hm? Can''t you see I''m busy? Another time, son."

    "I am not your son......"

    "What? Did you say something?"

    "No... Nothing..."

    Cowering his head back down, Kuzan denied his own words to Shin, who kept on masturbating in spite of Kuzan''s presence.

    But, aren''t you his step-father?

    Why are you ignoring Kuzan like this?

    "Hey."

    Although I spoke out loud to him, he didn''t reply.

    Kuzan looked in my direction with hopeless eyes. No flame. No spirit. Only despair.

    "If you don''t fucking face my direction in the next five seconds I''ll shut your computer down you fucking fat piece of shit!"

    In order to make my presence be noticed, I kicked the plastic bottles and the plethora of junk food packages that were scattered throughout this despicable room.

    However, after three seconds passed, he faced by direction by twisting the direction of his chair.

    Needless to say, his filthy parts were being shown, which meant that he had absolutely no consideration for whoever was present.

    "Takeshi! How many times do I have to tell you not to bring strangers to the house!?"

    "....."

    Preferring to stay in silence, Kuzan did not reply.

    Though, he''s wrong if he thinks this is solely reliant on Kuzan.

    "Aren''t you his step-father? What are you doing? Can''t you behave yourself?!"

    His irrational behavior might''ve pissed me off slightly.

    It''s not normal for a step-father to ignore his son-in-law like this. Especially masturbating in front of him.

    "Why should I? This is my house. I can do whatever I want. I can just call out the cops for property invasion."

    Does this fucker think he''s in a position where he can just throw ultimatums as he pleases?

    "Did you even care for Kuzan while he was gone?"

    "Takeshi? He was gone? When?"

    Wait.

    "You... didn''t notice that Kuzan was.... gone... this whole month --- no, these past two months...?"

    He''s just joking, I''m sure.

    No one can possibly be this insensitive about this.

    "He was? Hey, Takeshi! Were you gone this whole time? For how long? Also, go buy me some cigarettes and more food while you are it!"

    "Hey... I''m talking to you..."

    "Take this pest along with you too, Takeshi! I can''t stand his guts! Since you brought another impertinent retard to our house, it seems I''ll have to educate you when you get back. You missed the belt, didn''t you?"

    Our location is being tracked down as we speak. No, it''s already been tracked yet there is a vast number of consequences that will be applied onto us, in case we act out of the line.

    But...

    Why do you look so sad, Kuzan? Fight back. No one will for you.

    Why are you not doing anything?

    "Good grief, come here, son."

    Why are you walking up to him? Kuzan, why are you...?

    "That''s for not taking out the trash!"

    Hey...

    "That''s for not cleaning up the house!"

    Why are you hitting Kuzan?

    "That''s for not telling that little bitch to not talk back to me! Stupid little runt. Do I have to teach her manners the good old way again? Lord, I thought we had something going on, but would you look at this! You still remain useless and wasteful! All this time, I couldn''t remember that you were away because it didn''t make a single difference!"

    On and on, he kept on slapping Kuzan from left to right. Right to left, endlessly. Kuzan, motionless, simply accepted them as they came.

    "Your mother left me! I was so sad that I thought of committing suicide! But you know what? She wasn''t even that good. She had some nice tits and good pussy, but that was about it. Far from my ideal woman! However, she did a good thing! Her absence meant nothing! After all, she left her child! Ahh, what was her name again? Hey, help me out here, Takeshi! Respond!"

    If I kill him here and now, then the plethora of consequences are to be followed.

    However, I''m worried. I''m not in a mood where I can just care for such consequences anymore.

    I hate when this happens. My hidden emotions of rage and fury overwhelm me.

    Thus, with little to no wasted movements, I formed a forearm strike aimed at the bastard''s head.

    The end result would be his head sent flying across the room.

    But...

    "Kuzan... Move it. You don''t have to bear this!"

    "Takeeeeshiii, I asked you a question! Answer me! What''s her name?!"

    In an attempt to stop me from connecting the forearm strike onto his step-father, Kuzan stopped my possible onslaught by facing me directly.

    The tears on his face made my sudden movement stop immediately.

    "It''s alright, Aniki. I figured this was going to happen! Oh well! We just gonna try next time, right?!"

    No....

    "Takeshi, don''t make me fucking wait! Tell me already!"

    "It''s Emi. My sister''s name is Emi."

    Kuzan.... W-Why....

    You don''t deserve this!

    "Kuzan! Let me do it! It doesn''t have to be like this!!"

    I might not know the whole situation or what exactly happened for this to come forth, but you are bearing so much on yourself...

    People like him deserve to die. Kuzan, why can''t you just...?

    Damn it!

    "Hahaha... How rare for you to care, Aniki. I''m touched. But this is my problem. Shin, take care. We are leaving now."

    "Oh? Sure. But bring some food and cigarettes, for fuck''s sake! That''s the last time I''m telling you. Otherwise, your sister will get it. Well, she will either way!"

    No, this can''t be allowed to happen!

    I will end this clown''s life!

    "You fucking bast---- Kuzan, don''t stop me!"

    "It''s fine! I told you! It has to be this way! Because it''s the only way!"

    "No, it doesn''t! For how long has this been going on for!? There are some things that aren''t acceptable and you know this! What the fuck has he been doing to your sister, Kuzan!?"

    Why is he stopping me?!

    He can''t possibly support his ways, can he!? Come on, Kuzan! Look at this guy!

    He''s not even caring for the situation at hand!

    Furthermore, he probably doesn''t even care about you and he''s using your sister as his...

    Fuck!

    "It''s alright.... It was my fault. This result was... already foreshadowed."

    "You two are making too much noise. Scram already! Fuck off! And never come back! Also, Takeshi, tell that bitch to get here. It''s time."

    N-No way...

    Kuzan, she''s your sister, you can''t possibly be thinking of allowing this...

    ".....Aniki, let''s go."

    "W-Wait, Kuzan....! You... You can''t let this be!"

    "Sorry, Aniki!"

    No... Don''t smile like that.... I can''t possibly control myself after that...

    "Remember, Aniki, we are being tracked down. We can''t do anything."

    "But you can''t let him have his way!"

    "Aniki.... Do you honestly.... Haha, let''s just go. We have a full day ahead! Let''s explore some areas! Adventure, wasn''t that what you said?! Waaaah!! I can''t wait to see what''s ahead! Truth to be told, I never explored Saitama entirely! I could use a guide! Therefore, I''ll be going on... ahead...!"

    "Kuzan!"

    Although I called out to his name, Kuzan sprinted on ahead at full speed and left the house with fast haste.

    You....

    I had no idea you were going through this much...

    "Hey, pest! Don''t make me repeat my words again! Scram!"

    I can''t do anything. I can''t let my emotions overwhelm me. Emotions only blind. I know this. I know so damn well.

    But!

    It''s painful, how scenarios like these are allowed. This anguish won''t vanish and that''s eating me.

    However... it can''t end like this.

    "I''ll scram. Alright. My bad for intruding."

    "Good fucking riddance. Off you go---"

    "Your days are numbered."

    Closing the door with precision and force, I ran like hell to catch up to Kuzan''s unknown location.

    While on my way out, I saw Emi in the stairs eavesdropping my movements yet I had a higher priority, so to speak.

    I can''t believe this... I spoke such irresponsible words like those to Kuzan back then...

    About how actions have values and whatnot, without actually understanding the depth of his own situation.

    How immature of me to say those words without knowing what you were going through!

    Across the streets, I ran through countless people and after about 5 minutes, I ended up crossing an abandoned park and in one of the swings, was Kuzan.

    Looking down on the soil that covered this park, Kuzan''s downcast glances spoke out to me immediately.

    Thus, I silently took a seat on the other swing that was beside Kuzan''s. Nevertheless, the first to speak wasn''t I, but Kuzan.

    "I should not have come. It was unrealistic of me. I thought that in these two months that I was gone that... Actually, it''s not just two months. It''s four months. I joined the program back in November if I recall correctly. Four months, then. No, that''s five, if we count March as a whole, even though it''s only beginning. In his eyes, I most likely am just a device to obey his orders."

    In a high monochrome tone, Kuzan spoke his mind.

    To contrast the spectacular weather that we witnessed this forming, the dark clouds surrounded the previously cerulean sky and made way for the pouring rain, which unleashed itself violently onto us.

    Regardless of that, we simply continued to look downcast in a moment of sadness.

    "You said it has to be like this but it doesn''t... I could have--"

    "Aniki, don''t be stupid... If you had done and killed him like that, then you''d suffer the consequences. Relax, man! This... isn''t your problem. It''s mine..."

    The droplets kept on increasing further and further. They splashed onto the soil so hard that our voices started to lose volume in the process.

    "Kuzan... I know it''s your problem but... if you don''t let me solve it for you, then you should solve it yourself! Yet I know that''s not an option! I don''t know why, but you must have a reason for sure!"

    "I never knew. I thought of you as someone who was just a manipulator with secondary intentions. I do trust my intuition and it tells me that the rooftop talk was just a way to manipulate me. I think I knew from the start, but I said to myself: ''Whatever!'', because I didn''t care. I had fun."

    "Kuzan..."

    Midst this, Kuzan started to clench his fists despite the endless rain coming down from the dark clouds above.

    "However, even if it was a way to manipulate me. Even then, I faced your words with consideration. I have to face the consequences of my actions. This is it. My endeavor was useless. It hurts... a lot, you know? I think I''m highly sensitive, but I was really happy when you tried to change my situation..."

    "....It doesn''t have to be like this.... It''s... not..."

    "It''s not what? Correct? I know. Right? Without a doubt. It''s not right. Don''t we just constantly feel conflicted about how our emotions entwine from right to wrong and wrong to right all the time? We both have done evildoings and will most likely keep on doing so. I think it''s in our nature. That''s why I believe I deserve this. It was meant to happen. Consequences come when I never expect them..."

    It''s true.

    From time to time, even though we are slaves to our demonic nature, we both feel and express sentiments for things that are ''right'' even though we mostly commit actions that are qualified as ''wrong''.

    "When you said the word ''friend'', I was really touched. Truth to be told, I never had a friend. I was either rejected and cast outside or ignored. I just accepted it as destiny. Yet... I.... couldn''t help myself... I was... s-so happy....!"

    Kuzan''s loud cry came forth.

    His translucent tears could not be noticed in the middle of the countless droplets that hit his face.

    "I''m so frustrated, all the time. I want to end my life. Just go on. Next life. Look at my life, Aniki. It''s miserable. I''m at some fucking fat guy''s mercy and without him, my sister will not have anyone to take care of her. Fuck! I know he doesn''t take care of her! I fucking know, alright!? I''m not a retard! I try not to imagine, but I just can''t do so! The countless things he must do to her... It frightens me to a bizarre extent! But you know what fucks me up the most?! The fact that I can''t do shit to change my situation!"

    So this is the depth of his sadness and sorrow. Kuzan''s extremely aware of his own situation.

    I wonder just how much he has to hold himself back. Considering his choice of words and how he said that his step-father is the only source that cares for Emi.

    Without a doubt, Kuzan only referred to his step-father as an economical source of caring, otherwise, I just can''t see it.

    "I''m sorry, Aniki. I won''t be able to fulfill the deal. I also lied. I said I had parents, but they are... well..."

    "You don''t have to talk about it... I get it. I''m not made of stone, you know? I might not show feelings, but I can comprehend them."

    The hardest part for me is to care in general yet in this situation, even I can''t hide the way I feel towards this unjust situation.

    Suddenly, as the droplets kept on rising formidably, my phone ringed.

    Yulia was calling.

    But I didn''t pick up.

    It wasn''t important.

    "Aniki... Are you sure you don''t want to pick up?"

    "I could... But that would mean that I would have to leave. Plus, it''s coming down hard, y''know?"

    "...We can''t come back to my house to shower. I apologize in advance!"

    She''s going to be furious later on. No doubt.

    "I like rain. I don''t mind rain. I''m the type of person to sing and dance in the middle of the rain."

    "I never tried it. Is it really that fun, Aniki?"

    "I wouldn''t qualify it as fun, necessarily. However, when you do something that not a lot of people do in general... you suddenly awaken a sense of discovery that speaks so many words to you."

    In the end, we failed to do what we came here for. Would Kawahara be able to solve this situation?

    Although I can''t exactly perceive how, I''m sure that he might''ve found a way to solve this.

    "I see! But you know, I''m sorry to talk back to the topic, but I... am fine with never having a friend. Your words about responsibility... I''ve noticed something. Taking responsibility gives me strength. I know I tried. I failed. But I tried. I don''t regret trying. Failure is the living evidence that a fire was extinguished in my soul... But... I don''t want that! I don''t want my spirit to die continuously again and again at someone else''s mercy!"

    Kuzan''s words sparked midst this mundane rainy scenario.

    With his hand against his chest, he spoke what he felt sincere.

    "That''s why, from here on out, I vow to fight back!"

    "Even if you are under someone else''s mercy? Would you be able to revert the situation that was seen a while ago?"

    Feeling reluctant now, Kuzan hesitated before speaking.

    In the middle of the soil, Kuzan stood while keeping his head high.

    "That''s too good to be true. Which is why, I''ll one day, get Emi out of there. I''ll slowly rise and rise and make myself stable. Right now, I''m nothing. No point on boasting about strengths or qualities I don''t have. If reality worked like that, this would not have happened yet it is what it is. Despite that, I will still rise."

    This was the small story of the first day we got out of our school in two whole months.

    And, for the first time ever, my unknown desire to have Kuzan, as a friend.

 Volume 8 - Chapter 55: M-Masturbation is fine once in a while...!

    March 1st. 9 am.

    Through the blinds in my room, powerful sunlight, so strong enough to open my eyes up, slowly took place.

    The scourging morning sun had made its entrance into this first day of March.

    A playful harmony of near-by birds was something that had caught my immediate attention. Although I know that there are birds that tend to swarm around this area, it''s rare for them to make so much noise.

    Given that spring is right around, to birds, it''s a season where they would often sing in order for them to find their respective partner. That''s right. Even birds have a strong need to feel the embrace of who they find worthy.

    However, the birds that were swarming around constantly, concentrated onto one place only.

    Curious enough to know where they were all concentrated, I rose my room''s blinds to the top and the sunlight instantly blinded my eyes.

    Regardless of that, I strongly attempted to look up. In the direction that I was looking at, at the top of the bridge that connected the female and male dorm, stood there, aloof, a familiar striking figure.

    I suppose that makes sense. For some reason, there is this high linear bridge at the top of our dorm that also connects to the parallel dorm to ours; the boys'' dorm. Nevertheless, since it is so high and dangerous, nobody would dare to cross it.

    Falling from it would mean that you''d get injured. Worst case scenario, you''d die. Plus, the bridge is extremely thin. Under my assumption and knowledge, you''d need extreme control and balance of your body movements to walk over it. Hence, no one has tried to climb it, or maybe it hasn''t caught anyone''s attention.

    Except...

    "That took you long. Weren''t you the one who said that we should make the most out of today yesterday? What happened to that?"

    Above my room, on the outside scenery, seating on that linear thin bridge''s edge...

    His silhouette was visible throughout any realm of light that would fall below him. In a sense, the sun was only supporting his remarkable existence, because, to me, he already is the sun.

    Despite this, I simply stood stunned as I analyzed his overall figure. Today, he is dressed in his green blazer and green pants, which are part of his school uniform. His red tie fits him perfectly. Not too tight nor too loosen. Perfect.

    It''s amazing how even in something so average you look amazing, Hyunda!

    "Are you going to stand in daze forever, Arkalee?"

    Even his cold-hearted and ruthless toned voice doesn''t bother me anymore. There was a time, a not so distant time where I hated you with every fiber of my being, but right now...

    It''s hard to believe that there was ever such a moment.

    By the way, today was...

    "The faster we go, the more we can make out of the day. Unless you don''t wanna go. It''s fine by me if you don--"

    "No! I want to go! Ummm!! Wait there!! I-I really need to get dressed properly first!"

    In a rush of quick embarrassment, I looked at myself in the mirror and saw my not-so plausible appearance.

    My hair was all over the place and I felt like screaming immediately. Plus, I had to close the blinds in order for Hyunda to potentially not see me while I change.

    Though... I honestly wouldn''t mi---

    "No, no! That would be so embarrassing!"

    What am I thinking lately?! I know how I feel but is this normal or natural!? These thoughts lately, I''ve been avoiding thinking about them but...

    Am I supposed to deny them when I want them so much? Aren''t I just denying how I feel then?

    "Umm, what should I dress...?"

    In the previous days, we have talked about this... Since we are paired up now we get to talk so much now...

    At first, I was scared that he would treat me coldly and he still does... but, he talks to me now! When I ask him questions he responds sincerely and he has taken an undeniable interest in me!

    I just didn''t expect him to show up like this...! It''s bad for my heart if you make me love you more than I already do.

    "Ahhhh... Hyunda, I really... I wonder what his parents are like...? W-Wait... Just what are we going to do today...?! Oh gosh... He never specified what we will be doing today...! C-Could it be that he''s planning something...?"

    O-Ohh... My heart is beating like crazy! I can''t even concentrate while choosing my clothes...!

    B-Besides... What kind of clothes should I go with...?

    "Should I match his outfit...?"

    Certainly, I don''t exactly like the simplicity in my uniform, but what if while we walk together people see us as a c-c-couple?!

    "Wa-aaahhh.....!! I don''t know if I can take that! My heart might just come out of my chest!!"

    Though, we are certainly closer now. I still have to put my plan of screwing that miserable mundane bitch Ikkiri into motion, but this isn''t so bad.

    As a matter of fact, it''s not bad at all! I''m starting to realize just how wrong I''ve been about you, Hyunda...

    That which I don''t believe because it''s often unrealistic; you can do it. My happiness is increasing its boundaries further and further every time we share a moment of love.

    "Alright, matching outfit it is."

    I wonder how cute will we look together?

    Without a doubt, I have to take pictures today.

    Thus, after taking a short shower and after many preparations, I finalized dressing. Not wanting to wait around anymore, I pushed the blinds up to see if Hyunda was still at the top of the linear bridge but he...

    "H-Hyunda?!"

    He''s not here! W-Why?! Did I take too long?!

    I must''ve! Arkalee, you idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!

    "No, don''t freak out...! Something must''ve happened! I''m sure! I''ll just have to look for you. It''s no problem!"

    It doesn''t matter where he is. I''ll look for him.

    He''s mine, so it really doesn''t matter at all. It''s trivial, so to speak.

    As I worried and rushed downstairs, the whole dorm was silent. Since this is technically a day-off, they must be sleeping, I preassume.

    Hopefully, Ikkiri sleeps forever. That would be extremely nice.

    Roughly ten minutes after, despite searching all the way up to the places where I thought I would find him, I didn''t.

    Nevertheless, he suggested that the faster we go, the more we will make out of the day.

    ............

    "I see!"

    H-He''s trusting me! I just know it! What an idiot I am! I should''ve listened to his words!

    "That took you long. Weren''t you the one who said that we should make the most out of today yesterday? What happened to that?"

    I did say that yesterday! Because I truly want to spend this day with you and only you. Anyone that gets in my way of doing so will feel my wrath. I''m so so so sorry for not paying attention to your own words!

    "Are you going to stand in daze forever, Arkalee?"

    Your radiance blinds me and dumbfounds me, Hyunda. It''s a natural phenomenon. While I do apologize for standing in a daze, it''s beyond my control. The power you have on me far excels that of any other.

    "The faster we go, the more we can make out of the day. Unless you don''t wanna go. It''s fine by me if you don--"

    To be honest, I still have trouble believing that you came all the way for me. Did I make you wait or were you waiting for me? Either way, I''m tremendously happy. But your last words, they hurt me slightly.

    What did you mean when you implied that I might''ve not wanted to go with you? If it''s not with you, then that''s not right. Don''t ever say that, please.

    "There you are..."

    Standing with his back against the wall of the entrance gate, Hyunda could be seen. Furthermore, he had blue earplugs but he took them off as soon as I spoke.

    "You''re late. I was going on ahead without you. What took you so long?"

    As I thought he is...

    "I''m sorry! You''re right, I did take too long, but don''t go on ahead without me, please..."

    "Relax. I was joking. You aren''t late. It was my fault for not waiting. I purposely went on ahead, hahaha."

    "G-Geez...!"

    He''s teasing me now...!

    "Hey. I got a favor to ask you, Arkalee. Think you''re up to the task?"

    "Of course! What is it...?"

    Without showing any signs of hesitation, I asked what he wanted. I''m super glad he decided to rely on me. Because I will do whatever he so asks. It can''t be helped if it is what he wants. Satisfying the desires of who I love is natural, isn''t it?

    "Nice, you''re up for it. It''s simple, so listen up. I need you to go on ahead."

    ...?

    "Sorry?"

    "I''ve never left school before, so to speak. All this time, I''ve been here. It''s a known fact. Therefore, I need you to leave first and you will then contact me. Those two guards outside, they are related to this, aren''t they?"

    "Oh? Hahaha, I thought you meant something else... Yeah, they are. But... how can I contact you?"

    I thought he meant that I should go without him ahead. Suddenly, my heart felt a bit shattered, but that was not the case at all. It''s his first time leaving school and he wants to know how the process of doing so works.

    That''s intelligent! I see! He doesn''t want to be subjected to situations he doesn''t know of and he''s already taking precaution...

    "Give me your number already."

    "H-Huh?"

    What did he just... say...?

    "What? I need to know your number so I can contact you once you leave the outside perimeter. Though, it won''t be immediate. You''ll have to wait 15 minutes. But, not here. Walk to any location you want, just not close to the school perimeter."

    "O-Okay! I got it. I got it. Um, thanks...!"

    "Hm? No need to thank me. I should thank you, instead, for accepting my weird request."

    "It''s not weird at all, don''t worry!"

    Previously mentioned, I wanted to take our future-to-be relationship at the correct pace and after making a solid bond with him, I would ask his number, but... that was fast! Not even a week has passed yet I''ve already obtained it!

    It''s happening now! I can finally text him or even... call him!

    "Also, can I ask you another favor?"

    A-Another one?!

    "Yeah! What is it...?"

    But this time, instead of standing with his back against the wall, he came to my side with a sudden rush, as he placed his two hands on both of my shoulders.

    His face was undoubtedly close.

    "Eee-eehh...! Wh-What are you---"

    "You see that girl there?"

    I''m not sure why, but Hyunda decided that it was a good idea to point his finger at a not so great looking girl that was reading a book on a near-by bench.

    Certainly, I will ask just what this is all about, but I have to do his request first.

    "I do...."

    "Of course you do. That''s obvious. Either way, I need you to tell her a lie for me. Can you do that?"

    A lie? Then, he doesn''t want anything good to do with that girl, does he? That''s perfect!

    "Okay. But what is it...?"

    He smells so good...

    "Tell her I asked her out. Furthermore, tell her that I will be waiting in the shrine that is 5 minutes from here."

    Hm? Did I just... hear that...?

    No, no. I couldn''t have. My mind is surely playing tricks on me. Why today of all days though? What a stupid unfunny joke, hahaha.

    "I''m sorry, Hyunda. Maybe I need to clean my ears, even though I already do that constantly, but what did you just say?"

    "I said what I said. Don''t pretend you didn''t listen."

    Is he serious?! Does he have any idea how much that hurts for me to do, even if that''s a lie?!

    "B-But why?!"

    "Don''t be angry at me. This will all make sense once you finish the requests I asked you. Or do you not trust me? Is that it? Tell me if you don''t. It''s fairly understandable, after all. I am asking two illogical requests. Illogical because I can''t give you the logic yet. But if you are willing to wait and trust me, you won''t regret it."

    ...How unfair of him, to be like this... I can''t resist you when you are this close!

    I''m blushing like a red tomato at this point! Yet your eyes only speak serenity and your words tell me that you are serious about this.

    "I do trust you, but...!"

    "I promise to reward you later if you do this."

    "...Um, what is this reward that you speak o-of?"

    "Secret. Though, in my opinion, it''s worth it. Only if you want to do it, though. No one''s forcing you."

    "That''s not fair..."

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    It''s not fair for you to be like this, Hyunda... Because you know that I can''t say a negative answer now...!

    You''re lucky I love you this much, otherwise, I would not do it.

    But for you, I will always.

    Ultimately, I took a deep breath before saying my final words to Hyunda, who was almost glued to me at this point.

    "...I just have to say that you asked her out, right? And that you will be waiting for her at the shrine..."

    "Yes, basically. Although, I''ve changed my mind about something. Instead of telling the girl that I will only be waiting in the shrine that is 5 minutes from here, tell her in addition that I will go on ahead of her in exactly ten minutes from now. Also, I need you to wait 30 minutes instead of 15."

    What? That''s...

    "That''s way too long, Hyunda... Why do I have to wait 30 minutes...? What are you going to do?"

    "Arkalee, you can''t question my actions if you trust me. If you do, then it means that you don''t trust me. I wouldn''t question yours, for example. It''s a symbol of trust."

    But I wouldn''t mind if you asked me about my actions. I would never lie to you, ever.

    It''s just that... why is he making me do this...? It''s so painful. I love you this much and you are pretending to ask someone out...?

    You still don''t know how I feel about you, but... Why a random slut like that, Hyunda?

    "Why her?"

    With multiple students passing by, the girl that Hyunda pointed, who happens to be extremely lucky right now, is becoming slightly translucent as students pass by.

    Her presence is starting to fade but she is starting to eye Hyunda a bit...

    Why? You have a book to read, don''t you? Then gobble your eyes out, if you are not reading it.

    "It doesn''t matter why."

    "Yes, it does... I would feel more comfortable knowing the reason for my future actions. I know that you trust me, but I need some sort of logic..."

    I detest being this demanding, but if it involves another girl, then it can''t be helped. I need to know if I have to add her to my blacklist as well.

    Maybe Ikkiri will gain another friend.

    "I see. So you can''t do it unless I give you logic."

    "Sorry..."

    "No, it''s fine. On second thought... It''s fine."

    He''s stepping away from me while turning his back on me. Furthermore, he took out his phone for some reason.

    Hm?

    Why?

    "What is fine? You even said it twice."

    "I said it''s fine because I can probably get someone else to do it. Though, it''s going to be five minutes until she gets here, supposedly."

    .......What?

    "Who...?"

    "Ikkiri. I didn''t wanna bother her since it''s her day-off, but---"

    "Don''t be late. I''ll call you five minutes after I leave and I will tell you everything I know regarding the process of what happens after I leave the school''s parameter."

    He said ''probably'', which means that I am still an option. I suppose it was my bad for not seeing this coming.

    Once I return from today''s events, I will put the plan into motion. I thought that it should be fine if I put ahold of it until mid-March but that was naive of me. Super naive. Lesson learned though.

    Thus, without any following words, I walked a bit to the girl that Hyunda pointed out earlier.

    I''m experienced in acting and I do it constantly. It''s a common thing for me to do. Faking reactions has been my thing, but...

    This is hard. Because I really just want to pull her stupid hairs out of her head and scourge her brain out and give it to the hounds.

    Nevertheless, I will do it, even if it pains me to excruciating extents.

    "Um... can I seat here?"

    A shy and timid girl reading a literature book on a bench while admiring someone, who should honestly be an idol but for God knows only why isn''t. That would certainly be the perfect description.

    How typical though. I bet she never had any boyfriends in her whole life. She''s one hundred percent going to die alone. Or get lucky and marry some random loser while never knowing the concept of happiness. It baffles me why people like her bother to breathe oxygen in the first place.

    Why? You are not going to achieve anything in life. All of those years; for nothing.

    "......"

    She did not reply, thus I took a seat with a huge smile on my face.

    Glasses and acne. The deadly duo. Of course someone like her would eye Hyunda. What an avid dreamer she is.

    "My name is Arkalee! What''s yours?"

    "Oh, umm... Maria."

    "Maria, huh? Nice to meet you!"

    "Nice to meet you too..."

    Gosh, what is this abhorrent dialogue? Be more creative at least. Someone else has bothered to speak with you in your lifetime, show some respect and dignity with vigor at least.

    Time to get to the main point. I don''t think I can stay here close to her without mutilating parts of her body.

    "Maria, do you see that guy over there...?"

    I pointed at Hyunda, who was with his back against the wall, with his hands on his pocket.

    Casually listening to music, he stood there while reflecting his majestic posture to this unworthy world filled with unworthy humans of him.

    I''m an exception, of course.

    "W-What about... him?"

    Why are you acting minimally embarrassed? Do you actually think you stand a chance in the first place? I''ll end you, bitch.

    No, no. Calm down. Deep breaths.

    "Um... are you okay, Arkalee?"

    "Ah? Yeah, yeah. Don''t mind me! Just some really trivial problems!"

    "I see..."

    Extremely trivial.

    "Do you like him? You''ve been eyeing him for a while. It''s quite obvious, no need to hide it."

    "O-Oh no, please. No way."

    Such a bad, bad liar. It''s obvious, bitch. Just say it. Or else I''ll squash your throat at night.

    "Eeeh, it''s fine, it''s fine! To be honest, he''s pretty cool! I''m jealous of you, for the record."

    It''s way more than just jealous, but there''s no way a dumb fucking lucky random cocksucker like you would know, right?

    "Why are you jealous...?"

    I like how you didn''t even deny it. It''s that obvious, huh?

    "The truth is... the guy that you are eying asked me to tell you something."

    "H-He did!?"

    She closed her book immediately since she couldn''t hide her jubilant wave of happiness.

    What are you so happy about? It''s a lie. It''s just a lie. Nothing more than that.

    "You''re lucky, Maria! Believe it or not, he asked you out!"

    "What?! No way that''s true!"

    You''re absolutely right, Maria. It''s fucking not!

    "It''s truuueee! That''s why I said I was jealous! But, I''m just a friend of his, haha. Either way, you know the shrine that stays at the top of the mountain, right?"

    Since this school''s location is exactly in a mountain, there is a shrine that stays at the top. There''s a popular saying that if you go there and make your wish, it will become true.

    I''ll wish for Ikkiri''s death once I go there, I guess.

    "Yes!"

    "Good, Maria! He said that he would go to the shrine in ten minutes from now! This is a good chance for you!"

    "I can''t believe a hot guy like him asked me out...! I''m so happy!"

    "Awww..."

    Why are you crying though? Stop taking Hyunda for someone who is irrational and dumb. Only a person who belongs to the latter stereotypes would commit such an illogical act.

    "That''ll be all! I have to get going though! See ya!"

    "See ya, Arkalee! I''m glad to have met you!"

    I''m afraid we don''t share the same sentiment. Not even a single drop of it. That peculiar smile on your face is so ugly that even a pig would vomit.

    Nonetheless, I made my way to the main gate and before leaving, I made eye contact with Hyunda, who was looking at me.

    ...........

    This doesn''t feel right. Even if it contains an ulterior purpose, I still can''t support this. Although, I''ll let it slide. Just this once. For you. Because I love you.

    "You already know what I''m going to say. Wear this and don''t remove it. Otherwise..."

    "I get it. I won''t remove it."

    These pesky guards have been telling me the same thing every time I leave school yet I won''t do anything.

    I''m not dumb. I do know what this is for. My location is tracked down, which means my movements are limited. Essentially, I can only move at a reasonable pace that is within the morals of society.

    Although it''s something to put on my ankle, realistically, after I pretend to put it there, I simply put it in my skirt''s pocket.

    Getting rid of it could be an option, but there''s no guarantee that there aren''t other unknown consequences. There''s the possibility of that being bait. Because then, a criminal would resort to immoral actions and if you are caught right-handed, you are screwed.

    All in all, it''s best to play safe, I think.

    "Guess I''ll sit in a bench in the meantime..."

    After walking down a bit, I isolated myself from the school and went to a park before calling Hyunda.

    As I glanced upon his number, my heartbeat increased vigorously.

    "This will be... the first of many calls, I''m sure..."

    Kinda sad now that I think about it, but it''s my first contact. How should I name him though...?

    "Ha...ji...me..."

    Ahhh, I wonder what feeling would I receive if he called me by my first name? Would I die from happiness?

    That''s usually a sentence that''s said with a sense of exaggeration, but it''s clearly not. There''s a certain logic as to why that''s possible to happen.

    My heartbeat would rise so high I would die. It''s entirely logical.

    30 minutes though.

    "Ahhh --- What will I do as I wai---"

    As I was speaking to myself in this lonesome atmosphere, my phone ringed.

    "I forgot to call him!"

    How could I forget?! Idiot, idiot!

    In a state of panic, I picked up the call at sight.

    "S-Sorry for not calling you, I---"

    "No need to apologize. I would call you if you didn''t. Which is the case. Either way, time is short. Tell me the process that you went through."

    Hyunda, you would call me even if I wouldn''t...? If you say such lines, even I won''t be able to hold my feelings back...

    "There will be two guards. Two bulky black-suited guards. They will hand you an ankle bracelet to track down your location. Otherwise, you''d just be a sitting duck. You can move freely, but you''ll have to wear the bracelet on your ankle at the same time."

    "How do they know your location though?"

    "One of the guards mentioned that it was made to track down your location. However, previously, the other guard mentioned something about not attempting to crush the chip. I''m sure if you crush the chip which is inside it then... there will be consequences to follow. Please, don''t do that..."

    I''m worried. I don''t want him to try anything that might hinder his position. If he''s expelled from the program, then I won''t have a reason to be anymore.

    "Where are you exactly?"

    "There is a park as soon as you descend the massive stairway. I''m there waiting."

    He hung up as soon as I said those words.

    Oh god... He''s not going to try anything, right? Wh-What if he does...?

    If he tries anything then I can''t be there for him. If he screws up then...

    But why did he want to know the process? He must be up to something. Why would he tell me to lie to Maria like that?

    What are you trying to achieve, Hyunda...?

    "Please just play safe... I can''t afford to lose you..."

    Around 25 minutes later.

    "Where is he...?"

    It''s been more than 30 minutes for sure. I took around 7 minutes to get here and since then, it''s been 25 minutes, which means 32 minutes in total...

    I''m constantly looking at the bottom of the staircase, but no one is showing up.

    In the meantime, I received another call from Hyunda, thus I picked up.

    "Hi."

    "I can''t meet you in the park. Do you know where the mall is located?"

    "Are you talking about the one in the main city? Actually, there are plenty, you''ll have to be more specific, sorry..."

    But why can''t he meet me in the park though...?

    "Hold on. I''ll call you back, I need to do something first."

    Once again, he hung up.

    Geez....! Why can''t he tell me a single thing?! He''s too secretive... He could share a thing or two... I''m extremely reliable as I''ve done all of the two tasks he asked me.

    He could, in addition---

    "Hi."

    That was fast.

    "Change of plans. Not the mall. Suzukien Asakusa. It''s a gelateria. I''ll send you the location via google maps. Be there as soon as you can."

    With fast precision, Hyunda proceeded to hang up once again.

    Furthermore, this meant that I would have to walk. Can''t be helped...

    40 minutes later.

    "Oh. Arkalee? That''s rare. You told me someone was coming, but I didn''t imagine it would be her."

    Why is he here?

    "You have it with you, right?"

    "Yeah, I brought it, Hyunda. But... are you sure about this?"

    "I''m positive, Sagasuga. The inner chip can entirely be crushed but that would be dumb. If we crush the chip itself, then, once we return, the person who doesn''t have the chip will face the consequences. But, as we discussed, it''s not necessary to crush the chip in the first place."

    Although Hyunda greeted me with a look, I did not expect to meet Sagasuga here. Right now, they are both eating stracciatella ice cream.

    Alas, I took a seat next to Hyunda, as I heard their ongoing discussion about the chip.

    "You haven''t put the idea to the test already, have you?!"

    "Dude, it''s completely fine. Your location can be manipulated, either way. It''s up towho is holding the chip. However, it''s pretty obvious that if you want to manipulate the chip''s location, you have to get it out from the bracelet."

    "Really?"

    "Yeah. The only problem is; while returning the bracelet at the end of the day, if the bracelet is damaged in any way possible, it will raise suspicion. Meaning, if you decide to dig for the chip via brute force, it will backfire. That''s why I asked you to bring it. Though, I''m already way ahead of you."

    "Ahead of me? That means if you are indeed ahead of me, then you have done it correctly, right? But how? In order to manipulate the location, someone else needs to carry it. Who would carry a criminal''s chip?"

    By contrast, Sagasuga is wearing a personal outfit rather than his school uniform like us.

    But why is Hyunda wasting time with someone like Sagasuga...? Why is he here...?

    So annoying. Go away already. Don''t interrupt our sacred day of the month.

    "Does it really matter who it is? What matters is getting a person to carry it. Whether they know it or not, matters not."

    "I see your point, Hyunda. However, what if the guards are aware of this? Supposedly, according to your reasoning, by giving the chip to another person, that person will have the chip as its location. Yet, the chip only specifies to us from class F. Are you sure you thought this through?"

    I understand that they are talking about the chip, but they are not making any sense. Why are they talking about the chip in the first place?

    What does it matter, Sagasuga? Just shut up already.

    "It is true that if you give your ship to a random stranger out there, then this plan automatically fails. Which is why it''s out of the option to give it to a random stranger. But what if you don''t give it to a random stranger?"

    "You mean... giving to one of us?"

    "Simply put, yes. But the likelihood of someone accepting a chip openly is suicidal. Yet, what if you make a total outsider give a chip to a person from our class?"

    I''m trying to understand but I just can''t. What the hell are they talking about...?

    "Be more specific. Isn''t it fine if you go straight to the point, Hyunda? You said that you''d go to the point once she got here and here she is."

    In a flash, Sagasuga and I traded glances.

    Hyunda mentioned me? Which means... He said my name while I was away...?

    Strangely enough, that gives me more happiness since it means that I am more relevant to him than the others he doesn''t bother mentioning.

    "I''ve put the idea into practice. I managed to take out the chip from my bracelet by unlocking the locks on the bracelet with an English key. I did ask you to bring other tools because I thought this wouldn''t work, but it did. The screws are made of hard steel, which took time to come off, but I got the chip out with ease and put back the bracelet structure as it was initially."

    Wait...

    "Hyunda, you took out the chip?!"

    Why would you do that?! Now you''ll have to harbor plenty of consequences in return.

    "This will all make sense. To you and Sagasuga. Let me continue. As you know, if I got the chip out, then as I''ve explained previously, I needed to somehow deliver it to a classmate from ours. Because, from the guards'' perspective, it would make sense for a chip to be with one of our classmates. The bracelets are random, which means that if you put two chips under one bracelet, it will act like one."

    "Wait... How can you be so sure, Hyunda? Isn''t that just an assumption?"

    "It won''t backfire, Sagasuga. Here is why. The bracelet delivery is done later on, right? Therefore, as long as your chip doesn''t go missing and it stays within the location of the respective target, then what''s the harm? It can be deduced that there are two individuals while there is only one. For example, if a classmate of ours appears as an individual that has two chips, then that''s impossible and unlikely. It means that our classmate is together with someone. Take this moment for example. There are two chips here. Yet, there are three people here. Can you see where I''m going with this?"

    His intelligence is making me droll honestly. He''s just... perfect!

    I love how serious he gets when he''s explaining his reasonings. It''s like he lives in a different world...

    "...Are you insinuating that you have managed to achieve the scenario where there is a classmate of ours that has currently two chips?"

    "Correct. Nevertheless, I mentioned how unrealistic it would be for us to deliver the chip to another classmate just like that, right? That is why... I didn''t deliver it personally."

    "What? How is that possible? You are the owner of the chip. Someone wouldn''t possibly just deliver the chip to one of our classmates openly. That''s unrealistic."

    "Assumably. But, let''s just say it happened. I got someone to deliver my chip, even though that person does not know that she herself delivered a chip in the first place."

    She?

    Is he talking about Maria...? Then...

    That was all for the purpose of using her as a scapegoat! I see! There was never any romantic intentions behind it! Of course there weren''t... My love for him is enough.

    Nobody else is necessary.

    "You got a girl to deliver the chip a classmate from our class unknowingly?"

    "The girl, yes. However, that classmate does know."

    "Mind if I ask who it is or can''t you tell me?"

    "I cannot. It''s a secret. However, with that said, the idea only truly works if by the end of the day, when you are about to deliver your bracelet, you have the chip inside it. Right now, I don''t have it. But, that''s fine because that certain classmate will give me the chip back before 6 pm. And then I just have to put it back."

    Hyunda said that he made a girl, which is most likely Maria, deliver the chip to a classmate of ours unknowingly. However, how did you manage to convince Maria to deliver the chip? And how did you make it be ''unknown''?

    No, the most important question is his secret. Who is this classmate that he speaks of?

    I swear to god... I hope that my assumption is wrong...

    "What exactly are the drawbacks of this?"

    "There are plenty, but you gotta take the risk. If the bracelets are random, so are the chips. But, this becomes less dangerous if we follow the already-mentioned ideas which are made to counterattack suspicion."

    "...You''re crazy man. Why do all this? Are you going to murder someone?"

    Suddenly, a more dense and serious atmosphere was lifted. Even Hyunda stopped moving his spoon, which made the transition of the piece of the ice cream to his mouth impossible.

    "That''s certainly possible, right? But, no. I have some places to be that cannot be known by anyone related to the government. Rest assured, I''m not going to commit something outrageous. Though... It''s been a while since I''ve felt this sensation of freedom. Nothing is stopping me from committing what I could desire, you know?"

    .....!

    "Hyunda, you can''t! If you commit a crime and get caught then you will---"

    "Chill out, it was just a joke. This was just a test. Nothing wrong with just testing the idea, right, Sagasuga?"

    Just a joke?! But if you get caught you''ll be in big trouble! As I thought, I must be there for him, otherwise, he will commit something he will regret for sure.

    "I doubt you would go all the way just for a simple test. Though, am I even needed here? You called me out here, but if you can get the chip out of the bracelet, then my purpose here is done. Actually, it was never fulfilled, because your English key works, right?"

    "No, you had one purpose overall. It would be two purposes if my English key had not worked, but since it did, it only leaves the upcoming one."

    "Hm?"

    As Sagasuga titled his head in response, Hyunda stopped eating his ice cream with his spoon and looked at me briefly.

    Until he decided to dive down with his head under the table.

    Furthermore, in a quick motion, I felt his hand on my naked right ankle.

    "That''s strange. It''s an ankle bracelet. It should be here. Hey, Arkalee, where is it? The bracelet."

    "Oi, Hyunda! You don''t have any tact bro!"

    I don''t think I''m washing my ankle ever again.

    I want to reject this thought but at the same time, I don''t.

    "U-Ummm...! Not here... pl-please...!"

    "Not here what? It''s not here? The bracelet? I''m serious now, I''m not being a dense jerk just now. Did you mean the bracelet or...? Oh, what? Did you like it? Was that it?"

    D-Don''t whisper on my neck like that...! How does he know my vulnerable spots out of nowhere?

    Waaaaahhh!!

    "The bracelet is here...!"

    I had to look in the opposite direction while handing Hyunda the bracelet that was in my pocket.

    I can''t look at him in the eye when he does unfair stuff like that! Geez, we are supposed to go at our own pace, are we not?

    But... I''m starting to think that I don''t desire to go at my own pace anymore. How do I say this... Hyunda''s pace is hard to keep yet...

    It drives me wild....

    "You guys... You are in a public space. Behave yourselves, please."

    Can''t Sagasuga fall off from a cliff already? His comments are so unnecessary, all the time.

    "Sagasuga, your other purpose would be to keep her chip."

    "What?"

    "Eh...?"

    My.... chip...?

    "I did say that it would be unrealistic, but if it''s you, then it works. Keep her chip until 4 pm. Meet her up here at that time, alright?"

    Wait... But if I don''t have my chip then it means that my actual location will not be known, since it will be with Sagasuga.

    This means... Hyunda needs to be in places that no one can know, but if that''s the case then why does he want my chip to be removed? Is my actual location relevant?

    That would mean that...

    "So you''re taking her along? All this just for a date? Man, I need to learn from you. You even kept your mouth shut about it. Bravo."

    "Think as you like. Can you do it or not?"

    D-Date!?

    "If we both agree to be here at 4 pm, then I don''t see a reason why not. Well, Arkalee, do you ag-"

    "Yes! I''ll be here at 4 pm! Without a doubt!"

    I didn''t know! I didn''t think that you''d think this far ahead and that you cared so much!

    All of this was for the sake of us being together without no one knowing our actual locations! How romantic!

    Hyunda, you are out of this world... How can someone like you exist?!

    At this rate, I might just tell him... Oh gosh, oh gosh... This is just... I need to calm myself down.

    "E-Excuse me! I need to go to the toilet! Give me five minutes, please!"

    Usually, it would take more time to get it started, but since I''m already in this state...

    I''m afraid it will be even less than five minutes.

    Ultimately, I rushed to the toilet instantly. I couldn''t help myself.

    "What''s gotten into her?" Sagasuga wondered.

    "Who knows." Replied Hyunda in a mischievous tone.

 Volume 8 - Chapter 56: Closer.

    "Does it still hurt...?"

    "It never really hurt in the first place, but thanks for caring. It was just a kick in the face, seriously."

    "But that''s why you should take care of yourself... That brute had no right to kick you in the face like that. What was that all about?"

    I don''t care if he is Hyunda''s supervisor or not... How does he dare to kick my prince like that?!

    "It''s really trivial, but I''ll tell you anyway. Someone broke into his room while he was gone. Thus, in order to find the culprit, he decided to went with a selection vote."

    "That still doesn''t justify it. He should''ve locked his room or put a personal guard guarding it! It doesn''t make any sense for that situation to happen in the first place!"

    Not that anything would justify that action, either way. Don''t think that you''ll get away by hurting him like this...

    "You''re not taking a lot of factors into consideration. Regardless, I''m fine. Once again, it''s really trivial."

    "It''s not trivial... Is there anyone else who does the same thing to you?"

    People might abuse his undeniable kindness or maybe his cold-hearted methods make him someone that is to be feared. Nevertheless, there might be those who are stupid enough to cross boundaries they should not cross...

    "No. I allowed myself to get kicked. Are you worried still?"

    "You... allowed yourself to get kicked...? Why?"

    Could it be that there was an ulterior motive for that...? But still, why do you have to put yourself in such a dangerous position in the first place?!

    "''Why'' is irrelevant. Either way, wait here. I''ll be back in five minutes or so."

    "...Can''t I really go with you...? My location isn''t a problem, you know..."

    "I''m aware. But I didn''t do that for this specific moment. After this, we''ll enjoy our day. Or, are you against that idea of mine, Arkalee?"

    ...So unfair...! He doesn''t tell me anything of great value and then he tells me words I can''t resist in return. You bully...

    "Fine... I''ll wait here. But why can''t I go with you still? Don''t you trust me?"

    Against all odds, right now, we are in a private cemetery. Hyunda somehow had the key to open up the gigantic rustic gate which allowed us to venture here. In this bizarre almost-haunted place, Hyunda needed something here.

    Speaking of which, the clouds are growing darker and darker... I hope it doesn''t rain or anything like that.

    "It''s not a question about trust. The thing is, the place I''m about to enter might have a plethora of cockroaches and other hideous insects."

    ......

    "I-If you are there with me, I think I can do it...!"

    My fear of such repulsive bugs would go away as soon as I focus on your entire existence, after all.

    "Idiot. I was joking. There are no such bugs there. Well... I honestly am not too sure about that. Nevertheless, you can''t go. Just wait here, please."

    "But why can''t I go...? I really want to go."

    He keeps driving me away... Does he think that I don''t care? But I do care. So much. If he thinks that I don''t, then I have to change his mind about that...

    "It''s nothing that fascinating. I just need to go to a place here in this cemetery."

    "I want to go though... Don''t deny me like this, please."

    "But why exactly do you want to go, Arkalee? I don''t understand."

    Because I have to be there for you and you have to be there for me... Hyunda, the moments we are away are the moments that make the least sense. As a matter of fact, they don''t make sense.

    For you to suggest moments such as those, it smites my heart into endless pieces.

    "I''m curious! And... um... I just really want to go. Don''t ask why please..."

    I''m so afraid of confessing... Ikkiri is still relevant. This fear will vanish as soon as she isn''t relevant... Yet, I can''t help but feel the necessity to say out-loud my honest feelings.

    But that''s a bad strategy.

    "...Are you good at keeping secrets...?"

    Wait... He''s not denying me... Plus, he just asked if I''m good at keeping secrets.

    Truth to be told, I still don''t know where we are going, as we are only strolling around the cemetery''s multiple avenues, but Hyunda seems to have a place in mind.

    "Yes! I''ll keep any secrets you tell me! I won''t tell anyone, I promise!"

    "Are you sure? If what you are about to see is ever leaked to someone else or if the pieces of information that I''m about to demonstrate you are known, then I will assume that it was you, because you are then, the only person to ever know this."

    I am?! He''s choosing to trust me with a secret that no one else in this world knows?!

    "As a consequence, if the latter scenarios ever happen, I will cut off all contact with you. It''d as if you never existed. That''s why I''m telling you to wait here."

    He keeps on walking and walking while never looking at me. So close yet so distant. Why must you always treat me like this, Hyunda...?

    Have I not shown you enough signs that I''m yours only and that others don''t matter at all?

    Perhaps not. Certainly, I need to constantly show him that that''s the case. Which is why I can''t fear that horrible consequence. Because it will never happen.

    I rather kill myself than tell anyone anything related to you, Hyunda. Your secrets are my secrets.

    "I... will never do that."

    There''s no need to make an inner vow or any words to prove my loyalty. I''ll show you just how serious I am about this, my love.

    "Your choice. Do you see that chapel over there?"

    Finally having decided to look at me, Hyunda pointed at a chapel that is still quite far away from here.

    Midst all tombs, at the center of them, stands one small white chapel. With the Christian cross on top of it, there were two big vertical-sized windows, one at the right of the main door and one at the left of it.

    Regardless of that, from what I can see the door is locked with a gigantic locket. How does he plan to get in there?

    "I do. So that''s the place you want to go and that no one can know about?"

    "This place, in general, should remain unknown for certain purposes. But, you are not wrong to assume that the place I want to remain anonymous the most, is indeed what''s inside the chapel."

    Inside the chapel? Then that means that the chapel itself isn''t what truly matters, but something inside it...?

    "Also, for the record, you might not like what you''ll see. Still, do you want to proceed to it?"

    He keeps on asking me if I want to do it or not... Just for how long are you going to doubt me...

    "If I say I will do it, then I will! You don''t have to doubt me constantly, you know..."

    I''m pouting like crazy now, but it''s normal and can''t be helped considering the situation. He must think of me as some random attention whore who is doing this just for the sake of getting to know him better.

    While I did act like that at first, I don''t anymore. Is that why he''s still doubting me? Gosh, if only I knew how heavenly and dreamy you actually were earlier, I wouldn''t have committed the stupidity of prioritizing my own silly arguments...

    "Thanks. I''m glad it is this way. Although I said I needed a helping hand, I didn''t expect anyone to help me up in the upcoming tasks that I personally always do."

    "Y-You can always count on me if you need any help! You can... um, text or me or even call me! We have each other''s numbers now..."

    However, as soon as Hyunda heard my loyal words, he stopped walking and walked towards my direction instead.

    E-Eehh?!

    "We don''t really have to text each other or call each other, do we? If we want to talk, then isn''t it better if we do it in person?"

    His mystic white eyes are such a great combination with his silver hair...

    Furthermore, I never noticed the stud yin and yang earring that he has on his left ear...

    Was it always there or is it new...?

    "A-Are you sure?"

    N-No! What am I thinking?! Why would I ask him if he''s sure... What if he changes his mi---

    "I suggested it, therefore, why would I not be sure? Not much sense there. Though, if you are a text-only person, I can understand."

    A text-only person? Does he seriously take me for one of those girls who is so afraid of interaction to the point of not meeting people upon their faces? Especially the only existence that matters in this whole universe...?

    Gosh, why are you so doubtful!?

    "I am not a text-only person! It''s just... we won''t always be able to talk since our dorms are far away..."

    "Really? But, didn''t I talk to you today morning without barging into your dorm? Was that not what happened?"

    ...! I see! We did talk this morning but that was only possible because no one else was watching and we could talk through a certain distance.

    That linear bridge that connects our dorms...

    "I get what you are trying to say, but if we talk through that bridge, then you might get caught...."

    Unreasonably though. Interferences are always annoying, but I refuse to let any other person have a chance to talk to him in the first place midst of that forbidden moment.

    "I can only get caught if I want to get caught. But I understand. You don''t want to possibly endanger yourself in the process."

    What? I don''t care about myself.

    "N-No! If you are okay with it, we could talk from person to person... But... How will you know when I need you?"

    Ahhh... I wish he gave me the reply I wanted but I know he''s just going to say something absolutely cold-hearted. Verdict.

    "Is there a time when you don''t need me?"

    Well, that would be the type of reply I would want, for example. My brain is already creating scenarios of such answers. Truly a pitiful reality, if you ask me.

    But that would imply that he would have to be aware that I need him at all times.

    He doesn''t know why I need hi--

    "Eh?"

    "We are losing time though. We can talk about this later if you don''t mind. Let''s get going. We don''t have all day, unfortunately."

    Once again, showing his back against me, Hyunda kept on walking in the chapel''s direction. No longer facing me, I had a moment to take a deep breath.

    .....!! D-Did he seriously say that?! Is he aware of how I feel...? Although he said previously that I wasn''t attracted to him for his own reasons, am I making it too obvious...?!

    Then... he''s aware that I really need him at all times...

    "W-Wait! What did you mean by that?!"

    "By what? That we need to make haste to the chapel? I told you already that we are wasting time-"

    "Not that! Previously, what did you say?!"

    "Oh, I don''t know. What did I say exactly?"

    N-No way... Was that not true? Did my brain play tricks on me...?

    "Sorry... I overheard things. My bad..."

    Ahhhhhhhh... So cruel. I''ll admit though, it would''ve been extremely nice if he actually had said that, but that''s just not possible. His behavior is that of a cold and ruthless person. There''s no way someone like Hyunda would say words such as those.

    "Are you sure you did though?"

    "Yeah... Either way, let''s get going to the chapel. You have important things to do there, don''t you?"

    "Certainly, that''s true. But it would also be important if you didn''t ignore the words you think I didn''t say. It would be troublesome if you had thoughts such as: ''My mind is playing tricks on me'' or ''He didn''t say that, no way!''"

    "W-Wait, then you really did say i--"

    "Or maybe I didn''t say them. Who knows, reaaaallyyy?"

    He''s smirking now. I can see a soft and confident smirk rising from the corner of his lips...!

    He''s teasing me again! Geeeeeez!

    Well, eventually, we did reach the chapel. Still, there are so many tombs here. Of course there are, but I think we went over thousands of them thus far. I wish I was exaggerating, but that is not the case whatsoever.

    How come there is no one here though? The location of this cemetery is hideous and entirely secretive, but shouldn''t there be someone here guarding it though? It''s massive...

    Maybe this cemetery is really old? What does google maps say about it?

    "Huh...?"

    That''s really weird. It''s not there... Why though? Shouldn''t this be on the map? What gives?

    "What is it?"

    Although Hyunda was already far ahead in the linear red-carpeted hallway that was visible inside the center of the chapel, he asked me that nonetheless.

    "This cemetery isn''t on google maps. Can you believe that?"

    It''s probably just a mistake, honestly. I guess stuff like this happens. Still weird regardless.

    Though, despite my question, Hyunda did not reply and just kept on walking forward.

    In this lonesome chapel, there were multiple figures of Jesus Christ. That''s to be expected. But...

    Why is there a figure of Satan at the end of the chapel? Right at the end of the chapel, there is a massive figure, or should I say, a statue of Satan as he stabs Jesus Christ.

    How is that allowed in the first place...? Does that not go against personal teachings?

    "Hyunda, what is this place exactly?"

    This doesn''t look like an average chapel to me. It''s so haunted... There is this cryptic sensation swirling around the atmosphere. A feeling that alerts me of danger that I just can''t get rid of...

    What does he want with this place...?

    "A chapel. What else? I already explained it to you. Ahh, do you want wine?"

    "I can''t drink wine, I''m a minor..."

    Aside from that, he is going around the main altar while searching for something on the back of the altar. Eventually, he rose up with a green bottle on his hand.

    Plus, he grabbed a near-by golden chalice and poured down a red substance onto it. Ultimately, he sat on the altar in a lax manner.

    "Is that so?"

    As I got closer to him, I watched him drink the supposed wine. It''s not as if I don''t want to drink it because I''m a minor, but it''s just... I can''t really find it tasty.

    In spite of that, Hyunda chunked down the substance that was inside the chalice before speaking once again.

    "Maaan, that''s good! I missed this so much! Hey, are you sure you don''t want to try it, Arkalee? Ahh, sorry though. There''s only one chalice here."

    "No, no, I''m fine, really! But thank you for considering i---"

    Wait a second. If there is only a single chalice then that means...

    "On second thought, I really want to drink it! Can you pour a big portion of it, please?!"

    How could I not have seen how brilliant and rare the current scenario is!? If I drink the wine from the same chalice as him, from the exact same angle, then...

    It will be an indirect kiss!

    But still, in response to my request, Hyunda started to play with the already-empty chalice for some reason.

    "You can''t drink it."

    "W-Why though?!"

    Is he being thoughtful of the fact that I''m still a minor...? Although I used that as an excuse, I am aware that I can drink it. Nobody is here except us, so there shouldn''t be anything stopping me.

    Ignoring the vile taste of the wine should be easy since I''ll have higher priorities in mind...

    Nevertheless, Hyunda poured another portion of the wine inside the chalice and chunked it down yet again.

    "This isn''t wine. Hence, I can''t give it to you. Well, that aside, come with me. We didn''t come here just to stand here and mindlessly chat with one another."

    Huh...? But if it''s not wine, then what is it...?

    "Are you telling me the truth, Hyunda?"

    "Sure am. If you don''t like wine or just can''t stand it in general, then you definitely won''t like what I just drink."

    But what is it though? I want to ask him that, but my intuition tells me that he''s not going to give me the answer.

    That aside, he''s using the key he used to unlock this chapel''s lock from the outside again. This time around, he''s using it on the lock that there is one the statue of Satan.

    Why is a lock there though?

    "Is there something in there?"

    Attempting to unlock the lock, Hyunda kept on twisting the lock over and over until it clicked. A sound that emitted the meaning of ''opening'' came forth.

    "Some things, I suppose. If you wanna turn back, do it now. You can even stay in the chapel''s interior zone if you so like. Don''t tell me I didn''t warn you though."

    It still bothers me that I don''t know what he just drank. A red substance that isn''t wine. Just what else could it be?

    "I''m going. But, you have to protect me from all the bugs! You must!"

    I''m seriously going to freak out if I encounter a cockroach or some random rat along the way. Onto the subject at hand though, I don''t know just what is beyond that door. Yes, he unlocked it, but he has not opened it.

    "Let''s go."

    Thus, without any further delay, we entered the place that was beyond the door, but... suddenly, I could feel an abundant humidity. In addition to that, Hyunda lit up a torch that was for some reason standing on the back of the door that was closed now.

    With the torch lit, we could see a small portion of what was ahead, but to me, this looked like a dark path without any known destinations up ahead.

    "Can you see well?"

    "No... I really can''t. Sorry..."

    The torch itself isn''t the problem. The problem is the weak flame that''s guiding us. Hyunda''s walking up ahead on this dark path, but I can only see his figure in front of me, although barely.

    "I see. Then, grab my left hand. I need my right hand to support the torch. That''s the minimal I can do."

    "Is that fine with you...?"

    It''s a good thing that we can barely see each other or that Hyunda isn''t looking in my direction. Otherwise, he would just see my red-blushed face right now.

    I understand that it''s for the sake of guiding me thoroughly, but I can''t help but see this as an opportunity and I''m not going to waste it.

    "Yeah."

    "I see. Then..."

    Slowly but surely, I grabbed onto his hand. Though cold, I didn''t exactly care. My hand was extremely warm in comparison. Should I grab him with my other hand in order to warm him up...?

    "Ummm... Can I use my other hand too?"

    I asked Hyunda, who was only looking up ahead on this unknown dark path that had no visible destination thus far.

    "Sure. Though, from here on out, I advise you to only keep your eyes forward. Avoid looking through any other paths that are not the ones I''m going through."

    "I got it, I really won''t... But, your hands are so cold."

    "I know they are. Yours are warm though. Even so, do you want to hold my cold hand with your two warm hands? Your hands might turn cold in response."

    That''s exactly why I want to hold your hands. Because they deserve to be warmer.

    "Won''t your hands be warmer then? It''s fine if my hands turn cold in response..."

    "Do as you see fit then."

    Cold... But that''s fine. I''m used to it already. My love for you would be questionable if I didn''t accept you for who you are, right?

    Though, as we walked down the endless dark path, side paths started to unravel themselves along the way.

    Hyunda said that I shouldn''t look in their direction, but why though?

    Also... I can''t help but feel like my heart is going to explode. This bursting sensation of us being connected physically is superb! Our hands are connected, our bodies are closer and closer.

    It won''t be soon until we...... N-No! That''s way too early!

    I shouldn''t think of stuff like that! I''m not indecent whatsoever...! Though... Shouldn''t it be fine...? Physically connection is also relatively important, correct? What''s the harm on holding thoughts like that, for example?

    The only harm is... I would feel on fire constantly in the endless scenarios of lust that I can come up with.

    "Hey. When is your birthday?"

    Interrupting my daydreaming session, Hyunda asked me that question of interest.

    Why does he want to know my birthday though...? Actually, when is his birthday?! I always forget to ask him the most obvious questions!

    "It''s in July! July 17th! Umm, yours...?"

    "July huh? I see. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

    He didn''t answer my question...

    "No. I''m my parents'' only child. But seriously, when is your birthday?"

    Also... I''ve been avoiding looking at the sideways right now because I was dumb enough to not heed Hyunda''s advice. I wish I could unsee what I just saw a few seconds earlier, but...

    I''m starting to grow a bit scared honestly. What is this horrendous place?!

    "What crime did you do, Arkalee? Would you tell me if I wanted to know?"

    Still dodging my question. Though, what he asked me... I really can''t answer... But... Will he see me as someone who is sneaky and unloyal if I don''t...?

    "Can I ask why you want to know it...?"

    I was planning on telling him eventually, but if he insists now... I''m not too sure if I''ll be able to deny it. I''m scared of that. Because I absolutely can''t tell it to anyone, otherwise, my image will be damage overall.

    "I just want to know. Though, it would help us grow closer, I guess. Just a silly idea of mine. Don''t bother with it, honestly. Forget I even asked you."

    Grow closer...? That''s true, isn''t it? If I tell him a secret of great importance then we would certainly grow emotionally closer.

    But I... don''t want him to know that side of me. I know it''s selfish from me, but...

    "Sorry... I don''t think I can tell you, Hyunda."

    I''m really sorry, but you shouldn''t know... I''ll still love you with all my heart, regardless.

    "What a shame. I revealed you all of this and yet you can''t tell me what you have done? I got too optimistic, then."

    Huh....? Then... He wants to know...? But he said that he got optimistic which should mean that he was hoping that I would tell him. But why...?

    I know why. In order to grow closer. He answered that. But... I don''t think I can do it. Oh god, will he hate me for this...?

    "You won''t get mad, will you?"

    "Not really, I suppose. I''m just disappointed. It hurts when you share something and you don''t receive something equivalent in return. But, I was optimistic. You can forget I asked you."

    Don''t say that... If you do, then I''ll feel guilty... It hurts me to deny one of your requests because, for you, I could do anything you asked me.

    You are by my side now, but, will you grow distant if we don''t grow closer now? Must we grow closer in order to avoid growing distant?

    "Does... it really have to be this way...?"

    "What are you talking about? I said you could forget it. Just take your mind off. We are almost there though."

    He''s dodging the subject. This means that I failed to meet his expectations... Then, does that mean that he views me as someone who is incompetent in fulfilling his wishes? Will he rely on someone else just because I can''t do it?!

    That''s not acceptable at all...

    But if I tell him, he will most likely view me with disgust and hatred... I''m so conflicted...

    "Although, I can understand why you wouldn''t tell me. It''s probably a deep secret. No, it''s not probable, it''s the truth. Of course you wouldn''t tell it to a random stranger. No sense there."

    "You''re not a random stranger..."

    Why is he calling himself a random stranger...? If he was a random stranger, then I wouldn''t go this far for him... Can''t he see that I treat him in ways I don''t treat others?

    "Are you sure I''m not? Think about it. We are only classmates who got paired up during the previous exam. Nothing else is setting us together, realistically. Therefore, I am a stranger. You can''t label me as someone who is not a stranger just because we sit next to each other in class, Arkalee."

    His words made my paranoia stop because I couldn''t let him get the wrong version of the truth.

    "But you aren''t a stranger to me! I''m wasting my day-off with you! Isn''t that enough for you to know that you are not a stranger?"

    "Isn''t that just because I asked you? You could be kind-hearted to the point of naively accepting my request without any secondary intentions. It''s entirely possible."

    Does he seriously think I would accept a request like that?! I hate everyone that isn''t you, isn''t that obvious?!

    "I didn''t accept your request because I was kind-hearted about it though..."

    "Then why did you?"

    "That''s...."

    Because I love you, why else? And anywhere you go, I want to be there for you and by being there for you, you are being there for me. Though, I can''t say these words yet...

    They will not have that much impact on him, so to speak.

    "See? I''m just a stranger. The fact that you can''t even tell me what you did proves it. I am being treated just like everyone else. Another classmate of ours could be here in my place and it would be the same thing."

    What...?!

    "You''re joking right?! I wouldn''t be here if it was another one of our classmates! I can''t stand them! Where did you get that wrong idea from?"

    Especially one of our classmates... I don''t even want to recall their faces... How can you imply stuff like that, Hyunda?

    "Is it really wrong? You say that it''s not, but you are treating me like a stranger. I wouldn''t show this place or this cemetery in general to anyone, but I did show you. I am not treating you like a stranger, for the record. No other classmate of ours could be here right now, because I wouldn''t allow this moment to exist. Yet, here you are. And this is how you repay me? By saying that I''m not a stranger when it''s not true?"

    His harsh words are stabbing my heart endlessly... His words feel like an unknown fear that I''ve been always avoiding that comes to haunt me every now and then.

    I''ve dreamt about you every night this week, but you think that I think of you as a stranger?

    "You are not a stranger. If you think that I think of you as a stranger, then you are wrong! However, you can''t see that, can you...?"

    "Of course I can''t. Though, that could change. But this is really trivial. You shouldn''t bother yourself with thi---"

    "No!! Tell me, what should I do?"

    If there is a way to solve this misunderstanding, then I have to do it. I can''t allow us to grow distant. Because he will then rely on someone else but me. I have to prove that I am useful and that I love him in the process.

    Nobody will ever go to the extremities that I go through.

    "Make our situation equal. A secret for a secret."

    "That''s... Isn''t there any other way for you to change your mind?"

    "Change my mind? Even if you tell me your secret, my mind will not change, but the idea will be completed. By making this situation even, I am no longer a stranger. It''s unfair because to me you are not a stranger yet to you, I technically am. You might not agree with me, but logically speaking, it is the case."

    So even if I think of him not as a stranger, I should prove it to him that he is not a stranger. My thoughts aren''t really that relevant, are they?

    My actions, my words, they must prove to him that I am serious about this. That''s what he''s trying to tell me.

    Don''t worry, Hyunda. I got your message.

    "I..... Sorry, I''ve just been... It was unfair of me, wasn''t it?"

    "Again, you don''t really have to tell yourself anything. Since you are insisting on the situation, I''m just telling you what''s on my mind and what I think about it. Think nothing about it."

    Why does he constantly keep on telling me to not bother with this topic...?

    Could it be that he has no faith in me?

    That''s just mean, Hyunda...

    "...What do you think of me.....?"

    If I''m going to tell him, then I need to know how he truly feels about me in spite of his ruthless honesty.

    Though... This place has been giving me the chills....! I want out!

    I''ve tried avoiding looking side-ways but it''s just not working... Why are there so many....?!

    "What''s the point in answering that question? Let me ask you a different question though. Why do you think I bothered to invite you out today when I could''ve done it so with any other? Sagasuga was available, for example. Ikkiri probably wouldn''t mind as well. Surely, there is a reason why, but just what is that reason?"

    I don''t think Hyunda realizes how pissed off I get whenever Ikkiri is mentioned. My skin crawls. My stomach twists. My hair ages. My hands tremble. My heart darkens.

    "Why do you have to mention Ikkiri every time? Why do you care so much about her...?"

    Also, I really want to ask him just this is all about, but according to him, we are getting closer to the destination, even though we have only walked on and on through multiple dark paths. Multiple doors have been open thus far in the process of unlocking new avenues.

    And, in every single one of those paths, there have been some massively disturbing sceneries, which I''m avoiding talking about right now since I''m prioritizing our emotional connection right now.

    "How is she relevant to this conversation right now? I just used her as an example because it was the truth. There''s nothing else to it."

    "But it''s always her! Why her!?"

    There has not been a single serious conversation between us where he hasn''t mentioned Ikkiri at least once!

    Just what is this?! Why is she always on his mind!? I don''t understand this! Is she always there for him? No, she isn''t! I am! What gives you the right to occupy his mind whenever you so please?!

    "She doesn''t matter in this conversation!"

    For the first time ever, he shouted back at me. Suddenly, my tears started to form a tiny bit, though, since it was still dark, Hyunda could not see my tears starting to create themselves.

    "If she didn''t matter you wouldn''t mention her every single time....!!"

    I will make you regret you ever took a step in this world, I swear... This will not be overlooked, Ikkiri.

    "Also, what is this place!? Why are there dead bodies split all over the floor everywhere we go...?!"

    "You noticed, then."

    It''s kinda hard not to notice how there are crucified bodies in crosses that are split from either across the gigantic dark rooms we enter or when there was a room that had a horizontal line of skulls implanted on the altar.

    Just what...? What is this!? Where did all these bodies come from?! They are rotting as well!

    I thought that there wouldn''t be any insects here but the rotten bodies are full of it! I can''t stand this!

    "Why are there so many dead bodies, Hyunda!?"

    "Don''t bother questioning why they are here. What is important isn''t this place. After this, we will have the day free. Are you hungry?"

    He says that every time, but we just keep on crossing rooms over and over and over. They differ in appearances though. One room had multiple crosses with bodies crucified on them.

    Did he do all of this...? Th-Then he also...

    "Wait... Did you do all of this?"

    I ignored his question about me being hungry. Right now, that''s not a hot topic, really.

    The current room that we are in contains a gigantic horizontal table that resembles a Christmas table. However, in every single chair, there are skeletons in it for some reason.

    How does Hyunda know about this place?! It''s so creepy! I feel like throwing up, but I can''t allow him to view me in such a weak state.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    "Why are you asking that question? Are you curious as to why there are bodies everywhere we go?"

    "Yes! This isn''t normal, you know? Don''t you find it creepy?"

    Though, if he really... No... He can''t be responsible for this. It''s just impossible.

    "From this room onwards, is the place that I''ve been meaning to go. It''s far too late to turn back now, so you''ll have to come along."

    At last, the moment of truth. The reason why I''m needed here. Although... I would really like if he didn''t dodge every single one of my questions.

    "...Are there more bodies up ahead?"

    My stomach is urging to let it out, but I must resist it.

    "Bodies? No. Something probably worse. If you feel like throwing up, then don''t be afraid to do so."

    "No way! I''m completely fine, Hyunda! And... do you still have the same thoughts? About me seeing you as a stranger?"

    "What does it matter now? You don''t want to make the situation equal. Stop talking about it already."

    Even though he is saying those words in a cold-toned stern voice, I can''t help but feel a wave of short-lived anger behind them.

    He also has not looked at me for a long time... Do you just.... not realize how much I crave for you?

    Then, I''ll make you realize.

    "When we are done here... Um... I don''t mind..."

    "You don''t mind what?"

    ".......Telling you..."

    Gosh, I can''t look at him in the face! I just can''t! I feel like the words I want to say the most might just come out flying from my mouth and I don''t want that right now!

    No, I really do! It''s just... I can''t!

    "You don''t have to do it, you know. I feel like I''m forcing you now. Stop it."

    "You''re not forcing me though! This is a decision I came up with after thinking a lot! Don''t think this is easy for me!"

    These tears, they won''t stop... It''s annoying how easy it is for me to cry...

    But then, the unexpected happened. Hyunda, instead of putting the key onto the door lock, faced my direction. Before doing that though, he put the torch onto a torch holder that was near-by.

    W-Wait but he can''t see me like this!

    "Who said it was easy? I didn''t. Aren''t you assuming a bit too much here?"

    "N-No, please don''t look....! Not right now, ummm, give me just a second."

    "It''s fine..."

    Attempting to hide my face and tears at the same time, I tried to cover it with my bare hands, but he grabbed my hands in the process of doing so, which made that action impossible.

    But this would mean...!

    "Please... Let me just wipe them out. I''m really sorry, I get stupidly emotional for no reason at all! I''m so sorry!"

    His shout is still chasing the back of my mind. I can''t believe you''ve defended Ikkiri like that in front of me... Do you have any idea how crushed I''m feeling right now...?

    "Why are you apologizing? You''ve always been emotional. That''s never going to change. It''s how you are, Arkalee."

    He''s still holding onto my hands softly while looking at me at the same time. I can barely see his face and vice-versa, but this moment alone... I''m feeling weak.

    "You hate it when I get emotional, don''t you? That''s why I apologized! I''m sorry, okay?!"

    He surely thinks of me as annoying right now. There''s also the fact that I was clinging onto his hand this whole time, but I... don''t know how else I should love you... Am I that much of a waste to you...?

    "Look at me, right now."

    Truth to be told, I''ve been facing the dark ground for a while because I didn''t want to show him my sorry-emotional state.

    "I can''t... Just wait a second, they will all be gone."

    "I won''t wait. If you don''t look at me, I''ll make you look at me."

    W-What is he planning on doing...?

    "Please, just wait! Don''t be so impatient! It''s just..."

    But, as I finished saying that, he had let loose of my hands and touched my two cheeks instead. Subsequently, he matched our looks correctly, so that I was looking at him. Our distance was almost gone...

    "Isn''t it fine to cry? It''s an aftereffect of how big your emotions are. Why are you hiding that side from me? When did I tell you that I thought of you as a weak person? Plus, I don''t hate your emotional side. It makes you who you are, and I''m not going to censure you for it."

    Midst this, he started to wipe the tears that were on my cheeks with his fingers. Furthermore, the tears that would start to form would also get wiped.

    But... that only makes me want to cry more... He doesn''t know but... Just having a moment like this, where you genuinely care for me, means the world to me!

    "Can you hold me for a little longer, please...? I need time."

    Thus, I sunk my head onto his chest, but the unexpected proceeded to happen once again.

    In a quick flash, he held onto my body as a whole while pulling me closer, in order to give me a hug.

    "W-What are you..."

    "I''ve noticed. Did you think I haven''t? The way you portray yourself around me. What you show me and not others. How you choose to be despite what I say to you. I''ve noticed it all. I''m not heartless. Hey... Can you feel it? You can, can''t you? My heartbeat."

    He''s hugging me so tightly! W-Wait this is too much to take at the same time...! I''m not ready for this level of connection yet! I haven''t prepared myself! I don''t know how I''ll react if you keep on raising the pace up like this...!

    Though... It''s warm. His hug is making me listen to his heartbeat. Who I thought to be emotionless and cruel, has a heart that beats...

    But... That''s just an emotional interpretation. I''m aware that even if your heart means, deep inside you can still be someone who doesn''t uphold emotions...

    "I can hear it... But... what are you trying to say exactly...?"

    I can''t tell what he truly is saying right now. Am I supposed to assume that he is aware of how I feel or is he aware of how I act for him and only him?

    I don''t know! And that''s killing me!

    "I''m saying I know because it is what you are showing me. I can''t receive any other information unless you tell me directly. It''s impossible."

    Even with his right hand, he''s pushing the back of his head onto his chest. In response, I''m hugging him as tightly as I can...

    But... It''s so sad. This moment will have to end sooner or later. Unless...

    "How do you feel about Ikkiri...?"

    "Her again? You say that I mention her, but you are starting to mention her more than I am. Isn''t that weird? Though, why?"

    "...Sorry, I need to clear some doubts. Don''t ask me why."

    This anxiety. This pressure. I can''t live on with it. I need some sort of answer. I''m not the type of person to form assumptions and stay with them for too long.

    The truth; I need it. Am I enough for you? Am I allowed to open myself up when I shouldn''t?

    "I''ll change the question once again... Who am I with, right now?"

    "........Don''t dodge it please..."

    I know what he''s trying to do...

    "Who did I choose to spend my time with?"

    "Please don''t do this to me. Just answ---"

    "Who am I arguing with right now while attempting to justify my intentions? Is it Ikkiri? I''m sorry. We don''t have that type of bond."

    "But you have some type of bond! Explain!"

    Even when you are not here, you manage to get in my way every single time. Impressive. Truly impressive.

    "Friendship. That''s the type of bond we have."

    Not true....

    "If that''s friendship, then what do we both have...?"

    "I don''t know. All I asked of you was for you to accompany me. That was pretty thoughtful of you. I was thinking of considering you a friend---"

    No.

    "Don''t say that..."

    No, no.

    "Hold on, you didn''t let me finish---"

    No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

    "That''s fine. You don''t have to talk anymore! Just don''t! Sorry for insisting! That was my bad, hahahahaaaah!"

    I refuse to hear those words from him. It''s fine. I''ll take it slowly. I just have to think about this logically, honestly.

    However, having my emotions getting smitten in the process... That can''t happen!

    "Listen to me, please."

    "No, that''s okay. Anyways, you wanted to do something in the other room, right? Let''s move on! We''ve wasted plenty of time already! I''m also getting hungry...! Therefore, we should hurry up and---"

    "Really? You''re going to be like this? I listen to you but then you try to escape like this?"

    You just don''t get it, do you...

    The words you were going to say would undoubtedly crush my whole being. I just can''t live with that.

    Not to worry, my love for you won''t disappear.

    "I don''t care anymore. It was a silly conversation, hahaha!"

    "Well, you started it, so I''m going to finish it regardless."

    "No, I won''t listen to it!"

    Now that we''ve broken our closure, I''m stepping away from him while covering my ears.

    Don''t be so hard on me, please... You can''t possibly comprehend the depth of my feelings, Hyunda.

    Regardless of my words, Hyunda approached me again and held my left wrist with brute force while pushing me against the door.

    "That hurts you know... You''re bullying me... Please stop..."

    "As I was saying, I was thinking of considering you are as a friend. You have done plenty of requests for me thus far. It would be the beginning of a new friendship."

    He''s hurting me... Just how much force is he exactly applying onto my left wrist...?

    I have this feeling inside my throat right now... I can''t exactly explain it, but it hards to swallow about anything.

    I''m about to burst into tears again, it seems...

    "Though... I was wrong to think like that. We can''t be friends. There''s too much intensity between us, isn''t there? It just doesn''t make sense for us to be friends, don''t you think, Arkalee?"

    ".....What exactly are you saying...?"

    I don''t get him... He says that we can''t be friends due to our intensity, but then... What are we?

    "I''m saying, we can''t be average friends. This obvious intensity doesn''t allow us to be that way. But... What if we..."

    W-Wait... What is going to say...?

    "S-Stop! I''m not ready for this! Please let me go! It was silly of me to do this! Forgive me already, will you?!"

    I don''t want to know! I don''t want to know! I don''t want to know!

    His words are always so ruthless! I can''t help but feel destroyed if he says something against my expectations and I''m stupid when it comes to expectations because I always held them high when it comes to you...

    "We can''t be anything yet. We are nothing, so to speak."

    "That hurts... You didn''t have to say it like that..."

    Would it really hurt to pack some caring behind your words...?

    "But, if we are nothing, then doesn''t that mean we can be whatever we want to be together?"

    "Eh?"

    What is he... talking about? Wasn''t the aim of his words to make me aware of what he thought? Wasn''t he saying that we couldn''t even be friends...?

    "The reason why we haven''t been able to develop a proper bond or a decent interaction is that one of us is pretending to see or perceive a bond that is not real. I am not doing that. Which only leaves you. Arkalee, right now, you are perceiving something that is not true."

    I can''t tell if he''s insulting me or not... This is so weirdly confusing! Also, for how long is he going to hold my wrist like that...?

    I''ll admit to never have thought of this scenario, but this weird feeling of not rejecting it immediately is worrying me. Along with other partial feelings...

    "What are you getting at...? Can''t you see that you are hurting me? How can you be so tactless?"

    However, when I finalized my words, Hyunda pushed me further to the back of the door while almost connecting his face to mine in a swift movement.

    "Does it really matter if I hurt you in the process? I got some clarity about the situation at hand, so I''ll show you what I mean. You are complaining about Ikkiri and me, but can''t you see why she''s greater than you right now?"

    W-What?! How can you say that?!

    "Don''t say that! You''re horrible!"

    "Insult me all you like, it''s the truth. Do you know why she''s better than you? She has a definitive bond with me, that being friendship. We have nothing. Our relationship doesn''t exist. It''s transparent."

    "Why do you keep on saying that!? We do have a bond, right?!"

    "Do we? I''ve been explaining to you that we don''t have such a thing. Furthermore, I''ve emphasized how one of us is pretending to have an unreal bond and that person isn''t me. It''s you. I''ve already explained this twice now. Therefore, if you are unhappy with the situation, then do you want to change that situation?"

    According to him, I''m the one at fault here because I''m perceiving a non-existing bond that we supposedly have...

    I can''t help how I feel for you, but there''s no way you know that... So here you are saying those irresponsible words.

    Ahhh, I love how naive you are sometimes. It doesn''t even matter how hard I try, even if he says that I can change the situation I---

    Wait... There is a way to change the situation...?

    "There''s no way to change this situation, Hyunda. Isn''t it impossible?"

    "There is. The major problem of this situation is that you are hung up on some delusional idea. Let go of that idea."

    ............

    "No..."

    "Let go, Arkalee. If you don''t, we can''t start anything. To start a bond, we need some sort of foundation. Do you think we already have enough foundation to develop a bond? We don''t. That''s why you need to let go of your idea. Let me lead you."

    Is he seriously suggesting I let go of the love I have for him...? You''re so irresponsible, my love.

    I can''t just do that... Even when you propose to lead me in such a scenario.

    "I won''t. My idea is not wrong. We can still make this possible."

    "We can''t. It''s not possible and here is why. Your idea, that I don''t even know of, probably doesn''t even exist in reality. My idea though, exists. That''s the difference between our ideas. Are you going to trust an idea that doesn''t exist or one that does exist?"

    What does he mean by my idea not existing?! Just because it doesn''t exist right now, it doesn''t mean it won''t...

    After I get rid of Ikkiri, I''ll make my move...

    "If you give me time, I can make my idea work... It just can''t work right now due to circumstances."

    "That''s understandable. Ideas take time to shape themselves; ultimately to create themselves. However, don''t you think that you are wasting time?"

    "Sorry...?"

    "My idea will be put to work immediately. Yours though? When? How long will we have to wait? Are you going to prioritize your selfish ambition over my own? Mine is quicker and better. See? This is what I mean by no foundation. No trust. You can''t even trust me here."

    "You don''t trust me either...! You always keep secrets from me! How do you expect me to just agree with everything you say?! That''s completely illogical!"

    My love isn''t supposed to be abused to this extent. That''s not right. I have free will too.

    "So you noticed. That was intentional. I was afraid that you hadn''t noticed. I purposely made all these secrets in order to trigger a reaction in you. I was afraid of you not demonstrating anything, but you did feel it!"

    "Why did you do that if you know how hurt I would get in the process?!"

    His right knee is in the middle of my legs as we speak. I''m feeling so conflicted about this moment...

    It''s as if this is a passionate argument...!

    "You needed to feel some sort of emotional pressure. You''ve been acting way too kind lately. Too kind. If you kept that attitude up, then it would drag itself down forever. I couldn''t allow that to happen. That was all for this. Hey. Do I need to say more, Arkalee? Do you not want to make this work? Your idea won''t work. Mine will. Trust me and I''ll trust you back. It''s an equivalent exchange. It can''t be one-sided."

    "How do you know that my idea won''t work!? You don''t even know what my idea is..."

    "You''re not telling, right? I figured that you wouldn''t. But I doubt that I''m wrong from the truth. Am I? You can differ here. However, tell me just how exactly am I wrong. I''ll then accept that I am wrong."

    ...There''s no way I can tell you that, idiot...

    "Silence? Well then. I''m right. Which means I can go on with my idea. Or do you object this too?"

    "You''re intelligent, but if it hurts my feelings in the process, then I''m not doing it, sorry."

    "Hurt your feelings? I think what will happen is the opposite of that. Your feelings get constantly toyed with because you have a poor foundation. That''s how emotional weakness is formed. What you need right now is emotional strength. Can I give that to you? Do you allow me to?"

    My feelings... will grow stronger...? Is that even possible...? I thought that my emotional strength was already at its peak, but if you tell me that it can grow further and further, I can''t help but want to know how...

    Because if my emotional strength grows, then I will be able to love you more and more.

    "...Aaahhh, I don''t know... B-But.. for how long are you going to remain this close...?"

    Our lips are almost touching...! My heart feels like a bomb that''s about to tick! A detonator that''s about to blow, my blood pressure is insanely high right now...

    "Do you dislike it?"

    "......No."

    I don''t have the courage nor strength to deny him right now... I''m just going to follow this feeling of security.

    "My idea means that you have to let go of the idea you have right now. Can you do that?"

    ".....I seriously don''t think I can. I mean, how am I supposed to...?"

    It''s really impossible. I don''t even want to think about it...

    "Your idea is only formidable to you because, in your mind, there is not a greater idea. Is that the limit of your imagination? Let yourself believe that there is something greater than what you currently have in mind."

    A greater idea than what I have in mind? Hyunda... Are you saying that in order for me to believe in your idea that I need to see my own idea as something that is a stepping stone and there is a greater idea midst everything?

    Hyunda, however, dropped my wrist and moved his knee away and sat on the bottom of the floor with his legs extended all the way forward, also, with his back against the door wall.

    I as well did the same.

    "How is that possible though...? What if I can''t see anything greater than what I have in mind, Hyunda?"

    "That''s fine, I guess. I can show you a bigger idea. But for that to happen, you need to accept the possibility."

    "Possibility...?"

    "Yes. The possibility of there being a greater idea that far excels your idea. It''s up to you though. I can''t tell you my idea if you can''t embrace the possibility while believing me along with everything."

    A possibility that further excels that which I currently believe that cannot be surpassed...? That would be my love for you, of course. Yet... Can you take it higher...?

    So high that even the skies will succumb to fear.

    "Alright... I''ll trust you. But you can''t break my trust, okay?"

    "Sure. That was the plan, either way. That''s the first step. Our foundation will have a very simple principle behind it. Equivalent exchange. What I give to you, you have to repay on an equal level and what you give me, I must do something that is also on the same level. Do you want this principle or not?"

    ...Hmmmm, it''s not bad. Wait, isn''t it super good? If we are both beneficial to one another, then our bond will have lots of perks along the way for sure...

    Our connection will always develop on an even level and none of us will ever feel superior or inferior. We will both feel equal.

    Is that it...? Could that be the bridge that can solve it?

    "Even if we ask each other unreasonable things?"

    "That''s fine. As long as you are able to comply with my tasks that I ask or anything of that sort, then I''m not against it."

    "...Seriously?"

    Then... If I ask him to cut absolute contact with Ikkiri, will he...?

    I''m not scared of complying though. I will do anything for him. I love him, after all.

    "Yeah. If you agree with that term, then our bond will have the first principle, which is an equivalent exchange. In other words, equality to both sides."

    "....I agree with it."

    "Is that so? Then, want to put it to the test?"

    "Really? Right now?"

    "Yeah. That''s what I just said."

    I-Is he serious...? He said that no matter how unreasonable the request that he would accept... But if I do that then I will have to... Well, that''s not a problem.

    But, this would be perfect, so to speak.

    "Can we ban the word Ikkiri forever? Whenever we talk, her name is forbidden."

    Although you said that you would comply, I''m sure that you wi--

    "Okay."

    ....?

    "W-Wait, seriously!?"

    "Why are you so surprised? I heard your request and accepted it. Her name is banned from now on. Though, this means, you''ll have to hear mine."

    Waaaah!!! I can''t believe this! Is this actually happening?! I wish I could see the look of your face right now as you cry down and beg for mercy!

    "Yes! Anything you say!"

    All the uneasiness in my heart is gone now. It''s impressive how you manage to make my day go from 0 to 100 like that...

    Ahhhh, I love you so muuuuchhh.

    "Tell me how you got into the program."

    Ah...

    "......Um...."

    "You can opt not to tell me. I think it''s a fair choice. However, that means your other request will be nullified."

    Ahhh, Hyunda, you...

    .........

    You don''t make this easy for me. You''re so lucky that I love you to this absurd extent. I''ve never gone this far for someone, but it''s about to happen.

    My request has to be completed, otherwise, I won''t be able to have a conversation with you without stressing out. Just hearing any word that starts with the letter ''I'' gives me preemptive anxiety.

    "...I''ll tell you. But, you can''t really tell anyone! Please!"

    "What are you talking about? Of course I won''t tell anyone. This is also part of the equivalent exchange, remember? I''ve told you about this place and this is how you''ll repay me, by giving me your secret."

    "Wait... Doesn''t that mean that I must give you an additional request...?"

    "That''s true. But that will come later. It doesn''t have to be now. I will remember you when I want it though."

    He''s got me curious now...

    Though, more importantly... I''m glad that he won''t tell anyone. Actually, he... He''s acting so reasonably. It''s kinda calming, honestly.

    What a sincere shame that we will have to return today. I could stay like this forever. Even in this cold room, with us these close to one another, I want to fall asleep on his shoulder so badly.

    What if we never return...? What if we just live here forever...? Ahhh, that''s just not possible. But...

    I wish it was.

    "Alright... I think I''m ready... I''m kinda nervous, you know...? I really didn''t think that I would tell anyone what I did. I''m afraid that you might come to harbor any feelings of disgust for me..."

    "You''re nervous, right? Grab my hand then."

    His hand.... It''s lying facedown, right now. I can reach out to it. Certainly, that would give me a feeling of peace...

    It''s weird... I''m feeling so happy but I''m feeling like I am about to break a certain habit. I just don''t know what that habit is...

    "Alright..."

    My soft warm hand met his cold hand swiftly. However, to my surprise, he started to envelop hins fingers with mine, thus our hands were mutually connected.

    Like couples do.....

    I see... With him... I can take any steps I want...

    Is that what it means to see beyond my idea of love? That there is a feeling that far excels love?

    I wonder if I''ll be able to find the answer to that if I follow your lead.

    I''m following this feeling.

    "Hyunda, have you killed people before?"

    "Is it relevant to your emotional security if I give you the honest answer?"

    "Yes... Sorry."

    What I''m about to tell him will either destroy our future relationship or... As he said, it will take us higher.

    I''ll believe in what you have said, Hyunda. Together, we can''t be stopped.

    "I see. Then... Technically, I did."

    Technically...?

    "Ohh... Then... I guess it''s fine."

    I won''t question his motives right now. That would be too selfish of me. I''m comfortable right now. I don''t need to seek more answers than those I have to know.

    "The truth is... I''ve had plenty of boyfriends in the past..."

    "You did?"

    I feel ashamed for having to admit it... But, don''t worry, Hyunda. They were nothing compared to you. I can''t even remember their names anymore. That''s how much of an impact you have had in my life thus far.

    Even in such little time, this past month has been the best of my entire life! I''ve never felt this much passion for someone! I never knew that life could be this blissful...

    "Yes... However, they were too boring. I hated every single second of it. They only approached me because I looked attractive. They never cared about me. I disliked that. Furthermore, it irritated me when they started to talk with other girls. If I was their girlfriend, then why would they eye someone else? I don''t understand..."

    You''re not boring though. You have an immense depth to your unfathomable character that I cannot perceive no matter how hard I try. Your motives remain mysterious forevermore. You are mystic to an infinite extent, Hyunda.

    "Plus, they would always cheat on me. I didn''t like that. Not one bit. Sooo, I killed them!"

    It couldn''t be helped. How do you expect any mercy if you cheat on me? You call me pretty and say that I''m one of a kind but then you do that? Filthy casanovas.

    But... I expected him to show any type of reaction, but he''s not showing any. He''s simply looking at me with his powerful white-colored eyes.

    "You said they talked to other girls, right? What happened to them? Did you let them get away?"

    Huh...? He... He''s not judging me...?

    "N-No. Of course not. No way. Hahaha. Out of the question. They also suffered deeply. Actually, way more than just suffering..."

    But if I tell him the process, then he might jus--

    "Why are you stopping? I thought I was going to hear something interesting. Don''t be boring. Give me a good twist!"

    He''s not rejecting me...? N-No way...

    Could it be that he''s...

    "H-Hyunda?"

    "Yeah? Don''t be shocked. I was aware that you had something going on. What? Did you think I was going to give you a moral judgment? No way."

    "I-I-I...! You are...!"

    ...So amazing! With you, I can feel at ease. You don''t judge me by my superficiality but for what I have deep inside me. Now that I think about it, isn''t that what the majority of human beings desire in general?

    To not be judged by their superficialities but for what they have deep inside...? Plus, he''s not judging me...

    He''s accepting me. I''m being accepted. I''m not being traded nor discarded.

    "Hm? What''s wrong?"

    "Nothing! I''m going to go on!"

    This confidence, this security, this passion, this serenity, this clarity... You are my remedy.

    With you, I can go on forever.

    "The truth is... I didn''t kill the girls they talked to. That would be too simple. Because death is the easy way to escape. But, I thought to myself that if I give them a life where they would want to die, then, how would they feel? Would they taste hell in the most bitter way possible? With that said, I investigated their personal lives and ruined their whole lives. Why kill someone when you can make them regret to ever live? Eventually, they all killed themselves due to the pressure that was put around them."

    Ikkiri, you won''t be an exception to this. Actually... You will. I''ll upgrade my methods just for you. I''ll make you feel hated by every single person in this class.

    To the point where you''ll start to hate yourself so hard that you''ll have to choice but to end your miserable life.

    "I see! Instead of killing them straight up, you made them regret everything they ever did? You''re vengeful, but it''s understandable why you are like that. You''ve put your trust onto others. It''s not your fault. Aren''t they at fault for abusing your trust? They deserve some sort of punishment, no matter how I look at it."

    Hyunda!!! You really understand me! You... It can only be you... You''ve understood me completely...

    "T-Thanks for understanding! It always felt so unfair how I gave them the best of my feelings and never got rewarded for it..."

    I''m lying here though. Because at that time, I didn''t know that I had the capacity to love someone this much. Your encounter with mine, us being paired up, it must be fate. I just know it!

    "Then, don''t your feelings deserve some recognition?"

    "U-Umm...! It''s fine, it''s fine, I really am okay now...!"

    For now, this is fine. Hyunda, the fact that you are making me open up to you, the person I love, is making me think that this whole thing is a dream...

    I vow to tell you how I feel the moment I make Ikkiri completely irrelevant.

    "No, it''s not. If your feelings aren''t recognized then you''ll feel unsatisfied forever. Do you want that?"

    ".....Don''t say that please..."

    Because if you do, you''ll force me to say something irresponsible.

    "Why? Is it not the truth? All this time, you were forced to do actions that would do justice to your feelings. Shouldn''t this come to an end?"

    "...What are you saying, Hyunda?"

    O-Oh no, my heartbeat... Again, it feels like it''s going out of control!

    Our hands are still intertwined completely. I don''t know if I can resist him any longer...

    "I''m saying, you can''t have all these feelings inside you without sharing it with someone. Don''t you think it''s about time you choose someone that you can share those feelings with?"

    Aren''t we already sharing a great depth of my feelings...? Do you not realize your position right now, Hyunda?

    You are that ''someone''. You just don''t know it yet.

    "It will come... That time will come."

    "Oh, I see. Still, I pity the guy who is going to harbor your feelings, Arkalee."

    ...Why are you pitying yourself suddenly?

    "Why...?"

    "I mean, you probably aren''t a virgin anymore, right?"

    W-W-What....?!

    "I think the likelihood of one of your past boyfriends have done you is quite high. Girls at this age are crazy about sex. I wouldn''t be surprised if you weren''t one---"

    "Stupid! Idiot! Dummy! There''s no way that happened! I-I-I would never give myself to any of them!"

    I can''t believe you even mentioned that....! Gosh, I''m so furious! Does he take me for one of those girls who just want to have sex as soon as she hits puberty!?

    I have self-control and besides...

    "So, you''re a virgin, still?"

    ".........."

    Why is he asking me that....?!

    Needless to say, I had to look away, despite our hands remaining intertwined with one another.

    "What? Why the sudden silence?"

    "Nothing really..."

    So he wasn''t going anywhere with that...

    "Unless... You want to do it here?"

    Hm? What did I just...?

    "Sorry?"

    Suddenly, my whole embarrassment was gone. I''ve experienced an emotion that was far higher than just pure embarrassment.

    However, I did not know what it was.

    "We are here all alone. Nothing is stopping us. Sorry, but it''s going to have to be raw."

    "Ummmmmmmmm......."

    I don''t know how to react. It''s as if I''m out of reactions. Is it because I''ve always imagined our romantic scenarios ahead of time but I never imagined this scenario?

    "If you are fine with me, that is. I''m confident in my skills, just saying."

    "Hyunda."

    This is new.

    "What?"

    ".....Please stop teasing me to this extent... I don''t know how to react, give me a bit more time to prepare for this. This is too sudden. Plus, we must consider the time and space. Wouldn''t it be better if we did it in a---- A-Aaahhhh....! Wh-What am I saying?!?!"

    It took me a while to come to my senses, but... Just what the hell was I suggesting?!

    I''m not perverted, I swear! And also, why would you say I''m not fine with you? Are you joking? I crave for you just about every night. Don''t be illogical, please.

    "Hahahaha!! Chillax. Just a joke. You''re not ready for it. It was just to break the ice. Though, are you feeling better now?"

    "....Just a joke...?"

    Meanie....

    "Yeah. We are done here. It''s already 1 pm. We only have three hours. However, we finally started it."

    "What did we start?"

    "Our bond. The proper foundation has been formed. Whenever you want to advance more, tell me. That is if you want to."

    Then... We already are something. We aren''t ''nothing'' as he previously said and right now, we are something.

    But, just what are we to one another?

    "Hey, Hyunda. The equivalent exchange... Does it always work, at all times?"

    "Yes. That was the deal. Are you not happy about it?"

    "N-No! I''m really happy about it! But... I was just wondering... Would it be fine if I... asked you more of it in the future...?"

    You said that I should find someone that I could share all these feelings, but I already did. I want to share how I feel with you and receive your warmth in the process...

    Our moments of happiness where we share intimacy, understanding, and simplicity, don''t have to limit themselves only when we are available in certain events.

    It needs to be more. All the time.

    "It depends if you want to wait for the future or not. You can always ask them. Just remember, that you''ll have to heed my requests back."

    I want to ask a ton now... But I know I shouldn''t...

    This unique opportunity... I''ll treasure it.

    "I''ll wait. I... am not in a rush. Plus, I don''t want to be too selfish nor clingy."

    "It''s your choice."

    Hyunda, you are right. It is my choice. While I do desire anything that is entirely related to you like crazy, there are priorities.

    Those priorities are not above you in the sense where they are more important. They just need to be taken care of. Ikkiri, for example.

    Gosh, I''m so hyped now! I''ve never been this excited about destroying someone''s life before!

    "Alright. Then, shall we go then?"

    "Yeah. Though, are we going to keep holding hands or...?"

    Now that my senses have returned, this is honestly such an embarrassing event! Furthermore, if we consider the fact that he proposed something like... Waaah, I''m not gonna think about it! No, no way! I''m not ready yet...

    My mind needs preparation first...!!

    "S-Sorry! But anyway, what''s beyond this door? It''s been bugging me this whole time. Is it related to corpses as well?"

    "Well, why not see it for yourself?"

    Opening up the door, at last, Hyunda showed me what was beyond this door and surprisingly...

    There weren''t any corpses. It was a room that only had drawers. However, there were too many drawers. To the point where there was even a ladder in order to climb to extremely high-located drawers.

    As I walked into this mysterious room that Hyunda somehow knew, I couldn''t help but ask the question.

    "Hyunda, what''s inside the drawers...?"

    "Pretty valuable stuff. Just a single one of them is worth millions."

    "M-Millions!? But just what could be worth millions...?"

    Is there even such a thing? He surely must be exaggerating...

    Just what exactly could be here that is worth millions? There''s nothing that can come close to millions.

    "Check it for yourself. Open up one of the drawers. Let me explain something first. This is ordered by prices. The drawers that are located below are those that aren''t worth that much. Of course, I''m talking about what''s inside the drawers, not the drawers in general. If you climb that ladder to the top, then you will find the most valuable ones."

    He''s not mentioning what is inside the drawers...

    Well, it can''t be worse than corpses. The main reason why I truly haven''t thrown up yet is that... I''m used to seeing the sight of corpses.

    This isn''t my first time.

    "Alright..."

    Hyunda is climbing the ladder while I''m doing what I''m about to do.

    Though... What is this smell...? It stinks...

    "Hyundaaa, why does it smell so bad...?!"

    "Don''t worry! It''s pretty normal!"

    His voice is starting to sound distant, but that''s natural considering that he is getting further and further up.

    I''m sure it''s nothing. It can''t be worse than corpses. There is just nothing worse than corpses.

    Those were my honest thoughts before attempting to open up a single drawer.

    "Gyaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!"

    "Holy hell, you''re loud."

    "W-What the hell is that?!"

    I can''t believe what I just saw. I can''t unsee it. Oh my god!

    "Relax! Just remove the suitcase from the drawer and it will be fine! You took your own chances when you looked inside it!"

    "You could''ve told me that we would be checking organs! I would''ve prepared myself!"

    Never in my life did I think that a human being''s intestines could be so ugly! Uggghhh, I''m going to have nightmares for weeks!

    Not unless... Not unless I can have more dreams about you, Hyunda!

    "But... Just the suitcase, huh?"

    Truly, it''s a mystery why there are organs in here! Furthermore, how are there organs here in the first place?!

    Wait... If this is considered low-price, then just what is above this...?

    Nevertheless, despite my inner dialogue, I took the heavy suitcase, which I could not hold onto for too long and decided to put it down.

    Hyunda was already down here, as he brought two suitcases along with him.

    "Hyunda, why do you need organs?!"

    "Why? I''m going to sell them. Give that suitcase to me. I''ll put it on a bigger suitcase and then I''ll take all three of them combined on a bigger one."

    "Okay..."

    How are you going to sell them though...?

    Before returning all the way to the main chapel, that was my thought and it became clear once we entered a certain not-so-known place.

    "Hyunda... Are we going to be fine..?"

    I don''t like the looks on their faces... Those eyes are full of lust...

    Stop looking at me you bunch of creeps.

    "Ignore them. Just continue to move."

    Ahhh, Hyunda...! I love how you just don''t care about anything in general.

    So partial to everything else. But seriously, you could show a bit of caring, especially when I''m being eyed by some perverts across the street.

    I hope you all die from an epidemic, you useless sacks of shit.

    "And, we are here. Our last stop, before we actually do our stuff."

    Accordingly, this should be our last stop and it''s an old store, that stays in the middle of the dark slums.

    Yes... This is...

    "Come right up!"

    A loud voice came forth as soon as Hyunda knocked on the door that was in front of us. In this dark alley, no one stood, except us.

    That''s right. There is only one place in this entire world where what you are about to do is accepted, supposedly.

    That place is no other than...

    "Hyunda... Can I ask how you know this place? This is a black market, for crying out loud!"

    "Can''t be helped. I''m not a subject for the program without reasons to be. Though, don''t worry. This is just for the sake of making some quick money. There''s nothing malicious going on."

    I''m pretty sure selling biological organs is against all morals and ethics.

    In a sense, that is undeniably malicious, Hyunda. Still, you have to be brave and courageous to do this!

    Ahhh, I love how valiant you are! But, my love, please don''t put yourself in such danger.

    "Also, follow along. Don''t talk and if you are asked a question, then just act normally."

    "O-Okay..."

    We haven''t entered this store yet, but Hyunda is already applying pressure on me. How can I say this... This is sorta exciting! I never knew that he was hiding this many things!

    Thus, with a firm push, Hyunda opened up the store and a massive ball of smoke came forth.

    "...."

    The smell of marijuana consumed the place. A single person that was dark-skinned stood in the balcony while reading a porn magazine....

    H-How...

    "You came! I thought you''d never show up!"

    "Sorry. I got distracted with time. Do you have it or not?"

    Multiple organs could be seen in jar-bars throughout the whole store. Kidneys, brains, legs, and whatnot.

    I don''t think that there was any organ missing, truly. We had to walk a very long way before getting here, honestly.

    Furthermore, this place stays completely isolated from the public, as it is in the underground.

    "Hey... You brought a woman with ya? You''re selling that too?"

    W-What?! Who does this guy think he---

    "No. She''s not for sale. She''s already mine, sorry."

    ........!!

    "Tch, lucky bastard. I bet she''s worth millions!"

    "She''s worth more than millions."

    A-Ahhh...!

    "I see! That makes sense considering that you always had eyes for those who had the best organs! Then, do you plan on selling her?"

    "Stop talking nonsense. Do you have it or not?"

    Hyunda, you...! Against this creepy looking person, you just protected me! Also, you said that I wasn''t for sale and that I was all yours!

    Plus, you said that I was worth more than millions... Then, does that mean I''m worth billions or more...?

    Waaaah, I''m so happy!

    "Hayeo, I got it. But you gotta show me the good stuff first."

    "What is this? You''ve known me for years. What''s the point of doubting me now?"

    "You haven''t shown up in the last months, man! I thought you were out for good?"

    "For good? Explain."

    "The others hate you, I''m telling you. You''re making them run for their money every time. Be careful, you might die on of these days..."

    What?! Who are these people...? And why do they want to kill him?! Just because you are worse than someone, that doesn''t mean you should kill that person...

    "Hasn''t it always been like that though? What''s the point in worrying now?"

    H-Hyunda?! What do you mean it''s always been like this?! You can''t die... Not after what happened today... No, even before that, you''ve become the essential figure of my life. Your death isn''t optional.

    Although Hyunda has handed out the three suitcases to the man, I couldn''t help but form a plethora of worries...

    "Ohohoh! This is it! The good stuff! I''ll give you more than usual! How about double the price?"

    "Triple it. It''s not a coincidence that I got three just for you. Plus, let me tell you something. There''s just about barely anyone that can obtain a gallbladder and a urinary bladder."

    T-That''s what''s inside the suitcases!?

    "It''s rare for you to be this demanding. Are you going to be away again?"

    "You guessed it. I can''t make my proper return. Well, it''s not as if I want to return, either way. Got bigger plans in mind."

    "Aight. I''ll triple it. But just because I owe you."

    "Oh wow, you actually remember it."

    What did he mean when he said he had bigger plans in mind...?

    I''m worried... He might try something far too dangerous. That''s just how he is.

    But, this confirms one thing. He did do this in the past. He said that he couldn''t make a proper return, which means that he has done this without a doubt. Yet, why would you do all this?

    As soon as we were done here, I cursed this stupid store and the stupid-ass owner of it and left.

    I hope you get lung cancer from all the weed you smoke. Choke on your own air because it''s intoxicating!

    By the way, Hyunda ended up leaving with me, but with a huge bag on his back.

    Crossing the unknown streets of the underground city that I never knew existed in the first place, I decided to ask Hyunda a question.

    "What is inside that bag...?"

    I do have a rough idea of what it is, but I should confirm what it is regardless. Basing my own assumptions on something that is not confirmed is stupid.

    "2 hours. Considering that you have to get back to Sagasuga 30 minutes in advance, I would say that''s the correct time we have left."

    I forgot... I''ll have to say goodbye to my prince in order to meet that boring person who goes by the name of Sagasuga.

    Is it too much to ask for every other human being except Hyunda and me to stop breathing? It''s not hard...

    Still, my question wasn''t answered.

    "Hyunda... You''re not going to dodge the question, are you? Wouldn''t that make the conversation we had earlier completely useless?"

    "I was just reminding myself of the time that I have with you. Anyways, do you like jewelry?"

    Jewelry...? Well, I am wearing earrings, purses and a pendant, therefore, it wouldn''t be wrong to assume that I do like jewelry in general.

    However...

    "To be honest with you... Not really."

    "Oh, is that so? I see. That''s one less place to go, then."

    Huh?

    "Wait, what?"

    As we walked on and on through the underground city that was quite populated and that had multiple attractions to it, I couldn''t help to question what Hyunda meant by that.

    "I was planning on taking you to a place I know, but considering the little time we have left, I would say it''s important to prioritize the places I truly deem important. Therefore, I started by asking a question about your interest but now that you said you didn''t like jewelr--"

    "I''ll go!"

    Geeeeeeeeeeeezzz! My preferences aren''t mandatory, you know?!

    Eventually, about 20 minutes later, still, in the underground city, we reached a crowded jewelry shop. Even though it was crowded, the people that were surrounding it never went inside the shop and would just stand and admire the pieces of jewelry. The overall prices were absurdly high. I could tell just from eavesdropping. No one would actually dare to buy them because the jewels were either extremely rare or had extremely rare minerals inside them.

    Ahhh, I do recognize at least five. They are massively popular, but that''s because these minerals that I know of are stupidly expensive.

    Blue garnet, rubies, red diamonds, serendibite and last but not least, jadeite. Though, needless to say, they are beyond anyone''s reach. I''m surprised they even bother selling it.

    There''s no way someone would buy jewelry this expensive.

    "Some people would give their organs just to have a small piece of this. Can you believe it? How desperate do you have to be in order to go that far? All for the sake of adoration, but it''s mainly just obsession. My point being, not even rich people can afford such."

    By my right side, Hyunda spoke up, telling his opinion regarding this topic. While I don''t find jewelry necessarily appealing, it is without a doubt, appealing to others. But, that doesn''t work on Hyunda. I do know just how useless my overall looks are.

    I simply invested a lot in jewelry in the past, because my boyfriends were that easy to conquer. Truly boring, now that I think about it...

    "I see. Though, what did we came here for, Hyunda?"

    I''ve been suspecting something. In this underground city... There are a lot of rare attractions. The products that they sell are not average. They are usually in the borderline of unrealistic when it comes to prices. As a matter of fact, this jewelry shop is a good example. Unless you are rich, the likelihood of you buying something from here is negative.

    "What''s your favorite color?"

    "Umm... This might be weird, but... I like brown as a color. Though... Either silver or white is fine!"

    My preferences don''t really matter, but I would say that your hair color or your eye color is automatically part of my preferences.

    "Silver or white. Decide."

    "That''s a really hard task..."

    Why can''t I just have both......? On second thought...

    "Um, is it possible for me to choose silver and white?! I don''t know what this is about, but I can''t decide between these two colors!"

    Before giving me an answer, Hyunda made an exasperated look in response to my dual preferences.

    Eeeh...? Did I make him angry or something...?

    "Greedy... Alright, wait here."

    "Hyunda?"

    Why did he ask me to wait here? And why is he going inside the store?

    I, along with the rest of the other people that were viewing the jewelry exposition from the outside scenery watched Hyunda walking into the store with a confident posture.

    "...Where have I seen him before...?"

    Also from the outside scenery, a boy that looked to be around 12 years-old spoke. He looks extremely poor though... His clothes are all ripped off.

    Nevertheless, despite that, I spoke to him.

    "Do you know him?"

    "Gahhh!!! I can''t remember! Why can''t I remember?! I know I recognize that face, but just where...?"

    What''s up with this kid...? He just screamed and vanished while sprinting off to god knows where...

    Weird town. Actually, what is the name of this town? There are people around here and Hyunda for some reason is talking to the store owner right now, so I''ll just ask around.

    I''ll start with elderly people since they know the most. Thus, I approached a very old man, who had an extremely long white beard and was admiring a pendant of diamonds midst the showcase. He looked pretty serious...

    "Hello, sir?"

    "Go away! Can''t you see I''m busy?! Mhmmm...! I might miss out on the reflection!"

    .....?

    W-Why is everybody in this town suddenly... so obnoxious?!

    W-Well, they can''t ALL be obnoxious, right?!

    How about this young girl!? Ahhh, she looks so pretty! Her spontaneous blonde hair has such an alluring fragrance to it!

    "Young girl, could you tell m-"

    "Get your ticket now! Get it while it''s on sale! 50% discount for those who buy it now! It will expire tomorrow! Oh!! You want this ticket!? It''s yours, miss!"

    No way... How did such a young and innocent-looking girl like you get corrupted into the world of advertising!?

    "I-I''ll pass!"

    Ahhh... This town doesn''t show up on google maps either! What is this?! How come Hyunda''s taking me places that technically exist but as far as the outside world goes, it doesn''t exist?!

    I was starting to get lost in the crowd that had raised quite a bit over the last few minutes for reason, but someone took my hand secretly in the middle of all this.

    "W-What?!"

    But when I noticed...

    "What are you doing? You''ll get lost at this rate."

    That cold sensation that lies in the palm of someone''s hand... it can only belong to him... And it was confirmed, from the moment he pulled me closer to his body.

    "U-Ummm..."

    "I know you said you didn''t like jewelry, but I just want to try something. Can you stay still? I promise it won''t hurt."

    "Okay..."

    We are closer again... in public! People are watching, but.... He doesn''t seem to care...

    Geez, am I not attractive, is that what you are telling me? I didn''t want to use this again, but...!

    "..What are you doing? I thought I told you to stay still...!"

    "I-I''m not doing anything! You''re imagining things!"

    How rare.... His composed expression is showing signs of being vulnerable. T-That''s to be expected...!

    "No way in hell am I imagining things, Arkalee. Just stay still for a second. Stop moving your head from left to right!"

    It is true that I''ve been moving my head from left to right in order to avoid his hands. But at the same time, I''ve been crushing my whole body on his chest.

    Hehe, I haven''t forgotten how you acted back when I used this! You said it yourself, that you wouldn''t be able to resist your primal instincts!

    "Or what? Hmm? What will you do?~"

    I also know how embarrassing this is, but I don''t seem to mind it now, because he''s showing an angry reaction with a bit of frustration behind it.

    Eeeeh~~ So it is like this...? Then...

    "We are in public, you know, Hyunda? What do you think the others are thinking of us right now? How are they viewing us...?"

    Though... I already know the answer to this question. We''re being viewed as a couple. It''s undeniable. Two individuals making this much physical contact...! I thought I would feel way more embarrassed but I''m feeling pretty confident.

    After all, he can''t do anything about this.

    "That''s true. You have to wonder how they will view us after this."

    "H-Huh?"

    His embarrassment is gone... W-Why is he smiling with so much confidence now...?! It should be working...!

    "I too can play that game. Hey, I truly wonder. Can you take it? Try it, at least."

    Unable to react to his quick movement, the top of my left ear felt a soft bite.

    "Aaa-Aa-Ahhh....!!"

    Wh-Wha.....!

    "How bold...!"

    "Young ones are surely living the life."

    ...!!!!!

    "Wh-What are you---"

    "Hold on. I''m not done yet. That was payback for the first time. Now, for what you did just now."

    We''re being watched by this crowd and he still persists no matter what...!?

    But, just what is he going to do...?

    "H-Hyunda, we can''t... This is a publ-"

    "I don''t care."

    Not letting me resist, he applied another soft bite, but this time, not onto my ear, but onto my...

    "K-Kyaaa!! S-Stop!"

    "That''s what you get. Will you stay still now or do I have to do more?"

    My neck out of the places...!! Gosh, I want to die right now! This is too embarrassing! So embarrassing! I even let out a small scream in response Wooooaaaaaahhhh!!!! Kill me!

    "Though... This isn''t a show. All of you, fucking fuck off already!"

    Perhaps I was too embarrassed to look at the whole situation, but Hyunda let out a loud shout to the public that was starting to swarm around.

    Geez... I''ve been defeated. Was he acting all this time? Could he have had the upper edge all this time? Or was he waiting for me to commit the same action twice in order to punish me even further? Regardless of what the truth is, I really don''t regret this. I''m never forgetting this moment for sure.

    Now that I''m standing still while looking down, avoiding to face direct confrontation, Hyunda seems to be taking out something from his pockets.

    "Face me. Otherwise, I can''t put them on."

    "N-No!! You''re just going to do it again! I''m not falling for that!"

    While it''s true that our bodies are remotely connected, there isn''t any embarrassment between us. What a weird sensation... I can''t describe it.

    "Either you face me or I''ll face you instead."

    Bully...!

    Then...

    "Face me then..."

    "Alright."

    It was meaningless to resist or act surprised. I know it, at this point. What he says he will do it, always happens. Is there anything that you can''t do, Hyunda?

    Ultimately, he faced my face just by slightly rising it up with his cold hands. I did avoid looking at him in the eye but it wouldn''t matter since it''s obvious that my face is red.

    Surprisingly though, I felt a sensation behind the back of my two ears. Furthermore, the earrings that I had were swiftly removed with care. Subsequently, I could feel two new earrings being replaced. That cold stern sensation told it all.

    "And done. Oh, right. You can''t see your earrings. Guess I''ll take a picture. Smile please."

    Huh?

    "Wai-"

    Although I was going to tell him to wait, Hyunda just went on ahead and took a picture of me with his phone. Hyunda took a picture of me.

    Hyunda took a picture of me. Hyunda took a picture of me. Hyunda took a picture of me. Hyunda took a picture of me. Hyunda took a picture of me. Hyunda took a picture of me. Hyunda took a picture of me. Hyunda took a picture of me. Hyunda took a picture of me. Hyunda took a picture of me.

    "Hey, you there? Don''t space out. Look at the picture I just took."

    I was absent. I spaced out. Since I was back to my senses, I looked at the picture that Hyunda took of me andddd.....

    "Delete it! Delete it now! It''s so bad! Gosh, you should''ve given me time to prepare! I like to be good in the pictures, for your information! That doesn''t count! Let''s do it again!"

    "Should I set it as my wallpaper?"

    "Noooo!!! Please, just delete it!"

    How can you choose such romantic words in such a horrible situation! Seriously!?

    "That aside, can you look at your new earrings? What do you think?"

    "Huh...? Wait, let me see..."

    Ohhhh...! He got me new earrings... So that''s why he wanted to know whether or not I liked jewelry! I''m definitely never taking these of---

    "Um, Hyunda?"

    "Yeah?"

    Am I seeing things or...? No, I''m definitely not seeing things...!

    "...Did you by some chance get---"

    "This is pretty good. Usually, since the minerals have natural colors, you can''t alter the colors of them, however, the owner of the store can pull out an original painting technique and color the minerals the way he wants to. Given that the left earring is a serendibite type of mineral, it must''ve been hard to paint it fully silver yet it worked. Same with the other one. Can you believe it? He called it blasphemy that I wanted to bath a jadeite type of mineral into pure white. Ridiculous. I''m the buyer and he still argues back."

    "W-W-Wait! Just wait! Wait a second! Serendibite and jadeite?! Hyunda, that''s worth around 6 million yen! You couldn''t have possibly bought them..."

    Yet as I look further into the picture, I can''t see tracks of any lies... They are there, but just how...?

    "Do you think organs are cheap?"

    "No... They are worth a lot! You must''ve gotten a lot of money, but I didn''t think it would be that of 6 million yen..."

    He''s carrying a bag on his back, I know. Without a doubt, there is money there, but...

    "Also, if you are planning on entering the school with that money, then... You really can''t."

    We, from class F, cannot enter school with anything that is beyond the school boundaries. Therefore, it''s impossible to enter with that much money...

    "Hey. Let''s walk. I still got a place to show you. We''re leaving the underground. Also, don''t worry about that. I have it all figured it out. Though, did you like it or not? I need to know."

    "...You don''t really have to ask."

    Because the answer is already obvious. How could I not be happy?! I''m not sure just how much of your overall money you wasted but... I can''t believe that you went this far for me...!

    Today has been full of surprises... This feels like a d-date! Ahhh, I love you so much. I don''t know how many times I''ve repeated that to myself today, but I''ll do it again.

    I love you, Hyunda!

    "No, but I really need to know. If you don''t like them I---"

    "Stupid, I love them!"

    Remotely speaking, after we exited the underground city that I still didn''t know what it was, we wasted that one hour doing a lot of miscellaneous things. We ate, we visited some attractions in Tokyo, we took pictures and we even went to a short theatre.

    All in all, it was a fantastic day. I never imagined that an event like this would happen throughout my life and your existence absolutely fascinates me. Everything you do is outer. Every action we do together feels like a harmonic simplicity to me.

    And that is why it can only be a simplicity when it''s done with the two of us.

    Only us.

 Volume 8 - Chapter 57: Uprising Malice.

    March 2nd. 6 am. Hideout.

    "Daniel, you''re here at last! What the fuck took you so long?!"

    "Aniki!"

    "Phone breaking bastard..."

    Yesterday, Kawahara told me to be at the usual place at 6 am... It''s weird to consider me an option when I''m technically banned from this place, but according to the events that took place after the exam, it makes sense.

    Sleepy as hell, here I am. By the way, I had to break into King George''s room. Thankfully, he was sound asleep. After making my way down here and seeing the unlocked gigantic golden door open before me, I took a step forward and was greeted by Kawahara, Kuzan, and Rayazaki.

    "It''s 6 am... You''re lucky I even bothered to come..."

    Though, we have classes in about 2 hours.

    "What matters is that you came. Have a seat. Kuzan, coffee for 3."

    "Don''t you mean 4, master?! I matter too!"

    "On with it!"

    "Aye!"

    After the typical dialogue between Kawahara and Kuzan went down, I had a seat, but on the couch parallel to the couch where Rayazaki was seating on. Kawahara was on his usual supreme desk. Furthermore, Rayazaki is viewing me with hatred.

    Despite that, I felt the need to talk to Kawahara, before I relaxed my posture back.

    "Kawahara... You seriously need to change ways. How did you even access this place in the first place?"

    Perhaps I''m still too sleepy to think straightly, but I don''t think there is any way to possibly access this place unless we go through King George''s room. That path should not be an available path right now for obvious reasons.

    The door to the underground is locked, so how exactly...

    "Oh, right. I forgot to tell you. My room has now secret access to this place. Damn, I forgot, I guess. Happens."

    "Happens, my ass you fucking idiot!! I could''ve died just now! Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?! What if we are here chilling one day and he decides to visit us!? We''re all fucking screwed!!"

    Is this guy even for real...?

    "Stop bitching! You got here, it doesn''t matter how you''ve done it!"

    "Are we just going to forget the fact that I had to go through that monster''s room at night?!"

    "That''s pretty brave. I praise your efforts."

    I don''t want your damn praise!

    In spite of all this, I''m fairly aware of why we are here. We are just waiting for Kuzan to come with the coffees. I don''t necessarily think that this time and hour are extremely convenient because they are not. However, coffee is more than welcomed.

    But... why is he here though? I can understand Kuzan, but did Rayazaki also...?

    "Kawahara, where is Hyunda? If we are going to compete as a team at the spring festival, then shouldn''t he be here?"

    Speaking of him, he fired a question that I was starting to question as well. I just wouldn''t ask because Kawahara didn''t specify on what this was about. Initially, I thought of not coming, but whenever Kawahara is up to something, it''s usually not a good thing to ignore it.

    Still, how rare. We are all in our school uniforms.

    And since no one gave Rayazaki a straight answer, swiftly a few seconds after Kuzan returned to the main room and distributed the 4 coffees along with all of us, he answered.

    By the way, Kuzan, yesterday, decided to buy a wig, which gave him the appearance of someone with light spiky dark hair. Well, that''s almost the same as his previous hair, but his previous hair was far spikier.

    "Hyunda said that he wasn''t going to come. I did attempt to insist, but it was all for naught. I''m sorry."

    Did Hyunda not show up because he had no way to come here in the first place? Or did Kawahara instruct Kuzan to tell Hyunda to come into Kawahara''s room so he could get here? If not, then it makes sense for Hyunda not to be here yet I digress. Kawahara surely must''ve thought of something that would make the most sense.

    Or he maybe he just couldn''t be bothered? I don''t know what to think when it comes to him. His actions don''t make sense to me.

    "There you go, Rayazaki. Also, what happened to 3 coffees only?"

    Kuzan did not reply however and just had a seat next to me.

    "Daniel, word, please."

    Kawahara called out to me and I met his active eyesight despite being daybreak.

    "What?"

    "Can you get that bastard in here?"

    By ''bastard'', I''m fairly sure he''s referring to Hyunda. No, I''m certain.

    "Why do you need him here though?"

    "He''s part of the team and also, I need to ask him a few questions. That''s why you should get him in here. Tell him to contact me once he feels up to the task."

    Why is Kawahara acting like I''m suddenly his property?

    "Why don''t you do that?"

    More like, why me? If Kuzan couldn''t do it, then why doesn''t he do it? I understand that Kuzan is contracted to him and it makes sense to utilize him, but me? I''m not.

    "You''re going to be like that? After what I''ve done for you?"

    "What you did was out of your free will. Bribes don''t work."

    Even in the scenario where I''m in debt, I won''t pay back. I don''t have the obligation to do so.

    "One day, you''ll regret saying those words to me."

    Doubt it.

    "Kawahara, if Hyunda isn''t here, then what''s the point? Also, what are we going to do this early in the morning? Why here of all places?"

    Rayazaki has been holding his phone but for naught. Could it be that he''s starring at the text history? Hold on, let me check...

    Hahaha, he is! Poor bloomer. It must be rough when you have to wait for your crush to reply back. Boy, do I fucking pity you.

    "The bastard''s not necessary. Although, it would help if he was here. Nonetheless, given the events that happened, on March 20th, the spring festival will start. Before that, we need to completely crush them."

    Kawahara''s words brought up a sensation of confusion immediately, but Rayazaki was way ahead of me when it came to that.

    As I sipped the coffee, I watched Rayazaki let out his doubts.

    "How can we crush them before March 20th? Don''t the events of the spring festival start only on March 20th? What''s the point of ''crushing'' them before the time? That makes no sense."

    Exactly. The spring festival events, which are not even announced yet, will only start on March 20th. There''s seriously no logic to what Kawahara is saying.

    Despite that, Kawahara looked down on us from his position with eyes of mockery. Kuzan was fairly relaxed, perhaps he knew what was already in store.

    "Rayazaki, your naivety is your biggest downfall."

    "What?!"

    "Tone down. My point wasn''t to mock you just now, it was to point it out just so you are aware."

    Prone to always argue back, Rayazaki exhibited a tremendous amount of fury in response to Kawahara''s lax and over-confident words. Though, it is true. Rayazaki''s fairly naive.

    "The fight has already begun. We don''t know what sort of events we will compete in, but one thing we know for sure. We already know who our enemies are. Virtually speaking, the rest of the classes could be labeled as our enemies, but our primary enemies are those six punks. Therefore, we have to crush them morally before they attempt to stand up."

    So his point wasn''t to highlight our performance in the upcoming events but before that. Our enemies are already well-known as Kawahara openly declared war to them. However...

    "Kawahara... You declared war to them... How are we supposed to morally crush them before the festival if they might already suspect that we are way ahead of them? Our movements will be suspected..."

    I spoke in Rayazaki''s turn, but he didn''t seem to differ with my take on this, as he took it well-received.

    Still, I don''t think I''m incorrect here. How exactly are we going to approach them in order to morally crush them? Now that Kawahara has spoken on the ''morally crush them'' idea, I couldn''t help to agree.

    By crushing someone for what they believe in, then they have nothing else to believe in, thus they hit a state of despair and hopelessness. Pretty good idea. But it won''t work. Because verbal contact needs to be made.

    "Movements? Our movements will not involve ''them''. However, it will involve something that is related to ''them''. Something very precious, you could say..."

    Why is he smiling so mischievously now? Did I say something funny?

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    "I don''t get it, Kawahara. How are we supposed to morally crush them without making movements that will not involve them? As the Phone breaking bastard said, our movements will be suspected, so it''s completely illogical to create direct contact..."

    Is he seriously still mad that I broke his phone? Why can''t people see just how much I care for them? My methods aside, the intention behind it was truly good.

    "You don''t get it because I haven''t explained how we are going to crush them so one-sidedly. This absolute crushing menacing act that we are about to commence will go under the project name of: ''Steal Your Girl'' project."

    ......What is he talking about...?

    "I like it already!"

    "Shut up, Kuzan."

    "Aye..."

    After Kawahara turned Kuzan''s joy from up to down, Rayazaki was the first to protest. He rightfully slammed his coffee onto the not-so-far table that was splitting us currently.

    "I''ve got no clue what this project is on about, but I''m already out."

    "You''re out without even listening to it? Come on. You''re better than that."

    Unfortunately, I couldn''t exactly agree with Kawahara''s project. Because, under my assumption, it will mean that a load of work is ahead of me... Again...

    And, there''s also that...

    "Rayazaki, it''s nothing like you are thinking! Just listen to master!"

    Just like always, Kuzan is smiling brightly. I wish he stopped doing that. He''s hiding far too many emotions. Though, he must think to himself that it''s for the greater good.

    "I don''t know man... I refuse to go out of my way for another gi--"

    "Let me explain before you idiots start to assume unnecessary things. The ''Steal Your Girl'' project or SYG for short is the project name that I''m giving to the project. As you two might''ve assumed, this will involve stealing someone''s girl. However, let''s look at reality. Everyone''s single."

    I don''t agree with this.

    "Sagasuga isn''t single, I think."

    I wanted to say that Sagasuga isn''t single, without a doubt, but I''m not sure anymore. I''ve never been curious to the point of knowing the situation as a whole.

    "Why would you say that?"

    "You don''t really pay attention to what goes around unless it concerns yourself, but I think that he and Tateyana are in a relationship..."

    In response, Kawahara''s eyes widened supremely.

    "Really?"

    For him to be asking a question of confirmation, he must have his share doubts. Nevertheless, it''s not exactly the truth, because I don''t know the reality of the situation.

    "I said ''I think'', which means I''m not certain anymore."

    "That''s valuable information, Dan. You do know when to be useful at times! Why can''t that change to ''all the time''?"

    Don''t ask questions you already know the answer to...

    "Dude, go on!"

    Rushedly, Rayazaki said Kawahara to move on. Kawahara does have the habit of not getting straight to the point very often.

    "Regardless of what Dan said, you can''t deny that it''s a fact that the majority is single. You can''t interact with other students aside from the ones in our class, which ultimately cuts down the chances of you hooking up with any other girl from this school. What exactly does this mean? Kuzan, do you want to answer my question?"

    "Sure I do!"

    Having finished drinking his own personal coffee, Kuzan happily continued.

    "It means, the chances of us, the boys, looking at the girls from our class in a romantic light, are super high! Like, super, duper, mega high!"

    It''s true. Let''s imagine that you are in a scenario where there are more than over a thousand students in your school and the only ones you can interact with are the 23 students in your class (if you count yourself out). Out of those 23 students, there are 12 girls.

    Noticeably, this is only relevant if you are truly taking into consideration the female students in your class. If you are a 15-year old teenager, then I don''t see how this shouldn''t be the case.

    Unless you are like me and feel extreme repulsive dishonesty when it comes to the concept of love.

    "Correct, Kuzan. And so, out of all of those 6 bastards, I''m fairly sure that some of them might''ve developed crushes thus far. Rayazaki, you are in that circle too."

    You are as well.

    But your bipolar attitude is making me impossible to figure out who your crush is. You constantly argue and make everyone else hate you in the process. Actually, I''m surprised Rayazaki is standing here without completely losing his shit.

    What exactly happened?

    "Yeah. You''re goddamn right. I love my princess. You got a problem?!"

    Princess, lmfao.

    Kawahara and I let out small laughs in response to Rayazaki''s cringy words. Kuzan was trying to hold himself back but it was eventually all for naught since he gave in as well.

    "I fucking hate you guys! Stop laughing!"

    "Haha --- Well... You have your own case. But, I''m going to ask you to put aside your crush right now."

    Kawahara just asked the impossible for Rayazaki. As I thought, it will have to come down this way.

    Though, I said impossible due to the following reaction.

    "Stop fucking around. She''s not a crush! It''s just a question of time. I''m making progress."

    No, you''re not.

    All these sorry attempts of flirting should have you receiving a block from Hinagiku. It''s common sense to not spam the text history with useless and meaningless texts, but you do it anyway.

    You''re a disgrace to the male gender, Rayazaki!

    "I honestly don''t care. Everyone knows that you love Hinagiku. It''s only a matter of time before someone starts taking advantage of that factor. Let go of this one-sided crush. It''s making you weak."

    Once again, Kawahara says the impossible. As Rayazaki is right now, it''s impossible for him to abandon his one-sided crush. He loves too much. I don''t even know why though.

    But teenagers are often illogical when it comes to love and just prioritize the way they feel in the moment instead of prioritizing how they should feel in general.

    "Shut up. You don''t get to call the shots here. Not what we agreed on."

    "That''s true. You said that you''d only obey my orders if it benefitted you. Right now, you can''t see the reason why you must do what I''m telling you to do. You''ll gain that reason soon enough. Hell, if I''m lucky, it will be today."

    With that said, Kawahara was ready to move on with his explanation, as usual. To him, insisting with Rayazaki didn''t make much sense right now.

    There''s also the fact that Rayazaki mentioned something like ''Not what we agreed on'', which means that something did happen.

    "Rayazaki aside, I''m going to have you two do the majority of the work for now---"

    "Hold on. I never said that I was going to agree with this."

    Why is he taking for granted that I will cooperate? Plus, I have an extremely serious reason as to why I can''t participate in this stupid project of his.

    "Don''t be stupid, please. You''ve been denying cooperation left and right only for the purpose of denying me. Or is this still about the free-will bullshit? Because I can''t see any other reason here."

    "I just don''t have a reason to partake in this project, honestly. What do I even stand to gain?"

    "Oh, what? You''re just like Rayazaki. You two numb-skulls can''t take a hint. Fair enough. Well, that sucks then. I''ll wait, I guess."

    Huh? What? He''s just not going to insist like that? That''s rare for him... Usually, he insists so much but now he just gave up.

    He also said something about not being able to take a hint. That''s pissing me off... Is it something extremely obvious? This was all because he didn''t want to lose in that stupid argument and thus, he decided to drag everyone else along the way.

    Whatever...

    8:30 am. Block F.

    There was a reason why I wasn''t just walking inside the main classroom. There was a small concentration on the primary door.

    How rare. Usually, everyone is already in class. This time around though, almost every single one of us was outside.

    Seeing my table partner on the edge of the window with her back against the wall, I asked her what was going on.

    "What''s this?"

    "How should I know?"

    Thus, I turned around and directed myself to the classroom instead of wasting more time with her.

    After passing through some of my classmates, I got a good hold on the scene.

    "How horrible... Who did this...?"

    "The boys, without a doubt! I bet Kawahara ordered someone to do this! That must be it."

    Hinagiku and Akimiyashika were discussing something at the center of the class. Right now, inside the classroom, there was only Akimiyashika, Hinagiku, and Yuka-sensei. They were all concentrated onto one place alone.

    If I recall correctly, that''s Ikkiri''s seat...

    The atmosphere, in addition, is pretty awkward. Why is no one coming in?

    "Excuse me..."

    As I spoke those words, Akimiyashika''s death stare glare assaulted my entire soul straight up.

    "Get out! Who told you to come in?!"

    She''s right. No one is coming in for a certain reason. While it is unfortunate that my table partner did not give me an honest answer, I don''t really have to barge here. I can just ask my other classmates.

    That would be the morally right approach.

    "No one. but no one has told me to come inside this classroom from day one, so why should I bother at this point?"

    And once again, Basara-sensei is not here. How unusual...

    "Then, here is the first time! Leave! Wait outside until further instructions!"

    Why the hell is she so bossy today? What have I done to receive this treatment? Aren''t you being aggressive for no reason, Akimiyashika?!

    "I''m not leaving. Give me a reason to, if you are going to argue that I should leave."

    "You are still here?! Go aw --- Ah..."

    Something interrupted her speech, and curious enough to know what interrupted her speech, I looked where she was looking, which was the entrance door.

    There, the figure of Ikkiri slammed the door with all of her might. Just like the majority of the girls, she was wearing a long skirt along with her uniform.

    "Aki! What''s going on?!"

    Her semi-aquatic blue hair was without a doubt her most noticeably feature. But, her natural enthusiasm would be a contender for sure. Nevertheless, Ikkiri loudly asked Amikiyashika, who suddenly became pale, what was going on.

    "Ikkiri, don''t come in yet!"

    Although Akimiyashika attempted to warn her, Ikkiri kept on walking at a fast pace to the current location.

    We didn''t cross glances because she was more curious about the whole situation. Simultaneously, Yuka-sensei placed her right hand onto Akimiyashika''s shoulder before saying her own words of consolation.

    "Whoever did this, used permanent color pens for sure. Therefore, it''s impossible to remove it even with cleaning. Plus, the cameras are broken. You noticed it, haven''t you?"

    Now that I look at it, there are four cameras here. However, they are all ravaged. This means that they are most likely broken. What Yuka-sensei might''ve been implying would be that if the cameras were disabled before, then the one in question cannot be caught.

    Though, what the hell are they talking about in the first place? I get that they are trying to hide something since AKimiyashika and Hinagiku are entirely blocking my view with their crossed arms and angry expressions, but they could explain something at least...

    "Can''t we just replace the tables? The problem will then be--"

    "We can''t, Akimiyashika. There aren''t any replacements."

    "But isn''t it unacceptable for this to happen in the first place!? You can''t start class today! Call if off, please."

    Suddenly, Akimiyashika ordered Yuka-sensei to not start class today.

    "Aki! Hina! Sensei! What''s going on?! Answer me, please! This concerns me, right?!"

    The three of them, in response, didn''t exactly answer straight up though. Firstly, they attempted to mask the subject, which I still had no clue what it is.

    "I-Ikkiri, umm, can you stay outside just for a tiny bit, please?"

    Hinagiku attempted to drive her away, but she simply kept on approaching.

    "Hina... What are you talking about? Aren''t we delaying the class from starting? Why are you all so centered around my desk? Something happened, I know it! What is it?!"

    Without waiting around any more, she forced her way through by passing through Akimiyashika and Hinagiku, who were attempting to block her way.

    "Oh..."

    I still couldn''t see what was going on, but Ikkiri let out a small sound as soon as she saw it.

    It''s not as if I''m not curious, but Akimiyashika and Hinagiku are glaring at me like I''m some sort of sub-human being that doesn''t deserve to live, or in this case, see what they are seeing.

    "D-Don''t worry! I can seat here! Sensei, I can do this, right?! Just until this table and seat get replaced!"

    "I can allow it, yes. But are you sure...?"

    What the hell are they talking about...? God, just stop glaring at me like that Hinagiku... I''m not a degenerate, for your information...

    "Absolutely! I can--"

    "Aki, stop. I don''t really care. It''s fine!"

    Even though Akimiyashika was already creating other alternatives, Ikkiri quickly shut them down with her own words.

    "It''s not fine! I''m going to find out who did this, I promise! This is not alright!"

    "It''s fine! I''m telling you, I don''t really care, Aki! You are so kind, Aki! But, honestly, it''s fine! Sensei, let''s start the class, shall we?"

    I don''t know why, but Ikkiri is just smiling grandly throughout this while Akimiyashika, Hinagiku, and Yuka-sensei are with expressions that resemble worry and exasperation.

    Some of my classmates have started to walk in and approached the scene, which triggered Akimiyashika to speak up. However, before she could, Yuka-sensei spoke to her first.

    "This won''t be overlooked, Aki. But, no matter what, the class cannot be delayed. I''m asking you to understand that. I know the gravity of the situation, but the class needs to be started."

    "Sensei! That''s not right!"

    At this point, I was seating on my seat without wanting to know what exactly happened.

    "I know. I''m not saying it is, but I do vow to make this situation right. I''m sorry, but I''m starting class."

    Thus, without further delay, Yuka-sensei went to call out the remaining of the students from my class and declared the class to start.

    By contrast to Yuka-sensei''s orders, the majority of the students started to center Ikkiri''s table and seat.

    My table partner was there as well. With that in mind, I got up from my seat and met up with her, but she fleed the scene to her seat as soon as she saw it, without expressing much care about it.

    Oh, then it''s probably nothing serious. Just girls being dramatic. Makes sense.

    Or, so I thought.

    But, when I got around the scene, even I couldn''t hide my surprise.

    "What the hell..."

    On Ikkiri''s table and chair, there was a myriad of words and sentences written in different colors with gigantic letters all over it, such as:

    ''DIE.'' ''ATTENTION WHORE!'' ''NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOU!!'' ''THIEF.'' ''THERE''S NOWHERE TO HIDE NOW!'' ''KILL YOURSELF BITCH!'' ''M-I-N-E!!!'' ''WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT.'' ''PILE OF TRASH!'' ''YOU''RE A WASTE OF OXYGEN!'' ''YOU''RE GONNA DIE AND NOBODY WILL FUCKING CARE!'' ''YOUR TIME IS SHORT.''

    There were more, but I left the scene without saying anything.

    What''s going on...

 Volume 8 - Chapter 57.5: Who did it? Part 1.

    "There will be no lunch today. Based on the scenario that you all can see, I''ll conduct a thorough investigation on all of you when it''s lunchtime, until then, we will conduct class as normal. I don''t want any commentaries as well. Any unnecessary words will earn you a walk into the principal''s office. Are we clear here or do I need to emphasize further? Also, Sana and Arkalee, I need to talk to the two of you for obvious reasons. After class, please."

    Starting off with a semi-long speech, Yuka-sensei addressed the situation clearly. The only two people who could not attend the situation were Kawahara and Akihiko. Aside from that, everyone else was present.

    The class had to proceed as normal, but it was undoubtedly hard to do so considering the current scenario.

    "Sensei, it''s fine! Can we just start the class already? I don''t really mind!"

    One of the biggest mysteries yet is why Ikkiri is happily smiling and saying that what just took place is nothing to take into consideration? This must be an act, but why is she acting like this?

    If someone did this do me, I would use physical force without a second thought. It''s unacceptable to be looked down upon.

    "It''s not fine. But, you are correct. The class is starting now. Take your seats, please."

    There were still some of us who were not on their respective seats. It''s creepy how Ikkiri is just smiling through all this.

    "Sensei, you said ''obvious reasons'' but I don''t understand."

    Sana, who was already on her seat asked. It wasn''t only Sana that was remotely interested in this. Arkalee was as well.

    Although, Arkalee did not speak and just looked at Yuka-sensei expecting an answer. Hyunda, who is seated next to her, whispered something on her ear in the meantime, which made Arkalee tap her own mouth due to a certain amount of shock she received.

    Speaking of which, these two have been quite close to each other the past few days. It''s a no-brainer that Arkalee is essentially all over him for some reason.

    "Do you really want me to say it out loud?"

    "Yes..."

    Unlike Arkalee, whose facial expression deemed the result of no longer being clueless, Sana was quite confused.

    "What happened to not talking to other students? Or just interaction in general? Why did you two blatantly ignore this?"

    Seriously? They did? Are they stupid? If I recall correctly, I did the same, but my case has not been found out and even if it is, there is technically no anecdotical evidence to censure me for what I did.

    However, both Sana and Arkalee did not respond and just embraced the silence that consumed the classroom.

    Thus, the class proceeded as usual, even when that should''ve not been the case.

    I recall Akimiyashika''s words and how she said that it must''ve been one of the boys who has gone and done this. Certainly, if we take into consideration the ones who have shown the vilest behaviors yet, then the boys would be the case.

    9: 15 am.

    With the serious atmosphere that Yuka-sensei had created in this classroom, no one would dare to cause any ruckus. It would be a different story if Kawahara was here, for example. Would he make a scene out of this?

    Nevertheless, despite the iron-clad rule of not commenting on the overall situation, Ikkiri was constantly receiving eyes from our classmates. There were some small laughs along the way too.

    Why are they finding this funny though? Tatsu, for example, is maintaining his distance from Ikkiri by going to the furthest edge of the table.

    That''s a sign of disgust.

    "Did you do it?"

    I launched that question at my attentive table parter who was religiously taking notes once again.

    Her serious expression never changes. Considering that we''ve had our fair share of arguments still, it doesn''t take a fool to know what was ahead of me.

    "What part of ''Don''t talk to me'' do you not understand? Oh, that''s right. You''re a retard. I forgot. Retards don''t possess the natural comprehensive abilities that average human beings do."

    I doubt she did it. She doesn''t seem to be the type of person who would be bothered to go through this much length in the first place. Plus, there were some hateful messages, well, not just hateful, but spiteful, malicious and evil words/sentences on Ikkiri''s table. As a matter of fact, they still are there.

    Unless there is a drama between her and Ikkiri, I doubt that she was the one who did it.

    With that in mind, I ignored her retort and additionally ignored the vibrating sound from my phone and proceeded to sleep until 1 pm.

    1 pm.

    "....Ouch..."

    Waking up at late 5 am today, it''s natural that I might''ve been more sleepy than usual and thus, it would additionally be natural that the chances of me oversleeping in a scenario where I was already asleep, would be extremely high.

    Nonetheless, my table partner delivered a strong kick on my calf in order to wake me up.

    "It''s starting. I want this to be over as soon as possible. If you get interrogated, then don''t prolong it."

    ......?

    "What the fuck are you talking about?"

    "I''m saying that you should act with minimal intelligence. Preserve time, so to speak. Or is this also hard for you to understand?"

    My face is still semi-buried in my tender arms, but it''s pretty clear that she''s already starting to try and boss me around per usual.

    Furthermore, just by looking at the front scenery, I could tell that Yuka-sensei was on her desk while waiting for everyone to maintain silence. Therefore, there was no point in retorting back to the bitch, even if I supremely wanted to do so.

    "As you all know or might not know, this morning when I opened the classroom, I stumbled upon the disgrace that someone must have done it. Ikkiri, can you come to my side, please?"

    Ikkiri was starting to show visible discomfort. Of course she is. No one in their right mind would be able to endure hours seating on a desk that is full of curses. There''s also the fact that this is a room full of criminals. Without a doubt, the culprit is part of this class.

    "...Do I really have to? I already said it''s fine."

    I would suggest a drinking game for every time she says the word ''fine'', but I''m not that heartless.

    "Please."

    Despite her initial continuous resistance, Ikkiri eventually slowly walked up to Yuka-sensei while constantly looking down on the floor. Her strong facade was starting to shatter itself in the process of attempting to maintain itself endlessly.

    After she took a seat on the chair next to Yuka-sensei, Yuka-sensei continued.

    "I have no idea how you all can come up with something this horrible. Is this funny? While I was explaining morals, I heard some laughs. Tell me. Is it funny? Well, is it?"

    No one answered. Ikkiri was still looking downcast.

    "No answer? Fine. I must say, whoever came up with this is extremely bold. Breaking the four cameras and removing the inner chip from them at the same time? Impressive. But what''s more impressive is how there isn''t any footage between 7 pm to today. Which means it must''ve happened in that time-gap. However, it would be impossible for the culprit to simply walk in and break the cameras without being caught by the cameras doing it first. Therefore, the system itself was infiltrated. Or am I just wrong here? Is there some way to magically access the security system physically?"

    Is she making a claim that the system was hacked? By one of us...? That''s just... What?

    No way that''s true. Though, if she''s speaking the truth, then it makes sense because despite there being cameras, it doesn''t matter if you remove the inner chip or not since the footage is already recorded.

    A plausible scenario would be the shutdown on the electronic system.

    "Coincidentally, all of the blocks yesterday ran out of electricity between 7 pm to 9 pm. Coincidence? I don''t think so."

    The dorm''s electricity was fine and thankfully, no one messed with the Wi-Fi password, so I was not even aware that this happened in the first place.

    "Doesn''t that mean that the culprit is someone who could hack the system?"

    Tateyana made that bold question. Truth to be told, that would be way too open. Plus, there''s no telling whether or not that was truly a coincidence or not. Even if the chances are high, discounting the missing percentage isn''t entirely correct.

    "Not necessarily the case. As I''ve explained it, since the blocks ran out of electricity, someone must''ve infiltrated the power storages and had shut down the blocks as a whole. However, that doesn''t make much sense. The culprit that supposedly shut down the power storages should have been caught by the cameras. This means someone must have manipulated the cameras, in other words, going to the point of hacking them."

    Would someone really go that far just to make Ikkiri feel this bad? I doubt it. What''s there to hate about her?

    I''m not trying to portray a white-knight perspective or anything of that sort, there aren''t, however, any reasons to hate on Ikkiri.

    She''s overall enthusiastic and hasn''t hurt a fly.... Is what I would say. But considering the last exam, I would think that there is someone who truly hates her.

    "So the culprit has experience in hacking...?"

    Tateyana asked once again. Puzzled this time, though. Sagasuga followed her up on that.

    "That''s only under the assumption that the culprit has done all of this. Why would someone go as far as doing all of this...?"

    "It''s weird. Ikkiri, have you done something to anyone here? It would make this a lot easier if you tell us something that we don''t know, for sure."

    I''m surprised that they are showing this much cooperation just to help out Ikkiri. How do I say this... I wasn''t expecting this much kindness from students who are labeled as criminals.

    Both Sagasuga and Tateyana seem to be in good terms now, to the point of synergizing both of their thoughts and ideas altogether.

    "I don''t think so..."

    If she had done something worthy of this, then it would explain. Though, Sagasuga, aren''t you forgetting something essential here?

    There is someone who has a reason to hate her. Even if that reason should not be relevant in the first place.

    "Under my impression, there might''ve been more than just a culprit. Someone who hacked the cameras and someone who destroyed the cameras, and possibly, the third culprit, the one who wrote all of those cursed words."

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Akimiyashika had spoken at long last. Initially, she showed a great deal of anger when it came to this situation, but she had kept her silence for a while. I think that she was drawing conclusions on the scenarios with the highest likelihood in general.

    "Interesting. Explain your reasoning, Aki."

    Yuka-sensei allowed her to express herself even further, thus Akimiyashika got up from her seat and spoke in the direction of all of us, which contrasted Ikkiri and Yuka-sensei''s location.

    Radiantly, her crimson red hair shone and bathed her posture with dignity and regality. With her hand on her chest, she spoke succinctly.

    "From what I could observe thus far, I''ve concluded that there might be three culprits overall. Based on how each action was executed, they were executed fairly differently. First of all, the one who hacked the camera''s system did not have any direct physical involvement in this, therefore, it''s hard to claim which pattern that person upholds in the first place. Nonetheless, I would assume that the person who did such is attempting to stay hidden here."

    It''s simply an assumption but that might''ve been the case. They already discussed as to why they believe that the system was truly hacked. Someone with a high caliber when it comes to hacking could''ve easily pulled this out.

    The question is... Who?

    "Secondly, as everyone in this room can observe, the security cameras were ravaged and destroyed in a brute enforcing manner. Pardon my bias, but I don''t truly believe that a girl would do this. In other words, I will claim that a boy did this!"

    It is biased alright, but she does have a point. Even though it lacks enough logic. And since that was the case, Tsudo decided to protest in response to Akimiyashika''s biased words.

    "That''s complete bullshit! Girls can also do this! What gives you the right to make such a claim based on gender alone?!"

    Some boys undoubtedly sided with Tsudo here as they saw Akimiyashika''s point truly biased and not logical.

    Truth to be told, she does have a fair share of bias when it comes to our gender. It''s been bugging me. Why do feminists even exist?

    "Have you looked at how the cameras are!? They are destroyed. In order to truly crush them, even through their hard-metallic structures, the culprit needs to have a decent amount of physical strength. No, beyond decent. Which is why I believe the culprit at hand to be someone who has an incredible physical prowess. Don''t get me wrong though. I''m not claiming that any of you did this. Because, to me, the culprit who broke the cameras is not present today. I don''t think I need to say who it is!"

    Oh, I see. Under her impression, only someone like Kawahara could break those hard-steeled security cameras.

    It''s seriously not hard to imagine Kawahara pulling out something like that. Though, is she seriously assuming that the only way to crush those cameras is through physical contact? Clobbering them with a metal bat could do the trick.

    So biased...

    "Kawahara, then?"

    Yuka-sensei wanted to confirm Akimiyashika''s obvious claim. Nobody dared to defend Kawahara because the majority of the girls were starring at us with madness.

    Not even Kuzan.

    "Yes. That''s what I truly believe."

    "Excuse me for interrupting, but I don''t think Kawahara is even that smart, to begin with. Kawahara must''ve been in contact with someone that had experience in hacking and considering how just about every single one of us hates him, I strongly doubt that he managed to pull out some unreal teamwork like that..."

    Shizuku has no way of knowing whether or not Kawahara actually did it, but her point makes sense.

    Essentially, since about everyone here hates him with all of their guts, except Kuzan, the likelihood of him being able to contact someone with hacking experience is low. Though, Shizuku has no idea what actually happens behind the scenes.

    Nevertheless, even I hate Kawahara a bit. His arrogance and know-it-all attitude isn''t exactly a momentum of admiration.

    "Shizuku is right, Akimiyashika. You can''t just blame Kawahara so one-sidedly like that. It''s not as if he is the only boy with tremendous physical strength here..."

    Yulia, what are you saying? Stop looking at me, please.

    Plus, Kawahara isn''t even here. Structure your sentences well.

    Unfortunately, Akimiyashika looked at me as some girls did as well, but Akimiyashika quickly turned her eyes around, thankfully.

    "True... I do have to admit that I am blaming him a tiny bit. Though, out of all the boys who could have destroyed the cameras, which of them have the highest chance of doing it?"

    "Sensei... Can you stop her? She''s just spewing gender-related bullshit at this point. This debate is starting to lose coherence."

    Unexpectedly, Susaga spoke up and shut down Akimiyashika''s vile attempts to glorifying her gender quickly.

    Or, that would be the ideal case...

    "Whoever broke the cameras utilized brutal physical force for sure. And considering the overall physical prowess in both genders, I would say that the girls are at a disadvantage. Don''t think I''m saying this because I like to say it. It''s a scientific fact."

    "But this doesn''t make any sense to discuss in the first place. What matters is who wrote those rubbish aggressive words, right? Why are we suddenly talking about who destroyed the cameras? If someone hacked the system, then doesn''t that mean that the culprit is trying to drive us away from what truly matters?"

    Certainly... If the culprit''s intention is to stall, then, as Susaga said, it would make sense for them to create a sudden distraction like that. I still don''t know why Akimiyashika is prioritizing the topic of who destroyed the security cameras...

    Is there an actual reason for this?

    "Sorry for taking your turn again, sensei, but I''ll speak again. It''s important to know who did this as well. If the cameras were not destroyed, then the internal chip would contain the footage. However, since the electricity was shut down, the cameras were shut down as well. This triggered one of the culprits to destroy the cameras."

    "Your opinion makes no sense. If, according to you, the one who hacked the system disabled the cameras and electricity in general, then why would someone bother with destroying the cameras? I get what you are trying to say though. Accordingly, the internal chip matters, but that also makes no sense. The footage is only available through the cameras when they are working. As soon as the electricity was shut down, the internal chip stopped mattering."

    A wild trade of opinions between Akimiyashika and Susaga just took place. I never took Susaga for someone who could hold his ground this well, but he''s going at it.

    "That''s the entire point. Supposedly, it makes no sense, so, why would someone do it in the first place?"

    Akimiyashika just acknowledged that her previous point that she drastically tried to make gain relevance only had the meaning of questioning the action of whoever did this and why that person did it in the first place.

    "Hmmmm... Then, isn''t this bait, Aki?!"

    According to Kanawari, this is potentially baiting, however, is it truly correct to just discard the possibility of the camera''s destruction? Is it as nonsensical as they are saying?

    "That''s not a bad assumption, Kana. But, don''t you think that that''s the bait itself? To make us think that it''s bait when it''s not?"

    Without a doubt, Akimiyashika is currently in charge of this investigation. The fact that Yuka-sensei isn''t doing anything to stop her, it means that she agrees with her methodology.

    Plus, she just made a good question. This could very well be reverse psychology.

    "I see! I see! Then, the culprit made us think that the destruction was bait in order to delay the progression? But, are you sure, Aki?"

    "There''s nothing wrong with investigating each section clearly. However, I think that I should move on from this point already. This can come later."

    It seems she was ready to move on to the essential point. And, in order to portray her upcoming point better, Akimiyashika went to Ikkiri''s desk and examined the words that were written in it, before speaking.

    Ikkiri was still looking down while Akimiyashika was standing up for her and her alone. Impressive bond, I have to say.

    Or rather, Akimiyashika''s will to pursue is the remarkable thing here.

    "Lastly, the culprit who wrote this... Might either be a boy or a girl."

    This raised a few questions and brought up controversy as well.

    Why was she suddenly saying such things?

    "My reasoning for my deduction is the following... This hand-writing does not alternate. Which means that only one person did it and not multiple. This was most likely the end goal of the culprit, to write this plethora of untruthful words at Ikkiri for no reasonable reason whatsoever!"

    Akimiyashika''s strong words assaulted everyone in this classroom with great effect. Her voice was so spiteful and stoic in the process of all this, which just reflected how serious she was about this.

    "Aki... It''s really fine..."

    "No, it''s not. And with this as proof, I will ask all of you to write the following sentence on a blank sheet. I''ll write that sentence on the board, without further ado."

    What is she planing...?

    She couldn''t be thinking of...

    Well, regardless of what she was thinking of doing, Akimiyashika went to her desk and brought up a pile of white sheets and distributed a single sheet to all of us, after writing the sentence on the board, which was...

    ''I am the culprit''.

    How bold. Though, I get what she''s trying to do. Applying psychological pressure onto the culprit is already a good move.

    There''s still the option of Kawahara being the culprit, but I don''t see why. This seems way too personal and I don''t think I''ve ever witnessed any remarkable interaction between Kawahara and Ikkiri.

    Akihiko''s case is self-explanatory, therefore... The culprit is in this classroom.

    Already on the edge of the board, Akimiyashika spoke as soon as she saw that everyone was done writing the sentence on their sheets.

    Noticeably, both Ikkiri and Yuka-sensei also had to write down the sentence. She was not letting anyone escape.

    "The hand-writing of the culprit is very childish and messy. However, that can be something that the culprit wanted to be known. By suspecting this event, the culprit might''ve gone and purposedly changed their hand-writing. Which is why every hand-writing will be taken into serious consideration."

    That''s confusing then. What''s the point of writing down the sentence even? Shouldn''t the whole point of this be to decipher the culprit''s hand-writing based on the similarities?

    Why would you contradict this?

    "In case you are wondering, this is superficial."

    Your words are confusing me now, even more, Akimiyashika. You are saying this is superficial, but aren''t you defeating the whole purpose of this, then?

    I do want to speak up now, but this is still the early game.

    "Then, what was the point of this?"

    Ryoken questioned Akimiyashika''s mysterious action without waiting around.

    "It would defeat the whole purpose if I told anyone what the true intent of this is..."

    Ultimately handing out the sheets to Yuka-sensei, Akimiyashika resumed her stance while leaving Ryoken and the majority of the class in confusion.

    "There is something we know for sure. This could not have happened on February 28th. Therefore, it happened yesterday. Would someone like to tell me what exactly happened yesterday that could be considered something out of the ordinary?"

    Of course, everyone knew what Akimiyashika was referring to. I don''t think anyone missed out on this whatsoever.

    Thus, Kuzan enthusiastic replied.

    "Our only day of freedom!"

    "That''s right, Kuzan. The only day anyone from our class can leave is at the beginning of the month. Today is March 2nd, thus yesterday marked the beginning of March; March 1st. Without a shadow of a doubt, the majority, if not all of us left school to enjoy their day of freedom. No offense, but being locked here for an entire month is excruciatingly boring. That aside, assuming that we all left --- Oh wait! That''s right! Someone didn''t leave! Who was that person again...? Um...? Oh yeah! Someone who is still grounded and isn''t present here today! Who is it?!"

    Wow, I can''t believe she made such a solid point at first but she washed it all down just to point out the fact that Kawahara is still grounded and under suspension.

    There is some obvious hatred here. I''m starting to think that it''s not even a gender-related thing, but just Kawahara in general.

    "Kawahara, Aki!"

    Following Akimiyashika''s lead, Hinagiku erupted from the silence she herself bestowed upon her and let out a loud shout.

    "This again, Akimiyashika? I''m not defending Kawahara but didn''t we all agree that this could have only happened between 7 pm to 9 pm? For your information, in case you didn''t know, if you left school yesterday, you had to be in school at 6 pm maximum. It''s unjust to label Kawahara as the overall culprit just based on the fact that he stayed here at school."

    If we go by Yuka-sensei''s logic, then Sagasuga is correct. Assuming that this event did take place between 7 pm and 9 pm, Kawahara can''t be the only person to blame here.

    "That would normally be the case, Sagasuga. I do agree with you this time. However, if the culprit truly has a connection with a hacker in this class, then, shouldn''t changing the time of the event be a simple thing?"

    What?

    "Are you seriously suggesting that for some reason, the time was altered? Certainly, that shouldn''t be impossible for a hacker, but still... Aren''t you going out of the line a little bit too much? This is an unrealistic scenario."

    Sagasuga is once again, correct. Akimiyashika is proposing a scenario where Kawahara was able to infiltrate this classroom in a time that was not the one that was proposed by Yuka-sensei.

    "Isn''t it possible though? If Kawahara truly had such connections, he could''ve told the hacker to manipulate the time span. According to common sense, the majority could only infiltrate here when the blackout happened. That''s common sense. But if the time was not correspondent to the one of the blackout, wouldn''t it make the most sense to assume that the timespan was manipulated?"

    This is... I mean, it''s not impossible.

    It''s just... If we go by Akimiyashika''s set of methods, we will be here all day interrogating the probabilities of the infinite scenarios that there are out there.

    "That''s not possible. Kawahara was being watched by our supervisor. Plus, I stayed with him from 4 pm and beyond. Akimiyashika, you are getting a bit unrealistic..."

    I can''t tell if Kuzan is lying or not, but it would make sense for Kawahara to be under King George''s vigilance.

    Furthermore, to aid Kuzan''s words, Yuka-sensei additionally spoke.

    "Aki, Kuzan is right. I did ask the supervisor to watch over him. Kawahara can''t be the culprit here."

    Was this all an act then? Did Yuka-sensei purposely allow this event to happen just to make sure that Akimiyashika would understand that Kawahara could not possibly have done anything regarding this?

    For sure, that''s the correct approach if we want to eliminate the ones who are to be less suspected.

    ".......I see..."

    She seemed slightly damaged by that. Yet, she continued to speak.

    "Kawahara aside, I think I can label a strong guess on who has the most reason to hate Ikkiri. It should be common sense to everyone here that the previous exam involved two individuals instead of one. And, it should also be even more obvious that there were a lot of losses. However, some of us just can''t accept losses maturely and thus, it wouldn''t be strange to censure your partner for your own immaturity."

    Akimiyashika midst her speech was looking at the one person who I had in mind all this time. The only person who has a reason to hate Ikkiri, in spite of all.

    This person had a serious look on his face and was trying not to act bothered at all, but it was too late since Akimiyashika had already chosen her target.

    "Tatsu! You did it, didn''t you?"

    "What?"

    Strongly pointing towards Tatsu, Akimiyashika claimed Tatsu to be the one who did this.

    "You can''t lie to me. I saw how you acted full of spite all this time and how you couldn''t accept your defeat! You surely thought it was Ikkiri''s fault even though it was her absence that was the cause!"

    "Nonsense. I wouldn''t win either way. She''s useless and most importantly, she acts like a kid all the damn time. Winning was not an option. I would not bother myself with this shit!"

    Even if Tatsu denies it, in my mind, he is the one who did all of this. But...

    It''s strange still. I know that he is the most suspectable person out of all, but considering the cursed words...

    It doesn''t add up yet...

    "Admit it! There''s no one else here that has a bigger reason to censure Ikkiri than you! She''s kind, grateful and sympathetic! Only someone with tremendous spite like you would go through such lengths!"

    "I would seriously advise you to watch your mouth..."

    Given that the argument was escalating a bit too high, Yuka-sensei had no choice to intervene.

    However, before she could, a certain twin-tailed girl spoke loudly, which drew the attention of all eyes to her.

    "Please wait! I think I know who the culprit is!"

 Volume 9 - Chapter 58: Who did it? Part 2.

    "Please wait! I think I know who the culprit is!"

    Not only did everyone fall under a short silence when she spoke, but, in addition to that, no one knew how to react.

    There is only one girl with twin-tails in this class and that girl is Arkalee. She often dresses with extravagance and, without a doubt, she is pretty. Too pretty, honestly.

    Her angelic face contains the rarest virgin killer asset I''ve ever seen.

    With eyes that express unrealistic vividness and an intangible degree of innocence, her strikingly stunning beauty consumed me in a moment of awe.

    The glistening white and silver earrings that synergized perfectly with her enthralling unrivaled charming appearance were only a sub-par factor in comparison to the bewitching divine golden make-up and pink-colored lipstick that infused a sense of balance so powerful enough to give heart attacks to anyone who would dare to bestow their unworthy eyes on her ethereal heavenly figure.

    Furthermore, her crystalized-like white skin was enough to make you question whether or not it was genuine due to the unfathomable sheer radiance it transmitted to the outside world. As twins behave accordingly, her luscious brown twin-tails entwined with each other gleaming from the top of her vessel all the way to her bosom, which reminisced heaven itself.

    In a truly excusable attempt of attempting to hide her semi-voluptuous chest, the formal green blazer made uniquely for the female gender fitted her with a waterfall of grace. Intertwined with her uniform, a hidden red tie, which would lose its existence the moment you looked at the lustful chest that only herself has stood there superficially.

    Additionally to all of this, at her twin-tails'' end, the destination where the gender I''m contracted with would fall in a rain of lust was undoubtedly her short green skirt hiding her slender waist and a well-refined-sized bend that her hips would have you lustfully fall in a malevolent storm of excitement.

    To contemplate her fascinating passionate image further, blacks tighs with unlimited scenarios of endless paradoxical lust were her most visible alluring asset of today. Plus, the limitation between the tighs'' end and her tempting-sized skirt was enough to make armies go to war just for the explicitly of the view that lied beneath the horizons above the imagery.

    Ultimately, her soft hands whistled down from her chest to her waist''s edge as Arkalee spoke in a marvelous tune.

    "Aren''t we using a weird set of methods to find the culprit...? In my personal opinion, we should all work together and solve this case...!"

    Arkalee, in a cute low-toned voice, spoke out after a swift time span that was occupied with silence and admiration only.

    "What are you talking about? First, you say that you know who the culprit is but then you say something like working together? Explain yourself better, please."

    Akimiyashika, whose attitude contrasts the shy Arkalee, can''t possibly comprehend why Arkalee was suddenly stricken with a searing sensation of reluctance.

    Despite that, Arkalee replied back to the feverish Akimiyashika.

    "E-Erm...! I do have my opinion on who the culprit is, but then I thought of something better... I think we should all work together in this case instead of splitting opinions like this... I want to find the culprit because I don''t think it''s fair that Ikkiri has to go through all of this! She doesn''t deserve it!"

    I think at this point we all have an opinion on who the culprit is, but, she does bring up a good point.

    We are using a weird set of methods to decide who the culprit is. As a matter of fact, we might be walking in never-ending circles if we allow Akimiyashika to take the lead here.

    Her approach isn''t bad.

    "I don''t agree. The culprit will just find this as an opportunity and will manipulate everyone into thinking that someone else is the culprit. I rather avoid such scenarios. Teamwork is extremely bad here."

    Tateyana, this time, differed, on Akimiyashika''s steed. According to her, teamwork could be entirely flawed, as the culprit could use this as an opportunity.

    It seems that Arkalee''s attempts are fastly getting shut down quite often. Against two fierce girls like Akimiyashika and Tateyana, she can''t possibly hold her ground for long.

    "That type of opinion doesn''t help though. If we follow Akimiyashika''s point of view, then everyone else should have equally a chance of attempting something like this, then. Let''s say for example that, Akimiyashika''s table goes through the same as Ikkiri''s. I bet you''d just blame it on Susaga just because he was your partner in the last exam and that therefore he has a valid reason to censure you for the loss."

    Tatsu quickly stood and defend Arkalee''s point by striking down Tateyana''s opinion. Essentially, he''s saying that the claim that Akimiyashika made a while ago is flawed because it follows very linear reasoning.

    "My point still stands regardless. I didn''t make that claim, Aki did. Don''t get it twisted. Teamwork will not work for obvious reasons."

    Tateyana is right. Akimiyashika was the one who made that claim. This was only relevant because Tatsu tried to defeat her logic by crushing Akimiyashika''s point of view. I''m impressed she managed to see that.

    Usually, people just take that as something that is remotely relevant to what''s going on, but that was only relevant to Akimiyashika and not Tateyana.

    "Guys...! We should stop arguing! I think I have a suggestion that can help us reach the culprit faster... Will you all listen, please?"

    Yet again, Arkalee spoke up to the rest of the class.

    Yuka-sensei who was by Ikkiri''s side silent additionally spoke in response.

    "Permitted."

    I can''t tell if Yuka-sensei just doesn''t have a way or a set of methods of investigation or if she''s willingly allowing us to take independent action. It''s hard to be certain in these types of scenarios, but considering that she made Akimiyashika question Kawahara''s case, this might be it.

    All in all, Arkalee''s sudden independent take of action is because she thinks that what happened to Ikkiri is unfair and she wants to fix the situation as soon as possible.

    "Seeeennnseeeiii, can I leave? This is sooo boring. Like, for real? We''re gonna stand here and argue about some random culprit? Who cares? This is her problem, not everyone else''s."

    In an arrogant and abhorrent manner, Yukishiro spoke. Fiddling with her phone as always, her facial expression resembled tremendous boredom.

    However, her last words provoked an intense reaction on certain girls.

    "Nobody''s leaving. Especially not you, now. I bet it would be nice for you to leave huh? Too afraid to be found out?"

    Taunting Yukishiro like that, Akimiyashika glared at her with serious eyes. Her haunting glare was a sign that she was not fucking around.

    "But, like, I don''t care about Ikkiri. I''m whatever. I just want to have my lunch, or is it too much to ask for? Hey, Ikkiri, why don''t you stand up for yourself for once?"

    "Your attitude is repugnant! I''m telling you that no one is leaving until the culprit is selected!"

    "Doooon''tttt careeeee... Why are you all trying so hard when it''s not even your own problem? She''s just a coward who can''t stand up for herself. Look, she didn''t even reply to my own words. Too scared to speak? Probably. No. Certainly. In your table, there is the word ''attention-whore'' written and I think I know why now."

    Akimiyashika was fuming. She looked ready to knock some sense onto Yukishiro who was lazying around with her phone instead of looking at Akimiyashika in the eye.

    Also, why is Rayazaki suddenly so silent? He has not spoken a single word which is just odd in general. Kawahara''s orders or something like that?

    "I dare you to say that again! I dare you! Say it!!"

    Oh no, it''s getting real. Someone step up, please. Though, girl fights are nice.

    I don''t know if it was fate or something, but Tsudo and I crossed glances and it was as if we both had a mutual understanding of ideas.

    Unfortunately, this ended quickly, because Yuka-sensei decided to step in by clobbering her personal notebook on her desk, which created silence immediately.

    "Aki, stop. Yukishiro''s right. No one here has to care, it''s Ikkiri''s problem. Still, you are not excused. You are, just like everyone in this classroom a suspect. Disobey my orders and you will feel the consequences. Also, I allowed Arkalee to speak. Why are you two speaking on her turn? I expected better from you two."

    Maaan, what a bummer. I wanted to see a girl fight... Hairs getting pulled, period roasts, insulting each other''s sizes and whatnot, but no...

    Civility it is.

    Though, Akimiyashika took this far too seriously and went to her desk while turning to look at Arkalee, who still had to speak up. Furthermore, Yukishiro seemed completely unbothered by this, as she kept on fiddling with her phone.

    "Arkalee, if you may, now."

    With all attention on her, it was Arkalee''s turn to speak, again. Thus, with grace, she spoke.

    "I believe the culprit to be attempting to use, either arguments to her/his side or staying silent in order to escape the possibility of being found out. However, doesn''t all of this raise a single question...? And that is... How are we going to find the culprit?"

    Remarkably, the only thing we know about this situation that is completely verdict is the fact that whoever did this most likely harbors a deep hatred for Ikkiri.

    I just can''t see why and that''s eating me right now. I also want to take into consideration the possibility of all of this being an act, but I can''t see how this is an act.

    Am I starting to be filled with angst just because unexpected scenarios are always present and I am not able to see them?

    Damn it...

    "Thus, I''ve thought of the idea of all of us working with 4 people per table."

    "What?!"

    Some immediately opposed her idea because they could not tolerate the single idea of being paired up with someone again, especially three other people. I and my table partner are keeping our silence alright.

    But if this spirals out of control, I might have to make my stand, but not now.

    "Can you guys not interrupt every damn time? Just let her speak."

    Angry, Tatsu ordered everyone to let the princess herself speak. Tatsu, I didn''t know you were such a beta cuck.

    You disappoint me. We didn''t need another Sagasuga nor another Rayazaki. This is getting a bit troublesome. This wave of white-knights keeps on swarming like rats.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    We are supposed to be outlaws, not some society rejects who find joy in protecting every girl out there!

    "T-Thank you, Tatsu..."

    Stop blushing, please. Damn, how do these people even look at the mirror in the morning?!

    "A-As I was saying, I believe that instead of thinking individually, we should unite as 4. For example, each table contains two people, right? If we combine the two tables then, there will be four people. Basic, truly! And then, these two pairs will think of who the culprit is! Right now, we are 23, if we count both Ikkiri and Yuka-sensei, so there will be 6 groups! However... one group will have to contain three people only! Though, that''s fine! Because three brains are better than just one, ultimately, four are even better!"

    With enthusiasm in her words, Arkalee proposed the idea of forming groups. The hell. Just say that from the start.

    Why take this long to say it?

    "I see, Arkalee. That''s a simple but interesting idea. Alright. The already set partners will be paired up with the ones that they so desire. Just be quick about it."

    Declaring that, Yuka-sensei made it clear that we had to be fast about this. Arkalee already mentioned that there would be 6 groups in general. Even Ikkiri and Yuka-sensei are not excluded.

    Usually, I would complain that Yuka-sensei is part of this, but the ultimate goal is to find the culprit.

    Most likely, what''s going to happen is that, at the end, when all groups have formed a solid choice on who the culprit is, whoever gets voted the most will be labeled as the culprit.

    Fair or not, voting is a method that is massively applied in these types of situations. I know for a fact that I didn''t do it. Kawahara didn''t do it, supposedly.

    Akihiko also didn''t.

    If we follow an optimistic line of thought, then if we count out Ikkiri, the culprit is midst the other 20 people here.

    And..........

    Ah.

    I hate this.

    I really do...

    I work better alone, so why do I have to expose myself to this awkward atmosphere...

    Groups are already being formed with haste, but my table partner and I are refusing to take action.

    "Ara, too scared to act?"

    Smug as always. Is she doing this on purpose? I don''t know.

    "No, I''m just waiting for the selection to be over. The last pair will be paired up with us. No need to do anything unnecessary."

    This is true. However, the chances of you getting paired up with a pair that lacks initiative, in general, could prove to be fatal here.

    But, does it really matter, honestly? No one is pointing a gun at me right now. I don''t have to do anything.

    "Wow, you can think? I''m shocked..."

    Sarcastic bitch.

    Right now, most of the groups have been formed.

    Hyunda and Arkalee + Rayazaki and Yukishiro is group number 1.

    Ikkiri and Tatsu + Sagasuga and Tateyana is group number 2.

    Yulia and Susaga + Ryoken and Gale is group number 3.

    Yuka-sensei, Hinagiku, and Akimiyashika being a three number group is group 4.

    Sana and Kan + Tsudo and Shizuku is group 5.

    Which only leaves...

    "Aniki!"

    As I looked up in front, I could see Kuzan carrying both his table and Kanawari''s. They both greeted us with gigantic smiles.

    "Aniki?"

    Unfortunately, the bitch caught on to the type of bond Kuzan and I had quickly, and, an evil smile erupted from her lips straight up as she looked at me with malicious eyes.

    "It''s not what you think..."

    That''s right. Kuzan and I share a brotherhood type of bond. Mere feeble creatures cannot hope to comprehend the type of bond we share.

    I abandoned Yulia on a rainy day just to balance Kuzan''s emotions. Tell me that''s not brotherhood, I dare you.

    "Hiiii!! Wooow, this has turned out to be quite the case, don''t you think, Lus?"

    "That''s true, Kana. However, our ''Aniki'' here isn''t thinking much about it, it seems."

    Stop...

    Also, Kana? Are they friends?

    Nonetheless, after connecting their tables to ours, both Kuzan and Kanawari sat down. Kanawari and Kuzan are awfully similar in the sense where their attitudes are positive ones.

    Kuzan is just hiding his emotions though.

    "What? Aniki, you aren''t taking this seriously? Don''t you want to catch who did this?!"

    "That''s right, that''s right! We gotta avenge Ikkiri! She''s been looking down ever since, the poor thing..."

    What is this...? Their enthusiasm is so big it almost blinds me in the process.

    It''s as if I''m facing the sun up close!

    But...

    "Why do we have to take this seriously though?"

    "Eh? Aniki?"

    "I''m serious. Was Yukishiro wrong or something when she said that this is Ikkiri''s problem? We have no reason to work towards the goal of finding the culprit."

    This situation is fruitless. The culprit will be found out, but then what? There is nothing to stand to gain here.

    My lack of compassion is completely partial. Ikkiri''s situation doesn''t mean anything to me. Plus, it''s just as Yukishiro said.

    She''s too weak to stand up for herself. Thus, she''s the perfect target for this.

    "That''s so heartless! She''s our classmate! If we don''t take care of her, then who will?!"

    "Akimiyashika seems up to the task, Kana."

    But she''s forgetting that Akimiyashika alone can''t defeat the opinion of the other 22. We could all vote against Ikkiri by saying that she orchestrated this herself and Akimiyashika would not be able to do a single thing.

    "Mhm... I don''t think Akimiyashika is thinking this clearly. Her intentions are clear, she wants to save Ikkiri and bring justice to her, but... I think she''s more focused on something else... I just don''t know what?"

    "What do you mean, Kuzan?"

    "Ahh, it''s just, Aniki.... She could have asked everyone else to cooperate which would make the most sense but she''s trying to take it all by herself. Look, she even joined the group that has the most people."

    What Kuzan''s insinuating is that Akimiyashika is far too independent, or rather, she prefers her own activity over any other.

    "More importantly, how are we going to label who the culprit is?!"

    According to Arkalee, having four brains is better than one. That''s common sense for you. With that in mind, we should be able to draw a plausible conclusion.

    Thus, Kanawari was the first to answer Kuzan''s question.

    "Yooouuu seeee, it''s a good thing that I am here! I''m super sociable with the girls! Ain''t that right, Lus?"

    "Mhm, yeah."

    I love how they are both almost physically clingy but they don''t notice it. Their enthusiasm for their own expressions and actions is overwhelming so to speak.

    Though, Kuzan. Give up. She''s way above your league. Your Aniki won''t allow you to set foot on the unrealistic land.

    Just look at those luscious black-colored lips and blonde silky hair.

    "Oh?! You know something, Kanawari?!"

    "Sure I do! Well, first things first, what we should evaluate or take into consideration are the messages that are written on Ikkiri''s table! Thankfully, I thought ahead and wrote them down for all of us!"

    Taking a wrapped white sheet out of her skirt''s pocket, Kanawari showed us the words that the majority of us already knew.

    As soon as Kuzan saw them, he couldn''t help but feel revolted.

    "That''s horrible... Why would someone say such things..."

    Kuzan is truly kind-hearted, I think. However, something forced him to be this way.

    His situation isn''t something to laugh at. I''m surprised he hasn''t found a way to vent his emotions.

    At this rate, he''ll just keep on accumulating them until they explode.

    "Don''t worry! That''s why we are here! Here is how this will work! We will give our opinion on all of the words or sentences that were written! That should give us a stronger insight into the situation, don''t you think?"

    "I see! Let''s go then!"

    "Aye! First off, ''DIE.''"

    Kanawari quite literally shouted that. It even attracted some attention back to us. Though, we remained unphased despite that.

    Kuzan took the first chance to give his opinion on it.

    "Whoever wrote this clearly doesn''t want her alive!"

    After Kuzan''s extremely obvious opinion, Kanawari followed up.

    "As Kuzan said, whoever wrote this message doesn''t want her to live! However, what we should question here is why that''s the case! Mhmm...! To this person, Ikkiri''s existence is extremely troublesome, but... I just can''t see how! I''m leaving that to you two now!"

    Passing the torch to us, I continued.

    "Ikkiri''s existence is a problem, but realistically speaking, we have no idea of knowing why. It''s pointless to question what we don''t know. I''ve got no opinion here."

    "Well, well, that itself is already an opinion though!"

    After Kanawari gave her words of consolation, all eyes were on the last person who had to say her personal set of words.

    "As ''Aniki'' said, it''s truly pointless to question something we don''t know..."

    Can she stop that?

    "But, we don''t have to question why someone would view Ikkiri like that, but rather, we have to question what would make Ikkiri a subject of such a view. Nonetheless, I can''t do the impossible. It''s pretty impressive we got this far just based on a single word though."

    From our first discussion as a group, we could conclude that we should evaluate the possible reason that would make Ikkiri a subject to the view that she is receiving.

    Kanawari, realizing that it was time for the second word, moved on.

    "Following that up, we got... ''ATTENTION WHORE!''"

    Can she not speak so loud every time? It''s sorta funny, but seriously.

    "Ummm... Maybe someone is jealous of the attention she gets? I think she''s just enthusiastic, but does that make her an attention whore...? I don''t know, I''m not good at things like this..."

    I''m familiar with attention whores. Rather, I hate the stereotype to the point where I have studied it religiously.

    Ikkiri is not an attention whore. Attention whores act on reason, Ikkiri just acts on her curiosity. Whoever wrote this clearly misunderstood something.

    "My turn, then! You see, Kuzan, these two words are something that is just about as natural as it gets when it comes to our own gender! Therefore... I think it''s fair to call it now but... The culprit might''ve been a female! No, I''m certain that''s the case!"

    "What?! How can you be so sure, Kanawari!?"

    "Think about it, Kuzan! Would you or Daniel call a girl an attention whore? Doesn''t that type of insult only belong in the female gender?"

    "Kanawari is right, Kuzan. We would either call the girl a ''thot'' or ''hoe''."

    "How vulgar. Truly typical of you."

    My table partner''s comment aside, I can see Kanawari''s bizarre logic. Based on this message alone, it''s not exactly a crazy thing to label the culprit as a female.

    And since it was my turn, I spoke up.

    "Kanawari''s logic does seem plausible, but... Doesn''t this type of insult only apply in love affairs?"

    "That''s true. You''d have to be crazy jealous to call someone an attention whore. Either that or you are incredibly spiteful."

    Is she speaking from experience? Well, in spite of what my table partner had just said, I think it''s important to be aware of the probability of a love affair happening.

    But that brings up the question, which my table partner, surprisingly caught up to quickly.

    "Assuming your opinion is done, I''ll say my own. I do agree with you. However, this only works if there is an affair truly going on. Kana, do you know anything about this? Is Ikkiri dating someone?"

    "Mhmm... I don''t think so..."

    I''ll change that question a little bit better.

    "If there would be someone in the whole class that Ikkiri would be in an affair right now, who would that person be?"

    Only one person comes to mind.

    Despite that, they couldn''t get a clue as they all looked puzzled, thus I answered my own question, however, with my voice low.

    "Wouldn''t Hyunda fit the bill?"

    "Hyunda?"

    "Hyunda?!"

    "Aniki, Hyunda?"

    Why did these three idiots just question my words like this?

    "I mean, isn''t it obvious? They were both table partners but they got separated."

    "That''s about it though. They never had any remarkable interactions. Plus, Hyunda is... weird. You can''t read him. Sorta freaky."

    "Totally agree with you, Lus! He''s a living enigma! Though... I could see the scenario that Daniel is proposing. Let''s assume that''s the case. Then, wouldn''t this mean that there is someone who is jealous of their relationship...?"

    Truth to be told, I did question that more than once already. Nevertheless, it was meaningless to continue to question, because I know for a fact that Hyunda, in no conceivable way can possibly care for someone romantically.

    He just doesn''t give that vibe. Still, this doesn''t mean that Hyunda and Ikkiri are together. If so, then is there truly this third element that we are insinuating?

    "Who though?"

    Although Kuzan asked, we had no way of knowing.

    "I really don''t think there is this third person here. But... I don''t know, I just had a hutch."

    It''s a really flawed hutch, now that I think about it. Hyunda isn''t that type of person.

    It''s dumb to assume that there is a third element. I''ll discard that possibility, then.

    "We should keep that possibility though! It might help lead to other clues!"

    Despite my denial, Kanawari insisted. I doubt it''s going to do anything good for us though.

    "Next up is... ''NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOU!!''"

    Vigorously speaking, Kanawari yet again shouted to us.

    And immediately said some additional words.

    "Something to notice is how there are two exclamation marks this time!"

    "Does it make a difference? I get that it''s way to express vividness and exclamation in general, but is there something about it, Kanawari?"

    It''s not just the additional exclamation mark. This is where it starts to get personal. The last two messages were common ones. This one, not so much.

    "Of course it does, Kuzan! The more exclamation marks you use, the more serious you are about what you are writing! It means that whoever wrote it, meant this message more than the previous ones!"

    "Ohhh!! I do see your point, Kanawari! Then, I''ll start!"

    This is sorta intriguing, honestly. My perspective is slowly gaining more life in general.

    "Whoever wrote that message wants to let Ikkiri know that nobody cares about her, to hurt her feelings. Hmmm... But why would the writer want to hurt her feelings?"

    Something that was being commonly noticed as a pattern here was how it would go from question to question to question and arrive at a conclusion, which additionally would create another question.

    It''s fine though. We''re going somewhere at least.

    Kanawari''s turn was up.

    "If we relate the ''attention whore'' and the ''nobody cares about you'' insults altogether, it''s as if the writer is telling us something. Plus, they came in sequence! We can''t just ignore that! I''d say that the culprit is trying to say that it doesn''t matter how much attention she gets, no one will care."

    Crude.

    But that''s one way to see it.

    My turn.

    "What if the culprit''s aim isn''t to tell her that, but rather, to tell Ikkiri that the message will reflect on the future?"

    "What do you mean, Aniki?"

    "I''m saying, if we look at the current scenario, you can see that a fair share of people care for her, but what if that stops being the case? The sentence is written in present, but in the future, it will be the present."

    Still, Kanawari''s guess is better than mine. I just said what I said in order to get progressive opinions and opinions that might differ mine so I can reach faster and better ideas quickly.

    And, her turn was up.

    "This would be a lot easier if we just knew Ikkiri better as a whole, but none of us does. Therefore, our opinions will come out fragmented. Nonetheless, here is what I think... The culprit might''ve not seriously meant anything that deep as you three insinuated to be. This could just be psychological pressure."

    I really wanted to argue here, but I don''t want to ruin the serene atmosphere.

    Her logic is somewhat dumb because you could just label all these messages as psychological pressure. Why can''t you just admit that you have no take?

    Unless... Unless she means to say that there''s a hidden meaning to the psychological pressure but she just can''t see it.

    "Hey, what do you think about this psychological pressure? Does it have any meaning?"

    "...It''s hard to tell. We are trying to identify the culprit''s reasons and behavior. We shouldn''t lose too much time overthinking."

    "Lus is right! There are more messages up ahead, but let''s make a quick resume! We can safely assume that... One, Ikkiri is being viewed with hatred for a reason! Two, there might be a love affair going on! Three, the culprit wants Ikkiri to feel pressured by sending her messages with multiple signals!"

    So far, this is basically nothing. Regardless, it''s not really nothing. It''s something.

    Maybe this will change once we evaluate the remaining messages.

 Volume 9 - Chapter 59: Who did it? Part 3.

    Every time Kanawari was about to speak, I gained preemptive anxiety due to the fact that she was going to shout out loud the cursed words that are still written on Ikkiri''s table and chair.

    "Hmm...! ''TIEF.'' Erm, I stuttered... It''s... ''THIEF.''!"

    She stuttered alright. Her tongue slipped away as soon as her frontal teeth connected with it. It happens, I suppose.

    However, we didn''t exactly care. The atmosphere thus far was far too positive. If it was me and my table partner only, then this would be chaotic. Our argumentative tendencies will never end, most likely.

    Kanawari and Kuzan are the ones who are making this possible.

    Speaking of Kuzan, as always, he would be the first one to speak.

    "Ikkiri stole something from the culprit?! Really?! Ikkiri''s a thief too..."

    Kuzan''s eerie smile insinuates that he''s thinking of Ikkiri as a fellow thief. That sort of thought is completely off-topic right now.

    "You should stop stealing, Kuzan! Entering our dorm should have gained you a death sentence, but I''m nice! Others really aren''t that nice!"

    I''m surprised Kuzan hasn''t been assaulted by one of the girls yet.

    "It''s fine, Kana. They were bound to be screwed either way. That''s why it''s fine to let that event go through."

    Is her reasoning seriously that? Then, if a boy invades your dorm and rapes every girl there then--- Ah, okay, let''s not go there.

    "Weeelll, since I''m next, I think this might be something Ikkiri herself isn''t aware that she stole!"

    "What do you mean?"

    Kuzan''s question was my question as well.

    "If we are keeping the love affair possibility alive still, then, strictly speaking, wouldn''t a girl just say something like ''thief'' when her man is stolen by another girl?!"

    Why are we insisting on that option still....

    It barely contains any logic. We are getting biased here... Though I know this, I won''t state my opinion because this biased nonsense might actually prove to be useful.

    Plus, there''s barely any point in arguing here.

    "Then, Kana, Ikkiri stole someone''s man here? From our class...? That''s hard to say. But, since you know more, from the girls here in class, who do you think it is?"

    The only remarkable relationship that is known is Tateyana and Sagasuga, I think. Unless I''m missing something. Otherwise, there aren''t any other relationships or affairs out there.

    I''m additionally surprised that my table partner is interested in this topic. Is she a romance fan or something?

    "Um... There are none. Although, Tateyana seems to be on good terms with Sagasuga."

    "Hold on, Kanawari! I think I found out something crucial!"

    "Oh, you did, Kuzan?!"

    "Yeah! Maybe Ikkiri and Sagasuga had something going on!!"

    "You think so?!"

    How the hell do they get so positive every time they speak to one another?!

    "Doesn''t it make perfect sense though?! Sagasuga apparently broke up with Tateyana, but, what if Sagasuga broke up with her in order to be with Ikkiri?!"

    How does Kuzan know this?

    I''m missing out on things, aren''t I?

    "I see! You do bring a valid point, Kuzan! Maybe there is a hidden romance between Ikkiri and Sagasuga! Tateyana somehow knew and did this! Doesn''t it all come together now?!"

    These two are going a little bit too much with the flow. At this rate, they will be convinced that this is all there is to it.

    Furthermore, it''s my turn.

    "Well, since it''s my turn, I''ll give my opinion. Ikkiri might''ve attempted to steal something or maybe it was only prematurely."

    "What do you mean, Aniki?"

    "Think about it, Kuzan. The culprit has been splashing messages that might have after-meanings instead of present meanings. All in all, this could also be referring to how Ikkiri might attempt to steal what the culprit has in possession."

    Although, it''s logical to assume that Ikkiri already stole something from the culprit. We might be over-thinking here, honestly.

    Also, Kanawari needs to abandon her romantic perspectives just because she adores the topic.

    And, without any opinions returned, it was her turn at last.

    "Maybe Ikkiri didn''t steal something natural, like an object or anything of that sort. Stealing the spotlight, for example?"

    "Then, the culprit likes attention in general?"

    Kanawari''s question isn''t a bad one. There are other ways of screwing Ikkiri without being this public about it. Whoever did this is surely enjoying bathing in this fountain of attention right now.

    "It could be the case, Kana. But maybe not general attention. This type of attention could be related to the attention something, or, someone, can only give."

    "So we''re back to the affair possibility...?"

    Her reasoning is there, I know. But, it''s just...

    We''re lacking any sort of actual anecdotical evidence. I understand that the point of this is to figure out the intentions of the culprit just based on the words and sentences that the culprit wrote, but prioritizing this romantic perspective might backfire.

    "If the culprit is female, then there''s a 75% of all these messages being a reference to an affair. Or so, my female intuition tells me."

    "Never doubt our female intuition!"

    We''re doomed.

    "The next message is.... ''THERE''S NOWHERE TO HIDE NOW!''"

    This is turning out to be a problem. We are attracting too much attention. Kuzan, shut her up.

    No! Don''t look at me like you understand what I am trying to say! I want you to understand what I''m trying to say, but just tell her to not shout every time!

    "Hmm? Oh, you''re hungry? Sorry, I got nothing on me..."

    You idiot!

    "Um, the message says that Ikkiri has nowhere to hide now, but, wasn''t that always the case? What changed?"

    Contrasting his dumb words that were previous to his new ones, Kuzan made an interesting question.

    Kanawari, being next, took up the torch.

    "Kuzan, if you are talking about the places Ikkiri has to hide, then there are none in general. We can only leave school once per month. Aside from that, you are locked inside this school! Terrifying! But, I think the important part to analyze isn''t the ''There''s nowhere to hide'', but the ''now'' part."

    "Then, are you saying something happened that made that ''now'' part possible, Kanawari?!"

    "Yes! Yes! This message could very well symbolize that Ikkiri did something to offend the culprit''s emotions! In other words, this wasn''t always the case, but it suddenly became the case! The question is... when?!"

    That''s true. We can''t just ignore the ''now'' part. It''s a direct reference to an event that took place.

    But, why would the culprit leave such an obvious message? If the culprit had not included the ''now'' part, then there would''ve been a lot of mystery behind it.

    Nevertheless, there''s still a great depth of mystery. Kanawari''s question is on point. Even if we know that something triggered this event, we don''t know when. Because we don''t know who.

    If that''s the case...

    "Kanawari, if your question is ''when'', then doesn''t that mean that something must''ve happened? There is a good amount of drama going on between us boys, but I don''t know anything regarding the girls. This isn''t to say that the culprit is a girl, but this is about Ikkiri. Was she involved in a recent drama...?"

    Once again puzzled, Kanawari wondered about it.

    "...No. Honestly, the only remarkable thing that I can remember when it comes to recent events regarding Ikkiri, is her absence in the exam."

    "Her absence should have created a great deal of hatred in Tatsu, don''t you think? Due to her absence, he failed. I find it hard to believe that he isn''t related in all of this."

    Akimiyashika was most surely on point when she blamed Tatsu. However, she lacked the evidence to back her argument up. Plus, Tatsu just twisted her argument by using her flawed logic to his advantage.

    That was not going to work. I know. Still, out of all the people here, Tatsu is a high suspect.

    "Ehhh! But if we choose Tatsu as our target, then what about the affair?!"

    "The affair is only a small possibility... Tatsu should have a higher chance of being the culprit. Tatsu is one supply exam from being expelled. It makes all sense for him to be the culprit here."

    Yeah. I''m convinced that there isn''t this love affair bullshit that Kanawari is spewing.

    Logically speaking, Tatsu has the highest chances. He could have simply used a girl''s writing pattern in order to allude the audience. It''s a simple trick, honestly.

    "My turn. I think this is just a straightforward message. Meaning, the culprit is only getting started. Which should mean that the culprit has no intention of being caught."

    So a progressive assault? That would make sense. However, isn''t that a bit too over-confident from the culprit?

    "There''s also the fact that the culprit has two other arguments to his/her side. The cameras being broken and the surveillance system being hacked. All in all, I would say that the culprit is trying to stay hidden. This message most likely means that despite the behavior that the culprit is portraying, the assault will continue."

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Her deduction might just be on point. Only the future can prove if she''s correct here or not. Is she assuming that it''s meaningless to question something that will undoubtedly happen?

    Regardless, we moved on to the next message.

    "Woaahhh... So... ''KILL YOURSELF BITCH!''"

    Kuzan... Do something...

    "Isn''t this sorta similar to the ''DIE'' part? What''s the difference here?"

    Kuzan questioned the meaning of this message, as he thought of it only as mere repetition.

    "It''s weird, truly! There isn''t much difference... Except... Wouldn''t the culprit want to kill Ikkiri then? If she''s so troublesome, then why isn''t the culprit just killing her?"

    Suddenly, Kanawari uttered those heartless words. What a change of mood.

    Nevertheless, Kuzan followed up.

    "We can''t do that! No one can!"

    Subsequently, in order to finish his sentence, Kuzan wrapped his left arm around Kanawari''s neck and pulled her closer to all of us, ultimately whispering the upcoming words.

    "If we kill someone then we might just be subjected to executions! I know it sounds stupid, but what if that''s the case?!"

    "Relax, Kuzan! I know what you are saying! My words weren''t to question why the culprit hasn''t killed Ikkiri, but, why that is the case."

    Is there even a difference in her words? To me, she just said the same thing.

    "Let me explain..."

    Since Kuzan had let go of his arm, Kanawari was free to lax back.

    "Kuzan, as you told us, doing such acts will put the one who did such in massive danger. Which is why the culprit can''t do that. The culprit seems to have the pattern of someone who hides a lot of insecurities and worries far too much! This message might mean that the culprit truly wants Ikkiri to die, but nevertheless, the culprit can''t do that. Hence, the culprit is telling her to die or to kill herself!"

    The culprit probably isn''t aware that such signals could be interpreted just from reading the messages that the culprit wrote.

    What is important to analyze here isn''t if there is a difference between the ''Die'' and ''Kill yourself bitch''. What truly matters is to notice that the fact that the two messages that have the same meaning but with different meanings were written nonetheless.

    In addition to that, Kanawari might be right in assuming that the culprit holds a lot of insecurities. If you are unable to take direct action, then you have to vent your emotions somehow.

    This might just be one way to do it. Alas, it was my turn.

    "The culprit can''t take direct action, I think. Otherwise, wouldn''t it make the most sense to make more direct approaches? Unless this is something that will change. Are we being fools by assuming that the culprit is filled with insecurities?"

    My take was that the culprit couldn''t take direct action due to the consequences, but, does the culprit even care? It''s possible to assault Ikkiri even further in directer ways.

    "You''re forgetting something. There are technically three culprits. Or, that should be the case at least. The one who wrote the messages, the one who broke the cameras and the one who hacked the system. There''s a possibility of the mastermind not even being directly involved in the first place."

    ........? What is she saying?

    "Hold on... That''s confusing then. Are you suggesting that there were three people who did all those three tasks separately and that the one who orchestrated all of this didn''t even make any direct actions?"

    "It''s just a possibility. Regardless, I''ll set it aside. Because that''s not the current point. The current point is to analyze what the messages mean. No matter how you look at it though, the end goal of the tasks was for Ikkiri to receive the messages. Whether or not there was any direct involvement from the mastermind, that''s another question."

    That''s a bit impressive... I never knew she was this curious about this... We''re always arguing, so maybe that''s why I never noticed.

    "Well, my take on this is the same as our ''Aniki'' over here. The culprit either can''t take direct action or is putting up a facade. What I mean by facade is the following: In the scenario where the culprit''s behavior is assumed, you''d assume that the culprit can''t take direct action due to the consequences of doing so. This could very well turn out to be wrong if the culprit just isn''t afraid of going through further lengths."

    Can she stop tainting that word every time she opens her mouth? It''s a sacred heritage passed down from generation to generation. It should not be taken with a sense of mockery or comedy.

    "Wooow! You two are so good at this! I never noticed!"

    ? Kanawari''s assumption is just wrong.

    "You''re misunderstanding. He''s just trying to keep up. I''m always like this, Kana."

    "She can''t admit that she''s having a hard time. Excuse her."

    Then, my table partner lightly patted my shoulder.

    "Hahaha, you''re so funny!"

    Of course, I did the same.

    "Hahaha, you too!"

    Hahahaha.

    I''ll break your fucking hip, bitch.

    "Umm, Kanawari, what''s the next message?!"

    "I''m glad you asked, Kuzan! This might just be the message that supports my perspective the most... And that is... ''M-I-N-E!!!''"

    For the numerous time yet, Kanawari shouted that possessive word that was separated four times.

    Furthermore, it had three exclamation marks.

    No way Kanawari was going to let that clue get away. But, Kuzan was way ahead of her.

    "Three exclamation marks! Whoever wrote this must''ve meant this message quite a lot!"

    Kanawari wasn''t joking when she said that this message would support her perspective. I can already see what type of argument she''s going to form.

    The worst part is that I won''t be able to run away from it.

    "That''s right! So, what''s your take on this, Kuzan?!"

    Kuzan, in a flash, placed his fingers on his thumb quickly and formed quick thoughts in order to not let any of us wait.

    As he was doing that, I looked away for the first time and glanced upon the other groups who should be discussing this but...

    Some are not even trying.

    I guess I''m lucky that Kuzan and Kanawari were this open-minded about this discussion. We are just stating our opinions without arguing too much against them.

    "A possession. Definitely! But, I don''t know what..."

    Although his answers are completely obvious to the topic and self-explanatory, they often give a good push to the topic, since Kanawari follows his simplicity quite well.

    "Kuzan, Kuzan!"

    "What, what?!"

    "Isn''t this soooo obviouuuussss?!"

    "It is?!"

    "Yes, yes it is! There is definitely something romantic going on!"

    "No way!"

    Kuzan, you really don''t have to agree with her all the time... Not to mention, their enthusiasm is intoxicating me...

    "As you all can see, the culprit clearly wrote this with aggression! And, assuming that whoever wrote this belongs to the female gender... it can only mean that there is a girl in here who doesn''t want Ikkiri to get a taste of her man!"

    I already knew she was going to say something like this. But, it''s meaningless to form this assumption, because Ikkiri has not shown any visible interest for anyone in this class in general, romantically speaking.

    Her natural asset which is her abundant curiosity should not be mistaken for romantic feelings.

    Though... I could just be wrong here.

    "...I can''t support this. If we prioritize this ''romance affair'' as a possibility for too long, then we will come out empty. We don''t know anything about Ikkiri''s interests. Even someone as sociable as you, Kanawari, doesn''t. Aren''t we being idiots in assuming that Ikkiri is romantically interested in someone?"

    "But, Aniki, what else could the culprit be referring to with this message?!"

    "...Look, I get it. But, there is nothing connecting here. Even if we assume that there is a romantic affair going on, we can''t possibly arrive at a conclusion... That''s why I''ve got no opinion here."

    Thus far, the only person I could see Ikkiri being attracted to is Hyunda. But, calling their interactions ''attraction'' is going too far. There''s also the fact that Hyunda is far too manipulative.

    He can''t possibly feel such sentiments. Furthermore, that option has already been discarded in my mind.

    Ultimately, it was my table partner''s turn.

    "I''ll take a different approach then. There might not be a romantic affair going on."

    "What?! What are you saying, Lus?!"

    "Hear me out, Kana. This could just be one-sided jealousy. Assume the following scenario... The culprit is someone who is in love with a boy from this class and that boy has spent a considerable amount of time with Ikkiri and vice-versa. Telling who that boy is, is impossible. But, we could change our approach. There isn''t a romantic affair, but just one-sided jealousy. What do you think?"

    ...That''s one way to look at it. Isn''t this unjust then? But... Would you really go this far just based on jealousy alone...?

    No, that''s not correct. There has to be more.

    "Sorry to interrupt, but I think it''s best to move on. I think if we gather faster conclusions regarding the other messages, then we might be able to connect them all and arrive at a plausible conclusion."

    I had to propose that. We are over-analyzing at this point. If we don''t reach an end game soon, then we might not be able to form a good conclusion.

    "I agree. We have to move on. Next one, Kana. Please."

    Kanawari didn''t mind the fact that I interrupted their conversation and decided to move on. I''m glad she understands the importance of advancing.

    "Alright! Well, this is a... weird one... ''WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT''."

    "Language!"

    Yuka-sensei said that. I have no clue what went through Kanawari''s mind honestly.

    "Sorry, sorry! Um, erm, what do you think, Kuzan?!"

    Should we even take this into consideration? This is just your typical insult. I can''t believe we are going to analyze this message.

    Actually, why am I allowing this to happen?

    "Sorry, but can we skip? What''s there to gain from analyzing this message? Isn''t it just an average insult?"

    This is average.

    "I''m with him here. This is just additional hatred from the culprit."

    I won''t say it''s expected, but I''m glad my table partner decided to side with me here. The problem is...

    "That''s not true, Aniki! We should analyze the culprit''s messages, no matter what! We might miss out on something essential!"

    "Kuzan''s right, Lus! What if we miss out on something important?!"

    Are they for real right now? Do I have to tell these two non-stop positive idiots the type of message that they are hoping to decipher?!

    "Guys... You are trying to see if there is a meaning in ''Worthless piece of shit''... What exactly do you two think you are going to find while analyzing this? This is the type of shit you just casually say to the ones you hate."

    The thing is... I don''t know how long we can uphold this discussion. If we have to end it any time soon and if we are forced to say our target, then our decision might be poor in general.

    Kuzan and Kanawari need to see that wasting this much time on something this trivial is contradicting.

    "Kana, don''t you think this message is just too vulgar to be taken into consideration? This is the type of messages only boys would ---- ...."

    Why did she stop though? And why are Kanawari and Kuzan smirking simultaneously? What?

    "So you''ve caught up!"

    "How naive, Aniki! I thought you of all people would get the hidden message here!"

    Following each other''s lead, Kanawari and Kuzan delivered those confident words right back at us.

    Still puzzled, I couldn''t help but ask them what they were insinuating.

    "Hidden message?"

    Though, instead of Kuzan replying to me, my table partner took his turn.

    As I look upon her, her long pink hair almost lashed my eyes for a second while twisting itself in order to reach out to me. Her passionate eyes crossed my vision instantly in the process.

    "The pattern changed. All of the previous messages were personal insults. This one isn''t. The meaning of the message isn''t important, but the pattern."

    "So we are supposed to analyze the pattern, is that what you are saying?"

    "Simply put, yes. Though, let''s follow the respective order. Kuzan, go."

    It''s a different story if we were to analyze the message''s pattern and not the meaning of the message itself. However, I still don''t see the exact point of doing this.

    Despite my shortcomings, Kuzan went on and started.

    "According to Kanawari, a girl is most likely the culprit, but after this message... I''m just not seeing it! Isn''t this message a bit too vague? It''s just an insult without any meaning behind it!"

    Truth to be told, the previous messages all had deeper meanings than what they initially transmitted to be, but this is the first message to be this vague.

    Even the first message which was ''DIE'' was awfully vague yet you could assume a plethora of things from this. This one, not so much.

    "Kuzan''s right! And I''ll explain this further with my opinion intertwined! It was me who defended the possibility of the culprit, the one who wrote these messages, being hateful towards Ikkiri who might''ve had a romantic affair with one of the boys in the class. However, I only defended my point of view because the messages seemed to be from someone who was undoubtedly jealous of Ikkiri! But... This is not the case! This is pure spite! Hey, Kuzan! Are you thinking what I''m thinking?!"

    Here we go again...

    "I do think I am! Do you want me to say it!?"

    "I would give you that option, but I''ll do the courtesy! You see... The writer changed!"

    What?

    "How can that be?"

    Can that really be the case? But why would that be the case...?

    "Daniel, this message feels less personal, as it''s simply spiteful. Regardless, it''s incredibly biased. Also, as a girl myself, if I hated someone to the extremes, I would not write down such a low insult!"

    "That''s true, Kana. Whoever wrote this is clearly a boy. The past messages had more power behind them."

    Are they all seriously assuming this based on the potency of the message and not based on a clear logic or reasoning?

    "But why would there be another writer...? What sense does that make in the first place? Isn''t that the same as saying as two people wrote all of those messages yet individually to their own?"

    Nonetheless, as I threw that open question at the three of them, none of them answer.

    Not my table partner, not the positive-attitude Kuzan nor the ever-enthusiastic Kanawari.

    That silence alone made me realize a certain thing. Something that was never denied in the first place.

    "....I see...! It''s possible that there might''ve been more than one person who has done it..."

    "Close, Aniki! However, that''s not it!"

    "Kuzan, Kuzan! Let me say it!"

    "Naaaah! I''m gonna say it now!"

    "Buuuhhh..."

    "Aniki! The real mastermind probably ordered someone to write those messages along the way! I and Kanawari thought about this a few hours ago and analyzed the patterns of the messages and arrived at a single conclusion... Only one person could''ve written those messages!"

    "I''ll add something to that if you don''t mind! Although the messages'' calligraphy is, all the same, the messages themselves differ continuously and it was only in this message that we noticed a difference. In other words, it''s fair to assume that whoever wrote this only started to take independent action starting from this message!"

    I never knew... When did Kuzan and Kanawari develop this type of synergy? Unreal...

    Against my doubts, Kuzan continued Kanawari''s words.

    "We came to this conclusion when we realized the possibility of the mastermind not wanting to be found out. Evidentially, there are three things that are being taken into consideration right now! One---"

    "Who hacked the system! Two---"

    "Who destroyed the cameras! Three---"

    "Who wrote all those messages!"

    Did they really just finish each other''s sentences?

    "That''s nice and all, but what''s the ultimate conclusion that you two arrived?"

    They must''ve found something essential to the situation.

    Thus, without waiting around, they both simultaneously said words of great enthusiasm and jubilance.

    "The ones who did all of these three things are scapegoats!"

    Scapegoats?

 Volume 9 - Chapter 60: Who did it? Part 4.

    "The ones who did all of these three things are scapegoats!"

    Scapegoats?

    As I questioned the entirety of their assumption, my table partner swiftly let out her opinion in the process, along with a vast arm movement, which expressed a certain degree of enthusiasm.

    "I see now! Then, I was right in assuming that the actual culprit hasn''t done any of these actions! It all makes sense now!"

    So much vanity...

    "Kuzan and I arrived at that solid conclusion when we realized that it wouldn''t make any sense for the real culprit to partake in any action that might endanger her/his position! That''s why it would make the most sense for the culprit to utilize 3 people!"

    ...If that''s really the case, then whoever is behind this must''ve thought about this greatly. I understand that this was natural to happen since we are all technically criminals, but this is...

    Ikkiri, what have you done to get someone like this on your back?

    "But... Kanawari, isn''t this saying that the real culprit managed to get three people to do all of this for him or her? Given that none of us can interact with any other students aside from this class, the real culprit''s selection is limited."

    What I''m saying is that the real culprit, the one behind all of this, could''ve only depended on people from this class and no one else.

    "Aniki! The real culprit must''ve depended on people from this class! Therefore, we aren''t just looking for 1 person... But 4 in general!"

    "No way... Why would there be four people involved in this... Is there really a reason to hate Ikkiri this much?"

    Plus, it''s quite unrealistic to assume that there would be someone in this class who would be able to get 3 people to do something like this...

    "I don''t really think that it''s about Ikkiri anymore. Maybe there was a massive upside to these tasks. Something that means more than Ikkiri. Though... We shouldn''t waste time thinking about it. Because we won''t arrive at plausible conclusions. Either way, what we should take from this message is that there is a very high chance that a boy wrote this message, if not all of them."

    My table partner''s not exactly making this easy. By splashing so many possibilities, we won''t be able to tell who to focus on.

    It''s one thing to assume who is truly behind all of this and another one to assume who wrote all these messages. Right now, we should focus on finding out who wrote all these messages.

    "Let''s not lose focus. We should prioritize finding out who wrote the messages. That''s what we were tasked with. Why are we going through unnecessary lengths?"

    I hate to rain on her parade, but her leadership is entirely pointless. She''s going through such unnecessary lengths for no legit reason.

    "But don''t you think that if we connect all the clues that we will find out who the real culprit is? If we associate all the reasons we can achieve and collect, then we will reach a better end goal."

    She didn''t get my point...

    "I didn''t argue that we wouldn''t make swifter progress if we utilized that methodology... Your idealogy is simply useless."

    "Excuse me?"

    Well, this was bound to happen. I tried. I really did.

    "I''m correct here. We are all trying to find some culprit for no reason whatsoever. Let''s not lie to ourselves... We don''t care about who did this... Why are we all pretending to care? Let''s just blame someone like Tatsu or Tateyana."

    I suggested those two names because we have reasoned that the chances of them being behind this has a minimal and plausible level of coherence.

    In all likelihood, Tatsu did this.

    All the signals are pointing at him.

    "You''re not correct. You''re the only one who has that point of view. While it''s true that this is Ikkiri''s problem, we were tasked with the task of finding out who the culprit is. Stop being so whiny about this..."

    Why are you glaring at me like that... You''re the one who''s being whiny but of course, you just can''t see it...

    "You''re the whiny one. You''re suggesting that we have to, no, I have to do this just because I was tasked with this task. What a load of nonsense. You''re not going to arrive at any plausible conclusions whatsoever. All of these assumptions have been unrealistic and will continue to be."

    "Then don''t talk... No one is forcing you to."

    Fucking fine by me.

    If she actually thinks that there is something to be achieved here, then props to her. I hope she sees something that I can''t see.

    I''m pretty sure that your ego will reach unspoken heights.

    Hyunda''s right. My actions often don''t have any meaning whatsoever. I don''t have a reason to bother myself with this scenery at all. It''s Ikkiri''s problem. Not mine.

    "Ummm... can we say our opinions about this...?!"

    "I think that both of you are taking this too seriously!"

    They''ve been silently observing our argument go down, but they finally decided to speak. Almost glued to each other, Kanawari and Kuzan began with their attempt.

    They are in front of us, so it''s normal that they have their fair share of opinions regarding what just happened.

    That doesn''t mean that they are correct though.

    "I''m not taking this seriously because I don''t have a reason to. She is. If you two want to argue about something at least be correct about it..."

    If the argument is that I''m taking this too seriously, then that''s not true. If that was the real case, then I would change my approach here. Kanawari was the one who suggested this, I simply didn''t reject her option because the end game is all the same...

    "Pardon his rudeness and lack of manners. It''s plainly obvious that he just comes up with excuses because he can''t keep up. Don''t mind him."

    "That''s not the case, damn it... Stop throwing baseless insults that are not true at all!"

    "Except they are true. If you could keep up, then you wouldn''t complain. Your mood dictates that you complained for a reason. That reason being, this is too much for you!"

    Why does she even bother to open her damn mouth... It should be logical to any human being out there that doing something fruitless is worthless, meaningless and utterly useless! How can someone not understand this!?

    "Please shut up before I do something that I might regret... You only open your mouth to say stupid shit that makes no sense at all. Either be quiet or don''t speak at all!"

    Amidst this, our arms have started to form wide swings in our opposite direction in order to express our violent emotions regarding one another.

    This should be obvious right now, but.... I completely and utterly hate her.

    "It''s my mouth and the words that come out from it are according to my will! Your words mean nothing to me!"

    "Fuck! Is it so hard for you to process common sense?! Are you seriously this retarded?!"

    "You''re the retarded one, you numbskull! I should''ve known it would turn out like this!"

    "Should''ve known!? I fucking knew from the start that it would turn out like this! It was only a matter of time! Dumb bitch!"

    "D-D-Dumb bitch!? Say that one more time! I''ll pierce your eyeballs and make you eat them!"

    Does this bitch seriously think I''m afraid of her? What? Does she think that just because she has good looks that her opinion suddenly matters? Fuck off. That''s incorrect!

    "Dumme Schlampe! Cagna stupida! Tupa suka! There, I even said it in three different languages! Oh, fucking wait! Even then, you won''t understand!"

    I can''t believe I studied the german language, the Italian language, and the Ukrainian language just to use my knowledge in this roast fest.

    This is almost as sad as her existence in general.

    "Did you seriously say those untruthful two words in THAT language?!"

    What is she talking about?

    "G-Guys! Calm down, please! We can think about this together! We are a group! So, can we ple--"

    "Shut up, Kuzan!" x2.

    Though Kuzan spoke, I''m wondering why Kanawari hasn''t spoken along with him, but that''s not important right now.

    This bitch needs to know her place.

    "It''s not ''THAT'' language or whatever you are speaking. It''s three languages, you dumb bitch!"

    In response to this, her eyebrows twisted themselves accordingly. Furthermore, she was starting to grit her teeth while looking down in tremendous rage. But, still, so what?

    "Whatever! I won''t question how you know it, it''s just sheer dumb luck, I bet! How can you expect others to treat you with respect when you don''t treat anyone with respect?!"

    "What the hell?! What does that have to do with anything!? I choose those who I apply respect to!"

    "I strongly doubt that! You''re flawed in general! You can''t respect someone, I bet! Come on, just admit it! You are in the wrong here!"

    How am I in the wrong here...?! God, she doesn''t realize how contradicting she is. I argued with my logic but she twisted my argument by using her biased logic.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    That''s not proving me wrong, that''s you trying to prove yourself right. Only someone seriously dumb could not distinguish the obvious difference here.

    "Just shut up. Seriously. You can''t ever win in an argument, because you are more preoccupied with how you look in the process rather than the argument itself. That''s why you''re a dumb bitch. See, Kuzan? Learn from me. These types of bitches are the worse there are. They can''t even see how wrong they are!"

    "I see, Aniki! Then---"

    Something stopped Kuzan from further speaking. His face looked in anguish and pain for some reason.

    Although my table partner was ready to go at it again, Kanawari spoke on her turn.

    "Umm...! If I can speak, then I have a suggestion!"

    Just as we were about to resume our violent argument, we both looked towards the light-blonde-haired girl whose eyes emitted a sense of peace just by glancing upon her.

    Thus far, her attitude has been remarkably positive and enthusiastic, which made me wonder why exactly she allowed us to argue this far. Kuzan attempted to stop us, but he was unsuccessful in the process of doing so.

    Since no one really said anything to stop her, Kanawari went on.

    "Does this happen a lot or is this the first time you two have argued!?"

    I''ll never understand where she gets that undeniable enthusiasm.

    Nonetheless, I answered back.

    "I wouldn''t say it happens a lot, it happens every time she opens her mouth."

    "Excuse you, don''t you mean those words to yourself instead? You''re the one who attempts to talk to me in the first place."

    "That is not true. Don''t pretend that''s the case when it''s not!"

    It really is not the case, okay? What sorta man would I be if I started every single conversation with the opposite gender? I''ll have you know I have plenty of integrity.

    "Guys, listen to Kanawari, please! I think she''s onto something!"

    I can''t tell if it''s a side effect or not, but every time my eyes cross with Kuzan''s, as soon as I look at his head in general, I can''t see the black wig, even though it''s there.

    Despite all this, you keep yourself strong, Kuzan. You are out of this world.

    "That''s right, Kuzan! I noticed something while you two were arguing endlessly! Do you two... even know something about each other?"

    I think I see where she''s going with this. With that in mind, it will be easy to prove her approach wrong.

    "No, we don''t. But that''s because I don''t care in the first place."

    Though... She has told me a few things about herself, but I honestly forgot. I don''t tend to keep on track with irrelevant things in the first place.

    "For once, you are right. I don''t care about you, so of course, I don''t know anything about you."

    There''s no argument here. We don''t care about each other. That''s a fact. It was never my intention to befriend her.

    Kanawari''s point of view was most likely going to proceed the same way I did with Yulia. How we must strive to understand each other and whatnot in order to develop a proper bond.

    In actuality, that doesn''t work out and it''s not as simple as it seems for a certain reason.

    You can''t understand someone that doesn''t allow you to understand them in the first place. Logically speaking, you can only see what is on the surface and label that as the general understanding, but that''s about it.

    What hides beneath the surface is impossible to perceive, which is why the ''mutual understanding'' argument never works in reality.

    Yulia''s case wasn''t luck or anything of that sort. Her surface told me enough information about her.

    It''s a different story when we consider the creature that I''m paired with. Just like me, she tells nothing. Her surface is empty and dry.

    "Oh, so it''s not the first time! I see! That makes sense, really! But... Are you two existing in each other''s atmospheres?"

    .....What? She''s not using the ''mutual understanding'' argument?

    And what is this ''other''s atmospheres'' stuff?

    "Kana, what are you talking about? Can you be more specific?"

    Despite my table partner''s question, it wasn''t Kanawari who answered, but it was the only boy in this classroom whose enthusiasm could rival Kanawari''s.

    Leaning his head forward, Kuzan spoke with tremendous gal.

    "You two are not acknowledging each other''s existence! Look at me and Kanawari! We know that we are full of flaws but still, we allow each other to exist inside our own atmospheres! Kanawari stutters a lot, for example! I used to find this super funny, ah, don''t get me wrong, I still do, but I don''t laugh at it anymore!"

    "Kuzan''s sudden haircut had me laughing from left to right, but I''m holding myself now! Look, he even bought a wig to mask that! Hilarious!!"

    "Hey! This wig was expensive! No roasts please!"

    "Aye, aye! Though, my point is that you two are talking about each other far too negatively! You can''t appreciate each other''s flaws! I''m not saying for you two to understand one another, but don''t you think that you two argue because you are protecting each other''s images a bit too much!?"

    This is... Weird. It''s as if Kanawari and Kuzan are this experienced couple who have gone through every hardship life has to offer and therefore, they feel this obligation of giving the most sophisticated and philosophical advice to every lost couple they find along the way!

    The most annoying part is that they are not a couple and neither are we!

    "I don''t agree, Kana. I argue to prove myself right. My image is completely partial. My intentions are pure along the way."

    Liar... If you argue to prove yourself right then you are already caring for your overall image, you dumbass...

    "But Lus! This isn''t about you, nor about him! Think about it, wouldn''t it be for the best if you two stopped arguing?! You''ll develop such a toxic relationship, then!"

    "We don''t have any relationship, to begin with..." x2.

    I''m glad she agrees with this, at least.

    By contrast to my exasperated thought process, both Kanawari and Kuzan looked at each other in the eyes and shrugged a second later.

    "Oh well! I guess we had it easy, didn''t we, Kanawari?"

    "Sure did, Kuzan! Is this where you apply the ''take it nice and easy'' term?! Maybe they can''t see things the way we see it! Were we idiots by assuming that they could see our ideas from the start!?"

    Hey...

    "It must be! Aniki and Lus seem to be in denial at the moment! Maybe this will change over time! Oh, I know! Special and unique events will slowly demonstrate how they could change their toxic relationship! Isn''t that kinda like a fairytale setting, Kanawari!?"

    "I see what you mean, Kuzan! But, don''t you think it''s a shame?! Our idea was so simple! We even discussed it, remember?!"

    "Oh, I know! The whole concept was that by existing with each other, it wouldn''t refer to physical existence only but emotional existence! It''s not hard to understand, right?!"

    Why are they....

    "It can''t be hard to understand! This is not an explicit emotional connection but just the acknowledgement! I can''t believe that there are people out there who mistake acknowledgement for respect! How dumb must you be to not get the difference?! Hahahaha!!"

    "Wait, wait, are you serious?! You mean to tell ME that there are people out there who can''t distinguish such an obvious difference?! Hahahaha, imagine that for a second!! Try not to die while you think about how dumb you''ve to be in order to have that type of thought process!!"

    Oh, I see now. As I glanced at my table partner, we suddenly realized.

    Both Kanawari and Kuzan were idiotically laughing their asses off. They had this mockery sensation written all over their faces.

    Our stiff faces became disturbed as soon as we caught on to what was happening.

    "Kuzan! Kuzan! I know a better one! Imagine this: You are attempting to explain something really basic but for some reason, for some extremely ODD reason, the ones you are explaining this towards, just can''t get it! How prideful do you have to be to understand the basic logic behind this simplistic ideology?!"

    "Too damn prideful, that''s for sure! But, Kanawari, don''t worry! There aren''t such human beings on this planet who would be this dumb! We are safe!"

    For how long are they going to keep this up...

    "That''s true --- Oh wait! N-No way!"

    "W-What is it...?"

    ....In a symphonic combination of movements, Kuzan twisted his head in a way that Kanawari managed to whisper something on his ear. Even though the usual intention would be for the whispering message to be as silent as possible, Kanawari purposely allowed the upcoming words to be heard extremely loud, despite being whispered.

    "I think we have a case on our hands! L-Look at them!"

    "Hm?!"

    Upon receiving Kanawari''s whispering loud message, Kuzan looked at me once and then back to Kanawari. He did the same with my table partner. Ultimately, he blinked so much that I think it got contagious.

    That''s right. Right now, these two idiots think we don''t notice this wave of sarcastic sentences.

    "K-Kanawari..."

    "Y-Yeah, Kuzan...?"

    "Is this it?! Are they the ones you were talking about?! I tried to look in front of me and I only found these two stiff people! One looks like her face is made of stone and the other looks like it''s about to explode! What do we do?!"

    Slamming my right hand onto my table, I put a stop to this spiral of sarcasm.

    "Alright, I get it, you''ve made your point! Still, I won''t change."

    It''s pretty obvious what they were insinuating. That we''d have to be dumb, truly dumb not to take this opportunity, but I simply don''t care.

    There''s no reason for me to reach out to her.

    "Likewise."

    She shrugged. Yes.

    She''s the same as me in this sense. We won''t change because we don''t have a reason to.

    "5 minutes left!"

    Yuka-sensei declared that. Her voice came out low to us since she was at the end of the classroom with Akimiyashika and Hinagiku. However, we all heard her loud and clear.

    Normally, this would be alerting, but considering that we don''t have much time, I think it''s wise to assume that it won''t pose to be a problem.

    "Waaaahhh!! We only have five minutes left! Quickly, let''s analyze the rest of the messages!! Umm...!"

    Kanawari was freaking out because she only realized now that time was almost up. She placed her shaky hands on top of the sideways of her head while forming a hysterical expression.

    "Relax, Kanawari. We don''t need to analyze the messages anymore. Don''t you have a guess already?"

    With a quick head pat, Kuzan calmed Kanawari''s pile of nerves down.

    .................

    What''s with Kuzan patting every single person there is? First his sister now Kanawari? I''m sensing a pattern here.

    Although, I''ll praise Kuzan for ceasing the situation quickly. With just 5 minutes on the clock, right now is not a good time to freak out.

    "I do! But I just wanted to form better guesses through reasoning and logic!"

    "We''ve already discussed it though! We already know who we think did it, right?"

    "That''s right, Kuzan! The question is..."

    Do we know who did it?

    By ''we'' I''m referring to me and her, not Kuzan and Kanawari.

    "Your worry is unnecessary, Kana. I already have my guess."

    "I do as well. Then... Shall we say what''s truly on our minds?"

    The four of us simultaneously traded looks with each other until we arrived at a consensus.

    There should be 3 minutes left if I''m not mistaken. If our opinions differ too much, we should reach out to each other why we disagree and attempt to fix the situation.

    Nevertheless, time is short.

    Thus, Kuzan took the initiative and started. His opinion was the same as Kanawari''s, therefore, Kuzan would speak for Kanawari as well.

    "Tateyana. Why? We''ve already explained it. To be honest, there isn''t much evidence to link with, as a matter of fact, there is none, but this is based on the scenario that Kanawari proposed."

    I''ve already reinforced my thoughts with the idea of the not-so-great importance that this whole event has. And the reason as to why this event isn''t important in the first place is because this is Ikkiri''s problem.

    If Ikkiri herself can''t take care of her own problems, then she''ll have to rely on others. This is the case, and as such, we are forced to make illogical claims such as these.

    Kanawari''s scenario has barely any logic whatsoever.

    "If there was more evidence then I would really say more, but... Tateyana should do it for now. All the other scenarios don''t tell us much about the real culprit and it makes the most sense for the one who wrote all those messages to be a girl. Plus, Tateyana does possessive aggressive behavior. It''s not entirely impossible that she low-key hates Ikkiri for whatever reason."

    Assuming this information is based on events that have took place in their dorm, then I would say it''s a verdict opinion for sure.

    Also, Kanawari is not ignoring the other possibilities, she''s simply going along with her own.

    Still, that''s already two different opinions from mine.

    All eyes were on me, therefore, I spoke.

    "Tatsu. Why? Due to Ikkiri''s absence, he failed the exam. His failure in the past exam had extra meaning. Kuzan, can you tell them what was that meaning?"

    "Ahhh! If a certain portion of us would fail the previous exam, we would be filled with, not one, but two supply exams! Tatsu was no exception!"

    Tatsu is a serious person. Unlike the majority, he doesn''t fuck around. Of course, someone like Ikkiri would break his system completely.

    "That''s right. Since he was no exception, he is now one exam away from being out of the program. Needless to say, but the consequences for this aren''t very nice, are they? I''m sure he accumulated a great deal of hatred for Ikkiri. Ikkiri''s at fault here, no matter how you look at it. So, Tatsu, as a way to vent his strong emotions, decided to bully her. Isn''t this just simple? Why are we choosing Tateyana over the obvious answer?"

    My scenario makes more sense than Kanawari and Kuzan''s.

    You''d have to be blind not to see this. This is by no means any form of self-over glorification yet I need to glorify my opinion to the point where they will be able to see what I mean.

    "You do bring a point, Daniel! Hmmmm.... Maybe it''s better to change our target...! What do you think, Kuzan?"

    "Ehhh!? But we argued that those messages were most likely done by a girl! What sense does it make for us to choose Tatsu?! Unless... We are following the logic where Tatsu made all of those messages up."

    It''s quite unlikely, but I''ve come to terms with this decision of mine.

    "Kuzan, couldn''t Tatsu just have come up with all of this? It''s not hard. Think about it... We are all criminals... Acts of manipulation should not be something to be surprised at this point."

    What I''m trying to tell Kuzan is that we aren''t dealing with someone who would do all of this openly. Either that or Tatsu wasn''t the one. Under my impression though, he was the one. He just put a little act behind it.

    "Since one minute is left, I''m going to say the opinion we should all follow. I think that out of all the targets here to choose, there is only one, honestly."

    Glancing at the clock, my table partner launched her most surprising words yet.

    "This is all too illogical. The fact that we don''t have any evidence to link anyone completely should symbolize that there is only one person in this room capable of doing this while fooling everyone in the process. That person being..."

    She hesitated to say her words for some reason, but after a few seconds, she returned back and spoke out a single name.

    "Ikkiri, the supposed victim herself."

    What?

 Volume 9 - Chapter 61: Who did it? Part 5.

    Around 2 or so minutes until it hits 2 pm. Although Yuka-sensei had not said anything about the time limit, it would be foolish to assume that this would go on endlessly.

    Whether it made more sense to discuss who is behind this or which person in this class to target; it became irrelevant the moment we realized how short we are in time right now.

    "Ikkiri, the supposed victim herself."

    Kuzan and Kanawari''s spastic sudden faces weren''t something so surprising, because my facial expression gained a weird form in the process of receiving what this arrogant beautiful looking creature had just said.

    "This isn''t the time for jokes... Be serious about this! Weren''t you the one who argued that you were being the most serious...?"

    If she''s being serious about being serious, then how can you make such a claim...

    Yet, despite my question, she continued her reasoning with extreme confidence and a firm posture.

    "Nothing connects. As he mentioned, we are just making up scenarios at this point. Therefore, shouldn''t we stop and think for a second on what''s realistic to assume? Tateyana''s scenario is by far the most unrealistic one. Tatsu''s scenario has a degree of logic behind it, but my guess is by far the most logical one. Allow me to explain why..."

    She, not only denied all the scenarios we came up with but justified why they were unrealistic. By saying that my scenario contains a valid degree of logic behind it, she''s rejecting Kanawari and Kuzan''s scenario by saying that they have no logic at all.

    Nevertheless, her ultimate claim is that her guess is the absolute certain one. A scenario where Ikkiri would come up with this all herself?

    What? Why?

    "Ikkiri has two friends in general. Do I have to mention who they are?"

    Kanawari intercepted her question with vast enthusiasm alongside her luscious smile reflected on her dark-inked colored lips.

    "You mean Akimiyashika and Hinagiku! They are so close and they are together all the time!"

    "Correct. Crap... There is just one minute left. I''ll just explain this in one go. Akimiyashika and Hinagiku were the ones present in the classroom along Yuka-sensei from the start. You could interpret this as premature worry for Ikkiri, but I think not. These two manipulated the whole class from the start by making this a case that wasn''t actually the case. It''s easy to fool an audience if you have at least one or two legitimate reasons. Thus, my ultimate assumption is that Ikkiri did all of this along with Akimiyashika and Hinagiku. One wrote the messages, one broke the cameras and the other hacked the system. They are three as well. And---"

    She was trying to be as succinct as possible by explaining everything she could, but the curtain was about to be closed. Dreadful words that would symbolize the closure of this event were spread throughout this crowded classroom imperially.

    "Time''s up!"

    With time on the clock, there was no longer any room for further discussion, thus Yuka-sensei went to the podium and spoke subsequently.

    Our location was right at the classroom''s end opposite direction; the beginning. Given that the podium stood a few meters away from her desk, Yuka-sensei was considerably far away.

    "I''ve given each group a grand total of 15 minutes for the purpose of each group discussing their take on this case. Thus, each group must''ve come up with a solid guess. Remember, we are attempting to find out who wrote the messages, not something else."

    That much was obvious. This is why it was a waste of time to consider other possibilities except those that concern the one who wrote down all those aggressive and cursed messages. Because the one who did this action would only matter.

    "I will attend each group''s guess and question why they think like that. In the meantime, I will give each group a minute to decide the one they think should speak on the group''s behalf. This is made in order to avoid unnecessary arguments."

    Essentially, even though we have split opinions, we will have to give the role of speaking to someone from our group.

    It''s sorta similar to the selection of a leader, as the leader will portray the group''s organized thoughts. Even though our thoughts are currently scattered. Nonetheless, in this one minute, we can discuss this better, hopefully.

    "My group has already decided on who will speak, so I''m officially declaring Akimiyashika the one with that role."

    That''s no surprise. When has Akimiyashika not taken the major role? It''s as if she was born for leadership or just arguments in general.

    "The minute will start once the clock gets to the fourth minute. Choose wisely."

    There were a few seconds left, but it was meaningless to wait around.

    Each group was split in different places in the classroom. This was originally made to avoid any information being leaked loudly.

    Even so, none of us immediately spoke. As I looked at Kuzan and Kanawari I could feel traces of insecurity and anxiety.

    Needless to say but, whoever picked the role of speaking for the group would get hated the most. I was extremely aware of this.

    I can''t just blindly suggest the self-nomination because Tatsu will view me with hatred. I don''t think he''s problematic, but it''s about acting with preserving caution.

    If Tatsu really is the culprit, then he might just target me. That would be troublesome because I know nothing about him.

    ........................

    These cowards. They won''t come to terms with the possible consequences that there are. Hardships will be created today. Visible hatred will be shown. They haven''t accepted that yet.

    ...It can''t be helped...

    "Well, I--"

    "I''ll do it."

    I can''t tell if she was just waiting for someone to speak or not, but my table partner managed to firmly interrupt my reluctant words with untangible speed.

    In response to this, Kanawari started to freak out.

    "L-Lus?! You can''t... If you go with your guess then..."

    "Kana, don''t worry. We are a group, right? I''m feeling confident even if no one supports my decision, but... I don''t want to disregard the entirety of the group, even if it''s filled with a major stupid asshole."

    Why the hell must she always go there...

    "If my opinion is countered or differed, then shouldn''t we as a group defend the opinion we believe the most? I''m going to go with my decision. Could you two show me your support...?"

    How rare from her. She''s actually depending on someone. I bet she''s feeling weak right now.

    Her decision will undoubtedly leave her open for criticism. Mainly Akimiyashika and Hinagiku''s.

    "Of course! Kuzan, you will too, right?!"

    "Yeah! Yeah, we are a group! One for all and all for one, right?!"

    "Yes! Yes!"

    Is she seriously using their enthusiasm to her advantage? This is one sorry way to go around it, honestly. You used their emotions as tools for your own convenience just to convince themselves to agree with you.

    If I had to bet on how she faked her previous words, then I would bet all the money I have, except I have no money.

    "You. Yes, you. It''s three against one. Do you still beg to differ?"

    Her methods are so devoid of morality. Kuzan, Kanawari and she share the same opinion right now. Therefore, she''s trying to make me feel bad and feel guilty in case I beg to differ.

    There''s no way that she would depend on someone truly. This is the type of scenario that makes me want to act according to what I feel rather than how I think.

    "You''re horrible. Suit yourself, I don''t care about this. What can I do in a 3vs1 scenario?"

    "1-2."

    ........?

    Why did she say that...?

    Additionally, she started to pull her pink-colored bangs away while tying her hair. A ponytail was then formed.

    For some reason, her eyes emitted a sense of absolute confidence and she couldn''t stop the smug smile on her lips from growing on and on.

    "One minute has passed. Let''s start off with the first group!"

    All the way across the classroom, at the window seat, there where four people with very distinctive personalities, so to say.

    With their respective tables connected, the first pair that was recently new was Hyunda and Arkalee. I''m quite familiar with Hyunda. He''s the only person who I know to have silver hair and white eyes. Though... Is that a new earring?

    On his left ear, I can see a yin-yang stud earring. It''s not pierced, but since it''s a stud earring, the back of it is metallically attracting the contrasting part, which enables a connection to be made.

    His semi-high height becomes visible in comparison to Arkalee''s short height. Yet, they are talking to each other...

    Usually, Hyunda is simply wondering his eyes to the outside world, out of boredom I presume, but not now. He''s talking to Arkalee while demonstrating interest. Arkalee, the supposed shy girl is deliberately talking to him as well.

    ...........?

    When did this...

    "I-I''m the leader so..."

    Arkalee''s awkward words didn''t leave a strong impression. It''s clear that she is shy and timid yet she was openly talking to Hyunda. What is this contradicting behavior? It makes no sense.

    In their opposite direction, there was the oddly silent Rayazaki, a usually impulsive teenage boy with a considerable semi-bulky build. His unremarkable short black hair was almost as average as my own yet mine is somewhat spikier than his.

    Ultimately, Hyunda, for some reason, decided to whisper something on Arkalee''s ear which provoked a subsequent better choice of upcoming words from her.

    "Erm! I''m the leader of this group and so I will tell our honest thoughts on this matter. I truly believe that whoever did this is extremely evil and deserves to be met with the consequences!"

    After hearing these strong words, everyone in this classroom, even Yukishiro, a girl with spontaneously long blonde hair, couldn''t advertise their eyes from Arkalee, who spoke with no fear.

    What did Hyunda tell her exactly?

    "This is a decision that I, Hyunda, Rayazaki, and Yukishiro came to terms with, thus we four believe that this is the absolute correct decision!"

    Seriously? I mean, Yukishiro is not arguing which should mean something, but has she really found an opinion that all of them can agree with?

    But Hyunda isn''t the type of person who would partake in this nonsensical event... Therefore, why? Why are you bothering with this event?

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    Weren''t you the one who told me that my actions often have no meaning? What is this? Aren''t you contradicting yourself?

    "So? Which one do you think did it, Arkalee?"

    As soon as Yuka-sensei asked her that, Arkalee, in a heartbeat, rose up from her seat and pointed towards the one she and her group, supposedly thought was the obvious choice here.

    "Tateyana! Aren''t you the one?!"

    "Huh?! What are you talking about?!"

    Tateyana too? Seriously? Why are people thinking that she''s the one behind this? Unless Arkalee shares the same reasoning as Kanawari then I don''t see how...

    In addition to being the target, Tateyana who possesses a slender build and a dark blue charming hair along with emerald-like green eyes stood up and argued once more to Arkalee who was just a few meters away.

    "How could I have done all of this?! Are you stupid!? Ahh, you really are!"

    "Calm down, it''s not our turn yet..."

    "The hell!? Are you defending her, Sagasuga?! Let''s just blame the bitch!"

    Sagasuga, who was trying to get the best out of the situation, held Tateyana by her wrist in order to restrict her. Sagasuga''s right though. They are just one turn away. Nevertheless, Arkalee still has to explain why she labeled Tateyana as the culprit...

    And...

    Speaking of Arkalee... She''s... crying...

    "Yikes..."

    "For real..."

    Kuzan and I shared that small conversation as we both saw the sorry scenario.

    "We can''t just do that, Tateyana. It''s not what we agreed with. Also, you made her cry. You should apologize."

    "W-What?! Are you serious right now?! I can''t believe you!

    Progressively, throughout this, we witnessed Arkalee crying as her tears started to overflow.

    Is she seriously this emotional?

    "Apologize. You were rude to her. It''s not about Arkalee, also, you were just rude in general."

    "A-Ah, thank you, Sagasuga..."

    Huh....

    I''m not sure if that was the most correct choice of words you could''ve chosen, Arkalee.

    "Thank you? Thank you?! Are you flirting with my man, you fucking whore?! First, you blame me with no reasoning behind it and then you start this poor victim scenery?! I''m going to destroy you! Just you wait later on when you get your ass back in the dorm!"

    Holy shit, was she always this aggressive?

    Tateyana on herself was causing certain girls that are present here and now to feel frightened, mainly Arkalee in general.

    "I-I was just...!"

    "Save it! You''re dead!"

    Does she realize that she just made two threats in a row...? There''s no way that this is going to end well for her.

    "Tateyana, sit down, please. We are in the middle of a debate. Outsiders are not allowed to retaliate."

    "But, sensei!"

    "No buts. You know the rules and so do I. Though, you are right. Arkalee, what''s your reasoning for blaming Tateyana?"

    Sagasuga''s righteous attitude most likely provoked this emotional meltdown that we are witnessing from Tateyana. If he had just prioritized cooling her emotions instead of acting accordingly, then this wouldn''t have happened in the first place.

    In the end, though, Tateyana went back to her seat and regained her posture, as she furiously looked at Arkalee who was about to speak.

    "U-Ummm.... Isn''t what just happened enough evidence...?"

    "Excuse me?"

    Although Tateyana wanted to speak, she was gritting her teeth endlessly. The fury that her whole being emitted to the outside world was most likely lethal to the one who would suffer her wrath.

    She was also, additionally, stomping on the floor on and on as a means to increase her fury. Only Sagasuga was keeping her in check by forcing her to stay on her seat.

    "Ahh, this might''ve been too confusing! Sorry! I''m sorry! I''ll change my trajectory... Um, Ikkiri, what exactly is your relationship with Tateyana?"

    Arkalee, while delivering her own set of personal words continuously whipped the tears that were on her eyes and cheeks. Her words have gained more strength to them, so her emotional balance is rising back up.

    Though, the question was directed to the one that was undoubtedly the center of attraction today. This petite-sized girl who sat alongside the same table as Tateyana, was only looking downcast as if her emotions were completely shut down.

    "We... don''t have one..."

    Given that Tateyana didn''t differ, this might just be true.

    "I see... Sensei, as you saw, Tateyana can show scary reactions sometimes... Would it really be weird to assume that she would target someone like Ikkiri...?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "What I mean is... Ikkiri is unjustly being bullied and it''s hard to stand up to girls like Tateyana... I know for a fact... I am... not that strong myself... Which is why Ikkiri would most likely be the suitable target for her bullying...!"

    Tateyana was fuming for the record. Her gritting fangs were starting to unravel themselves the longer she looked towards Arkalee.

    Arkalee should seriously consider her words or she might get assaulted with a kitchen knife later on.

    "So your reasoning is that Tateyana is the most suitable target due to her blatant behavior?"

    "That... and... um...."

    Suddenly, Arkalee started to show reluctance. Hyunda, who is next to her, intercepted that as an opening, as he whispered to her ear something again.

    "What if Ikkiri is being told to react this way...? Wouldn''t it make more sense for you to show retaliation in this kind of situation...? I-I''m not assuming anything entirely, but I just think it would be logical for Ikkiri to fight back at least, but since Tateyana and Ikkiri are next to each other... That would be... kinda... hard."

    I see.

    She''s claiming that Ikkiri''s downcast and sudden emotional shutdown is due to an outside factor. Ikkiri''s normally eccentric, enthusiastic and cheerful. Her negative behavior doesn''t really match right now.

    Therefore, Arkalee is reasoning that Ikkiri is being forced to act this way.

    And that the one who made her act this way is no other than Tateyana herself.

    "I-Ikkiri! You can just say it! I want the best for you! I really want to help you! If you... are in trouble, you can always talk to me! I''ll be there for you..."

    Ikkiri''s eyes slowly brightened in response to Arkalee''s caring words, but she looked down once more in a short while.

    "Thanks..."

    Arkalee really seems to care for Ikkiri. Tateyana is too busy killing Arkalee in her mind to pay attention to anything else. She entered a state of daydream.

    "Well... That''s all."

    "I see. Group 1, which consists of Hyunda, Arkalee, Rayazaki, and Yukishiro have chosen to target Tateyana. The group''s reasoning being that Tateyana''s behavior is related to this and that Ikkiri is being forced into not speaking her mind. Ikkiri, what do you think? Is Tateyana the culprit?"

    To be honest, Arkalee''s reasoning is extremely poor. But, so will the rest be. There''s barely any evidence to link anyone to the real culprit.

    It''s pointless to suddenly expect superb reasoning to arrive from the miscellaneous darkness.

    "No... Tateyana is kind! Her behavior is not at fault... This is my fault..."

    But why is it your fault? I can''t understand that. No one can.

    Except the culprit, that is.

    "It''s okay, Ikkiri. Go ahead and say it if you think it''s me. I don''t have a single reason to bother myself with you. It''s ludicrous to assume that I''m the real culprit!"

    "N-No! It''s really not that, Tateyana! I don''t believe it''s you..."

    "Why are you showing reluctance then?! You got something to say, don''t you!?"

    Tateyana in the process of shouting at Ikkiri, was almost on her face. Ikkiri in response formed a terrified expression. I don''t think Tateyana realizes how much of a problem she''s being right now.

    "Stop it! For how long are you going to do this for!?"

    "What the hell, Sagasuga?! First Arkalee and now Ikkiri!? Why?!"

    I can see now why they supposedly broke up. One is emotionally stable while the other is a convoluted mess of emotions. It makes me wonder how they got together in the first place.

    Although, Sagasuga can become cold and detached, given the opportunity.

    "Do I have to take you two to the principal''s office or will you behave?"

    ".....Sorry..." x2.

    I''m surprised they immediately complied without any retorts.

    "Well, even though I just said that, it''s your group''s turn. Who will speak for the majority? Ikkiri, will it be you?"

    All this time, I haven''t been truly paying attention to the ones who have talked the most out of the second group.

    Rather, the person I have in mind. The person, who for some reason is firmly posed and calmly collected. Tatsu, why are you capable of upholding such an attitude when you are without a doubt one of the primary targets?

    "It won''t be Ikkiri. However, I will be speaking in her defense."

    Anyone could see miles away that Sagasuga would be the one with this role.

    Sagasuga isn''t the type of person to lose his cool over trifling matters such as this. Plus, I''ve been doubting whether or not he actually did what he told me and Tsudo.

    Now that I think about it... Why would he just tell us? This is something that I''m starting to realize.

    Everyone here is incredibly selfish.

    "I decided not to blame someone because we lacked the logic to do so."

    "But you need to choose someone."

    "I understand. However, can''t I propose something better, sensei?"

    Sagasuga is attempting what anyone with minimal rationality would do, which is...

    "Yes?"

    Persuasion.

    "Instead of blaming someone openly, what if I deducted the behavior of the person who did this?"

    Except we already did that, Sagasuga... It won''t lead you anywhere.

    "If I do this, then I will be able to arrive at a firmer conclusion. Whoever did this is surely feeling confident right now. However, who did this is a true idiot!"

    I don''t know why but Sagasuga started to laugh maniacally as soon as he said the word ''idiot''.

    "Right now, as we waste time in these nonsensical arguments, the real culprit is trying to remain hidden. But... That won''t work. Because there isn''t a real culprit here!"

    "What? Of course there is, Sagasuga. It''s a fact that someone wrote those messages. They didn''t just magically appear."

    "But sensei, that wasn''t what my words truly meant. Who wrote those messages is acting so confident because there isn''t anything linking to the discovery of the culprit''s actions. What does this mean, exactly? It means that the one who wrote the messages didn''t do it independently. Hey, Tatsu. How are you feeling right now?"

    Oh...? Could it be that Sagasuga has...?

    "Hm...? I''m feeling good. You?"

    "Yeah, I''m doing great. But, why are you feeling good right now?"

    Where is Sagasuga going with this extremely casual talk?

    Tatsu started to wonder about the true meaning of Sagasuga''s words and formed a worried expression.

    "Why.....? What''s up with that question? Do I need a reason to feel good? The hell."

    "Yes. Every human being does. Without a reason to feel good, you can''t feel good. You''re feeling extremely relaxed right now. Why though? What if everyone in this room just voted against you? I''m sure you''ve thought of that. No, everyone in this room has. The chance of everyone just voting against you means that you''ll earn the consequences that await you. Yet, you. You. You are just here relaxing like you are the king of this classroom. That sort of behavior is illogical."

    "The hell are you talking about... Are you high or something, bro? You''re not making any sense."

    No... Sagasuga''s making perfect sense. Everyone is feeling drained to a certain extent but you, Tatsu...

    I refuse to believe that your ability to relax is because of your serious personality. As a matter of fact, the ability to relax is contradicting to your personality...

    "Hey, Tatsu! You can just admit it. There''s no shame here. You tried. But you made it too obvious. I''ll admit that it was a good play to play cool and calm. But, you overdid the act. That was your only downfall. Plus, Ikkiri made you fail. Fuck, I can''t fathom what you must be feeling like right now. Absolutely miserable? Devoid of rage? I would be mad as hell if I was one exam from being dead!"

    "The hell, man! What the hell are you talking about!? Have you lost your mind completely? I wouldn''t target Ikkiri just because she made me fail the exam... That was just her being absent. No hard feelings there..."

    You say no hard feelings but you are hiding so many emotions, Tatsu.

    Both Tatsu and Sagasuga are facing opposite directions yet they are facing each other clearly.

    Tatsu is on the defense while Sagasuga is on the offense.

    "Or so you say. Failing an exam here isn''t like your average exam. You can''t just get an F and laugh it off like it was nothing. No, it doesn''t work like that. Everything you do counts. But, poor you. You couldn''t do jack-shit. Whose fault was that? Hey, Ikkiri, care to answer?"

    Sagasuga is being purposely aggressive because Yuka-sensei is allowing him to be. She doesn''t mind his behavior as long as it has a point. The point being, to get closer to the culprit.

    Right now, Sagasuga is demoralizing Tatsu''s hidden psychology. However, he switched targets this time.

    The seemingly depressed Ikkiri didn''t reply though. Sagasuga''s aggressive attitude isn''t something anyone can just take. This isn''t usually the case, but he can get extremely obnoxious when he has something to prove.

    Even I couldn''t win in an argument against him in the Street Fighter tournament.

    "No answer? Well, that''s alright, really... Because everyone here knows for a fact. Oh, everyone! What is it that you all know and you can''t deny? Can someone answer me?!"

    Against everyone''s expectations, I answered that question immediately.

    "It''s Ikkiri''s fault Tatsu couldn''t win the past exam."

    I support Sagasuga''s point of view completely. It makes the most sense.

    "Thanks, Daniel. As you all have just heard and since no one bothered to deny, it must mean that it''s a fact! Or am I just wrong?!"

    The likelihood of someone arguing back to Sagasuga''s point would be massively low yet it happened.

    Akimiyashika just couldn''t resist it.

    "Sagasuga, cease your obnoxious attitude. It''s getting annoying. You''ve made your point, you don''t have to target Ikkiri for your point to be made! Isn''t Tatsu your target!? Why are you targeting Ikkiri?"

    "Made my point? No, not yet. The subjects are still in denial. But, you criticized my attitude and not my point. I''m this right, aren''t I?"

    Self-righteous bastards aren''t my favorite, honestly. But you can''t argue against Sagasuga here.

    "Whether you are right or not is not for you to decide. The ultimate arbiter will be Yuka-sensei."

    Akimiyashika does bring a point.

    "Correct. I''ll continue! Out of everyone in this room, there is not a single person who would have more reason to censure Ikkiri more than you. Although I said that there wasn''t any logical evidence, I''ll take that back. There is. Your defeat must''ve created something within you. I won''t censure you, but just admit it, come on!"

    ...Sagasuga, do you seriously think that counts as evidence? It doesn''t. Your assumption gains more credibility, but there isn''t any logical or anecdotical evidence for this event in general.

    Whoever did this thought this through. We aren''t dealing with a second-rate manipulator.

    "You''re insane. You''re obsessed with your own ideas. I''ll repeat myself! There were no hard feelings about it. She couldn''t be present, that''s all."

    "Well, this is as far as I can go, but I think I''ve presented a few arguments that should lead anyone who is present here into believing that Tatsu would be the most valid target. Don''t be dumb, please."

    Throwing that open insult to everyone in the room. Sagasuga sat down with confidence while glaring at Tatsu, who was viewing him with dark emotions.

    It seems that it was his intention all along to make Tatsu become slowly aware that he was the most logical target for selection here.

    I praise your attitude Sagasuga. If you weren''t such a white knight, you''d be my hero, I think.

    "Group 2 has voted to select Tatsu. Interesting. Sagasuga, at the beginning you said that you would be claiming someone to be the culprit, but you changed your mind?"

    "Oh, that. That was a lie. Each group has to go with a target, that''s part of the task. I just said that for the culprit to relax. And, would you look at that, the culprit did."

    "You''re still wrong, Sagasuga..."

    "No, I''m not, Tatsu."

    I took this chance to say something to my awfully silent group.

    "I still think we should go with Tatsu."

    "Rejected. We are going with my opinion. I''m the leader here. Your opinion is meaningless."

    What a leader. I''m sure that a leader would just reject everyone''s opinions and resort to second-handed manipulative tactics. Oh, such a leader you are.

    "I see, Sagasuga. I didn''t think that you''d target someone in your group though."

    "Why not, sensei? I''m not afraid of Tatsu''s retort. I''m right and he knows it. He''s just trying to hide it."

    Hyunda chuckled a bit almost silently as well as Arkalee.

    ...........?

    Did Arkalee chuckle for the same reason as Hyunda? That didn''t seem to be the case. Hyunda chuckled for a certain reason, but I''m almost positive Arkalee just chuckled to go along with Hyunda.

    But why....?

    Their interaction aside, Yuka-sensei spoke out her final words to Sagasuga.

    "That''s your opinion. Well, moving on to group 3. Who will be speaking for the group?"

    "Oh. I will be."

    What a pretty girl. Her light blonde hair along with the mixture of her crystal white skin screams the very idea of beauty. When did we get a transfer student here?

    How weird. I would notice such a bomb immediately. Did I really miss it?

    "Yulia? Well, are you going to vote against Tatsu, just like Sagasuga said?"

    "Eh? No, no. I have a more solid opinion. Well, we do."

    Her name is Yulia? How rare. Maybe I should ask her out. Nah, I''m probably going to get denied in the first try.

    I mean, what are the odds of---

    Wait a second.

 Volume 9 - Chapter 62: Who did it? Part 6.

    It''s not as if I forgot about her. I''ve mentioned her at least twice in my thoughts... It''s just...

    "Is that so? I''m curious now, Yulia. Show me what you got."

    Now that I think about it, what exactly am I going to do about my own situation? Yulia''s existence lost relevancy the moment the previous exam came to an end.

    The entire purpose of the act was to get on her emotional side and make her cooperate. That worked. We passed the previous exam thanks to her cooperation. I''m undeniably in debt to her for this.

    On the other hand, the current problem is...

    "It''s nothing special, but we gotta do what we can to expose the culprit in one way or another..."

    She''s avoiding looking at me, but she''s clearly doing so.

    Allow me to explain.

    Yesterday, when Kuzan and I went outside the school and partook the events that took place in their respective environments, I prioritized talking and hanging out with Kuzan while blatantly ignoring Yulia and her request to talk to her parents.

    Simply put, she''s been texting me like crazy but I haven''t replied. I feel like she might accidentally kill me. Should I write my will while I still can?

    "A-Aniki...? What''s wrong...? Your face looks pale."

    "Oh, it''s nothing. Don''t mind me."

    Kuzan''s appreciated worries aside, I''m acting on logic right now. I have no reason to bother myself with Yulia right now yet I don''t know how to go about this.

    But... I went too far. I infiltrated her emotions too deep. It couldn''t be helped, alright!? Can anyone truly censure me in this scenario?

    "Sorry, Akimiyashika, can I use the sheets?"

    "Surely."

    Currently, I''m avoiding eye-contact with Yulia and I''m pulling out a Hyunda, which is the equivalent of admiring the outside birds. Regarding the actual scenery, Yulia asked Akimiyashika the sheets that everyone had written the message that was on the board earlier.

    Myself included.

    Needless to say, this is for the purpose of checking if there is handwriting that matches the one that wrote all of those messages.

    "Wow, you put the names of everyone who wrote them? Amazing, that''s great because we now know which person wrote in each sheet."

    "That''s basic, of course. It would create a lot of controversies if they were not well-organized. Use them for your benefit or however you see fit, as long as it helps the situation."

    "Yes, thank you, Akimiyashika."

    Ahhh, this is so awkward. What if she comes here and just asks me a random question?

    Am I a coward for not even being able to look at her in the eye? No, no. That''s completely different.

    I just don''t have a reason to act like that anymore. It makes sense to avoid those who you have no business with. Only an emotional person would argue here. I''m not an emotional person, surely.

    "Hmmm... Sensei, could I use my whole group to help me here? It won''t take long."

    Yuka-sensei allowed Yulia to use the remaining elements of her group to her aid. Susaga, Ryoken, and Gale joined Yulia shortly on Ikkiri''s table, to analyze the messages and to further see if there was handwriting that connected with the handwriting that was visible throughout Ikkiri''s table and chair.

    Ikkiri was depressingly looking down as her table was being analyzed midst all this.

    This isn''t easy for her. No one likes to be studied this openly.

    "Hey... Isn''t this..."

    Ryoken whispered something to Susaga who was alongside him. The latter nodded silently in response, as they traded glances with one another.

    "Yulia, Gale, come here for a second..."

    Susaga called out both of them, who were analyzing a portion of the written messages.

    It seems that they might''ve found out something.

    "...Are you certain...?"

    "There''s no mistake here..."

    Yulia, being insecure about her own words got countered by Gale''s confident yet reluctant words that assured that whatever they were arguing about was truly correct.

    They were whispering to each other so low that I''m surprised I can still listen to them.

    "Um, based on what the sheets can provide with, we believe that we have found the suspect and the one behind this, by deciphering their handwriting. Handwriting tells a lot. Which is why it was a good idea to do this. Once again, thank you, Akimiyashika."

    "No problem."

    After that polite trade of words, Yulia went to the same location as Yuka-sensei, in the podium and spoke.

    "There is a vast difference in the types of calligraphy and general handwriting that everyone here has, but considering that the messages were written in a very childish and lackluster way, we decided to prioritize the most childish and immature calligraphies. Which is why, the one that had the most childish calligraphy of all, will be blamed, that being..."

    She paused there for a second while showing a certain amount of reluctance, but eventually, she delivered her judgment.

    "Ikkiri..."

    How surprising.

    "Are you joking with me?!"

    It didn''t even take a full second for Akimiyashika to reaction and once again, she was out of her seat ready to argue against Yulia.

    Yulia''s opinion caused a strange amount of controversy as the groups started to talk between their respective members. However, my group is apparently going with the same choice, so we didn''t argue at all.

    "Calm down, Akimiyashika. I know that the chances of Ikkiri being the real culprit are low. I know, which is why I think it''s more versatile to take into consideration the second person who had the most childish calligraphy."

    It''s gradually pissing me off how Ikkiri refuses to stand up for herself. What is this?

    Argue.

    Fight.

    Stand up.

    She''s not doing any one of those.

    Why?

    "And who is that?"

    "Well, Kuzan."

    Kuzan''s chin fell down massively as soon as he heard his name be declared.

    It completely obstructs me how Kuzan could be the real culprit here, but I suppose nothing is confirmed.

    He argued earlier that he was with Kawahara, but there is really no clear evidence of that.

    With everyone''s eyes on him, the pressure got him quickly.

    "Wait, everyone! I didn''t do it! I wouldn''t harm Ikkiri! I think that this is a really insensitive thing to do to anyone!"

    "But your calligraphy is the one that matches the most. If we count Ikkiri out that is."

    Kuzan should just argue that it''s complete bullshit that they are excluding Ikkiri.

    Come on, Kuzan. Just do it. It''s not your problem. Put the blame onto Ikkiri. We are going to blame her regardless.

    "So what?! Ikkiri''s a friend! It doesn''t make any sense for me to do all these pathetic actions!"

    ..............

    This idiot...

    "The argument here isn''t why you supposedly wrote the messages but that your calligraphy is the one that matches the most out of everyone. We four agreed with this. If you want, we can take every person in this room to check out for... you..."

    In the middle of this, I whispered something to my table partner''s ear.

    "This is bad, Kuzan is going to get blamed at this rate."

    "I know. Can''t you just convince him to blame Ikkiri? We will gain lead if he decides to do so."

    "Is this really that important?"

    "Yes. Having two votes against Ikkiri would be authentically perfect. You are close to him, so speak to him."

    My option to blame Tatsu won''t be chosen from this group. Plus, Yulia''s group is not making an argument that''s against Tatsu, but mainly against Ikkiri and Kuzan.

    The trajectory of this argument doesn''t favor us right now.

    "It''s not my fault that my calligraphy is like this! I developed it over the years! Plus, the ----!"

    "Sensei, can we have a minute for group discussion?"

    I''m not sure if this will work or not, but I interrupted Kuzan before he could say something far too unnecessary.

    Kuzan needs to realize that the group''s goal is to put the blame onto Ikkiri. Originally, I wasn''t going to help anyone here and that would be my usual stance, but it''s pissing me off how much of a coward Ikkiri is being.

    "Excuse me, but I was speaking!"

    I ignored Yulia and forced my vision onto the model-like figure that was just a few centimeters beside Yulia.

    "How rare, Daniel. You usually don''t speak much. What''s the occasion? You interrupted both Yulia and Kuzan. Why?"

    "I don''t believe Kuzan is speaking the words that he should be speaking and that it would be best if he could change his words for the sake of the overall progression of this."

    "Oh, I see. But, you know, if I grant you this option now, it will be unfair for the rest."

    No logic.

    "The others didn''t ask, therefore I did. You also didn''t mention anything about this. Am I wrong to assume this was an option in the first place?"

    Usually, this wouldn''t be such a great move, but since someone from my group is involved, it turned out to be beneficial for my argument here.

    I should not surrender myself to expectations just because the rest already has.

    "Certainly... That usually wouldn''t be the case, but if it''s just a minute then I can make an exception. As long as it''s for the contribution of the current case."

    "It will be. Thank you very much."

    I think I caught a glimpse of Yulia''s angry expression but decided to wholely ignore it.

    Without waiting around, I wrapped my right arm around Kuzan''s neck and pulled him closer to me.

    "Kuzan. Stop. Don''t defend yourself."

    "What?! Aniki, if I don''t defend myself then---"

    "Go for Ikkiri. That''s our choice as a group. Are you going to go against our decision?"

    "You can''t be serious! She''s not to blame!"

    30 or so seconds left. I''m not going to be able to convince him.

    Which means...

    "Kanawari, can you knock some sense into his head, please? Quick, preferably."

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Kuzan has a weird attachment to morals, honestly. He steals, but I''m getting the feeling that is necessarily evil and not naturally evil.

    If that''s the case, then I''m not the correct person to argue here. Someone that might meet his personality criteria, on the other hand, might be.

    "Kuzan! You said one for all and all for one, right?! Don''t we have to support our group''s decision the most?! If we can manipulate the score right here and now then our guess is as good as guaranteed! Kuzan... don''t you wanna win?!"

    ".....Win?"

    Despite his rage showing trails in his words, Kanawari managed to slightly calm him down with her reasoning.

    "Yes, win. Don''t you think this is a competition, Kuzan!?"

    20 seconds...

    "But aren''t we trying to find the one who did all this?! Isn''t that why we were in this together, Kanawari?!"

    "Initially, yes! But, we are more than 2 right now! We are four! Shouldn''t we take into consideration what we all want and not what we individually want instead?!"

    15...

    "Even so... Should we really---"

    "Kuzan! Don''t be so spineless! That''s so unlike you! Aren''t you always positive and enthusiastic!?"

    "Yeah, but Kanawari, this isn''t right! This is wrong! I can''t just blame Ikkiri in order to save myself!"

    He''s missing the point.

    10 seconds.

    "It''s not about being wrong or right, it''s about the group''s decision! We will stand for each other! Because that''s what groups do, they stand for each other while supporting a collective idea. Do you... want to bring our idea down...?"

    "No! No, I... Does it really have to be... like this?"

    "Yes...! Choices have to be made! Someone is going to be the culprit today! And think about yourself and the group collectively! Project our idea!"

    5 seconds...

    "Our idea...? But... Our idea involves me protecting my own position and blaming Ikkiri in the process. I get that it''s our idea, but I still can''t support it. I refuse to let someone take the blame for me."

    You stupid idiot. You still don''t get it.

    Since Kanawari isn''t going to the point, I will.

    "Kuzan, you can''t save everyone. Choose, Ikkiri or the group."

    "But, Aniki---!"

    "A minute passed!"

    His argument was full of flaws. Morality itself is based on fancy ideals and unrealistic self-beliefs.

    Whether you can apply that morality depends on the time, place and most importantly, the people you want to portray your beliefs to.

    Kuzan is an oddball here, that''s for sure. Self-sacrificing retards like him just like the idea and feeling that they get once they feel relevant.

    He can''t be allowed to feel this way, not now.

    "Kuzan? What''s wrong? Are you not going to speak?"

    But he''s still questioning whether or not he should do this.

    I''ll add some words of security, then.

    "Your choice. No one''s going to blame you for it."

    I looked into his eyes and gazed upon his doubtful expression. Whatever brought Kuzan into this program is an action that deems to be morally evil.

    However, must you be truly evil to commit an action that is considered morally evil?

    I get the feeling that this ideology applies to Kuzan.

    That''s why he needs some freedom in his mind.

    Whatever he chooses, it''s his own choice.

    The pressure is there, nonetheless. Because it''s his choice.

    "Yulia... Why exactly aren''t you acting according to the logic that you have presented?"

    Alas, Kuzan spoke. His words shocked everyone present, even Kanawari, and my table partner.

    Ultimately, I was just proud, as I let out a small smirk when I noticed Kuzan''s trajectory.

    "...What?"

    Yulia, who didn''t quite get what Kuzan said, questioned him. Despite that, Kuzan improved and fixed his crooked posture and solidified his upcoming words precisely.

    "Who did you say it was that had the most similar calligraphy? Was it not Ikkiri? Why are you going with the second choice then? Do you have some sort of grudge against me?"

    "No... That''s not the case."

    "Then, what''s the case here? Are you going to tell me that it''s reasonable to not go with your primary decision just because it''s Ikkiri? Why are you giving Ikkiri special treatment?"

    Under pressure, Kuzan is performing better. His thoughts seem clear and not scattered anymore. His words aren''t impulsive but formed from a solid selection that he himself made just for this moment alone.

    "It''s extremely unlikely that Ikkiri did this. There''s no reason behind it..."

    "That''s illogical then. Just because there isn''t any visible reason for Ikkiri to do this, suddenly, I become the target? Man, what are you thinking exactly? Ikkiri and I are in the same position. Explain yourself already, you''re not making any damn sense."

    His unspoken and hidden aggressive cold traits are starting to show. Just from the tone of his words alone, they are falling down from being enthusiastic to sheer cold.

    Yulia doesn''t deal well with people that barely show any emotion at all.

    "...Not making any sense? Aren''t you trying to justify yourself a little bit too much, Kuzan? What, are you afraid that your actions might be found out?"

    "I have to defend myself. You targetted me. You left me with no choice, so I''ll do what I have to do. It''s up to you if you want to blame me. However, your claim lost any logic. No... It never had any logic in the first place."

    Ikkiri is the superior choice here. No one can deny this. Yulia herself said it.

    "And Ikkiri is the better target?! Tell me, what sense does it make to choose her?!"

    "Chill. You''re not being yourself right now. Have you lost your head? You said that Ikkiri was the better choice. You most likely just didn''t want to blame her because she is already going through so much. But, if that''s all there is, then I don''t see why you have to blame me. Isn''t Ikkiri truly the best choice according to your own logic? I''m not and you know it."

    This is a new sight. Kuzan has never spoken with this much confidence and stability previously.

    Everyone''s eyes are bathing in Kuzan''s imperial speech. That''s right, Kuzan. Stand up and fight.

    No one else will.

    "This is odd, Kuzan. You stood up for Ikkiri, but now you are blaming her? What changed your mind?"

    Instead of Yulia asking that, Yuka-sensei intervened.

    I know why Yulia is showing visible frustration. It''s not Kuzan''s fault. It''s mine.

    "I didn''t realize the contradiction in my own words. Also, there''s also the fact that my group will be targeting Ikkiri too."

    "What?"

    Kuzan''s sudden annunciation was unexpected to all of us, even to my supremely confident table partner.

    Despite everyone''s quick shock, Kuzan continued, not caring how his words could endanger Ikkiri''s mentality.

    "What? Why is everyone shocked? Did no one really consider the possibility of this being created just for her? Look, she''s not standing up for herself. I don''t view that as a coincidence. Well, Yulia, I would appreciate it if you target the one who you think actually deserves to be blamed. That''s all I''m going to say."

    Saying what he thought was enough, Kuzan returned back to us.

    However, when he did...

    "W-W-W-W-What did I just do!!!! I''m such an idiot, waaaahh!!!!"

    He immediately sunk deep onto his slender arms and covered his face.

    Regardless of how he feels about this, this worked out well.

    It was worth the effort, it seems.

    "That was good, Kuzan! You did it! I knew we could count on you!"

    "Yeah, Kuzan! Amazing!"

    "Not bad, Kuzan!"

    Our mindless praises were with the intention to ease his mind, but realistically speaking, the result would be the opposite.

    Kuzan is too self-conscious.

    "So, Yulia, what''s your group''s choice exactly?"

    This time around, I looked at Yulia, who was coincidentally looking at me.

    What? Don''t tell me you''re feeling insecure right now? It''s normal, though. I haven''t been there for you. So, it''s quite understandable that you''d feel this insecure about your own choices when your source of security isn''t there.

    But I am now.

    Blame Ikkiri, Yulia.

    "Sorry, Ikkiri..."

    Ikkiri, motionless as always, didn''t bother to stand up for herself. No arguments came from her. She is always looking downcast, with a gloomy sad look on her face.

    I can''t stand people like her. Victims and I don''t exactly go well together.

    I want to get rid of this as quickly as possible. This whole situation makes me want to vomit.

    Weakness is being scattered throughout this hollow malicious classroom.

    The source of this weakness is Ikkiri herself.

    "Group 3 claims that Ikkiri is the culprit herself due to the calligraphy seemingly seem the exact same as Ikkiri''s. Thus far, there has been one vote for Tateyana, one for Tatsu and one for Ikkiri."

    Already three different opinions. I thought everyone would just go with Tatsu, but apparently not.

    And as for group 4...

    "Although I''m technically part of group 4, I will not partake in this. Furthermore, I did not mention anything in those 15 minutes that passed a long time ago. Therefore, group 4''s decision is based on Akimiyashika and Hinagiku''s logic alone and not mine. However, their choice is my choice."

    Hinagiku has been silent throughout all of this. I can''t say the same for Akimiyashika.

    What I can say is that I have 100% certainty that they will not target Ikkiri whatsoever.

    In the end, Yuka-sensei''s words went undisputed as she passed the torch to Akimiyashika, who, instead of speaking while seating down, took Yulia''s previous place which was at the podium and spoke with a fearless voice tone to the rest of the class.

    "I''ll cut to the chase without prolonging this unnecessarily. Yukishiro did it!"

    "Wooooooooow, talk about biased. Watch out everyone, if you want to eat like a normal human being, you are going to get censured for it! As a precaution, you should all eat and do your stuff and not act like a human being or else mighty lord of sass Akimiyashika is going to blame you for it!"

    She''s salty.

    How interesting.

    "Already mad? As expected. Your temper is immature as you are. Mirrors only reflect the truth. But you''d know that the best, wouldn''t you?"

    Yooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

    Should I honestly record this? Yuka-sensei is focused on their banter right now, what are the odds of me being caught?

    "Trash talking, Akimiyashika? Really? Can''t say I expected better, honestly."

    "Normally I would assume it''s your special day but then I realized that it''s every day for you."

    Ohhhhhhhh period roasts!!! Yes, this is the shit I signed up for!

    "Creep..."

    For some reason, my table partner uttered those words. Is my sudden happiness this bad for you?

    I bet you''re so full of yourself that you think it''s the oxygen that breathes you and not the other way around.

    "Girls. Please."

    Not only did Yuka-sensei told them to shut their mouths in a subtle manner, but she slammed her notebook on her table.

    Every time she does that, I remind myself of the first person I met in this school block.

    That iconic encounter with the debonair figure of Basara-sensei still runs deep within me.

    "She started it! She made baseless claims and proceeded to insult me in the process!"

    "Those were not insults; but facts. Please don''t make such an obvious blunter, Yukishiro."

    I honestly can''t tell if Akimiyashika just wants to insult Yukishiro until she caves or if she is honestly attempting to argue here.

    "See this?! How is this allowed!? Do something, sensei!"

    "Already asking for help? So helpless. You''re a phony, Yukishiro. And you are trying to drag Ikkiri along with you. It baffles me how people are saying that Ikkiri has done all of this. I know Ikkiri better than all of you! That''s why you should all shut up! What would you all know?!"

    This isn''t just about Yukishiro anymore. She declared open war.

    In contrast to Yukishiro''s request, Yuka-sensei simply observed the situation without interfering.

    "A-Akimiyashika is right...! We shouldn''t blame Ikkiri for this! She''s already suffering so much..."

    Yet Ikkiri herself is not showing any emotion. Despite being the center of attention today, Ikkiri demonstrates to will to fight.

    It makes me wonder why Arkalee is defending her in the first place. I can understand Akimiyashika, but Arkalee?

    Well... Arkalee is your typical sweet girl. It''s fair to assume that she just genuinely cares for Ikkiri. Plus, she''s sensitive.

    "Aki. You have to present your reasoning as to why you think Yukishiro''s the target."

    "Certainly, sensei. Yukishiro''s spiteful, full of anger and fakes reactions very often. Rayazaki, why did you fail the previous exam?"

    At last, Rayazaki was given a chance to speak. He has been silently observing this situation.

    Under my own assumption, this is Kawahara''s orders.

    "I was not enough."

    "Yes, corr-- What?"

    That was not the answer I was expecting.

    "The exam itself didn''t allow me to take full control of it. It was only natural that I couldn''t succeed. That''s why I didn''t succeed."

    What is this...? He''s too relaxed. He''s so lax even though Yukishiro is right on his side.

    He showed great hatred for Yukishiro yet now he''s...

    "I''m not good at anything besides individual matches or any individual competitions in general. Do you even have to ask why I lost? Hey, Kyoko, tell her."

    "K-Kyoko!? Who the hell do you think you are talking to?!"

    I can''t tell exactly what''s happening, but Rayazaki is resembling his previous self quite a lot before the brachial stun. However, he''s less impulsive and far more collected.

    "So you won''t tell her? I will then. She''s the reason why I lost. If you accumulate trash for days, then everything around it will rot. Thus, my chances of winning the past exam slowly rotted as well. Because the trash was always there."

    Bam. A quick slap flew from Yukishiro to Rayazaki. A sound so crisp that even Yuka-sensei couldn''t ignore any longer.

    "Rayazaki! Are you alright--"

    "I''m good. Gonna take a walk. I might do something I regret if I stay here any longer. Have a nice debate, ladies and gentlemen."

    Although Yukishiro was fuming, none of us could actually believe that Rayazaki was taking such a peaceful approach to this.

    Eventually passing through me, as soon as our eyes crossed transiently, I glanced down upon the firm rage that Rayazaki was attempting to hide.

    "S-Sorry, it was just an accident, I..."

    "That was not an accident!"

    Hinagiku, not surrendering to Yukishiro''s victim act attempt, immediately argued back.

    I was still not sure if this actually had happened or not, but, without a doubt, those doubts were starting to decrease.

    "It was an accident! It just happened, okay?!"

    "No! No! No! You totally planned on doing that! How horrible of you! Is this how you treat someone who you endangered and made fail in the previous exam!? If you had just tried a little bit, then maybe he could''ve passed the previous exam, but thanks to you... It''s meaningless now!"

    How interesting. Originally, when Rayazaki tried to argue to protect Hinagiku''s chances of winning the exam, he was firmly shut down but even then, Hinagiku told him that it was fine.

    That it was her own decision and fault. However, in this scenario, Hinagiku is straight-up blaming Yukishiro, who is currently facing the pressure of being looked at by every single person in the class right now.

    Silent eyes tell many lies.

    "W-What?! How was that my fault!? It''s his fault!"

    "It''s not his fault............."

    Hm? Why is Hinagiku clenching her fists while looking down?

    Wait, don''t tell me that she''s...

    "Huh?! It was totally his fault! He made me do stupid unnecessary training exercises! His reasoning was that it would help me build my core! How laughable! I think I broke some of my ribs while reminiscing that!"

    Oh no, this is bad.

    Knowing how lackluster this class is when it comes to avoiding physical fights, I crossed a glance with Sagasuga as he did the same with me.

    "You''re the one at fault......"

    "Hina?"

    Akimiyashika, who was still at the podium, could not tell what was about to happen.

    I started to slowly get up which caught the attention of every single one of my group''s members.

    "Where are you going?"

    My dumb table partner was also clueless.

    I expected someone who has killed before to notice what''s about to happen.

    Nevertheless, I ignored her.

    "Oh, now I''m at fault? Look at you! Standing up for your boyfriend, is it? Hahahahaha! Why don''t you go chasing after him? Maybe you two could kiss and make out and cry on each other''s shoulders and tell how pathetic you both are!"

    Why is this teacher so useless?

    Can''t she tell what''s about to happen?!

    "You''re done for."

    In a quick leap, Hinagiku fastened her speed and performed a dashing stride in Yukishiro''s direction at sight.

    Essentially, since their tables were not so far away, while Yukishiro was laughing maniacally, she did not notice Hinagiku come at her with full speed.

    Given that Hinagiku was at the end of the classroom, Yukishiro, who was in the middle was only a few meters away from being absolutely slaughtered.

    "W-W-What!?"

    Thankfully, before Hinagiku could connect her sidekick onto Yukishiro''s head, I stopped her movement by taking ahold of her left leg. Sagasuga, on the other side, was protecting Yukishiro, by forming a human shield around her.

    In case I failed, he would cover.

    "Sensei, can you send these two to the principal''s office, please?"

    "Yukishiro, principal''s office, now! Hina, you''ll stay here. We''ll have a talk later, okay?"

    Sagasuga''s offer put a swift closure to this event which thankfully didn''t take place.

    What the hell are you thinking...

    Our cold eyes were mutually connected and Hinagiku forcefully would try to butcher her leg but I wasn''t letting it go.

    She has not left that mindset yet. I know for a fact that once I let go if she''s still in that mindset, she will try something like that again.

    "Oh, great! This is what I get?! Really?! This random shrimp tries to kick me in the face and this is what I get?! A walk into the principal''s office?! God, this is so unfair!"

    Yet despite that, Yukishiro grabbed her school bag and left the classroom in a rush, leaving trails of anger behind.

    And....

    ...How stubborn.

    "She''s already gone. You can calm down now."

    Why are you looking at me like that?

    "You don''t tell me what to do."

    "That''s true. But what you were about to do... Do you have any idea the amount of trouble that would get you in?"

    Yukishiro''s provocative words did not help at all.

    They made the situation worse and worse and since Rayazaki''s a sensitive topic to Hinagiku, she exploded.

    Regardless of all this, both Akimiyashika and Yuka-sensei secured her swiftly.

    After this chaotic sudden turn of events happened, I took my seat.

    "A-Amazing Aniki! How did you do that?!"

    "What are you talking about?"

    "Hinagiku was just about to kick Yukishiro but you caught her kick! How amazing is that?!"

    This shouldn''t even be considered something that should happen in the first place.

    Can Yuka-sensei establish some ground rules already? How come she isn''t doing anything regarding this?!

    "Arkalee, Sana, and Hinagiku, you three will stay with me. The rest is dismissed. This event and case are suspended until tomorrow. There will be changes in rules starting tomorrow. I''m not going to be nice anymore. I tried to be nice, but my patience has been drained. Dismissed."

    And just like that. this event was suspended abruptly.

    I can''t say I didn''t see something like this coming.

 Volume 9 - Chapter 63: I think she doesnt like me...

    "Hajime, my boy, you have to hook me up with this business of yours."

    "Neat, right? Tell me your honest opinion, have you ever thought of yourself bathing in pure money?"

    What...

    "Not gonna lie, I haven''t! This is unthinkable! I''m in debt to you forever, Hajime."

    "I appreciate it. Your kindness is overwhelming, King."

    What is this...

    "Daniel. Earth to Daniel. Yo, you there or are you daydreaming? Damn, do I need to throw something at him?"

    "I''m on it!"

    A small alarm clock came straight to my face with unspoken speed. Not even I could react.

    "Ouch! What the... Hyunda, what''s happening?!"

    "What do you mean? This is free-estate now! Join in!"

    I suppose it would make more sense to actually describe the scene instead of showing constant thoughts of confusion.

    Right now, inside King George''s massive room, inside his gigantic bathtub, which is the equivalent of a public bathtub for public baths, there are only money notes along with golden coins flowing throughout the whole bathtub.

    In it, Hyunda and King George are relaxing with lazy postures as they bath in sheer money.

    But...

    "Wait! Wait! Why is there so much money in here?!"

    It''s not just the bathtub though. In every single furniture, there are big portions of money. It''s as if this is a money castle!

    "Why? Hm, do you remember when I told you that at the end of the month I would gather some budget? This is not it, but it was part of it. Though, this is King''s money now."

    "You got that right! Hey, hey! Hook me up with this! Or did you win the lottery?!"

    "It''s a nasty business. It''s not for everyone. If you are down for it, I can talk to you about it later!"

    Their casual talk is bugging me... For once, how can a supervisor be so corrupt!? Are you seriously not going to question how and where Hyunda got all this money from?!

    "On a more important note, I''ve heard about the news, Daniel."

    The real reason why I''m here is that Hyunda told me to get inside King George''s room after school.

    Thus, here I am. Unlike Hyunda and King George, I opted not to bath myself in money and just took a seat on the floor with my back against the wall, as I watched both of them enjoying themselves on a pool full of money.

    "What news though?"

    "Kuzan. You got him to join. Fantastic. Keep it up."

    "Oh, that? Well, he got really gullible once I proposed him the real thing."

    "That rat Takeshi just can''t resist the money! He''s a male whore!"

    Male whore? Kuzan deserved better.

    "Well, what do you need me here for, Hyunda?"

    He stopped playing with the notes just to pay attention to me.

    "I only have a few minutes left. 10 or so. But that will be enough. Kuzan should be here any minute now since I gave him the necessary instructions."

    He really plans his actions a little bit too much.

    Is he trying to achieve some sort of idealistic philosophy based on perfection alone?

    "With that said, I did say that we would start the betting system at the start of the month, right? It''s about time."

    Huh? But...

    "Wasn''t the system supposed to revolve around the special exams? Why are you saying that it''s about time when our special exam hasn''t even been announced?"

    I didn''t like their reactions though. Both of them looked at each other with wide eyes and the corners of their mouths slowly rose up to full height.

    "Hahahahaha!!" x2.

    King George was punching himself in the abdominal area and Hyunda did the same. However, Hyunda did it more maniacally. Instead of limiting to laughs alone he kicked the air and rolled on the floor full of money.

    "...What''s so funny?"

    It took them a while to stop laughing so much. Eventually, whipping the tears that were on his eyes due to the extreme abuse of laughs he himself created, Hyunda responded.

    "O-Oh... Hahaha, it''s, hahaha... Ahhh, how do I say this...? You really shouldn''t ever open a business or anything of that sort, ever, Daniel."

    "You''re goddamn right! How the hell can you be so fucking dumb when it comes to business! It''s common sense! Common sense, hahahaha!!!"

    I''m starting to feel slightly offended now. They are treating me like I''m some sort of kid who can''t understand something basic.

    What am I missing exactly!?

    "Can you just explain it already?!"

    "Ahhhhh, chill man. I and the King here have a bigger sense when it comes to business. Don''t feel inferior, we are just that ahead of the real thing when it comes to this."

    "What real thing...?"

    Once again, their dumbfounded facial expressions that resembled mockery and smiles that were the equivalent of a joker''s gesture move, were seen.

    Never did I imagine this interaction. Our bulky supervisor and the biggest trickster I''ve known thus far.

    "Well, I gotta stop with the jokes, my time is running short. He should be here any second now... One, two and th---"

    ".....Is this it....?"

    From the outside of the bathroom''s door, Kuzan''s face could be seen.

    His eyes were fully consuming the rich scenery that could be seen by just about anyone that came across King George''s room and...

    Why the hell are you taking the money, Kuzan?!

    "Rat! Leave that money and come here! Simmer down!"

    "Eeeeek!!! Yes, sir!"

    "Here, take my place, I''ll get to the center."

    Hyunda suggested that by getting up from the bathtub that only had money in it. Kuzan did not hesitate, however.

    Thus, Hyunda sat on the edge of the second bathtub that was in my horizontal right.

    Kuzan was close to King George himself but scared as hell in the process.

    "Daniel, you asked what the ''real thing'' was, and I''ll answer that now. By ''real thing'' I was referring to the true meaning of every action and how every person in business has to think in general. Also, I gave our system a new name. It will ''King''s Den.'' The suggestion was made by the King himself."

    Obviously.

    "Every event that happens is an opportunity. Why should we limit ourselves and wait around for the special exam only when we can make just about everything a betting contest? Wasn''t the lack of budget the problem? That''s not the problem anymore. We can safely start making bets now."

    Is he insinuating that there''s something outside of the special exams? Weren''t the special exams what we would be betting in? To see who were the winners and who were the losers...?

    "Hyunda, you said that we could start safely making bets now, but what does that mean exactly?"

    Kuzan''s question was something that I was also curious about too. Amidst this, King George was just smirking confidently as if he had supreme confidence in what Hyunda was about to say.

    "I shouldn''t have to say this but there has to be a keeper. What do I mean by keeper? I mean someone that holds the bets personally and delivers the results respectively. Someone completely outside of the class. Obvious as it may be, the King was my choice."

    I would question how he got that favor from him but just by seeing all this money, I held my breath immediately.

    "Good choice, Hajime! You can count on me to keep the bets with me. No one will get them. Anyone who does will get tortured personally. Yes! I mean you, rat!"

    "N-N-N-No, sir! I''m just a young silly boy! Spare me!"

    "Then don''t fucking steal from my kitchen ever again!"

    On his knees, Kuzan kneeled down repeatedly to the obscure figure of King George, which was honestly, quite visible.

    He is naked, but his parts are covered with money.

    I suppose this is by all means right.

    "And there you have it. This is what I mean by ''safety''. The bets. Speaking of bets, Daniel, your mindset is incredibly wrong."

    "And how exactly?"

    "You think that we should only make bets on special exams, but wasn''t the main criteria the ''winner and loser'' one? Do you really think that only applies to the upcoming special exam?"

    "Oh, I see. You mean to say that there are other events happening that can meet the same criteria?"

    He already implied such, but I just want to confirm the events. Though, I think I''ve already grasped what Hyunda has been trying to insinuate all this time.

    "Yes. And I''ll just say it out loud now. One, Ikkiri''s case and two, the spring festival. The third option is the special exam. I will use all these events to make use of the current members. Which are only you two."

    I and Kuzan instinctively traded glances with one another as soon as Hyunda said that.

    "Or, you can just gather more members in the meantime. Yet, given how short our time is, and since the event will most likely get conducted thoroughly tomorrow, the time is now. That is why you two will write down who you think will be the culprit. Not who your group thinks, but what you, as an individual, think, will be the actual choice here. Don''t get it confused."

    "Ummmm, I didn''t get it."

    Kuzan, still unaware of the true meaning of what Hyunda had just said, asked that, like a complete child. Hyunda, on the other hand, was somewhat busy looking at his phone for some reason.

    "Scenario: You, Lus, Kanawari, and Daniel vote for a person in the class because that''s the group''s decision. Bets are up to the individuals completely. Therefore, Kuzan, you will bet on who you think will come out as the person who will receive all the blame. Ultimately, who will be given responsibility for what happened to Ikkiri. Really simple."

    "Wait a second. This is so confusing. We are from the same group. Should we really be betting here?"

    "Daniel, what does it matter? I''m sure you both have individual opinions or do you not? There have been 4 different opinions thus far. It''s up to you both to choose who will be the supposed culprit. Also, we are starting off with some charity. I''ll be giving the charity, of course."

    Even though Hyunda said that he left the bathroom with haste.

    Without explaining what this charity was all about, he was gone.

    Now that he was gone, I could openly ask something to a certain individual who was bathing in his own money happily.

    "King, what exactly happened? How is this fine?"

    "That runt, Hajime got all this! Who cares how he got it? He''s the one that''s going to receive the blame if he''s caught! But, this is paradise! I might just upgrade this dorm at last!"

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Putting aside the fact that King George is essentially giving no fucks about how Hyunda got the money in here, he did say something that greatly triggered my interest.

    "A-Are you serious?! Will we finally get some bare minimum conditions to live?! Air conditioner?! Proper chairs?! Stable doors?!"

    "That''s amazing, Aniki! We are not that far from achieving it!"

    And furthermore, our dorm could finally compete against the girls'' dorm. This is really important, honestly.

    I bet that bitch would lose the smug look on her face once she saw our dorm as the superior one.

    However, my hopes were quickly destroyed once the King spoke his honest and cruel mind.

    "Hahaha, that would be great, wouldn''t it?! Well, fucking think again! It''s my money! Why the fuck should I give a fuck about what you rats think?!"

    As expected...

    Our high hopes were for naught. It''s still a mystery to me how Hyunda got all this money, but it happened.

    Speaking of Hyunda, he returned faster than expected. Still on his uniform clothes, Hyunda started talking in our direction.

    "Usually, the bets would go accordingly, but since you two have absolutely no money at all, as the CEO of the King''s Den, it''s my responsibility to see that the members can at least participate. The winner of this bet will win the combined money that was deposited. I have here with me money equivalent of 5568,98 yen in total."

    ............

    "Hyunda, I still really haven''t gotten used to this..."

    "Riggghhhttt, you''re from the United States of America. Therefore, US dollars, correct?"

    "Yeah..."

    "50 dollars."

    That''s a lot...

    "With that said, I''ll split it between you two. This is the starting budget that every member gets. However, I''m being extremely generous right now. I''m allowing you two to not stay in debt with me."

    In the process of speaking, Hyunda additionally gave both me and Kuzan the respective halves.

    Yet, what exactly would this come down to?

    "There are currently two events that you two can place your bets on. Of course, I''m talking about Ikkiri''s case and the spring festival. However, just how will it work? You see, whoever bets has the complete freedom of depositing as much money as the member wants."

    "Then, are you telling us to bet all of this money right now?"

    "You could, Kuzan. Just a piece of advice though... You shouldn''t do it. I''ll give a scenario of how it''s most likely going to happen. The winner''s reward will be money, yet that money will be the grand total that was betted by all the participants. Scenario... You bet 1114,00 yen, which stands for 10 dollars, Daniel, and Daniel does the same. What do you think will happen?"

    I''m frankly embarrassed about the fact that I haven''t nailed the yen factor yet.

    "Ummm, won''t the winner receive the total that was betted?!"

    "That''s correct. Essentially, the prizes will be the total money every punter deposited. All in all, there will only be one winner. In case of a draw, it''s equally split. Same with additional ones. But, this was just an example. It''s completely up to you two the amount of money you two choose to bet on."

    I see. It''s fairly simple to understand.

    Or so I thought until Hyunda said his next words.

    "The scenario where every person will be able to bet equally will only apply to this event. This is just because we only have two members. I''m excluding myself, obviously. As soon as we get more than 5, I will attribute the respective mandatory quota that every punter has to deposit by making a bet. Otherwise, this wouldn''t profit at all. Think of this as a trial."

    "Trial...?"

    "Yeah, Kuzan. A trial. Also, I just want to briefly mention that even if you don''t have any money, you can still bet. Direct yourself to the King over here and ask the respective money."

    H-Hold on...

    "Wait, are you serious now? We can just ask all the money we want as long as it involves the bets...?"

    That''s crazy...

    But... Why is King George smiling so maliciously?! Why is Hyunda also smiling as well?!

    "Of course! You can always just ask! Sharing is caring, isn''t that right, King?"

    "Correct, Hajime! Don''t be afraid of stepping out of the boundaries, you two!"

    ....................

    There''s a catch here, without a doubt...

    "Then---"

    "Hold on, Kuzan. Don''t say something incredibly stupid. There''s surely a catch here. Hyunda, what happens if I just ask some money right now? Will there be no consequences?"

    Kuzan was literally about to fall into their obvious trap.

    There''s no way there isn''t a catch here.

    Nonetheless, instead of Hyunda, the one who answered was the stoic and confident supervisor and self-proclaimed King George himself.

    "If you ask me money, then I will give it to you. Just don''t be surprised if I ask the same amount a month later, kid!"

    Oh, I see...

    Only someone with a death wish would actually subject himself to this situation.

    "Allow me to put the King''s words into a retrospective. You can ask any money you want, as long as you return it a month later."

    "....What happens if I don''t?"

    It was a silly and meaningless question, to be fair, yet I still asked.

    "You will return it."

    King George said that in the most possible cold toned voice ever. All the possible consequences suddenly flew all over my mind.

    I seriously think that King George can simply just grab my head with a single hand and plum it to the ground and my brain will stop working.

    "Um... I still don''t get it..."

    Kuzan, the dumbest motherfucker on this planet seems to be quite tactless to the reality of the situation.

    "Kuzan... Don''t you ever ask them money... Do this for your own safety..."

    "Eh? But what if I need it, Aniki?"

    "Don''t you dare disobey your Aniki!"

    "Yes, Aniki!"

    While this was happening, King George was feeling immensely majestic midst of all this expensive and unrealistic amount of money. Furthermore, Hyunda was ignoring the current scenario and was texting someone from the looks of it.

    His monochrome look on his face remains the same as ever.

    Although, he stopped texting as he shut down his phone for good.

    "God, how annoying... Well, regarding the whole money debt thing, just be careful. Don''t choose irresponsible amounts that you can''t pay back. And use that respective amount to bet. This borrowed money is supposed to be used for bets alone, for obvious reasons. But if you are feeling confident enough that you''ll be able to pay all of it back, then be my guess."

    What did Hyunda mean by ''how annoying''? We were excessively annoying or was he referring to something outside of the current scenery?

    Is that why he shut his phone down?

    Weird...

    "The time limit for the bets to be made is until midnight. Seek either me or the King himself when you are ready to deposit the respective money and ultimately when you are ready to bet. I''m leaving."

    Adjusting his uniform tie, Hyunda left the enormous bathroom which was overflowing with money to somewhere unknown.

    ...I was slightly curious about something so I decided to accompany him.

    Kuzan didn''t come and just went to his room.

    And just as we were about to exit the dorm...

    "Why are you following me?"

    "I''m curious about something..."

    Hyunda said earlier that he and King George had a far greater sense when it came to business itself, which made me wonder about something.

    I knew that the chances were slim, but I wonder just how much... And besides, if it''s Hyunda, then...

    He''s the type of person who would do it.

    "Can''t this come later? I have somewhere to be right now."

    "Bro, where? What, you got a girlfriend?"

    "No. It''s just inconvenient for you to come along. Actually, it''s not you. It''s every classmate of ours in general, except the person who I''m going to meet. Plus, this person is already waiting. Not that I care about the time I make that person wait, but abusing it might have its consequences."

    I have no idea what he''s talking about. He''s speaking in such an indirect manner that it''s making me wonder why he''s being so secretive about this.

    Well... Truth to be told, I''ve been meaning to talk to Hyunda for a while.

    There is just something that won''t come out of my head.

    "Actually... I changed my mind. Wanna come along?"

    "Eh? Is that fine? Weren''t you the one who said that it would be inconvenient?"

    What exactly changed his mind?

    His actions to be are like the depth of a cerulean infinite ocean; you can''t see the end depth superficially.

    "Forget that. Follow me."

    Without knowing which destination Hyunda would take me to, I could only wonder.

    We ventured the school grounds in this pleasant and rich afternoon while observing how every single student that was from outside of our class gave us the looks.

    It''s the usual.

    Yet the scandalous scouring sun lying on the horizon of the east made me subtly forget that for short transience. Spring was almost around the corner, so the weather was still somewhat chilly. The winter is slowly but surely drifting away.

    Yet, the person who walks in front of me seems to not care about it.

    "Don''t you find it weird?"

    Venturing the open public gardens that contained a grand variety of plants, Hyunda and I sat on a metallic bench that was all the way at the end of this lonesome yet beautiful botanical garden.

    Regardless of being a lonesome garden, some students remained and they would avoid crossing us at all costs.

    "What exactly?"

    His question might''ve not been what I think it was, therefore, I asked this question of confirmation.

    "Shouldn''t we just be normal students to the outside world? If you come across someone with this uniform, then you are a student of this school. That goes without saying. But, it''s different for us. Why is that?"

    "It can''t be helped, man. We get biased treatment just because we did immoral actions."

    "Yes. But, they don''t know that, theoretically. I have a theory regarding that. Want to hear it?"

    "Yeah, go ahead."

    This was rare. He isn''t this talkative. Something did change his mind.

    Yet I can''t possibly form a single assumption onto what triggered this reaction.

    "Not every single one of us gets treated like this. Only a selected portion of us do. Which means that there was a selection here. Out of the thousand students here, why would we be a problem? They supposedly don''t know what we did. Or, maybe they do."

    "No way, dude. Are you insinuating that the rest of the students simply know that? Isn''t that like confidential information?"

    "What do you think are the odds of the principal holding onto this valuable information? It wouldn''t be strange to assume that certain information got leaked. Information that would alert every single student about certain peculiar existences. Hey, look at them. They are trying not to look as if they are going to wet their vaginas. What the fuck is this? Don''t you just find this treatment weird? Have you ever experienced this?"

    Hyunda was viciously looking at a group of girls who were several meters away while fleeing from the scene, now that we are here.

    They were already here, but as soon as we invaded their territory, the girls, along with many other students, just left the scene.

    "No... This is a first. I''ve experienced a variety of treatment, but being restricted from general interaction and getting viewed with disgust, fear, paranoia, and anxiety all at the same time by just about every student except our class, is definitely a first."

    And besides, isn''t our program something done by the government alone?

    I don''t get this... What happened to being confidential?

    "Kawahara, Arkalee, Sagasuga, Hinagiku, and Ikkiri. Do you know what these five have that we don''t?"

    "Let me guess... They don''t get treated like this...?"

    "That''s right. Yet, we do. I''m not arguing that it''s unfair, because that''s not my point. My point, however, is that there is a strict reason as to why we are. Everywhere you go, people probably distance themselves a few meters from you. Is it everyone or does the school staff apply as well?"

    If I recall correctly, back when I and Yulia were having our fair share of discussions, no school staff showed a behavior like the students.

    "Now that you mention it... The school staff does not possess the same behavior as the students do. How weird..."

    "No, it''s actually not weird. We were probably exposed."

    "How can that be...?"

    "Think about what I''m about to tell you... The one that supposedly must''ve agreed with this program was the responsible force of this school, which is undoubtedly the principal himself. Therefore, since he has accepted this, he knows about the fact that we are criminals. Yet, why would he allow that?"

    Where exactly is he going with this...?

    Sure, it''s strange that he accepted this ridiculous program, but the principal must have got a reason to do this.

    "Maybe the government proposed something ridiculous in return. Like a really good amount of money?"

    "I highly doubt it. This school is already top tier. Prestigious. Appealing. Well-constructed. It doesn''t justify accepting this opportunity just for the sake of a reward. I could entirely be wrong here but... In case I''m not... we... are against a powerful force."

    His palm was covering his face mostly when he said that, but I could tell that he was dead-serious just now. Usually, he has a far more relaxed voice tone, but now... That was an imperial tone.

    Yet, what did he mean by all of this...?

    "You mean the principal...?"

    "Mhm. Things might get heated. Also... Isn''t it about time?"

    "For what?"

    Is he talking about his meeting? That surely must be.

    "Oh, you know. It''s March now, yet there are some of our classmates that already have three supply exams accumulated. Isn''t this perfect?"

    What the hell is he...

    "Perfect for what? You''re not making any sense..."

    "You''re right. I''m not, am I? Therefore, what I meant to say was..."

    He showed a medium degree of reluctance here and there, but eventually, after wrapping a portion of his silver hair that was covering his forehead with both of his hands, taking it all the way to the back of his head, Hyunda spoke words that alerted me to the utter maximum.

    "It''s time to start expelling the unnecessary existences in our class."

    Feeling slightly shocked, I couldn''t react immediately. I was still having trouble processing those words of his.

    "Hyunda... Do you... Are you serious?"

    "Don''t worry. This is just for fun. Relax already."

    Does he not realize what his words can potentially mean...?

    "If you expel someone from this program then..."

    "I''m aware. For the record, it''s real. Don''t think of it as something absurd. The death sentences aren''t forbidden here in Japan. Normal citizens and citizens that contribute to society are partial to this rule. We definitely aren''t viewed as individuals that contribute to society. Therefore, we are disposable trash, in their eyes. To them, we are stepping stones made to use and receive the philosophical idea of justice that every authority in law has. Just look around you. These people don''t know you yet they are acting like they''ve known you ever since you were born."

    Society will view us like trash. Yet that''s because we don''t strive to be better.

    No...

    Even if we strive to be better, our mistakes and actions will surely always be used as an excuse against us.

    "They are not part of something greater though. They will live ordinary lives and will die ordinarily. What we have and what they don''t is something they will never know. Do you know what it is?"

    I simply kept looking at him while glancing inside his glacious white eyes.

    "We have crossed the line. They didn''t. Their existence is limited by what they perceive. Ours isn''t. Can you get the difference here? Think about it."

    The difference...

    Does Hyunda truly believe that our existence has gone beyond the mediocre ones just by acting out of the ordinary?

    "We''ve lost enough time though. Let''s get going."

    With that said, we resumed and walked to the supposed destination.

    In the middle of this, while we were walking around the school grounds once more, I made a short conversation with him, since I needed to clear a certain doubt of mine.

    This was regarding something that had already taken place.

    "Was the whole spring festival team thing staged?"

    "You noticed? I''m impressed."

    Frankly, I wouldn''t notice this in any circumstance, but I took Hyunda''s character into consideration and figured that this was something that he would do, for his own amusement.

    Yet, what if there was more than just his amusement?

    "That''s right. It was staged. But only I and the King knew. I had informed the King preemptively about this and proposed the scenario. Taking the way Kawahara is, he is the type of person who would not miss out on something like this. Plus, I caught a glimpse of him stealing the Spring Festival''s poster. His interest was there. He just needed a situation to use his interest for his own personal reasons. The outcome is certainly troublesome since it contains far too much responsibility yet it was all for the sake of creating the situation. The situation would give birth to the opportunity of a betting event."

    "Are you sure you can tell me all of this?"

    "Yes, why not? It already happened. Even if you tell anyone that it was staged, they won''t believe me. My image is incredibly feeble. I''m just a random human being who has failed two special exams in a row."

    If only that was the case...

    By the way, we were arriving at an open plaza.

    Around it, there was a group of male students attempting to talk to a certain girl.

    A girl, whose beauty has not left my mind. Seemingly, that was impossible.

    "Are you free now?"

    "Can you give me your number?"

    "Hey, you''ve been quiet for a while! You shy?"

    These dorks don''t know that she can''t speak to them. It''s only natural for them to assume such.

    Their loud voices could be heard, even though we were a bit far away from the table that this certain girl was in.

    Hyunda, however, despite this, accelerated his step and stepped into the scene.

    Crossing through their path, he faced the girl that was being swarmed by an odd number of male students.

    "Kept you waiting. Hope you didn''t wait long."

    And of course, as soon as the male students saw the very figure of Hyunda, they fleed in multiple directions.

    What the fuck...

    "N-No! Not at all! I... just arrived here myself! I was worried that I might be late, but thankfully that was not the case!"

    How weird...

    Was she always this enthusiastic...?

    I''ve never exactly noticed her existence in particular since I initially judged her to be an introvert, but this is just weird...

    "I''m glad that''s the case, Arkalee. I brought someone along with me. I hope you don''t mind."

    Hyunda was already on his seat in front of Arkalee, who was drinking ice tea from a pink straw.

    With that in mind, I introduced myself. Even though this would be our second supposed talk.

    "Hi there. I hope you don''t mind. Hyunda said I could come along."

    Yet, as soon as Arkalee viewed my existence as a whole, she stopped drinking from her straw and looked at me with the deadliest eyes of all.

    That changed quickly since she regained her posture.

    "Y-You brought someone along, Hyunda!? How nice! Super nice! Great idea! Hi there, Daniel! What a pleasant surprise!"

    ..............

    "Thanks..."

    I silently thereafter took my seat next to Hyunda.

    ...

    Why do I feel like someone is cursing at me right now?

 Volume 9 - Chapter 64: Sensational Love.

    Unexpectedly, after the class was suspended, Hyunda asked me if I was available. He additionally added that he thought that It would be great if he and I could have a conversation.

    By conversation, it would mean that we would trade words with one another. By doing that, we are interacting. By interacting, we are spending a certain amount of time with one another. By spending time with one another, we are growing closer and closer!

    Naturally, I couldn''t be happier. While it''s a complete shame that today''s event was suspended for a day, I guess that can wait. There is no rush here.

    After class with Hyunda... And only Hyunda... Ahhhh...

    As I got to the respective plaza which was a plaza located around the outside of Block B, which stayed at the North of the school, I continuously waited and waited.

    Our texts have started to increase. Obviously, I can''t help but stare at them every time. Should I print every single text and put them in my room as furniture? And besides, his texts are so formal! There is never a single typo nor overuse of emojis! Perfection! Plus, they are always long and rich! Every profound detail in them has me staring at my phone for hours straight.

    I could hardly get any sleep yesterday.

    Nevertheless, the actuality is sometimes extremely disappointing. Even when you are going through the best phase of your life. A phase that you never saw it coming yet it''s a phase that makes you be glad that you are alive. You rejoice every moment without a second thought.

    Yet...

    "Hi there. I hope you don''t mind. Hyunda said I could come along."

    Why.

    "Y-You brought someone along, Hyunda!? How nice! Super nice! Great idea! Hi there, Daniel! What a pleasant surprise!"

    Why is this vermin sporadic lump of tainted flesh standing by my majestic prince''s side right now?

    Why did you bring this irrelevant pillock with you? Wasn''t this our moment?

    "Thanks..."

    Suddenly, I consumed all my lemon ice tea in one go through my straw rapidly. I couldn''t help but enter a state of short delirium. On one side I''m feeling extremely happy that my charming prince is right in front of me.

    On the other side, there is this lickspittle candle who still has not stated his reason for being here.

    "He wanted to come along. I hope you don''t mind. He''s harmless, don''t worry."

    "Of course, I don''t mind! The more the merrier!"

    Die. Die. Die. Die. Die.

    Hang yourself up. Slice your wrists. Drown in a blood pool of your own toxic blood. Bang your head against a wall.

    Get all sorts of possible diseases that there are out there for you to catch. Grab an open electricity circuit and feel the staggering lethal electricity. Set yourself on fire. Cover yourself in gasoline and jump to a fire camp filled with corrosive firedamp.

    Slide into an eruptive volcano and feel the infernal heat scourge every part of your body as you evaporate in a requiem of pain and suffering. Suffocate and vanish from this world by the effects of asphyxia. Contemplate your miserable life as you wait for a train to end you in a railway.

    "Hey, Daniel. Who do you think did it?"

    My obscure mundane thoughts were cleared instantly just from the sound of his relaxed voice.

    In contrast to Daniel''s absolutely horrendous and despicable existence, Hyunda remains.

    Ahhhhh, it''s so impressive, my love. How can you banish all the darkness in my heart so fast like that?!

    "Are you talking about Ikkiri''s case?"

    You cursed creature, that name is banned! How dare you speak it in front of us! Of course an outsider like you wouldn''t know but out of all the words that are out there you utter the one I absolutely cannot stand! Daniel, you possess an irreplaceable annoyance!

    "What else?"

    This has to stop. Just a single word that comes out this spineless ninnyhammer''s mouth makes my emotions quake in a very malicious and cryptic way.

    I won''t allow you to dominate this conversation.

    "Ummm! I''ve been thinking and... Isn''t Tateyana really the one...?"

    "It''s been bothering me ever since this afternoon, but why exactly did you two choose Tateyana out of all the people in the class?"

    Is he criticizing an idea that Hyunda and I come up with together? Not an idea that Rayazaki and Yukishiro had any involvement in, but an idea that Hyunda and I... Hyunda and I...!

    "That was Yukishiro''s idea. Arkalee and I had no saying on our parts. We just went along, Daniel."

    ....!!

    "Oh, I see. I just found it strange. Still, that was pretty good by Arkalee. I surely thought that it was a group decision, after all."

    H-Hyunda... You lied for me! It wasn''t Yukishiro''s idea but it was an idea that you and I thought together from the start! And since you didn''t want Daniel to view our idea in the wrong light, you lied and said that it was Yukishiro''s idea!

    For our collective idea''s relevance and overall existence, you defended us both!

    "It was easy!"

    Daniel''s useless praise means literally nothing to me. Whether Daniel speaks or not, his relevance will not increase.

    It can, however, make his irrelevance become more irrelevant the more he speaks, which is gradually working.

    "Although you say that, Arkalee, it was pretty hard for you. Let''s hope our choice as a group gets chosen."

    "Y-Yes! I''m sure our choice will get chosen! Without a doubt!"

    Although, my love, you are wrong about something... It''s not the group''s choice that matters. Numbers that aren''t the equivalent of you and I are completely and masterfully irrelevant.

    "Hyunda, your group will lose though."

    Why does he bother to open his mouth?! I don''t get this! All you speak is rubbish and rubbish! Every word you utter gives me ear pain!

    Yet, despite this, my love coincidentally faced this trash overlord with peerless confidence and a heavenly smile.

    "Strong words. What exactly makes you think that, Daniel?"

    "If we go by the assumption that the one that has the most votes will be chosen, then the choice my group will make will reign superior to yours."

    Daniel''s so dumb. Seriously dumb. His group choice doesn''t even matter in the first place.

    This is just an event to mess with Ikkiri''s emotions and everyone''s emotions in the process.

    Who cares about your little assumption? Nobody.

    "Thus far there are 4 different votes. For your group to win, your group will have to pick someone that already has been chosen. Though, it''s weird to call this a win. Is your group going to go with the flow?"

    "With the flow...?"

    How can you not understand what Hyunda is saying?! He''s even going through unnecessary lengths just to explain it to you! I would claim that you need to use your brain, Daniel, but you clearly don''t have it!

    Geez, all of this makes me want to squeeze my ice tea cup! It''s empty and dry now, but I''m furious.

    "By going with the flow I mean by going with a choice that has already been chosen. For example, if your group picks Yukishiro as the target, if group 5''s target is someone that has not been targetted yet, then your group will surely come out victorious. Along with group 3. This is what I mean by going with the flow."

    Ahh, your kindness is truly overwhelming. Even though your cold-hearted attitude often shows once your words glacially open up to the outside world, you still bother to explain such simplicity to a feeble-minded person like Daniel.

    "Yeah, it''s that simple, I guess. But, to answer your question, I think Tatsu''s the one who did it."

    I can''t believe that my potential date is slowly being interrupted every time by Daniel. Every time I want to open my mouth he bothers to open his mouth and out of all the people on this planet.... out of all the 7 billion people on this planet, that exist...

    "Tatsu? Why do you think so?"

    Also, Daniel''s choice is extremely simple and primary.

    Of course simple-minded creatures like Daniel would think that Tatsu is the one who wrote all those facts.

    I bet that his reasoning is that Tatsu did it because he failed the previous exam due to Ikkiri''s absence.

    What a gigantic retard!

    "Ikkiri''s absence made him lose the previous exam. It''s illogical to just ignore this. What if he acted on revenge?"

    Look at you, trying to play the detective. Feeling important yet? Well, too bad.

    You''ll never find out who did it. As a matter of fact, it''s not just you.

    This goes for every single one of you.

    "Aren''t you viewing Tatsu a little bit too harsh...? Hyunda failed the previous exam due to my absence and he didn''t do anything... Aren''t you just assuming his behavior a little bit too much?"

    "But Hyunda and Tatsu are completely different. Tatsu could''ve simply acted on the premise of revenge or spite."

    Why is arguing back? Do I need to prove him wrong?! God, these pests just keep on crawling!

    Where do they come from!? Why are there people like you, Daniel, who have the maximum level of audacity to interrupt the moments I cherish the most?!

    "T-Tatsu isn''t that type of person! I''ve been with him for two months straight! I know him a lot! He wouldn''t do something so spiteful as this..."

    Why is he looking at me with those distrustful eyes... Why are you doubting me, Daniel?

    Do you honestly think that you know more than I do? Of course you do. You have no idea that this was part of my plan.

    "That doesn''t justify it completely though. The possibility is there. Plus, his sudden bursts of anger make me question whether he wouldn''t do something as spiteful as this."

    "You''re too negative, Daniel! You need to relax, relax. You have to look at things from the other side... It''s not right to blame Tatsu just for the coincidental event that took place..."

    It was not coincidental whatsoever. I already had in mind the thought of using the previous event to my advantage.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    It''s only natural that the blame goes to Tatsu.

    "My negativity has nothing to do with this. Who cares about if it''s right or not? Coincidence or not, it doesn''t change the fact that it happened. What about you, Hyunda? Who do you think did it?"

    "I already answered you. We think that it was Tateyana."

    "No. I mean, you. Not you and Arkalee."

    "Same choice."

    "......Really?"

    I was ready to rebuke Daniel''s malevolent rude behavior right away yet it happened so magically.

    The ''We'' part completely caught me off guard. He''s no longer thinking of himself individually, but, with me as well.

    "Yep! Our decision is gonna win, isn''t that right, Hyunda?!"

    "If group 5 and 6 vote for Tateyana, then, without a doubt. However, if they don''t vote for Tateyana, then we won''t win."

    Oh....

    "I see..."

    I already knew that. I was just... expecting a more kind answer... Looks like we still have ways to g---

    "But, it doesn''t matter if we win or not, right? Isn''t our decision what truly matters? This isn''t some competition, Arkalee."

    "A-Ahh...! Yes! Our decision! That''s---"

    "Now that you mention it, Hyunda, what happens if group 5 votes for a person that has already been chosen and then, subsequently, my group votes for someone who has already been chosen, but is not the one group 5 picked?"

    Diiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

    Over and over, you keep on stealing our dialogue! Just go away already! Nobody likes you!

    Get lost!

    "Daniel, word, please."

    "Oh? What is it?"

    Surprisingly enough, Hyunda didn''t answer his question and opted to change the initial trajectory.

    This time around, instead of his usual attitude, he had a more serious and stoic attitude, as he faced Daniel clearly.

    "It''s bad manners to interrupt someone while that someone is speaking."

    "Is it really that important? I just want to make my point."

    "Your point can come across in a reasonable time. You have to consider the one you are talking to. If this was a conversation between you and me solely, then I wouldn''t mind. But Arkalee is here. She didn''t interrupt you a single time, did she? Treat her equally and accordingly."

    "What the hell man, are you white-knighting her?"

    "This isn''t a white-knight move. I''m pointing out your lack of manners. You came along on your own accord and that''s fine. However, aren''t you being rudely unjust?"

    No way...

    "...I can''t help it, man. I''m just rude in general. You should know this by now."

    "Still not my point. If you lack basic manners then practice them. For example, apologize to Arkalee for interrupting her. If she had done the same to you, then I would keep my mouth shut. Because that would be equal treatment. Weren''t you the one who boasted about equality?"

    "Do I really have to do this? I regret my action, alright?"

    "Then show that you regret your action by sincerely apologizing. Just because we are criminals in official records, that doesn''t give you the ultimate excuse of abusing the kindness of others. Or are you immature to the point where you can''t see the obvious truth?"

    Is he...

    "I can''t believe you are making me do this, Hyunda... But, I can''t argue against your point. Even if it''s in my nature, I did act rudely. And for that... I apologize, Arkalee..."

    Did Hyunda just go out of his way to protect me?

    Is this really happening?

    "A-Ah, it''s okay! You don''t have to bow like that, Daniel! I truly understand!"

    No matter how many apologies you throw at me, you will always remain the way you are.

    That being; trash.

    But, more importantly...

    "Now that''s done, I''ll answer your question, although it won''t amount to much. The scenario you suggested implies that there should be a draw. If there are two people with the same amount of votes, then it''s completely up to Yuka-sensei. The outcome will be a draw, in that scenario of yours."

    It happened... Against Daniel''s impudent rudeness, Hyunda scolded him and taught him something incredibly basic all for the sake of making Daniel apologize to me...

    That heroic act that you forced yourself to do, just for the sake of taking care of my emotions...

    I seriously don''t know what I would do without you.

    "Any thoughts on what Yuka-sensei can potentially do in that scenario?"

    Daniel looked at me as well.

    Oh.

    Hahaha.

    You think just because you are trying to take my opinion into consideration that this changes something?

    Hahahaha.

    I want to have a serious conversation with your parents and just tell them that there is something that surpasses the thin irrelevancy that swirls the translucent lustrous air.

    Your existence.

    "Oh, I don''t know... What do you think, Daniel? I''m sure you have something on your mind, right? Show us what you''ve got!"

    My sarcasm can''t be recognized due to the image I keep.

    The only person who has seen a glimpse of my true self is Hyunda and that will forever be the case.

    No other person will ever see this dark side of me. It''s reserved for Hyunda alone!

    Yet this clueless waste of oxygen kept on wondering.

    "There is the option of both receiving equally the blame, but I doubt that''s going to happen. Something will probably be made in order to decide who is the actual culprit between the two. A contest, maybe?"

    It seriously makes me laugh how serious he is about this. What an arcadian.

    "That could be the case... What do you think, Hyunda...?"

    Hyunda, instead of paying attention to the current conversation, was admiring the coffee he had ordered not so long ago, while additionally adding an insane amount of sugar to it.

    Does he like coffee...?

    There are so many things I want to ask you... But...

    He''s in the way.

    "A contest shouldn''t be a bad assumption, as Daniel said. However, it can''t be any contest. By logic alone, the contest must have a point. There should be certain criteria that could determine who the culprit is based on the interaction of the two individuals."

    The smooth way he drinks his coffee... The way he appreciates it... These details might seem irrelevant at first, but...

    Everything you do has a certain magic in it. The way you look, the way you act, the way you talk, the way you speak your mind...

    I love everything about you.

    "Bzzzz..."

    A disturbing vibration interrupted my holy thought process. That unnecessary sound came from Daniel''s phone, of course.

    Who else could it be? Who else would have the gal to act out of his way in such a moment of admiration?

    I''m starting to think that maybe I should give Ikkiri a little bit of company. Daniel would fit her as a ''company'' perfectly.

    "Shouldn''t you pick that call?"

    Hyunda, out of caring, asked that to Daniel, who was just staring at the phone instead of picking up the call, for whatever reason.

    What is even the point of you having someone''s contact if your goal isn''t to interact? You are so dumb and illogical, but that''s already something I know for certain.

    "Yes... But, I won''t. The truth is... I''m facing a dilemma, right now."

    News flash: No one gives a fuck about it.

    "Well, what is it?"

    Ahhh, my love... You... Even in the presence of such a low life form, you go out of your way to help.

    That wouldn''t be the case if such a low life form wasn''t here in the first place.

    As I thought... It''s not just Ikkiri who I need to put down.

    "....Hypothetically speaking, if you were someone who got into a deep connection with someone else yet for some odd reason you suddenly cut off all possible contact, how would you face that person...?"

    "You know, this is a lot easier if you are more direct. Choose your words better."

    "I see... Then... How would you face a girl that you have had a deep connection with?"

    H-How the hell can he suggest such a scenario!

    Imbecile!

    "You''re not being entirely direct... Well, whatever. If you are wondering how to talk to a girl after you caught all possible contact, then why not ask a girl herself?"

    My heart quaked as soon as Hyunda solely focused his eyes on my whole being.

    Furthermore, he took into consideration that my existence could potentially benefit the situation. I know that Daniel''s problems are completely and ridiculously pointless to just about anything, but if Hyunda is the one that asks me, then it''s all good.

    Even trash can uphold minimal relevancy in front of Hyunda.

    "You can ask me any question! I''ll answer it..."

    "Hmm...."

    So doubtful. Man up already.

    Aren''t you ashamed of yourself? You coward. Not only do you get in my way but even when I humbly comply with your stupid request you sink in your self-doubt?

    I hope you die from cancer.

    "It''s alright! I know how hard it is to open up! But, you don''t have to worry! We won''t tell anyone!"

    "You can trust us."

    We are already talking simultaneously... This level of synergy... I want it at all times.

    Certainly, the situation doesn''t have to matter as long as we are able to have this...

    Nonetheless, this dickless cunt refused to look at us in the eye.

    ".....Arkalee, how would you confront someone who has been in touch with you on an emotional level yet suddenly, that person caught all contact from you?"

    "Well... I would still give that person a chance! I''m sure that the person must have a great reason to avoid me, so I would understand. I live to please, so the person who cut me off should have a valid reason. Therefore, as long as you have a valid reason, you should be fine!"

    No way that would happen.

    For example, if Hyunda cut off contact from me, I wouldn''t just stay still and succumb to depression. Sure, I would feel hurt and sad, but I would find out why he did what he did and what made him act that way.

    However, for the best, I pray that that day never comes.

    Or else the one who brought that event to the surface will feel my dreadful wrath thoroughly.

    "Yeah... About that... Let''s just say that there is a very high chance of me not having a valid reason. In the scenario where that person who cut off contact from you, without a real reason, would you still give that person a chance?"

    This is confusing me.

    Can''t this piece of garbage get to the point already?

    "...That''s hard to say... But I suppose every person deserves at least an opportunity! Don''t give up!"

    Honestly, if Hyunda cut off all contact with me, for no reason, I might just end it all.

    But that''s just straight-up unlikely. I can''t have these negative thoughts about Hyunda.

    I love him, after all.

    "Hyunda, what do you think?"

    "You won''t know it until you try it. You can run all the stimulations you want in your head, but what happens, in reality, is what actually counts, for the record. Give it a shot."

    This is the ideal climax right now. Daniel gets his doubts cleared and he proceeds to move on.

    Come on, just disappear! You are being a candle right now! Can''t you see how out of place you are right now?!

    "Ehhh, alright. Well, I''ll get going now. Sorry for being a bother."

    "N-No! You weren''t a bother at all!"

    "Well, thanks, I guess."

    Radiantly smiling, I cleared some of Daniel''s emotional doubts instantly.

    And given that he was getting up from his seat, it was a sign that he was about to leave.

    Amazing, Daniel! You finally realized how inconvenient your existence, in general, is to this moment!

    Also, I was being truthful when I said that he wasn''t a bother.

    Because saying that he was a bother would be a complete understatement.

    Alas, eventually, after Daniel left, Hyunda firmly looked at me like never before....

    "We are all alone now, Arkalee."

    "Oh yeah! W-Well, that was surprising! I didn''t know you were going to bring him along."

    I''m still slightly happy regardless. Due to Daniel''s rudeness, I got to see his heroic act as he defended me...

    And for that reason alone, your existence contributed its only purpose, Daniel.

    "That was my bad. I should''ve said something about it, shouldn''t I?"

    "Ah, no please, it''s fine! I just thought that this was supposed to be something just for the two of us, hahahaha."

    "And it was. You don''t look too pleased though. Hey, be honest. This was a bad twist, wasn''t it? I did invite you out but I brought Daniel along. You don''t have to fake it."

    Ahhhhhh.... Why are you so hard on me, love? Don''t you know that I become noticeably weak when you give me chances to open myself emotionally like this...?

    I can''t help but feel sucked into this spiral of love whenever we trade these moments...

    "Well, he was really annoying. Plus, quite rude. And... thanks for standing up for me... It really means a lot..."

    Ahh, being truthful and honest feels good. How do I say this... It''s really good for relieving accumulated tension, which I have a lot.

    "The world probably hasn''t been the kindest to Daniel. That''s why he can appear as a rude and blatant individual. But, don''t think too harsh about him, just because he came along."

    "But... How am I supposed to think of him as someone who isn''t a bother when his presence is...?"

    "Doesn''t it bother you how much attention you pay to people you don''t exactly care for in the first place?"

    "Eh...?"

    What are you saying... I only pay attention to you...

    "Why do you think you are so bothered with his presence?"

    "That''s... I already explained it. This was supposed to be something between us. He was in the way..."

    I hope he doesn''t think I''m being rude to him...

    That''s not my intention...

    "I didn''t know that. You have to tell me. I can''t guess your preferences. Unless you don''t want to."

    "But will you really accept my preferences?"

    "That goes without saying. Wasn''t that what we agreed on? Remember the equivalent exchange?"

    Of course, I''m aware of it. Hyunda''s been avoiding saying the bitch''s name in every single one of our conversations. Even when outsiders are around, as long as I am there, he won''t say it.

    You don''t know how happy I am for that, do you?

    "I don''t want to abuse it... I know that I''m asking too much and..."

    "It''s not really much. There''s nothing I can''t do. Try me."

    His confidence is making my heart steam. How is it possible to have this much confidence in your own words?

    He doesn''t waver with his own words in front of me... We are just a few centimeters away, but I wish you could hold me right now. Would I feel the way you feel if we got closer, even by another centimeter?

    "Alright, alright. Then, can you, um, not bring any friends along anymore?"

    "That''s fine with me. You should tell me next time how you want things to go. Because then, I can make the right preparations. And most surely, avoid these scenarios."

    Aaaaahhhhhh...

    "By the way, there''s something I wanted to ask you..."

    "Ask!"

    Geeeeez, why does he hesitate when it comes to questions?! I''m yours, you idiot.

    You just don''t know it yet...

    "Has Tateyana directly confronted you yet?"

    Hearing another girl''s name gave me a tsunami of anxiety and fear, but it all vanished shortly after.

    Please don''t toy with my feelings like this...

    Maybe I should ask him to ban all the girls'' names that aren''t mine...

    "No... But, what is this about...?"

    "You provoked her. Plus, you claimed that she was the real culprit. That will leave her with a certain degree of rage for you. But since you two haven''t crossed yet in your dorm, then that''s better."

    Is he preoccupied that Tateyana might do something that will endanger me?

    How kind...

    If so... Then, I''ll be a little bold I guess...

    "....What do I do if she decides to do something against me...? She might be crazy enough to harm me... I''m kinda scared..."

    "You''re right. That''s a problem. Tateyana could very well assault you every time that I''m not there. I can safely guard you if I''m there, but I can''t enter your dorm, so that complicates things a little bit, then..."

    Safely guard me...? Is he saying that I''m always going to be protected by him while he''s around...?

    That''s... Ahhhh, I see! I protect him and he protects me! That''s our signature for sure! That must be it!

    Yet for some reason, he''s hesitating to say his next words...

    Unconsciously, I took a bite out of my lips and asked him:

    "...What is it? Do you want to discuss something...?"

    With now his eyes on me once more, Hyunda spoke words that struck my heart deeply.

    "If you are feeling insecure, then you can come into my room. I can make it so no one notices you entering the dorm. By doing this, you''ll have a chance to avoid Tateyana every single time. She can only corner you in your dorm. Outside of that, I can always be there. That''s my ultimate offer."

    His room... His room... The two of us... Alone... In his room... In one night.

    A-Ahhh... D-Don''t tell me he''s...!

    "Ummmmmmmmm.... A-Are you serious right now...? I don''t think I''m ready yet...!"

    Hyunda, you idiot...! My feelings can''t take this sudden burst!

    Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!

    "Oh, I see. I guess you just don''t want it then. You don''t want to endanger your own position. That makes sense. That was dumb of me to question. Of course you wouldn''t be ready for it. What was I thinking, honestly? I''m sorry fo-"

    "Don''t misunderstand, you idiot...! That was not it! Um... I need to do some thinking! Bye!"

    In a rush, I took off and ran back to my dorm while attempting to hide all these lustful thoughts that started to crawl out of nowhere.

    But oh god... His room?!

    Hyunda...

    It''s unfair...

    It''s unfair because no matter how much I think about it, I won''t come into terms with these thoughts of mine yet the truth is...

    I''ll be ultimately defenseless whenever it comes to you.

 Volume 9 - Chapter 64.5: Fuck you!

    March 3rd. 8:30 am. Block F. Main Classroom.

    "Any sort of physical fights or aggression will earn you expulsion."

    We''re off to a great start. This new rule is surely due to the subsequent events that have taken place over the previous days.

    Kawahara giving a slap to Akimiyashika, Yukishiro giving a slap to Rayazaki and Hinagiku attempting to kill Yukishiro. Expulsion might be considered an exaggeration, but with all things considered, it''s only fair.

    "Cursed words will earn you a walk into the principal''s office. The third time this happens, you get suspended. After that, I shouldn''t have to mention what happens."

    Expulsion...

    Though, why so much hate against cursed words? Cursed words are for the mentally-strong only. You can''t curse unless you have a pair of balls.

    That''s why girls don''t curse.

    "I won''t tolerate offensive arguments, even if it''s for the sake of something that''s being debated."

    Yuka-sensei''s referring to yesterday, most likely.

    There were a plethora of offensive arguments yesterday, so she''s taking action against them...

    Plus, she''s writing these on the board, which means that we should write them down on our notebooks.

    My table partner is way ahead of me when it comes to that... Because I''m not going to take note of what''s being told to us right now.

    "Threats or anything similar to that will not be overlooked either. Behave civically. Also, I''m not talking about your behavior in class only. Anything your supervisors report me will not be overlooked as well."

    Taking into consideration how corrupt our supervisor is, I would say this is basically the equivalent of nothing.

    I don''t know for certain about the girls'' supervisor.

    "Lastly, please take the exams seriously! I mean both of the exams! The normal one and the special ones! What are you all thinking!? Honestly!"

    There might just be certain individuals who will fail the upcoming special exam. If that''s the case, then they will be out of the program.

    By certain individuals, I''m referring to those who have 3 supply exams accumulated.

    Speaking of which, I have no idea what the last supply exam was. But I suppose that doesn''t concern me since I didn''t fail.

    "Please invest yourselves more and more into the exams! In life, if you let every single opportunity pass by, you are done for. Understand that."

    "Yes, sensei!"

    Ryoken semi-loudly shouted that. For some reason, he''s in high spirits.

    No... It''s not for some reason. Kawahara threw the blame on him when it was Kawahara who did the room invasion in the first place. Ryoken said that he was trying to be morally good, but how has he been with that?

    Though... I''m probably his enemy now. I did blame him.

    "Join in groups once more, we are resuming the investigation."

    There were only two groups left... Why do we have to join as groups once more...?

    Regardless of that, two individuals, containing immense brightness in their attitudes, approached us with jubilant smiles while carrying their desks.

    The way they looked at each other reflected a passionate bond yet despite showing that, I would only go as far as labeling them as friends.

    "Aniki! You ready to lose?!"

    "Not happening, Kuzan."

    Yesterday night, I delivered my bet to King George. Kuzan surely has done the same.

    That''s right. As we speak, this is the almighty important battle.

    I want my damn money back and Kuzan''s money along as well!

    "We''ll see about that!"

    Midst this, my table partner was chuckling shyly. Oh, I know why. Apparently, the sacred word that Kuzan speaks to me every time is a comedy reliever.

    After connecting their tables, Kuzan and Kanawari faced us.

    Kanawari, very much like Kuzan couldn''t hold her tongue and decided to fire a barrage of questions.

    "Hey, why don''t you two try and talk to each other? Is there some sort of grudge going on?! We can help you two out, right, Kuzan?!"

    "I didn''t think Aniki would be this anti-social... That''s no good! You''ll die a virgin at this rate!"

    Shut the fuck up...

    You shouldn''t say that when you''ll never succeed in reproduction, Kuzan.

    "You''re speaking nonsense... I''m socially selective, that''s all."

    Yes. This is all there is to it. Being socially selective has been a thing for ages.

    Confusing someone who is anti-social and someone who is socially selective is often common nowadays and that''s why those who confuse these two vastly different stereotypes need to know the difference...

    "He''s anti-social. Those words he just spoke, those are the words only someone who is anti-social would say. But of course, the anti-social person would never admit this."

    "Eh, really now?!"

    That stupid Kuzan...

    "No, she''s lying. She didn''t even explain why that was the case and that''s because it''s not the case. Don''t listen to dumb illogical arguments, Kuzan..."

    Can this just get started already? Why is everyone taking so long to form their groups...

    I don''t get this. Just hurry up, you slowpokes.

    "Ara, that''s because I don''t have to explain it. You''re already on the defense. What''s wrong? Feeling intimidated already? Pathetic."

    "Intimidated? By you? Not even a fly would feel intimidated. Delusional bitch."

    How delusional do you have to be to consider yourself intimidating when you are just as socially selective as I am?

    She''s not anti-social, she''s just like me, socially selective. Her own arrogance makes her become subjected to this.

    "Sssshhh!! You can''t curse now!"

    "Kana, he doesn''t get it. Let him curse all he wants. That''s the only thing he''s good at."

    What the hell is her problem even? I haven''t talked to her yet she goes against me every single time.

    There is not a single time she doesn''t do this. I don''t particularly care, but it''s annoying when you expect reasonable treatment after what you do.

    How much of a hypocrite can you be?

    "Attention! I''ll begin. Well, group 4, who will be representing the group as a whole?"

    Group 4 consists of Sana, Kan, Tsudo, and Shizuku. Needless to say, but their choice would influence how I would act.

    Yes. I know that this is technically a group and that it''s already been decided who will represent the group, but that doesn''t mean I can''t do anything to change that.

    "I am!"

    The one person in this class that I first met, spoke calmly yet highly. Our dialogue still remains a mystery to me.

    What did Kan mean when he said that I shouldn''t interact with the rest? We all had that stupid idea of our desired way of interacting but in the end, we all went along with the flow.

    However, some didn''t. Kan, for sure, is part of those ''some''.

    "Kan, you heard the rules, right?"

    "Yeah, yeah. I got them, teach. I wasn''t planning on arguing since I don''t really care about this. Not my problem. But, I''ll represent my group''s choice accurately."

    His mood seems always to be the same as always. His face looks so stoned due to the amount of weed he smokes.

    Wait, is he high?

    Also... I haven''t had a smoke in centuries. I could really use a kush...

    All the more motivation to win this bet. Sorry, Kuzan, your Aniki can''t go easy on you today.

    The need to blaze keeps on rising!

    "Sooo... Ikkiri did this. Obvious. Yeah, no doubt here. I''m done. Thanks for the chance, teach."

    Definitely high.

    However, still extremely bold. Who the hell thought that this was a good idea?

    "Sensei, can I take his place? I suspect that Kan might be in the incorrect condition to represent us..."

    Sana''s assumption is correct. He can''t even present single reasoning for his group''s choice.

    He''s so stoned that he''s rumbling onto himself while on his seat. Sana, however, couldn''t take his ridiculous performance and proudly stepped up.

    "With all due respect, go ahead."

    Sana''s semi-long brunette hair shone perfectly along with her feminine figure. Her slender build synergized well with her charming factors, such as her well-taken care appearance and her dulcet voice.

    "First of all, I''m sorry about Kan''s inexcusable performance."

    "That''s fine. He did say your group''s choice, right? Or was it another one?"

    Kan was too high to give a damn about the actuality of the situation. The way he looks at the classroom''s ceiling with his head crooked reversely makes me wonder if he entered a lucid dream state...

    Damn Kan, share a bit.

    "Yes, our group''s choice remains the same. However, I''ll explain why we opted to choose Ikkiri as our target. Also, there is no personal bias here..."

    Sana mainly looked towards Akimiyashika and Hinagiku. Those two are definitely the type of people to believe that this is a biased decision.

    "No offense to Ikkiri, but... Why exactly aren''t you arguing back? You said that it''s fine and whatnot, but I don''t believe that. You''re hiding something, aren''t you...?"

    Ikkiri, as always, was engulfed in her own unhappiness and gloominess. Her body remained motionless while firmly looking down at all times. Unspoken perhaps yet she most likely feels a great deal of dolor.

    "No..."

    That lone answer was quite insufficient. Ikkiri''s dead voice tone only bothered to transmit the word of denial.

    "Why not?"

    It didn''t take more than a second for Sana to insist on the abjected Ikkiri.

    Someone is blaming you. Not once, but twice yet you still refuse to fight back? You authentic moron, this is why whoever did this picked you as their target. Your attitude doesn''t possess any strengths; only weaknesses.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    "I''m really not hiding anything. You''re the one who''s doubting me, Sana..."

    "That''s because you are weird. So weird. But that''s partial to the topic. Your attitude should mean that you are hiding something. You''re just faking this for attention, aren''t you? I''m sure it must feel great to have all of this attention just for yourself!"

    "That''s wrong... I really didn''t do this, okay?!"

    For the first time, she fought back. Her small shout towards Sana, who was blaming her, was heard loud and clear throughout the whole classroom. Despite this, Ikkiri quickly reverted her heated gaze to the bottom once more.

    "We''ll see about that. It''s all very convenient how there isn''t anything leaking to the actual culprit. You sure thought this out well. With no evidence to link with, you will never be found out. Genius, I dare say. Except you aren''t fooling anyone. Well, that''s our group''s opinion. Thank you for listening."

    With Sana''s speech out of the way, group 5''s decision had been made clear. Ikkiri would be their target.

    Unlike group 3, group 5 went as far as claiming that this is all staged. Ikkiri could very well be faking her reactions.

    It''s possible. However, is it unlikely? I don''t know. Because I don''t know Ikkiri in the first place nor do I care enough to get to know her.

    Group 1 has voted against Tateyana. Group 2 has voted against Tatsu. Group 3 has voted against Ikkiri. Group 4 has voted against Yukishiro.

    Until now, there were four different votes, but with group 5''s choice, that''s not the case anymore. There are only three different votes.

    It goes without saying, but what is the point of going through such simplicity? What for?

    Kuzan''s noticeable smirk rose up to the surface as soon as Sana ended her speech. Why is that though?

    What could possibly make him smirk on such occasion?

    I know why. Kuzan betted on Ikkiri for sure. Our group will choose Ikkiri as our target and Kuzan will win the bet. Even if I supposedly choose the obvious choice, which is, Ikkiri, right now... Our bet will end in a draw.

    Nevertheless, that''s not the case.

    Because I haven''t betted on Ikkiri.

    "And last, but not least, group 6."

    As soon as Yuka-sensei said those words, I took a short notice on my table partner''s impatience. She was ready to jump off and announce who would be the leader.

    Essentially, who would be the first to act, would undoubtedly be the one who portrayed the group''s choice.

    And Kuzan, as for you... You are still far too naive.

    Thus, before my table partner could utter a single word, with the unbelievable speed in the eyes of many, I spoke with maximum haste.

    "I''ll be speaking for my group."

    I didn''t look in her direction, but it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to think that she''s fuming or feeling violently revolted right now. As a matter of fact, she didn''t take this very well.

    "Excuse me, but I''ll be speaking for our group! This is not what we agreed on."

    "I never agreed with what you said though. Also, I said it first, that''s what matters right, Yuka-sensei?"

    Don''t think everyone will just succumb to you just because you show an aggressive attitude behind your words.

    How dumb do you have to be to assume that everyone will just blindly follow your orders? Your vanity isn''t a momentum of admiration, it''s a rock you carry on your leash every day.

    "Precisely speaking, since I want to get this to be done with, yes. As long as you speak for your group entirely."

    My group doesn''t matter.

    Her objection is transparent to me right now. She''s saying words that I am purposely ignoring right now.

    I''ve entered a state of mind where there is only one path ahead.

    Victory lies beyond.

    "Our choice is Tatsu. We agree with Sagasuga''s reasoning. Out of everyone in this room, who is the most likely to censure Ikkiri? Tatsu is one exam away from being expelled. This is no joking matter. No hard feelings, Tatsu? Tatsu, why are you lying to yourself?"

    How can you not have hard feelings when your partner has an incident like this?

    I don''t care if Tatsu is usually not this spiteful or not. Arkalee has an optimism that I''ll never have. So what if I''m negative?

    That''s not a reason for me to not see things objectively

    "It''s not a lie. I''m not as immature as you think I am. I would not hold a grudge over something like this. If she missed it, she missed it. Stomachaches, happen, you know?"

    "They sure happen. But what an unfortunate coincidence. Out of all the people in this classroom to be screwed over, you were the one. What a saint you must be. Accepting a defeat like that? Except... If I recall correctly, you exhibited a great deal of worry for your own potential victory. While Ikkiri was absent you tried to take the exam by yourself. Tell me, what sense does it make for you to say that there were no hard feelings when you tried to make your situation better?"

    I understand that you have a need to lie because you don''t want to be caught, but you acted so prematurely, Tatsu. You should''ve done this a month or so later.

    Our previous exam was recent. You didn''t think this out well enough.

    "What does that have to do with anything?! Are you really arguing that just because I tried to make my situation better, that I am harboring hatred for her?"

    "If not, then why would you try to make your own situation better? You know that it was a pair battle yet you attempted to ask for individual competition. Why did you think that?"

    It doesn''t make any sense to ask for something like individual competition when your partner can''t even be present. What was he thinking?

    "That''s... Look, I didn''t want to lose. Can you really blame me, man? My partner is useless, whether she''s absent or not."

    For once, Ikkiri''s reaction stopped being so motionless as she started to tremble. Yet, that was about it. Her facial expression looked completely stressed out in the process, but I couldn''t care less.

    "You didn''t want to lose. Yet despite that, you knew you couldn''t turn it into an individual type of competition without your partner. How lamentable. If only Ikkiri was there. The fact that you even attempted should mean something. I refuse to believe otherwise. Whether Ikkiri''s useless or not, you weren''t even given the chance to fight. Defend yourself all you want, it won''t change the fact that Ikkiri''s absence cost you the exam."

    It''s completely partial whether or not the possibility of Tatsu winning the exam would increase if Ikkiri was there or not. What isn''t partial is the fact that Ikkiri was not present.

    Seriously, Arkalee? You''re expecting someone to not be spiteful when you are in a classroom full of spiteful people in general?

    "Is that your final choice, Daniel?"

    This would put an end to this. Kuzan was looking at me with fury. The same could be said for my table partner, but she''s above Kuzan''s fury. Kanawari was mildly confused about what exactly was going on.

    "Ye--"

    "Wait just a moment! That''s not our decision! He came up with this choice by himself!"

    And of course, she would argue. The possibility was there and it would happen, of course. Why would it not happen?

    "Daniel, is this true?"

    "No, it''s not. We four reasoned that Tatsu was the most logical choice and I have presented our reasoning for it. Ignore her, please. She''s lying, right now. Because she individually thinks otherwise."

    It was the opposite. Only I think otherwise. But I''m ready to argue.

    "I am not lying!! Kana, Kuzan, what is our group choice?!"

    To her defense in this argument, she turned to Kuzan and Kanawari, obviously.

    However, I''ve also taken that into consideration.

    "Sensei, she''s trying to manipulate the credibility by asking the rest of the group the choice. If they answer otherwise, then it means that she most likely has managed to get them on her side here. Please don''t assume that she''s speaking the absolute truth."

    "I am speaking the truth! Come on, Kana, Kuzan!"

    Under the pressure, Kanawari was showing visible stress because all eyes were on her. She''s not such a clear speaker like Kuzan, who immediately replied back.

    "Our group choice was Ikkiri..."

    "Yeah! Our group choice was Ikkiri! I don''t know why Daniel suddenly changed it..."

    That''s not enough though.

    Therefore, I argued back.

    "We never reached a consensus in the first place. You are all saying ''group choice'' but this was solely done by her and her alone. Not Kuzan, not Kanawari, but you. However, at some point, we all agreed that Tatsu was the one. Therefore, we reached a visible consensus. Anything that happened after that isn''t in my knowledge."

    We never agreed to anything.

    It''s nothing personal, honestly. I just need to make sure that the ultimate opinion that gets selected is mine.

    Even if that means arguing to the point where I make everyone in my group hate me in the process.

    "Why are you lying so much!? We did agree! Kuzan, Kanawari and I all complied! You as well!"

    "No such thing. You are lying."

    "For the last time, I am not! Kuzan, am I lying here?!"

    "No!"

    Kuzan would never disagree. Otherwise, he would lose his bet.

    "Kana, am I lying, right now!?"

    "No..."

    But she''s lying though. I never complied. She said that I did when that was not the case.

    You shouldn''t have mentioned that and now you are going to pay the cost.

    "Kuzan, why are you lying? She never asked you if that was what you truly thought. You first argued that Tateyana was the most optimal target. Same with Kanawari."

    Tateyana surely must be feeling angry now, but I won''t stop.

    "Only she argued that it was Ikkiri. There was never a group choice, to begin with. Because we never reached a consensus. That''s why my opinion should speak for the group itself. I''ve presented sound logic and reasoning and took the initiative to represent the group as a whole. No one else bothered to do this."

    "That''s because----"

    She tried to speak, but I interrupted her without a second thought. Hyunda, I agree with your idea about equality. I really do. But, I can''t apply it to every single person. I''m sorry.

    "It''s the truth. I took into consideration the factor that we agreed about Tatsu being a logical target. You just took everyone''s opinions for granted. Though, I wasn''t expecting Kuzan and Kanawari to lie along with you. I''m disappointed."

    Almost instantly, the three of them looked at me like I was pure trash. With eyes that screamed fury and rage.

    They obviously aren''t taking this well and they aren''t supposed to.

    "Daniel, I can''t believe you! You are calling us liars?!"

    "What the hell is wrong with you!?"

    What''s with that question, Kuzan? You of all people should know why I''m doing this.

    "That''s because you both are liars. Hey, just admit it... She told you two to side with her, right? It doesn''t make much sense for you two to side with her when you had your own choice."

    This little drama was only for one purpose. Which is why I stopped talking with these three individuals and started talking to the only individual that mattered.

    "Yuka-sensei, shouldn''t my opinion, which was arguably the whole group''s choice, be selected?"

    ....These many eyes on me... What the hell is this...

    Look elsewhere... Stop trying to perceive my actions as if any of you can hope to comprehend.

    Though, Hyunda should have a fair guess on what this is about. Because he''s the only one who isn''t paying attention to this event.

    "I don''t know, Daniel. You are saying something completely different in comparison to what they are saying. You''re not making this easy... I''ll let Lus speak and if she presents a better logic than you, then her choice will be chosen."

    "I see."

    I took my seat and ignored the raging individuals who were seated right next to me. My table partner looked like she was ready to rip me to shreds, but even she is not that dumb.

    With the new rules established, what are you going to do?

    Without much choice left, she rose from her seat and spoke vigorously with a loud voice.

    "Ikkiri''s definitely the target and THIS IS our group choice, not an individual one... Please don''t get that wrong. As to why Ikkiri''s the target, I''ll have to agree with Sana''s logic. It makes the most sense for her to create this event. I mean, come on... All she has to do is fake her reactions. Wasn''t she always eager and enthusiastic in the first place? What changed that? I highly doubt that she would succumb to all this pressure. Or am I wrong, Ikkiri? Talk to us, please!"

    She''s desperate. Her points aren''t even that good.

    The fact that she abandoned her well-known independence in ideals and agreed with Sana just goes to show how stressed she is. She doesn''t take well lies, apparently.

    Plus, her highly-pitched comments are a symbol of impatience.

    "Why are you all claiming that it was me who has done this... I would never do something as horrible as this to anyone.... So why do you think that I would do this, especially to myself!?"

    Perfect.

    Ikkiri''s fighting back. Had enough, huh? That''s a start.

    Don''t let her boss you.

    "You probably have an attention deficit. It''s not that rare, come on. What are the odds of someone with an extremely high attention deficit being here right now? Considering how you''ve acted these two months, it''s not a blunder to assume that you have one. You attention whore!"

    Hahahaha, she''s sooooo pissed off that she doesn''t realize what she has just said!

    "Lus! That''s enough! I''m not taking your opinion into consideration."

    "Why not?!"

    "Your points are too offensive and personal. No matter how I look at it, Daniel''s points contain more logic than yours."

    Posture and attitude are incredibly convenient when it comes to making points.

    Kawahara, whenever you are pitched against a wall and everyone hates you, you never back down and whenever you really want to win in an argument you go through every length possible just to not lose.

    In the middle of an argument, your attitude remains calm and collected.

    "Am I allowed to argue back...?"

    I''m surprised she didn''t persist. She''s smart in this regard at least. This was starting to turn into an offensive argument. No, it was already offensive enough.

    She made Ikkiri sulk as soon as she said those two malicious words.

    "No. But thank you for respecting my rules. This has turned offensive enough. Therefore, I''ll be taking Daniel''s opinion for your group as a whole."

    Serves you right. This is what you get for acting so high and mighty all the time.

    What are you looking at me for? Do you think you scare me? There''s nothing you can do against me.

    Fight me physically? I''ll fucking end you.

    Fight me verbally? I''ll murder you on the major third degree.

    Normalcy nowadays implies that against girls you need to hold back, but what the fuck for?

    Delicacy?

    Kindness?

    Manners?

    Tact?

    Sensitivity?

    Respect?

    Integrity?

    Solidarity?

    Diplomacy?

    I don''t care about any of those.

    I''ll always treat you the same way as you treat me.

    "Well... We have a draw. There are two votes for Tatsu and two for Ikkiri, which ironically are paired with each other and were paired up with each other in the previous exam. What a weird coincidence."

    This is just the first half of the bet. What matters is what comes after this.

    Kuzan, Kanawari, and the salty bitch are looking at me with feverish eyes. Surely in their minds, I''m dying or something like that.

    "Umm, what will happen now that a draw has happened? Do both of them receive the blame...?"

    Arkalee asked that. If both of them receive the blame, then both Kuzan and I win the bet. Which will make my efforts all go down the drain.

    Don''t get me wrong, it''s not a bad thing, but... It''s just not a bad thing.

    "No. They won''t receive the blame equally. After all, this wasn''t some sort of elimination contest. I was just taking into consideration the overall opinions out of everyone. I can''t leave the outcome of this to be decided when there isn''t any anecdotical evidence, to begin with. That''s just dumb."

    "Then..."

    "However! The fact still remains. With this mini-event, I am starting to understand the situation more and more. As of now, there will be no one receiving the blame since both sides are biased, but I will conduct individual investigations on every single one of you throughout this month and beyond. This is why, effectively from this day onwards, according to the alphabetic order, at the end of the class, the first student will have to stay with me."

    Are you serious now...

    This was just an investigation, and a minor one at it too?

    "With that said, please go back to your original seats now!"

    In extreme disappointment, I sunk my forehead deeply on my cold desk. The sensation was aggravatingly glacial as it calmed my thoughts at the same time.

    What the hell...

    What was all of this for...?

    I''m hearing Kuzan and Kanawari moving their desks away without saying anything. Usually, they are talkative, but I''m assuming that they are angry at me. Of course they are. I called them liars.

    But, the bet doesn''t end here. The bet will only end when there is a selected culprit. Thus far, there is not one.

    I acted on the premise that this event would be the conclusion, but that was slightly premature, I suppose.

    Ohhh... I forgot to say something to her.

    She''s glowing with fury right now. Just by being this close to her, it''s as if I''m being virtually killed. If this made any sense.

    "3-1."

    I slowly realized yesterday what she meant when she said ''1-2'' the other day.

    She''s keeping a track of how many times she gets rekt.

    "Hm? What was that? I thought I just heard something... That''s weird... Has my hearing gone off? I could''ve sworn that a voice was heard loud and clear a few seconds ago."

    I get it.

    She''s pretending that I don''t exist. If only it worked like that. Your temper; I know it well.

    "You couldn''t even win with three people on your side. Actually, you resorted to their help. What happened, Miss independent?"

    The song is alright, I guess...

    "Why do I keep hearing such trashy words from just thin air? This is why the world is getting more and more toxic. Because there is such a gigantic piece of trash that doesn''t know its place!"

    Still pretending, huh? Since my forehead is still connected to the surface of my desk, I''m not looking in her direction, but I can already imagine her petit-looking face going from pretty to rampant in a rhapsody of swirling emotions.

    "You don''t know your place then."

    My table quaked. Most likely from a strong kick, which made my position impossible to be in. With such a strong kick, I had to elevate my head up high and confront her with a single glance.

    However, she was the one who said the words and not me.

    "Ebat? tebe!"

    I regret knowing what she just said.

 Volume 10 - Chapter 65: Astrology freaks be like...

    March 4th. 8:30 am. Main classroom.

    Early March yet the cherry blossoms that bath themselves in pink rivers start to unravel slowly. Considerably, a beautiful sight. The captivating and quickly remarkable scenario outside of the classroom was spontaneous as it attracted the eyes of the majority in a flash.

    As they also say; the spring of love comes around the corner for every living soul.

    But those are just rumors based on coincidental events.

    "I''m back, bitches! Missed me?! I fucking know you did!"

    Because all I can see right now is the muscular figure of Kawahara, who can barely stay on his school uniform, slamming the main door and announcing his presence with high spirits.

    "Get out!"

    "Leave!"

    "Go away!"

    "Hang yourself!!"

    Pencils, pens, rubbers, scissors were all thrown at Kawahara who was ready to fill the embracement of everyone, but as a result of his previous actions, a group of girls which consists of Hinagiku, Sana, Yukishiro, and Shizuku, assaulted him violently.

    Regardless of all that was thrown at him, he dodged every single thing with perfection and ease.

    "There''s my fan club! No need to be shy! I know you all missed me! One week must''ve been rough! My honest apologies."

    "Kawahara, there are new rules. Do you want to hear them or not? If not, then I suggest you stay outside."

    Yuka-sensei aside, I''m surprised that there is no reaction from Akimiyashika. None at all.

    She''s studying and not paying attention to what''s happening at all. Lone on her desk, her lack of reaction disturbed me. Plus, she doesn''t seem to be concerned about Kawahara''s presence.

    "I see. I see. That''s very interesting, except not really. Also, where do I sit? And can you all stop looking at me like that?! This isn''t how you treat your idol!"

    "No one likes you!"

    "You''re not as great as you think you are, you hypocrite!"

    Christ girls, no need to be this offensive. Take a chill pill.

    Although he''s arrogant, there is obviously a hint of sarcas---- Wait, he''s being real right now.

    After he heard the rules from Yuka-sensei, he started to rant about the situation, but what caught my attention was Akimiyashika''s unusual attitude the following moment.

    "Kawahara! How have you been?!"

    Not even my table partner could ignore this. Kawahara was slightly numb from Akimiyashika''s sudden kindness, as he showed trouble approaching her.

    "Don''t be shy! Have a seat! Sensei allowed you to stay in the same seat, after all! How kind of her!"

    "It couldn''t be helped, Aki. Sometimes people say things they don''t mean to say."

    "See? There''s nothing to fear! Welcome back!"

    This smells fishy.

    What exactly is happening right now?

    "That''s so unlike you. What''s the deal? Speak up!"

    As I thought, there really is something going on... Kawahara has caught up with that. Akimiyashika''s sudden smile is creepy. There''s obviously a catch here.

    "Deal? What? You''ve been away for a week. I''m sure you have reflected on your actions."

    "I agree with Aki here. Kawahara, you supposedly should have changed for the better. Which is why we are giving you a chance. Will you take this chance or not?"

    They are both gazing at him with angelic smiles unlike the majority of the girls which creates a cryptic contrast, honestly.

    Kawahara is having trouble trusting both of them for obvious reasons.

    I wouldn''t trust them either.

    "I''ll pass. I''ll sit next to the shrimp!"

    He pointed at the small Hinagiku who was glaring at Kawahara with disgust.

    "No way! Go away!"

    "What?! I need a place to sit, you mega dork!"

    "Language! Don''t curse! Respect sensei''s rules!"

    "How is ''mega dork'' cursing?! This is the equivalent of a baby''s attempt of being minimally offensive and yet you call it cursing, you minuscular creature!"

    When you are a small as Hinagiku, you are bound to get roasted. Whether it''s appropriate to roast or not... that''s a different matter.

    Then again, Kawahara is gigantic in comparison.

    "Kawahara, her partner is Akihiko. That''s why you can''t sit there. There''s only one seat left."

    Although Rayazaki explained that, he didn''t take his eyes off the book he''s reading. His behavior recently has been a mystery to me...

    Why is he acting so calm and not throwing random tantrums as he would? Even without his memories, something happened.

    "Alright, fair enough. Thanks for the grand hospitality."

    "Oh no. The pleasure is all mine."

    Nothing happened in the end. Kawahara just took his seat and the class began as usual.

    Basara-sensei has been absent as well as Akihiko. Thus far, the special exam has not been announced so we don''t know what to look forward to.

    Not in a good way, of course...

    And...

    I haven''t spoken to Yulia yet. I''m aware that I''m just making my situation worse, but I''m testing something.

    What if I just don''t speak to her forever?

    That idea doesn''t sound entirely impossible to achieve in theory, but I''m not certain about its perks when it comes to practice...

    Minutes flew by at that point.

    I was too bored to concentrate. As a matter of fact, I''ve never been the type of person to pay attention to anything in class. This is a program that''s made to reform students that have criminal records but that idea is stupid and unrealistic all by itself.

    Society rejects have no concept of reformation. But, even though I say that... There are some that try to change.

    I won''t though.

    I don''t have to.

    I won''t.

    9:15 am.

    A sudden brutal impact on my left leg struck immediate direct pain onto my whole being.

    "......."

    Of course, only someone who is extremely close to me in physical terms could''ve inflicted this deal of pain.

    Furthermore, she is the only one who doesn''t care about my sleep state.

    "I''ve told you how much I like astrology, right?"

    "No."

    Has she? I don''t recall. Nor do I care if she possibly has told me such.

    "Don''t lie. I did tell you that."

    "I''m not lying, I really don''t recall. Also, why the kick? Can''t you just talk to me like a normal person?"

    "I thought you were dead so I kicked the corpse and would you look at that, it''s alive."

    She thinks she''s so funny.

    "So?"

    "So, I need a favor. Astrology has a mandatory requirement in order to start the celestial reading. I need to know birth dates. Tell me yours."

    What the hell is she on about...

    I''ll just ignore her.

    Back to sleep, I go.

    ............

    .......

    ...

    !

    "What the hell are you doing?!"

    I had to say that in an extremely low toned voice but I can''t believe she was trying to stab me with pioneers!

    Is she insane or what?!

    "I dislike being ignored, for the record. To think you''d treat such a rare occasion like this the way you just did. Especially after what you did yesterday!"

    "That still doesn''t justify what you were trying to do just now. Go bother someone else..."

    Seriously...

    What a child. Just because your attention is hard to please you treat others around like this?

    And you then wonder why you receive the treatment you receive. I bet she''s a spoiled rich girl who has never known the meaning of being poor.

    "You either do it or I will stab you with the pioneers."

    "Are you serious now? Aren''t you ashamed of acting like this?"

    "I''m acting on my own interest. There is no shame in that."

    She is confusing her interest in her own selfish egoistic actions without caring for what she has to do in order to achieve them, damn it!

    How irrational can you be?!

    "I''m not doing it. I don''t care what you want from me, I won''t do it. Also, it''s against the rules to do this. If you do this, then I will complain."

    "That''s true. It is against the rules. But, will anyone believe you?"

    "What?"

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    "Being stabbed with pioneers. Do you think someone will care for such an excuse? Only kids complain about being stabbed with pioneers."

    I feel like pulling out her hair strands and make her scream in the process but given the circumstances and current scenario, that''s impossible.

    In fact, I would never do that. I just felt like it. Because she''s fucking annoying and persistent.

    "Are you this mad? Don''t be so salty please."

    "I''ve told you that''s not the case. Stop making things up. Well, will you do it or not? Or will I have to make you do it? Which one will it be?"

    Well... She seems pretty desperate to be forcing this new set of methods just to get my attention.

    Plus, I''m not doing anything... I''m just pretending to look at the board right now. I''m contemplating boredom in the worst imaginable way possible; by doing absolutely nothing.

    "Make it quick. Also, I''ll fight back if you try this again."

    In other words, I''ll fucking pierce your pretty legs with my pencil in such a way that you''ll scream until your voice runs out, bitch.

    "I''ll praise you for knowing your limits."

    These are not my limits...

    "I need a very simple thing. Write down as many birth dates you know. From every individual in this class. There is a purpose for this. Based on the individual''s birthday, the individual''s zodiac sign can be determined. And that can tell a whole lot..."

    Huh... Do I even know someone''s birthday?

    I don''t think I do. Except my own of course.

    "Actually, I don''t know anyone''s birthdays... What is yours?"

    "August 7th, 2004. I''m a Leo. The fire sign of a Leo represents the queen."

    Is this where she gets all her vanity from... Please don''t tell me you''ve obsessed yourself with the idea that your zodiac sign is LITERALLY everything there is to know about you.

    "I don''t know anything about astrology. Care to do a little tutorial?"

    Upon hearing my amateurish words, she deeply sighed and stopped writing whatever she was writing. Probably whatever Yuka-sensei is teaching.

    I literally don''t care what though...

    "Goodness. Fine, I''ll explain it... Look here to what I''m about to write down."

    She''s actually going to explain me the whole thing.

    Delicately ripping off a white sheet out of her well-taken care of notebook, she presented a small diagram to me.

    "There are twelve zodiac signs. However, despite there being twelve of them, they are divided into four different sections."

    She then started to write down ''Water Signs'', ''Fire Signs'', ''Earth Signs'', and ''Air Signs'' in four different corners. The Fire Signs section was written above on the upper left while the Air Signs section was written right next to the latter section although more to the right.

    The Water Signs section was written right below the Fire Signs section and the Earth Signs section was subsequently written below the Air Signs section.

    Thus, she made it clear that there were four different entities. That much I already understand.

    "Let''s start with the water signs. Water signs are known to be extremely sensitive and abundantly emotional."

    "Then Leo must be a water sign."

    Because she''s emotional as hell.

    "Wrong. There are three water signs and they are: Pisces, Cancer, and Scorpio. Leo is not a water sign. A Leo isn''t a crybaby."

    Yet you cry all the time.

    Inside the bubble that was used to write down the water signs, she wrote in it, those three water signs.

    "How do you know who is a water sign though?"

    "You don''t know something that basic?!"

    Well, so sorry Miss perfection.

    "A person who is a Pisces must''ve been born in a day that ranges from February 19th and March 20th. For Cancer, June 21st up to July 22nd. Lastly, for Scorpio, the valid range is between October 23rd all the way to November 21st."

    I''m pretty sure this is the most basic of all things but I just never cared enough to know such simplicity.

    Though, I see now. By knowing the birth dates, the zodiac signs can be determined.

    "Following that up, we have the fire signs. Which synergize horribly with water signs."

    "Why though?"

    "I''ll explain that later. One thing at a time."

    She''s got me curious now. What did she mean when she said ''synergize horribly''? Is there some sort of logic that proves that fire signs and water signs interact horribly?

    "The first fire sign is Aries. If you were born between March 21st and April 19th, then you are one. My zodiac sign, which is Leo, ranges from July 23rd all the way to August 22nd. Given that I was born on August 7th, I am therefore a Leo."

    After pointing that out, she did the previous action in the respective section.

    But...

    "There are only two fire signs?"

    "Ah, no. Sagittarius. That''s the last fire sign. It ranges from November 22nd to December 21st."

    I''m still curious as to why they supposedly don''t synergize well with water signs, but it looks like she''s about to move on.

    "I forgot to mention something. Fire signs are known to be just like the element itself. The flame that contains spontaneous energy, explicit passion, tremendous dynamic, undying spirit, and infinite strength!"

    She''s glorifying herself. Totally.

    "Moving on to the earth signs... They are known for being just like the earth. Solid, grounded, calm, permanent, and unmoving. Let''s start off with Capricorn. I''ll just mention their ranges from now on. A Capricorn''s range is from December 22nd to January 19th. Taurus is next. April 20th to May 20th. Ultimately, Virgo. August 23rd to September 22nd."

    I''m also starting to understand that they aren''t just called elements for no reason. The symbol represents the zodiac signs'' characteristics...

    If water is used to represent water signs then it should mean that the water is like an uncontrollable raging tempest of emotions which can result in a disaster.

    Fire could represent that the individual who possesses the fire either dominates their inner fire or is burned down by their own fire.

    The element of earth is exactly as she said. The soil remains throughout everything. Stability is probably their strongest feature.

    And lastly...

    "The last section is the air signs. Air signs are greatly known for their communication skills. They are vast like the air when it comes to their overall set of personal characteristics. Starting off, we have Aquarius. January 20th to February 18th."

    Found mine.

    "Gemini ranges from May 21st to June 20th. And Libra ranges from September 23rd to October 22nd. And that does it. I''ve explained to you the existence of the twelve zodiac signs and how they are respectively split into four sections. You asked me why fire signs synergize horribly with water. The water kills the fire."

    What the hell.

    "Actual logic, please."

    That was literally the most illogical explanation you could''ve given me...

    "I''m serious. From an elemental perspective, it is just as I''ve said. A fire that lives on to burn for all eternity would slowly go down if the water contains to pour down upon it over and over. But, if you want a logical explanation then... Their dynamics are extremely different. Water signs seek emotional comfort while fire signs seek mental stimulation and innovation. Essentially, there are too many differences as both sections search for completely different things."

    That makes more sense.

    I understood the elemental reference immediately, but I was waiting for a logical explanation.

    Too many differences, huh?

    "So, what was the whole point of this?"

    "You were the one who asked for a tutorial!"

    "Yeah, true. But now I think I get the gist of it. I now know how to identify zodiac signs. However, for what purpose do you want this? Also, why do you need my help with this?"

    "I don''t need your help, don''t misunderstand."

    How can she change attitudes so quickly... Is this really the time to be in denial?

    "Then--"

    "However, you''ve come thus far. It would be wrong to let this opportunity go away. Tell me the boys'' birth dates. Every single one of them, Yours as well."

    Why exactly does she want to know that...?

    "Any specific reason you want to know this? Also, I''ve told you that I don''t know anyone''s birth dates..."

    "You''re useless, then. But you know your own birthday, right? Tell me."

    ............

    I get the feeling that I shouldn''t... She hasn''t specified why she wants to know everyone''s birth dates.

    What is this shit? Is she going to read my soul if I tell her my own birthday? I don''t believe in these types of things though.

    "Not telling..."

    "What? Just tell me! I''ve told you mine, you can''t back off now."

    Her point is hard for me to fight back against because it would be an equal treatment if I told her my own birthday.

    "Why do you need to know my birthday? Specify your reasons already."

    "Fine, I''ll explain it. I told you how water signs don''t synergize well with fire signs, right?"

    "Yes."

    "But they synergize well with air signs. Fire signs have no special interaction with earth signs. I want to know if there are any air signs in this class."

    She''s literally being specifically unspecific. Impressive.

    Also, my phone won''t stop vibrating.

    I wish I didn''t know why that''s the case, but suddenly, my consciousness just gained more weight.

    "Why do you need to know if there are any air signs in this class? Plus, why me? Can''t you just do this yourself?"

    "Ahhh! You ask too many questions! If you don''t know then do yourself a favor and get to know! Ask them, for example!"

    Her irritated behavior most likely means that I hit the jackpot. Therefore, the reason that she needs to know if there are any air signs in this class is probably the key factor here.

    And, by ''them'' she was pointing at Kan and Sana, who are right in front of us, but there is a considerable distance between us.

    "Just do this you--"

    Behind my back, I felt a tingling sensation that was not yet fully connected, but I could feel the sharp spike of the pioneer she had in her hand.

    "Don''t you dare disobey me."

    "...This means nothing..."

    I''m just not in a mood to bitch about someone that stabbed me with a pioneer. Only a kid would do something like this.

    With that in mind, I didn''t have much choice.

    Thus, I formed a paper ball and threw it on Kan''s head. I had to make sure that I wasn''t being noticed. Thankfully, Yuka-sensei is busy answering questions from the rest.

    "......."

    No result...

    Therefore, I threw three more balls at him. Which made him turn around.

    "Who threw this?"

    Obviously, Kan turned around. He was noticeably disturbed by the fact that there were paper balls thrown at him.

    It''s better being honest than to aggravate this matter.

    "I did. Hey Kan, when is your birthday?"

    "What the hell is that question? You gay? Ew. Not answering."

    I would react the same way. A guy asking another guy''s birthday. Gay levels to the max.

    However...

    "I''ll buy you weed on your birthday if you te--"

    "May 20th. I''ll be waiting!"

    With a thumbs-ups, Kan reverted his position and secretly rolled more joints.

    "Damn it."

    But it appears that the result was not pleasing to my table partner. She softly plummed the surface of the table to relieve some of her frustrations.

    If I recall correctly if you are born on May 20th you are...

    "Isn''t he a Gemini? That''s a good thing, ri--"

    "No, he''s a Taurus. Although the difference is just by one day, it still counts. Ask Sana next."

    Looks like I''m still green. I haven''t decorated all the dates yet.

    Yet?

    What am I thinking? I don''t have to.

    This is all her scheme, not mine. She forced me to go along. I didn''t do this because I wanted to.

    "Ask her instead. Girls ask girls."

    "Just do it..."

    Why is she so reluctant now? I don''t get this. You act with confidence but then you show this fragile reaction?

    What?

    "Are you not friends with her? You were friendly with Kanawari yesterday, but you can''t be with Sana?"

    "That''s different. Kana and I don''t go along with the rest of the girls... That''s why you should talk to Sana."

    "Because you can''t? Oh, I see. You can''t. I totally see what this is all about."

    What is the point of acting with such confidence if you are this socially selective? This is why I don''t boast about things I know about myself to others.

    If I have to defend myself and argue back, then I will.

    She, on the other hand, just boldly does all this for the sake of a greater image.

    Does she realize that her own vanity closes her own options?

    "No, I can. I just don''t want to."

    "Making up excuses, are we? Have you two even talked to each other?"

    Yesterday, she mentioned Sana in her argument, but that was just because their points aligned.

    It''s a different matter entirely if they have ever talked or interacted in any way before.

    "What does that matter? Just talk to her and ask for her birthday! God, how can you not understand something so simple!"

    "No, I do understand what you are trying to achieve here. You want to know her birthday to see if her zodiac sign is an air sign. What I can''t understand is why you can''t do this yourself."

    Of course, I know why she can''t do this. Her own social standards limit her actions.

    Nevertheless, I can''t understand why she can''t just break this stupid limitation that she puts on herself.

    "I could do this myself, but you accepted my suggestion, so you have the privilege of doing this task. Rejoice."

    She''s not honest at all.

    Damn it, does it really hurt to admit that you just suck at communicating because you have unrealistic social standards?

    Your own personality blinds you entirely from seeing your simple flaws.

    "You''re so weak..."

    "What?!"

    She retorted back, but I couldn''t care less. I started forming paper balls again.

    How can you uphold such a contradictive personality when your actions don''t match?

    Aren''t you just pretending to be something you are not? I don''t understand then.

    What is the point of trying to be something else when you can''t be what you want to be yet you nonetheless try?

    Ultimately, I fired my paper balls not at Sana, but at Kan.

    Before he could speak, as soon as he reverted his position, I was already pointing at Sana.

    Thankfully, he got the signal and called her out for me.

    As soon as she looked in my direction, I spoke.

    "When is your birthday?"

    However, Sana said words I wasn''t expecting to hear from her.

    "Is this some sort of joke?"

    Her stiffened expression told me immediately that she was quite mad.

    "Uhhh no... I asked Kan''s birthday a while ago. This is for... curiosity."

    I can''t believe I just attempted to justify her unspecific reasons.

    Where is my dark-knight dignity?!

    "You''re joking just now, aren''t you? You really couldn''t hold it in, couldn''t you?"

    "Uh wait, Sana, what''s going on? Is he really joking? Hey, are you joking?"

    What the hell is this situation?

    Why do Kan and Sana think that I am suddenly joking?

    Am I missing something?

    "No, I''m not joking."

    "I don''t buy it. You prick. You just want to make me feel bad, don''t you?"

    What is thiiiiiiiiisssssssss.

    Screw it, I''ll just come out and say it.

    "Sana, the truth is, I and she are trying to find out everyone''s birth dates. She believes in astrology, to a very creepy extent, which is why I asked you your birthday."

    "He''s saying untruthful things! It''s not true that I believe in astrology to a very creepy extent, it''s a healthy extent, I swear!"

    It is creepy.

    The fact that you think that you can just judge someone entirely based on their zodiac sign while ignoring their individuality goes to show how your belief is creepy.

    "...So that wasn''t a joke?"

    Now her expression is showing doubt.

    "A joke about what?"

    I didn''t ask her. My table partner gathered the guts to interact, even though she didn''t do this at first.

    "...My birthday is on March 2nd..."

    Oh wow, that''s...

    Lmao.

    Did anyone celebrate her birthday? Hahahaha.

    "Why didn''t you say so sooner?!"

    Weeeeeeird, my table partner is acting so worried now. Why do girls just care so much about their own birthdays?

    It''s just another day of the year.

    "No one would celebrate my birthday. What''s the point of telling anyone that it was my birthday?"

    "But this is so sad, Sana. I missed your birthday..."

    "There''s always next year."

    Kan''s right. Just wait 363 days, Sana. No biggie.

    "We can still celebrate it. Do you accept a late birthday?"

    "Well... It''s better late than never."

    God, she''s going at it. What is this? Why does she care so much about birthdays? I can understand if you want to acquire this specific knowledge for your own astrological knowledge, but isn''t this completely out of it?

    In the end, after Sana accepted her late birthday, she returned to her frontal position and paid attention to class once more.

    "I''m done here, by the way. Don''t bother me from this point forward."

    "You did a useless job. None of them were individuals that possessed air zodiac signs. Taurus and Pisces. What a disappointment."

    "Considering that according to you, I did a useless job, then you are worse. Because you''ve done nothing at all."

    And besides, she''s back to taking notes. The situation is settled.

    "I could''ve done so if I so wanted to. It''s called managing your own choices."

    "Lying just makes you weaker."

    "I am not weak! Get rid of that misconception! How annoying can you get?! Didn''t you say you were done here? Why are you still talking then?"

    "True."

    It is true.

    I just decided to provoke her a bit.

    Because our interaction can''t go beyond this.

    Neither of us wants to change this and it will never be changed.

 Volume 10 - Chapter 66: Salt Emperor.

    "157 messages."

    I can''t believe she counted literally all of them.

    "63 ignored calls."

    That''s less, I suppose...

    "36 times I''ve caught you speaking with another girl when the deal was that you couldn''t speak to another girl except when you absolutely had to."

    "In my defense, there were times where I had to speak."

    Right now, we are at the iconic cafeteria drinking two cups of coffee, where I''m receiving Yulia''s mighty judgment.

    That''s right. I''ve finally managed to collect all my guts and confront her. Mainly because I had a very scary thought where I die if I keep on doing this.

    Premonitions and I have a bad record, because the majority of the time, they become reality.

    "Such as? Be specific."

    If I tell her what happened this morning, she''ll surely get the wrong idea. But our agreement was that both of us would be honest, so I will be.

    "My table partner--"

    "Table partner?! What is that unusual formality? Just call her specifically by her name. Or are you saying you are giving her privileged treatment? Is that it, Daniel?"

    So bossy... But I guess it''s normal considering everything that happened. It''s been a week.

    Arkalee''s version was definitely more sweet than this. Yulia''s looking at me with eyes that resemble the sun. The more you look into them, the more you feel yourself burning.

    "No, there is no such treatment. You know who I''m talking about, don''t you?"

    "Unfortunately."

    Come on...

    "She asked me if I knew anyone''s birth dates and I answered that I knew none."

    In reality, she forced me into doing this, but for all sakes, let''s just pretend that she asked me.

    By the way, Yulia''s furiously drinking a lot of coffee cups. This is her third...

    When I look at my beautiful coffee cup that''s still steaming from the hot liquid, I can''t help but feel like there''s something that I should be wary of...

    "Tell her next time that if she wants something, she has to do it herself. You are not her slave and don''t pretend to be. End of story."

    You have no idea how much I agree with you right now, Yulia. Yet, for the sake of this conversation, I will suggest something else.

    "Can we change the topic?"

    "Certainly. We have a lot to talk about, mister."

    Not the mister... Nothing ever good comes when that single word is uttered in a dramatic scenario.

    "March 1st. We had an agreement. What exactly happened to that? Did you get kidnapped by aliens? Arrested by cops? Couldn''t leave school? No, that''s impossible. I asked the guards if you left school and they said yes."

    Just how much did she investigate?!

    "Actually... I was with Kuzan..."

    "Oh! I see! Apparently, Kuzan is just more important than me. Well, is he...?"

    And now she''s back to being cute. Not that she ever left that state, but her current pouting expression should tell me that something has happened.

    "No... Kuzan needed some company and I wasn''t aware of how much time I was going to spend with him. What happened was unfortunate. Sorry."

    "But why Kuzan and not me? We already had talked about this..."

    Actually, Kuzan proposed his deal first, but I''m not going to use that argument for obvious reasons.

    "My plan was to accompany Kuzan in the morning and then at the beginning of the noon, I would go and meet you."

    The situation wasn''t as simple as that though. But I bet if I told her Kuzan''s situation she would not believe it.

    Who would, right? The situation itself was ridiculously sporadic.

    "And why couldn''t you do the opposite?"

    That''s a good question actually.

    Such a good question that I don''t think I have anything left to argue when it comes to this question alone.

    "I didn''t think about it. Sorry."

    "Please use your head more... Next month we are doing this, alright? You said so. You aren''t going to go back on your words, are you?"

    I would appreciate it if Yulia''s parents weren''t anything remotely close to what Kuzan''s family is.

    "Yeah, yeah. Also, how have you been this past week?"

    "Funny you ask that when you could''ve literally known that any time but you opted to ignore me. I want a justification for that."

    Damn it. I was trying to escape this specific subject...

    It''s not as if I''m afraid of her reaction, but what would her reaction be if I told her: ''Hey, actually I just manipulated your feelings for the sake of us passing the exam. Hope you don''t take this too personally.''?

    Therefore... I can''t be genuine here.

    "...Sorry, I didn''t know how to approach you... I know that it''s irresponsible of me but... I got really embarrassed when I thought about that moment..."

    It''s a justifiable reason to some extent yet not entirely.

    Yulia''s face got slightly red in response as expected. She probably thought I forgot.

    But... I didn''t. It was actually on my mind the majority of the time.

    "You didn''t have to be though... I was as well. Don''t cut off contact like that again."

    "I wasn''t planning on ignoring you forever though. See? I''ve contacted you again."

    "Don''t do that... I thought you were purposely avoiding me."

    Well, you weren''t wrong, but you can''t know that.

    "Why would I purposely ignore you though? I''ve said what I said. I love you. Or do you doubt me?"

    Bold words to say out in public like this, but I can''t let her have the wrong idea here.

    The cafeteria isn''t empty, because this is lunchtime. However, given that we are at a fair distance from about every other person in this cafeteria, I would say it''s fine.

    "Sorry.. I doubted for a bit... That''s because you ignored me! Don''t be afraid of telling me how you feel because I understand how you feel!"

    "I could speak a thousand words to do so, but would that be enough? I don''t think so. Therefore... Why don''t I demonstrate?"

    Even if it''s in public, there shouldn''t be a problem. Plus, the aromatic sensation I felt that time when our lips connected in a heartbeat felt tremendously luscious.

    Physically speaking, I''m undoubtedly attracted to her. It''s impossible not to be.

    Everything about her is attractive. Her elegant curvy back while walking is surprisingly attractive. The way she curves her posture just to get close to my face should speak for itself. It''s as if she''s self-aware of how physically attractive she is. I like that sort of confidence.

    Just like an uncontrollable tidal wave, the motion of her long blonde hair remains mysterious throughout every glimpse and it creates a lascivious sensation within me every time she does that. Furthermore, what goes below her hair are those sensational hips. With every curve, she manages to drag every masculine eye right to her.

    It doesn''t make it easier given the fact that Yulia''s wearing a skirt, which makes the hips impossible to resist by default. Nonetheless, one of the most attractive parts of her body isn''t something vast and long like her spontaneous hair nor excessively noticeable such as her bare naked white-skinned legs.

    With every word, your attention would be instantly on her fuller and plumper looking lips. Red-shaded lips are sometimes labeled as exaggeration and I would surely agree under normal circumstances. But not here. They mix magnifically with her zealous smile.

    "Wait... You can''t possibly be thinking of..."

    Along with all that, it''s hard not to look at her well-shaped chest that lies underneath the layer of her uniform.

    Perhaps her strongest asset, even excluding away her lustful parts, would be...

    Liquified-colored pink eyes that emit clearness just within every transient glance.

    "Couples do this all the time. We''ve already confessed to each other. There shouldn''t be any harm, right?"

    Realizing what was about to happen, Yulia started to tremble a little bit. Her eyes were quaking from left to right while mumbling words of preoccupation to herself.

    "U-Umm... Not publically... I told you that already... I don''t want anyone to know..."

    "Who cares about them? I sure don''t. Just close your eyes."

    Our distance was closing. From my seat, I crooked my posture just to meet her''s. She can deny it all she wants, but the fact that she isn''t even moving nor showing any signs of objection means that she isn''t totally against it.

    Regardless of her words of denial, they came with a certain degree of reluctance.

    I was ready to connect my lips with hers and savor the taste. Maybe I could even go further, and certainly, that was desirable yet something prevented me from making that connection.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "Hm? Aniki? What are you doing here?"

    I quickly backed off because I couldn''t allow Kuzan to get the wrong idea. It would be troublesome if he spread some unnecessary rumors.

    Yulia was embarrassed to a reasonable extent so she just accepted that while still being mildly blushed.

    Right now, there was an individual who came at the worst possible time ever. To add more inconvenience, Kuzan took a seat right next to me without even asking.

    "Am I interrupting something? Oh well."

    How did Kuzan manage to find us? I suppose this is a public place, but still...

    "Kuuuuzaaaaaannnnn! What brings you here?"

    Why did Yulia spell Kuzan''s name with such length? Her words are started to sound exaggerated and far out of reality.

    That still wasn''t enough to bother Kuzan who easily destroyed the atmosphere Yulia and I slowly created.

    This human being who seems devoid of emotions could not simply care for such trivial things.

    "Ah, Yulia. Hello. My name is Kuzan, yes. I need Aniki to come with me. Aniki, come with me. Kawahara is calling."

    Kawahara? That''s not rare, honestly.

    But our time is short since the lunch break is about to end so there isn''t much point now...

    "But, Kuzan our time i---"

    "Tell Kawahara that he doesn''t own anyone and that he is trash. Pass that message to him for me, alright, Kuzaaaan?"

    Why does she keep on stretching Kuzan''s name? I''m getting a tad bit scared. What exactly does it mean when a girl starts stretching a guy''s name?

    "Eh? I can''t, Yulia. Kawahara would hands down kill me. No can do. Nope."

    I don''t think he understood what Yulia meant to say. Kuzan, it wouldn''t be you who would say the message. I mean, yes, you would say the message, but it''s Yulia''s message.

    "I''ll tell you what, why don''t you bring Kawahara here? I just want to have a little chat with him. Do that favor for me, Kuuuzaaaaannn."

    She''s speaking with her eyes closed while smiling. That''s the gesture that something is going bad here.

    Don''t tell me that Yulia secretly hates Kuzan...

    "Well, I suppose that''s fine. Give me five minutes, please."

    5 minutes later.

    "I was summoned."

    I had to make room for Kawahara and Kuzan, who were already taking their seats right next to me in the respective order.

    Yulia was facing the three of us with a condensing smile.

    Oh god...

    "I didn''t know trash could talk. Is this some sort of invention?"

    Considering the number of things Kawahara has done, this doesn''t come as a surprise. Regardless of that, Kawahara kept a firm posture.

    "Cut the pathetic roasts. What do you want, woman?"

    Yulia''s expression stiffened somewhat hard in response to Kawahara''s tactless words. She doesn''t do well with tactless people, Kawahara...

    "Well, Trashara, tell me something... What do you need Daniel for? Kuzan said that you had called him. Explain yourself."

    "Bitch, who the fuck gave you the permission to call me such a false name? Watch your language, whore."

    Oh boy...

    "Bitch? Did you kiss your mother with that mouth? Ew. Answer my question, Scumhara."

    Kawahara looked at me with serious eyes, but I looked away.

    Not my fault, bro. As a matter of fact, if it wasn''t for your suggestion then this moment wouldn''t have happened in the first place!

    "That''s none of your business. Outsiders like you have no need to know. Dan, come on. We have important issues to discuss. Preparations need to be made. Ignore her and let''s go."

    "Preparations? What are you talking ab---"

    "Excuuuuuuuuseee meeeee?! You just show up and you think you own this? That is not how it works! He''s with me! If you get that, go away before I lose it!"

    My words were interrupted by Yulia, who was showing tremendous fury right now. She even started to plum the table while crooking her posture.

    "Daniel, put a leash on her, please."

    "You''re the one who needs a leash! Haven''t you noticed that no one likes you!? Literally. No. One. Not a single soul!"

    "Eh? I like Kawaha-"

    "Your opinion doesn''t matter, Kuzan!"

    This is getting chaotic. It''s arguments after arguments.

    Kuzan being told to be quiet is already normal, but these two can''t literally stand each other.

    "Don''t you dare talk to my subordinate like that. For the record, I''m not afraid of giving you a bitch slap in public."

    "Kawahara, please don''t."

    I had to say that. Yulia might think that I''m trying to side with Kawahara here and not siding with her.

    "Yulia, just let Kawahara speak. Let''s hear him out first."

    Peace never hurt anyon---

    "Objected. I will not let him speak. Daniel, just stop. Kawahara is a disease, the more you get close to him the more you get affected."

    That''s insanely accurate but Yulia has no idea why she''s being accurate.

    "Hahaha! I seriously don''t care. Dan, we are wasting time. Do I need to tell you why we are wasting time?"

    "Stop trying to dodge the subject! Leave! Scram! Don''t invade someone else''s moment like this!"

    Kuzan, upon hearing Yulia''s question set of words, attempted to make his stand again.

    "Eh? But you said to bring him he-"

    "Kuzan, dig a hole and bury yourself!"

    Poor Kuzan.

    It''s obvious that Yulia is hating on him hard. Yet he can''t do anything against it, except sulk every time.

    "Alright, Dan. I''m not gonna waste time and argue with Thot#6969 over here."

    Using a discord tag to add fuel to your roast. I want to praise him but I obviously can''t.

    How painful.

    "Come with us or stay here. Choose."

    "Yeah! Choose! The choice is obvious though, Garbagehara!"

    Yulia, Kuzan, and Kawahara firmly looked at me with eyes full of expectations.

    I''m not sure what Kawahara is expecting. It would be extremely anti-climatic for me to just meet his expectations.

    Isn''t he aware that I can''t break the atmosphere I''ve settled down with Yulia?!

    "Sorry guys..."

    "Aniki! This is important!"

    "Kuzan, don''t bother. Let''s go. Dan thinks some second used clapped cheeks are better than hanging out with his lifetime bros."

    It''s a good thing Yulia didn''t get what Kawahara just said or else she might''ve done something out of the ordinary.

    Ultimately, with massive disappointment in me, Kawahara and Kuzan left the scene.

    I thought Kawahara, out of all people, would understand this. Or is he just pretending not to care?

    Yulia, on the other hand, was admiring me with eyes of jubilance and wonder.

    "Are you free after class...?"

    Unexpectedly, she asked me that. Her previous furious expression was long gone now and her usual cute expression took place instead.

    "Who knows. Why? Do you want to go out or something?"

    "I was thinking about that! Have you walked around the whole campus yet? It''s reaaaalllyyy big, you know? Also, please take my words seriously. Don''t talk to her..."

    She''s oddly possessive.

    You''d think she''s not due to her charming appearance and sometimes gullible words but the reality is different.

    Even if I tell her that I hate my table partner, she would not believe it, I bet.

    "That''s impossible. As long as she''s my table partner, interactions can''t be avoided. Though... Do you think we interact in a romantic way? Because we don''t."

    "Can''t you just do something about it? It''s bothering me... Just avoid talking to her... And don''t you dare ignore my texts! They are really important, please!"

    "I got it. Hey, Yulia."

    I wonder if she''s aware.

    "Yeah?"

    "Do you still want to do it? We were interrupted last time by Kuzan, but we can continue now."

    Roughly five minutes until the lunch break is over... Not much time, so to say.

    Not that I wanted to achieve something with this, but I just didn''t want to make my situation worse. My previous idea of not contacting Yulia might''ve backfired entirely, honestly.

    "I told you, not in public. I don''t want people to find out..."

    "I see..."

    I got quickly rejected though.

    We don''t have any relationship status yet. We simply specified emotional sentences to each other that might''ve implied several other emotional feelings such as love and attraction.

    I''m stuck in a serious dilemma right now.

    I want this responsibility off my shoulders and I don''t know how to get rid of it without causing any unnecessary disturbances...

    In the end, we also left and started walking around the campus. The brief noon weather aroma consumed my nostrils with a rustic sensation. Although the sun was high up in the sky, unclouded and clear, it wasn''t enough to banish all this stifling cold that was spread throughout the atmosphere.

    "I was really lonely..."

    "Is that so..."

    This meaningless weight.

    For reasons unknown to her, she believes that despite our past interactions that I am here, right now.

    The truth is, I''m just trying to take my mind off from everything a tiny bit.

    I want to return... Maybe when this is all over I can...

    "Did you feel lonely too?"

    "Of course, Yulia. What am I without you? I''m just the mist lying midst the fog."

    I couldn''t afford to fail the exam... It couldn''t be helped.

    This had to be the way. But... I never thought that it would go like this.

    I can hardly even fake my affection for her. As a matter of fact, I''m having trouble even trying.

    With a simple look on my phone''s screen, I noticed that there was only a small amount of time before the lunch break was over.

    Our distance was short but I was considerably walking ahead of her. She''s quite reserved today, but that''s normal.

    We haven''t talked in a while. Nothing surprising there.

    Which gives birth to the perfect opportunity. She''s not expecting some sort of abrupt movement.

    Such as this.

    "Hey, Yulia, we should head back."

    "Ahh, now that you mention it, there isn''t much time le--"

    This area is somewhat deserted. She can''t use her stupid arguments here. She also didn''t realize that I purposely dragged her all the way to the edge of block C just because the majority of the students were centered around the public playground filled with distractions such as attraction shops and small restaurants.

    I missed it though.

    The nostalgic and enthralling fragmental taste of her lips mixed with her apple-scented perfume.

    Who knew that such a combination could spell heaven in such a quick compass.

    Block F. Main Classroom. 2 pm.

    "I''ll be announcing the contents of the special exam. There will be plenty of time for preparation. The special exam will take place on March 20th. Just by this date alone, some of you might be aware of what it will about."

    All the boys knew. Kawahara literally made sure we all knew.

    Not by his words right now, since he''s just smirking on his seat, but due to his previous words back when he announced his intentions towards the upcoming spring festival.

    "Are you talking about the upcoming spring festival...?"

    Arkalee was on point. Speaking of her, she''s no longer as introverted as she used to be.

    But that''s really not important. I don''t care.

    "Correct. There will be a plethora of optional and mandatory events for each classes'' individuals to participate in. Essentially, every class has to participate in the mandatory events and that''s why the spring festival is so competitive."

    But not the optional ones.

    We still don''t know what the events are, but the only thing that matters should be the mandatory events, in theory.

    "However... The theme of this special exam will be solidarity! Allow me to explain... There are a grand total of 50 events in total. 25 of them are mandatory while the rest of the other 25 are optional. But... in this exam, the other 25 events that are labeled as optional are now officially mandatory for all of you!"

    Multiple discontent opinions came forward, as always.

    I wasn''t exactly pleased with this as well...

    "The events will not be gender-free, obviously. This was made based on the entirety of fair-play. But, more importantly, now that you know what the spring festival will revolve around, just how can you successfully pass the upcoming exam with the greatest of eases?"

    That''s what I want to know, you sorry excuse for a teacher.

    Although... If this is individual competitions, then I''m positive I can win against anyone as long as I excel in that area.

    "In every event, the only relevant elements will be those who either place third, second or first. Aside from that, it''s irrelevant. Therefore, in those events, if you placed under those respective positions, you can consider your score as positive. Here is what I''ll be asking out of every individual... Win."

    Ummm....

    "Sensei, could you be more specific, please?"

    Hinagiku, eager and curious asked that. Usually, Ikkiri would be on fire here and would ask away but she''s too bust submerging onto her own sadness.

    "Every individual has to earn a certain quota to achieve a positive score. I''ve already explained to you how you can either place first, second, or third and it will still be considered a victory."

    Not much of a victory if you are second place. Especially third place.

    "There are over a thousand students in this school. Therefore, the competition will be tight. Nonetheless, the minimal quota an individual can do to achieve a positive score is 5 wins. The event matters, though. The mandatory events count but so do the optional ones. The highest score is 10 wins. The festival will last a week, so there will be plenty of time to participate in the mountain of events that there are!"

    So if I win at least 5 events then I should be able to secure a positive score.

    The only problem I can possibly think of is the competition. A thousand students aren''t something I can just ignore.

    "The events will vary from physically thematic events to subjects and many others. You are also free to lose as many events as you want, as long as you at least get 5 wins. Don''t think this is easy. This class is just 24 students. If you think you can place third, second or even first in every single competition then you aren''t taking the rest seriously. Though, I do think everyone should believe in their own abilities!"

    Compared to the last special exam, this one was fairly easy to understand.

    There was nothing remotely hard about this.

    Furthermore, you just had to win at least 5 times. Yuka-sensei emphasized that taking 5 wins is not an easy feat, but I''m pretty sure that''s not the case for me.

    This sounds pretty easy.

    "Hey, is that all there is to it?"

    Kawahara, who had the expression of a bull right now, was laying his right side of his face on his open knuckle.

    What else could there be to it though?

    "Ahhh, there is, of course, something worth mentioning. I just didn''t think someone would be interested but how nice Kawahara! Very well then..."

    Although Kawahara initially had the expression of a bull, he started to lightly smirk as soon as Yuka-sensei started to chant her next words.

    All in all, it was as if Kawahara already knew that this was going to happen.

    "You aren''t forced to do this. What I''m about to say is truly optional. Unlike all the events, this is completely partial. However, if there are individuals who can place first in 10 events, then... That individual will earn the right to subtract a supply exam."

    Huh? Wait...

    "For example... If you already have three supply exams accumulated and you score perfectly in any ten events, then you can subtract one of the supply exams, which will mean you will only have two supply exams. If you have two supply exams, then you can opt to subtract it as well, which will leave you with only one supply exam. And ultimately, if you have one, you''ll have none."

    "Oh! That is pretty interesting. It''s just such a shame... Because a certain group is about to take the fatest L in their lives!"

    Kawahara''s taunt was directed to our enemy team.

    I now understand... Kawahara, how did you already envision this...

    Was is that obvious?

    Also, if I score perfectly in ten competitions I can go back to one supply exam only.

    As a result of the thoughts of victory that were swirling in my mind right now, my chin dropped.

 Volume 10 - Chapter 67: Project SYG, begin!

    Hideout. 7 pm.

    "You hate to see it."

    "..."

    Why is Kawahara always such a rude jerk no matter what? That annoying confident permanent smirk on his face is starting to get on my nerves.

    At the same usual place that I''m technically banned, Kawahara invited me.

    However, this time, along with him, Kuzan, and Rayazaki, I got here through his room.

    Back on his supreme desk, Kawahara glanced down upon us three with eyes of mockery.

    Rayazaki was no exception.

    "You monochromatic idiots never learn. And you, Daniel. Daniel, you hanged out with a whore instead of heeding my advice and coming with me. If you had come ahead, then I would''ve told you what would happen far ahead. Kuzan and Rayazaki had that privilege."

    As I savored the sweet tea that Kuzan had made, I stopped sipping and questioned Kawahara.

    "But why did I need to know that far ahead?"

    "Fool. The psychological war has already begun. Couldn''t you see our reactions? We already knew that this would''ve happened and thus we acted calm and confident. You, on the other hand, the only dork who didn''t know acted like what that blonde bitch had just said was some new century discovery!"

    I would bother to question how Kawahara knows all of this but I don''t want to endure hours of reasoning.

    He also rarely gets to the point, only through mountains of sheer reasoning and logic first.

    I''m just not interested. Plus, I don''t doubt him. Sure, he''s mischievous and sneaky, but in the end, he is the one who wants to win the most.

    "But the real psychological war will start now. Behold, the virgin''s diagram!"

    There was a caped border hiding beneath a red cloak which was on Kawahara''s right side. With a swift pull though, Kawahara revealed a border that had explicit percentages and several names in it.

    Specifically speaking, there were six names in general and below them, there were girl names with percentages right next to them...

    Kawahara... Just how much did you stalk them?

    "Unfortunately, a certain bastard refuses to come, but we don''t need him. Four of us are enough."

    Undoubtedly, Kawahara is referring to Hyunda.

    I''ll let Kawahara onto something...

    "Kawahara, there''s a very vast chance that Hyunda will not cooperate. And besides, what is that...?"

    I had a general idea, but I didn''t want to assume anything for certain.

    Although, if that''s what I think it is...

    "I''m aware. Oh, this? As I''ve said, this is the virgin''s diagram. Of course, I''m unironically referring to the poor losers we are going to crush thoroughly."

    "How exactly though?"

    Grabbing a near-by piece of white chalk, Kawahara started to explain, by pointing out the respective areas.

    "As you can see at the very top of the diagram, there are six names. Virgin Ryoken, virgin Tatsu, virgin Susaga, virgin Sagasuga, virgin Tsudo, and virgin Kan!"

    Without a doubt, Kawahara seems to be slightly mad at these respective six individuals. The fact that he is smashing the chalk so hard every time he goes through their names should prove it.

    "Right below every single one of them, there are every single girls'' names with percentages right next to them. Kuzan! What does this mean?!"

    "Yes, master! The percentages are referential points to the chances of the individual that is above, having a crush on the girl!"

    Kuzan, who is right next to me, enjoying his own tea to a very narcissistic extent, answered that question with fast speed.

    Rayazaki on the other hand just keeps on reading books.

    .......What the hell....

    "Correct! Each and every single one of those fuckers is secretly trying to hide it, but they''ve made it too obvious for me to notice! Which is why we will act on what the diagram is telling us."

    I still don''t understand what we will be doing exactly...

    And more importantly, why I need to do it...

    "Kawahara, why do I have to do this? Can you give me a legit reason?"

    "Sure I can. You''ll fail the exam otherwise."

    "How?!"

    I don''t understand. How is this related to the exam in general? I simply need to win 5 times and that''s that.

    I do understand why he''s going this far. He started an open war. Kawahara has to stand up on his ground and fight against them.

    Yet, that only applies to him...

    "They will try to crush you. You might think that just because there are 50 events that you can escape them, but I doubt that''s the case. We will be targetted. Hence, you need to crush them before they crush you. It''s common sense, Dan."

    "Yeah, I get what you are trying to say, but I won''t lose to them."

    "Get rid of that dumb mindset. Precaution is the key to winning. If you take precautions before the actual battle, your chances of winning will increase. Don''t argue that it''s the other way around because you know it''s not."

    ..........

    He''s right... But I don''t want to do it still.

    "You still seem to not be convinced. Let me put this from another perspective then. Do you think that they are doing nothing right now?"

    "Are you saying that they will come up with some sort of strategy?"

    "I''m not saying that their strategy will even be as remotely good as mine, but they won''t just sit around and do nothing. Statistically speaking, the chances of them already be thinking of a way to crush us before the actual battle is remotely high."

    He bases a lot of his ideas on statistics. This is something that I''ve started to notice.

    "Are you scared of them? Because I''m not."

    "Who the fuck is scared!? That wasn''t my point, you dumbfuck! You shouldn''t act arrogant when you don''t have a reason to! I act the way I act because I can back my actions up, but you? I strongly doubt that."

    Now he''s just pushing it...

    "But, that''s a bad point to make. You''re proud of yourself, aren''t you? That''s why I''ll suggest something different. Hey. If you are feeling confident enough, then you surely think that you can get the maximum value out of this exam, can''t you?"

    Why is he mentioning that...?

    "That''s something everyone will most likely aim for. It''s normal that I feel that way."

    "Yeah, it''s normal alright. But, just how many will be able to achieve the maximum value of this exam?"

    "Isn''t that up to the individual?"

    Why is Kawahara bothering to insist on this? I won''t change my mind.

    There isn''t anything to lose just by achieving 5 wins. Surely, if I got 10 wins, it would be amazing. I can''t deny that...

    "Of course. Every individual sets up their own pace which will dictate their victory momentum. Yet if you ask me, not even three out of the twenty-four of us will make it."

    "And why is that...?"

    "Because the majority is more preoccupied with just passing the exam. They don''t want to win. They just want to avoid another supply exam. In other words, they just don''t want to lose. You, for example, are part of them. You''re probably thinking that it''s fine as long as you don''t lose, but it''s those types of fucking thoughts that always bring your eventual downfall!"

    Such a spirit... Sometimes I forget who I''m talking to.

    But... Am I really just aiming to not lose? Even so...

    "Isn''t it fine though...? As long as I don''t lose, that''s all it matters."

    "That''s a shallow way of thinking. It''s fine to not lose? That''s what losers tell themselves all the time."

    "Or maybe you just think differently..."

    He''s just obsessed with winning and now he''s trying to portray his philosophy to me to strengthen his idea.

    I hate when people do that... At that point, you aren''t even caring for the individual''s situation, but just your own thoughts.

    "I do think differently, which is why I''m telling you how it is. Why is it so hard for you to believe me when I''ve never been wrong?"

    "Just because you haven''t been wrong that doesn''t mean I should change my way of thinking."

    "Alright, fine! Let''s gamble then! If I''m wrong about this, then you''ve made your point. However, if not, then you will acknowledge my point!"

    Whatever.

    He just wants to make his point. I''m aware of how thirsty Kawahara is when it comes to arguments and making his own points.

    In the end, I shrugged while sipping my tea once more.

    "With that said, here is how we will be crushing them. We will commence the ''Steal Your Girl'' project. SYG project for short. This project will revolve around one simple thing. As you three can see, I''ve ordered in my diagram each girl from the highest chance to the lowest chance. This means that the girl that is right below the virgin''s section is without a doubt the go-for target! Rayazaki! Who does Ryoken have a crush on, according to the facts?!"

    He meant to say statistics, not facts. I''m one-hundred percent sure that his arrogance kicked in at the last second...

    Rayazaki closed his book and answered serenely.

    In contrast to the last time he was here with me, he didn''t seem to be disturbed at all now.

    "Out of all the girls, Gale seems to be the one. A grand 76% chance, according to your diagram."

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    "That is correctissimo. Kuzan, what about Susaga?"

    "Yukishiro! 83% chance! I didn''t know about this!"

    Neither did I.

    But this is just baiting. Because if someone asks Kawahara how he knows about this, he will just spend his time and explain.

    Nevertheless, Kuzan opened his mouth once again.

    "How do you k--"

    I tapped his mouth.

    Kuzan doesn''t know, it seems.

    "Dan! Spell the rest of the diagram!"

    "Uhh... Tatsu''s crush is supposedly Arkalee. With a 98% chance behind it..."

    To be fair, he has white-knighted her more than once. I suppose I can agree to some extent.

    "Tsudo''s crush is Shizuku, with a 61% chance. Kan has a crush on Sana, with a 52% chance. And Sagasuga......."

    Within the diagram, I was clearly spelling out the girl that was right below their names but... Sagasuga''s case is...

    There are only 50% chances in every girl''s name that is below him... Not a single exception. All 50%.

    "Sagasuga''s case is complex. I suspect that the bastard is a Casanova, henceforth I attributed a bare 50% to all the girls."

    "Wait, wait. Don''t Sagasuga and Tateyana have something going on? How can you label that as just a 50%, Kawahara?"

    Isn''t he aware of their case? Even though it''s a messy case, I think it deserves more than just a mere 50% chance...

    "Sagasuga doesn''t treat her especially. Something is wrong. What kind of boyfriend treats her girlfriend the same way he treats all the other girls? There''s something going on and I''ll find out. Sagasuga''s case is mine. However, each and every single one of you will be tasked with a very simple task! Steal the bastard''s crush."

    I can see his strategy. It''s actually not bad and since we are all hormonal teenagers, his strategy makes perfect sense. Our complexities aside, we are in the middle of our teenage years.

    The theme of love is not something that can be labeled as orthodox when it comes to just about anyone of this age.

    Or humans in general.

    There is just a big massive problem with that strategy.

    It involves me.

    "I''ll be attributing the respective targets for all of you. Kuzan! You''ll be taking on Kan! Which means your target will be Sana!"

    "Aye!"

    Kawahara has yet to explain our set of methods or what the general idea of the SYG project is.

    Though, it''s not as if I don''t understand what he is implying. Only someone dumb wouldn''t understand.

    He might just have a different idea in mind.

    "Rayazaki! You''ll be taking on Susaga, which means your target will be Yukishiro!"

    "Understood."

    Huh?

    Wait, what?

    Why is he not objecting to this!?

    "Rayazaki, what the hell?"

    "What''s wrong?"

    He just asked me what''s wrong.

    What is happening? Doesn''t he realize what this means? Do I have to explain it to him?

    "Don''t you know what this means?"

    "Yeah, I do? It means that I''ll have to approach Yukishiro in a romantic and effective way which will demoralize Susaga since he has a crush on her. What exactly are you fretting over?"

    Huh......

    Am I missing something? He objected completely to this idea of Kawahara previously because it would mean that he would be making a move on someone who isn''t Hinagiku.

    Yet know he''s completely fine with this.

    What?

    "What about Hinagiku?"

    "What about her? You''re talking about the blue-haired little girl, aren''t you? Wait, there are two ones. The one that''s being bullied, right now, right?"

    ..........?

    "No, no, Rayazaki, that''s Ikkiri. Aniki meant the other one!"

    "Oh, I see. That one. I guess she''s slightly shorter than Ikkiri. I''ll keep that in mind. Thank you, Kuzan."

    What is this formality?! Actual integrity?! Dignity on top of it?! The hell is going on?!

    "Rayazaki, you bastard, you are pretending! This is all an act! You want to make me look like a fool just because I broke your phone, don''t you!?"

    Yet despite my angry retort, Rayazaki looked completely unphased as his expression remained monochrome.

    "You broke my phone? That''s weird. It''s here. Also, I''m not pretending anything. Why would I do that? Pretending means to trick people. I wouldn''t do that."

    "Liar! If you actually were speaking the truth you''d realize the contradiction you just put out right now! This whole project involves tricking people! Hahaha! You actually thought you were clever for a second, didn''t you?!"

    "I don''t agree. Kawahara didn''t mention anything like tricking. If that''s how you do things, then I''ll respect our differences, but I won''t be tricking anyone in the process of this. It''s better to be straight-forward and honest. Yukishiro seems fairly interesting. I think I''m going to enjoy connecting with her."

    What the fuck!

    Okay, this is too much for an act. Yukishiro? Interesting?

    That does not work. You can''t put her name and the word interesting in the same sentence. That''s just plain stupid.

    "Daniel, don''t stress about this too much. He''s not putting up an act."

    "Lies! This is one-hundred percent an act! I bet he just wants to make me feel guilty for what I did!"

    "And what exactly did you do to him?"

    "I''m curious as well, Aniki."

    "Since you are referring me, I''m naturally curious too."

    All three of them started to look at me as if they had no idea what I was talking about.

    I can understand Kuzan just because he''s a scatterbrain, but Kawahara?

    This doesn''t make any sense!

    "...It''s nothing..."

    "Well, whatever the case may be, Dan, Rayazaki is genuinely serious about this. Also..."

    Kawahara, instead of finishing his sentence, looked at me in the following moments with a gigantic smirk. A smirk so big that all the previous ones were nothing compared to this one.

    His white fangs were visible throughout the whole thing, which made me think I was interacting with a savage beast.

    "You''re not the only one cursed with knowledge."

    ......?

    What did he mean with that?

    "Moving on. Dan, you''ll be taking on Tatsu. Naturally, your target will be Arkalee."

    "About that... Can we talk in private regarding that?"

    I''ve mentioned that I was the problem when it came to this task.

    To be more specific, my own actions were the problem. It''s impossible for me to approach someone else romantically right now.

    "That is fine. I know what you want to talk about. Kuzan, Rayazaki, dismissed!"

    Just like true subordinates, they did not object to Kawahara''s imperial words and left the hideout.

    Kawahara, on the other hand, sat on the parallel couch and relaxed his back all the way. With his arms loosen, he spoke in an extremely lax voice tone.

    "Before you speak your mind, I''ll suggest again. Join me. Before it''s too late."

    He''s so persistent...

    "No, I won''t. And what do you mean by too late?"

    "I''m handing you out free pieces of information while giving you simultaneously plenty of advantage that coincidentally means that you''ll perform better in the exams. By the way, I lied. I said coincidentally, didn''t I? No such thing. It''s no coincidence."

    In other words, he''s saying that if I don''t join him now that the chances might end.

    He doesn''t believe in anyone''s potential except his own. This guy''s so egocentric...

    "Don''t be silent now. You had something you wanted to talk about. I''m just going to assume that it''s about the whore. Julia, was it?"

    "Yulia... And yeah, it''s about her. I can''t do this."

    "And why not?"

    Why not...? Doesn''t he know...?

    "Dude, the act was far too excessive on my part. She got way too emotionally connected with me, to the point of developing feelings besides just a simple crush on me. It''s impossible for me to suddenly make a move on Arkalee..."

    Arkalee seems way easier to make a move when compared to Yulia.

    She seems to be the type of girl who is overall sweet.

    What can possibly go wrong?

    "Her role is done. She was only relevant to the previous exam. Tell her how it is. Man up!"

    "Easy for you to say... What exactly am I supposed to do? I can''t just tell her how it is... But at the same time, I want this responsibility off me."

    Laxing his posture even further, Kawahara crossed his right leg as if he was sitting on a throne.

    "Break up with her. Just tell her simply how you feel and that your connection with her doesn''t make any sense in the first place. Tell her something cliched like: ''It''s not you, it''s me.'' ''You deserve better.'' ''We were a mistake.'' Stuff like that."

    "I think she''ll kill me if I say something like that..."

    "Are you seriously afraid of her? Is that why you are acting like a little bitch?"

    "I''m not acting like a little bitch..."

    He laughed in response though.

    "You totally are! You''re the only one who''s complicated your own situation. If you just change your way of thinking, then you can make the best out of this situation. If you think that you can''t just tell her how it is, then don''t tell her directly."

    ".....Huh?"

    "Slow-minded, are we? Very well, I''ll explain what I meant. If you tell her directly, then chances are, you''ll just face the consequences you think you''ll face. However, you don''t have to tell her directly. Through acts of disinterest, she''ll gradually understand that she means nothing to you. For example, throughout this operation, she should understand the mixed signals you''ll send her. That you have feelings for Arkalee. Even if that''s not actually the case."

    Certainly, if I do that then Yulia would realize how I truly feel about her.

    There''s just one problem with that.

    "I don''t think that''s going to work. She might become obsessed with me overtime if she isn''t already."

    "Look at you, man! Telling yourself that a girl will become obsessed with you! Hahaha!"

    But I didn''t bother to deny it.

    Kawahara realized my intent.

    "...You''re serious. Hey, I''ll tell you what. If you join me, I''ll make sure she doesn''t bother you again. Her presence is a bother to you, right? Let me get that off your shoulders real quick."

    Such an opportunist...

    Will there ever be a time where he doesn''t act as soon as he sees an opportunity?

    "I already said no. More importantly, what will you do about the other two? You said that you''d handle Sagasuga, but what about Tsudo and Ryoken? Ryoken should be the person who you''ll have the most trouble with."

    "No, I don''t think I will. Sagasuga seems to be the odd case in that whole team. Don''t overrate Ryoken like that. Also, don''t worry. The targets will change over time. Until the festival hits the scene, we need to morally crush them so badly that their spirits will be gone when it''s festival time."

    I wasn''t overrating him. But I do agree that Sagasuga is the one that needs to be taken with precaution.

    Although, I know this for reasons Kawahara probably doesn''t know.

    No, it''s not probable, it''s impossible. Kawahara wasn''t part of the Street Fighter tournament...

    Therefore, he could not see the monster that Sagasuga is.

    "I just want to briefly mention, but if you see that you are not being successful with Arkalee, then tell me immediately..."

    "Hm? But why would I not be successful? I can just go the same way I went with Yulia."

    "It''s just a baseless theory... So I can''t really explain it... Anyways, do that."

    That was weird.

    But there''s no point in asking for his baseless theory since he wouldn''t tell me something he doesn''t think it''s one-hundred percent certified.

    Yet, why would I not be able to be successful here...?

    "And I''m going to insist again. Break up with her nice and easy and be done with her. She no longer has a redeemable purpose. Plus, she''s annoying as hell! What the fuck is wrong with you!? If I knew she was such garbage then I wouldn''t even have suggested that shit!"

    That really irritates me. Yulia''s not as bad as Kawahara thinks. She honestly deserves someone better.

    Kawahara said for me to say those cliched lines yet among them, there is one I can agree with.

    It''s not her fault, it''s mine.

    "She''s pretty hot though. You can''t deny that, Kawahara."

    "Yeeaaaahhh, true. Pretty fine boobs. A fantastic ass. Thick legs. Her appearance is top tier. However, that personality? What the hell is that?! This is why I have trust issues! Because girls like her mask themselves under those pretty appearances while hiding horrendous personalities beneath them!"

    Our thoughts on this matter are almost, if not, completely identical.

    This is true.

    Every man in his life goes through this dilemma. There is not a single masculine soul on this planet that has not faced this wall of trust issues before.

    "The major issue here is that I probably won''t be able to interact with Arkalee without having Yulia on my jizz 24/7. Guess how many texts she has sent while I''ve been here."

    "Tough question. 25?"

    Just to be certain, I checked my phone and...

    "31."

    "Close. But I get your point. She needs to be distracted. Does she have any friends, to begin with? God, no way she does. She makes people crawl off as soon as she opens that mouth of hers."

    He''s exaggerating... I would defend Yulia, but I don''t have any sense of morality whatsoever.

    Nor compassion towards her.

    "No, I don''t think so. But why would she need friends?"

    "Are you kidding? If she''s busy with someone then, you''ll be free from her temporarily. Since you don''t have the balls to just tell her how it is, I don''t see a more plausible suggestion. Essentially, make her befriend someone and in that free time, make your move on Arkalee. You''re not against this, are you?"

    This is a suggestion I can actually get behind with.

    Also, it''s not as if I don''t have the balls... I just have an extremely guilty conscience from time to time.

    "No, not at all. I''ll actually take this suggestion instead. Though, it might take a while."

    "Be quick then. Starting from tomorrow, we will only have 15 days. This might sound a lot, but it will quickly be over, trust me. Also, you should have some fun, man. You seem to be so tense all the time. Don''t you know how to have fun?"

    It depends on what kind of fun he''s referring to.

    Being in this school against my freedom doesn''t exactly give me a pleasing sensation...

    School, in general, is something I''ve always hated. Waste of time. Waste of everything. Nothing good ever comes out of it...

    "What is your definition of fun?"

    "My definition of fun might be something that many wouldn''t label as fun. However, in your case, I have a suggestion that might turn out to be fun. Want to hear it?"

    "Yeah, why not."

    I really wouldn''t mind listening to his own definition though.

    "Before you are done with Yulia, you should have some fun with her. Bang her, for example."

    "Oh! You''re right! How the hell did I forget that!?"

    "How the hell can you forget that when such a beauty is in front of you 24/7?! If you are planning on keeping her around for a while, then take her out for a few spins. It wouldn''t hurt to have a little fun!"

    If anyone with a minimal shred of morality were to listen to this conversation right now, that person would feel entirely revolted, due to how malicious and disgusting this is.

    "Dude, you''re a literal savage. Makes me wonder how you still haven''t made your move onto your own crush. I still haven''t found out who it is, by the way. You still remember the deal, right?"

    It''s been a while since the deal has been mentioned but I still haven''t forgotten about our first proper interaction.

    "Of course I do. If you find out who she is, then you''ll have to wingman me. Though, I''m doubting your wingman skills now..."

    "Please don''t. They are amazing."

    "So you say. Furthermore, you''ll have to make her see me in a positive light. While keeping your silence about this. Hey, you haven''t told anyone, right?!"

    "No, I really haven''t."

    This is something I really won''t tell anyone.

    Because there are tons of people that hate him and if there is a rumor about Kawahara having a crush, then I will be blamed for it, no doubt.

    "Good. Also, I''ll get to listen to your story regarding that."

    "That was the deal."

    "Still, Dan. You''ll never get it right. I''m doing it on purpose, in case you haven''t noticed."

    Ahhh, so he was aware all the time.

    "But what if your love interest is expelled?"

    "She won''t. I''ll make sure she isn''t. In ways that neither you nor her, nor anyone will notice. When I actually put my mind onto something, there''s barely anything I can''t do."

    Impressive confidence.

    To me, Kawahara is the most confident person I have ever met. Moreover, the only person who can actually back up his confidence.

    Confidence usually destroys the individual in case of failure, but he''s always successful somehow.

    If he was a good person, then I am positive that he would contribute a lot to society in general and perhaps the whole world as a whole.

    However, he''s submerging with his evil thoughts and intertwining with his miscellaneous ideas constantly.

    A nonstopping momentum of paradoxical complexity. That''s how I feel about him.

    What exactly drives him?

    "Let''s return. It''s almost dinner time, Kawahara."

    "About time!"

    With everything in momentum, the already started SYG project was looking promising to both of us.

 Volume 10 - Chapter 68: Candle.

    Tatsu Hirakibo.

    Average height. Deep blue hair. Clear brown eyes. He additionally possesses a fair complexion along with his white skin.

    I have never seen him wear anything outside of his school uniform. His P.E clothes were the only exception, though. Outside of that, none.

    His attitude contrasts that of a carefree student such as me, which indicates that he takes his endeavors to a very serious degree. Despite that, I still have yet to see anything from him.

    He doesn''t talk much. Quite reserved. He distances himself physically from Ikkiri who is his table partner by seating at the edge of the desk.

    Why he does that, I have no idea. As a matter of fact, everyone, in general, has been distancing themselves from Ikkiri.

    There are exceptions such as Akimiyashika and Hinagiku, but the rest seems to be completely against her existence. Once again, I have no clue why this is the case.

    The important thing to notice about this individual is that despite his preserving attitude and adroit skillfulness when it comes to hiding his own intentions, he always, from time to time, gazes upon one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen.

    Arkalee Kitsuya.

    98% chance.

    According to Kawahara, that is the case. His plan revolves around provoking our enemies via jealousy.

    Naturally, this can backfire if who I target just uses this as motivation to destroy me, but a part of who I target will automatically be destroyed if I''m successful with this task.

    Kawahara might have something on ahead, so this is practically only a trial.

    Strictly speaking, for this plan to be in motion, I had to get rid of a bigger problem.

    That problem is gorgeous and is looking at me from time to time, very much like how Tatsu looks at Arkalee.

    Ignoring her attention is out of the question, which means I''ll have to re-direct her attention to someone else.

    "Who though..."

    The class was going the same as always. The morning was progressing smoothly as I wondered who would be the best for Yulia to befriend.

    Without a doubt, it can''t be one of the boys. All of us have major issues in general. Plus, girls are more friendly with other girls in my understanding.

    Therefore...

    My table partner...?

    How would that go...? It''s hard for me to tell. She''s usually insensitive to a great extent but then becomes sensitive with trivial things like birthdays. Unless it concerns her, she won''t care.

    That''s why she can''t go well with Yulia.

    10 more to consider.

    Frankly... I''m just going to get one more out of the way. Arkalee herself. Honestly, she seems to be a very affectionate person which would go extremely well with Yulia, but unfortunately, that would ruin the whole thing.

    9 more.

    Akimiyashika is a serious no. Just because they have agreed on previous matters that doesn''t mean that they can exactly stand each other under normal circumstances. Also, Yulia targetted Ikkiri. Ultimately, that means that her interaction with Akimiyashika is slightly reduced.

    8 more.

    Since Ikkiri was mentioned, I''ll exclude her as well. I still have yet to ask Yulia why she can''t stand Ikkiri, but that can come later. And besides, Ikkiri might not be the right person to befriend right now.

    7 more.

    Hinagiku is the same case as Akimiyashika, but I suppose they could work? Except Yulia''s probably scared due to what happened when Yukishiro slapped Rayazaki. Bad idea, probably.

    6 more.

    Speaking of Yukishiro, she seems to be way too spiteful. Big no.

    5 more.

    Gale. I don''t know anything about her except the fact that she''s a bookworm. Yulia needs someone that can be active in a talk, not absent from it.

    4 more.

    Tateyana is too aggressive and thus, I doubt that they will go along well. Purely biased based on her previous reactions, but there isn''t much choice here.

    3 more.

    Kanawari seems to be ideal yet based on what my table partner has said, Kanawari and her don''t go along with the rest well. I see no reason as to why my table parter would lie in that circumstance, so I''ll assume that she was being truthful.

    2 more.

    I have no general concept nor idea when it comes to Shizuku. I suppose it would be fine to approach her and ask her something like that? There are no guarantees. Yet, I think that out of all the people in this room, if we were to exclude Arkalee, there might be someone with an equal level of affection.

    That being, my number one proposition.

    The individual that Kan is paired up with.

    Previously paired up with the still-missing Akihiko, Sana is the one in my mind.

    This might be labeled as explicit exaggeration, but the fact that Sana got so emotional over a birthday joke makes me think that she would go along with Yulia.

    All in all, if two emotional people were to connect on a friendly bond, wouldn''t that mean that they would be in extremely good terms?

    Conclusion being; Yulia and Sana might be ideal friends.

    "Now I just have to wait..."

    To be honest, I haven''t been doing absolutely anything these past few days. No, it''s not just the past few days, but considering how things are going, I''m surprised I haven''t been punished for not paying attention to class.

    How do I say this...

    It feels like you only really need to pay attention to the special exams. Though... Obviously, if I keep on failing the average exams, then I''ll repeat the grade.

    I wonder how that works.

    "Talking alone already? Has the possibility of failure made you insane? Oh, oops. It''s not a possibility; it''s a certainty."

    She laughed it off shily with a smug expression.

    I would argue right back at her saying the actual thing and how wrong she is, but alas, Yulia''s starring at me from time to time which makes my ability to interact with this bitch literally nonexistent.

    Thus, I waited until lunch-time.

    1 pm.

    "Congratulations! Just from this morning alone, I have captured zero occurrences where you have spoken with another girl! I am impressed!"

    On our way to one of the main restaurants in this school that I suggested that we should check out, Yulia pointed it out that she was impressed by my lack of freedom, that she unironically enjoys.

    "You don''t need to keep on checking... I really will not talk to other girls, I promise."

    "Hahahaha, okay!"

    Is that a yes or a no? Hey, answer me, please, Yulia. Don''t just laugh it off in such a relaxed manner when you are probably having psychotic thoughts.

    More importantly, without Yulia''s knowledge, we were actually stalking Sana. However, we were so far away from Sana that Yulia didn''t even notice what was happening.

    "Hey, Yulia, do you have any friends?"

    "What''s that supposed to mean..."

    She immediately pouted. I should''ve used way more formality, I suppose.

    "Sorry if that sounded offensive. I just thought that it would be great for you to befriend someone."

    "But I don''t need anyone else!"

    Clinging to my right arm, Yulia held it as tightly as she possibly could. To any male individual on this planet, in a romantic scenario, this couldn''t be anything except the ultimate positive signal that everything is going fine.

    Extremely fine, I dare say.

    "I get that. I also don''t need anyone else, because I have you. But I can''t always be there for you. You know what I''m talking about, right? Your dorm."

    Also, it''s not as if I''m always there for her. Just because we are inside the same classroom that shouldn''t have to automatically mean that I am there for her.

    Our physical distance might be short in comparison, but that''s still stretching it.

    "Oh... I see... So that''s what you meant. But, y''know, it''s okay, isn''t it?"

    "We have classes all the way from the beginning of the morning to the rise and fall of the afternoon which almost hits evening. Needless to say, after classes are done, we can only interact with the ones in our dorms. In other words, for you, the rest of the girls."

    Sana has entered the main building. Therefore, I slowed down a bit.

    It would be troublesome if we were caught following her this deliberately.

    "Are you worried that I might be alone...?"

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    "Do you even have to ask? Of course I am. That''s why I think you should befriend someone. Otherwise, you''ll be alone the majority of the time."

    "Orrrr we could text each other!"

    Damn it, Yulia! Don''t argue with such valid points!

    "But don''t you think it would be a waste to not befriend someone?"

    In a crowd full of students, the number was beyond my reach. However, one thing certainly wasn''t. Yulia''s expression succumbed to profound sadness as soon as I aimed that question at her.

    "......Do I really have to? I get that you are worried about me and that really means a lot yet... I don''t like them..."

    Naturally. All this time, Yulia''s been sitting on the back and just observing the majority of the events.

    By observing many interactions, she got a good grasp of how the majority of us attempt to portray our own image.

    "Are you talking about all of them or people in specific? For example, do you like Ikkiri?"

    This is a question I''ve been meaning to ask.

    Does Yulia hold a personal bias here?

    "I don''t like her, I''m sorry. This isn''t something I can just say publically, but if I''m with you and only you, it''s fine..."

    "Why do you not like her though?"

    "She can''t hold her own ground! Did you see what happened when the groups were formed?! She couldn''t even defend herself once!"

    She did defend herself once, but barely.

    "I''ll tell you more! I''m one-hundred percent positive she has done this! Listen... I''m not proud to say this, but when it comes to grabbing attention, we girls can come second to none! She''s hiding something! I can feel it! Ikkiri did all of this for herself... I really hate her stereotype... The type of girl who does everything for attention..."

    If Ikkiri truly did this just for the sake of attention, then I can get behind Yulia''s reasoning.

    I will not argue against Yulia with my own choice because that would kill the atmosphere. I''m supposed to dote her opinions.

    "That''s true. I just wonder why she would do all of this. Attention alone seems to be a little bit insufficient if you ask me."

    "Ikkiri''s probably a psychopath... Stay away from her, please. People like her are dangerous! I bet she''s trying to manipulate us all by thinking that she didn''t do anything!"

    Yulia''s being unbelievably clingy and aggressive at the same time. For the record, she has not let go of my right arm yet.

    She doesn''t mind the fact that we are in public right now.

    Funny how she says she doesn''t want anyone to find out but then she acts like this.

    Confusing...

    "Ikkiri aside, don''t you think it would be nice if there was like a girl that you could talk freely to? I''m not saying for you to find a replacement of myself in someone else, but just a friend in general."

    "...I don''t know... I''ve never been that good at making friends. I end up being quite reserved, you see."

    For someone reserved, you sure argued your way against Kawahara. Not many people can just stand up to him based on will alone.

    By the way, we were already inside the principal area that contained a grand variety of restaurants. It varied from sushi restaurants to Mexican restaurants too.

    Tacos must be quite popular, I see.

    Nonetheless, a certain individual went all the way to the most popular burger restaurant in the area.

    McDonald''s, of course.

    At least it''s not Chik-Fil-A.

    "Maybe you could befriend someone who has the same problem. Do you honestly think that you are the only person in our class that suffers from the same dilemma you suffer?"

    "Oh.... I see what you are saying. I don''t know. I suppose it wouldn''t be a blunder to assume such... But... That person would not just say this. Hahaha, who even likes to admit that they suck at making friends?"

    She brings a fair point. If you suck at making friends, then you wouldn''t admit it.

    You like to think to yourself that you have the option of making friends just because you believe yourself to be socially capable.

    "No one does. However, what would be the typical behavior of someone who doesn''t befriend anyone in the first place?"

    Yulia, while being picky about what she would have for lunch, placed her thumb on her lips. Right now, we are inside a Mexican restaurant. Without talking, we simply walked in and from the looks of it, we are eating here.

    It goes without saying that Yulia''s paying.

    "Let''s see... Spending time alone, I guess? Yeah, that would make sense! If you suck at making friends then socializing isn''t really an option... Being by yourself would be the best out of all the options... Ahh, I''ll have the crunchy taco menu, please!"

    Silently, the waitress took our order. There weren''t any lines, to begin with, so this was completely empty.

    ......

    She''s awfully familiar with this.

    Is Yulia secretly a Taco Bell lover?

    "I''ll have the same, I guess..."

    "Yay! Also, back on to the subject, if I were that person then I would entertain myself with some sort of hobby. Social media is a good example, I guess."

    Although we ordered here, we weren''t actually going to eat here. Yulia should not have a problem concerning where we eat as long as we are without a doubt there together.

    Our order was being prepared as we speak.

    Still, how fancy. Is it normal for such a nurturing school to have this many facilities? Especially restaurants of considerable quality such as these?

    I want to roast myself and say that these are not of ''considerable quality'' but that would go against my point.

    "Yulia, what do you think someone who refuses to make friends would do in their own free lunchtime?"

    "Have lunch? Pretty self-explanatory, y''know."

    I''m glad she realizes how self-explanatory it is. That helps me move on to my next point, which simultaneously connects my previous one.

    "Don''t you think you would be able to connect well with someone who does exactly the things we have just described?"

    Meanwhile, our menus had arrived. Naturally, I took the lead and led Yulia to the public area where the majority of the students were having their lunches.

    I can''t fathom how much Yulia had to pay here but it baffles me that all these students can afford all of this.

    "Yes, I think I would. But I sincerely doubt that someone would be open about this..."

    Who said anything about being open?

    That aside, as we made our way to the public area, in the middle of countless students who were enjoying their lunches, there was a certain individual lying amidst this endless crowd.

    This individual sat on the farthest away place possible, to make sure she wasn''t noticed.

    Although she was eating, she was fiddling with her phone simultaneously as well.

    "Oh... Isn''t that...?"

    I purposely made that question to Yulia while we kept on submerging ourselves in order to find an open seat.

    We have passed through a few empty seats already, but if we had just taken a seat, that would defeat the whole purpose of this.

    "Ohhh... That''s Sana... What''s she doing here?"

    If our previous distance was slightly closer to Sana then Yulia would''ve noticed that we were coincidentally following Sana all along.

    Alas, it wasn''t coincidental.

    Thus, we approached this unsociable girl who was completely absorbed. Sana was furiously typing on her phone while eating potato chips with great speed.

    Is she stressed?

    "Yo, Sana."

    Sana was about to eat another potato chip but stopped doing that as soon as she noticed our presence.

    To be honest, she went quite far. This school is massive. Just to go this far for a lunch is something that many wouldn''t even do in the first place.

    In order to seek complete isolation, you''d go this far, Sana?

    "...What? Are you stalking me, you creep?"

    Please stop. I wouldn''t stalk you even if the whole world was unironically infected by a massive pandemic virus and that the only way to get rid of it was to stalk you.

    "Wait, Sana! He''s not stalking you! This is just a really bizarre coincidence! I didn''t know you had lunch here as well..."

    Thankfully Yulia took the lead before I roasted Sana. Neurotic bitch.

    "...I see..."

    As expected, not much talk was made. Yulia, in response, cowardly backed off as well.

    Obviously, I had to take the lead here while holding back all my spiteful emotions.

    "Sana, can we eat with you?"

    "....There are other available seats... Why do you have to eat at the same table as me...?"

    She''s referring to me as ''you'' alone and not ''you two''. This means that this is personal.

    "Yulia, don''t you want to eat here?"

    "E-Eh? Anywhere is fine, really..."

    Come ooooooonnnnnnn.

    "This''ll be fun, come on. Let''s celebrate Sana''s birthday!"

    "Wait, what?! It''s today!? Happy birthday, Sana! How old are you now?"

    I was creasing so to speak. However, I could not show that to Sana, who was glaring at me with deadly eyes.

    Before Sana could speak and verbally slaughter me, I had to add something else.

    "No, Yulia. It''s not today. Today is March 5th. Sana''s birthday was three days ago, March 2nd. Sorry about that, Sana."

    The joke was intentional. Birthday roasts are surprisingly funny.

    Kinda like how YunYun doesn''t get to have a birthday celebration.

    "Oh, I see! Ummm... If it isn''t much... Would you accept my honest birthday wishes...?"

    In front of Sana, Yulia had already taken her seat. Sana, however, didn''t mind.

    Of course she wouldn''t mind. I''m the problem here. That much is obvious.

    Subsequently, I took a seat right next to Yulia.

    "...Well, okay."

    "Happy birthday! I hope you enjoyed your day, Sana! How many years is it now? Sorry for not knowing... I know it''s bad manners..."

    "Oh no, please, don''t worry. I''m 16 years old now. Although, I didn''t enjoy my day... But, thank you for your wishes. I''ll remember them. When is your birthday, Yulia?"

    Meanwhile, I was savoring my crunchy taco.

    I feel like getting up from my seat and standing in front of Taco Bell right now. Furthermore, I feel like screaming while passionately asking who the hell made this taco.

    ''Cause god fucking damn, is it good!

    "August 31st, 2004. But may I ask why you''d like to know my birthday?"

    "Certainly. It''s a way of thanking you! I see I see. August 31st... I''ll remember it."

    Hey, where is my birthday question?

    "Oh, you don''t really have to, but I appreciate the thought!"

    "Umm... Do you not want me to celebrate your birthday? Is there a deep reason behind it...?"

    It''s impressive.

    I think Sana forgot that I existed or something. I''m eating this delicious as hell taco in such a silent manner that I think I''ve fused with the air.

    Thus, I''ve become transparent.

    Literally...

    "Oh, no! Not at all! I just thought that you didn''t have to bother yourself just because I went out of my way to reach you!"

    "I see what you mean, Yulia! I totally get it! Reaching out to someone just as a means to repay back can be seen that way... But please, don''t see it that way! It''s not about repaying back... I just think that celebrating someone''s birthday can make that person''s day become slightly brighter, that''s all..."

    "Right?! Right?! Right?! I understand now what you mean. I''m sorry, I''m often way too judgmental... I hope you can forgive me..."

    "Don''t mind it! Everyone makes mistakes! I like when people admit their mistakes. It''s a sign that they are ready to grow more and more!"

    I think that if a tornado passed through me right now that I would come out unphased.

    One with the wind. Who knows such feeling would come from a scenario such as this.

    "By the way, Yulia... You voted that Ikkiri was the one who did it... Do you... have a particular reason to feel that way?"

    "Ahh, you see... Well, since it''s just us two right now, I guess I can tell you... But, don''t tell anyone, please!"

    Wow, ladies, what the fuck?

    I exist, okay?!

    "It''s a girls'' talk! Of course I won''t spell out the beans."

    "Okay, okay. That''s reassuring. But... Gosh, where to begin!? She''s such an attention whore! She''s acting like a victim from a novel! How much do you want to bet that it''s only a matter of time before she gets one of the boys to protect her?!"

    "I know right?! That sad look on her face! Ugh, my god! It disgusts me..."

    "It''s impressive how low she stooped just for this whole act! She involved the whole class! Unbelievable..."

    I''ve officially become one with the wind.

    I am so irrelevant right now that two girls that just started to have their first and unique proper interaction are having a girls'' talk in front of a boy.

    Truly the pinnacle of irrelevance.

    "You said it... What do you think she''s going to do next...? Shouldn''t we be careful...? Hey... If something weird happens in the upcoming exam, then Ikkiri should undoubtedly be the one we have to look out for..."

    "You think so, Sana?"

    "Yeah... She''s a viper. She only bites when she has the necessity to. Just from the previous event alone, I could tell something was totally off! Nothing linked! What a serious lunatic she is... Do you think she is someone that will attempt to manipulate everyone in class....?"

    Did I mention how good this Taco is?

    Seriously good.

    "Y-You think so...? That''s sorta scary... I didn''t think that she would do something like this but... If this chain of events keeps on increasing then..."

    ".......She''s really dangerous, Yulia... I think I see it all now though... She tried to portray an innocent and eccentric image to the rest of the class while maintaining that demonic manipulative personality to her side, but now... She''s on the loose!"

    They are seriously being way too paranoid. More than half of the things that they have said aren''t probably true.

    However, I can''t argue because not even I know for sure what happened regarding the previous accident.

    If anyone knew, then speculations like these wouldn''t be formed in the first place.

    Alas, I had finished my menu with tremendous speed and tried to silently leave the scene but a hand grabbed my arm immediately.

    Sincerely, I was spooked.

    "Stay."

    Yulia did not say that in a cute tone, but moreover, in an imperial one.

    Just like how a dog''s owner will tell the dog to sit down.

    It appears that my wind shroud has faded and my existence became relevant once more.

    Still...

    "I forgot some books in my room! I''ll see you in the class!"

    "Ah! Wait!"

    With a fast dash, I ran off to a location Yulia wouldn''t be able to reach me.

    While I was running through the crowd, I pulled out my phone and made a call to Hyunda.

    "Pick up, pick up, pick up-"

    "Yo."

    I have a vast idea where Arkalee is and now that Yulia is busy talking to Sana, this is my perfect chance.

    No other chance will come after this. It''s now or never. There are roughly 15 minutes until the lunch break is over...

    "Yo, Hyunda! Question! Are you with Arkalee by some chance?"

    "Mhm? Yeah, I am. We are having lunch at the same plaza as the other time. Come on over, bro. We will be waiting."

    Hyunda''s such a bro. It''s as if he already knew I was going to do this all along.

    Realistically speaking, I could''ve not asked for a better opportunity.

    "Oh, thanks! Umm... Can you pay me the lun-"

    He hung up.

    How selfish would you be if you didn''t pay a cheap lunch to your bro when you are low-key rich for reasons unknown?

    No, no.

    Come on, Hyunda wouldn''t be such a snitch.

    Ultimately, in about 5 minutes, I reached the plaza.

    Hyunda instantly greeted me by waving.

    Arkalee too, surprisingly.

    "Sorry, did you two wait?"

    "Nah."

    "Not at all, Daniel! Once again, a very pleasing surprise! How wonderful to have you here!"

    I quickly took my seat parallel to Hyunda and Arkalee.

    They both gave me very positive replies.

    In such a short time, I''ll have to do something.

    Kawahara said that this might not work, but I just don''t see how.

    Arkalee doesn''t seem complicated at all.

    I got this.

 Volume 10 - Chapter 69: I-Its your fault Im feeling this way...

    Why?

    "Hyunda, please pay me..."

    Why is he here?

    "Haven''t you had lunch yet? Do I really need to?"

    This is supposed to be a moment where I preach my meaning of life YET...

    How come this has happened twice now? Naturally, I was completely baffled when Hyunda picked up the call.

    Like, why, my love? Don''t you know that I can make you feel so much better than just this random piece of garbage that is here against my utter will?!

    "No... I already had lunch. But, you know... Ahh, come here."

    And why is he telling my love orders?! Orders?! Who do you think you are?! First, you interrupt our sacred moment and then you tell my man to ''come here''?!

    Unbelievable!

    "Oh. I see. Though, Daniel, you already know how to win money if you need money in the first place. It''s sorta pathetic to argue about not having money when there is an option to get it."

    I don''t understand what they are talking about. That snitch Daniel just told Hyunda to come closer and whispered something on Hyunda''s ear.

    Are you, in other words, saying that just because I am here that you can''t tell me something that concerns my love?

    "Hey! What are you two talking about?"

    "Oh, nothing..."

    "Ahh, is that so!?"

    Daniel answered that, but why would you tell me it''s nothing when it''s clearly something!?

    How dare you interrupt us especially in the last minutes! There are only eight minutes left!

    And we were going fine... Until you came that is!

    "Arkalee, come closer, please."

    "Okay."

    Hyunda for some reason told me to come closer so I didn''t even attempt to resist and threw myself onto him.

    Our chests were connected swiftly yet he didn''t mind. As a matter of fact, he took my act with confidence.

    His chilly breath of mint filled my nostrils with supreme pleasure.

    Furthermore, he closed our distance greatly by whispering words that I wanted to hear all along.

    "Don''t tell Daniel about what happened on March 1st. It''s our secret, remember?"

    Our secret.

    Our.

    Our.

    Noticeably after, I whispered something to his right ear.

    "Why would I do that...? I already told you that I wasn''t going to tell anyone."

    "I thought you forgot. Sorry about that."

    Ending our quick conversation, Hyunda returned to his usual position and faced Daniel, who was still here.

    But... How could I forget something you have said? Your words become automatic memories to me every time you speak. In my mind, I remind myself of them all the time...

    It saddens me that you claim to have thought of such absurdity, Hyunda...

    "Anyways, I need to be at a place extremely quick. I''ll see you two back in the classroom."

    ....!!!

    "I''ll go with you!"

    Why?

    "It''s just five minutes, Arkalee. It won''t take long."

    Won''t take long?

    "N-No! Why can''t I come along...?"

    "It''s really trivial. Plus, Daniel most likely has something to talk to you. It''s literally just five minutes though."

    Without saying much back, Hyunda left the scene and isolated himself from me, leaving only me and Daniel here.

    In a world where you aren''t where I am, what''s the point....?

    Don''t you realize that five minutes without you around is the equivalent of five millenniums going by at an excruciatingly slow pace?!

    Five minutes.... Five minutes.... Five minutes......... Five minutes!!

    Oh god, oh god. What is Hyunda doing right now?! Really trivial?! What do you mean by trivial?! Anything you do is not trivial!

    What if he''s talking to another girl?!

    What if he accidentally crosses with Ikkiri?!

    "Hey, Arkalee, are you alright?! You seem quite stressed... As I thought, the exam is probably getting on your nerves huh..."

    That cannot happen! Why would he keep this a secret from me?! I''m sure he''s planning something...

    But just what? Ahhhh, Hyunda! You said that you were going to tell me more if I just asked you but in the end you still keep secrets from me...!

    The worst part is that I can''t even get mad at you because I love you too much!

    "Um, Arkalee? You there?"

    And why is Daniel literally on my face? Is there a specific reason for this?

    Is this because of you? Did Hyunda -----

    "It''s really trivial. Plus, Daniel most likely has something to talk to you."

    "Plus, Daniel most likely has something to talk to you."

    "Daniel."

    Oh.

    It''s your fault, isn''t it?

    "Ahh, yes? Sorry about that, Daniel."

    If it weren''t for you then...

    "Oh, no need to apologize. You just seemed to be out of it. Has everything been going well with you lately?"

    3 minutes left. There are still a couple of fries left. Plus, my cup still has ice tea in it. Barely though. I''ll enjoy it thoroughly then.

    Time, go faster, please.

    Why one second? One second? One second?! That''s unforgivable. A serious offense.

    "Hm? Yeah, everything is fine. Extremely fine. You?"

    Please don''t say your opinion. I won''t care. I won''t care. It''s beyond my caring.

    Although I''m smiling and looking at you in the eye, this doesn''t mean anything.

    In my world, there is only one person that really exists outside of me...

    If it''s not you, Hyunda, then I don''t want it! I refuse to acknowledge it!

    "Well... To be honest, I''m sorta stressed. The next exam has a big reward for the winners, but there will be a lot of competition. I wonder if I can do it..."

    "That''s up to you, Daniel! If you believe you can do it, then you can do it!"

    Sincerely, and honestly, please fail in the most miserable way possible.

    It''s the second time, Daniel. If you are not aware that you are being a nuisance then I''ll make you realize how much of a nuisance you are being!

    "What about you though? Do you think you''ll make it, Arkalee?"

    At this point, looking at anyone who isn''t Hyunda makes me view others with a massive ''X'' on their heads.

    They are wrong for existing at the same moment as me and Hyunda. Oh god, why are you so unfair?

    I just want to have my love life and live happily. Please stop getting in my way.

    I can''t hold back forever...

    "W-Well... Who knows! I''ll give it a try for sure!"

    1 minute. I keep on checking my phone over and over but it''s as if time is going slower and slower.

    I hate this. Hyunda, why do you treat me like this?

    This is so paradoxical...! I know that I have to tell you how I feel for you to be aware of my intentions but this is just too cruel!

    I didn''t know that abandonment could feel this harsh...!

    "Wouldn''t you like to pass the exam though?"

    What the hell is this piece of trash still spewing?! I don''t care about the exam!

    30 seconds....

    Thirty seconds....!

    "Hahaha, probably?"

    "Is that so? But, wouldn''t you say that it''s better to have a certified passage rather than relying on the probability?"

    "Oh... Certainly, of course. But it''s just an exam. As long as you apply yourself to it, you can do it!"

    This living waste of oxygen started to form reasoning for some reason. Is he attempting to manipulate me or something?

    Wait...

    No, it''s something more obvious, isn''t it? He...

    He has a crush on me.

    I forgot.

    I''ve been too absorbed lately that I forgot how I looked to other people... It just can''t be helped though. Hyunda''s my number one priority, but...

    There is still a priority that comes before that...

    "Hey, Daniel. Quick question... Is your group really intending on blaming Ikkiri for that whole thing still...? She''s suffering a lot... I don''t think it''s right for them to bully her to this extent..."

    "That''s not bullying. She did it all by herself, according to some students."

    ....?

    "Um, sorry... But if it isn''t too much for you to tell me, which students said that....?"

    I know for a fact that there have been two groups that have blamed Ikkiri for what happened, but this is intriguing.

    Congratulations, you vile trash. You managed to be useful.

    "Huh? But why do you want to know that, Arkalee?"

    "....I have to prove them wrong... Ikkiri didn''t do this... She''s just being misunderstood."

    She''s being misunderstood alright, but not in ways any of you can possibly imagine.

    "Hmm, I see... Then, I suppose I don''t mind telling you. It''s Yulia and Sana."

    Yulia and Sana? Yulia''s group surely censured Ikkiri, as well as Sana''s.

    But who knew... They are against Ikkiri''s existence too...?

    "Th-Thank you, Daniel! Oh! It''s late! I''m going back to class!"

    Forty-five additional seconds have gone by! What an idiot I am!

    With haste, I returned to class at last.

    Block F. Main classroom. 2 pm.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Gently taking my seat, I wondered where Hyunda was.

    The time to start class was nigh as Yuka-sensei looked ready to initiate it.

    Unconsciously, my foot was tapping the floor almost silently due to this situation.

    Where are you?

    Every girl is already in the classroom. That''s a relief. You aren''t talking to a girl from this class.

    Then... Another girl from another class? Who? I''ll kill the bitch.

    Seriously, tell me.

    "Ara, where are Kawahara and Hyunda?"

    Kawahara? Mhm? He''s not here... I looked around the classroom, but he''s not here neither is Hyunda.

    But why are they not here....? Don''t tell me that Kawahara has done something to Hyunda!

    He''s a bully! Of course he would do something like that!

    How dare h---

    "Oh, there they are! You two! Five minutes late! Don''t repeat this again, please!"

    To my surprise, it didn''t take long enough for the two of them to reach the classroom. Kawahara''s tie was noticeably loosened while Hyunda was walking up to me with his eyes closed in a relaxed manner.

    Furthermore, they both just silently went to their seats without saying their sentences.

    Did Hyunda meet Kawahara? What for?

    Hyunda, before seating exhaled deeply for some reason. And when he sat down, he sunk onto his side of the table and decided to form a sleeping position with his forearms covering his face.

    Ohhh... Is he tired?

    Could it be...?

    Should I try and talk to him? Is now a good time? Will he allow me to...?

    Or... Should I try and write something on a paper and ask him what''s going on? I really care, sweetheart.

    With those thoughts in mind, I delicately ripped a small portion of one of my white sheets and started to write...

    "What are you writing?"

    "Just something ------"

    I didn''t notice.

    "You want to know if something happened? Nothing happened, but thanks for worrying. Hey, are you okay? Your face is slightly red. Fever? Do you need to go to the nursery?"

    His face is so closed to mine right now that it''s unbelievable. I''ve lost count the number of times that this type of event has happened yet every time it feels like it happens to me for the very first time.

    And I had to turn the opposite direction. My thoughts were steaming.

    Along with my red blushed tomato face. Wuuuaaaaaaahhhh!

    "N-No... Um... You just seemed tired, that''s all..."

    "Really? Hey, come closer. I need to speak to you. If we are caught, then we won''t be able to. Just do it like usually."

    Like usually... This has happened more than once. In order to avoid both of us getting caught while speaking to one another, either one of us puts their chair almost next to the other while pretending to pay attention to the class.

    It certainly raises a level of tension due to the thrill of getting caught. I really like it!

    This time... I was the one who pulled closer... We were so physically close that just a simple motion of my body to the right would have me falling over his shoulder...

    "Sorry about leaving for like five minutes. Are you mad? Be honest with me. I won''t get mad."

    "Well... It was uncalled for... Plus, I really didn''t like being with another person...."

    And you said that the only time you weren''t able to be with me was when I was in my dorm but then you leave me alone like that...

    "I see. I ignored your demands. You said that you didn''t like the presence of others that much. Is there a way I can make it up to you?"

    A way he can make it up to me...? For starters, you can hold me, kiss me and put me down.

    I really don''t mind anything beyond that...

    Ahhhh, but I can''t just say that...

    These thoughts of preoccupation occupied my mind while I was noting down the history notes written on the board. Hyunda was doing the same, which was why we both weren''t being caught while talking. Severely speaking, we are far away from Yuka-sensei.

    Hey, Ikkiri.

    Are you looking? Do you see what I see? Do you remember when you were the one next to him?

    What happened to that? How come I don''t hear your annoying voice anymore?

    "You seem to be taking your sweet time thinking about it. Sorry for insisting on this, but have you been bullied by any of the girls?"

    "No... But, Tateyana has been looking at me constantly... I think she hates me..."

    She really has. Apparently, she has a problem with me.

    Yet she has not made her move. Though, Hyunda... You really do care for me...

    My heart feels like it''s set ablaze when you ask me these types of questions...

    "I see. Hey, Arkalee."

    "Yes...?"

    "Do you feel safe with such people around in your dorm? Do you sleep soundly enough?"

    Hyunda, you idiot.

    Of course I can''t sleep soundly.

    I can''t sleep in the first place.

    You''re not there...

    "...Not really.... Why....?"

    Subtly, Hyunda put down his pen and quickly looked upon me while almost breaking the barrier that the thin space of air was upholding between our lips.

    "If not, then why force yourself to sleep inside your dorm?"

    "E-Eh...? Umm, are you talking about..."

    His serious sudden expression told me that he was still serious about his proposition.

    I-I know what he''s talking about... How he said that I could sleep in his room if things got bad.

    But......!

    "N-No! I can''t... We can''t, um, because, yeah, you know why we can''t..."

    Those types of relationships are forbidden in the first place... Don''t get me wrong! It''s not as if I don''t want to but...

    It''s just... Our love should develop more thoroughly and then when we do it, it will be sensational... This is too fast...!

    Although, I have agreed to move at his own pace. The only problem is if we are caught... I don''t want to endanger us both...

    This can wait...

    "Do I though?"

    "Eh? What?"

    "What I meant to say was; do I know what you were trying to imply? What exactly are you thinking it will happen if you were to come to my room to spend the night?"

    D...Does he really want me to say it?! I can''t possibly say it! He should know...

    What happens once a boy and a girl spend the night together... It''s an inevitable connection.

    A-And besides... I don''t think I''m mentally ready yet...!

    ".....I can''t say it......"

    My face became even redder. A red so deep that it almost transcended the whole color itself.

    Oh gosh, you...

    "I understand. I think I get it now. It''s quite foolish for a boy to ask such a thing, isn''t it? Especially when it''s to a girl... I''m suggesting things that I shouldn''t be suggesting, aren''t I?"

    Hmmm??

    What is he suddenly saying....?

    "I just thought that it would be a nice place for you to stay the night until the morning to potentially avoid getting bullied yet I failed to take into consideration something crucial..."

    "Hyunda, what are you ----"

    "It''s irrational for a random boy to ask a girl something personal like this. What if that girl has certain feelings for another individual that is not the one that asked? That''s just awkward..."

    .....................

    "Simple, isn''t it? My suggestion becomes invalid, suddenly. Being close to Daniel should be something that you want the majority of the time, right?"

    ?

    ?

    ?

    Hyunda''s not making any sense.

    "I get it now, though. You got feelings for him, don''t you?"

    "W-W-W-W-Wh-What?!"

    "I feel like these past two meetings haven''t been coincidences lately. I''ve been interfering a lot, haven''t I? So sorry about that. I failed to take into consideration how you''d feel towards someone who isn''t the one you lik---"

    Before Hyunda could finish his spree of lies, I placed my index finger on his lips and silenced him quickly.

    ....Hyunda...

    "What are you talking about?! It''s nothing like that! Idiot, stop misunderstanding!!"

    I had to step on him to make sure he got my message! I''m angry now!

    How can you misunderstand this much!?

    Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzz!!!!

    "Oh, I am? Sorry about that. But, if it''s not for that reason then why?"

    A-Ahhh... Must I really tell him the truth?! This heartbeat... It''s contagious....

    With every pulse that I feel bursting through my chest, the magnitude of the melancholic rhapsody of the wave of emotions is just....

    "U-Um... You see... If I sleep in your room then... Erm....! When a girl and a boy are together, they might end up doing something impulsive and irrational out of the moment alone that''s why....!"

    "Oh. You mean, like, having sex?"

    "That''s right, like hav---"

    T-That smirk on his face...! He was lying all along! He knew...!

    Wuuuuaaaaaahhhh!!

    "...Bully."

    "I was just teasing you. Who wouldn''t know what you were referring to? Although, I do understand what you are saying, seriously speaking. But it doesn''t have to be the way that you are imagining it. You can just averagely sleep, I won''t do anything to you."

    That really hurts to hear.

    Because I want the exact opposite of that.

    "...If something happens, I''ll tell you, then..."

    "Don''t be afraid to do so."

    Subsequently, after I got teased greatly, time went by until it reached the end of the class.

    6 pm.

    With everyone still inside the classroom, anyone could witness the dusk that lied beyond the massive horizon.

    A rare sight to enjoy yet it would come every now and then. Undoubtedly, this unique sight would be perfect in the arms of who you love.

    Rare sceneries that uphold fragrantly ephemeral opportunities such as those are not to be wasted.

    Still, by contrast, now was not the correct time to make my move.

    Moreover, I couldn''t advance in my respective pace.

    "Arkalee, I need to speak with you."

    Yuka-sensei had called. Ever since the investigation was put on hold, Yuka-sensei started to interrogate every single person per day alphabetically.

    Looks like it was my turn. In all essence, this felt like a true waste of time.

    Hyunda was still by my side, so before he left, I told him something.

    "Can you wait for me outside...? I promise to be done as soon as possible!"

    Packed up already, he turned his back against me as he held his school bag on his back, supported by his right arm.

    "Sure, I''ll be waiting."

    The numbers started to decrease slowly and slowly. After I cleaned everything up, my desk included, I went to speak to Yuka-sensei, who greeted me with a smile.

    "Hiiii! You''ve been paying attention to class a lot. Thank you for that, Arkalee. The majority is just really lazy, you know?"

    "Oh, it''s not much! Just doing my duty as a student... Erm, so, sensei, what do you want to talk about...?"

    Given that I was in front of her desk, there were a ton of papers scattered around it. Truly messy yet Yuka-sensei picked up one in particular, before speaking.

    The sun was setting but there was still visible light in the classroom.

    "Has anyone been bullying Ikkiri outside of the classroom? I''m asking this because even though I asked her, Ikkiri didn''t give me an honest reply. I think something is happening."

    "Um... I''ve said what I thought about it... Tateyana is the one... in my opinion."

    Tateyana''s aggressive behavior makes her the perfect scapegoat.

    Impulsive idiots are always the best baits.

    "Can you try and see if there is something going on between them? I feel like everyone''s judging Ikkiri too superficially and that they are more worried about their own situations rather than her''s. Are you willing to see what is going on with Ikkiri?"

    "Certainly! I despise what''s currently happening to Ikkiri... It''s horrible, having all those names and insults being thrown at you unjustly...!"

    No, I loved every second of it.

    The fact that you couldn''t stop looking at the ground because you couldn''t muster the strength to fight back in any given circumstance filled me with confidence.

    I will eradicate you thoroughly over and over until you decide to perish all by yourself, Ikkiri.

    "I see. Well, Arkalee, I will have to conduct a questionnaire. It won''t take long, but you''ll have to answer every question honestly."

    "Okay..."

    Ultimately, I had to answer a questionary from Yuka-sensei herself.

    It took around 15 minutes to be finished but it wasn''t anything remotely hard in the first place.

    Nevertheless, I missed the part where she said ''you''ll have to answer every question honestly.'', obviously.

    Furthermore, my anxiety kept on growing with every second it passed.

    Was Hyunda still there waiting for me outside of the classroom?

    He''s not gone, is he?

    You''re not away, are you?

    Right?

    Right?!

    "Phew! Now that that''s done... Hey... Were you successful?"

    "...Sorry?"

    Wrapping her papers up in the same column, Yuka-sensei asked me that weird question.

    I truly did not understand what she was specifically referring to...

    "Ara? I was talking about your love interest! You spoke about confessing your feelings! How did that go?"

    Ah...

    "Oh, that... Well..."

    I suppose it doesn''t hurt being honest in this case.

    Maybe Yuka-sensei knows something about this more than I do...

    "I haven''t... still confessed. Haha, sorry... Even though you honestly sought to help me in my romantic endeavor I still haven''t..."

    I tightened my grip a tiny bit. Reciting those awkward words was... embarrassing, so to speak.

    Everything I have done thus far comes with a respective order....

    It can''t be helped that I have to delay my romantic progression. It doesn''t make any sense to progress romantically while there are still rats swirling around every corner.

    A plague can''t be stopped unless you eradicate the source.

    "Eh? Why not?!"

    "It''s not as easy as I thought... There are too many things to consider..."

    I''m sad.

    So sad.

    This sadness both creeples me and empowers me.

    "That will always be the case! Love is war, you know?"

    "Love is... war...?"

    That''s a new one...

    I got immediately curious after Yuka-sensei said that. Because I''ve never heard that line before...

    "Yes. There will always be things in front of you in your pursuit of love. Questions, people, lack of answers, indecision, anxiety, impatience, and many more. If you think about it, love comes down to one simple decision."

    "And what is that decision...?"

    Is there some sort of short-cut here...? Is there a key to knowing when to advance in the right moment at the right time?!

    "That is... To not care for all the trivial ideas that are in your head!"

    "What?!"

    Is she for real?!

    "Wait, no. I''m serious, listen. Honestly. Isn''t your lack of success because you care too much about the things you deem are necessary?"

    "But... That can''t be helped, can it...? Everything must be taken into consideration..."

    "I don''t necessarily agree with that. Those who try to make themselves happy by accumulating all the little things there are out there can barely obtain a valid sensation of happiness. On the other hand, those who try to obtain happiness by accumulating something big often find a valid sensation of happiness."

    Is she arguing that I''m wrong for attempting to form my happiness by accumulating all the little things that are scattered out there?

    But, isn''t it wrong for me to not take such opportunities?

    "That''s why Arkalee... What will give you happiness is not those little things you are attempting to pursue, but the big thing you want to achieve. Isn''t that big thing your love interest''s affection? Shouldn''t that be more important than anything else?"

    "I see... But... To be honest... I... Um... How do I say this..."

    "Yes?"

    The words won''t come out...

    I feel like they will be far too aggressive for Yuka-sensei''s liking and I might provoke a negative reaction out of her...

    "Nevermind...."

    "Aww. What''s wrong? You can tell me... I know how hard it is to express feelings. Even a shred of sincerity can be hard from someone who is reserved..."

    She''s right...

    Then... Well, if she understands then...

    Mhm.

    I formed a quick resolution and spoke my words fastly.

    "How do I make my love interest mine and mine alone?!"

    Ahhh! I said it...

    I wonder if Yuka-sensei will think I''m just a fragile little girl who has such weak worries...

    "Oh, what? That''s your worry? You could''ve just said it! That''s completely natural!"

    "Ehhh? It is?"

    "It is! This was partially what I meant by love is war! In your pursuit of love, you are facing the challenge of affection."

    Challenge of affection...?

    Also, I didn''t know that this feeling was natural. I thought that it was something I only had.

    Generally speaking, my feelings might be too dramatic, but I was born like this. It''s part of my character and I don''t intend on changing this part of mine.

    "By engaging in this pursuit, you have to face people who will try and outdo you when it comes to affection. How you show that affection, it''s up to you, of course. Although... To answer your question... If you want to make your love interest yours, then you should open yourself to new things."

    N-New things?!

    But that would mean....!

    "Is that really fine?! Shouldn''t there be an exact time for everything?!"

    "An exact time? There''s no such thing. However, if you are talking about the moment when you feel like it''s the exact moment and that it was all meant to happen, then you should take the opportunity that might give you the chance of creating that moment. The biggest opportunities are easily tossed aside from petty reasons."

    Oh....

    Is that really how it is...?

    Then... Haven''t I been missing out on a big opportunity lately? I was prioritizing my own tasks instead of our connection...!

    "T-Thank you! That''s actually really helpful! I''ll see you tomorrow!"

    "Oh... Alright, see you tomorrow!"

    With haste I left the classroom trying to reach out to Hyunda, who was still supposed to be around here yet as I looked into the massive hallway, he wasn''t here.

    I quickly panicked in response.

    Nonetheless, I looked through the windows to see if I could spot him around the campus, but it was useless.

    ".........Why do you always do this......This is torture..."

    Always, always, always!

    Did I take too long!? I''m sorry, it couldn''t be helped! Did you get bored while waiting?!

    Am I not worthy of----

    "Bzzzz."

    My phone rigged. Given that I only have one contact, without any hesitation, I picked up.

    "Yo. I went on ahead to the dorm. Don''t get too worried. Just wanted to tell you that. Well, bye n--"

    "W-Wait!"

    "Oh, what? You got something to say?"

    He''s probably already in his dorm...

    We will only be able to see each other tomorrow...

    I don''t want that!

    ".......Umm... I''m somewhat scared of Tateyana, to be honest, hahahahahaaaaaa...."

    My chest tightened as I lied to Hyunda. I''m really sorry for lying all the time, it''s just...

    I''m terrible at expressing myself...!

    "I understand. Then, do you accept my offer or not?"

    As expected, he understood what I meant to say immediately. I''m starting to think that he always understands everything that there is and just acts like he actually misunderstood when he didn''t...

    Then...

    Do you understand me more than I do? I wonder....

    "About that... Can you really do it...?"

    "Yes, I can. But if you are talking about it, then you surely have committed to a certain decision, haven''t you?"

    "Well... Um! You see... Kinda...! Or... is it too late?"

    He might''ve gotten tired of my reluctance. It wouldn''t surprise me if he suddenly said th---

    "It''s never too late. Wait thirty minutes, please. I''ll give you a call then. Put some basic stuff like pajamas and the usual in a bag."

    Hyunda hung up.

    This is really happening.

    He didn''t even need to confirm anything else, he already and most likely has a plan in mind...!

    It''s amazing how much adrenaline you give me just by your words alone...

    Ahhh, I really just can''t...

    It''s useless.

    Can''t.

    Sorry.

    There should be a bathroom down below this floor, I think...

    And nobody else except our class utilizes this block anyways.

    It should be fine. Nobody else should be here. Yuka-sensei has left too.

    I think that I''m getting slightly addicted to this...

    Hyunda...

    It''s your fault, my love...

 Volume 10 - Chapter 70: A new threat emerges!

    March 5th. 6 pm.

    "Hey, Daniel. Question. Are you a simp?"

    "What the hell is that?"

    With all the classes terminated for today, I was free to go into my dorm without being bothered yet as soon as I reached the dorm''s entrance, I was greeted by Tsudo.

    Tsudo looks exactly just like me in certain departments. His dark hair, although not as spiky as mine, manages to have a few spiky edges at the end of each hair strand.

    His build is sincerely more slender and less complex in comparison to mine.

    "You don''t know? It''s a meme that went viral. Let me explain it to you."

    As Tsudo explained what ''simp'' meant, we walked towards the same place as always. The place where we would always eat yet the place where the majority of us would just hold conversations and rarely, fights.

    Sagasuga was sitting in one of the tables while looking extremely exasperated. As if something went incredibly wrong.

    "Yo, Sagasuga! What''s wrong, dude?"

    Since there were two seats available, we took our respective seats.

    After I placed my school bag on the ground, I looked upon Sagasuga, who had dead eyes.

    And even though I asked him that question, he took a while to answer.

    "...Ohh... Daniel, Tsudo..."

    Both Tsudo and I looked perplexed as we wondered what was eating Sagasuga.

    "Sagasuga, what''s wrong? You sound like you are dry! Did Tateyana do this?! Girls are such whores! They have no concept of fertilization!"

    Tsudo angrily claimed that Tateyana had sucked him dry and that''s why Sagasuga was acting like that, but if you asked me, I would say it''s something more serious.

    "No, that''s not it... Ugh, what do you two want? Now''s really not a good time."

    "No, no. Now it''s a really good time! Sagasuga, are you a simp?!"

    Sagasuga responded with a confused expression, so I stepped up.

    I don''t think Tsudo realizes that not everyone knows what ''simp'' means. Simply speaking, the modern definition of simp is quite known.

    However, Tsudo isn''t talking about the modern definition.

    "A simp is someone who goes beyond unmeasurable lengths for extremely mediocre pussy."

    At least according to Tsudo. I''m curious about this so I''ll naturally check it out later.

    This might be the next evolution of white-knighting and I''m not even aware of it. I''m failing somewhere.

    Tsudo, though, added something to this.

    "Not just mediocre pussy! This applies to both genders. There are female simps, supposedly."

    For real...?

    "Oh, I see... But, doesn''t the majority just follow that idea? If someone lacks appeal or personality, then can you really blame those ''simps?''"

    Is Sagasuga defending simps?

    They are degenerates. According to Tsudo furthermore, a simp will always put the girl first before himself.

    Whilst expecting some sort of sexual reward or a relationship out of guilt. At least white-knights tried to defend their damsels in the distress without expecting much back.

    But this is actually terrifying because simps expect something back!

    "Sagasuga, I think you are misunderstanding something, bro... It''s not about the blame, but the fact that they are willing to step so low just for something so mediocre."

    "I see, Daniel. Then, does a person stop being a simp if the reward goes beyond mediocre?"

    ......I don''t actually know...

    Thus, I looked at Tsudo expecting some sort of answer and he delivered it instantly.

    "A simp is a simp. Mediocre or not, the simp will not care. Simps are the type of people who go through absurd lengths just to get a cat emoji as a reply and masturbate to it!"

    That is sad.

    "That didn''t really answer my question at all... Anyway, no. I''m not a simp. Also, that''s offensive to say, Tsudo. Control yourself a little bit."

    "I do control myself though! But, are you sure you are not a simp?! You always put another girl in the first place..."

    That is true. What Tsudo just said is a fact.

    Sagasuga could very well be a simp. However, from what Tsudo has described, a simp will have a smaller attitude. Sagasuga''s attitude is stoic, collected and calm which contrasts your average simp''s attitude.

    "If you had a girlfriend would you not put her as the top priority? Your argument''s really absurd. Have you never been in a relationship before?"

    Oooooooooooooof.

    "What was that?! I''m just speaking the facts, man!"

    "Are they facts though? Maybe you just call others by those names because you don''t know how to appreciate a female individual. Or am I wrong here?"

    Sagasuga confuses me. His argument does have a degree of logic behind it, but it''s a white-knight argument.

    Yet, does that argument still remain a white-knight argument if the individual is in a relationship?

    A white-knight is usually not in one...

    "I do know how to appreciate one though! I''m just criticizing the attitude a male individual often has towards one! This has nothing to do with what you''ve just said!"

    Tsudo''s fuming, for the record.

    His point didn''t really come across, but he didn''t consider who he was arguing with.

    "The male individual''s attitude is always important when it comes to a female... People just have weird ways of showing affection and if you split stereotypes then, of course, those ''simps'' will become more noticeable. That still doesn''t mean that they don''t deserve a remote reward for trying..."

    "Their attitudes are wrong! Stepping low for a female is never worth it! Simps deserve to be branded because they do this all the time while expecting some sort of reward! They think their attitudes are fine as long as they receive that reward!"

    Wow, they are taking this a little bit too far.

    I respect Tsudo''s admiration for this topic alone, but it''s as if he''s hell-bent on making sure that people get his point.

    "That''s a sad point of view. With that type of mindset, you''ll never experience a relationship with a girl at this rate. You''re wrong, you know?"

    As I observed this debate go on, I noticed Hyunda walking in.

    Seeing Hyunda reminded me of my lackluster conversation with Arkalee this lunch.

    Honestly, I don''t think this will work. Arkalee is either extremely dull or hiding something in her hard shell.

    I rather have an easier target, but I''ll try my chances again when I have the opportunity.

    "There''s no point in experiencing a love relationship if I have to step so low! The idealistic scenario involves the male individual never stepping low!"

    "So it''s fine if it''s the other way around?!"

    Woah, Sagasuga unleashed a bit of angry behind that one.

    "What the hell, Sagasuga?! Why are you defending the other gender when you belong to the male gender?! Fuck man, if you love pussy that much, you might as well have one as well!"

    I don''t think people turn transgender in that type of scenario just because they love that part of the human body that much. Alternatively speaking, I could be wrong here.

    "I don''t get you. You make points but you don''t even care about clearly debating them. You just want to make the point."

    Sagasuga has a point. Tsudo isn''t really aiming to shape the idea in a better way, but rather; attempting to enslave Sagasuga with the same mindset as his.

    And just before Tsudo could retort back, an outside voice infiltrated the atmosphere.

    "Yo, I''m late, Sagasuga. Ran into some trivial errands, sorry about that."

    That explains why Sagasuga was here in the first place. Hyunda probably planned something with him after class.

    Hyunda glanced upon me and Tsudo shortly before grabbing a near-by chair and adjoining it to the table that we are in.

    "No sweat."

    "What are you three talking about though? Kinda heated in here, from the looks of it."

    Taking my mind shortly off from the scene, I looked towards the clock and saw what time it was.

    A grand time which is the equivalent of 6:10 pm.

    "Tsudo''s attempting to reason that simps are a menace or something like that."

    "What do you mean, Sagasuga?"

    Simps are a menace though. They hide beneath social media and private messages while getting full of themselves just because they think that ''their'' girl only talks to them.

    If only they knew how many times that girl has said the same thing to her friends.

    Instant suicide watch.

    "He''s saying that simps deserve to be branded just because they are human beings who have a supposedly questionable methodology when it comes to getting girls."

    Is Sagasuga secretly a simp? According to Kawahara, he is a womanizer, so it wouldn''t be too far off the mark to assume his case.

    Nonetheless, Kawahara himself told me that Sagasuga was his target.

    "And I''m right!"

    "But why did you make that point, Tsudo?"

    Instead of arguing why Tsudo was still making his point, Hyunda asked Tsudo why he bothered to do that in the first place.

    Tsudo happily replied with his thumb pointed at his chest.

    "I have the duty to see if there is a damn simp lying around here! I won''t forgive such a creature!"

    Tsudo is kinda like how a thot slayer behaves except he is more focused on punishing white knights rather than the thots.

    Both are problematic, realistically speaking.

    "For the record, what is your definition of a simp?"

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    "That''s obvious, Hyunda. Someone who goes through desperate lengths just for some pussy. Unbelievable audacity!"

    Hyunda, as soon as he received Tsudo''s definition of simp, did the same previous act as I did, which was to glance down upon the clock.

    "That''s not even close to what a simp really is. A simp is someone who prides himself on his certified version of chivalry. This person does not care about himself superficially and will always put the female first, no matter the occasion. Furthermore, unlike a reasonable person who would put a value on their female love interest, the simp puts an unrealistic amount of value in their love interest. Put it simply, a simp is the ultimate evolution of a white knight."

    The three of us immediately got baffled by Hyunda''s surprising wave of knowledge regarding this topic.

    This guy knows way too much... Damn real-life anime character, I swear.

    "T-That''s it! Dude, you nailed it perfectly!"

    "Well, that aside, do you want to commit extermination?"

    That alerted me and Sagasuga immediately.

    Our eyes widened in response to Hyunda''s peculiar choice of words.

    "....I''m interested. Tell me more, please..."

    Of course, Tsudo would not argue otherwise. Even though he didn''t know what Hyunda was talking about he showed a tremendous amount of interest in his proposition.

    Sagasuga and I continued to trade glances with one another as we wondered what Hyunda would say.

    "This is beyond your knowledge, Tsudo, but there are a few simps in class."

    "Say what?!"

    Seriously?! There are simps in class? Who are the fuckers?!

    "Hey, Hyunda, are you serious right now?!"

    Unable to hold back, I joined in.

    "Yeah, I am. However, these sippers are not open to themselves. I''m talking about two cases in particular. In addition to not being honest with how they attempt to conduct their actions, they are sneaky about it. That needs to stop."

    "J-Just tell me who they are! I''ll bring them to the court!"

    Court? What the hell is Tsudo talking about?

    "You alone cannot do this. That is why we should aim to bring everyone in an attempt to burn these heretics down and see for ourselves who the real simps are."

    Huh....

    "Hyunda, you said ''we'' does that mean..."

    "It''ll be fun, Daniel. We''re just going to expose human nature. There''s nothing more fun than exposing human nature to the naked eye."

    Exposing human nature...?

    "With that said, Sagasuga, the intention of this act is not to aid Tsudo''s point but just to see if there really are people like that lying amidst us. Aren''t you curious?"

    "Is there a deeper meaning behind this or is this just to see if there are simps?"

    "Funny you ask that. I was thinking that by putting these two individuals under pressure could turn out to be incredibly funny. You don''t disagree that human beings act more truthfully under pressure, right?"

    Tsudo and I were now observing their skeptical talk about human nature as if they had already discussed this previously.

    Also, when did Sagasuga and Hyunda become this close? I never noticed this...

    "Yes, I do agree with that. But if it''s just for the sake of fun, then I won''t do it. I can''t handle wasting time doing something like that."

    "While it is for the sake of fun, you could see it from another perspective. That being; truth."

    Truth?

    What is Hyunda talking about?

    Sagasuga, though, didn''t bother to question it and gave it deep thought for a few seconds. His expression remained puzzled yet soon came out with a clear and pragmatic expression in return.

    "Only if you are interested in it though."

    "I am now, Hyunda. Very well. What''s the plan?"

    That was fast. What exactly triggered Sagasuga''s change of attitude?

    "Alright. I will be blunt from here on out. The simps are Susaga and Ryoken. This isn''t something aimed at your group. For the record, that was Kawahara''s thing. No bias here. We need to gather every single person in this dorm except both of them and drag them into the court."

    Again, what the fuck is the ''court''?!

    Can someone explain that already? I don''t want to question it but at this rate...

    "For that to work, the four of us will have to talk to the rest and convince them to come to the court."

    Alright, that''s enough."

    "Hyunda, what the hell is this court?!"

    Despite being my first time hearing about this ''court'' thing, Hyunda, Tsudo, and Sagasuga looked at me with expressions of mockery.

    As if they were looking at a donkey.

    "Dude..."

    "You don''t know about it?"

    Why the hell are Sagasuga and Tsudo talking like that?! Their subtle voices are pissing me off!

    "Hold on, hold on. It''s not as if everyone knows about it. Daniel doesn''t leave his room that much anyway. Maybe that''s why he hasn''t noticed, even though it''s something really obvious."

    I don''t leave my room because there''s barely any point...

    Still, I questioned Hyunda''s point once more.

    "Can you just tell me what the court is?"

    "It''s self-explanatory. It''s a special room that is at the end of the first floor. It''s usually locked but it turns out to be exactly like a tribunal room, a designed room for judgment alone. The King himself owns it. Apparently, it will serve as a detention center. Kawahara was there all day long enduring the King''s lecturing when he got suspended. Didn''t you know?"

    Feeling shocked, I facepalmed.

    ...........

    That happened?!

    "Daaaaamn, why didn''t no one tell me about this?!"

    "Dude, you''re anti-social as hell! All you do is go to class, eat dinner, go to your room, sleep and eat breakfast in the morning and repeat process! What about youth!?"

    Tsudo described my routine sort of accurately, but it''s the truth.

    Do I need to change my routine or something...?

    "Sorry to interrupt, but we should put the plan into motion right now. Let me put this from a simple perspective. There are five individuals we must gather first. Tatsu, Kuzan, Kan, Kawahara, and Rayazaki. Akihiko is still absent."

    I''ve been curious about Akihiko.

    I think I''ll pay him a visit tomorrow.

    "What is made of him?"

    "Who knows, Sagasuga. Given that we are four, each of us will have the task of gathering one individual. I''ll be making the picks here. Tsudo, get Tatsu. Sagasuga, handle Kan. Daniel, get Kawahara and Kuzan. I''ll get Rayazaki. The meeting place will be at the room''s entrance! Dismissed!"

    Why the hell do I get two but the rest only gets one?!

    10 minutes later.

    "What took you all so long!? Fucking rats!"

    Eventually, all gathered, with only Susaga and Ryoken not present in the scene, King George shouted those words at the individuals who arrived late at the scene.

    It''s beyond me how Tsudo, Hyunda, and Sagasuga managed to convince the rest to join in, but here we are outside of the room.

    "I''ll be getting today''s guests. Everyone, follow the King''s lead. Very much appreciated. Daniel, come with me."

    "Ehhh?"

    "It''s important, only you can do this."

    That''s a first.

    With the remaining of the boys entering the cryptic and still unknown room to me that lied at the end of its first floor, after hearing a morbid sound when the door was opened, I received a chill straight down to my spine.

    As Hyunda and I advanced to the upcoming floor, Hyunda spoke quickly.

    "Get Ryoken and I''ll get Susaga. It can''t be the other way around because Ryoken most likely hates me."

    "But why me...?"

    "No real reason. Any person could''ve done it. But, I wanted to ask you a question. About Rayazaki. Are you ever going to make your move? Or are you waiting for the perfect opportunity?"

    "That''s a weird question... I don''t think that will be useful anymore..."

    Rayazaki''s calm behavior disturbs me deeply.

    "So in the end, that was all in vain? Nothing will be achieved out of it?"

    "What...?"

    "It''s just a waste, that''s all. I wouldn''t think too positively about what''s to come. Remember when I said we couldn''t become Akimiyashika''s dolls?"

    He said that... Yet that only applied in a scenario where Akimiyashika could be useful.

    She couldn''t be useful in the last exam due to Susaga being her partner but now that it comes down to individuality alone...

    "Ahhh, I get it, I get it! But man, listen to this... They don''t even talk to each other anymore!"

    "What? What happened?"

    "Rayazaki''s been ignoring her for like three days straight now!"

    The Rayazaki I know is the type of bloomer to always text first and ignoring Hinagiku would be doing the unthinkable.

    This sudden behavior is beyond my comprehension.

    "See through that yourself. I''ll get Susaga. Make sure to get Ryoken, alright?"

    "About that... How exactly do I do that?"

    Hyunda never specified how I would get Ryoken out of his room.

    Plus, Ryoken probably doesn''t like me that much, to be honest...

    "Do I need to tell you every single thing? You can do this by yourself, right?"

    "Ah... Yeah, I can. I just thought that you had something on your sleeve."

    "Even if I had, you''re free to take independent action. Don''t forget you have that option."

    Leaving those words behind, Hyunda advanced to the third floor.

    Ryoken''s room was on this floor, so he was already within my reach.

    It''s actually ridiculous to think that we have managed to gather practically almost all the dorm''s members onto one place exactly yet it happened.

    Though ridiculous, I find it fun.

    How do I say this... It''s not boring when Hyunda''s involved. Somehow he manages to make the events worth it.

    I wish I could have that ability of his.

    "Ryoken."

    Simultaneously knocking on his room''s door and speaking his name out loud, I readied myself for Ryoken''s reception.

    Yet no response came forward.

    Thus, I knocked once again.

    "Ryoken, it''s me, Daniel. I wanna talk to you, man."

    This time around, a swift sound could be heard from the lock of his door.

    It looked to me that he was ready to unlock the door and when he did so, I could see his figure yet barely his room.

    His figure was covering any possible corners of vision that I could have, thus I couldn''t see what was inside his room, not one bit.

    Furthermore, he was in the middle of a phone call.

    "Sorry, I''ll call you later. Mhm? Yeah, yeah. It''s fine, don''t stress it. See ya."

    Sorry?

    Call you later?

    It''s fine?

    Don''t stress it?

    Why am I sensing a pattern here...

    Well, after he hanged up he talked back to me, in a not-so-pleased tone.

    "What do you want? Are you here to provoke me? I''ll fucking kick your ass!"

    I suppose it''s natural that he''s mad at me. I voted against him.

    I would tell him it wasn''t anything personal but I doubt that would work.

    "No, relax."

    "Then what?"

    He didn''t even let me finish my sentence properly.

    I don''t really like that.

    "King called. Come."

    "Hell no. If he wants something with me then tell him to come to me!"

    On top of interrupting sentences, he''s being spiteful as well.

    Just because I understand the reason behind his anger, that doesn''t exactly mean that I can coop up with his bullish attitude.

    Otherwise, I wouldn''t be in this hell hole in the first place.

    "Stop acting like a bitch and just come already. Susaga was called too. It''s gonna be worse for you if you deny it now."

    "I don''t fucking care."

    ?

    "Whether you care or not, it''s not up to you. Either you come or I''ll drag you out of your room. Which one will it be?"

    King George made it clear that disobeying him should come with a set of consequences yet this fucker isn''t complying.

    Also, I''m not with the greatest of patience. In other words, I can''t predict what will happen from here on out.

    "What the hell!? Drag me out?! This is my room! You can''t just do that! I''m not that tyrant''s slave like the rest of you!"

    Our distance, physically speaking, is quite short. With just an extension and a simple reach to his shirt''s edge in his shoulder, he will be sent flying to the wall outside of his room.

    "Last chance. Come with me or I''ll drag you out physically."

    All in all, this isn''t King''s orders and I''m bluffing here, but I can''t stand this disrespect.

    "Physically? Hahahaha! What a joke! You, claiming to be physically capable? Do I have to remind you of your pathetic score in the last exam?!"

    Oh right.

    That happened.

    Ryoken thinks that I''m probably just bluffing or something.

    "Your choice..."

    I was thinking of initially taking an immediate hold of his upper shirt''s edge, but I thought of something better.

    By taking ahold of his face with my right palm, in a movement of pure velocity, Ryoken''s face hit the front of the wall as soon as I twisted my hips to perform the throw.

    It took him a while to get up yet when he did, a red stream of blood was flushing down from the top of his nose all down to the lips.

    "W-What the hell man?! Are you crazy!? I''ll fucking ki-- Kahh!"

    Right low kick to the left side of the jaw. A cracking sound was heard when the connection was made between the kick and his jaw.

    Without speaking anything, I grabbed the back of his neck with considerable strength and started to drag him while applying force on his neck.

    "You''re insane, you bastard! Who the fuck is so illogical to the point of beating someone up over a denial?! You can''t handle rejection, is that it?! People have free will too!"

    No, you just pissed me off.

    I don''t care if it''s unfair, but I won''t stand for your bullish and abhorrent attitude just because you feel like you have a superior opinion regarding the current actuality.

    "Let go of me!!! Hey, I''ll fucking report you!! You hear me?! I''ll report you!"

    Not the best train of thought, Ryoken. You don''t even realize who you''ll be attempting to report your situation to.

    Our supervisor is so undeniably corrupt that even if you tell him this, I can just tell him that you disobeyed his order.

    Plus, there are no cameras, remember? The first exam''s accident made this possible.

    "Are you even listening?! At least respond! I thought better of you but now you act like this!? What the fuck man!"

    Eventually, I met up with Hyunda and Susaga at the end of the first floor.

    "Dude, what happened to you?"

    With Susaga questioning what had happened, I released my tight grip and set Ryoken free.

    His nose was bleeding and the left side of his cheek was purple.

    Did I put too much strength into that low-kick?

    "This bastard hit me! Are you retarded?!"

    His furious expression didn''t even phase me.

    I''m so bored so I tried to have some fun. Why can''t anyone understand this?

    I do know how to control my actions but when you provoke me deliberately like that, what were you expecting?

    Sweet words? Plausible manners? Maybe do that first and I''ll reply in the same manner.

    "Nice, you two are now here. Everyone''s waiting, let''s go."

    "What...?"

    "Hey, why are we here?"

    Both Ryoken and Susaga still puzzled asked Hyunda those questions.

    They didn''t question what it was, rather, why they were here.

    In other words, they most likely know about this place''s existence.

    It''s sorta cryptic so to describe. There are usually lights throughout every hall, but the deeper you go into this hall, the weaker the lights get.

    Illumination was not this place''s strongest feature as it was crystal clear to anyone that this place spelled bad news...

    "King called. Apparently, there is an important meeting."

    "Man, screw this shit! I''m out!"

    Ryoken attempted to leave despite the situation being addressed.

    Sincerely, this event was going a bit too far. Did Hyunda get King George to cooperate?

    That would explain how this event is progressing so smoothly.

    Too smoothly.

    "Ryoken, this is important. The King might get angry if you put this event on hold for too long. Even Kawahara is here. I don''t know what happened between you two but just get inside."

    I feel bad for them.

    Because the event can''t actually start without those two.

    They actually think that nothing bad will happen to them. There''s also another reason why I''m doing this to Ryoken.

    I plan on crushing part of his morality.

    "No way that''s true..."

    Ryoken doubted Hyunda''s words, but it''s the real truth.

    Kawahara is actually inside. I told him and Kuzan that something worthwhile was going to happen and they trusted my word.

    Well, Kawahara only budged when I explained it more accurately.

    "Is that so, Ryoken? Then, I''ll call the King and say that you don''t believe in his orders. Give me just a sec--"

    "Wait! Wait! Wait! Alright, fine! It''s just a stupid meeting!"

    "I''m glad you get it. The door is open. You two should get in now."

    Subsequently, after Hyunda showed them the way inside, only Hyunda and I were left on the outside.

    This is all weird...

    This event wouldn''t actually happen if Hyunda hadn''t taken an interest.

    He claimed that he wanted to expose some human nature.

    I''m looking forward to it.

    ........

    "Hyunda, you''re not gonna go in....?"

    He''s not entering the room for some strange reason.

    He seems to be in deep thought now that I look at him.

    What can he possibly be---

    "Daniel. What time is it?"

    "6:30 pm. Why...?"

    Hyunda smirked. A rare type of smile that rises from down to crescendo in an instant. A smirk that was also so lively that his hidden fangs unraveled themselves massively with every second it passed.

    "I owe you for this."

    "...What?"

    Why exactly does he owe me suddenly...?

    I can''t understand all of his words the majority of the time and that confuses the hell out of me...

    "I won''t be attending this, by the way."

    "Wait what?! Why not?!"

    The hell! This guy literally sets up everything and then he dips out?!

    "Reasons. The King himself knows this, so don''t fret. But hey. I wasn''t lying when I said that this would be fun. Go inside and enjoy it!"

    As I thought King George and Hyunda most likely had a conversation. It probably happened while I was out talking to Kuzan and Kawahara.

    "Where are you going though?"

    "Nowhere in specific, really. On you go."

    "W-Wait!"

    With a heavy push, Hyunda pushed me inside the room that I still had no clue how it looked like.

    The sound of the heavy entrance door being completely shut down palled me.

 Volume 10 - Chapter 71: A very SIMPle trial.

    Fading lights that resembled an extremely poor illumination salvaged this room that was labeled as a court.

    The sun and the moon were sculptured and everyone present could capture their symbols at the top of the court reigning freely.

    By contrast to the acceptable temperature outside of this courtroom, a dead chilly temperature that purely screamed the essence of negative degrees was present throughout every corner of it.

    "Y''all are late! Koutarou! Setsuna! Get your asses in here!"

    Slightly entering the room, I witnessed what this small detention center had in store.

    Susaga and Ryoken were still confused about what this was all about yet they walked slowly to the two seats that were each located by King George''s side. One on his right side while the other being on his left side.

    For the record, King George''s seat lied in the same line of structure, however, slightly taller in comparison with the rest.

    These two individuals still had no clue what was about to happen to them.

    "Dan, come here! We saved you a spot!"

    In this courtroom, there were extensive lines with seats in them.

    Noticeably, as you''d go further in the room, they would become more and more visible to you.

    The one who called me out was no other than Kawahara who was accompanied by Kuzan and Rayazaki.

    Kawahara''s lax manner was naturally oblivious to anyone who complements basic manners each and every single day.

    Resting with his two legs at the top of the table while leaning his torso back was just something common for this type of person.

    "Dude, why didn''t you tell me this place existed?"

    Just like everyone else present, I took my seat.

    "You''d find out sooner or later."

    Is Kawahara implying that I would get myself into so much trouble to the point of naturally being redirected all the way to here...?

    "More importantly, are you certain? Was what you said true?"

    "Yeah, Kawahara. These two... are simps!"

    "This is gonna be fun then!"

    I''m sincerely surprised how I''m the only one who initially didn''t know what a simp meant.

    Is it really that popular?

    My questions were quickly dispelled by a loud roar heard throughout this hollow cryptic room.

    "It''s judgment time!!!"

    King George had officially given his decree.

    Still confused, Ryoken couldn''t help but question the entirety of King George''s previous words.

    "What is this? What''s going to happen? What did you mean by judgment time? I don''t get it..."

    Already in the special seat, Ryoken doubtfully glanced King George, who was wearing a malicious smile truly fit of the draconian that he is.

    Small laughs started to come from the rest, myself included. We giggled in their despair.

    "Toharoh! Take the lead! You''re the one who wanted this, weren''t you!? Make it damn worth it!"

    Tsudo was called. Furthermore, he erupted his posture from his seat far too quickly.

    His eyes looked determined to purge what needed to be purged.

    That''s the attitude.

    "Yes, sir!! Gentlemen! We are here united today for a greater purpose! As you all know, except the two simps, of course, there is a disturbance in the force!!"

    "The two what....?"

    All the way from across the room, at the end of it, Susaga couldn''t help but speak as soon as Tsudo said controversial words.

    "I''ve been given the chance to represent this topic so I''ll make the best out of it! I''m afraid to announce something incredibly sad..."

    "What? What is it?"

    Kan, impatiently asked away.

    The topic itself wasn''t known to every person in this room yet it seems.

    "Midst this fine tree of youth spirits aiming to achieve coherence between both genders, there are two individuals who dared to go against the flow!"

    We gasped.

    How could someone dare to go against this peerless flow?!

    "Yes! That''s the reaction! Make your discontented opinions be heard! These two heretics have dared to disturb the force by making incorrect decisions! Decisions, so incorrect, that they have forsaken the dignity and honor of being a male! You all know what I''m talking about, right!? I''m talking about simping!!!"

    Tsudo''s high spirited words were bringing excitement to the table. A fierce sensation of exhilaration was present throughout every word he spoke with fearlessness.

    "You''ve been pointing at us the whole time! Goddamn it! I knew I shouldn''t come!"

    "I don''t get any of this... I thought this was something important!"

    Both Ryoken and Susaga expressed their discontent immediately.

    Although Tsudo has not said who the two individuals truly are, he''s been pointing at them the whole time.

    Everyone in this room already knows. Henceforth, it needs not to be said.

    "It''s too late, you simps! I will expose your wrongdoings now!"

    "Again, what the hell are you talking about?! Wrongdoings!? What?!"

    Ryoken was still obnoxiously standing in Tsudo''s way of speech yet I was curious as well.

    How exactly will we supposedly get evidence to prove that they are simps?

    Hyunda claimed that they are simps, but just how...

    "The fun begins now..."

    Kawahara''s soft-toned words were heard swiftly.

    "King, if you may..."

    "Right away!"

    King George, in response to Tsudo''s mysterious request, pulled out a remote controller and turned it on.

    In a flash, every single person in this court could see visible footage that was ready to be displayed.

    The footage was being displayed through a gigantic screen that stood at the top of the room.

    "W...What is this?!"

    Susaga was sweating. His knees are probably weak now.

    Kawahara was smirking as usual, but more aggressively, so to speak. Although the footage hadn''t been displayed yet it was common sense who the individuals were on the screen.

    Deliberately private, in one of the edges of block F, Susaga and Yukishiro were secretly seemingly holding a conversation.

    "Before displaying this sheer act of abundant shame and simpness, allow me to give you all a lesson on simpology."

    Simpology? Is that even a thing...?

    Or is Tsudo coming up with words right now? Well, all words were invented in the first place, so I don''t see the issue honestly.

    "The simp will ALWAYS approach the female privately and never openly!"

    Is there a particular reason for this though? Could this mean that the simp is too much of a coward to do an open act?

    Unlike a chad, the simp probably has problems walking tall and not looking down all the time.

    Nevertheless, Tsudo gave a hand signal for King George to press the play button and thus, the despicable scenario was displayed.

    The scene occurred at the outside edge of block F. In a time of the afternoon and given by the hour which was 1:34 pm, it was lunchtime.

    Yukishiro was covering her fragile knees with her hands while crying and of course, Susaga was by her side.

    "Everyone hates me..." Spoke Yukishiro in a lamentable and sad voice tone.

    "No, that''s not true... Not everyone hates you!" Differed Susaga in an attempt to comfort Yukishiro.

    "It''s over for me..." Continued Yukishiro while submerging even further into her sadness.

    "Don''t say that... They are just misunderstanding your intentions... I know for a fact that you didn''t mean to slap Rayazaki... He''s at fault!" Blamed Susaga.

    "You think so...? But... Even so... I spoke words I didn''t mean... I don''t have the courage to apologize back..." Yet again, Yukishiro brought herself down.

    "You don''t have to apologize... They don''t understand you...! Not at all!" Sugarcoating the truth even further, Susaga white-knighted Yukishiro.

    What a disgrace.

    I never knew, Susaga. I am so disappointed. It''s not as if I had any expectations in the first place, but the fact that I didn''t and you still manage to disappoint me despite that, truly disappoints me.

    "My goodness! Stop this, Tsudo! We''ve watched enough to know what''s going on!"

    Kan spoke for all of us.

    No one was enjoying what they were watching.

    Thus, Tsudo gave the hand signal to King George to stop.

    "I-I can explai---"

    "Save it! We''ve seen your true nature! Yukishiro! Out of all the girls! This isn''t to say that the rest of the girls are suddenly acceptable but Yukishiro!? God, what the fuck, bro?! Who even likes that thot?!"

    Susaga attempted to explain, but it was too late.

    "Thot?! Shut your mouth, hombre! What do you even know?! She''s not a harlot! She has dignity and free will!"

    Harlot?

    What is this antique wording?!

    "That''s the typical simp behavior, everyone! Observe as the simp attempts to justify their princess'' wrongdoings! Everyone here knows that Yukishiro is the worst bitch of all! Does anyone beg to differ?!"

    "NO!"

    Everyone present, including Tsudo, shouted that. Even Sagasuga who was in denial about Tsudo''s point. He knew for a fact that Yukishiro was arguably the worst bitch in class.

    However, to my discontent, Susaga and Ryoken didn''t shout along...

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    "Hear that?! Susaga, you are a simp! Only someone with no dignity would try and defend Yukishiro in that sort of mental state!"

    "Just because you are all rude assholes that don''t mean I don''t get to have my saying! You need help, Tsudo... No, every single one of you! What is so wrong abo--"

    "Order!! Order!!"

    Slamming his wood hammer onto the table, King George created silence and obliterated all the previous arguments proposed. Adjusting his tie with exhaustion, he continued.

    "I didn''t give any of you permission to speak... I''m the King here! Further intrusions will not be forgiven! Well... That isn''t to say that Setsuna''s ass is saved. Setsuna, explain. Why would you go out of your way to defend a harlot like that?"

    "She''s not a harl--- Ahh... Look, I just found it unfair. She''s extremely bad at expressing herself. And in a class full of illogical creatures such as the ones I''m facing right now, of course she would feel out of place..."

    Illogical creatures?! The gal!

    "I see, I see! So you admit having a degree of passion for the harlot nonetheless?!"

    "I-It''s not like that! I''m serious, it''s not...! It''s just... Um... If no one is there for her, the---"

    Cutting in, Tsudo interjected.

    "Objection your honor! This is the primal essence of a simp''s thought process! They think that just because no one is there for her that the simp himself is therefore necessary! Such excuses are utterly ridiculous and pathetic!"

    I see...

    According to Tsudo, a simp will always feel needed in the scene where he is the only one who can help out...

    "Setsuna, what do you have to say in your defense?"

    "Uh, yes. This whole ''simp'' thing is pure idiocy. In fact, it''s exploited by an idiot himself. That should be something I honestly don''t even have to explain yet that''s the case! Tsudo, people are weak and they need compassion by their side! A weak feeling combined with a strong feeling will soar higher than any feeling thus creating the perfect emotional balance."

    I chuckled.

    This guy''s still using emotional arguments to his defense.

    Tsudo wanted to speak, but King George spoke instead.

    "That is very sweet, Setsuna. Next question. What is the difference between a beta and an alpha?"

    I can''t believe King George just made such a simple question.

    This is utter common sense to anyone...

    "Well, you see! The alpha letter is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and the beta letter is the second one! But why would you ask me such a simple question...?"

    With massive disappointment, we all facepalmed simultaneously.

    No one could''ve foreseen this but... Susaga, you...

    "I think that does it. However, just one last question before ending your trial, Setsuna. Scenario: There is a girl who everyone hates for a reasonable reason. That girl is well-known to be a harlot who ONLY does acts such as those for attention alone... In this case would you... Option A: Join in with the brotherhood and proceed to hate her even further! Option B: Be original and come up with a more intriguing way of making the harlot be aware of her stupid nature! Option C: Sham her and expose her wrongdoings in public so she regrets even trying them! OR Option D: Commit verbal murder in the third degree!"

    This is...

    "I''ve given you four easy options, Setsuna! Your punishment will be based depending on what answer you give! Choose wisely!"

    Kawahara, Rayazaki, Kuzan and just about every other watcher except the ones in trial questioned those options deeply.

    Naturally, I did too.

    Susaga failed the previous question for some reason. I didn''t think that it would be humanly possible to not understand what King George meant to say yet that was just my little naivety.

    Now, however, what option would Susaga choose?

    Would it be option A, which would mean abandoning the mindset of a stupid warrior and join in the greater cause to get rid of the harlots crawling through every corner of this world?

    Option B implies that Susaga would have to come up with an original effort to create a new maneuver to destroy the harlot yet that itself would be a condemnable effort.

    Or would it be option C, shaming her publically for her wrongdoings? That''s certainly a way to get your dignity back. Abandoning that trash mindset isn''t something you should be afraid of, Susaga!

    Ultimately, there is also option D, which is to commit verbal murder in the third degree! I understood the musical reference. There is something called double entendre and this is exactly the case here. There is a double meaning to this phrase.

    It could be implied that by utilizing the third-degree interval in music, it would mean winning a competition without putting any effort. Thus, Susaga would easily destroy Yukishiro without trying much.

    Sincerely, all in all, this would be the option I would go with.

    "How interesting... Even I am slightly perplexed."

    Although unusual, Kawahara expressed a degree of difficulty here.

    "Truly... This isn''t easy..."

    Rayazaki further added that.

    Their clash of opinions was shattered by Susaga''s immediate response.

    A response that most likely came without putting any sort of rational and logical thought in it.

    "That''s a trick question! I''ll go with option E, which is to protect her from all the ones that dare to torment her emotions because that''s the right thing to do! That''s the action of someone with a code of honor! Hahaha! You can''t fool me! I knew from the start that this was a trick question! All the options don''t make any sense!"

    Embracing disappointment once again, a large portion of us sunk into despair swiftly.

    Inexplicitly feeling the way that we were feeling, we thought to ourselves how it was possible to not see the obvious truth here.

    King George himself, along with Tsudo, began to shed tears of disappointment. Truly, I felt like doing that too.

    "H-Huh!? What''s wrong guys...? Oh... I get it! My response made so much sense that I''ve changed your obnoxious way of thinking! I see! I see! Then---"

    "There was no trick question, you fucking retard!! If you had chosen any of the options I would''ve given you, you''d have passed the trial without being subjected to the upcoming punishment yet you decided to be an autistic creature and came up with the most retarded decision of all! Bois, take this garbage away! The court is getting infected!"

    Rising from their seats, Kawahara and Kan grabbed Susaga and took him to a room that lied in the back of the court.

    "W-Wait! I can explain myself! This is just a physical reaction that horny teenagers hav---"

    "Shut it!"

    Kawahara lightly knocked Susaga out with a strike on the back of his neck, as he dragged Susaga away along with Kan.

    After stuffing Susaga inside the mysterious room, they both made their return with cold looks on their faces.

    .............

    So this is what means to go against the law...!

    "What the hell just happened?! That''s illegal and I''m one thousand percent sure!"

    A bit too late for that, Ryoken.

    "Don''t worry, Koutarou! Depending on how you behave you can escape the hellish punishment!"

    "I-I want out!!! Let me out of here!"

    But it was useless. Something was binding Ryoken and thus Ryoken couldn''t move from his position.

    His time was nigh.

    Traitors who commit simp-like actions have no place among the brotherhood.

    "Erm! Moving on! Now that Susaga is out of the way, I present you with a bigger simp... Ryoken!"

    Ryoken was the last one remaining.

    Would he face his stupidity and revert from his simpery or would he remain a simp?

    Ryoken''s expression was filled with angst, anxiety, and discontent. His eyebrows were charged with heaviness.

    Undoubtedly, he wasn''t looking forward to this, which is honestly a shame.

    Because I sure am.

    "Who the hell is the simp here?! Pfttt. I haven''t even approached a girl! You can''t possibly censure me!"

    "Are you sure about that?"

    Who said that was not Tsudo, but the one on my right side, Kawahara.

    "What the hell?"

    "You''re sweating. What''s wrong? No one questioned whether or not you approached a girl yet you already are on the defense. Got something to hide? No doubt there. Hey, did you know? If someone starts an argument on the defense, then they are hiding something 80% of the time."

    Kawahara just abused the fact that Ryoken started his argument on the defense and that was a good play.

    It''s crystal clear to anyone here that Ryoken is hiding something.

    It appears that Hyunda was not lying when he said that there were two simps. Susaga was already confirmed to be a simp.

    Strangely enough, he was caught simping with Yukishiro, who, according to Kawahara, is his crush.

    That''s no coincidence.

    "I got nothing to hide, dude. You''re all just tripping. The pressure of the exam is getting to you, isn''t it Kawahara? Already failed twice, and now you gonna make it thrice? Slow down man, you''re not even as good as you consider yourself to be!"

    And now he starts to target Kawahara. However, that didn''t phase Kawahara at all, as his attitude remained confident and stoic as ever.

    "Tsudo, there is something you should know about simps!"

    "Hm?"

    "Simps have the habit of driving away from the attention of the topic when it comes to their beloved female possessions. For example, it''s not strange when you see someone on the defense and then subsequently afterward immediately proceeding to bring down the one that''s attempting to discover the truth. Simps are simple creatures!"

    Throughout his speech, Kawahara wasn''t even looking at Tsudo, but directly at Ryoken, whose sweat droplets kept on increasing.

    "What was that that you said, Ryoken? You haven''t approached a girl? Hehehe. Okay, okay. Confident. I see. I really do. But, it''s just such a shame. You should think twice about having phone calls in a dorm full of beasts because someone might just accidentally hear the whole thing!!"

    Kawahara wasn''t making much sense to me nor to anyone present, however, Ryoken''s expression drastically changed slightly.

    It wasn''t as relaxed as it used to be. The confident smile on his face was slowly vanishing without any traces left.

    Although I knew not what Kawahara was talking about, to Ryoken, that might''ve not been the case.

    Before continuing, Kawahara fiddled with his blonde hair and hit the left part of his head with considerable force. That act of self-physical aggression puzzled me.

    "Oh... Oh... Oh!!! I remember now! Had to knock my brain a few times! Hm.... Hmm....! Oh. Right. I remember it all. I was paired up with some trash can. Um, can you tell me her name again?"

    Is he talking about Gale? How can he not reme---

    Oh... I get it now.

    "What''s wrong? Why are you silent? You should know the trash can''s name, right? Come ooooooooonnnnnnnnn, she''s paired up with you, isn''t she? She''s small as hell. Are you sure she''s a human being and not an ant? Then again, there are so fucking many ants out there that there shouldn''t be a clear difference hahaahahahaha!!!!"

    Yet Ryoken kept his silence. Although he did that, he was showing visible difficulty in maintaining his posture.

    "Oh, you mean Gale, Kawahara?"

    "That''s right, Rayazaki. That''s who he is paired up with, isn''t it, Tatsu?"

    "....Yeah..."

    Tatsu has been silent throughout all this.

    Honestly speaking, I thought that when Hyunda said that he knew about two simps that he was referring to Tatsu.

    He seems like the type of person who would be a simp for Arkalee.

    "See? I got two confirmations. That''s right, that''s right! The trash can has a name... Gale, is it? Man, what kinda fucking name is that? Are her parents that retarded? No doubt, otherwise, the father would read the pull out part!"

    "What the fuck is your point!?"

    Ryoken finally responded. Additionally, he slammed his fists on the table in order to express his anger.

    "Woah, chill! You mad, bro? Hahaha."

    "If you got no fucking point then why the he--"

    "Relax, I do have a point."

    Ceasing his mockery, Kawahara pulled out his phone and started to play a recorded voice tape that he had on his phone.

    Kawahara''s smirk increased further and further as he additionally cracked all of his fingers, even his shoulder bones.

    "Get a taste of this, conceived bastard."

    "Hmpf. I don''t know what you intend on doing but---"

    "I hate Kawahara! I really hate him!!!"

    "I know how you feel! I hate him too! But just relax... It will be over soon. Soon, he will be gone. He''s an exam away from failing!"

    Is Kawahara one exam away from failing or is there no more exams for him if he fails here?

    I can''t remember his situation clearly...

    By the way, the one claiming to hate Kawahara was no other than Gale herself.

    Of course, Ryoken was the secondary voice in the background...

    "I can''t stand him! I know that he''s going to go away but he''s so problematic! Why doesn''t he realize his place?! No one likes him!"

    "Hey, relax Gale... You don''t need to torment yourself just because he is what he is. If Kawahara is that way, then that''s his problem. Whether he can see this or not, it''s his problem! That has nothing to do with you!"

    "Hear that everyone!? My problem! My! Fucking! Problem! Oh lord! How tormented she is! An existence so great, but so great, can often cause anxiety to a simple human being alone! What an extremely rare phenomenon!"

    I know he''s arrogantly glorifying himself, but I couldn''t help but laugh alongside his words.

    "I-Ill tell you what! I''ll protect you from any danger that will face your way... Even if it''s Kawahara!"

    Ryoken just committed the absolute textbook white-knight move.

    Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmmmmmmmmmmpppppppppppp!!!!!!!!!

    "N-No! You don''t have to force yourself... As you said, it has nothing to do with me... I''m just being dramatic..."

    "Dramatic!? You call this shit dramatic!? Fucking hell, I''ve seen more drama in a Brazilian telenovela!!"

    Ryoken was fuming surely, but he couldn''t do anything in response.

    No one would buy his argument this time. I don''t know how Kawahara did it, but he managed to perfectly record a phone call between Ryoken and Gale.

    His stalking skills are starting to scare me...

    "Not true! You''re not being dramatic at all! Kawahara is at fault...! Don''t worry... I''ll bring him down in the upcoming exam... You won''t have to feel like that ever again! I promise you won''t feel tormented no longer!"

    The voice tape ended with Ryoken''s protective words spelling out his true intentions to every single one of us.

    Not a single soul here could doubt it.

    Ryoken, is, without a doubt, a simp.

    Not even Tsudo bothered to add anything. Kawahara overkilled Ryoken, who was facing down whilst saying nothing.

    "Hard to talk shit when your mouth is useless, isn''t it?"

    After Kawahara said that, he returned to his lax position while trading a glance with me.

    "Told you it''d be fun. Look at his face. So tormented from an argument he had no chance to win in the first place. He thought that just because he didn''t do anything publicly like Susaga that he would be fine. Bet the fucker didn''t think that I was on his ass already!"

    "Dude..."

    I know I''m not in a greater position to judge, but Kawahara''s seriously messed up.

    When it comes to arguments he doesn''t give a fuck about what he has to do in order to win.

    Even if it means shaming someone along in the process.

    "Well, well, Koutarou. You hate to see it! You seriously hate to see that! Your strategy wasn''t bad! By making yourself the target of the argument, you''d be protecting your damsel in the distress. Honestly, it was--- Just fucking kidding! Your strategy was horrible! Take him away bois!!!"

    "W-Wait!! Where am I going to!?"

    "You''re about to find out! Enjoy watching television ads until the sunrise without any food, hahahahahah!!!!"

    Oh god...

    That''s...

    It doesn''t sound terrifying at all at first but... The more I think about it...!

    I must never get myself into this trial. That''s a promise.

    Eventually after, the trial was closed and King George announced it was diner time.

    As we all walked out of the room and approached the more illuminated part of the dorm, Tsudo stopped walking.

    He was sniffing around like a dog, for some reason.

    "Huh... What are you doing...?"

    He kept on sniffing and sniffing before answering my question.

    Weird...

    "Daniel... Call me crazy but... Isn''t this smell totally a..."

    "...A....?"

    "Just try to sniff around! You''ll get what I''m saying!"

    ".........."

    I don''t really get what he''s trying to imply here but alas, I sniffed around and capture the essence of the air.

    Usually, the air here is borderline toxic. This is a male dorm. It''s to be expected.

    Is this some sort of trick...?

    ".........!!!"

    However....

    "W-What is this...?! Just what....? This aromantic sensation! This feeling of freshness and hygiene! My nostrils are feeling overwhelmed right now!! What''s going on, Tsudo?!"

    "As I thought! This smell... I''ve decorated the smell of everyone here, unfortunately..."

    What...

    "But....! This is a new one! And... Call me crazy... But..."

    "Just say it, dude!"

    "Ahhh!! Okay, okay! So... I think a girl walked through this hall!"

    "What?! That''s absurd, dude! No way that''s possible. It''s against the rules for girls to walk into a boys'' dorm! You know that!"

    What the hell is Tsudo talking about...

    Sure, this sensation is unusual... Peaches.... It''s so sweet and unforgettable....

    "I know, man! But there''s just no other explanation! This smell is completely different from ours!! It''s like a different entity entered in this dorm and blessed us with her fragrant smell!"

    He''s not making any sense...

    If it''s not allowed for a girl to come here, then she wouldn''t do that in the first place...

    "You''re tripping. Let''s eat."

    "No, no! I am definitely not tripping! A girl was here! I can feel it! My nose never lies! You gotta believe me!"

    "All this simp shit drove you insane, Tsudo. It''s alright. They are enduring ads right now... They might not think it''s nothing now, but in just about an hour, if not less, they will be screaming."

    Honestly, the more I think about it, the more I believe that it''s a modern torture mechanic.

    It''s not physical torture, but if they are tied to a chair right now and they will have to endure until 7 am then...

    Right now, it''s 7pm... That''s 12 hours!!!

    "Hm... Maybe you''re right... They got what they deserved. Alright, let''s go."

    "Yeah..."

    Although...

    This smell is really too good. I understand that, but...

    Just what if...

    Nah.

    No way.

 Volume 10 - Chapter 71.5: Translucent Omen.

    March 6th. 8:30 am.

    Surprisingly, as I walked into the classroom, everything was normal.

    Except for one thing.

    Basara-sensei had returned.

    Hell couldn''t keep him there...

    "Daniel, you''re the last one left. You''re thirteen seconds late, you retard!"

    "Oh, um, sorry, I guess..."

    I won''t say I missed him but it''s been a while since I''ve seen him. The very terrifying striking figure of the man who doesn''t look that much older than the majority of us struck me with an odd sensation.

    This supposed teacher, who uses a hitman suit, bluntly calls out his students the way he wants to every single time.

    I took my seat immediately since Basara-sensei looked ready to say something.

    "I''ve heard the news! Failure after failure! Fuck, who knew that even when you are paired up with someone that the chances of failure would increase! Unbelievable! Hahahaha!!"

    Openly mocking all the pairings that had failed, Basara-sensei laughed carelessly regardless of how everyone felt.

    "Moreover, someone got insensitive and decided to bully Ikkiri out of pressure. Hey, Ikkiri, any comments to the public? How are you feeling right now?"

    This guy has no tact. I consider myself to be someone with zero tact, but it''s like Basara-sensei goes beyond that!

    What the hell!

    "No...."

    Ikkiri shily responded, per usual, without standing up for herself.

    "Looks like that person did you good. It''s like your attitude took a 180-degree turn. My incompetent acquaintance probably thinks that she''s progressing smoothly but since I''m in charge again, that will change."

    In charge again?

    What is he talking about?

    "Sensei, where is Yuka-sensei...?"

    Hinagiku, slightly reluctant with her words, asked Basara-sensei that.

    Accordingly, Basara-sensei should fulfill the first half hour and then be done with it.

    "Oh! Yuka? Her bad work got herself the obvious reward of failing to get promoted and thus, I came back. Well, realistically speaking I was just taking a vacation. She''ll be returning, of course! With a grand half hour per day!"

    Basically, they switched schedules.

    And by bad work, I''m assuming how the majority of us failed. Truly, this was partially Yuka-sensei''s fault.

    Her exam was way too illogical.

    This isn''t to say that this demon is better... He used an argument as a special exam... Demon!

    "Regardless of that, the special exam already has been selected by her! How lucky for you all, to have such a weak exam! If it was me, we would be speaking a different language."

    So we should be thankful for the upcoming exam even though it''s a massive drag?

    "With that said, we will not be having average classes until the spring festival is over!"

    "W-What''s that supposed to mean?!"

    Yukishiro, unable to keep her silence, nervously asked. Strangely enough, I don''t think there was anyone in this classroom that didn''t share that sentiment.

    "Since there is no point in having average classes, you will all be studying the festival''s themes thoroughly. You have one week until I evaluate your knowledge. I''ll be conducting a questionnaire type of exam, for the record. It will be an individual test, but since you are all such fucking dead weights, I''ll give you the privilege of conducting paired work with your partner. Needless to say, I''ll be watching how you behave during class. A single sign of bad behavior will earn you the rightful punishment. Enjoy."

    It took me a while to process all of this, but essentially, we were just tasked with a very simple task.

    Study the festival''s themes. Given that there are 50 of them this will mean...

    So much work...........

    Ah, wait...

    "Sensei, what happens if we fail the questionnaire?"

    "Think of it as a mini-special exam."

    Does this mean that the consequences apply as well?

    If I fail this questionnaire just because I didn''t want to do it out of laziness, then---

    Ah, no. It''s real.

    That devious smirk of his tells it all.

    No doubt. This is a trap.

    "If anyone has doubts, then speak to me and only me. I won''t care about other irrelevant opinions. Bitch and you are out of class. You''ve been warned!"

    No one was used to his demonic imperial orders yet his return came clear to us all.

    This wasn''t like the times where Yuka-sensei was here. There was an actual degree of danger here.

    "Also, Ikkiri. Come here. Let''s have a talk."

    "...."

    Ikkiri did not speak but went to his desk regardless.

    I''m curious to know how Basara-sensei will solve this situation. Assuming that he is aiming to solve her situation, that is...

    Also, everyone began their work, but not me...

    I... still had no clue what the festival themes were...!

    Sincerely, I thought that the themes would be shared publically, but...

    Are you seriously telling me everyone knows them from back to back!?

    I get that the exam will happen but I thought that I could take it easy...

    "..........."

    Since I don''t know the festival themes, I''ll have to ask someone else... But...

    This demon will send me to the shadow realm, also known as the principal''s office...! Well... I''ve never been there though...

    Hyunda mentioned the principal once and ever since then, I''ve been...

    No. No. No.

    That''s not a priority right now!

    Should I fail the questionnaire, that will mean that I will get a supply exam! I can''t afford that.

    Think... Think...

    ..................

    Basara-sensei said that we could have the privilege of doing paired work since we were useless dead-weights, according to him...

    But...

    Every time I look in her direction, all my hopes are stripped. I know for a fact that it''s not going to work... She''s so egotistical and prideful...

    She''s even already studying the festival''s themes. She most likely did research as soon as the exam''s theme was announced.

    Meanwhile, I....

    "Desperate?"

    How did she...

    "No..... Mind your own business..."

    Probably not the best choice of words, honestly. She''s the only one I can rely on given that I do bother myself enough with this stupidity.

    I can just simply wait until it''s lunchtime and get the necessary knowledge to apply myself to this...

    No need to go out of my way to get the knowledge early...

    "Ara, you are desperate. Let me guess, you don''t know anything about this, do you? You even asked Basara-sensei what would happen if you failed the questionnaire. I''ll additionally guess something else too. The reason you asked this was because you didn''t want to do this, at all."

    Why is she going through all this trouble...

    Does she realize that I don''t need to depend on her...? What gives?

    "You''re hallucinating. As I said, mind your own business. Don''t give yourself too much relevance. Your delusional ideas will increase."

    Assuming that she hasn''t hit the apex of her delusions.

    "Except I''m not being delusional here. You have nothing to study! Otherwise, you''d apply yourself at this instant yet look at you! Who''s delusional now?!"

    Wow...

    How can someone get this happy over something like this...? That''s just sad.

    It''s sadder than it actually primarily seems because she doesn''t realize that it''s sad to be happy about something like this.

    "I don''t care about the questionnaire though. Henceforth, you are delusional."

    "Stubborn, are we? I guess I''ll have to prove my point. If you want, I can give you ten themes for free."

    Now, this is just pure baiting. Was she always the type of person to be this sincere and straight-forward?

    No way, no way. There''s a catch here and she expects me to play right into it.

    "By the way, if you don''t accept them now, then I win."

    "What...."

    She''s getting more and more delusional with every single sentence.

    "I bet you don''t know a single theme, do you? Therefore, when it''s lunchtime, you will most likely invest yourself in the exam and get to know the themes. It wouldn''t be a coincidence if you suddenly knew the themes after lunch. That''s why, if you don''t accept them now, I win!"

    So her reasoning is that; she gets a ''win'' if I don''t accept her second-handed generosity right now because I actually have no way of knowing the themes right now. Ultimately, if I suddenly know them after this timespan, then I lose...

    I hate how she''s actually right.

    The real question is, do I care enough to hold a grudge and be prideful here? Is it really worth it losing time over this?

    Well, yes it is.

    Her victory is out of the question...

    Which is why I''ll change my approach here.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    "You know what. You are so right. I just don''t know anything regarding the exam. I was simply trying to hide it, but it''s useless!"

    "....What... You are strangely humble right now... Fishy..."

    Of course you''d act like that.

    It''s unusual for me to show such a selfless attitude, isn''t it?

    "It''s the truth though. Your points were truly right. Therefore, I''ll take your generosity. 10 themes, was it? Thank you so much!"

    I never noticed.

    Being sarcastic against her feels incredibly good. An indescribable feeling of happiness is flowing through my veins right now.

    I''m trying to hide this abundant smile by forcing my mouth to stay still but I honestly don''t know for how long I can keep this up.

    However, this can''t be it. I''ll step things up.

    "Ah --- It''s just such a shame though. There are overall 50 themes, right?"

    "Yes, that is the case."

    She''s totally buying it. I''m purposely putting a sorrowful expression which indicates my supposed despair to the current situation.

    I bet she''s feeling eager and confident right now.

    "I was thinking about how nice it would be to have all the fifty themes in just one go."

    "Don''t be absurd. I''ll give you ten out of pity. Give me a second, I''ll write them down."

    Out of pity huh?

    Alright then.

    "Just ten? Truly a shame... I was willing to trade information for the rest too... What a bummer..."

    This caught her attention. Her attention drifted away from writing the themes that were still not visible to me due to the fact that she''s blocking the sheet with her forearm, all the way to me.

    "You? Information? You''re being too greedy. And besides, there is no way that you have information that I would want. All this time, you were prideful and stubborn but now you are stepping so low! Back to your origins?"

    So confident. So arrogant.

    She really thinks she''s in the lead.

    Good. No, seriously. Really good.

    I couldn''t ask for more, honestly.

    Honestly, honestly.

    This smile of mine is like a slave waiting for salvation to come; it just can''t help itself. The physical shackles I''m applying will soon turn out to be useless.

    Gotta make my move now!

    "That''s weird... What was that that you asked me the other day....? Ah yes, birth dates? I got a few. Oh well. Only 10, was it? I suppose you gotta be content with what you get."

    "Wait, wait, wait. What did you just say? Birth dates? Tell me all about it."

    I almost let loose the laugh I''m seriously containing as soon as she dropped her pen just to hear what I had to say regarding the topic.

    The truth is, I don''t actually know any more birth dates. I could just ask around, but that would mean that I would become her slave.

    Nonetheless, nothing says that I can''t just make it up. She also mentioned that she was searching for air signs.

    So, I''ll feed her ego a little bit.

    "Actually... I found four air signs in this class... Can you believe it?!"

    "What?! Tell me, tell me!!"

    Her enthusiasm is overflowing. Just like a child when their parents tell a night story.

    Oh god, I can''t contain myself, I seriously can''t.

    "W-Well, you s-s-s-see...! Sagasuga was born on June 1st! Tateyana was born on June 17th... Akimiyashika was born on October 19th! And Kanawari was born on January 28th! Amazing, right?!"

    Honestly, I have no clue if I nailed a single one, but something tells me that I didn''t.

    Nevertheless, her irrefutable happiness was swiftly formed as soon as I said that.

    Therefore, I added something to that.

    "I know more. But only if you give me the rest of the themes..."

    "Yeah, I don''t mind! Wow, you were actually useful and not completely useless! Impressive! I''m so impressed! Ah--- wait just a second, this won''t take long...."

    "Hm...?"

    What''s wrong with her? Her sudden enthusiasm vanished completely at the end of her sentence.

    She even claimed to be impressed yet for some reason she turned around and grabbed her phone.

    Is she texting someone?

    "Hey, what''s wrong?"

    "Oh, nothing. Just making sure of something..."

    .........?

    Weird... What exactly could she have realized?

    Well, it doesn''t matter, does it?

    She has no way of verifying it. She''s socially selective, so she has no choice but to trust my opinion on this.

    What a stupid girl though! She''ll never realize that I actually lied to her and that those birth dates are actually all lies!

    Unless I purely and coincidentally nailed all of them. Honestly, that would be tragic.

    "Oh..."

    Uttering that small word, she started to tremble a little bit. Her phone was shaking too.

    It appears that whatever information she got was devastating for her.

    "That''s funny... I just asked Kanawari something... How odd!"

    "Hm? What did you ask her?"

    "Her birthday! Am I reading this correctly?"

    She slammed her phone on my face just so I could read the message.

    Furthermore, the hard screen collided with my nose, causing a small pain in return.

    And on the screen it said...

    "W-Well... She''s lying, you know? I''m positive that her birthday is...!"

    Um, what was her made-up birthday again?

    I didn''t bother to decorate it.

    "Is.......?"

    She''s pressuring me.

    This is bad, this is bad.

    Come on, brain! Function! Function now that I need you the most!

    Those eyes are exactly like a starved wolf looking for food to prey on!

    "Do me a favor. Call Sagasuga, please. He''s not that far away. You should be able to do it."

    ......................

    "...Pass..."

    Unfortunately, I know where she''s going with this.

    My carelessness got the best of me! I can''t believe this!

    "Oh, I see. You won''t call him? Well, that''s fine. I''ll do it instead. Sagasuga!"

    She literally shouted that.

    Awkward attention was attracted in our direction. Fuck, this is so awkward.

    Don''t look at them, don''t look at the rest of your classmates, Daniel. She''ll endure this embarrassment alone.

    I don''t know her, I don''t know her, I don''t know her!

    "Lus, what the hell did I say about misconducting yourself in class?"

    That''s right, Basara-sensei, tell her how it is!

    Send her to the principal''s office right away! Get this leech off me!!

    "Oh... Sorry about that... I just had a doubt regarding a certain theme and I thought of asking Sagasuga for a little help. My partner isn''t exactly cooperating."

    "Make it quick. You got thirty seconds. Sagasuga, get your ass in there."

    What the fuck! You''re supposed to reprehend her! What is this shit?!

    No, Sagasuga, don''t come here! Stay there on your seat! Can''t you see how Tateyana is fuming?! She''s gonna explode, damn it!

    Your insensitiveness might cost me my life, damn it!

    "Yo. What part are you troubled with?"

    "Ah, Sagasuga. That was a lie, sorry. If you don''t mind me asking... When is your birthday?"

    It''s just thirty seconds, I have to do something.

    "Sagas----!!!!!!"

    My fucking toenail!! What is this bitch thinking?! She literally stepped on my toenail with all of her might!

    God damn it!!

    "Daniel? What''s wrong dude, you alright?"

    "Forget him. We have little time. Can you answer my question please?"

    "September 25th... Ah, I was born in 2004. Why though?"

    Damn it, Sagasuga! Can''t you literally just tell that something happened?!

    This malicious wretch crushed my toenail without any mercy whatsoever!

    "Oh, that''s---"

    "30 seconds have passed. Sagasuga, return to your seat."

    Basara-sensei spelled my doom essentially.

    With Sagasuga returning to his seat, I was still clinging on to the base of my desk while enduring the crucial pain of having my toenail crushed.

    I want to bend her spine in fucking half right now.

    Despite that, I refused to face her direction.

    Something tells me that I''m massively screwed.

    "I knew something was up. You? Being genuine? No way. And of course, on top of being ingenuine, you lied to me. Not once, but twice. I suspect it''s actually way more than that. Alas, I have enough evidence to blame you!"

    This massive pain wasn''t exactly making it easy, so I let the laugh I was trying to keep hidden loose.

    Still not facing her direction, I rejoiced now that she realized she had been tricked.

    "Hahaha..."

    "You''re laughing? Did I just hear a laugh?"

    This time around, I turned back to her and faced her closely.

    "Yeah, you dumb bitch. You got tricked. You fucking thought that I would just ask all of that? Fuck off. But hey! You literally bought my words for a second! You said something about being impressed, didn''t you? You should''ve seen the look on your face Legit priceless, hahaha!!"

    Her delusional happy smile almost brought tears to my face.

    It was a scenario where I would probably have to pay billions just to get a glimpse of it yet I completely saw it for free!

    But... She''s looking down now.

    Oh, I get it. I so get it! Too hard to accept that the almighty majesty herself got tricked by someone who she considers inferior?

    Well, well, would you look at that? How the mighty have fallen!

    Except you were never mighty in the first place!

    "I hate liars...."

    "You must hate yourself a lot since you tell yourself lies constantly then!"

    Noticeably, I was insulting her on a low-voice, otherwise, this would get me caught immediately.

    Only a loud voice would get caught. Plus, midst all this chatter going on between the pairs, it''s only normal that this isn''t being made out of a big case.

    "Hahahah! You''re right! Ooopsie! My bad there! Silly me got too confident! What a moron I just am! Oh well! Hey, here! I finished writing them down! Just for you! Take them!"

    Smiling widely, she softly handed me the white sheet that had all of the themes.

    Naturally, I used my two hands to receive it. However, I failed to predict something crucial.

    "Oh, than--- FUCK!!"

    Deep staggering pain infiltrated through my right leg''s nerves instantly as soon as I felt a sharp edge connecting.

    Accidentally, I ended up cursing out loud and attracted the attention of just about everyone.

    This bitch, she...!

    "Oi, Daniel. Who said you could curse out loud? Only I get to curse!"

    "N-No, Basara-sensei, she.....! Gaaaahh!!"

    How triggered do you have to be to stab someone in their leg with a pioneer out of rage!?

    "You know what happens now, right?"

    "Please I can actually explain..."

    Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!

    This pain is excruciatingly staggering! It''s like I just got stabbed by a sharp spear! The equivalent of a lion''s legs being rendered useless and weak in face of a firearm!

    "Daniel, you know the rules and so do I."

    Stabbed by a pioneer and getting Rick Rolled by your own teacher?! Damn it, it''s the other way around for fuck''s sake!

    Only teachers are supposed to get Rick Rolled, not the other way around.

    Officially the worst day I''ve had in a while.

    Shamefully stepping out of the classroom, before I could leave, I made a small smirk.

    Can''t let the bitch think that she actually won the whole thing.

    Yet that smirk vanished as soon as I crossed with Yulia.

    Her dreadful expression spelled disaster for me later on.

    Principal''s office.

    Still holding onto my leg, I entered the principal''s office and for the first time ever, I came face to face with the renowned principal of this prestigious school.

    The very person and reason as to why I''m not in juvenile now.

    "1-F?"

    Very much like Basara-sensei, this person was wearing a suit. Truly fit of a principal.

    His bald head was his most noticeably preference alongside his firm glasses.

    A very stoic and undeniable peerless sensation came forth as soon as he asked me that question.

    "Yes..."

    "What''s your name, student from class 1-F?

    Starring me down like a pinpoint, his eyesight was fully consumed of me.

    It was as if a raging bull was marking me as his target...

    "Daniel Lead."

    "I see."

    Although he said that, he typed something on his computer literally the second I said my name.

    Is he searching my name on some sort of database or something?

    "You''re American. Why are you here, Daniel Lead, student of class 1-F?"

    What the hell is this weird formality...

    He''s addressing me like I''m just a student and not a human being...

    "Um... Sorry, would you be more specif-"

    "I''m asking why you are here at this school. You clearly have this school''s student uniform therefore you are undoubtedly a student here. However, how exactly did you get into this school?"

    Is he asking me how I''m here?

    I thought that out of all the people in this school that he would know this the best...

    Feeling stiff in this uncomfortable chair, I awkwardly replied.

    "...How do I say this... A cop drove me here and said that I would be attending this school from now on, which happened to be the case...."

    Probably the worst choice of words.

    And I just had a sense of d��j�� vu suddenly.

    "That''s a very hard-to-believe story. I''m afraid I''ll have to expel you for partial infiltration."

    "H-Huh!?"

    Is he serious right now?! Is this some sort of sick joke?!

    Fuck, this day has been going so badly for me!

    "Kidding. Relax! Hahahaha!"

    "H-Hahaha........"

    Fuck this guy.

    Who the hell tells such a bad joke in this sensitive scenario!?

    "I know why you are here. After all, I am the sole reason as to why you are here in the first place, Daniel. Which is why I''ll politely ask you to cease your rude behavior such as cursing mid-class. Classes are upheld for the purpose of learning important matters that will contribute to a greater future society. You might''ve done some bad doings, but I believe you can reform your ways. That''s why you should stop it."

    "...Stop what?"

    "Your behavior. Your behavior is based on your ideology. It''s not rare for teenagers of your age to think that they are free to do whatever they please just because they aren''t shackled by greater responsibilities. That''s wrong. You''re wrong."

    What the hell...

    Why is this guy assuming so much...? We just met yet this bald-head is speaking as if he knows me from back to front.

    "Cursing mid-class is a serious offense. Simply because cursing defeats the purpose of proper manners. Furthermore, if you ever enter society, then upholding basic manners is an elementary essence and the ultimate foundation of plausible behavior."

    "Yes..."

    "Every class in this school behaves properly. Strictly speaking, this is a school that only accepts honor students so the fact that your class full of questionable individuals was formed in the first place brings up a lot of controversies. You''re not an exception to this phenomenon, Daniel. Do you know what other students would give to be in this school?"

    "No..."

    So annoying...

    "More than you can possibly imagine. Yearly, this school rejects more than 50,000 students aiming to enter this school. The selection is strict yet necessary. Now, tell me this. What gives you the right to behave like this when there are such people out there who have the authentic desire to be in your place? Don''t you think you are being a little bit hypocritical, Daniel?"

    "E-Excuse me?"

    I get the feeling that this guy''s viewing me so lowly....

    What the hell is this...

    "Forgive me. That was completely unnecessary. I forgot my basic manners. Allow me to apologize."

    "........."

    This is so confusing... It''s as if this guy is using me as a stepping stone to uphold his personal philosophies...

    Fucking hate people like that, man...

    "Ah yes... I have something to ask you, principal..."

    "Yes?"

    It would be bad if I forgot this... I would beat myself up if I didn''t ask the principal, who is coincidentally right in front of me, this specific question.

    "This is strange to ask but... Why does every single student view me with some sort of fear or paranoia...? I can''t walk normally without having students run away from me."

    "That''s strange. Are you sure this isn''t all in your mind, Daniel?"

    "What?"

    How is this in my mind?

    Does the principal think that I am delusional or something? I am telling him the truth.

    "Pardon my rudeness.... But, I''m aware that you are someone that has questionable tendencies and has practiced actions that imply such. Therefore, once again, allow me to apologize afterward if I''m being rude, but, are you sure you aren''t suffering from a psychotic disorder?"

    "I am positive that I am not suffering from a psychotic disorder..."

    I behave authentically fine considering the majority of the circumstances.

    It''s a miracle that I haven''t killed that bitch yet.

    "Just for safety, I''ll advise you to check this school''s psychiatrist. Usually, it costs money, however... Out of kindness, I will give you a free visit. Give the psychiatrist this signed paper, please."

    Handing me a perfectly clean white sheet with his signature and formal text, the principal offered me the possibility of attending this school''s psychiatrist.

    Not a psychologist, but a psychiatrist.

    I wouldn''t be this mad if I knew the difference in both!!

    "Please reflect on your misconducted behavior and the words I gracefully spoke out to you, Daniel. You can do better. In fact, you must be better!"

    Without saying anything, I left the principal''s office.

    Not knowing what to do, at the exit of the block, I took a nearby seat on one of the benches.

    I attempted to read the text that was in the sheet lying in my shaky hands.

    Yet I could not.

    "What the fuck is this...."

    Mental illness? Delusion? Psychotic disorder?

    What the hell?

    Who do you think you are?

    Do you honestly think you know me just based on some stupid database data?

    "Desperate?"

    Why are you here too? Shut up.

    Shut the hell up. Every single one of you.

    "Please reflect on your misconducted behavior and the words I gracefully spoke out to you, Daniel. You can do better. In fact, you must be better!"

    Why the hell are you putting expectations on me?

    Better? I don''t care about better.

    "God fucking damn it.......!"

    Ripping the paper to shreds, I let loose some of my steam.

    I know it''s insufficient to be qualified as a bad day, but I can''t help but feel like the world is against me today.

    I wonder if everyone has one of those days or if it''s just me?

    Also...

    "Eat shit, you bald-head."

 Volume 11 - Chapter 72: Please dont argue with him. Ever.

    Eventually, I returned.

    "How was the walk into the principal''s office? Oh right, no point in questioning liars since they will just lie anyway."

    I''ll ignore her for one month straight. Today is March 6th, therefore, when it''s April 6th, this will end.

    This isn''t to say that I don''t mind extending this, but this is just the necessary length.

    And without anything to do, I waited until lunchtime.

    1 pm.

    Funny enough, my table partner didn''t bother to insist after that.

    As soon as the bell rang, Yulia looked in my direction.

    However...

    Someone was already in front of me before her look could connect.

    "Dan, this is urgent. I won''t take no for an answer. Come."

    "Yeah, okay."

    "Wait, you''re not arguing?"

    "Nope, Kawahara. I''m totally fine. As a matter of fact, I''ve been meaning to talk to you about something. Can we get going though? She''s gonna catch us..."

    With no complaints to my suggestion, Kawahara, Rayazaki, Kuzan, and I left the block with considerable speed and managed to not be caught by Yulia.

    We then went all the way to one of the main sections of the school that contained restaurants.

    There was an Indian restaurant and since Kawahara apparently loves spicy food, he suggested it.

    By the way, he paid for all of us. Somehow.

    Thus, we four went to the highest section of the building and ate while embracing the magnificent wind from the outside.

    "Hot! Hot! Hot!!"

    Kuzan, finally getting a taste of what Indian food is like, was going through hell as he lashed out his tongue in pure despair.

    "Needs more chili pepper."

    Yet Rayazaki added that the food itself needed more spice.

    Frankly, this was quite spicy.

    Is Rayazaki highly-tolerant when it comes to spicy stuff?

    "We are one step ahead already. Cuck Ryoken and cuck Susaga experienced public shaming yesterday. They won''t even look at us. But, we have to step our game up."

    "How, Kawahara?"

    "Simple. We start spreading rumors!"

    Rumors...?

    "I see what you mean, Kawahara. Even if the rest of us know about how Susaga and Ryoken feel towards Yukishiro and Gale, it''s far more important if we spread the rumors all the way to the girls themselves. Such a bummer that we can''t interact with other students though."

    "About that, Rayazaki... I already have that covered. What you mentioned won''t be a problem. However, we have to start spreading rumors. Each and every single one of you will be tasked with spreading those rumors. Daniel, you are close to Lus, right?"

    Where did Kawahara get that false information from?

    After I stuffed another chomp of the hot curry into my mouth and swallowed it, I replied awkwardly due to the steaming evaporation coming from the inside of my mouth.

    "N-No...! That''s just a misconception... I hate her."

    "What? I thought you two were super close. How else can you explain what happened this morning?"

    Oh.

    I guess Kawahara doesn''t know...

    "The bitch stabbed me with a pioneer... I''m surprised I haven''t fisted her vagina."

    The pain still hasn''t ceased to exist... She''s a psychopath. No one in their right mind stabs someone with a fucking pioneer...

    She needs some serious medical assistance.

    "Hahahaha!!! So that''s what happened! Mhm, I see. So you two aren''t close at all. Then, use the thot to spread the rumors."

    "Thot...?"

    There are so many in the class, who exactly is Kawahara referring to?

    "Yulia. Rayazaki, you are close to the shrimp, aren''t you?"

    Calmly eating his curry, Rayazaki stopped reading his book and projected all of his attention to Kawahara straight away.

    He''s been reading the same book over and over... Art of War...?

    Probably boring as hell.

    "Who is this shrimp you are referring to?"

    Does he seriously not realize who the shrimp is? There is only someone in the class who''s obnoxiously small.

    Kawahara, before replying, stuffed more and more curry onto his mouth and spoke regardless of the large amount that was inside it.

    "Hinagiku, you dumbass. Or do you two not just talk anymore?"

    "Oh... Hinagiku. No, we don''t. Well... She tries to talk to me but I just don''t have any idea what to talk to her about. The conversation is idle. So, no. We aren''t close. I think I''m just going to delete her contact."

    I spat my drink.

    "W-Wait, you''re going to delete her contact?!"

    "Hm? Yes. What''s the point of keeping a contact you have no use for? Or is it a common trend to keep useless contacts on your phone...? If so, then I didn''t know. Apologies."

    I feel like bursting right now. Rayazaki just said something as heartless as that.

    I''m creasing.

    "That''s weird... Did we ever have such a connection? I can''t recall."

    "Yeah! You two h--"

    "Silence, Kuzan!"

    "Yes..."

    Although Kuzan attempted to confirm Rayazaki''s doubts, he was quickly silenced by Kawahara.

    I can''t tell if this is just a professional act by Rayazaki or if he literally doesn''t recall.

    "Rayazaki, don''t insist on the shrimp then. Continue with Yukishiro."

    "Well, that was the plan."

    But would Rayazaki be successful in his endeavor? I have not witnessed their interactions yet.

    Also, Yulia wasn''t on sight. Does this mean that she didn''t bother to chase us and just went on with her stuff?

    Could this mean that Yulia and Sana and exchanging friendly words right now?

    That would be great.

    "Kuzan! You''re close to Kanawari, aren''t you?"

    "We are just friends! But, somewhat. We do talk a lot if that matters."

    Just friends but talk a lot.

    Is Kuzan trying to flex?

    "Perfect. Spread her the rumors as well. As for my part, I already have a fan club of my own. By tomorrow, you should all see the results of what I''m trying to imply."

    Mysterious as always, Kawahara refused to unilaterally explain what was going through his mind concretely.

    Since Kawahara seemed to be done with his speech, I stepped in.

    "Kawahara. I don''t think it''s going to work..."

    "Work? What? My plan? It will one-hundred percent work. As a matter of fact, we already made progress yest-"

    "No... Not that... I''m talking about my target..."

    I don''t have doubts when it comes to Kawahara honestly.

    It''s just a different story when it comes to Arkalee.

    "Arkalee?"

    "Yeah, Arkalee."

    "Oh. Perfect timing. Regarding that. You don''t have to try it anymore. I gave you the wrong target. That was partially my fault honestly."

    Wait...

    Did Kawahara just admit being in the wrong for once?

    "W-What? Master was wrong!?"

    Even Kuzan couldn''t help but be baffled. Rayazaki was certainly in the same position as he looked with doubtful eyes in Kawahara''s direction.

    "That''s strange, Kawahara. Are you sure you were wrong?"

    Nevertheless, Rayazaki still persisted.

    "It''s true. I was wrong..."

    We three gasped.

    An unbelievable scenario was upon us...

    Could it be that Kawahara was finally going to admit it----

    "I was wrong about being wrong!"

    Ah.

    It was too good to be true, wasn''t it...?

    "I''ve discussed something with the three of you privately. How I had a baseless theory regarding Arkalee! Yet, that was my grave mistake! How could I doubt my own theories!? Even if they are baseless, they are always right!"

    And once again, Kawahara was basking on his own self-fabricated prideful arrogance that was considerably unrivaled.

    He spoke with such exhilaration that I couldn''t find any traces of insecurities but only confident remarks.

    "Kawahara, what is that baseless theory, you may ask?!"

    Not me, not Rayazaki, not Kuzan, but Kawahara himself questioned himself while maintaining a jester''s posture.

    "Fancy question! Very well, I shall give you the privilege of receiving the sacred intriguing answer to it! You see, Arkalee has an oblivious crush on the bastard!"

    Wait, what?

    I mean.... Now that I think about it...

    "Sorry for my interruption, but who is this ''bastard'' you are referring to?"

    "There is only one bastard that is more bastard than the others among the bastards, Rayazaki!"

    Per usual, Kawahara refuses to get to the point and rather makes a joke about the identity of this ''bastard''.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Therefore, I''ll fill Rayazaki in.

    "Rayazaki, he''s referring to Hyunda..."

    But still...

    "Oh, I see. So, how exactly does Arkalee have a crush on Hyunda and how is that helpful to the plan, Kawahara?"

    "I thought you''d never ask, Rayazaki! First of all, although she tries to hide it, her field of vision is filled with the bastard and only the bastard. As someone who constantly monitors behaviors daily, Arkalee herself never really stood out. She was just this shy introvert that had nothing going for her. However! Something happened!"

    I feel like Kawahara''s exaggerating....

    You''d have to be insane to develop a crush for Hyunda. If you know how he truly is, then I don''t see him scoring with another girl.

    Plus, I thought he and Ikkiri had something going on yet they haven''t talked for all I know.

    Do they still talk to each other?

    "What exactly happened though?"

    Given my curiosity, I didn''t hold back and asked. Regardless of it''s a baseless theory or not, I don''t mind listening to what Kawahara has to say on this topic since it partially concerns me.

    "That''s something I don''t know. Hence, it''s a baseless theory. Nevertheless, I will continue."

    Hardly pleased, I stuffed more curry in.

    Then again, that certainly explains what Kawahara meant by ''baseless''.

    "Putting aside the unknown development that I am not aware of how it happened, something became pretty clear. Arkalee developed a crush on him. It''s undeniable if you think about it. Try and observe her actions for an entire day and your jaw will drop. She literally clings to him like it''s her life force."

    Seriously...?

    I mean, I never tried to observe her behavior, but if Kawahara says it''s like that then...

    "Furthermore, I suspect that this crush happened in-between the previous exam. Hear me out here. I''m about to speak the biggest of facts."

    The three of us, extremely curious paused our forks and knives and began to listen to Kawahara''s upcoming words with undivided attention.

    "Prior to the previous exam, Arkalee didn''t have this sort of behavior with him. Isn''t that weird though? Doesn''t this mean something?"

    If that''s the case, then is he saying that something happened in that time gap?

    Kuzan took this chance and answered Kawahara with his opinion.

    "T-Then! Something must''ve happened in the preparation for the exam! And they were paired up with one another!"

    "If they were paired up with one another, then they certainly must''ve developed a noticeable social bond, no?"

    Rayazaki might''ve hit the mark yet we allowed Kawahara to continue with his reasoning.

    "Slow down. You two are skipping steps. We have to consider the bastard''s personality first."

    Hyunda''s personality is........

    ".............."

    A quick silence was formed as we thought about Hyunda...

    He''s....

    "Master... I think Hyunda is a friendly guy... Yet sadistic! He burned my Yu-Gi-Oh! deck..."

    Kawahara helped though. What''s your point, Kuzan?

    That aside, I also gave my opinion regarding Hyunda.

    "He''s manipulative and never really speaks his true mind, I think. Only when it''s convenient..."

    And that''s assuming that he''s speaking the truth. At this point, I don''t trust a single word Hyunda says fully.

    "He''s devoid of morality, in my personal opinion. He keeps a mask to the public. All of this is to get to a single point. How would someone who has such traits even manage to get a beauty like Arkalee to have a crush on him?"

    "Maybe she digs bad guys?"

    Rayazaki''s option wasn''t something to overestimate. There are several girls out there who behave properly but secretly dig for something that they will never speak about.

    It''s not such an orthodox guess at the end of the day.

    "We don''t know. That''s something we can agree on. The whole point of this was to confirm that something took place prior to the previous exam. Now, here is the most interesting part that might cause some confusion. Generally speaking, who does the bastard hang out with the most? Or better yet who DID the bastard used to hang out with the most?"

    Kawahara asked a question that I and Kuzan immediately knew.

    I''m not certain regarding Rayazaki, but it was crystal clear to both of us, and surely, for Kawahara as well.

    "Master, you''re talking about Ikkiri!"

    "Without a doubt Ikkiri, right, Kawahara?"

    "Ikkiri?"

    Rayazaki puzzled, questioned both of our approaches.

    Despite that, Kawahara advanced with his reasoning.

    "It''s exactly as you three said. She''s being bullied right now. I was absent so I missed out on the drama and trust me, I regret it, but from what I''ve heard, Ikkiri is being targetted by someone in class. Now... Let''s think collectively for a second. You''re a girl. You develop a crush on this bad guy who FOR SOME REASON you now dig. But then you notice that the guy who you have a crush on hangs out with this girl more than you do. ASSUMABLY, this pisses you off. How would you get rid of this problematic girl?"

    Is Kawahara seriously implying what I''m thinking he''s implying...?

    I hope not. It''s ridiculous to consider Arkalee as....

    "Kuzan, go!"

    Kuzan was up first, so Kawahara ordered him to start this chain.

    "Ummmm....! Um... Um... That''s... This is a hypothetical scenario only, right?"

    "That''s correct. We aren''t assuming anyone here. Just running hypothesis."

    Somehow, something tells me that in your mind, Kawahara, that''s not the case at all.

    "Then... Wouldn''t it make sense to attempt to get rid of that girl? Assuming that I was the girl that had a crush on Hyunda... I wouldn''t be okay with that."

    Kuzan, please say no homo.

    "Yes, yes, Kuzan! However, what exactly would you do to get rid of the girl?"

    "Spend more time with Hyunda?"

    That''s an option, I suppose. There shouldn''t be any problem with this option, honestly.

    If you are this girl, which is probably Arkalee... Then, as long as you try to spend more time with Hyunda than this other girl, which is probably Ikkiri, then I don''t see the problem.

    "Moving on. Rayazaki. What''s your take on this?"

    Rayazaki did the thinking pose before replying.

    Is he secretly aiming to become a philosopher or something?

    "I don''t know anything regarding Arkalee, so I won''t base my answer on her."

    "This is a hypothetical scenario. I understand if your point is that you can''t base much on the scenery without knowing Arkalee in general, but this doesn''t necessarily involve Arkalee, Rayazaki."

    Except it does...

    "Correct. That''s what I think too. Therefore... I think it would be more sophisticated to get rid of the problematic girl. Kill her, maybe? No, that would go against the rules, obviously. Mhm... I don''t think you can do anything regarding this... It''s this problematic girl''s freedom to approach Hyunda in the first place...."

    In the end, Rayazaki came to the conclusion that by default, there was nothing that could''ve been done.

    He reasoned that despite this problematic girl''s obnoxiousness that it wouldn''t matter in the end because that was simply her freedom manifesting itself.

    "Dan, you''re next."

    Unlike the previous opinion, I assumed a more personal stance towards Kawahara''s questioning.

    "This is totally about Arkalee and Ikkiri, so I won''t go with a hypothetical scenario... But... I don''t think Arkalee would do something like that in the first place. She''s way too introverted to actually commit such direct actions, don''t you think? Therefore... Maybe through indirect actions? I don''t know what those actions are though..."

    I''m exaggerating a bit, honestly.

    In my mind, there''s no way that this is actually true. Someone who is naturally introverted would be coincidentally charmed with an extrovert''s personality since the extrovert is like the other missing half of the introvert.

    Plus, labeling it as ''charmed'' is also an exaggeration.

    We are most likely over-analyzing things...

    "Wrong. Wrong. And... Wrong! How did you three miss out on something this obvious?"

    Woahh.... Is he seriously branding us this hard...?

    He''s even mildly spitting his food onto us... Christ.

    "First of all, by the assumption that Arkalee truly developed a crush on the bastard in that time gap, it''s fair to assume that by doing so, she might''ve developed minimal possessive tendencies. By minimal tendencies, I''m talking about facilitating physical closure. They certainly are close right now, aren''t they? Physically speaking, they are extremely close. You can''t deny this."

    ...True...

    What Kawahara just said is an undeniable truth. Yet that''s only because Hyunda failed the exam due to Arkalee''s absence.

    Without Arkalee''s absence, I don''t know what would''ve happened. I think that they would''ve passed the exam with ease.

    The problem is Hyunda. I think that he might''ve failed on purpose for his own personal reasons...

    "But Master didn''t Hyunda and Arkalee just become closer because Arkalee was absent?! She got a fever... Wasn''t it purely coincidental or accidental?"

    "True enough, Kuzan. Supposedly, Arkalee got a fever. Therefore, her absence. Now... What would''ve happened if she didn''t get a fever? She would be able to participate in the events and in theory, they might''ve just won the exam. NOW, what would be the grand result, Kuzan?"

    We slowly realized what Kawahara was implying even though it was on the back of our minds this whole time.

    "If they passed the exam, then... They wouldn''t be paired up in class. Ahhh! But that''s only under the assumption that Ikkiri would pass the exam..."

    Without Ikkiri passing the exam, I strongly doubt that they would remain together in class still.

    Kawahara, smirked in response to Kuzan''s reluctant words.

    "And would you look at that, Ikkiri was absent too. Stomachache, was it? A little bit too convenient, don''t you think?"

    I had to interrupt Kawahara. He''s just spewing way too many baseless things at this point.

    "Kawahara, it was just a coincid--"

    "It was not a coincidence! Coincidences don''t exist! That''s bullshit! Every moment is formed with a reason behind it! You can only call it a coincidence if you don''t know the cause of that event!"

    I just wanted to point out how illogical it might be to assume all of this suddenly, but Kawahara didn''t even let me finish and simply yelled back at me with his short-tempered words.

    All the rest of the students that were in this superficial area were attracted to Kawahara''s high-pitched sentence quickly.

    "Anyway, my point was that Ikkiri''s absence wasn''t a coincidence given that it was a little bit too convenient. Out of the other ten girls in the class, Arkalee, who probably developed a crush on the bastard during that time gap, and Ikkiri, who hung out with the bastard the majority of the time, were both absent. And I call that bullshit. Know why? Because Arkalee had all the reason in the world to target her. By making her absent and by making herself absent as well, the bastard and Arkalee were rightfully paired up with one another."

    .....................

    I ignored the previous event and summarized my thoughts for a second... Despite all of his lack of anecdotical evidence, I can''t argue against Kawahara''s points when it comes to the probabilities...

    Though, it will take me more than this to believe in something that has no anecdotical evidence for sure.

    "Wait... Wait, wait, Master! Doesn''t this mean that Arkalee might''ve been the one behind the recent incident!?"

    "Take a chill pill, Kuzan! I told you to not skip steps. I''ll get to that eventually. Subsequently, after both of her absences, the result was that the bastard and Arkalee got paired up. I mentioned something before this though. What would the girl that''s annoyed by the problematic girl''s presence be aiming for all this time? Wouldn''t it just make the most sense to aim to take her place? Especially when that place is arguably the place where the bastard and Ikkiri spend the most time together?"

    Well, it''s official.

    Kawahara finally acknowledged that this was no longer a hypothetical scenario and moved onto the real thing.

    Still...

    "To strength my point, all of this wouldn''t be enough for Arkalee, right? If she has a solid crush on the bastard, then something else needed to be applied. The funniest part about this is that Arkalee probably thinks she''s clever as fuck. She probably thinks that no one has caught up. I could literally end her career if I wanted to right now."

    No, I doubt that''s possible.

    No one in their right minds would believe you. Plus, you are forgetting that more than half of the class including all the girls right now hate you with the deepest of all hatreds.

    "The time gap between the last exam and this current incident is far too short. She clearly didn''t think this through enough. Typical though. If she was actually smart, she would give this a little more time. Yet, something was pressuring her. We don''t know what though. But I can construct a very simple guess. She''s thirsty for the bastard on an absurd level!"

    "What......"

    Kawahara is a professional when it comes to exaggeration...

    I''ve observed how Arkalee behaves, but... Once we return to the classroom, I''ll observe her behavior with actual attention this time around.

    I don''t want to believe Kawahara because he doesn''t have maximum evidence, but...

    What if I''m just completely wrong?

    "I wasn''t present during the whole drama, which makes me doubt what I''m going to say to a conceivable degree... But Arkalee was most likely the one who planned the incident that took place recently."

    "Wait, what!? Master, that''s absurd!"

    "I agree with Kuzan here, Kawahara. Regardless of your take on this, Arkalee blamed Tateyana for the incident. It would make the most sense for Arkalee to blame Ikkiri if she really was after her..."

    Rayazaki spoke my mind clearly on this as well.

    What sense would it make for Arkalee to be behind this...

    Someone who is an introvert can''t possibly do something like this... Accordingly, that makes no sense...

    "Fools. That type of mindset is lethal in these circumstances. If Arkalee truly didn''t blame Ikkiri, then she played it out well. Too bad that when it''s against me, playing it well won''t be enough. She re-directed the blame onto someone else to illude the audience. Stop dancing on the palm of her hand and trust my take on this."

    So according to Kawahara, we are just dancing on the palm of her hand...?

    Yet would Arkalee really be this manipulative? I feel like this is a bit too impressive to be done by someone like Arkalee...

    My opinion regarding Arkalee isn''t high at all. But Kawahara isn''t exactly praising her at the same time.

    He''s using her potential actions as possibilities whilst claiming that they are useless in face of him.

    "The ultimate result was to make Ikkiri feel out of place and that''s apparently working. In other words, Arkalee''s work is shaping itself to be something praise-worthy. But, Arkalee didn''t do this. At all."

    "Wait, what!?"

    Now I''m confused. He accuses Arkalee but then takes that back?

    I''m seriously puzzled right now...

    "It''s very simple, Daniel. Let me put this from an easy and comprehensible perspective. You know chess, correct?"

    "Yeah..."

    Who doesn''t...

    "Great. You see the Queen, right? Tell me something, what stands in front of the Queen at all times?"

    "The pawns..."

    Why is Kawahara asking me something to simple though...?

    I looked at Rayazaki, who seems to have caught onto something that I haven''t.

    "That''s right. The pawns will always be in front of the Queen, effectively guarding her against any danger. In a sense, the Queen never has to directly exhort any influential actions by herself if the pawns do it all for her. Now, try to apply this in a scenario of reality. If there was someone that had the qualification to this ''Queen'' then surely, her pawns would do anything for her. Yes... Even something that can be labeled as pure absurdity throughout the majority of the regulations."

    At first, I didn''t get it, but it eventually clicked.

    Seriously...

    Why doesn''t he just tell things how it is? Kawahara and honesty don''t come together at all...

    "Arkalee is the Queen, right, Kawahara?"

    "Excellent! You caught up!"

    Bastard...

    "Yes, Arkalee is the supposed Queen here. As I also mentioned, Arkalee doesn''t have to do any direct actions if her pawns do it all for her."

    That brought up a question that Rayazaki instantly threw at Kawahara.

    "Who are these pawns you speak of, Kawahara?"

    "We already know one. Tatsu, in my opinion, is one of her pawns. Now that all of this is coming together, she would need more and more pawns for all of this to work. Therefore, I suspect that Arkalee has under her control more pawns."

    Seriously..........

    Kawahara is labeling Arkalee as someone who is similar to that of a mastermind but I just can''t see it that way.

    It doesn''t click.

    "However, this is all pretty much irrelevant."

    "Wait, then why did you bother to explain it all to us, Kawahara?"

    "It was more toward you, Daniel. I just explained to you why it''s irrelevant for you to maintain your previous target, which was Arkalee. Whether the bastard likes it or not, he''s indirectly helping us. He''s part of my team and he''s contributing unknowingly!"

    I wonder if it''s actually unknowingly as Kawahara says...

    And besides...

    "Dude... You wasted basically the majority of our lunchtime with this long-ass explanation! I can''t believe you, man!"

    "Oh, shut up! It was an amazing explanation! My elegant contribution aside, Arkalee''s case isn''t something that''s worth digging into. This was just an explanation. Your target will be Gale. You have no excuse here. It''s gonna be hard because she''s close to that cuck Ryoken, but you got this, I believe."

    He''s literally tossing me responsibility again...

    And Gale out of all of them... I think she''s even more boring than Arkalee.

    How the hell do you even approach a bookworm? I sincerely have no clue...

    "For the record, I''m not buying your theory, Kawahara..."

    "That''s alright. The theory wasn''t my point. It''s baseless. You can''t deny it though. Chasing after Arkalee will be fruitless because she''s attached to the bastard. Unless you want to go out of your way to prove me wrong. Bring her to your knees and I''ll gladly admit that I''m wrong."

    "......"

    No way that''s gonna happen is there... For Kawahara to be so confident about this, I strongly doubt that chasing after Arkalee is going to work.

    Besides, I''ll observe her behavior during class to determine whether or not she has a crush on Hyunda.

    "Kuzan! Hours!"

    "Yes, Master! 1:50 pm!"

    "Shit, we got only 10 minutes! Alright, let''s move out! Destination! Infirmary! We''re getting the red-headed lord of absences who hasn''t showed his face in fucking weeks!"

    Who is Kawahara talking about....?

 Volume 11 - Chapter 73: Reflection.

    "Master, are you talking about who I think you are talking about?"

    "I don''t know now, Kuzan. You probably think that grass is red so I would have to question my intelligence if our thoughts intertwined."

    Walking out of the superficial airy restaurant, Kuzan and Kawahara had an exchange of words.

    In our class, there are only two red-headed individuals. Assuming that Kawahara is referring to their hair color, that is...

    Akimiyashika and...

    "I don''t think the grass is red!"

    Kuzan most likely missed the whole joke. If it was a joke, that is...

    High-spirited as always, Kawahara was taking charge while guiding us to yet unknown boundaries.

    Soon, that place became common knowledge to all of us. Regarding the place, Kawahara mentioned that it was the infirmary room, but he never mentioned which one.

    For what I know, there is one located in each block.

    I know this because there is one in block F, so it wouldn''t be such a blunder to assume that there are more in each block. Besides, if a semi-haunted block like block F has the privilege of receiving an infirmary room, then I don''t see the issue.

    In the end, with a fast-paced walk, we four reached a certain infirmary room.

    Far more prestigious and well taken care of, it could not be compared to block F''s infirmary room.

    The architecture structure was undoubtedly superior and the medical resources were far vaster in comparison.

    And even though there were beds to allow the patients to rest and recover, only one of the beds was being occupied.

    "Good afternoon."

    Given that we four were already inside the infirmary room, the first person to speak to us was an extremely old man. Around his 70''s, if I had to guess.

    Furthermore, he had a really long white beard, truly fit of his age, essentially.

    "Geezer, can you move out of the way? Because you''re in it."

    Rude Kawahara without any possible tact gladly said that with an overconfident smirk on his face.

    Not that I have a superior attitude, but to trash-talk someone on your first encounter?

    "Sir Silvestre, could we bother you for a while?"

    With maximum formality, Rayazaki fixed Kawahara''s previously rude-mannered sentence straight-up.

    What the hell happened to this guy...

    "Yes.....But..... What class are you four young ones from.....?"

    This time around, he spoke extremely slow. Also, Rayazaki addressed the old man by ''Sir Silvestre'' because it''s the name that''s allocated in his uniform.

    Makes sense.

    "Class 1-F."

    I answered.

    "Oh! Really?! Really?! Hey, Silvestre! Did I just hear that?! 1-F!?"

    The voice that spoke out was completely partial until now. It''s not as if we didn''t know the voice but it had been a while since we had listened to it.

    Though, I don''t recall his voice being so high-pitched...

    "Oh, is that...?"

    Kuzan, doubting his own hearing threw that question to the air, dumbfounded.

    "You bet your ass it is."

    On the other hand, confident as always, Kawahara didn''t hesitate on giving Kuzan the confirmation he was seeking all along.

    As a matter of fact, it became apparent to all of us the moment a semi-tall teenager that had the same uniform as us came out of one of the beds that was being occupied.

    Actually, as previously mentioned, it was the only bed being occupied.

    "Yes, Akihiko... Also..."

    In the presence of Akihiko, a teenager that possessed a considerable built for his age and a short crimson red hair, Silvestre took ahold of his cane that was right at his side.

    Certainly, we had no idea what was about to happen.

    To us, Silvestre was just this really nice old man. Someone who could not hurt us in any possible way.

    Yet...

    "Get out! Get out! My room! You''ve been free-loading here for weeks, you damn pest! Get yer ass back to class ya dork and don''t come back!!"

    Violently swinging his cane somehow, Silvestre struck us with a wave of surprise. Especially because we just didn''t have that image of him.

    "Crap. Run!!"

    Out of all of us, Kuzan started to run immediately. Akihiko was ahead of Kuzan already though, as he had already exited the infirmary room.

    Naturally, every single one of us ran until the exit of the block.

    "W-What was that!?"

    "Ahh.... Ahhh...! Mood swings. Don''t question it. At first, Silvestre was really nice but I don''t know why he just gets mad at me from time to time! He says I''m freeloading but he said that I could freeload! What''s up with that?!"

    On the exit of the block, we caught our breaths due to the sprint we had to give in order to escape the wrath of that long-ass cane.

    To the outside students, it looked as if we did something we shouldn''t have...

    Nevertheless, Akihiko answered my question with a lot of details... It''s been a while since we have talked.

    "Also. Quick question to you four... But, who are you?"

    This single question puzzled us as we allowed the wind gusts to hit the surface of our faces.

    Akihiko had the expression of someone who was clueless about our identities. Frankly speaking, I had no clue what to say.

    "We are your mates!"

    "Kuzan, you stupid moron. We are not aussies. What kind of fucking answer is that?"

    Lightly hitting the back of Kuzan''s head with a small tap, Kawahara called out to him immediately.

    I didn''t get the joke that Kawahara was trying to insinuate though...

    Is it that obvious?

    "Akihiko, we are your best friends! Meet me, the greatest human being and sperm to ever be created! Rayazaki! Daniel! Kuzan! Oh, right. My name is Kawahara."

    Why did he address himself so greatly but when it came down to address the rest of us he just called us out by our names?

    Does it really hurt to compliment an individual that''s not you that much?

    "You guys even know my name! We must''ve been close then! Ahh, that''s just weird, man! Really weird! I can''t remember you guys... Nor anyone in general. Except the old man Silvestre, of course."

    Now that''s weird. Even though I hit him with a brachial stun, the side-effects did not show that he forgot who I was.

    How come he doesn''t remember anything? Man, this is just... First Rayazaki and now him?

    What?

    "That''s really weird... I don''t remember doing it to you for sure..."

    Kawahara mumbled to himself those mysterious words.

    Yet quickly, as he looked at his golden wrist-watch, he called us out with a loud voice.

    "Holy shit! We''re fucking late! Run!!"

    After checking my phone and realizing that it was 2:03 pm, we quickly panicked.

    Except Akihiko who was still wondering what was happening. Therefore, I just told him some simple words that he sure would understand.

    "Akihiko, we gotta run or else the demon will eat us alive!"

    "Huh?! The demon!?"

    "Yeah, dude! Come on!"

    "I don''t really get it, but alright!"

    Akihiko, you might not understand right now, but... There''s a real demon inside our classroom right now!

    We got too used to Yuka-sensei and we forgot what a real demon was like!

    A draconian teacher who has no sense of tact nor morality is truly fit to rule the likes of us but damn it! That doesn''t make me feel better about this!

    2:10 pm. Block F.

    Akihiko, while entering the block was observing the area with a high degree of curiosity. If I had to picture a guess, he was probably comparing the lack of structure that this block overall has in comparison with all of the other blocks.

    Lastly, before arriving onto the main classroom, Akihiko, as soon as he looked into one of the windows pulled me behind.

    "What the hell!?"

    "Oh my god... Oh my god... Oh my god...!"

    We hadn''t even crossed the main hall that would make the classroom be visible to us yet as soon as Akihiko got a view of it, he freaked out.

    Kawahara, Rayazaki, and Kuzan were already ahead of us for the record.

    "Dude, what is it?!"

    Akihiko kept on checking the classroom view from outside, in and out, slowly, while looking in one direction only.

    Where is he looking at though...?

    No, who is he looking at?

    "W-Who is that blue-haired girl?!"

    Since he pushed me all the way here where none of my classmates could see us, I put myself in his physical position and saw what he was seeing.

    Besides, there are three blue-haired girls in our class...

    I aimed my index finger at Tateyana, who seemed to be his target.

    "Are you talking about Tateyana?"

    "What!? No, no, no! That one! Thaaaaaatttt onneeeee! Ya see that really short girl with that cute looking face seating all alone!? Who is she?!"

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    This time, Akihiko literally guided my index finger and pointed at the blue-haired girl who he was aiming for all along.

    Honestly, I realized who he was referring to the moment he said ''short girl'' and ''seating all alone''. Sincerely speaking, the majority of the girls in our class are beautiful to an absurd level.

    Some don''t particularly stand out, but when they do, it becomes pretty obvious.

    "Hinagiku?"

    "Waaah, that''s her name!? Dude, that''s super cute, I''m telling you! Can I just call her Hina?!"

    Why is he asking me this?

    "Everyone remotely close to her calls her that, so I don''t see the issue here..."

    Does he seriously not remember Hinagiku? Hinagiku failed due to his absence.

    And... We are losing time, damn it!

    "Yo, Akihiko, we gotta---"

    "Dude, dude. I''m gonna ask her out. Is she seeing someone right now?! Quick, answer me!"

    Akihiko is overwhelmingly bursting with enthusiasm right now. His curious attitude in light of Hinagiku''s existence is similar to a child that just found a new toy.

    Did he fall in love with Hinagiku at first sight?

    "No... I don''t think so----"

    "Then, it''s settled! Watch me! I''ll ask her out right now!"

    ......What?

    No way he''s serious. He''d have to endure a shameful amount of shaming if he publically just asked Hinagiku out right now.

    Plus, doing it in front of the demon will bare its own morbid consequences.

    "Forget it. You don''t have the balls to do it."

    "Wanna bet?"

    He''s smiling rather confidently... But, there''s just no way you''d confess to a girl you haven''t even talked to before, supposedly.

    If it''s true that he doesn''t remember anything, then this should be impossible for Akihiko.

    "No money. But I don''t think you can do it."

    "Watch me, then."

    Without saying anything back, he lifted himself from the ground that we were hiding in and walked towards the classroom with a confident posture.

    In my mind, he was still not going to commit.

    However, as we both walked in, Akihiko did the unthinkable.

    On his knees, with his right hand on his heart, Akihiko ignored all the possible looks that just about everyone in the classroom was transmitting back at him.

    Certainly, his appearance came as odd because he''s been absent for so long yet despite that, he didn''t care and actually went straight to the point whilst basking in all this glorious attention.

    "Oh hey, I know this is sudden and really awkward and I also know we just met each other so I''ll get down to it. I fell in love with you at first sight and I want you to go out with me. I hope you are fine with it. You''re really cute and pretty. More than that, if we were, to be honest with each oth---"

    Akihiko''s spontaneously embarrassing proposal was interrupted because a gigantic piece of white chalk was thrown at his head.

    It was still hard to believe that actually just happened.

    Needless to say, it was cringe as hell.

    "Ouch! What the hell, old man!? Can''t you see you''re interrupting my proposal?! I just met the love of my life and now you do me like this!? Talk about unfair, man!"

    ....................

    Akihiko, you...

    You don''t know who you are speaking to, do you...?

    "Hahahaha!! The balls! I love this guy!"

    Kawahara couldn''t hold back and the majority of the class started to laugh at Akihiko for what he just did.

    I don''t think a single soul in this class didn''t laugh at Akihiko, who was wondering why he was being laughed at.

    Well...

    There were a few people that didn''t laugh though... Sana, Ikkiri, Rayazaki, Basara-sensei and the damsel herself, Hinagiku, who was with her eyes extremely wide open.

    What?

    Is she having trouble facing the reality of the situation?

    "Old man? Say that again."

    The mark of the white chalk was still on the back of his head throughout all of this. For the record, Kawahara, Kuzan, and Rayazaki, who could not advertise his eyes from his book, were still on the front door of the classroom observing the situation.

    Our judgment was still waiting to be received.

    "What?! Old man! Old maaaaaaan! You''re so old! Hey, old man! Why aren''t you in a reformatory yet? Too young for you?! Hahahaha!!"

    Akihiko was expecting a few laughs as he looked to every single one of us. Little did he know, the majority of us, except Kawahara, Hyunda, and myself, looked away.

    The only reason I was looking at him was just so he could possibly understand how dead he was.

    Basara-sensei simply pulled out his phone and made a call.

    That call was intercepted by an unknown person yet I had a clear idea of who it was as soon as Basara-sensei spoke to the voice.

    "Yo. Yes. A rat. No, more like a sewer rat that doesn''t know its place. No food until the morning. Ads? No, no. Feminist rants. You see, the rat here thinks he''s good with women. We gotta let him know. Alright. Thank you."

    F-Feminist rants?!

    He''s talking to King George, isn''t he?! Well, was.

    Basara-sensei ended the call immediately.

    "Sagasuga, show him the way."

    "Yes, sir."

    For some reason, Sagasuga obeyed Basara-sensei''s order and dragged Akihiko outside of the classroom in a flash.

    The latter still had a saying before he ceased to exist at this moment.

    "W-Wait! Don''t forget what I said! It''s really importa--"

    Sagasuga slammed the door.

    Best of luck, Akihiko.

    Hinagiku was still perplexed for some reason.

    As for the rest of us four...

    "10 minutes late. Not only that but you four brought a clown along which coincidentally happens to be your classmate. Also, he called me an old man. Hey, you four. Look at me."

    We refused to look though.

    Not even Kawahara dared to act out of the line this time. Basara-sensei''s lines were publicly shaming us in front of the rest.

    Hella embarrassing....

    "I said look at me! Kuzan! What do you have to say in your defense for being ten minutes late?!"

    "I-I-I-I don''t know! The food was too spicy!"

    Kuzan came out of the closet with the worst excuse ever. Obviously, he was laughed at.

    "Food too spicy?! That''s no excuse! Rayazaki! What do you have to say?!"

    "Um.. We went to pay Akihiko a visit and took a longer turn due to it. I think it''s justifiable that w--"

    "Like hell is it! Kawahara! What do you have to say?!"

    Rayazaki was quickly shut down by Basara-sensei who was venting his emotions to us in front of the whole class.

    Ahhh maaaannn. This is so embarrassing...

    Why do teachers always do this....

    I don''t want my turn to come, I don''t want it. Please, please.

    "Funny you ask. You see, I went to the laundry shop and----"

    "Daniel!"

    He didn''t even let Kawahara lie...

    And now it was my turn...

    "..........."

    Adverting my eyes to the ground, without shaking, I admired the beauty of the cold looking ground.

    Silence is the best weapon...

    "Oh, I see. Too much of a pussy to even look at me. Very well. It''s all shits and giggles for you retards, isn''t it? My rules? A joke? That''s probably what you four are thinking. Therefore, since you four took 10 minutes to get here, I will give you all one simple task. Enjoy!"

    30 minutes later.

    In my defense, if I knew that this was the end goal, then I wouldn''t have done all of this in the first place.

    No, seriously. What kind of teacher makes you do something like this?!

    I like to think that there''s a limit to being unreasonable but this demon...

    "10 minutes is the equivalent of 100 sentences. You four will write ''I am a sorry pathetic excuse of a student and an oblivious retard.'' Break more rules and it will only get worse. Oh, right. When you are done, come to my desk. Needless to say, before the class ends, I''ll have you four speak out loud. What you''ll be speaking to the public are those sentences, of course! Hahahahaha!!!"

    Thus, right now, I''m firmly staring down at my notebook as I pounder my options to escape this embarrassing punishment.

    Sincerely, I want to blame Akihiko. I think that we are receiving such a brutal punishment because he called Basara-sensei a boomer.

    Basara-sensei isn''t a boomer. In fact, he''s probably not even a decade older than us...

    "Aight, I''m done! Take a look! This took a lot of effort..."

    Kawahara was apparently done already. Seriously...?

    Would he actually write what Basara-sensei said down? Well, he''s directing himself to his desk, so...

    However, as soon as Basara-sensei received Kawahara''s sheet, he ripped it in pieces, which attracted the attention of everyone undoubtedly.

    "200 sentences this time. Repeat this again and I''ll add it to 2000."

    ".........."

    Kawahara''s joke seems to have backfired.

    No, it backfired way too much.

    Just what the hell did he write!? This shit''s giving me anxiety. No way, man.

    I don''t wanna endure the hellish embarrassment that is to speak all of this out loud! Especially to all of them!

    "Pitiful."

    And of course, cheery on top, the bitch had a saying about this. She''s been trying to concentrate on her work but she ends up giggling in the most obnoxious way possible.

    Every time I think to myself that there will be a moment of silence, her irritable giggle occupies my thoughts!

    Damn it!!!

    I refuse to do this shit.

    And that is why...

    I''ll occupy my mind with something more interesting.

    Kawahara''s previous words didn''t exactly leave my mind. Words regarding Arkalee. How supposedly she has a crush on Hyunda.

    Henceforth, I''ll procrastinate and focus on the scenario that''s not so far away from me.

    My desk is quite far away in comparison to Arkalee''s desk.

    Despite the laughable scenario that happened, Arkalee was focused on studying the festival''s themes, from the looks of it.

    It''s seriously impressive how Hyunda is maintaining his posture in the presence of such beauty.

    However... Kawahara... I can''t believe you.

    Was it always this obvious?

    I''m feeling dumb just by only noticing it now.

    The hints are everywhere....

    The moment Hyunda looks at Arkalee, Arkalee can barely look at her. That''s a physical embarrassment. She feels attracted just by eye-to-eye contact. It''s not something that''s rare, as a matter of fact, it''s pretty natural, I suppose.

    On the other hand, whenever Hyunda takes his eyes of Arkalee, she stares at him with such potency. It''s as if her eyes are glued to his figure and his figure alone.

    Usually, amidst this boring classroom, I like to observe my surroundings. Slowly and steady yet I get bored of doing so.

    Arkalee contrasts this behavior of mine. She does not look elsewhere except Hyunda.

    Furthermore, their physical closure is absurdly small. Her lips almost touch his lips whenever they are speaking....

    Is Hyunda aware of this...? I can''t tell... Could it be that he''s not aware of this? What are the odds?

    No, how would you not be aware of this...?

    Distinctively, Arkalee, from time to time attempts to close the physical distance between her right hand and Hyunda''s left hand down below their desk yet she never fully takes that opportunity.

    Instead, she slowly backs off... Nevertheless, she repeats the whole process over and over.......

    Plus, she''s literally shoving her cleavage onto his chest. I mean this. It''s as if she''s doing this on purpose.

    All of this aside, Arkalee''s oddly happy. Yesterday, she wasn''t this happy. Did something happen yesterday?

    It''s hard to deny it now. Arkalee''s obviously physically attracted to Hyunda. They are even giggling to one another.

    Arkalee''s smile is undividedly charming in all aspects. There''s nothing about her appearance that a man couldn''t desire.

    Even her measures are optimal.

    Just a look at her black thighs makes m---

    I''m getting side-tracked...

    Anyways...

    Why is she attracted to him? Physically speaking, Hyunda shouldn''t be THAT attractive. Or do girls just dig silver hair that much? Why though...

    Oh.

    She looked elsewhere.

    But...

    Why there?

    Tatsu?

    No.

    Ikkiri?

    Why in her direction? What?

    Ikkiri''s facing depression per usual. She''s sunk on her arms for some reason which is beyond my caring.

    Therefore, why would Arkalee be bothered with Ikkiri at this point? She never looks elsewhere...

    Yet somehow she decided to look into Ikkiri''s direction. In addition to that, I could catch a glimpse of a small smile on Arkalee''s face.

    What......?

    Why is Ikkiri somehow relevant?

    That look towards Ikkiri didn''t last long as Arkalee resumed her previous stance.

    I suppose I''ll ask Hyunda about this later...

    For now, I''m stuck with this.

    6:30 pm.

    "Wow, you look devastated."

    Hyunda''s right. After being forced to speak in front of the whole class and saying those painful sentences out loud, a shard of my soul was discarded and tossed into the dark abyss...

    None of my previous teachers ever gave me this hellish punishment...

    How unjust!

    As for the current location, we are just chilling on an outside bench while glancing upon the dusk.

    Far away, in the middle of that dark crimson horizon, the sun keeps falling down and down.

    At first, it looks like the sun will stay in the same position and truly speaking, the sun always stays in the same position. The Earth simply orbits...

    No wait, the sun also moves, but...

    Ahh, I don''t care.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Nothing really..."

    There''s so much stuff in my head recently. Kawahara''s plan, the upcoming questionnaire, the upcoming special exam, the whole festival, what the principal said, the devilish grin of my obnoxious table partner...

    "Mhm... You''re not being honest. There''s plenty of stuff in your mind, probably. Why not let it out?"

    "Ahhh... It''s just... It''s my own problems. I''m not selfish to the point where I would involve others with my own problems..."

    I''m still glad that he was down to have a conversation like this after class. Although I''m relaxing all the way back on this bench, I''m feeling incredibly exhausted.

    ...................

    "Talk about them. It''s worse if you keep it all to yourself. But I understand if you don''t want to talk about them. Personal problems will be personal."

    "No, Hyunda... It''s not really personal problems... Well, it IS, but..."

    "But you don''t know where to begin, do you?"

    Truly...

    But my problems can come another time.

    Right now...

    "Yo... Have you noticed?"

    "Noticed what?"

    "Don''t play dumb, Hyunda... I''m talking about Arkalee."

    "What of her?"

    Is this guy serious....?

    As I thought he really doesn''t notice...

    "I think she has a crush on you, dude..."

    "Wow, you think? Damn, I''m getting popular. Okay, but why would you think like that?"

    Does he seriously mean that or is he messing with me...? His satire smile confuses me so much...

    It''s like I''m talking to some sort of reflection and not an actual person...

    "Dude... You probably haven''t noticed but the way she acts around you makes it so obvious... Have you seen how clingy she is towards you? That''s an obvious sign!"

    "Clingy? How so?"

    "I''m talking about your physical distance! There''s barely any!"

    "I see, Daniel. So, you have a crush on me, then. Our physical distance is barely any. There''s like ten centimeters separating our bodies right now."

    .................

    Is he....

    "Hahaha! I''m kidding. I was just using your argument. But, if that''s what you want to think, then why not? More importantly, what about you? Are you going to make an advancement onto a girl soon? Or do you plan on dying dry?"

    By dying dry, he''s referring to dying a virgin...

    Well, to answer his question, it would be better if I answered it honestly.

    Therefore, I told him about my relationship with Yulia.

    "Keep this a secret please."

    "Yeah, yeah, you got it. But wow, you and Yulia? Who would''ve thought! It''s not as if all the hints are there! Yet you said that she''s being a bother to you right now. Why not just break up with her?"

    Just like Kawahara, Hyunda arrived at the same conclusion.

    It wasn''t something that I didn''t expect, really.

    "To be honest with you... I just don''t know what to do. I want to just tell her that I don''t actually love her and that it was all an act, but what if she reacts in a bad way?"

    Hyunda pondered my words for a bit before speaking.

    Do I just lack the courage to break up with her? Well... We aren''t really in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. We never really established such things...

    "I see. Your fear is her reaction. I get it now. But, this isn''t a problem if you don''t have to get involved with this consequence."

    ............?

    "What are you talking about? I''m bound to suffer the consequences regardless of whether I like it or not, Hyunda..."

    "No, I don''t agree. I''m willing to exemplify to you how you can avoid her wrath while terminating your relationship swiftly if you so want."

    ....

    Is Hyunda being optimistic or is he just being unrealistic...?

    "Is there even such a way? And even if there is a way, I would be owning you something, wouldn''t I?"

    "Don''t you remember what I told you yesterday? I owe you. This is my way to repay you. There''s no catch here. Though, tell me. When do you want your relationship with her to terminate?"

    He''s actually serious.

    I don''t sense any hints of sarcasm nor any dark satire humor coming out of him.

    His eyes tell no lies. And thus, in a leap of impulsive, I spoke in agreement.

    "Before the end of this month... But, you seriously don''t have to bot--"

    "I see. When though? Any day in specific or do I get to choose by myself?"

    A day....?

    Well...

    "When the festival ends, I guess."

    Don''t tell me he''s actually serious...

    Ultimately, against my doubt, Hyunda rose up from his seat, took ahold of his school bag and walked out to the dorm while leaving a few words to me.

    "I''ll seek to this matter personally. As mentioned, this is repayment, so don''t feel unnecessarily charged for this. Also, before your relationship comes to an end, if there are important words you want to say to her, then you should say it."

    Leaving me in more doubt, Hyunda left me all alone in this bench where I was drinking a pear juice whilst basking in the dusking scenery that my own two eyes over-glorified in my mind.

 Volume 11 - Chapter 74: Stop playing with my heart so much...

    March 11th. 1 pm.

    A few days have gone by ever since that night.

    That night that I just can''t seem to forget. A couple of days ago, I slept inside Hyunda''s room and miraculously, I didn''t get caught.

    Furthermore, during the next morning, before it was 6 am, we managed to exit the dorm and he guided me all the way to my dorm. It was a thrilling experience! I''m baffled it actually worked!

    I have no idea how he did it, but it really happened...! But...........

    In the end, he offered me to sleep on his bed while he slept on the floor.

    At first, I begged to differ yet he didn''t seem to care... Obviously, I couldn''t sleep at all. Just the fact that I was in his room made my heart burst intensively throughout every second that I was in it.

    It''s physically impossible for me to not feel extremely heated whenever it''s just the two of us. Sincerely, a natural reaction, in all likelihood.

    Resisting the temptation to relief it was the most painful part of it all... I really just wanted to tell him that it was fine for him to make his moves onto me. Honestly, I thought of just locking the door and then it might''ve happened, but his presence overwhelmed me.

    Every time I would look at his sleeping position on the floor, my heart would enter an unhealthy rhapsody of beats.

    His pillow''s scent.

    The aroma that his room had in specific.

    The amazing fresh sensation of his white bedsheets.

    Ahhhhhhhh.... I want it all!

    It''s so painful having to rewind it every time instead of experiencing the real thing right now.

    And speaking of right now......

    "Hey, are you seeing someone right now?"

    In the middle of our lunchtime, inside one of the main public restaurants, amidst the crowded unworthy lifeforms that would go by another alias such as students, Hyunda asked me that.

    Oh, what a simple question though.

    "What? No, I''m not. Why do you ask th---"

    I dropped my fork.

    I was daydreaming a little bit too much.

    Um.

    Did Hyunda just...?

    No way, no way. This is Hyunda we are talking about! No way he would actually take me into consideration even if I went through a mountain of endless efforts! This deeply pains me yet it''s the truth!

    So, how could such a person just....

    "What''s wrong? You stopped your sentence suddenly. Are you choking?"

    I wish I was.

    "N-No! Umm... Could you repeat what you''ve said previously...?"

    I just want to make sure. And more importantly, I''m super glad that I am not getting interrupted! Honestly speaking, if by some weird coincidence someone from our class decides to interrupt us, then I might just lose it.

    Generally, keeping my appearance should be a top priority, but.....! A single sight of a classmate of mine might just be enough.

    Nevertheless, I continue to admire this outstanding human being that stands in front of me, who wears the most carefree expression ever while expressing rather lackluster care for what he might''ve just said to me.

    "Forget it. Meaningless question."

    That was not a meaningless question. As a matter of fact, my whole life might just be on the line. My heart rate might considerably decrease depending on whether or not that question was real.

    My love, please be aware. You can''t keep on doing this to me. Every second of this enduring hell where I have to hide my true feelings is not easy for me.

    "No! It was not a meaningless question..."

    "Is that so? I''ll ask again then..."

    Closing our distance without much effort, Hyunda almost connected our lips just by approaching his face to my own while asking his intended question.

    "Are you seeing someone right now?"

    "Are you seeing someone right now?" "Are you seeing someone right now?" "Are you seeing someone right now?" "Are you seeing someone right now?" "Are you seeing someone right now?" "Are you seeing someone right now?" "Are you seeing someone right now?" "Are you seeing someone right now?" "Are you seeing someone right now?" "Are you seeing someone right now?" "Are you seeing someone right now?"

    "Are you seeing someone right no--

    "Hey, snap out of it. What''s wrong?"

    It happened again. Suddenly, I lost track of reality.

    It just couldn''t be helped though.

    "Aaa-aaahh... No... I am not... Why do you ask though....?"

    He really asked me that. My love interest just asked me if I''m seeing someone right now.

    But Hyunda, why do you make me go through this?! Geeeezzzzz. Of course I am not...

    Unless you are talking about in the future because that will undoubtedly happen sometime for sure...

    "No particular reason. I just found it strange. Shouldn''t girls of your age be looking for a boyfriend? Why not try your luck with someone from this school?"

    No way...... I can''t believe this... You''re so heartless...! You''d suggest that there is someone else out there that isn''t you, Hyunda?! You treat my heart so badly.......

    Though, I''m used to this treatment. Therefore, I''ll start eliminating all the doubts you have regarding me.

    "I''m not really interested... If they want to get a boyfriend, then they can go ahead and do it!"

    Because I won''t act like them... The only one I want is you...

    Realize that already!!! Am I not giving him enough clues?! We even slept in the same room, although nothing really happened... Still, it was pretty intense for me, okay!? It should mean something!

    Our physical distance is practically non-existent... We text each other all the time.... You are my only contact but of course, you don''t know that!

    Or are you just teasing me...?

    "Seriously? Seems like a waste to me. But, if you are not interested in getting a boyfriend, then why are you with me all the time then?"

    "T-That''s...! We...."

    The words won''t come out of my throat. It''s as if I''m choking right now due to the intensity of his words. I wasn''t expecting him to be so direct....!

    "I think I know what''s going on. You''ve been forcing yourself to be in my presence in order to compensate for your absence in the previous exam, right?"

    Eh? What?

    "It does make sense, really. You seem to have a lot of people wanting to talk to you all the time yet you force yourself to be with me. Ah, you don''t have to say it, I understand. Henceforth, given that I understand, you are free to go now. Don''t force yourself, Arkalee."

    What? What? What? What?!

    Force myself?! What is he talking about?!

    "I''m not forcing myself! I am not! Where did you get this wrong idea from, you idiot!"

    And who are these other people!? I don''t care about them. They don''t exist to me.

    Only you do...

    "Oh, you''re not? But, if it''s a wrong idea according to you, then why is the idea wrong?"

    Ah...

    "W-Well... Um... I can''t say it. But your idea is wrong."

    That was really bad. But I seriously can''t tell you. Because there''s only one clear reason as to why I am in your presence.

    You and I are meant to be. Of course I have to be always there for you just as you are there for me!

    "If you don''t give a valid reason, then I will stop doing this, Arkalee."

    W-W-What?!

    Hyunda''s cold-hearted words are seriously bad for my heart. It''s like my heart gets pierced by a thousand needles every time he says horrible stuff like that!

    "Are you serious.....?"

    "Dead serious. You gotta give me a reason if you claim that my idea is wrong. I can''t just take a no for an answer. Why is my idea wrong, Arkalee?"

    U-Ummm....

    How do I get out of this one....? I can''t concentrate! He''s pressuring me both mentally and physically! The way he''s so close to my body is making me have unnecessary secondary thoughts right now!

    And besides... The way he calls my name is just...

    "It just is... We aren''t going to argue, are we...? Please no... I don''t want to argue again... I still feel horrible about our previous arguments!"

    Those arguments were what showed our opposing natures. How you denied me showed me just how much of a different person you were from the rest, Hyunda.

    Although the arguments served their purposes, I really wish we didn''t have to enter other arguments...

    "If you don''t want to argue, it''s fine. I''m leaving."

    He''s going to leave. Hyunda''s already taking ahold of his school bag. His eyesight is off me. I''m no longer relevant to him.

    No!!!

    "Wait! Wait! Just wait, will you?! I''ll give you the reason, so please stay! Don''t go..."

    Please don''t leave me...

    I''ll really lose it, okay!?

    "Your last chance."

    He''s so cold today... Did I do something?! What did I do!? No, no! What if something happened to him...?

    Is something troubling you? You can talk to me about it... I''ll always be there for you. There will never be a single moment in my whole life where I won''t be there for you, Hyunda.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    So, please. Don''t say things like ''Your last chance'' ever again as if you mean to shatter me completely.

    "........Your presence is nice......."

    God, what is wrong with me!? I know why I can''t say it, but the things I come up with are the worst!

    If I say it that I really really really love him, with a love deeper than the pacific ocean''s depth, then I would be able to portray my point...

    But I wouldn''t know how to lead with possible rejection. I will literally kill myself.

    I will end it all.

    There''s no room to debate about this.

    Plus, what about the other girls?! Huh, do they all think I don''t notice? He''s mine, mine, mine and mine and yet each and every single one of you whores has the gal to look upon him like you have the right to!

    "But why is my presence nice? What exactly differentiates me from the rest? You see that guy over there? Why can''t he be in my place right now?"

    Hyunda....!!!

    How can you compare yourself to such a waste of oxygen! I can''t even look at him! The person you just pointed out that''s eating with the rest of his friends doesn''t even begin to compare.

    Not to worry though. This is a test. Fear not... Even if top models were in front of me right now, I would not surrender.

    Nothing else matters but you...

    "He just can''t..."

    Without saying anything, he started to grab his school bag once again.

    Fortunately, I acted far too fast in response to such movement and the stupid mistake that my reluctance brought upon.

    "You are better than him! Yes! Also, we have a relationship... I..... don''t have that with anyone else, so please...!"

    Waaaaahhhh!!!!

    I said it... I actually said it! I didn''t hesitate as much this time and I said it...

    From all this past pressure, I had to say it... It couldn''t be helped.

    A-Am I blushing right now!? Oh god, that would be... A-Ahhh...

    "How exactly am I better than him though? He looks pretty popular if you ask me. In comparison to someone like me, aren''t I inferior?"

    Why is he still doubting me....? Hyunda... Don''t you trust me?!

    Aren''t my words enough...? Do I need to be more specific....?

    It should be fine, then!

    "Popularity doesn''t mean much, you know! You are cool the way you are without popularity but he probably just interacts with other people because he''s lonely! But you don''t!"

    "So that makes me less popular, certainly."

    "T-That doesn''t matter! Their opinions don''t matter..."

    What''s with Hyunda today....

    Is he feeling insecure...? Oh god... Oh god... Why do I have a bad sentiment about this...?

    It''s fine to be mad at me. Just don''t leave me, please... I''m begging you...

    "Then, whose opinion matter?"

    ".........Mine............."

    There''s not much point in hiding it anymore...

    I''m getting a little bit tired of just waiting around for results... if my clues aren''t enough, then I''ll start taking direct action...

    It''s not working, no matter how I look at it. Dropping small hints isn''t working on Hyunda.

    I need to be more direct.

    "Your opinion? But why does your opinion suddenly matter, Arkalee?"

    So harsh... How can you just say those ruthless words without showing any visible resentment...

    I know for a fact that you are often tactless, but today... I feel like crying, to be honest...

    "Sorry..."

    "Why are you apologizing? Are you not going to answer my question? Tell me. Why is your opinion more important than the other ones?"

    My god....

    "Because I''m here, aren''t I....?"

    "Therefore?"

    No sentiment at all. Zero caring. Translucent emotions.

    Hyunda.......... I need your love, please... What do I have to do to get it....?!

    "Therefore... If I''m here with you at the moment, then shouldn''t I matter the most...? Ahhh sorry! That''s just my personal opinion about it... Don''t mind it..."

    I ended up hiding my words through a poor excuse of a rumbling mess of words...

    But...

    I''m always there for you... I hate being so selfish and clingy but going unrewarded causes my heart to meltdown...

    "Well, you are right. You do matter the most."

    .......!!

    "I-I... What?"

    Did he just say that?! No way, no way! I matter the most?!

    I!?

    The most?!

    Then.......!

    "You should''ve just said that from the start honestly. It would''ve been a lot easier if you had done that. So, thus far, according to you, your opinion matters the most since you are here right now alongside me. But that doesn''t yet explain why my idea is wrong. Tell me a good reason as to why I''m needed here right now."

    Oh, it''s not right now. It''s all the time. But I guess even someone as perfect as you make mistakes.

    No, that''s just my wrong thought process for sure. Forgive me.

    More direct, more direct. You can do this, Arkalee.

    "I want to discuss more our relationship!"

    And not just that... But this will suffice.

    Ahhhh... I have so much anxiety honestly...

    My thoughts are really scattered and all over the place, aren''t they...?

    "I see. That explains it. I am a necessary piece for that to work. But, just say that from the start, Arkalee."

    "Sorry...."

    It''s not that easy... This isn''t something I should naturally be open up about... This sensation is still unknown to me.

    I''m slowly discovering the full extension of my love and you are helping me through that discovery...

    "Our relationship, huh? Do you remember the events that happened on March 1st?"

    "Of course!"

    How could I forget? I still remember it all perfectly. How you took me out to your secret place. How you took two bites on my neck sensually. How you bought me these two earrings that I have right now and always will. How you had your leg between my thighs in such a suggestive moment. How you made me hold my breath every time I laid my eyes on you.

    There is not a single thing I don''t remember when it comes to you, Hyunda.

    You''d be surprised, I bet it. Hehehe.

    "Great. We established the basic foundation, which was the equivalent exchange. Ahh, I''m skipping steps. You were the one that wanted to discuss it, right? Go ahead."

    But he was going somewhere. Definitely.

    "No, please, continue! I''m curious now..."

    "Hm? Okay. I wanted to talk to you about this for a while now."

    He wanted to talk about our relationship!?

    I see! Just like couples have their talks about their relationship, right?! In a good sense, of course!

    And, for a while? But my love... Talk to me when you want to talk, not when you find it convenient...

    "As I was saying, we''ve already spoken about the equivalent exchange. A simple foundation, so to say. But, what after that? If that was the first step, then what can we possibly do more to define our relationship?"

    S-So thoughtful! I didn''t know!

    I always thought that you were someone that was just detached in general, but you were actually thinking about me all this time...

    Coincidentally, I was too.

    "Naturally, I already know what the next step is."

    "You do...?"

    What''s the next step though? I''m dying to know now... Are you saying that there are more ways we can progress...?

    Wonderful!

    "Yes. But I need your permission. Without it, we can''t advance. Now, before you think about it, the main thing you should be thinking about is whether or not you are discontent with the current relationship we have."

    "Eh?"

    Discontent...? In what sense...?

    Well... I''m discontent regardless of the sense though. I just want us to be together while knowing what we feel for each other but at the same time, I want him to feel the same way that I do.

    The possibility of failure is terrifying me...! What if it all fails?! What if he just falls for another girl in the meantime!? I can''t possibly handle such tragedy...

    Even so... I want more!

    "I am discontent! But, that''s just because I want something more! ...Is that fine with you...?"

    My charming reactions don''t work on him, but I still end up resorting to them regardless. It''s instinctively a reaction at this point...

    If my aim worked, then I would abuse this, but it doesn''t...

    "It is fine with me, Arkalee. I can always advance if you want to advance too. It''s up to you, therefore. With that said, the next step is honesty. Something you struggle with."

    ..................

    "Am I really not that honest....?"

    I know I hide a lot, but... I have valid reasons behind it!

    "If you were honest with your intentions then we wouldn''t have wasted ten minutes just on the previous argument, wouldn''t we? But that''s beside the point. In order for you to be honest, you need to get rid of your doubts first."

    "....You''re not that honest with me either...."

    I know you hide a lot. After all, I am the one that observes you the most....

    It really hurts when you try to hide something that is mine to know by nature. What is yours is mine and what is mine is yours! That''s how couples work, right...?

    "Yeah. You are right. To be honest, I wanted to tell you something for a while. Why do you have twin-tails?"

    Oh... He admitted it...

    "I always found them cool... Back in the fourth-grade, I tried them and my classmates found them cute and so---"

    "Really? You should let your hair be free."

    "Y-You think so?!"

    I didn''t know that he had already evaluated my appearance to that extent...!

    Should I ask him what he additionally thinks of my other assets as well...?

    "This is just part of being honest. I went first. I told you my honest opinion about something that you have. Now, it''s your turn."

    "Okay......"

    That''s really hard my love. You are perfect. Can someone that''s perfect become even more perfect? If so, then that''s what I would wish for.

    But I''m afraid you might be beyond perfection and perfection might just ruin you...

    So....

    "You should try harder in the upcoming exams! You always show a really weak-spirited attitude, you know?"

    Also, I''m worried that Hyunda might fail the upcoming exam... I might have a heart attack if he keeps on sabotaging himself like this...!

    He''s really lazy too. But that''s fine. I think he''s hiding something but I obviously don''t know what.

    "Since this is about being honest, I''ll just come out of the closet and say it. I''ll fail the upcoming exam."

    !?

    "Why?!"

    "Because I don''t have to mandatorily pass the exam. I only have to mandatorily pass the exam when I absolutely have to. The upcoming case is not that scenario."

    He''s so carefree! What if this is just over-confidence from his part!?

    I can''t possibl---

    "What? Your expression tells me that you are doubting me. Are you? Be honest, remember."

    ".....Yes! I am doubting you! It''s a far too reckless strategy and you should know it! Honestly, it''s too dumb!"

    I was expecting an angry expression, but Hyunda responded with a challenging confident smile instead...!

    "Then, I''m sure you won''t mind if we made a small bet on this, wouldn''t you?"

    "A bet...?"

    "Yes, a bet. Think of it like this... After this special exam, in April, when April''s special exam is announced, I will pass the exam. You said it was a reckless strategy which implied that my strategy would not work the majority of the time, right? I don''t see the problem here. Also, as for the reward, if you win, I''ll do anything you want. No matter how unreasonable."

    A-Anything I want?! Is he serious....?

    But, how is that different from the equivalent exchange...?

    "Oh right. Don''t think of this as the equivalent exchange. The equivalent exchange, although you can ask for unreasonable propositions, this is far more different. I''m talking about anything. Regardless of whether it''s supposed to be within my boundaries or not. I''ll have to make the exception if I lose. Do you understand the difference here?"

    "Um..."

    Let me think...

    If in the equivalent exchange, at the trade of another favor, he can ask me something unreasonable that''s within my power, then it''s possible to do that request...

    However, in this bet... Does it have to go beyond my power?!

    J-Just what is he......

    "I get it..."

    "Nice. Additionally speaking, should I win, you''ll do something I want. Regardless of whether you want it or not."

    Oh god.... Don''t say those words in public, please....

    If only you knew just what I''m going through right now.

    I won''t be able to sleep at night if you keep stimulating my mind like that!

    "Unless you want to call this bet off."

    "N-Not a chance! It is on!"

    What are you thinking right now? What do you want to do with me should you win this bet?

    I don''t mind losing, you know?

    Because, no matter how I look at it, it''s a win-win scenario to me. If I win the bet, then I get what I want...

    Well, I''ll have to think about that for sure...

    Nonetheless, if I lose, then he gets to order me anything. Anything he so wants.

    Just the thought is making my mind slip away.

    "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention something funny that happened the other day. Wanna hear it?"

    "Sure!"

    Why would I not want to hear it?

    I''ve gotten used to your cold demeanor, so you can treat me however you so please, Hyunda.

    That''s partially the task of loving you. To accept you. I just hope that when the day comes, that you''ll accept me too...

    "So Daniel and I were having this casual conversation and you wouldn''t believe the things he said to me. He said that you had a crush on me! Hahahaha!!"

    "E-Ehhh!?"

    I am going to end this jerk''s life. Who the hell do you think you are?! How dare you meddle in our romance?!

    Also...

    Hyunda, why are you laughing?! It''s not a crush... It''s pure love... This isn''t transient! It won''t go away....

    "He reasoned that you were being too physically clingy and that was why you had a crush on me. Hey, do you?"

    Oh god. Why?

    Why do you always make such rapid questions like those!? Give me a single moment, please!

    I can''t------

    "Remember, be honest."

    "...........Unfair..........."

    I said that in an extremely low-toned voice...

    The truth is, I want to tell him, but.... That''ll ruin so much stuff!

    Or am I already lagging behind by not making my move? Should I just ignore it all and say it?

    Yes... I should.... But this anxiety and lack of commitment won''t go away...

    Ahhhh! But I have to!

    It''s as you said Yuka-sensei if I don''t take the chances then.....!

    "Just say yes or no. I meant this as a joke, but I''m curious now. Well, it''s probably a ''no''. Remember when we had our arguments and you said you were attracted to me? That was a lie back then. So, naturally, nothing changed, correct?"

    Whhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttt!?

    That''s the impression you have?!

    Well....

    Why would you not have that impression... ---- Still! He''s so damn clueless!

    I can''t tell if he''s just openly teasing me or not at this point!

    And besides, if I say ''no'' then my chances are ruined. No matter how I look at it, I have to go with a ''yes'' and subsequently justify my words by confessing.

    This is important.

    It''s really happening... I don''t have time to think about being rejected. I''m fine with trying again and again.

    Sure, it will hurt at first but... This anxiety hurts a whole lot more.

    "Um, Hyunda, you see! I, actually l----"

    "Oh yeah, put that aside for now. It was just a joke anyways. This might be sudden, but I need a favor. It''s from the equivalent exchange."

    I was interrupted mid-confession. I am both grateful and greatly pissed off. In addition, this will give me a proper time to think about a better sequence plan.

    All in all, I have to tell him pretty soon. I thought I could keep these feelings inside but I need him to know how I feel or else he''ll never know!

    Still, he needs a favor. Which means, he needs to rely on me.

    "Y-Yeah?! What do you need!?!?"

    Ahhh, my enthusiasm and my anger intertwined slightly...

    My legs won''t stop shaking... That was embarrassing, hahahahaha.........

    At least he didn''t hear it...

    "You know Yulia, right? From our class."

    Why is Hyunda mentioning a girl''s name that isn''t mine?

    Who is this girl? In our class? And what is your relationship with her?

    Have you two talked?

    If so, then for how long? Do you have her number? I hope not.

    Should I ask him to confiscate his own phone? Deleting contacts would be extremely nice, to be honest.

    "Of course..."

    "Your answer didn''t seem that great. I''m assuming you two aren''t friends?"

    My love, my love. Being friends with potential enemies doesn''t sound like a bad strategy at first since they might be easy to manipulate but...

    Please refer to me only and no one else in our conversations.

    "Hahaha, nope. We haven''t talked. Why?"

    "Mhm... Can you keep secrets?"

    "Yes, I can!"

    Why won''t you trust me already, geeeeeeeeeeeezzzz!!!!

    Ultimately, despite my initial worries, Hyunda closed in on me and told me the following through my left ear.

    "Yulia and Daniel are in a relationship."

    Oh?

    "Seriously?!"

    But he backs off now. You could''ve stayed closer, you know...

    "Yeah. I''m choosing to trust you with this though. Daniel told me not to tell anyone."

    And out of all the people to place your trust in, you chose me?! Ahhh, I love you so so so much!!!

    "I won''t! I won''t! You can count on me! So, what is it that you want as your favor?! I''m listening, I''m listening!"

    I''m really, really, but really, happy right now.

    This is the second time he has entrusted me with his secrets! This means that he''s starting to view me as someone trustworthy...

    That''s perfect because my previous image was a bit too arrogant and self-absorbed...

    Thus, I need to show him that I''m not unloyal like he thinks I am.

    "I want to know everything there is about Yulia."

    .........................???????

    "Sorry..........?!"

    Please tell me this is some sort of bad joke.

 Volume 11 - Chapter 75: Comrades.

    "Oh, what? Is my request beyond your power? Can''t you just be friends with her and gather some valuable information out of her?"

    "No... That''s not it, Hyunda..."

    He''s not joking about this... Looks like I''ll have to ask him to ban another name.

    Actually... Banning every girl''s name from our class that isn''t mine just seems like the most reasonable thing to do here.

    "Then what is it? You seem reluctant about this. What''s your doubt? And remember to be honest."

    He''s really insisting on that, so...

    "I would very much like to know why you want to know this... There, I was honest!"

    While I''m glad he''s relying on me at long last, why does it have to be about another girl!? Why, out of all the people in this world, another girl?

    No... Why other people in general? Why can''t it be outside of that......

    Subconsciously, I started to stomp on the floor constantly and progressively. My anger was rising subtly further and further.

    "I need to know if Daniel''s being cheated on. It would help if I knew some things about her. Since you are a girl and the only one I can possibly rely on, I thought that I would ask you."

    The only one I can possibly rely on...

    Well then...

    "O-Oh I see! I guess I could do something about that... Well, what exactly do you want to know then?"

    "Everything. Every detail. No matter how trivial. It doesn''t matter if you think it''s irrelevant or not, once you are done, tell me. But don''t force yourself. If this is something you can''t do it, then don''t do it."

    "I can do it! You can count on me!"

    "Is that so? Perfect then. Thank you very much."

    Although I smiled widely at him, I wasn''t pleased. When he said ''every detail'' I almost had a heart attack. I don''t know if this is enough to be qualified as dramatic but am I supposed to act another way?

    How am I supposed to act calm and collected when you want to know every detail about someone else and not me?

    Ask me that instead....

    "Oh, right. Something else I should mention is that I want to know her past very specifically. Insist on that matter greatly, please. Also, her crime is important. I need to know that."

    But why does he want to know this? He said that Daniel might be getting cheated on but what do all these details have anything to do with it...?

    If you want to know if she''s cheating on him, then knowing all of this shouldn''t matter, my love...

    "But why do you think Daniel''s being cheated on...?"

    And why him? He''s even present in our conversation despite not actually being here!

    "He''s the type of person to never take any direct action unless he absolutely has to. People like that are bound to get cheated on. Under my assumption, that might as well be the case."

    I see... But that''s his problem...

    Unless...

    Unless you are showing kindness to him. Yet, why him and not me? Aren''t you caring for him way more than you are caring for me? What if I get in trouble? What will you---

    Ahhh, but you are have cared for me by proposing to me that one-night in your room! How could I possibly...

    "You care a lot about him..."

    "Hold on. I haven''t explained to you the reason why I''m showing this great deal of care. Or did you think that I had no reason behind doing this whatsoever?"

    You mean... There''s actually a reason and you aren''t just teasing me indirectly?

    "Well... I did think that was the case... Sorry..."

    "You gotta stop apologizing. It''s annoying."

    I can''t help it... You make me feel submitted instantly.

    But of course, there''s no way I can just tell you that. You''d probably think that I''m weird or something. Or just extremely perverted.

    I''m not perverted though. This is just normal, I think.

    "Either way, let me explain. Don''t you think it''s weird that you got into the dorm without any interruptions whatsoever?"

    "Now that you mention it..."

    I knew that he did something regarding that, but I didn''t think that he would be open about it, honestly...

    I''m glad that''s the case though!

    "A concentration was formed in one of the rooms in the dorm, henceforth, every member of the dorm was concentrated under that spot. In that time gap, I was able to get you inside the dorm with ease. Didn''t you find it strange that no one was there?"

    "I see! I see now! You made that possible?! Wow, that''s really impressive!"

    It really is! But, just one question, my love...

    How is that trash can otherwise known as Daniel somehow supremely relevant to this as you labeled him to be?

    Are you sure you aren''t giving that waste of flesh a little bit too much credit?

    "The one that helped me out with that was Daniel. It was a great deal of work, no matter how you look at it, because we had to gather all the members into a single room. Considering our members in general, I would say that''s pretty hard to do. Without his help, it might''ve not been possible. Therefore, this is my way to repay him."

    H-How generous! Even someone like Hyunda can be kind...! I see, I see!

    But still, I don''t agree that you should repay him. It was the least Daniel could have done after he had interrupted several of our moments! I don''t understand how someone like Daniel can just abuse my sweetheart''s kindness like this...!

    Evil!

    "You shouldn''t have to repay him though...."

    "Why not?"

    Why.....?

    Because you can use that kindness on me instead. Other human beings aren''t worth it... Plus, I would be extremely happy.

    I''m sure Daniel will just view this as an act of ''companionship'' while it''s something more.

    "Because I''ll do it regardless of whether you own him or not... I appreciate you telling me why that''s the case, but if you need a favor, then you shouldn''t hesitate. I don''t really mind..."

    Though, knowing the reason behind the favor is extremely important. Especially when it comes to other girls.

    If my heart is this badly treated then it needs to heal somehow.

    "Sorry. I didn''t want to abuse your kindness. You''re very kind, Arkalee. I might''ve judged you to be arrogant to an oblivious extent, but it appears I was wrong. And besides, I don''t really like to ask anyone favors, so if I do, then you should know it''s something I usually wouldn''t do in the first place."

    .....!!!

    O-Oh god...

    "Don''t say stuff like that please..."

    I can''t look at him in the eye now... This always happens... You don''t know this yet but your words really mean a lot to me. I find myself repeating this to myself all the time, but it can''t be helped alright?!

    It''s just proof that I am massively and utterly in love with you...

    "It''s the truth though. Also, you gotta stop looking away and face me when I''m talking to you..."

    "It''s not that easy......."

    If I look at you in the eye in a vulnerable moment like this, even you''ll be able to see how weak I am in your presence...

    Hence, I have to look elsewhere just so our eyesights don''t collide...

    "Really now... Guess I''ll have to resort to this."

    Disarrayed, I didn''t notice. The constant avoidance of my eyesight didn''t allow me to take even a small glimpse of what he was about to do.

    Midst this crowded place, no one would dare to do something as straight forward as this.

    Only did I notice what he would do to me as a consequence of not looking at him in the eye.

    "G-Gyaaa!!"

    M-My neck! Ahhh!

    "That''s what you get. So, will you still refuse to look at me in the eye? Or do I have to keep on biting you in your vulnerable spot? I don''t mind when people don''t talk to me. But, I sincerely hate being ignored."

    Midst this semi-public crowded restaurant, Hyunda openly took a small bite out of my neck''s left side...!

    And just like the last time he did that, I couldn''t hold back my shout, so that came out rather loud...

    "B-Bully..."

    Not being able to resist him anymore, I looked into his deep white eyes subsequently and was absorbed into its elegance in a moment of sheer jubilance.

    It''s not as if I was ignoring you though! And he''s a real bully... I never knew that my neck was this vulnerable to his bites...

    Does he plan on doing this forever...? I don''t mind but in public...?

    "It''s getting late. We should go back to class now. Unless you want to get punished by Basara-sensei."

    Looks like our lunchtime was over. This was... well, it could''ve been great.

    Had he not mentioned another girl''s name in our conversation....

    Receiving a similar punishment as those idiots who arrived late last time is certainly out of the question.

    "You''re right! Let''s go then!"

    As we exited this public restaurant, I kept on admiring his striking figure...

    If only we could hold hands... I''ve been trying to reach out, but the possibility of failure is eating me...

    March 12th.

    The next day, we kept on studying the festival''s themes. It wasn''t much of an option to fail here and considering that I was one exam behind...

    "Arkalee."

    "Yes...?"

    Hyunda called out to be in the middle of the serious study session. It was still before lunchtime yet I was curious.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    We were close to Basara-sensei so talking wasn''t much of an option, therefore, we had to talk extremely low...

    "I hope you don''t mind but I want to go somewhere else today. Will you come along?"

    "Okay..."

    Somewhere else...? Well, it''s fine.

    As long as it''s just the two of us, it shouldn''t matter that much. Besides, the place doesn''t really matter.

    Only you do, Hyunda.

    1:15 pm.

    "Yo, you''re here. That took you long."

    Ugh.

    Just...

    Why...

    Drop dead, you meaningless creature.

    "Sorry about that. Block A''s cafeteria is still far away, respectively."

    Well, I suppose it''s better to explain what''s going on.

    Silly me thought that Hyunda was being gentle and wanted to propose a date indirectly but he ended up guiding me all the way to block A instead. Naturally, I thought that this was just another one of his surprises but...

    This is bad taste, Hyunda.

    What did I do to deserve this?

    Have I not spoken to you about how much I dislike others?! So why did you bring me to a cafeteria where not only Daniel but Sana and of course, the girl you mentioned yesterday for whatever reason, Yulia, are here?!

    "Hello! How is everyone?!"

    Awkwardly, I threw that question at the three of them as I sat beside Hyunda.

    Furthermore, to increase the awkward atmosphere, they refused to answer initially without staring at my soul first.

    This is why I hate everyone that isn''t you, Hyunda... It''s just not the same feeling... I have to force myself when I''m around them yet when I''m only with you, it''s completely different...

    "Fine..."

    Spitefully, Sana gave me that sour answer.

    She''s looking at me with a heavy expression. Doubtful eyes and a short stance.

    "Good. You?"

    "I''m fine! Thanks for asking, Yulia! But my, what a coincidence! I thought we would be here all alone but fancy meeting all of you here!"

    I''m starting to suspect that this wasn''t a coincidence. I seriously hope it''s a coincidence. My heart will be mortified if it''s not a coincidence and this was all planned.

    My love, please tell me it''s not a coincidence. Please tell me that you don''t support this type of event.

    "Likewise! I didn''t expect to meet you and Hyunda here!"

    Please don''t speak his name, you whore.

    You nor anyone else has that right. There should be a mortal tax to those who speak his name. For example, if you speak Hyunda''s name, then you should die.

    No...

    Even then, that feels so soft. Essentially speaking, the problem would be that everyone else will at least get one chance of speaking his name before dying. Therefore, prevention needs to happen.

    Only I should be able to speak his name!

    "Since we are all here, why don''t we all have lunch together? Is that fine with you, Sana?"

    "...Sure..."

    Sana, reserved and timid now, answered Yulia''s proposition with hints of reluctance.

    She looks like she doesn''t like our presence in general... No, not ''our'', but rather, my presence.

    From time to time, she trades vicious glances with me. Does she think that I don''t notice how she perceives me?

    "What about you two?"

    Yulia, now directing her question to Hyunda and me, asked that.

    However, an unnecessary existence interrupted before we could speak with our grand synergy.

    "Yulia, Hyunda and I have to go somewhere else actually."

    Um, excuse me?!

    "We do?"

    Yes, tell him! You don''t have to go anywhere else!

    "No! You agreed! You can''t back off now..."

    Yulia''s insisting with Daniel now, but realistically speaking, this doesn''t make the situation any better. If Hyunda stays here, then the situation is just less bad.

    "Dude, don''t you remember? Yesterday?"

    What happened yesterday? Why didn''t Hyunda tell me?

    Is he keeping secrets from me!? Why!?

    "Oh... I remember now. You''re right. We should get goi--"

    No way.

    "Where are you two going exactly?"

    Obviously, I didn''t even allow Hyunda to get up from his seat. Not a chance. I''ll go insane if I can''t be with you.

    What the hell is your problem, Daniel!? Why are you always here!? You''re almost as annoying as Ikkiri!

    God!!

    "That''s right! Daniel, you said nothing about this?! What is this all about?"

    Sincerely, Yulia''s doing a good job, but this doesn''t change anything. A sin is a sin.

    Perplexed, however, both Hyunda and Daniel formed controversial expressions. As if to say that we were being a bother.

    What?

    "Actually, it''s regarding the exam we will have. We both forgot something back in our dorms. Hence, we will be taking our leaves shortly. Enjoy the lunchtime, ladies."

    Please don''t call those whores by ladies, Hyunda. Don''t do something like that.

    Also...

    "No, no. Hyunda, I don''t approve of this. Stay here. Daniel can go by himself."

    Breaking my image, I stepped in. Keeping my image doesn''t exactly hold much of a meaning anymore.

    Of course, I''ll try to keep it at all costs, but when something like this happens? It''s hardly worth the effort.

    "Except I can''t Arkalee. I need Hyunda''s help with this. It''s really important..."

    What the hell. Stop arguing back. Realize your place, you slime.

    Daniel, the day you die, is the die I rejoice, I swear!

    "Can''t this come later?! You said that you would be here today..."

    "Sorry, Yulia. And sorry, Arkalee. Besides, isn''t this ideal? If we boys leave, you girls will be able to have girly conversations."

    Screw that.

    I want Hyunda.

    You are trying to take him away from me. I won''t let you.

    "Hyunda, stay here, please. This is a favor."

    I noticed how Hyunda and Daniel were trying to leave in all of this. Necessarily, I took ahold of Hyunda''s arm and dragged him back.

    Daniel. Daniel. Daniel.

    I was being nice to you. I tried to not care about your existence much because you have been absent the past few days, but you aren''t making this easy.

    "I''ll have to pass. This is actually important. I''ll get back to you later, Arkalee."

    I can understand if it''s important, but you are literally implying that whatever you have with Daniel is perhaps more important than what we have.

    I can''t accept that. No way. I refuse.

    "No... St---"

    "You guys are annoying. Go away already..."

    Sana, shut up. What are you talking about?! Daniel can go for all I care, but Hyunda?! Cut your tongue off, please.

    How dare you propose something as unreasonable as that?!

    "Well, you heard her. Without further ado, we''ll take our leave. ...Arkalee, let go..."

    You''re asking the impossible.

    "I don''t mind going along!"

    "No way in hell. This isn''t even that important as you think it is."

    Oh, but I don''t think it''s actually that important. I just want to be with you, my love. Because that''s what''s actually important.

    But I guess you have no way of knowing it. Sincerely, this sucks. If there weren''t many people here and just the two of us, I would just say it, but you are making this quite impossible for me to cope up with.

    "Please."

    I insisted, but Hyunda kept on looking me with careless eyes instead.

    "Rejected. I''ll compensate later on. Stop making a fuss about this. Let go."

    Compensa--- No, no. That doesn''t matter! I really won''t let go!

    Nor will I get fooled! What? Did you honestly think that I would just let you go if you threw sweet words at me, honey?

    No way, no way.

    "I reject your rejection!"

    I smiled, of course. It''s fine if I get rejected. I just have to reject that rejection. Extremely trivial, if you think about it.

    Why concede, when you don''t have to concede?

    "Do you want me to do it in public like yesterday?"

    "H-Huh!? What are you talking about...?"

    There''s no way that he couldn''t possibly be thinking of......

    Hah, you really can''t expect me to believe that you will----

    Oh, he''s serious. He''s not showing any visible reluctance. His confident posture and stern assertiveness right now tell me that much. He really will do it.

    .......................

    "Looks like you understand. Will you let go or will I have to tear you apart from me?"

    God, why did you have to put it like that!? Out of all the words to choose you chose ''tear you apart from me''?!

    Do you have any idea how sad that makes me....?

    Well...

    "That deal still stands... You''ll have to compensate."

    "Yes."

    Not saying anything else, he left with Daniel and left me alone in here.

    Suddenly, my heart felt shattered just like a piece of broken glass on the floor. Scattered throughout every possible section, endless pieces of my heart could be found.

    Why am I alive right now? I should just....

    "Um... Hello? Arkalee? Are you okay?"

    Interrupting my sulking session, Yulia talked to me.

    I really don''t want to talk right now though. I only want to think about him. Please don''t force me to interact with you people. It''s crystal clear that I don''t want to...

    "Yeah! Super fine!"

    Where is he now?

    Will he still return or will I only be able to see him back in class? Right now it''s 1:20 pm. So, 40 minutes?

    40 minutes? 40 minutes....? 40.... minutes?!

    I can''t take all of this!

    "I don''t think that''s the case. Sorry for speaking in your turn, Yulia."

    "Oh, that''s completely fine, Sana."

    They were eating already, but I wasn''t feeling hungry.

    Nervously, I started to text him. But no text came back in return.

    "See? You''re not fine, Arkalee. It''s related to that insensitive bastard Hyunda, isn''t it?"

    It''s true that he is somewhat insensitive but he has started showing a great deal of caring for me recently, so I won''t allow those words to be spoken like that.

    "That''s not true, Sana! Hyunda''s not insensitive... He''s just busy right now, right?"

    "That''s what they always say. I don''t agree with what you said though. It''s one thing to be busy and another to not give you priority. And it''s not just Hyunda. I''m talking about the other heartless bastard too!"

    No way... There''s just no way that what Sana just said is true... I am his priority right...?

    But...

    If I really was his priority then why did he chose to spend time with Daniel instead of me...?

    "I''ll have to agree with you, Sana... This is unforgivable. Our boyfriends treat us quite rudely, don''t you think so, Arkalee?"

    What is Yulia talking about?

    "Boyfriends...?"

    I know that Yulia and Daniel are supposedly in a relationship, but Hyunda and I, unfortunately, are not.

    "I''m talking about Hyunda. He''s your boyfriend, right?"

    "H-Huh!? No. No. No. We don''t have that type of relationship..."

    Unfortunately, again. What I would give for that to be the case...

    However, despite my simple answer, both Yulia and Sana looked at each other simultaneously almost dumbfounded too.

    What? Did I say something strange?!

    "No way..."

    "Are you serious...?"

    Eh...? Why are they looking at each other like that...?

    "I am being serious... Why would you two think otherwise...?"

    Also, I didn''t expect to be able to communicate with them so easily. This is surprising, I suppose.

    At first, I thought that they would be obstinate and obnoxious due to their personalities but...

    "Arkalee, you are totally over him. Anyone would assume that you two are in a relationship. Actually, how are you two not in a relationship yet?!"

    "Yulia, they don''t match quite well, to be honest. A heartless bastard like Hyunda can''t possibly nurture Arkalee''s feelings well..."

    "That''s alright! It was the same at first with me and Daniel, but we managed to work it out! Somehow, he began to be really open to me and it happened! I believe that it can happen to you too, Arkalee!"

    Oh...

    They are being really open about this... How do I say this... It''s strange. They are usually so reserved during class so I really didn''t think that they would share their thoughts on this.

    "A-Ahh... It''s really not like that... You two are imaging things, hahaha..."

    Despite my interjection, Sana wasn''t pleased as she begged to differ.

    "No way we are. It''s fine, you know? We won''t tell anyone. You like him, don''t you?"

    This is a bit too sudden... Are they attempting to manipulate me or are they genuinely attempting to know my situation...?

    I don''t know them well enough.

    "Nah. I really hate him!"

    Please forgive me, Hyunda. I would kill myself if you were here right now. This is obviously a lie. Yet, it''s fine.

    You''ll soon know that this was all a lie and that it was only for the purpose of fooling them.

    Yet...

    "Liar... It''s obvious you are lying! Come on, it''s so obvious! The way you clung onto his arm gave it away."

    "Sana''s right. If you really wanted to lie about that, then you should''ve just let go of Hyunda yet you didn''t do that. I also did the same with Daniel, but sigh, it didn''t work. They must''ve had something really important going on, I guess."

    ..........

    Was that what made it really obvious? Is clinging onto someone that much of a romantic sign? Well, it makes sense at least.

    Clinging is a sign of dependence and I do need Hyunda.

    "Ah... Um... Sorry for lying..."

    Somehow, I felt slightly guilty. Because I don''t think that they are manipulating me...

    They are genuinely caring about my situation.

    "Don''t worry about it... It''s pretty natural not wanting to admit it. But, for how long has this been going on for?"

    Sana''s excessively asking me questions right now... But, don''t misunderstand.

    This is my romance. Others are completely partial.

    "........Not telling... It''s a secret, please understand."

    I''m not trying to be rude, but this is my own problem...

    "Let us help you! Sana here is a pro at romance! She''ll be able to tell you anything when it comes to romance! Give her a try!"

    Yulia''s oddly positive about this, even when I just told her that I wouldn''t tell her anything.

    Ah, wait.

    More importantly...!

    What is Hyunda doing right now!? Has he crossed paths with another girl or has any of them talked to him!?

    I''m not there so I can''t possibly know...

    "Arkalee, you seem so stressed. But you are not willing to tell me why, I bet. So... Shall I picture a guess...?"

    "Sure, Sana..."

    There''s no way she''ll guess what I am thinking though.

    Yet she looks massively confident. Sana''s smirk is spelling confidence from a mile away.

    "You are thinking about his whereabouts, aren''t you? If he''s talking to some other girl, for example?"

    H-How did she...

    "Quite simple, but do you want to know why it''s simple...? Because every girl in love has these exact same thoughts at least once. However, realistically speaking, it''s way more than just once!"

    ....

    Amazing... Or...

    No, more importantly...

    "How do you know all this?!"

    Enthusiastically shocked, I couldn''t help but say that out loud. Sana''s accurate guess surprised me greatly.

    Just how exactly does she have this type of knowledge!?

    "See? I told you Sana would know. She gave me some tips as well, hehe."

    "It''s the duty of someone like me, experienced in the art of love, to help those in need. How I know this, you ask? Because I''ve been in your place and I know how you can get through this!"

    Wait, what? In my place...? My exact place? No way... My situation is quite complex, isn''t it...?

    Or is it just that simple? No, I don''t think it is.

    This could just mean that Sana is experienced even in complicated relationships that involve complex situations?

    "But before that..."

    Somehow, Sana didn''t continue and once again looked towards Yulia.

    Why do they keep doing this...?

    "We can only let you into the circle if you stop defending a certain person. I''ll be honest now. Can you stop defending that attention whore known as Ikkiri, Arkalee?"

    Unexpectedly, Sana requested something that instantly created a smile on my face yet at the same time, I had to suppress it without a second thought.

    But this reminded me of something. These two originally voted against Ikkiri back then.

    "May I ask why...?"

    Accordingly, I attempted to defend Ikkiri a few times, but that was obviously fake. I do plan to approach her eventually, but right now, it''s fine.

    She''ll need to be more broken than she already is first.

    "Are you kidding me? I''ve known her stereotype for centuries. I hate her stereotype. The type of girl who makes up absurd scenarios just for the sake of attention. I hate, but seriously hate her stereotype!"

    Oh... Sana, you... You hate her too? For completely different reasons, but you also hate Ikkiri too?!

    "Yeah, she''s just pretending, Arkalee! You don''t have to side with her. Don''t get fooled by her act!"

    Initially, I was thinking of keeping up this act of defending Ikkiri, but if I know that there are people that also hate her, then...

    Even if it''s for reasons completely different from mine, even if it''s based on a scenario that didn''t actually happen, this is perfect.

    I couldn''t ask for a better opportunity, honestly.

    "But... What if Ikkiri isn''t pretending?"

    "No way she isn''t. Think about it. Wouldn''t the whole event be a lot easier if she had done it all by herself, Arkalee...?"

    "Eh, you think so...?"

    "I don''t think so. I am certain of it!"

    That''s really nice, Sana.

    But, the truth is, Ikkiri''s being framed unfairly and she has absolutely no clue who did it. Accordingly, since I hate her, I planned this. However, I didn''t have any direct involvement with the actions that were made.

    Firstly, I made Tatsu do all the work. Although, I told him to write those messages in a way that no one would be able to easily decipher them. Tatsu is friends with Susaga, who is a hacker.

    Essentially, the order is the following.... Tatsu wrote the messages and Susaga hacked the systems to disable the security camera''s activity.

    Nevertheless, there is a crucial factor here. Who exactly broke all the cameras?

    Naturally, anyone would think that it''s someone from our class, but the truth is...

    It was someone from outside of our class. Someone that no one knows who it is.

    This is why it''s impossible to frame me and additionally why everyone else will be in endless circles when it comes to trying to discover who did this.

    Furthermore, this will only keep on happening. This pattern of indirect action is unbreakable and I''ll utilize it to make sure Ikkiri never sees the light of happiness in her life.

 Volume 11 - Chapter 76: Endless Tears.

    "I need to go... It was nice talking to you, Sana and Yulia..."

    Although we talked and introduced ourselves to a new way of conversation very shortly, I was ready to take my leave.

    As I thought, leaving Hyunda in the hands of Daniel or just another person, in general, is killing me with anxiety.

    I can''t calm down unless I see him.

    "Wait. Where are you going?"

    Already having finished eating her dish, Sana interrogated my intentions. But I have no intention of answering...

    Right now, I need to see him. I really do. Oh god. I... Just a single glimpse of him, please!

    "G-Gonna take a walk... See ya!"

    I attempted to leave but Sana persisted me with a question that I couldn''t ignore.

    "I hope you are not going after Hyunda right now. That is the worst thing you can do if you are truly aiming to win his heart."

    ".........Mind explaining that...?"

    Suddenly curious, I retook my seat and looked at Sana who was looking confident in her speech. Yulia, on her right side, was additionally looking confident too.

    I don''t get this... The worst thing?! But if I''m not there then I''ll burst!

    "It seems I''ve hit the jackpot! I''ll elaborate on how it''s crucial that you don''t chase after him. You are playing the attention game wrong, Arkalee."

    "B-But... I really need to see him now..."

    I can''t even hide it anymore. There are 30 minutes left.

    As I sadly glanced upon the ground, I allowed my doubts to grow further and further. This sheer pressure is getting me on so many levels.

    What should I do?!

    "Resist that thought and you will be rewarded. If you are too clingy then you''ll be viewed as a nuisance. This is basic knowledge. Tell me something, Arkalee. Have you been clingy lately?"

    Well....

    It can''t be helped if I''m clingy. I''m sure that Sana will understand. Because, if I don''t show my affection then Hyunda will think that I don''t care about him!

    And that''s not true!

    "It depends on what your definition of ''being clingy'' is..."

    "Mhmm... Are you always with him even during casual breaks? Or just lunchtime?"

    That''s a really stupid question, Sana.

    How could I not be there for him every time that I possibly can?

    "All the time... But, when classes are over I can''t due to the dorm rules..."

    Honestly, screw those dorm rules! Why can''t I be with my love whenever I so want it?! So unfair!

    "You idiot! You can''t be that clingy! Give it a rest! If Hyunda starts expressing disinterest then it''s because you are being too clingy!"

    "E-Eh!? But what does that have to do with it?! Isn''t it normal for you to be with the one you love?!"

    A-Ah...

    Oops...

    I was a little bit too aggressive here... But that''s because she was too aggressive too. Questioning my methods like that...

    "If you two are in a relationship, then I would agree with what you''ve just said, but that''s not the case, is it? This is why, until then, you should refrain from spending too much time with him. Start ignoring him from now on."

    "W-What?!"

    Is Sana is insane?! Or just supremely stupid?! I get what she''s saying but she doesn''t know how Hyunda is...

    Hyunda just lacks interest in general...

    "Wait, Sana. We have to take into consideration who she''s dealing with."

    "Hyunda? Yeah, what about him?"

    I don''t like how both Yulia and Sana are addressing the love of my life. It''s physically and mentally bothering me that they are discussing him in the first place.

    At the same time though, if it contributes to my advancement, then I don''t mind taking secondary opinions.

    However, I''ll ban all other girls'' names when I talk to Hyunda again.

    "Haven''t you noticed? He''s a total goofball! Normal strategies might not work on him, Sana. He seems really absent-minded too."

    Hey, Yulia...?

    Why are you giving such a delicate commentary on Hyunda?! What the fuck is your fucking problem?!

    I fucking hate this bitch!

    "My bad, I suppose. Let''s ask the person who knows him the best, then."

    "Yeah! Arkalee, what''s Hyunda like?"

    Frankly giving this type of information makes my skin crawl. Only I should know the greatest of details about Hyunda.

    So, I''ll be dishonest.

    "Oh... He''s actually really cool. He talks a lot to me which I''m grateful for. And..."

    It''s so much more than that, but I didn''t feel like talking anymore.

    Suddenly, I''m not liking this conversation anymore.

    "Well, whatever the case might be, don''t chase after him desperately. Otherwise, you are no different from all the other girls."

    "What other girls?!"

    What is Sana talking about?! She doesn''t understand that I don''t allow other girls near him! Why does she think that I''m always there!?

    Isn''t it obvious that I''m freaking out right now because that totally might just happen and I''m not there which means I can''t prevent that event!?

    "C-Calm down! I was just speaking hypothetically..."

    "Oh... S-Sorry then... Hahaha..."

    Sana''s apologetic words don''t make this better though. Even if she''s speaking hypothetically, she should be aware that a girl in love does not like this type of talk.

    Other girls?! Other girls?!?! Ridiculous. There is no one else better for him than me!

    "Sana, that''s a really sensitive topic, you know? I think you don''t get that feeling because you aren''t in love with someone else."

    "That might be true, Yulia. I''m sorry. Can you forgive me, Arkalee? I didn''t mean to anger you..."

    Unexpectedly, Sana bowed her head down to me.

    I guess that I''m just feeling frustrated due to the current circumstances...

    "It''s no big deal! Don''t worry! But thank you for comprehending!"

    Special thanks to Yulia. The way she interjected and brought up the fact that it was indeed a sensitive topic was really reassuring.

    Honestly, I think Yulia might just be a fantastic person. There''s nothing I don''t like her thus far.

    Oh right, except one thing.

    The fact that Hyunda said he wanted to know every single thing about you. And not me.

    Don''t get it twisted. I mean more to him than you do to him. He''s just asking me that favor because he wants to prevent Daniel from getting cheated on.

    Speaking of Daniel... I have yet to launch my attack on him. I''ve thought and thought, but now that I look at the current scenario, this might be...

    Ideal.

    "More importantly! Let''s put my case aside for now!"

    Because I swear, if I hear Hyunda''s name coming out from a mouth that isn''t mine, I might go on a killing spree.

    "Yulia, how''s it going with Daniel!?"

    Enthusiastically, I asked Yulia that question despite not actually caring.

    There might just be a way to ruin Daniel''s life indirectly. I''m sure he treasures his relationship with Yulia, for sure.

    Yulia barely has any flaws. She rivals me in terms of appearance, honestly. Her natural charm is there, without a doubt.

    And her chest is... Well, whatever. Size doesn''t matter!

    I mean, it''s just a little bigger... No need to make a huge deal about it...

    "Yeah, how''s it going? Have you followed my strategy?"

    "About that... We have been getting closer, but... There''s something bothering me. I''ve told you how he confessed first, right?"

    Daniel confessed first? Daniel, you know, you could be useful for once and pass that example to Hyunda if you are with him right now.

    Tell him to confess to me and make me the happiest woman on this planet and I''ll give you a single thank you.

    "Yes, yes! Honestly, I was so surprised! You told me that you had feelings for him first and that you weren''t expecting him to confess! You even described the whole scene...! Ahh, I wish there was someone like that in class! But our class is full of morons! No offense meant, of course!"

    Sana looked at me while saying that nervously.

    If we were to exclude Hyunda, then I would completely agree with Sana.

    And...

    "I''m sorry, but what exactly happened...? Could you tell me please?"

    My curiosity grew when Sana spoke enthusiastically about something that Yulia had told her.

    About a certain scene... The confession, surely.

    "Well, you see..."

    After a long session of hearing Yulia describing the whole scene, I couldn''t believe what I had just heard.

    Did Daniel actually come up with such a scenario...? And those words in specific... Strange. He never struck me with the impression of being good at romance.

    Not that I care though. If I think about anyone else but Hyunda then my thoughts will be tainted.

    "Continuing on, although he confessed to me and the moment was pretty intense and the fact that we have kissed so many times now... Everything should be going smoothly, but.... I think he''s avoiding me recently..."

    Strange.

    I was given the impression by what Hyunda said that Yulia might be the one cheating on him but from her words, I would say that....

    "Like, it''s all fine and smooth but when it gets to lunchtime, he just vanishes and comes up with a plethora of excuses! For example, what happened a while ago was a good example!"

    Daniel, Daniel, Daniel. Could it be that you are...?

    How interesting. I think I know how to make your life a personal hell now. But first, I need to confirm if Daniel is truly in love with Yulia or not.

    "But you two love each other, right? You two have even kissed multiple times!"

    "I know that, Arkalee... It''s just... I get this stiff feeling. Always, at this exact time, he leaves! Sometimes he heads out to unknown places or he comes up with extremely convenient excuses! I''m getting suspicious... I think he''s lying to me."

    There''s obviously a pattern here. Daniel, just what are you doing behind Yulia''s back?

    It''s one thing to steal Hyunda from me like that, but are you cheating on her, Daniel?

    You naughty boy. You need to be punished.

    In the worst possible way.

    "Could he be cheating...? A-Ahh! I''m sorry!"

    I had to stop midway because Yulia started to form a really sad expression. She''s quite sensitive.

    "Please don''t say that.... He isn''t cheating on me... He just needs space. Isn''t that normal in relationships...?"

    "No, I don''t agree with you there, Yulia. While a need for space is something common in relationships, from what you''ve told us, it''s not like you two have established your relationship properly. Although he said he loves you and you said the same, you two haven''t discussed a proper relationship status yet, have you?"

    Sana''s words piqued my interest instantly.

    Daniel, you were the one who started this but you didn''t bother to go further?

    Actually... I''ll confirm something.

    "Sorry to interrupt, but when did the confession take place...?"

    "Oh... It was right before the exam. Why?"

    "Nothing! I was just curious! Go on, go on!"

    That confirms it. If it took place before the previous exam, then without a doubt, it was for the sake of getting Yulia on his side.

    Daniel, you, as expected, are quite the bastard, aren''t you? You were just using Yulia, weren''t you?

    I don''t even need to think twice. You''re quite the manipulative bastard, aren''t you? Yulia''s sensitive to a brutal extent. She was just about to cry as soon as I mentioned the possibility of cheating.

    Plus, the scenario is really convenient for someone who is sensitive.

    In other words, you faked it, didn''t you? You so did. And Yulia''s too blind to see that.

    Oh geez. How unfortunate. A love so fabricated.

    I guess you''ll have to pay the consequences for it.

    "No... We haven''t... Why...?"

    "That''s really suspicious, Yulia. Why hasn''t he committed to a relationship yet? Did he chicken out?"

    Sana''s under the impression that their love is the product of something genuine, but I think not.

    Yulia''s tender feelings seem to be genuine on the other hand. Which only leaves Daniel''s feelings to be questioned.

    "I don''t think that''s the case. We do share a lot of romantic moments, for the record...! It''s just bothering me how at this exact time he always does this. I don''t want to think about it, but do you two think that he''s..."

    Frightened by the possibility, Yulia didn''t end her sentence.

    Sincerely, if I were in her position, I would not let go of Daniel. Sana argues that not being clingy is counterproductive but I''ll never agree to that.

    Supervigilence is something that should be enforced. In a love relationship, only you and your love should matter.

    Everyone else can go to hell.

    "L-Let''s think positively! Maybe he''s preparing a surprise for you!"

    "Oh yeah! Arkalee''s probably right! It''s quite common to see this scenario! Daniel''s probably coming up with something and you can''t see it, otherwise, it would ruin the whole thing!"

    "W-Wow! You two think so...?"

    "Definitely!" x2.

    Guilty, Sana and I traded glances. We both knew that this probably wasn''t the case.

    Hyunda, if you ever put me in this position, I''ll slice my wrists, I swear.

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    "Hey, you know what we should totally do?"

    "What, what?"

    Passionately, Yulia and Sana traded words with each other.

    "We should spy on them!"

    Yulia just said the words I wanted to hear the most. Therefore, I took the initiative and advanced this conversation to the next level.

    "As I thought, you two also think that they lied to us?!"

    "Duh! That definitely was a lie! Also, you two seem to be feeling conscious about their whereabouts! So, let''s check them!"

    Sana''s idea excited me greatly. My love, wait for me.

    I''ll be there with you in a second.

    "Where do we start from though...? Yulia, you were the one that suggested it, so you should have a general idea, right?"

    Smirking, Yulia replied.

    "Heh! I''ve got just the plan! You know how our dorms aren''t that far from one another, correct? This morning, in light of this, I asked Olivia to monitor if Daniel would enter the dorm during lunchtime! Now, I''ll just have to give her a call and I''ll know the truth!"

    That is clever.

    But I hate Olivia too much. She interrupted that moment where Hyunda carried me all the way to my room.

    Hold me like that again, please...

    Well, after Yulia made the short call to Olivia, she delivered the truth back to us, who patiently waited throughout the whole conversation.

    "He hasn''t entered it! I so knew it! He was lying!"

    That bastard! Where did he take my future fiancee?!

    And Hyunda... Why aren''t you texting me back!? I''ve sent you more than 50 texts during this short interlude...!

    If Daniel took you somewhere else, then you should tell me!

    "But where do you think they are, Yulia?"

    "I can picture a guess, Sana. Just follow me..."

    Mysteriously saying that Yulia gave us the positive signal and we left the cafeteria into a place that both Sana and I had no knowledge of.

    This place that we didn''t know was at the top of the restaurants.

    Not only was the clear sky visible, but six individuals casually chatting with one another was also something that we three could witness.

    Noticeably, as we hid behind the bushes that were on the entrance of this Indian restaurant, Yulia and I watched this tasteless scenario unravel painfully.

    "Wow, this is just... I feel so bad for you two... Being lied like that!"

    Sana tried to be sympathetic to me and Yulia who feasted our eyes on the scenery going on.

    Goofing around, Hyunda, along with Daniel, Kawahara, Kuzan, Rayazaki, and Akihiko, was eating curry.

    My tears started to shed, naturally.

    "A-Arkalee, are you alright?!"

    "No... Not really, Sana... Hyunda lied to me....! But more importantly!!"

    Yulia understood what I meant to say immediately.

    "It''s Daniel''s fault! Seriously?! He chose to be with those losers instead of being with me?! Loserhara is incredibly persisting! And that rat Kuzan! Every single time! Gosh! And what''s the deal with Rayazaki!? Does he have a personality disorder?! Because I can''t recognize him anymore! Don''t get me started on Akihiko, who is trying to be a womanizer! What gives?!"

    Ranting longly, Yulia let out her emotions while looking desperate.

    We both aren''t pleased with this scenario. And, my love, I really want answers. What happened to ''being honest''?!

    Therefore, I proposed something that would solve this.

    Almost silently, I spoke to the three of them.

    "Let''s catch them by surprise! They can''t escape us now!"

    Honestly, I don''t care for any of them except Hyunda.

    Hyunda, why are you looking so relaxed!? Are you telling me that you don''t like being with me?!

    But I love you, so why!?

    "Just imagine their reactions when they get caught! It will be priceless!"

    "Yeah, that should teach them a lesson!"

    Our plan to catch them by surprise should authentically be good in theory.

    We just failed to realize something.

    "Teach who a lesson?"

    A creeping voice infiltrated the conversation that was being held by the three of us. We didn''t notice the presence of this person who somehow got in the middle of us, who were kneeling down on the floor while spying on the boys.

    This person also kneeled down. However, it wasn''t to mock us. He just looked at the three of us with massive curiosity.

    "Hm? What''s wrong? Why is no one speaking? Oh, Sana! Hi! Have you been well? Did you sleep well? Had any bad dreams? I hope not! That would be really b---"

    "Shut up, Kuzan!"

    Angry, Sana shouted back at Kuzan, which attracted a lot of attention. Too much attention.

    O-Oh god, what if Hyunda sees me like this...?!

    "What the hell are you doing here, Kuzan!? Get lost, Kuzan!"

    Yulia joined in as well. I''m sensing a little bit of hatred for Kuzan.

    Not that it matters, but I''m curious as to why that''s the case.

    Then, before Kuzan could reply, another presence came right to the entrance of the restaurant.

    "Oh? What is this? I thought this was a restaurant, not a prostitution center, so why the fuck are these three hoes here?!"

    That rude voice. That obnoxious confident smirk! There''s only a single boy in our class that has a semi-long blonde hair with noticeable black chokes...

    "Excuse me!? Say that again, I dare you!"

    No longer kneeling down, Sana stood up to Kawahara, who literally called us those names.

    Simultaneously, Yulia did the same. As for me, I hid in one of the bushes in order to not be noticed...

    "Facts don''t need to be said twice! But seriously, you three whores here? Spying on us?! Laughable! What''s wrong?! Not gonna talk now?!"

    Kawahara''s aggressiveness was making Sana cower a little bit. Not even Yulia was feeling that confident anymore.

    Rude jerk... Everyone literally hates you.

    "Wait, Master. Don''t you think this is kind of a good opportunity?"

    "Mhm? What are y--- Oh... Oh! You''re so right, Kuzan! Well then, guide the ladies to the table then!"

    Eh?

    What?

    What the hell? What just happened? Wasn''t Kawahara being oddly aggressive one second ago? Why did Kuzan''s words make him change his mind?

    Kawahara left and went back to the massive table while Kuzan stayed here.

    "Sorry about his rudeness, Sana."

    "Don''t speak to me so casually, Kuzan... We have talked about this."

    "Sure. But why are the three of you here?"

    Kuzan had noticed me, even though I was hiding in the bushes. Artificial ones, for the record.

    This is so embarrassing...

    "That''s none of your business, Kuzan. Move aside!"

    "Um... Okay."

    Yulia was acting furious and just went straight up inside the restaurant without a second thought.

    Naturally, I followed her up because I couldn''t hold back any longer.

    They were all in a table of 12 seats while occupying only half of the seats. Less than that, now that Kuzan is away from the table.

    As soon as Daniel saw Yulia, his face looked pale.

    "How the f---"

    "I am so disappointed in you!"

    Yulia expressed her discontent right away. That alone shocked the rest of the boys who were having a group conversation from the looks of it.

    Since I was also there, I crossed looks with Hyunda, who didn''t say a single word.

    I am not sure how to feel right now. I feel cheated. First, you invite me out and then this happens?

    Hyunda, you are making this hard for me.

    "Wait! Wait! Wait! Before any of you blatantly go on an emotional spree, you three should know something. I, for a fact, was the one who called them out here. I also told them to purposely lie to you three."

    Kawahara thinks that saying that makes this situation any less bad.

    You are, in other words telling me that Hyunda lied to me more than once?!

    A-Ah....

    My love, why...?!

    "For what particular reason?"

    Calmly this time, Sana questioned Kawahara, who showed a more polite stance this time around.

    "This actually involves you three. I needed to drag you three here particularly. And you three fell for the bait. Pathetic."

    "That''s where you are wrong, Kawahara. We are not staying. We are leaving. Come on, let''s go."

    Unable to accept defeat, Sana immediately ordered a retreat.

    I understand where she''s coming from. Kawahara is someone to hate with every single one of your guts. Plus, his arrogant attitude makes me want to vomit.

    And...

    I wanted to talk to Hyunda but right now... It''s so awkward... Because...

    Why are all these people here?! Come on... I just wanted to be alone with you yet you do all of this...

    I think I''ll go to one of the public bathrooms and cry... You are so cruel...

    "Arkalee. Stay."

    "Eh?"

    As we were leaving the restaurant, Hyunda''s voice called out to me.

    Telling me to stay. No way... You...

    O-Oh god...! I think I might just cry in public! Hyunda, you... You really aren''t avoiding me?!

    "This is important. Seat by my side."

    My eyes felt like waterfalls because I had to keep all these tears inside yet you... You called out to me when I thought that you were avoiding me!

    "A-Ah, yes!"

    Happily, I took the seat that was right next to him.

    Ahhhh, my love, how I missed you! Those hellish forty minutes were too damn long!

    "W-Wait, Arkalee? What are you doing?"

    Why is Sana looking at me like that? Can''t she tell what actually matters right now?

    So annoying... So persistent! Can''t all of you, except Hyunda and I, die?! Why are you all alive in the first place?!

    "This won''t be long. Just take a seat as she did."

    "Screw you, Kawahara. I will not obey your orders. You just want to use others!"

    Sana protested against Kawahara, but Sana, please understand that I only want to be here with Hyunda.

    Nothing else matters right now.

    "If I may speak, I think it would be nice if Sana and Yulia could additionally be present here. There isn''t much time left until the class starts. Would you two be kind enough to be present here for a little while?"

    Polite and formal, Rayazaki spoke in Kawahara''s turn.

    He even paused his book while speaking. Sana was transiently baffled by Rayazaki''s polite speech, which made her hesitate on saying her words.

    ".......Is it really that important...?"

    "I wouldn''t call it ''important'', but it''s interesting. Do you like rumors?"

    Rumors? What is Rayazaki trying to imply?

    "It depends on what sort of rumors..."

    No longer in supreme denial, Sana was slowly being reeled in.

    "It involves the rest of the class. Are you interested in the topic of gossip?"

    "Maybe."

    Sana was most likely going to stay. The only one who was showing reluctance was Yulia, however, she was already leaving.

    "Are you sure you don''t want to stop her from leaving?"

    My love, instead of remaining usually silent, spoke to the trash can on his left side, Daniel.

    "It shouldn''t matter, right?"

    "Yes, it doesn''t matter."

    What are they talking about...? Ahhh... Hyunda, just how many secrets are you keeping from me...?

    Well, that aside, Sana was already in one of the seats, so this was about to get started.

    "So? What are these rumors? Is this why we are important here?"

    Impatiently, Sana asked the rest of the boys, who were either still eating or filling the void with silence.

    "These rumors aren''t for free. I want a deal, so to speak."

    "A deal? Knowing you, Kawahara, it''s probably corrupt."

    "Not true. I''ll just ask you two to spread these rumors that are actually true. Are you fine with that?"

    Suddenly, Kawahara was attempting to strike a deal with Sana.

    Actually, this involved me too. Yet, all this time, I''ve just been closing my distance to Hyunda.

    I missed you so much. How could you leave me like that? My heart lost its place momentarily, you know?

    From now on, I will not let anything like that ever happen again.

    Which is why I''ll terminate Daniel''s life.

    "Tell me the rumors first and then I''ll think about it."

    "Tsk, what the hell is that deal even? You''re lucky I''m feeling nice today!"

    "No one likes you."

    With spite, Sana retorted back at Kawahara, who did not seem to be bothered by what Sana had just said.

    Even though it''s really the truth. Kawahara''s personality is horrible.

    "Would you be interested in knowing two possible affairs going on in class?"

    Rayazaki, once more, spoke in Kawahara''s turn. Rayazaki at this point sounds like a right-hand man attempting to correct Kawahara''s rude behavior and stance every time.

    "I already know a few. Good luck with that."

    Certainly, Sana was already knowledgable in this area, so it''s probably not hard for her to guess.

    "Ryoken has a crush on Gale and Susaga has a crush on Yukishiro."

    ".......No way."

    I never paid any attention to them, so I have no opinion about this.

    I do have my opinion on something else though.

    How my love shines brighter than the sun.

    "I''ll give you a full day to judge it by how Ryoken and Susaga behave around them. If I''m right, you''ll have to spread the rumors to them and the rest of the girls."

    "Deal. It''s just fake information either way. I would''ve noticed it by now if that was actually the case."

    That was rather quick.

    And besides, it''s 1:55 pm...

    I should tell Hyunda that we should get going...

    "Before we wrap this up, one last rumor. This one might be the most shocking since it involves our other guest."

    Kawahara just mentioned another guest but who exactly is he talking about...?

    And why is everyone looking at me? Why can''t Hyunda look at me only instead? I don''t get this.

    Oh... Wait...

    "E-Eh...? Are you speaking about me...?"

    "That''s right! Tatsu has a major crush on you! Dude thinks no one notices it, hahaha!!"

    "............"

    I didn''t bother to act embarrassed for the sake of my appearance though. Hyunda can''t get the wrong idea.

    That would just be devastating to me, right now.

    "You''re just lying at this point, Kawahara. You''re making Arkalee feel uncomfortable. Stop it."

    "No, it''s true. Or am I wrong, Arkalee?"

    What is this...? Why is Kawahara going so far to tell us this...? I don''t understand why it''s important that Sana and I have to be here in specific.

    And besides, it''s true that Tatsu has a crush on me. But my heart and soul are Hyunda''s property, so I''m not worried.

    Still...

    "Oh, I don''t know.... But why bring this up? What''s up...? Hahaha...."

    "Mhm? No specific reason."

    ........What...?

    No specific reason...? I can''t comprehend what Kawahara is plotting...

    Nor do I care enough. Because right now...

    "Um... We should get going, Hyunda...!"

    "True."

    Thus, we both left the restaurant.

    Sana decided to go her own way and we all returned to the classroom in different ways.

    Yet before arriving in it, Hyunda and I had a small exchange of words.

    "You''re mad, right?"

    "Yes. You lied to me. Please stop doing that.... I don''t like being lied to. It''s really annoying and frustrating!"

    "I lied for one simple reason. I wanted you to spend enough time with Yulia so you could gather a bit of intel about her. So, did you get any?"

    .....................

    He missed my whole point....

    It''s not fine to lie!

    "Yes... But I''m not telling anything! I''m mad at you!"

    "You''ll either tell me or we won''t talk ever again."

    "That''s unfair! So unfair! Why can you make unfair deals and I can''t?! Why do you always keep me in the dark!?"

    I stopped walking and got mad at him midway.

    My words became slightly intense in comparison to my last ones.

    "Alright. I''ll just not talk to you. Erase my contact though or I''ll have to block you. I''ll go ahead and---"

    "What are you saying?! That is not my point at all! Can''t you just listen to what I''m saying for one second instead of focusing on some information that''s not that important?!"

    "It is important though."

    "No. No, it''s not. But you know what''s important? Trust! Trust is important! How come I trust you one-hundred percent but you don''t trust me back one-hundred percent?!"

    I''m sick and tired of going unrewarded while feeling in love without getting anything in return for it.

    This is torture...

    "So you want me to trust you one-hundred percent? Well, I can''t do that."

    "W-What!? Why not?!"

    "Because you are simply not trustworthy. Also, our relationship is limited. It''s impossible for me to share every single thing with you for one simple reason. You are overly emotional. And your outbursts will ruin everything."

    "I can''t believe you...."

    I''m not overly emotional.... B-But...

    "See? You''re crying. You''re always crying. Your emotions are so fragile and fragile emotions easily break. So, as soon as you feel touchy and emotional, you might even do something unpredictable. Henceforth, I can''t have that. Do you understand now? As long as you remain that way, I can''t trust you."

    "Then I don''t want to remain this way! But I don''t know how I can change that! This is why this is confusing! I know I want it but I don''t know how to achieve it! Why are you making me go through this!?"

    "I am not. You are making yourself go through this all by yourself. That''s because you are dramatic."

    "Well, I am so sorry for being dramatic! It''s in my nature okay?! I am also sorry if I can''t be apathetic like you, because maybe then we could work things out but it''s apparently impossible because you hate my character or something!"

    It''s a good thing that there are no students around the entrance of block F, which is our current location...

    But I can''t stop the tears that are streaming down....

    "I never said I hated your character though. I''m well aware of how you are. You don''t have to change. I just said that the primary reason as to why I can''t tell you every single thing is because our relationship is limited. We do have a special relationship. But it''s not something to reach out for."

    "Oh my god! Just say it!"

    "Say what?"

    "Say that you hate me! I know that you are lying! Your words are so fake! I bet you just want to make me feel better, don''t you?!"

    Because if you say you hate me then I can feel relieved... Even if I love you, if you are slightly honest with me, then I''ll be thankful for it.

    "My goal isn''t to make you feel better. Look at you. You are crying. That''s the opposite of feeling better. So, what is my goal in all of this?"

    "I don''t know! That''s why I''m so confused! I don''t know what you are thinking! It would help if I could know!"

    "Do you want to know? Do you really want to know what I am thinking? Or, do you want me to tell you the truth all the time? Which is it? Because both are different and you might like neither of them."

    It''s already overtime...

    We are a few minutes late already. For sure, we are going to get scolded.

    What a horrible day thus far. Nothing''s going right.

    "Just... Forget it... Just pretend we didn''t have this conversation."

    I started whipping my tears quickly with my sleeves.

    This is not worth arguing over. I''m just being dramatic.

    It''s my fault. It''s my fault. It''s my fault.

    Don''t ruin this more than you already are, Arkalee.

    "Don''t go. We aren''t done talking. Confront me."

    Still, I kept on walking past him.

    I just don''t want to talk anymore...! I don''t want to ruin our potential relationship!

    I''ll admit it. I was an idiot. I was just being selfish. Wanting every single thing.

    I hate how I can only realize the flaws of my actions after committing them...

    "I said wait."

    Feeling my arm being pressured, I was conceivably frightened.

    "Please.... Can''t I just go...?"

    "No. We need to solve this. If you think this is fine, then you are wrong. This event will just happen again and again. What then? Are we supposed to repeat this over and over? Is that what you want, Arkalee?"

    "Of course not.... But...... I can''t do anything to change the situation! Because it''s always my fault! I am to blame, no matter how I look at it! That''s why... Just stop this already... Don''t insist, I''ll be fine on my own..."

    I lied. Please hold me tightly right now.

    I''m feeling so broken that I have a spiral of words in my mouth and they won''t come out no matter how hard I try.

    "Actually, you can do something to change this situation."

    "Hahaha. No, I can''t. I can''t! I can''t! I won''t change who I am because that''s impossible and that''s the only way I ca---"

    "It''s not. That''s where you are wrong, Arkalee. You don''t have to change in order to become acceptable. You''re already as fine as you are. However, there''s just one big problem. We need to connect the bridge that can make this possible."

    Bridge......?

    What is he talking about...?

    "You asked me to trust you with every single thing, but I can''t do that under normal circumstances. Unless, of course, you are willing to accept the one circumstance. Realistically speaking, no human being will fully trust another human being. There will always be secrets that will never be told. However, do you want to break this rule?"

    ".......Yes... But is it even possible? As you said, human beings will hide every single thing in the end... How can I become somehow different? Hahaha, I can''t right...?"

    He''s still holding onto my arm....

    Looking at him directly is so difficult. I''m so weak in these scenarios....

    "Fortunately for you, this isn''t up to you, but up to me. Though, before that. Come closer, I need to do something."

    "How close.....?"

    "It doesn''t matter how much. As long as you feel comfortable."

    "Alright....."

    We are just a few centimeters away....

    As I took a few steps closer to him, my heartbeat rose up even higher.

    ...................!!!!

    "W-What?"

    A-Ah, this is....

    "You don''t like it? If it''s uncomfortable for you, say it. I won''t force you to stay like this if you don''t like it."

    He hugged me... In a moment like this, he actually reached out to me and hugged me unexpectedly like that...

    Our bodies are fully connected. Every part is embracing one another right now. My head is sinking in his chest slowly, as I realize that I can''t look at Hyunda in the face.

    Firmly as well, I''m holding him even more tightly without speaking a word.

    "It seems that you don''t mind it. Then, I''ll continue. It''s up to me to perform this task, but partially, you''ll have to commit a good part. Hey, you are listening, right?"

    "............Yeah...."

    I want to be like this forever... It scares me. The thought of ending this current moment is terrifying.

    I hate everything else. Is it such a weird feeling or thought to hate everything else that isn''t the one you love?

    "I''ve thought of a way to mark this event. Something that might be remarkable, certainly. But, here is how I''ll entrust you with what I have got. You have to give yourself to me. Only me."

    Shocked, I lifted my face from his chest all the way up and looked at Hyunda in the face with spontaneous vigor and abundant happiness.

    I couldn''t believe what he had said. I thought for a second that this was a dream or something.

    "It goes a bit further though. Till the day you die, you''re not allowed to break this. Throughout your whole life, there will only be a single person that matters and that will be me. My orders are forever absolute. My authority is supreme. If you are willing to give yourself to me, then I will, in return, treat you specially, just like no other. I''ll treat you as if you are completely different from the rest. In other words, be mine."

    "W-Wait! Please wait! Just give me a little bit of time to process everything!"

    U-Umm...!

    Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. I can''t think! Why is this happening right now?!

    It''s impossible for me to process all of that information so suddenly, I.....!

    "We don''t have all day, Arkalee. It''s either done now or never again."

    That''s bad then. While it''s true that I am panicking, I did hear the majority of it.

    It''s just...

    I''m so happy right now that I might have a heart attack so I''m trying to keep it all in and not explode.

    "This isn''t a lie, right....?"

    Because if it is, then I might just end it all. It would be too tasteless of a joke, Hyunda.

    "Considering that we will receive a scolding from the demon, I wouldn''t waste time unless I mean it."

    "So it''s real... You promise that this is real. That you mean every single word you have just said! T-That I....!"

    O-Oh god, these tears, they won''t stop...!

    I''m feeling so sensitive right now.... But I don''t want to let go of this sensation. I don''t want to go through constant doubting sessions and emotional meltdowns, so...

    "I am yours!"

    Lightly smirking, Hyunda confirmed my words instantly. But he said something about marking this event...

    Just what was he referring to...?

    "Perfect. Here is our mark. With this move, it will begin."

    "Um, what are y---"

    A soft sensation embraced my lips in a short interlude where I was taken by surprise.

    Our closure was evident yet never did I imagine that this would actually....!

    "U-U-Ummmm!!! A-Aahhh!!! You ---- Just....!"

    "Mhm? What? You never kissed before? You told me that you have plenty of boyfriends in the past, therefore, this shouldn''t be anything new. Or was this your first time?"

    "Y-You never asked if I kissed before!!!"

    Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!! He just kissed me! In my lips!

    We kissed! We really kissed! It happened, right?! This moment is real!

    I am so glad that I have never tarnished my precious lips before with any other vile human being! They were being saved for this moment!

    "Idiot. Why would I ask that? Also, let me wipe your tears. Your makeup is all over the place. Don''t put makeup if you''re going to cry like hell all the time."

    "It''s not my fault...! It''s yours, you know?! Also... I''m feeling slightly hurt right now! You called me an idiot, so... I think I should receive some sort of compensation! Like... Another k-k-k-kiss........."

    He said he would treat me specially! S-So...

    "Don''t push your luck. Also, what happened to your twin-tails?"

    "Oh... I''m just trying a new look! What do you think?!"

    Well... I obviously remove the twin-tails and let out my long luscious brown hair free just like Hyunda suggested it.

    I don''t regret it, not one bit.

    "You tried a new look, which happened to be the one I suggested it. Of course I''ll like it. Also... Let go. We are seriously late."

    "Mhmmm! That''s too bad! I don''t feel like letting go! Hehe!"

    "Hey! I''m being serious right now! We are literally going to get scolded into oblivion!"

    "Ehh, but I want to stay like this!"

    Never in my life did I feel this happy. Every moment I had was filled with a monochrome sensation until you came into my life.

    And the very first sensation you brought me was the love I felt and will keep on feeling for you, Hyunda. The sensation that broke apart the monochrome days I spent without any remote meaning.

    It''s days like these that teach me one simple thing...

    Love is a beautiful pain.

 Volume 11 - Chapter 77: Ebullient Impermanence.

    "I knew you were a smartass, but I didn''t take you for stupid, Hyunda. You two know where to go, or do I need to spell it out?"

    "No need."

    It happened so fast. As soon as we entered the classroom, Basara-sensei greeted us both with those cold words.

    On the other hand, Hyunda closed the door that he had opened subsequently, as he heeded Basara-sensei''s words.

    Confused, I asked Hyunda where we were going, since Hyunda started walking back to the entrance of block F.

    "Ummm, where are we going...?"

    "To the principal''s office. That''s what he implied. You and me, to the principal''s office."

    "E-Ehhh!? Isn''t that bad?! Like, really, really bad?! Couldn''t that endanger our positions?!"

    But why are we going to the principal''s office though...? Is that demon seriously mad just because we were spending time with each other?

    Perhaps the most precious time of my entire life thus far. No. No. No! That''s not a ''perhaps''. It is my precious time thus far!

    After all, we k-k-ki--- Gaah, it really happened!!

    "Yes. But, I was already planning on doing this either way."

    "Wait, what?"

    What is he saying? Why would you want to go to the principal''s office like that?!

    "I purposely created a situation where we would arrive late and receive this punishment. Sincerely, I had no way of knowing that it would work one-hundred percent, but it worked."

    Then...

    "So what just happened a while ago... That was all an ac---"

    "No, it wasn''t. Think about it for a bit, couldn''t I have simply avoided the situation if I wanted to? I provoked the situation because it needed to be solved. Or, would you prefer if I had avoided the situation?"

    He''s not being so reserved anymore! He''s speaking his honest thoughts! Finally...

    I can see that side of you... That side where you are genuine about what you say and not reserved on purpose.

    "No! No! Not at all! I didn''t know, sorry, hahaha..."

    Once again, we walked through the entrance of block F and kept on walking towards our final destination.

    Geez, why do we have to eventually stop...?

    It would be a lot better if we could talk forever, wouldn''t it? And the way he held me... I''m definitely not forgetting that. I''ll go down to my memory lane every single moment that I am not with you, Hyunda.

    "Arkalee, are you good at acting?"

    "Um... Well, I think so... I''m really dishonest in front of many people, haha..."

    Not around you though! Well... Until I can gather all my guts and confess my sentiments that is.

    But we kissed! So, um, does that make him my boyfriend by default...?

    I''m nervous to ask... His possible rejection might spell death to me, quite honestly.

    "Can you be dishonest in front of the principal? Or is that too much to ask?"

    "I think as long as you tell me why, I won''t mind the request."

    Though, to be fair, I can pretty much do any request that he gives me without a reason behind it as long as it doesn''t involve someone else.

    That''s where it gets unacceptable.

    "I need to find out what sort of person the principal is. Which is why I''ll ask you this request. Can you act like you are my real girlfriend?"

    "Sorry?"

    Um, wait.

    Why did I say that?! Am I stupid or something?!

    "I am asking if you can act like my girlfriend. I need to see his reaction in the face of that. Is it too much for you?"

    "A-Ah, no! Not at all! I''m fine with that!"

    More than fine, actually! Never did I imagine that he would ask such a romantic request! B-But, just what are you going to do with me....?

    Will we kiss again? Or will we try something new? I want to try cuddling if possible. It shouldn''t be too much, right?

    "Thanks. I said that my authority is supreme, but I''ll still consider your feelings first, so I won''t be a tyrant about it. Here is something you should know about this act. Accordingly, we have known each other for years. 10 years. We are childhood friends who fell in love with each other at a young age. However, eventually, at one point, I had to move to another different city which caused us to be separated. After many years later, we met each other in our class through an encounter of pure fate. In other words, our love should be powerful and the principal has to get that impression."

    Wow, that''s a lot of details...

    "Okay, I got it. But you know what else we should try? Like, physical contact! It''s really important to try physical contact whenever portraying an act of romance, right?"

    Unknowingly, I got brutally honest and suggested a plethora of things that caused my thoughts to steam and my face to glow red in response.

    "I''m aware. Though, what sort of physical contact gestures do you want to do? I need to know your limits, for the record."

    "U-Um... Should we be really bold or should we slow down when it comes down to it...? Because we will be in front of the principal!"

    I really want this. I won''t bother to deny it for whatever reason I might have. I know I''m being sentimental and acting out of reason, but I can''t help myself...

    I want to feel loved, even if it means via physical acts. The commitment to physical affection should mean something, right, right!?

    "We should be bold. I''m talking about kissing, but not just kissing on the lips. French kiss, forehead kiss, earlobe kiss, and neck kiss. Also, act like you are really physically clingy to me. As if you are dependent on my body all the time."

    Why can''t I record this moment into a tape? Oh, wait... I can just make a voice tape out of this!

    No, not just this, but every single moment! How have I not thought about this before!? What an idiot I am! I''m sure that if I''m able to listen to his voice every time saying stuff like this then I''ll sleep soundly!

    With that in mind, I quickly started recording this conversation without a second thought.

    "Sorry, could you say that again?"

    "What? You heard me loud and clear."

    "Mhmmm! I don''t think I have, hehehe."

    "I said that we are going to go with various types of kisses and that you should be clingy in order to portray the act. With that said, do you know those types of kisses or do you need a demonstration?"

    That''s a really complex question. You see, my love, I do know them.

    But if I answer with a ''yes'', you''ll answer me with a ''no'' when it comes to receiving that ''demonstration''.

    "Maybe I do..."

    "Well, I can''t now. We are already in block A. Were you too focused on the conversation to notice?"

    "Oh...."

    That is true. We are already in front of the enormous block A, which is by far the biggest block. I have no clue why this block in specific has almost the structure of a palace.

    Not only is that bizarre but it''s really exaggerated too...

    Still...

    "U-Um... I''m free to act as I see fit, right...?!"

    "Yes. I''ll do the same. Act as if I am your boyfriend and I''ll act as if you are my girlfriend. Do you have any doubts regarding this?"

    "Nope!"

    All in all, I just wish Ikkiri could see this. What would her reaction be? I''m dying to know.

    Principal''s office.

    Arriving at the final destination, as soon as we both walked in, I clung onto Hyunda''s right arm without a second thought and put it in the middle of my chest.

    "Kiss me."

    It hadn''t even been a good ten seconds and we were already starting the act. Hyunda replied well to my order, by kissing me with deep intensity.

    This new climax bewildered me insanely.

    "What is this? Behave yourselves."

    Unfortunately, the one who was the most bewildered was the infamous principal that Hyunda had mentioned earlier. Clean shiny bald head and stern glasses. Yuk.

    Despite this, Hyunda just kept on going further and further and slammed me into the wall.

    As much as I deeply enjoyed this moment, I had to separate him shortly just so he could see the current situation and there''s also the fact that the principal is illy staring at us right now.

    "H-Hey, we aren''t in front of the principal...!"

    "So?"

    "W-We have to behave ourselves in front of him, remember?"

    "Tch. Fine."

    Showing visible anger, Hyunda took a seat in one of the chairs that were in front of the principal''s desk.

    Unlike his usual monochrome expression, he showed a more revolted expression this time around, which implied that he was angry about being separated from me.

    Naturally, I also took a seat too. However, I did not let go of his arm. Not a single bit.

    "First of all, identify yourselves. Second of all, don''t repeat that sort of behavior ever again."

    "Why are you talking to my girl like that? Be nicer!"

    Oh my god.

    "Cease that behavior right away. What''s your name? And what class are you from?"

    "Hajime Hyunda. Remember that name well."

    Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.

    "E-Erm, we are from class 1-F! Sorry for my boyfriend''s rude behavior! He didn''t mean it, I swear!"

    I am going to go crazy once I lock myself in my room later on.

    "I want to hear it from him. Apologize."

    Unhappy, the principal took out his anger on Hyunda, who looked extremely displeased with the current scenario.

    I pondered what sort of answer he was going to give in the meantime.

    "Apologize for what exactly? Making my girlfriend happy? No way in hell am I apologizing for that!"

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    "You youngsters are so troublesome. My point was not to criticize your relationship, but the way you acted."

    This is being recorded, right? Yup. With a simple glance at my phone, I secretly took note of the ongoing footage being currently recorded.

    I''ll save the over-reactions for later. I have to do my role now.

    "Ahh, principal, we are very much sorry about it! It''s just, we are so deeply in love with one another that we can''t help it! We didn''t mean to upset you!"

    "That''s right! After being away for so many years, we finally got to see each other again through a bizarre coincidence. Don''t make light of our love."

    My only regret is that this is just an act. More importantly, though, the principal still remained with a stiff expression.

    He wasn''t exactly buying our argument well...

    "I should start forbidding relationships in this school already. Do you two honestly think that your teenage love will last? Give it a few years and it will all be gone."

    Hyunda looked ready to argue against the principal but I exploded before he could.

    "That''s not true at all! We plan on getting married after we graduate! It''s not just a teenage love! Even our parents tell us that! They are wrong! Everyone''s wrong! Our love and passion for one another will surpass your mediocre and irrelevant expectations so please stop saying stuff like that!!"

    "We even started already thinking about what names we are going to give our future kids! Don''t you dare mock us like that!"

    Hyunda, don''t go that far, please. I might pass out.

    "I see. Let''s suppose that''s the case. Hajime, wouldn''t you argue that it would be wise to ensure that there is a better future for you and your partner to be in?"

    "Ho?! For once we agree! I hope you''re not implying that I won''t be able to give her a future because I god damn will!"

    I am so wet right now that rain can''t even compare.

    "Not if you keep that sort of behavior up. Do you realize how naive you are being by suggesting that you can bring a better future when your actions are controlled by your emotions?"

    "What!? Is there something wrong with the way I feel!? Are you trying to tell me that my love for this beautiful jewel right here isn''t good enough?! Heh. Then, I''ll have you witness it."

    It''s not as if I wasn''t expecting a rash movement like that, but Hyunda went straight for my neck with a kiss.

    Unlike his previous neck bites, he started by slowly climbing the low base of my neck all the way up while shamelessly engaging in this passionate act.

    "A-Ahh!"

    As much as I tried to resist it, it was ultimately impossible to...!

    "And next..."

    His mysterious words grew on me suddenly as I knew not what he would do next. It was an undeniable sensation. Every part of me felt completely loved within every movement that he made on me.

    The way he tingled my ear with his soft lips and how our lips intertwined in such a romantic way afterward.

    That alone was enough to make me forget that we were actually shamelessly conducting passionate kissing in front of the principal.

    "A-Ahh! Sorry! We just can''t control it...!"

    I''m losing my mind in the process of all this. Is any of this real?

    I can probably make this recording into a song and put it on a playlist. I''ll loop it and play it over and over until the end of my days.

    This isn''t an obsession, hahaha. This is purely normal.

    "You don''t seem impressed, mister principal. Why the long face?"

    After Hyunda disconnected a bit from me but not entirely, he returned his words back to the principal who for some reason allowed us to go with that passionate act.

    "I am not impressed. Unfortunately, your stereotype is the least of my favorites. The typical boyfriend who attempts to make the girlfriend happy by only showing physical acts but not profitable acts instead. Alas, your girlfriend isn''t much better from this perspective either. You are making her blind by the delusional ''love'' you are giving her."

    Kill yourself.

    You don''t even have a marriage ring with you. You miserable piece of shit. How dare you label us as a ''stereotype''?!

    "Oh? You''re defending my girlfriend''s decision a lot. Got a crush on her?"

    "It''s that naivety of yours that will cost you your future. Therefore, I suggest you two to think about your decisions better logically instead of acting emotionally. Entering a classroom 20 minutes late is unacceptable. Additionally, you two should break up and think about your lives better."

    I was ready to retort immediately as soon as I heard the stupid nonsense this shithead had just spoken out to both of us yet this time, Hyunda covered me.

    "She''s my life. So, your suggestion is invalid. Any more brilliant ideas, Megamind?"

    "It seems I can''t get my point across with you. What''s your name?"

    "Kitsuya Arkalee!"

    Changing his projector, the principal asked me that.

    "She''s my life."

    It''s getting harder to contain all this tension inside me right now. Physically speaking, I''m at my wit''s end.

    I know this is just an act, but I would give everything for this to not be an act and be the real thing.

    Someday, please say these exact same words to me again, Hyunda. It''s only a matter of time before I start craving them badly.

    No...

    I already am...

    "Do me a favor and put some sense into him. I don''t want to see you both here again. Make this the first and last time, preferably. I''ll have you two get a warning accumulated. I won''t be so sympathetic next time. That''s why I''m saying that this should be the only time."

    "I''ll see what I can do! Thank you so much for going easy on us! We couldn''t be more grateful!"

    It''s really good that we only got a warning but I don''t want this to repeat again. I can''t endanger my position and my love''s position too.

    My dream, which is to make that whole class disappear is still tangible. Of course, Hyunda and I are exceptions.

    The dream''s essence is that everyone else will be eliminated thus creating heaven for me and Hyunda!

    I. Can. Not. Wait.

    That aside, on our way out, Hyunda hugged me from behind while embracing the back of my body entirely.

    It saddened me though. No matter how much I would try to slow down, we would eventually reach that door.

    Why can''t that door which will spell the end of this act be a mile away instead?

    Why so close? Go away. I''m feeling good right now.

    Why? Why? Why?

    Every time that a good moment happens, there is always an end to it. I don''t like that!

    I.... just want to be loved, that''s all...

    "It''s over. You can let go now."

    "...Okay..."

    You really didn''t have to put it like that....

    I knew from the start that the moment we both walked outside of the door that this act would be over.

    "You''re good at this."

    "O-Oh? You too! That was really good for an act! Um, you know, I read somewhere that you need to be fine with all sorts of physical contact such as kissing when acting in a romantic scenario, so this was completely natural!"

    "Hm? You seemed to be way into it though. Or am I just imagining things?"

    "Eh?! You probably are, hahaha! I''m just really good at acting, apparently!"

    There''s no way that''s true because that wasn''t an act. Hyunda, I have to question your common sense, honestly.

    No one would just do this unless there are obvious romantic feelings involved.

    Notice it already...

    "Vamptastic plum. That''s really rare for a lipstick choice. Well, it tastes pretty good, I won''t lie."

    "Oh, you noticed...?"

    I didn''t expect him to know... The truth is, I have a vast collection of lipsticks, but vamptastic plum is indeed quite rare.

    However, I will need more apparently. Because when I run out of vamptastic plum lipsticks, I won''t be able to make my lips be as luscious and appetizing to the love of my life.

    "How could I not? We kissed, didn''t we? I was bound to notice. Well, that was fun. Did you have fun, or was it a bad experience? Be honest with me."

    "Yes! I really liked it! It was fun lying in front of the president like that! Hahaha, he actually thought that we were in a relationship and that we were some irresponsible teenagers dreaming about our idea of love collectively..."

    It wasn''t fun.

    Lying about being in a relationship when I actually want to be in a relationship with Hyunda is the worst feeling I have ever gotten thus far.

    Nothing comes close to this. This staggering feeling creeps me.

    "I''m glad you enjoyed it. I might need a favor like this in the future. But for now, tell me what you know about Yulia, Arkalee."

    Hearing that whore''s name made my skin crawl instantly. We were on our way back to the classroom, but it didn''t make me any more satisfied having to hear another girl''s name.

    While at it, I''ll just say this.

    "Before that, I have a favor to ask. I''m using the equivalent exchange, which means I''ll be owning you."

    "Sure, I''m listening."

    "I want every girl''s name that isn''t mine banned from our conversations."

    Honestly, not just our conversations. I just don''t want you to mention another girl''s name again. Point.

    "That''s way too inconvenient. How am I supposed to address them if I can''t say their names? Do I use some sort of specific code whenever I want to mention them?"

    Well, my love, you see...

    "Don''t worry! You just don''t have to mention them and you won''t have to worry about the inconvenience factor!"

    It''s so simple! Just don''t mention them and it''s solved. So, so simple, if you think about it.

    Why say another girl''s name when you can just say mine? Your dictionary should only have my name in it, not another name!

    "I don''t understand. Why do you want this?"

    "It annoys me when you mention other girls. I''m just being honest. As to why it''s because I hate every single one of them. You understand, right?!"

    Not to worry. Ikkiri, you get a special type of hatred from me. All the way.

    "But why do you hate them so much? That''s what I want to know."

    Ahhh... It''s really not that I hate them THAT much. It''s just...

    You seeeeee...

    Other organisms that aren''t you, are automatically inferior to your majestic peerless being. Therefore...

    I love you so much that I have to hate all others consequently.

    "That''s... Because you said you would treat me specially... So I thought that you would make this exception for me always..."

    "I''ll keep my word on that, I promise. That still doesn''t explain why you hate them that much."

    Ahhh, geeeeez, you blockhead. Dense idiot. Even Jupiter''s clouds aren''t this dense!

    "Look... They don''t have the same relationship we do, so... They should be excluded from our conversations... I think it makes all sorts of conceivable sense..."

    Ikkiri''s name is banned so why is he going so far for this...?!

    Please Hyunda... You said you would treat me specially...

    "It''s true that they don''t have that nor will they ever have. However, I will need to mention them in the future potentially. I can''t have you get mad every time. I don''t feel anything towards any of them. Are you worried that might be the case?"

    "Maybe. But why will you need to mention them in the future....?"

    Hyunda...

    This will go on? Is that what you have just said...? God... At this rate...

    "For future events. I can''t erase the possibility of needing to know something regarding them."

    Not even glancing upon this clear cerulean sky is easing my doubts. My heart feels pain every time this type of argument is formed.

    None of us are being dramatic, but still...

    "Can''t you just grant me this favor without knowing why I want that favor?"

    "Then, will you grant me favors without knowing why I want those favors?"

    Using my argument against me. You''re a bully...

    "Actually, Arkalee.... The only reason I would ever mention another girl''s name is to ask you to investigate them regarding something about them. But, that doesn''t have to be the case."

    "Eh? What are you saying, Hyunda?"

    "I''m saying, if you want, I can agree with your rule."

    That''s reassuring to hear... Finally... I''ll be able to...

    "But you know, if I can''t rely on you, I''ll have to speak to them directly. In other words, I''ll have to approach them in ways that you might not lik---"

    "Stop. Look, we''ll do it like this... Every time you want to mention a girl''s name, you''ll have to ask for my permission, okay? Depending on my mood, I''ll give you either a positive or negative answer..."

    I had to stop him from speaking that mountain of nonsense.

    Approaching them directly?

    Are you trying to insinuate that I should proceed to kill myself?

    I don''t want to die yet, my love.

    "What happens if you are never in the mood to give me a positive answer?"

    ....................

    Busted...

    I was really hoping that he wouldn''t notice the simple flaw... So much for that.

    "That won''t be the case... Ask for my mood before that. Here is the sequence... Step one, you ask how my mood is. Step two, depending on my mood, you either choose to ask me about something appropriate or if my mood is good, you can ask me if you can talk about a certain girl. Step three, in a very reductant manner, you may address that girl as something that is lower than garbage. There, I just gave you a quick tutorial!"

    We need to establish some rules... Hyunda needs to stop caring about others, even if it''s on a very low scale.

    Caring is caring, there are no exceptions.

    Except me, of course.

    "That''s really nice, Arkalee. Hey. I''m trying not to remind you, but you do remember that you agreed to be mine and that my authority was supreme, correct?"

    "..."

    I just wanted you to show a bit of caring for my mood and my emotions, that''s all...

    Why do you make me so happy yet so sad at the same time, Hyunda?

    "I''ll follow your tutorial though. So, how''s your mood now, Arkalee?"

    "Very shaken. In order to be back at its regular pace and stability, words of praise might help..."

    A single ''I love you'' would bring me to my knees and I would cry in your arms while saying ''Yes'' infinitely though.

    Just in case you want to truly do what''s correct, my love!

    "What do you to be praised about?"

    "Be original!"

    It''s easy if I tell you, but I actually want you to surprise me.

    "Oh... I guess I forgot to mention... You''re not as annoying as you were before."

    "Please don''t tell me that''s your best choice of words..."

    "It''s not. You are more distinctive now. By letting your honest thoughts out, I''m able to know you more. Your personality has become more open. See? The ''Honesty'' step is working. By being honest, I can see glimpses of your personality. Although you are extremely sensitive, you seem to care a lot."

    A-Ah...

    "W-Well.... Maybe my mood is a bit better... A few more words please...!"

    I''m more distinctive now...? Geez, you could''ve told me that earlier... Don''t make me insist on knowing this just for me to know it...

    And yes.

    I am sensitive but that''s because I care a lot.

    "I know this isn''t exactly praise, but, in all honesty, I''m somewhat glad that that was your first kiss. There''s always something special about the first time because the first time will never be repeated again."

    Okay, better now.

    Reliving that exotic moment where we traded that kiss in such a quick beat bombards my heart.

    "Alright, my mood is good now. Sooo... What will it be...?"

    "You already know it. Or do I have to mention her name?"

    "No need! Erm, let me just remind myself what sort of information I have got."

    No offense to Yulia, but if you were in the middle of a fire, I would throw you into the sea of flames without a second thought.

    It''s really nothing personal. Nothing will ever come in our way, AS LONG AS it doesn''t involve the love of my life.

    That''s where things get complicated, you bitch. You have your man, so back the fuck off.

    Now...

    What I have learned from Yulia thus far, which is quite minimal is that Daniel always leaves around lunchtime, which is a signal that he''s purposely avoiding Yulia. Furthermore, Yulia''s sensitive to the topic of cheating.

    To the point of not being able to finish a single sentence when it comes to that topic. Therefore, she has a considerable amount of anxiety but doesn''t want to show it.

    Also...

    Daniel is probably cheating on her, not the other way around. I''ll have to alert Hyunda on his misconception.

    Trash is not worth saving, my love. Realize that already.

    Thanks.

    "Okay, okay. This is very minimal and I can without a doubt get more, but since our time was short, I think it''s understandable."

    "Don''t mind it. Go on."

    .......You really want to know Yulia that badly...?

    At least act disinterested. That''ll make me feel less hurt...

    "....You said how you are doing this to prevent Daniel from getting cheated on, but... I think it''s the other way around, Hyunda..."

    "How so?"

    "Did you know that Daniel always goes missing during lunchtime? He never explains why this is the case to Yulia. Don''t you think the possibility of him having an affair with someone else in class quite high? For example, Lus?"

    Not that I pay a great deal of attention to Lus or Daniel, but they have both exhibited intense interactions.

    "Not possible. Daniel has told me that he hates her more than anything in this world. Tell me more about Yulia though."

    .........................

    "Erm! She suffers from anxiety! I tried to talk about the possibility of Daniel cheating on her but she got extremely sad in the process which should indicate something. She most likely fears rejection or the possibility of getting cheated on."

    "I see. That is interesting..."

    No, it''s not. Don''t lie to yourself. Yulia''s problems might be incredibly relatable but in all honesty, it''s HER problems.

    Not yours. Therefore... Don''t bother yourself with her, please...

    "Anything else?"

    "Um... Um... She''s pretty reserved when not around Sana."

    "Why though?"

    "That''s because she and Sana are good friends."

    Or at least that''s the impression that I got.

    "Either way, that''s it. I''m sorry if this information was lackluster..."

    "No, it''s actually really helpful. Keep at it. If you learn anything new regarding Yulia, then report to me at once, got it?"

    "Yes..."

    I know that I''m technically yours but the way you treated me just now... Like I''m some sort of subordinate or something...

    And in the meantime, we had arrived at block F. We''ve walked a lot today...

    Tired...

    "...Hey, Hyunda?"

    "What?"

    Every single time that I watch you from behind, you seem so distant. Yet we deeply connected today, right?

    I don''t want that to stop...

    "When can we repeat something like that again...?"

    "Sooner than you expect. It all depends on how fast you deliver the goods. If you get me."

    .............

    You make me feel so inexplicitly perplexed.

 Volume 11 - Chapter 78: Control.

    March 7th.

    Monotoration and observation is something that doesn''t go beyond the keyword ''essential''. It never has nor will it ever go. Thus, without those two components, the idea of perception becomes clouded.

    Perception being the mandatory component in psychological pattern-reading turns out to be crucial when it comes down to deciphering probabilities based on patterns.

    Patterns are based on behaviors and behaviors stem from ideologies. This is something that many remain clueless amount. However, to those who do not, there is only one thing left for them to do with this knowledge.

    Hide their true extent while waiting for a remarkable moment to use it.

    8:30 am.

    Sagasuga Hiroyoshi. At first, I found nothing remarkable about him. I believe that among all the students here in this class that Sagasuga was just like the majority of the rest.

    Put here via accident. Qualifying it as ''accident'' might seem outrageous at first, but is it not the truth when considering why someone who engages in criminal activities is here in the first place?

    His personality is bland and simple. He doesn''t do anything else that a normal human being wouldn''t do. Therefore, chances are, he is hiding something underneath his methodology.

    Unbeknownst, his psychology becomes more known to my eyes once he exposes this normal behavior. Certainties do not mean that the end goal is always determined; as possibilities are infinite.

    While in this classroom, he behaves properly without doing anything out of the normal margin.

    Average. Normal. Basic. Role-model.

    So, why is he here?

    1:00 pm.

    Usually, he is seen hanging out with Tateyana. Tateyana is his rumored girlfriend, but I don''t believe it. Never did I see them act romantically, at all.

    No physical contact either.

    Her existence doesn''t matter. His behavior does. His actions, that normally revolve around being in the presence of Tateyana do not exist today, because he left the classroom alone.

    Thus, I maintained a considerable distance between us while observing him and monitoring his actions via stalking.

    Throughout this massive school, there were plenty of places one could go.

    Restaurants? The mini-mall? The theaters? Libraries? Shops? Public facilities?

    There are far too many places to consider, in all likelihood, which is why I have to keep a physical track of his location while remaining stealth to his eye.

    However...

    Nothing happened. Sagasuga spent his entire lunchtime strolling around the school while listening to music from his pods.

    Remarkably, after the classes are over, he spends his time in the dorm due to the obligation of staying within the dorm, according to the rules, after classes are over.

    March 8th.

    There was a reason behind the probability of Sagasuga being involved with other girls overall.

    Unlike Tatsu, Susaga, Tsudo, and Kan, Sagasuga isn''t open about this whatsoever.

    Which is why I had to catch him by surprise today.

    His behavior altered slightly. On the way out of block F, Sagasuga approached Shizuku in a friendly manner.

    The latter greeted him with pleasure. Why though? What exactly made Sagasuga approach her?

    I would approach him right now, but then my position would be removed and my observation could not continue, which meant that that option was not optional at all.

    If I recall correctly, Shizuku was Sagasuga''s partner in the previous exam. They both passed the exam with ease. Their synergy must''ve developed or they were simply that compatible from the start.

    In the end, progressing even further, they both went on to the public football field and watched an ongoing game between students.

    As I followed them from afar, I was approached by a student who I had no recollection of.

    "You''re Kawahara, aren''t you...? Um... could you give me your contact info please?!"

    Naturally, I couldn''t interact but since I always carry plenty of contact info cards with my number in them, I swiftly handed this ponytailed girl, a card.

    Additionally, I pulled out a radiant smirk further enchanting her.

    This is not the time for this though, so I left her all alone.

    Sagasuga and Shizuku seem to just be idly talking to one another but it''s obvious that Shizuku is feeling physically pressured.

    They most likely have something going on. Accompanying the scene even further, I took a seat in the observatory seats from a large distance.

    Sagasuga, you probably think that no one notices it, but, I do notice. How you are trying to conceal something by portraying the act of a normal person.

    March 9th.

    I had to put my research on hold for a while and I had to focus on observing how my other subordinates were doing.

    Sincerely, this plan is not something that I will use in order to win in the upcoming exam. I already have another strategy for that.

    This is just a test. I need to see how well my subordinates perform in this simple task. If they can''t achieve something as simple as winning the affection of another girl, then something needs to change.

    It''s too much of a waste to just label them like trash due to their initial incompetence. I do understand and acknowledge human potential despite my benevolent mannerisms around others.

    First of all, Kuzan.

    He is in charge of approaching Sana but from my observation, I can tell that it''s not working nor will it work. Sana''s will refuses to acknowledge someone like Kuzan.

    Sana has no way of knowing that I know this but from all your interactions, your words, the way you act, how you perceive, what you show to believe in, how your ideology is shaped based on the words you speak, there is so much I can already deduct.

    An easy-going person like Kuzan isn''t the idealistic type for Sana. I already knew this. So, why go with the idea of allowing Kuzan to approach an orthodox element like Sana?

    Because I need to correct Kuzan''s flaws based on a situation where he cannot come out successful in order to turn that failed endeavor into a successful one.

    Nonetheless, Kuzan is doing a good job of being a bother to Sana. Kan is showing visible frustration on the other hand, which means that his persistence factor is being acknowledged by Kan.

    All in all, although this is a test, there''s nothing wrong with taking this a little bit further.

    So, when lunchtime arrived, I went straight to Kuzan.

    "Kuzan, it''s time."

    "Oh? Okay, okay!"

    Without a destination in mind, we started to stroll around the campus while chatting.

    "How''s it going with Sana? Have you made any progress?"

    Though I already knew the answer to this question, I needed to hear what Kuzan would say on this matter.

    "Yep! She''s totally in love with me! I asked her number yesterday and she said yes! That''s a damn sign!"

    "You fucking retard! That''s a bad sign! Fuck her number! Make her kneel before you and then you can say that''s a damn sign!"

    This might be too late to say now, but my thoughts are essentially quite calm and collected, with all things considered.

    I just simply choose how people will perceive me, and being an impulsive rude bastard is great in terms of manipulation usage.

    Personality adaptation is something I am oddly familiar with.

    "Eeeeh!? But I can''t make her kneel!"

    "Oi, that was just a joke. You know that, right?"

    "Oh, it was...?"

    Is my sense of humor too advanced or is my cryptic sarcasm too savage?

    "Yes, it was. Also, has Kan approached you? Do I need to beat the shit out of him again?"

    Kan has a bad record with me when it comes to fights. There is no one that can beat me when it comes to verbal and physical fights. If I want to, I can contribute more to this class than anyone else ever had.

    But that''s too boring and not to mention, it''s a very bad usage of my skills.

    "Nope. Kan''s just being silent about this! Actually, master, have you noticed?"

    "Yes, I have."

    Kuzan is referring to how the other five are not upholding any strategy in response to our actions. That is the strategy itself though.

    Ryoken surely hasn''t forgotten what I did back then and how I openly declared war on them, so there must be someone that has told them to strictly control their emotions and not let out any additional outbursts.

    There''s no need to even think about who it is. It''s Sagasuga. The rest is a complete mess when it comes to attitude controlling, but not Sagasuga. He is calm and collected.

    He is controlling them behind the shadows, surely. However, not in a way that I can notice. Which is why I already thought of the possibility.

    "That aside here is something that will make you have a better chance of succeeding, Kuzan. I''ve noticed that you are only persisting with Sana, but you have no clue on what to be persistent about, do you?"

    Kuzan scratched his head before answering me and additionally tilted his head while pondering what to reply with.

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    "Well... She''s different from Kanawari, ya know? With Kanawari, we can talk and talk about very random topics and it''s all good but Sana just doesn''t seem to like that. And, she tells me to go away and that I''m being a nuisance all the time! Furthermore, she has threatened to kill me twice! Hey, master, was that sarcasm from her?! It was, wasn''t it!? Right?!"

    Kuzan doesn''t understand that female individuals do not joke around with death threats and that they are more serious than what the male individual tends to evaluate for.

    Still, that''s unnecessary for him to notice. This explains something. His approach is naturally flawed and his approach will not work on someone like Sana.

    He argued that Kanawari was the one he could talk to the most because his approach worked on her, but he mistook his past experience far too greatly.

    Just because your approach works on someone else, that does not mean it will work on another one too.

    "Kanawari and Sana are respectively different. Acknowledge that."

    "I know, I know! But I don''t know how to approach her in a positive way without sounding like a total nuisance."

    In addition to all of this, Kuzan does not understand why he is failing miserably.

    "You don''t need to think about it too deeply. From now on, pretend like you don''t exist while talking to her."

    "Um, what? Master, I don''t get what you are implying! How can I not exist!? Do I have to kill myself!?"

    "That''s not what I said at all. I''m talking about how you have to give her priority."

    "I am already doing that and it''s not working."

    It''s impressive how I have not been in direct contact with Sana all this time yet I know more about her than Kuzan does.

    Sana tries different nail colors every single week yet no one seems to notice. She writes poems in class and throws them out to the garbage can at the end of the class. Furthermore, she additionally draws a lot during class which indicates that she is somewhat bored to a good extent.

    She has trouble dealing with emotions, most likely. Her displeased facial expression and lack of smiling show that she lacks happiness in general. Recently though, her mood has lightened up. Sana has been in contact with Yulia, thus, they are most likely friends.

    All of these small details may sound irrelevant but small details matter the most to the person who has all these details.

    "Ask her how she is. Ask her what she likes to do. Ask her who she likes. Ask her what her favorite color is. Ask her if she does any sports. Ask her if she likes any topic in general. Ask her if she misses her family. Ask her if sh--"

    "Woah! Woah! That''s a lot! I can''t know all of this!"

    "The point was not to memorize these exact questions but for you to notice how your tendency to show attention can come as obnoxious to others who prize self-attention the most. Sana, for example, is that type of person. What does this mean? If she''s the type of person who feels greatly affected when you give her emotional attention, then she will be more open to you. Let me tell you something additional to that. Sana''s stereotype is oblivious as hell, but you''ll have to deal with it. That stereotype being; unless you act out of interest first, the stereotype will not act."

    I hate this stereotype so badly.

    Regardless, that''s actually partial. The whole point is to make Kuzan aware that he is not dealing with ''Sana'' but a stereotype.

    All humans being are separated into stereotypes. There is not a single entity out there capable of obstructing this phenomenon that has gone down in history''s reigns for centuries to follow.

    "Um... Master, can you summarize all of that? You take way too long to make points!"

    Considering how I even hold back my thoughts and my actual real-life speech, Kuzan''s take on this is undoubtedly wrong.

    "That was pretty short lol. If you want an abbreviation for what I just said though, listen now... Put her before yourself. Show that you care for her and that you want to know everything about her."

    "Gotcha! I''ll just do that, master!"

    Not that it will work either way. The core problem is Sana''s psychology and Kuzan doesn''t know her psychology well enough to know how to be successful.

    Sana''s pattern is perceivable but not known to Kuzan.

    Ultimately, the point here is for Kuzan to be aware that his tendencies have to differ from time to time depending on who you want to apply those tendencies on.

    March 9th.

    Contrasting Kuzan''s initial failure, Rayazaki was attempting his way with Yukishiro progressively.

    It would not work though. If Sana''s problematic due to her psychology then Yukishiro far outgrows her in that department.

    Ahead of time, I already knew that Yukishiro was not going to get conquered, especially by Rayazaki. She obviously holds bias towards Rayazaki.

    Most likely, she hates him.

    To put it bluntly, the whole point of Rayazaki''s endeavor isn''t to make Susaga feel defeated but let Yukishiro be annoyed by something she has no clue about.

    Amusingly, Rayazaki was someone that was rather rash, impulsive, hot-blooded and arrogant. I''m responsible for his change in behavior though.

    Memory manipulation is possible through precise hits on the back of the cortex. This, however, can kill the individual if the strength is not regulated.

    Library. Block C. 1 pm.

    "Freud? Really?"

    "His books contain fascinating knowledge. I''m rather perplexed by his explanation of the Oedipus complex. You should try reading some of his works."

    I don''t dislike reading, but when I have better tasks, reading holds absolutely not a candle against those tasks.

    This library is quite full and at the end of it, was where I found Rayazaki, reading.

    In a mini-couch, he sat with his legs crossed. Given that I was in need to know about his situation, I took a seat on the parallel couch.

    "Eventually, when I get truly bored. So, how''s it going with your target?"

    "Not good. Strange things have been happening around lately. Yukishiro holds some sort of personal grudge against me and I have no recollection of why that is the case. I dare say that you might know something about this, Kawahara."

    Surprisingly keen, Rayazaki. His attitude is praise-worthy. He doesn''t lose his cool at all, which makes him a great pawn.

    Kuzan could learn a thing or two from Rayazaki right now.

    "I''ve told you how you got amnesia because someone hit you in the back of your head, right? Here is what you need to know. Yukishiro hates you because you were her partner in the last exam. I''ve explained to you what the previous exam was about. Do you understand?"

    "I see. You are implying that because I was absent that Yukishiro is angry at me since I made her fail the exam. I understand. It''s comprehensible now. Then, I''m afraid that this might not work. However, she hates me far too much. She has told me to die more times than I remember."

    That''s beyond your power to control, Rayazaki.

    This fabricated lie serves only the purpose of reshaping you as I see fit. But I refuse to abuse this trick randomly, due to its consequences.

    "What is her problem, anyway? She sucks Susaga''s dick but then acts like a total bitch? That''s irrational, even for a slut."

    Although I said that, I know why Yukishiro acts the way she acts. She forces herself to act nicely to those she acts nicely around.

    Those who act nicely with conceit secretly hate everyone. Yukishiro probably holds a grudge, not against Rayazaki, but against a stereotype.

    Fairly simple, all in all.

    Thus, the way to get her to stop hating Rayazaki is to know what binds her to that hatred. Deciphering her psychology is essential.

    Somewhat cliched to even think about, but she''s the type of person whose past probably holds a major role in the way she acts.

    "I''ve heard about this term... Isn''t this ''emotional closure''? Apparently, Freud reasoned that those who have something to hide will act out of aggression in order to create distance and therefore remain emotionally protected. So, what should I do?"

    That reasoning isn''t as bad as it first looks, but it lacks a lot of foundation.

    The only regrettable part here is that Rayazaki won''t be able to do it. Simply because he already has a bad record with Yukishiro.

    Alas, that''s a bad excuse. Anyone can perform this task as long as they choose the correct set of methods. I do know those methods, but I''m not going to tell Rayazaki the exact ones.

    "Aggression is created to replicate confusion. That''s something you should know. Do you know why that''s the case?"

    "Hm... Because confusion is a great tool when it comes to manipulation?"

    "80 points for that one. While it''s true that confusion is a great tool for manipulation, you have to question why the individual would go as far as confusing others. That is because they have a shell to protect."

    A shell is so fragile that it is often misinterpreted as weakness from the individual that protects their own shell.

    Viewing their shell as a weakness will leave them with a sense of fragileness.

    "So Yukishiro is hiding something? I see. If I am able to know what she''s hiding, then, will my chance of succeeding increase?"

    "Without a doubt, that''s the case. Though, that''s only if you are able to know. Do you think you can do it?"

    "I can. But... That aside, I have another question. It''s... sorta weird, to be honest..."

    From a confident speech to quick reluctance.

    What exactly is troubling Rayazaki?

    "Ask."

    Insisting on the current matter about Yukishiro holds no point any longer. Susaga isn''t much of a threat.

    I''ve already said this but I''ll say it again, Sagasuga is the one I am the most concerned about.

    Not like they will win, but if I don''t take precautions, then I will lose. That''s how I always win.

    Should I wait too long, then it''s all over. Strike first, win first.

    "....Did I and this girl in our class, called Hinagiku, have something going on...?"

    Partially speaking, this was the main reason why I went on with my strike and caused him a short memory loss.

    Rayazaki would not agree with my plan if I suggested something like approaching another girl that isn''t Hinagiku.

    Fuck out of here with that simp shit.

    "No. She might have a crush on you though."

    "That''s really troublesome. No offense to her, but she''s not my type."

    I chuckled a bit.

    "Mhm? Did I say something funny? Why did you just laugh?"

    "No reason, forget about it. Ignore her from this point on. She''s just a nuisance."

    "I was already planning on doing that, but thank you."

    Sincerely, I laughed because he would never say something as outrageous as that in the past.

    Falling so low for another person for the sake of sentiment is pathetic. I am willing to protect all my pawns because that''s part of the contract.

    Therefore, completely logical. Sentimental actions are not completely logical and thus they become flawed immediately.

    March 10th. 1 pm. Indian Restaurant.

    "Kawahara, I''ve been thinking and it''s way better if I just target Ryoken directly. So, I don''t have to go to Gale. Besides man, she seems so boring."

    At least Kuzan is trying and learned from his mistakes previously.

    For the record, he seems to be holding a conversation with Sana for a decent amount of time now. That''s a great sign.

    Now, this guy. This stubborn little fuck, who thinks of himself so greatly, for some strange reason, thinks that direct confrontation is better.

    "You''re dumb as shit, Daniel. Direct confrontation will just give Ryoken the ego he needs. You need to destroy his fragile ego. And the way is to go for his crush."

    Watching your current crush getting stolen by someone else who just so happens to be your enemy is devastating.

    Yet Daniel just can''t comprehend something this simple. No, that''s actually not true. I think he understands.

    He is just creating an argument so I don''t see what''s going on. Yet I do see what''s going on.

    "Also, don''t be such a pussy. Fucking break up with the bitch already. I had enough of this shit. I''ll tell her fucking directly for you."

    "No, don''t do that. Our relationship will be over at the end of this month."

    Now, why would you say that, Daniel?

    You are not making any sense at all. You''ve acted extremely concerned about breaking up with Yulia and now you say that the relationship will end at the end of this month?

    "Who will end the relationship?"

    "...Sorry?"

    Figured. That was a test question. If he had answered with an answer that showed no hints of reluctance then I would assume that it would be the verdict truth.

    But now that you have given me that sort of reply, I am positive that it''s not you who is taking direct action in this.

    So, who?

    "Don''t play dumb. You know what I''m talking about. You never have shown any interest in taking direct action towards this, so why are you confidently saying that your relationship with Yulia will end? It''s illogical for you to say that because of your behavior and your words don''t match. What''s the deal here?"

    "I do plan on taking direct action at the end of the month though."

    That''s even more illogical. Daniel, you don''t know how to lie properly, at all.

    "Then why wait? You can just get the weight off your shoulders right now, but here you are claiming that waiting it out is the wisest thing of all. Come on, spill out the beans."

    It''s impossible to win an argument against me. Why is Daniel even bothering? Have I not shown my verbal prowess enough yet?

    Also, he greatly doubts me for some reason. Does he not approve of my methods? But if so, why?

    I understand that they lack any morality whatsoever, but his methods don''t exactly come as superior in that regard, so why is there room to complain all over the sudden?

    His actions don''t really make sense.

    "Nah, not gonna tell. Either way, until then, approaching another girl will be quite hard..."

    "That''s unreasonable as well. Weren''t you fine with approaching Arkalee? What changed?"

    Daniel''s unreasonable choice of words aside, I do enjoy some curry. What is life without curry?

    A fucking waste. This level of spiciness is divine. How is such a heavenly relic in this school in the first place?

    "Yulia''s been extra persistent lately. I don''t know what triggered this but she''s getting way too annoying. Like, do you see this shit!?"

    Daniel took out his phone from his pocket and showed me his phone''s screen. Yulia was calling, as expected.

    As soon as the call ended, it registered. For the 43rd time.

    "Block her."

    Plain and simple.

    "Please tell me you are not serious, Kawahara..."

    I actually was, but I understand what he just implied. This is extremely inconvenient though. Daniel has a massive problem.

    The lack of direct action is so big here. Yet, when he does it, he doesn''t think that far ahead. Otherwise, he would''ve seen this scenario coming miles away.

    In other words, his vision is short.

    "Oh yeah, Kawahara, I still wanted to ask you something... Are you still certain that Arkalee was the one who did it?"

    "The Ikkiri drama again? I''ve told you plenty of times already. Yes, Arkalee did it. One-hundred percent. Nothing else connects except Arkalee. Swallow that fact already. I am never wrong!"

    I am sick and tired of repeating the same thing over and over.

    Arkalee did it due to her unclear and inexplicit hatred for Ikkiri, however, she does not show this in a direct way, so she''s doing this in an indirect way. Daniel, however, can only believe in certainties and not probabilities.

    That''s a flawed way of thinking. And the worst part is that he isn''t even aware that this preference causes him to be so weak all the damn time.

    "So you haven''t changed your mind... Also, what do you think Basara-sensei will come up with as a method to find out the culprit?"

    "There are too many methods. Teach''s methods are dependant on his preferences, which we know little of. One thing I can guarantee is that Arkalee won''t be found out. You''re thirsty for evidence, aren''t you? It''s written all over your face, Daniel."

    In light of Ikkiri''s drama, I could not care less. It''s so irrelevant. I must admit though, Arkalee pulling out something like this isn''t impressive whatsoever.

    There are so many other ways to torment Ikkiri. Why not go for direct bullying? Physical one too. Get a large portion of the girls on your side and gangbang her outside of class, no?

    Then again, that''s where Arkalee''s psychology comes in. She''s somewhat like Daniel in this sense. Direct action is like their kryptonite.

    "I can only trust what''s true, Kawahara. Not what might be true."

    Henceforth, you limit yourself.

    "Also, how''s it going with Sagasuga? Anything new from him?"

    "I''m not going to get anything out of him. For now at least."

    Of course, that will change quite soon.

 Volume 11 - Chapter 78.5: Out of My Hands.

    March 13th. 9 am.

    After studying the festival''s themes minimally, the day had arrived. Still, it was not festival time.

    Although preparations were being made throughout the whole school, the event was not yet ready to be started.

    "You have thirty minutes. Begin, plebs!"

    Basara-sensei''s beginning signal spelled anxiety to the majority as soon as they saw how long the questionnaire was.

    My table partner, on the other hand, looked extremely confident as she did not let this 5-page questionnaire with no multiple-choice questions bother her.

    Unfortunately, I couldn''t feel the same way. Back in America, multiple-choice questionnaires were actually a thing.

    And now you mean to tell me I''m actually going to have to write stuff?

    Bruh.

    1 pm.

    The questionnaire was done a long time ago, but I was mainly looking forward to the lunchtime, however, something made me turn skeptical about my wish.

    "Come with me!"

    Dragging me out of the classroom, Yulai quite literally pushed my arm and drove me away from the rest with great haste.

    That''s a problem though.

    "Yulia, actu--"

    "No. Don''t care. Nope. You''re coming!"

    This is the third time this has happened thus far this month. I have no idea why but Yulia''s been extra persistent lately.

    "What''s wrong, Yulia...? This isn''t like you..."

    "Hm? That''s not true at all. Aaaaannnnddd, we need to talk about something. It''s urgent! Alright... Let''s go to somewhere that has no people around..."

    Usually, I hang out with Kawahara and the rest around this time since Kawahara pays me the lunch and sincerely, passing time like that is a great way to avoid Yulia.

    "I know a place."

    "Nice! Let''s go there then!"

    While I claimed to know the place that had no people in it, I had no clue if that was actually the case.

    However, fortunately, that was the case.

    This was a place that I had already been in. A place where there are no security cameras. Ironically, this was the place where I had to nonsensically beat three other students who I have not come across in a long time.

    As a matter of fact, I haven''t crossed them at all apart from that event alone.

    By contrast, this place was an abandoned block that had no life to it. Henceforth, no security cameras are here.

    Unlike the other blocks that have a considerable and remarkable structure, a vivid architecture into its fragrance, this block had nothing of that. Even the flowers that were in the mini-garden were dead.

    Flourishing flowers through the upcoming spring comes across as a reoccurring phenomenon every spring yet I questioned if the same applied here, where the trees had pale and hollow appearances.

    "Wow... I didn''t know this place existed! How did you know about it?!"

    Yulia asked me a relatively ironic question considering what actually happened as we entered the abandoned classroom.

    Broken chairs and broken tables. I find it hard to believe that this place hasn''t been brought down yet or just completely demolished.

    "I found it by pure coincidence. Either way, no one is here. What do you want to talk about, Yulia?"

    Despite the broken chairs, we took a seat in the first table that was right at the entrance.

    Not even the clock was working. The podium was barely there, which made me wonder if this classroom had some sort of haunted ghost cursing it.

    "Well, okay, okay. I''ll get down to it! So, you see... What do you think about us...?"

    And we are off to a very hard question. Answering this in an honest and blatant way will cause Yulia to be sad probably and that''s problematic.

    So...

    "What is there to think about? We love each other, right? Isn''t that enough?"

    Did I miscalculate something? Isn''t this development enough or is she craving for more affection?

    "No... That''s not what I meant. I''m talking about two of us in general. What are we exactly?"

    I relaxed my back and leaned swiftly against the back of my chair while trying not to fall.

    It seems that she''s probably seeking a more developed affection right now. Sincerely, this was bound to happen, was it not?

    There''s only one problem with that though. I don''t want this development to happen.

    "We are two people who love each other very much. Hey, wanna kiss?"

    "No, no... As I thought you really aren''t getting it..."

    She''s refusing physical contact. This is weird. Normally, she''s very open towards this yet now...

    "What am I not getting?"

    "A-Ah... I didn''t mean to put it in an offensive way..."

    Yulia found my response perhaps too harsh and regretted her way of speaking. It seems that I can''t get rid of my monochrome way of speaking no matter how hard I try to.

    "Don''t fret. Go on."

    "Yeah... Sooo, I was thinking that we should establish our status. We are lovers, aren''t we? We love each other very much, yes, I get that. And I am so happy about that, I really am, but... We need to be more than just lovers! Like, I was thinking... Girlfriend and boyfriend maybe?"

    What exactly is even the difference? And isn''t the status of ''lovers'' something far superior in comparison?

    Not that I care honestly, but if your point is to achieve the superior status, then...

    "Not to be rude, but is there a difference?"

    "Yes! Yes, there is! And it''s not a difference... It''s differences! Lovers are two individuals that just love each other and can only see each other on occasion! We aren''t like that, because we don''t have to meet on occasion! Yes, it''s true that while in class we can''t really interact because we are so far away from each other, but aside from that, we perfectly can. Except..."

    So lovers are those who can only meet on occasion? But isn''t that like the case always, no matter how you look at it, Yulia...?

    I would ask her that, but I allowed her to proceed with her reluctant speech filled with a dreadful sense of insecurity around it.

    "Except you just vanish every time during this time! Mind telling me where you are going?!"

    Aggressively, Yulia spoke with traces of anger mixed with anxiety.

    Why is she so worried about my whereabouts though?

    "I just go for a stroll. Actually, I''ve been learning about the themes of the exam lately. They are surprisingly hard..."

    I''m not joking, there is a high degree of complexity in some of them. However, I didn''t actually do this, since I already knew them after that certain day where I got mocked by my table partner and unwillingly expelled from class.

    "Hahaha, a stroll? That''s her name?"

    "Sorry?"

    What was that? That satire laugh. It literally sent a chill down my spine immediately.

    Also, did she pick the wrong words or something? Her name? What did Yulia mean by that?

    I''m seriously confused.

    "Come on, no need to hide it. It''s better if you just say it now before delaying the inevitable truth. I know I''m not perfect but I always appreciate the truth..."

    Why is she so out of context suddenly?

    She''s even hiding her hands between her legs.

    "What exactly are you talking about? I don''t understand what you are trying to imply..."

    Her breath is even heavier than usual. What is stressing her? Not that I particularly care but if there is some sort of misunderstanding then it would be best to clear it.

    Otherwise, she''ll turn back to her emotional unstable self per usual.

    "You know what I''m talking about though... You always leave during lunchtime... There''s no way you are just taking a stroll. Hahaha. Do you take me for stupid? Seriously, tell me... Who is she? At least have the balls to tell me who."

    She''s not making any sense. What the hell.

    "What are you talking about? You''ve been talking stuff I can''t understand in the past seconds..."

    "Alright... So that''s how it is, huh? You don''t even have the courage to admit it..."

    Oh, Christ, she''s crying. Did I do something that I shouldn''t have? Why is she so emotionally fragile?

    "Why are you crying suddenly? Did I do something to upset you? What''s wrong? Talk to me about it."

    "You are lying to me! I know that you are cheating on me! And that''s why you are always away during the time where we can be together! If you really loved me then you would stay with me during this time!"

    Oh...

    So that''s the conclusion she has reached? That I am cheating on her? Honestly, I could just use this as a way to tear apart our relationship but I am not too certain about the consequences regarding it.

    Frankly, Yulia''s possible actions frighten me to a minimal extent yet not really that much.

    The only problem is that I am not feeling even remotely attached to her to the point of going through that effort. Plus, it would be a pain in the ass to deal with all of her emotions at once. Furthermore, Hyunda said that he was going to do something regarding our relationship.

    In other words, acting out of necessity isn''t really something I should do right now.

    "Why would I cheat on you though? I love you. You''re not making any sense when you claim that I am cheating on you just because I am using my free time. But, you do bring a point. I should use my free time with you. Sorry about that."

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    Also, I would not bother myself with another girl. It''s so troublesome having to deal with all this shit.

    I just want to feel free but instead, I feel constantly shackled by responsibilities I never asked for in the first place.

    "O-Oh, you really aren''t, right!? Haha, I knew I was being paranoid... Sorry about that, I didn''t really mean to talk rubbish about you, I swear!"

    That will never be a problem because I don''t feel anything towards you, Yulia.

    "No, that''s fine. Don''t think that I would cheat on you because I never would."

    In other words, I would never go through such dumb length.

    "So... We will stay together forever...? Is that what you are saying?"

    I''m partially at fault for this. Yulia probably took my suggestive words to the next level and that was my fault.

    However, it couldn''t be helped. Emotional meltdowns aren''t exactly my strongest suit...

    "It depends. Do you want to be forever with me? You''ll only have to be with me if you want to be with me."

    "What are you saying?!"

    "Yulia, I am saying, if you ever stop loving me, then don''t feel embarrassed to say so. It''s important that you consider your own choice first and foremost."

    What a shame. Spending my lunchtime having this type of conversation. Something worth mentioning is that I refused to look for Gale just to provoke Ryoken.

    I''ll deal with him personally when the exam comes up. I can''t agree with Kawahara and his methods.

    They lack a direct impact.

    "But I won''t stop loving you, so why are you saying that...? Don''t you trust me?"

    "I do trust you, of course. But I''m not that interesting. Nor captivating. I''m relatively boring if we are being honest, so I wouldn''t be surprised if you decided to abandon me."

    Realistically, I''m upholding these characteristics on purpose. I have no conceivable purpose regarding any necessity to act on the contrast or opposition of these characteristics.

    "That''s not what I think though... You''re just bad at expressing yourself. That''s alright... I think I can help you with that if you allow me to..."

    I''ve always been bad at expressing my own thoughts, so Yulia is not wrong here.

    "Sorry... I''ve been bad to you lately, haven''t I? Is there a way I can make it up to you?"

    "Actually, there is! Come with me!"

    "Oh, okay."

    With high enthusiasm, Yulia once again dragged me all the way to a certain place.

    This place was a place that I had already been in, as it was a public restaurant.

    Amidst it, in one of the tables, three of my classmates stood.

    By far, the most recognizable one was the silver-haired boy who I had a fair share of talks to and the very person who told me that he was going to do such a huge favor as a way to repay me.

    This person had a monochrome expression on his face as he seemed to compel boredom every now and then yet, for now, he was talking to Arkalee, who was talking with him alongside possessing a radiant smile.

    Lastly, Sana paralleled to those two, was drinking a strawberry shake. Also, Arkalee''s twin-tails were gone. Her hair was now vastly long and free.

    "Yulia, you''re late, did something happen?"

    Sana asked, unaware of the event that had taken place.

    "Ahhh yes, but it''s all solved now! It''s quite clear!"

    Yulia, for some reason, did the okay signal to Sana and Sana replied with a smile. What?

    "Perfect! Have a seat you two! Order something too! It''s on me!"

    This time around, Arkalee was the one who talked and ordered us to place an order yet I was not that hungry, surprisingly, so I just went with a coffee and Yulia went with a vanilla shake.

    Hyunda and I crossed glances momentarily.

    "Arkalee proposed that we five should gather all here today in order for us to get to know each other better. I hope this isn''t a problem with any of you."

    "Oh, this was Arkalee''s proposition?"

    I had no clue that this event was already staged, but how rare of Hyunda to involve himself directly like this.

    "Yeah, Daniel. In light of getting to know each other better, we should play a little game."

    "A game? I''m curious now."

    I''ll agree with Sana here, as I''m relatively curious about what Hyunda meant by little game.

    "It''s fairly simple. We are in a circle table so here is how it will work. Starting from me, I will ask Yulia, then Yulia asks Daniel, Daniel asks Sana, Sana asks Arkalee, and Arkalee asks me. What will we be asking? Well, just about anything. Whoever has the turn is free to ask anything and whoever is questioned must answer it brutally honest."

    It really is simple. But why is Hyunda going along with this? I didn''t expect him to be this cooperative.

    And recently, he has been hanging out with Arkalee quite a lot.

    "Um, Hyunda, I think that it would be better if it was the reverse. It should start with you asking in my direction and so on."

    What''s the difference? I don''t understand what Arkalee is trying to insinuate here.

    "The order is random, Arkalee. It makes no difference."

    "But I think it would be better still!"

    "No means no."

    "I insist."

    Why the hell is Arkalee persisting so hard with this triviality?

    "Wait, I need to make sure of something first. You guys aren''t going to ask shameless questions are you...?"

    Sana looked particularly at both Hyunda and me, for some strange reason.

    Damn harlot. You actually think I view you like that?

    "Ah, don''t worry Sana, there is no way that Hyunda will ask anyone questions like that, hahaha."

    How come Arkalee just spoke in Hyunda''s turn by claiming something that might not even be true?

    She''s not making much sense, honestly.

    "Oh, okay. Sure, alright then. Let''s get this started then!"

    "Wait, Sana, before that, Hyunda, you are changing the order, right?"

    Bruh.

    "Arkalee, why are you so obsessed with the order?"

    Not Hyunda, not Sana, not Yulia, but instead, I interrogated Arkalee this time. How neurotic can you be regarding some damn order?

    This is bugging the hell out of me.

    "Hahahaha, I am not obsessed with the order at all! I just think it would make the most sense for it to go the way I said it! It doesn''t have to be random and instead can be correctly structured!"

    "But why does it have to be correctly structured in the first place? The order is random, as Hyunda mentioned."

    "Well, Daniel, you might not know this yet, but there are some things that are meant to be and some that are clearly not."

    "What...?"

    I know this argument doesn''t make any sense in the first place but Arkalee''s poor choice of words gives me little to no clarity when it comes to understanding what she''s trying to imply.

    Arkalee''s soft smile doesn''t seem as clear as it was before. It''s almost as if she''s faking it.

    "Arkalee, we are going with this order."

    "Do me a favor and let''s go with my order, please."

    ?????????????

    "You know, if you continue this, that certain experience might never repeat itself again, just saying. Are you sure you want to persist still?"

    "A-Ah, okay! Let''s go with your order then!"

    Hyunda and Arkalee''s dialogue isn''t making any sense to me. Why would Arkalee argue here in the first place? It''s just an order that was randomly made.

    There is no reason to argue this over. More confusingly, Arkalee then ultimately agreed with Hyunda as soon as he said that a certain experience might never repeat itself again.

    I do try to understand and perceive but this is just bizarre.

    "I''ll go first now that this is solved. So, Yulia, tell me something. If you wagoned something with another person in a bet, and you had that lost that bet, would you accept the consequences of that bet or would you not?"

    Sincerely, I was expecting a soft question but Hyunda fired off a rapid personal question like that at Yulia right of the bat.

    "Hmm! Well, I would accept the consequences of course! After all, I wouldn''t lose in a bet, haha!"

    Without faltering, Yulia gave a confident reply to Hyunda.

    "I definitely would accept the consequences!"

    ?

    The question was directed at Yulia from Hyunda so why did Arkalee give her opinion about this?

    What the fuck?

    "Arkalee, respect the order. Yulia, your turn."

    Arkalee looked displeased, which was a first to me. I have never seen her not smiling.

    She seems oddly opposed to Yulia for some reason.

    "Okeee. Soo, tell me something that you wouldn''t generally tell anyone! Not even your loved one!"

    I''m surprised that Yulia had the gal to say that so openly after she reasoned that she didn''t want anyone to find out about our relationship.

    Something I wouldn''t tell anyone though?

    As I thought about this, it eventually clicked. It happened a few years ago. Not my proudest experience, but I''ll be truthful here.

    If I''m not truthful then the rest of us are just going to give mediocre answers and so, that will bring down the quality of this event.

    "I was once a Bieber fan..."

    "Hahahaha!!!! No way!!! Oh my god!!"

    "Ewwwwwwwwww!"

    "Hahaha, that fits you too well, Daniel!"

    "Bro, Bieber? F."

    First Yulia, then Sana, following that up Arkalee, and lastly, Hyunda had their round of mockery against me mercilessly.

    "In my defense, we all had our embarrassing phases that we are not proud of."

    It wasn''t even a phase though. To be more specific, I was just into ''Where Are �� Now'' way too much. That doesn''t even qualify me as a Bieber fan, because I only really liked the song due to Skrillex.

    Bieber''s actual dynamic and aesthetic are laughable to me. Then again, I had to say such an embarrassing thing in order to ease up the atmosphere.

    "So, Sana, now that it''s your turn, tell me who you hate the most in class."

    I took a sip out of my coffee. I really like the smell of it. So good.

    Sniffing coffee is something that I have done ever since I was little. Unfortunately, I got addicted.

    On the other hand, the one who I just asked that question, Sana, seems to prefer strawberry shakes.

    "...Ikkiri. No offense, but I just hate her."

    "Why?"

    Out of nowhere, Hyunda cut into the conversation.

    I took a slight glance at Arkalee, who seemed on the verge of crying. What the hell?!

    "She''s an attention whore! I hate, hate her stereotype. What, you got a problem with that?"

    "I just asked."

    "Oh... My bad, I guess."

    Recalling it back, Sana did vote against Ikkiri because she thought Ikkiri orchestrated the whole event by herself.

    Hence, she hates her due to this attention baiting act. That''s really understandable.

    I''m surprised Sana is aware of this and hates that sort of stereotype. You don''t see this much open honesty coming from a girl these days when it comes to this sensitive topic.

    "Okay, Arkalee, what is your absurdest high standard that you think all men should have?"

    "Oh, it''s not really an absurd high standard but I believe that top priority to the girl that actually matters should be something that might be considered absurd when it comes down to high standards because apparently, it''s just so rare and hard to find, hahahahaha."

    What the fuck was that? That was the longest and exaggerated laugh I have ever seen in my entire life.

    And such a detailed answer to. Nonetheless, I couldn''t help but feel like that answer was entirely satiric.

    I get that Arkalee has a crush on Hyunda but this is just... Isn''t her behavior somewhat exaggerated?

    "Aaaannnddd, it''s my turn! So, Hyunda, imagine the following scenario... You are in the middle of a fire with two individuals! One of those individuals is your current girlfriend and the other one is your ex-girlfriend that you would still have hypothetically speaking and only sincerely hypothetically speaking, feelings for. Who would you save, if you could only save one person?"

    The hell...

    "The one I love, supposedly."

    "See, that''s kinda the thing. What if you somehow love both?!"

    Arkalee''s unusual enthusiasm is creeping me. I can hardly call it enthusiasm honestly due to how exaggerated it sounds.

    It''s like a facade made of pure satiric sarcasm.

    "Then, the one I love the most, of course."

    "Oh, I see! I see! The--"

    "Arkalee, it''s my turn now. I''ve told you to respect the order, but just one question at the time, alright?"

    "Ah, yes, of course, hahaha..."

    My conversation with Kawahara the other day is starting to come to my mind. It''s not as if Kawahara''s assumption suddenly makes more sense now, but the credibility is increasing.

    And besides, if I assume that that last question was an indirect reference to Ikkiri, then...

    It''s quite possible that Kawahara has nailed this. But still... There''s no guarantee, in the end.

    "Back from where we started. Yulia, what would you do if you caught your boyfriend cheating?"

    Unexpectedly, Hyunda asked a question like that, which shocked me considerably.

    Furthermore, Sana, Arkalee, and Yulia showed visibly surprised expressions too.

    "Hey! Isn''t that question way too personal?"

    "It is? How so? I''m only speaking hypothetically, Sana. Besides, Yulia doesn''t have a boyfriend, right?"

    Oh, I see... Hyunda''s lying on purpose here. He''s acting as if he''s not aware of the reality of the situation and since Yulia wants to keep our relationship a secret, she won''t just openly declare the truth.

    I think.

    "Even for a hypothetical question, it''s still personal."

    "Oh, it''s alright, Sana. We have to be fair and reply with honesty. Otherwise, won''t this just be sporadic? Um, give me a second to think about your question, Hajime."

    Hajime?

    "Um, Yulia, could you say that again?"

    With her eyebrows twitching, Arkalee asked.

    "Hm? Oh, I--- Righttt, that first name stuff. Confusing. Sorry, I meant to say Hyunda."

    Accidents happen I guess. Is Arkalee seriously upset that Yulia called Hyunda by his first name on accident?

    Not even Hyunda was bothered by it, so what gives? Arkalee would be a serious nutcase if this was all just based on jealousy but I don''t think she''s that type of person.

    "Alright, I''ve thought about it and, I don''t think that I would forgive who cheated on me, even if the reason is good."

    "Yulia, there is not a single reason that can be labeled as good because cheating is wrong! Death to all traitors!"

    Okay, chill Sana, it''s just hypothetically speaking, no need to get your gear on.

    Even despite that, Hyunda objected to Yulia''s answer.

    "That was not the actual question though. I asked what would you do, now how you would react to it. I''m talking about general actions. Or would you not do anything if you got cheated on?"

    "Oh, that...? Let''s see, let''s see... It depends on how invested I am, honestly. If it''s a lack of interest, then I can understand. However, if it''s with someone who I want to be with forever then I don''t know how to answer your question. Maybe a radical action, like, suicide?"

    What?

    "W-Wait, Yulia, don''t say stuff like that!"

    "Eh? But it''s the truth. No reason to lie about it, right? If you had someone you loved would you not resort to radical action, in this case? Or would you not, Sana?"

    Yulia seems to be completely serious about this. There is not a single trace of insecurity behind her words and her expression remains serene throughout it.

    "That''s... Well, don''t ever do that, alright...?"

    "Ah, don''t worry! That will never happen, either way!"

    "Y-Yeah! Man, Hyunda, what''s up with those questions of yours? Creep."

    Sana''s somewhat right, Hyunda''s questions have been sorta personal thus far.

    "..."

    Hyunda did not defend himself, however.

    Unphased as always, he didn''t even care about Sana''s retort.

    "Oh... It''s getting late! We should get going! We''ll go on ahead!"

    There are still 15 minutes left, but Yulia seems to be in a rush and I am not exactly in a position where I can just get into the same position as last time.

    I''m still having trouble accepting the fact that I was forced to say that in front of all my classmates. I wholeheartedly appreciate the fact that no one here mentioned that yet.

    "Yeah, otherwise Daniel will have to roast himself publicly again, haha!"

    Ah, Sana, you bitch. You just couldn''t resist it, couldn''t you?

    Smug grins like those remind me of my obnoxious table partner''s oblivious smug expression.

    "Not funny..."

    Unhappy, I grabbed my school bag and accompanied Yulia all the way to block F, where we would shortly have classes.

    I absolutely refuse to face a similar shame like last time. Kawahara was at fault though. What sort of a bad idea was that either way?

    "Hey..."

    "Hm? What''s wrong?"

    I sometimes forget that Yulia is right next to me. How do I say this... I have a tendency to daydream way too much or focus too much on my own thoughts to the point of excluding physical existences from my current environment while they are actually still there co-existing.

    "Hyunda''s question got me thinking honestly. But, I don''t want to think about it. I''m sorta scared to think about such a thing. Because it will never happen, right?"

    Looking downcast, Yulia pondered if the possibility of me cheating on her was high.

    However, in reality, it''s non-existent because I would never bother myself with another human being for the sake of the actual sentiment of ''love''. It''s incredibly feeble and weak.

    "You don''t have to worry. I promise you, right here and now, that I will never cheat on you. I love you, so stop questioning that."

    "Mhm...! Now that you have promised, I feel more secure now! I love you too! We should stay together forever and beyond!"

    I find it hard to believe that there are times where I wish I wasn''t this immoral piece of garbage that I am.

    Because there are people out there like Yulia who put their honest and truthful genuine love for people who do not deserve such genuine sentiment.

    I am one of those people.

 Volume 12 - Chapter 79: D茅j脿 Vu.

    March 19th.

    One day left until the festival. Idly speaking, the days have been progressing far too normal without anything remarkable happening.

    However, something that I wasn''t expecting was about to happen.

    "Alright, let''s head out to the main gymnasium."

    Basara-sensei had given us that order shortly without going through the length of telling us why.

    "Teach, why though?"

    Unable to understand why Basara-sensei had just said that, Kan asked right away, without waiting any further.

    "You are all about to see why. Those who do not come will suffer the consequences."

    No one in this classroom was dumb to the point of going as far as messing with Basara-sensei when it came down to his consequences.

    Thus, we all started to walk out of the classroom and followed Basara-sensei''s lead.

    One day left until spring. Never have I anticipated a season this much.

    Unlike the majority, I decided to walk slower and appreciate the outside scenery where I could observe the rustic trees and feel the sudden embrace of the yet chilly weather.

    The fragile morning and semi-clouded sky didn''t erupt as a signal of preoccupation but the impertinent ominous radiance from the sun forced me to shield my eyes with my right forearm.

    At the same time, while attempting to lay down my forearm, I accidentally hit my wrist into another person''s left wrist.

    "Watch it."

    With twisted eyebrows, Sana looked at me with a rude expression on her face.

    "It was just an accident. You were in the way as well."

    "How was I in the way though? It was you who clearly bumped your wrist into me."

    That was not my point. I never argued that I didn''t bump into her because that was actually the case.

    Also, Sana, if you were actually not in the way, then would I be able to bump my worst into yours? Think about that one for a bit.

    Internal thoughts aside, I attempted to ignore Sana.

    "Wait a second. Stay behind from everyone at a good distance. I need to have a conversation with you in private. No one can hear this."

    Never before has Sana approached me before so this wasn''t much of a coincidence. She''s usually sticking with Yulia and Yulia for some reason isn''t insisting with me to be by her side right now.

    That''s far too much of a coincidence altogether, which is why I did as Sana said.

    "Good. So, hear me out, Daniel. Yulia has told me about it."

    "About what?"

    "Your relationship with her, of course. I''m Yulia''s friend so it''s a given that I know about it."

    "..."

    I thought that it was supposed to be a secret, Yulia. Yet you went as far as to tell others about it? Then, why would you persist with the idea of keeping it a secret when you never truly intended on following that idea until the end?

    As I disappointed myself with this realization, I facepalmed shortly.

    "What''s with that reaction?! Is there something wrong with me knowing it?"

    Sana seems to be disturbed by my lack of emotion in my reaction.

    "I don''t believe you, Sana. That''s all."

    First and foremost, there is no guarantee that Sana is telling me the truth. She could very well just be baiting out information out of me for her own personal reasons.

    "How valiant. You are honoring your secrecy and Yulia''s as well at the same time. Commendable. However, I spoke the truth. I know everything about it. Even the fact that you illegally invaded our dorm, psycho."

    This just took a quick turn. Sana went from praising my actions to demoralizing my actions in the same sentence without wasting any time.

    Still...

    "Are you talking about that time when we invaded the dorm? That was a long time ago. Why are you bringing that up now?"

    "No, I remember that time. I''m talking about the time where YOU alone, invaded our dorm just to confess your feelings for Yulia. Brave, romantic and bold. Impressive!"

    Are you serious... She actually knows about it... And the worst part is that she''s even praising me for it when I don''t even feel slightly relieved about that.

    "Great... Someone knows about it..."

    "Now, don''t act like that. I am not opposing your relationship, as a matter of fact, I am supporting it!"

    What the hell... Yulia, why the hell did you do this...?

    "I appreciate your support... You can go now."

    If that''s all she wanted to tell me then I understand where she''s coming from. Yulia''s her friend so she''s showing support by supporting our relationship.

    Fairly understandable.

    "Don''t be so rude. While I am supporting your relationship with Yulia, I am supporting Yulia''s decision, not yours. And you, are to blame here. Don''t you think you are being very selfish right now?"

    Sana''s speaking so many things that I don''t actually care about yet she''s looking into me while thinking that I deeply care for Yulia or something.

    "I''m being selfish? Maybe that''s the case. Thanks for pointing that out."

    "Oh my god, what is that attitude? Show some spirit when talking to someone else! Also, let me clarify something. You are being selfish because you aren''t showing Yulia the attention she deserves. That''s why you have to do exactly that."

    I''m aware of my own monochrome and unenthusiastic attitude. But has Sana stopped to think that maybe it''s her attitude that''s full of spirit and emotion, unlike mine?

    Just because your attitude has characteristics that mine doesn''t that shouldn''t mean that my attitude immediately deserves to be criticized.

    "Sana, do you have a boyfriend? Or someone you like?"

    "W-What''s with that question!? How does that have anything to do with what I just said!?"

    She got quickly embarrassed by my question, probably because it was too unexpected for her.

    My point wasn''t to flirt though.

    "It''s important, actually. Because I don''t want to hear someone scold me about my relationship choices when that person has little to no romantic experience whatsoever. I understand that you are Yulia''s friend and you want to show your support, but the way you are doing it isn''t exactly pleasing. So, do you have a boyfriend or did you ever had one?"

    "Oh, I see! So that''s what''s on your mind! Not to worry though. I have plenty of romantic experience and I am far more knowledgeable in this department than anyone else is, which is why you should heed my call."

    She literally did not answer my question even after I went through the trouble of expressing why her tendency was off the mark.

    "Either way, you have to be there for her more. Ask more personal questions instead of just being physically there for me. For example, what is the number one thing you prioritize when being with Yulia?"

    I would like to just tell Sana that her worries are irrelevant due to the fact that I don''t really love Yulia like she thinks I do.

    However, that would come with double the consequences, therefore, it''s not optimal.

    "This is way too personal. Why should I tell you this?"

    "Oh my god, can you shut it?! Just tell me! I''m even going out of my way to help you yet you treat me like this?!"

    "I can''t help it! It''s too damn personal!"

    "I really, really hope you aren''t this obnoxious creature in front of Yulia or else I''ll break your knees!"

    Did she seriously just threatened me with that? Break my knees? Out of all the things? I mean, this isn''t to say that having my knees broken is the sweetest thing ever but her temper is extremely short.

    "Did you just threatened me?! Also, I''m not. Relax!"

    "Oh, good! I was thinking that I would have to resort to other methods outside of persuasion!"

    Does Sana actually think that she has something on me? I can literally just flip-flock her brain with a single finger if I wanted to.

    "So, tell me!"

    "Fine... I kiss her. You got a problem with that?"

    "Mhm... Usually no. However, it''s annoying that that''s your first thought when being around her. Physical contact is nice and all, but in a relationship, you have to listen to your partner''s emotions and needs! Smocking and flirting around is ONLY after that!"

    Sana''s actually correct.

    It''s not as if I''m a complete numbskull when it comes to the subject of romance. Naturally, I am interested in the idea of being romantically enveloped with another human being that I can accept.

    However, I''ve arrived at the conclusion that it''s too much of an effort to actually establish the perfect relationship.

    As to why Sana''s correct, it''s because it''s true that listening to your partner''s emotions will give you a better understanding of what sort of person you are with. Their problems. How they approach their problems. If they face them or not. Their fears. Their insecurities. Their shortcomings.

    "I''ll take that into consideration..."

    But I just don''t care. Not one single bit.

    "No, not just into consideration. I want you to do what I just said. You should also be more open about yourself to her. Why are you letting her take all this effort by herself!? It''s a relationship which means it''s a dual effort, not a singular one!"

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    It actually pains me that Sana misunderstands the situation at hand. Her rationale is fundamentally correct, in my opinion.

    That''s somewhat attractive. I do enjoy rationality, even if it''s messy and explosive, which is why I''ll go a little further just for the sake of debating the idea further.

    "But what if there is a dual effort and yet the effort is far more one-sided than the other side? Let''s say that in a relationship, the two individuals put effort, but one puts more effort than the other. What then? Is it worth it to keep the relationship going?"

    "Interesting. I think the effort should be equally distributed otherwise it will cause mutual dissatisfaction between both individuals."

    "But Sana, why is this possible in the first place? Is it not because of the amount of love the individuals choose to give badly distributed?"

    It''s intriguing to perceive emotions with logic and rationality. However, based on the way of feeling, it''s entirely sporadic.

    "Yes, that''s why that happens. However, that''s because they can''t control the amount of love they give to one another. In a very intense relationship, it gets out of control. Which can cause the scenario you have mentioned..."

    "In a relationship, which one are you?"

    "Are you talking about if I''m the one who gives the most effort?"

    I nodded. She got what I meant to say.

    "You don''t get to know that."

    "Why exactly?"

    You''ve asked me something that is technically personal but now you show secrecy despite that behavior you just showed?

    You are egoistic.

    "Because I have never had someone that I could give my all to. That''s why you don''t get to know it; because I don''t know."

    Oh... That''s not egoistic then. Sana just put that in a way that is often misinterpreted as egoistic.

    "I see. Isn''t that sad though?"

    "It''s my problem and I don''t plan on fixing it. My lack of happiness is something that is up to me, not someone else."

    I don''t necessarily agree with what Sana just said.

    "Maybe your lack of happiness strives from the fact that you aren''t enough to fill the void. Isn''t that why a relationship exists in the first place? For the other part, to fill the other? Like a bottle. You, by yourself, can only reach 50%, but with the correct person, you can reach that 100%, because the other person is partially the other 50% you are missing."

    While the bottle example is fairly easy to understand, this doesn''t mean that you necessarily need someone else to fill that gap.

    The ''self'' can be enough, but you have to put your mind into that idea and accept that you, yourself, are enough. Yet, that''s the problem. So many self-doubts and insecurities within the ''self'' can accumulate to an obtuse point and it will not make this possible.

    And...

    Why hasn''t Sana said anything? She''s looking at me like she''s in the middle of a daze. Is she daydreaming?

    "Hey. You there...?"

    "O-Oh! Yeah, I am here! Why would I not be here? I just wasn''t expecting it. But, if you know all of this, then why aren''t you making Yulia happy?"

    That''s weird... Why was she dazing for such a long time?

    "This is different. This is an idea that I don''t mind pursuing. But it''s just an idea and it''s not really applicable in reality for obvious reasons..."

    "Oh, I know what you mean. It''s really hard to apply the idea if you don''t have the ideal partner... But that still doesn''t explain it. Aren''t you with Yulia because she''s the ideal partner for you? If you have these thoughts about the idea of romance, then why?"

    This whole thing aside, we were walking extremely slow, almost to the point of stopping.

    In the direction of the main gymnasium which stood in between blocks A and B, it would still be a long walk, which was why, even though we had already crossed block E, our way was still long.

    Also, there are a lot of students going in the same way that we are... So many though. The number is absurdly high.

    Why is this the case exactly?

    "I have my problems. And besides, I have trouble being honest with Yulia for the most part."

    "Okay, but why? You love her, so you should be honest to the maximum extent. And your problems should be her problems, just like her problems should be your problems. Don''t you agree with this idea?"

    Sana''s a nice person to talk to. I think that as long as you are able to understand what she wants to talk about that you can conduct and engage with her thoughts and ideas relatively easily.

    "Would you just be open about your problems with someone who you have been going out within less than a month?"

    "...That''s why it''s foolish to fall in love too early. After you get to know the person well, you should already know a great deal about the person and these problems don''t have to come into play. You''re at fault for falling in love far too early. Couldn''t you just wait a little bit more?"

    That''s reasonable, I suppose. By knowing someone for a long time, you have a wider picture of how that person really is and therefore you can create and replicate feelings for that person after knowing what exactly you like about that person.

    "Is that what you would do? You would wait such a long time just for the sake of creating the ideal scenario? What if the person you are in love with falls in love with another person in the meantime? You''ll just have your heart shattered in pieces."

    "This isn''t about me, Daniel... It''s about Yulia."

    Honestly... I wish I could just tell Sana that I want to debate this solely based on her because then I would be able to extract more personal answers and gather some valuable intel.

    Sana does share an affinity for rationality regarding this topic.

    "So, what''s the conclusion you want to reach with all this talk?"

    We have been dragging out the main conclusion for quite a while. Spewing these idealistic words won''t get us anywhere and Sana''s the one who started this.

    "I will ask you this in Yulia''s steed, but apply all of those thoughts on her."

    Impossible.

    That would require me to actually care.

    You can''t force someone to do something that they don''t care about while expecting that individual to demonstrate their best intentions and best effort.

    "You care a lot about Yulia. I am glad that my loved one has such a good friend."

    Sarcastically, I said that. Though, Sana''s loyalty and caring for Yulia are impressive nonetheless.

    Considering that they have only been friends for a few days, I would say that Sana and Yulia get attached easily.

    Naive creatures.

    "Yes, Yulia''s my precious friend. And... Just for the record, she''s been stressed about something. Something that I hope you will never do. You see, Yulia''s kind to you. She gives you plenty of space and all that."

    Plenty of space? I wish she would elaborate on that. Because I sure can''t seem to understand what Sana just attempted to insinuate.

    "And by ''something'' I mean, cheating. You have to give Yulia the confidence she needs, otherwise, she''ll feel anxious about trusting you."

    I am lost in confusion. What do girls have against cheating? No, no, I don''t support the idea of cheating. I really don''t.

    Although I''m immoral, cheating is something so trivial that it''s not worth the effort. There are plenty of other powerful ways to hurt someone''s sentiments outside of cheating.

    What I don''t understand is why every single one of them thinks that just because their boyfriend is minimally absent that cheating is the number one thing that will happen.

    Fuck, is it really that orthodox of a choice to do something outside of being with the one you love?

    "Out of curiosity, let me ask you this. Why do you think that''s a possibility?"

    "Well, Daniel... I and Yulia have been skeptical about your absence during lunchtime. Was that really just a coincidence? Or are you deliberately taking advantage of Yulia''s easygoing nature?"

    I don''t think Sana has the correct picture of Yulia''s nature if she''s actually serious about what she just said now.

    "I am just hanging out with Kawahara and the rest..."

    "Ewwwwwwwww.... Kawahara?! What do you see in that arrogant prick with no shame at all!? All he does is curse and yell! You boys are all the same..."

    One thing is to strike me down.

    Another is to strike down my gender. That, I shall not tolerate.

    "You girls are all the same as well. Bitching after bitching. Endless bitching. Whiny and whiny."

    "What!? Okay, okay! Listen here, if we are being bitchy then it''s for a reason! Therefore, we are logically bitchy, if this made any sense!"

    Logically bitchy. I don''t think I''m ever forgetting this one. Because no one else in my entire life has argued in defense of this statement before.

    "And you boys aren''t really that logical. Because you boys act on impulse and we don''t. Get the difference now?!"

    "Every human being acts on impulse. You are just convinced that boys are inferior because you have witnessed more boys acting on impulse than girls."

    It''s a common misconception to take past events into influences just because they happened. Thus, it can lead to misunderstandings.

    I think both genders are equally impulsive respectively. However, someone that has witnessed one gender act more impulsively than the other will automatically think that that gender is, therefore, more impulsive.

    The human brain is so simple.

    "That may be the case. Then, I''ll change my point. Kawahara is a terrible person and it makes no sense to hang out with him!"

    Would Sana believe me if I said that Kawahara is actually somewhat smart? She must view him as some degenerate garbage who can only talk shit and honestly, that''s the image he gives.

    "That is why I will commend you for being with Yulia the past week instead of hanging out with Kawahara. That is an improvement, And... Lastly, one more thing..."

    This conversation was really about to end though.

    Because, right now, we stand in front of the multi-purpose gymnasium entrance and Basara-sensei looks ready to give his speech.

    "If you cheat on Yulia, it''s not Yulia you are going to deal with. It''s going to be me."

    Leaving those threatening words behind, Sana went on ahead and joined the circle that was being formed outside of the gigantic gymnasium.

    Our class was attracting a fair share of attention as the other classes just kept on staring and murmuring to themselves for whatever reason.

    Their distances were so far from ours that it was ridiculous to look at this current scenery.

    Eventually, I reached the circle and thus, the hitman-suited teacher gave his speech.

    "I want every single one of you to behave correctly. Here is how you will behave correctly. Every single one of you will not talk and will only listen. I will hear your doubts later. Whoever breaks this warning of mine will endure the tedious consequences. Feel free to ignore this warning, if you are feeling confident enough though."

    Is Basara-sensei a damn sadist?

    Why would you give out this warning but then suggest we break it? If this is not sadism, then I don''t know what is. Because that''s the only reason I can think of right now.

    "Sensei, is this regarding the upcoming festival? Is that why there are so many students here? I think this is all the students from school and all the classes. Am I wrong?"

    Akimiyashika, curious as to why there were so many students around, briefly asked that.

    I said ''were'' because the classes were starting to enter the gymnasium, which is obnoxiously massive, otherwise, there is no way that a thousand or so students could fit in.

    "Correct, Aki. Furthermore, the principal will be watching everyone and since you fucktards have such a bad record of going to his office all the time, it''s not wise to cause an uproar. No matter the reason. Did I make myself clear or do I have to yell louder!?"

    "Yes, sir!!!"

    Not a single soul from our class missed out on saying that.

    Still, I was curious to see what the gymnasium on the inside looks like.

    However, my doubts were soon cleared with Basara-sensei taking the lead. Almost alongside him stood Kawahara who was ready to intercept the public.

    As a matter of fact, Kawahara waved at the vast number of female students amidst the large crowd of numerous students.

    The inside of the gymnasium was fairly empty in terms of structure yet completely filled with a plethora of students. There were rows with an abundant number of chairs just so students could seat on, which means that this was probably already staged.

    Considering that there are over a thousand students in this school supposedly, it makes sense as to why there are so many columns with so many seats.

    Ultimately, each of us ended up taking a seat in the last row since we were the last class to reach the public gymnasium.

    Noticeably, at the end of the gymnasium, at a very, very far away podium, a particularly organized group stood there standing tall.

    Also, I took a seat right next to Kawahara shortly.

    "Dan, you must''ve noticed by now, but do you see that group of students all the way up on the podium facing this whole pile of students?"

    "Yeah... But they are students too. They have our uniforms. What gives? And just what is this anyway? Why are there so many people here...?"

    Kawahara was basking in the attention of so many female students that it was ridiculous. How does one person who can''t actually interact with other students get this much attention?

    "That''s not the important part. Notice those cameras that are pointing at them."

    Now that he mentions it... From a considerable distance, there are cameras pointing only at that group in particular.

    "Now, take a look at the ceiling. Do you see those wide televisions? That''s distributed throughout the whole perimeter just so the students could see what''s about to happen. And those cameras will undoubtedly be the connection. Otherwise, people would not hear shit."

    "Kawahara, what did I say about speaking?"

    "..."

    Upon hearing the demon speaking, we both formed quick silence.

    Kawahara''s point came across loud and clear though. Given our distance and the other classes observing, it would be impossible to hear out the tiny speech that will probably come out from all the way there.

    And without wasting any time whatsoever, a striking figure that we all certainly knew by now walked in from the sideline to the podium.

    A head so bald with a remarkable debonair suit that would rival Basara-sensei''s.

    No debate, it was the principal.

    As I wondered how everyone in this colossal space would get his image clearly, the televisions were lightened up at the very moment the principal faced the rest of the students.

    Furthermore, before speaking, he rose up the mic he most likely already had.

    "Greetings, students. It is I, your school principal. On everyone''s behalf, I deeply apologize for evoking all of the students from this school into this confined place while classes are supposed to occur."

    A loud and high-pitched voice came forward while the principal delivered his apologetic speech first.

    The image that the televisions transmitted were visible throughout to anyone in this gymnasium, so it wasn''t a problem understanding what the principal was saying.

    "With that being said, the reason as to why I summoned all of you is to give you a better cognitive understanding of the upcoming festival and its main rules. I am aware that each teacher has already distributed the essential pieces of information regarding the rules and themes. Nonetheless, this is the ultimate revision before the festival begins. Henceforth, today, which is the last day before the anticipated event, is the most convenient day to portray this message of sincerity and integrity."

    Christ, are you sure you don''t want to be more formal, mister principal?

    My opinion aside, the principal was not yet done speaking from the looks of it.

    "However, I am not the one who will pass down this message. I shall leave that responsibility to the most trust-worthy member that I am sure a lot of you already know of! A round of applause for the student council president!"

    Naturally, an abysmal and enormous round of applause came forward.

    It seems that despite this being an order from the principal himself, the majority was genuinely clapping for this person who was slowly approaching the principal.

    For the record, this person was from the same group that Kawahara mentioned earlier.

    Also, our whole class did not clap.

    As expected.

    "Clap, you retards."

    Left with no choice but to clap upon hearing the demon''s decree, we all awkwardly clapped.

    My clapping was sincerely exaggerated.

    "Thank you very much, principal. However, I am not worthy of this much praise. I am simply doing my duty, that is all."

    Receiving the mic that the principal had handed out to him, a navy-haired tall young man took the principal''s place with vigor and determination.

    By far, the most noticeable feature would be his stern glasses.

    "Wait..."

    Have I not crossed this guy before?

 Volume 12 - Chapter 80: What is wrong with this bitch?

    "Based on the general revision that will happen with the intention of enforcing the seriousness of the all-known seasonal festival, I want to, first of all, wish for possible cooperation in making the event peaceful and challenging at the same time. What we are striving to achieve is a fair competition while staking considerable rewards nonetheless."

    It took me just a brief moment to realize that this was the person who I came across back in February...

    Around the time where heavy rain fell down upon me and yet, while unpardonably walking back to my dorm, after some questionable actions, I encountered this person.

    Never did I imagine that, out of all the people, that would be the student council president.

    1 pm. Cafeteria.

    Unremarkably, the whole event was pure boredom. For those who were massively enthusiastic about the whole thing, it wasn''t as unremarkable as I am seemingly perceiving it to be yet for me, it was exactly like that.

    However, there was something that each student would have to do tomorrow, without missing.

    Regardless, since it''s lunchtime, I am with the usual group, which consists of myself, Hyunda, Yulia, Arkalee, and Sana.

    Honestly, this has been happening for a while now, but every lunch we just group up and have the most random talks ever.

    "Ugh, that was the longest explanation ever! 2 hours!"

    Unhappy about the realistic circumstances, Sana lashed out at all of us.

    "Maybe it was really necessary though! The upcoming exam is something we should all try hard to win over! Don''t you think so, Hyunda?!"

    Proposing a different perspective, Arkalee attempted to brighten up the mood swiftly.

    "Supposedly."

    Yet Hyunda just replied monochromatically.

    Almost no emotion was in his words. As that was always the case whenever he would speak.

    "S-Supposedly?! You said you were going to try, remember!?"

    Arkalee quickly freaked out upon hearing Hyunda''s response. Hyunda had already told me days ago that he was intending on failing this exam because he didn''t have the necessity to win this exam.

    "Of course. I will totally give my absolute best. You can obviously count on that."

    Unless he changed his mind about his previous words, I''m taking that as sarcasm.

    "Daniel. Wanna go for a walk?"

    Suddenly, Hyunda re-directed his words right back to me and stopped talking to Arkalee. Given that we aren''t doing much and the fact that I could use a conversation with him in general, I decided to go with a positive answer.

    Yet, before I could even reply...

    "Hahaha, sorryyyy, that''s really not happening, Hyunda."

    "And why not? It''s just a walk."

    Obnoxiously eliminating any possibilities of me replying back to Hyunda, Arkalee interfered without a second thought.

    I''m sorry, but what the fuck? I''m starting to think that she has something against me. Or am I overthinking things?

    "You know, Hyunda''s right. Freedom once in a while is a good thing."

    Yulia decided to intercept Arkalee''s opinion, strangely enough. Odd for Yulia to say that though. She gives me little to no freedom.

    "Um, I''m trying to have a conversation here."

    Coldly, Arkalee replied in a harsh tone.

    "O-Oh, my bad there..."

    No, what the hell. Why is Yulia backing off? Arkalee''s the one being persistent for literally no reason.

    "It''s not your bad though. Arkalee, what was that just now?"

    "Sorry, what?"

    Arkalee looked perplexed for a second as soon as I retorted back at her in Yulia''s place. This was by no means a white-knight move, I do just not understand what Arkalee''s trying to achieve here.

    "I am asking what was that. By ''that'', I mean why are you denying that Hyunda and I go for a walk? Also, no need to speak rudely to other people."

    "Guys... I think we should all calm down."

    Sana was reasonably disturbed by the possibility of us engaging in a dramatic situation, but I wasn''t going to stop.

    "No, there''s no reason to calm down. Each and every single one of you needs to learn that we also have our talks and share stuff and just because we are absent once, in a while, it doesn''t mean we are doing what you girls probably think we are doing..."

    Because I fucking know this is about cheating and that''s just fucking wrong.

    Usually, I would not concern myself with another person in this matter, but I''m entirely certain that Arkalee''s just acting like this due to her crush on Hyunda.

    Can''t she control it? This is developing to be somewhat psychotic.

    "Hahaha, you''re so funny, Daniel. So, why aren''t you in a circus? Hm?"

    What the fuck did this bitch just s--

    "Arkalee, be at the regular place when it''s 1:45 pm. Daniel, let''s go."

    I was about to explode, but the way Hyunda cut in made me lose my rage instantly.

    "R-Regular place? What do you mean...?"

    Arkalee''s pathetic and embarrassing behavior baffles me in a stupid way. How the hell are you so obnoxious but you are so selective to the one you love?

    No sense of equality whatsoever.

    "Think about it."

    Yulia didn''t mind this for some reason and thus, Hyunda and I left the cafeteria.

    Whenever something involves Hyunda, Arkalee goes slightly nuts about it. Even when we are leaving the cafeteria and Yulia and Sana are chatting with one another, Arkalee, on the other hand, only looks at the figure of Hyunda and nothing more.

    "Dude... You should stay away from Arkalee. I got a bad feeling about her..."

    Although I said that to Hyunda, he didn''t seem to be phased whatsoever. Does this guy even feel anything?

    A girl is going nuts over him yet he looks like he''s in another world. This odd sensation of mystery surrounding his aura is cryptic.

    "What do you think about Sana? She''s pretty cute, right? Who doesn''t love brunette girls? Every virgin''s favorite."

    Dodging my last question without a single trace of caring, Hyunda just fired off those questions right at me, while we aimlessly ventured around the campus as per usual.

    "What is this about...?"

    Why Sana out of all the people to talk to...? What''s gotten into him?

    "Hm? Oh, I was just thinking that from a physical appearance perspective, Sana looks somewhat idealistic, don''t you think? Or am I exaggerating when I say that?"

    Sana is...

    "No, you''re not exaggerating, I suppose. She''s really pretty from that perspective. And she''s capable of holding interesting conversations regarding intriguing subjects. So, I would go as far as to label her as someone with an enjoyable appearance and a likable personality. Though, that last statement is somewhat conditional."

    By conditional, I''m referring to how Sana is convulsively emotional and has shown signs of going as far as threatening which I don''t like.

    "You seem to have a solid opinion of her already. That speeds up the process then."

    "What? Process?"

    It''s common sense by now that I can''t exactly predict what Hyunda''s thinking but I can''t help but be curious all the time.

    "Yes. It''s essential to kill your relationship with Yulia. I can''t tell you the full process but I''ll need you to contribute regardless. If you do, as I initially said, I''ll put an end to this relationship of yours through my own methods. So, will you cooperate?"

    I get where Hyunda is coming from, but...

    "Pass... I don''t want to be hung up with so much responsibility. This relationship with Yulia is responsibility without me wanting to, so if something that involves a big deal of responsibility ever happens again, then I might not----"

    "It won''t involve any responsibility. You just have to do one simple thing. You can have my word for it."

    Oh, then...

    "Sure... Is it really necessary though?"

    "Strictly speaking, yes. You are an essential piece for this to work. Well, since you have given me permission, I''ll tell you now. I need you to be caught cheating on Yulia."

    ..................

    "Are you serious? Like, really? It can''t be another way?"

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    I feel like this wasn''t a coincidence at all. This topic has been broadly lighted and discussed intensively throughout our conversations in the past few days.

    "The ends justify the means. By the way, don''t think that I am going to give you some massive responsibility. Here is the deal, I need you to get to Sana''s soft side. Can you do that? Or is it beyond you?"

    This is the third time he has mentioned Sana in this conversation...

    "No, it''s not beyond me. We are capable of holding solid conversations. Just this morning we debated a romantic topic."

    "Seriously? That''s even better."

    But why is it better...?

    Hyunda''s leaving me with questions after questions with little to no answers.

    "So, here is the thing. During the festival time, you need to kiss Sana."

    "Huh!? Are you serious, man?! I''m not doing the same shit I did with Yulia! Nah, bruh. Out of the question."

    I swear, if Hyunda''s reasoning for getting me out of my current relationship with Yulia is that I need to be romantically attached to someone else, then I am not doing it.

    "Except it''s not the same thing. With Yulia, you took a more deep approach. That''s not what I am asking. I am asking that you kiss Sana. That''s it. You can just let it slide as an accident and the misunderstanding is gone."

    Honestly... I''m starting to think I''m developing some sort of PTSD after this tremendous lack of freedom recently.

    I hope that''s not the case. And...

    "And for that kiss to happen, I need to let Sana softened up first...?"

    "That''s exactly it. However, the timing can''t be just any time. I will give you the correct timing my texting you when to do it. If you want this to succeed thoroughly, then you should follow my lead."

    He seems completely serious about this, without a doubt.

    There''s just something I can''t seem to understand yet.

    "But why Sana? Is there a specific reason?"

    "For me to answer that question truthfully, I''ll have to ask. Are you attached to Yulia in any conceivable way? Romantically speaking, do you feel something for her? Even a tiny bit?"

    I don''t see a reason why I should lie here. Actually, 99% of the time, if not 100% of the time, I am truthful to Hyunda.

    How do I say this... It feels like I''m speaking to someone who is omniscient or just holds a higher ground when it comes to understanding things that I don''t necessarily primarily understand in the first place.

    "Nothing. Is there something wrong with me though? I just don''t feel anything for her and I feel like it''s my fault for lacking emotion."

    The fact that I am not even slightly bothered by Yulia upholding romantic feelings for me while I don''t love her at all, bothers me.

    "Why are you bothered with that? Lack of emotion is for the strong. The more stoic you are, the more resistant you become. To everything. However, given that you have said what I really wanted you to say, I''ll tell you why I went with Sana."

    Lack of emotion is for the strong...? I never saw it that way. It''s true that certain emotions just make you feel more vulnerable and exposed but I never thought that they were considered strengths.

    I only thoughts of them as weaknesses.

    "Sana''s arguably Yulia''s best friend. Being cheated on by your boyfriend and your best friend should be the ultimate nail in the coffin."

    That is evil...

    "How is that gonna work out though...?"

    "You don''t need to know. The whole thing is far too detailed and I don''t think it''s worth bothering you with all the details. Also, in case you are feeling reluctant about approaching Sana because you don''t know much about her, seek Kawahara and Kuzan."

    Um, why....?

    For the record, I''m not offended that Hyunda won''t tell me the whole thing because as long as it''s just a kiss, I''m literally fine with it. I don''t mind talking to Sana.

    Debating ideas seems pretty cool and it''s not just something I can do with Yulia, for instance. We have never been that open to each other in the first place.

    "Why Kawahara and Kuzan...? Unless... Kawahara probably told you, didn''t he?"

    "No, he didn''t. But Kuzan went out of his way to tell me, so I know about the stupid project. Kawahara''s methods aren''t exactly to my liking. He bothers with the little details way too much. But, you need to know those little details about Sana, and Kawahara and Kuzan might just have them."

    Kuzan is connected to Hyunda due to the King''s Den. Speaking of the King''s Den, we haven''t managed to recruit another member yet. Although, Hyunda doesn''t look that bothered by that.

    Maybe he has something in mind?

    "Alright, got it. I''ll speak to them about this. By the way, were you serious about what you said back then? About passing the exam?"

    "I was being sarcastic for obvious reasons. Or do I need to explain why I was being sarcastic?"

    As I thought, he really was being sarcastic to Arkalee. But, just why does he hang out with Arkalee so much?

    "No, I got it. But, Hyunda, why Arkalee out of all the people?"

    "You''ll one day understand. If you still remain there that day."

    "Huh?"

    What did Hyunda mean by that...? I get confused so many times that it''s ridiculous...

    "That aside, what''s your plan for this exam? Are you going to go all in or are you going to go for the bare minimum?"

    "To be honest, I still have no clue how the festival will work? Do you?"

    Aside from the fact that there are far more attraction stops around the school more than usual, all I know is that we will have to participate in all the events yet how exactly will that work?

    "You didn''t pay any attention to the explanation, did you? Neither did I, but I already knew how it would work, since the speech was a mere revision. Here is what you need to know first. Throughout the whole upcoming week, you will have to sign up in all the events. If you go inside the other blocks that aren''t the ones you know such as A, B, C, D, E, and F, there are multi-purpose rooms open for the sake of serving the entirety of the themes. In other words, students have to enter the rooms and sign up. By signing up, you are automatically queued. However, the festival will take one full week and the classes won''t be dismissed. So, you don''t have to stress it."

    "But Hyunda, do I need to sign up right now?"

    Because if I do, then I have to hurry up. Since we are all forced to participate in the 50 events, the sooner I get it done, the better.

    Also, I''m glad Hyunda went out of his way to say all of that information. Just like me, he didn''t give any fucks regarding the speech but the thing is, since he already knew about it, he didn''t have to care.

    "Only if you want to. However, just what exactly is your aim in the upcoming exam? What are you hoping to achieve? Is it just positive results or is it something more?"

    "Well... Positive results should be my top priority. Do I need to bother myself with anything else?"

    "Technically, no."

    Technically? Why is Hyunda being so discrete?

    "But, just in case you might want to increase your chances of winning, you should pick your opponents."

    "Hm? Pick my opponents? How is that even possible? Isn''t the competition random?"

    "Daniel, is that what you think? There are over a thousand students in this school and you think that the competition will be random? No way that''s true. But, that''s something for you to figure out. I''ve got to be somewhere else now."

    Parting ways with me, Hyunda left me behind to be somewhere else, which is probably where he said he would meet Arkalee later on.

    After that, a few hours went by and the classes were done for the day.

    Therefore, I went to the place where I knew I could find both Kawahara and Kuzan. However, to my surprise, Kawahara was the one who invited me to the hideout.

    Hideout. 7 pm.

    "The feast is fucking near. The culmination of anguish and salt will collide with this movement that will trigger the living shit out of those six! Alright, pay close attention, all of you! For I, am about to lend you my grand wisdom!"

    I don''t think this guy needs any introductions by now since there is only one single soul in our class that speaks out this enthusiastically while cursing at the same time.

    The blonde-haired individual with black chokes on his hair''s edge, who also has a formidable built, back on his supreme desk, spoke to me, Kuzan, and Rayazaki.

    Lazing on the good old couch, I extended my legs and stretched the living hell out of them. Kuzan was paying attention to Kawahara to an absurd extent while Rayazaki was silently observing what was about to be said.

    "While the SYG project was just a test, what is about to happen, is the true pinnacle of what true men strive to become. The apex of rudeness and savagery amongst men. The transcendence of alphas! The zenith of the concept of chadness!"

    Just a test? So the SYG project wasn''t even something remotely serious in the first place? Man, why did he go through all that effort just for a single test?

    "Ohhh!!! I''m so hyped master!"

    "Damn right you are, Kuzan! So, listen up! By tomorrow, the entries will be open, since the festival only starts tomorrow and here is how we are going to torment the living shit out of these fucks! You see, with the vast number of students our school has, they can''t just uphold all the competitions at once! Which is why they will most likely follow something very simple. Rayazaki, how do you think they will distribute all of the events fairly for everyone?"

    Whenever Rayazaki is mentioned, I can''t help but recall what he was like back when we had our first fight.

    His rash impulsiveness alongside my meek attitude provoked that brutal clash. And even though it feels like it''s been a long time, it''s only been two or so months.

    Yet now that I look at him, he looks serene, calm and collected, contrasting his past outlooks.

    "Wouldn''t a division be reasonable here? I don''t know the exact number of students in this school, but if it''s a little above a thousand, then there should be hours for the competitions and specific days for the respective competitions. Everything at once feels far too messy. Plus, we don''t know much about it, outside of the themes."

    While Rayazaki handed out his opinion, I simply took a sip of the tea that Kuzan had done for me before we reached the beginning of this conversation.

    Not too sweet nor too sour. The ideal balance, I think. Still, the tea is way too hot, which caused me to blow against its atmosphere for quite a while.

    "Division is something that should be taken into consideration as a method, but I think it''s something far greater than just mere division. Each student can sign up for a contest regarding a theme by signing up in the respective location of the theme''s room, yet the student that signs up will probably be queued. That''s where not only will division come in, but so will selection."

    "Wait, what did you mean by selection just now?"

    Hyunda''s words brought to life my inner curiosity and I couldn''t help myself when Kawahara said that.

    "I am saying that the school doesn''t have a way to make this competition random, so here is what they will most likely do: once a certain quota is achieved, the competition will begin. By quota, I am talking about the number of students allowed in that respective time and place. It''s bound to be limited and those who sign up first will be taken into priority. Regardless, we don''t know this quota. Not to fret though. The quota is actually irrelevant!"

    That does make sense, but why does Kawahara bother to explain so much without actually getting to the point straight away?

    It would be so much easier if he didn''t tl;dr every single person in existence whenever he has the chance to.

    "Which brings up the main point. What is relevant here? How will we personally crush every single one of these fucks? By ''fucks'' I am talking about the six pests. With over 50 events, they can take their sweet time to pick a time to avoid us. But, what if we go around it the other way?"

    Kawahara''s assuming that they will just pussy out in fear. He views himself so greatly that he doesn''t believe in the possibility of them just not going against our flow in the first place.

    "Let me put it bluntly like this. If they directly confront us, we crush them. However, we should assume that this won''t go the way we want us to. Which is why we will make it go our way."

    "Okay, but just what is this ''way'' you speak of?"

    Maybe I''m just really impatient today or something, but I asked that anyway.

    Nonetheless, Kawahara didn''t take that as an offense and flashed a smirk in response.

    "This ''way'' goes by the name of stalking."

    Seriously...

    "Oh! Master, we are going to stalk who!?"

    "Those six limp-dick pussies. Ain''t none of them escaping the stalking purgatory I got ready for them."

    So much aggression. Why does Kawahara treat everyone so rudely? I understand that you declared war on them, but to think that you harbor this much hatred just because they are against you.

    "As I have mentioned, only those that are signed up will participate in that respective event at the respective time. And considering that they can just use the other events to their advantage to dodge us, instead of letting them come to us, we will come to them. Alternatively speaking, we are going to stalk the living shit out of our targets until they cave. Sign up in the same events as they. Beat them in every single one of them! Losing is not an option!"

    Oh, I see now... I wasn''t quite understanding what Kawahara was concretely talking about but now that he went in-depth, it''s easy to comprehend.

    "So you are saying that we have to follow our respective targets and participate in the same events as them? But what if they choose not to participate at all?"

    "That''s not an option, Rayazaki. Simply for the sole reason that crybaby Ryoken is too edgy to let go of his ego and he''s thirsty for some payback. By the way, Dan, Ryoken is all yours. He''s been your initial target and that will not change."

    .............

    "Why couldn''t we just do this from the start? What was the purpose of the SYG project even?! None of us achieved any positive results! It wasn''t going to work in the first place!"

    Slightly mad, I lashed out a bit of my anger. Kawahara''s nonsensical actions are bothering the hell out of me.

    "I know it wasn''t going to work in the first place. That''s why it was just a test. If I actually wanted to, I could''ve made the project work by giving you three proper guidance yet I limited myself with my speech. Now, it''s different. I will instruct every single one of you personally with instructions that must be followed starting tomorrow. How to approach your target and how to mess with their psychology."

    I can''t tell if Kawahara is being serious or just devoid of his arrogance completely.

    For the benefit of the doubt, before Kawahara could go on, I stopped and issued my own personal issue first.

    "Wait, before we start, I gotta ask something to both you and Kuzan..."

    "No, one thing at the time. We''ll have a long nice discussion, since this will take a very long time, Dan."

    Oh god... Is Kawahara gonna make us go through hell, also known as having to go through his long-ass explanations without a single light at the end of the tunnel?!

    That smirk of his tells it all...

    "P-Please make it short..."

    "Hahaha, of course! All right, everyone, let''s mosey."

    Ultimately delivering that iconic sentence, Kawahara doomed us to this excruciatingly long session of arguments that took place right before the festival began.

 Volume 12 - Chapter 81: Coincidence.

    March 20th. 8:30 am.

    "Best of luck, my students! I haven''t been able to keep up with the whole thing, but I''m sure Basara has instructed everyone here with the right orders!"

    Alright! The festival is finally getting started! With a grand total of 50 events to partake on throughout this week, it''s bound to be fun! I''ve been looking forward to this festival for a while!

    "And also, I have a message from the principal and it''s very important, so everyone, listen up!"

    With a leap of enthusiasm, Yuka-sensei spoke out the words I never would''ve thought I would listen...

    "The rule of interaction is hereby suspended until further notice. This rule was a rule specially made by the principal and according to his reasoning, he deemed it as something unnecessary as the interaction of all participants is beyond necessary."

    This obviously meant big news...! No longer had we had to hold onto that insecurity and could talk briefly to all the students in this school...

    Naturally, this came as a shock to the rest of the class too! I traded a glance with my best friend Sana and momentarily with the person I love the most yet... He always looks so uncaring and unphased regarding the actual situation.

    "However! I don''t want any of you to manipulate anyone nor take unnecessary dialogues with the rest of the students!"

    Secretly, I texted him with the news straight away while hiding my phone under the desk.

    He has a habit of ignoring my texts but that''s maybe because I''m too persistent. I should slow down a bit...

    I don''t want him to think that I am being a nuisance to him. It''s just... I''ve never been taught how to express love correctly, especially to someone who seems monochrome all the time.

    "And with that being said, from this moment onwards, until the festival ends, everyone can partake in the events. I''ve already addressed what needs to be done in order to achieve a positive score but I''ll remind you all again. 5 wins are all you need! Of course, if you want to take it to the next level though, feel free to go for 10 wins! Best of luck!"

    The festival was going to occur throughout the whole school, so every one of us could either go to the events individually or in groups! Or even in pairs...!

    My idea was starting to flare inside my mind little by little. It was nothing to go over about, but...

    Considering that the whole festival will take a week, we can go slow and enjoy the multiple attractions that the festival has to offer!

    That''s why, ultimately, when the majority of my classmates started leaving the classroom in order to go into their respective places, I went to his seat while smiling widely.

    "Hey! Let''s do this together! We have a full week, soooooo..."

    And I''m glad that Lus isn''t here. Daniel''s all alone by himself. Being jealous isn''t something I''m exactly proud of but I just found it confusing when he was talking to her so much more than he was talking to me at the time.

    I''m really glad that''s not the case anymore since I''ve noticed that he hasn''t been talking to her for a while!

    He must be really taking my words seriously then...

    "I can''t, Yulia. I''m sorry."

    "Wait, what!? I thought we were going to do this... Didn''t you already foresee this event happening?! I thought you did..."

    "You''re right about that. And I had in mind that. However, something unexpected happened. You should go and secure the 5 wins. Be careful out there. Bye now."

    Normally, I would be mad and deep inside, right now, I am somewhat, but... I''ve decided to reflect on my thinking for a bit.

    I''ve been unreasonably clingy lately and that makes me look like I''m too dependant of him. Furthermore, I was rude to Arkalee yesterday. Therefore, I accepted his leave without insisting.

    Still sad, I went to my best friend''s seat and saw her writing something.

    "Hm? Watcha writing, Sana?"

    "Eh? Hmmmmmm.... Nothing really..."

    This is Sana, my best friend. Although our time has been short thus far, we have greatly connected and traded a lot of interests privately! I''m super lucky to have a friend like her!

    But she seemed disturbed by something. Before getting up from her seat, Sana ripped the paper that she was writing on!

    "Umm, can I ask what you were writing...?"

    Maybe it''s a sensitive topic... Like, maybe a really personal thought? I remind myself all the time to be conscious of people''s feelings because I want to be treated the same way I treat others...

    "Ah, it was poetry! I do it every now and then! But my thoughts and feelings aren''t mutually connected right now, which blurs my writing quite a lot, hahaha..."

    "Oh, poetry!? I never tried it... Is it fun!?"

    Sana has these quirks that I deeply admire! She''s really creative with her words from time to time! I want her to be aware that she''s a great person!

    "Mhmm... Maybe? I don''t know, really. I just write poetry to sort out my feelings whenever I feel insecure about myself. So, I don''t really know if it''s fun or not."

    So poetry is written to sort out someone''s feelings? Or is that something Sana herself does personally? I never knew!

    "Aright! I''ll give it a try and then I''ll tell you afterwards if it''s fun or not!"

    "Oh, okay then! By the way, what happened to the idea of going together with Daniel to the events?"

    As expected, she noticed that something went wrong...

    Sana always notices the flaws in my attempts and helps me by pointing out how I can be more successful! Truly, such a great friend!

    "About that... He said he had something to do..."

    "What?! That stupid blockhead! Even after what I told him, he does this!? Irresponsible! He''ll pay for this!"

    Sana''s mood went from incredibly calm and serene to hot-tempered so quickly! So, I attempted to calm her down right away.

    "It''s actually fine! I''ve been thinking about this and I''ve been really clingy lately! Plus, he said something yesterday that I just couldn''t ignore, no matter how hard I tried... We''ve been persisting a lot, haven''t we?"

    "B-But, it''s for a good cause! You never know, I''m telling you!"

    She really cares a lot, definitely! Sana doesn''t hesitate in showing that she cares for what I think and feel! That''s why I''m always really secure when talking about topics that are supposed to be secret...

    "I know, I know! Yet, this is the choice I''m going to go with. I''ve been noticing something. I need to be more independent and less dependent on him!"

    Saying ''I love you'' to Daniel all the time might just be something wrong. If our love is mutual, then we shouldn''t have to say it all the time, right? I think that''s why he''s less talkative now.

    Perhaps he has chosen to trust me? And he has been spending time with me lately, so I''m grateful for that!

    "Oh, I see now! Mhmm, but still... Don''t be afraid to step up and see his whereabouts. You never know..."

    Suspicious still, Sana insisted furthermore. I do understand Sana''s worries, but the same could be applied to me.

    Daniel perhaps feels the same way that I do from this perspective. If I think that he might be cheating on me then he is probably thinking that I am doing the same whenever I am not with him.

    So, it''s not fair of me to view his action from this perspective. Which is why I''ll relinquish these neurotic thoughts!

    "That''s alright! I''m feeling good right now! Yosh! Wanna head up to the festival?!"

    "You betcha!"

    Besides, I''m feeling confident that Daniel would never do something like that. I trust him no to. Just like I''ll never do the opposite!

    Can I call this ''trust'' when there are still doubts swirling around? Maybe some people can, but I for sure can''t!

    "Oh... Arkalee just texted me! She said that we should meet up in the cafeteria! Let''s stop there before we head out to the main events! We have a lot of time."

    "Oh, okay, Sana. Yeah, sure!"

    That was great news. I''ve been meaning to talk to Arkalee and apologize for yesterday''s misunderstanding but I couldn''t approach her when she left the classroom right away with Hyunda.

    She''s always glued to Hyunda, but, I pray for her luck in winning his heart! Her intentions are good!

    9 am. Cafeteria.

    The cafeteria has been our usual hangout place for quite a while now. It''s sorta iconic at this point!

    Although, right now, it''s somewhat deserted, as the majority of the students are all inside the external buildings either queueing up or partaking in the actual events.

    As for the one who invited us out here, Arkalee''s looking gorgeous today! She really keeps up with her appearance and beauty! Her vast luscious brown hair is really showing how pretty it is when it''s fully released.

    Her twin-tails were very cute, but I like her new look too! Plus, she always holds a very high sense of fashion when it comes to make-up and lipstick color choices. However, she has been sticking with a dark purple-colored lipstick recently!

    Maybe I''ll ask her about it later if she forgives me...

    "Um, Arkalee... Can I say something...?"

    To be honest, even though we three are in the middle of drinking strawberries shakes, Arkalee seems quite stressed for some reason.

    I wonder what''s wrong...? I wish I could help her.

    "Of course, Yulia! Why wouldn''t you be able to?"

    Momentarily, Arkalee flashed a smile just to make sure I felt in place and not at complete disarray, but...

    If I were to voice my honest opinion, I think she''s hiding something. She seems pressed by something...

    "Are you okay? Is everything going alright? You can talk to us about it! Right, Sana?"

    Immediately, I traded a glance with Sana and just as expected, she followed my lead!

    "Why, of course. That''s what we are here for! Was is that bastard Hyunda?!"

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Sana also has no problem talking aggressively about other people but I think that''s a courageous and brave characteristic of her that I wish to have.

    Unless I truly despise the person, I can''t harshly talk about that person. For example, Kawahara is someone I can just openly trash talk about because he''s trash.

    The same goes for Kuzan. I haven''t forgotten how Daniel prioritized Kuzan over me during the day we were supposed to visit my parents. On the other hand, I would be a terrible girlfriend if I didn''t respect my boyfriend''s friendships, so Kuzan gets a pass.

    Not Kawahara though. Kawahara is just... Ugh.

    "Sana... Don''t call him by that vulgar untruthful name. Okay?"

    Coldly, Arkalee replied to Sana harshly. But, I think I understand where Arkalee''s coming from. If someone were to talk badly about Daniel, I would get defensive too.

    "Arkalee has a point here, Sana. Addressing Hyunda in a bad-mannered way can be hurtful to her! Since, ya know, she''s got a biiiiiiiggggg crush on him!"

    I''ve noticed how defensive she gets over Hyunda and it''s amazing! Her love for him is something else. But, Hyunda is seriously the problem here.

    The way he monochromatically acts around Arkalee far surpasses Daniel''s monochromacy, without a doubt.

    "Ohhh, you''re right! Ooopsie! My bad! I really didn''t mean to say something that insensitive! I just thought that it was Hyunda''s fault that you were a little bit upset."

    Just like Sana said, I think so too. But maybe we were wrong...

    "Welllllll.... It is his fault. It''s always his fault."

    "Aha! I knew it! So, what did he do?!"

    With great enthusiasm, Sana instantly replied to Arkalee shortly after she had claimed that Hyunda was at fault.

    So we weren''t wrong for thinking that Hyunda was the one at fault!

    "He has this really bad habit of keeping secrets from me even after we have established something called ''honesty''! I hate every single second of it! He doesn''t let me know about his private life!"

    Oh... How surprising...! Arkalee''s usually shy and reserved but she came out of her shell by letting all of that out.

    I''m glad she did that! It''s really good and necessary to unleash thoughts like that or else the anxiety just builds on and on. That''s what I do with Sana and she does the same to me.

    We both talk a lot about things that we wouldn''t talk to others and that helps to get rid of the anxiety accumulated! Super great technique!

    "No offense, but isn''t he too insensitive? I''ve seen how he acts around you and you totally deserve better Arkalee. Besides, what did you see in him?"

    This is something that I''ve been curious about for a while. Just what has Arkalee seen in him?

    Is it something that''s hard to notice?! Or maybe there is a hidden connection somewhere around here?

    I really want to know but I can respect Arkalee''s decision if she decides not to tell me...

    "Everything."

    Vaguely answering my question, Arkalee spoke one single word that described Hyunda as someone who is the most remarkable existence of her life.

    "Yeah, but, can''t you tell us details? We''re kinda curious..."

    I can understand if she''s being reserved because she feels ashamed. I really can''t forget that moment where I confessed my feelings too. I blush every time just thinking about it...

    "There are way too many, hahahahaha. We would miss out on the whole festival if we started that sort of conversation right now."

    Eh...? Is she serious right now?

    "Oh come on, no way that''s tru---"

    "I''m really serious."

    Although Sana attempted to counter Arkalee''s assumably joke, Arkalee didn''t waver and allowed us to perceive the truth about the situation clearly.

    ...Amazing determination!

    "That''s amazing, Arkalee! You really love him! I can tell! That determination! Where do you get it from!?"

    Amused, I couldn''t help myself and sought answers immediately.

    Both Sana and Arkalee are amazing...

    "It''s always been within me..."

    "Oh? So it''s natural! Damn, I am jealous now! You were born with such determination and love to give! The world needs more people like you for sure!"

    I have to learn from Arkalee then! Even though her answer was somewhat vague, I take it that she seems something in Hyunda that I probably just can''t see. That''s fine! I''ll respect her decision.

    "But still, Arkalee, why haven''t you told him that you have those feelings for him?"

    Sana just asked something really interesting. Despite all this love, why hasn''t Arkalee made her move?

    Is she waiting for the perfect chance? All of this, just makes me realize how lucky I was to have such an amazing person confess to me like that... I never felt that blessed before.

    I was also starting to think that I was stupid for having a crush on him, but I was fortunate to have it all work out positively in the end!

    "About that... I don''t mind telling you Sana. You as well, Yulia. But... Recently... I''ve been thinking and Hyunda seems to still care for someone a lot and that''s bothering me!"

    Suddenly, Arkalee spoke with immense sadness and she looked almost on the verge of tears.

    "W-Wait! What''s wrong!? You don''t have to cry, we are here for you..."

    "Yeah! Don''t worry about a single thing! Just tell us and we will help you out!"

    Worriedly, Sana and I, with haste, attempted to comfort Arkalee who started crying. What is troubling Arkalee?!

    I''m worried and I want to know what''s going on...

    ".....He''s always mentioning another girl whenever we are talking..."

    No way...

    "What!? That''s horrible! He treats you so badly! Arkalee... Are you sure you don''t want to move on to another gu---"

    "But! It''s not just any girl... At first, I doubted it, but after the recent event... I don''t... know anymore...!"

    Sana''s revolted words full of worry weren''t enough to discourage Arkalee, as Arkalee began to imply something else.

    But, who is this girl?! Unable to contain my inner persistent curiosity, I asked.

    "Who is she!?"

    And a recent event...? Did Arkalee make a reference to...

    "Ikkiri! God, it''s always about Ikkiri! He doesn''t stop talking about her! I can''t take it anymore! It''s killing me!"

    Hearing that from Arkalee, who was shaking and trembling with fear while crying, struck us with a little bit of anger.

    "That bitch! Are you serious!?"

    "Yeah... I am serious... Not a single second, it''s always about her... I''m feeling pretty suicidal right about now... And that''s been stressing me out lately..."

    That''s horrible. So horrible... Arkalee''s giving her best and yet, Ikkiri... That''s not fair...

    "Is she in love with Hyunda...?"

    "A-Are you suggesting that Ikkiri and Hyunda are together!?"

    "N-No! Definitely not! Sorry! I just wanted to know the situation a little better! Forgive me please!"

    That was a dumb question! Of course I was suggesting something else automatically! I should''ve thought a little bit before speaking!

    Arkalee''s in a sensitive state right now! Our priority should be calming her down.

    "Wait... So this means... Not only did Ikkiri fake that whole drama for attention but she''s also trying to take away the person you love...? Nope. That does it! No matter how I look at it, this is not okay! She''s going overboard with her attention-whoring act!"

    Contrasting my initial thoughts, Sana said something that was the opposite of ''calm'' but instead went with a more refined approach.

    It''s true that this is going overboard. It''s one thing to do all those acts for your own attention, Ikkiri, but to do something this cruel...? You don''t have any shame, do you?

    "I think we need to show her a lesson..."

    "I totally agree, Yulia! Honestly... Shouldn''t we do something about this?"

    It seems that Sana is on the same page as I am. We both hate Ikkiri''s stereotype quite much.

    "W-Wait... What are you both talking about...?"

    I feel so bad for Arkalee... Her make-up is ruined from all this crying... She doesn''t deserve this...

    "We should start bullying her in ways that she''ll actually start regretting her actions. Then, she''ll stop her whorish acts once and for all!"

    "Yes, Sana! It''s so annoying... At this rate, it might not only be Hyunda, but she might go for another person too..."

    That is why...

    "Can we somehow make her fail this exam?"

    I suggested that, unaware of options left regarding this idea.

    Sincerely, it''s a horrible thing to do, but Ikkiri has done worse... Messing with someone''s emotions like this is painful and I won''t forgive Ikkiri for doing this to Arkalee.

    Arkalee''s giving her all!

    "Mhmm... Shall we stalk her? If we do, we can trace her actions, but..."

    "Actually... I have a plan regarding that... I wasn''t planning on just eating Ikkiri''s actions for granted."

    Surprisingly, the one who said that was Arkalee, who looked more stable now.

    Her words had more confidence to them now yet they were still fragile nonetheless.

    "Oh!? That''s more like it!! Tell me, tell me!"

    "Yeah, I''m excited to hear it too!"

    I went along with Sana instantly almost instinctively. I''m severely curious about what Arkalee has to say about this!

    Only after wiping out a few tears did Arkalee speak to us again.

    "....Since we can now interact with other students... I went on ahead and gathered a group of students who are famous here in this school for having top grades. Here is where this will get bad for Ikkiri... I told them to stalk Ikkiri and whenever she is queueing up, so will they. And since they are better than Ikkiri at the themes, they will never let her win! So, she''ll fail the exam!"

    .......!!

    Wow... I... I''m baffled... Arkalee actually thought all of this up...?

    "Haha, that will do the trick, I''m sure! But, seriously, Arkalee, you have to tell Hyunda to stop mentioning that bitch every damn time! It must be so infuriating having to hear ''Ikkiri'' all the time, right?!"

    "Yeah, it''s soooooooo annoying! I just hope this will stop her actions... Who knows what she''s capable of... I''m sorta scared, you know?"

    For her love, Arkalee came up with this idea. This determination of hers, I never saw its catalyst, but now that I see it, it''s crystal clear.

    "Don''t worry, Arkalee, I''m sure this will work out, right, Sana? And besides, it''s best if you let Hyunda know pretty soon, otherwise, it might be too late!"

    "P-Please don''t say that Yulia...!"

    "A-Ah... I didn''t mean to make it sound offensive, I just think that you should take the opportunity now that it''s available... That''s all..."

    Again... My words came out perhaps too offensive... This is a really sensitive topic to Arkalee, I know, but I''m just trying to help out a friend of mine.

    That''s right...! Even if Arkalee doesn''t consider me a friend or if she views me with hostility, I consider her a friend!

    "Well, I think what Yulia''s trying to say is that the sooner you get it out of the way, the faster you can enjoy your moments with Hyunda. I''m not a fan of fast romance, but if you can''t help it, then..."

    Oh? Sana''s not a fan of fast romance? I see! She must not support a romance that develops too quickly then.

    That''s quite idealistic. Her novelty is impressive...

    "Ahh, that''s probably correct... I''m just feeling insecure... I don''t know... Whenever he mentions Ikkiri, I just feel so weak..."

    "I can totally relate! I so can! Daniel once broke the vow of not speaking to Lus when he wasn''t allowed to and I was pissed off so hard! Geez, that was so infuriating! But you can''t let it get to you! Just insist on him but don''t be too clingy. Give him a little bit of freedom, alright?"

    With all things considered, I wasn''t happy at all about that... I understand that that rule might''ve been too harsh but the fact that Daniel just broke it like that was a bit painful and overbearing to me.

    And I know he''s not demanding at all. He''s kind that way! This is why I''m starting to realize that I''ve been too harsh on him and so, I don''t want Arkalee to commit my mistakes.

    "Hahaha, thank you so much for the advice, Yulia! I''ll definitely take it to heart!"

    "No problem!"

    Arkalee''s confirmation was absolutely reassuring to me. I''m just glad that everything is going the way she wants when it comes to her love.

    Honestly, I know this is just the start but I never thought to myself as being someone who was loved by someone.

    That feeling makes me think that I am special to a single person and that person alone. Right now, what occupies my mind is the gratefulness of being your girlfriend, Daniel.

    However, saying this isn''t that easy for me because I''m not exactly used to being happy so this is all still very strange!

    "Sooo, shall we go for a spin at the events?"

    Ahead of us, lies the fifty events that we must partake in, but, just for the sake of doing something fun and collective with Sana and Arkalee, I proposed that.

    "Yup! Let''s go! Though, what event do we choose first...? Hmmm..."

    Sana started to think about what event to pick just by looking at the near-by poster that was advertising the festival itself by highlighting its theme.

    Posters were everywhere, obviously! It was a medium to portray the message of necessity.

    "I think we should go in different ways."

    Shockingly opposing our unity, Arkalee said that out of nowhere. That staggered me a little bit.

    "Why...?"

    "Um... I just think that we shouldn''t face each other in the same event or else it might cause some internal conflict..."

    "Oh, I get it. That does make sense, now that I think about it. Yeah, we should probably avoid facing each other in the same events, so we should all participate in different events. The order is up to us, so it''s fine!"

    Now that Sana mentions it, it is that way. The order for the events is ours to pick, as they are always there.

    You simply have to queue up. Quite simple and helpful. Nothing complicated.

    "By the way, Yulia, what theme are you taking on?"

    "Hehe, are you curious Arkalee? Okay, okay, I''ll tell you! You too, Sana. It''s something that I''ve always liked and I was soooooooo excited when I read that this event was available!"

    "Oh! What, what?!"

    Excited, Sana couldn''t resist the temptation and started asking me right away. Just talking about it will give me the chills because I super duper love it!

    "Mahjong! It''s the best!"

    "Ehhhh? I never knew, Yulia!"

    "Hehehe, I knew you''d be amazed, Arkalee! What do you think, Sana?"

    The truth is, ever since I was little, I would play mahjong with my grandma and I loved every second of it.

    However, I had to stop playing because my grandma died and no one else played it with me.

    ..........

    "Mhmm... I''ll give it a try, eventually. Yikes, I better now go against you then... Well... Let''s go separate ways then! We shall meet when it''s lunchtime! Okay?!"

    Joining our hands, we simultaneously said:

    "Deal!"

    Thus, we both went in separate directions.

    Exiting the cafeteria, I witnessed the school grounds being over-populated with students and quickly found myself in a crowd full of students!

    Nonetheless, I went on to the mahjong room. As it might''ve been implied before, these themes are according to some of our school clubs'' themes and I already knew about the mahjong club.

    Secretly, I visit it every now and then. Now that the rule of interaction is gone, I plan on joining it next month!

    I bet it''s gonna be so much fun!

    Mahjong club room entrance.

    "Yikes.... Crowded..."

    Upon arriving, after climbing all the way to the third floor in one of the exterior blocks, I witnessed a fair number of students all grouped up instantly.

    They were either lined up for the registration queue or just chatting with one another.

    On the other side, the main club door was closed but that was because there was a sign on the door saying: ''Event occurring, please wait until it''s finished''.

    I wonder how many people are allowed to enter the event at the time?

    Sorta curious, I also wondered if someone from my class would come over and greet me, for example.

    It would be one hell of a surprise if Daniel came but I highly doubt that.

    "I''ll wait, I guess..."

    By that, I meant until the registration line clears up. As soon as the queue is emptier, I will get in the line, but not for now.

    This place is very pretty though! Statues that represent glorious figures of China''s history such as Lao Zu and Mao Zedong are right visible at the club''s door. One each at both sides of the door rightfully matching the door''s height as well!

    It was these thoughts of admiration that blocked me from noticing someone that had already infiltrated this environment and had taken a seat right next to me, in this fluffy bench.

    "Tired......."

    The first thing I noticed was not his spontaneous silver hair, but the way he just casually walked in and relaxed his posture while leaning his back all the way without caring about my presence at all.

    Furthermore, from his complaint alone, he started massaging his own shoulders which seemed incredibly stiff due to his exhausted expression.

    "Oh, Hyunda. Didn''t expect to meet you here!"

    I won''t lie but it''s a pretty big surprise. Considering that anyone can just wait for the last day to do all the events if they so wanted to, I didn''t expect anyone to come here to the mahjong club so early!

    So, Hyunda''s presence is surprising!

    "Yulia? What a coincidence. Likewise. Sure didn''t expect to meet you here."

    With an almost dead voice, Hyunda looked at me with hollow eyes and gave birth to this conversation.

 Volume 12 - Chapter 82: Miscellaneous Antagonism.

    The one person who hangs out with Daniel the most, Hajime Hyunda, is right next to me, currently.

    Both of his arms are behind the back of the couch which just went for show how physically tired he was or so I thought, but that was because he said that he was tired initially.

    However, his dead hollow expression gained a sudden vivid form just by glancing upon me, so I thought that his posture was contradictive for a split second.

    "Yes, what a coincidence, haha! What brings you here, Hyunda?"

    Unlike your average person, instead of looking at you in the eye when you talk, Hyunda did nothing of that sort as he looked to be sweeping the other students who were either queueing up or communicating with one another.

    "Do I need a reason to be here? I would''ve had to come here sooner or later, wouldn''t I?"

    Although we have talked once or twice in past conversations, this was the first time that we were talking to each other all alone without any other of our classmates around.

    Just other students from other classes.

    "No, not at all! I simply found it strange. Do you like mahjong, Hyunda?"

    "Mahjong''s gimmick helps you improve your memory skills while sharpening your mind at the same time. Furthermore, outside of the gimmick, the game itself provides social interaction for people of all ages, not just a particular portion of players who are younger; old people can interactively participate regardless of their ages, which brings the game''s popularity to a higher scale."

    Eh... He knows a great deal about this...

    "You seem to know a good deal about mahjong. I take it you''re a mahjong lover too?"

    Hyunda must love mahjong for him to know so much about this. I''m positive!

    "There''s no love in this game for me. There is just an understanding. Understanding implies the comprehension of ''something''. A metaphysical form or something external to that. To understand, you have to perceive and to perceive you have to analyze. So, why go through all this if you don''t love the game, Yulia?"

    That was... somewhat hard to understand...

    His hollow voice tone makes it sound like he''s not even enthusiastic about this. And what did he mean when he referred to me at the end of his sentence...?

    "Um... I''m not sure if I understand, Hyunda. I love this game! And I''m super hyped to compete against others who share the same sentiment."

    "Is that the case? Do you truly love the game or do you just love its benefits?"

    What is that question...?

    "I love the game. That''s really it. There''s no questioning it. After all, when I was little, as soon as my grandma introduced me to this game, I was hooked. My grandma showed me the great complications that this game has to offer! Sooo, I love the game, yup!"

    It''s undeniable that I love mahjong. It''s just a shame that I had to stop playing it when my grandmother died.

    "Ever since your grandma introduced you to the game, did you continue to play it?"

    "Well, no. For personal reasons, I had to stop playing it. For a very long time, which is why I''m excited to see that this festival has decided to adopt the theme of mahjong!"

    Honestly, it still shocks me that such an underrated game managed to attract the attention of many. I know for a fact that the majority of the people here are mahjong lovers!

    They even have their own mahjong cases along with them! Inside of them, they carry the heavy pieces that they will play with it! Of course, the school has pieces for the public to use but it goes without saying that you need to love this game in order to have a case of your own that''s not a school case!

    "So you don''t love it then. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have quit the game."

    "Wh-What? Hyunda, I''ve already explained why I love it... You''re being a little bit stubborn, no...?"

    I''m trying to remain with a positive posture and a sincere attitude, but Hyunda is still insisting that I don''t love mahjong despite me having already explained why I love it...

    "You explained that you love mahjong because your grandma introduced you to it. However, for some reason, you stopped playing it. But, why? Even if it''s something personal, if you love it, then you wouldn''t have quitted. Unless, of course, that reason is connected to the one who introduced you to the game. Your grandma. Is it?"

    Hm... He''s still persisting... But, it''s true. The reason why I stopped playing mahjong was due to the death of my grandma.

    After all, I played the game because my grandma was around, but without her, it wasn''t fun anymore. It just felt dull and meaningless.

    "Haha... You guessed it. I stopped playing it because my grandma died. It was shocking to me, so I didn''t see the point of continuing to play it. But now that the game is here, I''ll return to it."

    That''s right. Nothing is stopping me now. Now that my feelings are more secure, now that I feel certain about my decisions, I can do this.

    Really, this is all thanks to y---

    "So you love its benefits. Not the actual game for what the game is, but for what it has to offer. Therefore, the benefits it provided you with."

    "I''ve already told you that''s not the case..."

    Seriously... He''s starting to be a little annoying... Even after I told him something personal in order to explain my point, he''s still going on about how I love the benefits of the game and not the game itself...

    "It is the case though. Just think about it for a bit. Bare with me on this and pay close attention to what I am about to say."

    "Sure..."

    It would be rude of me to just flat out deny him now that he has spoken to me this far in, so I allowed him to proceed with his reasoning.

    I''m just curious to know how exactly I don''t love mahjong when I clearly do!

    "The vast majority of game players suffer from a lack of interaction and a great void when it comes to socialization in general. By doing something that is done by many, the player can feel like he/she is not alone. That is one of the primary benefits of the games. Socialization. That benefit alone allows the mind to progress at a positive rate and the sentiment of happiness contradicts the past sentiment of isolation that was struck on the player before that. In other words, it''s a quest for interaction. But, if it''s done this way, for the sake of socialization, the primary benefit, do you really love the game itself? Or do you love the fact that it brought you closer to others due to the essence of its partial benefits?"

    Is he arguing that players only play the game for the sake of pursuing the idea of communication?

    That''s absurd. There is no way that''s true. Because...

    "But Hyunda, if that''s the case, then how do you explain the players that strive to perfect the game itself beyond what it''s known for? Those that value the improvement over the simple enjoyment?"

    "Those are the players that actually love the game. Not for a sentiment of realization. Not for a sentiment of passion. Not for a meaning in life but because they genuinely love the game not for what it has to offer but for what they can offer for its growth. True love is selfless; the one that upholds the idea won''t ask anything back and will only give. Now, you might be wondering where do you find such players? Where do you identify these pillars that are the pinnacle of the game''s essence? That''s a simple answer. It is those that win without failure. However, they win, not because they prize the benefits that they can achieve but because they attempt to shape and mold the very game they adore and cherish for the evolution of the game."

    So those that truly love the game will be those that win all the time...?

    "All of that was just to explain the difference between the idea of beneficiation versus genuineness. Tell me something, Yulia. On what side are you on? The beneficiation or the genuineness?"

    What side...? Well, even though my grandma died, I still love the game regardless, so I should be part of the genuine side, I think.

    "The genuineness. Otherwise, if that was not the case, I wouldn''t still love it."

    "That''s not true though. You don''t love the game and here is why. Your grandma must''ve been a figure of great value to you, so she probably served as an example. Figures of examples aren''t something humans can just deny its value. Believe it or not, ideologies that are passed down through examples as the very personification of a so-called idea are embodied by the human itself."

    What is he talking about...? He keeps on dwelling on this deep philosophical stuff...

    How is any of that denying that I love the game...? I''m starting to get mad...

    "My grandma was the sole reason why I played this game and I fell in love with it!"

    "That is generally the primary thought when it comes to this argument. ''My example made me love the game so I, therefore, love it''. Except not really. You are part of the beneficial side. The benefit you got was the attention of your grandma and by claiming that you love the game you are trying to delude yourself that you love it, when you clearly don''t. If you loved it, then you wouldn''t have stopped playing it. However, you did. You even said so, Yulia."

    What the hell.... What is wrong with this guy...? I never noticed but he''s just.... He gives me a dangerous vibe... Just by being in his presence, I feel threatened...

    "What is your point exactly....."

    Is he just here to target me...? To make me feel bad?

    "Are you offended? You seem stressed out and you are showing a frightened expression. Did you think I was starting to bully you with my argument?"

    "To be honest, yes... That''s why I want to know your point..."

    I won''t believe what he says though. Because that''s my choice to believe that I love mahjong. My grandma introduced it to me but even after she died, I still kept thinking about it, so I genuinely love it, okay?

    "My point was for you to understand the fundamental idea of the difference between genuine actions and beneficial actions. I couldn''t care less about your love for this game, Yulia."

    "You''re so rude, dude... If you don''t care then don''t talk about it... Also, you should stop mentioning Ikkiri around Arkalee. You are hurting her feelings, you know?!"

    I have to tell Daniel to stop hanging out with this guy. He''s a bad influence... Furthermore, I''ll have to convince Arkalee to not be under his charms... He''s not right...

    "Tell me something. Even after my explanation, you don''t actually believe me, do you? You didn''t bother to fully argue back, which means you are holding onto some sort of conviction. Am I right?"

    "Of course I don''t. You''re wrong, Hyunda."

    What bothers me is that he doesn''t realize he''s wrong. People like him are the worst... They believe that they are always right and that they are never wrong...

    "I am wrong? Well, why wouldn''t you believe that? It makes perfect sense, truly."

    Eh...? He''s acknowledging my point...?

    "Yulia, without some sort of evidence, why should you believe in what I have just said? No sense there. So, it''s fine for you to believe in what you believe in. Right? No harm there."

    "Wow, so you do unders---"

    "However, in the face of actual evidence that proves the definition of an idea, would you still believe in yourself despite the evidence being shown?"

    In that case...

    "No, I wouldn''t. Because that''s not an alright thing to do. If I''m wrong, then I will acknowledge that I am wrong."

    Also... He ignored my question about Arkalee and Ikkiri... Why is he so blatantly rude despite knowing all of this?

    "Alright. Let''s move on to the actual point. It seems you acknowledge the possibility of the idea being real at least. You do, right?"

    "Yes, I do. Genuineness and beneficence are separate concepts and your examples are correct. Except for the one where you claimed me not to love this game."

    All of my actions have been genuine thus far. There''s no denying it. Communication? I don''t care about that...

    I love this game with all my heart and I recently only found the strength to get back to it. That source being you, Daniel.

    "You can forget I ever made that point. That was just a point made in order for you to understand the primary point. Simplicity, if you may."

    I see... So that was just a point that Hyunda made up in order for me to grasp the general understanding and that there is a difference between genuine actions and beneficial actions...?

    True enough, I didn''t know about it until now, but I have formed a clear grasp of it.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    "With that being said, how would you feel if you were involved in a genuine involvement that was actually beneficial all along?"

    "Sorry...? I don''t quite understand..."

    I really didn''t... And, partially, the queue is way emptier now but this conversation has captured my interest.

    Especially now that Hyunda has referred to me in it. Does this involve me somehow?

    "My idea of differentiating genuineness and beneficence was exemplified individually. However, what if that idea could be upheld by two individuals?"

    "Is that even possible...?"

    "It is. You, for example, are personifying that idea of difference with someone else. Daniel, so to say. In a relationship, you can strive to obtain the difference in this idea. Wouldn''t you agree?"

    Mhm.... I see now... Hyunda is saying that Daniel and I are part of the idea...?

    "Yes, of course! Our love is genuine, so there is nothing to worry about, hahaha!"

    And it will only keep on growing, I''m sure! We have plenty of time. If we keep on growing together then we will face the many challenges that life has to offer along the way!

    "Is it though?"

    "What?"

    Why did Hyunda just question this? Our love is genuine, there''s no denying it.

    "I''m asking if it''s actually genuine or not. Why do you think your love for Daniel is genuine?"

    Again, he''s asking such personal questions... This guy has no sense of shame whatsoever...

    "I''m not obliged to tell you, you know?"

    "Why? You''ve got something to hide? Is that the case?"

    To be honest, I''ve told enough people about this... However... This idea of mine, to keep it a secret might just backfire eventually. I''ve been thinking about it and...

    Maybe it''s time that I make it public. This way, people will know that he is taken.

    "Nope. That was just a fluke... My love for him is genuine because he''s the only one I have ever loved in my life and I want it to stay it that way. I have never felt anything this sincere throughout my whole life."

    "..."

    Despite the truth that I said, Hyunda formed a silence while looking at me all the way back from his relaxed position still.

    Then, he looked at the ceiling while sighing before speaking. The sigh caused me to get skeptical as I thought I had said something false and untruthful...

    "Did I say something wrong...?"

    "No, I believe you. After all, my question was if your love for Daniel was genuine or not and you made a plausible point. First experience, is it? Not bad. Now... Let me reverse that question. Is Daniel''s love genuine to you?"

    What''s that supposed to mean...? If it was not genuine then why would Daniel say he loved me and keep on being with me? We even kiss a lot and share laughs with each other.

    I don''t know what Hyunda''s trying to achieve here, but it''s not gonna work.

    "Of course it is! And it will keep on being that way forever! Because I also love him!"

    "So, if you love someone that someone has to, therefore, love you back?"

    "N-No, that''s not what I am saying... I am just saying that due to the fact that I love him, I will keep on supporting him and if he keeps doing the same, then the love must be genuine too! Because he supports me through his love!"

    Sure, he has some problems here and there, but anything that is flawless and perfect is boring, in my opinion.

    Daniel''s cool in ways that he doesn''t realize. His insensitiveness is sometimes charming in the sense where he doesn''t get too dramatic.

    Also, I know that it''s partially my fault for being somewhat melodramatic but I will change that, I promise.

    So, be there for me and I will be there for you...

    "That is the idea that you have. But what if he never actually loved you?"

    "Well, so sorry to disappoint you, but he loves me. We have shared plenty of moments that imply that, so your point is false, hehehe."

    Is he jealous of our relationship? Is that why he''s insisting so much on this?

    If Hyunda''s unhappy, then he should start paying attention to Arkalee, perhaps.

    "Probably. Moments that imply love are irrefutable truths, no matter how you look at it. But, what if that truth was fabricated?"

    "What are you suggesting exactly...?"

    "I''m suggesting that maybe reality is not what you are perceiving to be. Maybe, Daniel just doesn''t love you at all. That maybe, you are just nothing but a bother to him and you don''t even realize this because the reality you have experienced contradicts the statement I just made."

    Huh...? What is Hyunda talking about? Reality not being what I perceive to be? What? That makes no sense at all...

    Plus, suggesting that Daniel doesn''t love me is just absurd. Otherwise, why would Daniel even be with me throughout the majority of the time?

    "I know, I know. Why would you believe me, after all the moments you have shared with him? It''s simply not logical to do so. It''s a simple linear thought to believe that what you perceive is what actually is."

    "Hyunda, no offense, but you are being utterly absurd... Do you have something against our relationship?!"

    Slightly mad, I finally lashed out at him with a spiteful voice tone. Honestly, I''ve been holding back for quite a while yet his reductant attitude just gradually pissed me off...

    "No. Not at all, actually. But, it does trouble me when I see that someone has the wrong image of what actually is true. Essentially speaking, you."

    "I do not have the wrong image of the reality here though! What the hell is the matter with you!? You can''t even support your friend throughout his relationship?!"

    Daniel, this guy is terrible. Just by looking at his feeble attitude and vulgar way of speaking, it''s pretty clear that he''s up to no good. People like him can''t be trusted.

    And how does he still look unphased despite the fact that I just shouted at him!? I literally attracted the attention of the students that are trying to concentrate and those that are idly chatting around but this guy just looks empty.

    Does he even feel anything?!

    "Don''t attract too much attention. My aim was not to provoke you."

    "You did it regardless..."

    Insensitive people are my biggest trigger, I swear. Emotion gives you life and vividness yet there are people out there who don''t feel the joy in what they are doing! If so, then what''s the point?!

    It''s as if he has no goals in his life whatsoever and just aims to live idly throughout the whole thing...

    "Oh, my bad for that one."

    Even when apologizing, his monochrome expression shows that he isn''t actually sorry regardless of saying that he is.

    "Back to what I was talking about. Let''s suppose that Daniel''s love for you was in question. Would you consider his love for you genuine or beneficial?"

    "It is genuine!"

    "Why?"

    Why....?

    "....He said that he would stay with me forever... That alone should prove it!"

    "What if he was just lying throughout the whole thing? Maybe you are just gullible to the point of swallowing every single one of his words without even bothering to question if they are true or not."

    Heh, it appears Hyunda doesn''t know a little something. Of course he wouldn''t. Hyunda most likely has no experience when it comes to what I am about to say.

    How can someone who constantly doubts and questions know about...

    "Or maybe I have faith! Yeah, faith! Something that you are not aware of. Do you even trust someone, Hyunda?"

    "Of course I do."

    Sarcastic bastard... He''s not even serious while answering my question. Not only is he wrong but he''s badly-mannered when around others.

    Is he some sort of sociopath who attempts to deceive others for his personal gain?

    "Well, Daniel and I trust each other that''s why I trust that he''s not lying to me! And no, your arguments won''t make me change my mind! Because I would be an awful girlfriend to him if I had my beliefs shaped differently just because you want them to!"

    "So you only care about the image of being a good girlfriend then?"

    What the hell! That was not what I said!

    "No! That''s not it... I am saying that your opinion doesn''t mean anything... You are trying to change the way I think and that''s not going to work."

    He''s probably a manipulator. Does he take me for a fool? I see through you, Hyunda. Although I don''t know your goal in this conversation, your intentions are pure evil.

    "But I''m not trying to change the way that you think. How you think is something completely standard for you. I am just letting you be aware of the possibilities."

    "Oh yeah?! And what for!? Huh?! Tell me, what do I possibly gain by being aware of the possibilities?! Is your aim to make me anxious!? Well, I''m sorry, but my mind is stronger than that!"

    If I allow my mind to fall into the temptation of questioning every single thing there is, then I won''t be stable at all.

    I''ll mess an emotional mess and I don''t want that!

    "Yulia, your mentality is built on the belief that by strengthening your thoughts with firm beliefs that it will not go wrong. So, I have a proposition for you. Do you want to play something I like, called gambling?"

    .......?

    "Gambling?"

    "Yes, gambling."

    He has mentioned once in our previous conversation, back in the group... Something about making a wagon and if I was willing to accept the consequences, but I didn''t take it that it was something serious...

    "You know what, I don''t care, sorry. I''m... not in the mood to hear it. Please understand..."

    I''m not sure why, but I got instantly frightened. His overconfidence scares me. What is this? I''ve never met anyone this confident before. Not even Daniel is this absurdly confident.

    It''s haunting...!

    "Really? I''ll insist still. Because my proposition will surely open your eyes to the truth, Yulia."

    "No... I''m really fine... I don''t need this ''truth'' of yours, Hyunda. You can keep it. Try it on someone else, please..."

    "That''s not possible, Yulia. However, let me explain why this has to involve you first. You see, this also involves Daniel and your friend, Sana."

    Huh...?

    "What about them...?"

    Why is Hyunda mentioning Sana and Daniel?

    Something worth mentioning is that Hyunda erased his relaxed position and held a more rigid posture by correctly seating on the couch while finally looking at me in the eyes. I never knew that white eyes could be this enthralling but his devilish grin spelled fear to me as his upcoming words struck me with horror.

    "They are going out. Daniel and Sana. Did you know?"

    "Hahaha... Hyunda, please. Cut the jokes, man. There''s a limit to how insensitive someone can be..."

    Immediately, my mind refused the thought due to how absurd it was. If this is some bad joke, then Hyunda should cut it out.

    Because it''s not funny in the slightest.

    "This is not a joke. And, I am not insensitive. You see, Daniel told me this. He also told me that he only introduced you to Sana so he could be mutuallly with her while pretending to be with you. Doesn''t it strike you as odd that Daniel suddenly introduced you to Sana like that? Surely, you must''ve thought that something wrong was going on, right?"

    H-How does Hyunda know about that....!? Daniel, are you seriously ----- No, no, no! Hyunda''s a manipulator.

    Manipulators tell lies all the time with plausible arguments! The moment I believe in him, it''s all over!

    "Daniel introduced me to Sana because he wanted me to make friends and I met Sana, the biggest of all friends! What a poor lie, Hyunda! Do you actually think that I will believe you just because you think you know everyone so well? Well, news flash. I won''t!"

    "It''s easier if you acknowledge now and move on. I was going easy on you and expected you to be reasonable to the point of just acknowledging the truth as it is, but your mentality is adamant from the looks of it. It can''t be helped then. I''ll give you some things that you should be aware of the upcoming days..."

    Why hasn''t he given up yet? I won''t believe in whatever he says... I''ll just pretend that this talk has never happened in the first place.

    I''m not about to get my relationship ruined by some random manipulator who has a god complex or something like that...

    "Nope! I don''t care, sorry!"

    "I understand, Yulia. But, at least let me say them. I''m not doing this out of evil. I just believe that it''s wrong for someone to live a lie continuously without knowing the truth. I seek to erase the bad side of reality, which is the lies."

    It doesn''t matter. Even if he says his own version of the truth, I''ll never buy his arguments...

    "Here is what you need to be wary of... If Daniel and Sana are seen more than three times together throughout the whole festival, and only the two of them, then it''s not a coincidence. Two individuals that love each will always treasure time alone without surroundings. In this case, if they are seen together alone, then you should assume that it''s an act of love."

    "They don''t love each other! Sana''s my best friend and Daniel''s my boyfriend! You psychopath! Stop talking to me already!"

    God, I get that I''m classmates with supposed criminals but this guy is the absolute worse. The top of all garbage!

    "Well, there are many other factors, but just take into consideration that one, please."

    "I won''t! I won''t!"

    "You say that now, Yulia, but your mind won''t forget. If only the human brain worked like that. How nice it would be if the human brain could just erase memories on command. But, that''s not the case. So, my words will haunt you later on, regardless of whether you want it or not."

    Wh-What the hell is wrong with Hyunda?!

    I''m starting to think that I have to contact a teacher about this... This guy isn''t normal...

    "Hyunda, I said for you to stop talking to me... If you don''t, I''ll call the guards... You must''ve seen them, at the beginning of the block, right!?"

    "Mhm? Why though? Did I do something wrong?"

    "Are you kidding me!? You''re creepy as hell!"

    Not only that... There''s this vibe about you... Something so inexplicit that words are failing me to describe right now...

    He should be locked up in an asylum. Manipulators like him shouldn''t be given this opportunity. I''ll admit that I have done things that are immoral, but I regret them! And I want this new chance! I couldn''t ask for more...

    Yet this guy? I bet he only sees this as an opportunity to pursue his sick twisted idea of evil and I won''t stand for that...

    "I see. I''ve caused you the wrong impression. Very well then. I''ll leave."

    "Thank you..."

    At long last, Hyunda got up from his seat and put his hands on his pockets. Transiently, I felt incredibly relieved. At the same time, I wanted to call Daniel and hear his voice.

    Right now, I''m not feeling too good. I don''t mean to be clingy, but I''m somewhat scared of this person...

    "Oh right, before I go... Want to make a silly bet that ironically isn''t silly?"

    "Hyunda... I swear..."

    "Woah there. Chill out. What''s with that expression suddenly? I''m someone that holds no consequence to his being. No need to be afraid."

    Maybe I''m freaking out... And besides, I need to prepare my mindset for the competition up ahead. I don''t have time for the likes of Hyunda...

    "Be quick... You''re making me feel uncomfortable right now..."

    "Oh, I am? Then, I''m sure this will make you feel confident for sure. Are you good at betting, Yulia?"

    "I''ve mentioned this once, but I''m quite confident regarding that!"

    Bets are something that I have strong luck with. So, I''m positive I can win. I used to make a lot of illegal bets in Colombia regarding money prizes and I got them the majority of the time.

    However, I had to stop doing that here in Japan, once things changed...

    "That''s nice. Are you down to make a bet then?"

    "Alright... But what is it about?"

    Perhaps it was the fact that he wasn''t putting up his devilish grin like previously, but I failed to notice that his grin would rise up once more just by saying words of malice.

    "It''s about Sana and Daniel. Let''s make a bet on them."

    "Hyunda, I already told you---"

    "Wait, wait. Before you complain, I should mention something. Since you are good at making bets, you naturally are aware that a good compensation prize should be involved."

    That goes without saying, but what bothers me is his audacity... Why did he mention Sana and Daniel like that...?

    "Also, the theme of the bet will not just be about Sana and Daniel, but about a certain action that it will happen without a doubt, according to my reasoning."

    "That being...?"

    Not like I''ll believe him since he''s just saying bullshit, so...

    "A kiss."

    "Hahaha. You are stupid as hell, Hyunda."

    And I''m starting to hate you. Impressive, Hyunda. I don''t think I''ve ever hated someone in less than 20 or so minutes. You''ve broken the record.

    Arkalee''s in danger for sure. I was going to convince Hyunda to change his actions for the sake of Arkalee''s sentiments but this guy is just not right for her.

    "Maybe. Here is the deal, so listen up because I''ll only say it once. From this moment onward, until the end of the festival, if you, and I mean this, ONLY you, capture a moment of Sana and Daniel kissing each other on their lips, then I win the bet. On the other hand, if this doesn''t happen, then I lose the bet. So damn simple, right?!"

    He''s delusional. There is no way that will happen ever. Sana''s my best friend and I will tell her about this, so, Hyunda, no matter how smart you think you are, it''s not going to work.

    "Also, you shouldn''t tell this to Sana. Just my personal opinion, but telling her about this will mean that you have acknowledged my opinion. Is that the case? Do you actually acknowledge me and my supposed stupidity?"

    "Hell no! It won''t happen and you''re just wrong. Your delusion is so high that it only clouds you from seeing what''s true..."

    Also, what''s up with the sudden enthusiasm in his voice? Why did he change it to a more go-happy attitude suddenly?

    Even his hand gestures are all over the place...

    "Heh, alright then. That''s what the bet will revolve around. Now, for the bet''s prize, this is the part where it gets interesting for you. The prize is that the winner will be able to demand anything out of the loser."

    "Haha, there''s no way that''s true, Hyunda. You can just lie through the whole thing, don''t be ridiculous."

    He thinks that I don''t notice that obvious loophole.

    "You''re insulting me right now, Yulia. I do hold sportsmanship and honor for occasions such as this. And, why are you doubting me? How weird. Weren''t you the one who argued about having faith and not me? That''s really contradicting if you ask me..."

    ...............

    He''s about to eat his own words...

    "Okay, Hyunda... Then, I demand you to drop out of the program if I win the bet!"

    Hmpf. There''s just no way that he wi---

    "Is that it? There are worse things than dropping out. I know what it suggests. That I will be a subject to the execution methods and that does sound terrifying to some extent, but you can be wilder, you know? Go on. Do it. Let your mind choose the most horrible choice you have inside your brain."

    Wh....

    This guy''s insane... I don''t know how many times I''ve said it already but he needs some serious help. No one should be fine with that I just said!

    "N-No, that''s it. Just drop out if you lose the bet. Which you will, by the way..."

    I know it''s evil of me, but Hyunda needs to go. I''m sorry, Arkalee, but you''ll soon realize that you are better off without him.

    "I like that spirit. That adamant mindset has its perks. So, it''s my turn now, right? You will do anything I request, right? Ahhh... Before you assume anything unnecessary, I have no interest in your body or stuff like that, so don''t think that I am a creep looking for that kind of stuff."

    .....................

    "A request is a request. If you ask me to drop out, then I will do so."

    "No, that''s far too boring, so let''s go with something shocking. I want the whole class to know about your existence. Isn''t it great though? Your existence will be marked throughout the upcoming three years. Well, maybe not..."

    What is he saying...?

    "Hyunda, just go on. I''ll have to queue up in a bit..."

    "Alright, alright, so listen up closely, please. It''s really, really important."

    Hyunda closed his distance to my right ear by crouching down and so, I was able to hear his words and his words alone.

    No one in this lobby could possibly hear what I was about to hear.

    "I want you to kill yourself."

    Eh?

 Volume 12 - Chapter 83: A Born Coward.

    "If they try to bully you in any way, just call me, okay? I''ll cancel everything I''m doing and come right away!"

    "It''s fine, Aki... You don''t have to worry so much. You do you and I''ll do me, okay?"

    Aki is a good friend. But she cares way too much about certain things that don''t involve her, which burdens her with immense responsibility and due to recent events, she has placed a lot of focus on me just to make sure that I don''t get bullied.

    But, I''m fine. I''m sure it was just a prank. It happens.

    "Ikkiri, I''m worried. We don''t know for sure who has done it, but be careful, please."

    "Aye."

    I decided to accompany Aki to the main gymnasium block. In it, Aki will have a dashing competition along with many other students. I know for a fact that Aki is extremely good when it comes to sports, so I want her to give it her all.

    As for me...

    "Mhmmm... What exactly am I good at...?"

    Probably nothing, haha... Is there even a point in partaking in these competitions anyway? Outside of the fact that I have to get 5 wins, I don''t know for sure if I can win in any of them.

    Walking through the school campus I observed the multiple events occurring where the students could freely either partake in them or just remain as observers.

    My attitude has been changing recently. Because I feel like someone hates me and that''s...

    Have I ever done something to someone in class...? And yes, I''m talking about the recent drama... Out of nowhere, insults were written on my desk. Thus, I''ve come to the conclusion that someone has a grudge against me.

    Yet... I can''t figure out why. And not only that but, I''m somewhat frightened because I don''t know who that person is. The person who did this is most likely in class, but I...

    No matter how much I think about it, I can''t form a positive conclusion about this. I''m being hated on, but I don''t know why that''s the case.

    I don''t mind being hated because I know my own flaws but it bugs me that I don''t know why I''m being hated...

    Now that I think about it, while reminiscing through this clouded vision and fogged collection of unhappy thoughts, it''s almost been a month since we last talked...

    I also don''t know why you stopped talking to me suddenly. It just happened out of nowhere to... At least, explain it to me.

    But...

    I realize... Maybe I am just not worthy of receiving an explanation regarding any event. I''m sure you did it for your own choices. Hanging out with someone as irrelevant and insignificant as me must''ve been staggering to a brutal extent, I assume...

    I don''t mind this treatment because I am just the way I am without having anything else to back me up for. Still, I think I got prematurely attached to you without you knowing and more importantly, how I wasn''t even aware of it.

    "Maybe I should try and do things the simple way..."

    By that, I mean how I don''t have to try and make things far too complicated for those that are around me. Just the simple fact that I am a burden to people like Aki and Hina is painful to me. So, I have to try hard too.

    They are trying hard at the events, so I will too! Maybe I can score a few wins.

    Okay. With that in mind, I collected my guts and transiently erased my depressive posture and went straight towards the festival''s staff office to clear some of my doubts.

    Essentially, if I want to score positively, I have to know how I can win against the best! Surely later, I''ll tell Aki and Hina that I managed to collect some wins and they will be happy to know! I want them to know that they are not the only ones who are trying hard here!

    Staff office.

    Not as crowded as I thought, but eventually, after the line was empty, I went straight towards a staff member who was behind a desk with a lot of folders on top of it.

    The staff member looked a bit stressed so I was insecure about being too straight forward or not. I don''t want to be a nuisance to others...

    "Hello..."

    "What?"

    "O-Oh, nothing... Sorry for the disturbance...!"

    I came at the wrong time, it seems. That''s fine, that''s fine... I''ll just... go to the events then.

    With an agitated mindset, I exited the office and thought to myself about the themes and what I would choose for my first event.

    Certainly, I had a fair share of time, but I really wanted to let Aki have a rest and see her smile. Recently, Aki hasn''t been herself. While talking to me, she only asks if someone has bullied me and I say no.

    Yet even when I do say that, I know that I am not viewed well. It''s not as if I don''t notice, but a lot of my classmates just don''t seem to like me in general...

    Okay. I''ll go for a round of chess!

    Chess club queue.

    "Good morning! I take it you are here for the registration? If so, then relax! Per event, we allow a grand total of 25 students and the same students that have once partaken the event cannot partake this event again, so are you sure you want to partake the event now?"

    "Ah... Yes. Yes, I do... Do I need to sign up something...?"

    At the frontal registration center, a very-well mannered staff member who had the resemblance of a middle-aged woman shortly greeted me with a useful explanation.

    So by partaking this event, I can''t do it again....

    "You only need to give me your student ID card and that''s it. Because then, we will register your name and your scores in the system and by the end of the festival, they will be accumulated."

    Oh, I see... If I register my ID right now and win the upcoming event, then my scores will be accumulated... That''s a nice and simple system.

    "Okay. Is there... anything else that I should be aware of...?"

    Maybe I''m getting slightly nervous or paranoid but if there is something that I should know, then...

    I just hope that I am not being rude. Asking for this is fine, right...?

    "Mhm? Didn''t your teacher tell you the basics? I''m not your teacher, you know?"

    "Ah, right... How stupid of me, hahah! My bad, so sorry. Um, here, my ID card."

    That was so stupid of me... It''s common sense that my teachers have both taught me the essence of this exam and its themes.

    We even had a questionnaire about it... I''m seriously dumb, aren''t I? No wonder people stay away from me...

    "Ikkiri Rikishima, class 1-F. Alright, you are registered. Please wait in the waiting room."

    "Alright, thank you very much and I am very sorry for the disturbance I have caused you... It really wasn''t my intention..."

    Through the registration process done on the computer, the staff member has successfully registered me in the system.

    Without any further ado, I moved to the waiting room yet before reaching out to the door, I noticed a sudden horde of students erupting from the staircase.

    A very lively group of students who were in very high spirits. I see... They must be here to compete as well.

    I see that this festival is being taken seriously... How nice, to have this many---

    "A-Ahh..."

    Out of nowhere, one of the students among the group bumped into me without any mercy, thus I feel on the floor subsequently.

    "Hey, watch it! You got my clothes dirty!"

    "Skran, who are you talking to, dude?"

    "Huh? What are you talking about, Krale? I''m talking about this... Oh... There''s nothing here."

    W-Why did he bump into me...? And why are they talking to me like that...?

    "Ouch... That was a bit unnecessary..."

    In addition to bumping into me, the student who did so, this Skran person, along with the rest of the group just looked upon me without lending a single hand.

    "Oi, did you just hear something...?"

    One of the students in the further background of the group said that and it attracted the attention of all the students of the group.

    "You did too? How weird... I could''ve sworn I heard a girly and fragile voice..."

    What are they talking about...?

    Willing to clear the doubt, I got up from the floor and spoke to them.

    "It was me... One of you bumped into me..."

    "Oh! I heard it again! Dude, where is it coming from?!"

    "For real, man! I heard it too! But that''s strange. Shouldn''t girly voices belong to girls alone? So, why did we just hear what we just heard?!"

    That''s strange... Why are they ignoring me and why are they talking in such a mocking tone...? That''s just rude...

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    "I''m telling you guys that it was me... I am here..."

    I even waved at them, but every single one of them just pretended to ignore me again...

    "Yup! Heard it again! Holy shit, man! A ghost!?"

    "No, I bet it''s an illusion! Because I''m seeing a really small ant right now! A blue-haired ant! How is that possible?!"

    "Damn, you''re right! But, it''s just an illusion you know? It''s not actually there!"

    "That''s true, hahaha!!"

    Collectively, the group laughed at me without acknowledging my existence...

    .....Why...? I have never met these individuals before so why did they just...?

    All in all, with a depressive look, I only looked downwards and sat on the seats of the waiting room.

    Waiting for the time of the competition was hard because the group eventually came to the waiting room as well and they constantly looked in my direction without talking to me directly; only laughing and trading secrets with one another.

    This group that consisted of 10 male individuals kept on doing this until the event could start.

    Insecure and sensitive at the same time, I couldn''t gather the correct mindset due to the oblivious anxiety inflicted upon me throughout the whole event.

    Thus, I placed last. Strangely enough, I didn''t get a single win, which meant that I wasn''t off to a great start...

    Taking a break, I stopped at the nearest cafeteria and had a cup of water. I also isolated myself from the rest of the crowd just by seating alone, simultaneously increasing the distance from all the other students.

    All alone, in this cafeteria, I started feeling hopeless, but I didn''t give up.

    "It was just one loss... I''ll surely get a better score next time... It was just unlucky... I suppose... Haha... So... I have to win to tell the good news to Aki."

    Drinking up all the water at once, I tightened my resolve and moved onto the next event!

    I knew that there were some events that were not totally gender-free... Because, when I went to the chess competition, there was a signal saying that the event would not be gender-free...

    I suppose it makes sense because, in chess, gender isn''t really relevant at all. Nonetheless, I will still pick an event, regardless if it''s gender-free or not.

    Algebra club room.

    Although I had thoughts of hope, they were quickly shattered when I entered the algebra club room and attempted to queue up.

    The same group as last time was here... Unwillingly, I immediately panicked and backed off from the queue and went back to the campus.

    "What... was that...?"

    A coincidence? I know that the event is gender-free, but this is just...

    Are they following me...? They couldn''t possibly, right?

    Nervously, I started looking back and forth as I aimlessly ventured the campus. This oppressive anxiety started swelling progressively without showing any signs of stopping.

    I even thought of calling Aki, but... I couldn''t! It''s just a coincidence... I''m sure that if I go to another different event that I will not find them.

    Psychology club room.

    This time around, they didn''t come after I was already here, it was at the moment that I walked inside the club room that I realized that they were already here.

    Once again panicking, I exited the room and descended the staircase with vast haste as I pondered the same thought over and over.

    Why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why?!

    Why is all of this happening?! It''s so confusing! I want an explanation but I don''t know where to get it! They must be following me... I''m certain, yet why are they following me?!

    What have I done?!

    I hate myself for not knowing this!

    And I hate myself for attempting to have the thoughts of dependence just because everything is going against me unknowingly...

    Okay, okay. They can''t follow me to an event that has gender restrictions. They are just boys. Even if they have some sort of convoluted reason for stalking me, they can only go so far.

    Therefore, I''ll pick an event that has the restriction...

    Art club room.

    Contrasting the previous environment, that group was nowhere to be spotted, after all, even though this event wasn''t gender-free, the male gender could only compete in the art theme competition in the afternoon and not in the morning, which is now.

    Elegantly, the fluid-structure of this room consumed me with amusement due to the well-refined art panels that it had and its partial beautiful presentations.

    Naturally, in the room, there were only girls and I spotted a classmate of mine, which struck me with an anxious feeling because out of all my classmates, it was...

    A girl that had a very sour expression, Tateyana. Her dark blue hair isn''t exactly like mine, but she''s really pretty and social!

    I wish I could be friends with her. Maybe I''ll give it a try.

    And with that in mind, I approached her seat and waved at her.

    "Hi..."

    "What the hell do you want, Ikkiri?"

    W-Why...

    "Er, sorry... Did I do something to upset you...?"

    It''s not just Tateyana who I am overly-conscious about... Everyone in this room is viewing me with hatred for some reason...

    "Are you joking? It''s all your fault, you whore. Must be nice, huh?"

    Why did she call me a whore...? That hurts, you know...? I have sentiments and you just hurt them for no reason...

    "What...? I don''t understand..."

    "You don''t? It''s quite simple, ya know? Everyone in class is saying that you are going to ruin everyone''s plans of winning by purposely losing in the competitions in order to drag your classmates along. You''re evil..."

    "Huh...?! That''s not true... I am here to participate in the events fair and square without aiming to jeopardize someone else''s situation..."

    Everyone in class though...? What? Why are they doing this? Is Tateyana speaking the truth...? But why would there be someone with so much hostility against me...

    "I don''t trust you and because of you, I got called out. I was accused of actually writing down those names when I literally don''t care about you. It''s all your fault."

    "I know it wasn''t you, Tateyana... You''re a good person, just really misunderstood, that''s all..."

    Tateyana has a really cool personality... It doesn''t matter if she''s often impulsive because she''s impulsive for a reason and I think that if everyone collected their thoughts together, then they could understand Tateyana from a better perspective...

    "I am misunderstood? Well, you are correct. So, do me a favor and tell the whole world that it was you who wrote down those insults for the sake of attention. It''s better to get this out of the way and don''t involve others in your psychotic actions, please. I''m asking you this nicely, so don''t make me angry, you hear me?"

    "..."

    For some reason, Tateyana seems to be fully convinced that I was the one who wrote those insults and orchestrated that event, but...

    Who in their right mind would do such horrible stuff like that!?

    Ultimately, I took a seat in one of the chairs and sunk into a sad mood. Unknowingly, I had started to have strange thoughts such as ''Everyone hates me'' and ''I suck'' due to my inability of perceiving the situation.

    This was all so much better when we still used to talk, but...

    We don''t talk anymore.

    "Everyone get ready, please."

    With the right amount of students already established in this room, we began the art competition. However, I was completely out of focus due to my inner oppressive thoughts and came at last place... again...

    It didn''t come to me as a surprise because I was completely listening to only my thoughts back then and not the contents regarding what we would be competing over.

    Of course, I know that I am supposed to take these competitions seriously but... I just couldn''t. Being in the presence of so many people that for some reason despised me just by glancing upon me felt overwhelming.

    The same question is always on my mind.

    ''Why?''

    At the same time, as I exited the room, I wondered how Aki and Hina were doing. Were they winning? Were they... having fun? I hope so...

    Perhaps I should go and root for them. Or...

    No....

    What difference would I make? I''m useless. I can''t even win and get nervous so easily. The truth is, I''ve always been this way but it was easier to hide it just by pretending to be eccentric.

    Maybe that was what drove you away from me. Was I too fake around you?

    Truly, it was never my intention, but it was bound to backfire, so I understand.

    I get what I deserve.

    "Ikkiri?"

    While exiting the exterior block, I met up with a classmate of mine, who surprisingly crossed the same path as I did.

    "Oh... Hi, Arkalee..."

    Arkalee greeted me with a smile and unlike Tateyana, she didn''t seem to be full of ill intent.

    "Ara? What''s wrong? You seem sad! What happened?!"

    "No... Nothing happened."

    I attempted to walk away, but Arkalee confronted me again.

    "N-No way that''s true! You seem so stressed out... That isn''t like you! Let''s talk a bit... Wanna have a coffee?"

    Well... I am not in the mood to deny a person that has come this way to me, because that would just be rude and I wouldn''t want Arkalee to feel disappointed when her intentions are good.

    "Sure..."

    Thus, yet again, I went back to the cafeteria and took a look at my cheerful classmate named Arkalee.

    In the past, she has defended me, but at the same time she accused Tateyana of being the one who wrote down all those insults, so I''ll have to talk to her about that.

    Tateyana doesn''t deserve to be treated unfairly...

    "Arkalee... I don''t mean to be rude but... Please don''t accuse Tateyana of doing something like writing down those hateful insults... Because then, people will get the wrong impression out of her..."

    It''s horrible to be hated unfairly and being accused of something you never did is just terrible.

    I am not doing this just because I am envisioning the same sentiment and intertwining it with Tateyana''s situation but because no one should be treated this wrongly...

    "E-Eh? But, Ikkiri, she''s so spiteful! What makes you think that she wasn''t the one who did it?!"

    "No one should be accused... I said that it''s fine, so I would just..."

    I want to say that I would appreciate it if they just stopped using my name in order to accuse others and make them feel bad, but that would be rude...

    Not to mention, Arkalee''s a good person. She doesn''t deserve to be treated rudely...

    "But someone has to be accused, Ikkiri. It''s not fair what they did to you. Writing those nonsensical insults for no reason whatsoever... Aren''t you angry...?"

    Angry...?

    "No... I''m not mad. Because, the majority of them, if not all of them are true... In one way or another... I just despise the whole situation. How everyone argued for this stupid situation. I am not sure who came up with this idea, but that person is evil for sure... Which is why, Arkalee, please... Don''t accuse others. Because this situation is up for me to bear it..."

    I hope I wasn''t too rude.... I just wanted to clear the misunderstanding... I don''t mind being hated, I just want to know why I''m hated... If it''s for reasons I can accept, then that''s fine.

    Because it''s nothing outstanding that I can''t bear. I have thoughts of anxiety every single day...

    "How heroic of you. To take all the blame. Sooo, let me put this from another perspective... What if that person actually hated you for a very long time...?"

    "That''s impossible... I made sure to never provoke anyone in a bad way before, so there is no redeemable chance for me to receive this hatred..."

    No matter how many times I think about it, there is just no conclusion I can reach.

    And, something caught my immediate attention. Arkalee squeezed a bit of her plastic coffee cup...

    "No way? What makes you think so, Ikkiri? Are you saying that you couldn''t have possibly done something to anger another person?"

    Aggressively, Arkalee pressured me... How... strange. Arkalee just changed her way of speech that was noticeably docile to a more refined high pitched voice...

    Did I... say something to upset her...? I''ll apologize for it...

    "S-Sorry... It seems I made you mad... But still... I didn''t do anything like that... Howe--"

    "No. Think about it better, please."

    "...What...?"

    I... Why did Arkalee just interrupt me...? As I thought I must''ve done something to upset her...

    But just what...?

    "Oh! God, that was rude of me! Seriously rude! My bad! I didn''t mean to insist with you like that, Ikkiri! Ahhh! My hand, it''s dirty from the coffee. I''ll have to go to the toilet! Sorry, I might take a while, so I''ll have to leave you. Bye, bye!"

    "Oh... Bye... Thank you very much for the coffee..."

    Arkalee quickly panicked and took her leave while directing herself to the cafeteria''s toilet.

    But her words made me think about something that I was already constantly thinking about it daily...

    The possibility of my actions being the source of the hatred that I am receiving...

    Yet... No matter how many times I think about it, nothing comes. Only empty thoughts with baseless conclusions...

    Unless... Unless it''s an unreasonable hatred. Maybe the person just hates me for the sake of wanting to feel that feeling? And I just happened to be the pillar of that sentiment...

    That''s... Way too horrible, even for a joke...

    That aside, I had to figure out a good way to pass time, so I decided yet again to take another event...

    There are 46 more events for me to go, so...

    Let''s go!

    English club room.

    As I entered the lobby, my confidence rose up quickly. For one simple reason. I do enjoy writing! Especially in English. There is something alluring about it, a mysterious and remarkable vibe that enthralled me into liking writing so I do it quite often.

    It''s also a way that I use to write down my real thoughts. The thoughts that I have difficulty expressing...

    And this event is gender-free, which means that I will be able to compete against male individuals too. Alright!

    I think I''ll be able to score a win at long last. What will Aki have to say about this...? I bet she''ll like it.

    I just... can''t tell her that I''ve lost twice already because that would be too embarrassing and unnecessary.

    Just as I was directing myself to the queue line, I felt my shoulder being tackled by a strong force which caused my body to stumble.

    "W-What the..."

    "Hm? That''s weird... I stumbled upon something ----- No, my body just felt like it went up against something but there''s nothing ahead of me."

    I-It''s that group again... What do they want this time... I can''t believe that they stalked me... I didn''t capture them following me when I was on my way here, so how...

    "........."

    I got up and fleed from the scene without any second thoughts.

    It didn''t take me a single additional moment to realize that I was being targetted by them, for some reason, so I backed off for today and didn''t partake in any events.

    However, throughout the whole week, regardless of whether or not the events allowed boys to partake, that group started to always be present, even when not competing.

    Every single glance that they would cast upon me would shower me with fear and anxiety.

    Which is why I failed the exam without anything to offer to anyone. Not even my friend Aki, who supported me.

    Recently, I''ve been having a particular thought that rules above all others. A thought that remains so supreme that all others feel little in comparison. That being...

    I hate myself.

 Volume 12 - Chapter 84: Thirst.

    "You seem shocked, Yulia. Why though? Isn''t our bet with the same end goal? The methods are just different."

    What did this guy just say...?

    "Sorry... Could you repeat?"

    Maybe I misheard him...

    "What is the deal with you girls not listening to what I say the first time? I told you to kill yourself if you lose the bet."

    It''s beyond me how someone can say those words with no emotion at all. Maybe it''s because it''s those precise words that he can say them so emotionlessly. Nevertheless, it still inflicted a fair share of shock onto my soul the moment I heard it from Hyunda.

    "You''re insane...."

    "Quite the opposite. But, as I said, don''t be too shocked. If I lose the bet, then I''ll have to drop out of the program which means my life is therefore terminated. On the other hand, if I win, your life is terminated. This is extremely fair, no matter how you look at it."

    Still on his crouched position, this fearless being just keeps on firing those confident words while remaining logical throughout the whole thing.

    And after he was done explaining how fair the bet was, he just took up and left.

    "......"

    He''s a lunatic. His goal may be unknown to me, but he''s trying to manipulate me for sure. That much I already know. And besides, even if it''s the consequence of the bet, I''ll not follow it.

    That''s just stupid and nonsensical. After all, I have a reason to be alive.

    .........

    Relax, relax, relax. Hahaha... What''s the deal with him anyways? He''s so cocky and overconfident. Does he seriously think that Daniel would cheat on me...?

    ...

    I decided to call Daniel while hesitating to enter the queue.

    "Pick up, pick up..."

    Yet Daniel didn''t pick up. That''s usually the case. He isn''t someone that just pays a lot of attention to his phone I think. Maybe he''s absent-minded...?

    In order to empty some of my doubts, I decided to call Sana. Just to check how she''s doing. Seriously, it''s just to know how she''s doing...

    ...She''s not picking up...

    "Maybe it''s a bad time..."

    "Two individuals that love each will always treasure time alone without surroundings."

    You''re wrong, you''re wrong! You''re just evil and you are aiming to provoke me without any reason whatsoever. People like you are the absolute worse.

    Yet... Why is Sana not picking up? This is not like her... Sana is someone who gives a big deal out of her calls and has never missed one of my calls... I remember that I even called her twice when everyone was asleep, so why...?

    Sana would not miss out on my calls. I''m sure that there is a good reason for this... Maybe... Oh, I know...

    Okay. I''ll queue up then.

    I need to clear a certain doubt of mine. I am sure that it will all make sense once I am able to achieve the answer to my doubt!

    And eventually, after I managed to get my registration done, I asked the staff member a simple question.

    "I''m sorry to bargain, but are you allowed to have your phone on during an event?"

    This will definitely clear my doubts. Sana, I don''t want to doubt you, so I''ll do everything in my power to prove Hyunda wrong!

    "Not at all. You have to turn your phone off before partaking an event. A single interference can cause you to be disqualified, so please be extremely aware of this factor while conducting the event."

    "I see! Thank you very much!"

    With that comfortable information in mind, I went right to the waiting room where I was able to glance upon the other participants who were engaging with one another; either practicing or trading interests.

    That quickly gave me a wide view of the participants and my possible opponents. I was also no longer worried about my previous worries because Sana is without a doubt in an event, so she must''ve turned off her phone, thus my call was not able to reach her.

    It makes perfect sense.

    I have nothing to worry about. There''s no need to over-analyze.

    2 hours later.

    On the exit of the block, I inhaled fresh hair to let loose some of my steam.

    Truth to be told, I''m impressed! Although I only managed to come in second place, the captain of the club recommended me to enter the club after she saw my good maneuvers!

    And with that in mind, I''ve accumulated my first win.

    However, I want to meet up with Sana and tell her the news. Therefore, I turned my phone on.

    But, before I could...

    "Excuse me... I just couldn''t help but notice that you are really pretty. Are you seeing someone right now?"

    A person, rather, a participant that came in third place just spoke those words out to me, while elegantly reaching his right hand out to me.

    This brow-long-haired individual essentially just asked me out. But, in my mind and in actuality, I didn''t even blush nor felt nervous in the slightest. Because...

    "Yup! Sorry!"

    I am already going out with the best person in the world. And there is nothing that will make change my mind about the latter statement.

    "I see. Very well, I shall retreat then. I am sure that the person who you are going out with must feel blessed for sure. Farewell, miss Yulia."

    "Mhm!"

    I nodded this well-mannered person a farewell as well. How well-mannered though. He even asked me first if I was seeing someone and didn''t just impulsively ask me out.

    Furthermore, he took the rejection politely and bid me a farewell while maintaining his manners.

    How chivalrous.

    Too bad I''m already taken. Forever and more. Seriously, a lot of people have asked me out before but I always felt so awkward when it came to denying them, but now, I don''t have to feel that way, because I know that there is someone that loves me despite the way I look and for who I really am.

    In the meantime, I was wondering where to go next, but Arkalee gave me a call and said for us to meet in the Taco Bell restaurant.

    Upon reaching the entrance I noticed Hyunda and Arkalee together talking to one another.

    As obvious as it is to say, Arkalee was obviously happy. However... She shouldn''t be...

    Because Hyunda''s a sociopath, if not a psychopath too. No, he''s without a doubt a lunatic and a psychopath...

    "......"

    Silently, I took my seat without crossing glances with Hyunda nor Arkalee.

    An awkward moment of silence was therefore formed. Unintentionally, I had killed the atmosphere by not talking to neither Hyunda nor Arkalee, which caused Arkalee to take action.

    "Hm? Yulia? What''s wrong...?"

    "Er, nothing... By the way, do you know about Sana''s whereabouts...?"

    Maybe asking Arkalee will give me the answer, since Sana hasn''t answered her phone yet.

    "Mhm? I just called her a moment ago and she said she was on her way up here."

    Wait... What...?

    "Sana... answered you...?"

    "Eh? Yes, she did. Why are you asking me that question so reluctantly though, Yulia?"

    "A-Ah, no reason..."

    Is this true...? Sana answered Arkalee''s phone call but not mine...? So, what about Daniel though...? I didn''t mean to sound like a bother, so I didn''t spam his voicemail...

    "Oh, if you are worried about Daniel, then don''t be! Hyunda gave him a call! He''s also on his way up here!"

    Reluctantly, I glanced upon Hyunda and he greeted me with his past devilish grin... B-But why is he putting up his grin...?!

    "Yeah, Daniel answered my call on the first time I called him. Did you call him, Yulia?"

    "No......"

    That was a lie... I obviously did, but the calls just kept on being missed... Without any sign of being returned back... Yet Daniel answered Hyunda''s call?! Why?!

    "Really? How odd. I called him two hours ago and he said that he would meet up when it was lunchtime. Naturally, I gave him a second call a while ago just to confirm if he was still coming or not."

    Two hours ago...? But that was when I tried to reach out to him...

    "Yeah, the same happened to me. Two hours ago, I reached out to Sana and she said the exact same thing!"

    And now Arkalee said that... But, that''s impossible. I can understand Daniel, but Sana? Did Sana prioritize Arkalee over me? And just one single call too?

    Sana, but why...?

    "Oh, here they are."

    Enthusiastically, Hyunda called out to Sana and Daniel, who both walked inside the restaurant while idly talking to one another.

    Unknowingly, I started to feel slightly mad yet I completely calmed myself once I realized that this might just be one of Hyunda''s lies.

    "Yo. That took way too long, maaaannn... The scavenger hunt is such a pain in the ass, I''m telling you. Too many unnecessary tasks all at once."

    I see! Daniel was doing the scavenger hunt! I should try that next for sure.

    Yet, what a coincidence... How come Daniel and Sana just walked in together...? At the same time too...

    "That was because there were so many unreasonable tasks! If only they were a little bit more sensical..."

    "You did pretty well though, Sana. Third place, eh?"

    "Haha, just because you got first place... Don''t get cocky now."

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Huh...? Wait... Did Sana and Daniel participate in the same event? But that''s just... What? That''s so coincidental...

    And... can Hyunda stop with his grin already...!?

    "Eh, you two participated in the same event? Talk about a coincidence!"

    Insecurely, I said that, expecting some sort of answer from Daniel, who took a seat right next to me in this round table.

    Please say that it was a coincidence. Actually, no. It could only be a coincidence. Same with Sana. Just say it.

    It''s not much, come on.

    "Yeah, it was pretty much a coincidence, but we got positive results out of it."

    Easing up my expectations, Daniel gave me the answer I wanted to hear.

    Still, I wanted to get something out of the way...

    "Hey, Sana... Did you receive my calls...?"

    Sana''s a logical person. I''m sure she had a reason for neglecting my calls, so I''ll hear her out. There''s no reason to be nervous or anything of that sort.

    Yet for some reason... Sana didn''t give me an immediate answer, as she looked downcast for a while.

    "...I was during the event, so I couldn''t take your calls, sorry."

    "Oh, I''m talking about two hours ago. You couldn''t be in an event because the events hadn''t even started yet. What happened, Sana?"

    It''s common sense that the events couldn''t start before 10 am, and now that it''s midday, it means that Sana must''ve had surely another reason to neglect my calls.

    I already knew about the first option, which was why I didn''t say it. However, Sana is an extremely reasonable person so I am SO sure that she will give me a reasonable reason for neglecting my calls.

    Yup, certainly!

    "Oh... You really called me! How did I not notice!?"

    Sana just took out her phone and went through her missed calls and expressed a sudden burst of exclamation for my words alone.

    This is a tad bit confusing because you were never the type of person to miss out on my calls, Sana.

    Yet, I will not doubt you. Because that''s what the person who has that omnipresent devilish grin in front of me wants; to doubt you.

    "I guess you must''ve forgotten! It happens, it happens! I''m somewhat annoying, so maybe I should slow it down..."

    Certainly, I tend to get a bit obsessive with my calls and messages and that shows how insecure I am, so in order to tighten my resolution on becoming less insecure, I''ll refrain myself from annoying Sana.

    "No, no! That was totally my fault! I put my phone in silent mode, so I couldn''t notice your calls! It happened right after Arkalee called me as well! It was such an odd coincidence! My bad, I won''t repeat it again! You don''t have to feel like I ignored you on purpose because that was not the case at all!"

    Hearing that gave me an undeniable transient relief that only lasted for a very short time because Hyunda decided to speak and interrogate Sana.

    "That''s strange, Sana. Isn''t Yulia your best friend? Why would you put your phone in silent mode when Yulia might give you a call? Which, by the way, was what happened."

    Without erasing that obnoxious malicious grin of his lips, Hyunda persisted to ask Sana about that.

    Sana, on the other hand, gave a quick reply without having to think about why she put her phone in silent mode.

    "Daniel asked me to and I didn''t mind because we were having a talk. So, I thought that I wouldn''t get any calls. But, I was wrong, hahaha..."

    Eh...? But, why would Daniel ask that...?

    Wanting to know why I asked my boyfriend that.

    "Hey, it''s rude to do that, you know? She''s my best friend, so why did you tell her to put her phone in silent mode?! Geez..."

    Although I started to pout, in my mind, I was constantly asking why Daniel would do that. Just what was his reason to do that?

    "No real reason. Sana was just on her phone instead of paying attention to what I was saying, so I got pissed off."

    No real reason...? There''s always a reason though.

    "Rude. You were just too discreet and didn''t have the balls to tell me that directly."

    .........

    When did Sana and Daniel become so social with one another...

    "What were you two talking about... Hahaha..."

    Unable to laugh sincerely, I threw that question at both Sana and Daniel, who both looked away awkwardly. As if symbolizing that they had something to hide.

    In addition to that, they both didn''t answer my question, which forced me to get skeptical about my beliefs.

    "What''s wrong you two? Answer Yulia''s question. Or, do you two have something to hide?"

    Not Arkalee, but Hyunda asked them that, implying that they were hiding something from me.

    Slightly paranoid, I started to have strange thoughts about things that I shouldn''t be thinking about in the first place... Things that have no conceivable way of being true...

    "W-Well, more importantly, how did things go on your side, Yulia?!"

    Avoiding Hyunda''s question, Sana drifted away from the initial topic and asked me how things went. I wanted to feel excited and happy that my best friend asked me that yet I couldn''t even muster the strength to fake a smile.

    "...I got second place..."

    "Eh?! You did! That''s fantastic! I''m so proud of you!!"

    Sana even clasped our hands together which made me prematurely happy yet the fact that the very person I love doesn''t even care enough to ask me about this simple thing bothers me every single time.

    I am wondering if that''s normal or if Daniel is just socially inept... That''s alright though. I''ve tightened my resolve about this!

    As long as we are together, I''m willing to solve this matter and see the best in him, because even the people that are labeled as ''worse'' have a great side to them! It''s just up to the individuals to see it from the other side and I believe I can be that someone he needs.

    "Okay! Now that Yulia, Daniel and I have told our reports, it''s up to you two now!"

    With a grand smile, Sana started to direct her words towards Hyunda and Arkalee. Arkalee is all over Hyunda, to the point of being physically clingy with him. Even going as far as eloping his arm between her chest.

    Apathetically, Hyunda shows no response whatsoever. Monster... You don''t feel anything, stop wasting Arkalee''s precious feelings...

    As I thought... I... need to tell Arkalee how it is.

    "Um, before that... Can I talk to Arkalee in private? It won''t take long, I promise!"

    The way Arkalee acts like a parasite around the wrong person bothers me. I''m not against the idea of being clingy because I know for a fact that''s a way to express one''s love, but if the one who you are expressing your love towards is an evil sadistic manipulator then that''s just wrong!

    "Haha, maybe later, okay?"

    Still lingering onto Hyunda''s arm, Arkalee denied my offer. I understand, Arkalee. I really do, but---

    "Arkalee, go."

    "Um, no, Hyunda. I will stay here with you."

    "I appreciate the thought. Now, go on and have a talk with Yulia. It''s rude to deny her like that, don''t you think?"

    Why is Hyunda defending me now...? What?

    Even when Arkalee is clearly stating that she wants to be with him here, he''s deliberating appealing to my side. And that''s really confusing, because, why would Hyunda do that?

    No matter. I''ll take this chance. Except...

    "I-It''s alright! We can talk later, right, Yulia?"

    "..."

    I didn''t answer back to Arkalee, because this is extremely urgent. I''m sorry!

    "Yulia doesn''t mind, Arkalee. Because we will be talking later on, so it''s fine."

    "Eh?"

    That was not Hyunda who said that, but Daniel. He tightly held my shoulder close to him while pulling me closer.

    O-Oh... So you do care...

    Okay. Still, you could have told me, but that''s also fine. You just suck big time when it comes to self-expression.

    "I understand. Then, Hyunda, come along please!"

    Arkalee, finally understanding the necessity of having this conversation, said that. Although, she invited Hyunda along, which was just not optimal, therefore, I intervened.

    "No offense to Hyunda, but this is a girl''s talk, soooo..."

    It''s really not like that. I just don''t want that evil bastard near my good friend Arkalee. That''s all.

    She''s so much better off without him. I don''t have the experience of falling in love with the wrong person, but Arkalee is going through a wrong phase and it''s my duty as her friend to look over her!

    "That''s fine. Hyunda, you can still come along. As a matter of fact, come along!"

    Arkalee''s love is something else but this is just... She''s parasitic... Is she even aware of how obsessed she is with Hyunda? Can you even call this love?

    "I told you that I won''t, Arkalee. Don''t be too dramatic and go. Or do I need to resort to---"

    "Ahh, let''s go Yulia! Mhmmm! Wanna go to the mall?"

    Oddly enough, by interrupting Hyunda''s monochrome and cold words, Arkalee quickly rose up from her seat and grabbed my wrist with a little bit of strength.

    Thus, we went to the public mini-mall that this school has. Realistically speaking, having a mall in a school is unthinkable by all margins but this school just has a little bit of everything which makes it impossible for you to ever get bored.

    It even has theaters. Maybe I should go with Daniel there?

    That thought aside, I firmed my resolution once more as we ventured through Zara. It may seem meaningless to have this shop here at first, but considering that all the other students can leave school at any given time if they are allowed to, I suppose it makes sense for occasions...

    And besides, students here, outside of our class, don''t have to take weekend classes as we do, so they can just buy clothes here and go out of the school to do whatever they want while looking fashionably plausible.

    The sad part about this is that we can only leave once a month.....

    "Arkalee... How do I say this... Do you notice how you act around Hyunda?"

    I had to get this question out of the way. It''s important that Arkalee is self-aware about this.

    "Yes. It is such a shame though."

    A shame...?

    "What is a shame?"

    Sincerely and honestly, I was somewhat puzzled by what Arkalee just meant. We held this weird exchange of words in the underwear area, where Arkalee looked extremely intrigued while searching for the most expensive set of underwear panties...

    "It''s a shame that I have to hold myself back whenever I am around other people. Don''t you feel that way too when you are around Daniel? I''m sure you must have, right?!"

    Twisting her posture, Arkalee looked at me with explosive eyes.

    However, I didn''t really understand her question. Well, it''s not as if I actually didn''t, because I do behave differently with Daniel whenever we are alone, but it''s not that different so to say...

    "Yes, I do feel that way too. But... Why are you so willingly this attached to him? There is nothing appealing about Hyunda. He has a cold personality and he ruthlessly tells you all the time orders he wants you to obey. So, what gives?"

    I hope she doesn''t feel like I''m questioning the entirety of her feelings, I just want to point out that maybe those feelings could be redirected towards a better person.

    In other words, someone that isn''t Hyunda...

    "Heh. You''re awfully curious, aren''t you, Yulia?"

    "Well... Of course, but that''s because I just want to mention something..."

    Arkalee looks so indecisive while choosing what she wants to buy though. Is she always this indecisive? We have been here for so many minutes and she...

    "Yulia, which one do you think is more attractive? Like, the one that is sure to capture a man''s attention, no matter how apathetic he may be?"

    Holding onto two pieces of lingerie clothing, Arkalee asked me which one I thought was more attractive when it came down to the task of seducing an apathetic man...

    Certainly, the red lingerie piece is bound to be alluring and fascinating yet on the other hand, the deep purple lingerie piece in Arkalee''s right side might just provide enough temptation to drive someone wild, no matter how apathetic.

    However...

    "You''re not talking about Hyunda, right? Arkalee, hear me out right now... I''ll say this with my best intentions but get away from Hyunda. He is not a good person!"

    Even though I said this with the best of intentions, Arkalee looked a bit upset, as she put the pieces of lingerie back.

    "Ahhh.... Yulia, Yulia... You... You think I don''t know that?"

    "Um, what?"

    "Yulia, I know that Hyunda is a bad person. But, so what? I love him. So much. You have no idea. You are acting like this is some sort of second-handed piece of information I don''t know, but trust me, I know it the best."

    Arkalee...

    That''s even more worrying. Because you fell in love with his evilness too... And that alone makes it incredibly hard for you to get out of the delusion that you two share a strong romantic bond because Hyunda is possibly not even capable of feeling that much emotion in the first place.

    "So you know... But still, don''t you think that your feelings would be better off used on another person other than Hyunda? He clearly doesn''t treasure you... Please, you deserve better..."

    "My feelings? Are you even aware of how strong my feelings are for Hyunda? Yulia, what you have seen thus far is nothing but the tip of the iceberg. The actual thing far transcends what you think are my true feelings. Let me it from this perspective... How do you think I feel when he mentions another girl in one of our conversations?"

    ........?

    Is there a specific way that you are supposed to feel whenever another girl is mentioned in such conversations? Of course there is. It''s called jealousy. I know that.

    Yet, why is Arkalee making such a big deal out of jealousy? I get jealous too but this is just... platonically dramatic.

    "You must feel quite jealous, hahaha. You said that when Ikk--"

    "Don''t say that name! Do you have any idea the disgust I feel whenever I heard that name!? I feel like pulling out my hair strands! The urge to vomit! Just this morning, I was talking to Ikkiri and you know what happened?! I had to go to the bathroom in order to vomit!"

    O-Oh my god... What is wrong with Arkalee?! She...

    I thought Hyunda was the lunatic but...

    No, no, no! Arkalee surely has been under Hyunda''s influence. In the beginning, Arkalee was never like this! She only started behaving like this when she developed a crush on Hyunda!

    "But you know what''s even worse than that?! Something that even transcends the pure thought of not being his top priority? I''ll tell you what it is! It''s the thought of having my love for Hyunda be judged. Are you jealous, Yulia? Honestly, answer me."

    "No, I am not. I love Daniel very much, so I have no reason t---"

    "Then stop addressing Hyunda so casually. He''s mine. Only mine. No one else''s. Mine. M.I.N.E. Please understand that."

    This is a side of Arkalee that I have never seen thus far. She''s getting so paranoid and flustered to the point where she''s getting extremely obsessive.

    Without a doubt, this has to be Hyunda''s fault.

    "Okay. I will. However, I still think that you should reconsider your choice, Arkalee. Your feelings are too good for him. Don''t waste them on him."

    "Yulia... You... just don''t get it at all. Allow me to put this from yet another perspective... Why do you think I''ve been indecisive about pieces of lingerie?"

    I have given thought about that but I didn''t want to voice my honest thoughts about this because I didn''t want to believe that Arkalee could possibly be thinking what I was thinking, so, I''ll attempt to remain clueless and not let my expectations get the best of me.

    "....Because it gives you a sense of fashion?"

    True enough, regardless of your gender, you don''t need a partner to uphold a sense of fashion. If you want to dress well in order to feel great about yourself, then why not?

    It''s a vague misconception that ladies only buy revealing clothes because they want the attention of the male gender.

    No, that''s not true. I''m not denying the fact that there are such cases, however, there are cases where it''s the reverse, as in the saying of, buying fashionable clothes for the sake of a great self-feeling is acceptable.

    "This? A sense of fashion?"

    Arkalee pointed out at the pieces of lingering which are all lined up for me to see, in-between the rows and all.

    "...Yes?"

    "Well, that''s not illogical, certainly. But, no. Just, no. You see, I know Hyunda to a blatant extent. He doesn''t care about my appearance. At all."

    So why does Arkalee take care of her appearance so much still...?

    "Still, I know something for a fact. He possesses a human vessel that incorporates the very embodiment of physiology in it. Which means that he is bound to have physical reactions. You might not believe me, but I''ve managed to get a few reactions out of him when it came down to the real thing. Yet, why do you think I went as far as provoking his physical reaction?"

    I want to be impressed by Arkalee''s waterfall of knowledge about Hyunda but at the same time, my worries just keep on rising because she''s not showing any signs of backing off.

    "Because you wanted to get to know him better?"

    "Hahaha, yes! You get it! That''s right. I want to know him better. But, it just so happens that it''s way more than that. It''s true, I want everything there is."

    Oh, I understand...

    Arkalee''s really curious about Hyunda and wants to know everything there is about him. That''s natural. I''ll eventually get there with Daniel too.

    Hopefully.

    "Here is the main reason why I''m being picky about choosing a piece of lingerie. You see... If it''s not for a sense of fashion, then what for?"

    "..."

    ...I really know what she''s implying but I''m seriously hoping that she won''t say it.

    And, just as I hoped that she would not say it, Arkalee said something way beyond the original margin.

    "I want to have his babies!"

 Volume 12 - Chapter 85: Here we go again.

    "So, Sana, have you and Daniel made any progress in figuring out how to improve the romantic factors that could help the overall relationship between Yulia and Daniel?"

    As Hyunda asked that question to Sana, who was viciously drinking her strawberry shake, I pondered what Yulia and Arkalee were doing.

    Regarding the first day of the festival, I had only partaken in one event thus far and naturally, I only did it because Sana was partaking it too.

    "Ah, yes. We have been discussing some ideas about it. Though, you could help out too, Hyunda."

    Sana has the idea that I and she are aiming towards improving the relationship between me and Yulia, and while Sana believes that''s exactly the case, that''s not entirely true.

    "I suck at romance, which is why I left it to you two. Remember, you can''t tell this to Yulia nor Arkalee. Especially Arkalee."

    "Why not...?"

    Although Hyunda says that he sucks at romance, I''m not sure if I believe that. And besides, I''m fairly sure that I know why Hyunda doesn''t want Arkalee to know about this.

    The question is, will Hyunda give the honest answer to Sana?

    "She''ll most likely not keep her mouth shut about this and this is supposed to be a secret in order to surprise Yulia. You get it, Sana? Arkalee doesn''t know about the conception of private space so the moment you tell her about this, she might just go ahead and spill the beans."

    Now this is confusing. My idea and interpretation as to why Hyunda would lie here were that Arkalee couldn''t know this due to the fact that she might go paranoid once she realizes that Hyunda has been secretly wanting to help out our relationship.

    Because Arkalee displays symptoms of obsession and parasitism.

    However, he gave a completely different answer and I am not sure if he''s lying or not.

    "That was a rude way to put it, honestly. Don''t you think you are treating Arkalee a bit ruthlessly?"

    "That''s up to me to fix it or not. But, you understand, right? No telling those two about this secret."

    "Alright, I got it. Still, I don''t know for how long I can coop up with this. I get the feeling that Yulia is getting the wrong idea..."

    Sana doesn''t get it.

    Yulia''s supposed to get the wrong idea. Hyunda and I know this for a fact.

    "The more you do, the better. We have discussed and talked about this. Yulia''s supposed to be in doubt currently and then you two will surprise her! How fantastic!"

    Sana''s idea, which Hyunda explicitly said to her was that I and Sana should discuss from time to time, ways to make Yulia feel happier through our relationship. Ideas that could improve our stability and durability throughout the whole relationship from this point on.

    From another perspective, the event that happened earlier where I told Sana to put her phone in silent mode was just so she couldn''t notice that Yulia might call her.

    Yulia''s excessive with her calls, so her behavior isn''t that big of a deal to predict. The whole point of that action was, however, only something that Hyunda knew, because he had only asked me to do that without explaining why.

    "Nonetheless, I dislike this methodology. It''s so indirect and sneaky... Your idea is fine, but your methods are just so immoral, that''s why I can''t tell for how long I can keep this up, Hyunda. Yulia''s my friend and I refuse to trick her."

    Ironic you say that when you are already tricking her without knowing just how much, Sana.

    Still, that''s not for you to know, of course.

    "The ends justify the means."

    "No, they do not... If you can have such a good idea then why can''t you come up with better methods?"

    "Methodologies and ideologies are different concepts for a reason, Sana."

    "I swear, I don''t understand you..."

    I do agree with Hyunda here. Ideologies are shaped differently and not according to methodologies because that completely ignores the restriction that the contradiction of the difference intertwines within.

    What matters is the end goal. I never understood why it''s such a bother to pursue the right methods. Though, in order to actually pull out the correct endgame scenario, correct methods are necessary.

    But, I think Hyunda is aware of that.

    "I see. Daniel, let''s go do an event."

    "Yeah."

    At this point, I knew for a fact that Hyunda didn''t actually mean what he had just said.

    We wouldn''t be partaking an event, as that became crystal clear to us as we ventured through the campus and observed the multi-events occurring. Mainly sports events.

    For example, an on-going relay race could be witnessed as the crowd miscellaneously cheered for who was up ahead all the time and the losers left behind would just have to endure their own weakness as they would succumb to the place that wasn''t the first.

    "That was good for the first act."

    "It was?"

    Breaking the ominous silence that we both had created while we monochromatically absorbed the current events occurring into our vision, Hyunda complimented me while saying that yet I wasn''t sure if it served as a good first act.

    "Yes. Right now, the main goal is to make her feel insecure. Believe it or not, she places a lot of trust in you. You are most likely her source of security. But, that''s not all. Sana also is. Which is why we will strip all of that away from her."

    "Any ideas regarding how to make her feel less secure?"

    Even though I had some ideas in mind, I interrogated Hyunda about that, just to see what sort of options he had in store.

    "Keep Yulia in the dark. Furthermore, show that you want to be with Sana more than you want to be with her. Show but don''t say. Also, strive to be present with Sana in a time where Yulia won''t be present with her. This factor right here is powerful. Yulia''s someone that has a strong mentality. But, strong mentalities aren''t that strong if you already know why they are strong in the first place. Which means you can strike down the root of its power."

    "Are you referring to the fact that Yulia''s mentality is only strong due to the fact that her source of strength is me and Sana?"

    True enough, regardless of this question, I have no idea how Hyunda intends to terminate our relationship. Will a simple kiss do it?

    And besides, just how will Hyunda know when to pull it off?

    "Partially. This can''t be done abruptly. This is why you''ll also have to partially aid her mind in the process, in order to add a valiant depth to the upcoming climax. This might sound like a lot, but the endgame is plausible. After all, you will be freed from a lot of responsibility. As long as you don''t fall into the weakness."

    "Weakness?"

    As we took a seat in the public domain where we could observe the relay race up closer, amidst the crowd, we progressively discussed our set of ideas.

    Speaking of relay race; Kuzan was running in it. However, he wasn''t doing too hot.

    As a matter of fact, he was displaying a lot of fatigue and a terrible running stance. His movements were all over the place. In comparison to the numerous participants who are ahead of him, he stood no chance.

    "I''m talking about the sentiments a person would generally feel when committing actions that might be considered evil. What we are doing is manipulation on a high level. I am not sure if you notice, but it''s not only Yulia that''s being manipulated. It''s Sana and Arkalee too. In ways that neither of them knows for sure. Sana''s reaction earlier was the sentiment of guilt and the sentiment of doing something that is labeled as wrong. If you feel this way, then your actions will lose momentum. Are you feeling that way, Daniel?"

    I suppose it''s normal that Hyunda remains concerned about my mental state. After all, I am essential to pull this off, supposedly.

    Though, the thing is, I don''t feel guilt.

    "Not at all. But, if Sana, Yulia, and Arkalee are being manipulated, then does that mean that I am being manipulated too?"

    Expecting an honest answer from Hyunda is something that I am used to not receiving so I''m positive that he won''t answer with honesty.

    "It''s not much of manipulation if you are already aware of your own actions and the final goal. The reason why I can''t tell you the end goal is that you might change your mind regarding this whole event and the phenomenon that will surely take place."

    "Why would I change my mind though? Is it something evil? I''m fine with it. Hey, aren''t evil actions more according to the bright definition of freedom instead of the already established norm that society follows and interprets it as ''freedom''? Isn''t that why malicious individuals don''t mind their actions? Because they don''t have a reason to?"

    Strangely enough, out of all the people I''ve ever met, Hyunda''s the first person I can just debate this without getting completely judged in a way that''s utterly obnoxious to my liking.

    It''s as if Hyunda understands what I am actually saying and doesn''t just try to prove me wrong simply due to the fact that my ideology is not approved by the majority.

    Never did I think that I would meet someone like him. Maybe the fact that I am in a classroom full of criminals indicated that this meeting would happen based on the entire premise of the encounter...

    "It''s one thing to do things for the sake of malice. Ergo, if you do something evil, then it''s normally to contradict the usage of righteousness because you have something against it. That sort of action is fabricated though and not genuine. Are you on that side of the ideology?"

    Am I?

    It''s not as if I have something against righteous actions, they just never clicked to me. Why do people do righteous things? I like to believe that I can''t comprehend the meaning behind this self-inserted question because I questioned morals throughout my life way too many times in order to fundamentally appreciate them in the first place and found nothing positive in return.

    "No, I don''t think I am. It''s about what is logical. Isn''t that the top priority?"

    "So you think that logical thinking rules above all else too?"

    "Well, yeah."

    But I''ve been noticing something. Thinking too logically makes me numb to certain things. Am I too detached to notice the obvious contradiction that is supposed to be visible yet remains invisible?

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    "Back to the topic though, because I need to fix a certain person''s insecurities transiently in a few minutes."

    Who is he referring to exactly? Probably Arkalee.

    "If Yulia attempts to connect with you emotionally, don''t be monochrome. Be willing to show that you care, even if you actually don''t. This will ease her conscious and she will feel secure. Sentient creatures use sentiments as links of strength to adjust their actions and thoughts. Yulia''s no different. The more you show her that you care, the more she''ll trust you and vice-versa. I feel like I''m repeating myself, but the main point to understand here is that if you show Yulia that you just don''t care about her in a very blunt way, then this won''t exactly work. You can''t just tell her by actions that Sana is more important because that would degrade the entire value out of this endeavor. Ultimately, you know what to do, right?"

    "Yeah, I do. I don''t mind enduring some responsibility if it means I''ll be freed from it in the end. That is what will happen, right, Hyunda?"

    "Such is the case. The battle for freedom is a long one. It''s never short. On the other hand, this is my way of repaying you."

    About that...

    "You know, is what I did really that worth it? You are going through so much just to repay me, dude. Are you sure about this, still?"

    "What are you talking about? A favor is a favor. Repayment is a repayment. That''s all there is to it. Or, are you unhappy with how I do things?"

    "No, that''s not it, Hyunda. I really don''t mind how you do things; as a matter of fact, I would say that I actually support it. You just sacrifice so much for the actual thing that it''s like you are doing more than you were initially supposed to..."

    Accordingly, he said that this was a way for him to repay me for having gathered the rest inside the courtroom, but this feels so unnecessary.

    Is this really it?

    "Well, don''t let it get it to you. I''m leaving."

    "Later."

    With his hands on his pockets, Hyunda got up from his seat and exited the scene.

    In the meantime, the relay race was actually already over and thus, I went to the males'' changing room''s entrance. Although, not exactly at the entrance, but approximately almost.

    The changing rooms served the obvious purpose of enabling students, participants, to swap from their tracksuits into their students'' uniforms and vice-versa. Because, in order to partake in a sports event, you had to conduct it in your school tracksuit, otherwise, you could not partake it.

    So, why was I here, idly waiting around in the back corner of the changing room''s house, remaining undetected?

    "Aniki, it''s time."

    "Damn right."

    Meeting up with Kuzan symbolized the beginning of our operation. That''s right, I didn''t come here with Hyunda for no reason at all. This was all to also meet up with Kuzan.

    Kuzan and I were already aware that our operation would begin after lunchtime. Events still occur during lunchtime, so Kuzan just took one and horribly failed at it.

    "Aniki, do you know their locations?"

    By ''their'', Kuzan is referring to our targets, certainly. And unfortunately...

    "No, I don''t. However, I''m certain that I know someone who does..."

    Thus, I called a certain individual, who was no other than Kawahara. Strangely enough, Kawahara knows their exact locations.

    It''s beyond me how he actually knows them though.

    After confirming the information, I ended the call and confronted back to Kuzan while we walked to our yet unknown location aimlessly.

    "Kuzan, you still remember Kawahara''s very specific orders, right?"

    "Aye, Aniki! I''ve studied them religiously!"

    Okay, no need to go that far, Kuzan.

    They are just orders, but you are talking about them like they are words written in the fucking bible lol.

    Quiz club room.

    Who knew that there was actually a club in this enormous and vast school that emphasized the theme of ''quiz''. A theme that is so practiced yet not actually known that much.

    It''s as if the very existence of this club was like a subpar glorification made just to preach the ultimate peak of Trivial Pursuit.

    Hard to explain, but essentially, every single person here, in this room, would partake in a quiz that would determine who knew certain subjects better.

    I''ve already read on how it will actually go down. It won''t be an all-out battle, but it''s between 25 students and there will be rounds of 5 questions first per round

    The important thing to grasp here is that, depending on the number of right questions you answer, you will advance.

    Here is the deal:

    First round: Answer at least one question right, you pass. Otherwise, you fail.

    Second round: Answer at least two questions right, you pass. Otherwise, you fail.

    Third round: Answer at least three question right, you pass. Otherwise, you fail.

    Fourth round: Answer at least four questions right, you pass. Otherwise, you fail.

    Fifth round: Answer at least five questions right, you pass. Otherwise, you fail.

    Five rounds, five questions and in the last round which is theoretically the fifth one, you have to nail every single one.

    However, there is something worth noting here. If there are more than 3 participants that have aced all of the rounds clearly, then there will be the last round which is called ''First-blood''.

    How original, very impressive, bravo. No, seriously, unoriginal thematical names aside, what''s necessary to grasp here is that, if there is a scenario where more than three students ace the upcoming rounds, the first-blood will happen.

    This scenario can happen with four participants, so to say.

    "Kuzan, are you ready?"

    I asked Kuzan that question who seemingly inhaled the air of the atmosphere while attempting to form his composure about the upcoming act.

    "Yup! Let''s do this!"

    Ultimately confirming my question, Kuzan flashed a confident smirk as I did the same. Our targets were, fortunately for us, still not queueing up.

    Instead, they were in the back row seats while waiting for the line to empty up. Reasonable. If the line is going to be eventually empty, then you might as well wait.

    Therefore, we approached them.

    "Hm!? I-Is that you, Ryoken?!"

    Glancing upon the gloomy Ryoken, I said that with a drastic degree of enthusiasm, which was suddenly unlike me.

    I even went as far as pointing at him while looking at Kuzan to confirm if that was really Ryoken.

    "Woah! It is you, Ryoken! And Kan! What are you two doing here?! Man, what a mad coincidence! Who would''ve thought that we would cross each other on the first day! Hahaha!"

    "Hahaha, Kuzan, you goddamn idiot, hahaha."

    Lightly, I slapped Kuzan''s back to unleash some of my anger at him because Kuzan was acting way too sarcastic.

    "Ooops! Hahaha, my bad!"

    Loudly laughing, Kuzan returned his mistake by tapping the back of his head with his right hand in a disrespectful way.

    As for the ones who we were talking to...

    "Fuck off clowns. Did Kawahara told you to stalk us?"

    No need, Kan. You two got stalked by Kawahara most likely, but of course, this is only an assumption based on Kawahara''s obsession with knowing a little bit of everything.

    Slightly furious, unlike Kan, who had a relaxed expression, Ryoken backlashed at us straight away.

    "It''s a good thing you are here, Daniel. I haven''t gotten a good payback for what you did!"

    The poor creature is referring to that time where I gave him a light beating and had to drag him out of his room just because he was acting like a little bitch.

    Oh no, how tragic.

    However, I can''t actually go out of the line here. Because our act isn''t to be as sarcastic as possible, but...

    "E-Eh!? You, what...? Payback?! H-How mean, man! How can you say that with a straight look like that?! I''m feeling scared!"

    Faking a scared attitude, I cowered on the floor by kneeling down while displaying a victim''s attitude.

    "Aniki! What happened?! Be specific so I can help!"

    What the fucking fuck, Kuzan, you literal fucking retard, how do you expect me to be more explicit when Ryoken went out of his way to be a rude jerk to my current fake fragile self!

    Still, still.

    "Ahhhh!! I''m so scared now! I just don''t know if I have it within me to even participate in the event! He''s scaring me!"

    "Oh, cut it, you are faking this so hard, dude! No one''s gonna believe you!"

    Kuzan and I crossed glances as soon as Ryoken said those confident cocky words.

    "I-I''ll get the security guard! Just wait here! It will be quick!"

    "Wait a fucking second! You can''t be serious! You''re going to call a guard?! What for!?"

    Halting Kuzan''s progression, Ryoken grabbed Kuzan''s right wrist which stopped him from advancing and ultimately calling the block''s guard to this event.

    "You just hurt my Aniki''s fragile feelings! That is unforgivable! Release me, you fiend!"

    Expressing a revolted will, Kuzan attempted to break free from Ryoken''s hands at once, which just caused him to tighten up the lock way more.

    Furthermore, while this was happening, we did manage to attract the attention of the students who were all queued up.

    "What the hell are you talking ab---"

    Then, just as Ryoken attempted to rebuke at Kuzan, the first person who was in the queue abandoned his position and came forth to our location, which, just by its own attracted all attention possible.

    "Excuse me, but just what exactly is going on?"

    I recognized this person though. I think Kuzan, Kan, and Ryoken did. Pilled up with the student council president''s group, there were two girls and three boys. One of those three boys had a really bizarre haircut.

    The Skrillex haircut, also known as the haircut where your left side of the head is shaved while every other area aside from the left side completely contemplates the idea of having extremely long hair.

    Naturally, to achieve that haircut position, your hair would have to be flipped all the way to the right, therefore, it couldn''t be random.

    Something also worth mentioning is that this dude had piercings everywhere. Lips, nose, ears, tongue and even eyebrows. Plus, he had the same earrings as him, factually down to the core of showing a gigantic hole throughout its visage.

    "My dude, this guy over here is playing drama queen. On the order of someone else."

    "Yo, I see! Your name?"

    "Kan. Yours?"

    "Plus!"

    I''m sorry, what?

    "Wait, you serious? Your name is Plus?"

    Kan is as perplexed as I am. This is some awkward shit. What''s next, a person named ''Minus''?

    "Yeah, man. Though, who is playing the drama queen here?"

    "Well, this guy."

    Foolishly, Ryoken point at me, and I received the dreadful look of someone with a Skrillex haircut. Confused on whether to laugh or seriously continue the act, I switched up the gears.

    "Oh, don''t mind me. Ryoken and I are really good friends. But he''s really bad at getting jokes."

    "Dude, that was not a joke! Kuzan was serious just now!"

    Speaking of Kuzan, Ryoken had relinquished the handhold that he had applied on Kuzan''s wrist.

    The aim here was just to lightly provoke Ryoken a little bit. And besides, this is our first time being able to interact with other students, so it''s somewhat refreshing.

    "Eh? I wasn''t! I wasn''t going to call a guard. He''s taking a bathroom break!"

    How the hell do you know that, Kuzan?!

    No, more importantly.

    "Can I just call you ''P'', or do you want me to call you Plus?"

    "Oh, that accent! You from America, man?"

    Stopping the act, I got up from the floor and faced Plus directly. His height was fairly similar to mine, to the point where I would describe him as equal.

    Though, the most noticeable thing about him, outside of the Skrillex haircut and piercings was the red band on his upper right arm, serving some sort of symbol, with a star in it.

    "Hell yeah! That haircut though... Skrillex?"

    "Yoooooo!! You know it!"

    Intentionally, I traded those words of enthusiasm with P, who was most likely a student council member. Which also would explain why he went all the way here to fix this problem.

    Because that''s the duty of the student council, to ensure order.

    "Well, my dudes, don''t fight between each other, k? That''s what the competition is here for! Decide who is the best through a valid and acceptable way! Alright?"

    To P, this competition was probably the equivalent of nothing, to be honest. But to us. Who were on the brick of betting everything for a damn win, it was just about every single thing we could possibly wish for.

    "Not to worry, P! That was just a joke! Name''s Kuzan, by the way!"

    "Got it, Kuzan. I''m watching you four, don''t step out of the line, aight?"

    Leaving us with that warning, P returned to the queue and briefly calmed the students that were watching the whole scene with ease.

    "Yo, nothing to see here! Everything''s fine, just a little misunderstanding, that''s all!"

    In this reception room of around fifteen students, with the registration of us four, it would reach almost twenty of us yet to get this started, a couple more would need to come.

    All in all, this was just a warm-up. There was no reason to do what we just did. It was a baseless act yet it was as Kawahara said. A baseless unreasonable act that would disturb Ryoken''s mind.

    A sensitive mind doesn''t really overlook a nonsensical act. Kan, on the other hand, willingly does so, because he''s not completely sensitive to these types of situations.

    In conclusion, Kuzan and I were starting something that would only accumulate throughout the whole festival.

    That aside, Kuzan and I ignored Ryoken''s hateful glare and descended down the stairs just a tiny bit, so we could remain cloaked to Ryoken and Kan''s vision.

    Descending step by step, we started to dialogue with one another.

    "Kuzan, we have to win this. No, we have no way to lose, honestly."

    Yes, because we have something that Kawahara went out of his way to give us, just to make sure that we wouldn''t lose to them, in the said so event that they would partake in.

    "Hehe, can you imagine how pissed off they will be, Aniki?"

    "You have no idea, Kuzan."

    No, seriously.

    How would you feel if someone just---

    "Oh, Kuzan! You are here!!"

    Interrupting my thought process, both Kuzan and I were greeted with a shout from a short distance, or just by glancing at the end of the staircase, we could see the figure of Kanawari.

    "Wah! Kanawari! You came here too!?"

    "Yes, yes! Why didn''t you say so!? Hahaha!"

    Not showing any stops, Kuzan and Kanawari quickly engaged on that happy exchange of words.

    Unfortunately for me, I couldn''t uphold the same degree of happiness as Kuzan, because...

    Alongside Kanawari, a violent smirk rose up from her face. A sign of pure confidence and complete security that was visible to anyone passing by could only be emitted by someone like her.

    Her hair color alone, attempting to differ from either light pink or deep lilac shone spontaneously as the lights from the windows reflected on her strong posture which would refine her words every time she would speak to the world itself.

    "Well, would you look at that, Kana? Two trash cans are in front of us! How magical!"

    A single sound of her obnoxiously confident voice was enough to remind me how looks can be deceiving. That despite all that peerless appearance, she is nothing more than a pile of stocked up arrogance mixed with a drop of sadness.

    Sadness because she doesn''t know that she''s this arrogant.

    "How mean, Lus!"

    "Oh, you are right! That was mean. Kuzan''s not the trash can, therefore, only one remains."

    Sarcastically, she apologized while tapping her lips lightly with the edge of her fingers as if to make it sound like she really didn''t mean to say what she wanted to say.

    Yet, it was pretty obvious that she was blatantly doing this on purpose.

    "Hey, Kuzan."

    "Yeah, Aniki?"

    I wasn''t going to let that slide, of course.

    "Wanna hear a joke?"

    Kuzan, perplexed and somewhat confused tilted his head before replying, while we entertained the two individuals glancing upon our figures from downstairs.

    "Yeah, okay, Aniki!"

    "Alright, alright. Don''t tell this to anyone, but... Did you know...?"

    "Know what...?"

    "That..."

    "That?"

    "Trash cans can put the word ''trash'' in the same sentence while claiming that others are trash?!"

    "Whaaaaaaat?! No waaaay!!"

    It''s seriously surprising though. How can you be such a piece of trash and not realize that you are trash and still claim that others are trash at the same time?

    "Hey, Kana, I think someone just got offended and is struggling to defend his real identity. Oh, wait."

    Motherf-

 Volume 12 - Chapter 85.5: Yes, Im ready for it!

    After that necessary talk with Yulia in Zara, we terminated our talk in a decent amend.

    Arguably, I was pissed off to a great extent. My love for the one I love the most, being questioned like that? Especially by someone like Yulia who doesn''t know how lucky she is for being able to be blessed with Hyunda''s attention!?

    But, but, this is all part of Hyunda''s plan! Yes, he trusted me enough to let me know everything about it...

    The overall plan involves breaking up Yulia and Daniel and I just love that idea, my love! They both deserve sadness. We soooo think alike!!

    It''s actually so much more detailed than that though! Still, he said that he would explain the details eventually because he needs to make sure that things go his way first... While the suspense is killing me, I suppose it''s understandable.

    But still! I want to know...

    Nonetheless, at the end of the tour, Yulia and I returned to the cafeteria where I was supposed to meet up with my love and feel the embrace of his presence which would extinguish the sadness of being away from him just from a split second.

    Yet, I was completely and massively destroyed when I found out that Hyunda was nowhere to be seen when I entered the cafeteria.

    "Ummmm, where did Hyunda go...?"

    Unknowingly, I started to panic and at the same time, I started to bite my nails a little bit to relieve some stress but it wasn''t working.

    I didn''t even pay attention to Yulia and Sana because I was too busy scouting the surroundings yet I only found students idly having their lunch and meaninglessly speaking to one another.

    Where? Are? You?

    "Hyunda and Daniel went to an event. Rude jerks left me here all alone."

    Daniel, why are you still alive? Shoot yourself in the face. Not to worry though. Soon enough, you will be hit with the brick of sadness of finding out that you and Yulia will be apart and I wonder how you''ll deal with so much sadness!

    "What event, Sana?"

    Rapidly, I asked Sana just to be aware of Hyunda''s whereabouts. Truth to be told, I stalked Hyunda earlier and saw him have a conversation with Yulia.

    Near the mahjong club. It''s only natural that I am near him to supervise his actions. As his future wife, I need to be there for him regardless if he actually wants this or not.

    It just can''t be helped, no matter how I look at it.

    "Ehh, they didn''t specify. Either way, that aside... You two, seat down, please. I want to have a really good talk with you two!"

    While Sana said words that I wouldn''t obey in any possible reality, I started calling Hyunda but he didn''t pick up.

    We need to talk about this! It should be forbidden for him to ignore my calls! Because, if you are not here then how am I supposed to love you!?

    "Arkalee, this means you too..."

    Persisting, Sana glared at me with a worried expression. That expression reminded me of Yulia''s expression from earlier and so, I could immediately guess what she was going to try and achieve with this talk.

    "I can''t now, sorry."

    "And why? You''ve been calling someone but from the looks of it, you have failed. Give it a rest."

    Why is my way of showing love being questioned right now!?

    No, no. Remain calm. Small breaths, small breaths.

    "Okaaaaay. I''ll listen to what you have to say. Yup, why not?"

    Sana isn''t necessarily rude nor is she constantly being bathed in Hyunda''s attention so she gets a pass.

    However, it''s a different matter when it comes to Yulia. The very fact that Hyunda is prioritizing her so much is not letting me sleep at night.

    Ultimately, I took a seat in the round table and started to listen to Sana.

    "Arkalee, no offense but... I think you should let go of Hyunda..."

    Should I pierce my own eardrums? Ah, no. Otherwise, I can''t listen to my new playlist... I still remember, my love. That time when we pretended to be lovers in front of the principal! That was so cool!

    I want to do something similar soon!

    So, why are you away?

    "I respect your opinion, Sana."

    Not really. Everything you two say right now is so predictable that it hurts.

    "Hold on, Arkalee... I don''t want you to think that I''m nagging you. I understand how you are feeling. I too have been obsessed over the wrong person in the past and it led me into a state of delusion..."

    "Really? How so?"

    Maybe I''m getting slightly rude, but being questioned every single damn time about my tendencies is driving me insane.

    Though... Sana is generally kind and her intentions are good too, which is why I won''t censure her. If it was Yulia who had asked me to have this conversation, I would''ve rejected it straight-up, no debate.

    Nevertheless, Sana has got me curious now. Even though I am not delusional.

    "How do I explain this... You know, when you fall in love with someone so different from the rest, you just dig his vibe and you find everything so interesting about him that you can only envision him as the only person that matters."

    See, this is why I like to talk with Sana. Because she knows exactly what she''s talking about.

    Sana has the correct knowledge and she just described the existence of Hyunda and what it means to be. Although, this is all just a big understatement. I could go beyond what Sana has just said right now.

    I''ll hold my breath though because it seems she has something else to say in addition.

    "But what you are not aware of is that there is a reason as to why people like Hyunda are so different. It''s because they aren''t good people. They are evil people. And trust me, I KNOW for a fact that right now you don''t care about this, because your love just doesn''t allow you to care. That''s the case, right?"

    "I am glad you know the exact situation, Sana."

    But Hyunda is not that evil. No, seriously, he has never shown to be so platonically evil as Sana is referring him to be.

    I think she''s exaggerating. Being cold and detached does not equal the equivalent of being evil and merciless.

    Although, I would argue that the fact that he doesn''t shower me with love 24/7 is incredibly evil, yes.

    "Alright, so here is why it''s important that you detach yourself from him. You see, Hyunda is evil in ways that you don''t know of. And you are fine with this. But this will destroy you later on. Which is why you should just get away from him right now. Please, trust me... I''m not lying."

    "Sana''s right... Hyunda is evil in ways that you can''t possibly imagine..."

    Now that''s just rude, Yulia. In ways that I can''t imagine? Are you by some chance claiming that a second-rate whore like you, who can''t even capture a worthless being''s attention, somehow knows more about Hyunda than I do?!

    What is up with these two today? They are too funny with their jokes.

    "I appreciate the worries, but in the end, it''s my choice, is it not?"

    With all things considered, it''s no one''s business to meddle in my love. Even the best intentions can get annoying when they are repeatedly used over and over.

    "Yes, it''s your choice, but you have to think about yourself a little bit, Arkalee. It''s not worth having your heart destroyed at a cruel bastard''s mercy."

    ?

    Why is Yulia being so hostile to Hyunda? What the fuck is your fucking problem, bitch? You''ll pay for your words.

    "Yulia, shut up."

    Ruthlessly, I spoke my true mind.

    "Wh... I''m just trying to help."

    "You can help by staying silent, you know? As a matter of fact, it''s better that way."

    Because every time you time about Hyunda, only false truths come out of your mouth and I am sick and tired of your name being mentioned in our conversations.

    Yulia this, Yulia that, what the hell, Hyunda!? I clearly exist and matter more, you know?!

    "W-Wait, calm down you two..."

    "No, it''s fine, Sana. Arkalee here thinks she knows what''s best even if we warn her a million times. Maybe she needs to learn from experience."

    ?

    "What are you implying, Yulia?"

    I noticed how Yulia''s no longer trying to be nice but that doesn''t mean I''ll back off. Just what did she mean by that?

    "What am I implying? I''m implying that you are too blind to see the truth. Hyunda clearly doesn''t care about you nor will he ever..."

    Wh... What?!

    "Shut up! That''s not true! He does care about me! He just has trouble showing it! Don''t hurt someone else''s feelings just because you don''t get any damn attention from your boyfriend!"

    Exalting myself, I erupted from my seat and slammed the surface of the table just to send the intensity of my words to Yulia straightaway.

    "That is completely different! I am fine with not receiving his attention all the time, but you are clearly not, and that''s affecting you in ways that you don''t even realize, Arkalee! If you take a moment to think and reflect on the whole situation, you will notice that you are going so far for someone who doesn''t even go as far for you!"

    Not backing off, Yulia did the same. Upholding the gal to argue back against me, she did not back down and took me straight on.

    Sana looked neurotic to the situation as she didn''t know what exactly to do about the situation, nevertheless, I argued back.

    "Well, I am so sorry if we got different definitions of love! I''m not fine with this and that''s my problem, not yours, not Sana''s, not anyone''s, so leave me alone!"

    "Okay, fine! We will! You''ll learn yourself from experience. Sana, let''s go."

    "Eh, um, but Arkalee, you---"

    "Let''s just go! She won''t listen to you no matter how much you try!"

    "......"

    Dragging Sana by herself, Yulia and Sana left the cafeteria while attracting attention. Looks like I made someone mad, but so what?

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Lethargic to the situation that had just happened, I attempted to contact Hyunda again while retaking my seat.

    These side glares weren''t bothering me at all. What are you all looking at me for? Mind your own business. It''s my life, not yours''.

    "Come on... It''s the twenty-fourth time I''m calling you... Please pick up... I really need you right now..."

    And...

    Just what are those two''s problem? Why do they think they have the right to interfere with how I pursue my upcoming relationship with Hyunda? What the hell is their problem?!

    Have I ever criticized them regarding their relationships? Oh, right. I have. In my mind. But that''s just because the relationship between Daniel and Yulia utterly sucks. So, the criticism is entirely justified.

    HOWEVER, the fact that people have the audacity to criticize my compatibility with Hyunda?! He''s my fated soulmate! My other half! How do these people even dare open their mouths?! Why?! You''re just going to speak nonsense! Cut your tongue off, bitch, that way, you''ll never have to spew trashy nonsensical opinions regarding something you don''t even know in the first place!

    Okay, enough, enough.

    I have to get my priorities straight.

    "I need to find Hyu--"

    Ironically, just as I was about to say that, Hyunda''s name appeared on my phone screen and I picked up immediately.

    "Y-Yes?!"

    "Let''s meet up at the usual place."

    "Oh, alright! Um--"

    He hung up.

    Geeeeeeeeeeez!

    Please, just five seconds! It didn''t even last four! As for the usual place, at first... Hahaha... It brings a naive stupid smile to my face when I think about it...

    That place was no other when we had our first kiss... At the entrance of block F. I see, Hyunda, you really do treasure me. As a matter of fact, you said that you were going to treat me kindly and specially from now on, so I''m waiting, my love.

    I''ll be patient, of course. Just don''t tease me too much, alright?

    All in all, what I had to do now was pretty clear. And although the place is block F, it''s actually the back of block F, a place that contains a small garden. There, we talked about trivial things that felt special to me despite you probably not thinking so.

    Because every moment we share is the exact opposite of trivial...

    And eventually, as I reached that place...

    My eyes glanced upon the very small table for two where we sat together and spent time together. It felt magical too because Hyunda back then said that it was only a place that we would know.

    He didn''t even tell the others who were present what the place was like nor where it was, he simply spoke in a language that only I and he could understand.

    Yes, you don''t have to say it. I''ll stay with you forever. I know, I know.

    Even if the rest of the world disapproves, I won''t. Not now nor never.

    But...

    "Where are you...?"

    I''m here at the place yet you are nowhere to be seen. As I investigate the perimeter I can only find empty old stone tables and withering flowers which contrast the beautiful spring, surprisingly.

    This is our place, right...? So, where are you...?

    "Bzzt."

    My phone rang, so at a quickening speed, I took it out of my skirt''s pocket and saw the message and it was from Hyunda, so naturally, my feelings took a huge leap instantly.

    "Look behind you...?"

    That''s what the message said and certainly, I was already aware that it meant that I had to turn around yet I found it weird because why would the message say that when I haven''t heard any sort of footsteps in this sacred place of ours?

    Originally, the case would be that I would face the back of my current position and find nothing, but what I found instead was...

    "What''s with the long face? Had a fight?"

    You.

    "A-Ah.. Yes... Sorta... I acted out of impulse and lashed out at Yulia..."

    Already embarrassed, I couldn''t help but to look down and not face Hyunda directly. Just a single glimpse of his handsome posture and serious eyes gave me premature happiness.

    And lately, it''s been getting somewhat hard to be around him without having secondary reactions.

    "I see. Wanna talk about it?"

    "...Really...?"

    This is rare... He usually ignores my condition but now... Could it be that this was what he meant when he said that he was going to treat me specially?

    Okay. I''m ready for it.

    "Yeah. Why not, right? Also, do you like lemonade? On my way up here, I passed through an open public lemonade center that the school is, for some reason, allowing it to be in the festival, and thought of buying two lemonades. One for me and one for you."

    Kind. Very kind. Also, romantic. Go on, please. Your words are caring for once and this is a moment that I can''t forget easily for certain.

    "However... They were out of lemonades so I implored them to just squeeze two more lemonades but they only gave me one, so I only brought one. Though, answer my question. Do you like it or not?"

    Naturally, I''ve already gotten a taste of lemonades before but I never held any high opinion regarding them. Therefore, completely neutral.

    But, if it''s anything you give me, then I will obviously put it high.

    "Yeah, I love it!"

    Excitedly, I cleared Hyunda''s doubt, as we sat in the table for two in this lonesome atmosphere with the afternoon sun bathing on us. A chilly wind made me feel a sensation of glacial cold so I had to hold myself slightly tight so I could feel a little bit warmer.

    As always though, our distance was short. Every time that I look at his lips, I just want to reconnect with them like we used to. Cling to his arm more desperately so he can feel my despair when I''m not around him.

    "But, there''s only one. Do you want it?"

    "Er, are you sure...? Are you fine with it?"

    Yes, this is what I like. Our trade of opinions. Asking each other if doing something out of interest is fine. For example, talking about other girls should be something that should be forbidden, but we have already discussed that.

    I know.

    "Well, the truth is... I''ve already drunk a bit from the straw..."

    ...!

    "Y-You did?!"

    Oh god.

    "Yeah... Sorry, I couldn''t resist it. I really like lemonade so I had a bit of it. Just a tad bit though. Ah, don''t worry though. If I just take the straw off---"

    "No, no, it''s fine. I''ll drink it from the straw!"

    "Hm? But---"

    "I insist! I really don''t mind! After all, you went out of your way to get it for me when it was supposed to be yours yet you were so kind to the point of getting one for me... It''s the least I can do."

    That was a lie. No, not exactly a lie. I''m extremely grateful that he offered me something and shared something with me in our sacred place, but what actually matters is the fact that Hyunda inserted his mouth on that straw.

    That damn straw contains a trace of his saliva, so to speak. And I just so happen to want every single thing of it.

    Plus, indirect kiss points. I''ll take it at any time.

    Thus, I took the lemonade plastic cup and desperately started to drink it through the straw.

    "Woah, you''re thirsty."

    Now you''re just stating the obvious, my love. That''s kinda cute though.

    "So, what exactly happened?"

    Impressive, Hyunda. You didn''t mention Yulia''s name but addressed the situation indirectly! You are taking my feelings and past words into consideration! That alone means so much to me and I wish you knew just how much I''m speaking here, but...

    "Ahh... We... you know, Yulia''s kinda annoying... She started to ramble on about how my choices were incorrect..."

    Of course, those choices were regarding you, my love. However, for you to understand what I am talking about, I would need to tell you that I really love you.

    Though, honestly, I like the current pace. It previously bothered me that we were progressing slightly fast but if he wants to take things slow then that''s fine. What truly bothered me was how he wasn''t giving me enough attention and if you don''t give me enough attention then I can''t show you that I love you.

    "Your choices? Do you want to talk about it?"

    So considerate...

    "Um, okay. Sure."

    However, I''ll have to be indirect about this. Sorry.

    "Yulia started arguing that, for example, hypothetically speaking, falling in love for the wrong person can be destructive if the person that''s falling in love with that wrong person doesn''t realize that the person who she fell in love with it is wrong. But I argued that it''s fine if the one that falls in love ACTUALLY realizes that! What... do you think... about this...?"

    Yulia, you have to realize something. Hyunda isn''t the wrong person for me. I was just too stupid to realize it at first that he was the right person for me. Because I have never felt this much happiness in my life and I refuse to believe that it''s a mistake because it''s clearly not!

    "It depends, doesn''t it? By falling in love with someone else, you are opening a part of yourself that you have never opened to anyone else, so it''s normal that friends and surroundings feel skeptical when that person shows their vulnerable side to one person alone. Because what if the person that he/she fell in love with just doesn''t treasure his/her feelings? What then? So, can you really censure her in this scenario?"

    Surprising me furthermore, Hyunda spoke those words of comprehension. Sincerely, I adore how he''s not mentioning Yulia''s name!

    "No, not at all... But it''s still annoying... Because it''s the person''s choice, not someone else''s..."

    "I''m pretty sure that was not her point, but I understand your worries and sudden anxiety. Is this person you?"

    Um... What d-do I say now...

    Oh god, no, seriously what do I say now...

    "You don''t have to answer if you don''t want to. I was just curious."

    "Um, no, no. It wouldn''t be fair to keep you in the dark... I was just speaking just in case I fell in love with someone else that others think that he is wrong and evil..."

    Indirectly, I just told him that I love him in a very subtle manner. It would be fantastic if he realized...

    "In other words, me?"

    "Well, yea----"

    Wait.

    "Noooo! No, no. You aren''t wrong and evil, hahaha, that was a tongue slip..."

    Unintentionally, I almost said it. I... just didn''t expect him to say that! Why would he say that?! I mean, you aren''t wrong at all, Hyunda, it''s just...

    "Was it though?"

    ........

    I really want to keep on lying about my true feelings but...

    "Maybe..."

    "Maybe? As in, there is a fifty percent chance that you were referring to me just now? Or was it another person?"

    "Who knows, really..."

    Eye contact is hard as always whenever I am around you. If I look at you in your eyes then I want you to embrace me with every ounce of your being regardless of how you proceed to do it.

    "Heh. Okay. No real answer, huh? Hey, do you still remember when we went out at the beginning of March?"

    Stupid question, my love. Out of all the moments we have spent together, how could I literally forget that romantic chain of events that took place on March 1st?!

    "Yeah, of course! We went to really cool and obscure places! Why... do you ask?"

    It would be nice if we could do something similar at the beginning of April. Without a doubt, we will have to spend the whole day together. This is not debatable whatsoever.

    If Hyunda says that he has other plans I will fucking kill myself, I swear.

    "Are you free on the first day of April? Or do you have plans?"

    "I am absolutely free."

    Without any secondary thoughts given, I gave that answer to the person who just asked me that. The person who I love to hang out the most. Out of all the human beings on this planet, you are my favorite for sure.

    Did I mention that every other human being that isn''t you or me shouldn''t exist?

    "That''s cool. Do you want to go somewhere?"

    "E-Eh? What... are you saying...?"

    Slightly blushing, with a red flushed face I intentionally made that reluctant question while knowing what Hyunda was already implied in the first place.

    Or so I thought.

    "I am saying if you want to go somewhere in specific or am I free to take you wherever I want to take you? I need an answer so I can plan things ahead, Arkalee."

    That alone made my mind lose its track transiently due to how shocked I was. He... is taking me into consideration for his plans?! Then, I...

    "You are free to take me wherever you want..."

    I just didn''t expect this, at all. So aggressive. But, I don''t mind it. Because, where I wanted to go was where you wanted to go, so it''s really all the same.

    But, where are we going at the end of the month? No, at the beginning of the month, rather. Can we just skip to the beginning of April already? I want to know.

    "Really? Alright then. By the way, are you on good terms with your family?"

    I am on good terms with you, I think. So, I don''t really understand your question, Hyunda.

    Hahaha, of course, I can''t speak the honest truth like that. He would think I''m a strange freak, haha...

    As for my biological family ---- Well, it won''t be long until we get into the biological department, I''m sure, my love. I really wasn''t joking with Yulia earlier. I want it. So badly.

    Anyway---

    "I don''t know... They haven''t really given a call."

    More like, they don''t care about me. Not that I share a different sentiment when it comes to them.

    They don''t matter at all. Because, Hyunda, you are everything that only matters so everything else is therefore irrelevant.

    "How do you feel about them in general? Any hardships? I need you to be honest, alright?"

    "Yeah, alright... Um, so... My mother and father don''t... really care about me... Haha, weird for me to say this but it''s really the truth."

    I would go as far as claiming that this is the honest truth and that I am not doing this for attention, but when it comes to you, Hyunda, that would be a false claim.

    Give me attention, please.

    "Why not? Had a fight?"

    "No... They... just never cared about me. Their careers are always their top priorities and they just expected me to succeed in every single thing in order to become a good citizen of society."

    Though, I really couldn''t accept that sort of trash set of ideals. And unknowingly at the time that my parents denied me, I started to crave indirect attention from all my past boyfriends and that was how I began my crime spree.

    It''s their stupid fault for always fucking betraying me anyways. If they hadn''t done that, then I wouldn''t have done what I did.

    Honestly, I thought it was the end of me when I was arrested for all these crimes, but no! It was fate that brought me here closer to you, Hyunda. I know that we are fated to love each other forever and ever!

    Although, not to worry Hyunda. I won''t let you be like my past boyfriends. I''ve learned from my past mistakes and I''ll take the necessary steps to not screw up again.

    So long as you don''t do anything unnecessary that might conflict my emotions, you should be fine. Just, don''t, cheat, on, me, okay, my, love?

    "Mhm, I see. Rough, I suppose. So, how would you feel about meeting them?"

    "Somewhat horrible... And the feeling would be sporadic and convoluted. Besides, I don''t know what to talk about when I''m around them. They are so serious and reserved..."

    I remember multiple times where silence was more present than an actual dialogue between our supposed interactions.

    "So you don''t want to meet them then?"

    Hm? What is he saying exactly?

    "By myself, no... Unless you mean something else..."

    It''s ridiculous to confront them by myself when there is nothing to confront them about. I am not mad at them, because the feeling is mutual, so there is nothing to gain with that sort of endeavor.

    "So, by yourself, you can''t do it? Then, what about if you went with a friend?"

    Is this some sort of joke?

    "Hahaha, you can just tell me what you want to say..."

    "Sure. I think I know where we could spend April 1st and progressively aim towards something better at the same time."

    "Yeah? Where though?"

    "You see, Arkalee, that''s the thing. I''m not sure if you are willing to go with me now that you don''t really like the place."

    Hm? But I never claimed that I hated a certain place... Weird...

    "Hyunda, I never said that I hated a certain place..."

    "You''re right. You didn''t. But you implied that you hated your own family or that your interaction with your parents isn''t that strong. Which should mean that you don''t feel exactly comfortable in your house."

    "Yeahhh, what can I say? I----"

    It took me so long to realize. I am seriously stupid, so stupid.

    "U-Um. Sorry, what?"

    "What what?"

    "No, don''t play dumb now, that''s really unfair, hahaha... What do you mean by you are unsure of whether or not I like the place? Are you referring to my house? Where my family lives?"

    He is. He is. I know he is! Then, that means.....!

    "Yeah, that''s what I was referring to."

    "Okay... But, why do you want to go to my home suddenly...?"

    Is there a particular reason for this...? Why must we pass our precious day with them...

    "Isn''t it obvious why?"

    "No... I don''t think so..."

    I''ve already explained why I feel the way I feel towards my family so I don''t really understand his intentions here...

    "That''s because I want to meet your parents."

    "Why...? What for...?"

    Why does Hyunda want to meet my parents...? Seriously, there are so many better places that we could spend our sacred time in, so why...

    Unless ----- No, no. No way he''s implying that. That''s just my silly romantic imagination...

    "Because I need their permission."

    "Permission?"

    Unfortunately for me, my imagination started to intertwine with my expectations. Not that it was any different but I felt a more realistic sense now. After all, I was almost positive that he was going to say words that I absolutely wanted to hear.

    "Yeah, permission. Something only your parents can give me."

    "And what sort of permission is th----"

    Waaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiitttt.

    C-Could it be?! Oh! My! God!

    Seriously?!

 Volume 13 - Chapter 86: Look what you made me do!

    "But that will only happen at the end of all of this. Have you attended an event yet, Arkalee?"

    So at the end of all of this, on our day of freedom, we will go to my house and he will ask my parents'' permission to marry me?! But, but, you don''t need their permission...

    It''s true that we can''t get legally married yet but we can make vows and stuff like that to increase the potency of our love. Ohhh, but you are thinking about our children''s future so you are taking the maximum precaution possible!

    So thoughtful!

    "Hey, Arkalee. You there?"

    "A-Ah, yes! I''m here, I''m here!"

    These thoughts of immediate jubilant happiness consumed me instantly without a warning. It''s natural considering how happy I am. Even I can''t hide it; my smile is showing itself radiantly as I look at you in your eyes, Hyunda.

    "Are you okay? You seem to be out of it. Did something in addition happen?"

    You happened.

    "Ah, yes. But I''ll answer your question my l--- Hyunda, sooo, I haven''t! Why do you ask...?"

    I almost said it. It''s getting so hard to control my words lately that I just feel like letting my honest thoughts take over. And besides, Hyunda implied that he was aware that I love him and he didn''t seem bothered by it.

    Is that a sign that it''s alright for me to advance? Say something, please...

    "I was thinking about your plans. What do you plan on doing?"

    "Oh, I want to win a lot of contests for sure. You should have this mindset too, you know? I''m worried about you..."

    Because if you fail in the events then I can''t do anything but sit back and watch as you fail... And I don''t want that. If you fail the program''s requirements then you will have to leave.

    Regardless, that''s not an actual problem. If Hyunda fails, then I will go along with him. We will die together and be together forever. However... If I can do something about his situation in the meantime, then I won''t have to resort to such drastic measures...

    "Thanks for worrying. But I''m more worried about you, Arkalee."

    "You are...?"

    "Yeah. You already have failed an exam and if you manage to score ten wins, then you should be able to subtract that. I''m not in the same position as I already have two exams accumulated. Which is why I want you to take this seriously, alright?"

    Okay.

    Sure, if you say so. I''ll crush anyone that stands in my way. I wasn''t that motivated to do the events but now that you say it, I''ll do them for sure.

    Therefore, I''ll propose something along the way.

    "Alright, sure... But, Hyunda, could you participate with me in the events? If we are together then I can help you and I''m positive that I can come in first place in at least ten events!"

    But, if you want to be the first in every single one of them, then I will make sure that happens.

    It''s just that if you are there by my side then my self-esteem goes up tremendously. It''s scary to even conduct these events without you by my side. Because, in the meantime that I''m doing them alone, what will you be doing?

    Talking to someone else that isn''t me? Approaching another girl? Giving Yulia attention? Prioritizing Daniel? THINKING about Ikkiri? Not a chance, hahah.

    Speaking of Ikkiri... Skran is doing a good job of chasing her around with his group from the looks of it. It''s somewhat trivial to even mention, but the events here work with 25 players per event. Therefore, a group that contains more than 10 greatly skilled individuals, academic-wise, will put Ikkiri in the bottom place in every single event.

    In other words, Ikkiri won''t win a single thing because she will be stalked by them every single time. Fifty events only to lose every single one of them. If only you didn''t mess with my love you bitch, then this wouldn''t have happened.

    And no, this isn''t the end. It''s only going to get worse from here on.

    "Unfortunately, I have things to do. As for those things, I''ve already explained to you, didn''t I? How I want to make Daniel and his current girlfriend to be torn apart.

    Once again, he didn''t mention Yulia''s name and went with an indirect intercourse choice of words. I am baffled, my love. So much consideration.

    "Yes, you have mentioned that. But, you didn''t specify the details either... You just said that I would be crucial to make it work. But, why do you want to break them up?"

    Not that I object to your decision, my love. I support it, in fact. I just wish to know why you want to do something that pleases me so much. However, if this is too much for you to answer, then I can understand.

    You are already doing a favor to me.

    "I told you, Arkalee. I think Yulia''s cheating on him so I want them to be torn apart because it''s not good for Daniel, do you understand?"

    ?????

    "Um, Hyunda?"

    "Yeah? Oh, right... My bad. I''m still getting used to it... His girlfriend, then. Sorry."

    I started freaking out for a second when he said Yulia''s name out loud like that... What happened that made you forget your vow...? Well, at least your intention wasn''t to hurt me even though I was prematurely hurt but it''s fine now.

    "Okay, as long as you don''t do it again, hahaha."

    Fakely, I laughed, but the truth is, I was so hurt on the inside that it wasn''t even funny. Not even worth a laugh, so to say.

    "Mhm... Now that you mention this, isn''t it somewhat unfair that you are free to address everyone else in a natural way and I am not?"

    "Do you want me to address everyone indirectly as well then?"

    I really don''t mind. I really, really don''t. Because then, it would be something that only we two would do and thus I would be extremely happy. I can just call Yulia by ''Whore number 1'', Sana by ''Whore number 2'', Ikkiri by ''Fucking worthless piece of trash that should have never been created'' and many other alternate names!

    "Eh, it''s fine. It would get confusing for you."

    "Hah, no, it would not!"

    Undeniably though, I''m really thankful for Hyunda to notice the controversy in my actions because that was intentional. I intentionally created this just so this could happen, but I''m disappointed that you aren''t agreeing with me...

    Are you jealous that I could ever mention another boy''s name so much in your presence? Not to worry, I''m too loyal to you to ever do something as outrageous as that.

    "Is that so? Well, as I was saying, in Daniel''s steed, I want to break them up because his current girlfriend is probably cheating on him. According to Daniel, she''s been absent and never pays him any attention and he is worried that this might mean that he''s being cheated on. As his friend, I want to help his situation and break them up. For this to work, I need you to be on good terms with her, alright?"

    You are doing so much for someone so worthless, Hyunda. It''s beyond me why you bother with these trash cans. How about us? We can just talk and kiss each other and maybe discuss life ahead of us. How we are going to name our children and all that.

    Remember back in the principal''s office how you ironically mentioned that? Was it that ironic though? The fact that you had it in your mind should mean something, right? That maybe you are just in the same line of thought as I am.

    But, alright.

    "Alright, I got it. But... I don''t know how to be on good terms with Yulia. Any suggestions?"

    Test question. If you say: ''You should be on greater terms than me rather than anyone else'' then I will give you a surprise kiss, hehe.

    "If it isn''t much, just apologize to her."

    Ahhhh... Back to being tactless. Well, that didn''t last long. Also, apologize to her? My love, what sort of joke is this?

    "But, if it''s much, you can just pretend. Or is it too much for you? In retrospect, if you hate Yulia or something of that sort, then you can still befriend her. Or is this impossible for you?"

    Oh, if that''s the case...

    "Sure... I don''t think I mind pretending honestly."

    Pretending is something that I do every day. I pretend not to love you totally but on the inside, I am burning of jealousy and desire of wanting your affection. So, you could say that I am a professional at pretending, Hyunda.

    "Are you sure, Arkalee? I want you to think about this. You know how I feel about forcing you to do something, right?"

    "Of course, of course. But I really will do it, relax!"

    There''s that and the fact that I am supposedly yours so, as long as your orders aren''t completely nonsensical such as hanging out with someone else or being away from me, then I will obey every single one of them.

    Look, it''s not as if I am disobeying you because I want to, my love. It pains me to go against your will, but in the past, when you said that you wanted to take a walk with Daniel, I just got supremely pissed off because I''m supposed to be special to you, so treat me specially, please.

    "By the way, what do you plan on doing once you graduate and hopefully pass the program''s requirements, Arkalee?"

    Being your wife forever, what else? You''ve been asking so many self-explanatory questions, Hyunda.

    What''s wrong...?

    Hahaha, as if I can just say that...

    "Um... I haven''t thought about it... What about you, Hyunda...?"

    I wonder what he wants to be in the future? I''ll support his decision, honestly. Ah, but it would be nice if he could choose a job that gives a good salary. So our kids can have a happy future.

    I see what you are trying to do, Hyunda. You already want to know if I qualify as a mother, don''t you!?

    "The president of Japan, what else? Or maybe the prime minister? Shinzo Abe needs to be overthrown, honestly."

    "Eh!? You want to be the president? No, wait, prime minister!?"

    That''s...

    "I was joking. No way I can become something like that. I''m like you in this scenario. I haven''t given much thought about this, at all. But, my point was that you can''t afford to be behind academic tests and evaluation exams that require positive results. In other words, current events."

    "Yes, I understand..."

    So that was a joke...? That was weird... He even mentioned the prime minister...

    "Also, that lemonade is already done. No need to keep on drinking it when there''s nothing in it."

    "Ah, yeah..."

    I wasn''t drinking it for the lemonade though. I was just tasting the traces of your saliva that have been in this specific straw. Naturally, I''ll put this straw in my bag and take it with me to my room.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Speaking of my room, it''s so beautiful now! I have finally managed to get enough pictures and started to stick them into my wall! Now, every time I wake up I can remember that time where we took pictures with one another, back on March 1st!

    Of course, our texts are also there. I''m thinking of doing something better though. Maybe I should get a portfolio and collect every single one of our texts and print them just so I can put them there? That way, whenever I am bored, I can just read them. Yes, I can always go to my phone and read them but this way, I can read them more elegantly!

    "Is there anything you want to talk about in specific? We are alone here, so now''s the chance. I might get busy at this festival which means that I will not be able to be with you throughout the whole festival."

    Huh!?

    Why would you say such cruel words when I was in the middle of imagining thoughts that resembled how precious our union is?!

    "B-But why!? Why can''t we be together as I said...?"

    "You have to learn how to be without me. Otherwise, others will think of you as weak. Do you want that?"

    "But I don''t care about what they think. They don''t matter. At all."

    I''m weak? Try me.

    I''ll silence you and your wrong opinions. You''ll see.

    "It''s not about them, Arkalee. It''s about you."

    "Me...?"

    "Yeah. I can''t be your link of strength all the time, you need to be independently useful to yourself without me being a relevant factor to it. That''s why we have to practice our distance. For this particular motive."

    But if you are my link of strength and you are aware of that major factor then how can you suggest something as unreasonable as detaching myself from you!?

    Distance?! Helloooooo!? That''s a death flag for our romance!

    "Am I allowed to reject this idea of yours...?!"

    I don''t want him to think that I am just rudely rejecting every single thing he throws at me but when you say something like that how do you expect me to react properly?!

    "No, you''re not. I can''t always be there for you. I''m sorry. It''s a fact. There will be times where I will be on my own and you will be on your own and you''ll have to learn how to deal with the distance."

    I''m freaking out. I''m freaking oooooouuuuttttt! What the hell! Deal with the distance!? Why!?

    "Please don''t say something like that... Maybe I don''t want to learn how to deal with the distance! Hey, aren''t two individuals united better than one individual on her own?! Completely logical, right?!"

    And just what are you thinking exactly? I understand why you want to practice this ''distance'' idea. According to you, it''s because I''m too dependant on you and that means that I am getting weaker due to this dependence.

    However, you just don''t realize how nonsensical that suggestion is. No, it wasn''t a suggestion!

    It was an order! AN order! No, sorry. Not acceptable. We will be together forever and there is no debate here. No arguments will be made.

    "Well, that''s certainly logical, yes. Hm... I don''t want you to think that I am against you or something so I''ll put it from a better retrospective."

    I don''t believe that any retrospective will change my mind, love.

    "If I ever leave you, due to some unexpected event, then I can''t be there for you."

    "Well, then don''t be away. Simpleeeee."

    Also, how can you suggest something as horrible as being away? I will slaughter anyone that takes you away from me.

    Literally, I am not joking, I fucking mean this. You are mine!

    "That''s not realistic. I need you to follow my thought process a little bit without complaining. Do you remember the time when I was in the underground fulfilling the supply exam?"

    "Uh, yeah..."

    Was there ever a time like that? I try not to remember any time that didn''t happen before I realized my feelings for you, so it''s horrendously cruel of you to remind me of those unhappy times where I didn''t know what happiness was actually like, also known as, loving you.

    "During that time, I couldn''t be with the rest of the class, in other words, only the boys were present back then. If an event like that happens again, then I am bound to be away."

    "Don''t worry, I''m preeeeeeetttyyyy sure that won''t happen, hahaha."

    If I knew ahead of time that I would fall in love with you this badly then I would''ve just stopped the event from happening.

    I didn''t though.

    "I''m not. Here is why. I''ll fail this exam."

    ?!

    "Sorry!?"

    How can you say that!? Fail the exam!? Hyunda, you need to stop speaking nonsense...!

    "It''s just the truth. It''s so irrelevant and partial if you think about it. You can literally just go back to your dorm and chill out. Hey, wanna do that? Wanna come to my room again?"

    "Oka---"

    "Just kidding. This is serious for you. Not for me though. Henceforth, I''ll probably have to endure the consequence which is the supply exam. Alternatively speaking, I might not be able to be with you for a while. Got it?"

    I really hate how you just made a joke about that. I was so serious just now, Hyunda.

    Yet you just threw that option out of the window like it was nothing! But, if you wanted to, hypothetically speaking, invite me to your room, it means that you desire my presence and that you need my presence to be in your room, right?

    Therefore, it should also mean that you want something out of my presence. Did you think something along the lines of connecting deeply with me via physical ways?

    Just say it. I really want you to say it.

    "Arkalee... You gotta stop spacing out. I just said something important..."

    "Oh! You''re right! My bad, hehe. What were we talking about again?"

    There''s no way that I actually spaced out, I was just pretending to just so you can forget that nonsensical talk about distance.

    "I see. This talk is really bothering you, isn''t it?"

    "No, no. It''s not the talk. It''s the topic, that''s all. Please don''t force me to obey that type of order. I''m really not comfortable with it."

    Unfortunately, I''m not the type of person that just swallows every single order. It needs to be romantically logical to me, honestly!

    Like, if you ask me a girl''s number, then it''s logical to break that girl''s phone, right!? Because that way, you won''t be interested in her, hahaha.

    "We can postpone this topic, I suppose. Maybe today''s not a good day."

    "It will never be a good today when it comes to that topic, hahaha."

    Just don''t insist on it, okay? Why be distant when you can be closer? Like, right now? We are really close. Almost glued to one another. Ahhh, can I just, feel your embrace already? Please?

    "I''ll get back to it eventually, Arkalee."

    "Likewise."

    "...That aside, do you want to go somewhere else?"

    "Mhm...? Well, isn''t it just nice in here? You can observe the vast blue sky still lingering on to the fallen clouds that are scattered throughout the lost canvas. Furthermore, the sun isn''t a bother; as the weather reflects the temperature nicely! Not too warm nor too cold! Plus, we can just stay here and talk a lot. Ah, if you are worried about the events then don''t be. It''s the first day! However, I''ll take them seriously! So, take them seriously too, please."

    I won''t obviously say something as outrageous like ''the events don''t matter'' because they obviously do!

    Sincerely, all in all, I just hope that Hyunda isn''t thinking about failing this exam on purpose...

    "I already told you my opinion about that. Also, let''s go somewhere else. Aren''t we losing the multiple attractions that the festival has to offer by staying here? Actually, I saw a gelateria near block D. I think it''s new here, in school. Wanna give it a go?"

    "Eh, really? A gelateria? Hm..."

    I''m getting somewhat skeptical. I wouldn''t mind checking it if that''s actually the case because I like ice cream and the fact that we are at the beginning of the spring season doesn''t affect me.

    However... Mhm... I really want to stay here. Oh well. I guess it wouldn''t hurt to be a little more open-minded about this...

    "By coming along, I could get to know your preferences when it comes to ice cream flavors. Or do you not like that idea?"

    Oh. Oh. This is for the sake of getting to know more about me? Sorry, I just... Wow.

    You surprise me so much, it''s unbelievable.

    "I do like that idea. Let''s go then!"

    Thus, we exited the garden and made our way to the gelateria that was near block D.

    Not too big nor too small, it was a small house that wasn''t entirely populated yet it had its fair share of students inside.

    It''s impressive how these events that occur throughout the festival aren''t being taken that seriously by many yet to me, they are really important.

    Nonetheless, there''s no need to rush them.

    My idea of doing them with Hyunda still stands. What do I need to do to convince him to take the exam seriously...?

    Geez, you''re such an enigma, my love.

    "Oh..."

    While walking inside the gelateria, we crossed a somewhat familiar face. A face that has been long lost in my memory.

    No, not someone from our class but someone that we had already met previously. This person immediately presented terrible appearance skills as her horrible braids were all over the place.

    Does she even apply products before making them? Clearly not, from the looks of it. Laughable.

    I''m positive that she attempted to manipulate parts of her hair with dry hands yet people don''t realize just how much that screws the whole process...

    "Hyunda...?"

    No, that wasn''t me. It was someone that had the audacity to address my love without a second thought.

    "Oh, you are... Mhm... I remember now. It''s been a while, Maria."

    Ummmmmmmmm.

    "Hyunda?"

    I had to call him out while he was exchanging that pure nonsensical trade of words with Maria, the girl that was for some reason, not gone completely yet.

    Truth to be told, I never really got rid of her.

    "It''s fine, Arkalee."

    No, no, it''s not!

    "Am I bothering something...?"

    Perplexed, Maria couldn''t help but ask that. She looked ready to leave so I decided to drag Hyunda to the other side of the gelateria just so she could leave immediately.

    "Nope. You were on your way to leave, right, Maria? My bad there. Go ahead!"

    Suggesting her to take the leave, I happily said those words.

    Yet for some reason, she looked reluctant to obey my words and did something unexpected.

    "Umm, Hyunda, are you seeing someone right now?"

    ? ? ? ? ? ? Hmmm? What? Did I just...? No, I definitely did.

    "Well, no."

    No, my love. Don''t say that. Maria will actually think that you don''t belong to someone and will then try and see if you are open to her! No, no!

    "Um, Maria, now''s not the time. Can you leave already?"

    It''s hard to be polite in the face of the bitch that just asked my man if he was open to dating. However, dumb creatures like you should be spared on the premise that you just never show up ever again in front of our faces.

    So, why are you not going away, Maria?!

    "...No."

    What the fucking fuck did you just say?

    "Sorry?"

    "I said no... Hyunda, you are available, right? Come with me, then!"

    Simultaneously to those unreliable words, in the exact time, I check the inside of my bag to confirm that a certain instrument was there.

    Realistically speaking, this situation was bound to happen sooner or later.

    It was just a matter of time. So, it will come down to this? Again?

    Alright. It can''t be helped.

    "I''m---"

    "No need to answer that Hyunda. You said something about distance, right? Let''s practice that! In the meantime, I and Maria will play!"

    "Sure."

    Thank you for confirming, my love. Now, as for the confused Maria...

    "Hey, I want to have a word with you!"

    "But I---"

    She''s persistent, so I brought her closer to me and spoke directly to her ear closely.

    What I spoke off, was a piece of information that a third-rate slut like her wouldn''t be able to deny due to how desperate she is.

    "I can help you win Hyunda''s heart, just come along!"

    Naturally, she wasn''t able to deny this, as Maria just shook her head in a manner of consent.

    Ultimately, I dragged Maria out of the gelateria and brought her closer to the school''s main gate, where students could leave at any so given time.

    Of course, this didn''t apply to me.

    The majority of the time at least. Considering how every other guard is busy securing the festival''s progress and order, only one guard is guarding the main gate. I already took that into consideration, fortunately.

    "Where are we going...?"

    "Oh, just you wait and see. I have to tell you all there is about Hyunda!"

    What a lie. However, in the end, I will tell you something regarding him.

    Good luck capturing what I will say though.

    Future phenomenons aside, I texted Skran and asked him to start a fight near-by the main gate. A fight that would distract the gate guardian, of course.

    Skran is a class A student and thus, I''ve already talked to him before. Unfortunately for the teachers, I don''t really care about the rule of interaction. The consequence was just some stupid assignments and some scolding from Basara-sensei...

    The thing about Skran is that... He''s totally in love with me. My looks work so well along with my innocent attitude on every single other person that isn''t you, Hyunda.

    More the reason to love you, babe.

    In the end, just as predicted, after passing through the main gate with no guard securing it because the guard was too busy stopping the fight, Maria and I walked out of the school.

    "Um, Arkalee. Just tell me now, what you wanted to talk about. Tell me all you know about Hyunda!"

    How demanding. Truly fitting of you.

    I thought that you were the type of slut who knew her place but that doesn''t seem to be the case.

    Which is why we are going to the highest peak of this mountain. Until then though...

    "Wait for it... It''s really important that no one knows this type of information... If you let someone else know about this, then someone else can use it against you! Which is why we have to be alone. Got it?"

    "Oh... Okay! It must really be important huh!? To the point where we have to change locations, I see."

    Little do you know, Maria.

    Little do you know...

    Fifteen minutes later, after climbing the whole stairway to the top of the mountain, a huge cliff could be found.

    Thankfully, this mountain doesn''t have any residents outside of the school students but they are all too busy attending the festival.

    Hyunda, you said something about distance, right? I don''t like what you said about it though. If we grow distant then beings like Maria will take advantage of our distance and this happens!

    They will think that you aren''t mine and that I don''t love you when I do! Therefore... I need to get rid of people that think with this misconception in their minds...

    "Woah... I didn''t know that there was a huge cliff like this!"

    "Yup! It''s a really big cliff, Maria!"

    We both were almost on the edge of the cliff. Just by glancing upon the bottom of the cliff, Maria got immediately skeptical as she formed a worried expression.

    "H-Hey... Do we really need to discuss it here...?"

    "Eh? No, not really."

    Well, it''s time.

    Going through my bag, I could feel the back of its edge... Sharp and metallic, as I clearly remembered. Usually, I always carry it around yet I started turning skeptical lately regarding its usage.

    I am glad that I thought of putting my knife inside the bag today. This scenario has been going on and on inside my mind. How some random slut would approach Hyunda without knowing her place...

    Although, I''ll admit that it was surprising... Maria, out of all the people.

    "Huh? Then why did we come here...? Wait, w-what are you holding....!?"

    Oh, she noticed the knife in my hand. Too bad for her. Our distance is pretty much nonexistent as of now. And you just so happen to be facing against the edge of the cliff with your back turned against it.

    No, it was no coincidence. Our positions were matched perfectly for this moment alone.

    "You deserved it, bitch."

    With a sharp stab on her abdomen, the knife''s edge pierced her abdomen fatality spelling her death.

    Shocked by what was happening, Maria just couldn''t believe it.

    "E-Eh...? Why...? Did you....? I thought that we were friends---"

    "Nope. Friends? Nice one. Reflect on your unforgivable offense in hell, Maria!"

    Finishing the whole act, I gave her a heavy push and made her fall over the cliff. Accordingly, the cliff should be over a thousand meters tall. Sincerely, far more, but what matters is that her body will fall into the bottom thus killing her completely.

    Noticeably, I took my knife off her abdomen before watching her fall off the cliff.

    Her screams while falling spelled unspoken joy to me as I nostalgically felt the very similar sensation of getting rid of any girl that approaches the one I love.

    "Ahhh... Right, Maria, sorry about that. I forgot to say it... The thing about Hyunda that no one knows and that everyone should know is that... He''s mine and only mine. So, what just happened is not my fault. It''s yours. If you had never approached him then this wouldn''t have happened. Nothing personal, since I would''ve done something like this to any other girl, really."

    Ikkiri''s case is a bit different. She needs to literally suffer.

    Hm? Why isn''t Maria saying something though?

    How rude...!

    "Hey, Maria ---- Oh, you''re gone?"

    Where is she though? Wasn''t she here just a moment ago?

    Curious to know where she went, I checked and gazed upon the deep bottom of the cliff.

    There, I saw a small body spattered all over the place, although, from my position, the body was smaller than an ant.

    Almost atom-size.

    Truly fitting, because that''s how small you are, Maria.

    "Ah, oops. Were. That''s right you are gone."

    Really, really, it''s your fault, you know?

    If only you didn''t utter those particular words at the person I very much deeply love...

    If only, right?

    Okay! Time to go back to school now!

    Hyunda''s waiting for me surely!

 Volume 13 - Chapter 87: Evidence.

    I almost lost my composure over the bitch''s trash level insults but I quickly reminded myself that I am currently ignoring her and so, breaking out of this cycle would spell my defeat.

    Henceforth, I decided to keep on doing that as I further descended down the stairs to the outside.

    "Kuzan, you''re not coming?"

    Kuzan looked indecisive as he looked towards Kanawari and in my direction, which meant that he was thinking of staying with Kanawari.

    Therefore, I took immediate action regarding this.

    "I see. Later."

    "Yeah, later, Aniki."

    Just a few steps away from crossing with her. Her over usage of perfume became obvious as soon as I crossed her alongside Kanawari.

    Not only that but her grin would not fall off her face regardless of how apathetic I may seem in the physical surface. Whether intentional or not, she didn''t rebook back at me.

    That could be read as a sign that she is aware of my ignoring act.

    Then, I hope she enjoys it.

    She should try stabbing herself with a pioneer if she loves to stab others with pioneers that much.

    As I left the external block, I took a deep breath and proceeded to inhale the fresh afternoon air.

    However, I couldn''t exactly relax for more than five seconds as my phone rang.

    "..."

    Looking at my phone''s screen, I noticed a familiar name. Hyunda''s past words offered me, at the moment, the necessary will to take this call without totally forcing myself to do it.

    "Hey."

    "Hey... Do you wanna meet up...?"

    She sounds pretty negative. What exactly is going through her mind? I need to know.

    "Actually, yeah. Do you have a place in mind?"

    At a time like this, it''s best if I just let her take the lead and not go complete commander mode for no reason.

    "Anywhere you like."

    "Alright, wanna meet up at that abandoned classroom?"

    "Oh, okay. Sure. See you then."

    "See you. Love you."

    After delivering those romantic words to Yulia, I terminated the call.

    Otherwise, it would''ve been awkward to continue. Yulia''s non-persisting behavior is sometimes mysterious to me. There are times where she will persist and others where she won''t.

    I need to know why that''s the case.

    Eventually...

    "Oh, you got here first."

    Naturally, considering how my walking pace is faster than hers, I got here faster without a problem.

    I was in the back of the classroom mindlessly taking my mind off reality yet that sort of action was put to an end as soon as the stunning figure of Yulia came into my eyes.

    However, despite saying those words of formality, Yulia was looking down, expressing a certain degree of emotional negativity.

    As soon as she took her seat next to me, I asked her the following question.

    "What''s wrong? What happened? You look down."

    It''s not exactly natural for a supposed girlfriend to look down whenever she''s in the presence of her boyfriend. Realistically, you are supposed to trade happy moments and cute laughs together, for example.

    Yet none of that came from her, which means something happened.

    "Ah... You want to know, Daniel?"

    "Yes? I mean, should I not? You''re looking down, so I have to look out for you. Also, sorry for not taking your calls earlier."

    More importantly, I wish to know what''s on her mind. I need to release her of her current worries so Yulia feels secure.

    "That''s fine. I''ve been annoying, haven''t I? I think that I captured something essential. Being too clingy and naggy is surprisingly a boring trait, isn''t it?"

    I''m not sure. I''ve never tried to think about whether or not it''s boring for a girl to be clingy all over the guy she loves.

    If I were to ask a desperate person, then the desperate person would answer with a yes, but if I were to ask a person with minimal social standards, then it''s the equivalent of having a stalker.

    Then again, it all changes when the relationship involves that of a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship.

    "Not exactly. I don''t think that you are clingy at all, Yulia. However, what made you realize that?"

    Though truthfully speaking, Yulia''s worries can be comprehensible. I''m just not the correct person for this, simply because I lack the ability to care for the majority of the part.

    "Really...? Er, well... For me to explain the whole thing in detail I need to ask you something..."

    "Hm?"

    "What do you think about Hyunda? What is he to you? A friend? A classmate? Or just someone who you randomly socialize?"

    "Hyunda?"

    That''s an interesting question. I think of him as someone who can actually understand my natural intentions and doesn''t judge me constantly for what I am.

    As a matter of fact, I would go as far as saying that he might be the only one who can comprehend me on a mutual level.

    But...

    "A classmate."

    I''m not sure if he considers me as a friend or not. Our talks are usually either completely serious or purely naturally relaxed. One thing I know for sure about our talks is that I always learn something new from him.

    This is why I enjoy our conversations more out of all the conversations I have with the other people I usually talk to.

    "I see... That''s a relief..."

    Why is it a relief though?

    I wanted to ask that straight away but I allowed Yulia to continue.

    "Listen, he''s not someone who you should be around. He''s an evil lying manipulator who enjoys the sadness and torment of others. Even Arkalee included..."

    Okay, why did this suddenly become about Arkalee? Not that I didn''t know what Yulia was saying about Hyunda being a manipulator, it''s just useless to attempt to even comprehend his actions because no matter how much I try I won''t reach a plausible conclusion.

    He''s similar to Kawahara in this sense.

    "What about her?"

    Unlike her previous sad posture, Yulia gained a more refined attitude as soon as I said that, meaning that her upcoming words would most likely connect with her sad attitude.

    "You see, we had a fight a while ago! I tried to convince Arkalee, along with Sana, that Hyunda was a bad influence for her! You know how she''s over the feels with Hyunda, right!?"

    "Yeah."

    Anyone that has witnessed how she behaves around him should know that this is a fact. However, my biggest concern is that she might end up doing something quite desperate in order for his attention.

    Or maybe that''s just my intuition alarming me for no reason whatsoever.

    "Like, Arkalee refuses to listen to reason! I''m telling her to stop being so clingy with him and the worst part about this is that Arkalee thinks I''m doing this for Hyunda''s attention! I don''t know what to do about this because it pains me to see a good friend like Arkalee falls in the hands of an evil bastard like him..."

    ...?

    Where did this hatred for Hyunda come from?

    "Yulia, what do you have against Hyunda exactly? You said that he was an evil lying manipulator but what exactly made you think that''s the case?"

    Sure, I know that this is true.

    However, how do you know this, Yulia?

    "O-Oh... Did I say that? Never mind that, haha..."

    "What? No, tell me, really. I''m worried about you."

    No, I just want to actually know why that''s the case. She might be suspecting something unnecessary and that would be problematic for the overall progression of Hyunda''s plan.

    "Well... Okay... I think that he''s hanging out with Arkalee on purpose. Like, think about it! There''s no conceivable reason for Hyunda to hang out with Arkalee, honestly! So, I think that he''s manipulating her, and thus, I wish to prevent that from happening. Grrr."

    Did she just let out a small roar?

    Sorta cute.

    "Do you have some sort of strategy?"

    Sincerely, I would just oppose her idea of helping Arkalee out because Arkalee might possibly be beyond help at this point, but it''s best to go along with Yulia''s idea.

    "That''s what I wanted to discuss with you. What do you think I should do...?"

    Now that she asks me that, I thought about something that made sense.

    Why does Hyunda hang out with Arkalee that much anyways? Wasn''t he with Ikkiri all the time previously?

    Shit...

    The more I think about it, the more Kawahara''s theory starts to click. As expected of a bipolar genius.

    "Before going into that, I''m curious to know why you view Arkalee as a friend, Yulia."

    Sana was intentionally set up just so Yulia could spend more time with her, but I didn''t plan for Yulia and Arkalee to become friends.

    So, I naturally don''t know what exactly happened between them.

    "I consider her as a friend because I view her as someone that is going through a situation that requires help and she might feel like no one understands her intentions when I really do. And I want to help her out, because that''s what friends do, right?"

    "Well, yes."

    Supposedly, at least.

    I''m not an expert in the concept of friendship nor its interpretation forms.

    Nevertheless, Yulia''s correct in the saying that a friend will always help out another one. The thing is...

    "Does Arkalee consider you as a friend?"

    "Probably not. But that doesn''t matter. Because I''m not doing this for the sake of a reward. I really want to help her out!"

    Pretty selfless. Would I be able to do something as selfless as her?

    Probably not, because that would imply my engagement in a meaningless set of ordeals and actions. And if there is no conceivable reason behind it, then what the hell is the point of it?

    ''Friends'' just like to feel needed. It''s a jerk-off circle at the end of it all. If there isn''t a mutual compensation then the others will quickly discard you and not consider you as a friend because you are not going according to the usual norm.

    "I understand. So, you want to help Arkalee out but you don''t know how? We should start investigating something then. What made Arkalee fall for Hyunda? Do you know?"

    I might be slightly curious about this. Anything that revolves around Hyunda is oddly fun to me.

    Plus, he never explained his relationship with Arkalee; he always dodges the question.

    "Arkalee never explained that concretely. She just loves him apparently... Can''t you ask Hyunda that?"

    I''ll be completely honest with her.

    "It wouldn''t work because Hyunda would just dodge the question. But, we can assume something for sure."

    "That..."

    "Hyunda and Arkalee are hiding something together."

    Partially, outside of my curiosity, I''m also showing that I''m willing to go along with Yulia''s idea which seems to be easing her mind.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Her progressive smile throughout this conversation should be a noticeable sign that she''s liking where we are going with this.

    "Okay! Yes, I so agree with this! But, what can we do to gather more information if they both won''t tell us?"

    "Wait, hold on, Yulia. Haven''t you noticed how Hyunda has stopped hanging out with Ikkiri, like totally?"

    They just don''t talk anymore. I have no clue what happened, but they don''t say a single word to each other anymore.

    What the hell happened?

    "Ah, that''s reasonable though. Who would want to hang out with Ikkiri? She''s an attention whore. Gosh, I hate her."

    That''s under the assumption that Ikkiri still did that past event all by herself.

    "But that doesn''t explain why Hyunda just started to hang out with Arkalee way more than Ikkiri. Actually, when did this happen exactly? Do you know, Yulia?"

    "No... I don''t know... Arkalee just started to show parasitic symptoms for Hyunda. I''m worried that she might do something unnecessary. Daniel, don''t underestimate what a girl can do for her loved one, alright?"

    I''m not that worried.

    Because I can literally just fist the bitch until she drops dead. No chivalry from me will ever come.

    Genuinely speaking at least.

    "Sure. But if this is the case, then have you tried to reason with her that maybe Hyunda is not the one for her?"

    "I did exactly that and she didn''t budge! She even argued that she''s aware of how evil he is and that she doesn''t mind, at all. And just between us... She said something really worrying... Like, oh my god..."

    "What did she say?"

    Yulia''s expression just took a 180 angle rotation suddenly. It''s as if the words she wanted to say were stuck on her throat.

    Before finally saying them though, she shook her head for some reason.

    "...That she wanted his babies..."

    "What the hell..."

    Did Arkalee seriously say that? I take all my previous assumptions back. She isn''t probably obsessed with him.

    If she actually said that and Yulia isn''t lying then this is serious.

    "No, wait. Why did Arkalee say that...?"

    "U-Um..."

    Strange. Why did Yulia just turn around? She seemed reluctant to say her words as she didn''t show any signs of finishing her incomplete sentence.

    "What is it?"

    "O-Oh, nothing! So, you know, um, Arkalee said that because I asked her how much she loved Hyunda and she replied with that! Naturally, since I was worried about her condition, I had to get that out of the way!"

    Yulia just spoke so fast that it''s as if she''s trying to hide something. Well, what matters is that Arkalee said that with a clear reason behind it.

    "I see, but, his babies? Isn''t that a little bit too extreme?"

    "I think so too, Daniel. What a fast development or... Maybe there has been an ongoing development that we are not aware of? Think about it. Maybe that''s the case. Maybe things happened behind the scenes way too much. Things that those two would only know of. For example, our current scenario could be labeled as a scenario that we are only aware of; as no one else knows about this."

    I see where she''s going with this.

    "Even if that''s the case, we have no way of knowing what exactly happened. Sure, it would help if we knew that ahead of time, but if they are hiding it, then that might just mean that they want to. Hold on. If they are both hiding this, then doesn''t this mean that Hyunda is purposely hiding it from everyone else too? Doesn''t this mean that Hyunda might actually love Arkalee?"

    Though, I don''t see that being the case.

    Hyunda''s never been the type of person who would engage in a nonsensical relationship out of romantic interest with someone else.

    Unless... I can only picture it as something that I would do, because I do consider myself similar to him, honestly.

    Therefore, if he were to gain something from being enveloped with Arkalee, then maybe it would make sense. However, otherwise, I just can''t believe it.

    "Now that you mention it... That might just be the case... Huh...? But wait, then why did he...? What...? That doesn''t make any sense..."

    It wasn''t my intention but Yulia started to ramble onto herself while spewing question after question with an extremely puzzled expression.

    But, why is Yulia puzzled? Didn''t my assumption clear her doubts? Why is it creating more doubts in the process?

    "Yulia, what''s wrong?"

    "Oh, nothing really... It''s just... How do I say this...? What you just said makes total sense to me. However, if Hyunda actually loves Arkalee then why doesn''t he act as he loves her?"

    This is the part that Yulia should be generally confused about. To her, it''s probably nonsensical for someone to hold the correct romantic intentions while not maintaining any sentiments in the first place.

    Only Hyunda and I can understand what''s actually going on here. As a matter of fact, I think I figured it out.

    For reasons unknown, Arkalee is useful to you, isn''t she? Yet how? What did you see in her?

    "Maybe he''s bad at expressing his feelings? I can relate to him in that sense."

    This is a lie. Although, I have never tried to express my feelings for something on a drastic degree, genuinely speaking. Nor do I think that there will ever be a day where I will witness my self-image falling into such a pitiful state.

    "I think you two are quite different if you ask me..."

    "Why is that the case?"

    Yulia''s currently going against my idea so I would very much like to know why.

    "No offense to Hyunda, but he shouldn''t be here. This is a program that''s made for those that actually WANT to atone for their actions and conduct their lives happily. Redemption, so to say. However, when I take Hyunda into consideration, I don''t feel like he''s here for that reason. And that''s what bothers me. Because, if he isn''t here for that reason then why is he here anyways!? That is so insulting! But... You are different, aren''t you? You are doing the program because you feel guilt for your actions, right? You seek redemption, just like me, don''t you?"

    "Yes."

    "Ah, I almost forgot something... I think that he lies constantly too. Based on our previous conversations, if you take a notice, he will only talk to anyone if there is some sort of interest involved! So, he''s an opportunist! Furthermore, he---"

    "Yulia, it''s fine. I get it. You think he''s problematic and you needed to rant. It''s all good. However, what do you want to achieve more here? Arkalee''s well-being or knowing Hyunda''s intentions?"

    I could just tell her that it''s useless to attempt to decipher him but I don''t think she would be pleased with that sort of answer.

    The only reason I would say that though would be because I already tried it and came out empty-handed.

    To the point where I''m starting to think that maybe his actions are intentionally orchestrated on the premise of not being truthfully understood by anyone except the orchestrator himself; Hyunda.

    "Arkalee''s well-being, of course. That''s why, for her to be back to her old usual stable self, Hyunda just... Needs to stop interfering..."

    Isn''t it the other way around? Arkalee''s the one that bothers to be with Hyunda all the damn time.

    I''m pretty sure Yulia got the wrong image; however I''ll give her the benefit of the doubt.

    "Alright. So, you want to put Hyunda in a position where he doesn''t interfere that much with Arkalee?"

    This question should initially bring a lot of controversy due to how questionable its execution can be, but I''ll see what Yulia has to say about it.

    "That''s what I want, but that''s just impossible. Hyunda''s interfering in an indirect way. It''s as if he''s there intentionally but not in ways that you can just directly tell, which makes it so hard to call him out for. There''s also the part where Arkalee will just get hostile if Hyunda is questioned. Gaaaaah! I just can''t tell what happened!"

    She''s freaking out, but I guess it''s normal? She''s worried about her friend Arkalee who she believes is being misguided due to her obvious crush on Hyunda and she''s further blaming Hyunda for this.

    It''s not as if Yulia''s worries aren''t understandable.

    "We don''t need to prioritize what happened because we will never know. It all depends on Hyunda and Arkalee and realistically speaking, they might just never tell us. So, let''s abandon that option, alright?"

    "Alright, that''s true. Any other alternatives?"

    "Let me think for a bit."

    Other alternatives....?

    I''m not really thinking too deeply into this because I don''t actually have to. I''m just pretending to care yet let''s suppose that this was actually for the sake of uncovering a bit of Hyunda''s personality.

    First of all, why Arkalee of all people? The logic that she''s his table partner is dumb as hell. If that was the case, then why doesn''t my table partner have a major crush on me? Or the other way around? No, what the hell, so dumb.

    What I can immediately assume is that he has some sort of use for Arkalee. Arkalee, Arkalee... What is her usage?

    I just can''t think of a single reason as to why she''s useful. It doesn''t click to me a single retrospective where Arkalee just becomes super relevant, so why, Hyunda?

    ...............

    This is dumb and meaningless. I''ve already told myself a million times that trying to understand his actions doesn''t lead to anywhere. It''s sorta cryptic once I think about how he never has to tell me the truth.

    Has he ever told me a single truth thus far? What if they were all lies...?

    That aside, the reason why Arkalee is relevant isn''t something that important. It would just make the connections more logical. If we throw her supposed relevance aside, then it changes nothing. Under the assumption that Arkalee is important to him, what''s the next to interrogate is...

    What did Arkalee see in Hyunda?

    If I can''t come to a conclusion regarding Hyunda''s actions because I don''t know the logic and reasoning behind them, then I can move on to an easier target, which is Arkalee.

    "Hey, Yulia?"

    "H-Huh?"

    ...? I was looking away all the time, but why is she suddenly perplexed? I don''t get it. Was my face weird or something?

    Do I have something on my face?

    No, I''m touching it all over the place and nothing is in it. Okay, so...?

    "Yulia, what''s wrong?"

    "Um, nothing at all! You were just so absent-minded that I found it funny! Do you go to some other world when you attempt to think about all things?"

    "Not really, sorry. Anyway, I''ve managed to think about something that might take us to a lead. We shouldn''t question anything regarding Hyunda because it won''t lead us anywhere."

    If she doesn''t realize why then I''ll go into depth as to why it''s useless to attempt and perceive his actions.

    She''ll probably argue back against my decision...

    "You are right. He''s quite enigmatic, even if I don''t want to admit it!"

    She actually agreed? Impressive. I wasn''t expecting it to, but she''s been more reasonable and understanding as of lately.

    Plus, we don''t really argue anymore because she''s willing to listen to my side as she is willing to listen to mine.

    We might be developing a mutual understanding so to say. What a waste.

    "Right. But you know who''s not so enigmatic?"

    "...Arkalee?"

    "Yeah. You got it. Nice."

    "Hehe."

    She sounds oddly happy. Her smile''s getting somewhat contagious if I were to be completely honest right now.

    "The only mystery regarding Arkalee is how she developed these feelings for Hyunda. But, when do you think this happened?"

    Fortunately for me, I won''t have to reason here, as someone else already did it for me.

    "Well, I don''t know..."

    Of course you don''t. Technically speaking, I also don''t. However, someone already deducted that there is a very big chance that it happened around a certain time.

    "Now, don''t get mad but this is something regarding Kawahara."

    "Ugh... Daniel, why...?"

    My guy, you are just hated by every speck on this planet. It''s unreal.

    I bet you could donate all your blood to a blood donation center and still be hated for just about everyone.

    "Unfortunately for me, I don''t have plausible reasoning for this. However, Kawahara went ahead and assumed a lot of things... Things that, for some reason, are just starting to click."

    It''s all assumptions though, but the more you think about it, the more it all makes sense. It''s controversial because there is no evidence yet his entire reasoning and Arkalee''s behavior are making so much sense.

    His reasoning only makes sense because Arkalee''s behaving stupidly attached to Hyunda which suggests that the events that happened were probably orchestrated by her.

    "No, Daniel... Kawahara is on Hyunda''s league. Now, I''m not defending Hyunda, but at least, he isn''t an open asshole about every single thing. Just when he sees that he needs to be one. Kawahara, on the other hand, is the literal cockpit and the culmination of the word asshole! So, I don''t want to hear it. Not because I don''t trust you, but because it comes from Kawahara. Okay...?"

    That''s... Sorta understandable actually.

    Kawahara is indeed an open asshole to the world and that makes his credibility go down a lot. It''s only natural that people doubt him.

    I just don''t care about that factor. Yulia does, so, I''ll have to side with her.

    Hell, she even showed signs of reluctance at the end of her words, which should indicate that she doesn''t want to argue but just point out that any information that comes out of Kawahara''s mouth is a joke to laugh at.

    "Yeah, I got it, I got it."

    Though, I''m dumb. I could''ve avoided this situation just now if I had just lied and said that this was my reasoning and not Kawahara''s.

    But...

    That would be using reasoning that isn''t actually mine. This is so weird... Why did I do this? It makes no sense. I could''ve just gone and done it, yet why...?

    "Are you okay...?"

    "Yeah, yeah. I was just thinking about something unnecessary. So, since you don''t want to hear his reasoning, I don''t have much else to say about this. His reasoning would explain why Arkalee developed sudden feelings for him. However, I do understand. You don''t trust him."

    "Yeah... Sorry..."

    "No need to apologize. Truth to be told, his reasoning is quite flawed. In the sense where there is no anecdotical evidence to it."

    This is true.

    Although, I can understand why it lacks evidence. Because Arkalee herself made sure that she would not get caught.

    At least according to Kawahara. If we go by the saying that believing in the probabilities is better, then Kawahara is most likely correct. Yet if we go by the saying that believing in certainties is better, then Kawahara is probably incorrect.

    "Which is why, if we both can''t form reasoning as to why Arkalee developed her feelings for Hyunda, we should consult someone that has a higher knowledge about romance in general."

    "Oh... And that is...?"

    "Sana, of course."

    With that in mind, I attempted to take out my phone from my pocket.

    Yes, attempted is the correct usage here. Because I couldn''t actually commit to the full action.

    Yulia''s hand stopped me from reaching my pocket.

    "Let''s not."

    ...?

    Why did she just...

    "Why not? Isn''t Sana an expert in romance though? We could get her opinion and get better reasoning for this, right?"

    "I think that we should think more together. I''m sure we will reach a good set of options! We just aren''t thinking that much, hahaha. That''s why... Hold that phone call, will you?"

    "Su-----"

    "Furthermore, show that you want to be with Sana more than you want to be with her."

    Before I finished my saying, that past sentence struck me instantly as I was quickly reminded that I was about to commit a grave mistake.

    "On second thought, I don''t really think that we will reach that far together. We already tried, so what''s the harm? We will reach a plausible conc--"

    "No."

    "But wh--"

    "No."

    ........................

    Why is she suddenly acting like this? Yulia knows this for a fact so what''s the harm here? I don''t understand why she''s being this annoyed by my suggestion.

    "Is there something in the matter?"

    "Oh, not really, not really. It''s just, sorta offensive, once you think about it."

    "What is?"

    "How you just said that we can''t reach that far together. That was somewhat offensive. Don''t say something like that..."

    Oh, so she''s mad because I said that? That''s fixable then.

    "Alright, my mistake. You are right. We can reach a plausible conclusion together, sure. But maybe we should have Sana sa---"

    "Daniel, enough about Sana. She''s busy. She''s really, really busy. I know this because I''m her best friend, so let''s leave her alone, okay?"

    No, I really have to insist here, according to Hyunda. However in a subtle manner, so to say.

    "I see. We can discuss this for sure, absolutely. But, maybe when Sana''s bac----"

    "Enough! Stop talking about her! What is wrong with you!?"

    Yulia''s anger is nonsensical to me at this point. This is part of Hyunda''s plan, isn''t it? However, even if it is...

    I want to know why she''s so pissed off.

    "What''s wrong, Yulia? You don''t have to be mad. I just thought that Sana could help us."

    "Why Sana is specific? We have more classmates that could help us out with this. Sure, we would have to be indirect about this yet now that you know this is an option, change your mind, please."

    "Yulia, why do you get so mad when Sana is mentioned? Isn''t Sana your best friend?"

    "Yes, she is. Actually, can you do me a favor? Just one small favor. I know it might sound illogical, but it''s actually really simple."

    Why do I get a feeling that this isn''t good for me?

    She also has not explained why she gets mad every time Sana is mentioned. Ergo, she''s dodging the question.

    I''ll ask about it later when I talk to Hyunda, I suppose.

    "Alright, I''ll listen to it."

    "Okay. Thank you. So, until the end of the festival, can you not encounter Sana a single time? Unless I''m there. That''s the only exception."

    "Um, Yulia?"

    "Yes?"

    "Why?"

    "I can''t explain now. However, at the end of the festival, I will. I promise! I really do! Just promise me you''ll do this one thing for me! Please!"

    I''m in a really awkward position at the moment. Do I say yes or no?

    Normally, this is an immediate no, but I can just lie and get away with it. Or should I consult Hyunda about this?

    Yeah, that''s probably better since he''s the orchestrator.

    "Can I give this answer later on today?"

    "I''m afraid not. Just promise me now. I really, really will explain it to you when the festival is over! It will all make sense by then!"

    Yulia''s more desperate than usual. This is the first time I''ve seen her this desperate. She''s even going as far as almost splashing herself onto me just to portray her point.

    But, even if that''s the case...

    "If you explain it now, then I will, sure."

    ".....Please don''t make me argue. You know how I feel about that, right?"

    "You don''t have to argue, just tell me the truth. It''s better this way."

    "Daniel, I just told you that I can''t. It will all make sense in the end, so please agree with me on this already! Why are you so eager to deny my request!? Is it about Sana?"

    "Why are you targeting Sana all over the sudden?"

    I didn''t need to make this question yet I did.

    "I am not! Why are you defending her!? Are you implying that somehow Sana is more important than I am? I don''t like what I am doing because it''s making me look like I''m degrading Sana just so I can make my point but the fact that you are constantly backing her up and denying my request is making me think that you have something to hide!"

    Well, that sure was a lot.

    She''s mad alright.

    "I have nothing to hide, Yulia. I just don''t think you are being fair to Sana."

    "I cannot believe what I am listening to right now. Take all your words back, right now!"

    Honestly, I am just curious as to why she''s so mad and why she gets irritated every time I mention Sana.

    I know that the plan is for me and Sana to share a kiss, but Yulia doesn''t know that.

    Yulia should not have a single reason to be jealous here. She didn''t get jealous when I mentioned Arkalee which means that she isn''t just playing an obsessive disorder for no reason.

    I''m genuinely curious as to why this is happening.

    "I don''t think I can, Yulia. It''s way more important if you just tell me why you are being so obnoxious about this. That would make things a lot easier..."

    And not to mention, my curiosity could get fulfilled in the process. Hyunda knows why this is happening. I bet that he''s probably laughing his ass off right now, isn''t he? I find it hard to believe that this is just happening just because.

    After all, Yulia showed a very reasonable and kind behavior thus far, so why the sudden change? It makes no sense.

    "I''m obnoxious....? Did you just say that...?"

    And now she''s looking down.

    I wouldn''t be her boyfriend in the paper if I didn''t know what was coming.

    "Alright, I''m obnoxious, huh? Okay. Yeah, fine. You know what? I get it. Fine! Okay! Sure! I didn''t care much about this anyways! Ugh!"

    As per usual, her burst of emotions resulted in a meltdown which resulted in her leaving the current scenery with fast haste.

    Usually, I would go after her, but not this time.

    I need to contact Hyunda.

    Because none of this actually makes sense.

 Volume 13 - Chapter 88: Decimated Truth.

    Taking my phone out, I made the call to Hyunda, who immediately answered it.

    Not two seconds passed, he just answered it straight up which made me wonder if he was expecting this...

    "That was fast..."

    "Facts. You wanna meet up?"

    "You already know why don''t you..."

    I refuse to believe that it''s a coincidence that he picked up so fast. Or maybe he''s just a really fast pick-up type of person yet I digress.

    "Who knows. Well, come to our dorm''s rooftop. I''ll be there waiting."

    And he hangs up. Not that I wanted to prolong the call for no reason. I like the fact that he knows that dragged out calls are huge turnoffs sometimes. The conversation tends to get awkward.

    Plus, it''s easier to talk about certain stuff personally, vis-a-vis.

    After a good walk, I reached the top of the dorm and entered the rooftop, where I watched Hyunda seating on the top of the mini-storage while listening to music through his earplugs.

    He instantly noticed my existence, as he paused his music to confront me, by jumping out of the storage and greeting me in the process.

    "Yo! I know you have some things to say, but I need a quick favor from you. It''s gonna be fun, so hear me out!"

    I wanted to ask what he was doing just chilling here in the rooftop when such an important event is currently occurring, but I quickly reminded myself that Hyunda does not give a fuck about this exam, at all.

    So, it''s actually comprehensible as to why he is here in the rooftop idly spending his time monochromatically.

    However, more importantly, what I noticed that I hadn''t noticed in a while was Hyunda not being constantly stuck with Arkalee.

    Only through this moment alone was I able to notice the real difference.

    "You''re not with Arkalee. That''s hella rare, dude."

    "I know, I know. But, here is the deal. That''s probably not going to last another 3 minutes."

    I don''t see why that should be the case. This is the boys'' dorm. No girl is allowed in.

    Unless the supervisor just isn''t around to watch such an occurrence.

    "But how come? Arkalee''s a girl so she shouldn''t have the permission to walk inside our dorm. No girl would actually do something so stupid."

    "I wouldn''t be so sure. Just on the occasion, I requested that the King would allow Arkalee to pass through if she came by."

    What.......

    "Okay, but why? Also, how?"

    "That doesn''t really matter. Our time is short. She could be here any minute now so listen up. If Arkalee really comes here then I''ll have to rely on you for something."

    "Is this one of those favors that you can actually do but for some obscure reason you need someone else to do them for you?"

    As long as it''s fun, I don''t mind. But he uses me as a scapegoat the majority of the time. However, at the beginning of the conversation he mentioned that it would be fun thus I''m naturally intrigued to know what he meant by that.

    "No, not really. I actually can''t do this. Well, I could, but the results could be devastatingly unnecessary and drastic."

    Just what the hell is this?!

    Unnecessary and drastic?!

    "W-What is it...?"

    "No need to act so worried. The favor is simple. On the premise that Arkalee reaches this rooftop in less than five minutes, I want you to start a conversation. However, not just any conversation."

    "What type of conversation then?"

    Wait, no, that''s not the most important question.

    "Actually, before that, let me ask. How can you be so sure that Arkalee will be here? Did you tell her or give her some sort of hint?"

    "No, not at all."

    Then how the hell is she supposed to know that you are here, Hyunda? I strongly doubt that this will actually happen now.

    "As for the type of conversation; it''s simplistic with all things considered. Mention every single girl in class, on a very exaggerated tone. Force the conversation and ONLY talk about them. Don''t mention Ikkiri too much though."

    What the hell?

    "Why do you need me to talk about the girls in our class?"

    "Just a test."

    Just a test? But what sort of test?

    I wanted to ask that question, but the heavy sound of the rooftop door being slammed inflicted premature fear onto every fiber of my being as soon as I heard a familiar tired voice.

    "Ahh... Ahhh... There you... are... I was looking all over you!"

    By quickly turning around, I could fully glance upon the figure of Arkalee almost on her knees as she took deep breaths to calm down all of her physical fatigue that she was currently feeling.

    Most likely, she ran all the way here.

    Still...

    How the hell...

    "Arkalee, what are you doing here? This is our dorm, girls aren''t allowed to come here."

    "Daniel''s right, Arkalee. This place is like a forbidden zone for girls. Leave. I''ll talk to you later."

    Huh? What is Hyunda saying? Wasn''t the whole goal on the assumption that Arkalee would come here to mention the girls while talking to her in the process?

    How will that happen if Arkalee is away though?

    "You''re funny, my lo--- Hyunda!"

    What was that? My lo? Did she just try to spell ''my love''?

    Also, she thinks that Hyunda''s joking. Furthermore, the fact that she only took Hyunda''s opinion into consideration quite literally implies that she didn''t care nor perhaps noticed that I am present.

    "I''m serious. Go back. I''ll get to you later."

    "Um, no. Haha. Either I stay here or you''ll come with me. Which one?"

    Is she serious? She''s demanding Hyunda to either stay with her or stay with.... her? Wait, what the hell?

    Why can''t she leave him alone?

    "I thought that we were practicing that."

    "Oh, but I don''t really like to practice that!"

    Great, now they are talking in their own language and I feel like a complete outcast in this conversation.

    As a matter of fact, I''m positive that even if I attempt to talk now, it won''t change a single thing.

    Arkalee''s obsession with Hyunda is insanely high. She''s not alright.

    "Why though? It''s only been thirty minutes, Arkalee."

    "Only? Only? Ah, I get it! It was too much, yes, I so agree with you! Let''s make it zero next time! On second thought, there won''t be a next time so you don''t have to worry about that."

    Nope, not even gonna bother to attempt to question what they are talking about.

    It''s been made pretty clear that I''m not supposed to understand.

    "Well, whatever. I''m not in the mood to walk all over the school, so stay here."

    "A-Alright! Yeah, sure! But, um. Daniel, go away."

    ?

    "Why should I?"

    Aside from the fact that she actually noticed that I am here, why the hell do I have to go? I am literally here because I want to talk to Hyunda, so why the hell should I go when I went all the way to be here?

    "Why? You clearly don''t belong he--"

    "Arkalee, come to my side."

    "Okay."

    On Hyunda''s order, Arkalee just went to his side and sat with him on the ground while closely linking his arm to her chest.

    I am so perplexed right now. How can you just change your attitude this quickly? I can''t even get totally mad because Arkalee just abandoned all of her previous arguments just by canceling all things like that.

    The only thing that''s left to feel is sudden confusion. That''s what I get every time that something somehow involves Hyunda in it.

    "Daniel, it''s time."

    "Time for wh---"

    Oh, I got it. So this is what Hyunda was talking about. Then, there was probably no chance that Arkalee was ever going to leave in the first place.

    Her presence was intended all along. With all of that in mind, I took my seat on a small bench and faced Hyunda and Arkalee, the latter firmly adoring every ounce of Hyunda without showing any signals of stopping.

    So, I just have to talk about all the girls? I''m fairly sure that I''m supposed to exclude Arkalee, so I''ll act on that premise.

    Here we go...

    "Hey, Hyunda?"

    "Sup, man?"

    "Out of all the girls in the class, which one do you think is the prettiest?"

    "You tell me."

    Oh, right. For some reason, Hyunda can''t do this. However, why can''t he answer this question though?

    "Mhm... Let''s go every single one of them, okay?"

    "Fine by m---"

    "Hahaha, what is this? Stop it already. That''s sooo boring of a topic to discuss. As I thought, you are really boring Daniel. Just go away, okay?"

    Hyunda could not finish his sentence because this annoying creature is very directly telling me to take a hike.

    She''s getting on my nerves. Plus, the claim that I am boring is not true at all. Not being massively interesting does not make me completely boring, okay!?

    And just as I was about to retort back, Hyunda stepped in for me.

    "Wait, Arkalee. You''re being way too rude."

    "Am I?~ Why do you think so?~"

    Holy shit! She literally is using this situation to flirt with him! It''s like she complains and then escapes via flirting!

    What the hell!

    "Arkalee, it''s been bothering me for a while, but do you have something against me?"

    This is not the first time that this type of negative interaction between us has happened so it''s pretty much fair to say that it''s not a coincidence whatsoever.

    "Oh, no. Not at all! I was being rude, wasn''t I? Ooops, my bad."

    "Well, you heard her. Go on."

    "Eh? No, wait. I was serious just now. Change the topic."

    "Not happening. This is why we were alone here. This is a guy''s only territory. This is what it means to be a teenager. To discuss every girl in our class thoroughly and religiously. From every angle respectively all the way to the bottom."

    Hyunda pretty much summed up how we are supposed to behave but the truth is, Hyunda and I never discussed anything about girls in the way that he mentioned it.

    Therefore, he is lying for a reason now.

    Naturally, Arkalee didn''t like the direction of this.

    "You don''t actually do that, right? Be honest. You have to be honest!"

    She''s making a lot of deal about honesty suddenly.

    "If I am honest, then I ought to tell you the truth. Well, no. However, Daniel wants to discuss it, so I''ll hear him out. Go ahead."

    "Hold it right there. Daniel''s topic is highly offensive!"

    "See? This was what I meant by ''guy''s only territory''. A girl will just get offended straight up. Arkalee, if you are just gonna be here and be annoyed by every single thing then I''ll not talk to you until the end of the festival."

    Arkalee''s stupid obsession with drifting away from this topic is making me view her as a lunatic.

    Why the hell is this topic so bad for her? I don''t understand Arkalee at all.

    Speaking of Arkalee, she got immediately devastated as soon as Hyunda spoke those words of sheer terror to her.

    "Wait, what!? You can''t be serious! You''re always doing this! Hyuuundaaa!"

    "You don''t leave me with much of a choice."

    She''s so dramatic. Hyunda could just be joking about this. Also, what''s the big deal? You''re not gonna die if you don''t talk to Hyunda until the end of the festival.

    He''s not your lifeline.

    ".....Ugh, fine... However, Daniel, if I were you, I would choose your words VERY wisely."

    Was that a threat? Do you actually think that your words are that scary to my eyes?

    To me, you are just a girl who is blindly in love. You have no idea, Arkalee, but you are probably manipulated.

    Regarding that, I wanted to ask him about that yet now that Arkalee is here, I''ll have to hold on to that.

    "So, back to the topic, huh? Well, Yulia, of course. She''s my girlfriend, so it''s normal. Plus, she''s really pretty. Isn''t she a perfect person to be an upcoming fashion model?"

    I am not lying here. I may tell a lot of lies when I''m around Yulia but if there is one thing that I never lied about was how gorgeous and outer-worldly her appearance is. Breath-taking, definitely.

    "That''s true. Man, you''re lucky."

    "I''m prettier."

    Huh...

    "And, also, I''m not as insecure as her. So, I win. But Hyunda, I thought you didn''t care about appearances! Remember?!"

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    "Remember?"

    Arkalee instantly gasped as I was processing all this information. Why the hell would you claim to be prettier than Yulia when I just stated my opinion on Yulia and Hyunda agreed?

    Unless...

    Could it be that she got so jealous of Hyunda''s high opinion on her that she just had to go out of her way to state how supposedly superior she is to Yulia?

    By the way, she is not prettier than Yulia. She comes close, but still, no.

    "Y-You don''t remember back then.....?"

    And now she''s on the verge of crying. What the fuck!? What the fucking fuck is wrong with this creature?! She gets emotional for just about every single thing!

    "Oh! I remember now. And you are right. I don''t really care about appearances. But, she''s pretty good-looking. Hey, don''t worry Daniel, I''m not aiming for her."

    I didn''t even notice that it could be seen in the way that Hyunda was aiming for her but I know that''s not happening.

    Well, even if he, hypothetically speaking, was aiming for Yulia, I would not care. However, Hyunda isn''t the type of person to aimlessly aim for a girl without a good reason behind it.

    The reason is probably not morally good though.

    "Okay, but why would you agree with Daniel if her appearance doesn''t matter, Hyunda? That doesn''t add up, haha. You shouldn''t feel the need to reply to trash opinions."

    "My opinion is not trash..."

    I seriously want to slap her right now and knock some actual sense into her. Hyunda''s calm attitude is killing my virtual anger for Arkalee at the same time though.

    "Oh well. But, your girlfriend aside, if you had to pick another person, who would it be?"

    Without thinking much, I just answered the other person that came to my mind.

    "Sana, I guess? However, unlike my previous point, I would say that her personality is a way stronger asset rather than her appearance."

    Though, Sana''s plausibly well-looking, just not better than Yulia. It''s not fair to compare anyone to class when it comes to Yulia''s appearance.

    Actually, I don''t really know. I don''t pay that much attention to the rest of the girls.

    "Oh? What makes you think so?"

    "Hyunda, you don''t have to be that curious about Sana. Why are you this curious about her? She''s really bland and whiny."

    What? No, she''s not. Sana''s more whiny than bland but even so, she''s not THAT whiny. As in comparison, you are way whinier yet you are making it sound like Sana''s the truly whiny one.

    But, that would be defending someone else. Something I will not do.

    "That might just be your opinion. So, Daniel?"

    "Sana''s intel on certain topics is fascinating. Plus, she really can get deep into conversations which is something that I like."

    "I see. If that''s the case, then she must be someone who is fun to hang out with. Maybe I should try and hang out with her sometime."

    "Is that s---"

    Again, not being able to complete my sentence, the same person interrupted me again like last time.

    "No, not happening. Yoooooooooouuu will hang out with meeeeee. Okay?"

    Did she seriously just get that anxious from Hyunda suggesting that he might want to hang out with Sana?

    How much of an obsessive freak can you be, Arkalee!?

    "Arkalee, chill. It''s Hyunda''s choice, not yours."

    "Shut it."

    "Arkalee, that''s rude. I told you already. Do I need to repeat myself?"

    "N-No."

    ............................

    This is so anti-climatic. I want to get mad but her attitude and behavior completely kill the whole vibe.

    Hyunda''s always calming her down as soon as she attempts to be fully rude to me.

    "Oh yeah. I''ve been curious for a while, but Daniel, out of all the girls in the class, who do you think is gonna drop out the fastest?"

    That''s a weird question. I''m assuming that by drop out, he''s referring to the ones that will eventually fail the program. Since no one would just drop out of this program knowing the consequence of doing so.

    "Whoever fails more exams? But, out of all the girls...? Do you have any criteria in mind, dude?"

    "It can be just about anything. For example, the one that has the weakest ability to socialize currently."

    Oh. That''s easy, because right now, without a doubt it''s...

    "You mean Ikkiri?"

    "Daniel. Change the topic. Right now."

    "No, I will not. You''re getting annoying, Arkalee. Just fuck off if you can''t stand a normal conversation."

    It''s not as if I don''t understand the symptoms of jealousy but the fact that you are getting preemptively jealous just because I mentioned Ikkiri''s name out of the blue like that is utterly ridiculous.

    "What you think is a normal conversation to me is the equivalent of very very disturbing thoughts. So, I''ll politely ask you to stop talking and just go do the events. They are there, so all the more reason to go! You have two exams accumulated, right?! What sense does it make for you to be here anyway?!"

    "I am here because Hyunda and I need to talk but the conversation got delayed because you decided to infiltrate our dorm! That''s literally against the rules and you know it!"

    "The rules are inconvenient as they apply distance between us, so it couldn''t be helped. If you have a brain, you will understand my point and perspective."

    Okay, she''s crazy. I had a hunch about this, but she''s clearly not mentally stable.

    Hyunda might not mind the fact that Arkalee''s constantly chasing him around because that''s probably intended but that doesn''t exclude the fact that she displays signs of dependence on an exaggerated level.

    "It''s not inconvenient though. As a matter of f--"

    "Wait, Daniel. It is inconvenient though. If you think about it."

    Hyunda somehow ended up agreeing with Arkalee. However, I immediately suspected that it wasn''t for the same reason as Arkalee was arguing about.

    Of course, Arkalee got so exultant about this that she couldn''t help herself and started to nearly cry tears of joy while saying words of pure happiness to Hyunda.

    "I knew that you''d agree with me!!"

    "Why though?"

    The way Arkalee just claimed that she knew that he would agree with her pissed me off greatly because she thinks that it''s due to reasons that she knows only and that I have no way of knowing what he''s thinking.

    "It just sucks, if you think about it. This rule was never explained to us concretely but it''s not a reach to assume that it''s for the purpose of stopping elicit relationships between students. However, students should have the responsibility of being able to stop themselves from committing themselves to those acts of impulse. For instance, if such a case happens, then a precaution could be taken. If you have elicit relationships with X then you are therefore expelled along with X. You knew the consequences, so you are at fault. That alone would force the students to think and behave respectively. This rule doesn''t make any sense because it completely eliminates the possibility of students thinking responsibly. It straight up eliminates the evolution of individual thinking. It''s lazy, all in all."

    Certainly, I didn''t expect such a long explanation by a long shot, but Hyunda delivered it succinctly.

    I never saw it from his perspective though. What would happen if the students were actually forced to think rationally and more responsibly?

    Is Hyunda arguing that students get lazy and dull with their mindless self-indulgence because the consequences just aren''t that huge?

    "You still seem to be a bit confused, so let me add another perspective. Think about the special exams we have. There are three exams that everyone is always extremely cautious of. However, that worry is majorly unnecessary. It''s just convenient to not fail before you get subjected to the last exam. Until you get to the last exam where you''ll have to start taking things seriously, this won''t seem like it''s even worth it. This sort of system that gives the subjects of the program three times to screw around enforces lazy thinking. You will always think that it''s fine to screw around and ignore a special exam just on the premise that you will pass the other ones. Yet, what if it was all over just from one single failure one? If the students were aware of this, then there would not be such lazy thoughts like: ''I can afford to screw up'' ''There''s always next time'' ''This failure means nothing because I can just get right on track in the exams that actually matter''. Even though all the exams should matter equally, but they don''t. Three exams by default just don''t matter whatsoever. And now they decided to add this bullshit rule where as in if you get ten wins as the first place then you get to subtract an exam? That''s going even further and extending this pathetic self-indulgence. It''s so fucking boring to even take anything of this mildly serious because the more you think about it, the more you realize how stupid and nonsensical it all is. Well... what I''m trying to say is that, as long as this sort of way of thinking exists and is practiced then no students will take this completely serious. Yet, if that changed and the students were forced to take the rules serious to a very high degree, then it would be fine to join both dorms together because no one would actually fucking dare to cross the line. Unless they are intentionally stupid."

    It''s somewhat impressive how Hyunda can go from being someone that doesn''t talk much or just absolutely nothing at all to someone who talks a literal storm.

    Though, I get it. The problem is the way of thinking.

    His argument is reasonable, however not applicable because the current rules don''t allow it. But, he argued that it would only work if the rules were shaped in a way that would not promote lazy thinking.

    Now that I think about it, it''s very lazy. The separation of both genders enforces the idea of separation in order to avoid direct romantic physical confrontations yet if students were aware of the consequences, they would be wise.

    No, I''m still missing the whole point of his argument. Being aware is not enough. For example, I am aware that if I fail more than three exams, then I am out and thus the consequences will come to me. But, if it was only once, then I would be forced to take all of it seriously.

    In this scenario, if the students knew that the consequences were not optimal, then being aware would not be enough. They would automatically be aware and would not engage in such acts in the first place. The unspoken fear of expulsion would constantly haunt them.

    And...

    I expected Arkalee to argue back but she''s...

    "...."

    She''s admiring Hyunda''s figure like he''s her hero or something. Did she just get that turned on from that long speech?

    I don''t even know how to feel about that. How the hell can you get excited from hearing a long speech? Or is this another one of her exaggerated ways of showing ''love''? And besides, if she''s this obvious about it, then why hasn''t she confessed?

    No, what brings more confusion is why Hyunda has not done anything regarding this. I refuse to believe that he hasn''t noticed it yet.

    "Arkalee. Arkalee. You there?"

    Despite Hyunda repeating her name TWICE, Arkalee looked unphased still.

    Is she hallucinating or something? What the hell is going through her mind right now? I fucking swear this bitch needs help.

    Actually, I''m not sure if there''s any help for her.

    "Sigh. Daniel, what were you saying before all of this?"

    "Hm? Are you talking about when I was talking about Ikk---"

    "Ahhhh, I''m back! What did I miss?!"

    Just as I was about to mention Ikkiri''s name, Arkalee snapped back to reality. Is Arkalee allergic to Ikkiri?

    God, I know that this isn''t something that''s supposed to be funny but this is actually laughable as hell.

    If she ever gets on my nerves from this point onwards I''ll just mention Ikkiri''s name. I''m stupidly smirking now just thinking about it.

    "Nothing relevant. I just wanted to point out that I want to have a private conversation with Daniel."

    "Hm, okay. I understand."

    No, you clearly don''t. You aren''t supposed to still keep your whole body attached to his arm if you say you understand. If you actually understood what Hyunda just said, you would detach yourself from him instead.

    Yet here you are demonstrating perhaps the most obsessive behavior I have seen in my whole life. You fucking leech.

    "Arkalee, let go."

    "No. Don''t wanna. It''s pretty cold, so I need to attach myself to something warm, you see!"

    That is the worst excuse ever. It''s not that cold. It''s not winter season anymore, it''s really not that chilly anymore.

    "Arkalee."

    "Yes?"

    "I''m serious. I really need you to let go. I need to have a serious conversation with Daniel. Alone. That means you are not allowed to be here."

    I hate the fact that I already knew that Arkalee was going to deny Hyunda''s words. Just because it''s been the same over and OVER again in the past events where Hyunda requires Arkalee to be separated from him.

    How much of an actual leech can you be!?

    "You can talk to Daniel later, haha. When you two are alone in the dorm, then you''ll get your chance."

    We are supposed to be fucking all alone in OUR dorm but you, a girl is SOMEHOW here! Does she realize how fucking nonsensical her choice of words is?!

    "No, it has to be now. Daniel''s in a hurry. Understand that, please."

    "Oh, Daniel, you''re in a hurry? That''s okay. You can just go ahead and leave then! All the better!"

    I am this close to snapping.

    "Arkalee, are you going to make me have to resort to my methods again?"

    "B-B-But you''re the one that doesn''t understand... I just value our time more than you do..."

    "That is not the case. As I mentioned earlier, I can''t always be there for you so---"

    "We should cut that option out, let''s be real here."

    What am I watching?

    Is Arkalee afraid of rejection on a high note? Like, is she unable to receive Hyunda''s rejection? I have never witnessed a case like this before.

    "I understand your perspective. You think that just by us staying together at all times, there will never be a time where I won''t be with you. I really do understand. But there will be cases because others will eventually seek me. I''m somewhat popular in a sense."

    Hyunda shouldn''t have to justify his own position. This is against his freedom. Unless, of course, his restriction is planned out.

    "Who are these others? Tell me. I''ll tell them not to seek you! Then, you won''t be as popular!"

    Are you fucking serious? How desperate are you for his attention? I know that it''s been a thing for a while that she has a crush on him but I would like to know what the fuck happened. How did Arkalee''s mental state get so warped?

    "Who they are doesn''t matter. What matters is that you acknowledge that there will be times like those. So, just learn how to deal with them, by yourself."

    "I''ll pass. I don''t want to deal with that."

    Jesus fucking Christ, I can''t believe I''ll have to intervene. Hyunda''s being waaaaaaaaaay too nice on her.

    "Arkalee, stop being a whiny baby and just go hang out with someone else. You''re on his dick, literally."

    "Not ye-- I mean, no, I am not!"

    Um, what the fuck was she about to say initially?

    "Yes, you are. And I''m sick of it. If you don''t get the fuck out of my sight in the next seconds I''ll call a teacher and report you for dorm invasion."

    Never thought that I would have to resort to such tactics but it is what it is.

    "Wait, hold on, Daniel."

    "Dude, no. You''re way too nice on Arkalee. And she''s taking advantage of it."

    Though, I think he''s intentionally being nice to her on purpose. It''s just that this whole situation is annoying as hell.

    "Excuuuuuuuse me?! If he''s being nice, then so what?! How does that involve you!? Leave us alone!"

    "It involves me because I need to talk to him privately and you are in the fucking way, Arkalee! Scram!"

    "No, you scram! You are bothering us! No one likes you, you know?!"

    Arkalee thinks she can just hurt my feelings and provoke some sort of emotional response in the process.

    I''ve got bad news for her.

    "I don''t care. You have ten seconds before I descend down and call our supervisor. Yes, I''m opting not to resort to calling our teachers but instead, our supervisor. Understand that I am doing this out of kindness."

    It''s not out of kindness. I''m just attempting to reason with Arkalee by vaguely saying that both alternatives end up being bad for her.

    Let''s see if she actually got what I implied.

    "Go ahead, call them! I''m not afraid! I won''t back down! You''re wrong, I''m not."

    Alright, I tried.

    I''ll just get up, open the rooftop door and start searching for King George.

    And then---

    "Wait, Daniel. Stay here."

    "W-What?! Hyunda? He''s wrong, just let him go."

    On Hyunda''s words, I halted my action because I thought that he was going to say something significant but if he starts sugarcoating Arkalee for no reason, then I''m really going to commit.

    "Unfortunately for you, he''s right."

    "No... He''s no---"

    "But that doesn''t matter. Do you remember what I said to you back then when I said those words that I would only say to you?"

    "Of course! How could I forget?!"

    Back to the talk that I can''t possibly hope to understand...

    "Great. So, let me borrow your attention for a second. Lend me your ear."

    "Okay!"

    Before lending her ear to Hyunda, Arkalee enthusiastically confirmed that. After that, Hyunda simply proceeded to whisper words that I couldn''t listen to Arkalee''s ear.

    Which, by the way, caused her to get extremely excited in the process.

    "You mean it...?"

    "Yeah. I promise. But, only on that day. However, that won''t happen unless you give me this private time."

    "Okay, okay. Sure. But just this time. That''s really it. Also, when you are done, you must call me, because I will be waiting. Don''t forget to call me. In ten minutes, if you aren''t done, then I will search for you, alright...?"

    Ten fucking minutes!? Is this bitch for fucking real?! Fuck, I don''t intend to drag the conversation for that long but Jesus Christ Arkalee, you''re the most obsessive freak I''ve seen in my lifetime!

    "I might take more time than that."

    "Hahaha, please don''t."

    Leaving those creepy last words, Arkalee passed me and left the rooftop.

    This was an odd experience. Not to mention that this was way too dragged out. All of this just because Arkalee refused to swallow rejection.

    "Yo. Come here. You like high places too? It''s hella lit from here. You can watch a huge portion of the school just with a single glance. The vast buildings split all across it aren''t as gigantic as they seem to be from this point of view."

    In order to get the full gist of what Hyunda was talking about, I climbed onto the top of the storage and glanced upon the wide view that Hyunda was talking about.

    True enough, from this perspective, it all seemed so small in comparison yet as soon as I would place myself in front of the buildings, my tiny figure would become more and more apparent.

    "That was unnecessary, wasn''t it?"

    "Dude, she''s so annoying. What did you see in her?"

    Will I finally get the truth? Or will I get denied in an explicit way?

    "Nothing. Also, it''s apparently her that saw something in me. I didn''t do anything."

    "Somehow I find that hard to believe... You''re not gonna tell me, are you?"

    "I won''t. But it''s not because I have something to hide. It''s because it''s irrelevant to tell you right now."

    Right now?

    "So there will ever be a time where you might tell me?"

    "Yeah. Though, it all depends on you, sincerely."

    "What do you mean, Hyunda?"

    "It''s meaningless to question that. My time is short as it''s been implied by Arkalee, so let''s get down to business. What do you want to talk about?"

    It''s funny how this question could''ve literally just happened so long ago if Arkalee hadn''t nonsensically infiltrated herself inside our dorm yet here we are.

    "Yulia''s been acting oddly jealous whenever Sana is mentioned. Is this is your doing?"

    "Maybe."

    "Dude, I need a yes or a no."

    "I don''t think either of those options will give you the answer you are looking for. Because what you want to know is why Yulia''s acting the way that she has been acting. But, what exactly happened? It''s best if you explain it to me so I can form a proper answer."

    The fact that he already knows what I want to know should indicate that he has already made his move.

    "Yulia and I were talking like usual. I attempted to connect on a mutual level and it was working just fine. Until I mentioned Sana. For some reason, your past words reminded me to insist on Sana and so, I persisted and persisted which got her pretty pissed off for some reason..."

    "Woah, dude. You''re... awesome. You did way more than expected. Congrats. I am speechless. The whole point of showing Yulia that you care for her will eventually be clear, but caring for her while still persisting with Sana at the same time is highly effective, as expected."

    His praise aside, he still hasn''t explained why Yulia is mad. Why did she get that upset when I mentioned Sana?

    "Regarding Yulia, she''s in a confused mental state. She is under the impression that what she believes in will be the reflection of her parallel reality. The end goal is to shatter that belief and crush it completely. So, it''s necessary to strike her beliefs down. Not through words, but through actions."

    "Yeah, you already explained that though. Why is Yulia mad, right now?"

    "Why? She''s jealous, my guy. Can''t you tell?"

    "No, no, that makes no sense. We were talking about Arkalee in our conversation and she didn''t get jealous. Not one bit. However, as soon as we began talking about Sana, Yulia erupted into a volcano of rage. You know why, don''t you?"

    If it wasn''t for that, then I would not go out of my way like this.

    "Daniel, you have to start thinking a little bit further. Otherwise, you''ll just keep on consulting me like a human being consults Google. Every time a human being that can use the internet doesn''t know the answer to something, they just google it. You''re not much different in this scenario. If I told you that you will kiss Sana, then why wouldn''t Yulia possibly show signs of jealousy for her? Did you think I set it up this way on random? If Sana is the one you are going to kiss then Yulia has to feel conflicted about it. If it''s random, then it''s not brutal. It lacks the impact. It''s all related. But, if you are the type of person to bother with all the details before the actual climax, then man, you are boring. Don''t be a boring person."

    "..."

    Is it always like that...? Do I just seek Hyunda every time that I have a doubt? Did I get too used to his virtuality?

    "Also, where is Yulia now?"

    "I don''t know."

    "She''s mad, correct?"

    "Yes. At the end of the argument she ran off, but I didn''t chase after all."

    "Oh, man. That''s super perfect. So, here is the thing. Don''t talk to her for the rest of the day. And by tomorrow, instead of chasing after Yulia, I want you to be with Sana only. No, don''t bother to be with Yulia and Sana simultaneously. I want you to be with Sana only."

    I wish I could see what Hyunda is seeing. It''s always infuriating that whenever something involves Hyunda, you can''t help but feel like he''s in charge.

    Even if you act like you are in charge, deep down you know that you are not.

    "But wait, if I do that, then won''t Yulia''s emotional state be a train wreck?"

    "Do you dislike that idea?"

    "Hyunda, you know how I am towards this, don''t you? As long as its end game is beneficial to me, then it doesn''t matter if the idea is evil or immoral."

    "Goddamn. That''s what I like to hear. You''re gonna like the end game for sure. But, yeah. Yulia''s supposed to feel like complete garbage. So, hang out with Sana. For today, don''t bother with both though. Yulia has to think that you will come to regret entering an argument with her. Thus, you shouldn''t call her for the rest of the day too. No texts either. She needs to have a moment of pure isolation where she will collide with her own doubts."

    "Yeah, I can handle that. Dude, I gotta say, although this feels like a lot of responsibility, it doesn''t feel like it."

    What a weird feeling...

    "That''s because you like what you are doing. It''s fun for you. Responsibilities will only feel like responsibilities once they start to drag you down in unpleasing ways. Otherwise, you won''t even notice them. You might just be a genuine like me."

    "A genuine? What do you mean?"

    "No time to explain. Look."

    Hyunda showed me the screen of his phone and I looked upon Arkalee''s name immediately.

    "You''re manipulating her, aren''t you?"

    I know you too well at this point man. You are doing this for a reason, I bet.

    "I would be someone extremely evil to manipulate such strong yet fragile feelings that belong to a maiden like her, wouldn''t I? Therefore, am I manipulating someone like her? A question that is only answered with a question. That''s the essence of primary manipulation. Well, I''m just fucking around. I gotta go now."

    As I watched Hyunda exit the rooftop, I questioned something in my mind.

    Will there ever be a time where Hyunda will genuinely tell the truth or will he just keep on hiding the truth until he dies?

 Volume 13 - Chapter 89: Marionette.

    March 21st.

    Particularly speaking, throughout my life, there were never any mornings that were just hard to accept.

    They were just the beginning of the day, therefore, depending on the chain of events or how each situation had previously developed in ways of detail; I would still not mind because there was still something to at least look forward to.

    However, as I opened my eyes in the morning, checking my phone and seeing no messages and no calls from Daniel left me slightly sad. It''s a weird feeling because I never experienced it yet it struck through me like a train.

    "Gotta make up with him..."

    Grazing the ceiling of my room, I quickly reminisced about the scene that happened yesterday.

    I''ll admit of being somewhat angry that he didn''t chase after me, but he''s not my dog. I know for a fact that Daniel enjoys his personal freedom and doing something as emotional as that would backfire.

    It''s just... I can''t forget that evil bastard''s words. I don''t want to think about it, I really don''t... But why did you go so far for Sana, Daniel?

    No.

    No. These thoughts have to stop. Hyunda''s just trying to manipulate me. I know how manipulation works so it won''t affect me. He probably thinks that I am dumb and that I don''t notice his little scheme. For some reason, he has decided to target me but it''s useless.

    Right now, Hyunda''s attempting to make me have negative thoughts regarding the possibilities of Sana and Daniel being...

    ...It hurts just to think about it.

    Whatever the case, my mentality has to stay healthy and stable. He''s probably trying to disrupt my mental stability but that won''t happen. I''m much stronger than I appear to be.

    It''s not the first time that I''ve been in this type of situation where a manipulating narcissist attempts to get the best of me...

    Hyunda''s just someone sad trying to take advantage of others'' happiness. By doing so, he can have a great sense of individuality, and thus, he gains immense pleasure in bringing misfortune to the likes of me and Daniel.

    Screw you.

    I won''t let you toy with me. That''s why I''ll take immediate action. You plan on bring my mentality down? That won''t happen though. If your plan is to make me feel like garbage then it''s not working.

    Also, I won''t doubt my best friend nor think that my boyfriend would cheat on me. People have a natural interest and I am not Daniel''s world. No, that''s not the meaning I''m looking for as his girlfriend.

    I hope to support him and help him make the right choices.

    So, I have to get out of this sad mood and confront him.

    However, first, I should consult Sana about this.

    Therefore, I''ll talk to Sana.

    Thus, with a sudden fire in my spirit, I did all my usual morning stuff and went to her room door.

    Normally, I and Sana just knock each other''s room''s doors, ultimately not resorting to calls nor texts, but as I knocked on her door multiple times, I did not get a response.

    "Weird... She''s usually up early. Even if it''s festival time, she''s normally the one who knocks on my room door. Is she asleep?"

    Somehow, as I glanced upon her room door, I doubted that. Even though I have known Sana for a very short time, I already know that she''s a morning person!

    ....But I suppose that even she has her quirks, huh?

    I''ll give her a call then.

    "...."

    That''s... weird... She''s not answering back. And she always has her phone on speaker''s mode. Considering that I''m attempting to overhear any noise that might come out of her room, either she''s not there because I didn''t hear any sounds or she forgot to turn her phone into speaker''s mode.

    That has to be it. Yesterday''s event justifies this.

    "Sana? Are you there?"

    I tried not to be as loud as I possibly could, given that there might be others still sleeping, so I called out to Sana in a medium-toned voice.

    Yet no answer came forward.

    "That''s so weird."

    Still having trouble accepting that Sana was nowhere to be seen, I started to feel a dreadful sense of loneliness. Just as it was back when I got here.

    All alone, without anyone to connect with. Only my thoughts remained in this lonesome dorm without any friendliness to it. I hated every single second of it. How I could not connect deeply with anyone here.

    That''s why I am happy that I have an amazing boyfriend and a superb best friend like Sana.

    Okay.

    I''m sure she''s just an event or something! It''s 10 am, which is quite late, but that''s alright! Time to go on a quest to find Sana.

    Hahaha, just kidding, just kidding. No, really, I''ll have to find Sana.

    As I descended down the stairs and attempted to leave the dorm, I tried to call Daniel, but...

    "Ehhh... He''s not picking up... Is he mad? Gosh, I should really apologize for my behavior, I guess."

    Hmm... But still, I don''t know where they are. The school is massive and if they are not contactable then how should I know where they are?!

    ........

    "Is Arkalee available, I wonder..."

    I didn''t want to talk to Arkalee again for a good time, but after some thinking, I just can''t succumb to those thoughts! She''s being manipulated... And for that reason, I will make her see that that''s the case.

    I''ll make you see the true colors of the one with who you are in love.

    "Yulia?"

    Thankfully, almost instantly, Arkalee picked up.

    "Hello..."

    I wonder if she''s mad at me for saying all of those words... I really just wanted to get her to see that Hyunda is a bad influence. It appears that my approach was wrong.

    Because it didn''t work, so I''ll try a new one.

    "I''m sorry for what I have said! Um, can we talk about this, Arkalee?"

    "Oh, sure thing! I''m having breakfast at the mall''s cafeteria! Come on over!"

    "Okay! I''ll be there when I can!"

    "Mhm!"

    With that, Arkalee ended the call.

    Wow, that went surprisingly well!

    Alright!

    10 minutes later.

    Sincerely, I am not sure why I thought that we were going to talk alone.

    Arkalee seemed way too happy during the call and only when I entered the cafeteria, did I remind myself that according to her, there is only one person in this entire world that can give her actual happiness.

    It''s impressive and controversial how Arkalee can maintain such a blissful expression while being completely linked with Hyunda''s arm all the time.

    Doesn''t it bother her that she''s depending on him so much...?

    "....I thought that it would just be the two of us..."

    Expressing my dissatisfaction right away, I interrupted their conversation.

    Arkalee, you... Just take a look at how he looks at everything. He clearly doesn''t care about you, but it''s not just you.

    It''s every single thing on this damn planet!

    "Oh? Am I being a bother here? I can take my leave if you want."

    "Thank you, that would be really nice."

    At least he knows that it''s bad manners to overstay his welcome. Arkalee and I need to talk and Hyunda can''t be here.

    But I already knew...

    "Nope, stay! We three can talk a lot, you don''t have to leave. Well, not like I would let you, hahaha."

    Arkalee''s so obsessed with him that she won''t let him leave. But that''s not what bothers me.

    Usually, you would be bothered by this type of obsessive behavior. It''s just not normal. Anyone in their sane mind would freak out!

    But no! Hyunda just doesn''t! And that''s because he doesn''t care enough about Arkalee to even notice how obsessed she is with him!

    "No, I can''t. It looks like she has something important to say to you. So, I''ll take my leave. You''re not gonna argue back, are you?"

    Taking my seat in the seat parallel next to them, I got immediately surprised by how Hyunda was actually trying to leave and let Arkalee be alone with me.

    I thought for sure that he was just going to take advantage of this. You''re not that smart then, Hyunda.

    "Oh, I will argue. You already know that, don''t you?"

    "Well, yeah. That''s obvious. You will always argue when it comes to this. I already know you to this extent, Arkalee. But even so, I''ll leave you be with Yulia."

    Look at him claiming that he knows her to that extent. And what does he mean by ''always''? Are you saying that there were more times like this where you didn''t care!?

    Have you no shame?!

    "Oh, alright!"

    Huh.......? She''s actually agreeing?!

    Wait, what?

    "Remember my words."

    "I shall! G-Goodbye............"

    What did Hyunda mean by ''Remember my words''? Was that some sort of way for Arkalee to feel compensated?

    Evil sadistic psychopath... Just go away already...

    You even made Arkalee so sad that she could barely finish her sentence. Though, all in all, what surprised me the most was that Arkalee actually agreed with Hyunda here.

    This is a chance! This means that Arkalee has finally decided to not completely be attached to him!

    "Arkalee, I-----"

    Arkalee didn''t exactly interrupt my sentence, as that was something done by myself. Entirely speaking, I was responsible for it yet that was because Arkalee started to sulk and look down instantly as Hyunda left the cafeteria.

    "W-What''s wrong...?"

    "Excuse me for a second... It''s just natural, alright...?"

    "What is?"

    "Oh... I mean, this... Look. My makeup is ruined. Hahahaha. I usually don''t take too long but I just felt like going a little beyond the usual today! A-And now...! It''s all gone...!!! My tears, they won''t stop! Oh god!"

    Without beating around the bush, I''ll just speak what''s truly happening right now. Arkalee is having an emotional meltdown and has decided to cry which ruined all of her makeup.

    Her violent tears kept on streaming down all the way from her eyes to the edge of her cheeks nonstop.

    "I-I know that I''m supposed to be away because that''s... But even so...! It''s so hard! You know, right?! You know what I''m talking about, right, Yulia?! Being away from the one you love, even for a single second can leave you insane! Look at these overflowing passionate tears...! I have no control over them! Ahhhhhhh!!!"

    I''m stuck with a dilemma. I want to help Arkalee and I want her to realize that she is committing the wrong decision here, but...

    Her mental state is already a mess. And I know whose fault this is.

    "Arkalee... I have no idea what you are talking about... I may love Daniel with all my heart but being away from him doesn''t cause me to meltdown every time. Sure, I do like to think that our moments are better than the ones where I am without him, but that still doesn''t give me the reason to break down as you do. Arkalee, just take a look at yourself. This is driving you insane and the worst part is, it''s not even your fault..."

    Initially, I thought that I would be able to convince Arkalee about the truth.

    However, my thought process really wasn''t correct. It''s not Arkalee''s fault, it''s Hyunda''s...

    Arkalee became like this due to him. I don''t know what happened, but Hyunda''s at fault for this.

    "But... This is my proof of love. Look at these tears! They are so genuine! This is evidence! Evidence that my love for him does exist! Don''t you think so too? I genuinely have never cried for someone like I do except for Hyunda! All of the other times, they were just fake cries, but this...! This is the real thing! It''s amazing, Yulia!"

    "No, that''s wrong. That''s not love, that''s sadness. He doesn''t treat you accordingly. I know how you look at him and crave his affection. But the very fact that he doesn''t do anything in return for you means he isn''t interested in you and it''s not right to go out of your way for someone who doesn''t do the same for you! That''s why you should stop already!"

    But of course, I know she''s going to argue back.

    Arkalee just defends Hyunda all the time because she''s over-protective.

    Yet, even so, I will---

    "Ahh... You are right, Yulia... Hyunda''s not the one for me, at all... I''ve been realizing lately, that maybe... Maybe it''s best if I just let him go. He''s just a crush, nothing more, hahahaha."

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    "Arkalee... So you''ve noticed...? I was starting to get worried! But that''s good. It''s better now than never! First of all, calm down. Please stop crying. Don''t cry for someone who won''t cry for you."

    Okay.

    We are starting to get somewhere. Arkalee finally realized that Hyunda is bad for her. I was starting to think that it might''ve been too late for her, but it''s not.

    That''s very good. I need to take every chance possible to fix this. It''s not too late for her.

    "...Okay. Sorry... You''re right, you''re right... Hyunda''s bad for me... Really bad... He makes my heartbeat go up so insanely high that I always feel like my heart is just gonna come out of my chest..."

    I am not sure if that was another one of her passionate sayings or if she''s telling me that she''s sick of being in love with Hyunda.

    Nevertheless, I held her cold hand tightly worryingly. I want her to feel my emotions and that I really do care for her.

    I dislike the fact that I am bashing someone just to make someone else see how wrong she is and that her actions won''t lead to her happiness but this is what happens when I''m dealing with a narcissistic psychopath...

    "It''s alright, Arkalee. Just... Don''t talk to him anymore."

    "...."

    Still crying... She''s sulking even further as she embraces her face on her slender arms while crying more and more.

    Truly, she''s been hurt...

    "Ahhh, you know! He''s not even that good! I mean, your case is pretty normal! At a certain point, we will always have a crazy case for someone who seems to be like our hero! A person who you just can''t help but feel attracted to! A certain attraction that has little to no reason yet you just feel like it''s right! But... Sometimes, things aren''t as they seem to be. That''s why, you have to be strong and learn from this, okay...?"

    Not that it has ever happened to me, but I''ve witnessed such cases throughout my life.

    Feeling like a total outcast just due to a major crush is unnecessary because it''s normal. I believe that it''s a phase that the majority goes through at some point.

    Arkalee is a really passionate person and I think she has a lot of love to give. However, it''s for that reason that I cannot approve of Hyunda being the person for her.

    As her friend, I can tell that Hyunda is not the right person for her to give all of her feelings. Just a single thought about it makes me feel disgusted.

    "Thanks for the advice... I just... It''s hard! Every time that I try to show my love, he doesn''t care! What am I supposed to do?! How am I supposed to love someone that doesn''t let me do exactly that!? It''s driving me insane and I hate every single second of it! Why can''t he be more caring and comprehensive!?"

    "Because that''s part of his nature... A sadistic evil ruthless bastard like him is only ever going to view you as his plaything and nothing more... Move on from him! There are so, so many better people out there! It''s a great big world and I am sure that your feelings will be rewarded, Arkalee!"

    "But even so... I feel like maybe it''s still worth a shot! Maybe I still can---"

    "No! You can''t! If you don''t let go of him now, you''ll be stuck on his shadow forever and I don''t want that! As a matter of fact, I''ll talk to him and really knock some sense into him! Wait here! I''ll be back when I''m done!"

    "H-Huh!? Wait a second...!"

    Determined, I rose from my seat and left the cafeteria.

    I highly doubt that he left the mall. He''s probably touring through it right now!

    He can''t have gone that far.

    This mall contains four floors, so I went through the second one and the third one respectively.

    The cafeteria is located on the first floor yet there I didn''t find him.

    Thus, on the last floor, the fourth floor, at the top of the mall, in an esplanade, I glanced upon his figure.

    His natural relaxed attitude pissed me off the moment I looked at him. In this esplanade though, nobody was here, except for him.

    Does he have any idea how much trouble Arkalee is going through right now?!

    "Hey!"

    I called out to him aggressively on purpose but... What the hell!?

    "I called you! You are supposed to look at someone in the eyes when that person speaks, not the other way around! Also, stop eating that raw onion and pay attention to my words because they are important!"

    Who the hell eats a raw onion in public like this?! I get that there isn''t anyone here, but still! Also, a raw onion!?

    "Why are you yelling? There''s no need to yell. If you want to talk, then have a seat. Let''s talk diplomatically. Or do you want to trade shouts in order to make your point? If so, then you should go to a zoo and make your arguments in front of the monkeys."

    Wh---

    "Hey, they might find it funny. Give it a try one of these days. Ah, preferably before the festival ends. There is a zoo in this school. Yeah, fucking crazy, I know. This school has a zoo. Oh wait, that''s the entire school, and the animals that fill the zoo are the students of it."

    "How do you live with yourself?! Do you know what Arkalee''s going through right now?! Do you have any idea?"

    "Probably crying her eyeballs out. Well, am I wrong or am I right?"

    How can someone remain this calm while talking about a topic this sensitive!? This is someone else''s emotions, you dickhead! You''re not supposed to mix some stupid sarcasm and unfunny jokes in the process!

    "If you know that, then why aren''t you doing something about it?!"

    "So I''m right. Well, why? I don''t care about her. Why should I?"

    "Then tell her that! Tell her that you are horrible and that you don''t deserve her! That way, Arkalee can stop being obsessed with you! Yes, in case you haven''t realized because you are too damn heartless to notice, she''s in love with you yet you probably treat this subject as a literal joke, don''t you, you crude bastard?!"

    I know that I''m being rude right now. Very rude, but it must be done. This guy has to know his place.

    He''s wrong and he has to be aware of it somehow!

    "I see. So?"

    Wh...

    "So........?! What do you mean by ''So?''?!"

    "I meant what I meant. You just told me to care for someone just because that someone wants me to care for her supposedly. But, where is my saying in all of this? Do you expect me to just nod at every word you say with a firm yes and not a single no between the lines?"

    What... is this guy talking about?

    Has he lost it? I''m pretty sure he has. He has no sense of morality whatsoever. People''s feelings aren''t supposed to be trashed this way. No, that''s just wrong!

    "Woah, you seem pretty pissed off, Yulia."

    "I am pissed off. You keep on hurting my great friend Arkalee''s feelings and I won''t forgive you for that. I''m not saying that you should make her happy, but tell her how it is! Right now!"

    "Pass. Arkalee''s free to do what she wants. It''s not my responsibility."

    "Wh---"

    "But more importantly, Yulia. I found it rather ironic."

    For some reason, he entirely stopped eating his onion and looked at me with serious eyes for once.

    Unable to tell if Hyunda was serious or not, I was perplexed transiently.

    "What did you find rather ironic...?"

    "Hm? I thought that you would have noticed it for sure."

    "What? I have no idea what you are talking about, Hyunda."

    Is this one of his sick ideas of running away from the argument? What a literal coward. He should be ashamed.

    "Really? I thought that you would have a good idea."

    "Get to the point."

    "So demanding. Alright, alright. It''s all identical. This situation and what''s happening between you and Daniel."

    "Excuse me?"

    What did he mean by that? How is this somehow connected to my relationship with Daniel?

    I bet it''s just one of his manipulative tricks.

    "As you might''ve noticed, whenever I''m around Arkalee I play a very indifferent attitude. Really, really indifferent. If you would make the claim that I am in another world when Arkalee is present, then I wouldn''t be able to deny it, honestly."

    "Hyunda, you should just die."

    Not only that but he should apologize to every person he has hurt with that insensitiveness of his.

    "True. But, hear me out. You think that I''m not aware that Arkalee loves me? I''m extremely aware. Super aware. But still, why haven''t I done anything despite that?"

    "That''s because you lack the ability to love someone, you freak show. You''ll never love someone in your life and you will never know the true meaning of happiness either!"

    What?

    Did he think that I wasn''t aware of this? Hyunda''s the type of person who probably feels zero empathy for someone and just uses everyone around him for his own personal goals.

    He''s not that enigmatic as Arkalee perceives him to be. Fairly simple, actually.

    "I mean, if that''s what you think, then I suppose that''s fine. But get this, my attitude had a point! Can you guess what was the point of my cold attitude? Oh, by the way. I behave completely differently whenever I''m around Arkalee in an environment where you aren''t around. Why is that though?"

    "Hyunda, I get it. You have some sort of grudge against me."

    "You''re not wrong. I do have a grudge against you, but it''s not only against you. Hey, at least I''m brutally honest about it."

    "Okay, tell me why."

    "Hell no. Shut up and listen closely now because I won''t repeat what I am about to just say. You''re too dumb to notice the simple play I did just for you. I treat Arkalee the same way Daniel treats you."

    "Huh?!"

    "Seriously? ''Huh?!'' is the best answer you can come up with? I want to jump off this building right now, Yulia. If you are going to talk to me then have some wit before you do."

    "Oh my god, get to the point! You''re so annoying, Jesus Christ!"

    "But I already made my point. Or are you in some sort of denial right now? The way I treat Arkalee is the same way Daniel treats you. To Arkalee, I talk to her yet as you see, I don''t really care for what she has to say. Even though she remains physically attached to me, I still don''t care. In other words, I was showing you the real colors of your so-called relationship with Daniel."

    This guy really thinks that I am dumb. He thinks that I actually came here in order to get myself manipulated.

    Well, he''s wrong. Because I''m not swallowing a single word he says about Daniel.

    "Hyunda, it''s not gonna work. You can''t manipulate me. I see through you."

    "From the looks of it, you don''t. I''m just telling you the truth but you are adamant about denying me which is causing you to be blind about the reality. But I get it. You won''t believe me."

    "I''m glad you realize. I would appreciate if you would stop using my boyfriend''s name for your advantage! He is not your toy nor is Arkalee! So, apologize to Arkalee properly if you have some dignity in your soul!"

    I''m so, but so tired of this bastard using Daniel''s name in every single one of his arguments! Not only that but Sana''s name too.

    That''s not forgivable. As I thought, I''m not going to follow that stupid bet. As long as I keep my mentality strong, I will come out on top.

    If I fall into the illusion that Hyunda''s right, then I will fall into a mental state of insecurity and I refuse to let that happen!

    "Are you sure that''s your top priority? Getting me to apologize to Arkalee?"

    "Uh, yes. That is my top priority."

    "That''s just bad decision making, in my opinion. If I were you, in your current position, then I would worry myself with my boyfriend''s whereabouts. Hey, where is Daniel anyway? He is always around with you, me and Arkalee. Not to mention Sana. So, what gives?"

    ....

    "That''s none of your business..."

    This is just one of his manipulation schemes. Don''t listen to him, don''t listen to him.

    "What the hell? I find this so funny now. I get that it''s none of my business, but where is he? I''m so curious now. Give him a call."

    "Why? I respect his privacy. I won''t bother him. Leave him alone."

    That''s right...

    Daniel''s a major private person so it''s normal that he takes his time and focuses on his private goals.

    Eventually, we will talk again. It''s just a little tense right now, that''s all...

    "Do you respect his privacy or are you being forced to respect his privacy?"

    "I respect his privacy. I''m not being forced to respect his privacy because--"

    "Call him then. I want to hear his voice."

    So damn rude! I was in the middle of explaining it!

    "No, I will not. You can''t force me to do something against my will."

    "You''re right, I can''t. So, I win."

    "What?"

    Win? What? You''re delusional.

    What part of this is winning?

    "I don''t believe that you have a choice in this matter. I think that you can''t even contact him. Which means that you are being forced into respecting his privacy."

    "That is simply not the case. You don''t know Daniel very well, so it''s normal for you to assume things like that."

    "No, I''m positive that that''s the case. You can prove me wrong just by giving him a call. If he picks up then I am wrong."

    "No way, Hyunda. It''s irrelevant to me whether you win the argument or not."

    Plus, I refuse to get swayed by his manipulative words.

    I''m too strong for that.

    "I see. Then, I''ll raise the stakes. If you call him and he picks up, then I will drop out of the program."

    .....!!!

    "But, that''s not it. Additionally, should you call Sana, and if she picks up as well, I will, with you, apologize to Arkalee in the humblest way possible. I will apologize and be on my knees for everything that I have done. Furthermore, I will do any requests you ask me to do before I drop out."

    Is he serious---

    No, no! This is what he wants! He won''t keep his word! He''s a liar!

    "Nice try, Hyunda. If only you were dealing with someone dumb, then that would work."

    "Oh, I see. You don''t believe me, then?"

    "Nope. And I won''t ever. It''s useless. I got you cornered."

    This is so easy. Hyunda actually thinks that I am this dumb person who can''t rationalize anything but he''s so wrong about that.

    "Cornered? That''s funny. You act more cornered than anyone else. The fact that you even denied making contact with your boyfriend a while ago speaks for itself. Hey, Yulia. Just admit it. You don''t actually love Daniel."

    "I love Daniel."

    "Then why are you prioritizing talking to me instead of talking with Daniel? Why are you prioritizing getting me to apologize to Arkalee? Can you call that love when you even refuse to contact your loved one for the sake of ''denying'' me? Are you implying that I am more important than Daniel?"

    "You are not more important than him! Nothing is!"

    That''s right! To me, Daniel is--

    "I don''t see how I''m not more important right now. You are placing so much on me but not on Daniel. Hey, Daniel yesterday told me. How you two had an argument."

    W-What...? Daniel, why would you tell Hyunda that....

    I thought that was our secret... You''re not supposed to tell others about it, especially Hyunda!

    "Now, now. No need for such expression like that. Daniel was just acting worried, so he consulted me. He wanted you to understand that the argument was dumb in the first place. Because you freaked out when Sana got mentioned over and over! Yulia, I can''t believe you. You keep on saying that my opinion doesn''t matter but the fact that you got mad over Sana being mentioned constantly proves that my words are affecting your mentality!"

    "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! No, it''s not! That was just a dumb mistake!"

    Seriously, why did you tell him?!

    Now Hyunda''s laughing in my face with that stupid evil grin of his! And it''s my fault for getting mad about it! By words that Hyunda said! I know it!

    "Except it wasn''t dumb. Daniel started to mention Sana, right? What part of it was dumb, actually? You started to get defensive because you had a reason to. Yulia, you think that I am so lying to you, but I can just give you the solid piece of evidence that I am not."

    "Oh yeah?! Then give it to me! You''re lying and you know it! If it''s a bluff then I''ll see right through it!"

    There''s nothing to fear here. It''s just one of his mind games. If I play along, he''ll think that I am being manipulated while I am not.

    As soon as he gets the feeling that I am under his control, he''ll show his vulnerable self and commit a stupid blunder.

    "Sure. Let''s stick with what I was saying. Call Daniel."

    "Does the deal still apply?"

    "Yes, Yulia. I am not kidding. You can even record my vows or bring a witness here with you. Whatever gets your trust issues rolling."

    "I do not have trust issues!"

    "So you say."

    He''s oddly confident, but that has always been a part of Hyunda, I suppose. However, what better way is there to bring you down except by playing your own game and win in the process?

    I have experience against people like you and as soon as things get bad, you will start to feel weak and vulnerable.

    It''s just a matter of time.

    "Yulia, the clock is ticking. For every second you stand here, they might just be romantically talking to one another. Oh, wait... That would be implying that they both would be away and that they would also not answer your calls. But, no way that''s the case, right? Come on, go on. What are you waiting for? Go."

    Keep on acting confident for as long as you want, it won''t amount to anything, you coward.

    Right now, I''m texting them both while saying that I really need them to answer their phones.

    Especially you, Daniel. This person is just wrong. I had no clue that someone as evil as he was lurking around in the background of our classroom.

    No...

    The fact that he stood all this time just idly standing around in the classroom without being noticed in any way just makes him the most dangerous.

    Henceforth, I will need to make sure that he doesn''t cause problems for anyone.

    "Looks like you are ready to give them the calls. Just a single reception from either side and my life here is over. How do you feel, Yulia? Are you feeling good right now? I''m sure you have a level of spite towards me right now, don''t you? You are probably feeling premature ecstasy just by thinking about my existence not being relevant anymore."

    "I''m glad you know that you are about to lose. I''m calling Daniel."

    "Sure thing. By the way, you are free to call Daniel and Sana for as long as you want within the time gap of five minutes. Think of this as a handicap."

    Handicap?

    How confident. That over-confidence is getting on my nerves.

    Let''s see for how long you can keep that confidence of yours, Hyunda.

    5 minutes later.

    "Time is up. Looks like my life here isn''t over."

    ...Why?

    This is too much of a coincidence. I know that I shouldn''t believe what Hyunda is saying but all the signals are pointing at it!

    It''s like I''m trying to walk into a path and there are two directions to go. The first direction tells me that it''s the right way and that''s the absolutely correct one, however, the second one, even though it''s not right, it somehow is the correct one.

    "It would save us both a lot of time if you just believe in my words. But, I won''t insist. After all, what just happened should speak for itself. They both didn''t pick up. You seem to be freaking out on the inside though. What''s the matter? Too much of a coincidence to swallow? Hahaha. You might be thinking that I am doing all of this to mock you and laugh at you and while that''s partially true, you benefit from learning the truth. Yulia, they both---"

    "I said I don''t want to hear it! Whatever... Just come with me! You''re apologizing to Arkalee! She''s waiting!"

    It''s all mind games. It''s all mind games. It''s all mind games. It''s all mind games. It''s all mind games. It''s all mind games.

    There''s no need to overthink this. The moment I fall into his trap it''s all over. I know this for a fact.

    Ultimately, ready to take my leave from this esplanade, I got up from my seat and Hyunda, surprisingly, did the same.

    "Well, alright. Oh... Arkalee''s calling. Second please."

    Arkalee.......? Why are you calling him? I told you to let go of him yet you rely on him the next second...?

    "Yeah, I got it. Be there in a second. Bye."

    Quickly receiving Arkalee''s words, Hyunda spoke careless words and hung up on her.

    Subsequently, he turned to look at me as we were exiting the esplanade in order to venture into the inside of the mall.

    "Arkalee moved out to the plaza. That''s where we will be headed. I trust you have no objections."

    "..."

    "Silence implies consent these days. So, I''ll take that as a yes."

    Unfortunately, Arkalee trusts Hyunda way too much. She should''ve just contacted me first instead of calling Hyunda like that.

    As we walked side-by-side, his ominous presence felt like the fear of the unknown.

    All this time, he was there. Sitting in the middle of the classroom, with the rest of us.

    He always scores negatively in exams. In both special exams and in regular ones. As a matter of fact, he doesn''t do any of them.

    According to the teachers, the pages remain yet blank and left to be fulfilled. It''s as if he takes nothing seriously.

    Yet, just by walking side-by-side, on the way to the plaza, I started to think about what would happen if he actually took things seriously?

    Is this his serious side? Who am I walking with right now? How come I never noticed that there was such a platonically evil presence amidst our class?!

    Eventually, we reached the entrance of the plaza, which was the same place that Kawahara and the rest were having lunch the other time.

    Every seat was at least filled with a student. It was weekend, technically, but the festival was still occurring.

    "Weird. Where is Arkalee? Hey, do you see her, Yulia?"

    Now that he mentions it...

    Where is Arkalee? I don''t see her anywhere.

    "Nope..."

    "Check the aerial floor above to see if she''s there. I''ll check the below one."

    "Okay..."

    It''s really fancy how this plaza is divided into three floors. We entered through the second floor, but realistically speaking, the first floor is below the ground.

    Sorta like how restaurants have the subterranean floor, the normal entrance floor, and lastly, the upper floor which usually has an open view of the sky and the environment around, including the freedom of feeling the weather supremely well.

    By contrast, if the weather is bad, then the upper floors lose their meaning. Plus, they are highly occupied all the time.

    Hence, as I climbed the stairs to the upper floor, I could only imagine a lot of students chatting around while enjoying their weekend. Yes, it''s normal for students to laze around and idly talk like they are going to die young.

    That''s the magic of youth, in a sense.

    Nonetheless, my expectations were betrayed.

    What my eyes captured, as I reached the peak of the floor was nothing like I had imagined. I was hoping to see Arkalee here, sitting in a table alone still sulking while a lot of students would do what I previously mentioned.

    However, instead, what I captured was a scenery that made me want to turn back and pretend that I never gazed upon it.

    The scenery where my best friend and my boyfriend are the only ones here in this gigantic plaza talking to each other on high notes.

 Volume 13 - Chapter 90: Unfortunate.

    Part 1.

    March 21st. 7 am.

    On the brick of the morning, Hyunda had texted me to meet up in the dining hall of the dorm.

    Given how he doesn''t call me out on such occasions, I was naturally curious.

    Without any delay, I arrived at the dining hall, where Hyunda stood alone, eating one of his raw onions.

    "Dude, that must taste so bad. How do you eat it?"

    It was still a mystery to me how Hyunda could eat a raw onion with such a carefree expression.

    "You can always just block your nostrils and you won''t have to taste the raw taste of the onion. It just sucks that you''d have to deal with the aftertaste in your mouth later. Do you want one?"

    Pulling out a single onion from his pocket, Hyunda made that offer.

    "Pass. Anyway, what''s up?"

    I took my seat next to him and waited for him to tell me the reason for calling me out here so early.

    Without a doubt, there is a reason. No way this is just casual talk.

    "At what hour does Yulia contact you in the morning? You two talk through texts, right?"

    "Around 7:30 or so am. Of course. Annoying as hell though."

    It''s really oppressive to text someone who you have no interest in.

    Lately, I''ve been feeling that annoying persistent sensation often.

    "It''s 7:05 am right now. So, accordingly, Yulia should be up in 25 minutes?"

    "I think so. However, there aren''t any classes, so she might just oversleep. Man, I don''t know why they told us that we were going to have classes when we won''t. It''s festival time, so everyone is either partaking the events or just lazing around."

    "It''s better not to count on her oversleeping. Either way, can you contact Sana and keep her busy for a while? It would be decently helpful for something I have in mind."

    I don''t have any reason not to deny this. As a matter of fact, I should just keep on talking to Sana supposedly.

    "If it helps, then I don''t mind. But for how long?"

    "I will text you the exact time when I''m done. Until then, it would be plausible if you could keep Sana busy. Also, ignore any calls from Yulia. Don''t reply to a single one."

    "Hyunda, sometimes I get the feeling that you are actually cold-blooded."

    The way he says certain stuff really makes me think like that.

    "On that note, Daniel, can you make sure that Sana doesn''t pay any attention to her phone?"

    "Any suggestions on how to make that happen? You know that she''s been suspicious lately. Getting rid of her suspicions would be nice, right?"

    "I''m glad we think alike. I can give you a few suggestions. Steal her phone. Smash her phone. Water her ph---"

    "Realistic ones, please. Preferably options where I don''t get myself killed in the process by a teenager''s rage."

    He''s not being too realistic, but I think he''s just mildly joking about the subject if we''re being honest.

    "They are all realistic though. If you steal her phone without her noticing it, then proceed to smash it without her knowledge, it will all work out. But I understand. You don''t want to go through many risks. On second thought, you don''t have to do it."

    "Wait, what? What happened?"

    Something changed his mind in this split second, but just what the hell was it?

    "Nothing. It just didn''t make any sense for me to ask you to take care of this task when there is someone else who won''t even think twice about doing that task. My bad there. Anyways, that''s it. Pay attention to your phone and get going with Sana. Later."

    As if he was in a rush, Hyunda got up from his seat and exited the dining hall unknowingly directing himself elsewhere.

    Generally speaking, I followed my task immediately and started to contact Sana.

    Part 2.

    Around 7:15 am.

    "Bzzzt. Bzzzt."

    Still sleepy, I couldn''t help but internally question what sort of noise was bothering my beauty sleep and most importantly, my dreams with my charming prince.

    Sincerely, the real nightmare would be to stop sleeping because that would mean that my sweet dreams would end yet as I opened my eyes and recognized the sound from my phone that was vibrating from an upcoming call, I realized.

    I only have one contact and that means...!

    "Hello!?"

    "You''re up. Nice. How fast can we meet?"

    "Good morning! Um, it depends. Are you in a hurry or do I get some time to prepare myself?"

    I need to know if I''m able to look maximally plausible appearance-wise, my love. I know that appeal doesn''t work on you, but I still have to take care of my appearance nonetheless.

    Everyone around me has to know that such a pretty girl only belongs to one person in this entire universe.

    And that you belong with me. See? I just made a circle symbolizing our strong love and connection!

    "It''s urgent. I would prefer it if you were with me as fast as you could."

    "Okay. Ten minutes. I''ll try my best!"

    I can do this. Sure, it will require tremendous technique and quick pacing, but if it''s for you, then I can do it.

    Also, you said that it was urgent and that you would prefer it if I were with you as fast as possible. I just can''t ignore that.

    Do you need me? Apparently, yes. So, as your eternal love, I will seek you fastly.

    "I''ll be waiting at our usual place."

    "O-Okay---"

    He hung up, not prolonging the call.

    Classic.

    I bet another boy would just try to sweet talk his way and attempt to seduce me with candy-like words, but not you. You never abandon your individuality and for that, and many other reasons, I forever love you.

    "Okay! I''ll be right there. Just wait for me, Hyunda."

    I just have to get ready and do a lot of stuff very quickly.

    No problem.

    Only for you.

    Eventually, I reached our beloved place that was only occupied with his presence. In other words, the divine realm where Hyunda and I could co-exist without anyone else.

    I''ve been thinking of just making this place off-limits for outsiders, but I need to form a way to actually apply that idea.

    "Hi!"

    "Oh, you''re here. Thanks for not taking too long and actually being up. I thought that you were going to oversleep."

    That''s a really stupid assumption. I''m not saying that you are stupid, my love, but why do you assume that I won''t ever answer your call? I have my phone''s volume set to maximum just for the purpose of hearing the notification/call sound.

    Given that you are my only contact, I have to make sure that I am never late to any call nor any text. That''s just unthinkable.

    "Haha, I wouldn''t dare. I am a morning person, after all!"

    Not really. I''ve always enjoyed my sleep and certainly, my dreams with you felt like bliss and will only continue to feel like a further bliss as time goes on, but naturally, being with you in actuality is way more important than my sleep.

    "By the way... Is that an onion...?"

    Hyunda''s eating an onion. I''ve never seen that out of him. Is it good?

    I''ll try it later. Actually, I wonder if he allows me to take a bite of the one he''s eating right now?

    "Yeah. A habit of mine. Well, have a seat. I really need to talk to you. Not much time left, so to say."

    "Okay."

    It seems that he is in a hurry. That''s... a bit disappointing. I know that I''m delusional to even think that he called me here out of pure interest.

    Because if Hyunda''s in a hurry, then it means that we won''t be spending that much time together.

    Or so he thinks. But, I really will always glue myself onto him.

    Ultimately though, I took a seat right next to him and hugged his arm straight up. It would be wrong for me to not feel his embrace right away.

    "You smell so good. Aren''t you worried that you might get all the boys from this school to fall in love with you just by getting physically close to you, Arkalee?"

    "Mhm, no. That''s not really a problem!"

    I''ll keep that praise in mind though. Obviously, before we started to talk, I''ve already started to record this conversation. Just like every single one of our conversations.

    Later on, when I''m alone in my room, I listen to them endlessly while thinking about you.

    "Really though? Your beauty might just be straight up devastating to others. Other girls will feel like they are out of place when up against you. Show some mercy."

    I would usually not tolerate the fact that he indirectly mentioned other girls except there''s the fact that he just praised me on a very high note.

    But, my love, to others? I don''t care about others... I want you to look at me.

    "Well that aside, I want to know something."

    "Oh, what is it?!"

    Is it another question regarding my interests!? I''m ready for it. I''ll prepare the best answer I can give you!

    "Is it fine if I mention another girl''s name? I''m asking for your permission because I don''t know how to address her otherwise."

    Ah.

    That''s just...

    Why?

    "Sorry. I''m suddenly not feeling so good. Another time."

    My love, I''ll have to teach you how to not ruin the mood like this just so we can make the best out of every moment.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Mentioning some other whore in the middle of our sacred exchange of romantic words is blasphemy itself.

    "Oh, right. I do have to follow a certain procedure. Sorry. I forget the basics. How are you?"

    That''s a start.

    "I was in a perfect mood, but I am not in a very excellent mood right now. As a matter of fact, I am extremely discontent."

    "I see. It''s because I mentioned the fact that I will have to mention another girl''s name, isn''t it? I apologize. It wasn''t my intention to hurt your feelings, Arkalee."

    "O-Oh, don''t apologize..."

    Oh no... If you speak to me with such delicacy, I...

    I never knew... How come you are such a gentleman when you actually care about something? Keep that attitude present in every single one of our talks, my love.

    "No, I must apologize. But it''s for a plausible reason. And that''s because I need your help with something."

    "You... do?"

    "Yes. Listen to what I''m about to say because it''s something that I have never told anyone. Only you will get to hear it from me, alright?"

    I am so interested right now that my wavering smile just kept on rising sideways like an uncontrollable pendulum swing.

    "Okay, okay! I won''t tell anyone! I''ll keep it a secret just like all the other secrets!"

    Those secrets of yours belong to me. As your future wife, I''ll get to know more and more about you. Every single detail.

    Speaking of which, I really want to know what his life before this has been like. I''ll try to ask him whenever I can.

    "But, for me to tell you what I want to say, I''ll have to mention two girl''s names. It can''t be any other way."

    Tough choice... Do I allow him to utter another girl''s name or do I miss out on his secret...?

    Hmmmm....

    "Just once each."

    Okay. That''s really a lot. And I don''t know just how much I''ll be able to handle it.

    Ikkiri''s name is banned so there is no possible way for him to utter her name, but still...

    "Fine. First of all, I should tell you that I have a current goal in mind."

    Please tell me what it is.

    I really want to know what you consider to be personal and private. Because then, if you tell me something that you consider to be personal and private, it will mean that you trust me and only me.

    "I want Yulia to die."

    .......!!!

    Y-You too!?

    "Okay! But, um, why?!"

    I completely transiently forgot that he just mentioned Yulia''s name, but the fact that he wants her to die just spoke to me out loud!

    My love, we do think alike! I want her dead too! We are soooooooo compatible!!!

    "The reason why I want her to die is part of the overall plan. I want Yulia to commit suicide. However, to achieve that, I will have to do a few steps before achieving that scenario."

    "Ah, Hyunda, I said only once."

    I really, really don''t wanna hear her name even though your idea is extremely pleasing, my love.

    "My bad. As I was saying, in order for her to commit suicide, she''ll need a reason to commit suicide. I was thinking of something tragic. You know how she loves Daniel?"

    "I do. She''s really obnoxious about it though."

    She doesn''t shut up about it either. Does she actually think that I want to hear about any other romance that isn''t the one that''s currently happening right now?

    "Here is the thing, imagine that you are in her position and that you capture a glimpse of your boyfriend cheating with your best friend. Isn''t that just sad for Yulia?"

    "Hyunda, please. This is just..."

    He did it again... Is he doing this on purpose?!

    "Oh, I always forget. This is why I told you that it was going to be hard."

    "Just please remember my words. I''m serious. I''ll get mad."

    It pains me that my name isn''t what you only have in your mind.

    Yours is always on my mind, so it would really be nice if mine was in yours too.

    "I''ll try. All in all, though, I need a favor from you right now. Remove Sana''s phone SIM card. Can you do that?"

    .........?

    "Why...?"

    What is this about Sana? Her phone''s SIM card? I want an explanation.

    I can understand Yulia. We think alike and you want her dead too. Yes, very understandable and I am so aligned with the idea of killing Yulia.

    But apparently you want her to commit suicide? Oh well. As long as she dies, that''s all I care.

    "She needs to be unable to be contacted in the upcoming hours. Daniel''s girlfriend will try to contact her and I don''t want that to happen. This is really important."

    "Okay, but why does Sana need to be uncontactable suddenly?"

    "That''s because Yulia will try to contact her. I should explain something first. As I''ve said previously, the end game scenario would be a scenario where Yulia will--- Damn it, I''ve said her name twice. Not my intention. Sorry. Daniel will cheat on---- Alright, Arkalee, this is way too impossible. I can''t talk like this..."

    Oh, that was the whole point.

    By making you realize that it would be impossible for you to talk about any other girl while attempting to not mention their names, you will ultimately realize in addition that you should only mention my name.

    Hehe.

    "Well, I don''t care anymore though. The endgame scenario is where Yulia will get cheated on by Daniel kissing Sana. I''m implanting a seed of insecurity in Yulia''s mentality right now and Yulia''s being---"

    "Stop please."

    Why did he suddenly decide not to care?! Hello!? How can you be so damn ruthless?!

    Geez, I swear, if I didn''t love you this much then I would just imprison you in my room forever while sticking tape on your mouth so you never mention any other girl''s name!

    I should kill every single other girl on this planet and then the case will be solved.

    "I won''t stop. You have to realize that I don''t actually care about these girls. I will mention their names because it''s their identities, not because there''s some other meaning. You are restricting me. Other people exist, you know?"

    Unfortunately.

    Still.

    "Y-You know what...? I''ll think of some alias for them. This way, when we talk, you can mention them through their aliases!"

    "Arkalee, it''s just identities... Either way, you don''t allow me to give you the reason as to why I need you to remove Sana''s SIM card, so I''ll just order you to do it."

    "Mean... I have to obey you because I''m yours, right...?"

    This isn''t too bad. But I''ll have to seriously think of some aliases.

    "Yes. You don''t make this easy for me. I''m trying to be kind but you are being way too emotional. Anyway, that''s it. Once you are done, call me."

    "E-Eh!? We... aren''t going to spend time together?!"

    "We can. It just depends on how fast you are done with the task. The faster you are done, the faster we can reunite."

    "Okay. I''ll be done quickly. Please wait for me."

    "Thanks. You''re the best, you know?"

    "...Thank you so much..."

    I''m the... best...?

    You really think so? Okay, if you say so. I''m the best. Hehe. Sure!

    I really won''t let you down, my love.

    With that in mind, I went straight to my dorm and approached Sana''s room.

    This should be a piece of cake.

    I just so happen to have a very valid reason which unfortunately is currently happening right now.

    "Sana? Are you there?"

    By lightly knocking on her door, I made my voice be heard.

    No one was anywhere to be seen, from the looks of it.

    "Arkalee?"

    "Ah, yeah, it''s me... Can you open up.... I really need to ask you something..."

    "Sure. Come on in."

    Unlocking her doorlock, I came inside Sana''s room subsequently. Pretty decorations and a lot of stuffed bears could be seen all over it.

    I never knew that she had such interests. Nevertheless, still pretty tidy.

    "Sorry to bother you in the morning, it''s just..."

    Awkwardly and shy, I tried to not dive straight into the subject, as I sat on the edge of her bed along with Sana.

    And as expected, her phone is on her desk. Our rooms are all the same. Decorate it as you may yet the model --- or rather --- the structures are all the same.

    Henceforth, she most likely keeps them inside her bathroom...

    "What is it...? You seem so reluctant about this... Did you have a nightmare or something? It''s really early in the morning. Ahhh, but the festival is still ongoing, as a matter of fact, it''s only getting started, but even soooo, I was really enjoying my sleep. Wanna sleep for a little while in my bed? It''s soooo comfy!"

    I really hate to break it to Sana and I somewhat dislike the fact that I will have to turn down her super generous caring offer, but Hyunda is waiting for me.

    Slacking around isn''t much of an option, so to say.

    "Um... I''ll pass, but maybe another time, hahaha."

    "Awww... Then, what is it?"

    "You see... It''s my period."

    "Oh god. Are you okay?"

    Worried, Sana clasped my hands tightly.

    Her serene caring expression was really genuine just now.

    "Yeah, but... I don''t have any pads.... Do you have some...?"

    "Yup! But, er, has this been ongoing for how long...? You haven''t been enduring it for way too long, have you!?"

    "...."

    I rather not discuss something this embarrassing and simultaneously waste time while my love is waiting around for my return.

    "Yeah, I get it. How many?"

    "Erm... Five please."

    The most embarrassing part about this is that I''m not entirely manipulating Sana right now because this is somewhat true.

    Plus, I''m actually grateful for this.

    "Okay. Wait just a second..."

    As soon as she enters her bathroom, I''ll have the opportunity to take ahold of her phone without her noticing it.

    Then, I''ll just take the SIM card off and be done with this. Okay. No need to panic. Worst case scenario I will just kill her.

    No, wait. That''s a really bad idea. Not here at least. This is badly planned. It''s so messy and convoluted.

    Ah, my love. I swear, if it wasn''t for you, then I would probably be contemplating the meaning of life right now, but I don''t need to do that because you are my life''s meaning, after all.

    Thus, ultimately, I quickly removed the SIM card off her phone and hid it inside my skirt''s pocket.

    Gently, I placed her phone back on her mini-desk and I made sure that it was in the exact same position.

    Sana returned with some pads on her hand.

    "Here. Hope it helps."

    "Thank you so much."

    Gratefully, I accepted the pads and gave my thanks simultaneously.

    "Okay, that was all! Once again, thank you very much!"

    "No problem. I''ll help you out anytime. By the way, Arkalee, Daniel said that he wanted to meet up with me a while ago in the plaza. Wanna come with me?"

    Sana doesn''t realize how stupid her suggestion is.

    Right now, my love is waiting for me. Nothing else is more important!

    Ahhh, will you praise me once I hand you over the SIM card? Will you say something crazy like ''You''re the best, you know?'', again!?

    I can''t wait and I want to meet you right now!

    "I''ll pass again, sorry! I have to stop by my room now! Later!"

    "Okay, later!"

    In a rush, I exited Sana''s room and went straight to mine.

    Just by entering my room, I observed how fantastic it was. On every wall, there were pictures of him that I had secretly been taking of him, without him knowing.

    I even have one where he is asleep! He''s so cute! Ahh, but, there are just too many little pictures. There is a need for more.

    Furthermore, though, I have plenty of pictures of our texts too!

    For example, by linking every single one of his texts together, I can build a lot of sentences together and it''s a lot of fun! I do that all the time!

    The moment he says ''I love you'' will be my most favorite!

    "Ahhhhhhhhhh, I can''t wait! I can''t wait, I can''t wait, I can''t wait! How much longer will it take for us to share romantic texts with one another!? I can''t take this wait!"

    ...........

    Alternatively... It should be fine if it''s just for a while...

    I''ll try to be quick. I''m sorry, Hyunda. It''s just, whenever I think about you, you don''t exactly make it easy for me and when I''m in my room alone surrounded by nothing except you, it gets really, really, really, but I mean this, really hard for me to resist the temptation.

    It''s just for a little while though.

    It won''t take long.

    Maybe.

    I don''t know...

    Like...

    Should I tell him that it might take a while? I''m worried now.

    Because I can''t control myself when you''re on my mind.

    Part 3.

    8 am.

    "That took you long. So, did you do it?"

    "Y-Yes."

    Back at our usual spot, I had returned.

    I took thirty minutes though... Jesus, I need to control myself.

    But that''s slightly impossible.

    "Here..."

    As I handed him Sana''s SIM card, my mind instantly began to wonder about what he would say.

    What sort of praise will you give me? You can kiss me if you want to. I''m really open to the idea.

    I don''t mind; as a matter of fact, I accept it.

    "Good work. Now, here is the other favor I''ll ask out of you. In case Yulia calls you, you must answer positively."

    .......Huh?

    Hyunda?

    Why are you not praising me? Good work? My love, that''s not enough.

    And wait! What are you doing?! You keep on mentioning that slut''s name!

    "No! Gosh, no!"

    "Wait, what''s wrong? Why are you mad?"

    "Why!? Because I just went through considerable trouble and the best words you give me are ''Good work''?! That''s not acceptable, sorry. Aaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnndddd, you keep on breaking the rule I inserted..."

    I''m so mad right now! After what I just went through, while cherishing you in both my mind and body, why do you treat me like this!?

    Those words are not enough...

    "You''re right, Arkalee. That really wasn''t enough. I was thinking of giving you a proper reward, but I was not sure if you were fine with it."

    "U-Um, what is that reward you speak of...?"

    What did Hyunda mean by ''proper reward''? And what did he mean when he said that he wasn''t sure that I would be fine with it...?

    Does he seriously think that I wouldn''t be fine with any sort of reward he gives me? Sure, I like high rewards, I''ll admit it, but I would appreciate some confidence on his part.

    "Do you wanna know?"

    "Yes, I think I do."

    "Alright. Turn around for a second."

    ....?

    Why did he just ask me to turn around...? Then, I''ll be on the opposite of my current position, but what''s the point?

    "Okay..."

    Is this a surprise? Maybe he''s going to give me a present when I turn around?

    Oh, that would be nice... Maybe it''s some sort of jewelry? Nah, no way. I just thought about it because he gave me these expensive earrings I still have.

    I am never taking them off! They are sooooooooo pretty!

    "Alright. I got the reward ready. Do you want it now? Or later?"

    "Now..."

    "Turn around then."

    Alright, the moment of truth.

    I wonder what''s it going to be...!

    However, as I turned around, what I got was something that wasn''t beyond my imagination, but it was something that was past my expectations.

    "......"

    Taken aback, I savoured every ounce of his lips as I adored the moment we made that connection for a second time.

    Unfortunately, he decided to stop after a while, which saddened me, since we could''ve kept ongoing.

    "You didn''t object the first time, so I assumed that you wouldn''t mind a second time. Was I wrong?"

    "...No. Not at all. H-Hey, can we do it again...?! Just a little longer this time, please..."

    I really want to do it again.

    Please...

    Please...

    "Obey my request and I''ll give you a third one later on. Unless, of course, you don''t want to."

    "I-I will! What is the request though...?"

    "Now we''re talking. Listen, if Yulia gives you a call, I want you to be as positive as you can. But, it doesn''t end there. We will go and have breakfast, and in the scenario that she calls you, you have to invite her over. Furthermore, when that is done and Yulia arrives at the place, I will leave you two alone. In that meantime, you will talk to her. And here is the thing... You''ll have to tell Yulia that I am a bad person for you."

    .........What!?

    "I''m sorry, explain that last one please."

    "It''s just an act. Remember? Just like how we did it back then?"

    I immediately reminisced the time where Hyunda and I pretended to be in a relationship and relived shortly the staggering feeling of that not being true.

    "Oh, alright. I get it, yeah. So, I''ll just pretend that you are a bad person for me? But, in what context?"

    I really want to know the context for this.

    "Let''s suppose that you and I are in a relationship. But, suddenly, we went through an ordeal of changes and I, recently, have demonstrated the behavior of someone who wrongfully treasures you. I need you to exaggerate it to Yulia the supposed situation. But like, be serious about it. Go as far as crying. I trust you can do this, right?"

    "Yeah, of course! Will that be all!?"

    I don''t really care about anything else except the kiss right now.

    I will get it, I will get it, I will get it!

    "Well, since you are being generous, here is the last favor. Around 20 minutes after that event, if it happens, that is, give me a call and go towards the plaza."

    Plaza...?

    Wait...

    "Hyunda?"

    "Hm?"

    "Is that the same plaza as Sana?"

    "Oh. So you know about it. Perfect. Yeah, just go there."

    Okay.

    That makes it really easy for me. I''ll try not to remember the fact that Hyunda just implied that I''ll have to stay away from him for 20 minutes straight and that I will have to pretend to bad-mouth him.

    Nonetheless, it''s all worth it. I want to feel that emotion again. The essence of physical contact; we are not so far from mutually achieving it together, my love.

    "Mhm! Well, let''s go and eat then!"

    "Yeah."

    Despite your monochromatic reply, I really think that we are going somewhere and that kiss just now, it''s a sign, isn''t it?

    That you really, really love me, right!?

    Part 4.

    Plaza. 11 am.

    Hello, Daniel here.

    For some reason, a certain emo girl has been getting more screentime than I, so it''s hard for me to explain the current situation, therefore, I''ll be as succinct and thorough as possible.

    As of now, as I speak to Sana, from afar, on top of the staircase that connects the floor below and the one I am in right now stands Yulia, who is looking at me with the eyes of a thousand suns ready to burn me up.

    Help me.

 Volume 13 - Chapter 91: Wicked or Weakness?

    Just one single dreadful glance from her morbid eye glare sent a chill down my spine.

    Both Sana and I entered a section of silence that was so ever allowed to happen because Yulia was silently walking up to us by taking very slow steps which immediately spelled the omen that something bad was about to happen.

    Or, so I thought.

    "Oh, you two are here. I was looking everywhere for you guys, haha."

    Yulia, upon saying those words, flashed a smile suddenly. It seems that she isn''t mad over the fact that I purposely ignored all of her calls and that I am here with Sana all alone, as Hyunda instructed me to be.

    Weird.

    Nevertheless, I spoke to Yulia in return.

    "We were here discussing some things regarding the events of the festival. Hey, did you know that the last day of the festival will contain all the mandatory events?"

    This is something I found out recently. Apparently, throughout the whole festival, only in the last day will all students from every class have to attend the mandatory events, because the mandatory events will only happen at the end of it.

    Furthermore, this implies that before the last day, it will be a round of optional events only.

    However, for us, they are mandatory as well. Therefore, what I just said makes little to no sense to say.

    So, why?

    Well, because the atmosphere is fucking awkward as fuck and I needed to break the ice, okay?

    "In other words, what Daniel meant to say was that on the last day, it will be extremely hard for us to get some sort of progressive progress in."

    Not sure if I agree with what Sana has just said. As long as I excel in the area, there shouldn''t be any problem whatsoever.

    She''s just speaking about her insecurities.

    In the meantime, Yulia sat beside me, while still radiantly smiling to both of us.

    "Oh, I see. So, I''m not allowed to discuss this with you two?"

    Oddly enough, Yulia clasped both of her palms together on the brick of her face and asked that question which seemed to be slightly sarcastic.

    Instead of me answering it, Sana went straight ahead.

    "No, that''s not it!"

    "Really? I really would like to be part of these sessions you two have by yourselves. I even called you both, but no response. Why was that the case? Oh, I''m so sorry if I''m being obstinate or obnoxious, I would just like to know the reason, that''s all."

    So she has started to suspect it. I mean, why would she not? I purposely ignored all of her calls and Sana also has been complaining about her SIM card missing somehow, which meant that Sana''s phone would not be able to receive calls.

    This only applies if the phone is nowhere near a place with a good Wi-Fi connection, which, in this scenario, it isn''t.

    Because the connection here is actually terrible.

    "I understand, I understand! But, get a load of this! My SIM card isn''t here! Normally, I should be able to still receive calls despite not having it but for some reason, but..."

    This is probably Hyunda''s work. No, the one that Hyunda had in mind back then.

    That''s really the only explanation I can think of. Regardless, this was a little bit too thought out for someone that constantly claims that he hates responsibility.

    "When did that happen?"

    I wasn''t going to complain about it, but Yulia was going hard on this on her part.

    "I don''t know... I only noticed that it was gone not too long ago. Coincidentally, it was when I thought of you and that you would call me. So, I was surprised that I saw no calls at all! Then I realized that for some reason, my SIM card wasn''t there!"

    "Okay. I believe you, Sana. And, so..."

    With Sana out of the way, I was the only one left.

    It''s not like I didn''t have enough time to think about this though and so, given that there was little time until Yulia arrived here, I wasted every energy that my phone had to offer by making it go through a bliss.

    In other words, by opening every possible app in the process of consuming every ounce of battery.

    "Why did you not return my calls nor reply to my texts?"

    Almost instantly, I showed her my phone while simultaneously pressing the unlock button. By doing so, after a short while, Yulia saw that the phone was lacking battery energy in the first place.

    "As you can see, no battery. Just like Sana, I never knew that you had called me. My bad, I should''ve told you something ahead first..."

    "You''re right about that. Please do that from now on."

    "Yeah..."

    Yulia''s being rather strict. I almost feel no emotion in her words.

    And while this exchange of words was happening, Arkalee and Hyunda ascended from the floor below via staircase.

    As they approached us, I noticed something that had caught my attention.

    Arkalee was not clinging to his arm like usual. I found that completely strange.

    "Oh! Everyone''s here!"

    Excited, Sana stated the situation.

    "We took a little longer than usual."

    Administring the actuality, Hyunda informed us that he and Arkalee were late for a special reason perhaps.

    "Did you do it?"

    "Yes, Yulia. I apologized to her. Isn''t that right, Arkalee?"

    Wait, what? What is Hyunda talking about?

    "Yup. That was really emotional. Thanks."

    How come Arkalee is wearing a sad expression? What exactly happened? Did Hyunda and Arkalee had a fight or something?

    "Really? What did you say? I want to hear it."

    Yulia''s being demanding, once again.

    I didn''t expect Yulia, of all people, to ask something that personal to Hyunda himself. As a matter of fact, she''s been hostile ever since she has arrived here.

    "Yulia... That might be personal, you shouldn''t ask..."

    "Sana has a point Yulia. Someone''s quarrel isn''t exactly our business."

    Purposedly, I defended Sana''s point.

    "Not now, please."

    "Why not now? What happened? You''ve been somewhat obstinate for a while..."

    "Yeah, Yulia, what happened...? Are you angry that we didn''t receive your calls?"

    Not that I asked her, but Sana followed me up pretty well.

    "You two seem to have developed a nice synergy. When did that hap--- Um, forget that. I was just curious to know why they had that fight, but you two are right. It''s none of my business!"

    Yulia looked ready to rant but stopped half-way by changing the trajectory of her speech.

    Sana, perplexed couldn''t help but probably wonder what exactly Yulia was thinking about.

    "Ahh, nothing happened! Hyunda just apologized for no reason, that''s all!"

    Huh?

    "Arkalee."

    "Oh, right! There was a reason! My bad there! But, it''s over now! So, let''s forget that!"

    This is even weirder now. The way Arkalee said those words made it sound like there was never any fight whatsoever.

    Not that I am curious about it, but I can''t help but notice the obvious misconnection here.

    "By the way, what''s the plan for today? I would like to know what every single one of you is thinking about doing today, regarding the events. Hey, maybe we should all participate in events together!"

    Accordingly, I can''t really agree with Sana here.

    Because that would put the plan at a disadvantage. If the aim is for me to spend more time with Sana, then if we all partake the events collectively, then it''s bound to backfire.

    There is also a better logic here, which I''ll just go ahead and say.

    "I don''t think that''s possible, Sana."

    "Eh? And why is that? We can all just participate together in any given event!"

    "But that would mean that if we five stood evenly matched in the events that two of us would always take the loss. Wouldn''t it make more sense to not do that?"

    That''s assuming that we would all partake in the events and have the same level of skill when it comes down to nailing the whole thing which I highly doubt.

    I can speak for myself, but not for others.

    For example, Hyunda said that he wasn''t going to take this exam seriously because he doesn''t have a reason to, so the only ones that will try minimally or, realistically speaking, with all they have got, are me, Sana, Yulia, and Arkalee.

    "I was just thinking about the collective effort..."

    "We could alternatively just form pairs. I''m not taking this exam seriously, so you four could form pairs between you four."

    Hyunda''s suggestion doesn''t exactly eliminate Sana''s offer. And I see where he is going with this.

    As I trade glances with him, I surely understood what he meant with those words.

    However, to my bad luck, someone just had to go out of her way to be utterly fucking obnoxious.

    "Again with that?! You''ll take this exam seriously! You have to!"

    Of course, Arkalee just wouldn''t be able to resist it. Yulia, in response, looked completely puzzled for some reason.

    This is good. She actually took the bait. All this time, there was one thing on my mind. Ever since yesterday, when I brought a certain name up, Arkalee would have a strange reaction to that name.

    Now... I know that this is just me being an asshole, but I can''t help myself when I think about what sort of reaction she''ll make once I open my mouth again.

    Will she squeal? Will she scream? I''m dying to know to the point where my smile''s corners keep on further increasing with each thought.

    "Arkalee, it''s Hyunda''s choice. You can''t force him to do it. If he doesn''t want to defend himself by making the correct choice here, then that''s it. Ah, speaking of self-defense... Isn''t it just pathetic?"

    "Daniel, I have no idea what you are trying to insinuate, but Hyunda should take this seriously. As a matter of fact, I''ll make sure he does!"

    And just for how long do you think you can maintain that strong posture? That persistent and consistent confidence that you have around you all the time, Arkalee, I wonder how it will respond to this.

    "No, but hear me out. As a matter of fact, all of you. As I was saying, it''s pathetic to not defend yourself, but according to Hyunda, he doesn''t have to take this seriously because he doesn''t have to. But, what if you were in a situation where someone clearly targetted you and made fun of you while not revealing his/her''s identity? Wouldn''t that be called cowardice?"

    My point was never to criticize Hyunda''s choice nor to call him a coward in the process, but instead, it was for the purpose of leading the conversation to the point where everyone present would have a slight hint at what I was initially insinuating.

    And just like that, Yulia spoke her thoughts in correspondence.

    "Are you talking about Ikkiri?"

    "Yeah, I am talking about Ikkiri. Oh yeah. Why don''t we all discuss who might''ve done the whole thing? Like, who in class could''ve done something so horrendous to Ikkiri like that?"

    "Haven''t I told you yet? No, I have spoken my honest thoughts about this. She did it all by herself. Attention whore..."

    Yulia''s opinion aside, I noticed how Arkalee''s arm started to weirdly tremble.

    Naturally, before anyone else could say a single thing after Yulia had spoken, Arkalee intervened.

    "Yup. That''s all there is to it. So, back to what I was say--"

    "Mhm, I just don''t agree with that, you see. It seems way too strange for her to do that all by herself. I mean, all that work, just for that mediocre result? Not worth it, in my personal opinion."

    Even though my words just now were just a device to keep my topic going, if I put that aside and consider the reality of the situation, then I want to test something out.

    Would Arkalee, on occasion, be the actual mastermind here? Judging by her reaction, she hates Ikkiri being a topic.

    Yet, why?

    "Now that you mention it... The result was pretty mediocre... But what if that was the whole point of her act? To make it seem mediocre?"

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    "Yulia, you are giving Ikkiri way too much credit. Are you sure you aren''t over-thinking? What if there was actually someone that harbored hatred for her and just went and done this for the purpose of creating doubt?"

    Aw, look at you. Clinging to your crush''s arm like no tomorrow. What''s with the expression?

    Did I hit a nerve with my conversation? Even your expression can''t hide it. You are skeptical about this topic, Arkalee. However, what''s actually funny here is that every time, in specific, when I mention Ikkiri''s name and only her name, Arkalee''s eyebrows twitch like crazy.

    Essentially speaking, from my quick understanding, the whole topic doesn''t matter, but what does matter is when Ikkiri is mentioned. And only that.

    "Okay, guys, we can just talk about something else! This is not that important, right?!"

    Unfortunately for you, Arkalee, these two have the same opinion regarding this topic, so they are naturally intrigued by my sudden persistence in this topic alone.

    "It''s fine, Arkalee. After all, this is pretty interesting. As someone who is convinced that it was Ikkiri who had done it all by herself, Daniel brought up a fair point. We might just be overrating her..."

    Sana''s on point today.

    "Hahah, who cares...? This topic is so bland if you think about it. You aren''t going to achieve anything just by thinking about it because you''ll never find the culprit."

    Well, well, wasn''t that just an extremely confident statement, Arkalee?

    Are you sure you thought before speaking your mind? Because, to my eyes, that was the most instinctive reaction you could''ve given out.

    You just told everyone here that the culprit had no way to be found out, so I''ll just ask a simple question.

    "Arkalee, why is that the case?"

    "Mhm?"

    "I mean, why are you speaking with such confidence? How are you so certain that we won''t find out who the culprit really is? Are you implying that whoever has done this to Ikkiri has absolutely no chance of being discovered?"

    Friendly reminder that Arkalee said ''You aren''t going to achieve anything''. That statement right there is way too confident.

    There is no reason as to why she would just say this out loud like that. Plus, she''s always been this huge introvert yet now she can say stuff like that? Stuff that confident? I''m not buying it.

    "This topic is meaningless. The investigation thus far has proven that the culprit played it out perfectly and that there is no way for the culprit to be found out. Soooo, in other words, stop talking about this already..."

    She did not answer my question whatsoever. Arkalee just attempted to drive away from the topic by saying her thoughts regarding the situation, but she didn''t answer my question concretely to the core, which means she''s hiding something.

    "No. The investigation was done pretty abruptly. As a matter of fact, it was bad. Back to what I was saying, if Ikkiri didn''t do it by herself, then this means someone else orchestrated that. My guess is still Tatsu... But, I''ve been thinking and it just doesn''t click anymore..."

    For obvious reasons though.

    I''m not sure if I would''ve ever noticed if Kawahara hadn''t spelled it out for me entirely.

    But the way that Arkalee is conducting herself right now can only imply that she harbors some sort of grudge against Ikkiri. Fuck, it''s so obvious now that I look at it.

    She gets gradually pissed off every time that I mention Ikkiri''s name, so that''s a start.

    "Eh? But wasn''t your guess based on the same reason that you just mentioned now? Tatsu supposedly hates Ikkiri so to you, wouldn''t it make more sense to still believe in that? So, why did that change?"

    Yulia''s question is a good question and in order to be completely honest about it, I''ll have to speak the information that was given to me by Kawahara.

    The aim of this isn''t to straight-up confirm the truth, but just to analyze her reactions and words. Alternatively speaking, whatever Arkalee will say from this point on will actually matter.

    "Well, the thing is-----"

    "Yo, Daniel, this is boring. Let''s take a walk."

    Out of nowhere, before I could continue, Hyunda spoke out to me, which angered Yulia straight away.

    "Excuse me here, but we are having a conversation! Stop interrupting!"

    "But it''s urgent. Really urgent. It''s also something only men can do together."

    Something only men can do together? Why did Hyunda speak words that suggest very controversial things?

    Nevertheless, Yulia didn''t back down.

    "Don''t care. Save it for yourself. Continue, Daniel."

    "I need to take a leak, so to say. Daniel, you too, right? You''ve been holding it for quite a while, right? Come on, be honest here."

    .........

    After that question was asked, all eyes fell on me.

    Surprisingly, this is incredibly embarrassing. I have no idea how to answer this so to say.

    "See? He''s not even replying, because he prioritizes the fact that we were having a conversation with one another!"

    "No, I don''t think so, Yulia. You just don''t know the male gender well enough, do you? A man that has to take a leak will not be so open in saying so. It''s peak knowledge."

    For fuck''s sake, it''s not like that, man.

    It''s just really embarrassing to actually say it out loud.

    And, just like that, Hyunda got up from his seat while saying words of sheer confidence.

    "Let''s get going. No need to say anything else."

    Awkwardly, without facing anyone''s eyes, except Hyunda''s, I got up from my seat and joined him as he descended down the stairs.

    Lastly, some side comments couldn''t help but be spoken out loud.

    "Ew..."

    "I never knew..."

    Sana''s reaction was the correct one, but Yulia''s curious reaction actually made her look gullible as hell.

    So, in all of this, as I attempted to join Hyunda''s side, why did I do it? Well because Hyunda clearly lied just now and that means that he wants to have a conversation in private.

    However, a certain fucking leech just would not let go of his arm.

    "Arkalee, this is serious. We are about to go into a bathroom and so, individuals of the opposite gender can''t come along. Sit back with them."

    Hyunda just handed out a pretty reasonable argument.

    If you are a girl, then going into a boy''s bathroom is out of the question. This is the apex of common sense. The norm that even an ill-minded criminal will know and probably respect it.

    I''m not saying that the opposite can''t happen, but you would have to be massively perverted or obsessive to deny this argument.

    Which, just so happens to be the case with Arkalee...

    "Nope, pass. I''ll come along. I-I won''t look, well, I''ll try not to look, hehe..."

    Are you fucking serious?

    Is this actually happening? I am sick and tired of having this leech interrupt every single one of our conversations. It''s not like I just adore our conversations but it''s Arkalee''s presence that''s bugging the fuck out of me.

    I fucking swear if I was in Hyunda''s position or if Yulia did something like this to me, I would literally slap the shit out of her without giving any second thoughts.

    "Arkalee, you''re insane. You need medical help."

    "You''re the one that needs help, Daniel. Shut up."

    Well, okay. You started this.

    Don''t blame me for what''s about to happen to your mental state.

    "Hey, Hyunda."

    "Yeah?"

    "I''ve asked you this once but you never actually replied to me. Why are you hanging out with Arkalee instead of Ikkiri? Ikkiri wasn''t this obnoxious, what gives?"

    How will you handle being compared to your arch-nemesis?

    Will that drive you insane?

    "Okkkkkkkaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy, just go away now, Daniel, before things get out of control. I''m asking you nicely, so kindly jump off this building, and that way, you''ll stop talking!"

    "You are so fucking insane. It''s not even funny. What''s the matter? Can''t handle a comparison? What? Too scared of knowing the truth? That you aren''t even as important as she is to h---"

    "Daniel, stop. That''s not true. There''s no need to compare them both. Arkalee, I''ll get to you later. If you don''t let go right now, then I might just change my mind about what I have just said and what I said previously."

    "Okay. I got it. Um, don''t take too long. Bye-Bye!"

    What the fuck!

    This is the second time this shit happens. Arkalee''s so mentally warped that she just obeys every single one of his orders like it''s damn nothing! How the hell did Hyunda submerge so much control onto her very own being?!

    I''m not even mad that I didn''t get to mock her even further, I''m just so damn impressed by how in control he always is when it comes to a lunatic like her.

    Ultimately, as Arkalee regressed back to the table where Yulia and Sana currently are in, we descended down the stairs, but we didn''t go to the bathroom at all and just kept on venturing the campus aimlessly without talking until we reached the back of block E.

    On the back of it, stood a long asphalt that matched the horizontal length of the block''s size.

    Just by looking at the right side, an empty football field covered in dark yellow sand with empty beacons trendless.

    By contrast, subjectively way more colorful for a view, on our left, in front of the gigantic tree that had a tendency to block anyone''s vision from this current position of ours, stood, on a faraway distance, a field that had the mixture of the themes of football and basketball into it.

    Generally, this would cause confusion by itself, but currently, there are only ongoing basketball games and not football ones.

    If there is one thing about the current scenery is that it''s refreshing and calming. Hyunda does take me to places that we have never gone to before.

    True enough, going to the same place over and over is platonically boring and immensely sporadic; as it offers nothing new.

    Thus, with our backs against the block''s wall, covered in the emitting shadows contrasted by the sun''s reflection, we relaxed transiently.

    "Pretty cool, right? You can observe a lot of stuff from here without doing much by yourself. Back when the semester started, I found this place way back then and noticed that not a lot of people come here. In a massive school, there are places that will eventually be left out. Which just reflects one thing. The space in this school is so badly used. If there are places that are left out, then something is wrong. It''s a misusage, wouldn''t you agree?"

    Certainly, there is way too much free space in this school. It''s still a mystery to me as to why this school has such a vast space to its own structure.

    As I extended my right leg and contracted my left one closely, I began to wonder if Hyunda was implying something else with his words.

    "Yeah, it''s a waste. But, what can we do about it?"

    "Do you want to do be in charge of changing this school someday?"

    Hm? Is he joking?

    "Dude, what''s up with that joke?"

    "Just asking. But, what would you do about this if you were, hypothetically speaking, in charge of it? Wouldn''t you want to make better usage of this empty space?"

    Hm...

    "I think I would have to think about what I would want to put here. There are enough blocks for classes, as each block contains a plethora of classrooms, so, in other words, maybe something outside of classrooms? But, doesn''t this school have everything though? I mean, just look at it..."

    "Everything isn''t really necessary. As a matter of fact, it has pretty much way too many unnecessary things. When you think about what a mall has to offer, if you just take a minute to notice how there is, around the school, stores that are exactly the same as the stores inside the mall, you start to notice that the very existence of the mall makes no sense whatsoever. So, it''s just a waste of money. There are plenty of restaurants inside the mall, but outside of it, around the school, there are also plenty of it. So, it''s all for the sake of diversity. This school treats its students like they are all worthy of this luxury while they are not. Ultimately, what I am saying is that there is a very false sense of reality here."

    I mean...

    That makes sense, yeah. Having so many attractions that serve the identical purpose of the same ones that the school already has elsewhere is just wasting money.

    But...

    "What do you mean by a false sense of reality though?"

    "Self-explanatory. Did you know? Only our class'' students have to pay in order to buy something inside the attractions. The other students do not."

    "Wait, for real!?"

    "Yeah. But that''s really not the point though. Despite that difference, the treatment remains still fairly well to us. We can enjoy what the school has to offer, but we just have to pay for it. Nevertheless, every student here will actually think that this is what they deserve. That it''s alright to have access to all of this, as long as they can afford it. However, that''s exactly what I mean by a false sense of reality. Students will gain a degree of value that they should not have for themselves because they don''t have to try. That has to change. Everyone in this school should have the same degree of value. Or... Maybe not."

    "Huh? That''s confusing. You just bothered to explain all of that but then you denied your whole point, Hyunda."

    "The truth is, why should there be practitioners of the idea of equality when it''s just boring? The scenario I''m referring to is not an equal scenario because we don''t get free access, but if we did, it would be equal. But, so what? It wouldn''t make you go and scream from happiness. It''s just something that you find convenient, but, it should be so much more! Something that will actually make you want to fight against all the others and stand on top! That''s why I think it''s useless to hold the idea of equality. If the school held the idea that not everyone is equal and that those that actually deserve the right to benefit from something instead of everyone else, then... Wouldn''t that become something worth watching?"

    I''m not sure if I agree with him.

    I do like the idea of equality. As long as everyone gets equal treatment, then that''s all it matters. Going as far as he is saying might just be unnecessary...

    "Sure, but it''s fine if everyone is equal. I just dislike inequality, so I can''t really relate to what you are saying, Hyunda..."

    "Then change that way of thinking. Equality can only offer you so much. Being in charge of something and dictating the tempo along with the process of equality is far greater. Not everyone deserves equal treatment."

    "No... Equal treatment is what everyone should strive for. Not for the opposite. That''s why there''s injustice in this world. Because the authority lacks the ability to apply equality."

    Authorities always play a big role because they are the ones responsible for applying methods that revolve around the ideology of equality.

    However, that often fails due to incapacity at the hands of the authority...

    "No, that''s not it, Daniel. There''s no need to apply equality to your surroundings. There are those that deserve more than others. For example, those that break the rules should be treated in ways that are harsher than the others while those that do not break the rules should not receive harsher treatment in the first place. Your ideology is flawed because it implies that if one receives a certain treatment, then everyone else should too. That''s not ideal."

    That was not what I was trying to imply...

    "Nah man, listen. If just about every single person follows the same ideology, then there shouldn''t be any problem."

    "That''s way too unrealistic. People can''t follow ideologies that easily and that''s why there are moments of rebellion and disorders. Fragile ideologies aren''t necessary at all. Equality is one of them."

    "If the order is strict enough, then everyone else should be able to follow them, no?"

    "Daniel, are you insinuating that on the choice, you would behave like a dictator?"

    Was that what I just insinuated?

    "No."

    "Really? Sad. The thing about dictatorships that I actually like is that despite being commonly detested, it usually never fails in achieving its common goals or just its goals in general. A dictatorship is harsh and cruel, but maybe it''s because it has to be that way. Because in order to succeed you have to be able to do everything in your power. And that power can come as evil, which people do not like."

    "They don''t matter, do they? But, this is all just hypothetical, man. We got a lot serious about this just now, huh?"

    "Fair enough, true."

    This is why I like to talk to Hyunda. We can exchange ideas without sounding like we are aggressively arguing with one another.

    In our serene and calm words, every time we talk to each other, it''s as if we can communicate without any difficulties whatsoever.

    Normally, I have trouble speaking my true mind, but not when I''m around this guy.

    "Well, I did want to talk to you about something. You know who I''m going to mention, right?"

    "Arkalee, I bet."

    "Yes. Avoid mentioning Ikkiri in general in front of her. I know what your intent is and I don''t mind your actions, but she does. Don''t alter her mental state too much, Daniel."

    "Why though? It''s fun. She gets hella mad whenever Ikkiri''s name is mentioned."

    Not to mention that it''s super fun seeing her trying to dodge the subject like a caged rat running from a blazing scouring fire chasing after the rat''s life without showing any signs of stopping.

    "The consequences might just not be to your liking. If you know that she''s easily emotional, then it''s wise not to attempt anything stupid such as provocations."

    "Hyunda, I''m not afraid of her."

    "I know that. But you might not be able to predict what she''s capable of when she gets upset. Emotionally unstable individuals are often unpredictable. With that said, just do that favor for me."

    Emotionally unstable individuals are often unpredictable? Yeah, that does... make sense.

    Except...

    "Wait, I was just fucking around, so I''ll stop. But, when you said that emotionally unstable individuals are unpredictable, I couldn''t help but wonder... If she''s unpredictable, then how come she''s totally under your control?"

    "That''s because she''s predictable. Emotional people are predictable. This goes up if they are highly emotional."

    "So, you can just tell me what she might do in response to my so-called actions, right?"

    "No, that''s the thing. She''s predictable to me, but her methods aren''t so predictable on the other hand. Though, yes, I could just tell you. It''s not beyond my ability. I suspect that she might''ve killed someone recently."

    "Huh... Dude, are you fucking serious?"

    No way he''s serious. We''re talking about actual murder. That''s just impossible.

    "Very serious. I''m not saying that you should respect her, but just avoid saying that particular word in front of her. You might not like what she has to offer."

    "Dude, you''re making me think that Arkalee is this mentally unstable creature who has this inability of controlling her actions. But, how did she fall under your control? That''s what I want to know. You must''ve done a lot, right?"

    "I actually didn''t do anything, believe it or not. And besides, it''s not as if she''s under my control. It''s optional. She can either be under my control or not. She has times where she goes fully independent mode without being under my control. Only if I allow her, that is."

    "Wait, then I''m correct. If you said that last sentence then it means that you really are able to control her. That''s awesome. You can basically have someone else do everything for you."

    Though, that comes with a heavy price.

    A leech like Arkalee around you 24/7 might just be the most annoying thing of all. There''s also the fact that she''s madly in love with him to the point of obsessing with him.

    Something I''ve been wondering is just how much she''s in love with him. Is what she shows all there is to it, or does it go any deeper?

    Christ, I get chills just thinking about it...

    "Still not it. It''s just indirect control. If you force someone under your control without their consent, then their emotions will run rampant. That ruins the whole point of control. If you console their emotions constantly and offer words of value along with actions of care, then the consent will eventually become more and more accessible. For example, even if I''m able to have the ability to exercise control onto her, if she doesn''t like it, then it''s not really ''control''. It''s a brute tyranny."

    "Oh, I see... Damn, you know so much, so why don''t you do something major with all your knowledge? Don''t you think it''s a waste to just be someone like you are? Someone who doesn''t try his hardest? Hell, you don''t even try your minimum. It''s as if you lack the will to live, hahaha!"

    I could understand if Hyunda just lacks the will to live in general. Or just has negative thoughts that restrict him from achieving something that might be considered as ''beneficial'' for him.

    We''re both lazy in that sense, I suppose.

    "Eventually, the time will come when I will put all my knowledge into action. If I don''t, then I might as well die now. Hey, do you want to kill me?"

    "What the hell? You serious?"

    "Hell yeah. Snap my neck right now. I don''t mind. Go ahead."

    "You want to die that badly?"

    He''s just joking around though.

    "I''m not sure. Am I supposed to answer ''yes'' just because I''m discontent with what life has to offer to me? So, what if the next life just does the same? Do I repeat the same process over and over? Sorta pointless once you think about it. That''s why it''s best to do something major with your life and then when you think to yourself: ''This is it, there''s nothing else I want, I''m done.'' you can just accept that you were here and that it''s alright to move on."

    "We can just stop existing. The after-life is just a possibility. But, isn''t it just so revolting?"

    "What is?"

    "Hyunda, if we have to think about the constant meaning of life and the meaning of our actions, then by default, that means that something is wrong. Are we just here momentarily? Do we even matter?"

    "Then, let''s matter."

    ...

    "How?"

    "How else, Daniel? By making a difference. That''s the only way to matter in this world. If you don''t make a difference, then to the world, you will not be remembered. Think about all the previous lives that have lived on this planet and then think about those that are only majorly remembered or just minimally remembered at all. If our goal in this life is to matter, then that''s our only option. That''s why, one day, should the opportunity come, let''s matter."

    Nobody has ever said these words to me ever.

    All my life, I never had this type of interaction. Is this it? What I seek and label as genuine interaction?

    This might be it.

 Volume 13 - Chapter 92: OH SH-

    March 22nd.

    Back to our sub-plan, Kuzan and I kept on stalking Kan and Ryoken throughout every event that they went to.

    At first, they might''ve been way too self-aware, but now, they were starting to get even more self-aware, to the point of making sure that we wouldn''t get in their way again.

    Thus, they both awaited us at the entrance of one of the external blocks and faced us.

    "You guys are annoying. There are other events. Take a hike."

    Not too happy, Kan lashed back at us immediately.

    Kan was Kuzan''s priority in this scenario, so I didn''t speak for him.

    "Woah, what a coincidence! We are going to the same event again!? Man, oh man, isn''t that like the 12th time now?!"

    Truth to be told, we''ve been attending events non-stop for quite a while now. Or, events that these two would eventually come to.

    All thanks to Kawahara leaking us the info. Is he on top of a roof watching them from afar or something like that?

    "Coincidence, my ass. You stalkers have been chasing after us this whole time. Want to take a beating?!"

    "Kan, you''re not making much sense. Not only are we not stalking you guys, but there is no rule saying that hypothetically speaking, we can''t just do that. By the way, we are totally not doing that. You guys are losing it."

    Of course, that was just pure sarcasm on my part. We have been stalking them all this time.

    What''s so great about this is that Kuzan and I have been constantly placing either second or first place in every competition for one simple reason.

    We are cheating.

    "Oh fuck off Daniel. We already know everything about it. It''s not just you two. Rayazaki and Kawahara have been doing the same. The only difference is that it didn''t apply to us, but Susaga and Sagasuga. You can try and hide it all you want it''s not gonna make a fucking difference."

    I''m not sure why Ryoken thinks that that was a confident statement to make.

    Are you that confident that you are going to lose every time?

    "However, that''s about to change. You two retards have been decimating every event with too much success. How?!"

    "By using our brains, right, Aniki?"

    "Technically, yes, Kuzan."

    I''m serious. Technically speaking, this is only possible because we are using our brains. There really isn''t a counter-argument here.

    Nevertheless, Ryoken wasn''t going to take that.

    "You goddamn cheaters, you think that we didn''t notice? You two are so dumb at every exam that it makes no sense for you two to be this successful! That''s way too suspicious!"

    "No, we just weren''t actually trying before, right, Kuzan?"

    "True, Aniki. What''s the point in trying every time? If we can just save our immense abundant knowledge for situations like these then it''s far more worth it!"

    "That''s right, that''s the way."

    Although, partially speaking, this feels exactly like that time where I got the exam answers before the actual exam played out.

    "I bet it''s Kawahara that''s behind this sudden feat. As Ryoken said, it''s way too suspicious. But still, to think that Kawahara would go so far just to help out the likes of you losers. I didn''t know he had a soft spot."

    Kan is way more relaxed than usual. Not as aggressive but way laxer.

    Sincerely, I suspect that he might''ve smoked too much weed this morning.

    "So, what''s the holdup? Aren''t you guys going to the event that''s about to occur?"

    They are just standing at the entrance while blocking our path. What''s the deal?

    "Since you two are stalking us nonstop, we aren''t going to let you do as you like. So, no. We won''t."

    "Well, okay. Let''s go, Kuzan."

    "Yeah."

    If they aren''t going to do anything, then don''t bother.

    Or so, Kawahara said. Thus, Kuzan and I attempted to exit the scene, but someone just couldn''t believe his own eyes.

    "Wait, what the hell!? You two stalk us nonstop but then you just quit like that?"

    I turned around to face Ryoken who was mildly angry at the fact that we had embraced a loser''s attitude, but I do agree with this tactic.

    No point in wasting time if they aren''t going to do anything.

    Though, this probably has a deeper meaning.

    "We aren''t stalking you guys. Here is the evidence. We will just walk away."

    It''s a different story if they decide to sign up in any event. Then, it all changes.

    Nevertheless, as we left them behind, I had places to go in specific.

    "Kuzan, I''m departing ways for now."

    "Got it. I''ll give you a call if they make a move, Aniki."

    "Sure."

    Even if Kuzan calls me, I''m not sure if I''ll be able to give up my time for this.

    Stalking someone isn''t exactly my cup of tea. More so when it''s an order from someone like Kawahara.

    As I aimlessly ventured through the campus, I gave Hyunda a call.

    Last night, Hyunda told me that if I wanted to call Sana that I would have to contact him first due to the fact that he has her SIM card now.

    However, his explanation was somewhat way more complicated than that. Apparently, by giving him a call, he will subtly tell Arkalee to reach out to Sana directly and she will then Sana to meet up with me.

    Furthermore, he said that Arkalee would actually not tell Sana to meet me, but just to go somewhere where Yulia was and thus, the thing would be... It would be all intentional.

    I am not sure why Hyunda is going through such a complicated process.

    "Yo, Hyunda?"

    "Who else?"

    Well, that was a dumb question, yeah.

    Actually, I just thought that for some strange reason that leech would be answering his call, considering how things have been developing as of lately.

    It appears not.

    "I need to meet up with Sana."

    "Got it. Give me a few minutes."

    "Yeah."

    All that was left now was to wait around a few minutes.

    Which meant that I would have to spend time on something else. I could call Yulia. I bet that would surprise her.

    Yet if I did, that would be implying that I want to spend time with her when I don''t. I think, therefore, I should relax a little bit and ease my mind.

    With that in mind, I took a seat in a near-by bench and let myself feel the swirling turbulent gust of winds that ravaged the pacific air around me.

    Fully relaxing, I allowed my back to contract to the maximum.

    "Ahh, why won''t she love me?"

    That didn''t last long, supposedly...

    Because as soon as I attempted to relax just for a second, out of some sort of bizarre coincidence, a red-haired individual from my class took a seat right next to me.

    This person looked fully sad, as he portrayed countless rejections and multiple attempts of making his way onto someone''s heart despite being rejected over and over.

    "Akihiko... You''re still going on about that?"

    I found it completely mediocre to even mention, but he wasn''t successful with his confession. Hinagiku just keeps on saying no and no like no tomorrow.

    Plus, this creates the image of a rejected loser who is desperate for a girlfriend. Truly speaking, at our age, getting a girlfriend is more of an emblem than an actual romantic goal.

    Throughout this school, I''ve witnessed so many students that have girlfriends yet they probably just view them as objects of recognition and nothing more.

    Not that I can speak in this matter though.

    "Man, I can''t help it! I really love her but she won''t love me back! Isn''t it just a cruel treatment?! She won''t even give me her number..."

    "Akihiko, why do you want to be Hinagiku''s boyfriend that badly? Just because she has a cute face?"

    "Mhm? I mean, yeah. Isn''t that what everyone thinks when they want a girlfriend? As long as they have a cute appealing face then they are valid, right?"

    If we go by that logic then every single person that takes care of her/his appearance to an acceptable level is considered a valid person to be your girlfriend/boyfriend.

    Actually...

    That''s kinda it nowadays, isn''t it? No wonder there isn''t a huge fuzz about value when it comes to this topic alone.

    But...

    "That might be what is considered as valid nowadays, but isn''t it more important to know what you want?"

    "Mhm... I haven''t thought about that. I''ve been too busy trying to win her heart, but Hinagiku''s just way too stubborn in the sense where we can''t even hold a talk. I think she called me a creep once."

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    That shouldn''t come to you as a surprise...

    If you disturb someone to that extent then it''s really no wonder that you will be labeled as a creep. It makes me think of that leech Arkalee when this subject is brought up.

    "You should think about that then. Also, you should be aware of something if you actually plan on winning her."

    "Oh? What is it?"

    "Hinagiku probably has a crush on Rayazaki but she''s not willingly being open about it."

    Confusing case honestly.

    Hyunda implied multiple times that Hinagiku might''ve been manipulating Rayazaki but at this point, I think that was just overthinking from his personal part.

    Because as it stands, it might just be the case. However, Rayazaki had a sudden change of attitude and stance. His rash impulsiveness is completely gone as he isn''t that obsessed over Hinagiku either.

    On the other hand, this caused Hinagiku to notice the abrupt change in his behavior causing her to probably desire his attention? Henceforth, Akihiko''s endeavor has been useless.

    Either that or she just doesn''t like him, period.

    "The hell!? Why didn''t you say so earlier?"

    Because I don''t really care.

    "What difference would it make?"

    "Everything! Alright, I''m gonna beat the crap out of the guy now."

    Huh...?

    "Wait, you''re serious. Ok, but why do you think that beating Rayazaki is a good idea? And why do you deem it as necessary?"

    "Duh, it''s obvious! Chicks dig the superior guy! And, recently, I found out about something..."

    Akihiko leaned on to my left ear and whispered words of interest that were news to me.

    "Apparently, I''m really good at fighting."

    No, I don''t really believe in what he has just said. He''s probably in a state of delusion that you have no control over.

    The fact that he got rejected so many times made his brain think that he needs to at least compensate in some area.

    "What makes you think that?"

    This time he backed off slowly and spoke in return.

    "That''s because I had a really strange dream yesterday. I had a dream where I faced off against a couple of students from this school and a guard included. I felt like I had the spirit of a god inside me!"

    "Akihiko, that was just a dream... If I dream of flying in my dreams, then does that mean I can fly in reality?"

    "Mhm..... Probably not, right? Yo, but I''m serious! It felt so real! Super real! It''s a sign, right?! That I''m good at fighting!"

    "No, that''s not a sign. Things that happen in your dreams may be connected to reality in a way, but they don''t represent actual events that happened."

    Although... This isn''t to say that the latter can''t happen, it''s just really unusual.

    "I don''t buy it. Let''s have a fight then. I''ll prove it to you that I''m actually really good at fighting!"

    Is he serious...? He''s even getting up from the bench while forming a boxing stance...

    Not that I mind a fight, but I''m not feeling it right now. Plus, there are people watching. That''s just not an option.

    "Pass. But hey, if you are confident, then just walk up to him. No guarantees that your idea will work though."

    I am a thousand percent sure that his idea of impressing Hinagiku by beating Rayazaki in a fight will not work.

    And there''s also the fact that Rayazaki is actually pretty good at fighting if I do say so myself. However, in his current state, I doubt that he will accept Akihiko''s proposition.

    He will just tell him that he doesn''t care about Hinagiku and that he can have her.

    "Whaaat? Dude, come on. Let''s fight!"

    "I said no already. Take a look around you. If you attract enough attention then someone will call a guard. Do you want that?"

    "Didn''t you listen to what I said a while ago? I beat up a guard in my dreams. So, why can''t I do it right here and now?"

    Common sense is really good when used against logical individuals. But extremely inefficacious when used against illogical and stubborn individuals.

    As a matter of fact, arguments don''t really work against someone that just doesn''t care about logic in general. That''s why physical fights profit those types of individuals.

    "Dreams and reality are different, dude. You do know that, right?"

    "They are? Actually, how do I have dreams in the first place? I don''t really know."

    "That doesn''t matter now. Akihiko, you aren''t going to get Hinagiku''s attention in a positive way like that. You need to think for yourself a little bit instead of relying on examples you see every day..."

    It''s not the greatest of ideas to just take what everyone else does for granted. That just goes to show how much originality you lack in general...

    But just from this conversation alone, it''s as if this is something he doesn''t actually know...

    "Think for myself...? That''s kinda hard, man. Because I don''t know anything about her. Hey, what would you do if you were in my position?"

    "In your position? First of all, I would not commit the stupid action of falling in love with someone based on looks alone. Secondly ---- Oh wait, that''s it. That''s really all you need to know if I was in your position."

    "You''re boring, man. Are you scared of being in love or something?"

    "No, it''s just a waste of time, if you think about it. By committing yourself to someone you are abandoning a part of yourself and that just means that you, as a person alone, weren''t up to the task of living up to yourself."

    But, of course, your average person will just say that that''s the whole point of love. To lose a part of yourself in order to gain a new brighter side.

    I additionally can''t understand just how someone can go that far for someone you barely know. Even in the scenario that you happen to know the person for a long time, what does it all matter?

    "That''s a lot of ''self'', man. You''re kinda selfish. Maybe that''s why you can''t get what I am saying."

    "The same could go for you. If you are too selfless then there isn''t room for understanding either..."

    This isn''t narcissism, I just dislike the idea of serving others on an obsessive level while abandoning your individuality in the process.

    If you are always with yourself throughout your whole life, then if you start to believe that you are meant to be with someone, then you will receive a false sense of reality.

    As you would say, Hyunda. Oh yeah. What do you think about this? Do you have some shocking opinions about this?

    Probably.

    "But, Daniel, if you are too selfish then you can''t find the joy in things. It''s all just colorless."

    Leaving those words behind, Akihiko left the scene.

    At last, I was able to resume my moment of silence as I witnessed students passing by. Some would look at me transiently before looking forward again. Their looks would only stay permanent for just a few seconds.

    It''s funny. Really, if you think about it. As you go through your days, there are countless people who do this endlessly yet at the end of it all, will I remember any of them?

    No.

    I won''t.

    Why would I be able to remember them? They don''t mean anything to me so, why does this thought linger to the back of my mind? Is it strange that I bother myself with all these little details and that I view life from a perspective that is different from the others?

    I think about this quite often but what is the point of being here if I''m just one of the billions that came here out of coincidence? Am I too naive to understand the obvious meaning that this life has to offer to me? Why can''t I think just like everyone else and live a life of common standards instead of constantly thinking to myself that something spectacular will eventually happen and my life will drastically change?

    It''s all just colorless as you mentioned, Akihiko.

    "Oh, about time."

    Hyunda''s name appeared on my phone''s screen, so I naturally answered the call.

    "That took you a while, Hyunda."

    "Try to put yourself in my shoes and you''ll realize soonly that the fact that I''m making you a call this freely should be completely impossible."

    Christ Hyunda, just what the hell are you going through right now? Is that leech that obsessive over you?

    "Alright, I get it, it''s hard for you."

    "No, I was just joking. It''s not hard. Well, that aside, she''s going to the theaters right now. Be quick."

    "Thanks for the info. Also, one weird question..."

    "Quick, I don''t have that much time. My privacy is limited these days and it might just be a matter of time before it''s completely stripped."

    I''m not sure if I want to know what Hyunda''s situation looks like now. He''s speaking like he''s in a horror movie trying to run away from the killer but in a very relaxed monochromatic voice tone.

    "Alright. Which is more important? The part where you only care for yourself or the part where you don''t care about yourself?"

    In other words, the ''self'' or the ''selfless'' part. I wonder what''s his take on this?

    "Nothing is more important than the ''self''. If you lose yourself, then who are you? No one. Gotta go."

    Without wasting any more time, Hyunda ended the call.

    "So that''s what you think about it..."

    You also value the ''self'' too, huh? As I thought, we actually bare a lot of similarities.

    Then does that mean that you already know what you want to be and what you want to achieve in life? Is that how you set your mentality for yourself to be in total control at all times?

    "Wait, this isn''t the time to be reflecting about that. I got somewhere to be at."

    The theaters, was it?

    If I recall correctly, the theaters are located in the north part of the school near the entrance. Furthermore, the theaters are usually open during the weekend and not during the week, which means now is a good time to be inside one...

    Speaking of which, I never went inside it.

    "Okay, time to move out."

    Thus, with fast speed, I reached the theaters'' entrance that was located near a small building only containing the theaters'' rooms and five registration lines. On the outside of the theaters though, there was a visible agenda for the movie that would be on display today.

    Semi-crowded, a diversity of students from all years could be witnessed throughout the registration lines and as probably implied, inside the theaters'' rooms.

    From the looks of it, this doesn''t operate based on the movies from actuality, since I saw a bunch of movies that were on theaters years ago.

    In other words, this was more of a nostalgia source center than anything else. The whole purpose of going to the theaters would be either checking out new movies or rewatching those new movies. Aside from that, you can just watch any old movies on the internet illegally or be a complete idiot and buy the physical copies.

    I mean, if people enjoy wasting money openly like that, then that''s their problem. However, this theater served only the purpose of nostalgia from my perspective.

    Which ultimately implied that someone with such a feeling would come here on her own.

    Walking inside the entrance, I saw Sana from afar glancing the agenda, which meant that she was probably indecisive about her choice.

    Naturally, I had to make my presence be as coincidental as possible.

    "Sana? What are you doing here?"

    Upon hearing my voice, Sana turned around and looked at me as if surprised.

    "Daniel... How did you know I was here...?"

    "How? I didn''t. I came here to see a movie. I didn''t expect to catch you here though."

    It''s a pretty bad lie since I have no money with me at all. Yet Sana has no way of knowing that I''m that financially unstable.

    I would be an awful husband, financially speaking.

    "Really? What movie?"

    It would be pretty awkward if I just randomly chose a movie that was on the agenda right now because that would imply that I actually was here intentionally and not coincidentally.

    Fortunately, a movie that I am very much familiar with caught my intention.

    Now, I''m not a slave to nostalgia but for this one movie in specific, exceptions can be made.

    "Superbad. It''s just the best comedy movie of all time, nothing much."

    I almost screamed when I saw that Superbad was actually an option here. I really, really almost just unleashed a gigantic childish shout out of the blue.

    I mean it.

    "Pffft. It can''t be that good. You''re just overrating it!"

    "I''m serious. It''s really that good. But, I can''t show you how good it is."

    "And why is that? I can just watch by myself and tell if it''s as good as you say."

    Yeah, she can just do that. True, true.

    But, but.

    "You could do that, true. However, would you be able to understand the deep philosophies that the movie portrays in the characters that are also additionally masked by the belly-rolling comedy? You probably wouldn''t. It took me 7 re-watches to completely nail all the easter eggs and multiple philosophical ideas the movie tries to teach us."

    That''s the thing about comedy movies. The viewer will initially just think that it''s only a comedy movie without any other intended purposes but the actual philosophical implications are so deep that the viewer will not understand them at first due to the fact that the omnipresent comedy completely drives the viewer''s attention away.

    Therefore, it''s incredibly hard to notice them at first.

    Yet that''s why it''s a really good comedy. A really good comedy is exactly like that. It has to be so strong and consistent that all the other factors are simply minor to it. Even if they actually are deep as hell.

    "You sound like the type of person who would spoil the whole movie in the first minutes..."

    "No, come on. That''s just not true. I can hold myself back. I do have some empathy when it comes to that."

    It''s a different story when it comes to watching movies or just any medium. If the viewers need to have a personal experience on his/her own, then I can understand the necessity of keeping my mouth shut when the time requires it.

    "...How many times have you watched it...?"

    "Technically eight times."

    "Eight times?! You love it that much?!"

    "Yeah, I wasn''t joking about it. I laugh every time I watch the McLovin scene."

    Out of occasion, I go on YouTube just to rewatch it and the magic is still there.

    And for the record, Sana, although skeptical at first, is starting to be more open about this.

    From my understanding she was being quite indecisive about the movie she was going to watch, so I just went ahead and mentioned Superbad.

    "Ugh, you''re already spoiling it..."

    "No, I''m not. You don''t know the context yet. So, technically not a spoiler."

    "I''m gonna judge you if it''s actually a spoiler..."

    Upon hearing that last sentence, it seems as if she''s suggesting something that would actually do me a great favor.

    "Then, does that mean that you want to watch it?"

    "I suppose I wouldn''t mind. I can''t make up my mind about what I want to watch and I want to roast your bad taste afterward if the movie is straight-up terrible."

    "I have bad news for you. There''s nothing to roast because the movie is gold."

    "We''ll see about that. By the way, pay me."

    "Ladies first Sana. Go ahead and pay for us."

    "Us? What do you mean us?"

    Honesty is a disease. Sometimes you just can''t help but show it on occasions or every so often more than occasionally.

    For me, in crucial times, it''s a weapon of great usage.

    Thus, with my two hands, I dove right into my pockets and pulled them out and Sana, out of disgust made a displeasing face as soon as she realized the intent of my action.

    "You have no dignity..."

    In my defense, I only implied that I wanted to watch the movie, not pay it. Even if watching it means paying it...

    Whatever. In the end, Sana bought both our tickets and we went inside the theater room and watched Superbad.

    2 hours later.

    "Oh my god! Hahaha!! That was soooo good! That''s a 2007''s movie!? What?! Why don''t they make movies like that nowadays?!"

    On our way out of the theaters, Sana couldn''t help but express herself while laughing almost hysterically after watching the movie.

    As for me, I was mildly still laughing too.

    "See!? I told you it was good!"

    "No, no. You told me it was good, but you didn''t tell me it was THAT good! Hahaha!!! O-Oh, by the way, loved the McLovin scene! The whole scene was sooo stupid! Who the hell picks McLovin as their name and only name!? Hahaha! The best part is that it was either that or Mohammed! Oh my lord, I''m creasing!"

    I have no idea why but seeing someone enjoy a movie that I actually deeply like just brings a smile to my face.

    But, something completely erased that premature smile from my face.

    Or rather, someone.

    "So this is where you two have been."

    Glaring us with dead eyes, Yulia greeted us with the most dead-toned words I have ever heard from her.

 Volume 13 - Chapter 92.5: Ridiculousness.

    Accordingly, the only thing that I was aware of was that I would meet up with Sana and spend time with her, just as Hyunda suggested.

    However, it didn''t cross my mind that Yulia would meet the two of us.

    "Hey! We just watched a really funny movie, Yulia!"

    Helplessly enthusiastic and simultaneously unaware that Yulia was most likely viewing her not in the strong insights, Sana, despite that, reached out to Yulia without a second thought.

    "Okay. Sana, can I have some time with my boyfriend or not? I don''t want to interrupt something if I''m in the way."

    As of lately, I''ve been detecting some intense sarcasm in Yulia''s words. I don''t feel like it''s a coincidence that this is only happening now.

    Does this mean that she''s secretly mad?

    "Yeah, of course! You don''t even need to ask! Bye-bye!"

    On her way out, independently, Sana left us alone. Sincerely, this was an awkward moment as I didn''t know what to say.

    For the very reason being... I didn''t have any idea that Yulia would be here in the first place. Hyunda, this has to be your doing. I know you to the point of being able to tell that this isn''t a coincidence.

    This means that I should comfort Yulia out of her doubts right now if this is your doing, Hyunda.

    "Hey. What''s wrong? You''re not going to say anything, Yulia?"

    "I''m trying to think about what I want to say. But, you''re not making this easy for me. Do you really even love me?"

    "What sort of question is that? Of course I do."

    We started walking to a nearby cafe, which implied that from the looks of it, we were going to have a really long talk.

    If I was someone with minimal moral standards, I would definitely just stop this activity right now. It sometimes strikes me as odd how I''m able to lie so well when others just aren''t.

    Yulia''s an unfortunate individual. Out of all the people in this world, she is currently in a supposed relationship with arguably not one of the best; as a matter of fact probably one of the worst.

    "I don''t know about that. Maybe I''m just too new to this sentiment but I get the feeling that you should prioritize me more than anyone else. Or, at least that''s how I feel about you. I prioritize you above everyone else."

    Considering how you barely have anyone else to prioritize, that''s saying a lot, but I obviously won''t say my honest thoughts out loud.

    Though, with all things considered, eliminating her doubts might just not do the trick here. Which means I''ll have to try something else.

    "Is this about Sana and how I spend time with her?"

    "...Sorry."

    I''m surprised that Yulia didn''t bother to deny it. However, it''s just natural. All the hints have been indicated towards the supposed fabricated fact that I prioritize Sana over Yulia, which should not happen based on the current status between us.

    In a table for two, almost at the beginning of the entrance, with a window view, we sat down and faced each other.

    It''s really all just better if I''m honest while still not being honest.

    "That must''ve left you quite confused. You''re probably thinking why I don''t spend time with you as often as I spend time with Sana, right? Well, that''s for a reason."

    "That being?"

    "I was discussing with her the whole time ways of actually making our relationship flourish. Originally, I intended on telling you this way earlier so you wouldn''t have to feel like I was tricking you or anything like that, but then Sana told me that it would be better if I didn''t do that. Her reasoning was that I needed to learn one very simple thing... Being unpredictable. And the key to doing so is to be as mysterious as possible. Which is why, I''m sorry that you doubted me, Yulia."

    This did not happen. I am quite literally and figuratively making this up. However, with all events taken into consideration, it''s not hard to believe that this was actually the case.

    Especially when Yulia just flashes a smile out of relief like that in front of me while placing her hands on her chest.

    "Oh... That''s... a relief... Haha, so that''s what was happening! Now I understand why you didn''t tell me and why Sana also hasn''t told me a single thing..."

    Actually, the whole reason as to why Sana hasn''t told you anything is because we have been holding talks about how to make Yulia happier and how I should direct myself as her boyfriend.

    That also implied that we had to keep this talk a secret from Yulia because it would all be supposedly be ruined if she knew that ahead of her time. However, now that Yulia is starting to doubt us, I need to console her emotions by telling her the half-truth.

    "Yeah, that was why. But, I didn''t really like the whole idea, sorry. It was never my intention to keep you in the dark all this time. Can you forgive me?"

    "Yes, I think I can. Actually, you don''t need to apologize. That was just me being paranoid and a bit freaky. Sorry, I''m still so new to this feeling that I just found it strange. But... Why did you feel like you needed to consult Sana about this and not me?"

    "I didn''t. Sana called out to me and spoke about certain things. How I wasn''t there for you, even minimally. How I wasn''t exactly opening up to who I am. How being a boyfriend isn''t just about having the ability of being honest with you but actually wanting to know everything there is about you. Lots of stuff that I basically didn''t realize on my own. She''s a really good friend to you, you know? Because she said that this was all for you."

    Hyunda should pay me some money for all this acting. How hasn''t Hollywood hired me yet?

    Look at this peak acting. Please tell me this isn''t worthy of an oscar.

    Okay, now I''m just sadly overrating myself, it''s not that hard to pull this off.

    "Ahhh... I am such a dummy. So stupid... I should''ve never..."

    "Hm? What''s wrong, Yulia? Heeeey, teeeeell me."

    Since Yulia was looking down and mumbling onto herself after reflecting on what I had just said previously, I leaned in and closed in on her face and saw the depressed facial expression that she was wearing full of regret.

    "I doubted my best friend and that''s because I was starting to believe in something that was stupid and the worst part is... that something came from a stupid and obnoxious person! I should''ve known better! I''ll never doubt Sana ever again!"

    Her sudden burst of enthusiasm came as a surprise to me, but what came to me more as a surprise was when Yulia mentioned that she believed in something stupid that came out of someone stupid and obnoxious.

    "Wait, Yulia. Who are you referring to exactly?"

    "Oh... Um, that''s irrelevant now! Because the person never mattered in the first place."

    "No, but I want to know who it was. Did someone torment you while I was away?"

    Or rather, was it Hyunda who did this? Then, does that mean that you already started to play around with her mindset?

    I see, so you do make early moves in scenarios like this. As I thought, although you say that you hate responsibility, you are going way too far.

    I never actually bought what he said about repaying me. This feels so exaggerated that it''s making me believe that he''s just using that event as an excuse to exercise his power right now.

    "You''re worried...?"

    "Well, yes. Should I not be worried when there is someone out there that might''ve harmed my girlfriend psychologically? Tell me who it is so I can do something about this."

    Weirdly enough, Yulia''s probably viewing my current action as that of a boyfriend who wants to protect his girlfriend from all the possible dangers this corrupt world has to offer.

    Thus, she has no idea for what reason I actually want to know this.

    "Mhm...! You''re finally showing some emotion! How nice!!! I was getting worried that you might never show me your caring side but this is surprisingly satisfying. But, not to worry. I''m not a damsel in the distress. I can defend myself. It would be pathetic of me to let someone so insignificant overpower me psychologically. Plus, I do have experience against that horrible stereotype."

    Did I show emotion? So pretending to care is the equivalent of showing emotion? Or was it my facial expression that emitted some sort of emotion in it? That would explain it.

    Otherwise, I just can''t see it. However, I suppose that my voice was less monochromatic and way more vivid than usual.

    "If you aren''t going to tell me who the person is, then what is this stereotype that you speak of?"

    Yulia, this time around, leaned closely while looking to her right and left before speaking to me. Apparently, her upcoming words were important so I increased my focus.

    "Listen... I''m talking about narcissists. Narcissists are those that value themselves on a very, but very absurd degree and when something doesn''t go along their way, they attempt to twist every argument and mentally abuse others in order for them to gain a wider sense of superiority. They also strive to raise their self-esteem by lowering the self-esteem of others. And I was just about to let one have his way on me..."

    "So it''s a he. But if you have experience against that stereotype then why would you let him overpower you mentally? Ah, sorry... He didn''t overpower you, because you were strong enough to resist his intentions."

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Though how exactly is Hyunda a narcissist? Hyunda is---

    Actually...

    What exactly do I know about him? He rarely tells me anything regarding himself. Even when we are talking he indirectly references other topics without ever mixing his entire self into it. He also doesn''t brag about himself, so in other words...

    I don''t know anything about him.

    "...He used factors that were somewhat relevant but I won''t let my mind sway any further. Because it was my fault for even believing in what he had said, minimally... I told myself many times that his words were a lie but after witnessing certain coincidences, my mind just automatically started to believe in what he had told me despite the fact that I didn''t want to believe in what he had told me..."

    "Yulia, are you sure you don''t want to tell me who this guy is? I will just talk to him and tell him to stop bothering you. We can interact with the rest now. It''s fine. Just tell me, please. I''m worried about you."

    "It''s okay now. Just the fact that you are finally showing a good deal of emotion is enough for me. You should do that more often. You always seem really out of it whenever you are around the others which is why I would like for you to be yourself around me..."

    I''ve done that once and it went horribly wrong.

    What you are referring to as ''yourself'' is probably just the side of me you think you don''t already know and that I purposely hide it from everyone else.

    Unfortunately for you, I am not that interesting.

    "I''ll try. No guarantees though. Self-expression doesn''t exactly come included when we are talking about me..."

    "Yeah, I know that hahaha... By the way, by the way... You need to tell me more about yourself. Like, what was your life like before coming here...?"

    Out of the sudden, Yulia just went ahead and asked perhaps the most personal question yet.

    A question, so personal that I immediately got skeptical about answering it.

    "You won''t like it. It''s not as interesting as you think. Actually, on second thought, I want to hear your version of the story. Because it''s probably way more interesting than my version."

    More like I don''t remember half of the details.

    "Ehh? Come on... I''m really curious about it. It has this mysterious vibe to it and I love mysteries!"

    "No, that''s precisely why you''ll be disappointed. Because it''s nothing mysterious nor compelling as you might think it is."

    If Yulia insists on this matter too much, then I might be forced to tell her a lie, but considering the topic at hand, I would say that I would have to think of a big lie.

    And honestly, I''m just not feeling like it.

    "I don''t buy it... Whenever someone says that something isn''t interesting then it means that it''s one-hundred percent interesting! Which is why I''ll listen to it!"

    She''s dead set on this... I''ll try this from a different angle then.

    "Even if you listen to it, you won''t learn anything new from it. Also, do you remember how I said that I don''t know what I did to get such a high jail sentence? The same can be applied to my mediocre past years. As a matter of fact, they are so mediocre that I have forgotten half of it. So, we should just settle it with yours. It doesn''t have to be interesting, in case you are wondering."

    "So you wouldn''t like it if it was interesting!? Do you prefer it to be boring?"

    That''s not what I said...

    "No, I''m just saying that if your version of the story is boring, then I don''t mind. You might think it''s necessary for you to tell a really interesting story in order to get me hooked, but if you consider your life to be mediocre thus far, then I''ll still listen to it without complaints. I don''t want you to think that I have these high expectations..."

    Yulia already told me that she wouldn''t reveal what she has done. Or rather, she gave me a helpful hint by saying that she didn''t do it.

    Even when I tried to argue that if she didn''t do it that she might be here wrongly, she argued back saying that was not the case.

    I can only conclude that even though she didn''t do the crime or crimes, she''s partially and probably responsible for it or them.

    Plus, on the bright side, upon hearing my words of consolation, Yulia looked less skeptical as she brightened up a bit.

    "You''ll have to tell me eventually, alright?"

    "Alright."

    If that ever happens then Hyunda''s plan has failed. I feel like a complete side-character in this whole event. Whenever Hyunda''s involved, it''s like everything suddenly gains a sense of variety and diversity instead of being far too one-dimensional.

    Multiple people serving different purposes for his goal. Does he even have a goal in general?

    As I internally asked myself those questions, Yulia looked ready to speak out her honest mind, which was ultimately indicated by her brief inhaling.

    "I never really could relate to my parents deeply. Or rather --- it never went to a state beyond normal. However, that wasn''t really the case. My father was a drunk womanizer who would treat my mother just as an object... The worst part about it was that my mother only stayed with him because of me as she didn''t want me to have a bad childhood. Yet, that didn''t really matter to me, because I was always enjoying my time with my grandma! It was really, really fun!"

    From the looks of it, Yulia''s probably telling the genuine truth here.

    The way she''s speaking packs quite a lot of emotion behind it; as every time she speaks, it gets progressively harder for her to continue with her words.

    "But, that really didn''t last for long. Eventually, my grandma died and I, well... Hit a state of depression when I was six years old. Don''t worry though, I got myself back up eventually as well..."

    Why would you hit a state of depression over someone''s death? It doesn''t matter how much you love someone, that person will nonetheless die when their time is up.

    This is one of the things that I can''t understand. If everyone is destined to die then why do people nevertheless idly hope that they won''t feel sad despite knowing that their loved ones will die?

    Is that a state of delusion or something?

    "After that, as you might''ve already guessed, I moved here to Japan. My mother decided to abandon my father since she was tired of getting progressively cheated on. Integrating here was quite hard due to the language barrier but with time and practice, I got over it eventually. At the age of nine, I witnessed my mother fall in love again for another man that looked promising at first but..........."

    It didn''t take me a single second to guess why Yulia looked down immediately.

    Thus, with confidence, I went ahead and spoke under a certain assumption.

    "It''s related to the stereotype you mentioned earlier, isn''t it?"

    "Yes..."

    It didn''t take me any supposed time to realize this because Yulia had already implied that she had a grudge against the stereotype, so it''s safe to assume that I hit the nail in the coffin when she brought that up.

    There''s also the fact that her father isn''t exactly a narcissist. He''s just a womanizer, according to her description.

    Though, this isn''t to imply that her father couldn''t belong to the narcissistic stereotype.

    "If it''s hard for you, then don''t feel obliged to speak. I understand. This guy that your mother fell in love with had secondary and wrong intentions and didn''t treat her right. It must''ve been hard for you."

    Although I say this, I can''t exactly relate to her worries.

    At all.

    "...Thanks for actually comprehending... You got better, Daniel. I''m really proud of you in that sense. You used to be really rude and from my past perspective, you just couldn''t seem perceivable as a morally right person; as you struggled to understand emotional struggles. However, just from this talk alone, I can tell that something has changed. We should do this more often, because then... I''m sure you''ll open up and then I''ll help you become more affectionate along the way."

    "Aren''t you responsible for being my link of emotion though? Would I be able to be this open without loving you?"

    "Gosh, if you put it like that then I''ll get slightly high of myself, you know?"

    "Maybe I want you to feel that way. I am giving you these words so you can feel confident, so trust me when I say this: I probably couldn''t have gone this far and talk this openly to someone if it wasn''t for you."

    "Probably...?"

    "Oh, sorry Yulia. That''s a ''definitely'' not a ''probably''. I thought you already knew that but you don''t?"

    "....Not fair..."

    I did do that on purpose which made her blush intensively just now. It''s just such a shame though. Maybe in another life where I actually had a decent personality, we could have this talk with each other while being mutually honest.

    You really don''t deserve this. Which is why I''m counting on Hyunda to terminate our relationship.

    Because then, in the future, hopefully, you''ll find someone that actually treasures you for what you are and for what you have to offer. I''m not a complete monster, all in all.

    I do believe that everyone should give a try and be happy.

    It''s a different matter if the person actually deserves that happiness though.

    "Oh... Kawahara''s calling..."

    If Kawahara is calling, at the brick of the afternoon, then something important must be up.

    Thus, as I attempted to answer the call, Yulia, against my expectations just went up and snatched my phone away from my right hand and answered the call instead.

    "Hello? Cowardhara is that you? Yes, it''s me. I am not a bitch, stop cursing randomly. What? It is randomly! You don''t have a single valid reason to curse at me like that! Also, stop calling Daniel! We are in the middle of something important right now! What do you mean what you have to say to him is more important?! I''m hanging up! If you call back I''ll erase your contact from Daniel''s phone!"

    Talk about aggressive.

    Regardless of all that aggression, Yulia gave my phone back pretty nicely and civilized.

    Yulia looked pretty pissed off, however. Kawahara is just that guy in everybody''s class that receives all the possible hatred the world has to offer.

    "He won''t call back after that one. So, let''s instead---"

    But he did. On top of the table, I left my phone''s screen exposed, and Yulia and I simultaneously instantly noticed that Kawahara indeed was making a call.

    Before Yulia could rush in, I stopped her hand from completely reaching out to my phone, which rose her eyebrows quite a bit.

    "Hold on, hold on. Don''t get mad. I do have something to say to him and he''s not calling me out for no reason. There''s actually a very valid reason for this..."

    What''s the harm in explaining the whole thing? That we are currently doing questionable things regarding those certain six individuals that Kawahara harbors a deep hatred for...

    If Yulia asks, then I don''t really mind explaining it.

    "Really...? I don''t want you to think that I''m obsessing over you or that I''m annoying. I did become skeptical lately, so if I''m being too annoying, please tell me. I can''t control it that well."

    How surprising. She isn''t actually arguing back. Instead, she''s showing maturity and reflecting on her attitude.

    Hyunda, I don''t know if this is all going accordingly to your plan or not, because, from the looks of it, she might just never budge at this point.

    "Nah, you''re not annoying, but as I said, there''s a reason behind it. I''m going to pick the call up now, okay?"

    "Okay..."

    Though, I''m not sure if it''s a good idea to answer a call from Kawahara right in front of Yulia.

    Well... It can''t be that bad...

    "Hell---"

    "Yo, what the fuck did that bitch just say about me!? I fucking swear Imma rip her head off and pee on her while sticking popsicles on her motherfucking eyeballs!"

    "Oh yeah, I definitely think the weather is good too!"

    In order to make Yulia think that we are actually holding a normal conversation and not a conversation that is highly offensive to her, I made a statement about the weather, which is actually true.

    Even if the sky is a bit clouded and the temperature is still slightly chilly.

    "I get it, Dan. You''re in front of the thot. Buckle up though, we need to meet up. Also, I did manage to recruit someone else to the parade. With that said, I''m in the hideout. If you don''t show up here in ten minutes and it''s because of the thot then I fucking swear Imma spray her eyes with pepper sauce!"

    With maximum aggression, Kawahara terminated the call.

    Curious about what Kawahara had said, Yulia couldn''t resist the desire of asking.

    "What did the garbage say?"

    Why are they so hostile to one another? I don''t think I''ve witnessed a single positive interaction when it comes to these two.

    From the previous events and dialogues to my understanding, Kawahara might have some sort of grudge against blonde women in general, which, coincidentally, blonde is Yulia''s hair color...

    On the other hand, Yulia also completely hates Kawahara. However, I can actually understand her reason for hating him. If it''s due to his immense narcissism and self-over-glorification, then I don''t see how she wouldn''t hate him.

    Kawahara''s also super brash with his vocabulary.

    "He wants to meet up and I''m required to come."

    "What? Required?! No, you''re not! You are not his object!"

    "But Yulia, although I said that, it''s out of my free will. And besides, I do believe that attending this is quite important. Though, I got to go now. I can explain to you the reason later, alright? I''ll give you a call once I''m done. You should spend time with Sana or Arkalee if you are feeling bored. Later."

    "Alright, later! Love you..."

    "Love you more."

    After we shared a goodbye kiss, I exited the scene and directed myself down south.

    However, as I passed through block F before I could reach my dorm, a group of multiple individuals came out of one of the corners and faced me up closely while attempting to be intimidating.

    To be more precise, their way of facing me, was by blocking my way entirely.

    "Skran, is this the guy?"

    "I''m positive, Krale! The picture matches."

    Two of the scrawny individuals traded that exchange of words with one another while analyzing the picture on their phones to see if it matched with mine.

    Which means that this was personal.

    "Move. I''m in a hurry."

    Fairly reasonable, right? If someone''s in a hurry and you are in their way, just by moving out of the way, you are allowing that person to be free to do what he/she wants, right?

    So, despite knowing that, why are they all just pathetically smirking with boastful confidence?

    "Not happening!"

    No students are around except us because block F is usually a very deserted area, so, hypothetically speaking, if a fight were to occur, then this could escalate without any notice.

    The worst part about this is that the cameras are facing the wrong way, damn it.

    I could just drag them out to a zone where they are facing the cameras, but they are precisely blocking the way.

    Which means...

    "I guess not..."

    God damn it.

 Volume 14 - Chapter 93: Salty wrath.

    So let''s recapitulate what''s currently happening. On my way to my dorm, at the edge of block F, I suddenly came face to face with a group of six individuals who, from the looks of it, don''t exactly just want to sit around and have a cup of tea while discussing the deep possible meanings of life.

    No, of course not. No way that''s the case. Instead, they are firmly glancing upon my own figure with the most confident expressions ever.

    However, instead of assuming that this is what I think it is, I''ll just make sure first.

    "Your name is Skran, right?"

    I even pointed at him with my index finger, so he has to know that I''m referring to him and not the other five individuals.

    "So?"

    "...So? What sort of answer is that? Man, are you all here to gang up on me? Please don''t. I have a family. I actually have a kid back home and have two different jobs in order to solely abolish my omnipresent financial crisis. Buying milk seems so radically simple but to me, it''s a bliss being able to afford just a single drop of that miraculous white liquid that gives me calcium every morning. I also, despite that, try to maintain a very regular sleeping schedule, so I avoid drinking any sort of caffeine. Before sleeping, I----"

    "Um, what the hell are you saying? Have you lost it?"

    Oh, he noticed. It''s not just him, but the rest of them too. Their faces are full of traces of confusion and perplexity.

    Could it be that they realized that I was actually making something up? Wait, doesn''t that mean that they can rationalize to the point of distinguishing the irrefutable truth and a blatant lie?

    I am impressed. I didn''t know that retards evolved so much as of lately.

    "Wow, I am impressed! This calls for a celebration! Everyone, clap your hearts out!"

    Out of sheer bravery and also appealing to the fact that I was feeling very impressed by that clever remark from Skran, I started to clap out loud, but to my sadness, no one else clapped along.

    That alone made me question Skran about something.

    "Hey, what''s wrong, man? Why aren''t you clapping? It''s a great thing you noticed the obvious lie!"

    "You''re not funny. Also, you''re really fucking dumb. We are here to beat you up."

    Oh, he lost his confident smirk and started to crack his knuckles. Is he feeling confident? But why would you feel confident when you know nothing about the person who you are aiming to supposedly beat up?

    Also...

    "So you six want to beat me up? Therefore, can I assume that you all like fighting too?"

    Perhaps there''s something massively wrong with me, but I do enjoy fighting. It''s a really good way to relieve all your tension and as of lately, I''ve been feeling somewhat stressed from having to do all of these mundane tasks that restrict my freedom slowly.

    With apprehension on his face, Skran replied back.

    "You''re oddly confident for someone who''s about to be gang banged."

    "So you say. Also, since you haven''t answered my question, I''ll assume that you don''t like fighting? I mean, I''m speaking to you, but realistically speaking, I''m talking to all of you. Heeeeey, you guys can speak, right? Or are you all mute? That would explain a lot."

    This is a very serious question and not with the intent of mocking anyone that might suffer from this, so with all due respect, I just asked something simple to all of them.

    "You''re about to get muted after we beat the shit out of you."

    Of course, I already knew that wasn''t the case because one of them had already previously spoken up.

    And the one that replied to my provocation was a guy named Krale, which Skran had already referred to. Still, one simple question lingered to the back of my mind.

    "Okay, but why?"

    I mean, why me? I''ve never met these guys, so what''s the deal here?

    I do enjoy fights but illogical ones with little to no reason behind them just ruin the pacing and the climax of it and that''s the current case. I can''t even get pumped up.

    "Dude, what even is your name? Don''t you know that there isn''t this much talk in a fight?"

    Emerging from the backline of the group, a guy with some round glasses came forth and let out his speech.

    So, I replied.

    "Daniel. Also, this isn''t a fight. We are just talking right now. Can you tell me why you all have this insatiable desire of beating me up? It''s straight-up confusing if you ask me."

    They were allowing this guy that hasn''t given out his name yet the right to proceed with this talk, so I can safely assume that they trust him a bit.

    Still, this is so awkward. They are saying that they will beat me up but why aren''t they doing anything? Did they expect me to just quake and retreat?

    "It''s a request. Does that answer your question?"

    "Sorta. But not really. From who?"

    "That, we can''t tell you. However, we will be rewarded if we beat you up, so I will politely ask you this, Daniel. Can you be a good dog and allow yourself to get beaten up?"

    Glasses guy over here is unusually polite. Not that I dislike that, so I''ll answer him in the same degree.

    "Hey, what''s your name? You can actually hold a proper conversation, unlike the other two retards. Congratulations, you stand out."

    "My name is Ren."

    "Oh, alright, Ren. Just one simple question. Why can''t you tell me who made this request? Don''t you find it a little bit too illogical to ask someone to be a good dog and take a beating without at least explaining the full reason as to why that person needs to receive a beating? I know I''m getting defensive over here, but I''m actually just confused."

    "No, Daniel, you don''t seem to understand something. There''s a privilege to those in charge of the situation. That being; they don''t have to listen to reason. So, no, I won''t tell you."

    Man, that''s pretty hard to argue because the majority of those who are in charge completely rarely have to listen to reason if we are being honest.

    It''s a different matter whether that''s fair or not yet that''s really beyond my field of caring, naturally.

    "Okay, okay. So, explain to me the rules, Ren. Are you all just going to come at me or are we going to play this nice and fair and you six will all line up in a queue in order to face me? Actually, why can''t you all just tell me what this request is about? I wouldn''t mind helping you people out if it''s really that urgent."

    Rather, I just want to know for what sort of pathetic reason they are illogically attempting to beat me up.

    Depending on the reason, I''ll change my attitude, but I don''t actually plan on helping them out, realistically.

    "Daniel, the request was made by someone that apparently wants you to be beaten up and the reward does benefit us. Well, me."

    "Wait, what the fuck did you just say, Ren?"

    Awkward. Skran just talked back to Ren as soon as Ren said those very specify two words.

    The weirdest part was that Ren didn''t back down as well. As a matter of fact, he adjusted his glasses and proceeded to defend his side of the argument.

    "You didn''t mishear me. I said what I said. She clearly said that whoever gets the best out of him will be put into consideration. And I am not taking any chances."

    She?

    "Oh, so now you''re turning your back on us!? I thought that we agreed that whoever finished him first would be the winner fair and square!"

    Talking back to Ren once again, Skran argued back while implying that they were in this together...

    What the hell is going on?

    "Can you dickheads actually explain what this is all about?"

    "Man, you''re annoying! Don''t you get it?! By beating you, the winner gets to go on a date with her!"

    What Ren just told me left me with a trace of confusion and a bit of anger.

    Anger because I was being used for this very simp-like act that I am seeing right now.

    Those six just started to argue in their own circle stupidly. And at first, I showed a very political stance and remained fairly logical throughout the whole thing, right?

    Yet they have the audacity to imply that they are using me for the sake of committing this beta simp-like act?

    Motherfuckers.

    "I knew something was up. None of you seem to actually have any experience in fighting, otherwise, you would just straight up charge at me. Even as six, you all haven''t done a single thing. All this time, you were all actually internally struggling to choose which one to face me? No, wait, that''s not the biggest issue. The biggest issue is..."

    With all eyes on me, I used my right index finger and started to point out at every single one of them.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "You! You! You! You! You! And you! All of you! Are you seriously trying to beat me up for a fucking date!? Is the reward of actually beating me up a fucking date?! Are you fucking serious!? Who is this bitch!? I want to actually fucking meet up with her and slap her for a damn hour straight!"

    At first, I thought that I had attracted someone''s attention out of pure mystery but to think that all of these simps, who I have no idea who they are here, are here for the singular purpose of beating me up for a fucking date?!

    Fuck off with that shit.

    "Can you blame us, man!? She''s hot, alright?! And I want a piece of that!"

    The first simp to speak up was no other than Skran. However, I argued back immediately, despite his strong retort and desire to supposedly get a taste of that forbidden fruit.

    "So you would beat someone down for that reason!? How the hell is that valid?!"

    "Look, man. Your name is Daniel, right? Get this, she doesn''t like you, so she proposed that whoever gave you a lesson would go on a date with her. Well..."

    Skran didn''t exactly finish his sentence properly. Plus, I''m certain that''s false information because Ren already implied that this bitch didn''t actually promise the winner a date, but that the winner would be taken into consideration.

    What actually truly pisses me off is that I''m the target for this simp act!

    "I know that''s not true. She didn''t actually say that, did she?"

    "...."

    All of them, without replying back, formed a painful silence.

    That just allowed me to step forward and address the situation clearer to all of them in return.

    "From the looks of it, you are all just trying to fight for the same reward, but if you ask me, this was so badly organized that there won''t be a clear winner. So, I have a suggestion that will make this clearer. Let''s hold off a mini-tournament between you six."

    "Huh!?" x6.

    Hm?

    Why did all of them just reply with the most cliched word of the century? Those three letters leaped together form perhaps one of the most overused exaggeration marks that there will ever exist.

    "What was that ''Huh!?'' for? Oh, right. I''ll just go and ahead and explain myself---"

    "No, wait. Why are you assuming charge?! Are you an idiot!? Six guys appear in front of you with the intention to beat you up and you attempt to be in charge?!"

    "But Ren, even if you six came at me at once, I would floor all of you in one go. That''s why my attitude has not changed whatsoever."

    And before they could all retort back at me, I went ahead and spoke some additional words in order to make it seem like it wasn''t just my intention to tell them the truth.

    "However --- you guys are free to believe in what you choose to believe. But, there is something that we can only agree on. Only one of you will actually benefit. Therefore, it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever for a group assault like this. You six won''t benefit mutually, right? Only one. So, let''s do a selection, shall we?"

    If their initial goal was to get the best of me, then this doesn''t really add up.

    Who came up with this bad idea? This is so badly organized and there are so many things to point out, like, where to begin...?

    "And why should we obey you?"

    Skran''s interrogation wasn''t that unreasonable.

    Except it was and here is why.

    "Because I just proposed a valid selection method and given that only one of you will benefit from beating me, supposedly at least, it makes perfect sense for this to exist. The winner of the mini-tournament will get to face me. But, let me put this from a better perspective. If all of you guys came at me and hypothetically speaking, if I allowed you, people, to beat the shit out of me, what if there was a hint of confusion among you? What then...? The decision would become abrupt. Come on, all of you... This isn''t hard to imagine, right?"

    "Certainly..."

    "Yeah..."

    In simultaneous agreement, they all traded glances with one another.

    Sincerely, if I wasn''t confident in my own ability to succeed in a physical fight, then I would''ve just run away. That''s still an option, but for some reason, they knew that I would come here.

    This isn''t a coincidence, is it...? Yet, how?

    Well, whatever. More importantly...

    "Given that you all have reached an agreement, I''ll speak about my idea. First of all, why do you all want to have a fight here? Are you insane? What if a teacher passed through here?"

    Either Basara-sensei or Yuka-sensei could come in at any time and we would all be screwed.

    They all looked reluctant as hell to reply to this as if they had some sort of logic or reason as to why they are here.

    However, should I prolong this, then this will go on forever.

    "Well, that aside, since you are six in total, we will hold this in a place that we won''t be interrupted. Come with me."

    "........"

    Without showing resistance, they all followed me subsequently. On our way up to the place I had in mind, I was actually paying indirect attention to their movements and see if they all would attempt something funny but it seems that they took my words into consideration.

    As we entered the nostalgic place where I also beat up three individuals previously, I reminisced the fact that this place has no cameras whatsoever, as it is completely like a dark shrouded alley.

    Furthermore, no one was here so, as soon as we reached the center of the alley, I went ahead and explained myself.

    "Alright, we will do this quickly. There is just one rule. As soon as the fight begins, whoever connects the first strike is the declared winner. This will be a simple formula. Any objections?"

    Just by looking at their sluggish movements while they were walking, I could analyze prematurely that they have no real experience when it comes to real fights nor physical exercise.

    Simple physical movements can imply so much yet to pure logic alone, the credibility is aloof on its own.

    "What about the pairings though?"

    Ren was worried about who he could possibly go up against yet I wasn''t, so I gave him the most carefree reply ever.

    "Do as you like. I don''t care."

    Leaning against the back of the alley, I watched the trials occur with peculiar interest.

    10 minutes later.

    Boring.

    They all took so long just to create a single strike onto their adversary and they probably treated it as something spectacular and out of this world.

    The losers just went ahead and exited the scene but under my suspicion, it would make the most sense for them to hide each individually in places that would nonetheless come as unknown to me and then strike me down?

    Whoever gave this order is really dumb, honestly. How do you even know if I was beaten? Will you check up on me personally in order to know? If so, I''ll just start erasing the suspicions.

    There''s also the fact that it''s a ''she'' and out of all the people that I know that could hold a grudge against me, currently...

    No doubt, it''s Arkalee. I don''t need to think twice. God, are you that pissed off that your crush speaks to me way more clearly than he does to you?

    "Get up. It''s time."

    I didn''t notice that he was here. Or rather, Skran was here. Apparently, he was the winner of the time tournament.

    Thus, while getting up, I started to applaud him for his endeavor.

    "Congrats, man. You ready to be beaten up? ...Is what I would say, but I need to be somewhere right now and I think that you might not like what he has to offer. So here is a fast proposal. Tell me who the bitch is and I will let you off the hook. Now, don''t think this is me being a conceived little bitch because I''m actually being very kind right now. Previously, I did state some pretty confident remarks about how I could floor with all of you and I wasn''t joking about it. Which is why it would be wise for you to realize just how nonsensical this all is---"

    "Dude, I don''t fucking care! I didn''t come here to get scolded, I----"

    I already knew that he wasn''t going to listen.

    But the whole point of that conversation wasn''t to make him listen, but just to nag the shit out of him and I know for a fact that in this type of situation, feeling like you are automatically inferior to your opponent who boasts on and on about his virtue just makes you feel like you are being undermined.

    This is why, as soon as he interrupted my speech, mid-way, I delivered a right strike onto his jaw.

    "W-Wait, you weren''t joking...!"

    "Last chance. If you tell me who she is, then I''ll retreat. Be smart; not stupid."

    Though I said that, his body equilibrium is all over the place. I didn''t place much strength and the impulse that I created with the vacuum of my stride when I unleashed the punch wasn''t enough to knock him out.

    Yet that was sorta the whole point; as it was just a light hit more than anything else. I am prioritizing what he has to say over knocking him out.

    If there is a point in fighting, then I don''t mind going as far as clobbering someone hard.

    However, this guy is so fragile. His legs are shaking and his knees are almost dropping on the floor.

    "Alright, alright, I get it. I''m not as dumb as you think I am. But, I can''t tell you who she is, sorry."

    Now that doesn''t exactly please me. He thinks that he''s in a position where he can lie to me.

    I gave him an ultimatum and the conditions yet here you are trying to be in charge of the situation when I already told you that that''s now how it works.

    "I will kill you."

    "Uh... No, you won''t..."

    "Really? That''s what you think? Then, you wouldn''t be surprised if I just went and aimed at your throat, right? I''ll just reach out to your neck and strangle you with my right hand alone. You wasted your last chance, so..."

    Slowly, I started to walk up to him. His distance is not that far from mine. In fact, I am still doing this on purpose.

    Surely by now, he realizes that he isn''t actually going to achieve anything here. Well --- he could achieve something.

    Let''s just see if he''s smart enough to notice.

    "Alright, alright! Arkalee. That''s her name, but please don''t do anything to her."

    "God fucking damn it, that bitch! I fucking knew it! She sent a fucking band of simps after me just because of that shit?!"

    "Wait, you know her...?"

    "Yeah, she''s my classmate. Who apparently holds a grudge against me. You could''ve avoided that hit on your jaw if you had just told me the truth. Also, don''t just go around and threaten to beat others just to get the attention of a whore like Arkalee, that''s fucked up, Skran."

    I can understand the necessity to beat someone up in order to relieve some tension but for the sake of impressing a girl?

    That''s stepping down to a place that I hope I will never reach.

    "Dude, why are you calling her a whore? She''s so nice. And all the others are after her too, so I can''t slack off."

    Oh, you poor fool.

    Should I just...?

    Yeah, why not.

    "Skran, there''s something you need to know. Also, something that all of your friends should know too. Something that will completely and utterly shatter your hopes when it comes to Arkalee."

    "What is it?"

    "She''s currently madly in love with someone else."

    "Wait, for real? Seriously?! Th-Then..."

    Not that I feel any guilt but his struggles were all partially in vain and given that I had little to no understanding how this situation came to be, I nevertheless placed my right hand on his shoulder to show him that he was outmatched.

    "Wait, no. I don''t believe you. You love her too, don''t you?!"

    "Oi, are you fucking serious?! Me?! And that bitch!? That fucking leech!? What, do you need evidence?! Because I can goddamn show you some real fucking evidence!"

    "Okay then! Show me the evidence! Also, guys, you can stop hiding now! You''re all curious, right?!"

    It''s not as if I didn''t erase that possibility, but it did surprise me a little bit seeing the rest of the five erupting from the shallow darkness and reuniting with me while forming a circle.

    Skeptical about what I said, Ren approached me and posed a question out of interest.

    "Daniel, is this true?"

    Can I just mention how fucking dumb this all is? No, seriously, think about it. How the fuck do SIX simps go out of their way collectively for this one girl?

    As I thought, this really can''t be allowed to continue. Too many people falling down the wrong paths. First, it was bloomers, then white-knights and now simps.

    I do not wanna know what comes next.

    "It is true. But, I can''t give you all evidence right now, now. However, if you do a little spy job and stalk Arkalee on occasion or just about every damn time, you will notice that she hangs out with a guy that has noticeable silver hair. That alone makes him stand out from the rest. She hangs out with this guy, from my class, because she loves him."

    Although, calling this ''love'' is somewhat sickening. Arkalee''s obsession with Hyunda is the equivalent of having permanent paint in your body.

    No matter how much you try, you will not get it off you.

    "I suppose it''s worth checking. If you are wrong, then we will come back, by the way!"

    I''m not sure if Ren realizes what just happened and I am also not sure why Ren thinks that they will ever be in a position where they can pose a direct threat to me.

    Ultimately, as we left the alley, we attempted to part ways, but we were greeted by a voice that I immediately recognized.

    I also became instantly aware of something.

    That Kawahara had actually called me earlier. And that''s why what happened afterward didn''t strike me as a surprise.

    "Yo, Dan! What the fuck is this?! I thought that you were hanging out with the thot but you are hanging out with these limp-dick simps? You got some explaining to do."

    Being incredibly accurate despite not knowing why he was being accurate in the first place, Kawahara, with a spontaneous smirk, grandly spoke out to us.

    His misconception about me hanging out with them came from the fact that we still hadn''t parted ways.

    "Ah, wel---"

    I did attempt to speak, but a louder voice, that belonged to Skran, completely overpowered mine intentionally.

    "Limp-dick? Look at this guy over here! What the hell are those locks?! Are you a fucking girl?!"

    "Hahahaha!!!" x6.

    Not showing any mercy, the whole group decided that it was a good idea to mock Kawahara''s black locks that were on the edge of his blonde hair.

    "How much you wanna bet that his husband gave him that cursed haircut? Hahaha!!"

    Almost rolling on the floor, Krale made that side comment which did not contribute to their safety at all.

    As for the man himself, the one that was probably already killing these six poor creatures in his mind, Kawahara, at last, decided to speak for himself.

    "Dan, change of plans."

    "Huh....?"

    What did he mean by that? I couldn''t help but look puzzled in response to his words of sudden pacifism.

    Or, so I thought.

    "Can''t hold a proper meeting when I got this many bodies to fucking burry!"

    Oh boy.

 Volume 14 - Chapter 94: Reboot.

    If I didn''t know Kawahara well enough, I would not do anything about it and would just brush it off as an act of overconfidence.

    Yet as he flashed his supreme smirk, cracked his rough knuckles, and looked ready to show his upcoming victims carnage, without a doubt, he was ready to go.

    But students were starting to pass by, as it was weekend and classes were being overlooked from their perspective.

    "Kawahara, don''t do that. Just look around you..."

    "The fuck are you on about? You siding with these little shits?"

    "No... I''m just saying that you should consider your environment."

    Fighting here just because someone else insulted you is... Well, something I would do, except not really. I would drag the person out to a place where I wouldn''t get caught, which I previously did and still keep on doing.

    Which is why I can''t agree with this dumb nonsensical strategy of his.

    However, ignoring all of his surroundings, Kawahara started to clap in my direction.

    "Bravo, bravo. You recognized the situation!"

    Why am I getting a slight sense of d��j�� vu...?

    "But, despite that, I will beat the shit out of them. Just because they insulted my fabulous hair. Roasting someone''s hair is out of the boundaries."

    I never got my own hair roasted before so I can''t relate to his struggle whatsoever.

    "You keep talking big shit, but you can''t even pack a punch."

    And Skran is just dumb. He should already be aware that if he got outmatched by me, then by no means will he do something against Kawahara.

    Speaking of Kawahara, he started to walk up to Skran while loosening up his uniform die in a violent manner.

    "This is odd. Haven''t you heard of us? I was positive that was the case. Class 1-F. Doesn''t it ring you a bell?"

    Not backing down, Skran tried to match Kawahara but their height difference was so obliviously large that it made Skran look like an ant in comparison.

    "Oh yeah. Failure class, was it? The rumored class that has the dumbest students in this school in them. Isn''t that right, everyone?"

    "Yup, it was a rumor at first, but it might as well be the truth at this point."

    Krale, in agreement, spoke up in a consensus.

    This, however, just fueled Kawahara''s speech even more as he discarded his serious attitude and flashed a gigantic smile in response.

    "Hahahaha!!!! What the hell!? That''s it?! We are labeled as dumb because we get bad grades? Yeah, sure, that makes sense, but to think that you pieces of shit are getting high and mighty due to that is laughable. By the way, forgettable piece of shit that I''m currently looking at, what''s your name? Tell me what sort of name your sorry excuse for parents gave it to you. I''ll try to remember it for the upcoming five seconds."

    Since Kawahara isn''t aware of his name, he asked him anyway.

    "Skran and what''s your deal?"

    "Skran? What the fuck is that name? Did your parents try to put the word ''scat'' as your name but it wasn''t approved? That would explain your fucked up physiology."

    Jesus.

    "What was th---"

    "Wait, Skran... I think we should get out of here..."

    Outstandingly, just as Skran was about to unleash a punch onto Kawahara, Ren placed his hand on his shoulder, and simultaneously, I was surprised too.

    Ren has shown to at least show a minimal logical way of thinking, even if Skran is just dumb as hell.

    I just don''t get why every single one of these simps are obsessed with Arkalee.

    Nevertheless, Kawahara, once again, spoke on a high note.

    "How interesting! You. Your name."

    "It''s Ren, you uneducated behemoth!"

    "Behemoth? Oh, you''re referring to my amazing physique? At last, you noticed. Ten points for that one. So, tell me. Why did you stop this garbage from committing to his useless action? Did you already calculate that he would be sent flying as soon as he would reach out to me? Very good, Ren."

    "No, it''s because of your friend over there... If he''s capable of fighting then you too should, so..."

    In other words, Ren probably watched me clobber Skran''s jaw a while ago, otherwise, it wouldn''t make any sense for him to tell us this.

    And, Kawahara started to glare at me with disappointment.

    "Dan, what have you done?"

    "Oi, what''s with the look? Ren is already self-aware. As a matter of fact, they attempted to go at it with me a while ago. For very stupid reasons."

    "What?! Holy shit, no wonder they aren''t committing! You goddamn fool, you ruined it all! They were supposed to assume that I was just trash talking and that I had nothing to back my words with! Great, now they are on the defensive. Even the pussy has started to retreat."

    "But, hey, hear me out here. They started to try and get the jump on me because Arkalee said that she would take them into consideration if they beat the shit out of me and as a reward, the winner would get a fucking date with her! Holy shit, the moment I listened to that I almost fucking creased myself!!"

    I mean what I just said for all intended purposes. It''s not like I''m degrading Arkalee''s beauty, but considering the actual situation, I can only pity these guys.

    And naturally, this pissed them off slightly yet Kawahara was about to go an extra mile to add the salt to the injury.

    "Haha, what the fuck? How much of a loser do you have to be to give all of yourself for your queen? I bet in their minds they have fucked her in all possible positions. Hey, how many times have you all masturbated to her? Come on, be honest and I''ll show some compassion!"

    "I think their dicks are dry at this point. Even when I just told them that she loves Hyunda like crazy, they still believe that they stand a chance, hahaha!"

    "How do you even fall for such an unattractive person like Arkalee in the first place? Everything about her seems too bland and boring. Perfect for simple-minded creatures like these rats!"

    "Goddamn, Kawahara, you nailed it."

    Amidst this, the group of six individuals was no longer able to keep their fangs hidden as we openly mocked their intentions and beliefs like that.

    I think that Kawahara and I were both simultaneously aware that they would not be able to resist the temptation to silence us, given that we just went ahead and spoke out our true minds, which naturally pissed them off.

    Side by side, we both glanced upon the angry collective figure of the insulted group who had their fists supremely clenched.

    "It''s six versus two. No excuse here! We can win! Let''s go!"

    "Yeah!!"

    Charging at us, with high hopes and bravery, the soon to be helpless group surely thought to themselves that they would achieve their desired result.

    Soon enough, upon their declaration, I and Kawahara couldn''t help but let loose of our smirks filled with confidence as we decimated them.

    Hideout.

    That didn''t even last 2 minutes. They were so weak that on our way up to the hideout, through Kawahara''s room, we spoke to each other about how disappointing it all was.

    As soon as they charged, Kawahara went on a rampage and one by one, he held their faces one by one and pulverized them into the ground, crushing their teeth along with their noses, brutally.

    There''s also the fact that although it was six versus two, it was all technically self-defense from our part.

    Except Kawahara literally just knocked them all without any chance being given whatsoever.

    "Aniki! You''re here!"

    Upon reaching the hideout, Kuzan instantly greeted me and Kawahara went right to his supreme chair.

    Rayazaki didn''t bother to say anything as he was firm as a stone; reading his book.

    On the other hand, I immediately noticed the new addition to the group, which was no other than the same person that I had met up not too long ago.

    This individual was seating paralleled to Rayazaki, who was completely unbothered by his ominous look.

    The glaring that came from him didn''t bother Rayazaki whatsoever, instead, Rayazaki just kept on ignoring it, which was proving to be effective against someone like Akihiko.

    "Kawahara, is this the new addition you spoke of?"

    "Yeah. The climax is almost here. These upcoming days are going to be boring and mediocre. The last day is where it will all be at, in case some of you haven''t noticed it yet."

    Taking a seat in the couch along with Kuzan, I replied back to Kawahara.

    "Have you started the preparations yet? Also, they noticed our act already."

    "About that. Since we are all here, I want to hear the reports from every single one of you. Akihiko is rightfully excluded because he just joined today."

    I started to wonder if Kawahara acknowledged the fact that he couldn''t get Hyunda to work on his side.

    "Rayazaki, start."

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Upon hearing Kawahara''s order, Rayazaki neatly placed his bookmark on his book and closed his book before speaking.

    Akihiko looked pretty annoyed by the fact that his glare was doing essentially nothing. Was he trying to assert some sort of psychological pressure?

    "He''s not good. As a matter of fact; boring. But yes, he noticed that I''ve been essentially stalking him throughout his events. As you might''ve expected, I did place first in every single event without fail."

    Rayazaki''s in charge of Susaga, so given that Rayazaki, this new Rayazaki, usually upholds a very polite stance, if he says that Susaga is not good and boring, then that should be the case.

    "Nevertheless, I''m starting to feel like I''m losing my time. Shouldn''t I do something better with my abilities, Kawahara?"

    "Oh? You''re already feeling bored? I didn''t know that. What? Is Susaga really that boring of a target?"

    "Yes, he is. I request a change. Let me apply my abilities to someone that is worthy of my time."

    Instead of actually complaining about the fact that Kawahara is ordering him, Rayazaki is instead, complaining about the fact that Susaga is far too boring and weak to waste time on.

    Alternatively speaking, Rayazaki just wishes for a greater opponent and with all things considered, there are other five available.

    "Then, do you have someone in mind?"

    After Kawahara posed that question, Rayazaki stopped and thought for a second. I assumed immediately that his thought process was filled with an analysis about the other five, which are: Kan, Tsudo, Ryoken, Tatsu and Sagasuga.

    "How about Sagasuga?"

    "Rejected. He''s my target. Plus, he might just be too much for you. He''s not as weak as you take him to be, Rayazaki."

    Hm? Did Kawahara notice something in Sagasuga while I was gone? Well, I''m fairly sure that it''s only normal that he did, considering that he probably stalked the living shit out of him these past days.

    "I''m not sure if I can agree with that. From my understanding, the rest is platonically boring and uninteresting, so if you are holding Sagasuga with very high expectations, then I can only assume that he is worthy of my time."

    "Don''t get cocky now. I''m not holding him with very high expectations. It''s just a fact that compared to the rest of the five, Sagasuga is undoubtedly and most likely superior. However, he''s still in the same league as them; trash."

    I can understand what Rayazaki might''ve thought when he understood that Kawahara wanted Sagasuga all for himself.

    He probably thought that Sagasuga was truly a worthy opponent, but as Kawahara said, to him, he is nothing more than superior trash.

    It''s a different story if he actually believes that.

    "But that leaves me with no one to fight against. How am I supposed to demonstrate my prowess if everyone else is just boring?"

    "Everyone else? Don''t you mean them? Or--"

    Although Kuzan attempted to intervene, he was quickly interrupted by Rayazaki.

    "I''m talking in general. I''ve been noticing something the past days. I''m just better than the majority when it comes to certain aspects. Exams, subjects, handling situations correctly, proceeding with caution, and whatnot. So, that means that if there is someone who can do all that better than I do and if I defeat that person, then I will become better. Even if this means starting out with all of you."

    "Wh---"

    Kuzan, once again, attempted to speak, but Kawahara signaled him not to with a hand gesture, as it seems that he had something to say to Rayazaki.

    However, this didn''t stop Akihiko from speaking his mind.

    "You''re not even good, why are you acting all conceited?"

    Kawahara could just stop this conversation but instead, he let loose of his smirk and leaned back on his chair as he watched the development unfold.

    "Who are you?"

    As Rayazaki genuinely asked that question to Akihiko, I almost spat out the coffee that Kuzan had prepared for all of us.

    "Oh, I get it. You think you are funny."

    "No, I''m serious. Identify yourself. I wasn''t paying enough attention previously so if I missed out on your name, then it''s my fault."

    "Then, you are already inferior. You missed an important detail of the conversation, so how can you call yourself better?"

    That''s a weird way to point out a flaw in someone''s speech, as it just reflects how petty one can be about certain things, but Rayazaki didn''t take that to heart.

    "You''re right. Paying attention to the details turned out to be crucial here. I will take that into consideration. Well pointed out."

    "You''re not supposed to praise me for that! Damn, how the hell did she fall for you..."

    "Hm?"

    Rayazaki''s surprised reaction wasn''t something that struck me as odd because this was all partially my fault.

    Akihiko has been trying to get on his mind with his glare for one simple reason; I told him about Rayazaki and how Hinagiku has a crush on him.

    That wasn''t intentional though, therefore, this is purely coincidental.

    "Interesting. Rayazaki, it seems that Akihiko here has a problem with you."

    "I see, so his name is Akihiko. Thank you, Kawahara."

    Rayazaki''s mature attitude is pissing Akihiko off so hard that he''s starting to rub the back of his head so intensively that his red hair might just fall off.

    "Akihiko, I''m sorry if I''m pronouncing your name somehow wrong, although I''m fairly certain that I am not but you mentioned a ''she''. Who are you speaking of?"

    Instead of Akihiko speaking, Kawahara took his place.

    "Hinagiku. He confessed to her a while back. Don''t you remember when we arrived late and received that hellish scolding?"

    "Ah yes, the psychological torture of repeating that embarrassing sentence out loud a hundred times. How could I forget?"

    All of us, except Akihiko, who didn''t have to go through that horrendous public shaming, reminisced the very moment of shame where we had to say that one specific sentence out loud...

    However, Akihiko went through something considerably worse. The hell chamber, in other words, the place where he had to watch feminist rants until dawn.

    How is he still mentally sane after that one?

    "Still, what does that have to do with anything? That''s up to him. Whether he is unsuccessful or not is not due to me but due to him."

    "Well, well. Aren''t you just being slightly naive here? Maybe you are the reason as to why his endeavor failed. Or am I wrong, Akihiko?"

    Unable to understand why he was supposedly the reason for Akihiko''s failed endeavor, Rayazaki placed his index finger on his thumb and started to think.

    Akihiko didn''t hesitate to speak his mind though.

    "Yeah, I learned this morning that apparently Hinagiku likes this dude. But, what the hell? They don''t even talk and he doesn''t even care for her, so why?"

    Still thinking about it, Rayazaki didn''t reply, which allowed Kawahara to proceed with his reasoning.

    "Funny story. Too funny, but that''s not the point that I want you both to perceive. Akihiko, you want to make Hinagiku yours, right?"

    Please don''t tell me that Kawahara is gonna suggest what I think he''s gonna suggest...

    That doesn''t work... Well... It depends...

    "That''s starting to sound impossible because she got a crush on this guy and this guy doesn''t do anything like just telling her in the face that he doesn''t love her! I could console her and take that chance then!"

    I love how no one immediately mentioned how morally wrong that is and that Akihiko''s instincts just told him that based on the situation, he should only make his move when Hinagiku''s self-esteem is down.

    That is smart, but immoral nonetheless, which is why I respect it.

    "Not a bad strategy. However, that''s forcing Rayazaki to do something against his will and he might not see much of a point because he benefits far too little. So, why not raise the benefits for him?"

    Interested in what Kawahara had just spoken out to Akihiko, Rayazaki couldn''t help but form a question.

    "Kawahara, what are you suggesting?"

    "Simplicity, that''s what I''m implying. Or, a competition. You said that you wanted to prove yourself, right?"

    "That''s correct. But what sort of competition? And who am I up against?"

    Pointing out at the one at question without a trace of hesitation, Akihiko received the immediate highlight yet that shouldn''t come as a surprise.

    "To put this into perspective, Rayazaki, you want a challenge, right? And Akihiko wants you to tell Hinagiku that you don''t love her. And, you won''t just do that for free, right?"

    "No, I won''t. Especially because I don''t want to talk to her."

    "Hey, watch it!"

    "Hmpf."

    Romance is really boring when individuals try too hard. It should be something way more mysterious as each person should have deeper meanings to their ideas of romance and deep driven motivations.

    Yet I see none of that when I look at Akihiko, who is only looking at Hinagiku like some prize.

    On the other hand, I''m curious about Kawahara''s case. Because I can''t actually imagine someone like him loving someone else.

    "Given the case, there is something you two could fight for. But before that, I want you two to acknowledge the rewards of winning here, to both sides. First off, Rayazaki, if you outdo an opponent that''s eager in not losing, then won''t you gain a plausible experience?"

    "It depends, doesn''t it? If my opponent is as boring and weak as Susaga, then this holds not much of a point, I daresay."

    Triggered, Akihiko started to grit his teeth yet he didn''t commit any unnecessary actions.

    In case that a fight broke out, I''m not sure what I would do. Akihiko claimed that he was amazing at fighting and I know for a fact that Rayazaki is good at fighting, so it would be an interesting match up.

    The problem is, it would ruin the whole place. And Kawahara might not stand for that.

    "You can''t just assume things like that, can you? Back to the topic though, should Akihiko be a worthy opponent, then he will prove to serve you a good experience. And without experience, you can''t evolve, right? That''s what you want. To be the best, right?"

    "I see your point."

    "Akihiko though, wants you to say to the shrimp that you don''t love her so he can use his absolutely immoral maneuver on her."

    ''Immoral maneuver'' is pretty accurate, I''ll give that one to Kawahara.

    "Wait, what part of it is immoral though?"

    Akihiko just asked the dumbest question ever, still, Kawahara didn''t show any remote hesitation in telling the honest truth.

    "You are trying to get her to feel rejected and sad and you will, therefore, attempt to take advantage of her weak mental state to have a relationship out of guilt. That''s fucked up, but I agree with your methods, which is why I won''t censure you for it."

    That''s how I feel about it too. Who cares if it''s immoral or not, you are still getting to love her.

    Again, it''s a different story regarding the genuineness of that love, but telling Akihiko that probably isn''t beneficial for Kawahara, so he didn''t bother to tell him more than that.

    "Now that I''ve answered your question, I''ll continue. You both earn a benefit that you both mutually agree on, in case you win. However, just what will the competition revolve around? It''s about the damn last day! Twenty-five events, in one day! And you two will battle it out between you two to see who comes out on top. Or, in other words, who wins the most events, will be the winner. But ---- We have to be realistic. It''s not like it will be that easy."

    "Wait, I don''t agree. It is that easy. I''ve won eighteen side events thus far. This should not be a problem. I can''t speak for him, though..."

    Goddamn, Rayazaki just went out of his way to be like that.

    Akihiko wasn''t going to take that though, as he immediately fought back.

    "Get off your high horse, you''re not winning, you arrogant bastard. You''ve been treating me like I''m some sort of weakling but you don''t stand a chance. I''ll prove it to you!"

    It''s sorta weird that as soon as he said those words, he left the hideout while running.

    I can''t tell if that was a strategical retreat or not.

    All this time, I''ve been silently watching the situation unfold along with Kuzan, who hasn''t spoken as much as I initially thought he would.

    "What about you two? How did it go?"

    Since I was fairly sure that Kuzan would speak for us, I allowed him to do just that, as he replied Kawahara with his opinion.

    "Easy! Kan and Ryoken have been successfully tracked down every time thanks to your info, master! Plus, with those answers, we nailed every single event that they were in! Though, they only attended ten events thus far."

    "I see. That''s bad then. They aren''t overextending like complete dumbasses. Which means, they are being smart about this. Or, someone else is being for them."

    Is Kawahara talking about Sagasuga?

    Despite having that thought, I posed a more appealing question.

    "Kawahara, what are you going to do about Tatsu? As far as I''m concerned, it would be nice to have Hyunda here, wouldn''t it? Because then, Hyunda could focus on Tatsu. And Akihiko should focus on Tsudo, but we are letting those two get away for free. Are you sure that''s correct?"

    Even though I''m saying this, I just would like to see Hyunda and Kawahara have a heated discussion about this and see what he has to say.

    I feel like if they clashed with their opinions that it would be worthwhile, as they both tend to demonstrate little about themselves yet the public assumes so much.

    "Daniel, there''s something you have to understand here. Although I said that the goal is to crush them all, I just used the word ''team'' back then quite figuratively, meaning that not everyone has to partake in this. For all intended purposes, the real goal is to win the bargain with that tyrant. Ultimately, it''s irrelevant if the bastard is here or not. Plus, you, Kuzan, Rayazaki, and I, are focusing on four targets. Therefore, we will achieve four collective wins and that''s enough to outscore the rest. But that would be appealing to a loser''s attitude, which is why I can see your point."

    I always forget that Kawahara takes his sweet time to get to the point.

    Relentless to further explain, Kawahara, persisted.

    "If our goal is to crush them completely, then we will have to move collectively in the last day accordingly. But, it just won''t work if they evade our movements. They can just scatter thus making our aim completely useless. In other words, our union isn''t as relevant as it seems."

    "Kawahara, are you suggesting that instead of prioritizing our union that we aim to make them less scattered and more centered to the point where they will all collapse into a single unit?"

    Rayazaki''s question probably isn''t too far off the mark. Kawahara''s suggestion might''ve just implied that our union isn''t that relevant as it seems like he said.

    Thus, the assumption that their union could be beneficial for us in the sense that we can just pick a direct fight at the whole group on the last day, isn''t too stretched out.

    "If they are aware that our plan is to target them, then it doesn''t make much sense to go for that plan. Or rather --- to follow an idea that implies that we must stop them from scattering from each other too much. If you think about it, you, Kuzan, Daniel, and ultimately, I, have demonstrated the behavior of individuals who are stalking them on purpose. That purpose is well known already. Their defeat. They know this. Why wouldn''t they? We made sure they did. Which is why, it''s time for the second act, now that all of the conditions to progress have been fulfilled."

    Is Kawahara implying that this was all intentional? I thought that this was all for the purpose of getting on their nerves.

    Well, that might be it, but as always, Kawahara is never done speaking. I feel like he could speak for all eternity if he actually wanted to and that''s somewhat frightening.

    "In order for all of them to collapse into a single unit, they can''t willingly know. They already suspect it. But we can still do something about that. Are you all curious to know what that something is?"

    We nodded in response, as we allowed Kawahara to speak about his idea of victory for this second act.

    "For now, nothing."

    ....What.

 Volume 14 - Chapter 95: Disingenuous Conundrum.

    "Wait, what do you mean by that, Kawahara?"

    Repulsed at his relaxed words, I argued back instantly.

    "What? It''s self-explanatory, but it seems that I have to explain it, don''t I? Very well. By doing nothing we are going back to where we started. Essentially speaking; it''s a reboot. Some of them have already three supply exams accumulated, so they can''t afford to fail this. Stalking them isn''t going to work anymore because they are aware and if they are aware that with our presence there, they won''t win, then they are naturally more cautious now. Which means, it''s all fruitless."

    "Uhhh, I''m sorta dumb, but master, doesn''t that mean that our actions thus far have been meaningless then? If what you said is true, then it doesn''t make much sense to stalk them in the first place..."

    Kuzan, self-aware that his opinions normally don''t transmit nor emit the most utter bright common sense, nevertheless spoke to Kawahara who was in the middle of his reasoning.

    "Kuzan, you''re not dumb. Think higher of yourself, or others will think that you are truly dumb. If you tell yourself that you are dumb, then you will start to believe that you are dumb. Is that what you want?"

    Weirdly enough, Kawahara just went out of his way to encourage Kuzan.

    "Hm, no, I don''t... Alright, I won''t do that!"

    "Good. Also, you are correct Kuzan. Except you missed out on one detail. We already made them lose in several side events and that''s already advantageous to us. Therefore, it''s not completely nonsensical. However, if your point is that our actions have been meaningless because it would lead to this endgame, then I will agree. As a matter of fact, this endgame scenario has been predictable. Yet, it''s not the endgame."

    Is it just me or does Kawahara like to exaggerate so damn much? I feel like this whole event has no substance whatsoever or at least it should not have as much importance as Kawahara makes it out to be.

    Yet for some reason, Kawahara, whenever involved, goes out of his way to make sure that the event matters to him the most.

    "So, Kawahara, in conclusion, what do you want us to understand here? I don''t think it''s a good idea to be walking around in circles for a very long time."

    Realizing that Kawahara has this bad habit of taking way too long to portray his point, Rayazaki pointed that out and indirectly told him to get to the conclusive point.

    "Given that I have things to do in a while, I''ll conclude the meeting. Here is the conclusive point. Until the last day, you are not allowed to interact with them in any way possible. Pretend like they don''t exist. You don''t need to understand the point of this action."

    "Kawahara, I don''t agree with that idea. How can you tell your subordinates something like that? We have to understand the logic behind our actions, otherwise, we are nothing more than your slaves. Be succinct, please."

    Once again, Rayazaki argued back.

    This time, expressing a hint of anger on the surface of his face.

    "Oh? You noticed it? I''ve been leaving clues and flaws in my arguments on purpose as I am expecting you, my subordinate, to point them out. I am impressed, Rayazaki. Thirty points for that one."

    I didn''t take that to heart since I''m technically not his subordinate as I don''t need to be.

    Still, he''s been doing that all this time? I never paid much attention when it came down to that because I never knew that he had been doing that...

    "But does that mean that you will explain the logic?"

    "Sure, I don''t mind. The logic is that there is no logic."

    "I don''t get it. If something doesn''t have logic to it, then it''s illogical."

    "Rayazaki, you didn''t understand. I didn''t say that it was illogical, I simply stated that it had no logic. However, does that mean that it''s illogical by default? Especially when I said that there is a degree of logic and that the logic is that there is no logic? It''s not illogical; it''s logical, however, you can''t perceive the logic, so you ultimately labelled that as illogical."

    I can''t tell if Kawahara is forcing this argument just to make sure that we don''t get what he is trying to imply with his actions or if he''s being serious right now.

    This guy can be so two-faced sometimes, even to his supposed ''subordinates''.

    "So you are saying that this logic of yours is currently unperceivable and that therefore it makes no sense to us?"

    Rayazaki is really trying to understand Kawahara''s intentions, but it doesn''t really help the fact that Kawahara sometimes quite literally refuses to explain himself and just goes extra miles to allude the audience around him.

    Relentless to explain himself without wanting to explain that much himself, Kawahara swiftly handed out a controversial reply to Rayazaki, who had been notoriously curious regarding his intentions thus far.

    "Not unperceivable but instead explicit. I am positive that if any of you attempted to process and analyze the information of this conversation alone, that you would reach a plausible conclusion. After all, I already explained the logic indirectly; so it''s up to you, Rayazaki. Or, are you going to depend on me to understand everything?"

    "No, you''re right. While I am under your affiliation, it''s despicable to be this needy. Curiosity has its own consequences, from the looks of it."

    Rayazaki, are you sure you''re not trying to turn yourself into a philosopher in this modern day of age?

    Be careful man, internet critics will haunt you for all eternity for attempting something as suggestive as that.

    I also like the fact that Rayazaki knows when to be needy but more importantly, when NOT to be needy. If only Arkalee could learn from him.

    If only.

    "I''m glad you''re eager to learn. With that said, dismissed. We will not hold another meeting until I say so. Should any of you ignore my upcoming meeting message in our group, I will clobber the individual myself!"

    By group, he meant our group chat strictly restricted to members of the hideout only.

    I''m an expectation because Kawahara, for some reason, still thinks that I''ll join him.

    That''s never gonna happen.

    Either way, in the end, Rayazaki, Kuzan and I, were on our way out but Kawahara decided to speak a few last words before all of us could leave.

    "Dan, stay. I need to talk to you privately."

    Transiently, Kuzan and Rayazaki placed their eyesight on my very figure but they nonetheless left the hideout with a simple door closure, thus leaving me and Kawahara alone in this room.

    I retook my seat before laying out my words to him.

    "What is it? You got something to say to me in specific?"

    "Yeah. Get the bastard in here. I didn''t mean to completely disregard your point earlier. It would be nice to have him here because numbers do matter and I am not arrogant to the point of overlooking that perspective."

    I see. So he''s really not that arrogant and self-absorbed to notice that numbers are better than pride alone.

    Still...

    "Why do you refuse to address Hyunda by his name? What''s the deal with you and him anyway? I recall that one time when you tried to fight him."

    If there is one thing that I never really understood when it comes to Kawahara is why he hates Hyunda.

    Like, did Hyunda do something to him that made Kawahara just flat out hate him? But, as someone who hates responsibility, I can''t see Hyunda do something like that.

    "He''s playing a game that he thinks that only he knows how to play. In other words, he acts in a way that he believes that he is unperceivable to everyone around him..."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    Slightly puzzled and amicably confused, I asked Kawahara that, given that I was additionally curious too.

    "Look, I hate to admit it, but it makes sense considering the scenario."

    "Again, what do you mean by that..."

    "Clueless, are we? No remorse, I''ll eliminate the path of doubt that which thou suffers from."

    Is he doing this on purpose? Am I being mocked here or something? A mockery in the form of wordplay?

    Or rather --- Kawahara is just trying to imply something that I can''t perceive.

    That''s what I get every time that I look at him pulling out his confident smirks as if he has something amazing to say in the upcoming second.

    "When I came here and saw my classmates, I didn''t expect much. As it stands for, having a class full of criminals seems incredibly interesting by the premise but I''ll admit of being somewhat disappointed as many of its elements just lack overall substance. However ---- Not all."

    "By that, you mean..."

    "Yes. As the premise indicated, not all individuals could simply lack so much substance. Let me put my point in a more understandable perspective. You might not know every single person in the class, but you can right off the bat speak a few names about those who you think are noteworthy --- or rather, those that stand out for their individuality, while the others just don''t. So, tell me the person who, in your opinion stands out the most in the class. To you, that is."

    Kawahara''s speaking the truth. In our class, there are several students that just don''t stand out. However, I think that he''s making a flashy judgment by assuming that the rest lack individuality.

    Unless he is truly assuming that the rest has nothing to show in comparison to those that have already demonstrated their individuality, on a measurable scale.

    The problem is that even those individuals... don''t demonstrate their individuality that clearly, almost as if intentionally.

    Coincidentally, the one that matches this train of thought is the one that I think stands out the most to me.

    "Before I answer, are you going to get offended if I say it''s not you?"

    "No, not at all. I only allow you to see what I want you to see of me, the same goes for everyone else. So, if you don''t have a very high opinion about myself, then it can''t be helped. Even if it''s wrong."

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Erm, sure... Well, I do think Hyunda stands out the most for me. But... I can''t tell why. It''s strange..."

    "See?! You do get what I am saying."

    "Wait, I do?"

    I don''t get this then. How come I got his point?

    "If you don''t know why he stands out and you still think he stands out the most to you, then you have noticed. Something that only the likes of him have that the rest don''t quite have. But, just what is that thing? Hey, when you take me into consideration and compare me to someone like Ryoken, you can just tell from the start that I am better. I have the initiative to make plans. I take the first move before he does. I use emotions as my way to create arguments and win them. I am under the control of a number of my classmates already but I by no means treat them like my slaves, as they get rewarded simultaneously. Even so, it is something far more interesting and dangerous that separates me from him. So, what is it?"

    Now that Kawahara poses the question... Just what is it about Hyunda that I find it intriguing? Is it how he supposedly has control over the situation without directly applying his power? Or is it his absence on the surface of the situation yet his permanence throughout the situation itself?

    But...

    How can someone be so indirectly involved in matters that make him seem like he has nothing to do with it yet he is secretly and most likely responsible for a lot of things?

    What is that called?

    I''ll just take a random guess...

    "The ability to be in control of the situation...? In other words, to be crafty while still not holding a very strong image to the outside. I don''t really know how to describe it..."

    It''s so weird... Even through our talks, I can''t seem to have a definitive image of Hyunda... Why is that?

    "Wrong. It''s called individualism. You could argue that everyone has this, but that''s not true. What anyone has is called individuality. Individuality and individualism are different in this scenario because they both strive from different origins. Individualism implies the ability to think extremely freely despite the occurrences around you as your thoughts aren''t bound to be chained by the mediocrities that each day has to offer to you."

    Considering that I never heard of the term ''individualism'', this was obviously news to me.

    I see, so this is what Kawahara thinks... But, even so...

    "I understand now, thanks. But, I can''t still understand. Why do you hate Hyunda if you both possess the same characteristic? You both have individualism, right? So, what gives? Why can''t you two just normally interact with each other? Actually, it''s you who has more of a problem with him than he has with you..."

    It''s totally Kawahara''s problem, but there''s also the fact that Hyunda never reached out to him in the first place.

    Does he just not have an interest in Kawahara? Actually... Kawahara does portray himself as a rude jerk, but I think Hyunda sees past that.

    However, even though I just asked a question that shouldn''t have made Kawahara angry, he showed symptoms of anger such as a raging facial expression and extremely closed fists in response to my set of questions.

    "You know, Dan, I really like to point out who is trash and why that is the case. But, I can''t do it when it comes to that fucker. Know why? Don''t answer that. Because I already answered that. I answered that he and I had the so-called characteristic called ''individualism''. And when you have this power to just undeniably feel greater and exercise power to those around you like no other, then, by all means, you should use that power. But, there lies the problem and the reason why I fucking hate that fucker. You see... he fucking refuses to use it!"

    "Wait, hold on... Maybe he''s not aware of it...?"

    "Dan, that''s a lie right there. You and I both know that''s not true. He doesn''t demonstrate this, however, but his attitude and oblivious weak demonstration of power are absolutely infuriating. I know that he''s doing it on purpose because that is what I would do if I was in his position and just wanted to lay low. I can''t stand for that. His talent is rare. Which is why I need him as my pawn as soon as possible. Regardless of this though, he refuses to come. I told Kuzan and Rayazaki to reach out to him, but they weren''t successful either."

    So, Kawahara only wants Hyunda as his pawn because he sees him as someone who shares the same affinity as him when it comes to their ''individualism''...

    "But Kawahara, haven''t you considered that you might be overthinking? What if he''s not that good? Maybe you are just being way too optimistic because you saw too much of yourself in someone else."

    "Really? Is that what you think? So you think that he is just this average guy? You probably know more than I do, considering that you spend more time with him than anyone else, so let me ask you this, do you think of him as someone who deserves the title of ''average''? Or the title of ''above-average''?"

    How the fuck does he know that I have been spending time with him? That actually sounds incredibly homo, but for the sake of maintaining the seriousness in this conversation, I won''t mention it.

    "Okay, okay, I get it. But if that''s the case, then isn''t this like you are fighting yourself?"

    "Good point. It does feel like I''m facing a mirror. Except, that''s not the case. We have different goals. I value power and possession, and he... Well, shit, we fucking know nothing about him. Hey, tell me something about him. What are his moral values?"

    Oh, that''s an easy question.

    "Considering Hyunda often agrees with my immoral methods and ideologies, I would say that he is probably immoral too. In fact, I do believe him to be a manipulator. You know how Arkalee has the hots for him, right?"

    "Obviously. You got that idea from me, remember? All me, baby!"

    "...Well, it might turn out that her affection for him might just be under his complete control. However, he''s not displaying an attitude that tells that. What do you even call that?"

    "Dan, that''s called deceiving and making your surroundings think about what you want them to think, and by doing that, they will be forced into a certain thought process without being able to think outside of the box. It''s an indirect way of applying mental restriction. Bastard''s more skillful than I originally took him to be, if you aren''t lying, that is."

    At first, I was just going to say that it would be a waste of time because deciphering Hyunda''s character seems like the equivalent of trying to get to a linear path yet only finding more avenues along the way and the deeper you try to go, you can''t get anywhere else.

    Nonetheless, Kawahara is restless about this, so I doubt that would work...

    "If he is what you think he is, Kawahara, then aren''t you, yourself, enough for this?"

    "True. I am enough. But, I''ll admit that the idea of having someone like that bastard alongside wouldn''t sound like a bad idea. It would be interesting to see how we both could differ in our opinions. But still, I fucking hate him. I hate the fact that he does so little with his power. Power is meant to be used for the sake of demonstrating to those around you how enormous you are and how insignificant others are. Now, you spoke that he agreed with your immoralities which symbolizes a resemblance and affinity with the idea of evil, correct? Then, this means that the bastard is essentially saving his power for something bigger."

    "How do you know that?"

    "Don''t tell me you are serious with that question! Don''t you know how an evil mind works? According to you, the bastard has displayed symptoms of deep adroit manipulative skills alongside a mediocre attitude that is only there to mask away from his unknown abilities yet to be seen. Which means, he is hiding them for a reason. Or rather --- he has no reason to use them yet. See, I know this because as someone who has a passion for evil, I only see myself using my abilities in situations that deem the usage of it. However, as I previously mentioned, we have differences. Although our moral code might be the same, our methodologies aren''t and that might mean that our ideologies are significantly different too. More so, his values can differ regarding how he sees this monochrome world. Ultimately --- as you might''ve guessed, we can infinitely guess, but what we know is limited. Yet, we know for sure that he is someone that would be a great addition to the team."

    My god, I feel sorry for the girl that Kawahara loves. Hypothetically speaking, should they ever get together, somehow, she would receive the longest texts in existence.

    How do you honestly talk for so long?

    I want to reflect on what you have just said but this hilarious factor prevents me from doing so. Regardless, I''ll just ask a simple question anyway.

    "So, in the end, you want me to convince him to just accept your offer?"

    "Precisely speaking, yes. I fear that might not happen because, as you said, it''s almost the same as facing myself in this situation. But he''s not the same. And I need to know what his values are, you see."

    Sincerely, Kawahara''s such a manipulative bastard. Not for a second did I actually think that this was something that would benefit me as his dialogue started to become slightly predictable.

    "Kawahara, I know what you are going to say. Bastard. I can''t actually believe you kept me here just for the sole reason of telling me to do it in your place. Man, what the fuck. Do it on your own."

    "Yo, chill. I haven''t said anything yet."

    "Oh? Then, is it any different from what I just implied? Are you not going to ask me to get him to join your parade?"

    If not, then I don''t see the point of this conversation... Or is he going to be stubborn to the point of denying this?

    "I did imply that yes. However, I could do that myself, just by approaching him. Wouldn''t that make the most sense?"

    "So why--"

    "But, I won''t do it. And here is why. I told you already why though. I fucking hate him. People that use power in the wrong way have no right to have power at all. But you don''t hate him, right?"

    I see what he''s trying to do...

    "No, I don''t."

    He really thinks of me as someone who can''t detect this level of manipulation.

    "So, you shouldn''t have a problem with approaching him, correct?"

    "Kawahara, I''m not gonna do it..."

    "What won''t you do it?"

    "Look, I''m not as dumb as you think I am. I know your aim. You want me to reach out to Hyunda and convince him. You''ve made your poi---"

    "No, that''s really not it. I said that it would be nice if he joined me, but I won''t force you to do something like that. And besides, you are an outsider. The current case is an exception, but once that''s over, it will go back to the same old situation. So, what''s my point exactly? My point is that, even though I would like that he joined me, I already knew that he was going to deny it. Hell, my whole conversation highlighted the fact that he had too much individualism. But, aren''t you curious to know what he will apply his power to? Just like me, I have a goal too. A deep one. So, why don''t you find out more about him?"

    That really doesn''t change the way I look at this topic...

    This could very well just be an indirect way of Kawahara telling me to extract information for him, which I will just go ahead and deny.

    "Not interested. You make others do your work way too much, dude."

    "True. But if I do all the work by myself, then there''s not much of a point in having pawns in the first place, as pawns are there to do your work. And while it is true that you are not my pawn, you''ll eventually be. Hey, Dan. I think it makes the most sense for you to come into terms with your fate already. I aim to form a divide. This team formation was no coincidence as, by the end of the exam, those with noticeable individualism will be shown. Therefore, what I''m trying to say is that this isn''t something you should feel like it''s against your will as it will benefit you too. Kuzan, Rayazaki, and Akihiko. Already three. It''s just a matter of time before you and the bastard join. Come on. Don''t be stubborn."

    "Pass. Your deal involves and restricts my freedom, which is something that I will have back soon. So, I really don''t need to do this."

    "That''s... weird. I can only assume that you are talking about the thot. Are you finally gonna gather the balls and tell her how it is? That''s brave and logical."

    Oh, right, Kawahara doesn''t know... Though...

    I won''t tell him about it. I can''t allow Hyunda''s plan to be leaked and he forbade me from speaking about it to anyone.

    "Maybe. Anyway, is that it?"

    "Odd reply. You are hiding something. What is it? Tell me. I''m dead curious now. You were stressed out due to the fact that the bitch was restricting your freedom but your attitude is far more composed and relaxed now. And that''s for a reason. And considering that you were reluctant about just telling her the honest truth, it means something has changed. But what though? Your behavior makes no sense. Unless, unless, I assume that you are not directly involved in this matter. I''ll give it some thought later for sure."

    "Please don''t..."

    Kawahara''s an actual psychopath! How is someone able to determine so much just out of a few words?! I didn''t even make it obvious, he just straight-up did a mini analysis in a matter of seconds!

    Ultimately though, with our conversation concluded, I took my leave and returned to the surface and therefore, decided to leave the dorm.

    On my way out, I took out my phone and attempted to contact Yulia immediately, since I did tell her that I would contact her once I was done. Plus, it''s been a somewhat long time and her insecurities could increase if I show no signals of caring for her in the slightest.

    However, as I attempted to do so, Hyunda gave me a swift call before I could call Yulia, which struck me as odd given the convenient time.

    "What the..."

    Despite my sudden reluctance, I picked up the call and Hyunda spoke out fast as if he was in a hurry. As a matter of fact, his voice tone sounded incredibly rushed and tired.

    "Oh, good, you picked up. Perfect. Listen, I know this is sudden, but I need your help."

    "That''s rare. Does it involve the plan?"

    "No, no. It''s actually not about the plan, but you''re the only one I can count on."

    As I placed my back against the lockers of our dorm, I wondered if he was being serious about whether or not I was truly the only one he could count on.

    "Hyunda, what is it? Yulia told me to give her a call, so I have to be quick."

    "That''s even better. Listen, I need you and Yulia to do something together. Feel free to add more people to this task if you think it''s beneficial."

    "Hyunda, what is this task?"

    "Oh, that''s a very simple task. Right now, I am changing my location arbitrarily for one simple reason. I am unlocking free time for myself privately for personal matters. However, as you might''ve noticed, that''s not exactly possible under normal circumstances. Which is why I have to rely on you to make my situation less difficult. You do know who is making my situation difficult, right?"

    I didn''t even need to think twice before answering back...

    "Arkalee..."

    "Yes. So, here is the deal. Please keep her busy by all means until it''s 7 pm."

    Briefly, I distanced my phone from my ear to check the hours and my eyes widened due to the severe shock immediately.

    "H-Hyunda... It''s fucking 3 pm! You want me to SOMEHOW keep Arkalee busy for 4 HOURS?! I haven''t actually searched the definition of impossible in the dictionary because I never thought that I would need to do so but if this isn''t the definition of it then I call it bullshit!"

    "Look, I''ll owe you. Big time. You got this. Trust yourself. You''ll have to find her physically because she might be too upset to pick up calls from Yulia, in the case that you tried to make Yulia call Arkalee to know her location."

    "Hyunda, that''s insane! Keeping Arkalee busy!? Dude!!!!"

    "Just talk about me, but don''t directly praise me. Talk about me when you and Yulia are with her in a way that she will not get jealous. Actually... I don''t know if that''s possible anymore... Well, anyway, gotta go. She might just find me at this rate."

    "W-Wait, you''re serious?!"

    "I sure am. Godspeed."

    Spelling out my despair, he hangs up.

    I immediately try to call him back twice, but that didn''t work.

    Anxiously placing my right palm on my face, I sighed deeply before calling Yulia.

    "How the hell am I supposed to contain that creature busy for four hours straight..."

 Volume 14 - Chapter 96: Addiction.

    Right after Hyunda gave me that specific call and subsequently feeling the transient despair of witnessing my two attempts of calls not connecting to Hyunda, I called Yulia, who immediately picked up."

    "Um, hi."

    "Hi. I''m done. And I want to meet up with you as soon as possible. Is that fine?"

    "Oh wow, that''s surprising..."

    "Is it? I just want to see my girlfriend but if you are busy then we can meet up another time."

    "No, no! I''m not busy, at all! Let''s meet up! Do you have a place in mind?"

    I already knew that Yulia wouldn''t refuse that, but the bigger problem lies in finding Arkalee.

    Damn it, Hyunda. You didn''t exactly explain the situation with much detail either... How am I supposed to find Arkalee? You said physically too, right?

    "Actually --- Scratch that. We need to do something first, Yulia."

    "We do?"

    "Yes. We have to find Arkalee and speak to her about something."

    I wasn''t very specific about this since I want to see Yulia''s reaction to this nonsensical proposal first.

    Will she be fine with it or will she immediately deny my offer?

    "Oh... Well, I''m... fine with that. Yeah. I wanted to talk to you about something. So, can we meet up first and then proceed to search for her?"

    What?

    Why is Yulia fine with this? Actually, that''s not something I should complain about.

    "Sure. The usual cafeteria?"

    "Oki! See ya, love!"

    "Yeah, see ya there, love....."

    Holy awkward. How do people do this? I could barely spell that. What the fuck? Why is it so damn awkward...

    So strange...

    Cafeteria.

    We both arrived coincidentally at the same time and sat down on one of the tables and immediately started a conversation. Noticeably, I went first.

    "Sorry for taking so long. Kawahara really drags on and on..."

    This is true. No debate here.

    And seeing the way Yulia would react to this would only further confirm it.

    "Ugh, I knew it was him...! So despicable, that vile trash. Kawahara and Hyunda are top tier trash cans."

    "I see that your hatred for both hasn''t calmed down, Yulia."

    "Well, it''s just not happening. They are the biggest pieces of crap in all existence, so yeah."

    Putting her complaints aside, I suppose it''s time I get to the topic.

    After I sipped my coffee that I had ordered, I briefly talked to Yulia about what I initially wanted to first address.

    "Hey, do you want to meet up with Arkalee?"

    "Ahhh!! Ah! About that! You see, I wanted to mention something but I forgot on my way here! Weird question but have you ever saw ''How I Met Your Mother''?"

    It really is a weird question, but more so, an unpredictable one because I never thought that I would hear that question coming from Yulia.

    "Yes, I have. After all, it''s still better than watching a way past its prime comedy show that used to have fairly interesting yellow characters..."

    What a shame.

    I once loved that show.

    But now it''s just too bad to be called a show.

    "Oh, great! You''ve watched it! Sooo, I''ve been thinking, and do you remember that the show had a common gag called ''Intervention''?"

    "Yeah."

    "What do you think about the idea of using it in reality?"

    "What do you mean, Yulia? Are you implying that you want to use it on someone? Does someone need an intervention?"

    "Yes! Yes, that''s it! And the person I have in mind is no other than Arkalee! We will hold an intervention for her, you, and me!"

    I think I see where Yulia is going with this.

    "For what purpose exactly?"

    "Er, it''s really simple... I want to use every possible argument that will make her stay away from Hyunda. She''s obsessed with him on an unhealthy level... And here is the worst part... You know how they supposedly had a talk and Hyunda apologized for how rudely he has been treating her!?"

    I didn''t know about this yet nonetheless, I firmly nodded as I allowed Yulia to proceed with her angry rant.

    "But, I don''t buy it! She''s, so, so obsessed with him that I bet he went out of his way to lie to her about it and I also think that he made her tell that lie on purpose to fool me! However, however... This is a good chance, hehehe."

    Suddenly, Yulia started to laugh in a very mischievous way while attempting to hide her face with all of her palms...

    "A good chance for what exactly...?"

    "Oh. Duh, we are going to make her aware of just how trash Hyunda is. And for that, I need your help!"

    What does Yulia have against Hyunda exactly... She never went into full depth about it.

    "I see. So, what''s the plan here?"

    "Okay, okay. I need you to help me in bringing down her illusion that Hyunda is like her lifeline!"

    Yulia''s speaking words that I can''t fully process because we are talking about Arkalee. Arkalee, the person who broke into our dorm because she couldn''t stand being away from Hyunda.

    The person who I am a thousand percent sure sent those filthy simps after me just because I am that troublesome for her, even though I actually shouldn''t be.

    Yeah, that''s right. I do want to meet Arkalee and have a nice talk with the bitch. Fucking bitch thinks she can just send those limp-dick simps after me and get away with that shit.

    "So the aim is to break her illusion. I understand. However, isn''t Arkalee like way too absorbed...? It''s getting creepy at this point."

    "I know right!? You know what, I''m gonna give her a call so we can meet up with her!"

    As Hyunda suggested, or rather, implied, if I did make the suggestion to Yulia for her to call Arkalee, then the case would be...

    "That''s weird. She''s not picking up."

    "Yulia, we should search for her. Physically. Do you know how to reach out to her if we can''t contact her?"

    It would seriously help if Hyunda just told me where he is because then, I would be able to determine where she might be because her whereabouts can coincidentally be the same as Hyunda.

    Jesus Christ, obsessed girls are fucking scary. How does Hyunda maintain his posture knowing that he maintains the very culmination of obsession along his side?

    Respect though.

    "Arkalee could only be around the school perimeter, so... That''s kinda hard... If---"

    "Wait, wait."

    I just realized something.

    And upon realizing that certain specific thing, I immediately took ahold of my phone and started to make a call.

    "Wh-What is it?"

    "Just wait, I think I know where Arkalee might be. Well, maybe I will know..."

    "...What?"

    As I issued my call to him, it became crystal clear to me that I didn''t know where Ryoken would be yet all this time, in order to progressively stalk him, a certain individual would always know his location.

    His methods remain unknown yet they have been on point far too much, thus it would be a no brainer to rely on him at this point.

    At last, after a great ten seconds, he picked up.

    "Ho? What is it? Changed your mind about my proposal?"

    For obvious reasons, I won''t mention Kawahara''s name, otherwise, Yulia will go on a rampage and snatch my phone away like last time.

    "...No. You can do anything, right?"

    Yulia looked pretty perplexed at my words, as she probably wondered who I was speaking to over the phone.

    "Virtually speaking, yes. I even talked to ghosts once. They are not that spooky, they are pretty chill in fact."

    "Okay, great to know. So, since you can do anything, you can like, for example, let''s say, tell me where Arkalee is right now?"

    "Sure, I can do that."

    My mind almost instantly questioned how Kawahara was actually able to do something like this. Like, how?

    Just how is he spying on every single one of these people?! That doesn''t make any sense.

    "Dan, I must say, I thought of you as someone more independent. Yet now here you are making this request. What happened in these split 10 minutes?"

    Considering how Kawahara is able to deduct so much just based on a few words alone, I dare not say a single thing about this.

    "Look, you know where she is, right? Could you tell me?"

    "And why do you need to know her location?"

    I hate the fact that he''s not flat out denying me but instead, he''s attempting to exploit my reasons to he can conduct a particular analysis on my behavior.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Every damn time I speak to Kawahara I feel like I''m being analyzed. What is this!?

    "Reasons."

    "Reasons? So it''s more than one reason? Or did you just say ''reasons'' without thinking? Which is it?"

    "Look, man, do you know or not?"

    "This is so odd of you. You should know that you are in no position to negotiate yet here you are like a drunk gambler attempting to extract information out of me."

    "Yeah, well, you technically are too..."

    Although I know that Kawahara is probably the type of person who knows a little bit too much out of everything, he is making this hard as he attempts to exploit every single thing by dictating the flow of the conversation.

    Meanwhile, Yulia keeps on looking in my direction with extreme skepticism in her face.

    I should end this conversation soon then.

    "Dan, is that your best bargain? You know that I don''t mind giving you her location. I can give you her location in less than five minutes. However, you are not making this worthwhile. The strangest part is; I''m willing to just tell you her location if you tell me WHY you are doing this. Just a few words, that''s all."

    Honestly, I have thought about just lying to Kawahara and tell him a random reason but my intuition tells me that unless I tell him the truth, he will not budge.

    However, I won''t tell him the truth nor will I force a lie.

    "What? Are you that incapable?"

    "What did you just say?"

    As expected, upon hearing my taunt, Kawahara''s voice tone began to gradually shape itself into a far angrier and sterner tone.

    "Nothing, really. I just thought that since you said you could do anything that you could reach reasonable reasoning by yourself without my help. But, it appears that I thought wrong."

    "No, that''s not the case, Dan. It''s just easier to have clues to work around the case. I don''t actually need you to tell me. But, as it stands, it''s a trade. And without a trade, a deal can''t happen. Under normal circumstances."

    Meanwhile, as this conversation was going down, Yulia couldn''t help herself and finally, spoke awkwardly.

    ".....Um, who are you talking to...? The conversation seems really interesting..."

    If I told Yulia who I was speaking to, there is no way in hell that she would maintain that eager cute curious face of hers right now.

    Nevertheless, I opted to ignore her and continued.

    "Normal circumstances?"

    "Yes, Dan. I''m not a demon when it comes to these cases. If you don''t want to tell me then that''s fine. I don''t mind telling you about her location. However, you should know something."

    "And that is?"

    "By telling me the reason, I would simply connect all the clues and form all possible analyses and create reasonings to ultimately decipher the truth yet by not telling me, I will make sure that I will get to know the reason as to why you are doing this. What you are hiding; I will know. That''s the price you will pay for not telling me the truth. Even so, what do you say? Keep your stubbornness up or be reasonable and give me the piece of information that I want? Your move; your choice."

    ...Wait.

    Even if I don''t tell him then he will just conduct himself harder in this, apparently, but, won''t he just do that anyway?

    Isn''t this like a paradox? No matter what choice I take here, Kawahara will investigate the background of my actions regardless.

    ...

    "You just went silent. You must''ve realized then. Negotiating with me is virtually impossible as I am at the top of psychological arguments. It was a dumb game from you, Dan. Wait 5 minutes, I''ll text you her whereabouts by then. Good game."

    Leaving those sour confident words behind, Kawahara ended the call.

    ....

    Good game? Really bruh.

    "Umm..."

    It took me a brief second to come back to reality as I noticed Yulia almost at the brick of my face looking at me in the middle of the daze with eyes of undying curiosity.

    "Sorry, that took me a while. In five minutes, we can start moving though."

    Swiftly creating distance, Yulia retreated her posture back and spoke in return.

    "Can I ask who you were speaking to? I''m dying to know."

    Are you though?

    Let''s see if you really are.

    "Kawahara."

    "Ugh, what!? Kawahara, out of all people?! How can you even talk to him that composed?! Are you immune to his stupidity?!"

    After that conversation, I wouldn''t go anywhere as far as labeling Kawahara as stupid. Instead, I just strictly keep on believing that he makes those around him feel more and more stupid than they realize.

    Myself included, apparently.

    "Huh? But waaaaaaaiiiittt, are you HONESTLY telling me that the person who knows about Arkalee''s whereabouts is no other than Kawahara?! Explain that, please..."

    "Um, I don''t actually know how he does that. But, if you are willing to believe me, he is most likely right. There is little to no point in doubting him."

    "Okay... Well, we will find out sooner or later, but... What the hell... What sort of psychopath is he?! Does he keep a track of everyone''s locations!? Myself included?! Yours too!? Oh god, are we being spied on?! Is our privacy being stripped away from us?!"

    She''s freaking out way too much. Where''s the chill pill when you need it.

    Jokes aside, I had to calm her down.

    "Yulia, relax. I can understand your worries, but he''s really not that much of a psychopath. Well... I don''t really know about that..."

    I''ve been focusing my thoughts about Hyunda''s character, but then there is Kawahara, who also transmits a dangerous vibe to him.

    The only difference is that Kawahara lets everyone around him know what he is capable of while still being able to demonstrate even further his abilities throughout any argument. Hyunda, on the other hand, does the exact opposite.

    He lets the audience believe that he is capable of nothing. In other words, I''m an exception here because I know that he is capable of. I just don''t know how much exactly.

    "See?! See!? This is why you shouldn''t trust guys like Hyunda and Kawahara! They are so freaking scary! You have no clue what they are thinking about... But, but... Let''s not give them too much credit..."

    "Well, if you say so. Anyway, there is an idea that has occurred to me while this talk was mildly happening. Are you interested in hearing it?"

    "Sure! What is it about?!"

    "It''s about Arkalee. So, I think that telling Arkalee that Hyunda is the wrong person will not work. It hasn''t worked previously to you, right?"

    "Yes..."

    Words alone don''t work in these specific scenarios. There is a need for greater intervention.

    "So, how about we not rely on the strategy of attempting to let her go of Hyunda and instead introduce her to someone who ACTUALLY loves her?"

    "Oh! I see, I see! Daniel, that''s a really good idea! But, um, who do you have in mind?"

    "Funny you ask..."

    Since Yulia was curious enough to know about my idea, I quickly switched places and went to her side, instead of being front to front to her.

    Then, I additionally, by placing my two hands on her shoulders, redirected her vision to the public water fountain that lied outside of the cafeteria, and thus, Yulia could look upon the student, who relentlessly drank water without stopping.

    "See Tatsu over there? I''m pretty positive that he likes Arkalee. They have even been together as a pair throughout the whole year, until the last exam, that is. Are our chances grim of betting on him?"

    "Hmm... I think it''s worth the shot. But, how are we going to convince him?"

    "Leave that to me. Also, let''s go and talk to him. I received a message from Kawahara and her location is now know."

    Thus, we left the cafeteria and although Tatsu was already on his way out of the public water fountain, I performed a quick shout of his name, which he recognized immediately, as he turned around and looked at me and Yulia.

    "What do you want?"

    This is not how you greet someone, but Tatsu, with skepticism and doubt all over his face, greeted me personally and not Yulia, assumably.

    Onwards though, I started to develop the lie.

    "Oh, hey, Tatsu. Man, you gonna greet me like that? Cold as hell."

    "If you have nothing to say, then I will ignore you."

    "No, I do have something to say. It''s about Arkalee."

    "...What? Did something happen to her?"

    Oh, you fucking simp. Your queen is mentioned and your mind suddenly goes into this caring mindset. Pathetic.

    But, regardless of having these spiteful thoughts, I''ll conduct myself nicely, as it''s essential that Tatsu gets ahold of the picture that I want him to have.

    "Yeah, unfortunately, she''s going through depression. She just broke up with Hyunda."

    "They were in a relationship.....?"

    Suddenly, I almost unconsciously pulled out a hysterical laugh unknowingly yet my will was strong enough to not let loose of it just like that.

    In other words, given that this is too funny for me, I need to end this quickly before I accidentally decide to roll on the floor and laugh at this simp''s attitude. It''s so fucking hilarious how he just went from being stone-cold to this caring guy in a matter of seconds.

    Peak comedy.

    "Yeah, they were. Also --- I was wrong about something. It wasn''t Arkalee that broke up with Hyunda. Hyunda broke up with her. The guy is just awful. Isn''t that right, Yulia?"

    "Yup! Hyunda''s terrible and he treated Arkalee badly! She deserved better..."

    While I''m glad Yulia gave me the necessary back-up, unlike me, she definitely wasn''t pulling out a lie, but rather, pulling out the punches against Hyunda.

    "Where is Arkalee?"

    "So you want to meet her, Tatsu?"

    I mean, you just asked that question clearly. I do understand that I''m being Captain Obvious right now, but I just need to make sure that the simp has made up his mind.

    Quick, your princess is suffering from depression and without your absolutely necessary presence, she might just fade into oblivion due to her dark obscure thoughts of sadness!

    "Yes. I need to talk to her. So, answer me this. Where is she?"

    "Simmer down, man. We are going to meet her. Come along. She''s not far."

    "Thanks, Daniel. I appreciate it. You did a great job of telling me this valuable information."

    Oh no.

    Don''t actually treat me with respect. Not when I literally just lied to you.

    Otherwise, I''ll actually lose it.

    In the end, as we three went to the supposed location, Yulia leaned on my left ear and whispered something to me.

    "I was going to say that lying is something that you shouldn''t do, but it worked out pretty well! Tatsu actually cares for Arkalee, unlike Hyunda, so I''m super duper excited to see how this is going to play out!"

    Yulia''s excitement is something that I just can''t comprehend myself.

    No, don''t get me wrong. I can actually comprehend why she''s feeling the way that she''s feeling but from my perspective, this is all meaningless and fruitless.

    If Arkalee actually manages to stay under my sight until 7 pm successfully, then I will throw a party at myself for achieving such an impossible inhumane task in the first place.

    Not wanting to feel like I didn''t care for what she had just said, I whispered something back as well.

    "See, this is what I was aiming for. If Tatsu demonstrates a more caring attitude towards Arkalee than Hyunda, then I''m sure that Arkalee will feel loved."

    No, I strongly doubt this. I don''t know what Hyunda did to her, but I just have this sensation that everything that I am doing when it comes to trying to warp Arkalee away from Hyunda will just grandly fail.

    However, I am doing this to supposedly stall for time and drag Arkalee on and on until Hyunda is finished with his business.

    Speaking of which, I wonder what he is doing right now...

    "Um, Tatsu, you know, Arkalee might still not be over Hyunda, so you should really, really insist a lot with her! Her fragile feelings do deserve to be rewarded!"

    Yulia''s making a huge deal out of Arkalee''s feelings and while I do agree that they are indeed fragile, this importance that she gives Arkalee is pretty flattering.

    "I got it... By the way, do any of you know the details? Since... when have they been in a relationship...?"

    "...."

    Yulia and I didn''t answer back because we didn''t actually know the details of his questions.

    Nevertheless, Tatsu, submerging into a swift depression and feeling helpless over the lie that I told him, quickly griefed about the thought of already having his crush taken away from him.

    He couldn''t lie about his intentions, as he kept on looking down within each step.

    As for the location itself, we had finally arrived at it.

    At the top of the mall, stood a viewpoint that had a supreme standpoint that served the purpose of being able to gaze upon the whole school''s body from here.

    That''s right, as we speak, this is the ultimate north position of the school and from here, or rather, through the fixated binoculars, nothing is unperceivable to you, as long as you use them.

    And certainly, a certain girl was using them quite furiously as she couldn''t stop muttering to herself the same three words over and over.

    "Where is he, where is he, where is he, where is he, where is he, where is he, where is he..."

    By all means, this was not a clear demonstration of depression. That itself was clear to anyone who would come here and just witnessed Arkalee ramble on and on about Hyunda''s whereabouts while obsessively attempting to track down his location by using all the available binoculars and telescopes.

    Additionally, she was also trying to reach out to him by calling him through her phone and texting him yet to no success.

    Hyunda. How the hell do you expect me to keep a monster like this busy?

    "Arkalee..."

    Reluctantly, Yulia was the first one to approach Arkalee, who was not even aware that we were actually here, most likely.

    Following Yulia''s movements, I subsequently stepped up as well, along with Tatsu, who looked in anguish from the look on his face.

    Approaching the viewpoint''s edge, Arkalee finally noticed all three of us.

    "Oh... Oh.... Oh. You guys are here. Okay. I need your help. Could you please help me? It''s really, really urgent, but like, really urgent. I''m really losing my mind here so like, um, help me out, okay?"

    Arkalee tried her best to perform a smile and even going as far as spinning around while clasping her hands with a happy attitude, but to me, and from the way that she spoke, she looked exactly like a drug addict that hadn''t gotten a taste of her medicine in a very long time.

    "Arkalee, what''s wrong?"

    Worried, Tatsu asked Arkalee that question with brim confidence, as his previous anguish was completely gone now.

    "Tatsu... You are here!! You''re here! Perfect, perfect! I need you!"

    "Oh... You... do?"

    And now, she firmly grasped Tatsu''s hands with her own hands and adjoined them, just to play with his emotions.

    "Yes! Yes, I do! Can you do me a favor?! It''s really, really important! Ah, but I already said that, so you SHOULD already know that, hahahahaha!!"

    My god, what am I watching?

    Yulia''s worried expression is by far the most logical thing here right now. As for me, this is oddly fun, so I''ll keep my silence for now.

    ".....What?"

    "Um, so here is the deal. It''s really simple. Simplicity. It''s not difficult. I just need you to find a certain person for me. Now, here is something that you need to know. This person is incredibly smart and considering how persistent I am and how observant I am, the very fact that I am not able to track him down despite all my work should honestly just go to show to the world how brilliant he is! Which is why, um, find Hyunda, for me. Okay, thanks. Get going now! Bye-bye!"

    With that whole speech just now, I could tell immediately that Arkalee isn''t trying to hide away the fact that she''s been unsuccessful in finding where Hyunda is.

    The biggest question is, how exactly did you even get away from her in the first place? Considering Arkalee''s leech-like behavior, it should be humanly impossible to get her off you yet you somehow did it you clever bastard.

    More importantly, though, Tatsu was about to deliver his answer to Arkalee, after having a long session of thinking to himself about whether or not he should obey his queen''s decree.

    "....I''m not doing it..."

    "Hm? Why? What''s wrong, Tatsu? Why won''t you do me just this one favor? Did I do something bad? What''s wrong, please tell me!"

    "Arkalee, you are not alright..."

    Yeah, Tatsu, I think that out of the four of us, the only one who isn''t aware of that is Arkalee herself.

    "No. What? What are you talking about? I am perfectly fine. I am just having a little trouble. Which is why I need your help."

    "Arkalee, you haven''t been yourself lately. Ever since you have gotten around with that bastard, you have lost your kindness and... sincerely, I don''t like it."

    Oh?

    Wait, could it be...? Is the simp revolting!? They have free will!?

    "Okay. Sure. Fine. Yulia, can you look for Hyunda? Actually, it''s better if I just ask if any of you has seen him because I sure hell haven''t! So, have y---"

    "Arkalee, face the damn situation already! He doesn''t love you back! Stop acting like such a little bitch!"

    And Tatsu snapped.

 Volume 14 - Chapter 97: Puzzle.

    "W-Wait, Tatsu?!"

    Unable to choose whether she should panic or not, Yulia desperately tried to stop Tatsu from saying even more aggressive words, however, that was ultimately useless, as Tatsu just kept going.

    "Look, I might not understand the full situation but this is just sad to watch. What? Are you that in love with him that you can''t take a simple look at the mirror and see for yourself the sad person that you have become? Despicable."

    Oh my god. I''m fucking losing it. Tatsu just called out to Arkalee like that. I''m so anxious to know what her reply will be.

    "Oh. So you don''t want to be useful. You''re useless then. I have no need for you anymore, Tatsu."

    "Call me whatever you want, I won''t back down. We need to have a talk, Arkalee. And it''s not just me... You can ask Yulia and Daniel too and I am sure that they will answer the same thing."

    For very different reasons, I will answer positively. Yulia and Tatsu, on the other hand, have genuine reasons here.

    "Yes, Arkalee. As you can see, I and Yulia do share the same sentiment regarding this. You just haven''t been yourself lately. And certainly, you develop a very leech-like behavior whenever you are around him."

    "Leech-like?"

    "Leech-like."

    Yulia might have not understood what I just said, but I nevertheless still didn''t bother to explain it to her because it''s damn self-explanatory. Just like a parasite bonds to its host, Arkalee displays the same exact symptoms.

    Speaking of Arkalee, I thought that she would argue back immediately, but she''s not getting paranoid and neurotic.

    Instead, she''s now looking plainly calm with a wide smile on her face.

    What?

    "Oh. If everyone says so, then it must be so. I''m a big dummy, hahaha. Okay, let''s talk!"

    What the hell happened in her mind in these five seconds? Something literally changed her thoughts and the one who noticed this to be the weirdest thing ever was no other than someone who had already supposedly experienced this situation.

    "Arkalee, your behavior makes no sense... You were eager and defensive a while ago but now you are just accepting this?! Something''s wrong here! Did he tell you to trick us?!"

    If so, then this is really bad acting from Arkalee. Changing your behavior in just a matter of split seconds implies that you have something to hide.

    That''s what I have learned from engaging in conversations with Kawahara thus far.

    "Um, no. I still love him and always will. Ah, yes. I''ve been hiding that for quite a while, but my aim was just to show you that no matter how much you attempt to reason with me, it won''t work. Know why? Because I''m in full control of my feelings, unlike you."

    Arkalee, you really didn''t have to say those last two words, did you...

    "That''s not true, but that''s not the point here, Arkalee. My point is that despite the way you feel, being rewarded for your feelings is very important and you aren''t being rewarded, at all. Thus, I want to fix that."

    "Wow, wow, wow, such novelty! Um, so?"

    Overly emotional people have a fascinating sense of sarcasm apparently. The more you know.

    Once you get on their nerves with ideologies that they don''t approve, they just start lashing at you with the crudest verbal words that could come out of their mouths.

    "...So? Don''t you want to be rewarded...? Are you implying that you are fine with not being rewarded?"

    "Ah, no, definitely not. I do agree with you on that, Yulia. But what I can''t stand is how every single one of you is misunderstanding the actual situation. You see; this is a test!"

    "A test...?"

    Yulia is as confused as Tatsu and I are. We are trying to understand Arkalee''s thought process but thus far, we have gone to the assumption that this was all an act to the current state where Arkalee is claiming that this is a test.

    "Yes, a test! You see, the one I really love is extremely clever and adroit and he leaves very explicit messages in his actions!"

    I do agree with Arkalee here but not in the same fucking context.

    "Arkalee, that is nonsense... He just doesn''t want to be with you. Isn''t the fact that you are madly searching for him a representation that he despises your very presence?"

    That was low-key savage. I felt like praising Yulia for being so unknowingly ruthless to Arkalee.

    "No, not true, Yulia. I am positive it''s very much the opposite and here is why. Hyunda told me that if I found him before 7 pm that I would pass the test!"

    Wait, wait, wait.

    "Hold on a second, Arkalee. Are you absolutely certain that that was what Hyunda told you? You aren''t tricking us, are you?"

    Although my intention wasn''t to intervene in this conversation until I absolutely had to, I had to do so, because this doesn''t make much sense to me.

    "No, I''m really, really serious right now."

    "Okay, that''s very weird then. How the hell did you lose sight of him?"

    This is what I want to know. But also, if Hyunda told me to keep her busy until 7 pm then why the hell did he say something like that to Arkalee? And also, how the hell did Arkalee lose sight of him?

    None of this adds up.

    "Funny you ask! I did commit a very stupid mistake on my behave! I allowed him to go to the bathroom and out of delicacy I allowed my stupidity to take over! Did I wait for like... two minutes? Probably less. And he didn''t show up. I freaked out, obviously."

    What...

    "After that, I went in and found a small paper note on the sink... As you can see here, it''s true!"

    To make things more credible, Arkalee pulled out a small paper note from her skirt''s pocket and showed us a small note written by Hyunda. Yes, I identified that writing style immediately, as it had a very polite mannerism to it.

    "It says that I have until 7 pm to find him! But, really, really, I won''t commit the same mistake again..."

    About that...

    "Arkalee, you should realize something already. It''s fucking forbidden for a girl to do things like invading a boy''s bathroom and even going as far as invading our dorm! There''s a limit, damn it!"

    Since Tatsu hasn''t said anything about this, I was left with no choice but to spill out my angry thoughts about Arkalee''s actions thus far.

    She''s such a fucking lunatic. Who the hell invades a boy''s bathroom just because your crush has been there for like two minutes!? I thought there was a limit to being paranoid and insecure but clearly not.

    "Daniel, I have never invaded your dorm. It''s against the rules."

    "Yeah, sure. And the grass is black. Except not, you compulsive liar! There is an obvious line that you can''t cross."

    "I don''t know what you are talking about. But, in the end, as I was saying, he has gone missing. And it''s been like half an hour since then. I''m slowly going insane. Which is why I have to search for him. So, if you are not here to help me, then I will politely ask you three to stop bothering me."

    This is bad...

    Arkalee made a pretty solid point. She''s here in order to scout Hyunda''s whereabouts through the binoculars and the telescopes, but since she has achieved nothing thus far, she will just retreat and keep on looking for him.

    Which means that she will be out of my sight.

    With that in mind, I had to do something that brought controversy to both Tatsu and Yulia.

    "Wait, Arkalee. How about we help you?"

    "What?" x2.

    Okay, there is really no need to act like that guys...

    Not even Arkalee immediately replied as she began to think about this for a second.

    "So you are willing to help then? Why didn''t you say so from the start, Daniel?"

    "Well, I was just waiting for the talk to be over so I co---"

    "Wait a second, Daniel. We are not doing this! Remember our goal?!"

    Yeah, Yulia, I really do.

    The thing is, Arkalee won''t actually lose her time here and she looks ready to leave. However, I have bigger priorities.

    Henceforth, it''s time to lie.

    "I do remember our goal. However, this is Hyunda we are talking about. I do agree with what Arkalee has said about him. He''s really clever and cunning, which should imply that we are not going to find him easily."

    "We..........?"

    "Yes, Yulia. We. For our goal to work, we should have Hyunda here, no?"

    However, saying this only will only leave Yulia with confusion. Thus, I leaned on her left ear and said some additional words to her.

    "We can''t convince Arkalee to understand the full picture without Hyunda here. If you want Arkalee to see your point, then you have to make her realize that Hyunda''s at fault. Got it?"

    "I see..."

    "Hey, what are you two talking about? Tell me. I want to know now!"

    Impatiently, Arkalee lashed out at us without a second thought. Probably, in her mind, just the thought of using Hyunda''s name must''ve sounded like a worldwide offense.

    "Look, Arkalee, you can''t deny that having three more people on the case is beneficial, right? You can think all you want about your stalking skills and how good they are, but you do acknowledge that Hyunda is just a little bit way too hard to find, right?"

    "Of course. He is Hyunda!"

    If I had any sense of tact, I would care about the fact that Tatsu''s heart is getting decimated to infinite pieces right now, but I''m not gonna let that stupid triviality stop me.

    "Right... It''s a good thing that we have reached a consensus here. You want to pass this ''test''... right?"

    "Very much, yes. My life might just depend on it."

    "You are such a drama qu--- Erm, I mean, so, I was thinking... We could do a nice deal. It would go like this. If we do help you find Hyunda, then you will have to listen to reason. In other words, you will have to stop being obnoxious and obstinate, and let us help you. If you agree to those conditions, then we will help you."

    Now, I am aware of one thing. Arkalee, won''t actually listen to reason. I am positive about this.

    Yet, that wasn''t the main point. At all. These words are appealing to both sides here. Arkalee actually wants our help and Tatsu and Yulia seek to help Arkalee see just how bad of an influence Hyunda is.

    Thus, it''s beneficial to both parties here.

    "Okay. Sure, I can agree with that. However, just how exactly are you all going to be of any help? I was going to suggest for you three to scout the school grounds even further and then contact me once you see Hyunda, but if you have any bright ideas, then I am down to listen to them. I do have to get this over quickly or else I''ll actually lose it. And you won''t like it when I lose IT."

    Arkalee, we get it, you need medical assistance. Stop creeping everyone out, for crying out loud.

    And speaking of bright ideas, it''s not exactly a bright one, but...

    "Give me a second, will you?"

    "Be quick... I''m losing time..."

    Ignoring Arkalee''s impatience, I started dealing out a call to the same person I talked to just a few minutes ago.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    However, given that I was starting to feel the need to lay down, I took a seat on the bench that was on the edge of the viewpoint, and subsequently, Yulia joined me as well.

    My call was intercepted within the range of seven seconds.

    "I fucking swear, if it''s something dumb, then I will hang up. I did tell you that I had things to do, right? I was not just saying that to sound cool."

    "Wait, hear me out, Kawahara."

    Maybe it wasn''t the brightest of all moves to say his name out loud, as it brought sudden controversy to Yulia and the rest included.

    "I think this is something that might interest you..."

    "Ho? This better be worth it. I want it to be as interesting as a breaking news story that would make a man want to know what it is about while that man''s in the middle of masturbating!"

    ....

    "...Are you---"

    "No, god no! Well, you''re lucky that that''s actually not the case."

    So Kawahara would just casually pick a call while in the middle of masturbating? Well --- this thought aside, Arkalee has immense impatience written all over her face, so I ought to hurry up.

    "...Remember how we had that talk about Hyunda...?"

    "You what?! You and Kawahara were talking about him?! What gives you the right?!"

    "Wait, Arkalee, it''s really not what you think it is!"

    "Oh, piss off, Yulia! I will not allow your boyfriend to talk behind mine in front of me!"

    "But, Arkalee, Hyunda''s not your boyfriend, right...?"

    "Shut up, Tatsu! I was speaking in a timeline way ahead of the current one! All times matter!"

    .................

    My god, why are they all so dramatic?

    "Dan, my drama senses are tingling. Something tells me that you are around two obnoxious thots and an unbearable simp. Am I quite on point?"

    "Yes, you are."

    "As expected. But, yes, I do remember about the talk we had about the bastard. What of it?"

    "Well, you see, it appears that he went missing. Even Arkalee can''t find him. And so, I was wondering if you knew his location..."

    I hate to admit it, but Kawahara was on point about Ryoken''s location all the time and he nailed Arkalee''s location as well, and even though I have no idea how he does this, I am positive that he can find out about Hyunda''s location.

    "Dan, you better give me a plausible reason for this. I am currently busy. Are you telling me to drop what I am currently doing just to go out of my way to track the bastard''s location?"

    "Well, yes."

    "Reason. Give me."

    ...

    "...There''s really no particular reason."

    "That''s just not true. There is always a reason for an action. It''s entirely impossible to perform an action based on logic without reason. Unless you are implying that your action just now is utterly illogical. If that''s the case, then I might as well just fucking hang up because you''re being boring as shit right now."

    "Wait, there''s a reason. You''re right. However, my surroundings don''t allow me the option to give you the primal reason."

    This isn''t exactly true, as Yulia, Tatsu, and Arkalee have inside their minds, their supposed thoughts about as to why I''m making this call to Kawahara. They can''t be allowed to understand the real reason, henceforth I can''t tell it out loud.

    Would Kawahara really buy a lie or just go out of his way to help me again just because I told him ''Hey, Arkalee needs to learn about Hyunda''s location to fix her emotional tide of sentiments.''? Hell no.

    Which is why...

    "However... There''s another reason, you might say."

    "Such as?"

    "I''ve been wondering, but, can you do this?"

    "Dan, what the fuck are you talking about? I demand an explanation."

    "Alright, alright. I don''t think you can find Hyunda''s location."

    Let''s see how he reacts to the sudden news...

    "Nonsense. I''ve been able to successfully track down Ryoken''s location and Arkalee''s location, which is probably where you are at, along with many others. And now you mean to tell me that I can''t do something like that? What''s your reasoning for that?"

    As expected, he didn''t take it too well. But, for better or worse, he''s willing to listen to what I have to say.

    "My reasoning lies in our previous conversation. Do you remember our previous conversation?"

    Honestly, I can''t mention the conversation''s details, otherwise, these drama queens will go nuts, even though they have no fucking conceivable reason to act that way.

    "You''re definitely surrounded by them. It''s not a possibility anymore, but a certainty. Which means you can''t mention the details. But, yes, I do remember. Are you referring to the bastard''s evaluation topic?"

    "Yeah, that. You did go out of your way to put him in such a high position that I have to wonder if you can actually do it. You also said that in comparison to certain individuals that he was above them in that sense."

    "I didn''t say he was above them. I only said that he possessed something that those insignificant pussies don''t have for themselves. The way he portrays his own power just goes to show that he doesn''t want to use his power. Therefore, until he decides to use it, to me, he is not above anyone. Those trash cans are better than him, currently."

    Meanwhile, as this was happening, Arkalee decided that it was a good idea to adjoin her right ear onto my phone, without actually asking for permission to do so.

    Naturally, this made Yulia instantly skeptical and repulsed.

    "Arkalee, what are you doing...? He''s having a call, back off, would you?"

    "Daniel''s taking way too long, so I''m going to have to listen closely. I hate being kept in the dark."

    ........

    "Daniel, can''t you just put the call in speaker''s mode so we can listen to it?"

    "..."

    Tatsu''s a numbskull. Doesn''t my whole conversation thus far imply that I am trying to strike a deal with someone that doesn''t budge easily?

    As a matter of fact, this might just not work at this point as my argument needs a little bit more structure...

    "Um, can you two actually be patient? He''s trying, so don''t be so disrespectful and keep your distance as well. Show some dignity, please. Or is it too much to ask of you two to be well-educated? It''s not right to be like this. Would you like it if someone else did what you are doing right now? You probably wouldn''t, right?"

    Just as I was about to tell them how inconvenient they were being, it was as if Yulia could read my intentions for a split second and acted primarily on the basis that I was feeling annoyed and repulsed and their stupid unreasonable behavior.

    "Then he better hurry up..."

    Tatsu remained silent as he observed the situation and Arkalee simply threw that ultimatum.

    Ultimately, before returning to the conversation with Kawahara, I spoke to Yulia in return.

    "Thank you."

    "Mhm! Don''t worry about it!"

    After that enthusiastic reply, I resumed the conversation with Kawahara.

    "I have a fair proposition for you that''s not a taunt, like my previous one. I''ll do it."

    "What will you do though?"

    "I''ll join you; if you manage to find Hyunda''s location."

    "You are serious now. You really are. Why are you serious though?"

    To be honest, this is a risky gamble, but I''m willing to play it, just because in my mind, I don''t know the outcome of this as I''m gambling on the winner here.

    "Maybe I think that you won''t win here. But, I guess you are too bus---"

    "You are still in the same location, right?"

    "Yeah."

    "I''ll be there in two minutes."

    He hung up.

    For the record, if he is in the hideout, then he will have to perform an inhuman stride just to reach here in two minutes.

    After the call ended, I let them be aware of the situation.

    "Accordingly, the one who can supposedly find Hyunda''s whereabouts will be here in less than two minutes."

    A few seconds have passed, after all.

    "Kawahara?! Kawahara can tell us where he is?! Daniel, I swear, you better not be making a fool out of me."

    "I regret to inform you Arkalee, but we didn''t get here based on our reasonings. As a matter of fact---"

    Yulia was about to say something really unnecessary so I tapped her mouth for a quick second as I addressed some words to Arkalee.

    "I''m not making a fool out of you. You''ll see. However, there''s no guarantee that even Kawahara will be enough. Or maybe I''m being naive here."

    No, that''s not the case.

    I am aware that Kawahara is accurate with his guesses --- rather, they are not guesses. That''s what I think. It''s far too naive to call them guesses, therefore, I believe that they are certainties at this point.

    Eventually, not too long after this brief conversation, erupting from the top of the door of the viewpoint''s entrance, Kawahara walked in with a precise stride as went straight into my direction, at the edge of the viewpoint, where all the school could be glanced upon.

    Then, he deliberately delivered confident words immediately to me.

    "You''re keeping your deal, Dan. Also, why is he here? I can understand the crybaby and the horrendous wretch here, but the simp? What gives? Is it the crybaby''s monthly menstrual ovulation day or something?"

    Upon hearing Kawahara''s set of aggressive words, Yulia and Arkalee got immediately triggered.

    "Kawahara, you are the worst piece of shit I have ever seen! You think you are so funny but you are not!"

    "Zip it, thot. Also, I don''t have to think that I''m funny. I''m not even trying. My jokes are far too intellectually complex and superior for the likes of you, henceforth, incomprehensible to feeble-minded peasants who dwell on basic thoughts like denying someone''s worth based on idealism."

    "Kawahara, do you know where he is or not?! Or are you just here to be rude!?"

    Once again impatient, Arkalee went straight to the point, after being verbally assaulted by Kawahara.

    "I will know. I just wanted to come here to make sure thatsomeone was aware that I can take things pretty seriously and that it''s a very bad idea to pass it as a joke."

    Without a doubt, Kawahara was referring to me.

    Despite that, he continued on.

    "Just so we are clear, my intention here isn''t to help any of you as I will be as quick as possible. Under five minutes, I will track down the bastard''s location and that will be it."

    "Wh... Five minutes? Explain, please."

    Wanting to know Kawahara''s secret, Yulia nevertheless asked Kawahara.

    "I won''t explain. I don''t respond well to orders, so you have been warned. Just wait for the result like a good girl and you will be rewarded. Dan, what a shame. I expected a really good fight from you, but I must say, for it to happen like this, I can''t help but feel premature disappointment. If you knew you were going to lose sooner or later, then why bother to resist in the first place?"

    "We''ll see about that."

    I wonder if he got my message...

    "What? What''s with that confidence? You''re not the type of person to make bluffs because your actions do have a logical foundation. Bastard, you are hiding something, aren''t you? Weird... What exactly is the aim here? Hey, all of you! I want individual answers. Crybaby, go first!"

    ...Not good.

    Pressured, Arkalee answered to Kawahara who was borderline yelling on her face.

    "I need to know Hyunda''s location! That''s actually really all. Also, I don''t need to explain myself to y---"

    "Simp, next! Spill it! Are you here on simp duty or are you here under the affiliation of an interesting logic?"

    Switching his target, Kawahara brutally and savagely asked Tatsu that question in the same high-pitched voice tone.

    "I am not a simp, Kawahara..."

    "You''re not a full-fledge one until you deny to be one! Congratulations on the self-acceptance! Now, say it!"

    ".....I''m not telling..."

    Contrasting his previous attitude filled with violence and savagery, Kawahara simply placed his right index finger on his thumb for two seconds and spoke once again, while idly looking towards the cerulean afternoon sky.

    "Maybe it''s because I''m co-existing with other inferior beings that I am losing brain cells. Why would I question a simp''s action? It''s obvious you are here to serve as an emotional pillar. It was fucking self-explanatory yet for a second I really did start an interrogation. I want to commit toaster mash-up. Next, thot!"

    Yulia''s turn was up, so since she was right next to me, we watched Kawahara cast down his hateful glare at her in that precise second.

    Yulia, despite that, maintained her strong posture and didn''t lose to the sheer pressure being applied by Kawahara''s strong will.

    "I want to know Hyunda''s location so I can properly speak to Arkalee about her wrong thoughts about Hyunda. Which is why, I, even though repulsed and disgusted just by the thought of having to rely on your help, am grateful for your assistance and would appreciate if you could stop being such a rude person for once in your whole damn life!"

    "I''m not rude. You people are. I''m just defensive by nature. Leave me alone. Lastly, Dan! You. I really, really want the honest truth here. And trust me when I say this, but if you lie, I will know the second you do it, because in my mind, I already have the most accurate assumption and if your answer doesn''t come close to that one, then you will---"

    "Kawahara, stop talking to my boyfriend like that. Get to the point, we don''t have all day to listen to your endless spewing."

    Brilliantly, Yulia interrupted Kawahara''s long rant and completely stopped his long-length verbal onslaught that almost anyone in existence has to receive whenever in his presence.

    "Dan, how many times must I tell you to put a leash on her? This is what happens when you don''t put a leash on creatures like this. They get the sensation that they actually matter when they fucking don''t."

    "Oh, shut up already. You think that just because you are such a psychopath with no moral values at all that you are suddenly soooo amazing, don''t you? Well, you are wrong. You are just delusional."

    "A delusional who has more intelligence than all of you combined."

    That wasn''t exactly pleasing to hear.

    It''s not something that I can just laugh at either.

    "I want to know Hyunda''s location so I can help Yulia achieve her goal. Because that''s my goal too."

    "Then that makes no sense whatsoever. Why would you call me out here and make that nonsensical deal and be confident at the same time? You are solely relying on the bastard''s cleverness to get away from my external forces but I didn''t take you for such a dumbass who would just mindlessly gamble like that. Unless... Unless... You are not gambling."

    This ability of his to depict the foundation of someone''s action should not be something this accessible...

    "I also don''t believe that you are doing all of this just for that stupid nonsensical goal. You never cared about Arkalee''s situation, so why now? No, no. That''s not the right question. Instead --- What exactly allowed you to be this confident? You are betting on the chance of the bastard being able to escape my power. However, that''s not it either. You know what would make more sense? You, somehow, being in control of the bastard''s location. Now that would make perfect sense!"

    How the hell is this possible? Kawahara''s perception is way ahead of what I thought it was. It shouldn''t be this easy to just create multiple assumptions while being this accurate.

    Suddenly, I started to sweat a bit, as I felt an omen swirling around the cold air.

    "Kawahara, that''s not true. I am with Yulia here."

    "No, you''re not. I know you too well at this point."

    ......

    Hyunda, please. You got my message, right?

    Truth to be told, while Kawahara was still on his way here, I told Hyunda to completely hide his location and remain as incognito as possible.

    However, I''m starting to think that maybe he didn''t get my message and that my fate is sealed. More so, Kawahara''s starting to become unpredictable as I don''t know what he might do next.

    As I was having these thoughts, I felt my phone vibrating and took it off my pocket to see it and it was Hyunda who texted me the following messages:

    ��If you see this, then don''t react in any possible exaggerated way. Maintain your facial expression the same as always to your surroundings.��

    ��I saw your message. But, there is something more important that I need you to do as quickly as possible. As soon as you process the upcoming message, do it with all the speed you have without wasting any possible time. It''s important.��

    ��Delete every single one of our texts.��

    Without paying any attention to Kawahara anymore, I started to delete our texting history texts as fast as I could.

    However, Kawahara didn''t exactly let this movement slip by as a coincidence.

    "Dan, what a damn coincidence. Do you want to know what I would do if I was in your current position and I was up against me? I would let the bastard know that his current location is about to be as perceivable as it can get. But, if we are talking about simplicity then... I would simply inform the bastard that he needed to hide in a place where he won''t be easily found. And to do that, given that there is a massive distance between you and him, just by using your phone, you could reach out to him with a simple text."

    Faster, faster, faster...

    "And would you look at that? Here you are, clinging to your phone like it''s your lifeline."

    Almost there... Just a few more...

    "I''m sure you won''t mind if I have a look at what you are hiding!"

    With brute force, Kawahara snatched away my phone from my hands without showing any remorse whatsoever, as he glanced upon my phone''s screen subsequently.

    "..."

    Meanwhile, at the exact same time, at the theater''s entrance.

    Once again indecisive about what movie to watch, this time alone, I took a good time to choose what movie I wanted to really watch.

    I do like good dramas, for example, as I am a complete sucker for an emotional tearjerker.

    Plus, the fact that there aren''t many people around here and inside the theater''s ticket lines, the lines itself are pretty empty, so this is a really good time to watch something that can pick my interest.

    And even though I was completely sure that I would have this time alone to myself, my expectations quickly betrayed me as I witnessed a silver-haired boy, who I''ve been somewhat familiar with during the past few weeks, align horizontally to my position while glancing upon the movie agenda.

    This person was completely and utterly focused on choosing the movie as my existence probably came out as translucent, given that he paid zero attention to it even if he is standing right next to me.

    "Oh, they have Joker? That''s recent. Drama and crime..."

    Although I was paying attention to the fact that he wasn''t paying any attention to me whatsoever, I couldn''t help but feel intrigued by his two specific words that captured my absolute interest.

    "Um... Is it good?"

    "I don''t know. I haven''t watched it. I will be able to tell if it''s good or not when I do finish it though. Regardless of that, accordingly, the movie is acclaimed to be quite good. Are you interested in seeing it, Sana?"

    "Well... I do like drama and crime. It''s rated R though... Does this mean that it contains highly sexual scenes?"

    I really don''t like that type of stuff...

    "It''s probably monotonically referring to the violence and the amount of blood. Aggressive verbal usage as well. However, I believe that''s about it."

    "Okay, yeah... Why not... Also, this is a really freaky coincidence..."

    I''m surprised that Arkalee isn''t around him. It''s just Hyunda here. I guess even he wants to watch a movie once in a while to relieve his boredom, huh?

    "Yeah, what a coincidence."

 Volume 14 - Chapter 98: A Change In Enthalpy.

    4 pm.

    "Sana, this might be too abrupt and sudden, but do you wanna watch it with me? Or are you planning on seeing a movie on your own?"

    "No, I don''t mind! But, I just have a question... Where is Arkalee?"

    It''s so strange to see him without Arkalee around him. But, this is a great opportunity. I will use this to explore his character and decipher his hidden psychology.

    This should be fun!

    "She''s not here. But, why do you ask?"

    "She''s always around you, y''know? So I just found it strange, I guess?"

    "Does that bother you, Sana?"

    Why would Hyunda ask that question? Is he trying to care for how I feel? Arkalee''s a friend and someone who is in love with him, so I was just curious, that''s all.

    "Uh, no."

    "I see. Well, let''s go to the line, shall we? There aren''t many people around here, after all."

    On his request, we started to walk towards the ticket lines and something flashed my mind straight away.

    I was quickly reminded about that time where Daniel didn''t have any money with him and I was forced to pay both of our tickets out of kindness, but right now, I don''t think I will be so kind.

    "Hyunda, you do have money with you, right?"

    Just to make sure. I don''t want to subject myself to the previous scenario. I hate wasting my money mindlessly. Company is cool and all, but there''s a limit.

    "I do. I hope you don''t mind, but I''m paying for your ticket. It''s the least I can do for you since you have accepted my request."

    Now that''s surprising...

    "How pleasant. Very well, I shall take your offer, mister."

    Is it just me or is he being surprisingly kind? I never knew that he had this side of him. Okay. I''ll try to convince him to be this way with Arkalee.

    I''m positive that the results will be good!

    "Two tickets for Joker, please."

    "Just a moment, please."

    Eventually reaching the reception, Hyunda paid for the both of us, and while on the way to the theater room, I decided to ask him a couple of questions.

    "Hyunda, what do you think about Arkalee?"

    "Why Arkalee, Sana?"

    What''s with that question?

    "Why...? I mean, haven''t you noticed? She really, really, but really, likes you! I think."

    Although I said ''I think'', I really am certain that Arkalee likes this guy and I can see why, honestly. He does have a cool aura to him. He''s shrouded in mystery and has a cold-hearted voice tone to his words, which can be oddly attractive.

    Despite the way that sensitiveness is perceived, those factors can be fairly interesting, so I can understand Arkalee''s sudden passion. However, she''s playing it wrong. She should get to know him better and know how he thinks and all that.

    Because, Arkalee, if you let your own adoration overflow then your love will blind you and that''s just not really great as an option.

    "I see. So you want to help her out. You''re very considerate, in all regards. However, don''t you think that''s counterproductive for yourself?"

    "Mhm? How so? I love caring for my friends, Hyunda."

    "But that''s not fair for you. If you care too much about others and you don''t expect anything back, then it will backfire. You will feel unrewarded. Do you want to feel that way?"

    ......

    "That''s... a bit personal, you know?"

    "True. But, from your words alone, I can tell that you are a great person. And that also, you give too much without expecting anything back. I don''t agree with that way of thinking though. Isn''t it painful for you?"

    "What exactly are you talking about in specific...?"

    In the middle of the hallway, with multiple rooms for each movie in specific, Hyunda stopped walking and turned back to look at me as he spoke his next words seriously.

    "You are doing so much for Arkalee, but what has she done for you? Nothing at all. You don''t deserve that sort of treatment."

    "Maybe she doesn''t need to do anything at all. Isn''t that what solidarity is all about?"

    "You''re right. Solidarity does imply that. However, it''s not friendship, is it? There''s not a single person in this whole world who doesn''t want to be rewarded for their efforts at one point."

    ...I never saw it from that perspective. Does this mean that my idea has been wrong all this time? I mean, what Hyunda said does make sense...

    Am I really a good friend or just someone who is looking to be rewarded...?

    "Eh... That''s an interesting perspective. You can be interesting once you want to be, Hyunda. Be that way when talking to Arkalee, would you? I mean, what''s there not to like about her? Think about it, she''s pretty sweet and thoughtful of you. Isn''t that the dream girl that like, every boy wishes for?"

    "Sana."

    "Yeah?"

    "Let''s talk more about you and not others. I want to get to know you and this is a good opportunity, don''t you think?"

    When he said those words, I couldn''t help but be surprised once again. Hyunda''s treating me really kindly.

    But why?

    "Okay, but why? Why do you want to get to know me?"

    Not having arrived at the supposed room yet, we had resumed our walk and just before entering the room, Hyunda turned around and looked at me once more.

    "Because you seem lonely and hurt. And I want to help you win against that feeling of sadness and grief that you constantly linger onto."

    "How do you..."

    "Oh, it''s starting. Let''s go. By the way, let''s seat in a place where people can''t exactly see us. Since everyone loves to seat on the back seats and enjoy the view, let''s seat in front. Or do you mind?"

    "No, no... That''s fine, I never had a preference regarding that..."

    "Nice."

    As we entered the room and glanced upon the multiple rows of seats, I could just tell from the get-go that not a lot of people were here.

    In fact, there were just about three or four students here.

    However, despite that noticeable factor, I couldn''t help but think about those words that he said to me.

    Because that was the first time that someone has genuinely said those words to me.

    "By the way, could I ask you a little favor?"

    "...What?"

    Boys asking favors... That never went well...

    "I need you to warn me if a group of girls walk in this room and start to look around without actually intending to be here. Simply put, a group of girls that just randomly walks in only for the sake of walking in and scouting the parameter."

    Huh? But that''s just not possible...

    "Wait, what? That''s impossible, Hyunda. The guard only allows those with tickets to walk in."

    I''m assuming that Hyunda''s suggesting that a group of girls will walk in and start to look... around... for whatever reason, but that''s entirely illogical because why would they just walk in without seeing the movie?

    What a waste of money.

    Plus, why would a bunch of girls just walk in like that?

    "It''s not impossible though. They can walk in if they paid for their tickets."

    "...I guess that''s possible..."

    That''s valid, I suppose, but still, what a waste...

    "However, I don''t get one thing. Why would a bunch of girls just walk in like that? Are they after you?"

    "It''s a possibility."

    As we took our seats and spoke in a low-toned voice while watching the beginning scene, I allowed my skepticism to further grow unknowingly.

    "You haven''t explained why..."

    "I''m being chased right now, believe it or not. I''m also at a disadvantage."

    "Why are you being chased, Hyunda? You''ve dodged my question twice."

    "I''m popular."

    ..........

    "You''re horrible."

    With those spiteful words thrown at him, we started to watch the movie, side by side, and I got incredibly hooked.

    However, just about thirty minutes later, I did start to listen to some loud footsteps through the silent scenes that were occurring.

    Wanting to know what was going on, I swiftly turned around and looked back at the entrance, and there, I witnessed a group of five girls walking in while chatting with one another.

    Rudely, they started to create a lot of noise, but I immediately took notice of this and alerted Hyunda as soon as possible.

    "Hey... Some girls just walked in and it''s a group, as you said..."

    "Thanks. I noticed too. I need to hide, by the way."

    "Okay. Good luck with that."

    I have no idea how he''s going to hide though...

    "I''m gonna have to seat beneath your seat, so to speak. Open your legs, please."

    Open..... your legs?!

    "Wait, what?! What are you talking about, Hyunda?! Do you listen to yourself?! Asking a girl that type of question!"

    "No, wait. You are misunderstanding. I just need to hide and so, I will kneel down and fit inside below your seat. As you can see, there''s an empty structure below your seat."

    "The hell?! Then do it with your seat!"

    "No, I can''t. Here''s why. As soon as they pass through here, they might just start and check if I''m down in one of the seats."

    "What the hell!? Who would do that!? That''s completely nonsensical!"

    Is he serious right now?

    No, more importantly, the group of girls is checking the above seats and they are actually starting to check the zone below them!

    What?!

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    "From your face, you must''ve come to the realization that it''s actually happening. Also, I need to seat below you and have your legs cover me. That''s why I need you to open your legs."

    "Wait, wait, wait! Do you actually need to hide though?"

    "Very much, yes. They are my fans. And they are angry."

    I feel like that was the cheapest lie he could''ve come up with. Nevertheless, now that they are done inspecting the above seats, they are starting to go down to the medium line seats...

    In other words, it''s only a matter of time before they come here.

    "...Just this one time..."

    "You''re a lifesaver."

    "After this, you''ll have to explain to me why they are here. Because I''m not buying the lies you just told me."

    "You''re right. They were lies. My bad. Was just trying to be funny. But you didn''t laugh. I guess that''s something I''ll have to work on."

    They were jokes? I didn''t notice that actually...

    Also, Hyunda started to slowly crawl his way to the ground without being noticed by the girls who were scouting the above perimeter still.

    Subsequently, he started to crawl in the below structure of my seat.

    "If you look, you are dead. Don''t think I''m joking."

    "Yes, ma''am."

    I had to give him out that warning. If by some chance, he looks up while fitting inside the empty structure, then I will snap his neck.

    Nevertheless, he didn''t look up, and shockingly, he managed to fit his whole body in an unknown position which enabled him to stay hidden.

    The girls were on their way here and given that we are on the first line from the front, there are only three lines separating us.

    "Sana, move your legs a bit more to the left."

    "...Is this fine?"

    "Yeah. Perfect. Don''t move from this position. Also, argue back if they attempt to check where I''m hidden. You are allowed to be as dramatic as possible."

    "Heh. I was going to be either way. Don''t underestimate how dramatic I can be when it comes to defending my own beliefs."

    "That''s great to know. I''m counting on you, Sana."

    Okay.

    I just don''t have to move my legs and it should work, or at least according to Hyunda. If the whole aim is to protect his whereabouts then I can do this.

    If someone bothers me while I''m watching a movie, then I will, without a doubt, argue back.

    Thus, after a quick two minutes, they had finally arrived at my location and began to check the below structures of the seats...

    One of the girls, upon noticing that I was here, started to engage in a conversation with me.

    "Excuse me, but could you move your legs? I know it''s a weird question but I''m looking for my purse."

    Really? That''s your excuse?

    "None of my business. Move! I''m watching the movie!"

    "Mhm... Perhaps not the best line, huh? Well, okay. Could you still let us see what''s below your seat?"

    "And why should I do that? What gives you the right to invade my privacy like that!? Do you want me to call a guard?! You are disturbing the audience here, myself included! I want to enjoy this movie but with all of you in the way, I can''t! So, what''s it gonna be?! Guard or not?! Ahhh yes, I''ve heard... Suspension is attributed to those who break the rules that the theater has personally established."

    "E-Eh..."

    Frightened, the girl retook her stance and backed off slightly. Given that it was quite dark, seeing their facial expressions was a hard task for me, however, what I could without a doubt see was that another girl, other than the girl I was just talking to, spoke some words to her, close to whispering.

    "Rina... We can''t be in that much trouble... Ah, sorry, my friend here didn''t mean to cause you trouble. Could you just answer us a simple question then?"

    "I''m not too sure now. I will only answer your question if that''s it. Will you all leave if I do that?"

    "Yes, I''m sorry."

    "Very well then."

    I would ask her what''s her name, but I don''t want to lose time as I actually really want to watch the movie. It''s getting quite interesting. I''m missing parts of the build-up...

    As for the question, before the girl asked me the question, she showed me a picture of Hyunda on her phone''s screen, and only then, did she proceed to ask the question.

    "We are looking for this person. Have you seen him somewhere?"

    Mhm...

    They might still insist and not keep their word if I reply with a simple no, so, instead...

    "Ahhh, yeah! I saw him walking in the mall before coming here! Silver hair, huh?! Pretty rare, right?"

    "Yeah, that''s true. Well, thank you for the valuable information. Once again, my sincere apologies. Let''s go girls."

    "The hell... Why is he so hard to find? We have been scouting the whole school for like thirty minutes..."

    Making their complaints, the group left the room, and thus, I could glance upon the gigantic screen right in front of me, which brought me happiness, as I laid my right hand on my chest while taking a deep sigh.

    Now, all that was left to do was warn him that they were gone.

    "Hyunda, you can get out now. They are gone..."

    "Really? Check the entrance just in case."

    "Wh... Okay, just a second."

    Turning around while simultaneously not believing that there might still be someone there, my expectations quickly betrayed me once again, as I firmly witnessed one of the girls still clinging the door entrance while looking in my direction.

    ...She''s really skeptical huh...?

    "It appears that she''s still there... Wait just a second, alright? I''ll give you a notice when she leaves..."

    So persistent... Just why is she still here? Well, he said that he would tell me after this, so I''m really curious to know the full reason.

    Five minutes later though, she vanished without a trace.

    "Okay, she''s really gone now. I mean it. You can come out."

    "You mean it?"

    "Yes, yes, I''m not lying, I swear. Why would I lie after committing this far into the task?"

    I really dislike lying to other people but sometimes it can''t be helped. However, in this case, I don''t see why I would lie.

    Normally, I hate it when others lie to me, so I naturally don''t lie back.

    Ultimately, with his head being the first thing I saw coming out of beneath my seat, he had his eyes up; as his facial expression was fully visible to me.

    "Dolphins? I really didn''t think."

    "What?"

    "Nothing. Thanks again."

    "No problem..."

    But why did he mention dolphins just now? I can''t think of a single reason as to why he would say that...

    Anyway, as he took his seat back and returned to watching the movie alongside me, I decided to ask him about the real reason as to why this just happened.

    "So, Hyunda, for what reason did y---"

    But then I realized something.

    Something that made me swallow all the possible shame that my very soul could offer; as I remembered about something crucial. That little factor made my face red instantly.

    Furthermore, watching his provocative smirk almost made me lose it.

    "I-I-I...! I told you not to look up, you moron!"

    "That was more interesting than the whole movie thus far and that''s saying a lot, considering how well this is developing to be!"

    "Erase it! Erase that memory right now!"

    How did I not immediately notice that that would happen instantly?! But I told him not to look up, damn it!

    Yet his attitude keeps on being sheerly relaxed and comfortable.

    Oh, so you think this is a joke?

    "You do remember what I told you, right?! That I would kill you if you looked up!"

    "But why though? I think they are pretty cute. I won''t joke around, honestly. Pink colored panties with blue mini dolphins are oddly beautiful and-----"

    "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Not one more word from you! Don''t test my patience! Even if you praise them for being cute suddenly, that doesn''t mean that I will change my mind!"

    God, what a rude jerk! I thought for a second that he was actually a nice guy, but then he says those provocative words out of nowhere...

    Is he making fun of me by forcing a lie like that?!

    "I won''t tell anyone, don''t worry. You can rest assured!"

    "That doesn''t exactly make me feel better you know?!"

    "What? It doesn''t? Oh, alright. Let me apologize beforehand. Also, if I get a boner then it''s your fault!"

    "Stop talking, damn it!"

    I''m this close to killing Hyunda!

    My atom-sized patience might just burst soon enough yet Hyunda decided not to speak another word as he allowed me to focus on the movie and hopefully, trying to forget about the fact that this literally just happened.

    God, I want to hide in a hole right now!

    1 hour and thirty minutes later.

    "I''m never seeing talk shows the same way again."

    Reflecting upon my realization, I delivered my honest opinion about the Murray scene. It was really, really good though.

    The whole scene was genial and I wasn''t expecting that awesome turn of events! And while the whole movie was just fantastic, it still wasn''t enough to erase my memory about the fact that Hyunda did what he did...

    On our way out, Hyunda started to walk slowly as he took a glance upon his phone screen.

    Is he checking the hours? Actually, he has so many missed calls and unread messages. I see. So he isn''t someone that pays much attention to his phone or he just doesn''t care. Which means that personal contact is the way to go.

    Also...

    Does he plan on ignoring me...?

    "Um, Hyu---"

    "Yeah, agreed. The whole scene was so damn good that you''d forget that Robert De Niro is actually in the movie. Heath would certainly be proud."

    Oh... He answered back...

    "Two questions, if you don''t mind... First off, who is Robert De Niro?"

    "Robert De Niro is the actor that portrayed Murray and got brilliantly sacrificed for a scene that will go down in all cinematic history. Secondly, Heath, or rather, Heath Ledger was an actor that portrayed the Joker in the Dark Knight trilogy."

    He already knew what I was going to ask...

    Sorta surprised at that, honestly.

    "Wow, thanks for that. So, I''m assuming that you have watched the Dark Knight trilogy? Sorry, I haven''t so..."

    "I have watched just about every DC movie and unfortunately, Sdyner''s movies have almost given me stage four cancer over the years. Justice League might be the closest thing to a suicide pill that humanity has invented. Even fan-made movies are better."

    "Wah, no way, no way! It can''t be that bad! You''re exaggerating, aren''t you?"

    Although I really don''t know the full extent of what he''s talking about, he seems to have a piece of precise knowledge about this, so I''ll trust his take. I just said that to provoke him a bit.

    "Unfortunately, I am not. Also, what were your overall thoughts about Joaquin''s performance? It was really damn great, right?"

    "Joaquin, as in, the Joker, right? If so, then yes! I do think that he deserves to win an oscar after that one, without a doubt! But you said ''Heath would certainly be proud''. What did you mean by that?"

    "Ah, that. You see, Heath Ledger has passed away, due to a cardiac arrest. In other words, the world''s greatest Joker had passed away and so, for years to come, the Joker was absent from the spotlight for far too long. Fans could dwell in nostalgia all they like, but eventually, another Joker would have to take the stage and attempt his best to take down Heath''s legendary performance. There were massive debates about whether that should happen or not, but it did happen, at last."

    Suddenly, I''m growing curious about this and since Hyunda knows a lot about this, then I am with the right person.

    Also, he really likes superhero movies, doesn''t he? Or maybe he just likes the Joker really much?

    Either way, this is oddly interesting as a topic.

    "I see, I see! But then, Joaquin came in and fought it out and beat Heath''s performance, right?"

    Even though I said that with pure enthusiasm and not with the intention of sounding dumb, Hyunda stopped walking in the middle of the hall and simultaneously took a seat against the wall that was in the middle of the hall while sighing deeply transiently.

    "Have a seat here. There''s a hidden side to the story. Do you want to hear it?"

    I would refuse his offer but since the hall is somewhat deserted, I don''t see the issue here. Thus, I took a seat right next to him.

    Our distance was fairly short though.

    "Yup, go ahead. I''m all ears."

    "So, here is the thing. Joaquin isn''t the first Joker to try his best at being the Joker, or rather, to try and beat Heath''s performance."

    "So that means that someone else did it?!"

    "Sadly, yes. However, his horrible performance made Heath probably scream beyond his grave. A performance so bad that it almost managed to ruin the Joker''s relevance to the audience. The Joker you saw was a deep person who was tired of being obstructed by Gotham''s moral system and how despite the fact that Arthur hadn''t done anything to deserve it, he nevertheless suffered endless ordeals of unfair treatments throughout the movie. Logically speaking, that''s the correct way to build a character, to show the audience their depth first so they can relate to his actions subsequently. But, what if I told you that the previous Joker had none of that and was instead portrayed as a borderline retard who looked like a drug lord?"

    Oh, this is news.

    Compared to his high evaluation of the current Joker, Hyunda''s being somewhat harsh to this guy...

    "Wait, seriously? No way that''s true. I refuse to believe it! I mean, why bother to be that bad?"

    "You said it. Either way, his name is Jared Ledo. If you don''t believe me, then whenever Suicide Squad is available here in the school''s theaters, wanna watch it?"

    "Yeah, okay, sure I don''t mind! Ah, but... Arkalee will probably come along, right...?"

    Because Arkalee''s always around him, so it probably won''t just be the two of us. This means that there won''t be much room to talk about the movie details and all that since Arkalee will just obsess over him.

    Shame...

    "Not necessarily. There''s always a way around things. Well, I''ll figure something out."

    "Haha, I was just joking... You don''t have to waste your time on me, just saying."

    "I''m not wasting my time. I''m here on my free will. Right now, I''m here and not with Arkalee not due to an option but because I want to be here with you."

    "I-I see..."

    Um... Awkward, awkward... Why are you being so kind...? You''re supposed to be really cold and apathetic so why are you showing that kindness of yours suddenly?

    Huh... Gotta change topic...

    "S-So, back to the topic! Weren''t you going to say something else?"

    "Yeah, I was. But that would be ignoring my whole intention. Did you have fun while watching the movie?"

    What... What is this...

    "Hyunda, you''re making this hard for me... I don''t know how to react... I never knew this side of yours. But, yeah, I did have fun! Sincerely, I love movies about drama! And crime is a really nice mix, so thanks for letting me know preemptively."

    "I see. But you don''t have to thank me. Shouldn''t I thank you instead?"

    "Why...?"

    "Because, if you hadn''t come along then I wouldn''t have been able to discuss this and surely, I wouldn''t have been able to escape those girls'' wrath."

    Ah! I forgot!

    "Wait, wait! Explain! I completely forgot! You have to explain it now!"

    "Sure. Well, you see, I''m trying to remain hidden. I don''t know who but someone is searching for me, and until 7 pm, I have to stay hidden that way."

    "So you don''t know who...? But that''s weird... Why do you have to stay hidden until then...?"

    "Do you even have to ask?"

    From the way that he looked at me, with a relaxed smile, I could right away tell why he was trying to hide.

    "It''s Arkalee, isn''t it...? As I thought, you really don''t like her, huh..."

    "Not exactly. I just like to have my own free time and so, I only have until 7 pm to stay hidden. Unfortunately for me, an outside force is trying to expose my location, from the looks of it."

    "That''s sorta cool! Once you think about it, isn''t the thrill really fun? Unless you are feeling oppressed, of course. But like, it was somewhat fun seeing those girls not being able to find you even though you were right underneath me! I felt like laughing like a maniac through that!

    "I almost chuckled. Would they go insane if they knew that I was right there all along and that your legs were the only thing that was covering me?"

    "Probably!"

    Wait, wait. If this is the case, then...

    "Um, Hyunda, what do you plan on doing to keep yourself hidden? It''s like 6 pm now, so..."

    "Realistically speaking, I only need to stay hidden for about another hour and that''s it. However, there aren''t that many places I can go to now. I''m limited, so to speak. If I leave this exact place, then my location might become public knowledge and I currently can''t afford that. Sucks to be me."

    "....Does it have to be a full hour?"

    "Not really. It could be more."

    "Mhm..."

    Upon hearing that I started to have a really selfish thought. Yulia hasn''t given me a call but I don''t want to bother her right now, as she is probably with Daniel. And Daniel''s finally acting like a proper boyfriend, so I''ll let them be, obviously. Good luck, Yulia!

    There''s also the factor that Arkalee''s absent from the current scene and that Hyunda has to supposedly stay absent from anywhere else for another hour.

    However, he said that it didn''t have to be a full hour which means that it can be more.

    If that''s the case...

    "The Murray scene was really good, you know? Is it available on YouTube, Hyunda?"

    "Probably not, Sana. The movie is still way too recent. In the future though? Definitely. Not as of now, definitely."

    "Oh, I see... That''s a real shame. I wanted to rewatch that scene, buuuuuuuuuut, it appears that if I have no way to watch it again, then... Oh, wait. There is just one way to watch it again."

    "Indeed there is."

    We both flashed smirks at the same time, as if our thoughts had aligned for a second, thus I spoke with confidence behind my words.

    "Are you thinking the same as I am, Hyunda?"

    "The chances are high. However, I can''t pay for it this time."

    "Eh, that''s fine. But you know, Hyunda."

    "What?"

    "How about another joke?"

    I stupidly laughed after using that quote as Hyunda did the same.

    "Hahaha, the hell. Let''s watch it again. According to the agenda, it''s gonna replay again in ten minutes."

    After I heard that, I got up from the floor almost instantly as I was ready to go and buy our tickets, this time, by myself.

    "I''ll be right back! I''ll also tell you if there are any suspicious girls around, so relax!"

    "Thanks!"

    It''s fine to do this. I''m sure Arkalee wouldn''t mind this, as it''s just a friendly activity. Ah, but considering how crazy she is about certain things, it''s best to keep this a secret from her...

    I don''t have anything against Arkalee, as I fully support her endeavor but...

    Arkalee, you don''t know something that I do, for example.

    Love''s a winning streak, only for seasoned veterans.

 Volume 14 - Chapter 99: Lips of a liar.

    Prior to the current day, in the middle of the night.

    During that night, after I had dinner and was tired of texting Hyunda without him replying back, he gave me a call.

    The reason that he wasn''t replying is that his supervisor doesn''t allow any technology in the middle of the dinner.

    I will kill that supervisor someday. How dare you establish such an illogical rule like that?

    "Hello! Hello! I see that you have finished your dinner! That''s it, right?!"

    "Yeah. You don''t need to text me when I''m away. Because if I can''t reply to you, then there''s not much of a point."

    "You don''t need to worry about that! Even when you are away, I''ll make sure to be there for you, alright?!"

    This is perfect timing, though. I''m just out of the shower and in the middle of dressing myself up to sleep, but who would''ve thought that he would call me at such a convenient time!

    "Thanks. However, I need to have a serious talk with you. Is that fine? Or are you going to sleep?"

    What?! A serious talk...? Could it be...? Could it be that he''s finally!

    "Um, no, not at all. Go ahead. Take as long as you''d like, dar--- Hyunda."

    Almost saying that word intentionally, I comfortably took a seat in my bed while I dried my long wet hair.

    Late-night talks... I really do enjoy that. Thank you for making me have this amazing discovery. Okay. Let''s do it more, my love.

    "I got a favor to ask. A favor that you might not initially accept but nonetheless, I need you to do it. I feel bad for resorting to this but this is part of the deal and you are not allowed to disobey me."

    .....

    "Um... Fine... But, what is this favor that you speak of?"

    Love, this isn''t exactly a favor. It''s more like an order and I will gladly do it for you, but, if you go ahead and suggest something nonsensical, then I might just...

    "Around the afternoon, I will need to create a diversion. Simply put, from 3 pm onward, I will need to vanish without a trace. And I don''t want to be found out."

    "I can go with you, right?"

    "No, you can''t. But here is the tricky part. There will be people after me, so to say. Daniel and Yulia are for certain. However, if there are more to the task, then I will need your assistance."

    "Wait, wait. Are you suggesting that you need to stay away from me when it''s 3 pm?! Why?!"

    Your orders are so confusing! Why do you toy with my heart like that, Hyunda?!

    "I''m not explaining why. But, you need to do your part. I need you to trick those around you into thinking that in the middle of the afternoon after I went inside the bathroom, you then lost sight of me and you somehow couldn''t find me."

    That''s literally impossible. I will never lose sight of you. A damn bathroom can''t keep me away from you. Not possible, sorry.

    But, go on, I guess.

    "Furthermore, I need you to come up with a valid excuse that would make those around you believe in your words. I trust that you can handle that?"

    "Sure, I can do that!"

    "Great. Also, go to the viewpoint and pretend that you are looking for me while viewing the binoculars and telescopes. Simultaneously, I need you to pretend like you are texting me and calling me. Actually, not pretending. Just go ahead and do so."

    "Um, okay, I understand everything thus far. Except for one thing but you probably won''t explain, right? But, I really need to know. Why do you want me to do all of this exactly? Please, give me a single logic."

    I wouldn''t bother to question you, my love. But when you literally suggest that I need to stay away from you, then you surely must''ve seen miles away that I would be mad about this.

    How can you expect me to be calm when you propose something as illogical as distance?! Look what happened last time! I had to kill someone!

    "I won''t explain to you the reason. Also, this will go on until 7 pm."

    "Wait! Wait! Wait just a second! Are you implying that you are you going to stay away for not one, not two, not three, but four hours?! No, rejected. Not accepting this."

    "Then we''re done here. Good nig--"

    "Wait! Don''t... say that! That''s so unfair... You''re always doing that..."

    "Arkalee, that''s what the deal implied. And besides, I really need your help here. I''m not sure if you realize but I don''t exactly like to rely on others as I prefer to be independent for the most part."

    Of course, I noticed that. I''m aware that it''s a miracle that you rely on me and I definitely want it to remain that way because the last time that I tried to reject your offer you almost invited that bitch Ikkiri to do your task!

    Unthinkable!

    "Okay, sorry. I was being stupid. However, if you don''t mind, I would like to establish a few rules when you are away. I don''t know how I''m going to deal with your absence but since you really need to be away FOR SOME REASON, I am willing to let it slide."

    "What are the rules, Arkalee?"

    "Um, okay. So, listen. I don''t know why you have to be away but you aren''t allowed to talk to other girls. Avoid that. You have to promise me that! Also, if they talk to you, ignore them. Pretend that they don''t exist. Furthermore, you will have to tell me what you did after you are done with your endeavor, okay? I trust that you won''t break this. Please."

    "Sure, I don''t mind. One last thing. You need to seek help from your surroundings that will eventually find you at the viewpoint and try to decipher my location."

    Wait...

    "But doesn''t that mean that your location will be exposed...? I can find your location really easily, you know."

    I am not sure why you are thinking that you can hide from me, but okay. If you want to be found that badly, then sure. I''ll do that. I don''t like this ''distance'' thing you are implying and suggesting indirectly.

    "You''re only allowed to try after the individuals meet up with you. Before that, you are not allowed. After that, you are free to do that. However, rely on them. As you by yourself won''t be able to decipher it, supposedly."

    "I wouldn''t be so sure about that."

    Why are you undermining me so much, love? I really, really, love you so staying away from you is like asking me to throw myself down a cliff and just end it all, but I guess you don''t realize that''s what you are literally implying, haha.

    "Mhm, I see. So you think you can do it. Fine. Tomorrow, when this starts, you have until 7 pm to find me. However, only if you use the individuals'' help."

    "About that... You mentioned that it would be Daniel and Yulia, but who are the others?"

    "I don''t know for sure. It will depend on the capacity of a certain individual. If that individual is capable, then the individual should be able to bring along 2 other individuals. With that said, that would be all."

    "Aye..."

    Anti-climatic... I thought that we would have a heart to heart talk and ask a few questions while trading some good laughs but you just went ahead and contacted me out of interest and not even the interest that I like...

    Okay, this definitely can''t end like this...

    "Um, Hyunda, before you go. I have a question. It''s really strange. But, listen, please."

    "Sure, ask away."

    It''s really embarrassing, but I''ll ask him anyway. We are fairly close by now and he only relies on me, so it''s only normal that I start making these types of questions.

    I am sure that this is normal at some point, right? At one point, in a romantic relationship, well, I understand that we aren''t there quite yet, but I want to take it to another level, so...

    "What do you masturbate to?"

    "Bold question. I thought that you were more reserved than that. Before I answer that, to what exactly do you masturbate? Remember, be hon--"

    "Um, you."

    Ah, oops. I said it. Well, it just... Yeah, whatever. I''m tired of holding back.

    I''m dropping all the signals and you aren''t doing anything sooooooo.

    I''m sorta fucking losing it, you see.

    "I was going to say that you had to be honest, but you went ahead and done that. Congrats. We are now talking on a more mutual level. You don''t hide as much as you used to. So, how do you feel now that you have told me one of your true thoughts?"

    "Wait... Does this mean that you are okay with me masturbating to you?"

    Gosh, why didn''t you just say so? That just makes me really, really happy.

    "I was more preoccupied with the fact that you were hiding your true thoughts far too much, Arkalee. It''s not good for you if you keep on doing that. But, well, I honestly wasn''t expecting you to say something like that."

    "As I thought I really sounded weird just now..."

    "I don''t find you to be weird. But, since you said that, I just felt flattered. Don''t try this with other people though, they will get creeped out."

    "I will never try this with other people though."

    We are without a doubt meant to be. This talk, right here, is entirely personal and quite frankly, embarrassing yet if I''m having with the one I love, then it''s a sign right!? That we will be together forever and ever!

    "By the way, for how long have you been doing this, Arkalee?"

    "Maybe for a little bit. A few weeks or so? Hahaha, sorry... But, you''re not creeped out, right? Or are you? I need to know if you are feeling uncomfortable or not. I can stop if you are."

    Though, it would be a real shame. This is our moment in privacy! Yes! It''s supposed to be like this! Talk to me in a way that you won''t talk to others!

    You did say that you were going to treat me specially and I can see now! Thank you so much!

    "No, I''m not. Does masturbating to me making you happy?"

    "Um, yes. Very much, yes. But, you haven''t answered my question. What exactly do you masturbate to?"

    I just want to know if you...

    "Do you want to know what I masturbate to? The subject of my masturbation or rather... Do you want to know if there is a chance that I might masturbate to you?"

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    "Ah, yeah, that''s i---"

    Huh... Wait, he actually said it! Oh my god! I''m freaking out! I''m so damn happy that I''m jumping on my bed right now!

    This is actually happening!

    "Instead of answering that question though, I can do the latter if you find me tomorrow."

    "Okay! Okay! I really will find you! You are literally not escaping me, hahaha! I mean this, haha!"

    Definitely, definitely, tomorrow, I am catching you! Hahaha, what the hell, love? Are you seriously thinking that you can just go and escape me? Okay, sure, I don''t mind that adorable stupidity of yours, but I really, really won''t let you escape.

    Which brings us to the current time...

    4 pm.

    On the viewpoint''s edge, I just witnessed something interesting happen.

    As Daniel was doing something on his phone, Kawahara brutally snatched it away from him for a specific reason, which was completely unknown to me.

    "Dan."

    ".....Yeah?"

    Kawahara, on an almost angry voice tone, looked at Daniel''s phone with an impatient tone.

    As Hyunda said, Daniel and Yulia would come along and possibly two other individuals. I never thought that they would be Tatsu and Kawahara.

    Noticeably, earlier, I was far more open about my feelings already declaring my love openly for Hyunda to all of them. Your talk last night has helped me come to terms with this trouble of mine and this lack of honesty.

    Okay, this is like, fine, love. Because, if being honest means growing closer, then yes, I agree. However, this distance thing. I discord. Where are you right now? True to be told, I have scouted every possible area in the school... Well, not all. It''s far too long.

    I just hope you haven''t forgotten the rules, haha.

    "Your phone sucks. It doesn''t have the ''recently deleted'' option in the messaging app. What the fuck is that? Plus, you---"

    "Kawahara, give it back! It''s none of your business!"

    Reaching out to Kawahara aggressively, Yulia erupted from her seat in a feat of rage and attempted to snatch away Daniel''s phone, but Kawahara, on the other hand, simply gave her back.

    "Yeah, here. I have no use for it now. Dan, I''m positive that if you just told the bastard to hide in a convenient place a while ago, but it didn''t happen while I was here because I''ve been looking at you this whole time. Funny enough, you only got the urge to check your phone when I started to have the thought of checking your phone. However, that wasn''t you, was it? I know for a fact that you wouldn''t pull out something that clever at the last second. It was him, wasn''t it?"

    Ugh, Kawahara takes way too long to speak. Plus, we are not getting anywhere.

    I''ll just intervene.

    "Kawahara, didn''t you say that you''d find Hyunda''s location in less than five minutes? What happened to that?"

    Swiftly, he turned around to glance upon me with a mocking smile that reflected his enormous stupid ego.

    "Simmer down, crybaby. It''s not that easy now. Because, it''s not going to work, most likely. No, I''m one-hundred percent certain that it won''t work now."

    "Hold on! What changed?!"

    "What? Can''t you tell? Daniel just went out of his way to tell the bastard to hide properly and considering that I''m up against him, I sincerely doubt that my usual methods will work now."

    .........?

    I don''t understand. Why is Kawahara still claiming that Daniel did that? Hyunda wouldn''t rely on Daniel. He only relies on me. That''s unthinkable.

    Kawahara''s speaking nonsense yet I wasn''t the one who argued back subsequently.

    Instead, it was Yulia.

    "Can you stop accusing him!? He didn''t do it! You''re just making excuses because your methods won''t work now."

    "Certainly, they won''t. But, that''s only because Daniel did that. However, that''s an interesting approach. I respect that, Daniel. I won''t be mad about this because you just went and made this a whole lot more fun. If my usual methods for finding out someone''s location won''t work, then I''ll step my game up. I''ll be using all of your brains, so let''s square up and have a proper meeting. To the plaza!"

    ?

    What? I won''t come. I''ll just keep on searching for Hyunda.

    "Hey, crybaby! What are you doing?! We are going to the plaza, don''t be dramatic and come along. You aren''t going to find him. You don''t understand a single thing about that bastard''s mind."

    "Oh, and you suddenly do? I''m not going!"

    Why do I have to come along? Just because Yulia and Daniel are on their way out of the viewpoint already, that doesn''t mean that I will accept this.

    Plus, what the hell? I don''t understand a single thing about Hyunda? Fuck you. Die. I understand him so much better than you do!

    "Oi, are you seriously defying me, bitch?"

    "I''m not a ''bitch''. Piss off, I''m busy."

    Yulia and Daniel are gone and so, only Kawahara and I are here on the viewpoint, so being slightly aggressive doesn''t exactly ruin my image.

    "Then you are fine with me telling everyone else what you did."

    "What are you talking about? You''re awful at throwing ultimatums."

    "But, Arkalee, I know. Everything. You surely must''ve fucking laughed a couple of times and you might''ve thought of yourself as some sort of genius but it was all so obvious that it''s peak comedy how no one else has noticed it."

    "Again, what are you talking about!?"

    Throwing a coin that he had reserved in his left pocket to the air, as the toss reached his pulse after he looked at the result, Kawahara spoke once more.

    "Lucky you. Or not. I know all of it. You''re behind the Ikkiri drama."

    "No, I am not."

    "Of course you''ll deny it. I have no evidence here. You did work yourself well on that part. But it''s really obvious it was you."

    "Believe what you want, it wasn''t me."

    That''s just baseless. He doesn''t have evidence, so he can''t do anything about this.

    "I''ll start spreading rumors then. Or, you can be a good bitch and come along. Which one is it gonna be?"

    "You''re nonsensical. I won''t fall for your taunt. Go ahead and spread those lies then. I didn''t do it."

    "Did what, Arkalee?"

    What''s with that question? You literally said it yourself, you insolent conceived pig.

    "Writing down those hateful words at Ikkiri. I wouldn''t do anything so horrible!"

    For now, at least.

    "Hahaha!"

    But suddenly, amidst this lonesome atmosphere, Kawahara, with his right hand, took ahold of his abdomen and fell on the floor laughing while simultaneously rolling on the floor too.

    "...What''s so funny?"

    Despite me saying this, it didn''t stop him from laughing still.

    Only after ten seconds did he get up and confront me again.

    "Oh... Hah, I was laughing at your stupidity. It''s really fucking massive. Also, you''re really dumb. But, like, really dumb, Arkalee. Probably the dumbest bitch I''ve ever encountered and that''s saying so fucking much, buhahaha!!!"

    "Oh yeah!? And how am I stupid and dumb?! You''re just throwing illogical insults to hurt my feelings, you vile creature!"

    "Ah, they are not illogical though. I was laughing because I claimed that you were behind the Ikkiri drama and you denied it."

    "Yeah, so?!"

    "But then, when I asked ''Did what, Arkalee?'', you literally replied with a different answer! I claimed previously that you were behind the Ikkiri drama and you denied it yet a second later, your response to my provocation was ''Writing down those hateful words at Ikkiri. I wouldn''t do anything so horrible!''! You dumb bitch, that''s a completely different thing yet you didn''t realize it!"

    O-Oh no, I...

    No, no. Keep calm, don''t fall for his provocation. That was just a slip, that''s all. Maintain your posture!

    Don''t let him intimidate you!

    "Hey, Arkalee. There''s no need to deny it. I do seriously think that with a few adjustments, your plan could be flawless. But, it''s really not. You have my praise. Still, come along. Or else I''ll expose the entire truth. You might not believe me, but I can argue through everything and convince a person that my words are the absolute truth. In other words, I can make everyone in our class believe that it was you who did it."

    Kawahara is someone I need to keep my eyes on... He doesn''t shut up nor knows how to behave in a civil manner for the most part, as he just loves to boast about his thoughts and whatnot.

    I might have to get rid of him...

    "Okay, I''ll come along. Only because I need to find Hyunda. You will find his location, right?"

    "Maybe. I can, without a doubt, find the location where he has been, no doubt, but there''s a slim chance that the bastard might be onto something already."

    "So you can''t do it?!"

    "No, that''s not what I said. I can find his location. However, finding the bastard might be far too sketchy of a task."

    Huh....!?

    "What?! That doesn''t make any sense! You either find him or you don''t!"

    "Ah, you''re so fucking retarded. You didn''t get what I just meant to say, did you? Well, whatever, we are losing time here. Or, is that your aim? To lose time. If not, then come along. You will benefit greatly."

    "Fine..."

    There is one thing I know for certain. For some reason, Kawahara wishes to track down Hyunda''s location and there''s also the fact that Kawahara is demonstrating a persistent attitude about this topic.

    Something tells me that I will benefit greatly from this.

    6 pm. Theaters.

    "Okay! I''m back! That was so fast that I''m surprised that there weren''t any people in the line! Even the receptionist was surprised!"

    On my way back to meet Hyunda, I had the tickets with me and thus, we could re-enter the theater room once more just by handing them out to the guard that was on the hall''s entrance.

    Hyunda, was still in the same position, with his back against the wall, looking into the middle of the air, as if in a daze. With his legs fully extended yet with his right knee slowly retracted, he whispered some words to himself.

    "My time is limited..."

    And from the looks of it, he probably didn''t pay much attention to the words I have just spoken.

    "How so?"

    Nevertheless, I still asked that, when I reached his side.

    This current behavior of his was so more like him. Precisely speaking, he looks to be dwelling in very long deep thoughts; almost like he''s not aware of his current surroundings. Yet, despite that, he immediately looked at me before speaking.

    "How long until the movie starts?"

    "Three or four minutes... Why?"

    "I see. I''ve told you that I can''t exactly reveal my location right now, right?"

    "Yes..."

    "I forgot to fix something preemptively, so I really can''t do it on my own..."

    What?

    Does he need help?

    "What''s wrong? Are these people disturbing you?"

    "Somewhat. However, that''s not exactly a problem if a certain thing is done. Could you help me out?"

    "Oh, does it involve one of those thrills again?"

    "You could say that."

    It should be fine as long as the same incident doesn''t happen again, surely.

    Be ''incident'', I mean that unfortunate turn of events where he got to look at what he shouldn''t have.

    "So, tell me about it, Hyunda."

    As I said this, Hyunda started to take something out of his right pocket and as soon as I saw what it was, my jaw fell down a few centimeters.

    Furthermore, I couldn''t help but express shock as well.

    "H-Hyunda! How do you...!?"

    "I need you to give this packet of notes to the receptionist and tell him that he can have it if he does one very simple thing. That being: He has to lie in the case that someone asks if a silver-haired boy is inside the theater''s rooms. Tell him that he has to affirm that a silver-haired boy is not here. Furthermore, he also has to further claim that a silver-haired boy just passed by five minutes ago and went straight to the dining area. That''ll be all."

    "W-Wait! I''m not sure if I can do all of this... It''s way too confusing, Hyunda!"

    There are so many details and just way too many---

    However, before my thoughts could go any further, Hyunda quickly rose up from his position and met with my height in an instant while also placing his hands on my shoulders.

    Plus, he also closed our physical distance for quite a lot...!

    "Wh... What are you---"

    "This is really important. Without you, I can''t do this. Only you can help me. No one else. Should you do this, whenever you are in the middle of trouble, I will quickly repay you with all my might. Do this and you have my eternal gratitude and I will surely compensate as soon as you need it."

    He''s so damn close! Aren''t our lips almost connecting at this point!?

    This is too much for my mind to process right now!

    "Um, okay, sure, just back off a little, would you? No need to be so close suddenly!"

    Shortly, I stepped away a few meters to regain my posture that was quickly shattered by that sudden movement of his.

    "I mean what I said. Unlike anyone else, I will reward you. Your efforts will gain validity."

    .........

    My efforts... Gaining validity?

    "Haha... What''s with that? You don''t have to be so serious now, Hyunda. I''ll do it, so you don''t have to fake an attitude."

    "I''m not faking it! This is true! I am being serious right now! You no longer need to feel like you are the one doing everything on your own!"

    "..."

    "Ah, sorry. I didn''t mean to shout. That was not intended, Sana."

    "No, that''s fine... But... How exactly do you know?"

    It''s like the second time that Hyunda does this. I feel as if he knows a little bit too much about myself or that his accurate guesses are way too much on point.

    "Because, whenever you are around Yulia, you always put her and Arkalee first. That''s not a coincidence. Anyone should know that, however, no one actually cares about that. But, what if I said that I do care about the way that you act?"

    "Ah... So that''s why... Listen, you... Don''t really have to try and cheer me up. It''s an option, you know? I like doing favors for my friends."

    "But they don''t reward you. They don''t deserve that luxurious treatment that you give them, do they?"

    "No, they---"

    "They don''t. But, you are such a good person that you will still defend them. I understand. Nevertheless, that will just block your ability to be selfish, Sana. Do you want that? To always do favors for others without ever being rewarded in the process? That''s almost similar to slavery. The slave has to do all the orders and never ever does the slave get rightful treatment."

    "Okay, stop, Hyunda. That''s not true... There''s no way that you could tell that much just from observing our past conversations... That''s just ridiculous, man."

    "That''s how I got to know this factor about you, Sana. But, alright. I can understand if you don''t want to talk about it. The truth is though... Will anyone else actually care about this?"

    It''s impressive how someone that I just got to know a little bit better today has managed to decipher so much about me.

    Ah, yes... It''s true. I do a lot of favors without ever seeking a reward and that always drags me down in the end, but that''s something that I just accepted as a natural consequence for being too kind.

    Never have I thought about breaking this rule though.

    "Probably not... But, not like you will care though. So, why are you---"

    "I already do. Why do you think we are having this exact conversation right now?"

    Hearing those words from him, in a moment of guilt, gave me bliss to my heart as I felt like someone actually cared for the very first time.

    Thoughts of possession and adoration started to overflow yet I admittedly abolished them in my mind without a single second thought.

    "So you are saying that you do care? That you do care about me? In that sense? Look, I don''t know what your aim is, but you should stop. It''s really not gonna work, just saying."

    "And why is that?"

    "Because..."

    "You''re afraid of others seeing you for what you are and not for what you show them that you are. A clear difference there."

    "Hah... Maybe, maybe. So, if you know that, you should also know that that''s precisely why it''s not gonna work. I am the type of person who has a shell to protect, so, I''m sorry. I know that you want to show me that you care, but I---"

    It''s not as if I don''t realize this part of myself. I am aware of my own insecurities, but trusting my own insecurities to someone else is just...

    No, wait... Why are we having this type of talk?! Isn''t this the talk that couples only have?! What the hell!?

    How did this happen!?

    "Alright, alright. I get it. You''re hard to get. That also means that you are most likely worth the effort."

    "W-What are you talking about? Do you realize how suggestive that is...?"

    "Yeah, I do. It''s also meant to be serious, as I was not joking just now."

    H-Huh? Is he... serious?

    "But, Sana. I don''t have much time. I''m sorry to ruin the atmosphere, but could you...?"

    "A-Ah! Of course! Ooops, I forgot! My bad there! I''ll be right back! Get going inside, I''ll meet you up inside!"

    "Got it."

    Once again, for entirely different reasons, I directed myself to the receptionist yet while I did so, I quickly reminded myself that those who speak greatly about their ability to care are often irresponsible and that is why I won''t get swayed by Hyunda''s words.

    Because he doesn''t intend on being responsible for his words and that is why it''s not worth looking for a reward.

    In the end, I''m never rewarded for my efforts and that will continue to be.

    Irresponsible people like Hyunda don''t actually intend on being there as they will always leave when the moment calls it. Which is why I refuse to be drowned into nonsensical expectations and happy trains of thoughts like a stupid little girl.

 Volume 14 - Chapter 99.5: Spout lies, show off, lean and fall down.

    Plaza. 4:15 pm.

    On the plaza''s center table, Arkalee, Kawahara, Tatsu, Yulia, and I, were ready to hold the mini-meeting, to decipher Hyunda''s location.

    Almost an hour had gone by but from the looks of things, it all might assemble to nothing. Simply because Kawahara is far too cunning in scenarios like these.

    Speaking of Kawahara, as soon as he got his cocoa, he sat down on the table, and subsequently, after a massive sip of his blazing hot-temperature cocoa, he addressed his words.

    "Let''s start off with something basic. Mutual perspective."

    "Mutual perspective?"

    Impatient as always, Arkalee couldn''t help herself.

    "Yes. In other words, I will interrogate you four and see what you would do if you were in the bastard''s place."

    "Okay, first of, stop addressing Hyunda by ''bastard''. That''s not acceptable. Call him by his name! Also, what''s the point of this?! We are losing time, for crying out loud."

    Typical Arkalee. She doesn''t want to understand the point of Kawahara''s point and starts to cry about the most simple things. However, that''s pretty good, because we are wasting her time and by wasting her time, Hyunda can stay safe.

    Also, what happened a while ago was pretty lucky. Luckily, I managed to delete our entire texting history before Kawahara could catch my act. Nevertheless, that didn''t erase his suspicion, as it only did the opposite.

    "Not happening. A bastard''s a bastard. Also, you''ll see the point soon enough. Crybaby, go!"

    I still think that ''leech'' is more accurate than crybaby yet despite my inner complaint, Arkalee took her turn immediately.

    In the process of doing so, she started blushing...

    "Um, okay, so I have to imagine that I am Hyunda, right, right?!"

    "..." x4.

    Awkwardly, we all posed a transient silence, that was broken by Yulia a few seconds later.

    "What Kawahara is trying to insinuate in simpler terms is... What would you do if you were Hyunda right now? Where would you go in order to completely hide? The school is pretty big, so think about this well."

    While I don''t know where Hyunda currently is, I am indeed curious to know how he can supposedly escape Kawahara''s methods of searching.

    Just what are those methods though?

    "Yeah, I noticed, Yulia. Well, I would obviously surrender, haha. I mean, what''s the point? I am going to find him eventually, hahaha."

    Not sure what I was expecting.

    Simultaneous to my inner thought, Kawahara expressed his sudden discontent right away.

    "Unbelievable. Simp, next!"

    "How many times do I have to say... Bah, okay. So, Hyunda, right? Before speaking my mind about this, aren''t there just way too many places in this school to hide?"

    Tatsu''s correct. There are far too many places to hide at this point.

    In agreement, Kawahara replied back, calmly.

    "In theory yes. However, what we are looking for are places to hide that normally aren''t accessible to outsiders in general. Public places, therefore, are out of the equation."

    So he noticed...

    "Then, dorms?"

    "That''s the basic choice. But no. I can confirm that the bastard is not inside our dorm."

    "How do you know that, Kawahara?"

    "Are you questioning my resources?"

    "Yes, I am."

    Although Tatsu doesn''t know, if I had to take a guess, Kawahara''s probably referring to either Kuzan or Rayazaki. Even Akihiko could fit the bill.

    There''s also the fact that Hyunda could hide in King George''s room, probably. However, the main problem with this is that, if all of those three are at the borderline of the dorm''s entrance, then it would be quite literally impossible not to spot Hyunda, so I sincerely doubt that Hyunda would go for such a bad choice like this.

    "Very well then. The bastard could not have entered the dorm because I have ways of knowing whether or not he has entered. However, is that all? Is that your guess? You would attempt to hide in your dorm if everyone was out for your location?"

    "...Yes."

    "Pathetic. That''s the most obvious choice of all. You, next!"

    Pointing out to Yulia in a feat of rage, Kawahara persisted with the order after Tatsu brought disappointment to the table.

    It was still better than Arkalee''s answer...

    "I have a name... But, if I was Hyunda, I would hide in a place that has little to no public access. It''s impossible to leave the school, right?"

    "Haha, I wouldn''t be too sure about that, Yulia. After all, this is Hyunda we are talking about! He surely must''ve thought about a place that no one would be able to guess."

    "No, but... Arkalee, that doesn''t really matter. On the assumption that Hyunda is inside the school grounds, he would have to hide in a place where our entrance would usually be restricted. Tatsu''s option isn''t so bad... But, would Hyunda, like, invade a dorm just like that?"

    From left to right, in response to Yulia''s question, Arkalee waved a no signal with her forearm and hand.

    "No, no, that''s impossible. Because that would imply that he would have to interact with other girls and that''s quite literally impossible."

    The hell?

    "Why is it impossible though?"

    Unable to contain my silence, I spoke to Arkalee, who looked at me in response as well as the rest.

    "It just is. He promised me that he wouldn''t talk to other girls sooooo. Yup, impossible!"

    Would Hyunda actually keep his promises though?

    Doubt it.

    Nevertheless, I returned back to my silence, which allowed Yulia to proceed.

    "Okay... I think we have to think about the places where our entrance would be forbidden. Not like entirely forbidden, but suddenly forbidden."

    "What do you mean, Yulia?"

    "Um, you see... Kinda like how when you go watch a movie, if you are late, you can''t enter it, right? Places like those... So---"

    "Wait, wait. That''s a really fucking good one."

    Taking his phone out of his pocket with lightning speed, Kawahara, after saying those words and interrupting Yulia in the middle of her speech, shocked us with his abrupt enthusiasm and a manic smile that was all over his face.

    "Wait, what did you realize?! Tell me!"

    Arkalee, not sustaining the suspense that Kawahara was creating while almost smashing his phone just by tapping with his fingertips aggressively on his phone screen, asked him that.

    Furthermore, she also rose up from her seat, crooking her posture all the way to the front just to get his attention to speak, which was ultimately futile, however, after a short while, after being done with his deal on his phone, Kawahara spoke, not to Arkalee only but to all of us.

    "Has anyone here ever went to the theaters?"

    "No..." x3.

    "Yeah, I have."

    Despite Arkalee, Yulia, and Tatsu''s negative replies, I told the genuine truth as I already went to the theaters with Sana.

    Saying this brought a little bit of sadness to Yulia preemptively but it was almost transient as it didn''t last for more than a single second.

    "Dan, what is it like? Describe me in detail. Don''t be lazy!"

    "Fine... First of all, just like any theater''s, there are movies on top of the outside of the theater''s room, so you know what movie to pick. The peculiar vision really helps. Also, if this helps, while it does display new movies, it also displays older movies, which is awkward, if you ask me, but fun at the same time."

    "Dan, I said to describe me in detail, not to tell me your thoughts on the details. Very big difference."

    "Fuck you. Anyway, as I was saying, there are the reception lines, around 2 to 3, but the majority of the times, only one is open because not a lot of people go there now due to the festival, you see."

    "That''s relevant. Go on."

    Why is that relevant though?

    "Oh, yes. Some of the receptionists look like students, so there''s a slim chance that they are there on a part-time job. But, what are the odds?"

    "That''s also pretty relevant, Dan. Continue."

    Scratching the back of my hair, I continued as it was issued to be.

    "Either way, you are allowed to buy tickets to the respective movie, but once you go inside the hall that has the movies'' rooms, before that, you have to handle your ticket to the guard. After that, you are free to do whatever you want. I mean, you go and watch your movie in the respective room, that''s it."

    "So that''s it? You didn''t bother to look further except just directing yourself to the specific room and watch your movie?"

    "Yeah. Why would I do that? No sense."

    "Disappointing, Dan. Nonetheless, that was helpful. Also, the bastard''s playing it well."

    Concluding that trade of words about the theaters, Kawahara pulled out his phone once more and directed those words to all of us.

    Tatsu, curious, spoke melancholically.

    "What do you mean? Have you found him?"

    "No. But I''m positive that he''s inside the theaters right now. There''s just something missing here. He, alone, wouldn''t be able to pull this off. Therefore, he needs the help of someone else."

    "You''re so stubborn! That''s impossible! He only relies on me and so, your suggestion is invalid."

    Exasperated, Kawahara and I traded monochromatic expressions with one another, as if having the same thoughts of annoyance regarding Arkalee.

    Kawahara defended himself consequently though.

    "I don''t hate to burst your bubble, so here''s the truth. What you just said is not true, at all. Right now, he''s undoubtedly relying on someone. Nothing you say to me can make me look past my assumption. As it stands, I''m pretty confident that he''s somehow dodging my methods. So you want to play huh?"

    No argument can be made against Kawahara once he sets his mind onto something, which is why he can be so dangerous.

    Once he believes in something and it goes according to his rationale, then he will follow it.

    Arkalee, on the other hand, wasn''t so happy about this.

    "Nonsense! That''s just not true and---"

    However, someone decided to interrupt the drama queen before she could go on an emotional rampage.

    That person was no other than Tatsu.

    "Wait, Kawahara. That doesn''t make much sense. Don''t you have to eventually leave the theaters? Can''t you just catch the bastard then?"

    Did Tatsu just call Hyunda ''bastard''? You hate to see it.

    Nonetheless, that calmed Arkalee down, for some strange reason, so she stopped her emotional onslaught.

    "Good fucking point, my guy. High five."

    Tatsu, probably not caring about the fact that he just called someone a bastard out of hatred, joined Kawahara''s palm with a huge high five.

    Slowly backing off in shame, Tatsu gave Kawahara the option to talk once more.

    "However, that''s what he wants us to think. He wants us to think that just because he''s inside the theaters right now, that he would be vulnerable to this. Here is the part where we surprise the hell out of him. But first, we will split and do an actual search."

    "Actual search?"

    "No, wait. I forgot to question a certain thing. That almost slipped my mind. This is actually very important."

    Out of all the people in this table to look at, Kawahara picked me, once again.

    As he did that, I felt a sensation of anxiety creeping inside my soul.

    His natural confident attitude along with his oblivious supernatural smirk was enough to tear down years of confidence built up.

    "Dan, who did you go with during that time you went to the theaters?"

    Tricky question. Why would Kawahara ask this? Does he benefit from the answer that I give him?

    If I say that it was Sana, then what does that mean exactly to Kawahara? I don''t know. His perception is beyond mine. As far as I''m concerned, saying that I went with Sana should backfire.

    But, before I could reply to Kawahara, Yulia swiftly took my place in the conversation.

    "How is that any of your business?! Do you even have the definition of privacy inside your brain!? I''m a thousand percent sure you don''t, Kawahara!"

    "Zip it. I''m talking to Dan over here! So, who did you go with?"

    "Don''t tell him. He doesn''t have to know."

    "So you got something to hide? Is that it? It would seriously contribute if I knew who you went with."

    Why is Kawahara assuming that I went with someone else? Just what the hell is the reasoning for that anyway?

    Yulia''s oddly on the defense here, so I decided to help her with that.

    "I didn''t go with anyone, Kaw---"

    "Liar, liar, pants on fire. Who?"

    ...........

    Why is he so persistent with this...?

    "Why do you think that I went with someone, Kawahara? I could''ve just watched the movie on my own, for the record."

    Instead of speaking with his words, Kawahara went to his phone again and after a few seconds, he showed us a picture of me and Sana entering the theaters.

    Naturally, this set Yulia in madness.

    "How dare you! You stalked them?! What is wrong with you?! You are so mentally insane, Kawahara!"

    "That''s actually not possible. Insanity is a legal term---"

    "Oh my god, you are so repulsive, you creature! Just admit that you stalked them! Also, if you knew then what''s the point of asking that question!? Did you do that for your own entertainment!? Sicko!"

    "Partially. But, see, this had an ulterior point. As you all know now, Sana and Dan went to the theaters, so here is the ultimate thing that all of you have to understand. There''s a 60% chance that she''s helping the bastard out."

    Eventually, I would like to know how Kawahara got that picture and it''s certainly creepy, but what he just said greatly took my interest right away.

    Still, he got up from his seat and sipped all of his cocoa without any fear before speaking to us all one last time.

    "Alright, here''s the deal. We will split each other and we will search for the bastard in every possible location in the school that we can. HOWEVER, you are not allowed to search the theaters. Because, otherwise, it will ruin all of this. Yes, I''m talking to you in specific, crybaby! Avoid searching the damn place. Yulia, Tatsu, keep an eye on her. Dan and I will search for other areas on our own. When it''s 6 pm, we will meet at the theaters'' entrance. Don''t be late!"

    Without any complaints, we went separate ways and started our search throughout the whole school.

    6 pm. Theaters'' entrance.

    Reunited, we five stood back at the entrance of the theaters.

    Yulia looked happy to see me, so I flashed a smirk in response, however, Arkalee was biting her nails off while upholding an obsessive-compulsive look on her eyes, which left Tatsu in the middle of perplexity.

    "Without a doubt, we didn''t find him. We all surely went to all places available that we could, right?"

    Kawahara''s correct. I don''t know about Arkalee, Yulia, and Tatsu, but we both couldn''t find him.

    Now, I do realize that I''m doing a bad job. My job is to keep Arkalee away from Hyunda, but I''ve also mentioned how that''s most likely impossible, right?

    Here''s why it''s impossible.

    "Where, where, where, where, where, where are youuuuuuuuuuuuu?!"

    With words that crept us all out transiently, Arkalee didn''t hold back in expressing her despair. She further continued that, while looking on the ground and stomping on it, simultaneously.

    "There''s only one hour left... One hour left! God, we have to find him! He''s in there, isn''t he?! Come on, what are we waiting for?! Let''s go already!"

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Arkalee, out of patience, attempted to leave the entrance, but Kawahara was having none of that, as he firmly held her in her place with his hand on her wrist.

    "What are you---"

    However, it wasn''t just Arkalee. Kawahara, out of sheer force, pulled the four of us into the left side of the entrance while emitting the symbol of silence with his index finger supremely tall on his thumb.

    "Silence. Here is where we will play the game for real. Give me ten seconds."

    If Kawahara''s intentions were to get into a physical fight, then my stance would change, but given that it was not, I held myself back.

    Plus, Kawahara took a picture of something while hiding himself and only sticking out his arm.

    As soon as he was done, he quickly shifted his position to the center and showed us his picture.

    Upon that action, Yulia was the first one to speak.

    "...Sana?"

    "I said 60% chance, right? Scratch that. That''s a fucking 90% chance now. Now, let''s think about something. What could she be doing here?"

    "Watching a movie?"

    "Thanks, Captain Obvious. Really helpful."

    While I do agree with Kawahara that Tatsu was completely obvious with his reply, what was the point of asking that if he already knew the sort of reply he was going to get?

    "But yes, that''s correct. She''s here watching a movie. Or rather --- she''s going to watch a movie. If the bastard is inside the theaters'' rooms, then he has to be in the same as Sana. You could argue that it''s possible that he might be in a different one, but the chances are way higher when you consider that he might be in the same room as her."

    "Kawahara, how many times do I have to tell you!? That''s just not possible. Hyunda would never do that! He promised!"

    "Whatever, crybaby. Here''s how it''s gonna go down. First of all, I want you all on your knees!"

    We were about to argue back at Kawahara''s suggestive words, but as soon as we witnessed Kawahara kneeling down and taking a small peek at the reception line, we followed his example and took a look at what was happening.

    From afar, we witnessed Sana seemingly purchasing her ticket. However, we were so damn far that we couldn''t witness whether or not it was one or two.

    "Goddamn it, this distance is so fucking bullshit, but we can''t get close. Fuck!"

    Kawahara''s angry retort was understandable. In the sense where getting Sana to witness us might backfire.

    Hyunda, also, I''m sorry, but I''m really curious to know how you are getting out of this one. There''s no more room for argument, as we speak.

    These four pests, myself included, are dying to know your location.

    "Fuck, she''s not showing her tickets. She''s hiding them instead. What the hell? Why is she doing that? No fucking sense..."

    Kawahara, once again, spoke angrily.

    "So, what do we do now, Kawahara?"

    Tatsu, not knowing the next step, asked Kawahara that.

    We all glanced at Kawahara''s face in order to tell us some sort of clue, but he eventually spoke.

    "We question the receptionist. But first, I need you to contribute!"

    By that, he was referring to Yulia.

    Yulia, looked surprised, as Kawahara pointed at her as if she was essential for this to suddenly work.

    "Me...?"

    "Yeah, you. Give Sana a call and ask her where she is. We all know for a fact that she''s fucking inside, so if she lies, then she''s covering for the bastard, one-hundred percent!"

    I''m surprised Arkalee isn''t arguing back. She looks like she''s thinking about something while maintaining a semi-pissed off expression.

    That''s mysterious.

    Furthermore, as I checked the time on my phone, I noticed that it was 6:05 pm.

    "Alright... Just a second."

    "Speakers mode, if you may."

    "Fine..."

    Thus, just like that, Yulia delivered a call to Sana.

    6:04 pm.

    On my way back, once again, I witnessed Hyunda mumbling to himself some words, for the second time.

    However, despite that, I just went ahead and informed him of the success in my task.

    "Hyunda, it worked! Well, why wouldn''t it work, right?! That was so much! Just how did yo---"

    "It''s running out. Soon enough, no... It''s getting closer. The chances are rising."

    Speaking words that I can''t understand, Hyunda, still on the floor, got up, and spoke to me.

    "Sana, this might be sudden, but do you always reply fast to Yulia? In terms of calls?"

    "Huh? Well yeah! She''s my bff!"

    But why is asking that...?

    "I see. In the case that she does call you, could you tell her that you are inside the ''Superbad'' room? Just in the case that she calls you and asks you where you are and what room you are, alright?"

    ...What? But why would Yulia just call me and---

    "Oh..."

    "Pick up fast and remember my words."

    "Okay, I got it."

    Out of instinct, I picked up the call swiftly without wasting any time.

    6:05 pm. Theater''s entrance.

    "Sana?"

    Loud and clear, we could all listen to Sana''s upcoming words, as expected of the speaker''s mode.

    "Yulia? Heeey! What''s up!?"

    Sana, with enthusiasm, replied.

    Kawahara, on the other hand, firmly looked at Yulia, as if to remind her what she had to do.

    "Nothing much, Just wondering what you are up to. Where are you? I wanna meet up with you!"

    With a thumbs-up, Kawahara indirectly praised Yulia''s words.

    "Oh, I am inside the theaters right now! I''m watching Superbad! It''s really, but really funny! Oh... Sorry, maybe I should''ve told you that I was coming and invited you along. The thing is, I wanted to leave you alone with Daniel so you two could have more time, y''know?"

    Awkwardly, I was forced to face Yulia''s bright radiant smile that somewhat forced me to blush, almost as if it was a natural reaction...

    "Thanks! But I---"

    Yulia cut her speech because Kawahara did the throat cut gesture, signalizing Yulia to end the call.

    "Something important came up! I''ll give you a call later! Enjoy the movie!"

    Hastily, Yulia ended the call without any mercy.

    Thus, we returned to our previous state.

    "Okay, what was the point of that exactly?"

    "Simple. We check the ''Superbad'' agenda. If it matches and it starts at 6:05 pm, then she didn''t lie. Otherwise, she did. Got it?"

    Oh, I see.

    That makes sense.

    If Sana is lying and the agenda doesn''t match, then chances are, she''s covering for Hyunda while lying about this.

    Plus, we can just capitalize on that mistake and snipe the movie that is starting. By doing that, we can know which movie is starting, and thus, we can, ultimately, hopefully, decipher Hyunda''s location.

    "Alright, let''s go and check it, then!"

    Notwithstanding the suspense, Arkalee got up and thus, we directed ourselves as a group to the receptionist.

    There was no line, as the whole thing was somewhat deserted at this point. It was getting pretty late, so to speak.

    Regardless, that didn''t stop us and so, upon reaching the reception line, the receptionist spoke to us.

    The receptionist looked far too young and from the looks of it, he''s also a student at this school.

    Probably on a part-time job that the school allows him to be in.

    "Hello there! How can I help you all?"

    With a bright smile, he receives us and treated us with immediate hospitality.

    Out of all of us, Kawahara spoke with confidence as always.

    "What movies started at 6:05 pm?"

    "Funny you ask! All of them! Ah, except for one. Birdman! It starts at 6:10 pm! Just three minutes from now!"

    "I see. Thanks for the info. Also, did you by some chance see a silver-haired individual passing by?"

    Finally getting down to the essential question, Kawahara created suspense within the atmosphere, as we waited for the receptionist''s reply.

    However, we were taken aback when the receptionist replied with sudden enthusiasm, implying that he had knowledge about this.

    "Ah! Are you talking about someone who has a really apathetic look on his face along with silver-hair?!"

    "Excuuuuuuuuuse meeeeeeee?! What the hell do you mean by----"

    It''s a good thing Kawahara interrupted Arkalee right away before she could scare the receptionist.

    "I see. Very valuable. Also, three tickets for Birdman! Love the damn movie!"

    "Got it! Also, I think I saw the individual go to the dining area... He looked like he was in a hurry. As if he was trying to run away from something. Well, not sure if that helped you or not, but just wait a minute, I''ll give you the ticket right away."

    Leaving that massive hint, Arkalee flashed a gigantic smile, but Kawahara didn''t.

    As a matter of fact, Kawahara distanced himself from the receptionist and went to the center of the large room while telling us all to come over.

    Naturally, we did such and we ultimately heard what he had to say.

    "It shouldn''t be a surprise, but that''s massive. Therefore, his location could already be open to discovery."

    "What do you mean could?! He''s in the dining area! The receptionist even described him as an individual that was trying to run away from something! That''s obviously Hyunda!"

    "Simmer down, crybaby. You''re way too gullible. Tatsu. Yulia. If you don''t mind, could you check the dining area?"

    "For what purpose though, Kawahara?"

    "That''s simple, Tatsu. We can''t trust everything we hear these days. In other words, while you two will search for him, we will do our investigation here. Therefore, we shall split up, again. Dismissed."

    Apparently, they agreed with Kawahara''s reasoning, as Yulia and Tatsu burst off to the dining area which was still considerably faraway.

    Nevertheless, despite that, Kawahara simply erupted a devilish grin from his lips and started to lowly laugh in front of us before addressing his new words.

    "As you noticed, I bought three tickets for us, and here is what we will do. We will, collectively, check every room and we shall start with the Superbad one. He is without a doubt in one of the rooms. He has no way to escape. I had to let Yulia go away because she wouldn''t agree with this. So, with that said, grab your fucking tickets, and let''s go."

    Given that Kawahara paid for those three tickets, we went straight to the hall''s entrance and started out endeavor.

    Joker''s room. At the exact same time.

    "Sana."

    "Mhm? What''s up? Another favor? You''re relying on me quite a lot, haha."

    On our seats already, we were ready to rewatch the movie, as five minutes had already passed.

    "Yeah, sorry. Could you tell Yulia via texting that you were feeling sick and you went to the dorm ahead?"

    "Hyunda, I hate to lie to Yulia..."

    "It''s part of the thrill. The climax is almost done. We are soon arriving at the conclusion. However, the conclusion won''t be a phenomenal one, unless you do this. Please. It''s just a text. Also, you can use that as an excuse to get Yulia to talk to you later, right?"

    "That''s... Mhm... Alright. But the conclusion better be worth it."

    "Surely."

    Well, I''ve come thus far, so what''s the harm? Plus, it''s not like I''m lying out of spite, it''s just for the sake of seeing what he has to offer. I do want to see the conclusion of this and what it will lead to.

    Ultimately, I delivered that text to Yulia.

    Superbad room.

    On our way to the room, even though we were supposed to watch the Birdman movie, we ''accidentally'' entered the Superbad room.

    Given that the entrance was located below the seats, we couldn''t witness the people that were seated yet Kawahara dashed forward and after glancing upon the individuals seated, he laughed a tad bit.

    Arkalee also went to check with Kawahara.

    As for me, I felt my phone ringing and saw the message that Yulia left, saying that Sana was feeling sick and that she went ahead to the dorms.

    "Wait, guys. Come here."

    Giving Kawahara and Arkalee a short notice, I signaled them to come here with the light of my phone.

    Upon clashing with the text that I showed them, they grew further skeptical.

    "The hell... No, I''m not buying it. We will check every room respectively. Also, Dan, try and open that door."

    Kawahara pointed at the door that was located on the right side of the entrance. The door itself looked like a utilization space, similar to that of a pantry.

    Meanwhile, Arkalee was too busy creeping every single spectator with questions about Hyunda''s whereabouts.

    As for the door itself, it didn''t budge. Not one bit.

    "Nope. Nothing. Why did you want to check though?"

    "Just a suspicion, but if it doesn''t budge, then it''s locked. Considering I don''t want to cause a ruckus, I rather not go out of my way to do so. After we are done here, let''s check every other room. In the end, if he isn''t here, then he has moved out. Got it?"

    "Damn, Kawahara. You are taking this pretty seriously. Is this about what I said back then? About joining you?"

    "Partially. But, I have another motive. I just know. I know that the bastard''s fucking with me. He thinks that he can get away with this foolery."

    He seems pretty mad.

    "Also, ask Yulia to text Sana if she knows about the bastard''s whereabouts. We might just find what we are looking for."

    "Alright."

    On Kawahara''s decree, I texted Yulia exactly that and Yulia gave me a short confirmation that she was about to text Sana.

    Regardless of that, after Arkalee came back empty-handed, we moved out to another room. Considering that there are ten in total, we were still far from the last one.

    Joker''s room. At the exact same time.

    "Sana."

    "Oh, what, what?"

    "It''s time."

    "Time for what, exactly?"

    "To win, of course. Get up. We need to make a short stop."

    With force, he took ahold of my right wrist and started to drag me out of my seat, however, not in a complete savage way that I felt like he was forcing me, as I just went along.

    "Wait, where? Will we leave the room? But I thought that we were going to watch the movie..."

    "And we are. This will just take five minutes. Follow me."

    "Yeah, okay..."

    As we made way to the room''s entrance, I received a text from Yulia and Hyunda took notice of that.

    It appears that he wants to know...

    "Wow... It''s about you, haha!"

    "What does it say? If you don''t mind telling me, that is."

    "Ah, not at all. She''s asking if I know where you are. So, what reply do I give her?"

    At this point, I already know what he''s going to say. This is sorta fun. It feels like we are partners in crime or something.

    I didn''t know that this thrill could be this addictive.

    "Damn, Sana. You''re better than I expected."

    "Hehe, of course. So?"

    "Dining area, obviously. But tell her that I might''ve already left to go somewhere. Further, tell her that you only caught a glimpse of me eating when I was almost done eating and that is why you think that I left already."

    "Jesus, that''s a bit too detailed. How does your brain keep up?"

    "Onions keep me alive."

    "Hah, what?"

    "Nothing. Either way, tell me when you are done. You''re a fast typer, right? Show me what you got. Twenty seconds. Go!"

    As soon as Hyunda declared that, I typed all of that to Yulia as fast as I could, in order to beat his expectations.

    Thus, in fifteen seconds, I did all of it, which was unthinkable at first, but for some reason, I managed to pull it off.

    Ultimately, I showed him my phone''s screen and got smug about it pretty quickly.

    "Heh, that''s what you get."

    "Bravo, bravo. Now, let''s hide, shall we? We don''t have much time if we are being honest right now..."

    "Okay, but where?"

    We were standing at the room''s entrance, specifically speaking, right in front of a door. I did take notice of this door, but Hyunda is firmly looking at it while pulling out something from his blazer''s pocket...

    "Here. Inside this small cramped space."

    "Huh? Why? No, wait, better yet, how? I''m pretty sure it''s locked! As a matter of fact..."

    Wanting to confirm whether or not it was locked, I went ahead and showed him that it was locked, as I couldn''t simply open the door lock.

    "There, it''s locked. So, we can''t get in there. And, what''s that?"

    Although I said this, I was already firmly aware of its appearance, as it was a dark-blue key that Hyunda had inside his blazer''s pocket.

    To further surprise me, as Hyunda slid the key inside the door''s lock, I heard a clicking sound and that made me awe immediately.

    "W-Wait did that just...! It''s open! It''s really open! But how?!"

    "I carry this for tough occasions such as these. I called it ''omnikey'', but you are free to refer to it as you like. Get inside."

    "Omnikey... Wait, does that mean that you can open like anything you want?! The hell! You''ll have to explain how that works! Also, this is small as hell!"

    "That''s a lot of ''hell'', miss. Be careful, your imaginary god might judge you and smite you down."

    With those words out of the way, I entered this dark small space that had no illumination whatsoever.

    Hyunda closed the door, but soon enough, I felt my body clashing with his, which caused me to feel straight-up embarrassed. Nonetheless, I didn''t react in an exaggerated way, even if I wanted to.

    "Alright, explain yourself, mister."

    "I don''t want to lose sight of you in this dark space, so it''s a greater move to have you be in my sight. But, given that this is a dark space and that I can''t see you right now, I need to know where you are. Which is why body connection is the only choice. Does this bother you?"

    "Oh, you mean the fact that you are basically feeling my boobs?"

    "I mean, yes. They are pretty fine, I gotta say."

    "Why thank you, Hyunda. So, do you want your dick to be chopped off or will you continue to praise my body parts in a very blunt way?"

    "Spare me."

    Accidentally, as I was in the middle of laughing lowly, I moved my right hand and I felt a hard structure of his body that I had no knowledge of. It was located more in the middle, as I attempted to locate the exact area.

    With my right hand, as I continue to unknowingly feel that zone of his body, I noticed it immediately.

    "Wait, you have ab---"

    "Sorta rude for you to say those words but then touch in parts where you aren''t supposed to, don''t you think?"

    Embarrassed, I took my hand off his abdominal area and further unable to eliminate my embarrassment, my words came out pretty shy.

    "U-Um, sorry, I just had no idea that you, um... No, wait... Why are we here, Hyunda?"

    "About time you asked. You see, we have to stay here for a great total of five minutes. Because, accordingly, any second now, a group of individuals will walk in."

    "Are you talking about the girls...?"

    They just don''t leave him alone, huh?

    "No. We will have very familiar guests here, any second now. I need you to not make a single noise, alright?"

    Familiar guests? The only familiar guests I can think of are my own classmates.

    Arkalee, maybe? Yeah, that would make sense.

    "Sure... But, I didn''t hear you lock the door. What if they decide to attempt to open the door? They should be able to find us, just saying."

    "I could do that. Locking the door is an option, but what''s the fun in that?"

    "Um, Hyunda? Won''t that mean that if they do that that they will find us?"

    Or am I missing something?

    "They are free to try. I''ll just use my left hand and use force to create an illusion that the door is actually closed when it''s not. Try not to laugh when you realize that they were forced into thinking that the door is locked when it''s not."

    Wait, is he serious? Doesn''t that require like a brutal amount of physical strength...?

    Didn''t he place last in the sprint test? I guess maybe running isn''t his strongest suit?

    "Hehe, alright."

    Loudly, after I said this, we both heard the entrance door almost being slammed and along with it, some familiar voices that could be heard from the outside.

    "This is it. Last fucking room. He''s either here or he''s not. Dan, Arkalee, check the above seats, I''ll handle the below ones. No one''s in the medium ones, so get going. We are losing time, as we speak."

    That was Kawahara just now.

    And he mentioned Dan, which is undoubtedly Daniel, and he also mentioned Arkalee.

    What the hell? They are here? The three of them?

    By the way, since our bodies are so collected together, it''s been getting pretty evident that Hyunda, without a doubt has them.

    "You can talk for the next twenty seconds. Low though."

    "Okay... Why are they after you...? Arkalee is one thing. But, Daniel and Kawahara? What?"

    "I told you, I''m popular. For different reasons altogether though."

    "I see, I see. Also, you are a show-off, by the way."

    "Am I? But I don''t show off, do I?"

    Is he serious now? I am feeling something that is the equivalent of a rocky texture and I am positive that it goes beyond six. Because you know, as if six weren''t, like, enough already!

    "Wow, must be nice for you. You can just use them so any girl falls for you. Because, you know, girls nowadays just want abs and abs."

    "So you like abs?"

    "Can''t deny it. But, when they come from a playboy, then that''s a big no."

    "How am I a playboy, Sana?"

    "Are you kidding me? You---"

    My almost silent rant couldn''t be allowed to go on, as Hyunda forcefully placed his right hand on my mouth while assumably, his left hand is on the lock.

    Furthermore, with his body, he simultaneously pushed my body to the back of the door, while putting his right knee in the middle of my legs.

    This guy is so bold!

    "Where the hell is he?! He has to be in a place where he can''t be found! Like, in the principal''s office!"

    Arkalee is on the verge of defeat, as her words are starting to sound just like how a wounded hound howls after getting stabbed in the liver multiple times.

    Arkalee...

    You don''t know the concept of privacy. That''s why you and Hyunda just won''t...

    "How many times must I tell you, crybaby? He can only be in places like this where you are only restricted from entering accordingly, not permanently."

    Yet here you are, Kawahara.

    Are we seriously losing our time just because of them? What the hell. These brutes are trying so hard to invade his privacy, for what reason exactly?

    "Oh..."

    That was Daniel right now. Did he realize something?

    "What?"

    "Kawahara, Yulia''s saying that Sana told her that she saw Hyunda in the dining area. But that he probably already left because he was almost done eating. Well, isn''t that our clue? First the receptionist, now Sana."

    How the hell...

    Why is Yulia telling Daniel this? No, wait. Wait, wait...

    Yulia''s only telling this because I texted her that info. But, the one behind it is...

    "......Am I overthinking this...?"

    "You probably are. I mean, where else could he be?"

    I hope Kawahara doesn''t bother to check the door... He has no reason to.

    He should just listen to Daniel''s words and back off.

    "Alright, I get it. I won''t ignore the evidence. Though, before we leave... Dan, can you try and open the door? Use all your strength in the process though."

    ........!!

    "You do realize that I''m gonna break it, right?"

    "It is what it is."

    "If it doesn''t work, then we are leaving. Actually, Arkalee already left."

    "Fucking crybaby. Worse than 3-year-old children. I thought that was impossible, but the more you know. Alright, do it."

    What happened next was the trembling sound of Daniel trying to force his way by breaking the door lock with his sheer physical force.

    But, given that it wasn''t happening, Hyunda was being successful.

    Out of curiosity, I tried to feel his left arm and as I did, I could only feel a rigid texture and well-developed muscles.

    His firm and uptight shoulder felt so developed that it contrasted the slender look that he gives. Furthermore, as I allowed my hand to incline into his triceps, his brachii muscle felt like a rough diamond that could only be described as unbreakable and thick.

    Rippled structures to follow that could only be described as tense and stable were felt. Even through his current task, he didn''t shake a single bit, thus implying that it was nothing to him.

    I know for a fact that he wouldn''t stop me now that he''s busy matching Daniel''s strength. Or is it Daniel that''s trying to match his strength?

    "What the fuck? I... I literally can''t. What the hell is this lock made of?! Pure steel?"

    "No... The material is way more solid and it''s definitely not steel. Alright, my turn now."

    Okay, since it''s Kawahara''s turn, considering how he always boasts about his physical strength, I''m sure that even Hyunda won''t be able to let loose now.

    I''ve witnessed Kawahara''s physical body structure since he enjoys showing off quite a lot and I can only say that a build that ripped is not something to laugh at.

    But...

    "The fuck? What? Huh? No fucking way."

    The trembling sound from the lock being constantly warped, or rather, the attempts of being warped, were no cause for Hyunda, as his muscles didn''t vibrate at all; maintaining their firmness permanent throughout it all.

    Nevertheless, Kawahara was not done, as he persisted even further, from the looks of it.

    "How the fuck?! What the fuck is this made of!? Titanium?! Tungsten?! Inconel?! Chromium?! This shit makes no fucking sense! I''m trying to bust through this lock but it''s just not budging! Rough motherfucker, I''ll bring you down, just you wait---"

    "Kawahara, the guard is here...!"

    "Oh shit. Run."

    On Daniel''s signal, footsteps that would match those of a person who was running for his life were heard. Thus, I instantly assumed by Daniel''s words that the guard had shown up and that they were forced to retreat.

    I don''t know if right now is a good time or not...

    Should I speak?

    "Are you having fun, Sana?"

    "Eh? Ahh, that was pretty fun, yeah! They were actually convinced that the door was locked!"

    "Kawahara wasn''t, but the rest, yes. Also, a certain person did a really good fucking job."

    "You mean me, right?"

    "As well."

    As well...?

    "What do you mean by that? If it wasn''t for me then this wouldn''t have worked, right? Or am I wrong, Hyunda?"

    "Certainly, without you, this wouldn''t be possible."

    "See, I told you so---"

    "By the way, Sana."

    "Mhm? Yeah?"

    "Are you having fun?"

    Why did he just ask me the same question twice?

    "I already said that I was."

    "Right. Let me rephrase that --- Are you having fun indulging yourself into particular parts of my body?"

    "Ah..."

    Crap. I never took my hands out of his body. Even through his uniform, the sentiment is so real that it''s almost as if I''m touching the naked muscle.

    "But, you know, Hyunda, you do have your knee still stuck in-between my legs. It''s only fair play."

    "That''s true. So, you don''t mind the fact that I have my knee in the middle of your legs? My bare knee breaching the edge of your skirt? Are you fine with that?"

    "W-Well, I can''t let you think that you have the upper hand here so..."

    "So, it''s a yes? Then, do you want to take it to the next level?"

    ...Wait, what!?

    "What are you talking about?! Come on, we are gonna miss the movie at this rate---"

    Although I tried to reach the door lock, Hyunda''s hand was already there, which didn''t allow me to open the door.

    Wait, but that means...!

    "Sana. We are at that age. We are bound to reach a state of mind where we will want to not care about everything else and commit one single act based on lust. No one will come. I can lock the door. If you don''t raise your voi---"

    "W-W-W-What the hell are you talking about?! I can''t believe you just suggested that!"

    "I mean, do you not want to do it? For the record, I also carry a condom with me all the time. You might think that it''s nonsensical but I actually beg to differ. Nowadays, you never know when you might get laid, so--"

    "Not one more word! Let''s go back and watch the movie or I''ll scream!"

    "Relax girl. It was just a joke. I was faking it."

    "Wow. Just wow. Now you''ve done it."

    Thankfully, he removed his hand from the door lock, which allowed me to open the door and retake my seat.

    Currently, I am very angry. Gosh, I hate playboys like him.

    "Oh, come on! You don''t have to be mad. While it''s true that I carry a lot of things with me, you know what I also carry with me? Lots of kindness and caring."

    "That''s weird. Considering that you carry lots of things, you clearly don''t carry decency."

    "That''s just not true."

    "Nope, don''t care. Don''t talk to me for the next hour. Just be glad that I''m not moody to the point of exiting the room right now."

    "Wait, Sana. I''m really serious. It was just a joke."

    ....??

    I had to stop halfway on my way back to our seats and face him in the middle of this poorly illuminated room that only had the light that the movie was emitting throughout the room.

    "You keep on saying that it was a joke, but then you say that you were serious. What the hell, decide."

    "Aw, what''s the matter? Are you feeling insecure?"

    "Wow, I fucking hate you."

    But you know what I hate more about you, Hyunda?

    The fact that you make me laugh even when I''m mad at you.

    Jerk.

 Volume 15 - Chapter 100: Compromising for love, it鈥檚 like swallowing a spiky blowfish whole.

    After Kawahara and I had to run for our lives in order to not get busted by the guard, we quickly caught our breaths outside of the theaters and arrived at a plausible conclusion.

    "Dan, we''re being played."

    "This again...? Dude, you are way too much of an overthinker... What is it this time? What conclusion have you arrived?"

    I thought that Arkalee was problematic enough, but since she ran off to the dining area and hasn''t returned, I can only assume that she found Hyunda in the process.

    So, why is Kawahara still so damn skeptical about this? We didn''t see Hyunda inside the theater''s rooms, so, what''s the deal?

    "It''s probably not what you are thinking, Dan. I can''t ignore the evidence that was shown to me. However, there is something that hasn''t been confirmed yet. Sana''s whereabouts. I can''t move on from this unless I know for damn sure that she''s there, inside her dorm feeling sick."

    "Are you seriously still thinking that Sana is somehow involved? Get a grip man. They don''t know each other. If Hyunda and Sana were somehow collabing in this, then it would mean that they must''ve developed an early sense of synergy with one another and that''s just not the case and you know it."

    "...True..."

    As Kawahara reflected on his over-thinking, I emphasized on his doubt. He has a constructed habit of being far too cautious about certain things.

    Especially his self-asserted assumptions.

    Plus, from another point of view, it looked like he was doing this just for the sake of being successful and not the other way around.

    Ultimately, after idly looking around the already-late dusk sky erupted on a lonely canvas that only this peculiar view to us could show, Kawahara, laid out a few final words.

    "It''s 6:15 pm... Given that we only have 45 minutes left, at this point, the bastard could be in a really obvious place. Even through my methods, we didn''t find him."

    About that...

    "Kawahara, it''s just the two of us and the students that are passing by probably won''t hear us, but what are those unique methods you speak of?"

    "Come on, use your brain. I''ve already implied several times how I''m achieving these tracking feats, but you still haven''t gathered a single clue about it?"

    "When have you implied it though?"

    "Bah, forget it. You can go and meet them in the dining area. If the bastard''s there, give me a call."

    So he''s not telling me.

    Nevertheless, even though he just told me that, he keeps on looking at the theater''s hall entrance without looking elsewhere.

    "Are you gonna stay here?"

    "Yeah! I''m still not convinced. When the movies are over, I will check who leaves, and based on that, I will be able to determine whether or not the bastard''s actually here or not."

    Jesus...

    "Dude... We checked every room and even went as far as to try and open every single door! Even the guard came after us because we were up to no good! What exactly are you thinking?!"

    If Kawahara is so uptight with this decision, then I can only think that he''s probably right and that I''m just not seeing it from his perspective, which is why I want to know his perspective.

    Assuming that he has one.

    "There''s no specific rationality here. I''m just going to follow my belief until the very end, that''s it. If you want to contribute then do all the possible things that you can to ensure that Sana is inside the dorm. If she''s not, then she one-hundred percent lied to Yulia, you hear me? Still... That would mean that he''s SOMEHOW aware of all of this. Am I giving him too much credit? I mean, he has no way of knowing... Or maybe that''s what he wants us to think. That we have no way of knowing and so he will---"

    "Kawahara, I''m just gonna stop you right there. Man, what is happening to you? You are acting like you are being driven into a corner but the worse part about this is that you are the one that''s doing exactly that. Have you stopped and looked at yourself for a second?"

    I am expecting him to act out of violence right now, so I should prepare myself just in case...

    However...

    He''s actually reflecting on my words, surprisingly.

    Furthermore, with his two hands, he touched both of my shoulders and spoke to me very calmly and serenely.

    "Dan, you''re right. I wasn''t being myself. I must''ve been overthinking. Still, I''ll do this. Yet, that''s it. Your words were reassuring. Forget about what I said. You don''t have to check if Sana is in her dorm or not. I''ll handle this by myself."

    I''m not too sure about that.

    He did bring a good point regarding Sana, so I, unfortunately, out of curiosity, will not obey your command, Kawahara.

    "You do you. Don''t be late for dinner. King George''s a tyrant to those who are late."

    "I would be damned if I didn''t know that."

    "Alright, best of luck."

    With a fistbump, we parted ways, as I went to the dining area and Kawahara remained on the outside entrance of the theaters.

    Joker''s room. 6:30 pm.

    Without any interruptions this time, we could finally take our seats back and watch the movie.

    However, despite my warning and slightly going out of my way to tell him that he was lucky that I wasn''t moody enough to exit the room, Hyunda, nonetheless, kept talking to me while simultaneously watching the movie.

    "You''re mad. Please don''t be mad."

    "You''re annoying. Hyunda, if a girl tells you that she''s moody then it''s not a good idea to disturb her. I thought this was common sense but apparently not to everyone."

    Although we are speaking to each other in a very low volume, that still doesn''t mean that it''s alright to bother me when I''m this mad.

    Stupid jerk. He does suggestive things but then starts confusing me. I hate indecisive playboys like him.

    Actually, no. He''s not indecisive. He''s just playing an image that makes me think that he''s indecisive while he''s actually not. He does have a level of absurd confidence in him, that much is obvious.

    "I think that''s contradictory though. Because I''m sure that if I know the reason as to why you are mad at me that I can make you less moody."

    See?

    This is what I''m talking about. This smooth talk. He thinks that I don''t see it. That he just wants to flirt and waste his time.

    "Okay, you want to know? Fine! Your attitude really bothers me! How can you do such suggestive acts but then pass it off as a joke?! You don''t do that. That''s not how it works. You only apply those suggestive acts when you are actually serious, you insensitive jerk!"

    "If you are mad because of that, Sana, then it means that you took my acts seriously then."

    .............

    "...No. That''s a misunderstanding, Hyunda."

    "Is it?"

    "Yes."

    "Is it?"

    "Well, n--- I mean, yes! Shut up! Watch the movie!"

    "My eyes are on the movie screen, so I''m doing exactly that."

    They really are. He''s firmly looking at the screen, while here I am, like a complete dork, decently looking at you.

    Ah, I see. You can pose a conversation of this intimacy but still, casting a single glance at me is too much, huh?

    Fine, fine.

    "Hey, you started to ignore me. Don''t do that."

    "Silence, please."

    Only five seconds went by, so how the hell can he determine that I am ignoring him? I could''ve just been thinking about my answer, but that was not the case whatsoever.

    "Alright, so back to the topic. I do believe that I did suggestive acts. But, isn''t it fine?"

    "No, it''s not. As I said, you only do those types of acts when you are allowed to."

    "But, Sana, you didn''t mind them. As a matter of fact, you did something similar. You went ahead and felt parts of my body without my consent."

    "Er, that was just because you did the same. You even admitted to enjoying it."

    "I really did."

    "Oh my god, you are not supposed to confirm it..."

    I also can''t believe I just blushed of that... I even had to cover my face with my own two palms in the middle of the dark.

    No one in my whole life has ever been this bold. Aren''t you supposed to be, like, embarrassed when it comes to topics such as body parts, or are you that damn lustful!?

    "What''s wrong with your boobs being attractive? It''s just the truth. If you allow me to feel your bosom, then I wi---"

    "I will fucking scream if you keep this up."

    "No luck, huh?"

    I mean, are they really that------ No, no, what the hell am I thinking?!

    Gosh, this guy is so repulsive. I know what he wants, I really do, but that''s precisely why not getting swayed by words is crucial.

    "Look, Hyunda, why don''t you go and meet up with Arkalee? I''m positive that if you have this type of conversation with her that she''ll be more than happy."

    "Are you saying that because you want to help Arkalee out or are you saying that because you want to avoid getting my attention? Which one? Also, don''t say both, only one."

    Damn it, I was going to say that...

    "It''s because I don''t want your attention because I already know your intentions. They are not good. Also, you have a really wicked way of thinking. Don''t think that I haven''t forgotten about it. How you told me and Daniel to keep it a secret from Yulia that Daniel and I were talking about how to improve their relationship behind her back. That''s something I don''t like doing. Lying behind my best friend''s back!"

    "Really? But you just did so a while ago."

    "What? No, I did not------"

    All this time, I didn''t notice... Wait, no... I did notice it''s just...

    "See? Even you are self-aware. You did lie to Yulia. You broke this rule of yours because it was fine."

    "Wow, I hate you soooooo much! This is how you treat someone who helps you out?! Maybe you should just go and ask Arkalee to do every single damn favor, huh!?"

    Out of anger, I attempted to rose from my seat, but Hyunda took immediate hold of my right wrist, chaining me down to my original position.

    "What are y---"

    "I am thankful for the fact that you lied. But, I''m not criticizing your action. I really, really think that you did what was best for you."

    "And how was lying to Yulia the best for me?"

    "It was the best for you because you finally enjoyed yourself in doing what you are doing; however, you still did it for someone else, which was me. The only difference is that I said that I would deliver a plausible conclusion and I did, so you got rewarded. Yulia, Arkalee, all of them; won''t give you any reward for your efforts. I will though."

    "..."

    Is that really it...? Did I actually enjoy myself when I lied to Yulia for the sake of seeing a plausible conclusion to all of this?

    Oh god, what did I do...

    "Don''t feel bad. I do believe it''s alright to lie for your own self-enjoyment."

    "Hyunda, that''s wrong and you know it..."

    "So what if it''s wrong? Did you not enjoy the experience? Lying is just a small price to pay if you think about it. Yulia will never know the truth, so she will always think that you were telling the truth."

    "That''s even worse, you know? Because that would mean that I am lying to my best friend and that she''ll never know. I can''t possibly live with such guilt, for the record."

    "But, Sana. That''s what you did. How are you going to live now that you have openly lied to your best friend?"

    "Shut up. I''ll try not to think about it..."

    I''ll just pretend like this didn''t happen. Stuff like this will only happen once and it won''t happen anymore. It''s alright, because, it was just one time, that''s all...

    "You can''t. You will think about it because it happened."

    "Fantastic. So that was your goal all along? To make me feel guilty?!"

    "No, very much the opposite. I''m saying that if your efforts aren''t rewarded, that you have all the right in the world to lie to the other person. What you did for someone that doesn''t reward you does not need to go any further than that. And so, it''s alright to let them have the consequences. However, they will never know, so what''s the harm?"

    "The harm is you. You think that doing the wrong thing is fine. As a matter of fact, you support it..."

    Hyunda''s basically suggesting that evil is the equivalent of being in a state of mind where everything you do gets a pass...

    That''s really... messed up. And the more I look into his eyes, as he finally looks in my direction; I can only sense a feeling of dread as if to spell me the simple message that he doesn''t intend on changing his ways.

    That he will continue on being like this...

    "But, isn''t that my problem? If I think that it''s fine, then it''s fine, because I approve that it''s fine."

    "Yeah, I get that, but you are trying to get me into thinking that doing evil stuff like lying is fine..."

    "That''s because I want you to see it from my perspective. Your current perspective will not let you be happy enough to the point where you will feel rewarded for your actions."

    "Wow... I could just argue that I don''t care about this ''reward'' that you speak of, you know? What then? What would your argument be?"

    "I don''t need to think about that, because as I mentioned earlier on, everyone seeks to be rewarded for their efforts at one point, Sana."

    "Maybe this hasn''t arrived at that point."

    "I wouldn''t be so sure, Sana. You do realize that you will keep on thinking about my words and then, sure enough, you''ll notice how true they are. But, that''s what''s interesting about you. You already know that you aren''t being rewarded for your efforts and you are fine with it. Why though?"

    Damn, Hyunda''s really persistent. He''s just taking advantage of the fact that no one has ever been this persistent with me throughout my life.

    The worst part of this is that he doesn''t know this yet his impertinent confidence allows him to continue on.

    Usually, boys just stop at one point when they realize that they are walking into a territory that is dangerous to approach, such as ''personal history'', but this guy doesn''t care at all.

    "Okay, fine you want the truth? I don''t think I deserve to be rewarded. And, also, you can''t relate to why, because you can''t feel guilt at all, can you? As you might''ve noticed, everyone in our class has done things that they regretted and I am not different in that regard. But, what would you know? You''re as heartless as it gets. You are here but you are not here."

    "But I''m here though."

    "You didn''t understand... You just don''t get it at all."

    "No, I did understand what you were referring to. You''re talking about my emotional absence and I''m telling you that that''s not true. You got that image from the way I act with Arkalee, didn''t you?"

    "Yeah, so what? It''s your fault for acting that way around her. Do you realize what sort of image you give to the public even? How can you expect people to think of you as someone emotional or just someone who has a great understanding of how someone is currently feeling? You don''t..."

    It goes further than that.

    I''ve noticed that through every conversation or interaction that they have that Hyunda just doesn''t care at all, but Arkalee''s blind to the point of thinking that this can change, but it''s not that simple.

    I tried to warn her that she isn''t following the correct steps but she keeps playing into his game. Soon enough, at the hands of this playboy, she''ll just become another one of his other girls.

    I know your stereotype too well, Hyunda. You can''t trick me...

    "Well, that''s natural. That''s the type of understanding you would get based on my reactions to Arkalee. But, why do I act that way though?"

    "Duh, because you don''t care for her and you also don''t have the guts to tell her that."

    "Oh, you''re aware that I feel nothing for her. This just makes it even easier. Yes, Sana. That''s why I''m perceived as someone who can''t have an emotional understanding, but what if that perception of me is wrong?"

    "So you can actually feel, is that it? Also, are you having fun toying with her sentiments? That''s not a nice thing to do, for the record. You shouldn''t toy with someone else''s sentiments..."

    Though, it''s Arkalee''s fault for being so gullible and needy of him. That''s the prime reason as to why she''s in such a warped state of mind...

    Regardless, Hyunda''s at fault for being the source of that.

    "That''s not my problem, is it? Isn''t Arkalee free to feel whatever she wants to feel? Or do you think that I''m at fault here?"

    "Well, sorta... While it''s true that Arkalee is at fault for this, you are as well..."

    "No, I don''t think I am. Imagine the following scenario: One day, I suddenly wake up and after I walk out of my dorm, I notice that every girl in school had noticed something about me that they find attractive and thus decide to harbor feelings of affection for me. Whose fault is this? Mine or theirs?"

    ...............

    "Theirs... But that''s different! This is just one single person!"

    "It''s not different, Sana. The point of my argument is that whoever feels affection is responsible for controlling that affection and Arkalee, just can''t do that. How would you feel if someone started to like you? Would you blame yourself for being too attractive or would you blame the other person for having those feelings that you don''t want that person to have in the first place?"

    Is he telling me that I am too attractive or is he being so hypothetical that he''s just lying about it?

    "For the record, did you use the ''too attractive'' option, in a hypothetical sense or not?"

    "It can be whatever you want."

    "No, say it."

    "Are you sure, Sana? Because even if I say it, then you will just throw some random tantrum."

    It''s not random. I am just feeling insecure regarding your preferences and there''s also the fact that I do like to feel emotionally secure.

    Nothing wrong with that.

    "Go ahead, then."

    "Yeah, sure. You are attractive. But, you are aware, right? You haven''t tried to fight back against this argument previously. Only when I got to your massively attractive body parts."

    "That''s because you started to be a pervert about it..."

    "Yeah, can''t help it."

    I''m pretty sure you can...

    "We are drifting way too much from the topic, so I''ll resume. Arkalee has certain feelings for me, but what about me? Do I have feelings for her? You know the answer already."

    "Yeah, I get it, Hyunda. You are an obnoxious insensitive asshole."

    I mean, was that his point? Because I got it perfectly, then.

    He''s bothering to explain to me why he feels no remorse even when a person like Arkalee is madly in love with him. Because he has no reason to feel guilt as he sees no wrong when someone else loves him; as he additionally sees it as it''s Arkalee''s fault for having feelings for him.

    Ultimately, he did imply that since it''s her fault that he doesn''t have to take responsibility for it.

    I think the worst part of this is that I do agree with him.

    Not his methods though. They are so wicked and full of lies.

    "That was still not it. I was only saying that I don''t feel that way for Arkalee and I''ve explained my reasoning for such. I hate responsibility, you see."

    "I find that hard to believe. You go through such lengths and then you claim that you hate responsibility? If you hated responsibility then you wouldn''t have done anything, at all."

    "Are you telling me to embrace the emptiness that life has to offer and do nothing at all while I wait for my demise to come?"

    ".......No. I''m just saying that if you truly hated responsibility that you wouldn''t have made Arkalee feel the way that she''s feeling."

    "But, Sana, that was not my fault. She did it all by herself. It''s all in her imagination. In her mind. Imagine if someone started to love you and then----"

    "I get the argument, but... Don''t you find it a little bit unsettling that you are fine with ignoring someone''s feelings like this? That you are lying and not feeling anything in the process? Not a single feeling."

    ...I might''ve been wrong about something. This is somewhat of a new experience.

    Playboys usually aren''t this apathetic; they are more sentient. Not even narcissists or manipulators are capable of being this heartless because they usually lie about how they feel, but he...

    He''s not lying. He''s speaking the honest truth about how he feels nothing towards Arkalee whatsoever.

    And that''s disturbing because you are supposed to feel a sense of guilt if you are partially responsible for the way that she''s feeling yet that''s very much eliminated here...

    "No, not really. Why do you feel that way? What made you feel that way, Sana?"

    "Are you referring to what makes me feel guilty?"

    "Yeah. There must be a reason as to why you feel like this."

    ...I could just tell him that that''s how an average person feels. How an average sentient human being acts, but it''s a little bit more convoluted.

    "I''m not telling you."

    "Let me guess. It''s related to what you did to get yourself in here."

    "How clever, Hyunda. Yes, it is. But, I am still not telling you. Not like you would tell me what you did."

    "What I am, what you perceive me as, is not related to what I did, as the primal source of my attitude and way of thinking far outgrows the reason why I''m here. Sincerely, it''s not even related. I cheated my way up here if we''re being honest."

    What? Cheated?

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "Wow, Sana, so unfair. You tell me twice that you won''t tell me but then you do the dirty trick of attempting to manipulate me into telling me what I did."

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    "I knew you''d notice, that''s why I didn''t bother, hah."

    Yes.

    I have noticed just from this day alone that the person who I am with right now, is not exactly normal. Very far from it.

    However, I was firmly aware that all of the students from my class were like this, but they displayed symptoms of actually being normal. So did Hyunda. But just from this day alone, it''s pretty clear that he''s another force.

    "But, you know, Sana. Just because I feel that way for Arkalee, it doesn''t mean that my feelings will react the same way for everyone else."

    "I strongly doubt that, mister."

    "I love you."

    "Yeah, no. Nice try though."

    I see where he''s going with this. He''s even laughing while saying those words, but since they are a joke, I will not get offended, even if they are incredibly suggestive.

    "Can we go on a date?"

    "Rejected, mister."

    "Miss, can I be the subject of your love?"

    "I will have to pass!"

    Honestly, we are just laughing at this point, but in all seriousness, it would never work. He treats this as a joke and I don''t. I''m only able to treat this as a joke right now because I know that he''s joking about this.

    "No, but seriously, why not?"

    "I told you why, Hyunda. You are a playboy and I am not falling for your sweet words."

    "But why do you think I''m a playboy though? What''s your reasoning behind that? I don''t flirt with every girl I encounter. As a matter of fact, I just don''t. Aren''t you like the only exception here? Think about that."

    I''m the exception here...?

    No, no, that''s just a lie. Because in the past, with Arkalee, he--------

    He...

    He what? I never witnessed Hyunda actually flirt with her nor praise her in a romantic way. It was all Arkalee...

    Wait...

    But then that means....!

    "W-Wait! You''re serious?! What the hell! I thought that was a joke, you moron!"

    "And why would you think that it''s a joke? Because I was laughing?"

    "Well, yeah! You aren''t supposed to laugh when you are in the middle of confessing your feelings! Also, I don''t believe you. Nope. Not one bit. You have no reason to feel attracted to me---"

    Then, as his lips started to move, I had to immediately interrupt him for obvious reasons.

    "On second thought, don''t bother replying to that! Huge no! Rejected! Not happening!"

    Wait, but is he serious or not? He has confirmed that he doesn''t love Arkalee and that he is not caring for her sentiments but then he says those words?

    Ahhh, what the hell!

    "But why? Your playboy argument doesn''t work anymore. Another reason."

    "Looooooook, even hypothetically speaking, it wouldn''t work! Because Arkalee doesn''t leave you alone, so it''s impossible! She''s really, really attached to you, in a physical way too! It''s a damn miracle that we have been here together alone! It''s obviously not gonna work again, Hyunda."

    "And why though?"

    ....???

    What''s with that self-explanatory question!?

    "It wouldn''t work because Arkalee''s always there! There''s not a single moment where she''s not. Should''ve thought ahead of time if you were gonna confess in such way while having a madly obsessive girl around you at all times."

    "But Arkalee''s not around me all the time."

    "Are you kidding me...? She is."

    "Really? What about now? Where is Arkalee?"

    "She''s... I don''t know... But she was here not too long ago! Searching for you!"

    "You''re right, Sana. She was. But, she was, nonetheless, unsuccessful regardless."

    I mean...

    Yeah...

    But that''s like, only because Hyunda made all of this in order to be unsuccessful for Arkalee. And, like, it wasn''t just Arkalee.

    It was Kawahara and Daniel too. Probably Yulia too...

    "But it won''t happen again. This was just a fluke."

    "No, Sana. It really wasn''t. I planned this."

    "You... What...?"

    "I''m serious now. All of what has been happening thus far, today, has been under my control. We can have this moment for ourselves without Arkalee being around because Arkalee is currently searching for my location, but she''s clearly not finding it. Well... It is sorta unfortunate that others are on our case as well. But, as you can see, Arkalee''s absent. And, this doesn''t have to necessarily be a one time only."

    Wait, is he suggesting that...

    "You can''t possibly be suggesting that you can make time for me because you can''t. Arkalee will be there."

    "No, she won''t. That''s why we would work."

    "Hold on... No, we still wouldn''t. You hate responsibility, right? You wouldn''t go out of your way to create a situation like this every time! Plus, it would have to change! If it''s the same every time then everyone will start to suspect, you know?!"

    I shouldn''t have to say this but this obviously won''t work because Arkalee will just try and know his location 24/7, so I really, really, have no idea what Hyunda''s thinking.

    Furthermore, he said that he hates responsibility, and clearing up a time to make this in his schedule just for being with me sounds like something he wouldn''t do.

    "While I do hate responsibility, I wouldn''t mind doing it to meet with you."

    "Wh... No, no way. You''re just saying that to impress me. You''re not really serious, are you?"

    "Then, do you want to do this again?"

    "You mean doing meetings like this while nobody is aware of it?"

    "Yeah."

    Mhm...

    I mean, it''s pretty exciting and fun. But the thing is...

    "No, I don''t... Not if it means lying to Yulia."

    "Not to worry. That won''t happen."

    "Huh? How can I trust you, Hyunda? You are probably gonna make me lie to her unknowingly..."

    "So the problem is Yulia, right? No one else meets the equation, but Yulia. You hate to lie to her and that''s it. The rest is fine, right? Arkalee doesn''t view you as a friend, but Yulia, she''s different to you. She does view you as a friend and you view her in the same light, right? Or am I wrong here?"

    "Well, yes. I don''t really care for the rest that much. Yulia''s an exception. I hate what I have done and I feel guilty enough, okay?"

    I really, really, will not lie to you anymore, Yulia. I''m sorry, I just... was having too much fun.

    Maybe one day I''ll tell you this and hope you won''t find it offensive...

    "Fair enough. As I said, from this point on, you won''t have to lie to her."

    "But wait... Are you implying that you are willing to actually go through the effort of diverging Arkalee''s attention away just for the sake of meeting up with me? Hyunda, you don''t have to try so hard. Enough already, I get it. You''re beyond average. You have made your point."

    "But don''t you like the idea?"

    "What''s the idea, Hyunda?"

    "The idea of meeting up in secret, while nobody from class knows a single thing about it. Doesn''t it remind you of forbidden lovers?"

    "Mhm, yea--- Ah... Hahaha, that was a good one. I almost fell for that one. Still, no. I already said that you are rejected. Whenever you are rejected, you are not allowed to try again."

    He almost got me with that one. I almost agreed to that since it''s true.

    Forbidden lovers are the type of lovers that nobody thinks that they exist nor do they exist in anyone''s eyes but themselves.

    "But Sana, you never really opposed to the idea of liking me. You just rejected me because of Arkalee. And I''m telling you, that''s not going to be a problem. What we did today, can be achieved multiple times."

    "Hah, what do you mean ''we''? I don''t need an ego boost, Hyunda. I know it was all y---"

    "No, you really did play a relevant role here. Far too relevant, but you are not even aware of how relevant you were. Also, you didn''t deny my previous statement. Which means that you are fine with me, aren''t you?"

    Crap, I forgot to deny that...

    "Er, no, I really don''t accept you. Um, your methods are really evil and I don''t like that."

    "They might be evil but they are exciting, aren''t they? They are hard to perceive. Admit it. No matter how much you think about how I managed to pull this off, you can''t think about it. It''s natural. Because it''s intentional. The same goes for every individual that has partaken in this."

    Well, well.

    I suppose it''s normal that he''s on point? If he did plan this, then he surely must''ve seen this coming a mile away.

    "Ah, congrats. That''s exactly right. You are fun, but we wouldn''t work."

    "Why not? Are my methods that much of a problem? I can treat you in a way that''s not evil. Just try me."

    "Okay, maybe you aren''t the problem... But you don''t know much about me. Plus, this is so rushed! We have already developed so much in just a few hours...! That''s not normal! Normally, you take a really long time and develop a bond, this is just..."

    In my mind, my perfect romance would be a long one, where lots of hardships are witnessed, and only after multiple arguments and doubts do I get together with the one I love and we embrace each other in a rhapsody of love and warmth.

    However...

    He''s breaking so many rules!

    "I hate to wait, Sana. I was born impatient. I see no point in long romances. If we can develop a bond this quickly, a depth this deep in just a few hours, then why wait longer? My words, what you just heard on this day alone, nobody else will tell you except me. You can live years of your life and you will only meet insecure and immature individuals who may turn out to like you but they will not have this confidence and level of caring that I have. Admit it, I''m not a poor choice for you. As a matter of fact; the very opposite."

    ..........

    I swear I have never met someone with this level of persistence... Then again, that''s part of his trait, now that I look at it.

    "You know what, you''re right. You''re pretty good as an individual. You got the looks, the intelligence, and your choice of words is beyond amazing. I''m frankly skeptical as to why you haven''t just shown everyone around you what you really are, Hyunda. However, you are still evil."

    "What if I''m not evil when I''m around you?"

    "But that''s impossible, Hyunda. Because to be around me, you''d have to lie to others, thus being evil."

    This is a paradox that he cannot escape.

    "No, but that doesn''t really matter, does it?"

    "It does. I hate your methods, for the record. Change that and I might give it some thought. Also, this is all under the assumption that Arkalee does not interfere. Her presence ruins the whole thing. But, you won''t change your methods, you see."

    "Sana, why do I have to change in general? Isn''t it fine if it''s just when I''m around you? Unless I am the way I am, we won''t be able to hold meetings in secret such as these. You are being unfair..."

    "...Mhm... Fine, but... If it involves Yulia and lying to her, you can forget that!"

    "So, it''s a yes? Can we skip straight to the kiss and bang?"

    "Oh my god... Haha, that''s not even funny. But worth the shot. No. For now, it''s a no. You are going to have to show that you actually care and that you are being truthful. By the way, should any of this be a lie, I will end you, but you should already know that, right?"

    "For now, huh? Remember that."

    "Yeah..."

    ....Did this seriously just happen...?

    Well, I set a few restrictions, so he''ll have to fulfill them, but it won''t work... Arkalee will just be there and yeah, all ruined.

    That''s why I''m not even gonna get my hopes up. Also, Hyunda probably thinks that I don''t notice, but he will leave me eventually. No, we aren''t lovers or anything like that. Nothing of that sort, but when his persistence goes down, he will start to get bored of me and will leave me.

    Yes, this will happen. I am certain.

    "By the way, if you are having negative thoughts about this then you shouldn''t. I will break that illusion of yours in a flash."

    "Hah, it''s like you can read my mind. Are you capable of that?"

    "Of course I''m not. I''m just warning you in case. Also, don''t fall in love with someone else in the meantime. That would be really anti-climatic, Sana."

    "You have my word. I won''t. The same applies to you. I won''t fall for you."

    "Are you certain?"

    "Yes, I am. Super certain. Also..."

    "Mhm? What''s wrong?"

    All this time, as we have been simultaneous watching the movie, a few seconds ago, Hyunda decided that it was a brilliant idea to...

    "Mister, get your damn hand off my right leg before I---"

    "Alright, alright. How harsh. Here I''ll let you feel my arm. You were doing that earlier, weren''t you? Don''t hold yourself back. Unless you want to go down a bit and start to---"

    "Hyundaaaa, that''s a line that you should not cross, just saying! There''s a limit to how much I can forgive your jokes, you damn pervert! Your brain needs to be wiped clean... You are lucky that I am able to firmly control myself!"

    "Yes, that''s also what makes you so unique. You really do have a sense of confidence for yourself. You don''t go ''Kyaaa!'' or ''P-Pervert!'', as the majority would. I know it might not sound like much, but not hearing those lines when I''m feeling your right leg''s thigh this firmly is heavenly. Speaking of heavenly, it''s exactly the way I''m feeling right about n--- Sanaaa... You''re pitching my hand. It actually hurts."

    Oh, so he does feel pain.

    "Perfect. Time to use my left hand as well. I''m sure you can handle it."

    Right?

    It shouldn''t be much? Maybe I''ll crush his balls next. I did kick a casanova''s balls twice with a kick and it felt pretty good.

    "Nah, I''m good."

    Oh, he backed off. What''s the matter?

    "No, come on. Do it. I dare you. No, I double dare you. Put your hand on it, one more time."

    "Sana, you''re freaking me out... What the hell are you gonna do...."

    "Are you acting frightened or are you actually frightened? Depending on your answer, I will personally judge you."

    Because it''s hard to imagine that he''s actually frightened when he''s probably not.

    "Let''s just watch the movie. Oh, look, Arthur''s killing those Wall Street guys!"

    "Yaaaasssss!! The build-up! Okay, let''s resume the watch! We wasted too much time focusing on talking! I do not want to miss that particular scene, so no talking from now on!"

    "Yes, ma''am."

    Eventually, after long scenes of suspense, we arrived at the exact time of the scene as it was already halfway. Throughout the whole scene, I could feel the goosebumps swirling and crying out as I couldn''t contain my inner excitement.

    Hyunda had a grin on his face as soon as the scene started, which just meant that I wasn''t the only one looking forward to it.

    Currently, the scene was going down as a memorable moment that was volcanic and magnetic.

    <blockquote>

    Murray:You finished? I mean, it''s so much self-pity, Arthur. You sound like you''re making excuses for killing those young men! Not everybody, and I''ll tell you this, not everyone''s awful.

    </blockquote>

    As Murray finished his sentence, the climax was finally over, as Arthur''s look transcended into a cold-hearted one, as he looked at Murray subsequently. That alone gave me absolute chills.

    <blockquote>

    Joker:You''re awful, Murray.

    </blockquote>

    It goes a little bit deeper; Artur''s voice tone drastically changes to a low cry that emits oppression and rage towards Murray!

    <blockquote>

    Murray:Me? I''m awful? Oh yeah, how am I awful?

    Joker:Playing my video. Inviting me on the show. You just wanted to make fun of me. You''re just like the rest of them!

    Murray: You don''t know the first thing about me, pal. Look what happened because of what you did, what it led to. There are riots out there.

    </blockquote>

    Yet perhaps the biggest signal that Arthur was embracing this side of him or simply not caring for what the media had to offer to him, was his wide smile in response to Murray''s complaint.

    <blockquote>

    Murray:Two policemen are in a critical condition, and you''re laughing, you''re laughing. Someone was killed today because of what you did.

    Joker:I know.

    </blockquote>

    Undoubtedly after, a grin smile on my face softly rose to the surface as Arthur spoke one of the greatest quotes in all cinematic history.

    <blockquote>

    Joker:How about another joke, Murray?

    </blockquote>

    From this point on, it started to get absolutely bombastic. The soundtrack was so perfectly timed, my god!

    <blockquote>

    Murray:No, I think we''ve had enough of your jokes.

    Joker:What do you get...

    Murray:I don''t think so.

    Joker: ...when you cross a mentally ill loner with a society that abandons him and treats him like trash!?

    Murray: Call the police, Gene, call the police.

    Joker:I''ll tell you what you get! You get what you fucking deserve!

    </blockquote>

    A loud shot originated from the Joker''s gun as he brilliantly shot Murray in the middle of his head, thus making the audience scream and flee from the terror that they just witnessed.

    Unknowingly, I got up from my seat and felt immense joy from watching the scene as it was masterfully crafted in my eyes.

    Upon seeing my reaction, Hyunda also got up and said:

    "You know, if you wanna clap, do it now. No one is gonna blame you for it. There''s a total of 9 people in this room, us two included. Do it. I''ll follow your lead. Let''s get everyone to clap at this masterpiece of a scene!"

    Almost like before, if not totally like it, Hyunda read my complete intentions as I pondered whether or not it''s alright to clap at the scene.

    My skepticism originated from the self-doubt about whether anyone would follow, but now...

    I am feeling strangely confident about this, as I allowed my palms to connected briefly resonating an emitting vibrating sound within the whole hollow room.

    At first, within the initial three seconds, no other claps came forth, which brought self-doubt to the surface, but then, Hyunda followed it up with a more powerful, resonating and clashing set of claps that surely led the rest of the audience into a harmony of claps that filled the hollow room; as we contemplated the scene being displayed.

    Around the same time that Hyunda stopped clapping, a couple of seconds later, I matched his rhythm and stopped at the same time as him; as the rest did the same.

    Thus, back on our seats, our glances crossed each other and that alone struck me with a powerful force as my words got stuck on my throat; shortly after realizing that I had completely forgotten what I wanted to say.

    My gaze on you, a dangerous war.

    "That went well. All you."

    "Liar, if you hadn''t intervened, then I bet that it would''ve one-hundred percent awkward as hell. I don''t even have to think about it, Hyunda."

    "So, date as a reward?"

    He really sees everything as an opportunity, doesn''t he?

    "Praise-worthy effort. Still, rejected."

    "Sad."

    Maybe I was a little bit harsh. If that was intentional, then it was more than just ''praise-worthy''.

    Eventually, as the movie came to an end and I thought about the deep ending and the certain scenes that I could not understand surely, the lights flashed subsequently.

    As the rest of the students left, I posed a question to Hyunda, who was still glaring at the movie screen, watching the end credits.

    "Umm... That kid''s parents got shot, but like, why? How is that any important?"

    "Don''t speak too loud while saying that. Some of the students that just left could be hardcore Batman fans who will brand you on sight for not understanding the obvious reference."

    Worried, I looked at the entrance to see if any of the students had heard me, but none did...

    "You''re mocking me..."

    "No, I''m really not. But if you want to understand the reference you''d have to watch some other movies. We can do that another time. It''s getting sorta late. What time is it, Sana?"

    "It''s exactly 8 pm... Indeed late. Shall we get going?"

    "Yeah. Don''t want to keep my guests waiting for too long or their brain cells might just fry from overthinking at this point."

    How playful. He''s openly mocking Kawahara, Daniel, Arkalee, and Yulia, if not more.

    Nevertheless, despite saying that, I noticed something as I got up from my seat and started to walk at the side line that would serve as a guide to the room''s entrance.

    Hyunda wasn''t leaving his seat, which forced me to speak up.

    "Hyunda? Aren''t you getting up? You said that you were ready to leave. Or do you want me to go ahead and do so?"

    "No. Don''t go outside yet."

    He''s staring into literally nothing but the movie screen that doesn''t even have the credits rolling anymore.

    As it stands, it''s just us two in this hollow room and no one else.

    But, could it be that he''s still worried that someone is after him? As far as I''m concerned, this is the last movie session for the day, so I really doubt that anyone''s out for his blood.

    Plus, if he''s worried about our classmates, then I strongly doubt it too. It''s basically dinner time and staying away from the doors will only result in having a warning...

    "What is this about...?"

    "It''s not that big of a deal. It would just be troublesome to have all that work go down for nothing at the hands of someone whose curiosity always gets the best of him. Well, everyone has left, so let''s try our luck this time."

    With a swift jump, Hyunda quickly rose up from his seat and met me at the entrance almost instantly.

    However, as we approached the door, Hyunda spoke once again.

    "Sana."

    "You like saying my name a lot, don''t you?"

    "It might become a habit. Also, listen up. As soon as we open the door, before emerging into the flat line of the straight hall, there is a space that serves as the entrance to this room and the hall, in other words, a separation called entrance."

    "Hyunda, I am not dumb. I know what the area ahead of this door looks like."

    "Good. Now. On your knees."

    Considering the number of suggestive things that have happened thus far today, I backed off a few steps while looking at Hyunda with eyes of disgust.

    "As much as I would love to do what you have on your mind, that''s not the case. We will crawl to the edge of the entrance; beyond the door. You as well. I''m on my knees already."

    ".......Why?"

    It''s kinda funny looking at him in a crooked position with his knees on the ground as he slowly crawls his way to the entrance.

    Ultimately though, he turned his head and spoke to me.

    "We need to hide. Again."

    "Oh my god. Like, what? Fine..."

    I would complain if I was in front, but since I''m behind him, I crooked down and got on my knees thus crawling along with him to the door.

    However, this smartass felt the need to open his mouth and speak something unnecessary.

    Something that he probably labeled as super funny.

    "Sana, I forgot to say. We should swap positions. You in the front and me behind. I mean, think about it, they are after me and not y---"

    "Fuck you."

    "I refuse to believe that I''m this unfunny. Are you on your period by some chance?"

    "If I was, trust me, we wouldn''t even be having this conversation."

    "Bold, Sana."

    After this unnecessary trade of words, Hyunda, with his right hand, gave the door a little push and opened it yet to my surprise, as I expected someone in front of us, no one was there. There was just the side line of the main hall and another movie room in the front.

    Regardless of that short notice, we kept on crawling until Hyunda eventually stopped at the edge of the entrance that he described earlier. From this position, no one from the main hall''s entrance could see us, as the only thing a person from the entrance could spot or simply glance at was no other than the hall itself and we were absent from the hall so to speak.

    With all of this in mind, I threw a question at Hyunda, in the middle of this.

    "So, what now?"

    Does he want me to check if there''s someone at the entrance?

    "Don''t stick your head out. We both can''t be seen. Let me use your phone for a second."

    "Uh..."

    "I just want to take a picture. Mine''s out of battery."

    "Fine, sure."

    As I opened the camera app, I handed him my phone. He traded a short glance with me and then looked at my phone.

    What he did next was a bit puzzling, as he placed my phone on the edge of the entrance, at the bay of the ground, horizontally, only sticking out the phone enough to the point where the camera tool could be visible.

    Only using that, he took a picture, which he showed me immediately.

    "What do you see, Sana?"

    "The hall. But it''s way too extensive, so the end is..."

    "Hard to see. Now, before I zoom in, at the hall''s entrance, who was there?"

    "The guard, duh."

    Although I gave that obvious answer, I''m trying to think of other details because Hyunda might''ve implied something else yet that didn''t appear to be the case as his next words confirmed my suspicion wrong.

    "Correct. Usually, that''s about it. The guard is there, or, other students who have tickets. Now, this doesn''t currently apply as this was the last movie session, so no students should be here. It doesn''t make any sense. But..."

    Finally, Hyunda decided to zoom in the picture he had taken and as I witnessed the entrance of the hall being zoomed in, I noticed that instead of one person, which would usually be the guard, there was another person.

    But, the picture was blurry. Despite that, there was a clear factor that made me believe that the individual that was outside of the hall''s entrance was...

    "That''s a blonde hair, right? And those black chokes, it''s definitely Kawahara, isn''t it?"

    "I''m surprised. I thought you wouldn''t notice due to the image being too blurry, but that''s just not the case for you."

    "The black chokes gave it away, honestly. That''s just something that only Kawahara has... Anyway... Why is he still here, Hyunda...?"

    It doesn''t make any sense for Kawahara to be here... From his past words, he should have no reason to still be here.

    What gives...?

    "Your facial expression is full of doubt. Take it slow. Kawahara will be here for no more than five minutes. Right now, it''s 8:05 pm. The theaters close at 8:10 pm. He will be forced to leave. But, that alone, just won''t do it, will it...?"

    Speaking words of mystery to me, what was even more mysterious was the fact that he decided to return my phone and pull out a phone that was from a different model out of his blazer''s pocket.

    Just how many things does he exactly carry?!

    "Wait, that''s a different model from your usual phone. What''s it for?"

    "It''s a back-up resource, so to say. The situation doesn''t necessarily deem its usage, however, just for safety measures, I''ll have to use it."

    Weirdly enough, after that explanation, I simply witnessed Hyunda dealing out a call from this phone that I had never seen before. The color of the phone was exactly the same as the omnikey. Pure dark blue.

    Soon enough, no longer after three seconds, the call was picked up, as Hyunda started to talk, in a high toned voice, as if speaking to a very familiar person.

    "Yo, my man! Kawahara is on the loose and hasn''t returned to the dorm yet. He''s inside the theaters. Come and get him, boss. Hm? Nah, I''m not hungry. What? I like curry. Well, I love it, actually. I see. Thanks. Really? Go easy of them, they are just foolish creatures. Aight, be fast. Later, King."

    King?

    Who did Hyunda refer to exactly? I wanted to ask that, but as soon as he was done with his call, he spoke hastily to me.

    "If we are lucky, then it should be less than 2 minutes. So, let''s have a quick rundown. Busy day, right?"

    "Yeah... You said it. It was the first day that I have ever had this much fun, I think... Also, the busiest day ever."

    "Fun days are packed with a lot of tasks. That''s the curse yet bliss of it. Hey. About the movie. Did you notice a small detail, Sana?"

    "Tell me about it..."

    Arkalee would kill me if she knew that I am this physically close to Hyunda right now.

    Yet as it stands, she doesn''t know.

    Rather.

    She doesn''t have to know.

    "Before the talk show with Murray, Arthur was planning on killing himself when he was about to say ''How about another joke?''. However, at the last minute, after he witnessed how badly he was being treated by his surroundings, he instead, opted to kill Murray and pass a message to the world. That message being ''This is not fine and this is only the beginning.''. Really brave to make such a crucial decision at the last second, don''t you think?"

    "Oh yeah, I sorta noticed that. He was practicing his joke with his empty gun and it was shown that he was going to kill himself but I slowly started to forget about it!"

    "But... What if Arthur had actually killed himself?"

    "Um, wouldn''t that be anti-climatic? That obviously can''t happen. The audience wouldn''t be able to accept it and it would ruin the twist. The plot twist of the movie solely relied on that scene, as the whole movie built up Arthur''s depression. That depression would lead him to suicide in the talk show but he rose up from the oppression and gave us that mindblowing twist!"

    Seriously, all in all, I''m in love with the movie.

    The drama element is so realistic it''s absurd!

    "You''re right. All of your points are fairly accurate. However, what if Arthur, hypothetically speaking, couldn''t find his inner strength to rise from the oppression and fight back? Wouldn''t he suicide?"

    "Well, if you put it like that, then yeah, he would..."

    "It''s funny, Sana. With the right amount of motivation, any individual can feel like nothing is impossible. Yet if you strip all of that motivation away, that link of strength and the individual is rendered useless and ultimately hopeless. Wouldn''t you think that the individual would resort to suicide as an alternative?"

    And there goes Hyunda with his satanic speech again, indirectly referencing evil acts...

    "Hyunda, I get it. You''re evil. You don''t have to go out of your way to show me that."

    "Sana."

    "What?"

    "Has someone close to you ever committed suicide? I realize this is a personal question and that if you don''t want to answer me, it''s completely fine to do so."

    Hyunda, you''re a cheeky one.

    Using that victim''s line for the sake of manipulation, but you are out of luck.

    "Nope! Too bad, you lose."

    "Haha, it seems so. Such bad luck I have. Also, let me borrow your phone again. I need to take another picture to check if he''s still there."

    "Hopefully he''s gone. So annoying and it''s getting cold!"

    As I handed Hyunda my phone once again, he asked me a question that I wasn''t expecting, out of anywhere.

    "When is your birthday, by the way? So I know when to deliver you a plausible present."

    "How unfortunate for you. You''re too late because it was on March 2nd. No present for me then."

    He''s already trying to plan ahead. In his mind, he is going to get me no matter what. So bold and over-confident.

    Struggle all you want, I won''t fall for you.

    "I see. Late happy birthday then. Congrats, someone gave you a present, although late. I took you out at the cinema today twice and made you laugh a couple of times. Plus, I gave you some fanservice, didn''t I? I think I deserve some credit, miss."

    "I would consider it, but you are late and that counts. Too. Bad."

    "Oh, come on. An exception."

    "No exceptions, mister. Try again next year."

    "Shame."

    Although he didn''t look disappointed, he returned my phone back, after he was done taking the picture and analyzing it.

    Furthermore, he also got up, which made me do the same.

    Hyunda wouldn''t get up unless Kawahara was gone.

    "We''re leaving, Sana. You must be tired, right?"

    Now that I think about it... I am indeed physically tired. It''s been a long day.

    Tomorrow, surely tomorrow, I''ll focus more on the events rather than having fun and openly procrastinate.

    Thus, on our way out of the entrance, as we walked through the hall and saw that Kawahara was nowhere to be seen, I replied back.

    "Yeah, just a little bit. What about you, monster? I bet you are not even tired."

    "What''s that supposed to mean? Even I get tired every now and then. I can''t just ignore my human limits."

    "I''m not sure if I believe that after what I have seen today. Plus, you have a key that can open literally anything! How have you not used that to do a plethora of other things?!"

    Wait... Now that I think about it... Doesn''t this mean...

    "Hold on, hold on... You could like... Just walk into our dorm and hypothetically speaking, unlock my door lock and---"

    But then I noticed. While walking, without saying a single word, his mischievous smile couldn''t vanish off his face, no matter how hard he tried.

    Indirectly, he was already speaking so much...

    "I would rock you senseless."

    "I have a lot of weapons with me, for the record. Should I ever sense your presence in my room, I will take ahold of my chainsaw and I will drill your balls off. Okay?~"

    Of course, they are all secrets that no one knows about... But I did show my chainsaw once...

    It''s a miracle that I wasn''t framed for that. I do not like perverts and perverts take this as some sort of sexual innuendo or compliment when it''s really not.

    "Relax. Mindless overusage of power is by far the most excruciatingly boring act a human being could commit. Naturally, that''s something I wouldn''t do."

    "Ah, how very wise of you. So, why do I still feel like you would do it?"

    "How very cunning, Sana. You are aware of how bangable you are."

    "You don''t cease to amuse me..."

    "Thanks."

    "You''re not supposed to thank me for that!"

    8:30 pm.

    After I had dinner with the boys, I reflected on the whole day outside of the dorm, at the entrance door.

    Hyunda''s absence today was by far the biggest mystery. Even though I insisted with Yulia to know Sana''s whereabouts, she said that she shouldn''t persist because she thought that Sana was asleep and that was why Yulia couldn''t hear anything from her.

    Weirdly enough, I didn''t see Arkalee in the dining area, even though I had arrived there just in time back then.

    This is why with all things considered; I''m waiting for Hyunda and speak of the devil...

    As usual, with a relaxed attitude, hands inside his pockets, and a brash smile on his face when he looks at me, his confidence was overflowing.

    "You did it, Daniel. Great job. Though, I realize that my task was a bit nonsensical. Keeping Arkalee from me might not just work."

    "You had five people after you. Kawahara was in the middle of them as well."

    "Really? I had no idea."

    Perhaps he decided to have a mini-chat as he just stood looking at my crooked posture bathing in the moonlight that the dark sky light emitted over me while still showering me with plenty of chilly gusts.

    "So, did you do something today or did you stay constantly on the run from Arkalee?"

    "Both. Do you remember that time I told you that I got a new toy?"

    I think he said that....

    Though, I don''t exactly remember when.

    "Yeah. So, you got a new toy?"

    "That is the case. Though, this one was expensive as hell. Acquiring it took me some trouble, but it''s fortunately under my possession now. Actually --- not yet. It''s gonna be, but only after a few days. I hate to wait for it, but oh well. I can''t wait. I was getting tired of only having one toy. This one will be fine in my collection."

    "Haha, what the hell, Hyunda. Can''t wait to see it. You are gonna show it to me, right?"

    I wonder what it looks like? I also didn''t know that Hyunda had an interest in toys. What is he, a kid?

    "I don''t need to do that."

    Maybe he got tired of talking or maybe the talk itself was about to be concluded, but Hyunda decided to finally enter the dorm through the door, which made me get up as I accompanied him.

    "Why though?"

    "Because, Daniel, you know what the toy looks like already."

    "What?"

    I didn''t understand Hyunda just now.

    How can I know what the toy looks like if he confirmed that he had only bought it today? Didn''t he also imply that he was going to have the toy for him in a few days?

    "Nothing. You wouldn''t get it."

    "Sure, if you say so. Gonna sleep already?"

    "Yeah. Got some things to do."

    Coincidentally, as I started to yawn out loud, I went along with Hyunda and attempted to go straight into my room.

    However, as we climbed the stairs even further, in front of Hyunda''s room door, there was something that we both couldn''t ignore.

    Rather --- someone that we couldn''t ignore.

    So this is where she was. Although...

    "How the fuck did you get inside the damn dorm, Arkalee?!"

    This bitch has no fucking shame whatsoever. The worst part about this is that she''s in the middle of sulking and refuses to look anywhere else but below.

    She''s standing there, with her back against his room door, motionless, like a doll, waiting for her master to give her some sort of order.

    Needless to say, I got completely ignored.

    "One hour and thirty-five minutes. That''s how much it has passed since 7 pm. I win."

    ".........Hyunda...!"

    Slowly looking up, as soon as she heard Hyunda''s words, Arkalee rose her face full of tears up and looked at Hyunda, while immediately flying into his arms.

    This, however, wasn''t enough to bring Hyunda''s body down, as Hyunda held Arkalee tightly with his right arm.

    "I was so worried! I thought that you died! I really did! I searched everywhere possible for you! I checked every bathroom, every room in this dorm, and every room in every dorm while you were gone and still no signal! You must''ve left school, right!? Right?! Gosh, hahaha!! I should''ve known! That was the obvious choice! Looooooook, I even went and got myself into the principal''s office yet you still weren''t there. Trust me, I actually searched the whole school, twice! TWICE! Still, with little to no response of you and -------"

    No one interrupted her own speech, except Arkalee herself, who for some reason decided to go silent.

    I''m used to Arkalee''s leech-like speeches at this point, so it doesn''t even faze me at this point, but I certainly got curious once she stopped talking.

    However, my doubt was shortly answered, as Arkalee angrily spoke to Hyunda with eyes of fury.

    "Um, so, you remember your promise, right? No talking to other girls. I made that pretty clear. So, do you mind explaining this? I know your smell so well at this point. And it''s absent. I don''t like that. If mine was mixed, then sure, that''s tolerable, however, what the hell is this that I''m smelling!?"

    I take my words back. It still fucking fazes me.

    This smell talk literally sent a shiver down my spine. My god. Holy hell. I need to bath myself in holy water to get this filthy memory off my brain. This is so cursed. What the actual fuck, Arkalee?

    "..."

    Despite Hyunda being questioned, he remained silent.

    "Not answering? Okay. We can stay here all night honey, that''s fine. After all, I am most surely not leaving until I get a damn answer as to why you have another wretch''s vile smell in your damn body right now!"

    I should go downstairs and grab some popcorn.

 Volume 15 - Chapter 101: Stained Flow.

    At first, I thought that my presence was being too much of a bother but then I realized that Arkalee should not be here at all, so I stayed to watch the scene.

    Coincidentally, as Hyunda seemed to be in a pitch, even though his facial expression was not symbolizing that, he looked at me, for some reason.

    "Arkalee... I didn''t speak to any girl, as you said."

    Still in his arms, with almost her lips clashing with Hyunda''s, Arkalee didn''t let him off the hook.

    "Oh, really? Explain the smell. I''m really so curious, sweetheart!"

    Okay, it''s the second time that Arkalee''s addressing Hyunda with lovey-dovey nicknames. She''s really assuming cargo here.

    And also, this is one of those times where I might just become one with the wind, again. In other words, the state of being where my presence evaporates from existence.

    However, as I was having that thought, Hyunda went ahead and made sure that I suddenly became relevant to the scene.

    "I went to a shop and bought a toy. The clerk was a woman, so it couldn''t be helped. Remember that I said that I got a new toy a while ago, Daniel?"

    "Yes, this is true. Though, it''s still not here. Did you do your reservation, Hyunda?"

    "It will be mine eventually. Just a little work left, that''s all."

    I''m still curious about his toy, by the way. But Hyunda''s being so indirectly mysterious about it. Nevertheless, Arkalee''s suspicions, which should have immediately vanished, seemingly only further increased.

    "How old was she? Plus, what shop did you go to? I need to check if what you are telling is true, after all. N-Not that I doubt you, just saying, but, when a clerk smells this good, you just have to wonder, right, right!?"

    Arkalee''s expression right now is the mixture of anxiety, doubt, depression mixed with a tad bit of eccentricity.

    But, still, Hyunda didn''t change his calm attitude and delivered his speech in a calm and comprehensive way, even to the likes of Arkalee, who was on the verge of freaking out.

    "Arkalee, you are overthinking this. After all, I went to the shop to buy you something."

    "You... did...?"

    By contrast to her previous sad expression full of overflowing tears and ruined makeup, Arkalee''s bright smile and red cheeks were the culmination of all of her happiness, as she saw Hyunda take a wrapped present out of his pocket.

    "Here you go. I was planning on giving it to you at the end of the month, but since you are so impatient, you even caught me in the moment. The surprise is ruined now though."

    To further increase the dramatic atmosphere, Arkalee placed her right hand on her mouth and allowed a stream of tears to come forward, in a moment of sheer happiness, as she received Hyunda''s present.

    "I... I... had no idea! Wow, I am so sorry! I should''ve waited! I am so, but so sorry! Look, this was my bad! You can still give me at the end of the month! I''ll pretend like this never happened! Sorry! Really, really! A-And, you were trying to stay away from me in order for me to not know! Oh my god, I am so dumb!"

    "You can keep it. I''ll come up with something else at the end of the month. Don''t cry too much. You''re wasting your tears, Arkalee."

    "No, no... For you, they are always worth it. I''m sorry... I really was an idiot. Can you forgive me?"

    "You are forgiven."

    Yeah, sure. I like to not exist too. Why am I even here? Good thing I ask that question every day when I look at my morning mirror while proceeding to brush my teeth.

    There''s also the fact that Arkalee just paused her head on Hyunda''s chest while they are both hugging each other. By complete contrasts, Arkalee''s facial expression reflects endless happiness with a drop of relief while Hyunda''s expression remains the same as mine, monochromatic, bored, and simple.

    "Arkalee."

    Hyunda, with a serene voice, called out to Arkalee while patting her head in the process.

    Arkalee, in response, slowly lifted her head and showed her teary eyes to Hyunda as well.

    "Yes...?"

    "I''m hella sleepy. Which means I have to sleep."

    "Oh, alright... It''s a bit early, but I understand. Okay, do you have your key with you?"

    Glistering confusion rose to the surface as I stood there, a few centimeters away from both of them, witnessing that conversation that should not have happened in the first place.

    Mainly because if Hyunda is feeling sleepy then he has all the right in the world to go to his room and sleep. That''s what his room essentially serves; as a resting place.

    My question is... Why is Arkalee still here despite this being the obvious fact?

    "I do have it with me."

    "Great! Do you want me to open it for you or...?"

    "No, I''m good. I can do it myself. But, I can''t right now, Arkalee."

    "Oh, why, love?"

    She''s really coming out, my god.

    "You''re hugging me too tightly. To the point where I can''t exactly move. So, can you move away for a bit and allow me to open my door lock?"

    "I''ll have to deny it... Why don''t you give me your key? Or rather... Shouldn''t we name it ''our key''? I think that would make a lot more sense. Like, at the end of the month, we should go and get a key done that is the same as your room''s! Ah, but that would mean that we would also have to get one done that has the same as my room''s! Not to worry. We won''t. Here. Have mine."

    In order to give Hyunda her room''s key, she had to stop hugging him while pulling out her room key from her skirt''s pocket.

    However, Hyunda didn''t take it and just replied back.

    "You have a very vivid imagination, Arkalee."

    "T-Thank you..."

    And then she looks at the ground, embarrassed and embraces a shy stance as if Hyunda''s words are holy to her and that all the evil in the world is everything else.

    "But, I''ll have to refuse. Because, by normal standards, I can''t just walk into your dorm and go to your room. You shouldn''t be able to do it as well yet here you are."

    Finally, Hyunda decided to open his room''s door; however, neither Arkalee nor me saw anything that was inside of it, as Hyunda simply opened a tiny, minuscular, fraction of it.

    Arkalee, on the other hand, kept walking in the same way as Hyunda, while not uttering any words in response to his previous sentence, which forced Hyunda to face her respectively, as she got closer and closer to him.

    "Arkalee, only on occasion."

    "Um, why though? Are you worried that others might find out? Daniel, I am going to sleep in Hyunda''s room. Do not tell anyone, or I will kill you in your sleep."

    "Hyunda, I''m gonna call King George. Had enough with this bitch''s malevolent actions."

    Then, as I attempted to go down the stairs and call out to King George, Hyunda stopped me from doing so with just a few words.

    "Don''t do that. There''s no need to, Daniel."

    "Yup! We are going to sleep together and that''s it!"

    "No, we are not. You do know that you get a warning for dorm invasion, right? Just be a good girl and go to your dorm, Arkalee. Or do I need to say the same words as last time?"

    "N-No! Please no! But... Ugh, why? Why? Why? Why?! We already d---"

    Arkalee attempted to say something, but Hyunda tapped her mouth in response, for some reason...

    "No is no. If you insist, then you can forget it."

    "Forget what!?"

    "Our time at the end of the month."

    "Oh my god! Don''t say that! Please, even as a joke, that''s way too much!"

    Back to crying in his arms, she goes... How would she react if she saw Hyunda injured? Would she kill everyone in sight?

    At this point, seeing her reactions is peak comedy to me, henceforth, I''m holding myself back in every conversation as I don''t want to interrupt this hilarious drama queen from spewing her overexaggerated sentences based on her passionate feelings.

    "It''s not a joke. It''s the truth. Also, I might have to ask the present back at this rate, since you are getting too persistent."

    "Please don''t get mad... I...I...! It really was with the best intentions! I just want to be with you! You can understand that, right?!"

    "I''m not mad at you, Arkalee. And yes, I can understand. But tomorrow will come. And tomorrow, we will talk with each other. I am not your lifeline."

    I mean, is she actually gonna go away though? Holy shit, like, what the fuck? I knew that I was bound to meet some fucked up individuals when I got here, but Arkalee went completely off my radar yet as things stand, she''s by far the worst lunatic!

    Which makes me wonder if there are worse individuals in our class...

    Am I too normal? Though... I could demonstrate psychotic behavior if I wanted to. I''m just too lazy to do so.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Yes, we will indeed talk tomorrow. I can guarantee you that. However... Is there really no other way? Can''t it be like that time?"

    What is she referring to?

    "That was an occasion. An occasion is an event that doesn''t happen frequently."

    "Okay, I get it! But, it''s been a while so..."

    "Arkalee."

    "Okay, look, fine... But I''m not leaving until you kiss m--"

    Without a doubt, Arkalee was about to say that she wouldn''t leave unless Hyunda kissed her, but, in a split second, Hyunda forced his way onto Arkalee, as he pushed her body to the parallel wall while applying hard pressure with his mouth to mouth kiss.

    Furthermore, it wasn''t just any kiss. Hyunda looked to be going way deeper than that, but that was beside the point that was necessary to take.

    Arkalee, instead of just taking the deep kiss and leaving, decided to wrap his back with her own two legs as well as envelop her own two arms around his neck while also kissing him.

    Noticing that this was happening, Hyunda took his lips off her lips and spoke to Arkalee.

    "Arkalee, that''s enough. Don''t push your limits."

    "Mhm... Yeah... We should do this more, by the way. Bye-Bye!~"

    At long last, after indulging herself on Hyunda''s lips with tremendous lust and passion, Arkalee left the dorm with haste.

    Which makes me wonder if she realized something or if she really just wanted to open that gift. Because she was really looking at it as she left.

    "Sorry, man. Must''ve been awkward as fuck just having to stand there and witness that."

    So he noticed.

    "I don''t know how you do it, man. If it were me, I would just tell her to throw herself down from the rooftop or just give her a bitchslap. So fucking annoying. All that drama almost made me puke."

    "Hahahahaaaaaa... Well, it''s only normal."

    "Why do you even keep up with this? If you don''t speak your mind then I''ll never know and you don''t really do that."

    Before he could go into his room fully, he laid out his final words.

    "I lack the motivation to explain myself, sincerely."

    Unable to see what was beyond that door, I grew a sudden sensation of mystery to know how his room actually looked like, as Hyunda spoke those words to me and ended the conversation at the same time.

    Also, I never knew that you could lack enough motivation to explain yourself.

    With that in mind, I went to sleep in my room.

    Thus, with mediocrity filled within a couple of subsequent days, the last day of the festival had arrived.

    March 27th. 7 am.

    At the usual eating area, where we usually have breakfast, parallel to each other, Hyunda and I started to eat.

    I was eating a simple bread with little butter inside it and drinking a glass of water.

    Hyunda, on the other hand, was just eating onions. He even brought a couple of onions along with him.

    Specifically speaking, four. Also, he was already done eating the first one, surprisingly. He eats them like pure raw apples and devours them with great ease; almost as if the sporadic raw taste doesn''t faze him.

    "Why so many onions? It''s usually just one."

    "That''s because this might take a while and so, I need something to give me stimulation."

    "Wait... Onions give you stimulation...?"

    "Do you want to know the process? It''s quite peculiar, but I promise it makes sense."

    "Do we even have time? But sure, I''m all ears."

    Maybe I''ll finally get the answer behind why he eats onions and how he achieves this so-called stimulation.

    "Have you ever wondered why you cry when you look at onions? For example, try to glare at this onion that I''m holding for ten seconds."

    "Alright."

    While eating the top of my bread, I firmly glared upon the white onion that Hyunda was holding in his right hand and it did not extend to ten seconds, as in the first four seconds, tears started to appear.

    "Why the hell does this happen...? I''m not feeling any emotion, so what gives?"

    "It''s not an emotional response, Daniel. Actually, tears, are, ultimately, only a physical response. In an emotional situation, if you start crying, then that''s your brain telling your body that it''s necessary for you to be on your guard. In other words, a way of your body protecting itself. Uncontrollable tears created as a defensive mechanism. That''s what''s happening right now. However, there''s a little bit more to that."

    I see. So that''s why. All this time, I thought that it was some sort of emotional response. There was this time where a kid insulted me and called me a crybaby at a supermarket because I was staring down at an onion and started crying, so I beat that kid to a pulp because that was not true. There was no emotion to it.

    However, this makes more sense, but Hyunda still has yet to say a bit more, apparently.

    "I did mention that this was a physical reaction and it steems from the fact that your eyes absorb syn-propanethial-s-oxide."

    I had to interrupt him as soon as I heard that monstrosity.

    "A what? Dude, how do you even spell that!?"

    "Yeah, I can get behind your struggle, but hear me out. That liquid contains aerosol, which directly stimulates your eye nerve. Hence, the reason as to why you actually cry once you glare down an onion. Plus, glaring at an onion will damage your cells, so more the reason for the tears. They are telling you to protect your cells."

    I mean, if that''s the case, then...

    "How can you look at onions properly then?"

    He''s not shedding a single tear while looking at the onion that he has in his hand, which is his second onion.

    "You need proper functional lacrimal glands in order to produce tears."

    "I skipped way too many chemistry classes..."

    "Chill. No way they ever teach you this stuff in school. But, who knows. Either way, there''s a driving point that enables the acid that the onions hold in their own property to stimulate the brain and furthermore, to enhance long-term memory. What helps the long-term memory is a flavonoid called fisetin. Onions can also help your concentration grow because they contain quercetin and anthocyanin. Ultimately, also being rich in sulfur, onions can safely stimulate the hippocampus while drastically increasing spatial navigation. Well, I explained the side effects. The components aren''t that relevant, the side effects are. So, there it is."

    "What the hell! That''s mind-blowing! I never knew that... Who told you that?"

    "..."

    Weirdly, despite my enthusiastic reply, Hyunda posed a short silence, almost as if ignoring my question on purpose, while devouring his onion.

    "More importantly, today''s the day, Daniel."

    "Yeah. I''m doing pretty good in the events as I have been nailing almost every single one of them with ease, but now that we are finally going to face the mandatory ones, there''s bound to be a lot of competition. You are included too, you know?"

    "I don''t care about that. Mandatory or not, they are entirely optional, if you think about it. I will be absent from them and it won''t matter. The result is still the same; my failure."

    "True..."

    I do see his point. Although they are technically mandatory, the side-events previously have been equally mandatory for us. The only difference is that the events today would be fully loaded with students.

    Perhaps, the contrast will be so huge that it will be tough for me to come out on top.

    "Daniel. This is so meaningless. You already have more than ten wins, right? You can just skip the whole day and it doesn''t make a difference. This festival is so boring if you think about it. What do you even gain by going to the events today? Absolutely nothing. You can just chill out. The irony of this exam is so ridiculous that I find myself losing brain cells whenever I think about it. If we are allowed to just take ten wins and then clear the previous exam away like that when we can attend side-events while those side-events are considered as optional to the rest of the students, then you have to question the rationale of those behind this stupid exam."

    "Yeah, you make a solid point. I''m more into this because Kawahara plans on crushing the rest today, that''s all. But, aside from that, it''s just really... boring, isn''t it?"

    "It''s as if the ones that came up with this exam don''t think that we have any chances of succeeding. Because, whenever you think of criminals who have our age, you''d usually think of savages who have little to no civility in their veins and who live without a care. And while that might be slightly accurate, that doesn''t apply to all. Thus, we have to suffer from the endless waves of boredom that will continue to come."

    "Yeah..."

    "...Or not."

    Hm?

    "I would have to question my rationale if I was this bothered with the way things are progressing around me. You can only get so disturbed if you truly care about the triviality that everybody just decides to endlessly preach."

    "You''re something else, man. There are probably going to be failures at the end of this exam who will be subjected to the penalty yet here you are, ready to embrace defeat like no other. It''s strange, Hyunda. How can you just embrace defeat like that? Most of the students in our class probably see this special exam thing as a competition and you are fine with being at the bottom. Why is that?"

    For the record, even though I''m speaking about this, I don''t feel the necessity to view it as a competition as I only want to assure that my position is safe and that''s about it.

    I''m just curious to know how he can maintain such a state of mind when he''s going to be vulnerable to danger soon enough.

    Doesn''t he feel threatened? Not even a bit?

    "Daniel, you can know the answer to that question by reverting the question here."

    "Huh...?"

    "...Why would I not be fine with being at the bottom? I already explained that even if you have three supply exams accumulated; it doesn''t matter."

    "No, but, like, how can your mind just accept that?"

    "Because it doesn''t feel like losing. You don''t actually feel threatened when you know that you can just prepare yourself and succeed in an exam. Surely, the last exam was rough in that department, but nonetheless, with the right preparations, there shouldn''t be any room for failure. So, there''s the reason. The sentiment is absent."

    I think it''s a little bit more than that.

    You do not have this sensation of security based on logic alone. I do understand that everything he says makes sense, but Hyunda, you probably just don''t feel fear or anything of that sort.

    Maybe that''s why you actually don''t believe you can lose even if the situation highly suggests it.

    "However, what I really actually wanted to talk about is that this day is important. No, not due to the exam itself, but due to the events that will happen today. The climax has ended. The endgame is to follow and so, I will need your cooperation. You still want your relationship with Yulia to be over, right?"

    Mhm...

    She''s been kinda... nice, lately? Really thoughtful too.

    So, maybe...

    "Yeah, I do. In the end, I still think she deserves better than me."

    "...What?"

    "What what? I''m just saying my honest opinion. Man, you and me, we probably won''t ever actually fall in love. Are we destined to die like this? Is this some sort of curse? Sometimes, I think I get jealous of Arkalee and her ability to just go crazy over someone. I don''t have that. Yet I wonder what it would be like to have that."

    "Discard those thoughts. That sort of sentimentality is useless. Sentient creatures always fail and fail. You are so fine as you are. Don''t become like the rest. Necessitent and dependant on their feelings in order to strive."

    Hyunda''s really emotionless on the surface and apparently, on the inside too. I do feel the same way as him, regarding that.

    It''s just, I get curious every now and then. Of what it would be like to be on the other side. But that would be embracing the weakness that the other side has to offer.

    "I know. Don''t worry. I do want our relationship to end. But, do you think that I am being sentient because I want her to have a better chance with someone?"

    "Yeah, you are. She has served her purpose. She holds no reason anymore. She''s done for. That''s it."

    "You are putting it in a malicious way. The relationship is just gonna end, that''s all."

    Yet he''s speaking like her life''s gonna end or something. It''s really just the relationship, at the end of it all.

    Already on his third onion though, Hyunda didn''t exactly reply to this as he just moved forward.

    "Those whose purpose has been upheld and resolved yet still remain despite being irrelevant to any motion at the moment are unnecessary. Getting rid of such impertinent impostures that only ruin the flow of time is only necessary if not mandatory. But... Enough with that. Today''s a great day! After all, this day will be marked! Yes, can you believe it? The whole class will be reminded of this day for as long as they remain alive. About time, right?"

    "Really? What will happen today? Ah, are you referring to Kawahara''s plan? You know, right?"

    "No, god, no. I''m talking about marking something that will surely be a clear reminder of this day alone. March 27th."

    He''s just speaking so many words without actually saying what will happen...

    Plus, he got up from his seat and started eating the last onion, as he attempted to walk out of the area yet before he did, he spoke one last time.

    "Pay attention to your phone. You will play an extremely relevant role. After all, although you are not the main piece in today''s play, you do hold contagious relevance. Later."

    Once again speaking words of mystery, Hyunda left the hollow canteen and started to walk into unknown places.

    As for me, I just formed a quick silence while finishing my bread.

    Around the time that I had finished such, Kawahara sent a message to the group chat and summoned all of us that were in his team to the hideout.

    Cafeteria. 8 am.

    At the usual cafeteria, I and Sana met up in the morning, after we had traded a few texts and decided to meet up here.

    Around 7 am, Daniel had called me saying that he would meet me up later, as he and Kawahara had some things to do.

    Not wanting to be too insistent, I simply agreed. As long as he''s having fun, then I don''t mind!

    "Hey, Yulia! You know what movie you have to totally see?! Joker! I am going crazy over it! Don''t tell this to Arkalee, but--- Um, actually, nevermind. I was about to say something that I shouldn''t say in the first place..."

    Skeptical about her poor choice of words, Sana looked slightly guilty while saying them.

    That alone worried me, as she looked down in spirits when talking to me, just now.

    "Sana? Is everything alright?"

    "Y-Yeah, why wouldn''t it be...? Anyway---"

    Then, Sana''s eyes were completely stolen by the solo entrance of someone walking into the cafeteria, alone, which on that premise nowadays, was incredibly rare yet Sana just wouldn''t stop looking at him, as he confidently walked right up to us.

    Although I''ve been trying to forget his words over the past few days, sincerely, they might need more time to be eliminated, but I''m confident that they will eventually go away.

    As for the individual, who had a very majestic stance and undeniable valor in his stride, with his hands on his pockets, he looked at both of us, who formed a quick transient silence and spoke to us.

    "Sana? Yulia? You two are here in the morning? What a strange bizarre coincidence."

    Unbeknownst to myself, at that time, an obscure dark omen was already set in motion with Hyunda''s presence alone being the main source of its initial progression.

 Volume 15 - Chapter 102: Melodrama.

    "None of you are answering. Why the sudden silence?"

    "Where''s Arkalee...?"

    I don''t see Arkalee with him, and that alone is pretty rare, so I asked him that. Sana, for some reason, was fairly silent while looking at him.

    "Not here. Unless you see her here, but I don''t think that''s the case now, is it?"

    "Yes... But why are you here?"

    "So much hostility, Yulia. Why are you looking me with those eyes? I''m harmless, relax."

    That''s because you are not harmless, you control freak... But I won''t say that out loud, because I don''t want Sana to be frightened over something she doesn''t know...

    Speaking of Sana, it seems like she got a message, as she''s starting to get up from her seat.

    "Sana?"

    I called out to her and swiftly, without wasting any time, she replied to me.

    "I got to go, Yulia! I''ll give you a call later! Remember to attend the events!"

    "Oh, alright! You too..."

    In a rush, Sana left, and before she did, she traded a small glance with Hyunda and Hyunda did the same with her.

    With nothing to eat, Hyunda, with zero manners whatsoever, took Sana''s seat, in the exact same place and sat in a parallel position to me.

    However...

    "Hyunda, leave. I don''t want to talk to you now. Actually, I might just never want to talk to you again. I''m sorry, but could you take your leave?"

    "No."

    Not that it wasn''t anything new from him, but I wasn''t expecting him to suddenly speak that single word with so much haste while looking at me with his cold white eyes.

    "And why can''t you do that...?"

    "Because... I really need to talk to you. Today''s an important day for you. You are finally going to achieve what you came here for."

    "Oh yeah? And what is that?!"

    I can''t even grab my plastic cup that contains cappuccino in it properly because this evil psychopath is looking directly into me as if he can see my soul fully naked. I never truly believed that I could ever feel personally exposed to this extent but there is just something off about this guy.

    He should not be here.

    "I can''t tell you. It would spoil all the fun. But oh wait. I already did tell you. That at the end of the festival, our little bet would conclude."

    As I thought, he still hasn''t discarded that nonsensical bet of his. No one in their sane mind would agree with a bet like that...

    "For the record, I honestly plan on dropping out. I don''t have any attachments to this school nor the program itself as I am endlessly dying from the eternal boredom it upholds constantly. But, today. Today''s a different day. It''s not just any day. You, Yulia, are the main star today! How are you feeling?! Any specific remarks about the sudden main role?!"

    Don''t get angry... It''s his aim. Just because he''s showing some actual emotion while saying those sarcastic words, that doesn''t mean that he''s serious. He''s just toying with you.

    Which is why I will stay calm and composed. He can only inflict me real damage if I allow my inner image to break down.

    "I don''t know what your plan is, but you are not going to succeed."

    "Really? But I always succeed. However, you are not showing any visible frustration, Yulia. Very good. Your mindset must be filled with supreme confidence and an adamant resolve. I could not ask for more. I changed my mind. You are not the main star only. The whole play of today is solely reliant on you, so give it your best."

    "I can''t stand a single word from you, Hyunda. I knew that I was bound to meet some psychopaths in the process of all of this, but you are just pathetic. You don''t even have any goal here. Your aim is just to mess with me and that''s unfortunately, not going to work for you."

    "Really now."

    Then, for some reason, despite all those words that I said, he didn''t seem fazed at all, as he simply took a small glance at his phone''s screen, however, he quickly placed it away.

    Naturally curious, I checked the time just in case...

    8:10 am.......

    ...What is he thinking exactly?

    "By the way, Yulia. How many times has it been thus far? Ah, I mean, how many times have you caught Daniel and Sana together alone?"

    "For the last t--"

    "Two times, I think. The third time is about to happen. What a shocking coincidence. Now, here is a small quiz for you. First question, where is Arkalee?"

    He''s still persistent about the possibility of Daniel and Sana bei--- No, wait! Possibility? It''s not a possibility. What am I thinking...?

    I thought that I told myself that I wouldn''t doubt them, especially when that comes from this bastard''s words...

    "I don''t know. Perhaps she''s not awake yet. I don''t know what she saw in you, but maybe she got tired of you. Poor you."

    But, even though I said that, he lightly chuckled in response, as if to mock me, and also, further implying that he didn''t believe what I had just said. Such confidence... It''s so intoxicating.

    "Next question. Where did Sana go? Spoiler: I already answered this question previously. Ah, but I didn''t mention the location. Are you curious to know where she is?"

    Why is he even making this question? Didn''t I already tell him that I don''t believe in what he is telling me?

    "No... Sana is doing things on her own and that''s her business. Something that I should not interfere with."

    Yes. Sana''s an independent person and she has helped me out tremendously. She has a beautiful soul, honestly. And she''s a friend that I don''t deserve, due to how kind she is.

    So, it''s infuriating to me when bastards like Hyunda have the honest audacity to treat this as a joke...

    "You''re right. It''s not something you should interfere with. But, as the obvious saying goes, if you did interfere, you''d find out the truth sooner. Alright, next question! Sana received a message before she left. Coincidence? Surely not! So, as you know, there are only three people that could''ve contacted her. The first one, me. But, I was here all along and I didn''t touch my phone, so that''s impossible, which only leaves two individuals... Daniel and Arkalee. Oh, wanna know another weird coincidence? You don''t know where both are. No, not just Arkalee and Daniel. Sana as well. So, here is the actual question... Who is Sana with? With Arkalee or Daniel? Ah! But I am seriously kind, really. You may use your phone to call them. I''m allowing you to cheat during the quiz, Yulia. Do so."

    "I''m not gonna do it. Sana is who she wants to be with."

    "So you admit of thinking that she is with someone? I certainly didn''t expect this much honesty coming out of you. I''m surprised. So, who do you have in mind? Tell me, tell me."

    ....I didn''t mean to say that, at all...

    Now he''s gonna think that I--- No, he already has assumed such. Christ, he''s so annoying...

    "Can you not use Sana''s name and Daniel''s as well? You are disrespecting both of them by spewing those trashy words of yours."

    "Hey. I asked you a question. Answer it. Who?"

    "You are so persistent. Fine, I''ll give Arkalee a call first."

    "..."

    Without replying back, Hyunda simply watched me call Arkalee, who picked up immediately.

    "Yes? Yulia?"

    "Hi, Arkalee... Do you by some chance know where Sana is...?"

    "Nope! Not at all! However, I did see her pass by block D! Maybe she was going somewhere? I''m about to enter an event so I can''t check it for you, sorry! Bye now!"

    "Ok. Bye!"

    Dealing out those final words, I ended the call. Okay, that alone confirmed that Sana was not with Arkalee.

    But, it''s none of my business to know where she is, so...

    However, the person standing in front of me, with a devilish grin that spelled evil did not hesitate in speaking his mind right away.

    "Let me guess. You didn''t find where Sana is. Otherwise, you''d have just told me, since you want to prove me wrong so badly. Which means, which means... There''s only one person left. Two, if you want to ask Sana, but that''s up to you. I don''t even need to mention his name, right?"

    "No, you do not. I am not doing it, Hyunda. I won''t be your toy."

    "You won''t? Alright, fine. I understand."

    ...That''s surprising. Did he finally realize how futile this whole conversation is?

    Still, the main purpose here is that I will make him lose. While I am not gonna fulfill my part because it''s never gonna happen, I will make him lose and he will drop out.

    Then, I can have my mind rest assured, certainly.

    Yet...

    Why is he just pulling out his phone and dealing out a call while putting his phone on speaker mode?

    "Curious to know who I''m calling? You shouldn''t be. After all, it''s someone who you are very familiar with, Yulia."

    Placing his phone at the exact center of the table, I quickly heard my boyfriend''s voice sharply.

    "Hyunda?"

    "Yo. Where you at right now? Your exact location, so to speak."

    I hate this guy so much. He has no right to interfere with someone''s privacy like this!

    Daniel, you don''t have to tell him where you are... Hyunda''s trash and he will live his life without ever knowing the meaning of happiness. A sad human being like him is just like many; who seek to torment others for their own self-enjoyment.

    "I''m with Kawahara and the rest. At the plaza. Why do you ask?"

    See? He''s with Kawahara and the rest... who is probably Kuzan and some other individuals from our class. Yet how do you like that, Hyunda? You thought that he was with Sana but he''s not.

    You are also so sad that you can''t even show your own sentiments. Right now, you are feeling defeated yet your monochrome expression is everlasting. It must be rough to be you.

    "Nothing. By the way, have you seen Sana? I''m curious to know her location."

    "No, I haven''t."

    "I see. Well then, sorry to bother you."

    You''re really dumb, Hyunda. You even went as far as confirming with Daniel where Sana was and he gave you a negative reply. What? Were you expecting him to say that he is with Sana?

    That''s what you''d want, but you aren''t tricking anyone here.

    Thus ending his call, he shrugged and finally spoke to me. Surprisingly, I had a soft grin on my face, as I was perfectly aware that despite Hyunda not physically showing in his facial expression, he was on the losing side.

    "Well, well, neither Arkalee nor Daniel know her location. Plus, Daniel strictly confirmed to us that he is with Kawahara. My loss here. My bad, Yulia. I was just trying to play a little game but it looks like I failed. You win. Congratulations!"

    Then, as he finished those words, Hyunda started to deliberately get up and started an ovation that attracted the attention of every person that was in the cafeteria.

    Multiple students in parallel tables, from all places, even the employees couldn''t help but look upon Hyunda, as he delivered that rain of claps.

    "Jackass... That''s not how you behave when you suffer from defeat. You are supposed to show reflection and emphasize on your loss, not clap while creeping everyone out!"

    "Oh, is that so? I see. I will very deeply reflect on that."

    "Asshole..."

    Suddenly, as Hyunda retook his seat, I heard my phone ring and saw a message from Sana, saying that she wanted to meet up and that she also wanted us to partake in an event together!

    I texted back asking where she was and she told me in a flash that she was on the external block that is right beside block D.

    Ecstatically happy, a wide smile appeared on my face as Sana gave a thumbs up. Just what I needed right now after this brutal psychopath attempted to play me again.

    "You seem happy. Smile more, Yulia. But, don''t forget to smile at all times."

    "Thank you, Hyunda. I will do that! Now, if you''ll excuse me, I have somewhere to be!"

    "Indeed you have."

    "...What the..."

    As I was getting up from my seat, I took one last glance at Hyunda, who was staring into absolutely nothing, with no smile on his face and lastly, with an absurd level of plainness in his facial expression as he looked like he was bored.

    Yet his words still bothered me. Why is he so confident? Well, I discarded that thought immediately. Because, just as witnessed, judging the situation based on his facial expression is something wrong to do.

    He just can''t embrace the fact that he''s losing and he can''t even express it. So sad.

    Furthermore, I additionally performed a single glance back at Hyunda, just to make sure that he wasn''t laughing behind my back before I left, but he, instead, decided to sleep and thus, with his head on his forearms, he faded out of the scene.

    8:20 am.

    After doing the requested tasks that my love asked me to do, I decided to call out to him, while I took a seat on a nearby bench.

    Thankfully, he picked up almost immediately!

    "H-Hyunda!?"

    "The one and only. So, did you do it? You didn''t let her know, right?"

    "Yes, of course! She didn''t even notice, haha! But, I think it''s just a matter of time, if we''re being honest here..."

    While the task itself was somewhat hard because it required precise timing to pull it off, I did it nonetheless yet as it stands, it''s only a matter of time before Sana realizes it.

    "The purpose of the task has already resolved, don''t worry. Anyway, I want to see you. Come to the viewpoint, let''s talk."

    "Okay, love! I''ll be there as fast as I can!"

    Hyunda quickly ended the call, but at the same time, I got super excited because he said that he wanted to see me! Therefore, with a bright smile on my face and immense happiness in my very soul, I started to march to the viewpoint.

    Ah, also... I accidentally said ''love'' the other day, but... I just don''t care anymore. We are meant to be, and so, I have decided that it''s time that I stop hiding my feelings, so he''s aware of how I feel about him now.

    Yet, as I walked to the viewpoint, I did reflect on a sad point. This morning, Hyunda asked me to do several tasks, but they all involve girls.

    I don''t know what sort of test this is, but I''m starting not to like it, so, when we meet, shower me with lots of love, please, and I might overlook this. Like, for example, a few days ago, when you slammed me into the wall and gave me that bliss of a kiss that made me wetter than the essence of rain itself.

    Do that one more time, I beg you.

    Actually, not just one more time. Do it as much as you want.

    8:30 am. Viewpoint.

    Although it took me ten minutes to get here, I started to instantly freak out as soon as I opened the viewpoint''s door and didn''t see Hyunda anywhere.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Not near the small trees nor near the three benches! He''s not here!

    I noticed furthermore that no one was here too, so even though I softly rejoiced the fact that I would be here all alone with him and without any further interruptions, that joy was heavily stripped away from me as I witnessed that my world was suddenly fully dark without any light to it.

    ...........!!

    "Boo."

    Upon hearing a very familiar voice and further noticing that my vision was subsequently dark due to the fact that an individual''s hands were tapping my eyes; I got extremely exultant.

    Did he wait until I had arrived here and hid behind the door? Did he get behind me when I walked a bit into the viewpoint?

    "Um... Hi."

    Hi? Hi?! Oh come on, I can do better than that! What was that!? But... It''s just, I''m so shy right now... You don''t really know how powerful you are over me, do you, love?

    "...Who is this...? Ahh, I think I am in the middle of danger! Maybe I should scream for help! Or maybe... Maybe I''m fine with this because this person seems really kind and attractive!"

    "You know, if you tell that to someone who is supposedly in the middle of kidnapping you and the kidnapper is blinding you from behind, then that''s not really credible because you have no way of knowing how the kidnapper looks like. Therefore, you can''t tell if the kidnapper is attractive or not."

    "Mhm, but I am pleasantly sure that he is! As a matter of fact, I will even allow him to kiss me if he so wants to..."

    At first, I wasn''t really expecting him to do it, but as he removed his hands from my eyes and rotated to my direction, our lips connected and I finally glanced upon you, as we clashed in a moment of pure romance.

    Just like a few days, I wrapped my two arms around his neck and kept on kissing him as he did the same. Plus, I decided to go a little bit further and use my tongue yet perhaps the most exciting part is that he initially did this first which means that he''s totally fine with it.

    But, after a bit, Hyunda decided to disconnect our kiss in order to speak...

    "You really like kissing, don''t you, Arkalee?"

    "I love kissing you, yes!"

    "I see. I''m happy about that."

    "I''m happy too!"

    My gooooooooood, when are we getting married?! I can''t wait! What''s up with the wait!? When will I be able to give birth to your children? Ah, it''s not just one, right?

    It''s got to be a whole family. I just need to show my kids to Ikkiri in order for her to realize that she''s so goddamn useless and unnecessary in this world.

    "Let''s have a seat."

    "Okay!"

    Clinging to his left arm, I accompanied him to the middle bench that was located at the edge of the viewpoint. There, we gazed upon the lowly lifeforms otherwise known as the students as they needlessly enjoyed the display of events.

    Speaking of events...

    "Um, Hyunda, you are going to partake in the events today, correct? I was being nice to you, but today''s the last day. I don''t mean to be too persistent, but just get ten wins straight up, please."

    Truth to be told, I have been going too easy on him the past few days regarding the events but that was just because he did give me a present. Which, by the way, even though I''m dying to know what it is, I haven''t opened it.

    Yes, I am reserving it because I went ahead and ruined the surprise like a damn idiot! So, I won''t ruin it even further. But still, he needs to do the events today. I know he can do them!

    However... Even though my words were with the best of intentions, Hyunda looked slightly mad while glaring back at me.

    "Arkalee, do you mean to ruin our moment with a conversation about the exam?"

    ....!!

    "N-No! God, no! I---"

    Before I could seriously apologize any further, Hyunda placed his index finger on my lips thus stopping me from continuing on.

    "Don''t apologize so much. I know that wasn''t your intention, Arkalee. Either way, how did it go? Be specific."

    Mhm? Wait, what? Hyunda? You...

    You mentioned how I was ruining our conversation but then you go out of your way to interrupt our potential romance, no, not potential, but our undeniable romance by asking me how it went?! I know what you are referring to! The task, but still!

    Angry, I shrugged and looked away.

    "I am not telling you... I''m hurt right now!"

    I may love you so much, but seriously, so damn much and that''s still not enough for you to know how inappropriate you are being right now?! Love me properly, please! I don''t think it''s much to ask!

    "Why are you hurt, Arkalee?"

    "Because you are being careless right now... I don''t want to talk about the task that you gave me, instead, can''t you just talk to me in a way that''s not always about something else?!"

    He''s always doing this! And the worst part is that he thinks that I am fine with it! Usually, he starts off the conversation with a romantic stance but when he just doesn''t care anymore, he tries and gets to what he wants to talk about.

    No. No. No. And no!

    That''s not it! Our love can be so much more than just a few moments...

    "But Arkalee, this is something that only we two know. This already is about us, isn''t it?"

    ...

    "Yes, that''s true... But I''m talking about the context! The context of the conversation is really bland and if it isn''t about the two of us then it''s honestly not worth it..."

    "I understand. You are someone with a deep passion. Others would usually interpret you as obsessive and repulsive, but that''s not it. You are so much more, aren''t you? Your love is so nurturing and profound that the majority just can''t seemingly relate. However, don''t think that I''m not aware. I know how offended you get when I build another topic. But, do you think I do it on purpose?"

    "Wow, thank you so much... That really means a lot. I''ll never forget those words."

    I am recording this, surely. Just like every single one of our talks. Speaking of which, I need that footage where he pinned me down against that wall and savagely kissed me. Badly.

    "But, Hyunda, even if you aren''t doing it on purpose, please understand that nothing else matters."

    "I get where you are coming from. But we have to divide the time here. There should be a time where we can have our romantic conversations and a time where I can talk about my own things, don''t you think?"

    .........?

    That''s really, but really, so stupid.

    "No, not at all. I will discord here. I really believe that all that matters is you and I, Hyunda. You do know that I love you, right? I have actually implied it more times than I can count, so I hope that you are aware."

    I also figured something out. What''s the point in holding a confession if you are meant to be with someone either way? If that person is yours, then you don''t need to hold a stupid confession.

    "I appreciate your feelings and I will treasure them. But, Arkalee, you are being unjust right now. I do need your cooperation. Because, despite being a different topic, it holds relevance to me."

    Why can''t you just say you love me? Are you going to propose to me instead, at the end of the month? I know. I''ve been thinking about it a lot!

    You want to meet my parents to ask their permission so we can get married and you are saving your words for that moment which is why I will not get mad right now.

    However, um, if by then you don''t actually say them then... Don''t take it too personally but I might just threaten suicide. But, I know that you are amazing and that you will not let me down, love!

    Nonetheless...

    "Nope. Sorry. I think I want to preserve the topic of the conversation my way! By the way---"

    I was going to ask him a question that I have been meaning to ask, but, shockingly, Hyunda started to get up from his seat, even though his left arm is linked to my arms, he nevertheless started to walk away while looking emotionless on the surface without saying anything back.

    Worried and anxious, I matched his rhythm and tried to speak to him.

    "H-Hyunda?! What''s wrong!?"

    "..."

    Yet he didn''t say anything. He just kept walking without looking at me. My heart then, felt like it was being cut down by a gigantic chainsaw endlessly as I witnessed the pieces crumbling down in my mind.

    Feeling dreadful, I started to cling even further and adjoined my whole body to his back while attempting him to go any further.

    "Wait! Wait! What''s wrong!? Speak to me! Are you mad!? Was it because of what I said!? I''m sorry! I was just thinking about us! Don''t be angry at me, please..."

    Immediately feeling sad and lost, my subsequent tears once more started to ruin my makeup, but it couldn''t be helped.

    Just the thought of having to bear any possible moments where he is mad at me and just stops talking to me is damaging!

    "Look, I know that I get demanding, but, please, just... Don''t go..."

    I also know that you might think of me as the biggest crybaby yet but all I do is for you and I am not sorry that my feelings come out the way I am. These tears right now, they are reserved for you alone, so please speak to me...

    Don''t leave me alone.

    "Don''t do that anymore. I will not speak to you ever again if you attempt to disobey me the next time."

    "Alright, I got it! I''m all ears, I swear! So, let''s just go back and take a seat once again, a-alright!?"

    Don''t scare me like that. You''ll never speak to me again? Why would you say that?

    Don''t you know that you are triggering unknown feelings within me? I want you all to myself and if you say that you won''t talk to me ever again then you will certainly talk to others!

    Don''t make me do something that will leave you uncomfortable, please.

    It''s your choice, so choose wisely, love.

    "Before we do that. Even though you couldn''t find me back then, I should still reward your efforts, right?"

    While I am immensely flattered that he is suggesting something that I might just like very much, I am, nonetheless still supremely pissed off over the fact that I couldn''t find him.

    He also never specified exactly where he was and... Just a little suspicion, but back then, I couldn''t help but notice that Sana''s absence was overwhelmingly far too coincidental for my liking. Plus, the fact that my LOVE came back smelling like that?

    I know that smell. No, I don''t know whose smell it was from, but what I do know about it is that that''s the smell of a wretch. In other words, someone who bathes herself in perfume in order to attract the attention of a man! Sana, I swear, if by some weird chance, you were with my love back then, then, then... I will end your life, bitch.

    But, you are not that stupid, right?

    I mean, you are aware that I love him and so, it''s just illogical, nonsensical, dumb, stupid, idiotic and whatnot, to approach him in that way. So, you did not do it. In the end, let''s assume that it was really a clerk.

    "Arkalee."

    Oh, oops. I got too distracted.

    "Y-Yes?"

    Of course, whenever I look into your mystic pure white eyes, they take me on a journey that calms all my emotions down as if to put them on an interlude that has no intention of ending.

    "Do you want to take our relationship to the next equation?"

    "Are you referring to the next step...!?"

    "Yeah. Well, do you?"

    "Yes! Yes!"

    Happily, I started to dance around in the middle of the background as I exultantly reflected on my ethereal sudden happiness.

    I wonder what''s it gonna be, I wonder what''s it gonna be!

    "Let''s develop trust for each other."

    "Um... Don''t we already trust each other though...?"

    Sorta disappointed, love! I was thinking that you would just go ahead and claim me as your wife, or girlfriend, but no.

    Trust? Sure, but we already have that, right?

    "You don''t exactly trust me, Arkalee."

    "What!? That''s not true!"

    "Arkalee, if you actually trusted me in the first place me you would let me have my personal freedom. You have essentially no faith in me because you are afraid of letting go of me and that I might just talk to another girl in the process. You can''t keep on living while feeling like that''s going to happen. What if I decided to say to you that you are not allowed to speak to another boy other than me?"

    Go ahead.

    I''ll do it. Not one single word will ever come out of my mouth. But, just what is this talk about faith, love?

    Do you realize how faithful I actually am to you? I don''t think you do. I mean, I want to see someone who can actually outdo me in terms of loyalty because I''m pretty fucking certain that such a person does not exist in the first place. I guess you don''t realize how lucky you are for having someone as patient as me.

    You said that I was impatient but I am supremely patient if we consider every circumstance in regard...

    "Sure! I''ll do it!"

    "Yeah, you have no problem doing it... And I really appreciate that and I adore that beautiful loyalty of yours, but, for the record, you need to develop a wider sense of trust. Loyalty and trust are far too different and I feel like you don''t recognize that. I tried to tell you that we should practice distance so you could get used to it but..."

    But it failed miserably. Listen, listen, I really love you so damn much, but that distance thing almost made me have a heart attack.

    "Hyunda, you don''t have to worry! I will ALWAYS be there for you! So, let''s just forget about this, okay?"

    "No. Arkalee, if you don''t start giving me my private space I will have to eliminate hours of our time."

    ?????????

    "Why?!"

    "My arguments are not working. You are ignoring the logic that I am reasoning with, so I will have to resort to drastic measures, it seems."

    "Wait! Please don''t..."

    W-What does he mean by drastic measures?! Is he serious about eliminating hours?! What sort of nonsense is that!?

    I don''t want that!

    "Hyunda, what are you thinking right now!? Tell me, please! I need to know as soon as possible!"

    "Let''s retake our seats then. It''s not that hard to accept."

    I am not sure about that. What the hell are you thinking right now?!

    I can''t even go back to my seat while walking properly because you are making me so anxious right now!

    Even so... as I went back with Hyunda, he simply placed his two hands on my shoulders before speak to me.

    "Arkalee. Don''t cry all the time. You need to be stronger on the inside. Which is why I am going to make you emotionally strong. Depending on me is weakening you."

    "No, it''s really not!"

    Damn it... Even as I say that these tears just won''t stop getting in the way! My eyes are turning red at this point... Just having to wipe them every single time is so troublesome, but what''s even more troublesome is the fact that you think that me depending on you is a sign of weakness.

    No, that''s wrong.

    Before knowing you, I was really nothing. Unworthy of mentioning yet as I fell in love with you I found out so many new things about myself! New feelings! New avenues! So many things, so please don''t say that...

    It breaks my heart...

    "It is. And I''m not saying this because I don''t like you depending on me. I don''t mind that and I can come to love that if you prefer. However, I do believe that you also matter respectively. I am treating your emotions badly, so I will fix that small issue. I said that we had to practice trust, right? Yet, how do we do that?"

    "Please, just..."

    Don''t say it, don''t say it...

    "We should start talking more actively with other people."

    ".................."

    Great. No, really. So great. I mean, why do I even bother putting makeup at this point? It''s plainly stupid since I am forced to have emotional meltdowns because my future husband is a natural cold-blooded sociopath and even though I have infinite love to offer, his words of wisdom are ''We should start talking more actively with other people.''.

    Other.

    O-T-H-E-R.

    Just stop already. I only want you. Others can die for all I care.

    But... Even if I argue back, he''ll just resort to his cold-blooded measures, which is why...

    "Hyunda... Those drastic measures... What were they?"

    "I already briefly mentioned it. It''s just a single measure, not measures, so relax."

    I cannot relax when you are putting it like that.

    "Arkalee, if you are unwilling to listen to reason, I will start eliminating hours. What does this mean? It means that in those specific hours, it will be as if you don''t exist and I will not exist for you too."

    "Hmmm!? Hm?! What?! How can you suggest that!? Are you insane?! I will kill myself right now! I will literally, but LITERALLY, throw myself from down this viewpoint if you don''t take those words back right now!"

    As I said those suicidal words, I stopped desperately clinging to his arm and placed my entire vessel on the thin balcony that lied on the grim edge of the viewpoint.

    "Don''t do that. You know that''s not what you want."

    "I know that! But, you... Look, I really love you, you know?!"

    "I do know that."

    Is it impossible for him to change his cold-blooded voice tone and just sound a little worried?! I am at the edge of this damn viewpoint and I could fall any second yet you are simply relaxed there without giving a single care...!

    "You know, it''s not as if I don''t share the same feeling, Arkalee. Yes, I also feel the same way. So, stop being melodramatic and let me resume my argument. My time is running out right now. And so is my patience. Or, do you want to---"

    "O-Okay, let''s continue...!"

    So you do feel the same way! Okay. Haha, my depression is all gone now. Geez, Hyunda, why didn''t you just say that?

    I wouldn''t have to pretend that I would be trying to kill myself. I will never kill myself, realistically. If you breathe, I breathe. If you don''t, I don''t. Simple.

    Ultimately, I did go back to the bench and sat by his side, once again, thus allowing him to speak.

    "On second thought, maybe that''s a bad idea. If we love each other, why should we be away?"

    "So you do understand!! Finally! I have been trying to get my point across so many times already! You, at last, noticed! Ah, I really love you so much! It''s fine to say it now, right? I love you, love you, love you! You don''t think I''m weird right!? I mean, this is normal to me, so, haha..."

    Ahhhhhh, it feels so good to finally say it! Now, I don''t have to hide it anymore...

    It''s all just a matter of time, but it happened faster than expected! All because of you, Hyunda. I have to thank you for existing in the same timeline as me. I could be with someone completely boring in a relationship and I would never have gotten the joy to know what a truly amazing person really is like!

    "I don''t think you are weird, but hear me out. It''s unrealistic to be this close all the time."

    "Hyunda, I don''t think so... Hear me out, please. If we stay close to each other, all the time, then we can really just stay together. It''s actually this simple! What''s there to think about!?"

    "That''s not it, Arkalee. I need to interact with others. I am not saying that I don''t like to interact with you, as a matter of fact, I do love it. But, frankly, you are far too clingy. And that needs to stop. I need my personal space, which is considered my privacy. A place where you are not allowed to be in."

    Frankly, frankly... I...

    Just... don''t understand that.

    "Sweetie, isn''t your privacy mine too? Aren''t I the only person that''s allowed to know about your private matters? I think that makes the most sense."

    "Arkalee, that''s not how privacy works. Privacy belongs to one individual only. Otherwise, privacy would not exist."

    Who the fuck created that worthless concept? If I ever meet you, I will murder your whole family.

    "Um, but--"

    "No buts. You are not allowed in. Even if I love you. However, I don''t want you to feel like I''m restricting you. You need to be with other people. Make more friends, so to say. And yes, I just said friends. I do realize that I stand on higher ground compared to others but that''s precisely why you need to expand your horizons. Because I already am far more important to you. Same with you. Physical closure will not increase our bond, Arkalee. It will make us dependent and that''s contradictory. This is why, effectively from April 2nd, you will have to stay away at least one hour away from me during active hours. And I want you, in that one hour, to approach others and make friends."

    That is ridiculous.

    "I d---"

    But, before I could fully rant, Hyunda yet again placed his index finger on my lips while closing his face on me saying cold-hearted monochrome words.

    "It will be this way. It''s for your own safety. There''s also a side bonus here. If you do this every day, from April 2nd onwards, then, once per week, I will let you sleep in my room."

    ...........!!!!!

    "You serious?! I mean, are you really, really serious right now?!"

    "I am. However, you have to actually do the latter. I will know if you are being absent over that hour while attempting to approach others. In case you disobey me, it''s all over. You do realize that I am doing this for your own good, right? Because I care for you, right? Don''t think that I am doing this in order to make us grow distant."

    Although I was trying to capture his important words just now, my gaze completely remained on his face as he spoke those words yet simultaneously, I, kept on wondering about just one major detail.

    If we do sleep in the same room, then the chances of we having sex are... tremendous! Plus, once per week?! That''s four times a month! Ahhhh, this is too good to miss out on!

    Thus, I clasped both my hands and formed a huge bright smile as I replied back to the love of my life.

    "Okay! I am convinced! I will do it! But it''s a promise! Also, since you said you love me, we are boyfriend and girlfriend now, right!?"

    "Don''t let anyone know. This is something that belongs to us only. Others don''t matter to you, do they?"

    "No, not at all!"

    I knew it, I knew it! We think so much alike! You were stubborn about my point of view but you ultimately agreed to it, too!

    Mhm... I''m feeling electric today.

    "Hey, Hyunda! Do you want to cuddle?! Since we are a couple now, we should start acting like one! I mean, we have kissed each other quite a few times already, so..."

    Nobody''s here, sooooo... I don''t see the reason as to why we can''t just act like a couple.

    We could also just create a kid here if you are up to the task.

    "Arkalee, control yourself. Now that this argument is done, I''ll move on to the important issue, since this took quite a while. How did it go?"

    Back to where we started...

    Well then, I''ll just---"

    "Don''t even think about arguing back."

    "I-I know! I wouldn''t do that, hahaha..."

    Busted...

    Well... I might as well...

    "I did manage to swap her phone with the one you gave me. You somehow knew her phone model..."

    "Arkalee, with all of our conversations, her phone model was already knowledgable to me because she showed us during the conversation what it looked like."

    By the way, this ''she'' is no other than Sana.

    Minutes ago, more than a few at this point, I texted Sana saying that I needed to meet up with her as I had a favor to ask and thus, I gave her the location and then, secretly, I did manage to snatch her phone away subsequently when she was in the middle of having a conversation.

    Hyunda had told me to do exactly that and that I couldn''t get caught so I had to be discreet about it. The process was deeper than that as it involved Sana going to the bathroom and while I pretended to bump into her, I made her phone fall off her skirt''s pocket while quickly retrieving it and when she got back up, I apologized and gave her the phone that Hyunda had given me in the morning, which was from the exact same model.

    Shortly after, I left the scene, as Hyunda further instructed, I only really left when Daniel, somehow had arrived at the exact same location and he started to talk with Sana on sight, which kept her busy.

    Perhaps the hardest part was catching a glimpse of Sana''s phone code, but I did catch a glimpse which enabled me to unlock her phone and...

    "So, I did as you said. At that exact time, at 8:10 am, through Sana''s phone, I did text Yulia that location that you asked me to deliver. That was it, right?"

    "Yes, Arkalee. Thank you. I will be needing you a lot today, so I hope you are up to the task."

    "I am! You can count on me, love!"

    "By the way, what''s the time?"

    Upon hearing his request, I took a short notice of the time, which was...

    "8:45 am. Why...?"

    Oddly enough, a rare expression that almost never comes out of Hyunda is a smile. I do believe it''s extremely rare to see him smile and abandon his monochrome facial expression.

    However, this time, it was not a smile, but a super rare malicious grin where even his hidden tooth fangs showed up in the mixture.

    "Now then... How will you react, I wonder."

    8:45 am.

    On my way to meet up with Sana, on the external block near block D, I witnessed the block overflowing with students, as the queues were starting to reach the maximum capacity of students per event. Seeing that sight did not surprise me at all, in fact, it reminded me that this exam was a real pure competition between students but most importantly, for us!

    If Sana and I are together in an event then it will be so much fun! I am sure!

    So, given that thought, possibility, and assumption, why am I, as I walk into the block, witnessing my best friend and my boyfriend, who is supposedly with Kawahara and the rest right now, talking to each other?

    Nevertheless, despite my inner skepticism, I approached Sana and Daniel as I watched them talk in the side lines of the queue.

    "Yulia...?"

    For some strange reason, Sana looked at me with massive doubt on her face, almost as if she wasn''t aware of the fact that she had texted me and essentially called me out here, but, nonetheless, I kept a straight posture.

    "Hi! I''m here as you said in our messages!"

    "Messages...? What are you talking about?"

    .................

    "Um... You did text me to meet up here, right, Sana?"

    Calm down. Calm down. Don''t think about it. There''s just no way that---

    "No... I didn''t..."

    I am trying to not react in an exaggerated way, even though my boyfriend has not spoken a single line yet and my best friend is concretely lying to me but I must say...

    It''s getting somewhat hard to keep this posture up.

 Volume 15 - Chapter 103: I Dont Wanna Do This Anymore.

    As Yulia spoke a few words to Sana, it looked like she was trying to hold back something.

    At the same exact time, I got a message from Hyunda and the context of it was one simple certain order.

    Contrasting the previous order from him, which was to be at the external block near block D a while ago and try to merge with a conversation with Sana successfully, this time around, the target of the conversation would change.

    Therefore, before Yulia and Sana could continue their dialogue, I stepped up and took leadership in this conversation just by slightly directing myself to Yulia.

    However, as I walked to her, I didn''t just walk to her without doing anything. No. To her surprise, her eyes widen by this sudden movement as we grabbed the attention of all the students who were in the queues, respectively.

    After I submerged my own lips onto her''s through a forceful manner, I shortly disconnected them and spoke to Yulia, who was somewhat dumbfounded by my sudden action. As for Sana, she was probably surprised by this surprising initiative of mine.

    "I missed you."

    The same scent as always yet the magic is never lackluster as her apple-like scent spread through my nostrils with great ease and furthermore, her indecision on what words to say after my kiss made her the more attractive at the moment.

    Her soft lips were enough to overpower any sort of composure inserted yet I was lucky enough to be able to have that bliss of experience all to myself.

    "I missed you too..."

    Our sights intertwined and simultaneously, a genuine attraction was formed filled with simplicity.

    Perhaps for the first time ever, did I not feel like this was totally fake, despite being one of the tasks from Hyunda in the message from a while ago.

    "Look at you two going. Making everyone here witness your romance. Whew. Way to go."

    With a smug grin on her face, Sana applauded us with a small ovation by herself as the glances from the other students had only gotten stronger, however, I did not let that intimidate me in the slightest as I maintained a stern posture despite the current situation.

    Nevertheless, as Yulia and I kept looking at each other while not exactly knowing what to say to each other next, the atmosphere got somewhat awkward... and sincerely, I wasn''t liking it one bit.

    Because what''s currently happening is beyond my comprehension. I do not know the next step here...

    "....Shall we... go somewhere...? I want to talk to you in private. I have something important to say..."

    "Y-Yeah, sure..."

    Awkwardly, I answered back shily while inevitably advertising my gaze to the ceiling of the current floor we were in...

    Oh man, just... What the hell is this... I''m supposed not to feel a thing for her yet why is it that now when I look at Yulia I feel like that denial just doesn''t exist anymore...? It actually makes me want to suddenly embrace a false side of reality where I actually love her and follow through with that idea...

    Because as it stands, lately, we have been... I know it''s wrong because she deserves better, but what if...

    "Oi, you spineless dickhead! Don''t space out on Yulia like that! She''s talking to you!"

    For certain, I was too busy spacing out to notice that Sana had gotten behind me and delivered a small light kick to my left leg, which was enough to bring me back and confront to Yulia.

    "Erm! Sorry, let''s go, Yulia?"

    "Yeah!"

    Leaving Sana behind, Yulia and I went somewhere else. Strictly speaking, while going to the location that Yulia had in mind, we awkwardly did not exchange a single trade of words, out of sheer embarrassment.

    9 am.

    Still not talking to each other, we entered the abandoned classroom that we usually go to, and just like the rest of the time, no one was around, just the two of us.

    We were already seated next to each other yet for some reason, I was not courageous enough to break the ice. Hyunda gave me two orders overall and I already followed the first one which was to kiss Yulia upon the encounter, but still...

    It''s hard to shake this new sensation off...

    "....Hey..."

    By contrast to my superficial newly cowardice, Yulia took the chance and looked at me while still mildly embarrassed.

    At that crisp moment, I was consumed and taken aback as her words grew a powerful impact on me the moment she spoke her words further.

    "I did mention that I had something important to say and I... really, but really need to say it. To you. Only. So... Listen carefully, because I don''t think that I can touch this subject another time, so to speak. Now is the time."

    While saying those weak-toned words that seemed to be stuck on her throat and that had almost little to no life in them, Yulia took a soft hold of my right hand and intertwined our fingers together thus uniting them.

    As for me, I stopped being embarrassed, and respectfully nodded as I allowed her to speak subsequently.

    However, despite that, she looked down for a bit, almost as if indecisive and unsure of whether or not she should tell me what''s on her mind, which forced me to speak up.

    "...If it''s hard for you to say, then... Even though I might not be able to hear it another time, as you said, if you feel like it''s too hard, then don''t force yourself... I mean this... You seem frightened by something and..."

    Weirdly, unable to conclude my own words, I also looked back on the cold ground while scratching the back of my head.

    Vastly feeling unsure about what else to say, I started feeling a dreadful sensation of incompetence as I couldn''t give Yulia the right words that she needed in order for her to regain her confident posture.

    "...You''re different today..."

    "...I am?"

    Uncertain why Yulia had said that, I elevated my head a little bit to meet her eager eyes that were filled with wonder and spontaneity.

    Her words now, although still somewhat fragile and weak, had more valor to it, as a small smile was starting to appear in the corner of her luscious lips.

    "Yes... You... If I''m being honest, it always felt like you were hiding something from me, something that prevented you from totally being absorbed into the atmosphere that we were supposed to be mutually in, but... This time, it feels like you are completely into it. You are being truthful now..."

    I''m... being truthful...?

    Is that why I''m feeling this sudden sensation of uncertainty and doubt? Is that why I''m starting to have strange thoughts regarding my posterior fake actions whenever I was around you, Yulia?

    "I don''t know, Yulia. I have never felt this way. What is this called?"

    "I also don''t know, but... Maybe isn''t this something that we have to find together?"

    "..."

    Guilty of my actions recently, I didn''t reply to her.

    Instead, I submerged into negative thoughts of guilt as I thought about all the times that I lied to her just to avoid her. Yet, why? Despite the fact that I previously found her annoying to be around, why...

    Why do I do not mind that anymore?

    "Mhm! Welp, I got my mental strength back! I''m feeling completely alive now! Okay, so, truth to be told, I have been hiding something as of late and that is... I''ve been feeling quite down. My self-esteem, has, unfortunately, been somewhat toyed with and I am trying to tell myself that it''s nothing much, but... That''s just not true. And I don''t really like to lie to myself in order to escape my problems, so... I figured I would share that with you and, something else if you don''t mind."

    Toyed?

    "Wait. You said that your self-esteem has been toyed with. By what? Or who? Tell me. I want to know."

    Is that why you have been looking down thus far? Because you are feeling a sensation of dread caused by something that I don''t know or rather, by someone who I don''t know?

    "Um, thanks for caring, but, it''s nothing mu---"

    "Yulia, you need to tell me. It''s not alright for you to feel this way. I will fix this."

    This is also not the first time this has happened. At this exact same place, you said similar words, which, unfortunately, to my utter dislike, are slipping my current mind yet the fact still remains.

    You are feeling bad and that''s not alright.

    "Ah, it''s really so... Nevermind that. I know that you would try your best and that you would most likely succeed but no one else fixes my own problems but myself. They are my problems, Daniel. I may love you and you are without a doubt my most important person, but that will not change."

    "...I see... But, I will not overlook this again. If I ever witness you feeling down like this again, you will have to speak to me about it and tell me the source of that sadness. Promise me that!"

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    I don''t like this, not at all. For the second time...

    If it happens again, then I will not let this slide.

    And even though you are smiling now, just the simple fact that something else is drowning that smile of yours down worries me deep down. As I look at you, you may think that you have to bear all your problems but... as of now, I want to be part of that entirety of yours that solves the problems that you struggle with, Yulia.

    "Alright! But, listen to me now. I have decided that I will tell you what I have done. Because I am trusting you with this information out of my will. I want to believe you and this is by far the only way I know how to do so. By telling you my biggest secret yet. So, bear with me for a while, alright?"

    "Alright..."

    Without a doubt, it wasn''t within my expectations that Yulia would come to terms with this decision nor did I see this brilliant resolution of hers.

    However, given that this is very important to her, I firmly further intertwined our connected twined fingers and strengthened the grip of our mutual clasp.

    Thus, ultimately, after taking a deep breath, Yulia looked ready to speak.

    "I''ve... not been quite well ever since my grandma died and when I suddenly moved here, some things just weren''t the same. I had a hard time breaking the language barrier and... as obvious as it may be, there were a few problems. In my middle school, the fact that I hadn''t fully learned how to speak properly and only knew how to fluently speak Spanish made me be vulnerable to those that just... saw me as someone incompetent, and therefore I was bullied... It went somewhat further than that, but that''s beside the point... A-Anyway... Things got progressively worse as my mother at that time was in the middle of a relationship and her partner had begun to cheat on her. So, I had hit a pretty hard point in life. Nothing was going correct and I thought that I was simply destined to suffer some sort of cursed life. My mother kept on doing the same mistake, chasing man after man while ultimately being cheated on. My bullying also didn''t stop as my understanding of the language was getting better yet that didn''t make much of a difference because that was simply an excuse to bully me at that point and---"

    .....!!!!

    "D-Daniel, you''re hurting my hand..."

    "Sorry, go on."

    "You don''t have to be mad... That was all my fault. If I had known preemptively, then...---"

    "No, it''s not your fault. You deserved to be comprehended yet your surroundings were too fucking incompetent to know how to handle your case and just mocked you for the sake of it. Don''t say that it was your fault, Yulia. It wasn''t. Don''t blame yourself."

    Feeling further guilt and a burning sensation of rage, I started to grit my teeth as I couldn''t calm myself from feeling angry at this.

    ...I never knew... All this time, just what the hell have I...!!

    "Well... Daniel, I did attempt to solve my problems. One night, I... well... Remember how I said that I wanted you to come with me and meet my parents...?"

    "Yeah... What of it, though?"

    Perhaps unsure how to say her next words properly, Yulia closed her eyes and created a bright sad smile as she spoke words that I was never expecting to come out of her mouth.

    "...That was a lie. The truth is... My father is still somewhere in this world and with the details that I have told you thus far... it should be a no brainer that using ''my parents'' was obviously false because there was only my mother."

    ......

    "...Was...?"

    As I asked that, I witnessed that bright smile slowly vanish from the surface of her face and suddenly, small tears started to leak out of the corner of her eyes, as Yulia attempted to not open them yet still couldn''t refuse to, ultimately.

    "...One day, just like many, I did arrive home. I never really allowed myself to be brought down because in the end... my mother was still a great source of my strength. If she was around, at the end of the day, I could always come back to her arms and cry. She held on to a lot of pain and was feeling quite lonely due to the circumstances she was facing. However, one day... She decided to consume too much medication and had an overdose..."

    "..."

    Unable to react, I kept my silence yet at that exact same time, I felt a gigantic sensation of sadness that came directly from Yulia and the tears that were starting to overrun her face.

    I want to hug her right now and let her cry on my chest but I didn''t do that because she wasn''t done talking and I know for a fact that this is hard for her, which is why I''ll allow her to let it all out while mutually respecting and admiring Yulia''s decision to do so.

    "...Naturally, I didn''t receive that event too well. I... actually thought of just ending it all at that time. But, a part of me just didn''t quite accept that. Which was why... In a feat of rage and sadness, I decided that my feelings didn''t deserve to be that badly treated... I could comprehend my father and even my own situation was fine to me in the end. However, my mother...? That was... unbearable. Perhaps I got addicted to some sort of sadness, but I had to discard it because it was illogical and it wasn''t starting to make sense. Always at the hands of others did my mother have to feel that way! In a way that made her feel like she was useless and not worth anything! And I didn''t want to feel that way too! That thought was just too much... So... in the end, when I thought that I couldn''t lose anything else, I exacted revenge on the ones that created pain to me."

    With each word she spoke, the intensity only grew stronger and stronger as the previous tense sadness transformed into a glacial chilling rhapsody of cold-hearted words.

    "I did say that I wasn''t involved in what I did, right? Sorry, I lied about that. I did do the crimes directly, the source of my anger was them... The ones that had bullied me. Thus, one day, upon arriving at my school, in the morning, I had secretly spread a course of gasoline throughout the whole perimeter and when all classes started, I lighted everything on fire, ultimately killing every single person in the school. However, I didn''t stop there. I tracked down every man that had cheated on my mother and did the same as I did to my fellow classmates at the time. Well... You know the rest. I got caught in the process, inevitably, and out of a pure miracle, I got sent here instead of going to somewhere else."

    Given that Yulia started to wipe her tears with her blazer''s sleeve, she looked like she was ready to finish the confession yet that wasn''t the case completely, as she said some additional words while not completely looking profoundly sad anymore, just mildly depressed with a small smile lying on her beautiful face.

    "The conclusion that I want you to take here is... I''m a bad person. I acted out of emotion but that still doesn''t mean that what I did is justified. Initially, even though this program was just a way for me to not get sent to prison or just executed, as the old consequence goes... I didn''t really care about that. Often, did I actually think about ending it all. It was starting to seem so meaningless. No friends. No one to talk to. Until... Until out of pure chance, I got paired up with you in the previous exam and I then... unknowingly... started to develop feelings for you. Ah... I... wasn''t ever gonna tell you how I felt. I was afraid that I would turn out like my mother in that aspect. And I just couldn''t bear a single thought of that. Far too unbearable. However, you... when you confessed to me, I... felt far too happy to come to my senses and reject you out of fear. And ---- W-Wait, why are you....!?"

    "Yulia, I..."

    "Wait, don''t cry... This was all in the past and that doesn''t matter now so... Don''t cry, Daniel. I-I, might not be able to hold back quite well, you... know?"

    I''ve never been open about my natural feelings as I am completely horrible at self-expression yet for the first time in my entire life, genuine tears, the fragrance of my sadness and the substance of my bitter state of being that I currently am feeling like, came out, as I am breaking down in front of Yulia, who is also starting to cry a bit.

    However...!

    I just... should be honest about this.

    Thus, I wiped my tears and I talked with supreme confidence back to her.

    "Yulia! I... haven''t told you something, but... I... am a really bad person, you know? There''s something massively wrong with me and I can''t exactly identify what it is and the worst part is that I have no qualms about doing what is wrong, which is why you should, instead... find someone el---"

    "Don''t you dare say that!"

    Against my expectations, as I was coming out with the honest truth, Yulia let out a yell and rejected my choice of words without hesitating.

    With overflowing tears on her face, endless words stuck on her throat, Yulia had a few problems continuing her sentence, and instead, she sunk her head into my chest while clinging with her two hands on my own two hands mutually.

    ...This, however, didn''t allow me to return to my previous state, as a few tears came out in the process.

    "You can''t ever say that! I won''t allow you to! I don''t want another person! I only want you! I know I might get stubborn and obsolete with time, but... that''s just because I have been through a lot and sometimes I can''t help myself!"

    "Yulia, it''s not about you, it''s about me...! I am not right for you."

    "Seriously, I don''t care about that! I am also not the right person for you yet here I am. No, here we are, together. So... let''s stay that way, alright...?"

    ...That''s not true, at all. If only you knew the whole truth. The whole truth that I just can''t bring myself to tell you now because these new feelings of mine are blocking the passage; the transition of the truth.

    "No... Yulia, you are the right person for me. You are not stubborn nor obsolete at all. I don''t know how you got that wrong image of yourself, but that''s just not true. You are kind, nurturing, beautiful, and really thoughtful. You have no idea how much you mean to me and that''s because I have never expressed myself well enough for you to know. So, please, don''t say that you aren''t the right person for me. Because I won''t believe you."

    If only I knew earlier, I... wouldn''t have committed all of those actions.

    I... I have to find a way to fix that...

    "If you use that argument, Daniel, then to me, you are the right person too and I won''t believe otherwise! You can''t make me view otherwise! That''s why... please... don''t go! I don''t know what I will do without you. I really don''t. I''m sorry for being so selfish and clingy but I am just really weak on the inside...!"

    The sight of Yulia being forced to say those words about herself, for her to put herself in a weak state of mind just for having to justify her presence with me, that''s...

    Not how it should be.

    No.

    You shouldn''t have to be forced to say those words to me when you are so much more than just that...

    Which is why I... will fix this situation.

    I don''t know if I can live up to your expectations, and I also don''t know about these new feelings of mine that I just recently discovered, but... I''m willing to bet on them to the point of seeking a resolution in which you won''t have to shed any more tears.

    I don''t want to see you cry, Yulia.

    "Yulia. Can you look at me?"

    Once again, I completely cleared up all my tears and formed a serious attitude. With solid vigor in my words, Yulia slowly elevated her head and looked at me in the eyes, thus I spoke.

    "I won''t leave you. So, let''s, instead, stay together, forever. Alright? I don''t mind if you are clingy or not. If you are selfish or not. Whatever comes from you, I will embrace it. That is why, I need to fix something, right now, with immense haste."

    As I said those purely confident words, in the middle of my speech, I also cleared up Yulia''s tears that didn''t have a reason to be there anymore. So unnecessary...

    I hate how you were forced to cry because of...

    It''s not too late. This situation can be fixed and I know how to do it.

    "W-Where are you going?"

    Disconnecting our bodies softly, I created some distance and started to get up from my seat.

    Yulia, on the other hand, clung to my left hand thus stopping me from progressing out of here.

    Nevertheless, I didn''t fully mind that and replied calmly with a smile.

    "Event! Can''t be looking weak in front of the girl I love, you know? Not very manly of me, right? I''ll be back later! I promise!"

    "O-Okay! Give me a call, please!"

    "Yeah, I will. By the way, Yulia..."

    "...Yeah...?"

    Collecting all my willpower, I placed my resolve at my highest peak yet and called out to these unknown new feelings of mine, as I looked back at Yulia while speaking perhaps my truest words yet.

    "I love you."

    "Yup, I love you too! Good luck! Do your best! You can do it! You got this!"

    "I will."

    Without looking back, I started to leave the abandoned classroom and made my way out of it.

    I did lie to you about something, Yulia, however, I vow that it''s the last time that I will ever lie to you, I promise.

    I''m not going to an event right now. I am going to call a certain person and seek the end of this.

    Also, regarding that ''I love you'', I wish you''d know this but I''m too much of a coward to say it, but... I mean it, this time.

    Ultimately, I called the individual in mind and he picked up instantly. Furthermore, he took the initiative to start the conversation at sight.

    "Yo, Daniel. Did you do it?"

    "...About that. We need to talk, Hyunda."

    9:15 am. Viewpoint.

    "We do? Alright, where?"

    Out of nowhere, in the middle of our sacred exchange of words, Daniel decided that it was an extremely good idea to call Hyunda and my sweet, sweet loving twin soul that is seating next to me picked up his call without a second thought!

    "Sure, I''ll meet you there. Though, what''s wrong? You don''t seem yourself. What happened? What? Alright, we''ll talk this out better, I''ll be there as soon as I can."

    ...?

    You can''t be serious, love.

    "Um, Hyunda?"

    "Sorry, I''m going to have to be absent. Keep your distance. Go do an event or something. I''ll give you a call when I''m done. Don''t follow me or else, you know the deal."

    "Y-Yeah..."

    So harsh...! Using those cold words like that...

    ...What am I going to do now though...? Maybe I should really do an event...

    Still, I opted to ask another question, as he was opening the door of the viewpoint while attempting to exit the viewpoint.

    "Hyunda, what happened? Why did Daniel call you...?"

    At least give me the reason as to why you are opting to break my heart without your knowledge...

    "Instability has hit the surface, thus it''s my job to erase it. After all, the show must go on. I can''t have a sudden happy ending like this. Talk about predictable."

    Leaving the viewpoint without a trace, Hyunda simply left those mysterious words with me, as he faded out of the picture.

 Volume 15 - Chapter 104: Adjustments.

    9:30 am.

    Dealing out a call to Hyunda in order to set up our meeting, we agreed to meet on the basketball court''s spectators'' seats.

    Public events were currently happening thus, it was fairly crowded, however, nonetheless, there were some seats available at the top of the tiered structure made for viewing purposes only.

    Furthermore, I did notice something interesting. There were team competitions, mainly 5 vs 5. In one of the multiple basketball courts, I found Kawahara, Akihiko, Rayazaki, Kuzan facing off against the other five members. The apparent mistake here is that they alone are just 4, which makes me wonder how the selection process works.

    Nonetheless, they were winning either way and they were receiving extreme cheers from the group of girls that were on the edge of the viewing structure. However, they were all girls that were probably just there to fangirl to Kawahara...

    Aloof-minded and still disturbed about the recent information that I had acquired, I didn''t notice Hyunda approaching me from my right, as he climbed to the top of the tiered structure.

    "Daniel. You called. What happened?"

    Hyunda, upon grazing my entirety, had an expression that was seemingly curious to know as to why I was upholding another facial expression that had no monochromacy to it.

    Taking the seat that was on my left, we started to watch the games while engaging in an important dialogue.

    "...I called you because I wanted to have a conversation with you about something."

    "I''m aware. What is it about though? Also, why the sad face? Again, what happened?"

    With impatience, Hyunda didn''t hesitate to speak his mind whatsoever. Not that I mind it, because it''s always been this way. Hyunda''s someone who probably has a lot in his mind yet refuses to share most of it if we''re being honest.

    "It''s about Yulia. I... don''t want to break up with her anymore."

    "I see."

    That sudden affirmation surprised me so much that my eyes completely widened and a bit of my mouth opened up in response. I thought that he was going to complain about this, but...

    "Hyunda, you... are you not mad? You seem to have a lot on your mind regarding the plan to separate me and Yulia yet you are just accepting it like th---"

    "I''m not accepting it. I just said ''I see.''. Nothing else."

    "Wait, but why are you acting like that? I just said that I don''t want to break up with her anymore, which means that I don''t want anything to do with what you have in mind regarding separating us..."

    "Daniel, first things first, what exactly happened? I need to know the whole picture."

    ...Maybe if I tell him all he will understand that I don''t want anything to do with his plan and he will back off.

    It''s not as if I have anything against Hyunda, I just really want to give this a shot, that''s all.

    Therefore, I''ll explain it all to him.

    Thus, as I did so, Hyunda arrived at a plausible comprehension of the situation fastly.

    "I see. So that''s why. And you want to trust that new sensation, that new wave of feelings that are surging in the surface right now?"

    "...Yeah. Sorta weird to explain it because I don''t really understand it well, however, I really want to be with Yulia, which is why I will ask you to abort the plan."

    "I understand. But, Daniel, I can''t."

    "Huh? Why?"

    "The plan is already set in motion. Once it starts, it will only end when it''s fully fulfilled."

    What the hell is Hyunda talking about?!

    "Or, rather, it can''t be stopped now. It''s an unstoppable momentum bound to happen regardless of interferences and it''s my job to finish it. Understand that, please."

    "Hyunda, that''s not true! You don''t need to do this anymore. I don''t care about the fact that you owe me. It''s fine, man... Just..."

    "I could utilize a fair share of arguments here to my advantage but I will conduct this in a way that you will surely see it from a more realistic perspective and Daniel, right now, you are not being realistic."

    ......?

    "How so?"

    Looking at me now instead of paying attention to the ongoing games, Hyunda proceeded to explain what he wanted to explain to me.

    "Yulia said that she didn''t mind the fact that you weren''t the right person for her, but you should have argued back in an effective way and made her realize that she is wrong about her point of view. Accordingly, Yulia has done some things that make her supposedly a bad person. However, between you and her, who is the obvious bad person? Yulia or... you?"

    ...I didn''t argue back because Yulia would just say that she wasn''t going to approve of my argument and despite already having told this to Hyunda, he nonetheless insisted on this point and the worst part is that I can''t help but agree with him, because...

    "Yeah, it''s me. There are a lot of things wrong with me, but Yulia, just... She''s so pure and really kind, you know?"

    "See? Even you are aware. Yet you were irresponsible to the point of allowing her to have the idea that it''s alright for this to continue. Do you think you can erase all this time that you have lied to her?"

    "..."

    No way I can...

    "It''s impossible, Daniel. Yulia''s under the impression that you had always loved her. You are not the one for her and here is where you and I share something in common that you should just realize before it''s too late. Don''t be too shocked now, but this is just something that we are bound to endure throughout our lives."

    "...What?"

    "We will never be happy."

    ............

    "What makes you think like that, Hyunda?"

    "We don''t exactly strive to be happy, therefore, we won''t be happy. Simple as that. Yulia is different in retrospect. Yulia wants to be happy because she has endured a great deal of sadness and grief. Upon seeing how emotionally broken she secretly was, you got guilty of all the times you have lied to her. However, the fact remains. You don''t want to be happy. On the other hand, out of guilt, you wish to make Yulia happy because she has faced sadness and you don''t want that to keep on happening. Thus, when she said that you were this and that to her, you straight up assumed that you were doing the logical thing. But, you got that wrong, and here is why..."

    As I heard Hyunda''s reasoning I started to reflect on whether or not that was truly the case yet I allowed him to continue without interrupting.

    "You see, you don''t know this but what you feel for Yulia isn''t love. You don''t love her. You, got weak, in that transience and you need to snap back."

    "Wait, I got weak? How...?"

    "Daniel, your guilty conscious assaulted you psychologically, so to speak and when you gave your ears to Yulia, you started to feel so much guilt that you contracted a wave of feelings that you should have not and I will not allow you to get the wrong image of the reality. This isn''t love; this is guilt. And now you are telling me that you are fine with this? Are you fine with this wave of lies? Daniel, stop. You don''t wanna do this, do you?"

    "Wait, let me process all of this."

    "Sure, I''ll wait."

    As Hyunda gave me some time to unite my thoughts, I finally started to reflect on his entire reasoning.

    According to him, what''s currently happening is an act of guilt and not out of love. That what I am doing is caused by the fact that Yulia''s past has emotionally wounded me in a way that allowed me to feel this resurgence of unknown feelings.

    ...I vowed that I wouldn''t lie to her anymore yet what... If I keep on doing this then, isn''t this the equivalent of lying?

    "Hyunda, say..."

    "Yeah?"

    "You said that we won''t be happy because we don''t strive to be happy yet how do you know that? Are you speaking for yourself or for us both?"

    Once again, his look went back to the ongoing games, as he deemed unnecessary the maintenance of our eye-to-eye contact.

    "Admittedly, I am speaking for myself. However, I believe that I am speaking for you too. Because, just like me, you don''t have a reason to seek happiness. Daniel, individuals strive to achieve the idea of happiness to fill the void in their lives. They are not assertive with the idea of accepting that void. It frightens them. Yet, are you frightened about that? Tell me, honestly. Does that wicked void penetrate your thoughts in a macabre way where you feel lost and not found?"

    "No, it doesn''t. So... I don''t really have a reason to seek happiness in the first place. But what does that have to do with this?"

    "Did you forget? We are talking about Yulia here. She''s in search of happiness in order to fill that void that broke her emotionally. You are that source. However, that''s precisely why you have to be willing to break up with her. Because you won''t be able to make her happy. You don''t know how to make someone happy."

    Then...

    If I am not there for her, then will Yulia be fine? She said that she wouldn''t know what to do with me and---

    Wait... It''s exactly as Hyunda mentioned... At times like this, thoughts of guilt come resurging to the surface and...

    They suffocate me and attempt to drown me in a way where I won''t be able to resurface the atmosphere that I previously was so familiar with.

    "That''s... Isn''t there something I can do to change that? I know that this is just guilt, but, can''t it be something more than guilt alone?"

    "It can. You could, for example, be the source of her happiness and be successful. However, you won''t. We are wicked. We don''t feel what others feel. Have you ever felt happy?"

    "Well, no. But, isn''t it fine if I try?"

    "Try? What are you talking about, Daniel? That''s illogical. Being willing to bet on something based on feelings alone isn''t intelligent and it will backfire. How many times have you witnessed individuals being destroyed by their own impulses? You are being impulsive right now. Acting on impulse like that won''t bring you any benefit. If you stop and think for a second, you will come to the sudden realization that separating yourself from Yulia is the correct decision. We are both incompetent in the emotional department."

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ............

    Somehow, I just can''t accept that last sentence, thus I spoke more aggressively towards Hyunda.

    "You know, Hyunda, aren''t you just scared of commitment?"

    "What? How am I scared of commitment?"

    "You are saying that you are emotionally incompetent but how do you know that for sure? I don''t know what you are thinking but I do know about what I have witnessed and experienced and---"

    "Daniel. You can''t make her happy. In a relationship with Yulia, you can''t pretend forever. Your emotional absence will enter and I mentioned this already, this is guilt. And that guilt will just keep on growing."

    ......

    "...I know. I know it''s illogical to just act on emotions like I am acting. I just... don''t know what to do right now. I''m confused. A part of me wants to stay with Yulia and transform that guilt into a feeling like love but another part of me is self-aware that this is all for the sake of erasing the guilt in my conscious and..."

    "It goes a bit further, Daniel. Up to this day, you never felt any remote attraction to her. You described Yulia as a nuisance and why wouldn''t you think like that? Let her go. She''s restricting you. Her existence is blocking your mind right now. As long as you remain relevant to her, your state of mind will be shackled. Is that what you want? Your own thoughts to be beyond your control and under the influence of someone else?"

    "No! No, I...! Man, I don''t want that. I need my freedom. Because if I am don''t have that then I feel like I will lose myself and if I am not myself then..."

    At that exact time, I remembered a few words that Hyunda had said back when I made a certain call to him.

    Hyunda''s reply was...

    "If you are not yourself then you are no one. Just like I told you; if I am not myself then I am nothing. I can only keep on being myself if I am in full control of my mentality. Are you in control right now? You''re not. You''re full of doubt and guilt."

    "What can I do in order to regain my old self?"

    Losing that part of myself is unacceptable.

    "That''s more like it, Daniel. Let Yulia go. Her heart will be broken at first but with time, she will meet the correct person. Also, you are not allowed to feel guilty about this. It''s not your fault. Her feelings are her responsibility, not yours. Should you ever enter a state of mind where you think you are at fault, just remember that you are not."

    "Right. I understand, Hyunda. But still, let me do it. I''ll break up with her and end it all. I have gathered my resolution and..."

    Damn, this sucks... How... After I said those words and delivered that confident speech I am going to break up with her?

    That''s so...

    "Stop feeling that way. Be strong. Resist."

    "Yeah... Thanks, man. How do you control your emotions this well?"

    "I don''t."

    .......?

    Despite not understanding what Hyunda just implied with that, Hyunda nonetheless kept talking.

    "Don''t bother breaking up with her. You will destroy her heart and she might never recover."

    "But if I don''t break up with her then how will our relationship end?"

    "My plan will end it. Don''t worry. Each side will benefit quite greatly. Trust me here."

    Out of curiosity, I went ahead and asked a simple question.

    "Is your plan evil?"

    I asked this question because I don''t want Yulia to somehow have her heart broken. I know that I am incompetent in this matter because I don''t know how to solve this peacefully and Hyunda''s correct in the saying that I was irresponsible in telling Yulia those words, but...

    Even so...

    I want Yulia to find someone better. I don''t care about happiness nor about her sentiments in general, but, while I still am able to care, I want her to make the correct decision and find someone who can treat her the way that she deserves.

    I understand that this might be too much to ask for and that I''ll have a hard time forgetting her while going to the same classroom every day and seeing her familiar face as well, but...

    I don''t know any other way.

    "Daniel."

    Hyunda calling out my name made me less aloof minded as I closed my own thought process and turned back to reality.

    As I looked in his direction, his usual monochromatic facial expression vanished, and instead, he replied with a confident look and a semi-zealous smirk.

    "Do I look like the type of guy to come up with something incredibly evil just to separate a single person away from you?"

    It''s weird not witnessing his usual monochromatic facial expression as this time, it looked like he was feeling vigorous towards my question in a very fervent manner.

    "I don''t know what you are thinking, but the end goal will have Yulia be separated from me, right?"

    "Yeah. That''s exactly it. I''m bored of watching these mediocre games. Let''s go for a walk."

    "Sure."

    Following Hyunda''s suggestion, we started to venture into the campus while witnessing multiple ongoing events occur.

    Though, something disturbed my interest and that was Hyunda''s earlier words. He mentioned ''mediocre games'', but to my knowledge, they were actually pretty good as the audience and even myself were hooked to it at one point in time.

    "By the way, Daniel, if you agree with my plan proceeding, then that means that you are still available?"

    About that...

    "I don''t want to directly damage Yulia in any way possible. Because if I interact with her then I might feel like---"

    But then I got reminded of something. Something that made me swallow my previous words in an instant.

    Shocked, I also stopped walking.

    "Oh no..."

    "What is it?"

    "...I said that I would call her... What the hell do I do now? Actually... How do I even confront her?"

    "Calm down. Keep on walking. I''ll explain to you along the way."

    Shaking my head while trying not to remind myself that I already had committed something that I shouldn''t have, I kept on walking with Hyunda.

    It''s impressive how he just stays unphased throughout every single thing. Furthermore, he has moments of pure confidence. Actually... I have never seen him down. At all.

    "It''s your last day with her. You don''t need to do anything. But... You should probably try and talk to someone else first. Someone that might be angry at you for your decision."

    "...Are you talking about Sana?"

    Sana is, without a doubt, the only person that comes to mind. Also, she''s the only person who supports our relationship. Hyunda and Arkalee have never shown any signs of actually supporting it.

    By contrast, Hyunda is more focused on tearing it down, despite the details of remaining unknown to me yet.

    "I am. After this concludes, if Sana is not aware of the real reason as to why you two went separate ways, she will be mad and you might suffer unknown consequences. And Sana is Yulia''s best friend. This means that she will have more room for emphasis if she knows what actually happened. Keeping Sana in the dark about this is not a good idea. You should seek her. In the afternoon. Not now because she will most likely be busy. However, I''ll give you a helping hand here. I''ll tell you a time where you can meet her and talk to her. Explain the details to her and hope that she won''t say a cliched line like: ''No, you have to take responsibility!'' or something like that."

    I agree with Hyunda here. Sana''s wrath might be deadly and I don''t want to end this relationship on a bad page.

    Just on a good page. Like how a real relationship goes. No grudges will be held.

    Plus, there is something that I am not telling Hyunda because he probably wouldn''t approve of this thought, but...

    Despite being separated from Yulia, I think that I will continue to think of her. A lot. I don''t plan on erasing those sentiments because, during that time, I genuinely felt attracted to Yulia and still continue to feel that way.

    However, it is what it is. Yulia met the wrong person at the right time. If it was another person, then maybe she would have gotten a better experience of romance.

    "What''s the time, Daniel?"

    "10 am, apparently. Why?"

    His facial expression, still monochrome, emitted a symbolism of depth as he looked to be in deep thoughts while looking at the sheer white clouds above in the sky.

    "I see. Boring. I hate to wait this long. I wish I could just speed up the process already."

    "Process? Are you talking about the plan? By the way, could you share the details of the plan? Isn''t it fine now?"

    "Daniel, I can''t. If I explain the details, then my audience will get bored. They already have a clear image of the finale. Or, so they think. It''s sporadic to go around and spoil the events. I''m dealing with numbers over here, you know? But more importantly, silent demands. They earn for entertainment beyond their imaginations!"

    "Audience? But who is this audience you speak of?"

    He''s being very vague, which I guess isn''t anything new, but still, he got me interested now.

    "Oh, right. You aren''t aware. It only makes sense."

    "What the hell, Hyunda... Are you allergic to being direct or something? Also, I have been meaning to ask you something..."

    "I''m not allergic to being direct. It''s about leading the show, Daniel. One day, you''ll be able to do it too."

    Once again speaking words I couldn''t possibly understand, I took that in and went ahead with my question.

    "During that day that you were running away from Arkalee... How the hell did you escape her?"

    There''s yet another question that I have been highly curious about.

    Where is Arkalee right now? I cannot believe that she is not with Hyunda. Is the world gonna end?

    Or did she drop dead for good?

    "Daniel, with so many places in this school, I would argue that I could hide from her forever but we both know that''s not exactly true."

    Hyunda''s correct. It''s just not true. Which is why I made this question in the first place.

    Escaping Arkalee for that many hours is straight-up impossible.

    "Arkalee''s a special individual. Isn''t she fascinating?"

    ...What?

    "Dude, are you serious?! She''s the biggest leech ever! I never called someone by leech before, but Arkalee''s existence made me do it for the first time! She is the most obsessive person I have ever met and that might as well be the case! If Arkalee went to compete in Guineous for the world''s most obsessive/possessive person, then she would probably come out victorious..."

    Arkalee treats Hyunda as a drug. Without him, she goes insane.

    I am also a thousand percent sure that she''s probably stalking Hyunda. Nope. I refuse to believe that she isn''t somehow eavesdropping this conversation right now.

    Yet as I look around in this confined area filled with ongoing sports competitions, I fail in witnessing Arkalee''s image.

    However, my suspicion nevertheless did not cease to be as I firmly held on to my beliefs.

    "But that''s what makes her so fascinating. Sentient creatures like her are so predictable and easy to perceive that they are perfect for usage. Sentient creatures are by far the best tools on this planet. Weapons do not compare to sentient creatures, as sentient creatures driven by their unstable feelings are capable of manifestating drastic emotions just for the sake of protecting their feelings. And you, Daniel, were about to become like Arkalee. Predictable. Easy to perceive. Usable. So, don''t speak about Arkalee like a leech when you were just this close to becoming one for Yulia."

    "Bro, you just went savage mode on me. What the fuck? I''m gonna cry now."

    Obviously, I was joking just now, as I lightly laughed at the way Hyunda pointed out that I was starting to become a leech.

    At the end of it all, I know there''s something wrong with me because even though I supposedly love Yulia, her absence will not affect me. I can only wish the best for her yet as it stands, that''s about it.

    Nothing else will come.

    "Daniel, I need to do some things now. Do not approach Sana in the meantime. Only when I give you a call to do so. Also, you can forget about kissing Sana. You don''t have to do it. Relax. Enjoy the events."

    "Oh, that''s a relief. Because I really had no idea how to kiss her. I mean, technically, I know how to do it, but it would be so awkward. Bye, man."

    "Bye. Now then..."

    10:05 am.

    From afar, while staying 10 to 15 meters away from Hyunda, I stalked him throughout the campus that he was venturing with that lucky bastard Daniel.

    Love, what the hell!?

    How could you take almost an hour of our time and deliberately spend it with Daniel?! Also, I had to stalk you, obviously.

    I mean, did you actually think that you could keep me away? Ah, don''t worry though. I''m quite far from you, so you have no way to notice me.

    And, to my great liking, Daniel went a separate way and Hyunda kept on walking forward to block E.

    Still keeping my distance and curious as to know why my love was directing himself to the lonely block E, I lost sight of him as soon as he turned to the other lateral side of the block.

    ....

    "Love, you aren''t going to meet someone in secret, right?! Y-You wouldn''t, right?!"

    Is it another girl?! Is it?! I will murder this bitch...

    Feeling like I had to seek this matter personally, I accelerated my rhythm and walked the same path as Hyunda and then, just as I turned the edge, I felt my body being completely assaulted, as someone immediately took a hold of my left shoulder and right arm while simultaneously pushing me into a wall.

    However, instead of being smashed into the wall, it was just a light push, thus not creating any sort of pain.

    Still, with my eyes closed due to the sudden impact, as I opened them to find out who this person was I...

    "Ah..."

    "Arkalee, you have been stalking me for the last thirty minutes so much that I''ve gotten sick of it. What part of ''Don''t follow me'' did you not understand? Do you actually think that I am joking?"

    "S-Sorry...! I just couldn''t be separated away from you, so, haha..."

    But how did Hyunda notice me...? He never turned into my direction whatsoever, so it doesn''t make any sense for him to know that I was there all the time...

    Although, although. I do like this. Being slammed into a wall with no one around except you and me, love. You seriously stimulate me so much. Creating a scenario like this, ah!

    "I see. So you do think I''m joking. For every time you disobey me, I will erase an equivalent exchange that has happened."

    ???

    "Huh?! You can''t be serious! Please, this was just an act of lov---"

    "I don''t care. I''m erasing the no girls'' name rule. And that includes, of co--"

    "Wait! Wait! Wait! Okay, my bad! It won''t happen again! I seriously promise! Please!"

    "No. You need to learn your lesson. I''m starting not to trust you, Arkalee."

    Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. If he says her name then I will die! I will actually have a heart attack! No way, no way! This can''t happen!

    "I''ve learned my lesson! I won''t stalk you anymore! It was wrong of me! I really, but really mean this! So, please, just don''t..."

    "Arkalee, you are crying again. Don''t you ever run out of tears? Well, whatever. Next time I catch you do something like this, I will never talk to you again. I''ve told you this so many times yet I''m being kind to the point of allowing you to still talk to me. As punishment, you don''t exist to me tomorrow."

    ?!

    "Wh-What do you mean by that?!"

    I motherfucking hope he''s not serious about this. Because if he is.

    "More importantly, you will do anything for me, right?"

    "Yes! But, seriously, answer my question! What did you mean by that?!"

    "I am not answering that. It is what it is. If you keep on persisting with this then I will not only apply this tomorrow for sure but starting now."

    "..."

    He said ''if''. Then, that means that your mind will change about this? About this nonsensical ''you don''t exist to me tomorrow''!? Because if so, then I will do anything.

    You are so harsh, love. You don''t even let me love you...

    "By the way, Hyunda..."

    "Yeah?"

    "...Can you let go? It sorta hurts. If you are into this though, I w-wouldn''t really mind thou---"

    Ah, he released his lock. I was just unsure whether or not he was keeping me at bay or if he was starting to imply something else, but I guess not.

    Disappointed, honestly. Another time, for sure.

    "Arkalee, you wanted to be useful, right?"

    "Yes!"

    "Rejoice. Today''s day is solely reliant on you now. One of the main pieces has decided to exit the stage. However, that''s not a problem. As a matter of fact, thanks to that absence, the show of today will be far more intriguing to perceive. And, you, Arkalee, are crucial right now."

    "I am!?"

    "Yes. Without you, it will all fail. Which is why I need you to listen to me and follow every order thoroughly. Do so, and I might consider changing my mind about how I perceive your existence tomorrow."

 Volume 15 - Chapter 105: All I Want Is For You To Be Next To Me.

    11 am.

    After being done with my two events, I got a call from Yulia.

    However, before picking it up, I reflected on something that had been bothering me for a while and still somewhat is.

    Despite the fact that I''m currently holding my phone, Yulia had mentioned that I texted her earlier in order to meet up yet no matter how many times I re-check our texting history, that never happened...

    Is everything alright with her? I''m worried and certainly, I planned on calling her when I was done with the morning events that I have been doing on solo, but now that she decided to call me, I picked up while leaving one of the external blocks.

    "Yulia! Hey, wanna meet up?!"

    I''m not sure how she''s doing, but I hope that Yulia is---

    "Yes, yes! Where do you want to meet up?!"

    However, to my surprise, it appears that her mood is pretty good! Thus, I naturally got happy too as I heard her loud and spontaneous voice from the other side.

    "Oh, let''s go to Taco Bell! Whoever gets there first doesn''t have to pay!"

    "You''re on!"

    Thus, with that enthusiastic reply from Yulia, she ended the call.

    As I made haste towards the zone that contained restaurants near-by the main mall, I thought about what could have happened to Yulia that made her this happy.

    She''s usually bright but earlier, she seemed quite depressed, so I''m just glad that whatever it is, she''s feeling great!

    Taco Bell restaurant.

    Not too crowded, as I arrived, at the last line of tables that were located at the end of the restaurant, I saw Yulia in a happy mood stomping on the floor out of happiness.

    As I walked in her direction, I also realized that I had lost our little game, therefore, I sighed upon arriving at the table that Yulia is currently in.

    "Looks like I lost. My treat then."

    Disappointed yet still happy because Yulia was in a very energetic mood with big bright eyes, I took a seat parallel to her.

    "Nope! My treat, Sana! Hehe, I was joking about that, so order anything you want! Seriously, I mean this!"

    "Okay, what happened, Yulia? You are too happy! Not that I mind it, I really like that, but just what happened?! Did you win an event or something?"

    In response to my question, Yulia softly closed her eyes and flashed a beautiful smile while speaking condensing light words to me.

    "Love is really great, Sana. I think that I got a good taste of it now. Like, supposedly, I should have experienced this before, but a few hours ago, something amazing happened! You would not believe me if I told you!"

    "What? What? What happened? I''m curiousssss... Don''t leave me here all clueless, fill me in!"

    "Okay, okay! Soooo, here is what happened!"

    With Yulia telling me what exactly happened that triggered this happy mood of hers, in the meantime, Yulia and I had ordered one of the menus for lunch.

    But truly, I was baffled to hear what she had to say. Daniel? Crying in front of her? Plus, saying all of those words to her?

    And Yulia also was strong enough to tell him what she has been through. I already knew that, since I did tell her what I also went through a few weeks ago.

    We are that close.

    "So that''s why you are so happy! This is really good for you, Yulia! I''m positive that you and he will only continue to grow and grow more intimate! But seriously, I can''t believe he said those words to you! However, you did pretty well too! I''m so proud of you! For the record, I''ve gotten a good grasp of Daniel''s personality and I think he doesn''t actually know how to properly show his feelings but if that really happened, then I guess I''m completely wrong!"

    Honestly, if I heard this from anyone but Yulia then I would not believe it.

    What a sweet romance! I''m so happy for Yulia too! Daniel finally manned up and decided to act properly!

    It appears that all of those conversations that we had paid off!

    "Sana, I never knew that I could feel this way! I... think that I really, but really, want to be more than a girlfriend to him. Because he even went ahead and cried to me. Someone who I thought that could never do that, someone that I hold very dearly, just... showed me that he actually cares!"

    "Wait, wait! What are you saying!? What did you mean when you said that you wanted to be more than a girlfriend to him?"

    Naturally curious to know what Yulia was implying, I accidentally closed our distance and almost collided with her face in the process.

    She didn''t mind this, however.

    "Um... You know. I''ve been thinking for a little now. He said that he wanted to stay with me forever and I share that same sentiment too. And I think that as long as we keep on feeling the same way, connecting emotionally in retrospect, then... We will keep on growing older together. I really like this side of him. He might think that he is weak because he showed me his vulnerable side but I think the other way around. I think that Daniel''s really strong for exposing his weak side. Because that takes a lot of courage! Like, isn''t this trust so ideal?! This level of trust is practically extinct these days and if Daniel and I can keep this up until we die then... One day, maybe, I could be his... you know...!"

    Currently, I have a huge smile on my face since I''m an extremely avid advocate of romance, and Yulia is making my imagination flourish right now!

    Her passion and sheer embarrassment while saying those powerful words is just so pure! She has such a good soul!

    And of course, I fully understood what Yulia just said.

    "Mhm! I will make sure that happens! I will be by your side and I will make sure your relationship stays on its toes correctly! You don''t have to worry about a single thing! This is such great news, Yulia! You managed to find a love like this in a hopeless place like this! Seriously, talk about luck."

    Yulia''s not the problem here and currently, there isn''t a problem. However, there''s no guarantee that Daniel will just keep this extremely commendable mindset, therefore, I have to act as Yulia''s intermediate and make sure that everything stays in its place.

    ...Seeing Yulia sad as of lately has been bothering me and...

    Sincerely, Hyunda''s words still haunt my mind, so I needed this. Something I can place my focus and hopefully forget his words about being rewarded.

    I don''t feel that way whenever I''m around Yulia. She''s really the one I''m most glad to have ever met!

    "Hehe, thank you, thank you. I shall do my best. So, in return, whenever you find your loved one, I will do the same for you! I can''t have you do all of that for me without showing some love back! But, just for the record, he''s not better than Daniel. No one is!"

    "Woah, bold! Already assuming that I will find love in the first place! Ah, but don''t worry! If I do find that person, then I will make sure that he''s better than Daniel!"

    "Well, good luck! But, it''s impossible! There''s no better person than him! I want to grow older and older and make incredible memories with him! I''m so excited for the future!"

    "Yup! You have plenty of time ahead, Yulia!"

    We both traded happy smiles and sharp giggles at each other while eating our lunch, but...

    Yulia, I don''t need to find someone else that can satisfy my sentiments. I have a really big secret that I will never tell anyone.

    Ironically, even though it''s a secret, it''s gigantically common and not rare at all. That being...

    I have incredibly high standards for my partner. It can''t just be something cheesy. He has to meet every condition in the equation and I am afraid that if I ignore this restriction that I placed on myself that...

    I will undoubtedly fall in love with the wrong person while still knowing that that person isn''t the one for me.

    "By the way, Sana. Less about me and more about you. Do you have someone in mind? Like, just between you and me, is there someone in class that you have your eye on?"

    "....Um, let me think for a second..."

    "Okay, sure! Take your time!"

    As I witnessed Yulia take a deep chunk out of her taco, I pretended to think.

    Because, without a doubt, I am trying to convince myself that I have no one in my mind, but...

    A few days ago... That certain day, at the theaters, it felt far beyond your average encounter as the individual at hand was far too bold and straight forward. But I still dislike that memory.

    It was all fake. His arguments might make sense but I know. I know that Hyunda''s words were fake.

    Yet despite that, in my mind, unfortunately, he sits on top. Even when I try to tell myself that I don''t think of anyone that way.

    Oh well.

    It''s fine.

    I mean, I won''t let it go beyond that state. Sure, he might have a few assets to him that others just don''t really have. Well... If I were to be honest, he''s kinda dream--- No, no. No. No. That''s what he wants me to think.

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    Aaahhh geez! Get out of my mind! You don''t belong here! This is unacceptable!

    I----

    "Sana?! Is everything alright?! You seem to be struggling with something! I mean, your face looks so puzzled and confused!"

    "A-Ah, it''s nothing..."

    "Really?"

    "Yeah..."

    My face was probably quite weird... I am weird sometimes. I tend to sometimes disconnect during talks, but it''s not my intention, I swear.

    Also... Well, I still want to answer Yulia''s question, but there''s only one damn person in my mind and I can''t even pretend with anyone else. They just don''t click.

    So... I''ll give this a shot. However, from an indirect stance.

    "Say... What is your opinion about Hyunda, Yul---"

    To my surprise, as I was finishing my sentence, Yulia choked on her taco transiently, which caught me completely off guard.

    After drinking a bit of her cola, Yulia regained the strength to speak back to me.

    "W-What... Sana, no way. Nah. Not happening. Another person, please!"

    Wait, she''s completely misunderstanding!

    "Yulia, it''s seriously not like that..."

    "Sana, you can''t! Hyunda''s evil personified! I will not allow you to have a crush on him! Look, I hate to say this, but we probably can''t do anything about Arkalee''s situation at this point. She got too attached to him. Just taking a glance at her being so clingy to that ominous bastard is so staggering."

    ....Does Yulia hate Hyunda? Why though?

    "Hold on. I''m not defending Hyunda, but what happened? Your attitude just changed completely. It''s so hostile and defensive."

    "Ah... It''s nothing. I just don''t like him. I hate him. I can''t stand the type of person he is if you get me."

    "Ah, I do get you. I hate playboys the most. Death to them all!"

    Though, Hyunda isn''t your average playboy. He''s at the peak of his game.

    It''s just too bad that I have seen through you. Even if I can''t get you out of my mind, you will not win my heart.

    Also, about the reward thing. Hyunda, you are wrong. Yulia has said that she plans on rewarding me so---

    Ah, wait... That was exactly his point...

    D-Damn it.

    "But Sana, is Hyunda the one on your mind...? Can''t it be someone else?"

    "Y-Yulia, it''s not like that, I promise... I was just asking. But, since you already gave your answer... I think I would like someone who would go beyond my standards. Ah, ah... If we''re being honest with each other, my standards are so damn high that I will probably be single for a lifetime. Like, I demand more than a six-pack. Either eight or ten. Also, I want to die with this person. But... Ah, too unrealistic I know..."

    Although I said this, I need to update my standards.

    Because, unfortunately, Hyunda broke several of them. I kid you not, I was not expecting that.

    I have to be prepared. Yet this is assuming that he will be coming after me. Even though I like to think that he won''t, his past words just prove to me otherwise.

    It will happen and I have to absolutely be prepared to fight back against his flirts.

    "...I wonder if he has it..."

    I heard Yulia murmuring something but given that I was starting to disconnect, I snapped back to reality quickly.

    "Um, Yulia, hypothetically speaking, just hypothetically speaking, if a playboy would somehow win your heart, how would you come back from that? J-Just hypothetically speaking! Don''t assume that I am referencing someone, alright?!"

    It would be bad if Yulia got the wrong idea here. Especially when she has a grudge against Hyunda.

    The truth is though... While I do know how to prevent a playboy like him from stealing my heart... Hypothetically speaking, if that fails, and he steals my heart SOMEHOW, I need to know how I can recover from that.

    Gosh, his overconfidence is so overpowering though! What is he made of anyway!?

    "Sana, if you are talking about Hyunda, then just don''t listen to his words. They are not true. He''s a very skilled manipulator. Don''t bother trying to guess what he is thinking because it never works..."

    "Yulia... I said for you to not assume... Ah, well. But yeah, I was referencing him..."

    I can''t tell Yulia what happened though. Also, I was fairly surprised today, when I saw him approaching us in the morning without Arkalee.

    ..........

    So he really can make her absent, huh...

    "Sana... We don''t know what happened to Arkalee. Like, something happened and it changed her. Hyunda''s behind that. We know that."

    "Um, do we though?"

    Certainly, Arkalee is attached to him but we really only started talking when she was already attached to Hyunda, so...

    I don''t think it''s wise to go as far as assuming that he is behind this. Although, I get it. The chances are fairly high.

    "Sana, this isn''t debatable and I need you to trust me here. Hyunda cannot be trusted. Every word he speaks has an unknown purpose so..."

    "Alright, alright. Still, maybe he''s not completely at fault. Maybe Arkalee is just... far too dependent when in love? Like, it''s not unusual to witness cases of massive clinginess in romance, just saying."

    "Mhm, that''s true... I just can''t relate that much, I suppose. Even though I am madly in love with Daniel as of now and I can''t get him out of my mind, because, I really like this feeling, nonetheless, I wouldn''t go as far as becoming clingy. I do want his attention but it''s just methodologically wrong to go that far. Arkalee can''t handle rejection and the fact that Hyunda refuses to tell her to get away from him bothers me. He''s a coward..."

    Yulia holds a lot of hatred when it comes to Hyunda.

    I don''t really like seeing her act like this. She also doesn''t explain why she''s acting like this.

    Like, every time Hyunda is mentioned, her expression grows with so much tension and she shows signs of being afraid yet why...

    Even if I ask, she will not answer, I bet... I''ll take it slow then. No need to rush.

    "But, seriously, Sana, isn''t there someone else?! I can''t believe you have a crush on Hyunda! Geez!"

    "I don''t! I don''t! That''s just wrong. A few things happened, that''s all. Ah, but, don''t get me wrong here. I was just asking hypothetical questions! Okay then! Give me your opinion then! Out of the boys in the class, who should I be with?"

    "Mhm, interesting! I''ll exclude Daniel though."

    "He''s all yours~"

    Though, if I were to be honest, Daniel''s just not my type. However, if what Yulia told me is true, then he''s doing a good job for certain.

    "Erm... Tatsu?"

    "Ew, no. He''s so silent the majority of the time. Big pass. I like initiative, not the opposite..."

    Additionally to that, Tatsu also has an obvious crush on Arkalee. The poor guy. He has no idea, does he?

    Unless he found out recently, but not that it matters anyway.

    "Okay, Susaga!"

    "...I didn''t know he existed until now..."

    "Wow, that''s harsh. Though, I guess he never really came out as someone who is under the spotlight. Actually, Sana, there are boys in our class that just straight up are more known than others. I think that Tatsu, Susaga, Ryoken, Kan, and Tsudo aren''t that relevant in comparison with the rest. Do you agree?"

    I can see Yulia''s point. However...

    "Wait. What exactly just makes a boy relevant anyway? I get that there are those that stand out and those that just don''t, but... The majority is pretty much hideous in that sense. Talking about Hyunda made me realize this but you don''t have to stand out in order to just be a menace. Think about it, Hyunda doesn''t exactly stand out yet as you described, he..."

    "...You''re right, Sana... But that''s... That''s even worse because the majority isn''t aware... Well, I''ll resume though!"

    "Erm, wait, Yulia. Isn''t it sorta dreamy? Like, show-offs that don''t stand out are completely rare, don''t you think? You don''t even notice their existence yet here they are. Like, you don''t know that you have a psychopath seating next to you, nor a genius-level manipulator and you, therefore, assume that everyone else is just boring and... That''s not true, ya know?"

    "Sana... You''re not talking about Hyunda, right?"

    "...No, I am not..."

    "I don''t know, Sana... I''m getting kinda suspicious. The majority of your sentences have ''Hyunda'' in them. Are you sure that y---"

    "Yulia, it''s really not like that! I was just curious, that''s all! Go, go, go, ask me what guy I should reject next!"

    Due to the fact that Yulia was having the wrong idea, I pressured the previous topic.

    Naturally, I was just trying to reason there. I need to know a bit more about him. He can''t remain an enigma forever. Even though I''m a slave for hardcore mysteries, he shouldn''t be that hard to decipher.

    Ah, but wait... Why am I having all these thoughts?! If I acknowledge that I want to know more about him then he will actually think that I fell in love with him.

    Okay, okay. That''s just not happening. I''ll ignore him. He doesn''t exist. That day was just another day. Nothing that big of a deal!

    I mean... We watched a movie twice. Together. ...That''s a bit hard to overlook. If you watch a movie more than once with someone then that someone should be fairly important to you yet Hyunda just went ahead and ignored the rules again!

    Gah, I hate this! This is not how it''s supposed to be! He''s destroying the laws of universal romance! He''s an abnormality and a menace to virtual romance.

    Well, regardless of that, we idly chatted for two hours while waiting for our digestions to practically do a full cycle. Yulia said that she wanted to partake in a sports event and thus, I said that we needed to wait like two hours, and then we were good to go.

    However, the event only really started at 3 pm. Which was the relay race on the main track field.

    Previously, before doing so, we had to get into our gym clothes. Yulia, however, was pretty excited about this and so, while changing our clothes I posed a question.

    "Yulia, why are you so excited about this anyway?"

    There were also a couple of girls, though not united, changing into their gym clothes as well.

    Yet Yulia just couldn''t wipe that grin off her face, as she looked incredibly confident, to my surprise.

    "Hehehe. Weeeelllllll, you seeeee, I think you''ll like what you''ll see. You know, I don''t really like to lose, and previously, in the last exam, I performed miserably. Ah, it was all my fault. I couldn''t forget that. Daniel is excellent when it comes to sports for your information. Soooo, I wanted to somehow compensate for my lack of positive results, which is why..."

    With her gym clothes now fully on, Yulia turned around and delivered perhaps her most confident words yet to me, who was still dressing up yet simultaneously looking at her.

    "I will win this relay race and I will come out on top!"

    "Wait, how can you be so confident? It''s only been like a month since then!"

    "Heh, well, I happen to be feeling pretty confident right now. You''ll see. Right now, you and Daniel are my most reassuring sources of strength and as long as I can rely on you both, I don''t think I can ever lose. So, I''m going to go ahead and win!"

    Seeing her emotional strength come out of her smirk, I also felt quite motivated to partake in the relay race.

    Nevertheless, despite the fact that there were 23 other participants in the relay race, if we take out Yulia and me, against all the odds Yulia did very well.

    Too well, rather.

    The three individuals who either placed first, second or third, at the end of the relay race, have to be awarded their respective medals and the results will be apprehended by the staff members who are present.

    This is why, since I placed 13th, I was watching Yulia getting a gold medal as a reward, from afar on one of the benches. I still hadn''t gone ahead and changed back to my usual uniform, as I awaited for Yulia.

    By the way, Yulia had an electric look on her face as she was static from the fact that she placed first.

    Furthermore, when she met up with me, she jumped so high that I got baffled over the fact that she could jump that high...

    "Yes! I won! Haha! I told you I had it! Okay! Do you think Daniel''s gonna be happy to hear the news?!"

    I wasn''t mad that I placed that low since I suck at sports and therefore, I was more on the side of the argument that supporting Yulia with her victory makes sense. Yet nonetheless, I couldn''t help but be somewhat depressed about this mediocre result.

    "Of course he is! I will hit him if he doesn''t get happy about this. I mean, you placed first, for crying out loud. First! In a sports event! With 24 other participants. That''s certainly better than me..."

    "Don''t worry, Sana! Next time, you too will achieve awesome results!"

    "I don''t know. I''ve never been someone who was into sports. So I wouldn''t expect to win anything in the first place..."

    "Well, neither did I! But, I found my source of motivation and... I have been practicing for a while in secret as well."

    She''s still somewhat catching her breath while standing up in front of me, which made me wonder if she isn''t feeling tired to the point of seating down.

    "Sana! I think that when you find your source of motivation that you will be able to feel like you can do anything too! Because, deep down, I know for a fact."

    "What do you know for a fact?"

    Then, Yulia lightly grinned and put up her most confident expression ever, to the point of getting absurdly overconfident about it.

    "You can do it!"

    "I''ll try..."

    I''m ashamed of myself as I have lied to you once Yulia. Perhaps when I gather a bit of resolve I can tell you about my lie as it is eating my conscious. Furthermore, receiving these encouraging words that come from you leave me with a bitter-sweet feeling as I know I don''t deserve them.

    Yet, I feel like if you are around, then... I will eventually come to terms with my own flaws and find the motivation that you speak of.

    "Well then, shall we go and change clothes? I also need to take a shower, for the record. Winning a relay race comes with a price."

    "I guess this is one the privileges of failing..."

    Not exactly proud while saying that, I went with Yulia to the female bathhouse in order to also shower.

    Eventually, a good set of minutes later, as we left the bathhouse and went on to another event, as we were about to enter the external block that was right behind block A, on the entrance, we both witnessed something that we weren''t exactly sure that it was happening.

    Arkalee, with her back against the lockers, was fiddling with her phone.

    However, that wasn''t exactly the surprising part. Arkalee is always with someone. Someone that doesn''t even need to be mentioned at this point.

    Yet she looked completely fine as his absence didn''t seem to bother her.

    "Arkalee...?"

    Still skeptical about Hyunda''s absence, Yulia spoke to Arkalee, who couldn''t stop fiddling with her phone nonstop. But, eventually, Arkalee looked back at the two of us and as she did so, her eyes firmly widened as if she was ecstatic over the fact that she saw us both walk into the block.

    "Ah! There you two are! I was looking for you two! Perfect timing!"

 Volume 15 - Chapter 106: Lies Vs Lies.

    Part 1.

    "You have? What a surprise. Oh, not that it''s any of my business but where is your sticker at, Arkalee?"

    "Hahaha, so funny, hahaha. Really nice one, Yulia."

    Sarcastically, Arkalee said those words right to me, as she flashed a fake smile while still fiddling with her phone.

    But, all in all, I''m glad that she finally has decided to let go of him, even for a bit. No one should have to suffer at the hands of that bastard. That tenacious pertinent psychopath who enjoys playing evil mind games...

    I won''t tolerate you any further, Hyunda.

    Nor will I allow you to take more advantage of me.

    "But, now that you two are here, why don''t we go for a walk? Like, let''s eat something. I''m starving!"

    "Sure! I need to drink something for sure... I''m dead after that race..."

    It seems that Sana is really tired from that relay race. I can''t say that I am feeling the same way, because I feel oddly motivated today. I do know the reason for that.

    Really, really! I hope you are doing great, Daniel. I''ll drop later in the afternoon and cheer you up for your surprise! I''m sure you''ll like it!

    "Yulia? Are you coming or what?"

    "Ah, yes!"

    Since I was being left behind, I hurriedly joined back at their sides, as I accompanied Sana and Arkalee to our usual spot at the plaza.

    4 pm. Volleyball Court.

    Inside the gigantic dome that this school particularly has for volleyball matches, on an already set formation of five, Kawahara, Kuzan, Rayazaki, Akihiko and I, looked back at our current opponents with deadly glares that were surely working.

    On the other side of the net, lied a team of five individuals that all had familiar faces to us. Ryoken, Tsudo, Kan, Susaga, and Sagasuga.

    Noticeably, there was one particular person who did not get shaken by this and instead, came forth to the center of the area and offered a handshake at the person who was facing him subsequently.

    "Let''s have a good game, Kawahara."

    With maximum diplomacy, Sagasuga showed a grand smile that was enough to stimulate the female crowd and certainly set a couple of angry boys on fire.

    Nonetheless, the one Sagasuga just offered a handshake to, had absolutely no intention of accepting that handshake.

    "Famous last words, casanova! You''re gonna swallow this L so fucking hard that you will wish you were dead! Every ball will be aimed at you! Personally!"

    Up and personal, Kawahara openly, once again, declared war, not only to Sagasuga but the rest too, as he spread his glare throughout every single one of them.

    However, due to Kawahara''s strong language, a wave of controversy was formed between the staff members and one of them had to come forward.

    "No use of verbal aggression. Do that one more time and your team will be disqualified."

    "Yeah okay, mom."

    Kawahara probably doesn''t realize that he can just get us disqualified if he keeps on trash-talking to that extent. Thankfully, he just backed up and since there was still one minute before we could start the game, Kawahara talked back to us in a discreet manner.

    "Alright, lads, this is it! We finally managed to get them all to be grouped up and---"

    "Huh, Kawahara, isn''t one missing though?"

    Akihiko is undoubtedly referring to Tatsu, who is seemingly absent from the game.

    Something I should also mention is that in the crowd, I am witnessing a couple of girls from our class in it. However, not seeing Yulia left me with a sad expression, suddenly.

    "This is a five-to-five match. We are acing this bitch. Failure ain''t an option, you hear me?! Let''s fucking crush them!"

    "Yeah!! Fucking crush them!" x4

    The rest of us, like pure idiots, without thinking, decided to follow Kawahara''s lead and eagerly shouted those offensive words out loud.

    Alternatively, the sound that we made wasn''t loud to the point of reaching the staff members who were watching our game from afar in a table for three.

    With the one minute gone, the referee announced the beginning of the match, and thus, with our formation and plan in check, we started the long-awaited match.

    5 pm.

    "Yoooooooooooo!!! We fucking did them dirty! Holy shit, they aren''t forgetting that one for motherfucking sure! I''m telling you, at night, they are going to have damn nightmares about this! I counted the number of times I delivered a smash onto Ryoken''s face and it''s beyond ten, buhahaha!!!"

    Though close, we did manage to win against them, mainly because there was a severe lack of synergy on their behave and mutual disagreements.

    Previously, we had agreed to a formation in case we were to face them and in every sports event, we already have a plan in check, all thanks to Kawahara.

    However, as we collectively left and went to another event, which was already scheduled as Kawahara had in mind, I stopped midway and decided to relax on a bench.

    For the record, I planned on simply relaxing while seating in this semi-alone atmosphere full of cheery blossoms and the almost-late dusk yet Kawahara caught sight of me doing this and immediately faced me consequently.

    "Dan, the hell are you doing? We got more events to do. Come on".

    "Nah, man. I''m good. You are pretty much carrying us if we''re to be honest..."

    And of course, Kawahara couldn''t help but flash a smirk in response, as he was receiving direct praise to his own ego.

    As for me, I need to think about some things. Lately, or rather, these past hours, I''ve been thinking and maybe, I...

    Maybe I don''t want to actually separate myself from Yulia.

    "It''s a good thing that you are self-aware. Though, are you sure? Don''t you want that ten wins reward? Pretty neat, if you ask me."

    "It''s whatever... Crush them for me, will you?"

    "Already on it."

    Already with my head down and drowning in the consequences of my possible future actions, I entered a sub-reality state of mind as I watched Kawahara, along with the rest, making their way to wherever they currently need to be in.

    Not a lot of students are passing by and even the ones that are, don''t cast any side-glances, which eases my mind respectively.

    Out of all the places to be in, I''m at the exact same place as I was with Hyunda a few days ago. I remember when we had that talk about the principal and whatnot.

    It isn''t often that I rely on someone to guide me yet without being a nuisance, he manages to be there.

    He might not be everyone''s favorite, but I''m actually thankful for the fact that he''s there to show me unique perspectives instead of letting me drown into this unusual wave of convoluted emotions that''s been overpowering me as of lately.

    These thoughts won''t stop crawling and they want me to be irresponsible and not do the logical thing. Their origin strives from the fact that right now, I''m in love with Yulia. For real. No jokes this time.

    No fake feelings. No pretending. The absolute genuine thing.

    Yet...

    I can''t...

    Hyunda, you are correct, man. I can''t show her how to be happy because I have no idea how to happy in the first place. Only two individuals who have a cognitive idea of happiness and undeniable mutuality in their ideologies should attempt to pursue the path of happiness.

    Therefore, I can already know so much. I''m afraid of disappointing you and I''m also additionally afraid of committing stupid decisions that will hurt you without my knowledge. I''m not affectionate and I can''t feel emotions the correct way like a normal person does.

    Your problems might come as nuisances to me and I don''t want to feel that. Giving you false hope based on something that never existed is something that I am not fine with.

    I also never knew. I always thought of myself as someone with supreme confidence, someone who should have no problems throwing these useless feelings away but...

    It''s hard. I like the way I''m feeling. These feelings that I have for Yulia, right now, make me believe that it''s fine to open the little feelings I can give to someone and be there for her.

    Just for her. No one else. But, I''m surprisingly afraid of just not meeting her expectations.

    Am I enough? No, no, I am not.

    Plus, there are so many others. I''m not one in a billion, I am the opposite of that. I am someone who you can just find amidst that large number and just simply discard me as a person who you just met and expect to never encounter again.

    Similarly, just like how someone crosses a random stranger on the street while idly shopping or just taking a stroll. The particular action doesn''t matter. What matters is acknowledging that among those individuals someone can cross, they can be the ones that fill the void in someone else''s life yet it will never be known.

    I guess what I''m trying to tell myself is that I am one of those people. Someone who has no abundant relevance and can easily be replaced.

    Yulia, you... You''re not like those types of people. If I crossed you on the street that had dozens of people, you would be the one I would have my eyes on. Because you are everything to me.

    And that''s why I need to go. Because without me, you are actually better.

    "Still down, are we?"

    "I''m sad and low, Hyunda."

    I didn''t need to look at him coming my way and casually leaning back on the bench right at my side while eating his onion yet I still did.

    Hyunda, you probably don''t know this, but... Out of all the people I have ever come across, you... might be the first one I actually consider a friend.

    Someone who can relate to my internal problems and can mutually help me without me having to ask. I have never asked you to help me and fix my problems yet it''s as if you already know what it''s like.

    "She won''t leave your mind, right? Take it easy. It''s torture being in love. But that''s not a reason to feel sad and low. Be happy that you are making the correct decision. By leaving Yulia, you are allowing her to acknowledge that there are people like you and me in this world, and, next time, she will be more careful when choosing her partner in love. Think of this as a lesson. The bigger the sacrifice, the bigger the results."

    "Yeah... Maybe I''m actually someone who''s just afraid of letting go."

    "..."

    For a while, he stopped eating his onion and looked at me with comprehensive eyes, before talking back to me.

    "...Everyone who you love is gonna die and you will die as well. I think about this every day and night. Just when I''m about to enter my sleeping state, this thought comes and goes transiently. But, I think, despite that, it''s alright to have the feeling. As long as it doesn''t go beyond that. There''s no reason to manifest it. It''s all useless and meaningless."

    "But, Hyunda, I don''t know man. Eventually, as it grows, it gets harder to contain it and I just want to be unrealistic and put my mind into a state of disbelief. For example, convincing myself that I am the right person for Yulia when I''m not. How long will this last, by the way?"

    "What are you referring to, exactly?"

    "I''m referring to the pain. Will there ever be an end to it? I''m not trying to be emotional here, I''m just curious. Is there even a way to stop feeling it once you just start feeling it? I think that I''m not ready to feel that way. I don''t know what sort of reaction I will have while bearing seeing the girl I love with a broken heart eventually fall into another guy''s hands. I''m afraid of getting far too selfish and just throw away all my sacrifices and make the wrong decision again. It''s fucking horrifying just thinking about it, Hyunda."

    Despite my long semi-emotional rant, Hyunda cracked a smile in response, which I found somewhat disturbing.

    "Wh.. Did I say something weird?"

    "Nah. I was just thinking about something else. However, I was paying attention, yes. Daniel, there''s a way to just not be a victim to all those fears. Do you want to learn how to be like me? How to maintain your emotions so wildly tamed that they won''t dare to manifest in ways that you aren''t aware of?"

    As I look to his confident facial expression and notice the ease in his words that were delivered with supremacy, I can''t help myself but wanting to know how Hyunda always maintains that state of mind.

    What is his secret, anyway?

    "Well, yeah. But, will you actually tell me...? Or will just be indirect for the sake of it?"

    "No, I''m for real this time. I don''t mind sharing this time, so listen closely."

    Leaning to the front and then going back, I adjoined my back to the bench and started to pay close attention, as his expression gradually got far too serious.

    "What you experience is either subjective; based on your own sentiments and personal tastes, if not opinions too. Love, for example, is subjective. It cannot be the opposite of subjective; which is objective. This other side labeled as objective is referencing impartiality. Unbiased. Completely dominated by a clear goal. Not for the sake of satisfying your feelings. Not for the sake of gaining a wider sense of yourself. Simple and objective. Do you understand this, Daniel?"

    "You are saying that there are two types of experiences, which are either subjective or objective, right? Never knew. Keep going though."

    "Yes, that is what I am saying. Eventually, subjective experiences will naturally place a lot of emphasis on the way that you are feeling. I''ve already implied this, but what you experience for Yulia is not objective, it''s subjective. Yulia, without a doubt, is having a subjective experience with you and you too. Which is why you are feeling oddly emotional as of lately."

    I see...

    That explains why I''m able to feel this way without knowing these types of emotions. Since the experience is fully subjective in the first place, it makes sense that I am feeling this tidal wave of sentiments.

    But, if that''s the case...

    "Hyunda, how can you change a subjective experience into an objective experience? Will doing so erase the sentimentality that was created from the subjective experience?"

    "Unfortunately for you, the more you commit yourself into a subjective experience, the harder it is to fight back and relapse from it. However, it''s not impossible. Words of advice, Screw circumstances; apply opportunities. Right now, you are a slave to the subjectivity of the experience. Feelings, are not as much of a joke as you think. Think about it logically. Why, before all of this, weren''t you just able to feel a thing? You don''t need the knowledge about subjective/objective experiences yet the fact is, you went through an objective experience. Because you had a clear goal. What was that goal?"

    Suddenly, almost as if it was always in the back of my mind, I answered it without giving any second thoughts, back to Hyunda.

    "Passing the exam... That was my goal, previously. That was the main reason as to why I approached Yulia. It never felt emotional. Was it because I had a clear objective and my mind was therefore absent from all sentimentality?"

    "Good. You''re grasping the basics of it. Yes, that''s it. However, soon after, that goal vanished. Passing the exam is always objective and subjective. It''s objective in the sense where you will always have a clear necessity to pass it. Or not. For example, I am approaching these exams subjectively. Because my goal isn''t to succeed. I don''t need to. Therefore, I refuse to apply any objectivity. Nonetheless. that will rapidly change in the next month. Which will make me approach the exams objectively. As for you, amidst all of this, there was just something that constantly bugged you. Yulia. Her existence didn''t hold any purpose and that''s your fault. Now, do you know why I told you that those who hold no remote purpose are bound to grow stagnant? To who, did you think I was referring to?"

    "......."

    Maybe it''s due to my current sentimentality but I felt slightly pissed off that Hyunda was mentioning Yulia so casually and in a mean way.

    However, I was also quick to realize that this was also a point that Hyunda wanted me to get across. The source of my subjective experience was the last exam and now, the substance that''s stimulating the way I feel is...

    "Yulia, I get it. Man... I approached the last exam weirdly, now that I think about it...."

    "How so?"

    Curious, once again, Hyunda paused his onion eating rampage and decided to cast his perhaps most serious look yet.

    "...If I''m honest with you, I followed Kawahara''s advice..."

    "I see. That explains a few things. Though, the last exam was somewhat rough for you, so I can''t censure you for falling into his web. That''s beside the whole point. Your way wasn''t bad. You just lacked the determination to cast Yulia aside and now the price tag is revealing to be insanely high for you. Again, don''t be a slave to circumstances and create opportunities."

    That''s an interesting philosophy, surely...

    But, it looks like he isn''t done, and thus, he continued to speak.

    "All in all, the way to be in control of your emotions is to have a clear mind with a clear goal. Obsess yourself with objectivity. A long term goal, so to speak. Short term goals will leave the individual clueless when that goal reaches its wit''s end. So, you want to turn this subjective experience into an objective one? It will be hard. Do you have it in you to shut down those thoughts that are crawling inside your mind right now?"

    Mildly, a gust of wind assaulted the surface of my face, as I heard Hyunda''s reassuring words.

    This is what I was referring to earlier. He just can relate. It''s as if he has the answer to everything, honestly.

    "I want to feel mental freedom and right now, I''m nothing more than a slave to these sentiments. I don''t want them. Yet I can''t just make them vanish. So, there is another way, right?"

    "Indeed. For a subjective experience to transform into an objective experience, a firm and wavering goal must be created. A goal that has no personal feel to it. Just the objective. What is it that you want to achieve here, Daniel?"

    "Separation from Yulia, in a way that won''t hurt her. But, that''s... Impossible, right?"

    Yet to my surprise, as I sunk my head low while also looking at Hyunda, he simply created a sure of oneself facial expression and spoke with undeniable clearness.

    "No, it is possible. As a matter of fact... No, well, that''s unnecessary to mention. Either way, for you to realize your goal, you need to do one simple thing. Don''t speak with Yulia for the rest of the day."

    "....What? Wait, explain. How is me not talking to Yulia gonna solve this...?"

    Stolen novel; please report.

    "It will, Daniel. Because the time is running out. Concretely speaking, your absence will be extremely advantageous for the separation. I can''t tell you how the process works for one simple reason. If you know, you will reject my idea. It''s far too strong for your liking and you, are feeling too emotional right now, to overlook my idea."

    ........

    "Hyunda, you got this, right?"

    "Dude, why so much doubt? Trust me, man. Have I not shown you moments where I can shine? This will be a breeze."

    Somehow I can''t shake off this feeling. I don''t know why I''m feeling this way but Hyunda refuses to explain the process of our separation and I just can''t stop thinking about Yulia and if she will feel bad about it.

    Therefore... I''ll just ask him something.

    "Hyunda... Can you please make it so the process won''t leave her with a broken heart? You can do it, right?"

    "Yeah, I got it. She definitely won''t be feeling a thing after this, certainly."

    I trust Hyunda. I remember back when I didn''t exactly trust him, but he has helped me considerably, and deep down, I treat him as my only friend, so I''ll place my trust in him.

    It will be sad from this day onwards, facing Yulia without feeling anything for me. I don''t mind the process as long as she is able to eventually recover and grab onto a better chance in the future.

    "Oh --- also, also, let me borrow your phone. I''m curious to know your playlist. You got one, right?"

    "Duh, of course, Hyunda."

    On his command, I unlocked my phone''s screen and borrowed him my phone while eavesdropping his action.

    However, this was apparently disturbing as he created some distance between us while portraying an annoyed facial expression.

    "Daniel, bro, are you a girl? Only a girl is on your face when you are doing something like this. Chill out, I''m not gonna do anything beyond your knowledge."

    "But what if I have porn saved though?"

    Asking the real question.

    "More the reason to let me savor it for myself. Back off a little, I''m just gonna check your songs. Look away for ten seconds."

    "Fine..."

    Still somewhat skeptical, I nonetheless, turned away and waited ten seconds until Hyunda was done checking the songs on my playlist.

    However, it only took him seven seconds, according to my count.

    "Done. I''ll listen to them later for sure."

    Upon hearing that, I turned around with an excited look on my face and flat out asked something that I was curious about.

    "Did you recognize some of them?!"

    However, as I said that, he didn''t exactly look at me and simply started to mess with his phone. Perhaps a text?

    "Yeah. I''ll give you my opinion later though. Right now, I will have to deliver final judgment and open the curtain for today''s main event. Daniel, go to Sana. Explain to her the reasons and be objective about it. Remember, what sort of experience is that you are seeking?"

    "Objective, I know. But do you know wh---"

    "She''s near the festival''s concert. Do you know which one I''m talking about?"

    I would be lying if I said that I didn''t. It''s been an event that has been hyped up around the school ever since the festival was announced.

    Apparently, there will be a concert and the main musical group of the school will perform a full-fledge concert from 6 pm to 11 pm.

    "Yeah, I do."

    "Perfect. I have to stop by the dorm for a specific reason. In the meantime, get to Sana and attempt to reason with her. She''ll be problematic for you if you don''t tell her how it''s gonna go down. Also, no talking to Yulia. I mean this in any possible way. Don''t approach her or else it''s all ruined."

    Hyunda''s facial expression grows progressively serious every time he mentions that I can''t talk to Yulia for some reason.

    Yet if that''s what it takes for him to be successful with his endeavor, then I won''t interfere.

    I trust that Hyunda has a reasonable plan for this and that nothing bad will happen.

    "I got it, man. Best of luck!"

    "Don''t need it. Have fun."

    With a soft smirk on his lips and hands on his pockets, Hyunda left the scene and I made my way to the concert which was using the football stadium as a replacement area for its own usages.

    Noticeably, our ways were far too different and disconnected yet as I made my way to the concert, I filled my mind with thoughts that centered around objectivity and less sentimentality.

    6:15 pm.

    On Arkalee''s suggestion of going to the concert that the school was upholding, Sana, Arkalee, and I went to it yet what we found was a massive crowd filled with a plethora of students.

    Almost as if all the students from all over the school were united in the same place!

    With the sun almost setting down, the concert was already ongoing and Sana and Arkalee were going hard at it!

    Apparently, the songs that are being played right now are to their liking but still, I... couldn''t help but not want to enjoy this moment because you are not here.

    Events are still happening and I can only safely assume that you are in them. Yet, don''t worry. I won''t be clingy nor annoying. Take your time. I understand. You don''t have to think like you have to live up to my expectations, because that''s not what I want.

    I want that part of you that you are not fine with, the one that you reject. I''ll embrace you for what you are, Daniel.

    That''s why, even amidst this happy-go-lucky atmosphere, with my best friend on my side, I can only wish you luck and even if you come out defeated, I''ll show you my support, even if it might not be much, but I''ll try nonetheless.

    "Yulia?! What''s wrong?! You''re not singing along! Come on! It''s ''Cruel Summer''!"

    Sana, pushing the bay of my right sleeve, pulled me out of my thought process and called me out to reality.

    Upon seeing her radiant smile and bright cheerful face, I couldn''t help but be extremely happy in response, therefore, I silently smiled back to her as well, without saying any words.

    Sana, you are a fantastic human being. I couldn''t ask for a better friend. I find myself saying this to myself all the time, which is why, instead, I''ll just tell you now.

    This is why, to Sana''s surprise, I went ahead and forced a hug while saying my honest words. The words that I wanted you to hear the most.

    "I love yoooooouuuu! You''re the best! Irreplaceable! I could die for you! Hahaha!"

    "W-Wait, Yulia?! What''s with that!? That''s too sudden!"

    "Ahh, don''t worry! I didn''t mean it in that way! I only love Daniel in that way, but you, Sana, to me, are special! And you will always be!"

    I kept hugging her and hugging her to the point where our bodies fully clashed but all in all, I just wanted to let Sana know that she''s the best and that such an amazing person like her should never feel down!

    "Wow, you two sure are having fun, emotionally bonding with one another!"

    As I disconnected from Sana shortly after, we both saw Arkalee fiddling with her phone while saying those words.

    Arkalee is... Well, we''ll get there eventually! But Sana will always be a top priority, for sure!

    "Ahh, I''m so thirsty, but I don''t want to leave here... I love Cruel Summer so muuuucchhh! If only someone could grab me something to drink..."

    Sticking out her tongue, Arkalee further complained as she spoke about her necessity to drink something.

    In agreement with her, Sana also spoke.

    "Yeah, true, true. I''m feeling sorta thirsty too and I also don''t wanna leave. If I was fast then I would get us three drinks but certainly, a certain person here is way faster than all of us, hehe."

    Grinning, I understood immediately what Sana was implying and well, I''m in a good mood, so I will just go ahead and...

    "Okay! Any preferences?!"

    Firmly gripping my own two hands, I asked Sana and Arkalee their preferences with outstanding enthusiasm.

    Mhm, it would be so romantic if I casually met up with Daniel at the place where I''m going to grab the drinks for both of them.

    I''m thinking about the usual cafe but maybe I should drop by the mall and buy something of greater quality? I''m feeling quite generous!

    It''s been such an amazing, fantastical and fun day! Probably the best day of my life.

    No...

    Without a doubt, this has been the best day of my life and I don''t think anything can prove to me otherwise.

    "Ice tea! Peach flavored!"

    "Okay! What about you, Arkalee?!"

    Although Sana had given her reply, Arkalee looked to be in deep thought about something. Mindlessly looking elsewhere but us, as soon as her phone vibrated, a quick smile rose up from her lips, and thus, she replied cheerfully.

    "Ahhh...! Um, soo... It needs to be silver and white. Like, a drink that has a mixture of both!"

    "..." x2.

    Sana and I definitely knew what she was referring to, or rather, who she was referring to, yet, I didn''t bother to mention anything about it.

    "O-Okay! I''ll see what I can do! I''ll be back soon, so don''t go anywhere!"

    As I difficultly left the huge crowd, I made my way to the mall and as I did, I started to unknowingly look everywhere for you yet you were nowhere to be found.

    Nevertheless, before arriving at the mall, at the entrance of the crowd, for a second, I thought that I had seen someone with extremely spiky black hair passing by. Someone who had the same face as you.

    Henceforth, I quickly turned my back away and looked back at the crowd, hoping to meet you there, but once again, you were nowhere to be seen.

    "...Was I imagining things...?"

    Or maybe this is a side effect when you are truly in love with someone else?

    Ah...

    It''s magnificent really. I can''t get you out of my mind. Everything is so bright and colorful. It''s as if my vision is empowered with joy and a static sense of happiness that I never knew could exist in the first place.

    Looking everywhere for you just made me realize that I crave for you to the most and also, that I am the luckiest girl alive for being the subject of your affection.

    "I''m happy."

    Speaking my mind out loud, I noticeably attracted the attention of a few students who were passing by but I brushed it off with a smile because I had nothing to hide.

    With high hopes, after 10 or so minutes, in my own two hands, I held two cold drinks.

    It was still a bit far from the concert itself, so I had to walk a fair share, to be honest.

    Ultimately though, still in a very happy mood, I approached the concert once more.

    Yet it was even more crowded. Recalling correctly, Sana and Arkalee were more to the middle, so I had to get inside the crowd while somehow not spilling the drinks.

    Furthermore, the concert was going quite loud, as everyone else was singing along with the ongoing song. Therefore, the sound almost penetrated my eardrums instantly.

    On the entrance of the crowd, while still maintaining the drinks'' equilibrium, as I went to the middle of the crowded area, I spotted Arkalee and Sana a couple of meters up ahead of me. However, as soon as one of the students who was in front of me got out of the way, I saw Daniel there.

    Normally, seeing his very figure right now would have me blowing with immense happiness and an uncontrollable sensation of love.

    Despite that, the scenario, that ultimately came as incomprehensible and shocking to me to the point where I couldn''t uphold any immediate reaction to, was so devastating that the cold drinks that I previously tightly held in my own two hands dropped to the ground without notice thus spreading all the liquid that was inside the cups while scattering it on the cold ground.

    Why is it that in this very exact moment that you became clear to me, your lips are somehow connected with Sana''s? What am I supposed to assume here? Can someone tell me, please?

    "What the hell is this..."

    What is happening?

    Part 2.

    Out of fear and unable to know how to react, I left the concert with haste into a place where I could be alone without any interruptions.

    Unbeknownst to me, tears started to stream down from my eyes as I made my way to the place I had in mind.

    Sincerely, I attempted to clear my mind and erase what I had just seen.

    I tried to tell myself that it didn''t happen and that my mind was playing tricks on me or something.

    Yet it was impossible. I saw it. Daniel and Sana sharing a moment that was only supposed to be available for me and Daniel. Us both.

    No one else but us. No.

    No.

    No.

    No.

    No.

    It didn''t happen. I just... haha. Yeah, I need to clear my mind, that''s all.

    "What a bad joke though, haha. Is this a surprise? Any specific reason as to why you opted to go for a bad joke such as this, Daniel? You know I''m not that strong on the inside so why....!!"

    Look. It''s not like I''m not trying to figure out. I did saw it. Damn it, I saw it with my own two eyes. I would be delusional if I said that I didn''t witness that yet...!

    Calming my fury and nurturing my level of sadness seems to be an outer-worldly task due to the degree of difficulty it has.

    Even as I take a seat in the place where only we shared our most private moments, where exactly, I, out of courage, told you my past. How it defined me and it still does yet you...

    "Why...?"

    What do you want me to assume from that?

    I''m trying to remain optimistic but the tears won''t stop.

    The more I think of you, the more my heart aches.

    Tell me, tell me. Tell me, tell me.

    Tell me, just something. A reason. A profound logic. Something that will surely erase my own thoughts of doubt and current miscellaneous sadness.

    "Okay. I am overreacting. Yes, that''s it. I''m just not thinking enough. Haha. That''s it. No need to be a drama queen about it."

    Therefore...

    I will just cry and empty my tears while sinking my head into this rustic table as I additionally let the dusk''s sunlight graze me in the face ever so slightly.

    ...You could have called me yet you didn''t for the whole day after that...

    We didn''t even meet after that. Why?

    I thought that we... That was real, right? It happened, right? I''m not imagining it, correct?

    Clearly, realistic, at this exact same place, we cried together and spoke out honest words.

    Yet now, as I further sink my head in the table''s surface while feeling the strands of my hair getting soaked by the watery tears that are still ever-flowing, I realize...

    I''m the only one that''s crying.

    Here.

    All alone.

    No one is coming.

    Will you find me here and then will you tell me words that are still within my range of comprehension that will make me feel like I''ve been a fool for doubting you and that what happened a few minutes ago was nothing more than a sub-act of a bizarre stupid unfunny event?

    Please come.

    Find me. I''m here.

    Only you know this place.

    What''s taking so long?

    What are you doing right now?

    Are you thinking of me?

    Or.

    Are you thinking of Sana?

    Hahaha.

    I''m such a bad person. All it takes is one moment. One moment and my mind turns completely upside down, doubting everything and everyone. Even those that are extremely important to me.

    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry...! I''m seriously insecure, it''s not my fault, I swear, so you can''t expect me to have a normal reaction after what I just saw!"

    I''m not even going to bother and wipe my tears. I''ll just cry until I can''t cry anymore.

    I also don''t have the courage of an average person. Rather, my cowardice goes beyond normal. I may put up a strong front but I am deep down terrified of simple things that I can''t understand.

    For example, just like a normal person, I could have walked up and asked what the hell was happening.

    Why the hell was my best friend and boyfriend sharing a moment that should be reserved for Daniel and me only?

    What was that all about? Could anyone give me a reasonable logic for the event that took place? Why was my mood destroyed by the two people who I ACTUALLY care for in this universe?!

    What sort of bad joke is this?! I can''t understand!

    Yet what truly bothers me is that this happened while I was gone for just a couple minutes... In my absence.

    What. The. Hell.

    ....!!

    Suddenly, my mood got incredibly brighter, as I heard the door of this abandoned classroom open up. Subsequently, I quickly wiped my own tears with my sleeves and looked in the door''s direction with my head up high, in the hope it was you.

    Subliminally, perhaps my automatic elastic happiness assaulted me in a moment of premature jubilation yet as I watched who it was that entered in the classroom with a beyond confident manner of walking and a terrifying devilish grin almost glued to his lips, I instantly felt terrified beyond repair; also being unable to react.

    "You''re good at hiding, Yulia. However, I would eventually find you regardless. This place though? Not bad, Yulia. You managed to find the one place in this school where nobody will hear your intense cries of betrayal!"

    What the hell is Hyunda doing here?!

    Stay away! Stay away! Stay away! Fricking monster! Stop getting closer to me!

    "Woah, what''s with the reaction? You even started crawling out of your seat and went to hide in the corner! Yulia, you stink. You stink of fear. With every inhale, I breathe fear. Your fear."

    "Go away, go away, go away! Stop getting closer to me!"

    He just keeps on approaching me even when I''m hiding in the corner of this classroom while covering and sheltering my own being. I''m being paranoid right now but that''s because I can''t help but feel so small in his presence.

    However, despite all my efforts, he ended up adjoining his back to the wall on my right and faced me with a confident look as I, terrified out of my existence, almost wet myself.

    "I won''t go away, Yulia. Your time is up. Game over."

    Emotionlessly, Hyunda ignored my current trembling figure and my never-ending tears and showed me a picture that he had on his phone, which caused me to sink my head on my knees while increasing my tears even further.

    "Suicide. You have until midnight, Yulia."

    "...You...did this, didn''t you?"

    He has to be behind this. There is no way that he isn''t. I refuse to believe otherwise.

    "No, I didn''t. What you witnessed a while back, was a moment of pure love. Something you and Daniel never had."

    "No! That''s not true! We..."

    "Hm? What? Are you delusional or something? I showed you three moments of them being alone in your absence and you still didn''t believe me. Are you gonna argue against proof?"

    "No! No! That was an accident! I bet you planned this! You want me to believe that Daniel and Sana are in a relationship but... that''s not true!"

    I don''t know how Hyunda did it, but it would make sense if he was behind this! He''s always been someone who I couldn''t read in the first place no matter how much I tried and it makes perfect sense when I think that he''s the mastermind!

    Yet, as I look at his absurdly ever-glorious confidence spread all over his facial expression and movement, a chill was sent down my spine as I realize that my assumptions were quickly about to be shattered.

    "At a young age, your grandma died. Thus creating a hole in your heart. Years later, you moved here to Japan, only to face a gigantic language barrier. You got bullied in the process of overcoming it yet as you did, it only got worse eventually. Amidst this, your mother overdosed and died."

    "How the hell----"

    "Unable to find motivation in life, upon discovering a new love interest and a lifetime best friend, your emotions gained a reasonable magnitude. Oh, if you are wondering how I know all of this about your past, then it''s because Daniel told me. To him, you are nothing more than a puppet."

    "N-No way, that''s not... No! NO!"

    "So in denial. How about this one? He added a side comment while telling me your whole past that he told you that he would give you a call but then, on purpose, he added that he wouldn''t call you all day long because he wanted to give you a false sense of hope. So, has he called you since then?"

    "...N-No... Daniel, you..."

    Why?!

    Why?! Why?! Why?! Why did you tell Hyunda about that!?

    DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH COURAGE THAT TOOK OUT OF ME?!

    And the next thing you do is tell Hyunda about it?! Why?! That was supposed to be a big moment where we were supposed to develop our bond yet you just treated it as a joke!

    ...Why....!!

    Out of rage and sadness, sinking in my arms, I started to rapidly cry once more, not knowing in what to believe in.

    "Yulia, it''s all a lie. I tried to warn you from the start, but you didn''t listen to me."

    "Shut up. Just shut up. What do you know? You don''t know anything. You think you know everything but you just don''t, okay?! Stop acting like you do when you don''t!"

    "Are you sure you don''t want to say any more words? It''s fine if you use me as someone to discharge your anger at. After all, regardless of your actions, what has happened has happened. Newspaper''s news tomorrow would be: ''Breaking news! Yulia''s best friend and her boyfriend are actually in a relationship beyond her knowledge!''. Something like that? Oh, also, I won the bet. Kill yourself, please."

    No. No. No! No! I will not believe this! This was surely just a misunderstanding!

    There has to be a valid reason! I refuse to believe anything that comes out of this guy''s mouth!

    "Hm... Yulia, you... You still think I''m the bad guy here, don''t you?"

    "That''s because you are! You''re a villain. You are pure evil!"

    With my tears still running deeply on the wild surface of my face, I elevated my head slightly and lashed back at him with a piercing scream.

    "I''ll differ here. How am I evil, when I told you that this would exactly happen the way it did a week ago? If you had listened to me, then you would have been able to simply move on and this wouldn''t have happened. If I was evil, you know what I would do? I wouldn''t tell you a single fucking thing about this. Then, you would lead your life as a lie. Oh wait. It already is. Everything that you currently place your trust in is just a mountain of stacked lies among lies and lies!"

    "You''re so fucking horrible. You are the worst human being I have ever come across! Are you happy, you bastard?! Does my lack of happiness, does my abundant feeling of depression, does my intense regret of ever trusting someone, feel like joy to you!? Answer me, honestly!"

    "Well, no. I don''t care about you."

    "Hyunda, you will die alone. Nobody will ever care for you! Ever! Once everyone realizes your true colors, everyone will hate you and you won''t be able to escape the undeniable spiral of hatred coming your way! Your day will come... You won''t go unpunished for making others feel miserable!"

    Simply speaking, while I''m venting my extremely angry emotions right now, I am trying to ignore all possible evidence that was used a while ago.

    Of course, I noticed.

    I only told Daniel my past and... Daniel, why....?! I trusted you! How could you?!

    "Isn''t that you though? You''re the one that''s going to die all alone. Your boyfriend is dating your best friend behind your back and your best friend is lying through her teeth. Hey, don''t you find it ironic? I''m 99% sure that in your conversations with Sana, she says that she isn''t going to find love ever. Know why? She already has! Your boyfriend, that is."

    "Why are you doing this...? If you aren''t taking any joy from seeing me in this sorry state, then what the hell is your goal?!"

    "I already told you about my goal. I seek to erase the bad side of reality, which is the lies. And you, have been living under one and if you continue to go on, you will continue to live on a bigger lie. Yulia, it''s time to stop this. No more suffering. Your life is a disaster. No one loves you. You''re just like your mother at the end of the day; always bound to get cheated on."

    I hate the fact that his words just now hit me so hard that I couldn''t even argue back.

    Am I cursed? Is this some sort of curse?! What the hell is going on?! Can someone tell me, please!

    "Yulia. I''ll give you a little present. Here."

    Although I couldn''t see his face due to the fact that my own face is buried in my crossed forearms, on the fingertips of my left hand, I started feeling a heavyweight and an object of cold temperature.

    It didn''t even take me a few seconds to know what it was yet I just had to check to make sure.

    Thus, I elevated my head slightly and my eyes met with that malicious object.

    "I should explain why I actually believe suicide is the correct option here. Look, I knew you weren''t going to follow the bet. Because this would be the result. Your meltdown would not allow you to care. Unless, it''s actually related, which is. How is it related? Well, you see, from this day onward, you will keep your relationship with Daniel while maintaining a lie. Should you argue against Sana, then your friendship is gone. Should you doubt your boyfriend, your life is over. To put it bluntly, you cornered yourself."

    I regret the fact that I just started taking his words seriously.

    What if I just pretend that this never happened?! No, I can''t! I''ve been trying to but it hasn''t been working!

    Will I have to endure the lie over and over?!

    I rather not... I''ve had enough. I placed my trust in Sana and Daniel yet...

    Daniel, you went ahead and told Hyunda my secret and Sana, you... you kissed my boyfriend! After supporting me so much?!

    I''m horrible and I feel only that way because I can''t help but doubt you now! I''m so sorry!

    "Hey, let''s try something different. Why don''t you call Daniel and see what he has to say? If you doubt my words, then I''m sure if you listen to your boyfriend, then he should be able to give you a certified opinion on the matter. Come on, what''s the matter? Take out your phone and call him out. Ah, lay down the gun though."

    "..."

    Putting down the revolver, out of despair, I attempted to call Daniel, however...

    "What.........?!"

    "Oh. I forgot to mention something. That was dumb of me. Oops. Can you believe it? He really doesn''t care about you."

    Why is this message appearing on the screen!? I''m blocked?! W-What?!

    Are you serious?!

    Are you actually telling me that you... that you....!! After I opened myself up to you like I NEVER DID TO ANYONE ELSE?!

    YOU TREAT ME LIKE THIS?!

    "The truth is, Yulia, this afternoon, he mentioned that you would eventually get impatient and try to call him and since he actually thinks of you as a nuisance and as an pertinent creature who is too sentimental, he decided to block you. You should have seen the smile on his face!"

    Enough.

    I don''t... I''m so tired...

    Mother, I...

    Why did we both have to go through this? You became absent when you thought that life was too hard for you and you stopped living because you saw no meaning to it, so, please tell me...

    What am I supposed to do when all my sources of strength are based on an endless river stained with lies?!

    "For the record, I don''t believe you deserve this. Nobody should live life and suffer this much. The idea of changing and hoping that life will turn better is sporadic and unrealistic. Come on, seriously! We live in an age of despair, where a damn romance is enough to make your life-force quake. So, Yulia. Suicide, if you ever feel like letting go. No one will blame you. Because no one actually cares about you. You''re irrelevant and you will always be."

    I''m not even bothered by his heartless words anymore. I can''t believe this yet the more I attempt to make an effort to force myself to believe that this is not true, all evidence goes against me.

    I wish I could just abandon all evidence and its irrefutable logic yet I can''t.

    Plus, you blocked me. You mocked me. You laughed at my past. The past that I never thought that I would bring up yet the moment I did you traded that precious piece of my life that I am not proud of with someone like Hyunda?

    That''s... not even the worse part. The worse part is that I feel so lost without you that I still love you but...

    But...!

    With Sana!? What the hell did I do to deserve this!? Is this some sort of punishment?!

    Is it because I killed those people back then?!

    "This is the price you must pay for running away from the truth, Yulia. Nonetheless, before wrapping this up, let''s resume our quiz. Let me ask you something, what made you what you are?"

    I am nothing.

    There''s nothing that can be said that makes me different from others. I''m just someone who you can find in a group of billions and I am not one in billions.

    To even answer this question would be false and I refuse to have hope anymore.

    I''m done...

    "No answer? Correct answer! You weren''t ever anything but then you thought that you were something, however, the foundation of that belief is completely false, ergo, we go back to stage zero, where we acknowledge your lack of relevance. On second thought, it''s not ''lack'', but ''idea''. You are irrelevance personified. The final question up next! Get ready! You have until midnight to answer this. If you can answer this question positively, then you pass the quiz. Ready? Here we go! ...Why are you still alive?"

    Unable to look anywhere else but the cold ground, I started to feel a dreadful sense of hopelessness as I didn''t know what to do.

    Certainly, I would find my state of mind questionable and even worrying yet out of all the things that I found the most worrying...

    "Enjoy the little time you have left. No, really, enjoy it. Someone had to give you a life to destroy it. Either your life is destroyed by your hands or it''s destroyed by the hands of others. It''s a choice we all have to make, but I know you''ll make the correct decision. And just remember this. In case you have a sudden unpleasant train of thoughts that involve letting go of everything, then go for it. Because if I''m honest, it''s probably a sign that whatever is up ahead holds a vaster significance in comparison to this life of yours; which holds no value whatsoever by comparison. And with that, my leave, I take. Disfruit the interlude."

    After having those final malicious words from Hyunda being craved inside my mind, I heard footsteps and as Hyunda had said, he was taking his leave.

    Thus, with no one else in this classroom, with eyes of null hope mixed midst my deep dark feelings, as I aimed my blurry vision at the bottom of my eyesight, where that cold object that represented fatality lied in, I started to perhaps thinking about the idea of rational commitment.

    I''m tired of living.

 Volume 15 - Chapter 106.5: I&U

    6:20 pm.

    As Hyunda had requested and ultimately suggested, I went to the concert and a large wave of students that came from the events was starting to become more and more visible as every student would attempt to blend into the crowd just for the sake of getting a pretty view or just because they wanted to get ahead of others.

    Naturally, I remained apathetic about this, as I focused on the objectivity of my current action.

    Approaching Sana and telling her that I believe that Yulia doesn''t deserve someone like me, who is far too inferior for her liking.

    Presumably, she will be mad and obliviously furious at first, however, I will attempt to reason with her to the point of making her understand my point.

    Yulia, you have a formidable friend like Sana, who will most likely help you through every hardship you go through.

    In other words, even with this upcoming event, I will be a memory at maximum, in the future, unremarkable.

    Nevertheless, as I blended in the wavy crowd, I started to search for Sana, and eventually, a few minutes later, I found her with Arkalee, enthusiastically border-line jumping due to the fact that they were enjoying the current song that was being displayed by the musical bands.

    Another thing to mention is that I am not liking about the fact that I am constantly getting pushed around by the students here, however, I''m more focused on approaching Sana rather than minding that.

    Thus, with a touch on her left shoulder, I alerted her, as Sana turned around immediately.

    "Daniel? Oh, hey! You just missed Yulia! Go after her! Go, go, go! I think she either went to the cafe or the mall! Be a man and---"

    "Sana. We need to talk. In private. Let''s go elsewhere, please. It''s important."

    I didn''t let Sana finish her sentence because she would otherwise get the wrong idea here.

    Arkalee is just standing at our side and observing our conversation, however, I couldn''t care less about her.

    I need to get my point across as soon as possible.

    "Eh? But --- Hey, watch it!"

    Sana''s immediate complaint came about the fact that she was being bumped by the other students most likely on accident.

    Thus, I held her own two shoulders so she wouldn''t get swayed by the crowd. Ultimately, this held the purpose of her focus being completely on me.

    "Sana, let''s go elsewhere. It''s about Yulia."

    However, despite my clear point, Sana showed a revolted expression filled with dislike.

    "What the hell are you on about...? Yulia will be here any second now. You will stay here."

    This is problematic. Her voice is starting to slowly fade away due to the large volume of this overall concert and the current bumps aren''t helping it either.

    The necessity to go around and knock every single one of these dickheads to the ground is rising yet despite that, I kept my cool and started to address the reason.

    "Yulia can''t be here."

    "Oh, is this one of the talks that happen behind her back?! Well, I''ll have to refuse! I had enough with that! You should know that Yulia assumes things far too rapidly! Don''t give her the wrong image, you!"

    So strong.

    Yet this resistance proves that Sana alone is a great friend to Yulia. She''s aware that Yulia''s been feeling insecure about our conversations and that she''s having doubts about the actuality.

    Marvelous.

    Truly, Sana, you, and Yulia should remain friends forever.

    "I understand. But this is urgent. Because I plan to ------- The hell..."

    More unnecessary bumps came forth as I attempted to raise my voice and explain to Sana my point, however, as I turned around and looked at the students who were bumping into me, I gritted my teeth and without speaking, they turned around and blended into another wave out of fear.

    But, something that I noticed while turning around was that Arkalee was nowhere to be seen.

    Given that I wasn''t interested in Arkalee whatsoever, I attempted to turn around and face Sana once more, however, as I did so, I felt a heavy push on my back that made me lean over in Sana''s direction.

    Then, out of pure misfortune, Sana got bumped from behind, by a student who purposely seemingly pushed her in my direction.

    Perhaps the most bizarre coincidence of events yet was this; as I couldn''t stop my own movement in time and against both of our wills, in a moment of unintentional remarks, my lips collided with Sana transiently.

    Two seconds later, my body instinctively reacted out of fear and pushed her away, as Sana was dumbfounded by the bizarre sudden event.

    Furthermore, I attempted to scout my perimeter with my field of vision to see if Yulia was by some chance here yet as I did so she wasn''t around, which briefly calmed me down.

    "W-What was that for?!"

    Borderline yelling, Sana delivered me a kick on my left leg, yet that didn''t phase me.

    Instead, I turned around and faced the person that had just pushed me.

    Her mocking grin and smug expression erased all possible doubt I had in my soul as I slapped her left cheek with all my might before she could even deliver her words.

    "Arkalee, you''re not funny. Next time, it won''t be a slap. I will fucking murder you in front of these people. You''ve been warned."

    Bitch thinks she''s funny just because she forced that accidental kiss?

    Try that one more time and I won''t care for the consequences.

    Nevertheless, as Arkalee was still mildly phased by the slap I had just given her and as a small portion of the crowd took notice, I held Sana''s hand and drove her away.

    "W-Wait! That was an accident! We both got bumped into at the same time a-and!"

    "I know. I don''t care though. Yulia''s not around, right?! She didn''t see this, by some chance, right?! Use your eyes, I need you to possibly see if Yulia''s around!"

    I know for a fact that if she saw this, Yulia would get the wrong idea.

    That bitch Arkalee, if I hadn''t gotten a bigger priority right now, I would seize her by her throat.

    I don''t fucking care if she hangs around Hyunda or not, if by some chance she did this and Yulia got the wrong impression, by some bizarre coincidence, then I will bury her alive.

    "She''s not... She must still be in the cafe or the mall!"

    As we both left the crowd, and as I concluded my scouting, I couldn''t find Yulia.

    She was not around, at all.

    "D-Daniel, let go already! That hurts..."

    It appears that I was applying too much strength on that hold.

    Maybe I''m overthinking. If Yulia''s not here then she didn''t see it.

    I know how Yulia is.

    She would one-thousand percent get the wrong impression.

    Then, at the entrance of the crowd, Hyunda texted me a message saying that he saw Yulia walking into her dorm and additionally told me to not interact with her.

    "Oh... That''s a relief."

    Since Hyunda was stopping by the dorm, he must''ve encountered Yulia along the way.

    I see.

    She must''ve dropped by her dorm to get something. There''s no way that she could''ve been here, then.

    "Mhm...?"

    On my way out of the concert, I accidentally kicked an apple juice cup that had no juice inside it due to the liquid being scattered all over the ground.

    Furthermore, there was a peached-flavored ice teacup right at its side too.

    Noticing that, reminded me that Yulia''s usual scent has an alluring apple fragrance to it, which is forever remarkable.

    "Sana, as I said, I need to speak to you urgently. Can we go somewhere else?"

    "Fine... Don''t you dare tell Yulia about this though! We both agree that was an accident, okay!? Okay!?"

    Why is she getting the wrong idea?

    "You shouldn''t have to worry. I love Yulia only."

    I''ve come to terms with my feelings yet I won''t let them cloud me from making the objective choice here.

    Therefore, as I confirmed those words to Sana, we both went to the same cafe as Yulia and I used to have our arguments.

    As we arrived at it, we went to the table that was the nearest to the side windows.

    You never admitted this, Yulia, but you always enjoyed seating right next to windows. Once a time, when I took your usual place here, in this place, you didn''t say anything yet your translucent sadness was alerting enough to the point of knowing that you had a thing for seating next to windows.

    I really... won''t do that again.

    "So? What did you want to talk about? Be quick. I refuse to let Yulia be in the dark for this long!"

    Seating paralleled to each other, Sana, wearing an angry facial expression, hurriedly told me to get to the point.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    However, before I could, she went ahead and spoke some additional interesting words out of impulse.

    "I should remind you, Daniel, but if you EVER intend on leaving Yulia, it''s me who you are going to deal with. Not Yulia, not anyone else EXCEPT me! So, let me get my point across because my sixth sense is literally telling me what''s about to happen. If you, by some chance, are intending on breaking up with her, then don''t. I hate guys like that! Guys who assume all things firstly and don''t intend on assuming responsibility! Listen up, Daniel! This is what being in a relationship means! Maximum commitment! Loyalty! Fidelity! Trust! All of it, your insecurities, share with her! She might not tell you this openly, but she really, really wants you to share them!"

    "..."

    ...I don''t really know what to think right now.

    She caught me off guard. I''m not someone who believes in this ''sixth sense'' thing, but it''s fairly credible as of now.

    "...What should I do...?"

    I''m sorry, Hyunda. It''s hard, man.

    Being like you is far too much for me.

    I know what I am, but...

    If I never take chances then I will never know. Living on assumptions alone is frightening.

    "Ahhhh! As I thought! You really were planning on breaking up with her! You sinister creature!"

    "It was for her own good. I think she deserves someone better than me."

    "That''s what they all say. Irresponsible men, I tell you! At first, they speak nice words, but when it comes to commitment, they always leave! And then, then! When it comes to speaking their minds, they just don''t! Plus, they start to use their bad characteristics as excuses! Let me tell you something. If a girl is in love with you, then your bad characteristics don''t affect her as much as you think they do. Rather, it means that she''s willing to accept them! Yet, you''re telling me that you want to break up with her because it''s for her own good?! Fuck off! Die!"

    My god, she knows way too much about this, what the fuck?

    Does Sana have a cheating record or something? Because she just placed so much hatred into her words while almost yelling into my eardrums.

    However, she''s getting something wrong.

    "Wait, Sana. I love Yulia. But..."

    "But what? You think that separating from her is an act of love? You''re so selfish, you prick. The reality is different! You''re so scared of commitment that you only think about your own assumptions and never about Yulia''s. Have you tried to see it from her perspective?! For once?!"

    "I have... I know that she gets frightened easily and that she has a lot of trust issues, but still---"

    "Still? Still?! I thought that there wasn''t any room to possibly argue here yet you are still talking?! If you understand then be comprehensive. No, I''m not talking about knowing the situation, I''m talking about ACTING on the situation and attempt to make it better. Listen, you fucking little bitch, if you ever leave Yulia, I will---"

    "I won''t leave her! I''m just scared alright!? I''ve never been in a relationship before and I don''t know what it could feel like! I''m scared of these unknown emotions that I secretly have inside of me, so can you stop blaming me?! I don''t know how to act and that''s the logic behind the reason as to why I want to break up with her!"

    Rashly, I lashed out at Sana, who was in the middle of venting.

    It''s not as if I don''t understand where she''s coming from but she has no idea what it''s like to be me.

    I have emotional problems, I can''t connect as easily as others can, that''s why deep down, I know that it''s impossible for me to become someone that can emotionally connect with Yulia on a deeper level because I don''t know how to do so.

    "You don''t know? Then learn! There are plenty of things Yulia also doesn''t know and yet the first thing she does is to trust you. What do you do instead?! You seek a fucking breakup?! Bastard!!!"

    "Sana, I am not perfect. Far from it, actually. Yulia deserves someone else!"

    "Again with that selfish logic?! It''s not about who deserves who! If you two love each other, then that''s enough! Stop overthinking already! You are gonna hurt her in the process and I won''t tolerate that! Erase those thoughts of selfishness and properly conduct your relationship. And next time you want relationship advice, do it while Yulia is around. Not on her back, you damn coward."

    This isn''t working.

    Damn, is it just that hard for her to accept my logic?! Even if it''s selfish, it contains a degree of sense to it.

    By separating myself from Yulia, she will have a better chance of finding someone else who isn''t me.

    Even if it''s selfish, Yulia will benefit from it...

    "Also... I''ll tell you something that she told me this morning. She''s serious about you. And no, I''m not joking, of course. Yulia wants you for a lifetime. Do you not share the same sentiment?"

    "...I do share the same sentiment, Sana. I just believe it''s logical to follow my ideology."

    "Romance is not about logic! It''s about emotion, you damn idiot! Logical?! It''s illogical to conduct a romance based on things like impartiality, unbiased opinions, or just facts! What you feel for her, that''s what matters. Nothing else does. Romance is an emotional experience, not an experience done for the sake of being logical..."

    "..."

    That left me thinking for a bit. Is it wrong to approach romance based on logic and reason?

    Is an emotional approach better? Certainly, right now, I have plenty of emotional reasons to be in love with Yulia.

    They don''t exist for the sake of objectivity. Yet...

    Hyunda, your words. In order to be successful here, I have to set aside all my feelings.

    But...

    They are too strong.

    You and I exist on different planets.

    "Say something."

    "Sorry, I was thinking. I need to think about what I want. About me and Yulia. No. Don''t worry. I''m not going to break up with her. I... think I want to find out what I can offer to her. Thank you, Sana. You made me realize something important. That which I feel, although it can be based on reasons, the stimulation I am currently feeling for Yulia is definitely emotional. And, I want it to be that way, for as long as I can keep on feeling this way."

    Getting up from my seat while saying words of gratitude to Sana, who was looking at me with eyes filled with a sense of surprise, I started to make my way elsewhere.

    Yet before I could leave fully, Sana said some words back to me.

    "Daniel, no one knows everything. So, it''s alright to be scared. There''s plenty of time to learn. What''s not alright is to run away just because you don''t know something."

    With a simple smile, I silently thanked Sana.

    In the end, as I made my way out of the cafe, I sought complete isolation in order to have a talk with myself, thus, I started to make way to the only place I knew where I could be alone.

    7 pm.

    After I had endless rounds of negative thoughts and not knowing what to do next, I had come to a simple decision.

    Daniel, if you won''t talk to me, then I will seek you.

    Yet as I painfully walked through the whole school, I couldn''t witness you anywhere.

    I''ve been trying to smile but that''s impossible.

    Sana has been calling me, but I can''t bring myself to pick up the call.

    The thought of her lying to me completely scared me. Every time she would deal a call, I submerged my mentality into a pool filled with mundane thoughts that had toxic substances labeled as ''doubt'' and ''betrayal''.

    I think I have exhausted all my tears.

    It hurts so bad but I''m trying not to feel anything right now.

    My eyes don''t even blink.

    The way I walk is the equivalent of that of a person who has no will to live.

    ".....Arkalee should know...."

    I can''t call you, Daniel. You blocked me. Nor text you.

    You are nowhere to be seen.

    Sana can''t be trusted right now.

    I''m terrible. I am doubting my best friend.

    I want to die. So badly. I never thought of myself as someone who could doubt her own best friend yet the fact that''s what''s currently happening; shatters my heart.

    Ultimately, with almost no strength in my grip, I called Arkalee, who picked up instantly.

    "Yes...?"

    "......Arkalee... Have you... seen Daniel...? I would... like to... know where he is......"

    Speaking is getting harder as I start to subtract all the previous happy emotions that I felt throughout the whole day.

    Recalling back, a few hours ago, I labeled this as the best day of my life yet how did it get like this?

    "Mhm? Why should I tell you? You''re not my friend."

    "......H-Haha.... I see....! S-So sorry to bother you....!"

    Right. Right. Right.

    No one likes me.

    I should just die.

    There''s no point in my life.

    Not like there was ever a point in the first place, but being around the people that I loved would always make me think otherwise.

    "Well, I did saw Daniel pass near his dorm. So maybe there? Well, bye. I don''t want to waste time speaking to you anymore, so could you not call me anymore, Yulia?"

    "....Yeah... By---"

    She hung up.

    Not even Arkalee likes me. No one does. I know.

    I would be fine with this. But, you know, Daniel, I''m somewhat hurt right now and I could really use some words to fix my current state of mind.

    So, even if I''m obnoxious, annoying, irritant, and a pure nuisance, when I drop by your dorm when I scream for your name, will you please come?

    I just... really need to see you, alright...!?

    Abandoned classroom. 7:15 pm.

    With the sun essentially down, I entered the place of my isolation.

    A place where no one could possibly be in.

    This place alone holds a deep meaning to us, Yulia, no doubt.

    It was here that you told me about your emotional scars and how they affect you to this day still.

    Feeling somewhat tired, instead of taking a usual seat in one of the chairs under one of the 12 tables available, I, instead, went to the upper right corner of this classroom and there, once down, fully extended my legs, as I scourged the proximity of this abandoned confinement with my field of vision.

    "...This smell....... Yulia...?"

    Strange...

    This is definitely her smell...

    Was Yulia here? No... I don''t even need to question it.

    This apple-like scent is undoubtedly from her.

    Why were you here though, Yulia?

    7:30 pm.

    Almost at the entrance of the male dorm, I feebly started to make my way to the entrance...

    Naturally, I am not allowed to enter because I''m a girl and those of the opposite gender aren''t allowed to enter the opposite gender''s dorm...

    I know that yet...

    As I see the main door open, I can''t help but want to go inside and just wait around at your room''s door because then, when you come back...

    We will be able to talk. Because we love each other. And... And...

    You... deep down... love me, right? I love you as I have never loved someone else in my entire life so...

    Can you please, just....

    "Well, well, what could a girl be doing here, almost entering the male dorm? Hmmmm?!"

    "...Ah."

    My attempt of entering the dorm utterly failed, as the male dorm''s supervisor faced me immediately, thus forcing me to back away.

    Or so I would tell myself, but...

    ".....Daniel..."

    "Hm? You still haven''t answered my question! What''s a girl trying to do here?!"

    "P-Please........ Just... I want to see him! Is he here or not?! I want to talk to Daniel! Please let me!"

    With all the strength I had left, as I placed my own two hands on my chest, I spoke my honest thoughts out loud to the tall-looking man that was otherwise known as George.

    "Aww, don''t cry, little girl. What''s the matter? A boy broke your heart? You probably deserved it, didn''t you?"

    "I------ W-Why are you saying that....?!"

    Unstoppable tears that I thought couldn''t come out once again, reached the bottom of the surface of my facial skin.

    Plus, the very fact that this man is grinning while saying something that cruel is scaring me.

    Everyone''s scaring me. I don''t know what to think nor what to believe in.

    "It''s a common story around this dorm. Did you know? One of the rats, otherwise known as Daniel, whenever dinner time comes by, he tells everyone here, myself included how priceless your emotional reactions are! Without any remorse whatsoever, he told me to deliver you a strict message, in case you came by!"

    You''re kidding me.

    No. No.

    You...

    Are you actually serious?

    You... You......!!

    "Woah, on your knees crying on the floor already? But that''s no good, miss. I need you to listen up because it''s very important, so listen up."

    I''m done. I... I thought that... I thought that if I held back all the tears and if I somehow attempted to talk to you about this that you would...

    I can''t even finish my own thoughts properly. My tears right now are so powerfully overwhelming that I can''t hold back my cry any longer.

    You broke me and I don''t think I can be fixed after this.

    "He said: ''If Yulia somehow comes to the dorm, then tell the bitch that she is not useful anymore. That she has served her purpose. And that honestly, she should just die. God, she''s so fucking annoying. Being around her gives me the worst feeling ever!''."

    Upon hearing that message, even though my tears kept on escalating even further, I got up from the floor and wiped my tears in the process.

    "Nothing bad intended from my part, it was just his request!"

    "Alright."

    I don''t care anymore. I''m tired of caring.

    Which is why, as I walked away from the male dorm''s entrance door and made my way to my own dorm, I came to the firm conclusion, based on the current actuality and my own thoughts that reflected my sadness regarding the specific reality which I''m supposedly facing.

    Tomorrow won''t come.

    8 pm.

    "Yeah... This should be enough, I think."

    After spending a good time reflecting on what words to say back to Yulia and how I would approach her after we had emotionally connected in the morning like that, I did come to a sudden realization.

    I don''t matter.

    My own problems don''t have to come into play when I''m with you, Yulia.

    I''m down to open myself to you, because, I''m tired of being selfish and always being on the guard whenever I''m around others.

    Sincerely, all in all, I do plan on opening myself up to you.

    I realize that I''ve been quite selfish lately. Wanting to separate from you wouldn''t do you any good. Your heart would be broken and I would be betting on the chance that you would have the luck of finding someone better.

    Yet that''s the entire point. It was never about me; it was always about you.

    I don''t care about myself anymore.

    I feel like if I place my entire trust on you and seek your improvement and, at the end of it all, if you are able to heal your emotional scars, then it was all worth it.

    I can proudly tell myself that I made you happy and that being the person who you love was an amazing experience.

    "Which is why... I want to talk to you. No, not through some voice call. Nor through some words on a screen. We aren''t pixels on the screen. I want to be with you in every moment and tell you that despite your past, you will push through it."

    Whether I make a difference or not, I don''t know.

    But... I will try.

    Because I love you.

    8:15 pm.

    Shortly after, I exited the abandoned classroom and went straight ahead to the female dorm, as I wanted to surprise Yulia. I was even willing to face all the girls and her supervisor just to talk to her.

    However, to my surprise, everyone from our class was present on the outside of the female dorm, me being the only exception here.

    Something immediately worried me though. Although everyone from our class is present, as I firmly reminded myself of all the students in my class, I could not see Yulia anywhere.

    Furthermore, Kuzan, along with the rest, placed their gazes on me transiently.

    Kuzan, nonetheless, started to dash in my direction and spoke to me.

    "Aniki! It''s terrible!"

 Volume 16 - Chapter 107: Bury.

    March 29th.

    "On the most recent event''s behave, due to the unexpectedly severe consequences of it, until April 1st, classes are hereby suspended until then. Take your minds off and be here without fail when the upcoming month starts. That will be all. You are dismissed."

    Even though it was only morning, in order to uphold a decent level of professionalism, Basara-sensei immediately went ahead and suspended our classes based on the recent circumstance that had taken place.

    To my utter complete dislike, unable to find something to take my mind off, as my classmates started leaving the classroom on their own, I couldn''t help but grit my teeth.

    Why?

    Classes are there in order to keep the students inside the classroom and teach them some sort of subject, right?

    What gives?

    Why are you leaving, Basara-sensei? Aren''t you supposed to take my mind off from the recent circumstance? You can''t even do something that simple?

    In the end, I didn''t bother to move, and motionlessly stood in my seat.

    Unbothered as usual, my table partner did not flinch an eye and simply left the classroom.

    How should I take my mind off now? Quick, I need a reason. A reason to take my mind off. I refuse to pay close attention to my own internal thoughts right now.

    "Daniel, I''m closing the classroom. I know you aren''t having it easy, but you aren''t the only one. Come on."

    "Yes."

    Motionlessly, I agreed with Basara-sensei, who was a few centimeters away from me, holding the classroom''s key on its hold.

    I''ll take a walk, I guess.

    But, what then?

    I need to take my mind off next. If I repeat the same action, then my thoughts will get me.

    "ve you--"

    Shut up. Get out.

    "You''ll get through it."

    "Yes, Basara-sensei."

    Taking my leave, I exited the classroom and allowed Basara-sensei to close the classroom door.

    Seemingly, Basara-sensei was in a rush and thus, his footsteps came out way faster than mine.

    Admittedly, I''m attempting to fill my mind with clouds.

    I can feel my eyes weighing like a truck. My eyelids are so heavy that it''s impossible to tell myself that I have slept recently.

    Because I know that''s a lie for sure.

    "Rough, right?"

    "Hyunda..."

    As I attempted to leave the block, on the entrance of it, Hyunda stood, with his back against the wall.

    His usual grin was nowhere in sight and instead, a more refined serious facial expression took its place, while I received his comprehensive glare from afar.

    "Let''s go up. There''s a rooftop up ahead."

    Walking in my direction and only focusing on the staircase up ahead, Hyunda suggested that.

    "Sure."

    Thus, we climbed the stairs, in permanent silence.

    With each step, I didn''t know what to expect next.

    It''s funny.

    Supposedly, if you know what''s up ahead, or rather, in this context, if by the time you are climbing a staircase, you certainly know for sure that another step is up ahead.

    Otherwise, you would not climb it in the first place.

    However, what if that upcoming step suddenly vanished? Wouldn''t you fall in response?

    Just like this, as I climb this step, if a dark void took its place, it wouldn''t be a step.

    A false sense of reality that captures you whenever you are not expecting it.

    Expectations by themselves are flawed.

    Despite reality, anything can be warped, and just like that, disappear.

    "Can you climb? Do you have the strength?"

    Already on the rooftop, the morning sun was starting to vanish.

    No ---- the sun didn''t disappear. Clouds took its place and therefore, it''s simply cloudy now; not sunny.

    What Hyunda was referring to though, was the top of the entrance''s shelter.

    There is a ladder to climb and perhaps out of kindness or just aware of how I''m physically feeling right now, Hyunda asked that question serenely.

    "Somehow."

    With Hyunda already on the top, as I reached the top of the shelter house, I witnessed him pulling out a cigarette from a tobacco pack that he had in his pocket.

    Leasing the sky that was ready to set its rainy wrath on us, as we looked at it with emotionless eyes, Hyunda and I accepted the initial small droplets.

    "I didn''t know you smoked."

    "I don''t want to grow old enough to see myself fall victim to some wave of boring events. So, I am slowly killing myself. I have another one. How about it?"

    "Can you light it up for me, Hyunda?"

    "I don''t mind."

    It''s been quite a while. It''s a habit that I had been secretly seeking to erase as I unconsciously kicked that habit out of my system.

    As Hyunda lighted up the cigar, unnecessary thoughts started to swell my mind.

    "----gether forever-----"

    Enough already.

    I don''t want to have these thoughts. These thoughts filled with past symbolism that I once held dearly yet were ravaged away so quickly.

    "The rain is gonna come down hard, Daniel."

    "It always does, doesn''t it? It might be absent for a while, but when it shows up, it stays for a while as well. Yet it vanishes for a vast amount of time, only to return back seemingly a long time after. Nature is unrealistic. If something goes, then there''s no room for return, yet why? Why the difference? What a mockery. A stupid travesty."

    Lightly, I grinned as I stroked.

    I missed this.

    Emptiness is here to stay. Although bittersweet, it''s something that won''t go away.

    Sincerely, these droplets don''t even affect me. Surely, they are gaining precise weight as the rain''s potency forever increases, yet it''s only a good reminder.

    A reminder that whatever isn''t permanent will eventually fade out of existence.

    "We are mortals, you know? However, despite that, our final hour is unknown to us."

    "True."

    Further allowing the radically-increasing droplets to infiltrate my uniform and even going as far as not minding the fact that it was getting soaked, my hair started to get wet.

    However, in contrast to that, Hyunda did bring a good point.

    We will die. Someday. It''s futile to use the word ''forever'' as that novelty is highly unrealistic yet as a past practitioner of that word, I can''t help but feel like a fool right now.

    "Hyunda."

    "What?"

    "What now? What''s next?"

    "We continue to breathe. Isn''t that what we do every single day, Daniel?"

    "Indeed. It is what it is. Yet, why? For what purpose?"

    Taking a deep stroke, before speaking, Hyunda, with his permanent glare on the dark clouds above him, simply spoke right back to me.

    "There''s no real purpose. If life had a purpose in the first place, then we wouldn''t have to question it so often. However, as optimistic and sentient creatures, the idea of believing that there is a hidden value to this meaningless struggle makes us think otherwise."

    "I see."

    Numb.

    My hands, although severely close to the yet lit cigar are gradually becoming numb. Unable to feel the cold-glacial temperature applied by the suddenly chilly weather.

    Additionally, the heavy rain that''s falling upon us is slowly erasing the almost-non-existent volume in our monochrome voices.

    "Daniel."

    "What?"

    "Your eyes are heavy. For how long?"

    "Ever since then. I think. My brain won''t turn off. I''ve been thinking about a lot of questions that I will never know the answer to. And that saddens me."

    Not that I feel sad anyway.

    Just revolted.

    I would be fine with a simple explanation. Yet it gradually gets me every time I notice that an explanation won''t come.

    Only assumptions that could be based on lies. Living a false reality was something that I would be willing to accept.

    However, that''s not possible anymore.

    "Do you want to forget? It''s ---- not going to make you completely forget but it will display as an agent to disrupt your current anxiety."

    As I looked at Hyunda''s body movements in the heavy rain, I noticed him pulling out something from his left pocket, whilst holding the cigar with his right hand.

    A small white pill was being held on the surface of his palm.

    "Xanax. That''s its selling name. It serves to counterattack anxiety disorders while also fighting against panic attacks. Words won''t help you right now. Take it."

    At first, I doubted whether I should take it or not yet with a few seconds down the drain, I eventually grasped the small pill.

    With my cigar on my left hand, in the power of my right hand''s grasp, on the edge of my fingers, I pondered about its overall utility.

    Hyunda, on the other hand, kept delivering information right to me.

    "There is a variety of side effects, despite its great utility and general usage. It can range from anterograde amnesia, which disables the ability to create new memories, all the way to hallucinations and even suicidal ideation. Though, the ones that are far more common would be aggression, rage, hostility, and restlessness."

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    "I see. Fair price to pay. Do you often consume Xanax, Hyunda?"

    "No. It will mess with my overall memory. I can''t afford that. And besides, it''s not me who is going through hardship now. It''s you. I won''t force you to talk about it though. Because you most likely don''t want to think about it."

    "I appreciate it."

    The cigar has met its end.

    Usually, when it starts to reach the orange line, that''s a sign to simply throw the cigar away.

    But... No.

    I will enjoy it until the end. If it will eventually cease to be, then it''s better to fully experience it all the way. This apparent translucent transcience that initially seems everlasting is nothing more than a conjunction of idealistic thoughts that aren''t overrun with pessimism nor determinism.

    "Do you regret it, Daniel?"

    "Is there even a point to regret? It''s just a reminder that you made the incorrect choice. But, if you already know that, then why even bother thinking about it? Nonsense."

    "Regret ---- very much like every sentimental reaction, has an uncontrollable momentum to it. That''s why it''s not worth trying to deny it. Have you realized that, Daniel? That despite the lack of meaning in your actions, words, thoughts, and vice-versa, what you have is just regret."

    "I suppose so. It''s my fault. Naturally, I had it coming. Alternatively, someone else can take that regret instead, but that thought is seemingly unbearable for the most part."

    It would be fine if the regret flew in the original direction.

    However, not knowing its direction despite its origins does leave me with a sporadic elevated sense of confusion and anxiety.

    "It''s actually not your fault though."

    "Yeah, it is. I started it. And not even being able to finish it would leave me with initial regret but perhaps the biggest hit was when I realized that I was already doomed to witness a tragic process."

    "How is that your fault, Daniel?"

    "-----re different today------"

    Go away.

    Stop pretending to be here.

    "I don''t know, man. I guess, I... unknowingly, somehow, out of desperation, started to believe in what I shouldn''t have believed in. My mind wasn''t strong enough. I contracted that weakness that you spoke of. And now, it''s knocking at my door every now and then. It bargains and with every rejection, it progressively grows stronger as it comes back far faster than I wish it would."

    "I see. So that''s the conclusion you have arrived at."

    "Yeah, Hyunda. Are you going to go into long lengths as to why I''m wrong and why my ideology isn''t applicable to the current reality?"

    Softly, subsequently, pulling out yet another cigar from his pack, lighting it up with precise speed, Hyunda cracked a mischievous grin.

    "I don''t have to. You already know that."

    "Yeah."

    "But still, it does feel stagnant when you don''t know what to do next. Have you thought about the afterlife?"

    "I have, Hyunda. But, if I have to go through this process again then... if there is an option to just cease to exist, then I might, out of guilt and sincerity, select it instead."

    Whenever I think about suicide, the happy thought of there being something up ahead that will contradict all the boredom and endless rounds of self-doubt that I have in my routine keeps me away from all the possible skepticism.

    This brings me up to a conclusion.

    If Hyunda feels the way I do towards life, then how... how can he still held on to it?

    I must know.

    "Hyunda."

    "Mhm?"

    Taking yet another deep stroke and letting out all the smoke stored up, he looked at me with condensing eyes that shone amidst this pouring rainfall.

    "If life is so overall meaningless, then why do you keep going?"

    "Life being meaningless has nothing to do with it. You don''t need a purpose to keep yourself going on. Purpose just gives you the motivation to push through what you deem is hard to recover from."

    "So you don''t need that motivation? Man, you are strong as hell. Are you even human? Are you sure you didn''t come from another planet, haha?"

    For the first time, ever since that certain circumstance, I cracked a smile midst this endless rain.

    Hyunda did the same, which left me softly relieved as he understood my intentions. I realize that he''s human as well and that therefore that was a joke.

    Yet to me, you feel far too different from the rest.

    Your essence reminds me of the vulgarity that I ordinarily despise and how I keep fighting it without knowing why.

    "The presumption that we are here to fulfill some sort of purpose is lackluster as it lacks ground, essentially. That''s why, Daniel, I never really believed in purpose for myself. It''s a different story to others though, naturally. You, for example, qualify as someone who believes in purpose. Yet, are you starting to realize the contradiction of that philosophy? How holding onto a specific purpose can lead to your biggest downfall?"

    "What could I have done? My mindset was completely certain that I was at least going to have a fair go at it yet I couldn''t even try."

    You were always unfair when it came to giving chances, weren''t you?

    "Hey."

    Meeting its end, Hyunda''s cigar was starting to extinguish itself out. The horrendous pouring rain which is making both of our uniforms beyond soaked was ultimately adding more effect to that factor.

    Nonetheless, not caring about that, Hyunda called out to me, once more, with his usual monochrome voice, which could barely be heard in the middle of the magmatic resonance that the droplets formed every time they timbered on the liquified ground.

    "Don''t kill yourself. What she did does not mean that you should equally do the same. You know that, right?"

    "But I don''t know what to do next. I tried figuring out how you managed to push through life every day but you... didn''t exactly reply to it."

    "I have a vision. A vision that I... am not sure if I''ll be able to finalize concretely with everything going its way. That''s what''s keeping me going on. A vision. I couldn''t say this to you because you don''t have one. These words, right now, bare little to no relevance to you. Because they are about me. And you aren''t me."

    "So, there''s nothing left for me, Hyunda? I''m just like the rest then? Then, does that mean I should also put my mind into a state of high hopes and set my mind on a race to accomplish something?"

    "Maybe. I don''t exactly know how to think like a normal person. I can perceive one, but I can''t think like one. However, I do have an offer, if you are down to it."

    "What''s the offer?"

    Crushing his cigar on the wet ground, shortly after, Hyunda replied back to my ambitious question that was made out of self-interest.

    "Follow me. I can make your life meaningful. Unlike the rest, I do know how to attribute value and purpose."

    "Follow you...? But how? Do I just go around and follow every single one of your orders?"

    "No, Daniel. I''m saying, learn from me. You can be identical to me if you so wish for it. However, never truly like me."

    "......."

    I wish I had the current strength to give him a positive answer. Even when nobody else bothered to seek me or consult me ever since that event, Hyunda, you...

    "Not now though. Just think about the offer. Life has a fun side to it. A side beyond that which you currently perceive as. However, it''s hard for you to believe that. That''s why, whenever you feel like believing in my words, seek me."

    ".....What will it feel like...?"

    "Surprise. However, don''t think about this right now. Your current thoughts regarding the recent situation are more important. Go to the dorm. Take that pill. Have a long talk to yourself. Reflect. And when you feel ready, when you feel like it''s time, when you feel like it''s time to move on---"

    "But what if I never move on?"

    "You will move on. It''s not your fucking fault that this has happened. Someone''s selfishness doesn''t give you a reason to stay in that pathetic state of mental health."

    As expected of Hyunda.

    His mental strength is what makes me view him as someone different from the rest. He upholds so much confidence that it''s blinding.

    And right now, as I attempt to block upcoming thoughts of reminiscence, I find myself lost in a train of thought chained with unpleasant memories.

    "Thanks for doing this, Hyunda."

    Felling massively soaked from the rain still, I left Hyunda in the rooftop, as he said nothing in return and started to smoke his third cigar.

    Eventually, I passed through my dorm.

    There, I saw my classmates not bothered by the event that had recently happened.

    Some would even go as far as already be laughing at their usual jokes. Nothing out of the remark.

    Thus, I reached my room.

    The light in my room was intoxicating, even though it was raining at that moment.

    Therefore, I closed the blinds.

    Less light now. Close to near perfection.

    I took a glass and filled it with water, as I approached the sink.

    Subsequent to that, I inserted the pill on my tongue''s edge and with the water helping me swallowing it, the Xanax pill had officially gone down.

    "---No one knows when it exactly happened, however, a few moments ago, a red-crimson stream of blood was drenching from the staircase---"

    As I take a seat in my bed, that was messed up due to my inability to sleep as of lately, I went down memory lane.

    In it, I could witness Akimiyashika, along with Kuzan, explaining the situation.

    Each and every single one of them refusing to be concrete about it.

    As I additionally remembered an additional piece of information, I titled my body back and hit with my back of my head to the wall, causing transient pain.

    "........Fucking cowards.... Every single one of you."

    Hyunda.

    I know you probably didn''t bother to ever mention her name because I would certainly not like the idea as I am still trying to figure out the reason for the occurrence of that event, but...

    It happened.

    "------W-Wait! You shouldn''t go inside!!-----"

    Hinagiku attempted to keep me out of the dorm, but I got scared.

    Not seeing you and the fact that Sana, on her knees, right at the entrance''s edge, was literally crying her eyes out, alerted every single one of my senses rushedly, out of sheer fear.

    However, perhaps the most shocking part was when I found you, on the second floor.

    Somehow, your body was lying on the floor. An object that I had no clue how it got there in the first place was in your right hand and your index finger was touching the trigger of it.

    With your blood being scattered throughout the hall, it became evident, as I climbed the stairs filled with red-crimson blood.

    "........I''m sorry that I couldn''t get to you......."

    I tried to talk to you. Hopelessly, I, out of despair, attempted to reach out to you, even when I deep down, already knew that you were... long gone.

    Needlessly, I checked for myself your physical state as I silently allowed my tears to stream down from across all my face.

    Yet when I checked your face, your eyes were open, motionless. Tears were on your face but the one that kept crying and regretting not coming earlier was not you, it was me, Yulia.

    ".....Exercise......."

    These thoughts. They will keep on rising even further.

    I need to take my mind off. Again.

    Thus, I took out my blazer, stripped, and put on a sports shirt.

    I used to often exercise whenever I had time in the past. To kill boredom. A selfish addiction made for the sake of erasing the never-ending bland sequence of events that were happening in my life.

    "One..."

    On the floor, I started to do push-ups, without any specific number in mind. Usually, whenever I do this, I attempt to break some sort of record, yet I had no such goal.

    Now that I think about it, it started with exercise, didn''t it? How our first meeting would set itself in sequence.

    The actual reason that set us up was something as stupid as that. It could''ve been someone else, but it had to be me.

    I constantly blamed myself for what I had done to you, Yulia.

    And even now, as I push my body to the limits, these tears, that clog my vision, are for you.

    Yet, where are you now that I need you?

    "Seven.........!"

    You made me realize that, after all, I wasn''t so emotionless as I thought. I even considered myself as someone who was afraid of letting go.

    Certainly, I didn''t give you everything I had.

    "Fourteen..........!"

    You didn''t let me.

    "You can''t ever say that! I won''t allow you to! I don''t want another person! I only want you! I know I might get stubborn and obsolete with time, but... that''s just because I have been through a lot and sometimes I can''t help myself!"

    You said you wanted me and that you wouldn''t want another person but you took my heart and left me lonely.

    Claiming that you have been through a lot, I made my best effort and transcended that unpleasant sentiment of guilt into a feeling of love.

    "Twenty......!"

    What happened to you? What the hell happened?! You could have called me. Sought me. But no.

    When I went ahead and sought you, you were lying on the floor, bleeding from the top of your head.

    "I won''t leave you. So, let''s, instead, stay together, forever. Alright? I don''t mind if you are clingy or not. If you are selfish or not. Whatever comes from you, I will embrace it."

    You will never know this because I didn''t tell you and it fills me with regret that I didn''t, but I never opened my heart like this, so genuinely to someone else before.

    But apparently...

    "Thirty....!!"

    Apparently, my words had no meaning whatsoever.

    No weight. No value.

    Was that the case?

    I saw no purpose in asking those types of questions, questions that were based on self-worth or redundant doubt yet that alone was fine.

    It was fine.

    "Forty..!!"

    However.........!!!

    You.....

    Yulia...

    Was I not enough? I know that I am shit, but your words still left me to believe that there was still some hope left. That despite all my flaws, they wouldn''t come in the way.

    Was I too imperfect? I''m sorry.

    "Fifty...!!"

    Yulia....

    Suicide?

    Why?

    Was I that much of a fucking waste of oxygen to the point that you had to suicide just to prove your point?!

    If you had just told me in the fact that you never loved me and that your words were never even remotely real in the first place then I would accept it.

    I''m aware of my own state of being.

    Therefore...!

    "Sixty-four......!!!"

    Why?!

    You were the only one I was ever going to open up to! No! I already had opened myself up to you yet I was confident in my ability to go even further and surpass my apathetic nature.

    But now that''s not possible. It just isn''t.

    "Seventy-one..!!!!"

    Yulia, I loved every moment that you were around as soon as I recognized that I was feeling the genuine thing for you.

    Just the thought of encountering you on sheer coincidence set my expectations on fire.

    It was stimulating just thinking about it.

    But when you decide to leave me like that, with a hole in my heart?

    I fucking hate that.

    "Eighty-two......!!"

    Why didn''t you seek me? Why didn''t you wait for me?

    We were bound to meet each other eventually, right?!

    So, why didn''t you wait?! Your doubts; I would erase them! For you, I would have done anything yet, you...

    You......!!!

    You fucking leave me like that?!

    "NINETY-FOUR!!"

    Was that intentional?! Did you know already ahead of that if you committed suicide that I wouldn''t be able to reach out to you in any possible way because you''d already be gone by then?!

    Was it really that much fun toying with my fucking emotions?! Emotions that were solely reserved for you and no one else on the plane of existence?!

    I was even fine with never receiving happiness! I already had come to terms that I would never be happy. It was never about me, but you, Yulia.

    Despite that, you...!!!!

    "ONE-HUNDRED!!!!"

    Out of breath and feeling my arms lose any strength they had left, the right side of my cheek embraced the cold ground.

    Despite not having much strength left, already on my physical wit''s end, I delivered a punch that had the intention of coming out as strong yet it was ultimately weak, on the ground.

    "......Damn it...!! No one warned me about this! Suicide?! Could it not have been anything else but that?! I wouldn''t mind if you had said it was all fake and that you never felt a thing because that''s what I get for deceiving you but when you go ahead and suicide like that, without my knowledge, how can I ever think of that as an act of love?!"

    With my mindset on conviction, I forcefully got up, went to my desk, and grasped a random notebook.

    Then, I ripped one of the pages and additionally took ahold of a pen.

    On my knees, I started writing.

    A list of my regrets.

    "...Positive expectations.... Never expect trust... Falling prey to fake love...! Fair chances....!! Fully trusting myself to someone who I love! Love someone. Open myself emotionally. Not telling you that you''re the only one. Not being there for you when you needed me the most. Not having the ability to fix myself but still think that it''s fine because I thought that loving you would erase that factor...!!"

    At the end of it all, I wanted something I couldn''t take.

    You never told me that you were alone. And it''s my fault.

    It was my duty. I should''ve been there for you. I shouldn''t have left you all alone.

    That absence was crucial and it was my fault.

    But still...

    You placed no faith in me. At all.

    Now, I have to see it.

    I have to see the cruel reality that you shared with me, Yulia.

    No.

    You never went as far as sharing a reality with me, did you?

    Because you showed me love. A type of love that I will never be able to forget.

    "Fake love."

    I would give myself to you, but now...

    "Now that you are gone..."

    There''s no going back.

    You left me here all alone. You spoke words about a certain future where you and I would be connected on a higher scale yet...

    You didn''t have to resort to this.

    There were other alternatives. I know there were!

    There must''ve been!

    "One more time, help me say it again."

    Even if you''re gone... You... never thought of me for a second.

    Did you think that leaving me behind like that was gonna solve anything?

    I''m scarred for life and.....

    "It''s all your fault!!"

 Volume 16 - Chapter 108: ?Where Have You Been All My Life??

    Coming into this school and entering this program not based on my choice, initially, I felt repulsed and I thought that I would have to endure boredom until the end of my days.

    Supposedly, freedom will be guaranteed when this is over but I don''t believe it. It won''t be that simple.

    As I successfully passed this special exam, I thought nothing of it. Simply yet another special exam.

    However, something completely beyond my radar happened.

    A student, from my class, died. But, not just any student.

    This student, the very student that I had firmly witnessed sharing a couple of interesting words with another student from my class, called Daniel.

    Awaiting for the usage of those important words, I kept on thinking how to properly use this opportunity in order to defend myself in case something crucial was to ever happen to me.

    "Fufufu. How interesting. Suicide, was it? Daniel, Daniel. You''re not aware that I know this, but I did witness you and Yulia talking about killing Yuka-sensei. Yet, yet. This. This! Who provoked this event? I need to know."

    Daniel, was it you?

    No. I don''t think so. From my past observations, I was actually spying on you without your knowledge, and you never brought that image to me.

    The image of being a mastermind. This means, there is someone in my class that is definitely behind all of this.

    And I, Yukishiro Kyoko, will not let this be a mystery.

    "However, how...?"

    Right now, given that the classes for today were suspended, I was idly standing inside my own room while taking small walks in circles around my room.

    I do that a lot. It helps me think far deeply. Staying lethargic in one place for too long gives me the absolute boredom I so seek to erase.

    Nevertheless, I eventually let my blinds spread and witnessed the rainy atmosphere on the outside of the dorm.

    "No doubt, Daniel is the main component here, but I don''t believe he''s directly involved. Who did this? Who are you? What are you thinking right now? Are you one of these annoying girls who won''t stop crying about Yulia''s death even though they never really interacted with her or are you, a boy, and you are just pretending to be a mystery? Try as you might, you can''t hide from me. I will find you. And when I do, I will expose you."

    Seemingly, this holds the purpose of exposing the mastermind here yet this is simply a way to pass time.

    And to additionally test this person. If this person is capable of doing something like this, to provoke a suicide of this level and come out unscathed, then, no doubt, simple conduct will not work here.

    "Let''s start with the simple things..."

    As I went to my desk and softly took a seat in my comfy chair, I took ahold of a pen and my notebook and wrote a simple name in it.

    "Yulia."

    I did conduct my research on Daniel without his knowledge, however, what''s primal and peak knowledge here is that Yulia was undoubtedly romantically related to him.

    Yet, Daniel didn''t seem to be directly involved in this either.

    Two days ago, when Yulia decided to suicide and Daniel went up ahead on our dorm, I did hide behind him a few meters away and witnessed the scene.

    Either that''s incredibly good acting or he wasn''t genuinely involved.

    "Daniel, Daniel, Daniel. Would you go that far? Are you the one? Would you by some chance ------ No. You wouldn''t. You''re boring. You never demonstrated anything beyond normal."

    Then again... That might be the clue. The individual is someone who is labeled as normal or even mediocre, thus creating the perfect image. A show-off wouldn''t do.

    The individual is attempting to hide their image, somehow. However, how would the individual do it?

    It would help if I got a clear image of the suspect yet as it stands, anyone could have done it.

    "No, not true... Why did Yulia commit suicide anyway? It wasn''t someone else that killed her. She killed herself. But that''s absurdly strange... Why? Why? From my observations, you and Daniel were quite close to each other. Maybe he wasn''t treating her correctly? Suicide in the middle of a relationship can only imply a lack of caring on someone''s part. Therefore, you did something, Daniel. But, these are all assumptions that hold no evidence to them. So, instead, I''ll round up who Yulia was the most familiar with."

    Thus, in the paper, I wrote four particular names.

    First of all, the supposed boyfriend, Daniel Lead.

    Secondly, the friend that Yulia would hang out with the most, Sana Nasha.

    Thirdly, the person who was nonetheless somehow majorly present. Yet, her interactions with Yulia were... questionable. Arkalee Kitsuya.

    Fourthly and lastly, the boy who was there for reasons I could never understand, Hyunda Hajime.

    "One of you did it."

    No.

    Strictly speaking, as I already mentioned, Yulia killed herself. Therefore, she did it. Not any of these four individuals.

    However, the main trigger, the primal reason for her suicide, is, without a doubt, connected to someone here on this list of four.

    "Today in class, I did look at Daniel a few times and he had dead eyes. Barely any motion at all. No doubt, he''s not taking this well. Sincerely, a fool would simply go ahead and assume that this was the work of someone else yet what if this was his work all along? No. No. No. I''ve already come to the conclusion that Daniel does not display the fortitude of a mastermind. Therefore..."

    Therefore, I crossed his name out of the list, which only leaves three left.

    Out of instinct, I almost crossed the next name out of the list because I thought that Sana''s emotions during that day were far too real.

    As someone who has faked tears multiple times, I can differentiate real tears between fake tears. Those were not fake.

    Sana, undoubtedly, is not involved... But...

    "....What if she...No, I already concluded that she couldn''t be involved, but... What if Sana or Daniel are on the same page here? They somehow did something beyond their knowledge and that affected Yulia..."

    My reasoning here is that... These two, without a doubt, were always the two individual forces of Yulia''s emotions. I do know this because every time she would face either of them, her facial expression and overall movements would differ spontaneously.

    Multiple times, at the plaza, secretly, I witnessed their interactions.

    Ultimately, at the concert, from afar, I saw Yulia hugging Sana with immense force. However, she disappeared after that.

    "...That was actually the last time I saw her..."

    What happened after that?

    Daniel wasn''t present.

    Arkalee was with Sana.

    Therefore...

    "Arkalee, you are out. ...Although, although... I did lose sight of them once the concert gained way too much crowd. Given that I hate crowds, I had to leave. Did something happen back then? I don''t know."

    So... It might be dumb to cross Arkalee out.

    Reason, reason. Damn it, nothing clicks. Yulia was the main source here but why would she suicide?

    Was she being bullied? No, she wasn''t. Even then, you would have to have an incredibly weak and feeble mindset in order to let yourself get swayed by such thoughts.

    So... Something far stronger happened.

    "....I''m not going to gather anything by standing here on my own. I know. But that means, in order to gather more plausible evidence, I would have to interact with the rest....."

    That''s the problem. I hate them. However, however... I am dying to know...

    I need to know who is behind this. There is no way that Yulia would just kill herself without any reason.

    Which means...

    "I''ll have to swallow my pride and pretend like I want to interact."

    Don''t get me wrong here. I am not doing this because I want to interact. I simply need to know who you are.

    Could it be that you are just like me, who shares a great deal of hatred for human life in general?

    I don''t know who you are.

    However, you are going to take responsibility for breaking this cycle of boredom. For once in these three months here, did something interesting happen.

    Prepare yourself.

    "......Oh yeah, there''s one name left...."

    Naturally, before I got up from my chair, I looked at the only name left that I hadn''t crossed yet.

    Nonetheless, all in all, I had no intention of actually counting them out. They are all involved somehow.

    Or at least someone in this list is. Yet as I look upon this last name, I don''t know what to think about.

    Certainly, from past observation, Arkalee has displayed an obsessive behavior over him and that''s undoubtedly noteworthy. However, I never understood why that was the case.

    "......Who are you even...?"

    I need to check something for myself before I attempt to scout the possible suspects.

    Which is why, after I was done writing that list, I went to the main teachers'' office, where all the teachers in school, whenever outside of their classrooms, would have to present their reports to the principal.

    It appears that it had become a natural topic of gossip in this school, the fact that a suicide took place.

    I could witness several stupid gossips about it coming from the students who idly wasted their time outside of their respective classrooms.

    "-------Hey, did you hear...?"

    "----Yeah, a suicide took place in------"

    Just hearing their murmurs make my eardrums bleed. Human hypocrisy is something else.

    Despite the fact that the person that just died never being relevant whatsoever, as soon as the person dies, it''s a chance to gossip.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Ridiculous.

    As I walked towards the main office inside block A, the main block, I had a strange thought. No. Perhaps a thought that I wouldn''t label as strange, but rather ----  a peculiar curiosity.

    If I were to die, just like that, just for the sake of being turned into a topic of conversation, would I be fine with it?

    Hell no.

    My life is so much more than just an excuse to relieve your boredom, you feeble creatures. I''m not your source of entertainment. I will die on my own terms.

    Suicide? Don''t joke with me. Only cowards resort to suicide and I am not one.

    "This is it."

    On the entrance of block A, I took a few steps in and right in front of me, taking out a cup from the coffee machine, a man who looked to be in his near twenties, glanced upon me with a supremely confident look, as he took a small sip of his coffee.

    Not many teachers were around and it wasn''t uncommon for students to walk in the block, however, going straight to the office is something that a student wouldn''t do.

    The ultimate purpose of being here is to seek teachers, staff members, or even the almighty principal himself.

    "Yukishiro. What brings you here?"

    "Ah, Basara-sensei. I wanted to talk to a teacher but I don''t see Yuka-sensei anywhere..."

    "What is it? Does it need to be now or can it be later?"

    So demanding. However, I can''t back down. It all starts here. I have to start gathering every drop of intel that I know about you, my mystery.

    I will unravel you.

    Thus, with confidence behind my words, I eagerly spoke out to this teacher of mine.

    "It needs to be now. If it isn''t much, can we talk in your office? It''s really, really urgent."

    Naturally, I have to come up with a valid point, which is why I will add a valid reason to this.

    "It''s about Yulia, Basara-sensei."

    Of course, I don''t care about Yulia. However, however, an investigation needs to be done.

    "I see. Follow me."

    "Certainly."

    Thus, after climbing a few floors, I reached Basara-sensei''s office.

    Nothing remarkable about it could be witnessed though. It was extremely tidy and everything was in its place.

    However, instead of taking a seat in his desk chair, Basara-sensei simply went to one of the mini couches and took a seat while telling the following words.

    "Sorry, I got nothing to drink here. Seat in one of the couches."

    "Thank you."

    Seating paralleled to Basara-sensei, who had a pile of documents in his hand, I allowed myself to feel comfortable.

    Still, I immediately went to the point.

    "Um, do you have any idea who might be behind what happened recently, Basara-sensei?"

    Despite the fact that I looked at him concretely in the eyes, this man kept on browsing his documents, as if to search for something.

    That alone triggered my interest.

    "Sorry to ask this in addition to what I just asked, but what are you..."

    "I''ve already started to conduct research. As a matter of fact, research itself has already been started. A few events took place this specific month. Do you remember the day that Ikkiri received bullying?"

    "Yes..."

    I do remember that event, but it just felt mediocre, if I''m honest here.

    This, however. Real death? Not just empty threats, but the actual thing? That''s captivating. You. Again, I don''t know your identity, but this is a dangerous game you are playing.

    Did you think that no one would be interested in you? Or is that you''re intention?

    There''s so much to think about when it comes to you.

    "Yuki, are you interested in hearing something that might be interesting yet lacks evidence behind it?"

    "I don''t mind, sensei."

    Out of curiosity perhaps, Basara-sensei dropped his documents on the mini table that was serving as a barrier of distance between us.

    A small smirk rose on his face subsequently as he readied himself to speak.

    "That event and this one... There might be a hidden connection somewhere along the invisible lines."

    "How so...?"

    "As you know, according to the footage that we have, Yulia was shown to carry a gun. And subsequently, she shot herself. However, the gun''s origins are yet to be found. Every room will be investigated, so I thought that you should be aware of that."

    That''s a bit surprising, however, I have nothing to hide, so I''m fine.

    I see though. With every room investigated, whoever is shown to have guns or anything of that sort will automatically be exposed as the suspect.

    However...

    "Wait, but what if it was Yulia''s gun all along?"

    There''s nothing that says that that can''t be the case here. And, would you be so careless to the point of handing out a gun to her? But that would mean that your power is so overwhelming that you made Yulia kill herself with something that you deliberately gave her.

    In other words, that alone would automatically confirm that you, my dear suspect, are on another level.

    Your way of thinking cannot be breached easily, it seems. Because as of now, you are aware, aren''t you?

    Have we ever crossed glances with each other, by some chance? When? Tell me something.

    "That''s an option. There is something that was deliberately concluded already though. Only Yulia''s fingerprints were on the gun."

    "Then, sensei, that means that was Yulia''s gun all along. I don''t think there''s room to debate here."

    "Certainly, that would be the correct assumption. However, I am someone who likes to think outside of the box. Manipulating fingerprints isn''t something uncommon now, is it?"

    "True."

    Let''s suppose that what Basara-sensei''s saying is true. Does that mean that you also went and thought ahead of that?

    Your intelligence then is supremely high. And you are hiding from everyone.

    You can''t hide from me though. You will pay the price for making me curious in a human being, for once in my lifetime.

    If this isn''t worth it, then I will, not only kill you, but I will mutilate you, so play this game the way it should be played for me.

    "Therefore, Yuki, I believe that the gun didn''t belong to Yulia at all. Nevertheless, the main aspect is Yulia''s suicide. She shot herself in the footage. That''s irrefutable evidence. Ignoring that goes beyond rationality. And, is that why you came here? In order to know the answers regarding her suicide?"

    "Ah, yes, sensei. But, even after I''ve been thinking about it... I can''t seem to grasp the suspect''s profile... Have you started a profile on the suspect?"

    "Yuki, you''re assuming that there''s someone behind this? Interestingly, I did the same. No, well --- I think everyone at this rate is aware, but, this suicide happened for a reason and someone provoked this. I haven''t. However, would you like to help me here?"

    "You mean, you want my help in order to create a profile on the suspect here?"

    "Yes. If you are willing to help me."

    Interesting.

    No, seriously. So interesting.

    "Alright, sensei. However, for the record, I will be extremely honest, and I won''t sugarcoat the truth here. Is that fine?"

    "Yes, Yuki. As a matter of fact, I prefer it that way."

    Filled with a sudden sensation of curiosity and eager enthusiasm, I cracked a huge smile on my face. My eyes widened so much that they felt like they could fall from my face at any given moment.

    However, I composed myself and put on a serious face. Then, as Basara-sensei was ready to take notes, I started speaking.

    "Without a doubt, we are looking for a manipulator. I think that the common assumption would be that the suspect contains high intelligence, however, it''s easy to mask away this factor. In order to extract the suspect''s intelligence, a common way of doing so would be to take a look at the results from the exams. Normally, assuming that someone with incredibly high scores would be the suspect, would be plausible. But, in my honest opinion, it''s very much the opposite. We should look for someone who meets the opposite of this quota. Someone who behaves in a secret manner."

    Not necessarily in a secret manner though... A normal manner then?

    Someone who doesn''t try to stand out. Yet someone who doesn''t do the utmost effort to not stand out. You''re the line in-between.

    However, you thought about this good, didn''t you? You were aware that our class is full of mediocre students and amidst them, there you are, hiding.

    Very good, very good.

    Nevertheless, I continued with my opinion, as I saw Basara-sensei taking notes.

    "As a girl myself, and as someone who has taken a close look at all the girls in my class, I don''t believe the suspect to be a girl. Nobody resented Yulia, so to speak. The suspect, for reasons unknown, held something against her. It could be very possible that this was all for the sake of fun, but I believe otherwise. I believe that the suspect went through a complex process in order to allude us. Furthermore, I also believe that the suspect is a boy. This is strictly biased, but it goes without saying that this person''s nature doesn''t allow him to feel any remorse."

    Yes.

    Gale, Hinagiku, Sana, especially Sana, Tateyana, Shizuku, Ikkiri, Arkalee, Lus, Kanawari, and Akimiyashika.

    No one you have ever exhibited behaviors of hatred for Yulia.

    Specifically speaking, neither did any boy. Which means that...

    "The suspect is massively skilled at hiding his emotions. I additionally believe that he did this out of hatred. The hatred that was never concretely shown in the surface, which implies that the nature of this individual is among the lines of apathetic. Also, he did this without anyone''s knowledge but Yulia''s. Furthermore, I believe that he has multiple alibis. In other words... If we were to question multiple individuals about the suspect''s alibi... It could either be extremely advantageous or..."

    Disadvantageous. A skilled manipulator, no, a genius-level manipulator would not let this slide. Alibis are important.

    Which means...

    "...Just in case, I would also assume that he is someone who is under the control of certain opinions. Meaning, he can probably get a few people to lie to his advantage. Trusting opinions too much might backfire. Alternatively, he is a leader. But he will not be open about this. Whoever is under his control most likely does not realize that he/she is being used. In other words, this individual has no qualms about manipulating sentiments, twisting arguments, and even going as far as telling lies that have appealing sides that might be considered as ''truth'' to many."

    Very good. Very, very good. My expectations have never been this high.

    Right now, I can only run assumptions on you based on what I can deduct as reasonable, however, soon enough, when you strike again, I will gain more and more information about you. And when I do, your image will start cracking and your mystery will fade.

    Keep up with me and make this worthwhile for as long as you can.

    "Is that all, Yuki?"

    "Well, I''m not a big fan of assuming too much and since I could be here all day long assuming a plethora of things, I''ll hold my breath, honestly. Was my opinion of any help?"

    "Yes, Yuki, it was. However, you could also be the suspect."

    Ah, I see. Certainly, from the way his eyes have been watching me, from his perspective, I must look like a trapped bird in a cage. From Basara-sensei''s view, I might be someone who is behind this and that I am talking my way out of this. Of course.

    That sort of perspective is reasonable.

    However, in reality, this is also all according to your way of thinking, isn''t it?! To let curious people like me, set themselves on such a wildfire beyond recovery?!

    "No, sensei. No, no, no. No. No! It''s... It''s....!"

    I never knew. This smile that I have on my face. A smile that''s actually genuine and not fabricated in order to allude something. This non-fabricated product! You... It''s your damn fault.

    I feel again. Don''t you dare disappoint me.

    "Yuki... You''re smiling like a psychopath. Control yourself."

    "Ah... Big apologies on my behave. Excuse me."

    Regaining my posture slightly, I erased the genuine smile on my face and retook my calm stance.

    Furthermore, I went ahead and explained something else.

    "You are free to believe me or not, however, I am not a suspect here. Let me put this bluntly, I don''t care about what happened to Yulia. I never interacted with her before."

    "That''s what a suspect would say, Yuki."

    "Ah, that is true. Sincere apologies. However... in case you figure something out about this person, let me know as soon as possible. I-I-I... I... I''m extremely curious, so to speak. Also, if it isn''t much, and I know I don''t have the right to see this, but, I believe it would help..."

    "What is it?"

    At long last, I got to the real point. I already knew all about the previous things I have said.

    However, this, this is what truly matters.

    "...Could I take a look at the results of this special exam? I believe it would help a lot. Especially because it would provide a bigger picture. There will be students who will be out of the program, right? Students who have exceeded the three exams limit."

    "Yes, there are. Susaga and Ryoken."

    "Right. Them aside, the suspect would not allow himself to be out of the program. That''s unthinkable. No, no. The suspect is creative. He''s intelligent. Witty. He knows how to put up a show. Which is why I would like to take a look at the results."

    Do you feel the same way as I do? Do you also look down on everyone?

    You''re pushing my limits of curiosity right now, mister mystery.

    "I can''t do that. However, if you are looking for a specific result, then I might be able to help you. Yet that''s it."

    "Ah, that serves too."

    On my command, Basara-sensei went through the folders, and eventually, he looked at a specific page for a bit and I immediately assumed that that was the correct page.

    I don''t care about my result. I know I passed the exam. However. You.

    What was this exam for you? No. What are these exams for you? Do you also find them boring and extremely predictable? Are we on the same page?

    "Um, so... Definitely not a high score. Actually, I know this is very unlikely but I would still like to know, but... Is there someone who went out of his way to fail every single event?"

    That would be interesting to know. Maybe you went out of your way to show me that you don''t actually care about this program whatsoever and that toying with someone else holds a higher priority?

    Is that it? Give me more signals, my mystery.

    "Why do you wish to know that, Yuki?"

    "Ah... He... might have higher priorities than the exam. I believe that the suspect upholds an absurd level of confidence. I bet he could be an exam away and would still fail this exam on purpose just because he is that confident. So, I''m looking for someone who, as of right now, with this past exam done, has three supply exams. However, this someone has no utter care for this program. At all. So, yeah. Tell me, please."

    Even so, as I say this, Basara-sensei looks quite puzzled as he looks at his documents.

    Why? Did I say something that intriguing? Hey.

    I want to know.

    "If you have thought of something, then, please, share. I really need to know, sensei."

    "No... It''s just... Now that you bring it up...----"

    Just as Basara-sensei was about to speak perhaps the most important words yet, his phone ringed and he immediately picked it up.

    Honestly, what a lack of respect. Nevertheless, my interest only grew bigger.

    "I see. I''ll be there in a second."

    Done with his call, Basara-sensei looked at me and administrated the situation, without telling me what was on his mind.

    "I''ll have to leave and as such, you''ll have to leave my office."

    "I see. But, sensei, can you tell me who you had in mind just now?"

    I just need to know. Who? Who did you think about, sensei? The clue is major and I need to know.

    Yet, despite that...

    "I would be exposing the results then and considering the current situation, I''ll refrain from doing so. Again, you are still a suspect."

    "....."

    Accidentally, I almost let out an angry shout yet I managed to contain myself at the edge of the moment.

    Without many options, I was forced to leave his office.

    On my way back to my dorm, I thought about you.

    And how I would approach the mystery behind your identity. On the outside surface, you are probably like the letter omega, deep at the bottom. However, are you like the letter alpha, secretly at the top while masking yourself as the letter omega?

    That''s it. You are ''Omega''. That''s what I will call you from now on.

    A few minutes later, I went to my room.

    There, with a large amount of time left and frankly obsessed with the idea of unraveling your image, your identity, I, began to obsess over you.

    "Are you laughing right now? What are you feeling? What are humans to you? What do you think about the current situation? Hey, you just made someone suicide yet did you feel any remorse? Certainly not, right? You''re above the feeling of guilt. Just like me. You don''t feel guilt for doing something wicked."

    Once again, in my room, I find myself in front of the list that I wrote those four names earlier.

    However, instead of going to my chair, I simply grabbed the paper and took a seat in my bed with my back against the wall. There, I relaxed my posture and firmly looked at the zone below.

    Furthermore, I fully spread my legs.

    Reaching the edge of my waist, sliding inside the elastic waistband, my two fingers started to charge the momentum.

    As I pondered about your existence, I couldn''t stop.

    The breach of my fruit''s core had begun, caused by your sole unknown existence.

 Volume 16 - Chapter 109: ?LOOK AT ME!?

    March 30th.

    This day included, only one more day remains until the classes resume.

    There, I plan on making my entrance and making sure that he is aware.

    I will make you look at me.

    However, before that, I need to gather even more intel on you. Strictly speaking, I have firmly run a simple hypothesis.

    If Yulia committed suicide, then the source lies within those four individuals. That''s irrefutable.

    Therefore, as morning came, I decided.

    I will, once again, go out of my way to interact with others.

    Thus, in the brick of the morning, I went out to the bottom of the dorm, on the first floor, and there, I approached the supervisor.

    Her name is Olivia and we have never really spoken. Simply because I don''t want to talk to her in the first place.

    Nevertheless, in her small desk, with an empty look on her face, reading a fashion magazine, there, she idly stood.

    "Um, excuse me..."

    Since she wasn''t paying any attention to her surroundings, I called her out.

    Is your attitude like this feeble being too? Pretending to be feeble while being the only one that actually matters?

    Despite my internal questioning, Olivia finally looked at me soon after yawning, disrespectfully.

    "Yukishiro, was it? What is it, darling?"

    I dislike the fact that this horrible looking hag just called me that, however, I have an extremely high priority and thus, I will swallow all my possible hatred and fake a smile just in order to extract information.

    "Ah, Olivia! So, quick question..."

    I placed my hand on her desk and looked at the hallway, all the way from the entrance to its end and I saw no one.

    Even then, I still spoke in a very low toned voice.

    "Where is Sana''s room?"

    It would be troublesome if I had to knock every single room in this dorm just to find Sana.

    As of now, I will prioritize extracting information from the two girls on that list.

    However, despite my intriguing obsession in my own words, Olivia answered my question in a very abhorrent way, which displeased me immediately.

    ".....She''s not well... Yulia was a big figure for her. You know, whenever they were around together, whenever they entered the dorm, whenever they ate, they would always share a big smile and honestly, considering what happened, it''s best to leave her alone. She''s trying to recover."

    Ahhhhhhhhhh............

    Why? Why? Why?

    Why?

    Why is it that every time I put my hatred aside, you creatures just bore me to death with these simple-minded mediocre words? Did I ask your opinion on any matter OUTSIDE of what I asked?!

    No, I didn''t.

    Therefore, why would you go out of your way to ACTUALLY try and assert your opinion? Do you know how hard this is for me? I just want to snap your neck, Olivia.

    "Ah, I see. Well..."

    But, still.

    Posture is important whenever it comes to extracting information from partial sources, such as other human beings.

    Are you aware that by some chance I struggle when it comes to interaction? Is that it? Do you actually think I can''t just erase this factor out of my system?

    Watch me.

    "Olivia, pardon my lack of manners, but I would like to know where Sana''s room is located so I can speak to her. What happened to Yulia was horrible and I am aware that Yulia, to Sana, was a very important figure. However, I cannot stand the fact that no one is trying to help her! And so, I would like to try and cheer her up."

    I spoke with so much enthusiasm that I became surprised by how well I could fake this.

    Usually, even speaking a word out of fakeness or for the singular purpose of just driving someone away yet now that I am doing this for a far bigger purpose, it doesn''t feel that bad anymore.

    Because it''s partial.

    "Oh, I see. Well... It''s 10 am. So, maybe she''s up? Well, come with me, Yukishiro."

    "Thank you very much."

    Thus, we both arrived at Sana''s room door.

    However, I had to let Olivia know that she was not necessary here anymore.

    Therefore, in a subtle manner, I told her off.

    "Olivia, I''ll handle it from here. I don''t mean to be rude, but I think that as her classmate, I can relate better and hold a better ground when it comes to emotional conversations. Plus, too many people on her might backfire. So, I would like to go solo here."

    Olivia, in response, looked puzzled at first, but eventually, a few seconds later, after perhaps thinking about my purposely made up words slightly, made up her mind.

    "Alright, I trust you. But, don''t be too harsh on her."

    "Harsh? I care about her. I would never be anything but kind. You can count on me."

    "Thank you."

    I had to fully wait until Olivia exited the parameter and vanished from my sight. Otherwise, this might entirely backfire.

    This is a thrill already. You are not here yet you are here.

    "Sana? It''s me, Yukishiro! Open up! I want to talk to you..."

    Even though I knocked on her door, faked a cute voice, no response came forth.

    Nonetheless, I retried my luck.

    "Are you there? I can go away if I''m being annoying, I just want to know if you are in your room or not. I''m worried about you..."

    Or maybe she killed herself too? What a comedy show that would be.

    Or, even better. You, somehow, already saw my move and you are therefore making Sana unavailable?

    "...Go away."

    At last, a small voice came from the inside of Sana''s room.

    Hearing her voice and her response left me with a sensation of hope.

    "Sana? Oh, I''m glad you are there. Can''t we talk? If we can''t, I''ll leave."

    "We can''t... Leave..."

    "I see... Be well."

    No response came forth.

    A source of information was blocked from me. Furthermore, should I insist now, then Sana will just be annoyed and revolt against me due to my persistence.

    You.

    You already saw this coming, didn''t you? Then, does that mean that you will predict my next step too?

    Amuse me even more.

    Defeated, I went to where I started, to Olivia''s desk.

    Without losing time, I explained my failure and went straight to the next point.

    "Have you seen Arkalee today? Did she leave her room yet? Or is she still in it?"

    "She left early in the morning! However, she was crying. Poor girl... Just like Sana, she must too..."

    Hearing that left me puzzled.

    Why would Arkalee be crying when she never really cared for Yulia? I need to know what happened. Plus, I need to talk to her, since Sana is unavailable.

    "Did you see where Arkalee went to, by some chance, Olivia?"

    "Ah, she went straight to the male dorm. To tell you the truth, she always does. Even though she is perfectly aware that she can''t enter, she is always at the entrance."

    I didn''t need to think twice about why. She has displayed an obsessive behavior over Hyunda.

    Although we have never really interacted, Hyunda is on that list so he is a high suspect.

    This lack of knowledge is bothering me though. If I knew you were going to play it out like this, I would''ve gone out of my way to gather intel early on yet you are making me do all of this now.

    Have it your way.

    It won''t matter since I''ll get the result done anyway.

    "Alright, thank you so much!"

    With haste, I left the scene and went to the male dorm''s entrance.

    However, I didn''t quite make my existence be noticed...

    In one of the pillars, I completely hid and there, from afar, while gazing at the entrance, I witnessed Arkalee at the door, arguing with their supervisor.

    Since I wasn''t quite hearing what they were arguing about, I got a bit closer, still masking my existence within the pillars and then bushes. Ultimately, I finally managed to get a good glimpse of the scene.

    Standing with his arms crossed, the male supervisor gave off a fearless look to Arkalee, who, in contrast, was upholding a very lackluster image and was borderline breaking down.

    "I need to see him! It''s been two days!!! Two days! This is injustice! Tell him that I will be here for as long as it takes!"

    Borderline screaming with tears on her face, while looking at her phone that she has in her own two hands instead of firmly glancing their supervisor, Arkalee made her weak stand.

    Though, she is undoubtedly referring to Hyunda. I cannot imagine anyone else.

    "Him? Who could you be speaking about exactly?"

    With a small grin on the corner of his lips, the supervisor, superficially mocked Arkalee swiftly.

    The latter, looked at him with eyes of hatred that looked ready to kill.

    It appears that Arkalee doesn''t handle rejection well.

    I may not know the full case, but given that Arkalee has said that it''s been two days, she''s referring to the fact that she hasn''t seen Hyunda in two days.

    No doubt, that''s the case.

    "Ah, I get it. You''re talking about my boy Hajime, aren''t ya?"

    "Don''t you dare use that sacred name like that!!! Only I have that privilege! Reeeee!!!"

    She actually said that. I can''t believe this.

    What am I watching?

    Nonetheless, the supervisor went ahead and finally said some interesting words.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    "He left you a message for you. ''You can forget this month.'' Hahahaha!"

    "Huh? What? What? What?! Forget this month? No. No. No... No!!!! You can''t do this to me!! Are you that mad, sweetie?! But, But I-------!!!"

    "Scram! You''re a nuisance! And annoying as hell too! The only drama I watch is my telenovela at night and although you qualify as a drama actress, you''re annoying nonetheless!"

    "What was that?!"

    This is bad.

    Arkalee''s my only available source of information. Daniel and Hyunda are most likely inside their dorm and therefore, I can''t reach out to them.

    This is why, knowing that, I entered the scene and spoke to Arkalee, coming from behind her.

    "Arkalee? What''s going on? I was just strolling by and I saw you arguing with their supervisor."

    Arkalee, as soon as she heard my voice, looked at me with a serious look.

    However, it wasn''t her that spoke first, but instead, their supervisor.

    "Take this pest out of here. Bitch''s been here all fucking morning trying to enter!"

    Speaking directly to me while pointing at Arkalee, the rude, unmannered supervisor, decided that it was a good idea to order me.

    Luckily for him, I will not throw a tantrum as I need Arkalee right now.

    Nonetheless, the real problem here was Arkalee. She would not back down without a fight.

    "Then let me talk to him! He doesn''t answer my calls! No signal of life is coming from him! I''ve also texted him more than a thousand times! I would like to just say that this is a verdict truth and not a lie because it''s been two damn days! Hyundaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!! Where are you?! I need you!!!"

    Not that it''s any of my business but why has Arkalee been ignored for two days? Is Hyunda that heartless? Or is Arkalee just that clingy? I can''t tell.

    I don''t know them at all.

    However, however. There might be a hidden connection here.

    Which is why...

    "Arkalee, I saw him a wh---"

    "Where?!"

    Before I could finish my sentence, Arkalee almost jumped on me and vomited that aggressive question.

    Regardless, she had taken the bait. Interesting. Whenever it comes to Hyunda, she can''t resist the temptation.

    That alone makes her formidably useful in a wider sense.

    "Come with me. I''ll take us where I saw him. Ah, thank you very much for your comprehension, supervisor. On Arkalee''s behave, I''ll apologize. I''m sorry."

    With a firm bow, I fakely bowed down as an apology.

    "..."

    However, despite that, the supervisor did not reply and instead, looked at me for a second with a small grin.

    Leaving off, only his grin was the only thing that could be remarked about him. However, why did he do so?

    As I questioned that, Arkalee went ahead and spoke on her own.

    "Take me to where he is. Now."

    It''s not as if I hadn''t thought of a specific location yet the truth is; I don''t know where Hyunda is.

    The truth also is; I don''t need to know where he is because Arkalee will be gullible regardless.

    "Are you sure you don''t want to do something else? Why chase after a boy anyway?"

    "Oh my god, do you know where he is or not!? Or was that just a lie?!"

    That was simply a test to see if she was completely serious or not yet it seems like she is.

    Thus, I took a step further into this conversation.

    "It wasn''t a lie. Come with me, please. However, walk slowly. I want to talk to you."

    "You better not be lying."

    Arkalee''s awfully hostile with her words. However, only when it comes to Hyunda. In other words, for reasons unknown, Arkalee has a massive obsession over him.

    Nevertheless, we started to venture into the campus a little bit.

    Arkalee was obnoxiously looking everywhere for Hyunda. I had told her the lie that I saw him near block A yet as soon as we would reach block A, I would just tell another lie.

    Therefore, before we arrived there, I started talking to her.

    "Arkalee, you don''t seem troubled by the fact that suicide has recently taken place."

    "At this rate, a second suicide is coming up if Hyunda doesn''t show up! Two days! Two damn days!!"

    Arkalee''s clearly not well. Her eyes are completely wasted, which symbolizes a lack of sleep.

    Plus, pulling hair strands can only mean that she''s oddly stressed. Hyunda hasn''t been talking to her, it seems.

    However, Arkalee''s open about her situation, which makes it easier to perceive her.

    "What exactly happened?"

    "Ah... I told him some words that I shouldn''t have. I got jealous about him talking about other girls, blah, blah, the usual stuff."

    According to Arkalee, that is what happened. I find it strange that she had such a lack of difficulty while saying those words.

    It''s almost as if she already knew those words from back to front.

    "But like, Hyunda''s a bit rude for neglecting you for two days straight. Talk about harsh."

    "I know right! How can he possibly neglect a maiden in love like me?! I''m so lost without him!"

    That wasn''t exactly sarcasm yet I felt like that was sarcasm. Alternatively, irony?

    No.

    A true statement with a sense of falsehood to it. Arkalee''s been looking at me in the eye quite concretely and has stopped being paranoid.

    Her behavior does not match. It''s as if her behavior has been programmed.

    What?

    Did you think I wouldn''t notice? I''ll surprise you, my mystery.

    Ultimately, it was about time I got to the topic I actually wanted to talk about.

    "So, Arkalee, where were you on the day of the suicide? I''m trying to search for who could have caused this, but I''m having no luck here."

    "Eh? Why? Yulia killed herself. She did it all by herself."

    "I know, Arkalee. But there is a reason for that. Also, when was the last time you saw her?"

    "Mhm... Why does that suddenly matter?"

    Now, Arkalee''s looking at me with a suspicious look. There is no reason why you''d ask that question.

    "I just want to know in order to get a good grasp of what could have happened. Not to worry, I am not suspecting you, Arkalee."

    "Well, okay. I was doing an event and I saw Yulia walk on the sidewalk of the blocks!"

    "Haha, I see, I see."

    Liar.

    The last time you saw Yulia was when she suddenly left you and Sana to go somewhere else.

    You are hiding that information yet for what reason, Arkalee?

    You are bad at acting. I''m already aware that you most likely think that I am under your control, that this conversation was triggered because it was meant to happen.

    If you were being genuine right now, then your choice of words would''ve been different. However, this only means that my sources of information are being manipulated.

    First Sana, who was far too emotionally unstable to hold a conversation and now Arkalee, who is deliberately lying to me? Are you saying that you somehow managed to create such a scenario?

    Then, you were watching me. You knew all along.

    "Yukishiro?"

    "Ah, sorry. I slept really badly, like super badly. My mind''s all fuzzy. By the way ---- You and Hyunda, what exactly happened? You seem to be all over him."

    "Ah, that? He''s my future husband, but he''s not exactly complying with it. Oh well."

    "Eh, I see."

    Probably just a teenager romance. Hyunda''s most likely feeling insecure about committing to a relationship and Arkalee''s clinginess must be bothering him.

    Not that I care.

    What I care about is what you are making me think right now. Because, at the merit of my own actions, my way of thinking will be shaped and if my actions are already under your prediction, then I will trust no one.

    Not even myself.

    "Arkalee, I don''t mean to meddle in your endeavor, but could I talk to Hyunda when I have the chance to?"

    "No."

    "Why?"

    "Because he''s mine. Stay away from him. I''m being kind enough to warn you, Yukishiro."

    "Alright, alright."

    Sincerely, as we kept on idly walking, I was attempting to scout more information about Hyunda yet from my understanding, he is just Arkalee''s subject of romance and nothing else.

    However, this is all according to Arkalee. She could very well be lying about this, although, I doubt that.

    You are someone who has control over all my list''s individuals'' actions.

    Furthermore, I am under your radar. Before I noticed you, you already had noticed me.

    When? Are you that far ahead in terms of thinking? Don''t worry. I''ll step my game up too.

    Thus, I spoke to Arkalee once again.

    "Arkalee, hypothetically speaking, in your opinion, who could have triggered the reason for Yulia''s suicide? Assuming it was someone, that is."

    Choose your words wisely, I will analyze them religiously.

    Plus, from the way you keep on looking me with serious glances, Arkalee, it also means that you are just going to tell lies.

    In other words, you are hiding the truth for a reason. Alternatively, furthermore, you... know who did it.

    No, there''s no way it was you. You are far too dumb to be the mastermind.

    My mystery man over here has no qualms about shaping reality as he sees fit and Arkalee, either you are completely aware of this or you aren''t.

    So, I''ll listen to your words now carefully.

    "I don''t know. No one really ever hated Yulia. But... How about Ikkiri?"

    .......?

    "Why Ikkiri?"

    I am so puzzled. Why did Arkalee just say that? How is Ikkiri somehow...

    "...Just between you and me, I really hate her. Like, she''s such an attention whore. Trying to play high at the beginning but then acting so small."

    "Okay."

    No logic.

    I could not identify a single reasonable remark there. Arkalee just lied and she didn''t give it much thought. She probably just blamed Ikkiri out of spite without trying to come up with a reasonable excuse.

    At last though, we had arrived at block A.

    "Oh. He''s nowhere to be seen."

    "Haha, so it seems! Oh well, I will look for him elsewhere! Bye, Yukishiro!"

    In a rush, Arkalee went in the opposite direction and regressed back south while running.

    In order to collect my thoughts, I went to a near-by cafe and grabbed a cup of coffee.

    There, in a lonely table with little to no people around, I alone stood.

    As soon as I reached out to the sugar packs, indecisive on whether or not I should take two or three, I ultimately went with three.

    One by one, each sugar pack went down the drain as I continued to pour sweet delicious sugar into my coffee.

    "That conversation was an entire lie."

    I''m a pessimist by nature. I quickly assume the worst things, so I will assume my worst scenario.

    If you are already aware that I would be searching for you and attempt to extract information from the available sources, the reasonable move here would be to let the sources know that I would be coming for you.

    However...

    What if you let them know in an indirect way? Maybe they don''t know that they are under your control yet they are. You are a manipulator, capable of twisting even the most irrefutable arguments. Your knowledge far surpasses those that we witness in class. Therefore, it should be a piece of cake to twist the reality here.

    "Sana was a given. You were already aware that she would not deal with this well. Thus, her unavailability is completely reasonable. Here is the confusing part. I could have gone with Arkalee first instead of Sana yet are you telling me that it wouldn''t have made a single difference? That my move would fail regardless?"

    Noticeably after I failed to resonate with Sana, Arkalee was the obvious choice.

    Questioning the sources that are available is common sense.

    Yet, yet...

    "What if... No, it''s not a what if. I should''ve known better. You purposely set this up, didn''t you? All this time, you made the most credible sources limited. I am stuck with that list thanks to that. You placed that restriction on me. So, in other words, you like to be unfair on purpose."

    Daniel and Hyunda are unavailable and if I start approaching all of them too suddenly, then I might raise hints, flags.

    Yet...

    I hate to wait. Don''t run away now. Show me what you are capable of.

    "However... you had to be there all the time, right? Or... Or, is that what you want me to think? Are you aware that I would have no chance to resort to the fact that you were there somehow or that you somehow managed to keep those five individuals linked all the time? Are you capable of twisting this fact just because you want to make me walk in circles that much? You''re evil."

    I could endlessly wonder what you are capable of, but one thing is for certain.

    You are not a good person and you are not bothered by that fact. It''s beyond you; morality that is.

    "You leave me with no choice then. If you are in control of the sources, then there''s not much of a point. I''ll have to let you know. Let you know that I am aware of you."

    April 1st. 8 am.

    On the morning of April 1st, as classes would finally resume, upon waking up, a huge smile was reborn on my face.

    A smile only reserved for when I think about your mysterious existence and your unknown identity.

    In a sequence of necessary movements, I immediately took off my pajamas, underwear, and went straight to the shower.

    Though cold water was the first sensation, eventually, a steaming sensation transcended the latter.

    I can only imagine that putting up a meaningful beautiful appearance to you could very well be the equivalent of nothing.

    Yet as I shower and partake in the well caring of my parts, I contracted a sudden optimism; an abysmal sense of formality.

    Because, essentially speaking, today is the day.

    "You might be aware of me, but I must admit, it was rude of me to only be aware of your existence ---- no ---- to be aware of your actions only a few days ago. Ever since when, did you have your eyes on me? Yet nonetheless, not a single word came forth. I have committed the gravest sin of all; to be unaware of what should have been primal knowledge all along."

    That boredom which kept on endlessly pilling up; you broke that vicious cycle.

    Lies that weaved from cruel necessity no longer have a redeemable purpose; so I won''t taint the truth.

    "Ahhh... Certainly, I will be late for class, however, it''s for a good reason. I need to look plausible. I will not lack manners in front of you as you did an irreplaceable favor for me. An undying wish made from my unconscious that surged all the way to the lackluster reality that used to take place every day. No more."

    Taking my time to shower, to fully empower my hair with my luxurious products that I never really held a vision for their utilization; I made progress towards refining my appearance for the day.

    Drying myself in a towel afterward while glancing upon my figure in the mirror, even though my hair was practically soaked; I didn''t mind.

    Quickly and subsequent to the previous chain of sequences, I started putting my uniform on.

    Not all my blazer''s buttons were on, as I allowed my female charms to come to life.

    Regardless of the season, female charms yet remain to be a powerful weapon in order to allure certain targets. Nevertheless, as I picked the usual skirt length, not being long, but the normal size, I remained aware of the fact that none of this work that I am applying would do a single thing.

    Yet it''s for the purpose of showing that I am aware.

    Putting on plausible shiny earrings, a couple of bracelets and bathing myself in my favorite timeless light floral perfume filled with an irresistible endless aromatic fragrance.

    Out of a sudden burst of happiness, I took a spin, opened my blinds, and grazed the morning sun; forever bright.

    "Ah. I almost forgot. That would be problematic."

    Makeup, makeup.

    However, I will go a little further. I do enjoy painting myself in order to enhance my fashion sense.

    This is new though. It''s not done for the sake of vanity whatsoever.

    No.

    The purpose is far bigger.

    "And just in case... This will do too."

    Lastly, I put on one of my favorite lipstick. Lilac color, naturally. Though, the result was a bit surprising as it came out a bit heavy in purple. Yet that didn''t bother me at all, as I looked at myself in my colossal mirror that had a grand arsenal of products just for occasions.

    Occasions that I thought would never come yet, yet, yet.

    With a feel of my own lips, intertwining and connecting from down and below, I ultimately put on my beloved high heels and went to the place where I would, at last, make my stand to you.

    "Ahh... I''m bursting with excitement! What words should I say...? How should I smile? To whom, should I look? I don''t want you to think that I am splitting the attention here but with your identity unknown, what do you expect?"

    Approaching that door, that door that I had to just open up in order for me to get a look on you, I placed my thumb on my soft lips colorized with my lipstick, as I deeply pondered about my upcoming choices of words.

    "It''s better if I''m honest. After all, you will know. I will make sure that you do."

    Thus, with maximum confidence, I opened the main classroom''s door and took a long glance at my classmates, in their respective seats.

    Simultaneously, I thought to myself that as of now, you aren''t going to predict my movements yet I found myself being completely predictable, gullible, and ultimately, feeble in your presence.

    Regardless, I didn''t back down and so, firstly, I had to endure the short scolding that came from Basara-sensei, as I directed myself to the podium, just so I could be the center of attention.

    "Yuki, you are late. Although it''s by five minutes, I can''t overlook that."

    Ignoring what Basara-sensei had just said, I put on a big smile and also spoke to Basara-sensei in return.

    "I know! However, I have something important to say to the class! Well... Not the class. A certain someone. Can I be allowed to take a few seconds of your time?"

    "You''re still going to get a warning."

    "Is that a yes?"

    "Suit yourself."

    Finally allowed to go on, as I witnessed some of my classmates placing their gazes on me while some murmuring with each other, I, at long last, could speak.

    Doing so, I did my best to remain calm and collect yet failed in the process, as my words started to drip ecstatic resonances from within.

    "I-I... I have something to say if you don''t mind. First of all, thank you. Second of all, I''m sorry. It took me three days to notice you, but I, nonetheless, did so. Again, my deepest apologies. I''m seriously sorry."

    Nervously yet seemingly happy, I did a formal bow.

    It''s true, I do sincerely apologize. It was so rude on my behave.

    "Yuki, why are you bowing? Just get to the point."

    Regaining my posture, I faced those unlikable words.

    "Right... It''s simpler if I do this instead."

    Turning my back to you, I took ahold of a piece of white chalk and started to write my message to you, in order to let my intentions be aware.

    Even though it''s questionable to write this on the frame, I am positive that the message of ''I AM WATCHING YOU'', will not phase you. Even if it''s written in capital letters, you surely understand, don''t you?

    It''s only natural to expect such a reply when you drive me this wild.

 Volume 16 - Chapter 110: Struggling Battle!

    March 31st.

    Sleeping all night was impossible. No, as of lately, it''s been impossible. Ever since March 27th, Hyunda hasn''t spoken a single word to me, at all.

    Henceforth, at the early dawn, I am finding myself, sharpening the edge of my knife.

    "No calls. No texts. Nothing from you. I know you are in there, but your supervisor won''t let me in. Why? Are you that mad? I''m sorry that I stalked you back then, but it was because I couldn''t help myself. Look, I''ve learned my lesson, so please let me be with you. I can''t stand this, love!"

    Only with my chandelier''s light on, I am firmly glancing upon my sharp knife while carrying thoughts of suicide.

    This is a dilemma. Should I kill myself, then I won''t be able to be with you but right now you aren''t with me and I am not with you which is exactly the equivalent of that!!!

    "I did everything you asked, love! I executed your order to make Sana and Daniel somehow share a kiss! Ah, do you have any idea how hard that was to pull it off?! You didn''t even give me specific instructions because you said that you fully trusted me on the task and while I am super grateful for that compliment, it was hard nonetheless! Plus, I also rudely replied back to Yulia as you also asked! Yet, yet, you...! I''ve never felt this ignored! It''s so sad! You are the depth of my being yet you keep yourself away from me... I really am just gonna..."

    Tears on my face, what''s new?

    Your negligence affecting my entire emotional state; the common things I go through.

    At least, if I close in this knife and place the edge of the blade on my throat and advance, I will never leave your mind in my absence, that''s for sure.

    "I wonder how will you remember me? You will remember me, right, love? We are meant to be together forever so-----"

    A sudden sound that I had not heard in a while came forth through my phone.

    Lying on my right side of the bed, I whipped away my endless tears as I saw your name on the screen.

    I got so happy that I got up from my bed and took a few spins out of happiness before picking up your call!

    "Y-Yes?!"

    "Hey. Today''s the day. I''m waiting at the entrance."

    As per usual, not allowing me to further speak with him, Hyunda ended the call.

    However...

    "Oh my god, oh my god! So he wasn''t serious! I knew it! You wouldn''t forget about your own sayings! That damn fucking supervisor lied to me then?! He actually faked that?! Out of all the words to tell me?! Tsk! You bad, bad liar. You can''t keep my future husband away from me, you tyrannical impostor! Haha, look at you now. I''m about to finally meet him!"

    In a rush to get ready, I did the usual necessary preparations.

    Faster than usual though.

    I still remember your scent yet the very thought of meeting you once again after we have been separated from each other for two days straight fills my heart with joy.

    Love, distance? Did you do this for the sake of practicing it?

    I almost killed myself just now. Don''t repeat this again please.

    School entrance.

    Just like always, exactly like last time, there you stood, with your back against the wall, listening to music through your blue earplugs. Yet this time, you were yawning. Lack of sleep?

    Unnecessary thoughts?

    I don''t know.

    However, as I approached you, in this beautiful morning, as soon as you grazed my figure, you just went ahead and did something that I honestly wasn''t expecting you to do.

    "....."

    Perhaps far too shocked at his sudden movement, as I normally am the one who has to break the boundaries, your magnificent sudden kiss went far beyond my expectations.

    "Sorry, I just really missed you."

    "A-Ah... I see! But... you know... if you missed me... and... if what you say is true then... why did you ignore all my calls and texts?! I was worried, for crying out loud! I thought you might''ve died or something! Do you have any idea how much worry you caused me?! Geez, please don''t do that again..."

    "Well, I----"

    I''m pretty sure Hyunda had something to say and I will listen to him later on. But now, I resumed to what was even more important.

    You started it. You kissed me. I missed you so much. What the hell have you been doing these past days?

    Nevertheless, I still couldn''t resist the urge to connect our lips fiercely and so, we started engaging in a romantic activity otherwise known as kissing.

    "You really like kissing, don''t you, Arkalee?"

    "I haven''t touched your lips for days. I''ve missed your scent. Your natural scent. The way you speak. Your overall existence. Let''s keep on kissing for an hour or two, kay?~"

    With every touch and with every movement we trade with each other, as I feel your embrace from your arms as well, I naturally started to enroll my tongue thus intertwining with yours.

    You''re even going as far as pinning me down against the wall.

    Yes, I know what you want, which is why I will gladly---

    "Arkalee, there are people watching, you know?"

    "...."

    As I look to my surroundings, I hatefully glanced down on the students who have the horrible gal of interrupting our romantic moment with their gazes.

    However, that''s not really going to happen. Thus, I looked back at Hyunda and simply said this.

    "Whatever! I want to kiss and kiss a lot! And you won''t get away~~~"

    I already have my arms around you as you also do. Your leg is between my legs and you know you want it. Come on, consume me here. Ignore our surroundings, just ravage me alre---

    "Are we really going to lose time kissing each other here? We can just find other private spots to kiss, you know?"

    "Ah, fair point! Okay, let''s leave the school and search for a spot where we can kiss more! I''ll still keep on kissing you though!"

    "Arkalee, that''s far too inconvenient."

    "Oh, I see... How about in the cheek though?"

    Although it was an inferior suggestion, as I accompanied Hyunda to the main gate, linked to his right arm, I pondered if that suggestion would go through.

    "Fine. But listen first. We are repeating the same process as last time. Understand that."

    "Okaaaaaay!"

    Thus, so we did, and eventually, we finally left school, free to do as we please!

    We additionally started to descend down the huge stairway that would lead to the main city and as we did, we finally could go back to kissing, or so I thought, but Hyunda had a serious look in his face, which made me hard to go for a kiss on his mouth.

    I was already busy with kissing him on his cheek, but...

    "Hyunda? What''s wrong...? Your expression looks---"

    "Who did you talk to in specific these last days?"

    With his monochrome yet serious expression as his trademark, he asked me that very serious question.

    But okay, I''ll be honest.

    "Your supervisor and Yukishiro. Why though?"

    "I see. Don''t talk to them anymore."

    "Um, why?"

    "I don''t want you to talk to anyone else but me. Are you fine with that?"

    "No, but Hyunda, why is that the case? I''m just really curious to know."

    He has this bad habit of never telling me the reason for his own words... And... I''m really, really curious.

    Plus, this means that you did care about my activity! Were you worried that I had talked to another boy and sought to cheat on you!? I would never do anything like that!

    "Soon enough, I will gain unnecessary attention, most likely. And as such, you will be a common target for my exposure because you are always attached to me."

    .......????

    "Okay, but who? Who do you have in mind?! This is about someone, right?!"

    Unnecessary attention!? And why is Hyunda going to receive unnecessary attention all over the sudden?!

    Someone has to be able to direct their attention to Hyunda and I want to know who!

    Yet, despite that, he really answered my question with honesty and with a calm expression, not emitting any visible anxiety.

    "It''s just an assumption. Nothing more than that. On second thought, you are free to interact with them. That was a stupid choice of words."

    "Huh....? Hyunda, you still aren''t answering my question...! What about the honesty you spoke of?!"

    Geez.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    You always speak about the fact that I have to be honest and I really am but you on the other hand...

    "Don''t make such a face. More importantly, how have you been these past days?"

    "Lonely. Sad. Suicidal. It''s all your fault."

    It was a bit more than that. I almost decided to cut myself with a knife but that''s not necessary for you to know love.

    It''s all good now.

    "Sorry about that. There''s a valid reason for my absence. I was busy making preparations."

    "For...?"

    "Future events that might display. Essentially, I will have to fade away from the current image and settle down a little bit. Therefore, I went ahead and-------"

    "Geez! Can''t you say the whole thing without being soooooooo indirect?! I am so honest with you but you are not! I love you so much but this is really bugging me! Please be honest!"

    I''m tired of this! Being unrewarded feels so bad! I have this waterfall of precious feelings for you yet you still treat me like this!?

    What happened to treating me specially?!

    I got so mad that I stopped walking midway the staircase and stopped clinging to his arm like usual.

    He, however, kept on advancing a few steps before eventually looking at me slightly and replying.

    "I don''t want to bore you with the details. I value our relationship far more. Being honest about this won''t amount to anything. And besides, today, is the day. So, lead the way."

    "You won''t bore me though..."

    "Arkalee. Come here."

    "...Okay..."

    Slowly, while looking down on the staircase and its long steps, feeling a spring breeze, I started to walk up to Hyunda, who, as soon as our distance got closer, held me tightly with his arms and delivered a powerful hug.

    "I love you, you know that, right? That''s why I want to show you a good time. Our talks should be about us, not others, correct?"

    "Y-Yes! I agree! A-And, we should also, you know... Start thinking about some other things..."

    Ahh... I can barely finish my sentence. Just the thought of being linked to your whole body in your arms gives me a transcendental feeling of jubilant bliss.

    I also adore how tightly you are holding me. It''s as if you know that I like to feel every single part of your body and that I am more than fine with also allowing you to feel mine. This level of intimacy is one that I can respectfully agree with.

    However, I seek to take it further.

    "Ummm.... Hyunda..."

    "What? Tell me when you want the hug to stop."

    "Um, never. But, listen... You will stay forever with me, right...?!"

    "I will. I promise that."

    A promise. Okay. You said it. I will not attempt to kill myself any longer since it''s bound to happen now.

    You and I forever. Yes. It will happen. No doubt. We are meant to be, undoubtedly.

    You even went ahead and confirmed this yourself and you will take all possible responsibility.

    "Okay. Okay. Okay... Listen... I think we should start thinking about our future family."

    "Future family?"

    "I-I realize this might be sudden but think about it...! If we are going to be together forever then we should start a family! It makes complete sense! So, I was thinking, we should go to a hotel today and engage in logical commitments."

    Not that we can''t do this whenever I come to your room though. It will happen eventually, yes.

    However, I do like the scene where we both rationally shape our futures romantically in a hotel room, yes.

    I think it would make the most sense, yes.

    "Arkalee."

    Pushing me back a little bit, Hyunda, for some awful reason, decided to shatter the atmosphere by breaking us apart while calling my name calmly.

    "You need to cool your head."

    ...........!?

    "N-NO, I don''t! I''m serious! Mega serious! We should also start thinking about our future children''s names! Um, do you have a specific number in mind?! Hey, wait! Don''t leave me here by myself!!"

    Apart from the fact that he started to progress with his march on his way down the staircase, I entered a panic state of mind as I could not comprehend why Hyunda had said something like that!

    Cool my head...!?

    You''re not trying to run away, right?

    No.

    No, no, no, no, no. Oh no. You''re not escaping your duty, love.

    "Hyunda, I really think we sh----"

    However, regardless of my worries, as I chased after him, he turned around one last time, and coldly replied in a harsh tone.

    "Not now, Arkalee."

    "..."

    Okay, yeah, that''s...

    ...

    No.

    "I''m not taking a no for this!"

    "Arkalee, I''m not denying your offer, I just said for you to cool your head."

    "Okay, but why would you tell me to cool my head if you don''t plan on passing my offer? Actually, it''s not an offer... Please take this seriously..."

    "You''re crying again..."

    Naturally, I started to shed some tears as I held his sleeve tightly.

    Even this fragile breeze didn''t phase me quite as much as your words just now, love.

    Thus, without any intent on being rejected, I argued back.

    "I am crying for a reason, you know?! I don''t really mind your cold-hearted words because I love you, but it''s a different story when it comes to a serious topic like this! I want to make a family with you as soon as possible and so, again, I think we should start as soon as possible! Have sex with me!"

    "Arkalee, don''t be stupid. If you get pregnant in the middle of the program then I am extremely positive that you are out of it. And if you are out of it, then the child will die. Do you want that?"

    "...No... But----"

    "Furthermore, we can just wait. We will be together forever and so, we will have time. I understand your rush. What? Did you think that I wasn''t thinking about it too?"

    "Y-You were?!"

    "Of course. Which is why you need to cool your head. Don''t be irrational about your decisions."

    "....Sorry..."

    He''s right.

    If we decide to have our babies right now, then it will backfire. I see, I see.

    You qualify more and more as a father, Hyunda! Not only are you rational about this but you can make me stable by making me see how rushed my decision is! In other words, you will always show support when I make the incorrect decision!

    Ahhhh....!!

    "By the way, where do you live? We are still meeting your parents, today, right?"

    "Yes, we are!! In Osaka... It might take a while to get there though..."

    Wait, wait. This is a big chance... Instead of telling him this, I will, instead...

    "Wait, Hyunda, where do you live?! I want to meet your parents instead!"

    "That''s impossible to accomplish. Osaka it is. Let''s catch a train."

    "...Okay."

    What did he mean by that? Impossible to accomplish? That statement can be far too open for interpretation.

    That aside, as soon as we reached the bottom of the staircase and entered into the main city, we went to the nearest-by train station and took a train to Osaka.

    Inside the train, almost at the end of the morning, we did have a particularly interesting conversation.

    It all started when Hyunda decided to stop looking outside of the window and took a sharp glance at me, who was, of course, adoring his very existence.

    "Arkalee, what do you want to do once you pass the program? At the end of these three years?"

    Without any hesitation whatsoever, I answered back, with a big smile on my face.

    "I plan on being your wife. Full-time!"

    "Really? But that''s a waste though."

    "N-NO, it''s not!"

    Why would you say that?! Don''t you know how much love I can give you and support you endlessly throughout your life...?

    It gets hard to hold back my tears when you offend my feelings with that savage bluntness of yours...!!

    "Wait, don''t cry. I didn''t mean to say what you think. I was just thinking about your future. Don''t you want to be something outside of my wife?"

    "No. Not at all. Being your wife, means being by your side, so I could not have any bigger dreams outside of that one!"

    "But Arkalee, you should start thinking about a job that you like. In the future, I will need you to be someone who can also financially support our children. If we plan on having a lot of kids, then it''s only the right measure to apply. I need your help, so to speak."

    "Ah...! Of course, yeah, I plan on getting a job! Eventually, I will try my best and get pretty good academical knowledge regarding advanced subjects and advance to university. There, I will try my very best and grab a chance to cultivate a better future for our children! So thoughtful of you!"

    I am so happy that you are thinking that far ahead, Hyunda.

    Honestly, I wasn''t joking that I planned on being your wife in the future but I will obviously have to get a job in order to help you financially support our family.

    We should just hurry up and start our bloodline already! But I guess we will have to wait...

    As I got happy yet sad, I took a glance outside of the window, reflecting on the current situation that had its ups and downs.

    "Arkalee, I think you should try and figure out what area you''d do best in."

    "Ah, I think so too! Let''s think about it together then!"

    "Arkalee, don''t think that what I am about to say is out of malice or anything of that sort, but it would be better if you did this on your own. You should do some solo research and figure out what sort of area is the best area. Because, I will not be with you in your job."

    I don''t agree with that at all, love. Also, even though you said that it''s not out of malice, here you are, stupidly implying this abhorrent wicked idea of distance.

    Therefore, I''ll have to exemplify it to you, honey.

    "Your job will be my job. We will be together, intertwined, connected, glued to each other respectively. Our choices should honestly just be the same at this point."

    "Is that what you want to teach our children? Being dependent and not independent?"

    "Well... No... But that''s different, right? Because I''m talking about the two of us..."

    "Sure, it''s different. However, they will learn from us. Do you want to give our children that example?"

    "No, I don''t."

    I''ll admit, I''m clingy and very needy, however, I would like to give our children the will to be independent. I''m different in this case though.

    What did you expect to happen, Hyunda? When you came into my life, being without you would automatically be the equivalent of death.

    Nonetheless, there''s only a copy of you and while I would love to remain optimistic about the possibility of our children in the future meeting such an amazing person as you, I know for a fact that there''s only one Hyunda in this universe.

    Henceforth, it''s best to be realistic here...

    "Okay, I get it. I''ll make an exception for this. It''s for the sake of implanting the correct ideology to our children. I will attempt to pursue a career that I, hopefully, can come to terms with!"

    "Thanks, future mother. You know, don''t you agree that it''s wrong not to pursue this type of talk early on in romances, Arkalee?"

    "Oh my god, yes! I think that in every early relationship that''s meant to last forever and eternally, the two individuals should just discuss this ahead of time!!"

    "Right? Oh, also, here is a suggestion. When the month of April starts, you should try and join some club based on areas that your future career''s area might revolve around."

    That does seem pretty helpful. It would help if I already knew where to start looking and given that all this time I''ve been obsessing over you, Hyunda, and I still plan on doing so until my being is dry, I believe that it''s time to start taking that matter seriously.

    So, in agreement, I spoke with sheer blissful enthusiasm to Hyunda.

    "I agree with that suggestion! So, when do you want us to collectively start this task?!"

    Sure, our jobs might differ in the future, but we will do it together regardless.

    I swear, if I HEAR another nonsense about that distance stuff, I will throw myself out of this window right now!

    "I see. So you are not fine with the idea of doing this alone?"

    "I am glad you understand that. Be with me in this! It will be so much fun!"

    "I don''t want that though. I wanted you to seek this by yourself and for you to think about this for yourself. Because at this rate, you won''t be able to make a decision without me."

    "That''s fine!"

    This talk about not being around you is almost making me cry, love.

    I. Don''t. Want. To. Be. Without. You.

    Understand that. Get that through your thick skull. You are my lifeline.

    "Arkalee, you do know I care about you, right? I''m even speaking about our children''s future."

    "Yes! I''m aware, love! I also very much care about you! I love, love, love you!"

    "I love you more. But, here is the thing. I want you to seek this by yourself."

    "That again, love? Haha, no. Sorry."

    "I see. One week then. Starting from April 1st."

    ??????

    "W-What are you...."

    "What''s wrong, Arkalee? Is something bothering you?"

    "Of course something is bothering me! You just said ''one week''! What did you mean by that?!"

    Oh no.

    No, no, no!!!

    Don''t tell me that you are actually suggesting something like that again! Please, never again, I beg of you, Hyunda!

    Getting far and far more nervous within each second of silence that Hyunda created while aimlessly looking at the outside view that the ongoing train would present to him, my anxiety grew larger.

    To the point where I started crying and clung onto his chest right away, thus erupting from it and looking at him in the eye closely.

    "Please... You''re not actually gonna say that are you?!"

    "Oh. You''re aware then. Well, since I love you and care for you, and ultimately since I have the duty of being kind towards you, I thought of holding my ruthlessness back and gave you some time to think about what I had implied with those words. It looks like you arrived at the correct conclusion."

    "N-NO! You can''t do this to me...!! That''s not caring! That''s evil, evil, and evil! Being away from you is evil! These last days were hell! Do you want me to go through that again for a week?! I''ll suicide!"

    "Arkalee, don''t behave like that in public..."

    "Why?! Oh, I see! Somehow, they just matter ever so more! Is that it?! Am I too much of a nuisance?! Well, I am sorry for loving you too much! Ah, everyone, don''t worry, just a couple''s quarrel! We actually love each other very much, so please kindly look away!"

    Or else I''ll kill every single one of you right here and now.

    Though, after some murmurs, the rest of the passengers looked away transiently which allowed me to cling onto Hyunda ever so slightly in order to get back to the topic.

    "Looooooook here. Look into my eyes, please!"

    "That''s what I''m doing."

    It really sometimes bothers me how your facial expression shows literally zero emotion when you are inside a dramatic atmosphere.

    Yet if we were to take a look at mine, a face full of tears, anxiety, sadness, depression, betrayal, and lack of love, you would see how hurt I am right now!

    But you... just don''t---

    "Don''t cry. I''m trying to make you more emotionally resistant but you always cry. Thank you though. I know how much you love to love. And that''s why I''m serious. What''s your choice?"

    "Wow. Just wow."

    After that poor choice of words, I stopped being so clingy and went back to my seat while seating on the edge of my seat, not looking to Hyunda.

    "Arkalee?"

    "Hmpf. I am mad right now. Yeah, you will have to deal with my mood. I''ll make you actually care for once! You said that you wished for me to be more emotionally resistant?! Well, I want you to be more emotional! I''m not talking to you until you show me some actual emotion! Also, physical contact is forbidden!"

    I refuse to be the only one that shows emotion in our relationship.

    Hyunda, if you want me to change then you have to be willing to change too!

    I want to see your emotional side!

 Volume 16 - Chapter 111: No Fairness Is Needed For Pigs.

    One hour or so until we arrive at our destination.

    Usually, I would be talking to him about all sorts of things, really happy things, but right now, I am mad.

    I am mad because I thought that I could handle the fact that he is apathetic on the surface and on the inside, but it''s just impossible.

    As I create internal dialogue while simultaneously watching the outside river that the train is currently passing through under the bridge, on the edge of my seat, I started to wonder what Hyunda would say.

    Yet...

    "..."

    He''s not talking! He''s just looking at the air! Nothing is coming from him! I was even trying to avoid eye contact in order to make sure he made his move but he''s not doing anything!

    His face looks so blank that it''s as if I''m glaring at a corpse!

    "So...."

    Given that he wasn''t speaking, it looked like I needed to step up, thus, I created the window of opportunity, and without looking at him nor in his direction, I spoke up.

    However, he...

    "Hm? What''s wrong? Want to talk about something?"

    "Um, did you listen to my words a while ago? Like, did you? I''m confused right now, Hyunda."

    "Oh, yeah. I did. So?"

    So?

    So?!

    What is he talking about?! I said that he had to be more caring and more emotional as of now but he''s not doing anything about that!

    "Hyunda, if you heard my previous words then why aren''t you doing anything about it?!"

    "What do you expect me to do, Arkalee? What is it that you want me to do, exactly?"

    "I want you to be emotional! Abandon that apathetic persona of yours and show some actual emotion!"

    I don''t understand how he can just be that heartless with his words. Sure, it''s become a routine but I can''t get used to this!

    How can you threaten your future wife with those ruthless words?! One week without you?!

    Just because you want me to do some research on my own?!

    Unthinkable!

    "Alright. How?"

    ".....How?"

    "Yes. How?"

    After he asked me the same question twice in a row, while looking at each other in the eyes, I wondered if he...

    "Hyunda, do you not know what it''s like to feel? Like, express your thoughts dramatically! Let your facial expression and physical movements demonstrate what you feel!"

    "That would not work at all though. You want me to be like you, right, Arkalee?"

    "No, not quite... I want you to express yourself emotionally! And also, to show tact! You know, I''m very hurt right now! Just by the volume of my voice you should be able to tell that! Don''t ever suggest your wife something like distance again!"

    "Wait, we''re not-----"

    "Aaaaaaannnnndddd, what do you mean ''one week''!? Stop! Stop! Stop! You don''t do this, Hyunda! That''s way too cruel!"

    "But that''s just because you refuse to comply. I explained my reasoning. You''re just really adamant, Arkalee."

    "Your reasoning is wrong! It''s evil because it implies separation! And I refuse to accept that!"

    "I know. Henceforth, I''ll apply it myself."

    "You''re horrible, god!"

    Mad, I looked away, once again, distancing myself from Hyunda.

    And sincerely, my tears were hard to contain.

    Like...

    How can you do something like this... What is wrong with you...! Distance this, distance that! If we grow distant then we can''t love each other, and no, I do not approve of the independence reasoning! It''s straight-up wrong! If two individuals love each other then they should stay together forever because their feelings are one with each other and that means staying together physically too!

    So, why would you say those heartless words again!? I always find myself saying the same things to myself but that''s because you always do the same mistakes, over and over! And the worst part is that I love you too much!

    Of course, I didn''t mean to say what I said...

    You''re not horrible. That ideology of yours, though, is...

    And even now, you aren''t talking. I don''t even need to look at your direction to realize that you refuse to do something about this, because you----

    "Hey, Arkalee. Look at my face."

    ..........

    Surprised that Hyunda had decided to finally take initiative, I looked at my left side and there, I saw the face that always appears in my dreams, obviously.

    Straight-up apathetic, no emotion to it, no visible frustration, almost robotic.

    Yes, I fell in love with such a guy. Ah, how cruel this world is!

    "Ah, what do you want me to assume here, Hyunda?"

    "Nothing. I just wanted you to take a good look at my face. Remember it."

    "...Alright..."

    I was going to start wondering why he said that to me, but suddenly, he started to tilt his posture firstly all the way back to his seat and then, as if he was going to merge with the floor below him, he took a dive while still not following through with that dive.

    "Hyunda?"

    He''s just standing there, with his head down along with his two hands covering his face, so I can''t tell what''s going to happen.

    Nevertheless, he spoke out to me, while still not looking in my direction.

    "Arkalee. I''m going to show you emotion. Get ready."

    "!!"

    Excited, I couldn''t help but look forward to that. Plus, a small smile on my face rose to the surface.

    At long last, after raising his head once again to his stable position, he looked at me closely, with a completely new expression.

    "Here is my mad expression. I''m trying this time."

    ".............."

    Although it''s different, there are barely any real differences... His eyes still look cold and his lips are still unmoved. The only thing that really changed was his eyebrows...

    "A valid effort, love."

    "Yeah, that didn''t exactly work out, right? So, how about I be emotionally mad? Would you like to see it?"

    !!!!

    "Y-Yes! Yes, please! Oh my god, yes!"

    I''ve never seen him mad! This is a new sight! He''s always so confident and collected that I thought that I would never be able to have the luxury of glancing upon that heavenly sight!

    At the end of it all, I got so happy that I got on my knees while on my seat.

    I''m ready for it!

    "So, in order to show emotional anger, I would have to have a target in mind to redirect all my anger towards, right?"

    "Huh? Well, yeah. Why do you ask, Hyunda?"

    "Arkalee, to whom should I discharge my anger towards? Wouldn''t it have to be someone that I have a few issues with?"

    "Ah, yes! Indeed, that''s true! It''s best if you discharge your anger towards someone who you have a bit of anger towards!"

    Though now that I look around, I don''t see anyone familiar here in this section of the train.

    All the seats are taken yet I don''t see a single familiar face around here that Hyunda could just discharge his rage towards, so, to whom will he actually do it?

    "I see. So you agree with that basis. Very well. So, Arkalee, you wouldn''t mind being the target, right?"

    "Of course I wouldn''t. Just do i---- Wait, what?!"

    "Hm? What''s wrong? You want me to be emotional, right?"

    "W-Well, yes... But not in a mean way! That''s unfair!"

    "Unfair? But don''t you also treat me meanly?"

    "Huh....?"

    Why is he saying that? I always shower him with love! And by doing so, I am not being unfair...

    So, what did you mean, Hyunda...

    "Arkalee, have you noticed how you will always reject my reasoning if it implies that you will be separated from me?"

    "I-I can''t help it, okay!? It''s necessary!"

    "No, it''s not. And you''re making it sound like it is. I''m sorry to disappoint you, but you are really bad at letting go. I don''t mind being the center of attention, but I can''t be like the sun to you. Eventually, a part of the Earth will not see the sun during a time period. And just like that, it would make the most sense for you to realize that growing a little bit of distance would be the logical thing. But no. You can''t process that. And I''m growing tired of that."

    "But I can''t process that! I don''t agree with that idea, at all! It makes no sense for two individuals who love each other to grow distant!"

    "So, Arkalee, if one of the individuals would grow out of love, then, would it make the most sense for you?"

    ".....What....... are you saying........?! You can''t be implying....... No, no! No! NO! NO! I won''t let you! You can''t do this to me! I''ll suicide right now! Do you want me to throw myself out of the window right now!? I''ll do it, if you are telling me that you are going to break up with me!!"

    In order to prove my point, I tried to go to the window and open it, but I felt a tight grip on my left hand.

    "You''re also extremely emotional and I''m fine with that. But you lack self-control. Sit by my side. I want to talk to you about some things."

    "......Okay...."

    Well, since you want to talk to me about some things, then sure, I will seat by your side, right next to you.

    But I don''t like the way you are treating me. I don''t deserve this treatment...

    "You have this bad habit of crying far too much. Right now, you are doing that. Arkalee. Don''t look at the ground. Look at me when I''m talking to you."

    "......I don''t want you to see it..."

    It''s hard to get used to the fact that I cry a lot in front of you and that these tears barely get any sort of reward in the process.

    But, even so, I will swallow my weakness and look at you in the eyes.

    "I want to see it. Arkalee, you are fantastic."

    ".....I am?"

    "Yes. However, not in ways that most people realize. The outside world might see you as clingy, needy, and a crybaby and while you do display those traits, you are more than that. Your love is one of a kind. You''re fiercely loyal to me and your way of demonstrating that is by showing me your love and how big it is."

    "S-So you do know! Okay! Okay, this is really good! Yes, I''m really loyal to you and you will always be my number one priority, as a matter of fact, you will ONLY be my priority, so------"

    I wanted to speak more about how right Hyunda was, but for some reason, he placed his index finger on my lips and started to talk as soon as my silence was created.

    "Arkalee. I do know all of this. Which is why, you don''t have to be all of this in order for me to know it. Because I already do."

    "B-But... I don''t know how else to show love! And I want to show you lots of love, Hyunda!"

    "You already are, aren''t you? I get calls from you every day. Endless texts. We kiss each other nonstop. We trade words of encouragement every now and then, we are perfect. Which is why, I want you to seek something beyond this. I want you to make me happy, Arkalee."

    "Okay! What... do you want to do...? Ah, here though...? Well, okay, if it''s for you, then..."

    "Arkalee, your love is enough. Everything you do for me is already beyond my imagination. You are the depth of my being, really. Which is why, it would make me happy if you worked on yourself."

    ..............

    "Um, Hyunda... Can you be more specific, please?"

    I have a really bad feeling about this.

    Our conversation is really, really, but really, really good until he decides to somehow introduce his ideas. Because they usually IMPLY something I really don''t like!

    "You might not care about what others think of you, but I do. I can''t stand seeing your image gets ruined in the wrong way. I want the world to know how amazing you are."

    "...Oh.... W-Well... If you say so..."

    "So, I want to help you correct your flaws. As I mentioned earlier, you are really emotional and lack self-control. Do you want to have better self-control? So you won''t let your emotions get the best of you?"

    "Um... Would that make you happy, love?"

    "Yes, because if you gain some sort of emotional stability, then you will gain a strong image and a strong image will motivate you. Your self-esteem will be higher than ever. I think you know this, but you feel great when you are around with me. However, what if you could feel even better?"

    "That would be amazing!! Okay! Yes, I''m really liking this! This is good! This is how it''s supposed to be! By caring for each other, we seek to improve each other, and together, we can overcome anything! Yes! Yes! Yeeesss!! I love you so much!!"

    Overcome with happiness and a sensation of overflowing joy, I jumped to his body and started kissing him restlessly.

    You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, oh, you just don''t know how long I waited for this!

    The day when we can finally share all sorts of talks and exchange romantical movements with one another!

    With every kiss we made, I was overjoyed by the countless tears that ran through my face as my smile grew larger and larger.

    "I love you too, Arkalee. But, I haven''t explained to you one thing. You can stay in that position if you''d like, just listen to me though."

    "Alright!"

    I''ll listen to whatever you have to say, love. I also like the fact that you allowed me to stay in this position, as I am, right now, with my own two legs, mounting your body while kissing you all over the place.

    I do love to cuddle. Why don''t couples do this more? I don''t understand...!

    "For you to gain self-control, you''ll have to learn how to combat your fears. And your number one fear is distance."

    As I was going for a kiss on his neck, I stopped midway, shocked, as I heard that evil word.

    Sad, with tears welling up once more, I looked at Hyunda with a depressed look.

    "N-No...! No, no, no! I won''t fight it...!"

    "It''s gonna be alright. We''ll start off slow. Alright?"

    "Please....! Don''t make me do this! Don''t use threats like that one-week thing! I beg of you...!"

    "I won''t. Unless you don''t cooperate. However, I will be gentle. Arkalee, I care so much about you. Which is why, I hate to see how weak you get when you aren''t around me. That''s why, we''ll put a stop to this."

    Unable to contain my weak fragile self, I started to embrace every part of Hyunda''s body, as I refused to let go.

    It''s not gonna work! It''s not gonna work! It''s not gonna work!

    I HATE DISTANCE!

    "Here is how. Starting from April 1st, we will be separated from each other for 30 minutes during lunch."

    ....!!!!

    "NO! NO! NO! AND NO! No distance!! Please... I can''t go on without you...!"

    "Yes, you can."

    "NO, I CAN''T! It''s too hard! No one understands what it''s like to be me! I''m not alright and I need you! I''m not like the rest that can just control their emotions and maintain a plausible posture whenever in face of their weaknesses!"

    "Arkalee, that''s wrong. In face of weakness, the individual will falter. That''s part of human nature. But you know, if you face this now, you won''t have to feel weak ever again."

    "But Hyunda, if you stay with me all the time then I can''t feel weak!"

    Why can''t he understand this!? I''ve already said this like a thousand times already!!

    If I''m with you, I can do anything! Nothing is impossible to me yet without you, it''s all so dark and foggy! I can''t even walk straight nor breathe properly! It''s too much for me to handle!

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Arkalee, I''m going to be completely honest right now. I will not always be around you."

    !!!!!!

    "WHY!?"

    "Why, you ask? Because I need physical freedom. You''re an attachment. You are blocking my ability to receive freedom. The same goes for you. With me, you cannot be free."

    "That''s not true! With you, I feel far too free! I''ve never felt this way and it''s all thanks to you! Don''t say something like that, please!"

    "I will say it though. Please. Do it for me. 30 minutes per day. It''s not that hard. Think about it. When we are asleep, we are away, aren''t we? 30 minutes, isn''t really that much."

    "..."

    I mean, that''s true...

    But...!

    "No, Hyunda, listen. We can''t be together due to the dorm rules! However, if you let me stay in your room all the time, then...!"

    "Not gonna happen. 30 minutes per day, starting April 1st. Or else it''s one week."

    "That''s awful!! You just threatened me with a threat on top of another threat!!"

    "Arkalee, you have no idea what it''s like arguing against you. I am being kind to the point of allowing you to even argue because I don''t want you to feel like I''m being mean or something like that, but when you refuse to comply, you don''t make this easy. It''s just 30 minutes."

    ".....It''s not my intention to be THAT argumentative! I''m just naturally defensive! Um... Look... I...! I don''t know... Give me some time to think... I don''t want you to think that I am restricting you and that I''m not taking your opinion into consideration, so... How about... 1 second?"

    "Arkalee..."

    "Okay, sorry...! There''s still a little bit of time until we arrive at our destination so... I''ll think about it in the meantime."

    "Really, Arkalee? You will?"

    "Yes... I get that I''m being obnoxious... Again, it was not my intention... So, I''ll really think about it... I still don''t like the idea though!"

    Getting out of his lap, I went back to his side properly and started to give some thought about the idea.

    While I dislike the idea of distance completely, I don''t want Hyunda to feel like he''s being restricted... I get that I''m clingy and all, but making my love feel that restricted pains me.

    Which is why I''ll seriously give some thinking about this.

    1 pm.

    Eventually after arriving, we went to a diner and ate something for lunch.

    In there, with our table against the grand window, we both witnessed the lively atmosphere that this modern city had to offer.

    All in all, I did reminisce a little bit here and there, and frankly, the thought of meeting my parents isn''t starting to please me, one bit.

    Yet firstly, I started a conversation with Hyunda regarding the topic that was on my mind.

    Thus, I called out to him, while he was in the middle of eating his onion rings.

    "Um, so... I gave some thought and... Okay, okay... Um... F-Fifteen minutes...? I''m sorry! That''s the maximum and I-I don''t know if I can actually do it!"

    With reluctance yet confidence, I looked at Hyunda in the eyes, closely, while approaching his face, in order to gain some strength behind my words.

    Expecting some sort of positive answer from him, as he kept on madly eating the numerous onion rings he had ordered, I got slightly anxious.

    "Sure. That''s fine. I''ll allow you to text me every five minutes so you don''t die from anxiety."

    ...:!!!

    "Th-Thank you! Okay... If that''s the case, then... I might be able to do it..."

    "Arkalee, it''s really not that hard. However, I do understand your worries. Don''t worry. You''ll get through this. Also, you aren''t allowed to be near me. Otherwise---"

    "I get it! I get it! It was my bad last time! I-I won''t stalk you, I promise... I''ll really miss you though..."

    After sliding yet another onion ring monochromatically, Hyunda replied back.

    "I''ll miss you too. Well, when this starts, you''ll know what to do. Go and seek other clubs and keep yourself busy. Enjoy yourself. That''s all I want for you."

    "Okay. I got it. I''ll do that. Though, can''t it be like a text every minute...?"

    "Five minutes."

    "Three minutes..."

    "Five minutes."

    "You''re harsh..."

    As I decided to take a sip of my ice tea, I eventually came with terms with these thoughts.

    I''m not blind, I''m just really defensive, that''s all. This doesn''t mean that I don''t see what Hyunda wants for me. He knows that I am clingy and dependant and he''s making an effort to make me fight back against that weakness.

    However, what''s really important to notice here is how this is an act of emotion!

    You have finally done an emotional act, Hyunda! Based on my weakness, you put up a valid effort and thought of a strategy that would somehow ease my mind even though it''s completely wicked for me to away from you.

    Nonetheless, it''s rather self-explanatory.

    I''ll give it a try, ultimately.

    "Arkalee, after we are done eating, want to stop by some shops and buy a few presents for your parents?"

    ..............

    "...You don''t need to waste your money on them. Actually... Let''s... just not pass through my house."

    "That''s a no. We are doing this. Arkalee. There''s more to it than you''ve explained, right?"

    "Well, yes... My parents... don''t exactly like me."

    ...This is something that I''m extremely shy to tell Hyunda about, but...

    Since we will be together forever, if he wants to know then I can tell him.

    It''s fine. This is the person that only matters. The person that''s willing to go out of his way to work on ways for me to fight back against my weaknesses. Someone who wants me to be strong.

    "You''re looking wary. I know you are hiding something from me, but if you don''t want to tell me, then I understand. Your past is your property only. If you don''t want to share with me then---"

    "No, you... got it wrong...! My past is also your property. Erm... We''ll be together forever, so... I don''t mind telling you. As a matter of fact, you should know that the reason why my parents don''t like me is that... I''m not their actual daughter..."

    Taking a deep breath, I managed to take ahold of a collected posture, and thus, I spoke to Hyunda subsequently.

    "I''m adopted. ...I-I accidentally... Well... Um... Not really accidentally, but when I was around six years old, I decided to kill my parents... D-Don''t get creeped out! There''s a really valid reason for th---"

    "I''m not. Go on."

    "T-Thank you..."

    That''s right... I forgot. You know this side of me and you are fine with it.

    Therefore, I won''t hold back. However, I have to speak in a low voice tone due to the other people at the diner.

    So, I, once again, closed my distance with Hyunda and told him the truth.

    "Okay, so, my real parents, biological ones, I mean, used to beat me every day and night. Unfairly. They had real anger issues and took out on me. Naturally, I killed them. I really, really, don''t respond well to unfair treatment. Nevertheless, I made it look like they had a fight because the police wouldn''t think that a six-year-old would be capable of killing their own parents. So, in the process, I eventually got adopted. I hoped for better treatment but I received cold treatment in response. For better or worse, worse probably, these new parents of mine just wanted to be ''parents'', but never actually cared for me."

    "I see. So, why haven''t you killed these new ones if they treated you so wrongly then?"

    Hyunda!!!! You so get me!!!!

    I fucking love you so much!!!

    "Ah!!! That''s because!!! I forgot they existed, hehehe. Like, when I fell in love with you, I forgot about a looooooooot of things. It''s incredible how many things I forgot. So, that''s why I don''t think we should pass by their house. Because nothing will really happen."

    Though, I do understand your reason. You are good-mannered and want to ask my parents for their blessings just so we can get married.

    But, that''s just not necessary.

    Can''t you see this depth?! This connection!? We are meant to be! And nothing will ever tear us apart!

    I have never felt this happy before! I''ve also never been this honest! Always, always, I was inside my own emotional shell afraid of being judged for what I am, but it doesn''t matter at all! You accept me and my way of thinking...

    "I still think we should pass by though. Don''t you want to have the last saying?"

    "...Last saying?"

    "Arkalee. Don''t you want to tell your parents the truth? That they are not that important to you?"

    "Ah! Yes! Yes! Oh my god, yes! You get me sooooo much!! Alright, let''s do that!"

    "But, before we do, I want to have a talk with your parents still, alright?"

    "Alright! Let''s get going then!"

    2 pm.

    After walking a bit, we finally arrived at my house.

    As I took a glance upon this average house with nothing remarkable to it, I couldn''t come to terms with any memory that I had here.

    I''ve been forgetting my past lately.

    Therefore, it''s all fresh to me now. How this yard''s grass looks so green. How there''s a mini dog house in the middle of it too.

    How it feels to have no expectations at all.

    These were the feelings that I had before hitting the bell, thus alerting my parents.

    That would be the common sequence of actions yet the reality was slightly different, per see.

    The truth is... I am actually wary of my parents and I might spiral out of control if they present some sort of ridiculous behavior in front of my future husband.

    In other words, I''ll give them a fair warning.

    "Arkalee, you''ve been standing there are the doorbell for quite a while. You don''t have the key, right? You need to touch the doorbell. Actually. Let''s do it together."

    "Please..."

    Already having decided on what warning to give them, I took Hyunda''s right hand, as he gently accompanied my hand all the way to the doorbell and collectively, we touched it together.

    "Should I take off my earrings?"

    Why would you ask that?

    "Why, Hyunda?"

    "Your parents might not like them."

    "That''s not your fault. They also have no right to criticize you. Keep them!"

    I was going to say a lot more, but then I saw a face that I hadn''t seen in a considerable long time.

    My little sister showed up at the scene and she greeted me with a huge smile, while calling out my name grandly.

    "Arkalee!"

    However, for just about the time that this little girl had to reach my position which was on the outside of the house, at the border of the main gate, I kept on thinking what her name was.

    I forgot.

    "Oh, Arkalee, who is this cute little girl?"

    Hyunda, for some reason, decided to say that. He decided to say that while looking at my sister whose name I had no recollection of.

    Nevertheless, that ticked me off quite a lot.

    "Hyunda, don''t do that. You''re only allowed to praise me."

    "So, who is she?"

    "Um, she is..."

    I still kept on thinking about her name but I honestly couldn''t remember.

    What the hell?

    But then, in the middle of my train thought, I heard a voice that I surely hadn''t forgotten.

    "...Arkalee? What are you doing here? You''re not supposed to be here..."

    On the edge of the house''s door, my mother stood, with a perplexed look on her face.

    Her eyesight quickly shifted to Hyunda, which bothered me.

    Stop looking at him.

    "Hey, mom. Look at me, please. Not him."

    "Karina, come here..."

    "Mommy, I''m scared... This person looks scary!"

    So that''s her name. However, I couldn''t forgive my little sister''s words, as she rushed to her mother''s side while crying.

    She wasn''t referring to me.

    I know who this fucking bitch was referring to.

    "Karina, don''t you ever repeat those words again, alright?~"

    I''m being kind with this right now. You are lucky I''m feeling quite good right now.

    So, should you talk to my future husband like that ever again, I will rip your spinal cord and make you walk without it.

    "Arkalee, you''re scaring her. Let me handle it from here. Hello, I''m sorry for the inconvenience, but I----"

    "Who are you...?"

    .....????????????

    "My name is Hyunda. I''m with Arkalee. I would like to have a talk with her parents. From my understanding, you are her mother. May I have a word with you and her father simultaneously, if it isn''t too much to ask? I would also like to further apologize for----"

    "Arkalee, I thought I told you not to bring your boyfriends home already... And shouldn''t you be in school? How did they let you out..."

    I''ll remember this.

    Don''t think I won''t.

    Yet for now, I''ll fake a smile and go along with the flow.

    Even though you interrupted my future husband twice with your ludicrous speech, I''ll nonetheless look at you straight in the eye and console you, fake mother.

    "Haha, I''m sorry! I''m so sorry! Hey, I''m free today! Can we come in?! We are super thirsty! Ah, is father home?! I really want to see him! I missed you guys soooooooooooo much!!!"

    "Sure... Honey, Arkalee''s here..."

    With a key in her hand, Karina opened up the door for us.

    At that moment, when she greeted me with a condensing smile, I felt like snatching those keys and poke her eyeballs for fun.

    Call my future husband scary and I''ll show you scary.

    "Hey, relax."

    "A-Ah, yes! I''m sorry, I just... It''s hard."

    Thankfully, my future husband is always by my side and I am able to ultimately remain collected.

    Even when we are walking side by side, as we enter my house, I started to feel a sudden joyful sensation that originated from your presence alone.

    "Hyunda... We... should live here together when this is all over!"

    "Mhm, I see."

    "Do you approve of the idea, love?!"

    "Yeah, why not?"

    "Okay!"

    Getting his approval set my motivation on fire. In addition to that, as I walked into my house, I saw a mini hall ahead of me.

    A staircase in the middle of it which would lead to the rooms yet the place where my little sister and mother were at was the kitchen, as per usual, my father would be there.

    Once we both walked in the kitchen, my father, who was seated in one of the chairs on the dining table, the most left one concretely speaking, dropped his glass of wine into the ground when he saw my very figure.

    "A-Arkalee...? What are you---"

    "Hiiii!!! Father, it''s been so looooooong!! I missed you!"

    Rushing to my father''s side, I hugged him very tightly, just like how someone who missed someone so much would.

    Of course, even if it''s fake, it doesn''t come close to the hugs I give to Hyunda, so it''s nothing to fret over.

    However, after that hug was done, I separated a little bit and took a seat in one of the chairs, and Hyunda followed me up perfectly by seating next to me.

    My mother was busy panicking and cleaning up the mess that my father had created.

    At last, I took the initiative to start this whole conversation. For once in my life, I was feeling extremely confident and I didn''t need to think twice as to why that was the case.

    "Alright, I want you all to listen to me. So, let''s all have a seat!"

    To my happiness, Hyunda was by my side, in this table of five. I was already seated naturally.

    Karina, although frightened by Hyunda, for some reason, to my utter dislike, if we are being honest, is seating paralleled to him.

    My obtuse-like father is nervously frightened by something while looking at Hyunda, just like Karina.

    All perfect.

    Except for one dumb creature. This dumb creature was with her back crooked while picking up shards of glass from the floor.

    Seeing this sight made me want to grab those shards and force my mother to swallow them slowly as I melancholically would use some of the shards to open her intestines and then, ultimately, would use them as a suicide rope for her to kill herself.

    However, however, however, I was reasonable enough to stay calm, thus I spoke.

    "Mother! Please come to the table right now! This is very important so stop picking up the damn shards!"

    Oh, oops. That came out rather impolite. I would bother to apologize but the look on your face looks so fun to stare at.

    "I''m sorry for how Arkalee''s behaving right now. What she meant to say is that she would like for everyone to be present here, in this dining table. There''s no need to be scared."

    Ahhh!!!

    You...! Even when you are in the face of such unworthy creatures of your infinite grace, you go out of your way to be polite?!

    My love, you are beyond this world.

    "Your name is Hyunda, correct?"

    "Certainly, sir. It seems that I have caused a huge misunderstanding here. I am not here to harm anyone neither is Arkalee. Arkalee genuinely misses her family and she decided to drop by. I hope that''s fine with you."

    "I see... It took me by surprise because I was positive that Arkalee was supposed to stay in her new school."

    The school that you never told me I was going to, you hypocrite. Admit it, hypocrite, you would be fine with me vanishing from your life without a second thought yet you are too much of a coward to admit it.

    Regardless of that, with every member on the table now, my future husband proceed to speak with further politeness.

    "We get a day off every month. Henceforth, now that she''s capable of coming here, Arkalee decided to drop by."

    "...I didn''t know about that. Also, Hyunda, who are you?"

    "A human being."

    "Son, I''m not in the mood for jokes."

    "That wasn''t a joke. But I get what you meant. I''m her classmate ----- no, I''m something more. I''m her boyfriend. But, I want to be more than just her boyfriend, so, now that I''m in front of her parents, I would like to say something."

    Putting a serious look on his face, Hyunda spoke the words I wanted to hear the most in this world, in front of my parents, as he erupted from his seat, magnificently, even going as far as placing his hand on his chest in the middle of his speech.

    "I know this is blunt and too straight forward, but I am madly in love with your daughter, Arkalee Kitsuya, which is why I would like to ask for your permission, as I would, for the sake of mine and her interest, marry her."

    Speechless, I couldn''t also react in any sort of way.

    I was far too taken aback at the moment that I forgot to breathe.

    Honestly speaking, there were a lot of scenarios in my mind that displayed the proposal scenario, however, none of them will ever come as close as this.

    And just as I was ready to rejoice as our future looked far more promising than it already was, the bubble was shattered by the stern voice of my father, who decided, that in all of his wisdom, it was a good idea to utter the two letters of the alphabet that when intertwined are the greatest recipe for disaster.

    "No."

    ...!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    "I see. Too rushed, huh? Alright, I''ll try again next month."

    "No, young man. This will not repeat itself. I am not allowing you to marry my daughter."

    What........

    "Why though?"

    "You reek of vulgarity and my daughter will not benefit from being in a marital relationship with someone like you. Henceforth, I will ask you to take your leave."

    The........

    "...I see. Very well. I apologize for the ruckus I have caused."

    No.

    Why are you getting up from your seat, Hyunda?

    Why are you leaving me? Why are you attempting to leave the house?

    And why...

    Why, why, why, why, why!!!!!

    "Arkalee, I''m going on ahead. I''m sorry."

    "Okay. I''ll meet you later, love."

    "Yeah."

    As I saw Hyunda off, I allowed my tears to infiltrate my face. Tears not from passion, but out of hatred.

    Behind me, stood the three figures that, if I looked at them right now, perhaps they would run from fear just from grazing my facial expression right now.

    That can''t happen though. Thus, I put on my best smile and faced the three of them.

    "Ah, well! Thanks!"

    "Why are you saying thanks, sis?"

    "Because, Karina, I was far too stupid! I didn''t realize something obvious!"

    "Okay... I''m gonna take a bath!"

    After that dialogue with me and Karina, as I watched her climb the staircase in order for her to get to the bathhouse, my father just couldn''t help himself and said a few additional words.

    With a very disappointed look in his face, he slapped me in the right cheek and said some cruel words.

    "Marry? Someone like him? I haven''t seen you in months and yet when I do the first thing you do is bring a stranger home and have him propose to you just like that?! What an utter embarrassment! Go to your room and reflect on your inexcusable behavior, Arkalee!"

    "...Yes."

    I will go to my room alright.

    Thus, with a more genuine smile, as I climbed the staircase, I heard the steaming stream of pouring water that came from the bathhouse.

    Seemingly, it was already primal knowledge that Karina was taking a bath. However, the greedy creature chose a bath instead of a shower.

    Which means it will take a while before the tub is filled up.

    Therefore, I will wait.

    As I entered my room, I thought of nothing and completely focused on the streaming noise.

    With a seat in my bed, I simply waited.

    I waited.

    I waited.

    Only waited.

    And wondered about a certain thing.

    In the case of your fate already being decided, would you swallow it without any second thoughts?

    Probably not.

    Surely not.

    Anger, anger.

    Seems fun.

    I do know what''s more fun.

    Hey.

    I too know how to be mean.

    I just have to try.

    "Oh, it stopped."

    I attempted to get up but immediately stopped.

    "Too early. She''s probably taking her clothes off. Then, she will lean back in the tub, relax, feel even more relaxed and then, and then. Then, then. Well, you''ll see it for yourself."

    Thus, I waited five minutes.

    Out of safety, I walked extremely slow to the bathhouse.

    Then, with a soft click, I entered it.

    My presence was not yet noticed, as the curtain covering the bathtub erase and conceal my presence entirely.

    I have a reason for doing this, it''s not as if I like hiding, but your screams would be troublesome, so I''ll do this swiftly.

    Alas, as I approached the curtain, I sharply witnessed Karina taking a bath and before she could react, I took ahold of her mouth, drowned her in the bathtub which was filled with hot water.

    Naturally, as she was unable to react, she simply drowned.

    Meaningless body movements.

    Only sound could be used for your advantage yet no one will hear you because you can''t use your voice and your fragile movements amount to nothing in the end.

    "You called Hyunda scary. You acted like a victim and went to your real mother''s side as soon as you were done using my future husband as an excuse to gain affection from your mother. And now, you get what you deserved. Where''s your affection now? Oh, right, right. You can''t hear me. After all, you are drowning helplessly in this stream of hot water."

    For fun, when she got motionless due to the fact that she was dead, I placed her mouth inside the water tube and plugged the water to the maximum while keeping her mouth attached to it.

    Funnily, she got a huge belly afterward.

    "Hahaha."

    Lowly, I let out that small laugh.

    One down.

    Two more to go.

    Now, these two are rather peculiar. Unlike Hyunda and me, they are not always together, therefore, their separation is a visible weakness.

    The woman usually stays and watches television while the pig reads his journal in the kitchen.

    Going to my room once again, I made a clear choice.

    "Let''s see if it''s still here..."

    Below my pill, in order to check if the key to opening my closet was still there, I checked my pillow''s bottom and there it was.

    Thus, with the key, I opened my closet and picked the respective weapons.

    "I don''t want it to be too loud, so guns are out of the question. SO, this will do for now."

    Taking ahold of my ax, I moved out of my room.

    Obviously, I placed the ax on my back while concealing it with my right hand.

    However, the place I went to first was the living room.

    There are two entrances to it. Yet only one is the optimal route.

    Accessing the living room through the kitchen would let my father know, but accessing it from the outside entrance right in front of the staircase''s entrance is fairly optimal.

    So, with a small opening, without making any noise and not allowing the door''s creaking sounds to be heard, I watched the vile creature lazily watch television.

    With her back turned against me, as she idly sat on the sofa, laughing at a comedy show, I allowed my footsteps to be heard.

    When she noticed and faced me, she didn''t exactly face me.

    She, instead, faced a piercing blade penetrating her skull and ultimately, her brain.

    "Retreat."

    It would be anti-climatic if I allowed it to end like this.

    The last one left has to actually suffer slowly, so, I got back to my room while leaving my mother with an ax on her brain.

    Simply speaking, it was intentional. The pig will notice the blood eventually.

    Once again, back in my room, I picked the necessary tools.

    Full of motion, with a grand smile on my face, uncontrollable giggles, I descended down the stairs slowly, in order to analyze my surroundings.

    I attempted to glance at the kitchen''s entrance but found that that was ultimately unnecessary as I heard an agonizing scream from the living room.

    A pitiful cry calling out a name that belonged to a corpse now.

    As I saw his pathetic figure on his knees, mourning about his fallen one, I laughed, which alerted him of my existence.

    However, it was all intentional as well, simply because I was with a bat that would be ultimately used for the sake of knocking this repulsive obtuse pig out.

    "Now... I''ll carry you. You''re heavy as hell! As expected of a pig! Ahhhhh, don''t worry... I''ll give you special treatment. After all, you did earn it."

    I''ll show you what happens when you treat my future husband the way you did.

    After Hyunda went out of his way to be kind to the likes of you, you will get your punishment.

    Thus, I placed the pig in the garage.

    Next, I grabbed my mother''s dead body and threw it on top of the pig''s. Naturally, my sister was up next.

    Amidst that dark illuminated garage, it would only be a matter of time before the pig came back to his consciousness.

    However, before he did, I decorated the entirety of the garage with gasoline all over it.

    Now, I could simply just kill him. I could''ve just set the house on fire. It''s easy.

    Yet, as I hatefully glanced upon these three peculiar creatures, I couldn''t help myself.

    "It would be far too easy to just end this. Thus, I''ll wait until you wake up. With your mouth already taped, no one will hear you. Your screams will not exist."

    Not that it matters now, but you just had to go out of your way and be rude to Hyunda, who spoke to you vermins in such a polite tone.

    And this is how you reward his effort? By bashing him?

    It is the wife''s duty to make sure that her husband''s efforts never go unrewarded and midst all reciprocation, should there be too many ungrateful insolences who dare to uphold their foolishness on a high level, then there will be consequences to follow.

    "...."

    Fuzzy, the pig finally came to his senses, and so, I couldn''t help myself, as I was watching this on the outside of the garage through the door.

    "Hello father! How are you doing? What? What''s that? I can''t hear you. What are you saying?"

    While saying that, I turned on the garage''s light and witnessed the pig panicked. Tears of panic were streaming down his face as he saw his wife and daughter dead on the floor.

    Yet, I didn''t waste time and I took out my personal knife. Consequently, after taking it out, I stabbed his right eye.

    "......!!!!"

    "Oh, I bet that hurt, right? Well, well... Should''ve thought twice before saying that to my future husband!"

    And now his left eye.

    "Who the hell do you think you are? You''re not even my real father! You acted like you are worried about me but never, for once, did you actually care for me, and yet when I show up with the love of my life, my other half, you turn him down?!"

    Head, cheek, mouth, jaw, calves.

    "No? NO?! Hahahaha!! NO ONE SAYS NO TO ME! How dare you turn him down like that?! After the effort he made?! Unforgivable! Die! DIE! DIE!!!"

    Heel, heel, heel, heel, heel.

    Stomach, solar plexus, cortex, toe, toe, toe, toe, toe, toe.

    Brain, brain, brain, brain, brain, brain. Nostrils, tongue, dick, hips, intestines, thorax, shoulders.

    Pancreas, liver, left kidney, right patella, skull, skull, skull, lungs, ribs.

    "Heart! Heart! Heart! Heart! What''s the matter?! TALK! I dare you to say that again! Talk to my husband like that! Do it! I''ll do you worse! I''ll stab you worse! I''ll come up with so many fucked up methods as I kill you in my mind slowly! You''re worth nothing so don''t you FUCKING dare talk like that to Hyunda EVER AGAIN!"

    ...He''s motionless. No fun.

    No response.

    I should''ve just locked him in a cage.

    "Ah, but... You don''t matter. I want to be with Hyunda as soon as possible, so I will let you three miserable creatures die collectively in a dumpster fire."

    Thus, with a lighter, I lit up the flame that would ignite the volcanic fire in the garage, as I paid one last glance at these three miserable creatures with a hatred beyond my comprehension.

    Endure the flames of hell with your family.

    And maybe think fucking twice about whose husband you want to badly treat.

    "Ahhh... Okay, now, I should call Hyunda, now that everything is solved nice and peacefully!"

    You know, Hyunda, I don''t mind hearing you and do whatever you tell me, but you should know that dependence, once detached, can come with side effects.

    Just thought that you should be aware and that maybe, um...

    Being away from you will probably end up being fatal to my surroundings.

    Take a look at what happened once your absence was established.

    So, don''t leave me, okay?

 Volume 16 - Chapter 112: Voice Of The Unheard.

    Unlike the semi-chilly weather commonly experienced in the spring season, souring heat waves took place in this tropical atmosphere.

    Small waves started to hit my foot ever so slightly while only going as far as reaching the edge, ultimately going back.

    Sometimes it would come stronger than usual; unleashing a fierce tide. Or on occasion, it would not reach my feet at all.

    A common feeling when waking up is not to have a feeling at all. Usually, waking up to something ends up being the ultimate source.

    Yet this time, it felt progressively natural, as I allowed the sounds of the small oceanic waves to interrupt my seemingly long slumber.

    Opening my eyes, the bright sun and the cerulean sky appeared as if they were intertwined in a canvas.

    Since I was laying down on a soft surface with no visible durability, I took a quick notice at how fragile it was and as I erupted my posture to the front, the sensation of sand became clear to my senses.

    Feeling my palm on my face, my eyes, consequently, took a short glance at the endless horizon in the middle of nowhere. The visibility of the shells alerted me about the oceanic atmosphere that I was settled in. Yet not quite. The atmosphere, though resembling oceanic symbols was not oceanic, instead; tropical.

    "....Right..."

    My eyes refused to open up, so with a few touches in my eyelids above, I could finally come to my full senses, fully elevating myself from the pulpy extravagant surface.

    "Look at the sky! I''m not going anywhere!"

    "You did once say that, didn''t you? ...It''s working. Your figure in all its grace remains forever visible to me."

    Millions lights; all washed away. Empty space; in all its grace.

    I sincerely thought that your endlessness wouldn''t be washed away and that it was here to stay.

    However, I am firmly aware that it was never anything like that. Your novelty didn''t contain any sort of endlessness to it.

    "How exactly did it come down to this though..."

    April 10th.

    On Basara-sensei''s command, or rather ---- on King George''s loud tyrannical shout, everyone in the male dorm was forced to group up in the dining hall.

    There, we all took our places, as Basara-sensei stood in front of the Christ cross with King George a few meters to his right side.

    Plenty of tables could be picked yet this atmosphere was filled with a dreadful seriousness to it. No one was cracking any jokes whatsoever.

    I took a seat next to Hyunda, who was seating on the table located the farthest to the east, right next to the window.

    We traded glances yet said nothing to each other.

    Something to notice is that I didn''t see Susaga and Ryoken ever since it was April 1st.

    On the other hand, Basara-sensei, after watching me take my seat, started the conversation.

    "As you all know, your former classmate Yulia suicided a few weeks ago, and based on the unknown circumstances, I believe that the cause of it was created by a student in this class."

    I thought nothing of this.

    There wasn''t any need to.

    However, breaking the serious atmosphere, Tsudo was the first one to speak up.

    "Hold on, teach... Didn''t Yulia kill herself? She probably just had a few issues by herself, so how did you arrive at the conclusion that a student from our class was the source for that?"

    Why is Tsudo even bothering?

    You are questioning why someone with fake intentions who has no qualms about showing fake love would kill herself.

    It''s self-explanatory. She had nothing left to lose. Only I did.

    "Yes, she did kill herself. However, she left a note in her room briefly. From the footage, she was shown to go all the way to her dorm and a few minutes later, only then, did she go to the hall and shot herself in the head."

    Perhaps out of sheer curiosity, my eyesight completely widened as I saw a paper note being pulled out of Basara-sensei''s pockets.

    He then showed us the letter that was written in black ink and lastly, started to chanter what it had to offer to us.

    Although distant, I knew for a fact that that was her calligraphy.

    "Here is what it says: ''Please be aware of ---- this part was erased and cut ----- he''s dangerous and he''s a threat to everyone and... and... even when I''m gone I want everyone to know that ------ once again, it got erased and cut ----- is the evilest person on this planet!''"

    "What... I don''t trust this. She could have easily just decided to target any of us. Even if she committed suicide, I''m still not budging..."

    Tsudo, once again, unable to accept what Basara-sensei had said, rebooked yet again.

    Nevertheless, I didn''t feel like trusting this information either. I won''t trust anything that comes from you.

    You''ll pay the price for deserting me.

    "I thought you might say that! Which is why, I brought all of her notebooks. Here, I''ll let you all notice how the calligraphy matches."

    King George handed Basara-sensei Yulia''s notebooks and so, one by one, each of us took a few glances and compared the calligraphy to the one that was in the message.

    After King George was done distributing the message and allowing us to be witnesses to the full-proof that this was indeed Yulia''s calligraphy, Basara-sensei resumed.

    "The obvious thing to take note about this message is that it''s referring to a ''he''. Therefore, the primal suspect is one of you."

    "Fucking bullshit! Anyone that knows her calligraphy could literally just do this! This is nonsensical as hell. It makes more sense to suspect the girls for pulling out something this cheeky."

    Kawahara, discontent, slammed his table fearlessly, as he expressed his lack of happiness for the current situation.

    Basara-sensei, on the other hand, wasn''t having any of what Kawahara wanted.

    "I did consider that option and still do, which is why, the boys and the girls will conduct separate special exams."

    Hearing that, the majority of us couldn''t help but be alerted.

    "The exam will take place tomorrow. Kawahara, I did not eliminate the possibility of any of the girls being behind this. Which is why, subjective inspection will take place. HOWEVER, you retards, are at the top of the suspects. And that factor alone brought me to the decision of splitting the class until the end of this month."

    "Huh...? How can you just split the class? It''s not possible, sensei. I mean, we will still be in the same classroom, in the same block at the end of the day."

    "That''s wrong, Kuzan. Starting from tomorrow, all of you, will be in one specific place."

    "What place, sensei?"

    Not Kuzan, but Tatsu asked that.

    Even though I was trying to remain unbothered by this topic since it concerns the one person I don''t want to think about now, there was still a part of me that refused to be this illogical about it.

    Therefore, I placed all my attention on the current situation as it concerned the special exam.

    "That, I will tell you all tomorrow morning. At 7 am, tomorrow, direct yourselves to block A and wait until I show up, right at the entrance. That will be all. Feel free to think about it all you like and also, if you want to bring something along, then you are also free to do so."

    That last sentence of his, shrouded with mystery, left me thinking for a bit.

    Furthermore, as Basara-sensei dismissed the whole conversation, each one of us started to leave the dining hall, as it was still not yet dinner time though it was getting close.

    "Wait, Daniel. We should talk."

    "Why, Hyunda?"

    I attempted to get up from my seat, but Hyunda''s words suddenly stopped me from fully committing that action.

    "The exam, what else? Your room, if you don''t mind."

    "Follow me then."

    Thus, we went to my room.

    There, Hyunda took a seat on the edge of my bed as I leaned back in my bed a little bit.

    ....I''ve been meaning to ask him something if I''m being honest...

    "Mysterious, isn''t it?"

    "You mean the special exam, Hyunda?"

    "Perhaps. The truth is, we don''t know the content or contents of it, so there is undoubtedly a lingering mystery to it."

    "You''re right."

    My eyelids started to feel insanely heavy as my mind felt like it just wanted to drown in a slumber.

    Recently, the thoughts have been crawling back. They were away for a while and I was able to conduct myself properly but now, they are crawling back from the deepest of depths, wanting to take a more materialistic form.

    "Daniel, what have you learned from her death?"

    "Many things, but... I''m facing a dilemma right now. I don''t know what to do anymore. I''ve hit the brick, so to speak."

    Learning the knowledge that your death had to offer to me has provided me to be useful yet useless. In the end, it''s just a lingering regret from the fact that I exposed my weaknesses to someone who left me without a second thought.

    Henceforth, this dilemma is staggering. I''m paralyzed and the only thing I have to look forward to is the special exam.

    I''ve held so many positive hopes that I was even willing to rewrite the reality that I had initially programmed for myself yet now it''s all ruined.

    "Have you hit the brick or were you under the brick''s effect all along?"

    "What do you mean, Hyunda?"

    "The aftereffects of experience are transitory. They are resilient and permanent. Aren''t you mad?"

    "What''s the point of being mad anyway? She''s gone. I can''t do anything with all this rage. It''s just useless."

    When you decide to leave like that, what do you expect me to do? To mourn your death like you are going to come back?

    You''re not.

    "Not true. I do believe that your feelings deserve to be avenged to a reasonable degree. Yulia was an unfair person. You loved her yet she killed herself, leaving you here all alone. That''s not alright."

    "It was her choice, Hyunda. And, it was my fault for expecting something positive. Nothing I can do about it now."

    "Yes. You can''t do anything about her case. She''s dead. However, what about how you feel? Your state of mind. The endless thoughts of depression. Did those leave?"

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ".......No. Not at all..."

    Thanks to you, I can''t sleep for more than 4 hours. My brain starts to remember the moments we shared that I thought that held little to no relevance yet every time I remember them, it hits differently now.

    It all hits differently and it''s sad because your death remains yet to be explained.

    And every second I waste is more than I can take without you here.

    "So, what are you gonna do about it?"

    "I don''t know Hyunda. How do you even fight this? They won''t leave me."

    "You don''t have to fight the way you feel. Just accept it."

    "Accept it...?"

    "Yes, accept it. Yulia''s gone. She''s not coming back. She killed herself. To her, you weren''t even that important. Otherwise, she would still be here. She probably spoke words of love to you yet would she actually be able to truly feel the way that she told you that she felt towards you by committing suicide? She''s a fucking liar."

    "I fucking know that already... But it''s so fucking frustrating... Frustrating because I opened to someone and that someone just ended it all. I was fine with being discarded away, but this hit me in a way that I don''t think I''ll ever be able to fix myself. I won''t fix, I rather weep instead..."

    I don''t know what to do anymore. How do you...

    Like...

    It''s so fucking hard to move on, why the fuck did I get attached?!

    Frustrated, I started to scratch the back of my head furiously as I waited for Hyunda to deliver his reply.

    All in all, I''m open to new opportunities. I just want to take my mind off.

    "So, you acknowledge that it''s her fault?"

    "Itis her fault. She left me. Who else am I supposed to blame? Myself from not being there at the right time? Come the fuck on... I couldn''t have foreseen this and I refuse to blame myself for her death. I''m done, man. I don''t want to care anymore..."

    "That''s correct. However, this wouldn''t have happened if you had made the choice of abandoning her early on. Daniel, you started to change your way of thinking in the end, didn''t you? Your thought process surely must''ve become... subjective."

    "Yeah, Hyunda. It got subjective. I prioritized my emotions. I was even allowing myself to think that I would be fine with not being able to search for my happiness, but, in the end, it didn''t work."

    Hyunda, midst this, was walking to my desk and there, he saw the list of my regrets, that I didn''t bother to conceal.

    Taking a short grasp of it, reading it, and then putting it in the same place, he took a seat in my desk''s chair and spoke to me again.

    "We could talk endlessly about this. However, the conclusion I want you to take here is that emotional conversations don''t exactly hold up much in the end. What shapes humans are accumulated experiences. For example, Yulia''s suicide was an experience that shaped you tremendously. That itself is proof that experiences weight more than words."

    "Hyunda... I... If I''m honest with you, although I comprehend what you are trying to say, I doubt I can make much of it."

    "You''re right. That''s something I''ve come to notice. Therefore, I already took a few steps ahead..."

    "You have...?"

    "Mhm."

    He''s murmuring while texting someone from the looks of it. I had to tilt my head just to look in his direction yet that''s exactly what he''s doing.

    Then, a few seconds later, my phone vibrated and before I could take it out of my right pocket, Hyunda said a few words first.

    "Don''t check what I have just sent. What I have sent you are five videos. Five videos made for the purpose of helping you conduct your upcoming experience. Right now, you are lacking far too much experience."

    "But... Why can''t I check them right now...?"

    "It would ruin the whole thing if they were already experienced. They contain valuable information that will make you grow in the upcoming exam. In other words, your experience will be to put that information into practice."

    "But Hyunda, can I really put your words into practice?"

    This is what I''m most worried about. Sometimes, I can''t help but not fully understand what he wants me to understand in all totality.

    However, despite my worries, Hyunda replied back with a confident smirk.

    "Don''t worry! I''ve summarized each video in a very easy and comprehensible way!"

    .....Why do I feel like that was a roast...?

    "Also, you probably don''t have much to look forward to right now, so I''ll give you something to look forward to. Hear me out. Throughout the program''s length, I will give you ten separate life lessons."

    Hearing that, left me with a surprising sensation.

    "Though, they will only come at their respective time... Also, that aside, I should mention something."

    "What?"

    This time, his smirk vanished and he pushed the chair away with his own movements thus leaning his two legs on top of my desk.

    "The upcoming exam will be crucial, most likely. The reason that we will be conducting the upcoming special exam is based on Yulia''s suicide. You know what that means, right?"

    "Yeah. Most likely, Basara-sensei will come up with some sort of method to evaluate each individual independently in order to form a better profile on the one that triggered Yulia''s suicide, supposedly."

    I don''t care for the reason though. The fact remains, you didn''t even seek me, at all.

    Impatient, you just went ahead with your decision and decided to end it all. I don''t have to think twice as to why you''d do something like that though.

    It must''ve been fun to you, toying with my emotions to that extent.

    Expecting me to care now is beyond impossible.

    "Yeah, that''s correct, Daniel. Here is what I want you to understand. The suspect can be anyone in the eyes of others. Normally, this would not have to be important. But somehow, this will be important. That''s what Basara-sensei implied."

    "I understand. Strategically speaking, due to the note that Yulia left behind, the primal suspect will be a boy, therefore, one of us. What worries me is that I don''t know what the exam will revolve around. It''s far too open, Hyunda."

    Basara-sensei explained little to no detail about it.

    If I had to take a wild guess, he will explain it all tomorrow. No, he has to. It''s his duty. However, the location remains suspicious.

    Why block A?

    "I''m glad you understand. Now... There''s something else that''s necessary for you to understand. You remember what happened on April 1st, right?"

    "How could I forget? She made sure she creeped the hell out of everyone with that message."

    I didn''t need to think twice about what Hyunda was talking about and to whom he was ultimately referring to.

    "Yukishiro is out for this person. She is treating this as some sort of game."

    "She''s a lunatic... Did you see the way that she acted when she wrote the message? She spoke to this person that she has in mind like that individual was her plaything or some shit..."

    "She''s irrelevant, Daniel. What''s not, is my point. My point being, this suspect is highly respectable and this suspect would also need to hide from all attention possible. In other words, this suspect might try and use others in order to make the suspect be someone who is not actually the suspect."

    "True, Hyunda. Then, we have to be careful about this person. Trusting just about anyone else might be a mistake. We should keep this between ourselves."

    "I agree. Let''s keep it our secret. Moving on though... This will be a war for image."

    A war for image...?

    "You''re probably wondering what I''m talking about and I''ll explain it in simpler terms. A war for image is the equivalent of a battle to erase suspicion. Heads up though, this does not mean that making yourself look like a saint is the best move."

    "I know, Hyunda. It''s best to make someone else look like the suspect instead of making yourself look like the good guy. Because, at the end of the day, all that matters is one person."

    "You''re catching up, nice. Yes, that''s what this will mean essentially. However, you will have to think. Throughout the exam, it might not be hinted how it will be done but the exam''s ultimate purpose is to create a better image of the suspect."

    "Yeah, that much Basara-sensei made sure we knew. Though, Hyunda, what about you? You''re giving me this much advice and I plan of making use of it, but will you be alright?"

    After yawning slightly, Hyunda replied.

    "Yeaaaah. I''m harmless. I invite no harm at all. I''m sorta scared too, you know? If there is someone that''s able to conduct psychological reasonings and infiltrate someone''s mind like this, then... You just gotta be aware of that person, right?"

    "...By the way, what was your plan back then? You can tell me now that Yulia is gone.."

    I''ve been curious about this for a while.

    Thus, I asked Hyunda about it, while getting up from my bed, in order to grab a soda in my refrigerator.

    "Oh, that? Wait... I forgot about it... What was it again?"

    "Wait, seriously...?"

    "Yeah... Oh, wait, no. I do remember it now. Remember when I told you about that subjective/objective experience stuff? That was for the purpose of making you see why you should break up with Yulia. Because then, your mind was fully set on the idea. However, you couldn''t even do that. And besides, your mind was filled with subjectivity back then, so my plan would ultimately fail... What a bummer."

    As I opened my soda can and tossed one to Hyunda as well, I reflected on what Hyunda had just told me.

    If I was able to reach out to Yulia, with my mind full of objectivity, then I would be able to swiftly break up with her and let my mind be at ease.

    However, since it was full of subjectivity, I couldn''t.

    Now that I think about it, it wouldn''t have mattered at all. You would be gone regardless. Your selfish action would ultimately kill my entire purpose.

    "Initially speaking, I was forming another plan that would involve Sana, but I decided to drop it. It was a bad idea. Anywho, here."

    Upon taking a seat in my bed once again, Hyunda tossed something back to me this time.

    Thus, I caught it and took a small glimpse of it.

    As soon as I saw six pills of it inside the small white capsule, my mind, transiently, felt a feeling of great joy.

    "Don''t consume them all at once. Do it moderately. Until the end of the month that''s all there is."

    "...Are you sure you''re fine with giving me this, Hyunda?"

    "As long as you consume them moderately and not all at once, I''m fine. Don''t get addicted to it though. Xanax can often be lethal. Be aware of that."

    "...I won''t get addicted."

    Ever since the day that Hyunda gave me that one pill, I haven''t had Xanax again and those thoughts that were seemingly absent started to return.

    In the effects of Xanax, my thoughts felt at peace; in an endless harmony of silence. It allowed me not to contract reality, as I was able to conduct myself properly.

    However, with time, they started to return.

    I don''t want those thoughts.

    I don''t need your voice in my mind again.

    "Get some sleep. Or try to, at least."

    Already on his way out, Hyunda spoke those words to me. Although, he probably realized that I wouldn''t be able to do so.

    Without any other words being exchanged, we ended our meeting and I tried to go to sleep, as soon as I turned my lights off.

    I checked what time it was on my phone, for convenience''s sake.

    "7 pm..."

    Liting up my lamp ever slightly, I reached out to the white capsule that was on my bedside table''s surface.

    There, I opened it and took ahold of one of the pills with my right hand.

    Only five more pills remaining.

    I know Xanax is a drug. I did do my research on this.

    I won''t get addicted. It''s fine.

    It''s just every now and then, that will be all.

    Thus, I took the pill to my lips and swallowed it forcefully with my own saliva.

    Ultimately pulling my bedsheets close to me, I titled my entire posture to the right and started to get closer to the wall.

    The fresh sensation, close to my brain, further allowed my mind to feel at ease.

    After a few minutes, I finally achieved a stable state of mind which would nevertheless allow me to fall asleep.

    9 pm.

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    .

    "Oh, he''s up!"

    "Is he though?"

    !!!!

    "Who''s there?!"

    Panicking, as I heard two unfamiliar voices, I immediately reached out to my lamp''s cable midst the darkness and lit up the light.

    No one was in my room.

    Thus, I unlocked my room''s door and with haste, I scouted the perimeter.

    However, I also quickly realized that this was night hour''s time already and that no one should be allowed to be out of their rooms.

    It''s a strict rule that no one breaks here.

    The worst part about this is that those voices are not familiar. There were two voices yet...

    Seemingly...

    "....What the hell..."

    Unable to draw a plausible conclusion, I went back to my room while locking the door.

    "Hey!"

    However, again, one of the voices spoke out.

    "W-What?! Where is it coming from?!"

    It''s strange! The voice doesn''t match my volume, it''s as if it comes from my mind! It lacks the physical substance to it...

    Once again panicking, I looked everywhere in my room, even below my bed yet I found nothing.

    "...Am I hallucinating...? No, no, my mind is just... playing tricks on me... I should go back to sleep..."

    As I attempted to regress back to my bed before I could, I heard a different voice, that had a different tone from the one that had just spoken a while ago.

    "Give us a physical form, you idiot! We are not hallucinations!"

    "I mean, you know us though, why exactly are you acting like we are strangers?"

    "What the hell!!!"

    "Idiot, keep it down! You''ll wake the king up!! You should know he''s a tyrant, Daniel!"

    "How the hell do you know my name?! Show yourself!!"

    "Dude, stop teasing him."

    I''m going insane, I''m going insane.

    This is not possible. I''m actually in a state of delirium.

    Feeling pressured, I took a seat on the edge of my bed, while looking down.

    Subsequently, as I took a deep breath, I stopped hearing those two voices.

    "....What the hell was that..."

    As I fell asleep once more, the voices did not assault my mind again.

    April 11th. 7 am.

    In the chilly morning, every single one of us was at the entrance of block A.

    There, we saw, from afar, emerging from the door of the main teachers'' office, Basara-sensei, with documents in his hand.

    On his usual black hitman-like suit, after he opened the door, he invited us in.

    "Accompany me, every single one of you. It goes without saying but if you don''t partake in this exam, you are out of the program."

    I don''t believe any of us actually fell under the impression that it was a good idea to have such thoughts.

    Not even Hyunda, who is one exam away from being expelled.

    Climbing the floors, all the way to the top, we did not speak a single word, as we listened to what Basara-sensei, who was leading us, had to say.

    "The special exam will be brief and simple. You will all be allocated to an island which was carefully selected by me and there, until the end of the month, if you are able to exit the island, then you pass the exam, congratulations."

    "W-What?! Hold on, that''s so vague, I demand a proper explanation, sensei! Island?! Getting out, what is this?!"

    "You seem mad, Tsudo. Do you want to partake this or not?"

    "...I don''t have much of a choice..."

    I didn''t bother to argue, as I walked by Hyunda''s side.

    I took a sharp glance at him and did the same as he; think about the current words that Basara-sensei had just said.

    Supposedly, we ten will be taken to an island, and there, our special exam will occur.

    However, Basara-sensei was far too vague, which was most likely intentional. He only went as far as saying that the only way to pass the exam is to find a way out.

    It''s a blunder to expect a sophisticated explanation. He''s telling me to think right now and besides, trust does me no good.

    At last, we had arrived at the rooftop. Basara-sensei opened the door and we all felt a strong gust of window. A gust, so strong, that we all had to shield our eyes with our forearms.

    What we witnessed was ten individual helicopters standing allocated separately on this rooftop, ready to take off.

    Basara-sensei, taking the lead once again, spoke to us, one last time, while ultimately going to the center of the rooftop, unphased by the wind blasts being reproduced by the helicopters.

    "As you will enter the helicopter, the helicopter will take you to the respective island. Each staff member inside the helicopter will give you a card that contains a tracking pin. That pin, cannot be removed, until the exam is cleared. Should you remove it or destroy it, you are therefore disqualified. Also, only one of you will be able to enter the helicopter respectively. It will be according to my order though. Furthermore, as soon as one of the helicopters departs, five minutes will be made and until then, will the process repeat. That will be all. First, Kuzan!"

    "Y-Yes, sensei!"

    As Kuzan entered one of the helicopters, a factor that was underneath the surface lingered to the back of my mind right away.

    This exam''s premise is beyond vague and also, the major factor about this exam is that the special exam is nothing more than a sub-device used for the sake of gathering intel on the proper suspect.

    Eventually, only Hyunda and I remained.

    With two helicopters only left, Hyunda and I traded glances with each transiently.

    "Daniel, you''re up next."

    "Yes."

    Strangely enough, as I entered the helicopter and received the card from the staff member assigned for this respective helicopter, I started to feel dizzy.

    The only thing that I remember of that moment is seeing the face of the staff member who had a hitman-like black suit with black sunglasses, taping my mouth with his own hands.

    Which would, at last, bring me to the current scenario, where I terminate reminiscing how it all happened.

 Volume 16 - Chapter 113: Element of Cohesiveness.

    The location of April''s special exam is a deserted island. This island, just by observing it, is massively vast.

    However, something gave me the certainty that this island was indeed vast. Upon arriving on this island, a mini bag was allocated next to my sleeping position.

    This is no coincidence. The last recollection I have while entering the helicopter was seeing a staff member, who was wearing a mask. I already knew that this would imply that as soon as I would enter the helicopter that I would be exposing myself to some sort of substance.

    Sleeping gas, in other words, an incapacitating agent. That would explain how I suddenly started to feel dizzy.

    "It''s not surprising. However, this means that they went out of their way to hide something. No one is at sight. On my left, sand. On my right, even more sand. On my front, a vast ocean. On my back, a profound jungle. The tip of an inactive volcano remains at the top of this island."

    Feeling hot, I took all my clothes off and went for a swim.

    The water was extremely cold, contrasting the horrendous hellish atmosphere.

    I took a swim further and further. I had lost my feet a few minutes ago, however, this was ultimately for one purpose.

    "...Huge. The jungle ahead is nothing more than a mere illusion. The volcano itself; only a small tip could be seen from back there, at the beach''s bay, however, from here, it''s noticeably tall as it towers everything below it."

    There was still yet one more purpose. No, that''s not true... It''s not just one.

    "What are the odds?"

    Diving inside the water once more, instead of creating distance on the surface, I allowed myself to adventure the profundity of the ocean, as the previously blue-colored view of the ocean''s depth turned into pitched dark-blue momentarily.

    Growing darker and darker, the unknown encounters that could ultimately become true became true to me.

    Nonetheless, once I was able to glance at a dark silver-blue colored oceanic creature venturing the profundities of this ocean''s depth, I became slightly alerted regarding its existence.

    The curvature of its teeth and the abnormally large jaw that extends just so the voluptuous teeth could fit inside its mouth.

    One of the common tactics that this creature usually has in order to attract its prey is to utilize the low visibility and impenetrable darkness that slowly yet surely becomes undoubtedly permanent in the depths of this ocean.

    By utilizing this, any creature would become the ultimate predator as its blinking shocking light held close to its jaw provides a useful luring method, also known as baiting.

    All in all, I had to keep my distance from it. The Pacific viperfish isn''t necessarily aggressive, however, should the target in its sight become rapidly active with its movements, then it will alert the Pacific viperfish.

    With that in mind, I retreated slowly from the depths and returned to a more stable surface, almost close to the beach''s bay.

    Afar, my clothes and the mini-bag were still visible.

    Furthermore, no one was still around. Consequently, I was the second person to be called after Kuzan did.

    Seeking out Kuzan can be done at any time via exploring, however, what''s more important is finding out where this place is.

    That''s why I just went to the depth of this ocean. Simply by learning about the creatures'' habitat; that itself already tells me a lot.

    "The Pacific viperfish''s usual habitat is either around the Gulf of Maine or the Pacific Ocean around Australia..."

    As I took another quick swim and then reached the surface a few seconds later, another thought came forth.

    "Those two places are far too different from each other. Supposedly, we left our school, which is ultimately located in Japan when it was 7 am. Yet, the sun is still up. Checking my phone''s hours would automatically tell me what I need to know yet I don''t even need to. If this was located near the Gulf of Maine, which is located in North America''s East Coast, it would most likely be dusk or night by now. However, here, it''s not. The afternoon sun, oblique to the semi-low sun that was evident when I left the school, can be witnessed."

    There''s also the fact that even if it''s a helicopter, the time of travel would ultimately come as huge.

    "Gulf of Maine. East Coast... Around 14 hours...? No, it''s through a helicopter. It''s bound to be faster. Therefore, 11 to 12 hours."

    The course would have to be the obvious one. Leave Japan, cross the Pacific Ocean, enter the West Coast, go through the entirety of the USA, and then, when on the East Coast, drop us in a deserted island lying somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.

    It''s dumb to even consider the other way around, such as doing the opposite course.

    There''s no way that the course would allow us to arrive here at another time which isn''t during the night.

    It would also make the most sense for us to already start the exam as soon as possible.

    "As I thought... what actually makes the most sense is that we are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It would be a blunder to assume that this is a Pacific island... They are habituated. Unless this is actually habituated, I refuse to believe that it is one. Certainly, the probability of this island being deserted is high."

    It can''t be the Gulf of Maine.

    Now, assuming that the current location that I am in is somewhere near Australia...

    No...

    It doesn''t necessarily have to be near Australia. Maybe near New-Zealand? No, that''s near Australia...

    "...Further evidence needs to be confirmed..."

    Thus, once again, I went for a swim, going far into the depths.

    This time, however, I went in diagonal direction instead of going fully ahead.

    There, without being noticed, creatures started to unravel one after another.

    Hammerhead shark. Eyes that are fixated and allocated on the sides of its signature hammer-like head.

    Nevertheless, this didn''t tell me much. Hammerhead sharks are abundant throughout the Pacific Ocean.

    Of course, this was enough to tell me something valuable. Hammerhead sharks love to indulge themselves in adventures in tropical areas.

    Though, quickly, this realization became useless as it came with a lack of weight in terms of information.

    Hammerhead sharks don''t belong to the Pacific Ocean only. They can be found throughout the entirety of other oceans too.

    Wanting to speak yet unable to, I had this specific loud thought in my brain...

    "Spotting out unusual creatures who live in specific zones of the Pacific ocean would be for the best of interests."

    Strictly speaking, analyzing creatures that live in abundance will not tell me much.

    However, should I come across creatures that only live in particular parts of the ocean... West, North, East, South...

    That would be important. Those little differences will be able to tell me where this location is.

    Because, even if this is a deserted island, itis somewhere on this planet. But, I need more evidence.

    Therefore, I started to swim all the way to the east and as I went far deeper, I would occasionally glance at the translucent color that the sunlight would emit and ultimately allow the water''s surface to reflect.

    Small fishes would come and go, far too afraid of the large creatures that dwelled deep within.

    By contrast, my lack of fear enabled me to spot a Dugong.

    This obtuse creature had its semi-closed eyes on my radar for quite a while yet I simply stood there.

    From time to time, as my inability to stay underwater became more and more apparent, returning to the top of the surface was almost like routine, something that I wouldn''t be able to escape from.

    Though, even after that set of consequential actions, the Dugong stood in the same place, midst the small eels that would pass through its voluminous body; only to further unleash their movements within the free ocean''s water.

    "You''re smiling like a damn buffoon..."

    Provided that it''s deep waters, unless you have experience on how to perceive sea creatures and on how not to accidentally provoke them, it''s a peril to do the action of allowing your hand to venture the wet skin of a Dugong like this.

    Yet it''s refreshing to see a scenario like this.

    So this is what it feels like. The ocean is so peaceful and harmonic yet at the sight of harmful creatures that dispel this heavenly transparent atmosphere, havoc is written on the minds of these kind creatures.

    Bloodcurdling caution quickly made the Dugong flee from a drowning calamity that this insatiable holocaustic creature otherwise going by the name of Killer Whale.

    To these creatures near the black coral; who love the jet-black stern chitin skeletons, nothing else could come as dreadful except this deadly juggernaut.

    Naturally, my time here, in this specific area, dominated by the insidious meltdown left me with no option but to go to my window''s exit; the surface.

    There, I felt my hair strands teetering around from the melancholic left all the way to the symbolic left. Reaching out to its end, a fast movement made by my own two hands opened my eyesight, as I yet again went to a safer surface.

    Floating on the water, I spoke to the nothingness that lived forever in this thin air.

    "The Killer Whale is seemingly the typical resident of the Pacific Ocean. Nothing too interesting nor informative can come from analyzing something like a Killer Whale. It''s already evident that this is the Pacific Ocean. What I was important to decipher is which part and..."

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Conquering crucial information is always a condemnable thrill.

    In this case, the only important piece of information is the Dugong.

    "Their habitat is within the shores of the west side of the Pacific Ocean. Yet, West-south or West North? Or simply West? The time gaps would ultimately be small, however, they are important to evaluate."

    Supposedly, if this island is within the West-South of the Pacific Ocean, then that would make the most sense.

    To the end of concluding the possible time gap between the departure in arrival, a line needs to be drawn.

    If this was truly located on the West North, then the sun would be far more up. Almost at the limit of midday. Yet that''s not the case. The sun is clearly far more titled, beginning to show a lack of power. It desires a rest nonetheless it is still not showing.

    A description of the already set afternoon.

    "...Furthermore, this is a summer environment. Celsius, Fahrenheit, Kelvin..."

    Which one would be the best for this hypothetical evaluation?

    "...40 celsius might not seem like much now because without my clothes on and being submerged on this watery surface calms every sensation of heat and empowers me with a feeling of calm."

    Respectively, Fahrenheit... It would be around 104 degrees. Kelvin-wise, undoubtedly 313.15 degrees.

    "It can''t be North. It doesn''t add up. The temperature cannot reach this level of heat yet. Therefore... Only West and South remain. This location is either near Australia or near Indonesia. Perhaps far more to the east. North to Australia. A linear way from Japan to here..."

    Habitats.

    Temperature.

    With a swift sip of the salty water, my lips turned into a canon as the water that was fired from the inside meaninglessly erased itself from the high plane and descended far down to my body in a heartbeat.

    "On a more important note, this could all be meaningless too. Just like how I consumed that water, in my mouth, I took it for a round or two in my teeth and fired up in the air. In order to meet its end, it had to go all the way to the top, only to drop."

    Until the end of the month, was it? This special exam is only a scapegoat. Trying to conceal the real purpose of the exam even though it was briefly mentioned.

    To give an illustration, swimming around in the endless bottom of this ocean, the further you go, the darker it gets.

    The whole picture can be described as something as simple as that yet I don''t concretely believe it''s that simple.

    "It happened while I was advertising my focus on my own tasks, already self-established. This so-called suspect is already on the loose and he or she knows this."

    Which leaves the wider picture available for a transient sight.

    A sight that was manufactured by wicked side effects already orchestrated from within the shadows.

    "Playing a double mystery like that. Really now? A deserted island that only has a blue horizon to offer? The way out is the main mystery. That itself already is obvious. Naturally, with exploration throughout this island, clues might be all over the place. Or not. It could just be a deserted island to the core. If so, what''s the way out?"

    The common thought here would be: ''There''s no way out; therefore make your own exit.''.

    Expectations are a railway without an end. An infinite train track.

    "It''s sub-par. It''s not irrelevant but the essence of this special exam is exactly like conducting a laboratory experiment for the most part. To observe. It wouldn''t make any sense to create this exam in the first place. With this in mind, the bait is already self-evident."

    A walk in the jungle will make you completely exposed, for the record, or so I would assume.

    Observation methods such as hidden cameras or other external existences have to be taken into consideration.

    Getting out of this island is essential for survival, however, this is primal manipulation. This exam''s essence is so manipulative that the subjects that take the exam will naturally allow their minds to contract a state of mind that will make them vulnerable to this feeble manipulation.

    Nevertheless, this is practically far too illogical. Would an exam like this even be admissible in the first place?

    "Probably not."

    There has to be some sort of fair drawback. But, with methods that could serve as a way to conceal that drawback, it wouldn''t be strange if they were flat out unnoticeable.

    "Yulia''s suicide took place when I was absent. My absence was taken into account, most likely. Either that or it''s a coincidence."

    If the suspect is caught quickly, then it was nothing more than a coincidence.

    However, if not, then it was all planned. Yet I''m not taking my absence only into account.

    There are far more relevant factors to take into account.

    "....?"

    My thought process was fastly shattered like a bubble poked by a stick as soon as I saw a helicopter flying from the west.

    Without wasting any time, I drifted away to the west area by swimming once again.

    Crossing the far ocean, at a large distance, multiple new avenues to the jungle started to become more visible as their entrances each differed slightly.

    Noticeably, there was a rock cliff that I had to climb before I could continue to swim onto the location that the helicopter had allocated itself.

    Alas, one last thought of certification remained attached to the back of my mind.

    Becoming visible to these unknown yet to be seen people would be fatal.

    Therefore, I lowly swam, and eventually, with a vast number of meters between the location that the helicopter was currently in, I held my head low as I watched the scenery from afar.

    "Two black-suited men are carrying out a body from the helicopter..."

    ...

    After putting down the body, one of them went to the inside of the helicopter and simply threw a bag at the body''s side, and ultimately, once both inside, the helicopter rose to full height and took off.

    As soon as the helicopter took its own height to the point of towering me, I took a deep dive into the ocean yet again and went back to the rock cliff.

    There, I hid my entirety while still enabling my vision to catch a glimpse of the helicopter that was entering a state of disappearance as it became less and less visible.

    "It would be extremely inconvenient if they somehow were using binoculars and spotted me while on their way out."

    Making my own actions public or exposing myself unnecessarily is out of the question, which is why I did what I just did.

    To put it in another way, it was also a movement out of perseverance.

    Thus, I went back to the area and this time, I approached the beach''s end instead of remaining attached to the oceanic waves.

    "..."

    Without making a sound, I firmly decided to cast a sharp glance at the body that was comfortably lying amidst the light yellow sand, bathing in the afternoon sun, which was not far from turning dusk.

    However, I went a little bit further. I did consider the fact that there could be someone spying on me yet after watching my surroundings, examining both my left side and right side, carefully glancing upon the looming jungle up ahead, no traces could be found.

    Nevertheless, I didn''t fully trust this and so, evaluating the perimeter was something that became far too essential at that moment.

    "...No one around."

    Done checking the jungle''s entrance, the top of the trees and the places that someone could vastly use to conceal their presences such as bushes, treetops, I concluded that there was no one else around, except me, and the person, who I labeled as just a body a while ago.

    Sound asleep, with nothing in the world possibly disturbing him, he could not notice my presence at the moment.

    Yet what I came here for was far more important this person''s existence.

    "A real shame, Kan, but I''ll be taking your bag. Good luck without it."

    Taking his mini-bag in a silent manner, I went back to my original location, where my clothes were still intact, along with my mini-bag.

    "...This is inconvenient. I''m all wet from being underwater and putting up my uniform is... Well, it''s hot as hell anyway, so it''s a bother to walk with my uniform on."

    Although I said that, I put on my uniform''s pants and bent its edges to my knees so it would be less uncomfortable that way.

    In order to avoid the tremendous blazing heat unfairly creating heat hazes, taking a nice and fresh warm seat under the palm tree that rightfully illuminated my grand dark silhouette was far too optimal of a choice to escape from, ultimately.

    "...4:17 pm..."

    With a swift check on my phone''s screen, time became knowledge effortlessly.

    As I placed my phone on my right side, underneath the sand, my right hand reached out to my mini-bag that I still had yet to scrutinize.

    "Map, compass, and a phone..."

    Perhaps the most intriguing part was the phone.

    The map was self-evident yet I didn''t exactly think that I would get the privilege to have a map.

    A compass to indicate where I currently am and for the record, it appears to be South-West.

    Why the phone though?

    That question was quickly answered as it had a small paper note behind it.

    "... ''Use this in case of emergency.''...."

    It''s bait, no doubt.

    I know for a fact because once I turned the phone on, it only had one remote to it, which was to deal a call to a certain number.

    "In other words, there is a way out of this island already. Simply call this number and you are out, most likely. Of course, only a fool would do that."

    Because this would one-hundred percent mean that by dealing this call to the number, you would be out of the program.

    He did say that anyone was free to give up on this exam.

    Cheeky bastard, offering a way out only to lead into the worst outcome ever.

    Out of anger, I almost crushed the phone with my bare right hand yet its usages were still like a diamond in the rough, waiting to be discovered.

    "..Hm?"

    Just when I was about to move onto Kan''s bag, I found something in the end of my bag.

    Something that piqued my interest right away.

    "What is this? Some sort of joke?"

    A small box that had a black color, lying on the end of my bag, inside it, contained a wrapped letter in it.

    That letter simply contained a single word midst its endless blank space.

    "Words? Words. Words, huh?"

    ....

    Out of curiosity, I immediately took ahold of Kan''s bag forcefully and inspected the inside of it.

    "Exactly the same. However, what does it say?"

    I needed to make sure that I wasn''t the only one that got this message.

    There is no way that this message, that was so carefully wrapped in an envelope would simply be here for no reason.

    Undoubtedly, it''s crucial.

    "...Way? Way. Way...?"

    No use in trying to understand what I can''t understand yet.

    The meaning is probably not important yet.

    However, what''s important to notice is how it''s different from mine.

    It looks like the effort paid off.

    "Words and way. A wordplay? No, that doesn''t matter. This already confirms something. Each of us has a message that''s different from each other completely."

    This is most likely related to the drawback. This is the way that that damn teacher used to conceal the drawback.

    Nevertheless, this is also a bait, regardless. Every single one of these movements that are purposely drawn out of me is steeming my curiosity accordingly.

    As of now, I simply want to venture into the island''s entirety and discover the remaining messages so I can see if there is a connection that can be formed.

    No.

    There''s no way that a connection can''t be formed. This would be nonsensical otherwise. There has to be a connection and that connection is ultimately linked to a very important part of this special exam.

    "Though, something else that''s already evident is that we clearly did not arrive at the same time. Furthermore, our arrival locations are different altogether. This is no coincidence either; it''s meant to be."

    All things considered, it was about time I took some action, and thus, I put a stop to my reflection.

    Subsequently, I reached my phone and attempted to call Kuzan.

    "No net whatsoever. Impossible to make calls. Also, this is an island. My phone''s battery is bound to die eventually. It''s a good thing I brought some things with me in my own bag and not the one that was given to me. But seriously, an island, a deserted one, out of all things? This is bound to be fun. I was getting tired of being in the same classroom every single day!"

    But, the situation already favors me.

    Under my own possession, those messages, in a way, already belong to me, in a sense.

    Although...

    "Not all of them. And besides, will the gathering of them be as easy as I expect them to be?"

    It''s frankly far too easy to get conceited and arrogant about this and even if this feeling of supremacy dares to get the best of me as it always did, unless it obeys logic and reasoning, I refuse to bend my will entirely to its grace.

    "Time to search for Kuzan. He undoubtedly reached here before I did, so he already is somewhere around this island."

    What would Kuzan do in this situation though?

    He''s an idiot. A moron.

    He''s probably up to nothing productive.

    I can already imagine him swinging around the juggle like a true ape and having incomprehensible conversations with other chimpanzees.

    "I''ll have to search for him, it seems..."

    Placing my mini bag and Kan''s mini bag on my own school bag, along with the rest of the uniform pieces I wasn''t using, I abandoned the beach and ventured into the jungle.

    In comparison with the beach''s atmosphere, that upheld no wind whatsoever, the inside of the jungle, covered with a dense colossal forest, had no mercy on me, as the intense hot climate screamed unbearable in all directions.

    A common misconception is the inability to distinguish a jungle from a rainforest. This has no rainfall, at all.

    Compelling as it would seem, a rainfall would be extremely pleasing, if there was one yet the wild climax here mixed with several lianas begs to differ.

    Green lizards at sight and semi-large spiders on their webs, devouring their caught prey, noticeably speaking, in this scenario, the loser mantis.

    Furthermore, the shrubs kept on making my movements sluggish and jagged, as my progress steadily increased within.

    "...Oh."

    Climbing one of the tallest trees in this particular vast hot area, Kuzan became visible to my eyes.

    Kuzan did once told me how he loved climbing and thus, based on that, I went forward into the jungle, instead of following the trail on the beach.

    In any case, this would also be the way to the volcano, which I figured would be the ultimate way to Kuzan.

    Yet from the looks of it, I found it far earlier than expected.

    He hasn''t noticed my presence either, as I am at the bottom of the gigantic rustic tree that he is phenomenally climbing.

    However, the usage of lianas does alert me.

    If I was in his position, I would not rely on lianas that much to climb my way to something that high.

    But I do understand the purpose, after all. Reaching the peak, the summit of the tree will grant you a great vision of the island and so, I do support that idea.

    Ultimately, with all my lung power, I performed a deep inhale and borderline yelled in Kuzan''s direction.

    "Kuzan!!! How''s the ape life going?!"

    "Mhm? That voice..."

    Our distance is about to 20-30 meters, so, naturally, Kuzan had to stop climbing through a liana in order to look down from that realm above.

    "Master?! Is that you?!"

    "Yes, you fucking dumbass! Get your ass down here and stop climbing that tree like a damn monkey!"

    "Alright, alright! Give me just one seco-------- Ah."

    "..."

    While trying to descend through the liana, Kuzan accidentally broke the liana as a consequence for applying all of his body weight onto it...

 Volume 16 - Chapter 113.5: ?Teasing~?

    April 11th. 8:30 am.

    As I arrived in the usual classroom, I noticed two differences.

    The first one was that no boys were at sight and the second one was that Yuka-sensei was here instead of Basara-sensei.

    An ominous silence was present throughout this hollow classroom. No noises came forth like they normally would.

    Or at least, until Yuka-sensei went to the center of the podium and started to finally say something.

    "Good morning...! As you all can see, there are no boys at sight and that will be the case until it''s the end of the month."

    Hearing this, left me skeptical for a certain reason.

    "Um.... why though?!"

    Arkalee, impatient, deliberately interrupted Yuka-sensei without a second thought.

    Regardless of this, Yuka-sensei kept her relaxed posture and didn''t get irritated.

    "Well, Arkalee, that''s because the girls and the boys will be conducting separate special exams. Both in different locations as well."

    ?

    "To be more precise, the boys right now, aren''t here in school. They are somewhere far away----"

    "Where?!"

    Despite all the glances she was getting, Arkalee did not back down and just kept on aggressively firing questions of self-interest like that.

    Though, I do know why she''s acting like that.

    "Ehh... Well, you see... I''m not allowed to actually tell anyone about this."

    "Why not...?"

    The one who said that was Hinagiku, who was carefully looking at Yuka-sensei until now yet we all looked back at Yuka-sensei, as we were massively curious as well.

    However, essentially for different reasons. As for me, I need to know where you are, so I know what you will go through and how you willout skirmish this upcoming special exam.

    "Er, Hina... The thing is... It''s not as if I can''t actually tell anyone but that brute homeroom teacher of yours made me vow that I wouldn''t!"

    "How brute! Sensei, if you want to tell us, then do so! Basara-sensei doesn''t have anything to do with your own entitled opinion!"

    "Ah, Aki! You totally understand!"

    The typical talk went on for about five minutes and only then did Yuka-sensei finally tell us where the boys were partaking the exam.

    "It''s on a deserted island!"

    "A deserted island...?"

    A portion of us, yet not me, spoke in wonder.

    "A deserted island?! Who came up with this nonsensical exam?! How is that even legal?!"

    Once again, Arkalee decided to assert her opinion brutally, even going as far as getting up from her seat just to express her anger.

    How dependent.

    "Um, Arkalee, why does this matter to you? You''ve been acting like this is some sort of big deal. It''s probably not as bad as you think, ya know?"

    Kanawari, somewhat sick of Arkalee''s endless whining decided to intervene and questioned Arkalee from across the classroom, where she stood up in the front seats.

    She''s probably not aware of the reason as to why Arkalee''s whining in the first place.

    "How is it not a big deal!? Who in their right mind places someone on a deserted island?! That makes no sense!"

    "...That''s true. That idea is far too illogical. Sensei, how did that even get admitted in the first place?"

    Speaking in agreement, Shizuku spoke to Yuka-sensei, with a puzzled look on her face.

    But, the latter shrugged in response, thus implying that she was as clueless as we were.

    "I honestly don''t know! Because it wasn''t me who organized their exam. Your homeroom teacher is responsible for their special exam, not me."

    So this means that Yuka-sensei is responsible for our special exam.

    The reason for our separation was basic. There are different gains in an observation that revolves around individuals of the same gender. A blend would be contradicting, so I suppose I can see the idea here.

    "And for this reason, I will say this right now, any sort of questioning regarding the boys will result in punishment. And yes, I''m mainly talking to you, Arkalee. If you can''t control yourself in class, then I''ll have to apply certain methods."

    "......."

    Though angry, Arkalee wasn''t as illogical as I originally thought.

    Initially, I thought that she would take Yuka-sensei''s words as an offense and would flat out argue yet that was not the case.

    She simply laid her head on her table and did nothing else but fall into depression.

    On another note, this is extremely bad for me. Because you are out of my observation.

    In other words, I will only be able to see you when the end of this month withers.

    Nonetheless, this doesn''t necessarily mean that nothing can be achieved.

    I''ll conduct an investigation on every single girl here and see what sort of clues I can take that will lead to your identity.

    "Okay! First of all, I want you all to gather in groups of three! Essentially, you eleven will form four overall groups! You have one minute! Those that aren''t gathered in a group of three will be placed in a group of my own choice. Of course, one group will contain only two people, so, with that said... Begin!"

    Without any explanations whatsoever, Yuka-sensei went out of her way to say those explicit words to us.

    As I took a small glance at every single girl in class, they barely knew what to do. Except for a few who were already taking initiative, such as Akimiyashika and Lus.

    If you didn''t show up and cut my boredom, then I wouldn''t bother to do anything. I would ultimately just stand here, in my seat, with my arms crossed, bored out of my life.

    However, that will not happen. At all. This is not the time to be anti-social.

    One group will have fewer members than the others. That itself already tells me that I have to take immediate action.

    Thus, I got up from my seat and picked up my own group''s members quickly.

    They both didn''t decline and that allowed me to form my own group in less than thirty seconds.

    "Mhm...! Looks like I will not have to select any group myself! The groups are the ones that are written on the frame!"

    Group one is composed of Akimiyashika, Hinagiku, and Ikkiri. No surprise there. I always see those three together.

    What came as a surprise was a volunteered group, or rather, a pair that instead of opting to choose another person to their group''s addition, simply went with two elements, thus forming group two, consisting of Lus and Kanawari.

    A group that seemed like a forced group that was formed just to avoid partial selection was group three. This group''s members are Tateyana, Shizuku, and Gale.

    Lastly, my group. Me, Arkalee, and Sana.

    All in all, it''s extremely obvious as to why there was a group that had to go with two members only, even if they both were vastly fine with that option. Rather, more than fine, from their happy looks on their faces.

    In order to quickly dispel the silence within this room, I spoke with vigor.

    "Sensei, how is this relevant to the special exam?"

    No explanation was established previously. This was bound to happen and since no one bothered to step forth, I decided to take independent action.

    Already on her desk''s seat, after folding through her own personal documents, Yuka-sensei at last spared a glance on me transiently before speaking.

    "The special exam has not yet begun, Yukishiro."

    "Then what''s the point of forming groups if it''s not relevant to the special exam?"

    Of course, I was already aware that this didn''t necessarily need to link itself to the special exam, this is for another alternative purpose.

    Yet it seems as if my powerful words filled with staggering aggressiveness in them were starting to be viewed as spiteful, as I certainly could feel hateful side glances slowly being placed on me.

    "It''s actually related to the special exam, sweetie."

    "Oh? I see. Thank you very much!"

    That barely told me anything at all. Except not really.

    If forming these groups will hold a point later on, then thorough conduction is far too necessary, so to speak.

    Furthermore, it''s not only about conduction. It''s about evaluating the potential purpose of future situations that will be based on these groups'' formation.

    As I allowed my own thoughts to submerge one after another quickly, I also realized that this selection already told me something that was obvious from the start.

    We were all allowed to choose our members freely. Is this freedom of choice intentional or not?

    If not, then what does it mean, exactly? I''m not gonna wait around and wait for an answer.

    So, I once again unleashed an impertinent manner-like question to Yuka-sensei.

    "Sooo, why bother to allow us to choose these groups and not you, sensei? What, is this about ''choice'' or ''freedom'' or something rubbish like that?"

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    "Can you please be quiet? Your lack of manners is utterly disturbing."

    "Aw, what''s the matter, Akimiyashika? Someone asks the necessary questions and the first thing you do is to criticize that person?"

    "Necessary? You don''t get to decide that. Respect the order that sensei has prepared for us, Yukishiro."

    So dumb.

    "Why should I? You''re all so afraid to talk! The obvious questions should be asked! And for the record, I don''t recall ever asking you a question, Akimiyashika."

    "I don''t need you to ask me something in order to entitle my own opinion! I speak freely."

    "Ah, how great of you! Marvelous. So?"

    "Your sarcasm is terrible. You should get better at it if your intention is to be mean and pointless. If Yuka-sensei truly wanted to let us know the content of your questions, she would tell us. Yet she isn''t, for a reason. And if you think that it''s alright to extort information like this, then your train of thought is flawed and wicked."

    Bitch.

    You think you are so righteous just because you defend someone, don''t you, Akimiyashika?

    "Look at the hypocrite talking! You speak about such righteousness and how my train of thought is flawed and wicked but the fact that you are here should be enough evidence that you are no better yet you, despite that, still believe otherwise!"

    "Aki''s not a hypocrite! You don''t know what that word means, at all. Aki simply defended Yuka-sensei''s actions and you, instead, decide to switch targets and attack Aki for no reason!"

    And of course, Hinagiku, in order to protect the clique''s leader, poses an angry expression while attempting to intimidate me from afar.

    Such a shame that it doesn''t phase me at all as my permanent mocking smirk is adjoined within my lips.

    "No reason? Shut up. I made a question to Yuka-sensei and Akimiyashika decided to interrupt for her own personal reasons. Don''t you dare say that it was for no reason, annoying little bitch!"

    "....What did you just s----"

    "Enough!"

    Although Hinagiku was getting up from her seat, Yuka-sensei slammed the documents onto her desk, thus casting a vital silence in this almost-chaotic atmosphere.

    "No questions will be asked about this. Instead, I''ll now address the task that each group will do for the next hour."

    With no further arguments, our attention was entirely focused on the task that Yuka-sensei had just written on the frame.

    "You''re only allowed to talk to the ones within your group. Should this rule be broken, the principal''s office awaits you. Understood?"

    "Yes!" x11.

    Not that my intention was to ever argue in the first place, I''m just feeling so damn bored without you around.

    The passion isn''t present. I can''t enter my realm of mind where I intertwine my undying fiery passion with your alluring mysterious existence.

    Instead, on the north-east side of this classroom, here I stand, with my two group elements that each have practically different looming looks to them.

    Arkalee''s with her head face down right now.

    Sana''s looking semi-gloomy, which is surprising, considering the fact that throughout the past week, she had been far too sad.

    As a matter of fact, her state of mind was so shattered that Basara-sensei even allowed her to recover a few days inside her own room.

    Yet now... She''s trying to remain positive. It''s not a forced smile that she''s wearing, but it''s an attempt to show happiness.

    Sana is further showing a state of wonder, as even with my gaze on her, she''s simply looking at the environment outside of the window.

    That''s incredibly strange.

    Your best friend suicided a while ago. You should be massively fragile right now, so, how come you are showing symptoms of a healthy mind?

    "Sana, you''re not sad anymore?"

    Upon hearing my words, it took her a while to come back to the current moment, as she averted her gaze from the scenery outside and sharply looked at me.

    Then, instead of speaking, Sana looked down for a second and seemed to reminisce something.

    "...Of course I am..."

    "Really? You looked happy a while ago. You were on the verge of smiling. Did something good happen lately?"

    "Good...? Um, mayb---- No, no... It''s nothing..."

    She was without a doubt going to say maybe.

    What exactly happened? I need to know.

    You are a source, after all.

    "Ehhh, you can tell me. Just between you and me. Arkalee''s all knocked out because her charming prince isn''t here."

    "..."

    Sana, in response to my last words, put on a semi-envious expression.

    Yet that only lasted short transience.

    "It''s nothing... I''m not happy. It''s your imagination."

    No, it''s definitely not my imagination.

    Just a few seconds ago, you were borderline smiling.

    That itself is the sign that something massive happened.

    "I''m not convinced, Sana. I know that smile... Who is he?"

    "Ah, no. It''s not like that. Don''t misunderstand, please."

    This time, with a completely serious expression, Sana told me off.

    She wasted no momentum whatsoever in telling me that I was wrong, almost as if she was absolutely sure that it was not what I was implying.

    Yet, in her mind, what exactly did I imply?

    "What am I misunderstanding though?"

    "Ugh, it''s nothing, okay?! Leave me alone."

    "Oh... Sorry, did I hit a nerve? It wasn''t my intention to upset you, Sana."

    "It''s fine, Yukishiro. I can''t stay sad forever. After all... --No, never mind. Okay! Let''s start this!"

    Although Sana spoke with bubbling enthusiasm, Arkalee, nonetheless was still with her face down on the table''s surface, refusing to speak at all.

    Sana, however, didn''t take this and started to touch Arkalee''s back to see if Arkalee was actually awake.

    "Arkalee, wake up..."

    "........."

    Given that Sana was being far too soft, I decided to take a different approach and dropped all my sharpener''s shavings on top of Arkalee''s head, which woke her up as soon as she started to feel them on her hair strands.

    "W-Who did this...?!"

    With tears on her face, Arkalee desperately erased all the shavings from her hair strands far too quickly.

    "I did. You ignored Sana. Also, what''s with the tears?"

    "..A-Ah...!! W-Why...?! How am I going to live another day?!"

    A stream of tears came forth thus duplicating the quantity of crystal-like tears that Arkalee had on her face a short while ago.

    "Um, breathe. Eat. Drink... That''s all you need to do... You''re exaggerating far too much, Arkalee... There''s no need to be this dramatic."

    I''m impressed Sana told Arkalee off that easily. Though, it is true.

    Arkalee''s being far too dramatic.

    "Easy for you to say."

    "...What''s that supposed to mean?"

    "You don''t have a boyfriend, how would you know how I feel, Sana? The same goes for you, Yukishiro."

    "True."

    What Arkalee just said, though aggressive, is true.

    I don''t have a boyfriend but that''s simply because I have absurdly unrealistic standards and so, I never actually bothered to go on a quest for love.

    I''m far too confident about my own ability to remain emotionally stable even without the love of someone else.

    After all, there is no such person in this mediocre world that can ultimately meet every single one of my standards.

    ...

    Or so I used to think. Your existence does make me wonder.

    "Y-Yeah, you''re right, Arkalee, hahaha... So, let''s start the task, alright?"

    "Yup, I''m with Sana here, Arkalee. So... Who will start?"

    "Well..."

    With Arkalee being the last one to speak, after whipping her tears with her blazer''s sleeve, we three looked at the frame, and there, we once again, read the task.

    ''Assuming that there is someone behind Yulia''s suicide, discuss, with your group, who the possible suspect might be.''

    Such simple words were written on the frame yet every time I look at them, I get exasperated far too quickly.

    The suspect is not even here... You are currently on that deserted island, supposedly.

    Regardless, ultimately, after we three crossed glances with each other, in this small space with our tables adjoined to one another, in the shape of a triangle, our conversation would start.

    But before that could happen, Sana murmured a few words first.

    "...Did you really had to put it like that... How offensive..."

    "Sana?"

    "Hm? Right, right! Let''s... get started."

    Sana has been acting far too weird in these past minutes.

    Something is on her mind yet she refuses to speak about it.

    This has happened before... I recall I couldn''t get a proper conversation with Sana because your external influence was already permanent within her.

    Are you telling me that you are one step ahead yet again?

    "Um, wait, before we do get started, I have to ask something..."

    Raising her hand up high while simultaneously looking towards Yuka-sensei''s desk, Sana was looking forward to getting her attention just so she could speak.

    And so, without speaking, Yuka-sensei traveled all across her desk which was in the far north in comparison to our location, which to her, would be far south.

    "Hello! What can I help you with, Sana?"

    "Ah, thank you for attending me..."

    "No problem, sweetie."

    "Okay, so... Is the claim that I will make about who the suspect might be my group''s claim or my own? Also, how do we come to a consensus? What if our opinions all differ?"

    In other words, Sana was asking if her individual answer would matter more than the group''s answer.

    And alternatively, how we would come into an agreement in case of disagreement.

    "That''s up to all of you. If there is a disagreement, then the one that has the better argument should be able to make the rest see how she is more correct than the rest. Debate, in other words."

    "Okay, thank you. Um, last question. Does the suspect have to be a boy or a girl? Because I don''t think it makes a lot of sense to throw guilt at a boy if he''s not here."

    Sana''s reasoning for this is the boys'' current absence.

    That alone is reasonable, however, not quite...

    Why should their absence be relevant in the first place? This isn''t any sort of apprehension. This is simply a discussion.

    Or does Sana have the wrong idea?

    Or...

    Maybe she wants me to get the wrong idea?

    "It can be either a boy or a girl. We are aiming to identify the suspect here."

    "How?"

    Impertinent and far aware of it myself, I asked that.

    "Sana said that was the last question. Therefore, I''m not answering that! Good luck in the debate though!"

    Currently, as I watch Yuka-sensei exit the scene, I feel slightly angry.

    I''m feeling angry because Sana said ''last question'' and as much as I like to think that she was doing that out of good manners, I can''t help but feel like that wasn''t the case at all.

    Thus, I threw another question at Sana.

    "Sana, just a while ago, why did you say ''last question''?"

    "Why...? Because I don''t think it''s a good idea to waste Yuka-sensei''s goodwill. Especially after what you did..."

    "Is that all the reason? There isn''t any other additional reason to place those specific two words in your sentence?"

    "...No, there isn''t."

    "Really? Are you sure? Think about this deeply, I deplore you."

    "No, Yukishiro, there isn''t... You''re really doubtful, you know? Do you even trust anyone?"

    "Ah, that was my bad, Sana. I was just really curious. Please don''t think of me like that, alright?"

    "...Sure."

    Like hell I''m swallowing that.

    You''re free to call me doubtful or whatever you please, but, Sana, the fact that you used such a bad reason as ''the boys'' absence'' for your argument, isn''t buyable at all.

    If you hadn''t used that argument in the first place, then nothing would''ve changed. The boys being absent never had anything to do with it.

    As I already said to myself, this is a discussion, not a trial, where you get to accuse someone, and potentially, that individual will get punished for being the suspect.

    In this discussion, we use words, arguments, and debate over the suspect. Why does their absence suddenly matter?

    It doesn''t...

    "Ah, maybe Sana''s just an airhead and didn''t think thoroughly about her own words and so, she''s just confusing you. You are overthinking."

    The common thought. The mediocre assumption. The proof of a person that does not know how to be intelligent.

    Do you think I''m dumb? DO YOU?!

    I noticed from the start. As soon as Sana used that pathetic excuse for her argument, I already knew.

    That she was trying to divide who I would suspect by supposedly making me think that the suspect selection method would be ultimately divided down by gender.

    Sana, you attempted to make me think that it WOULD make more sense to prioritize suspecting a girl over a boy.

    That''s just too bad. Because I already knew that the suspect is a boy.

    "Fufu..."

    But that''s simply not all.

    Sana, you did this for a reason. You are attempting to cover his existence from me!! You devilish wretch!!

    Even when you are absent, you are applying your own power against me by making others distort my beliefs!

    So you do acknowledge my existence! All that effort to send you a message, and thanks to that I got your attention and you are already fighting back!

    "Yukishiro...?"

    Arkalee called me out, as she witnessed my vastly wide grin being formed due to my thoughts merging deeply with one another, even in the face of these two.

    "Ah... Sana?"

    "What?! You''ve been so persistent today..."

    Borderline pissed off, Sana wasted no time in telling me those spiteful words.

    Perhaps at the sight of my smile, that hit a nerve. Though, I just have to let her know something.

    "You can''t hide him from me."

    "...? Okay? So, who starts? I''ve asked this question a few times already..."

    Strange. She was so swift when replying to that. Almost as if she didn''t care whatsoever.

    Is that you acting extremely well or did I just miss the mark...?

    No, no. I couldn''t have. Sana''s a primal source to that event.

    Therefore, I''m ultimately better off assuming nothing that big yet from her.

    Though, she was undoubtedly covering for you.

    Aaaahhhhh, you give me so much mental stimulation!

    "Hello? Heeelllloooo? Geez, it''s one thing to be doubtful but it''s another to be such an airhead. Okay, I''ll go first..."

    "Wait, Sana... Are you okay with talking about this...? We will be discussing who supposedly was behind Yulia''s suicide..."

    "...It''s not easy for me, Arkalee... However, it is what it is. Some go while some supposedly stay..."

    Sana''s words are the equivalent of homonyms... They might be far too simple on the surface yet the more I attempt to look into them, it does make me think that you are behind them.

    "Okay... As far as I know, no one here resented Yulia."

    I suppose it''s time to play a little game, for fun.

    Since you aren''t here, I have to entertain myself.

    "Hm? That''s not quite right, Sana."

    "Eh?"

    "If you were to ask me, in this classroom, right now, there should be plenty of girls that resented Yulia. You and Yulia, a while ago, both agreed about something. For example... Who was it that you and Yulia placed the blame for what had happened to Ikkiri not so long ago...?"

    "Um, Yukishiro, don''t speak that name."

    Arkalee, out of nowhere suddenly told me that. Yet I could not comprehend why.

    "Why can''t I?"

    "Just don''t, okay?"

    "That''s nonsensical. Names are used as a method for identification."

    "Look, just call her whore, that will do."

    "...No. Deal with it. So, Sana, did you get what I was trying to imply?"

    "Hold on a damn second! I''m serious about this! Don''t say her name!"

    Why is she so persistent?

    Well, thankfully, Sana stepped in and undoubtedly put a sense of order in Arkalee, who was close to jumping the gun on me simply because I said Ikkiri.

    "Arkalee, she doesn''t mean to say it in the way that you are thinking. Relax already... You aren''t going to last with that amount of stress..."

    "....It''s hard."

    "So, Sana?"

    It would be bad if Sana somehow thought that I had forgotten about the question that I had made.

    However, she clearly didn''t, as her reply was far too swift.

    "I see your point. Though, would Ikkiri actually be the one...?"

    Ikkiri is a terrible suspect and my point makes absolutely no sense.

    So, with that in mind, let''s see how far you''ll go with your acting, Sana.

    You like to tease me, don''t you?

    These lies; I''ll cut them down and make them holy.

 Volume 17 - Chapter 114: ?Doxology For The Dusk.?

    "Possibly. What do you think, Sana?"

    Sana''s wearing a facial expression that would tell the outside world that she''s thinking about my question deeply.

    Going as far as looking at the surface of your own table, advertising your gaze from everyone else, letting others believe that you have something to think about.

    Furthermore, with every second you waste thinking about this stupid nonsensical point I purposely made, it''s enough to tell me something Sana.

    Something that you are not aware of.

    "...I''ve always kept a close relationship with Yulia and there is no way that Ikkiri could have done something like that. Besides, Ikkiri has been far too gloomy ever since a few months ago. So, no, I don''t believe it''s Ikkiri."

    "Ah, I see!"

    Clapping my two hands together, I gave Sana a mini-ovation.

    My bright smile should evoke a sentiment of fulfillment to her yet all I can see is present anxiety within her face.

    Of course that''s the case.

    You''re bad at acting, after all.

    "But, you know, Sana, can you really eliminate that possibility? Like, what if it wasn''t actually Ikkiri who did it, but instead, someone who would do it for her...?"

    "Huh...? What could you be talking about, Yukishiro...?"

    "..."

    Come on... There''s a limit, Sana.

    You don''t actually think you''re good at this, do you?

    "Oh, I see Yukishiro''s point! That bitch''s too much of a coward so she would tell Akimiyashika something like ''Hey I''ll do that favor for you'', right?!"

    "Ah, that''s correct, Arkalee! That was indeed my point!"

    Arkalee, you are worse than Sana when it comes to acting. I think Sana actually thinks before she at least speaks.

    The thing about Sana''s acting is that she has no practice at all. Your acting, on the other hand, has practice, but you are just bad at acting because to whomever you practiced your acting against was certainly a novice.

    There''s yet another difference in their acting. Perhaps what distinguishes both. Sana at least says words that are natural and go with the flow of the common logic while you, Arkalee, say the most obvious things.

    You don''t think before speaking, Arkalee.

    Or at least not in a clever way.

    "Mhm... Okay, I suppose that makes sense..."

    "Really? How does it make sense, Sana?"

    As soon as Sana confirmed what I had stated somehow made sense, I urged at her and made sure she would justify her claim.

    Yes, Sana. Why does it supposedly make sense? I''ll make you answer me.

    So, feast on this glare that I have reserved for you alone while you fight your inner anxiety.

    "...It makes sense because, as you said, someone else might have done it in Ikkiri''s place. And furthermore, Ikkiri doesn''t seem like the type of person to take action. Sooo, she might''ve just told Akimiyashika to do something harmful to Yulia, you know?"

    Using my own made-up argument against me is an extremely bad move, Sana.

    Because I''m firmly aware that my argument makes no sense. In other words, the plausible conclusion here is that you have no conceivable way to blame Ikkiri for this.

    Therefore, Ikkiri is out.

    "Ah, I see! Good point!"

    I clapped in Sana''s direction once more thus evoking a large worry for her.

    Nevertheless, I took my point to a further scale. Since you don''t consider Ikkiri the suspect here, this elimination game will go on.

    "So, Sana, you believe that Akimiyashika is therefore the most plausible suspect?"

    "Eh...? Um, what do you think, Arkalee...?"

    Ah... You...

    Coward.

    "I think that it makes sense for the suspect to be someone that used to hold a grudge against Yulia... You can''t truly count someone out here, can you?"

    "That''s true, Arkalee... What about you, Yukishi---"

    "Sana, I make the questions here."

    "...."

    I had to interrupt Sana before she got the wrong impression of the situation.

    You''re not as bad as I made you out to be, Sana. You at least know when to redirect the flow of the conversation so it doesn''t go against you.

    Simultaneously, you switched the target of my question, which was meant at you, from you to Arkalee and then from Arkalee to me.

    However, don''t think that I don''t see what you are trying to do, Sana.

    Against me, all of your efforts will be subsequently dispelled.

    "...Yukishiro, you''re being rude."

    "?"

    "This is supposed to be a group yet you are just using me and Arkalee to get answers for your own personal questions. Why don''t we act collectively instead?"

    "Ah, you do bring a good point, Sana."

    Here you go again. Using Arkalee''s existence to your advantage. Though, you are gravely mistaken if you actually believe that anything will change just from the way the situation is perceived to you.

    I will not abandon my lead here.

    Instead, I''ll let you think that you are leading this as of now, Sana.

    "Arkalee, you''ve been rather silent. What''s wrong...?"

    "Yeah, true, Arkalee. You''ve been oddly silent for a while. Even with your name mentioned a few times, you kept your silence nonetheless."

    Going with Sana''s take, I agreed with the fact that Arkalee has been weirdly silent.

    Though, this is fascinating, actually.

    "Oh, don''t mind me. I was just watching your takes about the suspect. But yeah, I do agree with Sana, Yukishiro. It''s best if we put a collective effort instead of a solo effort."

    At first sight, going as far as labeling that Arkalee and Sana are somehow working for the same cause wouldn''t be too much of a blunder.

    However, it gets progressively deeper once the realization that these two aren''t even aware that their collective effort to hide your identity is collective yet distinct.

    I think like this because Arkalee, all this time, hasn''t just been watching us throw our takes at each other.

    Arkalee has been observing both of us with a vast amount of attention and that alone tells me much already.

    "I see! I''ll apologize! Um, so let''s think as a group, right?"

    "Yeah!"

    Happily, Sana agreed with me, thus I went forth with my question directed to the two of them.

    "We should change our approach. How about instead of trying to see who has held a grudge against Yulia, we start by eliminating those that would not have any chance of holding a grudge, at all?"

    "Um, sure."

    "Yeah, fine, I agree."

    Arkalee and Sana gave her consent right away.

    Ultimately, I followed this up with something extremely basic.

    "Okay, between we three, which of us would be the least likely to hold a grudge against Yulia?"

    I didn''t exactly wait for any of them to answer this question because it was self-explanatory.

    "Without a doubt, it''s you, Sana. I think we can both agree with this, right, Arkalee?"

    While I waited for Arkalee''s answer, I took a hold of my pen and started noting down a single name, which was Sana''s.

    "Hm, yeah! You and Yulia were best friends, right...?"

    "...Yeah..."

    Sana had visible difficulty answering that question. Surely, this could be interpreted as an emotional sting as she was forced to remember that her best friend killed herself yet I suspect something far deeper.

    You see, Sana, the thing here is that your situation makes no sense whatsoever.

    At the hands of my dear Omega, your best friend had her days numbered swiftly yet despite knowing this, you still protect his identity from me?

    Normally, this wouldn''t make any sense, but there''s a way out of this.

    A way that you undoubtedly went with. That being; Sana is not aware that it''s you who is behind Yulia''s death and you used this to your advantage masterfully.

    Which means, something definitely happened in the time gap of Yulia''s death all the way to this current day.

    It''s unthinkable to believe that you would be able to get Sana on your side while maintaining an invisible image to her yet that was not impossible for you!

    Amazing!!!

    "You are... amazing..."

    Shyly, I clapped while firmly staring at the bottom of the floor in order to conceal my shy face.

    "Yukishiro, why are you so absent-minded...? Also, I only noticed now, but is that a tattoo on your neck...? It''s really small though."

    Slowly elevating my face from the surface of my table, I spoke to Sana, who had asked me that question regarding my tattoo, out of self-interest.

    "Oh, you mean this?"

    With the tip of my right index finger, I placed it on top of the mini-tattoo that was on my neck''s left side.

    Both Arkalee and Sana seemed to immediately recognize what it was, as it should come to no surprise.

    "Ah, yeah, that. That''s the Scorpio symbol, right?"

    Perhaps out of worry if her answer was insufficient, Sana looked at Arkalee briefly and the latter returned a positive response calmly.

    "Yup, that definitely is the Scorpio symbol, Sana. Eh, is that intentional? Are you a Scorpio, Yukishiro?"

    I thought about changing this topic completely, however, I am not good when it comes to questions that regard me.

    Guilty, therefore, I went with this topic for a little bit.

    "Yes, I am. I was born on November 18th, so that makes me a Scorpio!"

    "Woah, so you are a Water sign too! My birthday was a while ago; March 2nd!"

    "Eh, what a surprise, Sana. Late happy birthday!"

    "Ah, thanks... Haha..."

    Sana''s awkward response aside, the astrology topic isn''t rare at all.

    It''s a common trend that I eventually picked up. Not just because every girl of my age is hung on to it but because I do believe that little details hold the most answers. Strictly speaking, my own birthday alone can already tell so much about me.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Plus, astrology is an approved science and has been used several times, even in cases of serious necessity.

    However, I do wonder what sign you are under. The best match for Scorpio is Taurus; as both are soul mates.

    Though, is that really the case here? A Taurus is often reserved and while your pattern of action does not show anything entirely on the surface, the way you do your plays results in catastrophic endgames.

    "Wait, wait. If Yukishiro is a Scorpio and I''m a Pisces, then what sign are you under, Arkalee?"

    "Cancer! My birthday is on July 17th!"

    "Oh my god... We are all Water signs! Different ones at it too! Isn''t this super rare to happen...?!"

    Sana''s probably addicted to astrology. I don''t exactly fault her.

    But it does bother me that we are going far too out of topic, so I''ll propose something reasonable instead.

    "Yes, it''s so rare to happen! Though, shouldn''t we focus on the task at hand first? Oh, I know, when it''s lunchtime, why don''t we three eat lunch together?"

    As I asked this question, I readied myself just in case they dared to deny my generous offer with abhorrent arguments.

    Yet, Sana was the first one to give a positive reply.

    "...Sure... I''ve got nothing better to do anyway."

    With a semi-sad look, Sana agreed with my suggestion. There are plenty of ways to interpret Sana''s reason for upholding that semi-sad look that she''s wearing on her facial expression right now.

    Is it because Yulia isn''t here to give her comfort?

    Is it because you are on that island right now? Then, that would mean that Sana somehow holds a considerable level of affection for you...

    Or, or, better yet, is Sana agreeing with my suggestion in order to study me just so she can know my intentions better and therefore learn how to counterattack them just to protect your identity?

    Now, I do know that this can be qualified as over-thinking, but when I put you on the equation, I don''t believe this is over-thinking. No, no, this is...

    Supposedly, simply, figuratively, literally, cynically, deliberately, touching the tip of the iceberg''s depth; as you are the whole iceberg thus containing immeasurable depth.

    "Ah, I can''t go, sorry."

    Interrupting my thought process, Arkalee, for some reason, decided to decline.

    Since I was not in the mood to let her have her way, I urged to know why yet I consulted Sana with a look first, and to my surprise, she got the right intention that I was trying to portray.

    Thus, Sana spoke on my turn.

    "Arkalee, if this is about Hyunda, then you should just face the reality already... He, just like all the other boys, is on that deserted island. There''s no way that you can be with him."

    "Sana''s right. Furthermore, if he truly is on a deserted island, then you can forget about texting and calling him because there''s no signal."

    "Yup, it''s as Yukishiro says. So, just forget about him for the time being."

    Truth to be told, Hyunda has been on my mind for a while, but he''s unlikely to be the suspect and that''s because Hyunda and Arkalee are glued to each other.

    Hyunda could not have gathered up the necessary time to spend with Sana while simultaneously gathering her support because Arkalee would not allow that.

    Frankly, my point gets even stronger with Arkalee''s next response.

    "Y-You never know! Maybe he didn''t go! He wouldn''t just leave me here like this...!! He knows that I-I can''t go on without him...!"

    Arkalee has decided to cry and thus, Sana and I traded exasperated looks quickly.

    It''s not as if I don''t understand Arkalee''s situation, as a matter of fact, I can relate to. Once you love something or someone so much, with an invisible infinite depth, any type of absence can strike fear onto your heart.

    I''m not heartless since I can relate to Arkalee''s worry. It''s just... When I think of you, nothing else can compare.

    In the end, both Sana and I decided to comfort Arkalee, who was sinking on her forearms while crying almost silently.

    "Arkalee, I think Sana and I deeply understand your situation. It sucks, doesn''t it? To have feelings with an indescribable depth that do not get rewarded slightly, right?"

    "But, Arkalee, even if you have such feelings for him, if he''s away, then there''s nothing you can do about it. You''ll have to learn how to deal with it."

    This should be the prime example as to why Hyunda is such a bad suspect. A clingy girlfriend like Arkalee would not let him even talk to someone like Sana.

    But, but. Let''s not assume things too much.

    This is an open hypothesis. Taking things for granted might backfire ever slightly.

    Because, in the end, you are aware that if I assume something... If I do that, then it might just be the end of the line for me and you would like that, wouldn''t you?

    Well, so sorry, darling.

    I don''t like to dance on a tilted stage.

    "I''ll tell you what, Arkalee, if Yukishiro''s fine with it, why don''t we three hang out a lot? We could form a group just for the three of us!"

    Ah, this is a better display of your skill as an actress Sana.

    You are using the fact that Yulia''s death dealt you a huge emotional blow in order to create this group. The common thought here would be that this group''s creation is for the sole purpose of making Sana feel better. Or, the mediocre thought, on the other hand, would be to follow Sana''s train of thought, which is to create this group in order to make Arkalee more emotionally stable.

    Not exactly bad acting yet not brilliant either. There''s a certain flaw within this proposition.

    "Yukishiro, what do you say?"

    Those reasons above are lackluster.

    "Ah, sure thing! We can''t let Arkalee in this state of mind, right?"

    "Yeah, that''s the spirit! Cheer up, will you?"

    Even though our hands were reaching out to Arkalee''s back, it took her a while to answer, as Arkalee refused to look above.

    Not even Sana''s getting to her, so I''ll have to try something else.

    "You know, from my past observations, Hyunda seems somewhat cold-hearted, wouldn''t you agree, Sana?"

    "Yeah... I mean, sometimes --- er, I mean... The whole point here would be that if you cry too much for him, it will all go to waste."

    Arkalee''s situation is easy to understand. She''s an obsessive person who loves to be with the one that she loves and it''s natural that she''s feeling heart-broken right now.

    Her boyfriend''s away and this is just the beginning of his absence.

    "Mhm, but Sana, you know what is truly a waste?"

    "Oh, what, Yukishiro?"

    "Being a crybaby over an absent boyfriend. I mean, there''s nothing you can do about it, Arkalee. So, why not take this chance to practice the distance betw---"

    Erupting her head from the surface of her table, with crystal-like tears streaming down her fair skin, Arkalee yelled mildly to me and Sana.

    "I hate distance! Hate! Hate! Hate!! I know! We should steal an airplane and use it to meet up with Hyunda and then, I ca---"

    "Arkalee..." x2.

    Arkalee''s refusing to accept the reality of the situation but even so, I won''t be merciful.

    She''s far too whiny.

    "Arkalee, you''re being delusional. Get over it already. He''s going to be absent until the end of the month, whether you like it or not."

    "Wait, hold on, Yukishiro... I think I got this, let me try something."

    "Sure."

    "Arkalee, see it from this perspective. Imagine that Hyunda went on a business trip and he had to be absent for a few weeks. While he''s absent, do you think that he would like to know that you are feeling extremely sad due to his absence...?"

    Arkalee stopped a while to think about Sana''s words shortly.

    Sana''s perspective is kinder and relies on imagination yet that seems to be slightly working.

    "...True... That would hurt him..."

    "See? You know, there''s something you should know when it comes to guys like Hyunda. They don''t really like emotionally fragile girls and you... Well..."

    "Are emotionally fragile."

    Since Sana was having trouble finishing her sentence, I gave her a little push.

    I can understand why you wouldn''t want to be blunt in this scenario, but it''s better if Arkalee comes vis-a-vis with her problems.

    "But I''m not emotionally fragile... I''m just extremely sensitive."

    Which makes you weaker in comparison. Though, there are actual differences. It''s not as simple as it seems at first.

    "Right, I understand that, Arkalee! But, don''t you think he would be happy to see you as an emotionally stronger individual than the person he already knows? Heh, wouldn''t that be pretty neat?"

    ".....Oh..."

    It seems that after a short sequence of reasonings, Arkalee must''ve grown a mental image, and inside her mind, she most likely agreed with Sana''s perspective.

    Not that I particularly care about the current topic, as this is just a gathering that''s happening for the sake of being able to extract more and more information out of my sources.

    Nonetheless, this is a very dangerous game. Because you are aware of my aim.

    Probably, hypothetically speaking, you aren''t aware of my current intentions yet I was already in your mind way before you were inside mine.

    That''s just unforgivable. How dare you be so unfair? I promise I''ll repay you eventually, so just wait a bit until I find you.

    "Girls, ten minutes left!"

    All the way from her desk, located plenty of meters away, we heard the subsequent warning from Yuka-sensei.

    "Arkalee, come with us during lunch and afterward. Yukishiro and I can help you. And besides, what better way to spend your time now that your boyfriend is absent except with your friends?"

    "...Friends...?"

    "Yeah, Arkalee! Friends! We three are friends, right, Yukishiro?"

    "Oh, for sure!"

    What exactly are you planning? Do you intend on attempting a manipulative course of action through this gathering, Sana?

    You are awfully protective, Sana.

    This is the guy that made your best friend suicide yet you are giving him the protection of the world. You clearly don''t know the full story.

    Unlike me, you are dancing on a tilted stage yet to you; it''s not tilted, it''s firm and resistant.

    "Okay... But it''s not going to be easy... I might cry a lot."

    "Yeah, we need to work on that... You cry too easily!"

    Almost out of anger, Sana said that to Arkalee, which provoked an emotional reaction from Arkalee.

    "It can''t be helped, alright?! It''s a way to express passion!"

    "For you, at least. To me and Yukishiro, you''re like a whiny baby. So, stop crying already!"

    "Geez, I already did! Sana, you''re a brute..."

    "No, I''m not..."

    "Yes, you are..."

    "Not."

    "Are."

    ........

    These two are idiots.

    "Okay, we got less than ten minutes now. We have to be quick. I''ll quickly resume, so let''s indulge in the current task right now."

    "Alright, Yuki."

    "Yukishiro''s fine, Arkalee..."

    I don''t like being called ''Yuki''.

    Yet, despite this internal thought and my previous words, Sana managed to still not get the point.

    "Yuki''s cutter though..."

    "Please don''t."

    In order to not let this subject turn into a comedy, my eye glare turned far grimmer and darker than usual, as I heavily spoke to Sana, who decided that it was a good time to take this subject in a light manner.

    There are some things that you are allowed to say and some that you aren''t.

    However, I didn''t delve deeper into this and thus decided to follow the task.

    "Alright, Sana is out of the equation. What about you, Arkalee? What was your relationship with Yulia?"

    "Pretty straight-forward. I did consider her as a friend and she has helped me out from time to time, right, Sana?"

    "Yeah, I was there the whole time, this is pretty much true..."

    "Oh, I see."

    As I wrote Arkalee''s name down on the list, I quickly remembered the fact that I was supposedly present throughout the majority of the times.

    There were times where I had to attend the events, thus creating my absence. Did you capitalize on that factor?!

    You do realize that your indirect affection is intoxicatingly alerting me, right?

    An astral psalm would be inadequate of me, wouldn''t it? After all, the affinity keeps on translucently expanding itself from unknown origins; beyond imaginable margins.

    "Yukishiro, what about you? What was your relationship with Yulia?"

    "Don''t worry, Sana. I never talked to her in the first place. You were with her the whole time, right? You can confirm this. Ah, I don''t mean to be rude, I''m just sorta blunt, I guess."

    "No offense taken... It''s like I''m the only one that''s taking what has happened seriously... It''s somewhat frightening to think that we are in a room full of heartless liars who don''t even care that their classmate has just passed away. Like... Yulia was here yet why are the majority treating her like she wasn''t..."

    Gloomy, Sana expressed her honest feelings about the current situation.

    All in all, Yulia''s situation doesn''t mean that much to the rest because they didn''t connect as deeply as Sana did with Yulia.

    It''s not reasonable to expect a sad reaction out of everyone here. Yet, her primal reasoning was that death is being treated far too lightly, which in that scenario, I would agree.

    Yet, do you actually expect me to be sad over my Omega''s art? Please.

    I''m exhilarated.

    "That''s why I want the suspect to be found as quickly as possible... Truth to be told, this happened while I wasn''t aware..."

    "What do you mean, Sana?"

    "...Yulia was fairly insecure, I know this for a fact... Whoever did this surely must''ve been aware of things that I wouldn''t normally be aware of. It''s just weird because I was with Yulia the majority of the time. I wish I could know what happened in those layers of time that I wasn''t there with Yulia..."

    Sana''s detailed answer to my simple question just proved my point even further.

    You are dancing on an incredibly tilted stage. A stage, so tilted, that you might as well be on the edge of it while thinking that you are in the center, medium position.

    "Um, can I give an honest answer here?"

    Arkalee, raising her hand up mildly, spoke to Sana and me.

    With a simple glance upon her, we silently gave our positive confirmation.

    "I don''t think we are going to find who did this. If we have no evidence to link to the suspect, then our efforts are pointless."

    "Arkalee, this isn''t exactly about finding out who did it, strictly. We are aware that we have no evidence to work with, which is why this is most likely an endeavor made to create a profile regarding the suspect. By doing so, we can get a clear image of the suspect''s pattern, ideology, and whatnot."

    "Eh, but Sana, if the suspect already knows this, then the suspect will just have to adapt to the situation, no?"

    "I mean, yeah, you make a fair point."

    These two are so, so dumb. Either that or they are attempting to make a fool out of me.

    Regardless, their points are flawed, and here is why.

    Arkalee, you are claiming that we have no evidence that can be used to link to the suspect''s identity yet you did not explain why that''s the case. Why don''t we have that link? Because the suspect played this out correctly.

    Surely, that''s simple to understand.

    What doesn''t add up is why you bothered to speak up. Our efforts being useless? Are you sure that it''s not just you who wants us to perceive our efforts as useless?

    But now, Sana''s point is the one that bothered me the most. Initially, I thought that she had just forgotten about the fact that the boys are on the island and that it''s just us girls here, yet I think it''s a little bit deeper than that, which makes her point flawed, accordingly.

    Her point is flawed because she went ahead and claimed that if the suspect is aware that the suspect is being suspected and that the suspect''s profile becomes public knowledge; adaptation to the current situation is possible.

    The flaw comes from the fact that the suspect has no way of adapting to a situation that is happening behind the suspect''s back.

    In other words, this profile that we are attempting to create will only disclose the picture that the suspect is indeed a boy.

    Assumably, this profile will not connect to any of the girls here and the boys have no way to know.

    Plus, it wouldn''t be a mistake to assume that this will be kept as confidential knowledge in order to use against the boys.

    If the profile''s characteristics do not correspond to any of the girls, then the boys will be suspected.

    It''s not as if I disagree with the pattern of action here. It''s actually quite effective. What I can''t stand, however, is bad acting.

    Sana, stop.

    It won''t work, I''m telling you. You can pretend all you like and it will not make a difference.

    Do you think I haven''t noticed that you made that flawed point in order to make me think that your initial point was flawed and that you''d, therefore, make me think that you had committed a mistake?

    You sneaky devil. You placed a bigger lie on top of a bigger lie.

    Ultimately, still bad acting. It''s all stagnant once I can read you like an open book, Sana.

    Commendable effort regardless.

    "Two minutes!"

    While I thought all of that out, we were eliminating the primal individuals that most likely had no reason to hold a grudge against Yulia, and thus, we arrived at a conclusion that we all agreed on based on who had the highest likelihood of holding a grudge against Yulia.

    "Yeah, Ikkiri has the highest chance of being the suspect here. Though, I still think we should blame Akimiyashika here."

    "I agree with Yukishiro here... Hasn''t she been acting way too high and mighty?"

    "Yeah, since she''s covering for Ikkiri, she most likely doesn''t like the fact that Ikkiri got blamed by Yulia and you, Sana. Don''t you think that it makes the most sense for Akimiyashika to target someone like Yulia? Think about it, Sana."

    "...Are you implying that Akimiyashika did this just because Yulia and I blamed Ikkiri back then...?"

    "You know how over-protective Akimiyashika is when it comes to Ikkiri. So, knowing that, do you really have to ask?"

    "Time''s up! Write down your group''s take on a paper and bring it to me. After that, you are free to go to the interval!"

    Upon hearing Yuka-sensei''s order, each group''s indicated person that would bring the paper to Yuka-sensei started to depart to her desk in no specific order.

    Sana was already ahead of time and was writing down Akimiyashika''s name.

    Furthermore, Sana made sure that she got up from her seat when Akimiyashika was already long gone.

    Though, before Sana could entirely get up from her seat, I transiently placed my right hand on her left wrist, causing her to revert her position.

    However, I spoke about what I had wanted to just say to her and her alone, now that Arkalee was away, somewhere else.

    "Um, Sana, this is really important, but can you do a request for me?"

    "...What?"

    "Oh, you accepted. Nice. Nice. Don''t go back on your word, now. Okay, sooo... Just in case, hypothetically speaking, should you encounter him, I want you to pass this small message, on my steed, please."

    Feeling a staggering sensation let loosen on my throat''s surface, almost as if swelling magma, the salient words that I find myself being insatiable about relied on the explicit implication of keen embarrassment.

    This life, which I drink from a bottle constantly used to hold the same sporadic taste until the spike of your existence made me a victim; embracing this euphoric and vulnerable state.

    Evocation or resemblance of an elixir; able to cure one''s limpness in life, I thank you.

    "I SWEAR I WILL FIND YOU!"

 Volume 17 - Chapter 115: Dont Judge Me.

    "Dumbass. That''s what you get."

    Scratching the back of his head with his body lying on top of the lianas, Kuzan slowly came back to his senses after hearing my words.

    The fall from the top of the tree could''ve been the equivalent of lethal, but I did catch him in the process.

    And then dropped him on top of the lianas again.

    "Master, uuuuh! Why''d drop me like that?!"

    "Oh fuck off, Kuzan. What sort of man holds a guy like a princess for even a split second?!"

    And besides, it was his own fault for climbing that high while using fragile vertical lianas. Although their durability and flexibility might trick one into thinking that they are fit for climbing purposes.

    Even if they are rooted in the ground, they can still break half-way thus causing lethal damage onto the one that was stupid enough to try such feat.

    Climbing a tree is the essence of high risk; especially if the climbing begins to show frail states in early stages.

    However, to someone who enjoys taking high risks and to someone who is adjoined with a sense of recklessness at all times, the above segments are barely relevant, if they are relevant at all, that is.

    Kuzan is exactly the type of person who doesn''t mind taking high risks.

    "Get up, Kuzan. It was just a fall."

    "Yeah, yeah... Agh, by the way, Master, have you seen anyone else on this island so far? Or is it just the two of us so far?"

    As Kuzan got up from his previous resting position and dusted the dirt off his clothes, I took his words into account.

    Kuzan just asked me if I have seen anyone else on this island. Anyone else is excluding the two of us yet I had to make sure of something before progressing with this.

    "Kuzan, by that, are you implying that you''ve only encountered me thus far on this island?"

    "Mhm? Well, yeah! What else could I be implying with that, Master?"

    Kuzan doesn''t think much in general yet I had to make sure that his version of ''anyone else'' didn''t differ far too much from the common margin.

    Now, instead of actually addressing the situation as it stands, the scenario creation will begin. Firstly, an image must be set.

    "I see. No, I have not. You are the first one I have encountered, Kuzan."

    "Oh, I thought so! I was climbing the tree up high just to see the helicopters above!"

    Naturally, Kuzan doesn''t realize that I have just lied to him. I already have encountered Kan.

    Also, something worth mentioning is that there are no cameras around here.

    It would be far too obvious and no warnings were given regarding that.

    Are they not going to rely on vigilance? No, they have to rely on vigilance. Therefore, they will most likely use a different method of vigilance that doesn''t revolve around the utilization of technological devices such as security cameras.

    However, that can come later. The island is still far too long and just by taking a small glance at the map while holding onto the compass, our position still remains south.

    "Kuzan, did you receive it as well?"

    "''The''."

    "I see. Your word is ''The''."

    There was no ultimate need to question what Kuzan had just said because he presented me with the same envelope that was stuffed inside his bag.

    Words.

    Way.

    And now...

    The.

    Words way the. Way words the. The words way. The way words.

    That last one would seem the most likely to fit the bill, but this is pointless to think about.

    "Um, what word did you get, Master?"

    "Kuzan, keep this is a secret. Do not share it with anyone else that isn''t a part of the Hideout. Others aren''t trustworthy."

    Relatively, I will have to treat my own members with undying loyalty as they will do the same to me as well.

    The contract''s conditions remain; in every special exam, I will aid my own members with my wisdom and they will pass the exam, therefore.

    "I got it!"

    "Alright. It''s ''Words''. And yes, in case you haven''t realized yet, by finding the rest, we will most likely find the rest of the words along the process."

    "I see! We should find the rest of the Hideout members too! Rayazaki, Akihiko, and Aniki!"

    As we started to walk into the jungle once again, going forth, otherwise labeled as walking towards north direction, I interrupted Kuzan''s wishful way of thinking whilst dodging the upcoming wave of jagged lianas in front.

    "Daniel is not a Hideout member. Therefore, he''s not a priority. Rayazaki and Akihiko are."

    Plus, I don''t think Daniel is reliable now. I''ve been observing his behavior the past days and chose to remain silent about it.

    He''s not emotionally unstable; he''s simply unavailable.

    In other words, he''s useless. He might''ve scored well during the last exam, but in this one, he is done for.

    If he''s no use, then there is no point in persisting with him any longer.

    "Also, Kuzan. If you find Daniel, don''t trust him. Only trust the Hideout members."

    "I mean, can Rayazaki and Akihiko be trusted?"

    This is surprising. Kuzan''s demonstrating a small bit of intelligence right now.

    However, those doubts are unnecessary.

    "You don''t have to worry about that. As long as they are affiliated to me, the chances of those scenarios coming up are low. Furthermore... Try to obtain the word out of anyone who you encounter."

    The words were given for a reason. Thus far, I''ve encountered two individuals who had the same circumstance like me.

    It''s clear that they serve a purpose ultimately. And finding them out takes priority first.

    "Um, correct me if I''m wrong, but without Susaga and Ryoken, we are in total ten, right? So, that should mean, there are eight words left."

    "Correct, Kuzan. You might as well make that six because we will obtain Rayazaki and Akihiko''s words in no time. For that, we will need to gath---"

    I was about to enforce the importance of finding the other Hideout members yet as soon as the path of vast lianas ended, our eyes embraced a far more luminous scenario.

    Water so farse yet so sparkling. A dainty cheerful waterfall on the other side of the incongruously homey oasis stood majestically up high filling the stream of freshwater closing the oasis''s end coolly.

    A small bay rich in yellow sand led to a comfortable sensation once our feets stood on top of it; slowly unraveling the disclosure until the calm water flux struck us back and forth idly.

    Curiously, the sunlight contemplated the water''s surface beautifully, as the obnoxiously dangerous hellish temperature made the water''s composition far more solid and warm.

    Plummetting speed remained everlasting in the unstoppable water tide streaming down from the top of the high cliff; only to reach the oasis'' water.

    Yet before doing so, the flow would undeniably encounter an individual that was unmoved by the raging movements of the perilous flux.

    With his body unprotected, ready to fully take on the unbreakable tide, Rayazaki stood in the middle of waterfall, calmly, in a meditating position while seating on top of a wet boulder.

    Precisely speaking, Kuzan and I could only watch from afar; as the waterfall was at the end of the oasis.

    An oasis so round that only served the purpose of being the closure point of this jungle.

    A high cliff above.

    No way forward.

    In other words, a dead end.

    "Heeeeeeeeeyyyy!! Rayazaki!! Can you hear us, dude?!"

    Kuzan''s shout was in vain because Rayazaki could not hear him at all.

    From my understanding and by common sense itself, Rayazaki should not be able to hear a normal shout like that, at all.

    The rhythm of the tide and the abnormal sound of the water flux only provoke a swift closure to any outside sound that isn''t the stream itself.

    "Um, Master, what now? He can''t hear me from the looks of it."

    With his thumb finger on the edge of his lips, Kuzan couldn''t help but be helpless.

    "You don''t have to worry, Kuzan. It''s not like he isn''t watching you. Look closely."

    Although I pointed in Rayazaki''s direction, Kuzan''s perplexed face emitted a signal of further confusion, thus I went the extra mile to explain the obvious.

    "His eyes. They are open."

    "Eeehhhh... Um... I can''t see them from here, Master. It''s too far away!"

    "True, Kuzan. My falcon-like vision is far too grand for the likes of mortals such as you."

    "Wuuuh, unfair..."

    What I just said isn''t exactly true. I simply saw Rayazaki''s eyelids contract due to the shining light being reflected on the water''s surface which only happens if you have your eyes open.

    It''s a natural reflex that the eyes will use in order to protect themselves from the ominous radiation transmitted onto the water.

    In other words, Rayazaki knows we are here and he has heard Kuzan. He simply chose to ignore him.

    "Hey, Kuzan. Try it again."

    "Eh? Alright... Time to shout so loud the whole island will quake!"

    Kuzan''s logic is extremely hard to process and understand. My brain cells feel like they are taking a bath in hot lava right now.

    Nevertheless, after Kuzan shouted, Rayazaki remained unable to ignore Kuzan.

    Thus, with his body fully naked, Rayazaki came to us through the warm chill water.

    "Yo, what if someone stole your uniform clothes and your bag?"

    "You are way too open about this, Rayazaki!"

    Kuzan''s additional remark aside, Rayazaki seemed completely unbothered as he looked at his uniform clothes lying in the middle of the sand.

    Additionally, he looked at me, whose top was firmly shown.

    Then, he decided to speak to the rest of us.

    "We should start making our own clothes eventually. I want to adjoin a palm tree''s softwood trend into its leaves and make it so my body parts are covered. Walking with our uniform clothes in this tropical atmosphere is suicide."

    Immediately, upon hearing Rayazaki''s take on the current situation, I spoke in agreement.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    "True. We should start taking notes of specific locations. According to the compass, we are located south. Therefore, the oasis is located south."

    "Hm, but Kawahara, how are we going to note down in the map that the oasis is located here, in this specific location? Also, have you noticed how this is a dead end?"

    So Rayazaki has noticed. Preferably, he must''ve chosen this place on purpose then.

    Which means he must''ve had plenty of time to confirm the surroundings.

    "Yeah. The top of the waterfall you were under was the result of the end of the river that was streaming down from the above surface. In other words, we are under a smaller surface. Which means... The way up is somewhere else."

    "You do make a good point, Kawahara..."

    Still to find an oasis up here is very good. Taking baths won''t be a problem.

    Even if the water is dead cold.

    Despite our mutual agreement, Kuzan, who was standing next to me, begged to reinforce another point that Rayazaki had previously made.

    "You guys, we should still make this location appointed in the map, somehow! But we don''t have a pen!!"

    Truth to be told, Kuzan''s point might sound like common sense on the surface, but it might be more complex than what it initially looks like.

    Thankfully, I have a photographic memory, so this is not a problem.

    "No need to worry. I will handle that. On the other hand, Rayazaki, are you just gonna walk around naked?"

    "No, I''ll put my pants on but that''s it. I''m getting some ''clothes'' today. Also, we should have a more serious discussion. Let''s seat below a palm tree. This heat will kill us all..."

    Rayazaki and Kuzan started to walk to the palm three''s shadow that was a few meters away, however, I decided to strip away my pants and boxers along with my socks.

    "Master?"

    "Kawahara, what are you doing?"

    To think they have to question such an obvious question.

    These stone heads.

    They are in front of an oasis and they both agree with the thought of chilling below a palm tree.

    What utter nonsense!

    Thus, to express my fierce thoughts and extreme dislike on that particular thought of inactivity, I balanced my torso back, with my arms'' muscles suppressed at full strength and spoke out eagerly to Rayazaki and Kuzan.

    "Fools! You are in front of an oasis! Look at that sparkling water! That luscious stark emitted on the scouring surface! How can we possibly miss out on something like this?!"

    "Ah! You''re right, Master!"

    Kuzan, realizing how stupid it was to waste an opportunity like this, started to strip furiously.

    Sub-par to this, Rayazaki started growing skeptical.

    "What about the conversation...?"

    "I mean, we can talk about it on the water. The place doesn''t change that, Rayazaki."

    "Fair enough."

    Without any complaints, we went forth and basked under the sun; swimming on the small oasis.

    Near the waterfall''s powerful stream, the surface of the water remained forever agitated yet by taking a few lights swims to a darker place, the surface changed.

    Not choppy nor too swollen; it became easily navigatable.

    Small harmonic waves produced and afflicted by the reproduction of my arm swings tore the surface apart transiently.

    Despite such a peaceful order within the shapeless permanent fresh linear surface, with a heavy dive to the deepsea below, a fissure within the top of the luminary light briefly unraveled.

    The water is free.

    Shapeless; it can''t ever take shape. Mock it, ravage it, the shape will not create itself. It will instead, become far freer; as it can''t be restricted. Untamed in its might.

    Slightly crystalline it stayed from the naive perspective that my being upheld from the bottom lying deep yet resurfacing it recalled a rampage; as the surface was assaulted by my enormous entirety.

    Thus, without taking any shape, turbulent, delightfully warm, and soft, the water became.

    "Ahhhh, feels so goooood! Paradise!"

    Rejoicing the tepid feeling the cupful lukewarm liquid essential water was giving him while swimming back and forth like a restless child, Kuzan''s happiness peaked.

    "True enough, I could stay here until the end of my days."

    With only his fair toned skin face showing and with his other body parts submerged onto the water, Rayazaki added that.

    However, he simply did this to use that as a reference point. Henceforth, he continued.

    "Kawahara, Kuzan, I think we should consider staying here, at least for the night. Our resources are practically non-existent."

    Rayazaki brought a fair point. But, it''s not as if I haven''t realized the obvious things so far.

    Idealistically speaking, only someone full of idealism and blind optimism would spout complete nonsense just to make the atmosphere brighter and condensing.

    "Eh, maybe that''s not true! I bet there is a house somewhere on this island! We should, instead, start exploring the island!"

    "No, Kuzan, I don''t think that''s the correct play right now. We can do that tomorrow. Don''t be greedy."

    It wasn''t me who said that, but Rayazaki. For now, I was observing their debate while mildly swimming around the flat surface.

    "But Rayazaki, there''s no way that they would just leave us here all alone and make us starve to death!"

    Kuzan, once again, brought a fair point. There has to be a fair drawback here. Now, does this mean that we should rush?

    No, we shouldn''t.

    The day is about to meet its end, therefore, the light will begin to fade; making the research''s results lackluster and possibly unsatisfactory.

    Still, that''s way too idealistic. If this is truly an abandoned island, then there should be nothing of that sort here.

    "Regarding that; while that may be true, it''s getting dark. Finding some food and a way to sleep would be nice."

    Rayazaki''s words came out in a limp way, so I decided to add more power to them by stepping in.

    "What Rayazaki wants to say is that we should worry about our current situation instead of mindlessly pursuing about something that can be chased at any given time. Time isn''t of the essence right now; our survival is."

    "Ehhh... Fine, fine... But doesn''t that mean that we won''t be able to find Akihiko then? Doesn''t our gathering take priority?"

    Once again, I spoke cohesively.

    "Again, our research would be flawed. We still don''t know many things about this island. We should hunt while there''s daylight."

    "Kawahara, did you see any animals along the way?"

    Perhaps he felt like it wasn''t necessary to fully pay attention, as Rayazaki took a small dive after hearing my last words and spoke again to me while shaking his wet black hair.

    "A few rabbits and a deer... The rest is sub-par in terms of quality. But, you know, Rayazaki, where are we right now?"

    I asked Rayazaki this question with an ulterior purpose yet he realized the purpose instantly.

    "I see. Excuse me for a second."

    Rayazaki took a dive and thus, Kuzan also did the same.

    Lastly, I did that as well and went with them to the bottom of the oasis.

    The depth was far too short to be called profound. Ten or so meters yet the depth itself wasn''t important.

    What was important instead, was the observation of the fishes lurking around the bottom.

    Frankly small, but even then, we couldn''t help but feast our greedy eyes on the poor creatures who would surely become decent dinner material.

    Correction; are.

    Ultimately, we resurfaced and Rayazaki was the first to speak.

    "I''m not saying we shouldn''t try our luck with the rabbits and the deer, but, hypothetically speaking, while the light is lukewarm, we should, perhaps satisfy ourselves with fishes."

    "Um, how are we going to catch them? With our bare hands?"

    Kuzan''s question wasn''t awkward whatsoever to ask. Fishes are agile and free movement would be an accurate description for their overall abrupt movements.

    Thus catching them with bare hands could pose an issue.

    Which is why I issued the solution.

    "Sharp spears should do the trick. Although our movements will become slightly sluggish and slow underwater, the sharp edge of a spear will kill the fish. As to how we make a spear, we''ll do it the old fashioned way. Grab a rustic stick, sharp its edge with a rock and it will eventually become suitable for the job. Can you do it, Rayazaki?"

    By asking Rayazaki if he was up to the task, I was also implying something else.

    "I think so. What about you two? What will you do?"

    I allowed Kuzan to go first, after trading glances with him.

    "Well... If we aren''t going to search, then we should prioritize our night time. We aren''t going to eat raw fish, so I''ll make a bamboo fire saw. Don''t worry, I know how to do it! I saw tutorials on YouTube!"

    Why in nine hells does Kuzan know how to make a bamboo fire saw, especially based on YouTube tutorials?

    Well, whatever. As long as it''s done, that''s what matters.

    "I''m growing skeptical, Kuzan..."

    "Chill, Rayazaki! I know how to do it! You better not underestimate the number of useless things I know!"

    "..."

    Rayazaki wasn''t that impressed as his skepticism only grew further and further. His distrustful glance towards Kuzan made him feel doubtful.

    This skepticism isn''t necessary and it will only invite trouble. So, I''ll erase it.

    "Rayazaki, trust Kuzan here. We will all do separate tasks. If Kuzan fails, we will help him. If I fail, you two will help me. And if you fail, we will help you."

    "YouTube tutorials... Come on, man."

    So his problem is that Kuzan''s source of knowledge is lackluster in his mind.

    However...

    "Rayazaki, why don''t we roast Kuzan if he performs poorly?"

    "What?!"

    "Yeah, fine. I''m gonna call you by ''YouTube Tutorial'' instead of your real name if you don''t manage to light up a fire, Kuzan!"

    "How dare you mock YouTube tutorials! I swear the one I watched wasn''t a clickbait! Come on, Rayazaki! Don''t be so distrustful! ...Boomer."

    With my lips on the water''s surface, I chuckled, which provoked a small uprising tide.

    "...What does that mean...? Hey, Kawahara, can you tell me?"

    Instead of asking Kuzan that, Rayazaki looked straight at me and asked that.

    "Hold on, Kuzan. This doesn''t necessarily mean that he''s a Boomer. Rayazaki just has trust issues."

    "That didn''t answer my question."

    Despite Rayazaki''s annoyed expression and revolted words, Kuzan replied to me swiftly.

    "I mean, sure, but the fact that he''s doubting YouTube tutorials though..."

    "A pretty Boomer move, yes."

    "Guys, I''m fucking serious. Answer me."

    "However, Kuzan, unlike a true Boomer, he isn''t reminiscing old times. If someone who you call a Boomer does not reminisce, then he/she is not a Boomer. So, your argument is invalid."

    Also, Kuzan heavily misunderstood something. Rayazaki isn''t totally doubting his knowledge source.

    He''s just doubting Kuzan in general because Kuzan behaves retardedly.

    Rayazaki and I have a more brief and smart way of thinking while Kuzan doesn''t.

    Seeing this difference alerted Rayazaki, causing his skepticism to expand.

    "Can someone just fucking answer me al--"

    "Rayazaki, you don''t know what such a popular term means, just like you don''t know if Kuzan will be successful. Chill."

    "..."

    With Rayazaki''s silence, I continued.

    "This argument''s pretty ridiculous. I know that you are worried if you''ll get a good meal tonight, but that''s no reason to be all aggressive."

    "I just wanted to know something but no one answered me. How do you expect me to remain calm?"

    "Your lack of knowledge disturbed you, I get it. But you don''t have to be such an arrogant bitch about it. Kuzan hasn''t treated you badly, has he? Your treatment is unfair."

    "It''s Kuzan''s fault for not telling m--"

    "Is it though? You started the unfair treatment. Then you received unfair treatment back. Pretty standard, if you ask me. How can you expect equal treatment when you''ve gone ahead and put yourself in such a disadvantageous position?"

    "...You were sorta rude too..."

    Dissatisfied, Kuzan added that.

    "...I suppose it was my bad. I apologize."

    I was expecting Rayazaki to argue back, all prideful, however, Rayazaki remained calm and answered back while recognizing that he was at fault.

    Though, he simply recognized my reasoning instead of seeing the evil in his own action. It''s a common mistake to take apologies as a recognition of one''s evil doing.

    In his mind, Rayazaki''s probably thinking how his pattern of action was flawed and not logical for the most part.

    This doesn''t mean that he''s aiming for a better change, in a moral sense, however, Kuzan sees this as a genuine apology.

    That alone could be witnessed in his upcoming words.

    "I shouldn''t have mentioned the YouTube part. That was also dumb of me..."

    Both recognize their own flaws.

    Now that this part is done, I can get another point across.

    "Treat each other like you''d like to be treated. You are free to treat others that aren''t from the Hideout however you want but to each member, we give fair treatment."

    "Yup! It''s as Master says! So, I forgive you, Rayazaki!"

    Of course, this is only a method of control.

    It''s a whole different story about how I feel about this overall sentimental subjectivity. Regardless, it''s good to restrict certain unnecessary behaviors.

    Morality once bent and twisted apart, can form such usage that you would not realize that evil has started to lurk in the shadows.

    "Alright, thanks. Though, I still doubt you."

    "W-Why you!! Alright, I''m fired up now! You better bring me some fishes then! Otherwise, the fire will go to waste!"

    I don''t agree with Kuzan here.

    The fire will keep us warm at night. However, we will eventually have to blow the fire out for the sake of sleeping.

    Yet there lies another problem...

    As we exited the water, fully naked, I gazed at the top of the palm trees and saw the large-sized leaves.

    With no real bed, it would be problematic to find a comfortable spot to sleep.

    However, I decided to address a few things first once I came into contact with soft yellow sand that the oasis had to offer to my two feet.

    "Kuzan, Rayazaki, while we might be spending here the night, I want you two to be on alert. We will sleep close to the water. The waves are fairly calm so, we don''t have to worry about the tide rising."

    "Okay, but why?"

    "Simple, Kuzan. In the odd case someone comes in, at the first step, we will all dive into the water. Should that someone be another one of our classmates that isn''t Akihiko, we mob the fuck out of him. Why? Because what we are looking for is the envelope that contains the word. Rayazaki, can you show me yours?"

    Approaching his bag, Rayazaki took out the envelope from his bag.

    While he did that, a question of interest came up.

    "Rayazaki, did you bring additional things?"

    "Useless stuff for the most part. Food an---"

    "You brought food?! Bro, why didn''t you tell us?! I''m dying over here!!"

    Kuzan, unable to sustain his hunger, lashed out immediately and went straight to Rayazaki''s bag.

    Despite that, Rayazaki didn''t resist and with his envelope already in his hand, he allowed Kuzan to take a look at what was inside his bag without any signs of resistance.

    "Eeeehhh!! You brought apples?!"

    "I thought we were going on a school trip. I thought wrong. I should''ve brought my whole food if I knew."

    Rayazaki''s topic is worthless to discuss.

    Because even if I say ''If I knew that this would happen I would''ve blah blah blah'', it won''t change the current situation.

    Regardless, Rayazaki handed me the envelope yet while he did, he did a reasonable thing in return.

    "Can you show me yours?"

    "Sure. Kuzan, stop crying and get your ass in here with your envelope too. We will share our envelopes'' word and by doing so, we will keep that knowledge with only us. Akihiko is an exception here."

    Not beating around the bush, we three held our white papers up high, almost lined up to our chest, and ultimately, we glanced at our messages.

    Though, not quite, Kuzan and I went straight to Rayazaki''s message with our savage eyes. Meanwhile, Rayazaki carefully observed ours.

    For the record, showing Kan''s message is out of the question, thus, I never took it off from my bag.

    Rayazaki''s message is: The.

    Which struck me with a sensation of confusion immediately.

    "Rayazaki, you''re not fucking trolling, are you?"

    "What? No, I''m not. This really is the message I got. But... How strange... Kuzan has the same word as me... What''s going on exactly..."

    For now, I didn''t elevate my reaction as there was room to analyze.

    This could very well be a sentence that contains ten words.

    In a sentence, it''s not an odd thing for the word ''the'' to be present more than once.

    However, was this done on purpose?

    "Oh well, why bother caring about it now?"

    "Yeah, Kuzan''s right. We will gather more clues eventually."

    Speaking in agreement, Rayazaki and Kuzan drew a fast conclusion here.

    Eventually, it will all make more sense. It''s just a matter of time.

    Knowing this, we each did our separate tasks.

    Rayazaki sharpened a spear masterfully for Kuzan to hunt the fishes down. Even though there were a lot of fails at first and as for me, I contented myself with building a mini cabana that took around four hours to make.

    There was the option of building a more stable and hard cabana with a more durable structure yet I didn''t exactly have in mind the option of staying here more than this night.

    Indicating the nightfall, the sun began to set, thus came the dusk.

    Visible stars started to decorate the dark sky; adding a certain type of chemistry within.

    Palm tree leaves were gathered to serve the purpose of giving us a more comfortable feeling while sleeping yet we all knew that deep inside, we would struggle to sleep.

    A fire containing an intensity so creepingly strong that would put down any long-intended glares shortly gained steady life with additional cracking sounds resulting from the added rustic sticks onto the bright volcanic fire.

    Already roasted and ready to eat, we grabbed the fishes and felt unparalleled satisfaction after not having eaten anything in the previous hours.

    The one who expressed his happiness as soon as possible was no other than Kuzan.

    "So fucking good! Mother in heaven, I don''t curse, but when I fucking do, I fucking mean it!"

    "So many ''fucking'', Kuzan? Are you referring to this fucking roasted fish? ''Cause if you are, you are goddamn fucking right!"

    Unlike his usual somewhat polite behavior, Rayazaki went out of the line and started a cursing parade with Kuzan, as he devoured his fish fearlessly.

    "Hm? How strange, Master... You''re the type of person who wou---- E-Eeeek!"

    So he realized.

    I can''t help myself and I''m not ashamed of admitting this in my mind.

    Through this soft palm tree leaf that''s serving as a way to tap my intimate areas, the leaf''s soft surface got easily pierced by a penetrating force.

    "...No manners whatsoever. Kawahara, you belong here."

    "Hush it, you two! There''s nothing wrong with a man popping a boner while eating. It''s a perfectly natural reaction."

    It''s been exactly fourteen hours since I''ve eaten anything.

 Volume 17 - Chapter 116: Fire in the creed, tainted water in my skin, you are the strength in me.

    April 11th.

    From a cold and stable temperature to a stern thick hazy weather; the morning curtain rose.

    A distant shrunken blinding ball of light illuminates our skin fervently.

    Tin-roofed and unable to sustain protection in order to shield its sheltered individuals, with fragile rays coming from the god-crusted radiant sun, the cabana''s flat leaves were easily penetrated and scattered mildly due to the merciless solar particles that were additionally placed upon.

    "..."

    Unquestionably, the combination of the tropical atmosphere, containing a high temperature already early at the young dawn, and receiving ethereal if not mystic aimed rays at my skin gave me a reasonable alert that the tawny and impertinent sun had risen itself once again; ready to take on the eternal cycle.

    For the most part, reddish unequal rays of lights can be interpreted as routine regardless of different takes. Phosphorescent solar energy is essentially a routine signal. A world-wide known mechanism to alert anyone that the night eventually ends.

    To most; this is common knowledge. Even to myself, it''s impractical to attempt to resist this natural cycle.

    Beneath these light leaves covering the cabana''s walls, each shaped quadratically along with a roof rich of long sized palm tree leaves. Noticeably, a roof that isn''t stacked with a couple of branches will lack weight. Yesterday, as a secondary measure to equilibrate the overall weight of the cabana, it was necessary to stack a couple of rough branches on top of the heavy palm tree leaves.

    Regardless of all that, all it took was a dim sinister step from the scouring sun to rain down on all the defenses that I had come up with last night, before heading to bed.

    "..."

    Unprocessed heat far too reactive upon this haze led me with no choice but to leave the cabana. Before departing to the outside of it, which was roughly a few centimeters away from my current position, in which I was previously lying down on my uncomfortable jaded leaf used for the simple reason of comfortability; I placed my vision on the two carefree individuals who were, despite the obnoxious temperature and the hellish radiation, sleeping safe and sound.

    Far too unbothered, Kuzan and Rayazaki remained.

    "It''s a good thing though."

    Checking my phone that still had a large amount of battery left, swiftly, the hours and minutes became primal knowledge.

    Regarding why it''s a good thing, it''s fairly simple, all in all. The more their bodies rest, the more their brains and vessels will be able to perform in terms of physical and mental prowess. Neglecting rest in this situation is beyond counterproductive.

    Today marks April 11th. Newly-born dawn, inexperienced and uncultivated, ready to be shaped drastically.

    "No one took the bait yet. These holes remain intact. Though, it''s not as if I wasn''t paying any attention either way. This means that this island might be longer than what my imagination has already unconsciously assumed."

    To be more precise with my saying, as I check the holes that I had purposely dug yesterday on the quest to obtain more clues regarding the all-important words I''m supposed to collect, I decided to set up a few traps around the jungle''s end.

    Excavating holes around the entrance and then shrouding it with large palm tree leaves could easily be something that someone with minimal intelligence could spot. That is; under the daylight.

    A completely different story in the middle of the night. However, that would be a flawed tactic. A phone''s torch could decipher this fairly easily.

    Which is why, I set additional traps, such as cartridge traps and bamboo whips.

    "...By... --- If, hypothetically speaking, someone were to approach this oasis out of sheer curiosity, then, before noticing the huge leaves on top of the deep excavated trap holes... surely, that certain someone would fall prey to the unnoticeable cartridge traps first. Although, I don''t have a bullet. So, the cartridge traps don''t actually serve a lethal purpose. Same with the bamboo whips. They are all made out of bamboo. Therefore, the ultimate purpose would be to create sound; thus alerting me."

    Admittedly, cartridge traps work well regardless.

    In the occasional case that an animal would walk in instead, then I profit simultaneously. It''s a win-win situation.

    But, it didn''t happen. No one has discovered this place yet. Something that might not be far too much of a stretch to already notice is that the map''s size is obviously fake. Of course, the size that is on the map isn''t the one in the actuality. That''s common knowledge.

    Yet, just how far and wide is this island? Are we in a small portion of the island? Is the island just that big? If so, then how far are we all from each other? Is our time until the end of the month a mere illusion? Which method of observation will they choose?

    Mere questions that I bothered to pounder as I was on my way to the fountain.

    "7 am. After I''m done bathing, I''m waking the princesses up."

    Approaching the cold virginal water, my ears were filled with a harmonic sensation after hearing the cunningly intricate hymn produced by the toucans on the top of the wet rocks aside the scattering raging waterfall.

    From this collateral side, the extravagant luminous shine brought forth witnessed previously fell victim to the continuous shade born out of the contrast between the position of the sun and the elevating waterfall.

    A matter of hours before the sun sits on top and lays down solar judgment.

    "Might as well take this off."

    Untying the sharp piece of light cloth that was around my waist since yesterday and randomly placing it on the soft sand''s surface, my feet embraced a chilling sensation transiently.

    Nevertheless, that thought came as wrong; as it was no transience. Perhaps only short-lived, ephemerally, a teaspoon cold descended its own warm yet limpid temperature to a judicious cold.

    Granted, my body felt a glacial sensation creeping in; until the movement of a flat decisive dive onto the particularly good and pure water was made.

    Beneath excessively crystal clear liquid midst an undifferentiated almost translucent blue; fishes began to reign rampant over the abundant depth, refusing to approach the transparent surface.

    Ignoring them and allowing them to naturally venture their common ground; I performed a steady swim to the distant water lying a few meters away from my initial position.

    Resurfacing, brackish but otherwise drinkable water had made its entrance inside my mouth, as my eyes blinked not once, but ultimately twice.

    "...Knowing those retards, they probably think that they can just survive out of seawater. Frankly, the ideology for survival here is almost as if it''s planned. Taking into consideration that the human being can survive just based on water for about three weeks, which is roughly the time when the exam started and the time when we will eventually finish it."

    However...

    Drinking seawater is a fatal decision to make. Human cells retain everything that has been drunk. To put it in retrospect, drinking water plus salt doesn''t necessarily spell the death out of you.

    Seawater salt, on the other hand, is far more powerful than ---- No, it''s not about the potency. It''s about the quantity. The quantity of the salt in seawater is absurdly high.

    Allowing your own cells to process that much salt will only make you thirstier and thirstier. As time passes, you will die from dehydration.

    Normally, preoccupying about this matter wouldn''t even make sense. However, however...

    This rich flavor. A sweet nurturing calm aroma that contains not a stagnant nor revolting sensation to it.

    Frequently sufficient; this water is.

    "It''s drinkable and it''s pure. Perfect for drinking. Speaking of it... The water''s origin comes from all the way down from the stream. Lying above, that stream holds the answer. Our next stop should be a place where we can sustain our basic needs."

    While it is extremely important to make research; the priority is obviously our wellbeing.

    Strictly speaking, managing our resources such as water and food and strengthening our shelter could very well give us a powerful edge on this island.

    Yet we are not staying here. That was why I didn''t bother to, for example, build water collection items. The ultimate purpose of items to collect water would be in case of a thunderstorm.

    Though, with an oasis nearby, there''s barely any point to it.

    Or, so an average mind would think.

    An oasis, full of water, perfect for hygiene and whatnot. Anyone in their right mind would desire to bask themselves on this heavenly atmosphere without having to pay any price for it.

    Not, unless, of course, a price for it is attributed.

    Occasionally speaking, should anyone want to take their time to drink pure and clean water, they would have to pay the price for it. Or, simply put, alternatively, the option of a small water portion being given is also open.

    In exchange for something, for example.

    Naturally, I don''t need to even think about what that something is.

    "...For how long are you gonna stare at me, you prick?"

    "Oh..."

    Surprised with my sudden movement, which was to turn around and face his gaze''s direction, Rayazaki let out that small word.

    It gets easy to narrow down who enters the water, even if you are facing the opposite direction of the bay just by noticing the small movements made within the broad briny surface.

    Markedly, this option would only apply if the distance was close, which was not the case.

    What gave it away was the noises of his feet clashing with the shells in the wet sand before clashing with the stingingly cold water.

    "Good morning, Kawahara."

    "Yeah, morning. You couldn''t sleep for a little more, Rayazaki?"

    Perhaps I made way too much noise yet it was irrelevant. Both Rayazaki and Kuzan were bound to wake up regardless and here is why.

    "It''s impossible to sleep with this much heat, man."

    "Fair point. But that still doesn''t explain why you didn''t even say a word, Rayazaki. Do you want to kill me or something?"

    "What if I do?"

    Our serious gazes remained locked onto each other without blinking, as our distance became prevalent over the second.

    "Ha, relax, leader! Why the long face?"

    "What happened to your polite stance? You coming out or something?"

    A mocking smile started to unravel in the corner of his lips very quickly.

    Unwavering, I didn''t panic, as I waited for his answer.

    "Not quite... More like, I wanted to test your power. Precisely speaking; I seek to see if you are able to revert a situation in where you are at a disadvantage."

    "I see."

    "However, Kawahara, if we''re honest right now, it''s because I do look forward to testing your ability as a leader. So, should you fail this test, I will become the leader of the Hideout an----"

    "Not happening."

    "Yeah, I thought you''d say that. But, let''s suppose that I do attempt to kill you right now, in a physical fight. Wouldn''t you say you are at a disadvantage?"

    "..."

    Without saying anything, I simply took his opinion in.

    ...This is troublesome. His intention automatically implies that if he commits, then I will have to meet his physical force to some degree and perhaps I''ll have to also apply a certain number of techniques on him, but the main problem here is that his physical power, in the case that this fight does happen, will decrease.

    In his mind, this is not what I am thinking right now.

    I''m already aware of what he''s thinking about, as his firm glare to my position quite literally places a lot of emphasis on his current thought process.

    "Surely you might''ve noticed but there is a big difference in our positions, Kawahara."

    "You''re calling me Master after this, Rayazaki. Also, lower your fucking voice tone already."

    "Mhm? But, that aside, it''s quite advantageous to me. My movements are less sluggish than yours. You are located in an abyssal plain in comparison to where I am currently standing. My movements are far freer than yours. Give it up."

    He''s feeling so absurdly confident that he''s already flashing a smirk.

    Subliminally, I did the same, for completely different reasons.

    Furthermore, a laugh came forth, as my abdominal cavity began to harden due to the constant string of laughter.

    "Hahaha!! Look at you, getting all confident and shit! Pretty low blow, Rayazaki. Do you really think this gives you the upper edge? If that''s the case, then why haven''t you approached me yet?"

    "..."

    He then, after receiving those words, started to venture the water from left to right, as the water kept hitting his solar plexus area.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    How would Rayazaki react if he had knowledge about what happened to him a few weeks ago?

    Daniel surely thought that no one else knew but, there is a more proper process.

    "I understand. You think that if I approach you that we will be in the same position. But that''s not correct. Should I, for example, extend a kick to your head from a position that isn''t deeper than yours, or simply outside of the abysmal plain, then the difference will become unveiled, don''t you think?"

    What a flawed argument.

    "If that''s really true then step up already, pussy. What''s taking you so long?"

    "You''re really confident. Maybe the position doesn''t matter at all?"

    Rayazaki started to ponder whether or not the position was the relevant remark to take into consideration here.

    While it is good to inflict a certain amount of order onto your lackeys... I will never mistake fear for respect.

    In an instance, I could drop the floor with him.

    In a fight, you use words instead of physical movements?

    You fight with words in arguments; not in a physical fight.

    Instead, I''ll reinforce his sense of confidence with a sense of rationality that isn''t based on his own superstition of strength.

    "Rayazaki, in a fight, what is more important; to argue and reason with your opponent or to bring him down physically?"

    "Oh, I see your point, I really do. It''s just... You got me thinking now. Did I overrate the depth? Look, my top isn''t flooded with water thus not slowing my upper movements. The same can''t be said to you for sure. If I---"

    "The position isn''t relevant... I get what you are trying to do, Rayazaki. You are trying to bait me into coming closer because you think that I would think that would bring advantage to me."

    "Ah, as expected. I''m imp---"

    "However, that line of thought is extremely weak."

    "...I''m not sure if I''ll let that slide, Kawahara. I don''t like it when people contradict my arguments."

    "That wouldn''t happen if you made decent arguments in the first place."

    Although I said that, his point has a bit of truth in it.

    My movements are relatively sluggish in comparison.

    Which is why, just as he was ready to crack his knuckles, I took a backward dive and went full speed ahead to the waterfall.

    Then, once I resurfaced, I quickly climbed the wet rock boulder and stood on top of it.

    "..."

    A sharp kick came forth from my left.

    That quick transience allowed me to firmly dodge it simply by leaning my torso backward and sternly adjusting my posture afterward while remaining balanced throughout the entirety of the boulder.

    Regarding Rayazaki, he managed to safely land on the rocky structure that was below the waterfall.

    A huge, moss-covered surface that was filled with rich shells and big sun-warmed reflection was the place he used to regain his position after his swift land.

    However, my current position, in comparison, towers his.

    "Eh, you dodged that! Ah, but can you do something about that? I mean, come on, I know it''s just you and me, but that should be all the more reason to---"

    "I am free. Therefore, so is my wood."

    "It''s distracting me, man... That''s why I didn''t land my kick."

    "False, you didn''t land your kick due to my keen senses."

    This is true.

    "No, I beg to differ here... It''s definitely distracting me. Cover it up, man..."

    Rayazaki doesn''t realize that this is actually a good tactic.

    It sounds incredibly stupid at first but once you realize its utility, you''ll feel less and less stupid.

    That''s how the majority of ideologies work at first. Their level of stupidity severely seemingly decreases if they uphold a large scale of utility.

    "So, you''re not gonna come down from that boulder, Kawahara?"

    "Eventually."

    Foamy and unbroken, this infinitely tall waterfall towers me. Unknown meters set our distance.

    The stream itself enhances anyone''s audition with a screaming sensation of impact as soon as the massive portion of water is poured and delivered onto the oasis all the way from above.

    On and on, never stopping its rhythm.

    Hey.

    I know you can''t hear me, but I''m better, right? My thoughts have improved, haven''t they?

    I''m not the same person that I was back then.

    Will you notice that I look at things from a different perspective now?

    Will you notice that instead of fully acknowledging myself; that I''m able to see things from an outside perspective that isn''t myself?

    Will you-------

    ...

    Useless effort to think about that now. Therefore, with a solid jump, I jumped into the same platform that Rayazaki was in.

    After correcting my posture, my eyes met up with an ax kick aimed straight at my spine.

    However, instead of dodging it, I took a hold of it with my right hand and followed that movement up with a right kick to his left calf.

    This caused him to be able to take damage and ultimately fall flat onto the wet surface with his entire body.

    Certainly, using this opportunity to finish him off would be plausible and logical.

    Yet as I readied myself to speak, on my way back to his body, slowly, he started to speak with a rad smile on his face.

    "Ahh... Nice counterattack. Props to you. So, how about this?"

    "Hm!?"

    Suddenly, with a quick repercussion, Rayazaki elevated himself from the wet surface and threw a couple of shells at my face, thus forcing me to shield myself with my right forearm.

    Utilizing the fact that my right forearm was busy with shielding my vision, he attempted to inflict a left hook through my right forearm.

    "W-Woah, you don''t exactly play fair..."

    Frail, upon noticing that I had used my unrestrained and free left hand to take ahold of his rigid left wrist and connecting with my right knee''s edge in a subsequent sequence of movements, Rayazaki started showing a bit of fear in response.

    Despite that, as my hold was intentionally not strong and somewhat lackluster, with a simple retreat, Rayazaki repositioned himself.

    He then took a quick glance at his shaking wrist before speaking.

    "You''re undermining me, aren''t you?"

    "So you noticed?"

    "It''s frankly impossible not to notice. I believe that you could''ve already gained the upper edge plenty of times already yet you are opting not to."

    With a deep breath, I finally spoke the truth to him.

    "Back when you attempted to enter the water, I could''ve simply gained distance yet I opted not to. Purposedly, I allowed you to come into contact with me. If I suddenly turned around without showing any signs of being surprised, then that should tell you that much yet you didn''t do anything regarding that."

    "Oh, I see! I should''ve capitalized on your lackluster reaction! You know, you place a lot of emphasis on psychological games in a supposed physical fight, Kawahara."

    At least he capitalized on the important part.

    That reactions and psychological patterns are to be followed and studied in order to determine the outcome.

    "Let me guess, you could''ve also done way more but you are opting not to say it? Yeah, that''s true! You are always impulsive with your words so your rather silent manner should be taken into consideration. Are you holding back because I''m your lackey?"

    "You''re not my lackey, Rayazaki."

    "Technically, I am, right?"

    Right.

    But, you can''t be allowed to think like that.

    "Technically, yes. But, it''s my duty to at least teach you some common sense."

    "Such as?"

    "...Who you should fight and who should you not. And why you should fight and not fight. Right? Extreme common sense."

    Deep down, it''s not as if I don''t enjoy fighting, but if there are internal arguments and disorder within my group, then my image will go down as a leader.

    Hypothetically speaking, cases of disorder and lack of harmony within a group will only show how incompetent the leader is.

    "Rayazaki, I won''t hold back now. However, if I win, then it''s the last time you have ever revolted against me."

    "Woah, what if I don''t accept that? What then,boss?"

    "I''ll feast on your corpse as if no tomorrow will come. No doubt here, but you''d suffice as dinner way better than fish--"

    "Okay, okay, I get it..."

    No way that would actually happen, but I would go as far as illustrating and demonstrating a serious image to the point where he''d be forced to believe that I was utterly serious.

    And so, our fight resumed.

    With only a few minutes to it, it came to a swift end.

    Relatively relevant to the fight, we never went into the deep water in order to not enter the mortal range and opening up the possibility of fatal drowning.

    In the end, a simple well-timed punch to the solar plexus did the trick.

    If my intention was to cause harm and injure him to a serious level, then my path of action would''ve been far different.

    You used to idolize that path of action, didn''t you? But, maybe I was wrong about that assumption. Who did you idolize, really? The me that was a slave to that idea or the me that could argue and get away with anything he so decided to do?

    "You won the fight... Y-Yet you are looking like you''re in a daze. How unlike you, Kawahara."

    With his body fully stretched, in pain, and with his hands on his solar plexus, Rayazaki spoke out to me, while letting his bottom feet receive small watery waves back and forth with nonetheless a lackluster intensity to them.

    It''s so calm. It''s not raging nor turbulent, unlike a disturbed tidal wave that forms out of small unripped strides of water. No, this feeling, it''s reassuring.

    Contrast.

    Heat. Cold.

    You and me.

    And now...

    Me and you.

    "It''s nothing."

    "Really, man? I mean, for someone who has no qualms about punching someone so hard in the gut I would like to know what''s on your mind."

    ......

    I''m thinking too much about it and relating too many things to it. This needs to stop.

    "Again, it''s nothing. More importantly, let''s wake the princess up. We wasted enough time already."

    We both then got up from the silky sand that was neither too wet nor too soft and started to walk to the cabana, slowly.

    Until Rayazaki noticed something and stopped walking.

    "Wait a second."

    "Hm? What''s up?"

    "Kawahara... The water, it was somewhat cold."

    "Somewhat? It was chilling. If it wasn''t for this hellish temperature, then I wouldn''t have---- I mean, no, I would still have done it."

    It''s an oasis. Only a fool would miss out on such a golden opportunity.

    "Yeah, exactly. So, I was thinking..."

    "About what?"

    "Itwould be staggering and shocking to wake up to a freezing sensation of water all over your senses, wouldn''t it be?"

    The cracks on my smile started to show maniacally as I recited Rayazaki''s idea into my mind.

    "Yeah, it wouldjust be such a shame to receive a wake-up call with a dreadful surprising feeling upon your body like that, all over the sudden."

    "Indeed, Kawahara. It would be oddly unfortunate."

    "Yup. I''ll grab the arms, Rayazaki."

    "Got it, I''ll take on the legs."

    "Nice, don''t make too much noise and if he wakes up, apply maximum force so that he doesn''t try to run away."

    "Of course."

    On the cabana, in a lazy position that resembled a sloth, which perhaps is his inner sleeping spirit, Kuzan happily enjoyed the sleep despite being basked upon penetrating light rays.

    Unbothered he remained, thus, Rayazaki and I, with a light touch on his legs and with my barely noticeable grab on both of Kuzan''s arms, started to carry him slowly to the charming yellow sands lying outside of the cabana.

    Rayazaki''s glance traded with mine to indicate our silence''s importance yet Kuzan was starting to blink his eyes.

    For a good set of seconds, everything he could see was an impertinent light clouding his vision.

    Until he finally came to his senses and decided to mumble a few words to me, who was above him due to the fact that I''m carrying his arms right now while additionally carrying his body along with Rayazaki, horizontally.

    "....Wuuuaaahhh.... M-Master....?"

    "Heeeeeyyyyy!! How''s it going, champ? You feelin'' alright?"

    He attempted to tap his mouth yet he didn''t realize why that couldn''t happen in the first place.

    Instead, he simply limited himself furthermore.

    "Yeah... Yeah... I''m feeling good.... That was some good sleep...! Um, by the way, what are we eating for breakfast, Master?"

    "...We...? I don''t know about Rayazaki and me, but as for you, how about some fish?"

    "Eh... Again, fish... Ew, how about some meat instead?"

    "Well, well, aren''t you just greedy as fuck, Kuzan. How about you chop off your own leg and eat it for breakfast? Share a bit with us though. We''re equally hungry."

    Almost there.

    Just one or two meters away.

    No, not yet, Rayazaki. Hold it. Hold it.

    Only when he figures out. And when he does, it will be too late regardless. Therefore, hold your impulse back!

    Don''t laugh! Don''t say anything, just carry the damn body!

    "Ehhh... That''s rude as hell, Master. I can''t chop myself. But, we will eat, right?"

    ".....Eventually......"

    Not giving any false hopes, the familiar water greeted our feet again.

    "...By the way, why does my body feel like it''s in motion?"

    "I wonder."

    Sharply, I made eye contact with Rayazaki, twisting my eyes to my left, in the direction of the deep water.

    Kuzan''s body was still up high and therefore not feeling the freezing water that both Rayazaki and I were experiencing once again.

    It didn''t bother me and probably not Rayazaki as well as it hadn''t been long since we were on it.

    And then, at last, Kuzan decided to tilt his head to the left a little bit.

    His eyes went spastic fastly.

    "...U-Um.... W-Where... the hell am I?!"

    He''s confused.

    So, I went ahead and cleared his confusion straight up.

    "Hygiene is really important. While some opt not to take baths daily, I really, but really, dislike that option. It''s your body, so you have to take extreme care of i---"

    "Heeeeeeeeeelppp!!! I''m being kidnapped on a deserted island!! I''m innocent!"

    Disturbed, Kuzan started to twitch his body parts turbulently. His displeased demoniac behavior made it hard for Rayazaki and me to hold him tightly.

    To the point of Rayazaki starting to complain about it.

    "S-Stay still, you...!! Kawahara, hold him down!"

    "Don''t worry, he''s not getting away!"

    "What the fuck?! What''s wrong with you people?! You interrupt someone''s beauty sleep for this?! You guys need medical assistance for fuck sake!!"

    Alright, time is up.

    "Rayazaki, swing his body from the right to the left but don''t let it go!"

    "Yosh! Let me know when to drop him!"

    "Alright, alright, start swinging it with high speed!"

    "W-W-W-Wait, what the hell are you guys planning on doing with me?! Let go of meeeee!!!!"

    One swing to the right. Low intensity.

    Another swing to the left, mildly intense yet not powerful.

    However, we allowed Kuzan''s body to reach a crucial point of impulse which made the subsequent swing to the right slightly powerful in comparison.

    Kuzan''s animalistic screams were starting to tear my eardrums apart melancholically.

    "On the next swing."

    "Understood."

    With Rayazaki''s confirmation, Kuzan began to further increase his despair by adding terrifying words to his speech.

    All of this while the transition of a right swing would instantly transform into a beyond brutal left swing.

    "D-Did I do something to deserve this!? If this about the watch, Master, I can explain!! Also, Rayazaki, if this is about that one time I stole---"

    Wait a fucking second.

    Watch?

    "Rayazaki, on second thought, keep on swinging and don''t let go."

    "Yeah..."

    It seems Rayazaki is skeptical about this as well. But I''m even more.

    "Kuzan, what the hell were you just talking about now?"

    "U-Ugghhhh, I''m feeling dizzy... Pwease staaapphhhh..."

    "It''s only gonna get worse, Kuzan! Spill it and I might reconsider my current action!"

    "O-Okay...! Ugh... Um, so... I really like jewelry. Golden watches are..."

    "Kuzaaaaaaaaaaannn!!! When the hell did you do it?!"

    Man, I fucking knew it. There''s no way that my golden watch could''ve just vanished like that without a trace.

    But the fucking gal from this guy, to steal my watch without my knowledge.

    Assumably, it was without a doubt in a time where I wasn''t with it. Given that I don''t really care about the watch; I noticeably don''t place a lot of priority on it.

    Still...

    "No answer is it? Alright, Rayazaki, spin him until he throws up!"

    "Certainly!"

    "You''ll regret this Kuzan! By throwing up, you can say goodbye to your physical strength! Lying bastard, so it was you who stole it!!"

    "M-Master! Anything but that! Don''t make me throw up! I can''t!"

    "Then fucking confess and I will change my mind!"

    Not quite though.

    Nonetheless, that was enough to get him to speak, as he continued to endure rounds of spinning dizziness.

    "E-Errrr, okay, okay, you had to take the watch off when you entered the volleyball match, remember?!"

    "So you thought that it was alright for you to steal the fucking watch regardless, Kuzan?!"

    "Hell yeah! I mean, no, no, God, nooooo! I am soooo sorry about it!"

    "No one gave you permission to be sarcastic, Kuzan!"

    "It''s not sarcasm, Master! I swear on my life! I''m deeply sorry and I''m ready to repent on my sin!"

    Fucking lying rat, I know sarcasm far too well to know that he''s not actually sorry.

    So, I''ll make him be.

    "Rayazaki, do a full angle spin with his body!"

    "Wait... Is that even possible?"

    "Just try it, it will work. If it doesn''t..."

    If it doesn''t, then...

    "Oh well."

    "Oh well!? But I already confessed! Let go of meeee!!"

    "Yeah, sure thing, Kuzan. You said it."

    Thus, with heavy swings, Kuzan''s body went sky-high and hit the deepest spot of the oasis while feeling the creeping sensation of the chilly liquid water freeze his spine.

    Furiously, he resurfaced right back up.

    "I seriously hate you guy--- Oh, it actually feels good."

    "Of course it does. You are only scared of entering it and ultimately experiencing it. Once you do that, the water will feel good."

    Contrary to my indicative words, I started to make my way right back to the cabana.

    Once there, I checked what time it was.

    "8 am. Alright, let''s move on. Dress up."

    "Wait, Kawahara, shouldn''t we eat first?"

    "Do you see any food around here, Rayazaki?"

    On this empty cabana, there are three leaves used for the sake of bringing comfort to our previous sleep.

    Furthermore, our bags. The ones we brought with us from school and the ones that were placed under us on our arrival.

    Which makes it six bags in total. Inside them, are our uniform clothes, and several other pieces of clothing.

    Outside of that, we have nothing else. Except for the already previously mentioned elements. However, the important pieces such as the envelopes are being kept within my primary bag.

    This will serve as a good purpose later on.

    "Not to worry, Rayazaki. Hey, Kuzan! You like climbing, right?"

    "Well yeah."

    Fully drenched and with only his light wood cloth covering his intimate parts, Kuzan got what I wanted him to get.

    Specifically speaking, with my eyes on the top of the palm tree and more concretely speaking, on the pair of coconuts, Kuzan went for it, climbing the tree like a monkey.

    In light of this, Rayazaki spoke out to me again.

    "Are you sure we should move on? We have plenty of resources here... And... If we move on, we might not have them."

    "Certainly, I agree with you, Rayazaki. However, we have to find the rest. Without a doubt, we were placed under different locations of this island. There is no way that we came from the same place on this island. But nonetheless, we have to move forward."

    "If you say so. Is it because of the words? Are you that curious?"

    So he noticed.

    "I can''t help myself. Aren''t you too?"

    "Most surely, yeah."

    "See? That''s why we must find the rest. However, will it be that easy?"

    "Are you reluctant, Kawahara?"

    "Not quite, Rayazaki. Doubtful about the current circumstance, rather. Isn''t my thought way too common and mediocre?"

    This is the doubt that I''m facing right now.

    "What do you mean?"

    "What I mean is... the thought of gathering the words and therefore hope that they will connect to anything might be something that was intentional. But, will it be that easy?"

    "Why shouldn''t it be easy? All we have to do is to extract the other words and eventually, with research we should--- Ah..."

    "Finally realized, huh? So, what exactly tells us that we will have all the time in the world to gather all the words and then connect those words to whatever we can connect them with? We have to be fast. This time, this length, it''s only an illusion."

    "...Probably..."

    Rayazaki''s doubts aren''t extraterrestrial for me.

    Why wouldn''t you assume that it will be easy? After all, all we have to do is gather the remaining words yet, yet...

    That''s assuming we are all under the same situation. I get this thought from the fact that Rayazaki, Kuzan and I, are ultimately under the same situation.

    We each have different words and we didn''t hesitate in revealing them. Therefore, we are equal in terms of circumstances.

    What about them?

    Are they in the same circumstance?

    We don''t know shit about our situation and we can only know more and more by exploring the contents of the island.

    "I got them! I got them!"

    "Good job, Kuzan! Let''s crack them up!"

    "With our knees...? That sounds hurtful, Rayazaki."

    "Idiot... I obviously didn''t mean it like that..."

    Kuzan and Rayazaki started to have their usual arguments on the edge of the palm tree, as Kuzan carried his two coconuts back to the cabana.

    After this, the expedition continues.

 Volume 17 - Chapter 117: Enjoy the Unknown.

    "Hmm... This size is definitely fake..."

    "True... I mean... In my mind, or just in fiction, usually, the islands are always sorta small. You can picture their overall size through your mind easily, but this... It''s endless!"

    "Less talking and more cutting! Get these lianas out of the way!"

    "Yes!" x2.

    Behind me, Kuzan and Rayazaki were seemingly taking notes of our location while also using the compass to determine things further.

    Each of us has a map, so a consultation isn''t a problem.

    Regarding our current path of discovery, after a long talk about how we would explore the island further while not deserting from natural resources such as water, we decided to follow the stream''s direction.

    However, given that it was above our previously lower location, the way to get to the towering location above would be; finding a passage to it through exploration.

    Thus, we started scouting the west while making way north. Northwest; rather.

    Unpleasant, the sticky lianas kept creeping in as we made our way further and further. Utilizing our shoes was actually something that we all agreed on because the fertile ground makes it completely hard to navigate.

    Nevertheless, the necessity to leave this jungle and find out a more stable atmosphere is absolutely mandatory. The wildlife here is far too abnormal.

    Way too many insects crawling around. Overgrown vines leaking everywhere. Unnecessary long lianas putting up an unbreakable challenge only to get cut down in the process through sharp bamboo spears.

    Sweat has arrived. The usual tropical problems overlap.

    "I''m hungry..."

    "Deal with it, Kuzan... Unless you spot food, don''t---"

    "But, Rayazaki, this is against human rights! What are we supposed to do on a deserted island anyway?!"

    Given that I was leading them and taking into consideration the fact that I''m the one mainly clearing the lianas via cutting, I transiently placed my gaze on Rayazaki and witnessed his discontent with Kuzan''s attitude.

    Therefore, I stepped in.

    "Kuzan''s right, you know? This is against human rights. But, what can we do about it?"

    "See? Even Master agrees."

    Wide dense vegetation slugging me; barely maintaining the essence of restraining.

    Undeniable mosquito noises, I attack them just to drive their attention away.

    "Even if that''s the case, complaining about it won''t amount to anything..."

    "You misread Kuzan''s words, Rayazaki. He''s just complaining about the fact that it''s been roughly three hours since we''ve last eaten. The fear''s getting to him."

    "N-No, it''s not!"

    "Are we gonna starve, Kawahara?"

    It''s best if I deliver the truth right away instead of keeping them under the impression that a more plausible reality is possible.

    Not my style, but in this situation, keeping them in the dark isn''t exactly optimal.

    "Whenever we can eat, we will eat, obviously. Whenever we can''t, then it is what it is."

    "......." x2.

    Displeased reaction. Silence implying consent.

    Now, what does consent imply? Confirmation? Of what?

    That they are bound to starve should the situation come to life?

    Should they limpidly just accept this?

    No.

    "Relax. As long as you two coop up with the mentality that anything serves as a meal, you won''t starve. Plus, your bodies can survive quite long just based on water."

    "...What do you mean by anything?"

    "...I mean, for example, Kuzan... You see..."

    Rare. They are present within the countries of South-America yet to find one here...

    Silently, towered by the webs addressed above, underneath it, with a reddish end and a darker rest, a Titan Bettle, unwavering, was at sight.

    "It''s actually quite good. Have you tried it before?"

    "Ewwwww!! What the fuck is that?!"

    "Why the hate, Kuzan? It''s just a Titan Bettle. You''re hungry, right? Eat it. Your hunger will go away."

    In my right hand, I took ahold of a Titan Bettle by grabbing its central body.

    Not much resistance, as this species is oddly pacific. It can also grow to six inches. Boring details yet younger days and reminiscing times get the best of me as I witness disgust written on their faces. Meanwhile, curiosity and the rich investment of seeking other perspectives outside of my own compels me.

    Though pacific, in cases of defense, their bites might be enough to rip out the flesh, so it''s best not to eat it alive.

    "Pass..."

    "Same... I''m not eating that, Kawahara."

    "You two shouldn''t expect royal treatment. Fuck, the fact that we even got to sleep and bathe in pure water should be a miracle itself. But I understand. You two are scared. It''s normal, relax."

    Rayazaki might not show this as a degree of indifference is in his facial expression the majority of the times yet Kuzan on the other hand doesn''t hesitate to speak his mind.

    But Kuzan''s overreacting. We barely eat anything in school anyway.

    "Kawahara, please throw that away..."

    "What, Rayazaki? Ya scared of bugs? I ain''t."

    I approach Rayazaki who was slowly retreating with small steps while holding the Titan Bettle.

    This time, I grabbed the head, causing its wings to spread.

    Naturally, the rest was further disgust from Rayazaki, as he started to distance himself while hitting with his back on the already discovered lianas.

    "Bro, how do you..."

    "Let me just interrupt you for a second. This is a jungle. So, if you take a moment and look around you instead of only looking forward, you''ll start to notice more and more bugs."

    And furthermore, to give a realistic example anyone would be able to relate to...

    "Imagine that you are walking down a dark illuminated city. It''s late. The time where thugs and drug lords live in. Obscure alleys occupy your vision and silence lives in your mind. You are busy thinking about life. Until you look at the ground. There, you spot a cockroach. It creeps you. Then, you take a firm step back and start to walk again after a quick breath. Your attention range increases. As you walk, more and more cockroaches start appearing..."

    "..."

    Rayazaki and Kuzan started to unconsciously use their visions to spot out the plethora of insects swirling around this tree-clouded atmosphere.

    More emphasis.

    "However, they don''t exactly appear. You see, they were always there. So, what changed? I''ll tell you what changed. Your attention range. It increased! So much that you can''t help but now notice the insects---"

    "Okay, you made your point, Kawahara, let''s just go!"

    "I''m with Rayazaki here!! Suddenly, I''m feeling far too preoccupied! And... Why are locusts so scary and big?!"

    "W-Where is the damn locust?!"

    These two aside, I let go of the Titan Bettle.

    Vast trees with green tops clobber my entirety.

    Scenarios vary from description to description only to result in the same meaning followed with different words to sprinkle some sort of stimulation.

    I''m sick of this scenario already. I''m bored of this jungle.

    We will move on.

    "Rayazaki, hours."

    "...11:30 am. It''s been a while since we''ve been walking... Could it be that others are really...?"

    Our walk resumed.

    Skepticism rose once again.

    I didn''t interfere as I wanted to know their individual thoughts on the current situation. How we have been venturing this jungle for a couple of hours while only finding massively tall trees, unrequited lianas, and turbulent insects co-existing with us.

    "Hmm.... Hmm... What are we gonna do if we don''t find anyone today?"

    Right to left, refusing to let the lianas have their way.

    A fresh sound of water tapped my eardrums softly.

    Closer. Find it. Perceive it. Capture it.

    The sounds emit the answers. Answers to something surely.

    "Hold on, Kuzan. Surely, you aren''t taking something into the equation."

    "Such as...?"

    "How we each entered the helicopters separate times. This obviously means something."

    Rayazaki is showing mental progress.

    It would be nice if Kuzan could do. This is why my interference here is unnecessary.

    Human beings with the same mental capacity are bound to interact better with each other.

    And sometimes, if not the majority of the times; words beyond their comprehension will be for naught.

    Telling someone words that have deep coherence can backfire should the individual lack the mental prowess in the first place.

    "Yeah! Now that you mention it... Wait, could this mean that we each were placed on different places just to confuse the rest...?"

    "Potentially, Kuzan. That''s why I think the possibility is high. We will find others eventually."

    Boring.

    The argument has reached the end.

    So, as I was busy with more liana clearing I advanced the argument.

    "Hypothetically speaking, in case of resistance, which one amidst our entire class, aside from us currently, would be the most troublesome to deal with?"

    Human beings and gossip. Such a vicious duo.

    In all essence, no hesitation could be made as Kuzan and Rayazaki started to think about the argument I had just made.

    It''s important to at least stimulate their minds to a point where they will be able to already have a scenario in mind.

    Kuzan was the first to vomit his guess away.

    However, he did a smarter thing instead.

    "Wait, how do we determine that, Rayazaki...?"

    "Physical strength? It would be fantastic if we got to know how we each got into this program."

    I interrupted Rayazaki''s idealistic train of thought quickly.

    "Don''t take that approach. Judge based on what you have seen. Like, exam results, for example."

    There are more solid approaches, obviously. I simply wanted to abolish the previous one since it relied too much on idealism.

    Evidence should be a good foundation for their logic now.

    "Eh... My memory is not that good, but anyway, are you saying we should judge based on the results of the previous special exams?"

    "Yes."

    Sweat on my back due to the fact that I''m carrying my bag.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Inevitable.

    "Okay... We all failed the first exam, right, Master?"

    "That is correct. We lost pretty stupidly regardless."

    The exam was extremely improvised but it was the first one, so I don''t really mind it.

    Stupid nonetheless.

    "Yeah, that was really unnecessary... The girls are to blame as well..."

    "True."

    I simply added that.

    Rayazaki took the conversation up subsequently.

    "If we all have failed the first exam, then we are one exam behind just in January. Regarding February''s exam, I failed the exam and Kuzan didn''t. Hey, Kawahara, you failed, right?"

    "My back was against the wall. Though, I could''ve won, despite all the hardships that the premise of the exam had."

    Except I wasn''t in the mood to befriend that little bitch Gale.

    I fucking hate useless weaklings who can''t even make a solid effort to fight back for themselves.

    If you don''t mean anything to me, then I will do nothing for you.

    "Master''s amazing! I was under his care and managed to pass the special exam thanks to him! The same could be said for the last exam!"

    "This one too, Kuzan."

    Confident, I additionally noted that.

    "Yeah, that''s cool and all, but we are here to discuss the others, right? So, from whom should we start? The ones that have more exams won or lost?"

    "Huh, Rayazaki... Well... The ones that have failed less, of course. They should be the ones that we have to take into consideration. So, let''s sort out the entirety of our male classmates first. We are ten remain---"

    I interrupted Rayazaki because he was being excessively long on something so simple.

    "Tatsu, Daniel, Kan, Sagasuga, Tsudo and the bastard."

    "Who is this ''bastard'', you speak of, Kawahara?"

    "Think for a bit, Rayazaki. I''ve excluded Susaga and Ryoken since they were expelled from the program. I''ve also excluded the members of the Hideout, so in those six individuals that I''ve mentioned, which one could I be referring to?"

    I''ve got a few issues with the fucker.

    Internally, in the case of honesty, it makes me wonder. With three exams against you stacked up, what will you do?

    I''ll crush, you actually. I have a bigger plan. I''ll show you the price of showing incompetence.

    "Rayazaki, he''s talking about Hyunda. Master seems to hate Hyunda."

    "Oh, I see. Well, let''s go with the order."

    "Yeah... Tatsu has failed three exams thus far. Hm... Wouldn''t it make the most sense for him to seek some sort of help in this scenario?"

    Kuzan''s question is an interesting one. What will Tatsu''s path of action be?

    Needless to say, but I''ll be an essential piece for him in this exam.

    Not just Tatsu.

    If I could''ve done the same as I did with Kuzan, Rayazaki, and Akihiko, then why haven''t I done with the rest?

    That''s because back then, they had the option to deny. However, what about now?

    Your back is against the wall, there is no choice here.

    "Hm, true, Rayazaki... Hm, Aniki has two special exams failed... And---"

    I stepped onto Kuzan''s line bad-mannerly, once again.

    "You don''t have to worry about him. Daniel''s useless. His girlfriend died. The dude''s gonna be too depressed to take any path of action. Don''t waste your time thinking about it."

    Unnecessary worries are unnecessary. So simple. Therefore, I erased Kuzan''s doubt away.

    Honestly, I couldn''t care less that his girlfriend died. What baffled me was that it was supposedly a fake relationship so why is he showing so much weakness all over the sudden?

    The answer to that is almost as obvious as me receiving a liana on my face while STILL walking into this seemingly endless jungle.

    It went beyond ''fake''. It got real, perhaps?

    It doesn''t matter really.

    Attachment comes with a price. If you are not willing to accept that fact and move on, then you are frail and useless.

    "Woah, leader, how cold."

    "For real... Master''s ruthless..."

    "If you get my point, then go on with the argument..."

    On a more important note, the vines and the lianas were noticeably decreasing.

    Chilling fresh air was starting to take place instead of a humid toxic atmosphere endured for continuous hours.

    Uprising streaming sounds were far more noticeable now. Sporadic insect noises were being eradicated slowly within every step.

    A new change in the climax is approaching.

    "What about Kan, Kuzan?"

    "He''s in the same situation as Tatsu... Mhm... It would help if we knew the context of the exam... It was so broad... What was the context again, Rayazaki?"

    "If you manage to leave the island, you win, right?"

    "Yeah, that, I remember now! Um, will helicopters come to rescue us?!"

    "Maybe, maybe..."

    They are drifting away from the topic...

    "You guys, back to the topic..."

    I know how common it is to connect other points that have correspondence to the vital primal point, but they will forget the importance here.

    Their encounter will weight importance to us.

    Their mentalities have to be ready for it.

    "Okay... Sagasuga next... He doesn''t seem dumb. But we really haven''t interacted with him, I guess?"

    "True, Rayazaki... He''s mysterious. But wait... He only failed the first exam! He''s dangerous then!"

    Twice.

    Sasasuga, through his solo effort, managed to secure his victory in two exams. Outside of the first one, he''s been flawless thus far.

    Cunning.

    "..."

    It''s fading.

    Shallow noise in the water.

    Wide but desultory air fastly infiltrates my nostrils with every inhale.

    Still, the jungle had yet to come to an end. Only the partial atmosphere could be smelled yet not sighted.

    "Okay, so we should take Sagasuga into consideration..."

    "Yeah, Rayazaki... There''s only two left... Tsudo, first..."

    "Tsudo passed the second exam, didn''t he...?"

    "Yeah, I think so."

    "But why, Kuzan?"

    "Eh? Um... He was paired up with Lus."

    "I see! So it was because of her?"

    "Probably, Rayazaki. I recall Tsudo having a few moments of terror when he was paired up with her. ...Maybe she''s secretly Satan...?"

    "That would be scary..."

    I want to slice my wrists.

    "Okay, okay, but seriously, should Tsudo be considered a hard target?"

    "Doubt it, Rayazaki. He''s a massive pervert though."

    "How is that relevant to the conversation, Kuzan?"

    "Oh, it''s not. But that''s kinda his main trait, you know? He once bragged about how he has masturbated to every girl in class during the same night."

    ........................

    "In a sense, Tsudo is to be feared, Kuzan."

    "Agreed, Rayazaki. Mhm... I would say that probably not... What do you think, Kawahara?"

    "I''ll be absent from the argument. You two can keep it going."

    Someone has to cut the damn lianas anyway.

    Not to mention the freaking vines.

    Plus, insects swarming from every place possible aren''t helping it either...

    Mosquito bites are absolutely out of the question.

    However, I haven''t done anything about it because they haven''t been swarming out of anywhere thus far. It''s a different case now.

    Mosquitos love the scent of human sweat and considering how sweaty we are; it''s only normal.

    "Before you two go back to the argument, wear your uniforms, and keep the sleeves long."

    "You''re kidding, right?!"

    "Yeah, what the hell?! It''s so hot, Master! I''m gonna die if I put my uniform on!"

    They don''t understand the importance of veiling against mosquitos. They also don''t understand that being inside a deserted island that contains a jungle and a similar-like rainforest atmosphere could literally imply several things already from the get-go.

    Mainly, one of them would be the invitation to all sorts of unknown diseases. Yet, what about that? What then?

    Medical assistance? Where?

    Come on, they don''t give a fuck about us. It''s already pretty obvious, so, I''ll let you two know about the truth quickly.

    Therefore, as I stopped and scourged my uniform and untied my wood cloth and ultimately started dressing, I addressed the situation as it is.

    "Average mosquito bites aren''t that oppressive as they can only come as itchy. Right, you are used to that scenario already. When summer comes; it''s normalcy."

    Light green socks meet sweaty feet skin; the heat haze''s frequency delusionally rises.

    "That is, under normal circumstances. But this is a jungle. These mosquitoes aren''t exactly your average. They go by the name of Anopheles Genus..."

    "...Ano-what...?"

    "Hold on, Kuzan... This might be important..."

    It''s not far. The scent of fresh and pure cold water remains intact inside my nostrils; prevailing this haze from fully taking over my senses.

    Pants up next, my words in the consequent chain.

    "Anopheles Genus carry a very deadly disease called Malaria."

    "Hm... Where have I heard that before...?"

    "Yeah, the name rings a familiar tone..."

    Belt in, clenched after a few strokes.

    "Malaria starts off with a few symptoms first. Commonly speaking; fever, vomiting, and headaches."

    "...." x2.

    Long sleeves perfectly fit in. Mid-warm; still not enough to apply a preferable cold to my sweaty back and now, protection has been formed minimally.

    "How is Malaria transmitted? Through the bites of the Anopheles Genus. They carry the parasite known as Malaria. So, it''s not the Anopheles Genus'' bite that actually kills you. If the parasite isn''t inside the Anopheles Genus, then you won''t suffer any sort of symptoms. However, it''s a different story if ithas the parasite..."

    This white t-shirt might not be enough.

    So, the green blazer is necessary by a long shot. Thick clothes help out in this case.

    In addition to that, a collar, in order to protect my neck, is redeemably necessary too.

    "It''s an infectious disease, which means... If one gets it, then the chances of all of us dropping dead are... severely high. Now, you remember how I said that Malaria is supposedly transmitted through bites, correct?"

    Their faces started to grow a sense of abundant skepticism as they checked their arms to see if they had any bites all over it.

    As for me, I embraced the heat haze completely along with my school uniform.

    Blurry vision; what can I do about it except accept it?

    "R-Rayazaki, you don''t think that..."

    "..."

    Unable to give Kuzan a positive reply, Rayazaki''s silence came to life.

    "Why didn''t you warn us, Kawahara?"

    "Oh, chillax. The chances are low. I am just speaking hypothetically, of course. You two are free to wear your uniforms and pass through the same hell as me. It''s all a choice."

    Regardless, will you be able to ignore something that your leader does?

    Instead of issuing an order, it''s best to let your lackeys understand the consequences of their feeble actions.

    Otherwise, they will simply rely on you over and over just in case they would commit mistakes.

    That''s flawed guidance. They need to be able to think with autonomy in their systems.

    "...Hey, Kuzan, just wear it."

    "...Yeah... I mean, if Master is dressed up then it''s most likely true. I doubt it''s one of his pranks."

    Actually, this is a prank.

    You can find Anopheles all over the world, honestly. Especially in South Asia, which isn''t exactly that--- Well, it isfar from here, certainly.

    The chances are nonetheless low. This island is deserted. Therefore, inhabited.

    On second thought; it''s not much of a prank, really. I simply used the situation''s circumstance to make what I wanted out of it.

    "If this was a prank, I wouldn''t have warned you guys in the first place."

    "Eeeek... Master''s horrible."

    "You would leave us here to die... Monster."

    Unnecessary criticism came in, however, I didn''t say anything about it and kept on walking.

    While I did, I insisted, once again.

    "Argument."

    "Oh, right."

    "Oh, yeah, that."

    End me.

    "Hyunda, right, Rayazaki?"

    "Yup. How many exams did he win exactly...?"

    "Huh... I don''t think he has managed to be successful with a single exam..."

    "I heard that he didn''t even manage to acquire a single win during the last exam, Kuzan."

    Your philosophies are wrong and will backfire entirely.

    You attempted to protect a throne that was empty all along.

    "So he''s like Tatsu and Kan in that regard?"

    "Somewhat, Rayazaki. But there is just something odd about him. Tatsu and Kan at least tried. He... just didn''t."

    "What? Isn''t that extremely counterproductive?"

    "I mean, yeah... Everyone failed the first exam. The second one, he failed because Arkalee couldn''t come due to her sickness. And in the last one... Apparently, he didn''t do anything, at all!"

    "That''s absurd. No one should be this stupid. Does he really want to suffer the consequences that much...?"

    "Wait, hold on, Rayazaki... Maybe he''s actually super strong."

    "But he has never shown any intense display of skills, has he, Kuzan?"

    I slowed down due to my inner curiosity about their mixed opinions.

    Without looking back, I simply heard.

    "Yeah, he hasn''t... He was the slowest of all of us during the sprint test!"

    "So he''s physically fragile."

    "Yeah. Remember that time when Master grabbed him by his collar and pinned him down to a wall?!"

    What Kuzan is referring to is that moment in February where I tried to force out a reaction out of him.

    Naturally, the outside world interpreted that as a reaction out of impulse and my bad behavior. Noticeably, I even allowed that blonde bitch to apply an arm lock on me, but realistically speaking, I could''ve snapped her neck in a flash.

    However, the important thing to notice was how he kept an extremely collected posture despite being pinned down to a wall. Bad move from you. Your overconfidence pierced your veil so hard that you made it obvious that you were holding back.

    "There was such a time?"

    "Mhm? You don''t remember...?"

    "No, Kuzan. I really don''t."

    "Oh, sure... But it happened. Know that."

    "Yeah. So, what about his mental capacity? Outside of physical exams, what about his scores on the subjects'' exams?"

    "...I don''t actually know that, Rayazaki."

    There''s no way in hell I would let that slide so naturally, so I did manage to obtain his exam results.

    .....Fucking clown.

    "Erm, in conclusion... Master, Rayazaki, the one we should worry about the most would be Sagasuga, right? He only has one exam failed, after all."

    Kuzan''s correct. According to common sense, Sagasuga would be the one to look out for the most.

    But, that would be according to common sense.

    I don''t follow such a boring peculiar train of thought.

    "Fools. We don''t have to worry about those that don''t have problems with acing the exams, like Sagasuga. Instead, our attention will be focused on those that have the highest likelihood of failing. Tatsu, Kan, and the bastard."

    Tatsu and Kan are nothing to worry about.

    But, you, on the other hand, are?

    No, you''re not.

    You''re not as smart as you think.

    Once I gain full control of the situation, you will have zero control of the flow and it will be mine. You''ll pay the price for showing incompetence for this long.

    "We should make them join the Hideout!"

    "Kawahara, what is your saying regarding Kuzan''s take?"

    I kept my silence, meanwhile...

    The end has come at long last.

    Decreasing with each step, vines and rustic tall trees towering our altitude couldn''t cover up the sky anymore.

    Lianas passed through our shallow minds and even though the semi-clouded cerulean sky above us reflected contrast to us, the only thing that was on our mind was the fresh scent of water.

    A change in the scenario had finally happened.

    "Wateeeerrr!!!"

    "Fucking finally! Whoever reaches the water last is the Earth''s dumbest loser!"

    "Oh, you''re on, Rayazaki!"

    Dropping everything behind, like two little kids, while taking their sweaty uniform clothes, Kuzan and Rayazaki went up to the middle of the uprising water stream.

    Although it''s a stream, the essential detail to notice about is the course of it.

    Staying behind, I took small steps into this new scenario.

    Midst shiny green grass; barely rocky inhospitable highland supremely held its own ground against the certain hypochondriacal lowland below its reign.

    Afternoon shadows painted darkness within a bright atmosphere.

    Irregular-sized turpid boulders with rigid shapes and sharp surfaces pledged to block my way from the subsequent segment.

    However, before taking unnecessary steps, I took the deepest breath yet, transiently closed my eyes, and widened my vision to conclude a larger observation of the grand scenery.

    "...Wow."

    The cerulean sky looks so singed from all the clouds invading the rightful inheritance that the primal natural force upholds!

    Short mountains under a long-term distance that seemingly remain small in my vision only to break this tiny figment into bubbles once that delusional distance is closed!

    Covered in shaded green priorly in its base only to stray brown once it escalates its overall altitude...

    Far away, the tip of the volcano, erupting from the shadows of the endorsed green trees hiding it, became crystal clear. Inactive; defrosting its slumber.

    Cruelly, even though a warning was raised; the sunlight gave the right to be basked on entirely and not frailty hiding within the masking gray clouds.

    Dark gray color filled the surface of the cone-like volcano that is several miles away statistically, days away included in the unclear process of reaching it.

    All of this, located in my west direction. Titled to the left, now crooked to the right instead of the center; my neck allowed my vision to receive the delightful privilege of the entitled vision containing the amazingly blue turbulent and forthcoming length emitted from the stream that stole the spotlight from all the sub-par elements.

    Sub-par or not; it''s relative. Nevertheless, the answer had been breached.

    "The stream''s tide flow is going down to the right. Most surely; the waterfall''s origin. Given that it''s following that sort of track, this sufficiently copious and continuous stream holds depth in its length. It''s child''s play, even."

    3 pm...

    I made movement and erased my previous lethargic stance.

    Unlike the oasis which had a noticeable end only being sustained by this stream''s water, this stream''s atmosphere contains two different sections. The one I am in, still obeying the rocky scenery alternatively distributed with green like elements such as soft green grass and sparkling shells nonetheless with no sand at sight.

    To break this borderline, to advance to the other side across the stream that relatively possesses the same rough elements, it''s necessary to enter the water.

    Differences to be addressed established themselves quickly mercilessly.

    "The tide is violent. Contrasting the pacific order that the oasis had, this water is abundantly coherent yet impetus and serpentine. Not dark, but its blue has layers of translucent colors to it causing it to gain a crystalline image. Wild. Untamed. Rapid. Forceful. It doesn''t wait; it''s in a rush to meet its end."

    Grasping my uniform''s sleeve, I pulled them back and felt the rushing tide penetrate my right arm apart.

    By contrast to this, in savage waters, Rayazaki and Kuzan carelessly enjoyed what the ravaging waters had to offer to them in a more extensive area located northwest to my current location.

    Though thin-lined at first from the canal it ultimately strives for; before it, boisterous mighty profound water captures the entire vast area perfectly convenient for a long bath.

    Whether it''s suitable or not despite its tenuous but energetic motions; Kuzan and Rayazaki didn''t even think twice about jumping to it.

    In fact, an additional remark popped up.

    An increasingly somnolent depth is undoubtedly present within the mini-lake in which they lazily gest foul movements to each other.

    "Still, the familiar sentiment is in everything I come across. Maybe you were right all along. My mind was closed."

    Then, just as I was ready to join them in that uprising lively wide lake with a simple sequence of taking my uniform off and laying all my things down, on the extensive side, in our front direction, we simultaneously spotted another human being.

    We didn''t need to trade words with one another to confirm who it was.

    Afar, with pieces of collected wood, on the entrance of the forest that had high towering dark trees firmly marking the forest existence, Tatsu stood.

    However, what gave me the signal and ultimately the necessity to pour all the air I could retain in the air into my lugs and scream out the order that Rayazaki and Kuzan would have to imperially obey, was the fact that Tatsu dropped all of his wood pieces when he spotted us.

    Before he could progressively enter the shady forest and create even more distance, I shouted consequently.

    "AFTER HIM!!!"

 Volume 17 - Chapter 118: ?

    Crossing the stream through the violent tide, we made our way into the woods where Tatsu had run to.

    On the way to the entrance, I tossed Kuzan and Rayazaki''s belongings to them and issued the order with a loud voice.

    "Capture him! Use any means necessary to do so! This is mandatory for the inquisition of our goal!"

    "Where did he go?!"

    Rayazaki''s question and the lack of time to explain my reasoning made me instantly address my rapid conclusive take.

    "I will go in this linear direction up ahead! Kuzan, you go east! Rayazaki, take care of the west side! If any of you find him, then let out a shout!"

    "Got it!" x2.

    With their bags on their backs and with their mini cloths around their waists, they took off.

    As for me; I transiently embraced this new atmosphere, which differed from the previous turbulent stream.

    Magnificently primeval, tall thick wood trees climb their way up to the sky yet not entirely cover it thus allowing partial sunlight to sneak in.

    A petrified atmosphere accompanied the soggy dark silence.

    Apparently endless and unchanging, only suited with a dreadful calm to it, the pathless obscure-lighted forest unveiled its welcome.

    "Tatsu, really? I''m not complaining but this is oddly more complicated than I had initially thought."

    A few stretching exercises just to make sure muscle distensions don''t suddenly erupt out of nowhere.

    "This is the primary phase. The gathering of these words was utterly intentional and so, whoever comes across with one another should at least have in mind that these words have some sort of importance and that the gathering of them would make the most sense."

    Yet...

    "Even though this already bares common sense in its marks..."

    Contract the shoulder blades...

    Unleash the stiffness away...

    "The more appropriate approach in this scenario would be to seek others. Firm common sense would say that if you have such an envelope, then why wouldn''t you think that others might have it? It must mean something. Right?"

    So...

    "Why run away, Tatsu? Hm? What? Oh, you don''t wanna tell me...? That''s fine, I---"

    ...

    "Your situation is different. You firstly ran before we could even make a move on you. If the situation was the reverse; we had made the move on you and then you had run, then... I guess it would''ve been more comprehensive. Three savages up on your ass in the middle of a deserted island isn''t the greatest of scenario. Yet that didn''t happen. You initiated. Which means that you have a reason to run away. Otherwise, you would see our membership as something favorable. Despite that being the case, no. You decided that it was the wisest of all choices to run."

    Dumbass.

    "It would''ve been a far better move to simply have joined us, even though that would still make you a suspect. In that light, everyone else is too. However, running away, quite literally implies that you have something to hide. And for that sole reason; I will hunt you down."

    Done stretching. No howling sounds. A calm setting eternally incorporates itself onto this vast and vacant forest.

    The time has come.

    Light jumps, toes sticking out elastically. Silence has eaten this forest. Heavy steps would manifest as a spiral of destruction to this harmonic silence. Midst it, lies a running rabbit.

    Scattered wood sticks on the plaid light-brown layer.

    Why wood sticks anyway? For a fire? For the construction of a mini-house? Most likely the latter. These are not frail nor light. Not to mention, they are not limp whatsoever. Instead, they are large, thick, and colossal. Perfect for the building of a wooden house.

    You never demonstrated that sort of capacity of knowledge though.

    Ah, I see. I see how it is.

    "Time to burst!"

    Onwards, with accelerated haste, I took off.

    Footsteps so incredibly fast yet almost bare silent gave my eardrums the power to listen to my surroundings with clear reception.

    Unbothered without any animals at sight on the linear path that I followed; only birds above soaring could come and intertwine alongside my sight.

    Though covered with high-altitude, the trees weren''t in my path to the point of causing a quick disruption in my current stance.

    Regardless, I was aware that I gave Tatsu some extra time to flee. Intentionally. Initially, the aim would be to essentially capture him and while that option still remains green, something or some idea of brand discovery enclosed my thought process in the last second.

    "Pause."

    Hitting the breaks, I stopped my forceful momentum rapidly.

    Closing my eyes and placing all priority into listening to the sounds around me; nothing but the small hymn of the soaring birds was offered.

    "Resume."

    As I repeated the same process with a faster tempo, I reflected on something.

    The first scenery that I have witnessed was a sandy beach. Fairly typical of a deserted island. A standard starting point.

    Deep fresh ocean following that up, which was adjoined to the edge of the beach itself is also a common ground, so to say.

    If I take those two scenarios, or rather... Those two elements that can fill a scenario that implements a deserted island, then the island could already be done by itself.

    Yet it''s not...

    "Pause."

    Nothing.

    Again.

    "Resume."

    With the momentum once again set on impulse, it was on again.

    Simultaneously, my reflection on the previous topic revved up its engine vividly once more.

    "..."

    Significantly, what gave this island a more tropical atmosphere-like feeling was the intense jungle filled with boundless lianas and savage insects swarming around freely.

    Burning hot temperatures taken into the equation only sounds right.

    This alone could have also been something that was only normal yet a jungle does give a strange addition into the whole picture. Ecology-wise; it''s not a blunder to assume that it''s all part of the ecological system.

    However, the subsequent scenario raised some doubts.

    An oasis, out of nowhere? The origin of the oasis itself has already been undercover and fully instigated; though there could be some additional steps into its further origins.

    To find an oasis in the middle of a small dead end inside a massive jungle out of pure coincidence doesn''t really add up.

    Because the change is too abrupt.

    "Resume...."

    I''ve not been noticing any changes in the background at all. This seemingly endless forest keeps on increasing its reigns more and more; as if I''m indulging inside a labyrinth that doesn''t have a conclusive way out.

    "What came after was probably the weirdest part yet..."

    A rainforest? What?

    This change was so out of nowhere. From an oasis to a jungle and then through that jungle into a rainforest?

    "!"

    A change in the background occurred at long last. Small sounds of steps from the north direction alerted me, which enhanced my necessity to speed up.

    Dodging trees and making sure that my feet didn''t stumble upon anything unnecessary, I kept on scouting through the dead forest.

    Until...

    "Oh. Found you."

    Up ahead of me, Tatsu was at sight. Naturally, I had taken the right path, as I allowed Rayazaki and Kuzan to follow the one that wasn''t the right path.

    I also started to slow down upon seeing a well-constructed small house erected on the edge of this forest. By no means was this the end of the forest, yet there was already a clear path indicated to the house in front of me, just a few meters ahead.

    Additionally, as I was slowing my walk, I recalled the fact that Rayazaki and Kuzan''s phones should have plenty of battery left so I texted them to walk into my direction.

    However, as I was doing so, a familiar face that was not the individual that I was chasing after, came in my direction with a huge bright smile, which was arguably his most noticeable trademark.

    "Fancy seeing you here, Kawahara! I guess it''s natural that you''ve found this place by yourself? I''m impressed, I''m impressed."

    Tatsu was behind Sagasuga looking at me with a cowardly look almost going as far as using Sagasuga as a body-shield.

    I didn''t answer Sagasuga and kept on scouting the perimeter only to find an additional figure to this, at the top of the tree that was towering me. Most likely ready to ambush me. However, I didn''t direct look in his direction; which meant that I had to use a part of my vision''s angle to find his body lying at one of the branches above.

    "Hey, you''re not gonna say anything? Is this even you, Kawahara?"

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    "I heard you, fucktard."

    "Oh, that''s it, that''s it! That''s more like it!"

    "Hey, you coward, why did you run?"

    Act dumb, act dumb.

    "I---"

    ...Tatsu was going to answer for himself but Sagasuga with a simple arm raise canceled his stupid action thus allowing him to take charge of the situation.

    "A little rude, don''t you think, Kawahara? You scare people away with that attitude and you still expect someone to give you a positive answer in the process? That''s not how it works. Ask more kindly, would you? Or rather, why were you chasing him?"

    Utilizing his point where he criticized my lack of civility to connect to the reason why I would be chasing Tatsu out of obligation to fulfill my attitude.

    In face of this, someone who doesn''t think would blindly just answer in order to justify himself. Yes, that''s what an average stupid human being who lacks common sense and acts of impulse would do.

    Which for the sake of shaping the reality to my liking; I''ll act on.

    "Not my fault the pussy ran with all the wood logs in-between his legs. Oh, right, he dropped them all at the forest''s entrance, so that doesn''t count."

    "Alright, we get the point you are trying to make, Kawahara. But don''t you think that ----"

    "Do you though?"

    I had to interrupt him just to give him a stubborn image. Relaxed posture. Arms crossed. Overconfident smile. Lax eyebrows. Fangs showing. Fingers snapping. The arsenal''s set.

    "Yes, we do---"

    "Oh, really? Then what''s the point I''m trying to make?"

    Multiple interruptions in your speech. Imagine having something important to say but being interrupted every single time.

    Two vibrations came from my phone, confirmations have arrived.

    "That you''re a rude jerk that no one wants to hang around, Kawahara. You''re gonna die alone."

    At last, Tsudo descended from the tree and safely landed on the ground.

    I could''ve executed an ax kick during the moment his head kneeled down out of reflex and kill him but that surely didn''t cross his mind whatsoever.

    "Heh, so?"

    "Now, now. That''s not a good start. We started from the wrong foot, haven''t we? First of all, Tatsu and Tsudo are my companions and we have agreed to establish a relationship with a beneficial goal. That being; the success of the exam."

    Not the time to interrupt as Sagasuga was laying out plausible information, thus I kept my mouth shut.

    "I''ll be direct about this, we three have discovered that inside of the bags, that it was strictly delivered to us a separate envelope containing a hidden word in it. Without a doubt, this is connected to the exam."

    I expected no less.

    Midst this, through separate directions, Kuzan and Rayazaki started to approach the scene. I quickly traded glances with them, just like Sagasuga, Tsudo, and Tatsu.

    "Wow, this is great news!"

    Unable to contain his inner thoughts, Tsudo expressed his surprise through a childlike smile while bouncing those words to Sagasuga.

    Tatsu simply observed yet Sagasuga went an extra mile to express his agreement with Tsudo.

    "Fantastic news indeed! With Kawahara and in addition to Rayazaki and Kuzan, we will be able to progress smoothly!"

    ?

    "Don''t get the wrong idea here. If you are thinking of cooperation, it''s not gonna happen."

    A more humanistic response filled with lack of intelligence. Enjoy the delusion, fools.

    "What? Don''t you wanna pass the exam too...?"

    "Hold on, Tsudo. I''ll handle this."

    Naturally, the leader doesn''t allow the best chances for better decisions to be stolen away by those who attempt to do so. Henceforth, Sagasuga stopped Tsudo swiftly.

    "Kawahara, the words are linked to something surely. We three have it, therefore, the chances of you three also having it are quite high. So, why not cooperate? Our aim is to pass the exam and I firmly believe that the key to success here is by gathering as many messages as possible. Plus, the messages are with every single one of us, or at least so I think."

    "While I do agree with your logic, I don''t see any reason for cooperation. I can just do this on my own and that will be the case."

    "But we can put this exam to a quicker end just by sharing the information with each other! Why can''t you understand that?!"

    Emotionally impulsive. Of course, why wouldn''t you be? If your mindset works on the premise that every word unlocks a new meaning, then it makes sense to insist here.

    However, having things done this way does seem far too boring and besides...

    I don''t like it if it''s not my way.

    "Flawed point. There''s no need to make cooperation nor some sort of relationship. Plus, this ''relationship has never been explained in the first place."

    "Oh, you''re so full of bulls--"

    "Wait, hold on. Kawahara does have a point, no matter how you look at it. We haven''t gone in-depth about our potential relationship yet. Which is why, I have a proposal to make you, Kawahara. Or rather, to you three. I''m sure you are interested in knowing our words, right? We are willing to share, for the record."

    Kuzan and Rayazaki kept their silence exactly as I told them to keep their silence earlier while we were strolling through the rainforest. In the case that we encounter a group of people and not a single individual alone, we will not take action.

    "Which is why, for best purposes intended, we six should settle down and discuss terms. Shall we take this inside?"

    "You''re still not getting our cooperation."

    "Is that a yes?"

    Eyes on me, cutting all the relaxation down in a single swipe.

    "..."

    "Erm, do you guys have any food?"

    Kuzan interrupting the flow of the conversation with his selfish question is something beyond predictable. To the point where it can become useful. Such as in circumstances like these, where my silence loses relevance.

    "Wha---- You damn thief, are you trying to steal from us?!"

    "W-What?! N-No! W-Why would you assume that, hahahaha...."

    Not the greatest choice of words that you could''ve made against Tsudo, Kuzan, but your dumb stance is already taken into consideration.

    "Well, yes, we do. Want to eat something, Kuzan?"

    "Yessss!!! I''m starving here! Rayazaki, Master, let''s take this opportunity to eat something too!"

    Gladly taking this situation, Sagasuga is just smiling with his eyes closed.

    "Wait, no."

    In all his wisdom, Rayazaki decided to intervene and make a rational decision.

    To disagree with Kuzan''s gullible stance and ultimately rejecting Sagasuga''s offer.

    I did notice his side glance as if he was questioning my lack of intervention and surely basically everyone is. However, this is not the time for me to intervene.

    Instead, it''s time for dumb decisions to be made. On the surface, that is...

    "Why not, Rayazaki? We haven''t eaten anything in a fucking while! Let''s just go with it!"

    "...Are you serious right now? Don''t you see that this is obviously a b--"

    Ah, don''t spell it out like that, you incomprehensive feeble creature...

    "This is my final decision, Rayazaki. He''s offering us food, what could possibly gowrong?"

    Making sure I didn''t make that sentence far too sarcastic, the same voice tone was kept.

    "I''m not e---"

    Having enough with his words, I looked at him with a stronger glare in order to tell him to shut up.

    Reason is not necessary right now... And I can''t tell you the true meaning behind my actions because your sense of morality is usurping every ounce of common sense that you could possibly offer.

    "Are you guys coming or what?"

    Tsudo gave us one last call as Sagasuga and Tatsu were making way to the small wooden house.

    Distance was set between us three and this gave me an opportunity to talk to Rayazaki who was growing skeptical.

    Kuzan was happily jumping around while uttering the word ''Food!'' multiple times to the point of being annoying. Nevertheless, I spoke to Rayazaki.

    "Do not eat anything that he offers to you."

    "So you are aware..."

    "Yes, of course, I am. However, we need those words."

    "But Kawahara, can''t we just take them by force? That''s still an option, right?"

    Frankly, I do agree with Rayazaki here. It is an option. If we were facing down a single individual. In contrast to this assumption and overall circumstance, he does not understand something. No, perhaps he does? The fact that he has been acting cautiously over this being a potential bait could mean that he has developed the intelligence to notice the flaws in the current circumstance.

    If so, this could mean that he has noticed that Tatsu running up as soon as he saw us could also be intentional and that this whole meeting is fabricated at the hands of them. I already know this is the case. It all clicks.

    Still, Rayazaki has noticed? If that''s the case, then it''s alright if he knows a little more.

    "It is an option. But as you have already noticed, this is a stage that has been set up..."

    The tool that''s going to be put onto use is Rayazaki. Kuzan has already done his job despite not knowing it.

    Naturally, if Rayazaki''s met with a suggestion that he does not like, then he probably won''t do it. Enforcing brute methods isn''t the most optimal course of action here. Nonetheless, it''s a flawed assumption to make that I need to make a suggestion in the first place.

    "If we play into their game, then that''s fine."

    "....What...?! Isn''t that totally contradictory?!"

    "Not if we do it openly. We will play their game while playing ours. We need to let them think that they have the advantage. Not the other way around."

    "...I see... So, what''s the plan here?"

    He probably didn''t understand the essence here, but I''m not going to explain it. He doesn''t need to know.

    My overall plan holds far too much depth.

    "No matter what, we will not cooperate."

    "Wait, Kawahara, but.... Shouldn''t we cooperate in this case? If you don''t want to resort to violence, then isn''t cooperation here the optimal route? Or am I missing something?"

    "You are. What we will do is to hold an exchange, but not seek cooperation."

    "I am confused..."

    That''s the intention.

    "Rayazaki."

    Before reaching the entrance of this simple wooden house, I called out to Rayazaki one last time in a low-voice tone.

    "Do not trust a single word that they say."

    After that, we entered the uncommonly spacious area that served as their house.

    Already, with such a little time, they''ve established this small space for their benefit. Plus, they have a lot of fruit stocked up, which already fell under Kuzan''s vision straight up.

    In a line of three, Tatsu, Tsudo, and lastly, Sagasuga had a seat on their made-up bamboo chairs.

    So much effort into this has been made which could only entice inactivity.

    "Have a seat! We did make extra chairs after all."

    With spontaneous enthusiasm coming out from his smile, Sagasuga indicated through his right hand''s gesture the bamboo chairs that were in front of him and ultimately in front of us too.

    "How fancy. Additional chairs? You sure you don''t want to make it more obvious, Sagasuga?"

    Despite my words, we three took our seats and felt immediate comfort.

    "Obvious? We were expecting some sort of company and by keeping our mentalities up high, the scenario came into life. It was all just a coincidence that it happened to be the three of you. After all, we had no knowledge of your presence somewhere near us. Just like you didn''t have about ours. Right?"

    "Your sarcasm is sickening."

    "Hm? But it''s not sarcasm. Oh, Kuzan, go ahead and feast. Eat as much as you''d like. You guys too. Don''t hold back."

    Rayazaki and I held back naturally. It had only been a few hours. It is not that alerting to me and neither is it to Rayazaki.

    The same can''t be said for Kuzan who is happily chomping onto the red-scarlet apples that Sagasuga gladly suggested to him to eat.

    "Kawahara, why not cooperate with us?"

    "That again? I already told you that we will do it our way."

    "So is this about independence or just because you despise being dependant on others?"

    Typical psychological tactic. The moment a million questions start to get thrown at you, you are therefore being exploited. However, the majority of human beings are such attention whores that they don''t notice that they are just being exploited and instead they enjoy the fact that they are bathing in attention.

    Even if it''s the wrong type of attention.

    Questions about your interest; they stir you up. They fascinate your entirety. Someone cared for you? Your happiness peaks.

    Fragile weakness like that is beyond invalid.

    By contrast, there are two options to counter this tactic.

    Option number 1: be a coward and avoid the topic.

    Or...

    "It is about independence. I do like to keep my group under my control and being under your control is not an option."

    You go with option number 2 which is: tell what he/she wants you to tell while that''s not entirely true yet maintaining a degree of coherence and logic at the same time. Furthermore, back it up with irrefutable evidence that they can''t possibly argue back against.

    Reality is the canvas where I paint freely.

    "Which is why I refuse your cooperation regardless. You should''ve known already how I roll!"

    "I see... This is extremely disappointing then, Kawahara. It''s not as if I haven''t noticed how you can''t put things to work whenever you want to, but to choose pride over cooperation which would significantly fasten the whole process? Truly disappointing."

    This is the turning point.

    "Well, I''m not exactly against cooperation, totally."

    Upon hearing this, surprised faces resurfaced.

    "Wait, what the hell? If you are not against cooperation, then why did you object it earlier?!"

    Not Sagasuga but Tsudo spoke.

    No exceptional comments about this dumb question. There''s a clear difference here that''s visible to anyone and most surely, Sagasuga has already arrived at the conclusion of my saying.

    Still, he''ll always go an extra mile for those around him.

    Yes.

    This is common of him and I''ve known about this pattern of his ever since I stalked him back in the previous exam.

    "I think what Kawahara is trying to insinuate is that he has his own version of cooperation that differs from ours. But, Kawahara, I haven''t explained to you the terms. Isn''t your judgment way too flashy?"

    Such a narcissist.

    He purposely didn''t explain his terms just to create this situation. The more one thinks about it, the more evident it becomes yet to this guy, his surroundings are supposed to idolize him for his justice-alike actions. Just like now, Tsudo and Tatsu are looking at him with eyes of admiration.

    Though, you really think I''ll just not fight back?

    "You don''t need to explain your terms because I''m not interested in hearing it. My own version of cooperation will surely be far faster than whatever you can possibly offer."

    Not true.

    Why would I say this when he hasn''t even said his part? How naive of me! How foolish! Oh, look how dumb this guy is! Making assumptions left and right! What a retard.

    Average minds; so easy to fiddle with.

    "I see! Such confidence! Marvelous stance, Kawahara. So, would you enlighten us and tell us your breath-taking version, or are we simply not worth it? Or--- are you going to force cooperation like a tyrant?"

    Another round of sarcasm.

    "For the record, I wouldn''t mind listening to your version of ''cooperation'', Sagasuga."

    Switching up the gears, implying the necessity for trades to be made.

    "Listening?"

    "Yes, listening."

    Words are used to live up to their meaning, after all.

    "Mhm... What if I want to listen to yours instead?"

    "Sure, that can happen."

    It can indeed happen.

    "Well then, will you tell us your version of cooperation, Kawahara?"

    "Is that what you wish for?"

    Just making sure he knows what''s he''s about to walk into.

    "On behalf of my interest, Tatsu''s and Tsudo''s, yes, it is."

    "Alright, alright."

    Now then...

    "There is a simple condition for this. A simple term, so to say. Nothing special. You understand, right, Sagasuga? Youdidspeak about terms, after all, right?"

    "That is absolutely correct! I would not go back on my own words ever."

    "I see. Then, with that mindset, this shouldn''t be a problem for you."

    I''ve dragged this for too long. Just to keep the thread rolling. It''s at its wit''s end.

    "Show me all of your words."

 Volume 17 - Chapter 119: Your mind is my home.

    "That''s out of the question, Kawahara."

    "Why? If you surrender every word you three have collectively then there would be real cooperation."

    Keep the flaws up. Up. Up. Up. They can''t decrease. The argument is colored with flaws all around it.

    Even when I have such thoughts, this guy doesn''t lower his stance one bit. His image on the outside might be what it is, but on the inside, Sagasuga keeps a stern balance hidden within. Every decision that he makes should impact equally.

    That''s what I''ve come to know about him.

    In addition to this, regardless of the fact that my group has made clothes for themselves, his group didn''t bother to do that.

    What are they hiding?

    "I don''t agree with that type of cooperation though. There isn''t any equal benefit to us. We can''t just blindly entrust our words onto you, even if you speak about your cooperation! There should be an equal benefit here."

    "The benefit is that you guys will be able to pass the exam faster by handing us the valuable information me. By doing so, we can make faster progress. This argument makes no sense in the first place. Just hand over the damn words, Sagasuga."

    This time around, Sagasuga decided to place his elbow onto the wooden table that was available to all of us and softly adjoined his closed fist onto the right side of his cheek after doing quick thinking.

    "I will agree that the argument doesn''t make much sense, but if you can make such demands, then, is there any specific reason as to why we can''t just equally make the same demands? There''s no equality here."

    Now, his enthusiastic look turned into a grimmer one. Someone''s upset.

    Light chuckles came to me as fast as my sanguine blood flows through my veins.

    "There''s no need for this ''equality'' you speak of, Sagasuga. All y---"

    "Equality is a very important element of balance. Unless your terms imply equality I will n---"

    "Don''t interrupt me when I''m talkin---"

    "But you are not listening to me, Kawaha----"

    "Just stop talking over my own fucking turn!"

    Creating a harsh crack onto the table, I slammed my fist out of intentional rage.

    Momentarily, I additionally created a permanent silence that scared off Tsudo, Tatsu, and Kuzan.

    However, there was one person here who wasn''t fazed by this and didn''t hesitate when it came to speaking.

    "You two are conducting this argument wrongly. Why don''t you two take turns instead of talking over each other?"

    "Yeah, I agree with Rayazaki here... You two need to chill out, seriously..."

    Tatsu, in agreement, spoke up. I could''ve just stopped Rayazaki right there. I could''ve.

    But opted not to.

    "If Kawahara agrees with that, I don''t mind. If he agrees, that is."

    No longer with his fist adjoined to his right cheek and with a more positive outlook on the surface of his facial expression, Sagasuga spoke in agreement with Rayazaki and Tatsu.

    They believe that they can just be in charge just because no one interrupted them under that moment of silence which purposely opened a path for them to voice their opinion.

    Is it a coincidence that before that they didn''t speak up? Come on, pay more attention.

    "Sure. I''ll defeat you even on equal terms. I too can play that game. Go first, Sagasuga!"

    Display weakness concretely. Contrast your behavior. Abuse of those that are foolish enough to overlook evidence and focus on the facts.

    "Thank you for your comprehension. As I was saying, your terms don''t have any equality whatsoever, Kawahara. With that in mind, I would like to speak about my own version of cooperation. I do believe that it emphasizes far more on the equality aspect which contrasts your previous suggestion."

    "That was no suggestion... It was a damn order."

    "You''re right, Tsudo. It was an order, instead of a suggestion."

    Feeling confident enough to speak already? Come on, why do you advertise your gaze the moment I place my own eyes on your soul, Tsudo?

    Sheep will be sheep. Pretending to be one is oddly fun.

    "Sure thing, Sagasuga. I''ll admit. My words had too much of an imperial tone to it."

    But saying this isn''t enough. Anyone can just see how black and white my lie here is. It needs more color.

    "I do have trouble when it comes to associating emotional importance to others except to those that are under my control, such as Rayazaki and Kuzan. So, if I came out as undiplomatic, I sincerely apologize. I just wish that we could figure out a quick solution through a consensus!"

    Let''s see if anyone''s skeptical here. Line up, please.

    "Don''t believe him, Sagasuga, he''s totally putting up an act... Just look at the way he''s talking, it''s full of sarcasm."

    I didn''t speak though.

    "Hm? That''s strange. Why would you say that, Tsudo?"

    "That''s because his behavior is strange... A genuine act doesn''t fit him. It never did. He''s one-hundred percent lying."

    It''s funny how Tsudo didn''t say anything about the fact that Sagasuga said that he found his words strange.

    All that matters to him is why he would say such words, but not the former as it doesn''t involve Tsudo as highly as the latter does.

    Peak egoism.

    "That is true. What are your thoughts on this matter, Tatsu?"

    Sagasuga doesn''t explain why that''s true, at all. Simple agreements are enough to make someone happy. You don''t need to be intelligent whatsoever to make someone happy. All you have to say is yes instead of no.

    Welcome to the real world.

    ".....He should not be trusted. We should go with your strategy, Sagasuga. Wouldn''t you say so, Tsudo?"

    "Yeah!"

    Agreements. Links established. Yet core problems not solved. It''s alright though. Solutions aren''t needed, right?

    All that''s needed is just a collective agreement. Not based on reason, but based on emotion. Because, all that''s necessary, is clearly not reason, but emotion here.

    Fucking clowns.

    "Oh, but I''m not being sarcastic. I just genuinely think that you three are right. My method was far too brute. So, I''m willing to listen to your version of cooperation. And besides, this is dragging out way too long. Can you get on with it already?"

    A little bit of impulse here and there to show diversity. Applying evidence to the canvas. You can''t ignore something that''s painted on a canvas, can you?

    "Well, I can definitely agree that we are dragging this out way too much. So, I''ll just say it."

    Taking a deep breath while simultaneously pushing his uniform''s sleeves back, Sagasuga, at last, delivered his words.

    "Let''s swap words."

    !

    "Interesting. Reasoning?"

    It shocked the rest of the others here the fact that I considered Sagasuga''s take as interesting, but it was a genuine reaction.

    I''m slightly interest to know his reasoning right now.

    "That''s demanding too much. I can only tell you my reasoning if your group entirely cooperates with us. For example, to prove your cooperation and alignment with us, you should give us proof."

    "Proof?"

    Currently, I''m following the train of thought that implies that I actually care for what Sagasuga has to say. His words alone are enslaved onto this alternative mindset that my mind has accumulated onto its own system in order for this to work.

    Therefore, it''s only natural that I show interest instead of constantly show disapproval.

    "By proof, Kawahara, I''m referring to your group''s loyalty. We can''t just blindly trust you. And, as you can see this benefits us both. We are essentially trading our knowledge here. However, we will swap our words, but we won''t tell anyone each other''s words, if that''s alright with you."

    "That''s dumb. They are just words, why should we have to hide them?"

    "Ah, I forgot to explain a detail, forgive me. You see, I have Tatsu, Tsudo, and my word with me, under my bag. What about you, Kawahara?"

    "It''s the same for me."

    He could just be making this up, but lying too much will only delay the progression here. My methods to hide the words aren''t exactly mouth-watering in the sense where they are amazing or anything like that.

    It''s all for the purpose of keeping them with me.

    "How smart of you. Though, this is all for the sake of security, you see. Here is how this would work in theory; I gather the three words we have, and you do the same for your own group. Then, we put the word inside the envelope, since the word is technically on a paper, and close it. Ultimately, we swap envelopes."

    "That''s how it should be in theory for you, Sagasuga. But to proceed to this, you said something about proof. Again, what did you mean by that?"

    "By that, I was talking about a way to prove that you are willing to follow through with what I have just said. I believe you should surrender a word."

    Sagasuga''s words made Rayazaki''s anger spark.

    "That makes no sense at all! What''s the point of telling us to surrender a word if by doing that, you are just going to know the word anyway!? What a waste..."

    Not the best choice of words. Rayazaki didn''t really consider this at all.

    Still, I didn''t call him out. After all, the ultimate decision was still up to me. Nonetheless, Sagasuga, again, went an extra mile to explain the reasoning behind this method of his to achieve loyalty in the consensus here.

    "Don''t worry! I''ll explain why it makes sense! First of all, I will agree with you when you have said that it is indeed a waste to do this as the purpose doesn''t really add up. However, by surrendering a word, you are already proving that you are willing to go through with this. It''s true. The logic here will hold no meaning once the words are revealed. That is if Kawahara wants to go through with this."

    "Then why don''t you reveal one too? Why is this suddenly one-sided?"

    Rayazaki''s point right now isn''t as bad as his last one, but it''s still bad nevertheless. Here is why...

    "That''s because we have already compromised into cooperation. I only need you three to compromise as well. We will do it, naturally. But, even if you don''t believe me here... Rayazaki, do you really think you are in a position to demand here?"

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Rayazaki could''ve just insisted on his point until Sagasuga budged because the truth is, the terms here are unequal, but there is no reason why I should intervene.

    At the end of it all, what will ultimately be used as an example as to why we aren''t in a position to negotiate will become clear.

    "What?! How am I not?! What have I done?"

    "Ahhh... Sorry, sorry. I didn''t mean you. I thought that you''d be aware that when I say ''you'', in this scenario, I''m referring to you three as a whole. Not you entirely."

    "......Choose your words properly, man...."

    Quickly losing his temper, Rayazaki looked at me. He knew that I hadn''t done anything that would put our positions in danger. I even apologized. We are currently in good terms. A polite atmosphere has been established.

    Gradually, we all started to look towards a single person in this house that made our position here terrible.

    Surely, the thought of my incompetence must''ve reached out to Rayazaki. I did warn him not to eat anything that they offered him, which was the case. The same was applied to me, yet I rejected the offer.

    So, the question here is, why didn''t I tell this to the person who self-indulging right now? To be more specific, why didn''t I tell Kuzan to reject their offer? He didn''t need to be eating bananas, apples, and even grapes right now, right?

    Yet he is. To the point where our looks aren''t fazing him.

    "Kuzan."

    "Hm----Oh...."

    Finally, he came back to reality as he took the last bite out of the scarlet apple.

    "Er---- This isn''t what it looks like!"

    "No, you have clearly eaten what we offered you, Kuzan. It is what it is."

    Already asserting the facts, Tatsu? Stop doing that...

    I''m not confident about my ability to hold my laugh back.

    "Um, but, okay? You guys offered me. I was starving. What''s the whole deal anyway? It''s a generous act, right?"

    "Indeed! It is as Kuzan says! But, I do believe that equality is important to establish to keep things balanced..."

    Sagasuga''s obsession with balance is irritating, to say the least. Impressive how his brain connects everything to that worthless concept.

    "So, Kuzan, in order to make things balanced here... could you, as an act of generosity from you, in order to pay back the favor, show us your word? I believe it makes more sense for it to be you as your position is negative in comparison to Rayazaki and Kawahara. No hard feelings, right?"

    "Er.... That''s...."

    Unable to deal with Kuzan''s lackluster defense to Sagasuga''s words, Rayazaki decided to intervene.

    "That''s fucked up. How is that an act of generosity when you are using it as a way to get back t----"

    I had to interrupt Rayazaki here. He''s not exactly the brightest creature on this planet.

    "It''s alright. Kuzan, show him your word."

    "....What? Kawahara, I---"

    "It''s fine. I said so. Understand that this is fine."

    Even though I''ve said this, I''m the one that has Kuzan''s word, so my words hold no merit whatsoever.

    But...

    ....Perhaps I said too much just now...

    I should not have said that last sentence...

    "There''s really no need to see my act that way, Rayazaki. The act was entirely based on generosity. I will admit that my current one might not reflect that, however, it''s important to notice that what I aim to achieve here is a balance. If I offer you something, you should, therefore, offer me something. A fair philosophy, right?"

    It''s not a fair philosophy. It''s also completely controversial. According to his logic, the request itself doesn''t matter. What matters is establishing a balance. So, if Sagasuga offered me an apple and I would''ve eaten it, then if he had suggested that I would have to stab myself with a knife in my abdomen, this would''ve been completely fine and fair under his own train of thought.

    Obviously, he wouldn''t demand something illogical and unreasonable. The main point to note here is that if it follows a rationale that is acceptable, he will demand it.

    This is actually more interesting than I initially thought.

    "Also, I won''t demand anything that''s selfish or that doesn''t benefit my group as a whole. As you can see, my act benefits both Tsudo and Tatsu. It''s a collective effort, entirely. Please don''t see my act in a bad light when it has good intentions."

    "Well, that only matters if Kawahara agrees. If he doesn''t, then your act is worthless, Sagasuga."

    "Correct, Rayazaki! It''s all up to Kawahara. Although... If he doesn''t agree, then no one benefits here. If so, then we have just wasted a lot of time. Talk about unproductive, right?"

    Laxing back, I placed my forearms on this wooden''s chair upper parts thus contradicting my shoulder blades transiently.

    Without any intervention from me on sight, their argument proceeded.

    "In my opinion, we don''t even need to reach a consensus here. This is all working in your favor way too much, Sagasuga."

    "Is it though? If it was working in my favor, then how come we haven''t reached a consensus yet? Isn''t that proof that it''s not working? Hm?"

    ...

    "You are referring to the whole process, you idiot. That is not the same. I''m talking about the actuality. You have managed to put Kuzan in a bad position all for the sake of obtaining his word."

    "I don''t understand your point, Rayazaki. Sagasuga''s right and you know it. What will it all matter if we will have the words and so will you? Kuzan revealing his word symbolizes that we have reached a consensus. Why can''t you see that?"

    Sticking to the facts, Tatsu decided to argue against Rayazaki.

    "I never said that I didn''t see that. I''m aware of it, but it doesn''t change the fact that it''s extremely opportunistic. You purposely set this up, didn''t you, Sagasuga?!"

    ...

    "Set up? Aren''t you accusing me based on your superstition too much? All I do was offer food. We are in a savage territory. Our current environment contrasts with the scenario we are all familiar with. Does this look like a school for you? Is there guaranteed food every morning and night? Are there stores for you to buy food? Clearly not. Accordingly, is it really that strange for me to offer food to my own schoolmates? I don''t think it is. As a matter of fact, you believe that I''m exhibiting a manipulative behavior here, which I am not. I wouldn''t want anyone to starve because I wouldn''t be able to live with that."

    A bit passive-aggressive, I must say.

    "If that''s the case, then you shouldn''t use the fact that you offered food based on the reasons that you''ve spoken of for the sake of acquiring Kuzan''s message."

    "Goodness gracious, Rayazaki. On behalf of my group, I did the right decision. And it''s all for the sake of asserting loyalty. There are no traps laid around here."

    "No, I don''t trust you. I think you are lying. This is all too convenient. Kawahara, I say we take their words by force!"

    Upon hearing Rayazaki''s aggressive words and seeing him get up from his chair with his fists closed and ready to fight, Tatsu and Tsudo got quickly scared. Rayazaki''s face was full of anger and ready to step up.

    However, Sagasuga didn''t falter and simply addressed this issue in a verbal way.

    "Really, Rayazaki? By force?"

    "Yeah! We are better when it comes to fighting so I''m pretty confident."

    "So you are no different from a thug. You are simply someone who will resort to violence once your fragile ego gets damaged just because someone else had a different opinion?"

    ...

    "I don''t agree with your opinion, Sagasuga, and taking the words by force is the most effective method. That is all."

    "Abhorrent. There''s no need for that. Sit down, please. We are not primates. We are rational creatures who can work and shape ways around our differences through words."

    Well, that''s enough observation.

    "Sagasuga has a point, my guy. We aren''t primates. With that said, I will agree with Sagasuga here. Under one condition only."

    Rayazaki was about to argue back against my decision but I made sure that I said something that would lower his skepticism.

    "The trade of words can only happen between me and Sagasuga. The rest has to be outside of the house. If this condition isn''t taken into the equation, we are not doing it."

    "Hm? I see. Well, do you guys mind?"

    That was quick... By suggesting Tatsu and Tsudo to leave, Sagasuga, in other words, has agreed with my condition.

    Subsequently, I spoke to Rayazaki and Kuzan fastly.

    "You guys leave too. And no beefs, please. I will shove a rock up in your anus if you try anything funny, Rayazaki. You too, Kuzan."

    "W-What the hell..."

    "Eeeeeeeek, please no, Master!!"

    There were other alternatives, but no use in thinking about that.

    In the end, they left, leaving me and Sagasuga alone in the room.

    I tried to sneak through the holes in the walls of the house to see if they were spying on us, but they were not.

    "What''s with the expression, Kawahara? Your eyes are way too open. Chill out, bro."

    "Have you ever tried telling a chick that, Sagasuga?"

    "I wouldn''t dare to. Because then, we would be talking about a different kind of ''eyes'', if you get what I am saying."

    "Honestly, the joke might be too complicated for a girl to understand."

    "No way, Kawahara. I''m referring to the boobs, in this case. The boobs."

    "Oh? I thought you were talking about the vagina and th---"

    "Brooo. I would get killed if I ever tried that line with that meaning."

    "But my point is that they wouldn''t really come to an instant conclusion about the one I''m talking about. Though, you could still get slapped just by making that joke nonetheless, Sagasuga."

    It''s all fun and games until you receive a slap across your face and your date gets ruined just because you thought your sense of humor was amazing and that you''d get your joke across in a playful way.

    "True. So, are you gonna give me Kuzan''s word or not?"

    "Oh, I will. Here you go."

    Truth to be told, while we were having that stupid talk, I was organizing the papers and sliding them into the respective envelopes. Under Sagasuga''s knowledge, I should only have three envelopes containing the three papers that have the respective word in each of them.

    His knowledge and assumption are entirely restricted to the fact that I am only presenting three envelopes on the table. Naturally, I''m not showing him the words in the envelopes.

    Instead, I''m carefully making sure that he can''t catch a glimpse of them.

    Thus, I gave him an envelope containing a message, which under his knowledge would be Kuzan''s message.

    That came in handy sooner than I thought it did.

    "Hm. So that''s Kuzan''s word? You''re really going through with this, huh?"

    "You''re not?"

    "I am, I am. Don''t look at me like that, Kawahara. You turn cold-blooded so quickly. That''s not really ideal when it comes to getting a good impression out of someone."

    "Seriously? Did you just indirectly praise yourself? How do you live with yourself?"

    "What do you mean? I do just fine."

    "You do try and always get a good impression out of everyone you come across, don''t you?"

    "Force of habit. Anyway, here you go. This is Tatsu''s word."

    For.

    "This is definitely a wordplay, by the way, Kawahara. Another one, please. Rayazaki''s?"

    "Yeah."

    This time, I did genuinely deliver the respective word that was supposed to be delivered.

    "Interesting... Do you agree that we should all discuss the possible meaning of the words between just us?"

    "Why the secrecy?"

    This was not an opposition, but a question out of curiosity.

    My question aside, Sagasuga handed me yet another envelope.

    "We hold too much information. It''s simply foolish to flat out share all of this. By the way, this is Tsudo''s."

    Will.

    "Hm... ''Way'' and ''the''? Kuzan and Rayazaki''s words hold an affinity for sure. "

    "Yeah. Without a doubt, there''s a connection here. Out of all the words, those two will help out the most."

    Kan''s word synergizes well with Kuzan and Rayazaki''s words, no doubt there.

    "On the former topic, even if we do discuss this privately, they will want to discuss the meaning of this. Why do you think you can avoid this?"

    "Kawahara, your stance when you are alone without your group is far more relaxed as you don''t have to put up a front too much."

    "Again with the indirect praise. Narcissist. Here''s my word."

    I handed him Kuzan''s actual word and envelope.

    "What the hell? Another ''the'' word? Well, you have no way to fabricate this, so I can only assume that there are two ''the'' words in the same sentence here. Assuming this is all part of a sentence."

    "That''s what I think too, Sagasuga."

    Deep inside my bag, my own envelope lies in, buried. My word; protected.

    "Here is mine."

    Ultimate.

    "Quite the strong word, eh?"

    "Certainly, it packs more impact than the rest."

    Seven words already under my possession. It''s only a matter of time before the three others are gathered.

    "Do you mind if I gather all of them together just so we can examine them?"

    "Sure. But, explain your reasoning now. Why the swap?"

    I''m dying to know what''s his reasoning behind this.

    "It''s all for confusion. Six are greater than only four. Undoubtedly, the words here hold a certain meaning. But this is more than just meaning here. Maybe there''s a specific order? Maybe only the ones who have the original owner of the word can do something with it? Tests need to be made, I think. This might be all for nothing, but we can fool others pretty easily. Neat, right?"

    "So you''ve thought ahead too."

    "Yes, I have. Unfortunately, this exam only has multiple purposes and I have to capitalize on every single one of them in order to win the exam. Yet we already have six words. Speaking of words..."

    On Sagasuga''s side, there were three words horizontally split.

    Kuzan''s word which is actually Kan''s: Way.

    Rayazaki''s word which is Kuzan''s: The.

    And my word which is actually Rayazaki''s: The.

    On my side, there were also three words horizontally split.

    Tatsu''s word: For.

    Tsudo''s word: Will.

    Sagasuga''s word: Ultimate.

    By the way, there is nothing telling me that Sagasuga didn''t pull out the same move I pulled out on him on me.

    Assuming that these words actually belong to the ones Sagasuga told they belong to, is a mistake to make.

    "Way. The. The. For. Will. Ultimate. Hm, the keywords are missing here. Talk about bad luck."

    I''ll have to agree with the fact that this is bad luck.

    "True enough. But your word is an interesting one, Sagasuga. Ultimate? That''s an adjective, so it''s undoubtedly giving a lot of praise to the word that is to be followed up."

    "Could it be the word ''Way''? Ultimate way...? It fits."

    "Sagasuga, I won''t disagree but using the word ''The'' adjoined to the word ''Way'' also works. Plus, the fact that there are two ''The'' words just increases the likelihood."

    "I see. What about the word ''Will'' though? It''s absolutely referring to the acquirement of something. Utilizing the word ''Will'' before the word ''Ultimate'' should be referring to something. Something ''Will'' give us this ''Ultimate'' thing? Ultimate way?"

    "Maybe."

    This is all Sagasuga can assume. His knowledge is restricted. His mind is enslaved into connecting these six exact words.

    Holding back my laugh is starting to become harder. Envisioning the words that I know from my perspective will provide greater insight.

    By the order that I found them, this should become easy. The first word I bothered to check out was Kan''s, which is ''Way''. Then mine: ''Words''. Kuzan''s: ''The''. Rayazaki''s: ''The''. Tatsu''s: ''For''. Tsudo''s: ''Will''. Lastly, Sagasuga''s: ''Ultimate''.

    Way. Words. The. The. For. Will. Ultimate.

    Alternations are required, so as I stand here thinking, I''ll quickly run over them.

    Way the words the for will ultimate.

    Way for words the will the ultimate.

    Way will the---

    No, all of this isn''t necessary. The conclusions essentially all come down to the same thing. The fact that ''Words'' as a word is present it should mean that it''s making a direct reference to the words that are supposed to be collected. This means that it''s one-hundred percent intentional. This confirms it.

    ''Way'' is a really strong word here. Not giving it attention can turn out to be crucial here. It''s definitely a reference to a path. Something that will enable this way. Therefore, what is the meaning of the word ''Ultimate''? Is it referring to the word ''Way'' as Sagasuga said?

    Am I wrong?

    No, I''m never wrong.

    More depth...

    ''Will'' in this case is a confirmation. What is it confirming though? Is the word ''Words'' a reference to the word ''Will''? Words will? Mhm? That makes sense. The words will. They will give us something, surely. These two words are unmistakably linked to each other concretely. More so, in the whole sentence next to each other.

    ''Words'' alone could stand out. But if all is taken into consideration, there should be ten words in total, because each of us has ten words. I don''t think that the possibility of some of us being blessed with more than a word would make sense. No, no, no... I can''t think about that possibility that much. That''s a dangerous game. My thoughts need more focus on what''s important.

    Kuzan and Rayazaki''s words are pretty much useless, honestly. The words that are between them; aren''t. With the current words, what are the words that would make the most sense to be after or before the word ''The''?

    The Words. Logical. It works.

    The Way. Fits inside the box way too well.

    The For. This one doesn''t work.

    The Ultimate. Maybe...

    All in all, the conclusion to take here is that any other word could give us a massive hint.

    Us?

    What do they know? Nothing. They don''t strive to know. Their knowledge is limited but they just accept that as a fact and aren''t disturbed about it. How nice. You all have such nice lives. Your brains can handle simple explanations as fuel for your easy to please happiness.

    Very nice.

    Admitedly, this sensation of superiority spreads like wild fire.

 Volume 17 - Chapter 120: Virality.

    The afternoon sun once again stood supremely in the sky exorcising indifference towards those underneath it. Noticeably, me, and the rest of the other five.

    Picking up wood logs from taken down trees we had brought down earlier, Kuzan, with withered force, passed me the large wood log he was carrying with all of his might. Ultimately, with his weak breath combined, I received it.

    "This is killing me... Do we really have to do this?"

    "Don''t complain, Kuzan. We are extending the length of the wooden house which was an idea that I made on my own along with the basis of our cooperation."

    In addition to speaking to Sagasuga about our deal of cooperation, I proposed that we six would collectively help extend the house''s length by adding a more stable and strict structure adjoined to the house itself. Mainly because even if unlikely, in the scenario of rain, it would all come crumbling down. Arguments rejecting this possibility were made yet through my arguments they were inevitably brought down. Admittedly also because Sagasuga lastly agreed with the possibility as he assumed that the weather and the environment of the island itself were two elements that we had no knowledge of concretely.

    Thus, with the last log being adjoined by my worn-out hands, the small additional space was completed. It simply took us a great amount of six hours.

    Before starting this endeavor, Sagasuga would tell Tatsu and Tsudo to cut the logs into very specific pieces so it would combine with the house''s structure. His idea solely yet I argued not.

    How would they cut the logs though? By utilizing a self-made ax with a razor blade. Rayazaki asked how Sagasuga built the ax. A clear assumption made by him alone that Sagasuga built the ax in the first place and noticeably, I was curious too, but his explanation was that he found the ax along the way. Tsudo and Tatsu aided his explanation, but Rayazaki remained skeptical in the end.

    "Is this what you want, Kawahara? Or is it not ideal?"

    "It doesn''t have to be ideal, Sagasuga. It''s enough."

    Erasing the dirt in my hands through a simple continuous clasping, I gave Sagasuga that answer as he cleared his forehead''s sweat with his right forearm. We six were glancing upon the wood house once more only with an additional space that would serve as a room. In order to form this room, it was necessary to retake the wood logs already adjoined to the left end of the house. The old logs were used for the purpose of adjoining the horizontal structure while these brand new ones were used to create a finalized linear end and a roof.

    "Well, isn''t this just strange... Are you really that afraid that it will rain and that the house will be brought down?"

    Tsudo asked me that with pressed eyebrows and no signal of trust in his eyes.

    "What do you even know about this island? How can you assume that it won''t rain at all, Tsudo?"

    "Oh, I don''t know... Oh wait, I do! Maybe because this heat is killing everyone here?! How the hell can it rain in the first place when the weather is this horrible?!"

    Do I bother and teach this numbskull why heat causes rain?

    "Isn''t this fine, Tsudo? I think that the real reason as to why Kawahara wanted to build more additional space was so that we could all sleep without being so sticky onto one another. As you mentioned, this heat is killing us which suggests that the scenario where multiple individuals are stuck onto one another could turn out to be a little bit annoying."

    "I mean, yeah, true. Hm, but if so, then why didn''t you just say this, Kawahara?"

    He doesn''t realize he''s being played. In a ping-pong match, the two players can''t play without the ball.

    Tsudo is the ball.

    "Because I don''t support your gay agenda."

    "Fuck you! I''m not gay!"

    "Shock and terror, Tsudo."

    Tsudo''s complaints aside, we all walked into the new space and made a slight comparison with the one that was already established on the right side. Arguably, the truly noticeable difference would be that there were wood logs serving as a ground for them yet for us it was pure solid forest ground.

    Enjoying the shadow that the roof allowed, Tatsu made a comment.

    "Feels nice."

    "Right? I kinda want to relax here for a bit..."

    Already in agreement, Tatsu and Tsudo spoke out lazily.

    "But sleeping here without a ground seems highly uncomfortable. Why not work a bit more to add a solid ground?"

    "A bit subjective, Sagasuga. You''re already assuming that we mind sleeping on this tender ground. And besides, who said that we were going to spend a long time here anyway? We gotta move out eventually, isn''t that right, Kuzan?"

    "Mhm, doesn''t that depend on whether or not Master wants to move out though?"

    "You could show a bit of independence once in a while..."

    As they all spoke out, I was pondering my choices yet a question completely partial to the previous comments made flew out of my mouth towards Sagasuga, who was holding onto a very sharp object. Midst all of this in specific, our gazes couldn''t help but watch out for his left arm''s movements.

    "Sagasuga, for how long are you gonna hold onto that ax? Are you gonna come out of the closet and murder every single one of us here?"

    "Oh, no. I was just curious to know your reactions after doing almost nothing but holding onto the ax."

    More skepticism rose as Tatsu''s sweat droplets hastily scourged down his cheeks. Tsudo couldn''t help but gulp.

    "Kawahara, we are trusting a guy that''s holding an ax just to satisfy his curiosity. Please reconsider this..."

    "But I''m not going to hurt anyone. This ax holds a lot of utility. For example; animal hunting."

    "Another example: Human killing."

    This time I spoke.

    "Good grief, Kawahara, not you too. Do you actually think any of us could kill another and escape without getting caught in the process?"

    "Isn''t that why we are here? Because someone killed Yulia and that person hasn''t been caught in the process of doing so?"

    "No, Kuzan, you got it wrong. Nobody killed Yulia. Yulia killed herself, that''s different."

    I corrected Kuzan rapidly in order to adjust his focus and how he would conduct his words.

    "Frankly suspicious, Kawahara... You talk about the situation like it was nothing. A person died and you are talking with barely any emotion behind your words. Nothing tells us that it wasn''t you who did it..."

    "I am speaking without any emotion because I had no attachment to her whatsoever. How can you expect me to talk with emotion behind my words if she meant nothing to me? What, are you the type of person to feel guilty just because another person died? Someone is dying right now, in this world. Why aren''t you crying and feeling guilt beyond your comprehension? What''s the matter?"

    Just a little taunt. Let me see your reaction, Tsudo.

    "She was your classmate, damn it. As soon as we are done with this exam, we will be back in a classroom where she won''t be there. It just... won''t be the same, you know?"

    "Why? Has she even done anything remarkable for once? Actually, Tsudo, this is pretty beneficial to you right now."

    "Excuse me!?"

    That''s more like it. Close your fists and grind your teeth. Form an offensive stance and allow your glare to fuel your rage.

    Regardless, I will taunt you even further.

    "Emotional arguments that represent a shred of humanity are pretty convincing, in all likelihood. Right now, you are portraying yourself as someone who feels guilt just because you won''t be able to see Yulia the moment you, or rather we return to the classroom. That''s right, you even used the word "we" constantly. In other words, you are speaking for others."

    "You are so distorted! The way you use others'' words for your convenience is sickening! I am saying what I think and I wouldn''t do something as horrible as motivating her to kill herself!"

    "Nothing tells me otherwise. Just like how nothing tells you that I wouldn''t do the same. So, what''s your point again?"

    This is how useless his argument is. And besides, there is only one person who in specific that was close to Yulia to an intimate point yet that person is nowhere in sight.

    But I won''t mention that. Amongst the six of us, there is a person who has a clue that could make this whole exam faster.

    Henceforth, as soon as I was done with my words and Tsudo was ready to argue back, that person in specific spoke thus not allowing Tsudo to proceed.

    "Wait, wait, wait!! I think I just found something really important!"

    "I swear, if this is a random bad joke, Kuzan, I will---"

    "It''s not! Hear me out, just do that!"

    Upon seeing that I didn''t interrupt Kuzan at all and that I was simply looking forward to what Kuzan had to say, Tsudo decided to calm down a bit, but, someone decided to go a bit further and calmed him down in a better effective way.

    Sagasuga spoke transiently to Tsudo therefore.

    "Kuzan''s the dinner if it''s a bad joke."

    "Okay."

    Ironically, after all those arguments about emotion and whatnot, Tsudo coldly agreed with Sagasuga without any remorse behind his words.

    However, this only contributed to Kuzan''s sudden fear and anxiety, but my eyes and his'' met and with a simple nod made by my head, Kuzan spoke though reluctant.

    "A-Aniki... I think he''s the one we should look for... Because he and Yulia would talk a lot, wouldn''t they?"

    "...Now that you mention it..."

    Instead of Tsudo, Tatsu whispered those words with his fingers linked to his chin and his glare on the solid tender ground.

    "Wait, he has a point, Tatsu?"

    Unable to know whether or not he should trust Kuzan''s words, Tsudo exasperatedly looked at Tatsu who was with his back adjoined to the wood logs. Nonetheless, Tatsu took a step further in Tsudo''s direction and formulated his point.

    "I''ve seen them plenty of times together. Mainly with Arkalee, Sana, and..."

    But he didn''t finish his words exactly thus causing an abrupt note. It does leave me wondering just how many of us here know why he couldn''t finish his words just now. For sure, I know why. Rayazaki and Kuzan too.

    "Hyunda?"

    Kuzan couldn''t hold himself back as he doesn''t know the meaning of the saying "read the damn mood" too well.

    "...Yes, but that aside, there were more incidents. She did look at him a lot."

    "So she liked him?"

    Wanting a confirmation, Tsudo fastly fired a question at Tatsu. Naturally, I could''ve intervened and made way more plausible arguments to Tsudo, but there would be no point. He doesn''t trust me. Even if what I have to say is the truth. Alternatively speaking, by not speaking, I''m allowing them to make soft discoveries on their own. I gain more with that.

    "Possibly. And out of curiosity, I did look into everyone in the classroom. But this everyone did honestly..."

    "Mhm, very true. This, we can all agree with, correct?"

    Moral saint Sagasuga, attempting to reach a consensus and with everyone in his mind, delivered his words with spontaneous volume behind his voice.

    Since Sagasuga spoke up, I followed him up. Rayazaki as well, who was trading looks from Tatsu to me and me to Tatsu all this time. He''s questioning why I haven''t spoken yet.

    "They were also partners during the second exam if I recall correctly."

    "And despite both of them failing the mandatory tasks, they would often smile to each other a lot through it..."

    Not bad, Rayazaki.

    Still, I won''t speak anymore, despite having clear evidence that there is more to what we have just said. What''s important here is calming the one who doesn''t trust us; Tsudo.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "I''ll agree with Kawahara and Rayazaki here. What do you think, Tsudo? Do you have something to say regarding what they''ve just said?"

    Now, this is odd. Why is Tatsu going so much out of his way to change the way Tsudo thinks regarding us? Has he had enough of his dramatic mood or...? No, it''s definitely something else. He could''ve applied this stance way earlier yet now, out of all the times? Is he simply speaking out because he has evidence to speak of? I don''t think so.

    Why don''t I think so? That''s because speaking out now is fairly convenient. We already essentially came to the conclusion that Daniel is a valuable asset to know who is behind Yulia''s suicide. But using Daniel as a scapegoat is way, way too convenient.

    Even so, I will not get in his way. I''ll allow him to gain a sense of confidence and that he is in charge of the situation. Ultimately, he will reveal more and more without knowing that was the goal all along.

    "...Honestly, you guys are speaking the truth. I did witness the same things you guys also did. I was just making sure that we were on the same pace."

    This is how someone justifies their trust issues. By pointing out a flaw on their own. Simple but effective.

    "There is one thing that''s bothering me though."

    "What, Tatsu?"

    After choosing his words better, Tatsu responded to Tsudo subsequently.

    "Even if we do assume that Daniel and Yulia had a close relationship, we still don''t know much about Daniel, do we?"

    "Hm, true, we don''t know much about Daniel."

    Conveniently, Sagasuga agreed with Tatsu. He hasn''t spoken much at all. It''s almost as if he''s carefully observing the way this conversation is aiming towards. Even then, it''s pretty clear that he''s allowing Tatsu and Tsudo to conduct this conversation based on his own train of thought.

    "He''s got a jail sentence of 1000 years... How the hell is that even possible...?"

    "To say that he''s related would be an understatement, seriously... As Tatsu just said, he has a jail sentence of 1000 years, but we don''t know much about him. But, you guys do."

    Bait took.

    "Do we?"

    I fluently spoke my words towards Tsudo who clearly already assumed that we knew more than Sagasuga, Tatsu, and himself. Everyone here knows why we know more about him than they do. Or rather; they assume that we know more about him than they do for a very concrete reason.

    "Yes, you guys know. It happened recently, for fuck''s sake. He was in your team, which consisted of you, Kuzan, Rayazaki, Hyunda, Akihiko, and Daniel. You three spent way more time with him, you guys certainly, therefore, know more about him than we do!"

    Going as far as pointing his right index finger at me, Tsudo launched that barrage of assumptions. As planned.

    Proving him wrong would be far too easy. But why do that? His trust is at stake here. What do I gain by proving him wrong? A sense of morality? Accumulated wins in this "proving another person wrong in an argument" game? What a boring thought process honestly. It needs more color on it!!

    "Gotta admit, you are smart, Tsudo."

    Kill me.

    "You discovered that we would have more connections with him because he was in my team which coincidentally involved Kuzan and Rayazaki. Props to you."

    I''m not sounding sarcastic at all.

    No, really, I''m making such a grand effort to have a cold emotion behind my voice just to make the atmosphere serious.

    So... I have to address the facts and praise him regardless.

    "Truth to be told, even a child could know that much. It''s nothing that impressive. I''m sure you agree with this. I''m also sure you understand that anyone could use Daniel as their scapegoat in order to get away with the recent event. Therefore, I was confirming who would use it better. As you all are most likely aware, this exam was perhaps purposely made to lure out the one behind the recent event. So, whoever did it, would surely use him as a scapegoat. Because he''s the one closest to Yulia. You can''t use Sana here because she''s not here. Evidentially, we are stuck with only the ten of us."

    "I was thinking that Daniel is the actual source behind this though."

    Neither agreeing with me nor disagreeing with me, Tsudo made his stand.

    "Why would you think like that, Tsudo?"

    Is Sagasuga asking that question while knowing that the suspicions of the person who would ask such a question would increase if they did ask that question and so he asked that on purpose because it would provoke that reaction?

    "Do you even need to ask?! He has 1000 years of jail behind his back!! You''d have to be insane not to question him entirely! And besides, if he has a 1000 years behind his back, then what are the odds of him being a master manipulator? He''s the primary suspect, no doubt here."

    I see. So this is why you used him...

    "That''s rather convenient then. He''s the perfect scapegoat, no matter how you look at it. Tsudo, you suspect that it was Daniel but utilizing him due to his jail sentence is truly convenient. In the end, it''s a paradox of doubt."

    It took Tatsu this long to realize the obvious here. I want to give these two the most sarcastic standing ovation in existence right now. But not your usual ovation. It''s the type of standing ovation where you don''t stop clapping and continue to clap even after it got extremely awkward.

    "If it''s alright with all of you, why don''t we theorize this better when it''s dinner time?"

    Already outside of the house, Sagasuga looked at the far distant afternoon sun setting on a dusk status. Nevertheless, his proposition was quickly countered by Rayazaki.

    "What exactly are you implying... You still haven''t put down that ax, for crying out loud."

    "That''s because I''m suggesting that we do animal hunting with this ax. I''m additionally proposing a feast. And besides, our food supplies will go out fast. It''s necessary that we do accumulate food after food. Because, realistically speaking, we have no idea for how long we are going to be here."

    "I see, if that''s the case, then I do agree with it. Any funny moves though---"

    "You can kill me if I try anything funny."

    Another bait laid out by Sagasuga. The normal mind would question the point of him telling him that to Rayazaki because Sagasuga can just kill Rayazaki first thus nullifying the whole logic here. Yet by being forced to think that way, the person would be forgetting that Sagasuga is making that on purpose to raise suspicions about him and to increase anxiety at the same time.

    "It will be too late if you kill me though."

    "It seems you don''t trust me fully despite the argument that we made about not making much sense someone killing someone else... Then, Kawahara, if I try anything funny, chop all my limbs off."

    "Hey, I can protect myself, stop."

    Not going along with Rayazaki''s words and while leaving out of the house to see the dusking sun, I followed Sagasuga''s train of thought.

    "Got it. It''s a shame I won''t be able to bring them back with me to sell them in the black market once the exam is done."

    "Oi, I''m not some damsel in the distress! I can protect myself!"

    It''s around 7 pm according to the sun''s position. Us six starred out at the posing sun while Kuzan posed a question thus breaking the silence.

    "Do you guys plan on wearing your uniforms at all times? This isn''t some Manga or Anime where the characters just wear their clothes fine all day long, for the record..."

    A surprisingly logical argument made by Kuzan, would you look at that?

    "Better than going caveman mode like you guys... What the actual fuck..."

    "You guys are really planning on wearing your uniforms despite all this heat? I know it''s calming down now due to the evening falling on us, but aside from that, it''s pretty terrible, Tsudo."

    "The logic is that we would get sunburnt if we didn''t wear our uniforms at all times. You guys are the ones subjecting yourselves to getting sunburnt. As a matter of fact, you guys are surely going to feel the sunburns after a few hours. Because with all this wood log work, your entire body has been exposed to the sunlight. You guys are not coming out unscathed."

    "It''s as Tatsu says! I initially proposed this because it''s better than exposing our bodies to this blazing heat and formidable sun. Regardless, we could potentially suffer from a couple of sunburns."

    Starting to get afraid, Kuzan and Rayazaki both looked at me with teary eyes.

    "Don''t tell me you guys are afraid of some sunburns?"

    "Wait, you knew?!"

    "Master!!!"

    "You wusses, it''s nothing! And his logic only sounds good in theory, in practice living with that much sweat is unbearable!"

    "..."

    Forming a soundless silence, Tatsu and Tsudo didn''t argue back. But this can''t be said for Sagasuga.

    "It is unbearable, but sunburns are a thousand times more."

    "Subjective."

    "True, it is subjective. Yet I wonder if a belief will save you from all the pain, later on, Kawahara."

    "You underestimate how many times I''ve caught sunburns, Sagasuga."

    "That''s you, dumbass!! What about us?! What the hell am I going to go through?!"

    "First time?"

    Tatsu lightly laughing asked that question to Rayazaki, mildly taunting him from a reasonable distance.

    "And you hate to see it."

    Adding fire, Tsudo couldn''t hold himself back.

    "Don''t listen to their taunts, Rayazaki. Nothing bad is going to happen. Remember, you are the lion of the jungle, right? Some sunburn isn''t going to change how you perceive pain. Trust me."

    "Y-Yeah! I''m the lion of the jungle! That''s right! Natural physical effects on my skin mean nothing!"

    Joy has consumed Rayazaki.

    "W-What about me, Master?!"

    "There can only be one lion of the jungle..."

    "That''s why I''m asking!"

    He really bought the lion of the jungle argument.

    "Kuzan, worst-case scenario, I''ll protect you from anyone that tries to slap your back."

    "That''s somewhat reassuring!"

    They will be a pain in the ass later on.

    One hour later.

    "Any specific reason as to why you picked when it was a borderline night to do this animal hunting?"

    Hiding in a collection of bushes somewhere in the forest, east-direction, I questioned Sagasuga''s reasoning. Obviously, I wasn''t the only one hiding in the bushes and the rest was just as curious as I was when it came to knowing his answer.

    "I remember waking up in the night and only then did I attempt to reach out to everyone, including Tsudo and Tatsu. However, before that, I walked through here and I managed to accidentally scare off a deer."

    "Wh--- A deer?! Are you really planning on hunting something that big?!"

    Shocked and surprised, Kuzan expressed his enthusiasm right away in a loud toned-voice.

    "Keep quiet... Loud noises are enough to scare the deer away..."

    "Ehhh... But it isn''t here at all, Tatsu..."

    "Not yet, at least."

    "It''s exactly as Tatsu says. I remember the deer being around here at this exact time."

    So that''s why he picked this time in specific. Because the deer is supposedly around here this time. And just as I was about to get slightly skeptical about the deer''s existence, from the shrouded forest''s west edge, a deer walked in slowly basking in the virgin white moonlight.

    "Wait, isn''t tha---"

    Unable to speak any further, Kuzan''s mouth was tapped by Sagasuga''s right-hand fingers. No one else spoke except Sagasuga, in an extremely low-toned voice.

    Furthermore, we delved deeper into the bushes thus completely erasing our physical presence out of the deer''s sight.

    "There is a small lake nearby. The deer is walking into its direction. You will notice how the deer is linearly walking into a single direction only. That''s because the lake is in that direction."

    In other words, after Sagasuga had scared off the deer, he saw where it was heading and he captured the sight of that lake. Supposedly. According to his words and what they imply.

    "Here is the plan of action. I will need you five to launch a preemptive attack onto the deer---"

    "How can we do that when our distance is so damn large though...?"

    Interrupting Sagasuga, Rayazaki turned skeptical and asked the reason behind his words impatiently.

    "The deer won''t come any closer. We are fully assuming that. That''s why we need to, or rather, you five need to launch an attack onto him, and here is why..."

    2 minutes later.

    "If I die, you''ll have to avenge me, Kawahara."

    "Unless Sagasuga has a terrible aim, that shouldn''t happen."

    After reaching a consensus with Sagasuga''s short plan, Kuzan, Rayazaki, Tatsu, Tsudo, and I were softly getting up from the bushes in a crooked position. Closer and closer, we took very small steps.

    Sagasuga, on the other hand, remained on the bush without moving; only with his ax on his left hand''s edge, ready to get thrown.

    "All we have to do is scare it off, right...?"

    "Sagasuga wouldn''t propose something so illogical without a valid reason behind it. Remember?"

    "Yeah, yeah, I get it, Tatsu... But, why can''t he just do that from that distance? Why must we five have to scare the deer? Also, whoever pussies out is dead. Are there any pussies here?!"

    "Not the time to glorify your existential status, Tsudo."

    "Why did I even bother to ask..."

    Tsudo aside, our distance towards the deer was still large. Our footsteps couldn''t be loud and we had to purposely look out for anything that would make a cracking sound if that would get stepped on. Although we were moving at the same pace, we weren''t glued to each other. We hid behind the trees while moving forward in order to avoid being on the look.

    Around 10 meters or so closed us from the deer who was walking slowly in a horizontal direction, moving from west to east. Everything was going smoothly and I started to notice that Sagasuga had joined us from behind, though with a noticeable distance as he wasn''t glued to any of us. A 3-meter distance, so to speak.

    Another step is taken; nothing cracked on. Avoiding being patient was far too essential to miss out on. The thought of scaring the deer away too early was stuck onto our minds after Sagasuga purposely had repeated way too many times to be careful about what you are about to step. Especially, he said that it would be ideal if we moved from tree to tree at the same rhythm and not in a random one, so we took caution while moving.

    Scaring the deer away too early would make the task harder he said. The closer we are to the deer when we scared it off, the easier.

    Yet another step into account. Remarkably only around 4 meters are left now. The end game is drawing far too near.

    As we thought we could take another step, a crack was made onto the ground thus causing the necessary noise to alert the deer of its surroundings. Opting not to care about who had made that noise, I screamed the loudest shout from the depth of my lungs right away.

    "NOW!!"

    Producing war cries, we five attempted to grab the deer to make it easier for Sagasuga. Earlier while discussing the short plan, he had said that it would be optimal if the deer could be captured although the likelihood would be extremely small. And just like that, the rush had failed as the deer ran towards the east direction.

    Falling on the ground shortly, Tatsu, Tsudo, and Kuzan looked back on Sagasuga. Ultimately, Rayazaki and I did the same but our glances were unable to fully connect with Sagasuga because a sharp object thrown obliquely towards the deer who was on the run was all that we could capture.

    "Wh----"

    Instantly reacting, Rayazaki declared his preoccupation as he felt the fear of the ax being spun around rapidly beyond his eyes'' control.

    I didn''t react, but my breathing was stimulatingly heavier than usual, as the thought of being killed came across my mind the moment my glance collided with the air-moving ax.

    Concluding, the deer was taken down by a perfect headshot delivered by Sagasuga himself. The reason as to why he wanted us to scare the deer off was so that the deer would walk into a direction and would start to panic. I can only imagine and I''m mostly sure that he launched the ax towards a direction that the deer was not yet under but would be in a matter of seconds thus noxiously causing the deer''s life fatality.

    "What the fuck was that just now..."

    "Dog-eat-dog world. Never heard of the saying, Rayazaki?"

    "Let''s check if it''s still alive---"

    "It''s not, Tatsu."

    That interruption felt way too natural. Over-confidence was all over his speech just now. What sort of expression was he wearing while behind us; or rather, in the exact moment he threw the ax? I regret having my focus placed on the deer now.

    "See? It hit its brain''s right side. If it was on another spot, then the death wouldn''t be that certain. Brain damage; it''s inevitable to escape from once delivered."

    Blood scattered on the forest''s shallow ground became far too visible in this exposed stark moonlight.

    "Now, let''s carry it to the house, shall we?"

    Upon hearing Sagasuga''s suggestion, Rayazaki looked perplexed.

    "How though...? Are we going to drag it?"

    "B-But isn''t this like... carrying a corpse?!"

    "Kuzan, this is carrying a corpse. An animal''s corpse."

    Just had to clarify that.

    "We are six. There should be an easy way to carry the deer."

    "Tatsu''s right. So, we should grab each part and hold it up high."

    Tsudo''s a dumbass.

    "I think the most effective way to do it is to grab the deer by the up and front parts. For example, Tsudo you grab the deer''s end and Tatsu grabs the legs. Kuzan and Rayazaki will handle the middle part while Kawahara and I will take on the up parts such as the neck and head. Agreed?"

    "Sounds good."

    Tsudo immediately agreed.

    "No objections."

    Without showing backlash, Tatsu went along just nice.

    "Yeah, fine."

    Kuzan as well.

    "I still think we should drag it."

    By contrast, Rayazaki held immense faith in his belief of dragging the deer.

    "We are not dragging it, Rayazaki."

    And I denied him as I grabbed the deer''s neck after Sagasuga removed the bloody ax on the deer''s head and thus placing the ax on the back of his uniform pants in order to utilize both of his hands.

    "Would save us a lot and we wouldn''t have to do this heavy lifting session. Just saying."

    "Nothing wrong with a heavy lifting session though."

    "Facts."

    Ultimately adding that agreement to my words, Tatsu grabbed the deer''s legs and with everything ready to go, we set our movement in motion with our end goal in mind being the house.

    Around one hour or so later.

    Our way back was prolonged due to the fact that we were quite literally doing a heavy lifting session. Yet something alerted us because we were inhaling more oxygen than usual. Borderline toxic smoke infiltrated our nostrils making us all cough simultaneously.

    The first one to speak about this was Tsudo.

    "W-What''s up with all this smoke... I can''t breathe..."

    "Up ahead... Why is the light so strong...?!"

    Expressing his worry, Rayazaki''s eyes opened wide as he dropped the deer''s part that he was carrying.

    "R-Rayazaki?! Where are you going?!"

    "I''m sorry, I''m gonna go ahead too! I''m having a bad feeling about this..."

    Tatsu''s confirmation taken into consideration, both Sagasuga and I at that time already most likely had a clear idea of where all of this smoke was coming from.

    "We''ll get the deer later. We must make haste!"

    Officially dropping the deer, Tsudo, Sagasuga, and I sprinted towards the strong light''s direction.

    Stopping our tracks, after a grand total of four minutes had passed, we six witnessed the parameter indulging itself in a braze of scourging flames. The house that was built even further and the main part itself was corrupted with widespread fire not showing any signs of stopping soon.

    "Damn it!"

    "Who the fuck did this?!"

    Tsudo and Rayazaki impulsively and dramatically showed discontent as they saw their work being put to flames'' mercy.

    Without a doubt, we''ve been had.

 Volume 17 - Chapter 120: Virality.

    The afternoon sun once again stood supremely in the sky exorcising indifference towards those underneath it. Noticeably, me, and the rest of the other five.

    Picking up wood logs from taken down trees we had brought down earlier, Kuzan, with withered force, passed me the large wood log he was carrying with all of his might. Ultimately, with his weak breath combined, I received it.

    "This is killing me... Do we really have to do this?"

    "Don''t complain, Kuzan. We are extending the length of the wooden house which was an idea that I made on my own along with the basis of our cooperation."

    In addition to speaking to Sagasuga about our deal of cooperation, I proposed that we six would collectively help extend the house''s length by adding a more stable and strict structure adjoined to the house itself. Mainly because even if unlikely, in the scenario of rain, it would all come crumbling down. Arguments rejecting this possibility were made yet through my arguments they were inevitably brought down. Admittedly also because Sagasuga lastly agreed with the possibility as he assumed that the weather and the environment of the island itself were two elements that we had no knowledge of concretely.

    Thus, with the last log being adjoined by my worn-out hands, the small additional space was completed. It simply took us a great amount of six hours.

    Before starting this endeavor, Sagasuga would tell Tatsu and Tsudo to cut the logs into very specific pieces so it would combine with the house''s structure. His idea solely yet I argued not.

    How would they cut the logs though? By utilizing a self-made ax with a razor blade. Rayazaki asked how Sagasuga built the ax. A clear assumption made by him alone that Sagasuga built the ax in the first place and noticeably, I was curious too, but his explanation was that he found the ax along the way. Tsudo and Tatsu aided his explanation, but Rayazaki remained skeptical in the end.

    "Is this what you want, Kawahara? Or is it not ideal?"

    "It doesn''t have to be ideal, Sagasuga. It''s enough."

    Erasing the dirt in my hands through a simple continuous clasping, I gave Sagasuga that answer as he cleared his forehead''s sweat with his right forearm. We six were glancing upon the wood house once more only with an additional space that would serve as a room. In order to form this room, it was necessary to retake the wood logs already adjoined to the left end of the house. The old logs were used for the purpose of adjoining the horizontal structure while these brand new ones were used to create a finalized linear end and a roof.

    "Well, isn''t this just strange... Are you really that afraid that it will rain and that the house will be brought down?"

    Tsudo asked me that with pressed eyebrows and no signal of trust in his eyes.

    "What do you even know about this island? How can you assume that it won''t rain at all, Tsudo?"

    "Oh, I don''t know... Oh wait, I do! Maybe because this heat is killing everyone here?! How the hell can it rain in the first place when the weather is this horrible?!"

    Do I bother and teach this numbskull why heat causes rain?

    "Isn''t this fine, Tsudo? I think that the real reason as to why Kawahara wanted to build more additional space was so that we could all sleep without being so sticky onto one another. As you mentioned, this heat is killing us which suggests that the scenario where multiple individuals are stuck onto one another could turn out to be a little bit annoying."

    "I mean, yeah, true. Hm, but if so, then why didn''t you just say this, Kawahara?"

    He doesn''t realize he''s being played. In a ping-pong match, the two players can''t play without the ball.

    Tsudo is the ball.

    "Because I don''t support your gay agenda."

    "Fuck you! I''m not gay!"

    "Shock and terror, Tsudo."

    Tsudo''s complaints aside, we all walked into the new space and made a slight comparison with the one that was already established on the right side. Arguably, the truly noticeable difference would be that there were wood logs serving as a ground for them yet for us it was pure solid forest ground.

    Enjoying the shadow that the roof allowed, Tatsu made a comment.

    "Feels nice."

    "Right? I kinda want to relax here for a bit..."

    Already in agreement, Tatsu and Tsudo spoke out lazily.

    "But sleeping here without a ground seems highly uncomfortable. Why not work a bit more to add a solid ground?"

    "A bit subjective, Sagasuga. You''re already assuming that we mind sleeping on this tender ground. And besides, who said that we were going to spend a long time here anyway? We gotta move out eventually, isn''t that right, Kuzan?"

    "Mhm, doesn''t that depend on whether or not Master wants to move out though?"

    "You could show a bit of independence once in a while..."

    As they all spoke out, I was pondering my choices yet a question completely partial to the previous comments made flew out of my mouth towards Sagasuga, who was holding onto a very sharp object. Midst all of this in specific, our gazes couldn''t help but watch out for his left arm''s movements.

    "Sagasuga, for how long are you gonna hold onto that ax? Are you gonna come out of the closet and murder every single one of us here?"

    "Oh, no. I was just curious to know your reactions after doing almost nothing but holding onto the ax."

    More skepticism rose as Tatsu''s sweat droplets hastily scourged down his cheeks. Tsudo couldn''t help but gulp.

    "Kawahara, we are trusting a guy that''s holding an ax just to satisfy his curiosity. Please reconsider this..."

    "But I''m not going to hurt anyone. This ax holds a lot of utility. For example; animal hunting."

    "Another example: Human killing."

    This time I spoke.

    "Good grief, Kawahara, not you too. Do you actually think any of us could kill another and escape without getting caught in the process?"

    "Isn''t that why we are here? Because someone killed Yulia and that person hasn''t been caught in the process of doing so?"

    "No, Kuzan, you got it wrong. Nobody killed Yulia. Yulia killed herself, that''s different."

    I corrected Kuzan rapidly in order to adjust his focus and how he would conduct his words.

    "Frankly suspicious, Kawahara... You talk about the situation like it was nothing. A person died and you are talking with barely any emotion behind your words. Nothing tells us that it wasn''t you who did it..."

    "I am speaking without any emotion because I had no attachment to her whatsoever. How can you expect me to talk with emotion behind my words if she meant nothing to me? What, are you the type of person to feel guilty just because another person died? Someone is dying right now, in this world. Why aren''t you crying and feeling guilt beyond your comprehension? What''s the matter?"

    Just a little taunt. Let me see your reaction, Tsudo.

    "She was your classmate, damn it. As soon as we are done with this exam, we will be back in a classroom where she won''t be there. It just... won''t be the same, you know?"

    "Why? Has she even done anything remarkable for once? Actually, Tsudo, this is pretty beneficial to you right now."

    "Excuse me!?"

    That''s more like it. Close your fists and grind your teeth. Form an offensive stance and allow your glare to fuel your rage.

    Regardless, I will taunt you even further.

    "Emotional arguments that represent a shred of humanity are pretty convincing, in all likelihood. Right now, you are portraying yourself as someone who feels guilt just because you won''t be able to see Yulia the moment you, or rather we return to the classroom. That''s right, you even used the word "we" constantly. In other words, you are speaking for others."

    "You are so distorted! The way you use others'' words for your convenience is sickening! I am saying what I think and I wouldn''t do something as horrible as motivating her to kill herself!"

    "Nothing tells me otherwise. Just like how nothing tells you that I wouldn''t do the same. So, what''s your point again?"

    This is how useless his argument is. And besides, there is only one person who in specific that was close to Yulia to an intimate point yet that person is nowhere in sight.

    But I won''t mention that. Amongst the six of us, there is a person who has a clue that could make this whole exam faster.

    Henceforth, as soon as I was done with my words and Tsudo was ready to argue back, that person in specific spoke thus not allowing Tsudo to proceed.

    "Wait, wait, wait!! I think I just found something really important!"

    "I swear, if this is a random bad joke, Kuzan, I will---"

    "It''s not! Hear me out, just do that!"

    Upon seeing that I didn''t interrupt Kuzan at all and that I was simply looking forward to what Kuzan had to say, Tsudo decided to calm down a bit, but, someone decided to go a bit further and calmed him down in a better effective way.

    Sagasuga spoke transiently to Tsudo therefore.

    "Kuzan''s the dinner if it''s a bad joke."

    "Okay."

    Ironically, after all those arguments about emotion and whatnot, Tsudo coldly agreed with Sagasuga without any remorse behind his words.

    However, this only contributed to Kuzan''s sudden fear and anxiety, but my eyes and his'' met and with a simple nod made by my head, Kuzan spoke though reluctant.

    "A-Aniki... I think he''s the one we should look for... Because he and Yulia would talk a lot, wouldn''t they?"

    "...Now that you mention it..."

    Instead of Tsudo, Tatsu whispered those words with his fingers linked to his chin and his glare on the solid tender ground.

    "Wait, he has a point, Tatsu?"

    Unable to know whether or not he should trust Kuzan''s words, Tsudo exasperatedly looked at Tatsu who was with his back adjoined to the wood logs. Nonetheless, Tatsu took a step further in Tsudo''s direction and formulated his point.

    "I''ve seen them plenty of times together. Mainly with Arkalee, Sana, and..."

    But he didn''t finish his words exactly thus causing an abrupt note. It does leave me wondering just how many of us here know why he couldn''t finish his words just now. For sure, I know why. Rayazaki and Kuzan too.

    "Hyunda?"

    Kuzan couldn''t hold himself back as he doesn''t know the meaning of the saying "read the damn mood" too well.

    "...Yes, but that aside, there were more incidents. She did look at him a lot."

    "So she liked him?"

    Wanting a confirmation, Tsudo fastly fired a question at Tatsu. Naturally, I could''ve intervened and made way more plausible arguments to Tsudo, but there would be no point. He doesn''t trust me. Even if what I have to say is the truth. Alternatively speaking, by not speaking, I''m allowing them to make soft discoveries on their own. I gain more with that.

    "Possibly. And out of curiosity, I did look into everyone in the classroom. But this everyone did honestly..."

    "Mhm, very true. This, we can all agree with, correct?"

    Moral saint Sagasuga, attempting to reach a consensus and with everyone in his mind, delivered his words with spontaneous volume behind his voice.

    Since Sagasuga spoke up, I followed him up. Rayazaki as well, who was trading looks from Tatsu to me and me to Tatsu all this time. He''s questioning why I haven''t spoken yet.

    "They were also partners during the second exam if I recall correctly."

    "And despite both of them failing the mandatory tasks, they would often smile to each other a lot through it..."

    Not bad, Rayazaki.

    Still, I won''t speak anymore, despite having clear evidence that there is more to what we have just said. What''s important here is calming the one who doesn''t trust us; Tsudo.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    "I''ll agree with Kawahara and Rayazaki here. What do you think, Tsudo? Do you have something to say regarding what they''ve just said?"

    Now, this is odd. Why is Tatsu going so much out of his way to change the way Tsudo thinks regarding us? Has he had enough of his dramatic mood or...? No, it''s definitely something else. He could''ve applied this stance way earlier yet now, out of all the times? Is he simply speaking out because he has evidence to speak of? I don''t think so.

    Why don''t I think so? That''s because speaking out now is fairly convenient. We already essentially came to the conclusion that Daniel is a valuable asset to know who is behind Yulia''s suicide. But using Daniel as a scapegoat is way, way too convenient.

    Even so, I will not get in his way. I''ll allow him to gain a sense of confidence and that he is in charge of the situation. Ultimately, he will reveal more and more without knowing that was the goal all along.

    "...Honestly, you guys are speaking the truth. I did witness the same things you guys also did. I was just making sure that we were on the same pace."

    This is how someone justifies their trust issues. By pointing out a flaw on their own. Simple but effective.

    "There is one thing that''s bothering me though."

    "What, Tatsu?"

    After choosing his words better, Tatsu responded to Tsudo subsequently.

    "Even if we do assume that Daniel and Yulia had a close relationship, we still don''t know much about Daniel, do we?"

    "Hm, true, we don''t know much about Daniel."

    Conveniently, Sagasuga agreed with Tatsu. He hasn''t spoken much at all. It''s almost as if he''s carefully observing the way this conversation is aiming towards. Even then, it''s pretty clear that he''s allowing Tatsu and Tsudo to conduct this conversation based on his own train of thought.

    "He''s got a jail sentence of 1000 years... How the hell is that even possible...?"

    "To say that he''s related would be an understatement, seriously... As Tatsu just said, he has a jail sentence of 1000 years, but we don''t know much about him. But, you guys do."

    Bait took.

    "Do we?"

    I fluently spoke my words towards Tsudo who clearly already assumed that we knew more than Sagasuga, Tatsu, and himself. Everyone here knows why we know more about him than they do. Or rather; they assume that we know more about him than they do for a very concrete reason.

    "Yes, you guys know. It happened recently, for fuck''s sake. He was in your team, which consisted of you, Kuzan, Rayazaki, Hyunda, Akihiko, and Daniel. You three spent way more time with him, you guys certainly, therefore, know more about him than we do!"

    Going as far as pointing his right index finger at me, Tsudo launched that barrage of assumptions. As planned.

    Proving him wrong would be far too easy. But why do that? His trust is at stake here. What do I gain by proving him wrong? A sense of morality? Accumulated wins in this "proving another person wrong in an argument" game? What a boring thought process honestly. It needs more color on it!!

    "Gotta admit, you are smart, Tsudo."

    Kill me.

    "You discovered that we would have more connections with him because he was in my team which coincidentally involved Kuzan and Rayazaki. Props to you."

    I''m not sounding sarcastic at all.

    No, really, I''m making such a grand effort to have a cold emotion behind my voice just to make the atmosphere serious.

    So... I have to address the facts and praise him regardless.

    "Truth to be told, even a child could know that much. It''s nothing that impressive. I''m sure you agree with this. I''m also sure you understand that anyone could use Daniel as their scapegoat in order to get away with the recent event. Therefore, I was confirming who would use it better. As you all are most likely aware, this exam was perhaps purposely made to lure out the one behind the recent event. So, whoever did it, would surely use him as a scapegoat. Because he''s the one closest to Yulia. You can''t use Sana here because she''s not here. Evidentially, we are stuck with only the ten of us."

    "I was thinking that Daniel is the actual source behind this though."

    Neither agreeing with me nor disagreeing with me, Tsudo made his stand.

    "Why would you think like that, Tsudo?"

    Is Sagasuga asking that question while knowing that the suspicions of the person who would ask such a question would increase if they did ask that question and so he asked that on purpose because it would provoke that reaction?

    "Do you even need to ask?! He has 1000 years of jail behind his back!! You''d have to be insane not to question him entirely! And besides, if he has a 1000 years behind his back, then what are the odds of him being a master manipulator? He''s the primary suspect, no doubt here."

    I see. So this is why you used him...

    "That''s rather convenient then. He''s the perfect scapegoat, no matter how you look at it. Tsudo, you suspect that it was Daniel but utilizing him due to his jail sentence is truly convenient. In the end, it''s a paradox of doubt."

    It took Tatsu this long to realize the obvious here. I want to give these two the most sarcastic standing ovation in existence right now. But not your usual ovation. It''s the type of standing ovation where you don''t stop clapping and continue to clap even after it got extremely awkward.

    "If it''s alright with all of you, why don''t we theorize this better when it''s dinner time?"

    Already outside of the house, Sagasuga looked at the far distant afternoon sun setting on a dusk status. Nevertheless, his proposition was quickly countered by Rayazaki.

    "What exactly are you implying... You still haven''t put down that ax, for crying out loud."

    "That''s because I''m suggesting that we do animal hunting with this ax. I''m additionally proposing a feast. And besides, our food supplies will go out fast. It''s necessary that we do accumulate food after food. Because, realistically speaking, we have no idea for how long we are going to be here."

    "I see, if that''s the case, then I do agree with it. Any funny moves though---"

    "You can kill me if I try anything funny."

    Another bait laid out by Sagasuga. The normal mind would question the point of him telling him that to Rayazaki because Sagasuga can just kill Rayazaki first thus nullifying the whole logic here. Yet by being forced to think that way, the person would be forgetting that Sagasuga is making that on purpose to raise suspicions about him and to increase anxiety at the same time.

    "It will be too late if you kill me though."

    "It seems you don''t trust me fully despite the argument that we made about not making much sense someone killing someone else... Then, Kawahara, if I try anything funny, chop all my limbs off."

    "Hey, I can protect myself, stop."

    Not going along with Rayazaki''s words and while leaving out of the house to see the dusking sun, I followed Sagasuga''s train of thought.

    "Got it. It''s a shame I won''t be able to bring them back with me to sell them in the black market once the exam is done."

    "Oi, I''m not some damsel in the distress! I can protect myself!"

    It''s around 7 pm according to the sun''s position. Us six starred out at the posing sun while Kuzan posed a question thus breaking the silence.

    "Do you guys plan on wearing your uniforms at all times? This isn''t some Manga or Anime where the characters just wear their clothes fine all day long, for the record..."

    A surprisingly logical argument made by Kuzan, would you look at that?

    "Better than going caveman mode like you guys... What the actual fuck..."

    "You guys are really planning on wearing your uniforms despite all this heat? I know it''s calming down now due to the evening falling on us, but aside from that, it''s pretty terrible, Tsudo."

    "The logic is that we would get sunburnt if we didn''t wear our uniforms at all times. You guys are the ones subjecting yourselves to getting sunburnt. As a matter of fact, you guys are surely going to feel the sunburns after a few hours. Because with all this wood log work, your entire body has been exposed to the sunlight. You guys are not coming out unscathed."

    "It''s as Tatsu says! I initially proposed this because it''s better than exposing our bodies to this blazing heat and formidable sun. Regardless, we could potentially suffer from a couple of sunburns."

    Starting to get afraid, Kuzan and Rayazaki both looked at me with teary eyes.

    "Don''t tell me you guys are afraid of some sunburns?"

    "Wait, you knew?!"

    "Master!!!"

    "You wusses, it''s nothing! And his logic only sounds good in theory, in practice living with that much sweat is unbearable!"

    "..."

    Forming a soundless silence, Tatsu and Tsudo didn''t argue back. But this can''t be said for Sagasuga.

    "It is unbearable, but sunburns are a thousand times more."

    "Subjective."

    "True, it is subjective. Yet I wonder if a belief will save you from all the pain, later on, Kawahara."

    "You underestimate how many times I''ve caught sunburns, Sagasuga."

    "That''s you, dumbass!! What about us?! What the hell am I going to go through?!"

    "First time?"

    Tatsu lightly laughing asked that question to Rayazaki, mildly taunting him from a reasonable distance.

    "And you hate to see it."

    Adding fire, Tsudo couldn''t hold himself back.

    "Don''t listen to their taunts, Rayazaki. Nothing bad is going to happen. Remember, you are the lion of the jungle, right? Some sunburn isn''t going to change how you perceive pain. Trust me."

    "Y-Yeah! I''m the lion of the jungle! That''s right! Natural physical effects on my skin mean nothing!"

    Joy has consumed Rayazaki.

    "W-What about me, Master?!"

    "There can only be one lion of the jungle..."

    "That''s why I''m asking!"

    He really bought the lion of the jungle argument.

    "Kuzan, worst-case scenario, I''ll protect you from anyone that tries to slap your back."

    "That''s somewhat reassuring!"

    They will be a pain in the ass later on.

    One hour later.

    "Any specific reason as to why you picked when it was a borderline night to do this animal hunting?"

    Hiding in a collection of bushes somewhere in the forest, east-direction, I questioned Sagasuga''s reasoning. Obviously, I wasn''t the only one hiding in the bushes and the rest was just as curious as I was when it came to knowing his answer.

    "I remember waking up in the night and only then did I attempt to reach out to everyone, including Tsudo and Tatsu. However, before that, I walked through here and I managed to accidentally scare off a deer."

    "Wh--- A deer?! Are you really planning on hunting something that big?!"

    Shocked and surprised, Kuzan expressed his enthusiasm right away in a loud toned-voice.

    "Keep quiet... Loud noises are enough to scare the deer away..."

    "Ehhh... But it isn''t here at all, Tatsu..."

    "Not yet, at least."

    "It''s exactly as Tatsu says. I remember the deer being around here at this exact time."

    So that''s why he picked this time in specific. Because the deer is supposedly around here this time. And just as I was about to get slightly skeptical about the deer''s existence, from the shrouded forest''s west edge, a deer walked in slowly basking in the virgin white moonlight.

    "Wait, isn''t tha---"

    Unable to speak any further, Kuzan''s mouth was tapped by Sagasuga''s right-hand fingers. No one else spoke except Sagasuga, in an extremely low-toned voice.

    Furthermore, we delved deeper into the bushes thus completely erasing our physical presence out of the deer''s sight.

    "There is a small lake nearby. The deer is walking into its direction. You will notice how the deer is linearly walking into a single direction only. That''s because the lake is in that direction."

    In other words, after Sagasuga had scared off the deer, he saw where it was heading and he captured the sight of that lake. Supposedly. According to his words and what they imply.

    "Here is the plan of action. I will need you five to launch a preemptive attack onto the deer---"

    "How can we do that when our distance is so damn large though...?"

    Interrupting Sagasuga, Rayazaki turned skeptical and asked the reason behind his words impatiently.

    "The deer won''t come any closer. We are fully assuming that. That''s why we need to, or rather, you five need to launch an attack onto him, and here is why..."

    2 minutes later.

    "If I die, you''ll have to avenge me, Kawahara."

    "Unless Sagasuga has a terrible aim, that shouldn''t happen."

    After reaching a consensus with Sagasuga''s short plan, Kuzan, Rayazaki, Tatsu, Tsudo, and I were softly getting up from the bushes in a crooked position. Closer and closer, we took very small steps.

    Sagasuga, on the other hand, remained on the bush without moving; only with his ax on his left hand''s edge, ready to get thrown.

    "All we have to do is scare it off, right...?"

    "Sagasuga wouldn''t propose something so illogical without a valid reason behind it. Remember?"

    "Yeah, yeah, I get it, Tatsu... But, why can''t he just do that from that distance? Why must we five have to scare the deer? Also, whoever pussies out is dead. Are there any pussies here?!"

    "Not the time to glorify your existential status, Tsudo."

    "Why did I even bother to ask..."

    Tsudo aside, our distance towards the deer was still large. Our footsteps couldn''t be loud and we had to purposely look out for anything that would make a cracking sound if that would get stepped on. Although we were moving at the same pace, we weren''t glued to each other. We hid behind the trees while moving forward in order to avoid being on the look.

    Around 10 meters or so closed us from the deer who was walking slowly in a horizontal direction, moving from west to east. Everything was going smoothly and I started to notice that Sagasuga had joined us from behind, though with a noticeable distance as he wasn''t glued to any of us. A 3-meter distance, so to speak.

    Another step is taken; nothing cracked on. Avoiding being patient was far too essential to miss out on. The thought of scaring the deer away too early was stuck onto our minds after Sagasuga purposely had repeated way too many times to be careful about what you are about to step. Especially, he said that it would be ideal if we moved from tree to tree at the same rhythm and not in a random one, so we took caution while moving.

    Scaring the deer away too early would make the task harder he said. The closer we are to the deer when we scared it off, the easier.

    Yet another step into account. Remarkably only around 4 meters are left now. The end game is drawing far too near.

    As we thought we could take another step, a crack was made onto the ground thus causing the necessary noise to alert the deer of its surroundings. Opting not to care about who had made that noise, I screamed the loudest shout from the depth of my lungs right away.

    "NOW!!"

    Producing war cries, we five attempted to grab the deer to make it easier for Sagasuga. Earlier while discussing the short plan, he had said that it would be optimal if the deer could be captured although the likelihood would be extremely small. And just like that, the rush had failed as the deer ran towards the east direction.

    Falling on the ground shortly, Tatsu, Tsudo, and Kuzan looked back on Sagasuga. Ultimately, Rayazaki and I did the same but our glances were unable to fully connect with Sagasuga because a sharp object thrown obliquely towards the deer who was on the run was all that we could capture.

    "Wh----"

    Instantly reacting, Rayazaki declared his preoccupation as he felt the fear of the ax being spun around rapidly beyond his eyes'' control.

    I didn''t react, but my breathing was stimulatingly heavier than usual, as the thought of being killed came across my mind the moment my glance collided with the air-moving ax.

    Concluding, the deer was taken down by a perfect headshot delivered by Sagasuga himself. The reason as to why he wanted us to scare the deer off was so that the deer would walk into a direction and would start to panic. I can only imagine and I''m mostly sure that he launched the ax towards a direction that the deer was not yet under but would be in a matter of seconds thus noxiously causing the deer''s life fatality.

    "What the fuck was that just now..."

    "Dog-eat-dog world. Never heard of the saying, Rayazaki?"

    "Let''s check if it''s still alive---"

    "It''s not, Tatsu."

    That interruption felt way too natural. Over-confidence was all over his speech just now. What sort of expression was he wearing while behind us; or rather, in the exact moment he threw the ax? I regret having my focus placed on the deer now.

    "See? It hit its brain''s right side. If it was on another spot, then the death wouldn''t be that certain. Brain damage; it''s inevitable to escape from once delivered."

    Blood scattered on the forest''s shallow ground became far too visible in this exposed stark moonlight.

    "Now, let''s carry it to the house, shall we?"

    Upon hearing Sagasuga''s suggestion, Rayazaki looked perplexed.

    "How though...? Are we going to drag it?"

    "B-But isn''t this like... carrying a corpse?!"

    "Kuzan, this is carrying a corpse. An animal''s corpse."

    Just had to clarify that.

    "We are six. There should be an easy way to carry the deer."

    "Tatsu''s right. So, we should grab each part and hold it up high."

    Tsudo''s a dumbass.

    "I think the most effective way to do it is to grab the deer by the up and front parts. For example, Tsudo you grab the deer''s end and Tatsu grabs the legs. Kuzan and Rayazaki will handle the middle part while Kawahara and I will take on the up parts such as the neck and head. Agreed?"

    "Sounds good."

    Tsudo immediately agreed.

    "No objections."

    Without showing backlash, Tatsu went along just nice.

    "Yeah, fine."

    Kuzan as well.

    "I still think we should drag it."

    By contrast, Rayazaki held immense faith in his belief of dragging the deer.

    "We are not dragging it, Rayazaki."

    And I denied him as I grabbed the deer''s neck after Sagasuga removed the bloody ax on the deer''s head and thus placing the ax on the back of his uniform pants in order to utilize both of his hands.

    "Would save us a lot and we wouldn''t have to do this heavy lifting session. Just saying."

    "Nothing wrong with a heavy lifting session though."

    "Facts."

    Ultimately adding that agreement to my words, Tatsu grabbed the deer''s legs and with everything ready to go, we set our movement in motion with our end goal in mind being the house.

    Around one hour or so later.

    Our way back was prolonged due to the fact that we were quite literally doing a heavy lifting session. Yet something alerted us because we were inhaling more oxygen than usual. Borderline toxic smoke infiltrated our nostrils making us all cough simultaneously.

    The first one to speak about this was Tsudo.

    "W-What''s up with all this smoke... I can''t breathe..."

    "Up ahead... Why is the light so strong...?!"

    Expressing his worry, Rayazaki''s eyes opened wide as he dropped the deer''s part that he was carrying.

    "R-Rayazaki?! Where are you going?!"

    "I''m sorry, I''m gonna go ahead too! I''m having a bad feeling about this..."

    Tatsu''s confirmation taken into consideration, both Sagasuga and I at that time already most likely had a clear idea of where all of this smoke was coming from.

    "We''ll get the deer later. We must make haste!"

    Officially dropping the deer, Tsudo, Sagasuga, and I sprinted towards the strong light''s direction.

    Stopping our tracks, after a grand total of four minutes had passed, we six witnessed the parameter indulging itself in a braze of scourging flames. The house that was built even further and the main part itself was corrupted with widespread fire not showing any signs of stopping soon.

    "Damn it!"

    "Who the fuck did this?!"

    Tsudo and Rayazaki impulsively and dramatically showed discontent as they saw their work being put to flames'' mercy.

    Without a doubt, we''ve been had.

 Volume 17 - Chapter 120.5: Plastic Resonance

    Alone in my room, the only thing keeping me from completely submerging fully into my thoughts of sadness was a single light. It wasn''t the first time that an event where reoccurring sadness was evoked to myself realistically, but I think that the thought of having a friend in this sort of environment was always a thought that was utterly strange to me. Especially when that friend and I started to bond heavily over the past days and just as everything was started to look good, it all came to a swift end.

    I''m usually the type of person to play games just because I don''t want to seriously commit myself but I did and I got hurt in the process.

    Nevertheless, as I kept on thinking more and more about my regrets, the dimming light from my phone did not stop as the number was always the same calling me. Multiple attempts had been done by my classmates in my dorm yet they eventually quit. They probably thought that if given enough time that I will recover but how am I supposed to recover when my best friend has killed herself? Is this some sort of joke? This literally doesn''t happen to anyone, at all!!

    So, why me?!

    "......So annoying...."

    Just let me be here all alone. I don''t want any sympathy... These tears; they don''t come as fast as they used to because my eyes are so red due to all this crying. I haven''t slept ever since then. My legs have stopped shaking even when I''m with my back against the wall in my room. Empty and hollow on the end of my bed wondering how you felt all this time, Yulia, I---

    "For crying out loud, can''t you see how annoying you are?! This is, what, the 1000th time you''ve called and you haven''t gotten me to pick up, give up already!"

    I felt like throwing my phone that was next to me but I just didn''t have the strength to do that. I have not moved from this crooked position ever since. I just want my phone''s battery to run out so I can stop seeing his name on the screen.

    Non-stop, Hyunda has been calling me ever since I was carried to my dorm forcefully by my classmates. I didn''t want to accept it back then and I couldn''t accept the fact that you''d do something to yourself like that, Yulia...!

    Yulia.

    Yulia...

    Yul---

    ...

    "He doesn''t even let my screen go into rest mode, as soon as he is done with the call he just calls me back... How come he doesn''t message me instead? Doesn''t he realize that there''s a better likelihood since I don''t really want to speak..."

    Not like I would answer, but I don''t want attention right now. I... am still not done accepting that this has happened. I don''t want that to happen. This is some sort of bad dream and I must snap out of it. The Yulia I know is someone who is insecure, oddly funny at times, and would have moments of times where it was hard for her to express her pain, but even so... Why didn''t you tell me about this?! Do you have any idea how useless I''m feeling right now when I couldn''t help you out to the point where it had to come down to your suicide?!

    "......"

    From my numb forearms, my sight would pry on the luminous light emitted from my right direction, strictly below, laying on the side of my bed. I''ve thought of simply reverting my phone so I wouldn''t have to see the same name over and over again, but I''m stupidly hopeless and I want to see Yulia''s name on the screen. At least just one last time...

    "He''s not stopping... Of course he isn''t, he hasn''t shown signs of stopping for... Wait, just for how long has he-----"

    No, no, no.... He doesn''t matter... Yulia, please tell me you are safe. Give me a sign or something. I don''t want to accept what it''s like to live without you. After so long, I finally trusted someone... You can''t do this to me...!!

    I--

    "...Oh, he stopped. He must''ve gotten tired. Good. Stop calling me. Leave me alone. I''m... good like this. Everything black is fine."

    Or so I thought but roughly after one minute, he started calling me again. I don''t exactly know why but I couldn''t think of anything else during that firm gap. My eyes were locked on the direction of my dark screen until he decided to call again.

    "...He did it again... After he called me, he held on for one minute before calling me again."

    This is weird....... How come I''m able to have thoughts of sadness when he''s calling me but when he''s not, I''m fully absorbed into knowing whether he''ll call me or not.

    There is not a single ray of light in my room. As it stands, it''s 2:03 am; everyone is therefore asleep yet he keeps on insisting after ignoring me for one minute straight. Does he not realize that I could just be asleep? And isn''t he worried about Daniel? Daniel, just like me, isn''t having a good time either...

    ".....Gotta eat something or else I''ll die at this rate..."

    With that in mind, weakly, I attempted to get up, but before doing so, I terminated his call attempt for the first time. However, he immediately called me after. And just as I was about to end the attempt for a second time...

    "...What...? He--- terminated his own call?!..."

    What the hell is his deal... Does he think this is funny or something?!

    Despite being slightly angry, I moved through the non-illuminated room and reached out to my lamp thus turning it on. Afterward, a small, weak light was enough to guide me to my room''s kitchen. Unaware, I was carrying my phone on my right hand and after being tired of ignoring all of his calls, I decided to put an end to it, as soon as I got near the sink.

    "I have no idea what you want but it''s two in the morning, so I... would appreciate it if you stopped calling me non-stop Hy----"

    Against all possible odds, the call was terminated by Hyunda which provoked a wave of transient anger as I looked into the screen where the call was ended shortly, however, something else caught my attention immediately.

    From my door lock, a small sound erupted to the atmosphere subsequently as I felt the need to grab a knife that was right on the sink''s surface without hesitation. Right in front of me, my room''s door was opened mercilessly.

    "Looks like a part of you has had enough, Sana."

    His sight, his uncaring expression, still seat on the back of my mind solely. That scenario which only belongs to me mixed with wavering guilt.

    "Sana? Hey, Sana, we have picked our orders, what about you? Whatcha gonna eat...?"

    "I''ll just have a caramel sundae. I''m not very hungry..."

    "Really...? Not even a hamburger or some fries? Yukishiro said she would pay everything so you can be a little bit more selfish!"

    "If Sana doesn''t want anything else, then let her be, Arkalee. I like caramel sundae, so I''ll have one too, please!"

    Arkalee had to bring me back to the current reality by calling me out as we are inside our school''s McDonald''s ordering the lunch that Yukishiro said she would pay. Arguably, the whole place isn''t too crowdy yet it''s neither too empty which is surprising for a McDonald''s.

    It also has a table delivery system so we didn''t need to worry about waiting around at the reception and thus the students that were behind us firmly took a step forward as we proceeded to find a table where we could wait in. Essentially speaking, a table for four was ultimately Yukishiro''s pick. Oddly enough, today she''s really attentive and is taking a lot of steps; almost going as far as wanting to control the whole flow of the conversations.

    I, unfortunately, know why that''s the case. She even brutally told me about it just about the time when we left the classroom...

    "Oh yeah, was a funeral even held? What did they even do with her body?"

    !!

    "Wh-- Yukishiro, that''s a bit..."

    Right now, in a table for four, I took a seat left to Arkalee and Yukishiro specifically took the seat that was in front of me while asking me that question with a devious small smile on her lips.

    "I meant no offense, of course. I was just seeking clarification. Honestly, I wasn''t close to Yulia and I haven''t heard anything about it. Frankly further speaking, this situation is the first time for me and so I have absolutely no idea how the school is handling. If they are handling it, that is."

    "Okay... But even so, that''s... quite inconsiderate."

    "I''m aware, Arkalee, but, you wouldn''t make this question and neither would Sana, so I might as well take the initiative, right? And besides, this question was to Sana! So, do you know anything about it?"

    Up until today, I''ve never noticed anything abnormal about her, at all. However, ever since that day, that you died... It all started to slowly fall apart, bit by bit...

    More than often, I am looking down with my own two eyes and I''m unable to look up even for more than just a single second. It hurts to have any hope at all.

    "If she was actually your friend, she would be here. Yet look at you now. You are all alone and sad. Is it really that worth to thrive on the existence of someone that has caused you this much sadness and turmoil?"

    Your way of looking at things is distorted, but what''s more distorted is how Yukishiro found such motivation in this event...

    "I was not informed of such things. Also, I would appreciate it if you''d at least ask if it''s fine to talk about it or not... Not everyone is like you, Yukishiro. Show some respect, please."

    "Oh, I''m so sorry! The truth is, I was having trouble keeping my curiosity in check, Sana! Forgive me, alright? I''m awfully curious! Ah, thank you!"

    In the past months, she was always the type of girl who would look supremely bored. Fiddling with her phone as much as possible to the point of cutting all human interaction involved with her would be an accurate description. Nonetheless, that quickly changed in a single day. She suddenly wanted to talk. This all began as soon as she introduced herself in class towards the person she has in mind. Awkwardly and shyly, which contrasted her apathetic and not interested attitude that she had thus far until that day.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Today has been remarkably impressive regarding Yukishiro. She took the initiative to form a group that consists of me, Arkalee, and Yukishiro herself. She would never do such a thing yet she did it now. Out of all the girls in the class, she specifically went with us two. Previously before, she never interacted well or interacted at all with any of our classmates, so this is not random. What''s truly scary is how I don''t understand her motivation and how she can go from acting extremely cold while upholding an unphased expression to acting with bright enthusiasm to even a clerk who is just doing his job which in this case is to deliver the menus to us at this dining table.

    "Take your curiosity elsewhere... What''s gotten into you these days? Why the sudden change in mood?"

    Shortly delivering that answer to Yukishiro, I took a hold of my refreshing caramel sundae from the clerk. Rapidly, without any time to waste whatsoever, I started to eat the ice cream with a plastic spoon that was remotely attached to the ice cream''s cup right side.

    "What is this? You are curious about me now?"

    "I am too..."

    Picking up four fries at once, Arkalee added a comment remarking her curiosity about Yukishiro''s behavior.

    "I am happy."

    Against both of our expectations, Yukishiro simply said that. Instead of giving Arkalee and me a detailed answer, Yukishiro went with a simplistic one.

    "But Yulia died..."

    "Sana..."

    Almost breaking her own self-made pleased facial expression, Yukishiro had visible trouble finishing her sentence as she took one fry to her mouth only.

    "Yulia''s death is tragic, I will admit. But, I''ve already told you, didn''t I?"

    This time around, her gaze turned into a penetrating one. A decisive merciless glance that followed up along with her pale words.

    "I will find you! Or, strictly speaking, the person I have in mind. That''s why I am like this now. And you, actually know who the person is, don''t you, Sana?"

    "My answer will be the same... I have no idea what you are talking about. Something''s wrong with you---"

    "Nooooooo, nooooo. Something happened. I know it did. But, to make things harder, you won''t tell anyone what happened. I think that''s fine. I like it that way. It''s mysterious and it''s fun to look forward to. All of this denial though? Don''t you find that a bit too lackluster or even extremely boring?"

    Not allowing me to end my sentence, Yukishiro interrupted me with her lightning speed speech.

    Yes.

    I''ve come to realize that she''s targeting me in specific or rather...

    "Hey, what exactly are you two talking about???"

    "Hm? Oh, right, right. You weren''t present, Arkalee. If you had stayed a bit more in the classroom, I guess you could''ve heard it then..."

    I''m opting to observe instead of speaking here... Seriously, this is so stressful. I can barely maintain my pressure... I''m not used to this at all. The cracks in my social up front are starting to show. I am not good against Yukishiro, at all. Because I already know what she wants and she''s not gonna settle for a no.

    And now, to make things worse, she''s gonna make Arkalee join her side in her endeavor. That was most likely the reason as to why she went with Arkalee as well. Give me a break... I''m having so many mixed-up feelings right now... Just taking ahold of this plastic spoon is draining all my strength. I don''t want to do anything at all, but... A deal is a deal.

    "You see, I told Sana that I was going to find a certain person. However, who is this person that I''m talking about exactly? You see, it''s a pure mystery."

    "...I don''t get it..."

    What is her aim here... I need to know how she thinks or what her take is to redirect it elsewhere. And why is she just not saying the true meaning behind her words? I don''t actually know what she meant when she said "I swear I will find you!"...

    Despite being puzzled, Arkalee still went ahead and made yet another reflection.

    "Are you referring to the one who is assumably behind Yulia''s... suicide?"

    Regardless of showing a slight hesitation, Arkalee said such words nonetheless.

    These two are heartless. I hate this environment. It doesn''t feel human whatsoever. Someone died and they are brushing it off or using the topic as a method of acquisition. It doesn''t bother me that it''s not right, it bothers me that it''s you, Yulia, who they are speaking about without any remorse whatsoever behind their words and I can''t do anything besides watch the utter your name carelessly.

    I want to argue. I want to shout. But I feel so tired and hollow that I can''t find the strength to do that.

    "What? No, no. Why would you think that''s the case, Arkalee?"

    Wait, what? Wasn''t that the whole point of Yukishiro''s wordplay? To know who the supposed orchestrator here is...? I''m so confused... And why is she looking at me with that devilish grin despite talking to Arkalee right now? I can''t understand her at all!

    "E-Eh... Why...? Um, I just assumed that was what you were referring to..."

    "Hm? But why? Why would you assume that that was my reference point? What gave you that idea in specific, Arkalee?"

    Again... This time though, sipping on her Coca-Cola cup''s straw, she keeps fearlessly pin-pointing me with her malevolent gaze...

    "You know why..."

    "Indeed, I do. Is it hard for you to say it? Then, if that''s the case, Sana, do you mind if Arkalee speaks her mind? Whether you want it or not, it''s a topic that''s going to be talked about quite often. You can''t avoid it forever."

    "There are other topics to talk about, Yukishiro..."

    God, I hate this situation. Everything in it. Even if I said those words, she will just find a way to get back to the topic regardless and there''s also the fact that she doesn''t take "no" for an answer. In the case that she does, she will eventually get back to it as I''ve assumed. It''s pointless. I''m sorry, Yulia. I can''t even protect you while you are gone. I am utterly worthless.

    "If you believe that I don''t feel any remorse about Yulia''s situation, then you are wrong, Sana. It''s actually the main reason why I want to find the one who is behind this."

    "If that''s really the case then how come you denied Arkalee''s intentions? Are you saying that your words back then weren''t about the one who supposedly provoked Yulia''s suicide?!"

    Even though I spoke my last words mildly louder, they weren''t loud enough to catch the attention of the other students located on the other tables. Simply Yukishiro, who keeps eating one fry at the time thoroughly slowly and Arkalee who is indecisive as to when to speak or not.

    "Hm? Then, Sana, are you implying that you are feeling secure enough to confirm that my intentions are solely based on the possibility that I''m after whoever supposedly is behind Yulia''s suicide? Strange... It''s almost as if you are entirely preoccupied with protecting whoever is behind it. Otherwise, why would my words back then alert you? And, if, really, your assumption was that I was looking for the one behind all of this, then shouldn''t you be happy? Because it would mean that I would be looking for the orchestrator here. Yet what you''ve shown me is a rather... peculiar and parasitic behavior."

    Slimly, the portion of melted ice cream in my elevated plastic spoon''s edge started to fall rather slowly as I couldn''t respond well to Yukishiro''s cold logic.

    It was at that moment that thoughts of isolation and most surely the instinct of running away came right back to me as I nervously rose my head up and saw her stare deep into my soul with her own ferocious two eyes.

    "Booo, I''m kidding! Haha, isn''t my sense of humor sick?! What do you think, Arkalee?"

    "Y-Yeah, it''s really... sick...!"

    "........"

    This is too much of a task. I can''t do this... These people have no compassion at all! I regret all my decisions already enough, so what''s the necessity of increasing the whole pain?!

    "In all seriousness though, let''s put that topic aside for now. I think we should give Sana our attention, Arkalee. She''s not having this easy for her, you see..."

    Yukishiro finally got to her hamburger. After eating the fries rapidly, in a momentum consequent to another momentum, she picked up each fry, one by one with vast haste, unable to show any signs of stopping thus devouring them with great ease.

    Even her eating pattern is freaky... Why is there a psychopath in front of me...?!

    "Are you okay, Sana...? You look a bit scared..."

    "I''m good."

    I don''t know how these two live with themselves day by day. They are fine with talking about the death of someone who they have interacted with before. Yet they have not shed a single tear. Not even one.

    Are you fucking serious right now? If only you two knew what I''ve been through.

    "How can I know what you are going through if you don''t tell me how you are feeling? It''s one thing to not want me to help you and another if you actually want help but still refuse to speak regardless."

    Over and over and over, your words and those moments are flashing in my mind.

    I''m really not in the mood for this anymore.

    "It''s almost time for us to return class..."

    Therefore, I got up from my seat with my fully eaten caramel sundae cup and directed myself to the trash bin that was just a few centimeters away on my right side.

    "Thank you for the treatment, Yukishiro."

    Optionally, Arkalee and Yukishiro, who were still eating didn''t get up from their seats and just answered back normally.

    "Ahhhh, no problem, no problem. It was my offer, after all. We should eat together more often. How about later on in the night when it''s dinner time?"

    "...Sure..."

    But I won''t. I''ll just fall asleep earlier. I don''t like being around Yukishiro. It feels like I''m alone in a room with questions in front of me and then there is a single vigilance camera in that shallow white room observing you against your will. That''s how I imagine Yukishiro.

    "We are here for you, just saying... You don''t have to face this alone. I too know what it is like to be separated from someone you care about deeply!"

    I would''ve appreciated if Arkalee hadn''t opened her mouth at all but it happened, so I''ll give her a reply before warping out of this place.

    "Hyunda is still alive, but thank you for the consideration, Arkalee..."

    And just as I thought that I would get away with simply just that, reality hit me in the face once more.

    Unbeknownst to restrictions when it comes to showing her deep loyalty and abysmal love, Arkalee erupted from her seat with precise speed, even going as far as accidentally tilting her ice tea cup to the point of its liquid scattering all over the table...

    "How do you know that?! It''s an island, right?! That goes against human rights!!! It''s beyond absurd how this is even allowed! It makes no sense whatsoever!! Even if it''s for the sake of----"

    Thankfully, Yukishiro realized that my face was starting to show minimal human reactions and that keeping this up wouldn''t work out well for anyone here.

    "Arkalee, Arkalee, now''s not the time. I''ll listen to everything you have to say. But I think Sana isn''t really that interested in hearing what you have to say. I say... you calm down a bit, alright?"

    Unable to produce a single answer, I left the restaurant without batting another eyesight to Yukishiro and especially Arkalee.

    With around 10 minutes or so on the clock, until classes started once again, I headed to a bathroom. In mind, I had no bathroom in specific yet at the first one I arrived, in block F, ironically, I found no one near it.

    "It has been quite a while since I''ve felt this empty. Seriously, I..."

    Against my own will perhaps, the urge to vomit came in, so I hurried to one of the empty toilets and threw up there. Noticeably, no one else was in it, so my vomiting sounds didn''t provoke the attention of someone else, gratefully.

    Ice cream aside, nothing else came forth. My stomach; empty again. Zero strength. My eye bags aren''t as heavy as they used to be, but I feel overly pale and drained.

    I spent roughly two minutes trying to vomit something else but quite literally nothing else made its entrance to the bottom of this toilet.

    Are you watching me, Yulia? Somehow?

    "I''m sorry..."

    The truth is, this is how fragile I really am. I purposely went along with Yukishiro and Arkalee just so I could have someone to talk to and not remind myself of you, Yulia.

    "But it''s not working...!! How do people even deal with this type of situation?!"

    Even you...

    I really want to die just now. If I bite my tongue off, no one will miss me. But that''s not the main point. I want to be with you, Yulia. So, if I die, then does that mean that I will be able to be with you? I don''t like it here. Not one bit.

    "Suicide is not a solution; it''s an alternative. Escapism and solutions don''t intertwine for a reason."

    Upon recalling his words, I laughed, which was immensely odd, while looking at my reflection at the toilet''s water in the bottom.

    "Hahaha... Logic doesn''t solve emotional problems, you idiot... Or maybe I''m just too emotionally attached to what I give my heart for? It doesn''t matter anyway... At this point, it''s just a matter of time before I recall everything that happened between me and him. I rather not though."

    The bell rang.

    Another class full of people that aren''t even close to you, Yulia.

    How?

    But...

    Yukishiro, she... What the hell is she up to? I might not be able to do anything for myself and I''m afraid that I''ll just start to feel even more hopeless as the time comes, but the fact that Yukishiro is seeking something that involves you motivates me to protect your name... Even if I''m able to do approximately nothing, it''s still better than doing nothing at all.

    "....."

    Starting to slowly erase my knees from the humid ground, I got up and reformed my posture.

    Barely withstanding with feeble legs and study breathing, my right hand reached the toilet flush.

    A simple tap applied with enough raw yet nibble strength did the job as I started to get out of the toilet.

    As I adamantly walk through the door, I realize that I''ve started to feel my bones far too much. A part of me tells me to eat but another tells me that it''s pointless because I''ll just reject it afterward. A strange tidal wave of mixed feelings brought forth by past memories adjoined with an unknown future. Who knew it could be this hard?

    Lastly, I faced a gigantic mirror in the bathroom. There is one at the end of the bathroom''s hallway contrasting the entrance. Out of curiosity to see how I looked like and what sort of expression I was wearing today, I formed a few steps towards it.

    Closer and closer, my reflection became more and more visible. Connecting my fragile right hand with the watery mirror, I could finally take a full look at myself thus realizing that for a while, I''ve been living a vampire life.

 Volume 18 - Chapter 121: ?? Fluctuating colors ??

    The next day, around 5 am.

    As I thought, I can''t sleep. I''ve tried to close my eyes many times but they always end up opening each other subsequently without waiting around. Even though everything''s black and all it takes is a simple movement to reach out to my lamp, I still will not do it.

    My right hand is busy after all.

    It''s been long gone the transient now hours that I''ve run this soft right hand of mine into my belly only to hit the clitoris'' surface with a non-reluctant forefinger. Naturally, the landscape vulva comes first yet the utmost termination, or first stop would be the clitoris. Regardless, it''s simply the tip of the iceberg... Nonetheless quite sensitive as it''s responsible for the overall stimulation...

    "Haah...!"

    In a circular motion, heavily tapping the public bone above the clitoris, the loose on sleep vulva wakes up every time. On repetition with its meaning. The self-pleasuring game loses the grand significance once no one is on my mind yet now that it is, a whole new page starts to unravel itself adjoined with thicker whitish fluid.

    ...

    "I hate this."

    Out of meek frustration, I strongly got up from my bed and walked to the bathroom''s sink. There, I washed my fiery hands with borderline glacial-like water.

    "What are you doing right now?"

    Undoubtedly, the fluid itself is still persisting regardless of whether or not it''s washed away as it has to be washed away completely until it''s gone.

    "It has become quite boring here, just so you know. Sana and Arkalee, although worthy of toying around, are ridiculously obvious to excruciating detail."

    Though, I have to admit that it''s unpleasant looking at my hair this messy. Moreso, as the process of washing my hands, is coming to a quick end, I''ve been pondering over what to do. It''s not strictly forbidden to cut any interaction between other dorm members. There is, however, a lack of good blood in all of us.

    "Surprisingly, surprisingly, I just want to interact with other people now. Not because I really want to get to know them, but to see their value. Something tells me that today won''t just be quite the same as it was yesterday."

    And done. Cleaning up the wet hands came as a follow-up sequence, with a nearby towel.

    The impertinent and flashing blinding light from the lamp at the top of the bathroom itself is already making me hate myself for ever turning the switch on...

    "I''m going over the same things and I''m not making progress, at all. I''m not fine with that. Though, interestingly enough, yesterday at lunch, Sana displayed more and more parasitic symptoms. You got her good. I''m deadly curious to know the process. Because..."

    Closening up the distance with my face the mirror just a few inches away, I cracked a smile while placing my wet hand on the silky mirror.

    "It doesn''t matter if I already know that you are somehow involved! What matters is to know how exactly you did it...!"

    I backed off slowly though.

    Then, I realized that this obsession, though repetitive, has been losing its symbolism fastly.

    After a quick shower, I dressed myself up and left my room with a firm lock applied to the door.

    And then, as I was about to turn around, I heard almost-silent footsteps coming from the collateral stairs that would lead to the floor below.

    "..."

    It''s around 5 am. Quite a bit early yet someone else has decided that it was a bright idea to walk around the dorm... Given that there are three hours until classes start and that there isn''t much to do... I will check what''s up.

    Therefore, slowly, I isolated myself from my room''s door and started to walk towards the collateral stairs that would be on the right.

    With every two steps, I would adjoin my back with the wall just to listen to the footsteps'' frequency. I then captured how the person was intentionally walking slowly too.

    "But why?"

    A rhetorical question, all in all, yet it was performed with a heavy silence accompanied. Already close to the stairs themselves, I simply took a sneak peek at the end of the scenario that I would ultimately have to pass through. In other words, the bottom of the stairs; the connection with the prior floor.

    "..."

    Too silent. As I thought, whoever was here earlier definitely knows that I''m here. Otherwise, the person would not stop so suddenly. Alternatively speaking, should I advance, it will be my end. Do I take the bait on purpose?

    How about a small prank instead?

    Instead of walking more and more below, I retook a few steps and adjoined my back once again to the wall. Normally, in this type of situation, the one that''s attempting to capture the prey here is often on the alert with alarming noises.

    Sliding my right hand into my skirt''s left pocket, I took a neat glance at my room''s key.

    Shining vastly gold in this hall basked by bare moonlight, the key was thrown to the end of the stairway and I hastily took back my stance to remain hidden.

    A loud footstep was then heard. Not mine; but someone else''s. It only lasted for a short second and under my assumption, it must''ve been the person backing away.

    "...Quite cautious..."

    No footsteps have been heard for about ten seconds and I haven''t taken yet another sneak peek at the bottom of the stairway. Eventually, curiosity will eat you. Isn''t that just always the case?

    !

    Someone started to march once again. This time with a rapid frequency but not full speed ahead.

    Without leaking my complete eyesight out, I took a peek at the bottom once more.

    Slippery glasses and a night robe along with an abnormally large book on her hands. Strangely enough, she gives off no special remarks. Then again, in this dorm, it''s like it''s a competition to see who is more anti-social or something.

    And besides, she has no idea that she''s being under observation right now. I could just jump on her yet here she is kneeling down to catch the key that I purposely threw there just to lure her out.

    I wonder what you would have done in this situation? Would you even care in the first place? That''s the thing. Do you even share natural interests or is your mind a darker place than what I have in mind?

    Oops... I''ll get lost in my self-dialogue. It''s time to put up the act.

    "Waaaah...~~"

    Walking down the stairs with a full-on sleepy look mixed with faint scratching right to my eyelids, I encountered the individual at hand basking in the moonlight and ultimately making an effort to pick up the key who she had no reason at all to bother with.

    However, judging from her reaction, this was completely beyond her train of thought somehow.

    "W-Whaa---"

    "Shhh..."

    Still pretending to fiddle with my messy long hair, I placed my right index finger on my lips in order for her to get the gist of it thus following that up with a more logical choice of words.

    "Um... Shizuku, right? Don''t make much noise... Who knows what happens once you wake the whores up."

    Perhaps a little bit too dramatic honestly.

    Falling over to the floor just because I suddenly show up shouldn''t be the equivalent as seeing a monster creeping in the dark late at night.

    "Wow, that''s a bit..."

    "Crude?"

    I questioned her as she got up from the floor by herself, shielding her book with all of her might. A blank cover though...

    It''s impossible to know what exactly the book is if the cover is pitched black and only contains the black color.

    "On second thought, could you come with me?"

    Avoiding delaying the point, I straight up went on ahead full force.

    Yet my eyes kept on being pinpointed towards that book that Shizuku has been holding on.

    "We don''t even know each other... And why?"

    Let''s test her rationale a bit.

    "What do you mean we don''t know each other, Shizuku? We are classmates, of course we know each other!"

    A powerless smirk on my face pierced by her raging eyes of denial.

    "Just because we are classmates, it doesn''t mean that we know each other. That''s not how it works. Please go back to sleep."

    "What if I don''t want to sleep?"

    What are you gonna do, rather?

    This time around, I erased the mocking signature of my lips and penetrated her gaze with an evenly matched glance.

    "Well, if that''s the case then why are you up, Yukishiro?"

    "Oh, so you know my name! Aren''t we acquaintances, therefore?"

    Come on... Show me something worthwhile. I''m getting bored of having to come up with the lines over here.

    "Haha... That didn''t answer my question..."

    "You''re right."

    Hopeless, I crossed my arms and gave an honest answer in the hope to provoke a similar reaction.

    "I masturbated from 10 pm to 5 am."

    "..."

    No answer came forth. By contrast to my expectations, I wasn''t rebooked with an oppressive reply. At the same time, Shizuku flashed a low smile and uttered words of low volume to herself.

    "Maybe you..."

    "Maybe I?"

    Unable to resist, I went forth with the question.

    "Well, Yukishiro... You said you wanted to go somewhere?"

    "That was a trick question. I just wanted to observe your reaction."

    Her words caught my interest. I need to know what she meant with that, so I''ll willingly lie to her face.

    "I don''t like to be controlled. As I thought, we shouldn''t talk, but... I can''t help but wonder... If that was a trick question, then I take it that you don''t mind a little tour?"

    "It depends, Shizuku. Where to?"

    "Just the cafeteria. You and me?"

    What is she planning?

    "What for? Also, the key. Give me."

    "Oh, right. I am sorry."

    Rather quickly, she handled my room key which I put on my skirt''s pocket once again.

    Furthermore, Shizuku started to guide the way. Even though she had not answered my question.

    "Is it some sort of surprise? I like surprises. But only if they are really good. I don''t settle for good ones. They have to absolutely blow my mind."

    "Same, actually..."

    But Shizuku said no more than just a few subtle words. She''s simply leading the way down the stairs and assumably, we are going down to a place that has to preferably stay on the first floor.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    We have walked far past her room at this point. Synergy-wise, we are purposely avoiding making any possible noise while walking.

    Does it even cross her mind that I can just reach out to this key in my pocket and scourge her throat in an effortless sequence of movements? That aside, I do feel like whatever she has to say is somehow related to the book she is so dearly clinging to.

    "I have yet to find another comrade in this quest..."

    Back at it again with those shallow words.

    As we took the last turn and graced the first floor of the dorm, Shizuku said something else before opening the cafeteria''s door.

    "What''s about to happen, is only between us two. Whatever image you have of me, leave that here."

    My eager eyes woke up from their deepest slumber. Enthusiastic and consumed with a quirk sensation, I valiantly let my words out.

    "Are you going to reveal why you are here?!"

    "Who knows..."

    Not reciting another word, Shizuku opened the door and thus, we went to the corner next to the window which was being solely illuminated by the luminous moonlight.

    Along the way, I took ahold of the red elastic on my right wrist and did a ponytail before seating.

    "Oh... It started to rain."

    Nonmelancholically, I noted that as I watched droplets reach the surface of the window.

    As for Shizuku, she was starting to go through her book and I went straight ahead with my questionnaire.

    "Why the fake cover?"

    "I see... So you have noticed..."

    It could''ve been just a really bland cover but I don''t think someone would get attached to a book that had a cover that simple. Nonetheless, the content itself could be extraordinary. I''m not on the side of the argument where one shouldn''t judge a book by its cover because a cover does matter, but pure blandness is downright asking to get denied.

    "Yes... You see, this is nothing more than a front. What''s inside it, is something that I''ve been dying to share and you... Yukishiro!"

    Suddenly, she shouted my name out loud, which caught me off guard to the point of causing me to blink twice rapidly, and ultimately, she erupted from her seat while holding her book up high as if she was glorifying the holy bible itself.

    "Should I, by some harsh circumstance, vanish from this world, you must continue my leg--"

    Abruptly, I stepped in.

    "I don''t know what you are trying to insinuate here, but aren''t you skipping way too many steps? And besides, just what is that book anyway? I noticed that there was something creepy about it, even though the cover itself is oddly simple. It doesn''t have a title anyways."

    Upon hearing what I had to say, she immediately came to the realization that I was indeed in the right here.

    "Well, that''s true, aye..."

    And slowly took back her seat. Expressing paranoia, she looked from left to right to see if there were any other people around. She did this for just about five times.

    Due to my familiarity with the sensation of paranoia, I proposed something to Shizuku.

    "If you are wondering whether or not someone is going to come in, then why not just lock the door under a few chairs?"

    "That''s a great idea! But... What if Olivia comes in?"

    "When exactly does she wak---"

    As I was about to fire that question, Shizuku instantly answered my question despite not being finished in the first place.

    "Around 6:15 am..."

    ..........

    "Then why are you acting all paranoid when it''s 5:47 am?"

    "Are you serious?! The problem is not Olivia, even though I mentioned that... The problem is... What if someone stalked me?! I was so careful while getting here!! I''m done for if I got stalked!!!"

    Letting her book fall onto the table''s surface, Shizuku started to ramble on and on while messing with her short hair from back to front.

    This left me with a question though.

    "You''re fine with me though?"

    "Eh?"

    Maybe it was unexpected to her but as the lightning struck the ground outside, her reflection alongside her cold smile told me everything I needed to know.

    "I already knew you were up to something. Not you in specific, but someone, so I needed to make sure who it was. It was just a matter of time before I caught who it was behind me."

    In other words, she took the bait on purpose.

    "Not bad, I must say."

    "Haha, thank you, thank you!"

    But you don''t even realize who started the whole thing in the first place.

    "So I take that as a yes? What is that book? Tell me already."

    Although my patience is being tested, I''ve learned already that Shizuku also has some cracks in her morality.

    The way she said those words had a very hollow tone to them. Speaking from experience, most likely.

    "Okay, okay... Check this out..."

    In a quick beat, Shizuku took ahold of her book and hid it beneath the table. I thought she was going to take the cover off, but before doing that, her face turned extremely skeptical with traces of noxious judgment all over it, as she asked me this one simple question.

    "Yukishiro, what are your thoughts about Yaoi? I want you to answer this seriously."

    On the basis that she wants me to answer that question seriously, I will simply do so. Pretty much because this answer is very likely linked to the chance of me getting to know what that book is about.

    "I don''t hate it, but that''s it. It''s not something that I would go over it---"

    "I see, so that means that there''s still some spark in you..."

    "Shizuku, that really doesn''t imply that."

    "No, no, no, no! A fujoshi has only lost her true spark when she has failed to see the plus side of all the yaoi and you clearly haven''t lost that! With time and practice, I can turn you into a full-fledged on---"

    I had to stop her mid-rant.

    "I honestly don''t care about your agenda, it''s beyond my caring. What I''m curious about is how your question about Yaoi is related to your book."

    Making the connection here isn''t hard. It''s obvious that yaoi is involved here yet just to what degree. Mainly speaking; the context is what she''s trying to find. Thus far, she has been going about it in a vague way instead of being overly concrete which would be desirable.

    "Ouch, I''m hurt..."

    Though Shizuku stated that, she nevertheless started to take the fake cover off her book, which caught my interest due to the cryptic title.

    "Sangwoo''s ashes?"

    "Sangwoo''s ashes."

    "No, Shizuku, I''m asking what that means. Why is that the book''s title?"

    What the hell is Sangwoo''s ashes? I feel pathetically dumb because I have no idea and that''s pissing me off very much right now.

    "Y-You seem pretty mad... You got a full pissed off look on your face, so I''ll do the explaining! First of all, this is a made-up title. In the worst-case scenario, no one would have a single clue about what this is. And, as you can see, there is a mini-lock here.

    "That''s a pretty good made-up title format honestly. Did you do it yourself?"

    I''m genuinely saying this. The font art is absolutely amazing. Even though I still don''t know what the hell the title itself means.

    "Yes! Thank you! Although it takes me quite a bit of time, I like to perfect the way I do my own things thoroughly. Anything rushed is futile... Oh, yes! The title! It''s a memento... Even though it''s primarily used as a way to remain incognito, it actually holds a deep meaning! But, you don''t seem to be interest---"

    "Don''t be ridiculous! I want to know what it means!"

    "A-A-Are you s-serious....!? Hey, hey, hey!! Yukishiro, you really, really, want to know that badly?! Ah, how iconic! I too am a slave to that kind of stuff!"

    Perhaps I said my own words with too much potency yet it was mainly out of anger for not knowing what it means. I can''t tolerate not knowing what I want to know. Regardless of the cost, I will get to know whatever I want to know.

    Still, the way Shizuku is looking at me and clasping my own hands together to a clingy point is bothering the hell out of me.

    "For how long do you intend on clasping my hands, Shizuku?"

    "Mhm, sorry!"

    An apology was all that it took for her to release her hands off mine only to be accompanied with a smile that almost had droll to it.

    "I should probably start from the beginning, otherwise, it won''t make a lot of sense. Like, I could just explain what it means, but you wouldn''t get the full picture. I''m taking that you are not fine with missing out on any sort of detail?"

    "That''s right. I can''t stand missing details."

    "Seriously, seriously. Without details, it''s so hard to connect pieces of evidence to the overall picture, vice-versa. Okay, can I start now? Ah, wait! How about we take a coffee... first...?"

    "Shizuku, that''s seriously suspicious. Why did you finish your sentence so slowly? Get rid of that psychotic smile as well. It''s bothering me."

    That aside, some coffee would be nice. However, I wouldn''t assume that there is any left from the one in the cafeteria''s coffee machine, so she essentially proposed that we would go to the dorm''s hall and buy a coffee can from the vending machine.

    "Oh, no, no. It''s nothing that big of a deal. It... might just take a while. But don''t worry! Classes only start right around two hours and a couple of minutes from now on! We got plenty of time, really! I''ll get two cans, just wait here and don''t go anywhere!"

    Taking her book with her, she made haste to the hallway. Transiently, I took a sharp glance at the outside and witnessed the thundering clouds.

    Whatever that book has, it holds source to what got Shizuku in here in the first place.

    Pretending to care about the stupid title is just another false step in order to reach the step that actually matters.

    "I''m back!"

    "Quick."

    I turned around and greeted Shizuku who quickly returned with two cans on each of her palms. She tossed a can to me while clicking the tip of it immediately of her own can.

    "You. Are. Going. To. LOVE. This!"

    Those were her last words before she took her seat and started a very long detailed explanation about the title.

    40 minutes later.

    Admitedly, Shizuku''s description was so in depth that I couldn''t drink the coffee as fast as I thought and here I am surprised while looking at the bottom of the can that has some liquid still in it.

    "This sounds like an injustice that I would not be able to forget."

    The rain has calmed down now yet my mind feels on fire after saying those words.

    Another small sip.

    "Truly sad! Forever my God... May you rest in peace, you beautiful man. I''ll never forget those moments of high adrenaline...!"

    And the last sip thus enforcing the necessity to slam the empty can onto the table straight away.

    "You know..."

    "E-Eeeek!"

    "I may enjoy a lot of details as I''ve said to you, but there is one goddamn thing that I can''t tolerate!"

    "B-But Yukishiro, there was no other way!"

    I double slammed the can on the table out of fury.

    "No! No! No! You could''ve been vague about it, but you just had to go into too much depth to the point of spoiling me! I mean, what''s even the point of reading it anymore!? You mentioned five times throughout the whole speech that I just had to read Killing Stalking but you went a mile ahead to tell me everything about it!"

    "Um, I actually left a lot out honestly..."

    "Oh, really?"

    "Yeah, for example, Bum got r--"

    She doesn''t get sarcasm so I had to tap her mouth with my right hand for a second while flashing a smile mixed with some soft words.

    "No a single word out of you regarding Killing Stalking~~~"

    I''ll start it tonight honestly.

    That aside, I untapped her mouth rather quickly and went straight to the important factor here, at long last.

    "Now that I... UNFORTUNATELY, got to know what the actual title means... What''s in that book? Is that why you are here?"

    Contrasting my serious look, Shizuku simply laughed out loud once she captured the essence of my question and intentions.

    "Hahaha... No. It''s nothing like that. I take it you want to look at it?"

    "Of course."

    That was such a stupid question. It''s the only reason as to why I''m here in the first place.

    "Okay, just a second..."

    "I''ll just be honest with you, Shizuku, but I''ll be heavily disappointed if what you have to show doesn''t go beyond the margin of good."

    Click; the lock has been unlocked or so did Shizuku''s expression mixed with the alarming sound of the lock being released. In front of me, she lashed out yet another confident look before delivering me her thoughts.

    "I live to please."

    Right after she retrieved her key from the lock, she passed me the book and started to open her eyes extremely wide.

    As I unfolded the cover page and was about to get into the supposed first page, Shizuku said something of great interest.

    "Some guys in our class are kinda hot, don''t you think?"

    "Physical attraction is your thing?"

    "No, I''m just generally speaking. They are kinda hot, really. I think we can agree on that factor."

    "Sure..."

    I''m sapiosexual. I''m not saying that physical appearance doesn''t matter, of course it matters, but what contributes the most when it comes to stimulating the mind of a sapiosexual human being like me, is undoubtedly a display of supreme unparalleled intelligence.

    "Ah, so this is what it''s all about..."

    The longer I keep folding from page to page the more I realize what sort of person Shizuku really is.

    "It''s one thing to make drawings of ships between characters since you are a fujoshi, Shizuku, but I seriously didn''t think that you would go as far as making drawings of the boys in your class to feed your delusions..."

    "Delusions?! What are you talking about?! Look! Don''t you see how perfect they are for each other! Kawahara always looks at Hyunda in class more than any other guy! And Hyunda gives him the cold shoulder in return! HOT! Don''t even get me started when Kawahara grabbed him by his color that one time in P.E... I swear, I almost lost it... Hehehe..."

    Inside this book contains Shizuku''s drawings featuring the boys in our class being a couple. She even went as far as drawing sexual positions of them...

    Her art is really good but it''s pretty obvious that what fuels her motivation is the fact that she''s drawing BL in the first place.

    "You shipped every single one of them loooooool."

    "W-Which one is your favorite...?!"

    She doesn''t realize that I''m mildly expressing my disappointment and that I''m actually not looking forward to discussing this, at all.

    Or so I thought until I rapidly folded into an interesting section beyond the drawings.

    "Database?"

    "Geez, you didn''t answer my question..."

    Her disappointment is beyond my caring, but even so, Shizuku continued and replied to my question.

    "I have an utter dislike for baseless things in general and I myself am an avid fan of criminology as a whole. I''ve invested myself into making a lot of criminal profiles over these years... With that said, I don''t need to explain myself but I will just in case you didn''t get what I just implied. We are all criminals technically... So... To think that I haven''t taken any action regarding the interest I just described would be ludicrous, wouldn''t it be, Yukishiro?"

    In contrast to my previous free actions involving unfolding every new page and so on, I didn''t have that freedom as Shizuku forcefully took back her book before I could get there.

    If such is the case, then I might as well express my disappointment.

    "This is frankly disappointing. Did you invite me here just to tease your own content? Do you want an art review or something? What a joke."

    "Now, now, that wasn''t my intention! Don''t get mad here!"

    "Then?"

    "I was just thinking about the recent events and... there is a very extremely high chance that I know who is behind it, according to my profiles. By the way, consider this teasing, but... It''s a boy."

    !!!!

    "Hahaha, I knew it, I knew it! You are aware too! That this will practically be a waste of time. The classes are quite ridiculous, honestly. We are forced to cooperate with others in order to create a profile on the suspect but at the end of the day, it will just create confusion among us girls. Meanwhile, the actual orchestrator is on that island. However, all in all, how did you reach such a conclusion...?"

    I''ve underestimated her, it seems.

    Apparently I''m not the only one who has the same suspicion.

    Shizuku''s suspicion lies within that database that she only knows.

    "If I reveal my reasoning will you tell me who you have in mind that is, according to your database, the prime suspect?"

    In any case, I''ll just lie if she says yes.

    She believes that she''s in an advantageous position simply because that database supposedly holds information that I need to know.

    "No, I don''t want to conduct this that way. I think we both know the value of our information and that we would rather prioritize the value to ourselves. So, how about we make a soft deal instead of a blind trade?"

    "I see, so you are aware of that possibility. What does your deal involve exactly, Shizuku?"

    It all depends on what the deal strictly revolves around, realistically speaking. Just because the circumstance can possibly change, there isn''t any reason to falter.

    "I''ll start with my part. What my side essentially has to offer. I can give you full access to the database and in it, you, just like me, will immediately realize who the prime suspect really is. Yes, that''s right. Not only my reasoning for it but the entire information."

    Questionable. Her source could entirely just be bad. Then again, that''s something I could take advantage of as a means to apply consequences for lackluster information in the first place.

    "I can reveal the database at any given time. Therefore, this means that I''m not applying an expiration date on my side. You benefit greatly just from this factor alone, I believe."

    "If the information you have is any good in the first place, that is. Otherwise, it''s just a waste of time."

    "I can tell you ahead of time that your doubts aren''t really necessary. I mean it."

    "I''ll judge the value of your information afterward then. Be aware though, I don''t forgive liars. I''ll bury you alive if you are messing with me."

    In light of the seriousness in my dreadful words, Shizuku got mildly exasperated; almost having a relatively hard time producing subsequent words.

    "....You could trust me a little... here... Anyways... I assume that you are fine with this?"

    "As I''ve implied, as long as I have the type of information that I am seeking, I don''t have a problem, so it''s a yes."

    "...Yukishiro, why are you so hung onto this? I think you are just like me when it comes to Yulia. Frankly, we don''t care. So why?"

    Such impertinence.

    "I''m in love. I can''t help myself. This person has shown me a love that I''m finding extreme difficulty to repay. Some would call me obsessed yet it''s all in a simplistic state so far. I can''t stop thinking about him. It''s impossible. If thoughts about him are a disease, then I would gladly die for the sake of it."

    Regardless, this is pretty much an understatement.

    "Such passion... I''m moved..."

    "Well, it''s been like this for a while. Now you know who I''ve been referring to through the past days. So, what is the part that I must do to make this even?"

    Lights being turned on without any warning at all symbolized that our conversation would have to meet a swift end by Olivia''s hands as she did the full act herself yet Shizuku spoke her words nonetheless lastly.

    "Since we aren''t going to find the suspect because he''s technically on the island, the suspect will have to be a girl. And I just have the one in mind..."

 Volume 18 - Chapter 121.5: Doompedia 2.0.

    Let''s start off with the main character. At this point, if you have read the story, you know who he is, but just in case you''ve forgotten or don''t know him, in which case, I don''t blame you, here is his character design. The initial one, at least:

    Note: I''ve wanted to give him a somewhat cold look, but it turned out to be an angry look. In the past, I''ve done drawings of Daniel, but they all can be seen in my previous chapters. Noticeably, they are different from this design. Regardless, I''ve done another design and here it is:

    This design is far more composed but not THAT composed. I learned that I don''t actually like big eyes therefore I stuck with realistic ones since they work out better for me. Anyway, I am happy with this prototype, let''s move on. Do notice that designs are obviously important to give the reader a wider image of what the characters are supposed to look like, obviously. Hence why I did their designs, though late.

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    Given that I''m remastering the Doompedia, the students'' order will be the same, which means that Lus (Daniel''s table partner) is next.

    Note: I''ve wanted to give her the absolute bitch-face, so it came out like this. She''s supposed to be stone-cold for reasons in particular. The warm clothes symbolize her hatred for cold since she comes from Ukraine. However, I wasn''t really happy with her initial design, so I gave her a more appropriate one. Mainly because, I rapidly grew the tendency of hating on big eyes, in drawing terms. For some reason, I just can''t. Anyway, here:

    I figured that not only does this design make her look more appealing, but it resembles the art style that I am comfortable with. You can see that it''s practically identical but at the same, you can spot a few differences. How Lus'' hair is thinner in the later design. Her scarf isn''t all over the place. The eyelashes resemble a far more appealing feminine trait, rather than simply having eyelashes for the sake of eyelashes (if this made any sense).

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    Coming up next is Sana. Now, I''ve already featured what she looks like in a previous chapter, but let''s just say that my designs differ a bit. Honestly, Sana might be the prettiest female character, when it comes to my own designs, in my own opinion. Or maybe I''m just slightly more motivated to draw her than other characters...

    This is her prototype design:

    Note: Sana''s happy charisma is something that I feel like I should''ve highlighted yet for purposes intended she''s supposed to be a happy individual on the surface, at least. The swift ponytail on the back of her head alongside the ribbon are some of her identical traits. Nonetheless, I felt like I could do more, so the second time I drew Sana, it came out something completely more different, that I adored. Here:

    I believe she looks far more appealing here. In her first design, she had this child-like image. Here, she has a more versatile image going for her. A beautiful girl with compassionate eyes.

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    Number 4 is Kan. Now, as I was initially drawing my prototypes, I thought that I should just stick with the basic idea of drawing every character from the same angle. Because you know, they are all criminals. Criminals, for example, in jail, or before entering jail, are exposed to photography from both of their sides. Yet that really sounded boring to me. Honestly, it''s because after reading Btooom!, I realized that I would just be copying the scenario. But that''s still not it. The idea just sounds boring to me, so I went complete freedom mode and gave my characters their poses despite the place. I rather leave the place and the time for the reader to interpret.

    Note: Although not revealed yet, Kan is extremely evil. With that in mind, I''ve wanted to give him a cynical malicious look. Also, since I enjoy drawing spiked hairs, Kan was fun to draw. I drew Kan slightly different and more accurate to his actual design, by actual I mean, how he REALLY is supposed to look like. Here:

    Oh yeah, the big eyes things. Yeah, had to get that out of the way. Think of this as an alternate artwork, due to the silver necklace.

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    Next up, Ikkiri. Unlike literally all the characters, I already knew what Ikkiri looked like. Hell, I started to draw because I had a literal image of what Ikkiri would look like. Since she''s somewhat similar, in terms of looks, to a friend of mine. Obviously, I had to alter a lot of aspects. Here is the first prototype:

    Note: She''s wearing a hoodie and some of her hair strands are shaped differently from the rest. I didn''t want to exaggerate much, so in the first prototype, I simply stuck with the image I had in mind. However... I decided to draw Ikkiri again and added different elements.

    Instead of limiting myself to giving Ikkiri''s hair strands irregular strands, I adapted the stance of giving most of her hair strands, if not all, irregular shapes. I actually loved this change. Also, I gave her a more daring expression, which foreshadows one of her personalities. Furthermore, she''s in a sailor uniform this time and not a hoodie. Most of the female characters are in sailor uniforms because according to scientific facts, female individuals'' appeal completely rises up to the maximum in sailor uniforms, am I right?

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    Despite not having that much relevance in the current story, at least for now, I gave Ryoken a design. Unlike all the previous designs, I didn''t draw him a second time. I was too lazy to do so, honestly. Here:

    Note: On second thought, I should''ve drawn him a second time due to the big eyes. Not much else to add. If you trust someone who looks at you the way Ryoken does, don''t be too surprised if you end up with a knife in your abdomen.

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    Just like Ryoken, I didn''t draw Akihiko a second time, here you go:

    Note: I think it was around the time that I started to draw Akihiko that I developed the bad habit of adding way too many LINES on the damn hair. To the point that I felt the urgency to draw characters for a second time. Yet I was fine with this. It wasn''t that excruciating, or so I thought... But looking at it now, I believe the number of lines to be justifiable since Akihiko has the emo teenager hairstyle.

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    Ironically, just like Ikkiri, Kanawari was one of the characters that I had a lot of time to think about. However, out of all the characters that I''ve drawn, Kanawari is the one whose design changed the most. I would like to give some demonstrations, but her first design is nowhere to be found since I didn''t save it in the first place. Given that, I''ll show the first prototype:

    Note: This is kinda what I was talking about regarding the number of the lines. It got out of hand pretty quickly. Anyway, I wanted to draw Kanawari in a more different way from the rest of the girls, so I salvaged my mind for a bit and thought of a senior back in middle school who would always wear heart-shaped glasses. Perhaps I''m slightly mean for saying this, but her face wasn''t that pretty, however, the moment she put on those glasses, she would look like an utter goddess to me, sent from the heavens. The t-shirt is supposed to contrast the glasses since the glasses resemble love yet the shirt reflects the opposite. In the end, as you look at her eyebrows, you realized you have been trolled.

    Nonetheless, give the number of lines, I drew her a second time and it came out just a little different. Not that much. Here:

    Not drawing the eyes felt lazy as hell, so I simply drew the glasses below them slightly. Kanawari doesn''t actually look good in pictures, so she has difficulty smiling correctly in front of a picture. Hence the expression.

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    I''m surprised at myself for drawing Tsudo without a perverted expression, but here is how he turned out to be:

    Note: Think of Tsudo here wearing an expression when he is not being an obnoxious pervert. I must say though, he looks cool. I would never give myself that haircut because I would look horrible in it, but Tsudo owns it. And no, no second drawing. The lines here are fine... I think...

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    Subsequent to Tsudo, we have Hyunda. Now, I''ve drawn Hyunda a couple of times, really... But even then... I daresay that the past drawings in previous chapters weren''t close to his intended design, so here is his first design, the intended prototype:

    Note: As you can see, I decided to have some fun with special effects. I suck at coloring, or rather, have zero experience, so I just pressed fill and viola. Hyunda is supposed to have a cold, calculative, malicious, horrifying look, alongside his white eyes. I know this doesn''t do him justice, but it shouldn''t be too long when a time will come where I will be able to draw Hyunda according to my actual thoughts. Since, you know, Hyunda is actually the character that I''ve spent the most thinking, regarding his personality and his outside appearance has to match his personality. Alas, I drew him a second time. Not with color though:

    He looks far calmer here. Both of his ears are pierced since he likes earrings and piercings. Just like Daniel, he has spiked hair. The eyes are somewhat big, which makes me want to draw Hyunda into my artstyle soon enough.

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    The bookworm, otherwise known as Gale Iris. She''s probably the character who has less relevance out of all, regarding the F class, that is. Here is her first design, which is simple as hell:

    Note: The numbers of unnecessary lines are cancerous. Anyway, after some thinking, I gave her a more efficient design:

    It''s not much, but it does it. Iris not having her glasses felt lazy and just because I had no experience when it came to drawing glasses, I didn''t tell myself to simply avoid it and gave it a shot.

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    If you''ve read this fiction, this character should not be strange to you, given the amount of time I''ve given her throughout the story... Yeah, it''s Arkalee. There is one drawing of her early on in the chapters, well, not that early... Anyway, I didn''t like the design I had of her, so I literally redid her. Here is the prototype:

    Note: Out of all the characters who I''ve done the crime of abusing the number of lines in their hairs, Arkalee is perhaps the biggest victim. It''s whatever though. It''s Arkalee. She''s a victim anyway. This design is before Hyunda told her that he didn''t mind if Arkalee unleashes all of her hair, thus completely erasing the twin-tails. Regardless, I did a second drawing, to which I''m happier:

    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    Arkalee is supposed to be pretty. Or, put more bluntly, an attention whore. Because she really has the idea that looks are enough to win a man''s heart. With that in mind, I designed her as someone who has implanted in her brain the complete image that without efforts alone and with looks alone, it''s possible to accomplish such feat. Though I had to make her pretty and since she is wearing twin-tails, I had a little bit of fun. Her earring is a combination of diamond irregular-sized pearls all stacked up. Her twin-tail pins are something I came up with on my own. They seemed cute enough. Her frontal hair strands are sorta irregular, as you can already see. Lastly, of course, she''s on her phone taking selfies. You can''t be a narcissist and not take selfies.

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    I was so hyped about drawing this guy that I''m surprised that I didn''t draw him a second time. I probably got too satisfied with his design at first glance which is why I didn''t draw him a second time. Even though I will have to draw him in the upcoming volume since he is the current protagonist. Here is the design:

    Note: In this drawing, you might find Kawahara a LOT uncharacteristic in comparison to the Kawahara you know. That''s because Kawahara always looks plain and calm in pictures. He manipulates those into thinking that that''s how he behaves and so on. Honestly, a whole lot of my characters have the exact same circumstance where they force expressions just to not get suspected. Clearly, there are some that do not give a fuck and just bust out their moody expressions. Kawahara has supreme control over this, however. The part that doesn''t have lines are the locks'' parts. They are black and the rest is purely blonde, hence the contrast. Ultimately, the dragon pendant is something personal of his own. Kawahara loves dragons.

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    When I think of Tateyana''s design, I think of Iris, for a reason. Both Tateyana and Iris are characters that have received barely any time for development or interaction whatsoever. So, why even compare both? Well, that''s because I''ve made Iris design simple due to the fact that she has no screen time, which is fair. Tateyana should be in the same spot, but... I think I''ve spoiled her design slightly. In other words, Tateyana''s design is a whole lot more consistent than originally intended. The prototype, first:

    Note: I tried drawing her in a sports outfit and thought she was gonna look ugly or something but... It''s the opposite. She''s cute and taunting. Honestly, most of the characters that receive little to no screen time FOR SOME ODD REASON are the ones that have the... better designs? I don''t even know. The crown earring is there because she thinks of herself as a queen. Adidas outfit, because why not. I drew an additional drawing due to the number of lines, even though they are not THAT abundant:

    Before you jump to any conclusions, I''ll explain the circumstance and why she''s on a cheerleader uniform in the first place. Remember back in the first volume when Sagasuga went to her room for like thirty minutes, if not more? Sagasuga dared Tateyana to put on something daring that would make his heart skip a beat, otherwise, he would win the whole flirting challenge. Tateyana doesn''t really know how to say no, so after five minutes or so, Tateyana got into a cheerleader uniform which, for some reason, she has one, and asked Sagasuga how she looked in a shy way. Sagasuga, after some thinking simply said that her appeal went up but it still wasn''t enough. Henceforth why she''s pouting. And yes, I''m aware that the hair is all over the place and that it''s hard to tell the directions.

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    I''ve been known for my inconsistency throughout my life in one way or another, but I tried not to transition that into my drawings. Unfortunately, I sorta failed and gave Kuzan a really mediocre design, but it''s better than nothing. Actually, I''m not too sure if it is... Here:

    Note: Kuzan is usually happy-go-lucky, but this is his face after he leaves his step-father''s home every time. Here, Kuzan isn''t bald, but wearing a wig under his fisherman hat. A really plain boring design. Kuzan deserved better.

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    Although she doesn''t get that much screentime, I''ve already had a clear image of what Akimiyashika was going to look like. Ikkiri. Akimiyashika. Hinagiku. I already knew these three designs from the back of my mind. Nonetheless, after the prototype, I changed Akimiyashika''s design slightly. Before that, here is the prototype:

    Note: Akimiyashika is supposed to be brave and fearless. I think those two attributes describe Sagittarius'' females perfectly. But this drawing felt way too lazy for me. Too much hair everywhere. I tried to add a side braid, but I didn''t really like the idea, unlike the lip piercing idea, which I kept in this second drawing:

    I took more freedom here because Akimiyashika''s design was originally supposed to be based on one of my unrealistic crushes ever. I think it was back in middle school that I had this huge crush on a girl from the same year as I that had a huge forehead. I usually don''t really like foreheads, but for some unexplicit reason, her forehead looked majestic. I''m not really afraid of admitting this because it''s the source of my aspiration when it came to drawing Akimiyashika. Still, something to keep in mind is that if I were to go over the original design which was based on this girl that I had a crush on, her expression was way calmer and far more gentle. Something you don''t see here, because the contrast is intentional, as Akimiyashika has totally different circumstances. Also, the lip piercing. Why is it so attractive? I will probably never get the answer to this question.

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    I''m not too sure if Rayazaki''s design is more inconsistent than Kuzan''s, but it''s either that or really close to it. I put almost little to no effort into this guy.

    Note: I wanted to give him a stark confident look. That was about it. Oh yeah, the hair. I really liked where I was going with it UNTIL I realized that I was just mashing lines onto lines lmao.

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    I swear it''s not a gender thing, but the same level of inconsistency can hardly be found in my female characters'' drawings. Maybe it''s because my brain just reflects my obvious attraction towards the female gender in general or something... Anyway, Yukishiro. I already did a drawing of her and she has been a major character lately and most likely will continue to be, because, well, I sorta love her character. This is the first prototype:

    Note: I naturally couldn''t forgive myself for massacring Yukishiro with those blasphemous numerous lines, so I went with another drawing. The idea in the prototype was simple yet explicit. You would have to guess what sort of smile she is wearing underneath her sleeves. Her eyes weren''t serious enough, I felt like... It needed to match her personality far more, or at least that was my thought process while moving onto the second drawing here:

    I was authentically happy with this result. Her eyes were serious enough and she looked bored as per usual. Also, I gave Yukishiro the hime haircut. This is not so much of a restless bitch-face, but more of a face of someone that observes details carefully. Oh, right, the Scorpio tattoo. Couldn''t forget that.

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    His hair looks somewhat like Tsudo, however, it''s ultimately different. I didn''t draw Tatsu a second time as I was happy with the first design:

    Note: Tatsu is secretly a smoker. His hair is low spiked, just a little bit. Honestly, not much to add. His time will come, just not now.

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    In case you haven''t read this fiction I won''t spoil you, so I''ll just limit myself to giving Yulia''s design. I drew Yulia only once before and honestly, I find that drawing pretty laughable. So I remastered her completely into a prettier girl. Daniel wasn''t kidding when he was objectively evaluating her:

    Note: Yulia sometimes really liked to apply this hairstyle, the waterfall-braids hairstyle. I find it extremely beautiful, even though it''s most likely a ton of work for whoever decides to do this type of hairstyle. The sunflower is a symbol of happiness...

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    Another character that barely has any screentime (that will change in the future though, in a way), Susaga, makes it to the list. I only drew Susaga once, because his design is quite simple:

    Note: A sudden lack of originality struck me while drawing Susaga, so I gave him a design that resembles a Doomer. Just Google it, you will see the resemblances all over the place. And yes, it''s a skull earring.

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    The shrimp, otherwise known as Hinagiku. Hinagiku comes from China, so I attributed her design according to her origins. I like the Oriental-girl type of design, honestly. I was successful with my first drawing so I had no necessity to draw Hinagiku a second time. Here:

    Note: Just like Ikkiri and Akimiyashika, Hinagiku''s design was literally crystal clear to me. Usually, this sort of hairstyle isn''t followed with twin tails falling down. However, I decided to make her large hair strands fall from the upper buns. She has a lot of Chinese-languaged accessories. The two buns, the earring, and the star. She''s telling you to shut up. Or Rayazaki. Or most likely heard someone cursing. She doesn''t like those who curse all the type. She is a true discipline believer.

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    While drawing Sagasuga, I had to keep an idea in mind, that being: Balance. His design has to be balanced. But, I mean, literally. You''ll see what I mean:

    Note: His hair strands are evenly matched, therefore resembling balance. Aesthetic balance, if I make myself clear. Same with the eyebrows. Just like Kawahara, Sagasuga has an impressive emotional control whenever exposed to photography. Though, Sagasuga''s psychopathy is leaking quite a bit. Honestly, I wanted to draw him a second time and make his hair strands a little longer and perhaps the back of the head spiked horizontally.

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    The last student in F class is Shizuku. I didn''t draw her a second time because I didn''t feel the need to:

    Note: I don''t dislike short-hairs, I just prefer long hairs. Why am I saying this? Because out of all the female characters, Shizuku is the only short-haired one. Her earring is a spiked bomb. Of course, it''s not an actual bomb. The fresh idea behind her character design is that she is a fujoshi. The smile tells it all...

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    You thought that this was it, but there are still three more characters left. The ending line is drawing near, so I''ll wrap this up. Introduced in the first chapter, the Italian teacher, Basara:

    Note: I never understood why my teachers, mostly the male ones, didn''t dress up neatly. Until I met a teacher in my seventh grade who actually dressed up correctly and had teachers and even female students falling for him. Since then, whenever I think of a young male teacher, his overall appearance came to mind. Nonetheless, Basara is quite different from the guy. He wasn''t as ripped as Basara.

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    Everyone''s favorite boomer, George Kentucky:

    Note: Be aware that his ethic is not white, but black. Due to the fact that he is South-African, he has the South-Africa flag tattooed on his thick left bicep.

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    Class F''s second teacher, Yuka:

    Note: She just wants Basara to notice her, really. Poor girl.

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    That about does it. I will do a mini self Q&A below in case there are some doubts:

    Q: Why are you introducing the characters'' designs this late into the series?

    A: Better late than never. Also, it''s because before, 13 months ago, I wasn''t able to draw or rather, I had no idea how to draw in the first place, and given that recently I got a tablet, I''ve been able to draw. Ultimately, I was finally able to portray my wish of showing my characters in a virtual physical form.

    ___________________________________________________________________________________________

    Q: Why aren''t any of the characters drawn with color? Wouldn''t they be way more appealing?

    A: How correct you are. But I suck at coloring, so I figured I could either try my damn best at coloring and present you the results or just give the black and white versions. The reason why I didn''t go with the first option is that the results would not satisfy anyone, I believe. I know little to nothing about color theory.

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    Q: The characters'' profiles on this page are a bit vague and empty, why not add some more content?

    A: Apart from my notes, you can find the characters'' original profiles in chapter 7.5 Doompedia. That will give you a crystal clear idea of the characters if you already didn''t have it.

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    Q: I''ve seen the cover of Classroom of Doom and it has changed. It used to have a blue-haired girl. What happened to her?

    A: The current cover is a temporary one. Actually, the previous cover was a temporary one too, but the idea of never getting a tablet consumed me which means that at some point, I considered making the blue-haired girl my permanent cover. However, a cover is extremely important. What does this mean exactly, overall? I am going to start working on a real cover soon enough since I plan to resume this fiction as soon as possible.

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    Q: I liked the old designs better than the new ones. Does this mean that you will replace your older illustrations in the previous chapters?

    A: Hell to the yes I will. For your information, I drew all my previous illustrations on actual paper and had to take pictures with my phone and then post them here. If I have a chance to improve them, then I will take it. However, if you religiously prefer the older designs, then I suggest you comment down below and say which. Or you can just go to the chapters where the illustrations are present and save them.

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    Q: Why not ask a professional artist to remake all of your designs? Wouldn''t that just be easier?

    A: I have no money.

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    Q: Will you do more illustrations from now on? If so, what exactly is on your mind?

    A: First of all, in the past, I just posted illustrations whenever I wanted to, but after seeing how Light Novel formats adapt and so on, I''ve decided that I will do five illustrations per volume. In other words, each volume contains 8 chapters, if you include the (.5) chapter. In those eight chapters, there will be five illustrations. Do note that they will be distributed randomly, meaning that the first illustration doesn''t always go along with the first chapter of the volume and so on.

    ___________________________________________________________________________________________

    Q: Why put this much effort into illustrations when words are what makes a story in the first place?

    A: True enough, I could simply build a story built around words and all that. But, I have the freedom to give my readers stimulation strong enough for them to be able to emphasize with the characters on a higher level since appearance alone tells a lot of a character''s personality. Also, I''ve developed a feeling of love towards the art of creation, alternatively known as drawing.

    ______________________________________________________________________________________________

    If you have any questions, say so below, as I will answer them. Thank you for reading.

 Volume 18 - Chapter 122: ?? World of Make-Believe. ??

    Part 1.

    8:30 am.

    After Shizuku told me in particular who she had in mind and what she intended to do, classroom began moments later. Noticeably, her deal was demanding but she kept on insisting on how sure she was that I was going to love what the book has to offer.

    Ever since she has been repeating the exact same four words, otherwise known as: "You will love it!", I''ve been thinking of ways of killing her should the result be beyond mediocre. However, I don''t believe Shizuku to be someone who would say those words in vain. Especially after she is aware that the culprit is a boy.

    That''s right. She knows about you. With that in mind, it does help me relax but counting out the possibility of Shizuku being someone who has manipulative intentions is out of the equation. Perhaps I''m simply undermining what sort of information she could have in store. It''s not that I enjoy underestimating something or someone; I simply heavily dislike overestimating something/someone. It''s like being a baby inside a cradle waiting for your father/mother to come and get you, but at the sight of one mistake, even profanities, you get abandoned.

    "Good morning girls! Waaah, it feels refreshing seeing no boy at sight, doesn''t it?!"

    Striding towards the podium and ultimately her desk, our teacher, Yuka, greeted us while simultaneously addressing the reality in a playful manner.

    Before classes ended yesterday, Yuka-sensei made sure to tell every single one of us that we could enter the classroom as soon as it was 8 am. Originally, my plan was to be around block F before 8 am, however, Shizuku kept me busy with her deal until 8:15 am or so. Henceforth, I could really only enter the classroom at 8:25 am. Furthermore, although we are all in our classroom, we are not in our groups of yesterday. Proof being; no one is grouped up and instead, in their own seats.

    "Eh? Was my joke that bad? Why the silence...?"

    Wondering why she got absolutely no response, Yuka-sensei scratched her hair slightly in the back of her head. Nonetheless, certain individuals were sure to clear the misunderstanding. At least for them.

    "No such thing! It''s truly a refreshing sight, sensei."

    Erasing any sort of doubt, Akimiyashika was quick to speak her mind.

    "It''s just something we aren''t used to it yet, I feel like, so we are adapting, I guess?"

    In addition to Akimiyashika, Kanawari adjoined her own opinion.

    "Does it really make that much of a difference anyway? It''s only until the end of the month... No wait, that''s only if they don''t clear their exam... right?"

    Indifferent from the obvious absence of the male gender in this classroom, Tateyana switched the topic briefly. There were a couple of reasons as to why I didn''t bother to speak in the first place. First of all, what Yuka-sensei said, in the beginning, would only invite more and more rubbish talk. I have never been a fan of pointless talk, so I would, one way or another, make sure that this pointless talk would get decimated.

    The second reason being; not all girls here support the male gender absence. I just had to look around every single one of my female classmates to see if, in their facial expressions, there was the same number of equal expressions. Most of them didn''t care. However, some did. Predictable as it may seem, Arkalee was having trouble holding herself back.

    So, what changed?

    Tateyana''s question. Yuka-sensei only explained yesterday that they were on an island. Absolutely nothing else. It is imperial that I know more about your exam.

    "Ah, so it wasn''t bad!"

    Bombarding disappointment struck me as soon as Yuka-sensei went to the point of only acknowledging that her "joke" got acknowledged and she even ignored Tateyana''s question. As for Tateyana herself, she simply looked towards Akimiyashika and Kanawari hoping for an answer.

    Seeing this made my own eyes irregularly flinch profoundly which subsequently made me relentless about the question that was being avoided.

    "Excuse me, um, Yuka-sensei? Tateyana asked you a question..."

    Despite my minimal effort of making a somewhat polite stance, I got glanced at immediately by all my classmates.

    Why are they all looking at me like that? Was this a setup? Did they all make themselves look dumb just for the sake of making me jump towards the conclusion that no one was truly interested? Well, if that''s the case the--

    "Oh, you are right! Tateyana, I''m sorry sweetie! I was still sleepy. Give me a few seconds, I just need to take out a few things."

    Glances switched their targets from me to Yuka-sensei briefly. Even though Yuka-sensei said a few seconds, she was taking too long and even went as far as yawning in the middle of it.

    My index finger alongside its scarlet red nail made sure my table''s surface was suffering a one-way gate to hell by furiously tapping it continuously without stopping.

    Tateyana was only staring at Yuka-sensei waiting for an answer yet I was this close to insisting, if Yuka-sensei wasn''t the one who finally decided to speak out to us, as soon as she was done taking out files from her portable bag.

    "Normally, I wouldn''t be able to tell any of you contents regarding their exams, but the truth is... There is no way for any of you to contact them, so there is little to no point in hiding it, correct?"

    Under the assumption that they truly can''t receive calls or messages from the outside, then, it is useless. If they limited themselves to average cellphones, that is. For example, a satellite cellphone would work despite the fact that they are on a deserted island. Provided that such cellphones didn''t get confiscated or something like that. I don''t know what sort of process they went through.

    Still, arguing about the possibilities was utterly dumb and I''m thankful no one did that because this made Yuka-sensei believe that none of us had any idea of such possibilities, thus she continued delivering the unknown details which are perhaps unknown to the other boys.

    "And as many of you know, cellphones can be charged at 100% battery and they will go down eventually. In one week or so, none of them will have the technology to work with. Nonetheless, they were delivered a certain type of cellphone that only has one function!"

    Yuka-sensei''s excitement made Arkalee burst with enthusiasm, as she surely must''ve thought that it was a way for Hyunda to contact her.

    I bet she failed to even think that just because they have a one-function type of cellphone that it would escape the lack of connection in the first place. Unless it just does. But she didn''t think about that. Not that quickly, I am sure. This was simply a way for Arkalee to search for some sort of emotional closure.

    Yet, her hope was quickly shattered by Yuka-sensei''s upcoming words.

    "The function being; they are free to press the call button and call your homeroom teacher, Basara, and as soon as someone does that, that person has failed the exam!"

    Honesty is one surefire way to hell to people like Arkalee.

    With that said... There is just one question and I made sure to speak my mind as soon as I witnessed an interval in Yuka-sensei''s speech momentum.

    "Wouldn''t that mean that they wouldn''t press the button anyhow? Don''t get me wrong, I do understand that not all of them are one exam away from failing, but flat out telling them that they are able to fail the exam like that? Isn''t that counterproductive?"

    Now, now. I do understand that I could''ve just waited out until she had spoken everything, but I couldn''t resist it.

    "Well said, Yukishiro. But, you see, your homeroom teacher most likely simply told them that the button was an S.O.S button. Naturally, they don''t know that it''s not only a sure way to their failure and... Depending on their performance, they might get more than just a loss."

    "W-What do you mean by that...?!"

    Shaking her legs and showing barely any physical stability at all, Arkalee expressed her worries right away.

    No one really was worried about Arkalee''s state of being, even though Ikkiri was the one who looked at her the longest before going back to looking in Yuka-sensei''s direction.

    "Aw, calm down, Arkalee, sweetheart. By performance, I mean, their exam''s content. Hypothetically speaking, should a boy press the S.O.S button without performing absolutely nothing that the content of the exam revolves around, then that boy is out of the exam."

    Likewise to her worrying behavior, Arkalee turned pale.

    Hinagiku spoke not in her turn but said something interesting shortly after.

    "Eh... But isn''t the result the same, really? I mean, think about it for a second... If, such boy is one exam away from failing, then what is the point of pressing the S.O.S button?"

    "You are saying that if a boy is one exam away from failing they will die anyway and that there is no point in pressing the S.O.S button?"

    "Hmm."

    Hinagiku hummed as Kanawari asked that question from afar.

    "Yeah okay, but wouldn''t such a boy be extra pressured?"

    "But they technically don''t know that the S.O.S button means failing, do they? They could be stupid enough to press it and expect a rescue. The S.O.S button is far more deadly if the individual does none of the exam''s contents. So, Yukishiro''s question does make sense."

    By contrast to that praise, Hinagiku''s words invited yet another question.

    Just what are their exam''s contents?

    "Umu, those are some good words, most impressive. The content of their exam is slightly complicated. There are three stages to their exam. Hence why they have until the end of April. The same doesn''t apply to us. Just think about it a little, you are all in the same classroom and school. The circumstance hasn''t really changed, has it? It''s their own circumstance that has."

    That still doesn''t answer anything...

    Then again, Yuka-sensei added words with a more astonishing value to them as soon as she was done addressing her own take on the current circumstances.

    "Not even I know their three stages. All I know about such stages is that they all have one thing in common. They revolve around the same essence."

    This time around, Yuka-sensei got up from her chair and went to the podium speaking louder and far more succinct to us.

    "An island is a place that is, well, far different from the rest of the places you are used to, right? Now, take in the equation, a deserted one."

    To give an illustration, she grabbed a piece of white chalk and began to draw the diagram of a deserted island without any of us interrupting her as Yuka-sensei did so.

    "I preassume that none of you will interrupt me with arguments such as: "That is against human rights!" and "This is completely unethical!", right?"

    More like there was absolutely no point in the first place. The moment someone tried to say that, they would just get destroyed as soon as Yuka-sensei mentioned their own jail sentence. Plus, as far as I''m concerned, this is an explanation about the boys'' exam. Not ours. It makes little to no sense to care what they are going through.

    Unless we were all copies of Arkalee, but even she is aware that arguing here is not an option.

    Upon witnessing silence which implied consent, Yuka-sensei continued.

    "A deserted island''s conditions are horrible. Not only is it savage territory, but it abundantly contrasts the environment that most are common with. Therefore, it is a really good place to put them under pressure as their lives are at stake, should they not cooperate together. Of course, in odd cases, there could be the occurrence of occasions of independence, but what is clear is that a deserted island''s conditions are not desirable."

    In light of this, it was laid down why a deserted island was the selected place. The lack of human conditions.

    How does that connect exactly though?

    "Now that I''ve explained the reason behind the selection, I will explain how it intertwines with the exam''s essence."

    Just like the deserted island''s diagram, Yuka-sensei drew yet another segment, but of something else completely.

    "A human brain?"

    Unable to hide her surprise, Sana silently spoke out. I cast a single rapid-fire glance but returned to my usual frontal vision position just to make sure Sana wouldn''t notice.

    "In order to test their mental resistance, there will be trials of confession... Yet, I have no literal idea what that means. The essence is that the culprit behind the recent unfortunate event will be put under pressure."

    Yet how? This essence was already common knowledge. She mentioned three stages already. This explanation is leaving more questions than answers...

    "How is that even possible? Trials of confession, what...?"

    Tateyana was having a hard time figuring it out, but the truth is, it was an impossible task in the first place.

    "Well, it''s actually way more simple than you''d think! Remember how I said that they are on a deserted island?"

    "Yes."

    "It''s a land without technology and among them, there will be a spy to extract information."

    Interesting... Though that is slightly ambiguous and several questions were brought right to the table.

    "...Who?"

    Iris asked that question silently, but as predictable as it was, the question that was surely everyone''s question was answered almost vaguely.

    Yes, almost...

    "I''m not telling who it is. However, here is some information to fiddle your minds... It is a boy from this classroom!"

    !

    "What?!"

    Multiple shocked opinions came forth as I was certainly shocked too.

    So shocked that I just had to ask a question first before anyone else could. It had to be a question that would grab everyone''s interest because as the situation was dictating, it could become a question meltdown soon enough.

    "Hold on, you said that the spy is a boy, but what if the spy is the one behind what happened to Yulia? Wouldn''t that just be utterly counterproductive?"

    And just as envisioned, they all got absorbed by my question and quickly engulfed Yuka-sensei with their glares.

    She, confidently, answered back rapidly, which I was not expecting.

    "He is monitored by surveillance and within the time gap of the last month, he was not involved with Yulia. I''ve got no evidence that I am able to show, so you''ll just have to believe me here. Don''t worry, I wouldn''t lie to any of you, and here is why..."

    Fastly, Yuka-sensei wrote down on the board the reason why the spy wouldn''t assumably be the one behind all of this.

    "12 months free of supply exams! What a dream, right? Or rather, free of its consequences. On paper, it might sound like he is dangerous, but the truth is, he is not."

    This is mind-blowing. Never have I felt the necessity to ask something as fast as I would within the next parsec.

    "Has he been a spy since from the beginning? When did this start?"

    I was honestly expecting the truth, but as it turns out...

    "You see... Not even I know. I haven''t been your teacher since from the beginning, remember?"

    "True..."

    "Then..."

    As they slowly arrived at the conclusion that they already have, some girls said the exact same sentence simultaneously.

    "Wait, doesn''t that mean that Basara-sensei knows who the spy is?"

    This question caused Yuka-sensei to shiver slightly.

    "W-Well... He doesn''t trust me! Honestly!"

    In other words, this information that we had just received had its credibility turned from something interesting to questionable. Though, my intuition tells me that she is not lying. The problem is Basara-sensei. It''s obvious that''s who she got this information from. Knowing him, he probably was aware that she would spill the beans.

    If so, why...?

    "I don''t think Basara-sensei would lie though. Plus, if the deserted island truly is a place without any sort of technological advancements or any technology at all, then having a spy infiltrated makes a lot of sense. The boys aren''t aware of this whatsoever. However... can you really afford to tell us this, Yuka-sensei? What if by the end of the exam we simply started to spread rumors about this spy to cause turmoil and bad blood among them?"

    Admittedly, it sucks to admit, but Akimiyashika does bring a good point. This sort of information is deadly to them.

    With such being the case, what is the countermeasure here?

    "You are free to do that. But you have no evidence behind your words. Just like I have no evidence behind mine."

    The countermeasure is that there is no countermeasure, essentially. Alternatively speaking, this spy thing is something Akimiyashika could''ve used in the beginning, should she had thought of the idea in the first place. And besides, something tells me that the boys wouldn''t really care that much. Their anti-social behaviors already tell me so much.

    Akimiyashika simply took that, as she simply wanted a confirmation, which allowed Yuka-sensei to progress.

    "His job is to infiltrate and extract information that concerns the recent event. Though I know not much about this spy deal thing, I do know one thing and that is if he doesn''t manage to extract information regarding this event, his 12-month deal is over. Now, remember how I said each of them was given a cellphone that would have only one function? Well, what if I were to tell you that the spy''s cellphone is actually on a constant recording mode which makes him able to extract information? True enough, you can''t trust a human being completely, but technology speaks differently, correct?"

    "I see..."

    "Sure enough, that makes sense..."

    In comparison to their initial skeptical behavior, most of the girls gladly took this information as evidence that the spy was under the task of extracting as much information as possible.

    And now, Yuka-sensei would finally admit the reason as to why she went through the trouble of delivering all of this information to us.

    "You see, in reality, all it takes is for the three stages to be clear and the students who have done so, will return back to school, as helicopters will come to their aid as soon as the exam is clear. Naturally, those who failed to complete the three stages will get a failing mark, but the point here is that they don''t have to ultimately stay on that island until the end of April to pass the exam. As far as we are concerned, they could be arriving right now and ready to resume classes with all of you!"

    Then again, the likelihood of that happening is extremely low.

    My lack of knowledge regarding the three stages is massive, but even then, I could conclude something immediately.

    Unless the spy has crucial information regarding Yulia''s suicide, there is absolutely no point for him to rush the exam. What does this mean? The spy will attempt to delay the winning outcome as much as possible. In order to make sure such a scenario comes to life, he has to infiltrate and massively delay progress. Yet, it''s not as simple as it sounds. Here is why...

    A deserted island''s condition is not something desirable in the first place. Someone delaying your way out of it means that you will have to do something about this. Therefore, being obvious about delaying the progress won''t work. The boys are borderline savage, as far as their methods and elements adjoined to their personalities go.

    This infiltration has to be done masterfully.

    "As some of you might''ve already noticed, this sort of outcome does not benefit the spy at all. The spy is under an invisible veil of protection, so he can afford to drag out the exam until the end of April just to extract information. Nothing bad will happen to him, only to those around him. Furthermore, I''ll remind you all again, the spy''s deal is done for if he can''t extract information regarding the event that took place not long ago. So, to finally answer your question, Tateyana, they could come back at any time, it all just depends on their performance."

    "Ah... Thank you for the answer."

    Honestly, a "Thank you", here isn''t enough. Yuka-sensei could''ve just answered us that their time of arrival depends on how they perform, but she went an extra mile to maximize their circumstance and just so we could understand the circumstance better and better.

    I''m excited.

    "Oh my goodness! 9 am already?! What am I doing?!"

    Our idiot teacher finally realized she had spent 30 minutes explaining to us the boys'' exam''s circumstances.

    Ultimately, Yuka-sensei rushed back to her desk, lightly placing the chalk piece on the frame of the board.

    There, she grabbed a specific file and glanced upon us, once more.

    "Here, are the results from yesterday''s group activity!"

    She said that, but she was holding back on exposing them, which I thought she immediately would. Notably, she did not and instead posed a question of importance to the rest of us.

    "But here is a question first: Personally, do you think that the culprit is a boy or a girl?"

    "A boy!"

    Loud and clear, we practically voiced our "hot" take immediately.

    "Alright, but why is that?"

    Some of us turned to each other as if to ask: "Is this even a question?"

    As for me, I glanced upon Sana, who didn''t voice her take at all when Yuka-sensei asked her question. By practically, I was referring to how at first glance it would appear that every single one of us would just say the same opinion.

    Sana, Sana, Sana.

    Come on now...

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    "Huh... W-Well, I don''t think any of us had anything to harm Yulia for..."

    "Yeah... And besides, isn''t their exam way rougher than ours? I mean, we don''t even know the true contents of our exam yet, but being put on a deserted island? It''s as if it all indicates that Basara-sensei truly believes that the culprit is a boy. Otherwise, wouldn''t it make sense to put us in a situation or a scenario where we would be pressured? This current scenery is calm and relaxing..."

    Shizuku followed Iris'' short explanation far better. The reasoning here is that our current circumstance does not compare at all. Almost, if not implying that we are not worthy of inspection.

    True enough though, it wouldn''t be a blunder to assume so.

    "I see. Well, did you know? Yulia wrote a note before committing suicide."

    Seriously? I was baffled upon hearing this. And most surely was Sana, whose eyes widened to the extreme, contrasting vastly her precocious monochrome expression that she has been wearing lately.

    To further exhibit a willingness of showing evidence, Yuka-sensei turned the multi-projector on with the remote controller.

    Once done doing that, she quickly opened an image file and showed to every single one of us, what Yulia had written down.

    What we witnessed was a ravaged paper that had this message written on it, with pure black ink: "Please be aware of --------------- he''s dangerous and he''s a threat to everyone and... and... even when I''m gone I want everyone to know that ---------------- is the evilest person on this planet!" There were two parts that got purposely ripped apart.

    Knowing that saliva started to drip from the corners of my lips as I had to hide my flushed face on the surface of the table swiftly.

    "Oh no..."

    This is troublesome. I''m squirting. Too much, rather.

    What can I say though, every time something like this happens, it''s the equivalent of someone singing lovable lullabies to me.

    On the other hand, despite being ecstatically happy about this, I quickly regained my posture and attempted to make a normal face, which I am not sure whether I was successful or not.

    "Is this true, sensei...?"

    "Why, yes, Kanawari. As you can see in these images, the calligraphy is the exact same. There is no mistake that it was Yulia."

    Oh, come on! Why is nobody impressed at this!? Can''t you see that my Omega deliberately allowed this message to even exist in the first place?! The fact that it wasn''t completely ravaged and that he just went as far as ripping out his own name means that he''s willing to play the guessing game! Because...

    "And it all indicates that it was a boy, because of the multiple "he" in her written message."

    See! This is what I''m talking about...

    "Hold it. Couldn''t one of the boys just have replicated this? Replicating someone''s calligraphy with the knowledge of how Yulia''s calligraphy was like is possible, after all."

    Akimiyashika should just die.

    She doesn''t understand the depth of this message. He clearly had the power to simply make this evidence not evidence, but the fact that he went out of his way to make sure that this evidence exists literally means that he''s toying with his audience! It pisses me off how aggressive and hostile Akimiyashika is towards this...

    Midst this, unknowingly, I was bitting my thumb madly along with smashing my pencil''s end over and over while sharpening it just to do it again.

    "That''s a possibility, however, I''m not going to ignore the evidence. I hope you understand, Aki."

    "..."

    Well, she didn''t argue this time, but a soft silence was invoked transiently.

    "Um... If we know that the suspect is a boy, then... What is the point of... you know, we even trying something here? Shouldn''t we just let their exam progress and hope that the spy figures out who did it so the culprit can face the consequences?"

    Probably faced with no choice but to accept what the current reality offered us, Ikkiri opened her mouth and said her thoughts.

    She does not speak as often as she used to.

    Compelling question regardless.

    "First of all, what is essential while attempting to find a culprit?"

    "Eyewitnesses? But none of us saw it, so how... And even if such was the case and if someone here was working with the culprit, there would be no way for us to know whether or not that person is telling the truth."

    "You''re exactly right, Kanawari!"

    Said Yuka-sensei with a bubbling enthusiasm which further puzzled Kanawari and the rest of us.

    In view of that, Yuka-sensei with haste erased the doubt here.

    "If we rely on ourselves as the only eyewitnesses, that is."

    "Meaning...?"

    Perhaps we were all tired of doing absolutely nothing for almost an hour, so even a silent individual like Iris started to press the fast-forward button.

    "Meaning, the true exam begins now!"

    Leaving little to no knowledge about this task preemptively, Yuka-sensei slammed us with that annunciation.

    Part 2.

    10 am.

    Outside of our classroom, partial to block F, which stands at the edge of our school, north-west, significantly isolated from the rest of the other blocks, the rain started to fall down and darkened the ground.

    Before attempting to enter the territory of the cold pelting rain, I extended the palm of my right hand to feel the rain''s frequency. It wasn''t eternal nor torrential so far, but it was glacial and continuous. Is it even raining there, right now?

    "Do you need an umbrella?"

    Reversing my position, I turned to look around towards the one who was extending me an umbrella. Her hands were seemingly warm and not cold like my right hand, currently.

    In accordance with the fact that I hate rain, I took her offer very generously by taking ahold of the umbrella she had taken from the bracket of umbrellas near the pantry of block F.

    "Thank you, Shizuku."

    Like a vortex, the umbrella''s wings spread like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, thus shielding me from the rain as we both stepped out of the block.

    "What a surprise though! I seriously thought we were going to waste time and time procuring the culprit among us. But... It turned out that she knew all along, eh?"

    Nobody was to be witnessed as we all had taken different paths.

    "I''ll admit that I took our teacher for someone who would be stupid enough to waste many days to come on something as pointless as that."

    That doesn''t mean that I took everything Yuka-sensei did for granted, however. Primarily because it never really made any sense to go out for the culprit''s blood like this.

    Nonetheless, it was explained why we went through the process of yesterday''s event.

    "However, it''s crystal clear why yesterday we were put into groups."

    "So you''ve figured out why we are paired?"

    She''s not implying that she doesn''t know. She''s just making me believe that she is implying such, even though that only strongly gives birth to the urge to spill out the truth. So, instead...

    "No, you?"

    "Weird, you said that it''s crystal clear why we were put into groups. So, it''s not associated?"

    "Maybe."

    The blocks all differ in size, which is something amusing, actually. Undoubtedly, this school operates under a system similar to a modern monarchy. Unbeknownst to us, since we are partial to this system, we were given the right to have classes inside block F. To illustrate, block A that stands near the school entrance, ergo, south-east direction, holds a grand total of 16 floors, for reasons unknown.

    Reasons unknown is one thing, but through sheer observance alone it became obvious why this school''s system is similar to a modern monarchy. Block B has a total of 12 floors. Block C has 8 floors. Block D has 6 floors. Block E has 4 floors. Lastly, block F, our block has 2 floors.

    This isn''t something I can just tell by looking at the outer appearances of the blocks, because each block is shaped differently as they have irregular shapes if not a completely abnormal architecture carved onto it. Why such is the case, I have no idea. Nonetheless, the core idea to establish here is that it''s clear as a day that being part of the block that has the least floors, will not create a good image in this class, at all.

    Up until a few weeks ago, this knowledge was restricted to us because we could not interact with others, but it''s a completely different story now. Upon entering an unexplored territory, any curious human being would strive to know more.

    "Do you have an anti-social behavior or a dissociative social disorder, Yukishiro?"

    "What the hell is wrong with you? I was just thinking."

    I hate it when people assume that I am anti-social just because I opt to not say a single word to them.

    Normally, however, I would say what I just said to Shizuku, who is happily toggling her umbrella in the rain, with a deeper and darker intensity, but I just said my words lightly since Shizuku doesn''t piss me off.

    "Oh, sorry. I thought that for a second we had entered the mood where it gets all silent and awkward. What were you thinking? Something dark?"

    Out of the majority of the occasions, I wouldn''t tell what I am truly thinking, but, it concerns our upcoming actions since we are a pair, therefore, I''ll just say what''s on my mind.

    "Well, stop for a second and look towards it."

    "Kinda hard when I''m already in front of it."

    "I was just making sure your eyesight wouldn''t be elsewhere."

    Checking my cellphone, I realized that it was 10:07 am. Deep colossal rain strong enough to penetrate these abrasive umbrella''s wings threatened us from above.

    Not yet inside, we stood almost at its entrance, in-between.

    "Have you wondered why this block has twice the layers, or rather, floors, than ours?"

    My eyesight remained locked on block E in front of us. Students were watching us from their own windows yet that sort of view was only blessed to those close to the windows in the first place. Judging from their eyesight, they were heavily surprised.

    "Probably to demonstrate the difference, no? If block A has more floors than block B and so on, then it''s to demonstrate the difference in their standings, is it not?"

    No use in acting surprised or remarking that Shizuku is aware of this, so I''ll just hurry to the point.

    "This isn''t going to be easy because our task--- everyone''s task involves getting eyewitnesses who can cooperate with us in the first place."

    If normal circumstances applied, there would be no need to have this conversation, but since Shizuku is my partner this time, I will need her to perform at a considerable level. Plus, this means that I am no different, as I will need to apply different methods of persuasion, given that our image is ruined already.

    "Aren''t we lucky though? Out of all the blocks, we got assigned to block E. Can you imagine what Lus and Kanawari will have to go through? Block A literally looks like a fortress!"

    Shizuku''s words are a referential point towards how this all started.

    "Mhm, it''s simple, isn''t it? Yesterday was an event made for the exact purpose of grouping pairs. Like, do you remember when Yuka-sensei said that the exam had already started?"

    "Yeah."

    I had already my own reasoning for this, I just wanted to see if Shizuku''s matched mine.

    Alternatively, we closed our umbrellas since we were in a sheltered area, one meter or so away from the entrance. A cold glare coming from the entrance door met us as we kept on talking to each other.

    "Isn''t it related to those who have chosen the same target? We both choose Akimiyashika, right? Isn''t that why we are paired up?"

    "If so, then why aren''t we paired up with Arkalee, Sana, Tateyana, and Iris?"

    Of course, I knew the answer to this, but there is just some unknown adrenaline in watching Shizuku think of my questions deeply when they are obvious.

    "True, true. Well, you can''t pair six people at once... Wait... The pairs are Arkalee and Sana, Tateyana and Iris, you and me... Doesn''t this mean that our teacher paired us up because our groups had the same target yesterday? If two targets intertwine, then maybe Yuka-sensei thought that our pairing would then make a lot more sense!"

    I can''t get enough!

    "Yukishiro? What''s wrong?"

    "Oh, nothing. I just thought of a really good joke, and I was laughing on the inside. It happens from time to time!"

    "...So you didn''t hear what I just said...?"

    "No, no, I did."

    Exhibiting that I really did, I shook my head thrice with the yes signature move.

    Furthermore, I continued, but this time I actually went down to the real deal.

    "Your reasoning is almost fully correct. But, think about it, we were just four groups. There are five blocks, excluding ours. Furthermore, even though this is the work of a pair, there is a group of three that strictly differs from being a pair. We as a pair, make one, consisting of you and me, assigned to block E. Assigned to block D are Arkalee and Sana. Following that up, to block C, you have Tateyana and Iris. Block B is being handled by Akimiyashika, Hinagiku, and Ikkiri. Alas, tasked to the almighty block A, Lus and Kanawari will have their shot."

    What exactly does this mean? Such expression could be read from Shizuku''s puzzled face.

    I waved the edges of my skirt in a small vortex motion.

    "Your group and my group chose Akimiyashika and their target. Is the order a coincidence here? I don''t think so... Look, we got tasked to block E, then following that up, tasked to the upcoming block, was a pair from the group that chose the same target as us. Same with the upcoming block pair. How much you want to bet that this case does not apply to the other pair and group?"

    "Are you saying that Akimiyashika, Hinagiku, and Ikkiri, alongside Lus and Kanawari, chose the same target?"

    Off the mark.

    Lack of blood circulation altered me to move my wrists minimally.

    "Precisely the opposite. If I''m honest, the group of three little harlots chose me as their target. I am not quite sure what target Lus and Kanawari would choose, but whatever their choice might''ve been, they have been awarded the task of gathering eyewitnesses from block A."

    That''s right, this whole task of gathering eyewitnesses was split into four pairs and one group. There couldn''t be full pairs since we are eleven as a whole and in no way in hell would our teacher cooperate with us just to eliminate that irregularity.

    "Then, wasn''t it just dumb luck that made this possible? What if we had all voted for you?"

    "If everyone chose you, Shizuku, it wouldn''t be dumb luck, trust me."

    Bitch.

    "Ouch, ouch, okay, I''m sorry, I was just using you as an example to portray my point!"

    "Use someone else, don''t use me."

    To be honest, I was dragging out this chit-chat just to see if the person in front of the block would go as far as ask us a question, but, against all unfathomable odds, he did not and imperially stood guarding the entrance like a watcher.

    Regardless of that, I really hate being used as a reference point for an argument. There are seven billion people in the world, pick a less relevant life and proceed with your argument.

    It doesn''t have to be me.

    "No, but seriously... What would''ve happened if the selection was towards one person alone?"

    "Don''t think about it too much, Shizuku, there''s no point. After all, it was just a method of selection. A little thinking will only further confirm that yesterday''s event was too dumb to make any sense at all."

    "Yeah, but my plan is ruined now! I thought that we would really, really, follow through with this nonsensical agenda!"

    Usually, I would agree that her plan is ruined, but given that the reward for the success of her plan is massive to me, in theory, I will comfort her, just in case she''s having an escapist type of thoughts regarding our deal.

    "That''s not true. We just need to change our approach. The aim can stay the same."

    "Damn, you really want to know what I have for you, don''t you?"

    Bothered not by her previously tantrum, Shizuku teased her content even beyond before.

    It''s true. I want every content that will lead me closer to you.

    "That''s obvious, isn''t it? That aside, let''s resume our task, just so we are on the same line of thought."

    All in all, as I waited for Shizuku to resume, I recalled my pleasant discontent with this pairing. It''s not as if I have anything against Shizuku, but I would rather much be paired with Sana.

    The very fact that I could be extracting some valuable information out of her regarding you is blatantly unacceptable... Her paranoia and chain of reactions are by far the most entertaining thing out of her. She tries, really, but, really, haaard. And I mean, HARD, to make sure that her cracks don''t show. Poor girl.

    She doesn''t realize she''s a whole crackdown.

    "Let''s see, we have to get eyewitnesses who saw Yulia during the festival?"

    "That is the main goal."

    "How though? Do we just walk up to the person and ask if they saw Yulia?"

    In response to Shizuku''s words, the guard finally broke his monochromatic stance and slowly advanced to us with a smile. Though smiling, it wasn''t very friendly, or rather, more concretely said, fake.

    His appearance was that of a middle-aged man whose hair length was medium. Slender to the naked core. His movements looked abrupt as he clearly moved faster with his left leg than his right leg. In addition to that, despite being in a cold atmosphere, he was wearing a short-sleeved white shirt. Ultimately, he greeted us.

    "Good morning, you two ladies. Do you have some business around here?"

    Our previous conversation was unable to progress as we were forced to engage in a new one. To his greeting, I didn''t reply back and advertised my gaze as much as possible. Not twice, but thrice, within the time gap of four seconds, his eyes have been directed to my chest.

    I swear to God, if he looks at me like that on more time, I''m gonna puke on this cold floor.

    "Good morning, sir! We were just discussing something, is that a problem?"

    "No, not at all. Continue."

    I want to talk, but I''m getting paranoid over the possibility of him looking at my chest again. Even though he already retreated to his initial position, as the gate watcher.

    "Shizuku, let''s go in already."

    "Yesh!"

    Not a simple "Yeah", but a "Yesh", that was new.

    And it didn''t take us a single two mere steps to get stop by the guard who had previously greeted us.

    Unsurprisingly, his fake smile was replaced with a dark stern rigid facial expression.

    "You can''t come in."

    "And why not?"

    I asked. I was hiding behind Shizuku slightly just so he wouldn''t be able to fucking stare at my boobs for once. I''m gonna lose it I swear.

    "Well, as you may or probably don''t know, only students whose class is attached to the block letter may enter and as someone who has been a guard of this block for 5 years, this is the first time I''ve seen you both here. I know for a fact that you are both F block students, correct?"

    What the hell is this creepy robotic formality? Who even enjoys this shitty treatment?

    However, I had a way to counter his argument, but I left that to Shizuku and she got what I meant with just a single glance. Truly, if it wasn''t for something that Yuka-sensei had given us earlier, this whole task would''ve been impossible due to the sheer restriction that these blocks have.

    "While we may be, with this, we have the right to enter this block."

    From her skirt''s pocket, Shizuku pulled out a golden card with a signature in it.

    "A temporary block entry card...?! How the hell did you---"

    Witnessing the cracks in his behavior strangely gave me a boost in my confidence and I just couldn''t resist coming out of Shizuku''s back just to address the situation more deeply with a malicious grin on my face.

    "Don''t you know, block E guard? That''s a temporary block entry card! Meaning what?! We get to enter as we please~"

    "Y-Yukishiro, calm down a bit..."

    "...Please wait a few moments. The card, if you may."

    As Shizuku was about to handle the card to the guard, I grabbed her wrist transiently and let go at the finalization of my words.

    "I''m watching you. If you think of anything funny that involves the card such as breaking it or drowning it down in a toilet, I will report you to my teacher and the principal. You will be fired and perhaps a whole lot more... I really am watching you..--"

    "Yukishiro, I think he gets the point already."

    Simply showing cheeks quaking and eyes twitching with a combo of heavy inhale isn''t a necessary guarantee, so...

    "You''ve stared at my chest six times now, you pedophile. Are you a rapist or something like that?!"

    I said that out loud in order to attract the attention of the students who were near the entrance and near the entrance are two classrooms. Those near the windows should have no problem hearing that.

    "Stop, stop! I really won''t do anything! And I haven''t stared at your chest nor am I a pedophile!"

    Yet he was doing nothing. He was just holding the card and showing a defensive stance.

    I need him to give his consent so we can enter the block... It''s pretty clear that he is up to something. The fact that he said that he--- no, that he demanded the card like that, reeks of set up. Our image as criminals is not good in the first place.

    So...

    "Shizuku... I need to vomit, this fucking pervert is a lying hypocrite who enjoys abusing the authority that he has and can''t even allow us to enter a damn block when we have the permission entry card?! I''m calling it, he''s exploiting us!"

    "Wh---"

    It took her a second and a half to realize my strategy.

    We can''t rely on this guard as our passage, so we''ll force our way through. If he doesn''t allow us through, then someone else will.

    Someone will have to respond to this amount of yelling at one point.

    "Freaking psychopath!! We are not just tools for your own personal satisfaction! Hurry up and let us in!"

    "It''s no use, Shizuku... The fact that he hasn''t conceived yet should obviously mean that he has no intention of letting us in... I bet he just wanted to look at our bodies while he gave us this damn sensation of false hope!"

    "Listen to me, I--"

    Every time he would try to speak, we would speak louder and would accuse him of false actions.

    At first, it started with students opening their side windows to take a peek.

    "So that''s why he wouldn''t move when we first arrived...!! He just wanted to stare... Gyaaaaaa!"

    Instead of being a shy shout, it was more dramatic on her part, but Shizuku did bring a fair point with that phrase of hers.

    He could''ve just very well been there to exhort that sort of behavior.

    "What?! I am supposed to gua--"

    "He looked at my boobs again! This is sexual harassment!!"

    I backed again slightly, showing panic in my reactions and even going as far as causing a degree of physical weakness in my legs, to the point of falling on the ground with my bare knees.

    Following the act up, Shizuku continued my motion with her own.

    "Do you think this is alright with you?! Oh, what, just because you aren''t touching them that it doesn''t count as sexual harassment?! I will report you to the police as well and you will go to jail for all of your li--"

    "What''s all this noise?!"

    Coming from the most distant door in the right direction, a teacher who looked quite old, with barely any hair on his head, just a few white hair strands, hurried to the scene as fast as he could.

    The first string has entered the fray.

    Seeing that, I asked Shizuku if she could help me get up, as I hid my face under my palms.

    "S-Shizuku, could you help me get up...?"

    "A-Absolutely!"

    By extending her right hand, she pulled me closer to her left shoulder, and with my back against the guard and the teacher, I spoke to Shizuku''s ear with maximum caution alongside a minimal voice tone.

    "Exxagerate."

    I kept on trembling as I let Shizuku take the charge.

    "Nothing is going on, they are talking nons-"

    "This man is a sexual harasser! We have a temporary entry card and he claimed that he could only let us through if we followed him through the bathroom and gave him a blowjob!"

    "WH-"

    "Goodness gracious, are you out of your mind?!"

    I was ready to play the victim, but holding back laughing this hard is demanding as hell.

    "NO, I swe-"

    No use. You''ll just get interrupted every time, idiot...

    And I think the cracks on my smile started to unravel. This is fun. I like tricking people.

    "Look at his hand, he has our card and only said that he would give it back if we did give him--"

    She even went as far as repeating the same sentence out loud, and, oddly enough, through my side vision, many students were coming out of their classrooms.

    Seeing with no choice and his odds stacked against him, cowardly, the guard dropped the card on the ground and fleed.

    Pfft.

    Haha!

    "He ran? So, he really... What''s going on? Is your friend alright?"

    What a stupid question. Is someone who is LITERALLY trembling in front of you, who took indirect sexual harassment, ALRIGHT TO YOU?!

    What is the fucking point of this nonsensical question!? What''s wrong with the people in this world, every single one of you! If someone isn''t CLEARLY alright, don''t ask if that person is!

    MY GOD.

    "Yukishiro, that hurts, just saying... My left arm isn''t pain-immune..."

    ..........

    "Sorry... I-I..."

    Shaking still, I deliberately gave a very vague answer, as I slowly turned around in the teacher''s direction.

    "Please come inside. You have clearly a temporary entry card, there is nothing to worry about. My office is this way."

    Hearing that, I detached myself from Shizuku and she went to grab the lost card on the floor, thus giving it to the teacher, who was approaching me.

    Looking closer to his senile appearance, the strong urge to vomit struck me like a barrage.

    "Oh God, I need to throw up!"

    "Wait, Yukishiro!"

    Running in the front hall, I looked as quickly as possible for a bathroom, caring not if it was a man''s bathroom, yet the first one I found was a girl''s bathroom at the left side of the entrance hall''s edge.

    At the sight of a toilet, I got on my knees and threw up.

    "Bleergh!"

    Small tears erupted from the corners of my eyes in sequence to my dislike.

    My blonde hair strands were all over the place; beyond my control.

    "Guuh... My body is not your plaything, opportunist..."

    "So you really weren''t fine with it..."

    Shizuku had arrived just a few seconds ago and she was kneeling down with me while supporting my back through a soft massage.

    The wave of vomit wasn''t as strong as the initial one, but it wasn''t easy to speak back to her. This wasn''t a sight that I wanted to be witnessed.

    "There''s no way I would be fine with it, but I knew I had no choice... We don''t have a strong image and our passage could very well be denied."

    Another wave, this time slightly stronger than the previous one. As I recalled their lecherous gaze on my body, I grew exhausted and my face started to feel like hell.

    "You could''ve said so!"

    "Shut up... You don''t know what it''s like to be me..."

    Yet another.

    "Of course, I don''t, but... I thought you were fine with it, even if you were never supposed to be fine with it."

    Desperately, I tried to inhale and lushed out a feisty breath towards the water below.

    "I swear to God, if that guy looks at me, just one more time! One time alone! I will go on a killing spree! I swear this isn''t a scene Shizuku, I really will show them that it''s not fine to do this! It''s my body, my property! NOT YOURS. Fuck off!"

    Switching from just a massage to a hug from behind my back, Shizuku offered me some words of comfort.

    "I''m so sorry. I had no idea you felt this way! I wish there was something to make you feel better..."

    "If there was, I wouldn''t be in this sorry state... I fucking hate this. I hate it! I don''t look at them like that, do I?!"

    "No! You don''t! That sort of look should only be reserved for the one you held most dear..."

    The one I hold... most dear?

    Suddenly, my urge to vomit decreased.

    "Shizuku, go on..."

    "You don''t deserve them to look at you like th-"

    "No, not that! The one I hold most dear!"

    It''s coming back up.

    "Fast!"

    "Eh...? Uh, ah, well, unless it''s the one you love, it makes no sense, it''s just not the same! You said you were in love or something like that, right? Aren''t you looking for this culprit for that reason...?"

    "It is! It is! I love him! He''s my greatest inspiration to break out of this cycle of hatred and hypocrisy!"

    It''s gone! Utterly gone!

    Ahhh, I really want to taste your content and offer you consumption. Just a single thought is enough to ease my psyche cleanly.

    Eager, I got up and went to wash my face. There, I erased any traces of vomit and tried my hardest to smile without faking it. Supremely wide, I smiled and smiled.

    "You must really love this guy... But, you don''t even know who he is... Like, how can you go so far for someone who you don''t even know who he really is? I''m not trying to question your resolve, I''m just baffled, that''s all... In a good way! I swear!"

    "It''s alright, Shizuku. I know you mean no harm. But it''s precisely because I don''t know who he is that I can go this far."

    "Doesn''t this mean that... your passion will extinguish once you know who he is? What then..."

    That, I didn''t like.

    I turned in Shizuku''s direction. My frontal hair was getting in my vision a bit and my eyes flared a depth incredibly heavy to lift up. I commenced shouting my cracking my right fist onto the mirror that I was in front of just a few seconds ago.

    "That''s impossible, stop saying lies! I haven''t felt like this before, this isn''t a passion that can just be extinguished and I know! He''s not someone to get caught easily... He is aware of what I''m trying to do every time! Every time that I think that I am ahead, he IS ahead!"

    "G-Geez, okay, you win, I get it, you love him, the whole world got the point!"

    "Do you... have any more questions...? Maybe, regarding my passion and such? Doubts? I will clear them, just saying."

    In a cold voice, I said that but Shizuku wasn''t the one in the line of speech next, instead, it was...

    "Is everything alright in there?!"

    That voice was from the teacher.

    I needed to take advantage of this situation as fast as possible.

    "Ah, yes! Everything is better now!"

    "Really?"

    "Yes, really! Just a moment, please!"

    After Shizuku confirmed that everything was fine, I spoke to her while calming my breath and adjusting my hair. My face was clean again and I wasn''t disturbed. It''s all thanks to you.

    Soon after, we met up with the teacher who had his class on hold and followed him towards his office.

    It was a nice office with a warm atmosphere to it. It had a toaster oven and a coffee machine, even. Most surely for personal use. There, we sat in the two chairs that were in front of his desk. Aesthetically speaking, it also had, in addition to the pleasing white color of the ceiling, exquisite borders of art that added flavor to the scene.

    "I''m sorry... You are putting your class on hold..."

    "It is not a problem. My class'' representative can just take over for me. After all, a class representative holds equal power to a teacher, in some ways."

    ........?

    In what world is that--- No, that''s not important. I need to play the victim.

    Thankfully, Shizuku was one step ahead of me and didn''t hesitate to portray such an act.

    "I really am sorry for all of this, it''s just..."

    "You don''t need to justify yourselves if you don''t want to. I understand. I just--- In all my years of working here, I never saw Simon stepping out of the line like that. I knew he was getting old, but to think it got to him... Loneliness is a terrifying thing."

    What a joke. Loneliness? He just had no qualms about looking at my body for his own self-satisfaction. But, suddenly, he "steps" out of the line, and boom, how mind-blowing!

    "Are you going to report him to the principal?"

    Well, this was just an act, but even then, I kept my head down. With a low voice, a feeble attitude, I spoke.

    "No... It''s alright... He was probably just having a bad day... Even if he... threatened us with blo... blow..."

    "Yukishiro, stop, you don''t have to!"

    A mixed feeling came creeping in, as I couldn''t tell if I stopped my sentence due to the possibility of bursting from pure laughter or if it was on the possibility of me throwing up again, as creating an image of such a scenario would surely throw me off.

    Nevertheless, it was enough to provoke a reaction.

    "My God, this school is falling apart, I swear. Not too long ago, a guard got fired and now another guard messes up!? What the hell is going on..."

    There was such a case? Oh right, I just didn''t care at all, back then. It''s surprisingly convenient, I must say.

    Congratulations, previous guard. Your life isn''t worthless!

    "I''ll report him for you two, so you two don''t have to get involved into trouble. Sexual harassment should not be tolerated in any shape or form."

    "Thank you for understanding..."

    I really meant that.

    From the bottom of my heart.

    Still, this wasn''t enough. He is a modest man. Someone who thrives on modesty. Fairly just from the looks of it.

    It would be extremely dumb to not take advantage of this for our own gain.

    "But still, you don''t have to. It''s fine, I... forgive him."

    "No way, I will report him. You said your name was Yukishiro, right? Listen here, you shouldn''t give in to this sort of circumstance. Truth be told, the block''s guard''s job is security and in order to do that, he needs to make sure your card is valid through a scanner that only the guards have. Otherwise, he would not admit your entries here."

    Not enough.

    "Please don''t report him, teacher. I don''t want him to get fired! I''m sure the students here love him, right?!"

    And now... With a simple glance in her direction...

    Shizuku, if you may.

    "We''ll be taking our leave. I''m sorry for disturbing you. We need some time to recover. Excuse us."

    We both got up from our seats and bowed down.

    This would be where we would really leave, but we got closer to each other, almost glued up, like true victims in order to provoke a modest reaction.

    "Wait just a second. I will report him regardless of what you two say, but why did you come to this block? Surely you had something to do here? I may not be able to fix your situation, since it already happened, but if you had any business here around this block, then I can surely help."

    I had to look at Shizuku to tell her in a silent manner, through a powerful glare, to hold her laughter back.

    "You too!" I imagined that she said that to me through her valor glare.

    "That would be too demanding, teacher. It''s really fine--"

    Since he saw that we were already at the door, he had to interrupt us, in a somewhat brute, unpolite, yet just way.

    "It''s not demanding at all. I will do it, no matter what it is."

    "...Really? I''m not sure who to trust right now... Can I trust your word, teacher...?"

    I still couldn''t let him think that we had manipulated him, even if it was a minimal chance, honestly. Therefore, I reverted my position and portrayed puppy eyes clinging to security.

    Modesty is a sure way to get trashed in modern society. Valiant times are long gone yet not for fools like him.

    "Yes! Yes, you can."

    "...Alright..."

    Happily, he flashed a smile to represent his success in securing our emotional happiness.

    The string had been acquired and now ready to command.

 Volume 18 - Chapter 122: ?? Raw deal. ??

    "Eye-witnesses?"

    "Yes... We were tasked to gather eye-witnesses regarding an event."

    Back on the comfy two chairs in front of the teacher who admittedly deplored to be used, I and Shizuku started to address the situation.

    I have no problems doing all the talk myself, but Shizuku''s help was starting to feel great, and as such, she immediately followed me up.

    "Last month, near the festival''s end, one of our classmates, Yulia, committed suicide..."

    She began her sentence with little to no emotion to it, but as it progressed over time, it became heavier with emotion. That is skillful. Traces of guilt and sadness that could not be witnessed near the beginning grid-down all the way to the end masterfully. This is helpful on her part because it helps us to portray our point.

    "I''ve heard about the incident. I am truly sorry for the tragedy."

    "Really, you''ve heard...?"

    Naturally, my question implied something else, which the teacher went ahead and thankfully say.

    "Yes. It spread like wildfire; the rumor. There are many theories about who---"

    "Who?!"

    Perhaps I got too excited, but I immediately broke my previous sad posture and entered an ecstatic emotional state.

    Upon seeing this, the teacher got slightly confused, but Shizuku said words that would clear that confusion.

    "I''m sorry, she''s not well right now, but what''s important is to know whether there are people who know about the event."

    I shut my own mouth and looked down on the ground, trying to calm my mood down. Though tasking.

    "I see... Well, who has tasked you with the task of gathering eye-witnesses?"

    Firstly, he needed to make sure that we weren''t here on an egotistical whim. Therefore, he had to certify our source.

    Shizuku answered swiftly without trails of hesitation behind her speech.

    "Our teacher, Yuka. As you can see in the card, she was the one who has signed the card."

    Nicely done of her to not exhibit our lack of knowledge. In the first place, we didn''t know that we needed such cards to enter blocks. As I thought, this school''s system is far from normal. Strange as it may sound, our presence, us criminals, here, might not be far from something staged.

    "Oh, Yuka-sensei, huh? I know her and I''ve seen her before. Though we are not acquainted I am aware that she is the teacher of the only class that resides in block F..."

    His skepticism grew stronger as soon as he ended his sentence. This caused my paranoia to bombard, but Shizuku persisted.

    "It seems that you are aware of the rumor that has been spread about us... How we are all criminals..."

    Wait, is she seriously gonna go with this strategy? There''s no evidence that they don''t know for sure.

    "It''s not a rumor, is it?"

    Anxious, I attempted to speak, but I couldn''t due to the fact that I wanted to see how Shizuku would lead this. If the teacher was convinced that we were truly criminals, we had to know why he was convinced in the first place.

    "It''s half-half. Let me be blunt for a second. Our class contains criminals, but not all of us."

    "What?"

    "It''s true. This has ruined our reputation and made the principal enforce a rule where we couldn''t interact with other students. It was a very revolting rule if I''m honest. There is no greater disrespect in being taken my own freedom of speech. Wouldn''t you agree, Yukishiro?"

    So that''s her aim...

    I looked up now and spoke with sour confidence.

    "Honestly...! Me and Shizuku came from the same middle school and as we got to this school, we were surprised how we were put on F class, which is considered the worst class."

    Further skepticism gained a wider dimension in the teacher''s face. Perplexity all over the place.

    I tossed the ball back to Shizuku.

    "It began because the boys from our classroom are violent to the point of causing high-level types of chaotic actions. They would often brawl at the beginning and it got extremely violent..."

    I received the ball.

    "They are massive perverts who would resort to direct sexual harassment too..."

    In my defense, I''ve been eyed by Tsudo quite a lot.

    Ball tossed.

    "Through their actions, the girls in our class have been labeled as criminals, or individuals who are of the same label as the boys in our class but..."

    Easy catch.

    "But that''s not true at all! In the first place, the fact that we were placed on the lowest block makes us the perfect target for mockery, and our image is utterly ruined thanks to their malicious actions..."

    As I attempted to toss the ball back to Shizuku, the teacher began to uphold a far more serious glare.

    Doubt had risen to the surface.

    Therefore, he spoke.

    "That''s not what I''ve been told."

    Well, the main point of this was exactly so it could get to this point.

    If we are labeled as criminals, why such is the case? Rumors? Perhaps. Yet, what is the source of such rumors? Or, more accurately said, who is the source?

    All things considered, I stiffened my face as if someone had greatly hurt my feelings and asked the important question.

    "Well, who told you so...? You know what, nevermind, we don''t need to take this from a teacher who said he would help us only to doubt us a second later. Let''s go, Shiz--"

    Calmly enough, the teacher dispelled my dramatic stance without breaking a sweat by saying the magical words.

    "Truth to be told, I''m skeptical about these rumors, because there should be no way for a school to have criminals in the first place. I don''t believe the rumors. Even if they come from the almighty principal himself."

    I knew it. Our image is being manipulated. As it should stand initially, this program was supposed to simply conduct criminals through their own system that the program had implanted. It made no sense whatsoever as to why the school knew so much about it, since this information should ultimately be confidential, I believe.

    Acquiring a sense of information, I retook my seat and allowed Shizuku to take the lead with a sharp trade of miscellaneous glances.

    "Thank you for not believing the rumors. However, may I ask why you don''t believe it?"

    "It''s simple. This is a way for the principal to manipulate his own students. By ruining the image of those who are below other students, the students gain a sense of superiority that strives from petty rumors like having criminals in our school. It''s a pathetic way of doing things."

    "Has this happened before...? From the way you are speaking, it''s as if you are speaking from experience. Ah, pardon my intrusion, I just couldn''t help but notice..."

    Shizuku is amazing at this. She deserves to be rewarded for her current efforts. I will make sure to show compassion towards her later.

    What''s important to note about Shizuku''s way of speech is that it''s subjectively affectionate. If she was motionless or utterly monochrome with her words, then they would be too demanding, however, by being significantly emotional with the way she says them, she makes others think that it wasn''t her intention to bargain while it was all along.

    "Sigh..."

    The man adjusted his tie before speaking as if reminiscing something he particularly didn''t like.

    In addition to that, he retracted his long sleeves from his white shirt.

    Without nothing else to motion with, he continued.

    "It happens every year. Principal Yamato enforces new rules and changes the structure of how the school works. Sometimes even going to the point of drastically changing the appearance of elements within the school. Surely, you must''ve noticed how each block isn''t the same, even though, in any other school, at least in the majority, each block should be aesthetically the same."

    We kept on listening instead of mindlessly interrupting.

    I wondered just how much time this person was willing to waste. He did mention earlier that a class representative can take over the teacher, even to the point of taking complete control of the matter that''s being taught? It was a vague line, that''s for sure.

    "All of that is so unnecessary. It goes without saying that such elements are made to increase the gap in abilities within classes. There''s no sense of equality and principal Yamato has no qualms about laying down a manipulative network just to widen that gap. That''s why I don''t believe the rumors that there are criminals in this school. However..."

    Unfortunately, we both knew what he was going to say. I think anyone could''ve predicted this outcome.

    It couldn''t be avoided.

    "I have recently started to increasingly believe that the rumor might''ve not been as fake as it sounded at first. Surely, you know why I think so, correct?"

    There was no point in delaying this, though it could''ve been done. Alas, I surrendered to the idea of honesty and delivered the cold truth.

    "Because our classmate died, right?"

    This was the reason. In response to it, the man nodded with a stern glare shrouded in his eyes that pierced the veil of his glasses.

    "Not associating the rumor to that event is a fool''s idea."

    Naturally, if you went to a school where there is a class that is labeled as a classroom full of criminals and suddenly, a suicide takes place and, most importantly, the student who committed suicide was from the class that is supposedly full of criminals, you wouldn''t have trouble believing that.

    Omega.

    Are you USING THIS?! To deny me information?! As I thought, you really do think of me...

    "Even then, I have my doubts. Do you know who is behind it?"

    Given that he asked the question, I got straight to the core of the point in a flash.

    "Actually, we don''t. However, we believe that it was orchestrated by someone who was close to her during that event. Me and Shizuku here weren''t around her because, as blunt as this is, we weren''t friends with Yulia. Nonetheless, the fact remains; she committed suicide on a festival day. Someone, surely, saw the whole thing, or at least where she went and such."

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    "I see. So that''s why you need eye-witnesses?"

    It seems that he has gotten the point now. Shizuku shortly followed me up, speech-wise.

    "That''s our task. And it''s not only us two that were tasked with this task in specific. All the girls from our class did too. And in order to gather eye-witnesses, pairs were attributed to each block."

    "And you two were attributed to this block. Truly troublesome. Yet, do you have some sort of plan to gather eye-witnesses?"

    I could''ve allowed Shizuku to speak here, but I opted not to and feigned helplessness by saying meek words while penetrating the white floor below with my daunting eyes.

    "No..."

    "Then, I can help you, surely. Other classes that are in charge of different teachers could surely simply deny your request, but I can help you two out. Come with me, if you may."

    At last.

    "Where are we going...?"

    Although the teacher had gotten up from his seat and was marching towards the door, Shizuku asked that question before we could get up.

    "Hm? My classroom. I''m sure they won''t mind your presence! My students are nicely educated and they are also familiar with the same circumstances as you."

    Without a doubt, he was referring to the circumstance of being at the very bottom, not the fact that we are criminals.

    Regardless, we had achieved what we wanted.

    So, without wasting any time, we followed the teacher and went to the classroom that was on the right side of the entrance of the block, almost fully near it.

    As I had thought ahead in time, I immediately noticed that the structure of the classroom contrasted with our classroom''s structure immediately. To begin with, our classroom''s structure is beyond messy and has wooden chairs and tables; hardly something to be pleased about. Furthermore, there were no wall decorations, which was always something present in the previous schools I have gone to. Our windows'' glasses have cracks on them and occasionally, I can spot a spider or two, which makes me want to vomit. Our multi-projector literally looks like it''s about to collapse and our teacher''s desk PC looks as if it comes from the last decade.

    Nothing of that sort could be witnessed here. Instead of having a messy structure, the upper platforms of the ceiling were covered in a cold silver metal supported by almost blinding lights. In our classroom, we simply have two massive colossal horizontal lamps to illuminate the room whenever there is a necessity to do so. The most crucial detail was how this classroom''s windows were framed with secondary glass, simply to protect the primary glass. I imagine that it''s constantly clean in order to uphold a solid vision for anyone who sees the outside scenery.

    Another difference was how instead of there being pairs or rather, tables for two, there was a huge round table that was shaped in a circle in which there were a grand total of 20 students around it. That number alone contrasted ours which was initially 24. We are down to 21 students yet perhaps this class''s number of students was simply 20 from the start.

    Also, a heater. For some odd reason, our classroom doesn''t have something as simple as a heater.

    Nothing out of the obvious, but we were assaulted by all the students'' glares.

    I put on a smile as I walked into the warm classroom and analyzed the number of exact students and read their body language immediately.

    9 boys and 11 girls. Unbalanced. Some are mildly perturbed while some are wondering what exactly we are doing here.

    We kept our silence. Shizuku in particular was having fun in a daze gobbling all over this superior classroom in terms of aesthetics.

    "I''m back."

    "Aren''t they the ones from before?"

    "Cuties, phew."

    Two boys in particular, in the north-west direction of the circle-shaped round table, made such comments, which caused the teacher to lose a marvel.

    It was fine for them to think like that. I even waved at them and some other students who came across my eyesight. More so, I silently said "Hi", with just my lips and not my voice.

    By notable contrast, Shizuku was having trouble looking at all the students.

    "No unnecessary comments, please. Izufusa, thank you for your hard work."

    "My pleasure. I was just doing the class''s representative''s job anyways..."

    Out of all the students, a particular boy was standing in the middle of the round huge table, on what seemed to be a desk. He laid down the book that he was holding in his hands in the teacher''s desk and went back to his seat which was located in the south of the circle.

    Despite being the class representative, he looked frustrated and tired. I had imagined that I would meet someone who would take joy in such a particular role, but I was wrong in assuming such.

    He upheld his glare for two seconds long with me; his lips adjoined with an unmoving expressionless motion.

    Ultimately, in order to eliminate the silence, their teacher went to his desk, seat down, and addressed the situation, while we remained with our backs against a wall.

    "Would you two do me the favor of introducing yourselves and explain your situation?"

    The wave of penetrating glares returned, every time...

    It''s so discomforting. I get that they have nowhere else to look, but Jesus Christ, I am not stress-proof.

    ......

    "Hello... My name is Kyoko Yukishiro. You can call me Yukishiro. I am from F class. You might''ve heard of us."

    I allowed their skepticism to grow, as we would soon enough clear it. It''s best to give them the truth right now to clean it up.

    ...Shizuku was supposed to follow me up but she was biting her lips way too much. For some reason, she was all over the place, so I had to step in.

    "She is Shizuku! Come on, introduce yourself."

    Lightly patting her back, I pushed her forward and she almost tripped, causing me to almost laugh out loud.

    On the other hand, I''m surprised that these students are eagerly keeping their mouths shuts as they invade our stress with their glares. Educated yet rude.

    "M-My name is Shizuku! Nice to meet you..."

    As soon as Shizuku was done with her small introduction, she went back to being with her back against the wall. A small pout came from her.

    What exactly does she have to blame me for...

    Instantly, by the time Shizuku adjoined her back against the wall, the class''s representative, Izufusa, raised his hand abruptly though tall and spoke.

    "...Pardon my interruption, but how can two F class students such as yourselves even enter this block in the first place? Isn''t that against the rules, sensei?"

    Well, he wasn''t lying, but their teacher was quick to cut down the misconception of us being here unfairly.

    Raising up a golden card that belonged to us, he quickly made Izufusa realize his mistake.

    "I see..."

    "Well then, how about we all introduce ourselves to Yukishiro and Shizuku here?"

    Wait, seriously? What a gigantic waste of time...

    "I''ll go first! My name is Chiri!"

    An energetic girl with a very short bob cut introduced herself despite the inner initial skepticism.

    "I''m next, my name is Pikari."

    This went on shortly for two minutes yet oddly enough, it was refreshing to see students so eagerly open up to me and Shizuku.

    They don''t seem to uphold bad tendencies.

    Lastly, the teacher finally revealed his name, after Izufusa introduced himself again, for the last time.

    "I go by the name of Eltanin. So, Eltanin-sensei, if you may."

    "Aye, Eltanin-sensei."

    Weird names, really.

    What were their parents thinking, seriously...

    "Now, Yukishiro and Shizuku need your assistance and I would like if you helped them out."

    I am so thankful for faking all that shit earlier.

    Because I am 100% certain that if it wasn''t for that victim act we did earlier that we would get absolutely zero assistance. Yet we have managed to acquire the assistance of a teacher and now his class''s assistance.

    "Sure, but what, sensei?"

    A girl named Hiyari didn''t decline to help and instead, was immediately prone to know the full details here.

    "Can I explain our circumstance?"

    I asked as I turned my head towards the teacher''s direction.

    Outside of nodding to confirm, he added a few additional words.

    "Be sure to say more than just your circumstance, in order to clear some misunderstandings."

    Nodding, I explained our circumstances and went with the exact same story as earlier, thus manipulating them into believing that our classroom is not actually full of criminals; as the boys are the savage ruthless animal-like people who gave birth to such rumor through their brute action.

    Whether it was because they were simply good people or because their teacher bought our stupid story, they believed it.

    One certain individual didn''t seem to truly believe our story, however, yet the individual didn''t beg to differ, the individual stood in silence, watching us with a blazing glare of distrust.

    "With all of that said... We would like for any eye-witnesses to help us out here."

    At the moment I bowed down in front of them, Shizuku took out her cellphone and said words that would surely capture their interest while showing a certain image from her cellphone.

    "This is what Yulia looks like. I got it from our teacher, Yuka. This is her picture from when she enrolled. Please make sure to tell us if you saw her during the festival."

    Passing her cellphone to Hiyari, who was the closest to us, Shizuku implied Hiyari to pass the cellphone was she was done recalling if she had seen Yulia or not.

    Frankly, this eye-witness strategy could either backfire extremely hard, as it is massively time-consuming, or it could benefit us greatly since the day Yulia killed herself was in a day when the school festival was ongoing. Without a shadow of a doubt, there is an eye-witness who witnessed a crucial part of this.

    But, would you allow yourself to get caught by some random eye-witness? If it was me, I would''ve been extra cautious and would''ve done it in a location where most wouldn''t be aware of.

    "Ah, please touch the screen every five seconds. Just so the screen doesn''t lock itself, pleaseeee..."

    "I got it, I got it!"

    Hiyari said so in a happy tone.

    But, even so, the result turned out to be disappointing.

    None of them claimed to have seen Yulia throughout the entirety of the festival. To be fair though, this school is massive and the festival was packed with a lot of tasks. We could afford to be laxer about the festival due to our own circumstances, unlike this class, probably.

    Something to note is that although the result was disappointing, a certain individual looked at the image way more than the others did. I religiously watched every single one of them and there was just something about the individual''s way of looking at the picture that captured my interest.

    "Sorry..."

    Ultimately returning her phone to Shizuku, after completing a full circle, Hiyari apologized.

    It couldn''t be helped. Our task was until the end of the day, so we could try our luck with other students from other classes from this block anyways. Nothing was truly lost.

    Yet something kept me budging. A particular relentless feeling that someone here wasn''t truly speaking their mind...

    "Thank you for trying."

    Shizuku bowed down as I did so, even though it was just a gesture in reality. Despite the fact that they didn''t contribute absolutely anything.

    "It appears that that''s that. I am sorry that we couldn''t help you."

    I glanced at the clock. Time had flown by so quickly that it was already midday, lunchtime.

    Soon enough, this classroom session would end. It was important to capitalize on that in order to achieve what I actually wanted to achieve.

    "It''s no problem. It''s not an easy task, honestly."

    "Try asking the other classes!"

    "I can ask my friends from other classes, Shizuku."

    Ironically, Shizuku is getting all the attention now. Even though I literally was the one who took the initiative to start the introductions.

    She''s even basking in their cheerful cooperation.

    "Really?! That would be super wonderful! Eltanin-sensei, may I..."

    Requesting whether or not she could exchange contacts with the one who had said that she could ask her friends from other classes, Shizuku looked forward to the teacher''s answer.

    Bringing forth goodwill, he allowed that. Thus, they exchanged contacts. No, it went even further than that. Shizuku literally exchanged contacts with every single one of them.

    As a consequence, I got eyesight, but I was quickly labeled as anti-social for not having the patience to keep up with this harmonizing atmosphere.

    Some of the boys nonetheless kept looking at me, despite Shizuku being the center of attention.

    Can they get a bomb dropped on their heads? They are ugly as hell.

    10 minutes later.

    Currently, we are inside the cafeteria near block E. It stands like 20 meters in the north direction from the entrance of block E.

    The great thing about this cafeteria is that its windows allow a frontal vision towards the entrance of block E. In other words, you can see which students leave and enter the block...

    My eyesight is fixated on that entrance in specific.

    "They were so nice! Sure, they couldn''t help us out, but they offered me their contacts and were willing to help!"

    "I bet they just lied to you so you don''t feel bad about our failure."

    At the moment, we were just standing front to front, doing nothing. Yet I was the one who requested that we would come here.

    Shizuku must''ve thought that this was because I wanted to recapitulate the overall situation.

    It wasn''t.

    "I don''t think they are lying. Not everyone is evil, you know?"

    "You wouldn''t believe how many people that aren''t labeled as evil are actually evil. Maybe their teacher took longer to reach the scene at the beginning because he had planned this with the guard and the guard fleed the scene on purpose just to make us think that we had hi---"

    "Wooow, you trust literally no one, don''t you?"

    She''s making me sound like I''m someone extremely paranoid who doubts everything, but I''m just taking caution.

    "...Whatever, listen up, we are going to get someone to cooperate with us regarding Yulia''s suicide."

    "Eh? But we weren''t successful, so how..."

    Clearing her doubt, I raised my right index finger and pointed out of the window towards an individual who was leaving block E to have lunch. A lot of students were leaving the block now that it was lunchtime.

    "Seriously...? What makes you think so?"

    "He looked at the picture way more than the others did. It''s pretty obvious he has something to hide and we are going to stalk him and find out."

    "Okay, got it. How many meters should we keep away from him so he doesn''t notice?"

    I''m glad she is immediately getting down to these crucial details.

    "First, we blend in a crowd of girls like us, who are walking in the same direction as he is. Then, we observe where he is going. A few minutes after he is done sitting on the table where he will eat, we do the same and sit on his table forcefully."

    "Do you have something in store, in case he just decides to ignore us or flat out flee?"

    "I''ll pretend to be his clingy ex-girlfriend who is obsessed with him should he behave in an escapist way. You have a crush on him and need to confess to him, so you have an excuse too."

    "Does it really need to be this?!"

    "I have other methods, don''t worry."

    "Yukishiro... I don''t even want to think about what sort of methods you have in mind right now. That grin of yours is full of malice. Do you enjoy making someone''s life a living hell?"

    What a stupid question.

    "Of course I do."

    "Ah... What was I even expecting... Anyways, let''s get going."

    "Yes."

    On her order, we both got up and stalked the individual carefully. Perhaps he is slightly paranoid, but he would look back and forth like two times in ten seconds.

    His destination was an Oriental restaurant. It was a very short walk as it only took us three minutes. We had to stay outside and spy from the outside window to see where he would seat.

    Just like a true loner, he sat on a table all the way to the depths of the north corners, isolated from the majority of the students who were enjoying their meals. It was even a table for four, which made things easier.

    "Yukishiro, do---"

    "I will pay for the food. Don''t abuse though. My kindness is rare."

    She''s been a great help today. If you don''t reward the efforts of someone, they will soon see no reason to rely on you or stay by your side.

    Already on the balcony, we went to the buffet and took out our desired pieces of food. After paying for two meals, we entered a conversation while directing ourselves towards the north corner of the restaurant. We didn''t look in his direction and just kept walking in his direction but not look.

    "He is looking at us, isn''t he?"

    "I imagine so. Keep the smile up and giggles. Haha! He can''t know. Seriously?!"

    Trading bubbling words back and forth we kept on faking a girly conversation until we had arrived at our destination.

    On the sheer sight of the table that he was in, we expressed fake exclamation.

    "Oh! If it isn''t Fusa!"

    I purposely misspelled his name just to provoke him.

    "Yukishiro, you silly, his name is Izufusa!"

    A cheap joke, but we got a cold response from Izufusa, who was not happy about the fact that we practically invaded his table and sat in front of him.

    "Go away..."

    No.

 Volume 18 - Chapter 123: ?? New horizon. ??

    "Please don''t get mad, Izufusa. It was just a joke..."

    Shizuku offered an apology by justifying our previous actions. Meanwhile, I applied quite a bit of soy sauce to my food.

    After doing that, I opened the chopsticks and took out a piece of sushi ultimately eating it rapidly.

    "Didn''t you hear what I just said? I said for you two to leave me alone. Seat somewhere else..."

    Well, I just had to ask him something, since he''s so cynical from the start.

    "Why?"

    His eyebrows twitched violently yet minimally.

    Pausing his chopsticks on the right edge of his frontal plate, Izufusa lashed out.

    "Why? Because I want to be left alone and I want to enjoy my meal in solitude. In the first place, I have nothing to talk to you two about. Secondly, didn''t you two already confirm that there are no eye-witnesses in our class? What is this, are you two stalking me or something...?"

    No doubt we were stalking him. I wanted to hide this factor, but Shizuku decided that it was the correct move to adopt an honest stance.

    "We are really sorry! We didn''t mean to stalk you, it''s just..."

    Meekly, Shizuku glanced at me while prompting me to take a stance instead of enjoying my meal. Izufusa was noticeably angry about Shizuku admitting this and didn''t hesitate to show that he was impatient.

    "So you do admit it?!"

    "Wait, calm down. We have a valid reason for stalking you."

    His look grew even more distrustful than ever. Because I was implying that stalking was valid in the first place.

    "No... You two had a valid reason to seek our attention earlier, but not anymore. As soon as we told you that we didn''t see Yulia during the festival, that was the end of it..."

    So stubborn...

    Then...

    "Well, true. But, out of all your classmates, you were the one who looked into the picture the most, weren''t you?"

    He stopped digesting his mouth food for an instance before sharpening his glare at me and replying tenaciously.

    "...As the class representative, I have the duty to make sure that my class could really help out, so I looked into my brain for a couple of seconds to see if I had seen Yulia. Nothing wrong there..."

    He''s not bad. He did add a reasonable reason for his supposed action. But once you realize how often he can use the fact that he is the class representative as an excuse for everything, it gets silly.

    This needed to stop.

    "Don''t lie to me, Izufusa..."

    "I am not lying, Kyoko."

    "I don''t recall giving you the permission to call me by my first na--"

    "Er, wait, wait, Yukishiro..."

    Before I could snap at Izufusa for being an authentic prick, Shizuku put a stop to me by grabbing my right wrist, which I didn''t like.

    "I''m not waiting. He''s getting it."

    "I''m getting what?"

    No longer confident in his speech and back to his cynical mood, Izufusa questioned the obvious.

    "I''ll accuse you of several things if you don''t cooperate with us."

    I was expecting him to react nervously, but he mildly laughed before speaking to me once again.

    "Haha! I so damn knew it. You faked everything. Nice. It must''ve felt nice to fool everyone."

    "Wait, we didn''t fool your class! Yukishiro''s just extremely temporal, that''s all..."

    So he didn''t believe it. Well, it was to be expected, to be fair. He never really acted in a way that bought our argument in the first place.

    "Whatever. They might be good people, but I am not a good person, in my personal opinion. It takes someone who knows how to see the black in white to see the white in black and vice versa. I never believed you two in the first place. Get lost already."

    This prick is asking for it, so I''ll just advance this.

    "I''ll accuse you of raping me. I''ll get your fingerprints on my uniform which will then lead authorities to believe that you are indeed connected. In the odd case that you think I will give u--"

    "Stop. I wouldn''t do that."

    How weird... He wasn''t acting nervous at all. Unlike the guard earlier who got easily nervous and frustrated in the face of accusations, Izufusa simply upheld his right hand in front to stop my track of talk.

    "It doesn''t matter what you say, they will believe me~~"

    "You didn''t understand jackshit of what I''ve just said, huh?"

    "Excuse me?"

    I was slightly perplexed because I am fairly sure that I know what the hell is going on and I''m ready to jump on this raw deal, forcefully.

    "I said that I wouldn''t rape you. There is no hypothetical time or place that I would rape you. Same for you, Shizuku."

    ...?

    What the hell is this...

    "Let me put more bluntly. You could accuse me of raping you and you, and I would not give a shit. You two are not worthy of me going that far."

    "........." x2.

    For some reason, we were this close to proving him wrong by literally jumping on him and trapping his fingerprints on our uniform.

    However, he quickly justified himself.

    "I''m not denying that I would do the action of raping, but just not you two. In the first place, raping someone means that you have to take an interest in their bodies. Like, look at you two. Beyond average-sized boobs and thick tights. Whew, congratulations, you grabbed the attention of all the male population in this school... NOT. I am gay."

    This, I did not expect.

    My eyes widened so hard to the point where I had to put my right hand on my forehead.

    Izufusa wasn''t done, nonetheless.

    In a refined manner, he grabbed his chopsticks once more, picked up a piece of chicken, and almost fully took it to his mouth. By almost, I''m referring to how he had just one last unnecessary saying before enjoying his piece.

    "And besides, heh, if I had raped you, your ass would be so devasted that you wouldn''t be able to take a seat, just like you are right now."

    "I am so fucking done with this prick, I swear to God!"

    Rushedly, I erupted from my seat and slammed my own two hands on the table.

    I then felt Shizuku''s left hand on my shoulder, continuously tapping it. With a condensing tone, she offered her condolences for the situation.

    "You tried, you tried. We had no way of knowing that he was gay."

    "Even so, it''s downright insulting, this prick''s lines, every single one of them!"

    "I seriously can''t disagree with that... Can''t you apologize, Izufusa?"

    Still not on my seat, I glared at Izufusa madly.

    It''s been a while since I''ve felt this insulted. I''m not homophobic, but this is seriously inconvenient!

    "No way. Weren''t you two that stalked me in the first place? This is all retribution. Can''t handle equal treatment? Hypocrisy much?"

    "What part of this is---"

    "Okay fine, we are sorry. Yukishiro, please say you are sorry..."

    "Huh?! I am not going to apologize! This fucker mentioned me as examples of rape!"

    "Um, weren''t you the one who used yourself as a hypothetical example of rape in the first place though?"

    I want to stab his eyeballs with this fork.

    "Wait! Wait! Just calm down, don''t listen to him right now..."

    "Hmph."

    Shizuku kept on trying to calm me down but this was all backfiring.

    I was not going to apologize and thus, I got back on my seat furiously eating the food.

    "But, well, even I have to admit that I''ve been rude thus far. So, given that you''ve apologized, Shizuku, I will apologize to you, Shizuku. Not her..."

    "Ah, great for you, gay prick."

    Clown. Like hell I need to apologize.

    And then, just as I was about to grab another piece of food, Izufusa spoke to me in a far serious tone.

    "You are not going to get what you want if you keep talking to me like that. Respect my orientation at least."

    Oh? He''s willing to talk? Well, I''ll just lie to his face and pretend. So, I immediately put a smile on my face, only to get abruptly interrupted by Izufusa in the process rudely.

    "Okay, stop... That''s creepy right there. It''s clear you are holding a grudge against me, but the moment I say I have what you possibly are searching for, you just put a fake face on. Stop that."

    ........

    "He''s right, you know? You do that a lot..."

    "Seriously, Shizuku?! Don''t defend his point!"

    "Yukishiro, I''ll tell you something in addition to what I''ve just said..."

    Said so Izufusa, pausing his chopsticks on the edge of his plate yet again.

    "I do believe in the rumors. But, this doesn''t mean that I hold an absurd amount of bias towards you people. I won''t just label you two as absolute degenerates that deserve to get banished to the depths of Elysium."

    "Meaning?"

    Perhaps impatient, I just had to know what exactly he was implying.

    "Simply put, you two seem interesting individuals. You two have no qualms about lying and faking reactions to get what you want. Manipulative and persuasive. Truth to be told, I find that fascinating to a certain extent."

    "Will you tell your class about this? You are the class representative, after all?"

    I am not sure if Shizuku said that to Izufusa in order to know his plan of action or if she wanted us to know whether we should take immediate action.

    "Under normal circumstances, I would, but... That would be tiring. Also, counterproductive?"

    What?

    "How is that counterproductive though? By telling your class about us, if you are the class representative, then the likelihood of them believing you are high."

    Naturally, I''m just tempting him to follow the path where he tells his class about his own interpretation of the story. Because then, I would be dead set on screwing this guy.

    "It is counterproductive. My class has a well-developed sense of trust. If they were aware that two lying manipulators just used them for their own gain, a part of them would be broken. And I don''t want that... Furthermore... Aren''t you two looking for an eye-witness? Well, look no further, because you got one."

    That was fast. So he''s just going to agree with us like that? What an unpredictable chain of events, I dare say.

    Alerted by the good news, Shizuku clasped her hands and prematurely spoke.

    "Great! Could you come with us when you are done eating? All you have to do is tell Yuka-sensei what exactly you saw and---"

    Predictably, Shizuku got interrupted.

    "Hold your horses, Shizuku. While it is true that I do recall seeing Yulia in one of the last days of the festival, we need to discuss terms."

    And here it comes...

    This is why I like to make threats. Negotiations are often demanding and to my utter dislike, I hate being used for the gain of others.

    With his chopsticks, he pointed at the two of us respectfully, before speaking his mind.

    "I want your votes and not only that, the votes of every single one of your classmates on me."

    ?

    We were both so puzzled, me and Shizuku, to the point of encountering our faces side by side at the exact same time.

    "Did I make myself clear?"

    "Uh... What are you talking about?"

    I didn''t want to make myself look stupid, so I allowed Shizuku to lead the conversation.

    "Hm? Wasn''t I clear? I demand your entire class''s votes for me. You know, when the student council presidential election comes in November."

    November? What the hell, we are in April so why is this guy talking about something that''s going to happen in a grand total of seven months from now on?

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Don''t even get me started on this "election" thing. I have no clue, but I can''t allow myself to not knowing what he''s referring to.

    "That''s new... I never heard of it. How does it work?"

    Struck with shock and disbelief, Izufusa dropped his chopsticks. He looked at us with a distrustful glare but after witnessing our clueless expressions, he swiftly came to the conclusion that we had no literal way of knowing what he was talking about in the first place.

    Accidentally, or rather, intentionally, I allowed my expression to grow clueless just to speed up the process.

    "Huh...?! Seriously, really? I can tell you two aren''t lying, but how the hell...?"

    The answer was pretty clear. Our program''s system was partial to the school''s system. It was evident that we weren''t actually treated as students from this school to the core.

    He must hate us, that principal. How fun.

    "We weren''t treated the same way as the other students were... Right at the beginning, we were told that we couldn''t interact with the other students, verbally."

    "Yeah, I''ve heard of such rumors, but the presidential election is such a big event that I thought that it had arrived all the way to block F too."

    Maybe we weren''t told such information in order to not diverge our focus from the program itself.

    That would make sense because the program is indeed tasking.

    "I''m sorry, we just have no idea. Right, Yukishiro?"

    I''ve thought of lying here, but from the way this conversation was progressing, he would most likely tell us if I told him the honest truth.

    As such, I dropped my defensive stance.

    "Indeed, that''s the case. If it isn''t much to ask, could you tell us more about it, since it involves the terms, apparently?"

    Reaching out to his glass of water afar, he took two gulps and put down the glass lastly.

    "It''s not hard to understand, really. It works as basic elections. However, the election votes are open all year. Take this into consideration: You can have an excellent image from January all the way to October, but something bad happens, and it ruins your image. Your votes will be ruined because your image has plumped."

    Unlike average elections that have a specific short time-gap for people to vote, it was possible to vote early, apparently. Even though the results would only be distributed accordingly in November. Plus, such votes can easily be ruined over time, depending on the behavior of the person who you voted for.

    "Wait, are you able to take back your vote or something like that?"

    Shizuku asked the question that was my question too.

    If you couldn''t take back your vote, you were essentially rooting for an extremely rotten individual, should the individual have done something to deserve such an image.

    "Of course, that''s the whole bliss of the system. Except not... There are two kinds of votes. There is the "basic" vote, where you just vote for the person. Then, there is the "absolute" vote, which means that if you choose that sort of vote, you cannot take it back and it will go through."

    .............

    I can see where this is going.

    Likewise, Shizuku must''ve realized.

    "It shouldn''t surprise you but I''m aiming for the absolute vote. Anyways, you can''t just vote for someone. For example, I can''t vote for any of you."

    "And why is that? I''m curious."

    This time, I was the one who asked that.

    "See this?"

    Izufusa pointed at the left side of his white uniform shirt which had a pin saying "C.R". The pin was something that was on my mind from the beginning, but I thought it was just something of his own fashion.

    "This means "Class Representative". The grand "privilege" of being one is that you are officially in the line of candidates for the presidency. If you are not, then you won''t even get voted. This is the school''s way of making the students root for someone."

    No wonder we couldn''t get voted for then. Not like I was interested in it, but it does explain it.

    "And you want to be the student body president, Izufusa?"

    Curious, I asked him another question to which he responded with supreme confidence.

    "Absolutely. I don''t think anyone on their sane mind wouldn''t want to be the student body president..."

    "Why? What''s so great about it? Isn''t it just more responsibility? Sounds boring to me..."

    Peculiarly speaking, Shizuku voiced her own take, assuming that it was a boring task. Izufusa was about to snap, but he quickly recalled that we knew nothing about this theme except for the information he had given us just now.

    "My God... Look, this isn''t an average school and I mean this. Here is the main reason as to why anyone would want to be the president: You can change the school to your liking and implement your own system. Hell, this class system is the president''s system! He changed this school to a damn modern monarchy!!"

    That was not excitement, but bitter rage coming from Izufusa who was grinning his teeth nonstop.

    "You don''t like it?"

    "I hate it. Out of all the years I''ve been in this school, this has to be the most ridiculous system so far. The current system is the literal definition of dog-eat-dog-world. Surely, by coming to our block, you must''ve realized the differences, right? Although I''ve never been to block F, I can''t even begin to fathom what it must be like..."

    "It''s aesthetically terrible and has only two floors. But, what''s so bad about it? Most schools are like that."

    Don''t get me wrong, I still dislike the block and find it mediocre beyond repair.

    "Well, at first you wouldn''t find it THAT bad, but once you start to think about what the other blocks have... You really will see yourself in a swamp."

    "Oh come on, it''s just a block."

    "I get where you are coming from, Shizuku, but if you were to spend YEARS in the same block with the same conditions while the other blocks have better conditions, you will naturally desire to ascend and enjoy the good life. But noooooo. Instead of all of us having the same equal treatment, only the top dogs have. Ridiculous..."

    I think I find his complaints reasonable enough.

    By looking at the facts for a quick second, his argument starts to make sense. Classes last from 8 am to 1 pm, with one hour of lunch. Then, at 2 pm classes resume all the way to 7 pm. In total, that''s a brutal total of 10 hours. 10 hours in five days is 50 hours. Two days of rest surely are pleasant, even though we don''t get that, but this is about the rest of the classes. Furthermore, 4 weeks in school terms, by counting out the weekend is the equivalent of 20 days which is equal to 200 hours per month. Half a year is 6 months. If a single month in school terms means 200 hours, then by multiplying it by six, it''s a grand total of 12000 hours. A full year goes to the cruel conclusion of 24000 hours. Of course, February is an exception but even then, there''s not much of a difference. Vacations too. But what''s truly important to think about here is one simple thing.

    Hypothetically speaking, over a full year, you wouldn''t mind if you were to stay inside the same block every time. After all, it IS where you need to be. Just like everyone else. If everyone else does it, you just go along with it. Not much of a choice. Until you start to realize that there are others who do the same as you, that being; going to their respective blocks to have class BUT on different and superior terms.

    At first, this won''t bother you, presumably. But, after you go to the same block over and over and start to witness its conditions. And, by assuming that Izufusa knows that the other blocks have better conditions and such, you would start to surrender to the desire of going to a superior and far prestigious place to have classes.

    It sounds ridiculous because a classroom is all you need to learn what the teacher has to teach you, but if others can do the exact same in a better place, you start to feel inferior. Unwanted. It''s as if you are welcomed to a ground that is below those who are above you just due to a letter. Should I have been in Izufusa''s position, I would be ridiculously mad.

    Though... There is just one thing that I''m nonetheless curious about, so I''ll ask again.

    "Izufusa, you said years as if you have been here in this school for years, but aren''t you a first-year like us?"

    As far as I''m concerned he had to be exaggerating when he borderline shouted years because, in high school, there are only three years. And I don''t think he would use the words "years" that excessively if he had been here for two or three years, even if that''s actually valid.

    "Ah, haha..."

    ? Why did he just laugh so exasperatedly?

    "What''s so funny?"

    I''m glad Shizuku was the one who said that because I wasn''t clearly sure whether he was mocking me or not. Considering his spree of rude acts, I was pondering throwing his plates at his face and kicking his knees. Then I would make him kneel and grab the knife on his side to pierce his eardrums. Perhaps cut his tongue too just to make sure he doesn''t use me as an example anymore.

    "It''s not funny, it''s sad. It was an exhausted laugh meant to express my feelings to your question. I am 14 years old. But I''ve been here ever since 10 years old."

    "What? Have you repeated a year previously?"

    "That''s not everything, Shizuku. He''s implying that this school allows you to enter at the age of 10 or below."

    There is a lot that I don''t know about this school system and I''m learning it through someone who is apparently younger than I am.

    "In essence, although this is somewhat common nowadays, as long as you have the academic abilities, you can be admitted here, regardless of your age."

    Really now.

    "Aren''t you quite smart then, Izufusa?"

    Expressing her genuine shock, Shizuku tapped the border of her lips with the edge of her right fingertips.

    "I seriously thought so at first! I mean, if you got admitted to a high-school at the age of 10, wouldn''t you think so?"

    "Most likely."

    If you are admitted to a high-school at the age of 10, then your first priority shouldn''t be admiring your own skills, but wonder why the hell there is a school that is willing to skip so many steps? And why it does that.

    "It was all fun at first, but I fastly discovered that this school doesn''t work on the usual 1st, 2nd, 3rd-year methodology that all schools are used to."

    "Confusing. How do you graduate then?"

    I thought that our program was aligned with a graduation methodology that is universally standard. That was why I never bothered to even question it because I just thought that was the case all this time.

    Yet, you are telling me that it''s a different matter for them? I can''t deny my inner interest, even if this has absolutely nothing to do with the task at hand. I just need to understand his circumstance better.

    There''s no guarantee that the program''s exams won''t intertwine with the school''s methodologies and ideologies soon enough. Getting caught in-between without knowing the other side would be massively disadvantageous. Plus, it''s not every day that a student is willing to tell us this much information. From an emotional perspective, I definitely understand how it must feel to be wanted and to hear your own personal take on the system.

    "You can only graduate by being in block A......"

    Oh, what?

    "Then, just get in there."

    I said that. I was well aware that this was the same as taunting him because if that''s all it takes, then he would''ve already done it.

    "Easy for you to say..."

    "What''s up?"

    Undoubtedly curious, Shizuku asked Izufusa, who was looking gloomy.

    "There is a mountain of conditions to get there. And you have to stay a whole year inside block A without moving back down a block. Think of it like this... You are the boss of a company, but there are employees who also have an equal chance of becoming the boss and if you aren''t up to the task, someone else can just take your place..."

    He was having trouble explaining himself and since I understood the basic idea of what he was trying to say for us to hopefully grasp, I lent a hand by projecting an idea.

    "Somewhat like promotion and so on?"

    "Yes, exactly!"

    Towards me, he pointed with his two chopsticks, spontaneously and continued.

    "It''s necessary to maintain an absurd level of high academics and so on. Ahh, there''s too much to explain, but you get the basic point, right?! Anyone would want to change it! It happened this year, for fuck''s sake! In the previous year, all you had to do was to get to block C or above! I was on block D, working my way up, hoping that I would be able to graduate, but then, when the new student body president was elected, a wave of elitism started and my path was wrecked. Everything got so hard... Being a student is so demanding under this system... It''s so stressful."

    He was continuously scratching his hair.

    Under my own understanding, "getting" to a certain block should be the same as being a student who is admitted to that block. I am admitted to block F due to block F''s standards. Izufusa is admitted to block E due to block E''s standards. Meaning that in order to get admitted to a certain block, you would have to match such standards. I''m well aware that I know absolutely nothing about these standards.

    I don''t need to, anyway. According to Izufusa, unless you are admitted to block A and manage to stay there a whole year, you won''t graduate.

    Why should I care? All I have to do is follow my program and I''m out of here in three years. Izufusa is here for four years already. Does this mean that there is no limit to how long someone can stay here? Without any consequences? I wonder. I had a lot of questions, but Izufusa was deadset on getting his point to a conclusive stage, so he spoke after a long breath.

    "I''ve explained my circumstance. I will be your witness if you manage to get your whole class to give me absolute votes."

    "Uh... There are... a few issues, so to say."

    Inevitably, the time had come for us to tell Izufusa the truth.

    I followed Shizuku and administered the cold truth.

    "Believe it or not, all the boys from our class are not in this school."

    "Ridiculous."

    "I wouldn''t believe this too, but you are free to consult our teacher on this. I think that this information is utterly unbelievable, but our teacher wouldn''t lie to you."

    He might think we are just manipulating him into wasting time and giving him a sense of false hope since now we know that he wants to be the president. But that''s actually not the intention even if I wouldn''t mind that outcome for fun. His existence is currently important, so I''ll give him more additional information.

    "But wait, there is just a bit more. The boys might be away, but there are a total of nine other girls."

    "Nine other girls? So there are eleven in total?"

    "That''s correct."

    "That will do. If you get their absolute vote, then I will cooperate. But I want your whole class''s absolute votes. This means that once the boys return, it''s up to you two to get their votes for me."

    He wasn''t kidding about that evil talk. This is corruption, even if his aim is perhaps noble.

    But the real question is, will our class''s votes make a difference? And, wouldn''t the fact that literally criminals voted for you ruin your image? Unless the voters aren''t revealed, but that would just be dumb. He didn''t think this through at all.

    This means that I can take advantage of the fact that he is eager to get this done as soon as possible. Right now, questioning his goal is out of the question. If anything, he has to gain a sense of hope.

    First things first...

    "How will we give our absolute vote though?"

    "It''s simple."

    Finally done with all of his dishes, Izufusa placed the chopsticks in the middle of the frontal plate indicating that he was done eating. In addition to that, he reached for his schoolbag that was on his left side. Inside it laid something that would be crystal clear knowledge to us a few seconds later.

    Golden framed papers evenly distributed to the two of us.

    Essentially, it was a message of consent and had two places for the student to sign. In the basic vote area or below, the absolute vote area. Each of the areas contained warnings and their consequences should the student who signed up not be aware of what each vote implies.

    Moreover, it explicitly was stated that you could only vote for one person alone.

    With this in mind, it was imperial to realize that I could not vote for anyone else.

    Izufusa made sure we got something else after he extended a pen to us.

    "If you don''t sign in the absolute vote area now, I will not cooperate with you ever. I''m sorry it had to be this way."

    "You''re horrible."

    "Die."

    Displaying synergy, Shizuku and I said our honest opinions.

    "W-What did you expect?! I''m desperate..."

    Understatement.

    Though I could not demonstrate hesitation and I told Shizuku the plan here. It was straightforward.

    "Shizuku, let''s sign up."

    "No other choice, right?"

    As of now, there was no consequence for us.

    But before signing up with the pen, I said something back to Izufusa.

    "If we both sign this, then you will come with us and present witness as soon as we are done. Deal?"

    "That''s not what we agreed. I want every vote of your class. You said there were nine more. Plus, the boys, who are supposedly not present... You have one week to get the girls'' votes."

    This is the part where his desire will be put to the test.

    "It has to be today. Our task has to be achieved today."

    "No deal then."

    Beginning to retract the papers, Izufusa was ready to cancel everything.

    "Are you sure? By cooperating with us, you are already guaranteed two absolute votes. Furthermore, we will achieve the girls'' votes in less than a week."

    "...So what?"

    The thing about deals is that if a person is really desperate, the person won''t turn a blind eye on the benefits and will slowly turn a blind eye on the consequences if benefits become visible and if the downfall just is flat out invisible on the surface.

    "11 absolute votes. I know almost nothing about this school''s system, but getting someone to give their absolute vote to someone who only wants to make the system better without proposing actual ways of innovating the system, seems impossible to me."

    "Are you implying that I don''t have ways of innovating the system?"

    "Yeah, frankly. It''s easy to talk, but when it comes to changing a system or simply put better, create a better one, it takes a lot of intelligence and it doesn''t take a fool to realize that if someone is from block E and if there are students from block A, who have better analyzing abilities and overall keen intellect than the rest that the student from block E is the inferior choice."

    He was about to speak, but I just had to speak louder and more fiercely to portray my point fearlessly.

    "You are probably thinking that relying on your class is an option, but are you, friends, with any of them?"

    "......."

    Right from the start I entered his classroom, he was hellbent on not interacting with someone and as someone who used to hate interaction and still somewhat does, it''s not difficult to detect someone who has no friends in general.

    Would you eat alone in the deepest corner if you had any friends? Possibly. But the likelihood of that is low. And he hasn''t once spoken anything great about being the class representative outside of being a candidate which is a benefit partial to the class itself to him.

    "You can''t just walk to them and ask for an absolute vote, can you? Their fates would be ridding on you. The moment they realize that they start to evaluate you. Judge you. Think of you in an objective way. Once they do, what will they see? A cynical loner who is mad at someone else''s system."

    "What''s wrong with that..."

    "Oh, nothing. It''s just, we won''t think of you in an objective way. Nor will we judge you. Frankly, our class operates on a different system. I''m offering you partiality. Are you going to deny my partiality?"

    "..."

    Showing contrast to his impulsive decision of denying the deal I had made, he gave some thought before replying.

    His eyes were serious now. How perfect. He realizes that earning votes is actually intensive psychological warfare that revolves around your image. If your image isn''t that great in the first place, then you are already back against a wall.

    That is if your image is an issue. To us, it isn''t.

    "Elaborate more."

    Joining his town palms and intertwining all of his fingers accordingly, Izufusa looked at me in particular, becoming the judge of the upcoming opinion. Packed with a sense of brutal honesty, I went forward.

    "We don''t really give a fuck about who is the president or not. Your circumstances, the circumstances of the other classes do not apply to us. I said that we were operating under a different system. We have a different method of graduation. This means that you could become the president as far as we are concerned. Do you get it now? Weeeee dooooooooooon''t caaaaaaaaaareeeeee."

    I made absolutely sure to toggle my head four times from below to the right to the right to the left and to the left to the upper area just so he could get inside his brain the truth here.

    Well, the part that I want him to understand, that is...

    "If you are wondering how we are going to achieve the girls'' votes, don''t worry, we got that covered. Do you have more of those papers?"

    Did Shizuku have already some plan in mind or was she just saying that to Izufusa to gain his trust? It worked regardless because he gave a semi-positive answer.

    "Yes, why?"

    "Lend us nine papers. We will get their signatures in no time. Less than a week, as we have told you. All we have to do is give you their signatures, right? What do you say?"

    "For now, yes. Absolute votes cannot be retracted. As soon as I have your absolute votes written down, all I have to do is to give my teacher the two papers and your votes will be registered for the election in November. Naturally, once November comes, each voter will have to present testimony just to verify if the vote is genuine or not."

    There''s the loophole.

    But, if it''s that simple on the surface, surely there are other methods of knowing.

    "Also, don''t think about faking their signatures. It won''t work... Many have tried and got exposed. It''s a ridiculous fate to go through."

    So he fears such fate.

    That''s good to know.

    "We won''t do that, Izufusa. Shizuku and I will get their votes. So, do we have a deal or not? I''m losing my patience here, honestly."

    This is taking so damn long... I need to hear what he has to say regarding the part where he saw Yulia. I''m doing this for a very particular reason. It''s all just a part of a big puzzle, to the point where this event seems atomically small in comparison.

    I wish you could read my mind right now.

    "Deal. But be prepared for the consequences in case you don''t cooperate thoroughly."

    "Rest assured, we are harmless."

    Shaking his hand as a sign of finishing a deal, I along with Shizuku had earned Izufusa''s cooperation at last.

 Volume 18 - Chapter 124: Bonfire Lotus.

    Deafening charcoal fire in front of us six propped different intricate reactions simultaneously.

    "Waaaaaah!!! Our house!!"

    It didn''t occur to Kuzan that unleashing such a large cry midst all the fire smoke leaking out from the already burnt down house could fuck up his breathing whatsoever.

    Out of all the six of us, I was the one closer to the fire itself, therefore should Kuzan have gotten in my range, I would''ve pulled him back. Without any sort of delay, I started to look into a single clue that would leak some sort of evidence, even if minimal to the arsonist.

    "What the hell are we gonna do?! Damn it, we spend the whole afternoon building that house and now it''s the night! We''re screwed..."

    Sagasuga had reminded Tatsu and Tsudo, who is currently with his knees on the blazing-tempered ground mourning about the house to bring their important belonging with them before doing the animal hunting. If the aim of this fire was to screw someone or delay something, then, would the person hit the words? It goes without saying that I''m not going to label the fact that this occurred at the exact time that we went for a hunt as a coincidence. It gets even more evident once the fact that it''s the edge of the deep dark night right now. Meaning that our routes for adventure are severely limited.

    There were a few options at sight right now. We all could grab sticks and make torches out of them in order to give us the option of temporary light so we can travel somewhere else safer, far away from this fire.

    "You have the words, right, Kawahara?"

    Tatsu asked, coming from behind me. His eyes tell me that he is eagerly curious as to why I''m in a daze while basking under the sight of this scouring wildfire.

    "It goes without saying."

    I turned my back on the wildfire, advanced mildly, and spoke to Sagasuga who was in deep thinking. Nonetheless, my approach alerted him which caused his attention to focus on me subsequently, just like the rest of them.

    "We need to get out of here fast, otherwise the fire will spread even faster. Wasting time here is counterproductive because we have lost everything and we need to regain our momentum."

    Though I launched logical words, Tsudo spoke rather emotionally instead of actually comprehending what I had just said, based on a selfish reason.

    "He couldn''t have gone far! Let''s split up and look for him!"

    I eyed Sagasuga momentarily. This was a signal for him to take this chance of taking this idea of Tsudo out of his brain or I would shut him up by force.

    Adjusted and firm; my backpack was once again far more sustainable.

    "We would waste a lot of energy just on an effort that might not even work. I say we go back to where we left the deer, keep on walking and search for a stable base. There, we will launch a bonfire and eat. Should we look for the culprit like this, we are playing right into his hands. That would be our downfall."

    Sometimes, I feel like my words go ignored on purpose because the moment another person says the same exact thing under different words and under a different formal facial expression, that person''s words just elegantly go through without any effort at all.

    To enforce this ridiculous belief, Tsudo stopped being a little bitch and got up from the floor. Kuzan was standing on his knees while regretting building the house, so I grabbed his shoulder and told him to get up.

    "Oh, you''re right, dude."

    "Thank you, Tsudo. Let''s move on for now! Kawahara, a word in private, yes?"

    Opening the path of our march, Sagasuga extended his right arm and indirectly told me to accompany him. Surely, he went through the exact same path where he executed the deer.

    "Yeah. Come on you two little wusses, we don''t have all day. Oh, oops, I mean night. Grab some nearby sticks and lit up a torch, every single one of you."

    Before going along with Sagasuga, we all collectively lit up nearby sticks with a chalice of scarlet ardor fire.

    It''s not my style to prematurely assume things earlier, but I''m trying to not let my mind buy the idea that the culprit is imperially the other four and not us. Of course, the main arsonist can''t be one of us six. I was thinking that the actual arsonist is connected to one of us.

    Under the daring moonlight, we walked, getting blessed by random rays of light from the ethereal moon above; dethroning the platonic power of heat.

    On the front, while the rest stayed on our backs, Sagasuga initiated the talk rather meekly, as if he didn''t want anyone else to listen to it.

    "...What do you think?"

    "Three options already come to mind; the most obvious ones. First: the fire was intentionally done by the other four. By intentional, I mean how they are keeping their tabs on our activity, somehow. Second: It''s a coincidence and one of them felt that it was the correct decision to burn our house down, which, raises a lot of fucking questions. Why would someone burn our house like that? And third: Even if highly unlikely, one of us six did it. Time and place, through a few methods can turn out to be irrelevant. Or maybe someone here has a connection with the main arsonist. A tag-team. Or more. You tell me."

    Something else to note is that I''m opting to talk about this in "secret" with Sagasuga because this information is extraordinarily sensitive to the likes of Tsudo and the rest. Dealing with a tantrum is not only unnecessary but uncalled for in addition.

    Isolating ourselves from the incessant galling fire has caused a certain reaction that will slowly become obvious to us and why it was of utter importance to be under a fire to sleep.

    It''s starting to get cold. Abundant contrast in temperatures is already starting to show. Just like a desert at night; the chilling air kept on threatening the atmosphere''s temporal efficiency.

    "What? Not gonna say anything? Are you seriously pretending that hard? Come on, come out of the closet and just say who you are connected with. Let''s get this over with, Sagasuga!"

    Someone with a normal attitude would feel the need to justify himself right now, but Sagasuga kept his bend index finger in the shape of the letter "Y" allocated to his thumb; demonstrating deep thought.

    Thereafter, he spoke calmly.

    "I was thinking about something you said. Why burn our house? Wouldn''t it make more sense to steal it?"

    "Steal it?"

    "Sure--- it''s not as simple as actually stealing. I am implying that if the person could have spread fire and the person knew about us, why not spread the forest on fire so we could get caught on it and then have the whole house for yourself?"

    "Sagasuga, you psychopath, that''s murdering someone. We both know that only brings consequences."

    Unless heavily orchestrated thoughtfully, but it''s dumb to get rid of the six of us like that. Way to bring attention to yourself.

    He''s furthermore trying to suggest that making an enemy out of the six of us is an option. I''m starting to feel offended.

    "No, but what way is there to confirm that it was really you?"

    "......"

    That wasn''t a silent reply for no reason. I wanted to see if Sagasuga had this superstition already or if he arrived at the superstition through this event alone only.

    Superstition being...

    "Someone''s watching us from the inside. I don''t detect any technology around this island. Have you detected any sort of cameras in trees?"

    Do I lie here and make him paranoid? No, I''ll tell the truth. Even if he just so happens to possibly be making all of this up. If he isn''t, it''s important to extract information, since we arrived from different spots and explored different places first.

    "No. Maybe there isn''t really anyone watching us from the inside. We just have to pass the exam by doing its tasks. Isn''t that partial?"

    "You don''t have to play dumb with me. I can tell that you are aware."

    "Do you have any idea the number of times I could''ve used that line against you back then, hypocrite?"

    Far too many times to count.

    "Ah, fair. So you know, then. I think this person gains something that we aren''t seeing yet. This event has confirmed one thing."

    "Such as?"

    Alternatively, we were already close to the lake, but we were taking it somewhat slow, so in two or three minutes, we would arrive at the place we had dropped the deer. It was not in the lake, but it remained in its direction.

    Nonetheless, I was curious as to what conclusion Sagasuga had arrived at.

    "If the house that we built isn''t worth the effort of saving it and if the forest itself isn''t an option to lit up, then the arsonist gains something by burning down the house and furthermore... He loses something should he have killed us by erupting the forest in a sea of flames. Without a doubt, he is one of us. Therefore, the possibility of there being an outside source is low, yes?"

    "True. Unless there is someone else outside of our classroom who is VERY familiar with our ways. A girl wouldn''t be too strange, right?"

    "That''s even lower, Kawahara. Ah, man..."

    Sagasuga lightly scratched the back of his head before abruptly smiling with his eyes closed to the pallid icy moon towering us. He also added just a single controversial line almost silently; borderline giggling.

    "Hah, I''m so glad we built the house now..."

    "What?"

    "Uh, nevermind."

    Nervously, he sealed his own lips, even though I heard his line loud and clear, which got me in an aggressive mood right away; to the point of conceding to the idea of persuation.

    "No, you said you were glad that we built the house..."

    "...Did I say that? I must''ve stuttered."

    "Sagasuga, you can''t stutter something like that."

    "No, Kawahara, I meant to say that I regret building the house now."

    "Even though you clearly said that you were glad?"

    I was trying to not raise my voice, but Sagasuga kept checking back and forth, wondering if someone else had heard that. Giving up, he admitted something that almost made me want to slap the man''s soul out of existence.

    "Look... It served its purpose, right?"

    "You made us build a fucking house just to test your own sick theory?!"

    "Shh! Keep it down, what if the others know?!"

    "I am getting sunburns on my body for probably weeks to come, you fucker..."

    Perhaps my slightly louder voice tone raised the attention of those behind me.

    "What''s going on? Why are you two arguing?"

    "Master likes to argue a lot, Tatsu."

    Noticing the progression of the situation, Sagasuga intervened without any sort of hesitation just by mildly turning back to the rest of them.

    "We were discussing the parts of the deer that we are going to carry and I proposed that Kawahara should grab the deer''s rear. But Kawahara doesn''t really like rears in general, it seems."

    Did this fool really think it was wise of him to make a joke like this, especially when I massively appreciate the idea of glancing at a female''s ass with a potency beyond normal?

    "He''s lying, we were actually discu--"

    But I got interrupted by Tsudo.

    "As it turns out, the gay agenda was yours all along."

    "Don''t say that with a serious mocking face, bitch. I will bend your spine and then I will carry you by your rear since you are convinced that I can''t carry someone''s ass."

    "So immature! It was just a joke, broo!"

    "Your face''s a joke."

    Admittedly, I glanced Sagasuga and kept on walking in front after delivering those words to Tsudo, who fumed instantly.

    We both walked at a faster pace just to distance ourselves from the rest a little bit, which caused Sagasuga to speak more freely.

    "Don''t tell them, please. I think we can both agree that it had a very valuable reward."

    "I already knew it though. It''s not valuable to me."

    "Well, in my defense, you didn''t tell me anything about it."

    "I had no reason to, Sagasuga. But it''s an intelligent idea. That''ll agree with. The nape is mine."

    Yon nibble without any shred of strength to uphold any sort of resistance due to its fatal state. Rayazaki, Kuzan, Tatsu, and Tsudo took the exact same parts and started to carry the deer once more.

    "Thank you. I''ll take the other half then. Any destination in mind?"

    "We move to the north direction. Finding out new places and encountering the rest is our top priority. Plus, if we encounter the others faster, the likelihood of unfortunate events like this happening again would decrease."

    "Agreed. Let''s go. One, two, and three!"

    Through strength and precision, the deer was lifted for the second time in this virgin night.

    Noticeably, I didn''t wait this long to make a decision like this. I could''ve just said in the beginning that we could have gone to the oasis or even the jungle, but it sounded like a gigantic waste of effort since it was already common knowledge already for me. Surely, it might have not been the case for them, but I don''t give a shit about that.

    Something else to be aware of is that Tsudo, Rayazaki, Tatsu, and Kuzan have gone silent way more often due to the fact that our house got burnt down. They were beaming with a silent type of rage that was welling up.

    Sagasuga was putting up an angry front, even though I''m fairly sure that he wasn''t even remotely attached to the house he built in the first place. Due to the reason of the house being an experiment for him.

    As for me... I''m both angry and okay with the situation. Sure, it took effort and a couple of hours, and I even allowed myself to completely believe that we were going to sleep under a nice ceiling like that. That''s something to be mad about. On the other hand, I do share the sentiment of value that Sagasuga spoke of. Someone went out of his way to expose himself.

    Akihiko? No sense there. He''s aligned with me.

    Regarding the bastard himself, he could have a couple of reasons, but this seems too open to be his own play. He''ll eventually have to show up, but not this early. This is the early stage of hiding and seek.

    Kan? Is he potentially so temporal about the possibility of having his word stolen that he would burn down the house as an act of vengeance? If he knew that the word was stolen, sure. Then, that would mean that the other three told him about it, which would mean that they are partially responsible. But, realistically speaking, that should not be the case. In the first place, you would really only be aware of the word if you had it and chances are, Kan''s literally clueless about it so far.

    Daniel''s not worthy of my time and thought. He''s not a threat. Just like the bastard, he''ll eventually come out of hiding and the pieces will all fall together, thus making my plan live.

    I just have to tread carefully...

    20 minutes later.

    The forest itself is beyond colossal. It was also oddly tasking for us to grab the deer''s respective part with just one hand while having the other hold the torch. I could''ve proposed that we would have the weakest element in our group to not help carry the deer at all and instead be on the front holding on to the light. But I''ve become prone to examine their behaviors far more. I''m getting far more cautious as time goes by because this arsonist is supposedly aware of our actions. By being aware of our actions, you are either one of us, or you are obtaining information from one of us. It''s absurd to consider someone else tailing us because I and Sagasuga keep on looking everywhere unconsciously just to make sure we aren''t being tailed.

    "Let''s stop here."

    Currently, we were in the middle of nowhere in this deep forest with trees tall enough to challenge the heavens above. I''ve thought about being stalked just simply because our torches emit a strong powerful light easy to trace. And even though this is the middle of nowhere, it''s far more detailed than just simply the middle of nowhere. For instance, the trees here are more collected and attached than a few minutes ago whereas the trees were largely detached from one another causing an external physical gap. Sleeping far from one another could imply several things. I''m likely not going to sleep tonight, so I might as well make my best effort to stay vigilant.

    "My God, finally. Heavy mother fucking deer."

    "The deer did nothing wrong to get called like that."

    "Oh hush it."

    A random interaction between Rayazaki and Sagasuga came fourth as the deer was ultimately slammed into the leafy night ground.

    There was yet another reason as to why I chose this place. Close to the trees'' feet, there lied sticks that could be used for a bonfire. We weren''t going to eat the deer raw, so there was no other choice but to be as manual as possible. I don''t see any of these pricks having knowledge about this in the first place.

    Cold but not windy. That is something to be thankful for. With that in mind, I started to give instructions.

    "If you want to have a piece of this deer, hear me out here."

    I summoned their attention effortlessly and spoke efficiently.

    "The wind is barely non-existent, as the temperature is the only real issue, but even then, it''s fine. Tatsu, you will dig a hole. It will serve as the fire''s base."

    "How though?"

    The fuck?

    "Man, fucking dig a hole with your own hands. Don''t be a pussy about it. If you want to maintain your girly dignity, then grab the sticks and dig the hole. Just kidding, you can''t. They will serve as wood for the fire. Dig it."

    "But I can barely see anything though."

    "The moonlight is enough, is it not?"

    Just to make sure he could have ALL the possible assistance here, I pointed at the sharpest spot that had the most luminous moonlight, which was to the right. A spot where multiple light rays penetrated the haunting dome of leaves.

    "I see. Can I have the assistance of someone else though?"

    "The fuck? It''s a hole, do it yourself. Everyone else is gonna be busy with tasks too. Don''t be a burden."

    I see what he''s doing.

    "Alright..."

    I chuckled upon seeing him lightly obey my order like that. This reaction of mine taunted him consequently.

    "What''s so funny?"

    But I simply ignored him and addressed the order to a new person instead. Transiently, Tatsu resumed his task and started to dig the hole with his hands. He would look in my direction from time to time while doing so, but I didn''t look in his direction; I simply absorbed his eyesight without physically matching his so he couldn''t tell that he was being under vigilance already.

    High chances, really.

    "Kuzan! Gather as many wood sticks as you possibly can!"

    "Yeeesss sirrr!!"

    Enthusiastically hopping around back and forth, like a child, Kuzan went to gather as many wood sticks as he possibly could, which was not a hard task given that the place here was chosen with the wood sticks around in mind.

    "Tsudo, rocks."

    "Yeah, got it. Wait... I don''t see any!"

    "Find them!"

    "You purposely gave me the hardest task, you bastard!"

    Tsudo''s pointing at me like that''s true, but that''s actually not true. His task is hard, sure. I''ll agree with that. But it''s not the hardest. You don''t give the hardest task to someone incompetent if your aim is to be successful. And I want this feast to be successful.

    Moving on...

    "Rayazaki, collected tinder bundles and leaves."

    "Don''t just ignore me. Man, what the hell..."

    Despite being mad, Tsudo got his ass to work while Rayazaki simply gave me the thumbs-up signal. He''s been rather silent lately. Is he suspecting someone from within this group? I did tell him to not trust a single thing that they say, so I am glad that he kept that in mind.

    Lastly, was Sagasuga.

    "Let me guess, you know?"

    "I''m in charge of creating the friction?"

    As expected.

    I placed my carefree hands on my two hips and looked at the rest with Sagasuga on my right side, as a method of vigilance. But I didn''t exactly reply to his question since he already knew.

    Instead, I went with another topic of my own.

    "Who do you think did it and why?"

    "There''s no point in telling who I think it is. But I think that it''s someone that has an advantage that most don''t have. So, I was thinking along the lines that our location was leaked?"

    "Are you referring to the chip, Sagasuga?"

    This was yet another hypothesis, but I didn''t exactly want to believe it. We all have chips, in theory, which were given back on the rooftop. Chips meant to locate us. Only staff members should have it and I don''t see them intervening. Sagasuga here is suggesting that someone else has such access. That would be an extremely overpowered factor that is hard to fight against.

    Though... Should it be acquired... No more hiding and seek, essentially.

    "Naturally, yeah. But... why would one of us have such an advantage? Assuming it''s only one, that is."

    "Well, that''s only under the assumption that there is someone who is receiving such information in the first place."

    "Are you afraid of over-thinking, Kawahara?"

    Not quite, but...

    "No. I will just regret it if it turns out to be a gigantic waste of time."

    "Yet, isn''t this exam basically telling us to think outside the box? We can''t expect something normal..."

    They are almost done. Tsudo has found three rocks, surprisingly. Rayazaki is overflowing with scattered leaves all over his arms. Kuzan is drastically overachieving the task by taking ahold of so many sticks. Tatsu is now finished.

    On the other hand, what is the point that Sagasuga is trying to make? I looked at his cautious expression once again adjoining his index finger "Y" shaped to his thumb.

    "Where are you going with this?"

    Stopping his constant nonstop fixated look on the leaves below, Sagasuga marked his stare onto mine, matching my glare''s prowess swiftly.

    His eyes visible throughout the rays that illuminate our skin tearing down from above.

    "Call me insane, but we have to get done with this exam quickly. If there is someone who is deliberately trying to delay our progress or mess with our sleeping patterns or food resources, then... Isn''t that related to the date of the exam when it ends? April 30th is our deadline, but if someone gets screwing us daily like this, we would have no way of knowing if it wasn''t truly intentional or not. I don''t want to go through that sort of scenario. I feel like there''s more to this exam than it suggests. Haven''t our exams always been under massive manipulative schemes and orchestrated in ways to screw us up? Practically speaking, three weeks is a lot, so..."

    I finished his sentence.

    "So it means that we should hurry up and get shit done with as soon as possible. Correct?"

    "Yes, exactly. At first, I was getting well-versed with the idea of taking it nice and slow, because we are on a deserted island, with limited resources. However, with someone out there who is willing to sabotage us, we need a counter-strategy."

    Now we are talking.

    "Save it for later, Sagasuga. After dinner begins."

    Briefly after, the necessary steps to light up a small fire were done in a couple of minutes. Without any place to really sleep and without telling one another the fact that we didn''t have any solid ground to sleep on, we were already accepting the fact that we were going to have to sleep on the forest''s ground.

    Mercilessly, we tore the deer''s limbs apart with Sagasuga''s ax and roasted them in no time. Pure heavenly bliss consumed us the moment we sat down in a full-out circle around the fire.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    "Delicious!"

    The first of us to rejoice was Tsudo, which was not surprising. Rayazaki started to literally cry without adding any commentaries. He was eating the deer''s leg. Likewise with Tatsu, who limited himself to enjoying the other leg. Sagasuga was eating both of the deer''s arms; showing not a slight lack of gluttony. He may have a polite stance, but he is apparently the type of guy to go at your fridge when it''s 2 am. As for me, I was eating furiously the central parts, as they contained more meat than the rest. Although raw and perhaps less tasty, the protein is what matters, and truly, whenever consuming protein, you have to go through the stage where you simply just don''t want to eat anymore yet you must.

    Yeah, that should be all about there is. Overall, a great dinner. It almost compensates for the sunburns and the destroyed house I put hours of effort into it. Even this metasphriscal fire mixed with a vast pyramidical appearance is looking alluring in this moonlight''s spotlight.

    "Uh..."

    Oh.

    "What''s wrong, Kuzan?"

    I had forgotten about him for a second.

    "Oh, um, why is there no food to me?"

    I am so sorry, I apparently forgot to mention that a very sad boy with looming depressing eyes is admittedly madly glaring at us with a determined sheer rage due to the fact that he didn''t get anything to eat. Every time he would reach out for a piece, someone else was faster.

    Not to worry, I have a plan in store to make sure Kuzan doesn''t starve. He is my subordinate, after all. You could actually argue that I''m about to give him royal service.

    "What nonsense. What do you mean there is no food for you? Are you blind?"

    For some reason, this caught the attention of every single person here. Their eyes widened and looked around. Only Sagasuga had arrived at the conclusion that was obvious, by looking at the deer''s organs that are partial to this feast, in a separate area, outside of this circle.

    Feeling like he was doing an act of justice, Sagasuga stepped out of his comfort area and extended the leg that he was eating. It was half-eaten. He did this silent, but you could clearly see the pain in his movement. Surrendering that leg must be quite an expensive act.

    I''m not often a good person, but I''ll make an exception this time.

    Kuzan, who was ready to jump on the leg that Sagasuga was extending it for him got stopped by my sudden impulse as I pressed my dirty right hand on his shoulder to hold him down.

    "M-Master...? Is there something wrong with me taking Sagasuga''s generous action?"

    His expression was trembling because he feared a tyrannical reaction out of me.

    But seriously though... Kuzan doesn''t learn at all.

    "I don''t mind, Kawahara. Kuzan doesn''t deserve that kind of sinister treatment, for the record."

    "Hush and listen up. Kuzan, would you prefer a mere half-eaten leg for dinner, or something else far more tasty and tender with a larger proportion?"

    In response to my suggestive words, Kuzan''s eyes widened and his smile opened a brand new horizon to me.

    "Wait, Kuz---"

    Sagasuga tried to interrupt me, but I spoke louder than him as a way to fight back. Midst this, I added a stick to the fire just to make the flame flare-up.

    "Your expression tells me everything I need to know. What are you waiting for Kuzan? Feast on it."

    It''s right there. So extensive and massive. It''s a deer, for crying out loud. The dimension of it is therefore utterly abysmal. Who, in their sane mind would complain about this? I''m too generous, seriously...

    "Um, master, I am so confused right now."

    "It''s not only you, Kuzan. Even I am."

    "Same here, just say it, Kawahara."

    Rayazaki and Tsudo expressed their limped thought processes to me and I felt the need to be more direct about it.

    So, I pointed at it, by contracting my right shoulder blade, since I was actually looking in the frontal direction. It was behind me but it was visible to everyone if they titled their heads slightly to the left, which they did.

    "Okay, Kawahara... That''s too much."

    "Are you implying that Kuzan isn''t worthy of royal treatment, Sagasuga?"

    I knew that Sagasuga already knew what I was referring to, but it really isn''t as bad as he probably thinks it is.

    Nonetheless, in an exasperated mood, Sagasuga replied semi-defiantly.

    "No one is worthy of that royal treatment of yours..."

    "Master, I still don''t see it."

    It appears that I need to illustrate further, even though it''s right there. Behind me. Not completely behind me, since I''m crooked right now. Yet, two meters away from my position, the rest of the vital organs that weren''t taken to the equation tonight, still stand there regardless.

    Pausing a part of the chest''s bone on the edge of the fire, I got up and grabbed the piece of royal treatment, by scourging it quickly, causing disgust for everyone else.

    "Oh my god, put that fucking thing down, Jesus Christ, you can even play rope with it or suicide!"

    Tsudo''s speaking nonsense per usual. You need a lot of strength to play rope with this and someone who doesn''t have the physical prowess like him shouldn''t say such lies in the first place even if it''s just an example.

    "Do you not have a sense of disgust? That''s an animal''s gut, for crying out loud!"

    Screaming at me unreasonably, Tatsu''s falsely accused me of taking ahold of the deer''s gut.

    "This isn''t the deer''s gut though."

    "How are you comfortable holding onto its intestines like that?! Oh, God...! Blergh!"

    Oh for crying out loud, Rayazaki just threw up his food. If I had known that he would have thrown up, I wouldn''t have pulled out this prank...

    "Master...!! I''m scared...! Blergh!"

    "Kuzan! Damn it, not you two!"

    That''s my line, Sagasuga. Why is this happening? Two of my subordinates just threw up and one of them hadn''t even eaten anything yet.

    Are my jokes that catastrophic. I''m apathetic so to speak right now. I really didn''t think that they would have such vast consequences.

    "It was a joke! There''s no way that I was serious about it!"

    "Please bury that shit, my eyes can''t take it anymore!!"

    "Bury it!"

    Tsudo and Tatsu suddenly grew a lot whiner than I thought. It''s not fair that only two of my members got to throw up. They were even starting to crawl away.

    "Sagasuga, you like balance, right? Hehe. Hehe..."

    My grin grew wider as I closed the distance between me, Tsudo, and Tatsu. Sagasuga became alerted in sequence, causing him to stand up and defend his beliefs according to the situation itself.

    Slimy and almost barely sleeping my hands, the intestines were losing the resistance they had before, so I...

    "Kawahara, don''t!"

    I threw them towards Tsudo and Tatsu who were barely not glued to one another. As soon as the intestines were unleashed, they spread vastly and I can only imagine the sensation of pure horror as the intensities were scattered all over their faces.

    "AHHHHH!!!!" x2.

    "Bhahaha!!!"

    I laughed so hard at their distorted expressions in horror that I had to punch my abdominals with my right hand while bending my spine below a bit in a spiteful manner.

    "Master... That''s cruel..."

    "I''ve already said this before and I''m not afraid to repeat myself... You belong here, Kawahara."

    They were no longer throwing up, but the same couldn''t be said for Tsudo and Tatsu who were throwing up as they hurried the urge of clearing the ugly intestines away from them. In the middle of all this, Sagasuga put the palm of his right hand on his face and laughed maniacally at first in a childish way before regaining his speech form.

    "Haha, man you''re messed up... Haha... But that''s not my balance."

    Polite yet serious.

    Well, it was time to wrap up the situation. I just wanted to have some fun. So, I got back to my spot, in front of the fire and looked at Sagasuga, who put on an equally serious look. He must''ve realized that I intended to have the conversation about the counter-strategy.

    Ergo, Sagasuga sat down once again and spoke on behalf of his group.

    "Given that Kawahara''s malicious scheme made you two throw up, you can have the rest of my food."

    "Seriously? Thanks, dude..."

    "You''re a life-saver."

    Of course, the hero Sagasuga here gets appreciated while the villain Kawahara just doesn''t get appreciated for his wild abnormal sense of humor.

    Nevertheless, I had to do a similar action.

    "You two, sit down. You''re allowed to eat half of my portion."

    "Ehhh!?!? Only half?! Sagasuga offered the rest f his food! Masteeerrr!!"

    "You don''t need that much food, Kawahara, you are fucking ripped, for crying out loud."

    They both retook their seats rapidly. Even if their seats were actually the golden equivalent of staying with your bare ass on a sturdy ground full of scattered leaves which were somewhat comfortable, honestly...

    "It''s because I eat like a tyrant that I am ripped, don''t get it twisted. Anyways, eat up."

    "....Aye..."

    "Even McDonald''s leftovers are more generous."

    "Oh shut up, that''s not true. No way it is."

    I refuse to believe what Rayazaki just said.

    Partial to our conversation though, Sagasuga clapped his hands three times thus evoking our attention to his side.

    It was finally about to start. Already ahead of time, I had thought of a singular imperial thought alone.

    If Sagasuga''s counter-strategy does not prove to be beneficial or if he spills too much unnecessary for the rest of them that he shouldn''t, I will intervene and twist the strategy myself.

    In light of his potential counter-strategy, it''s essential to acknowledge the fact that he is aware of a few things such as the potential threat of someone knowing our locations through unfair methods that aren''t available to us or someone trying to sabotage us based on our paths of progression.

    Piercing seriousness alluded to our veils perfectly by making contact with Sagasuga''s eyes simultaneously.

    Now, what will you propose, Sagasuga?

    "I think that we should have a serious conversation regarding what happened today."

    To further emphasize his point, he distributed a stern glare on every single one of us before continuing, causing every single one of us to understand how serious he was at the moment.

    "The time limit of this exam is all the way up to April 30th, but I believe that time is just an illusion here too, wouldn''t you all agree?"

    He didn''t really explain himself. It''s almost as if he''s begging someone to call him out on his perhaps purposely self-made up inconsistency.

    "What do you mean by "illusion"?"

    Tatsu was the one who asked before anyone else could. Does he realize what this even implies? Well, unless...

    "Nearly three weeks were given to us in order to complete the exam. You could argue that the time gap is gigantic, but what if it''s not?"

    "As I thought..."

    Rayazaki added that as he looked at the bottom of the older tamer now fire.

    "Aren''t they just being generous considering that we were placed on a deserted island? 3 weeks to gather a couple of words can be considered little if the rest of the other four just play hide and seek all day long."

    "No, that''s wrong, Tatsu. We are all supposedly under the same conditions. Passing the exam is to the best of our interests, so it would make more sense for everyone to not play hide and seek forever."

    Though I was not expecting it, Tatsu argued back instead of resuming silence like usual.

    "That''s where you are wrong, Sagasuga. Hyunda is one exam away from being expelled, so he will be forced to play this game, but take Daniel for example. He can just play hide and seek like you thought someone couldn''t."

    "That''s true..."

    Sagasuga''s stance got meek and started to lose prowess so I took a short momentum to step into the conversation right away and argued against Tatsu''s point.

    "Odds are that the remaining guys are potentially working together or something like that. And Daniel is not someone who would play hide and seek. I know from his experience. His pride wouldn''t allow him to do that. Sagasuga is right; playing hide and seek is counterproductive. Why deliberately fail an exam?"

    "I don''t know, maybe they got something to benefit from that? Or maybe they can afford to screw us up and not have to care about the consequences?"

    "Do you even listen to yourself? You just argued that a guy like the bastard can afford to screw us up meanwhile the truth is that he will need our cooperation soon enough. Why?! Because we have fucking SIX words!"

    Seven, but they just have no idea.

    "That''s kinda my point though. If Daniel is logica-"

    "He''s not. Stop it, I''ve known him from the beginning and I know him better than the majority of you. You, Tatsu... Don''t judge someone who you haven''t even interacted with."

    When it comes to Daniel, I am positive that I have interacted with him the most... except not. He and the bastard are quite the birds from the same nest, aren''t they? Completely different though.

    "Plus, Aniki''s really shattered right now. This might be rude, but I don''t think he''s emotionally stable to the point of conducting the exam properly."

    Kuzan came out with his opinion and fantastically aided my point, so I continued.

    "Kuzan''s right, you know? I mean, for fuck''s sake, his girlfriend killed herself. You are expecting someone who is probably going through worlds of pain to be able to pull out a hide and seek strategy and be successful with it. For the record, the hide and seek strategy will fail because they can''t run away forever."

    "You could just be underestimating him though..."

    "Are you delusional or some shit?"

    Does Tatsu''s brain not minimally function? I even applied an emotional perspective. He seems oddly obsessed with his fucking point, which is becoming annoying.

    "Well----Kawahara, Tatsu did bring a point that was actually the one I wanted to bring up from the start."

    "Which one?"

    He mentioned quite a few points, so I had to make sure.

    Eagerly enough, Sagasuga raised his index finger up in the air and aimed at the rest of the island before saying anything back.

    "The one about a person who can afford to screw us up. He''s somewhere on this island. Let''s look at the facts for a second, shall we? We grouped up recently and we are six now. Undoubtedly, we are the largest human force on this island. We also went hunting the deer at the same time. None of us could''ve burned down the house, correct?"

    "I think so, yeah."

    "I don''t see it another way."

    Kuzan and Tsudo agreed with Sagasuga while the rest of us kept their silence to allow Sagasuga to move forward with his point.

    "I think our location was taken into consideration. How you may ask? I have no evidence of what I''m about to say but in order to win this exam... We have to think outside the bubble, so bear with me on this."

    Taking a deep breath, Sagasuga readied his speech, which was about to be massive. Even his speed while talking brutally increased.

    "Firsts and foremost, we were all given chips that most likely serve the purpose of knowing our locations. Kawahara and I ruled out the possibility of a staff member interfering. It wouldn''t make any sense. Remember, the essence of this exam is to shape the profile of the orchestrator behind Yulia''s suicide. Involving a staff member does not add up. Furthermore, this island has absolutely no technology so far. Our cellphones don''t have any connection. We were instead given, however, personal phones from the staff itself were delivered to us. More or less, we can conclude that although there is no technology such as vigilance cameras, there are technological methods of tracking down our locations. Now, this is the part where it will sound ridiculous, but I ask you to really hear me out. Well--- there''s no easy way to say this, but I believe one of us ten got an additional feature."

    "Hold on... Are you implying that someone else among us got an extra gadget or something like that?"

    I see.

    No, it really would make sense. We are all under the assumption that we all just got the cellphone with the S.O.S button and the word box.

    I tapped my own mouth out of shame for not being able to think about a loophole like this sooner. No, it couldn''t be helped. Without a doubt, this sense of discovery was awakened in Sagasuga''s mind due to the recent fire.

    "Yes, Tatsu, that is why... Let''s all empty our bags and confirm for ourselves that there isn''t someone with any additional gadget that could FOR whatever reason leak our locations."

    "Now, hold on just a second, Sagasuga. If any of us had that, what sense would it make for the person to keep it? Wouldn''t the person just hide it?"

    "Impossible, Tatsu. I''ve been keeping a really close look on you people. I never saw such movements from any of you."

    "That''s exactly my point..."

    He''s talking like he''s the victim because he feels as if his point didn''t get understood.

    I want him to think that way. It''s important that he does so. He''s growing defensive, really.

    "I share the same opinion as Kawahara. You can check my bag and---"

    "Hold on, Sagasuga. I say we both take out the words'' boxes first and then they can look into our bags. I am too tired to run away in case someone here decides to be a little thief."

    "Reasonable... Any oppositions?"

    None of them opposed.

    So, I and Sagasuga took out the boxes from our bags, since we were the ones keeping the word boxes and their words.

    In reality, I just didn''t want to be forced into a scenario where I would have to make something up just to hide Kan''s word.

    Everybody has an equal desire to obtain the words. A thief emerging in the midst would not be strange at all.

    "Nothing out of the ordinary. Just a cellphone which is the same as ours."

    We were checking every bag by passing our bags to one another since we are in a circle. Thirty seconds after, we arrived at the conclusion that none of us had any additional gadgets of any sort.

    Normally, this would mean that Sagasuga''s point had been destroyed, but in his mind, it just gave his point a sharper finer edge to work around.

    Fire reflected in his eyes enlightened his speech once more.

    "This confirms that none of us have it, which brings my point to the final stage. Kan, Akihiko, Hyunda, or Daniel; one of those four probably has the gadget. I also believe that this was random."

    "Random...?"

    Puzzled, Rayazaki posed the question and Sagasuga succinctly delivered a thorough reply.

    "Think of it as winning the lottery. There are ten participants but only one of the ten can win the lottery. Perhaps the gadget has a condition that it can only be used if the student agrees to strict conditions such as... Stalling until the end of the month? Delay the progress of others? And so on..."

    That was highly hypothetical from him. Is there really a need for such conditions in the first place? Having an additional cellphone that leaks the location of others is already sufficient. He''s exaggerating at this point, so I''ll cut to the chase.

    "Conditions or not, I will agree that this case is too much to be a coincidence."

    "And so, Kawahara and I have decided that it would be wise to form a counter-strategy."

    The time had finally come. How will Sagasuga supposedly solve this?

    "In essence, we are a group and we take on a singular task by ourselves since it''s important to keep an eye on us. Not losing sight of a classmate in this exam is crucial. But... What if that mentality is exactly what''s making us vulnerable to this person in the first place?"

    "What do you mean...?"

    Confused, Tatsu questioned Sagasuga''s reasoning with a perplexed expression.

    I''ll admit that it''s a good thing to point out the flaws of that mentality. Co-dependence makes us too predictable and being predictable is one of the many things I hate to be.

    "If our location is truly being leaked and the person behind it sees us move in a group and if by some odd chance, the person checks where exactly we spent many hours in, he will grow curious. For instance, we spent HOURS building that house. Is it really strange to assume that the person behind this wouldn''t be curious to check the location? What if when that person checked, he decided to burn the house down?"

    True enough, if taken into considerations, our locations today have almost been one-dimensional. And the punk behind this can''t assume we are sleeping since we were constantly moving around in the same location. Plus, it was afternoon, not in the night. Though one could argue that sleeping during the noon is possible, the person would be failing to take into consideration that our chips were in constant movement from building around the house and a person sleeping has to stand still at least for a while.

    We were not still at all back then.

    "Isn''t that all too convenient...? That ability itself is really unfair."

    "I agree, Tatsu. Henceforth, it must have some sort of drawback. A more strict condition to the user. But, we don''t know that. And here is my counter-strategy to this occurrence..."

    It was already predictable what he was going to suggest because Sagasuga mentioned the flaws of the mentality of co-dependence, so it wasn''t entirely surprising to me.

    "We will form pairs to avoid leaking our locations to the one with this feature."

    "Seriously? I don''t agree with this. Don''t we just keep moving forward and find this person anyways? Only four are left. This is too premature, Sagasuga."

    I was ready to jump in, in case Sagasuga gave a meek response like earlier to Tatsu, but this time he was relentless.

    "What is premature is your way of thinking... For crying out loud, if the same thing were to happen tomorrow because we just wanted to test my theory, we would be spending a day if not more and furthermore, if we take damage like we did today, we all suffer in one way or another. By splitting into three pairs, the orchestrator will be forced to make a choice. If one takes a loss, two take a win. We can always recover, but as a group, it takes far more time to do so than in pairs."

    Excellent answer...

    To minimize potential damage, splitting up is the correct option here.

    Getting rid of the chip isn''t an option because Basara-sensei said so and going against the law is not quite the option.

    "Isn''t it better if we all take the loss though? And I don''t agree with you when you said that a group takes more time to recover. Our resources as a group are massive, but limited in pairs."

    His point was that some of us could end up starving or under the scenario of something unfortunate, aid might not come as quickly as it would come if you are in a group.

    "I disagree, Tatsu... Not taking risks here is counterproductive. If we follow your strategy, we are bound to get targeted. However, to compensate for this, I believe we should all meet once a day."

    "Once a day? Where?"

    Rayazaki, seemingly curious, couldn''t resist entering the conversation once again.

    I took Sagasuga''s line of speech with haste.

    "We will have to alternate places every day, otherwise the clown will notice that we are just meeting everyday in the same place and target us. For example, tomorrow, we will meet where the burnt house is. Tomorrow, we will decide on the new location. We do this every day while this strategy is in play. Also, we should only report each to all of us for around 5 minutes. If we stack up for too long, then we might get ambushed. I would not like to deal with a fire like that on my ass."

    "But if we stack up and create an ambush opportunity, we could bait out this guy by creating a predictable pattern."

    Tatsu missed the whole point, but Sagasuga made sure to portray my words extensively.

    "Tatsu, we don''t have to deal with this person. If this person''s job is to delay our progress, he will have to make a choice. One of the three pairs or nothing. Kawahara''s point is that we can continue to be a group, we will just act split."

    "....I see..."

    Lastly, the final part was here. Sagasuga was about to administer the pairs. This was important and should I dislike the order, I will argue.

    "Here are my pairs. I will stick with Kuzan. Rayazaki will stick with Tatsu. Kawahara, you will be paired up with Tsudo."

    This is god awful, Sagasuga.

    Even they know. Tsudo''s look on his face tells everything I need to know. Sagasuga and Kuzan could probably work, but Rayazaki and Tatsu seem to be a pair that would take too much work in order to form decent cooperation.

    "Are you pairing us based on what principle, Sagasuga?"

    "Balance, of course. I believe I can balance out Kuzan''s abilities through my own intellectual prowess. I feel like if Rayazaki and Tatsu agree on something, they will cooperate greatly. And you could help Tsudo out and we all win."

    So his concept of balance ignores the fact that I and Tsudo are dysfunctional with one another? That Rayazaki and Tatsu''s egos combined challenge a tsunami? I won''t complain about his pair, but this is unacceptable.

    "I don''t think we should follow that principle here, Sagasuga."

    "Why?"

    He literally shot that rapid-fire question at me almost at mac speed.

    It''s not a problem, however. I have a plausible argument for cases like this.

    "We two are the leaders. We should be together. We will guard the words. Together, anyone hardly poses a challenge when it comes to stealing the words."

    The fire is so low and lonely right now. A flame that is begging for ignition. This conversation, just like the flame, is meeting its wit''s end.

    "So, you and me? For the sake of guarding the words?"

    "Exactly. Should we split the words, then we might fight in-between. No offense, Tsudo, but every time you whine, I want to squeeze your gray mass and make lemonade out of it."

    "No offense, Sagasuga, but even I will agree with Kawahara here. I fucking hate the dude, so do me a favor and not pair me with him..."

    In the beginning, Sagasuga was adamant about denying my offer, almost. But now, he''s taken some serious consideration.

    He then laid down his judgment.

    "I''ll just change my stance of balance. Okay, here are the new pairs. Me and Kawahara. Tsudo and Tatsu. Kuzan and Rayazaki. How about it?"

    "That''s much better."

    "Yeah, I guess it works..."

    "Aw, I wanted to be paired up with Sagasuga..."

    Tsudo and Tatsu were happy about it, meanwhile, Kuzan mourned about not being paired up with me.

    All along, these pairs were the ones that actually made the most sense to me. As such, I will not oppose and I will promote this idea further.

    "It should go without saying, but we will travel to different locations, in order to avoid being stuck under the same location. AND, we will not move out at the same time. What does this mean? Sagasuga and I will move out extremely early, while another pair moves out an hour or so early. Don''t exactly match the hour. Go either a couple of minutes earlier, like 10 or 15, or add 10 to 5 minutes to an hour, in order to increase lack of predictability."

    Tired of standing with my bottom on this rigid ground, I got up and stretched my trapezium immensely while yawning which emitted white breath from the cold.

    I wasn''t that tired, but I was tired enough to sleep.

    "Are you gonna sleep, Kawahara? We should if we really intend to move out extremely early, as you''ve said."

    Sagasuga also got up from the ground and confronted me.

    Yes. The plan was to sleep so I could save my strength for tomorrow.

    Alas, my eyes traveled all the way from Sagasuga to the two individuals at my left side who were still on the ground, basking on the heatwave mirrored.

    "I am. But, before that, a word with you two."

    With their eyes on me, I kneeled down with one knee only and placed my right hand on Rayazaki''s left shoulder and my left hand on Kuzan''s right shoulder.

    "....What? You''re creeping me out... Are you gonna die or something?"

    "Are sunburns lethal, after all?!"

    I smacked the two idiots with a mild slap on the back of their heads.

    "Ow..." x2.

    "Listen here. This strategy won''t be forever, but until we can make notable progress without having to rely on conjunction, we won''t be united. Of course, we will meet each other during the time the sun starts to dusk. Yes, you three, we will be meeting tomorrow at dusk. The time will be dusk, for now, we will most likely need to alter--- I''m getting out of line with my point. This is about you two. I want you two to work together. Being a pair isn''t enough."

    "Don''t worry, we won''t argue."

    "Aye! Rayazaki and I are friends, after all."

    "Damn right we are."

    This is pretty nice, but they need something else in addition.

    "Whenever one of you is in danger or needs help, remember to help the other out, as I would if I were there. If you see that your methods are failing, think of yourself as me and proceed. You will surely succeed. If the whole world copied my methods, we would be at the dawn of peace and harmony and----"

    "Okay we get it, go to sleep now."

    "Rest''s important, master."

    The narcissism part was just a joke, but I''m glad they got my point.

    With a fierce look, I looked at Rayazaki and he reacted the same way, meanwhile, Kuzan was puzzled. I was making him remember to extract any information and that when the time comes for us to report, that he should keep the fine details to me. He''s smart enough to get that, I feel like.

    Not saying goodnight to anyone, I isolated myself in one of the trees and used my backpack as my pillow.

    My isolation was quite far yet I could see the dying fire afar. That continual astral phantom-like flame... Every time I looked at it, I just want to praise it.

    How beautiful...

    April 12th.

    4 am.

    "It goes without saying, but do you have any idea where to go next?"

    By erupting my jaw up, the clear terrestrial night sky was still nowhere near its end even though it wouldn''t be long before a lighter illuminated canvas replaced this cryptic pitch-blacked one instead.

    Constellations and a starry sky showing endless possibilities beyond our understanding. With a single hopeless reach to the stars above, the feeling of possessing a star consumes me for transience but that conquer is not reality.

    Ending my perpetual observation, I replied back to Sagasuga, who was oddly doing the same as I was just a moment ago. Right now, we are walking through a path that we haven''t been in yet. We are still in the vast seemingly endless forest nonetheless.

    "If we go where I came from originally, then we could go towards the jungle and even an oasis."

    "An oasis? Seriously?"

    "Yes, that''s where I found Rayazaki in the first place, how about you?"

    He never really explained his origins in this island as no one else did, so I might as well press the issue now that I''ve delivered equal information.

    This time, instead of having his eyesight locked on the black heaven standing supremely featureless aligned with his vision, Sagasuga matched my eyesight evenly and smirked.

    "On the beach, of course. I also encountered jungle at first but quickly after, it was this forest only. So, in a sense, I haven''t explored this island as much as you probably have."

    "What about Tsudo and Tatsu?"

    This could turn out to be relevant...

    "The origins are the same, I think. On the beach''s bay. I encountered Tsudo and Tatsu together firstly though."

    "I see. To answer your question, we need to encounter a new habitat fast. This island probably has a variety of habitats that correspond to a very specific ecology. In other words, we keep on walking through the woods until we find something different."

    Provided that words are essential for something, it was already implied that the cooperation of ten people will be necessary. Or, put more truthfully, ten words are necessary. However, what then? Do we get a pop-up notification if we gather all the words? Something cheesy like that sounds utterly unbelievable.

    As we continuously marched and kept on repeating the same scenario time and time again, Sagasuga asked a question out of interest again.

    "Don''t you miss the female gender too? At first, I thought I wouldn''t just mind, but when I think of living on a deserted island for a month with not a single girl around, it does make me wonder if others feel the same way. Hey, it''s a perfectly natural question, right?"

    If I miss the female gender? How do I reply to this question without revealing anything unnecessary...

    I''ll just ask him a question that will determine the answer.

    "If there was a single person who you favored the most in your mind, then would it be appropriate to say that you miss the gender the person belongs to even though that wouldn''t be exactly fully true?"

    A single entity powerful enough to shatter that line of thought.

    "Of course not. You miss that person. Not the gender then."

    "There you go."

    "So you are missing a girl?"

    "No. That was just hypothetical."

    I made the question up because I took it as something hypothetical.

    Significant changes were starting to occur though.

    "You took it awfully serious for a hypothetical question though."

    "Drop the case already, fucker. Anyways, observe."

    "Yeah, I''ve noticed. It''s starting to fade."

    Sagasuga was already as aware as I was that although we weren''t exactly leaving the habitat that can be labeled as a forest, we were entering a different type of forest altogether. Towering trees remained yet the ground was drastically starting to shape itself into something far softer and I daresay, something easy to slip on.

    If there were two things that were relatively similar in an aspect, then it was that the previous forest and this particular current forest that we are about to ponder whether we should enter or not are both silent and spectral. However, this forest is dense and ideally more tropical-like, which greatly contrasts our previous scenery.

    Reluctant about the most noticeable trait that this forest had to offer us at first, Sagasuga asked me a question.

    "This is a mangrove forest, right? Impeccable transformation."

    "Sagasuga, pack your shoes on your backpack. Unless you have an affinity with the word dirt."

    "It''s unfortunate but mud invites our feet."

    At the entrance of this mangrove forest, we were already attacked by mud that contains traces of water that resemble the exact opposite of the sparkly water I encountered on the oasis. Light brown-themed colors embraced our feet in an uncomfortable way as we kept on walking with far more sternity.

    Abruptly shaped trees bending the reality that we witnessed not so long ago. A nearly coastal location this must be, considering the water. After all, mangrove forests are usually located near subtidal areas and if a beach is nearby, the odds are there.

    Having put his shoes on his bag a while now, Sagasuga spoke to me and proposed something.

    "Let''s go with the plants. It''s faster to jump from plant to plant since they don''t break easily."

    "Yeah, let''s fucking do it, cause why not? Also, finding out the source of this water would be nice. I think it goes a whole long way. If there is a semi-habitable place around here, we need to find it."

    Clinging to the plants, we started to formulate jumps while moving forward. Each step and jump required a precise impulsive momentum, otherwise, should I have stayed too long and hesitated to jump to another plant, my balance would''ve been shattered thus resulting in my downfall. The higher we jump to each plant, the higher our downfall becomes yet Sagasuga was eagerly traveling through each plant with ease.

    "Eh, you''re good at this, Kawahara!"

    His uniform pants were fully sleeved to his knees by this point, to the point where the thickness in his legs didn''t allow the sleeves to move back down.

    We momentarily stopped by attaching our right hands to a mangrove plant that helped us remain at this altitude.

    "You''re an ape. You don''t even generate impulse whenever you land, you just use the momentum."

    "Can''t you do that too?"

    "Of course I can. But not generating impulse is purely flexing. You are supposed to be modest and use the impulse your landing creates to then unleash a bigger wider jump."

    Essentially speaking, I''m calling him out.

    Sagasuga replied with a low confident smirk.

    "You on for a little challenge? The first to land on anything but mangrove plants wins. And the muddy ground on our left doesn''t count."

    "In other words, should we encounter a place that is habitable and that aren''t mangrove plants, I win?"

    "Yup. We follow the same path."

    Eventually, this path must end. However, what Sagasuga is actually proposing is something oddly challenging to someone like me. An average person wouldn''t think twice about refusing this because this is the equivalent of requiring tremendous arm strength and leg precision which is needed to balance out your movements alongside the impulse in them.

    "What if I spot something habitable, am I free to change course?"

    "Only if. Let''s get this show on the road, shall we?"

    Worst case scenario, this mangrove forest can be ridiculously extensive which will add up to my fatigue later on. Outside of that, I am confident in my impulse techniques. Just like running, matching velocity with leg strength is something tasking, but I can''t help get excited when there''s a guy that literally is taking this easy without requiring impulse. To be able to solely go that fast without impulse and on momentum alone is something noteworthy.

    "Wait. Retract back to my position. Otherwise, you have an unfair start."

    "I see. Fai-"

    Transiently, Sagasuga jumped to my own reign, which gave me the impulse to jump right to where he was just a second ago. With that, I had an advantage already. As I cross sights with the mid-airborne Sagasuga, he must''ve realized that in a mangrove forest you can''t do anything while mid-airborne because there is nothing to gain impulse or generate momentum from except the plant that you will be resorting to once you land.

    Only then a second after did Sagasuga reached the supposed starting point while I was already advancing two steps ahead.

    "Honorable matches aren''t lost relics, you know!?"

    How rare. Though I could hear his whine, he usually has a polite stance and does everything possible to mask his childish behavior yet that was the loudest I''ve heard from him so far.

    Through each mangrove plant on my way, I made absolutely sure to stretch out my arms as possible. In scenarios like this, should I just come to the mangrove plant, I will fall behind, and here is why: my arms have to continuously reach out to the mangrove plant. That''s the benefit of impulse. If unleashing a physical impulse with your legs allows you to take a leap and you do nothing with that leap, then you have entered a state of momentum.

    But...

    That''s wrong!!

    Without ongoing impulse, the reliance on momentum becomes intoxicatingly addictive as the impulse was seemingly only ever created for the sake of a powerful unbreakable impulse.

    7 minutes later.

    Close. Too close, actually.

    "If I''m the ape, then what are you? Godzilla? How don''t your legs go numb from all that stress you put them under? You did this challenge only relying on impulse... Dude, you are seriously screwed, you know? I''m surprised you can even walk."

    "Oh shut up, you were almost on top of me with those extraterrestrial acrobatics..."

    When 2 minutes were left before I had arrived on actual land, he started to fling around the mangrove plants through various angles which gave him the opening to close the distance between me and him. That was super smart because since he was behind and he never got a second chance to revert that position, by flinging over and over differently every time, someone who was conducting his own impulsive and position, in the same way, would soon be in trouble.

    In the end, I won though.

    Strike first; win first.

    "Oh, look. A lake."

    "...The water is actually pure and clean, how surprising. I thought it was going to be-------

    My attention was quickly divided by a single element in the terrain that we were almost entering. At first, Sagasuga was paying close attention to the lake factor due to its appealing associated elements such as brightness, clarity, deep blue, and a vast refreshing sense of overall water due to our current fatigue.

    But none of those things were strong enough to take my eyes away from the small bonfire surrounded by a rocky circle of rocks, almost underneath the mangrove itself.

    In addition to that, the bonfire was not extinguished; but live.

    "A bonfire..."

    Upon Sagasuga taking notice, I addressed the situation immediately.

    "Someone was here recently... The bonfire is still alive."

    Not just recently, even.

    To be more precise, approximately a few minutes ago, someone was here.

 Volume 18 - Chapter 125: Kappa?

    "Sagasuga..."

    "That is odd. The bonfire is still lively. Whoever started it can''t have gone far. What do you intend on doing, Kawahara?"

    Odd indeed. As I step right into the area that is less solid and more rigid than the previous ones, it''s evident that we are inside yet another type of forest, that being a coastal littoral forest. The difference in ecologies isn''t as vast as one would think because the sloppy mudflats are still just about around every corner, should we step outside of this low monotonous ground.

    Firstly, we were examining the traces left on the bonfire. By crooking down our postures, several elements that indicate a few things began to unravel.

    "If--- Imagine that the one who was here just a while ago was the one who has the ability to track down the locations..."

    I didn''t answer his question right away and kept on investigating the scene with my hands. The fire was semi-covered with ashes and dirt which already indicates that the individual was in a rush to erase evidence yet the bigger question remains, which Sagasuga asked right away.

    "Even if it was, isn''t it way too early for them to be aware of us? As far as I''m concerned this water stream should do considerable noise and our footsteps weren''t massively alerting, were they?"

    Wondering further evidence, my eyesight adventured to the path that was on the edge of the water, and there I found footstep marks. Given that this is a mudflat, it takes quite a time for your footsteps to be erased naturally.

    In other words, time was nigh.

    "Sagasuga, the footsteps, let''s follow them."

    Upon my declaration, we both got up and erupted our no-longer crooked positions as the path of action was ultimately clear.

    Midst this, Sagasuga untied his uniform tie a little bit. This has been confusing me for quite a while. I am someone who has been wearing absolutely nothing on my top, but this guy seems to reject the idea of letting his top breathe a slight bit of oxygen.

    As we began to travel outside of the lake''s bay, thoroughly following the footsteps that started to grow their own mark as we marked our progress alongside them, I asked the question to Sagasuga who was religiously keeping a track of the footsteps.

    "It''s not some gay shit for two guys to be topless in this environment, you know? Or what, you got an ultra ripped body that''s gonna make me want to fight you, is that it? Come on, put that fucking uniform shirt and tie inside your fucking bag already, Sagasuga..."

    It''s draining my consciousness just looking at his white uniform adjoined with his messy red tie. Sweat droplets are all over his neck yet he refuses to budge.

    "But I like the school uniform''s design. Isn''t it elegant?"

    "You are prioritizing elegance over your own physical comfort?"

    "I like the idea better."

    His passion for an idea enables him to completely put such strong factors as heat and sweat away like that? I don''t even know how to classify someone like this.

    "But anyway, are you sure you don''t want to rest? Your legs must be exhausted, Kawahara."

    There''s no way we can do that. Especially when the footsteps and the scenario are starting to heavily intertwine into another completely different thing. Despite this being a not-so-colossal coastal littoral forest, we were closely coming to an end here. A bright light was emitting life force through the trees that covered our vision. Soon enough, I would assume that the sun would start to rise.

    "Resting would be nice. I had a shit sleep after all, but not now, for obvious reasons."

    "My sleep wasn''t the greatest, but it was surprisingly silent, you know?"

    "Unless there were animals closeby, it would be hard to not be silent."

    Our feet were starting to be baptized by a soft yellowish gradient that resembled the sand from the initial beach itself. All this time, there was a mini river alongside the footsteps but they started to fade away as soon as we noticed that the footsteps had most likely intertwined with the river of crystalized blueish water that would turn out to be a canal of a freshwater lake.

    "I thought it would be a beach, but this explains it a bit."

    "It''s a dead-end, more like..."

    This expedition towards the unknown turned out to not be worth it. The individual was aware that as long as there is a river of water that we could only trace the footsteps through the mudflats on both the river''s sides yet the river began to grow and grow which eliminated the footsteps. No doubt about something though; the individual most likely did this on purpose.

    "Kawahara, could he had swum over this lake all the way to the other side? Look at it, it''s gigantically vast. I can barely see the end of the water."

    "If he had swum through the lake with his bag on his back, then the contents inside would get watery. Unless the fucker already has a base, to begin with, and doesn''t feel the need to walk with his belongings. Hell, it''s as if this bitch''s avoiding us, what the hell? Guy''s too much of a pussy to cooperate?"

    All evidence thus far indicates that this fucker deliberately doesn''t want to cooperate with us which in other words symbolizes two different options.

    Option 1: He gains something we don''t by delaying our progress when it comes to achieving words.

    Option 2: He fears our wrath in particular.

    Nevermind, there is a third option...

    Option 3: He''s deliberately toying with us and will eventually blend in when he feels like cooperating.

    This means that he''s either playing a hazardous game through caution, or he is just hiding from us by putting his tail in his leg consequently. Unless the individual is extremely confident in his running skills. Alternatively speaking, he might see himself as an overly confident individual, because he should know that going up against me will have him fucked eventually. Nonetheless, he doesn''t fall flat yet.

    Sagasuga in the middle of this kneeled down and drank the water slightly before adding a particular comment about it and my previous words.

    "Not salty, you can drink it, Kawahara."

    Drinking salty water is out of the question yet as I heard Sagasuga declare that it wasn''t salty, my legs started to engulf the glacial tempered water the moment I kneeled down to drink the water.

    It was refreshing and absolutely heavenly; practically an outer-worldly feeling.

    "It''s true, I can''t deny it. He gains something with this endeavor of his. We absolutely know that. We just don''t know what."

    He''s implying what I''ve been implying for a while. Surely, he wins something. It could just be the joy of making a fool out of us. It could simply be the knowledge of patterns. It could be the denial of potential cooperation. Possibly to create a sense of confusion later on? Since it has become clearly obvious that we have an enemy already.

    Water swept a bit to his uniform by drinking so much water. Then, through the act of retracing his right uniform''s sleeve, Sagasuga cleaned up his mouth fairly.

    Meanwhile, I kept on drinking as much water as I possibly can. Not even to the point where I felt like it was sufficient; my body required me to drink as much water as possible. Though, I wouldn''t be a fool to the point of making my body movements become less nibble and jagged just because I drank too much water.

    "What are the places in this island that he could safely call a base though? As far as I''m concerned, we will eventually know this island from back to front, correct, Kawahara? It''s not a mistake to say that you and I already know close to a quarter of this island already."

    I elevated my posture before taking a swim to the lake on this yet-to-be-born morning.

    On the tip of the frontier of the trees towering the calm perfectly transparent lake, the sun had lost its idea of absence.

    "If he already had our locations to himself from the start and his goal wasn''t to cooperate, then he went in the complete opposite direction of us from the start."

    Nonetheless, by breaking the barrier of air and water below, my entire body felt alive and igniting with a sensation of blazing tranquility. Yet drawn exceedingly subterranean shells below made me return to the surface which was contrasting with a blinding illumination unlike the thermally bottomless darkness below.

    "But that makes little sense, does it now, Sagasuga?"

    "Yeah, I was about to say that before you took a swim. If his intention was to never cooperate in the first place and he already has our locations to his knowledge, then all the dude has to do is stay away!"

    Though he said that last sentence out loud, it wasn''t as much of an exclamation as it would initially seem. It contained a calm maneuver to it based on a pent-up frustration from not being able to understand what was currently going on.

    I could''ve gone for another swim, but I opted not to and simply swept my hair back a little.

    It has gotten longer...

    "He''s either mocking us or inviting us..."

    Splashing his hands and face to the water and at the same time only, Sagasuga cleaned his face and his hair a bit. His curtain haircut has always been one of his most notable features. I don''t see the appeal of it though.

    "If we conclude that he has swum through the lake, then his footsteps will be visible regardless. Here is my idea, since this is an oval freshwater lake, we both go through each side and if we spot any footsteps, we unleash a huge shout which will make the other come to the other. Otherwise, if we don''t, we simply go to the end of this oval lake and continue to move forward. How does that sound?"

    "The plan is fine, as long as you don''t swim through the lake. You can''t damage the papers inside and risk having the cellphone catch water is negative."

    "I know. I''ll take the left side."

    "Right side is mine, be fast, Sagasuga."

    With that said, we departed in different ways. Usually, running in dense vast yellow sand would make my running movements sluggish and slow, but the sand here was not vast as it was more acceptable as a surface that it incorporated watery elements much like a mudflat thus making the traveling far easier.

    It wasn''t even halfway through the course that Sagasuga shouted in my direction from the other side, which was growing larger in terms of distance.

    "Kawahara!! This way, fast!"

    "I''m on my way, don''t move!"

    I''ve thought of running away from Sagasuga all this time but he has the words and it wouldn''t make any sense for me to break cooperation as of this current moment.

    Plus, it would increase potential bad blood. Overall, not a good option at the moment, even if I have concrete knowledge of his, Tsudo''s, and Tatsu''s words altogether combined with four of my own. The advantage of having seven words is already in the palm of my hands. That doesn''t give me an excuse to be careless, however.

    Soon after, I met up with Sagasuga who immediately pointed at a trial of visible footsteps which would lead back to the forest itself.

    "He must''ve run through the edge of the lake since his footsteps would naturally be consequently erased by the waves of the lake."

    "But the fact that he cut his own way so abruptly like this, Sagasuga, means that he was aware of our progression. We''ve lost time already since he capitalized on our trailing. He''s saying that if he had gone all the way to the end of the oval lake afterward that there was a slight chance of us spotting him but now that he prematurely cut his way, there isn''t. Let''s get going..."

    Though oval, the lake was leaking a new avenue which was serving as the purpose of a canal.

    The water source of this lake could, in other words, be something else entirely.

    Resuming our way into the coastal littoral forest, the sun began to greet us from above. Temperatures began to rise slowly.

    "It must be around six in the morning, right?"

    Naturally, we could just check our phones, but wasting battery could turn out to be crucial. If there is some sort of underground and we are trapped for some reason, then telling the difference between day and night will be impossible. I''m aware it''s unlikely but I simply want to consider possibilities instead of trashing them.

    It''s better to consider than to not consider if it could come up. I just refuse to give relevance to things that don''t deserve to be relevant in the first place.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    "Hours don''t really matter anymore, Sagasuga. What matters is when the sun is up and when the sun is down. Remember how we have to meet up with the rest?"

    "You really bought that, Kawahara...?"

    I stopped my track as did Sagasuga. Our feet were carefully not intertwining with the evidence otherwise known as the individual''s footprints.

    Invisible rays of light illuminated Sagasuga''s face and an eerie smile came forth.

    "Form an alliance with me, Kawahara."

    "Was this all for that purpose, Sagasuga?"

    "Think of it as you may."

    "That won''t do. I need to know whether this was purposely orchestrated or not."

    It would be a waste to not acquire such valuable information, so I insisted with Sagasuga as he stretched his left cheek with a serious glare on his eyes.

    Then, he tilted his head a bit to the right and answered me back almost monochromatically.

    "Of course it was. They are pretty useless, no matter how you look at them. Yet, look at the two of us. Don''t you think that we could make faster progress to sweep this exam?"

    He even went as far as showing jester-like movements such as squeezing his shoulders and contracting his pulse downwards with his hands.

    "Yeah, I think so too."

    "Then, what are we waiting for? Don''t you want to get out of here fast too? If we wait and wait, then we are delaying the inevitable. Unless...?"

    Does he consider the fact that I could''ve put my phone on recording mode all this time and then expose this information? I could''ve. After all, it doesn''t matter if you don''t have a connection or not, since cellphones have apps that can be used regardless of connection since they aren''t attached to a necessity of connection or internet. Recording a conversation is one of them.

    But... His words ring true.

    Alternating my vision from his face all the way to the feeble water tide on my right, I answered truthfully.

    "I won''t deny that they are useless, but to cast out their cooperation through pure betrayal like that? What if the owner of the words is necessary later on? We are the ones who have their words, not the other way around."

    "Don''t tell me you are afraid of ruling such a scenario through an iron-fist, Kawahara?"

    "Of course I''m fucking not. I even considered it multiple times, but it''s important to keep their moods in check until we actually know how to make use of these words. Because, as far as we are concerned, these could be words without any real usage behind them."

    He sighed and laughed mildly, crossing the line of mockery this time.

    "Come on, dude! This is a deserted island. The law doesn''t apply here. If women were here, we could rape them and not get punished for it. We can kill others if we mess around with the respective chips and so on. My point is, you''re not really acting like yourself, Kawahara. Back in school, you are more primitive and savage, but now you are just a little wuss...?"

    I wanted to clench my fists, grind my teeth, twist my eyebrows, penetrate his mocking stance with an evil glare, but ultimately, I simply agreed with him.

    "You''re right, you know? But that''s just due to the circumstance. I gain little to no benefit from going savage mode. The same applies with you, Sagasuga."

    "That''s kinda my point. We are equally capable of exorcising control, so let''s form an alliance and ditch the rest."

    "I can''t."

    "Why not, Kawahara?"

    "I am afflicted to my own crew. Hideout members are afflicted to me as I am afflicted to them. Betrayal is not an option. It''s not the same as Tsudo and Tatsu, who are afflicted to you based on weaker terms."

    And now, this is where I reverse the tide. I kept on walking slowly alongside the footsteps and proposed something to Sagasuga who was behind me this time.

    "Why don''t you join me, Sagasuga?"

    "You mean your Hideout group? We both know that this means that I''ll have to be afflicted to you for a longer time than the exam itself."

    Supposedly, I create contracts that have iron-rules that must be followed and if you were to sign such a contract up, you would be part of the Hideout.

    However, it''s a mistake to assume that in order to get my wisdom in these exams you have to be entirely afflicted to me. Of course, the conditions will differ, but I see it as a sneak peek. You get my help, and if you like it, or if you find yourself in a rather unfortunate situation where help would be nice, you will join.

    In light of Sagasuga, it''s hard to say that such a scenario will apply since he is prone to success more than the others.

    "We could form a temporary alliance. You would temporarily be a Hideout member. I''ve done this twice with Daniel. I am not afraid of doing it, really. What do you say?"

    "So the core difference here is that I wouldn''t be betraying Rayazaki and Kuzan but would be afflicted to them still?"

    "Yes."

    I looked back and found Sagasuga thinking about this. Accordingly, I have to conduct this in a way that would benefit me the most. The essence of being a Hideout member is that you get the leader''s, I, help. Under the circumstance of exams that are manipulative and through the strict knowledge of being aware that there could be others who would screw you, would you not want help as long as you just have to be afflicted to a person? Simply afflicted.

    You don''t have to give money or anything that goes beyond the word reasonable. Conditional help, naturally. I''m not a saint, so I refuse to be unconditional about it, though, to others, this will seem unconditional at first. The trial is very simple. At first, they won''t mind it, because they are focused on such unconditional factors as having my wisdom to their aid. Yet as soon as they begin to be familiar with my ways, they will become far more useful.

    "What are the conditions, Kawahara?"

    This is the tricky part. I can''t tell the conditions without his consent because he won''t like them.

    "I will tell the conditions if you give your consent to be a temporary Hideout member until the exam is over."

    Slowing my pace down, I took another glance at his facial expression and caught him smirking before replying back.

    My skin was feeling violated by the primordial ball of light emerging from the flat line.

    "That''s rough, man. You have something unreasonable up to your sleeve, don''t you?"

    "It''s not unreasonable though. By being a Hideout member, I would be lending you my help which would mean you would pass the exam."

    "Even though I can do that myself?"

    This prick really felt the necessity to be arrogant right now when he''s purposely trying to exploit information out of me?

    "If you can fucking do it yourself, then fucking do it. Not my problem, loser."

    "Haha, just a joke, just a joke! Tell me something about the conditions. Do they change in accordance to the current exam or are they permanent?"

    .......

    I didn''t want him to ask this because this reveals additional information. He realized that being a temporary member and a full-fledged one is completely different yet what makes that difference isn''t just the words themselves. It''s the conditions.

    "You can''t compare premium treatment to royal treatment, can you?"

    "Hah, as I thought, they really do change. Tell me something in addition to that; if I demand royal treatment instead of premium treatment as a temporary member, then will you give consent?"

    He''s pushing his limits, but the condition that I have for his alliance benefits me so much that I''ll have to let it slide. Outside of this current situation, the water stream was growing fiercer and fiercer. It wasn''t an exaggeration to claim that the water was perturbing to the point of claiming the adjective raging to its constitution. Decimating contrast kept on crushing my expectations for an ecology. Towards what end would a raging tide lead up to?

    Extravagantly predictable.

    "If you concede to the conditions, then sure."

    "Hm, interesting. Hey, did the conditions just change?"

    "Clever, aren''t ya?"

    I didn''t imply much else, but he was right on the money. So, I continued.

    "If the treatment changes; the conditions do too."

    "That''s the weird part, Kawahara. You are probably aware that I can pass this exam all by myself, but you are making the deal oddly bad for you. Are you doubting my capacities?"

    I''ll be brutally honest this time around.

    "I''m confident I can screw you up in ways that you won''t be able to use those "capacities" of yours."

    Unscathed by the persistent tide, my bare toe finger from my feet felt the rising potency in the malevolent water''s frequency.

    "Eh... That would be slightly troublesome, would it not...?"

    Even though he replied to my serious sentence, all Sagasuga limited himself to do was to examine the tide''s elevating frequency with his left hand, letting it slip finger by finger through the simple action of down falling his posture while allowing his left knee to hit the rocky ground. Correct; we were being blessed with a rocky surface this time around. Ecology from ecology.

    "It doesn''t have to be troublesome if you just join the Hideout. They wouldn''t be happy to hear that you were on the verge of betraying them, you know...?"

    I did the same as him, but I took the extra step of tilting my head to the horizon ahead of me. Soon enough, the tide would stop. Unless it actually just fell somewhere else.

    Further details such as the unbearable water noise and droplets of water being splashed on our faces went unchecked as we kept our conversation rolling.

    "I wouldn''t lose to you in a war for an image. You''re aware, right?"

    "Sagasuga, this already is an image war. If I had to call this exam by a name it would be: Image War."

    Retracting my hands from the violent stream, I allowed my upper body to feel a bit of water by rubbing the water on my hand to it.

    "True. Well, if you won''t tell me anything, then I won''t cooperate. Such a shame though. Just imagine how fast we could progress if we limited our cooperation to ourselves."

    "Do you dislike the tasks of a leader, Sagasuga?"

    Once more, Sagasuga slicked back his curtain hair, making visible the edges of the curtain hairstyle itself in the broad middle.

    "No way. But I dislike leading a weak task with weak people."

    "No qualms about insulting them whatsoever. Can I expose you for the sake of fun, Sagasuga?"

    "You wouldn''t do that. If their moods go out of control, then it doesn''t benefit you, right?"

    "True."

    So, no deal from him.

    Thus far, two people have rejected their entrances to the Hideout, those being; Daniel and Sagasuga. Yet Daniel was fine with being a temporary member for two times, but Sagasuga was smart enough to know that doing so would put him at a disadvantage.

    I was going to demand his three words under my own possession, should he had said yes. Making seven words in my possession. Knowledge of such words might not be enough, so the materialistic possession of them could come in handy. Surely he thought of that, no doubt.

    "They end here. Now, what could''ve been his path, Kawahara?"

    Witnessing the end of the shallow footsteps and the closure of the wide but desultory stream''s horizon line, Sagasuga wondered the same as I did.

    "Let''s see..."

    Envisioning the scenario that was ahead of us was no longer necessary. Therefore, I took a step right next to the edge of the rift; almost inviting myself to fall to the rocky concrete below. Though I have no way of knowing how many meters the difference between this rift and the concrete below is, I would imagine it would be around 20-25 meters, if not 30. It appeared that the ultimate purpose and the essential reason as to why there was an abundantly coherent stream all along were because it would turn into a dead-end; an eggenthal tremendous waterfall blessing the pacific water below with a tragically destructive impact made from the stream''s abnormal frequency alongside its abysmal density.

    Mirrored to the appearance of an oasis yet not.

    Mysteriously enough, Sagasuga was already implying that the individual could have chosen the path of jumping from all the way this surface above to the end below. It is not possible through just a simple jump. But, to confirm something, I leaned in further, which was indicating that I could fall below.

    "Dude, be careful. You''re not going to recover if you fall..."

    I ignored Sagasuga''s warning and took a further peek at the structure that was on the waterfall''s right side. What I found, through kneeling down and feeling with my two hands were rocks with different shapes, indicating the obvious path to the individual.

    Steadily breathing the far clearer oxygen free to take from the emitting impulsive waterfall on my side, I returned to my previous position and talked to Sagasuga who was waiting for an answer.

    "It''s possible that the individual climbed back down. Check it below, if you aren''t a little pussy."

    "Really now?"

    "Yes, really."

    But Sagasuga wasn''t moving from his position at all, which made me question his stance.

    "Not gonna check?"

    "I see no reason for you to lie."

    "Aren''t you just afraid of me snatching your bag from behind and kick you from the waterfall? Sure, I can''t kill you, but if you stay alive, it''s a different story."

    I was just joking at this point. I am extremely positive that he would be able to reverse the tide if I tried such a stupid action on him.

    "I really hate to break it to you, but... I have the rock-climbing experience, so I could just revert my position to below to dodge it."

    "Eh, realllly? Wanna give it a shot then, smartass?"

    I closed in my distance but Sagasuga just kicked the waterfall''s tide with his right foot while turning his back on me, precisely because he recognized that I already had a path in mind and that it was just a joke. By going to the left side of the waterfall, we would look for a way down.

    Silently, we continued to venture the edge of the waterfall by rapidly crossing the tide. Otherwise, we might have been caught in it. It was respectively deep as it went all the way to my waist. Sagasuga, who was on his uniform pants enjoyed the consequence of being wet.

    "What''s the reason this time for not taking your pants off?"

    "I don''t need a reason, it''s just part of the process. You have a leaf skirt which frees your movements, Kawahara."

    Nothing else but a self-made leaf skirt full of leaves attached to strings in order to keep the structure stable and strong. That was my alternative to wearing the uniform pieces, which Sagasuga just kept on denying to take off.

    "Wuss. Are you afraid of exposing yourself physically? Are you creating a window of opportunity for you to reveal your body to me just because you are secretly more ripped?"

    He looked back at me and my body before replying, which implies he did take my question seriously, but his expression was that of a jester.

    "God, no way. How many gyms hate you, Kawahara? Oh, a hill. So there is a way down. How fantastic."

    "Yeah, let''s go there."

    Roughly a few meters away from the waterfall''s stream, we began to witness a path that would go downhill; all the way to an avenue that would most likely open our way to the rocky concrete below.

    "You haven''t been here, right?"

    "Have you, Sagasuga?"

    While descending, I observed that Sagasuga also didn''t feel the necessity to support himself on the trees in order to maintain his balance, as he already could without the help of the trees. Even if this hill was very inclined. The noisy monotonous waterfall on our right side started to show its side. We could further look at a feathery scenic length present throughout the entirety of this strangely luminous waterfall.

    "I have not. So, in just a few hours, we have discovered a mangrove forest, a coastal littoral forest, and now a stream that ends on a waterfall alongside a cliff? This is the first cliff you have witnessed, yeah?"

    "Yeah, this is about the first inclined area that I''ve seen this tilted."

    This is the absolute truth. I may have witnessed two waterfalls already, but this one didn''t exactly have a dead-end, unlike the oasis. By going down and down the hill, it became pretty clear that this was just yet another conjunction of water supplying another tide. However, since the structure was inclined in the first place, it would naturally turn out to be a waterfall.

    Internally, my leg muscles were starting to physically alert me of the necessity of resting for a bit. Considering that, by the time we reach the bottom of the cliff, I will find something to rest on.

    I think a few hours have passed since our departure, so it should be 9 am, I believe.

    And then, we reached the bottom and felt the rocky structure on our feet.

    "Our search was fruitless in the sense where we couldn''t find the person behind this, but on the other hand, we already discovered three different places."

    Balancing the loss and win, Sagasuga adjusted the reality to his liking.

    The reason as to why he was already admitting that we couldn''t find the person behind this was because we were permitting ourselves to believe that there aren''t any footsteps that could be tracked in a ground that is made of boulders of all shapes. It became impossible.

    I wanted to keep on searching. I wanted to simply hurry up and get to the other side of the river to see what sort of path he could''ve taken through the simple method of looking for his footsteps yet my body demanded a rest.

    Realistically speaking, traveling on an island isn''t that hard. However, if you go and adventure it at absurd pacing; elevated and highly frequent, then, by not taking breaks, you are killing yourself.

    "........." x2.

    Our reactions were immediately silent as we began to realize that this wasn''t just any waterfall. This fountain was particularly blessing a specific creature outside.

    "For fuck''s sake, I wanted to rest... Just a bit..."

    Lamentably, I complained with my eyes marked on the scenario ahead of us. In particular, the stream of the fountain crushing its liquid waves on an uncaring animal who I was having trouble honestly identifying.

    "What are you talking about, Kawahara? Even I am tired, but he couldn''t have gotten far."

    "I know... Oh shit, its eyes are on us. You might wanna make a run for it."

    Slowly advancing from the waterfall''s base, an animal that resembled a bear but had ears and a mouth that did not correspond to that of a bear but to a...

    No, no, no... Kappas don''t actually exist, I''m tripping. I must be... Yet, every time I glance back and forth to its mouth which is adjoined with his nose, the belief gains a brutal amount of credibility even if it goes against common sense.

    "But we haven''t spotted a single animal thus far, Kawahara... Not even in the lake... Isn''t it breakfast time?"

    Sagasuga, with a low smirk on his face, permanently crossed glares with the animal residing close to the waterfall''s base, resembling a bear, for the most part. I was going to suggest simply avoiding a fight with it, but the Ka------- bear, felt challenged by Sagasuga, who was not showing any signs of backing down whatsoever and was further adjusting his sleeves from his uniform, all the way back, fearlessly.

    "Grrrrr..."

    "Kawahara, I''ll handle it. In the meantime, leisure towards the end of this tide and find its end. Don''t go towards the other side of the forest in the hope to find the person because surely..."

    "Yeah... We''ve been set up. Out of all the things..."

    A bear waterfall...

 Volume 18 - Chapter 126: Mockery.

    "Well... Good luck!"

    "Seriously, Kawahara...?! You''re gonna leave me here alone with this Kappa?"

    "It''s not a Kappa, it''s just a weirdly shaped bear! Besides, you don''t need help, stop pretending you do and use that ax of yours."

    All this time, Sagasuga was hiding his ax in his bag. I do plan on asking him the real truth regarding that ax but as of now, the importance of being tasked with the chase reigns importance, so before I go all the way to the end of the stream, I will leave Sagasuga with a few words.

    "I''ll be back as soon as I find something at the end of the tide. If you die, that''s on you, not on me."

    Absurdly confident, Sagasuga didn''t take out the ax from his bag and started to walk towards the bear. Sagasuga and I already knew that whoever was escaping our trails couldn''t have gone far, so I''ll agree with his decision this time. Plus, the moment I come back, I will be able to eat the bear. Unless Sagasuga dies, of course.

    Should he die, I will take his words.

    Then, just as I was about to follow the stream''s course through the stony intercourse that was in front of me without any end at sight, I asked a question to Sagasuga just to make sure of something, with a light scratch on my head adjoined with a peerless glare to him.

    "You wouldn''t be using the situation to run away with your words, right?"

    "You know I can use the same argument, right, Kawahara? Get going! We both know he couldn''t have gotten far! Come late and there will be no bear food for you!"

    Silently, I made contact with the next segment of terrain without replying back to Sagasuga. We equally benefit should we betray each other right now. No, wrong. I''ll be still at an advantage. In that sense, Sagasuga should have no reason to betray me. I believe that the physical possession of words benefits us both greatly. It''s not just random words on paper, after all. Or at least, I refuse to think so.

    Given that my fatigue was getting to me, I didn''t run at full speed by option and simply traveled the rocky course shaped in low-tier boulders until I found the end of the course, which was, predictably, the entrance of yet another beach. Unsurprisingly, this entrance might''ve been the starting point of someone else entirely.

    Something noteworthy about this entrance would be that the entrance shrank a whole lot in terms of closure in comparison to the bear waterfall which was horizontally vast. Yet this ravine''s entrance was small and tight. It couldn''t be helped that I had to accept the weak water waves from the entrance in order to open my eyes to a new horizon. Before I could do that though, I looked upon the tall ravine above me and thought of the top spot as an extremely good spot for spying, because I couldn''t be seen from the perspective of that ravine''s top entirely.

    Knowing that, with a light rock midst the shells in the tide, I threw it with hyper strength towards the blind spot to see if I could provoke a reaction of whoever could possibly be there.

    "Ugh, nothing. Tsk... Either he''s too much of a pussy to move or he isn''t there."

    Either way, by this time, Sagasuga was either done or finished with his task. If he was overconfident about his own strength and didn''t take out the ax, then I would most likely greatly benefit from the bear killing him. In other words, although I just had found out about a ravine and beach intercourse, I would rapidly make my own way back to Sagasuga.

    Roughly ten minutes after I sped up to meet up with Sagasuga, at the left side of the waterfall, in an area absent from the water itself yet nonetheless not that resistant to wind in the first place, Sagasuga was building up a bonfire. Around 20 minutes had passed midst all of this, so it wouldn''t be a blunder to assume that he just had that much time in the first place.

    The first one to speak was not I, but him. And he didn''t even need to look in my direction.

    "Yo, Kawahara, I need your help here. Block the wind gust so I can spark a fire, yeah?"

    "Dumbass, you should''ve just went to the forest and not near the waterfall, since the waterfall''s impact greatly produces wind as a consequence."

    That''s why it was fine in the first place to make a bonfire yesterday because although it was cold, it wasn''t windy. The chilling temperatures were the issue; not the wind it produces since there wasn''t any, to begin with.

    By the way, the bear was dead yet I saw not his ax on the bear whatsoever, which awakened my inner curiosity.

    "Alright, how?"

    I was blocking the way of the wind which was being emitted through the waterfall and given that Sagasuga had already all the requirements to make a bonfire in a grand total of 20 or so minutes, it was only the correct move to help him ignite a fire; which he was able to thanks to my endeavor.

    He began explaining how he was able to kill the bear without utilizing the ax the moment a baby flame was born.

    "There are a lot of trees here and I thought that as long as I served as bait that the bear would eventually be taunted enough to strike me. After a couple of taunts, I did manage to put myself in a position where the bear would have no choice but to charge at me, but, you know... Animals aren''t as rational as human beings, so he couldn''t really tell that he was being baited into clashing with his head right into the tree. The moment he made contact with the tree itself I jumped on him and snapped his neck brutally."

    "Sagasuga, you could''ve just used your ax, you know?"

    "Dude, I know, it''s just... It''s not fair if I don''t fight someone else on equal terms."

    He argued that unless the circumstance was equal that he wouldn''t do it, basically. Even though he said not a while ago that animals aren''t as rational as human beings. I felt like arguing with him, but I moved on to the bear and thought of dismembering it to speed up the process until Sagasuga called me out once more.

    "Ah, wait. Are you super hungry or are you hungry enough to where a single bear is enough for you? I don''t mind just eating this bear, for the record."

    I saw no animals nearby so I had no idea what the hell he was implying. Therefore, I answered truthfully.

    "The bigger the food quantity I can digest, the better."

    "Is that so? Well, come with me then."

    As I followed Sagasuga, we started to go near the waterfall, to the point where our feet emerged with the strong stream itself. If it wasn''t for our rigid absolute control, we would get swiped away without a second thought alongside the tide from all the way to the ravine. A normal person would lose balance; no doubt.

    "While engaging the bear, I got distracted and saw an angle of a cavern of some sort below the waterfall, so I went to check it a while back and..."

    Crossing the impertinent constant cascade was all it took for me to witness what Sagasuga was referring to all along.

    "Oh, so there''s more where that came from."

    Outstandingly shaped, underneath the waterfall, a miniature-sized cavern where three baby bears in particular with the exact same features as the previous bear was a right for us to witness. Sagasuga had referred to the bear as he, but, unless he has checked the organs completely, he is wrong here.

    "Sagasuga, have you checked the bear''s genital organs?"

    "I haven''t."

    "I see. It''s not a he then. Most like a female bear. Their mother."

    "Oh, poor thing. So it was instinctively protecting its children? What a cruel fate. But the situation dictated that my life was also at stake, so it''s only a balanced decision for me to equally protect my own life through the methods of killing."

    Sagasuga aside, the babies were absolutely nothing compared to the mother in terms of size, obviously. They had around 30-40 centimeters at maximum.

    "Are you going to kill them, Sagasuga?"

    "Well, yeah. That''s why I asked you the question I did earlier."

    ...........

    I briefly looked at Sagasuga for a second and his eyes remained utterly cold.

    Showing weakness here wasn''t in my way of plans, but I don''t actually like killing unless it''s justifiable, and eating a single bear is more than enough for my body, so killing a whole family like this isn''t necessary. It just doesn''t sit right with me to inflict personal feelings based on a necessity to animals out there like this.

    "Let''s not."

    "Why? You accepted it before?"

    "It''s different now. Just let them be. They''ve lost their mother. It''s not the end of them."

    Turning my back on Sagasuga, I started to distance myself from him, until I heard a snapping sound and a loud cry coming from the baby bears, howling in agony and despair.

    "Sagasuga, damn it!"

    By the time I had turned my back on Sagasuga, he most likely had already decided to kill the three baby bears. Not with his ax, but through his own hands, without any sort of fear in dirting them with blood.

    Coldly, without looking in my direction once more, Sagasuga spoke and tried to justify his action.

    "What''s wrong with you, Kawahara? You''re fine with their mother dying but not their children? It''s not balanced for one life to die and for three to life consequently. Don''t be so emotional."

    "Enough with that balance shit, fucker! Wasn''t your decision based on our appetite?! These creatures weren''t even trying to harm you, you have no justification here!"

    Though I yelled, Sagasuga just brushed it off calmly while dragging the corpses to the bonfire. Of course, I didn''t utilize physical strength on him, because, even if what he did is something that I oppose, I don''t oppose food.

    I just don''t agree with the rationality of his action, but his action does benefit me.

    That''s why I won''t go the extra mile, even though I won''t agree with his pattern of action, ever.

    "What do you have against my principle anyways? We all live by certain principles. I never tried to dismantle your set of principles. It''s unfair for you to strike me down with words like that, you know? Also, the little ones taste better, just saying. Let''s feast up quickly."

    "Whatever, you just use your principles to escape reason..."

    "Aren''t you the same, Kawahara? A person that also uses his principles to escape reason? I believe that in the end, the quicker we come to the conclusion that principles hold the utility to escape reason that we can actually live the way we want to. And, isn''t it a better lifestyle if we live according to the very principles we love? By such a conclusion then, we aren''t really escaping reason."

    "I''m different..."

    I am not the same as before. Growingly, I''ve gathered differences and I''ve started to shape a personality. A personality that I am aiming to create and flesh out just to prove that I have a personality and that I''m not instinctively guided by guilty pleasure alone.

    "Don''t worry, I won''t argue with you, Kawahara. Do your thing. I''ll do mine. A balanced way where we both benefit, correct?"

    "Shut up and start dismembering it."

    15 minutes later.

    Ultimately dismembering the bears with our hands and with the help of his ax, we started to roast the bear. Then, we sat, vis-a-vis to each other, and thus our conversation started, with Sagasuga initiating it while simultaneously taking a bite out of one of the roasted legs.

    "What did you find ahead?"

    Unlike Sagasuga who was eating a leg, I was eating the mother''s right arm, which was delicious. Though, without any seasoning, at this point, this was just a sure way of satisfying our bellies. It''s not as if King George ever adds seasoning to the food anyways. Not long after taking a bite, I answered Sagasuga, who was looking at me through the dreadful fire burning resonantly even in the middle of a semi-stormy wind.

    "There''s a beach up ahead; a starting point, I daresay. In addition to that, a ravine."

    "Ho? A ravine? Really now?"

    "Yeah. It contained pretty good spots as well."

    "In what sense?"

    Ripping the leg''s flesh with a fierce movement of explicitly lashing his right arm away from his mouth that was biting the flesh of the leg, Sagasuga mercilessly digested the baby''s content.

    "Enhanced vision could be one of its usages. If someone is below you and you are at the top of the ravine; in a blind spot, then odds are that you won''t be found out."

    Sinking my teeth deep in the flesh, I rejoiced the magnificent bear meat that was gloriously roasted.

    Subliminally, the fire was starting to get stronger with each growing second.

    "So that''s where you think he went?"

    "If he knows our location, then it''s the perfect scenario for him. In other words, he''s most likely impossible to track right now."

    "Great... What do we do now, Kawahara? Any brilliant ideas?"

    Another savage bite; this time exploring the contents beyond the flesh differing the bone and flesh.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    "Have you noticed how with each of our chases we just find new places?"

    "Isn''t that--- Ah, I see. You''re implying that he''s purposely leading us to make discoveries, is that is?"

    Unless the trickster here doesn''t have a brain, which I highly doubt, anyways. Still, the main essence behind this reasoning would be...

    "He could''ve made us follow the same way as before, even if that meant playing a dangerous game. If he had our locations to his knowledge from the start, then he could''ve made me go all the way back to the oasis and so on. Yet, he did not. Instead, he invited us to the unknown. Dude''s having a fucking blast, huh?!"

    "That''s confusing, man. He supposedly doesn''t want to cooperate with us... or, maybe he actually does?"

    "Hm? What do you mean, Sagasuga?"

    Thus far, the guy''s actions imply that he doesn''t want any sort of cooperation in the first place. So, I was naturally inclined to question Sagasuga''s rationale, as we both took bites out of our proportions at the same time.

    His eyes widened just slightly as if expressing something that we both weren''t really calculating that far in.

    "Maybe he wants our cooperation in specific and not the others? He could have a similar mentality to me in that sense. In other words, we are his choice? We will know if we are his choice if he leads us further into something crucial. No--- on second thought, this chase has benefitted us greatly thus far. I''m going to buy the idea that he wants our cooperation and that he is willing to offer us knowledge in return. Kawahara, we should follow his trials."

    I can''t exactly deny that we haven''t been blessed with discoveries thus far. Ergo, Sagasuga has a point.

    Sagasuga wasn''t quite done, so he added more value to his speech after taking yet another bite. Meanwhile, I didn''t as I was immensely curious about the endgame of his reasoning.

    "He seems to be aware that we are both the individuals who have the highest chance of succeeding. Isn''t it smart to seek our cooperation alone in specific?"

    "The question is, what does he have against the rest?"

    "Could it be that he has a plan that strictly involves us alone? Hm... I don''t see Kan nor Akihiko being able of coming up with a strategy like this. Sorry for being biased, but it''s either Daniel or Hyunda, right?"

    So he has finally given in to the temptation of judging prematurely.

    Smirking, I took a long bite out of the arm; which was almost out of flesh to bargain from.

    I''ve thought of revealing the fact that I have Kan''s word to just prove his reasoning even better, but I didn''t surrender to that temptation yet. Nothing tells me that Sagasuga isn''t just putting up a fake front, though unlikely.

    "Sagasuga, I think I know them better than you do, so I''ll offer you my personal take. If it''s one of them, then it isn''t to seek our cooperation. It''s to toy with us, deliberately."

    They are both individuals capable of upholding their own selected individualism.

    My theory regarding individualism is fairly simple. Should you be an individual with a strong sense of your own individualism and you aren''t afraid to show the world how you are different, then you are bound to be different from the rest. Being different doesn''t always mean you will be successful, but it allows you to think in ways that the mediocre ones without any individualism wouldn''t which then could imply that success will be a habit of excellence.

    "I think I get where you are coming from, Kawahara. We don''t know much about their true colors?"

    "That''s one reason. The other is that if it was Kan or Akihiko, they would want to seek cooperation, most likely. This means that if Kan and Akihiko are behind this, then this is to seek our cooperation entirely. I don''t see it otherwise..."

    "And if it''s Daniel or Hyunda, then it''s not with the goal of cooperation but with the goal of playing their own game."

    Out of flesh to eat. Instantly, I grabbed the other one that was being roasted to the ground and scavenged it ruthlessly with my sharp fangs ultimately adjoining my glance to Sagasuga''s.

    "Probably, Sagasuga. Daniel doesn''t have much to lose. If it wasn''t for my help, he would be with his back against the wall right now, if you get what I am saying."

    Daniel seems to think of himself greatly to a delusional degree. He will suffer the same fate as Susaga and Ryoken. Those two broke pussies are already out of the program. Soon enough, Daniel will surrender to me and will become my pawn. Anyone can deny something as long as the consequences don''t affect that person, but I know where Daniel gets his source of confidence.

    It''s his almighty friend, who just so happens to be one exam away from expulsion. Now, now...

    For the record, what would happen if his friend was expelled due to the fact that he failed the exam? Oh, that''s right... Exhausting, I know, but it will all be worth it.

    "Damn, Kawahara, you have such an evil look on your face..."

    "I can''t help myself. But, did you get what I just said?"

    "Of course. Weren''t you saying that Daniel would be useless because Yulia killed herself? I didn''t really understand that, could you emphasize that, please?"

    I suppose it makes sense that Sagasuga doesn''t know the full story, so I''ll swiftly resume it, as I take a gigantic bite.

    "You don''t know the side of the story, but you do remember during February, where we were paired up with a person that contrasted our physical result during the exam?"

    "Yeah, yeah! I was paired up with Shizuku. It was lucky of me to be paired up with a partner that actually knew what she was doing."

    Sagasuga''s lying here, he already most likely had a faint idea of the essence of the exam back then. It wasn''t purely hard to guess the essence. The essence of contrasts is ridiculously applicable and common to the point where denying it just makes you a fool for the majority of the time.

    Nevertheless, I wasn''t going to argue with facts I already know.

    "Daniel wasn''t so lucky, as he was paired up with Yulia. You see, Daniel''s quite the physical dude. Sure, he doesn''t come close to me or probably you, but he has what it takes. But, it didn''t matter if you were close to a Greek God in terms of the physique if your partner was absolute fucking dogshit."

    I''m particularly speaking about that bitch Gale. Fucking bookworm, I hope you choke on a dick bigger than that encyclopedia you always bring along with you and die from lack of oxygen.

    "Geez, crude. So, how did he win anyways? He got one of the worst scores, didn''t he?"

    "I offered him my help and I told him one of the loopholes of the exam, and he managed to pass. Did you know that one of the additional criteria of the exam back then was teamwork and not physical results alone?"

    "I thought so too, to an extent, Kawahara. The exam would be extremely unbalanced, otherwise."

    So he basically just thought of his concept of balance and tried to attach it to the exam. He then saw that it was an unbalanced exam and in his head, the exam wouldn''t be acceptable unless it had a more balanced factor.

    It''s ridiculous how that concept of his sometimes manages to give him an absurd edge over certain circumstances like the exam in February.

    Partial to this, we were being punished with hellish temperatures, as the dawn was soon to vanish.

    "There''s nothing that says that there weren''t more criteria but for argument''s sake, all he had to do was to get his partner, Yulia, to good use. But... The dude''s fucking dense as hell! The chick had feelings for him and it took me almost an eternity for him to understand that it was the actual fucking case!"

    "Talk about rough. I''m surprised you didn''t snap."

    "Well, I couldn''t. After all, he was a temporary Hideout member. He was going through the "try before buy" trial. Now, all he had to do was to get Yulia to do his teamwork alongside him. Yet they were on bad terms back then, so that wasn''t quite possible."

    Daniel strikes me as the embodiment of someone narcissistic and anti-social. Someone who has both those characteristics often can''t tell the feelings of others. It''s the traits of a psychopath, after all.

    Still, I''m fucking mad that he was retarded to the point of denying my offers to join EVEN after I showed him clearly that without my help, he would not have been able to be successful.

    "Oh, so how did he do it? I remember that they were on quite good terms back when the exam started."

    "I told him to man up and take her feelings into consideration and put on an act."

    "I see! So, Daniel confessed to Yulia and Yulia thought that he was being serious about it?"

    It seems that Sagasuga has finally grasped the first part of the story.

    There should be no second part of the story, naturally. All Daniel had to do was literally just break up with her and allow her to have her heart get broken, yet...

    "The fucking moron was too much of a pussy to just say to her face that she was nothing more than a tool so he didn''t break up with her and decided to let things play out."

    Sagasuga stopped eating as if he couldn''t believe the words that I had just said. Furthermore, his face was with an expression of exclamation, almost telling that Daniel''s action was quite stupid, which was.

    "I can''t believe it..."

    "But it gets worse, Sagasuga... On top of not being able to tell her, they progressed with this take relationship. Noticeably, I only really interacted with Daniel when it was around the festival''s time. I was too busy to see what he was up to. And that single flaw in my pattern managed to be lethal to me."

    "Because your absence was taken into consideration?"

    It''s all too good to be a coincidence, basically speaking. Even a fool could tell that driving my attention away from Yulia and Daniel would mean that my knowledge would become restricted.

    Yet, why Yulia? Why? Why? Why? What about her? Why would someone go through such lengths of messing with her mind that hard? This is the one question I cannot fucking give an answer to no matter how hard I try and think about it.

    Due to sheer irritation, I snapped the bear''s arm bone as I spoke loud to Sagasuga.

    "That''s right! But, fuck! I have no idea why someone would target Yulia in the first place! I observe every single one of them religiously but I never saw a single trace of hatred towards Yulia whatsoever! As a matter of fact, Yulia and Daniel were starting to interact more genuinely with each passing day..."

    "Wait, what?! That makes no sense. Daniel supposedly had no feelings for her at all, right?"

    "Yup. However, something happened that made him change in that circumstance. The dude seemed genuinely attracted to her."

    He no longer treated Yulia as some sort of tool for his own gain even though all along that was her primal purpose. It seems that Daniel tried to reject that idea and embraced the idea of love instead. How cute.

    So, how the fuck does this transition into suicide?

    "That''s very interesting, Kawahara... You probably already asked yourself this question a lot, but I can''t help but ask such a question."

    "I know. How does it go from a lovely healthy seemingly relationship to a horror-like scenario otherwise known as suicide?"

    Resuming his feast, Sagasuga pondered this question while taking a few bites. I wasn''t expecting him to give an answer relevant to the case, but he didn''t mind doing so, which shocked me, realistically.

    "Maybe Yulia found out about everything? How Daniel didn''t actually love her and so on?"

    "Right, I thought so too. Still, that''s not enough, no matter how you look at it. Unless you are extremely emotional, you should be able to move on from that, even if that means moving on to be a difficult task in the first place."

    "You could be wrong, Kawahara. I think if I were a girl and I found out that the guy that I had a crush on and was currently dating with, to the point where our relationship was fully blooming to perfection that I would be at my wit''s end. This aside, who exposed this?"

    Sagasuga''s essentially implying that I''m too much of a sociopath to think of someone''s emotions that deeply, but I don''t think so. I simply believe that other factors were in play, even if I have no concrete idea which ones.

    "No other person other than Daniel should know his situation. I don''t see Daniel as the type of person to speak his emotions to someone else. He''s not an emotional person and he is highly anti-social, so I don''t know."

    "What the hell? This is quite confusing, huh..."

    His eyebrows twisted upwards in order to illustrate his disbelief.

    "You are absolutely sure that no one else knew this? Because if someone else did, then the case is practically half-solved. By my theory, if someone else knew this, that someone could distort the facts here and create evidence so that Yulia would see an even more horrifying reality."

    "And I''m telling you, that doesn''t match Daniel''s personality. He''s not emotional; point. Cold-hearted to the touch."

    "I mean... If you really insist that''s the case, then sure. Either way, this is a really peculiar situation. It''s one thing to look for a killer, but to look for someone who has motivated a person to kill herself? We are not even looking for a killer, but someone who made someone else the killer of herself. Pretty clever, if you ask me. This whole circumstance."

    Oh please.

    "Don''t glorify this, Sagasuga."

    "No, really. It''s borderline genius if you were to ask me. Killing someone puts you in a way more dreadful position than prompting someone to kill herself. Truly criminal-like, honestly. However, it''s still wrong. So, I won''t glorify the morality of the action whatsoever. I was just referring to the overall rationality of the outcome. Anyways, let''s get this over with. We could chat up forever, but we need to go all the way to the ravine."

    "Point."

    With that said, we hurriedly ate everything that the bears could offer. I refused to eat the babies, but Sagasuga showed literally no remorse while doing the exact opposite of my action.

    Closing into the timeline of midday, we were about to be the subjects of scalenus temperatures yet I didn''t put my uniform on.

    Before leaving the area, we both agreed on taking a shower at the waterfall for hygiene''s sake. Even if we both knew that just washing our hairs with water alone couldn''t be fully classified as hygiene.

    Notwithstanding the idea of inactivity, we ultimately started to march towards the ravine; a place that I had already been on. Firstly, I presented Sagasuga with the view of the beach by going through the tight rift below the ravine''s sinuous high blindspot.

    "Hm... Well, this won''t do, right? It''s too vast. I think we should follow your superstition, Kawahara."

    "I''m glad you don''t object to it."

    Such superstition was already implied yet put more concretely, my superstition dictates that the clown behind this was all the way above on that eminently defensive blindspot that would give him an upper edge on us.

    Regardless, that was the original plan of action. Should Sagasuga have objected to my plan, then I would argue. It saves time since he didn''t.

    Upon our mutual agreement, we went back and entered forest ground once again. This time, we were isolated from a rocky surface and embraced the earth''s concrete. Naturally, we had to climb up just a little bit until we got to the top of the ravine. There were two sides of the ravine, one to the right and one to the left, but I concluded that only the left side of it had the most advantageous blind spot.

    As we reached there, we both couldn''t believe what had awaited us beyond the rustic bushes shielding the ravine''s dangerous bay.

    "No way..."

    "Motherfucker..."

    Although our reactions were identical, my reaction was undoubtedly the most aggressive, since I could not believe nor I wanted to believe the scenario at hand.

    Right at the bay of the horrid stark ravine lied a mini box that we were both familiar with. A box that, under normal circumstances, should only be obtained through the cooperation of another person.

    The moment Sagasuga attempted to approach the edge of the ravine, I stopped him by placing my right hand on his left shoulder.

    "Wait just a second. The bay could be fragile and falling from this height is by no means a joke."

    "Do you have some plan in my, Kawahara?"

    "Well, let''s test its durability."

    There was no way that I would just quit on this. After all, a word box was right in front of me. I''ve thought for a second that there might''ve been more words than just ten since that''s most likely the complete number of words given that there are only ten boys in the class and in this exam.

    I grabbed a boulder that was nearby the edge swiftly and threw it to the ground in order to test the durability of the bay and as it turns out, it was incredibly fragile. As a consequence, the box fell off the cliff all the way to the beach''s sand; thankfully not the stream.

    Seeing the result, we hurried back down and got to where the box was.

    Not opening it straight away, we stared at it for a while and we both took out our respective boxes and compared the design to it.

    "No doubt, the design is the same."

    Sagasuga was already on terms with the possibility of the box containing a word, so he was starting to approach the box.

    However, because I was prematurely overwhelmed with joy, I reached out to the box faster than Sagasuga did and opened the box.

    The thought of simply having the eighth word made my body a slave to that desire and I thought of nothing else in the process.

    "......."

    Making an abrupt silence, Sagasuga sighed very heavily.

    "Guy''s got a bad taste in jokes, I swear."

    "..........er..........."

    "Kawahara...?"

    Pomping veins from both my legs and hands started to emerge to my skin''s surface subsequently as I crushed the box with my own right hand through a thorough grip which almost annihilated the box''s existence.

    Following that up, I took a big breath and I started it.

    "Motherfucker! Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you! You think this shit is funny to you!? I will fucking scourge your throat and make you regret the fucking day you were born, coward! Fucking stop playing tricks and fucking face me because I will fucking decimate you when I meet you! You can fucking hide but I will hunt you down, prick!! You can even hide that paper on your asshole and it won''t even matter, but I will fuck you up so hard and put you through worlds of pain that will make you wish you were fucking dead, clown!!"

    Ending the rant that echoed throughout the island, I initiated the action of inhaling profoundly as Sagasuga was standing at a distance of two meters away from me. I couldn''t see his face because I was breathing heavily with my eyes on the yellow ground.

    "Whew, that''s the Kawahara I know."

    "Shut the fuck up. I''m not in the mood, Sagasuga."

    "Hey, I''m mad too. I was seriously hoping to find a word, not an empty box. Guy''s fucking asking for it..."

    In light of the current event, Sagasuga''s face resembled a similar rage to mine.

    I punched the sand until I felt better and calmer, which took me a few minutes, but eventually, I elevated my posture and looked up to the cerulean sky above, and inhaled deeply.

    "Better?"

    "This is no longer a quest for cooperation. One of those four has their time counted."

    "Plan of action?"

    Hearing Sagasuga''s request for a plan of action, I looked at the horizon that featured a seemingly infinite source of oceanic water, but then I looked to our left and then to our right. To our right, there were mountains afar and even a grand waterfall, so gigantically vast that it could be seen from here. Nonetheless, I decided that the path we would take would be to our left since we were approaching an area full of caves which; outside of the cave underneath the waterfall, was a habitat that we had not been in.

    Dictated by my natural interest, I pointed in the direction of my eyesight; to the left which provoked a comment from Sagasuga.

    "Caves? Think we''ll find something here?"

    "My hunch tells me so."

    "Can I make a joke here?"

    "If it''s about an empty box, then shut the hell up."

    "Worth the shot."

    Provided that my mood was less unstable right now in comparison to a while ago, I started to walk far more slowly than Sagasuga. From my right direction, clouds started to paint gray in the current cerulean sky, which indicated signals of rain.

    I took ahold of my bag again and instead of putting it on my back, I limited myself to hold it by its edge as I thought of a certain possibility. The corners of my lips drastically increased and contrasted my normal expression far more than it should''ve.

    You are laughing right now, aren''t you? Yeah, I bet you are. You think you are so much better just because you have one tiny advantage over me. Just because I don''t know who you are.

    Play as many cowardly tricks as you want.

    Laugh as much as you possibly can.

    It won''t be long until I emerge above you and laugh even harder.

 Volume 19 - Chapter 127: Black Pathology.

    "What are the odds of this being yet another trap?"

    "We either discover or we don''t. Not much of an option. Still, does it require a key or some sort?"

    "From the looks of it, it has a gateway control. Look here. All we gotta do is press it."

    To be more specific, we are standing in an area that quickly became the opposite of the atmosphere of what we are familiar with yet. Heat and lack of room to freely breathe oxygen weren''t elements spread throughout the entrance of this cave. Correction; mine.

    At first glance, I had assumed that this was a cave only due to its entrance, but now that I look at the rich mitral possessing the mine''s gate affinity, it became clear that the interpretation of this place being a cave was nothing more than a deceptive interpretation of mine.

    Unlike a normal cave with a dark beginning and perhaps humid ground, we couldn''t even begin to enter it because there was a gate right at the start. Much like a prison cell, the gate had similar identical features to it; having bars from all the way to the top of the entrance to the end. Furthermore, what contrasts greatly the mine from where we stand now; which is still sandy beach property is that what lies ahead beyond the gate is artificial turquoise ground made up of enigmatic shapes. The main difference to capture is that it would be a stable ground for us to venture into.

    Knowing that, Sagasuga and I couldn''t help but be alerted since the scenario ahead differs far too much from the wild savage life that we are used to it.

    Alternatively, it looked as if there was a gateway switch next to the right edge of the bars; yet again bearing similances to that of a prison cell''s switch. Normally, this would imply that we would need a key to open it, but Sagasuga just opened it by manipulating the maneuver from up to down which unlocked the gate immediately to my surprise.

    "Doesn''t this look way too artificial and man-made?"

    I asked that question to Sagasuga as we crossed the entrance slowly; being cautious of potential unknown threats. Simultaneously, we were blessed with a haphazardous cold that was so cold that it felt like blissful rejuvenation. Before Sagasuga could answer, he did the same as I which was no other than the action of steadily inhaling the glacial oxygen that the mine had to offer.

    "Feels good... But yeah, Kawahara, this is completely different from anything we have witnessed so far. Which can only mean..."

    "Yeah..."

    Noticing the quick change in temperatures, Sagasuga and I didn''t hesitate to put our uniform pieces back to our bodies. Put more truthfully, it was I who went through the most change. Sagasuga just put his shoes back along with his socks. I had to undress my skirt and put everything back on. Even the initial uncomfortable uniform tie.

    "Ready?"

    Sagasuga had been looking at me as I put everything in its place and upon ultimately witnessing my backpack enlacing to my back, he finally spoke.

    "Naturally."

    The architecture of unknown times bare naked to our eyes started to unravel its pattern with each step we took. A golden stair of four layers was not far from us as there was no option but to go forward. There were two ways around the stair; however. We could either descend from the stairs on the right and left side of the four-layered stair without having to go through the layers or we could just descend the stair normally.

    Most mines would remain unenigmatic throughout their entirety yet this entrance was beyond enigmatic as there were elements of wondrous coal to be served as demonstrations of man-made masterpieces. Particularly covered with a dark shade of gold; towering spade-shaped four avenues stood tall before we could progress forward to the linear path.

    Furthermore, the ceiling was bearing a vast vertical distance which invited the question of knowing where we were walking under, currently? More concretely, if we were to walk on the island''s savage atmosphere right now, where would we be right now? Because as far as I am concerned, this is undoubtedly underground. Lastly, there was just one thing that caught my attention.

    "Why is there a door up there so high up?"

    "Yeah, now that you mention it, Kawahara... It''s right in front of the avenues too; in the middle."

    We looked towards the door that was locked the exact same way as the gate. Precisely speaking, through bars. Looking at it closely, the door stood around 20 meters above us, but there was something else about it that didn''t quite make sense to us.

    "But there isn''t a way to get there. It''s in front of the avenues which are about 10 meters away from it and it''s impossible to jump from all the way from the avenue to the door."

    "And besides, that''s only if you are on top of the avenue pillars which are around 20 meters tall, right?"

    "True, Sagasuga. Quite enigmatic..."

    If there was a way for us to be able to connect to the height of those pillars and then reduce the distance between the pillars and the door, then we could open the door, possibly. I am not sure whether it will open itself just like the entrance gate did, but if there is something we already know is that no door is under two difficult scenarios for no reason. It is highly likely that such a door will hold the answer to something crucial to the exam.

    Plus, ignoring the fact that this mine reeks of artificiality is not an option. If something is artificial while this whole island is by far the most genuine natural piece, then it means that the ones behind the program and this exam most likely intended that we found this mine.

    Acknowledging this, I got the goosebumps.

    "Why a mine though?"

    "Hell if I know, Sagasuga. As far as I''m concerned mines hold the utility of extracting natural minerals or constructing ways to travel through."

    "I see... Well, that could be an option. Maybe this mine is an alternative?"

    "What do you mean?"

    As I questioned Sagasuga, we were walking down the long vertical hall covered with geoglyphs and materialistic representations of ancient architecture that I was having trouble identifying. My knowledge regarding architecture isn''t the greatest, but I knew that if I could identify some of the patterns here that it could give me an answer of some sort.

    Yet throughout the hall, I could not figure out what these bizarre geoglyphs represented in the first place. On the occasional sight, lines would differ along with the patterns but the geoglyphs gave no clues whatsoever. The symbols were utterly unknown to my knowledge and there weren''t any animals or godly figures molded right into it. Pure arcadian-like architecture consumed this hall in its grace.

    "Just a guess but this mine; if long, could be a far stable place that offers conditions that the island wouldn''t. For example, the temperature here is fairly balanced. I dare say that the current temperature is around 20 degrees Celsius. Yet a while ago outside, the temperatures threatened mighty fourth degrees. This is good."

    "You''re assuming that this isn''t just a mine but something else entirely? Like a hidden city?"

    Then, Sagasuga stopped his tracks midway through the hall which was being perpetually influenced by a rising tide of calm air.

    Subsequently, he looked towards the end of this hall and the elements of ancient architecture within the hall before speaking.

    "Maybe this is actually a lost civilization?"

    "I doubt it. I am only saying I doubt it and not flat out denying it because the architecture here is utterly unrecognizable and I consider myself to be someone fluent in architecture."

    "How far does your knowledge in architecture run in your veins, Kawahara?"

    Given that I was walking slowly, just like Sagasuga, I stopped my march and looked at him by turning my back on the path on the north; thus redirecting myself south.

    "Vernacular, prehistoric, ancient, Asian, Islam, middle ages, renaissance, early modern and modern architectures would be all I know."

    "That''s quite a lot. And you are telling me despite knowing all of that, you can''t identify anything here?"

    I puzzled my arms and shook my head to symbolize that I didn''t.

    "Look, the fact that I don''t know it means that it''s partial to all my knowledge yet the structure looks absolutely ancient and not modern."

    "True enough. If I were to say, this is far more ancient than something modern like we are familiar with."

    We resumed our tracks after that trade of words.

    Admittedly, once we got to the end of the hall, an even vaster hall held its reign strongly.

    A small right side that would lead to a dead end was nothing to be alarmed of, unlike a particular feature that this hall''s ground had and the previous one didn''t.

    "Really now? Railways? But I don''t see any train or at least some sort of carriage."

    Sagasuga wasn''t quite looking further ahead, so I enlightened him on something that I had already taken into consideration and absorbed into my own knowledge just by glancing towards the seemingly endless hall to our left.

    "The railway doesn''t just go towards the end of the hall, Sagasuga. As far as I can tell, there is at least one conjunction that makes the railway go down to the left up ahead."

    If I were to illustrate in a map, thus far we have entered a mine that had a staircase of four layers adjoined with side slim staircases without layers. Then, we went forth towards a semi-long hall that had a very linear end. And now, we are in a horizontal hall that has a right dead end with a massively vast left side to explore. Put even more simply, it''s the equivalent of walking into a linear vertical line and then colliding with a horizontal line.

    More importantly, the height of the ceiling had drastically decreased in comparison with the initial colossal difference in height when it comes to the beginning hall.

    "So we follow the railways, yes?"

    "No, we will explore every corner. We won''t limit ourselves."

    "I agree with that line of action. Now, could it be that he knows about this mine and he''s leading here on purpose?"

    "No shit..."

    This whole scenario is pissing me off so bad. Under no circumstance would I actually downright play into someone''s palms like this, but the fact that I have little to no knowledge of this island and this mine means that I have no option but to make discoveries. Even if that means getting baited.

    Something I forgot to mention is that the illumination of this mine is purely reliant on the reflection of the luminous architecture buried in the halls'' walls. It is so powerful in terms of illumination that it creates a devastating contrast to the lingering shadows ever-present in this mine.

    Shards of unknown minerals varying from color to color emit a stark light in each of them to the point of blessing this dark hall with sufficient passage.

    Railways of unknown substance served as our guide until we walked midway the hall and found out that although a railway diverged to the north way, which would essentially mean south; by initial standards. Alas, the railway was nonetheless connected to yet another linear railway that would go all the way to the end of the hall.

    "You were right, Kawahara. This railway does have one conjunction."

    As soon as Sagasuga attempted to praise me, I corrected him while kneeling down just so I could further see the horizontal breach that would dictate whether or not the railway would go all the way to the end of the hall or if it would yet again diverge. Through a quick discovery, I was able to label something else.

    "Wrong. It has one more. There''s possibly a dual path ahead."

    Copying my action, Sagasuga kneeled down and gained the knowledge of yet another conjunction within the railways not far away from our current location.

    "That''s true. Then, wanna split?"

    "No. Firstly, we''ll explore this hall completely and then..."

    Then what? These halls aren''t exactly small. As a matter of fact, their lengths are extensive. Meaning that if the dual halls have the exact same length then we would be wasting a lot of time. But I believe that''s better than being split up with Sagasuga, as he could run away with his words. Nothing tells me that he hasn''t been here before. He could just be faking his lack of knowledge and try to elude me through his "persuasion", potentially.

    "Hm?"

    But as I look at him, I can''t trace signals of lies. It''s not often that I don''t trust my intuition but I won''t this time. Therefore, I''ll rely on cold logic.

    "Let''s go forward and see the end of this hall, then we will take the other conjunction and see where it leads. If it''s a dual path with the same length, then it will most likely have the same end too."

    "That''s why I suggested that we spl-"

    I interrupted him without a second thought.

    "No means no. Or what? Do you have a problem with my pattern of action here?"

    "I was just trying to make faster progress but you seem far more skeptical than before. More cynical too. Your eyes are tired, Kawahara."

    Putting a silent front, I went forward as Sagasuga did the same.

    This could all be a setup. If Sagasuga is somehow aligned with the one behind this, then I am being manipulated right now. I need to further analyze Sagasuga''s pattern of action. Is he trying to create a diversion in order to screw my progress?

    I don''t know.

    It''s terrifying having such an abysmal lack of knowledge, but I cannot falter here.

    With that in mind, we quickly arrived at the end of the horizontal hall, and just before it could end, we came across the other dual path. We then consequently looked towards the hall and it wasn''t linear whatsoever. Just a few meters in, through my vision, I was able to detect a curve, which was not in the other dual path. It''s different and it most likely holds a different end. It is not a coincidence that the structure has changed. Surely, they can end in the same destination yet if such was the case, then wouldn''t it make more sense to build two very linear paths that would unite both conjunctions?

    I think so, therefore...

    "Sagasuga, let''s go through the other linear hall."

    "Why?"

    Sagasuga pierced my veil with his eyes of undying curiosity and at that moment alone, I started to make up lies and limited Sagasuga''s knowledge regarding my honest opinion. From this point onwards, it would be crucial that I didn''t offer Sagasuga advanced pieces of information and would then allow him to only further realize later on upon witnessing with his own two eyes.

    Going ultra-silent right off the bat will raise suspicion, so this is the correct line of play.

    Ergo, the moment my footsteps baptized the shivering ground of rails in the sequence of going back to the initial dual path, I lied.

    "You were right in the sense where they most likely have the same end. So, by going through the first one we would be able to go back a lot faster and then progress towards the other hall. If by some chance this hall on the right doesn''t have the same end, then we would be going towards a different path. That''s why the initial position is preferable, just in case."

    Though this doesn''t completely qualify as a lie, I call it half-truth.

    "I see. In the odd case that the paths don''t collide, we can just find out everything about the first path''s content. Then again, doesn''t the same apply to this one?"

    This was easy to counter.

    "The reasoning does apply, however, it''s preferable to take the path closest to the entrance because if we go deep enough into the second hall then we might find other paths and be stuck. We don''t want that, so we will take the first dual hall, alright?"

    "Okay, sure."

    Shortly after, we reached the first hall''s entrance that did not have a gate whatsoever. It was a pure linear hall with the direction of going down south.

    Embodying the exact same architectural structure from all the halls thus far, nothing but a singular linear path was all this hall offered.

    Oddly though, the end of the linear hall that went down south for quite a while brought forth a new natural perspective.

    "Light...? What?"

    Sagasuga couldn''t help but wonder why we were witnessing traces of solar light at the end of this hall. The source of the solar light was coming all the way from our right side and Sagasuga wanted to rush off towards where the light was coming from, but I didn''t let him with a persistent hold on his right shoulder.

    "Wait, Sagasuga. Don''t fall into the curiosity. We must first check the entirety of this hall."

    "Seriously? If there is a light above then that means we are closer to the end."

    "That''s exactly my point... There''s no rush here, let''s just explore instead of seeking a way out."

    In addition to my point, there is yet another dual path. Supposedly, if where the solar source of energy is coming from is the outside atmosphere, then we have little to no reason to seek a way out.

    "Wasn''t our primary goal coming to this mine chasing after the guy anyway?"

    Why is he trying to argue with me here? It''s as if he''s telling me that we have nothing to gain here. In other words, implying that he has been here before. Well, if such is the case...

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    "Our goal changed. It''s important to see where the railway actually ends and if there is some sort of carriage that can support our traveling. If there is one, then the necessity of traveling this mine by foot becomes optional."

    "...Fair enough. It''s not my fault if the guy gets away, alright?"

    "He already did."

    That aside, I turned to my left side and saw yet another dead end. Interestingly, just like the upper hall on the north side, the railways here also had a dead end to the left. However, there were two dual railways just like in the upper hall too. Furthermore, the railways were evenly split into two conjunctions the moment we stepped into this destination. Naturally, one of the conjunctions goes to the left where there is a dead end. As for the other, it goes to the right, where the beyond tells me the exact opposite of a dead end.

    "So, if the other path is really dual, then there will be a connection up ahead, right?"

    "If it is, Sagasuga."

    Our minds had marked the short-lived goal of verifying whether or not the path was genuinely dual as we walked through the railways which had black glossy mini-sized pillars separating both of them. It further excelled in keeping a somewhat large distance between the two railways which would then make it impossible for collisions, should carriages intertwine the same path.

    Nevertheless, what we found was not a dual path, but just the continuation of the hall.

    "Christ, you were right, Kawahara. If we had taken that path, then we would probably be lost already. You still remember the way out, right? Hm... I wish we had paper and a pen. Then, we would be able to make a map on our own."

    "We will never be blessed with something as artificial as a paper and a pen. Ink is a different matter though. Regardless, the fact that we didn''t even get a map of this island in the first place already means that they are short on fucks to give when it comes to us."

    Now, if there was no dual path, then would we turn back? Hell no.

    "Sagasuga, let''s check out the light source, but if it leads to the outside of this mine, then we will go back."

    So far, this research has been unsuccessful, but I refuse to believe that this mine doesn''t contain anything to offer. If there is something we already know is that the door that was beyond our reach in the beginning hall could have something that might turn out to be crucial.

    But that creates an even bigger mystery. Could this mine have some sort of method that will make us be able to reach that door? Or maybe, it''s something as simple as following the other path which could lead to that door from the other side.

    Wouldn''t that explain why it was impossible to reach that door in the first place?

    "You''re kidding me..."

    On most occasions, Sagasuga is the first one to express his shock, but I took his place this time as I couldn''t believe what exhibited outside of the gate. That''s right; just like the entrance, we were caged inside the outer atmosphere due to the fact that bars were showing their fangs to us, ultimately keeping us from advancing any further.

    That still nonetheless didn''t exactly mean that we couldn''t see what lied beyond. It was precisely because I could see what lied beyond that I bothered to express my shock in the first place.

    "A bridge...? This just keeps on getting more confusing, I swear."

    "It''s not just any bridge, Sagasuga. If you look further you can see two linear dual staircases connected from the sidelines of the bridge. Plus, by the end of the bridge... Oh wait, I can''t see it."

    "Yeah, what the hell man, I can''t see it as well. It''s too far away."

    Sagasuga tried to envision as much as possible, but he couldn''t.

    I lied just now. I did see what lied beyond the bridge and the information was so crucial that I had to hold my breath almost instantly without showing any sort of a surprise in my facial expression.

    Looking away, I reflected on this new information. What was this new information? Well, the end of the upcoming bridge mirrors the same end game like this one. Alternatively speaking, it''s another mine! Now, why would there be another mine up ahead if much like the initial gate this one has a maneuver that can be manipulated thus granting us the entrance?

    ...Unless...

    "..."

    Upholding permanent silence, I took a step back and looked firmly to the maneuver to see if it had any different functions from the previous maneuver. Similarities such as a manipulation switch and a rustic appearance could be witnessed. Nothing else was added to the contrast. Even so, I didn''t move an inch, to see if Sagasuga would press the switch before I did.

    Would it be that easy to simply access what lies beyond the bridge? We don''t even know where exactly the solar light is coming from. Our vision is blocked due to the roof of the gate. Only by advancing can we move on from the ceiling and determine the point of the solar source.

    "Kawahara? Do you not want to press the switch?"

    He was prompting me into doing the action that I was trying to make him do it. Something told me that accessing the bridge was not possible. Supposedly, I know nothing about this, but if there is something hidden on the other side, then wouldn''t it make the most plausible sense for this gateway to not open up?

    "Do you?"

    "That''s what I''m asking you, Kawahara."

    "And I''m asking you, Sagasuga. Don''t you want to see the source of this light?"

    "What are you playing at exactly?"

    I smirked a little bit.

    His actions have been slightly suspicious thus far. However, he could simply make me not view him as a suspectable suspect if he obeys my original line of thought. Here is the catch: by acting as if he really wants to see what lies beyond this gate, he would be accepting his own goal earlier which was to see if there was someone else beyond this gate. On the other hand, by acting according to my plan, he would be abandoning the primary idea. Why would he do that?

    Accordingly, Sagasuga is a smart individual. I consider him as someone who has his own individualism. I therefore minimally acknowledge him. The rational deceiving lie here would be to act according to his primal idea so that I wouldn''t suspect him and as such, he will attempt to portray behavior that is connected with his primary idea.

    "I am just confirming your intentions. If you want to go ahead and confirm if there is someone ahead, then I will abandon the idea of exploring the entirety. After all, the other path could be a simple dead end. Time could be nigh. Make your decision, leader."

    He tried to not look skeptical but for a second I caught a glimpse of his suspective glare on my entirety. In the end, he replied just the way I expected it.

    "Alright then. I''ll follow my idea."

    Expectedly, he didn''t want to raise any suspicions whatsoever. I don''t care what anyone thinks of this situation but Sagasuga''s suspicion just has raised further and further. Now, let''s see if all the pieces fall in.

    "...Weird, the maneuver worked but the gate lock won''t unlock itself. It''s no good, Kawahara, this is locked."

    How very clever.

    "What a shame, isn''t it, Sagasuga?"

    "Indeed. Shall we take the other path then?"

    For fuck''s sake... This guy isn''t even trying!

    "Haha..."

    "...? Is something in the matter, Kawahara?"

    Jokingly, I laughed out loud for a bit which provoked yet another skeptical reaction out of Sagasuga. I''m not going insane nor am I paranoid, but I have a very big hunch that will be confirmed by going along with Sagasuga''s train of thought, so I''ll quickly compose myself and follow Sagasuga all the way to the other path on the north side.

    "No, nothing!"

    Eventually, we returned to the north side of the mine and turned to the left where we were blessed with the other path. The single curved path that would invite us to somewhere else that we supposedly had no knowledge of. Yet, I''m convinced that Sagasuga is quite the clever bastard at the moment.

    Successfully, he flawlessly led me into thinking that this was something that he didn''t have knowledge of. Rather--- he successfully displayed the stance of someone utterly dumb who was discovering a place for the first place. Naturally speaking, if you were already in a place where you have been before, you would unconsciously elaborate your knowledge, however, Sagasuga managed to successfully restrict himself.

    Alas, my theory is flawed thus far.

    "You''ve been oddly silent thus far, Kawahara. Are you not going to share your impression on the current scenario?"

    Sagasuga is indeed right. I have been too silent.

    We are just about to cross the curve which would mean that Sagasuga already knew about this. If he has been here before, then he knew from the start that the path I chose was a dead one. In other words, the place where he gains something is just up ahead.

    I need to display an attitude that tells him that I don''t know this nor that I am conspiring against him in any possible manner.

    "No, I was just thinking as to why the gate back then didn''t open. I mean, what gives, right? If we can enter the first gate, then how come we can''t pass through the second one, right? Unless... Unless there is a specific path that would lead to a maneuver that could operate the other maneuver. You know, basic stuff, am I right? Hahaha!"

    Ohhhhhhhhh!!

    I saw it, I saw it. For barely a single second, Sagasuga''s sharp glance became so serious that I almost burst out from laughing. The cracks started to show themselves. Very nice, nice. Taking that into consideration, I am probably right, even if that was just a wild guess. After all, even though it''s a wild guess, there has to be a way to unlock the maneuver down below. Is it that strange to even think that there is another path of action here that revolves around another maneuver?

    Now, let''s think a bit here. In accordance with my theory, if Sagasuga already knew about this mine ahead of time, what would he think about what I had just said?

    "Was that just a lucky guess?"

    "Or was Kawahara already here before?"

    "If so, then, is he leading me into believing that he hasn''t?"

    See? I too can fucking play that game...

    "That could be it... Though, why would there be another maneuver in the first place? Just for the sake of complication? Or is it perhaps connected to that door we saw?"

    "I wouldn''t know, honestly."

    Mercilessly, Sagasuga kept on assaulting me with his serious monstrous glare with every cold word in his explicit speech. Meanwhile, although the path was slightly curved at first, it simply contained two curves. The first curve was inclined to the right. After that, there was a linear path once again, which then turned into a curve to the left. In conclusion, if you take out the curves, it is linear, because it''s essentially going to end the same way.

    Or not.

    Of course, the path wouldn''t end in the same way. It was already witnessed that such was not the case. This path was naturally far different and on the second curve to the left, after a short linear path, appeared a third curve to the right. However, the curve itself strangely twisted itself and started to go all the way to the north. It was no wonder it didn''t connect with the other path, the diversion made it impossible to.

    From time to time, midst this silence, Sagasuga would cross glances with me. He''s suspecting me, currently. I have implied that I have knowledge of this mine because my guess wasn''t off the mark. If such is the case, then I might as well step my game up.

    "Hey, Sagasuga?"

    "Yeah, what''s up, man?"

    "I was thinking and what if... What if our words are connected to this mine, somehow? Sorta like how they could serve as passwords?"

    Sagasuga''s response gave me such a jubilant joy just from him going all the way to stopping his tracks to the point of his eyes supremely widening in shock.

    Compelling enough, he regained his posture and redirected his shock from another complete perspective.

    "That''s genius, Kawahara! Could that imply that the words have a secondary usage, after all?"

    "After all?"

    Capitalizing on that tongue slip of his, I stepped in ruthlessly. Being caught in a wave of missteps, Sagasuga tried to correct himself as much as possible while making sure that he wouldn''t leak out any sort of reaction that could indicate his knowledge about this mine.

    Although, it''s completely useless. I am this close to buying the idea completely.

    "Er, you know, the words have to serve a purpose, don''t they?"

    Here, I could''ve capitalized on the fact that Sagasuga just said that the words supposedly serve a purpose. The important thing to notice is that if they do serve a purpose, then that purpose is primary. In no conceivable way is it implied that they serve any sort of secondary usage.

    Yet Sagasuga went an extra mile to deliberately say that there is a chance that they do have a secondary usage.

    This means that the fucker is firmly aware of their primary usage and... If that implication wasn''t random, then he could very well be saying that the words have more than one purpose; outside of the one, he supposedly knows.

    I could just speak my mind right here and now, but why? I supposedly know nothing about this.

    But to him, I am a suspect that knows about this mine, right? Therefore, I''ll cast a serious glance just like Sagasuga, as if I''m suspecting him, which will only further increase his suspicion.

    Even if I actually don''t know what he knows.

    "True enough, Sagasuga. Anyways, I''ll pull the switch this time. You''ve done it twice."

    "...Okay..."

    A rather meek response, but it was intentional from me to create such a response in the first place. By not showing any sort of initiative during the first switch and the second switch, I have implied that I know nothing of this mine. HOWEVER, this time around, since we are most likely at the grand final destination, I have to imply that I have been here before and so, taking the initiative to make Sagasuga paranoid is only but necessary and essential.

    More accurately elaborating... We stumbled on yet another gate that had a maneuver similar to all the rest. If the maneuver did not work, then all the work thus far would leave many questions, but it would go against common sense for this maneuver to not work.

    In view of that, with a firm hold on the upper maneuver, I brought down the switch which unlocked the gate; unlike the previous one.

    "Oh, what? This one works? Who would''ve thought..."

    Sarcastically, I said that to Sagasuga who was trying his best to put up a calm front, but I bet that he''s internally asking himself questions regarding what I could potentially be plotting.

    I don''t blame you, Sagasuga. You are up against someone who likes the ideology of lies.

    Ultimately not replying to my sarcastic words, Sagasuga went inside as I did too to find out what lied ahead.

    I''ll admit to thinking that there was going to be yet another hall ahead of us, however, I did not expect this.

    "A computer?"

    Given that I was taking the initiative, I fired that question at Sagasuga by looking towards the entirety of our current location. Further elements such as two gates; one on each side of the computer machine, were able to be absorbed into my knowledge.

    Brutally contrasting the abrasive extensive halls with long lengths that we have walked into before, this was more of a room than an actual hall. Simply put, all it had was a computer machine ahead of us with two gates serving perhaps independent separate purposes. Aside from that, it was the gate where we just walked in. A very short location, therefore.

    "Now that''s surprising. I thought this island wasn''t relying on technology yet to find a computer here... Let''s check it, Kawahara."

    "Sure thing."

    It''s not surprising at all. This mine is artificial. If you are under an artificial atmosphere, then where is the surprise in seeing a piece of technology?

    Purposedly though, Sagasuga went ahead and demanded that we both checked out.

    This is it. His whole plot is summed up to this moment.

    But, haven''t I been too nice lately?

    I have, haven''t I?

    I played into the palm of his hands too much, so it''s about time I continue my facade.

    Supposedly, as Sagasuga approaches the computer machine, one could tell that he is about to reveal information to me which would then make me reveal information to him that would benefit him. So, in accordance, I have to act as if I am in his place right now. Otherwise, this is over.

    "Wait, Sagasuga..."

    "Hm...?"

    Preoccupied with something on his mind, Sagasuga slowly but surely stopped walking towards the machine and faced me with a mixture of calm and perplexity all over his facial expression.

    "I was thinking that maybe this machine requires you to put out a password."

    "Yeah, same. That''s what we talked about not long ago. Why bring that up now, Kawahara?"

    Now, if I had to make yet another gamble in regards to the accuracy of the odds here...

    "Because we might not have the correct password."

    "What do you mean? We have six words, the chances are high."

    Notice how he doesn''t explain his second sentence at all. He already bought the idea that I know about this place. Or... he is on the verge to buy it.

    Resuming; the words are apparently passwords or some kind and having a high number increases the chances. Of what, exactly?

    I have to make something up here, otherwise, my facade will fall.

    "We might fail nonetheless. It''s too early to attempt this, Sagasuga."

    "Attempt what, Kawahara?"

    And now he''s attempting to confirm my knowledge, which I have none.

    Puzzled, I crossed my arms in sequence.

    "...I can''t tell. You might be recording this and exposing that sort of information is..."

    "...I see. Ah, man. You beat me to it. But how? I even had that beach from the ravine as my starting point. What gives?"

    !

    He fucking bought it. Holy shit, it happened!

    No, no! Control yourself! You can''t laugh, not even for a damn second.

    Stiffen your expression and don''t let your emotions control your body movements.

    Breathe deeply and then...

    "I was allocated just a little further on the east, Sagasuga. I also arrived before you did. In-between that gap, I had already explored this area."

    Not true. I was allocated precisely the furthest away from here.

    However, more importantly, Sagasuga, frustrated, got on his knees and almost wept out of comedy.

    "What the hell!? I thought for sure I was the only one who had this mine to his knowledge!"

    Without Sagasuga noticing, I was punching my back with my right hand.

    In order to avoid laughing, I need to give my brain and body something else to focus on. Strong physical trauma will alert my body drastically thus diverging from the very crude fact that I can barely contain myself right now.

    "Well then. You most likely came here with the same purpose as I did, Kawahara."

    "What did you expect? It wasn''t something I could just miss out on."

    "I can see that now. Good job pretending to not know anything about this. You even went as far as making me believe that you knew nothing about the ravine."

    "I know it breaks your heart, but it wasn''t anything personal."

    Chit-chat aside, we directed ourselves to the computer machine. Realistically speaking, it was just a monitor attached to a keyboard face-up. It had no cables whatsoever. Which meant that it was running on a long-term battery. Such things are not cheap, by any means.

    Sagasuga took the lead and kept on delivering information crucial to my knowledge.

    "I was lucky, honestly. During the first day, after witnessing this machine, I just had to wander towards another mine and far to the east I found another one and went through the same process. As you already know, I couldn''t make full utility out of this mine because my word isn''t the corresponding one. That''s why I was lucky. Because my word was the corresponding one in that mine I told you about."

    With haste, I had to absorb this new information as fast as possible.

    First of all, there are other mines out there on this island. If beyond that bridge lies yet another mine, then there is a very high chance of there being ten mines in total. The essence of my reasoning as to why there are ten mines comes from the additional information Sagasuga just told me, that being: the mines correspond to a word and if such is the case, then the chances that there are ten mines in total becomes more and more credible.

    Nonetheless, this raises the question. Why was Sagasuga lucky? I could make this question, but Sagasuga seemed deeply inclined in explaining more.

    "But this mine isn''t corresponding with my word, so I had to gather more. It''s just, there is one very big problem, as you can see here."

    On the screen, there was a digital keyboard where you could type anything and insert that word to see if it corresponded. Below was a message that said: "You only have two more tries".

    In other words, Sagasuga had already blown up one of the opportunities like that.

    "As you already know, there are only three tries, so at first, I tried my word and utterly failed. Though, I''m surprised, Kawahara. You are really cautious. I mean, you didn''t even try it."

    Following my facade, I constructed more fabrication to my lie.

    "I did think at first, but three times is a little bit risky, you know?"

    "Frankly, looking back at it, it was an impulsive action. I should''ve saught the others first BEFORE attempting."

    This explains why Sagasuga formed a group with Tatsu and Tsudo. He is more than clever, I must admit. Pulling something of this level isn''t exactly the easiest thing in the world.

    "No use in regretting it now. It''s weird though. How come you were able to unlock the password of the other mine but not this one? I thought that the fact that you were allocated near this mine would imply that this time would be the one correspondent to your word..."

    "Are you saying there''s possibly a pattern?"

    "A clue would be nice, honestly... Anyway, what do you plan on doing? Are you going to try your luck, Sagasuga?"

    Despite us staring at the screen, none of us had typed anything. Sagasuga, however, wanted to, but he reasoned something first.

    "I think it would''ve been too easy if the password was something under a specific number of letters. For example, you have two words that are: "the". If the password input was under a three-digit label, it would be crystal clear that the match would be compatible yet that''s not the case."

    Sagasuga''s reasoning leaves me with an even bigger question. If Sagasuga and the mine his word was allocated towards were not close to each other, then what is tying them together? Nothing?

    No, that''s impossible. I know for a fact that this is simply a hidden criterion of this exam. They refuse to give us fair treatment so we are forced to think through situations like this with our brains; long and hard.

    Just to make sure of something, I struck Sagasuga with a question.

    "What did you learn from that mine, exactly? Your word worked, right? Something must''ve happened."

    "Yeah, I was going to get there. Although the structure of the mine was different from this one, I did obtain something there."

    "Well, what?"

    It''s been confirmed by Sagasuga that you can actually obtain something if your word corresponds with the mine''s machine input.

    To demonstrate what he had obtained, he took the object out of his bag. I felt slightly dumb as I realized the ultimate truth behind the object.

    "I fucking knew it was too good to be true."

    "Look, I had to lie about the ax, obviously. If I were to spread such valuable information to them, then it could lead to scenarios of disadvantage."

    It''s not as if I bought the story about his ax before, but now this makes sense. Still...

    "I don''t get it. Your reward was an ax, which is controversial, but is the mine''s structure different in regards to our current location?"

    "No, it''s not... It''s the exact same. There are two gates as well."

    "Sagasuga, then what did you find in the other gate? You did find that ax in one of the gate''s hall''s end, right?"

    "Yes, that''s correct. One of the paths led to the ax, but as soon as I returned back, the other gate became permanently locked."

    That brings another question.

    "How did you know that it was unlocked in the first place?"

    "I put it wrongly. To be more truthful, only one of the paths was available to me."

    "What are you saying, Sagasuga?"

    "I''m saying, even if you insert the password successfully, only one path which will lead to the reward will open. Or, so was the case when I checked the other mine."

    Taking all of that into account, I stopped being lethargic and checked both of the gates to see if there was any difference in their structures and noticeably, the gate to the left was far stronger and rigid, unlike the right one which was nonetheless resistant but not as adamantly structured as its former.

    Failing to consider their differences in the structure was out of the question so I rapidly concluded something.

    "Even if we get the word right, I doubt the left gate will open. Tell me, do you re--"

    "Yeah, it was the left one too."

    "...I see."

    Knowing this, I scratched the back of my head and sat down on the cold floor to think a bit.

    Why did Sagasuga''s word work on a mine that was partial to the location it was allocated? A pattern here is necessary. There can''t just be no pattern. No. No exam is irrational. They are strictly developed in manipulative deceptive ways. This means that the pattern here is a deceptive one.

    But there must be some sort of clue that connects to the pattern, yet what...

    What...

    Wh---

    "Sagasuga, let me examine the ax for a second."

    "Why? Do you think you''ll find something there? I''ve looked into it and it''s regularly shaped with nothing strange to it."

    "Just give it, it might turn out to be crucial..."

    "Alright, if you insist."

    Why an ax though? Are they promoting the idea of killing just to see if we will actually do it? That''s fucked up.

    As Sagasuga handed me his ax by lending me its holding edge and not its razor''s, I took a neat glance at it entirely.

    I turned it from back to front and found a simple mediocre ax that had the only purpose of being used for executing.

    Furthermore, I religiously examined the sharp edge of the ax''s blade to see if I could find anything, but in the end, nothing.

    Nothing!

    So, in a feat of rage, I threw the ax at one of the gates to see if it would break.

    "Useless piece of sh-"

    Then, as the ax''s holding edge broke, given that it was made out of wood, we saw an iron tag coming out of it.

    "What is that?!"

    "I don''t know, let''s check it!"

    Excited, we rushed to the left gate and penetrated our eyesight on the wood edge that had leaked out an iron tag.

    Sagasuga immediately took ahold of it and then showed me.

    "9?"

    "It says number 9 for sure, Kawahara. What could it mean?"

    Put more concretely, from the ax''s holding edge lied an iron tag inside and the iron tag simply contained a metallic number carved on the tag.

    "Your word is probably the ninth. With that said..."

    This is it... Something about this connects to the pattern.

    A pattern that must be discovered before it''s too late.

 Volume 19 - Chapter 128: ?? Layer Killer. ??

    On that rain-heavy afternoon, soon after lunch, we delivered our results, that being; to bring out the witnesses that we could possibly gather. Yet, I and Shizuku could only grab one.

    Frankly, it sounded fairly idealistic to even expect something out of the other bitches but our task was limited towards the afternoon. Results could not come forth after lunch was over because we were tasked with the responsibility of gathering witnesses from the other blocks, respectively.

    Nonetheless, I strongly benefitted from a positive outcome here. Why? Because if there were really witnesses that were there, on that day when Yulia''s mind was in pure despair, then clues could be collected towards the true identity and pathology of my dear Omega.

    As such; Shizuku and I, alongside Izufusa, were the last ones to enter the classroom. Judging by Izufusa''s reactions and loud skepticism upon entering the classroom, it was briefly clear that he was used to a school lifestyle far superior to what we were. To make sure that everyone present understood that, Izufusa spoke without restraints as he slammed the frontal door.

    "Goodness, what is this place!? Is this a swamp or a classroom?! I can''t tell the di---"

    Before he could attract much attention and delaying my ever-important progress, I kicked his left fragile calf from behind and stole his line of speech the moment he got too absorbed in his own physical pain.

    "We are sorry for being late. Our witness here has a tremendous big appetite."

    "Ow! What was that for?!"

    Izufusa kneeled down and kept rubbing his calf like it was a diamond in a rough.

    Lacking any sort of remorse in the first place, I moved on to my seat on the east side of the classroom while Shizuku closely followed me. That''s right, with the boys absent, Yuka-sensei didn''t really mind that we took the other places temporarily. So, Shizuku and I were paired up.

    Speaking of Shizuku, she guided Izufusa to our seat.

    I like seating on the furthest edge to the east no matter what. I cannot stand being on the other side.

    More detailedly elaborating the scene; Yuka-sensei was finishing her coffee before addressing her words to everyone present and as far as I could tell, no one was missing. And, I could not help but be excited for this upcoming afternoon for very obvious reasons.

    Eventually, with a light stretch enveloping her two arms together to the top, Yuka-sensei moved onto the podium.

    "Good afternoon!"

    "Good afternoon!"

    I didn''t speak, but the majority spoke back.

    Witnessing this mud-like pace made me grab the razor blade in my pencil case. Afterward, I started to crisp out the wooden edge of the table that I was seating on; underneath.

    "Did you all eat enough?!"

    Enthusiastically exultant, our teacher could not show any signs of wanting to actually move on with the topic that we should DESPERATELY seek to uncover. This caused me to step on the ground loudly and to furthermore erupt from my seat resonantly. This mediocre conversation could not go any longer!

    "Excuse meeee! I am not trying to sound rude or anything, but it''s not as if we don''t have witnesses here and they would probably like to go to their classrooms soon, so we should, um, just saying, you knooooow, get started, like, now! Not after chit-chatting nor after noticing that we have more than four witnesses here, I mean, really now...!"

    Awkwardly, each of them stared at me like what I just said was something out of this world or that it was ill-mannered.

    Yes, it was ill-mannered, but... Isn''t it more ill-mannered to waste the witnesses'' time? That''s the point I''m trying to make them understand.

    Even so, the stares kept on growing even longer, for whatever reason and I was starting to grow anxious to the point where I had to bow sincerely and make an even more pleasant speech.

    "I am so sorry for my words, it''s just not fair to waste someone''s time like this!"

    Well, I really couldn''t care if they missed their classes or not. What I did care about was their own information.

    "I''ll agree with her just this time. Can we get started? My customer''s time is limited."

    Often outspoken, seated close to the door in my opposite direction; alongside Kanawari, Lus said in agreement.

    Although not next to them, a boy who was stretching his legs rather extravagantly resided in this classroom.

    To my utter repugnance, the boy who thus far contained an unknown identity had a hairstyle that embodied dreadlocks, which I cannot like one bit. The moment I think of how little someone with dreadlocks washes their own hair, the more I want to vomit. Nonetheless, his looks were only a mirage of his brazen personality contrasted with calm stoic behavior to back it up.

    "It is quite alright. You did earn the right to earn my presence."

    Still not revealing his name, he limited to placing his two hands on his own pockets, while demonstrating an exaggerated lack of manners in this classroom, despite not exhibiting a rude impulse behavior, which puzzled many.

    "Well, if you say so."

    "Quite generous. As expected of a block A student."

    Both Lus and Kanawari came to a consensus, and thus, the block A student, in order to quickly show his might, did not hesitate to speak words that would fasten the overall process.

    Therefore, as he collected his own two legs back, he placed his elbows on his table in order to speak fluently towards Yuka-sensei.

    "Madam, you go by the name of Yuka, correct?"

    "My, how chivalrous! If only we could have a single boy like you in our class!"

    Lightly, we all laughed, myself included. It can''t be helped. The contrast is simply too ironic.

    By this time, I was already on my seat as the block A student progressed.

    "I am delighted and I will also assume that my assumption is correct. Both Lus and Kanawari told me the details and I would love to corporate. In any case, may I ask you what your plan of action to extract information out of the present witnesses is? If you don''t have one, I would love to offer you one."

    "Wow..."

    "He really is educated, impressive."

    Hinagiku and Akimiyashika both fawned over this guy''s manner like it was something out of this world. They are so used to the contrast; which is the impulsive behavior mixed with narcissistic anti-social elements that the boys in our class uphold constantly. Even then, this is straight-up bullshit. Stop licking his dick already. The only reason as to why I''m not trash-talking this limp-dick loser is because he''s deliberately presenting a favorable stance here.

    "Do you know him, Izufusa?"

    I took the chance to ask Izufusa, who was silent, right next to Shizuku. With my eyes crossed on his'', he slightly got anxious but sooner or later answered regardless.

    "Yeah..."

    "Oh... Do you know his name, perhaps?"

    "What?! How do you not know his name?! Wait, is this your first time seeing him?!"

    In a noticeably low-toned voice, Izufusa, frustrated at our lack of knowledge, couldn''t find the exact words to express his disappointment after analyzing both of our responses.

    "Yup." x2.

    Bad-mannerly, Izufusa face-palmed as if this guy from block A was some mighty deity that everyone in this school should know by now. Nevertheless, that explains why Izufusa was keeping silent. He assumed that we already knew who this guy was.

    "Ah... Listen, his name is Liyuga. I''m assuming you both don''t know why he''s so famous, but he is part of the extremely private student council body."

    "So there''s more to it than just the president?"

    Shizuku proposed an interesting question, but unfortunately, our attention got immediately captured by Yuka-sensei, who responded to Liyuga''s question a few seconds back.

    Cheerfully, with a smile attached to her face, she attempted to provoke a good reaction.

    "That is a really intriguing response. But don''t you think it''s a bit rude to ask for someone''s name without giving yours first?"

    Damn it, what the hell is in the matter with this teacher?! You are not supposed to sass him, just make him fucking talk! God!

    And naturally, as if the world was ending, in response to Yuka-sensei''s unnecessary words, Liyuga expressed an amount of concerning care for the fact that he actually didn''t give his name first all this time. Even to the point of sitting his own forehead heavily on the wooden table whilst apologizing.

    "I am so sorry, miss Yuka! My name is Kada Liyuga. It is a very nice pleasure to be under your presence and everyone here."

    He swiftly smiled at all of us but didn''t exactly strike a flaming impression on most of us because we really aren''t used to the educated type of boys in the first place. I''m not saying I prefer the brute narcissistic stupid boys, but an ass-kisser like him makes me sick!

    "A pleasure to meet you too, Liyuga. You asked me regarding my plan and the plan is very simple. It''s to question if the witnesses present here have seen our previous classmate on that day during the festival and who she was with."

    "I see. And your method of extracting such information is through questions? Or do you have a personal way of doing it that varies from your average way of going about it?"

    I am still not quite sure what Liyuga is trying to imply here. The only reason why I haven''t been pressing this issue any further it''s because of the fact that he is a block A student and supposedly a student council body member. This means that he holds some sort of elevated level of power in this school. In other words, this matter could easily be solved through the usage of such power.

    Yet, what power, exactly?

    That''s what I''m trying to find out.

    "No, there isn''t anything special to it. Why? Do you object to my way of doing things?"

    If Liyuga did, then he perhaps would walk away from this classroom, which could damage Lus and Kanawari''s task result.

    However, that wouldn''t be the only issue here. I strongly need his opinion here. It should go without saying, but the higher your class is in this school, supposedly, the higher your "power" is. Alternatively speaking, if he possesses methods of figuring out Omega''s identity, then he CANNOT be allowed to leave this classroom, no matter what!

    Despite having such superstition, Liyuga only further adjusted his tie while closing his eyes transiently before speaking solemnly towards everyone here.

    "In a way. If I may propose a higher-level method of identification, would I be allowed to?"

    Hearing this almost made me jump out of my seat.

    What the hell did he mean by that?!

    "I appreciate it, but if it means disbanding the opinions of the other witnesses then---"

    "If I may, there are better witnesses than human beings nowadays."

    Purposedly cutting Yuka-sensei''s sentence down in a flash, Liyuga looked towards our security cameras to emphasize his point even further. Upon understanding his point, many lashed out a single simple "Oh...".

    "Oh, I get it, Liyuga. But do you really think we would be here if we hadn''t found any massive clue through surveillance cameras?"

    "If so, then that''s shocking. Putting it in simple terms, a suicide occurred and despite the fact that there are surveillance cameras in this school, a single lead has not been made? Truly worrying. I see now. Perhaps you hold the reasoning that we saw Yulia in ways that surveillance cameras didn''t?"

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    True enough, although surveillance cameras are extremely reliable in theory, IF the individual knows how to play around them, then relying on them bears little to no fruit.

    Though...

    Liyuga''s words gave me an idea. But to put that idea into practice, I need to actually make sure why he''s implying surveillance cameras this much. Unless he has a way to manually access them, he is just spouting vague words.

    But not now. This is progressing smoothly.

    "That is precisely it. Lus, did you tell him everything?"

    Sighing at first but quickly replying back, Lus gave a pretty straight-forward answer.

    "Why, yes. I''ve explained to him the absolute details of the situation and he did confirm to know that he has met Yulia during the festival. He also said that he had a crush on her."

    How surprising! Of course. multiple excited at first yet rapidly sad reactions came forth, but Liyuga took it a bit personal that Lus was speaking such cold words in a light manner like that.

    In spite of such fact; he did not argue against Lus and went along with the flow.

    "...That is very much true. I remember her beautiful appearance clearly as the cerulean sky midst summer. It''s truly sad to hear that she encountered such a tragic fate. That is why I will cooperate with all my might."

    This is oddly perfect for me. If he really is from block A and he has a strong resolution like me when it comes to finding out who is behind this, then this could not be better.

    "Mhm, I see. Well, it appears that you did tell him."

    "That''s what I said..."

    "Aye, aye. Sooo, let''s get started! Erm, it appears that not everyone could bring their witnesses, so I''ll be taking note of that."

    To be expected, not everyone could fulfill the task.

    In particular, Tateyana and Iris.

    What''s surprising is that... That''s about it. Sana and Arkalee were successful as they have two girls by their side in two side chairs.

    In addition to that, the trio that consists of Akimiyashika, Hinagiku, and Ikkiri were successful as they were able to bring along a boy, just like Lus and Kanawari.

    I''m somewhat interested in the way that they were able to acquire the students'' assistance, honestly. Because getting Izufusa''s assistance took a relatively tiring process...

    Thinking about it makes me madly curious.

    On the other hand, Tateyana and Iris had something to say before taking the defeat to the face.

    "I don''t think that they wanted to cooperate with us in the first place. Rude assholes!"

    "Language, Tateyana."

    "..........Yes..."

    "I am sorry..."

    They probably had no plan, to begin with. Midst this, Yuka-sensei was walking in the classroom while calmly reading the atmosphere and the students'' profiles; namely the witnesses.

    Then, with a rational judgment, she chose to start from the bottom.

    Yuka-sensei was practically in front of Izufusa and slightly one meter away from me.

    ".....Hi..."

    What a meek shy response! Izufusa just couldn''t gather the might to introduce himself once he was howled by the glares of every female student here.

    Is he really gay? Aren''t gay people more friendly with girls than boys? Or was that just a myth? Could Izufusa have an inferiority complex where he is quick to lash but when it comes to a situation face to face he just hides? That is not good...

    If he doesn''t tell the information he''s supposed to due to his limp attitude, then it was a wasted effort.

    Ergo, before Yuka-sensei could interact with him, I stepped in and talked to Yuka-sensei about Izufusa.

    "Yuka-sensei, hello! This is our witness from block E! Please treat him with extra kindness. He is a very fragile boy with tender feelings!"

    How''s that?

    ...I got glared at instead by Izufusa, for whatever reason, which caused him to stand up for himself.

    "Er, erm! My name is Izufusa and I''m here acting as a witness by their request. How can I help you?!"

    Strongly supporting his own average height, Izufusa nonetheless managed to stand up to himself and administer a more valiant impression to the rest of the class than before.

    "Hello, Izufusa! It''s a pleasure to meet you. And thank you, Yukishiro and Shizuku for your work."

    We gladly accepted that compliment which allowed Yuka-sensei to finally reveal something of her own methods.

    "I did say that it would be a normal questionnaire, but I wasn''t quite speaking the truth, so forgive me there. Instead, every witness will get a turn and every girl from this class will have to ask the witness a question regarding the incident. I will be absent from this and will remain as an arbiter who will clarify doubts. We will start in alphabetical order. This means that the first to start is..."

    "Me! I am the first one since my name starts with the letter A and the only other person with the starting letter of A is Arkalee, but since my name is Akimiyashika and the K comes before the R, I get to go first."

    She doesn''t have any restraints whatsoever. What a show-off.

    I will say that I am glad that she is moving this forward though.

    Meanwhile, Yuka-sensei turned in Akimiyashika''s direction and gave her the approval along with additional pieces of information.

    "That is correct, Aki. Feel free to call her Aki, I think she doesn''t mind, right?"

    "Yes, of course. Would you like me to call you Izu or do you dislike diminutives?"

    Suddenly questioned like that, Izufusa, instead of instantly denying it, gave it some thought and then replied back to Akimiyashika positively.

    "Well, that''s fine by me, Aki. Ah, nice to meet you, by the way..."

    "The pleasure is all mine, Izu~"

    She has no idea that Izufusa is actually paranoid about being in a classroom full of criminals. Yet, he did show a level of tenacity towards me and Shizuku in spite of the fact that we actually are criminals.

    Yuka-sensei had walked all the way to her desk and along the way, she invited Izufusa to join her, since he would be the center of attention.

    "Izufusa, come and seat by my side! This way, no one has to turn around to ask you the question!"

    "...Okay..."

    With much hesitation to his action, Izufusa went back to showing yet another horrid stance filled with anxiety.

    Unable to cast a single glance more at him, I hurried him to his task.

    "Get going already!"

    "Wh--- I was gonna anyway!"

    I started to throw wood-cut pieces at his body so he would get the hell out of my sight.

    Just tell me what you know already...

    "Oh, it''s pretty comfortable here..."

    Feeling like home, Izufusa rejoiced the prestigious feeling of being in a comfortable desk like Yuka-sensei''s. For the record, it immensely contrasted every single one of our desks...

    "Hm..."

    Now, everyone''s eyesight was on Akimiyashika, who was taking her sweet time thinking about the question that she was going to ask.

    It sucks that we don''t have the complete freedom to pursue this questionnaire the way we want to. One question alone just isn''t enough. I am terrified of the scenario where all the questions ultimately are useless. Because it''s evident that not EVERYONE shares the same intensity and thirst to find out the identity of the one behind this...

    And that''s why we are meant to be... No one else will go through my lengths. It''s not a coincidence.

    "Only one question, right, Yuka-sensei?"

    "Yes."

    "Well, okay. Am I allowed to propose questions to my classmates and should they give their consent, they will align their opportunity to ask a question according to my questions?"

    Simplifying Akimiyashika''s ideology... it means that should she reach out to another one of her classmates and she tells them to ask a question regarding the incident we are investigating, under their consent, Akimiyashika is allowed to have more than one question.

    Well, that''s not bad a strategy. If Ikkiri and Hinagiku give their consents, Akimiyashika has three questions.

    "I have nothing against it. But I will be taking note of autonomy here. So, choose wisely."

    "I see. I will ask my question then."

    Ultimately turning her complete focus on Izufusa, Akimiyashika finally launched her awaited question.

    "Tell me, Izu, out of all the times you have encountered Yulia, what did her outside outlook reflect you?"

    Since you can only really ask one question, you might as well ask one BIG question. And given that Izufusa is here as a witness, Akimiyashika and the rest have no choice but to assume that he actually has performed minimal contact with Yulia, even if Yulia did not with Izufusa. To answer Akimiyashika''s question negatively is something that won''t happen.

    Moreso, she''s attempting to acquire a psychological evaluation of Yulia''s behavior during the times Izufusa met Yulia, supposedly.

    I shouldn''t have to say this, but it''s a really good start.

    And, very much like Akmiyashika, who, a while ago was thinking deeply, Izufusa stopped for a few seconds and thought before he could reply.

    "Take your time, there''s no rush."

    Yuka-sensei told Izufusa that by rubbing his left shoulder, but that didn''t let his train of thought slip by.

    In roughly twenty seconds, Izufusa gave a brief answer.

    "To tell you the truth, Aki, Yulia and I never interacted, but that much you already guessed, right?"

    "Yes. We... are not known for good reasons due to particular rumors, I believe. So, approaching someone intertwined with such rumors, such as Yulia, isn''t the wisest''s of all choices to make. I completely comprehend your judgment."

    There is something outer-worldly about Sana''s expressions switching between apathetic to mildly tempered with a temper that cannot ever go beyond a certain limit. It''s as if she''s trying to snap, but then she grows more apathetic the more she tries.

    How interesting...

    "I must admit I didn''t expect this much comprehension, so thank you, Aki."

    "You don''t have to thank me, but I appreciate it."

    Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

    "I''ve encountered Yulia three times, I believe. The first time was in a cafeteria. If I recall correctly, she was accompanied by a boy."

    "A boy? Could you describe his appearance? As you can see, all the boys in our class are absent, soooooooo......."

    Oh, oops, I spoke without thinking. I quite literally did the impulsive action out of pure emotion solely.

    Consequently, I managed to bring up the wrath of several individuals.

    "Excuse me, but respect your turn!"

    "It''s not fair if you ask questions out of the blue, you only get one question, Yukishiro!"

    "Respect the rules!"

    Akmiyashika, Hinagiku, and Tateyana brutally complained like I did something WRONG in the first place, but they are too dumb to realize that if I had succeeded in letting this question slip by that I could accumulate extra questions!

    Still, I composed myself and resisted the urge to fight back and just stared at Izufusa to see if he would give the answer to that or not.

    In the end, Yuka-sensei spoke, much to my terror.

    "Yukishiro, don''t do that, or else I''ll give you a failing mark. I know you are eager to know who the person is, but obey the rules."

    "......"

    Screw these damn rules, for fuck''s sake! All of them are irrational to the concrete absolute core! If we took advantage of soft loopholes we could land decisive information, but no, we are too busy pretending to be morally right!

    HYPOCRITES!

    Well, even as I land my forehead on this cold table''s flat surface with my fingers on my hair strands, I capitalized on the fact that I had said such questions, so someone will eventually be inclined to knowing the answers to such questions and if they don''t question it, then I might just not.

    "Uh, can I continue?"

    "Ah, yes, please!"

    Rather decisively, Akimiyashika gave her permission to Izufusa, who looked as if he wasn''t actually going to answer my question.

    "I forgot to mention that this occurred back in February. When I saw Yulia''s picture, I recalled one time where I went to the cafeteria secretly on a toilet break and since everyone was in class, I thought it was going to be completely empty, but I saw Yulia with another boy. She was... quite happy, actually. I thought for sure that they were in a relationship."

    Hold on...

    Just hold on a damn second...

    AHHHHHHHHHHHH, I NEED TO KNOW THE TIMELINE OF THIS EVENT! I only saw Yulia and Daniel back when Yulia proposed the idea of killing Yuka-sensei in February! It''s a different story from all the stalking I did in March! Did this happen prior to or after that?!

    Once slightly calm, I looked forward to Izufusa''s second example. Since he said he met her three times, there is more where that came from.

    "Oddly enough, by the second time I came across her, she looked like she was in a hurry. I recall she was coming from a plaza. I don''t believe that she noticed my presence because I... have the bad habit of eating alone. Er, erm! Anyway, she looked rather... stressed..."

    ...!!!!!

    "I don''t know what exactly had happened to her, but she was not with the boy that she used to be with. I thought that they had broken up for sure."

    I have never wanted to speak so badly in my whole life, but I can''t!

    So many questions! Like, why was Yulia stressed?! Who caused such stress in her psyche?! She was supposedly happy in February, so what happened? Why was she in a rush? And most importantly...

    Truly, it takes away all of my attention to carefully analyze the cracks in Sana''s reactions silently. I''ve noticed that Shizuku has been following my eyesight for quite a while, but I don''t mind. What is intriguing is how Sana''s usually half-closed eyes supremely widened out of the sudden.

    It''s almost as if she knows why Yulia was stressed. The look on her face is not a puzzled one. Thus referring to the lack of necessity of having anything to question in the first place.

    She knows......... And it''s heightening on her conscious...

    "A third time still happened, yes?"

    "Ah, yes, I was just thinking... No, it''s nothing."

    Stuck with indecision regarding his thoughts, Izufusa continued after Akimiyashika called him out to reality.

    "You can share it, you know?"

    I like the fact that Yuka-sensei just went an extra mile to obtain information out of Izufusa. Especially giving him a shoulder massage. Though, that''s just a nice gesture.

    "Well, okay... The third time I met her was very weird. Of course, me "meeting Yulia" is the equivalent of crossing a stranger in the middle of the street, but she was crying and had tears on her face. She was also constantly checking her phone. I recall that she didn''t even pay attention to where she was walking. And yes, this was by the end of the festival, during the last day. We were in a really open area and I was walking back to my dorm alongside a few classmates. It''s just..."

    So much information to capitalize on, but with Izufusa showing sudden hesitation, our attention was spiraling out of control.

    We couldn''t speak. We just had to let Izufusa come to terms with the information he was about to reveal.

    "I couldn''t completely hear it, or rather, hear it at all, but her lips were chanting a single word repetitively. That''s why I didn''t find any meaning in mentioning this."

    With that, Akimiyashika''s turn had come to an end.

    Having taken that into consideration, I opened my notebook and took note of the particular details that I learned from Izufusa thus far. I engaged my writing by pointing down the initial information such as the possibility of Yulia being entangled with Daniel sooner than actually expected or perhaps later. Either way, there was a line here, so I drew a small line on one side and one bigger one below, which could differentiate the timelines, accordingly.

    She was feeling happy. Alongside Daniel. Daniel was her source of affection. Potentially even before I was aware. Quite considerate, I must say. If this is calculated to such a great extent, then it''s almost as if implying that no matter who had caught up to this event would be miles below by the time they had noticed that they had entered the spiral of endless calculations.

    I simply drew a happy Yulia.

    Then, calamity struck, and a stressful Yulia was born!

    That wasn''t enough, so, I drew a really stressed-out Yulia on the other side of my paper with haste.

    From happiness to stress. Isn''t that just a natural way of the opposite of happiness? You can''t just hit rock bottom instantly. Or rather, you actually can. But the impact won''t be there... It''s too sudden. So, you have to be allowed to experience waves of stress mixed with perpetual fear. Maybe a little bit of hope here and there...?

    "Hope..."

    Endlessly, I kept on adding details until I arrived at the third step.

    There was a two-minute break for Arkalee to think of a question, but I took advantage of the fact that Arkalee was in her endless depression and that an effort by the rest of my classmates had to be made; otherwise, the order wouldn''t be underway.

    Either way... The final stage turned into tears. To a point where you can''t even tell where you are walking?

    Thinking about it rationally, she was probably calling Daniel. But the result was negative, so what made the outcome negative? Is Daniel actually a cold sociopath with no remorse to the point of driving Yulia to the edge like this?

    No... I just... No. Something tells me that wasn''t quite the case...

    Midst my brainstorm, I began to draw lips.

    Various forms. Each would tell different words over and over.

    "....iel....iel....iel...?"

    I need to confirm this. Ever since Liyuga declared the possibility of him possessing a power that enables him to get access to the cameras, the possibility has become open, which is why I''m convinced.

    Without a doubt, with the existence of Liyuga and with the words of Izufusa, it is possible to get a closer reading on Yulia''s lips if there was a camera near the scene where Izufusa crossed her. By reading her lips, it will be possible to determine what she was saying and...

    If she really despises the one behind her fate, then she surely must''ve slipped his name along the way.

    "Um, Yukishiro, a little help...?!"

    Out of my zone of attention, there were huge cries coming from a specific place and it was no other than Arkalee.

    Shizuku called me out with a distorted look on her face.

    But even then, my attention was all the way to Liyuga, who was trying to comfort Arkalee with many other girls.

    The question here is... Under what circumstances will he allow me to visualize the footage by myself and what must I do in order to obtain the knowledge to myself alone?

    Should there be another person who has the same knowledge as me and is afflicted to Omega here, then I would be playing into his palm too much.

    In other words, the flow of the tide has to masterfully favor Liyuga here and I must make sure I am the one who produces it and no one else.

    Out of all the witnesses, should there be a winner, he will be the one and I will get rewarded for making him the winner.

 Volume 19 - Chapter 129: ?? Tape skin. ??

    "Better now?"

    Roughly a very long time of an unnecessary sequence of efforts to bring Arkalee back to her stable self, it was undoubtedly her turn.

    I almost lost it.

    According to scientific researches, newborn babies peak at six weeks maximum when it comes to crying. Waging around 3 months or so, babies cry for about an hour. Knowing this, if there is someone whose cries reach their zenith more than a newborn daily, then what does that make you?

    Arkalee.

    "...I''m never going to recover from this...... Hyunda... I need youuuu... Waaaaaah..."

    Instead of weeping on her desk like before, Arkalee was trying to compose herself yet she nonetheless kept on dropping tears from both sides. She could barely open her eyes and face forward without emerging her mental state into full depression. Sana, who is by her side, kept on helping her. Although, Sana doesn''t look that comfortable with the task. To me, it''s as if she''s just doing it because she has to.

    "Pardon my intrusion, but who is this "Hyunda"? You have mentioned him more than once."

    Ever curious, Liyuga asked the identity of the name, but, he should have known by now that the boys here are absent. This means that he wants to know a detailed answer regarding him. So, before anyone could answer, I answered Liyuga loud and clear from my seat.

    "Hyunda is one of the boys who is absent on a deserted island. The boys are taking an exam on a deserted island, so Arkalee is lamenting her boyfriend''s absence, you see."

    "Yes... I am very sad..."

    "Oh come on, compose yourself already... How many times do I have to tell you that you are supposed to wait...?"

    Sana kept on arguing with Arkalee in a very compassionate way. Almost like a mother comforting her daughter after getting her heart crushed mercilessly.

    Liyuga observed their interaction and then answered back.

    "Well, that makes sense. If it''s alright with you, why don''t we move on? It seems to me that Arkalee is severely emotionally damaged, so we might as well skip her turn. If she''s fine with it."

    After a quick rundown, we agreed to actually skip Arkalee''s turn.

    I wondered about the possibility of that being intentional on Arkalee''s part, quite deeply. But, seriously, Liyuga lacks manners.

    Therefore, I called him out before we could advance just to say something.

    "Um, Liyuga! My name is Yukishiro! The first name is Kyoko!"

    "Oh, I forgot to ask your name! Sorry, my bad!"

    "No, it''s alright! Thank you."

    Our interaction was partial to the actual event that was occurring. I only managed to really attract the attention of Liyuga because everyone else was focused on the next one in the line of question, which is: Hinagiku.

    Akimiyashika, upon seeing that Hinagiku was the one in line, reached out to Hinagiku who was at her right side. That''s right, they were seating all the way in front, with two tables united to each other. Ikkiri was on Akimiyashika''s left side, so they could communicate very quickly.

    "Aki, you remember what I said, right?"

    Yuka-sensei made sure to call out Akimiyashika based on her previous words regarding autonomy. Though, that doesn''t make much sense. In the first place, this is a pair''s work. So, shouldn''t it be valid for members within such a pair or in this case, a group, to consult each other? Unless Yuka-sensei is discounting evaluation points because they are a group, unlike the rest. That would make sense. However, if there is a case where that logic doesn''t apply, then it means that we are in a different stage of the exam, under different circumstances.

    "Yes, of course. Worry not though, if you think that I''m telling Hina what to say, that''s not the case."

    "Aye! We were trying to figure out the essence of what a really good question should be! Because, we only get one shot, so we have to make use of that."

    In other words, Akimiyashika is passing down the ideology that her first question essentially implied. To ask a question that should contain an answer that could potentially hold a lot of content.

    "Okay, I am ready."

    With eyes on Izufusa, Hinagiku laid down her question.

    "Izufusa, this might be a little touchy, but um... If you were Yulia, on the last day of the festival, if you have thought about it, why would you kill yourself?"

    Truly a touchy question. That question lacks a bit of empathy. However, it was a good question.

    "......I don''t know if I can answer that.... It''s... I don''t want to imagine myself dying... Sorry."

    And it backfired pretty quickly.

    Are we too used to inhuman scenarios where our minds are framed into the assumption that our questions will be answered regardless of their core ruthlessness?

    Naturally, no one in their sane mind would actually reply to that. Hinagiku forgot that she is dealing with a sentient creature. It was worth the shot.

    "Aw... I''m sowwy. I didn''t mean to say it that way... Ugh, I blew it!"

    She caused a bit of ruckus by hitting herself on the left side of her head.

    So far, only one question had been processed. Through Hinagiku''s turn, we learned that our question can''t be something that the witness just can''t straight up not answer. In the first place, they are here of their own accord. To demand something out of them through force would be unkind.

    "Hey, isn''t this bad, Yukishiro?"

    "It was bound to happen..."

    Shizuku whispered to my left ear those words. We only had eight more shots at this. The very fact that we were dealing with a sentient student like Izufusa, should mean that we can''t ask questions that go beyond the margin of offensive.

    Or questions that threaten that margin.

    "Um... Whose turn is it next?"

    Puzzled as to why NO ONE was really making an effort to make sure who was next in the line, Izufusa blurted that out. No wonder, honestly. She was thinking quite deeply about the question, but traces of anxiety could be witnessed on her expression. What the hell is she unsure about...

    "...Mine. Alright, sorry for the wait..."

    Causing a slight surprise to everyone, the individual brought along a single sheet that contained unknown content. She limited to getting up from her seat and handed over the sheet to Izufusa, who responded with a very confusing expression.

    "...What is this...?"

    "Eh? That''s a file... Look, you can see the boys in our class..."

    Interesting.

    So Ikkiri handed Izufusa a file containing the images of the boys in our class? What is her plan exactly? Hopefully, it''s not a repetition of the last scenario. Though, Akimiyashika didn''t reach out to Ikkiri, because she probably had confidence in Ikkiri''s judgment.

    How nice and united.

    "I see..."

    "...And I would like, if you could, to tell me who you think has the highest likelihood of committing a crime like this, based on their physical profile''s appearance..."

    Oh God, this is just bad, what the hell! Not only will his answer be biased but she threw it away by utterly placing the question entirety on his bias. What a retarded creature Ikkiri is, I swear.

    "Are you sure? Because to me, any of them could have done it... The boys are criminals, right?"

    Almost all answered with a big loud yes.

    "Yes!"

    It''s pretty evident that this rumor that the boys are actually the real criminals here benefits us greatly as a whole.

    HOWEVER, Ikkiri just had to ruin that by saying additional words.

    "No... We are too."

    "......."

    Izufusa grew even more skeptical and I kicked my table lightly while Shizuku heavily exhaled.

    "W-What she means is that we are just as bad--- No, no, no! Er, Ikkiri isn''t aware of the boys'' true crimes yet!"

    "She''s really innocent-minded! Ikkiri didn''t mean any harm, Izufusa!"

    Akimiyashika and Hinagiku tried to cover for Ikkiri, but it was a questionable front. And why isn''t our teacher intervening? Is it really fine to overlook this? I get that it''s not her responsibility, but it''s as if she sometimes, if not all the time, enjoys the soap opera that goes on here, and only after controversial lengths of time does she apply a warning.

    She''s an unreliable teacher, very much like our homeroom teacher too.

    Most likely intentionally unreliable in order for us to commit blunders.

    "Ah, it''s fine! I''ll just answer... Let''s see... Eh, wait... I know this guy and what the living hell?! 1000 YEARS OF JAIL?! THAT''S NOT EVEN POSSIBLE, WHAT IN THE WORLD?!"

    Izufusa undoubtedly stumbled on Daniel''s file. To be fair, our sentences sound exaggerated as hell, but the fact that we have neither the evidence to prove them or deny them leaves me thinking if they are genuine or not.

    Because, if they are... Just what in the world do you have to do...?

    "For the record, those sentences aren''t a lie on paper. They are the real deal."

    "Then why are such people in our school?!"

    "Ask your principal, he''s the one who allowed this in the first place."

    Uncaring, Yuka-sensei was eating a caramel dessert while answering Izufusa''s emotionally aggressive questions.

    But still, Izufusa was truly making an effort to see who matched his bias. It pains me how he didn''t explain his bias. We can''t FUCKING ask questions, so we are stuck with this.

    "Some look really cold-hearted while some are even smiling. This is confusing, but... If I had to say, it''s this one. Ryousuke Kawahara."

    No one could just stand up and ask "Why?", because we were only allowed to ask one question.

    See, this is why Ikkiri''s question is really dumb. We are just swallowing this biased answer that answers literally nothing at all.

    "Why is Kawahara the one that fits your bias?" "What is your bias for that?"

    Fucking Christ, Akimiyashika, you forgot to keep a leash on your useless pet who could''ve asked a rational question instead of a completely useless one! Thus far, three turns have been the equivalent of zero! Are they all dumb?! I don''t get this people! Are they just NOT curious to know Omega''s identity?!

    "No one is going to ask me why I said it was him?"

    "Well, they really can''t. Only one question is allowed per turn. They are such good girls for respecting my rules, such sweethearts!"

    This is hell.

    "Can I skip my turn...?"

    "Huh?!"

    Now, I know that I was refraining from interfering, but the moment I heard such blasphemy coming from Iris'' mouth, I snapped violently.

    Intensively, I glared through her soul straight up without any mercy, which caused her to shake a little bit.

    "No, it''s fine, Yukishiro. So, calm down. Well, Iris, why do you want to skip your turn?"

    "...I just don''t think that any questions I could have would give a beneficial answer. This exam is very hard to resolve, in my opinion."

    I was still mad, but MEANWHILE, the majority of my classmates emphasized the high level of difficulty in this exam, but this is a trial, so you should have to go through with it!

    Mad, I stomped the ground mildly. I wanted to leave the classroom and find an animal and kill it. It didn''t matter if it were ants or not, anything would do. I am starting to not be able to stand these people. Each of their different personalities is so diverse which is just so unnecessary!

    "That''s why we are going through stages, Iris. So we can reach closer to the answer."

    Argumentative, Yuka-sensei attempted to convince Iris to speak her turn, but Iris grew precisely more adamant in response to her words.

    "It''s impossible... Please, let''s just wait until the boys return."

    "Mhm... I get what you are saying, it''s just... If their exam isn''t successful, then, won''t the culprit not be found either way? So, we might as well make an effort here."

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    "I''ll still pass. I''m sorry."

    "I''ll be discounting points then..."

    "..."

    Iris'' silence here implied consent.

    This day just got a whole lot worse. Four turns gone down the drain like that. What sort of sick joke is this?! Does this mean that Iris won''t ask any questions from the other witnesses?!

    Starting to get nervous, I took a bite out of my right index finger''s nail ferociously.

    "Hey, calm down, it''s gonna be alright! Our turn will come and we will make up for it!"

    Shizuku tried to cheer me up, but my eyebrows kept on twisting themselves even further as I came to terms with the reality.

    "They are so useless. I want to tie them up and force them to ask questions as their lives depended on it."

    "Shhh, it''s okaaay!"

    "Don''t try to calm me down, okay? I''m right."

    Although I didn''t mean to be mean to Shizuku, her attempt to calm my behavior was coming as annoying. She should support my logic here and be mad at them, not try to make me come to terms with the idea of being calm...

    I AM calm. If I wasn''t, I would be pulling out a razor blade, and I would stab all of their legs to make them take this seriously.

    On the other hand, things started to look up due to the impressive enthusiasm fuelled within the one whose turn was right around the corner.

    She even went as far as getting up from her seat just to talk despite not having that necessity at all.

    "Alright, it''s my turn, isn''t it!? Brace yourself, Izufusa, because I have one hell of a question for you! Ah, don''t worry, don''t worry! It''s nothing offensive, so chill back and relax!"

    Yet that only made him more suspicious. Kanawari''s intentions were genuine, but she was truly more focused on the question that she was holding back all this time.

    "Here I go... Based on your view of Yulia, what do you think is the motive behind her action? Yes, it''s true we don''t know it, but if you had to guess, what would it be? I am not asking you to be in Yulia''s shoes. Just try and think of the circumstance and what motive would you associate the most to the action. Is this too much for you, Izufusa?"

    Her question bared resemblances with Hinagiku''s question. The only difference is that she went out of her way to strongly emphasize that Izufusa didn''t have to necessarily go out of his way to put himself under the circumstance that Yulia went through.

    This could be seen as a way to enforce objective thinking on his part since he replied to Hinagiku''s question rather emotionally.

    "I think I can answer that. Give me a bit of time to think..."

    Hinagiku showed a little bit of frustration when she noticed that Kanawari''s question had been acknowledged. I would too, but it''s her fault for being too direct.

    Lastly, before answering, Izufusa destroyed his own thinking stance and took a deep breath.

    "Well... Betrayal? I think if she was badly injured in an emotional way that suicide would be the answer. Though, it would have to be something drastic. In the first place, don''t suicides occur due to emotional reasons? So, my bet is betrayal."

    Sana tremendously trembled which brought forth an eerie smile out of me.

    Sanaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.......... You know somethinggggg, I can smell your fear...!!!!

    "Very informative! Thank you!"

    Aside from Sana, Kanawari contented herself with this answer. That was indeed quite informative. But it was something that someone could''ve concluded. According to Izufusa''s ideology here... Daniel would have to cheat on her.

    I''m starting to see the pattern here.

    Sana showed me that luxurious desperate reaction just now, which could imply that... she was the compliment of the betrayal and Yulia was the subject. Daniel and Sana though? What? I just can''t see it...

    But knowing Omega, he made it work. Somehow... How would he associate this pattern so masterfully though? It couldn''t have been immediate. No one would just break down from a sudden betrayal. No, no, I mean, of course, someone would, what I meant to emphasize was... It takes more time to build up the damage. The theory of emotional damage rings strong here.

    "I''m next."

    Lus looked into Kanawari''s eyes as they both traded glances with one another. I could sense that their teamwork was about to be displayed, which would imply that Kanawari''s question was to be followed by a question of Lus that would be a sequence.

    "This is more of a personal question, so if it''s too much for you, that''s on me, but please try here."

    Izufusa gulped transiently and nervously sweated.

    Lus was seating on her chair with her legs crossed. She simply went ahead on her own regardless of Izufusa''s expression.

    "Supposedly, you saw Yulia with a boy back in February. You should know who the boy is because Ikkiri went out of her way to show you their profiles, so you do know. Assumably, if Yulia was in a relationship with that boy, then it''s normal that she was happy back when you first encountered her. Furthermore, let''s say the relationship went on all the way to March. Here is my question for you, Izufusa... What form of betrayal would the one she was romantically entangled with have to perform?"

    Lus''s question confused all of us because she wasn''t quite clear about what she was referring to.

    "Um... I''m sorry, I didn''t really get your question."

    "Sigh. Yuka-sensei, could I elaborate? I think I am allowed to elaborate on the question as long as I don''t ask another question. Or, am I wrong here?"

    "Go ahead, Lus. Do you need to use the panel?"

    The reason why Yuka-sensei asked Lus if she wanted to use the panel was that Lus got up from her seat, which implied that she wanted to further elaborate her point through the usage of other methods.

    "Just for a while."

    With that said, all eyes were on her. Yet despite that, she showed no anxiety nor any sort of signals that would represent the image of someone who is nervous and clumsy. As a matter of fact, she smirked and walked proudly towards the podium while grabbing a piece of white chalk.

    "Eyes on me, Izufusa, this is important."

    "O-Okay!"

    Firstly, she wrote Yulia''s name down on the panel, on the right side, and pointed at it with the piece of chalk; provoking a loud noise from the collision.

    "Yulia is the subject here. Or, precisely saying..."

    It''s impressive how quickly she managed to gain all of our attention, but she did it. Lus wrote an additional word which she circled yet another word above it.

    "The subject of betrayal. I''ll draw arrows just to make sure that you understand who the subject here is."

    Izufusa didn''t really complain, despite Lus basically straight up mocking him. Maybe it was because she didn''t mean to mock him in the first place.

    Regardless, she drew a circle around the word betrayal and pointed multiple arrows from miscellaneous directions towards the word "Yulia".

    Next, she drew an upper line from the circle that intersected with a word above.

    "Here we have the unknown substance. But, if we are fine with being biased, then it''s the boy that she was with."

    Subsequently, Lus circled the word "Daniel" the same way that she circled the word "Betrayal".

    The words "Betrayal" and "Daniel" were intersected.

    "Betrayal alone isn''t exactly impossible, but it''s easier to accomplish if done with someone else. So, we''ll label that "someone" as a question mark, simply."

    Just like before, she drew a line, but below the word "Betrayal". A round circle was shaped around the question mark as well.

    "Are you asking me to basically guess who he cheated with...?"

    "No such thing. I realize that that''s just purely random and wouldn''t really suffice as an answer. My question was what sort of form of betrayal would the subject here... Yulia, have to receive, out of these two components."

    Lightly reaching out to the question mark and the word "Daniel", Lus created a line that intersected both of them towards the word "Yulia".

    Ultimately, she put down the piece of chalk to its rightful place and crossed her arms as she watched Izufusa ponder the question deeply.

    "Mhm... Er, cheating? Awkward though... Is... cheating really that dreadful to drive someone to the edge of suicide?"

    Lus most likely wanted to ask: "Are you sure that''s your real answer?", but she couldn''t.

    "I don''t think I can think of another option... Sorry."

    "Don''t apologize, that was magnificent. Thanks, Izufusa."

    Returning to her seat, Lus smiled back to Kanawari. As for Kanawari, she gave a thumbs up, which Lus did the same.

    If they took into account the alphabetical order, then they most likely went out of their way to plan this.

    Accordingly, Yulia was supposedly betrayed by Daniel, but that much I already had concluded and I believe Sana to be the subject of that betrayal. But that doesn''t make sense.

    Unless...

    Unless it''s SUPPOSED to not make sense. If I am someone who is highly logical in my ways of figuring out a mystery, then detaching myself from logic might be the play here. Omega''s telling me that common sense and logic aren''t things that he''s fond of, so he goes through the route where his actions will make little to no sense because they were supposed to never make any sense in the first place.

    Ahhh...

    "Yukishiro, you need to wipe that perverted look out of your face, you look seriously horny."

    "Shut up, mind your own business. Your turn is coming soon."

    "Thank God for that. But... I sense it might come sooner than expected."

    "You are probably right about that, Shizuku..."

    I''ve been observing her for a while and she just seems so utterly shattered.

    Sana''s acting has officially gained a weakness. In order to properly extract information out of her, I just have to bring Lus and Kanawari''s theory to the table and she will think about the inevitable.

    But she can simply choose to not answer my questions and play it fake. I need something brutally crucial in order to make her spill out the beans. Accusing her of cheating with Daniel isn''t enough.

    "Sana? Are you alright?"

    "Of course--Y-Yes."

    Bad, bad liar.

    I just want to make you cry on the floor and cripple your knees while grasping the inner strands of your hair as you give me his identity.

    Though, I wasn''t the one who asked that question. It was our teacher, obviously.

    It was common sense that if it was your turn, that everyone''s eyesight would be on you, so Sana was being violated by our impertinent glares. Sana would look down and down, from left to right, like a truly paranoid person. Low eyelashes. Trembling fingers. Pale skin. Stagnant breathing. The elements fit.

    "...I think I''ll pass too! I don''t have any amazing questions like Kanawari and Lus''s, so..."

    ...........

    This is not a coincidence. I knew it. Arkalee faked it.

    Is Hyunda the one, after all? No... He has no way of being afflicted to Sana, so it doesn''t make any sense. If they ever interact on my sight, then Hyunda is the culprit here. But I don''t see an obnoxious clingy over-emotional girlfriend like Arkalee letting go of her psychotic obsessive tendencies to allow such a scenario in the first place.

    Omega needs freedom in order to execute his actions. Being in a relationship with Arkalee gives you the opposite of freedom. It''s so dumb to even consider Hyunda.

    I''m really starting to think that Daniel orchestrated all of this. That would be masterfully done, I must admit.

    Nonetheless, back on the real surface, outside of this self-world of make-believe, Yuka-sensei took Sana''s rejection quite diplomatically, actually.

    "If you are fine with the same treatment that I will apply to Iris, then I understand."

    "Maybe I''ll ask the other witnesses... I just don''t have that much to work with, haha..."

    Aw, she even scratched the back of her hair while additionally faking that smile of her''s very fragile.

    Sana...

    I''m starting to grow a tendency to attack you in the middle of the night while you are sleeping. Should I sneak into her room and perform torture on her? No... I feel like... She will eventually talk regardless of my actions. Plus, if I were to do something like that, then a lot of consequences would come forth. Yes, although I internally say to myself a lot of murderous things, I just am not able to actually perform them. The consequences are very deep.

    It''s not fair!

    I want to do something like he did! Ghhhhhhhhh!

    "Hey, can you talk to me instead of freaking out on your own? Or are your thoughts very private? It''s just strange how we are centimeters away from each other but it doesn''t occur to you once that you could talk to me. That hurts, you know?"

    "I am privately obsessing over my crush. I don''t want to share the sentiment. Do you understand, Shizuku?"

    I turned in her direction and said those words passively; not aggressive nor maliciously.

    As this was happening, Sana was still giving excuses to Yuka-sensei in order to pass the turn.

    "Oh, I do understand the sentiment. But are you just thinking about him?"

    "Well... I think of whatever is associated with him, which might involve others."

    "Mhm... I''ve been following your eyesight for a while. What do you have against, Sana?"

    Towards that question of hers, I signaled her to come closer and whispered to her ear a secret.

    "She probably knows his identity."

    "No way! How?"

    "I don''t have concrete evidence, but the fact that she hasn''t broken down yet from what happened to Yulia means that someone gave her something to hold on to... Something very strong..."

    Shizuku''s eyes sparked with stark curiosity as she heard this. She smells very good, for the record. I like those who have a sense of perfume. It''s not often that you find people who have such an aesthetic sense of fashion to the point of being able to distinguish a perfume that simply smells good to you and a perfume that smells good to just everybody that comes across you.

    "Oh, that really makes sense, now that you mention it. Wasn''t Sana her closest friend?

    "Yes, she was."

    For a while, Shizuku analyzed the information and then replied back. Our distance was fairly short and we were starting to be blessed by the afternoon sun that originated from outside of this classroom; its light source penetrating the wet windows shielding us from the previous dark torrential rain.

    "Do you need help? If you want, I can help you get information out of her. You haven''t been successful so far, right?"

    ...........

    What is Shizuku aiming after? My trust? Or is she genuinely...

    "Shizuku, it''s your turn next!"

    Loud, from afar, Yuka-sensei called out to Shizuku, since it was her turn.

    Our conversation was about to get shattered very quickly. Nevertheless, Shizuku said something before looking forward to Yuka-sensei.

    "I will help you out. I''m your friend and probably your first one."

    She took ahold of my hand with a gentle warmth to which I had no genuine response. The idea of having a friend with ties to criminality just sounded absurd to me. So, I opted not to answer, because I have no idea whether she''s tricking me for the fun of it or not.

    If...

    If she isn''t, then I need more evidence that she isn''t. Only then will I be able to come to the conclusion that she really is my "friend". Suffering a crushing defeat by being tricked isn''t exactly the funniest of all jokes and it''s not something I need right now.

    But, yes...

    A friend, a true friend, is always nice. Just one, that''s all. Not many, not a group, just one. It would be even more ideal if Shizuku had no other friends and only had me as her friend, which is the case, so...

    "Are you going to skip your turn, Shizuku?"

    "No, ma''am! How could I skip my turn when I went through the trouble of gathering Izufusa as our witness?!"

    With an adorable smile, she defrosted the cold edges of my lips, which almost made me smile, but I ultimately couldn''t.

    Izufusa, on the other hand, looked nervous as soon as he saw Shizuku''s enthusiasm.

    Without anything to hold back, Shizuku spoke fluently towards Izufusa.

    "Izufusa, who else was beside you the moment you encountered Yulia on the last day? Try to clearly remember EVERY single person that was right there in that atmosphere!"

    !

    I see!

    "Um... Well, that''s a bit hard..."

    "Take your time~"

    It might be hard to understand at first, but Shizuku is trying to theorize that aside from Izufusa, there were other witnesses there. Of course, we don''t know who they are, but Izufusa knows. Furthermore, a trail of people who know where exactly Yulia was ahead was formed there. If X person saw Yulia in the same atmosphere as Izufusa, then Y person in that same atmosphere saw Z person who was ahead of Yulia in the atmosphere. By asking Z person where he/she saw Yulia go to and who was there in that atmosphere, a leading way can be built!

    Amazing, Shizuku!

    But, she didn''t stop there; she reinforced a previous point that Izufusa had brought to himself earlier.

    "Just a quick reminder, but you did mention that you were alongside a few classmates of yours, so you surely know who they are."

    "Ah, yes! I was just thinking of other people in the area. I think I saw some people from block D. I know a boy from there, we used to talk..."

    Judging from Izufusa''s sad reaction, I could bet my whole virginity on how there''s a gay backstory here. I am that confident.

    "Write down their names and give me a paper with their names, if that''s alright. Is it, Yuka-sensei?"

    "Of course. If someone else wants to help out Shiz---"

    I upheld my urge to interrupt Yuka-sensei right away.

    "I''ll help her out alone, so no help is needed!"

    "Oh, alright."

    Of course, I was eyed by a few of my classmates because they immediately viewed me as arrogant and bossy yet I cared not. This information was too good to be shared.

    Eventually, Izufusa wrote down the names but didn''t get up from his seat. Which implied that he would give it to Shizuku after he was done with the next two questions.

    My turn was coming up, but before that could happen, Tateyana had to take her stance.

    She didn''t need to be called out as she made a proposal to Yuka-sensei instead of giving a flat rejection like some of the previous ones.

    "Um. Um... I was thinking and we missed a lot of turns because some people just don''t want to cooperate, so in order to compensate for that or to prevent any future events like that, why don''t those who don''t want to ask a question to the witness give their turn to someone else? This way, someone else with keener abilities could have more than a turn; in other words, the opportunity to ask another question, if not more."

    That was an interesting proposition and something I entirely support, for the record.

    However, I didn''t speak, which was an action that contrasted a few outspoken individuals who had to voice their agreements loud and clear.

    "This is a brilliant suggestion, Yuka-sensei. We should make full usage of it to make sure we get the best out of the possible results."

    "It''s as Akimiyashika says. I would be glad to have more turns if others don''t feel confident enough. I am more than confident, so please."

    "I''m with Lus here, we should totally do this!"

    Under a single minute, we all came in agreement, because Yuka-sensei mentioned that giving your turn up to someone else and giving up your turn entirely without giving it to someone else were both options. The first option would give you half of the evaluation while the second option would completely cut all of your evaluation.

    You would have to be really stupid to give up your evaluation like that, right?

    Right.

    Right...

    "With that said, I''ll give my turn to Yukishiro. I don''t feel like I can extract much out of Izufusa, but you seem eager, don''t ya, Yukishiro? I see it in your eyes."

    She''s mocking me. That wasn''t even the most genuine of all things to say.

    Tateyana just made sure that I would feel the necessity to have two turns because she deeply wanted to "help" me.

    "Ah, I see! Well, I''ll take the double turn, because, why not? The more the merrier. Thank you, Tateyana!"

    I got up from my seat resonantly.

    My long turn had finally come.

    "Pleasure''s all mine."

    She grinned.

    Plus, she swayed her hair back like some sort of celebrity.

    What a shame. I was actually looking forward to this, but in my defense, she provoked me first, and besides... My questions might be too much for a person like Izufusa and I hate to play it safe.

    Thus, I spoke out to the entirety of the girls and some boys in the classroom.

    "I will rightfully give up my first question without handing it to someone else!"

    "WH---"

    Shaken, Tateyana couldn''t help but respond in a violent manner, going as far as dragging her chair out of impulse. However, I was not done.

    "Furthermore, I will additionally give up my second question bestowed by Tateyana. Um... Yeah, that''s all."

    I took a light seat and enjoyed seeing the face of Tateyana in pure agony.

    Bitch.

 Volume 19 - Chapter 130: ?? Terror Tidal. ??

    April 13th. 9 am.

    Against my expectations, the class was dismissed yesterday as soon as my turn came up. The reason for that being----the witnesses were wasting too much time, so Yuka-sensei said that we would conduct the interrogations one at a time. In no other circumstance would the class end that early, even though classes nowadays feel less... spirited.

    How should I say this... It''s as if the boys missing created a lack of spark.

    As I seat here at my desk, I can only think that we girls are just too boring on our own. I mean, come on! No one will do anything, so...

    I will have to because I feel the need to compete and create something for you to look forward to.

    Now, I''ll analyze the situation.

    My seat has always been on the east side of the room. There are two doors for our classroom. Therefore, allocated towards the one at the end, not the top beginning. Currently present, there are eleven girls, myself included. Our teacher is more than a girl, so she''s not included.

    Right now, we are having the usual classes. No one exactly complained about this because Yuka-sensei said that we would conduct the interrogations during the afternoon every day as long as we had witnesses to use as resources. In other words, this afternoon, Arkalee and Sana''s witnesses will be the center of attention. Until then, we have to content ourselves with mediocre classes.

    Yet, this is so, but, SO, boring! It''s too peaceful, but it''s obvious that we don''t exactly like each other at all, entirely speaking to all of us girls. There''s no reason to break this barrier of peace whatsoever. We pride ourselves on being delicate and elegant because the boys would give us the reason to be such contrasts. But now...

    No one will do anything, as I''ve thought.

    I pretended to keep on writing in my notebook the subject''s matter just to not get caught, but simultaneously, I was already picking my victim.

    There is a necessity to choose someone that would bring the attention of others. I can''t just pick some random lone-wolf, like, Iris, for example. If I were to hurt her, then... Nobody would care that much. Unless I went deep on her, but that''s not the point. It needs to be someone who is easy to trigger the attention of others.

    Sana is my personal play toy, so I refuse to let others assist her.

    "Check..."

    I crossed out Sana''s name. Secretly, I was folding with the last page of my notebook where I had noted down my classmates'' names. Naturally only the female ones though. Mine wasn''t written on it, obviously.

    The order here was based on the ones that had the least likelihood of being worthy of this task of mine. I''ve never actually done it, so this will be the first time.

    I am quite excited and can barely contain myself. Plus, I''m confident I can do it if I truly put my mind to it. I''ll create something to catch your attention for sure when you return to this world of mine.

    Moving forward, I crossed out Shizuku''s name.

    Very much like Iris, she would have no shoulder to cry on. Alternatively speaking, I additionally crossed Iris''s name out of the list. Three already cast out.

    Next up, Tateyana... I wanted to pick her so badly, but no. I''ll deal with her myself if she gets in my way, but I won''t get in her way deliberately. Defensive as it may sound; it was Tateyana who started it. If she wasn''t sarcastic about giving me the extra turn, I wouldn''t have sabotaged the whole thing. Nonetheless, Tateyana is out.

    Four down; six to go.

    Arkalee, Arkalee... Her mental state is beyond messy. I can''t tell if she''s insane or not. If she were to commit an action out of lack of passion due to her boyfriend''s sudden vanishment; then would it be classified as an action that can enter the field of insanity? Because then, if she were to act on pure emotion without any logic, then that''s almost insanity. Insane individuals are not aware of what they are actually doing. The whole point here is... Is it worth toying around with her? Probably not. She''s already suffering and I don''t think that I can inflict greater damage to what she''s going through.

    And if hypothetically speaking, I did, then the range of the consequences that would come from that might be something that I necessarily wouldn''t want to have. Arkalee most likely should be in an asylum.

    I''m not saying I shouldn''t, but I am aware of what I''m actually doing.

    "Check, check, check..."

    Hinagiku seems funny to me. I can''t take her seriously because of her tiny height. Furthermore, her morals are comedy relief at their peak. However... She does know martial arts and I don''t, so... She would most likely not hesitate to use violence on me. This isn''t to say that I couldn''t use this to my advantage, but I would rather prefer if my plaything was feeble and fragile.

    Eliminated out of the list immediately...

    "Four left..."

    I murmured silently, which attracted the attention of no one.

    Not even Shizuku who was at my left side. Subsequently, I took my eyes out of the notebook, temporarily closed the end page, and looked outside to gain an image of what the scenery looked like. Unlike yesterday, it''s not raining and although I want to label the sky cloudless and utterly cerulean; it''s heavily shaded with a dark blue with shards of baby blue.

    Blue...

    My eyes followed the trail that corresponded to the bluest thing in the room. A nervous look permanently locked with anxiety. How come she''s always anxious though? I really am curious now.

    "..."

    Re-opening the page by swiftly enveloping my fingers with the paper''s edge, the names that were to be cast out started to look minimal.

    Lus is a no for certain. She does not give a weak impression whatsoever. I hate women like her, in specific. Her omnipresent confidence doesn''t give me a window of opportunity. She''s really cold as well. Meeting someone face to face of the same kind as me doesn''t really sound like a good tactic.

    I additionally crossed out Kanawari''s name. Something tells me that if I were to mess with Kanawari that Lus would most likely anticipate me.

    The point here, really, really, isn''t too complicated. I''m looking for someone that just doesn''t have strong attachments but would be a good toy.

    Ultimately crossing them out off the list, I got down to the last two names. However, I went with Akimiyashika first.

    She gets really protective and is essentially a hypocrite. She''s a hypocrite because if you are here and you try to be right, you are most likely not doing it genuinely, and instead... you are being fake. Hypocritical behavior would be applied if she were to actually try to act right and be right when the main qualification entry for this classroom is to be a criminal! How ironic!

    But seriously, you just won''t do...

    "Get out..."

    Violently to the point of ripping the paper apart, the last name got met with a giant circle performed as quick as my eyesight on it.

    All this time, the factor of protection wasn''t really something I was afraid of, but if I am going to play a similar game to Omega, then... I''ll do things a bit differently from you. You didn''t allow evidence because you had factors that would give you such benefit. I''ll play around with evidence.

    Because, unless I do it this way, then it won''t be obvious that I was the one who did it and that''s exactly the point. Everyone needs to know that I did it.

    I''ve thought of scenarios where I would do the essence of the task by escaping evidence like Omega, but... I do enjoy the spotlight. I admit.

    With the victim in mind, I reached out to Shizuku, by adjoining my table to hers, which caught her by surprise.

    "How surprising! Are you feeling like a social human being suddenly?"

    "That is correct."

    Although we interacted, we did it very lowly in order to not be detected. Then, as we took notes of what was going on in the class, I started to speak to her.

    "I need your assistance, Shizuku. You see, I''m feeling the necessity to create something on my own for my beloved."

    There''s a really basic trick in a classroom in order to escape your teacher''s attention. I''ve done this since kindergarten and it has always worked. Simply take notes and look only from the panel to your notebook without looking elsewhere. Vision is the key element. Shizuku did the same while replying.

    "Are you going to commit some crime of passion like he did?"

    "It wasn''t an actual crime, Shizuku. The immorality of the act just makes it sound like one. That''s how he''s getting away. Real crimes have more windows of opportunity. Truly thoughtful..."

    I could spend all day talking about how much of a God he is to me, but...

    "So, listen up. Here is what I have in store for us."

    I told her my plan, essentially.

    1:15 pm.

    "So... What is it that you urgently need to talk to me about, Yukishiro?"

    We were attracting quite a lot of attention, so to say.

    Put more concretely, Shizuku and I were in a cafeteria near block A which was almost the equivalent of the rich kids'' playground. It''s almost as if the ones that were in this cafeteria belonged to block A only yet I saw no restrictions. This, to me, was just a slightly above-average cafeteria. Though, this train of thought and self-indulgence attracted the unwanted attention of girls from other tables who were gossiping about me and Shizuku certainly.

    "What are they doing here...?"

    "Who do they think they are anyways..."

    Forcefully drinking a cup of coffee, the boy in front of me, who was being eyed by the majority of the girls in a questionable way did not know how to properly react to my intentional reluctance.

    Indecisive between looking up and down, I kept on switching my visual gears.

    "U-Um..."

    I made sure to answer as reluctant as possible the boy in front of me. At first, he sounded unaware of what was actually happening, but as he looked more into my almost fully blushed expression, he came to the quick conclusion that he was about to be what many would consider "a lucky guy".

    "Y-Yes...?"

    A reluctant yet less composed reply came forth. Skeptical looks towards the boy grew from the girls who watched us in this isolated table for four near the foggy window reflecting saturated blue.

    But, I could not reply yet and instead, looked towards Shizuku and she followed her supposed role.

    With a light hit on my back, she looked at Liyuga and explained my emotional state.

    "Ah, sorry, Liyuga! She''s just really nervous, give her a few seconds, alright...?"

    "It''s alright, take as much time as you need to."

    He was even further analyzing the elements of my appearance. It wasn''t just because that I chose this location. My hair shine reflects the best near strong illumination, so the contrast in my hair color is all over the place, which further enhances the appeal. Should I have held this conversation in a darker place, then it wouldn''t be as visible, and too much light might just ruin everything. My position right now is ideal, aesthetically speaking.

    "Oh gosh, I need to take a few deep breaths, sorry...!"

    Upon seeing my neurotic reaction, Liyuga got embarrassedly puzzled. As for me, I really took some deep breaths in front of him while looking tired and having trouble saying words. Yet, what words? Such thoughts surely crossed his mind by now.

    "Okay... Um, sorry, it''s just... Ah, I''m too much of a bother, am I not...? I''m so--"

    "No, don''t worry! You seem really stressed, so calm down a bit and say what you want to say afterward. I''ll patiently wait."

    Eh...

    He''s someone patient... Shall I truly test his patience then...?

    No, on second thought, I really need to get this done quickly. The crucial part here is to plant a seed.

    Taking that into consideration, I took on a deep breath and confronted Liyuga. Slowly but comfortably, I formed a small fist and adjoined it to my left cheek while feeling a rather blazing sensation from the heat in my cheeks.

    "Are you seeing someone right now...?"

    Partial to this, some girls nearby spit out their drinks consecutively. Now, I was expecting a shy type of answer, but he replied rather composed, which brought me a wave of anxiety at first.

    The sudden transformation from a total flushed face to a calm solemn face was completely bizarre.

    "I''m not. Hold on; I don''t want to hurt your feelings, so I''ll just say this; student council members aren''t allowed to have any sorts of romances, so if by some chance you are interested in my affection, then I can''t offer you my assistance."

    Almost, if not totally instantly, my face bridged the edge of paleness as soon as I heard those anti-climatic words.

    "Ehhhh?! Isn''t that too cruel, Liyuga?"

    Shizuku complained while I was emotionlessly still processing this stupid anti-climatic answer.

    I just couldn''t believe it. My eyes opened themselves so much that I thought they would just flat out fall off.

    "It''s because the president doesn''t want potential romances to take our focus away from our studies. In order to stay in the student council, there''s a really tough quota to meet, so it makes perfect sense. I am sorry, Yukishiro."

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Well... My intention was to fake feelings for him, but now that such is not possible, I''ll adjust my tactics up a bit.

    "Oh, no. I''m actually relieved, really."

    "...Huh?"

    Of course, Liyuga couldn''t be more confused. He thought that I was actually going to confess to him. Not that I wasn''t going to make an implication, but even Shizuku couldn''t help but be puzzled.

    With confidence, I intertwined my fingers and spoke the current truth to Liyuga.

    "A classmate of mine asked me to confirm if you were seeing someone right now because she is interested in you. I care about her very much, to the point where I went a mile ahead to see if a scenario of romance was possible. If she were here right now and you would''ve said those words, then, wouldn''t her heart just be mercilessly crushed...?"

    More coldly, I emphasized my point to Liyuga, who took a serious stance in response. He realized that if I truly was in love with him and I was planning on confessing it to him that my heart would be crushed by such a response. Not being able to actually hold a romance over such a stupid rule is not only heart-breaking but literally infuriating.

    "Now that you mention it... Sorry, I just had no way of knowing it. Though, who was it? I don''t fully know the names of those in your classroom. I know your name is Yukishiro and yours is Shizuku. There''s Akimiyashika and Arkalee too. The rest, I can''t exactly remember."

    Mhm...

    This was going to be tasking if I hadn''t brought along a picture that I took of her while she walked out of the room with Akimiyashika and Hinagiku. In order to take this picture, I pretended to be fiddling with my phone while in reality, I was taking a picture of her. Another detail to add is that we were really lucky to meet Liyuga next to block E. For reasons unknown, he was there, but I grabbed that chance to make this happen. He naturally suggested this cafeteria though.

    Ultimately, I limited myself to showing him the picture of the one that supposedly had feelings for him.

    "Look here. It''s this girl. Isn''t she just a cutie?"

    In addition to taking a picture of her, I made sure that it showed her face. This was very, but very important.

    Nonetheless, it was rather funny how Liyuga was having some hardcore trouble reminding himself of who she was.

    "Ah...! That girl! She was really silent. I never got to know her name. Could you tell me?"

    "Most certainly. Rikishima Ikkiri."

    Now that he had the knowledge of her name, Liyuga could have a slightly advanced understanding. Out of caring, he asked me a rather interesting question.

    "Do you think I should confront her about this?"

    Things needed to go as planned, so I made sure to take absolute control of the situation. It seems that Liyuga over here is not enough of a man himself to verify Ikkiri''s "feelings" for him personally. I''ll gladly take advantage of that.

    "No. If I may add, I''ll talk to her about this in a way that won''t demolish her feelings. Thank you for your consideration, Liyuga."

    "I see. Please contact me if you need my assistance regarding this matter. I don''t want to cause misunderstandings. Let''s exchange numbers, okay?"

    "Sure!"

    Unexpected, I must say, but Liyuga and I traded numbers subsequently right away, which infuriated the wrath of a few girls nearby.

    It does seem that Liyuga is quite popular. I could''ve dragged our conversation on and on, or even better, I could''ve made sure that this conversation would''ve taken place elsewhere, but it really had to be here. Because block A girls are sure to have clout; which I need for the success of this.

    "If that''s all, then I need to go, ladies."

    "Student council duty?"

    Liyuga sighed a bit and relaxed his shoulders before answering Shizuku''s question.

    "It is what it is. Well, I like what I do, so it''s actually fine. Later and good luck with the interrogation this afternoon."

    "Thank you." x2.

    We took a polite bow yet I made sure that despite the fact that Liyuga was leaving out of the cafeteria that we did not actually leave our seats. It would be very counterproductive if we did and I''ve emphasized this scenario to Shizuku previously, so she knows about it.

    Alas, we started an idle chat while drinking our strawberry shakes.

    "What a stupid rule, but I''m just glad that I didn''t have to actually go through that."

    It is quite good and solid. I even started to drink it with my eyes closed. It was quite delightful.

    "Sigh... Part of the plan already failed, didn''t it, Yukishiro...?"

    Lacking any sort of hope in the first place, Shizuku thought of our current state of action as something that had already been a failure for sure while taking small sips of her strawberry shake through the silk straw intersected within.

    "That is not true. Look, here they come."

    "I know. Just my rare sarcasm kicking in."

    "You''re good at hiding it if you didn''t lie just now."

    It was already 1: 30 pm, which means that half of our lunchtime had gone down the drain.

    I started to get up to give away a nervous stance. Same with Shizuku. We were going to leave the cafeteria until we heard voices calling out for us.

    "Yukishiro and Shizuku, may I have your attention?"

    That caught me off guard. I thought for sure that we were just going to get interrogated, but for them to know our identities straight up? How?

    In the end, though, we didn''t really leave our seats and simply allowed two girls to confront us, by taking Liyuga''s previous seat.

    Snarky, I made a remark back at the one who said such words.

    "You''re lacking manners, depraved slut!"

    Twisted and distorted; my eyebrows became.

    "How do you know our names...? I don''t remember ever talking to you people in the first place."

    To further describe these two, looking back at it, they were already here in the first place, drinking tea extravagantly. Yet they kept on looking at Liyuga for a certain reason. I couldn''t quite sense that it was out of romance, but they surely wanted something out of him. His clout, perhaps?

    Her name is still unknown, but she has a very delicate hairstyle that contains elements such as a snail bun hairstyle alongside a mixture of greenish hair with a slight gradient of purple. It is somewhat hard to describe but it simply will give you the striking impression of someone whose style isn''t bound by common sense.

    As for the other girl who hasn''t spoken yet, although silent, she looks like she has a confident look and a permanent long dark blonde braid on the back of her head. Outspoken yet seemingly sharp.

    I''m even more surprised that she ignored my insult; out of all the things to say next.

    "We have our ways of knowing just about everything. Now, mind explaining yourselves? You don''t belong here. Get out or else."

    "Or else?"

    Shizuku said that, but I planned on doing so, just not in such a direct way. How exactly was our presence here threatening in the first place in their eyes?

    In response to these uncaring words from Shizuku, the snail girl grew a very angry expression.

    "Don''t you dare play games with me, ok? I am one of the C.R''s and I can if I do want to, get you out of any territory within block A''s 1-kilometer range just by calling out guards to expel you from here."

    "What? But that''s just pure violence!"

    I was analyzing the situation calmly and rationally without trying to create outbursts. First of all, she said "C.R." which is the short term for "Class Representative". Furthermore, she said that she is one of them, which means... There is the option of being more than one?

    "Wait, Shizuku."

    "Huh?! Did you just hear them?!"

    "I did! I did! But they are misunderstanding something very deeply..."

    "Excuse me...?"

    While I attempted to calm Shizuku down, I traded glances with the two of them; snail girl in particular.

    It was about time I actually clarified the situation here clearly.

    But first...

    "Well, you know my name and Shizuku''s, so, what''s yours? If you don''t give me your names, I''ll call you "Snail" and as for her, let''s see... "Really bad braids who took hours to make for a poor result"? Yeah, that sounds about right..."

    Shizuku lightly laughed consequently, which further provoked reactions out of them.

    "What the hell is the matter with you?! I''m not a snail! I refuse to give my name to a no life like you."

    "You said something about we deeply misunderstanding, what did you mean by that?"

    Well, if that''s how they want to play, then sure. Still, the silent girl spoke and questioned me.

    She probably thought that I wouldn''t actually say that gigantic nickname but as someone who wore braids in the past, those knots are giving me a headache.

    "You see, really bad braids who took hour---"

    "Anea..."

    I didn''t stop.

    "...s to make for---"

    "I said Anea! My name is Anea, stop chanting it!"

    How cute! That reaction really contrasted her previously lethargic one.

    "...a poor result, er--- I mean, Anea!"

    "Carol, can we go ahead and just---"

    Seemingly pissed off, Anea was starting to wave at the snail girl, who was undoubtedly the person undergoing the name of Carol, which means that she wasn''t liking how things were progressing. I had to quickly dispel the bad blood here and thus I went fully direct to the issue.

    "Shizuku and I aren''t interested in Liyuga."

    "..."

    They took some time to think; for about 5 seconds before Carol fired yet another question at me.

    Way more aggressive this time around, she even pointed her right index finger straight into my soul; to my utter dislike.

    "Care to explain yourselves on that? How do I know that you aren''t after Liyuga?"

    I just had to confirm something with Carol right off the bat, so after swirling with my strawberry shake straw from left to right and fully envisioning my sight on her, I bluntly asked.

    "Do you two like him or something? Jealousy? Is that it?"

    "Huh? Ridiculous! It''s just straight up common for clout chasers like you to look for an opportunity and we won''t let you have your way!"

    ..........

    First things first... From the way they both glared at me as they took my question, I didn''t feel or see any traces of actual jealousy or hidden affection. Secondly, Carol mentioned clout chasers, which means that it''s already a common act for other girls to chase Liyuga for the wrong reasons. The question remains though: Why do they care?

    More importantly... They can''t be allowed to think that we are the clout chasers here. Certainly, I want to have a bit of Liyuga''s clout so I can infiltrate the cameras and do a thorough lip reading. It''s gonna be a long process but it will all fall into pieces eventually.

    For that to work, I need to clear yet another misunderstanding.

    "Hold on, that''s what you got confused about. We are just messangers. We weren''t actually---"

    "Don''t lie! I saw your face! It was so blushed and embarrassed that it''s hard not to believe that you were here to confess!"

    Ugh, I want to seriously question this bitch''s reasoning regarding why my supposed confession even matters in the first place. But, I don''t plan to go against the tide here. It''s fine if she thinks like this.

    When attempting to strike a deal, it''s important to suck up a little bit at first. Objecting to her way of thinking is out of the question and Shizuku understood that.

    Ergo, with a calmer composure now, Shizuku spoke to Carol and clarified something.

    "She''s not lying. She was sent here to portray the "feelings" of a clout chaser in our class after Liyuga''s power. Honestly, it''s so fucked up..."

    Perfect. She''s totally in the line for this, so I''ll continue after Shizuku.

    I closed my eyebrows a bit and emitted a sense of hopelessness.

    "I''ve tried to tell her that it wouldn''t work, but she''s clout-hungry, that Ikkiri. Plus, making me do all the dirty work for her... Give me a break..."

    "....What are you two talking about...?"

    "Sigh..." x2.

    As if we were actual victims constantly suffering from overwork, we relaxed our shoulders and began explaining our situation, since they started to believe us. Though, they were skeptical still. Therefore, I had to go about this in a delicate way.

    "You know our class, right? Block F''s special. One and only."

    "Yes. What does that have to do with anything? And who is this Ikkiri? I demand answers!"

    It''s really intriguing why Carol is so persistent on knowing who is after Liyuga''s clout even though I just can''t see any reason as to why she would care so much in the first place.

    In other words, the answer is simple. The reason is beyond my current knowledge. It''s something most likely privileged to those from block A, I daresay.

    Though, I will not insist on that. I don''t have a reason to.

    Taking my turn for me, Shizuku gave a succinct answer to the anxious Carol alongside her rather observant partner named Anea.

    "Ikkiri is our class leader. She rules our class like a tyrant and every girl in our class, ---we included of course--- is forced to work under her. You probably already know about the witness case, correct?"

    "Why, I do. Liyuga, under very questionable conditions accepted to be that impertinent creature''s witness..."

    "The gal of that wretch...!!"

    Interestingly, Anea once more contrasted her expression and bent her will into a feat of transient rage. They were most likely referring to Lus. I don''t see Kanawari being the source here. Regardless, it was my turn to continue the lie.

    "So you know. That makes things easier. Well, Ikkiri has a rather... power-hungry personality. In front of other girls who aren''t the ones from her class, she will display a meek and feeble attitude in order to not get suspected, but to us, it''s a whole different story--- she''s a demon in disguise..."

    Emphasizing my point even stronger, Shizuku''s expression alongside mine grew a terrified look as if Ikkiri had actually been ruling us under some sort of ironclad dictatorship from which we could not hope to escape from. The only reason as to why this argument is even slightly believable in the first place is because this school operates in a system that makes this lie seem like something actually believable!

    "Your circumstance aside... Well, I am sorry that you are being treated like that, but what exactly did you tell Liyuga that Ikkiri told you to tell?"

    "Ah, that? Ikkiri ordered me to make sure if Liyuga was seeing someone or not. You see, she''s quite manipulative, so she has her way around things rather maliciously. I''m so sick of it..."

    Your turn; Shizuku.

    "We don''t actually like to do this, but we can''t do anything about it. Soon enough, more girls from our class will be forced to go after Liyuga just for the sake of Ikkiri''s ambition..."

    "For the record, she always walks around a small blue-haired girl and a somewhat tall red-haired girl. Both of them are supposed to look confident and intimidating at first, but even them are just Ikkiri''s puppets..."

    Our arms started to shake just to make sure that we could break that barrier of disbelief in this atmosphere.

    Even if Carol and Anea looked as if they were starting to believe, I went the extra mile and gave them a piece of information.

    Trembling, I took out my cellphone and presented them with the picture of Ikkiri and spoke something in addition to that.

    "She doesn''t stand out socially that much because she is calculative in that regard..."

    "...Why are you showing us this picture of her? All we asked was what you were told to tell Liyuga."

    Naturally, someone rational would question an additional favor. In my mind, I had placed a gigantic smile on my lips, but in reality, I kept my apologetic look on with my eyesight marked below like a sad victim.

    "We just thought... Maybe exposing her would make her stop doing what she does... Ah, you probably can''t relate because you have never been there, but around Ikkiri we have no freedom..."

    "It''s as Yukishiro says... If only she were to get exposed somehow, then we could have a little bit of freedom, but that''s just not possible, isn''t that right?"

    "I guess..."

    With puppy eyes, we heavily sighed and looked to get up from our seats, but Anea stopped us; not Carol.

    "Hold it. Carol, we could use them if Ikkiri is after Liyuga. We need this and you know it..."

    "I know, but still..."

    Lacking any sort of knowledge in the first place; I could not understand what they were implying. However, it would be amazing if they could buy the image of using us.

    So, I gave them a little push.

    "If you want, we could work for you..."

    But my words gave them more reason to be skeptical. It really couldn''t be helped. They have to be allowed to be skeptical about my intention here so I can ease their worries afterward.

    "Suspicious..."

    Carol spoke but not Anea.

    Shizuku capitalized on that rather quickly.

    "We won''t ask anything back! We would even tell you when Ikkiri would order someone else to approach Liyuga!"

    "!"

    Their eyebrows rose to an elevated extent as their eyes massively opened themselves. Before they could be able to think further, I added a few more words to Shizuku''s helpful speech.

    "Although we don''t get why, it''s clear that it''s important for no one to be able to access Liyuga''s clout, right?"

    "...You don''t need to know about that."

    Carol denied it in a weak way, but it was crystal clear that Liyuga''s clout was precious to her. Or, more precisely and accurately assumed, to both Carol and Anea. It could be that it''s more. Yet it matters not. What matters here is establishing a point of importance for a consensus to exist.

    "Ikkiri is evil beyond your thoughts. You must allow us to help you, we will do anything, please! Just.... help us!"

    Bowing down and borderline slamming her forehead on the table, Carol and Anea couldn''t reject such a strong stance. In advance, I had already done the same and we did not lift our heads up until they gave a reply.

    5 seconds went by...

    Our eyes remained shrouded in darkness; we refused to open them up until a positive reply came forth.

    10 seconds and finally...

    After 15 seconds, we heard their calling.

    "Suppose we accept your "deal"... that benefits you, people, just a little. Suppose just this: what would you propose we would do in order to diverge Ikkiri''s attention from Liyuga?"

    !!!!!

    Just for about a millisecond, the corners of my lip resonantly increased, but I behaved myself while we elevated our heads to the surface once again. With grand assertiveness, I spoke to Carol, who after this time, was still skeptical.

    "As you can see... I and Shizuku have poor social standing. Even if we told everyone about Ikkiri, the likelihood of them believing it is just about zero, honestly..."

    "So you want us to do that part of the job, in other words?"

    Anea spoke rather harshly, but Shizuku further explained with care.

    "The goal would be to alert all other classes and blocks about Ikkiri. If you two were the sources of this wave of helpfulness, then wouldn''t the credit go over for you?"

    Shizuku made a fantastic point, actually. She brilliantly connected her knowledge with the elections in November, which allowed me to make the ultimate connection here with my upcoming words.

    "By being the source, wouldn''t votes be raining for you? If you think just a bit, you''ll realize that stopping someone evil like Ikkiri is just an excuse for votes, and... wouldn''t that be great? Imagine if all the votes could go to Liyuga. Isn''t that why you are protecting him? So no one ruins his image until the elections?"

    They looked severely shocked as they heard my resonating words, but this isn''t that hard to connect in the first place.

    According to Izufusa, if someone damages your image, despite you being from block A, your fame could get destroyed in a single stroke and they are most likely looking out for their leader. That''s right; I truly think that Liyuga''s class consists of students who are afflicted to him for their own reasons. Regardless of reasons, they want to protect their leader.

    Just like if you had the chance, you would stand up and defend the person who you are voting for President. Extremely simple, all in all.

    "Hey, Carol..."

    "...Yeah, I know, I know... Agh, I know! Okay, so here is the deal, and don''t you dare screw it up, or else I''ll use my authority to make your lives hell here!"

    It wasn''t as if we wanted to obey Carol''s sudden tyranny, but it heavily benefitted us in doing so, therefore, we stood in silence as she laid down the deal.

    "I and Anea will start spreading rumors regarding Ikkiri based on what you have told us and---"

    Ahhh...

    I had to interrupt her a little bit faster than anticipated. Carol should not think that spreading rumors based on what I''ve said is enough to grab someone''s attention. No, it needs to be more... Drastic than that.

    "Hold on."

    "What?! I don''t like to be interrupted!"

    "I understand! I really do! It''s just, I think that spreading rumors is great and all, but not based on what I''ve told you."

    Seeing how confused she became almost gave me the idea of surrendering to this constant wave of laughter hiding inside my brain yet I nonetheless resisted and persisted with my reasoning.

    "We should exaggerate. "Ikkiri is a whore who would suck someone''s dick in order for you to give her a vote." "She is manipulative and steals from others." "If you are a boy, then be careful because she might just offer up her body in order to get you to do dirty favors for her." See the pattern here?"

    At first, they were a bit disturbed by my lack of empathy as I harshly exemplified, but they ultimately thought about how the examples of the rumors that I''ve suggested are better than what I''ve told them about Ikkiri previously.

    "That is rather evil, Yukishiro, but I''ll agree to it. What about you, Carol?"

    "Heh, just my style. That''s fine! But, give me her picture! I''ll spread it on social media just to spark more notice..."

    How absolutely perfect.

    Things could not have gotten better for the first step of the plan.

    Mildly smiling, I extended my right hand as a sign of the deal''s closure, and Carol rightfully accepted it without a second thought.

    Omega, I''ll create a masterpiece that will challenge yours.

 Volume 19 - Chapter 131: ?? Hollow Limitlessness. ??

    April 14th.

    Yesterday''s afternoon was barely worthy of mentioning because Sana and Arkalee''s witnesses only really witnessed Yulia in a relay race. Sure, it was noteworthy the factor that Yulia did win that race, but outside of that, even though several questions were asked, nothing was really acquired, so it turned out to be a mediocre waste of time.

    Plus, I was far more excited for this specific day, in this current afternoon, because the ones that were next on were Akimiyashika, Hinagiku, and... Ikkiri!

    As of right now, lunchtime had come to a close end, so here we all stood on the edge of our seats waiting for the development to unfold, in this semi-bright classroom. Notably speaking, the outside scenery is quite gray and lacks the heavenly color of blue precisely too much.

    Our previous witnesses were eliminated from the scene, as their necessity to be present turned out to be ridiculously low. Furthermore, only two witnesses remained. We know Liyuga is the witness of Lus and Kanawari, but the other three have a witness on their own.

    Supposedly speaking, I already came across the fact that this young man is exchanging glances with Ikkiri every now and then, but she has no idea why. He looks at her for almost a split second and looks away. Then re-does the process slightly different each time; sometimes alternating between one to three seconds. Ikkiri''s face turns pale sometimes as she just can''t seem to process what made this change within the male individual. In addition to that, she knew that previously, the male individual harbored no doubts whatsoever. His behavior dictated the type of behavior that an individual who wanted to help out would possess. Essentially, it went without saying that he would become crucial to them if they wanted to score well in this particular stage.

    Yet as of now, from this faraway distance, I can only watch the paranoia within his face wondering if this is a set-up.

    Truly, block A girls have some fearsome clout. About 24 or so hours had gone by and I thought it would take a lot of time for information to be spread within other blocks, but it was crystal clear that the information that Shizuku and I had given to them had already infiltrated other blocks, and most likely was spreading like a pandemic virus.

    "Your name was Hunter, right?"

    Yuka-sensei asked Hunter that question as a method of confirmation since he hadn''t gone out of his way to introduce himself. If you were to ask me, it''s almost as if he planned to introduce himself today normally, but something was making him reluctant regarding his current endeavor; crossing the borderline of the controversy of it.

    "Ah, yeah. I''m sorry, I know this is sudden, but can I not do this? I just don''t think I''ll be able to contribute!"

    Faking an excuse, Hunter faced Yuka-sensei from a very close distance. Since Akimiyashika, Hinagiku, and Ikkiri were seating all the way in front, it didn''t really take him much of an effort to do so.

    Before Yuka-sensei could even reply, Akimiyashika, struck by this sudden wave of events, urged Hunter right away.

    "Wait, what?! You said you would help us, you can''t just go back on your word like that!"

    "I know I said that, but I wasn''t really aware of how things were here... Can I take my leave, teacher?"

    Of course, there wasn''t really anything that said that the witnesses had to stay here. If anything, they were here out of their own goodwill. Now, a little something about goodwill... If you aren''t doing it unconditionally; the action, that is, then---- is it really worth going out of your way for someone whose goodwill does not even begin to reach out to your own? Aren''t you suddenly bombarded with a sensation that you were manipulated into upholding goodwill? What would you do, really?

    "Just wait, Hunter! Talk to me, what changed your mind?!"

    Akimiyashika couldn''t even begin to process why what was happening was happening in the first place. This is, without the shadow of a doubt, an utterly priceless scenario.

    She was even chasing him by the door since Yuka-sensei was taking a lethargic stance without saying anything. In other words, if it was your witness, then it was your job to make sure you could make him/her spill out information. If he refuses to even attend this interrogation session, then it''s not the witness''s fault.

    It''s your own.

    "I know your circumstance isn''t the most favorable one, Akimiyashika, but you should''ve been at least honest if you wanted my cooperation. It hurts that I was lied to. Goodbye!"

    Bam!

    Door slammed!

    Speechless, Akimiyashika transiently remained there at the entrance. Hinagiku was not moving an inch all this time as she was trying to figure out why that had just happened. Since they are biased whores, I knew that soon enough their eyes would be on us, so I called out to Shizuku rather silently.

    "Shiz, pretend."

    "Mhm."

    Shizuku began to draw something on her notebook, while I was fiddling with my cellphone midst yawning. In reality, I was just mashing buttons with the screen closed and I did detect the glares from Akimiyashika and Hinagiku, but they were really temporary.

    "I shouldn''t have to say this, but your witness is your responsibility. I don''t have a particular interest in what occurred between you and Hunter, Aki, but---"

    "Something''s wrong! This doesn''t make any sense..."

    She really was not accepting the current reality. Even though she was yelling from across the room, we could hear her loud and clear.

    "Hunter said I wasn''t honest with him, but I made sure that I was... I would never lie to him, so why....!?"

    Oh my God! I seriously can''t take it!

    It''s so hard to put a fake face on while this is happening, but it''s the mere concrete joy from her reactions that are enabling me to uphold the resolve all the way to the end.

    "Reputation is something you have to be cautious about, Aki. You should know that in the first place, you girls aren''t in a favorable position in the first place."

    "No! No! That''s wrong! He accused me of not being honest and being lied to, but I don''t recall ever doing that!"

    "Aki, enough is enough. Do you understand?"

    ".......This is not..."

    With her face down, Akimiyashika walked back to her seat and took a sharp glare in my direction before completely facing forward. Her face was full of madness and ready to kill. Matching that glare was out of the question, but it didn''t take me long to realize that they were holding a bias towards me.

    "Well, I''ve been silent for a while, but I think I know why Hunter acted the way he did."

    Breaking the ice, Liyuga spoke, which brought Akimiyashika and Hinagiku''s attention all the way to him. Ikkiri was perhaps feeling faulty, even though she has no real way of knowing she was the one at fault, nonetheless, she didn''t look at him.

    "Why then? If you don''t mind answering..."

    Skeptical, Akimiyashika couldn''t help but sense something off as to why Liyuga would even suggest that he knew the true answer to this.

    Meanwhile, I and Shizuku had stopped pretending and blended in the chain of reactions by looking towards Liyuga.

    The real question here is, will he be honest or not? Something really tells me that he won''t hold back.

    And he did not.

    "Ikkiri, you shouldn''t treat others as tools for your own gain like that. It''s despicable."

    Coldly, such words flew out of his mouth, which caused a lot of controversy in class right away. Akimiyashika and Hinagiku were speechless as they couldn''t understand what Liyuga even tried to insinuate with his words. Shizuku and I faked a surprised reaction while the rest observed the situation quite carefully. Lus turned rapidly skeptical as she most likely wondered the truth here.

    Regarding Ikkiri, she slowly emerged her head from the flat table and answered Liyuga meekly.

    "What...?"

    "What do you have against Ikkiri?!"

    "Every time! Leave her alone!"

    Poor Liyuga got assaulted by harsh words from Akimiyashika and Hinagiku subsequently, which made him turn a step back. But, I just couldn''t have that, so I intervened and defended Liyuga''s intentions.

    "Wait just a second! Why are you being so hostile towards Liyuga?! He is saying that he has the answer as to why Hunter acted the way he did and the moment he tries to explain himself, you just blurt out at him? Are you out of your minds...?"

    I made sure to get up from my seat to match their composures, but Akimiyashika did not back down.

    "You damned liar, Yukishiro! I bet you started this, didn''t you?!"

    "What?! Do you even listen to yourself?!"

    "I don''t know who you think you are, but targeting Ikkiri for the sake of your goals isn''t going to work on my wat---"

    But then, just as Akimiyashika was about to finalize her aggressive sentence, Yuka-sensei slammed a heavy thick book on her desk and all eyes were on her.

    "Come on girls, you are seriously better than this. Now, Liyuga, why are you claiming that my sweet Ikkiri is behind this? I''m sure you have a very valid reason behind your reasoning, right? A block A student wouldn''t just blurt that out meaninglessly, right, Aki? Let''s hear him out."

    "...He better have a VERY valid reason."

    We both took a seat, exchanging deadly glares with one another.

    This is somewhat what I was referring to earlier when I mentioned that I would do things differently from Omega. It''s a greater feeling to be in the spotlight when several other individuals have a rather good idea that I was the one behind it.

    Feeling more comfortable though, Liyuga adjusted his tie and spoke to us. Undoubtedly, he was feeling mildly threatened by Akimiyashika''s words, as they resonated quite deeply within him. He wanted to make sure he was doing the right thing.

    "A classmate of mine, which goes by the name of Carol alongside another classmate of mine, Anea, told me that a girl named Ikkiri was working her classmates to the bone and that they were forced to gather witnesses for the sake of her own goal."

    Akimiyashika wanted to react but she knew she couldn''t. Same with Hinagiku.

    Nevertheless, Yuka-sensei reacted rather undiplomatically, which to my surprise, I didn''t see it coming.

    "The foundation of your belief is a rumor? That is ridiculous. Refrain from blaming my students based on a rumor."

    "I too thought so at first, but... As I checked with more and more people from other blocks, even from block E, everyone already knew this information and I find it hard to believe that the whole school is faking it."

    "What..."

    In pure disbelief, Akimiyashika just had to utter that almost silently. Though, on the other hand, in less than a day, it had become official that the rumor that Carol and Anea had spread had infiltrated from the students of the mighty block A all the way to the trash bin of block E. Her network is powerful. Plus, yesterday, right after we made the deal, I made sure to tell Carol that they were the ones that had to be the source of the rumors. If we were the source of the rumors, then they would lose their credibility. They agreed to that logic because their clout entirely justifies it.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    "And for that reason alone, you think that Ikkiri here is the reason as to why Hunter acted the way he did?"

    "Frankly, yes. Rumors that involve details regarding how she manipulates others through very... questionable methods... have been spreading like wildfire. If Hunter knows about the rumors, then, of course, he wouldn''t trust her. My point being---when he said that he had been lied to, he was probably referring to his own assumption. His own assumption involved him thinking that Ikkiri had ordered Akimiyashika into getting his help. Now, I wouldn''t usually believe this... Unless, of course, Akimiyashika, you were the one that got him to help you out? Was that the case? If so, then that would explain it..."

    Back against the wall, precisely speaking.

    Ikkiri couldn''t possibly have gotten Hunter''s help. Akimiyashika, on the other hand, strikes you as a figure that could get someone''s help, rather easily. If you consider that factor alone and adjoin the possibility of someone manipulating her in order to gain your trust, you would realize that Akimiyashika is the perfect cover.

    "I did get Hunter''s help, but Ikkiri had nothing to do with that!"

    "Really? Are you sure? Give me a solid reason to believe your words."

    "Sure, fine. I was the one that insisted that we should get Hunter''s help because he looked to be the hardest-working student in his class. I came up with the idea, which Ikkiri had nothing to do with."

    Wow, such cold words, Akimiyashika...

    You are basically calling her useless. That''s nice though. Nevertheless, Liyuga wasn''t quite buying Akimiyashika''s "solid" reason.

    Ikkiri isn''t exactly facing the situation, as she is just sulking. That''s all she does! A normal person would confront the one who talks shit towards that person, but she doesn''t. She''s a coward and doesn''t protect herself. She''s easy to bully.

    "Sorry, I just don''t believe you. I''ll stick with my reasoning and that''s why I believe Hunter did what he did. Did I say something in the wrong, Ikkiri?"

    Mercilessly, he forced Ikkiri to face his words, although far away from her.

    Her reaction continued with the same essence though.

    "...I wouldn''t manipulate Aki nor Hina, but I have no evidence that I can''t give you. I just... don''t get why people would have that image of me in the first place..."

    Very dumb choice of words, Ikkiri. The less suited you look for a task, the more others would question the falsehood behind such an assumption.

    "Well, I honestly don''t think that spreading rumors like this is a fine thing to do, so I''ll just say that that''s my reasoning for Hunter''s decision. My staying here as a witness is entangled towards Lus and Kanawari, so, in other words, I am not affected by this. Unless, of course, if the rumors are true and these two here are---"

    Liyuga was about to jump towards an even bigger conclusion, but Lus stopped him before he could, quite crudely.

    "I am not defending Ikkiri nor anyone, but I would not obey someone else''s order, even if I was at a gunpoint with a gun cocked onto my brain. You are here based on our deal. Got it?"

    "...Yes, it appears that I shouldn''t have doubted you."

    "Good."

    Lus is quite prideful, so she would make sure to ONLY defend herself and by not defending everyone else, Liyuga''s belief regarding Ikkiri''s manipulative schemes in our class still lives on.

    Now, Yuka-sensei administered her thoughts.

    "Isn''t it the student council''s job to make sure that there is order in school? Please track down the source of such rumors and terminate it."

    "I will agree with that there. But that aside, I don''t believe turning a blind eye to rumors that have spread all over the school can be done. They have to be questioned to a certain extent."

    The source of the rumors would soon be located, or rather, it was important to make sure that the source of the rumors would become irrelevant. What good is a rumor if the credibility falls as soon as the source is terminated? Therefore... It simply needs to be more expanded.

    With that said, Liyuga''s turn was tomorrow and not today, so he returned to his classroom. Classes went on until the dawn of the afternoon.

    The second step would need to be administered quickly.

    As soon as classes were over and everyone was starting to leave the room, I called out to Shizuku while putting all my utensils in my backpack. She was doing the exact same.

    "Shizuku! What do you say we do some stalking?"

    "Eh, that sounds interesting. Who, this time around though?"

    She replied positively, which was extremely pleasing.

    Now... I''ve been thinking of who would make the most suitable person for this, but if I were to pick someone who would be totally fine with doing this, then...

    "It''s from our class."

    "Seriously? Don''t we need to be careful? What if we are found out...?"

    "No, relax, Shizuku. Despite being in our class, she hasn''t stood out that much recently."

    Rather... She''s someone whose spotlight hasn''t been on her for a while now. She could use some and even though I recalled back the event where she called Ikkiri a mountain of names by writing them on her table, she hasn''t exhibited any signs of life thus far. I''ve noticed that she doesn''t exactly like Ikkiri for quite a long time. Yet she''s not acting on her feelings, so we have to revive them.

    I pointed in her direction, as she was motionlessly leaving the classroom.

    "Let''s see where she goes..."

    "You''re onto something, right?"

    "You just know me so well, don''t you, Shizuku?"

    As we left the classroom, I cast out a sharp glance at Ikkiri, who was the last person in the classroom. Akimiyashika and Hinagiku left the classroom with vast haste, most likely in order to fill a complaint to the student council; leaving Ikkiri behind. Yet, as I look at her, with her head lying on her right shoulder, I could only really witness a certain type of sadness of unknown origins.

    We moved rather slowly as we stalked our target.

    She did not go to the dorm and instead walked far away from it. She would constantly elevate her arms to probably wipe out the overflowing tears from the corners of her eyes.

    Above us, the sky threatened to rain on this gray concrete that we walked into. Our path didn''t diverge as we stumbled upon an area that had a table in a squared-shape. Furthermore, it contained a beautiful garden that instead of being flourished by the daylight, began to bear similar traits to an abstract swamp.

    The target silently sat on the table''s seat as we watched her upcoming movements from a far away pillar. Given that she wasn''t really paying attention to her surroundings, we didn''t bother to hide. Ever curious though, Shizuku posed a question as she processed the movements of our target.

    "...What is she doing...?"

    "It''s as if she''s feeling the table or something. Do you think she''s gonna use the table''s edge to masturbate?"

    It was possible, all in all, but there is no way that would happen. As a joke, I said what I said to Shizuku, who ACTUALLY pondered the likelihood of that being the case, but really... Our target was just going around the table with her two palms as if attempting to detect the source of some sort of smell. She has really interestingly bizarre hobbies, I must say.

    I bumped Shizuku''s shoulder lightly with my own and urged her to move forward as soon as I captured a different reaction from our target. She had found the source of the smell.

    Moreso, she was distorting her hips'' height in order to capture the essence of that smell, rather disturbingly. She was almost hogging the entire table, crossing the edge of going beyond smelling it. It was as if she was imagining some sort of metaphysical form that the table was supposed to take shape and was making love to it.

    "Where''d you go, where''d you go, where''d you, where''d you, I really can''t stand this annoying distance between you and m--"

    Considering the fact that we were silently judging her from a distance of one-meter, our eyes met and she started to get all paranoid as soon as she came to the realization that she wasn''t alone in this rather ironically lonely atmosphere met by no one else except us three.

    "W--Whaa-- it''s not what you think!! I.. Um---"

    But we ignored her and sat at her side. Shizuku on her left and I at her right.

    "Don''t worry, we don''t have any interest in your obscure fetishes, Arkalee."

    "If anything, we sorta respect it, Arkalee!"

    Shizuku''s entitled opinion aside, I was curious to know what Arkalee was actually doing, so after that quick justification and with a light hit on her back, I asked the question.

    "What were you doing, Arkalee? It looked like you were smelling something."

    "Right? Whatever it was, it must''ve been important. We should do the same, just so Arkalee doesn''t think that she''s the weird one."

    "True, Shizuku. So, let''s---"

    We were on the verge of casting our heads down in order to really attempt to smell this table and what it had to offer, but Arkalee spread out her two arms while neurotically complaining to us.

    "What do you two think you are doing?! This table here is my private property! Nobody else can smell him!"

    Him?

    "I didn''t know tables had genders, Arkalee. This is revolutionary."

    "They don''t! They don''t! Just don''t smell it, okay?! What is wrong with you two, so persistent! Go awaaaaaaaaaay!!"

    Sulking, she hogged the table desperately as if it was her life-line. But, it wasn''t on our agenda to actually fail here, so Shizuku pulled out a sympathetic act towards Arkalee, and surely, I was about to do the same as it was necessary.

    Therefore, with both of our hands on top of Arkalee''s shoulders, we began to comfort her.

    "Sorry, we didn''t actually mean to act like that. We were just worried about you."

    "Worried...?"

    Since Arkalee took enough curiosity out of her system to wonder the meaning behind Shizuku''s words, I went along next, causing her to look in my direction at the will of my voice''s sound.

    "Hyunda''s been absent and that has caused you to lose your will to do anything at all. You just go to classes and cry all alone at your desk. Of course, since we noticed that, we just couldn''t be more worried."

    Yet my words caused her to tear up.

    In addition to that, she tightly held my left uniform''s sleeve; provoking a mild tremble.

    "Ah, it''s so hard! How do people even do this?! This is so cruel!! Sending my future husband to a deserted island?! Are they out of their damn minds?! I don''t care if they don''t care about our rights, it''s still wrong to separate us like this! I..!! How am I supposed to go on...?! Waaaaaaaaaah!!!"

    "Damn, that seems pretty rough, right, Shizuku?"

    I expected a sarcastic reply since I didn''t really care, but Shizuku was somewhat too emerged in Arkalee''s mood and she began to shed light tears while hugging Arkalee from behind.

    "That is so sad! You two are already close enough to the point where your marriage is in your minds!?"

    "Yes! Yes, Shizuku! Waaah! That''s why I''m here! Because we''ve been here together and I thought that I could smell his scent if I were to be here!"

    Seeing Arkalee say that really urged me to speak out of my own curiosity.

    "And you were successful...?"

    Arkalee stopped hugging Shizuku and looked in my direction seriously.

    Her glare looked full of pure belief and had a clearance aura to it.

    "Are you joking? Of course I was. My sense of smell is so powerful that all I do is go to places where we have been together and by doing so, I can relive the memories all over again!"

    Although she said that with such burst, she nonetheless looked extremely sad in doing so.

    "But... It''s still not the same... I want to be able to hug him, kiss him, just feel his touch, but... BUT...!!! I JUST CAN''T!! AAAAGHH!"

    Well, that escalated fairly quickly. Arkalee was speaking rather silently, but she strongly elevated the tone of her words by the end of her sentence.

    Knowing that; I took the chance to confirm something with Arkalee, regarding Hyunda.

    "Say, Arkalee, you wouldn''t let Hyunda go out of your radar, right?"

    "What? There''s no way I would. What if he cheated on me? I would kill him and then myself so we could be together forever and ever in the afterlife!"

    That wasn''t quite what I was expecting as an answer and it didn''t really suffice, so I took a more direct approach.

    "What if he was giving attention to another girl without you noticing? What if he made you be absent from his presence for that particular reason?"

    "Hyunda wouldn''t do that. He''s loyal to me only."

    "Really? No matter what, you would keep an eye on him? What about the times where you just can''t, for example, in the boys'' dorm?"

    "...That just can''t be helped! Even though the rules are unfair, we have to be separated..."

    "I see..."

    I''m really over-thinking this, aren''t I? There''s just no way that Hyunda could have any sort of liberty to uphold so many actions at once. Unless he would coordinate how others would dictate their movements, but he doesn''t strike me as a leader.

    I looked over the gray sky and started to shackle thoughts regarding Hyunda being Omega and seemingly labeled them as unlikely. Now, I was wasting too much time, so I went forward with what I was here for all along.

    "Arkalee, it was you who wrote all those insults a while back towards Ikkiri, right?"

    "W-Why would you think so...?! I don''t have anything against Ik--"

    She couldn''t even finish her sentence.

    Shizuku and I traded cohesive glances with one another before making our move.

    This morning, I brought up that previous event and reasoned why Arkalee was most likely the one who did it, so Shizuku already knew the plan here.

    "It''s alright, we don''t really like the bitch anyways. Right, Yukishiro?"

    "She''s fucking weak as hell. Always reliant on the two others like no tomorrow. She''s everything I don''t want to ever be!"

    This part was true though. We weren''t really faking it.

    There is nothing that I like about Ikkiri. She''s always the target and does nothing whatsoever to fight back against all the verbal insults she receives. As we speak, countless people are harboring ill intentions towards her thanks to the rumors that I''ve purposely let spread. She doesn''t even behave like she''s one of us. A completely useless lump of meat is a fitting name for her.

    If she were to commit suicide, no one except Akimiyashika and Hinagiku would miss her.

    "Right, right?! I hate her soo muchhh! In the past, she would always try to get the attention of Hyunda and get in my way!"

    Although Arkalee has spoken just now with such hatred behind her words, there is one puzzling thing here.

    "If you hate her so much, then why aren''t you helping us out?"

    No point in hiding it, so Shizuku and I stared into Arkalee''s soul.

    It took her about two seconds to get the whole picture here, but I''m glad I didn''t have to emphasize the charade that was being put.

    "No way... It was you two...? I thought it was a student from block A."

    "We told them about Ikkiri and conveyed a charade. Of course, we exaggerated quite a bit, but that''s partial."

    "Not even Akimiyashika can do anything against these rumors, but it''s just... If we leave these rumors and their source intact, then things won''t go as planned and Ikkiri''s bullying will come to an end. And we don''t want that, right, Yukishiro?"

    "Exactly."

    Our point was about to reach its main essential stage.

    Why exactly was Arkalee relevant anyways? I''ve told Carol and Anea to spread rumors about how Ikkiri is a slut who would do anything in order to gain favors; who would gladly suck a dick just to get your attention and so on. I''ve additionally emphasized that she rules our class to the bone, but soon enough if those who are curious enough to check the source of the rumors witness that such is not the case, then the credibility will plummet. Because, realistically speaking, we are not being ruled under some sort of tyranny.

    No victims would come forth because there are none.

    Unless... That single factor could change just a little bit.

    "Arkalee, why don''t you help us out? Just think about it. Soon enough, Ikkiri will be able to have a nice normal life again. Would you like that...?"

    "No... It''s just... I can''t even muster the strength to feel without Hyunda around..."

    So that''s why she''s been motionless practically all this time.

    Without her emotional source around, Arkalee is essentially useless. I placed the tip of my right index finger on my lip as I saw this dilemma as somewhat troublesome.

    In the meantime, Shizuku didn''t hesitate to strike a proposal to Arkalee.

    "Wouldn''t you feel more secure if you made Ikkiri''s life terrible? If you managed to damage Ikkiri''s morale, then she could never, and I mean this, neveeer, approach Hyunda in any way. Why not break her hard to the point where she won''t recover?"

    "But is that even possible...?"

    I stepped in.

    "It is. Would you be interested in knowing how, Arkalee?"

    Maliciously, I closed the distance between me and Arkalee further as I enticed her to pay close attention to what I could offer to her.

    "...Yes. I would very much like to know how..."

    "Perfect... Now, let''s create a pact. By shaking this hand of mine, you solemnly vow to follow every order from me and Shizuku without ever going back on your word. As a reward, you will go along with our schemes, and by the end of them, I personally guarantee that Ikkiri will never be the same."

    "Please tell me how!"

    Arkalee showed not a slight hint of reluctance as she firmly shook my right hand; thus signing the deal and its contents included.

 Volume 19 - Chapter 132: Palm Dancing.

    "This is no good. We can''t meet up with the rest. I''m certain that they would seek out a shelter if possible as well, if they were in a situation like this; which they are."

    "Knowing those fools, they are probably right there waiting in the rain."

    Although I just said that, I do believe that Rayazaki should be able to dictate that meeting up is impossible. After all, I and Sagasuga are watching the outside scenery from the mine''s entrance and it''s beyond terrible. I had estimated rain, but not a damn typhoon... A more appropriate saying would be to label this as high winds rather than a typhoon, but the difference isn''t vast enough to brag about the spectral differences.

    The droplets are razor-sharp even to the point of penetrating this storm forth of wall between the entrance and the outside pandemonium.

    I slicked my hair back consecutively as it appeared to be wet before talking to Sagasuga once again; who was self-indulging in envisioning the torrential liquid meltdown.

    "We have two choices: We either stay here until the typhoon wears out or we move to the other section."

    "You mean; we try to move to the other section."

    With just a simple nod, I confirmed the intention of my words.

    Two attempts were still on the table here. To be fair, if every mine section contains only three choices, then collecting all the words can lead all to the same fate. The point to emphasize is the improvement of our success, but with only three choices... That could very well not be true.

    On my feet, I started to march into the mine once again while descending the stairs that we had first crossed hours ago.

    Yet, Sagasuga stood at the entrance while a massive spark of lightning shaded his entirety transiently.

    "What? You not coming?"

    Going beyond passive-aggressive lightning, static thunder struck the ground far more fearlessly; causing the ground to be its sore victim.

    Still, Sagasuga did not move and instead gave almost-silent words back.

    "Kawahara, I need an answer now."

    I turned my whole back and faced Sagasuga from a 10-meter distance while he maintained a parasitic stance; attaching himself to the entrance for some reason.

    What is he playing at?

    "What''s gotten into you, Sagasuga? Did the lightning hit your head or somethi-"

    "Kawahara."

    Even though I heard Sagasuga interrupting my sentence, I resumed my walk and sat on one of the stair steps with my back towards Sagasuga.

    His footsteps advanced slightly. Noticeably, the atmosphere had become far colder than usual and not even this uniform was doing the trick anymore.

    Representing a white shroud; my sigh came forth abstractedly.

    "We shouldn''t."

    Silence once again. So, I continued, despite expecting a retort from Sagasuga who had attached sudden importance towards my decision to the other sector.

    "But, the truth is, we also should try. With little to no clues regarding the pattern, we are stuck with a choice to make here. We could wait around and reunite with the others first though."

    "Are you going to wait around, Kawahara?"

    He''s trying to apply pressure onto me by making me make a choice. I shouldn''t display that I am aware of this nor should I try to find out why he''s trying.

    But even so...

    "Are you, Sagasuga?"

    This time around, I was the one who looked upwards by reversing my torso.

    His response was something that I wasn''t quite expecting.

    "We can''t find any clues regarding the pattern unless we take risks. So, no, I''m not going to wait around, Kawahara."

    "I see..."

    Weakly, I let out a fragile laugh and spoke to him one more time.

    "So?"

    "So... We should try our luck before it''s too late. There''s no guarantee that the other guy isn''t making his move while we aren''t."

    "Very true, Sagasuga. Do you have any bright ideas, Sagasuga?"

    He started to descend the stairs and soon enough, took the exact same stance as mine; with his torso relaxed all the way to the back even though the edge of the upper stair steps.

    "The."

    "Ah, that. Two individuals got that word, so the chances are far bigger than the rest if the other words aren''t just a replica. Imagine that, four replicas. Ha!"

    But that''s not true. I know for a fact that Kan''s word isn''t a replica, but Kuzan and Rayazaki''s words are.

    "And if it fails?"

    "I''ve already tried my word which is "Ultimate" and failed. If we have no way of knowing how to use the words then we should give it a solid try."

    Strangely enough, I do agree with his take here. But if he''s luring me into believing that Rayazaki and Kuzan''s words are the key to success, then something is very wrong here. If such is the case, then he profits from my defeat.

    Considering how he has been acting, I would say that there is a very high chance that he is trying to intentionally manipulate my choice here. If so, then I have to go along with him on the surface.

    "I agree, Sagasuga. Though, can I handle the writing of the word?"

    "...Sure? What difference does it make anyway? I''m confused now."

    "There''s really no difference. I just like to take the initiative, so yeah."

    "Whatever fits your drill, Kawahara."

    I smirked barely and got up from the uncomfortable slopy watery stairs. Then, I started to walk towards the last stop that had forced us to go back to the entrance.

    Throughout the entire way, Sagasuga kept a distance of three meters away from me, always lagging behind.

    All in all, I am thoroughly glad that he didn''t see through my earlier words. Well, he had no way of seeing it through and that''s because, under his assumption, we share similar equal power.

    Ultimately, we entered the section that had the powering computer with an omnipresent word entry alongside the constant reminder of how many times we had left to try.

    Usually, whenever inserting a password, you would either have it on top of your head, or... you would check your memory to remind yourself of what password you would have registered with. In any case, if you don''t remember the password, then you would try it over and over; different variations one at a time. Of course, that sort of circumstance is ridiculous here because we only have two tries left.

    "What''s wrong, Kawahara?"

    "Uh, nothing... I think I just..."

    "Hm...?"

    Now, if you were in front of a computer and you had the knowledge of several passwords; seven in exact; furthermore, there was someone watching you while potentially trying to manipulate the way you insert the results, how would you conduct yourself here?

    Right now, in front of the computer, with a forced puzzled superficial look on my face, I stand.

    "Oh well, I''ll just give it a shot..."

    "What are you talking about, Kawahara? Just put the password that we discussed earlier..."

    "Yeah, yeah! That one..."

    He was growing skeptical second by second.

    Let''s summon simplicity once more. You had been forced or put in a position where you were left with no choice but to insert a very specific password. The password being: "The". Given that Sagasuga here is attempting to supposedly manipulate the results, what would you do?

    Surely, you wouldn''t even doubt Sagasuga. In the first place, why would he try to manipulate the results? If he said that he had inserted his password and it failed, then there is no reason to doubt him. Really, really! It''s dumb to even consider it.

    But, aren''t you just missing one crucial factor here?

    "Oh, I remembered! It''s "The"!"

    "Wait, don''t tell me you had forgotten?!"

    "Sagasuga, you see, the thing about really good long-term memory is that you are blessed with a curse which is... having a really difficult time remembering things that are quite short-termed."

    "Really!? I had no idea it worked like that... Well, but now you know. It''s exactly as you''ve said. The."

    "Yeah, yeah."

    To be honest, I initially had wanted to skip a few steps here, but if I did, then I would be really suspicious, so it''s necessary to throw away the first try.

    Taking all of this into consideration, I typed three times the word and the result came forth with a resounding alarm; symbolizing a loud denial.

    "How unfortunate, Kawahara. It seems that my guess was off..."

    "Well, that was to be expected, honestly. Although our chances were high in a sense, they weren''t, at the same time. Sigh."

    Briefly, I exhaled quite heavily.

    Subsequently, Sagasuga said something even more counterproductive to the chain of normalcy swirling within mediocre expectations.

    "You know, we are going to have to take more risks, so..."

    He''s quite emphasizing the word "risks" despite the fact that there is no real clear necessity to go this far. Supposedly, we had wasted three words already. Sagasuga''s word. Kuzan''s word. Rayazaki''s word.

    Supposedly, supposedly... We have seven other words to try, but the truth is, we only have four more. Sagasuga believes that we only have three more words because he doesn''t know about Kan''s word.

    Still missing the piece of the puzzle? What, are you sure you want to give up to that assumption of yours that easily? Try a little harder, you can get there.

    "We should try another word, Kawahara. How about yours this time around?"

    "Yeah, we should try another word. Taking risks is extremely necessary in order to advance, is it not?"

    "I''m glad you understand, Kawahara."

    "Just a second. I don''t quite remember my word, so, could you show me, Sagasuga?"

    "Hm, wait a bit."

    The crucial part came forth. As Sagasuga kneeled down to open his bag and take out the word that I had given to him that he thought was mine in the first place, the window of opportunity was created.

    My word here doesn''t matter. I don''t care about my word currently, all that mattered was Sagasuga''s attention being away from mine.

    And just like that, within two seconds of precise rotation, I turned around to the computer and simultaneously wrote a word within the time span of two seconds all combined.

    Before Sagasuga could comment on the abnormality of my sudden movement, a loud and clear sound that contrasted the previous one was verbally spread throughout the hollow entirety that we currently are in.

    "Password confirmation success. Gateway unlocked."

    "Kawahara, what did you do?!"

    That was quite the reaction. He''s usually really calm and serene, but now, he has his teeth greeting out as if he was betrayed or something like that. However, he didn''t see what exactly happened.

    "I remembered my password and inserted it. Why do you ask? Also, what the hell! What luck, it fucking worked, would you look at that?"

    It is true. The password that I had put really worked. A door of unknown sturdy rigidness from before was opened before our eyes. What was important right now wasn''t going through the path that is offered to us, but to give Sagasuga a valid reason to accept that I had truly, accordingly, and supposedly, put out the password that I had suddenly remembered.

    "Dude, the hell? Didn''t you say that your short-term memory was really bad?"

    "That doesn''t last for long. I forgot to mention that."

    "You should have said that... Just to be clear, what password did you insert, really?"

    "Duh, I obviously inserted "The". The reason why I could remember it so easily was because it was literally the previous one. Aren''t we just the biggest dumbfucks on this planet?! Haha! My sides, I can''t!"

    I really genuinely started to roll on the cold floor without a second thought.

    Though, if anything, this is the exact opposite of what I had just described. In the first place, my real word is not "The", but "Words". So, it shouldn''t come as a surprise as to why I was able to remember the word rather quickly. Sagasuga had reminded me of the word that was supposed to be put out first which was "The". Rayazaki''s word. Then, my supposed word, which is actually the wrong word but nonetheless the exact same on the surface. If short-term memory really is short, then I would have no way to remember it.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    "This doesn''t have any logs... Quite unfortunate, I must say."

    I eyed Sagasuga who was trying to find the option of logs within the computer, but there just wasn''t. He had no way to look back and see exactly what type of word I had typed.

    In addition to that, he was occupied with looking at the option for logs rather... preoccupied. Even though I just handed him a very good reason. He knew for a fact that the words were the exact same. So, what to take in conclusion here? It''s simple. Two words. I put out the first one which was "The" and it failed. Sagasuga should''ve been aware that making the same mistake, in other words, putting out the exact same word would have a negative result. He should''ve stopped such an occurrence.

    So, how come the moment I suggest him to search my word, which is also "The", according to Sagasuga''s knowledge, he instead of refusing my idea only allows it to further grow?

    I''ll give you some time to think here.

    In the meantime, I got up, fully erupted, and snapped my fingers rapidly.

    "Of course there aren''t any logs, man. This exam is ruthlessly shaped, so it makes no sense to leave such easy paths like that."

    "Well, yeah, I just thought that..."

    "Hm? What''s wrong, Sagasuga?"

    "Nothing."

    He packed his backpack on his back and followed me; who was already adventuring towards the entrance of the path that had been unlocked.

    Before we could fully take into the entrance, I asked Sagasuga something.

    "You said we could only choose one of the doors, right?"

    He thought for a split second before answering me.

    "Yes. But just like before, only one door opened itself."

    "What''s the purpose of the other door, then? If a word isn''t enough to decipher it, then what is?"

    "Well, I have no way of knowing that, Kawahara. The same goes for you."

    "I know. I was just playing."

    Cutting our chatter, we entered the straight forward dark linear path illuminated by crescent radiant green crystals adjoined in the walls alongside its massively fascinating unknown architecture that had long captivated my inner interest.

    However, something was clearly off. The very fact that we had stumbled upon nothing but crystals on our way towards the end of this path wasn''t what told me this. It was the very fact that we were looking down the entrance that we had come from.

    To be more precise, we were on the cliff of the upper part above the pillars that we spotted from the start that we had no way to enter because there was nothing connecting to it.

    "Ain''t that fucking weird... How come we didn''t find anything on our way here?"

    "That is really weird... There''s nothing here at all. Shall we go back?"

    "Just a second, Sagasuga."

    He''s not making much of an effort. What''s going on, Sagasuga? You were trying a bit harder a while ago, but you just went down a whole lot. It''s one thing to pretend to not know that the words are the same and that the result is equal and one other thing to just try and delude me that this open path has nothing to offer.

    A real bummer.

    Nonetheless, I started to examine the geoglyphs all over the hall, from the edge of the cliff to the entrance. Aside from unknown symbolism, what I found was nothing. I was looking for some sort of method to unlock perhaps a mysterious secret passage yet as far as I''m concerned, there is nothing of that sort.

    Which means...

    "What... are you doing, Kawahara?"

    "Hm... I''m checking the geoglyphs with my hands. There might be a hidden entrance. Oh yeah, I forgot to ask, but how exactly did you obtain that ax anyway? Isn''t it weird that you obtained but didn''t have to go through a trial like this? Unless you did? Humor me, Sagasuga!"

    From left to right, I started to feel the rocky surface that the geoglyphs had to offer yet the majority of them were unresponsive and this remained true for half of the hallway.

    Sagasuga, who wasn''t showing any signs of helping me whatsoever simply delivered his explanation. Well, not like I did care, honestly, but I was slightly minimally interested in seeing what sort of excuse this first-rate pathological liar was about to shot me with.

    "It was actually located at the end of the linear path, so it''s a surprise that this isn''t the same as my circumstance. We probably picked the wrong door."

    "No, Sagasuga. Come on, man. The other door was locked, there wasn''t much of an option."

    It doesn''t really help that these crystals are intertwined with the geoglyphs. Quite the puzzling structure, I daresay. Nevertheless, it''s been a failure thus far, but this path wouldn''t open itself without any sort of reward to offer.

    "Maybe it''s related to the fact that I didn''t have to try that many times? I just tried once and it worked."

    "Maybe, maybe. Oh... This..."

    "What? You found something, Kawahara?"

    "I think so."

    Near the entrance of the door that had opened itself automatically upon the password''s confirmation, towards the left side, one of the crystals wasn''t shaped as sharp as the other ones. In particular, this crystal was far more oval, and the moment I touched it, I felt a sensation different than the rest. Exactly as if you would touch a wall full of crystals and only feel the deadly embrace of the lethal edges yet imagine furthermore accepting the embrace of a gentle lock hold that began to show response the more you would push it towards you. A door shows no response unless you bring it to you. However, it was camouflaged, that''s why it went unnoticed.

    Moreso, the door hold was far too heavy, which brought back a certain memory that I was trying to not remind myself.

    "Hey, do you need he--"

    "Stay out of this, Sagasuga. A door like this can''t hold me!"

    On my two feet with my two hands on the crystalized lock, I evoked all my physical strength and pushed the door hold forcefully. At first, it wasn''t budging in, but the more I reminded myself of how I could not open that door on that day, during the cinema, I went above and beyond, ignoring my partial limitations.

    Then, with a trembling sound, a small rupture was witnessed and inside it was a room, very small, containing a single object at the high mighty top of the iron table within.

    "I was going to ask if you went to the army with that strength, but you''re not even old enough to enter the army..."

    "You don''t have to fawn over my strength every time, Sagasuga. It''s evident that I''m not like the rest and I don''t need others to constantly acknowledge this in order to prove that point. Still, what the hell is this?"

    "A really good question, Kawahara. I was thinking it would be a lethal weapon but..."

    I grasped the material without a second thought and searched for a number because Sagasuga''s ax had a number to it. Although I had to shatter it to get a sight of such a number. However, I didn''t have to do that for this material as the number was already in the back of it, surprisingly. It had a strong number attached to it; resembling a powerful omen.

    "Well, it has to be something useful. Even if it''s just a remote. Honestly, for an island that supposedly had no technology, here they are, offering us a small portion of it. I''ll be taking it, Sagasuga. After all, I was the one who got the password right and I used my own password for it, so I should have that right. Or, do you disagree?"

    "No, no, I really do agree with you here. Plus, I already have my own weapon. Ah, speaking of which, what number is it?"

    I showed him the back of the remote rather quickly and withdrew it with the same level of precision.

    "Number 1? It couldn''t be that this is actually the starting point? Then..."

    Sagasuga looked outside of the hall and went straight into the middle of it before saying the obvious.

    "Beyond this is probably the second stage. The door should be unlocked, right?"

    "Yeah..."

    I yawned.

    That''s right. I. Yawned.

    "Sagasuga, I''m sleeping here."

    "Finally about to hit it?"

    "What do you expect? It''s physically consuming to be on an island and we did travel quite a few kilometers, believe it or not. Besides, don''t overrate the quality that you can get for a sleep here. We must get three hours of sleep at least."

    More precisely speaking, I''m talking about the Uberman sleeping schedule. Sleeping less than three hours is unacceptable, but the brain only needs three hours of rest, so no matter what, I have to sleep three hours. However, getting to fall asleep in the first place might just be a very harsh task, to begin with. The intensity of the thunder that comes from all the way of the entrance to here is so abundantly massive that its echoes penetrate with roaring sounds causing a disturbance in the silence.

    "Are you gonna use your backpack as your pillow?"

    "No, Sagasuga. I''m going to lay my precious head on the crystalized ground. I like to feel physically penetrated by sharp edges, you see."

    "Wow wow, your sarcasm is cryptic!"

    "If you know, then don''t ask."

    In order to get a far brighter feel, I put my backpack against the wall behind the table. I had thought of sleeping in the iron tale, but ironically, the ground had a more fertile atmosphere to it and it was far more acceptable. Sagasuga was starting to do the same, but our distance was quite short, as he was on my left. This room wasn''t as illuminated as the rest of the mine which was why I decided to sleep here. The more darkness, the better. I also had thought of closing the door, but considering how heavy it was, I simply allowed it to remain that way.

    Just as I had placed my right arm on the right side of my backpack to act as a double pillow, Sagasuga started to talk.

    "What is your goal here, Kawahara?"

    That question aside, I took out the remote that was hidden in my shirt''s pockets and put it on the solid ground which Sagasuga couldn''t see because I was taking the whole vision field with my body thus blocking his sight.

    "I don''t dislike vague questions, but this isn''t the time. Be succinct, Sagasuga. I want to sleep..."

    Even if I couldn''t see Sagasuga''s face, it was pretty clear that he was somewhat tired too. We are tired but not exhausted. Exhausting ourselves can be pretty counterproductive, so I rather conserve.

    "Then... I''m referring to your goal in the program. Is it just to be successful for the upcoming years and then get out?"

    "That pretty much sums it up, yeah. I''ll have total freedom after all. No more of these unfair exams."

    "Isn''t that just too little, Kawahara?"

    "What are you suggesting, Sagasuga? That there is some sort of hidden goal here? In the first place, we are the selected subjects of the program because we supposedly committed enough criminal activity to deserve it. Otherwise, we would be in juvenile. I won''t say it''s awesome, but it''s not juvenile. Have you ever been to juvenile prison before?"

    He took a while to answer my question this time around which contrasted the rapid-fire speed in his previous ones.

    "I haven''t."

    "Good for you. I have, Sagasuga."

    "Shit, really...?"

    "Yeah, the acceptable age is ten, after all."

    "How did you get out, Kawahara?"

    "Court order, how else?"

    "No, but..."

    Sagasuga couldn''t exactly finish his sentence.

    Lightly, I spoke in his turn and reversed our positions, since he already asked me the question.

    "What about you, goodie-two-shoes? What is your goal here?"

    "Well... I... don''t really have a goal in general. I just live to fulfill my ambition, so anything that comes along with it just becomes a goal due to the affliction. So, naturally, to regain a balance in my life, I need to clear myself from criminal records. Or, in other words, to successfully clear what the program has to offer."

    "Fuck, that''s just boring, man. Don''t you want to do something more beyond the program? We won''t be here forever, so we should start and think about the future. Give it a shot, Sagasuga. After the program, what do you want to be?"

    He hummed as if to imply that he was thinking quite a bit.

    Then, he replied.

    "A figure of power."

    "Like what? A politician? A cop? Hm?"

    "It''s kinda hard to become a politician because of criminal history. Plus, I would need years of study. It''s a shame, but I think that I would have liked to become a politician. But I didn''t say that because I knew it wasn''t quite possible. Just a figure of power, really. Some sort of position where I can uphold my philosophy rightfully and show the world how that''s the correct way to live."

    "That''s cool and all, but if people knew what sort of psychopath you are, no one would listen to you. Face the reality, we are nobodies; the kind of people that could be disposed of this Earth without a second thought. Really, why become a figure of power and show the world something?"

    It feels really contradictory to have mature goals but then come to the realization that such mature goals have catastrophic outcomes. Is it really that worth it, in the end?

    "Kawahara, you just don''t get it. You''re only a nobody if you see yourself as a nobody. Look at you... Aren''t you a figure of power in our class? Power gives you the ability to become someone and while you are a figure of power, you aren''t a nobody."

    "Different views."

    "I guess so. I''m quite the sleeper, so I''ll sleep the longest probably. Good night, Kawahara."

    "......"

    It had been so long since someone had said "Good Night" to me that I had forgotten that people usually do that. Like saying "Good Morning" but you are never the first one to say it. You just say it back because you would feel the necessity to say it back. However, never once would you actually say it first. It''s a little disturbing to think about it how a person''s reflection can come from something so simple as abiding by the option of saying "Good Morning" first or after someone says it after you.

    Or, if you don''t say anything back at all.

    "..."

    Sentiments aside, I began to analyze the contents of this remote which I had yet to further logically grasp.

    It seems like a TV remote which would imply that it had a few buttons to go over. However, a remote is connected to something so it''s only logical to obviously assume that it further holds a deeper connection.

    Not only does it have buttons but it contains ten buttons in total. It''s referring to the number of students partaking in this exam, most likely.

    Out of curiosity, I pressed all of the buttons, but absolutely nothing happened.

    I pointed everywhere, myself included and more certainly Sagasuga who was sound asleep.

    A negative result.

    Unsatisfied, I put the remote in my shirt''s pocket. I wondered the true meaning of the remote but it looked empty from the inside, although it could be running on an infinite battery. Nonetheless, it felt like a wasted effort.

    It doesn''t matter. Everything comes for a reason and my efforts along with the accumulation of other efforts turn out to be rewarded in the end.

    Partial to this, in order to fall asleep, it took me around 15 minutes to fall asleep. Even when I close my eyes and can only see the darkness, my brain didn''t shut itself off.

    The resonating thunder from the outside never really stopped but my brain eventually gave up after I flipped my backpack to further increase the comfortability. Admittedly, I had to do this more than one time, but that was to be expected.

    In my brain, I''ve told myself repetitively that I could only sleep three hours per day. I can''t break this routine, no matter what.

    No matter what.

    No matter what.

    No matter what.

    No matter...

    No.....

    .......

    ...

    .

    You don''t have to look at me like that, I love you so----

    "GASP!"

    With blurry eyes, I cast myself out of sleep and wondered why I didn''t hear any alarm to wake me up.

    But then I realized I hadn''t put any alarm in the first place because I didn''t want to waste any of my cellphone''s battery.

    This doesn''t happen as often, but the more I think about how I have to sleep three hours per day, the more I don''t fall into that. Having an alarm keeps me from having these unpleasant chains of memories or sometimes, just being surrounded by other individuals while sleeping is enough to influence my mentality that I can''t go back to that place, that time, with...

    "I screwed up... I screwed up... I screwed up... I screwed up..."

    No, no, no. I can''t think about it...

    "Just get up already. Get up, do it. Move..."

    I was murmuring those words silently to myself while having sleepy bags all over my eyes. I had slept a little over three hours because I know for a fact that this doesn''t happen unless it''s within the time length of 3 or more hours.

    Ultimately, I crooked my posture, snapped dozens of bones, and woke Sagasuga up from his slumber.

    With just a couple of nagging movements, I had successfully managed to wake Sagasuga up to life.

    "....Oh God no, let me sleep longer, what the hell...? It hasn''t even been four hours, what sort of hellish schedule are you on....?"

    He complained, to which I responded with heavier shackles of movements, even going as far as lightly slapping his face.

    "Ow, ow, ow. Stop, stop! I''ll get up! Jeez man, do you not like to sleep?"

    I actually do.

    "You sleep when you are dead. We need to move on, Sagasuga."

    "Yeah, true. What''s there for breakfast, by the way?"

    While asking me that question, he yawned and met my full height as I elevated to an even glance as well.

    "Nothing."

    "...Right..."

    "Don''t expect much food or any food at all. We will be traveling towards the second site and see what lies beyond that second bridge.

    Tying our backpacks to our backs, we started to walk out of the room.

    Sagasuga yawned countless times before addressing the seemingly obvious problem.

    "Hey, what are we gonna do if we spend too much time in the other sector? Shouldn''t we look for food outside first?"

    As of now, we are diverging from the hallway and thus we were headed towards the computer room which would then lead us towards the gate that had the other door.

    Significantly contrasting the loud sounds from hours ago, no thunder could be heard.

    At last, silence had established itself.

    "Yooo, don''t ignore me, maaan!"

    "What''s wrong, Sagasuga? It''s my first time seeing you this whiny."

    "The mood changed! Four hours of sleep isn''t enough for me, man!"

    "Are you sure you aren''t just whining because it''s an unbalanced way of sleeping through the night?"

    We crossed the computer room and in there, Sagasuga hurried to the front. Furthermore, Sagasuga messed with his curtain hair and freaked out while looking paranoid.

    "Ahhhh!! Bro, bro! Of course it''s unbalanced! A human being has to sleep at least eight hours per day, not the other fucking way around!"

    "Did you just curse, Sagasuga? Damn, you kissed your mother with that mouth? Phew."

    "It messes up with my mentality, damn it! I''m not exactly the sanest creature whenever I''m affected by such an unbalanced way of doing things! I need to eat and fast!"

    His eyes were starting to glint a red color suddenly.

    Another thing to note is that he was stomping on the floor far too much. He was growing impatient. His brain takes the concept of balance so seriously that sleeping for four hours has affected him that much.

    "We aren''t going to eat until we find anything on the other side. If you want to eat, then go by yourself, just don''t blame me if I disappear from your sight, Sagasuga."

    "That''s really messed up."

    "I take that as a yes. Still, what the hell? Sagasuga, check your cellphone."

    "Yes. It''s 3 am. Something is very wrong here."

    "Right, right? I am not seeing things, correct? Without a doubt, there is natural light outside of the gate, Sagasuga."

    As we stand in front of the iron-tainted gate that has its manipulator switch to be yet pushed, we observed the unbelievable occurrence outside of the gate.

    "It''s 3 am though. The only light we should be able to witness at maximum would be moonlight, but all I can see is pure natural light illuminating the gate up ahead. Uh... I am seriously, seriously not seeing things, right, Kawahara? This could very well be a delusion caused by the lack of balance in my sleeping schedule!"

    "Psychopath."

    "No, listen to me! I know it''s really impossible! Broad daylight?! AT 3 AM?! This does NOT happen! I am under some sorcery and I need to snap out of it! Punch me in the gut, Kawahara!"

    I was about to press the switch to investigate the light source while Sagasuga was literally freaking out, but I couldn''t quite ignore what he had just spoken to me.

    So, I stepped up fastly and tried to form a stance that would punch Sagasuga''s gut, but he came to the conclusion quickly on his own.

    "Okay, I''m not under some sorcery. If I was, you would ask me if it was alright to punch me in the gut which would be unlike you so it makes perfect sense as to why you just looked straight up ready to make me bleed."

    "If you get that-----"

    Just as I was about to tell Sagasuga off, our vision got stolen by a single detail that managed to capture the essence of our attention far more than anything could; including the obscure fact that there was broad daylight at 3 AM.

    Mirrored to this gate lies from afar a structure of the exact same a few meters beyond. Most surely 10 to 20 meters, but the silence in this atmosphere is so heavily intense that a single noise echo throughout all of gate.

    However, someone had the daring idea of opening up the gate from the other side to us. It was impossible not to notice this whatsoever.

    "Who the hell..."

    I looked far deeper into the scene but could only spot a single eye glare lying in the bottomless shadows engulfed in a darkness far too absent from the daylight to tell anything aside from the eye glare that had evenly matched my own. Furthermore, the eyesight disappeared without a second thought; leaving no trails behind.

    "Kawahara, it''s an invitation..."

    "I know. And he knows it too."

    Walk in; he says.

 Volume 19 - Chapter 132.5: Balanced Sociopathy.

    It is April 13th.

    What''s telling me such is my cellphone''s screen which has a grand total of 61% battery. Soon enough to be depleted. It''s the only way for us to know concretely what day it is, what hour it is, and so on. The reason why I haven''t been using my cellphone at all is that I value this information.

    "Hm. Hm. Hm...? Hm...?! I just can''t see it..."

    Mildly insane, Sagasuga was spouting a convoluted sequence of words as he looked at the source of the light; one of the primary reasons as to why we bothered to venture towards this side in the first place. Although I didn''t speak first because I was analyzing the ceiling better, it became absolutely clear what was going on.

    "Kawahara, you are smart, right?"

    "You are too, but not now."

    If Sagasuga''s mind really operates that hard on the concept of balance then one of his weaknesses would be to make him step out of that balance. Because as it stands, he can''t really seem to make a solid balanced decision. Disrupting his sleeping schedule was not in my plans but I could make use of this to extract information out of him.

    Nonetheless, the truly important factor to capitalize on was the source of the light that we were basking under. Having everything in mind, I spoke in the middle of the inconceivably narrow bridge.

    "It''s not a natural light source, Sagasuga."

    "Huuuh?!"

    Skeptical, I couldn''t exactly tell if he was being extra sarcastic or if he really was just expressing genuine shock. Plus, the rapid movement in his neck, once he heard me tell him that the light above was not natural, was extremely eccentric.

    "To be way more concrete, it''s an artificial light source. Look up there, you can''t really determine if the light source is coming from a small ball of light. That small ball of light would usually be the sun, but the light source is scattered all over the place. Well, it''s kinda understandable why..."

    "Aye, aye! Simpler terms, please!"

    Sagasuga couldn''t exactly process what I had just said so he clapped twice instead while demanding simpler words. This somewhat puzzled me because I am very sure that my words just now were really simple. But seriously...

    This is hilarious!

    "See that light?"

    "Yesss."

    "Good. It''s not natural. Do you understand, Sagasuga?"

    "Hm... Weird, why?"

    It seems he understands that the light is not natural. In other words, I made the mistake of administering my words too quickly. I had to go one step at a time. Still, I must say that this light; despite being artificial, packs quite the heat. The shrouded cold from minutes before has already vanished in this atmosphere.

    "Because it''s artificial. Made by men. Got it?"

    "Waah. That''s possible?!"

    "It appears so, Sagasuga. There is no other explanation because it''s close to dawn and this reflective light is close to a light that would come near midday. Got it?"

    "So a fake, Kawahara?"

    "Well, yeah. Anything else?"

    This time around, Sagasuga took quite the time by himself just to watch his surroundings until he realized that there is something else besides this bridge and the gate up ahead. That''s right. Why do we call it a bridge and not just a linear path towards the gate?

    That is because... underneath a bridge, often lies yet another structure. Sagasuga and I came to realize that by advancing towards the left edge of the bridge.

    "Ehh...!! What''s another bridge doing there?!"

    He clung to me as fast he could, but I also threw his body away from me as fast as I could.

    "If I had to guess it''s another bridge that''s connected towards a new gate."

    Quite profound yet a list of other bridges could be spotted from this elevated surface which brings us to the conclusion that if we can''t spot any bridges above us and if we can do so below then it means that we are at the top chain when it comes to bridges. In other words...

    This could either be the first bridge or the last bridge, depending on perspective here.

    "Whatever though. Let''s get going. We wouldn''t want to keep our guest waiting, right, Sagasuga?"

    "No, no, no. We can''t go in yet."

    "And why the fuck not?"

    I swiftly turned around while Sagasuga was stomping on the ground furiously. He was having trouble explaining himself so I urged him to.

    "I don''t know what type of shit is going through your brain right now, but snap out of it. Four hours of sleep isn''t enough to---"

    "I need a way to regain mental balance! It usually works whenever I do something balanced and walking into the unknown isn''t a balanced decision! I am requesting a balanced decision, essentially."

    Although I really want to be mad at this utter nonsense, I was going to take advantage of this situation to extract extra information out of Sagasuga concerning earlier events. With that in mind, I walked towards the middle of the bridge and sat down which prompted Sagasuga to do the same.

    "So? What do you suggest we do in other for you to regain mental balance? And no, sleeping more isn''t a plausible answer here. You have a maximum of five minutes, Sagasuga. In case you haven''t noticed, I''m not exactly fine with being toyed like that. Well, are you?"

    With a light touch on my stiff right shoulder, I contracted it back slightly causing the rupture of several bones.

    "Hell no. But this is important and I have a way out of this mindset. All I need to do is an action that has a cohesive balance to it."

    "Yeah, and I''m asking you, what the hell is that action?"

    Even I am curious to know the pattern here. If he really operates on balance, then there are two sides. Staying in the in-between is extremely tasking, in accordance with the theory of natural balance. As the concept of light and darkness implies; living in the middle of both requires the acceptance of both sides. If I had to guess, he probably feels like he''s thriving onto the dark side of the balance as his mind constantly delves into delirium with a slight hint of unorganized thoughts.

    "To regain clarity, I need to balance my mentality first. To give it a clear example... Imagine a scale that''s tilted towards the left side by 30 degrees. I want the scale to be even! And so, I need to do good actions, Kawahara."

    "Why good actions, Sagasuga?"

    "Because... well, although I said "left" side, it''s more inclined to the dark side of the nature of morality... If anything... it means that I have been affected by thoughts of negativity which strive from actions that contradict a "good" balance... Like not getting enough sleep, for fuck''s sake!"

    "Looooook, four hours of sleep is correct!"

    "Speak for yourself man... I swear I''m not being overly sensitive."

    He says that he''s not being overly sensitive but balance is like his sixth sense and if I follow that logic then he''s being extra sensitive in regard to his "sixth" sense.

    Either way, I allowed him to continue and didn''t argue this time.

    "With that said, I need to do good actions! But we have a five-minute time rule, right?"

    "Four minutes now."

    "Damn! Alright, Kawahara, you will be the subject of my actions!"

    "Excuse me?"

    I couldn''t really understand what Sagasuga was implying so I urged him without a second thought.

    "It''s really simple!"

    So he said with his index finger elevating to the mighty blazing air.

    "Morally good actions can''t be towards yourself. You have to help others out. Or, so I think. It''s not a matter if others agree with me or not, but my light side of my balance dictates like that. Therefore, I need to help you, Kawahara. In the time span of four minutes."

    Usually, questioning his rationality here would be something I would do, but... I questioned something else outside of that.

    "You said 30 degrees, right? How do I know if you have reached a stage where there are no degrees inclined?"

    "Kawahara, are you asking me the specifics of each action and how they affect the scale of my balance?"

    "I am asking you just in case you do operate on a rational scale with the accordance of mathematics. Or, is it purely emotional?"

    Perhaps I wasn''t exactly clear so I''ll specify...

    If Sagasuga''s balance operates on a scale and if he has mentioned the usage of degrees, then it''s not exactly wrong to assume that there is mathematic rationality behind it. A 360-degree scale. If it''s only tilted by 30 degrees, then that''s really small, no matter how you look at it. Plus, his actions so far haven''t been anything alerting which makes me wonder what would happen if his balance was even further inclined.

    "No way. Balance comes before emotions, so it''s solely based on logic, so, of course there is a mathematical scale behind it."

    At this point, I was completely putting aside the factor of the time.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    It''s true, I am a pure slave to my own curiosity.

    "Mind telling me the rationality behind that, Sagasuga?"

    "What do you mean, Kawahara...?"

    "You know exactly what I''m talking about. What sort of action is considered good enough for you to revert those thirty degrees?"

    Midst this, it''s pretty hard to ignore that his personality is more complex than I thought. By incorporating this concept on his own, his actions are hidden through rationality that runs deep in his veins. Did he develop all of this on his own? I am so curious to know...

    "That''s a bit confidential, Kawahara. Because that would put me in a very weak spot."

    "So what, Sagasuga? Am I supposed to blurt out an action that would balance the scale in one go?"

    "No such thing! In the first place, I said actions, didn''t I? That wasn''t a grammatical mistake, for the record. Small actions embodied with a good sense of morality behind them. Through them, the balance will be regained slowly. Got it?"

    Certainly, I understood that because he explained it better now. This leaves yet another question...

    "I did. That made me understand things a little bit better. However... Out of curiosity what would you once your scale is too inclined to the light side?"

    "That''s self-explanatory. I make it go to the center. By committing actions with the opposing nature''s accordance."

    "So you would commit evil just to balance the scale, Sagasuga? Even though if you are already inclined to the brighter side which would mean that you are hap--"

    Sagasuga most likely felt like I was speaking nonsense, even though that wasn''t really the case, so he interrupted me with a premature heavy laugh.

    "Hahaha!! What! Listen to yourself, Kawahara... There isn''t a balance if you consume the entire light side by yourself. Ignoring the presence of the dark is foolish. That''s the ultimate ingredient for unexpected chaos in your life. Middle. In-between. A place that doesn''t interest many due to its unappealing aspects yet it''s that place that allows everything to co-exist."

    "Freak. So, small actions? Why not go for a big action instead?"

    This question sparked Sagasuga quite a bit, so he clasped his hands resonantly loud.

    "I would be quite the champion if I could incorporate any action and dictate the amount of light in one-go! But, that''s not how nature works. However, there is one way to go about it which I always do. By committing multiple small actions with the opposing nature''s accordance, I can swiftly reach a balance without going too over it. Because in this case, if I were to commit a really big action then I would be more inclined to the light side! Far too much, you know? So..."

    "So you would have to commit an evil action?"

    "Yes, yes! You get it! My man, Kawahara! So, let''s get this started. I''ve decided to go about it with six actions, each packing 5 degrees. Once complete, I will regain the balance. So, tell me six small actions that would help you, Kawahara!"

    "Let me think, Sagasuga..."

    I firmly looked at the surface of the bridge which contained dark steel covering it. Naturally, the reflection of the heat felt nice but if we were to stay here on this surface for far too long then we could be under the embrace of a hellish mixture. Slightly shaded gray gradients contrasting in their own resonance within the light that''s reflecting under it.

    Onto the actual matter at hand though. If it''s an action that has five degrees incorporated into it, then it must mean that the action that contains good morality within must be very small.

    With that in mind, I fired my first suggestion.

    "How about telling me a bit of your past?"

    "That helps you how?"

    "My mind gradually grows happier the more my curiosity is quenched. Is that acceptable?"

    How about that?

    "Mhm... That''s too small of a task. That only fulfills 2 degrees. Be more honest, Kawahara. What can I do to make you happy?"

    "Wh--"

    2 degrees...? Isn''t that way too little? Plus, I just asked him to tell me a bit about his past but labeled that information as something that''s equivalent to that of two degrees.

    In other words, it needs to be something far more direct and fierce.

    Still... It doesn''t necessarily have to make me happy. It just needs to be morally right. This is quite hard for someone like me who has a shattered moral compass. Ultimately, it''s even harder because it''s up to Sagasuga, not me. I make the suggestions, he makes the decisions.

    I hate this position so much.

    "Tell me your entire past."

    "That''s too much. It goes by seven degrees. Also, how does information about me make you happy? I don''t understand..."

    "Understanding my surroundings better and better is a prime example of my happiness. So, if I tone down my suggestion by two degrees, you will answer?"

    "Yes---"

    "Who came up with the concept of "your" balance?"

    "..."

    He thought this time instead of completely rejecting it which means it fulfilled the necessary quota. However, his answer wasn''t exactly pleasing in any sense...

    "That''s up to interpretation. But I believe that balance has always existed. My balance isn''t a made-up concept. It''s the abstract reflection of nature and humanity intertwined. Do you believe that there can be a watch without a craftsman? An egg without a chicken? A wave without the ocean? Do you?"

    "Aer you enjoying this, Sagasuga? That literally didn''t answer my question, AT ALL."

    My shout was so loud it echoed through the two gates and beyond, most likely.

    I even went as far as expressing myself by slamming both my hands into the harsh steel that we are seating under.

    "No, I disagree. I answered your question quite well, Kawahara. You asked me who came up with it. I answered that a "who" most likely didn''t. Just like the examples I gave you. What you meant to ask was... if there is a person that has influenced me in the aspects of this "balance" and who is that person. I''m sorry to say but that''s too much of a good action. It exceeds thirty degrees in one go. Still, we are down 5 degrees! Only 25 to go!"

    It''s not every day that I admit to myself that I was wrong, but he did have a point. My question was far too vague. Even though I referred to his balance alone and not the natural one. This implies that he considers his own concept like a force of nature and not something he came up with it himself. It doesn''t take a fool to know that Sagasuga here is probably a bit delusional.

    "Tell me one of your weaknesses. I''m not specifying which, just tell me one that goes into accordance with the quota of 5 degrees, Sagasuga."

    "Kawahara..."

    "What...?"

    We both looked at each other with grim eyes. He probably got down to what I have been aiming at the whole time.

    "Are you trying to exploit me?"

    "Trying? No. I am exploiting you. There''s a really big difference."

    "That''s really messed up, Kawahara. You are telling me that knowing my weak spots is something that contributes to your happiness...?"

    "That is exactly what I''m telling you. So, tell me."

    If there is one thing I''ve come to realize is that Sagasuga places an extreme responsibility on himself when it comes to establishing a sense of balance. This means that establishing his own sense of balance reigns above all else.

    Moreso, this means in addition that he has no choice but to accept anything that comes his way IF it means that his sense of balance will be established. If he was more emotional about this, then he would reject my offers from left and right, but he has attached a sense of logic to his balance instead of an emotional one. He must''ve realized that his balance would not be as truthful as it would be if he was running on emotion.

    "I''m easy to abuse."

    "Care to be more specific?"

    "Alright, alright. Listen here, Kawahara... Truth is... I let things slide so much, that it''s impressive. And you know why that''s the case, right? It''s because I have no choice but to let them slide. Incorporating balance means that I have to often make sacrifices and I would argue that that''s a pretty big weakness."

    "Alright, thank you very much, my lord. 20 percent down to go, am I right?"

    "Oh, stop with the sarcasm man, it''s sickening. But, it''s true. Only 20 degrees left. Not percent..."

    That aside, his weakness is only there on paper. In theory, he can be abusable, but only to a certain extent and that''s exactly what I''m aiming for here.

    To know more about Sagasuga so I can make sure what sort of mindset he operates on. It''s never enough to know what, you have to know how and more. Limiting myself is not an option.

    "Who do you hate in class, Sagasuga?"

    "That contains zero degrees because there is no answer to it."

    "So you are telling me that you don''t have a slight of hatred for anyone, henceforth no answer is possible?"

    He smiled in return just briefly.

    "That is correct! But, I don''t love or like anyone, because if I did, then I would be forced to hate and dislike others for a sense of balance. I stay emotionally neutral. And... That''s ten degrees fulfilled. I told you too much, damn."

    "You never exactly specified who would do the good morally actions, anyways, Sagasuga..."

    Embarrassed, he hit himself on the back of his head while slightly tilting his posture forward.

    Then he recovered a bit before talking back.

    "It''s hard to control it. Sometimes I just can''t help myself, even though I should. Well, go ahead, Kawahara. Two more shots."

    Now that he is getting closer to establishing a complete sense of balance, his eyes are more open. Earlier on, everything about him was physically unbalanced. He walked with his posture slightly tilted. His eyebrows were downcast a bit more than usual. His legs were on the edge of falling with his knees barely supporting a standing front. His eyes were barely open.

    Almost as if it was all according to one thing in specific...

    The fact that his balance was inclined by thirty degrees? No, still, that shouldn''t be possible. Your brain won''t just produce such noticeable physical results just because you want to. Unless... Unless there have been practices before to the point where your brain just unconsciously produces such results based on the previous times that you have practiced such acts...

    "Sagasuga, what word did you insert on your first time here?"

    This is a test and everything about him will be unraveled depending on how he answers.

    Whether his balance is fake or not.

    "That goes by eight degrees, Kawahara."

    "So? The next suggestion can just be one that''s equivalent to two degrees. No biggie, am I right?"

    "No, there is a problem. Skipping rationality is very crucial. Please go at it properly, Kawahara."

    So I have to adjust my suggestion by five degrees thus... Three degrees need to go. Yet I don''t exactly know what to do to decrease it. Regardless, I have a clear idea which I have put into practice before and that is... to minimize the knowledge I get out of the suggestion.

    "Tell me the nature of the word that was inserted here before the two I inserted previously."

    "..."

    Looking at me with those fiery eyes filled with a malicious glare, Sagasuga took a short span of time before actually answering and something became clear with that answer.

    "The nature of that word belongs to its word-wielder."

    "Yeah, thanks."

    "Last one, Kawahara."

    A deep breath aligned with the atmosphere adjoined with an additional movement of looking upwards into the grandiosely illuminated artificial sky was all it took before firing the obvious at Sagasuga.

    "Who is that word-wielder?"

    "Nine degrees."

    "If we had paper, I would make you write down the degree sheet, I swear."

    "Hahaha!"

    Perplexed, I got a bit troubled.

    The question I wanted to really ask was what word he wrote firstly, because although he said it was his own word...

    No, I can''t reveal that, ever. If he knows what I know, then the suspicion will rise.

    Just before I launched the decisive question, I wiped the sweat droplets scouring my throat''s surface with its destination being; my chest down below.

    "Tell me the initial letter of the first word that was inserted."

    "How weird, Kawahara... I already thought I told you that I inserted my word first and that it was "Ultimate". Isn''t your question self-explanatory?"

    But I didn''t answer that in the way that he wanted me to.

    Instead, I took a continuous approach.

    "Is that your way of saying that my suggestion fulfills exactly five degrees?"

    Troubled by the fact that I didn''t answer his obvious question, Sagasuga got transiently gloomy but returned back to normal without much effort.

    "...It does."

    "Then, you should have no trouble answering the question I posed you, Sagasuga..."

    His eyes kept on turning grimmer and grimmer; the eyebrows growing lower as each second went by.

    Yes.

    What I actually wanted to test here was if there was a sense of truth in Sagasuga''s concept of balance or not. There was only one true way of testing this in an accurate way.

    "True, Kawahara. But well, the answer is the one you already know."

    "Really, Sagasuga?"

    "Really, really. It''s "U". Since, you know, my word starts with a "U" and my word is "Ultimate"!"

    Well, this confirms it.

    Knowing that, I got up from the warm steel and stretched my back.

    Sagasuga did the same, but he took massive inhales before saying anything at all.

    "Ufff... Ha! It feels nice! Perfectly balanced! Alright, Kawahara! We don''t know what lies beyond us, but it''s a promising start, don''t you think?!"

    "Yeah. Sure is."

    Sagasuga walked with a tall standing-proud type of posture towards the unknown gate far faster than I did, because I was walking slowly on purpose while reflecting on some things. I looked at both sides of the bridge but nothing more than a tainted artificial blue was covering the sides; masking itself as a realistic cerulean sky unaware of clouds around.

    "..."

    It doesn''t exactly act according to the real "truth". His concept of balance is exaggerated to an extent. It could be said and implied that Sagasuga''s balance only exactly benefits him. Unless there is a greater balance in which this superficial balance is balancing the other greater balance. A chain of never-ending scales made out of self-convenience.

    I don''t consider myself as someone who strays away from lies at all, but Sagasuga is on a whole new level when it comes to being fake. To even go as far as to lie when your own concept is religiously in play...

    Realistically, I can only assume that he lied just now in order to balance an even greater balance and that his concept isn''t as fake as I''m making it out to be.

    Otherwise, why else would you lie about the word you inserted when the word I inserted was "Ultimate"? If you had inserted the word "Ultimate", Sagasuga... Then the gate lock would''ve been open, but you clearly didn''t, so you had already premature knowledge in that aspect.

    It was a true matter of luck, but I gambled on the possibility of Sagasuga making all of that up since he put heavy emphasis on his word already being used. In other words, telling me that putting his word would contribute to nothing. The perfect strategy. By highlighting the impossible, not many are capable of determining whether something really is impossible or not, but I am capable, so that''s why it worked.

    Aren''t you quite the sociopath, Sagasuga?

 Volume 20 - Chapter 133: Death Tower.

    Part 1.

    "I never got to ask your thoughts on this, Sagasuga, so I might as well do so now. Especially because you are in a currently balanced state of mind, am I right?"

    Side by side, Sagasuga and I took heavy steps towards the open gate that didn''t bother to present much of a challenge thanks to the work of someone else...

    Outside and from behind, a vanquishing ray of light chased our shadows for as long as it could, but it eventually ceased to be once we stood inside the darker section of the gate''s entrance.

    Nonetheless, his smile was bright and diplomatic; clearly visible midst this shrouded profoundly new darker atmosphere that we were about to discover. Furthermore, he even stopped his tracks just out of curiosity towards my own words.

    "Go ahead, Kawahara!"

    With his clean bow, he simply allowed me to continue. To go as far as bowing down to someone just because someone took attention onto you. His behavior confuses me, however, he has always been diplomatic. So, it''s important to acknowledge that diplomacy is a quality of his balanced behavior. Ultimately, before we ventured into the unknown, I stood on the right side of the small metal door and its semi-large metallic bars and directed my undivided attention to Sagasuga; who was behind me just slightly.

    "Should we kill someone?"

    "Hm..."

    He gave someone thought for about 6 to 10 seconds with his pose resembling the classic thinking stance ergo the right hand attached to the chin itself. I expected an immediate rebook but surprisingly, I was rivaled with a completely thoughtful stance instead.

    And then, his eyes met mine.

    "We both know that''s possible. However, why?"

    "No real reason, Sagasuga. Just saying. You don''t feel any hatred for any of our classmates, right?"

    I tried to look towards the artificial light source but it could not even scratch my left or right cheek with his luminosity and so I turned to Sagasuga swiftly; who had an extremely composed expression despite the content of our dialogue.

    "That''s true. Nonetheless, if what you are proposing is killing for purposes such as fun or some other egotistical purpose, then I really don''t think we should."

    So that''s it.

    I then pointed at him with my right index finger which left him clueless and probably confused before I spoke.

    "You..."

    "Yes...?"

    "Are too much of a saint. And that doesn''t make much sense."

    "Now that''s an exaggeration. Weren''t you the one pointing out that I have to do bad actions in order to establish a balance if it''s too drawn into the other side? How can I be a saint if I have that attribute to my own personality?"

    "That wasn''t what I was referring to, Sagasuga. I''m saying... I am too much of a saint too."

    "I''m starting not to get where you are getting at. Care to be more clear? Haha!"

    Do notice that he wasn''t angry whatsoever as he simply genuinely expressed confusion by adjoining his back against the steel bars. Though, I will get to my point now.

    "We''re just criminals on paper, realistically."

    "Well, isn''t that a good thing?"

    "It is, Sagasuga. It''s just..."

    "Just...?"

    I had trouble expressing myself because my upcoming words were genuine unlike basically most of my words the past days.

    Thus, with my right fist up high, I vividly expressed my emotions loudly.

    "We are fucking clowns, dude! Criminals this, criminals that, but we are just teenagers who have that title to our identities! However!"

    With haste, I closed into Sagasuga''s face and spoke almost silently.

    "Someone has earned that title."

    "Oh, I see! I get it now!"

    No longer coldly composed; absent from emotion, Sagasuga slammed his right fist onto his left hand''s open palm and verbally moved forward with his exultant words.

    "True enough, Kawahara, so far, despite being inside a classroom full of criminals, only one person has shown to be an actual criminal. That being, the orchestrator behind Yulia''s demise, yes?"

    His immediate comprehension pleased me to the point of instantly buying a flashy smirk out of my lips.

    "How correct! Everyone is out for him. Why? Because everyone knows for a fact that he committed the crime. I''ve come to realize something along the way so far that I''m sure you''ll agree too, Sagasuga."

    "Speak your mind, I''m curious now."

    Still, we were just basking under the semi-cold shadow and did not step inside the mine ahead of us.

    "It doesn''t matter if you are an actual criminal. Because you can just hide that fact as much as you want. Yet, the moment an actual crime happens, you strike imperial fear onto others because they know they could be next."

    "I see..."

    I continued.

    "Blabbering and bragging is basically the accumulation of the behavior of the fools in our class yet only one person in our entire class has managed to do the exact opposite. Aren''t you jealous of him, Sagasuga?"

    "But Kawahara, I don''t have a reason to be jealous."

    "Maybe you don''t, heartless bastard, but you best believe I do."

    "So, why are you jealous of him, Kawahara? You''ve been visibly upset about this guy for a while and I just can''t seem to understand why. If I recall correctly, you were not close to Yulia whatsoever, so I really just don''t..."

    Sagasuga''s train of thought was far too stretched here. Linking the possibility of my anger here being manufactured by that useless irrelevant female creature is way, but way too inaccurate. No, it''s something far more complex I dare argue.

    "Fool. Haven''t you noticed? This little event clearly separated him from the rest. It''s almost as if he called us fakes and he is enjoying living up to that title. Man, that''s bullshit. That''s just so fucking unfair. No way I''m accepting this shit!"

    Poor little metallic bars though stelled with resistance were nevertheless the victims of my anger through a rash combination of plumming fists within the duration of six seconds.

    On the other hand, Sagasuga looked disappointed and I can understand why.

    "Kawahara... You are mad because he is a more genuine criminal than... well... you? Is that the point you are trying to make?"

    It pissed me off how he looked like a father scolding his child without getting violent and trying to instead be comprehensive at full levels.

    However, I insisted that he understood my motivation here. It''s important.

    "Not just me, bro. Literally everyone in our class! They just don''t have the brains to catch onto what he''s doing. But now that I''ve explained it to you, you, Sagasuga, can understand the point here. Unless we become criminals thoroughly under certified knowledge, we are just the fakes here."

    "I see. It bothers you that you are being labeled as the fake here. Though, you are the only one doing that. BUT according to you, it''s because the others haven''t caught up to his plan, which is to further ridicule the rest by standing out? Did I get it right?"

    He went a bit far with the point but he essentially got everything right.

    Tired, I lightly tapped my forehead and closed my eyes for a bit, and gave Sagasuga the right to go on.

    "I''m not the best person to portray this point to, Kawahara. What you are after is glory. Or is it the certified title?"

    "Nah man, it''s more simple than that. I just don''t want to miss out. I''m tired of just having this title of "criminal". Fuck that shit. I''m saying... We actually clear up our names."

    "Even though no one will know that we did those crimes, hypothetically speaking?"

    "Sagasuga, it''s alright, I''m telling you! Because if we do and he doesn''t, then he will be afraid. That''s all that matters..."

    Grimmly, my right fist clashed with my left first consequently.

    It''s not about the glory. I got the message all along. The fakes need to be purged out. Titles are only real through actions and unless one knows such actions then it''s not a worthy title.

    Opposite to this, Sagasuga seemed to differ quite a lot.

    "Are you sure this isn''t just a one-sided grudge? Hey, maybe he had something against Yulia? Think about it, anyone could''ve done this. Of course, I''ve already admitted that the circumstance was well-thought-out, but regardless, seriously... Anyone from our class could have that title. It takes guts, confidence, and composure to be able to stand out and remain hidden. However, isn''t all that way too tiring and pretty much unnecessary? I don''t like the attention that much. Well, do you?"

    "It''s not about the attention. It really is not..."

    Impatient with my speech, my footsteps baptized the path of the dark path ahead of me and Sagasuga was soon to follow after delivering his final reply.

    "As long as I''m balanced, I won''t kill. Because killing is an action that has to be taken according to a force opposing the balance itself. I''m sorry, Kawahara."

    "You''re no fun, Sagasuga. You are telling me that it''s alright for you to be a fake, huh?"

    The linear dark path accompanied with nothing but darkness ahead stretched onto seeming infinity; however, we soon knew that it would unravel far more than just that. Length meant nothing because soon enough, orange lights blessed our vision. In addition to this, Sagasuga ignored my previous question and simply remained silent.

    His silence was perfectly justified as I would''ve continued with our conversation if it wasn''t for the fact that our environment had different elements from our previous one. The moment we witnessed something different from the geoglyphs we encountered before, we melancholically observed with detail where we now stand.

    Irregularly shaped brown boulders scraping the edge of the walls accompanied with a luminaire shaded abrasive light. Purely developed railways contrasting the previously seen badly constructed rails far too young to be called proper railways could be witnessed in addition.

    This scenario truly felt more like a mine. Yet, a mine exists for a singular purpose. Perhaps that''s the essence here?

    That there is something to hunt for here? However, if so, then did that bastard already take what we should be here for?

    Questions began to overflow my mind as I posed midway through the north entrance of this mine basking under powerful nonstop artificial light transmitted from the horribly damaged lamp above my head.

    "We head south. That door doesn''t look operational to me."

    "Correction, Kawahara---- It''s not operational."

    "Well, how the fuck would I know? You''ve been dicking it for as long as you''ve given your eyesight on it."

    "That''s just because I was curious. I mean, are you not?"

    Of course, I was. To be more specific, this north entrance had a contradicting path.

    To put it into perspective, we began by walking a linear path and then found artificial lights guiding a path that would go further more ahead with a door waiting for us. Nonetheless, almost mid-way, another steeled door with bars stood; in the opposing direction in a shortcut to the left.

    What truly got our attention wasn''t the door but the abundant gigantic empty hollow area that lies beyond the door.

    We stuck our heads quite far into the bars but we ultimately could only watch so far.

    "I can see some old scraps and treasure chests, but they are already open and seem empty. Maybe this mine was already raided?"

    "What do you mean by that? Of fucking course it was raided. Mostly thanks to the one who invited us here."

    "No, Kawahara, I mean, probably before that?"

    "I doubt it. If I had to guess, this island or rather, this section was built entirely based on what they want us to go through."

    Still... As I looked further into the rustic arena with emptiness all over it; begging for a single ray of light, I could not help but feel furious about the fact that the door would not move regardless of how much I tried with my physical force.

    Offering some sympathy, Sagasuga placed his right hand on my left shoulder and told me to give it up.

    "Quit it, it''s not gonna open. There''s no switch either. Which means..."

    "We can''t enter it from this way. Aw man, what the hell, it''s so obvious!"

    "What''s obvious, Kawahara?"

    It seems Sagasuga''s childhood wasn''t as blessed as mine when it comes to the RPG department. Though, it was short-lived.

    "It''s obvious that the area up ahead is the final one."

    I strode and thus abandoned the closed door with Sagasuga chasing after me confused.

    "Wait, what? How do you know that?"

    Puzzled on how to answer, I shrugged and gave a basic reply to someone like him who doesn''t have the knowledge of an RPG experienced individual.

    "If you know you know."

    "No, no, no, don''t do me like this, come on, explain! Kawaharaaaaaa!"

    Against all my expectations, Sagasuga began to cling to my back with his hands in an extremely creepy manner with a desperate look on his face which I was only able to capture because I cared enough to look back.

    "Hey! What happened to that balance of yours?!"

    "I''m unbalanced because I don''t know something I want to know!"

    "Jesus... Look, I''m not in the mood for this. Basically, it''s common sense that in video games if you can''t access a wide-open area and it stands before you at the beginning, which happens rarely, then it''s most likely your end station!"

    Sagasuga took a while to process that, but he slammed his right fist onto his left hand''s palm as soon as he got it.

    "Video games! No wonder I didn''t get it! Hahaha! I never actually played one! Can you believe that, Kawahara?"

    "No..."

    I thought he was just joking but the more I kept on walking onto the linear path down south until we met up with the door at the end, I just couldn''t believe what he had said, so I turned back yet again.

    "You''re kidding me, bro. There is no way you just grew up without playing games. That''s essentially impossible for someone in this century!"

    "I''m telling you, I never played games of that sort. Or any games at all."

    This time around, there was a manipulator switch in the door unlike the last door, so it was safe to say that our way would progress, but I just had to argue my way out of this ridiculous unbelievable claim of Sagasuga''s.

    "Absolutely impossible. You are lying. Come on, admit it. There''s no shame in admitting it, Sagasuga. There is no a kid in Japan that hasn''t grown u--"

    "I''m not lying. It''s the truth."

    "What... Dude, give me one legit reason to believe you."

    At this point, I was just smirking and mocking him but I just couldn''t believe his stupid claim.

    "Fine."

    He, on the other hand, crossed his arms with brutal haste and delivered me a confident speech on why he supposedly hasn''t grown up playing games, not even once.

    "I used to abide by old tradition unlike all other kids in Japan. I can''t go into depth but my family is a strong believer in obedience towards tradition. Kids that don''t have to obey tradition with harsh consistency have the freedom to try whatever modern society is trying. Think of me as someone who could not join up in the circle as early as you could. Satisfied?"

    "Sagasuga, you could''ve just told me you come from a super elitist family that most likely is linked to some sort of secret cult, hahaha!"

    Disappointed, he facepalmed and silently went towards the switch which was just about two meters away from him.

    Despite his choice, I continued.

    This time, with honesty.

    "I think I got it when I was seven years old. A kid in my elementary school once brought a PSP with some cool games in it. I had no idea what it was at first, but the more I saw him play the games and the attention he received, the more jealous I became."

    But he didn''t really care and just pushed the switch anyways. Coldly, Sagasuga walked forward midway through my speech which was still nowhere near done.

    Environment-wise, there was a pinhead section to the right; however, it had a short beginning linearly before curving itself grandly to the right which ultimately led yet to another linear path down south. The conclusion being, we were officially moving in the southwest direction which ironically completely contrasts the locked away area''s direction.

    "But! I could not afford it. It was super expensive and as a kid, how the hell was I going to get it? And even if I did get it, what would be the point? Everyone at the time was only paying attention to the damn brat just because he had a PSP! Outrageous!"

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    "What''s your point, Kawahara...? Fear of missing out is something that has been present for centuries now. Think about it. A guy gets a girlfriend not because he actually loves her but because his friends all have one and he would be the lonely virgin in the midst. If 80% of the class was wearing earrings and you weren''t, you would feel like an outcast. It''s nothing more than ridiculous standards made up by society and the fear of being labeled as an outcast as a consequence. Or am I wrong here?"

    Now those exact words of his brought a long large smile to my face.

    Even if he still didn''t bother to cast a single glance at me and is fearlessly walking forward; guided by the continuous chains of lamps implanted with artificial lights to their might.

    "No fucking way you are, Sagasuga. Get this though. I didn''t get his PSP. I thought for a second back then and thought of a way to make him useless. A way to make him the center of attention but not in a positive light. You know how someone says they hate attention, but if they get the right type of attention, they are in heaven? The little brat got a taste of that."

    "What the hell did you do to the poor kid, Kawahara... Heck, wasn''t he seven like you?"

    "No, Sagasuga, he was nine."

    "I see. Still, what did you do?"

    A shaft was up ahead with a staircase on the upper right of the tunnel which had a dead-end; thus telling us to mandatorily climb the stairs. There are railways here everywhere but absolutely nothing to make use of them.

    No mini-carts, nothing. This was very odd because this is a dead-end and all this time there was a railway from the entrance to where we are now.

    What happened to the cart? There should be one here yet it''s not...

    "Hey."

    Out of nowhere, interrupting my thinking section, came Sagasuga with his face completely close to mine. The exact type of scenario where if a girl were to be on sight, she would think that this is the ultimate wet dream.

    However, Sagasuga''s grim eyes told me that he was ultimately absurdly curious about what I had to say.

    "Back off, I was just thinking."

    "Oh right. My bad. Shall we take a break?"

    "Let''s seat on the stairways. I think we have walked around 2 kilometers thus far, Kawahara."

    "That''s pretty little."

    "That''s what she said."

    "Fuck you, Sagasuga! You didn''t play video games but you''ve watched The Office? Your nose''s gonna fall off, bastard."

    "Hahaha, dude, you wouldn''t believe but Tateyana insisted that we watched all of her favorite series and in less than a week we binge-watched The Office, American Horror Story, Narcos, and Brooklyn 99. That''s how I know about the joke!"

    Midst our laughs, we sat on the cold stairs that had 6 steps. Naturally, I sat on the fifth step, but Sagasuga sat on the third with his back against the rocky wall.

    Before I continued with my previous dialogue that Sagasuga was curious about I asked him a question that I was curious about.

    "You and that chick, what happened to your relationship? Did that bitch break your heart or some shit? Don''t tell me you want to die before 25 like everyone emo pussy in this world?"

    "Hahaha, what the hell?! I had no idea, seriously, what! Ah, but... There was just no reason to, man."

    "No reason? Sagasuga, what do you mean?"

    "It''s simple. I fell in love with her because she was a highly balancing factor when I was striving towards the other side of the balance."

    ..........

    "So wait... You fell in love with her because you had to commit such an action where your balance would only be stable if you fell in love? Wait, how many points does falling in love incorporate exactly?"

    Although he was about to answer, he was closing his eyes slowly as he thought deeply into this. Anything that involves balance has his godly undivided attention.

    It is impressive. Not even the darkest of eyes can disturb Sagasuga in a place like this.

    "I genuinely felt bad for the girl. She was getting more and more attached to me day by day. Even though she was nothing more than a stabilizing tool for my balance. I had to break it up with her, otherwise, I couldn''t live up with the guilt."

    "Do you miss her?"

    "I don''t know, Kawahara. Sure, the moments were nice but she''s not even hard to look at whenever I''m crossing her. If you had been in my situation, wouldn''t it be awkward for you to look at her after what you have done to her?"

    "Couldn''t you two just stayed friends or am I missing something?"

    "No way, man. That''s just unbalanced. We both know that past lovers have really unbalanced chemistry due to their romantic past. The tension would shatter the balance."

    Am I talking to a robot?

    I seriously wonder if Sagasuga hears himself while speaking. The way he utters every word practically like a machine makes me wonder if his heart actually fucking beats.

    "Good thing you''ve broken up with her. She would go batshit crazy if she found out what was really going on."

    "Yeah. Enough about her though, continue."

    "Right, right."

    One by one, I snapped my fingers and contracted my shoulder blades respectively.

    Inhaled and went forth a degree; now on the fourth step of the ladder.

    Not even the absence of heat disturbed us as it should have.

    "I knew what way his home was. Because kids back then would always follow each other until home and so on. However, the brat was pretty generous and would see everyone off as a good person. So I just had to wait until he was all alone and then bam! I ambushed him!"

    "That''s it? Boring."

    "No, no. Guess what I did once I ambushed him."

    "Let''s see... You were seven years old. What would seven years old Kawahara do... Hm... Didn''t you get your ass kicked? He was nine years old, after all."

    That made me laugh a bit out loud which made the resonance of the laugh echo throughout the hallway that we had previously ventured.

    "No way! I stabbed his own two eyeballs with my compass."

    "......"

    "Get it? Because you can''t play a game that well if you''re blind? Hey! Guess what happened the day after the day after the day after? Three days after, basically? Yeah, get this! Even though he brought his PSP to school, no one gave a fuck! Hahaha!!"

    "How did you manage to get away with all of that, Kawahara...?"

    Of course, an explanation is required.

    "Like every kid, I had a mask. Not a ski one though. Mine was a Venom mask. You know, Spider-man''s villain."

    "Hm."

    "So my identity was not an issue. Secondly, I cut his tongue with my scissors, it was all blood-"

    "I''ve listened enough, let''s go already..."

    Once again disappointed in me, Sagasuga got up and continued to walk forward into the upper stairs; in direction of the door ahead.

    "Am I being silently judged by someone who kills animals out of sheer necessity? Amazing!"

    "Better than mutilating someone you have no ties with just to prove society''s standards wrong. That''s messed up."

    "Aw, don''t look so disgusted, Sagasuga! After all, despite standards, it is a fact that all we need are standards and once those standards are met, anything can be done."

    "Are you trying to insist on that talk about killing still? I won''t do it. Do it yourself if you want to."

    And now we stand on top of the ladder with a door right in front of us. Behind it; an enormous light source stole our attention but we still weren''t quite done with our talk yet.

    I''ve made up that whole lie just to portray my point to Sagasuga once more. That didn''t actually happen. It''s outrageously bland and I would not do something that simple-minded in a million years to come.

    "Sagasuga... Don''t you get it? I know your standards. They revolve entirely on balance."

    "If you think you can make me your slave just because you know my standards, then try your luck. Don''t be shocked when your expectations backfire though."

    "........"

    This isn''t going to be easy.

    Part 2.

    "I am now even more confused..."

    "You can say that again..."

    Apparently, the door that had a manipulator switch, didn''t bring us to the section that we were in hope we would be in. Essentially, the optimistic expectation would be that we would be under the way of the mine that we were previously in, however, such expectations were quickly shattered.

    Sagasuga, upon realizing the atmosphere that we are in, immediately started to strip as he no longer saw any plausible reason to keep his uniform on. As for me, it was vastly clear what this atmosphere had to offer as it was not massively different from my original starting point.

    "What would you call this, Kawahara?"

    "Let''s see..."

    Slowly, I looked back and saw the now abandoned metallic bar door that connected to the mine. Then, I looked forward to our new scenario and examined what it had to offer. First off, the sky looked singed but clear. It''s almost impossible to make sense out of a singed clear sky but if there was a scenario where a clear sky was singed, this would be it. It''s as if the orange alike clouds are nothing but illusions made to trick the viewers.

    Realistically, this scenario can''t be called contrasting; however, it is undoubtedly surely different. This isn''t like a normal beach; it looks like a dessert. A soft grasp with my own two palms connected the sharp essence of gritty arid yellow sand which was prematurely wet because this sand isn''t heavy-molded.

    Such aspects were already obvious to the core, but what really caught our attention was not the wet sand everywhere, but rather the overall dimension of this area.

    Once again, I analyzed the scenario even more, by advancing forward a little bit and turning my back to the unknown scenery just so I could see what was above the mine. Yes, there was a structure above the mine, after all. And such structures could be seen just about everywhere above connected by steel gates. Underneath them, we are. So, if there is a structure above the mine, then it''s important to know where it''s connecting with. Although there are steel gates, they eventually all meet the pillars surrounded by profound water.

    "It''s a sandsea."

    "Yeah, I can see that, but I''m talking about those structures above us. How are we getting there? Because as far as I can see, there are only two to three paths for us. Three, if you include going back to the mine."

    "No chance, Sagasuga."

    Are those oil rigs? It would make sense if the pillars were actually oil rigs made for the singular purpose of extracting oil from the sea. Nevertheless, it''s not as if our path is straying without any sense of direction. As Sagasuga said, there are three paths that we can take. However, I''m taking out the possibility of going back into the mine for now. It all depends on what we find here.

    As for the other two paths, we could either go all the way to North or continue to our left. The slight problems are... If we go to our left, we are going to soon meet a more diverse watery wave. Essentially speaking, although we know nothing about this area, it''s safe to say that our path to the left will be blocked and unless we plan to swim, which I don''t, it makes no sense to go there. The other problem is that if we go North... We are straying from the hidden area inside the mine... Then again, both paths would stray from that...

    "Listen, the important factor is that we get on top of those gates and as far as I''m concerned, being near one of those pillars should give you the necessary means to enter."

    "How do you know that...?"

    It''s no wonder that he questioned how I knew that. After all, I supposedly have no way of knowing it, but just simply examining the structures from the rigs beneath the pillars, it became crystal clear that it''s a climbing tower and as far as I''m concerned, swimming to the pillars in the water is unnecessary.

    "Hawkeye vision. We head north."

    "Alright, but Kawahara..."

    "Hm?"

    Just as I was about to make my way up to the wide north, Sagasuga gave me a reality check with his right hand massaging his stomach.

    "Aren''t you hungry? It''s been a while."

    "Hm... But... I..."

    Yeah. No matter how far I stretched out my vision and tried to search for a single tree with fruits in it, there was no such luxury. In the end, it''s an empty sandsea with a path towards the north. Sure, there are bushes near the elevated edges, but they are overshadowed by the towering stellar silver pillars. Ergo, the solution is obvious here.

    "Sagasuga, we need to move out quickly. We won''t find anything here."

    "Are you sure you don''t even want to check out the sea? It might have fish?"

    "I rather not. Time is the essence. If we spend too much time hunting fishes and go unsuccessful it will turn out to be a lackluster effort."

    "We are going to starve at this rate, you know?"

    "..."

    I looked at the yellowish sand and saw my reflection in it. Admittedly, I tried to see my face but it was all blurred out from the mixture of colors. Nonetheless, Sagasuga has a point. At this rate, we will starve. It''s not just that. I''m worried about Rayazaki and Kuzan. We couldn''t meet up with them because of the torrential rain, but so far, it''s not raining. I imagine it''s because this atmosphere is not connected with the real one outside. This is purely artificial.

    "How long can you hold out, Sagasuga?"

    "Two to three hours."

    "Alright. We''ll see what we do in the meantime. For now, let''s move."

    "Got it."

    Thus, we advanced onto the sluggish sandsea headed towards the north direction.

    The real question here would be... If the one who invited us here is really ahead of us... Well, is he? As far as telling goes, he perhaps had control of the previously locked door. There''s just so much that we don''t know still.

    Eventually, after making our way completely towards the north side, we encountered a valley entrance.

    "Now what?"

    Though I blurred that out, it was without a doubt just an expression of confusion. The more we advanced, the more paths were open, to the point where I started to wonder what was really the end goal here.

    Right now, we are standing in front of the extremely tight linear entrance of a valley. The great news is that a pillar is visible, but there is something completely alerting us. Just as we crossed the valley, we soon enough realized the immediate danger.

    "Hey... Are you sure you wanna do this? We can still go back all the way and meet up with the rest. Think about it, Kawahara."

    "Why don''t you think about it instead, Sagasuga? If we go back, then we have lost so much time... Plus, isn''t this place just begging to be discovered? Look at it. Your lack of passion is unacceptable towards the unknown, Sagasuga!"

    "I appreciate your flamboyant attitude, but really, we might die."

    "..."

    Yet again, our scenario changed. The sand began to form a more rigid texture the more we advanced from the sea and so, we are no longer in the sandsea. Instead, we are in a valley covered with rocks above us. Two sides each; threatening us to fall over the ones who were fools enough to stand in-between them for too long. Even so, it wasn''t the valley. The valley was not the content of our current discussion.

    It''s an unstable wooden bridge with loose degrees all over it. It usually wouldn''t be a problem, but the fact that below it is a huge hollow landscape with far more than 30 meters accompanied in-between the bridge''s altitude and the destined ground...

    "There is no other way around it."

    "Do you have some sort of plan, Kawahara? I hope you''re not suggesting that we cross that bridge in one go?"

    "That''s already beyond the point here."

    "Then what do you have in mind?"

    "I was thinking of a little gamble. Are you found of gambles?"

    Though singed, the difference of the usual bright light that was firstly basking onto our existences no longer poses. Covered in a dark illuminated shadow we now stand; the bridge in front of us, the filtering distance from our positions, and the beginning of the bridge being quite small.

    Where all the light source is concentrated, on the other hand, is the titled bridge that cannot even be called linear, though it was originally that way. Why is it ravaged to the point where there are dislocated brackets? The bridge is supported not just by the brackets and their degrees, but by a dual rope. A soft wooden one at it, which I am currently grasping just by extending my right hand to it. Midst such action, I additionally wavered the rope to see if it''s at least stable.

    It was stable, for now at least.

    "I don''t like to gamble, Kawahara. Because gamble itself is perpetually unbalanced."

    "Right. That makes sense."

    Anything that isn''t unbalanced might as well not even be worthy of mentioning when it comes to Sagasuga. Still, I''m going to make this work. Such was my resolution after I kneeled down and felt the texture of the ravaged bracket of wood supporting the bridge''s path. It was hard and rigid, but nonetheless damaged, which made me believe that if I were to walk slowly to the other side then... Surely, I would fall.

    Yes.

    On the other side of the bridge lies a pillar with an entrance. That intricate monstrous cylindrical tower threatened the intoxicatingly burnt sky above with its differentiating colors of abysmal black intertwined alongside its friend graduated contrasting light gray. Furthermore, no exact knowledge about the inside structure... It''s a complete mystery.

    "You''re serious about this, Kawahara? Don''t be unreasonable..."

    "Wait. I haven''t explained the path of action. After all, we are going to cross that."

    "No way we are. Have you felt those brackets? The moment we step on them, they will crumble and we will fall into the pit. This is ridiculous, let''s turn back."

    Now...

    I don''t know if for sure this is a coincidence or not, but... Isn''t it way too odd that I''ve come across a path that has a locked passage and now a bridge of death? The thought of this being meant to be a constant struggling is false.

    There''s a reason for everything.

    "Hey."

    "...?"

    I said those three letters while I got up from the rocky ground and then met up with Sagasuga''s eyes and told him my plan of action here.

    A strong gust of wind blasted our hairs away subsequently which did not stop the verbal momentum.

    "I''m going to the other side if you aren''t. I guess this is goodbye, Sagasuga. Well, we''ll see each other again, surely. It might just take a while though..."

    ".........."

    Undiplomatic. Skeptical. Grim. Untrustworthy. You name it; the looks in Sagasuga''s eyes told me everything that I needed to know. If my existence is an existence that is worthy of being observed, then the path of action that Sagasuga must take is clear.

    However, I can''t give him any time to think here. Because if I do, then he will raise suspicion. So, it''s time to do what I do best.

    Pretend.

    "I''m the superior runner, remember?!"

    With my bag on my back, I tightened it. In addition to that, I took a sprinter''s stance as my eyes marked the end of the bridge as my ultimate destination.

    Crossing this bridge slowly is suicide, however, if done fast, then it''s possible to cross it. The consequence is... My running will be so fast and devastating that the brackets will be completely lost and there will be no bridge left.

    Isn''t my stupidity at the moment something to admire though? If it''s truly a dead end, then the bridge''s destruction was in vain and Sagasuga was correct. If Sagasuga is correct then he will not accompany me.

    And so, before taking off, I said something to him.

    "Crossing this bridge is surely an unbalanced decision, would you not agree... Sagasuga?!"

    "Wait!! Kawahara!!"

    Unshaken I took off without looking back.

    My hunch was right, but the thing is... It wasn''t just a hunch.

    It turned out to be true as the destructive sound of the brackets was accompanied by a secondary party running exactly at my sight adding havoc to the bridge that we had no way of crossing back ever again.

    Ultimately, upon our arrival, we witnessed the destruction of the fragile bridge.

    If I had walked through that bridge I would be a dead man right now, yet I am not.

    And Sagasuga isn''t on the other side either. Yes, he took the one decision that did not make any sense.

    A completely unbalanced decision.

    "Aw, I''m touched."

    Just barely grasping oxygen, I said such words affectionately and sarcastically to Sagasuga who was catching up with his breath.

    "Ah... Absurd...! We are screwed if this is a dead-end, you do realize that, don''t you?! Goodness, I''ve never witnessed such an unbalanced decision before! We are in the middle of nowhere! Kawahara!"

    "But you''re wrong. Look above you."

    "What is--- Ah..."

    That''s right, this pillar''s upper destination is connecting to another pillar to the mine we were in. However, it''s not directly connected to it. It''s simply above the mine. Another tower. Nonetheless, to get there, we first need to climb this tower and then get onto the far more stable structured bridge linking this pillar to the one above the mine.

    If my guess is correct, the pillar on top of the mine is a tower that will get us back into the mine, if we descend it. Unlike this pillar, the entrance to the other pillar above the mine seems to be down below it.

    In other words, it could be interpreted that the entrance to it is above, while the entrance to this tower is below.

    The perspective is the only thing that changes.

    "You could''ve just told me that..."

    "Haha, sorry, sorry! I forgot!"

    That damn Sagasuga, it''s fucking obvious he''s after me. All this time, his aim was to keep a stern watch on every single one of my movements. It was his plan all along to get us separated from the others... He also tried to manipulate me about the password earlier but I caught up at the exact crucial time. And now... He would have no reason to follow me, but apparently, he has to keep a watch on me. He''s also the one who came up with the theory of the spy, but I am starting to literally not believe a single thing he says.

    "What''s wrong, man? You look exhausted! It''s almost as if you got no sleep at all!"

    "God damn it, Sagasuga, your jokes are so lame, I swear. Let''s go! No time to lose!"

    "True. Shall we put our uniforms back on?"

    "Go for it."

    "Cold."

    I didn''t bother to put my uniform back on despite the fact that we were greeted with a glacial alike atmosphere. And just before I entered the tower through the old familiar steel door covered up with bars, I took a guess on what the height of this tower or rather---potential oil rig''s height---- might be.

    It looked close to twenty or almost twenty meters tall. The grand mystery was what lied inside and how we would get to the top.

    "Ah, look, I got something to say, Kawahara. Before we enter, that is..."

    "...What...?"

    Grimily, I held my gaze towards Sagasuga with my right arm intertwined in the bars of cold steel. A fluctuating wind; unstoppable on its ariel might continued to reign its presence on the outside.

    "If one of us were to die inside this tower now..."

    "......."

    Swiftly, I turned my whole back and silently manipulated the door''s switch until it opened without Sagasuga noticing. Just in case he...

    "You do remember our talk earlier, right? I think I understand your point more now. It does feel like I''m a fake because... The truth is, it''s unbalanced to have a title to yourself while administering actions that go against that title. It''s hypocrisy, so to speak."

    "You came to that realization just now?"

    Suddenly, the more he closed his distance, the more my instincts screamed. Louder and louder, telling me to do the correct thing; that this has all been a setup, that I created my own demise by admittedly destroying the bridge.

    The only scenario where Sagasuga profits are by making my existence fade into oblivion right here and now! If he kills me and drags my body onto the pit below, then no one will ever know that I existed! No, wait! There''s more to that! He would''ve profited anyways if I went back because that would mean that I would lose my momentum and overall advance! If delaying my advance is his goal, then I need to break free as soon as possible.

    And that''s why I''ll...

    "I did!"

    One more step taken. Just about five to four more steps before our distance is closed.

    Manipulating a switch has never been this hard, but I''m attempting my very best at not letting my emotions run wild. If I can just manipulate this switch in a manner where I''m not making it obvious...!

    Damn it, I need to verbally distract him for now!

    "Hey, listen, Sagasuga! Maybe I was wrong!"

    "About what?"

    Four steps.

    "That thing about killing! Uh... It didn''t make a whole lot of sense, just saying."

    "No, I disagree. Back when I was running to this tower and saw the whole bridge fall apart as I kept on running, your words flashed my mind. Your point was valid. How can we be in a classroom full of supposed criminals where only one person gets to be labeled as the true criminal? It''s just unfair and mildly... unbalanced..."

    By manipulating the switch successfully, I made a surprisingly loud noise which immediately told Sagasuga what was going on.

    "...Kawahara... Could you turn around for a second...?"

    "...What if I can''t?"

    "...That would be a problem. After all, we are going inside that tower, together, right?"

    Three steps.

    "...We are?"

    "Yes, Kawahara. We are. Also... I just heard something... loud... Coming from the inside of the tower. And I think you are the one responsible for that..."

    Two steps, two steps, two steps...!

    "About that... Heh, you''re smart, aren''t cha Sagasuga? But, did you predict this?!"

    In a rhapsody of movements, I opened the door and in that time he was about to close in our distance, I locked myself inside the tower by additionally closing the steeled door.

    "Kawahara, are you out of your mind?! Let go of the door at this instant!"

    With the strength of unknown origin that I had not witnessed before, Sagasuga was trying his utmost best to break the door open, but it just wouldn''t work.

    Simply put, I also had broken the manipulator by savagely pulling it out; thus making it unfunctional.

    However, it''s just a matter of time, because...

    "You fiend! You would desert me here and leave me to die in an isolated place like this when you were the one who had the monstrosity of an idea to destroy that bridge which was the only connection to the other side just for your own egoism?!"

    "Damn it, what the hell, you placed your own foot on the door''s entrance?! I will fucking crack it if you don''t let go, Sagasuga!"

    "Kuh....!! Break my foot if you want, I will still get inside!"

    Damn it! Just at the moment I managed to close in the door, Sagasuga placed his foot in-between the entrance so the door wouldn''t immediately lock itself! It wasn''t a question of timing, he was just absurdly fast!

    I started to kick his right foot in response to drag it out of the entrance as fast as I could with all my might.

    "Heh, Kawahara...! Why, why?! Why are you doing this?!"

    "Why?! How about you, huh? What made you change your mind about not coming to this side?!"

    "......"

    And then, suddenly, surprisingly, Sagasuga stopped fighting and resisting and even took away his foot which enabled the door to close as fast as it could.

    Sagasuga then kneeled down to my surprise and started to comfort his right foot.

    "That hurt."

    "...What...? You''re just going to die now, Sagasuga. There''s nowhere for you to go."

    "It appears so, doesn''t it? But... It''s not as if I don''t have exactly a place to go. After all, we share the same destination, right?"

    "Dumbass! I''m already inside and you are out!"

    Soon enough, my glory was interrupted by Sagasuga who took out the one item he himself had to his arsenal.

    Acknowledging that, I immediately started to back away. I still had not looked inside the tower; as my attention was completely focused on Sagasuga''s movements.

    "Now, I''m not sure, but if I had to make a claim... This ax''s metal and this door''s metal... Don''t they look very similar?"

    "Just so we are clear... You want to kill me, right? That''s why you went along with my stupid idea, correct?"

    "Damn, you''re bright, man! I''m sure you''ve noticed about the password, too? Fuck, you''re good at this! All the more reason as to why you have to die. You''re a hindrance to the plan."

    ...Plan...?

    That aside, he started to hammer down the door with the ax and it was making a brutal success as the metal combined with Sagasuga''s strength was demolishing the front door''s bars. Staying here was no longer an option, therefore... the only option left was to...

    Run to the top.

    "Be grateful, Kawahara! This is one hell of a tomb! A rare graveyard unhabituated by no one else but your body soon!"

 Volume 20 - Chapter 134: Victorem.

    Without examining the contents of the inside of the newly discovered tower, I hurried to the elevator in the middle that had a cylindrical shape very much like the whole tower itself, however, despite the fact that I continuously pressed the elevator switch over and over, I heard absolutely nothing. No movements from an elevator; and to further add to my paranoia, Sagasuga''s ax clobbering the steeled door was by far the only sound that was humming.

    This called for a quick judgment.

    I either attempted to fully reason with Sagasuga or I continued my way up. As far as I can see, this tower is extremely simple. There is an elevator that looks to not be working and two other staircases, both leading to the top. There is a slight difference in them, however. The one to the right side is a staircase that has a railway endorsed to it.

    That could be useful, but that fully depends if there is a cart in the first place; otherwise, it''s utterly useless.

    Still, still... When I said "reason" I was not referring to pledging for mercy or something like that. I''m not dumb, he has an ax. There is no chance of victory if I face him with an ax. Nonetheless, that doesn''t mean that I don''t have a chance whatsoever to extract information out of him.

    "Kawahara....... You''re not running...? You''re dumb, really, really, dumb. Why''d you come here? Well, it doesn''t matter. As soon as I''m done with this door, you know the story, don''t you?"

    "I just gotta know something before I go off. After all, I am the superior runner, remember?"

    "What the hell? Is that your new catchphrase or something?"

    I ignored that and the fact that he was hammering down the door heartlessly with absurdly fast movements carried by heavy arm strength. I would give this door a minute or two before it crumbles, so I''ll just get to the point.

    But before that, it''s very important that I am aware of my own boundaries and that I don''t come close to Sagasuga, who is still on the other side, looking at my face cold-heartedly; detached from emotion. Therefore, 10 meters of distance.

    I know he can hear me from this far. I am only five meters away from the stairs to the top.

    "Sagasuga! You said plan! Care to elaborate?"

    "No."

    .......

    "You''re kidding with me. You want to kill me! And you won''t even tell me WHY you want to kill me?! At least do that!"

    "But I''m not sure if I can have a chance to kill you, after all, you are quite crafty. I''m not underestimating you. Also... Are you sure you want to be there? Shouldn''t you be running up ahead?"

    "You''re no fun, damn it!"

    Time is up! I need to run all the way top and our paths don''t differ here! Although... He could take the railways and climb up to the top. However, per norm... No one would do that because I can just use the cart up ahead---if there is one---to launch it and clash it with him.

    If that''s the case then I will...

    In the quick time of two minutes, I climbed all the way to the top and found a cart on top of the staircase.

    "Good... The metallic bridge that all the pillars share is right here and it has no locked door... All that''s left to do is..."

    I leaned in, on my knees to the edge of the space that''s in-between the dual paths; one being the railways that would descend all the way to the entrance and the other the normal staircase that I ran into. Usually, whenever looking down all the way up to where I am now, would pose no challenge. Plus, there''s no sunlight here! Damn it, I planned on utilizing my cellphone''s screen to obstruct his vision and then throw the cart at him because he would then have no way to dodge it due to the blinding light.

    Then again, that''s all I need to do. To create a distraction. In essence, blinding light is a powerful distraction, and even if I were to create such a distraction, Sagasuga would notice.

    He''s extra-aware of me because he labeled me as "crafty". Well, then... Cart aside, I need to take it off from the railways that are at the top. That will be my main source of damage, but I need secondary ones.

    Metal sticks light enough to throw rapidly at someone. Empty wooden boxes large enough to cause a distraction. I didn''t have the time to analyze the content of the boxes yet as soon as I was not kneeling down anymore and took a glance at Sagasuga; who had successfully infiltrated the parameter, I decided it was time to take action.

    Yet not now. He''s in an empty area and although he can''t see well from below, he surely is aware that I am watching him.

    From his movements, it''s almost as if he''s perfectly aware that the elevator was not working in the first place. Either that or he took my example earlier and completely trusted the possibility of the elevator not working.

    It''s at times like this that it''s important to keep my cool and not allow my emotions to take control. Should I allow my emotions to take a toll on me, then I would run and run, but I cannot do that. I must think of the profit of my potential success here. Ergo, by annihilating Sagasuga''s track, I could steal his words and reign successful here.

    This is not the time to be scared or to feel anything negative here.

    "Here he comes..."

    Sagasuga''s on sight and the moment he attempted to meet my posture, I backed off grandly so that way, he won''t capture my stand. The coast is clear up ahead, but that doesn''t matter now.

    I began to gather all the materials at my disposal here. If I knew beforehand that he would choose this particular location, I would''ve gathered material preemptively. But... Sagasuga would most likely come up with an excuse as to why I shouldn''t...

    "Come on, climb up..."

    Weirdly enough, he began to whistle something that I couldn''t quite catch what was, but the song itself sounded familiar... He didn''t speak and started to climb onto the normal staircase while additionally swirling around his ax.

    There are around 40 steps or degrees to the staircase before he comes up. It''s all a diagonal way to the top; absolutely no excuses.

    "Hey, I know you can hear me so I''ll tell you something that might comfort you."

    But I didn''t speak. I couldn''t allow him to possibly certify about the fact that I am still here. As far as I''m concerned, he didn''t see me and I could''ve gone up ahead, so that would be dumb.

    Furthermore, he is climbing very slowly and my plan will only take shape once he is closer. Around 20 to 15 degrees type of close; which is not the case at the moment. All I could do is lay down on the floor while looking at him with my cellphone''s camera recording what was happening. This can be done if the camera part is the only part that''s sticking out and the distance is so enormous that Sagasuga has no way to see that the camera is there.

    Naturally, this won''t be the case once the distance gap is far more irrelevant, but that would be pointless.

    "This line is said many times, but I''ll emphasize it just so you know I really mean it."

    I rolled up on the floor just so I could see the entire ceiling. And then I rolled back quickly but securely, so the cellphone would not fall off accidentally.

    "It is not personal. I think that you are exceptional, Kawahara. But sometimes, exceptions are dangerous. It''s better to be mediocre these days than to stand out, wouldn''t you agree?"

    He''s purposely creating arguments that I''m begging to argue against, but I just couldn''t. So far, he has taken five degrees and there are 35 degrees to go.

    "What I''m trying to say is... Among non-mediocre individuals, isn''t competition itself something natural? I truly think it is. You just start to see someone who isn''t mediocre your enemy, while the other mediocre ones are just... well, there? Isn''t this dialogue pretty arrogant? My point here is... If there would be a competition between you and me... then it would just be natural. Therefore; not personal."

    That''s his justification for going out of his way to kill me. It''s also his way of straying from the "plan" he said earlier.

    "However, the truth is, I think we have the same objective in this competition. That being: the accumulation of our words. But, as it stands, having two parties uphold it, is lackluster. I am under the impression that you would betray me sooner or later, so I am betraying you now. Does that sound fair to you, Kawahara?"

    Fuck, he''s not wrong, but that''s not exactly fair. Ten degrees to go... Just five more and I''ll start the preparations. The cart is already out of the rails, so it''s all set to work.

    "With that said, I propose a deal. By the time I am there at the top, if you just leave your words there, I will not hunt you. You don''t have to take my word for it, but if you just jump off the bridge that''s up next, you''ll fall into the sea. Simply swim in another direction and do whatever you want. I will not censure you."

    Was this literally not predictable whatsoever though? Anyone saw this line of play from a mile away. The spy theory, the separation, and so on. And now this. Nonetheless, this is decisive. There has to be an outcome here! If one of us fails here then the other loses everything.

    At last...

    Sagasuga stood on the fifteen degree and that was when I started the preparations.

    Firstly, I took back my cellphone and placed it in my bag rapidly. Secondly, I grabbed four metal sticks with sharp edges for unknown purposes here and threw two at the railways; partially from the path that Sagasuga was currently under. However, I was already throwing everything from the bridge''s entrance and Sagasuga could not capture my sight or the origin of the throws no matter how much he tried to.

    Transiently then, for about two seconds, Sagasuga''s footsteps could not be heard. It''s very impressive how he''s matching his speed despite having his foot in a bad state from earlier. Nevertheless, that was all it took to buy his distraction.

    "One more time..."

    "A little bit off the mark, Kawahara."

    I ignored his taunt and threw another at the exact same destination as the last. The mirroring railways; far away from Sagasuga.

    Just like last time, it took him two seconds to process that I had missed that.

    "..."

    He kept his silence this time and kept on walking. Right now, he should be on his guard. His suspicion should be that I planning something big and that these last three throws were nothing but an illusion. Right now, right now, he is probably thinking that I''m going to throw the cart at him, but that''s only when he steps right into the twentieth degree.

    Ultimately, the moment he took that single step, I threw the fourth metal stick in the right direction this time, but unlike the last time, I didn''t give Sagasuga a moment to rest, because everything was in place.

    That''s right, the moment I made that decisive throw, I had advanced into the part of the tower where I would become far more visible to Sagasuga and right after I did the throw, I stretched out to the cart that was on my left; stationed for the ultimate decisive purpose of being thrown into the sequence of that metal stick.

    "Graaaaaah!!"

    Screaming from all my lungs, with my right hand, I obliquely threw the cart at Sagasuga which caused him to immediately react to it by striking the cart forwardly with his ax; thus successfully clearing it out of the way.

    That would be it... If the cart was the necessary piece for the victory here, but...

    "Hm...?! Wait, the cart wasn''t the distraction?!"

    Before I had taken the positioning from where I would not stand visible to Sagasuga, I had everything in place. The necessary crucial factor was to analyze the placing of everything. I firstly started by placing the decisive pieces where they should be placed. The cart would be placed near the edge of the middle in-between space where the dual paths divide so it would be easy for me to grab it efficiently and throw it. Secondly, there would be four metal sticks accompanied by me, as I planned not on using all of them. If I were to cause a distraction, then a few would do it. Should I had used them too much, my plan would become too obvious.

    Thirdly and lastly, the additional piece of the puzzle, the boxes that I gathered, a grand total of twelve empty boxes; the perfect distraction that I ultimately used against Sagasuga by kicking them from where they stood: the beginning of the end of the normal stairway.

    As all the boxes felt at an absurdly rapid pace, I ran all the way into the staircase and accompanied the flow of the hollow wooden boxes that Sagasuga had no other option but to attempt to cut down; otherwise, they would hit him in the face and that''s exactly what I want... For them to steal his vision so for that split second I could gain the upper hand on him, however...

    "Not enough! Not enough! Some boxes won''t get the upper edge on me, Kawahara!"

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    So he said while cutting as many boxes as he could, but I started to climb the wall with fast precision for about a split second. The moment he saw what I was trying to do, he directed his ax onto the left foot that was midst the wall horizontally.

    He just didn''t realize that the distance from where I stand and the ax throw would not match because I only started to move the moment he had destroyed one of the boxes that were aimed at his face. Midst that distraction, two other boxes hit his face.

    "Gah!!!"

    "....!!"

    For just about a single centimeter, his ax throw was unfocused and missed my foot... Then, with the ax now adjoined to the wall, I used it as momentum to land on it, which then gave me the necessary upper edge that I needed.

    No longer had Sagasuga the ax and he was aimlessly attempting to recover from the barrage of wooden boxes that were still descending down.

    "I got you now! Sagasuga!!"

    From behind him, I snuck in and took a hold on his neck with an anchor lock used by my right forearm and elbow alongside the bicep. Swiftly, I landed a low-kick on his right calf with my right foot while in addition utilizing my left arm to lock away the movements that he could use with his left arm.

    And then began to strangle him until he would show signs of losing.

    "S-So... sneaky... why you...!! Guhhh!!"

    He deliberately attempted to use everything to his disposal, which includes...

    Movements with his left arm, which he could not do due to my left arm locking it. Kicks with his left foot, but he was already damaged from before; hence why I kicked his right calf, so he would have trouble moving with his stable foot, which proved to be the truth. All that was left was his right arm, which he was using its right hand to try and break from the lock.

    However, I didn''t exactly strangle him and attempted to extract information now that he was in such a position to be under my direct control.

    "Questionnaire time! Sagasuga... I refuse to believe that this was all your idea! Who was it that came up with it?! Tell me now or I will break your neck!"

    To show that I wasn''t joking, I began to brutally increase the dose of physical strength used in my right arm all the way to his neck so he would know that I was telling the truth.

    "Fuck... you... You''ll never get... anything... out of me...!!"

    "Wh----"

    Against my expectations, he lost consciousness due to the lack of resistance. He isn''t dead, but he is unconscious. His body now remains freely to my command.

    Now that there is no resistance, I took out the hold that was blocking Sagasuga''s previous movements and reached out to his bag. Then, I took it out of his back. While doing so, I allowed his unconscious body to freely fall all the way down the stairs. It only went as far as going seven degrees lower, but the damage will be there.

    "Now then... First of all, this ax is now my property."

    Although it showed plenty of resistance due to the fact that it was well-adjoined to the rustic wall, I nonetheless apprehended the ax.

    I then admired it from every angle and pondered the endless possibilities of its usage. Thankfully, it had no blood in it. Even if it did, I would clean it.

    "Secondly... It''s time to see what you have inside that bag."

    Very rapidly, I opened the bag and saw its contents. There were three envelopes which were Tsudo''s, Tatsu''s, and Sagasuga''s words. That much I already knew. However...

    "What the hell? There''s nothing he---"

    Perhaps that was far too impulsive as I saw something in addition to the three envelopes. Something that I had no real clue to what it was at first...

    "A Rubik''s cube? What a damn kid this prick is!"

    But... It''s already solved. The four sides of it are exactly correct.

    Maybe out of paranoia I started to examine the whole cube as I thought it was a listening device but I saw no connection to it. Nothing from the outside was telling me so yet I couldn''t completely figure out, or figure out at all why there was a Rubik''s cube in Sagasuga''s bag...

    "I''ll take it with me just in case. You can have your empty bag, balance clown. I have manners despite what I may seem to be."

    Why? Why? Why...? I just can''t seem to make reason out of this cube. Just what the hell is the purpose of this cube?! I never saw him play with it! Is he that secretive about his hobbies? I refuse to believe it but... as it stands, it really is nothing more than a Rubik''s cube, but I refuse to simply believe it...

    "To the bag, you go, and now... What do I do with you? I think I got it. Call it favoritism, but Sagasuga... I would never kill a guy like you, although you just went after my life. Individualism takes a rare individual to manifest itself and you are just that. If you weren''t, I would mercilessly throw you to the pit down below. However, it won''t be that easy..."

    3 minutes later.

    Although the bridge is completely destroyed, the entrance is still there. It''s an irregular entrance that does not even match the titled bridge. It''s as if the bridge has been here for centuries, but when I look at the tower... I just can''t think of something that has been here for more than a decade even. If the design has been remodeled, that would make more sense.

    "A little bit more... And there we go! Perfect!"

    The midday sky above was finally blessing me. Radiating effulgent light baths to the winner!

    "I really am too much of a saint. It''s just that... It loses all sense if I kill someone that''s unconscious. I wanted to get information out of you, but I guess you just didn''t like that, huh...?"

    I crooked my posture with my two upper legs supporting my knees as I placed Sagasuga''s upper torso on the edge of the bridge and left his legs inside the bridge. The perfect balance, you could say. Though... Not quite. His bodyweight is too much and so, the upper posture keeps on wanting to fall off. Or so was the case at first, but now it''s alright. There''s just one catch here. I can''t imagine that it would be perfectly alright if he were to wake up and then erupt into a balanced position, because the first thing that''s going to catch him off guard is the very fact that I placed a grand total of twelve boxes with all the metal sticks (which were 30 in total) inside the boxes.

    They surprisingly fit inside as if they were made to go inside the boxes. Well, this way his legs have way too much weight and he can''t fall off no matter what. Unless the ravine simply decides to break down, in which case he dies.

    If Sagasuga gets up, then he has to eliminate twelve boxes that have triple the weight of his entire body. It''s ridiculously absurd to pull that off, but if he truly is an individual with an individualistic charisma, then he will think of a way out of this.

    "Time to go then."

    I said while looking in Sagasuga''s body direction one more time; making sure it was completely unconscious.

    "I win."

    Saying goodbye to the present location was an easy thing to do, but before I climbed all the way to the top, I checked the elevator one more time. I clicked on the switch on the right side multiple times, but no response, unfortunately.

    It has a frontal entrance but the way out to the elevator to the top is mirroring the other side. Quite interesting. What I wanted to really know is... Does the elevator go below or does it only go up?

    I climbed effortlessly though a little tired.

    Without Sagasuga now, it felt a bit lonely. I didn''t have someone to just randomly talk about topics that weren''t even important in the first place, but at the same time, I felt a sensation of peace because I was no longer being observed by Sagasuga constantly.

    I also reminded myself to hurry up with this task of mine because I had to go back to those affiliated to me---Rayazaki and Kuzan---who await me to grant them victory over this exam. Our deal is a deal and there''s no going back to it.

    "Plan... Plan... What the hell was he referring to... But, that clears it. There is no spy in the first place. That was all a lie for Sagasuga to get his reasoning going."

    At last, I advanced to the bridge that was connecting to the other tower below the mine. It was impossible to see the outside since the inside of the gate was fully covered by the same exact silver structure as the entrance to the tower. There was only one way which was forward.

    As I got into the next tower, there was no option to descend via stairs, instead, I was met with a cylindrically shaped elevator; resembling strong similarities to the previous one.

    There was just one decisive difference.

    "Fucking hell, at least it''s working. How screwed would I be if it was not working?! Hahaha!!!"

    In essence, I would have no way out of here. Though... That''s not quite true. I could, for example, tear this bridge''s structure apart with the ax, but I am not quite sure if that would work because the resistance of the bridge''s structure seems far too rigid to be broken by a mere ax.

    "I wonder if when he said that I should put my uniform back on... Was he looking for an opportunity to catch me off guard? As I thought, you really are interesting, Sagasuga. I have an obligation towards beings of your affinity. Individualism cannot go to waste. There''s so much more to take shape."

    Roughly after ten seconds, the elevator which was summoned from the underground returned to where I stand now and opened itself alongside a broken light lamp inside.

    There were two options; to either go up or go all the way to the top.

    Infinitely curious, I clicked the option to go to the top, and after a full minute, I was at the very top of the tower, which had absolutely nowhere to go. All that was in the area was a great oval-shaped circle threatening the blue sky above.

    I stepped forward onto the limits of the circle and saw for myself the great sandsea. Furthermore, I additionally caught glimpse of eight other pillars; all equal to the one that I am in.

    Should I count this pillar and the previous one that I was in, then in total, that''s ten pillars. And... That''s about every participant in this exam...

    Then, as the remorseless keen but not unpleasant wind containing unpredictable blasts of wind midst this summer-like environment haze passed through violently; it clicked.

    "I see! It makes sense now! The reason why the elevator in the previous pillar didn''t work is that deciphering the password disables it! The reason why this elevator worked was that the password had not been deciphered yet! If so then..."

    Gazing at the seemingly bottomless brilliant water below, I thought something else in addition to what I had just spoken out loud.

    Could it be that Sagasuga indirectly motivated me to get the password right just so I couldn''t have access to the elevator? I can only form a conclusive hypothesis once I fully go down this elevator and find out what''s beyond it.

    "Interesting... Interesting... This is so interesting! I feel so free! All of this, to my discovery!"

    I want this sentiment to myself only.

    Thus, I went down the elevator and two minutes later, I fully descended.

    Completely contrasting the abrasive blazing sunlight that was all over me a whole two minutes ago, I was once again shrouded with penetrating darkness. Darkness not bright in any form whatsoever.

    What was most interesting was how as soon as I emerged from the elevator and the elevator''s door opened, a secret staircase leading to below appeared. Nonetheless, this reminded me of the secret passage that was in the first mine. However, it''s important to notice that the sequence of achievements here is essentially reversed. We discovered that passage not through an elevator but by being inside an area that was discovered from the outside real world.

    Yes, as far as I am truly concerned, the scenery does not match the real world whatsoever. This is unbelievable, but it''s as if there''s a secondary world in these ruins...

    A hidden world.

    Seeing no reason whatsoever to hold back on my advancement, I took out my cellphone and turned the torch on.

    "54%..."

    I fully focused the light on the degrees that I was descending on and prioritized following the light that was guiding me out of this unshakable darkness. It curved all the way to the right just when I was about to meet my final destination but it ultimately regressed to being towards the left side in the end.

    A chamber instead...

    "It doesn''t look like a dead-end, but it has a door to the left and a computer right in the middle. But why is it a dead-end...? Before in the previous mine that we were in, there was always a way to turn back, and surely, I can just turn back, it''s just... Wait, unless...?"

    Unless...

    As I got closer to the computer which looked to be fairly operational at the center of this blue-illuminated room with an oval white ceiling, I pictured a guess at what was going on.

    "The only place that would make sense for it to be a dead-end relying on the door to be open would be the other passage that we couldn''t access for whatever reason... If... the way to the secret passage is through the elevator, then it makes sense why we couldn''t access it before. After all, it''s because the door potentially can''t be accessed from the outside and only through an elevator like this one."

    A single door to the left and a computer... This room is certainly different as it has a blue decoration to it and it''s in addition sustained by a beautiful illumination. No doubt, this scenario screams of secret passage; simply due to the fact that the architecture of the setting far alternates way too much.

    Therefore, without any sort of hesitation, I advanced towards the computer.

    "Number?"

    It briefly puzzled me how the screen was asking for a number instead of a fully verbal password but I quickly processed the missing essence here.

    "It''s a secret passage, so it''s bound to go beyond what the normal passage has to offer and for that to happen, a different methodology of achievement is set. I see now."

    In addition to asking me for the number to be input, it said that I had three times to do it, however, I nailed it on the first try.

    "As I thought, it''s number two. Of course..."

    Because...

    "The stupid remote control that I got from the past mine had number two on it, so there''s bound to be a connection. Of course the number here is two."

    Subsequently, from the middle of the computer''s body, came the reward for getting it right. A wrapped-up present covered in red with a yellowish golden gradient alike ribbon endorsed all over it. It ultimately was from a dark drawer that closed immediately as soon as I retrieved it.

    "It''s so well wrapped up that I will purposely ravage it!"

    Though I ravaged it, I already had the preemptive knowledge about the present''s format; which is a rectangle.

    As soon as I caught glimpse of its entirely, I no longer treated it savagely. Instead, I doted it with a small whistle.

    "Hot damn, a tablet? But wait... Behind it, there''s a missing piece... Now, if I had to picture a guess..."

    It was simple. So simple that I packed the tablet that had a missing piece in behind and started to make my way down to the left where the door which was already open would lead me to. The door was already open the moment I inserted the correct number.

    Another stairway down below. Accompanied by darkness, I ran through it effortlessly; impatient like a child.

    My desire for wanting to see what was awaiting me came rewarded as I found myself in the exact same place that Sagasuga and I could not access a few hours ago.

    Shaped like an ancient colosseum, the gigantic windowless intertwined with harboring darkness all over it. I saw two things that caught my interest.

    The sole reason as to why I knew that this was the room that we could not access earlier was due to the fact that the door all the way to the northwest was the exact same door that I tried to access earlier. Lastly, the piece of absolute glory; the exact everlasting reward for all this effort, unlike before---a tall elevated computer now stood in the middle of the arena.

    The conclusion to take here is that the password entry makes all the difference and what was once could potentially be something else entirely.

    "Very fucking interesting I must say! This makes me want to act like an irresponsible brat and discover every section!!"

    But I can''t.

    This day so far made me realize one thing... The possibility of finding food inside this hidden world is most likely negative and as such, I will have to make haste to the world outside of this one in order to get food.

    I am feeling so fucking weak. That fight against Sagasuga---if you can even call it a fight---took a more heavy toll on me than expected. As soon as I''m done with the reward here, I am returning back.

    These were my thoughts before I had realized what the reward was and what it meant by obtaining it.

    "Two tries?! Are you fucking with me?! That''s... Huh... I wonder if there''s a pattern here... Perhaps the more useful the item is the restrictive it gets...? Well, no point in speculating, I will know it soon enough."

    Just like the previous word entry, it required a word entry. I can''t insert "Ultimate" because that was what opened the door. Speaking of the door...

    "Where the hell is it? I can clearly see that the door that was restricted has a switch to the right inside this colosseum, so I doubt it''s that one. It''s probably gonna erupt out of nowhere, I bet."

    I felt confident from my achievements thus far and went with my own word, impulsively.

    Hastily, I typed: "Words".

    "Oh fuck."

    Exactly matching my typing speed came a denying sound and the screen proceed to say that I only had one shot.

    "I didn''t even think through this. Damn it, it''s obvious... As far as I know, the best word to go with is..."

    And as I typed the word: "The" calmly this time, I was successful. If someone were to argue that this is my lucky day, I would only argue that it can possibly get even luckier.

    "Wait, where is the--- Ah, there."

    Hopelessly, I had begun to search for the item because nothing was emerging from the computer like last time, but as soon as I looked towards the door in the northwest direction, I saw a square hole beneath the manipulator switch with something inside it.

    I naturally rushed towards the location of the door and took the item off the hole, which prompted the activation of a hidden door at my mirroring direction; far away to the north, from my perspective, if I turn around now.

    As for the item, it wasn''t wrapped up but it was painfully obvious what it was.

    "A solid battery. It looks like it can fit inside the tablet. Might as well test it out, duh."

    By kneeling down and resting on the cold ground, I placed my back on the steeled door and inserted the battery on the tablet''s backside.

    It took a while to load but as soon as it did, there was a percentage corner on the top right side of the tablet, so I immediately assumed that it was referring to the battery.

    "10%? What the hell, this is dying!"

    But then the true battery corner appeared on the top left side and in it, it had the symbol of infinity. As hard as it was for me to believe, it symbolized infinity; simply meaning that it was an infinite battery.

    Unable to die. To go out of power. Virtual immortality incorporated into a tablet; right before my own two eyes.

    Even so, that wasn''t the true eye candy.

    No, no, no...

    What really got my attention and made my eyes supremely widen alongside bringing forth a bright radical smirk was the content that was shown to only I.

    "This is...!!!"

 Volume 20 - Chapter 135: ?? Inflation Pandemic Crisis. ??

    Part 1.

    April 15th. 7 am.

    Shizuku and Arkalee agreed to meet up in the cafeteria at near dawn.

    I decided to wear a ponytail today instead of letting my long luscious blonde hair fly itself supremely this time around.

    A different mood was today set and I was feeling happy. As such, as I got into the almighty cafeteria with no one but Shizuku and Arkalee in it, I greeted them with a smile, to which they questioned from a not so far away distance; after all, they were seated right next to the window north-west direction.

    "Someone''s looking happy today!"

    "What happened, Yukishiro...?"

    Shizuku exclaimed while on the other hand, Arkalee couldn''t exactly process the whole reason behind my current happiness.

    Before I answered them, I grabbed a chair from the diagonal table in front of the table that they were in and adjoined the said chair in the middle; ultimately flashing a smile.

    "Secret."

    Perhaps out of kindness there was already a third cup of coffee alongside the two other cups of coffees that they were sipping on, to whom I asked Shizuku if she was the one who did the favor as I took a seat.

    "Is this for me?"

    "Why, yes! It''s always good to start your day with a coffee! I put it sugarless. Is that okay?"

    "More than okay, Shizuku. Well, thank you!"

    After thanking her and taking a delicate sip of the sugarless cup of coffee on this new immature dawn, I got to the point. After all, they were waiting for me and in addition to that, it was I who proposed that we would meet here when the others are still asleep for a while.

    "Arkalee, did you get into contact with your friends?"

    The young basking sunlight was barely grasping her cheeks'' surface from the blazing reflection illuminated within the window; contrasting Shizuku who was fully engulfed with a dark environment full of black shadows all over her. Nonetheless, despite the transient expectation of a griefing reply from Arkalee, she answered rather succinctly.

    "Sorta... It''s a bit hard now because they know that I have a boyfriend... Even though I never told them that..."

    "Any idea who might''ve told them that?"

    To this, however, Arkalee answered rather fast, to both of our surprises.

    "Daniel! Absolutely no doubt! He knows and well..."

    "Wait, Arkalee. Why does he know?"

    Although I asked this question, it''s not as if the fact that she''s in a relationship is something that no one knows about. I daresay that it''s the other way around. Regardless, that''s for the creatures in our class. Therefore, how can outsiders know?

    "He''s always around Hyunda!"

    "So Hyunda told him? That''s cheesy of him."

    Frankly, this is time-wasting and as much as I would like to investigate this deeper, I need to get some things across, so I stopped this conversation from stretching itself between Arkalee and Shizuku.

    "That aside, that''s pretty bad, because they are around you because they are in hope to be your boyfriend, right? If they know, then they might not be as helpful as they were before."

    "Hold on, Yukishiro, can''t Arkalee just lie to them and say that she has broken up with Hyunda now that he''s absent from the school...?"

    I was ready to agree with Shizuku here but Arkalee''s fairly predictable outburst put a stop to any train of thought involving that slight hope.

    "WHAT?! That''s ridiculous and false! No, no! We can''t!"

    "Eh, but Arkalee... Hyunda will never know if you just keep quiet. It''s not like he has a way to know anyways."

    "That''s still lying... Isn''t it...?"

    "It''s for a greater cause. Remember?"

    I was hinting at what we had discussed previously and she caught on quickly. We all continued to sip on our coffees rather slowly.

    "Okay fine... But we have to be successful!"

    "Relax, Arkalee! Remember what I told you? If you follow our orders, then everything will work. Plus, it''s just not true, right? You love Hyunda so much and you would never betray him, right? Lying about your relationship status doesn''t even matter!"

    "It''s still... not alright with me, Yukishiro..."

    I am losing my marbles over this love-stricken obsessive maiden in front of me with puppy eyes going on and on about the same thing.

    Thankfully, Shizuku gave a helping hand to my overall point.

    "If I may say, Arkalee... All you have to do is to get your friends to do the task, right?"

    "Yes..."

    "Sooo, there''s no real need to go by your standards, Yukishiro. Try to put yourself in her place for a bit."

    "Shiz..."

    I tried not to look disappointed, but I think that my face showed extreme disappointment anyways. Nevertheless, I allowed Shizuku to continue...

    "Thank you..."

    "But still, Arkalee, I don''t mean to pressure you, but it''s crucial that you do your part and if you can''t do your part, then..."

    Shizuku progressed as soon as she was done with her coffee; lastly placing the metal cup softly on the table''s surface.

    "We have to put the plan to practice by noon. It''s important that the rumors don''t wither..."

    "Allow me to add something to that. It''s more than important. Because action against these rumors will start soon. Akimiyashika and Hinagiku must''ve reported to the student council already, so relying on the current rumors isn''t a good strategy. We need to deepen the credibility of the rumors."

    I don''t know much about the student council, but it doesn''t take a fool to realize that Carol and Anea will fear them. Speaking of which, I will have to contact them fairly soon. I don''t want them to get mixed signals should I stop contacting them suddenly.

    "Okay, I get it! I do, but still... There has to be another w---"

    I interrupted Arkalee before she could speak more nonsense.

    "There isn''t. I don''t care what you do, just convince them to do the task. If you have something better in mind, then go for it. If you don''t, then all these rumors about Ikkiri might as well be lies and the state will be reset. Is that what you want...?"

    "No! Uh...! Look, I''ll see if I can do something...! Bye!"

    Realizing that she had to take action quickly, Arkalee left us all alone in this empty cafeteria.

    Our glances chased her figure until she was no longer visible through the doors.

    And then, Shizuku cast a sharp glance onto me and spoke.

    "Do you think she can do it...?"

    "I don''t exactly know what motivates her, but if you think about it... The more you mention Ikkiri, the more she feels obliged to bring turmoil to her life. The reason doesn''t matter, just keep on mentioning Ikkiri and how it badly affects her and Arkalee will do it."

    Does that sum up her entire character? I wonder.

    "Yeah, that''s true! Where do you think she went?"

    "I think she went to her "friends" and gave them some lip service. After all, what better way to wake up than to have a girl standing in front of your dorm''s entrance?"

    Another sip down the drain; almost out of the liquid.

    "Maybe keeping her in check is a good idea... Do you want me to go with her and make sure she doesn''t try anything out of the ordinary?"

    "That would be amazing news for both of us, Shiz... Well, will you do it?"

    "I don''t mind doing it. Although, I am supposed to keep an eye on Akimiyashika, right?"

    Shizuku was now speaking part of the first step of the overall plan. In order to catch Ikkiri off guard, we first need to strip her of her protection.

    "Akimiyashika isn''t easy to deal with, but I trust you got this?"

    "I am honored you are giving me the hardest task. But... I think Arkalee doesn''t really know how to deal with Hinagiku. Plus, won''t they suspect me if I am not there with you?"

    "Shizuku, that''s only a problem if they don''t know where I am. That can be rearranged..."

    Just as I was about to continue, I saw Sana walking into the cafeteria. She looked somewhat paranoid when she saw me and Shizuku.

    Noticing this, I softly spoke to Shizuku; crossing the line of silence.

    "We''ll talk when it''s lunchtime, go after Arkalee."

    She simply gave me a thumbs-up and started to leave her seat.

    However, Sana was about to leave, even though she had just entered the cafeteria. Without a doubt, she didn''t want to talk to me.

    Unable to become content with that, I shouted across the cafeteria to Sana who was right next to the entrance door; contrasting the current position of Shizuku, who took the exit door down south. Having two doors here is actually helpful.

    "Sana!! How was your sleep?!"

    I expected her to run away, but as I closed in on her, she simply decided to start talking.

    Nevertheless, she was fairly direct.

    "What are you doing here so early in the morning...?"

    "It''s 7:19 am, Sana. In a little more than an hour, we will be in class. I''m an early girl."

    "Right... Alright, I''ll see you in class then."

    "No, wait. Why don''t we eat together?"

    "I''m not hungry, Yukishiro, eat by yourself..."

    Cynical, I couldn''t keep a straight look on my face and further closed in our distance.

    "....?"

    I leaned on her face from up and down, smelled her hair, examined the height of her eyelashes, saw the glimpse in her eyes, and attempted to determine her mood.

    "You... haven''t been sleeping a lot recently... Your eyebags are heavy and they feel hollow. Are you okay? Do you nee-"

    "God, you are so creepy!"

    "Sana, don''t be like that. I''m just worried about your mental state."

    Angry at my words, she forcefully left and slammed the door to my face, causing my eyes to widen from the disrespect.

    Equally, I kicked the door so she could hear the resonating sound.

    Part 2.

    1 pm.

    We regressed to the cafeteria in our dorm along with the rest of the other girls in order to have lunch.

    After Arkalee and Shizuku had collected her meals, they met up with me, who was at the furthest table on the east; far away from all the other girls.

    Honestly, I just wanted to create a big distance between Akimiyashika, Hinagiku, and Ikkiri. The rest of the girls are pretty irrelevant to me. Though... I guess I''ve been far too interested in Sana recently. Someone connected to Omega deserves my obsessive radius.

    Immense sunlight penetrating the windows of silky translucent glass invited a warm temperature to the fairly abnormally large white-colored cafeteria.

    It didn''t even take a single second for Arkalee to receive my bombarding attention in regard to her task earlier.

    "So? How did it go?"

    "Hmmmmm... It will work!"

    I''m skeptical now... The way Arkalee reluctantly said her words is making me question if she was actually successful or not.

    "It will work, Yukishiro."

    But as soon as Shizuku confirmed the success, I calmed down.

    "Perfect. I''ve contacted Carol. We will meet when the classes are over. Can you come with me, Shizuku?"

    "Me? Of course--"

    "Can I come too...?"

    Shily, Arkalee asked, to which I gave the appropriate answer.

    "No. The talk will be very quick anyways. Furthermore, we will take action tomorrow. The rest is done today."

    Partial to this, I was eating my meal very fast, as it was plain old noodle soup.

    The food here isn''t the greatest, but I''ve heard it''s worse in the boys'' dorm.

    Olivia isn''t cruel but she isn''t exactly bright. She''s not interesting at all.

    "I''m feeling a bit pressured, are you sure it''s gonna work...?"

    "Arkalee... If I say it''s going to work, then it''s going to work. Just get your pawns to do their thing and it will ultimately work."

    That aside, I additionally said something; though partial to this current topic.

    "Liyuga will be coming to the classroom this noon. I would appreciate it if you didn''t do anything out of the ordinary, Arkalee."

    "Like randomly crying for no reason."

    Shizuku added that comment perfectly.

    In response, Arkalee replied rather meekly alongside a certain high degree of sadness.

    "It''s not random... I just think about him all the time and it makes me super sad when he''s not around."

    I''m starting to feel like I''m out of emotion when it comes to Arkalee.

    On the other hand, Shizuku, who is in front of her, rapidly eating the noodles, is always offering her some sort of consolation.

    "It''s going to be alright! The faster he clears the exam, the faster he comes back! And if he loves you, he will do anything to ace the exam quickly!"

    "But that''s kinda the thing... He has... failed all exams thus far... God, I''m so anxious, please tell me what can I do to make him be successful this time around..."

    Another thing that I''m starting to feel is boredom. Their exam seems way more interesting than whatever is happening here. But the consequential degrees are most likely uncomparable.

    With that said, we kept on eating until it was time to return to the classroom; where Liyuga awaited.

    Part 3.

    Side by side, Shizuku and I cast our sights on Liyuga, who was in the podium, standing proudly. Lus and Kanawari were by his side as Liyuga was their technical witness.

    Arguably speaking, this part of the day was the part that I was waiting for the most.

    "I would like to just say that what happened to Yulia was extremely unfortunate and I would like; if possible, for every single one of you to tightened your emotional bonds so this doesn''t repeat itself."

    I think it''s very impressive how Liyuga is in a crowd of females only and he''s not losing his composure. Either that or he''s simply trying too hard.

    Nonetheless, none of us replied to that.

    Moving forward, Lus took charge, since Yuka-sensei was just observing the scenario enroll casually from her seat.

    "I would like all of your attention, right now."

    This part of her speech caused all eyes to fall on her without a second thought.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    It''s rather ironic how the spotlight should be on Liyuga, but Lus went out of her way to stand in front of him; despite Liyuga being the key figure here.

    "Based on the previous witnesses and their lack of contribution, something needs to change here."

    "Lus, sweetie, what are you up to?"

    "I am aiming to create success here and I think that simple questions towards the witnesses are lackluster. That''s why I already asked Liyuga a favor up ahead in time."

    Despite saying that to Yuka-sensei, we were all undoubtedly curious about the method she had in store. I remained silent because if there is positive information and clues that could lead to Omega, then that''s all I need.

    Lus then turned around and faced us as a whole once again.

    "It is with pleasure that I announce that there is visible footage of Yulia that we can all see."

    Upon hearing this great news, we all got excited, since we have been hoping for success here.

    Chatter began and I turned right to Shizuku and expressed my humble excitement.

    "No way, no way, no way...! This could be it! I''ll finally know who did it!"

    Certainly, certainly, I was bursting with happiness. If I am able to see the footage, then Omega will show up! There''s no doubt here!

    "I know! I know! I''m so excited too!"

    Midst this, however, Sana was glancing at us with a preoccupied horrifying glance. Naturally, she isn''t taking this well, because we are celebrating this moment for the wrong reasons.

    "May I now have your attention? If that''s alright."

    Switching positions with Lus, Liyuga came forth and spoke to the rest of us.

    "Yes, it''s true that here in this pen-drive, I have extremely good information in regards to that event. However, I would like for all of you to not raise your hopes too much..."

    "I''m sorry, but what exactly do you mean by that?!"

    Repulsed, I erupted from my seat and demanded an answer immediately from Liyuga, who calmly interjected my rage.

    His soothing reply didn''t calm me down but it informed me of something.

    "You''ll see. It''s something that the student council wasn''t even aware of until we checked the logs. What a damn disaster this is..."

    Unable to fully intercept what he was referring to, all that I could witness was his disappointed face as he handed Lus the pen drive.

    "May I?"

    "Of course. Let me just lock the screen for a moment."

    It''s a shame that while inserting the pen drive onto the main computer, the screen had to be locked. It''s helpful, but I would''ve liked to see what other contents the student council''s pen-drive had in store.

    Regardless, I couldn''t stop stomping on the ground mercilessly due to the fact that Liyuga didn''t even come close to telling me what had happened exactly.

    I wasn''t the only one troubled by this as no one else but Liyuga, Lus, and Kanawari knew what the pen-drive really had for us. In other words, they got it earlier.

    Around thirty seconds later, Liyuga spoke to us all once more, deliberately announcing that something was about to begin.

    "Usually, this would be classified as very secretive information as it revolves around the cameras and what they essentially do; which is to observe behaviors that cross the boundaries. Nonetheless, as a student council member, I have the authority and as such, I will now open all the footages that the school had around that day."

    At long last, the screen was visible to every single one of us now that Yuka-sensei had turned off the lights which allowed the contrasting bright illumination emitted through the projector to gain the spotlight.

    On the screen, there was a log entry with the day of the festival in it.

    After being inserted, a compilation of camera footages; easily going beyond a hundred was shown which blew us immediately.

    "What the hell..."

    "I had no idea..."

    "All this time there were so many..."

    Reactions aside, this was fairly predictable. A school of this prestige will naturally be tight when it comes to security.

    Still, to have this many cameras... It''s not something to feel comfortable with.

    "I''ve concluded that the correct method to finding who the orchestrator is... is no other than monitoring every action Yulia took that day that is visible to all the cameras."

    Yet despite saying that, Lus looked to not be done whatsoever. After all, in face of more than 100 cameras containing endless footage, there had to be a way to track it down.

    "There are 150 cameras in total, according to Liyuga. It would be extremely time-wasting if we looked at every single one of them at normal speed, so I propose we start with the first camera and play it at x 32 speed. I''ve done the calculations and every camera should take around 5 minutes. However, 150 cameras multiplied by 5 is 750 which in hours and minutes is amplified to 12 hours, so with that said..."

    "Lus, we are not going to spend 12 hours here."

    "That''s right, it''s an insane task."

    Although she was being objected to, Lus didn''t give up and spoke elegantly with an even more confident attitude.

    "I was just stating the statistical facts. The obvious path of action here is to have a starting point. And just like every one of us, we all have a starting point in the morning."

    "The dorm!"

    Almost every single one of us except a few and most surely me shouted that.

    But Sana made sure to say something that would speed up the process here.

    So, she spoke timidly at first but resonating, her voice volume continuously grew louder with each word.

    "You... should start at the cafeteria near block E... The timestamp is 8 am. Please."

    Showing some compassion, Lus spoke in Sana''s direction; as the rest of us assaulted Sana with our glares.

    "I know this isn''t easy for you, but... if you''d like, why don''t you come here in front and input the timestamps? You were Yulia''s best friend, so I can only assume you were with her the majority of the day."

    "I would be obliged to."

    Without showing any signs of backing down from the task and instead of being fully resolved into doing what was right to do, Sana went to the computer and sat right next to Yuka-sensei.

    Her table was fairly crowded as Sana, Lus, Kanawari, and Liyuga were all over it.

    The next hour went exactly as Sana told us and from the constant observation, she was not lying whatsoever.

    At 8 am, Sana and Yulia met up in the cafeteria near block E. Then a few minutes later, Hyunda came into the cafeteria, but we deducted nothing about that. In the exact meantime when Hyunda came in, Sana got a message from Daniel to which she had to leave, so she was not aware of what happened at that time. After some talk between Yulia and Hyunda, she contacted someone. Sana had asked everyone around here in this classroom if she called any of us.

    We all said she did not.

    Which was very weird because who else would she be calling? Well, Daniel, I think. That would make the most sense, because it is her boyfriend we are talking about, after all.

    Still, I couldn''t help but notice the extreme anxiety on Yulia''s face. Nonetheless, Hyunda was standing in a position opposed to the camera itself so I couldn''t see what his expression was like. If it was entirely based on this, then Hyunda is Omega. However, more content started to arise.

    Hyunda made a call to; again, not someone currently present and upon hearing that call, Yulia''s anxiety... vanished, and instead she was smirking to Hyunda who shrugged. This isn''t the behavior of Omega... Most likely, the one behind that call is Omega and he is toying with Yulia''s emotions...?

    How I wish there was voicing in these footages.

    Anyways, Hyunda did something rather eye-catching. He started to clap which further brought Yulia''s anxiety to the surface once more. Again, this was constantly pointing out about the probability of Hyunda being Omega, but I couldn''t link anything to his actions. More like, his actions made no sense to me whatsoever or anyone that was watching.

    Soon after, Yulia texted someone which was Sana, as Sana herself said. Yulia asked where Sana was; according to Sana. I cannot fathom why her location is relevant.

    Now, Omega would need constant monitorization on Yulia, so the fact that Yulia got up and left, right afterward and Hyunda did nothing whatsoever at that time except starting to fall asleep on the table with his forearms crossed, brings me to the conclusion that they must''ve had a talk about something that was feeding up Yulia''s anxiety.

    BUT WHAT EXACTLY?!

    "Sana, may I ask you something?"

    This was when we were still on the timestamp of 8:20 am.

    "...What...?"

    All eyes were on me this time around so I quickly got to the point.

    "As you might''ve noticed, in that conversation, Yulia looks rather anxious. Why do you suppose that''s the case?"

    "If I knew that, I wouldn''t be watching this..."

    "........"

    I kept my silence and so, the scenario alike moved on; as our attention was focused on Yulia''s movements to which Sana said that Yulia was next seen subsequently after in the edge of block D 25 minutes later.

    Sana said she was attending an event and Daniel was there too. This is fairly normal. Yulia, however, looked like she was trying too hard to keep her posture up.

    Again, there''s just nothing here that tells me the source of her anxiety. Her boyfriend is there, her best friend is there, so what''s the fucking deal here? What am I missing?

    We also agreed that we would limit ourselves to following Yulia''s movements on camera only and no one else''s because it would be too time-wasting otherwise. Nonetheless, at the time, I still did not understand what Liyuga was referring to earlier when he mentioned those disappointing words.

    And then, the most awkward thing happened. It should not be possible, but Yulia and Daniel had to go somewhere, but it was a place that had no cameras around it. Never mind the place, the whole area was an edge that disappeared as soon as they both turned to the left.

    "Huh? Where did they go?!"

    "I can''t see them anymore!"

    "Liyuga, what is the meaning of this...?"

    Extremely revolted, practically everyone verbally assaulted Liyuga with aggressive words in regards to this.

    Liyuga, to us, clarified our doubts.

    "I''m afraid that''s no longer the school''s responsibility. What they did, was highly prohibited in the first place. It''s a forbidden area to enter because it''s not under vigilance. But I don''t understand... There is supposed to be a guard there at all times... What is going on.........."

    This is completely new. I had no idea that there was a prohibited area in this school in the first place. This school is gigantic; therefore I haven''t explored it completely, but this was within your calculations, Omega...

    Plus, there is a supposed guard who is supposed to guard such a prohibited area yet the guard was apparently not doing his job...

    "Girls, let''s move on. We can''t be here forever. An hour has already gone by!"

    Upon hearing Yuka-sensei''s command, we continued our examination.

    Yulia took many events and nothing out of the ordinary happened. As a matter of fact, she looked extremely happy.

    This kept on not making any damn sense, because, how can you kill yourself when you feel so happy? I know, I know.

    It''s Omega''s punchline. The contrast. That''s what I''m here for and I won''t take no for an answer.

    Something happened at 11 am, however. Yulia and Sana came into contact. Shortly after, they met up at the Taco Bell restaurant. Their talk was very enthusiastic which further brought the question to the table... What happened?

    A few minutes later, Arkalee came in and joined them. And very soon after, they hurried to the plaza.

    No matter how I keep looking at this, this is extremely average and not suicide material.

    Is this actually the footage?

    "Yukishiro..."

    "Hm?"

    Almost silent to each other, Shizuku and I started a dialogue as we observed the camera movements from afar.

    She looked fairly skeptical as I was abundantly skeptical too.

    "What is this?"

    "That''s what I''m thinking... It just doesn''t add up, but relax, as long as we keep tracing her movements, everything will become clear."

    Yes.

    I''m aware that it doesn''t make sense now, but it will. That''s why I''m not paranoid.

    Sure enough, my paranoia was actually something that was going to be born extremely soon.

    We saw Yulia, Sana, and Arkalee walk into the gigantic crowd because they were holding a concert and there are just so many students in this school and so... Capturing Yulia, Sana, and Arkalee were realistically impossible because the cameras were focused on the concert, not on the damn crowd! Are you serious?! What is this bullshit?! So inconvenient!!

    And that was when it happened.

    I finally understood the reason behind Liyuga''s disappointment.

    Given that Lus already knew this ahead of time, she walked towards the entrance door and turned the lights on; because the screen was fully black.

    Some of us were having trouble understanding what was happening as we were seeing pitched black. While some of us immediately understood what had happened without having to resort to Liyuga''s upcoming explanation.

    As for me, I stood up with a pale face; unable to process why I was watching a compilation of cameras full of black ink only.

    "What is the meaning of this? Continue to show the footage..."

    "Well, we can''t, and here is why: a blackout happened."

    "What do you mean a blackout happened?! How am I supposed to believe that obvious lie?! Are you covering for him?!"

    "No, I''m not! Just listen, I have an explanation for this!"

    Although I was forcefully inserting my opinion, no one really seemed to differ because we were all expecting an answer out of this; so once again, our eyes were on Liyuga, who grabbed a nearby chair and sat in the middle of the podium. Swiftly taking a deep breath and adjusting his tight red tie, he spoke to us; rightfully.

    "Please sit down?"

    "I''m fine like this. Talk!"

    "I''m not defending him, but can you speak a bit lower, Yukishiro? There''s no reason to be hostile."

    I was ready to intercept Lus'' words, but Shizuku held my right hand and smiled. For some reason, that soothing bright smile of hers was enough to bring me to reason.

    She said some additional words outside of that single action.

    "The more you listen, the closer you''ll get... Don''t give up now, yeah?"

    "...I guess I lost my composure..."

    After I retook my seat, everyone looked at Liyuga. Upon noticing this, he desperately clapped his hands and gave a very honest speech.

    "Ladies, I am gonna be very honest with all of you, because I am not in the mood to over-complicate this. The blackout and what happened to your friend is not a coincidence."

    We already know that damn it...

    "By blackout; I was referring to the power source of the cameras being externally drained. Allow me to explain. What happened probably wasn''t a true blackout but just power drainage."

    "I''m sorry, could you be more specific...?"

    Tateyana spoke for all of us, basically.

    Liyuga scratched his head and finally spoke once more.

    "How do I say this in simple terms... Well, you know how if you don''t pay the bills, you just have no access to the power of whatever you want to use? For example, if you don''t pay the bills, you don''t get to use water."

    "Wait, are you saying that the school forgot to pay the bills...?"

    Lost and shocked, we pondered over the possibility of that being the case as soon as Akimiyashika finalized that question.

    Thankfully, Liyuga gave a negative answer.

    "No way it did. But... It''s not too different."

    "Huh...?"

    We all questioned what exactly Liyuga was getting at. I think his obvious intention was, to be honest, but he must''ve realized the low credibility of the truth and is trying to put it into real words.

    "I''m saying that between 6 pm and 8 pm... there was very high inflation of taxes specified towards the control panel of all the cameras."

    "I think I get where he''s going at, so I''ll take it from here if you don''t mind."

    "Yes, that would be nice..."

    Feeling hopeless, Liyuga allowed Yuka-sensei to continue with the explanation and she said words that made a whole lot of sense to us yet nonetheless did not increase the credibility of the overall thing.

    "Although I don''t know how it''s very possible that the school was processed by an outside force when it comes to the financial department of vigilance. It may sound ridiculous, but... that''s all I can think of. Liyuga, what does the principal have to say about this? Has he said anything?"

    Essentially, what they are trying to say is that there''s a supposedly outside force that has financially taxed the school SPECIFICALLY in the department of vigilance...? I cannot accept this, it''s full of holes! How does one even manage to do that?!

    Such were my thoughts as I didn''t buy the scenario until a clue to the truth arose.

    "He did, but he specifically told the student council members to not tell what really happened. Look--- no one is supposed to know what really happened as the principal; although he gave us a very clear answer, he does not know the continuous origin of the source of the problem here. At maximum I can tell you, it''s an outside financial force."

    "What.... is that even supposed to.... mean.....?"

    This time around, it wasn''t me who got up from my seat, but instead, it was a certain individual who was clinging her fists rather desperately and meekly. This individual, who had been somewhat apathetic recently, started to show emotion; but the more dark kind of it.

    She practically had tears in the corners of her eyes and she was looking at Liyuga like he was the source of the blame here.

    "It means what it means... You might think of me as heartless, but the other members would not even tell you a single thing about this. Just be glad about the fact that I am..."

    "Do... Do you realize what you are telling me...?"

    "......"

    We kept our silence and Sana continued despite Liyuga''s brief silence.

    "You are telling me that the school is partially responsible for this fucker''s freedom and CONVINIENTELLY at the exact time it happened, there was power drainage?! What the hell is this shit?!"

    "......."

    Hopeless, Liyuga couldn''t deliver an answer and instead looked down. Lus and Kanawari reached out to Sana by walking to her table; to whom Hinagiku and Akimiyashika also joined in.

    "Sana, are you alright...?"

    Asked Hinagiku who was finding trouble on how to solve the situation at hand. If I had to say, Sana looked fairly hostile and that''s why I stopped Shizuku from getting out of her seat.

    Yuka-sensei also realized that something was very wrong with Sana as she spoke aggressively subsequently.

    "No, I''m not alright! What would you all know?! All you do is follow orders and pretend you actually care about what happened to Yulia, but you fakes just don''t care! All of you are made out of plastic!"

    Her words resonated so hard that our expressions soured faster than ever.

    And she did not even give us a chance to talk back and continued.

    "You don''t approach me because you care about me, you just feel guilty if you don''t take care of someone that has been through a rough time!"

    "Sana, no one ever said such word---"

    "Shut up, shut up! I can''t stand the sight of you people! I am so done with this school! How can it be so corrupt to the point of helping out in the success of this horror show?!"

    Forcefully after, Sana started to grab her empty bag without putting her material back inside the bag and stormed out of the classroom.

    "Sana, wait!"

    Yuka-sensei attempted to stop her but she was too late. By the time she had gotten into Sana''s range, she had stormed out.

    "I''ll go after her!"

    "I''ll go with Aki too!"

    Ready to leave the classroom and chase after Sana, Akimiyashika, and Hinagiku attempted to run off in hope of making things right, but before they could fully execute that, Lus gave them a piece of advice.

    "Hold up. I don''t think you should go after her right now."

    "She''s clearly hurt, Lus! We can''t have her stay in grief any longer, you know how badly that could damage her mentality."

    Sincerely, I was enjoying this so much that I had forgotten that I was supposed to redirect my rage to Liyuga, but as it stands, I''ll see through this conversation.

    After all, the more broken Sana is, the better. She''s connected to Omega, after all.

    "You have a point, Akimiyashika. I simply don''t think that she''s stable enough to be properly repaired. If you go after her, you''ll just feed the image that she has of us."

    "So you suggest that we do nothing...?!"

    "That is what I''m suggesting. I''m not saying you are Sana, Akimiyashika, but... Try to put yourself in her shoes. How would a pity party feel like right now?"

    "It''s not a pity part--"

    Lus rapidly interrupted Akimiyashika who was on her tracks.

    "Only you think so. She will view it as a pity party. Emphasize a bit."

    "......."

    Akimiyashika remained silent which then gave Kanawari the window of opportunity to speak something in addition to what Lus had said.

    She softly crept in from behind Lus'' back and leaned on her right should to which Lus did not mind whatsoever.

    "She''s been through a lot! And she''s right. This school is helping this horror show. Don''t you think so, Liyuga?"

    Kanawari, Lus, Hinagiku, and Akimiyashika were all standing on the entrance door yet all eyes were now on Liyuga who was lying with his face downcast on the floor while seating in a chair in the middle of the podium. Midst this, our teacher was doing absolutely nothing.

    She either has a tremendous lack of initiative or she likes our little arguments.

    "Can I go now? I''m not feeling very competent, sorry."

    Liyuga''s words were understandable, however, I had to keep a keen track of him because there is something that I have to get out of him no matter what.

    And Yuka-sensei''s upcoming words made sure that I could successfully

    "I''m suspending class for the day. This means that you can go now, Liyuga."

    "Thank you. And I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have shown this; it didn''t contribute to anything, at all."

    After he apologized with a bow to the whole class, he started to leave.

    Yuka-sensei then gave the final words of the day to us; who was on the edge of our seats. Having the class suspended was great news for me.

    "Classes will resume tomorrow. I''ll check on Sana later and please, be mindful of her. She''s one of you!"

    "Yes!"

    Part 4.

    Shizuku accompanied me who was stalking Liyuga from a ten-meter distance.

    While the others hurried to the dorm, Shizuku stood by my side and so, we started to dialogue as we stalked Liyuga who was going back to block A; all the way to the north. We walked on a prestigious white mosaic floor full of elegance adjoined with a barrage of brilliantly illuminated windows reflected by the sunset''s light.

    "Uh, we have to meet up with Carol and Anea soon, Yukishiro..."

    "I know! But I can''t let this chance go!"

    "...Don''t freak out, but... I just don''t see how a boy from our class could have financial ties to the point of financially disrupting our school''s taxes. It''s ridiculous to even think about it."

    Even I couldn''t ignore this.

    However, I proposed a hypothesis to Shizuku, who is by my right side.

    I erupted my right index finger and pointed out my thoughts.

    "He has help from the outside, that''s the only logical explanation."

    "Alright, but to tax a school like this and to make it work, is a little bit..."

    "It doesn''t add up! That''s why I need to get the truth out of Liyuga! If I go to the principal, he definitely won''t tell me..."

    "And you think Liyuga will, Yukishiro? Sigh."

    We both sighed, however, I didn''t lose hope regardless.

    "Can you go by yourself and talk to Carol and Anea, Shizuku?"

    Despite my simple request, Shizuku started to freak out and stopped her tracks for a bit; with a sour expression on her face.

    "Now look here you... You gotta decide. Either you prioritize getting information out of Liyuga or you go and meet them with me. I can''t do all of this by myself."

    "Gosh! Let''s just reach out to Liyuga and then meet up with them as soon as possible."

    As such, we started to run towards Liyuga who was being bombarded by the attention of girls along the way. We were closing in on him until he noticed us and turned his back to the girls and faced us.

    "What are you two doing here....? You should be aiming to comfort Sana..."

    Now... This is the part where I use Sana''s mental state to my advantage.

    Therefore, with a sharp glance towards Shizuku, we began our advancement.

    We ignored the spiteful looks from the girls who were going in and out of the collateral staircases and spoke.

    "I think that we can offer her a better comfort if we give her the truth..."

    "Don''t tell me that you two want to know what the principal told us...?"

    We put our serious faces on and looked at Liyuga who had no choice but to reply to our silence.

    "I won''t. The principal''s orders are absolute. It could cause a weird scale of rumors and as far as I''m concerned; we have a very BIG one to deal with right now. No one stops talking about her. You know to whom I''m referring, right?"

    Adjusting our facial expressions, we resembled fear; though fake.

    Shizuku spoke in our supposed defense.

    "....So word has gotten out about what Ikkiri has been doing...?"

    "....How do you think she''s going to react, Shizuku...?"

    "I don''t know but I hope she doesn''t take it out on us like last time..."

    We expected Liyuga to buy some of this but his face was full of disbelief.

    He slicked his hair back and little and spoke.

    "A companion of mine will take care of the issue. The student council isn''t a one-man team anyways. Do you have anything else to say or am I free to go?"

    Liyuga made zero comments about the actual situation. But it''s alright.

    Tomorrow, that''s when it will hit the floor.

    Nonetheless, I couldn''t allow Liyuga to go away so quickly, so I told him another suggestion that I had in mind.

    "This is different so I was hoping you could help me with it."

    "Hm?"

    "You said a guard was supposed to be guarding the prohibited area, right?"

    "Yes, I did say so."

    "Good. Could you arrange a meeting for me and him or is it a her?"

    "It''s a him. He''s also really old. I''ll see what I can do. Is that all?"

    "Yes, thank you."

    "Bye then. And please be more civilized. All of you."

    ".............." x2.

    I am fairly certain that Shizuku and I cursed on Liyuga''s back the moment he turned around on us and continued his long path towards block A.

    Our cynical expressions told anyone that we were not fine with being treated like some nuisances.

    Ultimately, Shizuku brushed it off and prompted the suggestive path of action that we should take.

    "That''s something, right?"

    "Yes, I think. That area deserves to be inspected. That so-called "prohibited" area..."

    "Right. But not right now, please? We have to meet up with them!"

    "You have a point, Shizuku. Shall we get going then?"

 Volume 20 - Chapter 136: ?? Percy Phoenix. ??

    Later on, that afternoon.

    Part 1.

    "What took you two so long?! Are you living in another world or something?!"

    The school''s main bar was surprisingly empty and we had to travel a very long way just to be in this dark interorbital-looking area with oval-shaped tables every two meters from each other subsequent to every line. In addition to that; it was windowless which only made sense considering the strong illumination package from above. Nonetheless, this was an absolutely good place to be in as the conditional air resonated deeply within our nostrils.

    Furthermore, it had the environment of a traditional bar which was quite elegant; far from the casual basipterygial appearance in modern bars. Attendants wearing well-made black and white uniforms as well who would not dare to show a grim expression on their faces no matter the cost. Instead, despite Carol''s angry retort at our sights; as we took a seat, Shizuku and I were greeted with a humble request of our orders by an attendant walking towards our luxurious white-crystalized table in the furthest seat on the east; north side.

    "A cola for me."

    "Hmm... Then, a cola for me too. Ah, make sure to add the lemon! Otherwise, if there isn''t a lemon, it''s all ruined!"

    Shizuku made the same request as mine; only adding a slight difference.

    "Very well. Anything else for you two ladies?"

    He was a young attendant; most surely in his early twenties, with his black hair fully slit back. In addition to that, he also had a cellphone in which he was sending the orders, most likely to his work acquaintances.

    "No." x2.

    With that, the attendant took a solemn gentle bow and made his way to the balcony which was not very far away from us; only ten meters to the opposite direction. Consequently, the very fact that we were ignoring the ones in front of us, caused them to be mildly upset.

    "You''ve got the nerve to ignore us, after we---"

    Before Anea could get any more wrong ideas, I spoke with haste and shattered her assumptions.

    "Slow down, will you?"

    "Then at least apologize for being late, no?"

    "It couldn''t be helped because we were too busy with your one and only Liyuga, after all..."

    In the meantime, we had gotten our requests to our table. They did have Shizuku''s lemon slice added to her cup, so she looked like a child smiling happily when she got it. We could pay after we were done, so there was no rush.

    Yet Anea didn''t take my words very kindly.

    "That was very vague... Care to elaborate?"

    I was thinking of exploiting the possibility of Anea having a crush on Liyuga, but Shizuku thought differently and instead brought the truth forth after she was done sipping on her ice-cold-looking cola.

    "What Yukishiro meant to say is that we were busy attending Liyuga in our classroom tod--"

    "We already know that Liyuga went to your classroom this afternoon! What''s inexcusable is the fact that you two were late for 15 minutes when we agreed to meet at 6 pm on point!"

    There was no guarantee that they knew what Liyuga was up to, but the chances of Liyuga having to tell his class what he was doing this afternoon were high anyway. Carol is highly upset about the fact that we were late yet I didn''t really care much and just went straight to the point.

    "Liyuga said that a companion of his was going to take care of the "rumor" issue."

    "Yes, we also know that. And that''s very much the problem..."

    "Forgive my ignorance, but... why?"

    Midst my sipping session, I couldn''t help but wonder whether Shizuku was actually unaware of why it was a problem or if she was pretending to be ignorant.

    To this simple question, Anea answered in a passive-aggressive manner.

    "Because his "companion" isn''t as kind as Liyuga and he will get to the source fairly quickly. He is the right-hand man of the student council''s president. But of course, you just had no way of knowing this, did you?"

    "No..."

    Shizuku answered that rather weakly, so I added something to it; after putting my glass cup down softly.

    "Your worries are unnecessary. By tomorrow, his "companion" will be far busier dealing with what''s to come..."

    "Explain, Yukishiro."

    I hate how stupidly aggressive Carol is. She has no remorse whatsoever in her words and her attitude is impulsive.

    Regardless, I can''t just price her for being rude right now, despite wanting to do so.

    "Haven''t you noticed how your rumors have been escalating quite highly?"

    "Of course! That''s because we have been the main source of such said rumors. Or what? Are you saying you helped us out? Is that it?"

    I did wonder about whether they should know of Arkalee''s doing or not, but if I don''t tell them the truth, they will get paranoid and they will think of quitting when we have come this far.

    "A person in our class."

    "Tell us her name then."

    Anea kindly asked us with a calm voice; though to her demanding solemn request, I took a more opportunistic approach.

    "I don''t mind doing that. If, you tell us the name of Liyuga''s "companion". That and his class. Information about him, if possible. I would like to know who I''m dealing with here."

    In the middle of this, Shizuku started to take a notebook out of her bag to possibly take notes of what Anea was about to say.

    Skeptical as ever though, Carol begged to differ.

    "Don''t even think about dealing with him. He will get you expelled in no time!"

    Upon hearing that, Shizuku took notes of what Carol was saying. She was being very obedient and respectful towards the details; even if it was indirect information. I like that attitude of hers.

    "Why are you so afraid of him exactly?"

    Alternating speech turn, Anea spoke this time around.

    "We are not afraid of him, it''s just that... He loves his job too much and he''s a guy who takes it pretty seriously."

    The more I look at the expression of Anea which is an expressive mixture of seriousness and guiltiness, the more I assume that she has ties with this person.

    "Are you familiar with him, Anea?"

    "I don''t think that''s relevant here. Can you not involve him though? I would prefer if we kept this from escalating any further."

    In other words, Anea and Carol have a similar approach here.

    They are looking to get this over with and pretend this never happened.

    However, that would be extremely boring and dull.

    "So you want to quit?"

    To this, Carol showed no hesitation in replying; as the answer to her was pretty obvious.

    "Of course we want to quit. It''s just a stupid rumor. Plus, it''s your class''s issue. Not ours."

    "What a shame it has to end this way, right, Shizuku?"

    "Indeed."

    We looked to be done here. Shizuku and I traded glances yet we both knew that we weren''t going to back down.

    Anea and Carol flashed their smirks as they thought that their worries would vanish should our little deal be done here.

    Nevertheless, we can''t just have that.

    "I guess you two are getting expelled then."

    "H-Huh?!"

    "...What is the meaning of this...?"

    Contrasting their reactions, Carol and Anea expressed immediate worry; to which I showed absolutely no hesitation in replying.

    After all, I just showed them my cellphone and I clicked on one of the recordings to play, in which they heard their voices be played.

    "This is a countermeasure that I didn''t want to use, but I''m making you two my hostages."

    Upon hearing my surely ludicrous words, Carol didn''t hesitate to erupt her posture and aggressively slam the table in response before spewing words of spite.

    "How dare you record our conversations like that?! Only someone with no shred of respect would ever do that! Have you no pride?!"

    "Say whatever you want and it won''t make a difference. I can file these recordings to Liyuga and expose you two in no time."

    This was Shizuku''s suggestion; she feared that their withdraw could damage our overall progression and she was right. Thus, in order to combat such a cowardly approach; we had to take a higher cowardly approach. Therefore, we recorded our previous conversation.

    In addition to that, Shizuku''s cellphone is recording this conversation.

    "...Why haven''t you done that then...?"

    "Anea! Why are you showing them that attitude?!"

    "Because this could damage our reputation. Sure, we can easily avoid this situation in the long run, but it will damage us. And if they wanted to damage us, they would''ve already done so, wouldn''t they?"

    "......"

    Unable to reason any further why we were threatening them here, Carol retook her seat, glanced at us, and then calmly asked us the question.

    "So...? Why haven''t you two done it?"

    I answered, but only after taking a long sip at my cola. I prolonged it with yet another sip just to further extend their anxiety. Their anxious looks and disturbed eyebrows made me feel like I was in control and I loved that sentiment so much I prolonged it for the third time.

    Just as Carol was about to have an outburst, I cut in.

    "You---"

    "As I''ve said, my dear Carol, and my dear Anea, it''s just a countermeasure. A countermeasure, for your information, is a measure used to counter something. An example: a cowardly approach. Do you get it now?"

    "What Yukishiro really wants to tell you is that we don''t like it when others give up on us when we didn''t give up on them. Right?"

    "You could say that, Shizuku."

    We giggled at each other, to Anea and Carol''s paranoia.

    Then, I continued.

    "Don''t do that ever again or else we will screw you up."

    To my cold words containing not a trace of warm emotion, Anea and Carol simply complied.

    "Now, I would like to know a few things about Liyuga''s companion. Let''s start with his name. If you''d like to start speaking, Anea, that would be nice."

    Borderline terrified, Anea took a while to answer that.

    Something to note here is that these girls have a strong attachment to clout. Well, why wouldn''t you? You are in a school and those close to you may look up to you perhaps solely based on your reputation. Isn''t therefore the logical decision to do to protect your reputations at all costs?

    It''s one of the worst feelings ever to be looked down upon when you''ve built your reputation for as long as you can remember.

    Having it stolen away from you in the simple glimpse of seconds is devastating.

    I''ll emphasize that much in my mind.

    "He has a nickname which is P.P. Or his full name; Percy Phoenix."

    "He has an English name. Not Japanese therefore?"

    Ironically enough, it was Shizuku who started to lead the conversation and I felt like I could leave this conversation to her.

    "Australian, I think. I am not sure."

    "Thanks, Anea. Nationality is actually relevant..."

    So Shizuku said as she took notes.

    "Go on."

    Whilst doing so, Shizuku focused on her note-taking with an undivided focus accompanied alongside an imperial demanding detail to her details.

    "Percy is highly responsible for the peace around the school, you could say, but that''s only because he is radical."

    "In what way is he radical?"

    Although I asked Anea this, it was Carol who replied. Even though I was under the impression that Carol had no knowledge about Percy.

    And in midst of that reply, her facial expression slightly turned into a far more worried one rather than the angry impulsive expression glued to her person 24/7.

    "He is a genius when it comes to getting you expelled. At first, you''ll think of him as a pretty kind guy, but if you are even close to infringing the laws of the school, he will get you expelled."

    "Now wait just a second... There''s something I''m not understanding here..."

    Completely focused on her writing; Shizuku posed a future question.

    "You''ve mentioned how he is a genius when it comes to expulsion, but how can someone have such power? Isn''t the principal the only one who is allowed to exorcise expulsion?"

    To my understanding, only the principal should have such power, so Shizuku''s ideology here intertwines with mine for sure.

    And it looked to be that way with Anea and Carol; nonetheless, Anea begged to differ just a little bit.

    "It''s a privilege by the principal himself. Percy is in charge of expulsion; not the principal. This does not mean however that Percy has the superior authority: they just have equal power when it comes to expelling students."

    "What... That''s a bit too ridiculous... Haha..."

    "You said it..."

    Our reactions were genuine. I am not sure how it will go if we were to be subjected to Percy''s actions then it could be that avoiding expulsion might be impossible. If so, then it''s very crucial that we avoid Percy''s attention.

    Though...

    "Anea, answer me this... Would he expel the likes of you the same way he would expel, someone like me?"

    "It pains me to say this, but yes. He has no qualms about expulsion."

    I am starting to think that we have been very lucky thus far. After all, we have managed to avoid Percy''s radar for some reason.

    Shizuku then, for a small second, looked at Anea, the center of the attention currently, and asked her the lingering question in our minds.

    "Am I missing something here? Why hasn''t Percy bothered with our class, Yukishiro?"

    "....."

    Seeing my sudden silence, Anea intervened, which caused me to look in her direction subsequently.

    "Your class is mediocre, so to say. He would not bother with a class of your level. Normally, at least."

    "By normally, Anea, you mean how he now has a reason to be bothered?"

    At long last, Anea took a hold of her round cup of green tea and took a small sip. The tea was already in front of her when we got here, so it''s safe to assume that she got it from before that.

    My question was answered with a brutal level of honesty.

    "He''s pesky. Whatever gets the ball rolling, he will be there. Your class quarrels were nothing a day ago, but now it''s a different story because we have contributed to its growth and so did your friend, which you still have to give the name to."

    "More like, why isn''t she here? What''s the deal?"

    To Carol''s curiosity, I answered fastly.

    "Arkalee''s overly sensitive and she has a bad habit of bragging about her boyfriend and how much he loves her in a very annoying way."

    "And she would drag the conversation for days, so we thought it would be better to not let her come."

    They simply took that and moved on.

    Then, Shizuku continued.

    "What else is there to say about Percy, Anea?"

    While this was happening, I couldn''t help but notice the intrigue level of disturbance in Carol''s face as she was not getting any attention whatsoever. As a matter of fact, for her to get any attention, she had to make lines of her own in this conversation.

    "The key thing about him is how he can expel you. We have witnessed this a few times. Whenever there''s a fight going on, as soon as he acknowledges who is to blame, that person is expelled. In other words, I would say if you want to avoid getting expelled, do NOT come into his radius of attention. The more you show off, the higher your chances of being expelled."

    "This is bugging me, but do you have any idea what drives him to be so tyrannical?"

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Anea thought long and hard about this question of mine and after a small sip of her tea, she rightfully answered.

    "I believe it''s because it''s not viewed as tyranny. He only does it if the element of attention is considered wrong by many."

    So there is a way to manipulate who he deems is wrong and isn''t. He accepts that which is wrong not because his moral compass says so but due to the favoring opinion of all...

    No, this seems a bit too immature, I need to assert something here.

    "Anea, why do so many people support Percy? Assuming they do, that is."

    "I swear, it''s as if you two live in another world completely absent from this school as a whole. The ridiculousness in your questions is off the charts."

    So is your irrelevance right now, Carol, but of course, I won''t tell you that.

    Instead, I fully emerged my attention onto Anea, who, once again, took my question quite seriously. It should also be common knowledge by now that Anea perhaps knows a little bit too much about Percy, which is a good thing, in general.

    "Again, as I''ve mentioned, although his actions are radical, they often help people. It''s very hard to bully someone under these rules, however, if it''s possible, then it must be conducted very secretly. And..."

    Looking down on the table, Anea looked to have resembled something from the past.

    It didn''t even take me a full second to realize that Anea and this Percy guy are perhaps deeply connected. If I had to make another guess, Anea''s example of bullying and how Percy gets the other person out of the bullying by expelling the said person conducting the bullying could very well imply that Anea was bullied before.

    She does have a more passive attitude; fully fledged like a victim of bullying.

    Nevertheless, she regained her composure rapidly.

    "He''s not a bad person if you are not a bad person. And what we are doing is a bad thing, but we''ve agreed to do it, so we can''t turn back now."

    I am very glad that she recognizes the degree of seriousness of the situation, unlike the pile of madness that is the individual right next to her.

    "It''s getting late, so can we do a quick rundown on this, Yukishiro?"

    As per Anea''s request, I took my last sip of cola and got to the conclusive point.

    "Sure. In conclusion, we allow the events of tomorrow to unfold without backing down. Should Percy come after you, do your best, or simply play dumb. We will do our part, right, Shizuku?"

    "For sure. Though, there''s more pressure on Arkalee than on us, honestly."

    I shrugged.

    "Wait, what are you two planning?"

    Ever curious, Carol couldn''t help but ask that.

    Rising to the translucent pale surface; my smirk came.

    "The opening curtain. Thanks to the help of you two, it will be possible soon."

    "Are you two even enduring a tyranny or was all of that just a lie?"

    Anea''s question had an obvious answer, to which we didn''t answer, and instead, Shizuku stuffed her notebook and pen in her bag which prompted us to leave.

    As we silently made our way to the exit, I noticed that in addition to the attendant coming in our direction; Anea and Carol had not left their seat and were talking instead.

    "You forgot to pay."

    We took a full second to answer that and another second to look at each other. And a third second for Shizuku to continue her way to the exit while I delivered my words to the patient attendant.

    "There''s a beautiful lady who has a very charismatic personality; mostly impulsive, who said that everything was on her. Her name is Carol. Please tell her I said thanks. Gracias~"

    "....Ok."

    Part 2.

    As we made our way to the dorm which stayed extremely towards the south, we watched the blazing dusk.

    Barely any students were walking on our sights. As a matter of fact, most were in their dorms.

    Whilst walking, Shizuku was reviewing her notes about Percy.

    That''s when I started to talk about something that had been on my mind to her.

    "I had a thought, Shizuku."

    "Really? About what?"

    "You know, the stupid event in the afternoon. How Liyuga told us that there was like tax evasion."

    To be more precise, I had this thought when I was walking with Shizuku to our location where we''d meet up with Anea and Carol.

    In my mind, I attempted to connect the actions of Omega thus far with this tax evasion and there was only one logical conclusion to this that I was overlooking.

    "I think that it wasn''t Omega who did the tax evasion thing... That''s not like him... At all..."

    It''s not like you to not show off. If you do something; as I once remarked, it''s chaotic but you make sure the whole world remembers it.

    This; however... It''s completely different and I failed to capitalize on it.

    That aside, Shizuku finally put her notebook inside her bag that she is carrying on her right shoulder and gave me her full attention.

    From inside her bag, she took out two gums and gave one to me.

    "Mint."

    "Me likes it."

    My adoration towards the flavor of mint aside, the moment I put the gum in my mind, I got back to the point.

    "Did he have, maybe, an acquaintance?"

    "Yukishi, well, is Yukishi fine to call you? You call me Shiz, so I think this is fine?"

    "I only really have a problem if someone calls me Yuki. I can''t stand it."

    "Okay, I won''t question it, don''t worry."

    "I like you so much."

    "I like you too, Yukishi."

    The fading sunlight was something we were basking under at that moment in time.

    But really, I like Shizuku. She gets me and we don''t even have to go an extensive mile to understand each other. I think that when you really understand someone else without doing too many things; it''s a great feeling. It feels nice.

    Of course, I much prefer the indirect affection you give me, Omega.

    "To answer your question... Well, according to you, he likes to do things openly, right?"

    "No, no. The result is pretty open, he does not do things openly. There''s a big difference."

    "Oh, I get it now!"

    Shizuku jammed her closed right fist into her left palm and awed for a bit.

    Transiently after, she returned her attention to my entirety.

    "Then, there''s an obvious difference. This wasn''t an open result. As a matter of fact, it took weeks for this to be administered. In other words, this person likes to keep things private. Can we be certain that it wasn''t a girl who helped him out...?"

    "......"

    I stopped my tracks and looked down on the white floor; covered with a crystalized clean mosaic in which I saw my grim reflection midst my wide-open eyes.

    Shortly after, I took a deep inhale while looking at Shizuku, who got the message fairly quickly.

    "....That was just an assumption..."

    "I know, but... I don''t want to think about it. Not one bit..."

    I resumed my tracks once again and joined Shizuku''s side.

    Something interesting about this school is that you can travel all the blocks if you go to the upper parts as they all have a connecting bridge. There''s just a big counter to this said unity of a bridge. It''s restricted to all students while classes are occurring.

    It''s a very different story when classes aren''t occurring, which is the case currently. Also, this bridge only goes all the way to block E.

    That''s why we can never access it. But, block A is so heavenly and fancy that there are elevators that connect to the bridge that we are currently under. At the moment, we are scrolling by block B.

    In addition to this, you can also see the rest of the school from up above.

    It feels like I''m looking at ants...

    "So we are leading with two figures here? Is that it, Yukishi?"

    "It is the case. I figured it would make sense to think about their behaviors a little bit and since you seem to take notes on whatever catches your interest, what do you think about this...?"

    "Let''s see..."

    This time around, she took out her notebook again and went to the earlier pages.

    I''ve been meaning to ask her what that notebook is exactly so I went ahead and did that.

    "What is that notebook, Shiz...?"

    "My diary. Except, well, it''s more like a diary of impressions. I record my thoughts on others."

    "I see..."

    I wonder if she has me in there...

    "Okay, soooo... If we go by someone who is openly chaotic, then we have Kawahara on the top, don''t you think?"

    "It doesn''t seem correct to make Kawahara the top suspect though."

    "Why not though?"

    "Because it''s a really obvious choice. I would say that Kawahara is the scapegoat here. Wouldn''t you say so, Shiz?"

    "Oh, I see what you mean, Yukishi! That''s fair. But... On the other hand, you want to know someone who does things very privately and keeps it all to himself? I''m guessing you want to do the Omega discovery yourself?"

    What Shizuku just said is correct.

    I would like to uncover Omega''s identity myself if possible, but I don''t mind getting some sort of help whenever it comes to discovering this other person''s identity.

    "It would be my biggest pleasure, Shiz."

    "Ah, you have a pretty soft heart, don''t you?"

    "N-No..."

    "Oh, you blushed!! Ahhh, hahaha! You''re so cute when you''re embarrassed!"

    Embarrassed, I looked the opposite way of Shizuku for a while...

    "Don''t torment me... I''m being kind by allowing you to go this far!"

    "I know, I know! It''s nice, real love."

    Swirling around the floor, Shizuku managed to look at my flushed face that I was hiding and joined my left side; making our physical perspectives change.

    "I''ll tell you a small story. I think that if there is someone who is fairly chaotic and has the courage to do something like tax evasion, then it would be him!"

    At that exact moment, Shizuku said the word "him" out loud, we had crossed over to block C.

    It was now 7 pm.

    Nevertheless, my attention wasn''t directed towards the vanishing orange dusk, but to Shizuku, who had a story about someone; a particular male.

    "Him...?"

    "Sagasuga! Do you remember back in February? I got paired up with him. You got paired up with Rayazaki."

    "Oh right, the guy who I purposely screwed up. Go on."

    Still, Sagasuga?

    I am quite curious now.

    "Mhm. I was very nervous at first because the exam revolved around a weird system of compatibility. The physical one, so to speak."

    "It was pure hell. And nonsensical. I wish to forget about it as soon as possible."

    "I thought so too! But what caught me off guard was Sagasuga. He''s rather... perfect?"

    "Someone''s got a crush on Sagasuga. Time to tell the whole class about it."

    Although I was just joking about that, Shizuku didn''t take what I said seriously and proceeded to explain what she actually meant by her previous words.

    "I am serious. It freaked me out a little bit."

    "What do you mean? Are you saying he''s objectively perfect...?"

    "That could be it, Yukishi. Everything he did at the time struck me with a sense of dullness because it was all according to his thought process. If he were to run a full mile, he would make sure that he wasn''t out of breath or that his movements were too rushed. It''s as if it was all according to some sort of hidden concept. What really caught me off guard was how there was nothing linking to that said perfection. If you are perfect, you feel the need to constantly exhibit it."

    A hidden concept...

    "Do you have any idea what that concept could be? Did he ever mention something about it, Shiz?"

    "I once non-ironically asked him if he was made out of stone because he always had a very monochromatic expression and his reply was: "I am what the environment is shaping towards."..."

    "Are you sure he wasn''t just trying to flirt with you?"

    "My gut tells me that wasn''t the case. Actually, we did get pretty physically close together. I think I had a crush on him for like thirty minutes. Do you know when you just have a crush on someone for a very short span of a period? Sagasuga is going to be the guy I will remember whenever I''m making time for the train to arrive at the station. Haha!"

    What Shizuku just said is so horribly relatable that I refused to speak even a word about it.

    It would be the end of me if I were to admit that I used to have a daily crush back in elementary school.

    "But where I''m getting at is... He''s suspicious. The more perfect you are, the more of a narcissistic sociopath you could be. If he was doing teamwork with someone who has a contrasting behavior, then Sagasuga would not be a show-off and would do things very secretly."

    "So you believe it''s Sagasuga? The one behind the tax evasion?"

    "I know it sounds stupid, but hey, it''s already a stupid situation, so what does it even matter anymore..."

    She shrugged but ultimately didn''t give up on her point and continued.

    "Don''t worry though. It will all become clearer once the boys come back. Speaking of which... What the hell are they even doing? Are they going to spend their time there forever? It''s almost been a week, for crying out loud."

    "I know right?! What the hell!"

    Part 3.

    April 16th. 7:30 am.

    Crowded.

    Such was my view as I looked out of the window from the inside of my room.

    Shizuku and Arkalee were already in my room. Shizuku on my bed and Arkalee right at my side.

    I didn''t even need to look at her to realize that she was feeling nervous. I would too if I were in her position. But as it stands, she has an audience outside. An emotional outside who is outraged at the fact that a single class has been made out of slaves.

    They want to know the credibility of the rumors and they have been shouting for Ikkiri ever since 7 am.

    I cannot imagine Ikkiri''s paranoia right now, but the time is nigh.

    Therefore, I turned around and looked at Arkalee. Ultimately, I placed my two hands on her shoulders and said my imperial words.

    "Arkalee, you are going to go there and cry for them. It''s what you do best. However, this won''t do. Don''t you think so, Shiz?"

    "Yes, yes! Arkalee doesn''t look like a victim, really..."

    Arkalee was confused about what we were talking about so she stepped in.

    "...? Don''t I just have to freak out? I even called out my friends and they are there! Once I tell them the lie, they will support me! Isn''t that our deal?"

    I looked at Arkalee with mischievous eyes and Shizuku was beginning to sneak behind her.

    Accordingly, Arkalee just had to obey our orders.

    What were our orders exactly though? This was something discussed previously, the day before this day. We told Arkalee to make herself be the victim of Ikkiri and her imperial tyranny which was ruling over the class; otherwise, the rumors would lose credibility, and right here and now, beneath this beautiful cerulean gray less sky without a single cloud at sight; stands a crowd approaching 100 or so students outside of the dorm protesting against our rights simply due to the fact that this school is quite sensitive when it comes to things like these.

    It''s not an overreaction because order and peace are essential for a society to function and we LIVE in a society.

    It does not feel right for a human being that''s within a society to allow something bad to go on.

    "Yes, our deal... But Arkalee... I think we have different perspectives here."

    "Huh...? What are you talking about Yukishiro? I haven''t been understanding a single word that has come out of your mouth over the past seconds...!"

    "Arkalee, I''ll be honest here. You can''t just be a victim without something actually happening to you. It''s not a realistic perspective. Lying without evidence is a dangerous gamble. And I don''t like to gamble at crucial moments, so we are going to have to do things a bit differently!"

    The moment I exclaimed; I closed my window''s curtains and turned the lamp''s light on.

    That way, only a small yet intense light was spread throughout the room.

    At this moment, everyone should be downstairs; after all, they are undoubtedly more preoccupied with the screaming voices coming from outside. They are demanding Ikkiri to explain herself but the poor girl has not a fucking clue why this is happening! I want to roll on the floor so badly, but I must do what''s meant to be.

    "Shizuku, hold her arms tight."

    "Yup."

    Just like that, with an impulse of strength, Shizuku rendered Arkalee useless on her knees.

    Arkalee had not the slightest clue why Shizuku was doing this, but as soon as she saw what I took out of my desk''s drawers, she started to panic, and most surely; she wanted to scream as loud as possible.

    "W-W-W-W-WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?! YUKISHIRO, DROP THAT KNIFE! RIGHT NOW!"

    Correction; she was screaming as loud as she possibly could.

    I approached her slowly and spoke the truth while crossing the small metallic''s sharp edge on the coast of her throat.

    "I''m giving you the choice here. Choose a spot of your body that will be the knife''s target."

    "NO! I AM NOT DOING THIS!! LET GO OF ME, SHIZUKU!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

    Because Arkalee was screaming so much, I closed in the knife on her right hand''s palm since Shizuku allowed her right arm to be free for a while.

    Then, I slowly cut the surface of her palm, which would cause her to scream, but Shizuku tapped her mouth with the hand that wasn''t holding the arm.

    "Ghhhhhh!!!"

    "Now listen here, Arkalee... You are misunderstanding! I am telling you that you need to look like the victim, but literally!"

    She was crying such heavy tears that her entire figure starting to resemble a waterfall.

    Still, I didn''t want to deal with Arkalee''s spite later on, so I started to manipulate her mentally by using her weak point.

    "You''re not seeing this through our eyes, Arkalee. We couldn''t tell you earlier because you wouldn''t agree with this methodology. Right, Shiz?"

    "It''s as Yukishiro says. We don''t intend to infuriate you, it''s just that it''s very crucial for you to look like a proper victim right now. And no, telling lies won''t do. We will have to damage your body..."

    However, this caused Arkalee''s paranoia to grow even larger as she looked restless with her movements. Plus, the blood in her right palm was no joke.

    No way that would be enough, of course, so I spoke once again to the teary Arkalee; our future perfect victim in just a matter of minutes.

    "Listen, Arkalee. Would Hyunda ever forgive Ikkiri if he were to know that Ikkiri damaged you severely? Let me answer that for you. No fucking way he would. As a matter of fact, wouldn''t he shower you with his attention forever to come? As long as you act traumatized by this event, he will be forced to give you his attention. And tell me something, Arkalee, isn''t this the perfect scenario for you...?"

    As expected, Arkalee was starting to show a less disturbed reaction and she was most surely beginning to wonder about the success of this whole scheme.

    I looked towards Shizuku and she got the signal. Thus, Arkalee was free once again.

    She took deep breaths at first and as she did such, I continued.

    "Ikkiri is so screwed. NO ONE can overlook an actual physical wound. I am extremely aware of how dangerous this is, but... If you don''t do this, then you will never be in the lead."

    "....I don''t want to, to, to----I''m so scared----! Please, I...! But, I.......!!"

    Arkalee slowly began to reach out to the knife that I am holding with her right hand which is massively bleeding but kept going back and forth; ultimately indecisive.

    "I will be so ugly once I''m damaged and Hyunda won''t----!!!"

    "If he really loves you, he will stay with you. No matter what happens to you."

    "Arkalee, only you have the power to truly screw Ikkiri. It''s now or never. Decide."

    Per Shizuku''s ultimatum, Arkalee kept on looking at the knife meekly.

    I thought that she was not going to do it ultimately and I was thinking of cutting parts of her face to truly add up to the horror but Arkalee did something that blew both my mind and Shizuku''s away straight up.

    Full of fear, she must''ve thought about the ultimate reward she would achieve should this work and so, she took that chance and the emotional impulse to forcefully grab my knife and stab herself in the abdomen!!

    "GAAAAAHHH!!!! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! I''M GOING TO DIE, HELP ME!!!"

    A strong wave of blood started to flow from Arkalee''s abdomen at the speed of light; consuming all of her uniform shirt''s surface.

    Seeing the scarlet color aroused me transiently yet this was it. Before Shizuku could panic, I issued the plan of action.

    "Shizuku! Grab her from the left side! I''ll grab her from the right side! We are carrying her to the outside, right now!!"

    "This is gonna work, right?! She''s not going to die halfway, right?! Holy shit, holy shit!"

    "Shizuku, we can''t panic! Not here! Quick, just grab her, or else we will leave her to die!"

    Rapidly, we didn''t hesitate to support Arkalee''s body with all of her weight onto our shoulders and started to carry her out of the room.

    Then, as we were going to the stairs, I issued Arkalee, who was screaming beyond her lungs with agonizing sounds running ramparts all over the halls, the orders.

    "Arkalee, this is it! Start cursing against Ikkiri and blame her! Everyone will believe you!"

    "Now or never! Shit, is she going to die, Yukishiro?!"

    Step by step, we descended fastly; dragging Arkalee''s body completely soulless through every step of the way.

    Ikkiri was still inside of the cafeteria being protected by Akimiyashika and Hinagiku while the other girls were missing in action.

    This gave me the window of opportunity to strike.

    "DAMN YOU, IKKIRI!!!"

    Impressively enough, Arkalee had such a deep hatred inside her heart to the point where she was cursing as loud as she could towards Ikkiri who had supposedly stabbed her.

    I was wrong to assume that she was just a lunatic crybaby. She is so much more, what the hell! She literally stabbed herself in her abdomen just to play the victim! The level of brutality that she''s capable of is probably unpredictable!

    This is super thrilling!

    "YOU STABBED ME IN THE GUT JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE A LITTLE JEALOUS BITCH WHO CAN''T GET OVER AN OLD CRUSH?!"

    Along the way, we came across Gale, who was already on the first floor, near the bottom of the stairway that would lead from the second floor to the first floor.

    Shizuku showed absolutely no hesitation in telling her to join our side.

    "Gale!! Arkalee got stabbed by Ikkiri, help us! We have to bring Arkalee to the school''s hospital!!"

    "W-What? That--- Oh my God, she''s bleeding so heavily!!"

    That''s when I said; while landing on the first floor with Arkalee''s body glued to my shoulder.

    "Call the others and tell them that Ikkiri stabbed her! Don''t believe anyone who says otherwise! She''s lying!"

    "I--------"

    Usually, you would doubt something this outrageous.

    But do you need more evidence, when, in front of you, there''s a girl bleeding a scarlet waterfall from her abdomen? Plus, the cafeteria stays on the second floor, so...

    If I come down from the second floor to the first one, then you''d assume that''s what happened at least.

    "I understand! Please get Arkalee to the school''s hospital!"

    "We will!" x2.

    "I FUCKING HATE YOU IKKIRI! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME!!! IT''S ALL YOUR FAULT! WHY WERE YOU EVEN BORN INTO THIS WORLD ANYWAYS?! YOU USELESS ABOMINATION OF SHIT!"

    "Pfft!"

    Accidentally, I laughed at that. I literally just couldn''t hold myself back. This whole situation was far too hilarious not to.

    But as we were dragging her body to the outside, Shizuku reprehended my behavior quickly.

    "Yukishiro.... This isn''t funny..."

    "......."

    I simply focused on opening the door of the dorm which brought forth Olivia''s attention.

    She didn''t even know how to react to Arkalee''s body bleeding like that and stood there paralyzed.

    Shizuku showed no hesitation in calling her out though.

    "Olivia?! What the hell?! Can''t you see Arkalee''s bleeding?! She''s been stabbed by Ikkiri!"

    No response whatsoever, at least not immediately.

    Only after we had entered the outside, did Olivia show a verbal reaction.

    "Arkalee!"

    As we arrived outside, multiple people were waiting for Ikkiri to come out of the dorm to interrogate her, but all it took was my crystal clear analysis of the scenario.

    Students from various classes; varying from years of age surely stood there reunited unable to react for a split second. It didn''t matter to those who were occupying the benches; those who were on their cellphones; to those who were recording this whole event, what mattered in this bright scenario full of radiant morning light was to convey the message.

    A message so powerful that would make everyone here believe that Ikkiri had been the culprit behind this.

    Part 4.

    9 am. Classroom.

    It was beyond me how even after all the fuss that went down, all the questions that I was asked while I was being filmed through the cellphones, how, despite everything, all in all, we are having classes.

    And our teacher does not look happy. Not one bit.

    All she said in these thirty minutes was for the ones present to take a seat and that those who would not come today would have to explain themselves and give a very valid reason for their absence.

    After all, this program is essentially partial to our school.

    Despite that, Yuka-sensei looked extremely mad and simply looked at us with her fingers crossed/intertwined with each other. Her grim apathetic expression without speaking a single word struck fear onto us.

    At the current moment, only I, Shizuku, Tateyana, Gale, Sana, Lus, and Kanawari were present in the classroom. Akimiyashika and Hinagiku stayed in the dorm because the students were beyond outraged by what had happened and were attempting to break into the dorm. However, the boys'' guard, George Kentucky, stepped in to make sure no one would be there to harm Ikkiri.

    I must say that I did not count for his interference... It was quite unexpected... And unfortunate.

    Against that, some students are forcefully skipping classes just because they want to have a word with Ikkiri. They all looked so ready to kill, but.... but... I did all this for yet another purpose... He did not show up though...

    What''s going on...? Was that not the perfect bait? Arkalee is now in the school''s hospital. She had to take an emergency surgery in the hope she would survive.

    In conclusion, we have spent thirty minutes not doing absolutely anything, as we are all too afraid to speak.

    Though I think like that, there is one person who isn''t really afraid of what is going on. She is so supremely focused on reviewing the subjects that have been taught over the last weeks by Yuka-sensei that she is taking Yuka-sensei''s silence as a way to study.

    Lus is weird...

    I glanced at Shizuku who was at my right and she did the same.

    Then, I looked at Gale who had her back against me since she was in the front middle line; facing the board.

    Tateyana was looking at the outside scenario through the window...

    Kanawari and Lus were extremely close to the front door yet were divided by three tables ultimately; standing in the last line.

    And Sana, right in front of Lus.

    This classroom never looked this empty and surely, slowly, absolutely, even the smallest sound would sound gigantic.

    If I were to focus my audition completely, then I could hear Lus''s pen scribbling on her notebook''s paper surface.

    ".........."

    Are we going to stay like this forever....?!

    I can barely look at Yuka-sensei because she looks like a ghost who is there at the bottom corner starring at your soul as if all your secrets were naked.

    That was when I started to beg myself.

    Something.

    Something, something.

    Something happen! I can''t take this infinite silence! I want something to happen!

    "...!!"

    That was when I thought to myself that my wish had come to realize itself. Not even Lus was able to ignore the immense sound coming from the door that was being knocked to.

    Although being right next to it, Lus did not open the door and everyone else; myself included, was ensure what was the best decision to take right now.

    But I knew that if I were to let this chance slip by that nothing would change, so I took that chance and got up to announce my decision.

    "....I will be attending the door if that''s alright."

    It scared me that silence still remained despite my words towards Yuka-sensei.

    My footsteps have never sounded so loud. Seriously, all in all, I was hoping that it was Ikkiri. Or Akimiyashika. Or Hinagiku. Because Yuka-sensei is probably waiting for Ikkiri to come here so she can have a conversation with her.

    Yet the single transient moment I slid my fingers into the door''s manipulator, that one momentary trail of light my eyes were chasing; when I started to notice that there was not a skirt on the individual''s clothing, I knew that it couldn''t be a girl from our class.

    Furthermore, students were prohibited from entering this block unless they were from our class.

    Exceptions, however, are immune to this circumstance.

    And even though I knew not who he technically was; everything about him, his aura, and most surely the confident carefree smile he was wearing told me that I already knew who he was despite not knowing.

    "Thirty whole seconds to get to the door? I can see why this block''s the center of trash talk recently."

 Volume 20 - Chapter 137: ?? Unafraid. ??

    For the very first time in this school, despite the fact that I was paired up with criminals in my class, I felt genuine fear.

    Our eyes looked at each other and I knew for a fact that it was him. I quickly caught a full glance of his full figure and he had similar blonde hair to my own. Furthermore, he had a full white uniform with an additional blazer; unlike the rest of the students who have very linear simple uniforms. This level of complexity in his uniform alongside his golden cape on his back alerted me that this person, in this school, was, without a doubt, unlike the rest.

    "Yukishiro, who is it?"

    With trails of glacial cold in her words, Yuka-sensei straight-up demanded me if I were to know who this person is; to which I replied appropritely.

    However; I couldn''t because he answered in my place and in addition to that he took a step inside the classroom while analyzing every corner of the classroom with his eyesight.

    "The name''s Percy Phoenix and I am here on my own will. And I will be troubling you."

    In hope of getting Percy out of this room, I attempted to drive him away immediately.

    "Um... Are you sure you are in the right classroom? This is block F..."

    Everyone kept looking at me; who was still holding the door with my shaky right hand. I was unable to control myself because I wanted Percy out of this classroom as soon as possible.

    Nonetheless, he ignored me and directed himself towards Yuka-sensei, who still had to speak.

    In other words, my endeavor had failed miserably as Percy was fully strolling over the classroom. I closed the door with a defeated expression...

    "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight... Hm, what?! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight...? Hey, teach, where are all your students at? Do they boycott this often?"

    "They are under my responsibility."

    "A student of this school is under the school''s responsibility; not the teacher''s responsibility... It''s a common misconception. You are only responsible for the student if it''s in your classroom. In other words, you are currently responsible for eight students; the ones here present."

    Percy was constantly switching looks between us all while standing on top of the tip of Gale''s table. Undoubtedly, he was extremely carefree and had a brutal lack of manners.

    I dared not to strike a conversation or even talk; thus I closed the door and went back to my seat.

    Alas, Yuka-sensei answered Percy with the truth.

    "Percy was it...? Well, here is the thing, the school is not responsible for this class."

    "......Give me a second, I need to make a call..."

    Perhaps it was Yuka-sensei''s words or something else, but Percy quickly got out of the classroom and returned thirty seconds later.

    Then, when he did, he looked at every single one of us far more cautiously and had a mean glare on his eyes.

    "I get the gist. Nevertheless, where are your students, and why are you allowing them to boycott like this? I am aware one of your students is in critical condition and her absence is justified but the others though? Not quite. Plus, where are the boys at? Did my gender go extinct or something around here? What the hell!"

    To this, Yuka-sensei took a deep breath and answered concretely. She is showing a lot of respect towards Percy despite Percy showing nothing but disrespect.

    ....? Why?

    Does being a student council member mean that you can have superior authority over the school? No, wait, that''s a flawed theory. In the first place, Yuka-sensei is a teacher in this school but not under the principal''s guidance. It''s the program itself that is partial. Maybe that''s why...?

    "The three missing students are in their dorm; however, I would like you to not go there."

    "Declined. They are getting expelled. I will be back here once I am done."

    ...Huh...?

    No way...

    Percy is just walking away from Yuka-sensei and is going straight to the door. There is no doubt here. He is serious.

    He is going to expel Ikkiri, Akimiyashika, and Hinagiku just because they are skipping classes.

    "The principal won''t allow it, Percy!"

    In response to these words, Percy stopped his walk and turned around towards Yuka-sensei; with a mad expression on his face.

    "Now, why? I have the power to do so and it will happen."

    "Students from this program can''t be expelled by the principal unless they have accumulated a certain number of warnings first."

    "Under whose authority?"

    "The principal''s."

    In pure disbelief, Percy''s face looked as if it was about to fall off.

    This was also news to me, but I somewhat suspected it. We can''t be expelled by Percy; essentially.

    But... Something tells me that being confident about this immunity thing will backfire.

    "The principal... Why... would he--- Sigh... Okay...! They will get three warnings for each at the very least."

    ......!!!

    "Isn''t that a bit too unreasonable?"

    "Wrong, teach. They deserve it. Give me their names so I can file in the reports to the boss himself."

    Relentlessly, Percy adjoined his back to the wall right next to the front door and pulled out a mini notebook from his pocket along with a pen, and looked ready to write down the names.

    Yet Yuka-sensei started to show a bit of reluctance and attempted to reason with Percy; who was absolutely furious.

    "You don''t have to---"

    "I said NAMES!"

    His shout echoed so loud that I am beyond positive it was heard outside of the block.

    I expected Yuka-sensei to stand up for herself here but the fact that she didn''t confirm something. She has no power over the students that aren''t from this program...

    In other words, she is completely defenseless right now.

    "...Rikishima Ikkiri. Izayoi Akimiyashika. Mayabashi Hinagiku. Happy?"

    "No. The boys'' names. Every single one of them."

    "I''m afraid they aren''t skipping classes."

    Midst writing down the individuals'' names, for about three whole seconds, Percy looked towards Yuka-sensei with wide-open eyes.

    I am starting to feel fear towards his behavior... It''s very irrational and although we can''t be expelled via Percy''s methods, it''s damn obvious he is going to do something about it.

    "Woman, what the hell? Do I look like I''m in the mood for jok-"

    Out of sheer bravery, Lus stood up for Yuka-sensei quickly and spoke in her turn.

    "They are not here. They''ve gone out to an inhabited island to have their exam. If you''d like evidence I would suggest you check with the person you just called moments ago."

    Though she spoke so fluently, she did not feel any fear whatsoever despite possibly being the target of Percy''s rage.

    "A moment, please."

    Once again, Percy exited the classroom and made the call.

    Swiftly after a complete minute, he came back and adjoined his back against the wall.

    Then, he spoke; stretching and reaching out his right arm while doing so.

    "Unbelievable, but it will do."

    He looked to be done here so I was hoping he would go away now.

    After all, he was countered every time. Furthermore, what else could he have here to look for? I just don''t see why the hell Percy is here in the first place...

    "Alright, onto the main business."

    ....!? He wasn''t here primarily based on their absences only?!

    "Teach, I will be stealing your girls'' attention for quite a while, so I will have to demand you suspend your plans for the next upcoming hour. I am acting on the principal''s will and have the authority to do so. Would you like to appeal here or are we clear?"

    "I will stay here. Do not disrespect my students please..."

    "Hmpf."

    Feeling in absolute control, Percy took one empty table and its chair. Then, he took it to the podium, as if he were our teacher.

    Subsequently, after taking a seat, he emerged deeply onto the table''s surface; only showing his front skull and eyes. His mouth was completely hidden beneath the desk; it was as if he was playing peek-a-boo...

    Ultimately, he started to speak, but he didn''t elevate his posture whatsoever; which made his voice ten times deeper than usual because it was being blocked by the table''s front.

    "I know what you people are thinking. It surely is: "I am safe because this guy can''t expel me now that Yuka-sensei told me so!"..."

    None of us would dare to speak a word because we surely must''ve thought about this once or twice; if not more.

    "You''re wrong. Very wrong. So wrong. The basis for that reasoning lies in the protection of the program. But there''s a way around it..."

    Our attention was being swept and drained by Percy mercilessly as he kept on delivering staggering verbal knives to our throats.

    "The fact that you are students of this school but are under a program that''s partial to this school surely means that the principal has accepted it. Whatever happens to you; is the program''s responsibility. Unless a merge happens."

    ....................What the hell is Percy talking about.........!?

    This is bad, I am this close to starting tapping my feet right into the ground, as my usual habit goes.

    Right next to my side, even Shizuku is looking at me back and forth, wondering where this is going.

    "Teach, would you be kind enough to explain to your beloved students what a merge is?"

    We all instantly looked at Yuka-sensei; who was showing a very frail image.

    Therefore, our fear started to show expansion. Not even Lus who was composed thus far was fully composed.

    "...A merge is the equivalent of a student from this program being endorsed into the school."

    "Now! I know what you are all thinking! How does that actually differ from the current situation, you may ask? You see, not-so-bright creatures, you are not accepted students in this school. Why? Because none of you technically enrolled in this school. You are enrolled in the program. The environment is the school; sure, but that''s about it."

    Hold on, what the hell?! So all this time we weren''t enrolled in this school?! Wait, but still, what difference does that even make?

    Such doubt of mine was clearly answered very fast by Percy; who looked as if he saw through every single one of us.

    "There''s this method for enrollment. Nonetheless, it''s too late. You''d have to wait a full year. Plus, the conditions to enter this school are ridiculously high. After all, you need to have extremely good academics alongside other essential factors. Let me take a wild guess, none of you had to go through all that I''ve mentioned?"

    None of us spoke which caused Percy to take our silence for a yes.

    "Bingo. However, every student from this class is a mighty exception. You can enroll at any time and become a full-fledged student of this school! You''ll still be in the same block regardless. So, how about it? Does anyone want it? Hey, do you want it?"

    Percy stopped being submerged into the desk''s surface and pointed at Gale, who was in front of him.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    "....Pass."

    "Alright, blondie number 1! How about it?"

    "Not interested..."

    Kanawari was obviously mad by Percy''s behavior but she played it out well by not being mad. The first one to get mad here will be his prime target in the future and if we are expelled then that could very well mean execution which is legal in our damn country!

    "Short bangs!"

    "No!"

    Suddenly, Shizuku spoke extremely aggressively towards Percy and I started to feel anxiety just in case he had taken that far too personally. I even hoped he would move on but he did take it personally.

    "The gal! Give me your name and reason for not joining."

    "My name is Shizuku... And I won''t join in because I like this program more!"

    "Interesting. You, mean eyes! The answer, now!"

    By mean eyes, he was referring to Tateyana, who was not too far from him.

    "WH--- Erm, no.... I like this program too!"

    She clearly wanted to snap at him.

    "Red Ribbon!"

    "No."

    Sana spoke so fast and secure that it almost looked as if she was rejecting Percy''s confession.

    "Pink Hair!"

    "The name is Lus."

    "So what?"

    "So call me by my name. Or does a member of the student council not have manners?"

    "Do you realize who you are speaking to?"

    "A selfish egotistical tyrant who likes to expel others because his ego is bigger than his d---"

    "AHHHHHHH!!! YOU CAN''T, LUS!"

    Panicking everywhere possible, Kanawari was swinging her arms which made all attention go to her just so Lus could not finish that unholy sentence.

    In the meantime, Yuka-sensei spoke to Percy who looked to be having fun. The smirk on his face means that he is purposedly messing with us completely aware that we can''t do anything about it...

    "Her answer is no... Please stop this meaningless interrogation and go straight to the point, you already know the answer."

    "The hell, woman, let me have fun. Tsk. Alright, fine! Now that I know that none of you want to join the school respectively, I will inform you that you couldn''t, either way! Hahaha!!"

    Like a true asshole, he started to roll on the floor; clearly for every one of us to see and bask on with eyes of disgust.

    Unfortunately, he regained his posture extremely quickly and went back to his seat.

    "Normally... That is. Your teacher is mean, by the way. I mean, you are their head-teacher, correct?"

    "I am not. I was, though."

    "And you didn''t tell them when you were the head-teacher? Why?"

    We were all puzzled as we couldn''t figure out what the hell Percy and Yuka-sensei were talking about.

    Regardless, Yuka-sensei kept her silence towards Percy''s questionnaire which caused him to speak the truth.

    "You mighty creatures are for sale."

    "That''s... a very inappropriate way of putting it..."

    I think we were all outraged at this, but I kept my cool; unlike Tateyana and some others who couldn''t help themselves...

    "What the hell do you mean by that?!"

    "Silence! I am speaking, a member of the student council! Don''t you dare speak on my turn!"

    To this, Tateyana cowered, though reluctant. Percy showed literally no mercy to her with his remorseless words.

    Yuka-sensei looked towards her giving her the message to stand down for now.

    "As I''ve said, you are all for sale and that goes for the other ones too. All it takes is the principal''s authority. Nonetheless, he gave each student council member a condition. That being: each member can only buy one student into our school. I was very vague but essentially, due to our school''s rigid standards, even the principal agreed that it would be fine to allow such unfortunate individuals to enroll in this school. However..."

    What the hell is this...

    "However, there is a price tag to the individual. I may not know every individual''s sentence here, but the price tag is based on their jail sentence. I believe it''s multiplied by ten or something. It''s a LOT of money. It''s ridiculous to even consider buying one of you, because, if someone were to do that, they would be: A- Giving a lot of money. B- Giving you the chance to enroll which wouldn''t make much of a difference on the surface. C- Selling your own money for a criminal."

    Thus far; I do not understand what Percy is trying to achieve here.

    Earlier, I created that whole setup just so Percy could show up and I would work on focusing his attention on someone else but me, but he wasn''t there. I''ve been thinking as to why he wouldn''t be there and the thought of him seeing through my plan is terrifying. Yet he hasn''t done anything in regard to what happened. He first came here because he wanted to... check those who were skipping class?

    It doesn''t seem like it... It''s as if he just got caught up in a mood swing and delayed his real objective...

    His real objective lies beyond this.

    "I''ve mentioned it''s ridiculous and I wouldn''t even think about doing it. But, your teacher just got one of you screwed up. And it''s big time!"

    Once again, our anxiety was stretched out... Especially Yuka-sensei''s.

    "...What are you planning, Percy...?!"

    "Why so hostile? I am just going to show some hospitality. Yes, that''s right! You''ve guessed it!"

    Although he said that and got up from his seat and started to walk through the lines in-between the tables whilst clapping, we didn''t exactly have a concrete idea of what he was referring to, until he fully spoke his mind.

    "I am willing to pay the price."

    His words spoke terror to us because we now knew what he was after...!!!

    His whole aim upon discovering that we couldn''t be expelled by his methods was shifted towards a method that would allow our expulsion! However, there is just one thing that I am not understanding here...

    "Once again, I know what you are all thinking! I can read your minds quite easily. After all, you are predictable to the core!"

    It would not be an exaggeration to say that I want Percy''s body broken in the worst way possible that there is.

    Amidst his strolling, he passed through my desk and our eyes crossed momentarily; we each upheld an intense glare fight lasting two seconds.

    "Get this though, I can only buy one. I have the money, alright. I admit it, I am rich! Still, only one. That sucks. It goes without saying but I like expelling others who are in the wrong. And given your status, you all fit that quota. HOWEVER! Only one. Ladies, this is tough. Tough times call for what...? Oh, that''s right... Desperate measures!"

    Doing a full round and ultimately spinning right into his table seat in the podium, Percy got to the conclusion that we were all waiting for.

    "One of you is getting bought by yours truly. Yes, one of you, against your own will, because none of you wanted to enroll! I was lying when I said that you couldn''t because I clearly could enroll one of you. And then, the moment I would get your consent, I would rightfully expel you as you would become merged with the school."

    Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait.

    Wait.

    WAIT!

    Wait a goddamn second. Is he just going to expel one of us at random?! No, that can''t be right! He only expels those who he deems is wrong... No, wait! He already told us that we fill that quota! But it''s so illogical though! No, he wouldn''t do something like this, right?!

    Anea told me that Percy wasn''t a bad person unless you were a bad person and to expel someone by status alone doesn''t seem to fit the bill...

    What the hell is he planning...?

    "Time to get the ball rolling, sisters! I''ve heard the news! A girl from this classroom got stabbed in the abdomen very deeply! The knife is nowhere to be seen though. And accordingly, the suspect of this action was fully investigated and no knife was caught. Ain''t that just pretty convenient though? It''s like it was an act committed in the act of impulse...!"

    I don''t have to worry about the knife.

    My knife can be dismembered as the blade is partial to the knife itself, therefore all I had to do was to clean the blade and it was as good as new. There aren''t many knives like that so that''s why it comes in handy.

    "An act of impulse. Righhhtttt. That''s all bullshit. I know! If I were to commit an act of impulse where I would stab someone else; should I be a student, then I... would go to class like usual instead of skipping out like the rest. Because if I were to go to class, I would not be too suspectable. And with that said, I hereby declare all of you suspects!"

    ..........!!!!

    "What is the meaning of this exactly?"

    "Chillax, teach! It''s super obvious! It''s one thing to spread a rumor about tyranny in class and the other one to claim that the same person upholding that said tyranny stabbed a classmate with a knife! It''s ludicrous! And so, the mastermind here failed to realize something. Mhm, what? Are you curious?"

    .......

    Why the hell am I so nervous.... I am starting to not want to hear what this prick has to say anymore.......

    Nevertheless, I can''t be this nervous. If Percy is after me, then I will have to destroy him.

    "You have slowly isolated more and more members who aren''t the actual culprits. You are leaving yourself to get caught..."

    .....!!

    No, but that''s---

    Crap, this guy is not a joke. Anea was not kidding and neither was Carol when she said that Percy was a genius when it comes to getting you expelled...!!! Why did I underestimate this prick?! I thought that the student council was just a joke, but this is....

    INTERESTING!

    "I''m issuing my path of action. I will buy the culprit of the two events that have happened most recently! The first event being the fake organization of baseless rumors of the tyranny of slaves! That is beyond ridiculous and it will not be OVERLOOKED. Second event being; the incident this morning! Under my own judgment, it was not Rikishima Ikkiri who stabbed Kitsuya Arkalee!"

    Goddamn it! I want to intervene so badly but I just can''t! I can''t look suspectable; not much more at least!

    "All you eight are the prime suspects and here is the ball: If by the end of the month the culprit does not turn herself in; I, along with other seven members of the student council, will buy every single one of you and... EXPEL ALL OF YOU!"

    "No way! That''s unfair!"

    "Silence, wench! I do not wish to hear your stupid reasoning!"

    Yet again, Tateyana attempted to argue, but in vain. It went without saying that this was bad news...

    Or not.

    I know how hard it is to think clearly without being nervous right now, but the moment my brain clicked on the factor...

    If I can make Sana spill everything she knows about Omega and put her in a position where she will be expelled then I profit! Plus, in this scenario, the culprit will have to turn herself in, but there are ways to manipulate that...

    "Hold it. This is all too unreasonable. Why should all have to suffer due to the actions of one person only? It is not fair."

    "Did you not just hear what I said to her, pinky?"

    "I did. That''s why I would like to propose a fairer suggestion. If you aren''t too much of a coward to accept, that is."

    Lus is insane. She is getting expelled! Whatever! If she''s the one that he buys then I''m safe, so feel free to trash talk Percy all you want!

    "This is the second time you''ve insulted me! Apologize!"

    "Apologize for being mean to Kana and I will apologize to you."

    "I wasn''t mean so I won''t."

    "Yes, you were. She did nothing to you and you''ve called her by your offensive nickname. I''m being kind to the point of excluding the fact that you''ve done that with the rest. If you''re not apologizing, then we aren''t getting anywhere here."

    "Lus..."

    Kanawari was beyond shocked that Lus was going out of her way to defend her against Percy.

    To this, Percy began to vent his anger to Yuka-sensei next to him.

    "This is outrageous! Is she retarded or something?!"

    "I am talking to you! If you are talking to someone, you don''t take your eyes off someone else!"

    She is seriously going through with this... I will admire her bravery, but her stupidity is off the charts.

    To go out of your way just because your friend has been insulted like this is very stupid.

    "You absolute moron, do you realize what it means to go against the law?"

    "You''re not the law, Percy. Law is fair. And you are not."

    In response, Percy started to move out from his chair fairly quickly towards the entrance; where Lus was.

    Then, as get got to her desk, he slammed his right hand onto the surface of her desk and spoke what he had in mind.

    "I am fair. You''re out of your mind if you believe I''m taking orders from a petty criminal like you who has no right to say those words. You hypocrite!"

    "I am aware of that. But what you did was wrong and you will apologize to Kana."

    "I don''t think you get the part where I''ve indirectly not given you my consent in this "apology" wish of yours. It''s not happening! Hell, you look pretty gutsy to me. Maybe I''ll buy you instead and expel you afterward? Did you think about that? Huh?"

    I expected Lus to finally crumble and realize the meaningless endeavor of her words thus far, but she did the exact opposite of that.

    With an unknown level of fearlessness in her eyes, she didn''t hesitate in shutting Percy down as she got up from her chair to meet Percy''s height.

    "I don''t mind if you "buy" me and then expel me. However, that''s only if you get on your knees and apologize to Kana and everyone here for your disrespect this far!"

    "What....!? On my knees?!"

    "I wasn''t going to suggest getting on your knees but it''s the only way that you can possibly make up for what you''ve done this far."

    "You....!!!"

    I have never met someone so stupidly prideful who would go this far just because her friend got insulted.

    If Percy decides to buy her and expel her then she deserves it. Hell, I want him to do it because that way he won''t be able to potentially buy me and then... expel me!

    There''s no way I can have that! Come on, what the hell are you waiting for, Percy?! Just do it!

    Why are you standing there laughing right now?!

    "Hahaha! I see now."

    "..."

    Lus simply remained in silence as she saw Percy leaving her desk only to go back to the podium...

    While on his way, he whispered something that we could all hear, though very little to no noise was emitted.

    "I am starting to understand how she got Liyuga''s attention..:"

    In addition to praising Lus for her efforts, he clapped, though not in her direction.

    Ultimately, he got on his seat with his legs across the table; fully extended.

    "I will not apologize still."

    "Then---"

    "HOWEVER! I''ll grant your suggestion. Speak your mind, Lus."

    For the first time ever, Percy called Lus by her name.

    Perhaps this was a sign of respect yet Lus showed no hesitation in speaking her mind in regards to her suggestion.

    Although this meant abandoning the whole "apology" thing.

    "I will get you to apologize one day, but that can come another time. Is that fine with you, Kana...?"

    Kanawari didn''t seem to know how to reply at first but she flashed a gigantic smirk in response alongside a positive nod.

    Upon that, Lus continued with her suggestion.

    "Percy, I would like to suggest a battle between you and me only."

    "A one-on-one? Against me?"

    Instead of being offended, Percy took this seriously as he questioned Lus with those two questions.

    "That''s correct. We will be predicting results, is that fine with you?"

    "No, it''s not. Explain."

    Percy''s worries are justified since Lus did not specify whatsoever what she has in mind.

    "Ok. So, you see the missing pieces of this classroom; otherwise known as the boys?"

    "Yes. Are you saying we are going to predict the outcome of their exam?"

    "Not the outcome, but the results. But first, a little explanation. This program has begun in January and it''s now April. Failing one of the crucial special exams three times is the maximum limit. Exceeding that will get you expelled from this program which has its consequences. And so, many of the boys are in danger of being expelled as we speak."

    I still don''t understand what exactly is her aim here: if it''s to base this competition on their results or the boys who will be expelled due to failing the exam...

    Nonetheless, why did Lus propose a solo battle if her aim here is to turn Percy''s tyrannical suggestion into a fair battle? Wouldn''t it make more sense to involve all of us?

    "So the ones who get the expelled calls right, wins?"

    "Simple, right?"

    "Yes, it''s simple. But I''ll have to decline. You have a clear edge here as you know your class more than I do yours. I don''t fight losing battles. We are still going with my endeavor."

    In the end, it didn''t work.

    The moment Percy realized he was at disadvantage here he just backed off.

    If it was this obvious then why did Lus do it regardless? So stupid...

    "You gravely misunderstood something, Percy."

    "Hm??"

    "We are still going with your endeavor; all I proposed was a secondary competition, nothing more."

    Unable to process her true aim here, we all looked at her for a long time until Lus decided to explain her full aim.

    She felt more than happy to explain it to us rather than stress about it.

    "There was no reason to exclude your endeavor, Percy. You are the student council''s member. I wouldn''t dare to attempt to change your mind. Instead, I am proposing a secondary competition."

    "But what''s the point if it''s not going to change the outcome of my own? We would just be battling for ego at that point. I can''t do something that pointless."

    Lus laughed at this mildly though not bordering over the line of disrespect.

    "Haha... Forgive me here, but... You also misunderstood something, Percy. The aim of this secondary competition is to have a competition that has the same conclusive weight as yours. In other words, should I win my competition and should you win yours, we will have a neutral result."

    ............

    This is bad... Lus is essentially opposing the expulsion factor here. Although there are good parts to her words, I wanted someone here to get expelled.

    "........"

    Percy placed his right hand on his chin and thought this through for a great total of fifteen seconds. Then, he administered his overall thoughts on this matter.

    "I will agree to this only if you agree to this one condition..."

    "...Say the condition."

    More conditions?! This is ridiculous! But we don''t have much of a choice here, do we?!

    "Should you lose your battle, in addition to all of you being expelled, all of the boys will be charged for tax evasion as their crime; thus they will be equally expelled. In other words, should you lose, YOU LOSE EVERYTHING!"

    "That''s fine with me."

    WHAT?!

    She is willing to take everyone down with her should she lose?! She''s insane!

    Apart from the majority of us being split from terror and paranoia, Percy''s eyes widened as he couldn''t believe the amount of confidence behind Lus''s words.

    "You... are something else. Very well, we have a deal then. Here is how it''s going to go down for the first competition. I will spend one hour every day here in this classroom until the end of the month and in that time, the culprit will be free to turn herself over. If not, then you already know what happens by the end of the month. As for our little competition, Lus, I will use everything to my disposal. How do you propose we establish the results?"

    "Every day, we write down our gambles. Essentially, in a paper, the names of the boys who will fail the exam will be written down. It has to be every day because we don''t know exactly when they will arrive. Is that fine with you?"

    "Fine. You are aware of the consequences of losing, right? Everyone will blame you, should you fail."

    "I don''t care."

    "You''re priceless! Very well, Lus! It is on!"

    As the climax had come to a close end, Percy looked ready to leave as he put his long stretched legs covered by his white jeans back.

    However, before Phoenix left the room, he glanced upon Lus one more time and said his last words before ultimately closing the door with a force that would be heard throughout the entire block.

    "Your performance better match your confidence."

 Volume 20 - Chapter 138: ?? Sore Crybaby Loser. ??

    Part 1.

    Later on, after the classes were over.

    Dorm.

    Shizuku was in my room and I was adjoined with my back against the wall; seating on all fours with my forearms covering my knees. Furthermore, I was hiding my face from Shizuku who was worried in regards to my current attitude.

    "Shizuku...! WE NEED to do something about this and fast!"

    Although I was panicking and trembling all over the place, my voice was far more hollow than loud.

    Plus, the curtains were barely open and we weren''t basking on the upper lamp''s light either; thus there was a slight hint of illumination all over the room.

    Then, Shizuku sat on the edge of my bed and massaged my right leg.

    "I understand your worries and I''m really scared either but... What can we do about it...? Percy has decided that the culprit will be expelled...!"

    "But that''s the problem, Shizuku! We are both screwed if we don''t do something. He said that he knew who the culprit was and we are on his blacklist! There has to be a way!"

    I trembled even further and further.

    Shizuku''s left hand whilst holding my right ankle began to show a fragile resistance yet she kept on comforting me. In addition to that, she climbed onto my bed and adjoined her back against the wall just like me.

    "I don''t really know what to do against Percy, but... Isn''t there someone who knows...?"

    "...Who though...?"

    "Mhm... Maybe we could get more information out of Anea by bribing her like the last time?"

    What Shizuku just said could very well be true; plus it''s only 6 pm. We have two hours to make this work then...

    "Alright. Can you get into contact with her? Also, could you tell her not to bring Carol alongside her? That will only make things worse..."

    "I''ll see what I can do. Let me give her a quick call..."

    "Thanks, Shizuku. You''re the best."

    3 minutes later.

    "Alright, thank you! We''ll be there as fast as we possibly can!"

    Quickly, Shizuku turned down the call and shook me.

    "Great news!! She''s willing to meet up with us because I told her that we needed to know a few things about Percy. She''s willing to help!"

    "Why...?"

    It''s so strange, but I don''t see why Anea would help us out here.

    Unless...

    "Wait, we shouldn''t go! It''s bait! Maybe she''s working with Percy!"

    "What?! That''s... Damn, what the hell! She wouldn''t, right?!"

    If this bitch is working with Percy then maybe she has exposed all of our schemes and we are done for anyways! But wait, if that''s the case, then wouldn''t she have done so earlier? Why else would she allow the events to escalate this far otherwise?

    Maybe she...

    "Wait, hold on. That didn''t make a lot of sense."

    "Eh, why not, Yukishi?"

    "If this was bait then Anea wouldn''t have given us information; accurate one, about Percy earlier. Her information was true, so she would''ve lied to us earlier if she was really setting us up, however, she didn''t. We need countermeasures should she really be setting up the bait too."

    "I recorded the previous conversation too. So we''ll just do the same this time around."

    "We need something more, Shizuku. We are playing a dangerous gamble here."

    I erupted my posture and got out of my bed. Then, I proceed to put on my shoes and looked ready to leave as Shizuku was doing the exact same.

    Ultimately, we started to descend down the stairs, and whilst doing so, I spoke my suggestion.

    "If what Anea said about Percy is right, then he should have no qualms about expelling her too, correct?"

    "Yes. I was thinking that we could ultimately expose her and get Carol alongside her too expelled; should worse come to worse."

    "Ugh, it''s just..."

    We rapidly kept on descending downstairs until we met Sana who was on the second floor.

    Our eyes crossed simultaneously and she had repressive eyes towards me... Unlike her usually sad expression and long eyebags, she looked resentful of me.

    "...."

    She simply kept her silence as we lost our eye-trails of one another...

    "Yukishi?"

    "...As I was saying... that should be enough. We need as much information about Percy as we can."

    "Yup, so let''s get going! Hurry up or you''re gonna fall behind!"

    "Go a little slower for me, will you?!"

    Part 2.

    15 minutes later.

    As it was already afternoon; the dusk was breaching. Orange sky accompanied us as we took a seat at an outside table instead of the usual cafeteria.

    We were near block D but we simply took a small walk towards here; although it took a bit of time to get here.

    Anea, on the other hand, was all alone just like she told she would be to Shizuku on the phone.

    Nonetheless, as we got closer to her, she had the expression of a bull and was extremely mad at us.

    Not knowing why she was like that, we took our seats without saying anything.

    "What have you two done?"

    "..." x2.

    We kept our silence; though we were about to get scolded by Anea who had just crushed her empty plastic cup of coffee with nothing in it.

    "I should have been far more elaborative when I said that I wanted you two to not attract Percy''s attention because you two just earned his attention..."

    "How the hell would we have known?! He''s not normal, Anea! And what''s with him?! He''s an expulsion-addicted tyrant! It''s like expulsion is his crack or some shit!"

    On my behalf, Shizuku snapped and I contributed more to that with a few words.

    "You could''ve told us more about him. This is your fault."

    To this, Anea strongly gripped her already crushed cup and gritted her teeth.

    "That''s it! I''m out of here, you two can fuck yourselves! Stupid self-centered whores, damn it!"

    We took this way too far, so I went the extra mile to apologize by bowing down while apologizing before she could get up from her seat.

    "Alright, maybe it wasn''t your fault at all! We''re really sorry, right, Shizuku?!"

    I looked to my right where Shizuku was starting to get up so she could apologize alongside me.

    "Y-Yes! It was just an impulsive reaction!"

    Midst this, the students passing by were starting to get attracted to this sort of crowd, which was essentially bad news.

    Upon realizing that, Anea took a more soft approach.

    "Keep yourselves from screaming... Admit it one more time. This is all your fault. If you hadn''t committed to this stupid idea then you would''ve been fine. I''ve warned you about Percy and now it''s too late. You two are most likely getting exp--"

    "No way! There has to be a way to stop his onslaught!"

    "That''s, right, Anea! You know Percy the best, right?!"

    There was no overall guarantee that Anea truly knew Percy the best but we were out of options.

    If she were to say no to this, then we would use our resources and try to excavate as much information out of Anea as possible.

    However, it turned out to be surprisingly positive. Her answer, that is.

    "You need to seek out the other student council members. Not all of them approve of Percy''s actions, but..."

    But...?

    "It''s hard to say that they will go against him. After all, your class has that infamous status to it. I don''t think there is a way to convince Percy to back off. However, there is a way around this, I think."

    "Such as...?"

    I asked, feeling tremendous greed suddenly.

    "You''ve noticed that in his left arm, he has a number band, yes?"

    Shizuku did not hesitate to answer this question whatsoever as it concerned Percy''s detailed appearance.

    "Yeah! What does that mean? Plus, the cape! And the double blazer?! Is that a student council thing?"

    "I''ll answer that in the same order that you''ve spoken."

    "Mhm, thanks."

    Before doing so, Anea freed the empty smashed cup from her hand and placed it on top of the table. By the way, our positions were mirrored to one another; as that was already obvious.

    "His number band resembles his ranking in the student council. It is also a recognition symbol. Fabrication of it will lead you to expulsion, so don''t get any funny ideas."

    Anea is not really aware of our circumstances and she believes that we can be expelled normally.

    However, it makes zero difference because Percy already found a damn way out of this short-lived transient immunity!

    "His cape and double blazer is something made on his own. Student council members can wear whatever they feel like as long as it doesn''t break the rules. It''s an upgraded uniform. I would say he wears a golden cape and a double blazer because he feels some sort of heroism in what he does."

    Although Anea said those words, the corners of her lips started to gradually increase as they emitted a strong admiration.

    "Does this clear your doubts?"

    "Yeah, it''s helpful because now it''s easy to identify them."

    "They''ve always been easy to identify because they are public figures of this school. It''s inexcusable to not be a figure of power for them."

    Thus far, we already know two student council members. Liyuga and Percy.

    Knowing this, I asked something to Anea.

    "How many are there? The members in total."

    Unfortunately, her reply was nowhere near positive as it was ambiguously vague.

    "No one actually knows... There have been rumors for years that you can be a student council member despite not belonging to block A. It''s weird, but there is no certification of how many are there; but they all have that band, that''s for sure."

    "One little question, Anea. Do they have to mandatorily wear that band or are they free to hide it and pretend to be normal students?"

    This question of mine was pretty damn crucial because... should they NOT have to wear it based on mandatoriness then they can very well infiltrate the school quite deeply.

    "Again, I am not sure. I am not a member myself."

    "I see..."

    "All of this aside, what are you going to do?"

    "Isn''t that what you were going to tell us, Anea?"

    Shizuku stated the obvious just now.

    All this time, we were waiting around for a conclusive solution but we got side-tracked.

    "I thought that you had a plan of your own..."

    "...."

    We do, but it revolves around blackmailing you...

    No way I can tell you that though.

    "It seems not. The solution I have is simple but it might as well be very hard to pull it off. I''ve explained to you two the ranking on his armband, but as you probably already harbored a guess, it''s a power ranking; meaning that Percy is not in the absolute power."

    "As you''ve said, we''ve guessed it that much. Now, where are the other two---- Wait, I just realized something, Yukishi!"

    "I think I did too..."

    It was something that we were completely overlooking.

    To the point where we started to really wonder about something. Though, Anea looked as if she had read our minds and fluently spoke; correctly.

    "Is this about why Liyuga doesn''t have an armband, like Percy?"

    We nodded.

    Yes, I should''ve noticed this sooner, but Liyuga didn''t have an armband like Percy neither did he have a flashy appearance in uniform terms.

    Something is odd here.

    "He''s too much of a novice. He''s only been admitted to the student council three months ago."

    That''s almost the time when we started the program.

    With that in mind, I asked something else.

    "How about Percy for how--"

    "Two years."

    ".....Wow."

    No wonder they act so differently. Percy acts with a lot of confidence and has a straightforward attitude; though imperial and most surely radical. On the other hand, Liyuga is far more soft and compassionate.

    "If you are thinking that you can abuse Liyuga for this, then stop. I won''t let you do that. This is about Percy, right? Forget about Liyuga."

    "Whatever, we weren''t really suggesting anything anyways, right?"

    "Yup."

    Seeing our mutual agreement, Anea continued.

    "I honestly don''t advise you to seek them out though. I know who they are; as there are only three ranks below Percy."

    Anea said something mathematically wrong, so I couldn''t help myself but correct her.

    "Two ranks."

    "No, three."

    "Are you stupid? If Percy is rank three, then there''s only rank two and one to fall."

    I thought that I was speaking common sense, but apparently, it was me who got it all wrong.

    "There''s a rank below the first one. Rank zero. It belongs to the president."

    "You could''ve just told us that..."

    "Regardless, my point stands. I am giving you my honest advice here. If you are going to reach out to either the rank two or one, you two should not approach them. Percy will find you suspicious."

    She has a point, I must say.

    Were Shizuku and I to reach out for one of them and should Percy know, we will go up on his blacklist. He already reasoned that the culprit is already among the past-previously present eight members.

    Nonetheless, that just means I''ll have to get someone else outside of the eight members to do the dirty job for me.

    I can already feel like Shizuku is on a completely similar train of thought here.

    "I don''t really like your stupid grins, but it sounds like you now have a plan of action?"

    "Ah, yes. Indeed, we have. Isn''t that right, Shizuku?"

    "Most surely. Anything else you''d like to advise us to follow, Anea...?"

    This time around, Shizuku was serious while saying that, so I looked at Anea with the same degree of expression as Shizuku''s.

    And most certainly, Anea gave more of a threat than advice.

    "Don''t mention that---"

    "Hm?"

    Midst the gusts of wind that were passing through and fluctuating our hairs like a summer breeze, we wondered why Anea suddenly stopped saying what she had to say.

    She was looking at us but more precisely speaking, something or someone who was in the same direction as we are.

    Her eyes were extremely wide-open; almost in awe, but not wearing a terrified expression but instead a surprising one.

    As for us, we did not need to look around as the individual himself wrapped his two arms around us and infiltrated our eyesight very openly without a care in the world.

    "Anea! You''re friends with short bangs and blondie number two here!? I hadn''t thought of this in years! What a day of madness!"

    With a permanent confident smile on his face and his teeth fangs showing side by side, he looked at Shizuku and me who were wearing pale expressions.

    "They are acquaintances!"

    "Is that so? Hey, wanna come with me tomorrow to their block and be with me for an hour?! You see, I''ve made a deal with this girl in their class and she is holding all their fates at hand, isn''t that right, girls? Ah, you don''t gotta worry about skipping classes, I''ll justify it for you, what do you say?"

    What the hell is this development...?!

    And, anyway, is he going to stay glued to us like that forever?! Hurry up and answer, Anea! Stop being such a slug!

    Actually, wait. Isn''t this a good opportunity? Won''t Percy behave more properly if Anea is there? There is a wide chance that he just might and if so, then...

    "You should totally come, Anea! We would love to have you there!"

    Not me, but Shizuku started this.

    And so, I helped her out by putting a fake happy expression alongside a cheery smile.

    "Our class is a bit of a mess right now, so I think you could help us out!"

    "You heard them, Anea. Unless you don''t wanna come. Is that it? Does my offer resemble weakness to you?"

    Percy''s expression darkened but Anea didn''t feel pressured in spite of that; instead, she happily gave her answer with a bright smile.

    "I will go with you! Um, when though? Exactly, the time, so I can know ahead of time..."

    Well, well, isn''t she quite the maiden? She wants to prepare herself ahead of time almost like she''s going on a date or something.

    The real reason why I want Anea there tomorrow is that I am hoping to see if I can find any weaknesses in Percy without him noticing. Having Anea around could hopefully provide me that.

    "I don''t know for certain. I''ll drop by your classroom and then we''ll go together, alright?"

    "W-What...?! My classroom...?"

    Just say yes, Anea, this is hurting my soul.

    And seriously, for how long is this guy gonna keep his arms on our shoulders like this?!

    "Yup! It''s just one hour. We''ll be together like old times! The nostalgia will blow your mind, so stay tuned!"

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    At long last, Percy let go of our shoulders and freed us from his body weight, which was not heavy at all but nonetheless not comfortable to be under.

    Lastly, he turned his back on us and kept going towards block A.

    In addition to that, he was waving goodbye from behind to Anea, who was also waving goodbye though Percy could not see it.

    "Um... I really like romance novel---"

    "No."

    Shizuku was most likely attempting to get Anea to tell her what was going on between her and Percy but a simple denial was the indefinite nail in the coffin.

    Part 3.

    April 16th. 10 am. Classroom.

    Excluding Arkalee and Ikkiri, everyone was here present. Arkalee was in the hospital but Shizuku and I couldn''t be bothered to visit her. We probably should though, otherwise Arkalee''s gonna plot revenge against us or something but I don''t think she''s conscious right now.

    Plus, Yuka-sensei will give us the news should she recover. It''s been confirmed that she will live, which is, well, good.

    Ikkiri, on the other hand, can''t actually leave the room because there are students ready to mob her! It''s hilarious!

    Nevertheless, the main point of the day was when our door was slammed right into the left as Percy walked in the classroom like some sort of king.

    "Heavens me, why the hell is there STILL a girl boycotting class?! Are your classes that dull, teach?"

    He freaked out and facepalmed with a high degree of exasperation all over his movements. Anea was there, but just slightly behind him.

    "She can''t leave the dorm because there are students ready to mob her and it''s all your fault! Do something about it!"

    Fearless, Akimiyashika, who was present today; along with Hinagiku, expressed her take on the matter.

    "Calma, sister! It''s being taken care of."

    "It better be."

    He ignored Akimiyashika''s retort and moved to one of the empty desks. However, instead of seating on the desk''s chair, he extended his courtesy to Anea and allowed her to seat on the place that he was going to seat on.

    As always, it was near the front.

    Yuka-sensei couldn''t really help but question Anea''s presence so she went ahead and did that.

    "She is not a student of this class, Percy. You can''t just bring students here."

    "Sure I can though? That''s what I just did. She''s a friend and I demand every single one of you to treat her with respect! Otherwise, you get a warning."

    "What..."

    We all whispered that as Anea took a seat, quietly.

    Then Percy did exactly the same thing as yesterday: he grabbed an empty desk and chair and dragged it all the way to the podium. Afterward, he took a seat with his legs extended like he was the king of the court.

    "We will be playing a short game! But it''s a really good effective one! I''m sure you are all familiar with the game!"

    He got our curiosity instantly, but before he could speak about the "game" any further, he directed his words to Anea, who was just a table in front of him.

    "Hey, Anea! Wanna partake in this game? I know that I said that "we" would be playing a game and by "we" I meant the rest of the girls only, but if you want to join in, then go for it."

    There''s something about this "game" of his that''s creeping me out.

    Knowing Percy, he is up to no good. Unconsciously, I placed my right palm onto the bottom of my left elbow as my breathing continuously grew heavier second by second. Shizuku was tapping her pen onto her notebook''s surface far too much.

    "If you say so..."

    "Niceeeeee!!! That''s it! Teach, wanna join in too?!"

    "No, and I would like if you refrain from wasting too much time around here, Percy."

    "So rude, woman! You''re gonna die single."

    I am extremely surprised Percy only got Yuka-sensei''s death glare in return for that one.

    Either way, Percy was ready to begin; which didn''t spell terror to us at first, but as soon as he announced what the game revolved around, our faces dropped.

    "We are going to play the blame game."

    "Percy...!"

    Yuka-sensei looked furious towards Percy who still had yet to explain what exactly was going to happen, but if it''s what I think it is, then this could be catastrophic.

    "Ladies, it''s simple. I like simplicity at its best but people love to make simple things too explicit. I am not a fan of that. With that said! It''s time for the blame game and we will be revolving around who the culprit of the stabbing was. But first, some ground rules!"

    Shizuku looked at me preoccupied as I attempted to keep my cool but with each movement that Percy made, I was slowly losing my composure.

    After all, he was writing on the board with a piece of chalk the rules for this game while spelling them out loud.

    "Rule number ONE! You shall give an answer that corresponds to the matter at hand and if you do not, you get a warning!"

    This already sealed out the possibility of saying no. Furthermore, we can''t keep our silences; otherwise, Percy is just going to issue us a warning.

    "Rule number TWO! You shall answer with utmost honesty and not base your answer on partial factors! Truth above all else! If I smell a lie, then I will rat you out!"

    So it''s all up to his personal judgment again?!

    "Yukishi...!!"

    "Stay calm, stay cal--"

    I attempted to say some words of comfort to Shizuku who is trembling beyond her control.

    However, my words were quickly shattered by Percy''s stronger words.

    "Rule number THREE! You shall not blame those that are not present in this classroom ERGO, you must blame someone in this classroom. That is all! Three basic rules! Let''s get the ball rolling, sisters!"

    FUCK.

    I CAN''T BLAME IKKIRI?! NOR ARKALEE?! WHAT IS THIS?!?!?!

    My whole plan was to blame Ikkiri for this as that was the whole purpose of making her take the blame thus far.

    And of course, he''s just smiling like he''s God on the tip of his chair without a damn care in the world!

    "Oh, I forgot, before we get started, the one with the most accumulated votes will be the culprit until the true one comes out of the closet."

    "Hold on just a second, that''s just---"

    "SHUT UP! HOW MANY TIMES MUST I REPEAT MYSELF?!"

    Christ.

    Percy''s shout towards Tateyana this time around felt so terrifying. It''s already common knowledge that arguing against Percy won''t work so we just have to go with the flow.

    That was when he proceeded to justify himself...

    "Don''t interrupt me when I''m in the middle of explaining how things will go. I know for a fact that someone here would like to blame that girl Ikkiri for what happened but it''s crystal clear that she''s nothing more than a scapegoat. ALRIGHT! Let''s start the game! Any volunteers to go first? I''ll wait thirty seconds."

    Unlike his usual clownish gestures, Percy took a normal seat on his chair and proceed to look at every single one of us while the rest of us slowly but surely started to show different expressions towards this new development.

    Akimiyashika and Hinagiku looked absolutely ready as they already knew who they were going to blame...

    Although Sana resembled their stance; she looked far more skeptical and less secure than the other two. And then there''s Tateyana who also looks ready to make her take.

    Lus is always confident but unlike Hinagiku and Akimiyashika, I don''t know who she is going to blame...! Kanawari will most likely go with what Lus is gonna go with and vice-versa....

    Gale has no idea who to decide because she believes that Ikkiri was truly the one that did it.

    And that only leaves Shizuku and me.

    Knowing this, I spoke to Shizuku who is by my side.

    "Blame Akimiyashika."

    "Ok..."

    We did not look at each other in order to avoid getting swatted by Percy''s radar. In addition to that, we only spoke when he was not looking at us.

    "Fifteen seconds, ladies. Anea, wanna give it a shot? They all look ready to kill but none of them will speak up. Do me a favor and start this, will you?"

    I don''t have to worry about Anea because she wouldn''t want her conversations getting exposed; especially to Percy, would she now?

    There''s just a slight fucking problem here... And every time that I cross eyes with them, I can already tell what they are aiming for...!

    "You say that, but who am I supposed to blame, exactly? I''m in a tough position."

    "I will agree with that! Anyone will do. Or, do they all look too much the same?"

    "Mhm, well, I don''t think so. Let''s see... How about this...? I pick what you pick."

    "Buuuuu! That''s a tough one. No way, though. I''m the judge here. They are the executioners and so are you. And time is up! I''ll start selecting you people at random and the chosen one will either answer or get a warning. Oh, and you have five seconds to answer."

    Ending the climax, Percy started off, but he started off with the one I expected the least.

    "Blondie number two! Get the ball rolling, will you?!"

    He started with me!

    No problem though, I''ll just deliver my reply.

    "One, tw-"

    "Akimiyashika is my pick!"

    Naturally, she was outraged at this and so was Hinagiku. Thus, they began their small banter towards my direction; starting with Akimiyashika.

    "You are so bad at lying!"

    But I simply remained silent while Akimiyashika bombarded me with her spiteful glare. Suddenly, I was the center of attention and after Percy was done writing down on the board the name of Akimiyashika alongside a single vote to the right side of the name, he proceeded to turn around to speak.

    "Name?"

    "Kyoko Yukishiro."

    "Too long. Yuki it is."

    !!!!!!!!!!!!!

    "Please call me by my full name...!"

    "No way, Yuki."

    I got up from my desk and spoke full of rage.

    "It''s not hard, come on! Just say Yukishiro instead of saying "Yuki"! You are just doing this to spite me!"

    "I like yer attitude. I''ll call you by your full name if you take two warnings right here. A fair reminder that ten warnings are the limit before expulsion. So, what will it be, Yuki?"

    "Give me five warnings, Phoenix."

    "Deal, Yukishiro."

    I sat down whilst breathing extremely heavily. All eyes were on me but I was just mad at the moment.

    That was when Shizuku placed her right hand on my wrist which called me down for a bit.

    "Shhh, I''m here for you..."

    "Thank you..."

    The moment I started to genuinely feel at peace was when this asshole began to exploit my mood like nothing; therefore he began to barrage my emotions with questions.

    "So, Yukishiro, why Shika? Is Shika fine? I think Shika is better than Aki, no offense. Also, the name is so long! What the hell! Anea, seriously, tell me a longer name than "Akimiyashika"!"

    "I really can''t think of one, wow..."

    Both Akimiyashika and I are started to feel massively offended, though the thought of being lumped with Akimiyashika is utterly disgusting, so I went straight to the point of the question.

    "Arkalee has bullied Ikkiri in the past. She naturally took Arkalee out in order to protect Ikkiri. This is the absolute logical choice! There is no other choice that will make more sense than this one, people!"

    I started to speak to everyone here in the hope they could think about what I had just said and I really meant what I just said, alright?!

    How, IN THEORY, is Akimiyashika not a very valid suspect here?! She is overprotective of Ikkiri and we all know for a fact that she has written those names--- Wait, no they don''t! Then, I''ll just have to expose Arkalee here, right here and now.

    "Remember back when all those mean names were written on Ikkiri''s table?! Arkalee did it! Isn''t that right, Shizuku?!"

    Beautifully followed, without a trail of hesitation nor paranoia, Shizuku followed me up brilliantly.

    "That''s right! It just makes sense that it''s Akimiyashika! Haven''t you always been way too overprotective over Ikkiri anyway? What the hell, so creepy!"

    The sight of Akimiyashika being blinded by her rage was something worth admiring but Hinagiku this time around, instead of adding fuel to her rage, dropped some words of wisdom.

    "Aki, it''s alright. The odds are against her, trust me."

    "...I know..."

    ..............

    We looked at each other and then Shizuku made a conclusive speech alongside her own opinion on this matter.

    "I will vote for Akimiyashika too, just like Yukishiro did! Everyone who has the same opinion, please express your own take too! Don''t get scared by the difference!"

    Shizuku stood up and rightfully enforced her own opinion and while it took a few seconds, someone decided to follow along.

    It was Gale.

    "...I will vote against her too if that''s alright..."

    Akimiyashika was literally fuming at this but nonetheless kept her cool.

    I am well aware of her strategy by now. I am her target and she will blame me alongside Hinagiku; that''s why it''s better to get this out of the way right now, otherwise I''ll get the blame.

    It''s a good strategy to win votes against her soon.

    And I already have three votes against Akimiyashika, so I am off to a good start.

    Amidst this thought process of mine, I failed to notice that Percy was actually holding back his laughter; until it utterly exploded and he laughed it out like no tomorrow.

    "HAHAHA!! I love this! This is so wild! See, isn''t this way too fun?! Without scapegoats, you girls can''t lie! You are powerless! Very good! Next! Mean-eyes!"

    Was it part of his plan to delay the situation of Ikkiri just so she couldn''t be used as a scapegoat? He said earlier that it was being taken care of but is it really?

    Nevertheless, Tateyana was next and she went with the obvious mark...

    "Yukishiro, I''m sorry, but it''s really obvious it''s you."

    Tsk...

    "What?! How could I have stabbed Arkalee?! She''s a member of my group and a dear friend of mine?! How can you suggest that, Tateyana?!"

    "........."

    To this, she kept her... mouth... shut...!

    This bitch is such a damn coward! She has the gall to blame me but doesn''t present any logical reasoning whatsoever behind the choice! God!

    "Ohh!! That''s it, that''s it! That''s a good expression, Yukish---"

    "Is this funny to you...?"

    Genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, I asked this, to Percy.

    "It is."

    As such; he genuinely gave his answer, to which I kept my silence.

    "Who is up next?! Let''s keep it going!"

    No one was really afraid to speak up anymore, so Sana went next...

    I was admittedly very curious about her choice. I am under the impression that I will be her target.

    The real question is, will she commit...?

    And the answer to that question is...

    "...If I don''t answer, I get a warning, right?"

    "Bingo!"

    "That''s about it, right?"

    "Indeed. I''m not Satan, so I won''t just give you warnings over and over."

    "I see... I will, no give an answer then."

    "Brave and stupid. Name?"

    "Nasha Sana..."

    "You just got yourself a warning, Sana! Congrats!"

    "......."

    What the hell...

    Sigh, talk about disappointing... In order to further express my disappointment, I sank down my desk and hit my face on the desk''s surface. Ultimately, I sighed out loud. Subsequently, I elevated my posture once again the moment I heard Lus take her guess despite the fact that Percy had no said anything.

    "Percy, you said that we can only blame those who are in here, correct? And that we have to blame someone according to what we think is the truth."

    "That is exactly. No room for lies."

    "Hm. Well, in that case, I''ll go with Sana''s guess which is nothing."

    ....What...?

    Lus is not taking a guess? What the hell is going on?! She''s so confident and now she''s chickening out?

    This isn''t like her, but I suppose I should be glad since she might blame me.

    "I''m the same as Lus. We both get a warning, Lus."

    "Seems so. Can''t be helped. Sorry about that."

    "No probs!"

    And now Kanawari and Lus are in mutual agreement...

    Now, I am aware that we are all baffled by their behavior, but Percy is going mad right now.

    To the point where he slammed his right fist into the desk''s surface; bringing everyone''s shock to attention.

    "What the hell was that?! Yesterday you gave me a godlike confidence speech but not you are pussying out?! Explain yourself!"

    Though Percy''s attitude was undoubtedly aggressive, Lus had the spotlight on her because we were all curious as to why she was taking the same path of action as Sana.

    By contrast to our expectations, she wasn''t being a coward and was only being hyper-logical.

    "The culprit isn''t here. That''s why there''s no point in blaming someone here."

    Kanawari added something else to Lus''s speech.

    "We already know who the culprit is, also. There''s just a catch."

    Alternating speech turns, Lus took the lead once again.

    "It''s just a puzzle, but Kanawari spoke my mind. There you have it, Percy."

    Abhorrent at this, Percy tilted his neck down left all the way to the northwest and ultimately sank into his desk with his face down. Shortly after; he looked at us the same way he did yesterday when he was pretending to play peek-a-boo.

    "Boring... You both get a warning. Also, there are only two more to go. Shika and China, you''re up!"

    "My name is Hinagiku! Not China!"

    Hinagiku''s complaint aside, this has become rather predictable.

    Honestly speaking, the outcome of this stupid blame game could''ve been devasting for me should Lus and Kanawari''s votes been against me, but as it stands, there''s only Akimiyashika and Hinagiku left. And they wasted no time in delivering their answer.

    "Yukishiro!" x2.

    I laughed out loud.

    "Hahaha! Predictable."

    ".......Bitch..."

    "......Whore."

    They both seriously just cursed at me while looking away?!

    "Hey, teach! They just cursed at me!"

    "Curse them back, sweetie."

    "Really?"

    "No."

    Why is Yuka-sensei so cold these days...?

    Part 4.

    "Anea, it comes down to you."

    "It seems so, Percy. Why don''t you vote for Yukishiro and I vote for Akimiyashika? This way, things will be even and there won''t be a culprit based on a blame game."

    Anea proposed Percy the peaceful approach to which he just laughed it off, but in a kind manner; before completely shutting her offer down.

    "Haha! No. There''s gotta be a winner and a loser. It''s no fun otherwise. Boring stall games are as dull as the day is long. The decision is on you, Anea. If anyone dares to judge her decision, they get three warnings!"

    I swear to God, this guy literally has no idea of the weight that those warnings even have! Who the hell allowed this guy to be in the student council anyway?!

    Still, I am far too relaxed and that''s because I already know the outcome here.

    Quite the simple one, really.

    Should Anea choose me, then I will expose all of our conversations and she will get expelled by Percy.

    And since I can''t be chosen, it doesn''t matter who else gets chosen; Akimiyashika will be the culprit.

    "Hold it! I demand to speak to your superior, Percy."

    "Why would you say such monstrosity of words, Shika?"

    "Because it''s obvious I am going to be blamed. There''s no use in hiding it."

    "What makes you think that Anea won''t blame Yukishiro?"

    "Intuition. And so, I would like to act on it."

    What is this bitch playing at exactly...

    "You may appeal to the principal after this is concluded."

    "No! I want my appeal now! Yuka-sensei! Isn''t there something that can be done here?!"

    "...I''m afraid not... If only I were the homeroom teacher..."

    Dejected, Yuka-sensei looked absolutely defeated.

    "You heard her."

    "This is just ridiculous. I would like to offer you a suggestion if that''s alright."

    "Let''s hear it! After yesterday, I am keen on this class''s suggestions."

    First Lus and now Akimiyashika...

    I''m starting to not like this damn pattern and the fact that Percy does NOTHING against it!

    Also, the damn fact that Akimiyashika is suddenly not mad anymore and is instead; bright and confident with a zealous smirk on that fucking face of hers!

    "Can I bring Ikkiri here and make her vote instead of Anea?"

    "What?!"

    "Hm? What''s wrong, Yukishiro? You wouldn''t be too afraid of an impartial vote, would you?"

    This bitch seriously plans on dragging Ikkiri here just so she can have an impartial vote to herself?! Fuck you, that''s my tactic, you harlot!

    "So you suggest an impartial vote. It''s true. Anea is not related to this class so her vote will feel very hollow. Unlike Ikkiri''s. I see your point. Anea, what do you think?"

    "Eh? It''s fair, I suppose...? I don''t really know what to say here. I feel like my vote would just make someone mad in the end."

    "Anea, that''s a poor analogy. There''s always going to be someone salty by the end of this type of event."

    "Haha! True, true. I think her suggestion is fair as long as Ikkiri is the only one who votes afterward since she will be the decisive factor."

    No fucking way! Anea, you dumbfuck, you just screwed me up!

    I swear, I swear, I swear, I swear, I SWEAR, if Ikkiri votes against me, I will lose my fucking mind.

    "As I''ve said, she is the decisive factor and there has to be a winner and a loser here. Both Shika and Yukishiro are tied, so we must end this correctly. Alright, everyone! Let''s take a quick tour to the dorm and drag your friend out of there!"

    10 minutes later.

    After successfully managing to clear the parameter from the students who were boycotting class, we brought Ikkiri inside the classroom.

    I must say, I have never seen someone this terrified before. She cannot even look up, her eyes are glued to the ground. Although Ikkiri doesn''t cry like Arkalee, you can see the dreadful fear all over her. If fear had a smell, it would be Ikkiri. Plus, her tiny height is extremely funny for some reason. It feels like I could just grab her head and squash it.

    Recently, I''ve been gaining the thought of bullying Ikkiri physically. And in the past ten minutes, it has become more than a thought.

    "Alright, ladies! We have the decisive factor here! All eyes on her, please!"

    Instead of being seated in our seats, we are all circling Ikkiri.

    If I were to count everyone in this circle currently surrounding Ikkiri, who is seating facedown on her desk right now then we would be thirteen.

    Thirteen whole people surrounding one single person; mercilessly.

    Of course, Akimiyashika and Hinagiku weren''t fine with this and they were trying to communicate with Ikkiri, who was having a really hard time communicating in general.

    Hell, she barely fucking talks.

    Is she mute? What if she is?

    "Ikkiri, did you get the gist of it?"

    Yuka-sensei, who was on her knees, communicating with Ikkiri, who refused to face any of us.

    Is she broken or something? I don''t actually know why she acts the way she acts, honestly.

    All I know is that she''s bullying material but outside of that, I know absolutely nothing.

    "..............Yes...."

    A very shallow almost silent positive answer came from Ikkiri. The only reason as to why we could even hear that was because no one was making a single movement and noise. At a point, our inhaling sounds started to sound gigantically loud in the perpetual silence.

    And even though she replied positively, she did not speak any further.

    We were constantly switching glances with each other and even Percy felt like even if he were to intervene it wouldn''t make a difference.

    However, to our surprise, she did speak again, but not towards the main subject.

    "..........Is Arkalee alright....?"

    She....

    No way, is she seriously worried about Arkalee?

    Crap, I need to laugh my ass off so badly.

    "Yes! She''s recovering right now! But Ikkiri, we need your vote right now. Between Yukishiro and me, who do you think did it?"

    I don''t like how Akimiyashika is essentially limiting the options for voting to the two of us but Percy wouldn''t approve otherwise.

    And once again, we stood in the silence waiting for the queen of silence herself to feel appropriately comfortable and THEN give us her FUCKING answer!

    ".........None of you...."

    "Blue hair, I hate to burst your bubble but you have to choose between them. Just make the decision."

    "Please be a little mindful..."

    "Chika, I already am being very mindful. And..."

    What Percy was about to say was something that would make me want to laugh for centuries to come.

    To top it off, he didn''t even bother to say it silently as he made sure Ikkiri also listened to it.

    "Is she mentally ill?"

    Our eyes widened in surprise, for very different reasons.

    But Percy couldn''t really process what he was currently breaching, so he continued.

    "Just an honest question. Am I dealing with a mute person? Autistic?"

    Naturally, someone couldn''t take this lack of remorse from him, so she started to elevate her right hand alongside her right arm as if she were about to slap Percy so hard that he would flip.

    "Hm? Wait, what are y---"

    "DIE!!"

    It took Hinagiku, Lus, Kanawari, Yuka-sensei, Tateyana, and Sana to stop Akimiyashika from going on a rampage against Percy, but they successfully managed to contain her.

    "I DON''T CARE IF I GET A MILLION OF WARNINGS, I WILL BEND HIS SPINE IN HALF!!"

    In response to this, Percy quickly backed off as he realized the danger of the situation.

    "Alright, alright! My bad, I wasn''t joking though! I mean, look at her! Isn''t it rational to assume that she has down syndrome?!"

    "THE ONLY DOWN WILL BE YOUR BODY ONCE IT''S BURIED ON THE GROUND SIX FEET DEEP! DAMN IT, LET GO OF ME ALREADY!"

    "We really can''t..."

    "Please calm down, Akimiyashika..."

    At this point, there was a ten-meter distance between Percy and Akimiyashika. Amikiyashika; despite being held back by so many people is attempting to coldly murder Percy right here and now.

    "Look, blue hair... I don''t intend to pressure you, but if you don''t talk, then I will have to nullify Shika''s suggestion and so, Anea will get to vote instead of her. As such, I will be issuing a time limit. Fifteen seconds it is. You have fifteen seconds to vote. Just say the name. That''s all."

    On his knees, Percy faced Ikkiri face to face, only the flat desk separating them.

    "One... Two... .......Three..."

    Her movements were null. There was no movement whatsoever. I am seriously starting to think that she has a medical condition.

    If not, then... Why the hell is she acting like this...? Did all the pressure break her?

    Or maybe she was just so fragile that even the frailest thing was enough to shatter her.

    "Four... Five... Si---"

    "hir....."

    ...............

    She spoke.........

    But rather silent and..... And......... I swear....

    Don''t make me have to stare at you with these cold ungrateful eyes, Ikkiri...

    "Six.... Seven.... Eight... Ni--"

    "...Please wait... You''re going too fast..."

    Alas, she erupted her posture slightly. Her eyesight was matching with Percy''s. Her radiant dark purple eyes finally basked under some light.

    "I''ll keep it going until you give me the name. Nine... Ten.... Eleve---"

    "Wait....! Just wait...! I..."

    "Eleven... Twelve...."

    "I just wanted to say something to the person first...! Let me do that please..."

    "To the person you are voting against, blue-hair?"

    "Yes..."

    "Permission granted."

    I didn''t want it to happen and I refused to believe for a split second that Ikkiri was turning around in my direction.

    That Ikkiri, was going to not her best friend, Akimiyashika, who is being held by several people which would mean that the other ones could be potential voting subjects, but for me.

    My right and left hand started to twitch uncontrollably as my breathing got out of control alongside my eye vision widening beyond my capacity of manipulation.

    Lastly, as Ikkiri came close to me; she abandoned her poor pathetic lethargic stance and summoned all of her useless energy to say the last words I wanted to hear out of her limp mouth. Furthermore, her puppy eyes invoked a meltdown in my stomach that made me want to straight-up throw up on her pale face.

    "...Yukishiro.... I am sorry.... I... can''t hurt Aki and I don''t want to certainly hurt you too, but..... I am not good at making decisions..... At all. It seems though that I don''t have a choice so I want to tell you that it''s not personal.... It''s just the circumstance....!"

    "Ikkiri.... What the hell are you implying...?"

    "I........ vote against you, Yukishiro...! I''m sorry!"

    Those words brought out all the fury I had in me for a split second to which I completely depleted to the inside once again.

    That unique moment when Ikkiri bowed down and apologized, I think that I want to make her swallow and choke on her own hair whilst squeezing her eyeballs out.

    However, I put my fake face on and smiled, because these cowards are enjoying this. They want to know what my reaction is.

    But I won''t give you my genuine one.

    No.

    Not yet.

    "I see! What a shame! I was hoping that Akimiyashika would be the temporary culprit!"

    "...You''re not mad at me...?"

    "Mad at you?! What nonsense are you even speaking?! Percy said that the culprit of this game will be the overall culprit until the real one reveals itself! Doesn''t that mean that I just have to work hard and unravel the real culprit thus clearing my name?!"

    ".......I.... suppose.... I forgot about that..."

    SHE FORGOT ABOUT THAT.

    "See? Everyone, the culprit has been found! It was me all along! There you have it, Percy. Happy now?"

    Oh. My. God. Why is everyone keeping their silences? It''s like they all got a dick on their mouths, seriously.

    Even Percy is having trouble speaking. Nevertheless, the one who spoke was Shizuku, who seems to have a talent when it comes to reading my mood.

    "Are you feeling alright?"

    "Yukishiro, you are dismissed for today."

    Huh? Why did Percy just say that to me?

    "I''ll agree with Percy here. You can head back to the dorm earlier than the rest."

    "Um...... Well... Okay then...? I''ll get my stuff and head back then!"

    It was then, as I broke out of the circle and got past Akimiyashika that their silences started to resemble more genuine cowardice rather than respecting my emotions.

    "Can I go---"

    Shizuku attempted to speak up, but Percy said no to her in a silent manner.

    Having packed all my stuff into the bag, I looked ready to leave so I waved at everyone who waved back at me.

    "See you tomorrow then!"

    "........." x13.

    But nobody spoke in return. It''s frankly weird.

    Nevertheless, I admired the scenery outside through the windows. The bright morning sun is radiant and mighty.

    It''s such a shame that... while I stand here, admiring this beautiful view... that the sunlight is burning the tears that are running through my cheeks as I smile fakely.

    ".........I fucking hate all of you so much......If only you people knew........"

    I said goodbye to the view and started to walk through the hallway.

    In addition to that, I put my earplugs on and played a favorite of mine: "Twisted Nerve".

    Now, I don''t like to brag but I am quite the good whistler so whenever this song comes on, I make sure to whistle it as loud as I can.

    "Fuu... Fuuu... Fufufuuu.... Fuuufuuuu.... Fuufuuu~~~"

    Descending the stairs never felt so good! What''s with the way your body just inclines towards the center of gravity; as if you were always attracted to something that makes you fall and not something that makes you stand up?

    Three whole floors and I am out of the block. I can see that they are staring at me through the window because the human eyesight captures the angle of 90 degrees, so I don''t have to directly look at them to know that. All I have to do is to look in a direction that captures the right edge of that degree.

    Still, it''s important that I keep this smile up.... For a while...

    "Oh, it stopped..."

    Mhm... No song... And I don''t feel like repeating it.

    I quickly ran into the dorm.

    At the entrance, I met Olivia and she asked what I was doing here. I said that I was dismissed from class and as such, I went to the dorm. Naturally, she disagreed and I said that she could check with the teacher. This went on for a while but I eventually was able to get to my room.

    I threw my bag into the middle of nowhere. Then, I went into my lamp''s desk upper drawer and took out a knife.

    Subsequently, I went into my bathroom and undressed.

    I objectively analyzed my naked body as I travel around it with the edge of my knife. Sometimes it would cause small strokes of blood to appear, but no less.

    "She doesn''t have a condition, right?"

    I talked to myself in the mirror.

    "It would be one thing if she did what she did if she had a condition. It would be pretty understandable... But no, it was all in her fucking character..."

    Still, I really wonder, which part of the body is a good practice target.

    I must plan this cautiously...

    "Still, still, still....!!!!"

    I started to cling to the lavatory in front of me and in addition to doing that, my laughter began.

    "Hahahaha!!!"

    Through each knife stab towards the soggy mirror, the pieces started to crumble as fast as lave scourges through a volcano.

    "You can''t hurt that BITCH but it''s fucking FINE to hurt me instead?! IS THAT IT?! YOU''VE GIVEN ME CONSENT TO DO THE EXACT SAME SHIT TO YOU, BASICALLY!"

    No longer being attached to the knife itself, the blade of the knife was sent flying to the ground as I mercilessly stabbed the mirror over and over; feeling the exaggerated pain in my wrist from thrusting so much.

    "Fine then."

    I stopped the stabbing and kneeled down to get the blade in which I saw my reflection through the bar of illumination reflected by the highlighted spectrum.

    My eye veins; mostly red, were running rampant.

    "Fine, fine, fine..."

    I''ll have to think long and hard, but I''ll make it work.

    "IKKIRI, I''LL GIVE YOU A FUCKING CONDITION THAT YOU''LL LIVE WITH FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!"

 Volume 20 - Chapter 139: Distant Carnage.

    Part 1.

    April 13th.

    5 pm.

    Leaving behind all I had to discover, I crossed all the sections that I; along with Sagasuga, previously had come through. It took me around 3 hours to regress back to the first mine''s entrance. I still remember it in my mind; how it''s adjoined with vagrantly brilliantly illuminated green crystals emitting a mystical sensation.

    The outside atmosphere was truly tropical; surprisingly. However, being so ecologically fragile has its disadvantages. Wooden trees that threaten the sky from my perspective swiftly ravaged by the imperial winds from a not-so-distant time. Specifically speaking, winds from this morning blocked us from going out of this mine. As addressed, this is the first mine, and the one up ahead is the second one. Earlier, before coming into the entrance, I re-checked the password computer and nothing changed. In addition to that, I had attempted to break into the door with Sagasuga''s ax, but it was all for naught.

    I''ve come to the conclusion that each section holds two key components to be discovered. The first mine held Sagasuga''s ax to be discovered. Just through that analogy, it didn''t become clear what had to be discovered; nonetheless, through the second mine, I discovered that there were two massive components. The one that''s discovered via the normal way and the other one which is discovered through the secret passage. In the second mine, I discovered a tablet and a battery which would perfectly fit inside the back of the tablet. Furthermore, the battery clearly gave the tablet the necessary energy for it to function.

    Is it a coincidence that these two components significantly complement each other? It is not. Henceforth, it''s essential to undercover the two complimenting components in each mine. Regardless of that desire of mine; access of the secondary component in the first mine has been restricted by Sagasuga''s sneaky methods. Upon the discovery of the secondary component in the secondary mine I have additionally concluded that these secondary components must be discovered at all costs; regardless of the quantity of effort that must be put into the task of doing so.

    "Never one; without the other. And so on."

    Alas, as I stepped outside of the mine, basking under the primordial light of the rising sun, my two feet felt the soft embrace of the yellow soft sand. It was then that I reflected once more on the current scenery and my necessities; as a sole human being.

    This gorgeous fertile island''s blessings thus far have been settled in variety. Yet as of this moment, not so far away; crystalized pure water seemingly infinite from this distance extends itself abundantly in that geographical horizon. Lush green midst leaves only holding the spotlight whilst shaming the circular structure of the tree itself. A canal so linear yet so abstractedly curve at the same time; flowing towards the light ocean up ahead, to lead the way out of this place. None of those compelling factors truly mattered as I climbed onto the tree holding the coconuts on top of it.

    Borderline howling amidst this endless starvation of mine, my eyes supremely reached a whole new level of wide as my brain woke itself. Scraping through the leaves savagely, I took out three coconuts and they fell mercilessly onto the basically dilapidated sand.

    Failed I had to notice that the moment I flew out of the height that was supporting my body, I was going to face a high elevated altitude due to the sheer difference of ten meters. Naturally, I resisted the impact but it caused a small sharp pain onto my legs once I landed.

    "Guuuh...!"

    As I looked to my knees which were immediately breaching the color of red though nonetheless skin-colored as the nature of human anatomy dictates, I reminded myself that this occurrence was equally benefited due to the keen factor of lack of nutrients. Therefore, I extended my legs on this deader dry sand and allowed my naked feet toes to be embraced by the perfectly bright lukewarm water basked under the imperial sunlight.

    Subsequently, I did not even try to break the coconuts with my bare hands and instead took out Sagasuga''s ax which neatly did the job by cutting the first coconut in a perfect oval shape. And then, I scourged the surface of the coconut as fast as I could and thus started my meal.

    Never in my entire life did I enjoy a coconut this much. Each bite out of the fresh delicacy deep within the young shredded coconut made me feel eternally blessed. The absolute ecstasy was nowhere near enough so as I was utterly done with the first coconut which I made sure to eat as much as I could out of it; I advanced onto the second coconut that met the same fate as the other one.

    My hunger did not stop and so, I settled for five coconuts in the long run. I felt stuffed and complete. The energy coursing through each element of my body gave me the inner strength to take the deepest inhale in a while.

    "Mpphhhhhh..!! Fuuuuuuu..."

    Onto the main attraction now.

    "This is amazing! The tablet itself does not operate like the average one, at all. Furthermore, the more I advance, the more it uncovers."

    After I had washed my hands with the canal''s clean water and only after drying them with the uniform did I take out the tablet that was in my bag.

    Unlike an average tablet, it never shuts down. The battery is infinite. However, earlier, I confused the battery for the percentage where it said "10%"; until I was taken away by the abundantly amazing factor that this tablet has provided me with. In the first place, if there are two percentage bars, then it wouldn''t make sense for the two of them to symbolize the energy percentage; therefore the other one which isn''t symbolizing it is referring to another factor.

    "It shows the map of the island, but only unveils what I have walked with it. In other words, the more I walk with this tablet, the more the island becomes known to me. Though, that''s it. I thought that it would indicate a hidden location to where I would have to go should I had discovered it, but no. As far as I can tell, it''s the island''s map that is slowly unraveling itself. The other percentage which is now only at 15% stands for the expansion of the island''s areas that I have discovered. The moment it gets by 100% it will mean that the island as a whole will be visible to me, Rayazaki, and Kuzan. Akihiko too, if we find him."

    Nevertheless, this is an unfathomable discovery! And to think that Sagasuga was attempting to block me out of this...

    I forgot to mention something. There is a red indicator which is the location of the tablet, and this is extremely good because I now KNOW where I am, EXACTLY.

    "This stays at the bottom of the island. Fully towards the south. The proximity towards the volcano which looks to be in the center is massive. However, there''s nothing really telling me that a volcano is a place that must be approached."

    If anything, it''s a place that supposedly shouldn''t be approached. Aside from all this information, there is an additional good factor here. This mine appears on the tablet''s map and it has a name to it. All I have to do is to click on the talking balloon icon which is above the entirety of the mine itself.

    "Necrohol of Canopus... That''s the name of it."

    It''s a bit confusing but due to my immense knowledge of the Latin language, I''ve managed to draw out a logical conclusion towards the etymology behind the name. First of all, Necrohol. The obvious part is how "Necro" translates into "Death". However, depending on what follows it up, it could change from "Death" to; for example: "Dead", which is the case because what comes next is "Hol". Hol here either means "Hollow" or "Hall". Dead Hollow could be an alternative but I believe that the most accurate translation would be...

    Death Hall or Dead Hall. Both mean that it''s not a mine. It''s a hall of the dead. However, when we crossed that hall, nothing really reminded us of what the hall translates into. How can it be a Necrohol if there is nothing related to death on the surface?

    "Unless there is, of course. That would change things. What if there are bodies buried underneath the green crystals? Slightly terrifying, to think about it. Nevertheless, it could''ve been random."

    In addition to "Necrohol", there is Canopus. A star from the constellation of Carina and most notably famous for being the second brightest star in the night sky. Only Sirius outwits Canopus in terms of shine.

    "Though, I don''t think it''s actually random. Because if I go over the second section where I discovered this, it says something rather..."

    Outside of this map, the moment I click on the icon, it goes to another map and it represents another battery percentage at the top. It is at 20% unlike on the surface map which is at 15%. It''s fairly simple to get something here so I''ll get to it right now. The other world map is at 20% because I''ve crossed and discovered two sections. Each section contains 10% to be unveiled. Therefore, should I discover the remaining eight sections, it will be at 100%.

    I wonder if something will happen once the percentage hits 100%... Will it trigger something?

    That aside, in the other world map, I clicked on the additional talking balloon icon that was towards the north. However, it was only slightly to the north. If I had to describe it, it wouldn''t even reach a quarter of the map; vertically. That symbolizes the gap of the other sections, most likely.

    Once I did, I read what the second section was called.

    "Rigil Kentaurus Mines. Yup, there''s no doubt about it, it''s a mine alright. Unlike the Necrohol. Though, they both resembled a mine, for sure. But I''ll certainly say that the second section had the appearance of a mine far better than this one."

    So I said while looking at the entrance to which I am currently twenty meters away. Still, this wasn''t all there was to it. In this other world map, I found the tower''s name firstly. It only makes sense because I obtained this in the tower, after all. As I clicked the talking icon, the name of the tower unraveled itself.

    "Tuwile Skyhigh Tower."

    Unfortunately, I have no idea what "Tuwile" means, but the second part is a reference to its immense height as it threatens the sky itself. I saw it with my own two eyes; the abysmal depth whenever I was looking down below from that enormous colossal height. The difference is terrifying, to say the least.

    And that''s all. So far, I have to focus on the real-world map. Although I say "other world" I am aware that it''s actually part of this world. It''s just an easy distinguishment.

    I got up and stretched. Then, I started to make my way towards the ocean and took a swim for about 15 minutes. It was very relaxing because my body was slightly tired.

    Afterward, I decided to meet up with the rest in the place where we had agreed to meet up yesterday. There was no guarantee that they would be there but I had to try.

    Part 2.

    8 pm.

    Nobody is here.

    At the current moment, I am standing in front of the burned bonfire that was our source of light a day ago; in the night.

    Our meeting point would be here at dusk and it is currently dusk. The sun is no taller than the high majestic trees right now yet no one is at sight. I am aware that I will be questioned about Sagasuga''s whereabouts, but preferably, I would like if Rayazaki and Kuzan were to come instead of Tsudo and Tatsu.

    On the borderline of the bonfire, I took a seat and felt the rigidness of the forest''s ground. Furthermore, the night''s winds were starting to blast wildly. My hair fluctuated rampantly.

    It was at that moment that I felt uncertain. A part of me just wanted to not care at all.

    A part of me was starting to speak on the other side, as it sometimes does. It''s a voice that doesn''t come often as I would like.

    This is what people call "alter-ego". It has a tendency to manifest in face of insecure moments however only when the source of insecurity is absent. It never shows a mental face whenever vis-a-vis with the source.

    I started to fiddle with the ashes and felt their lightweight falling from my right hand''s palm''s surface.

    That was when, in front of me, a mental construction was formed. A figure of myself, far more confident than what I already am, something inhuman in terms of characteristics, attempted to strike a deal one more time.

    He has the devil''s horn underneath his hair due to my image of Satan as a whole. My counterpart is nothing like a mirror. It''s a corruption of the reflection.

    Grinning, he spoke, without making a fuss in his speech, unlike I always do. No exaggeration; a perfect composed speech without any flaws.

    "????????, ???''V? ???? ?????? ????????????? ??????. ??? ????? ????? ????? ??????, ??? ??? ??????''? ?V?? ???? ???????? ???? ??? ??? ??? ??????."

    He threw a rock at me, which was still in the borders of the bonfire.

    "I gave him a chance. Plus, isn''t what I did enough? Rationally speaking, he will have to do something insane to get out of that."

    To this, he erupted the missing flame of the bonfire with a simple snap of fingers and his face was no longer in the infinite darkness. I could see the glimpse of his devilish eyes emitting powerful contrast.

    "???V?. ???V?, ???V?, ???V?... ??? ???? ????? ?? ? ??V? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??????? ?????? ??? ??, ???? ???? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ?????? ???? ??V? ??? ??????. ?? ????? ??? ??? ????????? ?? ?? ???? ???? ?? ????? ?????? ??????? ??? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ???. ?? ????? ??? ??????? ?V?????? ????."

    "...I can''t do that."

    "??? ??? ???, ????????? ??? ??? ???? ???????? ?? ????? ?????????? ???''? ??? ?? ????????, ??? ???? ??? ??? ???. ??? ???? ??V? ??? ?? ??? ??????? ????????? ?? ???? ????. ????? ?? ??????? ??????? ????? ???? ????."

    "Even so, I won''t. I have this under control. Go away."

    "????????. ???''?? ????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ????. ??? ????''? ????? ??? ????''? ?? ????. ?? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??????? ??????? ??????? ???? ????????, ???? ??? ???''? ?? ???? ?? ???? ????''? ?? ????."

    "You don''t know what''s to come. And you always run away at the crucial moment. I don''t fucking trust you anymore."

    "??, ???''? ??? ??? ???! ???? ???????? ?? ??? ???? ???? ???????? ??????? ??? ??????? ?? ??J??? ??! ??!!! ?? ???? ?? ?????? ??????????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???????? ??????? ?? ????! ?? ?????''? ??V? ?? ?? ???? ??? ???????... ????''? ?????! ?? ??? ?? ????? ???? ?? ??? ????! ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ?? ??? ?? ??? ??? ???? ??! ???''? ???? ???? ??? ?????!"

    His words started to spread fire all over them as his body soon enough was engulfed in flames. Like a rising fire.

    "It will never happen again. ...Daku."

    "??''?? ??? ????? ????."

    Rapidly, his form began to deform and went inside of me once again.

    All alone, I came to the full realization that it all happened in my mind. I was talking to no one except my own mental construction.

    I never know when he will come. But he always says the same things.

    It''s a voice in the back of your head that silently judges all of your actions and you can''t do anything about it.

    You can''t beat him up.

    You can''t fully argue back and feel like a winner.

    Because, in the end, that would be making you the loser, wouldn''t it?

    "Pathetic..."

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Midst my self-talking, I heard footsteps entering the parameter and didn''t hesitate to look behind me. That was when I saw the two of them, waving at me with a smile on their faces.

    Seeing their faces made me so happy and I don''t even know why.

    I suppose I''ve been feeling lonely lately on this rather lonesome island.

    "Kuzan!!! Rayazaki!!!"

    I ran as fast as I could towards their direction in the middle of the trees and they did the same.

    However, they were quick to express their spite towards me.

    "Master, what the hell?! We WERE supposed to meet with each other yesterday!!! We had to stand in the rain for hours!"

    "That was such a dumb idea! I''m never doing it again!"

    As I heard Kuzan and Rayazaki talk to each other; full of spite, I got immense laughter of happiness. A small tear in my eye leaked out as I rolled on the rigid ground out of sheer felicity.

    "Hahaha!! You absolute fools! You waited in the rain for me?! You guys are soooo dumb, muhahaha!!!"

    I received small light kicks in my stomach from both of them as a response after they said their fair share.

    "Go fuck yourself, dude!"

    "We probably caught a cold!"

    Part 3.

    Kuzan had brought fruits along in his bag, so we were able to have a wholesome feast revolving around fruit only for dinner.

    After we had made yet another bonfire using the same strategy as last time, it was time to collect the information.

    But before that, there are a lot of fruits here; such as golden bananas, which are very mature thus making it extremely easy to enjoy them. There is also plenty of star fruits which is an immensely rare fruit in general. Alongside it, there are green mangos that are absurdly good as well. Ultimately, a bunch of papayas was thrown right into the middle as we formed a triangle mirroring the frontal side of the bonfire.

    I was the one who started to talk; after I put my uniform on and surely, they both did the same because the cold was starting to become unbearable.

    "Brr... COLD!"

    "Um, master, can I ask the obvious?"

    "I think we both have the same doubts, Kuzan."

    Rayazaki and Kuzan both looked at each other in order to complement their similar thought processes. I waited not for Kuzan to make a question and as I started to eat the papaya thoroughly, I talked after each bite.

    "Sagasuga betrayed me. Or, he was aiming to betray me."

    To this, Kuzan was shocked, but Rayazaki already thought to himself as this was extremely obvious.

    "Why would he do that?!"

    "What did you expect, Kuzan? Calm guys like him are probably deep down nuts!"

    Rayazaki''s analogy isn''t too off the charts here. Still, these guys have no manners whatsoever. They just talk while chewing.

    I like to believe that they are upholding this behavior because we are only boys here and there are no girls to judge our savagery.

    "It''s still... I thought he was a nice guy... I can''t imagine that Sagasuga doing something like that..."

    I moved on from this topic and addressed some questions on my own.

    "Alright, it''s time. Tell me something, Rayazaki, and Kuzan. Yesterday, did they show up?"

    They answered instantly without thinking as there was no room to think about something utterly obvious.

    "No!"

    "...I see."

    Maybe I''m drawing a conclusion here too fast but I highly suspect that they were conspiring against me with Sagasuga. Either Sagasuga told them a lie with a similar objective or he straight up told them the truth and nonetheless was aiming to screw me up.

    The fact that they did not appear here yesterday very well meant that Sagasuga already told them ahead of time. I don''t believe that they possess the individualism to create an independent path of action while tricking Sagasuga.

    That''s not possible.

    "Kawahara, are we going to wait around for them? Hey, what happened to Sagasuga?"

    "We had a fight. He''s in critical condition so to speak."

    "Wait, what?!"

    "Master, we should go and help him."

    Towards their panic, I presented the benefits that would silence their worries.

    Out of my bag, I took the words that I had collected. Furthermore, I showed Kan''s word; therefore seven words were present. I tossed them the boxes and they could see for themselves my progress.

    Before they could speak their surprising opinions, I took advantage of that to further give them the good news.

    "Only three words are left. Our way to victory is not far!"

    I got up and shouted that whole sentence which prompted them to rise up and join me.

    First, Kuzan started to jump around like a little kid while holding the majority of the boxes.

    "Master, this is amazing!"

    "No fucking way we lose now! Kawahara, dude, you''re a genius! Holy shit! And you got Kan''s word too?! My God!"

    I admit it, I got pretty satisfied right here.

    My face quickly got smug as my smirk rose up to full height.

    "I told you! If I say we are going to win, we are going to win! But, take a seat, you two. I need to ask more questions."

    "Yeah, sure thing, Master!"

    "Ask anything if it will help us win the exam!"

    Their trust is fully on my side.

    Sagasuga''s downfall has profited immensely already. However, it can all fall should I not have the correct information in my arsenal.

    That''s why I went straight to the point the moment I resumed eating my papaya.

    "What did you two find? I found some pretty neat things along the way, but I want to know what you two found."

    While it''s amazing that I got seven general words along with me right now, it''s imperial to know more! To never be satisfied with the bare knowledge a victory can give me! To seek out more in my surroundings! Because, the moment I am truly satisfied, is the moment I lose. I feel like, whenever I cross the line of satisfaction and settle for something that doesn''t ultimately feel like a victory is a moment where I actually lost.

    And so, I won''t make that mistake. I will accumulate and accumulate information about this island and ace this exam.

    In regards to Kuzan and Rayazaki, they both expressed joyful enthusiasm while explaining their situation.

    Kuzan started off by bursting into flames while speaking.

    "Master! Master! We found a mystic mine! It was unreal! You won''t believe it!"

    Rayazaki added to the excitement as well; now that he''s seating down in front of the bonfire that is burning ardently.

    "It''s not really a mine, but it resembles more of a temple! As soon as we were done scourging through the jungle, we found it!"

    Although this was reason to be excited, I quickly started to grow gloomy as a singular thought occupied my mind.

    A singular thought; a peculiar doubt that I could not help but ask with the most utmost seriousness in my soul.

    "Did you two by some chance; enter the "mystic" mine and did you two, by some sort of tiny fracture of a chance, stood upon a computer that had a password entry?"

    I expected a positive answer here which would put me in paranoia for one very simple reason. I truly believe that these two idiots would not hesitate to empty the password entries. Furthermore, their memories are extremely lackluster which would add the recipe to disaster should they had encountered the said computer as I did in the Necrohol of Canopus and in the Tuwile Skyhigh Tower.

    By contrast, they were abundantly puzzled by my question.

    "Master, are you alright? You just suggested that there is technology on this island."

    "I''m with Kuzan here, you know? A computer? Sounds too fucking fancy for me. Plus, password entry? Are you out of your mind? This is an island."

    I see. They haven''t found it... Though...

    "Wait, what did you two found in that "mystic" mine exactly?"

    Rayazaki mentioned that it was more of a temple than a mine, which should mean that something about it resembled a mine just like at first the Necrohol of Canopus resembled a mine, but it actually was not a mine but a hall.

    What caught me off guard was their answer. Kuzan went from being hysterically enthusiastic to horrified.

    "We didn''t find anything because we couldn''t enter it!"

    "That''s right! After we climbed the stairs and got to the entrance, we started to lose the ability to breathe!"

    Despite their words invoking the need to speak absurdity, I nonetheless remained collected as I have experienced what the other world has to offer. In order to not undermine it, I reasonably asked Rayazaki and Kuzan what they were talking about.

    "Be more specific. Describe the order of events chronologically. Kuzan, go!"

    "AYE!"

    So he said whilst devouring the banana with a savage force beyond my reckoning.

    "It was all dark and shit! We took about three steps right into it, didn''t we?!"

    He looked in Rayazaki''s direction for approval; to which Kuzan was obviously successful.

    "Literally! All it took was three steps!"

    "And then we started to feel like the air was escaping us or something! That''s why I call it Mystic Mine!"

    "I see."

    At least it makes sense. I thought Kuzan was just randomly naming it.

    I''ll applaud him for that.

    "Why are you clapping, Master?"

    "Nothing, Kuzan. So, the air started to escape you?"

    "Yes!"

    With this in mind, I asked Rayazaki something this time around.

    "Was the air still escaping you when you turned back?"

    "Wait..."

    He looked to be reflecting onto something. Something that he hadn''t thought about.

    Frankly, this air issue that they faced is most likely not natural but manufactured. I am under the impression that they found yet another section but that the passage was blocked and the way was blocked due to a defensive mechanism. I dare argue that the hypothesis of the Mystic Mine being blocked because the prior sections haven''t been cleared is fairly possible.

    For example... If there was an entrance to the Rigil Kentaurus Mines outside of the one that we entered from then maybe it wouldn''t be accessible because the password entry is blocking it. I believe that the password changes everything and that factor has become something far too true to be denied.

    "We had to back off to the entrance to catch up the air..."

    "You were successful, right, Rayazaki? Kuzan?"

    "Yeah, we were..." x2.

    In my line of thought, I managed to attract Kuzan''s attention and so, he demanded to know what were my thoughts on this matter.

    It is not good to cloud information from my lackeys, especially now.

    "Master, you know why that happened to us, right?"

    "Yeah, you always know more, so what''s the deal? Why did we suddenly lose the ability to breathe in face of that mine?"

    I kept eating the delicious Papaya and only then did I speak to Rayazaki and Kuzan, who were too hunged up on my answer that was to come to the point where they forgot to eat what they were holding in their bare hands.

    Or perhaps they simply did not care either way.

    "First of all, I''ll have to explain everything that has happened to me in the past day."

    It took me around 10 minutes to give it a whole rundown on it, but without the explanation, they could not understand the basics.

    Moreso, I showed them the tablet and explained its utility and how I''ve discovered two sections thus far. And that they most likely stumbled upon the entrance of yet another section. Their entrance was diagnosed as blocked due to the lack of password entry in the past sections; ergo it couldn''t be the third section, otherwise, it wouldn''t make any sense for the entrance to have a self-defensive manufactured mechanism.

    In the end, they were all over me admiring the tablet like some fucking brats. With each speech, their mouth salivas were all over me, which ticked me off.

    "Holy shit, you imbeciles! Can you not speak while spitting all over me?! Fuck my life!"

    "Kawahara, there is technology in this island, after all! We don''t just have to return back to monkeys!"

    "We never fucking had to!"

    "Master, Master! Does the tablet have scramble?! I wanna play! Hey, I''m bored!"

    "Kuzan, SHUT UP! THIS IS IMPORTANT!!"

    Fucking scramble, are you serious?!

    I''m thankful they are understanding this information though, which is why I continued despite them being all over the tablet.

    "I believe that there is a defensive mechanism on the entrance of the temple. As Rayazaki said, the moment you two backed off, you didn''t feel asphyxiated, right?"

    Asphyxiated...! That was the word I was looking for!

    "And if that''s the case, then it''s not something natural. Inert gas asphyxiation. Or, IGA for short. That''s most likely what happened to you two."

    It''s not exactly that common of a method but inert gas asphyxiation can be a method of execution just in the odd case that lethal injections are not available. All it takes is two to three breaths to provoke asphyxiation within the human body. It all results from the rapid accumulation of lost cells due to the immensely fast decrease of oxygen in the entire body.

    In other words, there''s a very high chance that the entrance of the mine is intoxicated by some sort of toxin which can reproduce the exact result of inert gas asphyxiation. Historically speaking, back in-between 1992 all the way to 2002, in the US, there was a record of at least 80 people who have died out of accidental nitrogen asphyxiation. It is one thing if it''s accidental nitrogen asphyxiation.

    And a completely different one if it''s intentional nitrogen asphyxiation.

    Essentially speaking, as long as we don''t clear the conditions for the entrance to stop spreading that toxin, we either don''t enter the mine or we enter the mine with our dead bodies.

    Naturally, the conditions will have to be cleared.

    "To put it in shorter terms, it''s a deadly toxin that''s meant to kill you; should you stay in the atmosphere where the toxin is applied. In other words, entering the mine, right now, will get you killed."

    "Right now?" x2.

    Hah. I like their attitude whenever I say something remotely positive towards a completely negative aspect. It brings a smile to my face, not gonna lie.

    "That mine holds nothing against us should we clear the sections that come after the Tuwile Skyhigh Tower. However, we are going through the passage that was opened inside the Rigil Kentaurus Mines. We are going to have to walk a long way, but that''s essentially the plan."

    "Man, these locations have weird names, don''t they?"

    "Yeah, you said it, Rayazaki! I can barely pronounce them, Master! My English is not really that good!"

    Kuzan and Rayazaki aside, I somewhat understand the etymology of the Necrohol of Canopus and the Rigil Kentaurus Mines.

    Canopus and Rigil Kentaurus are part of the top ten brightest stars in the night sky. However... If this is in order, then it doesn''t make any sense. If the Necrohol of Canopus is the starting section, then shouldn''t a section that has the name of "Sirius A" in it be the starting section instead? Sirius A is the brightest star... Not Canopus.

    Unless there is a prior section...? No, but there wasn''t anything connecting to such sect----

    "OH SHIT!"

    Upon realizing the super-fucking-obvious, I grabbed all my hair strands while rapidly losing my mind; which alerted Kuzan and Rayazaki immediately.

    They both kneeled down as they witnessed my insanity.

    "Kawahara?!"

    "Master?! What''s wrong?!"

    "It''s so obvious! I am so dumb! All along, I could never figure out why Sagasuga truly wanted to block my access towards that door but it now all ads up! The secret passage in the Necrohol is the passage that will lead towards the first section!! And because the Necrohol of Canopus was the first section we found, I just naturally assumed that it was the first! HOLY SHIT!"

    "W-What?! I''m shocked!"

    "You could just be wrong, Kawahara... But I seriously don''t think you are honestly... DAMN, what are we waiting for?! We have so much to discover! Screw sleeping, let''s get this shit rolling! I''m dying to discover what''s next!"

    Rayazaki started to burst into excitement as he put his bag on his back.

    Kuzan followed the example whilst being overly excited too.

    My quick insanity fleed as soon as I came to reason.

    "Settle down, you two. You''re not going anywhere. Don''t forget you''re on a fucking deserted island with limited resources. Plus, we need to SLEEP. Otherwise, our bodies will feel heavy as shit. Think! Just think a bit!"

    I hate to be this sassy towards them because I genuinely admire their inner enthusiasm towards the aesthetic aspect of discovery, but it''s plain foolish. Plus, I still have some things I want to discuss with them.

    "Sigh... You''re right."

    "If Master says so... I guess..."

    They quickly looked dejected and extremely defeated as they additionally cast down their glances; forming negative spiritless expressions.

    Their mood fell like a rock on top of a bottomless cliff.

    In order to amend this, I said something that lifted their spirits, while they were coming in the direction of the bonfire.

    "Tomorrow, we will discover the third section! That''s why we gotta sleep and eat! So we can be stronger and faster in our discoveries instead of being dumber and far too reckless! So, don''t be sad."

    In response to this, they both quickly looked at me with the happiest eyes ever and came rushing in my direction.

    "Kawahara!! You''re the best, dude!"

    "Master always finds a way to make things better!!"

    "Alright! But first, I need you two to do something for me."

    They looked slightly more skeptical, but that superficial skepticism vanished once I got up; with the open tablet in my hands. I then handed over to them the tablet to which they gradually began to be caused about.

    However, I was fast in explaining.

    "Now, I know you don''t know the exact location of this "Mystic Mine"---"

    Rayazaki interrupted me as he asked something relevant in regards to the name itself.

    "Are we really going with Mystic Mine?"

    "Yes. Until we get there and see that it''s not actually a Mystic Mine. We''ll roast Kuzan then."

    "Yeah, alright."

    "Huh?!"

    Maybe it''s actually a really mystic mine and we are looking like absolute fucking fools right now, but there''s no way that''s the case.

    I continued.

    "I want you two to point out in the map where the mine could be."

    Of course, there wasn''t any visible spot for them to point at because all that I had discovered thus far in the tablet''s map did not cover the mine''s location.

    Therefore, I was far more specific about this task.

    "Feel free to butcher a guess at the location. In what location did you two go?"

    "Northeast!" We went a really long way, didn''t we, Rayazaki?"

    "Yup and we were dying to sleep, but we are loyal and came back here because we were supposed to meet up..."

    "Oh fuck off, Rayazaki, it wasn''t my fault! I already explained how Sagasuga was purposely trying to screw me up! He blocked our meeting from happening."

    "I bet you didn''t even try to escape from that. Anyway, I think it was around here...?"

    More towards the center of the map itself instead of targeting the southern areas of the map, Rayazaki pointed towards the northwest direction.

    But then Kuzan came in and pointed in a direction more towards the east. It wasn''t in the center but on the east of the center.

    This caused Rayazaki to get mad at Kuzan.

    "Are you fucking blind, bro?! We clearly went THAT way, not THAT way!"

    He made sure to point at the real directions through the usage of dramatic expressions which include various arm fiddles.

    Kuzan wasn''t exactly less dramatic either as his neck veins were all pumped up.

    "You''re the blind one, Rayazaki! Tsudo said that we should have gone northeast and we did, didn''t we?"

    I stopped Kuzan right there.

    "Why would you ask Tsudo directions, Kuzan?"

    "Because he said that we should''ve gone towards the northeast."

    "Yeah, but why?"

    "He said Sagasuga told him to say so----Oh..."

    "Oh."

    That "Oh" from me was sarcastic.

    I continued once again.

    "Anything that comes from Sagasuga is blatantly false. Therefore, we''ll go with Rayazaki''s take."

    Rayazaki, for some reason, flashed a smug grin to Kuzan; who did not like that at all.

    To the point where he felt the need to cry about it.

    "Injustice! Master, correct Rayazaki''s attitude!"

    "Shut up, someone that trusts Sagasuga holds no value to me."

    Although I said that jokingly, Kuzan showed a visible gasp.

    "Just a joke, chill. The conclusion to take here is that you were fooled, Kuzan."

    "Why always me..."

    "I know it''s sad, but if it''s between us, it''s fine. Neither I nor Rayazaki will trick you."

    I took a seat yet again now with the tablet in my hands and all the word boxes in my bag.

    Tomorrow will be another day and I must hurry up and make discoveries as fast as possible.

    With all of this in mind, I issued the plan of action for now.

    "Let''s eat up and sleep. We head northwest at dawn!"

    As I finalized my speech and we resumed our usual casual small talks as we made the time until we were truly sleepy, I had some thoughts.

    I thought on this mine up ahead that had the inert gas asphyxiation as the opposing challenging factor. However, today, I felt too much like a winner.

    Even in the face or in the thought of something lethal, all I could feel was invincibility despite the reality conveying otherwise.

    Daniel... Hyunda... Don''t think that I haven''t noticed...

    In the distant future, on that island.

    Behind me stands all the hopes of those who have become endorsed in the exam and those who are stuck without a way out.

    To answer to their respective expectations, I will climb onto the top of this mine''s entrance as I announce the ultimate path to victory.

    With each step I took, I allowed myself to only view that which is in front of me. The color of black swims in terror deep within that temple of death, but now, the conditions are clear! There is NOTHING to fear!

    I can get these people out of the island! I can, and I will!

    Solely based on that, as I reached the top, I focused my undivided attention on the multitude of people below, who are awaiting the answers.

    Summoning all the strength in my lungs, I spoke with high mighty vocal force.

    "Attention, all of you! Here we stand, in front of the last remaining obstacle! All the conditions have been cleared!"

    They already started to chant it.

    I can hear it.

    "KAWAHARA! KAWAHARA! KAWAHARA!!"

    Their numerous cries. Numbers beyond the initial expectations; this absurd contrasting force which had not the chance to be saved is now looking towards a brighter future only because I MADE IT POSSIBLE!

    "ONWARDS! We will all get out of here alive! I PROMISE!"

    Without traces of hesitation, I lead the way in which they would all follow me; as they believed me.

    In an even far closer distant future.

    "Don''t blame yourself. They all had it coming, didn''t they?"

    "Daniel... This...! Why...?! How could you...!! What the hell have you done?!"

 Volume 21 - Chapter 140: Jagd: Part I.

    April 14th. 6 am.

    Part 1.

    We rose up early in the morning along with the golden ageless sun. Our plan for today was to first discover what the mine was all about. The Mystic Mine that Kuzan was referring to.

    Our path naturally was already a path that we were familiar with, though I hadn''t crossed it yet. I was leaving the tablet with Rayazaki as we crossed the jungle while we kept on heading northwest.

    He would keep the map in tabs while Kuzan would eat all the fruit. Truth be told, we had plenty of fruit; which was our early morning breakfast. Our sleep was fairly horrible because we had not the conditions to have a nice sleep in the first place. It was also additionally impossible to have a long sleep because the moment the sun would come up, it was lights in for us.

    Although I am the leader here, Rayazaki was taking the leadership currently as he knew the path far better than Kuzan; so I relied on that. Kuzan was on my right side as he witnessed my current behavior.

    Aside from that, the morning isn''t as blazing as I thought it would as there are traces of cold still chasing from the night. However, soon enough, it will be spread with burning temperatures closely reaching the kind of temperatures where we would have to strip our uniforms.

    We were also taking a path that was far less occupied with lianas and instead was portrayed by massively tall brown trees more fitting in a forest than a jungle.

    Midst this, Kuzan decided to speak, while eating a yellow raw banana. His eyes were calm but his words didn''t exactly reflect calm in general.

    "Master, what are you doing...? Hurry up and solve it..."

    "I''ve solved it many times. I am trying to figure out what the cube is all about."

    That''s right.

    While Rayazaki is handling the discovery factor and is leading us the way to the Mystic Mine, I am here in the back attempting to figure out what Sagasuga''s cube is all about.

    There is no way possible that Sagasuga would just have a random cube.

    But Kuzan didn''t really think so.

    "Now, look here... You said that cube was Sagasuga''s, but maybe he really just brought it along because he thought this was just a school trip...?"

    "You fool, Kuzan. He was way too prepared for this "school trip". And a cube in the midst does not add up."

    Before falling asleep, last night, I came across a spectacular thought of mine.

    To this, I brought Rayazaki''s attention to the matter too.

    "Rayazaki, stop going so fast and come and join us for a while."

    To be more specific, Kuzan and I already had stopped our tracks and were on the borderline of a lake. The exact same lake that Sagasuga and I came across a few days ago. A lake that is so fantastically gigantic that one would not escape from the thought of wondering its central depth.

    Still, I must say, this resembles a tundra because the sky itself is so baby blue that its reflection upon the mineral conservative water which is not wild whatsoever and is instead peaceful and mature; far outwits any calamity out there.

    Nevertheless, we were simply standing on the edge of the water''s lake where the water would barely even reach our feet.

    It was extremely peaceful and it gave us a brilliant view to have this conversation in.

    "Let me see it."

    "Here."

    Rayazaki handed me the tablet which is running on an infinite battery as he sat down on the silky wet sand that was neither rigid nor tough. Simply wet and fragile. Our bottoms were succumbing slightly towards the weak mold that the sand presented itself with.

    "23% only? I thought it would be way more, honestly."

    The central south and northwest south of the map are practically all discovered, which is extremely helpful. However, I thought that it would be way more by now.

    Rayazaki took out an apple from his bag and then spoke as he took the first bite out of the scarlet apple.

    "It''s gonna take a while. This island--- I think that the other sections that you''ve spoken about are way more interesting. Anyway, why did we stop? None of us are feeling tired. What gives?"

    I extended my right hand towards Rayazaki implying that I also wanted an apple to which he gave me instantly. And then, I spoke my mind to Rayazaki and Kuzan who were mirroring me, while also holding the Rubik''s cube in my left hand.

    "In the Necrohol of Canopus, we obtained this remote."

    I took out the remote that Sagasuga and I had obtained back in the Necrohol. The remote that had no connection whatsoever thus far. Because in order to make use of this remote, I would need the material that is inside the secret passage. The legendary second component.

    "Here; it says number 1 on the back."

    "Wait, what? Then why would you yesterday say that the Necrohol isn''t the first section?"

    Rayazaki''s doubt here wasn''t exactly easy to explain because I would have to go over some things first. In order to recapitulate, it''s important to capitalize on my discoveries thus far. In the Necrohol of Canopus, I discovered the remote which had the number "1" behind it. This would imply that the Necrohol of Canopus is the first section.

    However, there is something here that makes no sense whatsoever. If in the second section, I was able to access the secret passage by inserting the correct password, then how come the same result wasn''t reproduced in the first section? The answer to that is simpler than it looks.

    The true first section''s contents were already breached and this ax is the cohesive and most likely the ultimate conclusive evidence that I''ve got right now.

    "Because the remote that was obtained in the Necrohol; although it has the number "1" on its back, it''s not the piece from the Necrohol."

    "Huuuuuuuh? I am so confused, Master!"

    To be honest, I might be completely wrong here, but if I was Sagasuga, I would do what I am about to tell them.

    "I think Sagasuga already came across the first section and he stole the initial item from it. Subsequently, he went forth to the second section and then he swapped their places."

    "Kawahara, that seems so unlikely... Are you sure you aren''t overestimating Sagasuga? What you are implying is quite well-thought-out."

    I understand Rayazaki''s skepticism, henceforth I''ll tell him an additional piece of information here.

    "In the Tuwile Skyhigh Tower, the moment I inserted the password correctly, a hidden location was immediately unlocked and so was the tablet. But none of that happened in the Necrohol."

    "Isn''t that just because the password had already been tried out as you explained it to me?"

    "It''s true, Rayazaki. As I told you two, Sagasuga already had claimed that he had tried out the password before. HOWEVER, I noticed something while leaving the tower. Although I was able to nail it on the last try, there is no saying that you can''t just insert the same password over and over. It''s something that I am not sure about yet but I think it''s possible. Maybe it''s not limited to just the wrong tries of passwords."

    Kuzan was utterly clueless to what we were talking about and Rayazaki had to think a little before speaking again; which he did eventually.

    "So you are saying that Sagasuga already had inserted the right password but... he... reset everything...?"

    "Unfortunately, so."

    It appears that Rayazaki has started to breach my theory here. Hence why he asked the following question with an eccentric horrifying enthusiasm.

    "Hold on, hold on! Doesn''t that mean that Sagasuga was able to access the secret passage too?!"

    I smiled a bit, but that smile faded as soon as I started to explain the current hypothesis that I had last night.

    "I don''t believe he was able to. That was utterly locked and Sagasuga and I weren''t able to do shit about it."

    "Then, what does that mean?"

    "It means, Rayazaki, that the first section had not the answers to the secret passage in the Necrohol. Either that, or there was something in the first section that Sagasuga did not notice."

    "Huh... again, what does that mean? Where does that leave us, exactly? Did you stop us just to make theories?"

    He looked mad, but the moment I explained to him how that was not the case at all, he regained a far more composed look.

    Midst that, I had already eaten all that the scarlet apple had to offer.

    "If he really did swap the items as I told you, then this tablet is the actual item from the Necrohol. Thus, the number "2", because the Necrohol is the second section; according to the theory. The number in the back symbolizes and corresponds to the section where it was found. And then there''s the remote which has the number "1" on its back. I reason it belongs to the almighty first section. SO, if the number in the back symbolizes the section where it belongs... What is the deal with this ax then?"

    I took ahold of the ax in my back and started to dismember it. Rayazaki and Kuzan gasped the instance they noticed that there was something very odd about this ax.

    Kuzan pointed at the ax and then expressed his vivid exclamation.

    "Number 9?! What?! How is that possible?!"

    "Shouldn''t that mean that Sagasuga obtained that ax in the ninth section?!"

    This was what I wanted them to truly understand.

    But instead of explaining things, I got up and issued our leave.

    "We need to get going; it''s no longer dawn. Let''s find out about the Mystic Mine!"

    Part 2.

    11 am.

    It took us a grand total of five hours just to get here. Our way here was so extensive that the tablet''s discovery percentage bar went from 23% to 27%. That is far too little for what we walked. Furthermore, it appears that Rayazaki was wrong about this location when yesterday he pointed at the map and said that it stayed central northwest. No, it doesn''t stay towards the center. It''s a fully diagonal path towards the northwest. In other words, we are currently on the left side of the island. From a central perspective, we are at the west edge of the island. Nevertheless, we are not exactly surrounded by water as one would initially think.

    Instead, our current scenario is an upper wards cliff. Furthermore, the environment is not a jungle anymore as it has an additional contrasting factor to the environment we were in a few hours ago. This environment is iron cold. It''s massively foggy. A maddening gray mist lying all over the place clouding our vision senses ever slightly the more steps we took forth.

    Rayazaki remarked something along with Kuzan as we were slowly being entangled by the featureless perpetually dismal swamp of gray fog.

    "What the hell... It wasn''t this foggy yesterday..."

    "Rayazaki, was this really the right way to go...?"

    Kuzan was attempting to clear the fog out of his way of vision, but no matter how much he tried, the fog would ultimately replace itself. As it stands, we are in the middle of nowhere, without a sense of direction. We are just going forward and forward in the hope we stumble upon something.

    "Rayazaki, you do remember the way to the entrance, right?"

    "God, fucking calm down, you two. I do remember it, ok? And you should too, Kuzan. There''s a long stairway case first before the entrance. Plus, it''s really long! Horizontally, I mean. You''ll see it once we get there!"

    Furious, Rayazaki was stuck between checking the tablet''s map to see if there was something to click since he knows that once we reach the mine that there will be a talking balloon icon to click.

    That was when I noticed that I was unconsciously breathing more oxygen than I necessarily needed to. Upon noticing this, I told them to stop as I stopped my own body from walking.

    "Stop!"

    I just couldn''t stop breathing more oxygen! Despite telling myself to not breathe with such frequency, I couldn''t. Could it be that this mist isn''t fog, but a...?

    "Why did we stop...? Ahh... Ahhh..."

    "Master...? What''s wrong...? Ahh..."

    Fuck, they are both begging for oxygen. Their faces look horribly pale. Furthermore, I don''t think that this fog is actual fog; only in appearance maybe. It''s as if we are surrounded by a toxin that keeps asking for more oxygen the more we advance.

    Still, what''s bugging me is how; according to Rayazaki, yesterday, this mist wasn''t here... So, why now?!

    "Stop breathing for a second..."

    They both tried to do that, but they nonetheless couldn''t hold their breaths for more than two seconds. Subsequently, they inhaled as much oxygen as they could.

    "What is this...?!"

    Before they could panic even further just from the fact that this deadly toxin around us was being responsible for what was currently happening, I issued the plan of action by stepping forth and continuing to walk forward towards the unknown.

    "Quick! We can''t lose time! The more we stay emerged in this environment, the more we are subjected to it! We must get out of the fog!"

    I realize that I am potentially leading them to their deaths but we need to discover what''s ahead! Through this endless fog, the mine will be visible!

    Part 3.

    11:45 am.

    We kept on running and running with immense difficulty but we nevertheless managed to cut through the seemingly endless mist of fog; ultimately arriving at our desired destination. Just as I had gambled, the mist stopped. It only covered our way when we started to leave the jungle and had entered a tall cliff only leading upwards; almost as if we were climbing towards the sky.

    What we found near the end of the mist was a long linear entrance towards the grand stairway case that had no visible appearance if we kept on looking forth to its end. Precisely like the cliff, we would have to climb the stairs in order to get to the top. Plus, in addition to the staircase; which is arcadian-looking, there are two other entrances with similar staircases if not entirely equal to the one in front of us. I''ve therefore concluded that there must be another entrance right in our contrasting direction. In other words, there are four entrances.

    Rayazaki was not joking when he said that the staircases were horizontally huge. Rustic and old; they would be more accurately described as stairs that have been here for centuries. Just by feeling their surface, they were extremely humid thanks to the glacial atmosphere. Though fog did not corrupt this place, it was still cloudy; but not foggy.

    Regarding the architecture of this temple; not mine, it would be Aztecan.

    I see.

    No wonder, then. It makes sense as to why there are potentially four entrances. Aztecan temples most of the time had four entrances though some simply had a long stairway with two to three divisions alternating in-between. It''s also normal that we can''t see the top no matter how much we climb. Five to ten minutes had passed and we still weren''t able to see what the top had to offer.

    Climbing these stairs is hellish. Not only are they abundantly large but their surface is brutally tough.

    Midst our climbing, Kuzan began to sit down as he no longer could take the physical toll that the climbing was putting on him.

    He threw his bag to the edge of the stair''s degree and lied on the surface of the degree like a dead man with his jaw falling off.

    "Who designed this?! Why are there so many degrees?! I don''t get it! Why not create an elevator instead?! This is why I prefer elevators over stairs!"

    To add insult to injury, Kuzan started to spit saliva cannonballs onto the degrees below out of spite.

    "...I''m taking a break too. Christ, I don''t remember this being so long..."

    Rayazaki sat down right next to Kuzan; more precisely speaking right next to Kuzan''s shoes. Afterward, he inhaled deeply and fell back with his back freely while facing the sharp degree ahead of him without a care.

    Although it caused him pain, he did not mention it. His fatigue was far too noticeable and more important.

    As for me, I didn''t take a break and instead kept on analyzing the degrees up ahead.

    "Hey, Kawahara! Take a break too, man!"

    "Why don''t you two do that instead?"

    "...Yeah, fine! Just looking out for you, whatever."

    I didn''t answer and instead slowly climbed the upper degrees just a little bit.

    There is something that has intrigued me ever since we started to climb this seemingly endless staircase.

    On the fourth degree away from Rayazaki and Kuzan, a small hallway was there. But, by small, I mean extremely small. It had a length of five meters. We already encountered two of these small halls. Maybe hall isn''t the right word here. Maybe it''s something far more simple. The pure absence of the stairway degrees turned into a gigantic degree itself.

    Grasping the surface once again, I felt the ironclad untender formation of the ground. I looked to my right, where I saw the absence of structure and saw a far more hollow dark place. The same could be said if I were to look to my left. Every time we would encounter this large absence, the absence would continuously increase until it met its end. Of course, since this temple''s shaped almost like a pyramid, it just means that the other side took its place.

    Rocky and incomplete. It looks to have the ability to crumble but the contrasting steeled form says otherwise. The question is, why an Aztecan temple? I didn''t study the Aztec era and I am slightly regretting that. Because if I could find some clues to symbolism, it could help in the long run. Yet, no. I am clueless as I look at the geoglyphs in the staircase degrees.

    It should be utterly obvious what it is to me, but in every degree, there are different symbols. I''ve been counting the number of degrees thus far and this one I am currently under is the 178th one. And on the plain surface, there is a gigantic geoglyph. On both sides of the stairway, there is a lion''s face. No. Not a lion... Perhaps a serpent? It''s hard to tell what it is. On the long upward handrail it''s always there, staring at those who cross it.

    "Hey, you two! Break''s over!"

    I didn''t move and instead rushed them to come over.

    "Come to where I am, I need your opinions."

    "Ugh... We only rested for two minutes, Master!"

    "Come on, Kuzan. We gotta be close."

    "Yeah... I hope so, Rayazaki."

    Accompanied by their sluggish movements with fatigue all over them, they arrived at the space between the degrees where I am in front of the figure that I am attempting to figure out what it is.

    "What is that? That lion face."

    I pointed at the stone face that was showing in the thick rocky handrail. To be called handrail is an exaggeration because these stairs don''t have a handrail, but it''s not wrong to associate both.

    Also, now that I further look at the temple''s sides, I can clearly see that this face is far more present within the outside of the whole temple than I initially analyzed it to be. In other words, this figure must be important.

    "How is that a lion?"

    "Come on, just look at the sharp fangs!"

    "No way that''s a lion, Kawahara. That''s a damn fish!"

    Now Rayazaki was claiming that it wasn''t a lion, but a fish instead. I didn''t retort and attempted to see how it resembled a fish and strangely... It kinda did. The stone figure which was showing its head only; resembled a fish.

    That was when Kuzan decided to speak his mind.

    "It''s a feathery serpent! A snake!"

    "But it looks too calm to be a snake... Damn, dude, you seriously don''t know what this is?"

    It pained me to admit in front of Rayazaki my lack of knowledge, but there was no other choice but to do exactly that.

    "I don''t! I don''t! FUCK!"

    I get nervous when I don''t know something these days. To the point where I start to scratch my head compulsively.

    Rayazaki then approached my side as Kuzan kept on analyzing the headed figure.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    "Why are you so stressed out, dude? It''s just a figure. Probably an old relic or something. Nothing to worry about!"

    So he said, with his index finger arousing the bottom of his finger like a pendulum.

    "It''s more than just a figure, Rayazaki. They could hold immense knowledge."

    "I get that, but it''s not like we''ll be able to enter the mine, anyway."

    "We''ll see about that. Kuzan, let''s go!"

    And so, our journey continued.

    About ten minutes later, we reached the top and we were bathed without warning by a powerful light source that came through the sun up above.

    The dark clouds below were completely visible to us as they covered the entirety below. Only the top of the temple; the mighty summit was cloudless. Up here, it was nothing but a sunny day. Just like an Aztecan temple, it had a very small entrance; contrasting the grand entirety of the whole temple thus far.

    Kuzan and Rayazaki didn''t hesitate to admire what the view from here had to offer to them.

    "Whaaaa! We are so high up! You can see the whole island from here! You can see the volcano, the ocean around it and...!"

    Kuzan was taken back when he went to the other side of the small house that we were in front of. To be completely more specific, in front of us, is a very small area shaped like an ancient house. The summit of the temple, I would like to believe. It''s fully dark gold and holds an extremely abysmally dark entrance without anything to see beyond it. Furthermore, there are three open halls on each side; three on the right and three on the left, to make way for the obtusely large entrance which is stairless.

    "Don''t be fooled. We also thought that this was normal at first but when we entered it, we were crying for help..."

    Rayazaki was upholding a high level of danger in the facial expression that he was wearing but we were quickly interrupted by Kuzan who was shouting from the other side of the house. If from here, I turn around and see the clouds below covering over the temple and the rest of the island, then I assumed that the exact same would happen, should I go to the other side too.

    However, as Rayazaki and I went to Kuzan''s side, we didn''t witness any sort of clouds hovering the temple''s true backside.

    Kuzan, who was seating on the edge of the temple, struck me as someone who liked heights because no normal person would stand right here.

    It might sound unrealistic, but seating on the edge of the temple from the back, where the sun doesn''t illuminate you and shadows embrace you, is the equivalent of standing on the edge of an American skyscraper that towers anything below it by around 150 meters if not more.

    "Look at that!! Master, isn''t it amazing!"

    "You fucking said it. Hey, Kuzan, wanna take a dive?"

    "......"

    Kuzan started to get up from his seat and took back a nice reasonable distance from me and Rayazaki.

    Speaking of Rayazaki, he was oddly afraid of heights. His face had an explicit horror all over it.

    "How about you---"

    I was going to jokingly say if someone wanted to take a swim, but Rayazaki intercepted me before I could.

    "Don''t even think about it..."

    They both vanished towards the entrance of the temple at the speed of light. Before I could meet up with them again, I glanced at what this side had to offer.

    As it stands, this is the tip of the island. The pure edge where it''s supposed to be covered by water only. However, below this colossal rocky cliff mashed up with a ravine''s structure lies nothing but the wild dark-blue ocean which is not calm whatsoever. Raging tail waves clashing back and forth rising a height that begs the question if they are even average tidal waves or not. What''s somewhat terrifying is how this temple stands at the exact west edge of the island. If it were to fall, it would be catastrophic.

    I went back to meet up with them then.

    Once there, we faced the entrance and I inhaled as much oxygen as I could. They did the same. Ultimately, I put myself in front, because I am the leader.

    "Let''s go."

    A distance of five meters was separating us from the entrance.

    We took a step and another.

    Roughly three meters stood in-between us right now. I, once again, inhaled, to see any drastic difference but unlike before in the fog, there wasn''t anything.

    There were no differences so to speak, but Rayazaki and Kuzan had the expressions of terror all over them.

    Thus, the decisive two to three steps were taken which welcomed us inside the dark mine with nothing but an unfathomable dark-inked hallway.

    I took a deep inhale and started to get confident as we were already inside the mine and I noticed not a single difference.

    Then, at that single fracture of time I was switching my gears, the moment I attempted to talk out loud, I felt a strangling sensation.

    Without making any secondary mistakes, I used all my strength to throw Rayazaki and Kuzan out of the darkness we were starting to be engulfed in.

    "KAAAH! AGGHH!"

    On my knees I succumbed even further as I felt like I was being strangled in my neck, my nostrils began to beg for oxygen which would enter at a far too heavy of a cost.

    My eyes never felt this heavy before and I thought I was done for, but I reached out to the right side of the entrance and used that impulse to push my own body out of the darkness, which ultimately allowed me to be back at the outside of the entrance once more.

    "AHHHHH! AHHHHH! Ahhh! Fuuuuu..."

    It took me the impressive lung strength to inhale as much of this fresh oxygen that there was, but I did it. Quickly then, I got up with all my strength and went to Kuzan, who was having trouble managing his oxygen inhaling.

    I placed my left hand on his back and slapped him lightly three times on his face while ordering him.

    "Kuzan! Kuzan! Inhale and breathe calmly! You are outside of the mine! Keep it cool!"

    "AHH! Ahhhh! Ohhh... Ohh..."

    He managed to rapidly regain his composure and I needn''t worry about Rayazaki as he handled himself pretty well.

    "That''s much better... Thanks, Master! See, I told you! It''s a Mystic Mine!"

    "I hate to agree with Kuzan, but this is really starting to seem like one. Out of nowhere, we lost the ability to inhale."

    I corrected Rayazaki now on my two feet standing tall and proudly.

    "We didn''t lose the ability to inhale. The oxygen there is corrupted by a deadly toxin. It''s like standing on Mars. Actually, it''s exactly like that!"

    Now that I think about it, this analogy isn''t too far-fetched. But Rayazaki and Kuzan demanded a more thorough explanation as they began to complain.

    "Explain!"

    But before I could answer them, I went to seat on the first degree of the enormous stairway case. As I glanced at the volcano whose height far outreigned this temple''s from afar, I started to speak.

    Midst my speech''s start, they joined my side; Rayazaki on my right and Kuzan on my left.

    "Recall a little, the moment we started to feel that way, didn''t the temperatures drop suddenly? It was freezing!"

    "Oh yeah, it totally was!"

    "But we were too absorbed on the fact that we were dying, so it was hard to notice, but now that I look at my skin---HOLY SHIT, IT''S PURPLE! AHHHHHHH!!"

    Kuzan also noticed his hands and saw his hand purple and started to freak out.

    I interrupted them before they could freak out even further.

    "Please stop. It''s just for a while. Give it a few minutes and it will be back to normal."

    "But Master!"

    "Shut up! It''s true. The atmosphere rejected us, essentially. When I said that being there is like standing on Mars, I actually meant it. A human being would survive no more than 2 minutes on Mars. But, to be more precise, I am talking about the body. You would pass out way before that. Five to ten seconds, I dare say. Why? Because the glacial temperatures there are unbearable! Furthermore, it has toxic soil and a tremendous low gravity! That''s exactly what we felt there!"

    They were mind-blown but I was too. Still, I knew for a fact that we just didn''t step on Mars. This was just an example to portray my point.

    What''s more interesting is how we only really felt the differences once we stepped inside of the mine itself. It''s like there''s a barrier that doesn''t allow the toxic atmosphere inside of it to overextend to the outside. In other words, if it''s not overextending as it should naturally, then... No doubt about it, it''s incredibly manufactured.

    This is an absolute no zone. As such, I once again issued the path of action by rising my posture to full height whilst looking forward; standing high and mighty.

    "We are going all the way towards the Tower! Get ready to fucking walk, because we are not stopping!"

    "Ehhh?! We are taking breaks, right?!"

    "I said what I said!"

    "Give up, Kuzan..."

    Part 4.

    Of course, I was lying when I said that we weren''t going to make any stops. The first thing I did while making my way along with Kuzan and Rayazaki to the Tuwile Skyhigh tower that stays inside the Rigil Kentaurus Mines was to gather as many food resources as possible. Essentially, we collected as much fruit as we could and stuffed our bags with it. I then restricted us from eating more than two fruits in four hours in order to preserve our resources.

    By the time we had walked all the way inside the Necrohol of Canopus and ultimately crossed over to the Rigil Kentaurus Mines, it was already far too dark outside. Nevertheless, our thirst for discovery did not stop and after a grand total of 9 hours, we got inside the hollow room where I discovered the tablet.

    This time around, the door was unlocked but that was simply because unlocking the password had done that by itself. As of now, we stood in the middle of the room without any sort of strong illumination but nonetheless some. It was enough for us to recognize our faces but the shadows were overwhelming.

    A dilemma arose to the surface. We could either follow the secret passage that had been unveiled to me the moment I discovered the battery or we could get into the tower and keep going through the way that would connect to the other sections.

    However, I thought... Why would there be two open paths? I realized that perhaps one path would not be open. Otherwise, why? But, what if there were two open paths...? What then...?

    I can use my numbers to my advantage but there is just a slight problem. We don''t have any way to communicate with each other. Our phones are dead by now. There is no way to recharge them. A decision had to be made, therefore.

    "Let''s climb to the tower and find what''s there."

    "What about the passage though?"

    Rayazaki asked Kuzan''s question, basically.

    "I reason that it''s either open both ways or one path is open only."

    "If it''s not?"

    "So be it. We need to discover, and fast!"

    This pumped them up and thus, our journey once again resumed. We made our way towards the secret passage that had opened itself when I took the elevator on the other sector ahead of the Tuwile Skyhigh Tower. By following that trail we arrived at the chamber which had the path to the elevator.

    Once we took the elevator, we arrived at the center of the tower.

    That was when I decided to do something on my own.

    I told Kuzan and Rayazaki to go up ahead and that I would meet them again shortly. This task of mine took me less than five minutes.

    The way that Kuzan and Rayazaki would go towards the third section would be to walk through a very long linear but sheltered bridge basking under the sun. It appears that there is no concept of the night in this world because the sun never moves from its position; almost as if it''s programmed to be at the mighty center. As I made my way to the Tuwile Skyhigh Tower, I thought that perhaps if this environment is programmed that maybe there would be extremely rainy days or really long nights and so on.

    Now, the real question is... Why am I running with all my speed and strength towards the Tuwile Skyhigh Tower? What is it that I can find there? As far as I''m concerned, the elevator there isn''t operational, so why am I going here? Why is it that when I descend these spiral degrees in this intertwined staircase I look everywhere and only see the exact scenario as the last time that I was here?

    No changes whatsoever.

    At the bottom of the staircases, I reached the elevator and attempted to see if it was working, for some miraculous reason.

    "Of course not."

    I then started to walk quite slowly as I thought that I would be greeting him with my presence. Nonetheless, I quickly realized that the absence of the wooden boxes near the bridge''s edge could only mean two things.

    However, it appeared that I wasn''t greeting anyone with my presence as I was the only one who remained in this lonesome environment. From afar, I saw the ravine that had a very lineal small tight valley. I know for a fact that beyond that lies the ever-intriguing sandsea. The broken bridge that holds no remains to it no longer exists.

    With my foot on the tip of the unexistent bridge''s entrance, I kneeled down and looked at the dark pit that was supposedly bottomless but in reality, if I focused my vision, I could see the sharp boulders smashed to pieces along with the animals I knew not existed. Hyenas right at the end of the bottom.

    Nevertheless, I didn''t find any traces of blood there nor a body. Plus, the wooden boxes weren''t here... They had disappeared.

    "Just like Sagasuga, eh?"

    I clapped and then left.

    Part 5.

    "It''s not working."

    "We''ve tried many times, but it just doesn''t work!"

    As soon as I got to the end of the extremely long linear iron-sheltered gate which contained a condensing temperature to its iron bars, I encountered Kuzan and Rayazaki near the third section''s tower. And for the record, this isn''t like the first section''s tower. No, that''s wrong.

    It would be more accurate to say that the Tuwile Skyhigh Tower is the first section''s tower. If so...

    "AH! I see now!"

    I jammed my fist into my right hand as I realized the obvious, once again.

    The reason as to why the elevator from the first section tower doesn''t work is because------- Nevermind, that would be a really bad theory, now that I think about it. I was about to reason that the reason why the first elevator doesn''t work is that the first section hasn''t been fully cleared, but if that''s the case, then how could the second elevator, which was the one I took to get to the bottom of the Rigil Kentaurus Mines and inside that chamber, suddenly worked? It wouldn''t make sense because I didn''t clear it before it was operational, but only after. Furthermore, the elevator was operational from the start.

    My face really saddened.

    "What the hell? Why did you get so happy and then so sad?"

    "It''s like when you get a boner and you can''t decide what video to watch, Rayazaki."

    "I don''t have that problem though. I only get mad when what I watched was disappointing and I couldn''t fully jerk it off and have to search for another video."

    "Oh, I totally get it--"

    I slapped the two of them on the back of their heads and called their attention quickly.

    "Weirdos, don''t discuss your porn issues with each other, that''s fucking gay!"

    "It is?"

    "It is, Kuzan."

    "But isn''t it fi-"

    Rayazaki was about to prolong this stupid conversation and as such, I stepped in and pressed the elevator switch, which did not work as expected.

    "See? Not working. What now?"

    "Hey, Master! Can''t we just cross all the bridges for fun?"

    What Kuzan proposed was probably possible. There were a lot of bridges connecting with other oil rigs, specifically speaking, to the other seven oil rigs.

    It''s fairly obvious that the Tuwile Skyhigh Tower is the first section''s tower. I was impulsive in concluding that unraveling the password would lead the way to the elevator''s access. It appears that the first section''s elevator is locked for other reasons. While we could go across all the bridges, we won''t, and here is why.

    I turned in Kuzan''s direction and gave him the reason.

    "The result is most likely the same. As predicted, not all paths are open. In other words, we go back."

    Rayazaki was already walking by my side towards the second tower where we would later upon arrival descend it but Kuzan still whined whilst lagging behind.

    "Maybe it''s not the same result, you know?!"

    "No way I''m wrong here, Kuzan. We will probably find something that will answer us why that elevator is unfunctional."

    But then Rayazaki posed an interesting question.

    "He could be right, Kawahara. After all, didn''t you say that the second elevator was functioning properly without you having done anything to it?"

    "It''s very unlikely that the passage that was upon in the arena-alike-room isn''t related to this matter, you fools. If we skip the steps here we are going to end up like before. Remember the Mystic Mine? The only reason why the atmosphere was engulfed in that deadly toxin was that the conditions had not been cleared. This is like a puzzle, if you fit the wrong pieces in the right place you won''t obtain the result you would expect. And if you put the right pieces in the wrong place you will get a different result as well. This is about perfection, you dorks."

    Shortly afterward, we made our way to the arena and went near the mine''s entrance. To the right, there was an open door that would lead us to a place we did not know at the time.

    It could either lead us to the outside once again or it could be a place that would allow our progression to gain an even further advancement.

    Regardless, if it led to the outside, then I wouldn''t settle for that. I don''t fucking want to get out of this world! If clearing one tower gives me such rewards, then I will stay inside this world for as long as I need to! The more rewards I obtain the closer I am so fucking clearing this exam! Fuck the outside world!

    "Master, you have the devil''s face..."

    "It''s his usual grin. I bet he doesn''t even realize that he grins so widely that the corners of his lips are larger than his moth--"

    Without speaking, I started to take very large and menacing steps towards Rayazaki who was gossiping with Kuzan behind my back.

    "Finish it."

    "...Huuuuh, I''ll pass on that..."

    Rayazaki started to look down and I closed our distance. We were about one centimeter from one another.

    My height towered his which made me look down on him.

    "Finish it, I said."

    "Dude, what''s your problem...? It was just a joke, you don''t gotta act like this..."

    "Then fucking finish it. If you are going to say it, then fucking do it, Rayazaki. Or are you a little pussy? If you are going to roast my mother then do it in my face like a man!!"

    I was grabbing his uniform''s collar and using considerable strength. But I knew that Rayazaki wouldn''t ultimately back down in a fight so I was pushing his buttons.

    "Master, wait!"

    "Stay out of this, Kuzan!"

    I shouted so loud it echoed throughout the entirety of the arena. I was waiting for Rayazaki to stop looking down and look me in the eyes.

    "Rayazaki, look at me. I am talking to you!"

    "Alright, fine! I don''t care if you hit me, it was just a joke and if you can''t take it, then you are an immature person who doesn''t know the concept of mom jokes!"

    "Then say it!"

    "I bet you don''t even realize that you grin so widely that the corners of your lips get larger than your mother''s uterus!"

    For the upcoming three seconds, I made the evilest face I could come up with and Rayazaki looked ready to fight. Our silence could easily be broken by a fist of the rage of mine. Kuzan had no idea what to do, should a fight break out.

    But after those seconds had passed, I placed my two hands on Rayazaki''s shoulders and gave him the proper reaction.

    "HAHAHAHA! That wasn''t half-bad, man!"

    "....For fuck''s sake, you could''ve just told me that you weren''t taking it offensively...! Hahaha!"

    "B-But... Hahaha! That would defeat the whole purpose of the act. Come on, you two, let''s get going. I''ll tell you something along the way."

    I was genuinely laughing at Rayazaki''s roast while entering the door''s entrance.

    In addition to that, I led the way towards yet another spiral staircase, but this time, instead of going down, it went up. Furthermore, it was highly illuminated due to the manual light lamps linked to each other diagonally on the top of the area above the staircase.

    "My mother''s a cocksucker. She used to suck the guy next door all the time and she would make the shittiest of excuses to hide that. It''s like your neighbors who have sex all the time that complain about noise when you blast your music but then they don''t let you sleep when it''s fucking 3 am! Hah, hilarious shit!"

    The stair''s degrees are very small. My feet occupy twice their length. Why are they so small? Was this designed for a child to walk in?

    "That''s... fucked up, bro..."

    "Was that why you took it that roast so well, Master?"

    I answered while only looking forward as we kept on ascending the spiral stairs.

    "Nah. It''s just factual. I don''t get kids who get offended when someone insults their mother/father. It''s their responsibility to stand up for themselves when they get shat on. Not yours."

    "But, dude, that''s not the same, okay? If your mother was here and I had said that, wouldn''t you have gotten mad?"

    I stopped and looked at Rayazaki for a second before looking up again.

    "I would be more than glad if she were to get roasted in front of me."

    They kept their silences to that, but one minute later, we reached our destination.

    We reached a room with twice the strong illumination that the stairs were covered with.

    A doorless small room with a pretty clear objective.

    Sheltered by the same kind of blue from the previous chamber.

    However, just in the center, there were two buttons.

    "I hate to make a joke in this moment of seriousness, but... Does anyone know that meme where the guy has to make a choice with two buttons in front of him?"

    "Oh, I know that one, Rayazaki!"

    Although they were talking with each other, they were approaching the center and there is something surrounding that center that they did not notice.

    There is a square-shaped line around the two manipulator switches that contain the button.

    As soon as I saw that, I went out of my way to put my hands on their shoulders in order to stop them from walking any further.

    "I''ll go."

    Rayazaki in response made the most obvious of replies.

    "Why don''t Kuzan and I press the two switches at the same time? Then it would be perfect."

    "Why don''t you read the alert sign in the switches first?"

    I pointed at the vertical rectangular structures that each switch had. The alert signs were fixated in the middle of the structure and it was somewhat hard to see it from afar.

    It was also additionally colored in black and had white letters which made it super easy to identify nonetheless.

    "One person only limit... Pressing both buttons will initiate electric discharge... Are you serious...!? And what does it mean by one person only?"

    "Don''t you see the square-shaped borderline covering the area of the switches? Most likely, when you get inside, you will be covered by something. Maybe a static barrier that makes the other ones not be able to enter? Anyways, I will be entering."

    "Hold on, shouldn''t we discuss the two options here, Master?"

    Kuzan''s question was logical but I simply didn''t mention it because I thought that there was no real room for discussion. Although the decision isn''t obvious, there is a decision that reigns more importance.

    Regardless, I didn''t want to private their minds, so I gave Kuzan the consent here.

    "Is there something you two would like to say or am I free to take my choice here?"

    I was mainly looking at Kuzan, though Rayazaki spoke his mind first.

    "Weren''t you the one that said that this is like a puzzle and that we shouldn''t put the wrong pieces in the right place?"

    "I did say that."

    "Then go with the switch on the right, no?"

    Now that Rayazaki had made his decision, Kuzan spoke his mind.

    "I''m afraid that if you go with the switch on the right it could be something that would be obtainable nonetheless. So I think that the switch on the left is the correct one. Didn''t you make progress so far regardless of what the other switch could offer? Why change now, Master?"

    "A contrasting opinion, huh? Which means that the decision will be up to me, right?"

    "Yeah." x2.

    I wasn''t expecting a sudden discord but it makes sense.

    I turned around and faced both the switches.

    Then, without saying a word, I entered the area that contained the switches and I was immediately surrounded by a magnetic barrier around the area. A barrier that would impede someone from walking in.

    Given that I can''t press both buttons without getting myself killed, I will do the logical decision here. I must say that the other one is quite tempting...

    The right switch holds the ability to unlock the door from the Necrohol. I am starting to see why Sagasuga was so desperately attempting to rush into this area. If he truly already had the access to the first section, then it''s no wonder he wanted to get rid of me. I have the words and I was the only one who could ever pose a threat.

    And then there''s the left switch, which enables the elevator to work in the Tuwile Skyhigh Tower. God, this is so fucking hard, man.

    Should I go with the right switch then I will be able to find the secondary component of the remote, on the other hand, if I go with the left switch, then I will be able to possibly go to the first section... But what if that''s not worth it? What if it''s a risky gamble? By choosing the right switch, I am not making a risky gamble.

    It''s the logical decision, for sure. As such, my decision will be the right switch.

    As I clicked, the other switch disappeared down below along with the other switch and thus, the area became one without the switches. Furthermore, the barrier was no longer present.

    The moment I turned around, I looked at the gloomy Kuzan, who was unhappy that I didn''t go with his choice. However, I went out of my way to explain it to him.

    "It would be too risky. That door in the Necrohol is most likely what Sagasuga was aiming for. I reason that he already had a solid grasp of what it could be and as such, he was trying as much as he could to prevent me from going there. There is also a huge chance that he already knew about this scenario. I know it sounds unrealistic, but hear me out here. If Sagasuga already knew that there was a switch that would force me to make the grand decision here, he would''ve manipulated me slowly into making the decision that he so desired, for his own goal."

    But still...

    This is all too fucking much for one person. I legit can''t think that Sagasuga is doing this alone anymore... But... Is Sagasuga aligned with the other two? I''m not talking about Tsudo nor Tatsu, of course. Ultimately, it''s fairly possible that Sagasuga was working alongside the guy that we were chasing after.

    "I understand, Master. I''m not really mad, I just thought that making more advancement instead of going back and making a regression would be better."

    "Don''t get the wrong idea, Kuzan."

    "Eh?"

    "This is an advancement in order for us to advance. Can''t you see?! I obtained this tablet and the battery of it which allowed us to gain access to the ability to gain knowledge about the overall island! Can you imagine what this remote will probably do?!"

    I already knew that this would cause Kuzan to be excited but he really started to get excited over the possibility very quickly.

    "I see! If the remote is really useful with the other component then we will be able to advance more, right?!"

    "That''s why Kawahara went with that choice. Though, there''s no guarantee that the remote will be something good. What if it''s just a television remote?"

    "Haha, no way that''s the case!"

    I don''t like this. They are jinxing this way too much.

    "Both of you, shut up. You are killing it. I''m gonna take it out on you two if it''s nothing more than a television remote!"

    I''m aware that whatever the door is holding is massively crucial, but I don''t even want to think about the possibility of it not being crucial.

    My mood would go way too fucking low.

    Part 6.

    Necrohol of Canopus.

    Here we are, at the computer''s room; where two doors stand. The one I previously walked right into with Sagasuga and the other one that could not be open no matter what.

    Though that door was not open, as soon as I clicked on the manipulator switch on the right side of the iron door midst these radiant green crystals scattered deep inside this dark room, the door moved, which made me happier than it did Rayazaki and Kuzan.

    We walked right into it and I expected a simple linear path covered with green crystals and geoglyphs, but a metallic black far more industrial started to surround the wall with an obscure cryptic shine to it. I couldn''t believe my eyes as the structure of the walls on each side began to change drastically. The composition and structure of a piano crescendo. As a piano piece, the walls took the shape of vertical piano pieces but instead of the large pieces obtaining a lush white color; they were black and the in-between small pieces were white. The plain yet symbolic contrast was there.

    Each wall piece kept on decreasing in height until it had no height to offer.

    Naturally, if it had nothing to offer, it would mean that our journey would end, but that was not true. There was a leather with a staircase of ten degrees to be climbed.

    Nonetheless, it had a password entry before it could be clicked. The entrance was most surely being blocked by an electric static barrier all over it.

    Were I to climb, my overall height would tower Kuzan and Rayazaki from afar, but before I advanced onto the password entry, Rayazaki asked a question.

    "There''s nothing on top of that, is there? What the hell?!"

    I then started to insert the password which was "Ultimate"; the same that I inserted without Sagasuga''s consent back then.

    "Chill out. The password changes everything. Watch and learn."

    Swish.

    A swift sound erupted from the bottom of the top of the surface up ahead and the barrier stopped prevailing. Still, the stairway''s horizontal length only allowed one person to fit in.

    "I''ll go and I''ll be back in a second."

    They patiently then waited for me down below. While walking in the pitch-blacked degrees, I began to take the remote out and attempted to see what the correspondence would be the moment I got on the top.

    Basking in imperial lights from above, I finally cast my eyesight on the correspondent component.

    Then, I heard Rayazaki''s impatient speech.

    "Please don''t tell me it''s a fucking television...!"

    "Maybe it''s actually the charging stacks of the remote!"

    "What the fuck?! But why would there be charging stacks of just the remote?!"

    "Hehehe, Rayazaki, maybe up ahead there IS the television!"

    "AHHHHHHHH!"

    Rayazaki was going nuts over Kuzan''s words, but I just didn''t know how to react to this. I don''t even know how to face them.

    At the current moment, I am with my entire body opposed to their direction and with my eyes fully focused on the component.

    Yet most importantly, I am attempting to associate the overall utility of this thing with the remote.

    No, it''s not charging stacks, thankfully. Because this remote ALREADY comes with the charging stacks.

    In addition to that, I checked the number on the back of it and saw the most surprising factor.

    At least I was glad that my theory was correct all along. Sagasuga did go out of his way to swap the components. That''s very fucking smart. I like that move of his. It takes a certain amount of skill to conceal what he had done and go that far to deceive me. Brilliant, to say the least.

    Without speaking, I grabbed the component and put the remote on my bag once again, which made Rayazaki furious.

    "Why are you putting the remote away?!"

    "It''s not needed. Remember that theory from earlier that Sagasuga actually swapped the components? Well, DO you see a number "2" around this box somewhere?!"

    I carefully handled Rayazaki the thin glassy box that was highlighting a key inside it.

    That''s right, our reward was nothing more than a key and I couldn''t exactly be excited here because as far as I''m concerned we came not across a single door that requires a key. They all have manipulator switches and the elevators don''t have a single lock.

    In other words, I got played pretty hard here. Not only did we not make an advancement, but we are stuck with a component that we can''t even use because it belongs to the first section to which we do NOT have access.

    Nevertheless, if we had access to the first section through the Tuwile Skyhigh tower elevator, it''s not as if we could have obtained the component because Sagasuga already had the other component.

    This confirms it. He''s not working alone; otherwise, he would have had the component with him. He gave the component of the first section to someone else.

    Alternatively speaking, I don''t have to bother myself with the first section because all I have to do is hunt down the one who holds the first component.

 Volume 21 - Chapter 141: Jagd: Part II.

    Part 1.

    We turned our tracks right into the arena and then Rayazaki asked what the path of action was; as we made our way to the other section''s bridge.

    "What now? The other elevator won''t work and we are stuck with a component we can''t associate anything with. Do we give up and go back to the surface?"

    I thought of having this conversation while standing still along with Kuzan and Rayazaki, but I decided not to waste time and talked with them as we made our way up to the elevator which would take us to the second section''s tower.

    "There is no way in hell that we are going back to the surface. We have the necessary resources to make a prolonged journey."

    "For how long are we going to stay here, Master?"

    "For as long as we can hold out. It''s clear that this world has to offer more than what the surface has. Each word is connected to the components and if each word is crucial to the exam, we will put our time into clearing the stages to come."

    "That''s already damn obvious, man. What I meant was that we need a GOOD plan here. I''m thinking that we should actually go to the surface and get the rest like we initially intended!"

    Rayazaki''s point is something I''ve thought over and over these past days. The conclusion to take here is that we NEED all the words to clear all the sections, otherwise we won''t get all the components. And in order to get all the components we need EVERYONE''S words, but... Isn''t it just strange? I mean, come on, think about it. It''s been quite the few days and we have NOT encountered the remaining bastards. It''s very evident what''s happening, so I''ll enlighten Rayazaki a little bit.

    "It''s not gonna work, Rayazaki."

    "Why?"

    "Because we are being conspired against by them."

    "Them? Who do you mean, Master?"

    "Think about that, for a bit, Kuzan."

    I left it at that and talked to Rayazaki once again.

    "Sagasuga is not working alone and the fact that we haven''t encountered ANYONE here in the sections thus far is very odd."

    "I agree with that. But where is Akihiko? And Kan? Tsudo and Tatsu? Shouldn''t they all have the same objective which is to infiltrate this world and gain the upper advantage?"

    "It''s very strange indeed..."

    Although it''s strange that they haven''t made their appearances yet, they can''t hide forever. I know for a fact that they WILL show up eventually. But why? Why are they so adamant in hiding? I don''t understand what they gain from all this cowardice...!

    "Hey, maybe the elevator is working now? What do you think?"

    "I don''t know, just click it and we''ll find out."

    At the current moment we stand in front of the third tower''s elevator and Kuzan clicked it to see if it works.

    Surprisingly, it did and it started to emit a green light around the manipulator switch.

    Kuzan got ecstatic upon noticing that the elevator was indeed working.

    "It''s working!"

    "See, I told you two. The pieces need to be in place. It appears that we have to go through everything at once; otherwise the results will always be incomplete."

    Though I say this as we wait for the elevator to come, I reason that if I had chosen the other switch earlier that this elevator would not be accessible. Or maybe it would. Maybe if I had chosen the first elevator''s access option and got there, things would''ve worked out the exact same way.

    The problem is the password necessary in the entry. As far as I''m concerned we have a 30% chance of failing in each section because we don''t have three passwords. In other words, even if we did reverse the result from earlier, it could have ended in a failure. Furthermore, if my theory is correct then Sagasuga already knows the password to the first section. Which makes me believe that midst all these seven words, the password is none of them.

    "What the hell! It''s taking us way too low and it''s taking so long!"

    Rayazaki was speaking a fact right now. It''s been over three minutes since we have entered the poorly illuminated elevator covered with light dark steel. Plus, the light lamp above was broken, so it was barely working.

    "......"

    I didn''t speak a word to this and wondered where the elevator was taking us.

    It''s pretty evident that the upcoming environment won''t be the same as the previous ones. A necrohol and a mine were what we encountered previous to what we are about to encounter.

    But holy hell, the elevator did not stop descending. I started to panic along with Rayazaki and Kuzan.

    "What the fuck is going on...?!"

    Midst my panic, I started to analyze the elevator as a whole.

    As already mentioned, it''s covered with a rectangular shaped dark steel all over it. There is nothing else inside the elevator except for the lamp above. There are no buttons; no manipulator switches, NOTHING.

    Even our ground is steeled yet this elevator would not stop.

    "What is happening?!"

    "I don''t know!"

    "Calm down, you two! It''s just a really long way down, I''m sure!"

    But this wasn''t enough to calm them both down as they further panicked.

    "I''m not so sure about that! Haven''t we been here for more than five minutes?! No elevator takes this long!"

    Rayazaki was right, no elevator could take this long.

    "Are we trapped in here?! If we get trapped inside this elevator, then no one will come and help us!"

    Kuzan was also right as no help would ever come should we get trapped in here.

    I couldn''t allow them to further panic, so I said something unrealistic.

    "Relax, alright?! We will soon be there! It won''t take longer than five other minutes, watch!"

    But as I said that, the more nervous I got.

    Subsequently, we couldn''t stop hearing our breaths accumulating inside this dense atmosphere. Unbeknownst to us, the temperatures started to elevate yet we did not know why.

    Seven minutes in total had passed and I came across the wildest of speculations as I was approaching the status of a mental meltdown.

    Unfortunately, I spoke my mind out loud which caused Rayazaki and Kuzan to evaporate in panic.

    "Are we going to the center of the fucking Earth?!"

    "WHAT?!" x2.

    "The temperatures are increasing like hell! And this elevator is descending at an increasing speed every minute!"

    "What does that mean?! Are we going to die, Kawahara!?"

    "Master!"

    "Calm down! I will figure something out! Just keep it cool!"

    "There''s no way we can keep it cool, man! What are we GOING to do?! We are going to DIE at this rate!!"

    "I FUCKING KNOW! That''s why we need to figure a way out of this infinite downfall! Start checking every component that I have in the bag! They must be connected to the current scenario!"

    Rapidly, I got on my knees and so did they as the elevator continuously kept on increasing its downfall pace.

    Then, I opened my bag forcefully and took out what I thought could help prevent our downfall. Midst this meltdown, our sweat was all over the place.

    I took the remote while Kuzan took the ax! Rayazaki took the tablet and attempted to see if there was some sort of option to stop our downfall.

    "It''s not working for me!! Damn it, there is no option to disable this elevator! It''s not related to the elevator whatsoever!"

    "This ax can''t penetrate the elevator at all! It''s useless!"

    But they weren''t the only ones who were facing a massive disappointment. No matter how much I pressed all the switches of the remote, which I thought would be the most related to this current event, it nevertheless didn''t work out!

    "Master! We are going to die! Hurry up and fix this!"

    Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, why is it not working?!

    How can a remote NOT be related to an elevator?! I''ve been pressing the turn off signal for as many times as I can count and nothing is happening!

    "Kawahara, do something! You are better than us!"

    "Master! Please!"

    Not good, not good, not good! I''m panicking! This heat is driving me insane and they are doing nothing to help me! How careless I was! What was I thinking exactly?! Isn''t it super obvious that riding an elevator in a deserted island could mean bad news?! What if we do die and get buried in this elevator and no one ever finds me?!

    I can''t have that! I STILL HAVE MY REDEMPTION TO COMPLETE!

    "Kuzan, the AX! Give it to me! NOW!"

    Without any sort of hesitation, Kuzan threw me the ax to which I caught by the edge of the blade; causing a ripe blood stream to be born in my right hand.

    Regardless, I elevated it highly by masterfully handing the bottom of the ax swiftly and then started to decimate the elevator''s door with all my strength.

    "FALL! FALL! WHY! AREN''T! YOU! FALLING?! DAMN IT!"

    Realizing my failure, I dropped the ax and took the tablet from Rayazaki with all my strength.

    "Not even a damn NAME?! Are you telling me we aren''t in a location acknowledged by the map itself?! HOLY SHIT! START CHECKING THE ELEVATOR''S WALLS TO SEE IF THERE IS A HIDDEN KEY SPOT!"

    They fully understood that I was implying that we could use the key from earlier and that was our last option. No other components could be used here.

    Our bodies were being so dragged down that gravity never felt so real.

    The room temperature went beyond 40 degrees Celsius and it was all seemingly lost.

    "NOTHING! THERE ISN''T A SINGLE HIDDEN SPOT!!"

    "MASTER, ARE WE DOOMED?! ARE WE GOING TO DIE?!"

    It was impossible to keep it cool at a time like this. Admitedly, I started to lose a bit of my insanity.

    "DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT! THIS... isn''t... how I wanted it to end...! My plan never got a chance to flourish...!"

    Tears in my eyes started to appear as I went over my regrets privately.

    Kuzan and Rayazaki no longer saw any hope the moment I gave up and took a seat right next to me.

    Rayazaki explained why he was crying as we felt the endless gravity creating a disastrous attraction.

    "I was always an outcast because of my behavior. Many times, I couldn''t keep my mouth shout and would get beaten up by others. It wasn''t my fault, it wasn''t my fault. I didn''t mean to shoot them up...! But I knew that they deserved to die!"

    And then, Kuzan, who was crying beyond his control.

    "I...! I!!! I WANT TO BE WITH EMI! IF I AM GOING TO DIE THEN I REGRET NOT KILLING THE PIECE OF SHIT THAT IS MY STEP-FATHER...!! But... WE ARE GOING to... die...!!! Kuuhh!!!"

    At this moment, I realized something.

    I never really bonded well with these two. Only now that we are on the brick of death are we telling each other things about one another.

    Never before did we discuss our personal lives before.

    Rayazaki told us just now how he was always the outcast at the cost of his behavior. Plus, he mentioned how he didn''t mean to shoot them. He regrets perhaps that he was always the outcast.

    On the other hand, Kuzan spoke about his hatred towards his step-father. And this "Emi" who we both don''t know who it is.

    So, I suppose it''s my turn?

    If we are going to die, we will die together, am I right?

    And if that''s the case, then I have nothing to die. I''m not protecting anything, I mean... I did lead these two to their own deaths alongside mine.

    There''s nothing that can be done, right...?

    Daku?

    "?''? ??? ????? ?? ??V? ???, ????????."

    I know you''re not. But it''s just funny, because whenever I''m in big trouble, you are never around. I guess this means this is it?

    "?? ?? ?????."

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    What? You''re not even going to try and persuade me here? How there''s always something that I should do in order to avoid my downfall?

    "?''? ??? ??????? ???? ??. ???''? ??? ????? ?????V? ?? ????"

    We do.

    "???? J??? ???? ??? ???? ????. ???? ??????, ???? ????''? ???????????? ???? ????? ???????????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???? ????????? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ?? ??????. ???????????, ?? ?? ????? ?? ????? ??? ?????, ???? ?????? ???? ??????V?. ?? ????? ?????, ????????, ?? ??? ???? ?V?? ???? ???? ??? ????? ???? ?? ???? ???V????. ?? V????? ??? ???? ????? ??????? ? ????? ?? ?? ?????? ?????. ????''? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?????"

    But that was different. I didn''t have someone else under my responsibility.

    "???? ?? ? ???, ????????. ??? ??????? ???. ??? ??V?? ???. ???? ??? ????????? ?? ??? ???? ????? ????''? ??????? ??? ?????????."

    Heh, aren''t you just oddly optimistic? What is this? You trying to comfort me or something?

    "? ??????? ????? ???? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?V?? ?? ?? ??? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ??? ????. ?? ?????? ?? ?V??????? ??????? ??? ???? ?????? ??????? ???? ??? ???''? ?V?? ????? ???????? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ?? ??????."

    I didn''t see the meaning behind it. Because I thought that I would succeed in my endeavor.

    "????? ????? ??? ???????? ???''? ??? ??? ??????V? ???????. ??? ???? ????? ???? ? ???? ????"

    Right. Right... You''re always right. I never got to say that to you. I didn''t want to, Daku.

    "?''? ??????? ????? ???. ? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ??? ?? ???. ?? ? ???????? ?? ???, ????? ????????."

    You are.

    "?? ? ?????? ????? ?? ?????? ??? ??????????"

    You are.

    "??? ??? ??? ??????? ??? ?? ? ??? ??????? ??? ???? ????????? ?? ??????? ??????? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ?? ????????"

    I am the failure and you are the success.

    "?? ??? ????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ??? ???? ???? ??? ??? ?? ??, ????? ??? ?????? ?? ??????? ?? ????"

    ....No. You''re not... someone I can place my full trust on.

    "? ???! ?? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?Q???? ????"

    What are you talking about? I am going to die. Can''t you hear their screams? Look at Rayazaki and Kuzan. They are hugging each other and apologizing for their sins. Meanwhile I am here stuck with my delusion inside my head.

    I know for a fact that nothing is in front of me but my mental construction.

    I''m a delusional psychopath.

    "???."

    What now?

    "??????? ?''? ????? ?V?? ????????? ?????? ??V????, ??? ? ????? ?? ???? ??? ??."

    No longer mirroring my crooked position, he got up and crooked his height in order to meet mine.

    "???''V? ???????? ???? ??? ??? ????? ?? ??? ????? ????? ??? ??V? ?? ?????????? ?? ?????? ??? ?? ???? V????? ?? ?????, ??????"

    That''s right. I''m dying here along with my subordinates. It''s not the most noble way to die, but at least I''m not going to die alone. Damn, it feels kinda nice to know that I''m not going to die alone. Can you imagine how many people die alone? How come that the deaths that aren''t accompanied by no one else are the most tragic, Daku?

    "? ??????''? ???? ????. ??? ??? ???? ???."

    I''m sorry.

    "...???? ???''? ???. ?? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?? ??? ???? ????? ????, ??? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ?????????????? ??? ????? ??V??, ????????. ???''?? ? ???????? ??????."

    What is this? Are you going to keep on roasting me for all eternity? Hurry up and disappear, Daku. I want to die with them.

    "?? ???????. ???''?? ?V????????? ???? ??????V? ????????, ????? ???. ??????? ????? ?? ?????''? ????. ????????, ??? ??? ? ??? ??????. ??? ??? ????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???? ???? ???? ?? ????V??? J??? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ?V?? ???? ???."

    You got a fucking problem? What''s wrong with dying alongside my subordinates. They trusted me and..... Oh... They trusted me and... got killed...

    "??? ???, ??? ??? J??? ???????? ????? ??????? ??????? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ?????????. ???''V? ??V?? ?? ?? ??V??? ??? ???''V? ??V?? ?? ?? ??V??? ????? ??V??."

    There is no way to fix this situation.

    Our body temperatures are rising like hell.

    I am certain that this elevator is connected to the Earth''s core, though I have no real clue why such thing was built in the first place.

    This dark steel around the elevator is immune to the temperature, that''s why this elevator isn''t melting.

    Daku, it''s a perfect trap.

    Not even you could find your way out of this.

    "??? ? ?? ?????? ???? ???. ??? ???? ?? ????????."

    So what? Being better doesn''t make you invincible. Being better is just like casting a light onto the shadow. Nothing more than a cover up for the flaws.

    "?????? ?? ???? ????: ?? ??? ???? ???? ?? ????"

    I do. I don''t want to die alone.

    "????????. ??? ??? ????????????. ?????''? ??????????? ?? ??? ?? ?????? ??????? ???, ????????. ??? ??? ??????? ??????? ???? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ?????, ?????? ??? ????."

    You can''t argue against me, Daku.

    I am invincible because I don''t acknowledge my own defeat.

    "V???. ????? ?? ??? ???? ??? ??????? ???? ???. ???????? ?? ??? ??? ????????."

    It doesn''t matter if death is too good for me. It will come eventually. And as of this moment, I am going to die. Along with them.

    And there''s nothing you can do to stop that, Daku.

    "?????? ???? ????????. ? ???''? ????? ?? ??? ???? ?????. ? ?? ??? ??????????? ?? ???? ??? ????????. ? ???''? J??? ????? ?????????? ?? ??? ???? ? ???? ??."

    You''re so right. The moment I die, is the moment you also die, Daku.

    Because I won''t be able to fabricate any more delusions.

    Your end is near, Daku.

    "? ???''? ????? ????, ????????. ? ???? ??V? ?? ??????????."

    Oh, I get it.

    You are... going to take over my own consciousness?

    "???????. ???''?? ????? ?? "????????" ?? ?V?????? ???? ?????? ???. ??? ???? ???? ?? ?? ???? ???."

    For how long?

    "????? ??? ?????????? ??? ?????. ? ???? ?????V? ??? ??????? ???? ??? ??????''?. ??? ????, ???? ????''? ????, ??? ??? ????? ?? ??? ?????. ???? ?? ??? ???? ???? ??''?? ??V? ? ???V???????? ???? ????. ???? ????, ? ???? ?? ???????? ??????? ?? ???? ??? V?????. ????V??."

    It would be funny if you actually failed.

    "??? ????? ??????, ????????."

    Is that so...? Well, then...

    I... will be there for a while then.

    I''ll see you later, Daku.

    "???''? V?????? ??? ???? ?? ??? ????? ????, ????????."

    With a bright smile and barely open eyes, I said goodbye and thus forfeited control.

    Part 2.

    ............................

    ................................

    ........................................

    ..............................................

    "Hey, Kuzan...! Do you think that we will meet each other in hell...?"

    ..............................................

    .....................................

    ...........................

    "I wanted to take my step-father to hell with me but I can no longer commit suicide after killing him... Rayazaki...! Rayazaki! Ugh! He''s gonna rape my sister every day in the morning!!"

    ".........I am so sorry. I don''t know the right words to say. But I am so sorry...!"

    ..............

    ............

    .........

    Left, right, up, left, down.

    Up, right, right, right, left, left.

    Down, down, up, left.

    ........

    ....

    "Kawahara....!? What are you...?"

    There has to be something that matches, otherwise...

    Let''s see.

    This is the third section tower. The key number is three.

    Three.

    Alright.

    If I rotate the three upper sides of the cube to the right, then a result should happen.

    This is the connecting factor, most likely.

    "Alright, I did it once."

    "...Master...?! What are you... doing...?"

    The temperatures here are going to kill us in a matter of seconds, realistically speaking.

    To the one who called me by the arrogant nickname of "Master", I hand the cube whilst explaining the controversy.

    "Hey. I know this is sudden, but do you see the pattern that I''ve put the Rubik''s cube under? I need you to complete the cube by adjusting the pieces and then you will have to input the pattern. Got it?"

    He is showing difficulty in processing this sudden information of mine.

    I see, of course. They are heavily preoccupied. Ryousuke left them to die without saying anything to encourage them out of this despair.

    With that in mind, I erupted to full height and spoke to the two hopeless boys who remained on the ground without showing any signs of wanting to get out of this situation.

    Yet I see the gleam in their eyes. They don''t want this to be over.

    "That cube is our way out of here. If you do what I just said, you will be able to save us."

    "R-Really?!"

    I placed my sweaty right hand on his right shoulder and told him the truth.

    "Yes! This elevator most likely encapsulates our overall weight and is able to detect how many people are inside this elevator through magnetic fields. The important factor is that three people have to input this pattern. The moment you are done, hand the cube over to the other boy, will you?"

    Thankfully, he nooded.

    I then turned my back and started to strip in order to decrease the heat emitting from my body.

    Subsquently, I jumped and jumped in order to avoid getting burnt by the lava-like steeled floor. Despite holding tremendous immunity, it is nonetheless not completely entirely heat resistant.

    "I am done!"

    "Give it to me! This better work!"

    They are both crying.

    Weak.

    But that''s fine. The one who put them under this situation is the truly weak one.

    Just as hope seemed lost, the moment the other boy completed the pattern as I told the other boy, a shower of water erupted from above as the steeled rooftop revealed to have water lamps above them.

    I rejoiced the cold sentiment of the fearless water pouring onto my body with my eyes closed.

    The evaporation that our bodies experienced was so large that clouds of smoke were formed subsequently.

    Ultimately, I kneeled down and took the cube from the boy''s shaky hand. The boy himself couldn''t believe that there was a way out of this; so he hugged me alongside the other boy and thus spoke his honest words.

    "We did it, Kawahara! No, not we! You! YOU! You are the best! We are fucking saved!"

    "Master! Master! I knew you could do it!"

    I felt their hugs embracing my entire body and hugged them back too.

    "Thank you. I''m sorry this is sudden, but I have something to ask you two."

    Now that the elevator was going up and the temperature was once again decreasing, I took a seat in the wet steeled wall that was being bathed by the water above slowly, I asked their names.

    I started with the one who called me "Master".

    "Could you tell me your full name?"

    He looked at the other boy next to him and spoke to him instead of me.

    "Rayazaki...? What''s going on?"

    "Don''t ask me, like hell if I know. Probably one of his pranks, don''t fall for it."

    His name is Rayazaki.

    He has spiky hair; far too spiky. Plus, a brave attitude. The other one looks somewhat childish from the way he speaks. He hardly looks like someone that can be associated with Kawahara.

    Seeing a window of opportunity, I spoke to Rayazaki.

    "Your name is Rayazaki, yeah? Your other name, your first."

    "Come on, dude... You already know that..."

    I am starting to understand something.

    I am the existing fragment of Kawahara''s idea of me. In other words, I have existed past this but I''ve never been intertwined with them.

    This is a new experience.

    From their perspective, this is not believable. I get it now.

    "Haha. Forgive me. I was just trying to be manerous. I''ll give you my full name if you give me yours. That sounds about fair, doesn''t it?"

    "But Master, we know your ful--"

    I interrupted the boy who I still didn''t know the name of very quickly.

    "You don''t have to call me Master anymore. I''ve almost let you two die. I don''t deserve such a mighty title."

    Partial to this, the elevator is taking quite the time.

    It makes me wonder how much we have actually descended, but that''s something that Kawahara knows, not me.

    "Dude, what happened to you? Did the heat give you an amnesia stroke?"

    "Nope. I''m the same as always!"

    I flashed a smirk with my eyes closed and in addition to that, gave Rayazaki a nice thumbs up.

    "Agh, whatever, I don''t buy it, but your genius idea saved us, so I will tell you. Even if this is obviously a prank."

    He shrugged and closed his eyes while answering me the question at long last.

    As for me, I started to flip my hair back.

    Then I noticed that Kawahara''s hair is quite large and not short at all. Furthermore, I realized my need to shower.

    "Saitou Rayazaki... There, happy now?"

    "Hm, I see. I''ll be calling you Saitou from now on, if you don''t mind."

    "Not like I have much of an option anyways..."

    Not understanding Saitou''s reasoning, I asked.

    "What do you mean?"

    "I mean... You forced Kuzan to call you Master, so if you say something, I just have to obey you."

    "I see..."

    Kawahara, this is not how you treat your subordinates.

    For how long have you been blind to their fear? They are not remotely attached to you in any shape or form.

    They are attached to your benefits. What could you possibly gain from a interaction so corrupt?

    This needs to change.

    I got up and extended my hand to Saitou, who was with his back against the wall.

    "Nice to meet you, Saitou. I want to clarify something first."

    "Huh, sure... You''re acting all weird, but aight."

    Saitou accepted my hand and also got up.

    I flipped my hair back once again as I spoke. Midst this, the other boy who I still have yet to address myself to, got up in addition.

    "You don''t have to obey me. Whatever happened in the past that involves forceful methods; you can forget it."

    "But Ma--- Kawahara... we don''t really mind, y''know?"

    "But I do mind. Just keep that in mind. Also, your name?"

    "Takeshi Kuzan, sir!"

    Takeshi, huh?

    While I was reflecting on that, the elevator suddenly stopped and thus the door opened.

    Saitou and Takeshi didn''t hesitate to venture into the small linear hall up ahead in order to breathe.

    As it stands, this is our destination.

    The moment I left the elevator along with all of our stuff, it closed and went up. On the right side, there is a manipulator switch, which essentially is our way back to the elevator.

    This hall is accompanied by a roof full of dark metal. It is fairly industrial, from the looks of it. Alongside it are the pillars on the left and on the right side of the hall. Each are crystally blue and they hold a shining fragrance radianting with bright contrast thanks to the dark inked steeled floor that the hall portrays itself under. Nonetheless, the hall is quite small. I would say it''s about ten meters in terms of overall length.

    All one had to do was to take a closer look ahead to realize what this was. No artificial light lived here but a more natural one emitted by the water.

    Our current location is most surely a water passage. Right in front of us stands a linear path of water which will divide itself into three other ways twenty meters up ahead. There is a path to the northwest; one to the northeast and ultimately the continuous canal supporting the water flow which is fully linear up ahead. The division of the water is portrayed by an endless labyrinth of water and passages.

    We could either start from the left or right, as there were two stairs with twenty degrees each holding a rocky yet collective structure to them. No handrails whatsoever, but they were not conflicted with the water below. The starting point would be to take one of those.

    However, what Saitou and Takeshi did was the logical thing to do. They took out their clothes, trashed their bags in my direction; ultimately hitting the surface of my shoes and took a dive in the clean water.

    Shortly after, they emerged to the water''s surface and then spoke their joyful opinion; starting with Saitou''s enthusiastic behavior.

    "Feels SO good! Oh God, it''s so good! Holy shit, dude, what are you doing there?! Strip your clothes and come on over!"

    "Yeah! You are wasting this water by not being in it! Catch me if you can, Rayazaki!"

    "I''ll have you know I''m a fast swimmer!"

    Saitou and Takeshi began to play around in the water while going across the center where the waterway would split into two directions. Despite the grand water current, they were not afraid.

    I chuckled a bit in delight.

    "Pft. Hah, I see. I really do now. I was wrong. These two aren''t primarily attracted to your benefits, Kawahara. They genuinely care about you."

    As I took off my clothes and put them inside my bag in a very dignified manner, I analyzed my current body. It was shredded to the core, without exaggerating.

    "I suppose I am the cause of this, aren''t I? But still, no matter how many years would pass, you would never catch up to me, in that regard, Ryousuke."

    I felt the pumping biceps and horrendously rigid abdominals.

    On my boxers only, I didn''t take a swim but started to fearlessly walk towards the water and then I slowly embraced its glacial feeling with each step of the way.

    As I was rejoicing in peace with each step, my face got assaulted by water coming my way.

    A huge wave of water thrown by Saitou made my body emerge in cold immediately.

    I didn''t know how to react so I stood there silently while Saitou and I faced front to front.

    "What? You''re not gonna strike back?"

    "I don''t see why I should, Saitou."

    "Huuuuuuuuuh... Maybe because I splashed water onto you...?!"

    So that''s why.

    "I thank you. I was feeling very hot and that sharp water throw really felt nice. You have my gratitude, Saitou."

    I took a respectful bow and faced Saitou who was in pure disbelief, again.

    "I don''t even know what is going on anymore... Anyway, what is our path of action, leader?"

    "Path of action?"

    "Dude, fuck off. I am serious here. Enough with the trolling..."

    Midst this, I didn''t take a dive in the fresh water, but I took small grasps of water and continuously splashed them all over my body.

    I don''t want to lie here though, but I don''t really see another way.

    No, I won''t lie. I can''t do that.

    I''ll try the truth out first.

    "My name is Izayoi Daku. Although, I like it better when others simply call me Daku. This might be sudden but I''ve taken over the mind of Ryousuke, or rather, Kawahara, for just a while. Essentially, until I clear all the conditions. That was our deal."

    Takeshi had also arrived at the scene where I told Saitou the truth. As such, Saitou felt obligated to wash his eyes at least three times as if he was wondering if what he was seeing was real.

    "I am not into some roleplay shit just because you don''t like the name your parents gave you."

    That made me chuckle.

    "Hahaha! Good one, Saitou! You don''t believe me then?"

    "Honestly?"

    "Honestly."

    "Of course I don''t. Now, Kawahara, what''s the plan? We are inside the third section already."

    It seems that Saitou has a pretty good general idea of how things are supposed to work around here.

    I better rely on him since he seems very helpful.

    "What do you suggest we do, Saitou?"

    "Huh... Are you implying you don''t have a plan...? You''re our leader, bro."

    I noticed how Takeshi was carefully analyzing the situation midst this. It''s interesting; this behavior of his. He sometimes pays attention to when he should talk or not.

    Still, I am talking with Saitou and as such, my top priority is him.

    "A leader always relies on his subordinates. And as such, I wanted to know your opinion on this, Saitou."

    Saitou actually felt flattered by this and lowered his voice tone; as if to show respect.

    "I got you then. We should do a quick rundown on the water labyrinth because if we do that then the map will fully absorb this area into it. Afterwards, we can freely roam while knowing this waterway''s map due to the tablet."

    "I like that reasoning. Exploring and then setting out to our final destination, is it?"

    "It just seems like the most simple thing to do. What do you have to say?"

    While I could show my conclusive opinion here, I am instead going to direct my words towards Takeshi, on the right.

    "Takeshi, what do you think of Saitou''s plan?"

    "Fine? I mean, I don''t see the problem with it. I think we both thought that you''d have a plan different than ours, that''s why we sought your opinion first..."

    "I see."

    It''s evident that Ryousuke doesn''t show much value towards his subordinates. That will have to change too.

    It doesn''t matter how much you understand someone, Ryousuke, if you don''t show them the right amount of appreciation. It''s necessary to feel needed.

    Saying "I understand" isn''t enough.

    "Got it. Saitou, you''re my right hand and Takeshi, you are my left hand. Together, we are invincible. I''ll be counting on you!"

    "You''re all nice suddenly! Can''t say I dislike the change. Can we swim for a little bit more before we head out though?"

    "Yeah, it would be nice if we could swim for just a tad bit more! The water''s so nice! I could stay here forever!"

    They were awaiting for my approval, which I felt unnecessary.

    Who on this Earth would have to ask such a thing?

    "Swim to your heart''s content."

    "Thanks!" x2.

    They quickly dismissed their positions and took a deep dive onto the dazzling cold water.

    Whilst in the water, I took the opportunity to say something out loud once I got back to the surface after I had taken a significant dive; though not as deep as theirs.

    I flipped my hair back and washed my eyes for some good clarity.

    Each canal from afar followed a trail of light and the beautiful reflection it had on the surface was alluring to say the least. It''s like diamonds liquified midst a heavenly light blue.

    "I wonder how my sister is doing these days."

    I hope she''s eating enough and going to bed on time.

 Volume 21 - Chapter 142: Jagd: Part III.

    Along with Saitou and Takeshi, we discovered the waterway completely and thus we went back and forth to see if the map on the tablet was complete. Once three hours had passed, we were at our starting point with new information to unravel.

    Saitou had the tablet in his hands and me and Takeshi were talking. Over the past three hours, I''ve already become endorsed with them as I was obliged to know what Ryousuke had gotten himself to. Apparently, this is an exam and the conditions that must be cleared for his success are the almighty ten words.

    That does sound like fun, but it comes with a price.

    "Arcturus Waterway is the name!"

    "I see. Does that mean anything, Saitou?"

    Right now, we are standing on the left stair''s degrees from the initial starting point''s perspective. Our bodies are facing the entrance of the elevator while we are turning our backs on the entirety of the waterway. To be more specific, this is more than a waterway. It appears to be a deep sewer. However, despite being a sewer, the water is undoubtedly clean. There are also many staircases that reign above the waterways below. Clearly, those waterways have already provided us with information.

    Yet right now, I am leaving the majority of things to Saitou, as he seems to enjoy what he is doing.

    "Every section we have come across has a name to themselves. I was hoping that you would find anything that connects us to a clue to our success."

    "I see. That does seem to be helpful. What do you think, Takeshi?"

    Takeshi on my left spoke his mind about this.

    "Aren''t cha the one who has the answers to this?"

    "Do I now? Well, can I take a closer look at the other sections, Saitou?"

    Saitou''s face resembled confusion and it was clear why that was the case once he handed me the tablet that he was holding. He was standing up instead of sitting down on the degrees like me and Takeshi.

    "It was you who obtained this tablet in the first place. I don''t think we have any right to take away what''s yours."

    I received the tablet and went to the other sections and thus clicked on the talking balloon icons.

    "That''s not quite right, Saitou. If I am the leader; what is mine is yours too. Same with you, Takeshi. Don''t hesitate to make use of our components here."

    But still, I now understand the terminology of the names here. Henceforth, I handed the tablet back to Saitou and explained what was going on to him and Takeshi.

    "It appears that each section is connected to an astrological etymology. The second brightest star is called "Canopus" and as such, the second section is called "Necrohol of Canopus". The third section is called "Rigil Kentarou Mines" because the third brightest star in the sky is Rigil Kentarou."

    Having understood what I was implying, Saitou didn''t hesitate to further speak his mind about this.

    "I get it now! The fourth brightest star is Arctucus Waterway!"

    I giggled a bit because his take wasn''t fully correct, but not in a disrespectful way.

    "Not quite, Saitou, but you were close. It''s simply "Arctucus"."

    "......"

    He looked embarrassed so I said some compensating words to ease his mind.

    "It''s alright. Not everyone has knowledge in the science of stars. Don''t beat yourself over it. As a matter of fact, it''s better to understand now than never, am I right?"

    "I suppose, yeah. I sometimes wonder why you even know these things. We didn''t learn this in school. Just what would you intended to do should you have all this knowledge and do nothing with it?"

    "I will give it to you, you are right."

    He''s right, Ryousuke. Why do you know this? But look at the bright side; you are helping others by having this knowledge. That is a good deed.

    "Then what''s the next section called?!"

    Enthusiastic, Takeshi was curious to know what the next section was called. Saitou was additionally looking forward to this piece of information, but unfortunately, I couldn''t give them a fully correct answer.

    "All I know is that if it follows the terminology then the next section should revolve around Vega; the fifth brightest star. I, however, don''t know what it''s supposed to resemble."

    "Ooooh. That''s nice! We already know what''s ahead then!"

    Despite Takeshi''s enthusiasm, I asked a more important question as I thought it was the correct time to do so.

    "Takeshi. Saitou."

    They both looked at me with serious eyes.

    "Where are our other friends?"

    Saitou was the first one to reply. His eyes looked somewhat tired.

    "We don''t know. The last one we saw was Sagasuga, but from the moment we split up with the others there were no signs of life. We are perhaps alone in this island."

    "I see."

    Takeshi then spoke after I confirmed Saitou''s opinion.

    "Don''t say that, Rayazaki... That''s horrifying. There''s no way that we are all alone in here, is there?"

    "As it stands, we are alone in here."

    They seemed to be having an inner fight, so I quickly put a stop to that.

    "That''s alright. We''ll eventually find the rest of our friends. How many are there? You know, the rest of our friends?"

    "You mean the total of boys in this island from our class?"

    I was under the assumption that there were girls too, but it appears not from the looks of it, so I went with a simple nod towards Saitou''s question.

    "Seven."

    "Seven friends? That''s a whole lot. Alright, we have to get them out of this island too!"

    They didn''t exactly oppose my opinion but Takeshi had a more factual opinion in regards of my own take.

    "But we don''t know where they are, do we?"

    "We will find them along the way. With that said, shall we get going?"

    I got up and so did Takeshi. Our bags were adjoined to our backs and Saitou was climbing the stairway that we were seating on. He was leading the way. Our path forward was already clear because we found what looked to be our final destination along the way. It''s just that we had to cover all the waterway for the tablet to process the entire name.

    There is a central waterway control at the exact center of the map. No matter how much we discovered the waterway, we found five locked doors located in five different locations. There is one in the central waterway control. One in the northwest direction. One in the northeast direction. Another one in the southwest direction and ultimately the last one in the southeast direction.

    They were locked manually, most likely. However, what gave us the true hint here is that this central waterway control holds five switches. Furthermore, there are five other additional switches a few meters in front of the previous five switches. Something to additionally mention is that all the water from this labyrinth sums up in the central waterway control because there are five water channels. Each water channel is separated by five barrages but they are the source of the clean water in this labyrinth. It has become evident that pressing the switches would empty out all the water, but we nonetheless haven''t discovered it yet.

    As we made our way to the central waterway by climbing the stairways whilst only marching forth in north direction with a timelength of thirty minutes in our journey, I began to talk with Saitou who was in front of us. Takeshi was on my right side at all times.

    "Saitou, could you describe yourself to me?"

    "...What..."

    Though his response sounded negative, he kept on looking forward without looking back.

    It''s true, I don''t know much or anything at all about Saitou or Takeshi here so I have to start somewhere.

    However, it''s pretty unlikely that he will feel comfortable speaking about himself, so I will do some self introduction for myself.

    "As already mentioned, I am called Izayoi Daku. But I like it better when people call me by "Daku". I am currently, 17 years old, I believe. I was born in Shibuya, Japan. I like to surf, which is not something that many actually seem to do. It takes a lot of courage to start surfing, but once it''s done, it''s amazing. It''s a very good feeling. I was also born on November 15th. I forgot to mention. My father and mother both died in a robbery assault when I was little so I was forced to come and live with my aunt alongside my little sister when we I was 6 years old. My sister is highly irresponsible and doesn''t take her studies seriously. She believes she is so pretty that she doesn''t need to study at all because she will be selected as a model soon enough. In other words, she is somewhat delusional too, but I understand her dreams and support her. And I---"

    Saitou felt the need to interrupt me midst my long speech though he did not look back.

    "You are really going through with this lie?"

    To this, I answered with the truth.

    "You''re free to think as you might, Saitou. I just wanted to know you better. I''m sorry if I was offensive."

    "..."

    And then, a silence spanned for a good thirty seconds.

    Saitou opened a door that would lead to yet another section. That''s right, there are other doors outside of the ones that are locked. They are shaped differently, regardless. It''s evident that the locked doors contain far more weight as these doors look like prison cells shaped in doors. Around the waterway, there are staircases that lead below but they are swiftly met with water. Essentially speaking, soon enough, should the water switches be pressed; free access to such stairs without being submerged by water will be possible.

    "Well, I..."

    Against my expectations, Saitou decided to speak, which was great news.

    "I''m not gonna do a whole essay like you just did. I''ll get to the point."

    As we were turning on a curve, Saitou spoke in our direction this time, with regret.

    "I shoot up my old school. In total, I killed 18 people."

    Certaintly, I was not expecting that. Considering I described myself as fairly average with my speech earlier, I wasn''t expecting something like this.

    "Saitou, why?"

    Calm and reasonable, I asked. I''ll admit that I am shocked, but if it''s someone that Ryousuke has befriended, then it''s important that I get to know the core of Saitou.

    "I was being bullied. My teachers never helped out and the local police wouldn''t do shit about it."

    "I see..."

    What drove him to do what he did was the fact that he suffered from a tremendous lack of help. In other words, he is not someone who often expects help yet he trusts you to do so, Ryousuke. Do you have any idea how hard it is for someone who has trust issues to open up like this?

    "I know where my father hid his guns since he was a hunter. One day, I showed up in my black leather coath along with my black jeans. Furthermore, I started wearing black paint in my eyes and drenched my neck in black ink. It was supposed to resemble a skull and that they were all going to die. But it turned out to be quite messy. At first, they laughed at me, but when I begun to spin my revolvers, they all quieted down."

    As much as I would like to scold Saitou here, the helplessness that comes from school and those around you can drive you insane. Most certainly, they can drive you into making decisions that you never once thought you were capable of doing.

    But still, I just have one question.

    "Saitou, how are you not in juvenile or simply put; locked up?"

    He began to walk again and so did we.

    It appears that the answer to this was fairly simple, from the looks of it.

    "I don''t know why, but I was selected as the subject of this program. I mean, it''s great that I''m not locked up, but... I sometimes question if it''s actually better... Like, I know I''m not alright. I shoot up 18 people and got arrested for that. The only reason why I wasn''t executed was because of this program that for some reason revolves around young criminals, but... It makes me wonder just how insane and nuts the ones behind this really are. What if one of us decided to shoot up the entire school, like what then?"

    I see.

    Ryousuke, you got yourself stuck in the same situation. It appears that there was some sort of consequence for what you did to me.

    Regardless, against unfathomable odds; despite everything, you are in the midst of these damaged individuals. Did you for once began to think that you could use this opportunity to fix them? If a school shooter can reason and speak words that don''t resemble savagery, then it is possible.

    "You''re right, Saitou. Tell me, do you still feel that way sometimes? Do you just want to go around and shoot people up?"

    "Even if I did, I don''t have a gun. It''s very impossible to have a gun nowadays. We are strictly tied up with a security every time."

    "Really now? But I don''t see any of that security around here."

    "That''s true. But I don''t want to kill anyone anymore. I will complete this program and live a good life. Our criminal records will be erased once we complete this program. That''s why me and Kuzan are with you. You said that you would give us a way to victory in every exam."

    I see.

    I really do now, Ryousuke. This bond is fragile. Although they care about you, they nonetheless care for you for other reasons. I am beginning to understand more about your circumstance. But, why couldn''t you have just done this without putting up conditions? What do you gain by playing with these people''s emotions?

    It''s all abhorrent if you don''t do it because you truly care.

    "Am I wrong here...?"

    "No, not at all. I keep my word."

    We were near the central waterway control but I decided to talk with Takeshi on my right.

    "What about you, Takeshi? What''s your story? Does it involve a school shooting like Saitou''s story?"

    He laughed it off a bit and then told the truth.

    "No way. I''m just a petty thief. It''s a compulsion."

    "I see. What kind of thievery did you commit? Surely it must''ve been something beyond the usual thievery. Otherwise, I don''t think you would end up in here."

    At last, we arrived at the central waterway control. Saitou opened the brand horizontal golden door and thus our eyesight were opened to a control switch area. There were two ways around it; one linear way to left and another to the right; both would lead to the north. In front of us was an area surrounded by water but a water that couldn''t reach the surface of the area ultimately. Unlike the entire labyrinth, this area is blessed with artificial light, so our vision was better.

    Now in front of the first wave of switches, Saitou''s eyes and my own were placed on Takeshi''s figure who was close to the initial golden door.

    "I steal corpses!"

    "Hold on, what?! I thought you were just a casual thief!"

    Apparently, this was very shocking to Saitou. Admitedly, I am shocked too. Because I am surrounded by psychopaths; in theory.

    It''s hard to take this in nicely because no one sane would just be able to digest this type of information.

    "Takeshi, why do you steal corpses?"

    Instead of showing any sort of remorse, Takeshi spoke enthusiastically, which was frightening.

    "Because it''s sad that their corpses have to be buried and be left alone for centuries to come! I take them from their graves, bring their bones back to my basement and store them up. That way, they won''t have to feel alone because there are other corpses in my basement!"

    A school shooter and a necrophiliac. But, if that''s the case, then I have no reason to be afraid. No, that''s not the correct way of thinking.

    I first need to check something with Takeshi.

    "Takeshi, do you still hold that compulsion with you?"

    "Sure I do! But it''s not something I will be capable of doing in a while because our school doesn''t have a graveyard. I was hoping to steal Yulia''s corpse but... I wasn''t very successful with that."

    Saitou felt the need to interrogate Takeshi suddenly. He was nervous in face of Takeshi as he asked his question.

    "Kuzan....! What exactly did you do?!"

    Takeshi laughed a bit and then said to us.

    "Aniki would be all alone so I got him a gift. In my room, I have Yulia''s right hand! I plan on giving it to him once we are out of this island!"

    "You what! That''s fucked up on so many levels! Kuzan, once we get to school, you have to give it back!"

    "No way, Rayazaki! Aniki''s all sad! It also looks like Ma--- I mean, Kawahara, had a change of heart! What do you say, Kawahara?! Isn''t this the right thing to do?!"

    For reasons unknown, I didn''t know how to properly react to this. There are so many questions that I don''t even know where to start, honestly.

    "First of all, who is this "Yulia"? Is she a friend of ours?"

    Takeshi happily answered all my questions to come.

    "No! But she was Aniki''s girlfriend. She died though."

    This brought forth more questions so I didn''t hesitate.

    "Alright, so who is this "Aniki"? And why did she die?"

    "Aniki is Daniel, one of our friends. He has his heart broken right now because his girlfriend committed suicide not so long ago."

    "That is tragic! Why did she do that?!"

    Saitou answered instead of Takeshi this time around.

    "No one really knows. Anyway, can you just tell what Kuzan is trying to do is obviously wrong and won''t actually work?!"

    "You don''t know that! Seeing a body piece of your lost one can invoke a lot of emotions!"

    "Not good ones, I fucking bet!"

    They were starting to get up and close; personal. Furthermore, their distance slowly increased as they both disagreed in terms of ideas.

    I put myself in the middle in order to stop them and directed my words to Takeshi.

    "Takeshi, I might not know what truly happened, but Saitou has a point. What you are trying to accomplish is very wrong. The dead want to rest and by putting a stop to that process you are disturbing them."

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "...I don''t agree with that."

    "Why you...!"

    It wasn''t me who said that, but Saitou.

    Saitou truly regrets what he has done, from the looks of it, but Takeshi fully supports what he has done.

    It appears as though this conversation won''t go anywhere, thus I put a temporary stop to it by advancing to the first wave of switches.

    "Shall we place our efforts into something else? We can discuss this later, if you want."

    "Fine..."

    "I don''t think it''s gonna change a thing, but alright!"

    And thus, we left it at that. We then faced the first wave of switches and I asked them their thoughts of this.

    "What do you think we should do now?"

    Saitou was the first one to answer my question.

    "No other choice but to press them. However, what''s the deal with the other switches? There are ten in total but there are only five doors. Got any clue?"

    I spoke in Takeshi''s direction this time.

    "What do you think, Takeshi?"

    "I think that the other switches are connected to the water channels. If you look at them closely, you can see a green gleaming light emitting from the top which goes all the way down to the boarder of this area. I think that if you press one of them, then the water channel that''s connected with will empty all the water and we''ll be able to walk onto the areas that had the water in it. But why would there be five other switches? Is it just because of water channels?"

    I liked Takeshi''s analogy, but what Saitou said to complement it gave me a bigger portion of happiness.

    "Maybe it''s connected to the secret passage? That would explain why there are two waves of switches. Perhaps one is for the normal passage and the other one for the secret passage."

    "That''s it! Then we should clear the normal passage first, right?"

    This was when I intervined.

    "First of all, we should really confirm what all the switches do. Let''s start with the front ones, what do you two say?"

    They didn''t object this at all and Saitou offered himself as a volunteer to start this.

    In front of the first switch of the first wave of switches that control the water channels; all the way to the left, Saitou pressed it, which resulted in the predictable outcome.

    All the water from the long linear water channel began to deplete the moment Saitou pressed the switch.

    However, we also noticed something that completely alerted us from behind the switch.

    The switch from behind that was mirroring the switch that Saitou had just pressed emerged itself with the ground; thus disappearing.

    "I see now. It would all be too easy if we could just press the five switches and then access the whole area."

    "Huuuh, can''t we still do it regardless? Don''t we just have to press the switch again and the switch that was mirroring it will reappear?"

    Perhaps I reasoned a bit too early and didn''t focus on explaining what actually happened as Takeshi was quick to argue back, but Saitou quickly understood my intention here and thus spoke to Takeshi.

    "It''s not working. No matter how many times I press the switch, the other switch won''t emerge again."

    "So where does that leave us?"

    The glowing green light that was connecting the two switches faded away. Meanwhile, the other four green lights in-between the switches are still active. In other words, we can''t just decide to activate both switches from different waves. We have to make a choice.

    Either we pick the first wave or the second wave.

    But before we make any more careless mistakes, we should seek out our surroundings and see what they have to offer.

    "Let''s go down and see what the dry channel has to offer, yeah? Maybe it will give a us a clue. There''s a stairway down below to the empty channel midway so we should be able to take it."

    And so, we walked a bit and went down the stairway. Then we entered the wet channel and kept on going up ahead. After two curves to the right and walking a bit forward, we found a stairway connecting to the labyrinth and a lone switch in the middle.

    "Are we supposed to click this?"

    "I don''t think there''s much choice, Saitou. Should this switch be a soft reset of what we have done, then water will come pouring through the barrage. If you start hearing a powerful sound from the waterway central control, run up the stairs, alright?"

    They both nodded and as such, I pressed the switch. Just as I had envisioned after, a quick yet heavy sound of potent water was unleashed.

    "Run for it! It''s going to flod the entire channel!"

    In no more than ten seconds, the entire channel was being flooded by the water it had previously retracted.

    Now on the upper labyrinth, Takeshi spoke his thoughts out loud.

    "If the water is coming all the way from the waterway central control then that means Rayazaki''s past action didn''t really matter, right?"

    To confirm this, we quickly ran all the way to the waterway central control.

    There, we saw the green glowing light connecting the two switches unlike before.

    "So it''s a reset...? I don''t really get it..."

    I then proposed that we try what we just did a while ago.

    Around ten minutes later, we arrived at the conclusion that the switches in the frontal wave clear up the water and in each channel there is a reset switch.

    Therefore, our next step would be to confirm what the first wave of switches exactly did.

    I clicked on the first switch from the left and as I did, the green light connecting to the switch in the front that controls the water channel most to the left disappeared alongside the switch.

    However, instead of the three of us just seeking out what it could offer, I launched an offer to Saitou and Takeshi who were ready to set out.

    "I think one of us should stay here in order to note any changes that may happen once the reset switch is pressed."

    "You think there''s going to be YET another reset switch?! What would be the point of this then?!"

    Saitou''s anger was to be expected. After all, if there are reset switches awaiting for us, it would mean that we essentially have no way to get out of here.

    "Let the end result be the judge of our actions. Saitou, could you go in the northwest direction and seek the locked door?"

    "Alright, but something better happen. What about Kuzan?"

    Takeshi most likely thought that he was going to stay here with me, but I gave him yet another task. A fairly predictable one.

    "He will press the switch on the right and he will do the same as you. This way we can have the results faster. I''m counting on you two."

    Five minutes later, they both came back and delivered me the news. Starting with Saitou.

    "No good, it''s just a reset switch... I imagine your result wasn''t any different, Kuzan?"

    "Yup, it wasn''t... Did anything happen in here?"

    Unfortunately, I wasn''t able to deliver them fantastic news, because the truth is; nothing happened.

    "Nothing at all. But what exactly did you two see there? I imagine that these switches open the respective door it''s connected with, right?"

    Saitou answered.

    "They do, but it''s just a room with a switch panel in the middle."

    Upon receiving that, I decided to run some tests.

    First of all, we pressed all the frontal switches connecting to the water channels to see if something happened, but nothing happened. Afterwards, we had to reset everything and then tried again but this time around we pressed the switches from the first wave and examined to see if there was any difference and there wasn''t.

    There''s a very obvious problem here.

    No matter how much we press the switches, there''s only one option to follow and that option is nothing more than a soft reset. Which means that we are missing something here.

    With that in mind, we formed a circle in the middle of the central waterway control and had a discussion about this.

    "Damn it. Nothing''s working. I still don''t get what the point of those reset switches are..."

    Saitou was trying to think of something that would connect to the reset switches, but he wasn''t being very successful with it.

    "I was hoping that a secret passage would show up once we pressed all the switches, but we don''t have a way to press all the switches... The moment we press one; another disappears... This is unsolvable!"

    "From the looks of it."

    If one switch is pressed from the opposite wave, the opposite wave''s switch that''s mirroring it dissappears.

    Undoubtely, pressing all the switches is most likely the desirable result yet in theory, that does nothing because all that really happens is nothing more than the water channels being empty on water and the doors unlocking themselves.

    But still, this is fairly obvious. There''s something that they are both missing here. The key to the outcome here.

    Once I collected all my resolve, I started to strip my uniform that I was wearing for a while now.

    Neatly, I placed all my clothes; shoes included, in the bag.

    "What are you doing?"

    Saitou asked, puzzled.

    "I''m going for a swim. Could you two stay here?"

    "Sure thing. We''ll try to think of something."

    "That''s fine. Oh, Saitou, Takeshi, could you do me one small favor?"

    Now that I got both of their attentions, I asked them the most crucial of all favors.

    "Would you be as kind as to not press the switches while I''m gone?"

    "Yeah, alright."

    "Ok!"

    As I acknowledged their faithful replies, I set out to discover.

    First of all, I started with the first channel. Because everything is reset, I took a wild swim into the first channel and dove deep into the water. Once I reached the exact same spot where the switch of the first water channel is, I submerged even further in the dark water and pressed the switch. This made the switch go down; but unlike in the central waterway control, there are no contrasting switches. In other words, if there is nothing to contrast, they are not intersected with other switches and as such, they can''t contrast each other.

    This is not a coincidence.

    I took a second swim into the second, third, fourth and fifth channel and did the exact same.

    By the time I pressed the fifth switch deep down in the fifth channel, a secret door on the right appeared; though once it appeared; it had a manual password entry on the right side of the door. I did not do anything and instead; resurfaced. As I climbed onto the upper labyrinth''s stairs, I noticed how the water was still there, but I also noticed that that could be easily solved just by pressing the fifth switch in the central waterway control.

    I returned back to Saitou and Takeshi after making a massive discovery. Nonetheless, the first thing I did once there was not to tell them the news but to press the furthest switch on the east which would deplete all the water in the fifth water channel. Thus, our passage wouldn''t be met with water.

    Furthermore, they did me a good favor by not pressing the switches. At first glance, it might''ve not been obvious, but if the fifth switch in the central waterway control had been pressed, then the water would''ve been depleted and that would''ve conflicted with the result. It''s somewhat hard to process what happened but I think that the five switches I pressed in the water channels are independent from these switches; though not entirely.

    They are not entirely independent because the switches in the central waterway control swiftly interfere with the water channels. The only reason as to why I was successful in my endeavor was because I thought that the absence of the other switches would allow a result to occur. Because if given thought; the real reason why we weren''t successful thus far was because there were opposing switches for us to work around and we would normally be stuck under the assumption that there are only 10 switches to play around with, but in reality, there are 15; if we include the water channel ones.

    Without the water present in the channels, this would not have been possible but now that the secret door has emerged, our first victory is here.

    "Did something happen?"

    Saitou asked, not sure as to why I was pressing the fifth switch.

    I didn''t hesitate on giving the good news.

    "I found a secret door in the fifth channel."

    This pumped up Saitou and Kuzan who quickly came to my radius; borderline being all over me.

    "You what?! How?! Nothing happened here!"

    "Saitou, that''s because these switches are nothing more than an illusion. The switches on the water channels are the real deal."

    Then Takeshi spoke his enlightened opinion.

    "Oh, so that''s why you went for a swim! You went to click on the switches in the water channels! But how did that work out?!"

    "Nothing was working here but because the switches in the water channels didn''t contrast anything, I assumed that they operated independently, so I took my chance. Shall we get going then?"

    "You''re so fucking awesome, dude! First the cube shit and now this! What is your brain even made of?!"

    "Haha, you flatter me, Saitou. I couldn''t have reached this conclusion without all of your help. By alternating spots we saw how nothing was working which made me arrive at the conclusion that something partial was the key point here. So, if I am responsible for the success, you are equal responsible too."

    "But you obtained the crucial result!"

    Takeshi exclaimed his take as he thought that I was the truly mighty one just because I had obtained the crucial piece here. I begged to differ once again, now that I was done putting my uniform on.

    "So what? Results aren''t the only thing that matter, Takeshi. Everything along the way before the result is what accumulates what the result becomes, and as far as I''m concerned, what accumulated from the actions before the result was you and Saitou''s help. Don''t make light of yourself just because of "results". That''s not fair for you."

    I led the way as soon as I was done with my speech. The fifth water channel stays in the southeast direction and because there was a stairway case nearby, all we would have to do was to go underneath the labyrithin in the now empty fifth water channel and walk through a very linear path before ultimately turning to the last right direction which would make us confront the door.

    However, before we did all of this, Saitou and Takeshi began to have a small conversation to which I did not take a part of, but could hear nonetheless.

    Saitou initiated it.

    "Call me crazy, but I''m actually starting to believe that there''s another person in there..."

    "Or maybe it''s just a really good prank..."

    "This is too much for a fucking prank, Kuzan!"

    "But think about it, Rayazaki! Only Master could do something like this!"

    Ryousuke, you don''t really have a good image amongst others, do you?

    Eventually, we did reach the door and they rejoiced upon seeing that we were in fact on the right way to success.

    However, I just had to ask something.

    "Why is there a password entry here of all places?"

    Saitou answered, which I was very much thankful to.

    "In every section, there is a password entry in the normal passage and in the secret passage. But I''m assuming that this is the NORMAL passage, which is very awkward considering what''s needed to get here..."

    "I see. Then, what''s the password that has to be inserted here? Do you two know?"

    I asked because I don''t have the knowledge here. What I do know, however, is that in the password entry panel it says that I have three other tries left.

    Does this mean that someone else was here previously? There is a chance that someone else was here before and tried a password and he wasn''t successful. Or it could be that that''s the result of inserting a password.

    "So far, only you have inserted the passwords; not us. So, only you know."

    What Saitou just said was highly puzzling, but I asked something that could''ve been considered stupid.

    "In the other sections, what were the passwords that I inserted? Did I tell any of you?"

    Takeshi answered this instead of Saitou.

    "You did, actually. Back in the bonfire! In the necrohol, you inserted the password "Ultimate" and in the mines you inserted "The"."

    "I see. How and why did I insert the passwords?"

    "Because you have them in your bag... Check the contents inside of it."

    As Saitou suggested I did exactly that and found out about the seven words in total. He also told me what they were supposed to resemble.

    Saitou reasoned that Ryousuke''s word was "Way". Saitou''s own word is "The". Takeshi''s word is "The" too. Then he mentioned a boy named Tatsu and how is word is "For". Tsudo, another unknown person, holds the word of "Will". Meanwhile, someone who goes by the name of Sagasuga holds the powerful word of "Ultimate". Lastly, another boy who goes by the name of Kan has the word of "Words."

    In conclusion, there are three missing words. But the fact that it''s just three words was enough for me to conclude the puzzle that these words are supposed to assemble.

    I see now, Ryousuke. You would have to go through all the trouble of finding the three other students who are not appearing for their own reasons and only then would you be able to obtain their words.

    You''re inferior for that reason, Ryousuke. They are dragging you into their game by restraining your knowledge.

    That ends nows.

    "Ten words will light the way for the ultimate passage."

    I said out loud while in front of the password entry lobby.

    "Yeah, we already know that, duh."

    What Saitou just said surprised me. I thought that all along they were trying to figure it out.

    "Is that so? So you knew all along, Saitou?"

    "What exactly are you going on about...?"

    Takeshi asked with an extremely confused expression all over his face.

    But maybe they didn''t really get what I just said, so I''ll be more direct.

    "That''s the ten words."

    ".........." x2.

    It took them a while to process what I had just said, but after four seconds, they arrived at the conclusion that I wanted them to reach once they saw me inserting the right password without failing even one time.

    They spoke with exclaimed tones the moment the door unlocked itself; to which I gave a small push.

    "BRO! You can''t be serious! Those are all the words?! But how do you know that?!"

    "Yeah! How do you know?!"

    To this, I explained something basic.

    "Because this is the fourth section, I inserted the fourth word which is "Light" and it worked, didn''t it? The first word which is "Ten" belongs to the first section. And the last word which is "Passage" belongs to the tenth section. The fact that it worked here with a word that we still did not have is evidence that those are in fact the ten words."

    But still, there''s something here that doesn''t add up. If this order is correct then the password to the second section should not have been "Ultimate" and the password to the third section should not have been "The" as well. In other words, there are two possible conclusions to take here.

    The first one is that there is no specific order here and I was extremely lucky just now.

    While the second option is that there is some sort of device that lets you change the passwords required for the entry but only under the pool of the ten words. In other words; a password shifting device that only allows you to change the designed password right into another password that is within the range of ten words.

    It would be the perfect lie here.

    Alas, we made our way into the small entrance and saw beyond it. It was a linear path to yet another switch. This linear path, however, was covered in water; though barely. Around this is nothing but water, but there is a cascade if we look at the right. There is a way out, apparently.

    As we moved towards the center, Saitou questioned something.

    "Dude, did something happen or something? You got like ten thousand times smarter than usual. It''s kinda ridiculous. I''m having a hard time believing it..."

    "I too am surprised... This seems a little bit too unrealistic."

    Takeshi seems suspicious about me recently. It''s almost as if he can''t bring himself to talk to me or something without me directing a word to him.

    That is very strange because the opposite happened to Saitou, who is far more friendly now. Did I do something to upset him?

    "Takeshi, did something happen?"

    "What do you mean?"

    We were already in front of the switch with a red button to it, but I turned around and spoke my honest words to Takeshi.

    "You seem to be very cautious of me lately. Have I done anything to gain your anxiety?"

    Not Takeshi but Saitou answered this as he thought it was obvious why what was happening was indeed happening.

    He formed a smug expression whilst explaining.

    "He just doesn''t know how to react to your roleplaying fetish, don''t let it get to you. You should be glad we aren''t shunning you from being into weird roleplaying shit, hahaha!"

    Oh.

    I placed my right hand on my chin and reflected on what Saitou had just said. It''s true. They don''t believe in the words that I told them despite being the truth. No, I suppose it doesn''t matter if it''s the truth or not if the credibility is low from the start.

    "I-I really respect it! I just don''t know how to... Well..."

    Takeshi was attempting to justify his current shame, but I laughed it off.

    "Haha. Don''t mind, don''t mind. I thought that something else was going on. Forgive me."

    Now that I was done clarifying that, I offered a question to them.

    "Which one of you wants to press the switch?"

    "Me! Me! Me!"

    Takeshi absolutely answered without a shred of hesitation and Saitou just allowed it to happen by shrugging it off.

    "It doesn''t really matter, I suppose. I''m pressing the next switch, if there''s another one."

    "Hurray! Make way for the great Kuzan!"

    Striding, Takeshi didn''t show reluctance on pushing the red trigger button.

    Beneath the button; practically in the middle of the structure supporting the entire panel, a very tiny drawer emerged and in it continued the essential component of the fourth section.

    I allowed Takeshi to take ahold of it first but Saitou was extremely impatient to the point where he just had to get his eyes on it and see what it was for himself.

    "Holy shit..."

    "What were they thinking..."

    I''ll admit of being in the same line of thought the moment I saw the component.

    "May I have it?"

    "It''s quite heavy...!"

    "..."

    This object doesn''t even begin to compare to the other ones that Ryousuke has subsequently been accumulated over his course. This one reigns in overall height and utility. There are four flasks of a green liquid that we have no idea what it is at all.

    They are all mashed together in a combination of components made to be connected to something else. It appears as though this is a deadly gas toxin compiled inside four flasks.

    Furthermore, it strictly says that it''s lethal on its front. However, there is nothing that can be used by this. If the gas is pilled up inside the flasks without a clear way to make use of it, it''s utterly useless.

    "What now? Do we carry that...?! I don''t know how one is supposed to use it, but it''s meant to kill, right?!"

    Just on what Earth were the ones behind this thinking? Why would you place your trust onto something like this to criminals...?

    I must take responsibility for these flasks. But first...

    "Let''s go back to the central waterway control. I think that we might find something there now."

    "I think so too. You said earlier that the password changes everything so the moment you inserted that password, something must''ve changed."

    And so, we went back to the central waterway control.

    As for the flusks containing the deadly green gas toxin, I stocked them up in my bag. Regardless of their incredibly heavy weight, I didn''t express fatigue.

    Though I was not aware, Ryousuke had told Saitou that the password entry changes everything within.

    That''s why once we got onto the central waterway control we noticed nothing at first, but after doing some thinking, I concluded that something must''ve changed.

    Henceforth, I went ahead and pressed a random switch and we noticed that the contrasting switch did not disappear.

    Finally, we all pressed the ten switches and as such as secret passage erupted beneath the golden door from which we entered. To be more specific, a stairway case that would go down below the golden door began to unravel itself as if it was leading towards a basement.

    "Freaking neat! I always love it when it just comes out of nowhere!"

    "Yup! Yup! It gives a great sense of accomplishment doesn''t it?!"

    Our way down below was highly illuminated and we didn''t have trouble finding the door that required the password. It was a black inked door with a strong metallic structure to it. There was nothing more to this linear hall than a straight path towards the door which simply required the password that I didn''t hesitate on inserting.

    Before we could walk in the room up ahead, on our right, an elevator door appeared due to the rupture of the wall. Simply put, our way out of here was in sight.

    However, we went straight into the room which was now unlocked.

    Just like the previous scenario where we obtained the flask, it was a water pandemonium with a very linear path towards a blue trigger button in the middle.

    With each step we noticed that on our left, we could see the exact area where we obtained the flasks; very far away. More specifically, we could grasp the cascade from far away that we saw in the other area. I am not sure where we would end up in; should we have followed this water cascade or if we took a swim in this water covering us. The only reason as to why we are not being fully submerged by it is because of the borders on the left and right of this path.

    "I''m pressing the switch this time!"

    Fastly striding whilst on this slippery water, Saitou made his way to the blue trigger switch. Takeshi ran alongside him while I took cohesive steps towards the destination.

    They patiently awaited for my arrival and then Saitou pressed the switch which would unfortunately make me nervous.

    "What is this...?"

    "I don''t know, Rayazaki..."

    Exactly like last time, the component came from a small drawer, but this time around, I was fast in analyzing it by forcefully taking it away from Saitou.

    "Sorry, I just need to see it."

    "Dude, it''s fine... Just tell us what this is..."

    Though I didn''t want to explain what it was, the true instance I held it with both of my hands, I delivered the truth to Saitou and Takeshi.

    "This is a cloud reactor... As you can see in this square-shaped machine, there are four flask entries alongside one mask which protects you from the toxin."

    "Huuuh... What is the cloud reactor for...?"

    Takeshi asked, with sweat droplets all over his face.

    "It''s meant to spread a toxin that contains gas. In other words, it''s applicable onto the area as the gas will spread. For example, should I turn on this cloud reactor and insert one toxin flusk then the gas will spread in the room and it will kill us all...!"

    "WH-WHAT?! ARE THEY OUT OF THEIR MINDS?! WHO CREATED THIS?!"

    I placed the cloud reactor on the floor and took out the ax. In addition to that, I took out the flasks from my bag and put them alongside the cloud reactor.

    Before I went along with my action, I asked Saitou and Takeshi something.

    "Do you oppose me? I am going to destroy the cloud reactor along with the flasks. We already have a way out. There''s no need nor a real reason to keep these. They were made for the purpose of killing. As such, it''s the logical thing to destroy them."

    Saitou spoke first and then Takeshi.

    "Hell no I don''t oppose you. We already have a way out! Screw these things!"

    "I agree with this... If it falls in the wrong hands, then it''s bad news!"

    I smiled at this. It felt good.

    Ultimately upholding utmost resolution, I elevated the ax up high with all my physical strength and clashed right with the flasks.

    "......!!"

    "No way!"

    "But how?!"

    I kept on plumbing the flasks and the cloud reactor, but nothing was happening.

    "I see. So it''s indestructible? What madness!"

    The metallic structure covering the flasks are absurdly tough and the ax won''t even scratch them. Furthermore, I can''t just empty the flasks because they will only be open once they enter the cloud reactor''s entries. As for the cloud reactor, the result is the same. They cannot be destroyed. They are shaped by a metal so tough that I am not even sure what could damage it.

    Midst this, Takeshi proposed something logical yet risky.

    "We should throw them in the water!"

    Certainly, that seems to be about the right choice right now, but Saitou had plenty of reason to disagree here. He even began to throw a tantrum at Takeshi.

    "Are you out of your mind, Kuzan?! What if that falls into the hands of Sagasuga?! If what happened is true, then he will come after us with it! We can''t just leave it wondering in the middle of nowhere!"

    "Then what do you suggest we do...?!"

    This time, I spoke; administering our upcoming biggest responsibility.

    "We will carry it. There is no other choice. None of us will use it and in the worst case scenario, we will disable those who want the cloud reactor. But we must hide it at all costs. Takeshi, could you carry the cloud reactor in your bag?"

    "I''m not sure if it''ll fit, there''s too much fruit in here..."

    To this problem, Saitou offered a helping hand.

    "Let me carry the fruits. I''ll carry the flasks inside my bag. Should we get ambushed, we shouldn''t let the hunter have both the components. I think it''s logical that we keep them separated for this reason."

    In agreement, I said the following words.

    "You couldn''t have said it better. I hate to say this, but our other friends could quickly become enemies depending on their desire..."

    Saitou packed up the flusks inside his bag and felt the abundant weight of them and so, I offered some consolation; while Takeshi was putting the cloud reactor inside his bag; which surprisingly fits; though barely.

    "I''ll carry two of them while you carry the two others."

    "Gee, thanks man. It''s amazing you weren''t tired along the way with these weights on your shoulders."

    "If they get two heavy for you, just tell me and I''ll carry the rest."

    "Heh, don''t look down on me. I am useful, you know?"

    Without wanting to disrespect him, I showed a bare smirk and thanked him while making way to the elevator door.

    "Thanks, Saitou."

    Inside the Arcturus Waterway, we have discovered an enigmatic labyrinth which seemed unsolvable at first but through our collective effort, we found a way out of the seemingly infinite loop. And even though we were successful in our endeavor, what we found couldn''t exactly be qualified as a success but more of a staggering responsibility. A curse placed on those with good intentions who were carrying a lethal device only made to harm innocent people. Why such device was placed here is beyond my capacity of understanding but I am sure that Ryousuke will find an answer to it once he comes back.

    Until then, we are stuck with the responsibility that we were cursed with.

    By climbing this elevator which would take us to the top once again, we three reflected on one singular most important thought that reigned in terms of priority in our minds.

    No matter what, these two components CANNOT fall in the hands of the wrong people!

    Arcturus Waterway Status: Cleared.

 Volume 21 - Chapter 143: Jagd: Part IV.

    "Hey... Do we really have to go through the elevator...?! What if what happened earlier happens again?"

    Midst the top of the bottomless sandsea with thundering clouds approaching and the dark sky emerging, we rushed the fifth tower due to the bad weather threatening.

    Takeshi was recalling the earlier situation, but there wasn''t much of a choice. However, that doesn''t mean that I can''t help his trauma. Saitou isn''t looking too enthusiastic about this either.

    I gave them a helping hand.

    "It won''t happen. And even if it does, I will fix the situation. No one gets harmed on my watch!"

    Pumping my chest with my right fist, I heard the tremendous lightning from afar approaching; mercilessly.

    "But I''m scared... It was really traumatizing!"

    "Sheesh, Kuzan, grow up. That was probably something that the previous elevator only had! We gotta get inside, otherwise this lightning''s gonna hit us alive! Seriously, what''s with the climate here?!"

    They quickly realized that there wasn''t much of an option and thus, the elevator door was open.

    We started to descend down the elevator but instead of the view being completely blocked we could see the upcoming environment with our own eyes through the glass supporting this elevator sideways.

    Saitou and Takeshi rapidly expressed their shocks as they witnessed the contrasting views from the prior thundery weather.

    "A desert...?! You''re kidding me..."

    "Maybe this was where all the heat was coming from!"

    "No way that''s true, Kuzan."

    While they were glued to the impenetrable glass, I further analyzed the scenario. An endless yellow sand desert ahead of us without any clues or lead except there is one that they aren''t seeing it yet. Upon noticing this, I didn''t bother to hide it and came in-between the space of their bodies while placing my two arms on both of their shoulders to gain their prized attention. Noticeably, it was cloudy but sunny nonetheless. A midday sun, supremely tall.

    "Across this beautiful dry yellow desert lies a destroyed city alongside its ruins. Look far, far beyond north."

    I kept on pointing towards the north with my right index finger tapping the glass softly. Furthermore, by casting my glance down, I could see the end of the elevator. Just as I could see the top of the elevator emerging from a connecting structure that''s connecting to the sky, but given that it''s artificial, this singed sky is nothing more than a fabricated illusion. Regardless, its quality remains in all its grace.

    "Oh, I see it! Is that our stop?!"

    "It should be, right?"

    Though there were no guarantees that the ruins were indeed connected to leading point, it was by far the only thing that we could make use of.

    I lend them some information about this dessert while we were waiting for the elevator to fully come down.

    "Vega is the second most important star after the sun; according to some ancient civilizations."

    Saitou quickly grasped what I was trying to say.

    "I get it now. That''s why it''s a desert."

    "It could be. What does it say in the tablet, Saitou?"

    "Give me a second."

    Takeshi and I observed Saitou kneeling down while taking out the tablet and then he placed his back on the tough glass that was glowing with artificial solar light all over it. Furthermore, we sat right next to him and saw what the map had to say about this area.

    Upon clicking on the talking balloon icon the name was unravled.

    "Imperial City of Vega. Huuh? That''s no imperial city, that''s a damn lifeless desert."

    "Wait, it could be referring to what it previously was, Rayazaki."

    "That''s bullshit, we all know this is artificial, there is no way this was some sort of imperial city. Plus, imperial?! What century is this?"

    Takeshi wanted to believe that this was truly an imperial city but Saitou simply refused to believe it.

    Midst this, the elevator had stopped and the door opened. Upon that, we got up and started to walk towards the long linear stairway case that would lead the desert itself. However, as we got out of the elevator, the entire structure began to shrink back to the top and as such, we were officially stuck here without an elevator.

    "Well, it''s not like we were planning on going somewhere else."

    "You''re goddamn right! We''ve had enough sleep previously, so let''s roll!"

    Before coming here, we slept inside the first tower as we were tired but then after a few hours, we resumed our tracks. Saitou is right though, the faster the progress we make the better.

    Isn''t that right, Ryousuke?

    Well, that aside, the moment our shoes were baptized by the extremely soft yellow sand which was gradually growing deeper, we started to become victims to the desert''s weather. Although I don''t know the exact distance, I dare say that we will need to walk a few kilometers before we can get to the broken ruins. In addition to that, there are a lot of high-pressure uplands up ahead. The conditions of a dessert are usually horrible due to the lack of overall resources. In a land without any sort of food nearby or water, it''s plain suicide.

    Saitou was starting to take off his shirt, but I strongly advised him not to do that.

    "Wait, Saitou. You shouldn''t. Exposing your skin to this heat will backfire. I strongly advice that we keep our uniforms on; even if it''s hell that follows."

    Our footsteps'' speed were progressively growing slower as the depth of the sand along with the fact that we had to climb through the sand dunes.

    Expressing visible confusion, Saitou wondered what was wrong with me.

    "What is wrong with you? You were the guy who laughed it off when we got sunburns and now you are looking out for you? Geez, alright, alright. I''ll keep it on. Kuzan, you too!"

    "I wasn''t going to insist on it..."

    Takeshi''s complaint wasn''t fully revolving around the current subject. The more we walked through the north only setting our sights on the far away ruins, the more we became this artificial sun''s subject.

    Thirty minutes had passed and they no longer had the energy to make small talks like they were making.

    Dizziness was starting to kick in their bodies as they became unable to make quite the fast festivious progress as before. I wasn''t walking too fast; as a matter of fact, I was by their side all the way should they fall.

    "Master... I....."

    Takeshi spoke vagrantly weak. His voice had no strength behind it. In addition to that, his arm movements began to resemble an unbalanced clock pendulum swing. The sweat all over his uniform was beyond massive. In light of his current physical weakness, his legs began to give in and before he could fall on the hideous dunes and roll over; Saitou and I caught him with our arms.

    "Takeshi!"

    "Kuzan!"

    His physical response was barely a response at all. My face and Saitou''s stiffed the moment we realized we were holding Takeshi''s body only and that his consciousness had temporarily slipped.

    "W-What happened to Kuzan?!"

    Saitou began to dearly hold Kuzan''s body and fully supported his body while I explained the simplicity of the situation.

    "He passed out. He''ll be fine, don''t worry! We just need to find a place that isn''t harbored by the sun completely."

    I then took a hold of Takeshi''s body and attempted to fully put it on my back, but Saitou opposed that train of thought.

    "You can''t be seriously thinking on carrying him all the way, man! I''ll help you out..."

    "But..."

    "It''s all good, man. Don''t shoulder everything by yourself..."

    "I see... Well then, let''s carry this out!"

    But I already had noticed that when we began to walk in the sand once again, that Saitou wouldn''t hold up for too long.

    After twenty minutes had passed, Saitou had collapsed without warning on the arid repulsive depths of this desert''s sand.

    Noticing this, I took a vast deep breath. Subsequently, I placed Takeshi and Saitou in the sand while taking their bags off their backs. Then, I stacked them on top of one another and put the three bags in my back.

    "...Quite heavy, I must say, but... We''re going to make it. Isn''t that right? Saitou. Takeshi. They are not too far away from here. Just hang with me a little bit."

    Ultimately, I dragged their bodies by placing them one each in my shoulders. The march began once more.

    The next two hours were accompanied by one of the heaviest physical pains I''ve ever felt. But every time that I wanted to quit I reminded myself that the quicker I advanced the faster I could get my friends into a proper place where the sun isn''t draining everything from them.

    After walking and endlessly walking across the desert while basking under the impenetrable heat wave reproduced by the primordial sun above, only two hours afterwards did I find something amidst the lost ruins.

    In the first place; though they were labeled as ruins at first, they were nothing more than shattered temples and houses that dictate history. Roman temples, if I were to further specify. This resembles old Greece from the get-go. However, it''s lying in an endless desert of sand; except the moment I entered the surface of a shattered temple, I began to see a stairway that would lead below it.

    It invited darkness and a sense of unknown. However, midst all the lost ruins I''ve encountered thus far, this was it, no doubt.

    As I descended it, the moment I found a poorly illuminated hall with a sharp curve to the right, I placed Takeshi and Saitou there and allowed them to rest properely.

    Needless to say, but I am vastly exhausted. My tongue is dry from lack of dehydration. As much as I would like for them to eat right now, they can''t come to their senses, so I took some pieces of fruit while standing right by their sides basking under the luminiar shade. The pieces of fruit were hot and not fresh at all. Regardless, I had to consume nutrients.

    Staying in this area is considerably dangerous due to the lack of resources. If the waterway had plenty of water to go around which we would drink from every now and then, then this desert is the exact opposite. There''s nothing to gain here and as such, after a whole ten minutes had passed, I made the grand decision of leaving them at the entrance.

    "I don''t have to worry about anyone coming here. If there is someone here, then they are far on the inside, not on the outside."

    Something I did was to dig a deep hole and bury the cloud reactor and the flasks temporarily. If Saitou and Takeshi were to wake up in the meantime, they would assume that I took them with me and it wouldn''t cause any panic. However, worst case scenario, if someone were to encounter them, they won''t steal the cloud reactor nor the flasks. To make sure that they could not be discovered at all, I buried both the components in different ruins; both 150 meters away from one another.

    I took everything else, but left their bags with them along with the food.

    With the tablet in my right and left hand, I started to examine what the map was telling me.

    "So far a linear hall only."

    I had crossed the curve to the right. Regarding the architecture, it was romanian. Old and perhaps dusty. Each hall had small boulders attached to one another forming an animosity amongst them. The luminosity here was poor but there were functioning lights. However, they have to be manually turned on, which indicated the existence of artificiality. The shelter''s height only began to increase the more I walked in and therefore I realized that this was no longer a linear hall but a gigantic hollow area shaped in an oval way.

    An amphitheater. Many not know what this is, but it''s usually a characterised area with a wide open avenue perhaps vastly used for entertainment purposes. Still, it wasn''t as gigantic as an ancient amphitheater; it only had the exact same structure but not the same length. There are empty seats on both sides and here I am all alone entering an empty arena.

    Midst this eternal solitutude, in the center of the semi-bright arena, I shouted loudly.

    "Heeeeeeellllloooooooooo!? Is someone out there?! I''m lost in here! Please don''t be afraid to answer this!"

    I''m not actually lost though. I can simply continue to explore and eventually, I will find this whole place along the way. However, I am assuming that not everyone has this tablet, so if there is someone in here, then they might be lost and need help. Furthermore, considering the conditions that this desert has to offer it''s fair to assume that such person could be starving.

    I wouldn''t want there to be more casualties, but from the looks of it, I really am here all alone.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    "At least I tried."

    Then, as I took a single step, a small voice came into my audition range; though very low. The only single reason as to why I could even hear it in the first place was because there were no other sounds outside of the voice.

    "Hey."

    I immediately looked everywhere around the amphitheatre''s seats but found no one. I looked back to the hall where I came from but ultimately also saw no one there. There was only one way around it, as it was the exit of the amphitheatre which was in north direction. A very tight small exit beneath the amphitheatre.

    "Where are you?!"

    Although I shouted yet again, no answer came forth this time.

    As such, I ran towards the exit and began to see a very strong light the more I walked into the hall covered in boulders. The end of this hall led to a lonesome room decorated with solar light all over the place yet shady nonetheless. The solar light came from a massive window from above though strangely enough, I never recalled seeing a window that wide while I was in the desert. In addition to all this, a red carpet began to appear. Its edges were covered in gold but ultimately painted in scarlet red.

    The intriguing piece of this room is the extensive dining table at the beginning of the room which goes all the way to the middle of the room. I daresay that there are twenty seats and that the table is shaped in a rectangular form. A huge dining table yet there was no food, no cups and no people.

    Until I heard his calm voice once again. A voice with a mature tone yet you could feel some sort of youth in it; surprisingly.

    "I see you."

    "What is this place exactly...?"

    I was speaking to myself because I was just getting across the right side of the huge dining table when I began to further analyze the room. There were chess pawns made in statues. I can clearly see them covered in black and white all over the place perfectly illuminated by the overwhelming light yet also darkened by the everlasting shadows.

    Each statue stood side by side; mirroring one another in this room. From left to right and vice-versa. Then, at the end of the dining table, the red carpet continued until it reached a supremely tall golden throne. In that lonely throne, someone, with his legs crossed stood.

    It''s very weird because despite all I said, all he said was that he saw me yet he didn''t bother to elevate from his throne whatsoever. As a matter of fact, he upheld an extremely lax stance. With his right leg crossed he was eating something with his right hand taking it to his mouth. Though he stood there in that throne, he was waiting for me to speak but I only did so once I got in front of him; ten meters away from him, precisely. In-between the small stairs that would have to be climbed to reach that throne.

    "Who are you?"

    I expected silence as I posed that question, but he was quick to speak. I couldn''t see him well either. The reflection of the light from above only really allowed me to know that it was a boy with very spiky hair who looked to be eating an... apple...? I am not sure, but it has a shape similar to it, from what I can tell.

    "That should be my question. What are you doing here? You don''t belong here."

    He spoke with hostily and midst his speech I caught a glimpse of what seemed to be silver hair and a penetrating white gaze fluttering from his eyes; creating a mystical mirage of light. Yet, he refused to move from the throne. Nonetheless, his question was rather simple to answer, but the problem is that I have no idea who this person is. All I know is that he is a male but according to probabilities here, he should also be a student from this exam.

    "Ah, are you partaking this exam too? I am somewhat lost in here so I could use a helping hand, you see."

    But I got rapidly countered by words that I couldn''t fully correctly interpret.

    "That wasn''t what I was referring to. I am saying, what are you, doing here? This exam is strictly set for those who are subjected to the program."

    "Yeah, man! That''s what''s going on! See, you are partaking this exam too!"

    Still, what was he referring to earlier when he claimed that I didn''t belong in here?

    "I sure am, but I don''t intend on doing anything. I judge. As such, you are interfering with this exam. For how long are you going to stay around?"

    ..............

    I see, I see...

    I think I understand what''s going on here. Quite unbelievable, but it appears that this person here knows what is actually going on.

    "I will clear all the conditions for the success of Ryousuke in this exam. I don''t care what happens afterward."

    "I see. In other words, the faster you obtain the pieces of the puzzle, the faster you''ll go away?"

    Geez, he''s quite hostile with his speech.

    Though, despite that, I just giggled a bit and changed the subject. I don''t think there''s any use on beating around the bush here.

    "What are you eating? Do you have a name?"

    "I do have a name. But you didn''t answer my question. Do you intend to stay after the conditions are cleared?"

    He is quite hung up on his own questions. He doesn''t let go very easily at all. Plus, he''s not informant either.

    "I don''t think I can. You know about it, don''t you?"

    "I do. But don''t tell the others. It''ll be troublesome if you feed them information that they won''t believe in."

    I laughed quite hard this time around and took the tall heavy chair that couldn''t match his throne''s height and took a seat on it.

    I also brushed my hair back as this talk felt refreshing.

    "Hahaha! You got me there. So, that begs the question. Who are you, really? Did you come here to stop me? What''s your goal here?"

    He took yet another bite and thought for a bit on how to answer.

    "So far there''s no goal. I just don''t like what you are doing. It''s cheating. My audience isn''t accepting you that well. But I suppose they haven''t been accepting anything well these days. Quite the tough crowd. So silent yet so demanding."

    "Give me your name. Mine is Daku."

    "I know that. Let''s see... Which one do you want?"

    Now this struck me by surprise.

    "You knew my name already? I''m starting to grow a deadly interest on you. I never believed in the supernatural once I was alive yet you are telling me that it''s actually possible?"

    "Answer the question."

    "How am I supposed to answer that question? I only have one true and only name. Give me your one and truly name. Or... Oh, I see."

    Well, that makes more sense now that I think about it. I wasn''t grasping the situation completely.

    I shrugged and loosened my shoulders'' weight a little bit before talking again.

    "Your terrestial name, please."

    But even this wasn''t enough to get a clear answer out of him.

    "I have many. Aliases are useful, for the record."

    "I get that. Then, tell me the name that Ryousuke treats you by."

    He laughed a bit this time and only then he spoke.

    "Haha. Bastard."

    "Noooo way, haha! You''re joking, really?! What happened between you two?"

    "There''s a somewhat long story here."

    "Still, what''s your actual name that Takeshi and Saitou know you for?"

    At last, I got the answer out of him.

    "You can call me Hajime. I''ll allow it."

    Hajime.

    "Thanks, Hajime. So, what exactly is this place?"

    In response to this question he got up from his throne subsequently and started to descend from the stairs. Now that he was getting closer, I could see Hajime very well. He had the same uniform as mine. He is undoubetely a student from this program.

    I should get along with him then, since he is someone I can befriend. Though, I am aware of the circumstance here.

    Ultimately, with his white gaze on me, he flashed a smirk and the proceeded to talk about this place.

    "A long war that lasted years to come obliterated the surface to pieces. Hence the ruins. The royal family, however, had to be guarded at all costs. So, as the war would go on, a plan to build an underworld was formed. It goes without saying that you must''ve caught a glimpse of it by now."

    We were starting to walk side by side and then I noticed that he wasn''t eating an apple but an onion. I can''t say I wasn''t surprised.

    "I did, Hajime. I had no idea that there was such a wide investment into places like this. But, what for, exactly?"

    "The age of illumination will come, as foreseen."

    "I''m not sure if I got what you just said."

    "That''s the whole point. Anyway, this is the main dining hall from the royal family. In this table for 16, the royal family would have their "talks"."

    "Is it a table for 16 because the chess pieces are also 16? Because in a chess game one side holds 16 while the other also holds the same numbers."

    On our way out, Hajime clapped to my answer.

    "Right on the money. A very secretive society was hereby created. Though, short-lived. It was utterly eradicated once they got greedy and decided to go to the surface. That was their biggest downfall."

    Subsequently, we entered the amphitheater and instead of going to the center, we started to climb to the seats on the right through the entrance that was located to the right as well. The boulders looked to be in spectacular condition despite the fact that the age of them resembled centuries to come. On the top of the seats, we placed our gazes right into the middle of the arena.

    Before he could speak more, he allowed me to take two pieces of fruit. One which I started to eat immediately and the other which I attempted to offer to him by extending my right hand to him, but he rejected it with a head denial motion.

    "Fruit after eating an onion doesn''t do justice."

    "Why are you eating an onion in the first place? Is that all this place has?"

    The moment he had finished his onion, he took yet another one from his right pocket. Then, he tossed it up high in the air; ultimately catching it with a strong fast grip once it landed.

    "This is an execution hall. But it was most commonly used for rituals to the gods above. Mothers would sacrifice their children as their offerings to their gods. Only one child would be allow to live at that time; the one the queen and the king chose."

    "How do you know all this?"

    "It''s just lore, Daku. Don''t think that I''m related to this or something. Historical facts are impressive but that''s about it. More often though, on the other hand, this arena would be a confession hall. By confession I am referring to what''s more commonly known as "sins". Treachery wasn''t taken well these times so once every week there was a public exhibition of martial torture. Needless to say, it was gruesome."

    "Hajime, this is all very interesting, but I just have one question. Could you answer it?"

    "Why not? Go for it."

    Taking two bites out of the pear, I asked the question that I wanted to ask. Our gazes met transietly midst this.

    "Where are the others?"

    "They are all in this island. Where, exactly, all, I don''t know."

    "I see. I have an offer then. Join me! The faster we clear the conditions and gather the rest of the components the faster we can get everyone out of this island."

    Although I wasn''t expecting an immediate reply, I grew suspenseful the moment he took his eyes off me and instead looked towards the center of the arena.

    "Everyone? Out of this island?"

    His gaze was still fixated on the center of the arena despite his words being directed towards me.

    "I''ve heard the deal here. You''re all criminals, but if we get everyone out of this island, then we are making a good deed. The conditions here are horrible. We are in the middle of a damn desert. I know you have what it takes."

    "You''re gravely misunderstanding something here, Daku... In the first place, this exam wasn''t created around what one would expect. Gather the words, go through each section, reach the last destination and viola, you pass the exam. That''s actually it though. Fucking boring, don''t you think?"

    I bumped his shoulder a bit aggressively but I didn''t cross the line, just in order to gain his full attention, which didn''t really work.

    "What are you on about? Who cares if it''s boring? All that matters is that we get everyone out of this island. It''s quite tough to go through all this and be successful."

    "Sure. I will agree. There''s a somewhat high degree of risk when it comes to obtaining these components. But, the result is a bright success every time. It''s getting repetitive, Daku."

    He''s very nihilistic. From the way he speaks, it''s as if he''s not satisfied with how things are going, which I don''t understand.

    What''s there not to be happy about when we are all successful?

    "My audience is yawning right now. And it''s all Kawahara''s fault."

    "Hajime... Who... is this "audience" you speak of...?"

    Only now, did I get his glance and smiled quite widely.

    "The invisible judges. They decide if they like you or not. That''s why you gotta pick your lines right. And so far, you''ve done that, Daku. Most impressive. You are harmonizing with my audience. Henceforth why you need to go soon."

    "I seriously don''t understand what you are trying to insinuate here, but I already told you that I will once I am done with the conditions."

    "Thank you for that, Daku."

    I insisted once again.

    "Don''t you need to pass this exam? Help me clear this ruin then! Saitou and Takeshi also want to get out of this island as soon as possible! Plus, if we can join with all our friends, then we can bond together! Friends, they are amazing! They are there for you when you need help! So, let''s show them some help so that they know they can count on us when it truly matters!"

    Despite my attempts, his eyes keep on growing grimmer second by second.

    "Hey. I''ll tell you what, I won''t help you, but I''ll give you the ruin''s components. I have them with me, after all."

    "Wh-- That''s amazing! You already cleared the ruin all by yourself?"

    "Not quite, Daku. My hard-working friend did. Speaking of which, he''s been gone for too long. My audience is fuming about that. Do you know how we can fix that?"

    That was the first time I have seen Hajime mention someone by "friend". I must say I am surprised. Though, his question is very hard to understand as I don''t quite understand what he means by audience.

    "Make him appear? Problem solved, right? Haha!"

    "Haha! Right!"

    We both laughed it off, but then Hajime took a more serious stance and talked once more.

    "No, but seriously... This is an issue. At this rate, he''s going to return and the stage is just, well... The ones in this exam. Doesn''t this stage seem lackluster in terms of numbers to you? I was thinking of making an addition to this number. It''s such a shame that you will be gone by then, but it''s gonna be one hell of a show!"

    "Hajime... What are you thinking exactly...?"

    "Relax, dude. I only prepare the stage. I realized that being the executioner is tiring and well, it requires the ability to be unpredictable, so I''m going to take a more lax role this time around."

    I placed my two palms on my face as I came to the conclusion that our conversation was leading to absolutely nowhere. I just don''t have the knowledge that Ryousuke has about this guy and so, I can''t tell what he is talking about.

    However, I do sense evil from him. That''s why I haven''t yet abandoned this conversation. I must bring him to my side, no matter what it takes.

    "Hajime, you can change. Not everyone is incapable of changing."

    "No please... Don''t lecture me."

    He started to grin a bit, but I have no choice here.

    "You can be like Saitou, who once was a school shooter and who is now a pretty good person, I would say. Sure, he''s angry most of the times, but he gets along well with the rest."

    "I am going to explode this ruin with this detonator in thirty seconds."

    "And then there''s Takeshi, who--- Huh, what?!"

    I was so focused on persuating him that I failed to preemptively notice that he was holding a switch in his left hand. He had thrown his onion away and while he was still standing still, I got up, shocked.

    "I know you won''t take no for an answer. So, I''m giving you a choice. Stay here and lecture me and die with me and the rest or run for it with all your might. This switch is stacked with a battery inside of it. It''s this ruin''s components, essentially. They hold the ability to collapse this entire section just by pressing the button. I don''t know if it works in the other sections."

    "You''re lying!"

    "I never lie when I''m serious. Which I am, by the way. Fifteen seconds to go. Clock''s ticking."

    "Damn it! What about you?! If you press the switch, you''ll die!"

    And now, he got up and met my height. Our attitudes were contrasting. He was calm and I was frustrated.

    "There''s a secret passage, of course. Once this detonator is pressed, the elevator channel will be visible midst the desert, so there is indeed a way out. And it''s done. Bim."

    Without any hesitation at all, Hajime pressed the switch and as he did, the whole place started to shake tremendously.

    He made a high jump from all the way to where we stand towards the entrance of the arena.

    Ultimately, he said the last words I would hear from him while on this island; as he proceeded to walk into the throne room.

    "Daku! If you don''t keep your word about what you said today, I will show no mercy. We''ll meet again, surely. But not on this island anymore."

    His last movement was a heavy throw with the detonator switch being handed to me as the component of this section.

    I started to run with all my might towards the entrance which was not far away while holding the detonator in my right hand.

    With everything collapsing, I never ran this fast in my life. Every time I would look back, I would see the boulders get smashed to numerous pieces as the floor would disinegrate.

    "Takeshi!! Saitou!! If you can hear me, WAKE up!! This whole place is coming down!"

    I had expected them to be able to hear them, but it turns out that they were still sleeping where I left them. After all, the time that had passed wasn''t much at all!

    The moment I caught a glimpse of their bodies, I grabbed them and their bags with all my strength and threw them to the surface; beyond the stairway that would allow this place to be entered. Their bodies were safe on the sand now, but as the crumbling increased, I was caught in-between the boulders.

    At that moment when I began to fall down I thought that this was it, but two hands representing the symbol of hope, reached out to my own two arms with their cries.

    "Kawahara!"

    "Master!"

    "Quick, Kuzan! Pull him up! Why the hell is this placing crumbling?! Whatever! Threeee! Twoooo! Oneee! Goooooo!!!"

    "Guuuh!" x2.

    Through their collective effort, they were able to pull my body to the sandy surface while I was on the verge of losing my consciousness.

    After they placed my body down and Saitou slapped my face cheeks a few times, I was once again conscious.

    "Snap out of it, man! Get it together, oi!"

    "Don''t die on us!"

    Much to their happiness, I began to crook my posture but felt a slight pain in my right leg. It was nothing serious, but I believe it''s a muscle strain.

    "Ouch... What would I be without you guys, honestly. Thanks a bunch!"

    Happily, I gave them a collective hug as they rejoiced.

    But I also was quick to give the news, so I pulled back a little bit and got up as so did they, in this sunny atmosphere.

    "I got the components. It''s this detonator..."

    Purposely, I didn''t sound excited about it, which they capitalized on.

    First, Saitou asked permission to see if and then he analyzed something.

    "Did this detonator blew the whole thing up? Also, did you carry us here on your own?"

    "It was the least I could do."

    "Then, the least we can do is thank you. Come on, Kuzan, say the words..."

    "What is that supposed to mean?! I was the one who was going to thank him first, Rayazaki!"

    Their usual quarrel had begun, which was refreshing. I decided not to tell them about Hajime because this is something that I will have to tell Ryousuke about, but I need to find a way to portray this message to him only. He must realize that he is plotting something that we probably can''t see at the moment. Furthermore, he clearly wants me to hurry up with the process, hence why he gave me the components so freely.

    Not long after, we digged the flasks and the cloud reactor and headed towards our new stage by exiting through the elevator that was not too far in the east.

    Lyrae Ruins status: Destroyed.

 Volume 21 - Chapter 144: Jagd: Part V.

    Part 1.

    We made a quick stop at the Waterway after our venture in the desert in order to cool down a little bit. Saitou and Takeshi happily refreshed their bodies in the cold water but I stood with my back near the entrance as I thought of some things in regard of what might come.

    I looked down on the glacial-tempered floor as they both continued to swim under water. I argue that it''s alright to rest because we are tired but there is something that I cannot ignore.

    As such, I cast out a small glance at Saitou from afar and spoke out loud with my arms down.

    "Saitou! Mind if I ask you something?"

    He started to swim over my direction but I quickly urged him the necessity of not to.

    "It''s alright! You can keep at it! You deserve to relax."

    Saitou spat some water on the air before speaking to me whilst continuing to swim over the Waterway. Midst that, Takeshi approached Saitou. It wasn''t as if I was trying to keep Takeshi out of this; I was simply preserving their time for relaxing. But, it appears that they are well aware that whenever I want to speak with them in a more serious tone that it''s urgent.

    So, I spoke once again, now to Saitou and Takeshi.

    "Are you two tired?"

    They didn''t hesitate to answer the question itself as it was obvious from the start.

    "Well, duh! Of course I am!"

    "Sorta. But why ask anyways? And why aren''t you in the water too? Are you too inhuman to feel physically tired? Haha!"

    Though Saitou was joking around, he knew that I was quite tired but simply relaxing like this was enough for me. Nevertheless, knowing that they are both tired is enough for me to know that what I want to do right now shouldn''t be the plan of action.

    I can''t help but shake it off though. This feeling of unease; as if we are supposed to do something to stop Hajime yet I don''t formerly know what to do exactly.

    "No way. I was just checking something. I''m fine like this, thank you."

    But even with that, Saitou was clever enough to tell that I was hiding something; so he spoke his mind right away.

    "Uh... Dude---No, Daku, I may be a idiot for falling too much into this whole prank of yours, but supposedly, if not, I can tell when you are trying to insinuate something and you are doing that..."

    He scratched the back of his wet hair before speaking yet again, almost in full skeptical.

    "What I am saying is... If... you are too worried about our condition and you have a goal in mind, then, by all means, put the goal in the first place."

    "That would just be like Master!"

    Takeshi smirked alongside Saitou. In addition to all this, I couldn''t help but feel slightly bad for what I am about to do, as they both deserve more rest.

    Resolved; I firmly said the truth.

    "I want to stop someone and I need your help in order to do so."

    Both confused, they looked at each other; while in the midst, I got up and sterched. In order to not further their confusion, I elaborated.

    "Does the name "Hajime" ring a bell to any of you?"

    "Hajime?" x2.

    I didn''t expect their sudden confusion once again as I thought that they would immediately identify him, but to my trouble, that didn''t seem to be the case.

    Takeshi began to ascend the degrees of the beginning of the Waterway in order to meet up with me; ultimately delivering his final response.

    "I can''t say it does..."

    "I see..."

    Meanwhile, Saitou was in deep thought and then, he made a shocked expression as if he remembered something.

    "Saitou?"

    Saitou was fairly quick in replying nonetheless.

    "You are probably referring to Hajime Hyunda. He''s our classmate!"

    Subsequently, Takeshi placed the bottom of his right fist onto his plain left palm in agreement.

    "You''re right! I forgot that was his first name! Everyone just calls him Hyunda."

    Just like Takeshi, Saitou was closer to me right now and I didn''t hesitate on asking my questions.

    "First of all... Have you all met him before in this exam?"

    "Nope!"

    Rapid like a bullet, Takeshi showed no slow verbal motion in answering, but Saitou delivered a different type of answer though slower.

    "If all you''ve said is true, Daku, then something here doesn''t add up."

    "What do you mean, Saitou?"

    He took around two seconds to answer that as he was analyzing my facial expression firstly. If I had to say, this was the last time that he remained skeptical towards my circumstance and finally began to believe that I was not Ryousuke Kawahara but truly Izayoi Daku.

    "Kawahara has some grudge against the dude, but he never really explained why. Isn''t that right, Kuzan?"

    "You said it... Though, what does that have to do with anything?"

    I allowed them to talk to each other and waited for my potential turn.

    "If he has a grudge against him, then isn''t it natural for Kawahara to seek Hyunda out? I am saying that all this time, he might''ve been hyper aware of him, for reasons unknown. It''s confusing to me though... Daku, there''s something you should know about this program."

    "Oh?"

    Upon hearing all that, I was curious about what Saitou had to say; eagerly.

    "There are special exams every month and you essentially can only screw up three times."

    "And Hyunda has screwed up three times!"

    Takeshi added the last piece of information and I asked something in return to Takeshi and Saitou.

    "Say, what happens if you screw up more than three times?"

    This piece of information that they provided me sufficed my knowledge even more.

    "Execution, huh? Well, I won''t argue how unrealistic that probably is and how it''s most likely a lie, so I will instead assure of the most important piece here----- Does Hajime not want to pass the exam?"

    Saitou answered very skeptical here for some reason.

    "He should... I don''t see why he wouldn''t... I mean, if he doesn''t then he''s screwed..."

    "Yeah..."

    I placed my right hand on my chin whilst the tension grew larger. There are some things that don''t match here. Wouldn''t one want to seek cooperation in a circumstance such as this? The end goal here is to pass the exam and get everyone out of this island. That is the successful route on paper.

    Therefore, how come you essentially refused that, Hajime?

    "Hold on. Why did he fail the other exams?"

    He doesn''t strike me as an incompetent individual, so it''s out of the question that he failed the other exams due to incompetence. If it''s not incompetence, then it''s something else. As such, I am making sure if there isn''t someone who knows the roots behind his behavior.

    Takeshi was left clueless.

    "I don''t know. Maybe he just doesn''t take it serious enough?"

    "You''re joking, right, Kuzan? How can he not? His life is on the line here..."

    "Hmm, that''s true... What then?"

    "Hell if I know..."

    Ultimately, they placed their looks on me as if I had the answer to their doubts, but...

    "Sorry, I was asking you two because I don''t know."

    Saitou this time around further stretched his head once more; furiously this time.

    "Ahhhh! I don''t understand this topic at all! What is the point here?"

    "I met him, back in the ruins."

    This shocked them plenty; to the point of shaking my body with a minimal brute force over and over.

    "What?!" x2.

    "Now, hold on. Don''t get all excited..."

    "But wait a second... Wasn''t that the fifth section...?"

    It appears that Saitou has reached a conclusion that any person in this exam would and soon, Takeshi reached the main point too.

    "How is that possible?! We had to walk through each section to get to the fifth one but he... was already there...? That doesn''t make sense!"

    "I don''t mean to doubt you, but are you sure you didn''t hallucinate the whole thing by any chance?"

    Realizing through my serious gaze that such was not the case, Saitou apologized and continued.

    "Okay, my bad! I trust you... Though, what happened there?"

    I then further explained the whole situation although I already knew that it would bring them stress along the way.

    Takeshi might''ve not thought about this as much as Saitou, because Saitou began to wildly speculate something.

    "T---There''s just... Hold on... Was this all a...."

    "Set up? Most likely."

    "Uhhh... I am not the smartest creature here, so can someone explain for simple creatures like me?"

    Smiling a bit forcefully, Takeshi demanded an explanation. Saitou looked ready to explain but as no wind came through and only the satisfying balanced temperatures, I took the chance to elaborate even further.

    "Our advancements so far might''ve sounded genuine due to our approach. In other words, the more we seeked out and completed everything, the more we discovered. However, there''s a vast possibility that maybe advancing towards the other sections might not be restricted to our approaches only."

    "Uuuuuuuuuuhhhhhh..."

    Takeshi looked extremely confused by what I just said and here I thought that I was doing a good example in explaining things. Essentially speaking, I just said that our approach was all but something that was already taken into consideration from the start and that someone who is aware of how we would approach most likely set this thing up with Hajime. But I didn''t get to that point because Saitou intervened, saving my skin.

    "What he''s saying is that it''s a whole facade. That gathering the words, perhaps isn''t even the slightest ultimate goal here."

    "Well, what is it then?! Wasn''t Master always bringing up the importance of the words and how they were the key to passing this exam?"

    "It''s just a huntch, Kuzan! Maybe I am wrong her---"

    Before Saitou couldn''t go back on his word, I reinforced the importance of the point he had just made.

    "You''re not wrong. But you''re also not right at the same time."

    "Huh?!"

    "Remember what he said? How the exam was all about gathering the words and it''s done?"

    "Didn''t we just argue about how that''s not the case at all, Daku? Plus, how the hell does he know that?! He lied to you for sure."

    That is a possibility, but my rationality tells me that he wasn''t lying back there.

    "I am saying, there''s more to the gathering of words. There might be something up ahead beyond the exam and we have to figure it out before it''s too late..."

    My whole point led to this end. Unaware of what Hajime is planning, it''s hard to think that the cloud reactor in our possession alongside the flasks and the destructive component that he gave me in the ruins, are not connected. In the first place, why would he go out of his way to give it all to me? It''s absurdly obvious what he is aiming for.

    He wants Ryousuke back. There''s something that he planned for Ryousuke in specific and nothing so far clicks in.

    "And you think Hyunda is the key behind the chaos that''s supposedly coming up?"

    "Undoubtely, Saitou."

    "....I just don''t get any of this... If you are truly right, then what''s his objective here...? We can''t kill each other or else we are screwed. Daku, he''s bluffing, right?"

    "I don''t think so. You are free to dismiss my take on this if you don''t trust me, Saitou, but I''ll stick to this."

    "Damn it, man! Just say that you want us to trust you and we will!"

    This time around, I was the one who scratched the back of his head. It''s a nice feeling, the one Saitou gives. He dislikes slightly meek people and their weak attitudes. Perhaps I was too reluctant?

    That can change then.

    "I didn''t wanna force you, but I would like you two to stick with my take here."

    "There we go! Alright!"

    But just as Saitou was happily exclaiming that, Takeshi spoke his mind since he was thinking this whole time for a while. I didn''t expect much, but what he said was oddly surprising.

    "I don''t mean to drag this conversation on, but... from what you said to us, didn''t you say that Hyunda said that he wasn''t planning on taking action? So, how can he be the key to this "chaos" then?"

    This question of Takeshi left me and Saitou on the hang for a while, but Saitou was capable of drawing a plausible conclusion faster than I could.

    "Sagasuga! He can''t be trusted!"

    "Are you saying they are working together?!"

    I am sensing a pattern here... Essentially, through one question, two questions are raised and if there are two answers, then four questions should be followed. To make us lose time, then? However, isn''t his aim to make us not lose time?

    "Hold on a second, you two. Sagasuga, who is he?"

    Saitou facepalmed for a while but he conclusively delivered the answer that I was looking for shortly.

    "A classmate of ours... Kuzan is implying that he''s working together with Hyunda. But, what the hell? Since when have they been close enough to even "work" together, Kuzan?! That''s so far fetched..."

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    "Oh yeah... Now that you mention it..."

    It''s hard to keep up but from what I understand, Takeshi just thought that Sagasuga and Hajime are working together. I have yet to meet this Sagasuga.

    "Say, have we encountered Sagasuga?"

    To this, Saitou let out a burst of laughter out of nowhere.

    "Oh, we sure HAVE! Daku, you might not remember this, but Kawahara sure does. According to Kawahara, he put Sagasuga hanging on a cliff!"

    ..........

    Dissappointed, I facepalmed for a while. Ryousuke... What were you thinking exactly?

    "But, don''t get me wrong. I approve of Kawahara''s decision. Sagasuga is dangerous. He''s the type of guy who wears the same expression every time and can easily fake a smile. I wouldn''t trust someone like him."

    "I see."

    All in all, this little chat before we headed out towards our next stop was beyond helpful as now I have someone else in mind to keep a track off. Surely, we will encounter Sagasuga along the way and perhaps Hajime too? I highly doubt that we won''t.

    However, before we could conclude this conversation, I asked Saitou one last question.

    "Say, Saitou, is Sagasuga the only one who you think isn''t trust-worthy?"

    "No, it''s really hard to trust anyone from our classroom."

    "I didn''t mean it that way. Someone who could be working alongside Hajime."

    Saitou thought for a while and he seemed to have hit the jackpot but after rechecking his own thought he held his own thought on that.

    "Uh, no. I don''t think there is. Look, I trust you, but I really don''t believe in this whole circumstance. I think we are slowly going insane and making way too many things up. But, hey! That''s just my opinion!"

    "No... You could... be right..."

    Without saying another word, we exited the Waterway and resumed our march towards the next section.

    Part 2.

    Unlike the desert, this new environment offered something that wasn''t entirely contrasting but we could not examine what it had to offer because the elevator towards the section down didn''t have transpeancy whatsoever. It was fully stelled thus covering our vision until it stopped.

    Saitou was holding the tablet this whole time and the moment the elevator door opened; instead of paying attention to the scenario ahead of us, we focused on the tablet''s readings on the area.

    "It''s as you said, Daku. This is "Capella". The sixth brightest star in the sky, correct?"

    "It really is according to the ten brightest stars in the sky."

    And then, a reading in the tablet was formed. A red icon popped in the middle of the map and upon noticing that, Takeshi didn''t hesitate to click it; to which Saitou didn''t mind at all.

    "Sacred Mountain of Capella... And--- Woahhh!"

    "It''s so long! Look, look!"

    Takeshi pushed me into the outside scenery as he further saw with his own eyes the large entrance of the mountain. The entirety of the mountain was visible from the start, but before we could focus on the mountain, there was the entrance gate which was unnecessarily extensive or so I thought.

    There weren''t any large wide areas to our left but only a very straight forward wooden bridge that looked stable. Below it, however, were clouds, which implied the enormous height from such a fall, if it were to occur. The bridge itself aside from being wooden also had computer entries every ten steps of the way.

    I already thought that the fact that there are ten visible computer entries, couldn''t be a coincidence. What I was already referring to was not the computer entries, but the number of entries. No doubt about it, it looked as if it was meant for ten words in specific.

    Despite the weather being relatively warm, it wasn''t like the desert, but the sun wasn''t very high either. If anything, this was the weather of dawn; as the sun kept peeking through the left side of the mountain, which was covered in beautiful white snow at the top.

    We continued to further walk until we reached a computer entry on the right side of the bridge. The entries were just a tad little leaner to the edge of the bridge in order to contrast the linear structure of the bridge as a whole.

    Ready to decipher the gimmick here, Takeshi spoke his mind out loud first.

    "I may not enjoy the harsh conditions, but the gimmicks of each location are what keeps me going, honestly!"

    In agreement, Saitou couldn''t help but show happiness in his facial expression as he carried the tablet in his hands; ultimately simulatenously unraveling the map of the location.

    "I gotta say, I completely agree. Though, we didn''t really see any of the ruins'' gimmick, huh? What was it like?"

    That question was meant to me, to which I answered.

    "Looking back into it, I didn''t have to go through anything because Hajime gave me the components of the ruin."

    "So he completed the whole thing by himself? I don''t really get him. Right, Kuzan?"

    "He''s weird! Anyway, let''s start!"

    We three looked ready to decipher anything that comes our way and although I didn''t confirm with them whether or not they were on the same length of thought process as me regarding the ten words potentially colliding with the entries, I nevertheless didn''t care much and just attempted to give all the opportunities to them because they looked ready to enjoy this.

    However, with our eyes permanently glued onto the screen, we captured a message in the screen of the computer that destroyed our expectations.

    "Password... entry... successful....?!"

    "But we didn''t insert any password!"

    "..."

    Saitou and Takeshi were both fuming, but I took my eyes off the computer and looked towards the ground. More specifically towards the root of the structure of the computer. Although there weren''t cables leaking out of the root, there was a magnetic silver trace within the wood logs that would then turn towards the left side of the bridge.

    I then kneeled down up ahead and caught the small glimpse of a minimal gap between the intersection where we stand and the one up ahead.

    In other words, inserting the password correctly here allows the upcoming intersection to come forth, which would enable us to pass successfully. Furthermore, shouldn''t we be successful, I am afraid to theorize that it wouldn''t be possible to achieve anything here, at all. Because there isn''t anything linking the initial intersection with anything else except the clouds below. But one would have to be insane to go through that.

    Conclusion here being; inserting the password correctly grants one the passage to go forward and that''s why we were met with the full bridge from the start; because the password from the first entry was successfully put. Which further means that if that''s the case, then all the other password entries from up ahead are...

    "Whenever you enter a state of silence, it usually means you found something, Daku."

    "Perceptive, Saitou."

    They are both now looking at me, hoping for an answer, but I rather show them the true answer instead of telling them preemptively.

    "Let''s keep it going, shall we?"

    After I said that, we continued to walk over the computer entries that were adjoined in the bridge; both being left to right numerically.

    Not a single entry was asking for a password as the password itself had been successfully input previously. Not by us, of course.

    On the tenth computer entry and the last one, Saitou expressed himself vividly, but not to the point where he smashed the tablet onto the ground.

    "Am I missing something HERE?! Don''t you need all the ten passwords to get this shit right?! Are you telling me that SOMEONE had all the passwords just like that?! What the fuck!"

    To this, Takeshi offered another alternative to consulate Saitou. But first, he lightly touched Saitou''s right shoulder with his left hand at a distance.

    "Hey! Maybe they all required the same password! You know how in the Waterway you could only get somewhere with a single password only? Why should this one be any different?"

    "That''s... You know what... Maybe you are really right, Kuzan."

    "...."

    I opted to not say anything in order to not further anything to Saitou''s stress. Truth told: although the password entries were already input successfully, the intersections were shaped differently. For example, each intersection had different outputs in the outlining in-between the edges of their intranets. In essence, their different shapes are nowhere random. As a matter of fact, I daresay that they differ because something else supposedly also differs.

    The passwords.

    Regardless, what''s important to capitalize is that our work that we would have trouble with; the mighty gimmick, was cleared...

    One might think that someone else was here along the way and they were successful therefore we got lucky, but...

    "The entrance to the mountain is clear. Let''s move. Takeshi. Saitou."

    Takeshi was already feeling dismotivated over the fact that the gimmick of the bridge remained unknown for us since someone else had already done the job for us.

    In any other occasion, this would be motive to celebrate, but there''s clearly something going on here. No doubt about it, this is Hajime''s work, or at least I think so...

    No other choice but to advance.

    As such, we encountered the entrance to the mountain which symbolized the end of the wooden bridge. A grand total of six pillar made out of artificial white steel were present before we could get to the long stairway that would go all the way to the top of the mountain---preassumably--- yet before we could further advance, we caught the glimpse of a smaller pillar in the middle of the road.

    Amidst that elaborated ground filled with diagonal mosaic patterns; just alike in the Waterway, except it didn''t emerge this time, the primary key component of the section was there.

    "Hey, wait.... It didn''t erupt out of nowhere! I love that, what gives?!"

    "That''s not what''s wrong here, Kuzan..."

    "So you''ve noticed, Saitou."

    I traded glances with Saitou as Takeshi remained clueless but not for long. In a matter of seconds, I approached the small silver althar and captured the first component of the Capella''s sacred mountain. It was lying on the silver base linked to a glass that descended into the base of the structure of the althar once my right hand approached it.

    "Aside from the annoying fact that this was CONVENIENTLY awaiting us, what are we going to do with a single horn?"

    To this, Takeshi answered Saitou''s question rather laxly.

    "Don''t we just have to advance and find out? We''ll probably find another piece that links to that horn automatically!"

    Saitou wasn''t exactly pleased with the fact that Takeshi was swallowing this whole circumstance with ease.

    "Kuzan?! Are you joking?! Where''s the fun in something automatic?! There''s no room for victory like this because we are being conspired against!"

    "Ehhhh?! But this doesn''t feel like a conspiracy at all..."

    "Bullshit! This is total conspiracy! And----"

    Both Saitou and Takeshi quickly stopped arguing once they saw the ravine gap in-between the left pillars. It wasn''t there until the component got taken out of its initial place. Usually, if a place erupts out of nowhere, then it''s a signal that the secondary component is at sight.

    However, this activation didn''t make sense for any of us because, usually, you''d have to do something first before you could get an access to this sort of event.

    In other words, if this is truly the secret passage then there is only one way for this event to be occurring. Whoever has been orchestrating this event did this in the reverse order.

    Enough evidence lacks, nonetheless.

    "That will most likely take us to the top. We should ride it instead of going through the whole mountain trail."

    As I said this, I reflected on yet another possibility. There''s no doubt that this mountain trail is intended with some sort of gimmick behind it which would permit whoever is successful in deciphering the ability to capture the component that''s at the top.

    If so, then the person behind this went through such a length of work just for this simple outcome...

    Whilst riding the elevator to the top; since the secret passage was ultimately a dark elevator with only the way up to the top, Saitou spoke his mind as the elevator accelerated at a very rapid inhuman pace.

    "This feels wrong. We aren''t doing anything. This is the equivalent of being spoon fed! Say, Daku, why did this elevator appear out of nowhere? It''s one thing for a component to show out of nowhere when we are successful in putting everything in its place. I think the component was already there because of all the passwords being correct, but this elevator?! What gives?"

    To answer this question, I started with something factual.

    "The elevator showed up the moment the component---the horn--- got taken out of its place."

    "Yeah, I get that! But this is leading us to the top! You can see the bridge from up here!"

    Unlike the elevator we rode on our way to this section, this elevator''s glass is transparent. We can see everything from up here. Still, it''s nothing more than clouds covering the bottom of our view and a crystal clear cerulean morning sky adjoined to the scenery.

    "That''s true. I have a hunch, but we''ll soon see the truth. We''re here."

    What followed was nothing more than an extremely linear however thin rocky road to a cubic-shaped tower. That tower was about twenty meters up ahead but we were already hyper-conscious about the thinness of the road and how easy it is to fall.

    On the other hand, Takeshi noticed something on our right side, from afar.

    "Look over there! Afar! Isn''t that a tower just like ours?!"

    "It is! But, look. From where we stand, we aren''t exactly fully connected with the mountain."

    "No, Saitou, we are. This way simply leads us to an edge which strays from the mountain but not entirely. Meanwhile, that other tower is most likely the destination of the mountain trail. In other words, without the elevator, we would have to climb all the way to go there."

    We still had not yet made a single move from the elevator''s entrance into the massively thin roadway.

    There was also nothing connecting this path to the other one. Left with no choice but to go forward, I said something to Saitou and Takeshi before setting out towards the tower up ahead.

    "I will go on the front. Should the ground crack and I fall, I want you two to run back as fast as possible."

    Saitou wanted to immediately say something but I spoke before he could; one more time.

    "Don''t get the wrong idea, should the ground crack, I will get something done on my own. For example, I could jump forward and sprint to the whole path while you two go back."

    "....Don''t die on us, man. If we die, we all die together."

    "That''s wrong. I''m the leader. Your lives are my top priority. As such, I will never prioritize something like a collective death over a chance of saving another life."

    Without saying anything else, I began to confidently walk forward without blinking the whole way. Thankfully, the ground did not collapse and just like that, we were inside the cubic tower, which was about ten meters tall.

    Plus, it wasn''t massive or anything, as the size all went into its height, not horizontal dimension.

    Abandoning the exterior of the corruptive black tower, we entered and found a computer password entry right in the middle.

    The secondary component was already visible as it was in the center; ahead of the computer.

    This time... there was something different about the computer password entry. It required three password entries; to which they were already successfully input.

    Depending on how many chances one gets at inserting the correct password, the level of difficulty here can be either absurdly easy or extremely challenging.

    "How shocking..."

    Saitou really wasn''t in the mood for this so he started this out with sarcasm. Meanwhile, Takeshi was firmly holding the secondary component, which was yet another horn.

    As I approached Takeshi, alongside Saitou, I spoke about what the horns might be referring to.

    "Capella is often associated with the figure of a goat, hence the horns, in case you are wondering."

    "I see! No wonder they look really like a goat''s horns! But... Huh... What do we do with these horns?"

    I was about to speak my mind, but Saitou spoke mine instead.

    "I''m pretty sure we are going to have to go to the other tower in order to find what the horns are for. The bad news is that we are going to have to go back to the entrance AND climb the mountain properly!"

    Saitou looked to be on the jackpot and I was ready to admit that I was wrong about theorizing about this whole event being done in the reverse order, until we stepped out of the tower and saw that a new path had been erupted from right side of the tower''s rock pits which connected all the way to the other tower.

    "Yup, this really wasn''t the secret passage. Man, this wasn''t hard at all! I''m so disappointed!"

    "Yeah, I thought that this would be way harder too!"

    Takeshi and Saitou both let out their complaints while I observed the path that was ahead of us. Instead of being rocky, it was a stelled bridge which provided extreme safety unlike the previous rocky fragile roadway.

    Would a really safer path emerge into the secret passage like that?

    "Hm..."

    There''s something missing here.

    Ultimately, we safely walked all the way to the other cubic tower whilst holding onto the horns. In my right hand, I had one of the horns while Takeshi had the other one.

    Something crucial happened once we entered the end of the bridge as we entered the mountain''s peak.

    "It shrinked! Literally, all the way back to the tower!"

    Neither Takeshi or Saitou were the one who spoke out loud like that, as it was I. To further examinate, I went forward right into the edge but that bridge didn''t come back, which could only mean that the bridge can only be extended from the other side.

    If such is the case, then it''s highly likely that the ravine from the pillar''s entrance also shrinked. Thus, the components being in place affect the whole process.

    "Yeah, but what about it?"

    "Yeah, what of it?"

    Both clueless as they are, I was left with no choice but to enlighten them on the subject. It''s a bad habit of mine, but I don''t do it as often as I used to, so I don''t really feel bad about it.

    "First of all, Saitou, that was the secret passage. Here''s why: Let''s suppose that you''d have climbed the entire mountain and you''d reach the summit. As I have done a few seconds ago, even if I put myself on the edge the bridge won''t be called forth. In other words, there is no way to access that tower without the elevator. Speaking of the elevator, I am fairly sure that inside the tower that we are about to enter, there will be password entry computer that already has the passwords deciphered. Someone went here and through that action of deciphering the passwords on their own which triggered the appearance of the elevator. I am also certain that this tower will lead us out of this mountain just like in the desert. So, knowing that there is already an exit, no one would bother to go all the way back to the beginning of the mountain when they can just advance. However, the truth is, at the beginning of the mountain, there is a ravine gap with an elevator in it and it could not be unlocked unless this was done in the reverse order. Rather, that''s wrong... We were forced to go through this trial in the reverse order which is coincidentally the easy way. Otherwise, we would be losing more time and couldn''t potentially be on our way. Furthermore, the way the secret passage''s thin roadway is fragily shaped in comparison outstandinly wide composed bridge towards here. An---"

    "Holy fuck, there''s a limit! Stop, I get it!"

    "Huh, I didn''t get anything, but yeah, it''s probably better to stop that..."

    A bit embarrassed, I scratched the back of my head and I apologized.

    "Haha, sorry... Old habits die hard."

    "It''s odd, because so far, you and Kawahara had nothing in common, but now, you two have one thing in common. You both go through extreme lengths in order to express your own points."

    "........"

    Just how many personality traits did you incorporate from me exactly, Ryousuke?

    "That was refreshing, Daku."

    "Yeah, you said it, Rayazaki! I saw Master in his full form there for a second."

    "I mean, that''s technically him. God, I look so fucking stupid actually agreeing with all this..."

    Before they could extend this conversation, I brought to the table yet another point of importance as we walked into the tower.

    "All this aside, it''s not a coincidence that we are being handled over all these freebies."

    "No kidding, huh? Daku, if you are truly right, then that means someone really did our work and didn''t take the components on purpose. Just who the hell are we dealing with here..."

    "Psychopaths."

    They both got the chills as soon as I said that, but we quickly focused our attention into the inside of the tower. Though dark in there, the lights automatically turned on as soon as we walked into the parimeter.

    We could have focused on the computer, but instead we placed our undivided attention into the head of the hornless goat stuck onto the steeled wall. The head itself wasn''t big at all, but it looked extremely realistic.

    It also wasn''t a coincidence that it was hornless.

    Regardless, I took a simple glance at the computer and to no one''s surprise, everything was done for us.

    Our success is not only expected, calculated, but manufactured.

    This is a horrible feeling...

    "We just gotta put the horns in the head, right?"

    "For sure we do. Once we do that, something will happen, I am certain."

    It was at this moment that I realized that I was wrong when I earlier claimed that anyone could have just taken the exit out of here by inserting the right password. That''s not the case because even with the correct password, there isn''t an exit. Alternatively speaking, the only real way out would be to go through the secret passage and grab the other horn.

    The moment Takeshi and I inserted both the goat''s horns on its head, a red pressing switch with a large blue button on its center came out of the goat''s mouth.

    At first it appeared to be an average switch, but as Saitou took ahold of it, I noticed that there were instructions on the back of it; therefore I alerted Saitou.

    "On the back."

    "Hm?"

    He looked confused for a second but was quick on the uptake.

    Takeshi, on the other hand, joined his side as he was immensely curious as to what the back of the switch had to say.

    I already had gotten a fast read on it previously and I tried to hide my happiness because I wouldn''t want to ruin the surprise.

    Yet, there was one other reason as to why I didn''t bother to speak. I was profoundly thinking as to why anyone would pass their chances to get their hands on this...

    "Holy shit, what!? Are you joking?!"

    "Is this a dream?! This is practically a win button!"

    To be more specific, the back of the switch has one line incorporated to it. It doesn''t get more simple than this line on its back: "Pressing this switch will grant you passage on the exam".

    In other words, if we wanted to, one of us could leave the island and be done with the exam. As such, I looked at Saitou and Takeshi and asked the question.

    "Do any of you want to win the exam? If so, you can press the switch."

    However, they both know that only one person can get the victory pass here. Henceforth, I will speak my mind right here and now in order to avoid potential inner conflict.

    "I won''t do it. I was thinking of allowing someone who has a three exam losing streak press it. I believe it would make more sense to help someone out instead of selfishly pressing the button in order to win. And, I would like you two to help my cause. Please. Takeshi. Saitou."

    With a serious glance, I yield their earnest supports, even expecting a genuine selfish reply as a response, fully knowing that was entirely possible and understandable.

    However...

    "That''s all you have to say. You are our leader! Plus, Kawahara said he would make us pass the exam and he hasn''t let us down so far."

    "What Rayazaki just said! We don''t need the button for us because we will pass the exam anyways!"

    I must say, Ryousuke, your efforts may not collide well with your attitude, but it''s not the worst thing in the world.

    Be proud you have such good friends.

    "Thank you. Let''s give someone who needs this switch in order to avoid casualties. We will make this work!"

    "Hell yeah!" x2.

    We three high-fived simultaneously whilst stepping outside afterwards; ultimately witnessing a newborn cubic-shaped tower in the middle of the bridge that had reappeared. It appears that once the horns were put and the component was finally acquired, everything was in its place.

    Ergo, that tower that would have the elevator to the next section was in our reach.

    Sacred Mountain of Capella: Cleared.

 Volume 21 - Chapter 145: Jagd: Part VI.

    Our food resources still remained large, despite all the trips we had made thus far. Food for more than one week was within our grasp henceforth we needn''t worry about that peculiar factor affecting our routine. I am thinking in this particular factor because Saitou has been counting the number of fruit pieces he has on the food bag. Noticeably, I am handling all the heavy work as I carry all the components obtained in the previous sections. Of course, the cloud reactor and the flasks are the arguably heavier parts as everything else is subpar to it in terms of weight.

    Naturally, the elevator from the mountain would take us back to the platform where the blazing sun stood tall. This was a place that we had been in quite a few times. In this platform, we can access any of the sections we want; if we had cleared them, of course and the upcoming section would be open for a grand leisure if we had successfully done so.

    As we crossed over to the sixth elevator, which was unironically the elevator that would lead us to the seventh section instead of the sixth, I talked to Saitou as I saw him make some abrupt movements with the food bag.

    "Saitou? What''s wrong?"

    He replied back rather meekly but he didn''t trade eye contact with me while doing so.

    "It''s--- Ah, nothing, I''ll stop. We are here, yeah?"

    "Yeah."

    It''s true. Right now we are in front of the good old cylindrical tower that is in fact an elevator. By pressing the button, we are subjected into the new section. This is by all means the path of action, so there aren''t any doubts over here.

    Before I could go on and press the button, I overheard something between Saitou and Takeshi. Takeshi being the one who initiated the interaction by himself.

    "Do you think we will have to go through nothing like the last section?"

    "....."

    Saitou remained silent instead of interjecting like always. That wasn''t like him because he''s not one to hide his thoughts, so something else must be going on. However, the faster we progress the better, so I won''t pay much heed; regardless I will cast additional attention to Saitou''s mood.

    I pressed the button and the door opened itself. Only one button would lead downwards, so I pressed that button subsequently as soon as we all got inside the elevator.

    This time, the elevator rhythm was slow and it wasn''t pushy. However, something was feeling a bit too strange. This whole thing, these events, they lack... people. I mean this exactly as it is. Everywhere throughout the world; the better the environment---the higher the likelihood of a society being there, or so it stands to reason to think that way at least.

    Ever since I first came to Ryousuke''s senses, I have witnessed a beautiful Waterway with crystal clear water in peak conditions. Nothing about it was dirty nor poluted. One could argue that this type of water is brandly artificial and lacks natural gradients yet it felt extremely new. Afterwards, came the inhabitable desert that could go on for infinity for what it seemed like but in reality it was a lost... city? I still remember the very presence of Hajime and how even though there were rooms and even an amphitheater there weren''t anyone around except for him. If we take out Hajime, we have not encountered someone else.

    It''s one thing to not find anyone in a desert. I think it''s perfectly reasonable not to, but at least in that Waterway, maybe someone... Even then, if I take both environments into consideration, finding someone could be highly unlikely. However, afterwards, in that mountain, how come, there was, once again, no sign of life?

    Saitou and Takeshi have claimed that this is a deserted island, but as far as I am concerned, this is beyond a deserted island. I don''t mean to create doubts about them; my point instead is that these environments lack the elements of a society as a whole.

    What I am trying to insinuate with my thoughts here is that an underground substantial world like this doesn''t even begin to make any sense in the first place. With every elevator, the scenario is different. What on earth is this technology even capable of? Changing from a Waterway to a desert and then into a mountain without showing any signs of being remotely connected except for an elevator to do the connection?

    "Think we''ll find someone this time around, Rayazaki?"

    "Don''t know. But I am nervous. I mean, come on... Susaga and Ryoken aside, there are seven others... What on Earth are they doing...?!"

    "Maybe they still haven''t all figured out what this underground world really is about?"

    "Nonsense, Kuzan. We know Hyunda and Sagasuga have been here, so where are the others? This is supposed to be a competition but we are out here just plain discovering everything we encounter and..."

    Saitou''s silence struck the elevator without any response from us. As it stands, human interaction and the fear of the unknown both are colliding. He is desperately wanting to communicate with another human being in order to hopefully find answers.

    Answers to perhaps what this underground world really is and how this is even here in the first place... Yet, how are we supposed to find such answers if they don''t know it either? That''s not even the real issue. We can''t ask someone else questions if they are nowhere to be spotted.

    "Do not worry. I firmly believe once we reach the tenth section something massive will happen."

    "You think?"

    "Indeed, Takeshi."

    Unlike Takeshi, Saitou kept his silence once again. His eyes are far more open than the usual. Plus, he''s been eating his nails for a while. Rapid brain activity could be indicated through the act of nail-biting, though many may not know this. In other words, there is something that''s eating Saitou and he isn''t really in the mood to share with us.

    I will not force him to speak and will instead wait until he feels like talking. Because, after all, the elevator has reached its destination.

    A description of the location was already on the tablet that Saitou is holding and the reading was the following:

    "The Pharos Lighthouse at Rigel. Let me guess, this is about Rigel?"

    "Yeah, it is. Rigel is the seventh brightest star. However, don''t let the number of seven let you belittle Rigel, because Rigel, of all stars, should not be belittled."

    "I got it, I got it."

    We all then focused our attention onto the current scenario that we would face. A gentle marine breeze flew through the elevator and though expectations of a complex environment were at hand, it wasn''t quite the case at first as it was a wide image of a blue mild-tempered ocean that greeted our eyesight.

    Since the ocean waves were behaving themselves calmly, they weren''t getting in the way of the constructed forward path with rocky boulders on each of their side. That single path had a pattern of geoplhys in their mosaics; mysteriously. It was barely above the water, but it wasn''t as if there was an infinite ocean around us.

    In order to properly grasp our current environment, it''s firmly important to be aware that the elevator where we are at the moment is only showing the top of it. In other words, it''s as if the elevator came from the underground and it erupted into the upper ground; not the other way around. Aside from the elevator, behind it, there is an endless ocean with absolutely only blue infinite water to be shown. An end could not be captured; however the truly important decisive factor was how if we continued to look forward into the path ahead of us, a contrasting proposition was in check.

    "That is the biggest cataract I have ever seen!!"

    "Daku! Daku! That''s a cataract, right?!"

    They are both using the word quite wrongly...

    "It''s, first of all--- a waterfall, but yes, it''s a cataract."

    There is a swift end and a big tremendous gap in the horizon with a very wide horizontal length. That gap is no other than a product of the waterfall that''s causing all the water from the ocean to fall down. Nonetheless, it''s not as if we can see what''s beyond the waterfall, so what Saitou said right as I had this conclusive thought felt what Takeshi and I collectively thought at the same time.

    "It''s like that''s the edge of the world."

    "Don''t worry, it''s not as if we have a way to get to that edge as far as I''m concerned. I see no boats or anything of that sort. Plus, our path is far too simple this time around."

    I laid out the instructions for Saitou and Takeshi rapidly as I made my mind up.

    "We follow north right into the Lighthouse. There lies our dilemma."

    By "dilemma" I was referring to the gimmick that we would have to face every section, however, as we began to walk into the lengthy mosaic-filled path that held a brutal total of 250 meters in length underneath this dusk, (the sun differed from section to section and in the previous section---The Holy Mountain of Capella--- the sun was in a morning state, unlike this one which is far more tired in that regard) Saitou interjected ever so slightly, remembering us what had happened previously.

    "Dilemma? Yeah, right... We are just going to get spoon-fed again..."

    His expression grew grim and grimmer by the second. Being near him would make anyone at least distance two to three meters as he looked ready to commit a serious act of violence just based on the way he was feeling towards this possible circumstance.

    Nevertheless, Takeshi, knowing Saitou for a while now, didn''t hesitate to speak his mind and didn''t treat Saitou as an outcast, which, in my opinion, was actually the right call.

    "True, true... But hey! Maybe not! Maybe this time around, they didn''t go over to the lighthouse!"

    "I seriously hope you''re right, Kuzan. I want to have some fun, goddamn it... Or else..."

    "Or else?"

    I was the one who asked him that question, but I was by no means instigating him, I was relatively curious to know the depths of his thought process in regards of the possibility, but I was unsuccessful.

    "Nevermind..."

    We continued.

    What was bizarre was how I couldn''t spot seaguls despite the fact that I could clearly spot a variety of fish underneath the translucent ocean. By the way, should the water waves begin to storm violently, we would most likely be swept into the cataract and well...

    Still, knowing how artificial this all is, aside from the very fact that this is symbolizing primal nature, I daresay that the likelihood of that actually happening is rather low. I could be completely wrong though. Also, the dusk light was enough to guide our path as the orange sun intersected with a gradient of soft black in the shy horizon never fell down below it.

    Shortly after ten to fifteen minutes, we reached the entrance of the Lighthouse.

    In regard of the overall height of the Lighthouse, I described it with words towards Saitou, on my right, and Takeshi, on my left.

    "Rigel towers our sun in overall height. Dimension in general, is a better wording, sorry. Therefore, don''t let the colossal height of this Lighthouse intimidate you. Whatever is inside, we are going to find a way onto the next section. Hopefully, something as nice as the last component will be waiting for us this time!"

    "Heck yeah!"

    Takeshi couldn''t help but jump high as he resonated deeply with my speech.

    Saitou, on the other hand, was continuing to grow grimmer and he said something somewhat spiteful in return.

    "So we are just going to fool ourselves because there''s always a reward at the end?"

    Though, before I could reply back, Saitou quickly amended his attitude to my surprise.

    "Sorry, I didn''t mean that. Let''s go in."

    "What''s with you?"

    "Zip it, Kuzan."

    "Muuuh..."

    I''m worried about Saitou. There''s no telling what he might do and I''m afraid that I don''t want him to portray any sort of hatred towards us. However, it''s abundantly clear that he hates being the subject of Hajime right now.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    As I had previously concluded, it''s a horrible feeling. Nobody likes to be toyed with to a condenscing extent like this, for example. There''s no other choice though. My goal here is to obtain the components and give Ryousuke the clear advantage here. I''ve already explained that to Saitou, but maybe he forgot?

    We''ll see.

    Now, onto the scenario. A gigantic golden door stood open and at first all we saw was the fairly illuminated hall ahead with two pedestals in the center alongside a circle beneath it. But after taking a long sight to our lefts we saw a computer password entry and saw that a password had already been successfully input.

    To no one''s surprise already, I argue. Still, Saitou could barely contain himself and shackled himself on his own silence before moving forward.

    "What are these for?"

    Takeshi already took the initiative and examined the two pedestals in the center of the circle. Both of them were of low height, not even reaching beyond a single meter. Dark green at its core but surrounded with a shade of silver in its exteriors. The true main purpose of those two pedestals was for them to be checked.

    Very much like when a grocery is bought, it is scanned by a machine. On top of the pedestals, there is a bar scanner and normally, this implies the need for a card.

    However, to our confusion, there were three cards in this hall. One on the right pedestal and two other on the left pedestal.

    Two of those cards were silver-branded and looked fancy. They were no match in terms of elegance in comparison to the gold-branded card that stood alongside the unworthy silver card. Needless to say, these cards all had their fair share of purposes. Upon us, forward, there was a locked golden door and it didn''t take a fool to realize that by scanning two cards, we would have the equivalent of a successful result which was the door itself opening.

    Saitou, thought of something else for a second. He wasn''t in the mood to play the fool or explain things to Takeshi as they went, so he fired a rapid-fire conclusion right off the bat.

    "Here''s something that''s very probable: The golden card isn''t supposed to be here and it''s the finishing prize at the top of the Lighthouse. Or something like that."

    He continued but this time, he took ahold of the golden card and simultaneously trashed the other two silver cards aside to the ground fiercelessy.

    "Hey, Kuzan. Mind trying something out for me?"

    "Like what?"

    Saitou smirked and handed Takeshi the golden card to him right away.

    "I want you to pass that golden card onto the pedestals'' checks."

    "Yeah, alright."

    As one would expect or maybe not, Saitou''s yet-to-be-spoken''s guess was right on the money. The outcome was that the door would open once both of pedestals'' entries were checked.

    Most likely, it required a silver card in each and couldn''t be used both ways. We could have tried and seen it for ourselves, but even I truly believe it''s utterly pointless, because...

    "I knew it. I so fucking knew it. Whoever completed this before us put the master card of the entire Lighthouse in the beginning so we could be spoon fed again...!"

    Our dilemma at the moment was not actually the gimmick of the section, but how we were not facing any dilemma whatsoever. But, this thought doesn''t make any sense because, so what if there is no gimmick to face? That''s all the better, because once the tenth section is cleared, then we will be able to---

    Actually, I will be gone by then, huh?

    "What''re we gonna do?"

    Takeshi asked, rather reluctantly. Saitou would usually take the initiative to talk here, but he instead opted not to and waited for my reply rather attentively.

    I turned around and issued the simple path of action. There wasn''t any thought that was supposed to be given here, because, again, it was simple.

    "We scout the entire Lighthouse and search for a way to advance. We needn''t worry about any troubles since we most likely won''t face any."

    "Yosh!"

    In symphony, Takeshi nodded. I was glad about that.

    Our loud footsteps began to advance onto the next stage. On my right side, Takeshi stood, ready to scout the entire parameter along my side.

    And on my right side, stood---- not Saitou.

    I noticed then that only my footsteps and Takeshi''s were being heard and not Saitou''s. And that was because Saitou had not moved from his initial position. He was starring facedown to the geoglyphs in the ground, but not out of curiosity.

    "Rayazaki?"

    "Saitou?"

    He was waiting for us to notice the very fact that he wasn''t moving or going alongside with me. It didn''t take long to make him talk as he was more than obliged to do it himself. He began by fiercely looking in my direction with a grim look in his eyes.

    "This is stupid. I''m not doing it."

    "W-Why not, Rayaz---"

    Takeshi attempted to verbally fight back right away, but I hand-signalled him to retreat for now as I thought that this was related to our current circumstance and that he was finally going to speak his own mind out.

    "Saitou, what''s wrong?"

    "Nothing really... I don''t feel like doing this anymore. You and Kuzan can go ahead and conquer the other sections."

    "But I would like you to be by my---, no, our side if possible."

    "Well, it''s not possible anymore. Sorry."

    I''ll try to reason here.

    "Why is it not possible anymore? Because this is stupid?"

    "Exactly. You''re a smart guy, actually, far more than that. I don''t fault you for prioritizing objectives instead of prioritizing how I feel. It''s alright, after all, you are only doing this for Kawahara."

    So he does remember about what I told him back then. How I was essentially doing Ryousuke''s work and that my presence here would have no effect after all the conditions are cleared out.

    Now that I think about it, my existence here is pretty heartless and almost feels robotic. As if I was created for an ultimate purpose and anything that doesn''t include that ultimate purpose is unnecessary.

    Needless to say, that''s not how I am though. I can''t simply cast my emotions aside and use everyone else around me as a tool for the sake of my "ultimate" goal. Henceforth, what Saitou just said is unacceptable.

    "But I do care about how you feel, Saitou. Tell me."

    I took a seat in the cold ground as the late orange sunlight peaked through one of the sideway windows. As I took a seat, so did Takeshi, on my left side and Saitou, in front of me, though he took longer than usual.

    "It''s really nothing special, it''s more of a personality problem. I can''t stand being played like this and so, I can''t help you."

    "I understand. The more we advance, the more we are being played with. That''s true. However, we don''t have much of a choice, do we?"

    I thought this was evident and I wasn''t just half-heartly doing this. Otherwise, I would have just not cared for both Takeshi and Saitou and would''ve moved along; leaving everything else to Ryousuke afterwards.

    "I don''t believe so. You and Kuzan can perfectly continue without any problems. I am not saying you two are more than fine with what''s happening, but I am really not. I know you two might be resisting, but I''m calling a quits on this. It''s too much for me and I don''t want to whine all day long, so can you do us all a favor and move on from this? Go on."

    Saitou unbelievably said all this which struck both Takeshi and I with emotional pain. Furthermore, he pointed at the next stage ahead as if to tell us to move it.

    However, I didn''t give in and placed my left hand on Takeshi''s right shoulder as he was about to burst from being betrayed on the inside by Saitou.

    "It''s alright, believe in me."

    "...Please."

    With Takeshi placing his trust on me, I re-focused on Saitou.

    "Saitou, what do you intend on doing?"

    So far, he was answering everything with extreme speed, almost as if he had already thought this whole conversation out. His answer''s speed was about the same as the previous ones.

    "I''ll just go back to the surface and fail the exam. It''s alright because I will have three failed exams and I will be at my limit. But it''s not fatal."

    "Just so I get this straight, you don''t want to do this anymore because you can''t stand being played like we are, right? There''s nothing else?"

    To this, he answered with absolutely no hesitation.

    "It''s only a matter of pride. I don''t mind losing on my own accord. But winning on someone else''s accord? Fuck that."

    I smirked but not in a mocking manner and before he could assume that I was mocking him, I spoke up quickly.

    "I see! Well, since that''s the case, why not press the switch on the winning button?"

    The reasoning here is quite simple. Since Saitou has decided to not go on with us, he is essentially allowing himself to lose, even though he could find other alternatives to win this exam. However, I believe that he believes that advancing any further is the equivalent of playing into Hajime''s hands, so his mind is stelled on not advancing. As such, by offering him the winning button switch, he will not only win the exam, but he won''t get played into Hajime''s hands.

    Still...

    "I will pass. I also don''t run away from a fight. Again, losing on my own accord is fine. Plus, you best save that component as you might not know what that bastard Hyunda has in store for us. Christ, what a clown, I swear to God..."

    It really is a matter of pride like Saitou just said.

    Though, he wasn''t done and once again reinforced something he had said earlier.

    "This is a bit absurd. I am not the most mature person ever, but I can at least tell others when I am going to be a problem and I am currently a problem. Again, ignore me."

    Hm... He isn''t sulking, he''s just speaking his mind.

    According to my own perception, this might be the highest form of respect Saitou has given me. Not only did he fundamentally believe that I am Izayoi Daku and not Ryousuke Kawahara, but he has been a help thus far. More than just help, honestly. He''s been a great friend. It''s not often that I get the chance to witness this. In addition, Saitou isn''t someone to point out his own flaws to just someone out there because he has his own pride, therefore, if he goes out of his way more than one time to point out his own flaws, then he is showing his utmost respect.

    Knowing this, how can I possibly abandon him?

    Takeshi crossed eye glance with me and I said something to him that I feel like he saw coming for a while. We both rose the corners of our lips and formed a sardonical smile consecutively.

    "Looks like our advancement will be put to an end, Takeshi!"

    "It appears so!"

    Saitou wasn''t really understanding what we were currently implying so he confusingly spoke up.

    "What are you two..."

    I enlightened him.

    "We are failing with you, Saitou."

    "Yup!"

    But he didn''t take this way too well and revolted a bit.

    "Are you two stupid?! This won''t change the way I feel towards you two, damn it! To me you two are still my precious friends and Daku, I''ll never forget you, even when you are gone, so, rethink this. Please."

    I answered extremely fast, however.

    "No can do. I am the leader, and as such, I order you to stand down and fail alongside with us."

    "Ugh... Goddamn it... Wait..."

    As if he had thought of something extremely quick, Saitou spoke his mind.

    "I remember now. I theorized something earlier and came up with a plan in case this happened. It''s a bit dumb, but would you care to listen?"

    "Yeah, why not?"

    Shooking both my arms, I shrugged and allowed Saitou to speak.

    "Okay, okay, so... I think that they are playing us, but that''s only because they know we don''t have any choice but to go forward. But, how do they know that we really succeeded? Are they really going to wait around for us to succeed in everything? Like, what if we just don''t do that? Won''t their plan not succeed?"

    Saitou keeps referring to "them" which refers to Hajime and Sagasuga, I assume. Regardless, it''s an interesting take. He''s assuming that there is a flaw in this whole plan. But he then explained how that wasn''t actually a flaw at all, at least in theory.

    "It won''t succeed, that''s why they have to make sure that it does. But how? I asked myself countless times. It''s for a fact that there are no cameras here, so, hypothetically speaking, if they had a base somewhere else, I don''t fucking know, to watch us or something, but thus far that hasn''t been the case, so... I could only grasp one logical conclusion."

    What Saitou said afterwards blew my mind slightly.

    "One of them will eventually return to the section that we successfully cleared. Given that they are basically doing everything for us, it won''t take us that long, so I reason that one of them will eventually backtrack and check if there were changes within the section. By noticing the changes, they will assume that we have moved forward."

    "Wait, that''s insane! Who would think of something like this...?!"

    Takeshi was too busy getting excited over this but I kept in silence and demanded to know more from Saitou as I was quite curious.

    "And where did that take you, Saitou?"

    "You see, Daku, if we stay here and mirror the entrance of the elevator from where we came from, then we will find the one responsible for ensuring that we have actually succeeded."

    "So we lay out a trap?"

    "Exactly! He will have to come eventually, otherwise we can just take advantage of the fact that they don''t even have a way of asserting our success and think of something better."

    Certaintly, it makes sense. In theory, we could very well hide in the water, for example, and wait until the suspect walks into the path towards the Lighthouse. Then, we launch an attack and ask some questions. By some, I mean a lot. Whatever the case is, if it means that we can advance and that Saitou will regain his posture, then I am more than happy to go along with this.

    "What do you intend of doing once we capture this guy?"

    To Takeshi''s question, Saitou answered very confidently. He pointed with his right index finger up to the top as well.

    "We sack as much information as we can out of him through any means necessary. If it''s Sagasuga, then we beat the shit out of him and then Hyunda''s next!"

    I intervined.

    "We will attempt to reason first and use physical force as our last method. Agreed?"

    "Yeah, sure!"

    "Fine....."

    Takeshi didn''t really care much but Saitou looked displeased but not entirely.

    Not done however, Saitou began to speak more about his plan.

    "It would be foolish to simply await for him at the elevator, so here is what we are going to do: We are going to scout the Lighthouse and look for another elevator. The one that leads to the platform oil rigs. This is because there are only two ways to get here. Either through where we came from or the other elevator. In other words, we have to block two entrances."

    "But we are three, Rayazaki..."

    Implying that was not a problem at all, Saitou smirked supremely.

    "Relax, relax. I got it covered. Daku here, will guard the elevator within the Lighthouse through whatever way he finds the most sneaky and we will dive onto the water outside. I will be on the right side of the water and you will be on the left side. This way, should he try to escape to the other side, the other side''s receptor will catch him. Should he walk either into the elevator or the Lighthouse, we chase him! Of course, we should allow him to advance into the middle of the path so we have an even edge on him!"

    Upon hearing that thorough explanation, Takeshi got up and clenched both of his fists in a dignified happy manner as he exclaimed himself to Saitou.

    "That''s amazing, Rayazaki! I had no idea you were capable of thinking that far! Where have you been hiding all this stuff?!"

    "I''m a military genius, you bet!"

    "Really?!"

    Saitou had already gotten up and his mood had completely recovered. Midst all this, I realized that perhaps Saitou was checking the food supplies earlier on because he really wasn''t going to move forward.

    But now that we have placed our trust in him, he is capable of being better and objectively speaking, turning himself into a better person. He even agreed to use reasoning first before utilizing physical force which would be our last resort. As far as I''m concerned, this is a massive improvement.

    Ultimately, I got up and administered the plan of action.

    "I will explore the depths of the Lighthouse and find the elevator while you two will follow the plan as Saitou said. Should you need anything, scream as loud as you possible can. Shout my name from the abysmal depths of your lungs; I will heed your call!"

    Excited, I raised a fist and in a sequence of synergy, they bumped it.

    "Good luck!"

    "Yeah!" x2.

    Saitou and Takeshi started to detour towards the entrance of the Lighthouse with confident expressions on their faces, but before even attempting on doing so, they had to pick up their bags which they had left on the floor earlier. As for me I adjusted my bag and even though it weighted a lot, I felt a brim sense of strength within me as I firmly believed in the plan.

    Not only is it good in theory, but if we are successful, then we can hopefully get some sort of answers about what these sections even are and what is Hajime''s plan.

    No doubt about it, but this won''t fail. The moment one of them walks right through the elevator, they have fallen into the trap. Saitou and Takeshi outnumber whoever comes in and I definitely won''t lose in a fight.

    It was then that I murmured something unconsciously lowly.

    "Strike first; win first..."

    .....!!!

    A disturbance within the atmosphere was immediately noticed but not through the visible naked eye. Saitou was still grabbing his bag from the ground as Takeshi was doing the same; they both had not noticed yet, but the footsteps of another person within the area were approaching in.

    Only through my enhanced ear audition was I capable of noticing the presence of someone else via their own footsteps'' sounds.

    Out of instinct, I turned around and faced the open door and saw a figure walking in as I questioned it.

    "Who goes there?!"

    The figure stood in shock for a short while as he perhaps had not believed that he was making that much noise in the first place. As for Saitou and Takeshi, it took them a while to notice but once the figure starting to formally clap whilst walking in our direction, they both took clear notice of the figure''s anatomy as it became evident to us that we were not trapping anyone in the first place.

    It''s the other way around.

    "Most impressive. How about a rematch, Kawahara?"

 Volume 21 - Chapter 146: Jagd: Part VII.

    The worst case scenario to our upcoming plan was brought to a close end as the figure, who would be revealed through Saitou''s angry retort of his, stood still whilst observing the shock of us three.

    "Sagasuga!!"

    His face was full of rage and coiled within an unknown wrath. On the other hand, although I had no seen him before and wanted to feel relieved for finally coming across another human being in the sections, he was without a doubt Sagasuga.

    Furthermore, his eyes are on me only.

    "That''s me!"

    Jokingly, he pointed at himself which didn''t have a positive result on Saitou. However, there was a bigger dillema at hand. Sagasuga asked for a rematch and if I recall correctly, Saitou mentioned that Ryousuke left him standing on a cliff, which means that...

    By normal means, he should not be aware of the swap. Though, that''s a fool''s way of thinking! If Hajime already told him about the fact that I am currently not Ryousuke Kawahara, then...

    What will he do?

    "What are you doing here, Sagasuga?!"

    For now I chose to observe as I slowly retreated into where Takeshi and Saitou are as Sagasuga and Saitou continued their dialogue. The differences in their attitudes could be described as if Sagasuga is a free-flowing air while Saitou is a flare ready to bombard anyone.

    "I am here to establish balance, of course. Though, I''m here mainly to have a rematch with Kawahara, over here."

    Despite talking to Saitou, he launched his right long index finger in my direction in a swift arm rupture of movements.

    "Establish balance, my ass! You''re working with Hyunda, aren''t you?"

    "Hyunda?"

    He sounded genuinely surprised at least. It also didn''t look overly sarcastic, or sarcastic at all, which left us all puzzled at first. Though, Saitou wasn''t going to fall for that.

    "It''s useless to lie, we know everything. How you and Hyunda are making sure we succeed in every section by one of you doing everything for us!"

    Although I had expected that to phase Sagasuga ever slightly, it didn''t even begin to phase him, at all. Plus, he immediately corrected Saitou''s misconception right away.

    "That is not true. I haven''t met Hyunda a single time while partaking the exam."

    "Bullshit! Bullshit! If you really hadn''t met him, then why would you even be here, Sagasuga?!"

    Sagasuga placed his right hand fingers on his chin calmly and delivered a collected reply.

    "I was here taking a leisure because I had already completed the other sections and I was looking for human life. I was successful in my endeavor."

    Of course, Saitou wasn''t going to swallow Sagasuga''s words, even though they could very well be true, but as far as we are concerned, we are better off not believing them.

    "Oh yeah? Congrats! But hey! You''re still lying! The very fact that you said that you completed the other sections already means that you were the one who put this master card here at the beginning!"

    Saitou''s reasoning is on point and it''s why I haven''t believed in anything Sagasuga has said thus far. If he truly completed the other sections, then he was the one who put the master card here in the beginning and has been abiding to our success. Therefore, claiming that he is not the one responsible for our fabricated success holds little to no sense.

    Nevertheless, Sagasuga offered another alternative.

    "I am afraid to say that was not the case."

    "How not?!"

    "I simply completed each section and moved along. What you just suggested completely goes against what I just said, Rayazaki. Because, if I completed each section, why would I go back all the way into doing my work?"

    "If you are here then you could have very well done it!"

    As if to imply that he wasn''t coming through as someone reasonable, Sagasuga sighed. Furthermore, he cooled his forehead with a soft massage done by his right hand''s palm.

    "Good grief, I am really not coming across as someone who is really looking for other friends despite the fact that I have been separated from Tatsu and Tsudo."

    "...Where are they...?"

    Finally speaking up, Takeshi unleashed his curiosity, but I kept quiet, since I am not sure if Sagasuga does not know about the swap. In any case, when the time comes, I will simply have to act as Ryousuke would.

    But there is just a slight problem. It''s been too many years and although he hasn''t changed much, his attitude towards Sagasuga might not be the same as his attitude in general. Even though he took ahold of a lot of my personality''s elements, he is still Ryousuke Kawahara and I am Izayoi Daku.

    If Sagasuga already knew about the swap, then he would''ve mentioned it already... or not. If he''s smart and he knows, then he will pretend like I am really Ryousuke.

    There''s just no telling, however. He holds advantage here, no matter how I look at it.

    "I wouldn''t know. Ever since I''ve reached the last section, I''ve been searching for them. I was hoping to find them here, but instead I encountered you three. Also, Rayazaki, you said something about Hyunda, but where is he?"

    "......You really don''t know...?"

    Unable to distinguish whether Sagasuga has been lying or not, Saitou let out that small speech. If there is one thing about Sagasuga is that his expression never changes. Or at least, thus far. Poker face---such is the method to keep one''s emotions in check. Should I claim to be good at reading one''s mood, could I claim to be a good mood reader if a person represents a neutral mood? Surely, I could say that his mood is neutral yet what lies beneath?

    "What?"

    Extremely puzzled, Sagasuga questioned Saitou. Embarassed, Saitou apologized, but not completely.

    "Sor--- Hell no! If what you''ve said is true, although I still don''t believe you, what are you doing here?!"

    Exhausted from having to go back to the initial point once again, Sagasuga threw his arms at bay before expressing minimal annoyance.

    "As I''ve said already, I am here in search for human life. More specifically, the lives of the ones partaking this exam."

    "That is the worst excuse ever!"

    Sincerely, I was about to agree with Saitou, but what Sagasuga said afterwards, justified his "excuse" previously, a bit.

    "It''s not an excuse. We can''t get a clear ending without having everyone present in the last intersection. Henceforth why I am going all the way back."

    "What do you mean...?"

    "Rayazaki, I mean what I just said. I was unsuccessful in speeding through the exam as I had planned. Up ahead in the last intersection, even with all the passwords correctly inserted, it won''t matter."

    "Again, what the hell are you talking about?"

    Sagasuga wasn''t being quite explicit with what he was implying, so Saitou had no other choice but to go for the option of peer pressure, to which Sagasuga responded to, reasonably.

    "There is a door in the tenth section that is tightly locked and as far as I''m concerned, without it open, nothing will really happen. The door contains ten digital machines that serve the purpose of recognizing someone''s hand-prints."

    "...Come again...?"

    Not Saitou, but Takeshi abruptly said that.

    "In short, even though I placed my hand in the scanner, it only lightened one light in the door. Do you understand where I am getting at here?"

    From Sagasuga''s words, it appears that in the tenth section there will be a door leading to the conclusion of this exam. If we are ten as a whole, then it makes sense as to why there are ten digital machines with the ultimate purpose of recognizing our hand-prints. And by that logical foundation, Sagasuga backtracked thus far to collect the rest of us so we can get inside the tenth section and ultimately clear the path to victory.

    But there''s something that doesn''t make sense here.

    "We get it, Sagasuga."

    I upheld Ryousuke''s serious expression with his common mischevious grin adjoined to his lips and proceed to look similarly to him.

    "At last! I was finding it strange, Kawahara. You''re the talkative guy, but you went silent for so long... It''s almost as if you are..."

    He rubbed his chin and minimized the size of his eyes slightly before firing that verbal strike at me.

    "A different person........ Just kidding."

    Sweat droplets scourged down my throat''s exterior and Saitou was already thinking the same as I---whether Sagasuga knows that I am Izayoi Daku or if he doesn''t. Takeshi, however, didn''t quite understand what was going on here and attempted to splurt something to which I had to interrupt as quickly as possible.

    "But he---"

    "Kuzan! Don''t you dare disobey the orders of your Master!"

    As we traded contact, I made sure that Takeshi would get where I was trying to go and thankfully, he clearly understood and apologized.

    "O-Oh, you''re right, Master! Forgive me!"

    Upon seeing this, Sagasuga made a side commentary.

    "That''s the Kawahara I know alright. He''s bossy, arrogant and even has Kuzan calling by "Master"."

    "It''s only right."

    I don''t seem to recall ever calling my subordinates in the past by "Master" which means this is something he developed on his own...

    That aside, Sagasuga didn''t waste time to rush me into explaining myself.

    "You seemed to have been meaning to ask me something, Kawahara. Why not try?"

    I gulped down and then asked.

    "If you truly were not the one behind our manufactured success, then why didn''t you take the components with you?"

    This right here is the main reason as to why I still believe that Sagasuga is lying through his teeth. If he really scourged through the entirities of each section and completed them, then why not take the components with you? Unless you have an ulterior reason for not picking them up, this does not add up whatsoever.

    The very fact that there is even a winning button goes to show that he is lying. Or so, I thought, but what he said was... not expected to say the least, for me.

    "They are too unbalanced. Do you disagree?"

    "What the fuck..."

    Saitou was in awe with tremendous disbelief towards Sagasuga as Takeshi really pondered the meaning behind Sagasuga''s words. Clearly, Saitou was not buying anything that came from Sagasuga, but, what Sagasuga just said isn''t necessarily a lie.

    Or even a lie at all.

    "If you''ve really went all the way to the tenth section, there''s no use in hiding it, but yes, they are unbalanced. Though their purpose is vague in some, there is for example this..."

    Confidently, I took out the winning button detonator from my bag and highlighted it to Sagasuga and explained what it does.

    "By pressing it, you win the exam. Arguably unbalanced."

    Sagasuga nodded very happily as I presented my comprehension towards the lack of balance in such components.

    "Marvelous! I am beyond glad you understand the lack of balance here. The power of balance is something that must be preserved. With that said, the components distort the balance of the exam. They have either complete negative impact or positive impact, but they are by no means necessary for the balance of the exam. That''s why I rightfully excluded them. By the way..."

    He emphasizes a lot on balance and though that could be used as a clever way of manipulating those around him, I found what he said afterwards to be highly puzzling.

    "You have it with me, don''t you? That component. Or rather, the one I previously wield."

    "What? There''s---"

    Almost committing to the bait of speaking my true mind against Sagasuga, I stopped my tracks and realized that I was carrying an ax and that the ax could possibly be a component that Sagasuga and Ryousuke perhaps captured it together. If so, were I to deny that the ax is Sagasuga''s component, I would be refusing my knowledge of our previous events which wouldn''t make sense because otherwise I wouldn''t be Ryousuke Kawahara.

    "Oh yeah! The ax! How could I forget?!"

    With brand enthusiasm, I spoke heights.

    Only to be met with more doubt as Sagasuga said something entirely different.

    "What ax? I am talking about the password decipherer! Remember how in the beginning of the exam we found it in the first cavern we went to? That''s how I was able to even get past here!"

    .......? What...?

    Although this is something, if true, that Ryousuke should only know, why would he mention this? As I looked to my right and left and examined the look on Saitou and Takeshi''s faces, I saw only doubt.

    They were not aware of what Sagasuga was also talking about. Defensively, Saitou unleashed a verbal assault onto Sagasuga, accusing him of falsehood.

    "Stop trying to confuse us. What exactly do you want from us, Sagasuga?"

    "Confuse you? I am being misunderstood here, I swear. But alright."

    He shrugged and let go of the argument. This really left me wondering if Ryousuke and Sagasuga really found a password cracking device in that first cavern he mentioned. If so, it would be possible to continuously go back and forth in-between the sections since Sagasuga would know all the passwords. That also explains why he is here right now since Ryousuke has the majority of the words that he acquired previously thus it wouldn''t make any sense for Sagasuga to be here without them.

    It makes sense yet... I can''t help but feel like I''m being lied to.

    "I would like your assistance. From all of you, of course. I don''t think any of you really should refuse because in hindsight, we won''t pass unless we all cooperate."

    I argued with something that has been commonly presented to us.

    "We can''t cooperate if there aren''t any members to cooperate with."

    "I agree, Kawahara. However, it is for a fact that there are six others in this island. Aside from you three, if we count my existence, we are four. Previously, Tsudo and Tatsu were with us, so that makes six. You mentioned Hyunda, Rayazaki, did you not?"

    Less aggressive now and ready to reason, Saitou complied.

    "Yes. Kawahara found him in the sixth section. Isn''t that right?"

    "Really, Kawahara?"

    To Sagasuga''s question, I almost answered with the way I would''ve answered it, but I recalled from Hajime that Ryousuke calls him by another less formal name.

    "That damn bastard was in the ruins, so yeah, make that seven, actually!"

    "Any chances he might still be there?"

    "None. He blasted the whole ruin by utilizing one of the components."

    I took out the component that Hajime gave me back then and explained its utility.

    "Apparently this can blast any section by itself through a simple click. After that, we got separated."

    Disappointed, Sagasuga sighed.

    "What a bummer. So, that leaves us three more, right? Kan, Akihiko and..."

    Sagasuga could not finish his sentence as Takeshi happily interrupted him.

    "Aniki!"

    Takeshi''s smile was brightly genuine and showed not a trace of falsehood. I remember how Takeshi mentioned him back in the Waterway. I have yet to see him, but if all goes according to theory, I will get a glance at every single one of them before I go away.

    Because, according to Sagasuga, everyone is required here, so there is no loophole.

    "Yes! With their presences we can go forward with the exam and win. A plausible scenario, right, Kawahara?"

    Sagasuga lightly laughed and closed his eyes transiently. Everything thus far has been going smoothly, but what''s bothering me is how Sagasuga managed to transform this entire scenario into his advantage. He knows he''s factually correct and that such facts benefit us.

    But, if you ask me, this has been going too smoothly, and Saitou already took notice of that.

    "I know you''re not talking to me, but I''ll talk for him. We don''t want nor need your help!"

    "Yeah, Sagasuga! Go away, we can take care of ourselves!"

    Both Saitou and Takeshi protested and as such, I joined in, by fearlessly glaring right into Sagasuga''s soul, though his composure nevertheless remained untouchable.

    "We are failing the exam, so you can fuck yourself, bitch."

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    We three confidently smirked back at him and bumped our fists up high.

    I might''ve theorized other plans, but I don''t intend to make fun of our early talk.

    "I see."

    Surprisingly, despite the fact that our cooperation is a key element to his success, Sagasuga did not fret and instead walked up to me, but not in a manner where I was forced to put up my guard.

    Saitou looked absolutely ready to strike back and Takeshi was indecisive on what stance to take, when, at last, our heights mirrored and our glances crossed each other.

    "Kawahara, throwing an exam like this?"

    "What of it?"

    "It''s strange. Kawahara, you were very keen on passing this exam. I recall, numerous times where you prioritized goals above goals if it meant advancing in this exam yet now... You are telling me that you''re just gonna call it quits?"

    I adamantly refused to show any signs of nervousness and remained stoic while Sagasuga started to walk in a circle around the three of us, making observations as he peeked at me.

    "Very strange indeed. What an unbalanced decision, Kawahara."

    Surely, Saitou and Takeshi must be pondering in their minds whether Hajime has told Sagasuga about the swap, but there''s no telling whether Sagasuga knows, so he can just continuously keep poking at me like this to confuse us.

    "It''s my decision. If you don''t have anything else to say, then take your leave. We won''t help you, Sagasuga."

    My plan here is the simple following: For now, we allow Sagasuga to continue as he will make the others come to the tenth section so they put their hand-prints. Later, maybe after a full week, we show up in there and fake something like how we had a change of mind. There''s a gut feeling deep inside me that tells me that allowing Sagasuga to take charge of this current event will only lead us to trouble. Hence, we will feign stubbornness while hiding our intentions.

    "Allow me to understand this clearly... By claiming you three won''t be of any help; is the equivalent of not partaking this exam any further, correct?"

    "That is the case."

    "Great, great."

    "Kawahara..."

    With a fairly loud footstep echoing through the room, Sagasuga stopped circling and faced me once again before addressing his intentions.

    "Can you give me all of your components?"

    "Wh---"

    Though Saitou was about to explode, I firmly responded without a shred of hesitation behind my words, to Sagasuga.

    "Absolutely not."

    Sagasuga was not pleased by this, though his monochromatic expression remained.

    "How come? Non-partakers of this exam have no right of possession to items that do not remotely belong to them."

    "As far as I''m concerned, these components only belong to the ones who have found them."

    "I beg to differ, Kawahara... Your party is being a massive prejudice by upholding this childish possessive attitude. While I may not be in danger in regards of the contents of the exam, I believe others could use the help of those components. By being unnecessary possessive, you are hindering the possibilities of success of those who are less than likely to succeed. Simply put, you three should not be rewarded through the possession of such powerful helpful items if you are not in a position of contending for the exam."

    "Where are you getting at?!"

    Saitou retorted Sagasuga whilst grabbing his collar, but Sagasuga remained unmoving.

    "Must I explain everything in a simple way for you to understand? Fine. I am saying you three are being childish and you could stop being childish by giving me the components since you''ve essentially forfeited the exam on your own free will."

    It''s not like I will do it, but I might as well ask.

    "Sagasuga, what do you exactly intend on doing with the components?"

    He smiled a bit as he answered with something we had suggested not so long ago.

    "As Rayazaki suggested, or at least implied, I can simply put them back in their place so everything''s untouched. This way, any student that is partaking the exam, will find themselves challenged. Plus, are the components not of great help for them? Am I wrong?"

    "They might not. I''m sorry, the answer is a no."

    Once again, Sagasuga got rejected.

    In insight of his expression, his eyes widened a bit, as if in shock, but his face remained the same. He, however, grabbed Saitou''s right wrist and took it off his own collar. Saitou showed physical struggle in breaking out of the lock, but he wasn''t able to do so as Sagasuga purposely let go of the lock.

    Then, he sighed and talked back to me.

    "Kawahara, you''re being unreasonable. So far, I''ve offered you cooperation and have stated what we need to do in order to ace the exam. Yet despite that, you declined. Next, I launched the fact that you three are essentially wasting those components'' potential by keeping them under your treacherous possession while proving to be a nuisance to those who could potentially use those components. It appears that I am being denied for apparently no reason."

    Saitou retorted with our own assumption.

    "It''s not for no reason! You and Hyunda are working together and anything you do is to contribute to that plan! That''s why we won''t cooperate with you."

    Sagasuga blinked thrice, as if dumbstruck.

    "Are you three insane?"

    "What was that?!"

    From the left side, I took ahold of Saitou''s shoulder and Takeshi did the same exact for the opposite side. He was ready to lash at Sagasuga, who questioned our sanity. In order to see through Sagasuga''s question, I took charge of the dialogue.

    "What did you mean just now, Sagasuga?"

    "Maybe "insane" wasn''t the right word?"

    He mubled to himself just once before continuing, to our surprises.

    "Oh, I understand now. It''s probably delirium, isn''t it?"

    "Can you get to the point? You''re getting offensive."

    "Why yes, Kawahara. I am claiming you three are delirious individuals who refuse to face reality for what it is."

    This sparked a sudden rage in us, but Sagasuga wasn''t done yet with his speech, so he moved back a little and sat on the first degree of the mini-stairway that would lead to the uprising room.

    There, he cleaned the small dust of his clothes, looked at the orange sun on his right side and calmly looked at the three of us from afar.

    "Having been subjected to these new changes of environments most likely caused your brains to experience paranormal activity and thus, you''ve beginning to have questionable thoughts. Have you, for once, thought to yourselves whether these environments were all too good to be true? If any of this is real? Why you are experiencing this when these past months we have been in a school and suddenly we are in a deserted island with a variety of environments that change way too often? Where are the others? One might think these thoughts would be common, but in reality, they are caused by paranormal brain activity beyond your own control. In conclusion, the claim that I am working with Hyunda, is very much a result of paranormal brain activity."

    "....What...?"

    Takeshi began to take Sagasuga''s opinion in. It appears that Takeshi might''ve experienced those thoughts that Sagasuga mentioned just now far too frequently. I will admit of having thought on them quite a bit, but I do not believe it reflects paranormal brain activity.

    "I don''t believe you. Anyone exposed to these environments would have such thoughts. It''s only natural. Your point is quite flawed."

    In return, Sagasuga raised his right index finger up a bit.

    "Who said that was my point? The point that I am actually trying to make or rather--- emphasize--- is what one should naturally think given what the environment gives them to experience. Certainly, what I''ve said are thoughts that you should naturally experience. But, me, working with someone who I have not come across in this island, is not the product of what the environment has exposed to you. It''s your own delirium. Did I make myself clear?"

    Forced to acknowledged Sagasuga''s point, even Saitou reflected on it for a bit.

    In essence, Sagasuga suggested that suspecting him for working with Hajime holds no realistic nature because no environment holds any product of such nature for us to experience it; henceforth it''s an unnatural thought. I will admit that he is right and that he has beaten us in that regard.

    Nevertheless, if Hajime is truly competent, then this is all a facade and as such...

    "You did. But I just have one question."

    Sagasuga did not speak, but extended his right hand to symbolize that I could proceed.

    "What if, despite all you said, we still maintained our stance?"

    To the left side and then to the right. Subsequently, Sagasuga looked up to the sealing before humming.

    "Uh..."

    He looked lost in thought but it wasn''t for long until he confronted my eye-glare.

    "Why would you still do that? I''ve tried to reason with you creatures for quite a bit now. This debate is dragging on. Furthermore, you''ve essentially admitted that I have superior reason, so, knowing that, why would you still maintain your stance? I sincerely can''t understand."

    All in all, I don''t believe that no matter what I say, Sagasuga will back down. It''s ironic, because I was the one who claimed that we would save physical force as a last resort and would always reason first but now we are being unreasonable. However, we have to be unreasonable in order to not get caught in his flow.

    Ultimately, I was ready to continue, but Saitou spoke the truth towards Sagasuga, who didn''t take it very well.

    "We just want to oppress you, dumbass! You obviously want something out of us, otherwise you wouldn''t commit this much into this argument!"

    Saitou spoke loudly but no one else talked for three seconds after which caused a big massive echo in the room. Sagasuga''s eyes were crucified onto Saitou and only then, he muttered something, to not particularly any of us.

    "Seriously? Alright."

    His voice sounded defeated. But, maybe defeated wasn''t quite the right word...

    Sagasuga kept on cleaning the dust of his clothes, although I seriously wondered whether there was any dust in the first place and afterwards, he got up and walked past us. Nothing about his expression had changed and he looked extremely uncaring about the fact that we essentially didn''t give in.

    Which was odd and caused us to be stunned right there at the moment and only after three seconds, did one of us spoke, as Sagasuga was heading towards the Lighthouse''s entrance.

    "W-Wait!"

    Reaching out his right hand to the air, in Sagasuga''s direction, Saitou demanded Sagasuga to halt, but he didn''t.

    "This is weird, man! You come here and say all that but now you''re just leaving?! That''s so weird!"

    However, upon hearing that, Sagasuga put a pause to his physical movement and without looking at us, he spoke softly.

    "I can''t reason with you three. You''re all under the impression that I am conspiring against you, so as it stands, I hold no benefit in standing here."

    ......A sudden thought crossed my mind; perhaps feeling unconsciously guilty towards the possibility...

    If Sagasuga was not lying all this time, then we have been incredibly rude towards him. Constantly doubting him and not even casting a single vote of belief. Normally, a person would be revolted about this should they had not been lying, but Sagasuga''s expression remains the same and so, I can''t draw anything out of him.

    He continued to walk once again, six steps away from the entrance. Takeshi spoke to Sagasuga this time around.

    "Why did you betray Master?"

    Sagasuga stopped and replied rather simply.

    "Why not ask him? He should know, right? There''s no way that he doesn''t, right?"

    Both Saitou and Takeshi remained confused by Sagasuga''s sudden movements, but I couldn''t waste time and asked him a few questions.

    "Sagasuga! What''re you gonna do now?!"

    He stopped yet again, three steps away from the entrance.

    "Can''t I have some privacy? I didn''t exhibit any particular interest in your own movements, so how come you are doing that now?"

    "I just would like to know. I thought you would argue more."

    "Again, I can''t reason with you three. I''m not a fitting element to balance this circumstance out."

    That struck me with an undeniable confusion.

    "Are you implying that there is a fitting element to balance this current circumstance?"

    I couldn''t see his face, but by the confident tone in his voice, it wouldn''t be strange if he was smiling.

    "Balance always has a way. If a reasonable element can''t balance out an unreasonable element, then an unreasonable element will. Now, are you done with the questions?"

    "...Just one last more..."

    Most likely, he will seek cooperation out of the others, but there is something that doesn''t fit here...

    "Won''t your plan to seek cooperation from the others be ruined if we don''t cooperate? What good are the others if we ultimately don''t do it?!"

    According to Sagasuga, he already put his hand-prints in the scanner, which only leaves out nine others to do it and the door won''t open unless nine others do the exact same. So, what sense does it make to abandon us here? He needs us, so why did he suddenly give up like that?

    I can''t understand this pattern.

    "You bring a point. However, establishing balance comes first, the exam can come later."

    Out of frustration, I let out a complaint.

    "What balance?! Weren''t you the one who wanted our cooperation in the first place? Why are you just giving up like that?"

    "Hm, you''re not... making a lot of sense. I sought your cooperation and that didn''t work out and so, I am taking my leave. What''s so unnatural about that?"

    This time around, it was Saitou who took charge of the conversation.

    "You''re suspicious. I can''t help but feel alarmed by every single one of your actions. You''re plotting something, aren''t you?"

    "I am surrounded by delusional individuals who think I am some godlike creature sent from the hells below to inflict unspeakable damage to you."

    "........"

    Not even Saitou could ignore the fact that we were unfairly treating Sagasuga and so, Sagasuga advanced to the entrance as just as he was one step away from committing to the path surrounded by water on both its sides all the way to the elevator where we came from, he spoke to us one last time, turning himself around in order to make his point clearer and succinct.

    "Well then... Kawahara. Rayazaki. Kuzan."

    He looked at us deeply once he called out our individual names, one by one as we stood there unable to predict what he was about to say.

    "Enjoy the exile."

    With his arms extended to us, as if to greet us in a spectacular way, Sagasuga started to walk out of the Lighthouse and continued to walk towards the elevator entrance.

    We simply watched him make his way while attempting to decipher the meaning behind his words.

    Saitou concluded something midst this. He bumped my shoulder and Takeshi''s.

    "Give it a rest and don''t think too much about it. He''s just mad that we didn''t go along with his plan. We are clearly the winners here!"

    Takeshi then said his opinion about this whole thing.

    "He''s mysterious... It''s like you can''t read him, but I''m glad it ends this way. Now we don''t have to worry about anything, right?!"

    "Yeah! We are out of that bastard''s grasp since we fully denied Sagasuga. It''s gonna all work out!"

    Saitou and Takeshi were essentially celebrating at this point, but I couldn''t shake off this feeling of unease. Just what exactly did he mean by "exile"? As far as I''m concerned, if he wasn''t the one who did all this thus far, then the sections up ahead are accessible and cleared out for us, so why would he say that?

    Was it just a bluff? Something for me to overthink about?

    Now that I think about it, his words always implied more than the usual, very much like Hajime''s words.

    However, the truth is, we can''t get exiled or anything like that because we can do whatever we want right now. Whether we fail the exam or not, it''s our choice.

    Nonetheless, I would like for us to succeed, so I''ll eventually go with that plan I had in mind earlier.

    "Daku? What''s wrong? Don''t tell me you''re overthinking... Have some confidence, dude!"

    Saitou bumped the back of my shoulders twice and I was brought back to reality. I smiled and agreed with Saitou while simultaneously going out of the parameter all the way to the exterior of the entrance.

    "You''re right. I should. I tend to be paranoid at times, sorry."

    The moment we stepped outside of the Lighthouse, a change in the environment was occurring, which shocked every single one of us. We couldn''t help but look everywhere in the sky as we noticed that the dusky sun was falling out of sight.

    "T-The sun! Where did it go?!"

    "But that''s strange, if it''s gone, shouldn''t it be night?! So why is the sky... so..."

    Their complaints were reasonable. The sun was no longer in the end of the horizon which would mean that nightfall would be here, but the truth is that the sky kept getting bluer and bluer with a shady gradient of gray, as if to cloud the entire atmosphere. Regardless, none of these elements of change were what truly captured my attention. My eyesight was glued to the left side of the path that would lead towards the elevator. Not the side of the cataract, but the other one.

    "The water is... being drained..."

    A tremendous gap in height in-between the path and the water that was occupying was shown. Around 30 meters worth of depth was no longer being filled with crystal clear water as the water kept on being drained upwards towards what I had described earlier as a seemingly endless ocean. The frequency of this movement of nature was occurring so fast that which each blink, twenty meters worth of water were being rapidly consumed to feed something else that we were not yet aware of.

    Takeshi was the first one to take a guess as to what the entirety of the ocean''s water was sufficing. After he pointed towards it, he made a guess.

    "That''s a mountain, isn''t it?"

    In agreement, Saitou couldn''t help but also envision a mountain up ahead. We are standing in almost the middle of the path, but what we are envisioning is so far away that is very hard to know what it exactly is.

    One thing I know for sure is that previously, there was not a single mountain before all this. Furthermore, it''s uncalaculable kilometers away from where we are, yet if one were to give a closer look, the altitude of its height is continuously increasing while absorbing all the water from this side of the ocean.

    "The wind... is getting stronger..."

    Behind me, gusts of wind were persisting their way through us all the way towards the mountain.

    "But why is a mountain draining all the water, Daku?"

    "Good question, Saitou. It doesn''t make a lot of sense. I mean, why would a mounta----"

    It was then that I realized and my eyes widened in surprise. Worriedly, I placed both my hands on Takeshi and Saitou''s shoulders and spoke the truth that I had failed to perceive because I could have never imagined something like this happening in such a calm environment like this yet with this much water, it certainly is possible...!

    "That''s not a damn mountain...!!"

    Despite being so many kilometers away from us, it will be upon us soon, if we don''t make a move.

    "Huh, what is it th----"

    Saitou started to tremble as he focused all of his efforts into strengthening his own vision in order to truly capture what was heading towards us. Takeshi was no different as he could envision it too.

    "We gotta run to the inside, now!"

    Paranoid, Takeshi made that suggestion whilst the abrupt violent wind decreased the volume in our voices, but I had to make another choice which was the safest.

    "No, we go to the elevator from where we came from! If that thing hits the Lighthouse, it''s gone for sure!"

    "I''ll go check if the elevator is working or not! Make sure we have everything with us, Daku!"

    "Got it!"

    Running at an unbelievable speed, against the raging air tide, Saitou made his way towards the elevator, while I made sure everything was with us. All the components were present in my bag and Takeshi made sure to also check his own bag.

    Takeshi then almost subconsciously looked towards the very phenomenon at least fifty to one-hundred kilometers ahead of us slowly forming itself in an unbelievable monstrous natural height.

    "Don''t look at it! Let''s go to Saitou and get out of here!"

    "Y-Yeah!!"

    Saitou had dropped his bag halfway because it was burderning him with its brutal weight and it was then that I noticed that I was quite tired. Unnecessary weight upon my back was hindering my movements and I couldn''t have that, so I had to make a judgment call for our own survival.

    I stopped my tracks midway and faced Takeshi with my most serious look.

    "Takeshi."

    "W-What''s wrong?! Why are we stopping?!"

    I placed my hands on his shoulders and made my decision.

    "Drop your bag to the other side of the ocean."

    "W-What?! That''s insane! We will lose all of our resour-"

    It''s not my policy to scream, but I needed Takeshi to understand the gravity of the current situation.

    "That thing is gonna swallow us if we don''t make our movements faster!"

    Subsequently, I dropped my hands off Takeshi''s shoulders and dropped the bag with all the components to the right side of the ocean, all the way to the cataract. It went down to the cataract so fast that I saw all of our efforts being jeopardized like that.

    "Now! We don''t have much time!"

    Although he was indecisive at first, Takeshi dramatically threw his bag onto the ocean and said goodbye to his efforts as well.

    "Goddamn it! Goddamn it! Goddamn it! Let''s go!! We can''t die right here!"

    "Exactly! Onwards!"

    With the time on the clock, we hurriedly rushed towards Saitou who was at the north end awaiting us, but the moment I caught sight of him, he was fuming as he pressed the elevator button on the exterior only to find a negative result.

    He was mashing the button yet the door was not opening. Furthermore, out of rage, he had begun punching it with his right fist.

    "What the hell?! This never happened before! In the other sections, by pressing the switch, the elevator would always go u---"

    Takeshi then counter-argued ever slightly in the heat of the moment.

    "We always had to clear the section first, didn''t we?!"

    But Saitou made the superior interjection.

    "Then how the fuck was that bastard Sagasuga able to go through here?! This shit doesn''t make any sense, FUCK!"

    "..."

    Speechless, Takeshi was forced to acknowledge Saitou''s rushed conclusion on this. However, this was not the time for argument and so, I grabbed Saitou''s right shoulder and told him what we had to do.

    "We have to head inside the Lightouse, fast!"

    He reacted quite violently, dismissing my right hand rashly.

    "What difference does it make?! That tsunami''s gonna swallow us! It''s no use! We are screwed no matter what we do!"

    "....."

    Towards my left side, I gazed upon the gigantic tidal wave that was upholding an unnatural height, easily crossing the heights of 500 meters. Though extremely far away, it was no doubt coming at us with a rapid force. Under a grand total of five minutes or so, this land would soon be devastated by the absurd water impact, leaving no survivors.

    If the elevator is useless, then our only hope lies within the Lighthouse.

    "Saitou... There has to be something that will lead us to safety in the Lightouse and we don''t have much time. As the leader, I order you alongside Takeshi to embark on this quest with me. Well, do you have anything to say?"

    Saitou is a simple person at his core, that''s why it''s easy to get on his bad side. He wants confidence out of the other individual. Someone who can deliver answers instead of pondering over and over about what one should do or shouldn''t do.

    That''s why it''s not a surprise that he can just comply as easily as this.

    "That''s all you had to say! Get going, I''ll take the food bag with me!"

    "You musn''t! You''ll decrease your movements!"

    Usually, I wouldn''t make this argument, but it takes us around two to three minutes to get to the Lighthouse if we run at full speed, but with something weighing on us, that could easily become three additional minutes, which is far too crucial at the moment.

    "Are you saying we advance without any food resources?!"

    Takeshi retorted back to Saitou with something factual.

    "What good is it to keep food resources if we don''t make it out alive?! We already threw our bags into the ocean! Hurry up, Rayazaki!"

    In disbelief for a second, Saitou looked at me dumbstruck. He couldn''t believe that I had given up all the components just like that, but the truth was that neither Takeshi nor I were carrying anything.

    Through my stoic expression, Saitou came to the quick realization that I was not playing around and that I was taking this situation with the most utmost serious degree.

    Without showing any signs of protesting, Saitou distorted his facial expression one last time before throwing the bag with all the food onto the ocean tide.

    We looked at it with pain and then I made my shot call.

    "LET''S GO! WE DON''T HAVE TIME!"

    We did not dare to look at our right as we already knew that if we starred one single time into that upcoming tsunami, we would be terrified beyond any possible repair. In addition to that, our breaths were completely ragged and wasted. Should any of them be under heavy physical pain, I vowed to carry them, but thankfully, they were not.

    Midway, I spoke about what we had to do once we got inside the Lighthouse.

    "Going up is not an option! The tsunami will wreck the upper part of the lighthouse! We need to find a way to the underground!"

    "Is there even an underground?!"

    "I don''t know, Saitou! We didn''t explore the entirety at all but that''s an order!"

    "Roger!" x2.

    I am not going to trust in something unknown like the possible metallic resistance of the Lightouse which could imply that it stands a chance of surviving the impact from the upcoming tsunami. Unless we find a way of a possible underground, we are screwed. I am well aware that there are no references to a potential underground, but, if this is not an event of nature and if this tsunami is manufactured, then there should be a countermeasure.

    Turning a blind-eye on this factor could be our biggest downfall.

    Roughly a single minute left and we scourged the parameter of the Lighthouse while only marching forward towards the area where we hadn''t gone into. There, we found the Mastercard which was still lying around. I took ahold of that and directed our current plan of action as it stood crystal clear ahead of us.

    "Ahead of us! There''s a lift!"

    Just ahead of the room where we stood not too long ago with Sagasuga, the upcoming section was a circular section surrounding a single lift that had a gigantic eye in the middle of its lift. The eye looked extremely alive and it was then that I recalled that throughout all the intersections, I always found the element of the eye present through figures yet never cared enough to absorb much into my own brain.

    Actually, now that I look around... That eye is everywhe---

    "Daku! What the hell are you waiting for?! Any minute now!"

    "R-Right!"

    On our left side, right before the lift which was sheltered by a magnetic force field around it, a computer password entry lied within. Although there was the usual password entry, Takeshi noticed another option within the screen. It was read as "Emergency Evacuation Resort".

    "That''s gotta be it! Press it!"

    From the outside, the sound of the water approaching dulled our ears. We could no longer hear each other and there was only one thing left to do. Even though I was not sure if this would lead us to a safe place, I had to bet our safety onto this one specific shot.

    By pressing the E.E.R (Emergency Evacuation Resort) option, the lift was no longer shielded by its immunity and thus, we rapidly walked it.

    "It''s coming down!!"

    We felt ourselves briefly flying from the initial ground of the lift which was heading down full speed ahead without any stops, similar to the one where Ryousuke exposed Takeshi and Saitou to mortal danger, but this one looked to be heading towards the absolute abysmal dark pits of hell as nothing but everlasting obscure black inked void followed our visions.

    Raging water from within the preface was escalating furiously to us who were already several meters into the underground as it remained clear that the section above had been utterly anhiliated to oblivion by the unstoppable tsunami.

    Without knowing where this lift would take us, we became once again, prisoners of the unknown.

 Volume 21 - Chapter 147: Jagd: Part VIII.

    A circular canal on top of us extended above the below parameter for countless kilometers in terms of altitude. Regardless, at the very bottom of the destination, though we could see a blink of light, a single small hole of lightning, very tinny nonetheless, it was clear that our way above was abolished. What gave us such confidence was the streaming water crashing down violently.

    Although our destination was filled with darkness, it wasn''t completely invisible and I could come across with my vision an upward path that was shaped like a cross, with three other ways to go. Noticeably, there was a dual stairway and a linear path filled with a bottomless gap. So, I issued the path of action.

    "Get on the stairs as high as possible! We''ll drown otherwise!"

    To our left side, we climbed the stairs that contained about twenty degrees as fast as we could and then we beheld the sight of watching all the explosive raging tide of water being absorbed into the bottomless abysmal gap.

    As we did that, we finally caught our breaths with fear running through our spines.

    "Holy shit! What the hell was that?! And did we just make it?!"

    "I think so, Rayazaki! We just have to wait in here until the whole water comes down, right?!"

    "I hope so..."

    Never before did we witness such a strong water tide. If it wasn''t for the endless gap in the bottom of this path, we would be dead by now. Towards that, I made a comment.

    "Convinient... It''s almost as if the gap is there just so it can absorb a tremendous amount of water..."

    Because of the fast movements we had to make, we swiftly had to clean up our sweat droplets from our foreheads. For now, it would be safe to see when the water stopped.

    As I tried to catch my breaths among Takeshi and Saitou''s collected efforts in doing so, I, by no means, would expect someone else here. No, the correct assumption would be that someone here, would be beyond impossible. Such event was only capable because this tsunami was abruptly formed in the heat of the moment. Having in consideration all this, a evacuation device option was made, as if it programmed by someone to act in such way.

    For a second, Takeshi thought he was seeing things, as he peeked through the small window of his right hand to the back of the wall where we have our backs against. Saitou blinked his eyes, not three times consequentively, but four times. As for me, seeing the unbelievable figure erupt out of the wall was enough to make me doubt what I was seeing, but seeing its digital particles and lack of human anatomy made it clear.

    "Test, test--- It''s working."

    The humanoid figure of a digital resemblance holding a technological affinity to it moved its arms and twisted them accordingly. It also attempted to reach its jaw with its hands, but instead of grasping it like a normal human being would, the hand went through it. In addition to that, it tried to step on itself but to no result.

    "Like this, sentience is impossible to achieve. Physical immunity at last."

    It was so busy testing what it could or couldn''t do in its digital form, that it didn''t pay any heed to Saitou''s punch incoming in my direction.

    "SAGASUGA, YOU BASTARD!!"

    That''s right. We surely thought we wouldn''t be seeing Sagasuga in a while, but the humanoid figure in digital shape is Sagasuga in shape. His particles are white blueish and more importantly, though he''s standing there, as he commented previously, he is physically immune to anything physical.

    Or, simply put, anything physical that doesn''t meet a physical object will not have a destructive result. That''s why Saitou''s punch was stopped by my right hand, as he surely wondered why his entire body just went through Sagasuga. His punch packed brutal physical strength and I daresay that if that was the real Sagasuga, he would be in a lot of pain.

    Recoiling Saitou, I observed alongside Takeshi, Sagasuga laughing in a digital way. His voice is entirely robotic and contains a triple echo.

    "Hahaha!! This is brilliant! As I thought, with time, the development of virtual flexibility far outwits the limits of a human body fully restricted by its own vessel''s limitations! Physical impact holds no remote utility against something virtual."

    Almost falling down, Saitou looked up and met my eyes, then turned around and analyzed Sagasuga, who was standing in the middle of us. Purposedly, Sagasuga went in my direction and walked right through me. Unconsciously, I had to blink my eyes twice, but I felt nothing. Just like that, Sagasuga went through me. Next, he went towards Saitou, but this time around, Saitou didn''t flintch but looked absolutely mad towards Sagasuga. Ultimately, Takeshi was the last and he got the creeps once Sagasuga was done.

    "What do you want from us?!"

    Already on the upper north edge of the cross-shaped path ahead, Sagasuga spoke through us from afar. Despite being a few meters away, his voice felt the same as it would, should he be very close to us.

    "Is that really your first question, Rayazaki? You''re not going to question my current form? Where I am? How this is possible? No?"

    "It''s not like you''d answer truthfully, you bastard!"

    "I don''t mind, for the record. I mean, what are you going to do exactly? You can''t hit me and I am free to move wherever I go."

    To demonstrate even further his virtual supremacy, Sagasuga began to climb the air as if there was a staircase for him to climb, but since there wasn''t, all he was doing was exhibiting that he could essentially defy gravity. He wasn''t floating nor flying, he was simply conducting himself in a form where gravity holds no significance.

    "...Damn it..."

    But that wasn''t all. In response to Saitou''s frustration, Sagasuga, at will, began to deform his digital form into multiple pieces. If a human body were to dissemble itself it would be lethal or at least close to lethal, but what we saw was nothing alike. His head was going in between both of his hands which were separated from their own wrists. It was tossing Sagasuga''s head from left to right like it was nothing.

    "Sagasuga, what do you want?"

    Not Saitou, but I, spoke. Calmly and somewhat defeated. There was no use in being surprised. It''s pretty clear that somehow, Sagasuga is the mastermind here and we are nothing but visitors to his own lair.

    "That isn''t true. This isn''t my "lair", Kawahara."

    ...............

    "Huh?" x2.

    Saitou and Takeshi were confused by Sagasuga''s words. Sagasuga was now closer to us and he amplifyied his size, to the point of getting into ten meters. However, I wasn''t quite sure of what just happened yet Sagasuga made sure to explain it right away.

    "It only works if within the timespawn of five seconds or less my name was mentioned. Any thoughts will be instantly acknowledged. Amazing, is it not?"

    "You can seriously read minds? Are you for real right now? How absurd can this situation get?"

    "Wait, what?"

    Saitou was shocked by my proclamation, but the truth is, he read my thoughts completely and claimed that this wasn''t in fact his own lair. I explained what had happened to Saitou.

    "He read my mind."

    This time now, Sagasuga shrinked into the size of a child and sat on the right side of my shoulder while explaining.

    "More accurately spoken, this technology can capture brain waves and their contents. Otherwise traditionally known as reading someone''s mind. By the way, you mentioned how absurd can this get, but are you sure you want to know?"

    "I''ll pass. It''s pretty clear what you are capable of, Sagasuga. I''ll ask again, what do you want?"

    Subsequently, Sagasuga''s size went to his normal height and posture as he firmly met my eyesight.

    "Cooperation, what else? I will get what I want, or you three will stay here exiled until you die out, just like the rest."

    Sagasuga further emphasized his point by pointing out our current weaknesses.

    "Your physical strength is withered. I daresay you three should be at your physical limit but still standing nonetheless. Though for how long? Not much, I am sure. Furthermore, you have not the components of the exam. No food either. Admit it, you are cornered. No quantity of pride will deny this reality."

    Cleverly, Sagasuga most likely orchestrated this whole thing and created a situation where we would have to throw our resources away. All because we didn''t want to cooperate with him.

    Of course, this infuriated Saitou.

    "You sanctimonious evil piece of shit! You''re gonna make us your hostages like this?! Over a fucking choice of matter?!"

    "I am beyond shocked you know that word, Rayazaki! But, yes. You three are my hostages. Unless, of course, you want to die."

    "So you''d kill us?!"

    "No, Kuzan. I am implying that your lack of resources will be your downfall. That, however, can be arranged."

    Saitou wasn''t happy at all and threatened Sagasuga with something he had on his mind perhaps for the longest time now.

    "You do realize that you are fucked even if we let you cooperate with us, right?! The teachers will know and you''ll be done for!"

    Sagasuga then, upon hearing that, began to walk towards the wall and just like that, we lost sight of his form, but his voice echoed throughout the area nonetheless.

    "They have no power here. After all, our exam is being taken place in the deserted island. Not here."

    .......!!!

    "It was fairly obvious, but the very fact that little to no human life is present within these environments is a clear signal that something is wrong. The truth is, to our school staff, to the ones who are being taken care of the responsibility of keeping an eye on us, we are just playing hide and seek."

    "W-Wait, what?! But that''s weird! All the passwords that we obtained were..."

    "Inside the environments outside of the deserted island? Of course. Each section is encrypted by such words. You might be wondering how the exam''s words coincidentally collide with the ones that are the passwords here. I''ll be brief, I altered the passwords into those words. That way, no one would suspect. Now, I''m not saying I''m a genius, but you must admit that I am capable of thinking up ahead quite a lot, don''t you think?"

    Just like a snap of fingers, it all clicked. Everything thus far had nothing to do with the actual exam. And even though I had a prominent question about the exam, it started to all become clear.

    "Sagasuga, there''s just one thing that doesn''t make sense. Why do all this? Why waste so much time if the true exam is in the deserted island and not here? What''s the point?"

    He finally emerged from within the wall, however, through my back side, which shocked me a bit. His unpredictability is somewhat... frightening...

    "I agree so much! In the first place, these environments weren''t for show! But he wouldn''t listen. He kept saying that we had to test human life and to see if they could survive within the environments. I opposed because there wasn''t such a necessity at the moment. Eventually, it would have to be tested, but I regressed. Regardless, what we witnessed was beyond our expectations! On your way towards Vega, you somehow managed to decipher the pattern behind the elevator''s heat meltdown! That elevator is highly disfunctional and it is massively sensitive towards the number of people riding it."

    "...Who is "he"?"

    Sagasuga threw himself into the water stream and stood in the middle of it, being highly unaffected by it. Plus, even though the water tide was creating a musical mixture of loud sounds, it didn''t have an effect on his voice volume.

    "It doesn''t matter who that someone is. What matters is the plan. It''s always about the plan and I like it that way. With that said, I hope you didn''t mind the fact that I used you three as lab rats to see if human life was capable of working here."

    "Man, fuck you! I''m gonna tell everyone about this!"

    With a sleeping form, Sagasuga pretended to take a nap while floating in the air, in Saitou''s direction. He then spoke his countermeasure to the possibility of we telling someone about what is currently happening.

    "First of all, there''s no way someone would believe you. Absurdism is a great way to escape from trouble, isn''t it? What would you even tell them anyways? On second thought, don''t tell me. I want to keep guessing. Secondly, there is no way for you three to make it out here whilst holding this much knowledge. It''s just not an option. It would be troublesome if unrealistic rumours regarding us would start spreading. I want everything to go back to the way it was before the exam. Again, I really dislike the idea here. It''s logical to test out human life here, but then there''s the dark side of the task. With that said, what is the dark side of the task, exactly?"

    We gulped and profoundly began to sweat. We had nothing to our advantage here. As already established, we are the hostages here and unless we comply to Sagasuga, he is bound to leave us here to die on our own. The lift from where we came from is destroyed by the remaining water of the tsunami and...

    Of course...

    "It shouldn''t come as a surprise since I can read the brain waves, but even if you explore the parameter, there isn''t a way out. You are free to venture through the parameter, but here is something that I haven''t tried yet. It should be done in three seconds, please wait."

    He did nothing. Instead, we received information to our brains three seconds later, however, our heads started to heat up for some reason.

    "I advice you three to not think about what you just absorbed right now. It''s still a prototype, but it''s mutual brain wave reading. Essentially--- the act of one or two more people reading the exact information at the same time. Fascinating, is it not? There isn''t a single need to lie, if such thing exists, right? It''s all so clear. However, because it''s a prototype, it''s somewhat unstable and your brain could overheat if you produce too many brain waves on the topic. Alas, that''s the map of this parameter. There is not a way out, as you can see, Rayazaki."

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Instantly, I attempted to not think about the plant at all. Although, in conclusion, there are three more floors below this one. This parameter is fairly subterranean. Furthermore, Sagasuga was talking to Saitou just now because he most likely read Saitou''s mind and saw that Saitou was thinking that there was a way out.

    "This doesn''t mean that nothing can be achieved. As a matter of fact, if you follow me, I can save you from this prejudice. You''ll not need to starve. You''ll be able to get a good rest. Plus, you''ll be able to return to the actual exam. After a quick memory erasure, that is."

    No...

    "You''re a psychopath, Sagasuga! What have we done to deserve this?!"

    "Daku, don''t be like that. I already told you that I objected the idea, however, I am satisfied with the result, I must say. Still, too much was seen. This is the end of the line. Now, let''s move along and return to the original plotline here, what do you say?"

    Not only was he aware this whole time, but there''s nothing we can do. Not even Saitou is objecting like usual. He sounds utterly defeated and Takeshi isn''t even bothering.

    Cornered, we were faced to accept the reality of the situation. We are stripped off our resources and we have no way to fight back.

    "I am so glad you finally acknowledge it. Not to worry! Once your memories of these events are cleaned out, it''ll be like nothing happened. I''ll go back to being the good old simple Sagasuga every knows me for and Daku, you''ll return to being the hyper Kawahara we all know. A fine ending, wouldn''t you say?"

    "My ass this is a fine ending... You''re garbage, Sagasuga."

    Saitou looked extremely empty as he said that. His words were hollow and contained not a drop of spirit at all.

    Takeshi began to silently cry as he couldn''t bear to accept the current situation.

    Flying around from left to right, Sagasuga begged to differ on something.

    "I am not the villain here, come on. What''s wrong with reverting the timeline of the events? A few days will go by but nothing will be different. Although... I''m afraid that he might have some other ideas. It''s a bit troublesome right now. I suppose I could tell you a bit along the way. Follow me, defeated soldiers!"

    Unable to resist or create any sort of resistance towards Sagasuga, we accepted our fate. We didn''t want to, but I would rather much have Takeshi and Saitou be alive than dying over something prideful. This isn''t the end of the line. There''s more to it...... Even if we have been living a lie, these past days...

    It stings. A lot... This feeling of being utterly dominated.

    There was a variety of cross-shaped sections along the way, but Sagasuga kept on levitating towards North. Midst the way, he spoke to us, though we were quite lacking in spirit from our current state of being.

    "His idea is that after this test is done, more human life will have to be tested. He is impatient, but he''s still Class III. Surely, I am too, but he''s one rank above mine, so his orders take priority. For the record, although stability was shown in the environments, that was my work. By multiple applications of environmental regulations, I was able to modify it to a point where it was possible to co-exist in a peaceful atmosphere aligned with natural balance. However, the moment I had to move away and get to the Lighthouse, thirty minutes later, it began to show instability. That''s how the tsunami was formed. This area is vulnerable to what the environment has to offer. All of them are. The truth is that our environments are so unstable that without perfect regulations, it''s not habitable for humans to be in. Regardless, despite knowing all this, he demands to test the limits of the environments."

    "Why not us though?"

    "You see, Rayazaki, we both agreed that disposing of the elements of this exam would bring further controversy and, after all, we want to keep the essence in check. If there''s a sudden change, then everything''s ruined."

    Yet another lift just like the one from where we came from stood at the end of the first floor as it began to take us down. The entire lore of this place has already been exposed in our minds, but the brief summary is this---corpses of unknown origins remain buried here in tombs placed upon the walls henceforth its emptiness throughout the area. Though the three floors contain a variety in numbers when it comes to the cross-shaped paths, they are there to be at the center and all the other paths along their sides will ultimately connect back, so there is not another way to go. It is extremely self-explanatory and straight forward.

    Aside from tombs everywhere, there is a significant difference in some tombs. There are some tombs, though only a small quantity of them, with a gigantic comprehensive eye in the surface of the coffin. That eye...

    Then, once again interrupting my thought process, Sagasuga spoke in order to clear my doubt.

    "Eye of providence. Though, I believe the torch of reason is more to my liking. Only our true leader possesses the eye of providence. His understanding will guide us towards an illuminated age. Soon, it will all be done. But well, I am saying all this, because your memories will be partially erased."

    "Yet despite that, you refuse to tell us everything you know... Great..."

    "Kuzan, don''t be like that! I already told you three so many things with my words that it would take a fool to not realize what''s going on. In addition, I am forbidden to tell someone these types of things. We are getting bolder and bolder. I am thinking of slowing down for a while in the upcoming months. Our power is not a demonstration of superiority; it''s a retaliation method. Thus far, it''s all been according to the plan."

    "You must feel fucking great, you bastard. How does it feel to abuse your power on someone like us?"

    Although we were heading towards the second floor, even though we passed through it, the lift kept heading down towards the third floor.

    Clarity was more disperse than usual.

    "But I am not abusing my power. I am demonstrating it, right now. What it could be. Imagine, a world where human beings can be like this..."

    "It would be catastrophic. Irrational people would abuse it for their own greed."

    "I agree, Daku. However, not everyone can just use this. So, it''s necessary to eliminate. I shouldn''t tell you this, but I think he''s opting for 500 people."

    We were all puzzled at this, but Sagasuga wasn''t abiding to our responsive greed.

    "500 people for what?"

    "Tests, again. Though, that''s all I can say. And, we are here! Come on, let''s journey towards our end!"

    With the lift stopping, we gazed upon the distant collection of endless machines all algined, line after line. There were about twenty horizontal rows and sixty vertical ones. They were located right about the center of the third floor in the middle of the cross-shaped area. No water could reach here, so that would be the end of the line.

    "T-This many...?! Is this how you''re gonna erase our memories?!"

    "Of course, Kuzan. But, relax. I''ll only be erasing your memories after you''ve discovered the secret environments. Anything before that will remain untouched. I solemnly vow to keep my word. I think I already mentioned my reasons for doing so."

    "Anything that comes out of your mouth is trash, Sagasuga. If you were here right now, in front of me, with your real body, I would crack you to pieces."

    "But I am more physically healthy than you are at the moment, Rayazaki. Statistically speaking, I have a higher chance of succeeding in a physical fight."

    "Fuck you."

    As we entered the parameter, strong artificial lights from above rained upon us without a warning. A light so strong, that we had no choice but to shield the potency of it with our arms.

    "Oh, my bad. I am still not used to adjusting the regulations while in this virtual form. How about now?"

    Now less stronger, it was enough for us to adjust to the environment.

    "As for the number of machines, don''t think about it too much. This is essentially a restore point. If something goes wrong, all I have to do is erase a part of the person''s memory and it''s all good."

    Frustrated, Saitou and Takeshi looked at me. They didn''t want to go through this but I had to give them the realistic answer, even if I didn''t want to.

    Before that, however, I talked to Sagasuga, who was not floating around and instead was right in front of us three. He was, in one of the chairs that had a head scanner on top of it, standing on its edge. The composition of the machine revolved around its white scanner that held the ultimate purpose of supposedly cleaning someone''s memories.

    If Sagasuga really wanted to, he----

    "I could what? Erase Kawahara''s complete memory? Or maybe a certain portion of his memory? Relax, I have no interest in whatever you are thinking about. Don''t overthink and just commit to what you want to ask, Daku."

    Full exposed to the end, I took a deep breath of shame. Then, I focused my eyesight supremely and spoke with my utmost seriousness.

    "Sagasuga, if you harm Takeshi and Saitou, I will kill you. I and Kawahara are different, but we were once one and the same."

    "Are you done?"

    To the very end, I couldn''t even get a shred of respect out of him.

    "I disagree. I respect you three a lot. You were the first survivors in this particular secret part of our world. I consider you three above the average human being any day of the week. Don''t feel faulty. It just has to be done."

    "Sagasuga... Those are my thoughts... Do... you even feel respect towards someone? Does someone''s privacy even matter to you? Do you even feel at all...?"

    Perhaps he thought that it was time that he answered me truthfully. He erupted his posture from the memory erosure chair and met my height. Finally, he put his right digital hand on top of my shoulder.

    "Sentiency is highly unnecessary. Logical thinking holds the reigns of efficiency. Say goodbye to one another now."

    "I see... Sagasuga, I think that even if we spent an eternity together, we could never come to a mutual agreement."

    "So it seems."

    That would be the last time I would see Sagasuga''s virtual form as he dispearsed everywhere; his voice becoming the only thing resonating within the area where we stood.

    I turned around and saw how dispirited they were. Saitou still refused to believe this was happening and Takeshi continued to cry, this time more emotionally. He was gulping constantly and could barely look up.

    Lightly, I went to meet Takeshi''s height and patted him on the head. None of us wanted to admit that the time we spent together was going down the drain like this.

    If we could enjoy our brotherhood for only so long why couldn''t it have lasted longer? What about those memories that we were supposed to create? Are we forced to acknowledge that there is nowhere to go but the end?

    I thought about all these things as I felt a physical weakness to strong that my voice no longer had its primal vitality behind it. My words sounded incredibly weak and even making a vocal effort felt like hell.

    "Takeshi, don''t cry. You''re a man. Before I go... I... would like you to reconsider life a bit. We previously had an argument about what your crimes revolved around. It''s true, I might not understand what you see in necrophilia, but that doesn''t mean that I dislike you nor do I hold anything against you. I am simply worried because if you keep committing crimes like that, you are going to end up isolated from society... And then........ Nobody will see the kind guy you truly are deep down. The Takeshi I see is the one the whole world should see......."

    A fading strength in my voice was reaching its wit''s end.

    I embraced Takeshi with a warm hug and felt his trembling body as he was unsure of how to feel, but deep down, I know that he has what it takes to be a great man.

    Being demoralized by a negative event will soon demoralize your entire life, Takeshi. That''s why...

    "That''s why you can''t let this event bring you down.... So what if we get our memories erased....?"

    "It won''t be the same! It just won''t! I don''t wanna have to forget all that! Damn it, I know it wasn''t for long but this is too soon! I''m not ready for this! I don''t want to go!!"

    Without looking in my direction, because he couldn''t bring himself to allow others to see himself cry this deeply, he softly punched my chest and I didn''t resist. They were the hits of a child who doesn''t want to let go of his father and would want his father to just stay with him a little while longer.

    One last time, I hugged Takeshi with all my strength and said my final words, while dropping a tear from my right eye.

    "We won''t be separated, brother. Surely, someday, a factor will reunite us. Until that day, we will await. Trust me, brother..."

    Selfishly, deep down, a thought began to run rampant. The desire to maintain our brotherhood which would be through the solution of our collective deaths. Yet, I could never bring myself to do something like that.

    It''s not right and I won''t do it. And, they deserve better. Yes, someone who can give them a better perspective in life instead of their own perspective of life.

    Painfully, I let go of Takeshi, who closed his eyes whilst crying and then, I went to Saitou.

    Though he wasn''t crying, he was lost in spirit.

    "Sucks, doesn''t it, Saitou?"

    "I just hope this is some bad nightmare. That I am going to wake up and then walk to my classroom. I''ll attend the classes that I once thought were boring but for some reason, I sorta began to like them. It''s strange... Because I never had any emotional affinity to them, but you see... How do I say this..."

    My eyes brightened as Saitou''s mood increased as he realized something.

    "I am always in a bad mood, but the world doesn''t stop regardless, right? So, I''ve been thinking that maybe I need to let go of my comfort zone and commit. I think I''m looking for change!"

    His smile at last appeared.

    "It''s true that I don''t want to hear what I should do or I shouldn''t do. If someone tells me something negative, then I will dismiss that person, but this year, I might do something different. Like, talking to God! It''s crazy because I never believed in God, but now I am so committed to changing myself that I am willing to commit to thoughts I never thought I would be capable of admitting I have! There''s this girl in my class and it''s weird because she says she remembers me but I don''t remember her at all..."

    I advanced and hugged Saitou slowly, though he continued to talk until he broke down in silent tears.

    "I.... am human trash. I shoot up a school because of a mood swing. I seriously thought that someone would be impressed by what I did, but I gained complete isolation. But seeing that girl, interested in someone like me---she said I was kind and I didn''t want to believe it, because I always sit around and complain that I''m never getting out of this place. I could snap any minute, but lately, you told me the type of person that I am and I''m starting to think that I might have a chance............."

    He tightly hugged my back while lowly telling me the rest of his thoughts.

    "If there is just one person.... I don''t care about others... All I need is one person who can acknowledge me so I can dedicate myself into this one person only because the truth is I hate myself so much that it''s painful having to do something completely dedicated to myself only........ then I know I can change....!"

    "Saitou.... You''re already an amazing person."

    ".....Isn''t there always room for improvement....? I can''t do it on my own. I need someone to guide me and to tell me that I can do it... My inner low-self-esteem destroys me in every aspect. I need too many moments of silence and.... I need you there, Daku... You''re the only brother I have..."

    ".............."

    Feeling tremendous grief with a painful mixture of sadness, I hugged Saitou as tightly as I could. I know for a fact that he was hurting, but he took it all in, as he knew that now was not the time to complain.

    "But... there isn''t another way, is there....?!"

    ".....I''m so sorry."

    Defiantly, my open eyes widened themselves so hard that I wanted to cock a gun to my head for not being able to do something in a situation like this.

    Hearing his voice, his uncaring tone, with no emotion behind it, made me hate this apathetic bastard way beyond of what I thought I could possibly hate.

    "I don''t mean to interrupt, but could you hurry up? This is taking too long and it''s not like you''re going to be separated in actuality."

    I moved away from Saitou and stoicly looked at the ground. Then, I collected all my lung strength and took a deep breath and inhaled all the air out.

    One last time, I gave my orders as a leader, to my brothers, right here and now.

    "Saitou! Takeshi! We lost! But that doesn''t mean we are weak. It means that we are frightening and there was no other choice for us to be put down. So, instead of standing in tears and regretting everything, be glad it happened and don''t look back. Precious moments in life will always come! However, the moment you decide to preach something or someone in your lifetime, you have to promise me, you will not let go!"

    In synergy, they bumped their fists backwards towards their chest and vowed to comply to my request.

    "I promise!" x2.

    "...Amazing. Never forget that even if you aren''t the wielder of your destiny, you are the arbiter of your life."

    ".....Yes...!"

    No longer being tied to anything, we moved onto the machines ahead of us. As the leader, I took the first step and placed myself on it as if I was lying on a bed but with an upward curved top. Needless to say, it wasn''t comfortable.

    Then, Saitou lied down on the machine to my right while Takeshi did the same on the left.

    Ultimately, Sagasuga appeared in front of us, in his virtual form, in the middle where we three could see him clearly.

    "Does anyone volunteer or do I get to pick?"

    We all thought the same, but Saitou was the one who spoke faster.

    "I volunteer! Not because I want to, but because I want this to be over with. You ruined everything, Sagasuga. And I will always hate you for it, even.... if I don''t remember it..."

    "That doesn''t make sense, but alright. Close your eyes, please."

    Acting out of spite one last time, Saitou spat on Sagasuga''s figure though not making a landing onto it, obviously.

    "I seriously don''t deserve this hate that I am getting..."

    "Apathetic bastard. Anyone with a sane mind would put themselves in our position and realize the wronghood here, but you''re something else, Sagasuga. You''re so bad that I really think that I am good person deep down. That''s how screwed up you are."

    "A rational person can''t be screwed up."

    "Just do it already, I didn''t ask for your opin--"

    Without doing anything at all, Sagasuga made Saitou''s consciousness fade away in a heartbeat. Takeshi and I began to worry if Saitou had died or not, but...

    "This doesn''t work if there''s too much brain activity going on, so it goes without saying that he has to enter a subconscious state before applying the memory erasure scanner."

    Done, Sagasuga moved onto Takeshi, saving me for last.

    Unlike Saitou, he didn''t curse Sagasuga but just regretted one thing.

    "It''s sad that you don''t even feel remorse for what you are doing, Sagasuga... Are you alright?"

    Instead of being spiteful, Takeshi is genuinely looking out for Sagasuga as he thinks that Sagasuga is hurt deep down and that he is doing something like this in a manner of venting his hidden sentiments.

    However, Takeshi, this human garbage doesn''t deserve any consideration.

    "I am extremely alright. I had my beauty sleep earlier and I''ve eaten both breakfast and lunch. I don''t like to eat dinner, it''s unbalanced. Plus, I can''t possibly feel bad while in this virtual form."

    "Haha... Please, do it."

    Just like Saitou, Takeshi went through the same process. Which ultimately left Sagasuga and I.

    Nevertheless, he looked at me coldly despite the fact that I wasn''t being spiteful towards him at all. In circles, he flew while looking at me.

    "What''s wrong? Had a change of mind? Is this some sort of evil torture where you erase their memories but not mine?"

    "No way I''m doing that. I''ve told you too much. An outsider shouldn''t even know about this."

    "What are you and Hajime planning exactly?"

    "You really didn''t let go of that thought, did you?"

    "I earlier said that even if we spent an eternity together, we wouldn''t agree on anything, but Hajime sounded the type of person who would agree with you. You two are extremely emotionally absent. Your vision of a world without sentiments won''t come true."

    ".............."

    I thought I had him there, but what he said afterwards, really left me wondering...

    "What good are the eyes, if it doesn''t have its own limbs to support it?"

    As soon as I acknowledged the pattern in his words, I sighed and closed my eyes transiently while sardonically smiling.

    "I am tired of your riddles."

    "It''s not a riddle. I am a limb. Hyunda''s no different. And, there will be as many limbs as necessary, if the eyes can operate."

    The question that I would subsequently make would be the last words I would speak as Sagasuga would shut my consciousness down the moment he would answer my question.

    "Hah, whose eyes though?"

    His monochromatic expression vanished as I saw a glimpse of infinite faith onto the person in Sagasuga''s mind. It was then that I thought to myself that I could be wrong about Sagasuga not having emotions. He simply places all of them onto something that he can''t lose.

    Something, that can only be accomplished by...

    "Our undying leader."

 Volume 21 - Chapter 148: Cempasuchil of the dawn.

    A bright morning rose to the curtains of this new day. The night sky had officially retired; the primordial sun slowly rose to the horizon''s elevation. Water no longer felt accustomed by overshadowing everlasting darkness as such it began to show lighter colors on its surface.

    Two individuals watched this specific event without saying anything to each other. More specifically, on the very tip of the only volcano on that deserted island. Through tremendous effort and said hours put onto escalating that inactive high volcano, they had reach the very peak of it.

    Conically extinct to the eye, it was nonetheless carrying the possibility of life within. The pits of the interior of the volcano looked endless and a fall from the very fragile edge where they are would result in absolute death.

    Still, they did not care about that factor at all. Their emotions were collected and reasonably calm. All of their attention was stolen by the illuminating sun granting them the light for another day.

    Not because he was sleepy but due to his own inner boredom, Hajime Hyunda yawned. He was standing on the left side of Daniel Lead, who was with his eyes permantenly fixated on the rising sun, despite its enormous upcoming luminosity. By contrast, he adored the great luminosity of the sun. A light so shining and radiant that reminded him of someone who he could no longer see.

    Though Hajime Hyunda held no particular affinity towards the sun, he did the exact same, disregarding the danger of doing such a thing.

    After a break of silence, both their attentions were captured as Hyunda''s phone from his right pocket began to ring. With no hesitation whatsoever, he picked up.

    Daniel, intrigued, silently cast his sight onto Hyunda.

    "That took longer than usual."

    Although Daniel knew that Hyunda was talking to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga, he knew there was reason for not being able to be a part of this conversation. Sagasuga had his task to accomplish while Hyunda would have his own task to accomplish. The only issue was that Hyunda wanted to test out the environments underneath this particular island. According to Sagasuga, though human life managed to survive within the environments, it was still quite unstable in spite of all.

    However, it would be a misconception to assume that Hajime Hyunda is by any means worried about that. If anything, he was amazed by the fact that human life was still so fragile and could very well be dismantled inside such environments without proper regulations applied to them.

    "I see. Hurry up then. We can''t raise any more suspicions."

    Sagasuga found Hyunda at fault for unnecessarily attempting all of this simply because he wanted to test human life inside the environments. Therefore, he placed the blame onto Hyunda for this, to which he replied bitterly.

    "What the fuck is that supposed to mean? We have waited so long for this. Plus, it''s not as if they died, right? So it''s all good."

    Hyunda''s uncaring attitude managed to always tick off Sagasuga a little bit, but it wouldn''t go beyond the usual argument about how Hyunda should have more safer priorities. Nonetheless, Sagasuga was satisfied with the outcome and he passed the torch onto Hyunda now.

    "Are you doubting me, Sagasuga? 500 people here is a piece of cake."

    Hajime Hyunda had a "plan" in store that Sagasuga was already aware of its existence. But, he was not aware of what his plan was. Since Hyunda is a rank higher than Sagasuga, he didn''t felt obligated to explain to Sagasuga and in the end, the upper rank has the utmost worth in intellectual capacities. Sagasuga already knew that whatever his plan was, it would be devoid of safety and most likely chaotic. In the end, Sagasuga didn''t object Hyunda but simply didn''t see how he could bring 500 people onto this deserted island.

    He however knew that once Hyunda would say something, he was either not taking it seriously at all or he was taking it to a very high degree of seriousness. Each case; towards Sagasuga, another companion of his, he wouldn''t lie about something that revolves around his goals.

    "I appreciate the vote of trust. Blend in once again as if nothing happened."

    Ultimately saying those words, Hajime Hyunda erased his call from one of his cellphones. He always carried two cellphones. A normal average one that is battery-dead at the moment and another cellphone that clearly was far more advanced.

    It shocked Daniel how Hyunda had access to such technology, and so, he spoke out to Hyunda the moment Hyunda put his cellphone back to his right pocket.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    "How expensive is that, Hyunda?"

    They finally then crossed glances. Daniel''s eyes always fascinated Hyunda from the very first time he laid his eyes on him, but Daniel was not aware of this. Daniel found a relic of tenacity containing infinite willpower in Hyunda''s white-eyes. Their affinities were both mysterious towards one another.

    "It''s not for sale, forget it."

    "Tsk..."

    Grummy, he looked down on the exterior of the inactive volcano and launched another question on that matter.

    "How can I get it then? I caught a glance of it and it had infinite battery. How is that possible?"

    There was only one realistic answer that Hyunda could give when it comes to obtaining something related to the technology that he and Sagasuga possessed.

    "Climb your way up the ranks and you''ll get it eventually. Though, if you think this is something to squirm your eyeballs at, then you are devaluing other assets possible to achieve through ranking."

    A solution was therefore presented, but Daniel became perturbed deep down as he knew there was a slight problem with that.

    "But can''t I only climb the ranks by succeeding in missions? And isn''t the leader the one who attributes the rankings? You said you weren''t the leader nor Sagasuga..."

    There is a lot that Daniel doesn''t know about that Hyunda refuses to explain, but he said to Daniel that the higher he climbs the more he''ll know. Daniel is undoubtedly curious as he respects Hyunda''s interests and Hyunda shows interest in the possibility of showing him what he doesn''t know.

    "The leader allows me to attribute the rankings of who I deem fit. If I see you are fit, I''ll give you the first class ranking."

    "Which is?"

    "Noviciate."

    Daniel thought to himself how that ranking sounded insulting, but Hyunda quickly dismissed that thought of his.

    "Everything starts from there. Being admitted is already tough enough, but, if you''re successful with your mission, then you are in."

    Dedicated to following Hyunda''s footsteps, Daniel no longer thought that it was offensive and instead saw it as an honor. Of course, to get in, Hyunda had to explain to Daniel what he had to do before being admitted into giving a mission.

    "Daniel, you were successful in outdoing Kawahara and his dogs by associating the right combination of passwords with limited knowledge. I don''t mean to boost your ego, but that''s a small impressive feat."

    In his mind, Daniel still remembers how Sagasuga was successful in leading Kawahara into the environments and then how he purposely lost to Kawahara. Noticeably, Daniel was the one Kawahara was chasing all along. Daniel and Sagasuga cooperated with one goal in mind---to bait Kawahara into further advancing onto the environments left to explore. To an end, they were successful.

    "But I couldn''t have done it without Sagasuga, I think."

    "True. But, don''t think this is over yet. That was just the prologue. Soon, we will get onto the main attraction. Oh, it''s here!"

    From afar, in the high blue morning sky, a helicopter was arriving in their direction. Midst this, Daniel was not aware that a helicopter would be arriving and as such, he felt the need to ask Hyunda what was his plan of action.

    "What''re you gonna do, Hyunda? I thought that we would be working together from now on, or was that not the case?"

    Hyunda began to stretch his upper arm muscles and fixated his jawline a little bit whilst taking a tremendous fast deep breath. Only then, did he place his eyes on Daniel.

    "We are together in this, but our tasks differ. My task is to bring them to you and you will bring them there."

    "Oh... I see. But still, Sagasuga probably asked you this but how are you getting 500 people in this island? That sounds pretty absurd."

    To this, he smirked and replied back without traces of hesitation.

    "Tell me something, Daniel. On the top of your mind, where would you take 500 people from?"

    "From our school. But this island is strictly limited to us, so there''s no way they are getting there."

    "Who said it was strictly limited to us?"

    While it is true that this island is a private resort temporarily owned by the ones behind the program that Hyunda and Daniel are endorsed in, it was by no means strictly limited to anyone. The fact was that this island did not show up on the global map to begin with. Ergo, getting in this island, in theory, was impossible. So there was absolutely no need for this island to be "limited" to a group of students only.

    "Are you telling me you have an actual way to bring people here...?"

    "Not exactly... But it''s not like I have to be the one who brings them here, right?"

    Daniel wasn''t dumb and understood what Hyunda was already implying. If he wasn''t doing it deliberately by himself, then who would be the one who could allocate that many people onto an island? To that question, Daniel was yet not aware of this person, but Hyunda already knew who that person was.

    A person that goes to their school whose financial wealth is enormous to a point where even the absurd could easily be possible.

    "Make sure you''re not spotted in school, yeah? Can you imagine the controversy? If Arkalee saw you, she would go batshit crazy for you and you wouldn''t be able to return to this island."

    To this, Hyunda laughed out loud as the helicopter began to close in on the swift upper edge of the volcano.

    "Haha! I seriously forgot she even existed, thanks for the reminder, but I''ll do things my way."

    Upon the landing of the helicopter, Hyunda said his last words to Daniel before he would enter the silver-colored helicopter piloted by a pilot who Daniel could not see who it was due to the interference of the solar light clashing in the stelled glass.

    "It shouldn''t take me more than a day to get it done. Review the plan as many times as it takes. I''ll be counting on you, Daniel!"

    Hyunda''s voice echoed throughout the empty volcano and resonated clear to Daniel. Daniel didn''t think that he would need to say "Good luck" to Hyunda because of something he had previously said to him about luck.

    Taking off, the helicopter flew to the North-west side of the ocean at great speed as Daniel was left alone in the tip of that scorched petrified volcano amounting a towering presence towards the other elements of nature below.

    Regardless, in pure silence, Daniel continued to watch the sun while basking in transient memories of a not so long time ago.

 Volume 21 - Chapter 148.5: Play Date.

    Somewhere within the mid days of April, everything would begin to take a drastic change. But it''s important to know that Percy Phoenix was firstly seeking to utilize his tyrannical methods on our class and although several days went by at first, he wasn''t making his move for one specific reason alone that we all didn''t know about.

    Everyday he would come to our classroom and would have conversations with Lus in regard of the boys. This was done so Percy could gain intellect on the boys. Of course, he essentially demanded all knowledge that we had on them, but most of us would pretend to not know much and as a matter of fact, we don''t really know much about them. They are just boys who frequent our classes. Most of them are anti-social despite being labelled as criminals.

    This day, as already mentioned, it would be different.

    My everyday has been the same... All I do is wake up, eat, go to class, eat lunch, go to class again, and then eat dinner. I read in an article once that depressed individuals sleep for longer time periods than usual. Maybe that''s why all I need to do once I reach my room is just get in my bed and put up my alarm so I don''t miss morning classes.

    I''ve lost count of the days and hours barely matter to me anymore. No one really talks to me. At maximum, I get worried glances from my female classmates, but in the end, nobody cares. They didn''t interact with me before and only did so because Yulia had died. Seeing my non-interactive apathetic stance towards them managed to shake them off and as such, they no longer "care".

    All that''s riding on the line is for the culprit to turn herself in, but that''s not happening. I am beyond certain that Yukishiro, Arkalee, and Shizuku were involved, but they will never admit it. With that said, the only really relevant event happening is the battle between Percy and Lus.

    To summarise what they are battling for; it''s the outcome of the boys'' exam. By claiming whoever gets expelled, the one who calls the most right will be the winner.

    An event so relevant that every time Percy would walk into the classroom, the class had to stop and Percy would continuously attempt to extract information out of every single one of us without making a single exception. Even though we have told him numerous times already that we don''t know much. However, he makes different questions every time and sometimes we have positive answers to it, so that''s his strategy.

    Right now, at this current moment, it''s 10 am and our tables are all united. We are seated on our seats in a horizontal line as if we were prisoners awaiting for the guard to call out our names. It was without a doubt a humiliating feeling and despite getting hateful glares from almost every girl here, Percy didn''t care. I couldn''t really feel anything these days.

    Manifesting my feelings always comes after I have a superstition on how pointless it is to do so. I would just be seeking attention at that point and... I wouldn''t be any different from them...

    "This Daniel dude has been picking my interest, Lus. How can he have 1000 years of jail to do? Was this a mistake or something? Hey, teach, tell us!"

    With his chair backwards, he was in front of all of us, as we 11 would cast our attention onto him, differently. Recently, he picked an interest on Daniel because of his absurd jail sentence written on paper.

    Daniel... I wonder how he''s dealing with it... It must be horrible for him... He... isn''t going to make it out alright, is he? For a special exam to occur right after that.... What bad luck... If only there was something I could do to help him.... but he''s out of my reach, so...

    Unhappy, I cast my glance down while feeling the immense weight on my eyebags. Meanwhile, Lus conducted the conversation with Percy with all eyes on her.

    She''s standing right in the middle in-between Kanawari and Hinagiku on her other side.

    "It''s useless to instigate our jail sentences because we won''t speak about it. He never mentioned anything about it. Though, if you ask me, I have no idea."

    Lus'' answer contributed absolutely nothing to Percy and Yuka-sensei didn''t respond to Percy''s previous question either, which made Percy fume.

    "What is he like then?! Something about him! You seat next to him, you must''ve noticed something!"

    I still remember how initially all of our attention was focused on Daniel, but it quickly went away as he showed no signs of behaving like someone who deserves such a jail sentence. This was a common thought among us and we had denied anything that would put suspicions onto Daniel.

    Not because we did it on purpose but because there was relatively nothing about him. As Lus would say in three seconds...

    "He''s very average. I am entirely convinced that his jail sentence is greatly exaggerated. In my first day here, I did research on the longest prison sentences that there are and here is how it is: The longest jail sentence was attributed to Terry Nichols. His crimes aside, he was sentenced for 161 life sentences which in years of jail is about 9,300 years. In second place comes Michael Devin who obtained a 2020 years worth of jail sentence. In third place is Abdullah Barghouti with 5,200 years of jail. For the record, those were the jail sentences above his 1000 years of jail to supposedly fulfill."

    Not everyone knew this, myself included, so we were naturally in awe. Right on the first day, Lus had made her impressive yet simple research on the matter, but she still harbourded doubts in regard.

    "According to such theory, he would be in fourth place. There is just one staggering difference here. Those three individuals I mentioned are fairly way older than him. The fact that he is a teenager and is under such a heavy jail sentence is very hard to believe. I am not pledging nor appealing to his innocence, but I highly suspect he was conspired against. That''s all I can tell you about him."

    To this, Percy was not mad and followed along Lus'' reasoning reasonably.

    "I think so too... Though... This requires more research done on him. Did he have a girlfriend or something? Someone close to him here?"

    Kanawari cleared Percy''s doubt in a flash, out of impulse, as everyone already knew the answer to that except Percy.

    "He did... It was Yulia, our classmate..."

    Hearing her name used for the sake of convenience in a conversation like this, made me open my eyes far wider than usual as I began to feel anxiety. It shouldn''t be like this... Utilizing the dead for a discussion topic is wrong...

    However, Percy already did know about what had happened to Yulia, so he facepalmed when he realized something.

    "Are you serious.... The one who had a clue to what he could have possibly done is dead...? Damn it!"

    Make no mistake. This heartless bastard was not fretting because of what had happened to Yulia. He was fretting over the fact that he wouldn''t be able to extract information out of Yulia.

    I wish someone would kill Percy.

    "Percy, aren''t you forgetting something?"

    "Hm? What do you mean, Lus?"

    "I mean how we agreed that we would cast our votes each day and I''ve been doing that, but you haven''t done that once."

    It''s true. Percy had initially agreed to cast his vote on who would be expelled from the program as a consequence of failing the exam that is occurring at the moment, on a daily basis. Nonetheless, he did none of that and his reasoning was the following:

    "I am going to extract as much information as I can from you people and only when I feel secure enough, will I cast my votes. It''s dumb to blindly cast votes."

    "You still said you wou---"

    "How about this: Should a single one of them reach here earlier than me, then I officially lost due to not attending the actual competition?"

    It was a risky gamble because as far as anyone is concerned, one of the boys could be done with the exam and could walk in at any moment thus symbolizing Percy''s defeat. However, he felt confident enough to the point of assuming that wouldn''t happen.

    Seeing her advantage in this, Lus agreed.

    "I accept. Everyone here is a witness to what you just said. Don''t go back on your words, Percy."

    "Not in my intentions to do so. But, I''ve started to form a grasp on their profiles. It just sucks that I don''t have much to work with. I don''t even know where they are at. Teach, do you?"

    Not even Percy knew where the boys where in despite all of his financial wealth, assumably. I am beyond certain that he must''ve tried to do some research on their whereabouts, but just as anyone could predict, it went about as negative as it could''ve been.

    In addition to that, Yuka-sensei always delivered the same answer every time Percy would ask the same question.

    "My superior didn''t give me enough information such as their cohesive location, so no. Tough luck."

    "Tsk... Worthless..."

    In a very low toned voice, he murmured that. At the moment, Percy had nothing to work with except our information. No matter what he did, unless he had a direct control over the way their exam was being conducted, he was stuck in this scenario.

    His wealth couldn''t be off any use if their whereabouts remain unknown.

    This caused Percy to become even more pessimistic than usual and he would usually take out his rage on us. However, he decided to call it a day once he saw that he was wasting his time here. In his mind, he most likely thought that with his financial wealth he could somehow obtain their locations, but I for some reason doubt that.

    "I''ll spare you for today, Lus. I''ll be back tomorrow!"

    "The result will still be the same..."

    Though Lus said that, Percy clashing the door in with brute strength completely drained the vocal sound out of her line.

    Just like that, our classes were free to resume and so they did. We didn''t bother to change our seats and continued the same way until lunch.

    Monochromatically, I noted all the subjects'' matter onto my notebooks in hope the time for lunch would come. When it did, I made sure to be the last one to leave the classroom.

    Recently, I don''t like to be around anyone. I believe it''s the same for everyone else too, because I am either approached out of pity or not at all.

    I''ve come to the conclusion that I am unwanted by everyone on this planet. The only one who gave me peace of mind is gone. And he...

    "I know you''re gonna feel lonely soon so hit me up whenever you do. You''re not gonna believe me, but if you call me or text me, I''ll be there for you."

    As I stuffed my utensils in my school bag, I relived that memory that went down weeks ago. I thought that I already had forgotten about that moment but it''s when I feel the most down that I suddenly start to relive it.

    You liar... You are in a deserted island... There''s a limit to how much you can make fun of my emotions...

    "........."

    Ultimately, with no one else in the classroom except for Yuka-sensei, I looked ready to leave and head to the cafeteria to eat lunch as usual, but Yuka-sensei spoke to me from afar for some reason.

    "Oh--- Sana, Lus forgot about her vote sheet!"

    "Eh....?"

    My eyes followed the trail of Yuka-sensei''s finger that led all the way to Lus'' seat on the North entrance of the classroom. On top of her desk, lied a vote sheet strictly made by Percy. Each day, Lus would have to deliver that sheet with her votes on it to Percy in block A. However, strangely enough, she forgot about it...

    "Could you do me a favor and give it to her? Sorry..."

    Not having any emotional strength left to deny this task, I didn''t speak and grabbed the sheet whilst walking out of the classroom.

    As I descended the first wave of stairs on the second floor of block F, I took a peek at her votes. However, there were none, which didn''t make a whole lot of sense...

    "Did she left it there on purpose...?"

    Then, I stopped while in the middle of the staircase. There was something written on the back of the sheet; a warning officially written by Percy.

    "Possession of this item must remain in possession of its owner during intervals. So this means that Percy must have this now..."

    There''s not much of a point in giving this to Lus then, because it was her job to deliver it to Percy but if she forgets then something will spark again and Percy will just use that as an excuse to execute his tyrannical methods, won''t he...

    Still, I truly made the decision of going all the way towards block A not because I wanted to do this for Lus, nor to stop something, but because I couldn''t bear to put myself through the same routine again every day.

    Midst my walk towards block A, I hid the sheet in my bag and thought to myself that perhaps I am so tired of everything being the same that I subconsciously took this opportunity to break out of the habit.

    All the way towards block A, I didn''t elevated my eyesight length beyond the usual margin. In other words, my eyeglance was always down and straight up depressing. But of course, even though students were passing through me in this sunny day, it''s not as if someone would comfort a lonely sad person that''s passing through, right?

    At maximum, you just stare, maybe one second longer than usual... Then you look away and proceed to do what you were doing. Someone''s emptiness is no concern, right?

    Maybe they think to themselves that nobody would help them when they are going through a rough time so what would be the point of reaching out for someone who wouldn''t do the same?

    I am, as I said, unwanted. Even before coming here, I wasn''t in the greatest position ever. As a matter of fact, far from it.

    But, I have enough past to dwell on, so I refuse to dwell on an even deeper past.

    "Of course they won''t offer you sympathy! Did you know? Humans cannot change, at all. At their core, they have to obey their nature at all times. At maximum, they can adapt and act accordingly to the environment to survive within the atmosphere. In other words, the moment you start to see someone reach out for you, don''t think that they had a change of heart for a second---- they are just obeying the laws of the atmosphere. No one''s special---however, for you, I wouldn''t mind making an exception, Sana."

    Almost at the entrance of block A, I stopped my tracks. To be specific, I am within a downward spiral stairway that is from the main school gate that allows students to freely walk to any block faster without having to go through the trouble of venturing the whole campus. It''s fairly long, containing about fifteen layers of intervalls in-between each section. The entrance from here was already visible, but my eyes were not there at the entrance.

    Oddly enough, the stairway was empty. I was unsure if that was rare or not, because I am really close to block A. Regardless, as I recalled that particular thought, I felt suddenly emotional and bursted out loud while taking my cellphone out from my right skirt''s pocket.

    "Liar! LIAR! I''ll expose you from your useless lies so you won''t make me believe in you again, Hyunda!"

    I began to furiously type a message to the number he had given me that day.

    "I........ really....... need...... you........ no---------"

    Though slightly sarcastic with a hint of truth in it, my attention was stolen by my eyesight capturing two individuals walking side by side without talking to each other. At the beginning of the entrance of block A, protected by four guards, I spotted Percy from afar walking with......

    "You''ve gotta be kidding me..."

    Unable to believe what I was seeing from afar, I took a picture quickly of them and began to run away with all my speed in the opposite direction of where I was going; in other words back to where I came from.

    My message wasn''t sent because I couldn''t afford to stay in that place.

    After running for about forty seconds, I encountered a girl''s bathroom and took refugee there. Some of the girls at first wondered what I was doing, but I made sure to sneak in the bathroom completely while listening to their footsteps.

    "What the hell is he doing here....?!"

    Catching my breaths, once I started to not notice their footsteps sounds, I went back to the entrance and looked towards my left where I saw both of them continuing to walk. Ultimately, in silence still, they both turned to their left where a dead end would be in.

    ".....Should I----No, what if I get cau---Ah, but----Gosh, fine!"

    I''ll just use the excuse of having to deliver the sheet to Percy if anything goes wrong...

    Needless to say, I walked out slowly and then, right before reaching the path where they both turned to their left on a complete dead end, I cast glance at them very quickly before putting my eyesight away once Percy looked towards my direction.

    "......"

    Thankfully, he didn''t notice me and with that, I had my back against the wall. They were about ten meters ahead of us so there wasn''t a way for me to listen to what they would say, once they began talking.

    However, something beyond my imagination subsequently happened. His phone number ringed in as he was calling me.

    "...What...?! But he''s right there, so how---"

    I thought of looking once again, but I was afraid of getting caught unnecessarily, so I hesitated on picking it up. After three to four seconds, I reluctantly picked up, but I didn''t say anything.

    "............"

    Neither did he, which was strange, until I heard Phoenix''s voice from the call. No, he wasn''t speaking, he was just in a very short distance from the cellphone.

    "Are you done?"

    In a very impatient manner, Percy demanded to know if he was done with what he was doing or not. The fact that he deliberately called me and hasn''t spoken to me yet means that he wants me to listen to this conversation...

    "Yeah. I was just checking my friend''s new profile picture on Instagram. She''s hot. Want her number?"

    What the hell is that excuse?!?!

    "Don''t fuck with me. You got a lot of nerve suddenly showing up in block A when you don''t even have permission to walk in. Furthermore, aren''t you supposed to be in a deserted island, Hajime Hyunda?"

    It really is him... I wasn''t hallucinating earlier. Hyunda is actually here, but how?! He was supposed to be in a deserted island yet...

    "Let''s not go over useless details like that, Phoenix."

    "It''s Percy."

    "So, Phoenix, I take it that you are interested in the offer I made you back there?"

    ....What offer? What is Hyunda talking about...?

    "It better be good. You said you would give me the island''s location. But give me one good reason as to why I shouldn''t just report you to the principal myself?"

    "Now, now, Phoenix... Don''t be so impatient. Girls hate that, you know? You''re never gonna make it out of it like that, for the record."

    "Get to the fuck-"

    Though Hyunda was joking around, as soon as Percy looked ready to burst, he continued and took him by surprise.

    "Are you sure it''s a good idea to tell the principal about this?"

    "What do you mean...?"

    "I am saying, Phoenix, what if this whole competition between you and Lus got leaked? An uprising company leader dwelling in a silly bet like that and losing. Can you imagine the shame your father''s company would have to bear..."

    "How-----No, that''s not important. I''m not losing, so that''s not happening."

    Hyunda then began to lightly laugh towards Phoenix in a disrespectful manner through the cellphone.

    "Hahaha.... You seriously intend to win without taking direct control of our exam? Phoenix, you''re gonna lose to a fucking girl whose knowledge is as limited as yours!"

    Subsequently, Phoenix''s voice could be heard throughout the whole hallway, not just through the cellphone, which just proved that Hyunda got his point across...

    "I won''t lose to her! Give me the island''s location! I will go there by myself and take control of it, damn it! How much do you want?! Name a price and I will give it to you!"

    Wait, is he serious...?! Hyunda can just demand high quantities of money if he wants to... That''s probably want he will do, but still, does Hyunda really have a way to leak the island''s location?

    And why is he doing this....?! This idiot is going to ruin everything! If Lus loses, then all the boys suffer and he''s included! What the hell is he thinking?!

    "Phew! That''s what I like to hear, Phoenix!"

    "....Name it..."

    Percy clearly sounds desperate as he would never show this level of inferiority towards someone who couldn''t give him a helping hand. However, his pride won''t allow him to accept defeat over something as silly as this.

    Plus, if he loses, and word gets out, his clout might be ruined, so it''s a bit understandable why he''s desperate. But this entire situation benefits him, Hyunda!

    "I don''t want your money."

    "You what?! Who the hell doesn''t want my money!? What, you want chicks to bang instead?! I''ll get you as many as you want!"

    "You know, you''re not a bad business man, Phoenix. If you are capable of making such deals, maybe instead of leading a company, you should stick to being a salary-man, hahah!"

    ......What exactly was he implying just now? Was that a yes or no...?

    .............

    "Get to the point, I don''t have all day. What is it that you want then?"

    "It''s simple, Phoenix. I want competition!"

    "Excuse me...?"

    I am perhaps as confused as Percy is. It''s highly unclear what Hyunda really wants here.

    But at last, he would speak his mind.

    "I am bored. So here is the drill: In addition to giving you the island''s location, I will give you one simple task that you must get it done."

    "Which is?"

    Percy can''t even make a counter-argument because the moment Hyunda said he would give the island''s location his mind instantly aligned with whatever Hyunda had to propose in opposition.

    "Until April is over, we will play a hide and seek game."

    "Are you joking?"

    "No, I''m not, Phoenix, but let me conclude. This hide and seek game will be in the deserted island. Here is the overall picture of the game: There are ten of us taking the exam, if you include me. By the way, I will participate, so don''t worry. Anyway, you will be tasked with apprehending the ten of us. In other words, before April ends, if you capture the ten of us, you win."

    ...............Huh....?

    What is the point of this? None of this is making any sense. Not only is Hyunda not demanding anything except for a hide and seek game, but his proposition will most likely be denied by Percy for a very obvious reason...

    "Are you out of your mind? You are telling me to go to a deserted island with ten dangerous criminals lurking in the unknown? That''s absurd---"

    But Percy was quickly interrupted before he could further assume more on his own.

    "I''ll allow you to take with you, people in this school, regardless where they are from or who they are, up to the quantity of 500. As a matter of fact, I will only agree with this, if you align 500 people, yourself included, in order to play this game with me."

    ...........!!!

    "And what makes you think I''ll actually accept this, you damn rat?! Am I supposed to take responsibility for whatever happens to 499 people?!"

    "Oh come on, Percy. THINK! Do you actually think they will really think of it as anything beyond a school trip?"

    "Huh...?"

    Confused, Percy couldn''t really understand what Hyunda was implying as neither could I. In the end, Hyunda sighed deeply before explaining in detail what he wanted to be done.

    "Phoenix, you''re a student council member, so do the following: Make an excuse and create a contest where 499 people will be victorious should they get in the top 499. This school has about 2000 or so students, so all you need to do is to create a stupid contest in-between 2000 students, also known as all the students in this school and have it done as soon as possible. As I said, the 499 top winners will be rewarded. Rewarded with what? A dream trip to a deserted tropical island! Of course, you should award each of those 499 with money prizes. For example: give them a small 50,000 yen each and they will be more happy to attend!"

    "50,000 yen?! That''s fucking ridiculous!"

    "That''s my point though. It''s such a ridiculous reward that no one wouldn''t say no to it. Furthermore, in a battle between 2000 students, 499 will be victorious. The chances are absurdly high for anyone. Admit it, it''s simple for you and for anyone. It doesn''t have to be something mind-blowing, just get it done. Cash prizes always work."

    As Percy already stated, the cash prize is very ridiculous and absurd. But, there is no doubt that anyone would participate.

    "On second thought, do it as a participation prize. That makes more sense, doesn''t it? You''re rich, Phoenix. Flex that money on their faces! HAHAHA!"

    Now anyone that participates will get 50,000 yen for free?! Just as long as they participate?! There''s no way that Phoenix will agree though.

    This is all too absurd, Hyunda...

    "No way."

    "No way what, Phoenix?"

    Hyunda''s voice tone became slight more colder now... It''s no longer childish and burstful...

    "No way I''m doing all that shit."

    "Even though you could just ask those 499 people to help you in your hide and seek endeavor?"

    ..............!!!!

    "Wait... You---- You can''t take that back. You said it. You said it...! You fucking said it! There''s no taking it back, rat!"

    Hyunda, what are you thinking?! 500 versus 10?! In what world does that work?!

    And even after that, I expected Hyunda to show some sort of fear in his voice, but instead of at least trying to reject Percy''s affirmations, he instead... enforced them.

    "You''re free to bring more people from the school to the island, Phoenix. Just remember that 500 is the minimum required. Anything beyond that is highly acceptable!"

    "....You.......... What----- Hahaha... Ha...... HAHAHA!"

    Percy''s laugh was so loud that it attracted everyone passing by through the hall. I no longer felt the need to hide with my back against the wall as I took a small peek at what was happening and saw Percy rolling on the ground, punching his own gut from laughing too hard.

    "You fucking rat....!!! Retarded, moronic, rat! You criminals are the dumbest there are, I swear!"

    ".........."

    Hyunda looked devoid of silence and didn''t speak another word but instead ended the call and showed Percy something on his cellphone instead.

    If I had to take a guess, it would be the island''s location to which he was giving it to Percy; thus effectively sealing his doom...

    Upon seeing it, Percy took a photo of it and said his final words to Hyunda, before coming in my direction.

    "Once you lose, all you criminals will be vanquished from my territory."

    "........."

    Without speaking a single word, Hyunda watched Percy walk away.

    As for me, I quickly retreated into the bathroom while running away at high speed so Percy couldn''t spot me.

    Once again on the entrance of the girls'' bathroom, I placed my two hands on my chest and breathed the atmosphere in.

    There were still girls here and they asked me what that was all about, but I didn''t tell them the truth because even if I did, it would be too absurd and they wouldn''t believe me.

    "Oh, I see... Hey, wasn''t that Percy, just now?"

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    "I think that was his voice, yeah!"

    The clique began their chatter at the bathroom''s sinks whilst applying make up. As for me, I wanted to calm myself for a while as I am still processing the presence of Hyunda here.

    So, I entered one of the toilets and sat on the closed toilet.

    Unwilling to have a moment to relax, the cellphone in my right hand began to ring and it was his number, however...

    "I''ll ignore him... He might hear my voice from here and know I''m here..."

    I said those words in an extreme low volume and didn''t pick up the phone. Once the call was done, I turned off my phone and took a deep breath.

    "Phew..."

    I thought to myself that since this is the girls'' bathroom that he wouldn''t come in. Unless a boy would want to be shunned by their opposite gender badly, no sane boy would do that, however.......

    "KYAAAAAAAA!!"

    "A BOY!!"

    "GET OUT OF HERE, YOU PERVERT!!"

    From inside the bathroom, I could hear several items being thrown at a boy who willingly walked right into the opposite gender''s bathroom. It would be unthinkable to remain in here for yet another second as any other boy would flee from being this harassed, but I began to feel even more nervous once he said something in spite of all.

    "Did a girl with a red ribbon on the top of her hair walk in here in a very nervous manner?"

    Wh--------

    I am not nervous...

    Please throw more items at him, girls!

    "Get out of here, you molester!"

    "Guard!"

    But, despite what he was being told to do, he checked the first door of the only row of toilets to the right. I could see what he was doing because I was kneeling down on the ground and through the visible rupture of the horizontal gaps, I could see someone''s shoes.

    Noticeably, there were other girls in the bathroom, too afraid to leave or simply in the middle of doing their necessities......

    Therefore, as soon as he struck his bargain to see the first one, he was struck in the face with what I believe was a purse...

    "DIE! GYAAAAAAA!!!"

    Embarrassed and not knowing what to do in this situation, I cracked a small grin unknowingly and laughed a bit.

    "No wait, why am I laughing, this is wrong....!"

    And then, he walked through the second door.

    This time, the girl didn''t react instantly. From what I can see here, she''s not seating down and see is collecting her panties up...

    Oh God...

    "Shaving is healthy. Well done!"

    "KYAAAAAAAA!"

    A resonating sound was heard loud and clear throughout the whole bathroom as the remaining girls began to exit the bathroom.

    Since I was in the fourth toilet, there was still one more to go and sincerely, I was curious to know how this one would react so I waited until he checked her out.

    Her reaction was not within my expectations whatsoever.

    "I don''t think there''s anyone else here? Oral?"

    "Woah. Can''t say I dislike aggressive feisty ones."

    I am not aware of why or how I did what I did, but I instantly got up from the ground and began to climb the wall separating us on my left.

    Then, as I saw him place his hands on his waist belt, I shouted without hesitation.

    "What the hell do you think you are doing?!"

    Surprised, the girl said something stupid.

    "Oh, so there was someone else here..."

    "Get out! Get out! Get out, now!"

    That stupid girl who was practically kneeling down, looked so dumb and clueless that I spourted that while completely embarrassed. Midst this, that bastard was smirking as if he was successful in drawing me out as he saw me struggling to climb this wall.

    Much to my dissatisfaction, the girl turned to Hyunda and said something infuriating.

    "Another time?"

    "Su---"

    I interrupted him in a flash.

    "No, not another time! Get out now, you whore! I will eat you!"

    As I began to further climb, the girl began to grow afraid of the possibility of me jumping on her and thus fleed from the scene as fast as she could. Hyunda watched her all the way and placed his right hand fingers on his chin while analyzing something from his view.

    "Wow, you are an actual pervert."

    With a disgusting look, I cursed him while he attempted to justify himself despite committing several immoral actions thus far...

    "It was highly consensual! You can''t fault me for that."

    I didn''t say a word and kept on cursing him in my mind. Noticeably, amidst this, I was deep down struggling to be hung on the wall, so he was able to notice that...

    "Jump over, I''ll carry you princess style all the way."

    "Die."

    I fell down on my own and after receiving the shock from falling from that height, I was hurt a little bit.

    Still mad, I began to walk out of the toilet as fast as I could, but the moment I did that, he was blocking my way.

    "Can I make a period joke about your mood or?"

    "Pleeeeaaaase don''t..."

    "Alright, alright."

    "Um, Hyunda?"

    "Yeah, Sana?"

    "I have many questions, but... You know... This is the girls'' bathroom..."

    He looked at me as if I was talking about something completely normal.

    While I, on the other hand, attempted to imply my point highly.

    "So?"

    "So, you can''t just walk in..."

    "But you didn''t leave me any choice."

    "I turned my phone off because I don''t want to talk to you, Hyunda."

    "Why not, Sana?"

    "I am not feeling like it."

    ............What exactly am I saying...?

    And why are we having an argument in the middle of the girls'' bathroom?!

    Guh, this whole situation is just so....

    "Mhm, yeah, alright. Well, I''ll see you in about two weeks or so. Have fun!"

    Turning his back on me, he began to walk out of the bathroom.

    I replied back respectively.

    "Good luck, loser."

    "Don''t need luck."

    And so, he walked out of the bathroom after saying that.

    "................."

    ...Wait..........

    ....He does realize I was just jokingly saying all that, right....?

    He''s probably anticipating my move and he''s waiting at the left side of the exterior of the bathroom, I am sure.

    I am so sure that I am grinning so stupidly and feeling confident for once.

    That''s why, I strode towards the outside of the bathroom and saw....

    ".............Oh no."

    I looked to my left and then my right.

    "!"

    Then to my left and saw Hyunda already on the end of the linear path.

    That idiot was seriously thinking of leaving after putting me through all that! And, what the hell, he''s fast!

    "Wait a damn second! Hyundaaaa!"

    Recklessly spriting in his direction, I had to run all the way forward but he wasn''t slowing down at all. Only after a whole minute, did I catch up.

    The reason as to why he wasn''t listening to me was because he was listening to music through his earplugs.

    Seeing my tired composure and crooked spine, he finally noticed me.

    "Sana? What''s wrong? You look dead tired for some reason."

    "Gaaahh.... Gaaahhh....... Don''t just leave like that... I thought you wanted to talk with me..."

    "I did, but you said you weren''t feeling like it so I respected your decision."

    ...So he was actually respecting the way I supposedly said I felt towards that whole circumstance? Yeah, it was a joke, but he actually...

    "Um.... What... are you doing here...? Hyunda?"

    "Are you sure you want to talk here? How about the usual cafeteria for a change? Plus, the guard will be on my ass soon, so..."

    "Yeah, let''s just go there."

    5 minutes later.

    Luckily, the cafeteria was empty for some reason. Actually, the whole school in some parts started to empty out.

    We took the furthest table and we didn''t order anything. I surprisingly didn''t felt like eating, I just wanted to talk to him.

    Also, for some damn reason, he''s not facing in my direction and is instead on my right side of the table.

    "........."

    I faced him in the other direction instead by going around.

    This caused him to question my sudden movement.

    "Why?"

    But I wasn''t going to answer that and got the core matter.

    Brushing off my transient embarrassment, I coughed once.

    "Erm, erm! Before anything, will you answer truthfully what I ask you or will you just brush it off with another dilemma?"

    "It''s my policy to make several dilemmas with my words, but I don''t mind making an exception for you."

    "..........."

    Why...

    "Your blushing face is really cut-"

    "Shut uuuuppppp!"

    If only I knew he was coming today, I would''ve prepared myself at least. I am not at fault here!

    Anyways...

    "Ok, why are you here?"

    "I came here to strike a deal with Phoenix and it worked. I am also here for you and something else. It''s confidential."

    For me... So he was actually serious when he said all those words...

    "Hello? Sana? Earth to Sana?"

    Apparently I was out of reality for a second. I hate when that happens. It''s just... being here alone with him in this cafeteria without anyone at sight is highly... embarrassing...

    "Sorry... So you can''t even tell me something confidential?"

    "Well, we can work that out if you are so curious."

    "What are you thinking in that wicked mind of yours, Hyunda?"

    Honest to a fault, his eyes descended straight from my face to my......!!!

    "I don''t even know why I tried that....!"

    I turned around for a while defensively.

    "What''s wrong? You were the one who asked me that question, Sana. Plus, you were the one who demanded me to answer it truthfully."

    "Okay, that''s on me..."

    I turned around and faced him yet again, nervously.

    My face was slightly red but at this point, there wasn''t anything I could do to erase that, so I continued.

    "How were you able to get here in the first place? Weren''t you on a deserted island?"

    "I am very financially wealthy to the point where I can afford my own private helicopter and so, I made a quick stop here."

    "Hahaha, very funny, Hyunda. Seriously, how?"

    Despite the fact that I didn''t believe that at first, the more silence he formed afterwards, the more I started to believe it.

    "Alright, moving forward then..."

    I am supposed to believe that he actually is borderline rich and could afford a private helicopter. Why even take the exam at all then? What sense does that make?

    But, I don''t think he''s lying. I feel like he''s really not lying to me.

    He''s... not showing sympathy to me out of pity as anyone else would, he''s genuinely... caring for me.

    "What on Earth are you thinking?"

    "Is that your question, Sana? Or a reference to something else?"

    Mild angry, I got to the point.

    "I am saying, what went through your mind to make that stupid deal with Percy?! Do you even know what will happen should you fail?"

    I wasn''t aware of how Hyunda knew all this, but, now that I thought about it, would he have made his move if he didn''t know about what Lus was doing?

    His answer clearly answered something.

    "I understand. I basically get us all screwed, end of the story."

    "That''s... not funny."

    "But I am not going to fail, so that''s irrelevant to the matter."

    There it is. His classic signature. His overpowering confidence that no one really knows where it originated from. If someone so confident tells you to be confident on something you are not confident on, you will never be able to not feel confident.

    "Hyunda... How did you know all this? I mean, what was going on between Percy and Lus?"

    "Are you sure you wanna know? If you are sensitive to immorality, this might be best to avoid, but if you really want to, I will give you the truth."

    At this point, I am aware that whatever comes out of him is immoral. That''s why it''s so surprising and confusing once he begins to show affection for me.

    "....Yeah...."

    Before answering, he rolled his neck to the left and then the right while ultimately looking fiercely into my eyes.

    "Have you noticed an earring on Arkalee''s ear that looks like a silver diamond?"

    "What about it?"

    "I once gave it to her and she really liked it. Apparently it was because my hair is silver so the color really excited her."

    "....What does that have to do with it?"

    I''m confused as to how that earring has anything to do with his knowledge about this.

    But his fearless devilish grin told me a different story.

    "Now, it''s not just any earring. It''s actually a wired device with an unparalleled listening operational earplug."

    "...............?"

    "The pair of earrings came with such an earplug that once I put it in my ear, I will be able to listen to what the wired device''s sound is transmitting. Here, why don''t you give it a try?"

    From his left pocket, he scourged a small earplug that more or less looked like an airpod and gave it to me.

    I then put it in my right ear carefully and started to listen to a voice.

    Arkalee''s.

    "Why are they all going away?! Weren''t they supposed to torment Ikkiri?!"

    And then Shizuku''s.

    "Percy suddenly summoned all of the classes onto the gymansium podium, so..."

    Subsequently after, I even heard Yukishiro''s voice in the background which shocked me.

    "This is all too... weirdly timed..."

    In shock, I removed the earplug from my ear and demanded to know what was actually happening.

    "That wasn''t recorded, that''s happening right now!"

    "Yeah. It captures any sound within 50 meter radius. It''s pretty messy at times, honestly, but it does the job well."

    I then finally understood what was going on...

    My face stiffened up as a consequence.

    "You''ve been.... spying on all of us through a wired device which is Arkalee''s earring...?!"

    "Simple, right? Surely you must''ve wondered how I knew way more than anyone did all the time, right?"

    "Hyunda.... You don''t do this...! This is your girlfriend! Not just some tool for you to use your device on!"

    I wasn''t as open as I thought I would be. I knew it would be immoral, but he has been practically listening to all of our conversations! He knows everything! If word got out of this, everyone would have a meltdown.

    Yet... He looks at me as if putting supreme trust in me. As a matter of fact, what he said afterwards, quite literally implied that.

    "You''re right. Wanna take a hold of it then?"

    "............Uh..."

    At first, I wanted to flat-out deny it, but then I entered into deep thought about this as I looked down on the floor.

    If Hyunda continues to have that in his possession, then he will be able to hear any conversation Arkalee has or with anyone around him. Furthermore, he will be on the deserted island so although he will know what''s happening, he won''t be able to do anything about it...

    "...Give it to me, please... And no! I am not doing this for the same reasons as you! This is wrong! I am keeping this in my possession so you can learn how to be less evil!"

    But, even though I am saying this, I am well aware that he''s not going to give it to me. After all, he most likely has other reasons and as suc---

    "Take good care of it and don''t let others know."

    On the surface of my right palm, there was the white-colored earplug.

    "It''s on an infinite battery, so don''t worry about charging it."

    Silently, without knowing what to say, I slowly retracted it into my right pocket.

    Then, meekly, I spoke to him again.

    "....Are you doing something else similar to this...?"

    "What if I am?"

    I gulped a bit.

    "Hyunda... What have these people done to you in order for you to inflict evil upon them?"

    "Nothing."

    "Then, you can''t be evil like that. It''s only fair when others are evil to you."

    "That would leave me very vulnerable. Anyways... Can I start my own questions or do you still have any?"

    There are probably more questions for me to ask, but I felt light-hearted when he took an interest on me like that.

    It''s frankly weird how he isn''t even here to see Arkalee, his girlfriend, but is spending time with me. He said that he was here to strike a deal with Percy, to do something confidential and to spend time with me.

    "Yeah..."

    "Good. So, how badly did you miss me?"

    I stomped his right foot three times consecutively.

    "Ouch... Sana, please answer truthfully... No need to be shy---Ouch..."

    "That''s for spying on my lines through Arkalee!"

    It made me truly embarrassed to realize all the lines that I have said while I was near Arkalee, because I don''t know when this all started, but if he was already in possession of that then he----

    "You should share your thoughts with me and then we could make some romantic progress instead of you denying your feelings for me on the inside."

    "Shut uppppp! More questions for me!"

    Though the answer is simple, there is just one problem. He is evil and his interest on me can''t be something good.

    I am too afraid that if I were to seriously commit my feelings for him that I would be doomed like Arkalee was.

    If that were to ever happen, I would never recover from it. Even though what he does is outstanding and practically no other guy in this school would go this far, I still can''t risk it...

    "How have you been feeling lately?"

    Given that he answered truthfully, I will answer too... Despite not being able to answer it with a decent looking face.

    "Somewhere between empty and broken, I think... I''ve been sleeping way too long each night... Sorry, I don''t really know how to put it down... Her death is something I will never get over..."

    "...I see..."

    "...Ahh... Please don''t pity me though. If I''m honest, it would hurt a whole lot more if I were to receive pity from you than the rest."

    "I don''t pity others, don''t worry. You could have called me though. Wasn''t that why I gave you my number in the first place? If you''re hurt, then talk to me. Better than taking everything by yourself, don''t you think?"

    To that, I smiled genuinely. Not a flustered reaction, but a happy one. In two weeks or so, I''ve been feeling empty on the inside, but now I feel like I am fueling with emotion.

    "Thank you, Hyunda. I wish I had met you in another world where you aren''t an evil person."

    "Really? Wanna get hit by a truck together and start our journey as light novel characters?"

    "Hahaha! Really?"

    "Really."

    We both smiled at each other and for the first time I saw a happy smile on him.

    It was as if he was having a time outside of the evil twisted mind that he dwells in every day.

    "Hey, Sana? You should go to the gymnasium. I''m fairly certain that Phoenix is using the very fact that this is lunchtime to gather the attention of everyone as quickly as possible."

    ".........Hyunda....?"

    "What?"

    I wasn''t sure if he was going to answer this truthfully or not, but I felt my heart stroke a little bit in panic once I did.

    "Why do you... need so many people on that island...?"

    "............"

    He got up and decided to ignore my question.

    To compensate for that, he proposed something, however.

    "Wanna go watch a movie? I''ll pay both tickets."

    "But didn''t you say that I should go to the gymnasium?"

    "I did, but when I think about that guy Phoenix giving a speech, I realized that I was being very evil to you by making you go through that."

    I giggled a bit, to no surprise and chuckled slightly.

    Then, in the heat of the moment, across the table, as I got up from my seat, I extended my right hand to him, indicating that he could have it.

    He silently took it and warmed it up around my fingers.

    Side by side, we then walked out of the cafeteria with our hands intertwined. Midway, I titled my head a little bit to his left shoulder while not saying anything.

    I realized something while making our way to the cinema. Once he is gone again, I will probably feel empty again, but... I don''t want that...

    I want to be able to feel. I hate not feeling.

    And if getting attached is the price to it, then I will have to trend carefully, but I won''t waste this opportunity.

    "You''re smiling a lot today, Sana."

    "Yup, I am. By the way, what''s with the amount of piercings you have on your ears?"

    I''ve only now really started to pay attention to his body elements but while looking at his ears, I could find a plethora of piercing and mainly his taoism earrings.

    "I thought teenagers these days were all about piercings and earrings. But, to be fair, here in Japan it''s not that common. I was fairly into an European trend at a time that basically revolved around wearing spiky hair and piercings."

    Well, that explains his hair at least. His frontal hair seems like a crown now that I look at it. Meanwhile, the back of it is spiky crescent.

    Out of curiosity, I touched the end of the hair strokes and felt the rigid density of it.

    "It''s surprisingly tough! How much gel do you use?"

    "I don''t need to use it anymore. At some point it just began to incorporate with my hair as a whole."

    "Whaaaat?! How is that possible...?"

    "Don''t ask me. Oh, hey, you''d look good with a nose piercing."

    An nose piercing... Just thinking of the process of putting one puts me on the edge. I bet it''s painful as hell.

    So instead, I replied with something else.

    "For you to put a tracking device on it? No thanks!"

    "There''s no way I would do that. Also, what movie are we watching, really?"

    At last we were in front of the theaters. Outside of it, just like the last time, we were gazing through the movies that were in the selection.

    Seeing that "Joker" was not on the roll anymore made me sad deep down.

    "They seriously removed Joker? What a crime."

    Not me, but Hyunda said that, which made me agree and smile a lot because that was exactly what I was thinking!

    "I know right?! That movie was a masterpiece! But, um... What are we watching...? I don''t know any of these movies..."

    "Wanna watch a romance movie?"

    "Well... Yeah?"

    Surprised, Hyunda broke out of his own apathetic form and praised my sudden honesty.

    "You are not joking around. You''re going to make my audience think that a girl like you actually exists in their actuality."

    "Huuuh? Audience? Haha, what?"

    I seriously didn''t understand what he meant by that, but I like to be honest with my feelings as long as he respects mine and vice-versa.

    In addition to that, I like how empty the school is because while I''m intersecting with his fingers and am close to him.

    "Well.... Weathering with you or Your name?"

    "They sound the same, really. Though... I think I''ll go with Weathering with you. Is that fine, Hyunda?"

    "Yeah. Shall we then?"

    "Yes!"

    After we paid our tickets ( I insisted on paying mine) we arrived at the theater room and to no surprise, there wasn''t anyone left in it, so it was up to us to seat anywhere we liked.

    Hyunda launched an offer right away.

    "Wanna watch it extremely close to the screen?"

    "Won''t we be blinded? Let''s go to the very top!"

    "Alright."

    Still holding our hands together, we went to the middle of the last line on the top and the light on the room darkened as the movie started.

    Although we are watching the movie, it was more like an excuse for us to talk about stuff we wanted to talk about.

    "Does this count as a date, Sana?"

    "Nana. I won''t allow cheating. You''re Arkalee''s boyfriend so I can''t help you cheat."

    Though I say that, I am holding his hand without showing any signs of stop doing so. Plus, I am lying with my head on his right shoulder at the moment.

    But I am not cheating although I am incentivating him to do so.

    Because, if he prefers me over Arkalee, why should I have to care about how she feels? If no one cares about how I feel then what''s wrong with caring about someone who cares about how I feel?

    "What defines cheating to you, Sana?"

    "In this case... if you do ulterior movements on me while still being Arkalee''s boyfriend, then that is cheating."

    "I see... Well, you know... Does it still count if I will technically only be back once the exam is over and Arkalee doesn''t know I''m here?"

    I laughed a bit in spite of the irony.

    "You''re awful, Hyunda. I bet I would get cheated on if we were in a relationship. I would give it maximum two weeks before you set your eyes on some other girl. Seriously."

    I don''t mind having feelings for him, but the problem is a "relationship", that''s why I''m fine with this.

    I can''t feel guilty if someone who doesn''t care about my own sentiments gets offended in the process.

    Furthermore, she doesn''t know and we don''t even talk anymore.

    "You only say that because of how I treat Arkalee."

    "Oh? Are you implying you would treat me differently, Mister?"

    "Can I explain myself and have a chance to defend myself?"

    "Sure. But that''s still not going to erase the fact that I think you''d cheat on me."

    Our eyes were more fixated on one another through the dark than the actual movie.

    The atmosphere itself was nice however.

    I was rather curious to know his own appeal and I thought it would be lengthy but not quite at all.

    "I never have nor will ever love her."

    "......."

    For a second, I stopped making eye contact and focused on the movie''s visuals.

    Naturally, I was actually thinking about what he had just said.

    "Then why don''t you just break up with her, Hyunda?"

    His eyes were now on the movie too. He still replied nonetheless.

    "She''s more useful the more emotional she is."

    "You know, I hate to break it to you, but I am a bit like that too."

    "Not true. You don''t let your emotions blind your rationality, unlike her. Well... For the most part..."

    "Hey!"

    I kicked his left leg very softly.

    "I understand. You need someone to help you with your evil agenda. But still, you''d go to the point of getting into a relationship for that? Hyunda, that''s wrong on so many levels I don''t even know where to begin... This is why women need to stay away from you."

    "But you''re this close, are you certain?"

    "I am special, in this case. I know your core but still interact with you like a normal person. And as a female, it is my duty to keep you away from other females, because you are bound to treat them as tools for your own gain. I am too smart to truly be treated like you would treat them, because the moment you would try to use me as a tool, I would know it. I am hyper aware of your intentions towards me, Hyunda."

    "You understand me so well, Sana. Aren''t you perfect for me if you are aware of all that?"

    "..............."

    I gave that some serious thought and seconds later, I replied genuinely.

    "I probably am, now that I think about it. But you''d still use me as a tool, Hyunda. I wouldn''t be able to stand having feelings for you while you''d fake having feelings for me just so you can have the benefits of my help. You never had this sort of talk with Arkalee, did you?"

    "Not even once and I never will."

    "So you don''t intend on breaking up with her?"

    "If I break up with her and she catches us talking, you''ll die, Sana."

    "I will, won''t I?"

    "I have a plan to deal with her, don''t worry."

    Upon hearing that, I got increasingly more curious and begged to know.

    "I am curious now... You don''t intend on breaking up with her but you still want to pull up moves on me? What''s the plan exactly?"

    "I kill her."

    "Forget it."

    This is rough. I am unsure whether or not he genuinely cares for me or not. He could''ve just done this on purpose and then claim to want to talk with me despite only truly being here to make a deal with Percy.

    If he wasn''t this type of person, I wouldn''t doubt him, but the fact that he is and still makes me want to commit makes me want to doubt my rationality.

    There has to be a solution here, but I am not seeing it.

    "You''re a genius, Hyunda, right?"

    "Not really. I consider myself inferior to others constantly; that''s why I am always ahead because I am scared of what others might do before I do something else."

    ".........Are you serious?"

    "No, I''m the fucking best."

    "Dummy..."

    I was genuinely serious right about now, but I''ll still ask him.

    "Are you... in love with me...?"

    Our eyes then crossed glances.

    "If a person filled with nothing but objectivism has a spark of subjectivism and if that subjectivism is captivated onto one person only, then, if you were that person, would it be correct if I were to say yes?"

    "There''s a lot to subjectivism, Hyunda. But if amidst that subjectivism lies your idea of love and I am the subject of it, then... I would say you are correct."

    "Sana..."

    "Hyunda..."

    Our eye contact became even more closer as our faces also lost distance.

    I was under the impression that it would be fairly hard to achieve this, but the sequence was so simple. With just a motion of adjoining our lips, we performed a kiss.

    Then, slowly we retracted our lips from one another.

    "Sana, this might be selfish but I do like being a subjective person whenever I am not in my usual agenda. It''s easier if I can just be subjective towards one person only. I''ll still be using Arkalee."

    "Yeah, I know. I... know..."

    "Sorry. Can I say a cliched phrase like "You deserve someone better" or something like that?"

    "God no, don''t do that. That''s not like you."

    In the end, even though we shared a kiss, we still have a lot to go through. Essentially, I am his target of subjectivity meanwhile Arkalee is just a tool for his own objectivity.

    There is one massive issue though. And in order to get a proper understanding, I placed my other unoccupied hand on his heart.

    I felt his heart beat....

    "I could''ve sworn it didn''t beat."

    "It does for you."

    ".............."

    He caught me off guard, so it doesn''t count...

    "You have to show more reaction and feel the emotion! Otherwise I will never feel like I am making you feel loved. And... That''s kinda why we would never really work out in a relationship Hyunda, you know? I think I subconsciously demand some sort of emotional response when it comes to stuff like this."

    "I see. Apathetic bastards like me are your kryptonite. That can change though."

    "Eh...?"

    At first I didn''t understand what he was implying, but after he lightly tapped his right tight and removed his hand from mine, I got it.

    "Sit here in the middle with me. Let me feel your sadness."

    "......."

    I was hesitant at first and the thought of me breaking down here is embarrassing...

    Eventually, I mustered the courage and took a seat in-between in legs as his arms enrolled my posture completely. I could feel his spiky hair on my face while he was whispering something to my left ear.

    "Sana.... Don''t apply for whatever Percy is going to do. Stay out of it."

    "........But why...? Is it related to the 500 people you mentioned?"

    He began to tightly hug me and tremble at the same time. For the very first time, I actually witnessed emotion out of him and caught the glimpse of his white eyes as he looked to the screen fearlessly whilst speaking about what he intended to do.

    "Those chosen 500 people will be eradicted! You can''t be among them. You musn''t... I can easily handle life without the life of others around me but if you were gone then... I''ll actually miss you."

    "........Hyunda..."

    Deep down, I wanted to tell him how what he was doing was wrong. Deep down, I already wanted to transform him into a better person, but he isn''t a better person by his own accord. He knows that what he does is wrong. He''s not lacking self-awareness.

    That''s why I''m crying right now. Because there''s nothing I can say that will change the person I love who is committed into doing what is evil.

    "I love you... And I''m sorry for being so scared of what might happen if we were to ever be together, but I am so weak that if I get too attached then I can easily break any second without you and I don''t think you deserve that side of me and so----I want to keep meeting you like this but only when you have the chance. I''ll be your partner in crime, because only I can understand your core, idiot. So don''t hesitate to rely on me. Just don''t ever view me as a tool..."

    My crying was a silent one and I accepted his long embracing hug while awaiting for his answer.

    "You''re amazing."

    I was already committed enough int acting according to my feelings, but hearing those words from him really made me happy.

    After that, we continued to watch the movie from the same position, as he would continue to hug me from behind with our faces connected.

    Every time that I would look into his eyes I could his heavy eyebags which reminded me of mine.

    "Have you been sleeping enough, Hyunda?"

    "I follow the Uberman sleeping cycle. Do you know about it?"

    "I don''t. Could you explain it to me?"

    "Sure. Every four hours, I take a 20 minute nap which ultimately means that the Uberman sleeping cycle consists of sleeping 3 hours in total per day."

    I bit his left cheek with my teeth.

    "You shouldn''t do that... You''ll never be able to see the good side of sleeping like that. Do you ever intend on changing this factor?"

    "I probably don''t."

    Instead of demanding him to do something he doesn''t like, I''ll ask if he intends on changing it.

    "Hey, Sana?"

    Once again, our eyes met, very closely and he asked me something weird.

    "Are you feeling isolated without me around?"

    "....I am... But, there''s no other choice, is there? You''ll be busy and even when you return, I''ll continue to feel isolated. But, if we can continue to meet like this every now and then, then I''ll be fine."

    "...If you could have your memory erased and could forget Yuli--- Ouuuuuuchhhh."

    Before he could finish that sentence, I took a bite out of his nose with perhaps a bit more force than the previous bite.

    "If you showed me that a earring can have a wired tracking device on it, then if you just suggest something like memory erasure, I am not doubting you. In no circumstance would I want that."

    "I see...."

    ".....Are you feeling guilty? I thought you were not capable of guilt."

    Our eyes then moved away from each other once again and focused on the movie.

    "I just lack remorse. That''s a bit different."

    "Aw. Hyunda, does it ever cross your mind that I could spite you for all eternity with what you have just implied?"

    "So you got it. Sorry you had to find out this way."

    I began to cry again and since our faces were glued to each other, Hyunda felt the river of my tears in his face too.

    The crying was accompanied by a variety of anxiety attacks as my voice became even frailer as time would go on.

    Unsure of what to do will all this weakness, I could only ask.

    ".....W-Why....? Was....... it something she---"

    He showed a bit of hesitation which was his consideration for my current feelings.

    "...She had nothing to do with it... As a matter of fact, she had little to do with it, if anything. As to why...... Am I allowed to not answer this?"

    ".........What''re you gonna do once he finds out you were the one who did it....?"

    My teary eyes were blurry yet I could trace some sort of unwanted will in Hyunda''s eyes, but when he said those upcoming words, his eyes shone a radiance of accomplishment like no other.

    "When that time comes, everything will be in place. This is just the work of a person who does everything for the leader and nothing else."

    "...Will I one day know what that means....?"

    "For sure, Sana."

    After delivering that line, with his right hand, he whipped my tears softly and then took ahold of my right hand and intertwined his fingers with mine.

    "Take care of him, please... He doesn''t deserve this... At least... That''s the minimum you could do... Hyunda..."

    "...Hahahahah..... Hahaha... Hahah...!"

    He began to grin and grin for as long as he could until it faded away into a complete silence. I didn''t interrupt him as it would be disrespectful.

    Finalizing that silence, he spoke again to me.

    "He is the star of the show. I will never be what he is. But the star doesn''t always shine without the proper illumination, does it now? That''s why he''ll have to become more illuminated and then, he will finally be recognized for what he truly is."

    "...................."

    "Sana, I will rely on you now."

    "Mhm. Ask away, love."

    "You have Lus'' vote sheet, don''t you? Let me write the ones who will be expelled."

    Somewhere along the way, I knew this was coming, but I appreciate the fact that he didn''t go an extra mile just for me to do this.

    As I gave him the vote sheet alongside a pen for him to write the names of the ones he would vote against, I pleaded to him.

    "Can''t you save everyone?"

    "If I do that, he will get used to the lack of difficulty in a task."

    ".....You care about him a lot, like some big brother... Why?"

    "I''m just a tiny fire, but he''s the whole sun, illuminating everyone through his vision."

    I smiled to Hyunda.

    It saddens me that I don''t understand what he''s insinuating, but it''s evidently clear that he holds affirmative intentions towards him.

    "Are these 500 people, in essence, just like her?"

    "You saw right through me. But yes."

    "Hyunda.... Why such a number......."

    "Sana. We are going around circles in this conversation, in case you haven''t noticed."

    "Sorry... I can''t seem to convince you to change your mind."

    "Don''t mind it. On the other hand, do you want to kiss again?"

    Without answering to his question, I let go of his right hand intertwined with mine and slowly turned around.

    This time, more aggressively and more deep, I kissed him and he was surprised so much that he fully went all the way back to his seat.

    "Aaahhh... You didn''t really think about that did y---"

    It didn''t take him long at all for him to grab the back of my head softly whilst pushing me forward yet not allowing me to fall with an even deeper kiss which brought shock to my system.

    His kiss alongside that entire movement felt electric; purely static.

    "Ahhh..... It does feel better when I actually love the person."

    "Aaahhh... Aaahhh... You..."

    What we are doing is practically forbidden elsewhere, but since the entire school is fixated onto the gymnasium, we could do whatever we want.

    Even...

    "Hey, Sana?"

    ".....Yeah...?"

    ".............." x2.

    Our glances were glued to one another as we absorbed each other''s breaths.

    "If we go any further, you''ll get attached to a point of no return."

    "................Yeah... Sorry..."

    I dismantled my position and sat back in-between his legs while he wrapped his arms around me once again. Likewise, our two hands intertwined once again.

    "Can you stay here for another day, Hyunda?"

    "I can''t. Percy will make his move approximately in a few hours. He''s massively impatient and since I am the party planner, I need to make sure everything goes accordingly."

    "...Ah, that makes sense..."

    My lost hope aside, he finally started to write down who he thought would be expelled from the program on the vote sheet.

    "Sana, can I trust you to make Lus accept these results no matter how uneven the odds seem of succeeding in that?"

    "You can count on me. I will just tell her you''ve been here---not. I''ll make something work!"

    "Thank you."

    We then watched the movie until the credits began to roll.

    Truth to be told, we didn''t pay much attention to the movie, as I already had said, this would be more of an opportunity to catch up than anything.

    Before the darkness of the theater could be illuminated by the light, Hyunda asked me yet another favor.

    "Sana----there''s something else I would like your cooperation in. It doesn''t involve me and you are free to decline this; I will hold nothing against you."

    "...What is it...?"

    Unlike his usual movements, he took a deep breath represented by... anxiety.

    "Could you befriend Ikkiri?"

    "..........Why...?"

    "She''s unfamiliar with self-love. The girl doesn''t know how to love herself so she''s familiar with the concept of self-hating and does it by compulsion. No one notices this and that''s why she accepts bullying far more than she should."

    "................"

    "She''s being targetted unfairly and I''m not asking you to stop what''s happening to her. As a matter of fact, it won''t matter because this is all temporary, but----I... can''t be someone who will ever be there for her anymore. Not as a friend---not as a person---nothing. So, for me, could you befriend her?"

    "...And if I said no?"

    "That''s fair. I denied you a lot of things today."

    As the lights emerged, I spoke my answer to Hyunda as truthfully as I could.

    "Sorry. I am jealous of her. You love her, don''t you?"

    "Not from my perspective..."

    "...What about from the traditional perspective of love?"

    "I suppose you could argue that I do, then."

    I lightly laughed out loud but not in a spiteful manner. Still, my answer was not changing.

    "How did she do it?"

    "I had nothing. It was that simple."

    "So, that could''ve been me, Hyunda?"

    "It was a matter of chance, but---from my perspective, I love you, I think."

    "............."

    The person I am in love with loves someone from the traditional perspective of love yet according to his own perspective of love, he loves me.

    "This is complicated, Hyunda. Can we end our date here?"

    "Are you offended?"

    "Not quite.... It''s just.... I don''t know a solution to this current circumstance. But---I will think of one. Oh, also, we are going to these theaters once a month."

    In agreement, he further stretched our agenda.

    "We should do it once everyone is occupied with something in common. Beyond that, we shouldn''t talk to each other."

    "That''s probably for the better. Sigh... Just when I become honest with my feelings... Well, I guess this is the realistic outcome? Is texting allowed or no?"

    "Arkalee will know, so we are better off not doing that."

    "Got it, Hyunda. Hey, I''m a pretty good play date, right?"

    "I can''t deny it."

    "Well, you were supposed to. Now I''m hurt."

    Both of our voices were incredibly low but we weren''t being mean to each other.

    With the credits rolling, I figured that if I stood in this place with him any longer, then I would probably do something beyond clingy and in order to avoid that, I will have to resist and fight it out.

    Slowly, I erupted my posture and sat on my original seat on Hyunda''s right side.

    "I am going to spend all afternoon crying."

    "I figured so."

    "I will probably feel quite empty in the upcoming week, but I''ll have something to constantly think about."

    "If I were to say you don''t have to try to find a solution to this dilemma, then would you hate me for it?"

    "Yes~~ I would very much hate you. Oh, also, if you screw up I will cut your balls off. It''s pretty obvious we are all riding on you."

    "I am greatly inspired to perform to my utmost limit now. Thank you, beautiful."

    As I felt my tears begging to form, I got up and faced the other way thus silently crying without making any noises whatsoever.

    I started to walk slowly to the entrance but Hyunda said something before that could ever happen.

    "I know you''re going to say no, but I''ll say it anyways. Can I watch you fall asleep like last time?"

    Awkwardly, I laughed out loud a bit uncontrollably.

    "Hahahah!! Hahah... No, no. I... No... I am not helpless, you know? I am already thankful for being part of your subjectivism. I''ll study both those concepts, including objectivism to see if I can breach a solution faster."

    "Even though someone with the capacity of your feelings is better suited for someone else?"

    "Hyunda----there''s only so much even you can understand and sentiments to you might seem like a way to manipulate others, but when it comes to me, even you have difficulties. That already means a lot to me because you took my feelings seriously today. If I were to ask for anything more out of you know without that solution I''m speaking of, everything would be ruined. That''s why it''s fine!"

    Though I was already walking away from him, I didn''t want him to chase after me. I wanted him to remain where he was so I could go back to my dorm and enter my phase of depression in my room all alone.

    Then, once I recovered a bit, I would think and think and think and think how to make our relationship possible.

    That''s why I didn''t want to have to deal with a tight hug like this from behind. A hug that could capture every ounce of my emotions and feel my tremebling body as my fragile mental state wants me to get attached as soon as possible.

    "Don''t get attached--- resist--- but if you ever feel like it''s not worth it, then---"

    "Shut uupppppp! Hahaha---you''re supposed to motivate me, not destroy my confidence! Dummyyyy! Let go of me already! Hahah!"

    I began to painfully laugh whilst my trembling body could barely find the strength to go on, even after Hyunda slowly released his arms from me.

    In my bag, there was the vote sheet with Hyunda''s votes in there.

    As for me, I was grateful for not feeling empty anymore.

    An encounter by chance. Yet I like to think that even if I wasn''t tasked with handling this sheet back to its owner that somewhere along the way, Hyunda and I would still have met without anyone else knowing.

    All in all, I like our chemistry like this.

    Without having to rely on the support of others we can meet each other on occasions of pure secrecy.

    Deep down, however, I know that this secrecy is the opposite of what I seek.

    There has to be a solution to this dilemma and I will not rest until I find it.

    That is how much I love the person known as Hajime Hyunda.

 Volume 22 - Chapter 149: Tell Me Your World.

    At first, I thought that even if the odds were rather... elusive, that I wouldn''t stand a chance. The tournament that didn''t even last a full day revolved around IQ tests and considering how many intellectual individuals there are in this school, out of 2137 students, I wouldn''t expect to place in the 204th place.

    Inside my dorm, two specific bulky black-suited guards approached my room and with a noticeable heavy knock on my door, I was called out and found out that I was elected for the upcoming dream trip to a private resorted island.

    Truth to be told, I really didn''t mind the prize that came afterwards; which is the ability to travel to a privately resorted island. As a matter of fact, I strongly believe that nearly everyone in school participated because of the ridiculously high participation money prize that was a grand total of 50,000 yen.

    My senior, Percy Phoenix told us that as a reward for our great accomplishments over the years in our school we would be awarded as a gesture of solidarity. Which makes sense because we are constantly burdened with exceeding our academical standards, so it''s understandable why we are getting a rest trip.

    On April 21th, around 7 am, the top 499 students who placed in-between 1st and 499th are to be allocated in block A''s entrance without fail. Though, I am already a block A student, so that didn''t alert me at all.

    Percy also said that there would be separate private planes depending on the difference in classes. So, class A students would be in the same variety of planes except in a different number due to our classes differences. Meanwhile, the rest of block B, C, and so on students would additionally be in a different set of planes. It''s all quite well-thought out but out of nowhere. From what I know, Percy Phoenix is the upcoming owner of a very popular company; henceforth his enormous financial capacity.

    Nonetheless, as I laid out my bed freely whilst staring at my room''s yellow ceiling, I embraced doubt as I knew not who had made it out in my class.

    However, in the middle of this night, as I kept on drying my long black hair repetively, I got a phone call from one of my friends, Maya. I didn''t hesitate in picking up my cellphone from my bed''s right mini desk.

    "Maya?! Did you get in?!"

    Anxious, I prayed for a positive answer on Maya''s side and much to my happiness, it was one!

    "Yes! Yes! I got placed at 448th! I really did it, Ann!"

    Though there is a massive staggering difference in our finishing places, I didn''t focus on that and just told Maya that I was also successful.

    "Congratulations! You won''t believe it, but I got it too!"

    "That''s amazing! We can now go together tomorrow! Hey, isn''t it exciting?! A private island resort for us!"

    Maya was without a doubt looking forward to this. The idea of a private resort island was without a doubt a massive appeal to many. Furthermore, it''s a good opportunity to take a break from all the stress studying puts on us.

    Not only is this like a mini-vacation until the end of April, but we get to rest in a quality private resort! It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that this was like a dream.

    "Hey, Ann? Do you know who else made it from our class...?"

    "Um... Not really, sorry. Do you, Maya?"

    "Not really as well..."

    Both of our voices were drenched with doubt and a slight bit of anxiety. It would be nice if the majority of our class made it, but all in all, I believe that many of us will make it.

    So, I gave Maya some hope. through my words.

    "You don''t have to worry! Our class surely aced those IQ tests!"

    "Right, right?! There''s no way we aren''t the only ones who are going..."

    "....Yeah..."

    After that, we kept on iddly chatting with one another until we reached a conclusive point.

    My hair was dry at this point and I was sleepy, so I said Maya my last words before heading to sleep.

    Previously, before this call, I had made my luggage bag since we will be in a private resort, after all. There should be plenty of houses there, so I''ll need my clothes, naturally.

    It''s odd because Percy Phoenix said we would have everything at our disposal in the island, but even so, I felt the need to prepare something for myself.

    And thus, just like that, after all my lights were off, I felt the sweet embrace of my sleep as I wondered one particular thing before completely falling asleep.

    That thought; I murmured albeit barely silently, to myself as my eyes began to close.

    "I wonder if Shurit made it too..."

    The next day.

    I thought to myself that even though I had arrived prior to 7 am at the gigantic entrance of block A that I would be one of the first to walk into the scene, but there was a big concentration of students from a different variety of classes from all the school.

    In order to not make this confusing whatsoever, block A students were to be allocated to a respective classroom once Percy Phoenix would get here. With that said, outside of block A, while the sunrise approached all of us, it was evidently clear that once it was 7 am, we would be allocated to classrooms so it would be relatively easy to differentiate the students instead of mashing them all together.

    The entrance of block A was closed and even though there was a platonic big concentration like this, no one was disrespectfully glued to the entrance, but we were all waiting for Percy Phoenix.

    I checked the time through my phone and attempted to search for someone who I knew from my class. Of course, these were all students who I had a visible recognition of, but they weren''t by any means, friends. Sure, some of them greeted me and I did the same, but it wouldn''t go beyond that.

    My research was slightly unsuccessful for a while, but in an allocated wooden table a bit far away from the entrance, in the middle of a place where students could freely talk to each other without standing up in front of the entrance like the majority, I found some of my classmates.

    Firstly, I noticed Maya, my best friend. She has a bob-cut and has in addition, red hair, though some would say it resembles scarlet. Her cheery attitude is really something I admire as I am not exactly the most cheery person ever, though I try to be one in front of her. Her height is almost small, but it would be accurate to describe it as the average height for a Japanese female teenager.

    On her right side is Cindy, a girl with purple hair and two large twin-drill pigtails. Just like Maya, she has hazzle eyes. My eyes are green, for the record. However, her personality is slightly more cynical and serious towards circumstances, unlike Maya, who is a bit too carefree in retrospect.

    Lastly, mirroring both of them, there is Nihil, yet another girl who has magenta hair alongside a asymmetrical bob-cut on the right side with a single small hair strand sticking up. Nihil is quite outspoken as she likes to administer her opinion a lot, in contrast to Cindy.

    Maya, upon seeing me, greeted me from far away before I could.

    "Ann! There you are! You''re late!"

    "That''s weird... I thought that we had to be here at 7 am, not prior. Also, you could''ve texted me something beforehand."

    The rest of them greeted me per usual and we had a catch up talk until exactly 7 am.

    Although there wasn''t any notice, a concentration of students began to walk right into the entrance of block A, small groups one at the time.

    We were all on the table, seated, until Nihil spoke out loud to all of us, thus drawing our entire attention to her.

    "I think they are calling out classes one by one, so we should get going. I guess that we were the only girls who got into the top cut?"

    Maya then agreed with Nihil''s take.

    Midst this, as I looked towards the entrance by rotating my back slightly, I saw a couple of the boys from our class right there at the entrance. Catastor, Brionac, Gungnir, and Clausolas were right there, talking to each other.

    ....So he didn''t make it, huh?

    Eventually, we got up and went right to the block A entrance. From within the parameter, there was yet another student council member, Liyuga, calling out each of the classes one by one. Our class is C.

    Class C within the vicinity of block A, so even though we are at the highest vacinity, we aren''t the top class in school. Academically speaking, we are all extremely successful, though I don''t believe IQ tests are what should be used to determine how intellectually superior someone is. Because, true intelligence is determined by how someone with a high IQ utilizes their intelligence. So, if someone with extremely good academic results utilizes his/her intelligence in a counterproductive way, are they then intelligent or just academically indulgent?

    No doubt about it, but thus far, the only students who had gone inside the block were students from class A and B, so we were naturally next.

    Thus far, there were only eight of us here. Including me, there is Maya, Cindy, Nihil, for the female students in our class. As for male students, Catastor, Brionac, Gungnir, and Clausolas were within the area as well. We couldn''t afford to talk with each other anymore because Liyuga approached us calmly.

    Needless to say, but I believe that the majority of the school either likes or hates Percy Phoenix. As for me, I am neutral, but if there is one thing I am certain is that Liyuga is by far one of the most adored members of the student council.

    Nihil likes him a lot and it''s pretty obvious that she has a crush on him, that''s why she spoke to him before we could.

    "Liyuga-senpai! Are you coming with us too?!"

    She was bursting with excitement as she asked that, but his reply devastated her slightly, unfortunately.

    "That is not the case, Nihil... I am just an organizer and it''s my duty to make sure no students get wrongfully incorporated within..."

    "What do you mean?"

    Brionac, a wildly outspoken boy from our class didn''t understand what Liyuga was implying as neither did any of us.

    Liyuga brushed the question off though and got to the point.

    "Nothing---I will be commencing the call. Once your name is called out, enter the vicinity. Then, my other companion will accompany you. Are we clear?"

    Without attempting to deny Liyuga, we all collectively agreed.

    From my understanding, Liyuga started from the one who got closest to the first place in yesterday''s IQ tests.

    Once Liyuga harvested his thick sheet containing the necessarily names for this, his call began.

    "Lan Catastor."

    "Right here!"

    If my reasoning is correct, then Catastor got the highest score in the tests in comparison to all of us. Our academic abilities are fairly equal, all in all, so our academic gap couldn''t be too wide.

    "Claire Annette."

    "...Here."

    My actual name is Annette, as such, many call me by "Ann". It''s far more simple to go about it.

    Shortly afterwards, Liyuga continued to call all of us and as he passed the line of eight students to call, we all thought that he was done, but he wasn''t, which shocked some of us, the boys in majority.

    Clausolas felt the need to speak his mind about this as he murmured to the group of boys on his own.

    "Who else could''ve made it....?"

    "I don''t know... But whoever it is, is running late. The hell? Who would be so late on this occasion?"

    Although they were all conducting theories about who could''ve arrived late, they soon realized that there was only one person in class that despite being quiet and not relatively good at anything except getting sufficient academic scores, he is, without a doubt, an exceptional person when it comes to arriving late to anything...

    "Koji Shurit."

    From behind us, emerged the missing piece of the puzzle. His short black hair fluctuated nicely as the windy air passed by transiently. Half-closed eyes due to late sleeps were his main essence.

    I wasn''t expecting him to be here, but I should''ve arrived at the conclusion that if he were to show up, he would show up late...

    He remained at the back of us all without greeting any of us, thanks to his anti-social stance and simply limited himself to affirming that he was in fact present through a meek reply.

    ".........Present...."

    Shurit didn''t trade any glances with any of us and more specifically... he avoided trading eye-glances with me, out of all of us. However, he was quickly approached by the group of four boys. But not, in a positive way.

    Brionac started by forcefully hooking his right shoulder onto Shurit while making him uncomfortable in the process.

    "Yo, geek! Where''ve you been at?! Never thought you''d actually come out on top! What place did ya get?!"

    Brionac''s tone is fairly contrasting to that of the term "formal" and instead takes up a completely casual tone.

    They all began circling Shurit as he was forced to answer while looking a bit nervous.

    "....499th...."

    This type of reply caused them to enter in a brief silence before completely bursting in laughter. Of course, the majority of the girls also laughed and I had to go along for the sake of keeping an appearance.

    ....Why doesn''t he ever stand up for himself....?

    I thought.

    "Cut it out! If you''re done, get inside. My companion is waiting for you. Don''t hold up the line, alright?"

    Liyuga cut to the chase and the boys and the girls, myself included, stopped laughing at Shurit for being the luckiest student in the IQ tests. In order to keep an appearance, I can''t just go against what they are doing.

    Plus, Shurit is accustomed to this treatment. It''s not like he is actually bullied, but he''s mocked with consistency for being the luckiest student in class. Everyone agrees that he doesn''t deserve to be in our class and is exactly what everyone strives to not be. A lucky student who gets a passing grade every time out of luck.

    Nobody can stand such a person deep down, henceforth we all shun him.

    While we all walked inside the main hall, I purposely slowed down and matched Shurit''s slow rhythm of walking as he wasn''t accompanied by anyone.

    "What?"

    Aggressively yet meekly, Shurit fired a spear of distrust to me, to my utter dislike, so I didn''t hold back.

    "How lucky of you! To actually get in the top cut like that. That''s why you''ll always be mocked. Mpfh."

    As I then began to make my way forward to Maya and the girls, I heard Shurit''s low mumbling but decided to ignore it.

    "You talented freaks would never understand me..."

    "...."

    On our way towards the elevator that is in the end of the primary hall, we encountered a student council member right at the borderline of the elevator.

    She was widenly known in our school and even had a fan club in her honor, to which she adores. Her name is Yana. Her height is adorably small as most guys would prefer, though she is more in-between the average height and small, if I''m honest. Her dark hair is far more obscure than mine when it comes down to color intensity and she has a nose piercing. Her most noticeably feature is without a doubt the fact that her hair has six tails and at the end of them, there are white light balls with different symbols.

    Outside of that, she is constantly wearing a friendly smile alongside her admirable attitude.

    "Hello! I take it this is the bracket for class C for block A? Also, good morning!"

    Everyone except for Shurit told her good morning in return. The boys were undoubtedly excited to get a chance to talk with Yana as she is massively popular. So, it was a big honor to even be in front of her.

    Afterwards, as we rode the elevator to the fourteen floor, Yana conducted an explanation on what was going to happen to us, essentially. By the way, the elevator''s insides were not crumped or tiny at all. Unlike a normal elevator, it contained a wide parameters to it to the point where a student could stay at least five meters from another person and that''s already saying a lot considering how block A has about one-hundred floors.

    "As you might''ve wondered what''s going to exactly happen---it''s very simple! Each class will be allocated in a private jet as you''ll make your way towards the private resort! Once you reach the classroom, you''ll be guided to one of the jets! But, I have to say! I am jealous of this opportunity!"

    Brionac took this chance to strike a conversation with Yana then.

    "Why couldn''t you come along? Surely the exams weren''t hard for you, were they?"

    Lightly, Yana laughed in response, but in a cute manner instead of an offensive one.

    "Hihi, well.... Student council members couldn''t partake Percy''s little IQ exams, so I couldn''t become a member of this journey, which sucks! I really need a vacation!"

    I wondered why they couldn''t, but the destination of our elevator had reached its end and as the door opened, Yana said her last words to us before descending down once again to guide the remaining chosen students.

    "It appears that you are here! I wish you many, but many happy memories as this private resort is the dream of many! Mine included! Tell me how it went once you''re back! Bye-bye!!"

    We said our goodbyes to Yana and exited the elevator. Whilst doing so, Brionac and the boys began to fawn over Yana, but not Shurit, who wasn''t actually looking forward to this.

    It went without saying that Shurit most likely only entered the IQ tests for the participation prize. Something to note here is that the IQ tests'' reward could not be rejected. In other words, whether someone liked it or not, we were going to this private resort. However, I don''t see why any of us should object this opportunity.

    Shurit is a different case, though...

    Anyhow, we carried on and walked to the end of the golden hall and found a classroom door awaiting for us, but instead of a classroom inside, we found a private jet awaiting outside as there was a parameter solely there with the purpose of maintaining the operational jet in it.

    We didn''t find Percy Phoenix there, but we found a butler that greeted us in a kind manner and guided us to the inside of the jet. The white jet wasn''t enormous and was fairly small, which was meant to carry a small number of people.

    On the inside, we saw its luxurious appearance as it had food, drinks and even a living room, aside from the seats.

    As we all arrived, the jet took flight and we found ourselves enjoying the trip. We took this chance to all go into the living room in order to socialize with one another. The living room even contained a karaoke, so it was without a doubt, impossible to not have fun here. Furthermore, we weren''t being affected by the exterior air turbulence produced by the flight, which was nice.

    However, against all odds, Shurit limited himself to be on the back side of the jet. Despite all the possibilities to communicate with his classmates, he obeyed his own narcissism and stood on the back with his eyesight permanently glued to the window, as he glorified the outside blue morning sky...

    My turn to sing had just came up, but I told Maya something instead.

    "Sorry! I need a quick bathroom break! Take my turn, will you?"

    This displeased her a bit, but she nonetheless complained since she understood my necessities.

    "Okay... Come back soon!"

    Though I had gotten up from my seat cleanly, Gungnir, a bulky boy with a displeasing taste in his choice of words, made a comment in relation to Shurit to me.

    "Hey, if you see the oddball, tell him he''s not invited!"

    Not entirely agreeing with what he just said, I closed my eyes and flashed a smile while agreeing.

    "Okay!"

    As such, I exited the living room through the north exit. The truth is that I wasn''t going to the bathroom, I was just waiting for the rest to be concentrated elsewhere while Shurit was alone.

    By opening the door, my eyes went in the left direction and I caught sight of Shurit, who was listening to music through his black earplugs. He doesn''t like to listen to the opinion of others very much, so he instead listens to music.

    There is a more open reason as to why I know more about Shurit than the rest.

    While it is true that Shurit and I don''t openly talk, it wasn''t always like that.

    There was a time, not too long ago, where we were lovers. However, we had to keep it a secret. More specifically, Shurit wanted to keep it a secret because he knew he would get ridiculed from our classmates. He''s weak and very passive, so he''s an easy target for the rest to bully him, or rather; mock.

    Eventually, I broke up with him to which he actually agreed into doing because he said that he was something that was not even remotely close to what I will always be.

    In other words, he finds himself in the middle of extremely talented individuals and as such... having a talented girlfriend was damaging his own ego. He naturally couldn''t care less about how I felt towards him because he is very narcisstic.

    But still...

    "Hey!"

    I shouted in his direction, but not too loudly and he ignored me, as the music that was bombing through his ears was beyond loud. His chin was being supported by his right fist as he always loves to stare into nothingness.

    Subsequently, I took a seat next to him, on his left side and removed his earplugs, much to his annoyance.

    "I was talking to you..."

    He avoided eye-contact still and his eyebrows stiffened along with his facial expression.

    "Ann, what do you want? Can''t you see I''m busy? Go and sing along with the rest of the oh-so talented individuals who you are more familiar with."

    ".........I hate you so much....."

    To the very end, he still wouldn''t cross eye contact with me and lowered the volume of his music a bit.

    "...They wouldn''t mock you if you just-----tried to maybe be their friends?!"

    "To what end, Ann? For me to receive their pity? Your pity is already beyond agonizing..."

    ".....I wasn''t trying to pity you... I just want you to accept---"

    He then snapped at me with a expression full of rage as he bashed his earplugs to the right side.

    "Accept what?! How inferior I am? I don''t need someone to tell me that, Ann! I got 499th place! This is beyond embarrassing. You talented freaks overflowing with talent just breezed through this without a second thought! Haha, I bet you did it with your eyes closed! The exams that I had to struggle with are just appetizers for you talented, isn''t it?"

    ........It''s always about....!!!

    "Why does it always have to be about talent?! What about those that didn''t even place in the top cut?! Aren''t you more talented, Shurit...?"

    Despite the very fact that he is above others, he nonetheless will lower himself if there is someone else above him. That''s why I can''t help but be mad at him right now, because he is always prioritizing himself, in the end.

    Talent clouds his eyes and he can''t see anything beyond it. Not... even my feelings...

    "You wouldn''t get it, Ann. You really wouldn''t..."

    "I can''t get it because you never explain it to me, Shurit..."

    Sad, I cast my glance down while he looked at me transietly before talking back.

    "There''s no point... You''re better off without me and we both know it. Someone as talented as you can''t be with someone less talented. Stop talking to me..."

    "Fine........!"

    Containing my anger, I got up from my seat and left his side as he didn''t even bother to look at me again.

    He''ll always be the same, no matter how many times I try to change him. As long as he is surrounded by me, he''ll consider himself inferior; someone not talented and he''ll ignore my feelings.

    I don''t even know if he likes me or not anymore, because his ego is inflatated by a wave of narcissism beyond my control.

    Unable to decide to what to do, I got back to the living room, leaving Shurit behind, all alone.

    The next six hours went by without Shurit in the scene and along with the rest of my classmates we had the time of our lives.

    We then, ultimately heard the driver of the jet speak through as he announced that we should get on the back of the jet since we were landing.

    Back to the seats, we all caught Shurit sleeping, but he was rapidly thrown objects to his face by his male acquaintances and so, he began to feel the treatment once again.

    I sat on the front side and gazed outside and saw the private resorted island that we would be staying in.

    It was already beyond afternoon, but the sun was still nonetheless fairly tall.

    "I see a volcano!! It''s so pretty!!"

    Glued to my left side, Maya was admiring the view of the island and it was undoubtedly beautiful.

    I made an additional comment to something my vision captured at the section of the island where we would soon land.

    "Can you see the houses! They look brand new!"

    As a matter of act, as we closed in, we could clearly capture artificial houses being implated in the island''s parameter, which was odd... If it''s a natural resort or a private island, then why are artificial houses being implated?

    Aside from that, as we further closed in, there were other jets aligned in a small landing point on the east side of the platform where multiple students lied in.

    Midst this, the butler from earlier talked to all of us from the pivotal door.

    "As you might''ve noticed, there is a staggering concentration in the middle of the platform. That''s where you should all head towards as lord Phoenix will make his important speech."

    By lord Phoenix, the butler was without a doubt referencing Percy Phoenix, the orchestrator of this entire trip.

    Upon hearing his name, Maya began to blush in a playful manner as she was one of Percy Phoenix''s many fans.

    "Gyaaa, I can''t wait to see him! Do you think he''ll take his shirt off?!"

    "He should..."

    It wasn''t me who agreed to that, but Cindy.

    After a minute or so had passed, we safely landed without any troubles and one by one, we began to drift into the welcoming stage that was the tropical island. The air felt immensely fresh and so, I stretched a little!

    Shurit was the last one to leave the jet. Soon enough, we begun to praise how the island looked.

    "This looks so natural and lengthy! I want to explore everything in it! Let''s go! Let''s go!"

    Through Maya''s excited speech, the boys started to get some ideas of venturing the island on their own as they saw the beginning of a length jungle everywhere to their right, but our first destination was the concentration in the north, where the majority of the elected students where in.

    By contrast to what most would expect, it wasn''t just purely sand, as there was a podium awaiting for someone to be on top. It was a wooden podium surrounded by guards with black suits in the parameter.

    In my mind, I had thought that Percy Phoenix would simply tell us to enjoy our vacation here as we were free to do whatever we wanted. After all, that is what most of us, if not all of us thinks. There are plenty of artificial houses established already, so is it really wrong to assume such?

    But still, the heat here is a bit devastating. Nonetheless, I had another thought as we all joined the concentration of students who were mashed up in front of the wide podium.

    "Maybe there will be daily adventures where we will be able to explore this island one at the time?"

    "You think so, Ann?"

    "Yeah, Maya. For example, there could be tourist escorts for each class and thus, our time here would be way more enjoyable as we don''t know for sure what sort of animals could be on this island!"

    I was naturally referring to wild animals present in deserted island, but I am beyond certain that Percy Phoenix has something planned for all of us.

    The last jet arrived at our right side and from the looks of it that was the last jet to ever arrive. Something to notice is that on the left side of the podium, there is a slightly bigger private jet fully golden. It wouldn''t take a dumb person to realize that is Percy''s jet and we all clearly realized that once the shuttle opened itself and through that lengthy vertical entrance, the head figure emerged, which provoked a massive cheer from all the students present.

    "It''s him!"

    "Senpai!!"

    Not a single unhappy opinion came forth as we were ready to face our dream vacation.

    Positively, Percy Phoenix in his other set of clothes which consist of blue shorts and a sleeveless green t-shirt with his abdominals exposed, waved at the multitude of us. Not even I could help but fawn at his sight.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    In addition to that, he had a red carpet to his path which would lead towards the wooden podium. All of his butlers which far exceed the number of fifty bowed down as the guards paid simultaneous great respect. There wasn''t any doubt here, but this person is authentically respected by everyone he encounters and ignoring his request would be unthinkable since he gave a participation prize of 50,000 yen alongside a dream trip to this island.

    No sane person would do such a dumb action.

    Still head up to his ego, however, Shurit remained apathetic. Not withstanding his sight, I joined the wave of cheers and begun to jump up along with the rest of the girls as Percy Phoenix reached the podium at last. Ultimately, he picked up his microphone from the high desk in the middle of the podium and spoke.

    "Greetings and first of all---allow me to congratulate you! Exceeding those excruciatingly hard IQ tests was by no means an easy task and even though my words might not be enough for all of you, you all deserve it, for succeeding my challenge! Salute!"

    Outstandingly, Percy reached a brack of red scarlet roses implated there previously behind the desk and threw it in the air, which caused many of us girls to fight over. Noticeably, I did try and reach it, but I couldn''t even reach the center as the competition became fairly strong.

    "It''s mine, it''s mine!"

    "No, mine!"

    I daresay it went beyond "strong" as Percy Phoenix had immensely thirsty individuals wanting to get a hold of his roses, so there wasn''t any use in me getting them. However, Maya was in there and came back to me with the bracket of red roses though with some bruises on her face alongside a messy hair.

    She proudly declared victory as the bracket of roses began to slowly deform itself, much to her sadness.

    "....After all that trouble...!"

    I patted her right shoulder and subsequently her head while praising her valiant efforts.

    "You''re still the winner, aren''t you?"

    "Guuhhh... Annnnnn...!"

    Borderline sulking though not for long, Maya swung onto my arms, however rapidly flew out of them once Percy continued his speech with a more serious expression on his face this time around.

    "This might be sudden, but there is something that contains a high degree of urgency that I need to say---"

    Although his initial words were calm and reassuring, Percy Phoenix struggled to say the upcoming words slightly but not entirely as we entered a state of nervous silence.

    "There is an additional event that further contains rewards for all of you alongside a participation prize!"

    That silence was quickly shattered by a bombarding outstandingly loud variation of cheers from all of us as we couldn''t control our inner happiness once we heard that there was an additional participation prize in it.

    This also caused Percy to smile radiantly and he told us to slow down for a bit.

    "Settle down, settle down--- First of all, the participation prize is---- 100,000 yen! In other words, if all of you 499 participate, I will be delivering in total--- 49900000 collective yen!"

    An even louder set of cheers came forth as none of us could calm down. Maya and I began to jump high as our happiness peaked.

    Unconsciously, I looked at Shurit, arguably the only person in this entire crowd, not enjoying himself. Suspiscious as always, he was marking Percy with a glare.

    But I didn''t care enough to approach him.

    In the middle of this, a random student asked Percy the question we all wanted to ask out loud.

    "Senpai! We will do it, just tell us what the task is!"

    "Anything!"

    "Senpai!"

    Percy Phoenix was beyond happy thanks to our devotion and then, he signaled a third portion of his butlers in a snap of fingers and they began to bring iron pillars from within the golden jet, much to our confusion.

    Our eyes were completely stolen as each of those pillars, which were ten in total had a tall composition to them. However, the most important part of those linearly vertical pillars was that once they reached the top end, they were incripted with a particular photographic description in them.

    More specifically, each pillar contained a picture of a person and below that picture, there where their names.

    Their names begun to be spoken in a low manner midst us.

    "....Tatsu....?"

    ".........Sagasuga...?"

    Many more started to murmor as they failed to comprehend why there were ten metallic pillars in total surrounding Percy Phoenix from behind, but he was quick to abolish such doubt.

    He turned his back on us momentarily and begun to explain what was happening.

    "Fret not, as this is a mere demonstration of what the task itself will revolve around! The event that will happen will be a hunt!"

    He then, with a snap of fingers, made one of his butlers give him a large metallic lengthy stick to reach out the top of the pillars with just a slight reach. All the way to his left, he begun from the very bottom of the pillars.

    Each pillar wasn''t the same in terms of height as their height was a continuation of the previous pillar from their left. In other words, the pillar to the most right is the tallest while all the other pillars to the left continuously decrease in height respectively.

    Starting with the first one, Percy Phoenix further explained what our task would truly revolve around.

    "Behold, Hiroyoshi Sagasuga! At the bottom of the list, this filthy criminal, through his unredeemable actions has achieved a length of 25 years of jail to go through!"

    A profile picture lied within the top of his pillar, as he was at the very bottom, but that still wasn''t the end of it.

    "Up next, there is Takeshi Kuzan! Holding a grand total of 40 years of jail to accomplish!"

    His voice was full of rigor, but none of us could comprehend what Percy Phoenix was doing by pointing all of that information out. On the other hand, by pointing out their jail sentences, growing after growing, we were... getting... scared.

    However, we wouldn''t dream of interrupting the very person who has blessed us with this trip. It''s unthinkable.

    "Following that up, Toharoh Tsudo with 55 years!"

    Although Percy Phoenix was speaking in a very high volume, some murmoring could be heard.

    "Kogami Akihiko! 80 years!"

    Scared as well, Maya had to ask the question to me.

    "Why is he mentioning all this....?!"

    "I don''t know....!"

    It wasn''t just Maya; every student present was growing impressively nervous.

    Nevertheless, without showing remorse, Percy advanced.

    "Akenama Kan! 90 years!! And as well, Hirakibo Tatsu!"

    No longer being able to keep in silence, some students begged to question what Percy was doing, even if it meant to step out of line.

    "S-Senpai--- Why are we.... uh---"

    Percy didn''t like this and responded accordingly.

    "Don''t interrupt me when I''m talking."

    Chills sent down the boy''s spine, he regretted every speaking that as he begun to probably think that his money from before could be stripped away from him---or even worse, Percy would unleash what he''s most famous for: the expulsion treatment.

    That was the particular reason as to why nobody would actually speak up.

    "Moving on, here starts the real monsters!"

    Six individuals whose jail sentences were already appointed to all of us were gone and thus, the higher pillars began to gain more attention. However, the upcoming individual was actually someone who we all, or at least, some of us, had knowledge of.

    He was particularly famous with the girls around the school.

    "Amounting an enormous quantity of 150 years of jail to serve; RYOUSUKE KAWAHARA!!"

    "What?! That Kawahara?!"

    Nihil spoke out in shock and Cindy couldn''t also help but to be shocked as she was one of his fans. It blew her mind that Kawahara was amongst the individuals who apparently had jail sentences left to accomplish.

    Regardless, Percy didn''t give us time to prepare for ourselves and moved to the eight pillar.

    "HAJIME HYUNDA! 200 YEARS!"

    With only a 50 year difference between jails, this other individual stood at top of Kawahara, but our minds fluttered negatively as we saw the other individual''s jail sentence.

    Even I couldn''t help but express my own shock.

    "420 years of jail.....?!?!"

    "Penultimum and not last, SAITOU RAYAZAKI! 420 years of jail to fulfil!"

    With brutal strength, Percy hit the surface of his profile picture carved onto the top of the pillar and then allowed us to taste utter confusion as he moved onto the last individual.

    What was weird was how after Percy said his sentence, the majority of us took it for a joke and didn''t actually believe it.

    "And, believe it or not, at last, DANIEL LEAD! This guy has a compilation of ten centuries to go through!"

    A combination of laughs and even shocked expressions came forth but we ultimately were awaiting for what Percy Phoenix had to say after going through all that trouble of pointing out their supposed jail sentences.

    He took a deep breath and then placed his eyes onto everyone present...

    "Right here and now, somewhere within this island, these abominations lie within."

    We didn''t want to believe at first and begged to differ a bit at first, as someone of the students in the front row begun to question what was actually happening.

    "..W-What....? They.... are here? Senpai, why...?"

    Calmly, Percy explained...

    "They are endorsed in a different educational system from ours and as such, they are deprived of morality and they are hiding in here. The task that I am willing to reach out to all of you is simple---- Capture these ten individuals successfully for me."

    Surely, we wanted to scream and shout at that very moment as what Percy Phoenix just implied was insane. Giving us the task of capturing any of those ruthless individuals was enough for some of us to instantly vomit and it truly happened.

    However, Percy Phoenix quickly spoke afterwards; easing our minds with something that would heavily contribute to our self-interest.

    "Hear this! Each capture upholds different rewards and I believe that panicking at the insanity of the task right away is not wise! Henceforth, I would like to briefly explain why I believe any of you should be open about this as it''s not as dangerous as it sounds!"

    With yet another snap of fingers, a enormous television emerged from behind Percy and we could witness security camera footage everywhere.

    Around 150 or so portions of security cameras were heavily demonstrated to us right away.

    "As you can see, even in this vast island, they don''t stand at advantage! Through my technological resources, they will have a hard time struggling just to escape security! However---I daresay that this is not what you really want to listen at all, is there? I can read your minds!"

    Percy Phoenix then proceeded to speak the thoughts that we were having at the moment.

    "Why should I do this?! Isn''t this supposed to be a dream trip?! If so, why am I going through this?! What is the point of this task if I am in danger?! To those thoughts, I will present each a solution and why I believe they are unnecessary! First of all, this event is entirely optional! I repeat, no one ACTUALLY has to do this on their own accord! So, to all of those who are afraid, by all means, enjoy your dream trip! Secondly, there is so much more to this than just a participation prize and each individual captured will uphold some of the biggest rewards any of you could even consider! I understand, however, the primordial danger this task implies! That''s why, on your command, you are free to utilize your own money to buy my services and hire any sort of bodyguards to accompany you! I would like to remember all of you that they are just ten individuals! With that said, do NOT be unrealistic! Ten individuals, DO NOT stand a chance against the might of 500!"

    "500...?"

    It was then, upon hearing that, Percy Phoenix announced his true resolution.

    "I will be conducting this task, even if no one else helps me on the way!"

    This further shocked everyone present as the majority began to admire his brilliant resolution and immense courage of going against ten criminals. Naturally, this already had sparked some of us as we thought that we would be doing this on our own, but even then, Percy was not done and he spoke what would be perhaps the biggest turning point for us as none of us could deny that what he would suggest would benefit us greatly.

    "The primary reward that each successful capture has is--- whoever captures the individual will obtain the golden way."

    Golden way.

    No one present had not the knowledge of this. It was a common dream that every student of our school had. That''s right, "had" because in order to obtain it, there are ridiculously high standards for it to be in our possession.

    "Allow me to remind you... What is the golden way? Some of you might''ve forgotten already, but, what if I told you, that just through a simple objective, it could entirely be yours?"

    In high hopes, our negative mood was quickly transformed into a wishful thinking one. Not even Shurit was in a pessimistic mood anymore as he saw this as the ultimate opportunity; once in a lifetime.

    "The golden way is a certificate to any job you want. Naturally, that itself sounds ridiculous, because only through various educational courses and years of learning, studying, and repeating, would you be able to obtain it! But what if! Just this once, would you be given the chance to obtain the golden way certificate just by capturing a single individual?"

    No longer shrouding himself in seriousness, Percy''s confident smirk rose the spirits of all of us in a superb away and no one present dreamt of saying no to this person. To us, the golden way is the reason why we even bothered to enter the school.

    Unlike a normal school that simply allows you to graduate; the golden way is the dream of many as the principal sees years of learning and studying should be greatly rewarded only to those who are deemed worthy of it. It has, as I''ve mentioned, absurdly high standards to it, that''s why no one really strives for it anymore.

    It''s a dead relic, if I were to describe it. But, this person, Percy Phoenix, managed to revive that!

    Just like his name, the golden way arose in us like a Phoenix.

    "ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?!"

    "THIS---THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING?! WE CAN OBTAIN THE GOLDEN WAY JUST BY CAPTURING ONE OF THESE INDIVIDUALS?!"

    "But wait... Doesn''t that mean that only ten of us will be able to obtain the golden way?!"

    The thought of escaping from the task was not our greatest worry anymore. Instead, Shurit, behind all of us, managed to gain the attraction of all students by asking that question out loud, which led us to think deeply into this.

    It''s true. Percy said that the one who captures the individual will be rewarded with the golden way so there is no other way except an all out battle. Or so I thought, but such thoughts were quickly dispelled as Percy cleared our doubts.

    "That is a wrong misconception! There is a reason as to why I split every class into groups and not just created a whole group instead."

    We then all quickly began to realize what would happen.

    "You all came here with your class'' group and as such, that is the group you''ll be with in this task. Allow me to clear the doubt here----Should someone from such group capture one of these ten individuals, the whole group benefits entirely with the reward! In other words, if a person from the group captures the individual, the whole group receives the golden way!"

    This changed everything! This was still an all out battle, realistically speaking, but a single person''s victory could very well mean that we entirely win as well.

    Unconsciously, in amidst this, I looked in Shurit''s direction from behind and saw a burning fire in his eyes like I had never seen before. Furthermore, he approached me and hugged me while nobody else noticed what was happening as their attention was fully drawn onto Percy Phoenix.

    "W-W-W-W.......!!"

    Too embarrassed and shocked by this unpredictable movement of his, my speech went out of control...!!

    "Ann! This is it! This changes everything! This no longer has to be about talent!!"

    Hearing such words from him and how he spoke about the golden way as a way to free himself from his egotistical obsession with talent, made me so happy I begun to tear up and held him more tightly than ever.

    "Y-Yeah...!"

    But it wasn''t Shurit only whose spirits were ignited. All of the individuals present couldn''t hold their thoughts and begun to attempt to start as soon as they could.

    Percy, reading their thoughts too well, spoke to all of us, giving instructions on how to begin.

    "Return to the jets where you came from and speak to the respective butler! He will register you alongside welcoming you with a grand 75,000 yen participation prize while joining me in this battle to apprend these rats!"

    Upon hearing that, Shurit took ahold of my right wrist and attempted to drove me away from the scene as the rest of the individuals went as fast as possible to their respective jets.

    "W-Wait! Shurit, wait! Shouldn''t we consult with the rest...?!"

    "No time, Ann! I already thought of a plan! I''ll explain it to you later! Let''s go!!"

    Roughly yet happily, we ran to the jet where we came from and before the rest could arrive, the respective butler from before was already on the door of the jet and he greeted us gently with a bow.

    Meanwhile, the rest of the others caught up.

    "Hey, wait! Where do you think you are going?!"

    Brionac was questioning Shurit with a mean look as the rest of the boys couldn''t really stand his upstart attitude, but the current Shurit wasn''t afraid of talking back, though he showed a level of stress beyond normal.

    "I am going to win this, without your help! Stay out of this. You talented freaks have no business interfering with my endeavor!"

    "What was that?! Aren''t you stepping out of the line too much?!"

    "Ridicule me all you want, but you''ll be remembered for all of your life as the guy who got the golden way through MY actions and not yours. Watch me, I''ll be the one to capture one of those criminals!"

    "The hell you will!"

    Shurit finally argued back to Brionac and he was eager for once which made me happy, sincerely. After all, if Shurit gets over his talent obsession, then he finally will be able to see me for who I am and not just as someone who is more "talented". Ultimately, he will be able to acknowledge my feelings, which is all I want.

    "Wait, guys?! We all benefit equally, so there is no reason for us to fight like this!"

    Maya tried to cut in-between, but she was quickly brought down by Shurit and Brionac.

    "There is! I''ll be the one who gets it!"

    "No, I will!"

    "Shut up, I will!"

    It was then that I noticed that they were basically shouting to one another very closely and that Shurit had let go of my wrist at last.

    While the boys stupidly continued to argue aginst Shurit and Shurit somehow found his inner strength to argue back, us girls, couldn''t be more disappointed.

    "Boys will be boys..."

    All of us spoke that in synergy.

    In the end, it didn''t matter who registered because we were all in this as group, though Shurit refused to cooperate.

    The rest was already headed towards one of the artificial houses behind the jet, specifically allocated right behind it, but Shurit had other ideas.

    He stopped me from dropping my luggage there and went on an unreasonable spree again.

    "Ann, come with me!"

    "Huh?! I get you''re excited and all, but hello? I am tired from the trip!"

    "........"

    He, for some reason, didn''t argue back, but looked at Maya who was ten footsteps ahead of me, venturing towards the hours alongside Nihil and Cindy.

    In a loud tone, he then said something irritating.

    "Maya, carry her luggage for her, will you?!"

    "Excuse me?!"

    "Hold on, Shurit! You''re unreasonable. I understand what you are doing, but----"

    He then pulled out one of the most coward moves in all history because he probably knew that Maya is a sucker for romances and as such, he quickly stole a kiss from me.

    "......"

    Us three stood in silence while Shurit blushed slightly. Maya, then softly took the luggage away from me and gave me a thumbs up while blinking her right eye once. Afterwards, she fled from the scene.

    In a swift of rage, I begun to throw sand at Shurit without speaking a word.

    "H-Huh?! Stop, stop! Stop! Hold on!! That was just a trick!"

    "...A trick...?"

    "Of course! Don''t girls just start to--- Ohhh noooo."

    I''m better off not knowing what he was going to say, but I started to run after him with all my might and found out that Shurit is actually surprisingly fast! After all, he managed to not get his ankle snapped through my kicks and I do taekwondo, so that''s saying a lot.

    After running around for a long time, we were both tired and since there wasn''t practically anyone there to watch our stupidity, he decided to speak his mind as the water begun to flutter all the way to our shoes.

    "Ahhh! Ahhh! Ah...! That...! That was---- my bad! I just need you to come with me! I wanna talk with Percy to know something! He---He said something about additional rewards to the individuals and since I already have a certain individual in mind, I need to know the rewards.... And... AND---I really want to get this done with... So we could... uh..."

    "....Yeah.... Uh...So you want to...?"

    "I think so... yeah.... I just need this and then we could go back to the way we were...?"

    "You think so... Shurit...?"

    "Y-Yeah...?! Isn''t that why I''ve been this unreasonable!? Will you just shut up and come with me?! Damn it!"

    "Alright, alright..."

    "Gee, thanks..."

    We then came closer and thought of holding our hands, but.... We ultimately didn''t do it because we thought to ourselves that only after we''re successful with our task that we should actually do such things.

    Midst our way towards Percy Phoenix, who is supposedly inside that private golden jet, Shurit spoke of his plan to me.

    "I was thinking of going for Hiroyoshi Sagasuga. He is the one with the lowest jail sentence and I am certain others will target him as well. That''s why we gotta make our move!"

    "Okay... But do you know where to find him?"

    "...No... That''s why I want to talk with Percy Phoenix!"

    From behind us, a familiar voice then emerged. We had imagined that he was in the private golden jet, but to our surprise, he was right behind us.

    "I know my name when I hear it!"

    "Senpai!" x2.

    "I also know spirit once I see it and you two are burning with it. I take it you want to start the hunt as soon as possible?"

    Shurit didn''t hesitate on confirming this and went right ahead with it.

    "Yes!"

    "That''s great! How many I be of your assistance? Remember, you can utilize your money to buy my resources. That includes anything, just between us. Even weapons, should you feel threatened enough..."

    With mischevious yet serious eyes, Percy Phoenix spoke his true mind. It appeared as if Percy had some sort of grudge against these individuals.

    "Senpai... Have they... done something to you....?"

    "Hahaha! Maybe! Who knows?! Either way, what are your names? Let''s start with the pretty girl. First and last name!"

    "Y-Yes... Claire Annette is my full name, but you can just call me Ann!"

    Slightly annoyed at my cheerful attitude, Shurit began to reduce his eyes for a bit though not for long.

    Meanwhile, Percy was baffled by my name''s origins.

    "Not Japanese?"

    "No, I am! But my parents aren''t so..."

    "I see! That explains it! And you?"

    "Koji Shurit. I would like to discuss my plan with you as soon as possible because you''ll surely be busy once the other groups decide to take action."

    Percy then agreed with Shurit and they began to briefly discuss his plan to capture Hiroyoshi Sagasuga.

    His plan revolved around waiting for nightfall to set out and explore the parameter. Through the cameras, he would hope to capture the individuals but surprisingly, for hours to come, none of them came into contact with the cameras, which was very strange...

    In other words, capturing Hiroyoshi Sagasuga through cameras was not an option until the individual actually showed up.

    If anything, most of the individuals weren''t seeking Percy Phoenix as much as I thought they would but were instead in the podium''s vicinity gazing at the cameras to ensure that they were in fact working and they were. Animals and nature conducting itself could be observed, but not a single of the ten individuals.

    Shurit then told Percy about the idea of how a nightfall search would be better because human beings naturally sleep at night and since they are not aware of what''s happening, it would be the perfect chance. It was also then that he came at the conclusion that any individual would do; it didn''t have to be Hiroyoshi Sagasuga.

    "I see. That''s not a half-bad plan. If you do catch one of them off guard in their sleep, what do you intend on doing, Shurit?"

    "I would like to immobilize the person. Do you have weapons that specialize in immobilization for sale, Senpai?"

    "Phew! You''re not afraid to go at it! That''s what I like to see! Follow me then!"

    "..............."

    For some reason I am not liking how invested Shurit is into this...

    But regardless, we had a common goal in this, so I just let it slide.

    As we followed Percy Phoenix to a vicinity in the beginning of the north jungle, we could witness a variety of weapons as there were ten guards on the standby, should anyone attempt to steal any of the weapons. All the weapons in store were beyond my imagination as it stretched to a variety of bows, guns, axes, swords, and so on.

    It was then that I came up with the question as Shurit analyzed one of the nearby bows and saw that it contained paralyzing arrows.

    "....Senpai, isn''t this.... Illegal...?"

    He didn''t exactly took my question with offense but instead took it rather openly. Which was far more frightening.

    "No need to worry, Ann! Everything is valid against those foul rats. Killing itself, is just a method of capture; after all."

    ".......!!!"

    The words that I wanted to spoke were stuck in my throat out of fear for this person as I wondered whether he was really different from the people that are on this island.

    "Senpai, how much for this?"

    "Just that? You know what? I''ll do the arrows and the bow for free just for your authentic initiative!"

    "Thank you so much!"

    "So, you intend on immobilizing your target from afar?"

    "That is correct, Senpai. This bow has a sight adjoined to it in the middle with great vision. Plus, it ignores night shroud, which is amazing... No doubt about it, but should I come across one of them, they are done for!"

    This conversation between them is actually happening...

    But, to my surprise then, Percy Phoenix''s eyes were locked onto me.

    "What about you?"

    "Eh...?"

    As I was indecisive, Shurit spoke for me.

    "She doesn''t have to do anything.... Since I''ll be successful, that will be the end of it."

    ...................

    "Looking out for your girl, eh? Good, good. Well the---"

    Going against their tide, I spoke my honest opinion as I took ahold of a small sharp knife for combat close to me, right where most weapons are in.

    "I will help him! He''s too reckless and he''ll be lost without me!"

    "....N-No... You''re exaggerating...."

    "Am I now? Do you really want me to---"

    "Okay, okay, fine! I get it!"

    Perhaps he realized that I was going to tell Percy that one time he couldn''t find his way to block A when we were block E students? I still remember those times, they are fresh in my memories...

    Reminiscing in distant memories made me smile, but then, Percy Phoenix said something about the knife.

    "I''ll have to cover 4,700 yen for that. Though, that''s not much considering how much you''ve earned recently, is it now?"

    "True..."

    Shurit was already fiddling the notes in his pocket as he handed the respective yen to Percy who afterwards wished us good luck.

    On our exit to the jungle, I began to admire the sharp edge of the knife as Shurit questioned my sudden decision from me back then as he too analyzed the sharp string of the bow with his fingers.

    "What went through your mind, Ann? No one will have a shot at this... I just have to play it safe. I''ll have you know I know a bit of archery, so---"

    "You can''t let your guard down, Shurit... No matter how much advantage we have, they are criminals.... Who knows what they could come up with!"

    "You''re being paranoid. We have no chance at losing here. We have weapons to our disposal, body-guards, and Percy Phoenix''s help to our assistance. This''ll be a piece of cake!"

    "....Yeah, you''re right. No matter how I look at it, I was overreacting. But why didn''t you hire a body-guard?"

    If we really are on the look for these individuals then it would be for the best of our interests to strengthen our defenses, so I''m curious as to why Shurit didn''t just go with that option.

    "Too many footsteps could ruin everything. We don''t need anyone else for this. Don''t tell anyone about this."

    "Alright, alright."

    "Meet me up outside of the house once it''s dark. I''ll give you a text. Let everyone fall asleep first and then, we''ll be out."

    "Got it, got it. And hey---you didn''t reply to that text I sent you six months ago!"

    "I will in a few hours, won''t I?!"

    Our usual conversation went on until we entered the house. In the first floor of the house, there were four rooms, and since we are four girls only, it made sense. As for the above floor, there are five rooms. I have to say that this sounds like something that was built on extremely on the clock, unless this is a massive coincidence.

    Tired, I then witnessed the afternoon set itself in dusk through the artificial glass.

    Maya, who is in my room, asked me the obvious question.

    "Sooooooooo---how did it go?!"

    "Er----Nothing really changed... Yet."

    "Yet? Ohhh?"

    Seeing her stupid smirky expression made me throw a pillow at her face as she saw through my intentions clearly.

    "He''s more than a selfish bastard, apparently. What would you know..."

    "...Oh... Well---he really is taking this serious, isn''t he?"

    "Of course, Maya. He feels isolated for being the "lucky" student in this class. This thing is more important to him than probably all of us and that''s saying a lot considering how much I want this."

    Yes, even though all this time my mind was really focused on it, I do want the golden way because I, like every other human being, have dreams. It''s just that my adolesence blocked me from reasoning anything else outside of the possibility of me and Shurit being back together.

    His stupid ego is in the way and if there is a way to destroy it, then I will help him out. That''s why I''ll go with his plan.

    Just like that, Maya and I spent the afternoon chatting with the other girls about this island and even went to the beach outside to have some fun.

    The boys came out and headed to the beach as well, but Shurit remained inside.

    Ultimately, dinner time came and the butler delivered us a luxurious dinner to which we ate as much as we could. Shurit didn''t eat that dinner, however, which made me worried...

    Midst the dinner, I wondered if he had fallen asleep until I felt my cellphone vibrating and got a message from him.

    "............"

    Without anyone paying attention to me, I lowly smiled as his reply to my embarrassingly clingy text to him six months ago, which was "Stupid selfish bastard, I will always hate you.", came as this: "Sorry that I can''t reciprocate your feelings of hatred. I will always love you instead."

    As I didn''t want to attract attention, I stuffed my cellphone away in my skirt''s right pocket and enjoyed dinner with the rest.

    Hours after, midnight came.

    Outside, the sun was no longer up as the moon rose to full height. It was a full moon; so to speak.

    Admitedly, it was slightly chillier than usual, so I brought an additional jacket and stood outside for a while only to then three minutes later, encounter Shurit who came through the frontal door.

    He was wearing a hoodie jacket as well, for masking purposes while carrying his bow and arrows on his back. There was a supportive string that allowed him to pack his bow onto his back rather easily, so he went with that.

    As for me, I hid my knife on the edge of the back of my skirt while covering it up with my jacket, so no one could notice.

    "Cold.... Anyway, shall we?"

    "Yup! This is so exciting! Just the two of us, in the middle of the night! This almost feels like a...."

    "............." x2.

    Perhaps I was too bold with that as we felt slightly embarrassed as consequence. And, in order to brush that off, Shurit had to talk about his path of action.

    "We are on the south of the island and as such, we will go north way. They should not be aware of what we are doing and if they are in a group, then we will just report their location and not continue the hunt. If---we spot a single one of them, I will strike him down from afar. With that said, don''t go somewhere else without me..."

    "Oki. Anything else I should be aware of?"

    "...If we get separated, then shout my name as I will shout yours. Just in worst case scenario."

    ".........Why are you...."

    "It''s just if we do get separated, Ann....."

    "............."

    Suddenly, I started to really wonder what I would do if he disappeared on me out of nowhere.... Would I panic beyond my capacity?

    Either way, we started to walk into the jungle and with a flash lantern of his, Shurit guided the way pretty clearly without speaking anything at all.

    To that, I was a bit mad.

    "....Are we just not going to talk at all?"

    "...What are we supposed to talk about...?"

    "....Your problems? I swear you have no personality sometimes, Shurit."

    He was ahead of me leading the way, but I could tell that he was pretty focused in contrast to my carefree attitude.

    Realistically, I was pretty positive when it comes to the possibility of not finding any of these criminals. Furthermore, we have weapons and they are probably deprived of food, so I don''t really have anything to worry about.

    "You already know my problems, Ann... I can''t stand talented people who have it easy all the time..."

    "...Do you realize how much you''ve hurt me by upholding that perspective...?"

    "...What?"

    He turned off the light of his lantern and then silently faced my way. We couldn''t see each other''s faces clear enough because some lianas were blocking the moonlight, so he couldn''t see my griefing expression, but since he is obtuse about my feelings, there is no other way here.

    "You argue that everyone else is more talented than you, but maybe, but just MAYBE, I never cared about talent and all that and genuinely loved you back then...! It''s painful how you can''t see anything beyond that inferiority complex of yours... That''s why they mock you so often!"

    ".........You could''ve just told me that then! I wouldn''t have misunderstood things all along! I thought you broke up with me because I wasn''t as talented as the rest..."

    "Huuuh?!"

    "How was that not it, Ann?! Why else did you break up with me?!"

    I seriously can''t believe this obtuse oddball mistook what had happened for that! Now I know why he has distanced himself so much from me over these past six months...

    "...I just couldn''t stand feeding your ego anymore as you begun to see me as yet another "talented" individual in your mind. And talented individuals to you are subjected to your dislike... So I didn''t want you to dislike me..."

    "..........Are you serious....?"

    "....Yeah... The thought of you hating me, really.... would tear me apart. I''m sorry... that you had to know like this...."

    "..............."

    Without speaking for a while, we made silence and then Shurit turned the lights on again, in the north direction thus marching again.

    Silently, I followed him too but didn''t force him to talk.

    "I------"

    Struggling to speak, Shurit was about to say something, but he quickly took it back.

    "Forget it..."

    "......No... Say it..."

    "...Alright...."

    He once again turned the lights off and faced my direction in the middle of the dark.

    "I really wanted all this time for us to just be friends. But that would be too sad. I thought that I wouldn''t mind it, but I would be destroyed. However, if you didn''t like me anymore, that would be fine and I could take it all on the inside. Though----I harbor doubts in regards to that. I---- am not sure if I even want to view others as talented anymore. Because, if viewing others as talented can conflict with how I feel about you, then I don''t want it!"

    "................"

    "After this is done---Ann---let''s stay together forever. Nothing will stop me this time. I promise..."

    "...You better mean it... Also, give me the lantern!"

    "Huh?!"

    "Just give it to me! You''ll be on the back this time!"

    "Why----Oh..."

    A transient ray of moonlight, this time around, unfairly invaded the surface of my face and as such, the highlights of my tears began to show form, which was enough for Shurit to understand what was actually going on.

    Comprehending this, he softly handed me the lantern to my hands.

    Before I could turn the lights on, he gave me a surprising hug from behind while whispering words to my left ear.

    "....I''m sorry..."

    "........It''s fine... I should also apologize, Shurit. Laughing at you for the sake of my appearance really was immature. And if in the future you have a backbone to pick with them, I''ll support you..."

    "..............I love...."

    "....Not yet...."

    Only afterwards...

    "...Alright...."

    Basking under the precious moonlight, we then headed towards the north direction as our footsteps were the only thing that we really could hear.

    We weren''t talking to each other as each moment of silence felt gracious and wrong to interrupt with unnecessary dialouge.

    The power of silence had never really been relevant to me, but it''s only at moments like this that I am able to harness its power.

    ".............."

    On the north edge, the sight of a gigantic lake was visible to us. That dark blue lake was being honored by the illuminating moonlight.

    As we walked in its direction from afar still, I began to talk.

    "The other day, I had a dream. On my birthday, which would be June 1st, you would ask me on a date as a birthday gift. Did you know? I would reject you and make you go through a heavy phase of depression. But, in reality, on November 27th, your birthday, I would do the exact same thing you did, in hope you would reject me too. For some reason, I believe we would do this for years to come and would remain single until we eventually got tired of doing this and eventually---We would have enough and just settled despite our differences, you know?"

    Still, despite my words, Shurit didn''t speak a word, which was exactly what I wanted.

    I wanted to let some thoughts out of my mind as we reached close to the lake beyond.

    "You wanna know something as well? Back then, when we were block E students, I wasn''t really that motivated to climb up. I lacked the motivation back then. Where we started, yeah? Well, you might be wondering how I was able to break out of it, but it was you. Nobody in our class was trying but you got all the high scores through hard-work and carried us on your back all the way until block A. I then think---somewhere along the way you started to become tired and unconsciously put the blame on others for being too talented to relieve some stress that you had stored up inside you."

    At last, we then reached the lake and I was already taking up the lead in the path, so I didn''t bother to look at Shurit from behind.

    "In reality, you are the best because you don''t need talent unlike us. Hard-working individuals are the rarest to find because the truth is, talented freaks, as you''ve said, are spreading everywhere and it''s relatively boring! Thats why you are an interesting person, Shurit. You---"

    Out of instinct, I then looked behind me to direct my words to Shurit. The words I wanted to convey the most as they were the thoughts I had accumulated for the longest time.

    However...

    Even though the moonlight rays inserting themselves onto the beginning of the jungle, I couldn''t find Shurit everywhere.

    I didn''t panic and thought that this was just a prank of his and that he was taking advantage of my emotional speech to cause me to overreact.

    "Haha, very funny! But that''s not gonna work! I can read you like a book, Shurit! If you don''t show up in less than a minute, I won''t talk to you for a month straight!"

    He might act cold but he''s the type of person who would only lay down his guard for one person only. In this case; me.

    In other words, I win this one. So, without moving an inch, I stood there as a single minute passed by.

    Then.... another one...

    Suddenly, my body began to tremble a bit, albeit my resistance at first...

    ".....Uh, Shurit...? You are there, right...? I am serious.... Answer me..."

    However I differed my stance, it didn''t matter. No voice was coming forth, which made me realize that he had disappeared. That sudden realization broke me down quickly on inside as I instinctively began to shout his name out loud.

    "Shurit?! Where are you?! You said that if we were lost we would shout each other''s name, so shout mine! Shurit!"

    Panicking as no voice came forward, I went back on the dark path which suddenly became more frightening without Shurit. Walking into that path felt like walking into a horror house that you thought you knew everything about yet as soon as you would step on it, you''d think to yourself that you knew nothing at all.

    My breaths became irregular as I continuously shouted his name in pure terror.

    "Shurit, please answer me! I''m lonely and I need you! ...Shurit!!! Where are you?! All you have too do is shout Ann! Why aren''t you doing it, Shurit?!"

    With my hands adjoined to the corners of my mouth in order to create more vocal sound, I failed to notice the liana in the jungle''s ground which made me trip onto the muddy ground.

    "Ow!!"

    My right knee became injured right away but despite that, I persisted on shouting Shurit''s name out loud.

    "Shurit! Shurit...!!! Where... are... you...?!"

    Like a crybaby, tears ran rampant on my face like a river in a storm. My eyes were startled briefly and just as I thought all hope was lost, I heard footsteps within the parameter approaching from ahead of me.

    Without any sort of hesitation, I looked forward and caught the glimpse of someone walking....

    "....Shurit.....? That''s.... you, right.....?"

    However....... The person didn''t speak at all, which frightened me with horror and as such, I reached out to the knife in my skirt swiftly while also elevating my posture in spite of my injured knee.

    If Shurit is done for, then I will----

    "Bastard!! What have you done to---- Shurit....?"

    My rapid knife swing was interrupted by Shurit''s hand and so, a bleeding began in his right palm because he took a strong hold of the knife''s entire edge by himself.

    The first thing that made me tell that he was Shurit for sure was his black hair as it was the exact as Shurit. That short length and random spikes on the top were exactly like him. Then, the moonlight gave me a more brighter image of him as I thought to myself that was Shurit for sure.

    I was not sure however, until I heard his voice.

    "Koji Shurit. That''s my name, isn''t it?"

    As soon as I heard his voice, I dropped the hold on my knife and rejoiced as I saw that Shurit was not in danger.

    "Shurit!! Shurit! It''s you!"

    "Mhm. Now, do you remember who you are? What is your name?"

    He''s lightly smiling.

    Plus, his eyes are entirely condescending.

    "Haha---that wasn''t fair---you could''ve told me you were about to pull a prank of this level--"

    "Do you remember your name?"

    "What''s with that question?! It''s Ann! Claire Annette!"

    "Ah, I knew it! Annette, of course!"

    It feels so weird. This is the first time he called me Annette.

    "Cut it out, that''s weird! Ann only. Oh, your hand! Oh my god!! It''s bleeding so much! We have to go back!"

    Even though he was supposedly feeling a lot of pain from holding the edge of the knife, he wasn''t really showing any emotion. Only after I noted that, did he show a reaction.

    "Damn! You''re right! We really should head back and get this treated huh?"

    "Yeah! Screw the hunt, we need to get your properly treated! I''ll lead the way, Shurit!"

    Not hesitating and wanting to get Shurit treated, I lit up the lantern even though I had my knee damaged. Still, in comparison to his wound, this is nothing.

    By grabbing his left wrist, I led the way to him.

    "Thank you for leading the way, Ann. By the way, what were doing again? You said hunt, right? I think I lost so much blood that my memory just stroked out! Haha, can you believe that... Hah..."

    "You''re funny when you''re physically damaged, Shurit! We were trying to hunt down any criminal that would come in our way. Good to see you''re still holding onto that bow."

    "Oh, so that''s why! I see! Thanks for reminding me, Ann. Ah, by the way, who will treat my wound...?"

    "I will!"

    "Really?"

    "Really!"

    Though I don''t have any experience when it comes to treating a wound like that. I didn''t wnt to have some other girl to heal his wound, although I''m positive that a butler could do that, regardless.

    "Hey, Ann?"

    "Yeah? You''ve been talkative ever since you got that wound. Or maybe you''re too shy to admit that my speech earlier blew your mind? Oh! Why exactly did you run away again?"

    "I had to take a leak, of course. That''s not something a guy could tell a girl, Ann."

    ...........So that''s why....

    "That aside, Ann, aside from you, who could get this wound treated? I am not saying I don''t want your treatment, because I do, I am just curious to know what you think."

    "Uhh... I think the butlers can do a better job than me. I mean, there''s like fifty of them, so one of them will know for sure. Surely, there are also students who are taking medicinal courses, so there''s that too. In the middle of that many students, there''s no way there isn''t someone who doesn''t know how to treat your wound!"

    Essentially, I am positive that this will work out well. Honestly, a part of me is glad that I didn''t have to go through with the hunt. All I wanted was to sort out my feelings for Shurit and I was successful to that end and he was too.

    "Uh, remind me again, how many students there are?"

    "Huh? You''re forgetting way too many things! 500, if we count Percy Phoenix. He''s the one who gave you the bow and arrows, how could you forget that?!"

    "........"

    He''s probably really stressed out. He hasn''t slept yet and we did travel through jet, so physical fatigue is to be expected.

    And----

    "What the hell...? When was the last time you showered?! Didn''t you shower in the house before leaving?! You beast!"

    "Huh? I must''ve forgot!"

    "Seriously.... You do realize any other girl would just treat you like trash after noticing that, right?"

    "You''re not going to, Ann?"

    "I''m tempted!"

    "Haha! Just a joke, just a joke! Please treat me kindly from now on, Ann."

    "Mhm..."

    Now that I think about it, when exactly did he stop listening to my speech?

    Depending on the time, it could be extremely embarrassing because I am not so sure if I''ll be able to say those things again...

    "..........How much did you listen....?"

    "Hm?"

    "...I said what I said. How much did you listen to it?!"

    "Listen to what?"

    "Ah, forget it! You blockhead! What''s wrong with you!"

    "............."

    Maybe it''s better this way.

 Volume 22 - Chapter 150: Your World Is Over.

    Artificial lights covered the entire area with massive enduring pillars of luminosity supporting the lamps on top. Our way back was rather silent as none of us really talked about anything, but I was constantly switching back and forth in terms of capturing glances with Shurit and he looked at everything he came across with a high degree of curiosity.

    Although the entire student body was split inside their own artificial houses, the guards were nonetheless split into the vicinity and as such, the moment we walked right back into the area, a man in a black suit approached us. His height far towered us, as it stood per say.

    "Did you find any of them? If so, report to lord Phoenix at this instant."

    It shocked me a bit that the guard didn''t care about our whereabouts but instead about our journey into the unknown.

    "...."

    Shurit didn''t respond and analyzed the guard and the surroundings, which I found odd, so instead I answered back.

    "No..."

    "Is that so? I advice you to get a night of rest. Tomorrow, lord Phoenix will give an in-depth explanation about the additional rewards."

    "Oh, I see... I didn''t know that... What''d ya know, Shurit? Apparently, regardless of our search, tomorrow, it will be when everything begi---"

    Despite the fact that I melancholically was speaking to Shurit in a kind manner, he didn''t seem to care and began to solely interact with the guard on his own; firstly by closing his distance...

    "Where is Phoenix?"

    "I am afraid you are treating lord Phoenix with an unnecessary amount of disrespect. Refrain from doing such thing---"

    "Where is Percy Phoenix? Is that better?"

    Completely indifferent to the towering height of the black-suited guard midst this dark night, Shurit kept pursuating after being denied one time.

    His voice although the same as usual had a completely different mood to it. It was calm and relaxed. Far too immune to the current circumstance.

    However, the guard was not one to take lightly.

    "I am not telling you. You are to return to your corresponded vicinity. No more words out of this!"

    ...But then Shurit decided to lie... Which was something I never saw him do it so openly...

    He started by showing the bleeding hand overflowing with cold scarlet blood and spoke to the guard who was mildly shocked.

    "I was attacked. I would like to report this to Perc---"

    "S-Shurit?! What are you--- Sorry! He''s not himself right now! We''ll go now! Sorry for the interruption!"

    Forcefully, I grabbed his left wrist, but he didn''t budge before firing another question to the confused guard.

    "I still haven''t gotten my answer. Where is Percy Phoenix?"

    "...? He''s---"

    "Yes?"

    With more force, I pushed Shurit to my side and closed in on his ear while the guard watched though he could not hear our conversation.

    "What are you doing?! Lying won''t get you anywhere...! Your head is messed up!"

    "No, I need to know where---"

    "That''s not important right now, Shurit! Come on, before we attract any more attention."

    "......."

    To this, he actually complied and I was able to clarify something to the guard who was standing there, waiting for a response.

    "He needs to rest! We''ll be off!"

    "......"

    Silently, he watched us return to the house and Shurit also didn''t speak a single word back to me, which was infuriating since I could not understand what he was talking about.

    "What is going on with you?"

    "Hm? Nothing. Do you know where Phoenix is, Ann? It would help me tremendously if I knew where Percy Phoenix is."

    "............"

    Why is showing such an abnormal interest in his location? He knows that he''s allocated in the golden jet, most likely.

    "Think hard through your head, Shurit. You''ll get there."

    "......."

    Once again, he took a silent stance while looking towards the other houses. There is a horizontal line right across the beach where multiple houses are incorporated within. They serve as houses for the groups that are here in this island. Each of them have two floors and are exactly like bungalows from camping sites. Except their size was fairly wider and bigger. Lights were implanted everywhere through an electric line of artificial lamps connected all the way from the first house to the last, so it was hard to get lost despite the dark weather.

    Our house is one of the very last ones and there are about 200 or so of them. I don''t know for certain, but there are a lot and since we are at the very beginning of the horizontal line, we are quite far from it. Which begs the question: How do we distinguish our own house? When Shurit first ran into the back of our jet which wasn''t that far away from us at the time, during the time when he registered, our entire group was given an registration card so we are able to walk in and out of the house.

    Without it, we cannot get it, but what''s necessary to acknowledge here is that the card obviously only works in the house that we registered in. In other words, it makes no sense at all to attempt to utilize it on other houses.

    Still, Shurit was doing exactly that, right in the first house.

    "...What are you doing?"

    "I need to talk to other people. Hey, there are people here inside this house, right?"

    "...Yes, but they are asleep."

    "I see."

    He then put his card on his pocket and moved out of the vicinity''s entrance which contained the key card''s reception. Afterwards, he looked to see where the guards were and saw that they were all concentrated in the entrances of the jungle.

    With a fast rhythm, he climbed the three degree staircase and knocked on the door with brute strength which made me rush into him out of anxiety.

    "Shurit?!?! What are you doing?! You can''t just knock into their doors into the middle of night! Come on, let''s go back before we are caught!"

    I was panicking as I could already tell that we would be in trouble should someone come in, but Shurit was not caring at all and decided to ignore me while standing in front of the house door.

    "What do you need them for?!"

    "I told you already. I need to know where Percy Phoenix is. So, if you''re not going to tell me, then get lost, Ann."

    His voice contained a glacial-tone to it unlike the usual Shurit, but still, despite being utterly hurt on the inside, I didn''t want him to get in trouble so I told him the answer that he already should know...

    "I----You are so stupid sometimes! No, all the time! God, look there!!"

    I pointed forcefully to the golden jet where Percy Phoenix most likely is, all the way to our left, near the west edge of the beach.

    "I already figured it was there due to the high concentration of guards, but he really is there. See, you can be useful when you want to."

    "That''s beyond the point! People are coming down! What are we going to---"

    Without a shred of respect, he began to walk away from the vicinity and started to casually stride through the west. In specific, he was heading towards where the golden jet was, but I could not let him do that because it would be too dumb and I don''t know what he''s thinking lately!

    Something happened to him back there, but I have no idea what!

    "Shurit?! Let''s get out---"

    "Why are you still here? I thought I told you to get lost."

    "Wh--- Wh... You''re not making any damn sense, Shurit! Stop walking and face me!"

    But he still didn''t face me and continued onwards to the golden jet which made me nervous and paranoid as I was scared of being left alone in this night while having to explain why he knocked on the door, but he''s not alright...

    Plus, he''s not going to be allowed to Percy Phoenix at this time of the night, so I have to stop him before he gets into more trouble.

    "You stupid block-head!!! If you keep on ignoring me, I''ll never love you again!"

    The sea waves hit my feet, stone-cold as I shouted that with my eyes closed, out of desperation, because this current Shurit is someone beyond my understanding.

    He looks and acts... different.

    "...."

    He stopped his tracks and the people that had came down noticed that we were having an argument and didn''t bother to interfere much. I didn''t want to continue this as it was already embarrassing enough, but what took me by surprise was how Shurit came back to me and began to take my two fragile hands up to his while saying confusing words.

    "...You love me? Ann, you really, really, love me? You mean it?"

    I had expected a degree of nervousness or emotion in his words, but he remained calm nonetheless, which frightened me deep down as I had trouble coming up with words. However, I couldn''t deny it.

    "...Don''t you remember? Yes, I love you... So, let''s stop this and go back already... People are coming out of their houses..."

    "Alright. We''ll make love tonight then."

    "......?"

    He didn''t pay any heed to my confusion and took ahold of my right wrist with his injured hand. I could feel his cold blood on my yet warm hand.

    But what did he mean by that? He couldn''t be referring to---

    "Which one is ours?"

    With this many houses, it''s a bit normal that he lost count and doesn''t know where our house is in. After all, it''s an endless row, however, I know for a fact that it''s the second last one, because we were the penultimum ones to arrive.

    "Uh... The last one before the last."

    "Let''s hurry up then. Get on my back, Ann."

    He began to deform his posture to the point where I could put myself entirely on his back.

    Before I went in, I had to ask him something.

    "How''s your hand doing? It must hurt a lot..."

    "It doesn''t hurt. Get on my back, Ann."

    ".....Alright..."

    Afterwards, the moment I hopped onto his back, I felt a well-developed trapezium on his back and although I never looked at Shurit in a physical way, suddenly, he started to become slightly more attractive from a physical perspective.

    Isn''t it normal for a girl to like a guy''s well-developed parts; I thought. Midway, as he sprinted into the last one of the houses, unconsciously, I began to warp my physical senses right into his right arms and contracted shoulder and felt a superb rigidness in them alongside a cohesive physical structure well-implanted.

    Though in the past, Shurit had never been good when it comes to physical strength-related exercises except maybe running, I never noticed this. It was also then that I realized that I never saw Shurit as a man, but only by first-ever boyfriend and the only person who I had a "relationship" with in the past and thus, I never felt the need to compare him to anyone despite such a fact being present.

    However... As our adolescence grew brimmer and brimmer by the minute, I couldn''t help but wonder several unnecessary thoughts and therefore began to widely speculate what he meant earlier.

    ".....Shurit....? What did you mean by.... You know--- M-Making love tonight...?"

    Unable to show a single trance of hesitation, Shurit quickly replied.

    "It means what it means. You love me, right?"

    ".........Yes......."

    "Good. Give me your card, Ann."

    "..........Okay...."

    He''s probably being severely dense and only thinking that we are going to kiss and have a long talk, so there''s no use in digging into this...

    On his command, I passed him the card that was in my skirt and he passed both of our cards and moved into the house, so I no longer felt the necessity of being carried like this and besides, this would be my destination.

    "...Hey, Shurit? You can put me down."

    "No. Where is my room?"

    "...It''s up stairs...."

    "Yes, but which one?"

    "You''re the one who knows that, Shurit!"

    We were speaking severely low to the point where no one could wake up, so he continued to guide us upstairs.

    But then I felt the need to ask why he said no earlier.

    "Why did you say no? My room is downstairs..."

    "What are you talking about? We are doing it in my room."

    "...Do what...?"

    What he said afterwards blew my expectations as I then did not know how to react properly and instead my eyes grew wider in surprise the moment we hit the top of the stairs.

    "Sex."

    "........"

    Did he just...

    "Which one is my room, Ann?"

    ".....I''m sorry, could you say what you said earlier?"

    "Before my previous question?"

    "Y-Yes... Also, your room is probably the one to the far end."

    I pointed at the far end because although I knew not what room was Shurit''s but since he is heavily anti-social, he would naturally pick the furthest room isolated on the end instead of the one''s closer to the entrance, or so was my reasoning. And knowing Shurit, it was without a doubt his room.

    On the other hand, my mind was fuelled with a new sensation of nervousness as I didn''t know how to propereply react as this was the first he ever acted this bold and unafraid. Previously, he would not interact with me and avoid my glance at all costs, but now that we made up and began to understand each other again, it''s... normal that this is happening?

    This is... normal, right...?

    "I said sex."

    "You''re kidding me..."

    "I am not."

    Mercilessly, he opened his own door and began to take his shoes off with his other shoe as support and toss it randomly. He emptied his pockets which contained his card and cellphone.

    As for me, each second felt like a ticking bomb as I knew not how to react because this would be my first time ever and.... I am unsure whether or not I actually want this. Yes, I love him, but something about this feels wrong and rushed...?!

    So, before Shurit could turn around and put me in his bed, I spoke in my defense.

    "H-Hold on... I don''t mean to upset you but this is just.... Too rushed! I don''t like this..."

    "What do you mean rushed? You earlier said you loved me. Plus, you didn''t deny it back then. That''s very manipulative of you, Ann..."

    His arm strength faded and I could safely distance myself from him. But he''s wrong here...

    "I wasn''t aware of what you were referring to...! I''m sorry, but I..."

    I looked to Shurit, in front of me and his eyes were stone-cold in the middle of the night, but, although I expected him to argue back, he... didn''t...

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    "Oh, I see. That''s cool."

    ".........?"

    He began to take his card and cellphone back from his bed''s right desk by walking around the bed and ultimately also put his shoes on while I watched the whole thing, still nervous.

    "...What are you doing...?"

    "I am putting my accessories on. Strange wording---just my shoes on alongside with the rest of everything."

    After he was done, he walked into the door and pushed it in his direction to open it. What didn''t make the most sense out of this was that he was about to leave me in his room instead of telling me to go back to mine.

    Strangled by a sudden anxiety, I reached out to him as I couldn''t think of anything positive.

    "W.....Wait! I am confused! I feel tricked for some reason...?! I understand what you want, but.... I also don''t?!"

    "Go to bed, Ann. I don''t need you."

    "....? What...? That''s.... cold.... You''re not---supposed to say that to someone you love---"

    "I don''t love you, Ann."

    My heart burst into a thousand pieces once I heard that.

    Subconsciously, my body began to retract as I could no longer understand anything about Shurit. Everything about him started to feel like something I was not aware of and that scared me immediately.

    "Bye."

    ".....Shurit... This is your room..."

    "Zero difference. You can have it."

    "......That''s not how it works... I will have to go back to my room and you''ll stay here..."

    Naturally, I was crying and expected some sort of consultation, but he was being extremely cold-hearted for some reason...

    "...Shurit...? What did I... do to you...? Are you serious right now...? About what you said...? How you don''t love me?"

    "That is the gist of it. But you made a solid point. This is my room. Get out."

    ...................!!!!

    "........"

    My heartbeat was absurdly increasing and I was still unsure if what was happening was happening. My entire body felt like it could crumble at any given minute as Shurit walked right past me and flopped right into his bed with his shoes on.

    I watched him grab one of his pillows as he began to close his eyes...

    "Why are you still here? Get lost already."

    "....I....!!"

    I wanted to argue back and even at the worst case scenario cling, but I couldn''t find the strength to do so and as such, I attempted to leave his room until I found a reason to stay here a little longer.

    "...Your wound... You said you---"

    "I don''t need your assistance. I''ll fix it!"

    Enraged, he talked back in a louder tone than usual which stroke a void of fear onto me to the point where I was forced to evacuate back into my room. My rythmn was faster than usual and I didn''t know what to do.

    At the sight of my bed''s pillow, I slowly swam into my bed while grabbing it and then I screamed inside the pillow which decreased all the noise of a normal shout.

    "What is wrong with you?! I thought that we---"

    However, in-between the intervals of my loud crying, I heard footsteps from down the hall and I thought that it would be one of my friends who would comfort me, but the figure just kept on striding down the stairs all the way to what I would assume would be the entrance.

    "............."

    Wipping my tears, I thought that just maybe that would be Shurit, that for some stupid reason, was lying to me earlier and once I found the strength to emerge from my bed, I snuck behind slowly out of the house and looked for Shurit.

    "....Where...?"

    The rear of the north jungle is blocked by the guards, so I followed my eyes to the back of the house. After trailing there, I saw Shurit heading towards the side of the jungle that was not guarded by any of Percy Phoenix''s guards.

    I thought of shouting in his direction, but I then noticed that he was walking completely relaxed. I also thought that if I kept my distance and followed him that I would find an opportunity to observe his current behavior and why he''s acting like that.

    The Shurit from before and the Shurit now are completely different and something happened. Despite my emotional fragile state right now, I am determined to seek out a reasonable explanation about this as this isn''t making any sense at all.

    That''s why as soon as Shurit entered the east side of the jungle, I kept my distance for about twenty or so meters and trailed him for as long as I could.

    Shurit always kept a fast-medium pace which was hard to keep a trace of, but through the night, I still managed to keep him under my eyes as I tried to think for as long as I could why Shurit was acting this way.

    It was only for about thirty minutes afterward that Shurit drifted away to a different section instead of the long obscure jungle. There was a cave entrance in one of the furthest shores to the east side. In the middle of the beach lied such a peculiar location that someone would be undoubetely curious to know what was on the inside.

    Unable to keep my fear in check, I brought my phone out of my skirt and attempted to contact Shurit, but I was met with a no-signal factor and couldn''t perform my call.

    ".......Why is he going there....?!"

    I slowly started to feel a cryptic sensation as I knew not what was ahead of me in that cave and thought to myself that going forward could very well not be safe. If I had to describe my feelings for that particular cave on the furthest east shore of the beach, it would be like walking alone in an abandoned mansion in the middle of nowhere. A mansion containing everything under the topic of "unknown" and something that nonetheless shouldn''t exist under normal circumstances.

    Not even the sea was gentle anymore, as the waves kept on clashing with fierce strength beyond my reckoning.

    Furthermore, ignoring my own fear was one thing, but leaving Shurit in there, all alone, I--- couldn''t bring myself to run away this time and so, I walked the linear path in the cold sand all the way towards the cave. My thought process revolved around bringing Shurit back from that place as the criminals could be there and exploring this island on our own was very foolish.

    The fear of the unknown had begun to consume me very slowly with each fast stride I took in until I reached the cave. The entrance of the cave was mashed with rocky boulders of low dimension and the entrance''s height was fairly small but not small to the point where someone couldn''t just walk it while being met with a staggering opposing small entrance on the top. It was enough for someone as small as me to walk in.

    "...Shurit....? Are you there...?"

    As I spoke to the dark upbringing of this cave with nothing on sight, I called out to Shurit but to no satisfactory result since no positive answer came forth.

    Out of reflex I then lit up the torch that I had in my other pocket and began to walk the shrouded path with a tremendous fear in my system.

    "....I am scared and I don''t know why you are acting the way you are...!"

    I had to hold the lantern with my two hands despite the shakiness and tears in my eyes.

    Each step felt hard as the strength in my legs was fading.

    ".....I don''t know what happened to you but you''re not acting like yourself...! Asking for--- What''s wrong with you?"

    I said countless words as I kept on walking the very straight-forward path adjoined with several minerals to them. Furthermore, I began to spot geoglyphs in them, to my surprise as the crystals in the walls in addition revealed themselves to be green all along.

    But most importantly, I spotted a light source on the outside end of the cavern. The path was no longer linear and instead had a dead-end. While walking to that still faraway illuminated end, I spotted a iron-prison-like door on my left which was open, but I followed the path to the light instead because I knew Shurit would be there.

    As I grew closer to that end, I could spot a bonfire and two individuals talking to each other casually. It actually made me question whether or not they were aware of my existence for a split second as I stood twenty meters away from them still able to hearing their loud conversation.

    "He''s going to betray us, isn''t he?"

    "No doubt he will. I am beyond positive Kawahara will sell us out in less than a day."

    "What a fool. Does he fail to see the benefit of following the strategy?"

    "That''s not it, Sagasuga. He likes to hog on all the attention and so, it''s only natural for him to not take our course of action. It''s too linear---and so, we are going to be against two clashing forces."

    "So it seems, Hyunda."

    My body froze once I heard the names of "Sagasuga" and "Hyunda" as I recalled earlier back when Percy Phoenix was mentioning the bounties. The individual who is on the left side of the bonfire eating what seems to be an onion is Hajime Hyunda and the other individual mirroring him is Hiroyoshi Sagasuga.

    They are standing on such a dead end, but in reality, they are on top of a cliff where a bottomless pit below lies. At any given moment, with just a small crack, they could very well crumble below it yet they are there as if that''s completely not a possibility.

    "What are we going to do about this though?"

    "I wanted to see what he could do with it, but it appears that he lacks training so, naturally, someone followed him."

    Sagasuga then sighed.

    "For how long?"

    "Be patient, Sagasuga. Also---it''s not as if it was his mistake. It was more of a calculation. He''s growing bolder. Don''t you think so?"

    But Sagasuga did not respond and instead, Hyunda looked in my direction alongside Sagasuga as if that question was meant towards me. However, my figure was permanently locked onto the scene and I couldn''t deliver a single word except for one though very meekly and fragile.

    "...S-Shurit....?"

    For some reason, my question gave birth to a positive answer as Hiroyoshi Sagasuga answered it right away.

    "Shurit is right on the back!"

    "That''s right. "Shurit" is by all means on the back, you must''ve missed him, Ann."

    "Best of luck, Ann."

    They both wished me luck and I was even more confused as to why two criminals gave me the answer to what I was seeking.

    It was then, before I turned around to look for Shurit, who I missed, that I questioned how they knew my name, only to be met with the sight of Shurit extremely close to me, right in the front.

    "S-Shurit! You''re here!"

    Unable to control my vivid emotions, I hugged him back and he didn''t react at all. No doubt about it, this is Shurit. That height, that hair, everything about him is there, physically. This is Koji Shurit, the person that I am hugging.

    I then, looked to Shurit''s face, unknowingly, because he was not responding at all and I thought that something was wrong with this amount of silence.

    In addition to that, I started to feel a sensation within my lower abdomen. A very staggering painful feeling that would not go away and further expanded as each second would go by.

    "....Huh....? Why am I....?"

    My eyes kept on switching back and forth constantly as I was indecisive on whether or not I should keep my vision in Shurit, who is reaching out for something deep inside his mouth, for unknown reasons, or in my lower abdomen, where a knife off great familiarity is firmly put in.

    Shock and terror struck me not because I was evidently dying, but because what I believe all along was an illusion. Shurit took out from his mouth a device that had two to three wires on it alongside a small column of sound. It was basking in so much saliva that it was undoubetely gruesome.

    "Blegh! This was a horrible experience..."

    A voice that I had never heard before coming from Shurit tore my world apart as Shurit stuffed the device onto his right pocket whilst taking out the knife that I had picked up earlier from my abdomen.

    Out of weakness, I clung to Shurit as much as I could, midst despair.

    "...S-Shurit...?! Why did you--- No, who... are you...?!"

    Shurit was brushing his hair in order to deform the way his hair would normally look like and what I saw was a completely different person who coincidentally matched his height and everything about him, physically.

    "Since you''re gonna die, I''ll give you the general explanation---- Missy, that is not Shurit, but someone who has the same height, hair color, and uniform as him. The relevant factor to knowing who is who is their voice--- That''s why the device is there. Through the right regulations and after studying Shurit''s voice, by linking those wires to one''s throat, that person can successfully mimic Shurit''s voice. However, it was a risky gamble and it wouldn''t work in the long run because their physical descriptions don''t match. But, somehow, it worked."

    "This could''ve gone so wrong, Hyunda... We only had his voice to work with--- his entire personality wasn''t in our database."

    "Exactly why this couldn''t have gone for too long. In less than a day, he would''ve been exposed. So, picking someone with his identical physical traits such as height and hair color was the safer pick. Hey, Ann! Did the voice sound too robotic or was it naturally fine?"

    It was at that moment that Ann could no longer focus on anything rational to think about. Everything in her surroundings were confusing her.

    The fact that she was tricked into thinking that this figure who is someone she knows just by looking at his face and hair now was her most beloved person. Or the very fact that her abdomen is running low on blood as that fatal wound is spilling out of her gut.

    Ann could only wonder one thing as she could only think about a single element that went through her mind at all times, despite being in mortal danger.

    ".....I...Is Shurit... alright.....?"

    ".........."

    The figure who was looking down on Ann mercilessly despite his mortal action against her did not speak, as he began to feel a slight shred of guilt for what he had done to Shurit.

    Sagasuga and Hyunda watched for a while in silence, but Hyunda could not bear what the figure was doing and spoke in a loud imperial tone to him in order to wake him up.

    "Daniel! What is the first rule?"

    A rule that Hiroyoshi Sagasuga and Hajime Hyunda both had that was utterly necessary and was the key principle to securing any goal or objective along the way.

    Of course, upon hearing his proclamation, Daniel no longer had any doubts.

    "Don''t get attached."

    In the exact same cold voice tone that Shurit, who was in reality Daniel Lead, possessed, he faced down the mortally wounded victim whose life was running out of time.

    "Give her the truth."

    "It''s useless to run away from this as further delaying the truth will only embrace contagious weaknesses."

    Ann didn''t want to think about what could''ve possibly happened to Shurit in that time where he was gone, but as she gave more and more thought, it was strange all along how despite the fact that Shurit was the one who said that should they get lost that they would have to call out each other''s names yet he did not do that once. Even though shouting out her name wasn''t impressively hard at all, it meant that something incapacitated Shurit at that very exact moment.

    In sequence to realizing what had potentially evidently happened to her beloved, Ann began to cry beyond her capacity as snot fueled down from her nose as well. Out of fear, she in addition wet herself from her body fluids as it was too much for her to handle.

    Deep down, the truth was that at the moment she knew she was going to die, she was hoping that Shurit was still alive as she couldn''t bear the thought out Shurit dying.

    However, upon seeing the wicked smile on Daniel''s lips as he showed an extraterrestrial willingness to explain in sheer detail what had happened to Shurit, in the end, Ann''s body collapsed as the shock killed her.

    "My first thought was that I could take the skin off his entire body and put it in some sort of mannequin, but I also then realized that would take way too much time and so, I took out the skin off his face. However, I have zero technique when it comes down to it, so what actually happened is that I scourged through his eyeballs, teeth, ears, hair and ultimately, only his skull was exposing. Surely, I attempted to put everything in my face, but it didn''t work out! I had to then adjust to how he was. My hair is slightly spiky with three spikes in general, but he had plenty so it was hard work for me. I will admit that I was hungry all day long, so I ate his legs after I had snapped his neck from behind while you two were having your lover''s quarrel! And---"

    Hiroyoshi Sagasuga interrupted Daniel from afar when he saw that her body had collapsed on the ground with blood scattered everywhere.

    "It appears that was her limit..."

    Sagasuga showed a reasonable sigh and thought to himself how the other two were committed to extremes at times, as he saw Hyunda get up to meet up with Daniel.

    "How was it? Did his legs taste good?"

    "It fucking sucked, dude. But I always wanted to try it out. Also, I found out where he is. What now?"

    Hyunda didn''t answer his question immediately until Hiroyoshi Sagasuga erupted from his seat and went to meet with them on the exact same parameter where they are alongside a current dead body spilling so much blood to the point of dripping from the edges of the upward cliff where there is along a very lively bonfire, in contrast.

    "We inform Kawahara about how we were successful in getting information about where Percy is."

    "But Sagasuga, didn''t we previously come to the conclusion that he will betray us? If so, aren''t we giving him what he wants a little bit too much?"

    Out of curiosity, Sagasuga didn''t argue back to Daniel''s point and allowed him to proceed.

    "We informed him about how Percy was undoubtedly going to try his absolute hardest to destroy us. If Kawahara joins him, then their forces are doubled. Knowing Kawahara, he''s going to be successful since Percy is gullibable to opportunities. Now, I''m not objecting that we tell Kawahara about this since he will work with Percy, but we should add an additional factor to this. Something for Kawahara to make Percy do what we can''t do because we can''t be near Percy."

    Having understood what he was implying, Sagasuga clapped to Daniel, as a way to compliment him.

    "Good point! Something to know about Kawahara is that he''s going to betray our intentions, if I were to point out the depth of his core."

    Hajime Hyunda interevened as he had a better sight on this than Sagasuga.

    "Should you tell him something, he will most likely do the opposite. It''s quite simple what has to be done."

    "Yes, indeed. What else have you learned on your way there, Daniel?"

    The entire point of Daniel pretending to be Shurit was so he could undoubetely infiltrate the area to gather intel, but as Sagasuga and Hyunda had deducted, the entire infiltration could only go on for a few hours and it had to be during the night where the majority of the student body would be asleep.

    Daniel could''ve been easily exposed quickly as this is the first time he has done this type of operation.

    However, Daniel did manage to extract information.

    "There is a heavy security camera system all over the island, but it mainly just covers the more wide open areas. Furthermore, the area contains a variety of guards that easily exceed the number of fifty, so choosing to fight our way out isn''t an option. My time was fairly limited and I couldn''t explore what I wanted to explore because this bitch here was in the way. She was so dramatic that she wouldn''t even allow me to focus on the mission. I attempted to silence her via other ways, but it didn''t work out."

    "Haha, maybe emotional manipulation isn''t your thing, Daniel?"

    "No, that''s not it, Sagasuga. I''ll get the hang of it. Anyways, Percy is located in the golden jet within the vicinity. In addition to that, as you can see, the guy I killed was carrying a weapon and so was this girl. In other words, it''s very likely that we are being hunted down for real. One of the guards mentioned something as a reward so Phoenix is probably manipulating their wills into this by rewarding them with hips of money..."

    "Not quite, Daniel. Something greater than money. You can''t just buy someone''s life for an absurd amount of money. Waving war against criminals is insane and no reward would be reasonable unless that reward is something for a lifetime. I''m not arguing money can''t do that, but the reward goes beyond money for sure."

    In silence, the three of them thought for a while until Sagasuga was the first one to speak.

    "Percy can''t be in charge, no matter how I look at it. If he is, then the plan will be ruined."

    "It doesn''t necessarily have to be that way, but it would be very optimal if instead of Phoenix, Kawahara was the one leading them. Percy is not aware of the hidden dungeons."

    Daniel then spoke after Hyunda was done, establishing the core consensus of this conversation.

    "We just have to give Kawahara reasons as to why he should not only betray us but also betray Phoenix. He is reckless and likes attention. Essentially, they are both of the same coin, aren''t they? With that many people to his command, he will realize that not even we could face them head on..."

    "The hidden dungeons is something that Percy doesn''t know. That''s the factor that''s important to capitalize on. However, Kawahara doesn''t know what they contain because his memory is refreshed. He, along with them, has no idea. With that said, we take advantage of this factor and fool them into thinking that they have the upper hand."

    "Will it be that easy, Sagasuga? In the first place, why would Kawahara go to the hidden dungeons on his own? As far as I''m concerned, there''s nothing benefitting them there."

    "Unless there is."

    Hyunda gained both of their attentions and so, he spoke succinctly.

    "Kawahara''s main concern is acing the exam, don''t forget that. Furthermore, obtaining the components of the exam is something he will feel naturally obliged to do. However, their utilities are by far too random if they are put in the wrong place."

    "Hyunda, will we have to place them in their places again...?"

    Daniel sounded extremely bored as he would have to do something he wasn''t really thinking about doing. However, that was not the case.

    "Wrong. Remember, his top priority will always be the exam and we already know how to solve it. Essentially, by inputting the ten''s individual''s fingerprints, the door will open itself. He will have to go through lengths, whether he likes it or not. But, where is Phoenix in all this? He doesn''t give a shit about the exam. Their only correspondent goal is essentially us. That''s why their cooperation will be meek and ultimately, the massive number of students who are on this island won''t also go through unnecessary lengths."

    "What Hyunda is trying to say is that they both have to go through the same length of action, otherwise, our plan is very much screwed."

    "Basically."

    After thinking for a while, Daniel came up with a conclusion and offered therefore a solution afterwards.

    "We have all the components with us, so they will serve as a trading interest for both Phoenix and Kawahara. I say we give them all."

    "How?"

    "It doesn''t matter how, we will just put them in random places not too far from each other. Except, where we put them, we will tell Kawahara that Percy has acquired the possession of those components in the meantime. That''s not true and Kawahara will feel the need to instigate further. We will also tell him that Percy is using these components as bait as he knows that we need them in order to pass the exam. Phoenix is not aware of our exam, so this is a lie, however, we will tell him that he does know even though that''s not the true."

    Sagasuga, in agreement, spoke afterwards.

    "I am seeing the line of play here. Percy doesn''t know about the exam and when Kawahara asks about the components he will either think we tricked him or something like that, but upon seeing that Percy does have them, he will know that we didn''t trick him and will think that Percy is conspiring against him. This will cause Kawahara to do something drastic in order to strip Percy off his power."

    "The conclusion to take here is that we will tell Kawahara how Percy is actually plotting against all of us and that his core plan is to screw us up by denying us the components. In reality, none of this is true and there will be a fight for power. Kawahara is bound to approach Percy because he will betray us, but he also will befriend Percy through logic and reasoning. Of course, he will share his knowledge about this island with Percy. But that''s what we want, in the end."

    Daniel and Sagasuga, in essence, agreed with what Hyunda had just said.

    For their plan to work, Kawahara was beyond essential and this was a factor that was decided long ago, even before Percy arrived here in this island.

    "Won''t we need to draw their attention on our own though?"

    "Not quite, Daniel. Because it''s fairly obvious where we could only be---inside the sections. Kawahara already went inside three of them, so in his mind, they are perfectly stable environments and there is nothing wrong about them. Therefore, Kawahara won''t go there on his own. The logical choice is to create groups that serve the purpose of exploration. Without us, the exam can''t be completed."

    "Although what Sagasuga just said sounds nice and all, not everything will go like this and we will need to adapt. Of course, we can''t just play hide all the time. I''ve angered Percy and there are also rewards for us, Daniel. In other words, it won''t just be Kawahara who will be against us, but all of them."

    Acknowledging that, Daniel arrived at a conclusion.

    "Shouldn''t we go different ways then? Hyunda, you could be responsible for drawing their attentions. Furthermore, it''s not just Kawahara and his lackeys; there are more students to this exam, so it would be important to capitalize on that. Sagasuga, you''re good at manipulating others, so even in face of a tough crowd, you will be successful. As for me, I have something in mind. There''s just something I am dying to try. With that said--- Ah."

    Daniel had not realized that he was administring orders to Hyunda and Sagasuga who are ranks above him, so he already had realized that all of his words were inferior due to his ranking within.

    However, Sagasuga and Hyunda looked at Daniel not with eyes of defiance but with eyes of faith as they did not object.

    "Very well."

    "Alright."

    They both shrugged and lightly smiled as they both agreed with Daniel''s proposition.

    Hyunda spoke an additional line to conclude this conversation.

    "The line of play will, in theory, be what we just discussed. However, the way we harness the goal is how we decide."

    What Daniel would then say, would shock both Hyunda and Sagasuga.

    "Isn''t that allowing your subjectivism to take form?"

    "........" x2.

    They were aware of something that Daniel was not aware and deep down, they knew he was right.

    Hyunda whistled out loud while kicking Ann''s body off the cliff afterwards.

    "Good one."

    They then, exited the cave and followed their respective locations as the three of them had one goal in mind.

 Volume 22 - Chapter 151: &#x1F3B2; Extermination phase: Day 1. &#x1F3B2;

    April 22nd. 8 am.

    "Lord Phoenix, these were found near the entrance of the jungle..."

    In my golden jet, near the balcony where my bed softly lies within, one of my guards reported me an incident that appeared to hold no relevant importance, but as far as I know, something that doesn''t have relevance to me; could very well be relevant to someone else.

    "What are those?"

    Right now, I am staring at ten exact objects, each ones are different from one another. It''s not just a single guard that''s upholding them but far more than one. Although I had planned to initially uphold a general meeting in order to commence the extermination, it appears that my attention is occupied with something else at the moment.

    I got up from my bed, fixed my hair slightly and took ahold of one of the objects as the guard gave his answer.

    "We have no idea. It also appears that the cameras did not capture anything thus far... Could they be aware?"

    I answered without a second thought in order to eliminate doubt.

    "That is highly possible, however, they will be forced to move within the cameras eventually. Rats will be rats. Lay out fresh bait; they''ll come out of hiding. Still, what is this?"

    In my own two hands now lies a tablet with what appears to be an infinite battery; however, the important content of it is that it contains the map of the island. However, it is arguably useless since I already have the map of this island within my hands. I checked the back and it had a battery to it.

    Though it''s useless for me, for the rats, it surely isn''t. I don''t know why this was there, but the fact that they don''t have access to such technology like this already cripples them. Immediately after coming to this conclusion, I addressed what should be done to these objects of great importance to them.

    "Have them destroyed as soon as possible. Burn them down, do what you must."

    "Sir!"

    In symphony, they all agreed and exited my golden jet with haste.

    Once again, I was all alone under my own volitation in my own jet. To keep them with me could be dangerous since they uphold utility to the rats, so the best choice is to destroy them. It would be foolish and extremely unnecessary.

    Regardless, I did not go back to sleep and took a shower instead. After my mourning routine was done, I attempted to leave the jet, but was met with several guards on the entrance once I did so, while they were holding all the objects for some reason.

    "Did I not explicitly told you incompetent pieces of shit to destroy them?"

    I recall saying that they could do what they must with them, so it naturally angered me to see them in such an apologetic state, as they all lined up in front of me during the moment I started to descend the jet''s exterior stairway.

    "S-Sir... We could not destroy them! We attempted everything! We used weapons, brutal physical strength, and even attempted to put the electronical objects under the ocean''s water and it did not affect them! Please take a look!"

    My most loyal guard, Brutus, attempted to apply several martial arts techniques to a single tablet and instead, he was met with plenty of wounds created from the impact of the indestructable constitution of the tablet.

    On his knees, he gave his utmost apology for his failure.

    "I am beyond sorry for my lackluster presentation..."

    However, there wasn''t any need for this, since this was not Brutus'' fault.

    "Brutus, do the same to the other objects."

    I pointed at the other objects and ordered Brutus to do the exact same action, and, upholding his utmost loyalty to me, he didn''t hesitate. I checked the emotional reactions of the other guards to see if there was someone who was bothered with the degree of my action, since Brutus was severely injured from the previous action.

    Everyone, except for one guard remained stoic.

    Since this was happening behind the jet and there wasn''t anyone else to see what was happening, I walked the horizontal line and met up with the last guard on the most left, who was showing emotional guilt for what was happening to Brutus, as Brutus continued to be unsuccessful in his own endeavor.

    As our eyes met, I extended my right hand to the guard who was on his left side and that same guard handed me his gun with a silencer in it. Subsequently, I handed this gun to the guard who was showing guilt and issued his order.

    "On the head, left side. Don''t waste my time."

    Mercilessly, I issued that order while he then attempted to talk, but as soon as he did, the guard on his left side snapped his neck without a moment of hesitation.

    I praised him for that.

    "Good work, Gladius. I don''t need incompetence here. Get rid of the body."

    "Sir."

    I returned back to Brutus, who was not successful whatsoever. His hands were broken and blood was spreading all around the perimeter. However, I did not offer him a praise because he was nonetheless unsuccessful.

    Instead, I kneeled down and analyzed the structure of the objects with my own two hands and what seemed to be steel to many, was actually undoubetely indestructible. In other words, such components are not meant to be destroyed. In that case, if the rats have utility for this, I will lay down the bait for them.

    No, on second thought, if they have the need for this, then they will come to me and what I should do is wait. However, I should not reveal that I am indeed in the possession of such items. In conclusion, the right move here is to hide them and let them come to me.

    "Mortis, who were the top 10 students from the IQ tests?"

    Mortis, my second guard in command, an old fellow who was around his 50''s, still very competent regardless, took out his notebook in which he noted everything that was happening. Nothing out of the ordinary would escape his sight. With that in mind, out of all my guards, he is the right one for this.

    While the others were aiding Brutus'' wounds, Mortis spoke from afar.

    "Sir. In first place was Shiori Denko. Following her, Albaz Yasuda, another girl. And---"

    I halted my hand as I know those two personally and the rest; I checked them with his notebook, to whom I grew a like for.

    "I like this line up. Summon them at once! I want them all here in my jet in less than three minutes!"

    "Sir!"

    All the guards present gave their agreements and I exited into the jet. Inside the jet, I looked towards the objects in a grandious table in the living room of my jet; partial to my room and the central pilot room. This living room has sideways windows particularly way more large than the rest of the other windows in other jets.

    I wanted to confirm something with the top students as my own interpretation wasn''t quite clear yet about these items. And so, in less than three minutes, they were all inside the living room in my jet. None of them showed any signs of disrespect and gracefully bowed down to me in my presence.

    "Have a seat! No need for such formality! This won''t take long!"

    Brimming with enthusiasm and upholding a relatively good-enough radiant smile on my face, I greeted them.

    Before any of them could question what I was up to, I didn''t waste any time and as they all sat across the room in an horizontal couch well fit for more than ten people, I went straight to my point.

    "These objects... Do any of you know what they are?"

    Right now, I am under the impression that none of them are aware of what these are. However, should their response be positive, I will naturally adapt. Yet as of now, I am currently gazing upon them with the most serious of eyes in order for lies to not be constructed.

    The first one to speak her mind was the first place finisher, Shiori Denko, a girl from my class, actually. Her appearance was of great beauty and nothing could match the radiance in her long lushious blonde hair that outshone even the brightest of suns. Pale russian skin alongside gorgeous eyes, ultimately containing an extremely balanced body figure as well.

    "This is my first time seeing them... What are they, Percy?"

    She was undoubetely curious about the items and in response, I lightly laughed as I further questioned the rest.

    "Is this the case? None of you know what this is?"

    In-between confusion, they could not give me a positive answer which was already an answer for me because the fact that they do not have a positive answer to this means that they are not related to the existence of these objects whatsoever. In other words, they have no real clue of what these objects are and that gives me the opportunity to do something.

    Midst clapping, I got up from my seat and congratuled them.

    "Congratulations! As a reward for your brave effort thus far and in addition to placing so far in my tests, you can have these objects as a reward! HOWEVER, you will only be able to pick one! And furthermore, the first place will have the primary decision of picking one of these rewards! Such, will go on until the tenth place. Use your best of abilities to decide which ones benefit you the most..."

    By telling them that these are their rewards, they will believe me. While in reality they are actually obscure objects of unknown origins. There isn''t a safe lock inside this jet or anywhere, so my strategy is the following: I will give them to separate ten individuals under one specific condition.

    "Do note that you cannot reveal these objects to anyone else. The reason is simple: They are yours and in order to grasp the moral lesson here, you''ll have to resist the urge of showing off."

    Should they further reason, I will reason even further, but thankfully, they did not and instead showed me their thanks.

    "Thank you!" x10.

    With a clean bow, they each showed their gratitude and thus, Denko started to question whether or not it was fine for her to start the selection.

    "Is it fine if I start, Percy?"

    "Yes, Shiori. Choose well."

    My eyes were on her, however, it looked to me as if Denko had no doubt here. She picked up the biggest of all items. A gigantic cloud reactor with massive flasks on top of them. As she tried to pick it up, she realized it was too huge for her and that the flasks were undoubetely heavy so she asked me a favor in return.

    "Sorry, Percy but could I borrow your guards for a bit? They will have to carry this because I really can''t..."

    "Don''t worry, Shiori, they can do this on their own."

    "Is that so? I am very much thankful then. Put them in my room and do not get spotted, if possible. After all, this is for the purpose of the reactor not being spotted."

    With a smile, she started to take her seat again as I questioned her.

    "Why?"

    "That should be my question, but I am obliged to answer here, aren''t I? Well---Why, yes..."

    The corners of her lips grew a bit more sadistic than usual as she continued her sentence.

    "Aren''t rats quite vulnerable to poison, Percy?"

    As well, my smile became distorted as I realized what she was implying. Unbeknownst to many, Shiori has wicked methods but is not caught at all so she is able to keep her appearance.

    A far more silent individual then came forth as she was secure of what she wanted but knew not what it did, which was puzzling.

    "Senpai... What does this do?"

    "I will give you the pleasure of finding out, Yasuda!"

    Smiling back, that was all I said as she took an item from the selection. That item was something I had no idea what it did as it was a switch manipulator. I suppose the correct wording here would be that---our doubts were not what it was for, but what it did. Yes---a manipulator switch to what we had no idea what it did. It resembled a switch with no bottom fixation to anything.

    Skeptical, Yasuda thought of going back to the other items but ultimately returned to her seat now in possession of the switch.

    Up next was a boy. Though I knew him, he wasn''t very social and instead had a gleam look to his face. His hair on the frontal side was quite long but in the other sides of his head, it was short, by sheer contrast. His eyes were barely noticeable since they were covered by the brutal amount of hair in the front.

    His name is Yoh.

    ".......I''ll be taking this one then...."

    Showing no struggle at all whilst drawing unwanted attention from the female individuals present, Yoh lifted one of the objects; a dangerous lethal ax. Furthermore, he went to justify his decision.

    "......It would be awkward if this was left for last, plus.... I like it......"

    "...I see...."

    While it was worrisome that Yoh particularly liked the ax of unknown origins, he had a point. No one was going to pick a lethal weapon because the truth is that they all know that they can buy weapons from me and as far as I''m concerned, I do have axes in my disposal. What they are not aware if that my weapons can be broken while Yoh''s ax, actually can''t.

    In a sense, this could''ve been the superior pick.

    "Mhm... Mhm...."

    Fourth on the uptake and already choosing in-between the left-overs was another boy. His most noticeable feature was not his priest cut, but his enormous glasses. It was also fairly obvious that he was the class geek, who was from block B, instead of block B. Hiruyima Rokoro; block B''s top student.

    "Rokoro... You are taking way too long."

    It was not me who said that, but the fifth finisher; Youjo. Yet another girl, who had a far more explosive personality in contrast to the calculative Rokoro who was taking his sweet time in exploring the left-overs.

    "It so appears... Mhm, choices... Very well, I shall be taking this component for my research!"

    In an unnecessary geek way, Rokoro held up high the object he just collected. The object was scanner with a cellphone''s screen adjoined on top of it. No matter how much he attempted to scan everything in his surroundings, his reactions were only unwanted ones. A scanner of unknown purposes.

    It didn''t take long for the purple-haired who seems to be moody 24/7 just by the looks on her face to make her decision as she took ahold of a button switcher device.

    As she checked the back of the device, she made a comment about it.

    "There was something here on the back... For sure a note, but it was removed...!"

    "Let me see it."

    Since this was news to me, I had to came up with something quick as I had failed to notice that this rectangular object with only a button in the middle was missing something on its back.

    "It''s to make you think that there''s something that you have to know, so I removed it. Surprising, is it not?"

    Why was it removed?

    "I see... Thank you then..."

    Not demanding anything else, but skeptical nonetheless, Youjo took her seat back and allowed the sixth boy in the fray to make his move. He was bulky and quite tall. An expert in physical exercise and most notably; bald.

    Karlos was already somewhat mad for Yoh taking the ax, but he didn''t voice his thoughts nonetheless and took possession of one of the left-overs. It was a remote that had a mini-glider adjoined to it. However, that was it. It was fairly obvious that the remote would be used to conduct the glider, but the glider on its own could not even support a person, only something far small.

    Down to the last only four items to go, another boy strove forward. He is yet another one of my classmates; very familiar with Denko as well. He is known for his high morality and high grades. And, just like Denko, he has blonde hair though short and has a tall lean build.

    "Any suggestions, boss?"

    He treats me as boss in a funny way and since he is one of the few people I acknowledge, I did give him my insight on what I genuinely thought in regards for the items.

    "Go with the key, no? Who knows what could be for?"

    "True, true. However, I think I''ll go with this instead?"

    "Oh?"

    It seems a questionable choice as it has no visible purpose to me. However, Damian took it regardless. It could be a more questionable choice than the ax, but he offered me an insight instead of just silently retrieving it.

    "I assume you don''t have these for sale?"

    "I actually don''t. But on demand, I wouldn''t mind getting them, that''s why I don''t see the utility, Damian."

    "I see! Though, walkie-talkies aren''t bad, for the most part."

    "Just be careful since you can only get a signal in this area. Cellphones will not get signal elsewhere, which means that those two walkie-talkies shouldn''t also be able to. But, hey. Maybe not?"

    "Hm..."

    Damian then took in his possession two black walkie-talkies. To me, they are just childish and have no utility behind the usual standard walkie-talkie type of utility. But, Damian is an interesting individual, so who knows what he will actually do with them?

    If, they do decide to use them. As far as I''m concerned, it''s fine if they don''t do anything with them. The key purpose is to not keep them with me in case the criminals do end up coming after them, for some reason. This way, I won''t be in danger.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    I have with me, ten fresh baits, but they will not know which one of them actually have them.

    Anyhow, the eight individual to step up was a girl this time. She was arguably tiny and had two long brown twin-tails. She is, what many call, a prodigy as she is a new student from block E. Despite being place in block E, she has evolved over the year so much to the point of coming in eight place out of beyond 2000 students. Frankly, she is beyond praise worthy.

    "My name is Musi! You might not know me, senpai, but it is a great honor to be in your presence!"

    "Likewise, prodigy!"

    Her voice was that of a child, but she was already certain about what she was going to pick. She is one of many of the successful products of our school as it is natural for anyone who performs well within our formal environment. Unlike the criminals who are in our school, who could very well defy her potential. For the sake of people like her, the rats have to be exterminated.

    "I think I will take this! What do you think, senpai?!"

    "Ohh!! What an interesting choice. Certaintly; the item itself speaks high volumes. However, I believe it is up to the one who has it to make it even better."

    Actually, the item itself was fairly controversial because of its unknown utility. It''s two metallic bars and it''s nothing more than that. Cold steel as their colors with nothing else to provide. Frankly, they could be viewed as two bars for all they are, but they are probably more than that."

    "I''ll take it then!"

    Since the bars were somewhat light, Musi was able to take it with her own two hands, which left only two items to the table and one of them, we already knew what it was; the key.

    But still, the individual up next, another girl, did not take the key and instead silently took the other object and went back to her seat in silence. The object was the tablet, of course. Her name is Zwette and she isn''t very attractive, honestly. Her face is pretty bland, all in all and she has no beautiful qualities to her. It''s beyond me how someone like her was actually in the top cut. With freckles all over her face, her orange hair somewhat combined, but it was way too short and her huge forehead ruined all of it.

    Plus, her skin wasn''t well-treated at all. Just casting an eye on her made my soul bleed.

    Which then left us the last individual, however, as I got a phone call from one of my guards, I gave everyone present the halt signal and took the call.

    A report of most interest had just came forth and I thought of disbanding the meeting as the choice was fairly obvious yet I didn''t want to lose their respect by dismissing their opinions like that, so as soon as I was done with the phone call, I allowed the event to progress.

    I must say though, this is highly unexpected. It was not a camera that got him, but one of my guards and only because he was deliberately walking alone into this area. An unconditional surrender...

    What?

    "Senpai?"

    Rena, the last remaining girl who had no other choice but to take the key in the table, cared for my mood since I was spacing out in deep thought, but I rapidly went back to my previous mood as if nothing had happened.

    "Don''t mind me. Anyhow, I see you''ve taken the key. What are your thoughts on it?"

    "Hm... Uh, I... I don''t know... I really only took it because I had no other choice. Ahh, but it--it''s not as if I don''t like it! I think the design is cool!"

    "I see! Thank you so much, Rena!"

    My smile made her blush, as expected, as Rena is one of my many fans. However, this situation brought a heavier importance to the table and as such, I had to dismiss everyone present. I got up from my seat and made the room resonate with a loud clap.

    "That should do it! Now, if you''ll excuse me, I need to get ready because at 9 am, I will be addressing our plan for the upcoming hunt as surely many of you are already looking forward to!"

    There is a reason in specific as to why I didn''t act yesterday, but that will later be revealed. As one might''ve thought, these individuals here, would be full of fear due to the insanity of the task, but these ten individuals were a little bit too self-absorbed and their long dream of the golden way completely obstruct their premature fear that they had for the task.

    Upon realizing that they out-resource the rats, they no longer had any doubts in themselves and most likely, they will invest every ounce of their souls in coming up with tactics in order to destroy the rats.

    That''s why it is to no one''s surprise that they reacted positively to what I just said.

    "Hell yeah!"

    Karlos didn''t hesitate to get up and do a striking pose as he was looking forward to facing them off.

    "I have some ideas to try and who better to try them on, other than some rats on the loose...?"

    Denko was far looking forward to this in contrast to the others as her wicked smile grew wider and wider.

    "This should be a wrap!"

    Damion didn''t think much of these criminals at all as he was aware of our resources and how through the power of numbers and technology, we will evidently come out on top. To further prove my point, Rokoro adjusted his long glasses with a touch and spoke his mind.

    "Indeed, this could not be more beneficial. Percy-dono, I will be busy expanding my money on some ideas, if you don''t mind!"

    Child-like with a wonder enthusiasm for this completely never done before task by her, Musi was jumping hips at the thoughts of doing this task as she was not aware of what it could actually be; she simply saw it as competition.

    "I can''t wait! I can''t wait! With the golden way, I will be able to make everyone acknowledge me!"

    "Don''t get carried away, prodigy! I will be the one who gets the criminal first!"

    Challenged by Musi in an indirect way, Yasuda responded firmly and bravely to Musi, who lashed out her tongue wide open at Yasuda.

    ".......I would still like to appreciate my vacation here, so I''ll just settle for one. Let''s just get this over with...."

    "...True..."

    Yoh and Zwette had opinions that aligned with each other quite well as they were not really looking forward to the task only but wanted to enjoy the vacation here as well.

    "They are all dumb and will come out in no time! It''s impossible for them to survive in this environment for long, I tell you!"

    Youjo had no doubt that the rats would struggle just to survive and that if they were aware in this island without any resources, they would have to come to us, in hope for survival. Now that I think about it, his surrender is highly logical. However, he is assuming that I will feed him, which is not the case.

    He will starve.

    "I am astounded by your enthusiasm. But, I will ask you all to take your leave as I will see you soon!"

    They bowed down to me and took their new possessions with them. As for me, I relaxed for a bit until I made up my mind to visit a certain individual. I thought to myself and since no one really captured him, then there will be no reward for this.

    Furthermore, seeing a positive result already will greatly raise the moral of all the students here. This is beyond great, actually. Not only will they all be way more committed to the task, but they will realize that their surrender is an option as well.

    As I sank deeper into my couch in a lazy position, I thought deeper on how to make an example out of this and came to the conclusion that there is nothing greater than an early exposure. I had thought of visiting him in private, but I will, instead, as given already thought, make an example out of him.

    I snapped my fingers and alerted Mortis, who is at the edge of the exit.

    "Sir."

    With a very nice bow, Mortis was ready for any order.

    "Tell me something... In-between today and yesterday, did something happen out of the ordinary?"

    No matter what, Mortis will always keep a tab on anything and his eye is beyond keen. Absolutely flawless; so to say.

    "Students Koji Shurit and Claire Annette went to conduct a long hunt at about early midnight."

    "Oh? How amusing. I knew they were bold, but this is something else. They chose a time when everyone would be asleep in order to catch the rats vulnerable. Not bad, not bad. I''m sure they have very nice things to tell me."

    But, much to my confusion, Mortis'' stoic expression became that of a worried senile man instantly.

    "What happened..."

    "...They have yet not made their return."

    "Oh, what? Relax, this island is huge! They are kids as well! They probably had sex midway and are on their way back now after fucking each other like animals all night! You worry too much, Mortis!"

    "Your enthusiasm and optimism are too much for me, sir. But, as you wish..."

    Now that was out of the way, I went to the main issue at hand.

    "Where is he?"

    "Sir. He is currently in the designed prison for the criminals."

    Before all this, I had designed a mini-prison for the ten of them in order to avoid them running wild once captured and it was done it no time. It stays within this vicinity all the way to west direction.

    "Get him out. Chain him up in his wrists and ankles. Furthermore, have five guards on him at all times."

    "...Are you sure, sir?"

    "Why, yes, I am. Why, Mortis? Is there something wrong with my reasoning?"

    "If I may speak---"

    "You are, go for it."

    I heavily dismiss the opinion of others constantly, especially those lousy girls from their class, however, Mortis is a different person.

    "He was the one who surrendered on his own accord. There is something wrong with that. I believe that lord Phoenix should not reason with him since you are in charge of this whole situation... I also realize that you are probably not going to listen as that would be classified as "running away"..."

    "You got that right, Mortis. However, do not worry. He will be made out. As example, so to say! Furthermore, you and all the guards are not to say that he has surrender to us, but instead, I was successful in hunting him down last night."

    Not only will the glory go to me, but as already mentioned, the entire morality of everyone will be raised up.

    "I understand, sir. Do you need anything else?"

    "No, Mortis. Just get him ready and once I give the order, bring him to the stage, if you would be so kind to."

    "Gladly, sir. If you''ll excuse me."

    At last leaving, Mortis gave me solitude as I took that opportunity to perform everything at my disposal to look even better in front of the upcoming crowd. I took a glance outside and saw the gathering of many students, who were awaiting for my presence.

    As soon as I walked out of the jet, I gazed upon the clean cerulean sky and the morning sun on the east side emerging to this sky that is worthy of my presence. A wooden podium, a stage fit for me, where on the right side of lied unworthy creatures who are unironically worthy of my guidance. The sea is calm and they are all no longer wearing their shoes but instead are all in their summer clothes. Though, some are still wearing their own uniforms, for some stupid reason.

    Yet again, a gigantic crowd gathered in the vicinity; though largely scattered this time around instead of being a massive clusterfuck like yesterday. These stupid creatures must think of themselves as some sort of special creatures just because they are given the opportunity of hunting inferior creatures down.

    The thought of sharing the same air with these lowly creatures makes me want to gauche my own eyeballs off and bury myself in this sand that I am currently stepping over.

    However, they are all useful pawns. If your loyalty can be bought, then you are nothing more than a pawn and to pawns, I owe no respect to.

    Ultimately standing midst endless cheers as per usual, in the middle of the podium with the criminals'' plates on my back, I greeted them and spoke to them succinctly.

    "Good morning!"

    "Good morning, senpai!"

    That was perhaps the most collective answer so well-timed in centuries that I have heard, but around close to 500 students didn''t hesitate to greet me in response. I went straight to the point, however.

    "Although registrations are always open and I won''t fault anyone who doesn''t want to partake this hunt, I will now commence this speech assuming you all are partaking this! After all, there is not a better way to obtain the long-forgotten golden way!"

    The truth is that I lied about the golden way. I have no power over it, however, it is a massive rumor that student council members are guaranteed the golden way and henceforth, it is coincidentally thought that just because that association exists that I, for example, have power over the golden way.

    I plan to give what the golden way actually gives, but through my own power, in order to make it seem like it''s the golden way. Anyone can just lie about the golden way as long as they have immense financial power to back it up, like I do!

    With their attention fully on me, I continued.

    "Until the end of April, they have to all be captured and---hear me out well when I say this, because I will only repeat myself once--- anything that happens in this island will not be reported to authorities. In other words, should you feel the need to dispose of these criminals through methods that revolve around killing or such, YOU ARE FREE TO DO SO!"

    ".....What....?"

    ".....But that''s....."

    Massive skepticism began to rouse once again, but I spoke in addition.

    "I, however, understand the unnecessity of doing that. As such, I will speak of the rewards that should be gained through killing the individuals. Yes--- there will be the general golden way reward for those who are successful in capturing one of the criminals. But, I ask of you! Are you satisfied with just that?"

    Silence met me once again as they all awaited an additional word from me. I began to speak rather lowly yet with a confident tone to back it up.

    "Could it be that doing just what is enough is the limit for you? That you have to make yourself think that doing what is enough is good and doing what is unnecessary is simply... not necessary? Must you think like this? Just because society makes us so? To that, I say... NO!"

    My loud voiced echoed through the winds as the window of opportunity for me to make an impact on this demoralized ground landed.

    I swayed my arms dramatically to enhance my point even further as I spoke my soul out.

    "Ego is necessary! Without ego, we are nothing! We, at all times, must strive! Being satisfied is weakness! The core definition of us is defined not by what we do, but by what we do NOT! The more you don''t do, the weaker you become! Is that you want out of yourselves?! To become so weak that you must bring defensive thoughts to your aid when the time is convenient?! WELL?!"

    "NO!"

    Yet again in resonance, they all agreed with me! I am making an impact on this crowd of lost souls that without my words would not have a brighter path in life but now that they''ve heard MY words, they are better human beings!

    Aren''t I the PERFECT BEING?!

    "AMAZING! I see such tenacity! No doubt, we will be successful! I will not administer the rewards that are in addition to the golden way!"

    Just like yesterday, I grabbed the pointer in the podium and went to the first pillar in the row.

    "Killing Hiroyoshi Sagasuga will earn you a place in the student council; indisputably!"

    "...Seriously?!"

    "I''ve always dreamed of being a member but I never thought I would be able to since you need to be a block A student at minimum, but now...."

    Being a student council member is fantastic. I daresay without it, I would not be able to do all of this, despite my enormous wealth. Having the acknowledgment of over 2000 students is a great massive ego boost for anyone because it is factual that being a student council member earns you a lot of clout; ergo respect. It''s essentially the same as being a celebrity and putting such a high reward at the very low already symbolises that the upcoming rewards will be even greater.

    It''s impressive what an ego boost can do to individuals who have the hidden strive within.

    I moved on to the next pillar in sequence.

    "The death of Takeshi Kuzan will allow you to get any desired grades for two years straight! Yes---even if you obtain the golden way, you will only be able to utilize it after you are done with your semesters and upcoming years of learning. Do not fool yourselves into believing that the golden way is all there is!"

    Another cheer came forth. I believe this reward is fairly reasonable because; what good is the golden way if your scores aren''t good enough to get to block A? You can only make use of the golden way if you are a block A student.

    Of course, they don''t know that I can''t actually give them the golden way.

    "Toharoh Tsudo''s corpse will allow you to do what the council president can do--- Administer the rules of the school! However, there will only be one rule that you are allowed to administer!"

    "Holy shit, seriously?!"

    "Crap, this is a dream! I have to be dreaming!"

    I will have a nice talk with the president in order to make him agree with me. However, even then, I am not entirely sure if it''ll work because the president is a truly stubborn person. I would actually prefer if no one was successful in killing Tsudo off.

    Regardless, I went on.

    "If you are successful in killing Kogami Akihiko, you will be allowed to stay in block A for over a year! In other words, when your last year of school is near, you will be able to guide your way out to success!"

    At this point, whether I spoke or not, every single last one of them was so hyped up that there was little difference in capitalization. Regarding the reward, however, I will talk to the principal and give him a heavy bribe for him to do me this little favor.

    I know I''ll be successful because this isn''t the first time this has happened.

    "The reward of being paid 500,000 yen per year will be attributed to the ones responsible for killing Akenama Kan!"

    "Huh?! Doesn''t that mean that the one who kills this guy is....."

    "...Basically rich?!"

    "Oh, HECK YEAH, I''M IN FOR THIS!"

    This is the most realistic reward I can give and this should interest many. I would even argue that the golden way could go to hell if it means getting 500,000 yen per year. However, I also understand that getting the golden way can be way better because getting your dream job could very well outweigh any financial money.

    Being able to do your dream job means you can actually have fun at your job which is something 95% of society has struggle to do; realistically speaking.

    Nonetheless, this is a very powerful reward and I am getting my message across, which is: Why would you be afraid of extermenating some rats, when you can get this? What is the point of your useless fear? Won''t you benefit more by not forfeiting that pitiful feeling?

    The answer to that is a loud yes.

    "AND NOW! The rewards start to rise even higher!"

    As the difference in sentences rose even further, I pointed at the pillar with supreme strength behind it.

    "Ryousuke Kawahara''s head on the floor will earn you law immunity ten times in your life! Allow me to specify! Under no normal circumstances what we are doing should be allowed. HOWEVER, I am kind enough to present you this unrealistic dream that can become a reality! Our society back in Japan is not so forgiving! But, what if I told you that you are allowed to screw up ten times without being in trouble at all? Let yourselves out!"

    Undoubetely the most controversial reward, but this sparked the greed in multiple individuals.

    To give a better insight on this, if you wanted to rape someone, I would give you absolute immunity through all my power. You want to end someone''s life? Go for it, I will back you up. Imprisioning someone in your basement for as long as you deem worthy? Why not? There is some much that can be done here that all the morality that a person has to follow, in reality, only ties us down.

    Henceforth, this will make them question the importance of their morality and if obeying their own nature ten times for free is a better reward, in the end.

    For sure, some of them are already saying the positive answers in their minds.

    And now... Although he''s not at the top of the list, the fact that he had the balls to challenge me will actually be his ultimate demise and the ultimate dream to many here.

    "This one is really simple. Have you ever believed in the Djinn that gives you three wishes, regardless of what they are, to you; unconditionally? Of course you have! Slaughter Hajime Hyunda and I will give you three of your wishes to your disposal!"

    The loudest cheers of my life were heard as I couldn''t help but pose with my arms out there in response. A crowd so full of greed that could possibly embody humanity as whole; if they were not tied by their own traditional restrictions.

    A "true" sight, at last.

    But, this was not it.

    "If you are successful in killing Saitou Rayazaki off, you will be given a spot as my right-hand man in the Phoenix Enterprise Company Worldwide!"

    Arguably, or possibly an inferior reward, however, the truth is that you''d have so much influence and power that I am not sure at what point this is an inferior reward.

    Alas, the last person on the table of the criminals was the victim of everyone''s glares as the reward for his head was begging to be exposed.

    "Ultimately, we have Daniel Lead as since he has a thousand year jail sentence, the reward for his life is unlimited credit while online. In other words, whatever you want on the internet will be free, until the day you die. Now, this might not sound like much of a reward for the last one, but I actually daresay you just have to use your imagination well in this case!"

    By simply going to the Dark Web you can easily buy childs and anything you''d like, really. This is beyond absurd and anyone with a vast knowledge on the dark sides of the Internet will know how much of a reward this is.

    Hell, you can ruin the Krypto market with this shit.

    Nevertheless, the endless cheers were becoming annoying and so, I got tired of waiting for them to calm down and jump around like little clowns and spoke out loud through my microphone.

    "Settle down, now! Settle down! I have something to communicate and for that, I require your utmost undivided attention!"

    Then, some students began to be greedy and attempted to start searching on their own.

    "Screw that! I''m getting in for this shit!

    "Oh hell yeah!"

    But I stopped them with my words nonetheless.

    "If any of you leave now, any of the words I just said WILL NOT apply!"

    "..........."

    A loud crowd that was visible a second ago was visible no matter and as such, their entire focus lied on me, as I congratuled them all for calming down.

    Following that up, with a snap of fingers, I allowed the example to come on stage from afar.

    His head was down and his massive hair was covering his entire face. Noticeable black chokes covered the wits on his hair as he was recognizable to many of the girls around here.

    However, seeing such a figure brought the depression of many as they knew that it would be impossible to get the reward for his life now.

    "That''s---!!"

    "But how....?!"

    They weren''t particularly worried about who it was, but more over the fact that he was already captured. The five guards near him held his muscles tightly as he had nothing but his uniform on.

    Ultimately, he was made to stand in front of the crowd as I announced the victory loudly.

    "I inform you all that last night, I found him attempting to infiltrate the area, but through my security, he failed miserably! Our first capture was already accomplished, within day one! I give you, RYOUSUKE KAWAHARA IN FLESH!"

    With my right hand extended to his figure, I allowed every single last one of them to glance upon the defeated Ryousuke Kawahara, who in reality, had prematurely surrender a few hours ago to us. Regardless, he looks too defeated to even talk.

    The crowd was surprised and discontent at the same time.

    "Ehhhhh....."

    "Doesn''t this like, mean, that we don''t get the reward for him?"

    To this question, I gave the clarification.

    "I captured him, therefore, I am the winner! This is the law here! Winner takes all! His life is forfeit to me and nobody will be allowed to lay a hand on him as killing him will not earn you the reward for doing so!"

    It would be far too troublesome to bail out someone ten times in a row. Furthermore, the company''s image would be ruined, but that was a risk that I was willing to take because Ryousuke Kawahara was in fact already in my possession.

    "You are all free to interrogate him, however, as he most likely has information about----"

    Midst my speech, a small increasing factor caught my attention as I was forced to stop talking and had to direct my focus on that factor.

    A particular small laughter was born in the middle of such number. In no right event would the laugh of someone this low be able to attract so many people at once, but this person, actually pulled it off.

    "Hehehehe...."

    His limbs began to twitch as he was tightly held by the guards, but even them showed a physical struggle in keeping him down.

    "Why you----"

    "Hehehehe... Hahaha... Ahahaha!!!"

    His defeated look transformed into a vicious one as Kawahara glanced upon the number of people who had thought to themselves as brave for what they were about to do, only to be scared at the sight of a single insane individual who is all chained up.

    "You losers think you''ll actually be successful with this piece of shit as your leader?! Impossible! You will die and continue to die, one by one! Your efforts under his command are---"

    "Silence, you foul creature! How dare you attempt to mock my companions efforts! Lock him away, now!"

    "Sir!"

    Frustrated I had to issue that order as Kawahara was briefly knocked out by one of the guards. As he exited the stage, I continued my speech to the nervous individuals.

    "Creatures like him lie amongst our society! Uncaring creatures who are heartless and will continue to harm others for no reason! Should you give in to fear now, you will not be able to fight back! RESIST! RESIST! AND CONTINUE TO RESIST! DO NOT GIVE IN!"

    In a mixture of nervousness and actual valor, the once frightened individuals were once again resoluted in not giving any mercy to these criminals.

    Good... Goood... Goooooooooooood.... Get more motivated! Be willing to die for me! Your lives only have meaning because I say so!

    Piece of shit as your leader?! Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!

    I am the best there is! Second to none!

    "Fuh..."

    Feeling euphoric, I took a deep breath and inssued the path of action to the moralized pawns in front of me.

    "Go forth! Use any methods of your comfort to win! There is no room for losers here! Win for yourself or win for your group! It doesn''t matter which, but what matter is winning! If you''re not winning, you are better off dead! ONWARDS!"

    "YAAAAH!!!"

    In a loud resonance of screams, multiple individuals began to scourge the unknown jungle from up ahead; such individual who were not able to kept their emotions at bay and wanted to be rewarded as fast as possible. Midst such crowd, remained a few calm and collected individuals who didn''t see the benefit of acting emotional right now and began to plot strategies all in order to kill the criminals on the run.

    As for me, I awaited until the beach was all emptied out and went forth to the sea up ahead.

    To my right, there was absolutely no one anymore and to my left were the artificial houses in which some students were inside having strategical meetings. A difference from emotional individuals and non-emotional individuals slowly rose up.

    I began to dismiss my own clothes and walked into the ocean''s bay; no longer caring for anyone would could have watched me.

    In addition to that, I was perhaps subconsciously aware that there were people watching me from behind as my body was stark naked, but I really did not fucking care.

    With my right hand, I started to jerk off rapidly.

    "I''m the fucking best.... I....! Can----Do....!!! Anything....!! I--------FUCKING WANT!!!"

    The ocean began to digest the white fluid scattered to it multiple times in a row as I tinged a whole new level of euphoria.

 Volume 22 - Chapter 152: Lonely Bin.

    Ryousuke Kawahara was once again isolated in the lonely bin on his own, far away from the rest of the other students. As he entered the white hallway with silver mosaics to the ground of the prison, alongside five guards constantly restraining him, he was thrown into the bin forcefully by the guards.

    Despite Percy Phoenix being there with his own guards, Ryousuke Kawahara''s time in prison was far from what a normal prisoner would consider "true" prison time as he saw it as an opportunity to gain advantage of his surroundings despite being circulated by a tight force.

    "Soon enough, all your lousy friends will be here!"

    Mocking Kawahara right off the bat while being ten meters away from the chained up Kawahara, Percy didn''t hesitate to toy with his emotions right away. However, what Percy knew not was that being imprisoned was by far one of Kawahara''s greatest desires as he was the ultimate piece of information.

    Nonetheless, Kawahara simply grinned and didn''t reply, which earned Percy''s unwanted skepticism.

    "Freak..."

    Afterwards, Kawahara would spend his time in the cell pretending to be asleep. As of the moment, he had one goal in mind. That goal would be to wait out until the students started to realize that there was essentially no way to capture the rest because the rest of the students; Kawahara''s classmates, had been leaked about this information by Hiroyoshi Sagasuga. Kawahara had informed Saitou Rayazaki and Takeshi Kuzan about what was happening while Hiroyoshi Sagasuga had informed Hirakibo Tatsu and Toharoh Tsudo about this circumstance.

    In reality, this was all Kawahara''s idea in mind, but the truth is that none of this was true; Kawahara simply was led to believe that way. In the first place, Hiroyoshi Sagasuga only informed Kawahara about this a day prior to Percy''s arrival and Kawahara at first didn''t believe it but now that he witnessed it with his own two eyes, he was in fact believing that Percy Phoenix, along with a plethora of other students had come to this island to hunt them down.

    "Now then... Who will come first..."

    This current Kawahara does not have the memories of what happened after the Sandsea. In other words, in his mind, Kawahara and Sagasuga were in fact in this together still, but the reality could not be further from the truth.

    After spending thirty minutes of waiting in the lonely bin, Kawahara got his first visit.

    It was a girl, who Kawahara was not familiar with. Her enthusiastic yet cold nature is remarkable, in a sense. Extremely long well-kept blonde hair made her the fan of many back in her own school yet to Kawahara, Shiori Denko was nothing more than a potential utilization for information.

    "My first visitor! I was growing bored out here!"

    ".............."

    She remained silent as she was not aware of how Kawahara could react as from earlier she was still a bit shocked.

    However, her composure formed itself entirely once she realized that Kawahara was ten meters away from her.

    "I saw it."

    "Saw what?"

    Kawahara thought of saying a funny joke in the heat of the moment but what Shiori Denko would say, would make Kawahara whistle in response.

    "I saw you unconditionally surrender earlier. I played along with Percy since I knew he was lying all along."

    "Phew! Yeah, I surrendered. I felt so bad for Phoenix over here that I had to give him a bonus compensation for his clown service recently."

    "Hahaha!"

    She laughed in an adorable way but went straight to her point.

    "No, but seriously, why did you surrender? Are you stupid? There''s no way out for you here."

    "Maybe I don''t want to get out."

    "Why not?"

    "I was thinking of finding interesting individuals here who are brimming with individualism. Tell me, blondie! Are you one of those individuals? Or are you just Percy''s lapdog?"

    "............."

    Unable to respond, deep down, Shiori Denko got slightly mad, but brushed it off with a very low laugh. A laugh containing cuteness further adjusting her beautiful appearance as her closed eyes highlighted her purple make up.

    "Haha... I will be back."

    Shiori Denko deep down didn''t like being below Percy Phoenix and viewed this as an opportunity to rise up. However, she knew if she wasn''t careful enough, her intentions could be spoiled and her life here could be slightly ruined.

    Kawahara reflected on something once he threw himself on his cell''s grumpy bed whilst looking at the ceiling.

    "She didn''t reply well to that last sentence at all. Judging by her psychological response, she is not content with Percy in charge. No doubt, she''s a fine contender."

    The very fact that Shiori Denko was willing to approach Ryousuke Kawahara already spoke heights to him as he knew that it would take a mental toll to approach him to begin with.

    The next two students who would come in would be Rokoro and Youjo. These contrasting forces wouldn''t expect to be seen together, at all. Rokoro, the class geek who has a tremendous value when it comes knowledge and overall what many would deem as "useless" information. Meanwhile, there is the popular Youjo, who is a school idol, known greatly for her outer beauty.

    It was not known as to why this pairing even came to life.

    As it started, Youjo hid behind Rokoro as Rokoro was used as a meat shield in order to guard her from Kawahara.

    Meanwhile, Rokoro didn''t care as he simply continued to analyze Kawahara from afar while simultaneously adjusting his glasses constantly.

    "This is my first time starring down a criminal... I know this is rushed, but can I do a psychological profile on you?! There will be massive casualties as the rest of your companions will be killed, however, you are the only one left alive, so I must seek this chance!"

    Rokoro was glued with his hands firmly burning on the cell''s bars but Kawahara wasn''t bothered by that at all.

    "A geek, huh? We must be distant relatives or some shit then. The answer is yes----if you are willing to pay the price for it."

    At first, Rokoro was rather confused by Kawahara''s first words but this quickly sparked his inner interest.

    "Price?"

    "I will tell you my whole life if you side with me and follow every single one of my orders. How about it?"

    As Youjo saw that Rokoro was actually thinking on this for a second, she grabbed Rokoro''s left wrist with her force and started to walk out of the vicinity.

    "Are you stupid or something, you otaku?! That''s a criminal right there! He''s lying!"

    "B-But my research!!"

    "Your stupid research doesn''t matter! Let''s go!"

    "Noooo!!!"

    In a dramatic way, Rokoro was dragged out of the vicinity by Youjo.

    Kawahara once was again all alone in his room and just like before, he reflected as he felt a soft wind blast pass through his nostrils.

    "Don''t think so, no. Kid think''s this is a playground. Plus, the girl is skeptical as fuck."

    Something Kawahara was doing was the following: With his nails, he would scrap the mosaic off and would either draw a cross or a ball manually. The cross would stand for the individuals who didn''t make it and the ball for the ones that did make it.

    One hour after, Kawahara got another visit, this time from a fairly tall person who had blonde short hair.

    His stoic face reminded him of Sagasuga but he didn''t looks as manipulative nor as calm. After all, he was relatively nervous despite being in front of Kawahara from afar.

    Damian initiated the talk on his own.

    "Ryousuke Kawahara....! Where are the rest?!"

    Make no mistake, he wasn''t entirely nervous, Damian was simply greedy to know where the other criminals were in the island since the hunt this afternoon proved to be extremely fruitless. Having capitalized on that, Kawahara spoke in accordance.

    "Pay the price and I will say it."

    "You... You''d sell your comrades for a price...!?"

    "I never said they were my comrades, did I?"

    The contrast in their composures could not be more obvious as Damian was fuming at the immorality of Ryousuke Kawahara meanwhile the other one was as calm as ever.

    Releasing his hands from cell''s bars, Damian held his anger and walked away from the scene.

    No matter how one viewed this scene, Damian would never rationalize with Kawahara, as Kawahara was looking for individuals who were fairly more self-absorbed than the rest.

    Ultimately, Kawahara applied the signal onto the wall as he deemed fit.

    Subsequently, five minutes afterwards, a visit came through, which shocked Kawahara.

    "I am famous around here, aren''t I?!"

    Enthusiastic at the sight of another girl coming to visit him, Kawahara gave a round of applause for himself.

    By sheer contrast, this girl began to clap as well, as she liked clapping as well. It was the prodigy from block E, Musi.

    "Nice to meet you! I am Musi!"

    "I am Ryousuke Kawahara!"

    Musi is not only a prodigy but she is massively unaware of what a criminal actually is. Never in her whole life, has she been tormented in a negative manner. Being only twelve years old; she thought to herself that what was happening around her was normal because everyone else was doing it.

    She never felt the need to question her surroundings as it was all according to nature for her.

    Therefore, the sight of Ryousuke Kawahara was something natural as well.

    "Um... This might be brief, but do you know what this is for...? Lord Phoenix gave it to me and I just can''t figure it out... He said for me to not share it with someone else, but..."

    As Musi was tilting the metallic bars, Ryousuke Kawahara opened his eyes wide for a second as he saw that both those bars contained an identical number to them on each side. In other words, Ryousuke Kawahara, at that very moment, became aware that those two metallic bars are in fact one of the components from the sections that are secretly inside this island.

    The sections are a part of this island that Percy Phoenix and nobody except for a few individuals, Ryousuke Kawahara included, know about. With that in mind, Kawahara did not act in a way that would express greed, but simply threw a question at Musi from afar.

    "I do know what that is... However, Musi, where are the rest?"

    "Eh? I don''t know, they are with the ones that lord Phoenix called earlier! Ah, I''m not supposed to tell you this! I must take my leave!"

    Realizing her mistake, Musi left the scene in a rush, but her presence greatly benefit Ryousuke Kawahara''s wicked way of thinking as he saw a fountain of opportunities lying within Musi, should she comply to Kawahara''s orders.

    Yet again, Kawahara reflected, but with something far more serious in mind this time.

    "...Why do they have the components that''s within the sections...? Does Percy know about the sections? No, Sagasuga said that Percy has no knowledge about them, so how come they are in possession of such items...?"

    Hiroyoshi Sagasuga had told Ryousuke Kawahara that Percy Phoenix had no knowledge about the sections and that ultimately, he would struggle to find everyone else out. However, the truth is that Ryousuke Kawahara couldn''t be more glad when Hiroyoshi Sagasuga said such words because this would mean that the moment Ryousuke Kawahara would tell the other students where they are, Sagasuga and the rest would be screwed; thus Kawahara emerging utterly victorious.

    Such a flawless scenario was already visible to Kawahara.

    Later on, Kawahara received a visit from yet another girl; Albaz Yasuda.

    She did not show any reluctance when it came down to it and shot a question at Kawahara instantly.

    "Where is Hiroyoshi Sagasuga?"

    "In this island."

    Kawahara''s simple-minded response to Yasuda made her spit on Kawahara''s cell''s floor.

    "I need to know where he is so I can get the bounty on his head! Spill it! And I''ll be as kind as to give you some food..."

    The truth is that Ryousuke Kawahara was not being treated like an average prisoner. Under Percy Phoenix''s decree, he would absolutely starve to death, so what Yasuda proposed him wasn''t by any means illogical.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Regardless, Kawahara laughed it off.

    "Haha, that''s it?! Stupid naive girl, I am not afraid to die. Give me a better deal and I wouldn''t mind tell you where he is."

    The top cut students have started to come to the slow realization that there is a hidden factor that''s completely partial to the cameras all over the island. Something that only Ryousuke Kawahara should know.

    With that in mind, Yasuda clearly wanted the reward for Sagasuga''s bounty like many and was far willing to commit to this more than the rest, so she launched another offer.

    "What do you want, filthy criminal?"

    "Sex?"

    Yasuda walked it out as she realized she was talking to a sex fiend. That was just an initial joke and Kawahara said something from his cell to which Yasuda listened to, despite being extremely pissed off.

    "Come back with a better deal!"

    Ryousuke Kawahara came to the swift conclusion that perhaps each individual that would visit him would have different bounties when it came to who they would prefer to kill. Kawahara knew that he couldn''t become subjected to them, so he could further instigate this to his advantage.

    "She is useful for sure."

    Impulsive individuals like Albaz Yasuda were surely in Kawahara''s list when it came down to the individuals he would use to set up his uprising plan. However, his plan couldn''t be executed on spot, but would have to surely be executed soon, in no less than two days.

    Up next was Karlos, a bald bulky individual.

    His question was one unlike all the others thus far.

    "Ryousuke Kawahara, I have a question for you..."

    "Oh yeah? And what''s that, tough guy?"

    With his utmost seriousness, he asked Kawahara:

    "Out of all the ten of you, who is the best when it comes to a physical fight showdown?"

    To this, Kawahara obviously was confident in his answer as he saw no one else superior to him in that regard.

    Ryousuke Kawahara didn''t speak, but instead pointed at himself silently while the corners of his lips rose gradually.

    "Such a shame that I cannot fight you. I''ve always dreamed of fighting against those who are less restrained than I am."

    Many would think that this would be the end of the conversation, but Ryousuke Kawahara said some intriguing lines to Karlos, as he was about to walk away.

    "Very----but, very hypothetically speaking---if I were to leave this prison and we had to have a fight----would you follow me should I win?"

    Challenged, Karlos also didn''t hesitate in replying back.

    "It''s not gonna happen, but in that case, very hypothetically---yes."

    "........."

    A clashing silence was all that was left in their interaction as their glances soon dismissed each other with Karlos taking his leave.

    Ryousuke Kawahara was indecisive as if he should consider Karlos a potential valuable pawn in the future as Karlos'' potential could only further flourish once Kawahara was out of the prison and for that to happen, a few things had to happen first.

    Against all the odds, Ryousuke Kawahara legitimately thought that he was going to bail out and that such not happening was ridiculous. That impressive drive of his allowed him to keep thinking of the situation as it would always be in his favor and as such, negative thoughts did not come to his mind at all.

    To finalize the afternoon, two more individuals came forth.

    They looked extremely dispirited and not willing to pursue with the current task at hand as they found it somewhat unnecessary and unfairly dangerous.

    Yoh and Zwette met eyes with Ryousuke Kawahara and Yoh started the conversation.

    His noticeable meek voice tone required absolute silence in his surroundings for him to be loud and clear, which was the case.

    "..........Question: Why aren''t the cameras capturing the criminals...? You know something, don''t you...?"

    "Naturally."

    The truth is; Ryousuke Kawahara had absolutely no idea why the rest weren''t showing up in the cameras, except for two individuals to whom he was inflituated with, but outside of those two, he had remotely no clue.

    However, to Ryousuke Kawahara, someone''s doubt, was an opportunity to manipulate someone.

    In other words, Yoh was already entirely convinced that Ryousuke Kawahara knew why the cameras weren''t capturing the individuals.

    "...But why do you know that...?"

    "Pay the price."

    This would be Kawahara''s initial strategy. If someone were to show interest in his supposed knowledge, he would issue the existence of a price to pay for such hypothetical information. Though, he would not issue what the price had to revolve around as he was undoubetely curious to see what the individuals could come up with.

    Yoh was one of those individuals, as he had already thought of this scenario up ahead and as such, he made an offer to Kawahara.

    "I am willing to share my bounty''s reward with you, Ryousuke Kawahara..."

    "Oh?"

    Amused yet skeptical at the same time, Kawahara demanded to know more.

    "Iron out the details for me, would you?"

    Meekly, Yoh spoke in depth about his strategy.

    "I aim to kill Akenama Kan... The reward for his death is 500,000 yen a year unconditionally... However.... It''s not just me..."

    Zwette, who was actually in this with Yoh, spoke lowly as well, as she came out of Yoh''s back an faced Kawahara.

    "...I am in this too."

    "Our offer is the following: If you help us out and give us truthful information to our aid, we will share with you annually 250,000 yen.... We will split the rest in-between us... I also believe this is extremely fair and would benefit us all greatly... Well...?"

    With great fear for rejection, both Yoh and Zwette looked at Kawahara, as they thought that maybe he would reject their offer, but Kawahara firstly applauded them for having the guts to make such a bold deal.

    "I must say, it''s not bad thought out! You''d get 125,000 yen each while I would get the upper 250,000 yen each."

    They began to smile impulsively as Kawahara listed the positive factor about Yoh''s offer.

    "Then..."

    However, they soon realized the crucial flaw of their offer.

    "I can''t accept it and here is why: I need an immediate reward. Allow me to clue you in----A reward that would greatly help my current position. What good is that many yen if I starve to death until then? Come back later but with an immediate reward and maybe then we''ll strike a few deals."

    "..........."

    In reality, Yoh and Zwette were well aware of how much they would benefit out of this because Ryousuke Kawahara under no normal circumstances is making out alive here. It''s evident that he is bound to starve since no one will feed him as everyone is forbidden to actually feed him but many not know this.

    Should a single guard spot food given towards Kawahara, they will interfere.

    On the other hand, Ryousuke Kawahara was aware that he was being toyed with. By passing himself as an individual who has higher priorities and not as an individual who necessary saw through their facade; he will make Yoh and Zwette believe that a deal like this can happen---where Yoh and Zwette benefit way more than Ryousuke Kawahara, as long as the reward is "immediate".

    At that moment as he reflected once again, Ryousuke Kawahara thought he would have no more visitors, but in this ending afternoon where the orange sun on the outside outshone anything across it, a girl walked in the vicinity.

    Her name was Rena, but she wasn''t walking normally. She was carefully inspecting the interior of the cells to see if there was anything strange inside as this was the first time she would be seeing a criminal.

    Nonetheless, the moment she actually put her gentle innocent eyes on the fearless Kawahara, she wet herself and ran midway.

    Ryousuke Kawahara thought of stretching his tongue out of the cell to see if he could get a taste of it, but he was unsuccessful since it was too far away.

    "Goddamn it."

    Bored out of his mind and still chained up, Ryousuke Kawahara heard the loud howling of his stomach as he had not eaten in more than 10 hours. The lack of dehydration would be noticeable in anyone else, but Kawahara had already thought to himself that his brain must stay in perfect condition despite the circumstance''s harsh conditions.

    Two hours went by and in pure silence, Kawahara kept looking for someone to pass down that lonely hall and eventually, around dinner time, he could hear everyone outside having fun despite the fact that every student was actually unsuccessful in hunting them down.

    Percy Phoenix would often give speeches about morality as a way to boost everyone''s egos and they would be more devoted to the task.

    Speaking of Percy Phoenix, he would be the second last person Ryousuke Kawahara would see that day.

    He was walking down the main hall with chicken wings on a plate and took a nearby chair as he sat silently in front of Kawahara while eating them loudly. Percy Phoenix would in no normal circumstances display such a lack of manners in front of other individuals while eating, but this was a one time exception as he got the urge to do it as he saw how Ryousuke Kawahara''s eyes were gleaming with hunger.

    At any given moment, Ryousuke Kawahara would erupt from his current allocation and would warp his body balance to the point of clashing in-between the iron-cladded bars and the hollow space separating both of the two individuals present.

    He howled albeit silently and in response, Percy Phoenix spat a gigantic saliva cannonball that contained the ardous spice of the barbeque to Ryousuke Kawahara''s left eyeball.

    However, Ryousuke Kawahara resisted the immense pain his eyeball nerves were inflicting to his upper part and continued to glare at Percy Phoenix with his eyes as wide as possible without speaking a word. Upon seeing this, Percy Phoenix remained stoic and spoke.

    "If you want this, all you have to do is beg like a dog. Say the magical words..."

    "Fuck you."

    Without saying anything else, Ryousuke Kawahara threw himself on the bed as he denied Percy Phoenix the pleasure of further tormenting him.

    Before leaving, Percy Phoenix said his last words to the tired Ryousuke Kawahara.

    "You will die a dog''s death. Nobody will give a shit if a useless waste of oxygen like you dies from starvation. Bear that in mind."

    Leaving at last, Ryousuke Kawahara was once again all alone in this bin. He didn''t even have the privilege of having a nice ceiling to stare at as his ceiling was pitch black, dark as a nebula.

    He attempted to sleep but the rigid surface of his bed made that impossible; plus the unnecessary noises from the outside enraged him deep down as he wanted every single one of them to shut up already so he could have a chance of sleeping.

    But, Ryousuke Kawahara knew. That according to chances, someone would make her appearance once again, when everything quiets down.

    This person silently walked in the hall and since the main hall had clear endings without dead destinations, the moonlight''s radiance reflected an overpowering luminosity on her own blonde hair. Furthermore, she had brought food along in a plate now that the guards were taking a break from their shifts. Only during midnight on point, during the first fifteen minutes, the guards took a break.

    Not even Mortis was awake at this time, as a human being, he also had to sleep eventually and no amount of loyalty will be able to interject with a human''s functional necessity for sleep.

    She took a seat in the chair that Percy Phoenix had previously used and started to talk with Ryousuke Kawahara, who was starring at the obscure ceiling despite being aware of the individual''s presence on his right side---ten matters away from him.

    "You won''t make it like that."

    "No kidding. A human body without nutrients is the equivalent of a volcano without magma."

    The figure----Shiori Denko was not giving him free food or anything for free. She had come here with one purpose only.

    "Earlier--- you said something about me being Percy''s lapdog. Why did you say that?"

    Ryousuke Kawahara felt as if this question was beyond easy and answered it while yawning; not caring about the form of disrespect that such act portrayed to Denko.

    "You get motivated whenever he makes a speech----he tells you the reward of something, you do it for the reward----there''s zero individualism present. Percy Phoenix strips the individualism out of someone. Strictly speaking, he is the bane to my existence."

    The words of a criminal would not resonate with many, but to someone like Shiori Denko, who is capable of acknowledging the rationality in Ryousuke Kawahara''s words, his sentence far struck her than she had initially expected.

    She found herself hesitant to speak as she was afraid to let her guard down and as such, she lightly laughed at Kawahara.

    "Haha, you are... interesting, yes. But I would like to just say that you are wrong."

    "How?"

    "I am acting on my own accord. Percy is just the organizer of this event. That doesn''t necessarily mean that everyone co-associated to this event is his lapdog."

    But Ryousuke Kawahara begged to differ for that exact same reason.

    "That is what being a lapdog is---you wait for your master to tell you what to do and then you do it."

    "Am I to understand that you think I''m his lapdog because I partook an event of his? Then by all means, you are also a lapdog as long as you partake in anything in life."

    Once again, Ryousuke Kawahara argued differently.

    "A bit wrong, missy. You aren''t his lapdog because you partook this event. You are his lapdog because you allowed him to decide how the finalization of this event will be."

    "......."

    As Shiori Denko processed a new perspective, Ryousuke Kawahara gave her some time to think and then calmly spoke up in her direction.

    "So? Are we here to debate our philosophies when it comes to being a lapdog?"

    "No.... Are you... hungry?"

    "I am."

    Unable to deny it, Ryousuke Kawahara spoke the truth. He did it however deliberately because he wanted Shiori Denko to show him what he was capable of coming up with.

    "What will you give me for this plate full of food?"

    Ryousuke Kawahara didn''t have to think about it as he already had thought about this scenario more than ten hours ago, right at the moment he firstly laid his eyes on the beautiful Shiori Denko.

    "I will give you the exclusive location of two criminals----only to you."

    This made Denko''s jaw drop a bit as she couldn''t believe in this sort of information, but Ryousuke Kawahara had a few demands in return to such information.

    "There will be two conditions, however. The first one is: Killing these individuals is a no-no. The second one being: You''ll have to be in touch with me for the next two days in-between to four to four hours."

    "Why can''t they be killed off? That''s suspicious."

    Denko was right and not even Kawahara could deny it as the truth was, having those two individuals killed would be extremely counterproductive for Kawahara. However, with the past argument being built up, Kawahara used the perfect excuse.

    "If you kill them off, then I won''t give you my services and without my services, you will never find them."

    "And why should I believe what you''ve just said when I have the whole island to explore at will?"

    Kawahara lightly laughed back as he was so aware of what she did not know that he felt like giving her a little hint.

    "Kukuku... A hint: The cameras cannot capture it."

    "....?"

    This was a hard dilemma for Shiori Denko, but what Ryousuke Kawahara would do, would clue her in. He lifted his right hand index finger and spiraled it downwards in direction of the ground, indicating further existence within the island below it.

    "Are you implying that---"

    "You are free to assume whatever you want. Of course, you could naturally know more if you and I keep this little secret between us and us alone. Or, you could walk away and continue to be a lapdog. Isn''t that the traditional dream? To do what you are told to do because its logical to do so?"

    "..."

    At last, Shiori Denko had arrived at the conclusion that Ryousuke Kawahara wanted her to arrive at from the start. By secretly parterning up with Kawahara, she is freeing herself partially from Percy''s control and she would no longer be one of his lapdogs, as Ryousuke Kawahara had stated.

    However, there was something controversial, that Ryousuke Kawahara felt the need to clarify.

    "No, this doesn''t make you my lapdog. We equally benefit here, in the long run. An equal merit is what divides everything. So, what''ll it be? Oh yeah, what''s your name again? I don''t think I asked before, or did I?"

    "You haven''t. My name is Denko. But let''s talk about the deal. So, in conclusion, you will give me the location of two criminals under the two conditions which are: they cannot be killed and I will have to be in touch with you under the time period of two days for four to four hours all in-between..."

    "Denko, I''ll say something in addition; the more time you lose the worse it gets. I''m not the monster here. And I think you know who actually is."

    As Denko had a clue and the correct thought of the person, she lightly laughed before continuing.

    "They are working with you, aren''t they?"

    "That''s not a bad assumption. However, that''s not true. I simply know where they stand at the moment. A piece of advice---- give others the location in an indirect manner so they do their work for you while also making sure they don''t kill them. The guards--- for example. They are objective and goal-driven. Instead of using those emotion-driven students around the vicinity you are better off using them. But that''s just me. You do you. Unless we don''t have a deal?"

    "......."

    After thinking for a while she saw little to no consequences to this deal. Denko doesn''t like to be on the spotlight and prefers if others do their work for her. She was already thinking about the lies she would tell those around her so they could do their work. For example----she could say that she spotted such individuals in a certain location through the cameras and as such, she would not be the one technically responsible to find it if she claims that several other students saw the exact same image simultaneously.

    Avoiding killing the individuals was arguably the hardest part of the task as everyone would be beyond more than glad to kill them and since Shiori Denko didn''t want to actually take all of this risk on her own, she planned to have others do the entire task while she pulls the strings from the shadows. This way, if Kawahara tricked her, she won''t be unrewarded.

    In her mind, this was a win-win situation no matter how she looked at it.

    Therefore, she softly slided the plate with food to Kawahara, who calmly walked up to get it.

    "We are now talking. By the way---- I forgot to ask. What does your do?"

    "...I''m sorry...? I don''t understand what you are implying."

    She really didn''t, but soon understood what Kawahara was implying once he was more succint; only after taking a bite out of the cold barbeque.

    "I am talking about the little toys Percy gave all of you ten."

    "How do you know that...?"

    "So you don''t know, huh? Guy''s more of a liar than I am on a good day. Well---I need all of the ten components, you see. I am not saying you get them----now, just, don''t do anything with it. They are not meant for outsiders to use it."

    "I''m afraid that''s up to me, is it not?"

    He grinned while eating fastly.

    "I kinda like ya, not gonna lie. Gimme a map so I can give you the location."

    Fortunately, Shiori Denko always carried about a map in her skirt''s pocket, so this was no trouble at all.

    She handed the map and with his dirty thumb from all the sauce, Kawahara laid out the zone where the two individuals would be.

    Afterwards, he returned the map to her.

    "I already mentioned this, but I''ll say it again---keep this between us. If Percy knows about this, you and I are pretty screwed."

    "You''re already screwed, Ryousuke Kawahara. It''s fun watching you struggle. I know a dead person walking on a lively body once I see one. You reflect the exact opposite."

    "I appreciate the faith."

    "Make no mistake... If I kill them, then I benefit more than you ever will and the fact that you are entrusting me to not do so is authentically dumb."

    Having a counter answer to this already, Ryousuke Kawahara didn''t hesitate to lay out the truth.

    "If you kill them, you are officially Percy''s lapdog because you committed the action for the benefit which is the reward of their deaths. If you can live with that, then Shiori Denko, be my guest."

    ".........Hmpf."

    Without wishing goodnight or saying anything else, Shiori Denko left the vicinity which meant that Ryousuke Kawahara was all alone once again, but this time he was eating something.

    Done eating, he hid the evidence below his bed sheets and crossed all fingers whilst snapping them through.

    Uniting then his mouth with his fingers, he spoke to himself silently as he further reflected on the status of the situation.

    "Soon, I will control them all."

 Volume 22 - Chapter 153: Advent.

    On an upcoming day, April 23rd, two individuals would be apprehended and would join Ryousuke Kawahara in the prison cells. The time for their apprehension was within the morning of April 23rd and Percy Phoenix was the one who put them behind the bars, exactly like Ryousuke Kawahara.

    "Release me! I said release me! We did nothing wrong!"

    "This is unfair! We don''t even know you!"

    Their complaints could be heard loud and clear as Ryousuke Kawahara, who is in the in-between prison cell in comparison to the cell on his right side and the other one on his left side, resisted the urge to laugh or to treat the two individuals as their own acquaintances. On the surface, Ryousuke Kawahara and the two individuals would have no interaction with each other whatsoever which meant that they were essentially strangers to one another.

    In addition, the two individuals were hogging onto the iron bars as they weren''t content with what was happening to them. However, to Percy Phoenix, there was no greater pleasure at the moment.

    "This is great! Two more rats to the ceiling! How lovely! Seven more to go! HAHA!"

    But the individuals responded aggressively as intended.

    "Screw you! Who is allowing this?!"

    "Where are my rights at?!"

    Takeshi Kuzan and Saitou Rayazaki were the newly captured individuals. What had happened in reality was that Percy Phoenix, had once again claimed that he had captured them and his justification for not killing them was that he is a good person. In reality, Shiori Denko informed several other groups of a strange movement in the cameras within the north direction towards a hidden cave and that instead of killing the individuals within that place, they should instead buy the services of the guards from Percy Phoenix to incapacitate them.

    However, the guards informed Percy Phoenix about this and went to that location where multiple students had claimed to have seen Kuzan and Rayazaki. The reason as to why they didn''t die was because Shiori Denko argued that if the individuals surrender on their own, then killing would be unnecessary. Nonetheless, Percy Phoenix didn''t exactly agree with her reasoning at first but when she mentioned that nurturing the students here to unnecessary violence could lead to them misguiding their own lives, he saw the point there.

    Regardless, Percy only agreed because he knew he would lose Denko''s respect otherwise and he didn''t want to be seen as a tyrannical individual who didn''t respect the opinion of others.

    As Percy Phoenix had left the vicinity, there were currently three locked up individuals who didn''t talk to each other, for a very specific reason.

    If the guards were to catch them interacting in a friendly manner, then they would be suspects of conspiration. Furthermore, this was actually Ryousuke Kawahara''s plan. As soon as Sagasuga told him what was actually happening, he had Saitou Rayazaki and Takeshi Kuzan stand by in one of the hidden caves on the island towards the north direction so that they would be capturable. In such area, cameras did not capture their movements.

    Although this sounds unrealistic in theory, Kawahara is not the person in control here, as what he thinks is happening, is by all means being manipulated by other certain individuals. Yet, at the moment, he is led to believe that he was successful and, as a matter of fact, he indeed was.

    Sooner or later, the presence of Shiori Denko would come towards Ryousuke Kawahara only; utterly ignoring Saitou Rayazaki and Takeshi Kuzan.

    The distance from their ceilings was about ten meters each, horizontally, so overhearing a conversation wasn''t exactly easy. However, they were both commanded to act as unfamiliar with Kawahara as possible but not to the point of causing intentional arguments with him as it would sound suspicious.

    Upon seeing Shiori Denko, Ryousuke Kawahara got up from his bed and met her height behind the bars.

    "I wasn''t joking."

    "Yes, I can see that... Wouldn''t they kill you if they knew you were the ones who sold them out?"

    "It was all a gamble; meaning this could''ve failed."

    "...What?"

    "Shiori, there are parts of this island that you and the rest will never be able to enter without my help. As you can rationalize, that''s where they are most likely at..."

    Shiori Denko then felt the need to stand on top as she saw that Ryousuke Kawahara was delivering far too crucial information and that was a mistake on his part.

    "With that information, I can just start searching the vicinities within the island while you starve here. You are stupid."

    "Well, why don''t you just do that?"

    Ryousuke Kawahara started to relax back and sat on his bed once again as he further incentivated Shiori Denko to commit to her thoughts.

    "There''s nothing stopping you, is there? Also, Phoenix was the one who got the glory again. However, this time, you were the one who made that happen. Ah, this calls for a celebration, Shiori!"

    He started to clap lowly but deep down, Shiori Denko knew that what Ryousuke Kawahara had in store could far benefit her, however, there was just one slight problem. Every time this would happen, Percy would benefit entirely and she started to dislike this factor.

    Surely, one could argue that Shiori Denko is at fault here for not taking a more frontal approach and that she deserves to not get any glory. Nonetheless, the feeling of being under Percy Phoenix''s shadow started to grow in her.

    Percy Phoenix would not hesitate to claim that he was in fact the one who did the capture on his own, meanwhile she knew that was a lie.

    In the end, she was confused on what to do, and then, Ryousuke Kawahara spoke as he captured a moment of doubt in her figure.

    "Percy is a problem, isn''t he? At this rate, even if you are all successful in your endeavor, nothing will change. Back in school, you''ll just be number 2 again. Hilarious, if you think about it?"

    "...."

    Shiori Denko''s cold glare without any sort of positive emotion behind her smile reflected how serious she was about this which led to Ryousuke Kawahara to say something in addition.

    "He is the problem, because without my help, none of you will ever find the rest. He knows he could get information out of me, but instead, he is going to let me starve to death. Fucking stupid, isn''t he? Do you think he would accept an alliance of mutual interest with me?"

    "No, he won''t. In the first place, you are a criminal who can''t be trusted---"

    "Yet I gave you truthful information. Isn''t that the logical basis for fundamental trust? Or am I wrong here? Well, first place student, Shiori Denko?"

    "........."

    Silence implies consent to Kawahara, which then gave him yet another window of opportunity.

    "Percy Phoenix, if exposed, he will lose trust."

    "I am not interested in that, however. I am here to buy your services once again."

    Kawahara had attempted to further extent his previous argument, but Shiori Denko didn''t felt like arguing about that so she started to instigate what she came from.

    "That''s more like it. What will you require, Shiori?"

    "Please refrain from calling me by my first name. It''s disgusting."

    "Hm? I think the name is cute though."

    Shiori Denko was referring to how disgusting it was for an arrogant criminal such as Kawahara to say her first name so casually. Furthermore, his additional jokes would often get on her nerves though she didn''t show the reaction.

    She ignored that however and went straight to the point.

    "The same as yesterday. Give me more locations."

    It was a reasonable request to Shiori Denko because she was under the impression that Ryousuke Kawahara was in fact aware of the location of others. Ryousuke Kawahara could''ve denied such, however, he instead went about it from a different approach.

    "That''s not possible----at the moment."

    "What? What do you mean at the moment?"

    Seeing that she had taken the bait, Ryousuke Kawahara continued to manipulate Shiori Denko''s beliefs.

    "Their whereabouts are not within anyone''s reach... In other words, their locations can only be accessed through specific locations within this island."

    "Well, just tell me where to find them then..."

    Ryousuke Kawahara could''ve told Shiori Denko that to access the proximity and the interior of such locations the requirement of a specific password is beyond necessary; however, Shiori Denko did not have to know about that yet.

    Simply by telling her the locations of such specific locations, he could earn a favor from her.

    "I don''t know where they all are, as I only know three of them. However----For each location I give you, you''ll have to do a favor for me."

    "That is absurd. I am your only hope at survival, in case you haven''t noticed. Yesterday, I awaited patiently for the guards to take a break so I could offer you food. Do you realize how important my existence is to your survival?"

    "We don''t have a deal then?"

    No sane person would do what Kawahara is currently doing, as it''s extremely factual that Shiori Denko could be Ryousuke Kawahara''s last hope for survival, otherwise he would very well starve to death.

    In hope that he would later reason with her once he thought that he needed her way more than he needs now, she walked out while feeling a bit mad.

    "...."

    For Ryousuke Kawahara, that had failed, but he knew that she would come back four hours later. At the moment, it''s 8 am, so by the time of lunch, she would be back.

    It had become a routine for Ryousuke Kawahara, who at the moment was awaiting for his next guest.

    Around 10 am, his guest appeared, once again, facing his height as he gauched down his composure.

    "Ryousuke Kawahara-dono... Why did you become a criminal?"

    Kawahara was a bit shocked as Rokoro struck him with a more personal question than anything.

    "Are you familiar with the problems of an outcast?"

    "Hm.... May I say yes because I often feel isolated from the rest?"

    "Well, why not?"

    Kawahara shrugged it off and accepted Rokoro''s suggestion.

    "I figured I could only be accepted through doing something drastic. Nowadays, you either step out of the line and show the world what you got, or you''ll be irrelevant."

    "...So you did it for recognition, Kawahara-dono? That is a bit foolish, if I may inquire."

    "So? What are you here for?"

    "Ah, why yes. I need your insight on this! I''ve attempted this nearly everywhere and attempted to extract opinions on it, but... maybe, for some odd reason, I could find a better strange insight in the mind of a criminal?"

    Rokoro took out a certain object from his long white coat that resembled that of a scientist and upon witnessing the strange object, Ryousuke Kawahara instinctively asked a question to Rokoro without thinking.

    "Where is the number on it?"

    "?"

    Intrigued, Rokoro began to search for number within the scanner. The scanner that was actually used by Daniel Lead upon finding the first section through the help of Hajime Hyunda, is a scanner that detects passwords by scanning the entry of the computer entry. Should one go through the first section which Ryousuke Kawahara had theorized about existing previously before the second section, then the rest of the passwords would come for free.

    Essentially, the first person who would obtain the scanner, would ultimately be in supreme advantage. However, Hiroyoshi Sagasuga manipulated Ryousuke Kawahara into following the path that would lead towards the second section instead of the first section and as such, Ryousuke Kawahara had never came across this item and upon hearing the number that Rokoro had found on behind the scanner that has a cellphone''s screen on top of it, he opened his eyes wide in surprise.

    "Number 1...? Hm, but I wasn''t the first one; it was Denko-dono!"

    While Rokoro was assuming that the object''s number was co-associated with the IQ exams'' placements, Ryousuke Kawahara began to lowly grin as he realized what was happening. Yesterday, he had came to the conclusion that possibly, the ten individuals who visited him yesterday were all in possession of the components yet he had no idea how. However, the moment he realized that Percy Phoenix had attributed the components to the top ten students from the IQ tests, he saw the whole picture.

    Percy Phoenix was fooling them into believing that the components were something else while in reality, those components meant the world for Kawahara.

    Still, he had to make sure.

    "Hey, kid... Do you know what that is? Did Percy Phoenix explain it to you?"

    "No and that''s the issue! As you can see, this scanner is working but it doesn''t scan anything!"

    Showing the screen on the top of the scanner to Kawahara, who was now closer, he indeed saw that the component was working.

    "But, Kawahara-dono, how did you know about that...?"

    "You''ve been lied to, geek. That''s how."

    "...What?"

    Although this was a great chance to talk with Rokoro, Kawahara distanced himself and went back to pretend to be asleep which made Rokoro confused.

    "Kawahara-dono, I beseek you! What do you know about this?!"

    "......"

    No matter how much he tried, Kawahara would not reply and his strategy was to make Rokoro deeply think about the part when Kawahara told him that Rokoro was being lied to. In other words, Rokoro would associate the existence of that object with Percy Phoenix and how perhaps that was not an actual reward.

    Eventually, lunch time came and as previously agreed with, Shiori Denko would have to visit Ryousuke Kawahara again.

    This time around, she could not carry a plate of food and went down to business as Kawahara naturally expected her from afar.

    "I keep my word, unlike what you might''ve not expected."

    "I never said that, Shiori. I expect great things from you, after all."

    "The nerve..."

    Annoyed by Kawahara''s lack of formality, Denko bit her own luscious lips, but quickly dismissed her attitude.

    "Hey, who are you after?"

    "..."

    Shiori Denko knew what Ryousuke Kawahara was talking about. It was already evident that the person she was after was not Ryousuke Kawahara, Saitou Rayazaki, nor Takeshi Kuzan. It had to be one of the other ones. Someone who Shiori Denko actually wanted to kill with her own hands so she could get the reward for that.

    Kawahara knew that despite three lives already being sparred, it could very well just mean that Shiori Denko was looking out for someone.

    "I am not telling you. Instead, I want one location for now."

    "No. I will only give you the three other locations that I know. Not one, but three. In exchange for three favors."

    "Why? Why must it be that way? What if I just don''t do your favors?"

    But, all along, Shiori Denko had misunderstood something and that was due to the confusing nature of Ryousuke Kawahara''s words.

    In spite, he grinned as he administered what was actually going to happen, should a deal go down.

    "Shiori... You have it wrong. You will do me the three favors first and only then will I give you their locations."

    Outraged, she could not believe in the absurdity from Kawahara''s words.

    "That is even more absurd! Are all criminals as illogical as you are? I thought I had sensed some sort of rationality within you, but you are just as conventional manipulator incapable of harnessing the most common of common senses..."

    "That is not true. I believe what I am doing isn''t even absurd, because, how can you claim it to be an absurd deal when you haven''t even heard the content of the deal yet? What you only know is that I''ll give you three locations in return of three favors. You don''t even know what favors I''m referring to, Shiori. Aren''t you overreacting?"

    Kawahara had a point that not even Shiori Denko could deny. She was, in fact, overreacting, but it was only natural as she believed that if she was not in the upper hand here, she was just being manipulated so she had to play it as safe as possible.

    To her, Kawahara was a potential manipulator who wouldn''t hesitate to sell out his companions and had a great potency when it came to secrecy.

    ".....Say it then."

    Denko was surely referring to the three favors and to this, Kawahara showed no reluctance possible as he was certain of what his first favor would be.

    However, there was something important that Kawahara had in mind whenever talking to Shiori Denko whilst attempting to strike a deal with her. Perhaps he thought that it was because it was a girl at first, but he soon realized that it was part of her own individualism. Shiori Denko does not like doing things openly and if a deal strictly involved Shiori Denko doing something openly while utterly exposing herself, she would not accept it.

    The reasoning behind this was how Shiori Denko firstly denied Ryousuke Kawahara''s deal in the morning which involved in her being exposed to three unknown favors. By capitalizing on her psychological reaction, Ryousuke Kawahara became aware that deep down, she is afraid of internal commitment. Later on now, when she returned, she could not agree to Ryousuke Kawahara''s deal which once again exposed her in a way that she didn''t like.

    This, nonetheless, didn''t mean that she was useless. As a matter of fact, in Ryousuke Kawahara''s mind, she was far more useful than anyone because she could be used if she were to operate on a basis that would not make her uncomfortable on the surface.

    "I want a list that contains the number of overall guards, butlers and about the total weapons in the vicinity. I will say this: You don''t have to directly do this yourself as anyone else can."

    "That''s all? You are talking about all that as if you are going to break out on your own. You''re delusional."

    She giggled a bit as she found it funny that Ryousuke Kawahara was asking for such an information when he is in fact, locked up along with two of his other acquaintances. However, Ryousuke Kawahara was not a fool.

    He was aware that breaking out of this prison was the wrong move from the start and that everyone would assume that he would eventually try to break out of prison as a last resort of desperation.

    "You accept?"

    "......."

    Ryousuke Kawahara was not interested in explaining the depth of his plan to Shiori Denko as he only wanted to know whether or not she accepted.

    Instead of confirming it, she moved to the second favor, thus delaying her conclusive answer.

    "What is the second favor?"

    Once again, Ryousuke Kawahara showed no sluggishness in replying.

    "I want to know ten girls who wouldn''t mind sleeping with Percy. Or--better said, get fucked in the ass by Lord Phoenix himself."

    "...Wh... You''re sick..."

    As she processed the content of the favor, she began to distance herself from Kawahara until she hit the back of the white wall.

    Kawahara felt the need to dispel her worries.

    "I am not saying it''s you who has to be subjected to what I just implied. But ten girls. What do you say?"

    "...What are you planning?"

    Shrugging it off without answering that, he went to the point.

    "Is that a yes?"

    "What''s the third?"

    Shiori Denko did not give a positive but also not a negative reply to that. Thus far, the favors didn''t directly expose Shiori Denko because in order to obtain the first favor, she could tell a friend to gather all that information as she could tell them that she was afraid of a potential jail break and needed to know the overall martial might present.

    Secondly, Shiori Denko did not even need to make a list for ten girls who wouldn''t mind having sexual conducts with Percy as she knew more than ten who would gladly do it as long as there is a reward involved, to which, she could very well work that around.

    In other words, so far, nothing was worrying her except the contents of the favors which were controversial.

    But not as controversial as this one.

    "This entire area is running on manufactured energy; a power supply of electricity that is backed up by something. In other words---without the power system, technology here is entirely useless. Find where that power source is and give it to me."

    "You have to be kidding me. Do you realize how suggestive that is for you?"

    "What''s the harm, exactly? I am locked up. Are you afraid of what I could do even though I am powerless?"

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Yes.

    Ryousuke Kawahara is powerless and the fact that he has to rely on others to do things for him is the sheer evidence to that. However, Shiori Denko''s unnatural suspicion that Ryousuke Kawahara had something on his sleeve alerted her very highly.

    "What if I am? If someone were to use these factors against us, then we would all be screwed in the end."

    Once again, it appeared that Shiori Denko had misunderstood something here.

    "I won''t use it against you..."

    "...Then who? You want something here, otherwise you wouldn''t ask for these favors. What do you intend to do to Percy?"

    She had swiftly arrived at the conclusion that Ryousuke Kawahara was in fact targeting Percy Phoenix, but she also got something very wrong.

    "I don''t intend to do anything with Percy. Percy is nothing, if you view it logically. Will Percy beat me in a fight? No. Will Percy beat me in a fight with weapons to his aid? Perhaps. Will I be able to escape this prison with so many guards around? No. Will I be able to escape this parameter with bounties on my head? Very likely not. See, Shiori----It''s not Percy who is dangerous---but rather, the ones who are afflicted to him."

    "...I understand that. It''s very obvious, yes. Still, I want his reward and if something were to happen to Percy, then I wouldn''t like it."

    "............."

    Ryousuke Kawahara backed off to his bed once again as he then went to the conclusive point, again.

    "Do you accept these conditions?"

    "No. The last favor is extremely suggestive and I won''t have you gain the knowledge of the power plant. I have no idea how but I don''t want you to have such knowledge. You''re right though. Percy on his own is nothing---but what he offers is there and I want that."

    In response, Kawahara''s shoulders began to drop as his right hand comforted his face''s surface whilst a gigantic grin was born for the purpose of mocking Denko.

    "Kukuhahaha...! A lapdog to the end!"

    "....!?"

    "You dumb bitch... I am offering you a way to retaliate from Percy, but in the end you''ll just surrender to your own fear like a normal loser. Instead of siding with me here, you''ll wonder in circles."

    "Shut up! You''re trying to manipulate me! I don''t need you! I can always use the other two..."

    Sly, Denko put her right hand covering her lips as she witnessed Kawahara in shock as to her, Kawahara''s reaction was that of a nervous person because she thought that she could use Rayazaki and Kuzan to her advantage here instead of relying on Ryousuke Kawahara.

    In order to truly fool her, Kawahara began to act in a nervous manner, firstly by being unnecessarily clingy.

    "...I have better information than they do, you are making a mistake here..."

    "Oh really? You wouldn''t mind if I went to confirm this on my own, would you?"

    "I am telling you, it won''t work..."

    Giving up, Kawahara threw himself on his bed and faced the opposite direction of Denko as he covered his face whilst laughing profoundly.

    Shiori Denko was fully under the impression that Kuzan and Rayazaki would have the same degree of information, but she was met with silence every time she asked something to Kuzan and Rayazaki. Of course, these were orders from Kawahara way before they arrived here.

    Should anyone attempt to sack information out of them instead of Kawahara himself, they were to show silence no matter what.

    "....What......."

    After being extremely unsuccessful, she went back to Kawahara''s cell and asked a question.

    "What is wrong with those two? They are dead silent."

    "They don''t like you?"

    "Why you...!"

    In a rhapsody of fury, Denko kicked the iron bar with her feet as she left some words before completely walking away yet again.

    "You are nothing without me! Stupid psychopath."

    Not to be mistaken by a reaction made out of denial; Shiori Denko was fuming at Kawahara''s irrationality, but he knew that Denko would come back anyways.

    Midst this, Kawahara laughed out loud.

    "Who is my next guest now...?"

    It was not just a guest, but two individuals this time around. One already showed up in the morning, but he was accompanied by Youjo, his female acquitance.

    Rokoro initiated the conversation as he took the component out of Youjo''s hand and showed it to Kawahara. Naturally, Youjo had agreed to this as Rokoro had reasoned with her earlier that Kawahara knew something about this more than Percy did.

    "I tried asking Percy-dono about the number and why it wasn''t linked with the IQ tests'' placings but..."

    "The answer seemed a bit off... I am not sure if these objects were given to us as rewards for being in the top ten anymore."

    Apparently, Rokoro and Youjo had arrived at the conclusion that the objects were highly suspicious and that they had no visible purpose which made them actually wonder the purpose behind Percy Phoenix''s action.

    However, Kawahara quickly filled them in, under one condition.

    "I can tell you the truth about the objects; if you don''t tell anyone about it. Especially Percy Phoenix."

    "....Suspicious..."

    Immediately skeptical, Youjo began to dismiss Kawahara''s condition, but Rokoro argued against her initial skepticism with a factual point.

    "But Youjo, Kawahara-dono does know more about this than anyone else! And it is strange that Percy-dono didn''t tell us the truth behind these objects! Furthermore, we can''t use th---"

    Tired of his non-stop babbling, Youjo understood Rokoro''s point and made him stop for being far too talkative.

    "I get it! I get it!"

    "With that said, Kawahara-dono, we won''t tell anyone! We are extremely curious!"

    In their mind, Kawahara was bound to starve to death and extracting this simple information at the cost of simply not telling anyone about it didn''t raise any danger flags to Rokoro and Youjo.

    But first, Kawahara would reason with Rokoro.

    "Kid, did Phoenix give ten objects to ten individuals?"

    "How do you know that, Kawahara-dono?! I am impressed!"

    "I figured, because, the ten components are actually not meant for you ten. They are meant for---"

    Having realizing what Kawahara was implying, Rokoro bursted out in exclamation which made Youjo step away a few meters from him as he slammed his fist onto his right open palm.

    "I see now, Kawahara-dono! There are ten criminals and the ten objects are for those ten criminals!"

    "....You could put it like that."

    "...Am I wrong, Kawahara-dono?"

    Rokoro wasn''t exactly wrong, but he wasn''t totally right at the same time. The ten objects would be in the possession of those who would harness them. Whether they were designed for ten individuals or not, Kawahara knew not.

    What he knew, however, was that there were most likely ten sections below this island and that the components were co-associated with the existence of such sections.

    Both Rokoro and Youjo did not need to know this, however.

    "I don''t know, you see. But I had three components with me, if I recall correctly."

    "....Huh?! That''s impossible!"

    "Wait, Youjo! If he''s lying, then that''s the gist of it, but Kawahara-dono doesn''t know what the other objects look like in theory! In other words, since we know, we can confirm whether or not he''s truly lying!"

    "...I---guess...?"

    Acknowledging Rokoro''s point, Youjo saw the meaning in Kawahara''s upcoming words.

    "It was a tablet that allowed me to capture the entirety of the island. In addition to that, a formidable ax. Lastly, two iron bars..."

    In reality, Kawahara only had two components, which were the tablet and the ax, but not the iron bars. The reason as to why he used the iron bars was because Musi had showed them earlier to Kawahara, so he already knew that they would believe him.

    "......."

    Youjo sat there in silence in the interrogation chair as Rokoro could not be more excited.

    "I suspected such, Kawahara-dono!"

    "Hold on just a second! Doesn''t this mean that Percy lied to us?!"

    In resonance to Youjo''s skepticism, Kawahara filled her in.

    "Bingo! He used a poor excuse to give you the items that have no utility to any of you except the criminals in this island. He knew he would be vulnerable to us if he kept them in a single spot, so he split the ten components with ten individuals and what better way to do that other than give it to the top ten who scored the highest on his little exams?"

    Rokoro''s glasses fell off his face in awe as Youjo couldn''t also believe that she had been manipulated by Percy and thus, the seeds of doubt had been placed.

    However, Kawahara was not done.

    "Those components are highly dangerous as some of them might have suggested. Tell me, was there any component that sounded extremely dangerous for some reason?"

    Youjo thought for a while but ultimately Rokoro was able to come up with a very surefire answer.

    "The cloud reactor! Denko-dono immediately chose it! I recall that it was oddly dangerous and questioned deep down the rationality behind the decision, but I ultimately thought that it would be used for the extermination of the criminals..."

    "......"

    Ryousuke Kawahara was not aware about the cloud reactor that contained the poisonous flasks in them. However, in reality, he technically obtained it, except it was Izayoi Daku, his split personality. Although it''s buried deep within his consciousness, he cannot recall it. If Hiroyoshi Sagasuga had not erased the memories of Ryousuke Kawahara, Izayoi Daku, Saitou Rayazaki, and Takeshi Kuzan, then the immense danger of the existence of the cloud reactor would become far more relevant.

    "...What do we do now...? Would anyone believe us if we told them that Percy is actually...?"

    "...I fear that we would be laughed at, Youjo... But this is wrong...!"

    The morality of these students was slowly but surely getting warped. They found more wronghood in Percy Phoenix manipulating them without their knowledge than killing some criminals off.

    Ryousuke Kawahara was well aware that he could not behave like an irrational psychopath who would demonstrate emotion on every moment given.

    Instead, he secured the knowledge of something.

    "What''s the number on that component you got there?"

    Rokoro answered it simply as it was on the back of the component.

    "5!"

    "Did you place 5th?"

    The true owner of the component, Youjo, stepped up and answered it fiercely.

    "I actually did..."

    "That''s a coincidence though because the number on my component is 1 and I was fourth place!"

    Youjo''s component is actually a component that Hajime Hyunda gave to Izayoi Daku back in the fifth section. If Ryousuke Kawahara knew what that component did, he would not hesitate to try and snatch it. Yet, Youjo remained highly skeptical as she was scared that pressing that button could create an explosion, for example.

    "Kawahara-dono... I am immensely curious and I seek to utilize these components but I don''t know how! I was hoping you''d have the answer to that..."

    Kawahara was highly aware that Hiruyuma Rokoro was a tremendously curious individual as he didn''t allow his knowledge to be restricted. Arguably said, Rokoro demonstrated a far more elevated interest in the components and their mysterious origins rather than killing the rest of the criminals.

    Knowing that, Kawahara couldn''t help but question Rokoro.

    "Kid, are you not worried about the bounties? Or the fact that this island is habituated by criminals?"

    Hiruyima Rokoro then gave a succint and honest reply to this.

    "Frankly, I want the reward for killing Daniel Lead! However, something in my intuition tells me that these components are connected to the other criminals because if these components are not meant for us but the criminals then we should seek out their utility instead of blindly searching everywhere for them!"

    The content of Hiruyima Rokoro greatly fascinated Ryousuke Kawahara as he saw individualism overflowing within Rokoro. He saw that the potential of Rokoro could not be wasted at the hands of Percy Phoenix and as such, he saw a window of opportunity and Kawahara took it.

    "You say some interesting things, kid! I wanna make a deal with you. I am willing to share knowledge about what the components actually do with you."

    "Kawahara-dono!"

    With glistering eyes, nothing made Rokoro more happy than being able to have restricted knowledge. It was his passion to know the forbidden, so he was naturally inclined to this, but Youjo remained fairly skeptical as she watched Kawahara continue.

    "As long as I get valuable information in return, kid."

    "But of course! I know many, many things! How many I help you---Aw, aw! Youjo, what are you doing?!"

    Feeling like he was being manipulated, Youjo distorted the upper part of Rokoro''s left ear and once again, dragged him out of the vicinity.

    "You are such an idiot!"

    "W-What----Ow, ow, it hurts!!!---Kawahara-dono!"

    From his cell, Kawahara spoke important words as Rokoro was eliminated from the scene.

    "Don''t bring the girl next time, kid!"

    Falling deep on his bed once again, Kawahara took an afternoon nap.

    Kuzan and Rayazaki didn''t speak this whole time as Kawahara had ordered them previously to not make unnecessary contact as Kawahara would always initiate contact and not the other way around.

    Ryousuke Kawahara''s nap was interrupted at exactly 4 pm by the visit of Shiori Denko, who had to perform a visit out of duty from the deal she had made. However, the truth is that she wanted to talk with Kawahara.

    "Wake up."

    "....Hah...?"

    Sleepy, Kawahara was forced to wake up and look to his right where he saw Shiori Denko and expressed boredom upon seeing her.

    "Wuuaaaahh.... Muah..."

    "........"

    Shiori Denko was slowly becoming infuriated but Ryousuke Kawahara quickly adjusted his posture and faced her from afar.

    "Are we finally going to get somewhere?"

    "I still think your deal is unreasonable. But, I want to know something else instead--- If I obey all of your favors, will you tell me the location of Hajime Hyunda?"

    "...!"

    As Kawahara heard that, he woke himself up even further as he recognized that their goals aligned and thus, he laughed out loud.

    "...Hahaha!! Haha..."

    "What''s so funny?!"

    "It''s--It''s not like that... I just----didn''t---hahaha---expect our targets to be the same."

    This shocked Denko as she was not aware that Kawahara was in fact targeting Hajime Hyunda all along.

    As such, she took a seat on the interrogation chair instead of standing up like before, but Kawahara was the one who spoke firstly.

    "Sure. I accept. However-----you won''t win. Not like this. It doesn''t matter how many you take along with you, numbers can''t overwhelm him. Unless I am there, you won''t win, Shiori."

    "...Why?"

    "Just trust me here, will you? Goddamn it."

    "No way, you rufian. A deal''s a deal. I''ll be back at 8 pm with the requirements. If you give me false information, you will greatly pay, Ryousuke Kawahara."

    Just like that, their short interaction came to a brief end.

    Ryousuke Kawahara now became aware that Shiori Denko was in fact targeting Hajime Hyunda because the reward for his head was far too great. And it might''ve been a mistake from Ryousuke Kawahara to have said that she shouldn''t go after him, because, in the end, what Kawahara is going to do once Shiori Denko is done achieving the favors isn''t to actually give her his location, but give her the entrance of one of the caves in which she will realize she can''t go in due to the lack of knowledge in passwords.

    In other words, Kawahara doesn''t know where Hyunda is.

    Ultimately, he went back to sleep, except he received yet another visitor. The visitor became less shy than yesterday.

    The girl was Rena. She had no idea how to approach Kawahara and Kawahara knew that he had to make use of her somehow, so he didn''t turn around to look at her as she peeked through the bars from the right side of the entrance, all the way to Kawahara''s back resting low on the bed.

    ".........."

    She wasn''t going to speak no matter what, which made Kawahara act.

    "Your name?"

    "Heek!"

    For a second, he thought whether or not "Heek" could be a name, but that was not the case as Rena simply backed off a few steps and only thirty seconds later, did she crawl out into the bars.

    She only had this level of confidence because Rayazaki and Kuzan were taking a nap.

    Her eyes peeked at Kawahara once again.

    "I''m not gonna hurt you, hell, I couldn''t, even if I wanted do. I would tell you my name if you didn''t already know, but I''m sure you''ve heard "Ryousuke Kawahara" so many times at this point that you''re sick of it, huh?"

    "............"

    But still no response came forth, however, Rena, for the first time, had not backed off as she didn''t imagine that a criminal could hold a normal conversation without starting to behave like a psychopath.

    "I don''t know why you are here, but if you''re not going to tell me your name, could you at least tell me why you are here?"

    "............"

    It took her a while to build the strength to get up from the floor and even when she did, her legs were in a state of shock, as the words from her mouth were weak-toned.

    "...........You''re a bad person and I.....----Why... do you people like to hurt others....? What is it that you see in others that is so satisfying for you to commit to immoral acts...?"

    This was a personal judgment and as such, Rena was seeking a reason and Ryousuke Kawahara, gave her the truth, in a bittersweet voice.

    "People hurt me so I hurt them back. I felt tired of feeling so worthless and realized that the more I hurt others back, the more I felt useful to myself. Probably not the answer you were looking for, but that''s it."

    ".......Okay..."

    At first, Rena was confused by what Kawahara had said, but since she was highly emotional as a person and could feel emotions on a deeper level, she recognized the emotion in Kawahara''s voice as he said those words and judged that whole sentence to be true, which was the case.

    "...Do you ever feel sorry...?"

    To this, Kawahara brutally answered back.

    "Hell no. They got what they deserved. People will always feel sorry after the bad things that they did, but not before they do it, which is stupid because being "sorry" is nothing more than a method of convenience to justify your actions. So, no, I don''t feel sorry."

    "...You should."

    Rena didn''t give her name to Kawahara but deep down, Kawahara knew that arguing and justifying his own past actions to those who could not understand them was pointless, so he never spoke about them in depth. He found such a pointlessness in doing so, that he started to feel bad for people like Rena, who got confused by this.

    In the end, that was all that Rena did.

    Ryousuke Kawahara in the upcoming hour realized that his visits from now on would become limited as he had attracted the attention of some individuals but at the same time, he also had dismissed some individuals as he saw that there was no point to their interactions with him.

    Individuals like Karlos and Damian would more than likely not give him a visit because they would earn nothing from it. He wasn''t sure whether or not Musi would visit him, but he thought to himself that it was something that was impossible to correctly predict. A 50-50 chance, so to say.

    Rena might pay him a visit but her usefulness would perhaps not flourish yet. Not while he was locked up. Which left the other six individuals: Shiori Denko, Albaz Yasuda, Hiruyima Rokoro, Yuzura Youjo, Khaen Yoh, and Lav Zwette.

    Shiori Denko would make her visit around 8 pm which left the window open for the other individuals.

    Thus, one hour and thirty minutes after, Yoh and Zwette came to pay Kawahara a visit.

    Meekly as ever, Yoh initiated the conversation.

    ".......No matter how much we thought about it, we couldn''t think of an immediate reward..."

    To further emphazie, Zwette spoke in addition.

    "...Forgive my honesty, but you will die in a couple of days because no one is allowed to feed you and as such..."

    But, to Kawahara, against all odds, the fact that they couldn''t think of a reward gave him the room to think and he came up with an immediate reward.

    He went back in time a bit and recalled what they actually wanted and he remembered it.

    "You want Kan''s location, yeah?"

    They both nooded.

    "I have a reward in mind."

    The upcoming silence, as Kawahara looked at the nervous individuals, felt like an eternity for them, as Yoh was forced to ask what the reward was.

    "....What is it?"

    There was only something that interested Ryousuke Kawahara that Yoh and Zwette could have. Or rather---they absolutely have in their possession. It initially shocked them how Ryousuke Kawahara was aware of this.

    "The little toys Percy gave you. I want them. Hand it to me and I will give you Akenama Kan''s location."

    "....."

    Yoh and Zwette crossed glances with one another as they thought to themselves whether or not they should really give such items to Ryousuke Kawahara. On one hand, giving Kawahara the tablet that Zwette has should not pose an issue, but straight up giving an ax to him is out of the question and as such, Yoh felt the need to justify why they couldn''t come to an agreement.

    "....Zwette''s object isn''t dangerous, but.... mine could bring problems..."

    Since Kawahara was aware of the existence of the ax, he gambled and guessed Yoh''s component.

    "Let me guess? The ax?"

    "How did you..."

    "Mhm, I can see your point. By the way, have you tested it?"

    "....."

    Yoh had tested it against several trees in the jungle that should not have been brought down as easily as he swung it whilst practicing, but the fact that they did meant that there was something unnatural about the ax.

    Not only was the iron extremely resistant but the edge was razor sharp and could cut through the majority of everything, except for what isn''t of the same metallic nature. Of course, Yoh didn''t know this, but he knew something was off about the ax.

    "....If I gave it to you, I could see you break out..."

    "........"

    There was nothing Ryousuke Kawahara could do about this. But even so, it wasn''t as if Ryousuke Kawahara was going to break out of the jail with the ax. In the first place, in order to swing the ax, he would need a momentum with his arms and since he was tightly shackled, that was simply not possible.

    However, Kawahara didn''t completely give up and proposed an alternative strategy.

    "How about this? Tomorrow, at exactly this time, which should be around 6 pm, you two will have to pay me a visit and do something for me. And then, I will tell you Kan''s location. Of course, if you view the request at the time as illogical, you are free to decline it. How about it?"

    "......."

    To them, it sounded like a hollow proposition as time would only be able to tell the content of the proposition.

    "...What do you think?"

    "...Your choice..."

    "..."

    Yoh was forced to choose once again and as he saw no danger to this, he gave the positive answer before completely walking out with Zwette.

    "....We''ll be back then..."

    "........."

    Willing to respect their decision, Kawahara showed silence. He realized that there was a massive difference when it comes to Yoh and Zwette compared to the rest. They naturally lack confidence and aren''t willing to commit to many risky decisions as they prefer to play it safe.

    Even though Kawahara is locked up and chained up, they still didn''t feel in charge, but Kawahara didn''t see the meaning in making himself feel like in charge yet because it would be too early.

    Fifteen minutes before 8 pm, Albaz Yasuda paid him a visit, which took him longer than he had expected.

    "It''s strange... Although there are already three of you, you are not afraid. Is that because you are a psychopath and you don''t feel remorse, even for yourself? Hah."

    Mocking Kawahara straight up, he felt the need to question her purpose here.

    "Another session of bragging? Bring Percy next time so you have someone else to share the same level of being as pathetic as possible."

    "Hah, no. I am not here for that. That was just a test. Actually, this island is pretty great, what a shame you can''t get a taste of it, criminal."

    "Are you bipolar or something? You claim that this isn''t a session of bragging but you begin to do exactly that after denying it? Get lost, I have a guest soon."

    Ryousuke Kawahara could not afford to have Shiori Denko miss out on her visit so he was actually willing to drag Yasuda out of the vicinity through verbal words if she did not exit the area.

    However, she stopped joking around as soon as she saw how serious Kawahara was.

    "...How? How do you----kill someone.... I want the reward extremely badly but every time I think about killing someone, or---Hiroyoshi Sagasuga, my mind freezes...!"

    "......."

    As he witnessed the terrified expression on her face, Ryousuke Kawahara calmly walked up to her from his bed with his head down.

    Then, his higher height towered her as he gave her a simple solution with a smile on his face.

    "Aren''t you too good of a person deep down to tarnish your morality over a petty reward?"

    "...."

    Yasuda began to blush as she was enchanted by Kawahara''s natural charm and words. Perhaps deep down inside her, the sheer contrast of a criminal, a person who is often associated with a tremendous lack of empathy, morality, and ethics, showing a reasonable comprehension like that, made her wonder whether Kawahara was actually a criminal in the first place.

    "What Percy is doing is nothing more than something for his own greed. And along the way, people like you are losing their way, thanks to this. So, just don''t do it."

    "...Huh?"

    Their eyes met and Kawahara spoke extremely calmly to the paranoid Yasuda.

    "Don''t do it. It''s that simple."

    "...But I want a place in the student council! And I know I''m never going to get it..."

    "Is that your dream?"

    She nodded slightly a few times nervously, which made Kawahara speak his true mind about dreams.

    "If it''s your dream, you have to be the one who realizes it. If you allow others to take control of your dream, then it''s not your dream anymore. A dream is actually the peak of selfishness, but we don''t view it that way. It''s a goal----that we vow to give our entirety to, no matter what. So, are you telling me that your dream is something so simple that you can achieve it by obeying a single order? Isn''t that contradictive? Didn''t you at first have to put way more effort into your dream than now? Aren''t you being disrespectful towards your dream? And, ultimately, aren''t you demolishing the worth of your dream by choosing an immoral action as the key that open the door to your dream?"

    Ryousuke Kawahara didn''t want to hold this conversation for any longer so he said one last line before turning all the way to his bed.

    "Think about all that good and then come back once your mind is clear. Killing someone will forever change you. Don''t just ride the wave because everyone is afraid of being left out."

    "..........Wow."

    Her eyes widened in surprise as it took her a while to exit the scene as she kept looking at Kawahara''s back constantly whilst looking away.

    Eventually, she went away as she began to thought deeply about the plethora of questions that Ryousuke Kawahara had earlier spoken.

    Not feeling in the mood to take a nap, Kawahara spoke out loud through the whole ceiling as his words reached Kuzan and Rayazaki, who were impatiently awaiting for him to begin verbal contact at last.

    "Keep up the work; you''re doing great."

    Silently, they felt far less preoccupied as their lives were practically riding on their leader, Ryousuke Kawahara.

    Around ten minutes later, Shiori Denko paid Kawahara a visit, as per usual.

    After looking at her right and left, and only after noticing that there wasn''t anyone else watching her, she swiftly spoke to Kawahara from afar, who awaited the information.

    "I won''t repeat myself, so if you forget it, it''s not my fault. Listen closely."

    "Mhm."

    As serious as possible, Kawahara put his brain to its maximum focus so he could absorb the upcoming details with astonishing accuracy.

    "There are fifty guards in total. 25 butlers. As for the weapons, I went to verify the number and the number of weapons is spread within the category of the weapons. In other words, as there are 10 guns of the same category, in another row of guns with a different category there will be other 10. All in all, there are 750 in total."

    "Phew! Hot damn, that''s a lot. Someone''s scared out of his wit''s much, huh?"

    "....I agree that it''s a bit too much, but it''s better than nothing. Moving on, here......"

    Shiori Denko attempted to extend her hand with the list that contains the names of the ten girls who would be more than willing to have sex with Percy Phoenix. She was disgusted and wanted to vomit, but what Kawahara said would somehow calm her down.

    "Keep it with you. Go on."

    ".........Weird..."

    It was confusing to her as to why Kawahara was on the look for girls who wanted to throw her bodies at Percy Phoenix, but she had an idea in mind. However, she couldn''t connect that idea with anything that could ultimately benefit Kawahara, so she didn''t give it much thought and went on.

    "On the west side of the jungle, there is a gigantic manufacturer of energy that''s without a doubt allowing the energy here. As a matter of fact, if we go anywhere else that''s not within this vicinity, we will lose signal. There is absolutely no Wi-Fi however, which is terrible..."

    "What is the manufacturer like?"

    "It''s adjoined with several cables connected to one jet in specific which is the energy conductor that transmits energy through everything it connects, which is essentially everything. There, happy?"

    "You could say that."

    Now, Ryousuke Kawahara had to fulfill the later part of the deal as he would give the location of three others. However, he already knew that it would be a failure, but he still had to fool Denko nonetheless.

    With a hand gesture, Kawahara physically asked for the map, which Denko didn''t hesitate on giving him through the bars.

    This time around, Ryousuke Kawahara pointed at a specific location of the map in the south which would be the first cave that Sagasuga and Kawahara went to. A different location from the one he had given earlier, on the north side.

    "Here, you''ll find three of them."

    ".........Is Haji---"

    "No. Without me, you won''t find him."

    "Why you?"

    "Don''t question the lines of play here, Shiori."

    Annoyed but not disgusted this time, Denko corrected Kawahara.

    "Denko is the appropriate way. You lack education, pig."

    ".........."

    As he watched Denko start to walk away, Kawahara asked something.

    "Are you going to go there by yourself?"

    "Naturally not. Haven''t you learned anything from me after all of our interactions?"

    "..........."

    Silently, Kawahara retreated in solitude as he became aware of Shiori Denko''s strategy. She would most likely use other groups in a manipulative way again in order to instigate the area by giving excuses, but the crucial part would be for Denko to be aware that no matter who goes there; the result would be the same.

    They would encounter a computer entry that would have password entries. Ryousuke Kawahara was also aware of one thing. The password lock would most likely be used because Kawahara and Sagasuga had successfully deciphered it before.

    But, what Ryousuke Kawahara had no idea was that Hiroyoshi Sagasuga would have reset everything back to the beginning state and the impression that Kawahara had about the success previously achieved by him was in fact, currently non-existent.

    "Well, well! Aren''t you a famous clown? You''ve been getting quite a lot of visits, dog."

    Percy Phoenix was here for yet another round of mockery.

    "What do you want?"

    With his hair covering most his face, Kawahara looked in Percy''s direction as this person was eating his dinner, again.

    It went without saying that Ryousuke Kawahara, Takeshi Kuzan, and Saitou Rayazaki were all starving. It had been almost a day since they had eaten anything at all.

    Plus, they had to resist the urge to do their necessities since there wasn''t any bathroom for them. Deep down, they were starting to feel the physical pressure as everything was looking grim.

    "I gotta say----when I heard about you creatures in my school, I was fucking scared. Criminals, in my school. Huh, I thought. But holy shit, my disappointment could have not been bigger. None of you clowns pack a punch. Hell, when I think about it, if I were a criminal, wouldn''t I be the real deal?"

    "............."

    Not in the mood for jokes, Kawahara let everything that Percy Phoenix was about to say be bygones.

    "What''s wrong? Talk, bitch."

    ".........."

    "...Want this?"

    ".....!!"

    As much as he wanted to ignore Percy Phoenix, Ryousuke Kawahara''s current starved state of being led his eyes right into the plate full of chicken wings. Unconsiously, his mouth began to droll and his lips were overflowing with saliva despite not speaking a single word.

    Upon witnessing such a natural reaction, Percy became convinced that Kawahara was making a tremendous effort to not show the fact that he was starving.

    "Ohhhh!!! OH! That''s it... Keep your eyes on the plate, dog."

    Kawahara''s eyes followed the plate as Percy paused it on the cold floor. Despite hearing sounds of Percy''s jean''s belt being released, Kawahara paid no mind as he couldn''t resist the urge of the food that near him; although on the other side of the cell.

    He was not getting up from his bed, but his stomach howled loudly.

    "....Ahhh....Ahhh...AHHH!!"

    Then, a few seconds passed and Kawahara, from afar started to notice that the chicken wings were covered with a white substance.

    The realization of what it was made Kawahara''s mind snap so hard that he had to apply a bite onto his own right forearm as a method of self-restraint. The pain he would feel from biting his own forearm would be so great that the pain would be the only thing he would feel as he submerged the fact that the chicken wings, covered with Percy''s semen, were now within his reach. All because Percy purposely put the plate inside his cell.

    As it stood, Ryousuke Kawahara could eat and reduce his starvation. The possibility was there and a part of him was telling him that his stupid pride would be his downfall as eating was the logical choice for survival.

    Yet the tears of blood emerging from Kawahara''s wide eyes filled with an unspoken rage made him determined to not move a single inch.

    At that very moment, Ryousuke Kawahara determined that tomorrow would be the end of Percy Phoenix as well as his time in this prison.

 Volume 22 - Chapter 154: Shiori Denko.

    That night, Ryousuke Kawahara did not get a wink of sleep as he focused eight hours straight into critical thinking. His eyebags grew absurdly large over the course of such hours and his eyesight wasn''t the absolute greatest. He, however, knew that no one would care about this and as such, he religiously waited until 8 am, because Shiori Denko would surely pay him a visit then.

    His figure remained the same as he crossed his right leg''s calf to his left side while keeping his left knee on the rise to support his right forearm which had the purpose of additionally supporting his chin. This way, he would capture anyone who came across him, and at dawn break, someone before Shiori Denko came in.

    Hiruyima Rokoro, without Youjo by his side, decided to pay Ryousuke Kawahara a visit on this crucial day.

    On this very day, Ryousuke Kawahara would have to play all of his cards no matter what and be successful. To him, there would be no other way.

    "Kawahara-dono! I am here without Youjo! I am amazed you are not asleep!"

    Yesterday, Ryousuke Kawahara had told Rokoro to not bring Youjo along next time and he had done exactly that. Rokoro would play a crucial part today. But, he would ultimately have no idea how.

    Anyhow, Kawahara did not get up from his spot but greeted Rokoro with open arms.

    "Kid, you''re here. Shall we get to business?"

    "Yes! You''ll tell me the truth about these components, correct?"

    "Yeah."

    There was something that Ryousuke Kawahara had to keep in mind. Just telling the truth about these components would not be enough, because if he were to simply do that then Rokoro could use his device to scan the passwords from the hidden entries and proceed to be successful.

    Kawahara had something in mind, however.

    "Let''s start off with your little toy---but, first. You''ll have to do me a favor and through each favor, I will do you the honor of giving you the truth about the component. In other words---if you want to know what your scanner does, you''ll have to do me a favor first."

    "....Er..."

    Rokoro began to feel at disadvantage here and Kawahara then explained his situation better.

    "I am powerless, kid... Your fear is illogical. I''m simply obeying the essence of business. By the way..."

    What Kawahara would say afterwards would greatly interest Rokoro.

    "The moment you know what all the components do, you will be able to capture every single one of them."

    "I-Is that true, Kawahara-dono?!"

    "It is, because the components greatly influence their locations. But, let''s get down to business. Is it alright if I list my favor?"

    "......Go for it, Kawahara-dono."

    It naturally couldn''t be something extremely controversial. The essence of business could not be betrayed, but Kawahara was naturally under much suspicion.

    Already having Youjo out of the way was huge for him, so he had to make the best out of this opportunity.

    "I want you to figure out who every student is after---In other words; by 10 am, I want you to return here with a list with the names of the criminals and on the right side of their names, I want the quantity of students who are interested in their bounties."

    "Kawahara-dono, that''s a lot of work! I am not sure if I can do all that in the spawn of four hours!"

    "It''s simple, kid. Keep a track of who wants who as you countdown each student. Return here by then and I''ll tell you the truth of the scanner."

    Rokoro then placed his thumb on his lips and began to think how that could bring an advantage to Kawahara, but in the end, all he saw was that it couldn''t. What would Kawahara exactly benefit from knowing who wants who? He even started to wonder if Kawahara was feeling like a nice person and would be giving out the locations of such groups.

    Furthermore, Rokoro started to view this favor as something that could greatly benefit everyone because there was a tremendous lack of organization. Percy Phoenix had said all those words but in the end, his plan was to use everyone as his pawns so he could get the easy win.

    In addition to that, Rokoro objected Percy Phoenix''s approach to this event as simply commanding everyone to blindly hunt individuals to whom they lack far too much data on is dangerous and undoubtedly illlogical.

    On the other hand, through Ryousuke Kawahara, Hiruyima Rokoro saw a window of opportunity to make this event far more organized and with that in mind, he spent his time with Youjo gathering what Ryousuke Kawahara had suggested.

    Something to keep in mind is that Ryousuke Kawahara is ultimately creating a small margin of benefit for himself, but he is also creating a far greater margin of benefit to those who talk to him. Henceforth why he is sure that they will keep on coming back.

    Nevertheless, once it was 8 am, an individual was fuming and demanded a truthful answer. She truly believed that she had been tricked by Ryousuke Kawahara to the core.

    "Explain yourself."

    Coldly, Shiori Denko gazed at Ryousuke Kawahara, who was clueless as to why she was silently mad.

    "What do you mean?"

    "Don''t play dumb. Nothing was found in that location! I even went there myself..."

    She was tired. Her ragged breath was showing signs of fatigue yet she was doing her best to stay composed.

    "Of course nothing was found... Except, that''s not correct to the core, is it? You simply didn''t find anyone there, am I correct?"

    "You knew it would go this way all along, bastard..."

    Shiori Denko looked ready to give up but what Ryousuke Kawahara would say made her stay as she understood the truth better now.

    "You asked me for their location, and I gave you. However, their location cannot be accessible. You tried every password you could think off, didn''t you?"

    Ryousuke Kawahara had assumed that Shiori Denko along with other individuals had attempted to blast through the section''s entrance by inserting every password that they could think off, but Kawahara had understimated Shiori Denko slightly.

    "I didn''t, because if I were to come back to you, I could get the password. I understand now... But, what is up with this island? It''s no wonder we can''t find them..."

    In agreement, Ryousuke Kawahara shared some truth.

    "And you never will without the correct password. However, if I were you, I wouldn''t tell anyone about this because if they exhaust the passwor--"

    "I didn''t tell anyone, I went there on my own; to the section where the computer is in. If I were to tell anyone, then they would exhaust it for sure. I am not dumb..."

    "....Sorry."

    That was a genuine apology as Kawahara had seriously thought that Shiori Denko would commit the stupid mistake he had in his mind all along.

    Midst this, Shiori Denko unconsciously grinned back at Kawahara with an elegant smug expression out of reflex.

    Regardless, this brought Shiori Denko to demand something else. She was already aware of the location, but not about the password.

    "What''s the password?"

    Ryousuke Kawahara from the start could''ve just told Shiori Denko that the location would ultimately not allow her to get her hands on the criminals that she was so desperately looking for. In the end, it wasn''t as if she was going to be successful, at least in Kawahara''s mind.

    Which brought her to this point, the point that Ryousuke Kawahara wanted her to arrive at.

    "You''ll need to do me five favors today for the password."

    "Ridiculous."

    "Were my previous favors ridiculous, Shiori?"

    "I told you---Look, that''s too much. You do realize that with 500 brains present, we will come to the conclusion faster, right?"

    But, Kawahara begged to differ.

    "Wrong. You''ll only screw this up by relying on others. Also---forget hunting them down without the passwords."

    "...Passwords? Are you telling me that..."

    "But of course, Shiori. If only you were aware of how much you didn''t know about this island. In the first place, this isn''t a private resort island, you missy. It''s the stage for my exam."

    Although he was told to not speak out of his line, Saitou Rayazaki, from Ryousuke Kawahara''s right side, in his own cell, interefered with a tired yet strong voice.

    "You mean, our, exam, right?"

    However, Kawahara wasn''t going to argue negatively as he planned to expose a certain factor.

    "That''s right, Rayazaki. Our exam."

    "...Wh---"

    Shocked, Shiori Denko didn''t expect this conversation to turn like this, but Kawahara wasn''t going to wait around until she got everything in her surroundings correctly.

    "Have you never wondered why we were here in the first place? What if I told you that we have to complete our exam until the end of April? Crazy, isn''t it?"

    Takeshi Kuzan spoke in addition from the left side.

    "It is crazy! If we are stuck in here for any longer, we won''t be successful, Master!"

    "Master?"

    Shiori Denko was unaware as to why Takeshi Kuzan was calling Ryousuke Kawahara by that surname, but she swiftly arrived at the conclusion that those two were in fact co-associated with Kawahara.

    As such, she distanced herself from Kawahara a bit and began to throw an ultimatum at the stoic Kawahara.

    "Give me one good reason as to why I should keep talking to you or else I will tell everything to Percy..."

    It was natural that Shiori Denko was feeling insecure. After all, she had arrived at the conclusive point that the other criminals are within the areas that are beyond the doors protected and encrypted by strong passwords of unknown origins. So, what sense would it make for Takeshi Kuzan and Saitou Rayazaki to not be there as well? The answer was simple: She had been manipulated into believing that Kawahara was selling them out all along meanwhile that couldn''t be further from the actual truth.

    She did not like to be manipulated because she wouldn''t feel in charge, so Kawahara''s upcoming words would be decisive, as he had to say something absolute and not meek.

    With a stunning deep breath, he laid out the truth.

    "You are better than Percy and everyone should follow you."

    "....?"

    "Yesterday, I saw the potential in you as you are far more well-suited to lead others than someone like Percy Phoenix who has an enormous ego. In the first place, he created those IQ tests because Hajime Hyunda provoked him into choosing 500 people from our school just to play a game with him. In other words---you''ve been unfairly manipulated into playing a game that is endagering the lives of 500 people."

    However, unfortunately for Kawahara, his explanation was off the charts, in a negative way. It was far too ridiculous for Shiori Denko to believe in it.

    "Sure, it''s not believable. I understand. But, isn''t it strange how Hajime Hyunda has a bigger reward for his bounty than all the rest? 3 wishes---meanwhile you could get all the other rewards three times if you just kill Hajime Hyunda off. You have to at least acknowledge that Percy Phoenix has an unnatural interest when it comes to him. Or, do you doubt this too?"

    If there was something that they both could agree was that Percy Phoenix had displayed an unnatural interest in Hajime Hyunda when it came to announcing his bounty.

    In no world would the life of someone justify that much of a reward, but still, Shiori Denko remained skeptical.

    "I will agree with that. You are right, but----that doesn''t change the fact that you manipulated me."

    "If I hadn''t done that, then you wouldn''t have gotten anywhere else. Without my help, you wouldn''t have made any progress."

    "I know that. But that''s because you know things that I don''t."

    "That''s true. Can I say something else though?"

    "........"

    Her silence indicated consent as she couldn''t forget a particular sentence that Ryousuke Kawahara had previously said.

    "Percy is going to get all of you killed."

    "...What?"

    "He doesn''t know what or rather... who is dealing with and will ultimately lead you all to hell just to get a victory to this game. Are you too, like him, who is willing to sacrifice this many lives for his own goal?"

    Never before had Kawahara stared into someone that seriously as he attempted to search for the morality of Shiori Denko. While it is true that she''s extremely goal-driven, the importance of those around her are what made her be so invested into this task.

    Without having someone to acknowledge her in the long run, she really wondered what would be the overall point of everything.

    "I am not. But you could just be lying, in the end."

    "But I am not. However, this is fine. You are no different from Percy if you don''t stop him."

    "......What? And how am I supposed to stop him? I am aware of the irrationality of this event but there''s nothing anyone can do, is there? He is in control of everything here."

    At last, Shiori Denko had acknowledged that perhaps deep down she truly wanted to stop Percy Phoenix as she began to see how coordinated criminals can really be once they put their minds to it. She thought that if Ryousuke Kawahara was the de facto leader of Takeshi Kuzan and Saitou Rayazaki, then it wouldn''t be a stretch to assume that having the help of an outside help could be the greater play in her mind.

    He grinned in response to this however, but not in a disrespectful way, and began to approach Shiori Denko at the bay of his cell bars.

    "I have a plan. If you follow my orders to the core; Percy Phoenix will lose all power by this night."

    "To what end? For you to break free and kill us all? I am better off relying on Percy then."

    As she expected, for some reason, by the time she ended her sentence, she realized she had misunderstood something once again.

    "You are so wrong, Shiori... I was thinking that you could unite everyone here. In a way that not even Percy could."

    "And how would that be possible?"

    "With the help of someone else, of course. Don''t worry, he is one of you. I believe he will be off great assistance. But, Shiori, we need to come to a conclusive point here. Are you in or are you out?"

    "What if I''m out?"

    Although what Ryousuke Kawahara was about to tell her wasn''t the necessary truth, it would be extremely hard for Kawahara to pull something off that didn''t have Shiori Denko in it.

    She had became a crucial piece to this and not even Kawahara could deny this, but, he could make her think that she didn''t matter as much as she thought.

    "Fine by me. I already have another person in mind. If you aren''t willing to act, then that other person will."

    ".........."

    She posed in silence but when she spoke again, she didn''t exactly agree with him, but wanted to know more. It was already fairly obvious that the moment Ryousuke Kawahara would put her status down, she would feel unconsciously obliged to defeat Kawahara''s words.

    "Tell me your plan and I''ll then decide whether or not it''s worth it."

    Shiori Denko once again had closed her distance to Ryousuke Kawahara as she needed to hear the details of his plan. Should she view it as something that would be the work of an insane deranged psychopath who is extremely delusional about his own goals and how the world around him worked; she would shut him down completely, without fail.

    However, what she processed in her mind as she heard the depth of Ryousuke Kawahara''s plan was not the thoughts of a delusional psychopath, but the mind of a brilliant manipulative orchestrator who even managed to reason with Shiori Denko, who was stunned in awe as after fifteen minutes, she was able to process the entirety of the genius behind Ryousuke Kawahara''s mind.

    To represent such, she meekly walked back two steps because she was seeing the future after Ryousuke Kawahara''s plan.

    "I---I---I can''t believe this, there''s---actually a chance that this will----"

    "It appears it got through your heard, Shiori. So, what will it be?"

    "......Give me a bit of time to think."

    Usually, Ryousuke Kawahara would be patient against Shiori Denko, but he realized that it was now or never and that Shiori Denko wasting time around could ultimately damage the overall plan in the end. As such, he hurried her up.

    "No. Give the answer to me now, Shiori."

    "...I-----You do realize that if none of this is true, you are entirely screwed, Ryousuke Kawahara? Everyone will dedicate their lives to get revenge on you and---"

    Ryousuke Kawahara did not care about the consequences. He only cared about whether or not Shiori Denko aligned.

    "What is your answer...?"

    Shiori Denko already knew the answer and so, she showed no hesitatence when giving it.

    "Fine. Fine, alright. What is the first favor, Ryousuke?"

    Since Kawahara was calling her by her first name, she felt the need to administer some equality. On the other hand, Ryousuke Kawahara didn''t care about that factor at all and went back to his back as he told Shiori Denko what she had to do.

    "Organize a dinner event where all the guards will be rewarded for their work. I don''t care how you do it; isolate all the guards onto one place in specific."

    "That''s... hard... because there will be guards who will have to be here guarding you..."

    "You don''t have to worry about that. All I need you to do is to start a dinner event where all the guards will be united together. Here is an idea---Near Percy''s jet there is an isolated area. Under the help of many students, adjoin tables there for all the fifty guards and the twenty-five butlers."

    "Again, that sounds highly improbable of working out... But, whatever. I''ll be back by lunch."

    "Mhm."

    Now that Shiori Denko had a task on her hand, she exited the scene and left Ryousuke Kawahara all alone.

    His next visitor would not be Hiruyima Rokoro, but Albaz Yasuda, who had given serious thought to Kawahara''s words yesterday.

    Her face was a bit tired as it was clear that she was lacking sleep. Ryousuke Kawahara initiated the conversation instead of her.

    "You don''t look so well, Yasuda."

    "...Yeah, I didn''t... really sleep much. I was thinking and... I don''t want to do this anymore, so I''ll just withdraw from the whole event. I came here to just say thank you for bringing my mentality back to its original state. I don''t know what happened to me. Anyways---thanks."

    This interaction was about to look extremely simple and conclusive, but Ryousuke Kawahara is not a good person. He wont let someone like Albaz Yasuda walk away while feeling good suddenly. In the first place, he said his words yesterday because he wanted to allow her to process the importance of retaining one''s morality, which led him to say the following words.

    "Are you really just going to let the others go through what you are going through?"

    "........."

    Guilty, she turned around to Kawahara''s direction as she was aware that the others were experiencing a morality warping and that didn''t seat right with Yasuda.

    "...But what can I do about it...? Everyone''s so focused and on the hunt for the other criminals... Do you have an idea, Kawahara...?"

    Kawahara got up and went to meet Yasuda''s height as she began to feel more and more embarrassed the more he came closer. His overpowering physical figure was undoubetely alluring to someone like Yasuda.

    "There are others who have the same goal as you, Yasuda. Seek Denko. She will tell you a bit on what to do."

    The truth is that Ryousuke Kawaraha knew that Yasuda would evidently pass by and had included her in the overall plan and in addition told Shiori Denko earlier that Albaz Yasuda would seek to join her in the event organization.

    ".......Okay... You don''t seem like a bad person... After all..."

    "Looks can be deceiving, miss."

    She blushed slightly but ultimate dismissed her own presence from the scene. Like that, Albaz Yasuda would help Shiori Denko in organizing the entire event. By night time, the guards and the butlers would all adjoin themselves into a dinner event on their own, they would all be together.

    However, Percy Phoenix would most likely not allow this to happen, should he know. Henceforth, Percy Phoenix''s attention would be occupied with something else entirely.

    Eventually, at 10 am, Hiruyima Rokoro returned to Kawahara as he was running out of breath.

    "Ka--Kawahara-dono....! Ahhh... I''ve finished it!"

    "Great work. Can I see it?"

    "Surely! But you''ll tell me how to make this work, correct?!"

    "Of course, kid."

    Ryousuke Kawahara had officially acquired the list of students who were asked by Rokoro that one specific question. A list of individuals who were interested in certain bounties.

    Feeling electric, Rokoro asked something in addition.

    "Kawahara-dono, now that I know who everyone is looking for, it would be easier for us if we focused in specific groups! For example, there are 83 people interested in killing Daniel Lead! If I were to get all those people co-align with me, then our odds of success would be huge, wouldn''t they?!"

    "That''s just basic stuff, kido. That punk Phoenix will make you think you''re dumb just because he doesn''t know how to utilize brilliant minds like you. Anyway, take a seat!"

    "Yes!"

    Hiruyima Rokoro was actually pretty flattered and enjoyed his time with Ryousuke Kawahara more than he did with Percy Phoenix. He didn''t know how to explain it, but he felt as if Ryousuke Kawahara had undergone the same exact past as he did, which he found odd. Furthermore, Ryousuke Kawahara demonstrated interest in what Rokoro actually wanted to tell the world meanwhile Percy Phoenix would quickly give him a fake compliment instead of hearing him out the majority of the times.

    In the end, he took a seat in his chair and thus, Kawahara began to explain the utility of the scanner.

    "That scanner is the decipherer of passwords in this island."

    "What? This is the first time I''ve heard about this, Kawahara-dono!"

    "Naturally. I will tell you a little secret."

    Capturing Rokoro''s full attention, Kawahara utilized all of his ten fingers from both his hands and spoke the truth which shocked Rokoro.

    "There are ten sections below this island that Percy Phoenix will never discover and none of those sections can be accessed without the right password!"

    "What! But then that means that I could---"

    Kawahara nodded, because it was true. If Hiruyima Rokoro wanted, he could utilize his component to decipher all the passwords. However, Kawahara knew that he couldn''t exactly do that at the moment.

    "In those sections, the other criminals lie within. Nonetheless, the entrances to those sections are heavily shrouded in this island and can''t be found unless I guide you to them."

    "Oh, I see! Kawahara-dono, can you tell me where the locations of those sections are then?"

    "Kid, remember our deal? We will have to go through with it. Plus, I don''t know all the locations. Just one, actually."

    "That''s enough, Kawahara-dono! There is surely someone there!"

    This sort of argument began to taste sour to Kawahara as he view Rokoro as someone who was abiding far too simple-minded ideas.

    "Don''t be naive! Are you satisfied with seeking so little one step at the time?! Mustn''t we always seek more instead of seeking little by little?"

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    "Ohhh! You''re right, Kawahara-dono! What do you suggest then?!"

    "Let''s see---if only I can guide you there, then it would be pretty convenient if I were to do just that, wouldn''t it?"

    But to Hiruyima Rokoro, what Ryousuke Kawahara had just suggested was beyond incomprehensible as he had no way to get out of the prison he was in.

    So, he was abnormally confused for a second until Ryousuke Kawahara explained his reasoning.

    "Well---I can''t do that. That sucks, doesn''t it? Either way--- our initial deal was that I would tell you the truth about the components and I don''t mind doing that again. So, are you willing to do me yet another favor for the knowledge of another component?"

    "Yes! Your favors aren''t dangerous so it''s fine!"

    "That''s what I like to hear. What is the component you have in mind?"

    Rokoro did have a certain component in mind that he had the urgency in knowing what it did due to the immense potential danger of it.

    "The reactor! We are unsure of what it does... Surely you know what it does?"

    Kawahara had no other choice but to always give a positive answer despite not having the concrete knowledge about it.

    "It goes without saying. However, you must pay the price. Are you in?"

    Showing no reluctance in nodding, Rokoro confirmed which brought a smile to Kawahara''s face.

    "That''s good. This one is a simple favor. Ask Shiori Denko to borrow one of the flasks from the cloud reactor."

    "?"

    As far as Rokoro knew, those flasks had poison inside and what Kawahara had just said was highly suggestive.

    "Don''t be mistaken. The truth is that Denko wants you to analyze the content of the poison as she is unsure of what the flasks are all about. Also, don''t worry about her rejecting your offer. She surely will accept."

    "But what are you going to do with the flask?"

    "Me? The flask will go to you. Not me. You got that wrong."

    "Mhm, I see, Kawahara-dono... I thought you were going to do something suggestive with the flask, but apparently that''s not the case. That''s good to know."

    Again, no matter how initially suggestive it sounded, as long as Ryousuke Kawahara never went out of his way to acquire the flask to himself, Rokoro wouldn''t have a problem with this.

    "Alright, I will talk with Denko-dono then. But I am not sure if I''ll be able extract any positive results from the flask. As far as I''m concerned, they are unnecessary and should not be applied."

    "Blame Percy for putting a student in the possession of such items. Anyway, I''m counting on you."

    With haste, Rokoro left the note with Ryousuke Kawahara.

    Bored without nothing to really do, Kawahara waited until lunch time and Shiori Denko paid him a visit.

    "I got assistance from Yasuda and it did came in handy. She is supremely motivated, but there is just one problem. Percy overheard the entire thing and even though Yasuda and I tried to argue back, the dinner thing is looking pretty hopeless."

    "That was to be expected. You already know what to do though, right?"

    "...Yes... By the way, what do you need the flask for? Rokoro asked me one and I gave one to him because it''s part of the plan."

    Kawahara then explained the utility of the flask.

    "When the dinner starts to be made, you cannot let the guards or the butlers be the ones who make the dinner nor serve the drinks. Gather a large party and have it all done by yourselves and make sure that you aren''t discovered."

    "But what does that have to do with the flask?"

    Ryousuke Kawahara sighed as he noticed that Shiori Denko wasn''t able to see the obvious crucial point here, so he pointed it out.

    "The drinks will all share a slight portion of the entire flask as it has to be divided by the entire guards and butlers, Shiori..."

    Although Ryousuke Kawahara had told her that he planned to isolate the guards and have them all incapacitated, he had not told her how that would be possible.

    "Furthermore, Shiori, no one will suspect you. The entire focus is on the criminals on this island. You have all the freedom in the world for this. However---we need to draw Percy''s attention away from the event."

    "During what time should I get the girls to beseek his attention exactly?"

    "Around the night. For now focus on extracting the attention of those ten girls who want to sleep with him and suggest Percy that ten girls want to have sex with him."

    "......How do you know that''s going to work?"

    To this, Kawahara had a brief simple answer.

    "His ego is astronomical. Ten girls offering to eat his dick is nothing but a normal occurrence. Get to working and come back at 4 pm."

    "Could you not be so bossy?"

    "What''s wrong with me being bossy? We are in this together, Shiori."

    "........."

    She didn''t exactly like not being the one giving orders, but they had a mutual goal which was the dissemblance of Percy Phoenix.

    So far, a few factors had come to light. Percy Phoenix, with his guards around and his butlers, is by far too shielded from anything. Ryousuke Kawahara is under the severe state of starvation and there is no hope for him. Worrying about a rat like him does not even cross Percy Phoenix''s mind.

    Suspecting a sudden betrayal is also not something that Percy Phoenix can imagine because Ryousuke Kawahara is useless. Furthermore, he is under the impression that he is hailed as God because of the gigantic rewards he gave the others. Nobody in their sane mind would dare to betray Percy.

    Either way, Shiori Denko and Ryousuke Kawahara had the exact same thoughts in mind.

    It was up to her to draw Percy Phoenix''s attention by utilizing the other girls as honey baits.

    Midst the afternoon, around 2 pm, Rokoro paid a visit to Kawahara once again.

    "Kawahara-dono, I did exactly as you told me to do!"

    "Great work... I''ll tell you the truth about the cloud reactor now. It''s a dangerous lethal device that operates on the poisonous flasks and as soon as it activates, the entire atmosphere within the radius of 1000 meters will be engulfed by a deadly toxin spreading everywhere around it."

    "Wh---What! That''s too dangerous, Kawahara-dono!"

    "Indeed it is. Yet Percy gave it to you people straight up. He is insane..."

    In reality, Percy Phoenix wasn''t exactly at fault because he had no idea what it did at first. However, he then gained a somewhat truthful interpretation on what the cloud reactor could do, but there is also a hidden truth here. Ryousuke Kawahara thought that that was actually what the cloud reactor did, but he was actually incredibly wrong.

    Nobody knew what the cloud reactor did, but many had interpretations about it. Noticeably, Hiruyima Rokoro''s interpretation aligned with Ryousuke Kawahara''s.

    "Kid, what do you want to know next?"

    "Youjo''s tablet! Kawahara-dono, is it just an average tablet? I''ve examined it and it contains the map of the island!"

    "There''s obviously more to it, kid. Can I list my favor?"

    Rokoro nodded as he saw no danger in obeying the upcoming favor.

    "I want you to tell Karlos that there is something that he can''t break."

    "...?"

    "Just tell him that for me, will you?"

    "Uh, sure... Kawahara-dono..."

    Once again, Rokoro saw no danger to it. As a matter of fact, Rokoro knew that all he had to do was tell Karlos that Ryousuke Kawahara had told him that he couldn''t break something. In other words, he wasn''t in danger by any means.

    "Good. Come back soon, kiddo."

    This would be yet another important factor to Kawahara''s plan but perhaps the most controversial part as he wasn''t sure whether or not it would work, but he was dying to try it out.

    Alas, 4 pm came and Shiori Denko blessed Ryousuke Kawahara with another visit and went straight to business.

    "I won''t go in depth on how I was successful in doing it, but I''ve informed Percy about how there are ten girls who want to do it with him.... I really find this stupid, but it''s not as if I don''t see the point to it."

    "I see. Were you successful in organizing the event?"

    "I left that to Yasuda as Percy Phoenix saw that he was going to be too busy with the girls the moment they would walk into their jet. In other words, he doesn''t care about defying the whole event anymore because his mind is filled with other things and he doesn''t suspect me at all. Preparations for the dinner around 8 pm have already started to occur."

    Happy, Kawahara smiled.

    "That''s good."

    "Isn''t this enough though? Percy won''t notice that the drinks that the guards and butlers will be served with are in fact poisoned which will then leave Percy unprotected and defenseless. Afterwards, we conclude the plan and everything goes well. What am I missing here?"

    "Quite a lot, but we''ll have this discussion later. Favor: Put the cloud reactor right in the same area where the manufacturer of energy lies within. Specifically put; right on the top of the manufacturer."

    "That thing is extremely heavy though..."

    "Do it, Shiori. Otherwise, Percy will have a chance to retaliate."

    Yet another important factor would be how Percy Phoenix would react to having all the guards and his butlers killed by contagious poison. If he were to notice the event, then everything would be troublesome.

    There was also another key factor. No student could be in the parameter when this is happening, otherwise the students will know the truth; but this truth is something that only Shiori Denko and Ryousuke Kawahara would know.

    "You''ll be my prisoner in the end, so how exactly are you going to deal with Percy, Kawahara?"

    "Whatever do you mean, Shiori? I will be your prisoner and hostage who will be under your total control. How can I possibly inflict any harm to Percy? The plan is to ultimately leave Percy defenseless, is it not?"

    Shiori Denko deep down had the impression that Kawahara would somehow commit an extreme action once this whole thing was done, but apparently, that wouldn''t be the case.

    "...Whatever. I''ll be back by the night to announce that the dinner event has started. I will poison the drinks subtly without anyone noticing me and Percy''s defense will be wide open. I just don''t see how it''s gonna work out with so many students present at the time..."

    "Kukuku... If only you knew..."

    "Hah?"

    "Nothing. Go now, yeah?"

    "......."

    Skeptical still, Shiori Denko went forth and put the cloud reactor on the top of the manufacturer, despite that task being physically hard for Denko. In the long run, Kawahara knew something that would ultimately prove itself to be a useful asset to him later on.

    Just as he had calculated, a few minutes after Shiori Denko had left, Karlos paid Kawahara a visit, though calm at first.

    "Yo, big guy! You came after all!"

    At first, Karlos crossed his arms but then glanced upon Ryousuke Kawahara with a death stare.

    "What is the meaning behind those words? The geek told me; how I couldn''t break something. Explain yourself..."

    Seeing that Karlos had taken the bait, Kawahara grinned as per usual.

    "Ahhh... I was wondering something. Since I won''t make it, I thought of giving you a challenge. Just to try to see whether you are as strong as you probably think you are. On the west side of this area, you''ll find Denko''s cloud reactor. And before you ask as to why it''s there; it''s because she got scared of what it might do and decided to abandon it. My main point here is: I want to know whether or not you can break the cloud reactor."

    There was something crucial to know here. Karlos has no clue about the energy manufacturer. So, a bunch of machines below the cloud reactor will not indicate much to I''m. Furthermore, although he is smart, he is undoubtedly prone to get into violent situations once he sees that he cannot utilize his physical force to break something.

    In other words, the manufacturer could very well be in a lot of danger should Karlos attempt to strike it or anything that is close to it...

    "Very well! I accept your challenge! Hahaha, just you wait until I bring you the cloud reactor in pieces, trash."

    "If you can, that is..."

    "Tsk, loud mouth."

    To Ryousuke Kawahara, there was no one else far more perfect than Karlos for this. Impulsive and emotional with a strong sense of physical recognition, he wouldn''t hesitate to attempt to break the cloud reactor.

    The result was already clear as the cloud reactor cannot be destroyed via normal ways.

    When Karlos left the vicinity, only one factor remained in Ryousuke Kawahara''s mind. The impressive number of students present within this beach was enormous and for all of this to work, something would need to draw their attention away from this place.

    It has already been proven in the past days that these students can be extremely goal-driven once they see their targets. The only problem in the past was that they did not know where to go. Until, Ryousuke Kawahara came in and started to tell the locations of others.

    Therefore, the students were aware that the criminals are in fact in the island. With that in mind, they just need to be given the orders and they will go straight to where they are.

    "Kawahara-dono?"

    In such deep though, Kawahara had not noticed the very existence of Rokoro right in front of him through the iron bars. It was already deep afternoon and soon enough, Yoh and Zwette would be around here at exactly the time Kawahara had told them to come yesterday. This factor was planned as well as all the pieces would start to fit together soon.

    "Sorry, kid. Actually, what''s your name?"

    All this time, Kawahara had not asked a single time Rokoro''s name. For some reason, Rokoro didn''t feel offended about that which he found strange.

    "My name is Hiruyima Rokoro!"

    "Got it, Rokoro. Rokoro, I''ll need your favor right now. It''s fairly simple. Bring Yoh and Zwette here. After that is done, I''ll tell you the truth about any component that you might have in mind."

    "Right away!"

    Needless to say, but there was no danger to this task. However, Yoh and Zwette would only be relevant with Rokoro present. The reason for that is... they would be the crucial elements that would distance all the students from the beach.

    Why was Rokoro necessary, however? It''s because Rokoro knew what targets the students were exactly aiming for and Kawahara would utilize his intel to his own advantage 5 minutes later once the three of them were present in front of Kawahara.

    "I officially surrender."

    Unsure of how to react to Ryousuke Kawahara''s words, a silence was formed as Kawahara continued to explain why he was surrending all of his entirety to Yoh, Zwette, and to the stunned Rokoro.

    "I am a piece of shit and I deserve to die. I''ve committed so many crimes in my whole life that the only possible way I can redeem myself is to bring others who share my nature to oblivion. Or simply put---for me to tell competent individuals such as yourselves their locations to terminate our miseries."

    They had understand what Ryousuke Kawahara wanted to say. There was no salvation for him and since Kuzan and Rayazaki weren''t arguing back, they agreed with this outcome.

    As such, Kawahara felt the need to explain himself once again.

    "Give me the map and I will tell their locations for free. However, I would like you to work with Rokoro here. He knows exactly which students are after certain criminals. Align the interests here! Just like how Yoh and Zwette over here are after Kan, bring together all the students who are after Kan and move that specific group of individuals to the location that I am going to give you. Likewise, unite all students who are after Daniel so that students who share Rokoro''s target can help each other in the long run. How does that sound?"

    There wasn''t much to argue. Kawahara''s point was extremely valid as Yoh and Zwette acknowledge that acting collectively with individuals who share the same goal is a better strategy than working with individuals who do not.

    This was something that Rokoro immensely agreed with as he saw this strategy as something extremely profitable.

    "....Yeah, that sounds good..."

    "True..."

    "Kawahara-dono.... I am sad.... Why must such a brilliant mind like you be doomed to follow this end... I am sad..."

    Although Kawahara was flattered, he met Rokoro''s height and reached his hand out of the cell and patted Rokoro.

    "Don''t be sad, Rokoro. Sacrifices are necessary in order to advance. I think we both agree on that, yeah?"

    "Kawahara-dono...!"

    It was truly sad for Rokoro. He felt as if someone actually understood his insatiable thirst for knowledge as he saw Ryousuke Kawahara as like-minded individual who shared the same fundamentals. Still, Kawahara knew that he could not waste time with this farce and asked for a map.

    "Give me a map. I''ll note down the locations."

    Thankfully, Rokoro carried a pen at all times, so in addition to giving Kawahara the map, he gave him a pen to pin the location of the other criminals.

    To them, this was a way to "atone" for what Kawahara had done.

    As Kawahara drew false locations in the map; seven of them, he said something of great importance to the other three outside.

    "Do yourselves a favor and wait until nightfall for this, alright? 8 pm should be extremely good. I say this because we are essentially out of resources and by nightfall is when we become the most vulnerable."

    It was a bit meaningless to go over this as this was utterly obvious, but since daylight provides human beings far more vision than nightfall, if the students on the chase have lanterns or anything that can produce light, they are at advantage, no matter how they look at it.

    Done marking the seven locations at random in the map, Ryousuke Kawahara made sure to pin the locations on the north side of the island instead of where they current stand, in the bottom south. This way, they wouldn''t return early at all, which was extremely convenient.

    As he gave the map and pen back to Hiruyima Rokoro, the three of them, out of sheer gratitude, thanked a criminal, which shocked Ryousuke Kawahara a bit.

    "Thank you so much!"

    "Best of luck!"

    Wishing them good luck, Ryousuke Kawahara calculated the time and figured that there would be about two other hours until 8 pm.

    Now that Rokoro, Yoh, and Zwette were aware of the locations of the other criminals, all that they had to do was to wait until 8 pm to begin their hunt. However, the three of them would dedicate their time into gathering and reasoning with other individuals who shared the same goals. As such, when it would be by 8 pm, seven groups had been formed.

    The group that would terminate Hiroyoshi Sagasuga contained about 40-50 individuals. Tsudo Toharoh''s termination squad would revolve around 35 individuals or close to it. Next, those that would terminate Akenama Kan''s life would be a number of 60 individuals. Kogami Akihiko had around 55 people on his tail. Only 25 people were interested in hunting Hirakibo Tatsu''s life. The increasing number would be against Hajime Hyunda as 110 individuals wanted him dead. Lastly, 90 individuals were on the lookout for Daniel Lead.

    In conclusion, there were 425 individuals aligned on this. Naturally, there were some students that didn''t actually care about this and just wanted to relax and have fun.

    But these were important numbers to Ryousuke Kawahara. In the future, knowing who is after who would come to bring great heights in terms of advantage.

    "......"

    Erupting his posture from his bed, the exhausted Kawahara noticed that someone was walking down the hall extremely fast and in a quick beat, Karlos'' face was glued to the iron bars as his teeth were charging a furious fountain of saliva falling within.

    "How?! How?! HOW?! No matter what I tried it wouldn''t break! This is unacceptable!"

    Ryousuke Kawahara could see the severe injuries in Karlos'' fists and he immediately knew that he had tried to use everything to his disposal to try and break the cloud reactor.

    This proboke a grin in Kawahara''s face.

    "Kukukuhahaha... Haha..."

    His laugh wasn''t powerful due to the lack of nutrients and he knew that it wouldn''t do him any good to provoke Karlos any further, so he straight up offered a solution.

    Except it wasn''t a solution to the matter, but only something that a truly stupid person would think it''s true. Karlos is one of those people.

    "My guy, the real reason as to why the cloud reactor wasn''t destroyed wasn''t because you are weak but because it''s being supported by the machine below it."

    "!"

    Something common when it comes to intelligence and other factors adjoined to such is that there is a vast chance that if such factors intertwine with intelligence, it will make rationality extremely clouded. Karlos is an individual who often allows his emotions to overpower his intelligence.

    It''s easy to claim that someone is dumb when they allow their emotions to overpower their intelligence; hence why Karlos to many was dumb, but in reality, he is simply an individual who allows his emotions to get the best out of him.

    "That must be it! No, that''s gotta be it! Alright, wait here! Once I''m done destroying that machine, I''ll show you!"

    "...Not like I was going anywhere... For now..."

    Ultimately, Karlos left with great speed as he headed towards what he thought was a machine that was supporting the resistance of the cloud reactor while in reality, it was the only thing that was supporting the energy of everything in this whole vicinity.

    At last, the crucial moment of Kawahara''s plan would come to light. Shiori Denko would pass one last time in Kawahara''s cell and would confirm whether or not it was time to start with the plan and the answer was positive.

    Within the vicinity, on the west side of the beach, there were five wooden tables of great dimension where each guard and butler took moments to relax and Percy Phoenix, their almighty lord had told them that he was going to be busy all night long and since he felt that the guards and butlers could use a small break, he allowed it.

    More importantly, Percy Phoenix only allowed a collective dinner between the guards and the butlers because he would be occupied conducting himself in several lustrous acts with younger girls who were after his money and love. Most of the butlers were tired from managing the breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for about close to 500 students. No matter how one would look at it, the number of twenty-five butlers was far too small and they had to push themselves beyond their limits in order to not let his lord down.

    Therefore, an opportunity like this to relax and not be tied by any sort of duty was abnormally great. Furthermore, the very fact that every student was leaving the vicinity around the beginning of 8 pm told the guards and butlers that they did not need to worry about their dinners as they would be on their own out there.

    On the furtest table to the west, Gladius felt the soft breeze of the calming wind pass through as he proposed a toast to everyone present.

    "A toast to lord Phoenix!"

    Every butler and guard present rose from their wooden chairs in which they were previously seated in. Pleasant food made by several female students organized by Albaz Yasuda and Shiori Denko was ready to be eaten and all it would take is the eversimple approach of reaching out for a fork.

    However, as Gladius sat down once again along with the entirety of guards and butlers, their throats started to feel extremely sour and dry at first. Following that up, a drastic subconscious need to further inhale perpetually consumed all of them as they ultimately allowed their saliva to melt from their mouths in a state of shock.

    Five minutes later, Shiori Denko would come into the scene and she then saw how they were all dead from the drinks they had consumed.

    "Gross..."

    She felt the need to vomit but ultimately didn''t. She thought to herself that seeing unconscious bodies wasn''t enough for her to throw up in that situation and that if they were dead exposed bodies instead, she would undoubtedly throw up.

    The reason as to why Shiori Denko appeared in the scene was so she could retrieve the prison keys from one the prison''s guards. Without those keys, Ryousuke Kawahara could not come out of the prison cell.

    After searching the guard to whom she had seen earlier protecting the vicinity of the artificial renewed prison, she investigated his pockets and found keys in them. Shiori Denko then returned to the beach and felt extremely alone. For a moment, she allowed the cold water befriend her feet for a while as she gazed upon the sun midst of dusk. A sun so dark-orange that she couldn''t help but admire the beauty of it while holding the right side of her golden hair as the wind passed through.

    It stung her a bit that she had to move on from such a beautiful scenario, but she was in this with Ryousuke Kawahara and had ultimately terminated the lives of several people just for the sake of her goal.

    "........."

    Deep on the inside, she started to view herself as someone who was incapable of emotion. The thought of having terminated those lives didn''t damage her at all. Denko knew for a fact that this was not the normal reaction.

    However, she wanted this. Everything so far was going according to the plan that Ryousuke Kawahara had told her earlier. Percy''s defenses were fading away as his guards and butlers were no longer functional. All that was left to do was to go and meet Ryousuke Kawahara.

    Without the guards around the vicinity, she started to feel afraid and didn''t know whether or not she should truly commit to this. After all, what she was about to do was to free Ryousuke Kawahara. So, before she did such a thing, she went back to the scene and stole a gun from one of the unconscious guards to her protection, should anything go wrong.

    "It''s silent here. Did you do it, Shiori?"

    "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Denko?"

    Denko ignored Kawahara''s grin in response and swung the keys with her fingers as she saw the glitter in Kawahara''s eyes glow.

    In addition to that, she had gained the attention of Kuzan and Rayazaki who were desperate to get out.

    "Get us out!"

    "Please! Please! I am so starved!"

    Not Denko, but Kawahara, adjusted their attitudes right away with a loud shout.

    "Silence, fools! Don''t disrespect her! Do you have any idea what she had to do in order to make this possible?!"

    "......"

    They didn''t dare to go against Kawahara''s words and Denko began to finally feel something as she had realized that she had indirectly killed several guards and butlers just to make this work.

    Kawahara noticed that she was beginning to feel emotional and as such, he spoke in order to prevent Denko from having an emotional meltdown.

    "This isn''t over, Shiori. Now''s the time... Percy is exposed and it''s, by all means, the correct time to strike and---"

    Something to note is that this prison wasn''t built on concrete or anything partial to technology or better yet---artificiality. In other words, this prison was artificial. Percy Phoenix''s wealth allows for such absurd things to happen in such a short span of time. This entire small prison works through technology and without it, the iron bars will immediately disappear. Surely, a key could unlock the cell''s door regardless, but it wouldn''t make much sense to do so when the prisoner can simply walk away.

    That''s why as soon as those four individuals present on that scene heard a loud explosion from the west side and saw that the cell''s bars were beginning to disperse, they realized something of grave danger had occured.

    Though, to Shiori Denko, the sight of the three criminals emerging freely from their cells was far too frightening for her to not retreat a few steps back.

    "....This could be bad..."

    Emerging from his cell and stepping on the metallic boundaries of it, Kawahara commented as he gazed to his right side. From afar, he saw a dark cloud of smoke and he already knew what was the cause of that explosion. Or rather---who caused it.

    "Was it really a good idea to let that guy in charge of blowing up the energy manufacturer?"

    "Who else but him, Rayazaki? You have to be slightly dumb to actually not notice that the manufacturer reactor is in fact there. Anyhow---Erm."

    Kawahara, Rayazaki, and Kuzan all simulatenously placed their gazes on the speechless Denko, who was unsure of what to do, should they choose to do something to her, so she attempted to search for her gun on her skirt''s back.

    However, Kawahara held that as highly unnecessary as he recalled something he had talked with Denko earlier.

    "We are your prisoners, Shiori. So, with all due respect---stop being scared and treat us like prisoners."

    "But feed us! I''ve said this so many times, but we''re starving!"

    "Kuzan has a point, we are starving."

    In agreement, Kawahara spoke as well.

    "We are indeed fucking starving."

    Their main concern was food. It had been nearly two days since they''ve eaten something, but still, to Kawahara, there was something that took a greater importance.

    "Kuzan. Rayazaki. Spread this entire vicinity on fire."

    "Got it, Master!"

    "Yeah, alright. Though, can I get these shackles of me, please?"

    Rayazaki, in front of Denko asked whether or not that was possible but now that Shiori Denko had regained her posture, her answer was clear.

    "No. Do it while shacked. I can''t have you two run away. You three are my prisoners."

    Discontent, Rayazaki frawned a bit.

    "Are you serious.... Why am I the main source of your current trust issues right now... Ugh, fine. Kuzan, let''s hurry up."

    "Yup!"

    Heavily shackled from their feet to their hands, Kuzan and Rayazaki walked out of the parameter and went to the jets engines whilst extracting gasoline from within. The main essence of their path of action was to extract gasoline in order to spread a trail of gasoline which would later be ignited by a blazing trail of fire.

    Alas, Kawahara and Denko were all alone.

    "I know the deal would be that I would be your prisoner along with the rest of them and would ultimately begin to further provide you information, but can I have the privilege of one favor?"

    "And if I say no to that?"

    "Well..."

    A bit mad at the possibility, Kawahara''s face stiffened, but in a funny way.

    "I might be tempted to rape you."

    "............."

    Their tension grew larger second by the second, but then Kawahara explained himself.

    "If you don''t let me kill Percy."

    "Oh my God, just say so..."

    Confused at this, Kawahara blutered out.

    "Wh---How was I supposed to guess? I thought you would oppose me."

    "You were bossy earlier but now you are indecisive? I think asylum wants you back."

    "Sly bitch!"

    For the first time in a long time, Shiori Denko let out a genuine cute small laughter as a tear in her eye emerged. She found it funny that a criminal like Ryousuke Kawahara was also capable of upholding normal interactions and to that, she made a remark.

    "I was a bit stupid... I was treating you like some sort of alien, but in the end, you and I are humans; ultimately the same."

    "Yeah, that''s cool and all, but lead me to his jet. Soon, this place will be engulfed in flames."

    Denko felt a bit mad for having her open opinion dismissed like that, but she shrugged it off as she took ahold of the loosen chain in Kawahara''s upper set of chains on his hands.

    The destination was not far as Percy''s jet was recognizable from afar. Around twenty to thirty meters set them apart. Midst their walk, as Denko was in the front, Kawahara initiated the conversation.

    "Here is how the story will go: For unknown reasons, Percy Phoenix attempted to kill everyone present, including his own guards but a wildfire as a consequence was caused which ultimately killed the entire rest. Merciful as ever, you brought us out of the prison as you knew that we have all the answers that you people don''t and viola, you are the new leader."

    "....But I don''t want to lead them all..."

    Although she had agreed with Kawahara''s overall plan and saw that there was a future to it where Percy Phoenix would lose his power, Shiori Denko nonetheless didn''t want to have the responsibility of leading everyone together.

    She didn''t have the inner confidence to do so, ultimately.

    "May I offer a suggestion then?"

    "..."

    "Silence implies consent in my land. I think you should seek the other group leaders. I told Rokoro, Yoh, and Zwette to make groups in accordance to their targets and your odds of being successful will improve with a logical unity. I know where they are headed because I gave them specific locations to go to. All you have to do is to go to them. From this point onwards, I will give you all my help, Shiori."

    "There are seven groups in total. However, I am unsure of what to do afterwards. With Percy gone, the rewards will vanish. Now that I think about it, your plan is----fruitless... Plus, we don''t even have a way to return home... What have I---"

    As Shiori Denko began to focus on the negative aspects of the outcome of this event, Ryousuke Kawahara interrupted her very swiftly as he did not believe this was fruitless at all.

    "Fruitless? Wrong, Shiori. Without Phoenix, some real progress can start. Furthermore.... You''re not his lapdog anymore. It was you who made all of this possible."

    "I don''t need your pity nor an ego boost. I''m well aware of what I''m capable off..."

    "That''s more like it, you narcisstic bitch."

    "But I''m not narcisstic. I am just worried as I have realistic worries. How are you people getting out of this island?"

    Shiori Denko saw that if the jets were going to all be burnt down and that anything that would connect to Percy Phoenix could imply danger to her, then, Ryousuke Kawahara was here placed by other people who would surely eventually come to return to him.

    "We complete our exam and we are out. I think that they''ll be kind enough to evacuate everyone out of this island by then, don''t worry."

    "I see. So, in the end, by helping you complete the exam, we could all get out of this island as well. It''s strange. I know it''s illogical to be this invested as the rewards are going to fade away as soon as Percy is dead but I can''t help but be genuinely interested in knowing the rest. Maybe I''ve grown to be around such simple-minded individuals that being around with you made me realize that there is something in you that there isn''t in others----I---- I can''t find the word for it---it''s..."

    Unable to decipher what was the word she was looking for while being on the red carpet that was falling down from the stairway that would lead to Percy Phoenix''s jet entrance, Shiori Denko mirrored Kawahara on her right side.

    Much to her surprise, Ryousuke Kawahara had exactly the words she was looking for.

    "That something is called "individualism". My theory that I use as my weapon for personal judgement. The fine line of a person that is actually worth something and another that isn''t worth shit."

    Standing still to one another, the gusts of wind penetrated their wonderous hair colors in that fading dusk as Shiori Denko finally realized what she had seen in Ryousuke Kawahara. That perhaps labelling someone like him as a criminal alone was the wrong intepretation.

    A worry then started to arise on the surface of her mind; to which she couldn''t help but expel from her mind as her eyes were cast down on the red carpet co-adjoined with the fragile yellow sand beneath.

    "Am I worth it?"

    When it comes individualism, Ryousuke Kawahara will never lie and as such, Shiori Denko received the truth.

    "Not yet. You are in-between. Your individualism has only started to spark, so to say."

    "Ah, I see. Well---that sucks, I suppose. And---are you just gonna stand there forever? Weren''t you going to kill him?"

    "Well---there''s a problem, Shiori."

    "........"

    She was annoyed slightly but let out a sigh as subsequently.

    "What''s the problem?"

    Ryousuke Kawahara''s eyes were fixated on his own chains as well as the keys in the hands of Shiori Denko.

    "You can''t be serious."

    "I am undoubtedly going to lose to a guy who is in the middle of receiving a blow-job if I have all these chains on me."

    "...Can you not speak in such a vulgar form....?"

    "Just release me temporarily, Shiori. You''ve got a gun with you, so worst-case scenario you go on a psychopath spree and kill us all. Hahaha!"

    "I am calm and collected. Acting on emotion isn''t something I like doing. However, you bring a point. I will shoot you in the head should you try to run away. After all, you are my prisoner. If we die, we die together; there''s no other way."

    Growing a like towards Shiori Denko, Kawahara grinned positively as his hands and legs were freed.

    The moment the chains fell on the red carpet, Kawahara circulated his wrists accordingly along with his ankles to keep the blood flux going. Shiori Denko had no way to know this but Kawahara''s mind was on the brick of collapsing from being far too exhausted without plausible neutrients in his system.

    However, just for the sake of this one task, he summoned all of his remaining strength and started to ascend the carpet.

    Silently, Shiori Denko saw Ryousuke Kawahara enter the jet that was deprived of lust inside as she could clearly hear the indecent noises from the inside the moment the door of the jet, which would close automatically once he would go through it.

    The next five minutes, from Shiori Denko''s perspective, would be filled with endless screams inside as they surely belonged to the females and undoubtedly, Percy Phoenix.

    For reasons unknown, deep down she wanted that those girls who would sully themselves so easily and Percy Phoenix, to die by the hands of Ryousuke Kawahara. Unconsciously, Shiori Denko had begun to hate those who didn''t possess individualism.

    All these years in her school, a pent-up frustration of being forced to co-exist with other beings that she just couldn''t relate to without truly knowing why yet now that she knows the core reason as to why they are different; or rather---why she''s different, she no longer saw any reason in not hate them.

    Whether the girls were facing unquestionable acts of immorality upon them or if Percy Phoenix''s body was being torn into oblivion, she thought that since Ryousuke Kawahara is the one who harnesses individualism that he has earned the right to inflict the difference of their beings upon them.

    Ten seconds before Ryousuke Kawahara would emerge out of the jet, a fountain of deep scarlet red blood started to stream extremely fast from the bottom edge of the door all the way to the red carpet.

    Denko thought to herself in addition that human blood will forever fulfill a more grandius role when it comes to highlighting something that is branded as "red". Something so superficial could not be overthrown by something so natural.

    At last, looking more refreshed, Ryousuke Kawahara came out of the jet and started to silently walk down the jet. When he met with Shiori Denko, he extended his hands and she put him under her own vigilance with a soft lock on both of his wrists and ankles.

    "You are all covered in blood. Please go take a quick swim in order to seem less suggestive."

    "Aw, I thought of going for an early Halloween costume."

    "Another one?"

    Kawahara laughed out loud once he realized he had exposed too much of his manipulative nature to Shiori Denko.

    "Haha, sly bitch, didn''t know you had these remarks up your sleeve."

    "It''s an entire different matter to someone as disrespectful as you. Hurry up and clean yourself. Everything''s starting to become fire no matter where I look at..."

    Very quickly, Ryousuke Kawahara went to the nearby beach and took a twenty-second swim while utterly chained up. Meanwhile, Shiori Denko looked towards the artificial houses who were being burned left and right as the fire followed the gasoline trail spread all over the parameter.

    In less than a minute, they would become one with the flames, which meant that Ryousuke Kawahara, Takeshi Kuzan, and Saitou Rayazaki had to leave the area with Shiori Denko.

    Once all reunited in the entrance of the jungle, Shiori Denko, the one responsible for them pulled their chains as if they were her own dogs and began to scourge through the entirety of the jungle.

    As she pulled out the map from her skirt, she asked Kawahara which location would be the best to go to.

    "Should we meet with Rokoro first or...?"

    "Of course we''ll meet with him. Lead the way, ma''am!"

    "This is exciting!"

    "No, it''s not... It''s a whole new level of humiliation, you dumbass..."

    In a dreadful tone, Rayazaki could not help but disagree with Kuzan''s enthusiasm as they were all being taken out for a walk like domestic dogs with chains all the way to their necks.

    Their first stop once they would distance themselves from the unstoppable fire tearing down everything from within the vicinity would be on the north-east side of the map; where Hiruyima Rokoro and his group lies within.

 Volume 22 - Chapter 155: Bond.

    "Denko! Denko!"

    In this yet sunny dusk, a large loud voice emerged from the jungle entrance as I guided the three criminals with me through a compilation of chains. That voice belonged to Karlos who would walk into the vicinity only to witness the scourging fire consuming the entirety of everything Percy had stood for previously.

    "What is happening?! Why is everything on fire?!"

    We stopped and we turned around in Karlos direction, who was paranoid beyond belief.

    "You see, that guy tried to kill us."

    The criminal Takeshi Kuzan spoke and then Saitou Rayazaki continued.

    "Because everyone is out there hunting the others down, he thought that this would be the perfect chance to try and kill us..."

    "That''s where this nice lady came in! She saw the malice in such action and she decided to free us instead of allowing us to be burnt alive!"

    It went without saying that their reactions were normal. They blatantly lied to Karlos without a second thought as this was all in Ryousuke Kawahara''s plan. However, I couldn''t do exactly that and so, in order to not raise suspicion, I fake a helpless attitude.

    "I-It couldn''t be... helped... I don''t know what happened to Percy but if I had stayed any longer there I would''ve..."

    "She would''ve died, tough guy! Hey, you made it out too! Guess you''re both lucky as fuck then!"

    Ryousuke Kawahara''s verbal interference is only provoking Karlos as Karlos is unsure of one thing as he spoke to me in an uncaring tone completely dismissing my emotional facade.

    "Denko! Why would you take these criminals with you?! You should''ve just let them die and then escape!"

    "Wh--- I couldn''t do that! I''m not a devil! I can''t just stand and see people die like that! What is wrong with you?!"

    "But the rewards!"

    "What rewards, Karlos?! Percy is gone! There are no more rewards! At that point I would be nothing but a cold-blooded murder! Plus, they are under my control!"

    "......"

    Having acknowledged that Percy Phoenix is no longer alive, Karlos saw no reason to stay attached to this and as such, he lost a fair amount of willpower as he didn''t know what to do.

    He scratched the back of his bald head, looked down and then apologized.

    "Ok, I am sorry. What now though?"

    To this, Ryousuke Kawahara answered.

    "Hey, baldy! We meet up with the rest! I gave all of them the others'' locations so they are on the hunt for them. Join Denko, will you?"

    If Karlos were to absorb Ryousuke Kawahara''s words alone, he might suspect the current event even further, so I spoke in addition.

    "It would be really nice if you were with us, Karlos. We need to meet up with the rest and inform them of the current circumstance."

    I smiled and he then assumed something outrageous.

    "Oh, I get it! Women need to be protected at a time like this, don''t they?!"

    With a wide laugh, Karlos then proceeded to attempt to touch my right shoulder as a method to comfort me, but I distanced myself a few centimeters to the back in order to reject his approach.

    "Don''t touch me, Karlos. I would like you to keep an eye on these three, so don''t worry about me. Who knows what they might do."

    Giving him a task to do, I pointed at the three criminals and I additionally offered Karlos the chains that I am currently holding. But he seemed more hung up on the fact that his approach was completely rejected.

    "Why can''t I touch you?!"

    "Can you not? This is not the time for this, Karlos..."

    I am unsure of whether or not Karlos is attracted to me, but if he is, then all the more reason for him to distance himself from me.

    However, I didn''t need to further say anything as the three other criminals started to chant a song out loud. Firstly, Ryousuke Kawahara began.

    "S is for seduction, you''ve been charmed by her corruptions~"

    Saitou Rayazaki then continued as Karlos began to wonder what was happening. As for me, I didn''t have a clue either, all I knew was that they were chanting a song out loud.

    "And "I" is for impressing girls online with your investment~"

    "Huh?! What the hell are you---"

    Takeshi Kuzan didn''t care for Karlos'' retorts and continued the chanting.

    "And the "M" is for the money that you''ve lost since this all started~"

    Then, the three of them collectively began to chant the upcoming sentence in an extremely loud tone which even managed to bother me a bit.

    "But that "P" is for the princess always gave her what she wanted~"

    Unable to bear this mockery no longer, Karlos interrupted the three of them who were happily chanting that by shackling the chains from their ankles and wrists.

    "Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!"

    A vibration combinated by the shock of the chains rearing in their bodies made them stop the chanting as the pain they felt was quite staggering.

    "Ouch!"

    "Fuck, man, it was just a joke!"

    "Motherfucker, stop doing that!"

    Karlos then proceeded to instigate them further with shackle vibrations as he found it funny, but I stopped him.

    "Cut it out! We need to go! If you''re going to be like this, then stay here. Well?!"

    I forced him to make a decision as I was tired of his attitude and he quicky complied with a bow as an apology.

    "S-Sorry, Denko! Ok, where to?!"

    I pointed in the north-west direction of the map in my hands right now as Ryousuke Kawahara had told me that was the direction Hiruyima Rokoro had gone to.

    "Alright!"

    Feeling proud and needed, Karlos dragged the three of them forcefully through their chains as they were forced to meet their pace, but this would cause me to walk way faster than necessary, so I stopped him transiently.

    "Walk slower!"

    "...Alright..."

    The three of them then grinned for a while but the moment Karlos turned around to look in their direction, no such emotion was present in their faces.

    "You laughed just now, didn''t you?!"

    On his left rigid hand, Karlos was pressing the compilation of chains, but with his right hand, he grabbed Ryousuke Kawahara''s collar. A frontal confrontation was then formed.

    "I didn''t. Also, seriously, stop wasting time. The more we delay this, the more confused the rest will be."

    "He''s right, Karlos. Do you want people to walk into the vicinity with this much fire?"

    "Oh, right!"

    At last, Karlos refused to argue any longer and we then walked through the jungle for about thirty minutes.

    Noticeably, at that time, I was feeling tired and since Karlos was switching back and forth because he had to keep an eye on the criminals, this didn''t give me a chance to interact with Ryousuke Kawahara. Our eye glances would trade often and I could already tell that he wanted to talk with me too, but it would be too awkward.

    "Can we eat something..."

    "Please....."

    Takeshi Kuzan and Saitou Rayazaki were constantly asking for food but the truth was, we had none with us at the moment...

    It made me wonder how exactly Ryousuke Kawahara endured his life in the wild before we had came here.

    Karlos would blurt out insults on how criminals don''t deserve food and I would keep my silence.

    Ultimately, as we passed a gigantic lake, Ryousuke Kawahara walked back a little bit and matched me, who was in the bottom line. Our eyes finally crossed for more than just a simple transcience.

    "Can we drink some water? Water is more essential to us than food, if I''m honest..."

    "...It''s not me who has the power to decide here... Talk with him."

    I was firmly convinced that Karlos would object that suggestion if Ryousuke Kawahara were to tell him that they needed to drink water, but Ryousuke Kawahara pointed something out that I was missing.

    "No, you, talk to him and tell him that we are about to drop dead. He''ll listen to you. Dude wants to get in your pants, for fuck''s sake."

    I kicked his left calf with my sharp right foot and then talked to Karlos as we were walking on this gigantic linear edge filled with a water of a density so calm and peaceful that the sound of the small waves was barely there at all.

    "Hey, Karlos? Could you let them drink some water? They''ll die at this rate and Ryousuke Kawahara is necessary for this."

    "A-Are you sure?! What if they try and run?!"

    To this, I facepalmed as I couldn''t believe in the words I had just listened to.

    "How would they run when you have them on the leash..."

    "Oh!"

    Why is Karlos so dumb?

    Anyway, they were given the permission to drink water and they drank so much water that they were only done drinking water two minutes later. Furthermore, they washed their hairs a bit with the glacial water whose temperatures were surely beyond cold. However, this probably felt extremely refreshing for them.

    Afterwards, we began our adventure once again as the sun was arguably falling out of sight and the rising moon would surely take the top spot in this starry sky soon.

    Though we were in a hurry, everyone of us except for Karlos gazed upon the millions of stars in the sky as their luminosity reflected an abysmal radiance on the lake blessing us.

    Despite the fact that I am an individual who is blessed with a more-than-average lifestyle, I''ve never been in an island before in my whole life and I am sure if I were to tell this to anyone, then I would be ridiculed. I wouldn''t want that.

    The moment we exited the lake area, I confirmed that we were almost in the south center of the island. As soon as we get there, we would have to go all the way to the northwest side. It went without saying that this trip invited several hours to come.

    Something to also note is that the silence had became way too awkward as the environments that we switched from would be the only thing that would capture our attentions yet to Ryousuke Kawahara, this was nothing new. Karlos and I had way more surprised expressions than the others.

    Of course, it wouldn''t be for long until we found some students. In the midst of the forest with trees so tall that they would threaten the sky, we meet up with five other students.

    They were block D students. Two boys and three girls. As they witnessed the current scenario, I placed myself in front of Karlos and went out to meet the rest of them with a smile.

    "Hi! I take it you are in Rokoro''s group? What''s your name?"

    I was talking to one of the girls who had an average bob cut which would actually intertwine well along with her black hair color. She was small but had a good build too. Naturally, she kept switching eyes back and forth with the three criminals on Karlos'' side.

    "My name is Akari, Denko-senpai! And what are---"

    Before Akari could form any assumptions, I began to explain what had happened as the remaining students absorbed this information as well. As expected, they were shocked at first.

    "No way... But why...?"

    "I don''t know, Akari... But we need to warn the others to not return there. Where is Rokoro?"

    One of the boys spoke instead of Akari. He had a brown ponytail with small glasses to his face. But on one hand, his voice was that of a mature person.

    "He is just up ahead! We are taking a small break to eat. After all, we brought some food with us."

    As soon as he heard this, Takeshi Kuzan couldn''t help but speak out.

    "Give it to me! I am dying here!!"

    "Shut up!"

    Karlos once again vibrated the chains thus causing frequent pain to them, which was good because the five of them didn''t get scared. However, Ryousuke Kawara ignored the pain and launched an offer.

    "Let me see him. Rokoro needs to know what has happened as soon as possible."

    Almost out of instinct, Karlos would vibrate the shackles every time despite what Ryousuke Kawahara had just said didn''t invite any danger. As a matter of fact, it invited the opposite.

    Either way, we kept moving forward in this area with wooden trees and fallen leaves on its ground. A chilly wind would pass through us every now and then. Karlos was taking the charge as he was in the front line leading the criminals onwards; binded by their own chains. Meanwhile, the other five students were on my side as they saught better answers for what had happened.

    To Akari, but more to all of them, I spoke.

    "I was in the middle of preparing the dinner for the guards and butlers..."

    "I remember that! I helped out too but once the locations were leaked out I had to go!"

    Saraka, a girl with average middle length black hair confirmed that she was there at that moment too and just like every single other person, she had to walk away.

    "Yes---and the moment I was serving the dinner, a fire in the vicinity had started from Percy''s jet... I don''t know why it happened but I didn''t want to let people die so I brought them along with me... I asked Karlos to keep them chained up so they wouldn''t harm anyone but---I am, I am not sure.... What if they---"

    Karlos, overhearing this conversation, felt the need to have his own line as he reverted his neck slightly just to get on our sights. With a pump on his massive chest, he didn''t hesitate to state his emotional approach...

    "I will protect you, Denko!"

    ".......Yeah, thanks..."

    Extremely dispirited and disgusted, if I''m honest, I replied back and with that, the three criminals started to chant yet again, collectively.

    "Until you had an empty wallet, you''re a simp plain and simple~ Little simp getting swindled~"

    If anything, the way their symphony is so coordinated is impressive, but just like everyone present, we had no idea what they were singing, but it would soon end as Karlos, out of rage would shake them completely with their chains.

    "Enough with the singing!"

    Eventually, we arrived at a water fountain area that contained a brutal number of students. Of course, the parameter was rocky and the water fountain was actually a waterfall above the river course on the north side which would then descend into a small bay. Plenty of lively bonfires were implanted in order to keep the lights on.

    They were all shocked as we entered the parameter and began to distance themselves from Ryousuke Kawahara in specific. Some of them even fall under the water.

    "Ryousuke Kawahara?! What''s he doing here!?"

    A bold and explosive male individual began to draw his knife with a fear so obvious that the knife itself fell from his hand. Screams could also be heard through the entirety of students, but Karlos dispelled some of their fear though not completely.

    "Don''t be afraid! They are under my control!"

    "That still doesn''t answer the damn question! Why are they here?! We are all gonna die! Run for it!"

    As everything was falling apart, the only thing that united all students was Hiruyima Rokoro, who shouted, though his voice was weak but it helped more than what Karlos had said.

    "Hold on! Let''s hear what Denko-dono has to say first! And I am seeing a cloud of smoke from afar!"

    He approached me as I began to approach him. Noticeably, I am a little bit more taller than Rokoro, but he demanded an explanation and the students were staying in order to hear me out so I quickly told them the gist of it.

    "My God... Are you okay?!"

    "Denko-senpai, are you hurt anywhere?!"

    Like the kind human beings that they all are, they started to care about me.

    "I am fine, I am fine... Thank you for asking... So, please, don''t be stressed. We have the situation under control."

    Karlos once again shackled them and the moment they demonstrated physical suffering, the reactions of everyone present surely calmed down. Yet, despite being in front of three criminals, Hiruyima Rokoro hastily went past me and meet up with Ryousuke Kawahara.

    Oddly enough, he was undoubtedly eccentric about having this conversation which shocked everyone, myself included.

    "Kawahara-dono! You made it out alive!"

    "So it seems, my little junior. Taking a break?"

    "Why, yes. We are having dinner with the food that was for sale back at the vicinity, but now it appears that the vicinity is gone... I must communicate this with Damian-dono!"

    Although I had absolutely no idea how that was possible, Rokoro pulled out a walkie-talkie from his back pocket and relayed a message to Damian. If I recall correctly, Damian''s component were two walkie-talkies, so that explains how he''s currently communicating with him.

    "Damian-dono?! It is I! Yes, everything alright here, but Denko-dono just informed us that the vicinity has been burned down and there is in fact an enormous cloud of smoke in south direction! Really? You''ll confirm it for us?! Thank you so much!"

    Ending the call, Rokoro communicated the good news to everyone present.

    "Everyone! Damian-dono is currently is charge of checking what truly had happened, for those who doubted this event! Rest assured as the truth will be unveiled!"

    This managed to calm everyone down and I felt the need to say something to Rokoro.

    "Rokoro, why do you have his walkie-talkie?"

    Not Rokoro, but Kawahara on my right, answered that.

    "For communication purposes, of course. It was a good call because the power source was most likely destroyed and thus, the objects that are associated to it will not work. Am I wrong here, kiddo?"

    "Not at all, Kawahara-dono! I''ve been trying to light the lantern up for the longest time but it stopped working a few hours ago! I was unsure of what had happened but if there is a power source device that was destroyed, then this makes perfect sense!"

    Out of curiosity, Akari asked something, which didn''t make a lot of sense for everyone present.

    "Then, how come the walkie-talkie is working just fine...?"

    "Er..."

    Rokoro looked in doubt even though he most likely had an answer, but not even I had an answer to that, so Ryousuke Kawahara gave that answer instead.

    "The walkie-talkie is not associated with the device, that''s why. Power source manufacturers rely on signals to make devices who rely on it to work. I am saying, the case doesn''t apply here."

    "And why should we believe you...?"

    Rokoro proceeded to dismiss Akari''s doubt fairly quickly, as Rokoro was someone that Akari had a fondness for, since she was quite nerdy as well.

    "You misunderstand, Akari-dono! Kawahara-dono is absolutely right because we could never get any signals outside of the vicinity which meant that the power plant was sustaining a power only there! If that power plant truly doesn''t exist anymore, then it is possible that this object belongs to an entire different power!"

    "That would explain why we haven''t been successful in utilizing the devices that we bought from Percy-senpai..."

    "Yes! Yes! Akari-dono, you understand!"

    Another individual in the midst of the compilation of students gathered in this area spoke something that would bring the attention of many.

    "Um... What are we going to do now that Percy-senpai is...?!"

    "........"

    A terrified silence came forth and not even Rokoro could say anything to dispel the tension in this atmosphere. But, Ryousuke Kawahara saw no trouble and spoke up to the group entirely.

    "I am not saying this actually happened, but would it be strange if the other criminals had worked their way into burning down the vicinity on their own? We couldn''t do any of that because we were locked up, so it''s meaningless to suspect us. Henceforth---I suggest that we focus our numbers on the current goal at the moment. After all, I was the one who gave you the locations, so take me as your hostage for that matter."

    "You are jumping to conclusions too fast, Ryousuke Kawahara."

    I interrupted him like that as I couldn''t allow him to lead the conversation here. Nobody believes in him and everyone believes in me, so this is the correct path.

    I walked up and brought the distance that was between me and the students to a close end.

    "First of all, we have to let the others know that this has happened. Instead of caring for something as selfish as the hunt, we should secure everyone. I am sure that you all have friends in other groups and you want to see if they are doing alright or not."

    "That''s true..."

    "I wonder how Maya is doing..."

    This was the first step to do here as they are all human beings with traditional worries. I can''t just dismiss their emotions like that.

    But then, Ryousuke Kawahara made another suggestion.

    "Hey, kiddo? I got another offer. I think this one might interest you more than the rest though."

    "Oh, what is it, Kawahara-dono?!"

    It was baffling to everyone how Hiruyima Rokoro could easily trust Ryousuke Kawahara yet for some reason, I couldn''t sense the previous malice that Ryousuke Kawahara possessed when he left Percy''s jet when he talks with Rokoro.

    He feels like one of us.

    "Since the goal is on halt, we could secure the location first and then, focus on meeting up with the rest. When Damian calls you back, tell him to come here; this way we have more people on our side."

    "But what''s the point in hunting them down anymore if Percy Phoenix is truly gone...?"

    "There isn''t. You are stuck in this island permanently."

    "What?!"

    Multiple people shouted that as Ryousuke Kawahara told them what he thought was the truth, but he then explained an alternative.

    "Or not."

    "Huh?"

    "It''s simple, really. Us criminals as a whole are here on an exam and when we complete it, we will get out of this island. Naturally, all of you will be able to leave too. But, if you don''t want to leave this island, then it''s your choice. Primal death is respectable!"

    They began to feel terrified as they lost in what to believe in, but I then said something that would calm them down.

    "Although Percy is no longer with us, we will find a way out! So, please, don''t lose hope. I ask of you..."

    I kneled down and asked them to remain calm, which was humiliating yet necessary at the moment.

    After five to six seconds, Akari touched the top of my head and said some humble words.

    "...We believe you, Denko-senpai..."

    "Yes, Denko-dono! You neend''t worry! However, everyone I am going to----"

    At that moment, Rokoro got a call from his walkie-talkie and put it in full volume so we could hear it too. A concentration near Rokoro was therefore formed.

    "Rokoro, you were right! Everything around here is burnt down! Even the jets are absolutely destroyed! Percy was killed along with several other girls!"

    Naturally, this brought the shock of many and even screams emerged on the surface of this newly born night.

    "The criminals escaped as well! They must''ve---"

    "No, Damian-dono! Denko took them in with her and Karlos-dono! She didn''t want to let them die and mercifully spared them!"

    "What?! Is she out of her mind?!"

    I demanded Rokoro to give me the walkie-talkie as I could initiate a conversation with Damian.

    "Hello, Damian? Well, I''m sorry for having mercy in my heart."

    "That is not the case! Where are you?! You''re all in mortal danger with them around!"

    "I wouldn''t be so sure. They are entirely chained up and are starved out. Furthermore, they are now my prisoners."

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Everyone else was a little bit surprised as they heard that so I clued them in once I gave the walkie-talkie back to Rokoro. In addition to that, I brought them forward as I took the chains from Karlos'' hands.

    "These petty criminals are nothing more than my pawns! I control them and their lives are dancing on the palm of my hand. If you are afraid of them, then just try and hit them. You''ll not harmed whatsoever."

    "Are you out of your mind, woman?! What did we ever do to you?!"

    "I don''t mind getting hit if I can eat..."

    "Don''t go along with her bullshit, Kuzan! Have some dignity!"

    Saitou Rayazaki was being extremely defiant, but to make an example out of him, I slapped him across the face, not once, but twice.

    His eyes full of rage were the only thing threatening as I vibrated the shackles to halt his upcoming movements.

    "Argh! Fuck, what is wrong with you?! I haven''t even hurt you!"

    Ignoring his complaints, I returned back and demonstrated how useless they actually are.

    "As you''ve heard, Damian, these three are utterly pathetic and serve nothing more than information capsules for us to work around the other criminals. They will not eat whatsoever. However, come to us as soon as possible as we are in the northwest side of the island. Preferably along with your entire group."

    Upon seeing how effective I was, the students began to show less fear and came closer to Saitou Rayazaki, but this one still had the strength to fake a howling sound which made the student back away.

    "Eeeek! He''s gonna eat me!"

    The student fell and I went to him as I said the instructions.

    "Kick him on the knee, you''ll be surprised by how fast he falls."

    "........."

    Eventually, the student gained the courage and kicked Rayazaki on his right knee and Rayazaki, who has no physical strength whatsoever, fell on the ground.

    "...Wait, they are..."

    "...Weak...?"

    Many of the assumed scenarios created in their minds were shattered as they witnessed the powerless Rayazaki on the ground. Some of them even began to draw closer, but I put a stop to that without a second thought.

    "Make no mistake; they are my pawns. What Ryousuke Kawahara said is true as well. Their purpose is to get us out of this island and we will need to make them pass the exam as well."

    "Damian-dono, are you still dubious?"

    All eyes were on Rokoro''s walkie-talkie this time around as everyone waited for Damian''s response.

    "I''ll see it for myself once I get there! Please wait for me!"

    Ending the call, we would see Damian thirty minutes later with a group of forty or so people.

    The time was that of an hour prior to midnight and the criminals had their chains on me at all times. They didn''t put up a resistance because Ryousuke Kawahara, was actually the one who suggested that I would be the one who took them into custody. They are mine to deal with and as such, in the central bonfire, midst the rocky ground, a multitude of students began to form a wide circle by seating down in the parimeter.

    Simular to how in kindergarten kids would have to seat on the floor in a gigantic circle to listen to their teachers, around seventy or so students sat on the right side of the blazing bonfire meanwhile, Karlos and I took a seat in the opposite direction.

    Karlos was in charge of holding the criminals down with his brutal strength as they would no way to escape should they even try such a dumb move. This distance was created for the single purpose of keeping a safe distance.

    From our left side, emerging from within the tall trees, Damian and his group came forth. He immediately rushed down to Kawahara as he thought he had done something bad to the students nearby.

    "Fiend! Devil, what have you done?! I swear on my mother''s life, if you lay a single finger on anyone here, I will burn you alive!"

    It would be the second time in a day that Ryousuke Kawahara''s collar would be tightly held, but the very fact that Damian had to push his body around to him without any sort of resistance to be shown, proved how withered Ryousuke Kawahara was at the moment.

    Fearing him wasn''t in anyone''s mind at the moment as he began to look at feeble as a lingering bird.

    Nonetheless, Ryousuke Kawahara didn''t answer in a mean manner.

    "So much for being labelled as a criminal when you straight up suggest something that a criminal would do."

    "From day one, I knew that you would be---"

    I got up from the rigid surface and spoke to Damian, who was being unnecessarily dramatic.

    "Now''s not the time, please. What more evidence do you need for you to realize that they are powerless? Do you need to plummel Ryousuke Kawahara into oblivion to gain enough evidence?"

    "....No way. I won''t fall down to their levels. Everyone, are you alright?!"

    Damian is a bright individual with a strong sense of justice who overworries all the time. After all, I know him because he is my classmate.

    "We are fine!"

    "Are you alright, Damian-senpai?!"

    Positively, he gave an honest answer back to the rest.

    "Yeah! Do not worry, for as long as I am here, they won''t do anything to you!"

    As Damian''s group began to take a seat in the west side of the bonfire, from my position''s perspective, Ryousuke Kawahara felt the need to remark something back to Damian, who was no longer holding him by his collar.

    "It''s impressive how more than a hundred individuals are afraid of three starved individuals. I might as well be the subject of your religion if you''re gonna held me this high."

    "Nobody''s holding you high, monster. In fact, we are holding you down."

    "Um, Damian-dono? May I start the discussion, if it''s not too much to ask? Kawahara-dono is an interesting individual but if you continue to view him by his status, you and him will be arguing all the time..."

    "...Sorry about that. Go for it."

    At long last, everyone was on the ground and Rokoro began the discussion, with all attention on him, in this chilly night.

    "Given that Percy-dono is no longer with us and our only way out of this island is to aid Kawahara-dono, we should come into terms with the fact that losing any more time pointlessly arguing around with Ryousuke Kawahara-dono is fruitless! I understand that you all view him as some sort of heartless devil and I too, to a degree do that, but I ask of you to put higher priorities onto the table right now!"

    In response to this, Ryousuke Kawahara grinned as he couldn''t help but agree with everything that Rokoro had stated.

    "You couldn''t be more right kid. Ah, listen for a fucking second, all of you pieces of shit and listen well..."

    The dreadness in his hollow voice gained the transient fear of even Damian and Karlos present as I found Ryousuke Kawahara particularly interesting in situations such as these.

    "The fact that I am so reliant on all of you makes me want to puke so badly that my stomach would fall off from my mouth... But this doesn''t mean that I have something against you people. I never had, in the first place. Percy Phoenix put all of you unfairly in this island just like me. Surely you''ve heard how your school principal has allowed criminals to be within the school? Yeah, what a fucking ridiculous idea! It just goes to show how fucked up Japan''s security system truly is---but what I''m saying is... I am as reliant on you as you are on me. So, stop fucking treating me like a monster and rely on me already."

    I couldn''t let this end on such a bad note, so I gave an alternative to everyone else instead.

    "Basically, what he''s trying to say is that our goals more or less align. Initially, we began this to hunt the criminals down and now with the rewards gone, it seems pointless. But what''s not pointless is our return. Ryousuke Kawahara was put in this island along with nine others. Just as there is a way in, there is a way out. This garbage here, otherwise known as Ryousuke Kawahara has come to terms with this. So, do us all a favor and don''t be afraid, as there is no reason to be afraid."

    It feels extremely tiresome having to repeat the same thing over and over, but this is simply the natural outcome. Human beings will place their emotions over logic any time. There won''t be a single time when the opposite is done. It is impossible for human beings to be objective, that''s why they have to have their emotions comforted before they can act logically.

    "...I don''t think I am afraid anymore... If I may speak for myself and not for others, uh... I believe that if Ryousuke Kawahara is helping us out in the end, then... He shouldn''t be doubted. I also think that---it can''t be helped if we don''t trust him all the time, because of his status. Trusting a criminal is pretty dangerous..."

    Akari is right in the end. How would they react if they knew that I in fact sided with Ryousuke Kawahara?

    In a sense, I may not be actually different from him and I will have to live all my life with this sin. It stings a bit, deep down, but I believe I made the superior choice and instead allowed all of these people to not pursue the path of killing.

    "Everyone, on my behalf, let''s try and trust Kawahara-dono!"

    But there still weren''t many positive answers to this, until Ryousuke Kawahara spoke.

    "Let''s get down to business. It''s about time I explain why I''m here. The short version is that ten boys from my class, the remaining ones de facto, were put in this island with the task of completing an exam until the end of April. The premise seems about simple as each of us has one word."

    "One word...?"

    "Yeah, and that one word is used to match a certain location in this island, as there are ten hidden locations in this island. The solution here is simple: We find the rest of our classmates, see the words and attempt to match them in the locations."

    "But how would you match that word...?"

    Not Kawahara, but I, explained to the confused student in the midst.

    "There are computer entries in each location as they serve the purpose of absorbing the correct password."

    "What Shiori just said. It all sounds simple until you realize that we are all criminals and working together is practically impossible and so began the ego game. I call it ego game because we are essentially not cooperating with one another. If we did, this exam would''ve been over a long time ago. As a matter of fact, it''s so fucking stupid the fact that this exam has dragged on for this long..."

    "How long have you been here exactly?"

    I asked, as Kawahara turned back to look in my direction.

    "I think it started around April 10th or some shit, I don''t recall it exactly as good as I thought I would. Approximately almost two weeks, basically."

    Ryousuke Kawahara continued as he laid down the crucial information that we would all be unaware of.

    "Inside those locations, believe it or not, lies another location within. But this is something you''ll only believe once you gaze at it with your own two eyes. HOWEVER, something you cannot deny is that the other criminals are hiding a bit too well---Almost as if they are absolutely out of normal sight."

    Multiple students began to agree with this factor as it was factual.

    "He''s right! If there are truly other locations in this island, then they could hide from us!"

    "That''s right! I''m finally getting through, so I''ll continue. They are not hiding because of you, but because--- I actually don''t know... However, I believe that the reason as to why they are hiding is because they have gained advanced knowledge on how the exam works and see their distance as an advantage."

    "Kawahara-dono, by that logic, don''t we simply have to go through each location and find them in such section?!"

    This was the most common approach, but an approach that Ryousuke Kawahara apparently disagreed with.

    "That''s what they want, so instead of going straight at them, we are going to try something out first, if you don''t mind."

    Doubt rose to the surface as Ryousuke Kawahara was too much in charge, so I stepped in.

    "Let''s first hear him out, alright? No one will have to agree if they disagree."

    Damian aided my argument slightly then.

    "Denko is right! If what he suggests is absolutely nonsensical, then we by no means should agree with him."

    With doubt out of the way, Ryousuke Kawahara''s mood changed into a serious one.

    "Since there are ten locations, instead of every single one of you going one by one, here is what you should do: The group leaders and their group should go through the location firstly and secure the password."

    "There are already groups formed with the purpose of securing their locations, but I believe we should form ten groups. I have ten group leaders in mind, may I say it?"

    Damian gave the heads-up with a nod, so I went forward with my take.

    "Ten individuals got ten components, which Percy Phoenix for some reason gave all of them to us ten. I believe that those ten individuals should be in charge of upholding a group and along with that group, they would discover the location and decipher the password. This way, we won''t have to waste so much time."

    This looked solved, but Ryousuke Kawahara corrected me a bit.

    "Before that, the ten individuals should show up here. We already have five present here. Denko, Karlos, Damian, Rokoro and Youjo. Get the other five here so we can start this..."

    "If I recall correctly, Kawahara-dono, the other ones are Yasuda-dono, Rena-dono, Musi-dono, Yoh-dono, and Zwette-dono! However, we have gone different ways and we have no way to communicate with each other!"

    Stressed, not even Damian could shake that feeling off his back.

    "You''re right, we are all separated and..."

    "There''s no need to worry, is there?"

    I spoke, very calmly and all eyes were on me.

    "I propose we dedicate three groups into uncovering the locations of the computers hidden within this island and other two groups into finding the rest and telling them what has happened. This way, we will utilize our resources more effectively. Well, everyone? What do you say? Are we in an agreement?"

    Damian was the first one to agree with me as he proposed something in addition.

    "Ryousuke Kawahara will tell us the locations of those hidden spots and we will dedicate our resources into seeing whether or not he can be trusted. For those who are under the suspicion that he cannot be trusted, use this opportunity."

    "Damian''s right! We don''t have to be afraid if Ryousuke Kawahara is genuinely helping us out... Maybe there''s some good in him?"

    Akari rose from her seat and a multitude of started to do the same as they saw this as an opportunity to confirm their doubts.

    "If he''s trying to help us, then he didn''t lie! But if he lies one time, then he''s conspiring against us."

    Kawahara and I traded eyeglances very transiently as the multitude of students eventually came to agreement with this task.

    Rokoro then further motivated the students by declaring the order of events.

    "Youjo will be the leader of one group while Damian-dono will be the leader of another group who will be in charge of uncovering the locations of the other students! While I, Denko-dono, and Karlos-dono will form groups with those that want to uncover the hidden locations of the spots that Kawahara-dono will tell us!"

    To this, Kawahara begged to differ a little bit.

    "I already told you the locations, though only seven of them. Somewhere around the directions of those locations will be hidden spots and it''s up to you to find them. Dedicate three other groups as you search for the rest. We need everyone here as fast as possible."

    "It is as he says. By dawn, everyone should be here. I suggest that each leader will choose who is up for each task to their own accord."

    What I''m essentially suggesting is the following: If there are individuals who want to secure the location of the hidden spots, then they should stay away from the groups that are in charge of searching for the rest of the students in this island.

    Of course, there is a particular essence here that Damian realized and thus, he spoke effiently towards the rest.

    "For those of you who want to search for your friends, either join me or Youjo. There is no need to be picky as we will essentially do the same, except our directions will change!"

    Youjo, right next to Damian, now up, spoke loudly to the students as well. Plenty of emotion could be traced in her...

    "I will go towards the center but mostly towards the south parts of the island, so if you wanna go there and you have friends who went there, follow me!"

    Slowly but surely, around thirty to fourth students started to circle Youjo, who was already on the west edge of the forest on the look for the missing pieces.

    Damian, on the direction that would go northway, already had a few students with him, but the moment he would gain more would be when he declared his intent.

    "I will investigate northside, so follow me if you are on the look for your friends too!"

    In total, on Damian''s side, there were about fifty students who were willing to go and look for them. Damian is the correct choice here as he has the walkie-talkie that for some reason is able to etent itself beyond uncountable kilometers. With that in mind, I suggested something to Rokoro.

    "Rokoro, give your walkie-talkie to Youjo, so Youjo and Damian can communicate better together."

    He jammed his closed fist horizontally onto his right palm once he understood the idea behind the action.

    "I understand! This way, they''ll be able to communicate far better and tell each other the locations!"

    Kawahara then felt the need to say something.

    "Don''t limit yourself with just that. If you find any place that has a computer with a password entry DO NOT put any password in it and report back as soon as possible. Remember, finding a place with a computer entry along the way means you have uncovered the hidden location."

    "It is as Kawahara-dono says everyone, but remember that the top priority is to secure everyone here! Preferably before dawn arrives so we can get out of this island as soon as possible! We don''t have much time!"

    Feeling spirited suddenly, Damian and Youjo led the students in their directions while they were given the walkie talkies respectively.

    A large portion of students faded as Damian and Youjo had taken what seemed to be around 85 students with them. No doubt, but with such a powerful force to their sides, they will be successful.

    For some reason, despite being told that he was a group leader, Karlos went along with Youjo...

    Which left us here, at midnight o''clock, with the full moon rising once again. Around ten students remained, if we count out Rokoro, myself, and the criminals.

    Seeing an opportunity to speak, I asked Rokoro something.

    "What do you intend on doing exactly? I have to keep an eye on these, so..."

    "I think Denko-dono should take Kawahara-dono and the rest to secure the password! Take this with you, however!"

    Rokoro approached me and gave me his scanner and since I was confused on what it was, Kawahara explained it.

    "That''s the magic device. Scan the entry and you get the password. Rokoro should hold us here with the remaining students as Denko will search within the area for a hidden spot. This way, there will be people to keep an eye on us and you won''t have to worry about us doing anything."

    Akari, who was still here; as a matter of fact, the previous five students we initially found were still there, said something.

    "But is it really the right move to leave you three here without Denko-senpai to watch over you?"

    "Girl, why not tie us down to a tree or something? It''s not impossible."

    "Hold on! I want to talk with Kawahara-dono! I believe the eleven of us can rely on our strength should something happen."

    Since there was a debate going on, I suggested the simple solution instead.

    "Akari, there will be a change of plans. I would like the ten of you to explore this area and spot a hidden spot that has a computer entry. Take this with you and scan to see the password. However, do not type anything, please."

    "Shiori here is right; don''t type it. I suspect that unless you are a subject of my exam that it will react anyways."

    "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Denko? This is getting annoying. Either way, I''ll be counting on you ten."

    Akari more or less understood what I was trying to say but didn''t understand one thing.

    As such, she scratched her cheek slightly and talked shly.

    "Um.... Maybe we should really give food to them.... Won''t Kawahara''s brain not work well with this many little nutrients in his body...? What if what he says is not truthful not because he wanted to lie but because his brain wasn''t working well...?"

    An objective way of caring for someone.

    Kawahara could not be more flattered and walked up to Akari as he held her hands tightly in an emotional way.

    "Are you sin---"

    She was fairly flustered as she did not know how to react, but I quickly pushed Kawahara back with an impulse through the chains.

    "I''ll consider it, Akari. Thank you for your suggestion."

    "Ok! Ok! Let''s go, everyone!"

    Rather excitedly, they exited the current scene and began to look around to see whether or not they could find a hidden spot as Ryousuke Kawahara had said.

    I leashed the three of my prisoners as I sat in front of the bonfire, paralleled to Rokoro, who was once again seating.

    Ryousuke Kawahara, unlike the other two, moved forward a little bit to my right side, for some reason.

    "What are you doing? I''ll have you know I can do better than Karlos."

    In case Kawahara had something vulgar going on in his mind, I would not hesitate to vibrate the shackles in a way that would for surely hurt them and his companions.

    "Relaaaaaax! I just want to talk to the kid up close!"

    "Kawahara-dono!"

    "...I see..."

    Silently, I started to watch their interactions.

    "Kawahara-dono, this is marvellous! I thought that we would never reach this level of organization, but with you, it''s possible! I know that no one will thank you for it, but I will greatly thank you on their behalf! Thank you!"

    With his hands united, as if he was praying, Rokoro kneeled down in front of the bonfire and thanked Kawahara.

    I will agree with Rokoro. Percy could have never reached this level of organization, but as Kawahara would say afterward, our organization''s potential was still immature.

    "There''s still more to do, kiddo. The key essence of my exams is that ten words will symbolize something. However, did you know this? When walking into the section inside the hidden spot, you are to find two components. The normal one and the hidden one!"

    "Wha--- That''s so cool! This feels like I''m playing a game! I am super-duper thrilled!"

    "But kid, one thing..."

    In a far more aggravting serious tone, Kawahara said something that not even I knew.

    "None of this shit makes any sense, so far. I was only able to access two of those sections... So, it''s a mystery how Percy got a hold on those components in the first place."

    I intervined as this wasn''t making any sense.

    "Hold on, what? You said that to obtain those components that one would have to go through each of the ten sections. But if you didn''t do it, then that would leave Percy... But he had no idea about the hidden spots either, so what the hell is going on..."

    "It appears you''ve caught up as well. I would like you two to not tell this to anyone, but... There''s a very big chance that we are being baited into doing something we shouldn''t do... For example, walking right into those sections... It''s evident that we were given the components, yet why? Isn''t this strange?"

    "You''re right, Kawahara-dono! If this is indeed staged, then we should not enter the sections at all!"

    Kawahara then grinned and said something more interesting.

    "Instead of walking into the sections, we should try and insert the ten passwords correctly. Here is why: A person would want to walk into the specific section in order to obtain both components which would then form the object, ultimately. HOWEVER..."

    "We already have that so there''s no reason for us to walk right into it. Is that what you are saying?"

    My eyes were on Kawahara and his on me at last. We had reached a mutual understanding of what was going to happen, but Rokoro took it a step further.

    "Then all we have to do is insert the right passwords, Kawahara-dono! Won''t the exam be cleared then?"

    Smiling, Kawahara couldn''t help but agree.

    "Yeah, but the subjects of our exam should be the ones and not the other way around. Remember, your existences were never before linked to this exam previously. A hidden system could erupt from nothing and I wouldn''t want that."

    "So we don''t have to hunt anyone down as we just have to get all the passwords correctly put and your exam is cleared, which means that help will come?"

    Unlike previously, confidence could not be seen from Kawahara as he assumed the worst...

    "...If the exam is cleared, yeah..."

    "...? What''s wrong, Kawahara-dono...?"

    Rokoro couldn''t ignore how Kawahara was suddenly skeptical of something, but Kawahara quickly dismissed it.

    "Nothing. I have something to inform you two, though. I planned on saying this to the others once they get here, but... Do not approach an Aztecan temple on a distant shore near a gigantic cliff. I am unaware if it''s one of the sections or not, but the atmosphere in it is toxic."

    Saitou Rayazaki and Takeshi Kuzan then spoke from behind in order.

    "Didn''t you say that it was actually the same as being on Mars?"

    "It''s the mystic mine! Don''t call it by that horrible name!"

    Two extremely different opinions came forth, but only one of them interested Rokoro.

    "On Mars?! Kawahara-dono, you must explain yourself to me!"

    No longer on the other side of the bonfire, without any sort of fear, Rokoro sat on Kawahara''s right side and just like that, Kawahara was in the middle of us.

    Naturally, I was interested as well because Kawahara was very enthusiastic about what he had wanted to say.

    "We three walked into it and as we walked even further into the dark linear hall, suddenly, out of nowhere, we lost ability to breathe and the temperatures drastically dropped."

    "W-What?!"

    "Furthermore... There seemed to be fast winds however we were not affected which is a characteristic of Mars, actually. In addition to that, we started to feel a little lighter."

    "That''s the result of the lack of gravity in Mars in comparison to Earth! Kawahara-dono, this island is beginning to be fascinating! I must know more about it!"

    Although they are really excited, I brought them back to reality with a fact.

    "Would you two idiots get real? How is being on something that has the atmosphere of Mars something to get excited about? You''d just die if you stand there..."

    "Shiori, there is an essence present within this exam."

    The fire cracked a little bit as Kawahara would say the next following words.

    "Acquire the password and put the correct one and you''ll be able to move on. Next, acquire both components and move on to the next stage. However, what happens if you skip one of these steps? Here is what happens---in other sections you''ll be faced with dilemmas blocking you from advancing even further. Essentially, unless you obey the essence completely, you are somewhat screwed."

    "I see, so if that temple is, for example, a section that was under that atmosphere because something was not previously done, then if everything is complete, it shouldn''t be like that anymore, right?"

    "That''s basically it, Shiori. In other words, what I am also trying to get at is that if the temple does not have a computer lying there, which, it doesn''t because we''ve already investigated in the past; I daresay that once we get every password correctly that the temple could actually be connected to our way out."

    This got me thinking for a bit.

    If, according to Ryousuke Kawahara, this is all true then all that needs to be done is incredibly simple. The ten computer entries will have their correct password inserted since Rokoro''s component allows anyone who scans the entry to acquire the password. If that''s done on all the ten entries, then something should happen because we have all the components.

    But...

    "What about the other ones who are with you? Won''t they naturally come to a point where they must come to you?"

    "............."

    Something was eating Kawahara again and I couldn''t get an answer out of him because Akari and the rest had returned rather quickly. It was almost 1 am and the night looked everlasting, but the great news would arrive quickly as soon Akari would reveal the screen on top of the scanner; highlighting a particular word.

    "We found it! It''s true, Kawahara wasn''t lying! It took us a while to notice, but one of the trees in this gigantic forest did in fact have a door, we just never had looked at it because we thought all the trees were the same!"

    Rokoro, excited beyond his margin demanded something immediately.

    "This is revolutionary!!!!! What is this island made of!? Kawahara-dono! Denko-dono! We must investigate this, please, everyone, let''s hurry!"

    Without waiting for us, Rokoro ran with Akari, who went the west direction into the forest with abysmal wooden trees again, along with the rest of the students present.

    Which left us, but Kawahara said something as he watched them run with all the energy that they had.

    "Take us there, Denko."

    "Only now do you feel like calling me by my second name? Inconsistent pest. You don''t have to tell me, I will go and of course, you three as well."

    "That''s my girl---Aw, fuck, fuck, stop!"

    I vibrated the chains rapidly as soon as he uttered those stupid words and began to walk in Rokoro''s direction.

    After about twenty minutes, we were all in front of a tree that, now that I look at the top of it; undoubtedly threatens the sky far more than the rest, so I suppose that''s a clue that we missed out on.

    Akari then subtly touched the surface of the tree, which didn''t show a door, for the record, but by further going into the depth of the wood of the tree, she started to make a phenomenon occur that would shock Rokoro quite deeply.

    "W-What?! What?! Whaaaaaaaat?! Illusion? Magic? I don''t know but the bottom of the tree faded away as if it was an hologram! But the rest of the tree remains and there is an open door! Kawahara-dono, who made this island?! I must meet such a person!"

    "Unfortunately kiddo, you and I are both clueless here. However, we got what we came for. That''s good, let''s dig deeper and see whether or not it matches the description."

    We already knew it did because Akari had the password scanned by Rokoro''s component, so we were just verifying the truth.

    All of us, as we walked in, witnessed the lights above this mid-high ceiling flash on us which greatly enhanced our vision but made us vulnerable to that shock. A descending white staircase with twenty degrees with obtuse dimension, horizontal-wise, could be glaced upon with our own eyes.

    Nothing but a bottomless white circle in the middle and an upcoming locked door filled this place with extreme luminosity. In addition, the more we walked into the area, the bigger the distance between the floor and the ceiling became, to the point that as soon as we reached the circle, we arrived a one conclusion.

    "This is the body of the tree; that''s why the top is gigantic in terms of overall height. Akari, could I see the password one more time, just to make sure?"

    Right now, we are in front of a computer. Rokoro is still having a hard time processing the inner magnificence of this place, so this leave the rest of us here. Kawahara wants to insert the password and the past Akari, a few hours ago, would not be able to trust Kawahara, but right now, I would say that she trusts him a bit.

    Simply because everyone was confident about Kawahara not lying this whole time since they indeed found this hidden spot which matched Kawahara''s previous words back at the bonfire.

    "Here you go. It''s "path"."

    "I see... I hadn''t obtained that one previously, out of the seven I knew."

    "Wait, you know the passwords?"

    As I was under the total impression that Kawahara didn''t know most passwords, I blurted that out.

    He titled his neck while typing the password to answer me.

    "Only seven of them; though my knowledge is very relative because if I type the wrong password, what good is my knowledge for?"

    The moment Ryousuke Kawahara typed the correct password, which was "path", Akari and the rest really were glad that he wasn''t lying as the door on the forward direction began to automatically open.

    "You really weren''t lying like I thought..."

    Feeling guilty, Akari felt the need to apologize to Ryousuke Kawahara.

    "I am... I am sorry... It''s not in me to doubt people, it''s just..."

    Kawahara then, even though he was chained up, softly patted her head, which made her meet his glistering eyes alongside his charismatic smile.

    "Its not your fault, is it now? Why wouldn''t you doubt me? A criminal shouldn''t be trusted by any normal means, so it''s really not your fault. Plus, I''m used to not being trusted at this point, you know?"

    "No, but... It''s not right... I would like to help you out as a way to apologize for our wrongdoings. Doubting someone who is helping us out is not the right thing!"

    Further feeling at fault, Akari''s companions joined in as they stopped distancing themselves from Kawahara that much.

    "It wasn''t right and I wouldn''t like to be doubted by that many people when I''m telling the truth. I''m sorry as well."

    "It was our mistake..."

    Instead of taking the glory here, Kawahara collected their wishes to help him out and further suggested something.

    "I want to get all of you out of this island. I will admit that I am a criminal and that I''ve wronged in the past. However, I, just like any other human being, am capable of regretting my actions. Henceforth why I must redeem myself to some extent. Would all of you help me out with this?"

    Unlike the other times, I was the one who spoke now.

    "Ryousuke, it''s not like you to be so humble, they will suspect you, by the way."

    "Oh, will you shut up?! I am trying over here, Shiori!"

    Giggling, I closed my eyes as the rest of them said positive answers.

    "We will! We will! When we are back in our school, we could even be friends, Kawahara-dono!"

    "You got something wrong here, kiddo... You''re already my friend. I owe everything to what I could possible imagine if I have others who believe in me."

    "Kawahara-dono..."

    Emotional to this, Rokoro began to cry a little bit as his eyes began to be more visible through his gigantic glasses.

    This person is a bit interesting. There are times when you can feel that he''s genuinely manipulating you and others where you feel nothing of that sort and you know that deep down he wants to help you out. I think he''s a hard person to understand because he has two sides that he doesn''t exactly have a good control over them.

    And, he''s not the type of person who can just openly tell his own issues to others because everyone will think that he is not telling the truth due to his criminal status.

    At this time, when Akari and her companions are becoming more and more closer to Ryousuke Kawahara, when Hiruyima Rokoro is amounting the possibilities of how deep his bond with him can develop in terms of an overall friendship, I started to wonder where would I be in all of this.

    "What are you spacing out for, ma''am?"

    "!"

    Unaware that I was spacing out, I already had all eyes on me and began to feel slightly flustered for a second but quickly corrected my emotional state as I administered orders.

    "Erm---As we had discussed previously, Rokoro, there is no necessity to walk into the section, so we will not take the door and will return. We will do this to every computer around the island."

    "Indeed, that is the correct choice, Denko-dono! However... I thought this would be fun! We are in a place where we never thought we would be! Let yourself out and have fun, Denko-dono!"

    "Kid''s got a point, Shiori. We are getting closer to the end, so if you wanna make some memories, now''s the time. We might never have this chance again."

    !!!!!

    My eyes opened wide at that thought, for some reason...

    "Denko-senpai?"

    Akari, worried at my emotional reaction, drew closer as I softly began to speak with my head down.

    "...Memories, huh?"

    All of them then started to walk past me as I was left to ponder whether or not I wanted to create memories that would last forever in this island. But, as the question emerged, I wondered what sort of memories I would want to create and I couldn''t find an answer to that.

    "Rokoro, could you hold the chains of these two?"

    I asked that as Rokoro was starting to ascend the horizontally large stairway. Noticeably, I am asking if he can hold the chains of Saitou Rayazaki and Takeshi Kuzan, not Ryousuke Kawahara.

    "But of course! Everyone, help me out here!"

    "Got it, Rokoro!"

    Rokoro''s friends happily complied as they took ahold of their chains.

    Naturally, Rayazaki and Kuzan let out their usual complaints as I stood behind walking a bit slower with Ryousuke Kawahara.

    "Man, I''m feeling so useless here. I never felt like I existed this less before."

    "Please feed me... I''ve said this so many times...."

    Now that I look at Takeshi Kuzan, his skull''s is showing way more than Saitou Rayazaki''s, which indicates a state of starvation far greater.

    However, midst this, Kawahara did not look at me as he respectfully awaited my words.

    "Ryousuke, I am troubled. I initially came here to relax as I thought this was a private resorted island yet it''s essentially a deserted island with random technology around some areas. With that said, I am unaware of how I should feel right now?"

    "...What?"

    His confusion confused me even further as I thought he was aware of what I was going through.

    "Don''t you understand what I''ve just said?"

    "No, I do. I just don''t understand why you are unaware of how you should feel. If you put any thought to "feelings" then the whole essence is gone. If you want to feel, then think less, it''s simple."

    "....Think less...? But how? Do I just blurt out whatever comes to mind?"

    "Why not, Shiori?"

    I then stopped as soon as I met the first degree of the stairway. Everyone else was walking towards the long top and therefore, they weren''t paying any attention to this. With that in mind, I followed his suggestion.

    "I don''t like a lot of people and they bother me for no reason and I would like them to just vanish into thin air... Huh? Why would I want that?"

    "There are some things that you can really know about yourself once you stop trying to be what you are not. Go on."

    "...I am unsure why but I feel attracted to you. Do you feel the same? Sorry if this is really sudden."

    I didn''t blush or have a nervous reaction, surprisingly. It just came out of my mind and Kawahara replied extremely fast.

    "I don''t feel the same because I love someone else. Are you going to cry?"

    I thought for a second whether or not I would indeed cry.

    "No, I don''t think I will. I see. Why do you think I am attracted to you though? I don''t know, that''s why I''m asking."

    "I think... it''s a common thing human beings experience. Human beings will often claim to love someone or be attracted to someone, but ultimately, they are not attracted to the person itself but to the ideas or one particular idea that the human being stands for or represents the most. Likewise, you are most likely attracted to me because of my mindset. You probably find me compelling to a level unlike any other human being out there and that''s why you feel the way you feel. In other words, my mentality strongly attracts you, but not the person that I am, yeah?"

    Once again, I thought about the words he had just said and came to a conclusion.

    "Are you rejecting me in an indirect way? You are a coward."

    "I already rejected you, don''t get it twisted."

    "Ok, great. Sure. But, I think you are wrong because, if it''s your mentality I am ultimately attracted to, then I am also attracted to you because you represent your own mentality in your actions, thoughts, words, and accomplishments. Just thought you should know that."

    "You''re wrong though."

    "How am I wrong here?"

    Genuinely curious as to why I was wrong, I persistenly asked him, but he wouldn''t give me a straight answer and started to walk into the stairway.

    "Mentality and a person are two worlds apart."

    One step at the time, we climbed.

    "I already explained how both are different. As long as you continue to represent your mentality through your actions, thoughts, words, and accomplishments, I am in fact attracted to you. Why can you not accept that? I am not asking to be loved in return, just acknowledge that you are wrong."

    This isn''t some sort of emotional retort or a hopeless endeavor in getting some love returned back to me.

    "You explained yourself, Shiori. You just don''t know which part you are wrong about."

    "What? Then tell me."

    "...Well... Not now. Back in school? Once we are done, we''ll meet again in a random day and I''ll stop thinking and blurt out why that is the case. How about that?"

    Given that the situation would grow denser and awkward if we were to level this in an open ending, I agreed with him.

    "Alright, that''s fine. But, I''m a block A student. According to my social status back there, I will treat you like a peasant."

    "The fuck?"

    "There''s nothing I can do about that. Though, considering you are basically my prisoner, it won''t feel much different."

    "Oh, so there''s a small compensation on one hand? Yeah, great."

    I giggled as I heard Rokoro from the top calling us out for being purposely slow at walking.

    "Kawahara-dono! Denko-dono! What has gotten into you two? We must hurry and go back to our bonfire camp because if we miss the others when they arrive, they might think something strange has happened!"

    "Oh, sorry."

    "No worries, kiddo! We got a lot to do but we will soon be out of here!"

    As we made way to the exit, I started to wonder if I was actually going to like my upcoming school life, once this is all over.

    Regarding that, I could not think negatively about that as I for once, had high hopes.

 Volume 22 - Chapter 156: Memories full of laughter.

    Thankfully, we made it out alright and went back to the bonfire area where, two hours later, all the groups would assemble. It went without saying that the drastic increase in numbers made the whole thing incredibly hard to manage, so I proposed something beforehand to Rokoro.

    That being: in order to explain our plan, the ten chosen leaders would stand in one land at the border of the fountain''s water while the rest of the students would quietly watch from afar. Arguably closer to 500 students were within the parameters as they watched from various sides what was about to happen.

    Having already been told the current plan, as I stood in the center of the horizontal line, on my right side the male leaders stood: Karlos, Daimian, Rokoro, and Yoh. Likewise, to my left side, the female leaders were as well lined up: Musi, Rena, Zwette, Youjo, and Yasuda. Through my suggestion that the top leader should be the one who got the highest scores in the IQ tests, they all agreed. But they remarked that I should''ve been the leader not due to the results but due to the fact that Percy Phoenix had died and I was already doing a good job at uniting everyone.

    Ultimately, the three criminals were being shacked by Karlos and Damian, heavily, which opened the window of opportunity for me to begin my speech through an extremely loud and clear tone.

    "Attention, all of you! As some of you may or may not know, our previous leader, Percy Phoenix, has, unfortunately passed away!"

    There was a quantity of remorse towards his death but in the end, Percy Phoenix had not done much to all of us except motivate us through rewards, which just goes to show why only so little people were truly hung up on his death. On the other hand, they were more hung up on what I would uncover next with my words.

    "Since he was our way out of this island, we must adapt quickly and we''ve come to the quick conclusion that our only way out of this island is to help these criminals who are under an exam on their own."

    Discontent came forth but I didn''t hesitate to dispel their doubts, as some already knew that Ryousuke Kawwahara''s words were in fact true.

    "All criminals in this island came from our school to here, but through a different way and that''s where we should take a moment to capitalize on something. If they got here, they surely have a way out of here and that way out of here is for them to pass their exam. On behalf of our necessity for survival and in order to not create unnecessary fatalies in our numbers, I ask you to put your humble faith on the ten of us as we surely will guide you to a place out of this island."

    "But how are we getting out of this island?!"

    A common question amongst the crowd to which, Rokoro took little to no chances in giving an appropriate answer to. His voice, just like mine, was loud and clear, firmly constrating his usual weak meek tone.

    "The answer to that is simple! Kawahara-dono and the other criminals have to undertake an exam that revolves around 10 sections as a whole and once the last section is complete, they will pass the exam!"

    Damian then, spoke in addition. Damian had a remarkable influence on all students here as they respected his well-driven character throughout all the years in school. As a matter of fact, now that Percy Phoenix was gone, Damian would surely be our upcoming class representative.

    Needless to say, but his vigorous attitude attracted the numerosity of students right away.

    "For that to happen, we will rely on Ryousuke Kawahara''s information about this island in order to get to the ten sections! We already have uncovered one; so statically speaking, we are 10% ahead of the curve!"

    This was true and it was something that I had told Akari to confirm with the rest in Rokoro''s group. Furthermore, as the numbers slowly came to this area, we were in charge of relaying the information of what had just happened, so the majority was already well-aware that there was a password-entry system within the hidden locations that Ryousuke Kawahara provided us with.

    He is not lying, therefore.

    "And as such, we have come to the conclusion that instead of wasting all of our numbers into going one section at a time, we will create groups with ten leaders! In other words, ten groups! The objective is simple: Ryousuke Kawahara will give us the locations of the hidden spots in this island and we will then allow their exam to be concluded through our research."

    The ever so simple objective that everyone could understood, but what remained was one simple factor; how should we distribute this gigantic number of students in ten? To this, Musi spoke to the students after Damian was done.

    Her voice, so childish yet understanding quickly grabbed their attention instantly as her enthusiasm was by far her most alluring particular quality.

    "Everyone!! There is no need to be picky-picky when choosing who you want as your leader!! The objective is the same!!"

    Although what Musi just said is simple to understand, Yoh took a further step as he watched indecisiveness grow.

    "....The locations match with Ryousuke Kawahara''s previous information of where the criminals are, so direct to Ryousuke Kawahara with a map as he will point out the locations. For the record, if anyone wants to follow me, I am going northeast side... Just saying..."

    "I am going close there, more to the north side than the east side..."

    Since Yoh and Zwette already had groups on their own, I made a suggestion to the remaining students.

    "Prior to this, there were already group formations with leaders. I suggest that we keep those groups and that the remaining students adjoin to who they particularly like the most. I believe the less time we lose on this, the better."

    Then, a question came from the crowd as someone questioned the rationality behind the existence of ten groups when there were only nine other sections remaining to be discovered.

    "Why create ten groups when there are only nine other sections? Why not have the other solo group join another one?"

    I answered.

    "A good question. That would be my group, but my group won''t be dedicated into finding the remaining sections. It will instead be dedicated to being around Ryousuke Kawahara in order to strategize better information. Also, because it''s quite obvious that someone needs to keep an eye on him and the other two. With that said, if there are brave individuals out there who want to share my burden, by all means, step up."

    Admitedly, I didn''t expect anyone to come forth, but clearly, a few students did so and as I saw that, I took charge of the direction of this event.

    "That''s good. What''s going to happen now is the following: Direct yourselves to Ryousuke Kawahara with a map and he will tell you where to find the other remaining sections. Essentially pick one and then inform me about it. As you do that, I will tell you which leader is assigned to your desired location and you will be aligned with the respective leader therefore. Also, do not be worried about Ryousuke Kawahara lying to you about the location as there are only nine others and I will be watching him should he lie about any location that does goes beyond the other nine locations. In addition to that, if he lies here, his credibility falls."

    This was all extremely standard and Kawahara knows that he''s being tested. But, in Ryousuke Kawahara''s defense, Akari and the students from earlier stepped up and spoke to everyone; particularly Akari, who is showing a perhaps unnecessary degree of emotion towards Ryousuke Kawahara as of lately.

    "Everyone, we should trust him! I know this sounds wrong and illogical but he was speaking the truth earlier!"

    "....Should we really...?"

    "I don''t know..."

    This is arguably the most pointless thing to do as making about 500 people trust Ryousuke Kawahara is impossible. This, does not mean, however, that we can''t reduce the suspicion and if reducing the suspicion makes him more approachable, then all the better.

    "Now, everyone! Line up and go towards Ryousuke Kawahara with your map! Denko will be watching over you and him, so when you are done, make sure to tell her!"

    Arguably speaking, it was hard to deny a guy like Damian. He doesn''t mean any ill-intended thoughts nor portrays such a way of thinking; as such, going against him will only make you look like someone who can''t trust someone else. That''s why multiple students began to slowly come to Ryousuke Kawahara, as I came closer to him.

    As he witnessed the amount of attention he was getting, he made a particular arrogant comment...

    "I never thought I would have this many girls on my cock, honestly."

    Some... overheard what he just said while some didn''t, but to erase skepticism, I slapped him across the face quite lightly out of impulse which brought his vocal rampage to a swift end. Furthermore, Karlos vibrated his chains which made him straighten up.

    "Shut up! Your obligation is to give them the correct locations!"

    "Karlos is correct here. The more you step out of the line, the worse for you."

    Agreeing with Karlos, I relayed an addition message to the students who were hesitant on coming forward.

    "Now, come on! The faster we do this, the better! Don''t pay any attention to his side comments. He is a stupid and vulgar person."

    Kawahara made a snarky smile as he heard this but he didn''t make any side comments as the students kept on coming forth.

    By the end of everything, which took about an hour to end on, which was additionally tiring for no reason, the groups were decided. Firstly, starting with Damian, who was in charge of uncovering the center location of the island and the hidden spot there, around 125 students joined him. Needless to say, but that is a brutal number and it just went to show how much they trusted Damian.

    As for Karlos, only about 30 people went with him and that''s just because they are all boys who are his "fans". Anyhow, Rokoro, on the other hand, had his previous group with him, though not entirely, which revolved around 60 people. Yoh''s group had a solid of 35 people with him. With four male leaders, they each contained a total of 250 students with them, which would leave the female leaders.

    Yasuda had a total of 75 people with her. Youjo took a small portion of Rokoro''s group as they were a group previously; so she only took about 20 people. Rena only had a grand total of 15 people with her. Zwette, on the other hand, surprisingly, managed to earn 55 people to her side. Ultimately, Musi was left with 60 people to her side as most people here felt the need to look out for a junior like her.

    It would then be all left to me, who got a total of 30 or so students around here.

    Nonetheless, as I paid attention to every detail that Ryousuke Kawahara would give every student, he always put out nine locations except for the one we already had discovered and motivated the others to check with Akari, should they doubt about this, which many did, honestly.

    He in addition told Akari to not let anyone insert the password. As everything then looked to be done and the number of students was arguably less scattered since they were all with their leaders, I said one final thing to all of them.

    "This is very important but do NOT insert any password! First of all, secure in learning about the location and once you confirm that there is in fact a location, report to me! Only Ryousuke Kawahara should insert the password and we have the password scanner as it is with me! Damian''s walkie-talkies will be distributed with me and him, since there are only two of them! Remember to utilize the map well and look out for places that wouldn''t usually attract the attention of many!"

    The fact that they already had confirmed with Akari the crucial information and made sure that we weren''t just casually lying to them made them more confident about this as they knew for a fact that this was going to work out.

    Damian, ultimately, let out a war cry in order to raise the morality and the remaining leaders said their sentences as well.

    "Everyone, follow me!"

    Naturally, he was followed with many agreements. Despite almost being around 4 am, the sun would rise in about two hours. Moreso, in order to create light, Rokoro suggested that since the lanterns are not working, that each student should grab thick woodsticks and take a portion of the fire with the stick to create a torch. Many followed that idea, so the dark shroud of the night isn''t as problematic as it initially sounded.

    Being left with a walkie-talkie in hand and the responsibility of keeping an eye on the three criminals, I firstly engaged with the remaining students.

    "Take a seat, if you want. I''m sorry but I don''t know any of you, so if you want to make an introduction or state why you stayed with me, then I''ll allow it, of course."

    I was seated on top of a giant wood bracket horizontally split near the bonfire which was still going strong. We had plenty of food resources here because we all had previously left with the intention of hunting down other criminals but we knew that the course would be long, so we naturally took food with us.

    Something very obvious is that we would quickly run out of food resources. This was something I pointed out with the nine other leaders and they acknowledged the urgent necessity of getting out of this island. Without Percy Phoenix constantly giving us food to our mouths, we would be near extinction soon.

    With that said, I was eating a pear and the remaining students looked a bit skeptical in approaching me.

    "Shiori---loosen up, will you? You''re being too robotic. Remember what I said?"

    Without looking at me and being glued to the bonfire, Ryousuke Kawahara, remarked that, so I attempted to follow his suggestion.

    "Erm... Mhm, why not try and talk with them then, Ryousuke? I doubt you''ll be successful anyway..."

    Seeing that they are all afraid of walking up to him, I confidently made that statement as I knew that they wouldn''t approach him that easily, but Ryousuke Kawahara didn''t exactly falter.

    "Are you sure?"

    "I am, I am. Show me how good your charisma is in front of individuals who don''t trust y---"

    He didn''t let me finish my sentence and instead directed his words to the students who were across the bonfire.

    "Hey, you all wanna play a game? It''s called "How good do you know Denko"."

    "W-Wha... What are you doing?!"

    Nervous, I asked, but he didn''t explain what he meant and went forward to explaining the content of the game while the remaining students were drawn into his charismatic smile.

    "The game is simple. Each of you will face me once and Shiori over here will launch a question that is about her. That question will have to contain three options and me and my opponent will pick our answer according to those three options. Here are the rewards for the winner of the first round: Whoever wins the first round gets a kiss in the cheek by Shiori!"

    "What the hell?! This is outrageous! No one will agree with you, you do realize that, right?!"

    Yet some of them didn''t completely reject this idea, for whatever reason. Taking advantage of my nervous reaction and his overwhelming confidence towards this entire situation, Ryousuke Kawahara continued, much to my displease.

    "This will be a demonstration round. Now, imagine! Getting a cheek kiss from the highly popular Shiori Denko! Admit it, does that thought not sound pleasing to you?"

    Curiously, I took a look around caught a male student who upheld an abornmal interest towards this. He firstly came to the other side of the bonfire and introduced himself.

    "My name is Brionac! Unlike all of them, I am not afraid of you, Ryousuke Kawahara! Denko-senpai! Do I have your permission?"

    "...My permission? For what exactly? Don''t agree with him!"

    "Oh, come on, Shiori, don''t be like that. This is your fault because you suggested that I should get to know them better and since we will be waiting around for the others to return with information, this is a good way to pass the time. Don''t ruin the fun like that."

    I understood what Kawahara meant to say and I wasn''t particularly in disagreement with him, but the reward, so I elevated the tone of my voice as I explained that.

    "I don''t mind the game, but the reward is stupid. Why a kiss?"

    "Hey, it''s just a cheek kiss. No mouth-to-mouth, Shiori. Aren''t you overreacting?"

    "You always claim that I''m overreacting but I''m just doing it for my privacy."

    He rolled his eyes and then spoke his mind as everyone else was quite drawn into this conversation, suddenly, as they saw my genuine mad reactions towards the engaging Ryousuke Kawahara.

    "I see... Sorry, everyone, but, she''s too much of a private person to share a physical reward such as a kiss in the cheek. Shall we wait in silence for hours to come because she isn''t feeling secure about herself?"

    !?

    "I am secure about myself! God, that''s different! I just find the reward unnecessary."

    "But the game revolves around you, so the rewards have to be given by you. Hey, everyone greatly respects you, don''t they? Well, you all do, right?"

    The majority of the students then each agreed with Kawahara as they genuinely had a degree of respect for me.

    "We do..."

    "Yeah, I respect her, she''s always at the top grades of school, so who wouldn''t?"

    This was something that I already knew since our school revolves around a meritocracy system and since I am always on the top scores, I earn a lot of attention. Though, in a sense, not many people know what I actually am, so in order to get respect, I completely distance myself from most social interactions and focus on my studies. With that said, this is a new experience for me.

    "See, Shiori? Have some confidence."

    "I am confident about myself..."

    "Then let''s go with this game already. You get to choose the question and if no one gets it right, there won''t be a winner. Plus, it''s a three option question. A 33% chance of winning and not a fifty-fifty. Meaning; if you make it extra hard for both of us, the odds of us winning aren''t too bright. Ain''t that right, Brionac?"

    In agreement, Brionac spoke his mind about this from the other side. He wasn''t nervous whatsoever, which was surprising. Perhaps seeing how much of a natural talker Ryousuke Kawahara can be has dispelled all of his fears.

    "I hate to admit, but you''re right. All she has to do is pick some sort of question we have no legit idea about and we will have to choose one of the three options. In a sense, this could be a game of luck."

    "...."

    This then got me thinking for a bit. Since not many know anything about me on a personal level, this could be a chance for them to get to know me. I''m usually far too anti-social and am only acknowledged for my academic accomplishments but if I can make others acknowledge me for what I actually am on the inside, then maybe I could create some memories.

    "Eh, alright."

    "Woah, really?"

    Surprised, Brionac remarked that and that gave some hope to the other students who were quietly taking a more safe place behind Brionac.

    "Watch out, my dude. She''s gonna ask us what species she is and she''s not going to listen the human species as an option."

    "Wait, I thought that this would be under the realistic bounds..."

    Since Brionac was being fooled by Kawahara, I intervined as I didn''t want him to get the wrong idea.

    "Please don''t listen to this fool. My question will be under the realistic bounds. Shall we get started then?"

    As I said that, Ryousuke Kawahara took a step forward and officially started this mini-event as we waited for any sort of information from Damian.

    Stolen story; please report.

    "I declare the first round officially started! The winner will get a kiss in the cheek by Shiori Denko! By the way, I''m not going easy on you, Brionac."

    Matching his level of confidence, the red-haired individual with medium-spiked hair, didn''t falter.

    "Don''t get too cocky now, Ryousuke Kawahara. As far as I know, you''ve only come into contact with her a few days ago..."

    While that is true, I don''t like what he''s implying. He''s implying things a stalker would normally imply. Do I attract creeps or something? Please stop.

    Anyhow, their eyes were on me and I went with a question that looked simple yet difficult.

    "What is my favourite fruit? Option 1: Pear. Option 2: Apple. Option 3: Watermelon. Now, go for it!"

    This one, they won''t guess it correctly and here is why. First of all, I am eating a pear which would imply that pear is my favourite fruit since I took it out of so many fruits. Secondly, there are apples in the fruit basket as there are watermelons, so they can''t use the cheap excuse of asking what sort of fruits there are to tell which one is missing as the missing piece would most likely be my favourite. Ultimalely, I never show any sort of liking towards fruits as I like them all collectively, but deep down, I enjoy one of those three a tad bit more.

    Brionac was the first one to picture a guess.

    "A pear? You are eating it, so..."

    And then, Ryousuke Kawahara made his guess, however, he made one particular question first.

    "Is the watermelon hot? Assuming there is one?"

    "Why do you wanna know that?"

    Brionac asked to him, but I didn''t say anything.

    Truth to be told, there is a hidden gimmick here which is quite unfair for them. My favorite fruit refers to what fruit I enjoy the most at the moment. Meaning, it''s not related to a fruit that I hail as the holy grail because I like them all collectively.

    In other words, the current one that I am eating, is a well subject for such an occasion.

    "Well, it''s simple... Shiori''s a tricky woman so she always has something up on her sleeve. She probably thinks that the fruit she enjoys the most at the current moment is the only valid fruit that qualifies as the one she would, hypothetically like at this current moment."

    ".......Wh..."

    How did he know that?! I don''t recall ever making an implication of such thing!

    Even when I''m trying my best to conceal my emotions, it''s seriously hard to do so because this just doesn''t make any sense.

    A student from the back then went to the fruit basket and told the state of the watermelon.

    "Surprisngly, it''s quite fresh! It must be from the night."

    "I see. I''ll go with watermelon then."

    Just like that, the result had come to a swift conclusion. All eyes were on me as an answer was demanded the most from Brionac and Kawahara.

    Firstly though, I confirmed something with Kawahara.

    "Brionac explained his reasoning but what about yours? Is it because the watermelon is in a cool state?"

    "Precisiely. You''d like it more than the others because a fresh watermelon is better than an apple and a pear in a cool state."

    "....."

    Keeping my silence, I sighed and came to terms with the victory here, as I didn''t want to be unconditionally stubborn. I place my eyes on Brionac and gave him the disappointing answer.

    "Sorry, Brionac, but you lost. I like pears as much as I like apples, the only difference is that to eat a watermelon, I would have to dirty myself to eat it, that''s why I didn''t go for it."

    Mad at losing, Brionac threw a small tantrum as he hadn''t foreseen the hidden gimmick of this question.

    "Ah, damn it! I shoulve'' given it more thought!"

    Ryousuke Kawahara then consoled Brionac for losing.

    "Hey man! It''s alright. She''s a cold woman and to beings like her, you don''t look at it through an emotional point of view. Their likings are most likely linked by what they think not by what they are open about."

    "Damn, really? I never had seen it like that..."

    "She''s a top student, isn''t she? You should''ve foreseen that, but it''s all good. You can come back later in another round, if you want."

    Happy at the thought of having a potential rematch, Brionac got up from the ground and scratched the back of his head.

    "Got it, got it... Well, sucks, I really wanted that kiss, even if it was only a cheek kiss. You got it, Ryousuke Kawahara."

    Many wouldn''t expect this from Ryousuke Kawahara, but through the bonfire''s low height, as he erupted his posture, Kawahara extended a hand-shake to Brionac, who had a visible difficulty in accepting what was happening.

    "That was an interesting one."

    "...Yeah, thanks..."

    Hesitant at first but slowly less skeptical as the seconds went on, Brionac shook Kawahara''s hand and just like that, a moment of sportsmanship was witnessed. As that was over, all eyes were on me, particular Kawahara''s.

    "What are you waiting for?"

    "...Do I really have to do it? Can''t I give the rewards later?"

    "That''s not good, Shiori. People like to get rewards fast, not the other way around. Kiss me like one of your french boys."

    "Wh---- ....Alright, seat down then."

    My plan was to take the moment where he would take a seat on the ground to sneak a cheek kiss on his left side of the face while dodging everyone''s attention, but an outrageous circle began to form as everyone was curious about this particular interaction.

    It was then I noticed that everyone was not afraid of Ryousuke Kawahara and the other two criminals who were basking in this scenario as well. Our side of the bonfire was occupied with a chant as they saw my sudden reluctance.

    "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

    Exactly like kids from elementary school, a kiss chant had just begun, which I found stupid and revolting. Their postures as they drew closer to us really made me think that they no longer were afraid and were instead completely invested in seeing this particular interaction happen.

    "Are you all kids or something...?! It''s just a kiss!"

    "Do it, Shiori. I''m still a virgin when it comes to cheek kisses. Not even my mother once kissed me in my cheek."

    Rayazaki felt like making a side comment that was fastly engulfed by the kiss chant.

    "That''s fucked up but I''ll pretend to not have listened to that."

    Everything was on me and I couldn''t exactly deny his reward since I had agreed to it and disagreeing at this very moment would make me look like a sore loser. My only regret was that I could not erase my red blushed face as I performed the transient kiss on his right side of the face.

    "Woah, she really did it!"

    "Kyaaa, Shiori-senpai likes Kawahara~~"

    "This is so dreamy, a total out of the picture couple!"

    The remaining girls, were, for some reason, romancizing this whole event, but I called them out by coming closer to them, unknowingly shouting in their direction.

    "That''s wrong! That''s wrong! Who would like this criminal loser anyways?!"

    "......"

    Shocked at my sudden burst of emotions, I had stunned them. Their wide open eyes were most likely a demonstration of their fear and I had caused that unfortunately, so I quickly began to apologize.

    "...Uh... I didn''t meant to---"

    "This is the first time I''ve seen you act so emotional before..."

    "I always thought that you were so focused on studies that you didn''t have time for jokes like this but I was wrong..."

    "...."

    In the end, it was me who was stunned at their positive reactions as they all began to smile as they saw this new side of me.

    Then, from my back Ryousuke Kawahara spoke.

    "Ice melts quickly in front of fire, don''t you know?"

    "....."

    Silent again, I thought of how none of this so far would be possible without Ryousuke Kawahara.

    "Now then! It''s time for round two! Do we have volunteers?!"

    I retook my seat and I watched three students fighting for a chance to get in.

    "I want to!"

    "Please let me!"

    "No, me!"

    Those three girls in specific that I was interacting with, closely began to decrease their distance from Ryousuke Kawahara and I felt the need to warn them as I pushed them back from him.

    "Don''t get too close to him! He''s dangerous!"

    Acknowledging that, they took a few steps back, but Ryousuke Kawahara, for some reason, suggested something stupid.

    "Girls, please, she''s just jealous."

    "Ridiculous. Please decide which one of them is getting in."

    "Yeah, alright. Well, choose one, Shiori. There is no particular order here."

    Ultimately the choice was on me again as everyone was on this side of the bonfire without anyone else in the other side of the bonfire. The majority was already seated on the rocky ground as I was seated in the massive wooden bracket. Kawahara and the other three are on the ground as well.

    "Well, which one of you got the highest score in the exams?"

    In order for this to not be utterly biased, I suggested that the highest score student would be the one to partake this.

    The student, finally stating her name came forth confidently.

    "It will be me! I''m Minami Chika, but without the utility of formalities, just call me by Chika!"

    A semi-tall, almost as tall as me, girl with dark blue short hair which reached her shoulders at maximum with hazzle eyes took the initiative as the other two didn''t disagree, so I took it as saying that she was the top student out of the other two.

    Instead of me, Ryousuke Kawahara spoke.

    "Chika, before anything, go to the other side of the bonfire, like Brionac before."

    "...?"

    "It''s because this is a good way to have matches. You are facing me and I am facing you."

    "Symbolism, ok, ok. Alright then."

    Obediently, Chika went to the other side, eager as ever. Maybe the sudden contrast in Kawahara''s attitude managed to destroy so many self-made assumptions that she couldn''t help but be happy. Kawahara was happy as well.

    As I''ve previously came to a conclusion, the man known as Ryousuke Kawahara will have times where he genuinely likes to interact with others and won''t use anything for his self-gain. This is one of those moments.

    "Alright, everyone. Just like before, I''ll list the reward now. I''m sorry to say, but it''s not a kiss this time, but instead, the winner gets a meal from Shiori Denko!"

    "....Aren''t you doing this to satisfy yourself now...?"

    I blurted that as it is. Shameless, Kawahara acknowledged that.

    "Shiori, I haven''t eaten anything in forever... The average human being would be on the verge of collapse right now..."

    "Denko-senpai, I don''t see why this is a problem... It''s been proven multiple times that they are powerless. Plus, they are shackled. And.... I don''t know---I want to see whether or not we can truly trust him for real. Good people are forced to make bad decisions constantly. It could be the case, you know?"

    She''s very optimistic about this, to which Kawahara took immediate advantage of.

    "Chika, you''re so bright that the sun doesn''t need to rise up."

    "......."

    I seriously can''t believe that flirt worked. Chika was transiently so stunned as she absorbed that complement along with his charismatic smile.

    "...Since there''s a mutual agreement, I don''t see why this should be a problem then..."

    "Great. Want to get started, Chika?"

    Instead of demanding this event to start, he asked her whether or not it was fine, which went to show that he does care about her opinion. To this, Chika appropriately replied; now on the other side of the bonfire.

    "Thank you! And yeah, let''s get it started!"

    All eyes on me once again.

    For the second time, I thought of a question and I went with something that they had no remote clue about; my music tastes, well, a bit.

    "Okay, okay! Which of these three singers I listen the most: Option 1: Eve. Option 2: Reol. Option 3: Daoko. Make your guesses!"

    No matter how I look at it, they have nothing to work with here. Never in front of anyone have I openly played my playlist to. There is logically no way to not make this a luck-based game.

    As a matter of fact, the two of them couldn''t make immediate guesses and were focused on a deep train of thought with their looks facedown.

    Once again, it wasn''t Ryousuke Kawahara who made the first but the other person; Minami Chika.

    "Mhm... Denko-senpai, you very much look like a Daoko fan! Yup, that will be my guess. What about you?"

    "Hm..."

    Still in deep thought, Kawahara couldn''t exactly draw out a conclusion, but he then asked me something that I found highly puzzling.

    "Is blonde your natural hair-color?"

    This was such a stupid question that I showed no mercy in replying to him.

    "Are you stupid? No Japanese girl is born blonde... Black is my hair''s natural color."

    Chika then made a side comment about this.

    "Wah, I had no idea! Your hair is different from your natural one too?! Then we both got our hairs painted with a different color! Mine was previously black too!"

    Genuinely happy, I didn''t expect someone to have undergone the same experience, which made me realize that perhaps I distance myself from others a bit too much.

    "Seriously?! I didn''t expect that! What made you change into dark blue, Chika?"

    "My favorite idol at the time went for a dark blue hair color change, so I decided to try it. I liked it a lot!"

    "That''s actually the same as me!"

    Midst our conversation, Kawahara made one particular remark to me.

    "I don''t recall Reol ever going through a blonde hair color change."

    "But she did once, that''s why I-----"

    Realizing my mistake as soon as my vision met his overconfident smile and sardonic eyeglare, I shut my own mouth as fast as I could, but then Ryousuke Kawahara made the decisive move.

    He looked towards Chika and decided the outcome of this event.

    "Sorry, Chika. I''ll go with Reol."

    "Eh, why?"

    "Well, why doesn''t Shiori answer that for you?"

    Suddenly, all eyes were on me again, and I was forced to, once again give the rightful answer, but this time I didn''t mind it as much as I did previously.

    I sighed briefly and laid out the truth.

    "Reol is the one I listen the most, yes."

    "I don''t think that''s what everyone wants to hear, Shiori. They want to know the connection between Reol and your hair change."

    "That''s right, that''s right!"

    A collective agreement came forth as the multitude of students were undoubtedly curious to know more about me and before I knew it, I wasn''t thinking twice about rejecting their approach anymore.

    "She changes her hair color a lot so I got tempted into doing so, but the truth is that the one who painted my hair didn''t have the exact color I wanted at the time and said that I should try blonde instead. I didn''t think I would look good in it, but what would you know, right? I actually liked it. I would encourage more people to try this, but I understand it''s not for everyone, so..."

    I wanted to change my hair color to pure white and I thought that at the time that white color was by far the most requested hair color when it comes to the whole thing, but they were out of white paint, which I found sad and absurd at the time. However, after three whole years, I haven''t changed my hair color, surprisingly.

    At the time I did so, however, I thought of telling others to do the same, but I didn''t feel secure enough and many people would often assume that I am a foreigner when I am in fact a Japanese girl to the core.

    Nonetheless, my words sparked an interest on the other female students who drew closer and spoke their minds about it.

    "I want to try it too but I never had the confidence to do so... I always thought that others would ridicule me for it!"

    "I''ve wanted to bleach my hair green but I never had the confidence to ask someone what their thoughts were on it!"

    Seeing that they underwent through that experience, I began to encourage them.

    "You two should do exactly that! Who cares what others will say about it?! You''re doing it for yourself and someone else who doesn''t even have the courage of going through it doesn''t have the right to talk shit about it!"

    I think that was the first time in my whole life that I''ve cursed in front of so many people. Surely, for a second, I thought that I would be seen as a vulgar person for doing so, but I actually managed to get my thoughts across faster.

    "Really...? Alright then! When I get to school, I will do it! I haven''t introduced myself yet but my name is Rumiko Sachiko!"

    As I acknowledged her name, I told her my genuine opinion about this.

    "Sachiko... You have twin-tails, so maybe you should go for a black and white approach? I imagined you with one full side of black color and the other with white, which would make sense since you have twin-tails!"

    Like the yin-yang symbol, essentially. Thankfully, Sachiko seemed happy and embraced both of my hands up high as I did the same as she expressed her thanks towards my willingness to give my opinion.

    "I never thought of that! Now that you''ve said it, Denko-senpai... I would like to try it! No, I will try it! In school, we should all go together and get our hairs changed!"

    The other student, who had yet to introduce herself, agreed with Sachiko.

    "We should totally all go, a girls only! Ah, my name is Ringo! Senpai, what do you think I should go for?!"

    I analyzed her hair structure and then gave my answer.

    "Since you have a ponytail hairstyle, maybe go with light pink? Also, Ringo, since your hair is silky, a really light spark pink would look beautiful on you! You gotta try it!"

    "Ok, I will! Thank you so much!"

    As we looked to further converse with each other, Ryousuke Kawahara rightfully interrupted as I was taking too much time here.

    "I''m not saying you can''t talk with each other, but can I get my reward. Shiori-sama, please treat me kindly~"

    Sarcastically, he demanded his reward by giving a bow with his knees.

    In a happy mood, I didn''t hesitate to comply, but Chika, Sachiko, and Ringo offered their unity to me as they drew closer.

    "Let us help you! Shouldn''t we feed the rest too?!"

    To this suggestion, Saitou Rayazaki and Takeshi Kuzan voiced their hearts out loud.

    "Mother of God, someone with a heart and soul at last!"

    "No more endless starvation! I will do anything you say, I swear!"

    They sounded extremely desperate as they should and as such, I accepted their unity and went forward to the section near the water where there were multiple food resources in a lot of wooden baskets. I picked mainly fruits for them as they contained the strongest nutrients. Meanwhile, Chika picked some chocolate cookie packs along with canned juices for them. In addition to that, Sachiko offered them potato chips packs alongside some sushi plastic containers. Lastly, Ringo went for some sour gummies. All in all, although this is arguably an odd meal to give, it''s way better than anything. Plus, it''s not as if they would disagree or anything.

    As we offered them everything, Rayazaki and Kuzan attempted to savagely take it from us, but as soon as their movements started to spring, Kawahara stopped both of their shoulders as he saw that we were getting scared.

    "Wait, you damn idiots. Thank them! They are being kind to the point of feeding us when they don''t have the obligation to do so. Are you going to make a mockery out of their trust by upholding vulgar manners?!"

    Smacking them with a brutal strength on the back of their heads, they were forced to reflect on that... which was surprising for all of us. We all expected them to act savagely, but then Takeshi Kuzan was the first to apologize.

    He gave a clean bow while apologizing.

    "Er... Thank you so much for your kindness! I am unsure of whether or not I would make it because no one trusts our words due to our status but the truth is that I would never lay a hand on other people! I know this might scare you, but I only steal from people and I can''t do that with my chains... What I''m saying is that I''ll never hurt you but only be tempted to steal it from you! OK, I''M SORRY! And thank you for the food!"

    Subsequently after, in a more denial-type of speech, Saitou Rayazaki spoke while also giving us a bow.

    "I shouldn''t really have to thank any of you because I would feed someone else on the verge of death too, so I am honestly a bit mad... But I''m aware that the circumstance and what I''ve just said don''t really align so... I''m sorry and thank you for your hospitality. I''ll never forget this..."

    Our silence would be reserved until Ryousuke Kawahara would simply say two words and bow far too deeply.

    "....Thank you..."

    From my understanding, as I am not sure what the others who watched this felt like, Kawahara didn''t need to say any more words because his subordinates had spoken for him. Or maybe he couldn''t find the words to express his gratitude due to the fact of being doubted all of his life.

    Slowly, I reached out to him and touched his hair softly.

    "That''s not like you... You''re prideful and arrogant to an absurd extend. Being humble makes you look weird."

    "I know right? But still, to see the humble side of a criminal is a rare thing."

    Brionac agreed with me right away which further incentivized the others to act.

    Ringo went out to Rayazaki''s side and touched the top of his head as she comforted him.

    "Come on, eat up! I understand your point, I also wouldn''t let someone starve when they are on the verge of death... So doing this was a bit strange to me."

    "You..."

    Looking up with hopeful eyes, Rayazaki traded glances with Ringo as he tried his best to not look weak. That''s when he made an offer to her, which was a sight to see.

    "Uh... Do you... wanna eat with me....? I''ll share a bi-bit..."

    No longer crooked up, Saitou Rayazaki sat on the ground as Ringo took his right side and answered positively, much to his liking.

    "Okay! Maybe I could get to know you better?"

    "Uh... I am not sure if you''ll like what I''ll tell, I don''t want to creep you out."

    For a second, Ringo was a bit skeptical, but she dismissed that worry as her interest in Rayazaki was bigger than her skepticism.

    "I want to find out what sort of person you are, so I can fix you. Is that... alright?"

    "......Sure..."

    Thus, they began to talk with each other. The others began to approach Takeshi Kuzan as he was kind enough to offer his food to share with everyone.

    "Everyone, let''s be friends! I have a huge stomach but this is too much for me, so let''s have a collective meal!"

    "Nice!"

    "Alright!"

    In the end, the multitude of students was more towards Kuzan''s side as he charismatically drew them all in, quickly befriending them through his positive eager attitude. Ringo and Rayazaki were talking more towards the edge of the water so they could have an intimate time together.

    Closer to the bonfire, he remained, silently eating, very focused and I approached him.

    I took a seat next to him quietly.

    "Is this all a facade?"

    I asked.

    "Not really. Actually, it isn''t, which is surprising, given that this is the perfect opportunity. Kuzan and Rayazaki are both misunderstood individuals. They aren''t truly evil. If I may say it, they don''t deserve the rude treatment that Phoenix gave them."

    "What about you, Ryousuke? Are you evil?"

    "Probably. However, I''ve always wanted to start over and a thing in common with people who want to start over and move on from the past is that they always wait for an opportunity to start over to come to them. I daresay I''ve come across one. This is probably it. Actually, on second thought, I won''t make it a probability. I am tired of being the person that I am. Always so reliant on manipulation. I want to be weak more consistently. Maybe this way she''ll see me for what I am?"

    ..............

    "...Are you referring to the girl you love? Who is she?"

    "Mhm, she''s from my class, but she doesn''t remember me."

    "...What? Does she have amnesia or something?"

    Genuinely confused, I couldn''t help but wonder about this. I wanted to know who she is though, so later in school I can see what he saw in her and then use that information to my advantage.

    But his answer was a bit too creepy...

    "Nope. I changed the way I looked far too much. I changed everything about me, actually. My whole name included."

    "...You''re kidding... So, your current name is..."

    "Yeah, technically a fake one. But, if I''m honest with you, I like this one better than the previous one. We were super close in middle school, but... well, things changed. It''s something that I can''t even bring myself to confront about. When I started to even think about it, my mind unconsciously refrains from thinking about it, it''s unreal."

    I then, asked him something a bit personal.

    "...Maybe you could tell me one day? If you feel like you can''t confront it yourself, then maybe someone else could do the trick? And, I doubt you''ll be able to confront her, so why not talk to me instead, Ryousuke?"

    Admitedly, I was using this as an opportunity to get more into contact with him in the future, but I believe he has realized this as well.

    "You have a point, Shiori. You really do. I don''t know how I should confront her... I---killed her brother."

    "............"

    I looked down and then back to him as I gave my honest answer.

    "That''s a horrible thing to do. She''s never going to forgive you if she knows you''re the one who has killed her brother. What were you thinking... Aren''t you smarter than that?"

    "Well, I wasn''t this smart at the time. Anyhow--- yeah, I''ll tell you one day. But don''t always think about that opportunity as I don''t know when I''ll be in the mood. Maybe it''ll be a day when I''ll feel like utter shit and I''ll use you as my venting deposit."

    "....That''s a rude thing to do."

    "Yeah, no kidding. But, you know? If you did the same thing to me, I wouldn''t mind one bit."

    ".....Really?"

    Again, I looked down and then I proceed to say it.

    "Ryousuke, I want you in my class. Would you accept that offer?"

    "Can you even do that?"

    To this, I was unsure whether or not it would be possible, but I knew the possibility was there.

    "Although I''m not a student council member, I am determined to become one and one of the rights that they have it to give another student a class transfer. I was thinking that after that I could give it to you. I think that the longer you interact with more criminals the more you''ll be tempted to retract to such a nature. Environments change people and you are not in a healthy environment back there. If you want to truly change, then accept my offer... You know what I''m saying is correct, right?"

    He then took three bites out of a green apple and placed his eyes on me as he wanted to give his answer.

    Unfortunately, our time of conversation was greatly interrupted by an upcoming call from Damian. A loud sound from the walkie-talkie in my left skirt''s pocket could be heard succinctly throughout the area and no one missed his words subsequently.

    "Denko! I''ve found it! I repeat, I''ve found it! We are near an aqueduct and there is a way down! We have confirmed the existence of a computer that is requesting a password!"

    An aqueduct...?! Did I just heard that right? How could there be an aqueduct in an island; that''s just...

    "Shiori, can I answer it if you don''t mind?"

    I didn''t think twice and gave the walkie-talkie to Kawahara as I knew that he had more specific instructions at hand.

    "Damian?"

    "Ryousuke Kawahara? Where is Denko...?"

    I answered quickly to dispel his worries.

    "I am here! I gave the walkie-talkie to Kawahara as he has something urgent to say, I think."

    "I see..."

    Now, it was Kawahara''s turn to say the words.

    "Get back here as soon as possible and don''t attempt anything there. Is there a door within the vicinity meters away from the computer?"

    "There is! You weren''t lying earlier, I see. However, isn''t that door the one that opens once the correct password is inserted?"

    "Yeah, but stay away from it as the ultimate idea is to not go near the sections inside. Please keep any curious individuals at bay."

    "...I understand. I will be there as soon as possible! Denko, everyone, wait for us!"

    He hung up afterwards as he looked to be in a rush to get here. Since I could only give Rokoro''s device to one person, I didn''t find the logic in giving it to one person, so we are instead going to wait for the group leader who found a specific location to get here and then, we will take Ryousuke Kawahara there to insert the password as I will use the device on the computer to get the right password.

    It''s a flawless plan, if I do say so myself.

    To all of us, Ryousuke Kawahara gave the great news.

    "Whew! After this is done, we are officially one step closer to the end! Man, I can''t wait until I get out of this island!"

    He splashed his entire body onto the ground carelessly as we all released our worries as this was starting to become enjoyable. Unlike Percy, Kawahara''s approach made this far more entertaining and in the end, we are getting to know each other better.

    "Yay! Although I''m liking the time here, I want to get back to school soon because we can''t be here for too long..."

    Ringo spoke and then Rayazaki agreed with her.

    "No kidding, huh? If it wasn''t for all this food, we would all die in no time..."

    "Good thing we were smart enough to take all of this with us."

    In symphony, they compelled each other quite beautifully.

    Then, Takeshi Kuzan spoke something to all of us out loud.

    "Hey, when we get back to our school, wanna take a huge lunch together? They got those fancy restaurants, but it''ll be cool if we all can make it, won''t it?!"

    Nobody in their right mind would deny what Kuzan had just said as we all unitedly agreed without a second thought.

    "Oh hell yeah! Lunch''s on me!"

    "Wah, you said it, Brionac! You can''t take those words back when you are in front of the reception!"

    "Don''t make me laugh, hah! Bring it on, order as much as you can!"

    We all laughed at Brionac''s overconfident and cocky attitude, him included. Never before have my laughs been this loud before as I''m sure I sounded fairly awkward through my giggles and all that.

    However, this one night in specific truly made me dedicated into clearing the dilemma of this island so we can all return to our school; our home and create happy memories there.

 Volume 23 - Chapter 157: Worth.

    Towards the center of the island, behind the old-fashioned baby-blue-colored aqueduct, lied an enormous rising sun on the furthest horizon at sight. The horizontal length of the aqueduct extended for a grand total of what it seemed to be about 500 meters in terms of length. Likewise, in height, it was supported by twenty-five pillars that had fifty meters of distance from one to another as result it would allow the aqueduct to approximately almost have a whole kilometer in terms of height.

    Below it, are scouring raging watery tides as the entire area aside from that is a rock field to walk through without any sorts of highs and lows. The end of the forest would allow anyone to capture the sight of the beautiful aqueduct basking in a stunning radiance transmitted by the sun. Noticeably, on the very west end, or to us, the beginning, there is a door in the very bottom of the first pillar and that''s where we found the majority of the students circulating around.

    Nonetheless, out of all those students, the one who approached us was their leader, Damian. He didn''t look very cheerful but instead looked extremely guilty. Without anyone having said anything to him, he began by giving a bow, which apparently, the majority of the students expected. I, however, didn''t expect him to give a bow as an apology to Ryousuke Kawahara like that, which even shocked him.

    "I am sorry! I doubted you and you weren''t lying all along despite how ridiculous the information sounded in the first place! I am so deeply sorry!"

    His voice was so strong and full of remorse that I am surprised that he didn''t cry. Kawahara was stunned for a moment, but he was quick to dismiss the dramatic scenario.

    "The information was ridiculous and doubting me was something that anyone would have done. But, let''s skip the whole formality. Take me to the location!"

    Damian was confused perhaps due to the fact that Kawahara didn''t exhibit a degree of spite towards him or any other student. To further explain, I stepped forward and talked to Damian, who was now raising his posture.

    "He''s really embarrassed at your gratitude and doesn''t know how to take it well, so..."

    "Shut up. That is not it."

    "Hmm, sureee."

    Kawahara looked annoyed at my sarcasm which was a first because he was perhaps slightly annoyed. Feeling the need to remark something, Damian spoke, as if he saw an entire different being in Kawahara.

    "You''re different now, for some reason... You don''t look like the same person who would sell his comrades back in that bin..."

    "I''ve said this before and I''ll say it again, they are not my comrades. They are primates. Anyway, let''s go already! Why are we wasting time! Damn!"

    Indifferent towards what was happening, Kawahara started to move on his own and I guided him along with Damian and the rest to the inside of the vicinity. Though I didn''t expect a difference in the designs at first, the more we walked into the straight-forward linear path that didn''t have a stairway-case unlike the previous section we went into, the more differences we could witness.

    Surely, the widespread room contained a computer on the furthest right side but the structure was by far the most appealing part to it. Height-wise, it went above twenty meters as the ceiling was keeping all the water from the above aqueduct within; thus not allowing it to descend upon us. Contrasting that, this surface was supported by an elevated structure with fresh water below. If this current structure that we are in would not exist, then we would be in deep waters, so to say.

    On the outside, it looks like the inside of what an aqueduct would be, but this truly looks like the beginning of a waterway as you can see what lies beyond the door. The illumination here isn''t poor but it isn''t super-great either. It looks fairly green-lighted, for some reason.

    "I''ll scan it, if you don''t mind."

    "Winner''s keepers. You found it, so it''s all yours, I''ll have to input the password, however."

    On the edge of the computer where it would be possible to see the requirement of a password to be input, Damian and Kawahara had a visible consensus.

    Then, Kawahara''s eyes were on me.

    "Shiori, give him Rokoro''s component, will you? Otherwise, there''s not much we can do here."

    "Wouldn''t it be funny if we lost it?"

    Throwing a joke, I actually managed to attract the fear out of some people.

    "Y-You have it with you, right?"

    Dissapointed, I sighed and confirmed the truth with Damian as I handed him the component with my eyes closed.

    "Yes, Damian. Here you go. Just a joke, gosh."

    Damian looked a bit confused but Kawahara gave him some words of consultation.

    "She''s a psycho deep down. Be careful..."

    "Yeah, I can see what you mean..."

    Grimmy, I chose to ignore the both of them as I found their retorts utterly false. Furthmore, they hurried up and checked the password. Upon getting the correct scan, Damian spoke out loud to Kawahara.

    "Will! It''s "Will"!"

    Enthusiastic, Damian remarked that more than once and Kawahara silently inserted the password as an extremely high number of curious students were glaring at the computer to see whether or not it would work. Not to my surprise, it worked and the door opened.

    As it did, Kawahara turned around and talked to the multitude in a loud voice tone.

    "Do not go through that door! The strategy is to avoid the inside at all costs as we have concluded that the remaining criminals are more than likely attempting to bait us into walking into it!"

    To add more sense to Kawahara''s words, I intervened as well.

    "It''s quite likely that we could fall into a trap due to the temptation of walking in, so I would like to ask you to keep yourselves controlled."

    "That''s right, that''s right. It''s too strange that the other criminals have not appeared yet so we could be in massive danger."

    We had to constantly repeat the same thing to make sure there wasn''t anyone who would uphold unnecessary ideas.

    Ultimately, after the correct password was inserted, Damian shouted something to the entirety of the students present which would be close to 150.

    "There are only eight other sections to uncover, so let''s return fairly quickly! The more information we get the better!"

    Undoubtely, the rest of the students weren''t as afraid of Ryousuke Kawahara as they were before. If I had to say, about 30% of the students present were not even afraid of him and his companions. Throughout our way towards the base, also known as the bonfire location, the students from my group would constantly engage with Kawahara, Rayazaki, and Kuzan. Needless to say, but it would soon be crystal clear that upholding a permanent fear towards them would be somewhat unnecessary.

    Around 8 am, on the bonfire area, as we returned, we found Yasuda''s group. 75 people were adjoined to yet other 150, so the number quickly overextended over 200. Yet, that was not the most surprising part. The most surprising part was that Yasuda was nervously waiting around for what it seemed to be someone and as soon as she saw that someone, she didn''t hesitate in walking towards him.

    Out of every student here, I would say that she would be the one who would have less trouble interacting with him. After all, she even greeted him with a smile, out of all the gestures to begin this conversation with.

    "We found a hidden location just like you said!"

    Yasuda, for some reason, looked unnecessarily happy about accomplishing what would perhaps be a simple accomplishment? No, I understand that there is possibly a degree of difficulty involving this task so bragging about DOES make sense.

    "Oh, great! You''re a savior, Yasuda."

    "....T-There''s no need to thank me..."

    ............

    "Um, Yasuda?"

    Managing to grab her attention for a while, I asked a question that concerned her accomplishment.

    "Tell us more about the location. First of all, where is it? Secondly, how did you, or your group managed to uncover the location? And so on."

    It would be more crucial and important to actually know what she had done than engaging in pointless interactions.

    "It''s in a cliff near a mountain! Surprisingly, it didn''t take us any effort because the cliff had a visible door to be open and inside we found a computer!"

    ...So it didn''t take her any effort? Why was she bragging like that then? Whatever.

    I brushed that off and issued the orders to everyone present.

    "Alright, let''s move on!"

    Just like that, we went to the south of our current location, which was in the north-east yet almost fully at the north. In other words, the west side of the island as a whole. The environment quickly went from a colossal deep forest containing arguably the tallest trees that I had ever seen to a mountain trail upholding uncanny rocky cliffs that would seem beyond fragile.

    The mountain was not the end destination but instead the door at the bottom of the cliff. To get to the bottom of the cliff, we all had to climb to the top of the trail and then we had to descend through a stairway made out of rocks. It was a dead end with only a bottomless pit covered in thick white fog below.

    To put it in perspective, I, along with Kawahara and the rest of the students were forming a line whilst climbing the horizontally large stairway only to stare down at a path to the dark right. That path would no doubt connect to something. However, the most important and deadly factor here was that anyone could fall over and as such, Kawahara felt like making a comment about the situation while we didn''t reach the end destination as there were a couple more steps to go.

    "If anyone''s afraid of falling, feel free to hug me all you want!"

    Fearless and demonstrating capacity to take care of others, he let that out to the body of students.

    Of course, no one was actually really going to follow through with that, until Yasuda came in from behind me and approached Kawahara''s back. Ultimately, she hugged him from behind while covering her face totally.

    "See, people?! There''s no need to fear! These two over here will take care of you as well!"

    By "these", he was referring to Rayazaki and Kuzan, but I suppose I can understand why Yasuda would feel the need to hug Kawahara in this situation. She''s afraid of falling, but I am not because the stairway''s degrees are obtusly large and as such, unless you are literally on the left edge of them, you won''t fall. Just walk while on the opposite side and you won''t fall.

    "Yeah, I don''t mind! Just don''t kill me off, please!"

    "Same with me!"

    Rayazaki and Kuzan both agreed without any problem and the students from my group began to approach them by taking ahold of their arms just like kindergarten students. It was an harmonizing sight and midst all this, I overheard a little conversation between Yasuda and Kawahara. Kawahara would start the conversation though.

    "Are you that afraid of heights, Yasuda?"

    He would tilt his neck every time he would speak as he had to keep his eyes on the road in order to not stumble.

    Yasuda replied to that by raising her posture a bit slightly.

    "Um... No, not really. Yeah, it''s scary if I were to fall, but it''s a bit impossible like this..."

    This caused me to intervene as I was severely confused.

    "Hold on, why would you do that then? If you are not afraid, then there''s no reason for you to hug him. Get off him, Yasuda."

    "Wh--- ...No."

    Further confused, I instigated her while also walking down.

    "Why not...?"

    "...None of your business..."

    "What? What do you mean none of my business? You''re not making any sense."

    She refused to explain herself and then, Kawahara explained it to me.

    "Shiori, she''s bolder than you in a sense. I have a suggestion where we can all happily be together without having to be in a state of arguments all the time..."

    Since we are now on the border of the destination, Yasuda got off his back and went to my side. Kawahara mirrored us and suggested something stupid.

    "Threeway."

    I went first with the slap and then Yasuda in a more shy way. I made sure to not hold back and even managed to feel his left side teeth clearly. He let out a complaint as he didn''t find our reactions plausible at all.

    "Huuuh? Oh come on, I was serious!"

    "You''re disgusting. See, this is why you have to keep your distance, Yasuda. This guy think this is a joke and makes sexual innuendos whenever he deems it that the time for it is nigh."

    "I had forgotten about it... Our first conversation went almost as similar as this one."

    Midst this, Damian approached Kawahara from behind and hooked his left side of his shoulders in a friendly way with a sardonical smile.

    "Being the ladies'' man is rough, eh? Once we are out of here, how about you and I have a competition?"

    "Oh? You''re speaking my language Damian."

    These two womanizers, for some reason, thought it would be a good idea to start a conversation of this degree of controversy in front of these many students. Damian tried to keep it low, but Kawahara''s bubbling enthusiasm would surely ruin his efforts.

    "The one who gets more chicks is the winner."

    "Really? I won''t go easy on you, Dami---"

    He attempted to confirm that, but I shackled his chains brutally thus earning his attention slightly.

    "Would you stop creeping the girls around please? Go inside already."

    Lamenting his attitude, he further said something unnecessary as he walked into the dark path on our right.

    "Such a cold-woman, Shiori."

    "Shut up."

    Surprisingly, after walking a bit into yet another straight-forward linear path, what we found was a church... Bright lights accompanied this area with a towering ceiling above us. Side windows allowed luminosity to fill the entire place which was surprising considering how none of us captured any windows on the outside but we could clearly gaze upon the scenery outside, where a clear cerulean sky above the mountains remain.

    Multiple rows of seats were in-between the middle path all the way to the altar. Up there on the altar, is a cross but what caught our attention was that the cross contained something obscure to it... Students began to immediately blurt out their guesses as it wasn''t hard to realize what it resembled.

    "Duuuude, that''s the Illuminati!"

    "Lol, you actually believe in that?! It''s just a myth and nothing more than an internet meme, haha!"

    This is widely true as the ancient organization known as the "Illuminati", to my knowledge, is nothing more than a source of entertainment for others on the internet and occasionally the justification pillar of conspiracy theories around the world. So, how come there was a sudden mention in that?

    Well, the cross would usually contain Jesus Christ crucified on it but instead of that holy figure in it, all that remained was a gigantic eye on a tiny pyramid at the top, which made everyone here think it was in fact something obscure as the Illuminati. However, to no one''s surprise, that''s actually not the case.

    But, Kawahara stood still for a while and then he said something in regards of this...

    "...Their enemy was religious influence, if we look at it in an objective way as they found more sense in a religion based on logic instead of the other way around. So, stripping Jesus Christ off the cross could very well be a symbol of their actions."

    I turned in his direction and vividly spoke.

    "Wait, are you serious? You don''t actually believe that...?"

    "No way I do. Probably just some try-hards wanting to be acknowledged by "society" for being part of a popular extinct organization. It died several centuries ago anyways."

    "Yeah, I thought so too..."

    Although... This island is a bit... strange? Where does all this come from exactly?

    Those were the two questions I wanted to instigate yet I found more reason in pursuing our current goal and as Yasuda and Kawahara were in front of the computer behind the altar, Kawahara used Rokoro''s device with my permission and we were able to decipher the password, to which Yasuda said out loud to all the students who were now taking a break whilst seating on the empty large rows in this hollow church.

    "Words! The password is "Words"!"

    So far, we already know three passwords. The first one being: Path. The second one: Will. And the most recent one: Words.

    No doubt, there is a pattern here and as soon as Yasuda spoke that out loud, a great majority of students came near Kawahara and celebrated as he inserted the right password.

    Striking a winning pose despite being utterly chained, Kawahara managed to pump the spirits of many students in a flash.

    "Alright!! Seven more to go!!"

    "Oh hell yeah! This is so much fun! We gotta go back and meet up with the others, man!"

    "And the environments change every time! It''s like I''m in a fantasy!"

    An absurd amount of cheers and happy jumping motions collected by all the students was formed as I also couldn''t help but smile because we had made such tremendous progress over a noticeably little time.

    If everything goes well, it wouldn''t be strange nor illogical to assume that we could very well leave this island sooner than expected.

    "Shiori? What are you spacing around for? I swear, for such a cold-woman, you are an oddball!"

    "Can you stop calling me that vulgar surname of "cold-woman"? I am not cold."

    "You can''t even get jealous like a normal person because you feel the need to rationalize everything and you''re telling me you''re not a cold woman? That''s a big lie, if I''ve ever seen one."

    "....."

    As we continued to walk outside of the vicinity, I thought to myself that I don''t know how to be jealous. As I''ve mentioned before, I am attracted to Ryousuke Kawahara, but not in a way that I would have to monopolize him indirectly like Yasuda does. I''m aware of her feelings towards him, but I can''t get jealous over something like that.

    It''s ridiculous and it would make me look like a girl who is scared of losing attention meanwhile that''s not true.

    In the end, we didn''t go through the door that would open itself behind the altar and continued our way to the camp as it would take us about twenty minutes to reach there. Midst our trip, Damian asked something to Kawahara.

    "Hey, bro. I''ve been meaning to ask, but since Rokoro''s component has been a great help thus far, then does that mean that the rest of our components will also be as useful?"

    Kawahara didn''t stop walking but the remaining students were all looking at him as he explained.

    "Here is the thing you gotta understand, Damian. Those components would be the reward of venturing through each section, but the fact that we were given them so openly means that we are being instigated... With that said, to answer your question, they do. Rokoro''s component is by far the best as it saves us the trouble of acquiring the passwords indirectly. Then, there are your walkie-talkies. This island doesn''t transmit any signals and utilizing our cellphones is out of the question. However, those walkie-talkies can travel through countless kilometers and they serve as a communication tool which is great."

    "That''s true... Then, what about Yasuda''s component? Do you think it can help us make any progress?"

    In this iconic forest to all of us, in-between the trees, we all stopped and put our eyes on Yasuda, who took out her component fairly quick.

    "I don''t know... Something ominous about that switch is telling me that we shouldn''t use it. If worse comes to worse, we will press the switch; otherwise, I don''t think so. Sorry, Yasuda. You were a great help already though as we are officially 30% ahead of the curve as Damian would say."

    Damian smiled a bit and Yasuda was quickly relieved as she thought initially that Kawahara would deem her as worthless but he instead highlighted two positive factors about them instead. He is a natural talker, as I''ve remarked before.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    However, something, or rather, somone''s group would capture our attention as we would meet him rushing in our direction from the north side. Alongside a brutal total of 60 students, Rokoro rapidly ran in our direction as he went straight to Kawahara, out of all people.

    "Kawahara-dono! Kawahara-dono! You won''t believe what I found! It''s incredible! Magnificent! Oh, I must show you as I want to hear your thoughts on it!"

    Instead of Kawahara, Damian made a side comment while referring our previous location.

    "Don''t tell me you found some sort of Illuminati location as well?"

    Jokingly, he let out a laugh, but to Rokoro, this could not have been more on the mark.

    "Yes, Damian-dono! Quick, quick! This is about to be revolutionary!"

    Unable to ignore his enthusiasm, we all followed Rokoro.

    Our path of direction would be towards the south-east and it would take us about an hour to reach our destination. Yet another change in the atmosphere was in store for us as we encountered a foggy swamp with lianas everywhere. Furthermore, some animals would be present every now and then, but they proved to ultimately be harmless. It looked like a jungle but it was nothing more than a swamp. As midday approached, we had finally reached our absolute end goal as it was the entrance to a cavern covered in sluggish lianas. Needless to say but the humid environment really made all of us start to sweat...

    "Everyone, don''t worry! It''s fresh and cool inside!"

    "Damn, let''s get inside then!"

    "Geez..."

    Unlike previously where the halls would be simple and lack detail, the halls of the entrance were by far way too detailed in contrast. In the first place, the path was not dark as it was only a fairly linear path to a stairway case of ten degrees with a dual split path to the right or left.

    Regarding the walls, they each contained...

    "O-Oh my God! Are those real eyes?!"

    Akari fell on the ground as the eyes on the wall stared at everyone here, but as I touched them, I said my thoughts to Akari as Damian helped her get up from the floor.

    "No, but their design is undoubtedly realistic... No doubt about it, but this is pretty old..."

    As I touched the horizontal eye that is attributed in various panels of the wall, I could feel a strange realistic sense to it.

    Midst this, Kawahara and Rokoro had a conversation on my right side.

    "Kawahara-dono, what do you think of this?! This is the eye of providence, isn''t it?!"

    "Well, yeah. Yeah, it is. It really is... Holy fuck..."

    Then, out of impulse, Kawahara shouted something towards all the students.

    "Attention, does anyone have a functioning cellphone to record this? A signal is irrelevant as the recording doesn''t need a signal to begin with!"

    Multiple acceptable answers came forth and many also took the suggestion head on and started to record this. Afterwards, Kawahara said something to Rokoro.

    "No one will believe us once we return without evidence, but if we record everything we will be..."

    "Celebrities! This is a national treasure! But, come quickly! I must show you what I really found!"

    Running like a kid, Rokoro climbed the stairway case and went to the right side instead of the left side.

    I asked something to Kawahara after we began to advance into the stairway case.

    "Are you sure it''s the right thing to take credit for this...?"

    "Well---It''s not. But many would pay money to have their hands on this information, Shiori."

    "I get that. It''s just---I don''t know, I feel like this is almost no different from what Percy initially motivated us to do. Except, I''m referring to the moral value..."

    Perhaps overworried that we were overextending our welcome here, Kawahara said some comforting words.

    "Relax, Shiori. As I''ve said before, the Illuminati died several centuries ago. This is all the work of a delusional organization. All we will be doing is feeding the egos of conspiracy theorists while winning money in return."

    "I can''t reason with you out of this, can I?"

    He transiently stopped at the top of the staircase and looked to me.

    "It''s a good opportunity. Plus, I''m curious now and once I''m curious, it''s a very hard task for me to ignore my inner curiosity."

    "You''re just a kid in the end."

    "....I guess..."

    Kawahara finished that sentence rather meekly while scratching the back of his head. Afterwards, we all went to the right side of the dual path and we quickly found a dead end as the room would contain a computer, which symbolized already the margin of progress to many of us. However...

    "A coffin?"

    I blurted that out loud as many other people started to investigate the parameter of the dusty coffin on the left side of the room. It was also fairly way darker in comparison to the previous area. Though, to Rokoro, this was what he wanted to show Kawahara.

    "Look at the center of the coffin closely, Kawahara-dono! There are german words in it!"

    ".......German words? Why german words though...?

    In deep thought, Kawahara pondered why there were german words and as for me, I kneeled down and looked closely towards the center of the coffin. To all the students present in this room, I said the entire sentence out loud in german first.

    "Heil dir im Siegerkranz!"

    My accent completely changed for a second and it was to no one''s surprise that I knew the german language perfectly since I am a block A student. After erupting my posture back up, I gave the translation.

    "It means: "Hail the fatherland!" or so I think. But I doubt I''m wrong!"

    This made Rokoro give his ultimate point to Kawahara.

    "Kawahara-dono, we might be in front of a real Illuminati object! Since the organization was created in Bavaria, which is now a part of Germany, it makes perfect sense as to why it''s in german! Furthermore, the whole sentence is a reference to how they hail their leader as the mightiest!"

    However, Kawahara begged to differ a little bit.

    "But that''s weird because the Bavaria never recognized that whole sentence as it failed to gain the support of many German rationalists. In other words, it has to refer something else..."

    Damian then made a suggestion.

    "Isn''t it just referencing who is in fact in the coffin? Let''s take a look, shall we?"

    In agreement to Damian, I spoke as well.

    "That''s what I was thinking too. It would make more sense for the sentence to be hailing the one inside as the "fatherland"."

    Yasuda gave her opinion as well.

    "Fatherland as in... leader? But, we are just going to find some bones, aren''t we?"

    Showing great willingness to take the initiative, Kawahara suggested something to Damian, Kuzan, Rayazaki, and Brionac.

    "Damian, Kuzan, Rayazaki, Brionac, help me out here. For some reason the weight of the entrance of the coffin is absurdly outstanding, so I''ll need a helping hand."

    "Yeah, no problem, let''s do it."

    Kuzan snapped his fingers slightly and spoke after Damian.

    "It''s been a while since I exercised."

    Rayazaki showed no hesitation and went to the bottom south of the coffin''s entrance and looked ready to lift it.

    "Time to show what I got!"

    Excited as well, Brionac demonstrated a well-formed unity with the other four. Lastly, it would be up to Kawahara, who was right at the center of the enormous coffin, holding the very tip of it. He then started to chant a countdown as we all backed off slightly.

    "Three----two---one---GO!"

    They mustered all the strength that they had and anyone could see the brutal physical effort they were putting in, but the coffin did not move whatsoever. Neither did the bottom of it as it looked like permanent glue fixated on a ground.

    "W-What the hell!"

    Exhausted suddenly, Brionac was the first one to let out a loud complaint.

    "Not again! What is this made of exactly?!"

    "It''s not budging! Damn it!"

    "It''s no good, stop!"

    Issuing the end of their endeavor, Kawahara and all of them backed off from the coffin a bit as they regained their breaths quickly.

    "How inconvenient, Kawahara-dono! I am now even more curious! Is there a way to possibly hack that coffin to pieces?"

    Although I respect and acknowledge their curiosity, I think that they are overstepping their boundaries a little bit and so I stepped up.

    "Aren''t you all just being too selfish here? That''s a dead person''s body that''s inside. We don''t have the right to do any of that."

    Yasuda thankfully, agreed with me right away.

    "Denko''s right. This is a pretty malicious thing to do. And hey! We came here for the password, not some coffin!"

    Multiple students then showed agreement to what Yasuda had just said and ultimately, instead of insisting with the coffin issue, I gave Rokoro his component back to him and he shouted the password out loud for no reason as if it was some grand scientific discovery.

    "Eureka! It''s "Light"! I repeat, "Light"!"

    After Kawahara inserted the password that Rokoro had just declared, we heard a loud sound coming from the other side of the cave. To clarify what just happened, Rokoro gave brief explanation with his right hand''s index finger fully erupted.

    "On the other side, there is a door and without a doubt, the door is unlocked! Now, let''s go and ventu---"

    Rokoro looked absolutely ready to venture to the other side, but me and Kawahara halted his tracks with our hands on each of his shoulders.

    "Not so fast, kiddo. No going there."

    "You heard him, Rokoro. We won''t venture into the other sections because we have theorized that following our greed and ambition will most likely make us victims to their trap..."

    At this point, this was a no-brainer, but it would be beyond the shadow of doubt how the other criminals are within the other sections and not the other way around. It''s the correct logical move to do as Kawahara says.

    On the other hand, Rokoro was deeply saddened by this.

    "B-But... Weren''t you the one who said that I was limiting myself by not finding out what there can be found out, Kawahara-dono?! This is our chance! We might find what the Illuminati are hiding! Perhaps the source of endless conspiracy theories could ultimately be proven at long last! The world could live in a brighter truth! Kawahara-dono, Denko-dono, I beseek you! We must continue to the other side."

    Maybe feeling guilty a tiny bit, Kawahara closed his eyes and then spoke his honest mind.

    "Honestly... I''m with you here. However, we have to get out of this island quickly, Rokoro. We can''t drag everyone down with our selfish endeavors... I''m afraid this is what scientists call... Sacrifices."

    "......I''m saddened... I''ve been meaning to talk with the person behind this island and here I thought that somewhere around this island there could be a clue yet..."

    "Do not worry. Along the way, we''ll surely stumble upon more. That''s why we can''t lose anymore time."

    "That''s true, Kawahara-dono!"

    "Good!"

    Pumping his shoulder twice, Kawahara encouraged Rokoro to not give up and then, to the rest of us, like a leader, he announced our progress thus far.

    "Everyone! With this, only six sections are left! We are almost half-way there!"

    Once again, Kawahara had successfully managed to grab the positive attention of many.

    Back to our area, we all ate for a while and then had a discussion as we waited for the next group to come. It goes without saying that we were having lunch and that everyone was no longer afraid of Kawahara anymore. He had shown to be an empathic individual who feels remorse and understands the drive of others. Essentially, he is a leader to his core and I believe no one present here would dare to disagree.

    I was still under charge of keeping Kawahara in his chains but I was silently eating a bag of chips as I watched Damian, Kawahara, and Rokoro have a conversation.

    "Kawahara-dono, have you thought of something yet...?"

    "Hold on, I''m still linking some factors..."

    He is in such a deep thought that he has continuously refused Yasuda''s food over thirty minutes. Damian too, along with Rokoro are deeply thinking.

    The fire is now extinguished yet they are mirroring each other in a triangle.

    While that''s happening, Yasuda came to my right side as I am seated on the large wooden log, peacefully eating in silence.

    "Uh... Denko, do you like Kawahara...? Sorry if this is brief, but you just can''t take your eyes off him."

    I didn''t stop eating but only replied when I didn''t have food left to digest in my mouth. I also didn''t look in her direction and felt like being honest as lying about this would make me think that I am a ridiculous person and that''s not true.

    "Why, yes, I do."

    "...Seriously? Aren''t you like... uh, afraid?"

    To this, I looked her in the eye.

    "He''s a good person and he''s going to change into a better person. As someone who believes in his potential, I can''t be afraid of him. How about you? Aren''t you afraid of him, Yasuda?"

    "Well, not anymore! It''s impressive because Percy had marked us with the wrong impression of him from the start but in reality... maybe the real criminal was Percy and not him?"

    "...."

    Honestly, I think their cores are a bit too similar, it''s just how they choose to treat individuals, now that I think about it.

    Nonetheless, Yasuda ignored my silence and asked me a question.

    "Are you going to... confess?"

    I didn''t look at her this time.

    "I already did and got rejected. I wouldn''t advice you to do the same."

    "Wh--- I had no idea..."

    Scared and surprised at the fact that I already had confessed and had gotten rejected, Yasuda trembled a bit.

    "Apparently, back in our school, there''s someone he already likes. I admire how he was able to flat out tell me this without hiding it. He''s not actually a coward, Yasuda. This man is very strong deep down but his surroundings often misunderstand him, that''s why it''s up to me, as someone who understands him to make him into a person that won''t be constantly misunderstood."

    "...."

    Stunned, Yasuda''s eyes opened wide as she wasn''t expecting my words.

    "...Ah, I really hate you."

    "....?"

    She was smiling as she said that, that''s why I didn''t take it the wrong way and only prompted her to continue.

    "Back in school, you are always better than me at everything. Grades, looks, better lines, you name it. I thought that maybe this would be it, but you were already like ten steps ahead of me in this. I don''t stand a chance against you now, Denko, because you always best me. This other girl shouldn''t be a problem for you either because once you put your mind into doing something, it''s like you''re gonna achieve it no matter what..."

    "....."

    All this time, I had no idea that Yasuda viewed me like this. A few hours ago, I came to the conclusive consensus that my understanding about my surroundings is absolutely none. Unlike Kawahara, who is often misunderstood by his surroundings, I am the one who misunderstands my surroundings all the time.

    No, perhaps "misunderstanding" isn''t the word. It''s like... I haven''t tried understanding any of these people in the first place and had to rely on opportunity created by Ryousuke Kawahara to get to know others not better but just a little to start everything!

    "...You look really happy now. I bet you don''t even realize that you have tears in your eyes..."

    "....Eh? Wh--I..."

    I didn''t overrreact but I noticed that in my eyes, what I thought was water, are in fact my tears.

    Yasuda whipped them slightly as I made my best effort into stop them from overflowing.

    "I don''t know you personally but you always seem distant about others. I think that the fact that we tried to distance ourselves from Kawahara immediately after Percy told me what he was is the proof that we, as human beings, are ultimately more defensive than anything. And so, distancing yourself from others all the time is... really defensive, y''know?"

    No longer with tears in my eyes, I looked at Yasuda in awe.

    "Denko, can we be friends? I''ll admit that my crush on him will probably last a while, but I acknowledge that your chances are bigger than mine, so I won''t try anything. However, I was wondering if we could---"

    Happy, I took both of her hands and with a radiant smile exposed on my face, I gave her the positive answer with a bubbling enthusiasm never before seen. I was even throwing my entire body at her to symbolize every single one of my upcoming words.

    "But of course we can! For a second there, I thought we already were friends, but this is a great chance, Yasuda!"

    "Great! Great! Then we---"

    Although we were happily making a bond with our hands tied up and smiling to one another beautifully, our attention was quickly stolen as Kawahara, from just a few meters past us, shouted incredibly loud furthermore attracting the attention of many.

    "I got it!"

    "Kawahara-dono?!"

    "What did you manage to uncover?!"

    Excited, Rokoro and Damian couldn''t help but elevate themselves as Kawahara did the same. As for me and Yasuda, we looked at each other, silently smiled since we understood what we meant to say to one another and went back to the center of the bonfire where the multitude of students gathered; wanting to hear what was going on in Kawahara''s mind.

    "Yoh has an ax, right?"

    "Indeed, Kawahara-dono!"

    "But what does the ax have to do with anything...?"

    They were debating something as the three of them couldn''t help but wonder about a way to hack the coffin to pieces DESPITE the fact that me and Yasuda had told them how immoral it was. I wasn''t expecting Kawahara nor Rokoro to completely listen, but seeing how Damian is going along with everything they say makes me very, VERY, disappointed.

    I sighed along with Yasuda transiently.

    "The nature of the ax makes it different from the rest! If something correspondent with the structure of the ax collides with the ax, then it is possible that we could uncover what''s in it IF the coffin''s nature corresponds with the ax''s! It''s a huge gamble though."

    "I see, Kawahara-dono! It''s worth the shot!"

    "Speaking of which... Look."

    Damian pointed to the entrance of the forest and there, we saw a boy with an absurd quantity of black hair to his frontal face completely covering his eyes while the rest of his head was borderline shaved. That meek boy, is undoubtedly, Yoh, which is the individual that Kawahara, Damian, and Rokoro are looking for.

    35 people accompanied him and he hesitated a bit in giving the good news when Rokoro came rushing at him.

    "Yoh-dono, did you find it!?"

    He wasn''t reacting well to the brutal crowd near him which told me that he doesn''t enjoy crowds at all, but Kawahara was the first one to take notice of this while serving an immediate solution.

    To everyone present, he spoke out loud with rigor.

    "Everyone! Give him some space! Our numbers are catastrophic but in a good sense! However, too much is too much!"

    "....Right."

    "Yeah, sorry..."

    Acknowledging the need to give him distance, the numbers began to disperse, however, I still had to stay in the area as I am in charge at all times of keeping them under the leash. In addition to me, Rokoro, Damian, and Yasuda remained; essentially the group leaders as we are the truly important pieces.

    Finally, Yoh felt comfortable enough to speak to Kawahara and Rokoro.

    "...I found it... Near the volcano, there is actually an entrance in the bottom of it..."

    "Near the volcano?! Yoh-dono, I understand that it''s inactive but that could be too dangerous!"

    "...Well, it is what it is..."

    Although Rokoro was a bit shocked, Kawahara didn''t hesitate to take this opportunity.

    "It doesn''t matter, we are going. Also, is your ax with you?"

    Yoh''s carrying a back pack and it''s quite possible that the ax is there, but we don''t know for sure.

    "It''s right in the back... Why?"

    "...Well, there''s something we would like to try with it but not now. Later, alright, Rokoro?"

    "I am saddened."

    His words sounded apathetic but he was utterly affirmative about being sad.

    Our numbers quickly exceed 250 and we were such an unstoppable force that multiple little groups were starting to be formed as the group leaders would remain on the front. Our way towards the inactive volcano was a bit too obvious as the volcano is widely visible. All we had to was go to northeast and continue to follow the path. Unlike the forest where our base starts with, our path contained a side river that would ultimately split into two once we reached the vicinity of the volcano. Aside from the trees, there was a rock bridge allowing us to venture towards the other side.

    It was almost afternoon as that whole walk took us a grand total of two hours just to reach there and it surprised me how that volcano was inactive.

    However, something completely visible to us was the entrance of what it seemed to be yet another cave from the frontal entrance of the volcano, from our perspective.

    Before entering in the area, I glanced upon the behemoth-sized height of the inactive volcano whilst making a comment about it.

    "I wonder when it was the last time it wasn''t inactive...?"

    "Decades ago, probably. It''s inactive for good, I hope."

    I didn''t reply and we walked in. A far longer path with a ceiling of low height was characterized by the torchs lighting up the hall every ten meters.

    A contrasting wave of cold started to greet us as we didn''t know what to expect except for a computer but we knew that by this time, it would be yet another object correspondent with perhaps...

    Aside from that thought, our long way came to an end when we were met with a dark abysmal end that contained a rocky stairway all the way to a section below. Just like the entrance of an elevator, the door there remained at that end, but in the middle of the stairway, there is a computer.

    Rokoro, while looking towards the enormous ceiling height that contrasted the previous ceiling''s low height, made a comment with disappointment all over his voice.

    "No Illuminati?! Madness, what is this! Where is the clue?!"

    Unable to properly grasp what Rokoro was fuming about, Yoh spoke.

    "....What are you talking about...? Illuminati...? What...?"

    Kawahara explained it.

    "We found some connecting pieces to the Illuminati. But I''ve theorized that this is just the work of some hardcore fans. You can go towards the students who are recording and ask for footage while I insert the password."

    "......."

    Without speaking anything, Yoh retracted his movements and went back to the students recording this whole event.

    Damian, Rokoro, Kawahara, Kuzan, Rayazaki, and I were in front of the computer as Rokoro scanned the entrance of the computer and got the right password.

    "Eureka! "The"! It''s "The"!"

    A simple one this time, and as such, the door opened itself. However, we didn''t spend any time looking at the door that had opened itself.

    As one would expect, Kawahara briefly shouted the progress of the task as we are now officially half-way there.

    Yet again posing like a champion, the words we were familiar with came to us through him.

    "Everyone! This is it! We are half-way there! Only five more to go! We have made an outstanding progress and we will continue to do more! None of this would be possible without any of you!"

    Kuzan and Rayazaki shouted in addition which provoked the positive reactions of many students and I was admittedly tempted to join in, but I figured I would look a bit awkward.

    Maybe next time...

    Anyhow, we all then started to climb the stairway as our path of action now was obvious: we go back to the camp and wait for another group to come. We repeat this until we are done clearing out the remaining password entries and then, we will see what there is in store for us.

    Nobody would try and stop this objective unless something out of the ordinary happened, which was why it was odd to me how Yoh was clearing his frontal hair out of his eyes and focused his vision supremely as he looked through the now open door that had opened itself when the password was correctly inserted.

    The first to question this abnormality in his movements was Rokoro.

    "Yoh-dono? What are you doing? We shouldn''t lose time like this."

    "....What is...."

    He wasn''t paying any attention to Rokoro whatsoever and as such, I additionally halted my movements and asked what was going on to him.

    "What''s wrong? Did something happen?"

    Naturally, Damian also stopped along the way and questioned Yoh as well.

    "Is there something there?"

    He already was aware that Yoh was looking through the door and what was beyond it.

    "...Isn''t that a desert....?"

    "Huh?"

    Rokoro was confused, just like all of us and even Kawahara, alongside Kuzan and Rayazaki couldn''t help but gaze through the open door as they saw at first a very linear line of darkness soon advanced by an overwhelming yellow color.

    Yet by focusing our visions better, we could only see a yellow color.

    Yoh then asked Rokoro something.

    "....Can I use your cellphone? I want to zoom in on something..."

    Noticeably, something about the door was that it wouldn''t immediately lead to the zone that lied beyond. As a matter of fact, I wasn''t aware that there was such a drastic change in environments until I switched over to my cellphone and zoomed the entrance of the door far to the maximum.

    Kawahara, on my right side, noted something.

    "That is actually a desert. Most impressive, Yoh. You have the eyes of a falcon. But that''s the thing----the environment completely changes once we go in there."

    Shocked at this, Rokoro couldn''t be more baffled.

    "W-Why didn''t you say so Kawahara-dono?! That sort of information is beyond crucial!"

    But, Kawahara did not agree one bit.

    "No, it''s not, kiddo. It''s just a distraction from the real goal."

    "No, but Kawahara-dono, this is authentically impressive! An environmental change just like that?! No doubt about it, it''s artificial! This island contains technology so absurdly advanced that environmental applications under a permanent status are possible! We are talking about defying nature through artificiality! The mind behind this island is a mad genius! T-This is magnificent! Revolutionary! Fascinating, deep, astonishing!!"

    It''s not as if I don''t agree with Rokoro as I deep down am aware that this island''s contents are beyond my reckoning of initial expectations, but the reason as to why we aren''t going along with him is because we don''t want to boost his ego since we are not following through.

    With that said, I said something conclusive to Yoh, who for some reason kept looking through Rokoro''s cellphone very closely.

    "We won''t go there, so there''s no need to instigate what lies beyond even further. We are halting our progress, so can we go now, Yo---"

    As I was about to finalize my sentence, no longer in a meek voice tone, Yoh aggressively spoke as he drew something fundamental from looking towards an exact spot in the zoomed area in Rokoro''s phone.

    "I think there''s someone there! No doubt about it, something''s moving but it''s from afar but look! You can see it! It''s right there, but it''s so far away!"

    "Huh?"

    In doubt, I blurted that out, but we all then quickly went around Yoh and glued our faces to the screen so we could see what he was talking about.

    The thing about the fact that there''s a desert lying ahead is that the heat haze blurs the image so it will naturally be more blurry. However, Rokoro was the first one to notice it.

    "Yoh-dono''s right! I can see it! Is that a person?!"

    "I think so! There''s someone there, at the top of the desert''s dune! A small figure lying on the top----waving its... arm!?"

    Now focusing more, I could see what they were both talking about as there is this one exactly tiny figure with almost two centimeters to it creating movements while the remaining desert dunes remain intact. It would be one thing if it was the wind creating a change in the dunes'' structure, but I am utterly convinced that someone is there now.

    "Let''s get closer!"

    I suggested that but was quickly countered by Kawahara, who had the eyes of someone who knew exactly who he saw.

    "....No. He''s inviting us in. We''ve debated this... Plus... I''ve seen this before..."

    Curious, I was the first one to speak.

    "What do you mean...?"

    Kawahara sighed deeply and inhaled some oxygen before speaking.

    "Sagasuga and I teamed up previously but we got separated. I believe he''s taking refugee somewhere in those sections because of what Percy has done. And, along with him, we uncovered two sections before... But, here is what happened while we did that... There was someone else ahead of us all the time inviting us further and further in. I believe that''s the guy."

    "But do you have any idea who it might be, Kawahara-dono?!"

    He was hesitant about answering this, but he gave his answer regards.

    "Hajime Hyunda, no doubt."

    "Hajime Hyunda?!"

    We all exclaimed that fairly resonatingly. There wasn''t any doubt but we had all the reasons in the world to make sure that we would not be bested by Hajime Hyunda. For reasons unknown, Percy placed a huge bounty reward on him unlike the others and if there''s something we should do then, it is to avoid Hajime Hyunda, at all costs.

    "I have not encountered that clown once in almost three weeks now. He is the master planner here and he is the only one who you should realistically look out for. The other ones, except Sagasuga, are all shit, I am telling you."

    "So, aside from Hajime Hyunda and Hiroyoshi Sagasuga, we have nothing to worry about?"

    "It''s not that simple, Damian. There''s obviously a degree of urgency, but there''s something wrong with that bastard. He enjoys what he does a bit too much..."

    Although Kawahara had just said that Hajime Hyunda and Hiroyoshi Sagasuga are the ones we should really worry about, something about this didn''t make any sense and so I asked.

    "Why are those two on your top list but Daniel Lead not? I don''t understand."

    In agreement, Rokoro and then Damian spoke up.

    "Now that you mention it, that doesn''t make any sense, Kawahara-dono."

    "Enough said, the dude''s got a thousand year jail sentence. How can you not fear him?"

    I can''t tell what''s more puzzling; how a thousand year jail sentence is achieved while being a teenager or the fact that Kawahara completely dismisses him entirely.

    Yet to that, Kawahara looked ready and firm to deliver the truth.

    "It''s bullshit. I am authentically positive that he got scammed or some shit. He doesn''t have the character of someone who deserves that many years of jail. I''ve put him to the test a few times and he is beyond useless. Furthermore, his girlfriend killed herself almost a month ago. Dude''s absolutely done."

    This isn''t news as I''ve heard in the past that a student had killed herself. Hikaru Yulia became the top topic of our school for a while but the lack of information behind it made it worthless to work around.

    "Is that so? Well, in any case, I''ll be sure to keep an eye on Hiroyoshi Sagasuga and Hajime Hyunda then."

    "....Me... too..."

    Along with Damian, Yoh showed cooperation.

    "If the person back there truly is Hajime Hyunda-dono, then I must resist my urge to walk into the sections at all costs! I''ll keep my keenest eye on both of them, should we encounter them!"

    "Same with me, though, if they start attacking us, you better defend us, Ryousuke."

    I wasn''t expecting an agreement, but Kawahara showed a very high emotional degree while replying to all of us.

    "Your lives won''t be harmed on my watch. I will do anything to keep you people safe..."

    "..........."

    It wasn''t only us who heard that as the rest of the students were quietly watching this conversation go down. They saw the immense compassion that Ryousuke Kawahara actually has in his soul and how our lives take priority above anything else.

    To further prove his point, in this eternal silence, Ryousuke Kawahara didn''t hesitate to make the boldest of claims as he talked to the remaining students scattered through the stairway degrees.

    "My life is worthless! I don''t mind saying this how many times it takes, but to all of you, who are vessels with unrivaled potential and haven''t doomed your lives like I have, I will gladly forfeit my life for the sake of your unborn potential that has yet to spring! That is why I will say this! Under my lead, by tomorrow, we WILL be out of this island!"

    Basking in complete silence for a while, no response came forward, however, I initiated a movement in his honor.

    With a resonance that would echo the abysmal depths of the bottomless pit below us, I was the first one to clap in his direction. Secondly, Damian followed me up which was the successful formula in motivating several other students in doing so. Rokoro and Yoh showed no reluctance in doing so, as Yasuda clapped as hard as she could, which would ultimately bring all the remaining students to serve this banquet in his honor.

    At that point, amidst this event, perhaps I realized that the brimming potential of misunderstood individuals are even greater than the potential of individuals who aren''t misunderstood at all. No, aren''t we all misunderstood? Then what is it that drives him to brim with such potential in his actions and makes everyone attracted to his charisma?

    His individualistic worth as an individual could be beyond the margin of any human being I have ever encountered.

 Volume 23 - Chapter 158: Final destination.

    Our unity only continued to grow further and further every time we made progress, so we couldn''t naturally hold back our inner passion towards finding the other hidden locations. The next group to come forth would be Musi''s.

    Instead of straight-up walk towards Kawahara, Musi went to me as I was awaiting for the next group to arrive in the area. It was in the middle of the afternoon, right in-between the beginning and the end of it.

    "Denko-senpai! We have found it! Teehee!"

    She stuck her tongue out quickly and I praised her for efforts in a way that would be less cold than usual. I tried showing compassion for once and as such, I patted her head four times in a row; softly.

    "Good, good! Make sure to thank your group too, as collective effort is very important!"

    "Yesshhh!"

    Musi looked extremely pleased as I patted her head and didn''t hesitate in thanking her group subsequently by turning around in her opposite direction.

    "Everyone, thank you so much! I couldn''t have done this without your help!"

    "Don''t mind it!"

    "We were just helping a junior out!"

    As I had mentioned before, the majority of her group members felt responsible for looking out for her since she is their junior. Furthermore, they are well aware that Musi is a bright individual with a lot of potential ahead in her life. Plus, putting her in front of unnecessary danger is out of the question.

    "Now, Musi, where did you find?"

    Kawahara, on the look for an answer, quietly approached Musi and she had no trouble replying to him. However, the other members of her group were a bit skeptical at first, but Damian took a step forward as well to dismiss any unnecessary fears.

    "Guys, don''t worry. He''s not a bad person! Trust me on this."

    Seeing how Damian heavily trusted Kawahara, the other group members relaxed a bit, including Musi and as such, they were able to trust him a little bit more as well.

    "In a ravine! You won''t believe it!"

    But Kawahara''s answer to Musi was quite the opposite of what she expected.

    "But I believe it. Is it a mini-dungeon that has green crystals all over the walls?"

    Hitting the jackpot, multiple members from Musi''s group and then Musi confirmed it.

    "How did you know that?!"

    "But you''re totally right! There were also geoglyphs! We thought that we were being paid a visit by aliens or something!"

    "It was awesome and it was such a cool adventure along with everyone! We found a computer there as well!"

    Seeing the opportunity, Kawahara took it, as everyone would expect it.

    "Everyone! Our destination is clear! Let''s go!"

    Once again to the south, we traveled for a grand total of almost three hours and as such, dusk was at sight. A brutal combination of numbers that far exceed 300 walked in a beach together, side by side, in harmony.

    Although six group leaders, myself included were in the front lines, Kawahara was the one who was leading us to the final destination.

    Basking under the orange sun that was slowly yet surely falling down into the horizon from afar, springing its mighty radiance onto the everlasting calm ocean at bay, the group leaders decided to have a quick conversation, but ironically, Kawahara was the one who started it.

    "Musi, did you find out what those bars are for?"

    We all kept on walking forward as we placed our gazes on the tilted ravine from afar, only a few kilometers ahead of us.

    "Sorry, but no!"

    "I see. Can I grasp them to see what I can draw out of them?"

    Aside from Yasuda''s component, Musi''s component was also one that I didn''t know what it did. As a matter of fact, I don''t believe anyone present know what it does. However, as Musi took them out from her back pack, I could see that they could shrink in size and so on through a side button.

    At last, Kawahara had them in his hands and all the group leaders were curious to see what he could conclude from watching just them.

    "What do you think, Rokoro?"

    "Hmm... Kawahara-dono, I have an idea! Might I have the privilege of testing it?!"

    Both their eyes crossed at that moment and I already knew that Kawahara wasn''t thinking about denying it.

    "Sure, kiddo. What is your idea?"

    "Well..."

    Rokoro then explained his idea and this brings us to two minutes later, as I am walking on my own to the north while holding one of the bars. On the other hand, Rokoro is walking in the exact opposite direction of me. All the students are splitting to either the ocean''s direction or towards the forest''s direction to give us space here. Needless to say but in the end, no one would be standing in-between me and Rokoro and the bars.

    His idea was to see what would happen should both bars collide with the same correspondent distance. In other words, he is, right now, 500 meters away from me.

    Now, the conclusive point is to see what happens once I pin down the bar, which I just did on the soft sand. Though it''s not fully glued to the sand, it is stable at least. As I finished that, I signaled Rokoro from afar with a hand wave.

    "It''s inserted! Do it now!"

    I could hear his voice from afar but couldn''t quite capture what he had just said, so I limited myself to acknowledging that he had placed the bar exactly in the same direction as mine; completely mirroring my bar and...

    Nothing happened, which means that Rokoro''s idea was a failure. The idea was to ultimately see what would happen should both bars be intersected with one another.

    Kawahara, on my side halted my movements as I attempted to take out the bar from the sand.

    "Ryousuke?"

    "Maybe it''s related to the distance. Let''s try and close the distance while maintaining the exact same margin to see what happens."

    "Alright. Grab my right hand then."

    "Yeah."

    Our two hands carefully intersected with one another and we started to walk in Rokoro''s direction to see what would happen.

    "Really? Out of all the claims you could have done?"

    Nothing was happening and yet, I made that question as our eyes traded glares transiently.

    "I am serious. And---I''ve been thinking about what you said earlier, about the transfer and all that."

    I smiled because I was happy that he had given thought to my serious offer and didn''t take it as some sort of delusional joke.

    "What is your answer then?"

    "I thought that I just couldn''t because I love this girl really a lot."

    "Ah, great. So, a no?"

    "Listen."

    "..."

    I formed a silence as we both started to walk far more slowly towards Rokoro and thus, I prompted Kawahara to continue.

    "I don''t want to waste your goodwill, so I''ve thought of a way to make this fair."

    "....?"

    "When you get to the student council and get the rights for the transfer, I''ll confess and explain everything to her. Then, if I''m rejected I''ll transfer."

    "So I''m just a compensation? You''re evil and a really rude person."

    He looked down a little bit and then spoke in my direction once more.

    "Sorry, it''s the only way I can think this will work. I say this because I am utterly confident I''ll get rejected."

    "How? What is she like?"

    "Right now? I would say that she isn''t much different from you, Shiori. But the moment I tell her that I killed her brother she will not look me in the eye anymore."

    It occurred to me that he simply could''ve not told her about her brother but I suppose that he just can''t do that for his own reasons.

    "...It''s whatever at this point, Ryousuke. I don''t like to be a second choice. I don''t see why you need to confess to transfer though..."

    "It''s because I want to be committed to you for the rest of life, I think. I have been committed into an act of redemption for years now and I''ve been thinking that maybe you''re the right choice."

    "Ah, that''s just great, Ryousuke. You''re aware I''m the better option but you are still---Geez, I don''t even know what to say anymore."

    "Wait, I can---"

    As we were closing our distance, something began to occur that would grab everyone''s attention right away.

    A powerful combination of four laser beams immediately connected with Rokoro''s bar from afar and just like that, we had uncovered what the bar was, ultimately.

    Rokoro, happy and exultant, ran in our direction like a little child alongside with Musi as me and Ryousuke let go of our hands.

    "Kawahara-dono, my idea was almost correct! Something does happen when both of the bars collide in each other''s direction! I daresay that the distance is about..."

    "250 meters for sure! There''s no doubt about it!"

    "Indeed, Musi-dono! What a discovery!"

    While they were happy celebrating that, Yoh came onto the scene and decided to ask something more relevant.

    "....But what exactly are those lasers for...?"

    Damian as well, was present and suggested something regarding the utility of the lasers.

    "Maybe whoever crosses it dies?"

    "Scary!"

    "Damian-dono, don''t suggest something like that!"

    Musi and Rokoro had similar attitudes but ultimately, Yasuda proposed something.

    "How about we try something to go through it? Like a fruit or something!"

    In agreement to Yasuda, I spoke this time.

    "Let''s try a watermelon! Maybe it''ll cut it in slices!"

    "That would be awesome! Let''s do it!"

    After that consensus, Kuzan and Rayazaki carried a watermelon that Akari and Ringo deliberately handed to them and they threw it in the horizontal line of red lasers that extended itself for a length of 250 meters while for height, only about ten meters.

    As they threw it to the center, we expected the watermelon to get cut in four slices but what happened was strangely... nothing...

    The first to criticize the abnormality of this was Rokoro.

    "W-What?! Nothing again?!"

    Feeling like something must''ve surely happened, Rokoro went around the bars by circulating the right bar''s end and touched the watermelon ultimately.

    The moment he touched the watermelon''s surface, we learned that something did in fact happen.

    "Aguahahahaahgyaaa!!!"

    What happened was actually the following: Rokoro, by coming into contact with the watermelon, an object that had been passed through the laser beams, became quickly eletrecuted and paralyzed on the ground.

    This caused all of us and the majority of the students, if not all of them to quickly go around the bars and aid Rokoro, but Kawahara was the fastest of them all as he was genuinely way more worried than anyone.

    "Kiddo! Are you alright?! Hey, answer me!"

    He initiated contact with Rokoro and felt a little shock by doing so all over his body, but thankfully, Rokoro came to his sense right away.

    Weakly, he erupted his posture and delivered the news to us.

    "Everyone, I am alright! And more importantly, we have made a discovery! As long as the two bars are aligned with each other in a distance of 250 meters or less, if something passes through them, then whoever does so is paralyzed!"

    He prioritized the discovery instead of his well-being which... was not surprising.

    In the end, after we had concluded that, we continued to walk to the ravine. Musi was carrying the two bars on her back pack but they were about only a few centimeters tall since they could shrink. Before we got inside the ravine by taking the short left entrance adjoined by a very small river inside it, Kawahara proposed something to Musi.

    "Musi, this isn''t something shocking but... If the other criminals ever act in a suspicious manner, feel free to talk to someone here so they can utilize those bars as a defensive mechanism for our safety."

    "Um... Are you suggesting that we should capture them if we encounter them?"

    Ryousuke Kawahara smiled and answered honestly.

    "That''s precisely it. How about this? Yoh and Damian will each carry one bar and should we encounter one of them, both Yoh and Damian will align their positions and maintain the same distance from bar to bar so we can successfully paralyze the other criminals, should they act suspicious."

    Musi looked at Yoh and Damian as she probably pondered whether or not they would accept it, but surprisingly, Yoh accepted it and then Damian also accepted it.

    "...Leave it to me..."

    "You can count on us!"

    Yoh for the first time ever smiled and didn''t mind the fact that Damian bumped him on his back in a friendly manner.

    Just like that, a strategy had been formed, in case we encountered any of the criminals. Yoh and Damian would hide their bars inside their back packs and should any of the criminals attempt anything out of the ordinary, they would paralyze them skillfully.

    Aside from that, we entered inside the ravine and on the right side of the pit of the ravine, an entrance with two steps invited us in and we showed no fear in doing so. The inside was clearly a dungeon and Kawahara looked to be far more fluent into it than Musi when it came to venturing the insides of it.

    As any of the hidden locations, we eventually all came across the essential computer and to Rokoro''s surprise, Kawahara didn''t need his scanner and inserted the password while saying it out loud.

    "The password is "Ultimate". See?"

    He pointed at the two doors and only one of them opened and although the strategy was not to walk into the section furthermore, Kawahara quickly contradicted himself as he said something out of the ordinary.

    "I am not going to walk into the section entirely, but there''s something I need to confirm. If my intuition is correct, there will be someone ahead of us in the bridge separating this part and the upcoming one. Damian, Yoh, Musi, Yasuda, can you four stay here while I go with Shiori and Rokoro? If it isn''t much to ask, could you also take care of Rayazaki and Kuzan?"

    For some reason, he suggested that.

    I spoke as well though.

    "If worse comes to worse, we''ll just plead for help, but I doubt that''s going to happen. This should be done quickly."

    "Indeed, Denko-dono! I hope we do find someone! Maybe Hajime Hyunda-dono?!"

    Rokoro looked fairly excited at the thought of meeting him face to face but I didn''t know exactly what to expect.

    "That''s fine, why not? Remember to scream if anything bad happens."

    "Got it."

    As I confirmed that, Kawahara, Rokoro, and I, just the three of us, walked into the linear path that would take a curve to the left and ultimately after, continue the previous linearity.

    "G-Goodness! Is this a mine?!"

    Without any breaks, Rokoro had blurted that out because he came across a cart which is something quite common in mines. Furthermore, the cart is above a trail of rails that lead to a completely brighter section to our left. A dual path of rails that would brilliantly connect to another section yet that entirety was blocked by a combination of iron grids.

    "Probably. Let''s continue forward though..."

    The more we walked into our right, underneath the dual path of iron rails, the brighter the light would bask on us. As Rokoro would conclusively come to a conclusion, we were about to become subjects of yet another artificial environmental change.

    "This is midday light! Outside there is no such midday light because we are in a state of dusk currently! This is it! Yet another environmental change!"

    We were now in front of the iron grids and looking in the north direction would almost blind us.

    Kawahara looked ready to answer Rokoro, but a fourth voice that I had never heard before, answered Rokoro. Or rather---corrected him...

    "This isn''t a change in the environment. There are no "changes". What this is, however, is permanent affixation of a climatic atmosphere."

    Although the blinding luminosity didn''t allow us to take a clear look at the figure, he quickly revealed himself to all of us and Kawahara was the most surprised of all.

    He just didn''t expect to meet him, but Rokoro and I were no different.

    "Hajime Hyunda..."

    "Bastard..."

    "Hajime Hyunda-dono! Were you the one we saw back there?!"

    Now that he was closer and on the other side of the iron grids, the shadows made his appearance become more visible and he couldn''t help but applause in response to Rokoro.

    "Bingo. I''ve been looking for life everywhere inside the sections but couldn''t find it no matter how much I searched for it. Which brings me to you. What are you up to?"

    As he asked that, he quickly took a glance at all of us and even though Rokoro would be the one who would answer that, Kawahara stepped in and closed in on his face through the iron grids.

    "That''s a nice lie. Is that the best you can come up with? Come on, try harder."

    Never before seen, Kawahara was demonstrating a whole new level of hostility and it was crystal-clear to him that Hajime Hyunda cannot be trusted.

    "Unfortunately, this isn''t a lie. I''ve met with Sagasuga, Tatsu, and Tsudo. I am on the look for Kan, Akihiko, and Daniel. Are those with you?"

    "I don''t believe you, bastard. They are in those sections for sure. You can''t fool me."

    Baffled at this, Hajime Hyunda sighed at Kawahara''s lack of cooperation.

    "Why are you being so uncooperative suddenly?"

    "Maybe because you are full of shit?"

    "Great... So, you are under the impression that the rest of the guys are in fact in the sections even though I just told you that I''ve been continuously searching for them?"

    Rokoro and I traded looks amidst this as we couldn''t find a place in this conversation and felt like complete bystanders who had no room here.

    "What if I am?"

    "Well, if that''s the case, Kawahara, then you are being stupid. Sagasuga is waiting for you to come in the temple."

    "Why?"

    "We need at minimum five people to enter the vicinity and as such, I was looking for people since we only have four, if you include me. With you, this exam can be cleared. Again, what are you doing? Hurry up and meet up with Sagasuga already."

    No matter what Hyunda said to Kawahara, it was as if Kawahara was never going to swallow it.

    Hajime Hyunda realized such and spoke in my direction instead.

    "Hey, you. Chain me up and take me as your hostage."

    "...What? That''s----I can''t do that."

    "Huh, why not?"

    The answer to that was quite simple.

    "I don''t have any other cuffs to chain you. So, I can''t take you as your hostage."

    To this, Hajime Hyunda suggested something simple as well.

    He pointed at Kawahara''s cuffs and proposed an exchange.

    "Uncuff him and chain me up, genius. You trust him, right?"

    "........."

    Suddenly, I was met in silence as this thought had never crossed my mind, but Kawahara spoke me rather quickly and didn''t allow me to indulge in doubt.

    "Shiori, don''t listen to him. Keep me chained up, please."

    "But Kawahara-dono! Didn''t you say that Hajime Hyunda was the biggest threat?! How can we pass on this opportunity?!"

    In agreement, I spoke to Kawahara about what Rokoro had just said.

    "He''s right, Ryousuke. And besides, everyone already knows you are not a threat... I''m freeing you therefore. ...Please, prove it to us that I''m not making a mistake."

    Feeling like I was making the right decision, from skirt''s right pocket, I took out the cuffs'' keys and unlocked his cuffs.

    "...Shiori..."

    He was feeling a bit emotional, but while he was doing that, I suggested something to him.

    "Please cuff him up for us, will you? Rokoro, go and open the gate switch. Ryousuke, should he make any weird movements, you are to take him down. That''s an order."

    "Got it, ma''am."

    Stoic and confident, Kawahara confirmed his intent. I knew for a fact that if these two were working together all along that me and Rokoro and potentially everyone would be in deep waters, but, perhaps out of selifshness, I wanted evidence to see whether or not Ryousuke Kawahara could be trusted deep down.

    That he wasn''t lying to me. That he wasn''t lying to everyone. Not even to himself.

    "Impressive, Kawahara. They trust you quite deeply."

    "Shut up... If you make a single move I will fuck you up so bad."

    "Woah, I''m scared. Though, I won''t. I just want this bullshit to be done with, don''t you as well?"

    "For once we agree."

    After a while, Rokoro opened the gate and Ryousuke Kawahara didn''t hesitate to circle Hajime Hyunda while chaining his wrists and ankles; now completely free to act as he pleased.

    Furthermore, he took the supreme freedom in being the one who would guide Hajime Hyunda to everyone else.

    "Kawahara-dono! You''re finally free!"

    "Yeah, kiddo, never felt better!"

    Undoubtely, as Kawahara, along with Hajime Hyunda progressed to the computer room, me and Rokoro could tell that he was feeling quite better. I don''t know why, but he couldn''t erase the permanent smirk of his face. Maybe he saw the capture of Hajime Hyunda as some sort of major progress.

    Back in the initial room, the moment everyone saw Hajime Hyunda cuffed up and Ryousuke Kawahara not, panic rose to the surface, but Rokoro and I quickly made sure to dispel it.

    "Everyone, you musn''t worry! We have captured Hajime Hyunda-dono and the biggest threat is in our hands now!"

    "Furthermore, in order to chain him up, I swapped Ryousuke Kawahara''s cuffs with him. I ask you to not be afraid!"

    But, they were undoubtedly more afraid of Hajime Hyunda, who for some reason, didn''t even bother to look at them and was with his eyes closed.

    To further erase the fear present, Kawahara spoke to Yoh and Damian.

    "Yoh, Damian. We are using it on him."

    "...Seriously...?"

    "...I don''t think we have a choice, if Kawahara says he''s that dangerous..."

    Midst that, Hajime Hyunda laughed out loud and his maniac laughter provoked fear and paranoia simultaneously.

    "Haha---Hahaha... So much emotion. Undoubtedly unworthy of the aspects of this holy land..."

    But we ignored him and then, Yoh and Damian took out Musi''s two bars and evenly split them between Hajime Hyunda, while Ryousuke Kawahara distanced himself from Hajime Hyunda slightly.

    I expected Hajime Hyunda to put up a resistance, but in the end, he accepted the fact that he got paralyzed.

    "Rayazaki, Kuzan. Keep him under you at all times."

    "Yeah..." x2.

    Hajime Hyunda was officially in a paralyzed state as it was different from Rokoro''s previous paralyzed state. Someone who comes into direct contact with the lasers will be paralyzed for countless hours to come. Even his eyes had difficulty in opening.

    Seeing how sluggish Rayazaki and Kuzan''s movements were, I decided to free them as I no longer saw the necessity of keeping them under vigilance.

    "I believe the majority of us already trusts you three and as such, we are putting our humble faith on you three. Don''t screw this up."

    Of course, it wasn''t just me, as the grand number of students gathered around, they gave their comforting words to Rayazaki and Kuzan, who were still having trouble believing this was happening.

    Akari, Damian, Rokoro, and many others didn''t hesitate to complement them as they deeply trusted them already.

    "We''ve seen enough! We are capable of changing how we view people and as such, we will act on that!"

    "Upholding an enormous quantity of distrust to you three feels wrong and I won''t do it any longer!"

    "Kawahara-dono, you''ve been a great help thus far and I hope you''ll continue to help us out!"

    In the end, they were filled with circles of compassion and so on. While this was happening, I was keeping a keen eye on Hajime Hyunda along with Yoh, who is on my right side.

    Feeling that it was the time to speak up, Yoh mentioned something.

    "...His eyes.... They are not the eyes of a person who has just suffered defeat...."

    "...What? How can you determine that just by looking at someone''s eyes?"

    To me, Hajime Hyunda just looked extremely defiant and rebellious. And I also thought that this was a common psychological trait amongst criminals; to be defiant and rebellious no matter the cost yet the fact that we have him paralyzed already symbolises victory to us, so Yoh''s worries are a bit over the top to me at the moment but he continued to explain his point.

    "....There''s something wrong with him... I daresay that unless we confirm where the other criminals are, that we can''t let our guards down."

    Overhearing this, Kawahara agreed with Yoh.

    "Yoh, you''re right. All the other left are just a grand total of six criminals. Kan, Akihiko, Tsudo, Tatsu, Sagasuga, and Daniel."

    With that said, we rapidly went back to the camp after a long trip.

    Officially, we were only down to four other hidden locations and thankfully, as the night descended upon us, we ate dinner in the large camp. Ryousuke Kawahara, Takeshi Kuzan, and Saitou Rayazaki all ate properly for the first time in a while, unlike Hajime Hyunda, who was isolated from the rest chained up to a tree.

    To say that he was still paralyzed would be an understatement. However, I expected him to start some sort of trash talk, but he was oddly silent.

    Kawahara, on my front, as me and him were having dinner together, talked to me on a more persona level.

    "I don''t want to throw rockets in the air yet, but if we manage to get Sagasuga in the same position as him, then we are pretty much set to win, Shiori."

    "You look really happy. How much do you hate him, exactly?"

    He didn''t hesitate to explain his point succinctly, which surprised me.

    "He''s a coward. An individual with the individualism that doesn''t utilize it and just like that, he surrendered. Our numbers far outwit the others and he is aware of that, so he''s just taking the sweet victory. Pathetic."

    "...Forget about that. How about comforting everyone instead of basking in glory like that? Something so selfish like that is just..."

    We both looked down on the ground as we felt the blazing fire from the bonfire on our back.

    "Alright... Well---I---I think that you are right to some degree, Shiori. I don''t know, I honestly expected him to be in the end game so it''s something beyond my expectations, this current scenario. I''m still having trouble accepting this victory."

    "....As I thought, you don''t belong with the other criminals, Ryousuke. You are so human that you even are open about your fears."

    "What? I am not afraid of this guy, I swear!"

    I quickly corrected him as he assumed something wrong. I poked his left cheek with a chicken wing in addition.

    "That''s---not---it... I am saying that what doesn''t go according to what you initially expect; frightens you. But good for you. If capturing him makes you happy, then be as happy as you possibly can. Now, all we need to take care of is Hiroyoshi Sagasuga, correct?"

    He licked his left side of his cheek very quickly and answered rapidly.

    "Honestly, I thought that those two were working together all along, but maybe I overthought this whole thing."

    "Ryousuke... Do you think we can get any information out of him?"

    "Not really. He''s a liar and won''t give you the truth."

    But I suggested something positive.

    "But what if he''s like you, a misunderstood individual?"

    ".......Shiori..."

    I awaited for his answer, but his face got grimmer and grimmer which just went to show much he disapproved of my take.

    "He''s the one who made Yulia commit suicide."

    "...Are you certain about that?"

    "I don''t have evidence, but he doesn''t like others or some shit and tries to inflict mortal punishments for his own reasons. That''s why I was afraid that he would have something in store for all of you, but as long as he is in my watch, I''ll make sure nothing happens."

    I took a deep breath and sighed as well.

    "Well, I get it now. He''s on the top of your black list. Protect us then."

    "...I will."

    He looked reluctant but I insisted and grabbed both of his hands as I spoke my honest words.

    "Please... Do you have any idea how hard this is for everyone present? We aren''t like them, so we are naturally frightened. Show us that there''s a spark in light in you by guiding us out of this island."

    "........."

    Kawahara was hesitant for a moment and just as he opened his mouth, we were interrupted by a group that had arrived onto the scene.

    Rokoro was the first one to notice her arrival, at long last.

    "Youjo! You''re finally back with your group!"

    Upon noticing her arrival, everyone quickly stopped eating and went forward in her direction yet Youjo didn''t take any time to explain us what had happened and issued an order to which we all quickly complied.

    "Come with me! We found something that you won''t believe exists!"

    She took ahold of Rokoro''s hand and the great number of students began to march forward in the complete east direction in the middle of the night.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Ryousuke Kawahara and I remained in the front lines alongside Rokoro, Youjo, Musi, Damian, Yasuda and Yoh. On our back side, Rayazaki and Kuzan took custody of Hajime Hyunda alongside with Brionac and several other brave male students who weren''t afraid of Hajime Hyunda and felt the need to utilize their strength in order to protect them should Hajime Hyunda attempt anything strange.

    Before I knew it, although I am the overall de facto leader, Ryousuke Kawahara was acting more like a leader as he initiated a conversation with Youjo right away as we in addition scourged the entirety of the forest ahead of us in this young night sky.

    "Youjo, what does your component do exactly?"

    "Huh? Hell if I know! The backside of it has been ripped off and I can''t figure out what it is for..."

    She was constantly switching back and forth with the front view of the object as just like Yasuda''s component, it was some sort of detonator yet for purposes unknown. In face of another dilemma, Kawahara sighed.

    "Oh, fantastic! If only we had a clue to work with or something..."

    Unconsciously, we all looked at Hajime Hyunda, who was with his eyes closed at all times and quickly realized that he wasn''t going to help us out. Assuming that he knows what the detonators are for.

    After two to three hours of walking, we reached a gigantic lake but not the one we encountered yesterday. It appears that the end of this collosal forest that we are now ever-familiar with leads to a lake that has no visible side ways.

    In addition to that, the lake has an enormous castle from afar, but there''s just a slight problem.

    "As you can all see, the castle is positioned at the very middle of the lake, HOWEVER...!"

    Fearlessly, Youjo began to walk into the lake''s bay and we for surely thought that she would wet her shoes as a consequence, but in reality, a combination of stelled walls on both sides emerged thus enabling a secret passage straight-forward into the castle.

    "Magnificent, Youjo! Maybe we''ll find more clues about the Illuminati!"

    Honestly, as Rokoro said this, we all expected Hajime Hyunda to say something, but he kept his silence once again. Perhaps unconsciously, we are searching for more clues.

    "...I didn''t believe it, but what''s inside is a bit too bizarre... Let''s go."

    Undoubtely, Youjo had come across something that would make her believe in Rokoro''s words.

    Through the secret passage we were able to walk into the castle and the tricky part was that there were immediately two spirals of staircases for us to choose. The illumination was fairly poor and it was almost the equivalent of walking into an abandoned mansion. The end destination of both the staircases would be two doors yet Youjo quickly told us the truth about the doors.

    "Only one of them works as it is the right one! Don''t waste time with the other one!"

    Impulsive and eager for the right password to be inserted, we walked right into the door that Youjo signaled us to walk into. Beyond that door, a very straight-forward linear hall was within. That hall basked under the moonlight and as such, it was fairly illuminated and we needn''t to rely on torches suddenly. In that particular hall, there were three rooms to the left, each with the door''s opened...

    The silence was so absurdly consistent that we felt the need to close our physical distances as we didn''t know what awaited for us. Youjo also wasn''t speaking to us, for some reason.

    Then, in that entire silence, when no one spoke, he took the window of opportunity and captured our fear in its primal essence.

    "You haven''t walked in those rooms; I can tell."

    He wasn''t particularly speaking to any of us, however, Youjo''s sweat droplets could very well be the interpretation that he was talking to her.

    "Refrain from wasting time exploiting the lore here. Too much unnecessary information to my audience will make them more picky than they are."

    Nobody here present had a single clue to what Hajime Hyunda was talking and then, subsequently, Kawahara made a claim that would make us understand what was going on.

    "Don''t listen to this fool. He''s an insane psychopath who is under the impression that there is this other "audience" in his mind and will justify all of his actions according what his "audience" wants. In simpler terms, ignore him."

    "......"

    Hyunda formed a silence and we all moved forward into the next section where we would take the path to the right and then cross to the right side of the castle.

    It would be there that we would walk into a vicinity that had only one singular purpose: to descend the spiral staircase case down and face the computer below. There was nothing else in that room except for the computer, or so I thought, until Youjo said something to all of us as we descended the stairway.

    "Don''t freak out, but above us, there''s a literal gigantic eye..."

    "........"

    Slowly and skeptical we all looked up and saw the same eye as before while in the swamp.

    Some of us were scared while some of us, including Rokoro and Kawahara made a more eccentric approach.

    "Kawahara-dono, that''s the eye of providence! But what size!"

    "It''s taking the size of the entire ceiling... I swear, these fanboys took this a bit too far. It''s hilarious at this point."

    In response to Kawahara''s words, Hajime Hyunda let out a very soft laughter that almost couldn''t be heard.

    "Mph.. Aha...."

    He then said something in addition.

    "Do any of you find welcome here? Out of curiosity."

    I answered to that as I turned around in his direction.

    "Of course we don''t. This island is a mystery but we just want to get out of it as soon as possible."

    "Yet... Continuously, over and over, you''ve overstepped your boundaries onto places that do not beseek you. Lovely."

    Noticeably, I was staying behind as Kawahara and Rokoro were more on the front side along with many other students and so, this was the first time I was solely interacting with him. Although Rayazaki and Kuzan are by his side, they are busy talking with Akari, Ringo, and the others.

    "It came along the way. Do you have any attachments to this place?"

    "No. Not at all."

    "So, why do you complain?"

    "I examine the irony present and... reinforce my thoughts more and more."

    ".....What......"

    I quickly stopped talking to him as nothing can be overly concluded once I do so and as such I went down and met with Kawahara and he was waiting for the right password to be scanned.

    "Eureka! "Ten"! It''s "Ten"!"

    A simple password this time around and with that, Kawahara correctly inserted the password.

    "What now?"

    "It''s simple, Youjo. The other door in the entrance will open; however, we won''t walk in as we can''t be sure whether or not we aren''t being ensnared by the other criminals."

    "Yikes... Alright, let''s just get out! I want to eat!"

    Arguably three hours later, now past midnight, we returned to the bonfire and there were officially 70% ahead of the curve. Needless to say, but the entire reason we would even return would be to wait for another group to arrive and shortly after thirty minutes yet another group arrived.

    Since the only three other group leaders left were: Karlos, Rena, and Zwette, the ultimate result wouldn''t really matter as we only wanted to know which group came first.

    Zwette quietly approached us but to me, she looked lost in words as the rest of her group looked extremely scared, for some reason.

    Yoh approached her instead and attempted to confirm what she had seen with her own two eyes.

    "...Zwette, what happened...?"

    "....We...."

    Her nostrils were inhaling a tremendous quantity of oxygen and she was having the harshest of troubles speaking.

    Kawahara came to her aid as well.

    "Shall we go there? We have a fair amount of people here, so we''ll be here for you."

    "......"

    Zwette and her group were silent in the end and we could only follow through as we were committed into finding out what was eating Zwette and her group.

    Towards the northeast, only when it was almost 4 am, did we reach the destination and yet another out of the roof type of location was unraveled to us. A deserted train station started to emerge the moment we exited the vast dense forest. Noticeably, it was covered with a tunnel on the right side and yet another tunnel on the furthest left but it was filled with a plethora of unused train carriages.

    With all of this in mind, we had no remote clue where the computer would exactly be as it could be inside either of the tunnels; on one of the carriages or ultimately in the platform of the demolished train station.

    "What the hell...? A train station in an island?!"

    "But Youjo, this makes sense!"

    "Huh?! A train station in an island?! That statement is beyond ridiculous, Rokoro!"

    "I beg to differ! A train station would be a genius idea! In order to erase the necessity of walking on foot in an island, if multiple train stations were settled in this island from place to place, the difficulty that we constantly witness while making long trips would be gone!"

    "But where are you going to find all the energy? The electricity?!"

    "That can be arranged, Youjo!"

    These two are quite passionate while arguing, I must say.

    However, something greater caught our attention as Zwette finally gathered the courage to tell us what was in store for us. As such, she climbed on the degrees of the carriage of the first train we encountered and just like that, the attention of all of us was onto her.

    She took a deep breath and went straight to the truth in a very nervous way.

    "We---We---We found dead bodies!"

    "Hold on, what...?"

    "Seriously...?"

    While everyone was somewhat panicking, I made the quick question.

    "Where are they?"

    Kawahara felt the need that another question had to be made, so he asked another instead.

    "More importantly, do you know who they are?"

    "I can tell you where they are, but... That''s the issue... I don''t know who they are."

    This caused Rokoro to question Zwette immediately.

    "Zwette-dono, did they have our uniforms?"

    Rokoro''s question was a crucial one because if they did, then they would be one of us and in that case...

    Nonetheless, Zwette didn''t answer as Kawahara issued our path of action.

    "Everyone, let''s dedicate our resources and numbers into finding the bodies before we secure the password entry!"

    I spoke in addition to everyone present.

    "If it''s one of us, then we need to find them as soon as possible!"

    We didn''t waste any time and completely relied on Zwette''s group to find the bodies.

    With Kawahara, Yoh, Youjo, and Rokoro on my side, Zwette took us to where she found the first body.

    Since there are nine carriages in total alongside the twelve railways, we went right into the fifth one.

    Silently, we elevated our postures and took a peek into the area of the train inside. Multiple destroyed rows of seats adjoined with dusty textures within were completely visible to us yet our eyes were on the final destination which would be the fourth carriage of this train.

    Scared, Zwette began to explain something.

    ".......Please.... try to keep yourselves from throwing up... What I found was... brutal... and inhuman... I never knew that there was a human being capable of doing such a thing to another human..."

    "........"

    Yoh was nervous and not even Kawahara, Rokoro, Youjo, and I could speak a word about it as we had not seen it yet.

    The more we walked into north direction, the more we got scared and frightened. Trails of blood were starting to show up as the bright moonlight would sooner or later highlight them so we could penetrate our gazes upon them unfairly.

    At last, in that very last row of seats, in the fourth carriage of this deserted train, we could catch a glimpse of a body.

    No, the current words would be.... a figment of the body---------

    "Bleegh!"

    Unable to resist the sight I had witnessed prematurely, I took ahold of one of the seats to my right and threw up in that corner with my eyes closed.

    However, the moment I opened my eyes, on the surface of the seat, my vision captured the sight of a tormented feet with a missing leg part loosely on the top.

    "AHHHH!! AHHH!!"

    As I backed off and panicked, Kawahara took ahold of me and told me to get it together very quickly.

    "Shiori, get it together!"

    "B-But! Who would do something like this...?! This is horrible!"

    It wasn''t only me, but Yoh, Youjo were also throwing up while Rokoro was on the floor screaming simulatenously.

    "GUUAAAHH!! WHAT IS ALL THIS?! THIS IS AN ABOMINATION!"

    He retracted each step very slowly until he stumbled upon the central seat of the fourth carriage, where people would usually seat in-between the doors and there, on the right side, he came across a compilation of intestines scattered like a Christmas tree decorations.

    Quickly, before Rokoro could further panic, Kawahara took ahold of him and tapped his eyes while comforting him.

    "You saw nothing... You saw nothing... It''s gonna be alright..."

    "W-W-W-What did I just witness...?! AHHHHHHHH!!!"

    I also couldn''t help but be utterly scared as this was not even the beginning of everything that was around the perimeter. I looked into Kawahara''s eyes with admiration as he was able to ultimately keep his cool though hardly in this situation.

    "....Yoh, can you take all of them with you?"

    Yoh looked like the best of us although he also threw up a few seconds ago, but I tried to compose myself to the maximum and attempted to stay in the scene.

    "W-Wait... I can do this.... You should all exit the scene and take a moment to breathe... I''ll be fine, I promise!"

    "Are you sure? There''s no shame here, after all, this is pretty sickening..."

    While I was indecisive, Yoh got up and grabbed Rokoro, Youjo, and Zwette and without saying anything he got out of the vicinity which left me and Kawahara all alone in here.

    I also realized that I was super close to wetting myself as no matter where I looked I saw scattered organs everywhere.

    "...This is pretty bad... We can''t tell who is it because the body is... Well..."

    In every seat of this carriage, there were a compilation of organs and pieces of the victim scattered all of it. On the furthest side of this carriage, to the end, only the abdomen along with the chest and the surface of the neck remained.

    The genitals were clearly ripped off alongside with the torso, shoulders, hips and the continuing elements that would be adjoined to such parts.

    "...We should find the head so we can see who it was...."

    "You''re right, Shiori. Stay here as I will do it."

    ".............."

    I wasn''t in a room to deny him as I was unsure of what sort of surprises there could be waiting around for me. Although I resisted the urge to look around, unknowingly, I looked to the northeast corner and there, I caught sight of the genitals and the urethra fully exposed on the right side of the window.

    "Oh my God............ Who did this...?!"

    ".........."

    As I blurted that out, I had expected a reaction from Kawahara, but the moment he found the face of the individual, I went to meet with him as he was at the very end of the carriage.

    He was covering his face with his hair while looking down on the ground so I couldn''t quite capture what he was feeling like.

    In a moment of horror, as I saw the face, I could see that the eyeballs had been utterly removed forcefully. The nose was fully cut by a sharp object and as such, the nostrils became fully deranged. Only the teeth remained as the lips were eliminated. There were no ears at sight and overall it looked like the culprit was attempting to excavate the organs to the point where this would resemble a human skull.

    Aside from that... the hair is... red...

    That itself didn''t look like proof to me, but Kawahara then said something to me in a very weak voice tone.

    "....Bring me Rayazaki, Kuzan and the bastard, Shiori.... Please..."

    "............"

    I didn''t answer as I wanted to respect his remorse and as such, I exited the scene and went to meet with Rayazaki and Kuzan and they both agreed to come to where Kawahara is, along with Hajime Hyunda.

    "Holy fuck...."

    "...What..."

    Both horrified, they couldn''t help but look everywhere, except Hajime Hyunda, who showed absolutely no remorse. Scared, I couldn''t even trade contact with him and instead remained on Kawahara''s right side.

    Meekly, Kawahara started to talk while not moving from the spot.

    "...Why did he have to die...? We were supposed to group up and..."

    "...No way, Akihiko, but why..."

    "....No, no, no!!"

    In disbelief, Kuzan and Rayazaki tried their hardest to not succumb to that insane belief but I soon realized that the person that had been killed is in fact Kogami Akihiko. One of the criminals present within this island, previously.

    Kawahara''s rage went straight to Hajime Hyunda, who was dead silent.

    "...Speak up... Come on... You always know something, don''t you? Well, SAY IT!!"

    In a rush, Kawahara springed his movements and bashed Hajime Hyunda into the wall but he was not phased by this whatsoever and instead attempted to explain himself.

    If I were to remark his attitude, it would be a mixture of boredom and admirement, for some reason...

    "Unfortunately, Kawahara, I don''t know anything about this."

    "LIES!"

    "No, it''s the truth. I have not encountered Akihiko even once while on this island. But, heh, this is a pretty stupid argument. I have no evidence to deny that just as you have no evidence to accuse me of killing him. With that said, what will it be? Will you unfairly claim that I was the one?"

    "And what if I do?! I don''t see why I shouldn''t do it!"

    He kept further and further pushing him into the window in a feat of rage whilst his teeth fangs continued to show tremendously.

    "Kawahara.... Then go for it... Do you think I give a shit about what these cowards think? I don''t. Wasn''t he a hideout member? Isn''t this your fault, actually?"

    "How was this my fault?!"

    "He was your responsibility. But... Let''s not waste time. Do you want to beat me up so you can feel in charge?"

    "I''m thinking about it."

    "All yours."

    It was a mistake to say the exact same words as Hajime Hyunda would say as in the next five minutes, Kawahara borderline killed him and only through my collective effort along with Rayazaki and Kuzan, was I successful in stopping his rampage.

    Hajime Hyunda, on the ground, was full of bruises and undoubtedly, his nose was broken.

    But still, to Kawahara, who is with his head down on the central seats, he said something with a very weak voice to back it up.

    "....There... we go... Now, girl, give him a lapdance so he can feel truly in charge..."

    Laughing in a despicable way despite having a multitude of injuries along with several broken ribs, he still dared to say that, but I ignored him and sat on Kawahara''s right side.

    I didn''t know how to correctly approach him as he was feeling scared, confused, and perhaps lonely.

    So, instead of saying words, I covered his back with a hug as I couldn''t find any words to say and hoped that he would realize that he is not alone in this.

    "..............."

    His eyes widened at my emotional comfort and he silently began to cry as I further and further hugged him for almost three minutes straight.

    Softly and trembling, he grabbed my right hand with his'' and spoke with a clear mind.

    "....Sorry, Shiori. ...The others are waiting and they''ll be confused if we take too long."

    "...Yeah... They also need someone to guide them with a clear head. Do you think you are up to the charge?"

    If he wasn''t, I wouldn''t mind assuming charge as there are only two more sections to discover, if we count this one out.

    Yet, Kawahara was not defeated in the slightest and looked more motivated than ever as he was convinced that getting everyone out of this island was his absolute core action and that it had to be accomplished, no matter what.

    "I am. Let''s find the remaining bodies. Kuzan, Rayazaki, carry that piece of shit for me, will you? We can''t stay defeated forever. Many are relying on us and in order to avoid this exact same pattern happening to the rest, we must be quick."

    Kuzan wiped his tears and agreed with Kawahara right away.

    "Okay, Master!"

    His voice, full of rigor, resonated deeply in this hollow space as Rayazaki followed him up.

    "We can''t allow our friends to die here!"

    They both took ahold of the defeated Hajime Hyunda and started to walk out of the train as me and Kawahara were left alone here for a while.

    He looked very indecisive about something and still had his head down. After a while, he decided to finally speak his mind.

    "...Hey, Shiori? Am I a piece of shit if I say that I am suddenly in love with you...?"

    ".......Yes... That''s very wrong and impulsive. Plus, you''re just saying that in the heat of a moment."

    "Oh.... But it''s weird... I can''t think of her anymore.... I don''t know to explain it but I think that once you are completely in love with someone else, it all becomes so clear..."

    "............."

    The atmosphere quickly got dense and awkward, so to dismiss it, I said something to him.

    "I don''t know him but was he your friend?"

    "....Honestly, I didn''t know much about him and I don''t think anyone did, but... For someone to die without sharing his life with someone else close to him----I think that''s a very sad thought to have when you are about to die and if he thought that then... he surely saw what he could''ve done more in his life but ultimately couldn''t because someone else.... killed... him."

    "...That is sad. In just a few hours, in more than a day or so, I''ve learned how to know others better and it''s such a change for me that I just want to talk about it----but, none of that would''ve been possible without you. I''m not the type of person to believe in fate but.... I feel like what is happening right now, was meant to happen and... if there is a tide of fate and you are the water in that tide, then you have to follow through with it."

    "............"

    He thought and thought about it and then, after a while, he delivered his ultimate answer.

    "I''m tired of being hung by the past."

    Valiantly, he got up from the seat covered in blood and in this gruesome scenario, he offered his right hand to me as I looked up in his direction.

    "Shiori---you''re my choice. I''ve come to the conclusion that the only way to stop being a slave to my past is to make choices that have a future and when I look at you and think of you, I see a wider future than I see in a past without any future in store."

    "...."

    Hesitant at first, I distanced my hand from his and felt like not accepting at all. But then, a strange feeling consumed me and gripped me so tightly in my heart that I knew at that moment that I would take his hand. Subsequently after, our lips would taste an embrace that would be a bliss to be upon.

    About thirty minutes afterwards, a concentration of students were helplessly awaiting Kawahara and I and as such, after being done with it, we went straight to the center where the majority of the group leaders are.

    Noticeably, five minutes before this, we went to the other train carriages and saw the remaining scattered organs and so on while lastly identifying to whom they belonged to.

    After obtaining the information necessary, we found out that there was yet another body.

    "First of all, I''ll give the good news: it wasn''t one of you! So you can be less nervous!"

    The fact that it wasn''t any of the students in our collective number meant a lot but the curiosity of who they were still remained and Kawahara stepped forward and declared to whom the scattered organs belonged to.

    "Second of all: The two bodies that we found that were horribly mutilated in a preposterous manner belonged to two of my classmates! Kogami Akihiko and Akenama Kan!"

    Akari then made a question that many students would have after this.

    "Wait, then who killed them?!"

    "Lastly: We don''t know who killed them, but if you wanna blame this piece of shit here, go for it. I already did it."

    All eyes were on Hajime Hyunda, but they weren''t friendly glares. However, Kawahara didn''t allow the seed of hatred to grow rampant and suggested something more important.

    "After the password is inserted, we are getting out of here. Zwette, lead the way."

    Without wasting any time, we went towards the tunnel on the right and at the very dark end of the tunnel, we found a computer lying within.

    Rokoro swiftly scanned the entrance of the computer and then shouted the password out loud.

    "Eureka! It''s "The"! I repeat, "The"!

    A repetition of words, which was surprising.

    On the other tunnel from afar, the door opened itself and we knew that this symbolism wasn''t by any means coincidental.

    While the others went to group up, Kawahara and I lagged a bit from behind so we could talk as we left the dark tunel.

    The bright morning sun greeted us from the faraway horizon as well as illuminating the iron-colored trains disperse in this vicinity.

    ".....Maybe we shouldn''t have done it...?"

    I spoke to him rather reluctantly.

    "No, it was great. Shut up."

    Unexpectedly, Kawahara disagreed with me.

    "Good to know. Erm--- Moving on...."

    "Yeah..."

    I changed subject since the atmosphere was dense and awkward again, as we stepped on a railway.

    "If we take Akihiko and Kan out of the picture and capitalize on the situation... We have Hajime Hyunda on our side but he''s powerless. So that''s minus three."

    "Rayazaki and Kuzan are with us so that''s minus six if you count me in."

    "Yeah, now there are only four other left!"

    "Sagasuga, Daniel, Tatsu, and Tsudo. Things are going smoothly, so to say."

    "Yeah!"

    Perhaps confused at my sudden emotional happiness, Kawahara felt the need to ask as he turned around.

    "What''s gotten into you? You are way too happy."

    "And?"

    "And it''s weird, but... not weird at the same time."

    I blinked twice in confusion but then I giggled out loud.

    "Haha---you''re weird. So weird. Ahhh, I can already tell! Today''s going to be a great day! Let''s hurry up, Ryousuke!"

    Hurrying to the rest of the group leaders, I ran ahead as he caught up to me eventually. For some reason, I was finally enjoying my life.

    The ever-so-monochromatic life that I had to live for many years to come just because I was afraid of never meeting my mother''s expectations is quickly being turned upside down as I no longer feel that way.

    Part 2.

    With only two more passwords to be inserted, it was fair to say that we would be at the end-game soon enough.

    In the base area, Kawahara was analyzing the contents of Zwette''s tablet while also explaining how he first obtained it with Hiroyoshi Sagasuga. Rokoro, Zwette, Yoh, and I surrounded him while the remaining students had breakfast. To be more specific, near the bonfire that is now once again out of fire, we were all in there.

    "Mhm... Kawahara-dono, I might be missing something here but doesn''t Hiroyoshi Sagasuga-dono sound like a fairly reasonable person? I mean, in all your descriptions, I could not capture malicious intent!"

    "...Rokoro has a point..."

    Yoh agreed with Rokoro as in all of Kawahara''s lines about Hiroyoshi Sagasuga, we couldn''t help but doubt his suspicion towards him. Furthermore, I added something.

    "Isn''t he the one who has the lowest jail sentence? Isn''t the likelihood of him not being an extremely evil person deep down higher than the rest?"

    Although I thought I had everything covered, Kawahara begged to differ.

    "That''s all he wants you to think. But he''s a two-faced manipulator. However, he wants to also pass the exam, so I don''t reason that he will deliberately screw us up."

    "So, who do we need to look out for?"

    Zwette asked a question to which Kawahara had a reasonable degree of shame in answering because he found it stupid.

    "Honestly... Since Hyunda and Sagasuga aren''t working together like I thought; otherwise he wouldn''t have come to us like this, then the one we should "look out" for is Daniel. Tatsu and Tsudo are cooperating with Sagasuga, so they won''t screw us up. Basically, get Daniel on a leash and we are good to go."

    The fact that Kawahara has such a low opinion on Daniel really makes me wonder how he is.

    However, I couldn''t ponder that thought for long as Rena, along with her group arrived at the vicinity.

    Youjo and Damian from afar, on the top of two boulders altered us of this.

    "Rena is arriving!"

    "Her group as well!"

    Like Yoh, she wasn''t too well-versed with crowds but she nonetheless went in my direction as she trusts me and gave us the happy news.

    "W-We found a cave in a beach towards south-east..."

    As soon as everyone heard the direction, we all fumed at the thought.

    "East side again?!"

    "Oh man, but we were just there a few hours ago!"

    This sort of discontent was quite common as of recently because we had to make enormous exhausting trips just to get to a specific location and then we would have to go back to our base because we had previously agreed to do so in order to keep everyone united.

    Kawahara didn''t let Rena feel the pressure and tapped her twice on her shoulder while giving her a congratulations type of speech.

    "Congrats, Rena! Believe it or not, we are just two sections away from being out of this island!"

    I added some words on my own to his speech.

    "After we walk into the cave and insert the password correctly, well, only Karlos remains!"

    "T-That''s great! Honestly, I thought it would take us so much more time, but the fact that we obtained so much in so little time just goes to show how great everyone is..."

    Rena looks dispirited and upon noticing that, Kawahara and I encouraged her a little bit.

    "Rena, you''re the group leader. It goes without saying that at least half of the credit goes to you."

    "Moreso, you managed to be faster than Karlos, who is a physically capable student. By all means, credit yourself!"

    It''s starting to worry me how Karlos and his group is the last one.

    ".....You think so?"

    I bumped Kawahara''s left shoulder with my head and spoke to Rena once again.

    "But of course! Believe it or not, this guy over here said we would be getting out of this island today! So, you are helping him not look bad!"

    In synergy with my movements, he bumped his head onto mine softly whilst also smiling.

    "With that said, lead the way, Rena!"

    "Alright! Ok, I will!"

    Jumping around like a little girl, Rena and her group lead the way.

    After endlessly walking, around 10 am, we reached the location which was the costal area of the beach on the southeast direction of the island. Containing low height, the path to it was extremely straight-forward as all we had to do was to walk forward until we found a door on the right side remodeled with rocks of great density and ultimately a computer.

    The nine group leaders on the front, myself included, starred down as Rokoro deciphered the password correctly.

    "Eureka! It''s "Way"! I repeat, "Way"!"

    By now we were severely accustomed to Rokoro''s eccentric enthusiasm and by the time the password was correctly inserted, the door clicking was a signal of celebration as multiple shouts of victory erupted from the crowd.

    "Hell yeah!"

    Kawahara bumped his fist onto his chest as he said that.

    No one here, myself included, in their right mind would skip a chance to celebrate this and Kawahara capitalized on this and further said encouraging words.

    "Only one more to go! However, this time around, we will not return because Karlos'' group''s location is known to us since he gave it to Shiori before they set out."

    That''s right.

    If there''s only one group left then it doesn''t make any sense for us to return back to the camp when we already know in what direction the last group went into, which was, unfortunately, all the way towards the south, back where Percy was previously in.

    Out of all the places we would have to go, that place was the one in store and as such, I issued the orders, for the last time.

    "Listen up! Karlos'' group went south way! Exactly where Percy Phoenix once held us captive by a fiendish immoral bounty game that we were all victims of! However, through cooperation and unity, we have learned that his methods were wrong and that we are better than him! But----this couldn''t be done without a special person here."

    That''s right...

    "With that said, I am officially declaring Ryousuke Kawahara as our ring leader for the reason that we are all aware of."

    I expected at least an objection or two, but there was only one objection.

    That being, from the proclaimed individual himself.

    "But, aren''t you a fine leader, Shiori?"

    "Not compared to you! You are fit to lead while I... am not..."

    Saddened a bit, I looked down.

    "That''s not true."

    Kawahara said that first and then Damian followed that up as I looked up slowly.

    "You are an essential part of this, Denko. I don''t think that without you, we would be able to trust Kawahara the way we can now."

    Subsequently, Yasuda also spoke up.

    "Damian has a point but moreso, you feel like a really good supporting piece as you eased our misunderstanding regarding Kawahara."

    "Denko-dono, your cool-headed judgment is such a subject of admiration for me!"

    After Rokoro, Musi also exultantly said what was on her mind regarding me.

    "What are you talking about, Denko-senpai?! You''re an awesome leader and I would gladly do anything for you, isn''t that right, everyone?!"

    "That''s right, that''s right!"

    "Hail our queen, Denko!"

    "Denko-sama banzai!"

    Multiple people at the same time repeated those lines as Yoh and Zwette would give their opinions on me as well.

    "....You know the boundaries of others and respect them... I don''t see why I shouldn''t respect you..."

    "I think you''re cool, actually."

    For the first time ever to me, Zwette smiled and ultimately, Yoh as well.

    Then, in a frank manner, Youjo spoke her mind to me as well.

    "A bit of a drama queen but whatever, you get the pass!"

    "Everyone... I..."

    Unable to process the overwhelming positive emotions I was feeling on the inside, I started to cry in public which was embarrassing but they were tears of joy.

    Furthermore, Kawahara quickly dismissed everyone''s worries in a very efficient way.

    "This is a full on experience for her! She might not admit it, but to her, you people are the best!"

    An authentic combination of emotions welled up inside everyone''s hearts as many felt like crying as well.

    Kawahara slowly wipped my tears from my left side of the face and then, administered what was going to happen at last.

    "I''ll be the leader then. AS SUCH, I give you all this decree: Find Karlos'' group as we move towards the south direction! Only one more to go! We will make it through this!"

    As an evidence that Ryousuke Kawahara is truly an emotional empathic being, he always goes through the same lengths to make sure everyone around him feels the same way he does, which just goes to show the depth of his individualism as a person.

    In the end, with a massive bombastic number of students in our hands, we moved towards the south of the island, where we would soon meet the location of where everything started for us.

    The end of the jungle made us notice the vicinity that was burnt down to the ground. All of the planes were crashed and destroyed as a result of the uprising betrayal created by me and Ryousuke Kawahara.

    It is now, under this midday sun that I question what sort of person I would be if I hadn''t taken this sort of path alongside Ryousuke Kawahara. I like to believe that fate is at store here and brought me closer to this human being otherwise known as Ryousuke Kawahara for the sake of changing my entirety.

    Likewise, I will be the one who makes him change----No---I already changed him, didn''t I? He no longer resorts to emotional manipulation and confronts everything face to face. He, as a person, has truly developed. He''s an entire different person who has changed for the better.

    Right now, along with Kawahara, we are on the exact same place where I put the cloud reactor which is at the east side of the jungle, from our current perspective. Despite everything being burnt down to ashes, the cloud reactor remained intact.

    "Impressive, so it remained like that, huh?"

    "So it seems, Shiori. I''ll handle it, since it''s quite heavy."

    "Why, thank you."

    Upholding the object without any sort of physical difficulty, Kawahara started to carry the cloud reactor right to the center of the wooden podium where the majority of the students were in.

    One particular student approached us in our direction, however, as the remaining students were too busy scouting the area searching for Karlos'' group.

    "S-Senpai! I-I can''t take this anymore.... It''s been several days and I haven''t found them and I made sure to go on every trip towards the hidden locations, but I haven''t spotted them."

    We both had no idea who she was nor what she was talking about. All that we knew was that she is highly nervous and is about to cry and as such, Kawahara attempted to console her.

    "What''s your name?"

    "...Maya."

    "Alright, alright. Who is missing exactly, Maya?"

    "My friends! Two of them! Koji Shurit and Ann! I haven''t found them and it''s worrying me!"

    Unfortunately for me, I have not heard about them, but I asked a question instead.

    "Maya? When was the last time you saw them?"

    I expected her to take some time and think but she already knew the answer straight up.

    "The first day! After a few hours had passed, they completely disappeared! It''s driving me insane and I---"

    "Wait, Maya. Let''s ask around, shall we?"

    "....Okay.... But I''ve already done that several times... And the answer is always negative which is a bit scary.... I just hope Ann is alright and Shurit too..."

    I gave her warm words suddenly.

    "They are! Let''s go and ask around, alright?"

    I hugged her slightly and eased her emotions and I could in addition feel that she was greatly damaged.

    However, despite the fact that we would spend the upcoming twenty minutes in making sure to ask everyone around if they had seen them, the answers were negative.

    Ultimately, after Kawahara left the cloud reactor with Damian, who volunteered to take care of it, we went to an individual tied to a tree, that had Rayazaki and Kuzan watching over him.

    The individual, utterly defeated and brutally injured without any sort of medical assistance coming on his way, could barely open his eyes due to the outstanding beating he had taken earlier.

    "Maya, have you asked him?"

    Upon realizing that she had not asked Hajime Hyunda whether or not he had seen the two of them, Maya''s eyes glistered with hope in response to Kawahara''s question.

    "I haven''t! Hey, have you seen a girl with shoulder length black hair and a boy with black hair?!"

    ".....Do you realize how simple your description is...? Names..."

    Hajime Hyunda is so weakened that I am beyond positive some of his teeth are broken.

    "Shurit! Ann! Do those ring a bell?"

    ".............."

    He posed a silence and then said something.

    "....Nope."

    "......"

    In silence, Maya felt even more sad.

    I looked at Hajime Hyunda once again, but didn''t manage to extract anything out of him.

    "Let''s go. How would he know exactly? He''s been running all this time like a little bitch. What the hell would he know..."

    "...Heheh... Wanna beat me up again?"

    "............."

    Not feeling as mighty as before, Kawahara dismissed Hajime Hyunda''s words and went to meet up with the rest of the group leaders.

    As we made our way, we heard a shout from within the forest.

    "We found him!"

    That voice came from the northeast and several students, us included, didn''t hesitate to run in that direction.

    What we ultimately came to witness was a cliff that was hiding a costal area with a channeling river amounting to a fountain; containing a oasis.

    To this, Kawahara sighed and blurted something out.

    "Of course... Of course it''s one of the initial places..."

    "You''ve been here?"

    "Very initially, yeah. Kuzan, Rayazaki, and I had a feasty meal here. Anyways, I''ve spotted Karlos. Our time is nigh. This is it, Shiori. Let''s get down from here!"

    "Alright!"

    This cliff contains a rocky way down to the oasis as the oasis itself has a rocky sort of bridge that allows one to go behind the waterfall.

    Karlos was waving at us constantly while being soaked by the waterfall''s splashes.

    As we came down, we met him as he was undoubtedly more excited about bragging his own achievement to me than sharing it with the rest.

    "Denko, I did it! I managed to find the first hidden location! How''s that?!"

    I quickly corrected Karlos'' wrong opinion in a flash.

    "That''s not the first hidden location, that''s the last one. That''s very disappointing."

    Shocked and borderline falling apart, Karlos threw an emotional tantrum as my opinion failed to please him.

    "W-What do you mean disappointing, Denko?!"

    For some reason, he began to close in our distance and took ahold of my right shoulder.

    "I did this for you so how can you say that it was disappointing! At least praise me or something!"

    Not only was his voice loud and attracting attention, but his saliva balls were off the charts as he additionally grabbed my left shoulder, causing me physical distress alongside emotional distress as well.

    "Let go of me... Creep..."

    Despite what I had just said with a revolted look in my face, this only further kept Karlos from restraining himself and he began to try and push me around.

    "W-What do you mean cr---"

    His movements were halted by an even superior physical force as his left shoulder felt the physical impact just from being placed upon with a singular hand.

    "You heard her, baldy. Let. Her. Go."

    Very slowly, he repeated those words to Karlos, who was forced to meet Kawahara''s eyeglare as fast as he could. Not because he wanted to, but because he was feeling a creeping force on his left shoulder.

    As a matter of fact, Karlos even attempted to say some words, but ultimately, the staggering pain of his left shoulder as he witnessed the shoulder blade immediately fall down along with his arm made him realize that he was not only physically inferior but that his shoulder had been dislocated in the process, mercilessly.

    "A-Ahhh, my shoulder....!! My shoulder...!!"

    "Remember my words a few days ago? How hypothetically speaking, should I be out of the prison that you''d be my slave should I win a fight against you? How about it? Wanna fight?"

    Karlos, on his knees, looked at Kawahara from below, as Kawahara''s head coincidentally was in the same direction as the sun, which caused him to immediately conceded as he saw that he had no chance against someone that had dislocated his shoulder with just a hand palm press.

    In conclusion, with his shoulder dislocated, Karlos bowed down to Kawahara and conceded.

    "........I am sorry!"

    "Don''t say sorry to me. Say sorry to Shiori."

    "I am sorry, Denko!"

    Multiple people were watching and I found this pointless to drag on so I just gave him the truth and moved on, uncaring for his feelings.

    "I don''t really care, Karlos. Just don''t approach me on an emotional basis, okay? Me and this guy are going out and you will never stand a chance in a million years. Also, if you ever try and flirt with my other friends, I will terminate your social life, you degenerate simp. Haha---just kidding~~!"

    "Real fact: She''s not kidding."

    "Maybe? You think so?"

    I looked in Kawahara''s direction.

    "That''s a pretty evil thing to do, Shiori. Not even allowing him to go after your friends? That''s like 25% of the school population right there."

    "But we are talking about Karlos over here. If you have a tad drop of perfume on you, he could mistake you for a girl and ask you out."

    "So he''s bisexual if I manipulate him to be that way?"

    I giggled and answered.

    "It could be."

    "Phew. I can''t say that''s uninteresting. Big guy, get up. Believe it or not, we really need this to be done here, right here and now. Lead us towards the computer!"

    Erupting his posture like a military soldier despite having one of his shoulders broken, Karlos obeyed Kawahara''s order and even adopted a new name for him.

    "Certainly, Master!"

    Karlos then ran into the rocky bridge and led the way. Midst that, Kawahara remarked something.

    "Huh, first Kuzan and now him. Maybe it''s something meant to be?"

    "I am sensing an over-inflated ego."

    "Must be your imagination."

    "Uhuh. Right, yeah."

    To my sarcasm, he quickly corrected himself before crossing the bridge.

    "I-I''m not overly narcisstic, right?"

    "........I wonder."

    Leaving him hanging behind, I advanced and went along with Rokoro and Damian, while the rest was scattered yet inside the cave.

    Humid to a fault, this place contained a hot temperature.

    "S-Shiori?! I''m not, right?!"

    Overly simple, the inside structure of this cave would lead us to a close dead end with yet another door on the right. Noticeably, a computer was in the middle.

    "Shiori, come onnnnn!"

    Something that just came to my mind as I am walking towards the computer that Rokoro and Damian are currently facing is that we have forgotten to ask Rena what her component was. However, I know it was a key for sure.

    Yet, where does that key go in exactly? I daresay that it''s related to something in this island but I am not entirely surely.

    "Why are you suddenly ignoring me?!"

    "Oh, but I''m not, Ryousuke. But you''re narcissistic, yes. Empathic, but narcisstic. Anyway, leader, do us a favor and give us the way to victory so we can all go home, yeah?"

    "Yeah, that''s up to me, but since this is the last password, it means that something will happen. Everyone, be on the look, should anything abnormal happen once the password is inserted. Rokoro, go for it!"

    Prompting Rokoro to scan the computer, the last password would finally be upon us.

    "Eureka! The last password is "For"! I repeat, "For"!"

    As Kawahara inserted the password, he deciphered the puzzle of the words out loud.

    "Ten words will light the way for the ultimate path! In other words, something crucial will happen and---"

    Before Kawahara could further tell us what he wanted to, Zwette noticed something in her tablet and immediately alerted everyone.

    "Everyone, something has happened in the tablet!"

    Never before did we all swarm up so collectively and fast like this, but it happened.

    "Kawahara-dono, what does this mean?!"

    Since the tablet contains the entire map of the island, something crucial happened now that the last password was indicated. A red pinpoint at the very center of the island was beaming with a rapid consistency and Kawahara, Rayazaki, and Kuzan already knew what it is.

    "That''s the mystic mine! For it to be pinpointed it must mean that the atmosphere inside is no longer toxic!"

    "That has got to be it! Come on, what are we waiting for, let''s go, let''s go!"

    At Rayazaki''s command, multiple students started to exit the abysmally deep cave in order for us to also exit the cave.

    Lastly, Ryousuke Kawahara, our de facto leader gave us his decree.

    "Everyone, follow my lead! Our destination: the center of this island, where the ultimate objective lies within!"

    Part 3.

    Our numbers exceed 450 at long last. Eleven people were in the front line.

    First of all, I. Secondly, Yasuda. Thirdly, Damian. Fourthly, Rokoro. Fifthly, Youjo. Sixthly, Musi. Seventhly, Karlos. Eightly, Yoh. Ninethly, Zwette. Tenthly, Rena.

    However, the person leading us stood in front of us all the time.

    Ryousuke Kawahara.

    Following back to the ten of us, Rayazaki and Kuzan are keeping Hajime Hyunda under extreme vigilance while several other members are helping them out in making sure that Hajime Hyunda doesn''t do anything out of the ordinary.

    At the current moment as we are crossing the deep colossal forest under this afternoon sun, on April 26th, Ryousuke Kawahara is examining Karlos'' component as we make our way forward.

    "Rokoro, can you come here for a second?"

    "My pleasure, Kawahara-dono!"

    Curious to what was going on, I adjoined Kawahara''s right side and saw him take out a chip that was inserted in the glider of Karlos'' component. The glider also contained a remote but we still didn''t know what sort of idea Kawahara wanted to try out.

    "Insert this chip onto Zwette''s tablet. Yasuda, can you put your cellphone in recording mode? I want to try something!"

    "Okay!"

    They were all obeying his orders extremely on point and just like that, Yasuda''s cellphone was put into recording mode and the chip that Rokoro gave to Zwette created something within the tablet.

    "It acknowledges it, but I think something''s missing..."

    "Not for long. Yasuda, can you place your cellphone on top of this glider? Right in this area with the two silver lines?"

    The glider was so tiny that it was made as if the purpose of it was to carry something also minuscular on its surface. However, it has a supporting carrier in it, which makes anything be stuck if it comes into contact in-between the two silver lines. In other words, Yasuda''s cellphone will be placed in a manner where it will be permanently fixated onto the glider this way.

    But perhaps the most important part would be how upon the cellphone being placed onto the glider, a screen popped up on Zwette''s tablet.

    "Wait, a screen just appeared and it''s visualising the forest..."

    Understanding what was happening, Rokoro excitedly applauded in Kawahara''s direction.

    "Magnificent, Kawahara-dono! With this we can essentially capture anything!"

    "Exactly, kiddo. Which is why, I will try something out..."

    "Such as?"

    This time around, I asked and he delivered the truth right away instead of hiding it.

    "I want to capture the surface of the temple and see if my lovely companions are there."

    "You mean, Sagasuga-dono, Tatsu-dono, and Tsudo-dono?!"

    "Exactly, exactly. If they want to get their asses out of this island, they have to be there."

    Which brings ut to the next point: Kawahara would then take ahold of Zwette''s tablet as he would watch the footage through the tablet meanwhile Rokoro would pilot the glider with the remote in the direction of the temple.

    He started by going north direction while also elevating the glider. Fantasically enough, the distance did not matter whatsoever and since we are quite close to the temple, it wouldn''t be long until the cellphone supported by the glider''s carrier would capture the live footage of the golden temple from afar.

    "I see the temple! Keep up the work, kiddo!"

    "Marvelous! Ah, if only I wasn''t too busy managing the glider!"

    "Rokoro, you are doing a great job!"

    Damian praised him out of impulse but in reality, Rokoro was in fact doing more than a good job. It must take immense skill to control that glider to such perfection yet he is doing it.

    As the glider would walk into the vicinity of the temple, Kawahara would say something to Rokoro.

    "Don''t go to the top of the temple; instead try and see whether or not there are people down at the entrance."

    Youjo then ordered something out of Rokoro.

    "Go down, basically! We need to spot those three!"

    Yoh then said something as well.

    "....What about Daniel Lead....?"

    ".........."

    None of us had a clue as Ryousuke Kawahara''s aim at the moment was to secure the parameter and as such, the more the glider went down to the ground, the more cleared the image resolution became once it stopped for a while.

    From afar, the tablet''s image captured three individuals in a staircase. Two of the individuals immediately took notice of this and alerted the figure in the middle who was waving his hand at us instead of being particularly disturbed by the fact that there was a spying glider on their faces.

    That figure walked out of the staircase and calmly walked towards the glider while we witnessed that in absolute silence. We did not expect the image to transmit sound, but the moment the figure spoke, we could hear his words loud and clear.

    "Helloooo? Anybody there?"

    Kawahara then had the idea of speaking through the tablet but it didn''t work at first.

    "Sagasuga, can you hear me?"

    We assumed that Hiroyoshi Sagasuga could not hear that and as such, I made a brief suggestion.

    "Try talking through the remote. Rokoro, if you may."

    "Yes!"

    After being given the remote, Kawahara then spoke again.

    "Sagasuga, can you hear me?"

    Unlike previously, this time we were successful in establishing vocal contact which was beyond the initial expectations.

    "Ah, Kawahara! Are you the one guiding this thing? This is a pretty neat thing, huh!"

    "Yeah... By the way, do you know where Daniel is? I''ve confirmed the locations of the others and several are with me, but not him. I can see Tatsu and Tsudo with you though."

    "Mhm, nope? I haven''t seen him a single time yet. Also, could you hurry up? We need at least five people here at minimum! Hyunda was looking for you, did you see him?"

    "............"

    This made Kawahara a bit silent as he blutered something almost silently.

    "...What the..."

    In addition, this caused Sagasuga to think that he was talking to him.

    "Huh? Did you say anything?"

    "No. I''ll be there in five minutes."

    "Alright, see you soon, then."

    Saying their goodbyes, Kawahara returned his remote control to Rokoro and took his eyes off the tablet.

    "...What is going on..."

 Volume 23 - Chapter 159: Our win.

    Part 1.

    The trees began to disperse slowly yet surely in this primordial dusk. In about two to three minutes, this entirety would be within the parameter of the temple''s bottom area. That temple that I, along with Kuzan and Rayazaki once stood in. However, this time around, close to 500 students are in my hands, without a way out, and furthermore, they trust me enough to the point of electing me as their leader.

    Nonetheless, none of that would be possible without a special certain someone who has entrusted her entire soul to me.

    "....."

    On my right side, there she is. A person who shines brighter than the sun to me. Like no other, it feels like the peace of the sun is within the sun''s mind. Her silky blonde hair is the practical element of fragrance that the sun has been searching for in his mind, but now that the peace has found peace in its mind, it acknowledges that the element is peace itself. As such, the sun also acknowledges that she is not a person who the sun would die for, but someone who the sun would live for.

    In other words, as I cast my glance at Shiori transiently; I closed my eyes for fifteen seconds as I continued to walk forward while in addition reviewing the strategy and what I know in my mind.

    Our end destination is without a doubt, the temple. Within the temple, there will be answers as deciphering the ten passwords successfully has managed to lead us to what seems to be the end goal. By normal standards, if my classmates had all cooperated from the start, then the ten of us could have easily finished this exam, but for reasons unknown, we have become severely separated. Yet, at the current moment, with me, I have Kuzan, Rayazaki, and the bastard Hyunda. Kan and Akihiko are dead, so they won''t be able to realize their exam positively.

    This leaves four other individuals: Sagasuga, Tsudo, Tatsu, and Daniel. I have confirmed their existences through the tablet while Rokoro was guiding the glider in the temple''s direction. It''s very obvious that the fact that Daniel is on the loose is by no means a coincidence and if he is the one responsible for Kan and Akihiko''s deaths then he has to be planning something else; including perhaps all of the students here.

    That''s exactly why I can''t take any chances and unless I confirm his existence, I won''t make any sort of risky movements involving any of these people who deeply trust me. Especially Shiori.

    Henceforth, with all this in mind, I spoke to Damian and Yoh, in their direction and signaled for them to come to my side as the other group leaders did the same.

    "There''s a slight chance that those three are cooperating with Daniel, so we aren''t going to take any chances. Yoh, Damian, the moment you lay your eyes on Tatsu and Tsudo, I want you two to mirror each other without them noticing and then, you will electrocute them."

    Musi''s component is an excellent tool to incapacite someone, however, there is a slight weakness to it. Not only does it require an exact parallel distance, but it requires for them to not know what the bars do. As far as I''m concerned, none of them should know what it does. Nevertheless, if Damian and Yoh carelessly walk up to them, they will notice that something is up. And that is why, I spoke to Musi, Yasuda, and Rena."

    "Musi, Yasuda, Rena, I need to ask you three a favor."

    With their eyes on me, I didn''t show a shred of hesitation while being selfish subsequently.

    "For Yoh and Damian to go unnoticed, I will need you three to draw Hirakibo Tatsu and Toharoh Tsudo''s attention away from them."

    "Um, how do you suggest we do that?"

    "Yasuda, simply approach them with me along with Musi and Rena. Ask them if they can come forward to see whether or not they have weapons because you''re scared of them. It''s obviously an excuse to get them lined up and you''ll have to ask them to line up. Ultimately, Yoh and Damian will be successful."

    Yasuda didn''t exactly mind what I just told her, but Musi and Rena were a little bit confused.

    "I''ll go as well. I can handle this just fine."

    "Wait, Shiori. You don''t necessarily have to do it---"

    "Um, hello? It''s my decision. You''re the leader, but not the arbiter of my mind, Ryousuke. With that said----I''ll be having fun tricking them."

    Although I tried to stop Shiori because deep down I am somewhat afraid of what could potentially happen to her should any of them decide to have some sort of psychotic reaction, she nonetheless offered herself.

    To this, I sighed and accepted her decision.

    "Alright, that''s fine."

    "Kawahara-dono, I don''t understand something! What about Hiroyoshi Sagasuga-dono?! Shouldn''t we also use the bars on him?"

    Rokoro''s question was a fine one. However, the clear difference is that I want to reason with Sagasuga instead of the other two boring side characters with no personality to them whatsoever. In other words, this is a way to save time as I will add the two of them to my collection along with that bastard Hyunda.

    "That''s not necessary. Sagasuga might be sneaky, but when it comes to objectives like this exam, he will cooperate, like he did in the past, make no mistake. With that said----Shiori, I will need a pair of handcuffs for Sagasuga."

    "But why? If your aim is to make him your hostage, you can just electreute him."

    "That''s not it, Shiori. I want to make him my lab rat to scourge the parameter of the temple and to see whether or not it''s safe to walk inside."

    Closer and closer, the trees would start to lose their numbers and slowly yet surely, the bottom of the temple along with the first wave of stairs could be witnessed from afar, although we are not there yet.

    "Kawahara-dono, that''s quite evil. Are you sure Hiroyoshi Sagasuga-dono will cooperate?"

    "I am actually not sure. Normally, you would assume he wouldn''t, but I think there''s a chance that he might. Furthermore----I need to see if Daniel''s inside the temple as he could very well be trying to ambush all of you suddenly."

    "If I may, Kawahara-dono, could I talk with Hiroyoshi Sagasuga-dono along with you?!"

    "......Why not?"

    Now that we were in the beginning of the vicinity, I told Yoh and Damian to move out in separate directions. Damian would go to the left side while Yoh would go to the right. However, their distance from one to another would be close to 250 meters. Plus, they would be emerged within the forest still; henceforth how Tatsu and Tsudo could never notice them. But, Sagasuga might, so I have to take my shot.

    As we walked in, with the gigantic number of students in our back grouped up in small numbers yet united nonetheless, I could come across with Sagasuga along with my eyesight as Tatsu and Tsudo were on his right side.

    "Shiori."

    In a low tone, I spoke to Shiori and she understood what I meant to imply. Along with Yasuda, Musi, and Rena, they began to walk up.

    Meanwhile, I stood more on the back side as Sagasuga and the other two began to walk up. Noticeably, Sagasuga was the one who attempted to initiate conversation with me despite our physical distance.

    "There you are, Kawahara. You weren''t joking when you said you''d be here five minutes later, were you? Still, what a number! How did they get in here?"

    His bright and cheerful attitude quickly repeled any sort of initial fears from my numbers. It''s frightening how rapidly he is able to disfrost an entire dense atmosphere.

    However, it wasn''t me who answered that, but Shiori.

    "Percy Phoenix put us here, against our will. Just like all of you, right?"

    "I guess you could say that! Then again---our conditions were very much different and still are. Although, hey, Kawahara? Why is there such a big number here when we are the only ones who need to go inside the temple?"

    I answered this time.

    "They are trapped here and so, we need to help them out. Sagasuga, would you be as kind as to help these people out of this island?"

    The answer to this was beyond obvious, as Sagasuga would by no means show a negative response.

    "But of course! I would be only entitled into doing what is right! Do you have a plan?"

    "Yeah. Yeah---Yeah, I do. But first..."

    Shiori spoke in the other two individuals'' direction.

    "Would you two be as kind as to come forward and empty your pockets in a straight line so we know you aren''t hiding any sort of knives?"

    "Trusting criminals is extremely hard for us, so be as kind as to do that simple task, please?"

    Yasuda followed Shiori up, and then Musi along with Rena as they continued to walk into their directions, thus closing their distance.

    "We are stuck in here and we want to help you three ace this exam as soon as possible!!"

    "Let''s all return to school together! I know that deep down you aren''t bad people!"

    Then, collectively, they put on their most earnest yet puppy eyes and pleaded with a single word to them.

    "Please!"

    Tatsu and Tsudo looked unsure of what to do, until Sagasuga talked to them, which was very surprising as I was hoping that Shiori and the others would have to reason even further.

    "Alright, I understand what is going on. We are criminals and as such, we need to show them evidence that we don''t have the tendency of a criminal----which is to wear severely dangerous objects like knives and guns. Shall we then?"

    They looked at Sagasuga and then agreed.

    "It''s not like we had any sort of objects to go around anyways."

    "I hate being suspected, so I''ll gladly do it."

    Then, as they began to walk forward, Shiori and the others distanced themselves slightly. Sagasuga was also walking up in their direction, so I talked to them from afar.

    "Sagasuga, you don''t need to. They trust you, right?"

    United, Shiori, Yasuda, Musi, and then Rena, while five meters away from Tatsu and Tsudo still, agreed with my take on how Sagasuga was not under their suspicion.

    However, they each went their own ways about it.

    "Sagasuga looks more civilized than the other two."

    "Tsudo gives me the creeps for some reason..."

    "Sagasuga is a cool guy!!"

    "Plus, Sagasuga agreed with everything thus far, so..."

    To this, Tatsu and Tsudo were fuming a little bit, but Sagasuga, on the other hand was supremely brimming with flattering.

    "Oh dear! Although I don''t deserve this much flattery, I am thankful for your moral support. However, Tatsu and Tsudo are also trustworthy individuals!"

    Willing to prove the others wrong, Tatsu and Tsudo began to close their distances as they were both in the same line, two meters away from the girls. While emptying out their pockets and revealing that they in fact don''t have any weapons, they felt the need to retort back, starting with Tsudo.

    "Now that you see that we don''t have any weapons, show some damn fucking resp---"

    "Don''t you ever dare doubt me aga---"

    They didn''t realize that the moment they intersected in the same line, they became widely exposed to Damian and Yoh who took not a moment of hesitation to set the bars on the forest''s ground. As such, to no one''s surprise, except Sagasuga, Tsudo and Tatsu collapsed faster than ever.

    "Karlos, handle both of them. Keep them on your leash. You are allowed to utilize brutal force should they retaliate."

    "Understood, Master!"

    Meanwhile, as this was happening, Yoh and Damian slowly emerged from the corners of their respective directions.

    "Oh dear, what just happened? Can I have an explanation here?"

    Sagasuga was surprised but he remained calm and collected nonetheless as he analyzed Tatsu and Tsudo''s bodies covered in an electric current of shock. Truly like a thinker, he even had his fingers on his chin.

    "Shiori. Yasuda. Musi. Rena. Good job, back off kindly now, please."

    I began to walk towards Sagasuga now that Yoh and Damian had reunited with the other group leaders. Nobody was moving from their positions and Shiori along with the rest of the girls went back. Yet, before Shiori could retreat completely, I asked a favor out of her.

    "Shiori, could you---"

    As if she could read me completely, she gave me a pair of handcuffs that were in her skirt''s right pocket and didn''t say another word.

    Rokoro now walked by my side as I walked towards to Sagasuga, who remained composed DESPITE what just had happened.

    "I''m not taking any chances, Sagasuga. Just like the bastard Hyunda there, they are my hostages now."

    "Hm..."

    Since Sagasuga had not noticed how beaten up Hyunda is, he started to tilt his head up to northwest and northeast until he spotted Hyunda on the back, as he is under Kuzan and Rayazaki''s vigilance.

    Then, he exclaimed as he saw his sorry state from afar. Although, not in a way that I had expected it; his reaction lacked composure and was accompanied with a lot of giggles.

    "Buhahah!! What happened to him?"

    "Do you wanna find out?"

    My serious eyes crossed his and he understood that I wasn''t joking.

    "Oh, I get it, don''t worry. Still, what is going on? Why did you do that?"

    "As I''ve said, I''m not taking any chances: so here is an offer."

    I elevated the handcuffs and looked at Sagasuga in the eyeball as I offered an ultimatum.

    "Receive their treatment or be sheltered from the shock."

    "By sheltered you mean, I''ll have to wear those? Goodness, Kawahara, that is a bit ridiculous, I must say. Why all this?"

    Sagasuga extended his two hands in a way that a prisoner would extend his own hands when being cuffed up. In other words, he choose to be cuffed up instead of shocked, which was smart. Rokoro took care of his ankles as these cuffs cover the wrists and the ankles. It''s incredibly hard to walk this way and moving the wrists and the ankles is borderline impossible.

    I know this for a fact because I experienced this a few days ago and it was not a plausible experience.

    Now that Sagasuga was cuffed up, I explained.

    "Daniel."

    "Oh, that makes more sense. Let me guess... You think that we are cooperating with him? Hmm, haha--- Unfortunately for you, we are not. Furthermore, we have not encountered him once in this island."

    "That''s funny. We have explored practically every spot of this island and yet we have not caught sight of him. So, Sagasuga, would you picture a guess as to where he could be?"

    He thought for a bit and then tilted his head into the direction of the temple. I then, explained something in addition.

    "Kan and Akihiko are dead, Sagasuga. In addition to that, they were brutally tortured and their bodies mutilated. Unfortunately, Sagasuga, Daniel is a fucking problem and I can''t expose these people to that problem. So, try and think your hardest as to where he could be. Because there is no way in hell that I''m falling over a stupid trap while endangering these people..."

    "...I had no idea that they were dead, actually. That''s news for me. But I suppose it''s fair that all the suspicion goes to Daniel, then. Well---if what you said is true and you''ve explored every place on this island, then does that mean you have explored the temple too?"

    The answer to this was so obvious that Rokoro answered it for me.

    "Sagasuga-dono, that is just impossible because I believe that the temple can only be scourged once the ten passwords are inserted!"

    "Yes, that is true. However, there was a small problem. But, that can come later. Anyway, what is your plan at the moment, Kawahara? I''m assuming that you think Daniel is there, right?"

    "Yeah, that''s right. There''s no fucking way that he isn''t there."

    "Great, great. So?"

    He was urging me to explain my plan, but unfortunately for him, he would play a crucial part in it.

    "Sagasuga, you will be my tour through the temple as the contents inside must be secured first."

    "Kawahara... Are you seriously going to use me as a meat shield because of Daniel? Why not take the others along with you to reinforce your defenses then?"

    "That''s what you want, but things won''t go that way. With that said we wi---"

    As I was about to conclude my speech, Shiori put herself on my right side, quickly overthrowing Rokoro out of the picture.

    "Excuse me, but what do you think you are doing? Don''t tell me you are intending to walk in that temple on your own with him... You are our leader. Be more mindful about the others and manage your resources well. If you intend on going inside the temple to see what''s inside first and to see if it''s safe, then MAYBE ask us if we would mind walking in with you!"

    Shiori''s undoubtedly more emotional than usual as a sign of her growing attached to me and beginning to experience more social interactions in general. However---I love her.

    The thought of Daniel being there and killing Shiori is beyond terrifying. I know for a fact that if it''s a 1v1, that I will absolutely destroy him, but it''s an entire different story if he targets Shiori. There''s just too much to lose and as such...

    "No way, Shiori. Don''t be stupid. You are understimating criminals a bit too much. I can''t have you die like that."

    "Huh?! Who said anything about dying?! As I''ve said, you are not managing your resources well."

    "What are you talking about?"

    She sighed and then filled me in.

    "Use your components! How did we get vision of Sagasuga and the other two idiots? Was it not through Rokoro, who guided the glider and Zwette''s tablet that was transmitting the image? Do it again! Don''t just walk in when you can see what''s in store ahead first..."

    "Kawahara-dono, Denko-dono has a point! But I would like to add that if Sagasuga-dono wouldn''t mind cooperating, he could take the glider with him along with Yasuda-dono''s cellphone in it and transmit footage to all of us! Then, we would surely be way more safer as we knew what was ahead and then if Daniel Lead-dono is truly aiming to ambush us, we would utilize our foresight! In addition to that, by utilizing the walkie-talkies from Damian-dono, we could establish a perfectly reasonable connection!"

    Upon hearing all of this, I realized that I am surrounded by competent individuals who have demonstrated from time to time, the willingness to act not only for their benefit but for a collective benefit.

    "Ahhh... I am such an idiot... I overlooked something this obvious... Hahah.....Ha."

    Meekly and weakly, I titled my neck backwards and looked at the afternoon sky above me as I laughed out loud.

    And then, I received a small punch on my chest by Shiori.

    "Playing the white-knight card like that. Stop it."

    I looked at her as our eyes met and I felt a connection that I had never before. If the sun doesn''t mind dying for someone, then surely the sun has a place in his heart to find the will to live for that person. And if that person that the sun is willing to live for has elements that must be acknowledged, then how can the sun even begin to doubt them?

    The thought of manipulating Shiori is abnormal to me right now and surely, the me from a few days ago, would not have hesitated into manipulating Shiori into walking right there, but admittedly, I got scared and my emotions clouded my intelligence.

    Rokoro is right, isn''t he?

    By utilizing the glider, we can scourge the entirety of the parameter and see the contents on the temple. Communication is not an issue because we can just utilize Damian''s walkie-talkies. All of this was so simple yet the thought of utilizing this for my own gain completely became extraterrestrial to me.

    "You''re right... Sagasuga, you want this exam to be done with, right?"

    "That is the case. I want to floop onto my room''s bed and have my beauty sleep."

    "Fantastic, I am the same. With that said, carry this glider with you and walk through the temple on your own. If you get killed, then Daniel is there. If not, then he''s not there and the temple is a safe place to walk into."

    Sagasuga looked fairly balanced in terms of his attitude still, but he lashed out a complaint, not to me, but the rest as well.

    "How is everybody fine with what he''s doing? If I get killed by him, then you are all to blame for allowing this, you do realize that, right?"

    Although I didn''t expect this sort of claim to have any impact, it did as many started to actually question the morality of this quest. Then, Rena made a suggestion to me, by coming closer.

    "Um... Isn''t it fine if we just... utilize the glider and have Rokoro use the remote to guide it instead of... relying on another human being to walk in...? That''s a bit messed up."

    It didn''t occur to me at all that what I just suggested is immoral. Am I insane for not being aware of the immorality of my actions or did I become so accustomed into doing this sort of things that I just don''t care anymore?

    Regardless, I''ll have to start caring and as such, I patted Rena on her head as I in addition agreed with her.

    "You''re right, Rena. Sagasuga, you''re spared for now. Alright, initiate the glider! We are scourging the entirety of the temple through the cellphone! If Daniel is to be found there, then we will have to rethink our strategy!"

    I spoke to all of the students in this parameter, or to those of who I could. I can see that some students are taking it easy as they are eager to go home while some are more worried than the others.

    The current strategy is to utilize the glider and have it walk into the very top of the temple to then see what is within the temple. As such, we have formed a circle in the very bottom entrance, in the middle of the initial golden stairs. Shiori is on my right side and Zwette is upholding her tablet on her thighs so everyone can see the image clearly. Damian is managing the other students as he naturally cares more about the others since he has a high morality. Karlos is taking care of Tsudo and Tatsu. Rayazaki and Kuzan are keeping Hyunda down. Yasuda, Rena, Youjo, Musi, Yoh, and Rokoro are within the circle as they are undoubtedly curious as to what is going to happen. Lastly, Sagasuga is in the middle of the circle as his chains trail right into my hands to make sure he doesn''t go anywhere.

    "I am the very top, Kawahara-dono! The ocean is so beautiful!"

    "Yeah, whatever, Rokoro! Walk in, walk in!"

    "Youjo, don''t be so impatient! This is hard!"

    ".....Make sure to look around for Daniel Lead... He is our top target...."

    Yoh''s absolutely right. There is no other place in this island where he could be except for the temple. It wouldn''t make any sense for him to be inside the sections because this is the final destination. He HAS to be inside the temple; there''s just no other logical response to this argument.

    "That''s weird... Even though the entrance is clearly dark, the glider is providing night-vision to us."

    I said this because the entrance of the temple was beyond dark when I, Rayazaki, and Kuzan firstly encountered it yet it remains the same way.

    "The glider is amazing, Kawahara-dono! I insist on taking this with me! You must let me!"

    "Are you sure that''s all you want? The walkie-talkies sound pretty good as well."

    "Kawahara-dono! I have no idea how to thank---"

    "You stupid otaku, watch where you''re going!! You just slammed the glider onto the wall!!"

    "Guaaah! My masterpiece! Be safe, my child!"

    Rokoro reminds me of a certain part of my past; but the past is irrelevant. I''ve decided to discard my past and no-longer think about it. My entire character will be defined no longer by the past but my future developments.

    I''ve decided that''s the type of person I want to be. But still, Rokoro''s inner eccentric attitude certainly puts him out of the others around him. It would usually make him an outcast yet he has found a place to be himself in. That is great...

    I took a deep breath with my eyes closed and looked at the sky once again as I thought that to all these people; I wouldn''t mind dedicating my life to them and getting them out of this island would only be the start of that ambition.

    "You''re certainly anxious."

    "I can''t help it, Shiori. I am excited yet anxious as you''ve said."

    In her direction, I looked at her. It''s weird because I would usually feel the need to initiate physical contact with the one I love yet I think that I love her to the point where that''s not even required. As a matter of fact, isn''t physical contact in a relationship just a way of portraying your feelings? A channel of expression? But----It''s... weird.

    I don''t feel the need to do any of that. She''s the one I want to grow older with.

    "Heh, for someone who had a negative opinion on Daniel Lead, it''s ironic that he is your ultimate arch-enemy!"

    Shiori smiled and giggled at the same time while beautifully hiding the thumb of her lips with her gentle right index finger; slightly crooked.

    "I still have a negative opinion on him. It''s just dumb to overlook him at this point. Because, if we find him and secure him, then there''s nothing else against us."

    "Well, duh! That''s pretty obvious, isn''t it? Hey, look... The sun is going down."

    By spinning in the direction of the blue horizon, at the right side of the temple, the radiance of the sun captured both of us.

    As our hands slowly intertwined with one another alongside our heads softly touching one another; I wondered about something and that something, I spoke to Shiori about.

    "Do you think the sun looks the best when it''s falling down?"

    "I think the sun... Well, to me, the sun is often more characterized as something that''s always rising. But I think that the sun is kind for giving the moon the time that she needs to be herself in the night."

    That sun, emitting its honorable light to everything---allowing a contrast to be formed with whatever it collides with----it''s majestic in a sense because it gives a meaning to everything.

    However, if the sun is not aware of this and thinks that he can''t give a true meaning to anything, then...

    "Then, Shiori, does that mean that the sun''s true meaning is to live for the moon?"

    "It... It could be. Don''t they both live for each other, in the end? Huh, that''s weird, Ryousuke!"

    Shiori then stopped looking at the sun and likewise, so did I so I could ultimately meet her shocked expression with my wide open eyes as her faced closed in.

    "I''ve always thought that the sun would die for the moon and likewise, the moon would die for the sun! A cycle of life and death, but now... Now that you''ve mentioned it, I think that instead of dying for another, they are living for another..."

    "And they will always be."

    As I finished that sentence, we once again looked at the sun from afar, beginning to fall down even deeper; sinking in that furthest horizon occupied by water so translucent yet mix-colored.

    I spoke the truth to her then.

    "I don''t have a family."

    "..........."

    "So, I can''t ever try again with them. I am sorry."

    "What would you say to them if you could talk to them again, Ryousuke?"

    I thought deeper and deeper into this question more than I should and arrived at the firm conclusion.

    "Probably... Something like: "I want to feel your warmth because you are my parents and... that''s what parents... are supposed to do... To give warmth to their child..."

    ".........."

    Shiori thought for a while in silence and then spoke on her turn.

    "I have a bland background. However, my father died when I was 4 years old from a car accident. I think that was when my mother lost her heart and thought to herself that maybe I shouldn''t become like her----attached to something that will eventually die---my father---and so, she put her standards in my mind and over the years, I''ve done nothing but studying."

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    "..........."

    I posed silence as a way to show respect as Shiori continued.

    "Lately, I''ve been thinking too much about so many things, but... I don''t know how to confront my mother on this new person that I became. I think she''ll hate me and I don''t want that. I love my mother... And, I am scared of having to fake my previous self in front of her just to gain her approval. I... don''t want that."

    "She would probably have a heart attack if she knew about us, wouldn''t she?"

    I laughed very lowly and she giggled as well while giving me the truthful answer.

    "I would be surprised if she can look at your face in the first place."

    "Heh, sounds interesting. It looks like I''ll be going back and forth along with my mother-in-law."

    She laughed furthermore.

    "Hahaha, that''s just impossible! In the first place, for my mother to be your mother-in-law, you and I would........ have.... to........"

    As Shiori''s eyes glistered while looking in my direction, I didn''t say a word. I didn''t ask whether or not she was fine with what I''ve just implied. After all, I want her to know that I am someone who will always be secure when it comes to her.

    Therefore.... It''s not the right thing to do---to show doubt like that. I won''t do that.

    "I''m gonna cry..."

    "I''ll join you too, Shiori. But no snot, please.

    "Oh, shut it!"

    "Haha, that''s the first time I''ve seen you get embarrassed! Let me mess with your cheeks for a bit."

    Softly, I grasped her right side of her cheeks and poked it firstly with my index finger. Simultaneously, she also did the same with my left ones, going as far as making my teeth show itself.

    Her ephemeral tears flowing down without making a sound in response were by far the most beautiful moment I have captured in my entire life.

    "Wanna hear a joke?"

    "Mhm?"

    This joke is so good that I''m having trouble holding myself back from completely bursting out from laughing. So, with a lot of effort, I said the joke to Shiori.

    "The best-man should be Karlos..."

    "No... Stop----Hahaha!! You can''t be serious! I would tolerate Rokoro, but Karlos!? That''s just too much!"

    Her laugh was out of control to the point where she wouldn''t hold back how she truly felt like before, so I continued as I felt immensely happy.

    "What sort of response would you give him if he proposed to you on spot during the wedding day? You know, how in those romantic movies that shit always happens."

    "I don''t know... It would have to be brutal to the point of shattering his entire spirit, that''s for sure..."

    "Wow, you''re serious. You would actually---Hahaha!! Shiori, you''re evil, I swear!"

    "Like you''re one to talk, Ryousuke! Karlos, as our best-man?! Is there something even more evil than that?!"

    "Like I said, I...."

    For a while, we continued our silly conversations that would last a while. We talked and talked about how the current people around us could influence us in the future and we were always looking forward to such events.

    So much, that we forgot what we were even doing in the present; so lost in a train of happiness filled with laughter and joy. Never did I want the future to come faster.

    I would internally ask myself: When is the future?

    But, eventually...

    "Kawahara-dono! Denko-dono! This is massive!"

    Forced to return to the present, Shiori and I acknowledged Rokoro''s call, as everyone was surrounding the circle, suddenly. We had to stop gazing at the horizon; at that sun. Our talks would have to halt themselves for a while.

    "What happened, kiddo?"

    "You won''t believe this! We found Daniel Lead!"

    "Seriously?!"

    Excited at the thought of having the final piece in the palm of my hand, my eyes opened themselves supremely along with my smile.

    However, Zwette and Yoh had something to say in regard to this.

    "It''s weird because...."

    "....You should take a look...."

    In doubt, I approached Zwette''s tablet and as the glider stood still in a particular area of the temple, I could ultimately grasp what they were actually referring to when they meant they found Daniel.

    Part 2.

    Given that the vicinity of the temple is safe to explore completely, with me, I took Sagasuga, who is under my vigilance. Shiori, Rokoro, Zwette, and Yoh insisted on coming along. Ultimately, Kuzan and Rayazaki brought Hyunda along under their own vigilance.

    As such, we began to climb towards the top of the temple since the entrance of the temple was not at the bottom, but at the very top. Needless to say but by now, the night sky was threatening to dominate upon us. Therefore, I had to make this trip as fast as I possibly could. Furthermore, since I wasn''t paying any attention previously to what the tablet was showing us, this would be my first time to actually visit the inner temple.

    "Kiddo, what is exactly inside the temple?"

    Rokoro, who is just one step behind me, in-between Rayazaki and Kuzan who are keeping Hyunda under vigilance, began to explain as we approached the very top; climbing the very few remaining degrees.

    "The inside of the temple for what we have seen is actually quite simple! There are ten floors before a massive door! Sagasuga-dono, do you know what that door is?!"

    "Hm, if I had to picture a guess, it would be for the last area to be accessible? And if that''s the case, then we need to descend down to the last floor, don''t we?"

    "I believe so!"

    According to what Rokoro just said there are ten floors and if there are ten floors, they most likely are related to the fact that there are ten passwords. If so...

    "Rokoro, was there a password confirmation entry?"

    "No, not at all! I believe it''s related to the fact that we have correctly inserted every password before and as such, there isn''t a password confirmation entry nor computers to do so! I daresay that you were right on the money, Kawahara-dono!"

    I smiled as I thought to myself that I was too.

    "You best believe I was, kiddo."

    Continuing on, we walked in, but Sagasuga would always walk in the front because I was always putting him in the front line. I didn''t know whether or not this dark hall would contain the same level of toxicity as before, so if Sagasuga started to demonstrate inability to suddenly breathe, I would pull everyone out.

    However, in that specific silence, as we walked into the dark linear hall with no illumination whatsoever, nothing happened. Sagasuga was breathing just fine.

    Ultimately, the first floor was met with a door that was already open in the end of the linear hall and as such, the moment we walked in that vicinity, the hall was suddenly illuminated by flashing lights from above; to the point where we had to shield our vision with our forearms collectively.

    "Eureka! This, I did not expect!"

    "...So much light..."

    Rokoro and Yoh made their complaints yet the rest was doing just fine, myself included. Especially Sagasuga, who didn''t even blink at the sight of the flashing lights from above.

    Also, for the first time ever, I could analyze the structure of the hall. Abrasive green-lights would come from the top of the high ceiling without a visible end at sight, for some reason. Yet those green lights would be intertwined with the flashing lights from the above structure which just further confused me. The ground of the hall is constituted of geoglyphs, once again, just like in one of the previous hidden sections.

    The temperature here is somewhat cold, but not to the point of freezing. If anything, our way down to the second floor below had been successfully cleared. Beyond that open door with a plausible far-wider entrance where a group of 20 people could at least fit it all at once, we walked in as we met the spiral stairway that would lead us to the floor below.

    Brightly illuminated as well, the second floor was at sight; this time, with a different structure as it was no longer linear. However, despite having a different structure, it didn''t pose a challenge. However, I daresay that it would have posed a challenge if the passwords weren''t correctly inserted one at the time. As such, before we walked further, at the end of the spiral staircase; Rayazaki, on the top of the staircase, made a comment.

    "Is it just me or are the passwords linked to what perhaps each floor would pose?"

    "What do you mean?"

    Shiori, curious, just like the rest of us, looked at Rayazaki and posed that question.

    "You see, before all this, we came here and Kawahara reasoned that the atmosphere here would be like Mars, but what if that only applied to the first floor? What if the first floor here is connected the the correct password from the first section?"

    "Rayazaki, that''s most likely it, you''re right. We never really deciphered the first password---because..."

    Something weird happened then. As I tried to remember why we couldn''t ultimately decipher the password from the first section, I couldn''t fully remember it. As such, I placed my right hand on the right side of my brain whilst attempting to remember as hard as I could.

    "...What''s wrong?"

    "No, it''s nothing, Shiori... I must''ve forgotten, that''s all. Weird... But, Rayazaki, since we didn''t decipher the first password, if it''s connected to the first floor, then the challenge that the first floor would present us is no longer present for that reason. I was right when I said that we had to do each step at the time. It didn''t matter if we cleared the other passwords, if the first section''s password remained to be inserted. It''s a clever defensive mechanism, to say the least."

    If my reasoning is entirely correct, then that explains a lot of things. Supposedly, each floor would have defensive mechanisms encrypted to act should all the passwords not be inserted. If so, then walking into the temple without all the passwords inserted; even if the first one is already inserted, it wouldn''t matter because in one of the floors where the correct password hasn''t been inserted, the defensive mechanism would block anyone from progressing forward.

    In other words, my reasoning was entirely correct since only inserting the correct passwords already enables us from clearly walking into this temple.

    Regardless, we continued to move forward and the second floor, instead of being linear, had upper and lower stations that the stairway would connect.

    To put it in perspective; from where I stand, in the front---in the end of the spiral stairways, there is an empty station containing a square and all I have to do is to walk in the direction of that square; in a linear way, that is. However, that''s where it starts to get tricky.

    A stairway containing about to ten degrees extends itself in the northeast direction to yet another empty station in a shape of a triangle. Afterwards, there is yet another stairway that goes down to southwest direction; however instead of landing on a triangle, it lands on a circle. Likewise, the same pattern is repeated afterwards except the direction changes from southwest into southeast and the landing place is a rhombus.

    Subsequently, the direction changes to northwest and the ultimate destination of the sequence is a parallelogram. Each of the empty stations have a tremendous wide space, so no one has to worry about the very terrifying fact that there is a gigantic dark void below; should anyone fall below. By contrast, it descends down in south direction, but in a forward way as the upcoming spot would be a trapezoid.

    With four other geometrical landing stations left, the direction it would follow would be north once again. Naturally, since the landing spots are in fact geometrical figures it would mean that the destination would be one of those: a kite. Similarly, the direction it followed was north once again and it was met with an empty station in the form of a trapezium. This time around, the direction it followed was not north, but simply south and the empty station took the shape of an upside-down triangle; fully inverted.

    At last, to complete the entire path, the stairway went in a north direction towards a decagon. To further give meaning to the supposed completion, there is a visible linear path that is to be followed afterwards.

    "Ugh, I hate geometry!"

    Stepping on the first square, Kuzan lashed out that complaint, meanwhile, Rokoro, already on the trapezoid, counter-argued.

    "But, why, Kuzan-dono?! Mathematics are so fun if you just allow yourself to discover them instead of rejecting them! It''s a common misconception that mathematics are boring! All you have to do is to put your mind to it!"

    Way past Rokoro, alongside Sagasuga and Shiori, I agreed with Rokoro in my own way, while on the upside-down triangle.

    "Rokoro, has a point, but Kuzan here is so driven into stealing that math is a foreign language to him!"

    "How is it fun though? Just hearing what the teacher has to say about it makes me want to spin my own chair until I pass out..."

    Yoh, on the kite, said something about that.

    "....Maybe it''s the teacher''s fault and not the subject..."

    Afterwards, Rokoro met up with us in the decagon and asked Sagasuga a question.

    "Sagasuga-dono! I''ve been meaning to ask you this, but do you have any idea who came up with the idea behind this island?!"

    I didn''t see how Sagasuga could possibly know any of that, but his answer was strangely vague. He smiled like usual with his eyes closed and didn''t mind answering the curious Rokoro.

    "Maybe someone who wouldn''t want others to visit this island? Ha! Ha!"

    His laugh was separated in two different parts which was something that I had never witnessed before.

    "Why would you say that, Sagasuga-dono?"

    "Well... Isn''t it just obvious? Arguably everything about this island is encrypted. For what reason is it encrypted? Have you asked yourself that question?"

    "....That''s... That''s an interesting question, Sagasuga-dono! But, no matter how I look at it, wasn''t this island purposely encrypted for the sake of the difficulty of the exam? That''s what I can only think of!"

    "There you have it! Therefore, weren''t the ones behind our program the ones who came up with this island? Simple, right?"

    "I suppose!"

    All that Sagasuga did was to simplify what Rokoro attempted to instigate. But it''s not as if I have a spectacular interest about this island as a whole. All I am interested in is following through. With that in mind, we met another spiral staircase as we descended to the third floor and just as one could predict, the structure changed once again.

    First of all, the entire floor is made out of lava. However, what''s keeping us from not stepping on the lava is a floating elevator on the very entrance of the floor. Unlike the previous floor, this one was far more simple but arguably more dangerous.

    "Holy moly! The floor is made out of lava! What madness is this?!"

    "....How''re going to cross it...?"

    To Yoh''s question, Rayazaki gave his opinion, although, it was already pretty obvious.

    "We have to use that elevator, which is floating, for whatever reason."

    To clarify, although the elevator is without a doubt floating, it''s important to recognize where it is exactly floating. There is a small space that separates from where we stand and the upcoming space where there is lava overflowing below. The heat is already tremendous but the elevator itself is fairly wide. No doubt about it: more than 20 people fit there and as such, all we had to do was to approach the end of the space from where we currently are and climb onto the elevator that has a supporting stairway case that will evidently lead to the floating elevator.

    It''s, however, extremely unnatural that there is a floating object...

    "But what could be supporting the levitation of this elevator?! Could it be the lava?! It''s as if the gravity around the elevator does not function! Marvelous! Simply marvelous!"

    Rokoro, closer to the lava below the elevator remarked that the lava could be this sustaining force, but what he implied was quite absurd.

    "Kiddo, what you just suggested is highly advanced and something that is... impractical. Defying gravity is not an easy feat."

    "But Kawahara-dono! How do we explain what is happening?! Didn''t you say before that the atmosphere you felt back then was the same as on Mars?! Kawahara-dono, we must inform the outside world about this! Imagine the countless scientific minds that would beg to have their hands on this! Our progress as a race would be astonishing!"

    ".............."

    No matter how I look at it, this elevator is being supported by standing on the air and in the same area as the lava below so the only logical explanation is that the lava contains a repelling force that does not allow the elevator to be attracted to it. Exactly what would happen if you turned two attracting metals in the opposite direction: if you attempted to collide both, they ultimately wouldn''t be able to connect as they are not attracted to each other via magnetic force.

    "This is reverse magnetic force, more than likely. Anyway, let''s get going. All aboard!"

    The moment we all hopped in the elevator, the elevator automatically took us to the other side where lava could not reach us. It also occurred to me what the defensive mechanism here could be, in the case that the password for this floor was not inserted. Perhaps the elevator would work, but midday, it would collapse or something like that. In the end, if that would be the case, then anyone would be engulfed with the lava.

    We continued to the fourth floor the same way we did on the other floors; a spiral stairway would always lead us below until we found a changing structure. Yet, this structure changed far too much for any of us to calmly process it. In the exact second we came into contact with the fourth floor''s ground, it all changed.

    "What?!"

    "But how is this possible.... Didn''t we just come across a straight-forward linear path?! How did it change into this?!"

    ".....Perhaps it changed because we walked in....?"

    Noticing the difference in the atmosphere, I suggested something after Kuzan, Rokoro, and Yoh had voiced their thoughts.

    "Everyone! Back off right from where we came from!"

    On my order, we all went back to the stairway case, but we didn''t know where the stairway case was, so what we did instead was to retract the exact same steps and thus, after a while, we were once again in the spiral stairway case.

    "Ryousuke, what just happened?"

    All eyes were on me and as Shiori asked, I suggested something.

    "What happened was the following: the moment we stopped making contact with the stairway case, we became exposed to what this floor has to offer. However----all we have to do is to keep a clear eye on the destination that we have to follow. In other words..."

    I pointed at the end of the linear hall ahead of us which would lead to yet another spiral stairway case.

    "We have to keep on walking in that direction! Despite... what it might seem."

    "But Kawahara-dono! We were in outer space just now! Yet we were able to breathe just fine!"

    I counter-argued.

    "There is no way that we were in actual outer space just now, Rokoro. This is just plain CGI. There is absolutely no way that we were on Titan''s lake, in Saturn''s largest moon... We could breathe just fine and our bodies didn''t start to decompose themselves. It''s just a stupid prank. Acknowledge that, yeah?"

    "I see! Oh, I''m somewhat disappointed, Kawahara-dono! I thought for a second that we were in fact in... Wait, did you just say Titan''s lake?! As in the lake that has similar liquid to the water on Earth?!"

    "Yes! However, it''s called "liquid methane" as it suggests that there are hydrocarbon lakes; which in addition means that human life would actually, potentially, stand a chance there."

    But I told Rokoro something that he was slowly forgetting.

    "Don''t forget it''s just CGI."

    Afterwards, slowly, we entered the hall and became one with a land of soft sand that contained a small density of sand on its surface. Yet, in this atmosphere, deserted dunes could be observed from afar, despite the fact that those dunes would most likely just be blocked by the walls in this hall. Furthermore, unlike a normal desert, there were a lot of lakes around everywhere. I checked my own two hands and tried to breathe. Everything went just fine.

    Shiori, in the middle of this, kneeled down and grabbed a portion of sand with her two hands as she looked at me in awe.

    "Ryousuke.... Should this be happening? Didn''t you just suggest that this is in fact CGI? Something that is under the category of CGI should not... be grasped... right?!"

    My eyes widened in surprise as I couldn''t believe what was happening before my own two eyes, but I insisted with my own reasoning.

    "That---That can''t be true... Maybe it''s---"

    However, I knew not how to explain what was currently happening and it shocked me. For once, I didn''t know the answer to something and it started to annoy me slightly. I tried to think therefore.

    This has to be the work of CGI. The moment someone walks in, the CGI activates and we are under the impression that we are in outer space; in Saturn''s largest moon: Titan. Specifically, in one of its lakes. However, the fact that it is CGI implies that anything we touch should be real, so how come I am also able to grasp this sand? I feel it in the right palm of my hand, so how come this is possible under the influence of CGI?

    My reasoning is flawed? That could be the answer. This can''t be the real Titan because we would all just die instantly; plus, we are in fact on Earth and not on Titan, a moon of Saturn---a planet that is far, far too ahead of us for us humans to be in. As a matter of fact, it would take humans SO long until they reach Titan that it''s absurd to consider this a reality, which can only mean one thing. This is not CGI, but it is at the same time. The atmosphere has changed exactly to what is Titan, but we are somehow able to maintain our physical perception despite... not being on the real Titan? It''s not as if the hall has anything besides what is the hall which is just a straight forward area.

    "Look! I can feel the water too!"

    "You can''t be serious, Kuzan..."

    Midst my thought process, as I watched Kuzan a few meters away from me on my right grasp and drink the water from the closest lake, I didn''t manage to believe it.

    "But I am!"

    "He''s serious, Kawahara! I can feel it too!"

    Although Kuzan is holding Hyunda through his chains, Rayazaki is also doing that but grasping the silk translucent water from the lake that is under a orange gradient; as a result of the far away sun on the west side.

    Shiori and I, along with Sagasuga and the rest went to meet up with them on our right side and also attempted to feel the water with our palms.

    "Mother in heaven! This! This---This!! What madness is allowing this event to be possible?! Kawahara-dono, how can we be able to have physical sentience in a place like this when we are in fact not on the real Titan?! This sort of technology would allow the human mind to transcend our very modern limits!"

    "Ryousuke, this is real! Actual water!"

    Shiori kept splashing the water from left to right in order to express her physical sentience to further give me a sense of reality.

    "...Real water.... This is so cool..."

    Yoh looked fairly happy at the thought of experiencing something completely unnatural and as for me, I was still undoubtedly unable to believe that this is real, but as I felt the water scourge through the wit''s of my palms, my mind recognized that this is in fact reality.

    "Magnificent... It''s so---"

    Strangely, as I would begin to contemplate the abstract aspect of this water in the palm of my two hands, nothing to me was more strange at the sight of Sagasuga and Hyunda, in perfect resonance, kneeling down on the bay of this lake and then, in pure synchronization, they would drink the water of this lake without speaking a word.

    "What the..."

    In such a surprise, all of us, except the two of them, questioned what they were doing. Certaintly, I questioned whether or not they were just that thirsty, but they never even for once expressed such thought so it occurred to me that this event, was out of my understanding. And then, Sagasuga spoke in my direction with an apathetic face to me.

    "Kawahara... Shall we not lose any more time? I want to go back as soon as possible. Let''s follow the path forward as it will lead us to the upcoming floor for sure."

    Hyunda did not speak as he tilted his neck in the opposite direction while looking to his right, where there lied the planet classified as an ice giant: Uranus. It contains such a beautiful glacial transparency that it nullified any possible interpretations of what the inside could look like. A storm raging for a thousand years spree to come would be on its way and nobody would notice thanks to the shrouded atmosphere on the outside.

    "I envy...."

    He spoke those words in a very low empathic voice...

    "...Let''s go."

    Eventually, just as I had previously concluded, all we had to do was to follow the linear path and the scenario disappeared just like that, as if it was an illusion. Afterwards, the fifth floor would be on our sight as we continued to further dive deeper into the temple through the spiral stairway case.

    The fifth floor contained an amphitheater, out of all the things to contain. The done itself was gigantic to the point of having no ceiling. Structure-wise, it resembled a roman amphitheater but the sideway seats were absolutely more adequate than old stone rumblings as they looked to be fairly new. A cavity towards the middle would make us walk into it as it has the shape of a cross. Meaning that in the middle of that cavity, there would be a two-way dual-path split to us.

    As I walked in there, I spoke out loud.

    "This is where we would most likely die, no?"

    "Probably, Ryousuke... For example, maybe this is a death trap and anyone who would come across this path would be ensnared by two gigantic balls coming from both sides?"

    "That could be it, Shiori. Anyhow, our path is clear."

    Ahead of us, at the end of this lonely hollow amphitheater with low illumination to it, there is an open door containing two separate doors as well which would give us access to the floor below; the sixth one.

    Descending down the path to the sixth floor, I confirmed something with Rokoro.

    "It''s on the ninth floor, correct?"

    "Yes, Kawahara-dono! That''s where we spotted it!"

    "I see..."

    Still, to think that he managed to get that far... There''s only one logical explanation that I can think of as to how that was possible. Regardless, on the sixth floor, we would soon stand in.

    Upon descending the stairway case, we found a mechanical bridge separating us from the upcoming downward spiral stairway case that would connect us to the seventh floor. Something to remark about the bridge under extreme artificial illumination is that both of its sides contained a heavenly blue and it wouldn''t take a fool to notice that there is something underneath it.

    However, it didn''t cross our minds that whatever it could be, could be, for example, an environment, since we are at the very depth of the temple. Nonetheless, that was exactly it, as on my right side, along with Sagasuga, Shiori, and Rokoro, we observed the very existence of a purely white mountain that contained a very identical long bridge to this one before connecting to the holy mountain itself.

    An atmosphere so clouded yet there is a sun there; it looks to be on midday or so I would assume.

    "Kawahara-dono! That''s an environment! There''s no doubt about it, this current floor reflects something about the section that it corresponds toward!"

    "It''s more than that. It''s not just this section... Something about the floor that we are or were in suggests or implies content of the section the password is corresponded to. It''s more like to say that environment is the one where the sixth section would lead us toward."

    "It''s beautiful... I somewhat regret not going there..."

    Yoh commented that as he is undoubtedly attracted to the mountain, for some reason. However, in the end, it was a fairly simple section as all we had to do was to cross the mechanical bridge without any sort of difficulty on our way.

    In the middle of the upcoming downwards stairway case, Sagasuga made a remark to me.

    "So far; so good, isn''t that right, Kawahara?"

    "Yeah. It''s stupid how easy the exam was to solve, ultimately, Sagasuga. All we had to do was insert the right passwords and then go straight here. Hah."

    I chuckled out loud as I reflected on the lack of difficulty in this exam.

    "I wonder."

    "About what?"

    "Maybe there''s another task to be done once we reach the bottom of the temple? It''s more than likely that the exam is organized in a group of phases. The first phase is the gathering of words. The second phase is the decoding of the words. Wouldn''t it make sense for there to be a third and last phase? Just a thought."

    As I thought about Sagasuga''s words, Shiori couldn''t help but agree.

    "That would make sense, wouldn''t it...? What do you think, Ryousuke?"

    "Whatever it is, I just hope that it doesn''t require the ten of us criminals to do it, otherwise we are completely screwed because some of them are dead..."

    On the seventh floor floor, the strangest thing happened. Out of nowhere, we were met with a water bay that contained a wooden bridge to walk into. Needless to say, yet another forward path, but this path would be far longer. Furthermore, on both of our right and left sides, we could witness a vast blue ocean around us. A sky so cerulean mixed with a soft embrace of white under a radiant sun above.

    We attempted to look to our right side as we crossed the wooden bridge but outside of the fact that the wind gust was softly embracing us, nothing but the unparalleled length of an ocean greeted our sights.

    However, Yoh, while looking in the opposite direction, noted something, that not many of us could notice.

    ".....There''s a.... lighthouse... there...!"

    "Really?"

    I approached him on the edge of the wooden bridge as we both supported our bodies in the very linear edge separating the bridge and the sparkling ocean. I looked further and further in the direction that Yoh quietly pointed at and I could spot a very small yet tall figure; lonely in that ocean as I could grasp firmly a watery horizon from afar.

    "You weren''t kidding, there really is a lighthouse there."

    "I wonder what it could be for?"

    Sagasuga commented that while also looking in our direction. Rokoro didn''t hesitate on giving his thoughts to us.

    "It probably has something that would blow my mind! Something even more magnificent that would place itself above the fact that we are standing in the middle of an ocean inside a temple! Revolutionary technology! I will change the world once I inform the outside world about this!"

    "Woah, you plan on telling the whole world about this? I respect your dedication, but... What will you do once a lot of people doubt you, out of curiosity?"

    "Not to worry, Sagasuga-dono! My curiosity will overwhelm their doubts and I will give them evidence about this place, no matter what!"

    "Hahahah... I like you! Good job in picking up such interesting individuals, Kawahara. I am most shocked at your change. You have my utmost honest congratulations!"

    Showing a genuinely happy reaction, through his cuffs, Sagasuga raised an applause in my direction and then, Shiori whispered something to my ear.

    "Good for you. Even a fellow of yours recognizes the fact that you have indeed changed. You should try and see if he can change too."

    "........"

    I didn''t answer to her but I took her words into consideration. In addition to that, we all started to walk forward into the end of the wooden bridge.

    Losing distance between me and Sagasuga, I spoke to him on a more personal level.

    "Why not change too? If I can do it, you could do it too, no?"

    "Eh? But what''s wrong with me? I abide by morality constantly. As a matter of fact, my core philosophy of balance prevents me from being a bad person."

    "...Come on, Sagasuga, get real... I''m talking behind that face of yours..."

    Our eyes crossed far more serious than before.

    "No."

    That was his answer and thus, I sighed. Afterwards, I looked in Shiori''s direction with a hopeless face. She, however, had the face of someone who was hoping that I would be able to convince Sagasuga still and as such, I attempted my luck again.

    "Look, man. You''re not a lost cause like the other clowns."

    "You''re right about that. Thanks!"

    "..........."

    That was not what I meant at all... He''s hard to argue with, for some reason. It''s like behind his usual facade lies a person that won''t listen to any other person than himself or someone... above him. Wait, I think I want to try something out.

    "Sagasuga, is there a person you consider above you?"

    "What a strange question. But, yes. Of course."

    "Who?"

    He then stopped walking and put a grim face on as he told me to mind my own business in his own way.

    "I don''t believe I have the obligation to answer you, do I?"

    I sighed once again as I am now someone new, who won''t instigate others completely.

    "I suppose not. My bad."

    Dissapointed, I looked at Shiori, but she gave me a thumbs up instead of being disappointed like I am in myself. I acknowledged that she viewed my effort as something that should at least be recognized. Yet from the start I knew that reasoning with Sagasuga is the same as arguing with a wall.

    Nothing ultimately happens.

    Towards the eight floor we went as the bridge soon met a downwards path that would once again connect us to the floor below; the eight.

    Just like in any floor, the structure changed completely. Although there wasn''t a bridge this time, there is a sheltered passage to the other side covered in dark steel with very small windows made of glass on each side. Exactly like walking into the school at night, through a lonely hall, we all gained that feeling of reminiscence.

    It was also quite illuminated as well but even though the path ahead was obvious, we were all curious to know what the outside had to offer; in other words, we all looked through the windows scattered around.

    In the first window on my right, alongside Shiori and Sagasuga, we looked at the outside scenery.

    "What exactly happened there? It''s a destroyed city, isn''t it, Ryousuke?"

    I corrected Shiori, since there is a more appropriate saying to this.

    "This is a dystopia. It''s all singed and ruined but... ironically enough, it looked highly advanced in terms of technology."

    The buildings resemble that of a metropolis, a very mechanical one. There is no sun outside, but the lights from the destroyed buildings scattered through the massive city remain. A single sight of nature does not run in this place as everything is mechanical.

    "Fools."

    For some reason, as we were watching the city, Sagasuga spoke that word.

    "Were you talking to us?"

    "Ah, no. I was thinking of something else, don''t mind me. Also, can we get going? There''s nothing be obtained here except for lore and I am not interested in it. Besides, we can''t even get down there."

    "You''re right. But it''s fun and surprising at the same time, Sagasuga. This fake organization is trying too hard to impress us."

    Throughout the island, I''ve lost count of the amount of times the mighty "Illuminati" have been foreshadowed but it''s all a joke. They don''t exist. First of all, their history began as a society that would fight for their own rights against the abuse of the state in terms of power. However, nowadays, they don''t have an enemy. Furthermore, they were banned from existence.

    This is nothing more than a cheap---well, not a cheap, but a far too thought-out imitation. There''s no doubt that there''s a lot of effort into this, but this is probably something that the ones behind the exam thought it was funny for us to overthink about.

    Alas, we made our way to ninth floor and the lights started to fade out.

    "Rokoro, where was it?"

    "If I recall correctly, Kawahara-dono... In the middle of the area."

    "I see... Everyone, do your absolute best to not get creeped out."

    At last, we would walk into the ninth floor. Although the lights were very poorly illuminated, it was enough for us to see it. Something happened in this floor and that something is no other than the lack of change in the overall structure. I won''t say that it isn''t yet another linear path, but in this wide square-shaped area, there is a certain factor that would catch the attention of someone who would walk in, without a shadow of doubt.

    The ceiling above is now open and by looking at the top of it, one can see the multitude of spears aligned in order to strike down any individual who would dare to walk in this vicinity without the right to. That right being: the correct password being inserted first.

    As we walked in, we descended the small four degrees of the stairway in the forward direction. The statues in the two sides contained spears as well, but the spears above would undoubtedly be the ultimate cause of fatality.

    After all, this is what happens when you get too greedy.

    "Daniel, Daniel. I can see now you weren''t anywhere to be found. Like I thought, you were in here, but I must admit, you outsmarted me to the core."

    In all my previous thoughts before, I never for once thought that Daniel was dead all along. As I thought, I was overestimating him far too much.

    Because, right here, in front of me, Daniel Lead stands, with multiple spears stabbed on his chest, face, and ultimately, his legs. He wasn''t able to fall down on the floor since the spears adjusted to his body posture and are penetrated on the ground.

    "...Wait, what happened exactly...?"

    Yoh wasn''t exactly creeped out because we already knew that Daniel was dead, but Sagasuga explained it for me, since our thought processes were practically identical.

    "I think what happened was the following: While Kawahara and the rest of you were deciphering the passwords, Daniel took advantage of what you were doing and bought his way down here. In other words, since you all had inserted eight correct passwords, there wasn''t any sort of challenge to Daniel down here. However, he made a fatal miscalculation..."

    Shiori, who wasn''t phased by this since she already knew what had happened followed Sagasuga up.

    "He didn''t take into consideration that it was necessary to clear all the passwords and in addition thought he could just walk in without any sort of consequences. He was clearly wrong. I must say, out of all of you, he was probably the dumbest. Not only did he refuse to cooperate, but he probably was the one who killed Kan and Akihiko. A coward to the very end. This might be cold, but he got what he deserved."

    "It''s not cold, Shiori, it''s just the truth. He wasn''t very smart at all, so this is a fine end for him. With that said..."

    Rokoro finished my sentence with a smile on his face.

    "Kawahara-dono, this means that since Daniel Lead-dono is dead, we can safely move everyone in once we find what the next floor contains!"

    "Exactly, kiddo! Let''s go!"

    I high-fived Rokoro, as Shiori and Yoh were all happy at the thought of no oppositions being at our sight. If Daniel is dead, then there is nothing to worry about. Kan and Akihiko are dead like him, so they are not threats. Sagasuga is chained up like that bastard Hyunda, so it''s impossible for them to utilize their strengths. They will never be able to talk their way out to safety on my watch. Furthermore, Tatsu and Tsudo are under Damian and Karlos'' watch. Karlos will put them in their place should they try anything funny. Lastly, Rayazaki and Kuzan are on my side.

    All the pieces are with me and as such, we moved into the tenth floor by crossing the room right into the last stairway case that we would utilize.

    However, as we did, I lagged behind and talked to him.

    "Look at you. So pitiful... I don''t know what you two had going together, but I could tell you were planning something along with him. Yet, he was a fool for overextending himself like this."

    "............"

    With his entire spiky hair covering his front eyes, I couldn''t get a clearer look at him, so I grabbed his face and forced my way in and I could only capture an infinite hollowness in his eyes that reflected despair without hope at sight.

    "Say something, bastard. I want to hear it."

    "...You win."

    Never in my entire life did words cause my emotions to stir up in a happy way like that before. The corners of my lips rose to full heights and my confidence bursted when Hajime Hyunda at last, admitted defeat. I started to laugh out loud then.

    "That''s what you get! That''s what you fucking get for not acknowledging me. I command close to 500 people but look at you! You couldn''t even maintain your "friend" alive. So, how does it feel like?!"

    "....."

    He is so dead inside that he can''t even move his lips. But, I realized something as I let go of his face and moved forward.

    I am a changed person and I won''t treat someone in an evil manner again. This is the last time and as I approached Shiori, I clarified that.

    "...Sorry, that was the last time. I promise."

    "...Don''t do that again... Even Yoh and Rokoro could barely recognize you..."

    "....Sorry..."

    I cast down my glance but at the same time, I took a deep breathe as I collected all my spirit while moving forward to the next floor.

    The tenth and last floor, at the very bottom of the temple contained a wide area in the shape of a triangle. This area, in addition, is highly illuminated, but the particular main attraction would be the gigantic door that has the height of thirty meters. Exactly like entering the boss room, that door and what''s beyond it, would give a similar feeling. Nonetheless, the door was firmly locked, because, before it, there are ten machines that have the purpose of acknowledging one''s fingerprints.

    Aside from that, there are two elevators on the right and left side of this triangle-shaped area. I daresay that those elevators will probably lead us to a hidden exit that will in addition lead us to the outside area of the temple where we can hopefully meet up with everyone. That would spare us the trouble of walking up all over again. However, just to make sure, I gave Rokoro and Yoh the orders.

    "Rokoro, Yoh, can you check if those two elevators have a function that allows you to go up?"

    "Absolutely Kawahara-dono!"

    "...Ok."

    Meanwhile, Sagasuga posed a question in regards of the machines ahead of us.

    "Are you not going to try that out to see what it does? If so, can I try it first?"

    "Why not? Show me what they can do. Take the middle machine."

    "Certaintly."

    Since I was curious as to what it did, I allowed Sagasuga to take control of the motion here and he went with the fifth machine, as he put his right hand on the recognition machine. The result was something that we would all take immediate note of.

    "The upper part of the door vanished into thin air..."

    "Wait, does that mean that the door is an illusion?"

    "Can''t we just walk through it then?"

    Kuzan and Rayazaki assumed all of that from Shiori''s remark, but I corrected them.

    "I doubt it. Anyway, Sagasuga, do the same on the right one to see what happens."

    "Got it."

    However, nothing happened and so, he turned himself in my direction and spoke his mind.

    "I could be wrong here but... I believe that we need someone else with different finger-prints. There is a reason as to why there are ten machines. Why doesn''t Hyunda try it, for example?"

    ".........."

    Skeptical, I looked at Sagasuga and then Hyunda. As I saw nothing wrong with that, I attempted to speak, but had to hear Yoh and Rokoro''s reports first.

    "...It only leads up..."

    "Indeed! This means we don''t have to walk up! Mamma mia!"

    "As I thought, fantastic. Kuzan, Rayazaki, make him do it."

    On my command, they brought Hyunda closer to the sixth machine and did it.

    Shiori then noted what happened as he did that.

    "Now the second upper part disappeared. It''s strange because there seems to be only three pieces left, if I calculate the sizes. Ryousuke, try it to see it the middle piece disappears; I want to try my theory out."

    "Just a second then."

    Instead of going for the seventh machine, I went with the fourth one on the other hand and just as Shiori had theorized, the middle part of the door vanished as we could actually capture light from beyond the door but we knew not where it would lead us yet.

    "Okay, nice! I think that if the sizes don''t differ that it should only take two more people for the door to completely vanish!"

    Understanding their roles without anyone having to tell them, Kuzan and Rayazaki didn''t hesitate in going to the third and second machines to ultimately insert their own finger-prints.

    "Eureka! It''s gone! Our way in is at sight! What do we do now, Kawahara-dono?!"

    It''s true. What lies beyond is most likely the end of the exam. Furthermore, Shiori''s theory suggests that it''s not necessary for ten people to be successful in getting here in order to complete the exam. It''s only necessary that at least five people insert their finger-prints and as such, the program that is keeping us under watch has acknowledged the five of us as the exam''s winners.

    Nonetheless, it is at times like these that I think to myself that instead of using this achievement to myself, I have to share it with those important to me and as such, I spoke my honest thoughts to Rokoro.

    "Let''s go up and inform everyone about this! Can you imagine how happy they would be about this, kiddo?!"

    "I think so too, Kawahara-dono! I can''t wait to see their reactions!"

    "Exactly! You get me!"

    With my path of action successfully put out, we started to make our way to the left elevator as we would soon climb our way up.

    Yet, before that, Shiori spoke to me as we purposely lagged behind.

    "I''m proud of you. You didn''t prioritize this exam completely and instead prioritized getting the others out of this island."

    "I couldn''t have done this without you, I think. Along the way, I might''ve lost myself and went back to the old me."

    She smiled as she was happy at my words and I did the same, since her smile is highly contagious, in a good manner.

    "Well then. It''s our win, Ryousuke. I know it''s a bit early to throw the rockets up, but we did it. Now, all we have to do is to tell the others about it!"

    With faith in our success, for the first time in my life, as we took this elevator, I, along with someone I deeply care about, could acknowledge that we did something remarkable with our actions.

    Undoubtely, it''s our win.

 Volume 23 - Chapter 160: People-Numbers.

    Part 1.

    The elevator rose to full height as we emerged from a secret door on the very left side of the bottom entrance of the temple. Since Damian and Youjo were waiting around for us at the bottom entrance, they were the first ones to notice our arrival and didn''t show a single moment of hesitation in coming to us, in our direction.

    "Kawahara, how did it go?!"

    "Well?!"

    Rokoro and I as we closed in to them, gave the good news.

    "Damian-dono, Youjo! It''s a huge success! Furthermore, we have confirmed that Daniel Lead-dono is dead and as such, we no longer have to fear his existence!"

    "It''s exactly as the kiddo says, Damian, Youjo. The door that was blocking our passage on the last floor is now open as it required at least five of the exam''s participants to insert their finger-prints in the machines. Since we had exactly five people with us, it worked out. But, we have to inform everyone first about this. Can I count on you two to spread the news as fast as possible?"

    They were exulted about the good news, without a doubt, and as such, Damian agreed immediately, with a positive attitude backing him up in the beginning of this young night.

    "Of course! I''ll tell the other group leaders to inform the others as well! Good job!"

    Then, Youjo also did the same.

    "This is great! This means that we are getting out of this island today! I''m so thrilled!"

    Both Damian and Youjo quickly went forward as they met up with the rest. Midst this, I looked at the rising moon on the west side of the dark yet illuminated horizon by the precious moonlight.

    I also recalled that I had vowed to get everyone out of this island by the today, so we would have to move in right now. However, as Rayazaki and Kuzan led Hyunda to the area where the other prisoners currently are, Shiori and Rokoro came to my attention as if they could read my mind.

    "Ryousuke, I know you said that you would get everyone out of this island, but the truth is that we haven''t slept for days..."

    "Indeed, Kawahara-dono... I believe we are all tired."

    Sagasuga is right here on my right side listening to all of this and he also spoke in my direction.

    "Quite the bold claim, Kawahara. But, if we must leave this island today, we should get everyone ready."

    I took Shiori and Rokoro''s words into far more consideration than Sagasuga''s since they brought a good point.

    "I understand---so, shall we all sleep for the night and leave in the morning?"

    Although I had vowed that they would all leave the island by today, if everyone agrees about the fact that we need to sleep, then I will agree. But, if there are people who also want to leave this island, then I will have to take it into consideration.

    "Don''t worry about the vow, Ryousuke. It''s better if we all sleep and I will convince everyone. Rokoro, help me out, will you?"

    Before Rokoro could give an answer, however, Sagasuga spoke in their direction.

    "Can I help out too?"

    But I didn''t allow that to happen.

    "Not on my watch. I will be keeping an eye on every single one of you. Shiori, Rokoro, I''ll be counting on you."

    They quickly ran into the numbers and started to spread the information thus leaving me and Sagasuga on our own, basking under the moonlight.

    "I don''t understand. Are you skeptical of me despite the fact that I am your prisoner?"

    "Again, I don''t take any chances, Sagasuga. Let''s go and meet up with the rest."

    "You mean the rest of the students?"

    "No. Our classmates. The remaining ones, that is."

    "Ah."

    He didn''t exactly look quite pleased while muttering that last remaining word. Either way, at the end of the it all, even though I helped all of them, I will have to keep an eye on Sagasuga, Hyunda, Tatsu, and Tsudo to make sure they don''t do anything stupid. On the elevator I asked for an extra pair of handcuffs while talking to Shiori so I can cuff both Tsudo and Tatsu to their combining wrists and like that, they will all be unable to move.

    Furthermore, since I will be watching over them, this means that Rayazaki and Kuzan can go and have fun with the other remaining students that they have bonded well with.

    My destination would be where Karlos would be, on the west side of this grand area where an enormous variety of students lie within. Tatsu and Tsudo are being kept under watch by Karlos while Rayazaki and Kuzan are keeping their shackles on Hyunda.

    The area was somewhat deserted but when I reached the area, I spoke in Karlos direction and tapped twice on his right shoulder as a means to congratule him for his efforts thus far.

    "That''s a good job for you, big guy. Go wild out there and have fun. Eat as much as you can, just don''t flirt with my girl."

    "I-I wouldn''t dare, Master! But still, are you sure you don''t need any help?!"

    "Nope. They are under my care---as of this moment."

    I had to stop midway my speech as I was connecting both of Tatsu and Tsudo''s wrists along with their ankles and as such, they were shackled up officially. They were still mildly stunned from the shock earlier, which just went to show how powerful the bars are. However, as far as I''m concerned we won''t be needing to utilize any of the components so, they have served their purpose, which was to ironically enough, capture the remaining of my classmates.

    In the end, Karlos went to the opposite direction to meet the boys from his group which just left the other two.

    "What are you two doing? Leave him to me."

    Tatsu and Tsudo are already down on the ground and Sagasuga took a seat with his back against a nearby tree.

    "Are you going to keep them all chained up, Kawahara?"

    "Of course, Rayazaki. I''ll unite all of their chains so they don''t think of anything funny."

    Sagasuga made a comment with his eyes closed while lowly laughing in my direction.

    "So much precaution, I can''t help but admire that resolution of yours. But I don''t think Hyunda could do anything even if he tried. I mean, he can barely speak."

    "You heard him, Rayazaki. And, I think Ringo is waiting for you, no? What are you doing?"

    I mocked him a bit indirectly by referencing his lack of initiative towards Ringo, a girl that he had befriended recently, back when we were all playing a game to know who knew Shiori the better. But, at the current time, there''s no necessity for that. Rayazaki should go and have fun, as he is bound to enjoy his experience.

    "...You should come too... They would like it."

    "Too bad someone has to keep an eye on these fuckers."

    "I---guess. Well, later!"

    "Hm."

    With a head-nod, I saw Rayazaki off as he went in the opposite direction as well; near to the concentration of bonfires closeby---illuminating the nearest spots and creating a grandious luminosity.

    Yet, Kuzan still remained close as he was with his head down.

    "What''s wrong?"

    To myself I thought that he would be more than happy with the opportunity of talking to his friends, but for some reason, Kuzan was looking down on the ground. Nonetheless, I could picture a reason for his sadness.

    "Aniki died like that... I didn''t want to sound dramatic at the moment, but... I don''t think that in the end I understood him at all. We had a few talks and shared a few moments, but I''m sad that he didn''t rely on us in the end..."

    Sad about Daniel''s death; Kuzan began to lament the loss. Even though deep down I wanted to tell Kuzan far crueler words, I settled with some gentle ones.

    "Unfortunately, Kuzan... There will be people that we will never understand deep down. We should be happy with the ones we can understand and try not to think about those that we struggle to understand instead."

    A little less helpless, Kuzan looked up and met my eyes.

    "I think you''re right... Master."

    "Kuzan---I know this might be sudden, but I''ve been thinking and we should disband the hideout."

    "Phew."

    Unnecessarily, Sagasuga whislted in my direction, but I didn''t let that affect me and I continued with my speech.

    "We have met several wonderful people in this island that have been placed here unfairly. By disbanding the hideout, we are allowing ourselves to understand them better instead of limiting ourselves to those in our class. This doesn''t mean that we won''t see each other, because we will still be friends, but---this is a great chance, don''t you think?"

    "...I---I also think you are right... I joined the hideout because I was afraid of the exams and saught your help, but... I think I found the inner strength in me after befriending these people. I think that I, as a person, developed here on this island just fine."

    "See? It all works out in the end just fine. Now, go along with Rayazaki. You got people waiting for you, don''t you?"

    He blushed a bit in an embarrassing way and brushed it off as he felt awkward suddenly.

    "I do, don''t I?! You should join us! I''m sure everyone would like it, Kawahara!"

    For the first time in a while, Kuzan stopped addressing me by the severely narcissistic nickname of "Master" and called me by my name. That alone made me happy deep down as I saw him head in Rayazaki''s direction.

    Taking ahold of Hyunda''s chain, I grabbed Sagasuga''s chain, along with Tatsu''s and Tsudo''s to ultimately combine them all. Just like that, underneath a tree, they all stood closely, though slightly separated from each other since the chains did give them some space to breathe.

    As for me, I mirrored them by seating in a nearby tree while in addition upholding the collection of chains onto my hands.

    The moment I adjoined my back to the tree, I felt immensely relaxed as I thought to myself that it''s been a while since I''ve slept as well. I also reminded myself that I wouldn''t be sleeping tonight just in the case that any of them tried something funny.

    "Can we get food?"

    "No... You people will eat once you get back to Japan."

    "I know that, Kawahara, but I am hungry. I don''t recall doing any particular evil action to earn your distrust, seriously. It''s also extremely unbalanced and---"

    "I don''t care, Sagasuga. You''re not eating tonight, that''s the gist of it."

    He sighed and briefly accepted it.

    "Undoubtedly unreasonable. My state of being should not be unbalanced, be aware."

    I didn''t close my eyes but felt like breathing more than usual and as such, I rested while keeping my vision on them.

    Hyunda didn''t speak a word as he kept his head down. Sagasuga looked to be bored but he didn''t bother me anymore as he perhaps recognized that he wouldn''t get anything out of me. Should anyone else come close to him, I''ll make sure he can''t reason his way in. Plus, it''s just a day. He won''t die or anything like that. Sagasuga''s just being overly dramatic due to his stupid philosophy. Furthermore, Tatsu and Tsudo are knocked out of action.

    In conclusion, there is nothing for me to do except wait here for a few hours until the sun rises. Because then I will be able to lead these people out of this island.

    Tomorrow will come and it will be great. I''ll enjoy many laughters with everyone as they rejoice their victory.

    Yes, it''s going to happen. I know it will. I can feel it in my heart, that sentiment that it will all work out in the end. I''ve done everything I could and just like that, I''ll get rewarded.

    ".................."

    Admittedly, my eyes began to feel tired and heavy as I had those thoughts to myself. Slowly, my eyelids started to fall down as I thought of sleeping for a while. Nevertheless, I quickly snapped out of it in the heat of the moment as I realized my duty.

    Call it what you may---but as long as I am awake, I''ll make sure that these four don''t do anything out of the usual.

    Everyone is enjoying themselves---having dinner and sharing laughs, creating memories that will last a lifetime---it feels like, even though I made this possible that a part of me doesn''t feel welcome here. Maybe the fact that I am currently all alone means...

    "What are you doing?"

    "Huh?"

    Briefly, I looked up and with my tired vision, I captured the sight of Shiori close to my face, alongside many other particular figures that I had become familiar with, who are also walking up in my direction.

    "You''re the leading man, Kawahara! We thought you were coming along but you here you are rotting like a dead plant!"

    Damian spoke as well, disappointed at the fact that I wasn''t anywhere at sight for the last minutes to come.

    "Kawahara-dono, it''s unfair for you to lead such a peculiar life like this when everyone''s having fun!"

    Rokoro, emotional as always, remarked that fairly quickly, alongside Youjo, who would speak subsequently.

    "We can''t even have fun without you there. Christ, indecisive men are the worst."

    Usually, Youjo would look at Rokoro and me with disgust because we are quite the geeks, if I''m honest, but this time around, she looked fairly honest and more earnest.

    "You''re not a bad person anymore... So you should join us---no, you have to!"

    Rena, out of all the people, the one group leader that doubts criminals the most in general, decided to put her emotional trust on me by saying those words.

    "Come on, it will be fun!! Maybe you could tell us some horror stories to stir up the night a little bit?!"

    "That would be fun, Musi! Come on, get up already! What are you waiting for, Kawahara?!"

    Yasuda backed up Musi''s statement with the same length of happiness in their expressions as they grabbed both of my hands, very softly.

    ".....Don''t worry... My hawkeye vision will tell you if they try something...."

    "...Though, I think you are overreacting a little bit, Kawahara... They won''t go anywhere with these many people here."

    Agreeing with Yoh and Zwette''s take, Sagasuga made a side comment.

    "You heard them, king. Stop playing the white-knight role and have a blast."

    "It''s as he says, Master! Many of my followers are dying to see you fight with them! But go easy on them and don''t break their shoulders..."

    As Karlos finished his sentence abruptly, many of them started to laugh out loud as they noticed Karlos'' crooked shoulder from the impact before.

    "Hahaha! What happened to you?!"

    "Oh shut it, Damian! We had a friendly fight, that''s all!"

    "Friendly?! Your body anatomy is falling apart, Karlos-dono!"

    "Shut up! Shut up!"

    Blushing from all the embarrassment, Karlos was bombarded with several mocking sentences from left to right, but none of them were offensive as everyone was having a blast.

    Yet I had to get up from the ground, as I looked indecisive as to whether or not I deserved this.

    However, at the same time, Shiori kneeled down and met my eyes. She didn''t say a word but I knew what she meant to say.

    "Well, what are you waiting for? Aren''t you committed to us? Let''s go then!"

    Her bright smile and trusting embrace allowed me to gain the confidence to stand where I now belong----not because I deserve it---but because others deem me as worthy. Perhaps that was what I was searching for all along. A place to be where I don''t feel constantly chained down by thoughts of the word "deserve". Instead, I became "worthy".

    That alone made me get up from the cold ground, as I let go of the chains and went with the people who I want to be with.

    On that night before the sunrise, we formed a gigantic bonfire close enough for all the students present as we had the time of our lives. A concentration that contained laughs and smiles from all around the classes yet in this island, we are all the same; separated from our differences.

    This island itself is a blessing because we are stripped away from how we view each other in school and instead, we are forced to acknowledge what each person has to offer. If I were to for once prioritize the exam before all these people that I love, then I would be no different from someone who only cares about himself.

    Countless hours to come were followed by a variety of events----Karlos and his followers would have friendly matches with me in an non-offensive way and surprisingly, I believe everyone present was able to enjoy themselves. In the end, they were so tired from losing that they all went to sleep and I laughed as hard as I could to sound like a total villain yet everybody knew that I was joking deep down.

    Yoh slowly but surely opened himself to the others around him to the point where his speech became more and more collected instead of being scattered like before. I think that even though not many know him personally besides Zwette, that a single difference can mean a lot. Likewise, Zwette is no longer overshadowed by her constant skepticism that she revealed she had from being unable to trust anyone around her due to her poor background.

    She''s apparently a foreigner who comes from Slovenia and doesn''t have a good understanding of the Japanese language, so----she always struggled to connect.

    On the other hand, Damian spoke about his ambitions as he aims to become the next student council president. In addition, he mentioned how hard it would initially be, but upon collecting all the trust of everyone present, he knew he would make it and I would do anything to support him in his endeavor.

    Keeping his eccentric attitude high at all times, Rokoro unraveled how he believes that the world will be a better place once massive scientific minds who are acknowledged by society find out about this island and its contents. Certaintly, I started to wonder about how the world would change once that happens too.

    Musi plans on becoming an idol, which was by far one of the wildest things that happened that night yet with many supports, we all believed that she could do it. As a matter of fact, some of us already acknowledged her as our own idol and we would become sad if the world find out about our one and only idol.

    Youjo didn''t reveal anything about herself but if I had to take a guess, she will most likely be around Rokoro, at all times probably. I think that deep down Youjo likes how Rokoro behaves like himself despite his authentic eccentrics. No doubt about it, but they would make one interesting couple. It made me wonder just how many years it would take the two to be together yet I knew for a fact that it would eventually happen.

    Unsure of whether or not anyone would be the same as her, Rena told everyone that she is a Christian. A loyal follower of Jesus Christ. Around that time, I felt a high level of shame as I realized that maybe I should follow religion since I always remained on the more negative side. Am I what another would call an atheist? My lack of faith made me this way, but seeing Rena so confident and eager to go out of her way to explain why everybody should follow her religion made me want to try it out, along with Shiori, for sure.

    Although Yasuda had revealed that she had a crush on me and that she planned on not telling me about it, she ended up doing anyhow. I had to reject her as I am fully committed to Shiori. However, I know that Yasuda is a kind and beautiful girl and that in her life, she will meet the right person eventually.

    Around 3 am, we all started to sleep in whatever we found comfort in. Many wouldn''t mind sleeping on the ground, but some did and they would adjoined the back of their bodies to the trees. As for me, I did exactly that as on my right side, Shiori laid her head onto my right shoulder as she feel asleep without saying a word.

    I took one last glance at the moon towering all of us; constantly blessing us with its brilliant light and I quietly murmered my overall thoughts out loud as I made the decision to not sleep that night in their honor.

    "......You guys----are simply the best..."

    Part 2.

    The new day would be decisive as everyone already knew. There wouldn''t be any more room to delay; it was all happening today, in this exact morning, where the sun rises to its peak, so will I.

    With all the numbers gathered in lines of ten, the group leaders would remain on the front of their respective lines. Behind them would stand their correspondent numbers, but today, they are more than just numbers. We are all a collective unity with the same goal in our minds.

    On this bright morning of hope, I began to climb on the first degree of the many to come as the top of the temple clashed with my brutal eyesight.

    Their silence as I continued to climb with the radiant sunlight permanently coming into contact with my body only reinforced the necessity of raising their spirits.

    Because, at the end of it all...

    Behind me stands all the hopes of those who have become endorsed in the exam and those who are stuck without a way out.

    To answer to their respective expectations, I will climb onto the top of this mine''s entrance as I announce the ultimate path to victory.

    With each step I took, I allowed myself to only view that which is in front of me. The color of black swims in terror deep within that temple of death, but now, the conditions are clear! There is NOTHING to fear!

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    I can get these people out of the island! I can, and I will!

    Solely based on that, as I reached the top, I focused my undivided attention on the multitude of people below, who are awaiting the answers.

    Summoning all the strength in my lungs, I spoke with high mighty vocal force.

    "Attention, all of you! Here we stand, in front of the last remaining obstacle! All the conditions have been cleared!"

    They already started to chant it.

    I can hear it.

    "KAWAHARA! KAWAHARA! KAWAHARA!!"

    Their numerous cries. Numbers beyond the initial expectations; this absurd contrasting force which had not the chance to be saved is now looking towards a brighter future only because I MADE IT POSSIBLE!

    "ONWARDS! We will all get out of here alive! I PROMISE!"

    Without traces of hesitation, I lead the way in which they would all follow me; as they believed me.

    Part 3.

    Inside the last floor, on the very bottom of the temple, we all stood inside. This triangle-shaped area is wide to the point where a multitude of 500 students could very well fit in.

    In front of the open door we now stand in, brimming a end with a spark of light near its peak.

    "This is it... We are finally out..."

    I murmured that to myself as the group leaders along with my classmates stood by my side.

    As such, slowly and slowly, we walked the 25 meter path until we were completely consumed by the overpowering light. Shielding our eyesight was our only option as no one could engulf that entire light with their eyes.

    Henceforth, as the light met its end, we could all come across the new area which would be our last one.

    Instead of being exactly like the previous area, this area is an inverted triangle and so---we are at the very top of the usual triangle only to be followed by two corners at our northeast and northwest direction. However, the main thing we immediately took notice of was that there are ten elevators, for some reason.

    Aside from that, the area is practically identical in terms of dimension as we all are able to fit in perfectly. The ceiling, on the other hand, is entirely black and does not represent any sort of color outside of that one. There are also ten waves of seats scattered all over the room in our direction; surprisingly. In other words, we are currently in front of those many seats, who are there for some reason.

    That reason, nevertheless, would be soon revealed as we would glance upon the entrance from where we came from.

    "Be aware retards, this is a recorded transmission as you slowpokes are not worthy of my time and I wouldn''t wait until any of you got here, so let''s just get that out of the way."

    Out of nowhere, a gigantic transmission began to be dispersed all over the entrance from the ground all the way to the ceiling. Therefore, there was not a single person present who could not capture the man in a black tie with a short spiky hair alongside his debonair style.

    "Who is that?"

    Many were already questioning who he was, but to the rest of my classmates, we sure as hell knew who he was. I am beyond surprised we did not encounter him even once in our exam.

    "That''s my teacher, Shiori."

    Youjo made a side comment that didn''t contribute much to the conversation, but I happened to overhear it.

    "He''s hot."

    Regardless, we would stand in silence the moment Basara-sensei would speak again, after adjusting his tie.

    "I''ll get to the point. The exam is not over; as a matter of fact, it''s far from over!"

    I could not help but feel tremendously stressed about this. But nevertheless, he continued as some of us started to murmur their respective discontents.

    "Good job getting here, but you are only 75% done. For those who made it, which is at minimum at least five of you, you''ll have to put the components BACK to where they were from. In other words, you retards will take those elevators and put them back in their place. Be aware of something, tiny creatures: You''ll have the timespawn of thirty minutes to get each of the components in their place!"

    Once again, this was not good news for us.

    "I shouldn''t have to say the obvious but I''ll say it anyways: If ten of you passed, then this is a piece of cake. If ten of you DIDN''T, then... Good luck!"

    With a devilish grin on his face, the transmission was over and this could not have been the worse for us because the students quickly began to have an emotional meltdown. They were having a meltdown because the transmission switched from Basara-sensei to a countdown timer already displaying "29:55" and it would only continue the more we didn''t do anything.

    But... This is bad! If only the students from the exam can put the components back then I will have to work with Sagasuga, Hyunda, Tatsu, Tsudo, Rayazaki, and Kuzan! And that''s only seven people! There''s no telling whether or not they won''t just lose on purpose!

    No, it can''t be! I can''t lose like this--there has to be----

    "Can I have all of your attention? If it isn''t too much to ask? We are losing too much time in this petty situation and I have come with a solution. Naturally, this involves the current situation, so I will just say my solution without waiting around for any of you to come to your senses."

    Midst all the panic, Sagasuga noticed that I wasn''t functioning at my best and went to the center of the transmission, with a calm and collective attitude; a stance far too contrasting to my current one.

    He didn''t wait until everyone gave their confirmation and instead, at the very moment he had all the eyesight on him, he explained his solution.

    "That man specified that the transmission is prerecorded, in other words, he has no idea that there are all of you in this island. I reason that we must take advantage of that factor in other to win here. He said that it would be a piece of cake if the ten of us---the criminals---all cooperated, but that is simply not possible; henceforth, it''s not us criminals that should ride the elevators and complete the exam---but the ten groups, that should all respectively utilize their best resources to place the components back in their respective place. We will win like that."

    Sagasuga was quickly argued against, however.

    "But we never went inside the sections! How can we know?!"

    Calmly, he gave the brief answer.

    "It''s been proven throughout human history that collective minds work better than one mind alone. As such---the odds of success are unbelievably high, if you all cooperate. Each group leader should unite their group and take the elevator into the section. Unfortunately for you, we---criminals---are useless here because we are outnumbered. It appears that it the end, we must rely on all of you. Wouldn''t you agree, Kawahara?"

    As Sagasuga placed the entire attention of everyone to me, I had to quickly gave a run down as we are closely running out of time. Panicking for me is not an option because I am the leader and if the leader panics then EVERYBODY will panic.

    I took a massive deep breath and administered the truth.

    "The inside of the sections are not hard at all! The only reason as to why we didn''t go inside is because I thought that we were being ambushed! However, that''s no longer a problem because I have all the criminals here in my possession while three of them are dead... In other words, there is no reason to be afraid. It''s as Sagasuga says---we are entirely dependant on all of you..."

    Flustered at my current inability to help, I clenched my fists.

    Shiori then, gave everyone a quick speech as well.

    "Everyone! Place your faith in your leader!"

    She turned around and with faith, she looked at me as I absorbed that entire faith onto my next speech. Sweat droplets ran through my face as I witnessed the nervosity of the ones awaiting for my upcoming order.

    Right now, they cannot be allowed to overthink; they have to be given orders that will contribute to success and as such, there is only one clear path of action to follow.

    "Rokoro, you and your group will go to the first section and place the component in its place!"

    "U-Understood, Kawahara-dono! Everyone, we musn''t lose time!"

    Rokoro and his group, nervously headed towards the elevator on the right side of the area that had a large number "1" on top of it.

    There''s a very clear reasoning about the picks here. First of all, I have to send the group leader towards the area where the component was located within. I know for a fact that Rokoro''s component, the password decipher is a component correspondent of the first section.

    Since I''ve been in the second section, I know for a fact who to give orders next. I swung my right arm rapidly as I pointed in her direction.

    "Zwette! Take the second elevator along with your group and do the same!"

    "...I will do my best! Everyone, please, help me!"

    Successful with her plead, her entire group demonstrated a level of willingness to help far better than I expected.

    As such, I continued; this time attributing the order to a different individual.

    "Karlos, you must place the glider along with the remote in the location within the section! I know you can do it! As a matter of fact, you will be successful along with your companions!"

    "I won''t let you down!"

    With a pump on his chest, his entire crew erupted in a howling resonance; overthrowing their previous mental defeat as they went to the third elevator.

    But, now, the problems would begin. This is where it gets extremely confusing and I will have to gamble. The truth is that I don''t know where the rest of the components belong from. I only know where two of them belong to and the first one is also a gamble.

    Yet if I demonstrate nervosity here, then it''s all over. It just can''t happen.

    "Shiori, take the cloud reactor with the flasks into the fourth section, please!"

    "Yes! I will be back soon! I promise---"

    Shiori attempted to finish her sentence, but Damian quickly intervened.

    "I beg to differ with the decision here. The cloud reactor is simply too heavy for a girl to carry it and it will only slow down their movements and overall progression. I insist you let me take her place with my group, leader!"

    As Damian pled with a bow, I immediately recognized that he was absolutely right. There is no way possible for Shiori to not struggle alongside her group with something that heavy and I am sure Shiori recognizes it too.

    "Damian, give your component to Shiori then and make the swap."

    "You have my utmost thanks, leader!"

    Quickly, the swap was made and Damian along with his group moved to the fourth elevator on the northeast right.

    Next up, I made another gamble and directed my attention to Yasuda and her group.

    "Yasuda, take the component and go straight into the fifth elevator! Everyone, help her out as much as you can!"

    Along with Yasuda, they resonated a meek yet brave positive answer.

    "Yes!"

    In a rush, their large number entered the wide elevator as it wasn''t necessarily small.

    Slowly but surely, the numbers were decreasing and that was good sign. I took a quick note of the time which is currently "27:43" and didn''t hesitate to give the next order to the respective individual.

    "Youjo! Sixth section! Go!"

    "Way ahead of you! Come on, maggots! We have to be the first ones to win this!"

    Youjo hurried the rest of her crew into the elevator while putting herself in last place. It occurred to me that it was great that she was taking a competitive approach because this would make her perform better.

    However, without a trace of reluctance, I went forward.

    "Yoh, the seventh section is all yours!"

    "....Roger...! Everyone, let''s make it count..."

    Although his voice tone is still a bit meek, unlike before, traces of confidence were all over it.

    Thus, without losing any more time, I spoke to my next target.

    "Musi!! Show everyone you are the best and conquer the eight section in no time! All of you, support her with your entire might!"

    "You got it, boss!"

    "She''s in good hands, don''t you worry!"

    "Ok!! Ok!! What are we waiting for!? This is fun, after all! Let''s be the first ones to get here!"

    Jumping around from left and right, Musi was encountered with a supportive force among her group members as they made their way to the eight elevator, now on my left side.

    With only two more to go, I looked in her direction and I could tell that she was feeling immensely nervous.

    "Rena... No, everyone from her group---stand as one unity and it will all work out well."

    I then said something that I would never say before, but it just happened.

    "I''ll be praying for your victory."

    Those words were said without a lingering sentiment of mockery and I meant what I just said. As such, Rena and her group were able to successful capture the positive intent behind my words.

    "...That''s all I needed to hear, I think...! Alright! Everyone, God is on our side! We will be victorious!"

    "Of course we will!"

    "It''s already written!"

    Many collective agreements came forth and Rena went to the ninth elevator with her group.

    Once again, I took a note of the time which was now "25:00". At last, only one person remained and she spoke before I did, as her group remained close-by.

    "Well, that leaves me, huh? Don''t worry, Ryousuke. I''ll show you why I am a block A student---so you just sit back and relax. I''ll be back in noooo time!"

    "Hey, don''t leave us out!"

    Akari, someone who had befriended Shiori recently, came forth as she was fairly confident as well.

    "That''s right, we are all equally capable!"

    Ringo spoke to all of us as well and then, it would be my turn, but---Kuzan and Rayazaki came forward.

    "I want to go with all of you too! I feel like I haven''t done enough!"

    "It''s as Kuzan says and---well--Ringo, you might be in trouble, so..."

    Seeing Rayazaki''s embarrassed reaction made me reach out to him and give him a hit on the back while saying the right specific words with a positive attitude to back it up.

    "Confess already, idiot!"

    "Wh--- Wh-Where did that come from!?"

    He further beat it around the bush but Ringo heard what I just said, so now Rayazaki was on his own, but instead of confronting her, he began to ran in the direction of the tenth elevator.

    This caused me to sigh, however, it was therefore decided that Kuzan and Rayazaki would accompany Shiori''s group.

    Shiori''s group, along with the two of them, went into the elevator respectively leaving Shiori and me alone for a couple of seconds.

    "He said all we had to do was place the component in its place and that the exam was already 75% complete. Also, remember earlier when we agreed that the exam was split into three different parts?"

    "Yeah."

    "Well, this is the last one! After this is done, we are all going back to where we belong!"

    "Yeah..."

    "...? What''s wrong, Ryousuke? You sound sad."

    Trembling, I spoke my honest thoughts to Shiori with a very frail voice, capturing the very essence of my being.

    "I---wanted to be the one who ensured you were all going home, but in the end----I..."

    Against my expectations, she slapped me across the face with a brutal force. And then, she grabbed my right cheek and performed a kiss so deep that we could feel each other''s saliva. Only afterwards, did she speak to me again.

    "That''s very disrespectful, but I suppose you wouldn''t know why---after all, you and I are only getting started when it comes to knowing human interactions, so listen. This event allows everyone to play a collective role instead of one person playing that entire roll. After this; we can tell you that we made it. Not you made it. Remember, Ryousuke, the world doesn''t spin around you. I love you."

    As she said that, her group took the last remaining elevator and thus, we were left here, all alone.

    I, along with Sagasuga, Hyunda, Tsudo and Tatsu remain here, in this wide open hollow area in the shape of a triangle with perfect illumination.

    Furthermore, as I took a seat next to Sagasuga, something on the screen of the countdown started to appear. Ten progression bars would be scattered as they indicated the progress of the task in each of the sections.

    So far, each bar contained 0% in terms of overall progress and that was normal.

    There wasn''t any reason for me to be stressed out but I wondered what would happen should the exam fail. No, what exactly qualifies as winning in this exam?

    "I think..."

    Sagasuga, in deep thought, started to talk in my direction.

    "...That the exam takes into account the amount of people that were recognized in those finger-prints. Five of us were recognized and as such---I believe we only need five components to be in their place. I could be wrong though."

    "But wait... We didn''t get our finger-prints in... That stupid Kawahara didn''t let us!"

    "Tsudo''s right. Come on, just let us go there so we can put our finger-prints in."

    Tsudo and Tatsu made their complaints but I acknowledged something in Sagasuga''s reasoning.

    If what he said is true, then we should keep the minimum of finger-prints recognized as it will lower the necessity of components placed within the time of the countdown. So, I began to explain that to the two of them, who are on the right side of Sagasuga.

    "No and here is why: If seven finger-prints are recognized, then they will need to be successful in putting seven components in their respective places. We are lowering our success rate like that."

    "What the fuck, bro?! You do realize that if we don''t put our finger-prints that we won''t pass the exam, right?!"

    I know that I''ve vowed to never be evil again to Shiori, but I had to give Tsudo the truth.

    "I don''t care about your situation, Tsudo. Neither about yours, Tatsu. They are my top priority, not you two. Plus, as far as I''m concerned, you two don''t deserve to win."

    "Fuck you..."

    Spiteful, Tsudo cast me his death glare but I remained stoic. Likewise, Tatsu cursed against me in his mind, most likely.

    "Now, now, everyone, let''s not---"

    Sagasuga attempted to make his way in, but something happened that caught our attention, Hyunda included.

    "That was fast."

    "Way too fast!"

    Tatsu and Tsudo remarked that as they saw the progression bar of the first section completely green; therefore indicating a full 100% in the completion bar. In addition to that, near the first elevator, to the right side of it, a door emerged within, fully open.

    However, that wasn''t all. The current screen of the countdown mixed with the progression bars were overtaken with yet another prerecorded footage from Basara-sensei.

    "Not bad, plebs! You have made your first progress and as such, you get to go home! An helicopter is waiting for you outside of that door! You finally won something in life besides the sperm race; pat yourself on the back!"

    That would be how one would know whether or not they would be truly done with the exam and it appeared that was the case.

    As such, Tsudo didn''t hesitate when it came to being greedy.

    "Tatsu, let''s go!"

    "Yeah, we are fucking out here! Get me out!"

    They struggled to move and then, Sagasuga spoke in their direction as he noticed a flaw in their action.

    "I am almost positive that the helicopter will only allow one person to go in. Kawahara, can''t you just release them?"

    I do have the keys with me as I am in charge of watching over them. Nonetheless, as I was about to deny them from this, something extremely surprising happened.

    "Woah. Not even I expected this."

    Sagasuga''s surprised reaction almost had the same timing as mine, but in just a matter of seconds the second section''s progression bar went green like the first one. Naturally, yet another different prerecorded footage emerged.

    "Would you look at that?! Not one, but two! That''s almost the number of your brain cells!"

    Aside from the obnoxious congratulations-type of speech that would come every time a section was cleared, Tsudo and Tatsu came in my direction very quickly.

    "We can now go! Come on, man! You gotta let us! They are nailing this!"

    "Tsudo''s got a point! Please, I''m begging you! We don''t care about the exam, just let us go home!"

    "Kawahara, come on, man!"

    "..........."

    I remained skeptical, but their presences were wearing me out, so I took the keys out and unlocked them from their shackles.

    Without thanking me, they went back, inserted their finger-prints and then returned to go into the respective doors on the right side of the first and second elevator.

    All in all, I didn''t care about them one bit because my mind was focused on something more alerting.

    "...What the hell is going on... Why aren''t they coming up..."

    It''s not only the fact that they aren''t emerging from within the elevator that''s worrying me, it''s...

    "How strange, Kawahara. Their speed is something else, isn''t it? In just a matter of seconds, they were successful."

    "What do you think happened, Sagasuga?"

    I wanted to know his thoughts on this, so I asked.

    "I wouldn''t know. Why don''t you go and check it for yourself? All you have to do is go to the elevator. This way, you can clear your doubts out."

    "...You''re right, actually."

    Since the first elevator was the closest to me, I went in its direction and approached it; however, unlike before, it didn''t react and the door didn''t automatically open. Furthermore, there isn''t any sort of manipulator switch to open the elevator.

    In the end, I went back to my seat and Sagasuga made another suggestion.

    "I think they are playing a prank on you. They know you are stressed out and so, they are making you think that---"

    "Shut up, Sagasuga, they wouldn''t do that. That doesn''t explain why they were able to clear it that fast."

    The third bar then became green and another one of the prerecorded footages appeared.

    "Three already? Maybe you''re not the failure the world constantly reminds you of!"

    After that, a door emerged again in the third elevator; on its right side.

    Quietly, Hyunda began to get up.

    "Already going?"

    Not I, but Sagasuga spoke that to him and he gave his answer, in a very hollow way while walking towards the third elevator.

    "...This isn''t my stage."

    Sagasuga agreed with him.

    "Neither is mine, so I''ll go next. Kawahara, are you not going to free him?"

    "He didn''t ask, so he doesn''t mind."

    Hyunda aside, as he disappeared in the scene, I began to further wonder what was actually happening down there. I know for a fact that it can''t be one of us because the remaining ones are dead. Rayazaki and Kuzan are with Shiori''s group. Tsudo and Tatsu are no longer present. Sagasuga is here with me. Therefore, this isn''t the work of someone else.

    "I have a weird suggestion, if you are willing to listen."

    Midst that, the fourth completion bar was green-lighted as the timer officially hit 20 minutes. As such, Sagasuga would be inclined to go to the helicopter, but I heard him out after the footage from Basara-sensei.

    "Four? FOUR?! Hold on just a second could it be that---Oh wait, you''re still shit."

    "Go for it."

    With our eyes on one another, Sagasuga got up and told me his theory.

    "We have witnessed too many abnormal things in this island and I believe the only logical explanation as to why they are not here at the moment is----time in the sections works differently than our time here. Or rather, our perception is entirely not equal to our perception in the sections."

    "....."

    "Think about it. Well, I''ll see you later. But, could you uncuff me first?"

    As I released him from his shackles on his wrists and ankles, I gave some thought about what Sagasuga had just said.

    "Ahhh... I needed this."

    Feeling much better, Sagasuga relaxed his muscles now that he was physically more free. Ultimately, he left me there all alone in this gigantic area with too many seats for a single person to seat in.

    Quickly, however, I saw the flaw in Sagasuga''s theory.

    "That can''t be true. Because, if time there was different, then..."

    For example, let''s suppose that time there is actually different. What does this mean? It would mean that the time inside those sections goes on for a timespawn far longer than the time here. For the first section to be successfully cleared, it took less than five minutes and that''s just unlikely. It''s probable that 5 minutes here is the equivalent of fifty minutes there.

    No, hold on, that also doesn''t make sense...

    "Why would that be the case when the exam is purposely setting a 30 minute timer? That would go against the exam and it doesn''t make sense."

    So, not only is Sagasuga''s theory extremely off, but the fact that they aren''t emerging from within the elevators means that something has happened.

    "Fifth, huh? Don''t get cocky now just because you managed to not utterly fail at literally everything for once!"

    It can''t be another person, as I''ve already concluded.

    "Does something change within the sections now that we are in the final stage? For example, they get less difficult to access or something?"

    I started to grasp my face as I began to have a continuous thought to each of my questions out loud.

    "Could it be that they were allocated somewhere else? Maybe their exit leads somewhere else besides this place?"

    I don''t know.

    "They will come back here, eventually, then, right?"

    I don''t know...

    "Not bad, not bad. Even a failure can do it."

    The fifth and sixth doors are already open and nobody is still emerging within the elevators. That is not normal and as such, I can only conclude that...

    "There''s no mistake here. They took another exit which means that they are somewhere else for sure."

    Unconsciously, I started to tap my foot far too much onto the stern ground as the seventh bar was successfully green-lighted the moment the 15:00 minute mark was reached.

    "You should see me in my prime. I would''ve done this from back to back all day long. But, a victory is a victory."

    I inhaled the air rapidly and reunited my thoughts once again, with my the tip of all my fingers united.

    "They will have to come here because they can only leave the same way we can leave---through an helicopter."

    It then occurred to me the most terrifying thought of them all. A thought so terrifying that it gave me a new level of anxiety I didn''t even know I was capable of feeling.

    "Wh-What if... No, that can''t be--- But, what if the helicopters only take us...?"

    That thought was off, however, because I realized something as soon as the next prerecorded footage came forth on the screen.

    "Eight?! Look at you! No, serious, congrats."

    If eight sections are already cleared, then that means since there are four open doors, there is undoubtedly a chance that after I, Rayazaki, and Kuzan go inside one of the three doors of our choices amongst the four of the doors already open that if Shiori goes inside the other one, she can explain the situation to the staff inside the helicopter and get everyone out of this island.

    "That is highly possible."

    Then, all I have to do is to relax here as they will make their way over here. I know for a fact that they wouldn''t leave me here; especially Shiori.

    .....................

    "I miss her so badly... I hope she''s doing fine. Well, Rayazaki and Kuzan are with her, so she has to be. Plus, she''s smart and cunning. In addition to that, she is getting better and better and interacting with others."

    She would kill me if she knew that I am this worried about her. Yet, as of lately, a feeling of anxiety has been spreading all over me.

    As if I am being watched in everything I do. It feels like each of my action, even though is according to my will, is somehow under a completely partial influence. It''s hard to explain this feeling as I can''t even grasp a fundamental logical understanding of it.

    In order to dispel my anxiety, I placed my back onto my seat entirely and took another deep breath as the upcoming footage appeared on the screen.

    "Well---only one more left. Oh, I am not expecting even half of these recording footages to go in because realistically, only half of them will go through since you all suck at cooperating with one another. But, if by some chance, this actually goes through, congratulations on working as a unit."

    Needless to say, but none of that actually happened. I had to build everything on my own. I, along with the rest of them deserve to win. And no, I''m not talking about my classmates.

    Shiori. Damian. Rokoro. Yasuda. Karlos. Youjo. Yoh. Zwette. Rena. Musi. Brionac. Akari. Ringo. Maya----

    "Huh, now that I think about it, we never found that Shurit guy and that girl named Ann."

    I actually wonder what happened to them? Maybe they accidentally walked into one of the sections? If so, they are bound to find them, aren''t they?

    Yet, nine doors are open and none of them are emerging from within.

    "It''s confirmed, really. They aren''t emerging from the elevators because they CAN''T."

    My voice resonated quite deeply in this hollow area.

    "The only reason as to why I am here is because I want to wait for them. Otherwise I would''ve already gone into one of those doors but that would be the equivalent of betraying their trust. And besides, Shiori will be here soon. Hah, I wonder what sort of face I will make?!"

    Out loud, I laughed and laughed while crying tears of joy at the thought of seeing Shiori again. All the talks from yesterday came right into my mind; especially the one where I indirectly proposed to her. I know that I can act confidently the majority of the time, but when it comes to serious stuff, I always try and run away a bit. That''s why I''m glad I did say that to her.

    In addition to all that, I allowed my posture to sink back into the entire seat as I calmly enjoyed thinking about Shiori.

    Then, however, came the decisive moment, so I looked into the screen while still being lax.

    "I know the chance is almost negative, but just in case---WE HAVE A WINNER!! THROW THE FIREWORKS AND ROCKETS!! WOOOHOOOO!"

    In my completely opposite direction, the tenth and last door emerged from within the elevator''s right side.

    And for the record, no fireworks nor rockets were heard as the footage stopped being transmitted.

    This is it. The exam is over----but, that would only apply to my classmates that already followed through and are most likely travelling back to Japan for now.

    Deep down, I hoped that in the last elevator that a light would emerge with all of them coming in my direction; rushing to give me the good news. However, that didn''t happen.

    I looked at the countdown timer and it was fully stopped at the time of "3:57".

    "What am I gonna do now?"

    I pondered and pondered with my posture crooked and came to the reasonable conclusion that not leaving this place is the best decision as leaving without them is something unthinkable to me.

    Therefore, I placed my body in the middle of the three seats that have a solid structure to them without any highs and lows and relaxed.

    "I''ll sleep, I think..."

    Towards the dark ceiling above, I looked, but in the end, I decided to not sleep while laying down horizontally and sat back on my own seat.

    Like before, I submerged my entire back onto the supporting part of the seat and started to fall asleep, as I murmured something with my eyes barely closed.

    "I''m tired..."

    My entire consciousness then faded into black and an unknown time went by as I feel asleep. For almost two days or maybe more than two days, I hadn''t slept, so my physical endurance wasn''t at its peak whatsoever.

    Most of the lights in the area began to shut themselves down only allowing the general ones on, which were about five of them. Arguably speaking, they weren''t directed towards me, so they didn''t interfere with my vision.

    ".............."

    ..............................................

    ....................................

    ........................

    "-----------Ah....... So........."

    Unknown to me how many hours had went by, my consciousness immediately returned to me and my bare open eyes were able to capture the dark ground in front of me.

    However, what made me awake from my slumber was the very fact that I heard a voice, coming from my right.

    No----that voice is coming from exactly my right, but from also a person. Not from a recorded footage.

    My first thought was that the existence would be Shiori or Rayazaki and Kuzan. They would be the individuals who would rush here the fastest, I believe. I had no doubt in my mind.

    Yet, maybe instead of them, a staff member from the exam to pick me up while delivering me the good news? That the remaining students had been successfully transported to Japan via-helicopter? I wished.

    Worst case scenario, one of my classmates had faked going into the helicopter and had came back to have revenge on me for how I treated them and so, while I am asleep, they would sneak in?

    To all those thoughts, the answer remained negative.

    As I inspected the elements in the existence''s clothing, I could find several trails of blood rushing through the hands as well. Even on the face of the individual, as he finally spoke with his eyes transiently closed.

    "I''m tired..."

    My body began to tremble as a rush of mixed emotions came forth as I attempted to think of how this exact moment was possible, but the thought of what he had done reigned priority.

    "What..... the..... hell-----"

    With a breathing so ragged and my eye veins so exposed, I found myself unable to move suddenly as I realized that I was in fact paralyzed.

    "Da---niel.... What the hellllll---did yoouuuu--dooo!?"

    No matter how much I attempted to move I couldn''t muster the strength to do so regardless my thoughts as I saw Daniel''s face covered in blood. Furthermore, to reflect his previous sentence, he is tired but just from thinking of what he could be tired from, my entirety gained a sensation of horror and despair, as I refused to believe in that possibility.

    Then, he stopped for a while and placed his eyes on me as he spoke.

    "Let''s talk. It''s been a while."

 Volume 23 - Chapter 161: Trial of Sirius A.

    Several hours earlier.

    A total of 60 people followed Rokoro to the first section that no one knew what it looked like in the first place. The inside of the elevator contained a wide length of 50 meters. As for height, it would only have the half of its length; 25 meters. Regarding the luminosity: it''s fairly bright but not to the point of blinding whoever clashes their eyesight with the core of the light from the ceiling towering them.

    However, it was slightly cold inside and without a doubt, the elevator was going in a south direction which only managed to earn the undivided attention of Rokoro as he was puzzled about the direction of where the elevator was going.

    "Madness, what could this be?! Is this elevator really taking us down?!"

    Unlike the majority of his group which is feeling pressured to due to the complexity of the task at hand, Rokoro was completely mind-blown by this phenomenal factor. Over the course of just a few days, Rokoro had gained a completely new passion for this island as it turned out to not be what it initially seemed to be in the first place to him. Instead of being a private-resorted island, it turned out to be something in Rokoro''s fantasy: a secret place in the world where even the vastest of technological pieces remain to be discovered.

    This eccentric attitude about him as he wanted to discover the greatest depths of this island was something that managed to attract the numbers from within his group. Nonetheless still a bit scared, they admired the fact that Rokoro could purge the fear out of his soul simply by devoting himself to discovery.

    Ursula, one of Rokoro''s classmates, a girl with brown braids and huge glasses, almost as identical as Rokoro''s, approached him as she commented something in regard of what was currently happening.

    "There''s no doubt about it, Rokoro! This is south direction and it''s only taking us further down! This means that your theory was correct!"

    What theory exactly? One might ask---but such theory was one that Rokoro had shared a few days ago while coming across with the sight of the other sections and what they hold within.

    "There is really an artificial world beneath the surface, like you said, Rokoro!"

    Another one of Rokoro''s classmates also approached him; Vonu. Just like Rokoro and Ursula, Vonu has a small height and glasses. Furthermore, he has a heavy dark ponytail on the back of his head supporting his enormous hair density.

    As for Rokoro himself, he was happy that many were already agreeing with him and so, he didn''t hesitate on expressing his inner happiness.

    "This is magnificent, Ursula, Vonu! Whoever made this island has the vision that can save the world and we are perhaps one of the very first people who were secretly selected into partaking this discovery!"

    "You really think so? That maybe we were put in this island because we were selected by the creator of this island, Rokoro?"

    Ursula looked skeptical but deep down, she knew that Rokoro was right the majority of the times and so, instead of doubting him, she asked him that in order for his to give his proper thoughts on his take, to which he was more than exultant to.

    "I am under the impression that there is someone behind Percy-Phoenix-dono''s whole endeavor! I believe that he was not aware of what this island contained! As a matter of fact, I am convinced that this island is not even Percy Phoenix-dono''s island! The fact that he knew nothing about it just proves it! There''s no reason to doubt it anymore! We are the chosen ones!"

    His entire group was absorbed into his conspiracy-theory-type of attitude all of the sudden. Many already had accepted that Percy Phoenix in fact didn''t know anything about this island but they still had yet to come to a reasonable conclusion as to why Percy Phoenix had put them there in the first place.

    This question ran through their heads countless times and yet, no answer would come.

    "We are bound to also find something within this section!"

    Rokoro encouraged his teammates to be more on the hunt for what they could find instead of prioritizing the task. Despite the fact that''s essentially counter-productive. However, within the elevator, from the ceiling, a robot voice emerged within. A voice that none of them had any recognition of. That voice spread throughout the elevator like an unstoppable miasma.

    "Mars channel 1; beginning trial----regulations; complete----initiating timer: set to; one hour."

    Upon hearing that transient robotic voice that only stayed for about seven seconds; separating each word stamp through a slow interval, Rokoro felt a great shock, alongside his teammates.

    "Mars channel!? As in the channel discovered in the midst of the late 19th and 20th centuries?! Alien life; could it be?!"

    Out of all the people in this elevator, Rokoro already knew what this was referring to.

    An extensive network of channels was first witnessed or at least speculated by Giovanni Schiaparelli in the equatorial regions from 60�� north to 60�� south latitude on Mars. It''s been wildly speculated that the channels on that network from Mars is actually the work of aliens---an extraterrestrial form of existence from outer space.

    As someone who is undoubtedly interested in the unknown, aliens are a topic of a big interest to Rokoro. Nonetheless, this caused a huge doubt within the group suddenly, as Gino, one of Rokoro''s male classmates, yet another person with glasses, of short height and, his contrasting feature, dark skin, spoke. However, he too, like the majority here is what one might classify as a geek.

    "But Rokoro, if---really hypothetically speaking, we enter on Mars, which I know sounds stupid, won''t we just die?!"

    All eyes were on Rokoro as the elevator had yet to stop its tracks, but Rokoro swiftly dispelled their doubts utilizing a factual evidence.

    "Gino, back in the floor where we were on Titan''s lake, do you remember that we could breathe just fine and do anything remotely physical without being punished by the information we know about the atmosphere of Titan?! I believe this is it as well!"

    "Goodness gracious, this is absurd in an overwhelming sense! If what you said is true, then does that mean that although we are soon to be on an atmosphere that is apparently Mars, we are not on Mars, but on an atmosphere that has the conditions of Earth?! How amazing is that?!"

    "It appears you have caught my reasoning, Gino! Yes, indeed! It''s absurd to believe that we were on the real Titan, but the one behind this island remodeled the structure of the place to make it seem like we are on Titan! We can experience what the atmosphere has to offer but without being engulfed in the toxicity of it! Of course! This is without a doubt a method of testing to analyze the structure of outer space! But still, isn''t this utterly classified information?!"

    Rokoro knew that the structure of Titan as a whole was something was either entirely classified by NASA or simply not yet discovered. Only through space shuttles is such information possible to uncover and without it; it''s simply not possible. Which begged the question: is NASA at work here therefore?

    However, there wasn''t any time for further arguments as the elevator soon made its stop. And while so, the front door of the elevator door opened; completely unraveling the atmosphere of the first section.

    At first sight, as they all walked in the atmosphere, it looked like a storm desert yet without a storm occurring. The atmosphere itself consists of scattered rocks underneath a deep orange surface. Sky-wise; although clear it has the appearance of a dusty storm with the planet Earth on the east sight. Translucent and clouded, the planet where they thought they were just a while ago has managed to be on their eyesight.

    Something to take note of is that they didn''t land on an exactly plain area; they walked out of the elevator straight into an open concrete area that is circulated by a rocky circle, blocking the majority of the atmosphere for Rokoro and the others to take note of. Nevertheless, they also were quick to notice something.

    "There!"

    "On the north side, there''s a small hole leading the way! Everyone, let''s go that way! But first, is everyone doing alright?!"

    Worried, Rokoro was quick to dismiss his inner interests as he valued the well-being of everyone firstly and the reason as to why he asked such a question was because, they are in fact, on a surface that resembles Mars. Therefore, their condition would be in danger, if this was the real Mars. In a matter of seconds, they would die.

    By contrast, they were doing extremely fine.

    "We are fine! We can breathe just fine!"

    To further demonstrate that, one of Rokoro''s companions, inhaled air deeply and exhaled multiple times to prove that the atmosphere was in fact not affecting him. Some even began to touch the small rocks on the surface as they noticed something, that Rokoro took immediate note of.

    "The rocks are in state of gravity but we are not! This must means that the regulations further adjusted to how we humans behave on Earth! Our sense of gravity is equal to that of the one we have on Earth and not the one we have on Mars!"

    There are a lot of differences that escaped Rokoro''s mind as he was fascinated by the fact that human life was something that was taken into consideration in this section. Rokoro had always thought to himself that humans would have no other choice but to continue to invest themselves onto creating even stronger, powerful, resourceful technological components in order to go on Mars. And yet, even then, even if humans could go on Mars, they could never truly live there without space suits and other multiple helping factors. Although Rokoro knew that deep down that counted as "living" on another planet, it still would strip away how we would behave, since adjusting to another atmosphere would mean that.

    But, Rokoro never imaged that instead of that, that there would be a place like this, where the reverse is possible. Human life on an atmosphere that resembles Mars. Furthermore, life as we know where we don''t have to change how we behave----Rokoro deeply admired such a discovery.

    Yet, it would be exactly this that made one of Rokoro''s teammates, call out to Rokoro, as he knew that Rokoro would lose track of himself.

    This individual, although not a friend of Rokoro, recognized the necessity of the task at hand and reinforced the need for all of them to focus on the task instead of the atmosphere that they were witnessing.

    Diego grasped the right shoulder of Rokoro on his back and pinpointed the center of his glasses with his index and middle fingers while speaking.

    "We don''t have the time for this. Ryousuke Kawahara said that we need to put the component in its place. Instead of wasting time, we have to get to the main point of this section and through that passage on the north side, we will gather a clue."

    Just like Rokoro, he has short blonde hair, but his hair is slicked back. Furthermore, his height is far higher than Rokoro''s.

    "You''re right! I almost lost myself, Diego! Speaking of which, we are running out of time! We must get going everyone!"

    In a rush, Rokoro started to get ready to run, although Rokoro is in fact a terrible runner, but a female companion of Rokoro''s group spoke something that was alerting her.

    "Wait a second. Something''s wrong here..."

    Marina, a girl of medium height, with long curly blue hair, who has glasses as well, spoke in all of their direction. Noticeably, she was on the more farback of the line but she nonetheless managed to capture the attention of everyone; Rokoro included just by checking the hours on her cellphone.

    To be more specific, she was in the time application of her cellphone and what she showed made everyone awe in disbelief, as they all stopped distancing themselves from Marina.

    "What is this?!"

    Diego was the first one to express his surprise and then Rokoro.

    "Marina, is something wrong with your cellphone?! There''s no way that time can suddenly just... not go on, right?!"

    "Everyone, check your cellphones to see if this is happening to you too!"

    At Vonu''s command, they all checked their cellphones which were still working and they all noticed something simultaneously.

    "This---This cannot be! Time is not working here?!"

    "What is happening, Rokoro?!"

    Although this can certainly be qualified as overreacting, this would be the first time that they witnessed this---their cellphones were not working when it comes to time, but to do every single other thing, it was working. Some of them tried texting each other as the signal was actually working here, but everything would be under the same time which is 10:15 am. Time would not move from that point on, whatsoever.

    As such, Rokoro could only conclude something.

    "Calm down, everyone! I believe that what''s happening is the following: Time is undeniably slower! Because there is no way that time could just stop! This also means that since time here is slower that perhaps the time on the outside is just like normal!"

    In agreement to Rokoro, Diego said something as well, with his right hand covering his mouth as he suspected something.

    "Time on Mars is actually slower than on Earth since it''s further from the Sun, so if this "Mars" is incorporating everything that Mars has to offer, then what we are witnessing is nothing more than time on Mars."

    "I see. If what Diego has said is true, then time didn''t stop. It''s just slower. Did I get that right?"

    To Marina, Diego nodded his head and Rokoro then spoke his mind about this.

    "Fascinating, Diego! But, this also means that if the time that Kawahara-dono is exposed to is the same, that we also have additional time?!"

    Ursula didn''t hesitate to speak rapidly after Rokoro was done as she had noticed something as well.

    "Wait, do you remember how in the elevator that voice said that the timer was set for one hour...? Was it referring to one hour here or one hour on the outside?"

    "I think it''s one hour here, no? The elevator left us in this area and the elevator erupted from the ground, so it must''ve recognized that we were about to enter the area."

    "You could be right, Vonu. Then, does this mean that we are not entire affected by the time limit of the exam?"

    Ursula was in doubt. She knew not whether the time from before was affecting the path of action here, but Diego intervened as he saw this whole discussion a bit pointless.

    "Can we not lose time? We are not greek philosophers discussing the very meaning of existence. We are tasked with putting the component in its place."

    "Once again, Diego''s right! This is my fault, as I tend to drag conversations on for a little longer!"

    Certaintly, one could say this was Rokoro''s fault, but they all knew that they enjoyed having little conversations like those. As a matter of fact, everyone in this group suffered from one particular problem: they were never well-received in their school despite the school''s standards. They can''t fit in because they are far more absorbed into topics that tend to bore out others and when they attempt to fit it, they come out as awkward people.

    In other words, this is a group full of introverts yet their leader, Rokoro knows this and attempts every now and then to connect with them.

    At last, they exited the area by going in north direction. Wind in this atmosphere could barely be captured and something to keep in mind is that they are not freezing to death as a human being would, if they were on Mars. The temperatures here are fairly balanced---not too cold nor hot.

    On the end of the area, they could ultimately glance upon the entire atmosphere of Mars. Unlike on Earth, there are only ruins here alongside concretes. Furthermore, the sight of extinct volcanoes and disfigured canyons went to show that evidence of activity is there. That is a topic that many human beings indulge in with grand consistency.

    With all this in mind, in such a seemingly infinite place such as this, where exactly was Rokoro and his crew going to place the component in? As far as they were concerned, they were travelling on a very rough ground and the scenery resembled that of a deserted atmosphere.

    Except for one single place. The place where even the sun reached---a spark of light engulfed within the very top of that inactive 100-meter height volcano.

    "I see a tower there!"

    Having already walked close to 200 meters in the spawn of such said minutes, Diego alerted everyone as he pointed in the northeast direction; towards an inactive volcano---in the very top of it. There, on the top, lies a black tower within; earning the appeal of an industrial skyscraper. The reason as to why the tower shined so particularly bright was no other than due to the fact that it''s black and as such, the contrast of the sunlight will undoubtedly affect the surface of the tower the most; as the red surface of Mars barely contrasts from the sunlight.

    "Is that a skyscraper?! All alone, on top of that volcano!"

    "No losing time in admiration, Rokoro. That skyscraper is our destination, or do you see any other particular location here that strictly isn''t related to Mars?"

    "True enough, Diego! A skyscraper in Mars, what madness!"

    It wasn''t far away, however. The inactive volcano had an entrance on the south side of it, so all they did was to walk for around ten minutes and they were there. So far, they hadn''t witnessed anything too out of the ordinary---except that was not true. This entire scenery was beyond the usual scenery. However, they had one goal and that goal would be accomplished by first going through the dark metallic tunel that would lead to the inside of the volcano.

    A contrast in light was therefore created as the tunnel was unfamiliar with light; but Mars was oddly silent. Furthermore, as they crossed that tunnel to the end of it, no one spoke. They were entirely captured by the essence of Mars; a planet where human life was not within.

    However, before they all crossed the tunnel, Marina called out to their attention.

    "Now it''s 10:16 am..."

    They stopped for a while but then ultimately continued forward as Rokoro would explain it to everyone present.

    "It''s been around fifteen minutes, I believe..."

    In deep thought, Rokoro came to the swift conclusion that a full minute here is the equivalent of fifteen minutes on Earth and that to Ryousuke Kawahara, a minute had passed, officially. In other words, the task at hand was completely partial to the time countdown---or at least, almost partial.

    "Everyone, if fifteen minutes on Earth is the equivalent of a single minute here, then we have 435 minutes remaining!"

    "And that''s the equivalent of 7 hours and twenty five minutes in Earth''s time."

    "It''s as Diego says! So, ease up, everyone!"

    The moment Rokoro said that, not a single person in his group continued to be stressed out because they were initially stressed out at the fact that they had to finish this task fast, but now that they knew that they had at least seven hours to accomplish their task, they suddenly felt all that pressure gone.

    On the other hand, Diego murmured something to himself as he was the only one who capitilized on something bizarre.

    "....Why don''t the times match then..."

    He was confused. Diego knows for sure that the time indicated back there, on the area with the ten elevators indicated a countdown of 30 minutes but he couldn''t help notice that slight contradiction.

    Why would the time here be different while the outside time works like normal? He thought to himself that it would only make the exam easier. He frankly thought that maybe it was something to do with this section and nothing else; that''s why he didn''t give it much though as the entire group moved into the vicinity of the volcano.

    Since the volcano is extinct---therefore inactive---the inside of it was actually a rough rocky circle where a skyscraper lies within. The height of it is the same as the volcano although a few meters taller. Henceforth how it was noticeable in the first place.

    It would be the same as walking into a building. However, something to notice is that unless a person has extremely good vision, they cannot capture the very top of the volcano---its circular edges that permit a gap to exist in which anyone can therefore see the singed sky above.

    As such, should a person sit on the very edge of the gap, nobody could catch a glance of that person since the difference in height is enormous.

    Against any expectations, on that top, he would stand watching Rokoro and his group as they all walked in the dark tall skyscraper.

    Speaking of expectations, Rokoro did not expect the inside of the first floor to be exactly like a skyscraper as well. Although there was a reception desk in the middle of the white floor, nobody was receiving any of them. The first floor containing two appealing factors to it.

    Located in the furthest northeast corner, a stairway would be at sight, so they knew that they could all climb their way to the next floor through that stairway. However, in west direction, to their left, they also could see an elevator.

    With that in mind, they were puzzled as they knew not whether or not what they should take. Suddenly, all eyes were on Rokoro.

    "Hm, I believe the elevator is perhaps not working because it will most likely take us to the top!"

    "But we won''t know it until we check it, will we?"

    The one who made that suggestion was a boy from Rokoro''s group. Furthermore, Diego agreed with him on this.

    "Sorry, can you check if it''s working? If it rides to the top then come down and tell us so we can go up."

    With nothing to fear, the boy started to walk in the opposite direction and faced the elevator. Afterwards, on the right side of the elevator, he pressed the button to go up.

    Nobody expected an answer since they were all under the assumption that the component had to be put in its place first for the elevator to be functional. They were all quite well-versed in the mechanic of "equivalence"; ergo the act of doing something first to get the latter.

    "Yeah, no problem."

    The boy clicked the button of the elevator and in less than five seconds, the inside of the elevator was exposed rather quickly. Calmly, he then walked into it and saw that there were multiple buttons to press.

    "There are other 99 buttons to press. Do I just press the 100th one?"

    They knew that at the top of the tower lied their destination, most likely, so in order to speed things up, Rokoro spoke to him.

    "Yes! If you see that there is something to place this component within, ride down the elevator and inform us! We are counting on you!"

    "Alright, leave it to me!"

    The boy, who had not given his name, rode the elevator subsequently. It would be at the time that the elevator''s door would close that Rokoro would say something else to everyone present.

    "Shall we wait a bit? It shouldn''t take him more than five minutes!"

    "I agree with Rokoro here. We should just wait."

    "If you say so, Diego."

    Vonu agreed with Diego''s agreement with Rokoro and just like that, in the first floor, they awaited for the good news, while staring at that dark metallic elevator.

    They waited.

    Another minute passed by. Their expressions didn''t stiffen because this skyscraper is abnormally tall---no, that''s wrong. That''s just how a skyscraper is.

    Naturally, it would take more than a minute for the boy to go up and go down.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Therefore, they waited for another minute.

    Some of their expressions stiffened and skepticism rose on the surface after five minutes. Ursula then broke the silence and told Rokoro the truth.

    She was a bit nervous.

    "It''s been more than five minutes, Rokoro..."

    This was something Rokoro couldn''t deny. Because, as it stood, it had been more than five minutes, he, however, adjusted his glasses and insisted with everyone.

    "....Just two more minutes."

    "...Alright."

    There was nothing to be afraid of, but the moment they noticed in their cellphones that signal was missing this area, they all quietly absorbed that information to themselves without communicating with each other. They felt as if it would put the atmosphere more nervous than it already was.

    Two minutes later, he still didn''t come and Diego had to call out to Rokoro.

    "Rokoro... It''s been more than two minutes..."

    Diego wasn''t exactly composed either. However, Rokoro offered a suggestion as to what it could''ve happened.

    "I believe that he is climbing down the stairs instead! Maybe the elevator at the top doesn''t go down unless the component is inserted!"

    Vonu approached Rokoro in the middle of the area and agreed with him.

    "That''s the only explanation. Which means we should climb up."

    "Yeah."

    "Indeed!"

    Without a member in their group, the group was now moving as a 60 people group instead of a 61 people group.

    By going to the east direction, they climbed the stairs firstly to the north top side, then took the left top side, subsequently as well, the north top side again while as well taking the left top side again thus completing a full circle.

    It would be identical to how the first floor is shaped except there isn''t an entrance and there is a way down now. Furthermore, there is also an elevator exactly on the same side as the previous floor''s. There isn''t a reception, however, this time.

    Light-wise; although barely illuminated, it was enough for the students to see each other.

    "Everyone, can you hear footsteps?"

    Rokoro asked that because there was barely any communication going on and so, by asking all of them to focus their hearings to the maximum, he could gather some intel on this.

    "No."

    "Nope."

    "None."

    "I don''t think so..."

    "Not even ours."

    Not a single positive response came forward and as such, they all concluded that the boy who had been sent by the elevator to the top was perhaps still up there.

    They were left with two choices, realistically, but they only acknowledged one, which was to go up and they did so, moving towards the third floor.

    It was then in the third floor that Vonu noticed something. He stopped while looking at the elevator in the third floor.

    "Hold on. This---shouldn''t be working, right?"

    Vonu approached the elevator as he pressed the button on its right side, which made Rokoro express his thoughts transiently.

    "There''s no w--"

    However, it opened.

    "...It opened."

    Diego began to wildy speculated something as he murmured that and then spoke to Rokoro and Vonu.

    "Isn''t this a different elevator?"

    Ursula counter-argued rather quickly.

    "No? Elevators take space in the structure. You can''t just have 100 different elevators. It has to be the same one."

    "I know but it''s weird---Let me try something."

    What Vonu did was to press the switch on the first floor and like that, the elevator closed.

    Not even a minute later, but only about twenty seconds later, Vonu climbed down from the stairs and met up with Rokoro.

    "Alright, so there''s nothing malfuctioning; that''s good to know. I''ll be taking the elevator to the fourth floor to see the result."

    "Godspeed!"

    Rokoro wished his a safe return in an old-fashioned way, because, after all, it wouldn''t take long for Vonu to return. If it took him twenty seconds to return after riding down to the first floor---two floors below this one---then it would take him less time than that to return.

    However, after thirty seconds had passed, Vonu was nowhere at sight.

    "What?"

    "Well, isn''t he just upstairs?"

    "Maybe he''s tricking us? I didn''t take Vonu for that type of guy..."

    They were certainly confused as they assumed that Vonu was upstairs and so, all they had to do was to climb to the fourth floor. After doing so, what they witnessed as the exact same structure: a way up via upstairs and an elevator at the north-central area.

    "Vonu?"

    Rokoro whispered that and Ursula followed him up with a louder inquisition.

    "Vonu?! Are you there?!"

    "Say something!"

    But despite Diego telling Vonu to say something, no words from Vonu came forth and they were left wondering what was actually happening.

    Seeing that they were reduced to 59 people, Rokoro, along with Diego arrived at the conclusion that riding the elevator was only amounting to unnecessary stress and so, they told everyone their thoughts.

    "Let''s just not ride the elevators... We can climb to the top via stairway."

    As Diego just said, they had no obligation to take the elevators. It was unnecessary for them to risk going through what the other boy and Vonu went through.

    "I admire technology, but physical exercise is necessary at times!"

    More relieved, agreements came from within Rokoro''s group as they looked at each other while confirming their relieved opinions.

    "Oh thank God..."

    "The elevator''s kinda creepy..."

    "Why haven''t they come back yet...?"

    "Do you think that the elevator is taking them somewhere not from the top?"

    "Maybe..."

    With their path of action decided, they continued to the next floor in hope for a change within the scenery. Along the way, they had hoped to find the two of them, but the fifth floor remained the same with the two missing members gone from action.

    Rokoro was getting far too skeptical about this but nonetheless, he, along with his remaining members moved to the sixth floor. Aside from the fact that they were getting higher and higher, nothing changed again.

    A strange malicious silence began to consume the atmosphere and each footstep started to sound terrifying to them, for some reason. On the seventh floor with no changes whatsoever, Rokoro couldn''t help but gain a sensation of fear along with his members. It was bothering him, far too much, how more than possibly ten minutes had passed and the two missing members had not returned.

    The eight floor remained the same and the very fact that there was a reception at the beginning made one question something.

    "Why would a huge skyscraper be in the middle of Mars....?!"

    Ursula was the one who couldn''t hold back her thoughts and she quickly put her two hands on her mouth once she realized she had accidently blurted that out.

    With their wits lost, no one could form a plausible response and so, they moved on to the ninth floor, which remained once again, the same.

    "...What floor are we in again?"

    "Seventh...?"

    Some members were already feeling lost, so Diego didn''t hesitate to inform them of the truth.

    "We are on the ninth floor."

    "....Thanks."

    Thus, they form their silence again, as Rokoro remained in the front line, guiding them to the top.

    Alas, as nobody expected a change, it happened, in the tenth floor.

    "Everyone, look! The passage to the eleventh floor is blocked!"

    Everything about the floor was exactly the same as the other previous floors, except that the passage to the upcoming floor was blocked by a wall of steel; thus Rokoro had to firmly notice everyone about this.

    "What... do we do now?"

    Ursula, a bit afraid asked that to Rokoro as she looked to the elevator, against her will. Deep down, she already knew that the elevator would play a crucial part here.

    Rokoro had to answer however, despite being nervous.

    "We---We need to see what can be done to bring down that wall..."

    Diego capitalized quickly on the factor that the elevator had something to do with it and the fact that the wall was halting their progress, so he retained a bit of nervosity and went straight to the elevator.

    "D-Diego?!"

    Unable to contain his fear inside, Rokoro didn''t have a choice but to be surprised in a negative way once he saw Diego pressing the elevator button on the outside.

    "We need to do something and it''s crystal clear that the elevator has something to do with it."

    The elevator opened itself up and without doing anything except walking inside of it, Diego remained there, at the very center of the elevator.

    He took a deep breath and now from afar, he spoke to all of them.

    "I could be wrong here but I am already sensing a pattern. Hear me out here---this is the tenth floor and most likely, in every ten to ten floor, there will be a wall like this and the only other partial factor is the elevator. Here is my plan: I am going to ride this elevator to the next floor to see what happens. Of course... There is a chance that I won''t return like the others but, we are most likely at the top of the tower and what''s actually happening is that their way down is locked and they are trapped, so we have to unfreeze every door. Did I make myself clear here?"

    Diego''s theory is simple but a bit complicated at the same time. He reckons that he or more than a person has to ride the elevator in order to make the wall unfreeze itself. That perhaps that the wall is nothing more than a defensive mechanism.

    As such, they would have to start committing to this task. Furthermore, Rokoro recalled something that Ryousuke Kawahara had told them previous and he didn''t hesitate on sharing his knowledge.

    "Everyone, I just remembered something! Kawahara-dono told me that each section has defensive mechanisms should steps be skipped! This has to be it!"

    "Hold on, then does that mean that in order to freeze this wall that a specific number of people have to ride the elevator?"

    "What do you mean, Ursula? It''s not like this skyscraper has a way to know how many of us are in here..."

    As soon as Rokoro heard what Gino said to Ursula, he began to think and his mind winded up to the very entrance where there is a reception. He recalled that in that reception desk, there was a thin horizontal red crystal on the top of the white desk but he didn''t feel like mentioning it because he thought it was irrelevant.

    However, what Rokoro realized would prove that the crystal is actually an extremely relevant factor.

    "But it has! The red crystal in the desk is a scanner! Of course, how could I not have noticed this?! It''s an indirect reference to the fact that the component is also a scanner! Everyone, the skyscraper is aware of how many of us are here and so, each ten floor requires a variety of people to go through the elevator in order to balance our numbers!"

    Realizing Rokoro''s theory, from within the still-open elevator, Diego''s eyes opened wide as he spoke eager in agreement.

    "I think Rokoro is on to something here! If the crystal recognized 61 of us and if there are ten floors, then the numbers have to be divided..."

    Marina, from the back of the students spoke as she had calculated the exact division for this specific floor.

    "If we have to divide our number in each floor then that means... Since Kamuel and Vonu already took the elevator, there has to be three more who are willing to do so, if we count Diego. To be more specific, a number of 6,1 people have to go through the elevator but it''s impossible to make that division, so we will just have to assume that only six people are required!"

    Under the assumption that there are ten floors, in each floor, since 61 people divided by 10 floors equals 6,1; according to Marina, a grand total of six people would have to go inside the elevators for the wall to unfreeze.

    Offering herself for the cause, Marina walked into the elevator where Diego is in right now.

    "I believe in my theory and I will be putting my faith on you to carry out the mission, Rokoro!"

    Two more offered themselves to go, as it was one boy and one girl, who also said their words to Rokoro, as Diego pressed the switch to go to the next floor.

    "We''ll be back in no time!"

    "Have some confidence. Can''t have the leader nervous all the time, hah!"

    Rokoro wished them luck exactly as the door began to close itself.

    "Everyone, I''ll see you in a while!"

    The four of them flashed their smiles as the elevator''s door closed. But, the remaining 55 students smiled wider and wider as they saw the metallic door completely go up; thus unlocking the passage to go up.

    Without a doubt, this was a moment to celebrate for Rokoro and the others as they witnessed the power of their intellect coming together.

    "Yes! Eureka! Marina''s theory is correct!"

    "So that''s what was happening!"

    "I was starting to think that they were just randomly disappearing but now it makes all sense!"

    Some students were hugging each other and sharing high-fives; this included Rokoro and Gino to as well high-five each other. Nothing at that moment made them more happy because they were proud of their teamwork.

    "It was as Sagasuga-dono said! It''s been proven throughout history that collective minds work better than one and that organization will always win!"

    Hiroyoshi Sagasuga''s words made them even more confident about their success as they began to climb as a unit; floor by floor, not witnessing a single difference until they hit the twentieth floor.

    Of course, the twentieth floor had a difference and it was the very same element previously present in the tenth floor. However, this time around, they knew how to solve this problem and as such, six people went in this time around.

    Something to keep in mind is that Rokoro could not be the one who drove the elevator from within as he had to be the last person, since he is the one who would place the component. Therefore, if Rokoro was counted out, Marina''s previous mathematic dilemma was irrelevant since six people will go in each ten to ten floors. Until, the last floor where of course Rokoro would have to go along.

    "Later, Rokoro!"

    "Good luck up there!"

    "Don''t fail us now, yeah?"

    "If you encounter the rest, give them the good news!"

    "Make it count, we are all in this together."

    "Don''t be late!"

    49 people remained and the twentieth floor''s wall officially elevated itself and as such, the path was clear once again.

    On the 27th floor, Gino would ask a question to Rokoro, who is on the more front side leading his comrades while keeping his inner eccentric attitude to the minimum in order for everyone around him to focus. He realized that his comments could make them nervous and so, he was holding his attitude back for after this was done. This was hard for him.

    Gino looked Rokoro in the eyeball and although slightly nervous, asked regardless.

    "....Are they really at the top? It''s kinda creepy how some of them have said that they would click on the floor that is right up ahead but didn''t appear..."

    "...We already talked about that! Supposedly, they are stuck on the top because we haven''t unfrozen every wall there is!"

    "R-Right! I gotta keep it together, man!"

    But at the end of the day, Rokoro knew that was just a positive theory. In reality, he had no conclusive evidence to that theory whatsoever, but he could, however, have faith in the theory and that''s what always kept Rokoro going.

    By abiding faith in his theories, he always kept going and going. Throughout the years of his childhood, Rokoro suffered a trauma that he never spoke to anyone about. When he was five years old, he discovered his passion for discovery and would always explore new subjects that were far too advanced for him at that time. Rokoro didn''t care about the difficulty, he never did; all Rokoro ever wanted was to explore.

    Therefore, he thought to himself that it was only natural that everyone in his class would think that way as well---however, that was not the case. Nobody in the kindergarten was as eccentric as he was and as a matter of fact, he kept getting isolated by his peers in the kindergarten thus leading him with a childhood of no friends. Nobody ever showed his inner passion for discovery, but he kept his faith up. He knew that once he got to high-school that everything would change.

    He wouldn''t hesitate to tell others in his new class what he wanted to be when he grew up. Rokoro always wanted to be a power influencer in this world and would tell others how he was going to change the world with his mind---but this didn''t cause him to just get isolated by his peers again. He was bullied every day in a different way to the extreme from not being normal. Nobody would just go out of their way to express their dreams and Rokoro didn''t understand why the people around him or people in general are so afraid of expressing their dreams.

    Every day without fail he would get dragged down to halleys in his high-school and was beaten to a pulp day by day. He received so many kicks once that he had to go under surgery due to his damaged stomach. He was hit on the face so much that his glasses would get broken every time he would get physically bullied. With consistency, he was forced to drink water from the urinols and at times, even eat feces. Teachers did not show him support as the usual-cliched issues would occur where Rokoro was not able to defend himself.

    His house was assaulted several times by his bullies that would chase him after school. In every morning, he would get gum stuck to his hair and while entering the class, the bullies would often force him to walk into class naked or they would stab him in the gut. His mother, unable to deal with what was happening to him and how her money would always get stolen, blamed Rokoro and said that everything was his fault. In the next morning, Rokoro found her body in the bathtub full of blood, with her wrists sliced.

    Many times, he thought of killing himself. His father beat him up with high consistency since he was a road-worker who would drink alcohol carelessly. At one time, Rokoro was a victim of an attempted sexual act by his father, but, Rokoro at that time successfully called the cops. Something that Rokoro would never reveal to himself was that he had to kill his father in order to not get raped. The cop who came to his rescue, at the time, understood what had happened and didn''t say a word about it as well.

    The cop''s words, remain with him still to this day.

    "Bad people will always go out of their way to make your day worse, kid. That''s why it''s necessary to be a good person---so you can have better days. That''s my theory about how to have a good day; your day is a reflection of what''s around you. Why don''t you take this? You don''t have a family and could use something like this? It will change your life, most likely."

    Rokoro learned that what manages one to be successful in their life and why the cop helped him out was due to one essential factor: his faith in the theory and that as long as you have that faith; that''s all you need.

    For many years to come afterwards, Rokoro still firmly believes that devoting one''s soul for the sake of a theory is worth everything as that ideology changed how he perceived life completely. What the cop offered to the kid was a promotion card; promoting the prestigious high-school that Rokoro would discover, where his intelligence is valued and highly appreciated. His faith kept him going and he was rewarded for it.

    That''s why, as he recalls all this, with a glister in his eyes full of faith, Rokoro couldn''t help but be grateful.

    "See you soon!"

    "Later now!"

    "Man, I can''t wait to leave this island!"

    "Keep everyone together, Rokoro."

    "Kawahara''s an awesome leader, but you got potential!"

    "Still a few ways to go though!"

    43 people remained as six would ride the elevator like the previous ones on the thirtieth floor.

    Having recalled all of those thoughts, Rokoro was feeling weirdly emotional and as such, he decided to not hold back his attitude anymore.

    "Please wait for us, everyone! We will reach you soon!"

    "I hope so!"

    "You betcha!"

    The elevator''s door closed and Rokoro along with 42 others rushed to the fortieth floor as they faced yet another wall, but as per usual, they would know what to do.

    Likewise, as the number dropped down to 37, on the fiftieth floor, six more would be dispatched for the greater cause as Rokoro''s faith burned higher and higher.

    Now down to 31 members, it would be once again up to six members to do their part as the sixtieth floor required the exact same number of students.

    Climbing higher and higher, the number decreased once again to 25.

    Rokoro and the remaining others were now blessed with more solar light as before as they continued their way to the top, in that bizarre hollow skyscraper.

    At the arrival on the seventieth floor, the numbers went down to 19 and just like that, only three other floors remained.

    Undoubtely, they were getting closer and closer. The remaining members'' faith in their plan only grew stronger the more sacrifices they made.

    They knew they were going to get out of there safe and deliver their good news to the leader of the cause; Ryousuke Kawahara.

    13 people had to ride the elevator on the eightieth floor while on the ninthieth floor, 6 more, thus leaving only 7 people remaining.

    At long last, the peak was visible. From the glass sheltering the skyscraper in dark, they saw the outside of the volcano as it contained the ever-red atmosphere of Mars alongside its phenomenal disfigured rocky attractions like canyons and endless craters that resembled the moon we all know.

    Since six people had to go inside the elevator for the last door to be unlocked, Gino, Ursula and four others had to go.

    "I''ll see you in a minute, yeah?"

    "I mean, we are all just up there, so let''s get going!"

    "Hurry up to the top, Rokoro!"

    "We need you to insert the component!"

    "I''m pretty sure the other groups already beat us to the pulp, even with this time thing..."

    "R-Really?!"

    Rokoro, midst that didn''t feel the need to say anything as he would surely meet everyone in the upcoming floor, now that the door has unfrosted itself the moment the previously remaining six members clicked the button to go up.

    They were already up there, in the final destination.

    Confident and bright, Rokoro flashed a rebellious smirk as he felt omnipotent, capable of doing anything. A tremendous euphoria; a feeling that he was unfamiliar with but was eager to explore.

    Step by step, he climbed the stairway until he met a gigantic door full of iron, covered with unknown symbols. Near it, on the southeast direction, lied a password entry device, though smaller than a computer.

    In order for the door to open itself, Rokoro had to do once simple thing.

    "Ten! Abra-cadabra! Open, Sesame!"

    By inserting the correct password, Rokoro was at last in the last floor, a room that contained an extremely large almost empty room covered and sheltered with glasses that are absorbing the sunlight on the central, left, and right side of this room. By almost, it''s referring to how there is a general elevator on the left side of the room as there always was.

    However, something immediately bothered Rokoro.

    "...Where is everyone...?"

    Suddenly, he felt his previous charisma and attitude stripped away from him just due to the fact that not a single person was present besides himself. Furthermore, as he walked to the center of the hollow room basking under a cryptic illumination, the door from behind him began to close.

    "W-What?! Why did it close, hey!"

    Tried as he might, Rokoro was not successful in moving the door but on the other hand, he saw a device erupt from the middle area of the room. A matching object that had the entrance of the component that Rokoro is carrying in his pocket.

    "Wait, that has to be it... If I insert it, then everyone will appear, right?!"

    Rokoro had not noticed at this point that his faith, although there, was turning blind. He no longer had any logical foundation to back his faith up. As a matter of fact, he knew that he had lost such foundation the moment he entered this unknown black skyscraper.

    As Rokoro approached the object in the middle area, he noticed that the elevator''s door had opened itself yet, for a while nobody was emerging from it.

    "........? Everyone...?"

    Though Rokoro had not gotten closer to the elevator, the scenery remained the same as nobody was coming out of the elevator.

    But, midst this, Rokoro would hear a loud gunshot from within the elevator.

    Bang!

    And another one came after another.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    "E-E-E-Everyone...?! What''s going----on....?!?!"

    Stumbling, Rokoro could barely keep his balance and his balance would immediately break down once he saw who really came out of the elevator.

    "Daniel.... Lead-dono...?! B-But you were dead!"

    Daniel, covered in blood, put the two guns on his hands right into his belt, underneath the back of it. He didn''t respond to Rokoro right away as he brushed his hair for a bit. In addition to that, he took a deep breath with his eyes closed and only then, did he started to walk to Rokoro, who is currently stunned on the ground wetting himself from the wild speculations that came rushing through his head once he witnessed the grand quantity of fresh red blood in Daniel''s clothing.

    "I-It can''t be....!!! No way, no way, no way-----NOOOOO!!!!"

    Rokoro''s entire body was shaking beyond his control as his tears alongside his snot ran rampart out of control as well.

    Daniel found this strange, however, as he approached Rokoro. There was something that Daniel didn''t understand about Rokoro---or rather, what exactly he was waiting for.

    "What are you doing? Aren''t you going to put it back? Didn''t Kawahara tell you that you need to put the component back in its place? It''s right there. Look."

    Not a trace of emotion could be found as Daniel pointed at the middle of the object. However, Rokoro was grieving beyond his control as he already knew that somehow, his group members were all killed.

    This caused Daniel to kneel down with one knee as he grabbed the left side of Rokoro''s head and forced him to meet his eyesight up close.

    "Put it there; in its place. That''s what you came here for, right?"

    Rokoro nonetheless remained far too emotionally unstable as he continued to cry in front of Daniel.

    Unable to show remorse, Daniel gave an alternative to Rokoro.

    "It''s---alright. I won''t kill you. You''re spared. I''ll let you live."

    These particular words were the only ones who could halt Rokoro''s emotional meltdown as he thought of what it could happen should he be able to escape this place.

    For sure he knows that his comrades are dead, but Rokoro knows that Daniel Lead is alive and managed to fake his own death. Furthermore, he also knows that Daniel has infiltrated the sections and that this information has to be passed down to their leader; Ryousuke Kawahara.

    As such, Rokoro attempted to calm himself many times as he was decisive on what had to be done. Daniel congratulated him for being successful in maintaining his emotions in check with a soft head path alongside a cheery smile.

    "That''s it... That''s the way... Don''t let it dominate you; after all, you wouldn''t want to become their slave, would you now?"

    "...Ah.... Hahahaaaaaaa...."

    Still having trouble controlling himself, Rokoro could not help but cry further, however, he would now speak to Daniel, who is smiling to him still.

    "P-Please let me liveeeee!! I haven''t done anything to youuuu!!! Hahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

    Further patting his head but this time putting his right hand on Rokoro''s mouth, Daniel issued his final call.

    "Take the elevator as it will lead you to the entrance. I think you deserve a reward for coming this far. I am not Satan. But leave the component here. On the ground---that''s it---drop it slowly."

    Daniel''s cold eyes followed the trail of Rokoro''s shaky fingers letting go of the component thoroughly and only then, after only that was done, did Daniel let go of Rokoro''s mouth.

    "Run."

    Rokoro didn''t take chances and went straight to the elevator as he clicked on the button that said 1st floor. Never before did he click something that fast and neither did he wish for a door to close the fastest and he prayed to God that Daniel Lead wouldn''t come after him, with his eyes closed.

    At the end of it all, Daniel didn''t come after Rokoro as Rokoro was able to be with himself on the elevator that was now descending to the very bottom of the skyscraper.

    Laying on the back of the elevator, Rokoro never felt as relieved as before. Although he was feeling immense grief for the death of his comrades, he had escaped and that meant that he could live to tell the tale.

    "...Huh? What is...?"

    Something was continuously splashing on Rokoro''s glasses but his vision was blurry and the elevator was fairly illuminated as well. At first, he had no idea what it was, but he soon recognized the color of it, which was red.

    Afterwards, he slowly, afraid, started to crook his head posture in the direction of the elevator''s ceiling as he saw a fountain of red falling down to the ground of the elevator like an incarnated waterfall. He also noticed how the ceiling was different from a usual elevator, as Rokoro had not in fact been inside one of the elevators from this skyscraper. On the top side of it, there is a rooftop opening which leads to the exterior north side of the elevator.

    Essentially, what is above the structure of the elevator. Rokoro additionally thought to himself how it was odd that he had not seen his comrades even after reaching the top and he knows for a fact that he heard four gunshots.

    However, for the top of the elevator to be slightly disfigured, it would mean something: there is something incredibly heavy on the very top of the elevator; otherwise, it couldn''t possibly affect the overall structure of the elevator. Possibly, at least more than 500 kilograms in terms of weight would have to be combined successfully.

    Such scenario was highly unexpected, but as the elevator reached its destination, not only did a robotic voice from the elevator alert Rokoro that he had arrived the fist floor, but something in addition happened.

    "You have reached the first floor. Did you enjoy the ride, customer?"

    The impact of the elevator''s landing made the entire weight accumulated from the north exterior structure of the elevator collpase onto Rokoro, as he quickly became engulfed with over sixty dead bodies onto him.

    "AHHHHH! AHHH! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! AHHHH!!!"

    Panicking with how many bodies were falling over his direction, he couldn''t get up as the number of bodies continued to overwhelm him over and over, to the point where Rokoro began to drown in the pool of death.

    Horrified and beyond mortified, Rokoro had finally known what had happened to his group members as he was at last together with all of them, like they all thought they would be. A reunion therefore occurred, however nothing but Rokoro''s terror existed in that elevator with an open door.

    "E-EVERYONE, NOOOOO--OOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!! AGHHH!!!!! Whyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!! Hmahaha...!!! Mother! Mother, I''m scared----!!! Father, I''m drowning! I''m running out of breath! HELP ME! SOMEONE HELP ME! DAMIAN-DONO! SHIORI-DONO! YOUJO!!!"

    And then, with a deep breath, despite being buried in so many dead bodies, he called out to the one person he wanted help the most. The one person Rokoro wanted to come to his aid.

    "KAWAHARA-DONOOOOOOO!!! HELP ME! WE ARE BROTHERS, AREN''T WE?! DON''T BROTHERS HELP EACH OTHER OUT WHEN ANOTHER BROTHER GETS HURT!? HELP ME THEEENNNN!! I''M HURT AND I NEED HELP!! KAWAHARA, MY BROTHER!!!!"

    Several minutes passed and Rokoro deep down wanted for someone to help him out yet he also acknowledged deep down, through his great emotional grief that he was the last hope remaining.

    That in order for the others to be aware of Daniel Lead that Rokoro needed to survive this and tell Ryousuke Kawahara what was actually going on.

    As such, with all the strength he had, through multiple physical struggles and only for countless minutes to be dispatched as a way of showing how physically frail Rokoro really is, Rokoro managed to dive through all the bodies while maintaining a certain distance from the ground with his mouth in order to breathe.

    Countless times during that whole endeavor did Rokoro''s life flash before his eyes. The terror of thinking about Daniel Lead would make his mind blank as he thought he was a fool for looking down on a criminal simply because he never encountered any real threats in the island.

    For a second, he thought that there were no real criminals besides Daniel Lead; henceforth why Rokoro maintained the strong necessity of moving through the dead bodies and ultimately, his endeavor was successful yet his body was too numb to completely get up at the moment.

    "...............I....will.....get....this.... information across no matter what......!!!!!"

    In order to get out of the first floor, Rokoro had to continuously support his right forearm onto the ground just for his lower and upper parts of the body to move. His vision, massively blurry didn''t allow him to get a good eyesight but he knew that as long as he got to the elevator and went back to Ryousuke Kawahara that their deaths would have not been in vain.

    Amidst this, Rokoro had no way to notice something. In his mind, in the earlier discussion of whether or not the trial timer was related to the fact that time here in this section is slower, Rokoro and his now-dead companions had arrived at the conclusion that the trial timer was related to the time that they were perceiving.

    However, they never gained evidence about such a conclusion. In addition to that, they never knew what this trial was referring to and by now, as Rokoro crawled like an injured dog to the exit of the volcano---leaving endless trails of blood down the road----he never suspected that the trial would get in his way.

    What is the trial, exactly?

    For starters, it''s more important to acknowledge the existence of this particular skyscraper and what exactly it''s there for. What sustains the ability for humans to stay in this atmosphere without being affected by what the atmosphere has to actually offer was the fact that the trial was underway. Furthermore, it was regulated and as such, it was designed to sustain human life within.

    Yet, once the trial was over, this would mean something---however what? To that something; the inside of the skyscraper and its surrondings---in this case the volcano, the inside of it, would be sheltered from the lack of regulations. Therefore, should one stay inside the skyscraper or within the parameter of the volcano, they would be protected by the barrier that has the power to sustain human life within. Plus, the fact that the component was put in its place is the actual factor as to why the skyscraper is unaffected alongside the vicinity below.

    To be more precise, without the component, the skyscraper and the area below in the volcano would become intoxicated; exactly the same as the atmosphere on Mars. With that said, the component plays a huge role.

    Not only that, but this information certainly comes in handy as no one with this information would walk into this section to begin with, or if they had this information they would instead remain within the skyscraper or at least in the bottom of the volcano.

    "...I... willllllll--- WH--- Gua---Agh-----Gaaah---!"

    All of that information is severely important as no human being can live on the atmosphere on Mars for a couple of reasons. First of all, any human being, regardless of who it is would instantly die, or at least nearly due to the fact that Mars'' atmosphere is far thinner compared to Earth''s atmosphere. Furthermore, there''s a tremendous lack of oxygen which would make anyone suffocate. Not only that; the temperatures are glacial cold from the distance to the sun.

    With these factors recognized, the sight of Rokoro''s eyeballs dropping an unstoppable wave of blood as his blood boiled alongside his entire body freezing on the very entrance of the extinct volcano was not surprising.

    In that land of nothingness, no one would witness Rokoro''s body disfigure into the exact same essence as the dead planet of Mars.

 Volume 23 - Chapter 162: Trial of Canopus.

    There is a gimmick that not many know about when it comes to the ten sections within this particular island. Zwette and her group of 55 people were no different in this regard.

    While riding down the elevator along with her group members, Zwette tried to calm herself down. She was never too well-received and had to be on Yoh''s side, her best friend, in order to not get pushed around. The luminosity of the elevator was decreasing minute by minute, however, and it wouldn''t be long before any of the group members would call Zwette out.

    "....Why is the light suddenly fading away...?"

    Not a single person was looking elsewhere; that meaning---the ceiling above. Although there is still light within the elevator, it''s undoubtedly coming to a swift end. However, it also wouldn''t be for long until the elevator stopped its tracks, but only when the light completely faded out of existence.

    The door of the elevator opened itself and in front of them, they encountered a linear path with geoglyphs on the walls. Nonetheless, that path wasn''t strictly linear as there is a small dual-path to both their right and left. This was also the very same place where Ryousuke Kawahara and Hiroyoshi Sagasuga had been in a few weeks ago---the Necrohol of Canopus.

    Though, to Zwette and her group who were silently grasping the very fundamental surface of this new atmosphere, they had no idea what it truly was.

    "...We have to go up, I think..."

    Zwette''s right and the majority of the students had already concluded that the path that the dual-path would take them would be to the outside island. In other words; their aim was the exact opposite and thus, there was no other option but go towards the linear path. Aside from that, the luminosity of this linear hall was supported by the green shards in the walls that attracted the attention of every single one of Zwette''s group members; herself included.

    But since that''s all that supported in terms of luminosity; in a place where the shards wouldn''t focus their luminosity, it would be fairly easy to escape from someone''s vision. Nevertheless, they had no idea of noticing something like that.

    After following the linear path, they found railways on their left end and that path extended itself to the furthest of the west. But since Zwette''s carrying her tablet and that tablet has the entire map of this area, she had no doubt about it---there are two split ways towards the center of this path with railways. They both lead to different ends, however.

    As such, since the closest path would lead to a different end than the one on the right path, a separation would have to be made in order to spare less time. Because, even though Zwette knows the area completely just by glancing at the tablet, she and her companions do not know where the component needs to be put in.

    "I think we should split ourselves in 28 since we are 56 people as a whole. Zwette and other 27 will go through the furthest path on the right side while we will take this one."

    A simple idea: division. Not only is it less time-wasting, but they can communicate better this way. In the middle of the dual railways, Zwette spoke in agreement to the suggestion as she saw it as something completely beneficial.

    "Ok. That sounds good and thank you for suggesting that..."

    Both of the dual paths that would ultimately conduct themselves towards the south direction had the same structure as it followed the exact pattern: a linear direction to be met with two opposing directions and then, a linear path once again. Of course, it wasn''t completely exact in terms of pattern if we take into account that the first path in the middle of the structure leans towards the left side while the other path on the right side leans towards the left side. They nonetheless don''t clash with one another, surprisingly.

    Zwette and 27 other people took the furthest path---the path to the right while 28 others took the path on the left towards south. Their goal was simple---to see whether or not there was a place where they could put the tablet in. Furthermore, the idea was also to return to the north side once they were done checking the contents of the two paths.

    From Zwette''s perspective and her now 27 group of people, they went through the path exactly as the tablet told them to. At the end of the path, they were met with an horizontal path that had a west dead end and an east side blocked by a passage that resembled a huge metallic cage.

    "Hold on, there''s a manipulator switch here."

    One of the members in Zwette''s group pointed towards the middle direction of the horizontal path with two railways, more on the back side, where there is a small surface that can be climbed through both sides and in it, there is in fact a manipulator switch that can be pressed.

    "...That should be what lifts the cage up... Alright, we have to meet up with the others first!"

    Naturally, not a single person there present disagreed. Zwette''s group as a whole wasn''t characterised by charisma or any sort of noticeable feature, but they knew what they had to do. In order to contribute to the cause, the goal had to be accomplished.

    Likewise, they would have to go to where they were previously and meet up with the other 28 members.

    But, they weren''t there, in that path of railways, which made Zwette arrive at the conclusion that they must''ve found something crucial within their path.

    "I think that they must''ve found something..."

    "Maybe we were too fast? That would explain it..."

    Truth to be told, they were barely there for more than three minutes, so it would be highly likely that they were simply more endorsed onto the sudden discovery. Thus, there weren''t any doubts. The remaining 28 students were on the end of the path and it would be up to Zwette and the remaining 27 members on her side to go and meet up with them.

    Aside from the shift in direction towards the left side in the middle of the structure, there weren''t any changes in the pattern. Continuously, the members would wonder about the meaning of the geoglpyhs but they couldn''t arrive at any conclusion.

    And, in the midst of that, some members started to feel unwelcome. A feeling that would come and stay the more they walked in. The more they understood less of what they were encountering, the greater that feeling spread.

    Unlike the place where they had been before, this path didn''t contain railways and instead continued to be met with an irregular crooked path leaning towards the left side. The shapes of the walls started to become strange and the length of the hall gained dimension; to the point where many could scatter throughout the area. However, it was, in fact a dead end.

    What would this mean? That if this is a dead end that the remaining 28 people should, without a doubt, be here. There is no counterplay to this sort of affirmation except for the fact that they could''ve turned their backs on Zwette and go back the moment Zwette and her 27 members went in the other path. However, that sort of thought would be absurd since they are all in this together with a single goal in mind.

    It just wasn''t a realistic probably possibility.

    ".....What? Where is..."

    "Everyone...?"

    Unexpectedly, in this dead-end area, with glistering green shards adjoined to the walls and a circling vast ceiling, not a single soul of the other group could be found. Nothing that indicated that they were there in the first place could be found as the group explored the vicinity that had the shape of a grand circle.

    This begged the question that Zwette was profoundly thinking about----where are the rest? They couldn''t just have vanished into thin air.

    Therefore, there were two reasonable outcomes to this.

    One: They went back to the elevator and for some reason, they exited the scene without warning Zwette and her group.

    Two: They took the exit on the top of the elevator and fled into the island.

    Still, these two outcomes would always beg for a simple yet controversial question.

    "...Why...?"

    As Zwette, in the middle of the area, entered deep thought, some of the members nearby were more nervous than usual as they didn''t know what had happened. It wasn''t in Zwette to take charge of other people, but she knew she had to do it.

    "...Everyone, I think I am able to explain why they are not here..."

    Zwette then went out of her way to explain to the remaining members the two possible outcomes. She reasoned that since they couldn''t have just vanished into pure thin air that they had to exit the scene. It was unfortunate, but her reasoning was that they had been betrayed, even though she doubted that. However, at the same time, it was the only logical outcome that she could take from all this.

    "No way, did they really...?"

    "...There''s no other way, right...?"

    Maybe the other group members weren''t as committed to the task as this one. Perhaps they didn''t really believe in what Ryousuke Kawahara had told them. A lingering doubt was growing in the midst of Zwette''s group.

    For someone like Zwette who experiences doubt over and over, she knew what this would develop into. That''s why she didn''t hesitate in portraying her thoughts to everyone present.

    "....We shouldn''t follow their example... Yoh and... the other groups are trying hard, so we have to also try hard..."

    Yet her words weren''t the best, so she quickly closed her eyes and said some more honest words, in a hurry.

    "I want to help Yoh out and we need to do our best!"

    In that hollow area, her shout could be heard loud and clear. She also knew that perhaps her words didn''t come across as words that would deeply resonate with others. Henceforth, Zwette decided to follow through this, even if she had to do it alone. She already knew that the manipulator switch would be the way towards the other part and since this is a dead end, it is crystal clear that this area was not relevant to the goal whatsoever.

    So, Zwette nervously started to walk out as she knew not whether someone would follow her or not. It wouldn''t be surprising to her if that was the case, but deep down, she wanted others to go along with her as she was scared as well.

    This unknown territory deeply frightened all of them as their fear for the unknown was apparent.

    "...You''re not alone, wait!"

    "Don''t go without us!"

    "I don''t know why the others did that but... I''m going with you!"

    "I''m the same...!"

    Little by little, the remaining 27 group members started to follow Zwette on her way to the top. Zwette didn''t throw an emotional speech, but instead remained serious towards the goal as she had Yoh in mind, her best friend, and she wants to finish this task fast so she can serve of assistance to him, if possible. Therefore, she settled with gratitude.

    "Thank you, everyone..."

    Their destination was clear this time, however. Since they all assumed that the other 28 had gone back due to their own reasons, they couldn''t waste any more time fooling around. By taking the path to the north and then taking the path on the west side all the way down south again, they encountered themselves in the area with the manipulator switch.

    Upon pressing it downwards, the cage elevated itself and their path was suddenly met with artificial light as the bridge remained at sight from afar.

    The bridge contained a grand width of 30 meters in length. As for a ceiling, there was none as the atmosphere above is the clear cerulean sky with a midday sun shining on the top. However, there were sights of other bridges on the furthest west and east side; though very far away, showing deep connecting with other areas like this one. No doubt about it, but there is a constructive network here.

    To access the other area, a password requirement was at sight. Near the right bottom side of the cage, from the outside where they now stand, Zwette introduced the right password which is: "Words".

    Doing that action allowed the cage to once again be lifted and they were inside an area with green crystal and mysterious geoglyphs once again. A straight-forward path would be their current path of action as they saw nothing else for a while, until they saw a stairway that resembled the exact same entrance that they come from.

    Not only was there a way to the right side that would lead to the outside island, but they were met with a path on the left side that would lead to yet another railway track.

    "Isn''t this the same...?"

    "No, I think that it''s just similar... We should encounter a few differences this time around..."

    Positive that was the case, Zwette led the remaining members to path with railways on the north side. However, the unexpected occurred and there were exactly two paths and the plant on Zwette''s tablet remained exactly the same as the previous one.

    "...I must''ve been wrong... This has the exact same structure."

    If such was the case, then there were two options.

    One: Go through the left side and see if there is something there.

    Two: Continue to the other part of the section by doing the exact same pathing as before.

    This raised a question; however. If the structure was the same, then would this mean that they would have to explore the other areas connected? This is referring to the other spotted bridges from afar in the previous bridge.

    If that was the case, then maybe they needed to descend towards the last remaining area that is connected with the last remaining bridge.

    Zwette emphasized that thought of hers to her group and they arrived at the conclusion that they should take the path on the right to go to the other section near the bridge. As such, they began to drift down south.

    Their train of thought didn''t suspect that there would be anything stopping their tracks towards the south area, but as they faced the south direction, near the end of that path, they encountered a wall that was blocking their passage, unfortunately. They had not encountered this previously and so, they took a quick grasp at this.

    "What is happening? We didn''t encounter this previously..."

    "Maybe the other path is the right one, after all?"

    Already reasoning that the other path was the correct one to follow, Zwette couldn''t help but notice that this was strange. Nonetheless, they all went to the other path and instead of witnessing a completely unblocked path, they encountered a wall like before.

    Like that, they were blocked from making progress.

    "Hold up. If it worked before, then why doesn''t it work now?"

    True enough, the structure was the same, but there was a very specific reason as to why it worked before and it didn''t now. By taking into account one specific factor, Zwette spoke her mind.

    "We had a division previously, didn''t we?"

    "Are you suggesting that we divide ourselves and see if there is a difference, Zwette?"

    It was a wild shot, but if it didn''t work out, there wouldn''t be any harm.

    "Maybe the dual paths require an even number in both sides for the walls to go up? We are 28, so 14 should go to the other side?"

    "If that''s the case, then you should go with other 13 of us to the other side, Zwette. Whatever happens, we won''t run away."

    "Yup, you can count on us!"

    Multiple agreements came forth and Zwette, along with 13 others moved to the other side. Meanwhile the remaining 14 others stayed on the left side.

    By walking through the other side, Zwette along with her group witnessed the wall go up and thus, the way to the south was now fully cler.

    "Okay, let''s meet up with the rest now!"

    "Yeah!"

    Their reasoning had worked out and it appeared that the section that they are in operates on the concept of balance. Only through division can both sides be accessed. As such, if their reasoning worked out, they should be able to meet up with the rest of the other 14 members as well.

    However, in that exact same circular area with a dead end, not a single trace of their existences remained, which made the group far too unstable.

    "What the hell?! They were here, weren''t they?!"

    "This is strange! What is going on?!"

    They firstly thought that they had been betrayed, but Zwette was the first one to call them out on such assumption.

    "...I don''t think that they betrayed us...! Something is wrong here...! How come we are now only fourteen?!"

    Zwette could barely control herself as she couldn''t understand where they were gone to, so she came to a rather swift conclusion that would solve this problem in the midst of that chaos.

    She summoned the attention of everyone and then spoke.

    "Alright, I have a solution, I think... If this truly operates on balance, then we don''t necessarily have to divide all of our numbers in the upcoming section..."

    "...What do you mean, Zwette?"

    "I''m saying... Since we are 14, that at least 2 or 4 people should remain here. This way, we can always backtrack and meet up with the rest."

    It wasn''t exactly a solution. It was just a method of making sure that other members wouldn''t unnecessarily vanish mysteriously like that.

    As such, a member proposed a more reasonable solution instead.

    "Wait... How about we advance and have half of us stand in the bridge?! I think the area only acknowledges the numbers in the area and not on the bridge!"

    The suggestion wasn''t bad. It appeared as though they were already making measures to avoid this sudden vanishment in numbers. By having 7 members stand in the bridge; outside of the upcoming area, it would also create a dilemma, as the number would grow unpaired.

    Zwette noticed that.

    "Wait, no... Our numbers wouldn''t be balanced then... Let''s have six stand in the bridge, while the other six members stay inside this area. This will only leave two members... And so, one of them will be able to come to the conclusion of what is actually going on..."

    Zwette''s suggestion was confusing to some. She suggested that it would be more effective for the numbers to be split not in an entirely balanced way but in a way that they could be less prejudiced.

    Six members would stand on the upcoming bridge----outside of the area, so the area doesn''t recognize their numbers. Meanwhile six others would stay in here, this area. Ultimately, two other members would walk in.

    This way, only one member could disappear at maximum, but they had to keep going.

    "Come on... You can''t be serious... I''m scared... I don''t want to just---vanish into thin air?!"

    Unstable, the member protested to Zwette, but Zwette said something that would comfort the member.

    "...I will be the one who will go through the left side..."

    They realized what she was implying. That she would be the notable sacrifice. However, a member amidst that small number recognized how that was counterproductive.

    "We can''t have that.... You have to be the one who puts the component in its place."

    "...But there''s no other way---"

    "I will be the one. This is probably some stupid gimmick and we are all fine. Let''s try the theory out then."

    The member summoned all of their attention and the member therefore gave the orders accordingly.

    "Me and Zwette will walk into the other area. Six of you will stay here in this area; preferably near the bridge. Meanwhile, six others will be on the other bridge."

    The strategy was slightly convoluted but they had to make this work.

    And so, six members remained in the area where the manipulator switch is in. Upon pressing the switch, the remaining other eight members were able to walk into the bridge, where they saw the multide of other platforms on various distances. However, something alerted Zwette deep down.

    She noticed how despite this being the second area that the bridge that they were in had the exact same view as the previous bridge. In other words, from her perspective, it was clear that there was no difference. But she knew that this was a different area, so it confused her.

    "We will stay here in the bridge then... Return to us, if anything bad happens..."

    "Scream or something... I know that the area is wide, but we should be able to come to your rescue..."

    Of course, the six members that would stay on the bridge were talking to Zwette and the member that would accompany her. They weren''t familiar to the point of giving out their names, but to Zwette, who would walk in the area after inserting the password yet again, the boy started to talk to her.

    "...My name is Ean. Just between you and me, what do you think is actually happening...?"

    Ean has short black hair. Far too short, actually. He''s not tall but not small either. A fair build and contains a respectable character to him. However, Zwette knew not his name.

    As they walked in the area, they began to talk while the other six members remained on the bridge and six others remained on the area of the manipulator switch.

    "Ean... I don''t know... I just hope it isn''t something to worry about... It''s a bit frightening, honestly."

    "Yeah, you said it... It''s creepy how there isn''t even a trace of them... But, they can''t just vanish into thin-air, right?!"

    Ean was determined to find out the cause behind what was happening, apparently. A burning determination lied within his blue eyes as he pumped his right fist higher.

    Crossing the path to the west side, since the structure was the exact same, Zwette agreed with Ean as they walked towards the north path with railways.

    "They can''t... This can''t be the work of someone else, right?"

    "No way it can, Zwette... Ryousuke Kawahara made sure that no other criminal would stand in our way."

    "You''re right... I''m just being paranoid, I suppose..."

    Following the map on her tablet, Zwette and Ean were now in-between the two dual-paths. As such, Ean spoke to her with a smile.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    "Hey, I''ll take the left side. You take the right side, so we can have the exact even number at the exact area. Otherwise, it won''t work. Meet me up as soon as you walk into the other area."

    "Alright... Please be back..."

    Ean was a bit taken aback, as he saw a beautiful sight, the moment Zwette started caring about him. No doubt, this was love at first sight.

    He blushed a bit and felt courageous.

    "Yeah, alright!"

    With a bye signal, Ean waved at Zwette as he crossed the path to the left, going down in south direction.

    Zwette would be the one in charge of following the path to the right as she crossed it without any sort of difficulties. The wall was not blocking her passage, but from afar, she saw something that made her blink as she knew not if what she was seeing was real.

    "...That''s the other remaining six, right...?!"

    Still slightly far away from them, about twenty or so meters, Zwette confirmed with herself that she was glancing upon six of the members that volunteered in staying behind in the previous area. However, that was the previous area and this one are supposedly different. So, how come she was glancing at six of the members that were in fact in the last area?

    Wanting to confirm with someone else, Zwette went back and took the path that Ean had taken while expressing her disbelief.

    "Ean! You won''t believe this, but I just saw the rest of the other six in the bottom of my path!"

    Running quickly through the linear path and taking a swift turn to the left to ultimately return to a linear path, she went in the exact direction that Ean had gone into.

    Yet again, she found no one in the end and that started to mentally shatter her.

    "E-Ean?! Where are you?!"

    No matter how much she screamed, no matter in which direction, it did not make a difference. Ean wasn''t at sight and midst panicking, Zwette gained the urge to go back to her path on the right side and alert the others from afar.

    As she ran in their direction, crossing that tilted to the right path, she began to alert them.

    "Everyone! Ean just disappeared! And----"

    Ending her sprint, the moment she saw the end of her path, not blocked by a wall, her eyes widened in terror.

    "....E---Everyone...?!"

    Not a single person was present like previously. The hall was entirely empty without a trace of a single existence in that atmosphere except for Zwette herself. She knew she saw them and she spoke her paranoid thoughts out loud while freaking out; grabbing the end roots of her hair.

    "S-Should I have spoken to them first?! But what were they doing here?! No, this can''t be right....!! They were back in the previous area! That''s right! I was just seeing things! Haha!"

    A portion of her sanity was slowly being stripped off as Zwette couldn''t believe in this absurdly unrealistic event in front of her. She, could, however, go back to the previous area and encounter the remaining members on the bridge and then hopefully encounter the rest in the area of the manipulator switch.

    In other words, her faith wasn''t completely lost. She thought to herself that she was a paranoid person and that it was normal for her to be paranoid. However, this would mean that perhaps not everything was what it seemed and that gave her hope deep down as she hoped that it was just her tendency to be paranoid.

    All Zwette had to do was to go back up, take the north path to the east side, then towards south and return to the way upstairs, while ultimately crossing over to the bridge from the previous area.

    "This.... can''t be real, right...?"

    Once again, she encounter herself in the same scenario over and over. The six members that were supposed to be on the bridge were nowhere to be found.

    Zwette thought to herself that perhaps everyone was conspiring against her. Just to make sure, she ran across the bridge to see where the other remaining six members that were entitled to remain inside the manipulator switch area were.

    "...A-Ahaha..."

    Lowly laughing at herself, her laugh echoed throughout the emptiness of the area as Zwette couldn''t witness a single person present in the area.

    Their strategy had failed yet Zwette knew not how. She also became aware that she had to run away from this place since it was freaking her out. Zwette isn''t a brave person; she''s very meek and inconsistent. For her to seek through the plausible end goal of their group, she would need the character of a person who has guts and courage.

    That is not Zwette, however.

    Henceforth, she had to go through the left path in the manipulator switch area that would lead to the north as fast as she could. Then, by walking in a straight line, she turned to her right at the end of the hall and saw the stairway case that would lead above; to the elevator.

    Never in her whole life did she press the elevator so fast, but much to her terror, the elevator remained unresponsive.

    "W-What....?! Work, work! Ah, damn it!"

    Letting go of the button adjoined to the right side of elevator, Zwette placed her eyesight on the two sides of the area of the elevator and saw that there is a way into the exterior of the island. Realistically speaking, Zwette wanted to take a moment to compose herself again outside of this cryptic horrifying area.

    With each step at a time, inconstently, she reached the top area and captured the area of the island outside, still a bit far away.

    However, the moment she would walk in the tunnel that would permit anyone to come into contact with the exit to the exterior of the island, she was met with a wall that would block the exit.

    This caused Zwette to panick like never before. Her body began to tremble, words kept getting stuck on her throat, and unexpected tears scourged from within her eyes.

    "---Wha...---------What-----What is go----"

    Her emotional expressure wasn''t the best. A normal person would be able to express her emotions out loud, but more than often, her words would continuously get stuck in her throat and as such, people wondered often what was wrong with her.

    According to Zwette''s perspective, she was never someone that could be called "normal" but not abnormal either. She lacked the characteristics of how a person would normally act, but didn''t, for example, have overreactions. Her reactions were often replaced with instances of reluctance.

    Weakly, Zwette began to walk out of the area and went to the right side, where the bridge would remain in.

    In her mind, she would have to walk to the beginning area and as such, since there wasn''t a bridge entrance there, she could go back. She knew that difference would make everything change.

    And since there are two other areas previous to this one, Zwette was committed to at least walk out to that area.

    Tracing through all the paths that she had taken previously, she freaked out as she could not catch a single existence of from her entire group. 55 people had gone missing within that mysterious area and Zwette couldn''t do anything about it.

    On the first area now, she saw something unbelievable, right near the elevator, on top of the stairway.

    There is a path that connects to a bridge despite the fact that at the beginning, there wasn''t a bridge there at all.

    "No! No! No! It wasn''t there....! You can''t tell me that I''m hallucinating this...!"

    Over and over, she would try to access the elevator. Repetively, she would also attempt to sneak through the entrance, but the wall''s reaction timing was far too high for Zwette to handle. Furthermore, it didn''t matter what path she took, she would always be in the exact same place.

    This route had been a route that she has repeated in the last fifteen minutes, out of despair: Zwette would either take the path to the right in the entrance and go through the bridge; to meet the opened gate to the dual-path with two railways which has two paths to the north side. She could only access the path on the left side, however, since the other path could only be accessed through the north side by then going down to the south direction. Of course, that path would be the path where everyone started to mysteriously disappear, the path with a dead end. If she ignored both of those two paths, in the north side, all she had to do was to follow the linear line and go to the right side, where she would witness the elevator and the dual-stairway that would lead to the exit towards the island.

    Out of all her attempts, the results were the same and she had came to the terrifying conclusion that she was stuck in this area without a way out. In addition to that, she was the victim of an infinite loop, as there wasn''t another single exit.

    By the end of everything, she adjoined her back to the elevator with her head submerged in her forearms supported by her knees.

    Zwette had become so accustomed to the sound of the atmosphere that deep down, she was praying to hear someone''s footsteps.

    Someone---just for someone to walk in and lead her to a way out. A single person to do that for her---she found it cruel how long it would take for someone to walk in her direction.

    However, it eventually happened. A person, from the north side, would calmly walk in, with footsteps so light that his presence could barely be noticed.

    Slowly, Zwette erupted her head as she met the figure''s eyeglance from afar.

    At first, she didn''t know who he was. It completely didn''t occur to her that she knew who she was, but the very fact that he had been mentioned a few times and seen dead in the ninth floor of the temple, totally blocked Zwette''s ability to recognize who he was.

    Until he calmly sat on Zwette''s right side and took a deep breath, but he didn''t look in her direction.

    Instead, he took out earplugs from his right pocket and plugged them into his cellphone. All of this was in order to listen to some music.

    As for Zwette, she had no idea how to react. Not only was the individual not paying any attention to her, but she slowly but surely came to realize who he was. She recalled from the time when Percy Phoenix was elaborating on the short-lived bounty game where he exposed his physical portrayal.

    Now that the song was ready to be played, through his earplugs, Daniel closed his eyes and began to hum the song out loud as the lines went on.

    "She may contain the urge to run away but hold her down with soggy clothes and breezeblocks..."

    Daniel swung his head to the right and left side like a pendulum with a balanced consistency.

    Zwette thought of running away from him at that very moment, but she realized once again that she was trapped without a way out. Furthermore...

    "Muscle to muscle and toe to toe... The fear has gripped me but here I go... My heart sinks as I jump out... Your hand grips hand as my eyes shut.... Ahhh.... Ahhhh... Ahhh..."

    If she was trapped in here and this place is an infinite loop, then where could Daniel have come from?

    As Daniel started to hum the main iconic verse of the song, she came to one terrifying conclusion.

    "Please don''t go, please don''t go... I love you so, I love you so... Please break my heart... Please don''t go, I''ll eat you whole, I love you so, I love you so, I love you so..."

    Somehow, Daniel Lead, a person who is emphatically humming such a song, was the one perhaps responsible for this entire event.

    Although there were more songs, Daniel stopped the music as it reached the end and at last focused his attention on the unresponsive Zwette, who started to wet herself the moment she recognized the abnormality standing next to her; showing no remorse or interest as to why she was crying.

    Without saying a word to her, Daniel took ahold of the tablet within Zwette''s thighs and she didn''t even think of resisting it.

    By gaining the possession of the tablet now, Daniel sat even closer to Zwette, to the point where his pants became wet from the liquid surrounding the floor, as Zwette''s breath became suddenly heavier.

    "It''s a good song, isn''t it?"

    Daniel started to fiddle with the tablet and saw the entire area exposed on the screen. He didn''t comment on what he was doing, but he was specifically scrolling through the tablet towards one specific area. One specific area that Zwette knew where it all had begun.

    "I think it is. Too bad I don''t have someone to share with it anymore. I wonder if she would like it?"

    Over and over, Daniel would zoom in and out on the area where everyone started to disappear. This didn''t stop whatsoever, despite Daniel continuing to speak to the beyond-frightened Zwette.

    "I think that the song represents an attempt to show love in a state of mind not quite stable. That''s why, isn''t it?"

    Pinpointing the area, Daniel had made his point succint enough and as such, he tilted his head forward and spun it in Zwette''s direction; allowing their eyes to be almost glued to one another.

    "I asked you three questions but you didn''t answer a single one of them... What are you doing?"

    Her eyes began to close as she felt frightened beyond her comprehension. Furthermore, she submerged her head into her knees as she realized that she was not safe whatsoever.

    However, Daniel didn''t harm her and instead, approached her with sympathy as he distanced himself once again, by adjoining his back to the wall.

    "Don''t you wanna know? You surely have asked yourself numerous times questions such as: Where are they? They couldn''t just have vanished into pure thin air, right? Something''s wrong with this place, isn''t it? How come I am back to where I started? I don''t fault you. Not, one, bit."

    At last, Zwette tilted her posture in Daniel''s direction, as he had spoken her entire mind. But what he would say afterwards would mentally shatter her.

    "I killed them all."

    ".......!!!!!"

    "Don''t act so surprised... But here is the question. Do you want to know how?"

    Reluctantly and terrified, it took her five seconds to nod her head in a state of horror.

    Daniel smiled in her direction as he was happy about this.

    "That''s good... Let''s take a tour."

    Erupting from his seat, Daniel didn''t mind how wet he was from Zwette''s body liquids and instead, offered a hand to Zwette. It was beyond horrifying how Daniel was showing a charismatic stance in that situation to Zwette, but she knew that if she didn''t take this, then nothing would change.

    Realistically, no matter the case, she was in Daniel''s palms.

    Carrying Zwette''s fragile hands with his right hand only, Daniel took her down the same path that Ean had gone to; along with the other missing group members of her.

    On the way to that area, Daniel spoke a piece of information.

    "I think I''ve been here in these ten sections for more than I can imagine. It''s strange because---it''s as if I know exactly how they work, but that can''t be true. Hyunda said that this is all property of the leader. Our leader... So to say."

    While walking, he turned around to Zwette, who is looking down on the ground, avoiding all social contact with Daniel and physical contact as well, and spoke his honest thoughts.

    "I don''t really care about our leader, but Hyunda respects him a lot, apparently. And so, I am curious now. What sort of person do you have to be to earn Hyunda''s respect? I''ve asked Hyunda how I could become someone worthy of seeing the leader but he said that I have to perform missions and climb in ranks and then----only then, will I be able to meet the leader. But, isn''t the leader something else though? All of this island, is the leader''s property. As such, I''ve devoted myself into discovering the many hidden gimmicks within the sections, which brings us... to this special place."

    In the middle of the area where many have disappeared in, Daniel and Zwette now stood in. Daniel quickly released his hand from Zwette''s and walked towards the north direction, meeting a dead-end.

    Near a specific higher green crystal that is curved to the northwest side, Daniel put his right hand on it and pushed it down which made a specific noise emerge from within the surface of the middle area.

    "There are a lot of hidden entrances that can be used via the green crystals----by the way, don''t stand in the middle. You will fall."

    Scared but able to function nonetheless, Zwette moved to Daniel''s side as she witnessed what had emerged from within the depth right into the surface.

    "It''s freaking huge, isn''t it? Plus, it occupies 90% of this area, so in order to not fall down, you have to stand still in the area where the circle doesn''t capture you. In other words, the edges of the circle, like where we stand in."

    Pointing towards the abysmal hole that erupted from the ground that occupies 90% of the area, Daniel explained that to Zwette. But, Daniel wasn''t done with his explanation.

    "Now, I''ll put it back to normal. All I have to do is put the crystal in its original state."

    By grasping the crystal that is now tilted towards the southwest direction, Daniel elevated it to the northwest direction. Exactly as he had said, the hole disappeared from the ground.

    He continued by grasping another crystal on the right side of the previous crystal and did the exact same movements.

    An entrance towards the other side emerged within the crystal as a door appeared.

    "Let''s test your knowledge. What''s the password here?"

    Daniel expected a clear answer, but Zwette fell down on her knees once she began to imagine what that huge bottomless hole was used for and so, instead of giving a clear answer, she broke down and cried.

    "It''s "Words". Type it."

    Forcefully, Daniel grabbed Zwette''s right hand through her thin forearm and directed her fingertips towards the zones in the keyboard so that the door would open itself.

    "Now, on your feet. Or, I''ll kick you into that hole."

    Zwette didn''t think twice about not obeying Daniel and thus, she meekly made a stand as Daniel dragged her onto the inside of the newly discovered area, which was an area that Daniel was deeply familiar with.

    Instead of having poor illumination, this area was more illuminated. However, the hall was undoubtedly thinner and tight structure-wise. There were two paths; one to the left and another to the right. Daniel took Zwette to right, where lights above greatly illuminate the atmosphere. Furthermore, Zwette witnessed how the remaining parts of the crystals that are adjoined in the walls of the area that she was in a while ago; are in fact there.

    "Have you realized how I can just have the same result as earlier by tilting the crystal from here without having no one notice that I was in fact the one who did it?"

    Daniel implied that he summoned that hole through this hall of crystals and thus, he made all of them suddenly vanish into thin air, but not exactly. The hole lead them to somewhere.

    As they continued to walk, Daniel eventually came across the control room with Zwette. The control room has a multitude of functional settings but more importantly, six computer screens along with two chairs.

    Still holding on to Zwette''s hands, he made her seat down on the right chair meanwhile Daniel sat on the left chair, in front of the computers and control pannels.

    "Comfy, isn''t it? Admit it, it''s way better than that ground from before."

    Aside from Daniel''s comment, Zwette could briefly witness that the six computers were monitoring six particular areas. First of all, the computer to the furthest right side monitors the entrance. The second computer, which is a bit elevated in comparison to the first one monitors the north hall. More towards the center, in the bottom side, the third computer monitors the hall that leads to the area where they were in a while ago. Matching the second computer''s height, the fourth computer monitors the other hall that leads to the switch area. Now completely on the left side, the bottom computer monitors the hall of the switch manipulator. Of course, the last computer monitors the bridge.

    "For the record, this isn''t through security cameras. Or, at least the cameras that you are familiar with. The crystals here operate as cameras. I like the gimmick here. When you go into a mine, for example, you don''t expect the crystals or minerals in this case, to do anything, right? They are just highly valuable and rare. However, this goes against that common misconception. It''s funny because I could see myself doing something like this---but the leader deserves the credit here. And...."

    Noticing that the six computers were focusing on the wrong areas, Daniel quickly adjusted their footages through the control panel, and just like that, different footage was shown to Zwette, who screamed in terror as she watched what they had to offer.

    "AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

    "Of course, your friends all had somewhere to meet their ends. The truth is, this is a necrohol. Necro for death in latin and hol for "hall". In other words----Hall of the dead."

    Each computer showed different footage.

    The first computer showed a mountain of decomposing bodies stacked on top of one another. It went without saying that some of Zwette''s companions were at the very top of that mountain of corpses since the bodies on the lower half are far more decomposed than the ones on the top.

    Regarding the second computer, a footage where bodies stabbed with spears in all four directions could be captured. It showed six bodies which made Zwette realize that one of the groups that had six of her members were dead with their bodies stabbed mercilessly.

    Although the other four computers showed footage with deadly traps in them, the third computer would be the last one to show the remaining six members in the footage, who are still alive. Six members standing in a floating cage in the middle of pure darkness pleaded for mercy and Zwette, upon seeing them, finally spoke as she grew closer to the third computer.

    "Everyone! You''re alright, oh thank God....!!"

    She could barely show composure but seeing her broken mental state as she desperately clinged to the computer with her two hands alongside her might, made Daniel immensely curious about her. Or rather---about one specific factor about her.

    No, not her emotional state. Not how Zwette was practically begging for them to be released. Not how deeply she cares about them. None of those factors.

    "...You''re a foreigner too?! Hey, I''m American. Your accent is somewhat similar to a person in my class, I think. Huh, what was her name again?"

    Daniel thought and thought about her name while looking up.

    Meanwhile, Zwette started to lose hope slowly as she saw how uninterested he was about her situation. The fact that Daniel had reigned priority over her nationality instead of what was currently happening made Zwette realize that reasoning with Daniel could be impossible.

    She thought to herself that this person was not normal and not in a good way.

    "Lus? That''s it. She''s Ukrainian. Where are you from? I don''t care about your name, just tell me where you come from."

    Genuinly curious, Daniel asked her that question but much to Daniel''s displease, she was too mentally shattered to compose herself, so Daniel resorted to something else.

    "How about this? If you give me the correct answer, I will let you press the button that will put them back on the surface; that way, they won''t die."

    As Zwette heard those words and saw the chance to rescue her comrades, she didn''t think twice about doing it.

    For the first time, she looked at Daniel without being utterly terrified as she saw him the link to their safety.

    "I''m from Slovenia! P-Please...!! I can''t take this anymore...! Just tell me the button, please...!"

    "Mhm, so you two are not from the same country. Got it. I just thought it would be interesting to see the difference, that''s all. Ah, this one. Press it."

    On the furthest northwest, a red button lied within. There are multiple red buttons in that particular vicinity and Daniel kept smiling in Zwette''s direction.

    The thought of being reunited with the people still alive in her group overwhelmed her.

    But not as much as the feeling of shock and grief combined once she witnessed the bottom of their cage being suddenly released along with the entirety of the cage as they fell into the seemingly infinite darkness below.

    "AAAHHH--- AHHH....!! N---No..... No....No, no, no...!!! Oh God...!!! What have I done?!"

    Terrified at the result that Zwette had created, she couldn''t even muster the strength to blame Daniel for lying at her. But, as her tears and emotions grow sadder, she looked in Daniel''s direction and asked.

    "...Why would you do that...?"

    Daniel didn''t think twice about answering this, as he was completely composed, unlike Zwette.

    "Because it''s fun. Humans are at their lowest when emotions have the best of them. So I will put them at their lowest and see what the result will be from it. Your ability to follow through the order once you saw a chance of saving them is incredible. In a sense, you are worthy of admiration. On the other hand---you killed them."

    While ending his sentence, Daniel began to pat Zwette''s head as her eyes lost all soul. In order for her to not completely lose hope, Daniel said something else to her, close to her left ear.

    "It''s alright. I won''t kill you."

    "....Huh?"

    This was confusing to Zwette. She was sure that she was going to die. Why else wouldn''t she die, realistically speaking? Daniel has all the necessary tools to kill her.

    However, Daniel explained it to her.

    "You are interesting enough for me to allow you to live. Plus, don''t you have someone that you want to see?"

    Daniel knows about it, but from Zwette perspective, he has no idea about it. Of course, he''s referring to Yoh, Zwette''s best friend. She knew that if she could reunite with Yoh or Ryousuke Kawahara that she could tell the others about Daniel Lead and avoid another tragedy.

    So, she was now committed into manipulating Daniel Lead into letting her live.

    "I-I do... I will do anything you say, just please..."

    She was also extremely committed into doing anything as long as it meant that she could be reunited with Yoh. As such, she began to cling to Daniel, who was still keeping his smile up. She climbed onto his seat and offered her body, essentially.

    But, Daniel had something different in mind.

    "Anything, you say? You mean it?"

    "I-I do! Please!"

    "I see. I admit that I wanted to see a girl do this since I couldn''t capture the sight of when she did it. Alright, go back to your seat."

    "....Okay...."

    Unsure of what Daniel Lead had in his mind, Zwette backed off and took a deep breath, as she thought that Daniel for sure had a sexual suggestion in his mind. She is aware that he is a criminal and that a criminal would most likely seek sex, in this situation.

    No other option remained in her mind but she couldn''t help but wonder if she was truly accurate as she saw Daniel pull out a small knife from the back of his belt.

    He put it in front of Zwette, on the surface of the desk where all the computers and control panels alongside the buttons lie within.

    "I want you to kill yourself. That''s my request."

    "!!!!!!!!"

    Although Zwette had said that she would do anything, she thought that it wouldn''t involve something that would directly put her life in mortal danger yet as she looked at Daniel''s cold eyes and his stone-cold expression no longer with a charismatic smile in it, she knew that he was serious.

    Daniel wants her to kill herself, for some reason.

    "W-Why...?!"

    "I want to understand. What exactly someone goes through once they do it. I want to possibly understand what she felt back then when she did it."

    Putting his right palm on her wet face, Daniel started to palpitate her face over and over as Zwette freaked out on the inside.

    "...P-Please don''t make me.... kill myself.... Uaaah..."

    Yet Daniel didn''t care about her emotions. They are a hindrance to his goal, which is to see a girl do the exact same thing that the person in his mind did.

    As such, since Daniel was blocked from accomplishing his goal, he came to the conclusion that Zwette had a reason to live.

    "Who are you living for? Your comrades are all dead. This should''ve greatly damaged you, but you are still hoping for something miraculous to happen, aren''t you? So, who?"

    He knows.

    But, Zwette has no idea.

    Zwette delivered the answer with fear behind her words as Daniel continued to scavenge the depths of her tears near her eyes. Over and over, he would clean them as he saw her tears as elements of hindrance.

    "...Yoh... He''s my best-friend... That''s why... I can''t kill myself.... But I''ll do anything...! I swear!"

    Naturally, Zwette thought that Daniel had something else in mind, but the truth is that the reason as to why Daniel did all this and spared Zwette in particular was because she was a girl. He wanted someone to do this task for her and he thought to himself that if he forced Zwette to kill herself that it wouldn''t be the same.

    The recreation of the scenario wouldn''t be there.

    In other words, Daniel had nothing he wanted out of Zwette. Her life served no longer a profitable purpose to Daniel. As such, there was only one reasonable conclusion to take here, for Daniel.

    Removing his right palm from her face, Daniel spoke to Zwette.

    "You don''t have to. I won''t kill you, as I''ve said. With that said, I''ll let you ride the elevator. I purposely locked it so you couldn''t escape but now..."

    By pressing one of the green buttons on the furthest west side, Daniel was able to make the elevator functional again, as this control room has control of everything that happens within the section.

    "The elevator is now operational. I''ll accompany you."

    "...Thank... you........."

    Full of fear, those were the only words that she could tell Daniel, who had just shown her mercy. Not only was she successful in manipulating Daniel, but she had managed to survive. Furthermore, with the elevator now operational, all she had to do was follow Daniel and meet up with Yoh and Ryousuke Kawahara while ultimately informing Ryousuke Kawahara that Daniel Lead is alive and is plotting to kill everyone.

    She couldn''t believe it but she thought to herself as someone lucky despite the fact that 55 people were killed. Perhaps deep down selfish, Zwette only cared about reuniting with Yoh. In addition to that, she was slowly plotting to expose Daniel so Ryousuke Kawahara could take immediate action.

    "Right, first, we have to go and put the tablet in its place."

    "...Uh? Ah, right..."

    It didn''t occur to Zwette, as she was leaving the secret area with Daniel Lead that there was still an area that her group was initiating searching for: the area where she could place the component in to complete the task at hand. It had escaped Zwette''s mind that that was a priority.

    As a matter of fact, she had no clue where that area was.

    However, near the north path, on the west side, lied a dead end but Daniel revealed that there is in fact a secret room there just by pressing one of the correct crystals which unraveled the unknown territory.

    "Here we go. Now with this done, you can go and ride the elevator."

    The room contained nothing but darkness. Except a single spot in the center that has a slight hint of light which is the place where Daniel placed the tablet. Just like that, two sections had been successfully cleared, from Ryousuke Kawahara''s perspective.

    From his perspective, these accomplishments had been done in a very fast time, but the truth is that the time that Zwette had spent here went over an hour. Since Zwette is so mentally shattered, her mind can''t even recognize the fact that she was, in theory, already unsuccessful with her task of placing the component in time.

    No longer did she care about that as she just wanted to ride the elevator.

    Taking the linear north path, they started to walk towards the path on the furthest right that would lead to the entrance, where the elevator lies within.

    "....Thank you so much...."

    Make no mistake, this was not a humble appreciation towards Daniel Lead. Zwette is simply too terrified to look at him in the eye and tell him those words herself. What was happening right now, is a miracle.

    In the face of a criminal like Daniel, Zwette should''ve been dead a long time ago, but she utilized the fact that Daniel, from her perspective, had room in his heart to spare her life.

    Zwette started to feel slightly confident during the moment that she saw the elevator on the deepest north, now that they are walking down the path to the elevator and she said to Daniel, with a fake smile the following words:

    "Ti neumen zajebanec."

    Daniel ignored her, however.

    Now in front of the elevator, Daniel clicked the elevator button and right in front of Zwette''s eyes, her way out was finally underway.

    To further motivate Zwette, Daniel went out of his way to show more comfort.

    "I''m sorry about your friends. I regret everything I have done..."

    "................"

    Too scared to talk back, she turned her back on Daniel and quickly ran into the elevator.

    Then, faster than before, she pressed the button that would lead her up. All that had to be done was to press the button and she was free to go up and inform Ryousuke Kawahara.

    A desperate smile rose from Zwette''s lips, however, it quickly faded away once she realized that the button was not actually performing any sort of action.

    Midst this, Zwette was too busy stressing over this that she didn''t notice that she was being showered by a very specific liquid that greatly fuels a certain element.

    Finally, after multiple attempts and now completely covered in gasoline, though unaware yet, Zwette spoke her stressful thoughts to Daniel Lead, who is taking out a small white box of phosphorus from his right pocket.

    "I-It''s not working! You said that the elevator was operational...!"

    "As far as I''m concerned, it is. Not the buttons, however..."

    "But---- Ah, what....!? AHHH---AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

    Swiftly, Daniel lighted up multiple phosphorus and began to throw them as they were lighted up; one by one at Zwette, who started to become engulfed in flames far too quickly.

    After throwing ten phosphorus at Zwette collectively, Daniel went to his right pocket once again while throwing the box of phosphorus to the ground and grasped a key that had one specific purpose. That purpose being: to operate the elevator manually. On the right side of the control panel of the elevator switch, by inserting the key in its entrance, there are two buttons that will appear. The upper button will lead the elevator up while the other in the opposite direction.

    Ultimately pressing the upper button, the elevator''s door began to close and the elevator would therefore go up. Before Zwette, who is submerged in hell''s flames right now, could go up, Daniel said the last words he would ever say to Zwette.

    "U?ivajte v vo?nji."

    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

    Her screams echoed grandly in that hall that would have no other existence besides Daniel, as the elevator would take Zwette to the top.

    However, the elevator was already pre-programmed while Daniel was allowing Zwette to discover that she was trapped here inside, so, although the elevator will reach the top; it''s not designed to open the door ever again without the specific command.

    No sounds can be heard throughout the inner of the elevator on the outside.

    This would mean that Zwette would die in burning flames near Ryousuke Kawahara though he would have no idea about this.

 Volume 23 - Chapter 163: Trial of Rigil Kentaurus.

    Karlos'' group consists of 29 people in total and if Karlos himself is included, the group reaches a total of 30 people as a whole. They have several features to all of them.

    Not only are they most surely individuals who are unfamiliar with logic and reasoning but they abide the law of physical strength. In other words---the more physically stronger you are, the more you are recognized in this group of 30 people. If someone is not even remotely physically strong, then to all of them, that someone should not matter at all. They also have no problems in utilizing physical violence to get what they want. However, since they were previously co-aligned with the multitude of the other students, they held themselves back.

    Yet, as their elevator takes them to the third section, given that the width of the elevator is fairly large, they are holding mock fights, despite the task at hand. Having tremendous experience in martial arts, they didn''t show reluctance towards one another. The elevator didn''t tremble, however, even though that Karlos and his crew are partaking in a dangerous event like this.

    "Take that!"

    Delivering a blow to the liver, Karlos'' opponent coughed up blood from his mouth weakly. But, Karlos didn''t stop there, as he took ahold of his opponent''s backside of the head with his two hands and pulverized a crushing knee strike onto his skull.

    Needless to say that his opponent couldn''t fight back. Nonetheless, Karlos didn''t knock him out as that was simply a mocking battle and as such, he helped his opponent get up, while in the middle of the elevator.

    "I am the winner!! I''m just too good, aren''t I?!"

    "There''s no beating you, damn it!"

    Frustrated, his opponent threw a tantrum. However, Karlos was far more absorbed into the fact that when it comes to physical strength or fights in general that he was the absolute winner. Nevertheless, he knew that Ryousuke Kawahara had put him down with just a strong shoulder hold.

    But he didn''t tell that to his members, so they had no idea that Ryousuke Kawahara had in fact beaten him, from a certain perspective. As such, he was able to maintain a strong and proud---perhaps over the top---type of stance towards his members.

    "I''m just too damn talented! There''s no beating me."

    Most of his members stopped and glanced upon Karlos for a while as he was being serious whilst declaring physical omnipotence. Mildly scared, they were all glad that the fighting was done as the elevator had finally stopped its tracks. Karlos stood at the very entrance of the elevator as he eagerly awaited what lied beyond.

    To himself he thought how absurd it was for everyone back then to be nervous at the content of the sections while there was nothing to fear at all. Of course, though he didn''t admit it to himself, Karlos was actually afraid of what it could be inside the sections yet as he glanced at the scenery outside, he saw nothing to be afraid of.

    A dying desert mixed with translucent water lied outside as it surrounded several oil rigs aligned in a specific direction. Although not blazing, the primordial sun above resembled the ball of judgment from a time in the afternoon. Not many winds passed through but it wasn''t, however, extremely hot. It was almost balanced, except it was slightly hotter than usual. Surface-wise; this might be considered a vast sandsea but it undoubtedly has small hills to the right/east side as they connect to other vicinities yet the surface would be submerged with sand amidst calm lukewarm water.

    Not the type of water that would make someone have a glacial sentiment upon touching with its toes---the type of water that is gentle and embracing; ever so rare to witness normally.

    At the hands of savages, however, these beautiful qualities would become rapidly tarnished without a second thought. Karlos and the others didn''t hesitate to disturb the swift flow of the water in the sandsea as they started to splash and mold their footsteps.

    "Wooohoooooo!!!"

    "Oh hell yeah!! The water over there gets even deeper!"

    "Imma take a dive then!"

    Frankly, they didn''t really care about the task at hand which was to find a place to insert the component back in its place. Not only did they lack awareness but they lacked responsibility and as such, the thirty of them started to strip their clothes and began to drift down in northwest direction from the elevator''s perspective---where the water gradually grows deeper---and indulged in the relaxing tide.

    About ten minutes had gone by then, as they all took a bath for the first time in a while. They rejoiced greatly as the water offered a healing factor to their bodies while in reality that was just the natural reaction.

    Time there didn''t seem to change, but Karlos and no one else noticed that. None of them were normally self-aware about the atmosphere that they were in. They didn''t even question to themselves why there is an afternoon sun when they went onto the inside of the temple while in the morning. A sandsea---arguably impossible to exist yet there''s a slight chance that somewhere within the planet that they are all greatly familiar with, there is a sandsea.

    While taking a massive dive in the majestic luscious water, only did Karlos realize that they were wasting time and as such, he nervously erupted back to the water''s surface and called out to everyone around him in an abrasive voice tone.

    "Wait, we are wasting time, guys! We have to get the stupid component in its place!"

    "I totally forgot!"

    "Ah, you''re right!"

    As they then got out of the deeper parts of the sandsea, did they put their clothes on---though now soaked---and looked for a way to place the component, which was the glider and the remote. It didn''t occur to Karlos what he could do with the glider whatsoever through the remote.

    Although the way to the area where the component had to be successfully input wasn''t obvious at first, Karlos and his crew took about twenty or so minutes to find out just the way that wasn''t surrounded by rocky cliffs amidst the sandsea. On the furthest side of the northeast, in an area with a ravine entrance, they found their way in.

    So far, there weren''t any obstacles and Karlos didn''t think that there would be any sort of obstacles. As far as he and his crew were concerned, all that had to be done was to go straight into a particular section and insert the component in it. The ultimate obstacle would be to find the area and nothing else.

    However, Karlos wasn''t intelligent to the point of figuring out such a simple thing. To him, whatever came his way; came his way.

    By crossing the ravine with a tremendously thin width, aside from their usual comments, they came across a tower that was slightly separated from them. Naturally, a bridge enabled their connection to the tower. Though, this sort of bridge wasn''t the same as before.

    Karlos had no way of knowing that, regardless. For him, this mechanical bridge that opened itself and extended towards the entrance of the tower on the north side was something that was incorporated in the atmosphere. Furthermore, the bridge had a supreme velocity when it came to reaching out to the other side. It didn''t take longer than three seconds for the bridge to connect completely.

    But of course, this was natural for Karlos.

    What happens around Karlos could be described as "natural". This individual only interprets what happens around him as something that''s there because it''s there. Him being stronger than his peers is only natural to him. In a way, his success isn''t justified by any depth or profound logical foundation---but simply because it''s natural to him.

    He classifies himself as a natural, therefore.

    After crossing the bridge with his crew, he was met with a locked door and a password entry object on the right side.

    "....Uhhhh...."

    "Karlos?"

    His crew members were in doubt, as they thought that Karlos knew the password that had to be inserted. Truth to be told, Karlos was present in the moment where Ryousuke Kawahara told everyone out loud the important sentence.

    "Ten words will light the way for the ultimate path!"

    No one would have forgotten this sentence as it indirectly referenced the passwords in order. Yet Karlos group as a whole had not paid any attention to that, unbelievably. Especially Karlos, who could not remember the time where Ryousuke Kawahara had mentioned the password of this section.

    Ryousuke Kawahara had not specifically or directly said to Karlos that the password here is "Will". But, to Karlos, who was nervously sweating, it didn''t matter whether or not he knew the correct password. He thought to himself that deep down he already knew the password and as such, he spoke to his crew.

    "This will be a wrap! WATCH!"

    In reality, he knew not what to insert, but he tried a password anyways. Of course, his password attempt was "Password".

    A rejecting sound came forth as Karlos wrongfully input the password. This made Karlos sweat even more nervously as this wasn''t within his expectations. In addition to that, the screen below presented a message that said that Karlos only had two more attempts.

    Nothing was more terrifying to Karlos than losing the respect of those around him, especially the bunch that he found himself recognized amongst. Therefore, as the rest acknowledged his failure, Karlos turned around and attempted to justify his failure.

    "T-That was just a warm up! Just testing ya!"

    Adjusting his posture, he ignored the side comments and tried to think and think. However, he was never successful in thinking too deeply. Karlos continuously experienced brain fog as his thoughts are disorganized. He is unfamiliar with thinking as a whole and so---whenever he thinks, he can''t ever get somewhere on his own.

    Since this is the third section, however, Karlos tried to type "Three" and the result was...

    Negative.

    "What!"

    Karlos was separated in-between looking at his doubtful members and the fact that there was only one more attempt left. Yet, he knew that he couldn''t rely on others; otherwise he wouldn''t be truly acknowledged.

    As an act of impulse, Karlos did the reckless decision of inserting yet another password before anyone could comment on his failure. The password this time around was: "Island". Undoubtely, he wasn''t going to get there whatsoever. Not only was that the incorrect password, but none of his members had actual faith in him anymore as they nervously watched Karlos insert that password.

    Furthermore, something that they don''t know is that upon failing all the attempts, the door connected with the device that has the password input entry will no longer function. By that logic, this would be the stop of their tracks.

    Against all odds regardless, what happened greatly boosted the morale of Karlos'' group as a whole and Karlos as well, as he made a victory jump.

    "Fuck yeah! I knew that I had it in me! I told you, I''m too damn talented!"

    "Holy shit, man! I was wrong in doubting you!"

    "I told you, you never doubt me!"

    Happy that he got the positive result, Karlos confronted all the non-believers and managed to regain his respect back---even going to the point of clashing his fist onto his chest to show a prideful stance.

    What had happened was the following: As Karlos inserted the password of "Island", the door opened and like that, the entrance to the tower was now open. Karlos, in his mind, took this result as a sign of his own genius. That what had happened was natural---it was meant to happen. There was no other way around it.

    Despite him not knowing the correct password, he already assumed that the correct password was in fact "Island". They also didn''t think that there was something wrong with that because Karlos is the group leader and it''s his obligation to lead them into the correct path. Ergo; the password was factually the correct one.

    Now that the door was open, what they would come across was the inside of the tower that they would soon be familiar with. Although not dark, it wasn''t completely illuminated as well. This tower is divided by three areas in general. The bottom part which contains a crescent dual stairway path to the top of the area that lead to the outside on the north side. As for the second area, which can be conditionally accessible through a variety of methods, it''s the control room in the shape of a skull to the outside. Regarding the third area, the very top of the tower, there lied a rooftop where one could gaze at whatever happens in the vast sandsea.

    Multiple objects like iron bars, wooden ropes, broken bottles, and burnt logs remained on the bottom of the area. But, as far as they were concerned, that did not matter. What mattered was figuring out a place to put the component in.

    "Does anyone see a place to put the damn component in?!"

    Karlos asked around but no positive answer came forth. There truly wasn''t a place to put the component in, and so, the answer that was to be assumed was that they had to climb up. It didn''t matter which one of the dual stairways they took---their ultimate destination was without a doubt the top of the first area of this tower.

    However, their way to the outside wasn''t that simple as it required a password entry---yet again.

    In front of his crew members, Karlos flashed a smirk. Furthermore, he even went as far as relaxing his shoulders---shifting from his left and right shoulder consecutively. And, of course, he couldn''t resist throwing an over the top type of speech to his crew members.

    "This time, at the first try! No more fooling around!!"

    His confidence skyrocketed as his crew members erupted in an emotional cheer by repeating one particular small sentence out loud from both of the stairways'' sides.

    "FIRST TRY! FIRST TRY! FIRST TRY!"

    He already knew the password as it is "Island" and as such, there is no doubt here. Karlos showed zero reluctance in performing the movement as he knew from back to back the positive answer.

    "........What.....!!!"

    His eyes boggled as he covered the computer with his entire body so his crew couldn''t see the disaster. Once again, Karlos had become a gigantic sweat mountain. With a ragged breath, Karlos attempted to figure out why the password "Island" had not worked and why there was yet again a message saying that he had two more attempts.

    "Karlos?"

    "Hey, is everything alright, man!?"

    "You got it, didn''t you?!"

    Confused and indecisive, Karlos was once again stuck between looking at his hopeful crew members and the disaster of a failure in front of him. In order to not sound completely nervous and lost, he corrected his posture and dispelled all doubt.

    "Of course I did! It''s just slow for no reason!"

    More than usual, Karlos would lie in order to justify his failures as he deep down believed that he would always be successful. Such delusion didn''t allow him to think about the negative perspective. So, in the midst of this, Karlos inserted one of the previous passwords he had inputted.

    The password was "Three".

    His jaw fell off as another failure came to his vision and the alarming rejection sound made him mash his fist into the computer, although given the metallic resistance of the computer''s surface; it had no effect.

    "DAMN IT! WHY IS IT SO SLOW?!?!"

    Continuing with his lies, Karlos once again made his comrades think that the password entry device was simply being slow while in reality there was only one more attempt to go and as such, Karlos had no choice but to insert the other password that he knew. Realistically, he had no idea whether or not it would work. The last password being: "Password"---was the password that Karlos put his faith in as he firmly believed that only something that he knew would be the truly correct positive answer here and that there was no other way.

    His confidence gradually grew stronger after it had drastically fell down from almost two failures, but he had done it.

    "At last! Now we can cross the damn platform!"

    It was as Karlos had just said, eagerly. The open door that had automatically slid in to the right side allowed all of them to hop on the platform with a linear path to the upcoming oil rig. Something particularly notable about the oil rig is that the linear path would lead to the entrance of it. Yet, the entrance had something that the other entrances did not have. That being: a password entry device. The door was outright open and anyone could come across it.

    Given that Karlos was simply too stressed out from all the unnecessary commotion that the password entry devices had put him through, he decided that the upcoming section would be decisive. And as such, he openly declared that.

    "You guys, that''s it! That''s the place, let''s go!"

    "Let''s goooo!!"

    "Let''s get going, slugs!"

    Pumped up, every single one of them started to run through the wide linear path that didn''t have any sort of protection when it came to a possible ceiling. It did, however, have collateral areas that impeded someone from straight up falling down in the case that they would be too close to the edge. A roofless bridge, therefore.

    The purpose for their run to the other side, which was a grand fifty meters in terms of distance, was that they enjoy being physically competitive. By marking the entrance of the upcoming circular silver oil rig, they decided to compete to see who was the fastest.

    A fifty-meter distance relay race was therefore underway. It went without saying that this sort of race would be done in less than ten seconds, for sure. On the leading side, Karlos along with seven others were on the very top and close to winning, but Karlos with his abnormal sprint swiftly managed to be on the winner''s side as he closed his distance. On the other hand, from behind him, a close number of fifteen people lagged behind. Though they tried, they couldn''t keep up with the other eight in front of them.

    Regarding the remaining slower members who were on the beginning area almost, they amounted to a number of seven people. Undeniably far sluggish when it came to overall speed, they would be the losers of this race.

    Midst the race, however, those seven people would be put out of the race partially.

    Only upon reaching the end goal and attempting to raise his hands up in the air, did Karlos and the other remaining members start to hear sudden gunshots coming from behind, as they witnessed the slower seven members being shot in the back, one by one.

    "What the----!!!"

    "Who the fuck is that?!"

    "Wait, what''s going on?! Huh?!"

    They were confused, but Karlos was even more confused.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    An individual that they had no recognition of emerged from within the tower that they were just in a few seconds ago. Furthermore, the individual was killing Karlos'' group members, one by one, from behind. It didn''t matter whether or not they could react in time, they would all be met with bullets on their heads. In addition to that, he made sure to throw the bodies to the bottom of the pit that lied below the bridge.

    Seven members were gone as the remaining ones started to run inside the oil rig as it was the only way to avoid confrontation with the individual that was killing the rest, one by one.

    "Shit, what the fuck is this?! Nobody told me about this!"

    "Dude, who cares, just run for your life!!!"

    With 23 members remaining in the group, they entered the vicinity of the oil rig, which had yet again two dual stairway paths; but this time around, they had to be descended to---not the other way around.

    Karlos, on the frontal side, ran for his life with a fear that he had never felt before as he realized that his life was in mortal danger. He didn''t particularly care for his remaining crew members; he only cared about his safety, henceforth how he led the rest to the area below through the right-way descending path.

    "Ah shit, shit, shit!! Who the fuck was that?! What does he want from us?!"

    Fast, Karlos took one degree at a time while also looking back at the top entrance to see if the figure would emerge from within. In Karlos'' mind, at any minute now, the figure would emerge from the top and would start raining bullets on all of them.

    Karlos was therefore not safe.

    "AHHH, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?!?"

    "Dude, shut the fuck up! You''re making me nervous! Goddamn it!"

    "We''re all gonna die, aren''t we?!"

    Upon hearing those complaints, Karlos lashed out with a tremendous vocal force as he saw their emotional reactions as a nuisance. He stopped briefly in almost the end of the stairway case before he could do such an action however.

    "You useless sacks of shit, why don''t you all just try and stall him?!"

    Not only was that a very poor choice of words, but it caused a revolt amongst the members.

    "Are you crazy?! We would all die!"

    "That''s right! You''re so dumb, dude! Fucking get the password right this time, because I know you have been failing them!"

    As the member had implied, there is yet another password entry device near the door that is locked on the very bottom of this oil rig. The structure of this oil rig resembles the previous tower quite a lot, with all things considered. Furthermore, they were in fact aware that Karlos had failed multiple times when it came to deciphering the passwords.

    However nervously, Karlos didn''t waste any time and ignored all the criticism towards his hypocrisy. By going to the bottom of the area, on the east side of the structure, on the right side of the door lied the device within.

    Fastly, Karlos put the password of "Island" as that was the successful route for him firstly. Nonetheless, that was the wrong password and it was recognized as a negative signal through the alarming rejecting sound from within the computer.

    "Are you fucking kidding me, you stupid retard!?"

    "Get it right, I''m telling you! Man, fuck this shit, move it!"

    Attempting to take over, one of the members didn''t care about the physical difference between him and Karlos and tried to put himself in front of the computer. However, Karlos, nervous and very emotional at that moment, wasn''t taking well the amount of negative criticism that was going to him, so, to that member, he delivered a brutal punch in the nose---deep-diving his teeth along the way as he flew for about ten meters in the air.

    "Shut the fuck up, bitch! I''m the leader here!! I know the right password, damn it! Just watch, you useless fucks!"

    Karlos was entirely convinced that one of the three passwords that he inserted previously would work, without a doubt. As a matter of fact, it had been proven throughout the time that Karlos had been here that that was the case.

    Someone with intelligence would notice the pattern here. If the first password that had to be inserted was "Island" and if the second one to work was "Password", then the third one would be the remaining one: "Three". However, not only was Karlos in an extremely emotional state of mind, he would also never reach that simple conclusion. Regardless of that, he had to try all of them.

    "Is he coming down?!"

    "I don''t fucking know, but I''m not getting close to him, oh fuck no!"

    While the remaining members continuously kept watching the top side to see if the individual would come down, Karlos inserted the password: "Password", and much to his surprise, he failed. However, he also knew that if that was the case that there could only be one option left.

    "This is it! Watch it, I''m about to save all of you!"

    "Hurry up then!"

    "Fucking do it! There''s a psychopath after us!"

    They were all hogging Karlos as he inserted the last password that he knew. Furthermore, that was the last attempt that he could make, but it wouldn''t take a fool to realize that if the pattern was followed that he wouldn''t have a chance at failing here. It was simply highly unlikely.

    Yet a rejecting sound came forth as the password entry device automatically went underground; to everyone''s horror.

    "What! What! Whaaat?! What the fuck?!"

    The very first one to panick was Karlos as he thought that for sure that he would be successful.

    Next, his crew members started to shake his body in discontent.

    "What the hell are you doing, man?!"

    "Oh shit, we are all fucking dead!"

    "We can''t exit the area, otherwise, he kills us! What are we gonna do?!"

    Entering a total state of meltdown, every single one of them started to place their hands on their heads while jumping around like nervous lunatics. Some started to cry as their way out was visible at the top but they knew that the individual at the top would soon be in this area.

    In that hopeless situation, nobody could rationalize anything logical and only severely emotional comments were made as Karlos couldn''t figure out why the device had vanished like that. As such, he started to utilize physical strikes as he came to a very controversial conclusion.

    "Bring the door down, bitches! Who the fuck cares if the device vanished, huh?!"

    According to Karlos'' reasoning, what he implied, in theory, wasn''t that dumb. They are 23 as a whole and as such, their physical might is to be reckoned with. Any normal average door would undoubtedly fall down with a collective push or after having multiple techniques applied onto it.

    "That''s a good idea! Guys, let''s go!"

    "It''s all or nothing, let''s do it!"

    "LET''S GO!!!"

    From all direction, the 23 of them somehow managed to all place their hands onto the door''s surface and tried to push the door forward. But, it didn''t work. Then, they tried to punch the door to see if it moved. However, it did not.

    It then varied from kicks and martial arts techniques. Yet, no matter what they tried, the door would not move whatsoever. This only contributed to their frustration as their physical resistance began to decrease. Not only that, but they were constantly busy gazing upon the top of the tower to see if the individual would come down.

    Acknowledging that they had failed, they all gathered their breaths in paranoia, as Karlos spoke out.

    "Fucking damn it...!!! If he didn''t have a gun, then I would kill him, I fucking swear!!"

    Karlos was utterly confident that in a physical fight, he would demolish the individual, hands-down. Nevertheless, he isn''t dumb to the point of not recognizing the fact that the individual is carrying a gun. Martials arts are practically ineffective against a flying bullet coming straight at you with a speed beyond your reaction timing. Fighting the individual head-on was not an option.

    Amidst this, however, none of them seemed to notice something strange. They were so paranoid and full of fear as they hid in the vicinity below the right stairway case just to see if the individual would come down, that it had completely missed their minds.

    The totality of 23 members were all hiding in the dark in hope that the individual would not capture them.

    Until, one of them decided to speak out...

    "Hold on... He is coming---right...?!"

    Their core assumption was that he was coming. After all, they already had concluded that the individual---although unbeknownst how----had ambushed them from behind and started to kill the other seven. So, it would only make sense for him to continue moving forward.

    But, as far as they knew, the individual was not at sight in the top area. In addition to that, no gunshots were heard. In other words; where is he?

    "He''s right..."

    "Yeah, what the hell...?! Did he run out of bullets...?"

    "It could be..."

    While the rest of them were theorizing that, Karlos subconsciously acknowledged his inner mental inferiority and talked to the individual that had called them out firstly. Though muscular like the rest, unlike Karlos, he had a far superior intellect.

    His name was Monu. A very tall boy with medium-length dark blonde hair that has a very shredded build like the rest of them yet his appealing factor currently was his intelligence.

    "Hey, dude...!! You have a plan, right...?!"

    Already desperate, Karlos demanded a plan right away without having a plan on his own. Karlos wouldn''t admit that he is mentally inferior, but the fact that he asked Monu if he had a plan, clearly implied that.

    No one was expecting Monu to have a plan, but he spoke his thoughts rather fast actually while trying to keep his voice down, as he came closer to Karlos and the rest----below the stairway case.

    "There''s no other choice but to surprise attack him... We have to get in-between the corners where he has no vision... And then strike him!"

    "Ohhh!!"

    "That''s a nice one!"

    "I should''ve thought of that!"

    The oil rig is covered on the outside with a bright silver yet it contains no windows whatsoever. Therefore, it''s impossible for someone to see what''s going on inside the rig just by looking at the rig from the outside. By capitilizing on that factor, Monu theorized that they could take advantage of that by meeting up with the individual and then ambush him.

    "I propose a small division... Two groups, actually. One will be on the right side of the other stairway while the other will be on the left side. The left side group will be in charge of striking him down, while the right side group will be in charge of trying to find him... But remember, always cover yourself through the blind spots so he can''t spot you!"

    "Alright, let''s do it!"

    "Fuck yeah...!!! Let''s end the bastard''s life!"

    Karlos and his members continuously agreed immediately. This isn''t a very normal reaction because a normal human being would recognize the danger in this task, but to Karlos and the others, what they recognized was the opportunity to gangbang the individual.

    It didn''t matter whether or not they were shot in the process because their brains had not acknowledged that possibility. In other words, their tenacity was to be feared greatly.

    They didn''t really notice something which was the fact that a division between 23 members wasn''t exactly possible, but what ultimately happened was that Karlos formed a group with people that wanted to gangbang the individual, thus containing 12 members. Meanwhile, Monu''s group would contain 11 members; thus 23 members in total separated in two groups.

    On the left stairway, Monu''s group would take the top as they slowly climbed their way to the top while being adjoined to the wall at all times. Meanwhile, on the right side, with a taken aback type of stance, Karlos'' group would await for Monu''s signal as his group would see whether or not it was safe to walk in outside. Worst case scenario, Karlos'' group would sprint and strike the individual down.

    One step at the time, with Monu on the front side, nervously, he attempted to spot the right angle of the top entrance with his vision, from his perspective as well. Yet all he could see was the other oil rigs from afar---the afternoon sky alongside the tired sun----and no one was there on that angle. There are no other ways except the linear path to the initial tower, so it was safe to say that the entrance''s right side---from Monu''s perspective---was clear.

    To Karlos from afar, he spoke as low as he could but also not too low so he could listen well.

    "He''s not there...!! We''re gonna check the other side now..."

    Undoubtely, the entrance was a bit wide, but it would greatly decrease in width once the linear path would enter the picture. Fortunately for Monu and his group, the other side of the entrance was not occupied by the individual. Moreso, the entire linear path didn''t have the individual at sight as well. In other words, so far---so good.

    With a positive signal, Monu motioned Karlos'' group to climb up.

    "Holy fuck, he''s really not here..."

    "And the others are gone as well....!!!"

    They had not noticed that the individual had in fact thrown the other now-dead members'' bodies to the pit below, so they were slightly enraged.

    "He''s down there without a doubt..."

    "What the hell are we gonna do about that, Monu?!"

    Desperate, Karlos once again pleaded to Monu easily. However, to Monu, this would be the hard part because they would now be exposed. Realistically, any of them could die the moment they came closer and closer to the top entrance of the tower. Nonetheless, the entrance''s door has a wider width in comparison to the linear path and Monu noticed that.

    "We will take the paths on the edges and hide our bodies there... He can''t notice that we are here if we don''t allow him to glance at us! Continue with the same formation, this will work!"

    His theory was wrong, but it didn''t matter as they were successful regardless. Monu didn''t take into consideration that from someone''s perspective, their bodies would be visible from afar regardless and that their bodies would only remain hidden on the bridge''s edges only once they are closer to the entrance. In other words, their success could''ve entirely failed.

    As they went to the edges, Mono and his group members would nervously kneel down and sneak through the door''s hollow spots to see if there was someone on the right side, yet, there was not. As for Karlos and his group, they also spotted no one on the left side of the area, neither on top of the stairways. Like that, the top area of the initial tower had no one in it, officially.

    All that was left to check was the bottom area or if there was someone in the middle of the stairway case.

    Breathing very heavily, Monu issued the path of action while still hiding on the left edge of the bridge, as he looked at Karlos.

    "We should all crawl to the edge of the area in-between the dual stairways and see if we can spot him... Should we spot him, we immediately back off...!! Did I make myself clear...!?"

    In a nervous and disorganized symphony, Monu''s point was far clearer than anything that Karlos had done thus far. If one had to say---everything was riding on the plan of Monu and not Karlos whatsoever.

    Deep down, as Karlos nervously looked at the ground, he already knew that no one respected him. His lack of leadership was quickly exposed and his deceitful lies would no longer work. At that time, Karlos felt that he had to do something in order to stay relevant but he also knew that his survival was his top priority.

    It wouldn''t be an understatement to say that Karlos had gone down the hill in terms of respect, as everyone placed their faith on Monu instead.

    "I don''t see anything on the left side..."

    One of Monu''s group members would nervously lift his head to check if the individual was in the left stairway yet what he found was no one there.

    "No one here either..."

    With the right side clear as well, Monu would subsequently give the good news, while all of the 23 members remained on the ground in order to be as stealthy as possible.

    "There''s no one there on the ground....!!!! Holy shit, run!"

    "Run for the elevator!"

    "It''s now or never! The guy must''ve left!"

    Now with an end goal in mind, Monu declared that they had to run for the elevator as that was the only way for them to escape the cold-blooded killer. Staying in the area was no longer an option and the elevator was arguably the best option as nothing else could benefit them more than an escape route.

    Already having acknowledged that the individual was not within the area, they all started to sprint down below as fast as they could. One by one, they overtook each other brutally, even going as far as pushing each other off the edges. All that mattered was making out of the area all the way to the elevator.

    "Out of the way, sloth!"

    "I''m making out alive, damn it!"

    Without any sort of coordenation, they all were all going to the bridge that would connect to the ravine which would as well connect to the sandsea.

    On the very bottom of the area, as they witnessed no one there---not a single sight of the individual, they decided to move forward with the bridge as their goal. By ultimately making their way successfully to the sandsea, they knew they could take the elevator.

    These individuals may not be the smartest, but it''s not as if there''s any other choice. Not only were they locked away from moving forward, but they now have to go back. So, as long as they keep a keen eye for anyone who could hinder their progress, they should be fine.

    That''s why, as the great number of 23 people crossed that mechanical bridge that automatically extended itself to the other side, they believed in their success----not as a unity, but as individuals themselves.

    However, as the first individual---Karlos---reached the middle of the bridge, something unexpected began to happen.

    The bridge is divided in ten parts that mechanically connect the entire bridge to the ravine''s entrance. As such, Karlos was already on the fifth part. Yet suddenly, as Karlos reached the fifth part, the first part of the bridge rapidly adjoined itself to the second part of the bridge---thus, anything or anyone that was present in the area of the first part will fall down on the pit below that contains not only beyond starved animals cautiously awaiting for their prey to fall down or worse yet, the extremely elevated spiky corners of rocks that will immediately kill anyone that falls on top of them.

    With that in mind---five people had their torsos pierced by suddenly falling on top of the sharp rocky spikes of the abysmal pit below, without any sort of warning. Furthermore, two other people managed to not be met with such fate, but they instead, fell down to the dark pit below where hyenas savagely began to devour their already-dead bodies from the deadly impact due to the collission.

    The only thing that managed to catch Karlos and Monu''s attention as they quickly took a note of the fact that they had just lost seven of their members were their screams as they fell down.

    "What was that?!"

    "Did they just----"

    They attempted to process what had just happened, but while that was happening, they witnessed their numbers which is now 16, decrease to 12 very quickly, as the second part of the bridge became adjoined with the third one without delay.

    "AHHHHHHHHH!!!"

    "SAVE ME!!!"

    Monu, as he quickly witnessed the terror of his acquaintances, came to the quick conclusion that they had fallen into a deadly trap and that the only way out to safety was to continue to cross the bridge---as such, he didn''t hesitate to spell something heartless to Karlos.

    "Karlos, we have to go!!! This is a trap and it''s gonna kill us all! RUN!!"

    "Shit!"

    Without turning back, the screams of their comrades started to become louder and louder, as Karlos advanced to the eight part, collectively along with Monu and two other members. However, there were now only five parts remaining in total and as such, they had to continue to run faster and faster.

    Full of terror, the four remaining members did not turn their backs, but two of them started to lag behind and so---out of despair, they started to cling onto Karlos---Monu included.

    "I''m not gonna make it man!"

    "Save me!! I don''t want to die!"

    "Come on, Karlos, do it!!!"

    Yet Karlos deep down knew that he was not going to make it. A physical instinct that his brain is very familiar with told him that his physical strength would become severely hindered if he were to carry that huge physical burden.

    Karlos, is not a logical person, by any means necessary. He is a person that will always prioritize emotions above any sort of logical foundation at any given moment. Very human---in a sense. That''s why, out of sheer fear, he threw Monu and the other two members down the bridge so he could safely make it to the ravine''s entrance as the bridge stopped adjoining itself after the tenth part.

    "Karlos, you son of a bitch!!"

    "How fucking could you!? BASTARD!!!!"

    "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! AHHHHHHH!!!"

    Their screams brought forth a terror deep within Karlos as he witnessed no one by his side on the remaining part of the ravine. All of his group had perished so quickly in such a quick spawn of time that he started to wonder if any of this was real, as he kneeled down on the rocky ground.

    He didn''t cry, but he screamed his lungs out as he felt emotionally guilty for what had just happened and for what he had just done.

    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! NO, NOT LIKE THIS!!! WHYYYYY!?!?!?"

    Over and over, utilizing his brutal strength, he punched the ground while breathing tremendously heavy----allowing his emotional anxiety to take over. Yet, out of pure narcissism, his grief was quickly removed once he realized that he could just go to the elevator and escape.

    "That''s right----It''s not my fault.... It''s that guy''s fault...!!"

    Instead of taking the blame for the companions that he had thrown off the bridge, he blamed the individual that went around killing everyone earlier.

    Coincidentally, as Karlos started to lose his mind, from the top of the ravine, as he watched Karlos enter that state of mind, he couldn''t help but speak out loud his thoughts---no longer caring if he was spotted or not.

    "This is boring... This pattern always results in the same outcome. I set-up and set-up, they come and I manipulate their beliefs by utilizing the control panel---then I kill a few, again and again---manipulate how they think and then ultimately the one that has the component becomes my victim. The final touch is fake mercy, but... As I''ve said, this is boring. I can''t repeat the same pattern over and over throughout the remaining sections, can I....?"

    In pure disbelief, Karlos lifted his head in northwest direction, where the sun is located as well, as he encountered the individual that had brought forth the initial demise. While twenty meters up in the ravine''s edge, he looked down on Karlos midst his soliloquy.

    By all means, Daniel was practicing the act of soliloquy as he kept on talking without even talking to Karlos.

    "This is harder than I thought. I hate being predictable and even though none of you know that I am going after you, that doesn''t mean that I have to put myself through the same boring repetition of events. It''s hardly pleasing."

    Daniel snapped his fingers then.

    "Alright, I''ll alter the pattern then. I was thinking of maybe taking a more direct approach---but not in a completely obvious way. Regarding the fake mercy act---maybe it would be better if it was actual mercy, for a while. Plus, I''m always utilizing the fake mercy method because I know that the person wants to escape, right? But what if... the person doesn''t want to escape? So much for that, right? Right? Hey, I''m talking to you."

    Putting a stop to his soliloquy, Daniel finally directed his attention to Karlos, who finally was in face of the one responsible for killing all of them.

    "Ah....AHHHH.... Y-Youuuuu!!! You villain, it was you...!!!"

    "Yeah, it was me. Though, you killed three of them. I am thinking of a way to spare you just for the fact that you assisted me with my mission. How about it? What do you want?"

    Completely serious, Daniel offered a proposition to Karlos as he had in fact, indirectly assisted Daniel. This wasn''t a way of being fair, however. Daniel knew what he was going to do and so was Karlos, once he didn''t give a second thought to his proposition as he got up from the floor and confronted Daniel from a far.

    "FIGHT ME! Fucking fight me, I will decimate you right here and now!"

    As he heard this, Daniel closed his eyes, yawned, and inhaled the air of the atmosphere.

    "That''s fine. But, you do have it with you, right? The ax?"

    "Ax? I only have this glider and the remote! Haha, you stupid fuck!"

    "Oh, is that so? Haha, my bad!"

    Overestimating Karlos, Daniel thought that Karlos was going to dodge the question since it greatly benefits his interest, so he purposely tricked Karlos into revealing what component he was holding, meanwhile Daniel already knew that it would be the glider alongside the remote. What he didn''t know, however, was if whether or not, it was in Karlos possession, which it is.

    "Get down here and let me destroy you..."

    Angry and committed into destroying Daniel, now on his feet, Karlos starred at Daniel fearlessly as he knew that in a physical fight, he would not lose. His built far outdones Daniel''s, without a shadow of doubt.

    "One second."

    Without telling his thoughts, Daniel started to take out his personal revolver and before Karlos could react, Daniel shot him on both of his shoulders---then knees and ultimately eyes.

    "AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! AHHHHHH, MY EYES!!! OH GOD, MY EYES!!!"

    Receiving six collective shots, Karlos buckled on his knees as he screamed beyond his agony. A pain never felt before entered Karlos body as Daniel drifted from the rumble of the ravine to meet up with Karlos while also putting his revolver on the back of his pocket.

    "WHAT DID YOU DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! AGGGGGGGGGHHHHH, YOU BITCCCHHHH!!!!"

    Unable to move since his knees were shot, Karlos, now blind, began to crawl in the direction of the pit, as he lost sense of direction, but to Daniel, this was just a precaution measure, as he would surely lose in a physical fight. In reality, he actually wouldn''t, however.

    "Hey, where are you going? The fight''s just getting started. I''ll let you have the first move!"

    Allowing Karlos to have the first move, Daniel stood still as he coldly glanced upon the disastrous state of Karlos. A current tide of blood started to spread everywhere as Karlos would surely soon die.

    "AhhhhHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhh....!!!! AhhhhHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

    Alternating between a low and high pitched voice, Karlos screams became louder and louder as he didn''t want to accept death. On such motion, as he grew closer and closer to the edge of the ravine, he spoke his thoughts out loud.

    "Shiori.... Shioriiiiii.... SHIORIIIIIIIIIII!!!"

    "Who is that?"

    Genuinely curious, as he accompanied Karlos side by side---though Karlos is crawling out of despair and physical weakness and Daniel isn''t----Daniel showed an immense interest towards Karlos'' last remaining words. Midst this, the glider and the remote were already in the scattered tide of blood that Karlos had formed previously and was nonetheless following him wherever he went.

    "Shi---O-------"

    Much to Daniel''s discontent, that would be the last he would see out of Karlos. Already losing a tremendous amount of blood from six different spots, it was a miracle that he wasn''t straight up dead yet for a total of thirty seconds, Karlos clearly was alive. That itself was impressive, but Daniel started to not like how he didn''t know who Karlos was referring to.

    As he starred deeply onto Karlos'' corpse, Daniel went over his mind on the list of the 500 people that were on Sagasuga''s list and he tried to recall a person named Shiori.

    "Ah, Shiori Denko? I know the name only. Tsk....."

    Continously, Daniel stomped on Karlos'' skull without caring as he regretted the fact that Karlos died to earlier. Daniel didn''t accept well what he didn''t know as of lately and was committed to go onto the extremes to see who this person was----not just in name.

    "I''ll ask my next victims---but----it has to be different this time around. Criminals are vulnerable because they maintain the same pattern thus making them extremely predictable. Isn''t that what you said, Hyunda?"

    With Karlos'' blood, Daniel slicked back his hair as he inhaled the air of the atmosphere before throwing Karlos'' body onto the pit below of the ravine.

    "I have to become unpredictable."

 Volume 23 - Chapter 164: Trial of Arcturus.

    Arguably the most fair and righteous individual led 125 people to the Arcturus Waterway. Far more committed unlike the previous three others who had failed their task in a sense; Damian saw the situation with seriousness and didn''t feel like taking any chances---as their de facto leader Ryousuke Kawahara would say.

    "Be on your guard, everyone... Don''t understimate what this island has to offer!"

    Standing tall, vis-a-vis with the door, Damian alerted his companions without looking back. Damian is a cautious individual and not the type of individual to make plans based on impulse or emotion; as such: he is expecting a few obstacles as he knows nothing about this upcoming section. Midst that, two individuals approached him---two twin-sisters.

    Of very small height, the two Chinese twin-sisters with a dark bob haircut approached Damian regarding the cloud reactor. They firmly believe in Damian and have their utmost faith on him--however, Damian would be the first one to greet them by swiftly turning his back on the frontal door as the elevator kept on going down and down.

    "Lan. Xan. Are you sure?"

    As serious as Damian, Lan and Xan; the two small twin-sisters nodded silently and then, Damian spoke once again while placing his right hand in his front blonde hair strands.

    "Okay... Keep it safe with your group at all costs."

    Damian is referring to the infamous cloud reactor that had only been used once by Shiori Denko in the past. However, Denko used it in a manner not befitting of the cloud reactor. Furthermore, Damian had no idea that Denko had used the cloud reactor in the way that she did, so the cloud reactor was a mysterious and highly dangerous object that he had to place somewhere within this upcoming section.

    Lan and Xan''s group is a group of 15 people that are responsible for guarding the cloud reactor at all costs. Now going back to the middle wide area of the elevator, they reunited with their small group. Subsequently, Damian''s best-friend, or more accurately said: his right-hand man, Jack, approached him in a discrete manner.

    "This elevator has been going down for more than five minutes. What could this mean, Damian?"

    Truth to be told, the elevator had been going for more than five minutes, as Jack had just stated, but in reality, it was a little more complex than that. Damian already had captured a slight factor in the middle of all this. As such, to the tall boy with brown eyes, a medium frame, short dark hair, Damian spoke very secretly.

    "Don''t tell anyone this but I''ve taken something into note here. Come closer..."

    This was something that Damian had noticed only, out of all the members. It wasn''t like him to keep this sort of information to himself, but he had no evidence except for a single factor yet to himself, that didn''t count as full evidence. By approaching Damian more closely now without looking suspicious, Jack was able to hear the surprising revelation as he lent his left ear to Damian.

    "We have been here for hours straight, somehow..."

    Skeptical, although he didn''t spoke at first, instead of fully doubting Damian, he took a moment of silence---then looked into Damian''s serious eyes and realized that Damian was not the type of person who would lie. He is a morally righteous person and Jack knows about this the best. Therefore, Jack followed the logical option.

    "Why would you say that?"

    He didn''t doubt but wanted to know why Damian thought the way he did, after he made a really ridiculous suggestion, but Damian showed no reluctance in explaining his thought process.

    However, to further illustrate his thought process, he took out an apple from his back pack. This greatly confused Jack for a second.

    "This apple has been inside my back pack for almost a minute now. As you can see, it''s perfectly fine. It''s a piece of fruit that I brought back with me as I saw the necessity of having something to eat along the way."

    "I see. But what does that have to do with it?"

    "Jack. Hold on to it and never lose sight of it for a full minute. Count the seconds in your head while doing so."

    Although not understanding what Damian had implied, Jack nonetheless trusted Damian as he held the medium-sized red shining apple with his right hand. In his head, Jack counted second by second, but way before it reached a full minute in his mind, when thirty seconds had passed, Jack noticed something unbeliavable.

    He didn''t speak it out loud but his awe was otherworldy as he faced Damian.

    "It''s... deforming.... itself...!"

    Jack couldn''t believe what he was seeing. In just a matter of seconds, the apple started to deform---or more accurately put---degrade. Something that would take the time of two months or around such time was quickly achieved in just a matter of seconds.

    Damian then took ahold of Jack''s surprised stance and pointed to the ground as Jack witnessed the remaining scattered deformed bottom of an apple.

    "That was the previous one... Something''s wrong here, Jack. Our perception of time and what happens here to other organisms that aren''t apparently human doesn''t match."

    Catching on to what Damian was implying, he grew physically closer to Damian as Jack spoke his assumption to him; side by side.

    "The work of someone else?"

    "I am not sure, but... I would assume so, yes. If our perception of time doesn''t match with what''s happening in the current reality around us, then I am assuming that only humans are the ones who are an exception to this factor. As such, time here is undeniably going faster than usual. If I had to also say----the fact that we are here in this elevator for hours is something that was purposely set up."

    This greatly alarmed Jack as his sweat droplets began to scourge the depths of his neck rapidly.

    "So we are walking into a trap..."

    To dispel Jack''s worry, Damian turned to his right side and faced Jack as he put him in charge of something.

    "I want you to at least take 20 people here and them, along with you remain on the inside or near the entrance of the elevator, in case something goes terribly wrong. If this is a trap, then we can''t afford to all take the loss."

    Upon seeing how serious Damian was while saying that as he essentially was offering his life for the cause, Jack was forced to acknowledge his sheer brutal determination. Jack didn''t make any sort of complaint and dutifully agreed with Damian, by placing his left hand on Damian''s right shoulder.

    "I will do it..."

    "Thank you."

    As Jack went back to the majority of the numbers, they awaited as the elevator was still descending down. This was only contributing to Damian''s impatience, but Damian; being a disciplined individual---kept his temper at bay as he knew that he would have to keep it cool should anything unexpected happen.

    He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and looked up to the highly illuminated ceiling. In addition to that, he noticed yet again the immense dimension of this elevator. Unlike a normal elevator that would have only a higher height and not a grand width, this elevator had in contrast a gigantic width serving for a grand fifty meters in terms of width. Regarding its height, it only had twenty meters. Never before had Damian nor anyone from his group seen an elevator this wide, but it creatly had the purpose of keeping a lot of people in here.

    To himself, Damian spoke lowly, as he looked at the ground of the elevator; covered in cold metal.

    "Odd... Is this really designed for an exam with ten individuals? This length is just too much. There''s something wrong here..."

    "You think so too?"

    Nikole, a medium-sized girl with long luscious light purple hair approached Damian with a homecoming type of smile as she saw Damian in deep thought. Seeing her, Damian looked to his left side and smiled back to her.

    "Yup! But----"

    Damian was ready to engage in a conversation with Nikole but at long last, the elevator had stopped. The red light above the elevator''s door signaled the ending of the journey to the section now that they were in it. Alongside his enormous crew, Damian glanced upon the entrance of the Waterway from afar as firstly, they were greeted with a descending large stairway case with 50 meters in width which would lead to a path submerged with small water. Furthermore, on the right and left side of that area, there would be two stairway cases that would contain ten large degrees of 10 meters---and then would resume itself onto a straight-forward linear path. Ultimately, on the right side of such linear path, the path would take a short curve to the right; likewise as the left side of the left linear path would take a short curve to the left as well.

    Illumination here was more prevalent than anything as there was illumination but not through any sort of lights in the abysmally tall ceiling. Instead, the light source came from the right and left side of the paths that would split each other beneath the separated dual paths. Regarding what is in front of them should they follow a straight-forward path----a large bay of water blocked them from advancing too much further into that direction. As such, their options were to either go to the right or left side.

    However, before, they had yet to process all this and Damian allowed them to do so. Midst this as well, Jack and about twenty other people---far bigger than the initial number that Damian had requested--were correctly allocated in the vicinity of the elevator, or close to the entrance. They knew that they couldn''t be kept on the inside as the elevator mandatorily demanded every single one of them to exist the elevator, for some reason. Not wanting to test why it required that, they remained obedient and furthermore, they stayed on the entrance of the elevator.

    Close to 100 members remained by Damian''s side then as Jack wished Damian luck.

    "It''s a shame you don''t have the walkie-talkies with you anymore since we can''t communicate this way, but we are guarding this vicinity. Good luck..."

    "We''ll be back soon."

    Stoic and confident, Damian placed his faith on Jack as they saw Damian and the rest of his crew off. Although their numbers were extremely large, the halls were also fairly wide so in the long run, the numbers didn''t make much of a difference. However, a separation would most likely need to be made because there were two split ways. But, before that, Damian went to the bay of the water in the initial straight-forward path after descending the downwards stairway case and there, he saw something adjoined to the bottom parts of the wall that served as the structure of the upwards collateral stairway case for the paths that would eventually split themselves in opposite directions after a while.

    "Is that a bomb?!"

    Panicking, Nikole, on Damian''s right side, as he kneeled down to examine the device, couldn''t help herself and blurted that out. There is in fact a time-ticking black device with a timer in the middle of the circular metallic dark object completely glued to the wall. The current timer is ongoing and has been activated and it''s 14:13.

    Damian couldn''t afford for any more of this and so, he erupted his posture back and spoke to all of his comrades.

    "Do not panic! This is nothing more than a gimmick from the exam!"

    Attempting an optimistic approach, Damian said that, but he also adjoined the truth subsequently, nervously yet standing tall.

    "This might be what awaits us if we are not successful, so we will take immediate action. There are two separate ways and as such---two groups will be formed. I will go to the right side and Nikole will guide the other group to the left side. 50 will join me while 50 others will join Nikole."

    Yet again, though more serious this time, Damian offered an alternative for those who wouldn''t want to risk it. He looked more into the backline where the students were starting to show fear. He acknowledged that this task could be fairly dangerous and that staying in the backline with Jack''s group could be an alternative as well.

    "For those who are afraid---I understand and I respect that decision. We aren''t more than humans and so... it''s alright to be afraid. Join Jack if you are feeling afraid, and---"

    "We want to go with you as well!"

    "I am the same, Damian-senpai!"

    For a second, he was surprised, but nevertheless quickly, Damian absorbed their well intentions for the cause and didn''t waste any sort of type in emotional speeches anymore as time was running out.

    "Good. Formation, start! Quickly, it doesn''t matter which side you pick!"

    Forming two lines on the right side of the area, Damian stood on the furthest right initial side just before the first stairway case and then, Nikole, who is on the left side of the area did the same as well. Furthermore, along with Damian, she rushed the formation of groups.

    "Me or Damian, it really doesn''t matter! Let''s go, people!"

    In less than a minute, two groups were therefore formed. Exactly 50 people went to Damian''s side meanwhile 50 others went to Nikole''s side. Their goal was to explore both sides and as such, they showed no hesitation in performing that task. Damian''s group followed him through the right side and Nikole''s group followed her to the left side.

    Nonetheless, even though they expected their paths to be different, that actually couldn''t be further away from the reality.

    First of all, their paths are completely the same in terms of structure as they follow the said structure: It begins with a ten-degree stairway case leading up followed with a small linear path which then turns itself to either right or left depending on which path it is. Let''s suppose that it''s Damian''s path, which means that it turns to the right side after following the upper linear path. Upon reaching that curve, the path would go downhill south and then it would turn to the left for a while. Forming a mirroring location to the previous area, the path would go to the left as well once again. Ultimately, they would follow a straight forward linear path all the way to the next area.

    Nikole''s path has the exact same structure and end location as both of their ultimate linear paths would finally combine in front of the door that would block their passage. That door was only locked because it was encrypted by a password entry system, to which Damian didn''t show a single moment of hesitation in clearing it by inserting: "Light".

    Successful in his endeavor, Damian opened the door by inserting the correct password as he knew the password already. Yet he was more worried about the bomb as he thought to himself that he had no time to fool around.

    The next area would reveal something crucial to them---or so Damian liked to believe.

    After a semi-long dark hall, they entered a room with gateway controls---ten of them in total. Three individuals a few weeks ago had been here previously, but they took an entire different path.

    Once again, there were two evenly split paths to the right and left. In the middle of such paths lied a wide area full of water that would flow northway freely and as well to both west/east sides midway. Nonetheless, that was after the area of the ten gateway controls.

    All it would take is for one of them to approach the gateway controls and see what they did. However, to Damian''s stress, in the middle of the gateway, lied yet another ticking bomb---exactly the same as the last one in the previous area. Still, that was not it. That was not what was stressing him and his companions who refused to completely walk into the area.

    On top of that bomb, with his fist adjoined to his right cheek; impatiently yet eager, Daniel Lead greeted Damian with an evil look.

    "About time... I was getting impatient."

    "Unreal..."

    "Damian, is that really...?!"

    "That''s that criminal with a 1000 year jail sentence, isn''t he?!"

    "But wasn''t he dead!? We even saw his body! He was stabbed with multiple spears!"

    Multiple comments started to arise to the surface, as Damian had initiated then, which was followed by Nikole, and ultimately by the twin-sisters. Of course, it didn''t stop there, but Daniel got up from the bomb and went straight to his point without caring at all.

    "Which of you has the cloud reactor? Speak up. You have five seconds."

    Since Lan and Xan, who are holding the cloud reactor on the back of all those numbers weren''t visible to Daniel, he had to ask that question as his eyes remained locked on Damian.

    Speaking of Damian, he took a step forward fearlessly as he was adamantly sure that Daniel--although for unknown reasons--was the one behind the bombs.

    "You ha---"

    As Damian attempted to speak, Daniel pushed the first gateway control to the front side on the furthest west which made the green orb on top of the controller light up.

    "I told you had five seconds."

    The moment the green orb gained luminosity, from within the previous area, a large explosion was heard as it provoked emotional reactions left and right from within the numbers. Damian, scared of what it could''ve been, quickly turned around and then to Daniel, as his anger grew wider and wider.

    "You vile fiend, how could you kill them like that?!"

    Showing absolutely no emotion, Daniel didn''t hold back and answered to Damian as the rest of the members quickly panicked but also stayed obedient as they were in face of yet another bomb.

    "Who?"

    Uncaring about Damian''s emotional grief, Daniel simply demanded to know who it was that had the cloud reactor. However, before Damian could even talk a word back, the two sisters stepped into the front-line and tossed the cloud reactor near Daniel''s direction.

    They knew that if Daniel wanted to, he could explore the entire area along with himself and the rest of them since he is near a gigantic circular dark metallic bomb.

    "Are you satisfied now...?!"

    "Were they really caught in the explosion?!"

    The two sisters knew not whether Daniel was faking it. Although they had no evidence that Daniel had killed Jack''s group, they also didn''t know the range of that bomb. Nevertheless, as Daniel kneeled down and retracted the cloud reactor alongside with the flasks to his possession, he clarified something.

    "That was just a joke. I didn''t kill them. Didn''t you all see the timer?"

    "But you clearly made it happen by pushing that gateway control!"

    "That''s not true though. These gateway controls only control the flow of the water here in this Waterway. But since you people came from the other side, it''s normal you aren''t used to it."

    To go as far as proving as to why Damian was wrong, Daniel moved the central gateway control up and they all witnessed the central water canel retract into the water station beneath it. Now that he had made his point once again, Daniel confronted Damian yet again.

    "See? I didn''t kill them. What happened was probably one of the bombs that blew up in another area other than the previous one. This Waterway as a whole is very extensive. And I---of course---planted bombs all over them."

    "So you plan to kill us all, you psychopath?!"

    One would think so, but as Daniel sat on top of the bomb, he begged to differ.

    "Not quite... Given that I''ve planted bombs all over the place, it will be up to you all to find out which ones are the real ones."

    "What?!"

    Daniel laughed a bit out loud as he couldn''t take Damian''s serious stance seriously.

    "There''s a trick to them. They all have different timers and they are also not all real. Once the timing on the bomb runs out, it''s when it''s revealed whether or not the bomb is real. If the bomb is real, it will explode. If not, then it will disalarm itself. Of course, none of you know that, that''s the fun part."

    And then---Daniel made sure to tap thrice the center of the bomb that he is sitting on top of. Slowly and slowly, he looked at every single one of them and then ultimately Daniel while spelling the following words coldly.

    "This one is very much real... I can blow you all to hell if I want to. But, this is an event. As such, I am the ruler here. All of you will participate---otherwise, this will happen to you..."

    Without leaving a chance for anyone to react, Daniel pulled out his custom revolver and shot Nikole in the head mercilessly, causing her to die instantly as her body completely splattered a tide of blood to everyone''s terror.

    "NIKOLE!!"

    "OH MY G-----"

    Although they are all extremely terrified, they couldn''t take their eyes of Daniel''s revolver; especially Damian, who found himself powerless in this situation. Nevertheless, Daniel wasn''t done. He thought to himself that others would surely argue back and be emotional about this situation, so he gave an ultimatum as they all grieved.

    "Leave this area from behind and I will run you all down. I don''t feel anything in my blood---your lives are merely numbers to me. Are we clear, numbers?"

    Not a single soul spoke, but just to make sure, Daniel shot both the twin sisters on the head like Nikole, which yet again frightened all of them.

    "STOP IT! I''LL PLAY YOUR STUPID GAME! LEAVE THEM OUT OF THIS!"

    In the midst of that terror and blood, Damian stepped up and offered himself to participate as long as Daniel would leave the rest out. However, to Daniel, that was not in the plan. But, he went about it from a different way.

    "Hm... I''ll tell you what---No."

    "...Come on......"

    Frustrated and angered at his own powerlessness, Damian couldn''t believe that three of his comrades had already died at the hands of Daniel Lead. Furthermore, there are about 97 people present who are unable to do anything because Daniel can just blow this whole place up. The thought of having this many people here and still being unable to do anything was beyond agonizing to him.

    "But---I don''t mind division. What does this mean? There are fifty bombs and only ten of them are the real ones. Here is what''s gonna happen: you are all going to form groups of 3 and you will all scourge the entirety of the Waterway in search for the bombs."

    "Why?! We will all die if we do that!! Play it fair!"

    Mad at the fact that Damian interrupted him, Daniel shot a random member thus decreasing their numbers to 96 now. Furthermore, Damian from that point on would no longer speak as an initiator because his words were getting them all killed.

    It troubled Damian how he couldn''t predict at what exact moment Daniel was going to strike with his revolver or what he wanted to do in general. Daniel''s lack of surface as a person was alerting to Damian as he sensed no good will behind his words.

    "There is a way to denounce whether or not the bomb is fake or real. Look here, inferior beings."

    On the left side of the bomb, there is an on-off switch that manually shuts down the bomb by itself.

    "Now, this one doesn''t count, but as for the other real ten, they have this. Furthermore, by pressing the switch off of the real bomb, the other mirroring orb of the gateway control will light up."

    All of the ten gateway controls have a green orb on the frontal and opposite side. As seen previously, the frontal green orb can be lighted up just by pushing the gateway control forward. However, the other mirroring orb can only be lighted up by disarming the correspondent bomb. There are ten real bombs just as there are ten gateway controls, therefore, the correspondence makes sense.

    "Once all the bombs are disarmed correctly, the ten orbs will be lighted up and as such, you can then push the gateway controls forward to make all the water vanish which will lead you to the path to put the cloud reactor."

    In reality, all it took was the simple action of pushing all the gateway controls forward for Damian to put the cloud reactor in its place respectively. However, that clearly wasn''t possible at all. Because, Daniel has the cloud reactor with him.

    "With that said, get going. All of those who come back here after all the orbs are successfully lighted up will be granted mercy as I will allow you to live while also allowing you to put the cloud reactor in its place."

    Although Daniel was done talking, no one replied. So, Daniel emptied the bullet charges of his revolver; reached out to his left leg where he keeps plenty of ammunition underneath his calfs adjoined to his skin through a band. Subsequently after, he refilled the revolver and shot one of the members yet again as everyone saw their lives flashing before their eyes.

    "AHHHHHHH!!!"

    "PLEASE DON''T SHOOT ME!"

    "MOTHER!!!"

    Yet another member had fallen because of their lack of cooperation, but Damian realized that the only way for this massacre to stop was to actually do what Daniel was demanding. There was no fighting back. People were dying and unless something is done, that won''t stop.

    "Everyone.... Make groups of three like he said... We----don''t have a choice... Don''t argue back! Think about the safety of everyone in general!"

    Arguing back had lost its value a long time ago as Daniel would simply shoot any nuisances. In addition to that, Daniel would gain the urge to kill once he heard someone crying. His emptiness on the inside drove him to commit such actions in order to keep the void as it is.

    Very nervously however, small groups started being made and they all started to sprint towards the north sections.

    Damian had also picked a group of his own amidst the chaos, but Daniel had other ideas in mind regarding Damian.

    "You''re not going with them. You are staying here."

    "............."

    Unable to argue back, with an astonishing rage in his expression, Damian marked Daniel with his eyeglare for doing what he was doing. For not allowing Damian to accompany the rest of his comrades. Or, simply put----to not allow him to be himself.

    How can Damian be a morally righteous person when in front of him lies an unpredictable psychopath who has no qualms about human life in general? Damian did not know what to do, but he knew that if he talked that another member would get shot like before.

    Midst this, as Damian approached Daniel, from his back pocket, he took out a spray and applied onto Damian out of nowhere.

    "....!?"

    At first he started to cough and cough. Following that up, his knees buckled as he lost all strength.

    "...What did you do me...?!"

    Now on the ground, Damian, physically powerless, looked at Daniel who is glancing upon Damian as if he is trash. To add insult to injury, Daniel didn''t explain anything that had happened. Yet what Daniel applied onto Damian is a paralyzing agent incapaciting the majority of the human body''s nerves. Damian was currently experiencing physical paralysis as he became Daniel''s victim just like that.

    However, Daniel didn''t do anything to Damian, despite all of his actions suggesting that he would do something to Damian. In-between the gate controllers, Damian stood on the ground; unmoving.

    As for Daniel, on the more frontal side, he decided to take a seat and confront the cloud reactor, to which Damian became paranoid about.

    "Don''t----do anything with it..... You freaking psychopath....!!"

    Reaching with his hand although failing at the same time, Damian attempted to stop Daniel, who couldn''t care less about Damian''s attempt of reaching out to him. Regarding Daniel himself, he started to massage the cloud reactor, for some reason, even though that did nothing. Then, he analyzed the capsules and saw that there were only three remaining; the fourth one gone.

    He thought for a while and arrived at a certain conclusion.

    "It could be."

    Once again, Daniel focused his attention onto the reactor and asked something to Damian while also not looking in his direction due to a tremendous lack of individual interest.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    "What do you think this does?"

    In order to avoid an emotional retort, Daniel pulled his revolver yet again and pinpointed at Damian''s skull so he could give a straight answer.

    "...It gives the atmosphere toxicity... By releasing the deadly toxin in the flasks, the reactor spreads the substance..."

    Without answering, Daniel took ahold of Damian''s right hand then softly traced it to his right index finger. By holding onto the right index finger with his left hand, Daniel utilized his right hand that has his revolver to shoot the entire finger off.

    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

    Since Damian is paralyzed and no one else is in the area except the two of them, it didn''t matter how high Damian screamed his lungs out because there were also explosions being echoed out throughout the area which only further agonized Damian.

    On the other hand, Daniel went back to the cloud reactor without saying a word to Damian; completely uncaring about the fact that Damian''s finger was blown to bitters. What was important to him was what the cloud reactor actually does.

    Many assume that just because it has flasks that it''s related to poison atmospheric infiltration, but that couldn''t be further from the truth.

    He looked at the painful Damian and only then, did he spoke, but about the cloud reactor, not what Damian was going through or why he just went through that.

    "Each flask contains venom, that much is obvious."

    On the very top of the cloud reactor---or, in this case, the component of this section, there is a circular opening that allows the inner inside of the component to be accessible. However, it comes with a password requirement as Daniel already knows which password is to be inserted. Once that password was inserted, the inside of the component was now under Daniel''s freedom.

    "Not your average venom, however. See---each flask contains different types of venom. One was already taken which leaves three of them. And----Oh, it''s time..."

    Though not aware of the time right now, Daniel started to feel symptoms as he reached the top of his head with his right hand; his revolver hanging in the edge of his fingers---shaking.

    "Ahhhh....!! The stupid fucking voice again, noooo...."

    "........?"

    Finally witnessing a moment of weakness, Damian was lost in awe. It was crystal clear that there would be no other chance such as this one. The individual who had outdone Damian thus far---Daniel Lead---was suddenly showing weakness in front of Damian.

    If he were to, for example, take the gun from Daniel, then he could be successful in turning the tide around.

    Except that wasn''t possible because he was paralyzed, but Damian nonetheless attempted to move without any positive result at sight. It was a desperate measure which was ultimately fruitless, so he instead basked on the current scenario where Daniel Lead was struggling to keep himself together, for some reason.

    Unknown to Damian, this would be the only moment where he would witness something that he had never thought before.

    "AaaahhhhhHHHHHHhhhh....!! The pill, the pill, the pill....!!!"

    Nervously, Daniel was reaching out to the depths of his right pocket for a certain pill and upon finding it, he lifted it up high as some sort of holy grail and then swallow it though with difficulty due to his lack of saliva.

    "Ahhhh...."

    In the middle of this particular event, two explosions could be heard throughout the entirety of the area though from very far away. Damian was not going to get healed from his finger that was delivering him constant excruciating pain. Furthermore, he''s paralyzed. As if that wasn''t enough, he is beyond positive that his comrades are getting blown up to pieces.

    It wasn''t as if Damian trusted Daniel before or ever, but he had no choice. He was already blaming himself enough for allowing him be the one who brought forth this situation by not seeing this coming, even though he had no way of seeing this coming whatsoever.

    Damian is the type of person who would rather blame himself than blame others all the time; that''s why even though he is paralyzed and massively injured, he is more worried about his comrades out there.

    Towards the entrance, Damian showed emotional grief as he physically struggled to lift his head just to look at the dead body of Nikole; the twin sisters'' dead bodies as well. That wasn''t all as the other casualties were there as well.

    Meanwhile, without doing anything, Daniel was mentally recuperating from missing his dose of Xanax. His mind isn''t very stable at the moment, so without it, he can''t guide his own thoughts as well as he usually would.

    After five minutes, however, Damian, as he saw that Daniel was in a less nervous mood---because the dose was finally kicking in---decided to reason with Daniel as there was nothing else to do.

    "What happened to you...? You''re not alright. You need help."

    "....I.... need.... help....?"

    With his eyes opened at maximum, Daniel glanced at Damian, as Damian saw that there might be a reason as to why Daniel did what he does.

    "....Stop taking those pills... They are making you insane...!"

    "..........."

    But towards this, Daniel didn''t take Damian''s words well despite their good intention. Damian also continued, as he crawled onto Daniel''s direction.

    "I don''t know what the hell.... they are.... but---Agghhh---if you just stop taking them but you''ll have control over your actions."

    To Daniel, nothing could be more displeasing as Damian had essentially misunderstood what was happening. Damian is under the impression that the pills make Daniel insane or rather---unaware that he is committing severely immoral actions.

    Xanax allows Daniel to have a crystal clear mind as his mind is allowed to reach supreme focus under them. Yet, without them, Daniel thinks that he becomes like every other human being on this planet---completely equal and not different.

    Damian could never understand this type of thought process and that''s why Daniel didn''t engage in this conversation any longer and went back to the inside of the component where he pulled out one of the four syringes.

    Now far calmer; his crystal clear mindset was returning.

    "Your friends are all dying."

    Calm and collected, he spoke those words out loud, to Damian''s terror, but he didn''t stop delivering the truth.

    "There are no fake bombs. They will all die without their leader being there for them."

    All along, the mechanic of the orb wasn''t a complete lie except for the part where the other part could only be lighted up true deactivating the ten bombs. That was never the case, as there is yet another mechanic involved.

    Slowly and slowly, the small groups exploring the endless Waterway of Arcturus would meet their ends just by walking near the bombs. There is a gimmick to the bombs that Daniel himself didn''t tell anyone about. The self-implanted bombs scattered all over the area are highly sensitive to small numbers as they contain a radar that scans the number of people around them. The higher the numbers, the less likely the bomb is to trigger; however, if five or less people approach it, it will detonate immediately.

    That''s how the bomb at the entry didn''t detonate. Because over ninety people started to approach it immediately. Which begs the following question: How come the bomb that Daniel has in the area didn''t just trigger itself since Daniel was the only person in the area that entire time? It''s because that bomb is a fake, but they were made to believe that it was a real one. Once their lives were at stake, their ability to rationalize is authentically damaged.

    "You said I was the one that needed help, right?"

    As Damian was numb from the paralysis, his eyes were glued to Daniel''s right hand, as Daniel had put his revolver in the back of his pants and was holding a seringe instead. Then, with that syringe, he went straight towards the third flask. Rapidly, with the syringe, all the venom inside the flask was consumed; completely filling the syringe''s bar.

    Daniel sprung the tip of the syringe a bit, dropping a few small droplets to the outside and then looked at Damian with a devilish grin that slowly arose in the surface of his lips.

    "...Noo---No---Nooo! Don''t do... it...!!"

    No matter what Damian tried, it wouldn''t work. Daniel was starting to approach him and ultimately, he would do it.

    "What is wrong with you?! At least explain yourself if you''re going to inject me with that!"

    "..........."

    For a moment, Daniel truly thought of expressing his honest thoughts or his motives---but, he realized that the type of person he is---isn''t the same as Damian and that unless the same type of nature between two people combine; it''s illogical to express one''s thoughts.

    "Self-expression is the very embodiment of weakness. All that matters is the goal. If the leader has left these separated venom flasks here then they must be tested upon humans. You will do just..."

    Forcefully, by taking ahold of Damian''s right ear, Daniel injected the entire venom from the syringe without any sort of mercy.

    Damian could not react as the agent of the venom infiltrated his body.

    Not only was there not a reaction, but no specific sound could be heard from Damian.

    Daniel knows that the flasks contain different types of venoms but he doesn''t know what they do. As such, he just used Damian as his experiment.

    Kneeling down on the ground, Daniel crooked his posture further as he saw no reaction still from Damian---until he started to notice how red his skin was getting.

    "I don''t think his brain is functioning any longer. Otherwise, he would scream like the others did---which means that the dose was too much. I''ll keep that in mind."

    While observing what was happening to Damian, for future purposes, Daniel extracted the remaining two other venoms inside the two other flasks onto the last two syringes. To call it a cloud reactor was a mistake by made as they were under the impression that this was a machine used for the purpose of intoxicating any sort of atmosphere.

    In reality, it''s simply a container with four different types of venoms.

    "Mhm, I see... It''s not that his skin is getting red---his skin is being torn off and his muscles are now completely visible as a result."

    Continuing to examine even further, Daniel touched Damian''s forearm naked muscles.

    "Cold as well... Undoubtely dead. It''s a very interesting venom as it completely destroyed his skin thus making his entire body exposed in terms of nerves. However, if he was still alive, that would be the real deal because if a human were to have his entire body exposed like this, then the level of physical pain would be out of this world."

    Daniel started to regret injecting all the venom onto Damian so impulsively because the venom''s main effect really started to grow an inner interest on him. As such, he injected the syringe onto Damian again---attempting to extract at least a bit of poison from his blood.

    Once done, Daniel got up and put the respective syringes onto the left side of his leg; in his lower calf where he has a circular band underneath his pants to hide a few utilization accessories in case they are ever necessary. Although it would be where the daggers would be in, he took a few of them out and put the four syringes in their place. They fit perfectly after Daniel adjusted the size of the band and as such, his business here was done.

    All that was left to do was to insert the now empty component in the respective place and Daniel would move on.

    However, as he stretched and threw Damian''s melting body onto the cold waters of the Waterway on the north side, Daniel realized that he missed a certain factor. It hit him as a surprise how he had missed that.

    "I forgot to ask him about Shiori Denko! Wait, was she amongst them? Ah, shit!"

    Aside from the fact that his pattern had changed as he had planned, Daniel also intended to ask all of them at the beginning where Shiori Denko was. However, amidst all the commotion, Daniel forgot as he prioritized tricking all of them.

    "Speaking of which..."

    Grinning, he adjoined his two hands'' fingers through a vacuum of space in the middle as he kept on adjoining them back and forth continiously---ultimately concluding one thought out loud.

    "I have to make sure they are all dead. In order to obtain a 100% progress at the end of the mission, I have to kill all of them without fail, NO MATTER what it takes."

    Displaying a very strong competitive spirit, Daniel didn''t even think twice about the fact that he was going through with this. Immorality was not even in his mind anymore at that point. His mind was simply far too clear at the moment and it was at moments like this that Daniel could actually feel alive.

    Only while doing something that so many would need convoluted reasons to do---he doesn''t. It''s all according to the goal and nothing else. There are no emotions. No deep reasons. Nothing except for one end objective.

    Objectivism filled his mind at that moment therefore as he set out to explore the parameter. Firstly, he would leave the component in that same area as he would come back for it later on. Secondly, he checked both of his calves.

    The right calf contained two black circular bands wrapped around the center of the calf. A variety of sharp small knives all the way to larger and thicker knifes were spread throughout the first band. As for the second band; more towards the knee area, it would be where multiple mini flasks would be allocated. All of those flasks would contain multiple purposes yet they were to be used as methods of resources.

    His left calf contained as well two circular black bands. Daggers of medium size though some of them now on the ground were placed with syringes along their side in the respective lower part of the calf. As for the upper part, a small rope completely inverted and stacked was also there in one of the spots of the black band. Two handguns alongside a mini pickaxe were there as well.

    When it comes to the wrist area, outside of his pockets and more centered towards his waist''s center and back side; underneath his black t-shirt, he hid several guns and knives in case anybody would ever get close to him.

    Yet more importantly, he always carried a back pack with him since that''s where he has his main arsenal of weapons used for anhiliation. So far, he had used knives and guns mostly, so in order to switch the pattern, out of his back pack, he took out a bow that is in the shape of a triangle. Nonetheless, that bow in that shape can become an extraordinary bow with a brutal aim range alongside a powerful sight to it. The arrows, however, were only five, but they were made out of sheer steel---or rather---the same material as the materials of the sections. In other words, if it hits someone, their organs or muscles will be absolutely pierced to oblivion.

    Daniel strung the string twice and then remarked something as he closed his bag---ultimately taking ahold of the bow and putting the arrows on the back pack though slightly open yet not totally so he could take them out whenever necessary just by reaching out with his right hand from behind.

    Ultimately, Daniel pushed all the gateway controls forward which made all the water from the Waterway recoil itself back into the area underneath where the water would be kept. Just like that, not a single channel was pouring water within the Waterway. Anyone was free to venture through the lower parts of the Waterway.

    However, that wasn''t the grand goal here. Something that wasn''t commonly known in this section is that pushing forward those ten gateway controls would also enable the entrance to a secret room on the west direction. But, the door itself was the same as any other wall. As such, it was hardly identifiable, but one particular boulder in the bottom of the "wall" gave it away to Daniel earlier when he was getting to know this section, weeks ago.

    There lies the panel room, in which he put the component in. In the control room, he went to the computers and disabled the bombs.

    Afterwards, he exited the room and went back to the area with the gateway controls. His footsteps would echo throughout the entire area as he started to drift down south from the path that previously had water.

    A cross-shaped path would be upon him to follow calmly, yet as he saw two girls from afar walking away without knowing that he was coming in their direction, Daniel readied his bow and one arrow.

    "HEY!"

    That loud shout summoned their attention as the girl from the left; the moment she turned around to face him, was met with an arrow to the brain.

    "AHHHHHHHH!!!!"

    No, it was not the girl that had been shot in the brain; it was the girl that was right next to her, who was quickly the victim of another arrow to her throat. Thus, though Daniel knew not how many of them were left to kill, he knew that they couldn''t take the elevator as the panel room doesn''t allow anyone to enter the elevator at all. Therefore, they are all either dead from the bombs or they are still on the run; ready to be hunted down.

    The truth is, if we take out the two girls that had just died, there are 61 other people left for Daniel to kill. This is because most of the students were scared to even approach the bombs---but it all didn''t matter. They would die one by one.

    Following the cross-shaped path forward, Daniel was met with a straight forward path with a dead end or a stairway case to the right, which had two boys and one girl casually walking over it. Something important to take note of is that Daniel always takes the arrows back from his victims as his arrows aren''t infinite.

    Without speaking, he shot the boy in the throat, then the other boy on the heart; leaving the girl for last.

    Before she could further process what had just happened, Daniel switched from his arrow to his mini pickaxe that is in his left calf. The girl was pinpointed with the mini pickaxe to her brain; utterly cracking her skull wide open.

    58 people remained.

    A group of three boys would be on the upper side of the path that would lead up from the stairway. Daniel silently approached the three boys and shot them in the back, one by one. Regarding the current scenario: although it was the path to be followed to the northwest direction; as soon as the stairway was climbed, the whole area had the shape of a square below. Of course, that would only apply if Daniel followed the path where the water was flowing through previously. But, by emerging to the surface of the upper squared path, he could continue to hunt down yet another group.

    This time around, on the west side, as he witnessed three girls running away down south from his perspective, he shot two of them in the back with the help of his bow and two arrows. Even though the other girl was escaping; Daniel didn''t hesitate to run through the area firstly to the north, then to the west, then to the west yet again to finally meet the girl running in the stairway that would go down.

    Instead of shooting the girl on the back like the other two he had just passed by; albeit now beyond dead, he jumped on her from behind which made her entire body collapse on the ground. The finally touch would be the tremendous stab with a medium-sized dagger onto the heart from behind.

    52 people were still on the run.

    No one else was left to be seen on the square-shaped area aside from the dead bodies. By descending that staircase with over 50 degrees all the way to the bottom, midway, he encountered two paths barely co-aligned to the right that would lead to dead ends. However, one of them had a group of one girl and two boys, who only noticed Daniel as he started to walk towards them without saying a word. Only his footsteps echoed throughout the hall as he approached them.

    They were all shot in the head repetitively until his revolver ran out of ammo, to which he recharged it subsequently. When he turned back, he saw two boys on the north side capturing his sight while running down south yet again.

    "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

    "HE''S GONNA KILL US ALL!!"

    Now that Daniel was on the track down south once again, he glanced upon the entire area. An enormous way down south over 500 meters in terms of length could be witnessed. In addition to that, on the right and left side of this lengthy downward path would be the areas where the water was in previously. Of course, given that those areas are not habituated by anyone, Daniel took advantage of a slight factor. Since those two dual paths on the right and left side aren''t being used and they, in fact, have a deeper area in comparison with this one while also possessing an entire area below this current path---someone can safely venture through the area below this one as someone from this downward path cannot see what''s happening below it.

    For the students who were running away down south with all their might, Daniel had just vanished into pure thin air.

    "Where the hell did he go?!"

    "He was just there, wasn''t he?!"

    An entire junction of 12 students decided to look towards the mighty high path where Daniel Lead was just on top of a while ago.

    "What are we waiting for, we have to run!"

    They decided to run an continue to run down south as initially intend. However, midst that, on the left and right side of the areas below, Daniel kept on alternating paths while also decreasing the distance from the students, who started to notice him. But, even though they were noticing him, Daniel was keeping a certain pattern.

    While changing to the right side of the structure, he would shoot everyone with his bow and arrows from his left side perspective and on the other hand, once he went to the left side of the structure, he kept on gunning everyone down as well with his variety of guns. Thus, without being able to do anything else but to run for their lives; although unsuccessfully---the group of 12 people were hunted down.

    40 people are still on the alive and breathing somewhere.

    On the main path again, after retrieving the arrows yet again, Daniel continued silently.

    At this point, Daniel would begin to approach the south part of the Waterway which is divided by three areas and those areas are all on the east side of one another. The third area would ultimately lead northway but first, Daniel had to secure the first area. This area didn''t have any sort of areas with water for the channels of water to flow in, so it was a simple yet convoluted surface.

    This area, on the other hand, contained from afar a dark horizon where all the water would be submerged into from the sideway channels from the previous area. Aside from two dead end paths on the right side; a wide square area was the main attraction of this place as a total number of three boys and three other girls were checking two very specific bombs, like all the previous members.

    It simply didn''t matter because all the bombs were deactivated.

    "Wh---"

    "Bu we---"

    "No WAI---"

    In a rhapsody of movements, Daniel utilized yet another medium-sized dagger to slit one of the girl''s throat; causing a rain of blood upon the air. Next, he shot a boy twice on the head while snapping another boy''s neck. Given that two girls and one other boy remained, all they could do was to plead for mercy as running away was useless.

    By taking an interval to put his respective weapons in their place, he allowed his upcoming victims to form dialogue; starting with one of the girls.

    "Pleasseeeee!!! What did we ever do to you!?!?"

    "I''ll do anything! No matter what you ask, just let me live!"

    "I have a family back home, please spare me!"

    Now that the revolver was once again charged up with yet another ammunition since Daniel''s bag contains ammunition charges specifically set to hold against 500 people---all courtesy of Sagasuga---it would be very hard for him to ever run out of ammo. However, since he would shoot more than necessary, it was bound to happen eventually.

    At the end of it all, the three individuals were met with bullets to their skulls as Daniel didn''t even spare them a word of mercy.

    34 people had yet their lives to be terminated.

    Onwards to the second area, on the complete central of south of the entire Waterway, two bombs were placed there on the furthest west wall and furthest east wall. A concentration of yet again six people were present throughout the area. Thus, with two handguns with three bullets in both of them, Daniel started to shoot at them without warning resulting in their deaths subsequently.

    Moving on to the furthest east area on the entire Waterway---however, from the Waterway''s perspective, this would be the most southeast''s area----Daniel encountered a group of three people attempting to disarm the bomb but they couldn''t because Daniel had lied to them about the bombs having an on and off switch. Only the one he was sitting on top of had such setting.

    This time around though, Daniel spoke to them, as they were all paralyzed transiently.

    "Run."

    Without making a single sound, they started to run towards the exit on the north side since the other exit would be the one where Daniel just came from. From the north way, they can go all the way back to the central area.

    Of course, the moment they turned their backs on Daniel, they were shot with multiple arrows in the back of their heads alongside with lethal bullets onto their torsos.

    The way down to the north side would have a way up this time around, so it would naturally slow anyone down as it would imply that they had to climb the numerous degrees. This was not an issue to Daniel as his physical resistance and overall speed far outwits the speed of the nine students running with all their might in a state of panic as well in hope for escape.

    With each forward step he took into the stairway degrees, instead of killing them from afar, he closed in on their distance and bashed their heads into the hall''s right and left walls. He would not stop until he heard the inside of their skulls crack profoundly. Furthermore, he would leave a stabbing mark on their throats even though that was unnecessary.

    Deep down, although obeying his inner law of disregard for self-expression, Daniel found himself no longer the outcast he would think he was at all times. With so many lives in his hand, he, at last, felt like everything was under his control and that as long as lives are controlled without being dominated, that he would be himself.

    16 people had their times decreased with each step Daniel took to the north side.

    Instead of sprinting in their direction this time, Daniel allowed the group of 3 girls to run for a while as they went for the north exit. The north exit would lead to a room that would connect to the central room where the gateway controls are. However, to connect to that central room, they would have to insert the correct password on the left side of the area to go to the central area.

    Sine Daniel''s movements were purposely slower than usual, the three girls, in their greatest state of paranoia attempted to decipher the password.

    "It''s Light! Get it right, Anna!"

    "Hurry up!"

    "I know! I-I know...!!!"

    Daniel watched them from afar, now entering from the southeast entrance. The three girls would gaze into his soulless eyes which only reminded them that they needed to be quick in inserting the right password. However, despite Anna, the one in charge of getting the right password in, she was having trouble in inserting the password due to the fact that as she watched Daniel from her position, he couldn''t tell what he was doing.

    As a matter of fact, neither could the other two.

    However, that didn''t stop them for ultimately inserting the password, which is "Light". With their eyes on the password entry device now, all they had to do was wait until the door was open, but...

    "What do you mean entry denied?!"

    "I saw Damian-senpai introduce that password with my own two eyes!"

    "Co-Could it have changed....?!"

    Out of despair, they once again looked to the unmoving Daniel in southeast direction. He was fiddling with a mechanical cellphone, though from their perspective, that cellphone did nothing.

    Taking two to three steps forward in their direction, Daniel spoke to them almost silently. It didn''t matter if his voice was almost silent or not, they knew that if they spoke out of the line that Daniel would make them the exact same as the ones that dared to defy him verbally.

    "The previous one. Insert it."

    Crying, difficulties in breathing, cloggy eyes, shaky legs, numb arms, unorganized thoughts and much more were things these three girls were currently experiencing. Yet despite that, they tried their hardest to think about what Daniel was referring to as "the previous one".

    One of them arrived at the conclusion rather quickly however.

    "T-The password to the previous section...?!"

    "Huh...!?"

    "I-It''s...---Will! It''s definitely that one!"

    Jessica put that password now but it rejected the password and as such, Daniel took five to six steps forward, only being ten steps away from them now.

    "Hiiikkk!!!!"

    That was neither Jessica or Anna, but Nina. Everything about the way Daniel wasn''t speaking his mind creeped her out. None of them are used to having someone like this around them, especially someone who could terminate their lives right away. Even though Daniel isn''t aiming some sort of specific weapon at them, deep down they knew that could change realistically quickly.

    Nonetheless, Daniel did speak in their direction once again.

    "The correct password is how many of you are left."

    "....!!!!"

    He went a bit further to explain it.

    "All of your friends have been dying one by one at my hands. Guess how many of you are left. Of course, you three are included."

    In order to stop them from having a far too unstable emotional type of reaction, Daniel pulled out his two handguns from his calves and pointed at them collectively. Hence, they were forced to reason in front of Daniel, who is about ten meters away from them.

    Taking the first shot, Jessica went straight forward.

    "There has to be more than eighty for sure...! T-They couldn''t have just died like that, right?!"

    Daniel smiled in her direction, much to her terror.

    "Nooohooo!!! Oh Go---"

    Pulling the trigger, Daniel put a bullet on Jessica''s head while subsequently directing his handguns to Anna and Nina.

    Daniel shook his right hand handgun in Nina''s direction which caused her to speak in Anna''s direction---terrified out of her mind.

    "....T-T-Thirty...."

    Then, it was Anna''s turn.

    "T-Ten?!"

    As they finalized their guesses, Daniel put the handguns silently back to the black band on his left calf.

    "Go."

    Daniel issued the order right away. Unlike the other password entry devices, this one had infinite password entries---so someone could introduce as many passwords as possible, realistically. However, to Anna and Nina, that couldn''t be further from the truth.

    Deciding to go first, Nina inserted her take, which was thirty.

    A rejection sound came forth and Anna witnessed Nina''s front skull being pierced with a heavy cohesive arrow from behind her head; causing blood to scatter everywhere.

    "AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

    Midst her panic, Daniel took ten steps forward, now being on Anna''s right side while as well stomping on Nina''s dead body and removing the arrow from her skull.

    Now seeing him up close, Anna''s terror grew larger and larger. As a natural reaction, she peed herself without a second thought and remained embarrassed about it. Until Daniel adjoined his left handgun to her right side of the skull and urged her to do it.

    Facing the password entry device, it was all up to Anna. But instead of inserting the password, since she felt like it wouldn''t work out, she slowly turned around to Daniel and spoke her honest mind.

    An unwavering desperate compassionate smile was present throughout her face as she spoke.

    "....I may not know you a-and most certainly---not know why you are like this but I----can understand you! Talk to me! Let''s talk this out! Wouldn''t it be better if we all cooperated in order to bring the happiness of everyone and not th-the--theee--miseryyy---of everyone....Uaaahhh!!! P-Pleaseeee!"

    On her way to the end of her speech, she noticed how Daniel was gradually growing bored of her words.

    However, then Daniel recalled something. His eyes widened and he put an entire charismatic face on.

    "You''re right! I should work to bring everyone''s happiness and not misery! By the way, where is Shiori Denko?"

    "...W-What?"

    This confused Daniel. He thought that he was clear and succint but apparently, he was not? He tried again, however.

    "Shiori. Denko. Where is she...? I''ll let you go if you tell me where she is."

    Taken aback from this opportunity, Anna didn''t hesitate to tell Daniel her true mind about where Shiori Denko might be.

    "She''s not in the first, second, third, nor this section!"

    "I know. That''s why I''m asking."

    "...So---"

    But, Anna realized that if Daniel said that he knows that, then what could that exactly imply? She realized that it could imply that everyone in the previous sections were killed by him and that made her gain an entirely new level of horror running through her body and mind as she looked at the charismatic Daniel.

    Nervous, she tried to dodge the question as much as possible despite a handgun being adjoined to her thin skull.

    "...I-I don''t--- I don''t know....!"

    She knows that if she''s not in the previous sections and definitely not in this section that she has to be in the further sections. She thought that Daniel wouldn''t be aware of this for long so she tried to lie her way out.

    "...Wait, on second thought---she was here with us! I saw her go to the north side!"

    "Really?"

    "Y-Yes, really!"

    Her breath was so ragged and uncontrolled that anyone could tell that she was lying from miles away. However, Daniel pulled the handgun back from her skull and kissed her on the forehead; greatly increasing her emotions amidst that despair.

    "That''s good to know. Now I won''t have to ask the others while I kill them."

    ".........!!!!!!!!!!!"

    Looking down on the ground, Anna was once again terrified as Daniel had declared the extinction of her remaining group members.

    "Insert it. The password; it''s your turn. I can''t let you go without opening the door to the central area. Damian is right there waiting for you."

    "B-But I don''t know the correct password........"

    This was true, but not exactly true at the same time.

    "It''s "Light". Try it again."

    "But it didn''t work out ear---"

    Unable to care for her words anymore, Daniel took ahold of his personal knife on the back of his pants and sliced the front of her nose off swiftly while tapping her mouth as well.

    "I don''t care... You are going to insert it. Do it..."

    In excruciating pain yet still alive, Anna, with blood running through her now open nostrils nervously inserted the correct password and the door in front of her was now open.

    As such, Daniel distanced himself five steps back as he congratulated Anna on being successful for inserting the correct password.

    "Go now. You got me."

    Without looking back, Anna tried her best to run through the now-open door but she was ultimately struck with a arrow on the back of her head thus finishing her off.

    Only 13 people are left.

    Now that the east section of the Waterway was covered, the northeast side would be the side where the rest would remain. With only 13 others left to kill, Daniel once again sprinted at full force throughout the downwards path that would end up ultimately on the northeast side.

    Capturing with his sight from afar, on the furthest northwest edge of a path that would go towards the north-central area, Daniel shot three boys in the head from afar with his bow and arrows. Their dead bodies started to fall down the downward path like a scarlet water fountain.

    Spriting and sprinting, Daniel didn''t hesitate to jump from the edge of the beginning of the path that would go towards the north-central area and thus he jumped over the bodies and caught two other boys off guard.

    Unable to properly react on time, they were shot in the head consecutively as for the other one boy, who caught a glimpse of this a few meters already far away from them; had his head decapited as Daniel delivered a side kick so powerful to his right side of the skull to the point of breaking his entire central spine line thus resulting in his head spinning on the ground.

    If one were to look at their west side from the north-central area, they could witness the gateway control room from afar, although from the gateway control room, such view is not possible and instead, one would be made to think that there is in fact an area prior to that. However, that''s just one of the many optical illusions of this place.

    The Artucturs Waterway---more accurately put, is alternatively a never-ending labyrinth unless the one were to leave through the elevators and so on. But without them, there is not a single way to get out of here.

    A larger concentration of students, or rather, six students were all present in the north-central area. An area so wide that is covered by empty areas below which would be filled with water; however, since the gateway controls that manipulate the amount of water can flow through the channels are turned off---no water is present. Anyone is free to walk through the areas below.

    Instead of killing them with his weapons, Daniel went to the left side, right near a wall, before entering the area where he saw the six students from afar. Since that wall is an optical illusion, all Daniel had to do was take out the bottom boulder which is fragmented. As such, the north-central area control pannel was now open to Daniel.

    Regarding the areas as a whole, this Waterway is divided in 13 areas as a whole. There are 5 areas covering the south side---two southwest areas, one south-central area, and two south-east central areas. On the center of the Waterway, there is the main gateway control room. Towards the east side, still in the same line as the center, there is an area and likewise the same applies to the west side. Therefore, it could be said that although the center side only contains one area, under the same line, there are two more. On the north side, there are five areas exactly like the south side. All of those areas have one particular control room that can be accessed by removing the fragmented boulder.

    With this information in mind, Daniel went into the control room and opted to lock those people away since the control room can close the areas that are supposed to have water overflowing inside their channels. So, right now, the six students are trapped in that entire area and although they are "trapped" they can go towards the south direction and escape.

    This control room, just like all the control rooms has footage; therefore Daniel can see their movements. The moment the six students started to run towards the south direction, Daniel deactivated the eight gateway control device, which made all the retaining water overflow into the respective channel at a brutal force.

    Needless to say that those six students became victims of a water force that has half of the water strength of a tsunami. Their bodies were ripped to shreds as their organs quickly scattered throughout the violent water as a result.

    At long last, only one more person remained.

    That person was the sole survivor of the explosion of the first bomb to be detonated. That first bomb implanted on the very area that they all came from. Although it detonated leaving absolutely no survivors, there was still someone, who remained on the very edge of the elevator, incapable of moving, since her legs were blown off her torso.

    Reaching the one of the elevator areas, on the north-west area, Daniel climbed the wide stairway and made his way to the elevator area, where he glanced at the last remaining girl without her legs.

    Meekly and in pain, she erupted her head in Daniel''s direction---as he continued to walk over the already-dead bodies.

    ".......Pl-Please......... Hel-lp meeeeeeeeeeeeeee........"

    Her voice sounded as if she had chronic lung disease, but it was simply the result from the fact that thousand of cells inside her body are dying at this very moment. The blood pool around her is massive and it doesn''t look like she''s going to make it.

    "No."

    Although he had just denied her plead, Daniel was thinking of something. His instinct told him to trick the girl into going right up the elevator as a way to possibly making it out, but he was committing into creating a new pattern that didn''t rely on the same patternology as his previous actions in the previous sections as well.

    It went without saying that this was fun to Daniel. Creating patterns over and over just made everything much more fun; that couldn''t be denied. As such, a person would usually laugh or be sadistic towards his own victim. But as far Daniel, he stood astride in that moment as he decided what he was going to to with her.

    "....H-How---mean...... What did I ever do.... to.... deserve---"

    "This is hard. You will die, but the question here is how. It has to be different, somehow... But, I think that this will do."

    By fiddling with his mechanical cellphone which is actually a device that has complete control over this one particular section, Daniel started to turn off the regulations; one by one of the Waterway. As he was turning them all down, Daniel spoke his last words to the girl below him.

    "Be grateful---this sight is inhuman for all that matters."

    "---A-Ahhh...!?"

    Daniel started to walk away and made his way towards the central area; where he would insert the component respectively and move on to another section. Regarding the girl who could not move but could barely speak---that girl to which Daniel did not even care to know her name---she witnessed the changes that started to immediately occur in the Waterway.

    Each section has to abide regulations in order for humans to be inside them; otherwise they will die. In the first section, Daniel put a timer onto the countdown of the regulations and Rokoro experienced such result. Following that up, although the regulations weren''t altered in the second section, Zwette and her comrades all met their ends. Likewise, the same applied to Karlos and his group. This would be different as the Artucturus Waterway would be one without the regulations.

    All areas in the Arcturus Waterway entered the stage of meltdown---or how this place would naturally be in once Daniel exited the section and made the last call. The water was no longer calm and instead of having channels to properly circulate all the water; the channels retracted beneath the surface alongside all possible structures. As such, the Arcturus Waterway became a dark deep ocean filled overly sized whales below. Furthermore, the water temperature quickly grew colder and colder to the point where no human being could be within the water without dying in a matter of seconds. The water as well had been accustomed to the exact opposite temperature of the sun---thus ultimately, the girl was thorn apart by a 100-meter sized blue whale echoing her mouth as she devoured the last remaining human on this irregular section.

 Volume 23 - Chapter 165: Trial of Vega.

    "Initiating Vega protocol regulation timer---set to fifteen minutes."

    Out of nowhere, a sound from the ceiling of their elevator alerted them. A robotic voice simply told them that a protocol regulation timer had been set to fifteen minutes yet Yasuda''s group; amounting a total of 76---Yasuda herself included---knew not what this meant.

    However, from their left and right side, the elevator started to open two new rooms that had suits for exactly 76 people. Number sensitivity is something that each elevator; section; or area within that such said section is firmly familiar with. Although the suits were black and had covers of yellow in their bottom---they mostly looked like firefighters suits. Not only were they heavy but they were cold as well on the inside.

    They were instructed to wear the suits by robotic protocols near them; so ultimately, they were all suited up. Although one can see everything from within the upper glass of their helmet, they can''t in fact see who is in the suit as the helmet''s glass has a protective measure against heat that doesn''t allow heat waves to penetrate it. As such, that blocks all possible vision when it comes to another person''s helmet.

    "Um, are you all alright?"

    Yasuda in the center, now fully suited up talked to all of the students in her group. Her voice could be heard loud and clear. As a matter of fact, the suits allowed an impeccable sound transmission to the outside far better than their own voices. To say that Yasuda''s voice was receptioned well would be a massive understatement.

    "I can hear you so clearly!"

    "I know right! But still, what are these suits for exactly?!"

    Two members from Yasuda''s group spoke their minds. Distinguishing a member from another was only possible through their voices right now. As they were waiting for the elevator to arrive at the final destination, they also wondered about the utility of their suits. The robotic protocols had not told them what they were for, so they were undoubtedly clueless.

    "Aren''t they for us? You know, because of that protocol?"

    Yasuda right away assumed that the suits were for the purpose of protecting the students from the protocol.

    "If you say so. Still, for how long is this elevator going to go down for?!"

    Albeit unknowingly, one of the girls complained about the timer of this elevator. Something to mention is that Yasuda''s group is full of girls and contains zero boys. Thus, Yasuda had an easier time communicating with them.

    "It shoul---"

    At last arriving at the final destination, Yasuda''s sentence was abruptly disrupted by the elevator that stopped its tracks. Not a single person wasn''t starring at the door that opened itself grandly. With each second it passed, they could all glance upon the never-ending yellow desert ahead of them.

    A stairway that descends into the great desert of this section was buried in sand yet still visible to some. No matter what direction they looked---whether it was left or right----north or south---all they could capture with their visions was a multitude of scattered dunes all over the area. Furthermore, it struck them as odd that an elevator station---the one where they came from---emerged from within the ground.

    "It''s massive..."

    "But it doesn''t feel like a desert due to the suits protecting us from the heat, eh?"

    Even though it''s a never-ending dessert, thanks to the suits, they weren''t victims of the immense heat of the desert. To be more precise, they were entirely exposed to the temperature of the suit only so---they had no way of knowing the actual temperature of the desert. However, at the same time, they also had no way of thinking about that because they don''t know what the suit truly does.

    "Where do we go from here, Yasuda?"

    "I''m curious too... We have to put the component in its place but where exactly, Yasuda?"

    Everyone started to form a gigantic circle around Yasuda. But, not even Yasuda herself knew where to go. So, she looked at the north side; where the elevator station would be in south now and proposed something to the crowd of girls.

    "I say we walk towards the north side! We are bound to find something there, I bet!"

    "Okay, let''s go then!"

    "Yeah, let''s!"

    Numerous agreements came forth but after a while, one of the girls said something to Yasuda---or every single one of them.

    "What about that timer on the elevator? Should we be worried...?"

    "...That''s a good question..."

    Yasuda thought for a bit and then gave her reply to the girl that had an eager voice.

    "I think that we should hurry up then... It''s only been two minutes, so let''s make the best out of it! Although the suits are heavy, they are fairly comfy on the inside. Let''s get going, I have to beat Denko!"

    They then started to walk in the sands of great depth. The burning sun above wasn''t an element of distraction because the suit''s vision through the helmet completely nullified any obstacles that would obstruct their vision. Solar light was therefore not an issue. By far, the biggest issue would be how the dunes would go upwards and then all the way down----thus forming an annoying pattern for Yasuda and the girls.

    Regarding Yasuda herself, she was determined to beat Shiori Denko when it comes to helping Ryousuke Kawahara. She saw this as a competition more than anything and wanted to impress Ryousuke Kawahara at all costs. Therefore, she was leading the other 75 girls without stopping.

    In her right skirt''s pocket lied the component which is a switch with a button in the middle. Yasuda did not know what it did and Ryousuke Kawahara had actually told her multiple times that she was better off not pressing the switch.

    "...Hm---Is that a...?"

    One of the girls on the left side, after walking for a grand total of seven minutes into the north side spoke out loud as she was glancing at something from afar.

    Everyone stopped their tracks as they started to look in her direction as well. Subsequently after, they all started to chant their words in retrospect.

    "Hey, isn''t that a...?"

    "Yeah, there''s no mistake, there''s a person there."

    "Really, where?!"

    Arriving at the destination to the left where the multitude of girls were in, Yasuda looked in the girl''s direction.

    "There, look! The person is in a suit too! Try and focus your vision---it will make you see it clearly!"

    "It works for me as well! It must be something that comes along with the suit! Amazing!"

    "Wow, you''re right! I can clearly see it better!"

    Yasuda focused her vision like the girls around her were eagerly telling her to do so. As such, she was able to capture a figure from afar who is wearing the exact same suit as all of them. Furthermore, the figure is located on the top of a deserted dune in the middle of the desert; waving at Yasuda.

    The figure was desperately waving at them as if the figure was lost in the middle of the desert.

    "Hey, let''s go there! Maybe we''ll find some sort of clue!"

    Their distance towards the figure is about 300 meters and the closer they got to the figure, the more the figure would come rushing in their direction. The figure would descend from the deserted dunes and at last, the figure encountered Yasuda.

    Shockingly, it was another girl, who didn''t hesitate to identify herself through her voice.

    "You must be the leading group in charge of putting the fifth section''s components in its place, I assume so?"

    Not only was this person a girl, but it was someone that already knew what they were in for. As such, Yasuda showed no hesitation in answering back, since she was happy that someone else knew what they were going through.

    "That''s right! But---who are you...?"

    It was only natural that she was skeptical. A person; in the middle of the desert was there awaiting all of them. Being suspicious is the only right thing to do. However, the figure didn''t hesitate to dispel their skepticism by introducing herself.

    "My name is Lus Sera! I am a staff member from the exam in charge of guiding the holder of the component into the respective area. As such, I would like to know who is in charge of the component."

    The figure''s name introduced herself as Lus Sera. In addition to that, Lus is in charge of making sure everything goes underway. As such, Lus explained her importance here even more.

    "In every section, there is a member like me awaiting for the respective component holder and we are also in charge of guiding the person to the area. You don''t have to be afraid, because I am here to help you!"

    Lus'' voice was sweet and compassionate. Despite the fact that her face couldn''t be seen through her helmet, she quickly resonated with the remaining members.

    "My name is Yasuda! I am the one in charge of the component as well and this is my group! We all have the same objective which is to place the component in its place. But----if it isn''t much to ask, could I see your face?"

    Although Lus was good news for Yasuda, she had to make sure that there is a female person behind that suit. Lus'' silence made the other members tease her briefly.

    "Oh, it''s alright---Don''t worry about how you look!"

    "I really want to see how you look, Lus!"

    "Yeah, your voice is sweet and kind! Let''s be friends!"

    Upon seeing the positive reactions mixed with giggles, Lus surely realized that she was surrounded by compassionate girls who are very welcoming. Yes; these girls are the kindest and find it hard to suspect others because they are naturally kind.

    It''s not in them to completely instigate someone---especially because they learned previously that judging Ryousuke Kawahara preemptively wasn''t the wise choice to make. It turned out that Ryousuke Kawahara was someone that they could trust in the end and as such---they decided to be kind towards Lus.

    However, despite that, Lus rejected their offer but she explained why.

    "I would love to, but... This section contains a deadly heat that exceeds 100 degrees celsius and if I were to take my helmet off, I would melt very quickly, you see... Look here."

    From her suit''s right pocket, Lus pulled out a thermometer that showed how many degrees there actually was on the outside and as they all saw what the actual temperature is, they couldn''t believe their eyes.

    "1435 degrees!?"

    "Seriously?! That''s just ridiculous! What on Earth is this?!"

    The shocking temperature easily exceeded 100 and if they were to take their suits off, they would melt so quickly that they would barely have the chance to even react to the heat.

    In light of that temperature, Lus clarified something as she put her thermometer back to her pocket.

    "As you can see, it''s not possible, but I''m sorry still. I imagine that you are all in a hurry? If so, shall we get going?"

    This is true and Yasuda couldn''t deny it, as she grew closer to Lus in terms of physical closure.

    "Is it far? We only have like fifteen minutes to put the component in its place since Kawahara needs us to be fast!"

    "Don''t worry, Yasuda. Just follow me and we will get there in time!"

    "Alright, thank you! Girls, let''s follow Lus, yeah?!"

    As Yasuda turned around to the remaining other girls, they gave their respective agreements and just like that they were set to travel alongside Lus to the final destination.

    Being a staff member of the exam---Lus was someone that Yasuda already trusted and it went without saying that all the others did too as they followed Lus to the north of the desert.

    Midst that seemingly endless walk in the yellow desert under the cerulean sky; utterly cloudless and peaceful at the same time---Yasuda remarked something towards Lus as Lus was on the frontal side.

    "Taaaallll!!!"

    To make her point even more clear, Yasuda stopped her tracks and pointed at Lus.

    This greatly confused Lus as she did not know how to react. Furthermore, the remaining members began to notice what Yasuda meant.

    "Damn, you are so tall for a girl!"

    "This is so rare, right, right?!"

    "I can''t believe it..."

    Still confused, Lus couldn''t help but be extremely confused. The fact that Lus was at least ten centimeters taller than Yasuda and the rest of the girls present didn''t strike her as something that was necessary to react towards.

    "What...?"

    "I''m saying, you are way too tall, Lus! How?!"

    "Yes, tell me how, please!"

    "We need to know!"

    Out of nowhere, a circle began to form around Lus. Apparently, they were overreacting about their height difference and although Lus interprets this as an overreaction, it isn''t to Yasuda and the rest. Height difference in girls is something that is practically way too dismissable as a subject but not to Japanese girls.

    Since Japanese girls have low height in general, being in front of a girl who has a taller height is almost outrageous. However, they weren''t being mean about Lus'' height---they were just surprised and frankly amazed as well.

    "Oh. I''m taller because of my genetics. You see, I''m from America so my height is naturally higher than yours..."

    But this was weird to Yasuda.

    "Hang on, you are a foreigner yet your name is Lus Sera?"

    Lus'' name is Japanese by that standard but she explained something.

    "That''s my name in Kanji. But in America, I am called "Sarah Light". That is the translation."

    "Oh, I see! That makes much, much more sense, thank you! I can see why you are taller as well... Hm, frankly aggravating..."

    Frustrated, Yasuda threw a small tantrum as the other girls did the same.

    Without speaking a word, Lus started to walk again.

    Although there wasn''t anything at sight, they trusted Lus and they hoped that they would stumble upon something soon. However, no matter how far they travelled, they started to realize that there was perhaps nothing in this desert outside of soft yellow sand that extends itself in every direction possible.

    Through their small talks, Yasuda eventually asked Lus the important question.

    "...Hey, Lus? Are we there yet...?"

    Yasuda wasn''t the only one who was far too skeptical about this and so, more voices came forth, as Lus showed no stops of walking.

    "We have been walking for ages.... I''m tired..."

    "....You are a staff member, correct? Well...?"

    They didn''t expect a formal answer at first, but that''s what Lus delivered without looking back at them.

    "Our destination is a ruin underneath a dune closeby. Please be patient."

    Relieved, Yasuda apologized for their impatience as well as her own.

    "Oh, my bad then... I apologize, Lus. It''s just that we are really tired..."

    "You''ll be able to rest a bit once you get there. You and all of the rest as well."

    "Eh, really? Is there some sort of resting room waiting for us there?!"

    "Well, you could say that. Ah, it''s right up there!"

    Lus pointed at the very fall of a deserted dune that had a path that would go extremely down south in an area far deeper in terms of sand than the others.

    Despite leading all of them towards that area, there wasn''t anything indicating an underground there which left them all confused for a second.

    Everywhere they looked, they saw walls of sand covering this place and as well greatly applying shadow all over the territory.

    Ultimately, Lus went to meet with Yasuda and spoke of a way to make the respective location appear.

    "This is the location, however, in order to the area to show up, you need to click on the button of the device. This is an encrypted area that will only show up if the button is pressed.

    "Hold on, seriously?"

    "This is true. That is the only utility of the device, essentially. Would you be as kind as to press it, Yasuda?"

    Seeing no reason to not believe it, Yasuda gave it a shot and what started to happen took everyone by surprise.

    "Everyone, please distance yourselves and run towards the top! The area is rebuilding itself!"

    Lus started to command everyone to the top of the dunes as they all followed her example. Now on the top, Yasuda and the others saw the entrance of a ruin being rebuilt back up through an unknown mechanism.

    Ruins that had been blasted and dead for unknown times before started to unravel all over the desert.

    Yes, not just in this particular area, but in all the desert as a whole. The ultimate trigger was Yasuda''s component as it had the practical function of reviving the dead city of Vega in its lamenting state.

    Although it was mostly ruins, this one area looked like the entrance of a dark temple. The entire area around it encapsulates 500 meters in terms of depth and the frontal entrance of the temple scourged by white pillars has an overall height of 700 meters. Furthermore, the entrance is accompanied by a twenty-degree ladder that leads all the way towards the inner area of the temple.

    That towering temple was the final signal for Yasuda and the others to walk in, but to make sure everyone got what was happening, Lus explained it, just in case.

    "This is the entrance and the component''s utility has been served! All we have to do is walk in and go to the area where the component was previously placed in. After that, you will all be able to go back!"

    "Okay! Everyone, let''s walk in then!"

    In a good mood, the students started to descend through the downwards dune and faced the entrance of the temple. It was clear that the area was adjoined to the entirety of the dune and so, this proved that the dunes scattered all around the desert actually have areas underneath them. Thus---the desert is a facade by itself.

    Through Lus'' guidance, Yasuda''s group was able to enter the dark area with little to no illumination.

    At all times, Lus and Yasuda were on the front line.

    Something to additionally mention is that the helmets have night-vision to them, so the very fact that they are walking down a thin linear dark hall with a straight forward path towards north direction---means nothing as they can see where they are headed towards perfectly.

    "Hey, Lus? You are a staff member so maybe you could tell us what these symbols refer to?"

    "..."

    Yasuda is undoubtedly referring to the variety of triangles and open naked eyes in the walls but more terrifyingly put out---those eyes are scattered all over the dark ceiling towering all of them. They transmit a feeling that they were being watched and that their movements are being taken into account.

    To further add meaning to her words, Yasuda spoke once again as Lus didn''t deliver an immediate answer.

    "Many have concluded that it''s the Illuminati, but what is this island exactly? You know something, right?"

    Not only Yasuda, but more girls were approaching Lus as she kept on walking down the long path with no clear end at sight; at the current moment.

    "You definitely know something, Lus!"

    "Come on, tell us!"

    No doubt about it, but Lus was keeping something to herself yet the curious girls just couldn''t keep their curiosity to themselves. Eagerly; with smiles on their facial expressions, they attempted to extract as much information as they could out of Lus.

    Unfortunately for them, Lus was as clueless as them.

    "I don''t know anything, sorry. I am just a staff member doing its job, girls."

    "Awwww!! Darn it, I really wanted to know more! You should have seen Rokoro, Lus! Out of all of us, he was the one most interested in this island! I bet that by now he''s going crazy, haha!"

    "He is such a crazy-hack!"

    "An adorable dork at it."

    Many comments were made towards Rokoro as they all accepted that Lus didn''t know anything about this island. That she was just a staff member whose task is to lead them to the final area.

    Midst their way, they stumbled upon a gigantic door encompassing twenty meters in height but only five meters in terms of width. That specific door had a gigantic open eye in the middle of it and it was also accompanied with a password entry device on the bottom right area.

    Nonetheless, that door was adjoined to the right side of the never-ending linear abysmally dark path that went on. By no means was this the final destination, but Lus stopped there as she went to the password entry device and inserted the password.

    "Lus?"

    Many could see that she was in fact inserting a password, but the fact that she was dead-silent about it was confusing. However, a few seconds after Lus inserted the password, from the right and left side of the door, two rooms emerged within.

    Those two rooms were identical to the ones that had appeared in the right and left side of the elevator station. They also have capsules for the suits to be inserted in and as one could guess, the two rooms were made for one purpose alone to which Lus would explain.

    "I advice you all to unplug your suits since the door up ahead can only allow you to enter the area if you aren''t suited up. Take a look, please."

    The door toward the next area, though slightly dark still, was already open since the moment Lus inserted the right password in, it opened itself. But still, although one could just walk into the next area, it wasn''t that simple.

    As Lus walked into the vicinity of the door''s entrance, the door immediately closed itself once again.

    Lus turned around and explained what had happened to all of them.

    "This is the rest area that I was talking about! However, you can all rest assured that the temperatures here are back to normal, look!"

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    Eager to present good evidence, Lus once again took out her thermometer and they all could see that the temperature here was of 25 degrees celsius. In other words, a temperature that wasn''t something to worry about was presented immediately.

    "Hey, it''s true! My hand isn''t melting!"

    One of the girls in that group had already taken out her right hand''s glove the moment she saw Lus'' thermometer tempeture. As a matter of fact, multiple girls started to follow that example as they saw that they weren''t melting.

    Lus explained why they weren''t melting.

    "The component''s button erased the abnormal temperature of the area as the desert was under a regulation protocol."

    "Oh, so that was what that was all about!"

    "However, the regulation protocol ceased to function once the button was pressed. Henceforth, you don''t have to be afraid of the temperatures as everything is back to normal!"

    This was great news for Yasuda and the rest. They no longer had to be hyper-aware over the fact that they were under extraterrestrial temperatures. Furthermore, a place for them to rest was at sight. Through that door, once they unplugged all of their suits; Yasuda included---they saw an amphitheater that had seats over the upper parts where the audience would usually be in.

    Unlike the dark hall that they were in, the amphitheater was greatly illuminated by solar light from the desert above. With seats on both rows, there was plenty of space for all the girls who were now on their casual clothes, to seat in.

    Yasuda now was back on her usual school uniform since this would be her last day on the island---as Ryousuke Kawahara had promised all of them. Putting her utmost faith in Ryousuke Kawahara, she had no doubts that she was going to get out of this island.

    As many of the girls started to leave the scene to rest on the row seats, Yasuda stood there with Lus and a few other members.

    "Aren''t you going to unplug your suit as well?"

    Under the impression that everything was solved, Yasuda thought it was strange that Lus wasn''t unplugging her suit as well, but Lus explained the reality of the situation once again.

    "I can''t unplug my suit yet because I have to enter an area up ahead that requires this type of suit. But, can you come with me? We need to put the component in its place as fast as possible!"

    "Hold on, do I have to go into that area as well?"

    "No, not at all. It''s the staff member''s room and I need to inform my superiors that the component has been placed in its place. Well, it will actually be the equivalent of lying to them but since we will be putting it in its place, it doesn''t really matter, you get me?"

    Understanding what Lus was implying, Yasuda smiled, giggled a bit and spoke her mind.

    "I really do, haha! You must be tired as well, I am sure you want to leave your work as soon as you are done with this?"

    "That''s right. My work is very exhausting and I am currently a bit tired, but I can keep going. As a matter of fact, I will keep on going until I am done with my job. Get it?"

    "Damn, your job must really be tough for you then. Yikes, let''s hurry up then. Ah, don''t worry about me, girls! Me and Lus will be back in no time, right, Lus?"

    Agreeing with Yasuda as she saw the rest of the girls off, Lus nodded twice while as well expressing her opinion to them.

    "Try and rest as much as you can since you will all be undergoing a trip back to Japan soon enough. The moment I inform my superiors about Ryousuke Kawahara''s success, multiple helicopters will be arriving soon!"

    "Alright, we will wait for you too, Lus!"

    "I can''t wait to see what you look like! I bet you are pretty!"

    After saying their respective lines, the remaining girls started to walk into the brightly illuminated ancient amphitheater just ahead of them---leaving Yasuda and Lus in the dark hall.

    On her own, Lus started to lead the way towards the north side---far away from the amphitheater now.

    This time around, Lus would be the first one to engage in a conversation with Yasuda.

    "A while back I got a call from an acquaintance of mine who was looking for a student named Shiori Denko. Does that ring a bell to you?"

    "She''s my friend! Hey, me and her actua---"

    Instead of listening to Yasuda''s full opinion, Lus briefly dismissed her entire take and went straight to her point.

    "Could you tell me where she is so I can tell my acquaintance where she is? This is urgent."

    Understanding that Lus was perhaps feeling rushed and wanted to help her acquaintance, Yasuda saw why Lus straight up discarded her opinion like that.

    However, it wasn''t as if Yasuda had anything remotely positive to say to Lus.

    "I''m sorry, but I don''t.... Kawahara told me and my group to get inside the fifth elevator---all that I know is that she has to be in the other sections. But why? What does your acquaintance want with Denko?"

    Naturally, Yasuda was a bit suspicious as Lus hadn''t told her what her acquaintance wanted with Shiori Denko. Or why her acquaintance is looking for her.

    "I don''t know. But, for some reason, my acquaintance is on the look for her. Anyways, wait here a bit, I''ll alert my superiors right away. Our destination is just right ahead of us."

    "...Okay."

    Yet another room lied to their right with a password entry device on the bottom right side of the gigantic door with another naked eye in the middle. That door was exactly the same as the previous one that would lead to the amphitheater.

    But this one led to a room full of darkness and it didn''t reject someone with a suit. As a matter of fact, it''s quite possible that someone without the suit could have some sort of consequence applied to them as a result.

    That''s what went through Yasuda''s mind as she saw the door close and Lus'' body became engulfed with darkness as Yasuda lost track of her for a second.

    "......"

    Forced to acknowledge the environment around her, Yasuda found herself sweating in pure isolation. She tried to not look up, but as she kept avoiding it more and more---as she waited for Lus to emerge from within that now-closed door, she was drawn to it ultimately.

    Why was she avoiding looking up? What was there amidst that profound darkness that was emitting a slight of radiance from above? A providence impossible to ignore---she felt drawn into the terror as her head lifted towards the naked eye above scattered all over the ceiling---empowering a mighty 100 meters in length.

    "........!!!!"

    Frightened at how serious the eye is; even though it''s clearly not alive, Yasuda couldn''t shake off that feeling of unease.

    Soon enough, Lus would come from the room once again and upon seeing her, Yasuda couldn''t help but say something about the eye above.

    "Who came up with this creepy design?!"

    Lus shook her helmet off a bit before answering towards Yasuda.

    "Our leader---most likely?"

    "Eh?"

    Lus started to walk forward this time as the path towards the north side only invited more darkness.

    Meanwhile, Yasuda lagged a bit behind as she was trying to process what Lus meant.

    "By leader, you are referring to your boss?"

    "Obviously. I want to meet the leader eventually."

    "Ah, I see---"

    Yasuda realized that didn''t add up. Why would Lus say that she wanted to meet her boss eventually when her boss is someone that she has to see every now and then? Yasuda thought that that was the nature of work.

    "Oh, I get it... You haven''t met your boss in a long time, is that it? I tot---"

    Lus interrupted Yasuda right away.

    "No. I''m saying---I haven''t met the leader yet. Oh, could you get my gloves off for me?"

    "Erm---Alright..."

    Complying, Yasuda helped Lus take her gloves off while speaking about her misunderstanding to Lus.

    "It''s a bit strange.... How can you work for someone when you have never seen that person?"

    "I suppose you are right about that."

    Lus'' right hand was now visible to Yasuda, who at first paid no mind to the sight of her hand, but as she moved on to the left glove and as Lus delivered her subsequent opinion, Yasuda took a note of a few things.

    "The word "work" isn''t correct here. I obey the leader and so do my other companions."

    "....Why....?"

    "Hm? Oh, it''s because I find it challenging. Other human beings would probably say no to the absurdity of the tasks, but just to get a chance to join in, I was given a pretty absurd task."

    Yasuda had no idea what Lus was on about. Furthermore, her vision was filled with something completely different as Yasuda took the other glove off and let them fall on the dark ground consequently.

    "N-No.... Why are your hands so... veiny and.... why is there blood over them... Lus?"

    Without answering back, Lus simply limited herself to remove her helmet, and upon seeing who was behind the helmet, Yasuda couldn''t shake off her sensation of terror as she had been fooled all along into thinking that there was a girl behind it.

    However, before she could form a reaction, Daniel bashed her head into the right wall causing Yasuda to lose consciousness transiently.

    Afterward, Daniel dragged her unmoving body onto the dark room where he was just a few moments ago.

    Around an hour went by then.

    The room where Daniel and Yasuda are currently in is not only a control panel room but also an experiment room used for unknown purposes that not even Daniel knew. In the very center of that brightly illuminated room, there is an electric chair. That electric chair is connected to a plethora of cables that ultimately establish themselves in a control panel window where the electricity comes from.

    On the right side of the chair, there are plenty of unused syringes alongside flasks of unknown substances on the bottom layer of the small pillar.

    Aside from the three rows with multiple control panels, in front of the electric chair, there is a gigantic plasma emitting footage of multiple places of the ruins all over the desert. Not only are there more than 100 of them, but the amphitheater is included.

    Although the illumination in this room is fine on its own, the lights are slightly worn out and don''t function as well as they once probably did.

    Removing his suit, Daniel took a five-minute nap on the bench on the east side of the room where the darkness would allocate itself the most.

    Midst that, Yasuda, in pain, started to open her eyes and Daniel took notice of that. As such, he quickly got up and went to greet her; vis-a-vis. Firstly, he went from behind her as he noticed that Yasuda was looking to her right and left.

    "....Why am I tied up to this---chair....!? Huh?!"

    Since Yasuda is tied to that chair with her column laid out on the extensive body of the chair---she can''t look behind, even though she was trying to.

    That''s why she was so terrified once Daniel forced her eyes to met his eyes as he looked at her from above as he came from behind her without saying a single word.

    "A-A-Ahh....!!! W-What do you want...?! Wait, aren''t you---?! But, how....?! Oh God----we''ve all been tricked, what? But-but----"

    Seeing how nervous Yasuda was, Daniel took a soft approach as he started to walk in circles with his two hands behind his back.

    "Calm down; you are safe."

    For five seconds, that was all he said, as Yasuda watched him circle around her. His eyes were entirely fixated on her and would not move away from her figure. He saw how she was trying to break free multiple times and only then did he speak.

    "Your friends are not."

    This caused her a sensation of fear that she never had felt before but she wasn''t expressive about it as she was more scared of Daniel.

    "However, you''ll be the arbiter of their fates. Look there; at the middle. The amphitheater plasma."

    Daniel crooked his posture down and on Yasuda''s right side, they both looked at the middle plasma that was centering the entire area from above. The plasma was transmitting footage due to the fact that the eyes served as cameras. Since there is a huge gigantic eye on the top of the amphitheater''s dome, it''s possible to see what is happening, therefore.

    "They will all die."

    "N-N-N-Nooooo... Stop...."

    She started crying out of despair and her blood pressure got immensely high due to her anxiety plaguing her body nonstop.

    However, Daniel didn''t care and continued to explain.

    "The difference is---I am giving you the privilege of choice here. Aren''t I so generous? I am. I really am. So---let''s look at the bottom plasmas."

    "Oh God....! What.... What are those?!?!"

    Fifteen rows of plasmas emitting powerful illumination had footage of caged animals.

    Starting all the way from the west side the first footage contained footage of four locked up komodo dragons. The second footage has three alligators basking in their respective environment; just like the komodo dragons. Regarding the third footage: a total of 10 hyenas are all collectively locked up in cages waiting for their ultimate freedom. By slight contrast, only one brown colossal bear is inside the cage that belongs to the fourth footage. An endless variety of poisonous tarantulas could be witnessed inside the fifth footage as they dominate their territory continuously.

    Following that up, the sixth footage has two lone wolves that are eagerly waiting for their prey yet they are caged up. A long savage dark horse with an uncontrollable quench for blood runs rampant through its cage on the seventh footage. Inside multiple stacked flasks on top of one another; an endless quantity of red ants were all co-aligned with one another on the eighth footage. Meanwhile, on the ninth footage, aerial hornets circling a round hive exceeded the number of 100 far too quickly.

    On the tenth footage lied within two brutal tigers capable of unknown massacres; ready to prove their savagery at any chance given. To further add terror, on the eleventh footage, a tremendous multitude of scorpions could be witnessed as well. Next; a group of six African Cape buffalos was severely chained up as a countermeasure for their limitless potential when it comes to devastation---surely they belonged to the twelfth footage. A majestic proud lion that doesn''t know how to lose awaited for its prey patiently in his own cage on the thirteenth footage. Penultimately, three long alligators sharpened their teeth fangs on the fourteenth footage. Lastly; a gigantic anaconda with 250 meters in overall length balanced from tree to tree on the fifteenth footage.

    As Yasuda processed all of this, scenarios of terror started to scatter all over her mind, but Daniel was quick to dispel that.

    "I know what you are thinking... "This guy couldn''t possibly be thinking of releasing all of them into the amphitheater, right?" or "Please, for the love of God, don''t let those abominations out of their cage!"----well, here is the deal. You can avoid all of that."

    "....???"

    Confused and terrified, Yasuda looked in Daniel''s direction as he started to walk in circles once again.

    "W-Wha... What do you mean...?"

    "I''m saying... If you do me one small favor for me, I won''t release those filthy abominations upon them. I could. The amphitheater''s doors are locked up so they are currently stuck in there without a way out. Well, what do you say? Want to help me out?"

    Daniel was smiling now, but Yasuda knew that whatever he had in mind wasn''t something that could possibly be good.

    However, she also knew that if she didn''t obey him that he would release all of those animals onto the dome and the remaining members of her group would slowly be reduced to nothing.

    She, therefore, had no choice but to go along with Daniel since she deeply cares about her friends.

    Although her emotions aren''t stable right now, Yasuda nonetheless gave Daniel a positive reply.

    "I-I... I don''t know if I can do what you have in mind but---"

    Daniel rapidly dismissed her idiotic assumption as his facial expression grew wider a tiny bit.

    "Oh, but you can. Anyone can, as a matter of fact!"

    "O-Okay.... Oh God---just promise me that you won''t release... them after you are done raping me..."

    Daniel stopped moving and started to resemble a statue as he didn''t know how to react.

    He then thought to himself out loud as Yasuda was also confused. She was undoubtedly sure that Daniel had thought of raping her.

    "This can''t be a coincidence... The other one thought that I was going to rape her as well without actually implying such on my behave and now you as well. I see; it''s just a natural reaction. If you are a girl and you are in face of a criminal that is a male, all alone, isolated without salvation at sight; your worse thought is not you dying, but the possibility of getting raped."

    Daniel wasn''t looking at Yasuda at all, but instead, he was walking in a circle again.

    As for Yasuda, she couldn''t help but blurt something out to him, very nervously and still terrified.

    "O-Other one...?! Who----Oh God---don''t tell me that the others..."

    Yasuda grew even more frightened as she thought of what Daniel was implying but she quickly dismissed that thought as she said the upcoming words out loud.

    "Wait, no... You can''t just be everywhere at the same time that''s just---"

    "Are you referring to the girl from Slovenia?"

    "!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

    "Yeah, she''s the one. Don''t worry. I don''t fucking care about rape. It''s an emotional act that emotional criminals commit just for a sensation of control and because they are highly incapable of managing their emotions. As such, I can''t commit rape because it requires a quantity of emotion I just don''t have. Did I make myself clear here?"

    Midst his explanation, Daniel was releasing Yasuda from her shackles and then, he took ahold of her two wrists as Yasuda was processing the insanity behind Daniel''s previous words.

    Daniel moved Yasuda''s forcefully to one of the chairs near the control panel and sat in front of her. Afterward, he let go of her hands and warned her first.

    "Don''t try to run away. You''ll just make things worse. Also---"

    He touched Yasuda''s face softly and moved her chin up so she could match his soulless eyes.

    "Look at me."

    Their eyes grew closer and closer but that only managed to scare Yasuda more.

    "Good. Now---About that favor; as I''ve said, if you do it, I will not release any of those abominations on the dome. As for the favor itself..."

    Daniel took out a small dagger from his left calf and turned it around while ultimately giving it to Yasuda; who had yet to grasp it or even process what Daniel was implying.

    Nevertheless, it would all become clear once Daniel would speak about that favor.

    "Kill yourself in front of me."

    ".........Wh...at...?"

    It never had crossed her mind. Yasuda thought for sure that Daniel wanted something that Yasuda could solely provide yet Daniel had already rejected Yasuda''s thoughts about the possibility of raping her, which meant that he didn''t want to conduct sexual activities with her. If he wanted to kill her, he would have already done it. If he wanted to torment her, he would make her watch all of her friends die at the hands of those animals. She always thought that it would be something that would cause her extreme emotional grief.

    So; committing suicide was beyond her imagination.

    "I don''t care how you do it, just kill yourself. Wrist slicing----throat slicing---heart stab---tongue slicing---whatever you want. Hurry up."

    "W-Why...?"

    Not only did she wet herself but her tears increased as she could not understand why Daniel wanted her to commit suicide.

    "Does it actually matter why? I can explain it, but does it actually matter though? I''m saying, if I explain it, will it help you gain the motivation to commit suicide? Or are you just saying "Why" because you can''t understand my thought process?"

    "I-It''s weird!!! No one does this---like----why?! What do you have against me....!? Aghh... Why meee...?!"

    "So you think this is personal..."

    Seeing the rapid increase in her tears, Daniel started to clear them out of her face; not with care, but with an absurd speed.

    "Listen, it''s nothing personal. It could be any of you, honestly. But it turned out to be you. You were the one holding the component---therefore the one who will be a part of this."

    "T-T-That''s not... alright! That''s even worse...!! You''re asking me to commit suicide without having negative emotions towards me! That''s what''s so weird about this! You''re committing evil without having some sort of grudge against us...?!"

    But Daniel didn''t find this strange at all and he couldn''t understand where Yasuda was coming from.

    "Not all evil is about emotion. As a matter of fact; emotion makes evil look weak. I try to do things from the opposite approach. I commit evil not based on emotion but based on intelligence. I seek to understand why my previous girlfriend committed suicide a while ago, but I can''t find answers anywhere, so I''ve decided that I will naturally gain an understanding once I watch a girl commit suicide in front of me with my own two eyes."

    Yasuda in the midst of his speech realized that Daniel''s previous girlfriend was someone that Yasuda knew. In name only though.

    "...Is it Yulia...?"

    His eyes widened for a while and then he meekly held his head up down while applying force on Yasuda''s left cheek with his right hand---though not for long as he would erupt his face once again---collective and calm this time around.

    "Yeah. Now you understand where I''m coming from. So, there should be no doubts. Do it."

    Far more serious now, Daniel hurried Yasuda into doing it. As such, Yasuda started to look at the sharp small dagger on her right hand; especially towards that razor refined edge.

    However, as she did so, she started to tear up even more as she remarked something towards Daniel.

    "I am---am sorry!! I am sorry that we couldn''t meet on any other occasion---I would gladly help you out and---"

    "Bullshit. You only say that because your life is on the line. Hurry up or your friends will be fodder soon."

    "I-I am serious.... Please listen..."

    "No. I don''t care. Will you do it or not? I am growing tired of this conversation already."

    Yasuda wasn''t trying to manipulate Daniel, but the moment he noticed that she was pitying him, he turned completely heartless; incapable of feeling remorse towards Yasuda who genuinely feels sorry for what Daniel went through and what he has to do just to gain some sort of understanding.

    "You''re making me look like some sort of victim, but you are the victim."

    Shaking, Yasuda looked at the dagger that she unconsciously elevated towards her throat, very slowly.

    Yasuda loves her friends and would do anything for them. So, with that in mind, she was actually giving thoughts about killing herself.

    She looked ready to commit suicide by slicing her own throat as the edge of the dagger was already scratching the surface of her pale skin.

    However, she couldn''t do it and as such, she let the dagger fall onto the ground while embracing her lachrymose face with her own two fragile hands.

    "I can''t...!! I just can''t. I have a mother and a father to who I owe my life. A younger sister and a younger brother who I want to grow older with....!!! And I just became friends with someone I''ve idolized for as long as I can remember...! Not to mention that I am in love! I can''t kill myself BECAUSE I don''t want to freaking die! You hear me!? I want to live and you probably want to die that''s why you are so horrible on the inside! You don''t know the positive side of life and I do! I am just experiencing it and I can''t believe that my life has become reduced to this.... Ahhhhhhh....!!!! My God, why meeeeeeeeeeeeee......!?"

    Mad, frustrated, and scared, Yasuda stomped on the ground while still covering her watery face with her two hands.

    "A-And....!! And....! Aghhh, I can barely speak..... It hurts to talk because whenever I look at you it''s like th-there''s some sort of freaking alien in front of me... not another human being...! Human beings can''t be devoid of emotion, but so-somehow.... I don''t believe in that anymore.... That''s how fucked up you are."

    It scared her immensely how Daniel was extremely calm and collected while glancing at Yasuda closely through her hands.

    "Are you done?"

    Yasuda''s heart stopped for two seconds straight as she realized that all of her previous words were all for naught.

    ".....D...Do---Did my words... even reach you?"

    "Naturally. I am capable of audition, so I have to, unfortunately, listen to others."

    "N-No. Not like that....I am saying, can you understand my perspective? Try to be me right now....!!! Just try it, please."

    "..."

    Daniel distanced himself for a while and thought for a bit. He then replied to Yasuda.

    "I don''t think you realize how much I orchestrate things here to go my way. What''s happening to you isn''t the work of a coincidence or any sort of "luck". However, I''ll admit that you---the owner of the component---is slightly lucky. Except that''s not true. Sagasuga had already informed me about the ten leaders. I knew you were among them."

    "S-So it is personal...?!"

    "As I said, that''s not it. Also, you won''t do it, really? Are you sure...?"

    Coldly, Daniel asked Yasuda that in hope that she would change her mind.

    "You do realize that you get to watch them all die, right? Will you be able to live with that? Will you?"

    "Well, what am I supposed to do?! I don''t want them to die, but I also don''t want to die!"

    "That''s the point of this. You have to choose. Your life---or theirs. Choose."

    In the middle of his speech, Daniel kneeled down and took ahold of the dagger basking underneath a pool made out of Yasuda''s body fluids.

    He shook it off to the right and hoped that this conversation wouldn''t drag longer than usual.

    Admittedly, Daniel was going along with Yasuda for only one reason. He wanted to see whether or not Yasuda would kill herself once she TRULY realized the hopelessness of the situation.

    "...Let me die with them at least..."

    "Huh? Are you deaf or some shit? I am saying your only two options are: suicide or watch them die."

    "But I don''t want you to be successful here...! So my only choice is to not kill myself... but to also die with my friends at the same time."

    "........"

    Daniel didn''t expect this. He thought for sure that Yasuda cared deeply for her friends and would blindly commit suicide just to keep them safe---so he couldn''t understand what was currently happening.

    "But you have the option to save your friends. Why?"

    "You don''t get it, do you...? I don''t trust you... I know you won''t keep your word. To keep your word, you need a moral code or emotions at least. I''ve learned that much just from talking to you. Daniel, you can''t keep your word even if you tried...!"

    "..............."

    Daniel looked to the ground and thought to himself whether that was true or not. He hadn''t given thought about this whatsoever, so Yasuda''s reasoning was surprisingly accurate to him, for some reason.

    After a while, he looked to the despairing Yasuda.

    "Congratulations. It appears you''re correct about that. So, you want to die with them, is that it?"

    "Yes... Let me at least die along with my friends, since you are going to kill them all."

    "................."

    Daniel didn''t felt in charge anymore because Yasuda had already come to terms with her fate. He thought to himself that it was his fault that he no longer "felt" in charge and therefore, he had to fix that.

    "So, you think you are in control just because you get to decide how you and your friends will die?"

    "T-That''s right... I won''t let you win, Daniel."

    "No, not that. I am saying, I have to be the one that kills all of you or at least the one responsible for bringing your deaths. In other words, if you all die from a cause that I''m responsible for, you win. If not, then I win. Do we agree on these terms?"

    "....Yes... But you are incapable of keeping your word, so you will end up killing us all in the end, so I win, no matter how I look at it."

    "Oh, I see now."

    Having understood the only way to win, Daniel got up from his chair and took a long deep breath, which confused Yasuda.

    "I don''t accept losses well, so here is what I''m going to do, I am going to go ahead and put the component in its place and I am going to move into the next section. There, I will continue with my goal."

    Yasuda had vast trouble accepting the truth of Daniel''s words as he was deadly serious about not being able to accept losses well. Willingly, he sacrificed all of his work just to not let Yasuda have control here.

    "...Wh-What...? That''s even weirder..."

    "You made your point. I would be losing if I were to let you have control of the situation so the only way that I can''t lose here is if the situation itself is suspended. That''s what''s going to happen. I am suspending this event so I don''t lose."

    "But---But that only makes you a coward!"

    "Intelligent people are cowards; it''s factual. Get out of here before I change my mind."

    Taking ahold of the component that was on top of the table, Daniel started to exit the room meanwhile Yasuda was left speechless as she had just escaped from an unbelievable situation. Although she didn''t mean to manipulate Daniel, she had done so successfully.

    This was something that was impossible to not acknowledge.

    "....You can''t be serious...."

    Ten minutes had passed since then and throughout that entire time, Daniel had not made his return. Furthermore, by keeping an eye on Daniel through the footage, Yasuda saw him exit to another area but she thought to herself that if she were to follow him that it could be a potential bait.

    Firstly, Yasuda wiped her tears and composed herself as much as possible. With Daniel no longer on the scene and all the animals firmly kept in their own cages, she grabbed the general microphone and attempted to create a reaction among the members of her group located in the amphitheater.

    "Everyone, can you hear me?!"

    Although she couldn''t hear them clearly, Yasuda captured multiple reactions and as such, she began to cry but nonetheless quickly composed herself as she delivered the good news. Naturally, she couldn''t tell them that Lus was actually Daniel or that Daniel is alive for all that matters.

    She had to lie for the greater good.

    "I''m sorry it took this long but I was seeing Lus off as she went ahead to meet up with her superiors! She told me that we have to get back to the elevator station where we came from and meet up with Kawahara!"

    Yasuda knew that she couldn''t lead her friends into the same area where Daniel came from so her only option was to go towards the primary elevator station.

    As such, she exited the room and ran down south as fast as she could to meet up with her friends.

    She tried and tried to compose herself so that the others wouldn''t notice her panic. Thus, a few minutes later, when she reached the door of the amphitheater, which is now locked up, she took as many deep breaths as she required before inserting the password which would unlock the door respectively.

    "Calm down, Yasuda... You won. You survived that terror... Uuufff."

    Now slightly calmer, Yasuda typed the word "The" and the door opened itself.

    As the door opened itself, multiple girls---or rather, all the girls from Yasuda''s group began to run in her direction as they were worried sick.

    Some hugged her while some were even crying about what could have possibly happened to Yasuda---the thought of something bad happening to her had greatly devasted them, that''s for sure.

    "Did something happen to you!?"

    "We were so worried about you! If you could talk through that microphone then you could have told us something at least!"

    "Yasuda! Yasuda!"

    Seeing how worried they were about her, Yasuda couldn''t help but deeply cry as she had too many emotions bottled up----not from being alive from all that only but as well for being able to reunite with her friends.

    As she cried and smiled, she gave her humble apologies.

    "I-I''m sorry I made you all worry----Haha... I... love you all... But, we have to get going! The component is in its place and Lus said we don''t have any time to lose!"

    In a hurry, Yasuda broke out of the circle and attempted to lead everyone towards the desert once again, by going towards the main hall.

    They all acknowledged her sense of urgency and wanted to leave this area as soon as possible as well.

    However, as Yasuda entered the main hall she thought of the possibility of the desert containing those insanely high temperatures from before. She thought that Daniel was baiting them into walking right into the desert that way---but with the suits, that would entirely change.

    The suits are capable of protecting the ones wearing it from any sort of high temperatures. With them, they wouldn''t have to unnecessarily become the victims of the desert ahead of them.

    "Everyone, let''s put the suits on, just in case!"

    "Yeah, I don''t wanna take any chances!"

    "Me neither!"

    Not a single person disagreed. While they were suiting up, Yasuda explained that the possibility of the heat outside being far too high was in fact possible and that their suits are cold on the inside which makes the travelling all the better.

    As such, the 76 of them were ready to leave the area. Yasuda was in front of all of them and the moment they left the area; they began to witness something strange.

    Yasuda looked at the very sky and multiple comments began to describe that particular sky.

    "It''s darker now..."

    "Hm, darker----it''s like the sky became engulfed in fog or something...."

    "It looks singed, but not quite... It''s hard to describe."

    The sky was no longer cerulean but despite that, it was cloudless---the only retaining feature of the previous sky. It looked like a young night sky as it approach a starry sky form.

    While exiting the scene, Yasuda and her group couldn''t stop looking at the sky as countless shooting stars could be captured on that lively sky.

    A dark gray color took over the sky at that very moment.

    "Eh? What is that....?"

    One of the girls on the left side pointed at the very tiny fragment that seemed to be a star but it was slightly bigger than your average star. In the first place, although technically they move themselves, the human eye can barely see any movement---if it can capture any movement in the first place. Still, if so---would the human eye really be capable of harnessing the sudden movement of an astronomically large star? That''s just highly unlikely.

    "Hold on, am I seeing things?"

    "No, I don''t think so... It''s moving isn''t it...!?"

    Every section holds some sort of gimmick to it, but more importantly, they each have some sort of catastrophically default to them that makes the requirement for constant regulations to be applied. However, once those regulations are overt their time, the atmosphere of the section will gain its true form. The Arcturus Waterway became like that not too long ago.

    "Oh...My... GOD."

    "WE HAVE TO RUN AWAY! EVERYONE, LET''S GO BACK!!!"

    "FOLLOW YASUDA!!!"

    There is a reason as to why this section is called Imperial City of Vega. Under no normal circumstance would a city that is constantly a victim of an unstable atmosphere be able to exist. In the first place, a stable atmosphere is mandatory for a city to exist there in the very first place. However, against all odds, this imperial city that undergoes reconstruction all the time through mechanical protocols set to reconstruct this destroyed city, is an undying city that will never cease to exist thanks to its protocols underground set to swiftly rebuild the city every time.

    This begs the question: what exactly keeps destroying this city?

    "DAMN IT! DAMN IT! THAT FREAKING COWARD!!! DANNNIIIIEEEEEEL--------"

    No, Daniel isn''t the one that orchestrated this. Yasuda and her group simply exceeded the time of their stay and as such, they started to become highly subjected to what keeps destroying the imperial city countless times again and again. As a matter of fact, Daniel never overstays his stay in a section that will eventually run out of regulations.

    Especially this section which is a never-ending desert that has a core that attracts stars from the universe to it. Or---to be more precise, since the gravity of this section is extremely high, it constantly attracts deadly meteorites onto its atmosphere; thus causing the Imperial City of Vega to go under a brutal frequent assault of meteorites onto its atmosphere; over and over.

    It goes without saying that since a meteorite has over 1648.889 degrees celsius, just the scrap of the momentum that it forms while approaching the atmosphere; was enough to melt away the suits capable of resisting unspeakable temperatures---because even though the suits are extremely resistant, they aren''t meant to resist absolutely any temperature. There is a limit.

    No one can win against nature, but nature can be avoided.

    Yasuda had to learn that the hard way as her entire group was engulfed into melting flames just from the bare momentum of the meteorite that would soon collapse onto that infinite desert; mercilessly.

 Volume 24 - Chapter 166: Trial of Antares.

    Youjo''s group contains 20 people. No more and no less. Most of them are girls that are attracted to Youjo''s personality traits so to speak. Her rebellious and flare-like personality can be alluring to some while to others it can create sparks of difference.

    Right now, they are undergoing through an elevator of 20 meters in width and 50 meters in height. Far more than necessary space for their small group to take place in. The steel-covered four walls that the elevator holds in its composure present a stark cold temperature to anyone that is curious enough to place their frails hands on them yet more importantly, this particular elevator has only one button function which is a button that goes only down. In other words, the moment Youjo decided to press that button, she knew there couldn''t be a way up through this elevator.

    Weak illumination lit up above yet Youjo''s bright-light eyes determined something from that type of illumination.

    "That''s weird, isn''t it?" Youjo openly asked that question to the air; invoking the attention of every member to her "What is?" A girl asked her to which Youjo raised her finger toward the illumination site above "That. That type of light is incredibly manufactured and it''s emitting blue-like colors mixed with elements of other colors. In other words, this might sound weird to say but that light can''t possibly be solar." She concluded.

    Many didn''t understand how the girl named Youjo could dictate the difference between natural light and artificial light but the process itself isn''t difficult. Natural light is the offspring of sunlight which comes from its radiation thus emitting the naturally driven colors and heat of the sun. Yet this light did not emit such natural light---the familiar-like radiation was not present. An extraterrestrial blue aura breathed from its spine. A glowing halogen gas drove the light to strive from its different natural state over time.

    Yet this also indicated one other thing that Youjo would not mention at the time because she didn''t want to further distress her companions as they were already on the verge of stabilization.

    She looked at her phone and realized immediately that the time was slower than usual because, in her mind, Youjo had been counting the time in human terms. A clocking-second counting machine resided in Youjo''s brain and according to it, at least fifty minutes had already gone by. In contrast to that, her phone''s hours and minutes remained the exact same. As a matter of fact, she went even further and checked how the seconds were progressing and she found out that a second is the equivalent of 30 seconds.

    To put it into perspective, she felt like she was locked into a prison of time. She knew not whether or not she could rely on the timing in her brain or the fact that her phone was giving off a different time.

    These worries, however, started to mildly vanish as the elevator started to decrease in its speed and began to slow down while ultimately arriving at its location.

    "Did we finally arrive?" One of the girls asked Youjo "Seems like it, but..." Youjo wasn''t exactly sure whether or not it could be qualified as an arrival given the fact that what she was looking at, lacked the usual qualification for such.

    The elevator stopped its track and its door opened sideways; however, what they were gazing at was the infinite ocean in the midst of a clear cerulean sky unknown to blowing winds. In other words, there wasn''t a way for them to continue. As the others began to grow worried, Youjo decided to step up a little and see whether or not something would trigger if she did so.

    "...." She placed her step on the right side of the door, her foot beginning to soak in water somewhat yet with nothing occurring "What the hell is this...?!" Youjo grasped sea creatures at the bottom of the water gazing at her; creating horror in her mind "Youjo, what do we do?!" A warrant call finally was startled "I don''t know! I''ve never seen anything like this! We can''t go up so maybe we can continue to go down?!" Youjo proposed for someone to press the only button to see whether or not it would go down.

    However, this wasn''t successful as the button didn''t even butch. Not only that but it was completely unresponsive in the sense of moving into the structure, unlike a normal button.

    "Nothing happens! No matter how much I press it, there''s no response, Youjo!" A girl alerted Youjo while freaking out respectively "Damn it... There''s gotta be something that we can use... There''s no way this would simply be allowed..."

    Youjo thought to herself as the others applied pressure on her to come up with a solution.

    "Think, Youjo... Think... If that damn nerd Rokuro was here, what would he come up with...?!" She thought and after a few seconds, she arrived at a crucial conclusion.

    She snapped her right index finger alongside her right thumb, which resonated a deep sound within the elevator.

    "That''s it!" Youjo exclaimed out loud thus earning positive responses from her group as she did what she had in mind "Oh my God! You actually did it, what the hell?!" A hug came behind Youjo as the success flew by.

    Many others showered her with attention as Youjo did a very simple thing. She reminded herself of the one thing that made all of this possible. In the first place, to access the temple where the ten sections lie within, they had to go through ten different places on the island in other to insert the passwords. Yet the one thing that Youjo was sure that she had that would give her the benefit here would be the component that she got initially from Percy Phoenix.

    Whether or not it functioned here, was something that she didn''t know for sure until she decided to activate the component---the switch detonator.

    However, unlike a bomb detonator, for example, this detonator gave birth to something instead of destroying it. From the depths of the ocean, a gigantic structure containing a path that stretched to infinity from their perspective began to unfold. Firstly, it started with a bridge that contained ten meters in length with a forward direction; just razing the tip of the ocean: its width of five meters. Furthermore, the glacial colored bricks covered the bridge entirely; even the sideways---even though there were no supporting brackets to prevent a fall. These brackets still drenched in the ocean''s water were somewhat slippery.

    "Be careful not to fall---for some reason, this emerged from the ocean so it''s bound to get slippery!" Right as Youjo said that, they all started to grasp each other''s hands and some even went as far as grabbing each other''s arms in other to prevent some sort of fall "Needless to say, but try not to look down as we go forward..." Youjo concluded her warning.

    Coldly, Youjo distanced herself from the rest as she place herself in the front; leading the rest. Forward on, the bridge would begin to show differences in structure, repetitively. As soon as the first bracket would finish and the ten meters in length would conclude, they would then have to climb a stairway case of five rows. Beyond that, a linear path containing twenty meters in length and five meters in width remained. From that point on, the path''s end would no longer be linear as it would go toward the right creating a grand difference of thirty meters from the bridge to the ocean below. Naturally, by turning to the right, they would have to climb a stairway case of ten rows with a linear path to the right amounting to forty meters in length and five meters in width.

    They were starting to notice the pattern.

    "It kinda gets longer the more we go, doesn''t it?" One of them noted "Yeah, the stairways also seem to double in rows as well... But more importantly..." They started to look towards Youjo as she pointed with her index finger to a very faraway place "That right there. That''s gotta be it. Let''s hurry, we don''t have much time..." She said as her footwork began to rapidly increase.

    In the end, after changing their course about nine times; the pattern applying every time, they reached a faraway lighthouse with an entrance containing extremely rough boulders stacked on each other from each side. It encompassed firstly a valley with a thin path of around four to five meters in width before ultimately being able to grace the mighty entrance. Naturally, as the lighthouse was reached the entrance of it was completely erased; thus there was a huge gap between the lighthouse; which is cryptically floating, and the place where they now stand.

    "That''s fucking ridiculous... Are you shitting me..." Youjo, with a creeped-out expression, was mentioning that towards the floating lighthouse, which was beyond ridiculous for human standards.

    Some of them were beyond creeped out to the point of just wanting to go back, but as they looked behind, they started to realize that the bridges that connected all the way to the elevator had vanished.

    "There''s no going back, Youjo..." One of them made sure that Youjo got that message as Youjo pressed the switch which summoned the stairway case that would connect to the lighthouse "Holy hell, where do these platforms even come from...?" These mysterious appearances of missing structures were only serving as stress to them "From the ocean, somehow... If I had to guess..." Youjo took a guess as she climbed the stairway of thirty rows with an upper diagonal length of fifty meters alongside twenty meters in width "This switch is able to summon the missing parts but most likely at the cost of something if I had to guess... For example, back when I pressed the switch and we got into the bridge, the elevator started to go down to the ocean..." Youjo concluded.

    As Youjo and the rest got closer to the lighthouse itself, she noticed that the floating lighthouse had something else now. Underneath it, now lay a dormant subterranean structure that would connect to the bottom bracket. Regardless of that, she limited herself to keeping these thoughts to herself.

    The more they climbed, the more the structure behind fell down to the ocean. Now completely in front of the door of the lighthouse, they noticed the gigantic abysmally difference between them and the ocean below. Needless to say, some of them were terrified to death as they witnessed the sea creatures below---containing variants such as: wild blue whales amassing sizes of easily sixty meters in length; hellish octopuses with abnormal quantities of tentacles of absurd lengths; goblin sharks skirmishing the water''s surface hunting each other down violently practicing the art of cannibalism; the fabled Megalodon; competing in its natural environment---going as far as killing whales for its stomach alongside Helicoprions and even an extinct whale going by the name of "Livyatan Melvillei"; infamous for killing whales as well.

    "This can''t be real...!!!!" One of them placed their palms on their face while peeing herself out of fear "I want to go homeeee...!!!" Further more began to cry out "Stop it! Crying and despairing aren''t going to do anything! Let''s get inside the lighthouse, it''s open now!" Youjo told the rest despite being scared herself with traces of horror on her face "Our goal is to put the component in its place and since the path that was laid out to us is through this, nothing else matters! Come on!!" She managed to lift the spirits of the rest of the girls as they all smiled a bit in spite of the horrors below as they entered the lighthouse.

    Naturally, a stark contrast in light was noticed as the sun no longer illuminated the entirety of the surface and also because the lighthouse was covered in a structure where the windows were alternating in between as they climbed to the top. However, they first noticed a grand pedestal with a circle type of surface towards the center of the room and two doors---one to the left while the other to the right----with at least two meters in length and four meters in size. Furthermore, they each had a gigantic eye in the middle. Beyond the pedestal was what they considered to be their way forward.

    A type of lift floating beyond a borderline was what they could ultimately grasp. Where an elevator would be, the floating lift is in. It remains at the center despite there being no way to access it normally---no ladder---nothing. There are two other ways around it; two circular paths that supposedly complete a circle, but they are both blocked because they are underneath destructed borders. In other words, they have about four choices now.

    "Check the doors, to see whether or not they work..." Youjo ordered some girls to do that "As for this..." She tried to touch the pedestal but the moment she did so, a small password entry device erupted from the floor with a flashing quickness.

    This caught Youjo a bit off guard but all she had to do was to remember the correct password to insert. She first recalled the order of her section and what number it was.

    "The first password is "Ten", the second "Words", the third "Will", the fourth "Light", the fifth "The" and the sixth is..." Youjo decided to type the password successfully and as she did, the password entry device went back to the ground, however, nothing happened "Huh?! What do you mean by that...?!" Youjo was freaked out at the fact that nothing had happened but for a few reasons.

    The girls in charge of opening the doors were not successful, even with the correct password being inserted into the central pedestal. In addition to that, there was no signal of an entrance being lifted towards the lift which was mysteriously spinning and floating at the very center. Lastly, Youjo decided that the only reasonable thing to do was do the one thing that she was sure would work. With her switch, she pressed in despair, hoping for something.

    Which worked.

    "The lift... It''s coming to us..." One of them noted, but that description was slightly inaccurate as what was actually happening was that the lift was coming towards the border where anyone could successfully climb into the lift instead of making an impossible jump towards it.

    Not only that, but a small computer emerged from the ground on the right side of the lift''s area. Naturally, they all went toward that computer and they examined it, despite the overall simple nature of its structure and functions.

    It was a computer that allowed anyone to dictate the number of people that would ride the lift. However, there was a slightly tricky gimmick to it, which Youjo immediately grew skeptical toward.

    "No damn way... This... This is too fishy, damn it! Do they think we are dumb or something?!" She expressed her rage by pressing her fist downwards on the computer''s surface despite the rigidness of it "Am I reading that correctly...?! It says..." One of them could barely finish their sentence "Choose the necessary... sacrifices...?!" The other completed their sentence.

    They were shocked and horrified at the suggestion of the computer, but Youjo tried to calm them down.

    "Calm down... Wait a second, I think we missed something... Look..." Youjo went to the screen and in between the arrow that increases the numbers and the one that doesn''t, she went to the one that decreases, and then, as she pressed it, she noticed that the lift went back to the center "It went back..." One of them sighed in relief "But... Without it... Where are we supposed to place the lift?!" Another panicked and reasoned "Hold on just a second... I have an idea. So, if I increase the number to one..." Youjo pressed the arrow to increase to one "sacrifice" and thus, the lift went back to the border "Only one of us has to go." They all looked at Youjo mercilessly implying one thing in particular.

    Youjo gulped, nervously. She didn''t want to do it, but... deep down she feared that they would all somehow force her to.

    "...I''ll go... And see what lies beyond..." She meekly said that while looking at the ground; some wanted to support her but at the same time they were too scared to go against such a positive offer so they opted to let Youjo go.

    However...

    "Huh...?" Youjo muttered out loud by accident "What''s going on... Why isn''t the lift advancing at least toward the center...?" She further added while looking at the nervous group of girls.

    A brief silence hit the atmosphere in which none wanted to say a word for some reason. Youjo chose to break that silence despite the anxiety she was feeling.

    "I think that... Maybe I''m not enough... So----we need to---" Another girl completed her sentence "Add another one...?" She finished, leaving an awkward atmosphere as none of them wanted to go "No way... I''m not doing it...!! This is crazy!" The first complaint rose to the first as a girl started to distance herself from the entire platform "NO!" She further expressed her denial towards it "Bu---" Youjo tried to say something "ARE YOU NUTS?! HAVE YOU SEEN THE CREATURES IN THAT OCEAN?! PLUS, THE DAMN LIGHTHOUSE WAS FLOATING! THAT''S BATSHIT NONSENSE!!" She laughed in despair; further creating a sense of despair within the group.

    They grew terrified even more.

    "...We can''t go back though..." Youjo said while looking at the ground "Huh...? What does that mean...? Hey, you''re not saying that this is better than..." The previous girl was looking at Youjo in disbelief and despair "...Yes. I am saying that..." Youjo nevertheless delivered the truth "...You''re insane...!! YOU''RE INSANE! WHY THE FUCK DID I THINK YOU WERE ONTO SOMETHING?! I SHOULD''VE NEVER GONE TO THIS ISLAND!! HAHAHAHA!!!" She laughed even more, to the point of going on her knees while crying on the floor "...Anyone else would like to say something too?" Youjo asked the rest, in a terrified tone "...Youjo... I--"

    Midst that, out of nowhere, an opening sound was created within the atmosphere.

    "Fifteen minutes until self-destruction. Protocol activation--- accelerated. If the necessary sacrifices do not enter the lift in the next minute, the protocol will accelerate a minute further." A robotic cold voice gave that warning from the lift, therefore, anyone could listen to it.

    Youjo in particular was far more distressed by this as she figured that the lack of unity in her group was the major problem here instead of this warning.

    "Everyone...! If we don''t do something, we are all going to die!! If this place self-destructs then we can''t go back, because there isn''t anything remaining! No bridges, no elevator! Please, hurry up!!" Youjo fought back with reason this time and while some were reluctant at first, they noticed that it was safer to bet on where the lift would take them instead of being victims of the self-destruction.

    At the end of things, the ones that wanted to ride the lift had to press the arrow button to increase the number of "sacrifices" in order for the lift to do anything. Ten terrified girls, Youjo included, were on board of the lift while ten others couldn''t muster the strength to volunteer.

    "Please hurry up and put the damn switch in its place, Youjo..." One of the remaining girls who wouldn''t board the lift applied pressure onto Youjo "....." Youjo didn''t respond as the lift finally went to the center.

    As it reached the center, the lift spoke once again.

    "Protocol de-activated. The necessary quota for sacrifices---confirmed. Have a nice trip, customer."  The robotic voice confirmed back.

    With those words out of the way, the lift, instead of going up, went down, which alerted them all immediately.

    "Huh...?! It''s going down?!" They never ultimately had any saying in this matter yet they thought for sure that they were going up "Who cares... We are all going to die, aren''t we? I mean, we have been branded as "sacrifices" and so---" Something immediately caught the attention of all of them, despite the absurd speed that the lift was taking them below as they further descended to a place unknown to light.

    One by one, bodies started to drop from above to the bottomless destination below.

    "HUH?! ISN''T THAT?!----" The girls started to notice that those bodies were far too familiar "OH MY GOD---THEY ARE DEAD!!" One of them noticed that the particular girl that was freaking out earlier had her throat cut and her eyes completely disfigured in the process "OH MY FUCKING GOD-----" Youjo freaked out as she created distance as a body, in particular, dropped onto the lift''s surface---completely dead with blood dripping from its throat "Bleeghh---" Youjo threw up while many other girls began to witness a rain of blood as the lift made its stop.

    "Welcome to Subterra; floor 1. We hope that it''s to your liking, customer." The robotic voice spoke despite what had just happened.

    Between throwing up and straight-up crying while maintaining as much physical distance as possible from each other, all the girls were beyond terrified as they witnessed the dead body on the lift''s floor motionless and completely dead.

    "Oh God... One... One of them must''ve..." One of the girls in shock decided to speak "...But why would they...?!" She tried to finish her sentence "Wait, what are you saying? Are you saying that one of them decided to...?!" Youjo immediately dispelled that, or at least she tried to "Wait... If we look at the wound here, you can tell that it was a knife''s cut..." Youjo added "So?! SO?!" But they began to further complaint and so, Youjo had to shout in order to gain their attention far more clearly---plus, she was somewhat tired of their attitude "I''M SAYING THAT IT COULDN''T HAVE BEEN ONE OF THEM BECAUSE THEY DIDN''T HAVE KNIVES WITH THEM!" Youjo boldly declared.

    Yet Youjo knew deep down that she wasn''t sure of that. Because that wasn''t necessarily true. However, to Youjo''s fortune, one of the girls helped her reasoning.

    "Actually... I counted nine bodies falling down and with this one included it can only mean that..." Another girl finished her sentence "It wasn''t any of them... But wait, that''s...?!" She noticed something incredibly weird from her reasoning and what exactly it suggested.

    Youjo got up and decided to move forward despite what had been suggested just now, while some of them followed her while some others were terrified and stayed there for a bit murmuring to themselves.

    "There''s someone in here that''s..." This one threw up further on the lift while crying and spilling snot from her nose "There''s a killer... I''m going to die...!!" While this decided to cry simply "Stay there if you''d like but... I don''t think that there is any other killer." Youjo bravely suggested a theory "Wait, what are you saying...?! WE''VE JUST BEEN THROUGH THIS, YOUJO?!" One of the girls with Youjo began to freak out but this did not stop Youjo from reasoning further "I was wrong most likely! Maybe one of them had a knife and started to kill each other and the killer was brought down along and died in the fall...!!" Youjo thought that this approach would be the best going forward "How else would anyone explain what had happened...? The other doors were closed and no one else came with us, which means that there isn''t anyone else..." Youjo reasoned.

    Though flawed, her reasoning was enough to somewhat stabilize the atmosphere. Her reasoning suggested that there wasn''t this secondary figure that they were imagining because, realistically speaking, no one else but the other ten members---one of them at least---could''ve started that. The remaining ten present thought about the girl that was screaming at first and that she was the one that did it.

    Now on the floor called "Subterra", they were met with a central pedestal once again, and Youjo, just like the last time, inserted the password correctly. This caused something to open, unlike last time.

    In this particular floor where the light is vagrant and brim, though not to the point where nothing can be seen----there is a circle surrounding the area of the lift which is protected by an iron cradle yet the seemingly bottomless below continues. Forward to that, there are three doors. One in front of the central pedestal with an eye in the middle of the door. The door itself contains a height of five meters with a seven meters width. It contrasts somewhat with the entire floor''s height which is twenty-five meters. As for the other two doors; one to the left and one to the right, each containing an eye as well.

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    The occurrence that happened was the following: in the left and right doors, a computer, exactly the same one as the last time, emerged.

    "Okay... Let''s try five for five...?" Youjo proposed "...Sounds good..." An agreement came forth "...Yeah..." More agreed and so, they both selected five "sacrifices" for each; which by doing so, the doors opened.

    Youjo and four other girls took a step forward into a somewhat darker room. It encompassed the same height as the door, and it had a small ladder containing five small rows that would lead to an upper surface in which there was a small pedestal containing what looked to be an entry password type of device.

    "Youjo... We''re going to be alright, aren''t we...?" One of the girls that Youjo wasn''t completely familiar with asked her as Youjo went to the password entry device "...Don''t worry, we''ve run a check, remember?" Youjo reminded her of a few minutes ago when they investigated each other to see if they had any knives with each other or any lethal objects to use; which was not the case "Yeah... I guess I''m overreacting... Sorry..." The girl lamented but Youjo didn''t think she was overreacting "It''s fine, we''re gonna make it together, I promise..." She promised as she inserted the password, causing a sound to roar in the direction of the lift where they came from.

    With haste, they all got out of the room, went back, and saw that there was a computer on the border of the lift. All that was left was for the remaining five to come back as well.

    "Where are they?" One of them asked "...Let''s check it out..." Youjo said.

    Youjo was somewhat freaked out at the fact that they haven''t been back yet. Furthermore at the fact that there was no sound from them at all. Because Youjo thought that in the worst scenario if the same thing as last time happened that they would at least scream or something. However, what they encountered in that room was no short of a surprise.

    "That... What?" Youjo was the first one to question the nature of what had happened as she, alongside the other four girls, entered the room that had the exact same structure as the previous one "Where did they go...?!" The room itself was completely empty without any soul in sight "Hold on a minute, I''ll go check again!" One of the girls went back and checked the other room but she did not return "Camelia...?" One of the girls spoke the girl''s name that had just gone to the other room, but no response came forward "This---What is happening?!" Youjo limited herself to typing the correct password which caused a clear sound to emerge from the lift.

    An awkward silence hit the atmosphere as they realized that all their beliefs were most likely wrong. This was only further cemented once they left the room and went back to the other room to see where the girl that had gone ahead and searched for another girl had gone to. In it, they found nothing.

    "You''re kidding me... No way, right...?" One of the four girls despaired as she saw six dead bodies in that exact room "This has to be a nightmare... It''s just a nightmare, hahaha...!!!" Cries began once again as nothing was sure anymore.

    Youjo was out of words as she hopelessly looked at the dead bodies. She was sure that she was in a situation where she could only survive if she was somehow lucky, so instead of grieving like the rest of the other four, Youjo went to the lift''s area.

    Without much resistance, the others also went, but very defeated, fearing their lives. In a circle, before entering the lift, the five of them stood.

    "Since I''m probably going to die, I just want to say something." One of the girls, who had not given her name, managed to gain the attention of the rest, Youjo included, as she scrapped the strands of her damaged long black hair "My name is Irene and I wish someone had fucked me before I die. I can''t believe I''m going to die without feeling the touch of another man." The sheer honesty and despair intertwined caused Youjo and the others to realize how dire the situation really was.

    Youjo hesitated in putting the numbers necessary for the lift despite the lift''s robotic warning.

    Another girl spoke subsequently to Irene.

    "...My name is Claudia, by the way... I''m really confident I''m going to die too, I don''t know why, but..." Irene, a girl around the age, of 16, gulped and spoke her one regret while crying "I''ve never been accepted by my family because I''m a lesbian, and... that hurts me because... I''m going to die... without my family knowing how much I loved them because---because----" She could barely speak without gulping consequently "I--I--I---fought with them---all the time---and t-t-t-they won''t HAVE ANY GOOD MEMORIES OF ME WHEN THEY NOTICE I''M GONE AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Irene screamed her lungs out and broke down on her knees.

    Youjo cried out as she could no longer hold back, while the remaining also did the same. On their knees, they mashed their foreheads on the cold cruel floor as they gave in to the probability that there was in fact someone out there to kill them---or at least something that was killing the rest.

    "I''m Aelissa....." Aelissa, despite having tears constantly streaming down, spoke quite fluently "....I''m a believer of Allah...and...." She hesitated to speak but gained the strength to do so momentarily "...My family would kill me for this but... I wish... to change religions because.... I....... think that Christianity is a beautiful thing but.... nobody would ever approve of this ideology, especially my family---I think they would behead me..." Aelissa further spoke while crying more intensely now "...And I don''t want that, but I... don''t want to die because if I die now then I don''t know where I''m going because I''m indecisive about my religion...!!!" Aelissa concluded as she bashed her head down in despair, causing the remaining girls to ponder about what comes after.

    Youjo''s turn came up. Now that the other three had spoken her true regrets, Youjo came to terms with herself.

    "I''m Youjo...!! And my regret is that... well, knowing I''m going to die is..." She took a deep breath "I don''t want to dieeeeeeeeeeee...!!!!" She unleashed a soft mellow cry enough to gain the tears of the other girls present "I''m not old enough to have big regrets...!!! I''m sixteen!!! Why do I have to die?! WHY?! HEY, I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!!!" She spoke to the nothingness within the floor, hoping for some answers "IF YOU''RE GOING TO KILL ME, THEN COME HERE AND JUST DO IT! I''M NOT AFRAID OF YOU!" Youjo spoke her inner thoughts out loud, hoping for someone to respond.

    However, Youjo quickly lost hope in that once no response came forward.

    "Alright, my turn." Daniel sat down in the circle.

    Youjo, Claudia, Irene, and Aelissa, didn''t notice him at first and so there was no initial reaction from them.

    "My name is Daniel Lead." His empty hollow voice contrasted the energetic sadness from the four of them and slowly but surely, upon seeing the sheer amount of blood in his black t-shirt, did they notice that Daniel was the one that had killed the rest yet what really gave away was the medium-sized knife that he was holding with his right hand containing sparkles of blood dripping from its sharp edge "This is the one regret I have: I wish I could''ve known why my girlfriend killed herself." Daniel looked at the four girls respectively.

    Now completely aware of Daniel, they each wanted to react, but Daniel first spoke before they could in regard to that.

    "A single scream and whoever screams, dies." He said calmly.

    Youjo managed to contain herself but only by tapping her mouth forcefully just so she couldn''t unleash a scream. Irene couldn''t control herself very well as she deliberately cried more, especially because she was not hoping for the real killer to show up "Oh God-----" Irene tapped her mouth immediately after saying that "Jesus Ch----" Claudia controlled herself midway through the same way as Youjo "AH---" Aelissa screamed but managed to control herself just in time before Daniel could change his mind.

    "That''s better, I like it that way." Daniel smiled at the four of them, innocently "This was not how it was supposed to go, but as I heard all of those regrets, I came to the conclusion that maybe at least one of you could make it." A glitter of hope was born "Irene. Claudia. Aelissa. Youjo." He spoke their names and looked at them respectively one at a time without any emotion "I''ve listed my regret publicly to all of you. It''s a big thing to me and as such, you four are going to help me uncover the secret here. Therefore, we are going to play a little game. I like to call this game: "Sink or Swim". So, what do you say?" Daniel looked at them, as they grew terrified of Daniel.

    No responses came forward as they started to avoid eye contact with him.

    "Hey." Daniel spoke towards Youjo with his knife pointing at her right eye "Talk." He demanded Youjo to speak "....What... is the game about...?" Youjo tried extremely hard to compose herself towards the psychopath in front of her, which smiled right at her, also completely going as far as withdrawing the knife from her "I''m glad you asked!! It''s a suicide game." This greatly alerted them to a disturbing degree as Daniel went as far as taking out two syringes from his belly belt, which contained additional firearms; immediately gaining an upper fear among them "Don''t worry... These syringes are the only ones that matter, forget the rest. And, and these, of course..." Daniel took out two green-liquid flasks from the black bandage around his right leg''s ankle.

    Furthermore, Daniel used the syringes to extract the green liquid out of flasks, thus each syringe was full of the liquid. He put down the two syringes and spoke to the four of them collectively.

    "I said that one of you could still make it and I wasn''t joking about that." Daniel clarified "So here is how it goes. The one that is alive at the end of this will live." They began to become perplexed at Daniel''s words "You won''t kill each other, but instead, you will all combine your efforts to make someone kill themselves. Get it?" They finally realized the masterful purpose behind the syringes on the floor ".....Why...?" Aelissa asked Daniel with tears on her face while peeing herself "Because I want to find out what she went through before she killed herself. Empathize with me for a second here. I didn''t see how it went down, so I have no way of understanding what went through her mind. Her thoughts; her despair, her anguish, her regrets, and more importantly... Why she did it." Daniel fluently spoke to Aelissa and the rest.

    Less afraid now but still uncertain about the situation, Youjo spoke back to Daniel in a somewhat spiteful tone.

    "So we are your lab rats for your experiment...?! That''s...... fucked up, you know?!" Youjo spoke her mind despite the very fact that Daniel could kill her "Who cares? Anyway, get on with it. I''ll be the arbiter here. Here are some ground rules that you girls will follow. Rule 1: Every thirty seconds, there has to be some visible effort from one of you to make someone here kill themselves. Of course, this can''t include me, but only one of you. By visible effort, I mean, phrases that encourage suicide to the other party. Rule 2: If after thirty seconds, no effort is made, one of you will die." Their eyes shrunk in fear "Rule 3: Whoever wants to commit suicide must explicitly explain why and if their reasoning is acceptable, they will receive a syringe with which they must inject themselves. Rule 4: Whoever tries to harm another individual with the syringe or me, for that matter, will die." Daniel concluded.

    Upon absorbing that information, they all looked at each other while Daniel remained still, playing with his knife.

    "One---two---" Daniel began to count seconds without any mercy whatsoever.

    Youjo decided to ask something to Daniel.

    "This won''t work....!!" This caught Daniel''s attention "Seven ---eight---" Despite that, he kept counting "Your girlfriend killed herself out of her will, this is against our fucking will, therefore, not the same!!" Daniel stopped counting for a bit as he absorbed that information "----Nine----ten---" Yet Daniel opted to ignore her and simply continued to count.

    She became frustrated at the fact that she couldn''t reason with Daniel, but Daniel''s count did not stop.

    "Nineteen---twenty---twenty-one----" Daniel''s count was progressing as he looked at every single one of them with hollow dark eyes "Hey, Irene..." Claudia spoke in Irene''s direction, gaining her authentic anxiety as Daniel''s count still went on "...What...?" Very stressed out, Irene could see in Claudia''s eyes and in her extremely wicked smile as she spoke "...If your life''s biggest regret is dying a virgin then..." Claudia gulped "...You should actually be the one who has to die, no?!" She lashed a scream out toward Irene causing Irene to react badly to this, however, Daniel''s count stopped.

    Irene got up along with Claudia and clashed in an emotional argument.

    "Claudia, what the fuck is wrong with you?! How could you say that?! You''re actually going to play this shit?!" Irene slapped Claudia across her face which made Daniel smile a bit "How fucking dare you slap me, bitch?!" Claudia grabbed Irene''s hair and pushed it, causing Irene to scream in agony "AAAGGHHH!!" Youjo and Aelissa were stunned at what was happening "LET GO OF ME, BITCH!! YOU''RE FUCKING LESBIAN BUT I BET THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE YOU''RE UGLY AS FUCK AND NO MAN WOULD EVER FUCK YOU!!" Irene managed to grab Claudia''s right wrist and twisted it so Claudia would let go "THE FUCK DID YOU SAY BITCH?! I''M PRETTIER THAN YOU!! LOOK AT YOUR ACNE, IT''S REPULSIVE!! WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU TOOK A SHOWER, YOU FUCKING SMELL, BITCH!!" Claudia fought back as well.

    As for Youjo and Aelissa, they were pondering what to do and whether or not, they should actually do something.

    That was, until, Daniel got tired of their inactivity and pointed his knife toward Youjo and Aelissa as if to say "Partake or else".

    By this point, it was clear that, even though they knew Daniel''s game was immoral and wrong, they had to bet on his word and that, even if one of them wanted to save the others, the others would just take the opportunity.

    Thus, Youjo decided to whisper something in Aelissa''s ear.

    "----What----But that''s..." Aelissa was mildly disturbed by what Youjo had just suggested "Please forgive me, lord..." Aelissa performed a cross-forgiving signal on herself as she got up with Youjo---Daniel still on the ground.

    Youjo first started, though slightly hesitant and anxious.

    "...Hey, Daniel, would you fuck Irene?" Youjo started with that approach, and Irene began to immediately focus her attention on Daniel, despite the ridiculous nature of the question "No." Daniel gave the shortest yet quickest answer to that matter causing Irene to visibly cry at the sight of being sexually rejected by a present male "...Why not?" Aelissa further instigated "She''s not Yulia, my previous girlfriend, so I don''t feel attracted to her." Daniel gave the honest answer but Irene was disturbed by their approach "H-HEY, YOU TWO, WHAT THE FUCK?!" But this did not stop Youjo "Please, specify, objectively, from a sexual standpoint, why Irene isn''t visibly acceptable by males in general from your perspective." Youjo demanded.

    By exploring this "loophole" a strategy was born out of Youjo''s mind, as it was an exception to the rules that Daniel had stated.

    "H-Hey, don''t.... Please, God... Don''t you fucking dare...!! L-L-L-Look, I''ll do anything you want...!!" Irene began to crawl on all fours like a kitten toward Daniel "Really? Alright, kill yourself then." Daniel coldly stated that "A-Aside from that...!!" Irene tried her absolute best and went as far as getting onto Daniel''s lap, suggesting the obvious "You''re under the impression you qualify despite what I just told you a while ago. I guess I''ll tell you then." Daniel began to speak the truth from his perspective "To be sexually attractive enough for a male to want to conduct sexual activities with you, you need to at least have a charming smile, alongside stark white teeth. Your front teeth are barely white, not to mention, they are beginning to decay in quality." Irene started to shed tears as she got away from Daniel.

    This, however, didn''t stop Daniel.

    "No one would fuck you because you display the desperate attitude of someone that wants to just be embraced for the sake of being embraced. It''s a huge turn-off." Daniel continued "Shut up---SHUT UP---" Irene began to squeal in denial "As for your body, I do think you have chances, and by chances, I mean with fat creeps who don''t want to die virgins, because you truly have no alluring assets. Your ass is flat, your boobs intertwine too much with your body fat and-------" Daniel was interrupted immediately "OKAY, STOP, I GET IT, SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY!! GOD!!" Irene breaks down and Daniel stops talking as he believes he has fulfilled enough information for the contribution.

    Irene started to cry and scratch her face cheeks with gigantic nails, causing her to bleed a little.

    "You''re all shit beings, you do realize that, right...?!" Irene talked to Daniel, Youjo, Aelissa, and Claudia, but they didn''t reply to this and instead acknowledged this in their own ways "Hahaha... This has to be a joke. Fuck it, why not? If there is a hell, then I''m sure I''m gonna lose my virginity there so, alright!!" Aelissa, who is religious about that subject, threw up "BLEGH!!" Irene went toward Daniel and extended her hand to which Daniel extended the syringe "First, sit, and explain why." Daniel demanded.

    Irene sat down and explained to Daniel her reasoning while injecting herself with the venom.

    "My life has no meaning and my ex-boyfriend cheated on me---never taking my virginity but taking another''s. Forget it, you wouldn''t get it---no one would." Irene said, with sadness, as the venom made her skin turn purple in less than ten seconds; causing her to choke as she died with tears on her face.

    As Irene died, Daniel retrieved the syringe from her neck, while Youjo, Claudia, and Aelissa showed visible distress and horror as they realized that they were now responsible for someone''s death. Irene''s suicide, though manufactured, was not the ultimate product of someone else. Irene, herself, delivered the final blow.

    Of course, there were complaints about this, and so, the first one to step up toward Daniel was Aelissa.

    "Please let me kill myself." Aelissa sat down in front of Daniel, while crying uncontrollably "State your reasoning, Aelissa." Daniel held the syringe but did not give it to her as he wanted to hear her reasoning first "I''ve influenced another life to terminate out of fear of my own---I don''t deserve to be loved by God and I deserve hell, for I have sinned. That is all..." Her voice emitted sincere regret and honest grief from the staggering pain consuming her as the ragged breath kicked in "Fair." Daniel handed the syringe to her "I''ll see you soon." She said to Daniel as her entire body veins began to burst as soon as the venom was inserted "...." Daniel took out the syringe, got up, and then looked towards the other two.

    He thought deeply about this and whether or not this was what he wanted. In the end, after thorough consideration, Daniel took out one of his mini-guns and put a hole in Claudia''s brain.

    "OH MY GOD------" Youjo, shocked and surprised, couldn''t hold herself back in this regard and peed herself straight up while falling on the floor with her two knees; her red stockings were completely soaked now.

    Daniel retrieved his mini-gun and then looked toward Youjo who had never felt so much fear as now.

    "Let''s take a walk." He said as he used both computers to access the necessary requirements for the lift to take them down "W-Wait... I''m spared, right...?!" Youjo asked, with a grim twisted smile to which Daniel simply smiled "Hahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....!!!!" Youjo despaired and couldn''t control her laughter.

    They both took the lift and began to further descent down into the lower levels of the lighthouse. The light was starting to fade yet there was sufficient light for them to walk into.

    "I mean, just kill me, I''m not going to kill myself, I fucking hate you." Youjo began to be clearly uncaring about her own life as she knew that she was in fact going to die.

    Daniel had already made that itself pretty clear. Youjo simply didn''t knew what was on Daniel''s mind and why he was holding back onto the thought of killing her.

    "Why won''t he just kill me? I am going to die by his hands, there''s no way I''m letting this psychopath convince me that killing myself is the answer. I won''t be manipulated..." Youjo thought to herself as they rode the lift onto abysmal ends.

    By now, they had undergone the four remaining sections of the part beneath the lighthouse; Subterra, Penumbra, Abyssus, and Nihil. Through Nihil, Youjo began to witness that the light was no longer fading but instead, gaining more power, which is contradictory. Now that she looked at the very top, it looked completely invisible, only covered with shrouded darkness.

    Daniel decided to speak now that they were about to reach their destination.

    "Huh... What was his name again..." Daniel was having a hard time remembering some sort of name as Youjo caught a moment of weakness by Daniel.

    He scratched the top of his spiky black hair, mainly his left upper horn-like hair strand.

    "Oh yeah, I remember now. He was a funny one. A bit extra to my taste though." Daniel spoke to Youjo.

    The word "extra" immediately gave Youjo the idea of who he was talking about. She instantly saw what Daniel was referring to, but in her mind, she found that impossible because there was no way that Daniel could''ve been at so many places at once.

    To further add insult, Daniel began to speak to Youjo, but with lips alone, spelling out the individual''s name.

    "..........." Youjo''s eyes widened in rage and she started to cry with an overwhelming fury clouding her face "Oh, so you do know him." Daniel concluded with a wicked grin "BASTARD!!! HE WAS INNOCENT, OKAY?! I DESERVE TO DIE, SO HURRY UP AND PUT A BULLET INTO MY HEAD!! I CONTRIBUTED TO SOMEONE''S DEATH, SO HURRY UP!!" Youjo burst out with rage and attempted to get Daniel to kill her.

    Being too obvious of an answer still, Daniel gave her the truth in another way.

    "You will kill yourself, Youjo." Daniel declared "You retarded psychopath, I really won''t. I''m not even afraid of you anymore. Once the initial horror is gone there''s really nothing left. Plus, I know for a fucking fact that I will die. Do you want to know why I''m so certain? Come on, I bet you do. Say it." She urged Daniel to say it "Now, why would that be?" Daniel didn''t mind to humor her a bit "Because you''ve killed so much in your life that my life is just a number to you. Putting a bullet in my head or slicing my throat is the equivalent of breathing air for you, FUCKING SICKO!! HAHAHA!!" Like a mad woman, she laughed while drowning in her tears "Well... You make a point. Now, let''s continue, shall we?" The lift had finally reached its destination.

    Engulfed in complete artificial light, there was only a path forward; a tunnel of completely hardened transparent glass emitting blue radiation led a path that had a bright light as its end goal. As Daniel and Youjo walked forward into what seemed to be an endless path of light that stretched to the infinity, Daniel spoke, as Youjo was dumbfounded at the sheer ridiculousness of the environment that she was in.

    "Our leader is something else, damn... I''m still a very new member and I''m glad I was able to join the cause." Youjo, unable to understand, simply listened to Daniel''s ramblings as she accepted that if he was telling her what is supposed to be classified information, she is beyond dead "Our school is actually the property of the leader! I was shocked when I heard this, but it turns out that there''s a lot more to that school than I thought. Our project, to which I only know so little---and by little I mean like, comparing an ocean droplet to the Pacific ocean, type of little." Daniel explained as they started to enter a new section.

    Unlike the tunnel, this platform functioned on automatic doors that would recognize only the ones who were forward. If the system knew who you are by default, it would let you in, if not, you wouldn''t get in. There were two doors, one to the left and to the right, but Daniel guided Youjo to the front door where they continued.

    "By the way---what you said earlier. How it wouldn''t work. Care to elaborate?" Daniel forced Youjo to speak to which she showed no hesitation "Your suicide strategy was dumb because if your goal was to figure out what your girlfriend felt when she committed suicide then... You should''ve specifically targeted girls with boyfriends and then forced them to kill themselves. Too bad for you, fucking psycho, I''m beyond positive that you failed in your selection because they all seemed single as hell. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have agreed to it." Youjo gladly elaborated as she put immense rage in her words but this only made Daniel ponder her reasoning and accept it in a way.

    He placed his right hand on his chin and closed his eyes while putting on a beautiful serene expression---which creeped Youjo out, as she was under the impression that such a remorseless individual should not be allowed under the human physical boundaries---to be able to uphold such an expression.

    "I see. No, you''re right. See, you have a point, Youjo." Daniel went out of his way to show some gratitude "Don''t fucking thank me, what the fuck... I''m gonna actually puke, oh God..." Youjo had to put her hand on her mouth as they kept on walking "All this time, I didn''t realize that the selection mattered. So, the individual must be someone that is a girl and has a boyfriend. Not only that, but she must love him deeply." As Youjo saw Daniel deeply ponder his strategy, she was further creeped out and lost all hope.

    Ultimately, after walking for a bit, they arrived at a certain room. This room of a width of twenty meters and a height of fifteen meters---the room being square shaped. On the right side, a variety of computers of highly advanced technology lay within. Meanwhile, on the left side, there were multiple rows containing substances evenly spread within each section contained under specified rows. The contents of what they do and what they are for, are unknown.

    As Youjo became stunned at this and what exactly her existence meant, she was a bit preoccupied once Daniel started to strip his shirt.

    "Oh. Really? Yeah, if you''re gonna rape me, you better bet I''ll kill m---" Daniel interrupted her "Relax, I won''t." Daniel placed his shirt, with his upper body now completely exposed, onto the pedestal in the very center of the room "......" Youjo observed, curious yet altered at what Daniel''s true objective really is.

    The t-shirt that was sucked by the pedestal was immediately put to use as multiple results began to show up on the computer screens to the right.

    "Extraction---complete. Results---analyzed." A robotic voice alerted Daniel as he began to type a few words onto the computer.

    "Hey..." Youjo, in disbelief, no longer shackled by her constant paranoia, was now consumed by a never-ending thirst towards what Daniel was showing "Why are they showing up?! WHY?!" Youjo demanded to know why very familiar names were showing up on the screen, more importantly, a specific name "ROKORO''S NAME IS THERE, WHY?! ANSWER ME!!" No longer knowing where she stands, Youjo lost her composure, and in sequence, Daniel took hold of her mouth cheeks with minimal force, just so she wouldn''t interrupt his upcoming speech.

    He placed Youjo right in the middle of the pedestal in a sexually suggestive position and then spoke, despite the overpowering grip on her face.

    "I bet you got a load of questions, so here is the truth. That pedestal just collected all the blood in my t-shirt and alongside it, the DNA of those whose blood was in it. And as you can see..." Daniel focused her face on the computers and the names, alongside their pictures "Their entire blood samples are all available to me. What exactly does this mean, you might ask?" Daniel closed in on Youjo, completely coming face to face with her "I''ve only grasped the very tip of the iceberg here, but as you might have noticed... this island is absurdly advanced compared to any other place you have ever visited before, or even heard of. This is the type of shit that''s all over sci-fi movies. However, there is a concept that makes it all seem like a joke." Daniel smiled.

    From the top of his head, Daniel attempted to explain the best he could, in spite of what little knowledge he had on the matter.

    "Anti-Death Equation---ever heard of it?" Daniel released the grip from Youjo''s mouth as he glared at her with cold dark blue eyes "...N-No..." She didn''t deny it "That''s right. Death + Life + Wish + Mind-Body Dualism + Ego + Id + Soul �� Emotion �� Self-Condemnation �� Free Will �� Hyper-Sanity x Fear x Failure x Grief x Loss x Apathy Y= N N =X N= Death X = Life Love= Comfort Life = Lie Self = Alma." Daniel spoke those words without a single stop in his train of vocal motion; leaving Youjo with the utmost confusion.

    Daniel then proceeded to walk in circles with Youjo in the middle.

    "You don''t get it. But, I''m the same. The actual equation is supposedly a property of Saturn. Though, what does this mean exactly? And well, what does any of this have to do with you, I bet you''re asking." Daniel got to the point and in order to advance to his upcoming point, he took out a specific flask out of the row of flasks from the left side of the room.

    That tiny flask contained a glowing orange liquid with an incredibly shining gradient.

    "What... is that...?!" Youjo, now somewhat scared, asked Daniel, as she feared his plan "Be not afraid. I won''t hurt you. After all, I have a brilliant proposal for you." Daniel sat on the border of the computers "No... Stop it... I know what you''re going to say, don''t...!!!!" In denial, Youjo begged Daniel not to say it, but Daniel simply grinned "It''s not exactly revival, but it requires equivalence. It''s possible to create atoms and subatomic particles in their respective body with great ease here. Furthermore, some of the machines here are able to associate the Id with just a sample of DNA. How? I have no idea. But, it is possible. However, I need specific atoms to recreate such atoms. See, they have to be from the same field... In other words..." Daniel pointed the syringe''s end toward Youjo like a pointing finger "You." He concluded.

    She knew exactly what Daniel was getting at and she in addition knew that Daniel somehow knew about her feelings toward Rokoro. It left Youjo frustrated how much she was dancing on Daniel''s palm all along, but even so, she took into deep consideration what this could imply and so...

    She took the bait.

    "Be more specific about this..."

    Upon hearing that, Daniel took an incredibly more serious approach toward the matter at hand.

    "The Anti-Death equation, as explained, is actually the combination of all the elements I previously said. But more importantly, the necessary elements that you can provide are: Death + Life. Of course, you can also provide the other components but what I''m saying is that it''s not necessary. However, I lied just now." Youjo became perplexed "Huh?!" Daniel decided to illuminate the matter more clearly "It''s not a flawed product by any means but when it comes to killing you off, you need to have a sole desire in your soul. For example, if your wish deep down is "I just want Rokoro back" then he will be brought back, however, that''s about it." Youjo got up and got mad as well "Explain, stop being vague! What do you mean "that''s about it"?!" She demanded Daniel to explain the answer "Sit." Daniel ordered Youjo to sit back.

    Which she did, then Daniel brought forth a technological panel with a simple hand gesture. That panel represented the entire Anti-Death Equation.

    "The primary components that are known as Death and Life refer to two phases. First, blood from the live body needs to be extracted. Then, the dead body''s blood has to be extracted as well. However, the third component is "Wish", which means that as long as there is a wish within your "Soul", which is also a component for the equation." He explained "I get it now... I need to have a precise wish in order for it to become true?" She asked "It''s... easier said than done. A wish is not enough, it has to be an iron-clad wish. The type of wish you''d die with. What your "Id" and "Ego" will be able to transition into your "Soul". Get it?" Daniel made sure she got it, though he wouldn''t mind expressing himself more "...Yeah, I got it..." Youjo closed her eyes and said something in addition to Daniel "That explains why you haven''t killed me. Because, if you apply someone''s blood to the equation, then it won''t "totally" bring someone back." Youjo spoke her mind.

    And then, Youjo realized something. And the moment she did, she looked at Daniel''s serious eyes and for that reason alone, she did not dare to speak her mind.

    "....." Youjo felt slightly shackled "Wish for it. Imagine this: you''re going to die, but your consciousness will not. What embodies your consciousness will become the transition." Daniel laid out the basics.

    All that was left was for Youjo to finalize the plan, which Daniel would now explain.

    "Kill yourself knowing that you will be a substance that is part of the equation." Daniel coldly said as he went to take possession of a venom flask from within the rows on the left "...What are you going to do if I don''t obey...?" Curious, she decided to taste the waters "There are others who can undergo the same treatment. You will die either by your hand or by mine." Daniel administered the truth without hiding it from Youjo "I see. Give me the syringe then, I''ll kill myself." Youjo accepted the task.

    Daniel then proceeded to give her the syringe.

    Youjo pretended to wish for what Daniel had suggested before injecting herself with the venom.

    "Hey." She spoke in Daniel''s direction "I knew it. I knew it all along. You''re not going to use it on Rokuro..." The syringe ran deep as her skin turned green, her forehead''s veins exposed "Your intention is so fucking obvious... Fuck you, you get what you deserve.........!!" With spite, Youjo passed away and just about anyone would realize that she did not obey Daniel''s suggestion.

    However, Daniel did not react to this and instead went right to the computers. In one of them, Daniel pressed a green button that invoked a capsule from the underground. That capsule would serve its purpose the moment Daniel took hold of Youjo''s body and placed it there---as the capsule itself is fit for human bodies only. Naturally, it encompasses a horizontal length of three meters.

    Once the body was placed inside, Daniel automatically closed the capsule as he pressed a few buttons which initiated the process of firstly absorbing all of the blood from Youjo''s body. Now completely dry of her blood, Youjo''s skin was the only thing covering her body as it decayed.

    Daniel went back to the computers and inserted the equation formula under new data; once done applied it to the capsule. Over a few minutes later, the body would completely decompose and turn into various liquids which would all be separated into different cables connected to the left side of the room in which the Anti-Death equation''s elements would reside.

    "........." Daniel took short notice of just how much each element was filled and though they were all filled, minimally, some were---lacking---to say the least.

    Combining every element''s substance, despite how minimal, Daniel, with a cup, mixed them all together, thus forming what he would call an "Anti-Death Equation". Then, with that liquid, he put it in a small flask.

    He shook it and reviewed it.

    "It''s too little and lacks an overall balance between the elements so..." He stuffed the flask onto his central belt as he put his t-shirt back on "Still, it''s a good thing that she actually injected herself with the syringe. It wasn''t necessarily venom, I just added venom to it. The actual substance, well, it''s something that she would never know..." He left the central room after taking possession of the switch from the capsule---what was previously the remainder of Youjo''s body.

    He looked at the bright ceiling above, full of light yet with a small dark hole at its end. Forward now, Daniel moved toward the seventh section where a new challenge lies within.

    "But man, I''m lucky she actually believed that. The "Wish" element was a complete lie. No way something so illogical could be included in the equation. Still..." Daniel thought deeply about this "I need to gather more female substances like her; ones with the deep resonance of such elements. If I were to find one that would flourish with the elements then..." Daniel smiled as he entered the tunnel with the lift in sight "Then I guess you wouldn''t have to wait long."

 Volume 24 - Chapter 167: Trial of Sigma - Part I

    Yoh''s group contains a fair number of 35 people. A mixture of boys and girls painted the color of difference within, and more importantly, they were impatient. Just like the rest of the elevators, the fair large width and the tall height were something quite alarming.

    The increasing speed despite the calm sound of the elevator, didn''t make Yoh any calmer. His maneuver was far more distressed than usual as he fixated on the elevator''s door with his glaring yellow eye. In fact, Yoh had noticed the things that his companions in the other sections---the group leaders---had already noticed about the elevator. This doesn''t disclose information such as how the time in the elevator is completely conflicted with the time in reality. The time they find identifiable was nothing more than a mirage; which leaves the question.

    "Will I be on time to put the ax in its place despite the fact that the time in this elevator has rapidly increased over time?" Yoh thought as he looked at his cell phone and noticed the exact same thing the others did "Realistically speaking, if this was an exam with the mindset that each individual---in this case--ten---then it would have to be constructed with a competitive mindset. Therefore, this has to be where they draw the line. And if the end goal is to place this somewhere in it then... It would make sense for there to be some sort of obstacle..." Yoh continued in deep thought "Ryousuke Kawahara noted that the exam is not to be underestimated yet what''s exactly important to notice, in retrospect is the nature of the place where this exam takes---it''s inhumane, unfathomably advanced---which means..." Yoh tightened the grip of his ax with his right hand, pumping his right hand''s veins "An adversity will come..." He flashed a wicked grin as the elevator reached its destination.

    Velocity''s height reached its peak and cooled down entirely; allowing the spiral of blizzard to descend. This blizzard was gentle and lacked strength overall.

    An aqueduct amassing over 5 kilometers in height---the end of it completely clouded by steaming white-blueish gas---with over fifty meters in width; its brackets being completely composed of thin ice yet somewhat resistant to the point of allowing stable movement. Unknown length to measure though this didn''t stop Yoh''s group from moving forward.

    Already, there was a very clear destination in mind. The moment they departed from the elevator that disappeared into the gas below, they knew.

    "..." Yoh took clear note of the mountain of absurd height, but more importantly, something else along the way too "No way, that''s really..." One of the girls in Yoh''s group continued to walk through the lengthy bridge while commenting on her surprise on a faraway planet to her right side "...Uranus in all its glory..." Yoh finished that comment and decided to add another one now that everyone''s attention was on him---Yoh in the front "Don''t be too surprised by all of this... I''ll remind the objective..." Meekly yet very clearly, he elevated his ax while turning his posture towards the entire group "...This ax... At all costs, it will be delivered. In that mountain lies a place where it can be put it..." Yoh stated with simplicity.

    Though, none of this was new. That''s why a boy in Yoh''s group, had a problem with how he was wasting time here.

    That would be, until Yoh spoke his mind subsequently, no longer being meek and inconsistent with his speech. An abnormal sense of confidence struck the air.

    "That''s why we will------" Yoh spoke his true mind on the matter for about three minutes "...That can''t be right, but... Alright..." A sound agreement was forming "Yeah, sure..." More to come "That''s insane, Yoh...!! What kind of suggestion is that...?!" A girl immediately didn''t mind speaking her mind in contrast with the many other agreements "Tsukimina, you don''t get it." Yoh coldly spoke, not in her direction, but in a forward direction as the fog was starting to lift in the bridge "What kind of exam doesn''t have an adversity?" Yoh finished "......!?" She was confused and mildly perplexed.

    A partial observation came to light when a boy in the group decided to pull out his phone, which was immediately frozen and a second after, completely melted and decomposed due to the fact that the temperatures are close to -250 degrees Celsius.

    What crept the boy out was not what happened to the phone, but how and what exactly was keeping him from not becoming a victim of such weather. His terror lay resonant in the altitude of the distant Uranus as their new destination became clear.

    The aqueduct''s end gave birth to a new clue. A frozen ground with no way sideways and a gigantic hundred-meter door stood in front of them; surrounded by a mountain-like atmosphere. Heights of barbaric boulders kept falling from the top of what seemed to be an ungraspable tall mountain that soured through the clouds midst of the signed foggy sky.

    As Yoh came forth with the rest, a password entry device surfaced, to which Yoh showed no hesitation in putting the password.

    "It''s "Way", Yoh." One of the girls decided to speak to Yoh in regard to the password "......" Yoh inserted the true correct password "......" The girl felt silent but they were immediately consumed by a greater presential horror.

    The door, instead of opening normally sideways, instead fell off to the point of collapsing onwards, despite not breaking the upcoming thin ice bridge. The two sides of the door fell onto the gas below, but that was definitely not the eye-catching part.

    "Oh... my fucking... God..." One of them held back their breaths as their shaky eyes couldn''t believe the sight in front of them "Are those...?! Yeah, there''s no doubt about it... What the fuck is that?!" A breakout began as Yoh witnessed the spirit of his group start to shatter.

    Noticeably, when it comes to what they were looking at, it''s important to examine the structure of what comes in between the area where the doors were in and what comes after, respectively.

    Engraved in shards of red ice, a mountain of human bodies, though not decomposed but very healthy in their shapes, could be seen before the shards of red ice, serving as a border for their containment. Those bodies were not expressing life by any means, but they were all being unified into one singular liquid source shining bright with the color of an orange; going in an unknown direction. These bodies stacked and stacked on each other--from above and below and so on; to the point of no one knowing what they were there for or just how many they are.

    "Where is that liquid channeling toward...?" Yoh, curious, and not terrified, unlike the rest, deemed that despite the fact that the ice shards are red, it doesn''t add up that there''s an orange liquid.

    He couldn''t figure out what it was for or why it was orange. At that moment, he wished he had gotten an explanation, but alas, he kept going forward.

    In contrast to the previous bridge that reigned a seemingly infinite stretching reach, this bridge had a very bold and sincere destination. Despite its small width of five meters, it was far more fragile and slippery, so most of Yoh''s group members held onto each other. Yoh calmly approached the dark cave that would combine itself with the mountain.

    "...." Yoh, from 350 meters away from what he had spotted, immediately started to slow down---but not to the point of alerting anyone instantly.

    Yoh looked at the foggy sky above and toward Uranus, still visible to his right. That beautiful, clouded, cold, implacably pale round planet; unbeknownst to any partiality or causality itself.

    With a few scratches to his head on the back, Yoh tossed his ax to one of the people he entrusted, to the back, which caused their entire group to notice that something was going on.

    "Forget plan A, we''ll go with plan B." Yoh said with the utmost confidence "Axel, Yoshi, Shinsoke, take the left wing." Without saying anything except nodding their heads, the three boys under those names went to the left side of the bridge.

    Furthermore, other six individuals, two girls, and four other boys, went to the left side as they joined them.

    "Higashima, Kei, Rikuha, take the right wing." Likewise, those three girls led the right side, albeit slightly afraid as they didn''t firmly trust Yoh''s earlier plan---or rather---what the plan was actually countering in theory "...Yes...!!" By the same standard, six others followed them.

    Thus, in each wing, there were nine, eighteen in both. Given that the total of them is thirty-six, the remaining eighteen others started to spread as well. The left wing added an extra wing containing six more members, while the right wing as well added six more. Ergo; the center was now down to six members only, which included Yoh, four boys, and a girl.

    With the target in Yoh''s sight, he shouted.

    "ADVANCE THE FORMATION!! DO NOT ENGAGE, THE OBJECTIVE IS TO GO THROUGH THE CAVE!!" Yoh issued the order as the rest began to unleash a brave war cry as they believed in what Yoh had previously suggested.

    Right now, the bridge is about to meet its end and the only way is forward. By going forward, anyone can walk through the rocky entrance that leads to an obscure cave, as there is no other place to go. The sides are completely sheltered by rocks and even the bridge from behind is being intoxicated by the gas-like miasma.

    But perhaps the most crucial piece of information is the very fact that there is a great distance of 250 meters in-between the cave''s entrance and where they all stand.

    From their perspective, there is only a person up ahead and even Yoh thinks so only.

    "They already know that there is a person ahead of us... Though the ice is quick to freeze here, the atmosphere becomes too identical to the point where the footsteps become the same. But that''s why I instantly knew that someone else was ahead----the sheer scarlet color in those footsteps covered in fresh blood... There was no mistake about it, but..." Yoh thought and thought as he advanced towards the figure at the end, who he thought had a good read on "How on Earth did I miss that?! No, it was behind him all the time?! Shit, I gotta tell everyone before it''s too late!!" Yoh stopped thinking and took a deep breath as they approached the cave''s entrance pit.

    Daniel turned his back on them, and took hold of the one-meter and eighty-centimeter sword containing golden diagonal sharp spikes of a minimum of fifteen centimeters, the sword as well amounting glowing yellow edges midst its base red color with a central golden skull at its top--------as for the spikes; the closer they are to the beginning of the mass, the higher their size whereas the length severely decreases toward the end of the mass.

    "EVERYONE, DUCK--------------!!!!!!!!!!!""""" Yoh shouted with all of his might as his anxiety erupted in its truest form.

    Swiftly, with a strong step to the left and a long cohesive swing-back, a mixture of intestines flew toward the center as the sword decimated the entire right-wing mercilessly; obliterating its respective fifteen members.

    Blood rained down on the remaining members'' faces alongside clusters of organs that were partially thrown in their direction.

    "Not bad... The plan was to kill you all in one swing, but that whole formation was enough to ruin my plan a little bit..." Stunned, they couldn''t react properly to what had just happened as they remained in disbelief, horror, and shock ".....RUN!!! DON''T SCREAM, DON''T QUESTION, JUST RUN IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!!!" Yoh opted for the reasonable approach.

    Instead of losing time in emotional turmoil, despite the fact that he wasn''t feeling well over his comrades being killed in a single shot; Yoh saw that the member that whom he had entrusted the ax was still right next to him---therefore not a victim of the right-wing slaughter---and as such, he judged that advancing was only the correct thing to do.

    "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!" They all started to scream but thankfully, they weren''t numb from the shock to the point of being incapable of not moving.

    Ultimately, they made a run for it to the cave, despite going into unknown territory; leaving their dead comrades; who are now firmly split in half and ones with the snow.

    With two swings to the back, Daniel sprayed the blood that was dripping all over the golden spikes to the snow in the cave''s entrance.

    "That guy..." Daniel placed the sword against his right shoulder despite the oblivious cutting edges from the sword''s side spikes as he slowly moved forward "He has "soul" alright." He looked towards the myriads of dead bodies within the fountain from afar amongst the red crystal shard emitting a glowing orange liquid "...But I have to make this quick, the time manipulation is hard to control yet... So..." He struck his sword forward silently as he assumed a far more serious stance this time around.

    The entrance to the cave would be marked with a large lengthy layer of fifteen meters in size and seven meters in width. Furthermore, the more one would go down through such length, it would make another layer subsequently appear while connecting to the prior. These layers were covered in a green-glowing light emitting from the mysterious glyphs on their structure.

    Though Yoh had taken a few seconds to analyze this as he kept on running, right now, he simply prioritized storming through the path, regardless of where it would lead him.

    "WHAT WAS THAT?!" A member of Yoh''s group shortly reunited with Yoh on the front as the remaining ones cried out in despair "I don''t know, but we can''t afford to waste time and ponder it! Stick to the plan, we move FORWARD!" Not wanting to waste time, Yoh valued time greatly when it came to making critical decisions.

    As of now, they had no time to wonder where the senseless individual was or where he would come from.

    Once they had gone through all the respective layers, they had to follow a subsequent set of such layers, to the right side this time around and ultimately to the left downside. This all grandiosely alarmed Yoh because, from his thoughts and perspective, he was under the impression that the layers would start to go up since they were technically inside a mountain.

    Furthermore, it didn''t help that the luminosity began to strive from solar to completely artificial light driven from the sideway five-metered-sized candles on both sides.

    By the time there were no more layers to follow through, it would start to shrink itself into a small dark entrance. As they bypassed that, they encountered a circular area with an ancient archetype texture in its walls among a gigantic open eye in the middle of the floor. Ironically enough, the eye was looking in the direction---or rather, the eyeball was positioned in such direction----where there was the only way forward. That being---to the left side, where a small entrance with a few centimeters of gap would lay in.

    This would set a pattern to come as in the upcoming section, there was a circular room with a width of twenty meters and a staggering height of forty meters as the dark top would reflect dim solar light but not enough to be sufficiently reliable.

    "These are---ruins...?" Yoh blurted that out loud as they entered the upcoming section; the direction of it being towards the left again as the eye pointed to it.

    Despite being in what would seem to be an advanced technological area, it actually resembled more of a site that was greatly affected by some sort of destruction. Not oval or circular this time, this new area introduced a couple of ideas to the table. If examined for its entirety, aside from the eye constructed in a vertical way with its eyeball on the verge of its right side; ultimately saying that the way forward is to continue in that direction----there were multiple layers of rumbled structure laying on the ground as well as broken five-meter bridges on the left side, leading to another section, but since they were all broken, that section was beyond unaccessible.

    Underneath those multitudes of rumblings lay down countless cables to which Yoh and the rest had no idea what they could be used for. Some tried to venture a guess in their minds and think that they were for the sole purpose of artificial illumination, but Yoh had different thoughts.

    "There is something going on here, without a doubt... This place, should not be known to outsiders, and by that margin..." Yoh looked around at the rest, who were scared out of their wits "We are intruders, and what he just did back then was probably nothing more than..." Yoh questioned the rationality behind Daniel''s actions; not their morality "I get it now... We---this was all planned... From the start, most likely... Our existences, coming to this place---it was all---but if that''s the case..." Yoh grasped onto what he could only label as a "loophole" as they advanced.

    North direction; it envisioned their advancement. Following the eye''s guidance and providence, the group followed Yoh, who remained at the very front. Right now, they had to undergo a tunnel underneath some rumbles of rocks. Yoh thought that this was the primal result of an explosion or some sort as the rumble was oddly stacked too much together.

    "Guys, I need you all to listen to me as we go forward..." Yoh said, as he kicked a few rocks out of the way so the rest of them could pass through "Our phones have no signal to them, which is contradictory considering how this place is blooming with technological advancement ---but, there is still something we can hope to do." Yoh stopped and stood on top of the path that would start to go up, as he towered his companion that were still climbing as he caught their full attention "Our goal hasn''t changed at all, but... If I''m frank, his existence here is no coincidence." Yoh stuck to the facts.

    One of the girls spoke her true mind to Yoh in spite of the situation.

    "How can you---be so calm...?" Her eyes emitted a certain degree of delirium "......" Yoh kept his silence "That---That thing! It couldn''t be human! It killed almost half of us! Nobody told me it would be like this! I want to go home!" She complained and rightfully so, but Yoh spoke to her alone "You''re right. I too want to go home, you know? But, I don''t think that we should start to prioritize what is currently impossible, so let''s prioritize what is currently possible." Yoh took out his phone "Their deaths served as an example---this island is flourishing with unknown technology we had never encountered and most likely... our lives here had no meaning except maybe for one..." Yoh held back his breath "Our existences are factors that haven''t been taken into the equation and by that conclusion, we can assume that our lives are something that imposes a danger to him." He was starting to nail his point quite well as his companions were starting to understand.

    Yoh didn''t waste time and instead decided to move forward at a reasonable physical pace toward the next section where they would encounter a two-way path.

    "What are you saying? That, we are a threat to him?! But he could just kill us!" One boy argued to Yoh from his back "To be clear, "we" are not a threat, but rather, what "we" can extract to the outside, is." They were starting to get the picture that Yoh was painting.

    To the right side, it would lead to a dead end but toward the left side, it would be the start of a nearly infinite-length downward spiral staircase without any degrees to it. The ceiling''s height decreased severely here at the area''s base as it stands at about three meters only. In addition to this, they could clearly see the bottom of the dark abyss that lay below yet could not perceive what it exactly offered.

    "We expose this place." Yoh declared "But how...? It''s not like we can contact the outside... But we can..." They realized "Wait, can''t we just start to record this and..." Ideas started to be formed but Yoh corrected them as they moved forward "It''s not that simple. Think of him as a guardian of this place---he will make sure that no such thing happens." Yoh''s words brought worry to the rest "Wait, then what are you even saying?! That we should just wait and die?! He will come after us! The only reason he hasn''t reached us yet is most likely due to the weight of that sword!" One of the girls reasoned such and it was a valid reasoning.

    Halting his tracks, Yoh directed himself toward one of the male members of his group still.

    "...This?" He said, to which Yoh nodded as the member gave the ax back to Yoh''s hands.

    However, against what one might have expected, Yoh gave the ax to one of the girls instead of taking it by himself.

    "Lulu, take it with you and the rest of the girls, please." Yoh said as the rest of the girls watched him go back to the top of the base area "B-But..." They knew what he was implying and his plan was pretty obvious by now "Make sure to record everything, for the worst-case scenario. We''ll drag his time for as long as we can." Yoh laid out the truth.

    Simple in theory: the reminder of the boys would stay along with Yoh, armless, against the killer. Their numbers were their greater advantage although such numbers, prior, had been proven to be not sufficient against him. Yoh couldn''t keep the ax in order to fight against Daniel, but even so, that wasn''t the true aim of the plan.

    The girls, albeit reluctant, started to go down the stairway that would further lead to the point of the holy mountain.

    To them, Yoh screamed something, after a few seconds.

    "THE EYEBALL POINTS TOWARD THE RIGHT DIRECTION!!" His shout echoed throughout the entire area.

    With a deep breath and an inhale dripping with anxiety, Yoh face-palmed his entire face and then faced the remaining sixteen boys who had stayed by his side.

    The male individual possessing the ax earlier, Vexacus, gave Yoh a path on the back while the others somewhat smiled back at him.

    "I would never have expected you to be so courageous, Yoh." He released a short anxious laugh "You''d always be so damn quiet in class that I would never have known..." Vexacus took a seat on one of the rocky boarders toward the right dead-end path ".....I''m not... It''s just... You guys know what this means, right?" Yoh looked down on the cold gray-colored spiral path; avoiding the rest of the boys'' gazes.

    Dim artificial light dripping from unknown corners upward midst of the rumbles allowed some illumination to enhance the ambience. The sixteen of them all stood at the top of the spiral that led down a not-known variant of rows that would descend until it no longer could. Of course, they knew not this, but the female side of their party; now in possession of the component and with the mission to record the entirety of this obscure mysterious place---is most surely to know just how far it goes.

    Surely, they could venture their guesses or even go down a bit, but that''s not their goal. Yoh knows this too; their goal is to halt his tracks.

    "Dude, are we... going to die? I didn''t see his face, but what the hell..." Solarka, a boy from the party felt the need to speak up as the anxiety from waiting was piling up "Probably." Yoh spared no sentimentality and as he saw he was getting their full attention, he decided to speak his mind "I will just say this---" Yoh sat down on a small rocky board on the center of the area right before the entrance to the great spiral "He had a sword. A resource that we couldn''t prevent or had any way of knowing; in other words, he probably has other lethal weapons to his aid. Our lives are something that he is sure to eliminate." Yoh finished "But wait, what if he doesn''t go this way?" Sergey put up that question to which Yoh answered with quickness "He is." Yoh said.

    Their eyes were on Yoh as Yoh himself was starting to sweat.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    "Can''t you hear them......?" Yoh gulped "Hear what...?" They couldn''t understand, so they looked at Yoh with skepticism "...Your heartbeats are too loud, huh... That scared... Hahaha, shit..." Yoh looked at his trembling right hand as the rest of the boys seriously attempted to listen to the noises in the echoes.

    Though small, there were certified instances of footsteps'' sound but more importantly, aside from the occasional iron clash of his sword with the ground, a humming melody could be heard.

    "Holy sh----Guys, he''s HERE!" Rayn alerted all of them with a discrete voice "What now, Yoh?! Shouldn''t we just all in him?!" Regardless of lack of sight, the sixteen of them looked in a forward direction where a criminal darkness lay dormant as their feared target was approaching "Our mission is to stall... So..." Yoh was not giving up on his idea "Everyone, trust me." Yoh stepped forward and took another step as well "Wh---Yoh?!" Kokoni grew nervous and chaotic as Yoh was leaving the safety area.

    A semi-loud voice could be heard, emerging from the darkness.

    "....ease don''t go, I want you to stay..." Daniel emerges from the shadows with his eyes somewhat open; wearing his usual black sleeveless t-shirt alongside his black pants with his black shoes whilst humming to a song in his head "I''m begging you please, please don''t leave here... I don''t want you to change---" Daniel kept on walking, now in sight of Yoh "Oh?" Daniel halted his tracks; five meters away from Yoh; his companions on guard "Are you going to kill us too?" Yoh skipped all unnecessary questions and went straight to the core of the matter.

    Daniel erupted his spiky sword and relaxed it onto his right shoulder by lifting it with his right hand.

    "That''s right. I see sixteen of you. A split, therefore." Daniel sighed and pierced his sword onto the ground in front of him; the sword facing sideways to Yoh "?!" A two-meter-sized eye ruptured from the ground and absorbed Daniel''s sword; immediately retrieving it all the way to the ground underneath thus leaving Daniel swordless "It doesn''t work well in close spaces." Daniel explained and proceeded to take out two guerilla knives heightening over thirty centimeters each "Wait, hold on. I have a proposition for you." Yoh calmly said.

    This intrigued Daniel.

    Yoh was calm and looked dead calm which was something that Daniel knew Yoh was faking, but because of that, he knew that there was something at store here. If Yoh had acted just like his nervous classmates, Daniel wouldn''t have hesitated.

    Yet for the sake of entertaining that idea, Daniel allowed Yoh to speak.

    "It''s clear we are all going to die. I don''t think you''ll provide us with answers and if you were to give us such answers, then we are surely already dead." Yoh deducted "Clever, aren''t you?" Daniel smiled sarcastically as if to say: "Come on, go on." "I propose each and every one of us has a fair shot at you. It''s unfair that only you have weapons to your advantage." Yoh argued and continued "Of course, our numbers are greater, that''s why I propose a one-to-one fight to the death system. I, the leader, will nominate a fighter from our side, from weakest to strongest." Daniel instantly questioned something "How do we fight?" Yoh answered "Your choice." He allowed Daniel to have the freedom of thought here and so he gave it some thought while the rest grew terrified.

    At this point, Daniel was invested in the idea. So he genuinely gave some thought and took a couple of seconds at it; margin from twenty to thirty.

    "Knives." He declared as he looked at Yoh once again "Alright. Can you please put the other weapons away though?" Yoh asked Daniel "You have ten seconds to send your fighter against me. Break the one-on-one rule and I will hail you all with bullets." Daniel formed his warning as well as his denial "......" Yoh turned his back and reunited with the rest as Daniel tossed one of the guerrilla knives in their direction "......Jesus Christ..." Mike knew.

    Out of all the sixteen of them, there was obviously a skinnier one. Even now, Daniel is looking at Mike from the other side.

    The weakest one was to begin first, furthermore, there were only ten seconds left---right now four---so Yoh had to say something to Mike; the weakest out of all of them.

    He approached Mike''s ear and told him a single order.

    "Fuck you......" He cursed Yoh and took a small step forward into the bridge that separated the rest from Daniel, as Daniel himself began to step up as well.

    It had begun. Meekly and authentically fearing for his life, Mike''s sweat was all over the place. He could barely lift the knife properly and he was upholding it like a kitchen knife with the edge forward; the blade to the back. Furthermore, he was trembling and kept cursing the same words over and over.

    On the other hand, Daniel calmly approached him, but didn''t draw his knife and instead kept it tucked on the edge of his pants in the back.

    "Make it count." Daniel taunted Mike "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!" Desperately, Mike ran right at Daniel and raised the knife up; aiming to perform a chop; to which Daniel allowed but he dodged it by placing his body to the left side so he would stay off the course of Mike''s swing.

    From behind, as Mike had lost all balance, Daniel took ahold of his knife from his back; used his left hand to grab Mike''s face, and slit his throat with the knife on the right hand.

    "Next. Ten seconds." Mike''s body was kicked out by Daniel and would soon emerge to the bottom of the area they are currently in "Oh fuck no... No, no, NO!" Despair grew rampant as many suddenly realized that Daniel was not a complete amateur at fighting, especially with knives "Come on, man....!!! You saw that shit, didn''t you?!" Vexacus was begging them to stop looking at him as they knew he was the weakest thereafter "........" Yoh whispered to Vexacus'' ear a single order "...Alright. If I die... I swear to God, someone, just someone, don''t let this piece of shit get near the girls!" Vexacus said his last wish and was sent to the bridge where Daniel started to walk up to Vexacus.

    Abiding Yoh''s order this time, Vexacus didn''t do anything.

    He stood still near the entrance of the area where Yoh and the rest were.

    "That''s no good. Come to the center; that''s how we''ll fight." Daniel ordered, thus Vexacus, though hesitant, in the end, walked to the center "...." Vexacus''s heavy breath and immense sweat from all the anxiety didn''t allow him to gain a break, but even so, he tried to look at Daniel by erupting his posture ".....!!!" Fear and horror struck his soul''s cords as Daniel mildly placed his two palms on Vexacus'' face from both sides; their faces completely close "What the fuck are you waiting for? Don''t you have something to accomplish?" Daniel asked.

    His brain remembered that one specific order.

    Putting his mind to it, Vexacus took a step back and swung his knife on his right hand toward Daniel''s left leg.

    Upon seeing the true intent of Vexacus and what the vital aim was, Daniel recognized that information and grabbed the swinging knife with his bare left hand by force while simultaneously stabbing Vexacus'' abdomen repetitively with his right hand.

    "ARGH.... I..........." Vexacus tripped over to the bottomless dark pit below as soon as Daniel was finished with him as well as retrieving the knife.

    Once again, Daniel would toss the knife from the loser to Yoh''s side.

    "Next." Fourteen more to go and Yoh was fairly certain that Daniel had caught up with his idea, but even so, Yoh was sure it was going to work "Hey, guys?" Carlsen grabbed everyone''s attention though not Daniel''s "Tell Rikuha I love her." Carlsen stepped up after Yoh gave him the order "Oh fuck my life.....!!" Carlsen was up against Daniel next and as such, he squared off to the center.

    By now, there were a couple of things that could be learned from Daniel when it came down to his martial expertise. First: unlike the majority of them, if not them all, Daniel had valuable knowledge when it came to fighting, especially with knives; as he has shown twice the necessary capacity to stand his ground in a fight. Second: he has the will to kill and does it so without blinking or feeling any remorse.

    These factors and many others were starting to plant a seed of hopelessness and despair to anyone who was unlucky to the point of being vis-a-vis to the foe named Daniel.

    Someone, that they knew, if defeated, could save a great deal of trouble. As a matter of fact, to some present, Daniel felt like the one. The one, if torn, dispelled, broken, all solutions would present themselves.

    Yet Carlsen, despite knowing this at heart, stood frozen at the very middle of the bridge. He didn''t flinch; his eyes and their stare were permanently locked onto the enshrouded darkness in Daniel''s black eyes.

    A darkness so deep that it felt like Carlsen was swimming in an ocean without a clear destination. In the middle of nowhere, at night, no moonlight, at the mercy of the ocean''s depths.

    Equally, his neck''s blood gave him a firm sensation of an akin feeling as his dead body fell onto the depths below.

    "Giving up and staying frozen like him is also an option. But at that point, I have to wonder, is that all?" Daniel tossed the knife back to Yoh''s side as they were down three deaths "....." Unable to form a speech and not having to hear Daniel''s words, Yoh knew that he had to send someone else to fight.

    Yoh decided to make an offer to Daniel.

    "You''re too strong. It''s clear you have martial arts in your system and you know how to use it. We don''t, though." He argued "We are all unexperienced, at this rate this will just be a walk in the park, so I propose we elevate this into at least a sport." Yoh stretched out his rolling right hand to Daniel from afar and elevated his two right fingers to him "Two versus one. Can we get another knife?" Daniel heard the proposition ".....Sure." Daniel''s answer, though slower than usual, still nonetheless surprised some, even to the point of straight-up angering some as he passed another guerrilla knife from his belly belt to Yoh''s side "The fucking nerve!" Axel was fuming and looked decisive this time around.

    Turning his back to them, Daniel had accepted the terms that Yoh had come up with.

    Not only was this faster for him, but it also meant that Daniel, could, in fact, have a bit more fun this way.

    "Shinsoke..." Axel bumped his right hand onto Shinsoke''s left shoulder and that was all he needed to say "Yeah, I got it. I have a plan..." Yoh took notice of this and spoke to the two of them "Can you do it?" Yoh coldly asked them, wanting to know whether or not they could be useful to the cause "If it''s the two of us, we can, yeah. The motherfucker''s going down..." Axel emitted all of his rage onto a single glare as he looked at Daniel from afar whilst gripping the guerrilla knife with brutal strength; his veins popping "Let me see it then." Yoh gave the pass.

    Slowly but surely, Axel and Shinsoke made their way to the bridge which was three meters in width and a length of ten meters. This bridge is the one path that allows anyone to walk to the great spiral which leads one to a seemingly endless walk towards the very end of this mountain. Ironically, instead of going up, like a mountain climber does, the venture is only down.

    Lackluster rumble and unstable structure were something noticeable midst the platform, but the three of them were all focused on one thing only.

    "Go." Shinsoke said to Axel and the two of them went separate ways; Shinsoke to Daniel''s left and Axel to his right.

    Their strategy was bulletproof in theory; Daniel is only one, so they opted for one of them to be a scapegoat. Regardless of where the attack comes from, at the end of the day, if Daniel strikes back and the two of them are in opposite directions, Daniel has to choose one of them.

    By that theory, if one is chosen, the other will execute the finishing blow.

    "Now show me... How will you repel this?" Yoh thought as he placed all of his fingers mirroring each other with his two palms erupting in front of his face.

    Standing still at the very center, Daniel didn''t look at either Shinsoke from his left or Axel from his right.

    Precisely speaking, there would be a time when a dual collision would take place. It''s a single shot that requires both Daniel''s hands to be at the same time at the same place.

    "YOU''RE DEAD!" Axel became one with his fury as he sought to avenge his fallen classmates; thus leaping to Daniel---aiming for his neck "AAAAAAAHHHH!!!!" Likewise, Shinsoke, bloodthirsty---aimed for Daniel''s vital side, mainly his heart''s side.

    After the swings were mutually performed, the moment rose to opportunity to which Daniel didn''t waste time, as he let go of his knife on the ground in order to free his right hand----ultimately allowing him to intercept both the guerrilla knives'' upper blades with his two palms.

    "Ghhhh...!!!" Upholding an abnormal amount of physical strength just to stop the driving momentum of both blades momentarily, Daniel''s neck veins as well as his body veins in general, became more visible by the second---his teeth gritting as a demonstration of such struggle; breaking from his usual textbook apathy "What the----" Daniel, once successful in stopping the momentum, let go of the two knives he was holding just now "No fucki----" And rapidly pulled his two heavily damaged palms onto Axel and Shinsoke''s heads'' backs for the purpose of bashing them together in a mutual skull slam.

    Not once, not twice, not thrice, but four times, were the times that Daniel took in slamming their faces together---Daniel using a great portion of his physical force just to execute the task.

    Once done, he took ahold of their necks---elevated them into the air, and threw Axel down to the darkness below while doing the same to Shinsoke.

    "Impossible... We... We can''t win against that! What the fuck was that?! Who is this guy?! Wait... His face..." Something critical dawned Bask, as the remaining nine, Yoh included, had forgotten something so obvious that they felt stupidly dumb upon not recognizing who they were facing right now "Daniel Lead... He''s the one with the highest jail sentence... Percy Phoenix made us all worry about Hajime Hyunda, but... Nothing beats the real deal." Yoh stated "Is this all according to the plan?" Yoh elevated his posture and walked to the border, just before entering the bridge, where Daniel stood, as he threw both knives back to Yoh''s side "That''s right." The apathy resonated "Your deaths are all manufactured future actions and they are my accountability, for that matter also." Daniel laid down the gist of it.

    Bloodstained guerrilla knives were in Yoh''s hands once again.

    Aside from him, eight others remain.

    "What if one of us physically overpowers him instead of trying to strike at the same time?" Kokoni proposed that, albeit very silently, in the hope that Daniel wouldn''t hear it "If he''s wide open, then we have a chance. The problem with our last attempts was that we were trying to land a strike on him while discrediting his nimbleness and overall agility. He either intercepts the attack and then unleashes a fatal strike subsequently, or dodges and does the same. We should try this idea..." Kokoni looked at one of the other eight.

    For Kokoni''s idea to work, there would have to be someone, physically large and courageous enough, to withstand the pressure of knowing who they are up against.

    This isn''t to say that the person the eight of them are looking at is the one, but it''s the one that fits the criteria the most at least.

    "I understand... I was waiting for him to get more tired, honestly, but..." Yoshi revealed his strategy whilst stripping his upper uniform "Daniel Lead... I''m going to show you the Brazilian jiu-jitsu hell experience first class...." Not picking up the knife that Yoh was offering him, instead, Kokoni took both of them in Yoshi''s place.

    There was no communication between the two at all.

    In any other event or circumstance, these two would not talk to each other at all. As a matter of fact, their overall relationship, from a modern human being to another human being is practically zero.

    However, in the light of urgency, they decided to put aside the necessity to build a bond and decided to take the obligation of destroying their target.

    Moreso, Daniel recognized Yoshi instantly as he went to the center of the bridge.

    "...What stance is that...?" Yoh thought to himself as he couldn''t figure out Daniel''s current fighting stance.

    With his right arm elevated at least eighty degrees, Daniel upheld his guerilla knife completely face down. His left arm was completely invisible to the rest as Daniel was only showing the right side of his body to the rest. In other words, they could not see what Daniel was holding with his left hand for that matter.

    This mattered not, as Yoshi had already begun with his charge.

    "RAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!" Producing acceptable speed, Yoshi lowered his running stance and stretched both of his arms to catch Daniel''s middle body, meanwhile, Kokoni ran right behind Yoshi---waiting patiently until Daniel was locked down by Yoshi''s tackle.

    Daniel''s upcoming movements were something that Yoshi was calculating.

    Yoshi''s large body doesn''t allow Daniel to gain much freedom if he were to dodge sideways. Running back would ultimately just end up backfiring for Daniel as the velocity that Yoshi is going is authentically high. Therefore, he could try to fight it out.

    But that alone already favors Yoshi, so Daniel, instead of fighting it out, decided to jump to his right side.

    "?!" Both Yoshi and Kokoni stopped in their tracks as they witnessed an incomprehensible action from Daniel.

    Throwing himself onto his right side, Daniel had seemingly made a suicide call but in reality, Daniel put the cable of his knife onto his mouth and with his left hand, while falling, shot an anchor to the gigantic eye symbol beneath the bridge that no one had information about.

    Precisely speaking, Daniel aimed at the retina of the eye which was at the very center this time. By connecting with the anchor, a current of power was created.

    "He... killed himself...?!" Doubt was created as the eight of them were beyond perplexed by Daniel''s action, though Yoh was quick on the catch as he saw movement from below despite the alluming darkness dispelling luminosity "Wait, it''s a trap! He''s coming back from the other side!!" Yoh alerted Yoshi and Kokoni who both looked back at him but looked to their right side as they saw Daniel''s figure swinging on an electric rope; ultimately flying into the air, ten meters at least up from the rest thanks to the balance and momentum created from the swing from beneath the bridge.

    At that given moment, Daniel used his right hand to grab the guerilla knife in his mouth while simultaneously aiming the warping anchor booster that would allow him to travel to his desired location in a very rapid manner should the anchor be charged with a specific kind of electricity that only the eyes within this area give.

    Therefore, now that the anchor thread had successfully been retrieved, whilst mid-airborne, Daniel aimed specifically at Yoshi''s right breast and fired the anchor shot which traveled at astonishing speed---far beyond Yoshi''s reaction timing.

    "AAAAAAAAAGHHHHH!!!!" In excruciating pain, Yoshi expelled an abundant amount of saliva from his mouth as the right side of his chest began to bleed profoundly.

    However, that would be the least of his worries, because the moment the anchor connected, it would mean that the driver would be pulled right into the destination just like a magnet. The only difference is that, unlike a harmless magnet attracted to a mirroring force, Daniel pierced Yoshi''s frontal skull with a finishing strike the moment he was close enough to Yoshi.

    Dripping blood from Yoshi''s skull emerged fairly quickly.

    "A-AHH....!!" Shocked and unable to say coherent sentences or even a small proper conjunction of words, Kokoni abandoned all reason and charged Daniel with his two knives, to which, Daniel was ready to intercept "....?!" Daniel felt a sudden mental attack as he immediately placed both of his hands, including his right hand holding the knife, onto both sides of his head "...Not now, DAMN IT!!" Kokoni launched an attack to which, Daniel had no choice but to get back and start to get on the defense.

    Surprisingly fast and accurate, Kokoni was striking Daniel with such potency that Daniel had no choice but to stay on the defensive while dodging both attacks. By dodging them, of course, this meant that Daniel had to retrieve back every time.

    In other words, Daniel was at a disadvantage when it came to tempo.

    "It''s working...? But why...? But, it''s working...!" Yoh spoke those words with visible enthusiasm like a lost hope had been reignited "HOLY SHIT, HE''S DOING IT!!" Solarka expressed his enthusiasm even further "KOKONI, KILL THE FUCKER!!" More comments would come as Daniel had lost his tempo and Kokoni was taking advantage of this.

    Visible stress could be seen on Daniel''s face since he knew that this was caused because it took a valid physical strain to perform that early swing and now, he was paying the price for that. There was, however, another crucial factor at stake here, nevertheless.

    Stuck between dodging and looking for an opportunity to strike back, Daniel was forced to retreat way below the middle of the bridge as Kokoni launched an attack with his right and then left; strictly aiming at Daniel''s upper body. No such things as sloppy strikes or lackluster grips in both of the blades; Kokoni was the clear winner here.

    So, Daniel decided to do the logical thing.

    Leaping even further back and creating a two-meter distance between them, Daniel threw his knife on the ground and pulled out a small gun from his belt''s right side.

    Kokoni''s spree came to an end the moment Daniel put a bullet inside his brain.

    A loud echo was heard throughout the area.

    "Next." Arrogantly, without waiting for the remaining six to say something, Daniel flashed a mocking grin at Yoh''s side, which upset them instantly "HEY, WHAT THE FUCK?! WHAT''D YOU DO THAT FOR?! I THOUGHT THIS WAS A KNIFE FIGHT!!" Solarka lashed out at Daniel "You have ten seconds to send your next two fighters." Daniel ignored Solarka''s reasonable criticism and turned his back on him.

    Noticeably, Solarka wasn''t the only one pissed off at what just happened, but to Yoh, who is agitated nevertheless, this came as natural.

    "I get it. So that''s what he''s trying to prove." Yoh said out loud "Trying to prove what?! That he''s a dishonorable piece of shit?! Damn it, Kokoni was about to get him!" Solarka argued against Yoh.

    Yoh smiled a bit and decided one thing as he was about to speak to the rest. His plan was to acknowledge the hopelessness of the situation.

    "It''s meaningless. This is a losing battle. Firearms, territorial advantage, experience, lack of remorse, strategy, adaptability, you name it---he has it. His point is evident and clear: regardless of any fluke, he will obtain victory. This is a waste of time. I tried to seek some sort of advantage, but it''s beyond evident. Our presence here, from the very start, was put on an expiration date. No matter how you put it, this guy will just get what he wants. I don''t know why nor do I honestly care that much about the abundance of technology here, it''s just... such a flawed script. It''s not even fair..." Yoh looked further at the ground as he continued his negative thoughts spree.

    Hopeless and embracing defeat, Yoh decided to step up and stretch his muscles before marching into his own death.

    "I guess it''s my tur-----" Yoh opened his eyes and looked at Daniel "..................." Instead of questioning what was going on, Yoh decided to simply absorb that one second, where he saw Daniel take a pill whilst breathing extremely nervously.

    That alone, made Yoh realize that the earlier incident where Daniel lost tempo against Kokoni, was not the result of physical failure or a strategic misstep.

    It was an outside factor that Yoh had no knowledge of. There was, however, a margin for an opportunity here.

    Yoh was planning on ending his race, but he decided to bet on a final chance this time around.

    He turned to Solarka on his right as well as Elmo.

    "Solarka, Elmo. This is very specific, but could you two aim for his legs? We are fighting a losing battle, but our objective is to stall. If his movement is hindered, then our job is done. Abandon the thought of killing him." Yoh placed his two arms on their respective shoulders and gave them his coldest stare yet "We are dead. We are not better than him. But, I don''t know why, maybe this is some sort of miracle, but he seems to be struggling with something. Strike while the iron is hot." Yoh pressured the two of them, and with a goal in their sights, they calmly walked to the center where the distraught Daniel awaited.

    Contrasting to his early peerless form, Daniel was visibly shaking and was now starting to demonstrate a slightly erratic behavior.

    "The FUCK was the hold up for?! Let''s fucking fight, I''ll kill you ALL, MOTHERFUCKERS!" Daniel was surprisingly aggressive "...Something''s very wrong here..." Yoh shared his thoughts with his other remaining three classmates "If that''s acting, then that''s just too extra, in my opinion. If not, though..." Yoh became invested in watching the fight, so he held his posture high at the border of the bridge.

    Unlike the previous times, Daniel was the one who started to sprint and didn''t necessarily wait for his two foes to reach the center like the prior times.

    Charging straight for Solarka, who was enigmatized by this sudden change of attitude, Daniel lowered his stance, and with his knife, just like performing an uppercut---Daniel slashed Solarka''s abdominal cavity, chest, neck, and face, all subsequently.

    "AAGHHHH!!" Agonizing in pain, Solarka unleashed a final cry "DO IT NOW-------" Daniel, however, pierced Solarka''s frontal skull with his knife by lowering his knife down from the swing that the earlier swing''s momentum had produced.

    Furthermore, Daniel was quick to pivot Solarka''s head as a shield against Elmo''s attack onto his left leg. Thus, Elmo''s attack was completely absorbed by Solarka''s head.

    "Oh sh------" Daniel immediately let go of Solarka''s head, now that he was dead, took hold of the knife that was pierced onto Solarka''s head and used it to cut Elmo''s right wrist in an instance "AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" By far, the loudest scream emerged within the area as a bloodstream came from Elmo''s right wrist---his right hand on the ground now.

    Displaying borderline insane behavior---if not---Daniel mounted Elmo''s upper body---imprisoning him from physical freedom and started to stab Elmo''s right and left eyes rapidly.

    "AHHHH!! AHHHH!! HELP ME!!! PLEASE, HELP ME!!!" Elmo, still not dead, begged Yoh and the other three, to come to his aid "HURRY UP AND KILL HIM, DAMN IT!! HIS BACK IS RI---" Daniel started to stab Elmo''s heart repetitively to the point where the count was lost.

    All it took was to listen to Daniel''s ragged breath and just a glance at his deranged lunatic eyes, to know, for a fact, that winning was never an option.

    Alreiza, Jyouhara, Bask, and Yoh know this now.

    Forcefully, Daniel picked up Solarka and Elmo''s knives and threw them at them. But that was not all.

    Going into his belt beneath his black shirt, Daniel took out two other small knives---not quite as tall as the guerrilla ones and decided to give them all knives.

    Exulted, Daniel smiled and clapped while performing a speech.

    "Well done and welcome to the final round! Where you will get a brilliant, once-in-a-lifetime chance, to defeat me and hopefully, see daylight once again! You have thirty seconds this time around, to form whatever strategy you can come up with!" Daniel unleashed a demonic laughter and clapped even more as he turned his back on the remaining four.

    Seeing that horrifying brutal slaughter that Daniel did to Elmo, utterly shattered all of their hopes and dreams.

    To demonstrate, not even Yoh is willing to pick up the knives, despite being granted the opportunity to fight four versus one. A fight, that, in theory, is unwinnable for Daniel, should the weapons be the same.

    But after seeing so many displays of skill, alongside a combination of brutality mixed with a bloodthirsty to kill, it was not clear what they were supposed to do.

    One thing was for sure though---in the midst of that cold atmosphere, where there is only darkness below and light is barely present---there were thirty seconds remaining.

    "What a boring life." Yoh spoke to Alreiza, Jyouhara, and Bask "If I made you think I''m some sort of powerful fighter or a mastermind who has a bulletproof plan to defeat the psychopath who can''t stop laughing and stabbing Elmo''s dead body---then I''m sorry. Because that person is not me. I am ordinary as they come, and this is a fact. My leadership brought forth defeat and no productive results. I, in addition, have selected individuals who had no chance at all at surviving, but I think that''s just the reality here, so if there are complaints, I''ll listen to them now." Yoh looked at the three of them.

    They were all looking at the ground; not terrified, but just straight-up hopeless.

    Thus, no response came forth, which led to Yoh continuing with his speech.

    "We have no winning chance. Those are the words a leader should never say yet here I am." Yoh said "Then what''s the point?" Jyouhara meekly asked "There is no point. In less than thirty seconds, we are all going to be dead." Yoh didn''t spare sentimentality "So that''s it...? Man, if I had known, I would have just confessed to Chizuhama and would''ve tried to have sex no matter what. God, I wanted to fuck her. On God, I swear..." Bask dramatically confessed.

    Yoh laughed a bit, with just fifteen seconds left on the clock.

    "I had a crush on Zwette. I do think she''s a bit average in looks, but I don''t know, it''s those attractions you don''t even know why you are so attracted, get me?" Yoh, decided to leave his shell now that he was sure that they were going to die "I get it." Alreiza confessed "Me too." Jyouhara added "Same." A brief silence hit the scene after a mutual agreement was made by Bask.

    With only ten seconds on the clock, Yoh thought back a little.

    "Zwette... I don''t even have to wonder, but if our group was targeted for simply existing within this island''s forbidden section, then surely, you too..." Yoh faced the remaining three and laid out his final words "Our deaths can''t be meaningless just because our lives were. That''s why we have to fulfill the objective here. So we will..." Yoh addressed the final order and the four of them looked at Daniel "...It might just work... But you will... No, I guess we all will. No, I see." Jyouhara took a deep breath and started crying.

    Despair was not lifted neither was hope reignited.

    All there was, was a sense of duty.

    "Time''s up! Are! You! READY?!" Daniel took two different pills this time; different from the single one he took a while ago "Die with dignity and fulfill the objective. Then, our lives couldn''t have been totally meaningless. GO!" Yoh launched his order.

    Yoh took the front line and Daniel began to sprint right at him. On his right and left side, Bask and Alreiza were running toward Daniel too. Lastly, Jyouhara stood behind the front lines

    Naturally, they were all wielding the given knives by Daniel, so there was a legitimate threat to Daniel here.

    "AGH!!" Out of nowhere, Jyouhara tripped onto the ground and hit his face on the cold floor "Jyouhara?!" Bask looked behind and noticed that Jyouhara and fallen down "Hey a----" Bask''s attention was quickly reversed back to Daniel as Daniel engaged in combat with Yoh.

    Performing a right swing to the chest by pulling his knife back and then forth in a singular motion, Daniel forced Yoh to dodge it. By dodging, Yoh attempted to strike Daniel''s right leg with his knife.

    "I knew it---your aim was my leg." Daniel gave no mercy in piercing Yoh''s skull with his knife while simultaneously allowing his left hand to be pierced by Alreiza''s knife "....!!!" Swiftly though, Daniel removed the knife from Yoh''s skull and stabbed Alreiza''s heart whilst driving Alreiza''s body in Bask''s direction just so he couldn''t have a good angle at him.

    Now left alone with Bask and Jyouhara who was not showing signs of getting up, Daniel retrieved the knife from Alreiza''s body.

    Instead of running at Daniel and attacking, however, Bask decided to retreat and run back to where Jyouhara was.

    "PLEASE---PLEASE LET ME ESC-----" Crying and horrified, Bask''s last moment was short-lived as Daniel took ahold of his face and slit his throat with the knife "And now you." Daniel dropped Bask on the spot and turned to the last remaining body; which was Jyouhara.

    However, something wasn''t quite right.

    "What the hell? He killed himself? That''s a bummer." Daniel retrieved the knife in his hand and thought about retrieving the rest "No, I can''t. I wasted way too much time. I was beyond convinced that this guy had something up his sleeve... I shouldn''t have been so overpowering with my performance. Because, that way, they would still think they had a chance and would''ve tried harder..." Daniel voiced his regrets as he took one last look at Yoh''s dead body "You had some soul alright. Not enough---but, your entirety will be a good addition." Daniel began to walk into the direction of the grand spiral case that would lead to his desired destination.

    Passing through Jyouhara''s body, Daniel noticed that there was a small pool of blood and that Jyouhara''s eyes were lifeless. Furthermore, the guerrilla knife he had, was pierced onto his back''s right side.

    "So he stabbed himself from the back? Huh." Daniel found it weird but decided to move on.

    One step; two steps, and action had to be taken now.

    More than that and it would have been too late as Daniel would have gained a window of opportunity to react which was far too big.

    "...!!!!" Noticing it too late, Jyouhara had taken out the blade from his back and rapidly engaged in the objective "GET SHIT ON!!" Mercilessly, Jyouhara stabbed Daniel''s right calf in the center with the guerrilla knife "AAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHH!!!!" Daniel unleashed a loud agonizing cry and was quick to react to Jyouhara''s movement by forcefully twisting his neck as a counterattack which effectively killed Jyouhara in one second.

    If the argument would be, whether or not, the winner here was who killed who, then the answer is abundantly clear.

    Likewise, if the argument is who fulfilled the objective here, then the answer could be far more ambiguous.

    "AHHHHH!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!" Having not felt such a high level of physical pain in a while, Daniel was struggling to come to terms with the fact that someone had successfully physically injured him; especially in the right calf "DAMN IT!!! HE WASN''T DEAD?! ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?! THIS PIECE OF SHIT....!!!" Daniel looked at Yoh while struggling to remove the knife from Yoh.

    Daniel then realized the strategy as he took out the guerrilla knife from his right calf.

    On his knees, profoundly sweating while forming a grateful right fist, Daniel hit the ground while surrounded by four dead bodies.

    "He knew I was going to focus him so he FUCKING died in order for me to buy that idea and I never saw this clown actually kill himself! DAMN IT, WHY DID I IGNORE THE FACTS?!" Daniel hit the ground consecutively.

    Performing a feat of rage, Daniel was beating himself up over the fact that he was strategically outmaneuvered despite having so many tools to his advantage.

    "I had it all. It was supposed to be perfect! But now my mission will be.............!!!" Daniel began to despair "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no...!!!" His inhaling got abruptly desperate and his breath ragged "If I don''t pass the entry mission, then... Hyunda... Hyunda won''t acknowledge me and I can''t get into the organization! And if I can''t do that then....!!!" Daniel put down his two arms on the cold ground and stopped pumping his fists on the floor "...Yuliaaaaa....." Tears started to erupt from the corners of his eyes "What am I supposed to do...?!" The bleeding from his right calf continued despite Daniel''s loud cries.

    Perhaps out of despair and in combination with an utter emotional breakout, Daniel relived the past once again.

    The day after she died; where it all started.

 Volume 24 - Chapter 168: Trial of Sigma - Part II

    March 30th.

    Until April 1st, classes were suspended, however, this only applied to class F which is isolated in block F of the entirety of the school as a whole. That lonely building that consists of four floors in a squared shape was authentically deserted.

    As for the students in F class, some were glad that they didn''t have to attend classes, but the one thing they were mostly looking forward to would be the fact that it was the last day of the month. This meant that, under surveillance, they could venture outside. Their journey would be somewhat shackled and they were under constant watching through GPS tracking. At the first signal of violence or criminal behavior in general, they would be expelled from the program which would effectively put them under execution range.

    Therefore, many of them were starting to venture outside---and as such, physical movement within the dorms could be heard, because it was that golden day.

    Even if one of their classmates had just ended her own life, not many were actually affected by it, except a few.

    For those that were harmed by this; this day wasn''t just like any other.

    Daniel knew this, as he sunk deeply into a depressive state, in his bedroom. His plain room, unknown to solar light due to the fact that his windows are permanently closed, was in a permanent state of darkness. From time to time, Daniel would hear voices from his fellow classmates, mainly the male ones. There were a few female voices that had managed to enter the male room just to offer some consultation, but Daniel remained unresponsive.

    His room''s door is locked and the dorm''s guard, George Kentucky, refused to open his door without his consent.

    Over some time now, Daniel had been staring into his dark ceiling, motionless, only with his boxers on. His tears are dry to the point where he can''t cry even if he wants to.

    As morning rose to full height, Daniel heard a simple one-time knock and a voice from the outside of it; which caught his attention somewhat but not to the point of making him get up immediately.

    "There''s no one with me." He simply said and then sighed "Let me in, I got something important to say to you." Hyunda said words that Daniel had already heard before, but chose a particular subsequent set of words next "It''s about Yulia." Daniel''s eyes widened and he got up, albeit feeling slightly physically weak.

    In a hurry, Daniel dressed some black pants, put on a black sleeveless t-shirt, went to his doorlock, and opened the door slightly.

    "What is it...?" Visible tiredness could be seen from the way Daniel was speaking through the doorlock, just showing his face somewhat to Hyunda "Let me in. I have information that I don''t want others to potentially hear..." Hyunda told Daniel and after two seconds, Daniel withdrew his skepticism and opened the door for Hyunda to walk in.

    Quickly, Daniel closed the door meanwhile Hyunda opened the lights by pressing the light switch on the left side of the room.

    "Or do you prefer daylight?" Hyunda asked "Wait, I''ll open the blinds a b---" Daniel intervened "It doesn''t matter... Just close it." Daniel said and Hyunda closed the lights.

    There was some luminosity in the room because Hyunda raised the blinds just the bare minimum to the point where the light could somewhat infiltrate the room. It was enough for Daniel to see Hyunda in his usual clothes which consisted of a pair of yellow/orange Nike shoes, white pants, and a jockey jacket submerged with red and white colors---a black shirt underneath.

    Daniel sat on the center of his messy bed and Hyunda took a seat on the desk''s chair which mirrored Daniel''s position.

    "Here." Hyunda tossed a red apple to Daniel "I''m not hungry, Hyunda." Daniel said "You haven''t eaten anything in like a day, Daniel. Don''t give me that. You plan on starving yourself out?" Hyunda asked Daniel with a serious gaze "And if I am? What is there to it?" Daniel was also serious.

    A brief silence hit the room with the two of them staring at each other.

    Hyunda scratched the back of his spiky crescent white hair with his eyes closed and then sighed.

    "So that''s it? You''re going to kill yourself too?" Hyunda took out an onion from his jacket''s right pocket and began indulging "I can''t handle this, Hyunda. I grew too attached to her. It doesn''t matter what you say to me anymore, I got too deep into it. I''m sorry, but yeah, this is the end of the line." Daniel tossed the apple back to Hyunda, to which he grabbed it with his left hand and placed it on the desk.

    A phone ring came from Hyunda''s pants'' right pocket. He took out his phone and saw who it was.

    "Go and have fun, Hyunda. It''s a once-in-a-month thing. The school''s dull as hell, some variety is nice to the syst------" Hyunda put his onion on the desk and with his two hands, broke his phone entirely "......Huh." Daniel remarked as Hyunda placed the bits of his shattered phone on the desk and went back to eating his onion "Annoying bitch. I''ll butcher her someday with my own hands." Hyunda grew impatient as he took a bite out of his onion with his right hand.

    Another instance of silence hit the room.

    "...You''re not going?" Daniel asked "Who? Me? Nope. I have other plans for today. Gotta stick to them." Hyunda took a spin in the desk''s chair repetitively "Like what?" Curious of course, Daniel asked "I need to tell you some important things, Daniel, you see." Hyunda stopped spinning and faced Daniel again, taking a bite out of his half-eaten onion "Go ahead, tell me. I don''t want to waste your time, Hyunda." Daniel gave the heads-up to Hyunda.

    And as such, Hyunda tossed the apple back to Daniel.

    "Eat, we will talk then." Hyunda remained adamant about Daniel eating something "....." Daniel looked at Hyunda skeptically "There are better and more effective ways to kill yourself, Daniel. Eat the fucking apple, will you?" Hyunda somewhat raised his voice tone "Will you tell me the information about Yulia if I do?" Daniel wanted to make sure that he was getting something out of it "Yeah." Hyunda didn''t bother to deny it "......." Daniel then looked at the red apple and decided to eat it as fast as he could.

    He ended up choking too hard on the apple while eating, to which Hyunda responded by getting up from the chair and tapping Daniel''s back a few times.

    "Idiot." Hyunda insulted Daniel "Agh....." Some saliva was all over Daniel''s lips and Hyunda used the bed sheets to clean it up for Daniel "Give me that." Hyunda demanded Daniel to give the entirely eaten apple to him "..." Daniel gave it as he coughed a bit more and Hyunda put the remaining bits in the trash can on the right southwest corner of Daniel''s room.

    Back to the desk chair, Hyunda ate the last bit of his onion and began to speak to Daniel.

    "They''re not going to hold a funeral." Hyunda delivered the information that would make Daniel mad instantly "WHAT?! HOW COULD THEY?!" Daniel erupted his posture in a feat of rage "Dunno. I asked our teacher Basara about it, and he said that given the nature of ourselves, we simply aren''t taken into such consideration. In other words, because we are criminals, should we die, there won''t be a funeral. Also, I''m fairly certain they have taken her body somewhere we don''t know. Retrieving her body is beyond impossible, I''m afraid." Hyunda said information that was controversial and even questionable to say at least to Daniel.

    Twitching in rage, Daniel was being observed by Hyunda.

    "Motherfuckers...!! How could they not even hold a fucking funeral?! She was a human being, damn it...!!" Feeling powerless, Daniel wanted to cry again "It''s useless. No matter how you look at it, you can''t convince them. But more importantly, say, Daniel..." Hyunda wanted to ask something serious to Daniel and so, he waited until Daniel looked at him "Would you do anything to have her back?" Hyunda tilted his posture forward and looked at Daniel with his white wide open dead-serious eyes.

    Stunned and unsure how to even begin to formulate an answer to that question, Daniel took three seconds to answer.

    "Dude, I am not in the fucking mood for one of your sick twisted fucking jokes, Hyunda..." Daniel''s veins twitched as he put on a killer''s face "Good to know. Now, answer the question." Hyunda didn''t back down which further confused Daniel "Yeah. Anything. There, happy?" Unable to understand Hyunda''s question, Daniel sighed in hopelessness "Great." Hyunda simply said.

    Silence hit the room once again, and Daniel felt the urge to speak to Hyunda, somewhat revolted.

    "What was that?" He asked "What do you mean?" Hyunda answered, now with his posture leaned back into the chair "You just asked me if I would do anything to have her back, like what was the purpose of that question? Are you mocking me?" Daniel felt instigated and Hyunda clarified "No, I just needed to know if you had the resolve." Hyunda, once again, spoke a sentence that would provoke the question "Resolve for what?" Daniel couldn''t help but ask.

    Hyunda took a deep breath and then went to his wallet on the backside of his white pants.

    There, he took out four different ID cards.

    He gave one to Daniel, who was brutally perplexed by what he was even supposed to draw from this.

    "This is your ID. Hajime Hyunda. Yeah, what about it?" Daniel gave back Hyunda''s ID card and Hyunda gave him another ID card "This looks old... Ted Bundy? Wait, I know this guy. What the hell? You have his ID? Nah, you simply replicated it. Why though?" Daniel was given another ID card by Hyunda "Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin? Okay, now you''re being ridiculous!" Daniel laughed and then Hyunda handed him the last ID card "Osama... Bin Laden...?" Daniel was mildly stunned for a bit.

    Hyunda retrieved the last ID card and then put them all on the desk table for Daniel to see.

    "Here is a pop quiz. If, chronologically speaking, I could be any of them, which one would I possibly be?" Hyunda made Daniel get up as he went to the desk "That''s a pretty absurd question... Obviously, theoretically speaking, in order for you to be one of them, it would have to be outside of the life span of another one." Daniel was grasping something key here "For example..." Daniel grabbed Hyunda''s ID card and Osama Bin Laden''s and compared them "You couldn''t have been Bin Laden because you were born on December 7th, 2004. Bin Laden died on May 2nd, 2011." Daniel deducted.

    Hyunda didn''t say anything and allowed Daniel to continue.

    "Stalin died on March 5th, 1953. There is an absurd year difference between his death date and your birth date. So I suppose, since your timelines don''t collide, it''s a possibility." Daniel then grabbed Ted Bundy''s ID and made a small thesis "Bundy died on January 24th, 1989, the year difference between his death and your birth date is fifteen years, so if I had to guess, Bundy would be the person who you were." Daniel finalized his speech but said something in addition as he put down Ted Bundy''s card "But what''s the point of that ridiculous question? We both know that you are Hajime Hyunda. You weren''t any of them, as far as you know. We don''t have knowledge about our past lives if there is such a concept." Daniel went back to his bed, a bit less depressed now and laid back.

    Hyunda remained silent for a while and then, after collecting all of the ID cards, confessed something.

    "Those are all me, Daniel." Hyunda said and then continued "At some point in their lives, I was able to modulate by consciousness by linking with my ID and Soul, thanks to the leader''s help. Through that process, I was able to take control of three ordinary people''s lives and made them historical figures." Hyunda didn''t show any signs of stopping "Wh---" And so he went on, despite Daniel wanting to speak up "I didn''t always remain in them, but I was the one who essentially performed all their infamous acts. I created the Gulag, I allowed the Soviet Union to starve from 1932 all the way to 1933 and yet again later, from 1946 to 1947. Not to mention the Katyn massacre; now that was hard to forget." Hyunda laughed as Daniel formed a silence "I was the one who raped and feasted on the bodies of multiple girls as Ted Bundy; but once my consciousness was modulated out and he was asked about his crimes, he had no choice but to deny it, because he really had no idea what had happened, even though he vividly remembered everything. Years later, I went back and confessed the crimes in other for me to be notoriously famous." Hyunda confessed.

    Cracking his knuckles fingers, Hyunda said one last bit.

    "But I wanted to do something more extreme. Something that was clearly evil and beyond repair. In May 2008, the leader transferred my consciousness into Bin Laden''s brain via the same process of the ID and Soul, and I firmly took hold of Osama Bin Laden''s identity. I was the one who orchestrated the Twin Towers incident. Quickly after, I was modulated out of Osama Bin Laden''s body and then someone from the organization put me in a four-year-old''s body belonging to a boy named Hajime Hyunda." Hyunda finished at last.

    Sighing over his extremely bland and complicated explanation nevertheless, Hyunda spoke to Daniel, who was unaware of whether or not this was all a joke.

    "Hey, Daniel. I''m just joking!" Hyunda opened a smile and laughed "HAHAHA!!" He spun on the desk''s chair and continued laughing until he thought it was alright to stop "The fuck... You''re weird!" Daniel seriously said to Hyunda, to which, he got somewhat hurt "The hell? It was just a joke. I was just trying to brighten up your mood, Daniel. I''m your friend, so I thought about making a huge joke to brighten you up. And it somewhat worked." Hyunda spoke his intention to Daniel "............." Unsure of what to say due to what was just told to him, Daniel found it hard to speak.

    Somehow, Daniel didn''t think that was a joke at all. Even if, out of everyone alive on this planet, a grand majority would pass it as a joke---the fact that Hyunda''s eyes were dead-serious, made Daniel say one simple question.

    "That wasn''t a joke, wasn''t it?" Daniel''s eyes opened wide and Hyunda''s smile became wicked "There is an empty seat. Our organization is very selective with its members. Though we have a large number of our members, the selection trial is one made with a person like me---I''m a judge. I offer trials and if the person can finish the trials; the person is in." Hyunda spoke seriously "This is information I shouldn''t tell you because you haven''t given me your saying on whether or not you want to try out but... Our next exam will be conducted on a deserted island. However, that deserted island is actually one of our superbases in the making. Almost a century was put into building it and trillions; possibly far more, was put into it." The details were now passed on to Daniel.

    Feeling like he wasn''t giving enough information, despite not necessarily needing to give it, Hyunda offered more words.

    "I will say something very obvious by now: this entire program, although funded by various economic sources, its ownership lies within one source. You were told that the government is endorsing this program to counterattack criminality all over the world, but haven''t you noticed how lackluster it truly is? How easily it can be swindled? That''s not a coincidence, Daniel. That''s all I can say." Hyunda said "What does that mean?! I thought the Japanese government was the one in control of the program. Also, all over the world? So there is more?!" Daniel fired a barrage of questions at Hyunda, to which, he shrugged "Figure it out by yourself, Daniel. Anyway, I need to know, actually. Because the exam starts tomorrow. I want to know whether or not, you want to be a part of our organization." Hyunda got to the critical point.

    Daniel leaned back even further and looked up at the semi-bright ceiling.

    He took a deep inhale and then erupted his posture back up.

    "How does all of this connect with Yulia? Unless you give me detailed information about how I can greatly benefit from this, I won''t show further interest. I want evidence as well." Daniel made his cold demands, to which, Hyunda knew that this was the turning point, and as such, he spared no quarter "I can only give you absolute concrete evidence on the island. Do you want to wait or do you want to trust my words?" Hyunda offered the truth in the form of a question.

    Knowing that he couldn''t get the evidence right away, Daniel was about to withdraw his interest.

    However, at the same time, he couldn''t shake off the thought of Hyunda, somehow, being relatively serious. What would Hyunda gain from instigating this far---Daniel thought to himself yet he couldn''t arrive at a plausible conclusion that would justify all this stretching.

    "I''ll listen for now." Daniel offered his consent and Hyunda took out another phone; this time a burner and started dialing a number "There is another member from the organization in our class." Hyunda put the burner on his right ear "It''s Sagasuga." Hyunda told Daniel "Sagasuga?! Wait, you''re serious?" Daniel asked, nervous "Yup. I''m calling him now---oh, hey man." Sagasuga picked up from the other side, but Hyunda asked something to Daniel first "Is it alright if he comes in? He knows a lot about what you want to know." Hyunda asked Daniel.

    Daniel looked at Hyunda displeased and unhappy about this manipulation on his part.

    "Fine... Just tell him to be here fast----" A door knocking immediately was heard "You''re kidding me." Daniel looked at his door, which was locked "Nope." Hyunda said as Daniel went to check who it was on his door.

    A simple unlocking revealed Sagasuga, who was wearing a white uniform shirt with a red tie in black uniform pants alongside stark novel black shoes.

    "Hello." He simply said with a smile to Daniel "............" Daniel didn''t bother to say anything back and allowed Sagasuga to walk into Daniel''s minimally bright room.

    Sagasuga looked at Hyunda for a bit and then asked something to Daniel.

    "Can I have a seat?" Sagasuga pointed at the border right side of Daniel''s bed "Sure." Daniel didn''t deny it "Thank you." Sagasuga made himself at home and Hyunda took the lead as soon as Daniel got back to his bed''s edge "He''s a certified trialist, but he wants to know how exactly it is possible to do the process and just how it is possible." Hyunda explained to Sagasuga---who put his right hand on his chin "Hm..." He readied his speech as he looked at Daniel "Yulia?" He simply asked "...Yes." Daniel gave him the confirmation.

    In order to give a more thorough and succinct explanation to Daniel, Sagasuga pulled out a digital gadget in the form of a modern phone and what unraveled was a gadget that could split itself into two, so Sagasuga used one half while pointing the other half to the white wall.

    "What the..." As Daniel looked at the wall, he saw a video being played "This is a representation of how a person''s body or just a simple blood sample is one of the many factors to enhance our rebirth process! This isn''t something that is made to bring someone dead back to life---no, this is about creating particles from a dead person and putting that person''s entirety into a new, similar body!" The lady in the video explained as she extracted a blood sample through a syringe from the dead body on the autopsy table "She''s so unnecessarily cheerful about it, what a psycho." Hyunda commented "She''s got her own flare into it." Sagasuga gave a compliment instead.

    Right now, Daniel''s vision is occupied with watching a video clip of one of the organization''s members as she extracts blood from a dead person''s body; which is a male''s body.

    The girl in the video, who has semi-long black hair that is split into six tails that go down; each upholding a light ball where the end of each hair''s tail remains, continued to explain.

    By grasping an orange tube from the machine on the left side of the body; she performed the next movement by impaling the frontal side of the body''s skull.

    "Now that the blood itself is extracted, we need to gather more components. There isn''t necessarily an order to this---all you need is to make sure that you gather the fundamental components! Like, for example, the soul!" She tucked out the orange tube from the dead body''s brain and poured the orange liquid onto a small flask alongside a flask containing the body''s blood "God, she''s sloppy." Hyunda once again commented "And now..." She continued to perform the task, to which Daniel was paying a lot of attention, but Sagasuga decided to pause the video.

    He looked at Daniel while facepalming a bit.

    "This is an outdated demonstration because it''s necessary for there to be a double blood extraction here. From a dead body and a live body. However, it can''t be from two people who aren''t the ones that you intend to use the process on. For example, if we are talking about Yulia, given that she''s not alive anymore, there has to be an extraction of her dead body''s blood. Naturally, there has to be an extraction from a live body. It should be mentioned Daniel, that in this process, having two people from the same gender, will greatly benefit the process because the compatibility will be higher." Sagasuga finished and went back to playing the video.

    Daniel wanted to complain about how Yulia''s body was out of his reach and that extracting her blood was something that he had no idea how was done, but he thought that there had to be a core reason as to why Hyunda and Sagasuga were demonstrating all of this, knowing that very well.

    "Now, one of the most crucial components to extract is the ID! The ID is something that has to be mixed with the blood and soul liquids!" The girl took a soul liquid flask and poured a bit of the liquid into an empty flask and then poured a bit of the blood flask "And now we do a little bit of mixture...!!" She sounded overly excited about the process "Done! That''s how you obtain the ID liquid! But wait because we are not done here!" She takes ahold of the ID flask "Since we have managed to obtain the ID, we need to actually mixture the ID liquid with the soul liquid!" She explained.

    After a mixture of the vermillion liquid, which was the color of the ID alongside the soul liquid, which was orange---a bright liquid with a fading gray color was created.

    "This is the Ego liquid! Very crucial if you want the person to have a sense of identity!" Daniel''s eyes widened and Sagasuga paused "Daniel, by now, you should notice that in order to get this far into the process, the two absolutely necessary components are---" Daniel interrupted Sagasuga "The person''s blood---regardless of alive or dead---if dead, then a live body''s blood; preferably from the same gender due to a higher ratio of compatibility and ultimately by then, you can extract the soul liquid with that tube and the rest can be mixtured." Daniel, so focused on the screen, could not spare a glance at Sagasuga nor Hyunda "You missed something here, Daniel." Hyunda called Daniel out "Huh?" Hyunda laughed a bit at his aloofness "She doesn''t explain it, but the blood that is from the live body should only be extracted if the person who is alive has the thought, the will, to allow someone else to be born through this process." Hyunda spoke words that didn''t make sense to Daniel.

    Sagasuga figured that Daniel should continue to watch instead of paying attention to Hyunda''s examples.

    "There are a lot more processes into the rebirth program, but as long as you have all these components here..." The girl in a white long laboratory type of gown pointed at the five components that had been created "There is no body on this planet that can''t be recreated if you have these components!" Sagasuga added something to the explanation to Daniel "You can see that there are five flasks; the first two are the dead body''s blood and the live body''s blood. Before we kill our test subjects, we extract their live blood, Daniel." Sagasuga allowed Daniel to continue watching "And now, we will finalize the process by----" Hyunda got up and gave an order to Sagasuga "Stop. That''s enough." He demanded the video to be halted.

    Sagasuga exited the video and united his gadget once again; placing it back into his right pocket.

    "Wait, why did we stop?! I need to know the results! Let me see how the transformation is done!" Daniel immediately complained but Hyunda and Sagasuga had a say in the matter.

    Hyunda went first.

    "Daniel, any further and we are entering very sensitive territory. So far, this is all speculation. You have not seen definite proof." Daniel argued against his point "Wasn''t the point to give me proof so I can pledge my loyalty to the trials?!" Hyunda corrected him "No, it was not. This is a sneak peek. If you do decide to join the trials, you will learn more. Think of this as a tutorial. You have your free walkthrough but now it''s over. And now the screenplay is asking you: Do you wish to continue?" Hyunda put it in a way that was easy for anyone to understand.

    Feeling as if Hyunda was a bit too harsh and direct, Sagasuga decided to speak in his own manner of speech.

    "Can I say something?" Sagasuga asked Daniel''s permission to speak "........" He didn''t say anything though he looked at Sagasuga as if to say "Go ahead" "It may sound suspicious and anyone, at first, grows skeptical about it since we are talking about something that is highly unlikely, but, I think there is a lot for you in this. Should you succeed in the trials and enter the organization, you will start at the lower ranking, which is F." Hyunda looked at Sagasuga "Why not? The more he knows the better, right?" Sagasuga said that to Hyunda to which, Hyunda shrugged "Your ranking is determined by how many missions you have taken on successfully. Needless to say, but, if you do extremely well in the entrance trials, you may obtain some alluring rewards for your hard work. Like, for example..." Sagasuga looked deeply into Daniel.

    A stormy wind outside passed through momentarily in short transience.

    "A session with the leader could prove to be highly beneficial if you ever plan on retrieving Yulia''s body..." Daniel got up and locked his two hands on Sagasuga''s shoulders "You mean it?! You''re not just saying that?! I can get her body back in order to extract her blood?! As long as I get a session with the leader...?!" Exulted, smiling while desperate, Daniel applied force to Sagasuga''s shoulders, but he didn''t seem to mind the physical agitation "Of course. However... The leader is only interested in those that excel at missions... If you fail the trials then..." Hyunda finished the phrase for Sagasuga "Then you can ever forget about trying to bring her back, Daniel." He closed his eyes as he delivered the truth to Daniel.

    Uniting his needs with his newfound goal, Daniel didn''t hesitate to say his true thoughts on the matter, to Hyunda and Sagasuga.

    "I''ll do it. I''ll do anything to get her back. No matter what they ask me to do, I will do it." Daniel affirmed with absolute unwavering confidence "There we go." Hyunda spoke out loud "Very nice. Once on the island, Hyunda will give you starting training for you to complete the trials. In one week, you will have to know, by memory, the full extent of the island and the hidden places of it." Sagasuga got up from the bed "Hidden places...?" Daniel grew skeptical as Sagasuga was leaving the room "Don''t mind it, Daniel. If you put your mind to it, it''s a walk in the park." Sagasuga said as he left the room "Later." He said to both Daniel and Hyunda.

    Now alone with Hyunda, Daniel let out a small laugh as he flopped into his bed.

    "...Seriously...? Holy shit, all this time, I..." Daniel was surprised by the fact that Hyunda and Sagasuga were hiding such secrets "My advice? Get as much sleep as you can and------Here." Hyunda tossed a silver pill case containing multiple pills "Xanax?" Daniel was already taking a few in order to fight his depression "A more potent version. I asked an acquaintance to give you a stronger version so you could perform better in the upcoming trials. They take about five minutes to kick in, but they only last one hour. If you take one, your mind will become authentically clear. You will feel like something akin to a God." Hyunda told Daniel "...Like a God...?" Interested, Daniel wanted to know more "Yeah. It will also help you concentrate and any unnecessary thoughts will be... dispelled, to say the least." Hyunda got up from the chair.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Without saying anything, Hyunda attempted to walk out of the room, but not before giving Daniel one last thing.

    Tossing a syringe with an orange liquid inside; Hyunda gave Daniel something that he wasn''t sure whether or not he should have given him.

    "What''s this...?" Daniel knew from first glance what color the liquid resembled "Inject it at the worst possible time. It''s against the rules to offer more than what it''s established, so don''t ever let Sagasuga know about it." Leaving the room, Hyunda left it at that.

    Speechless, Daniel looked at his two hands; in his left one, he had a capsule full of pills---about sixty to seventy---but on his right hand''s open palm, he had a syringe filled with a mythical orange liquid.

    He felt more confident than ever, and with a grin, he declared it to himself.

    "Just you wait... No matter what it is, I will win...!" His eyes lit up a rekindling fire.

    However, warping back into the present time---Daniel is lying on the ground while surrounded by four dead bodies.

    Falling victim to a false death play, Daniel''s right calf was bleeding out of control due to Jyouhara''s deceitful stab. Furthermore, Daniel deducted that this was all orchestrated by Yoh as he figured that since Yoh would be Daniel''s primal target---he would unconsciously place a lower priority on a nobody like Jyouhara.

    "...Damn it...!!!!!" Gritting his teeth, Daniel tried to erupt his posture just a little back up "...AAGGHHH!! AHHHH...!!!" Feeling the absurd physical pain and strain from his right calf, Daniel noticed that he could barely walk and his levels of pain tolerance were obviously hindered.

    A mortal reminder came to Daniel''s mind as he, with all of his strength, though weak and somewhat depleted----went to his middle belt for a specific syringe.

    "A-Ahhhh....!!" Having trouble grasping the syringe, Daniel couldn''t properly hold it so the syringe fell on the ground "Oh for fuck''s sake...!! Just calm down... Calm down, Daniel..." He tried to ignore the massive physical pain as he reached out to the fallen syringe on the right side of the area, slowly.

    Slowly but surely, without applying too much pressure but nevertheless feeling like hell, Daniel was able to take possession of the syringe. Now lifting it up into the air, Daniel pierced his right leg''s calf and went straight to the fibula head''s core; which provoked a painful scream from Daniel.

    "AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHH!!!" With his nerves on fire and veins popping in his body suddenly, Daniel felt like he was going to die "DAMN.... IT...!!! JUST.... FUCKING.... HOLD IT....!!" In the hope of the liquid''s effect kicking in soon, Daniel kept on emitting saliva mixed with dark blood from his mouth onto the ground as he greeted further "AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!" But the pain didn''t decrease; as a matter of fact, Daniel was feeling tremendously more in pain.

    If Daniel previously, right before feeling the effect of the liquid kicking in, felt like he was going to die----then right now, just as his body is expelling as much saliva as it can; his skin so hot from the blood in turmoil from within----he felt like he was being stabbed by staggering spears all over his body. His vitals felt like the most fragile thing and his entire body was the equivalent of gelatine to him.

    Midst all of his screams that resembled that of a horrified individual who was about to be face to face with death itself; via his nervous system---Daniel was able to hear a voice, now that the effect was kicking in.

    This voice seemed somewhat robotic but it had a human organic feeling to Daniel.

    An orange hologram manifested in front of Daniel first, and he started to see two feet walking forward just through his narrow vision.

    "Tibia and Fibia bones--- highly damaged. Healing protocol cannot be engaged---please direct yourself to the nearest recovery station within the holy mountain of Vega. I know this might be painful, dear customer, but your injury is sustainable; at the cost of itself, however." A white female robot completely lacking in clothes whatsoever, spoke in Daniel''s direction "W-Who are you?! Agh!!" Still in pain, Daniel asked nonetheless "Shit, am I hallucinating from all the pain?!" Daniel thought to himself.

    Intercepting this particular brainwave, the robot, was quick to dismiss any misunderstandings.

    "I am master Adam''s guide; Euporia---though I exist in temporal realms through my voice alone, since you have inducted yourself with a soul liquid particle, I have gained form for only you to see me. Dear customer, Daniel Lead, understand this: your physical state is in great danger. Your entirety ever since you''ve injected yourself with the soul liquid has unleashed a toxic agent on your body." Daniel was mindblown by the news "W-What....?! Hyunda..." He started to despair "Fear not, dear customer Daniel Lead. The station is not far. Should you wish to live and evolve a stage further; as well as upholding massive advantage in the remaining of your journey to the end of the trials; I believe it would be wise to follow my track to the most nearby recovery station." Euporia stopped looking at Daniel and started to descend down the great spiral which would ultimately lead all the way below.

    Crawling in despair; with red skin as his life barely hung on, Daniel had a lingering thought that always kept him going.

    <hr>

    The remaining sixteen girls, by now, through the mythical and surreal spiral staircase that contained about a hundred turnarounds, had finally arrived at the very bottom of the grand spiral stairway.

    Greeted with a massive lack of light, they could only guide themselves through their phone''s lanterns. However, most of them, if not all of them, were actually making a video about what they had just seen; from all the way to the beginning of the spiral stairway to where they are now.

    "It appears that we have reached the destination! Remember, ever since we got here, we have been only going as down as we possibly can!" Rikuha spoke eagerly to the camera, but was terrified as she wandered in the darkness alongside her female classmates "Huh? Hey, what is that?" A girl from the party, upon stumbling on something, in the midst of the darkness, alerted the rest "What do you----GYAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Screams of horror were unleashed by multiple people present as all the flashing lights were aimed at a single conjunction.

    Two male dead bodies who had suffered clearly brutal deaths, were on display on the cold ground. Clear grievous wounds inflicted and anguished faces were all the girls could see.

    "That''s Yoshi and Kokoni!" Lyku gasped as she felt horrified by that sight "That fucking psychopath has killed them, oh God! We need to hurry!!" Further panic was being created by the girls "HELLLOOOOOO?! IS ANYONE OUT THERE?!" Lulu, the holder of the ax; this section''s component, with her phone recording all of this, let out that scream.

    However, no answer came forward.

    "You''re kidding me... Just where are we supposed to go...!?" They started to panic a bit "Save it, will you?! We can''t let their sacrifice be in vain! Spread out and find anything that indicates a way forward!" Lulu gave the general order and they shortly after came to a consensus.

    With no guidance as a whole and out in the blind; hoping for some clue, the girls managed themselves via artificial light from their phones. Noticeably, they found a pile of bodies that they recognized since they were the ones that were tasked with the mission of stalling out for time earlier. Furthermore, there were some indications of a faint orange light below.

    This faint glowing orange light was noted by Takahima, one of the girls in the group, as she looked at the ground and found a gigantic five-metered eye on the ground, horizontally, which was emitting an orange aura from it.

    "What the..." Takahima, upon finding herself with two other girls, walking over the iris of an eye lying on the dark ground, alerted the rest by yelling "Everyone, come and take a look at this!" Many heard her "We are on the south side! Try to follow our voice!" This wasn''t of much help, but it was enough for every one of them to be reunited on the south side of the unknown area, five minutes later.

    Once together and with their lights focused, they captured the sight of a wide open eye on the ground with its retina covering about eighty-five of the center, but nevertheless, the eye itself contained a wide two meters in space in-between the retina and the corners of it, both from left to right.

    There was noticeable orange glittering emitting from it, but it all got stronger the more they looked at the retina itself.

    "Yoh said that if we followed the eye it would lead us to..." Kei reminded everyone of Yoh''s words yet as of now, the retina remains at the very center; thus unlike most eyes they''ve encountered, it wasn''t suggesting any direction whatsoever "Want to get into the center of it...?" Sabrina suggested albeit paranoid "No way... It''s probably a bomb... Think about it..." Suggestions were made.

    However, against the common fear in the atmosphere; while holding the ax, Lulu jumped off to the center just like a frail little girl who was forced to jump to a frozen pool in the middle of the cold winter.

    "....!!!" Lulu noticed something midst the retina "It opened?! Wait, but it was just a bit!" Lulu made a comment in regard to how, for a split second, she felt that her body was being shaken.

    This was due to the fact that when Lulu got on top of the retina, the circular oval figure of the retina, opened sideways albeit just very slightly.

    "Wait, maybe it needs more people to open it...?" Higashima said to Lulu as she focused on recording everything that was happening, now that there was a radius of light "Let''s try it, one at a time. I''ll go with Kei and we''ll see just how much it opens." Lulu and Kei, at the same time, hopped onto the retina meanwhile everyone else stayed back.

    For over two seconds, the retina''s center opened for about fifty centimeters wide and during that time, everyone focused their lights onto what was below.

    Lulu and Kei, both on different sides of the retina, were united back again because after those two seconds, the retina went back to normal. Nonetheless, what they saw down there was a huge indicator.

    "I saw it!" Loud and overjoyed opinions started to flourish "Guys, did you see that?!" Mainly speaking, they were also talking to the people who they hoped would see the video one day, respectfully "Stairs! It leads down below, just like a cave!! Quick, we need to all get on top of the retina!" Lulu immediately ordered all of them as she saw a way forward.

    There was no doubt about it. What the girls just saw was the glimpse of an illuminated downward staircase that would go further down below and unlike this area; it was brimming with artificial light. And given that all they had to do was stay on the retina and hop onto the stairway below which is by all means not distant from the floor at all, they all went for it.

    But...

    "Oh... We don''t all fit inside it?" About six girls couldn''t fit inside the retina and as such, Lulu was somewhat forced to make a decision "It''s alright! We''ll go ahead first and after it closes, you guys do the same just like we did, how about it?" Lulu and the other eight girls now on the stairs below, talked to the six girls who were no longer in their vision "Alright, wait up then!" A cooperation was therefore made.

    Feeling comfortable in the face of artificial light from the top ceiling of the cave----which is essentially a rocky cave with the resemblance of an enclosed mine site but on the top, after three meters, there are orange horizontal lights spread forward in order to give illumination----Lulu and the others looked into the linear path ahead of them and the sideway myriad of tubes that are emitting an orange liquid which is flowing through them to the end of the path as well.

    "Huh? Why isn''t it opening?!" A girl from the latter group, Jossie, complained that the same trick did not work "What do you mean?! Just get into the eye and it will open! Come on!" Lulu, not understanding Jossie''s complaint, demanded her to hurry up "Damn it, I''m telling you, Lulu, it''s not working!" Jossie got mad "Wait, maybe it''s because you are holding the ax?" Higashima spoke out loud; everyone could hear her, even the ones above "What?" Lulu didn''t connect the dots "That''s it! That''s why it''s not working! The component has a power on the gimmicks in the area!" Calandra claimed.

    Slightly wrong regardless, but being in the possession of the component itself is enough. There is no such necessity, just like some were claiming. However, it was a sufficient spark for them to know that the component wielder had been allocated to a place where she couldn''t make her return to the top.

    "I can''t get up! The retina has closed! There must be a manual way to get to where we are!" Lulu offered a suggestion though nervous about the fact that they were technically trapped us stairs "Goddamn it! If only----" Jossie''s speech was cut short after hearing something profoundly loud.

    Jossie''s screamed her life out as a machine gun firing erupted in the atmosphere, setting chaos onto everyone present above.

    "GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" Screams of horror and lifepleading phrases were being made, as Lulu and the rest, had absolutely no idea what was going on, but one thing was clear "That was gunfire...!! He''s here...!!!" Higashima, terrified, started to wet herself despite being on her foot, as well as placing her two hands on both of the sides of her shaking head.

    Abandoning all hope in the face of agonizing screams that would be otherwise described as nightmare material; Lulu gave one order to the rest, out of her utter selfishness.

    "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES AND LEAVE THEM TO DIE, WE MUST PLACE THE AX IN ITS PLACE!!" Lulu took the lead as the gunfire above went on "NOOOOOO!!! NO, PLEASE, I''LL DO ANYTHING YOU WA----" Another round of gunfire was opened; Lulu''s group panicked as much as possible whilst recording everything in spite of that while running forward "Ohmygodohmygodohmygo----" One of the girls, Craylia, was speaking so fast, she accidentally bit her tongue "Can he get in here if they couldn''t though?!" Kei raised a legit question "I don''t know! I hope not, damn it! Oh God...!!!" Lulu gave her honest answer as they continued to run for it.

    The fact that the gunfire sounds weren''t as noisy as before but nevertheless noticeable, meant that they were indeed getting further away from the actual horror scene---in other words, despite running a linear path in a cave with no clear destination in mind due to a tremendous lack of territorial knowledge; they were making some progress.

    "Why is this happening to us?! Who thought this was right?! We are innocent, aren''t we?! We haven''t done anything wrong to the point of deserving something as brutal as this, haven''t we?!" Higashima began to vent while running; filming the whole horror escape though her phone''s camera was unbalanced from all the moving "I knew we shouldn''t have trusted Ryousuke Kawahara! They must''ve planned all of this together!! What the hell were we thinking?! Now we''re going to die, ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!" Rikuha started to cry as well as spill snot from her nose due to her inner stress.

    Mid all of this mental havoc; Lulu found up ahead, after traveling six hundred meters ahead---an eye on the ground that was placed on the ground, just like the rest of the other eyes. But this eye had its retina all the way to the right and it was also the indicator that there was another path to the right, but the path forward continued.

    "The eye is pointing at the right, we have to go to the right!" Lulu stuck with the same plan as it has proven to be successful before and as such, they all crossed the intersection to the right side "Oh... my fucking..." Rikuha gasped right before entering the correct intersection.

    A fading wry smile from afar, on the very end of the linear path they were just walking on, greeted them from afar.

    "OH GOD, OH GOD, OH MY GOD!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" Rikuha screamed out of her lungs and the others did not even bother questioning why, they simply knew "THE EYES! WE ARE AHEAD OF HIM FOR NOW, SO COME ON!" Lulu spouted the most optimistic thing she could hope for.

    The liquid flowing through the sideline tubes indicated a large quantity of something that was being highly fabricated at the end of the line.

    For over thirty seconds, they ran in sheer dread but then came a puzzle for them.

    "You''re kidding me! At a time like this! I don''t have time for this!" Lulu panicked as she gripped the ax in her ax; while thinking about actually using it to kill the one that is instigating their progress "What do we do?!" All eyes were on Lulu as she had to figure out something right away.

    Right now, they are facing a three-way path; but the most complicated thing is the fact that there are three eyes, and not just one, at the entrance of each of the three paths. Their retinas are fully on the north side which indicates that they must go forward.

    However, the question is simply, which to follow. And in addition to that, what happens should this be a trap?

    Lulu came up with a drastic "solution" to this conundrum.

    "We are nine so... If we divide our numbers, we make three groups of three and hope for the best..." Lulu proposed but she was met with displease "Huuuuh?! A split?! You''re not serious, are you, Lulu?!" Craylia disagreed with Lulu''s decision but she held her ground "There is no time! He will go after one of us regardless, if we stay in a group, our chances of surviving are lower, Craylia!" Lulu knew she was essentially suggesting that one of the groups, therefore, at random, would be a scapegoat "FUCK YOU!" Craylia started to cry while moving her arms in an aggressive manner.

    Then a short silence hit the atmosphere and in that transient moment, they could all hear a loud one-two footsteps from not so far away.

    "...I''m so sorry... I was never prepared for this, so I''ll just do this my way..." Lulu looked down on the floor, without facing any of her group mates "Huh?" They could not understand her words, but as soon as they saw Lulu, independently running away forward on her own, they knew what she was up to "I''M SORRY, BUT I DON''T WANT TO DIE! I''VE DONE WHAT I COULD!" Lulu began to physically strive even further as her group mates lagged behind still in shock "HEY! WAIT, WHAT ABOUT THE SPLIT?!" Still curious about that, Rikuha asked Lulu from afar, but no response came forward "...I''m going to the right side! He can''t catch us all at once for sure!" Craylia, now resoluted into actually splitting firmly said.

    Despite their initial fight, as Lulu was quick to make up her mind, they ultimately all decided to abandon Lulu. Lulu followed the central path and instead of any of them accompanying Lulu, they split each other into two groups of four. The right side path''s group consisted of: Crylia, Takahima, Rikuha, and Lyku. As for the left side path''s group, it was made of: Higashima, Sabrina, Kei, and Malava.

    The nature of the three paths that had unknown destinations were all the same: the ground was covered in white steel but the walls were made out of at least twenty tubes on each side---the orange-colored liquid constantly flowing forward at an alarming speed and the top was covered with a triple row of artificial lights that allowed clear illumination; contrasting the prior atmosphere''s. The air was fairly chilly but nothing too oppressive. There was, however, the noticeable noise that grew louder as they advanced though they knew not why.

    Arriving late to the three-path intersection, Daniel was holding a mini-gun capable of firing at least four bullets per press, on both of his hands.

    His black clothes, soaked in blood and even his own sweat made him stand out but there was no one in sight.

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh......" In pain still, with blood on his hands, literally as well as blood dripping down from the top of his head all the way to his face, Daniel looked at his right lower calf "It''s so weird. My body and my brain---they can''t keep up with it; it''s clearly so advanced that it fucks up my rhythm!" Daniel complained about his new achievement through a necessary sacrifice "It immediately processes my subconscious indication of wanting to go forward and moves at least thrice as fast as my other leg..." He subconsciously wished to step forward with his right leg, but even before he was able to reach to the conclusion or the mid part of that thought alone, his leg was already forward "What the fuck?! Holy shit, hahaha!!" Daniel was losing time but he was enjoying this newfound feeling "What the hell is this?!?!!?" He was upholding a delirious behavior.

    Aside from that, Daniel did try to remember something as he alternated in-between watching the three intersections.

    He placed his right bloody palm while holding the minigun nevertheless, in the lower part of his face, in seemingly deep thought and then looked up, trying to remember it.

    "That''s weird. I can''t remember it. I know for a fact that I''ve been here before because Hyunda told me to learn about the secret sections of the island, but I, for some reason, can''t remember the way forward from here. This is a soul liquid fabric, that I know. I also know what lies beyond this, it''s very clear in my head, but... for a while now, I''m having trouble remembering the simplest of things..." Daniel couldn''t make sense out of why he was suddenly unable to remember it.

    It was bugging him. Very much to the point where he knew that he should hurry up and get on with his mission, but he wanted to make some sort of sense out of the situation.

    His newfound conclusion widened his eyes.

    "It must be side-effects. I''m arguably able to process things a bit faster than I was before. If I had to put it, it''s like I am able to skip the mid part of the comprehension part and simply absorb information and get to the end of it without having to digest it. But that goes against any sort of logical thinking though. Then, what does that make me?" Daniel came up with an answer "I am more advanced now; the liquid''s particles have infused with my nerves and the subatomic particles are flourishing with regenerative properties! It''s like I''m in the zone... However, as far as I can tell... I never knew all of those details, so how come I do now?" Daniel was taking quite the time with his self-monologue.

    Eventually, he decided to resume his spree.

    Pointing his right mini gun with his right hand firstly at the center, Daniel would alternate from right to left to left and then to the right and to the right; repeating this over and over as he sang a melody that he didn''t know he could even sing it to begin with.

    "Um-d��-li-t��, care de amendo��, um segredo colorido! Quem est�� livre, livre est��; em cima do piano est�� um copo de veneno---quem bebeu more, o azar foi mesmo teu!" Daniel''s minigun ended up placing on the left path''s intersection''s direction "Huuuuuuuuuuh?!" Daniel showed visible confusion to a high degree "How the fuck do I know that?! I don''t even know what language that''s from even, that''s so weird!" Daniel subsequently laughed as well "Ahahah... Oh well; better not keep them waiting too much now." Daniel advanced.

    By now, Higashima, Kei, Malava, and Sabrina had arrived at a new location. Through the end of the path, the way forward extended into a room in the shape of a pentagon. Its width was over a hundred meters and the height was of the same size too.

    "What... the... HELL... IS THIS?!" Malava, horrified at the current scenario, puked on the spot.

    This particular pentagon-shaped area was one of the breeding houses. Breeding houses are conjunctions of capsules that store human beings inside them. These capsules are on display on the top of the area''s ceiling; they are hanging like eggs from a cocoon. In essence, they are unified by the orange liquid tubes that travel all the way to the capsules and endorse the liquid into the property of the test subjects. However, as far as it can be seen, the human beings labeled as test subjects, are all dead and could entirely be described as rotting corpses.

    "They''re dead! This is so wrong! What the hell are we looking at?! Up there, in those capsules, there are dead human beings stored up!" Kei forgot to mention how the human beings have all lost their respective youth and resemble centuries in age.

    In theory, if a human being---a dead one---put in a machine that would enforce a process that would not allow the body to physically decay, it would nevertheless reach the appearance of someone whose body has lived on for that period exactly. So, if for example, there would be a human being stored in those capsules, whose body''s age resembles at least two centuries; it would look like something akin to a skinified skeleton with just a thread of life somehow hanging due to the decay blockage.

    It felt like they were watching a horror movie.

    "Hey..." Higashima looked behind and acknowledged a particular sound and a humming melody being sung with a medium-toned voice from afar "Holy shit! Quick!" Kei alerted the rest of the three and ran to the right side of the area.

    The ground area is covered with a myriad of electric control panels that require password entries; but since they are so many, they are useful in case someone needs to suddenly hide. That''s why the four of them went behind the dark gray-colored panels that were five meters in height. They are all located and placed in a horizontal manner, which means that their front and back are significantly larger than the sides; thus making them good for hiding.

    Breaths of anxiety; hands in their mouths just to make sure that no noise slips; watery tears bursting out of control; boggly eyes begging for mercy---and most importantly---steps.

    A normal human step forward and another that is by far, faster and alienated from the rest.

    "Because maybeeeeeeeeee..." Daniel, with his eyes closed, walked into the pentagon area "You''re gonna be the one that saves meeeeeee...! And after alllllll; you''re my wonderw------" He stopped humming once he looked into the hanging silver capsules from above; Higashima got on all four just so she could take a sneak peek at what Daniel looked like but most importantly, just where he was.

    Without speaking, she saw Daniel with his back turned against the four of them and thus, she retreated back into her initial position after curling her posture.

    Speaking very lowly, she talked to the other three though horrified and with a mental lump on her mind.

    "W-W-W-We.......n-need to.... wait until he is out of... reach.... and then..... we turn back..... and...." Tears and constant body shivers were getting in the way of her speech but she nonetheless tried her best "...Then w-we run and reunite with the... others...." Essentially; now aware that their group was, against fortune and favorable odds, they had no choice but to try to escape from this madness.

    Higashima saw Daniel with two miniguns earlier, so she is aware that facing him, is absolutely out of the question unless she intends to forfeit her life.

    Going back to see where Daniel was now, Higashima curled in all fours again and attempted to get a read on his position.

    "?!" He was nowhere in sight and this greatly haunted her.

    But not as much as what would happen next; which would make the heartbeat of the four of them, increase to a staggering degree.

    In a moment of silence, the lights in the area completely went out.

    "OH GO---------" Kei blocked her speech with her own two hands as she realized that the noise could allow Daniel to get some sort of clue about her position.

    At this point, whether they liked it or not, their sobbing and anxious inhaling was leaving a trail of noise. Combined four times, in the midst of pure silence, in a gigantic pentagon-shaped area; it wouldn''t be impossible to track it.

    Unable to see each other, they had to come up with something, as they would most likely fall prey to Daniel otherwise.

    "We have to turn back, now!" Malava spoke as low as she could "Drop the phones and turn off their lights or he''ll catch us!" Sabrina made the intelligent offer which they didn''t hesitate to do, even if it meant abandoning their mission of further recording; their lives were more important "Let''s grab each other''s hands and slowly walk out of here...!!" The four of them had trouble at first, but eventually, their hands were connected "Wait!" Kei told them to halt in order to hear Daniel''s footsteps.

    In such a hollow place with such a wide area, hearing the echo of someone''s footsteps was fairly possible.

    A normal footstep came forth.

    ".............." They held their breaths in anxiety because the footstep sound came from relatively closeby "........!!" A very, but VERY strong additional footstep was heard; feeling like a hammer had just hit the ground "Let''s get going! We need to go forward and then turn to the right for a couple of meters and then we will be able to go back!" Kei told them as low as she could.

    Without needing to verbally agree to what she had just said, they continued to move forward; though after a while, Higashima, who is leading them, hit with her head on the wall.

    "AGH---" She tapped her mouth as fast as possible but it was of no use, her loud scream was heard due to the pain inflicted---thus they halted their breaths and tried to hear Daniel''s footsteps "..............." They heard nothing, but they tried again "..........." Nothing again, which was odd to them.

    However, what was even more odd was the subsequent event.

    Suddenly, with an uprising sequence, the lights were all turned on, from north to south.

    "What the---" In a medium voice, Sabrina expressed her anxious surprise as they saw that they were in fact on the wall that was connected to the entrance they came from.

    But Daniel was not in their sight. On their right, they had a horizontal control panel heighting five meters and with just one meter of distance between the next one, there was another control panel on their northeast. Twenty more in total before they could reach the entrance.

    "Wait!" Higashima spoke as she tried to hear Daniel''s footsteps one more time "...But that''s..." She could not comprehend how there was no noise from him, which was deeply messing with her stress levels "...If he spots you, run for your lives..." She additionally said as they crawled on all fours toward the entrance; keeping maximum attention to the area around them---mainly north, northeast, and east--just so they could capture Daniel''s location.

    As they made their way, a light soft touch on Malava''s right shoulder made her posture turn to stone. She didn''t have to turn around to know. Just the acknowledgment and the fact that it was two taps from an index finger and the most crucial part of all---the knowledge that in front of her, there were three girls: Kei, Sabrina, and Higashima, made Malava try to scream and alert the three of them.

    But her neck was thoroughly snapped because Daniel simply put down the mini guns and used his two hands to send Malava a ticket to death''s door.

    "?!" They turned around and witnessed Daniel wearing a wry smile while on all fours "GYAAAAAAAAA---" Kei received three bullets to her brain and Daniel additionally shot Sabrina in her upper torso four times; leaving only Higashima, who retreated backward, panicking as Daniel erupted his posture; pointing his right mini gun at her "Nonononononononono----" She repeated herself as Daniel continued to slowly advance to her, but without showing signs of wanting to conquer her speed.

    His lack of verbal expression combined with his terrifying smile that had traits of charisma in it, were too much for Higashima to handle and so, she gave up on trying to run.

    Face to face with Daniel, knowing she could die the moment he pressed the trigger, she struggled to come up with words.

    "Take your time." Daniel said "?!" Confused, Higashima couldn''t figure out what was Daniel''s intent.

    Why was she being spared despite the fact that she was being held at gunpoint and the very fact that Daniel just a few seconds ago, mercilessly killed the three other girls but not her? Higashima didn''t know.

    Impulsive tears and hiccups came forth. Naturally, she wet herself too, but that couldn''t be helped.

    "Go on." Daniel gave her some encouragement "It''s before they die that they come up with all of the excuses to live. What I want is the real you. That''s all I ever want; this way, I actually get to know people better than most; they give their true selves to me and they die knowing they were understood." Daniel explained it with a small thesis "............" Stunned and somehow no longer showing signs of verbal struggle, it was as if Higashima had something to say to him.

    Higashima looked at Daniel''s black eyes and then spoke her true mind, knowing fully well, she was going to die.

    "Oh man. I''m going to die without ever knowing true love. But that''s not the worst part. The worst part is that you think that you will achieve it someday." She lightly laughed, but earned Daniel''s interest for a second "Explain." He ordered "...Huh?" Unaware of why she wasn''t dead yet, Higashima wasn''t expecting to deliver a follow-up "I don''t know, it''s intuition. I am confident that there is someone in your heart of hearts that you refuse to let go because you haven''t found true love. Because, who else does this...? You, just like any other, want to be loved, don''t you?" Higashima didn''t hesitate to speak her true mind once again.

    Daniel was momentarily shocked and then decided to stuff his miniguns into his central belt. Subsequently, he sat down on the floor mainly in the pool of blood that the other bodies were emitting.

    "You know, you''re right. I was tasked with killing everyone who walked into the secret areas of this island. This is one of them. The reason I''m doing this is because I want my girlfriend back. She killed herself." Higashima kept on listening while feeling a bit of sorry for Daniel as she judged that he was actually not lying "This is a trial. By killing you all, I pass the trials. So, let me ask you this: despite knowing this, why aren''t you hating me?" Daniel asked as his curiosity peaked.

    It was true. Though horrified and somewhat fearing for her death; Higashima wasn''t showing a violent hatred nor hatred at all toward Daniel like Youjo did, for example.

    "I don''t know..." She started to weep "You don''t?" Daniel asked "I mean... No one has ever been nice to me or wants to listen to me genuinely, so I like this moment right now, even if... guuuuuhhhhh" She weeped even further "Even if... I''m going to die, uaaaahhhhh!!" Her eyes closed as she cried; her mouth howling a cry in despair "See? It''s a genuine interaction. Wouldn''t you agree?" Daniel smiled, despite Higashima''s struggle "Yeah... Yeah. It''s one for sure. It''s just----" Daniel shot her in the brain; her body falling onto the cold ground forcefully.

    Daniel got up from the floor and went close to Higashima''s dead body.

    He grabbed her back and then allowed her body''s blood; mainly her head''s, to spread all over his clothes as he hugged her tightly.

    "Huh, you two really smell alike." Daniel sniffed her body thoroughly and then dropped her on the ground "Oh well. Now then..." Daniel had to make his move.

    Going over to the north side of the area, Daniel was in front of a mega computer with forty plasma screens all combined into one. This master computer allowed Daniel to gain access to the surveillance cameras implanted all over the holy mountain of Vega. This includes the outside area, the ruins, the great spiral staircase, the darker area where half of the girls were brutally murdered earlier, the path underneath with the tubes connecting, and the remaining two rooms to which the other paths lead.

    As of now, Daniel is watching a group of four girls exploring a room in the shape of a pentagon that has similar purposes to this one, except slightly different ones.

    "I enjoy coming up with ways to end their lives, so it pains me to do it like this..." Daniel sighed as he pressed the "Release toxic gas" button amidst the hundreds of buttons on the control table in front of him; located at his waist''s height "How overconfident though. To actually think they thought of getting out of here and somehow deliver evidence... In insight, that''s destructive for me, but they don''t know why... Anyways..." Daniel put the central room''s footage onto all the plasmas "I have to put it back in its place or else I can''t go forward..." Daniel pressed a button that said "Mania factory central" and slowly but surely, his body started to fade away from top to bottom, just like a hologram.

    Entering a room that is in an oval shape and lacking many features in general though blessed with a darker illumination, Daniel''s body began to form during the entrance now that the teleportation was complete.

    There was a focal point in this area; the center. The center is a massively tall five-meter width---with a towering eight-kilometer height---that upholds all the orange liquid contained within this section. If there was a power source, this would most likely be it. Aside from that, the oval area is covered with hundreds of tubes that connect the liquid all the way to the center, from all sides.

    Fairly hotter and lacking in cold, the temperature would surprise anyone. The low light and the only light source being the orange glowing liquid brimming tube at the center would be enough to detect someone around thanks to the stronger light.

    Right on the left side of the gigantic tube upholding all the liquid, there was a component box holder; where the respective component must be placed.

    Daniel''s vision became completely narrowed as he saw Lulu walking up to the box.

    He took aim at her with the intent to kill.

    Just as he was ready to commit to the action; a powerful shockwave to Daniel''s brain was emitted.

    "GAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" In extreme pain, Daniel crooked down his position and placed both of his hands which are being held with miniguns, on the two sides of his head "?!" Looking behind her, Lulu saw Daniel having a meltdown as well as his miniguns shooting bullets to the ceiling as he pressed them unknowingly "OH MY GOD, NO!" Seeing that Daniel was somehow not focused on her despite having lethal weapons in his possession; the fact that Daniel was bleeding from his eyes and mouth suddenly, told her that this was the chance.

    As Daniel unleashed a chain of terror screams that made Lulu''s heart skip several times, she went for it. While not noticing that the orange liquid within the tube was suddenly fluctuating and bursting in bubbles on the inside, Lulu paid that no mind and inserted the bottom of the ax in the semi-tall rectangular black box whose entry fit it with the ax.

    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!!! D-DAMN IT! NO, NO, NO!!" Daniel did his best as he attempted to physically move while fighting the sudden mental breakdown "THE SIDE EFFECTS, AT A TIME LIKE THIS?! YOU''VE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!!" Enraged, Daniel looked at Lulu who was recording everything on her phone, but more importantly, a vocal message would come forward shortly.

    A familiar robotic voice present in all sections, greeted the winner.

    "Dear customer; it is my honor to inform you that you, one of the beta testers of New Bavaria---have successfully terminated the trial of its seventh district." Lulu focused on this new information as Daniel was crawling; gritting his teeth in the process "As a reward, privileged access to the eighth district of New Bavaria has been granted. Would you wish to continue with your journey?" The voice asked "NO! NO! NO! NO!" Daniel, in agony, expressed his denial while aiming at Lulu with his right minigun.

    He fired shots but the migraine was so strong to the point of making him have to close his eyes as a mental trauma response which caused the bullets to go to the tube. However, the tube was unharmed; it was only extremely vivid for some reason.

    "YES! YES, TAKE ME TO THE NEXT STOP! ONLY ME!" Lulu, without hesitation, verbally decimated Daniel with her words "Understood. Please sit tight in the capsule; dear customer. Your trip to Alexandria will take off in ten seconds." The voice claimed.

    To Daniel''s despair, an opening on the ground was formed, right in front of the general tube and what appeared was no other than a capsule that resembled a car''s seat but it was covering Lulu with an impenetrable shield.

    "NOOOOO!!!" Daniel, with all of his strength, screamed and this time, didn''t fail to hit his target with his two miniguns.

    Except, despite the fact that his aim was right, the window''s shield did not allow the bullets to gain any effect.

    Never feeling so afraid for her life, Lulu cried and cried while shouting in horror as Daniel plummeted the shield with his miniguns'' bullets although to no avail.

    "Have a nice trip, dear customer. We hope Alexandria is to your liking." Emerging with the ground; the capsule holding Lulu, took her off to the next section right as she was recording all of this---thus leaving the area and Daniel with all the evidence "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" In a feat of rage, Daniel pulverized his fists on the ground; letting them bleed, the bones slowly shattering.

    Not only has Lulu escaped, but Daniel''s way of getting into the upcoming section is thoroughly blocked. The secret to these areas is that they require the key item to be inserted in the secret area. As far as secret areas go; they are hard to find and require a number of unknown factors in order to be accessible.

    From Daniel''s perspective, Lulu''s involvement meant that this entire place was leaked, but not only that; he had thoroughly lost to Yoh''s strategy.

    He could feel a heavy laughter at him somehow, from all the boys.

    Yet this was not what was bothering Daniel the most. The one thing that was occupying his mind was why he was feeling so much pain in his brain. He could not understand why, but the closer he was to the tube; or rather, the more he looked at it, the more his brain felt like it was undergoing an earthquake.

    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!" Daniel rolled on the ground and groveled in pain "THIS ISN''T A SIDE-EFFECT!!! IT''S THE DAMN TUBE!! ALL THIS FRICTION IS MELTING MY BRAIN!!" Daniel got to the core of the matter.

    Midst his physical and mental overbearing during the endeavor; an impertinent but lustful wisteria smell filled Daniel''s nostrils. Her slow confident steps toward Daniel from the entrance made him turn his head back to the entrance of the room as he tried to see who it was.

    "You''re toooooo close to the heart of it! That''s no good! No good at all! At this rate; the friction of it---just being near its presence, is gonna blow you away!" Although this was their first time meeting, Daniel recalled the voice from the video Sagasuga had shown earlier and it was all clear to him "You''re...!!" He finally caught a glimpse of her figure "Hellooooooooooooo thereeeeeeeee!!" She softly massaged Daniel''s face right cheek though filled with blood "My name is Syndrana!!! And youuuuuuuuuuu, have failed the trial; mister Daniel Lead!"

 Volume 24 - Chapter 169: Trial of Hamal.

    "I''ve... failed...?!" Daniel, so stressed by the message received from Syndrana, a girl whose age resembled that of Daniel''s, began to distort his eyebrows as he wanted to weep "Awwwwwww!!" Syndrana smiled; exhibiting her stark white teeth as well as narrowing her eyes as if to enjoy the moment more while massaging Daniel''s left cheek with walls of blood covering it "You so did! Like, whaaaaaatttt?! What was that, haha?!" She brushed her forehead alongside her black hair''s fringe on Daniel''s forehead while laughing like a maniac and then fastily withdrew herself "You had all the tools to your advantage, mister! Now, you can''t complain, OK?! You had EVERYTHING to win, but you lost because you got overconfident due to your absolute, almighty powerful resources provided by this superbase!! YOU SUCK!!" Syndrana said that last line completely seriously and in a mocking manner to Daniel.

    Forced to swallow the truth, while bleeding out from his mouth and ears; forming a small pool of blood underneath his body which is on the floor, Daniel''s eyes widened.

    "....No...." He refused to acknowledge it "No, I didn''t lose! Fuck you and your reasoning, that''s not what happened at all! It''s this tube, damn it! It''s making my brain hurt so much that I can''t move properly! I HAD HER IN THE PALM OF MY HAND; NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT THIS!!" Daniel shouted at Syndrana and so, she took this opportunity to dive her lips into Daniel''s and performed a kiss "?!?!?!?" Daniel was taken aback to say the least, as she didn''t close her eyes and they remained utterly serious in front of his.

    Wrapping her tongue with his, Syndrana bit Daniel''s tongue forcefully.

    "?!" Feeling in pain, Daniel tried to shout but couldn''t unleash any such scream as Syndrana grabbed Daniel''s tongue with her right hand "I soooo don''t like sore losers like you! Get over it! You''re done for! You''ve been here before, and you know that too! So, why are you lying to me when saying that you didn''t know how this would affect you? If you are too close to the tube then it will make your brain go WAZOOOOOO because it''s filled with radioactive particles that intersect with your cortex in the range of at least twenty meters! It hurts, doesn''t it?!" She tried to confirm it as she saw Daniel''s physical expression struggle to keep itself together "At first it''s the reaction... Your brain receives a strong tumor; you feel like you''ve been hit with a meteor! Then you start to feel compulsive waves that go around and around; alternating in turns---isn''t that it?" She asked.

    Daniel couldn''t answer and that made her happy; so she put her two glossy lips together and titled her head forty degrees to the right and smiled.

    "Oh, who am I kidding here?! Of course I''m right! But wait..." She noticed a grave flaw in her reasoning "Something doesn''t add up. Your brain reacting to it is only possible under one circumstance and one alone. That girl wasn''t affected by it and so aren''t I. Coincidence? It''s not! You did something, didn''t you...?" She got sadistic and started to press Daniel''s tongue "UUUGGGGGHHHH!!!" Feeling the intense physical pain from her long polished dark yellow nails on his tongue, Daniel was quaking "That circumstance is: your body has been endorsed with the soul liquid and that alone is suicidal! Did you know that the soul liquid has a 37% toxicity rate? It is absurdly fast at killing you! With that said..." She gave the final click by pressing her nails onto his tongue further "How are you alive, Daniel Lead? There is no other possibility. No, wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait, just waaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiittttttt!!" She got dramatic as she realized another flaw in her reasoning.

    Syndrana gasped and was taken aback a little bit before continuing.

    "This is the only source in the entire island where you can obtain soul liquid. You couldn''t have possibly gotten any liquid on your own from the tubes or any receptor terminal that contains soul liquid because it''s encrypted to the point where only class three members or the leader himself can obtain it. You are literally a trialist! This is all a test! Yet you had access to such a cheat hack like that! Holy shit, talk about unfair?! Now that''s fucking hilarious, mate!" Syndrana laughed at Daniel''s face but immediately put on a stone-cold facial expression "Hey, who gave you that shit? It''s strictly prohibited the intaking of soul liquid or any liquids from the factories in this superbase while in the middle of a trial or trials, for any reason whatsoever, but oh lol, answer me, please!" She got very impatient "Just the name. I swear to God, ever since he went away things have just been... Ahhhhhhhhhh!!" Syndrana got frustrated and rotated her head back and forth as if to relieve her stress.

    Realizing however that he was put to a stop, Daniel found himself in a predicament. He knew it was Hyunda who gave him the soul liquid. Furthermore, the soul liquid almost killed him. For that reason alone, in order to get revenge on Hyunda, Daniel could simply speak his name and it wouldn''t be a stretch to assume that Hyunda right face consequences from the mysterious organization itself.

    But...

    Daniel perceived this situation from a less emotional angle.

    He started by trying to speak.

    "Leth gou ouf mayh tanghue..." He put on a serene face and erased his distressful expression from his face "If I do, will you tell me the name?" She asked with cold eyes "Mhmm." Daniel nodded and after a while, Syndrana let go of his tongue "Ahhhh!! Ahhhh...." Daniel tried to breathe but was nevertheless feeling in pain due to his now lower proximity to the general tube at the middle of the area "Spill it, mister Daniel Lead. I''ll give you another kiss, how about it ???" She closed her eyes and smiled to Daniel.

    Daniel made his move.

    "Let me continue the trials and I''ll give you the name by then, I promise." Daniel made his offer which pissed her off; making Syndrana erupt her posture which towered Daniel''s since he was still on the floor "THAT WAS NOT THE DEAL!" Daniel counterattacked immediately "No, it was." He stood confident "Huh?! It was NOT!" But she also did "You never said when, Syndrana." She realized her mistake "......." Thus, Daniel continued "I need to continue the trials! I''ve come this far and I won''t give up on my progress! No matter how many more I have to kill, I will keep on doing it! If you don''t allow me to continue then I won''t tell you the name. But that''s not all." Daniel earned her attention "Not all...?" She got curious which provoked a light laughter from him "Truth is... I wanted to meet you." This surprised Syndrana "Ohhhh?! Someone''s got a crush, hahaha!!" She laughed in his face.

    But Daniel was dead-serious.

    "It''s about the anti-death equation...!" Her eyes widened "WHAT?! How do you know that?! WHO TOLD YOU THAT?! OH MY GOSH, I WILL DECIMATE THIS PERSON TO SHREADS!" She unleashed a violent chain of screams afterward which led Daniel to believe that she was deep down insane "Andddddddddddd?! What about it?!" She was definitely curious and wasn''t taking no for an answer "You''re missing a component aren''t you?" Once again, she was shocked beyond belief and decided to sit down on the floor in the middle of the blood pool with her legs crossed "Ok, you got my attention now." She said as if that wasn''t the case already "The equation starts of with Death + Life. This hints at a person''s dead blood and a alive person''s blood to be extracted to start off." Daniel started his speech.

    Thoroughly impressed already at the fact that he knew just the simple of things about the process, Syndrana kept her mouth shut and began to listen to Daniel.

    "...It helps if the person who is about to die has a conveying wish that will also be absorbed by the ID liquid; only through the ID liquid can that last thought; that imperial remaining spectrum--- be captured. Henceforth, it''s necessary to add Mind-Body Dualism to the equation which is a simple reference to how the mixture of the dead blood and the alive blood alongside the terminal thought of the lingering consciousness with the ID aligned will result in the existence of a Mind-Body Dualism incident." Daniel was speaking with an obscure level of confidence to which Syndrana was starting to get worried "The Ego, the ID, the Soul, are the remaining components that need to be separated and that''s all that is, in theory, necessary to finish the rebirth process." Syndrana now got suspicious "Is that all...?" She tested him with her vision slightly narrowed.

    He was simply waiting for her undivided attention on the matter here. For that reason alone, he tried to get up from the bloody ground, adjoined his right hand to his brain, and started to massage his head while talking to Syndrana, who was now below him in height.

    "Emotion and self-condemnation; how often do you use them?" Syndrana didn''t understand something and so, she avoided the question with another question "Self-condemnation? I''ve never heard of that! I know that Emotion is a factor that can be obtained through the mixture of the Ego, ID, and soul; that''s how you start the next step. Explain!" She desperately wanted to know "If you don''t know self-condemnation then you don''t know the other factor, do you? Tell me, what''s the factor that comes after Emotion?" Daniel asked her.

    Knowing fully well that she was revealing information that no ordinary person should know, she found herself wondering why someone like Daniel, a trialist, had knowledge about the intricacies of the rebirth process. Let alone knowledge that she wasn''t aware of.

    Therefore, without resorting to any lies, she delivered the truth as she wanted to see what he had to say.

    "It''s Alma---that''s all there is to it. By obtaining the Alma which is the liquid that results from the division of all the liquids except the Emotion one; you then use that mixture liquid in the cortex machine so it''s able to give you the Alma matter. The Alma matter is only obtainable after you pour the entire liquid into the cortex machine and by then, you are able to advance to the rebirth process." She spoke very confidently as if to let Daniel know that she wasn''t wrong.

    He looked at her and saw that she wasn''t lying. That alone allowed him to gain certainty of his next move.

    "Wow. Did you really think it was that simple? Just because you got satisfactory results in the end?" Daniel asked her with seriousness all over the place "It''s all there is to it! The Alma matter is the most crucial thing in the process. With the Alma matter alone, the rebirth process is possible." She argued "Very true. The Alma matter is indeed a crucial factor and it''s entirely possible to finish the process alone with it." Daniel didn''t deny it, as a matter of fact, he agreed with her.

    Which would make her undoubtedly curious and adamant about knowing what he had in store.

    "You don''t have access to the full equation do you?" He pinpointed something that made her immediately try to rush to Daniel''s body in order to physically overpower him from below, but Daniel took ahold of one of the miniguns on the ground and instead of aiming at her, like any would imagine in this situation, Daniel aimed it at his head "Huuuuuuuhh?!" Stunned and perplexed, Syndrana didn''t fully commit to the physical act but was now mirroring his posture "Here is how it''s going to go down: I will advance to the next trial, kill the remaining intruders; especially that fucking fucker that was recording this whole place and me---and I will complete all the trials which will allow me to still be in the examination. If you do agree with that term, I will tell you the name of who gave me the soul liquid sample and furthermore, I will tell you the rest of the equation to which... you still have a lot to go about it." He taunted her "You are missing---self-condemnation aside---fifteen components." He delivered with utter confidence.

    She didn''t want to believe Daniel, but at this point, the fact that Daniel already knew the entirety of the process that she was deeply familiar with, meant that he couldn''t be lying about this.

    Impressed by his boldness about taking his own life, she smiled both ways until her face no longer allowed; showing all the corners of her mouth as well as highlighting her crazed yellow eyes.

    "Oh. My. God." She laughed subsequently "You would take the secrets with you? But then you can''t revive her..." She taunted him now "That won''t work. If I can''t finish the trials, then I will never have a chance at performing the process as I need her dead body and in order to get to that, I need a session with the leader." He said, but that alone confused Syndrana "Huh...?" Her puzzled expression confused Daniel too "What are you talking about? Who on Earth is feeding you so much distorted information?" Daniel knew not how to absorb this information "...Are you saying that the organization and the leader don''t have enough power to make it happen?" Daniel was showing vulnerability suddenly as his right hand was shaking.

    Noticing this, Syndrana tried to take advantage of the situation.

    "...The organization can make it happen, surely. But a session with the leader? That''s not how it works. Your ranking determines your access to your power options and how you can greatly benefit the organization from your decisions. You can make it happen through your achievements and let me tell you something; something of that degree does not need the leader''s approval. He has no time for such a peculiar actio-------" Before she could finish her sentence, Daniel gave her a death stare that made her fear for her life transiently "Watch your fucking mouth, bitch." He warned her.

    After composing herself, Syndrana lightly laughed and brushed it off.

    "Aw, so sensitive you are. But---I have a deeper point here... Listen, you want to reach her dead body, correct?" Daniel didn''t answer as he already had said his answer in that regard "I have a high position within the organization. I won''t tell you my ranking, but I can make it happen. But only if..." Very much like Daniel earlier, she also struck her bargain "You tell me right here and now, the full equation and you have my word that I will make it happen. As a matter of fact, if you give me the full equation, I will take on the personal responsibility of reviving her for you! See how good this is for you?! Even though you will fail the trials, it doesn''t matter because you will get what you want in the end without having to join! Think about it!" Syndrana expanded her deal greatly.

    On the surface, very charming. Furthermore, the deal contains all that Daniel could wish for.

    However, there was the uncertainty factor. The lack of certainty and the absence of the one that wants to make it happen by his own hands and his alone---no one else''s.

    Daniel sighed and withdrew his minigun from his head.

    He looked at Syndrana who was waiting for a reply.

    By checking his minigun''s barrel which contains nine bullets still, Daniel made sure that there was in fact a bullet to pull the trigger to begin with.

    "Alright then." Daniel quickly pulled the minigun to his head and strongly suggested that he was going to off himself by raising the finger to the trigger "WAIT! WAIT, NO! DON''T DO THIS, NO!" She started to panic "Do you have some sort of cognitive problem, woman?" Not addressing her by her name, Daniel put on his apathetic voice "W-What?!" Offended but nevertheless nervous about the possibility of Daniel offing himself without telling her the equation, she blurted that "I''m asking you; are you mentally retarded? Do you have a problem understanding my words and their meaning? Do you need me to repeat them for you so you can process them slowly but surely this time around? Or are you going to stick to your paper-thin lies?" Daniel unleashed a verbal barrage at her.

    Normally, Syndrana would attempt maximum verbal persuasion in any situation since she sees her potential benefit, as incredibly high.

    In contrast to such expectation, however, she felt that Daniel was actually going to pull the trigger because she thought that Daniel didn''t trust her words at all and wanted to do the process on his own.

    Capitalizing on this, she whistled out loud which left a lasting echo in the air.

    "Fine. Fineeeeee... FINE!" She showed variations "But you..." She immediately grabbed the minigun on his right hand and disarmed the bullet barrel from it; leaving the bullets to fall on the floor while subsequently grasping Daniel''s right side of his face only to lick the blood from his lower cheek to the area close to his left eye "You will keep your word..." She whispered into his left ear; her wisteria smell overpowering Daniel''s nostrils "Or I will make sure you never see her body ever again." She coldly said as she stared into Daniel''s bloodthirsty eyes, but this time she did not falter.

    A moment of aggression between the two was about to happen as their energies matched; but they quickly withdrew from it.

    They both laughed at the same time, ironically--with their eyes closed.

    "HAHAHAHA!!!" Maniacal laughter unraveled in the area "You''re funny!" Daniel complimented her "Awwwww, you''re not though! Can you hurry up and die already?! Hahahaha!!" She continued to laugh and insulted Daniel.

    She did do something while saying that which was to access the secret computer within the right side of the grand soul liquid tube and decreased the intensity of the radiation which made Daniel feel incredibly more relieved.

    "It''s very potent, I can imagine---or rather, I know for a fact how it feels!" She tried to emphasize with Daniel, but even though he was feeling better, that was not his top priority "The component has been stolen---or rather; I failed to retrieve it. I always take back the component after I''m done with all the killing. But since the fucking tube got in the way, I couldn''t kill the damn bitch and she went ahead to the next section because Euporia gave her the lift..." Daniel expressed angst and rage as he approached Syndrana from behind "............" She looked at Daniel with a baffled look "...What?" Daniel didn''t understand her sudden skepticism "Nothing." She turned her head around and started to type into the computer "Heeeyyyy, don''t look! Fuck off and be a good boy, will you?!" Syndrana got mad at Daniel trying to peek at what she was trying to do.

    Daniel turned his body around and waited for her orders.

    "There you are... Her trip to Alexandria is still not over but we will not get her in time. She will die, of course, given the circumstances here, but you will have to work for your meal since they will know you are coming. You have played with their lack of knowledge a bit too well for my liking even, but it did show its results. A bit fucking sadistic, I will say..." She lightly laughed while saying those last words "Anyways; we will go there via capsule just like she did. Once there, you know what to do." Syndrana was done with the capsule request through the manual control panel.

    There was, however, one thing that Daniel desired from this as well, so he didn''t hesitate to speak his mind.

    "Syndrana." He simply said, but she didn''t look in his direction as she was typing and couldn''t therefore be bothered "What now?" She asked "What''s the leader like?" Out of curiosity and a bit of admiration, Daniel asked her "...That was random as fuck." Her voice turned stone-cold "You seem affectionate about him. He must mean a lot to you." Daniel picked precise words and decided to confirm something that he was feeling curious about, ever since Hyunda had played that ID card swap event "How old are you?" Daniel asked a basic question on the surface "Seventeen. Young and beautifulllllllllllll!!~" Syndrana happily replied.

    But this provoked laughter from Daniel and just before she could turn around to ask what was the laughter was for; he spoke precise words.

    "I''m talking about your actual age; the one behind all the bodies that has lived on far beyond the average human being. Hey, Syndrana? What''s wrong, you got quiet all of a sudden. Did I touch sensitive territory by some ch---" She looked at Daniel with an abhorrent and displeased look as if to say that his joke was not funny "Shut the fuck up, Daniel." The two capsules, now branded in red and glitter gold, appeared on the ground''s surface right in front of the tube.

    They both got inside their respective capsule and put on the seat belts which were made of steel.

    "Are all of you that old?" Daniel asked Syndrana who was not in the mood for his insensitive talk "No wonder she killed herself." Syndrana delivered that as the capsules dove straight below the ground at a fastening speed.

    <hr>

    Through the underground railways that connect every section of the island, the capsules that look like the head of a bullet train with a shielding window in the front allow anyone that drives it; albeit the predestination protocol does not require a pilot to maneuver it-----travel at a staggering 670 kph. Every trip to each section via capsule would take less than three minutes and no further.

    By the time the capsule had reached its destination; it would erupt from the ground onto a valid arrival station within that section. Generally speaking, the direction of the departure will matter because the arrival is coordinated with the departure''s direction. For example, should the departure come from the south side of the section; the arrival will be at the south side of the predetermined section. Given that there are many arrival/departure points all over the sections, it''s fairly versatile to land in any place you want.

    Of course, that''s only if you know how it works.

    For someone like Lulu, who had no idea how it worked; she was left speechless as she found herself surrounded by the first floor of a nearly destroyed eight-floor building in a destroyed city. Naturally, she could see through the cracks of the craters in the ruined building and she saw many other destroyed facilities just like this one.

    Thoroughly recording everything, as her phone''s battery was still kicking at a grand sixty-three percent; she made sure that everything was going on camera. This included the rumbles of the fallen building she was in, the highly advanced capsule that had already emerged to the ground as soon as she arrived, and more importantly; herself.

    She turned the camera to herself and the camera could capture the horrified face of Lulu as her eyes became heavy, the area beneath them clearly showing. Her long blonde hair strands were loosened now and no longer had any clean remarks about them. Her face was entirely red and her blue eyes were blurry from all the crying thus far.

    Breathing heavily and panting all over the place, Lulu recapitulated the experience she had gone through.

    "I... My name is Lulu..." Her voice got slightly weaker as she spoke "We''ve been wrongfully deceived about a trip to a deserted island by Percy Phoenix, who is dead... This island contains dangerous criminals who should be executed on the spot but nevertheless, we were stupid and went to such a place, although we never had any idea what was waiting for us... In reality, this seemingly deserted island is actually the house of a highly advanced technological subworld where there are unbelievable environments hidden beneath the deserted island! It''s all a facade and as you have seen from the trip so far, I have managed to escape the killer''s wrath after he had some sort of meltdown..." She panted "Right now... I will look for survivors; my other classmates and I will tell the truth! I don''t know about the others but... Realistically speaking, they are probably dead already... I don''t know how he did it, or if there are others, but I need to seek out my classmates and... if I can''t..." She gulped "I will find a way to escape by myself. I''m sorry." Lulu took off as she exited the building while recording the environment of the broken city where dreams once lay.

    On the south side of Alexandria; the designed name for the eighth district, there is an uprising broken asphalt road that leads forward once someone walks out of the building where Lulu is. Exploration to the higher levels of the building could be made, but Lulu opted to continue forward instead of wasting time.

    It was necessary to go from right to left or vice versa in order to avoid the multiple areas where there were missing parts of the road. Abandoned cars, disfigured light pillars, and even decomposed skeletons could be found on the asphalt road.

    Thus far, Lulu was only following the road forward as she could see from afar that there was an upcoming quarter full of destroyed buildings which contrasts the previous standalone building.

    "There appears to be clouds---no, some sort of gas underneath this bridge..." Lulu pointed her phone''s camera to the left side of the road and below it, she saw that the area underneath was clouded by gray fog which she labeled to be gas and not clouds "This is not the first time something like this has happened... I don''t know why but the places here are utterly unbelievable..." She concluded as she walked forward.

    The temperature was lukewarm. Furthermore, there was this chilling silence in the atmosphere and a sensation of dreadfulness that the destroyed city of Alexandria emitted to anyone who came near it. The lingering skeletons left questions with no answers and given how dark the illumination was thanks to the sun being on the end of the horizon on the right side of the map; it was evident that this place did not welcome people in general.

    Now approaching the quarter of buildings that all collectively have fifteen floors to each; with broken windows and rumbled structures, Lulu found herself horrified by the absurd number of skeletons in the area.

    She took a step into the asphalt road that was made of two sides alongside dismembered cars on each side as well. The overwhelming shade emitted from the height of each building led her to be physically covered with a looming shadow.

    "There appears to be no way forward..." Lulu said as she saw a broken uprising bridge leading up to another zone where there are more buildings on the north side "There are also no other connecting bridges on the left and right side..." Lulu noted as she despaired when looking from the center to her left and right side "........" Lulu felt silent and remained a bit in the same place as she tried to figure out her way forward.

    Unaware of what to do, Lulu tried to go forward by advancing two hundred meters forward where the broken bridge would lay. Taking shallow steps by backing it up with a reluctant attitude, Lulu hoped for something as she could not figure anything out; while also continuously looking back in order to see if Daniel was anywhere nearby somehow.

    Posing her shoes on the edge of the broken bridge, Lulu saw nothing with her own eyes.

    "........Wait..." She tried to zoom in the video camera to the other side forward "!!" Her eyes widened and a desperate reaction came forth "HEYYYYY!!! HEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYY!!!!" Lulu desperately shouted to the figures on the north side as much as she could.

    At first, there were no reactions from them as the distance between Lulu''s position and theirs is almost over a kilometer.

    However persistent, Lulu didn''t give up and as she knew a person from that group with a large number, she summoned all of her vocal strength and performed a loud shout with all her remaining strength.

    "MUUUUUSSSSSIIIIII!!!!! LOOOOOOOKKKK TOOOOO THE SOUUUUUUTHHHH!!!!" Her posture felt forward slightly as she felt her voice decreasing in vitality; however, that shout was able to capture the attention of a person in the group, that was not Musi, however.

    On the north side, while traveling forward; opposing Lulu''s side, a male member of Musi''s group which is made of sixty as a whole, called out to her.

    "There''s someone on the other side... Hey, Musi check that out!" He called Musi out very quickly "Hey, did you hear something too?" Members of the group started to wonder whether or not they heard something "I think I did, but it was very far away. It looked like it came from the south direction..." They quickly grasped onto the possibility and turned all of their attention to Musi "Really?! There''s someone on the other side...?" Skeptical, Musi asked "I did hear something, let''s check it out... The bridge is broken so maybe there''s someone trapped there...?" The one that heard Lulu''s scream suggested "Okay, let''s check it out, Valiant!" They made their way to the opposite direction and faced the broken bridge.

    Now on the edge of the broken bridge from their side, they used their cellphones and zoomed in on the edge of the broken bridge from the other side.

    "Wait, there really is someone there?!" Lulu''s body was captured panting for some air totally crooked on the edge of the broken bridge "You''re right, oh my God!" Musi was shocked to hear it too "CAN YOU HEAR US?!" Musi tried to scream, but everyone around her noticed that it was relatively low and that she still had a long way to go.

    John, one of the male members who was arguably confident in the volume of his voice to reach out to the other side, took a step forward and unleashed a powerful scream.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    "CAN YOU HEAR US?! YOU DON''T HAVE TO SHOUT IF YOU CAN''T, BUT TRY YOUR BEST TO!!" This time, it was enough for Lulu to hear a reply back and so, she restructured her posture and shouted to the other side "I CAN HEAR YOU!! I NEED TO TALK TO YOU GUYS BUT THE BRIDGE IS BROKEN!! IS THERE SOME WAY FOR ME TO GET THERE?!" Lulu shouted, but the potency of her voice was arguably lower, so many couldn''t actually hear her full sentence "...What did she say...?" Some asked as they were curious "She asked if there was some way for her to get to our side, I think." One of the girls gave her thoughts on the matter and she was right.

    So, John asked Musi what to say first.

    "Musi, what should we say? Do we trust her?" He asked her "Of course! Tell her!" She gave her order "Alright." He turned his attention from Musi to Lulu and put his two hands on each side of his mouth in order to increase the potency of the shout "IF YOU WANT TO CROSSOVER, YOU NEED TO ENTER THE BUILDINGS AND DESCEND DOWN UNTIL YOU FIND A SUBWAY STATION!! THERE IS A TRAIN THAT PASSES EVERY FIVE MINUTES!! WE WILL WAIT FOR YOU BELOW, HURRY UP!!" John thoroughly delivered that information in such a way that Lulu couldn''t possibly have missed it.

    Instead of giving a confirmation, since Lulu wanted to deliver the secrets she was holding, she turned her back on them and went for the nearest building to her right side where she discovered a massive stairway leading below.

    "There it is. I had no idea...!!" Lulu was still recording this and ignored the upper levels of the destroyed buildings and focused on descending down the linear downward staircase containing twenty degrees; each upholding twenty centimeters in height but a massive five meters in length.

    Unlike the obscurely destroyed structure all over the buildings, the stairs were actually in a decent state showing signs of test against time. Leading below, artificial lights were first seen as soon as Lulu reached the end of the staircase.

    "This... This looks... So normal...?" Lulu was surprised by the seemingly normal aesthetic approach of the station''s design while capturing every detail with the camera.

    There is another stairway on the left side, and on the right side, there are machines that allow one to buy tickets in order to validate on the validation machine on the north side. There are, in addition, two central attendance stations on the left side of this area, but the focal point would be the north side; beyond the validation machines.

    However, unlike most validation machines, there were no borders which meant that anyone could simply walk forward to the subway''s platform without requiring a ticket.

    Such elements as additional stairways below, multiple bathrooms, abandoned cafes, and a multitude of clothing shops, were all present.

    Focusing on the way forward, Lulu trespassed the validation machines and went straight to the subway platform where she saw two railways; indicating that there were two subway trains that could pass through them---hopefully in different directions.

    Looking back on her left and right side, Lulu became increasingly horrified by the quantity of skeletons in the metallic benches present.

    ".....Jesus Christ, UGH!!" This reaction was due to her getting close to the railways in which she observed a large portion of shattered bones in the railways which belonged to several previous bodies "WHY ARE THERE SO MANY SKELETONS AND BONES EVERYWHERE?!" Her shout echoed in the area and she impulsively turned the camera in her direction "This place is most likely the remaining bits of an ancient city and given the technology here which is considered modern by our standards, it''s probably fair to assume that this place is at least a century old which already implies that in the early years of the previous century; this place was already constructed which is crazy! It''s so obvious now! The killer wants to erase us all because we are uncovering so many secrets!" Lulu laughed in a desperate manner.

    The train going in the opposite direction of where Lulu wants to go was passing through and it stopped. This allowed Lulu to capture the essence of the six-carriage silver train which contained a total height of six meters and a length size of ninety meters.

    "It''s empty but there are skeletons inside...!! It''s most likely run on some sort of seemingly infinite battery or on electricity because there is no actual driver... This is... a ghost station..." Speaking a line that would make her look absurd without evidence, Lulu found herself more scared once she realized something "If it''s run on electricity and it''s been doing this over and over for decades nonstop, then... Just how much money was put into this as a whole...?!" A train approached Lulu''s side of the station as the other automatically departed in its direction.

    Opening its doors, the train welcomed Lulu as she had to climb two metallic steps first before entering the train filled with skeletons in every single seat of the train; with no exception.

    "What the hell!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!" She unleashed a despairing scream while trying not to look at the chilling sight "Departure to the Parasonborg in ten seconds." A familiar robotic voice spoke out loud inside the train and after ten seconds, the train took off to the north side.

    Waiting on the other side, Musi and her group of sixty people, a grand mix of males and females, were all anxiously waiting to see a train emerge from the other side.

    It wouldn''t take long, however, as the train would arrive at its pre-determined destination with impeccable consistency; always.

    "She''s here." One male member said as he saw Lulu, who was eager to leave the train.

    Once the doors opened, Lulu was received by all of them on the boarding platform.

    Although conversation here could be initiated by so many angles, Lulu decided that what she had to say, reigned absolutely superior to any of the many possibilities of dialogue here.

    "Everyone, you need to hear me right now!" She panted "Are you ok---" A member tried to sympathize with her, but Lulu dismissed it "No, you don''t get it! There''s no time! This is all a setup! There''s a killer chasing us down and he will kill us all! It''s Daniel Lead!!" To them, Lulu''s words were not making any sense "What are you talking about...?" Musi approached Lulu and noticing that her words weren''t breaking through, Lulu decided to terminate her current video "It''s easier if I just show you...!!" She claimed.

    Harboring all of their attention and playing the video at x32 speed; given that the video itself lasted over forty-eight minutes, they all formed a circle while Lulu stood in the very center upholding the evidence for them to see.

    She explained everything from the start to them as they grew afraid of what was being shown.

    "At first it was alright, nothing too crazy, but the fact that we were walking on ice trails in an area where it was like winter, it was already messed up to begin with! How can it be winter when the environment of the island above is tropical?! It doesn''t make any sense!" Lulu had a lot on her mind "We decided to start recording because Yoh, our group leader, told us that we needed to record evidence---after Daniel Lead had slaughtered a consequent number of us when we finished walking into the bridge... It''s not recorded but it really happened, I''m telling you!!" She started to cry; fearing that they weren''t believing her.

    However, it was fairly evident that as they watched the video, they all started to believe in Lulu''s words.

    "I believe you... The video shows all of their reactions and how scared they are..." They were talking about the group of girls surrounding Lulu as they showed horrified expressions "But wait, what happened to the boys...?" Musi asked, albeit hesitant "...They died to him, most likely...!" Lulu confirmed "Most likely?!" She was being pressured "I don''t know, it was all Yoh''s idea! He wanted to use the boys in order to stop Daniel from making a breakthrough on us and killing us all which worked in the end because I got out of it alive but it was only due to sheer luck!" Lulu admitted.

    By now they had watched all of the footage all the way until Daniel encountered Lulu face-to-face in the central room in the previous section.

    "Wait, hold on, put it in normal!" One of the members got curious about Daniel''s sudden outburst and so, Lulu put it in normal mode "AGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!" Daniel''s agonizing screams from the pain inflicted could be heard and that alone brought forth some questions "I''m glad you''re safe from all of this but what caused this suddenly?!" This question was met with a displeasing reaction from Lulu "How the fuck should I know?! If it wasn''t for it, then I would be dead!!" Lulu spoke a fact that was impossible to refute "And that''s how you got on the other side? After you placed the component which was the ax that Yoh always carried; you were given permission to advance to the upcoming section?" Musi wanted to confirm this.

    Putting an end to the footage and creating a new one, Lulu started to record it.

    "This is the second video!" She ignored Musi''s question and redirected the camera to Musi''s group which was something that many weren''t exactly comfortable with "After crossing the map via subway, I managed to unite with them and they know everything there is to the prior event! Right now, we will focus on placing the component in its place as fast as we can! By doing so, we will advance into the next section and warn the others in order to prevent the same tragedy from happening!" Lulu essentially answered Musi''s question "Musi, what are the components?!" Showing a nervous attitude, Lulu wanted to know more in order to gain some upper edge on Daniel.

    Instead of Musi answering the question, two twin brothers---James and Lionel---stepped forward with each holding a silver rod in their hands.

    James spoke first.

    "These two rods are the necessary components, according to what Ryousuke Kawahara told us..." Lionel continued "If we both position them in a line, whoever walks in-between them will be paralyzed. This has been tested before and is a known fact." This gave birth to an idea "Wait, doesn''t that mean we can paralyze Daniel Lead?!" Lulu proposed such said idea but was quickly countered "You''re insane! The video you''ve shown us demonstrated that Daniel Lead possesses firearms!! If we are in his sight, he will kill us all!" A member spoke sound logic to Lulu.

    However, that was not Lulu''s aim, so she corrected herself fairly rapidly too.

    "That''s not what I meant! We can bait him into walking into the rods'' range! He wants to kill me!! I have all the evidence and he clearly wants to get rid of it! I don''t know why, but he was beyond furious!" Lulu told them "Bait him? But... Lulu, are you suggesting that you''re going to make yourself the bait...?" One of the members spoke and this sudden realization, shocked Lulu a bit "W-What...?! I didn''t say that... If we can get a read on his position then... We just have to position ourselves into a place close to the components'' location and Daniel will eventually walk right into it..." Lulu hid the true intent of her words with some logic behind them "Anyways! We can''t waste time here! Tell me everything you''ve found thus far, Musi!" Lulu spoke directly to Musi this time around.

    As Musi and Lulu spoke to each other while exiting the subway station, Daniel and Syndrana, who had arrived at the building that is exactly on the right through the capsule transportation, are now located on the higher level of the destroyed building.

    Up, Daniel is intercepting radio waves of speech through one of his gadgets and is able to analyze what any voice is speaking in a radius of five kilometers maximum. Therefore, he, alongside Syndrana, has heard all of Lulu and Musi''s conversation; as well as the other members'' interactions.

    Mildly provoking the serious Daniel who is forming a plan to escape the potential baiting plan that is being made by Lulu and Musi, Syndrana spoke to him.

    "Awwwwwwww!! They''re so aware of you!! Holy shit, you must get off on this attention wave a lot, huh?!" Daniel didn''t necessarily find her funny and kept on hearing the radio waves "I will let you know something already; I am not able to help you---you are on your own here, mister. This is your trial, after all!" Syndrana didn''t speak new information to Daniel, from his perspective "Then, what is your purpose here?" Daniel didn''t look at Syndrana but nevertheless posed the question "Meeeeeeeee? Aww, you''re finally showing interest in me? Well, my dear, I''m a monitor. My job is to make sure to let the trialist in the trial, especially when they have clearly, abundantly, and utterly, failed in the trial, know that their ride is over!" She spoke with a great verbal spark.

    Daniel shut off the transition as he became aware of the full extent of the plan that Lulu had in store for him.

    "I see. You are utterly useless then." Daniel stuffed his radio gadget onto his central belt and insulted her "Whaaaattt?! That''s not true! I am just, of course, not able to help you. It goes against the protocol!" She tried to defend herself, but Daniel finally looked at her and spoke with certainty "Fucking liar, don''t you dare say those words and how you care about the protocol. You on behalf of your own gain, have gone against the protocol by letting me continue in the trials." He silenced her with the truth that she couldn''t deny "........" Her physical expression became slightly agitated "It''s too late, Syndrana. You are under my control if you want the full equation. I''m not going to send you to your death; you will get the equation---that I vow. But you''re going to have to work for it." Daniel established some ground rules.

    Syndrana didn''t like Daniel''s attitude and how bossy he was becoming around her.

    "That''s no way to talk to your superior." She coldly said "You''re not my superior. I''m a trialist; only if I get into the rankings will you then, maybe, be my superior." Syndrana laughed at Daniel in an overwhelming manner; almost rolling on the ground purely laughing---she did however crook down her posture as she put her hands on her belly "HAHAHAH!!! Maybe?! MAYBE?! You''re lucky if you even get the pass at this point! I will be reporting everything to my superiors! The nerve you got, oh my God!!" She started to cry tears of joy from laughing so much.

    Aside from this, Daniel took note of Musi''s group of sixty people---now sixty-one with Lulu included; leaving the mirroring fallen building, as they started to approach the east side of the map. Their aim was to, of course, reach the capital of Alexandria.

    "Everything? Surely you''re not talking about the times when you clearly broke the protocol, right?" Daniel remained vigilant of the group that is five hundred meters below him while engaging in a passive-aggressive dialogue with Syndrana---who was also becoming vigilant of them "You can cut the asserting dominance process, Daniel---tell me what''s on your mind already... It''s clear you so desperately want my assistance, am I right?!" She was trying to make him admit it "You''re a partial existence. Nobody knows who you are." Daniel spoke vague words "Ouch?! What the fuck was that for?!" She slapped Daniel''s rigid back muscles with some backing strength out of spite "Lulu didn''t record you and I have never encountered you prior to before. So here''s what you''re going to do..." Daniel lay down his thoughts to Syndrana.

    Lulu and Musi''s group adopted Yoh''s strategy. Even after his death, his idea is still being used.

    Right now, there are about close to sixty people recording everything they are going through. The purpose is the same as before; to present this place as evidence and hopefully, for it to get enough attention so that the ones behind this supernatural island can be condemned for their unethical crimes alongside Daniel Lead''s demise.

    They had already crossed the somewhat broken bridge with multiple open ruptures in its asphalt and they were going straight into the capital of Alexandria.

    The knowledge about the capital of Alexandria was gained through the general map of Alexandria which is present in every subway station. Each subway destination is marked with a small oval ball but Alexandria''s capital, Fatherland, is pinpointed with a highlighted red oval ball. Upon absorbing this knowledge, they set out in Fatherland''s direction which is located on the Northwest side of Alexandria. Given that they started from the south side, they still have a bit to go.

    Familiar with the usual scenario of broken buildings and disfigured asphalt roads accompanied by abandoned cars already, Lulu and the others noticed a slight difference as they approached the upper east side of the map.

    "Holy shit, that''s huge!" One of the members pointed their camera at it "It''s almost the size of one of the buildings! But..." They noticed something was missing as they got closer to the center of it "It''s missing a description, who is this guy...?" Some girls and boys, who were more in-depth with history as a subject, tried to figure out what exactly they were looking at.

    Or rather---who---they were looking at. At this given moment, multiple cameras and their eyesight were capturing the entirety of a colossal golden-covered statue of what appeared to be a male figure in his thirties. Dressed in a formal suit but with a recognizable cape flowing downward on his back; the figure held both of his hands slightly up and he was shown to hold two balls in his hands---which were the Earth''s globe as well as the sun on the other.

    His face looked serene and upheld a compassionate expression.

    Extracting further information was proving to be a waste of time, however.

    "Let''s get going... It''s probably a person who is responsible for this island..." Lulu viewed the figure with disgust and by her order, they were quick to stop wasting time.

    Ahead of them lies a path forward with buildings on each side. There are two paths to the right and to the left; as well as the path in the opposite direction, where they came from.

    "I just realized something, couldn''t we all have taken a subway to the Fatherland instead of unnecessarily walking?!" A great point was made "No, because Daniel is most likely waiting to ambush us since that''s just an obvious thought! We are going against the tide, so we need to outsmart him!" Many thought Lulu was overrating Daniel and that the possibility was low "...I guess..." However, they didn''t completely discredit the possibility.

    A silence was made as they continued to film everything while going forward; surrounded by old buildings.

    Against that silence itself, a powerful cry for help was heard loud and clear from not too far away.

    "HELP!! SOMEBODY!!" A female cryout was heard by all of them "?!" Lulu became nervous and alerted "Hey, let''s go and check it out!! Somebody else could be trapped in here!!" Musi immediately took the initiative and her group looked ready to advance "Wait, wait, wait! Just wait!" Lulu didn''t find this sudden initiative to be a good choice "Lulu? What''s wrong?!" Musi didn''t understand Lulu''s distrust, but another member somewhat did "She thinks it''s a setup, most likely." Lulu further justified herself after the boy had started it "It''s very fishy and doesn''t make any sense! Just think about it! No one from my group has survived and I surely don''t recognize that voice from the girls in my group so it''s not from the prior section! Your group isn''t missing any members, is it?!" Lulu quickly wanted to assert the facts.

    They were starting to understand Lulu''s point and Musi was too.

    "So this is... a bait...?" Musi became a little scared "But how? Was there a girl with him?!" Someone questioned Lulu with stress all over the place "Not that I know of, but what if he took some girl as a hostage and is forcing us into a trap?!" Lulu reasoned but didn''t propose a solution to this "Then, what should we do?!" Musi wanted a solution right away and Lulu offered one "We have to ignore her, of course! He has firearms! And if he''s baiting us, he will kill us all! What do you treasure more?! The life of some random or your own?! Come on now!" Lulu made the speech of a demon "But... You... were in the same position... were you not...?" Musi''s point landed quite well "....That''s..." Lulu couldn''t refute it.

    There is a reason as to why Musi''s group contains a large number like sixty people to it. Not only is Musi compassionate, understanding, and thoughtful, but she isn''t pessimistic, unlike Lulu, who is filled with distrust due to the lingering trauma from the past event.

    Seeing how stressed Lulu was, John placed his right hand on her shoulder and spoke in a calm manner.

    "We understand you''re scared, but we, just like you, want to prevent any further casualties! We will talk to her and find out the truth!" John showed a smile but Lulu couldn''t say anything as she was too scared of Daniel.

    Every time she thought about him, a sensation of hopelessness and sheer horror consumed her soul.

    Nonetheless, Lulu cooperated with them and they followed the voice which was in the nearest left building.

    "PLEASE, SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!" The agonizing scream filled with loud noises of someone crying was received by the rest of the group who noticed a girl with medium-length black hair running from the subway station below all the way to their direction by climbing the staircase "Are you ok?!" Upon seeing the girl whose age resembled theirs, Musi and her group took heed of the girl right away "He---He wants to kill me!! Please, you have to help me!!" Everyone witnessed her genuine tears as she wore the perfect expression of an individual who was terrified and fearing for her life "Who is trying to kill you?!" Lulu catapulted the progress by asking the primal question "Daniel Lead!! We saw him when Percy Phoenix showed the criminals'' bounties!! I''ve escaped from the ninth section through a secret evacuation room but I know it''s just a matter of time before he comes for me!!" She cried while explaining her situation.

    But something wasn''t making a lot of sense to Lulu.

    "The ninth section...? But Daniel Lead was in the seventh just a while ago... He couldn''t have made such progress..." Lulu immediately noticed the flaw in the girl''s explanation "W-What? No! I''m talking about way before that! I, alongside my classmates, entered the ninth section by mistake upon getting lost on the island for a bit! It was two days ago when we were collecting the components! He killed all of them and I was the sole survivor! Please, trust me!" She pleaded for their understanding but Lulu grew far more skeptical than before "How can you enter the sections by mistake?! The only way to enter them is through the way we all entered!! You''re lying!!" Lulu lashed out at her immediately.

    Certainly, Lulu''s attitude wasn''t an example and was downright despicable in a sense, however, many saw that Lulu was in fact, making a point. They knew for sure that entering a section was previously impossible because they all had to collect the components in order to make such an entrance possible. And even then, it was only accessible through the main temple and only through an elevator that would lead them to such a section.

    The girl''s explanation did not include such details which immediately earned the distrust of many.

    "Hey, what''s your name?" Musi asked her while she sobbed "A-Ann..." She replied "Ann?! You''re Ann?!" A girl from the group stepped forward and looked at her "Y-Yes? That''s my name!" She said but also gained a little distrust from the girl who just asked the question "Wait... You''re not Ann... You look a bit similar but you are definitely not her... She''s smaller than you are and she certainly doesn''t have such weird-looking balls covering the ends of her hair!" The girl made a wild accusation to which the girl in the question here, looked extremely mad for a second but was quick to withdraw that expression "We must have the same name then!" She further attempted to reason.

    However, Lulu and many others became convinced that this was practically a setup. Even Musi wasn''t fully trusting her.

    "............." The girl put on a serious expression and decided to storm through the group in order to make her escape "?!" Many saw her run at a fast travelling speed which confused some but also let them know that she had to be apprehended.

    Thus, Lulu, instead of Musi, gave the logical order to James and Lionel, who were nearby.

    "You two, use the DAMN RODS ON HER!! RIGHT NOW!!" Feeling pressured, James and Lionel went for it.

    First of all, James pierced the rod into the ground and the first link was established. Secondly, since Lionel is actually faster than James, he used his speed while looking at the rod that James had placed on the ground, and only after confirming its location did Lionel aim for it. Overpowering the girl in speed as she showed a despairing attitude while climbing the staircase, Lionel plummed the ground while mirroring the rod in the same direction as James'' rod.

    Musi gave a loud shout to anyone near the two rods'' intersection. A short but omnipotent electrical burst was born as the girl was paralyzed after a brutal shock.

    "EVERYONE GET BACK!!" Musi''s loud shout was intertwined with the girl''s scream as the electric shock was felt all the way to her body''s fibers; almost posing lethal range "AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!" Her body was rendered useless as she became static and paralyzed in the middle of the staircase''s degrees.

    Twitching consistently, the girl''s body was thoroughly affected by the massive electrical shock and upon noticing that it had worked, James and Lionel took the rods off the ground which made it possible for anyone to walk into the line where they were again.

    Slowly but surely, they all withdrew from the central part of the subway station and placed their undivided attention on the girl who was without a move.

    However, it was all set and perfectly timed. The timing of the paralysis alongside the train''s arrival; wasn''t something that any of them thought would be connected, even Lulu.

    That''s why, when they noticed that a train had just arrived at the platform, many didn''t look back. But some did and once they saw Daniel''s figure with a machine gun aiming at them; their screams were all for naught as the body count began to drop.

    "RUN FOR IT----AGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!" James was caught in the crossfire as Daniel from a ten-meter distance was already successful in killing ten people "CLIMB, DAMN IT!!! DON''T GET IN MY W---" Meltdown took place as many began to trample over one another while climbing the staircase which was already a physically tasking choice and would lead to Daniel having a slight advantage due to the nature of such a task.

    Before the remaining survivors could climb outside the station and run for it, Daniel had successfully killed twenty-seven of their members.

    Given the weight of the machine gun that he had obtained from one of the secret rooms from the prior train station---each train station contains such firearms in the respective control panel room, an area that they didn''t explore in the train stations---Daniel dropped the machine gun on the ground right where the stunned girl lay in and once outside the train station, he caught a read on where the survivors were going for.

    To his right side, there was a path leading up and down while on his left there was a long asphalt road leading all the way to where they came from. But more importantly, the numbers were greatly focused on the right side, especially to the north path.

    "That fucking bitch..." Daniel noticed that Lulu and Musi were leading the majority of them to the north side of the map "......" He focused his attention on the six fugitives that were going to the left side.

    Instead of using miniguns, pistols, or any bullet-related weapon, Daniel took out two grenades that he still had in his central belt---made a run to the left side for about five meters and after untying the rope of the grenade; threw it in the direction of the nearest fugitives.

    But now with a wider swing to the air, specifically aiming at the fugitives that were even further away, Daniel tossed the remaining grenade into the air and performed a roundhouse kick on it so it would fly over a hundred meters at least, in order to hit the furthest ones.

    Not a single one of the six survived those grenades as they saw their lives flash before their eyes once they had been vaporized by the toxic grenades.

    Passing through the same avenue again, Daniel took quick care of the five fugitives that had taken the south path to the right side with his two dual pistols. Given the overpowering speed produced by his right leg''s calf, he was substantially faster than any of them, so catching them was not a problem.

    The bigger problem for him was the fact that since he had invested time into killing the ones that had gotten away and since he wanted to save Lulu for last, it also meant that he was behind in tempo.

    As of now, the distance between Daniel and Musi''s group which is composed of twenty-two people, is a staggering seven hundred meter difference. Although Daniel has to run for it, it annoyed him the fact that the earlier machine gun round of bullets didn''t kill more. Furthermore, as Daniel unleashed his speed onto them from afar, he noticed that the group of twenty-two people had split itself into two; eleven to each side.

    They took different directions and entered the subway stations in opposite directions in the hope that a subway train to arrive at the perfect time.

    Face to face with the right and left buildings in which they have entered a few seconds ago, Daniel knew for a fact that at least one of the groups was for sure dead.

    "She went to the left one..." Daniel immediately started to sprint to the right side and entered the building where a train station lay beneath "SHIT, RUN FOR IT, HE''S HERE!! GO INTO THE RAILW---" Daniel pinpointed the eleven with surgical precise bullets to their heads although some of them made their way to the railways.

    Though, given that the train had yet not arrived, and there were twenty seconds for the arrival of it, Daniel went down the railways and hunted the rest down with bullets to their torsos.

    He didn''t waste any time and went back to the streets with the aim of going straight into the other group''s direction, which was in the opposite building.

    ".........." By the time he had arrived at the mirroring subway station, Daniel saw that the eleven of them were already inside the train, but even so, Daniel fired as many bullets as he could "QUICK, GET DOW---" Lionel tried to be heroic and warn the rest, but he and two others received fatal injuries due to the landing bullets and were dead.

    But, against the odds, the remaining eight of them, though terrified beyond their margins, had just successfully escaped Daniel''s wrath.

    And this wasn''t something that Daniel could simply use his physical prowess to overcome because a train naturally runs faster than any human being. That''s simply not debatable.

    So, in other words, Daniel had one realistic option, which was to use his knowledge of the subway stations and know exactly where and in which building the train would stop. But even then, Daniel knew that he wouldn''t actually be fast enough since the building where the next stop from this specific line lands is three kilometers away. And running three kilometers in less than two minutes is not possible for Daniel.

    In a conundrum, Daniel was forced to take the drastic option.

    "..........." Displeased, he took out the same gadget while fighting Yoshi and Kokoni that he used in the previous section and ran towards the railways, aiming straight to the end of the train from a grand total of thirty meters as a difference "!!!!!!!!!!!" Feeling the tremendous physical pressure emitted from the grappling hook, Daniel''s body was being tossed sideways as it was being transported through the hook''s line.

    Hitting the tunnel''s walls with his body, Daniel had to endure brutal physical turmoil as the train''s speed didn''t allow him to gain a firm grip.

    "Huh?! No way. No way. THERE''S NO WAY!!" Lulu saw her worst nightmare flying from left to right like a doll but she also noticed that there was a grappling hook attached to the end of the train which was keeping Daniel locked onto the train despite the physical struggle he was put through "HE''S HERE?! OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD!! WHAT THE FUCK DO WE DO?!" One of the girls was desperately trying to think of a solution to this "W-We have to talk to him, somehow!" Musi didn''t see a way out of this situation and spouted that line out of impulse.

    Certainly, the moment the train arrives at its destined station, it won''t matter if they run for it, Daniel will be able to physically gain more advantage in tempo as he is faster than them. And betting on his body''s condition to be worse from what he''s going through, isn''t something that they realistically think is possible.

    "...The driver''s... This train must be running on something! If we can control this train then maybe we can delay the inevitable!" Lulu proposed "Let''s go to the front then!" One of the boys started to run ahead and all the remaining eight members went straight for it.

    However, as soon as they got on the first carriage and went straight to the driver''s room, they realized something that filled them with dread.

    "There are no fucking remotes nor buttons!! WHAT THE FUCK!!" Lulu was furious as she knew that the time between the train''s departure and arrival was growing shorter "I think we should try and at least talk to him! If we just run, then we will end up dead!!" Musi spoke while tearing up, completely terrified but not given up on the idea of reasoning with another human being "........Yeah, we should try that... I mean, if we don''t, he will just hunt us down, hahaha!!" One of the boys showed deep despair as he didn''t believe in any other alternative to this matter "Let''s quietly surrender and pray..." One of the girls agreed.

    Lulu kept her silence as she had another idea that she didn''t want to share.

    The train''s arrival alongside the robotic voice signaling the location''s name was the nail in the coffin.

    They left the train while looking down and the seven of them went down on their knees and put their hands behind their back, hoping for a peaceful conversation.

    Showing a sign of surrending, in many cases, leads to peaceful endings.

    "I don''t know why you are doing this, but we have no desire to obstruct you! I am sorry if we ever did any wrong to you, but this is the truth! I wish to speak to you and negotiate terms!" Musi upheld a respectable attitude meanwhile Daniel climbed from the small stairway on the left side of the platform, showing levels of pain.

    He took a few steps forward, took out his two pistols; placed both of them on each of his hands, and began to shoot from the right to the left; only sparring Musi in the process.

    "W-Why....?! Why would you do that?! WHY?! THEY DID NOTHING WRONG TO YOU!! YOU DEMON, HAVE YOU NO MERCY?!" Musi let out her angry emotions as she grieved over her fallen comrades; now face to face with Daniel with his pistol in front of her "This was never negotiable." Daniel shot Musi in the head mercilessly "........." Counting the number of their bodies, he saw seven.

    Something was not right; the number wasn''t adding up.

    Daniel looked at the train which was about to depart and thought about getting it.

    "So that was her plan. She''s hiding in the train and now she''s forcing me to do this again, huh." Daniel spoke out loud an assumption that Lulu had used that moment as a distraction to still be on the train, hoping that Daniel to not notice the number difference.

    Noticeably, the train immediately took off as Daniel said that.

    And so, two hands connected with each other; tapping her breathing and her mouth. Beneath the train''s platform, just a little back to the railways, Lulu hid herself completely as she listened to Daniel''s dialogue.

    ".........." In silence but in pure anxiety as well, Lulu heard Daniel''s footsteps on the train''s platform.

    At first, they were far away which indicated that he had ascended to the streets of Alexandria. However, after a short period of time, they slowly started to gain more sound which meant that he was, in fact, extremely close.

    Multiple rivers of tears alongside an impulsive urination were only natural actions, as Lulu noticed that she wasn''t hearing any footsteps.

    For a moment, in that utter perfect silence, she felt relieved.

    "Thought you could run, huh." Daniel''s upside-down face almost gave Lulu a heart attack "OH GAWD------" Trying to spell her sentence with her fingers covering her mouth, she couldn''t hide her horror as she saw that Daniel had discovered her.

    Twisting his body and performing a simple flip, Daniel landed on the railways.

    "Please noooooo----" She begged as Daniel pulled with a firm grip, a vast majority of her blonde hairstrands located on the upper side of her head; dragging her out of her hiding "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! NOOOO, YOU CAN''T!!! I DON''T DESERVE IT!!! I JUST DON''T!!! FUCK YOU, DANIEL!! YOU CAN''T JUST GO AROUND KILLING PEOPLE FOR NO REASON!! WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS ILLOGICAL AND UNETHICAL!!!" Lulu spilled snot from her nose as she unleashed a verbal rant while crying too.

    Now fully dragged onto the upper platform, Daniel let go of her hair strands, and with his two hands, he slapped her cheeks at the same time but didn''t let his palms go afterward.

    "AGGHH!!! THAT HURTS!!" She complained but was forced to meet Daniel''s cold eyes "I have to admit, this is very personal." He confessed "Your existence alone has led me into a very unfavorable position. If it wasn''t for you escaping at that time, my trial procedure would have been clean and perfect. But you did escape. And that''s why I, now, am at the mercy of someone that is from the organization and knows that I fucked up." Lulu, horrified, couldn''t comprehend where Daniel was coming from "I''ll do anything... Sex, you want to have sex?! I''m pretty, aren''t I?! I know I am! Come on, I don''t mind being raped, just let me live, pleaseeeeeeeeeeee!!!" Lulu begged once more.

    But Daniel had different plans.

    "I don''t get the whole rape thing. I''m tired of having to be met with the same assumption every time it''s a female. Can''t you creatures think of a better method for negotiation other than your body? It''s despicable how quickly you give up your honor. There''s no way I could ever fuck someone as low as you, who abandons herself like that." Daniel spoke his true thoughts "But you have to die." He continued "Noooooooooooo...!" She continued to cry on the other hand "Not just an ordinary death. I have something extraordinary planned for you." Daniel took out a guerrilla knife and withdrew his palms off her face "?!" Lulu couldn''t understand where Daniel was getting at.

    She thought that Daniel was going to stab her in the heart since he was adamant about rejecting the sexual offer, but Daniel pierced both of her eyes with the guerrilla knife subsequently as well as rapidly.

    Also, Daniel tapped her mouth with his left hand as he didn''t want to hear her screams.

    "Shhhhhh..." He tried to silence her, but Lulu was feeling a pain she had never felt before; now blind from her two eyes "Death is not suffering. Suffering is living without death. And what better way to demonstrate that, if you can''t see for the rest of your life?" He put back his guerrilla knife in his central belt and took out one of his pistols with his right hand, now allowing Lulu to scream "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHH!!!! MY EYEEEESSSSSS!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, WHYYYYY?! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Her screams of horror filled Daniel with unparalleled joy.

    Daniel added one final touch, while erupting his posture back up, as he saw that the train was about to pass through.

    "I would love to continue our sensitive session, but I have a train to catch." Daniel shot both of her ankles "AAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!" Lulu placed both of her hands on her ankles; feeling the gushing blood emitting from them "You might get lonely but I''ll let you onto something; these trains are always here for you! Five minutes to five minutes! Now that''s consistency!" Daniel humored Lulu as she cried in pain while entering the train "FUCK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!! YOU WILL DIE A HORRIBLE DEATH!! ENJOY THIS WHILE YOU CAN, IT''S JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMETHING FAR TERRIBLE HAPPENS TO YOU!!! SOMETHING WAY WORSE THAN ALL YOU''VE EVER DONE WRONG IN THIS WORLD, DANIIEEEEEELLLL!!!" Lulu''s screams were heard loud and clear as the train took off with Daniel.

    It would take a while for Daniel to arrive at his desired station; but he decided to relax a bit on one of the central benches within the train---accompanied by multiple skeletons, whose identities remain forever a mystery.

    On the other hand, still paralyzed in the stair degrees at the subway station, Syndrana looked bored as she couldn''t move her body.

    It was one thing to almost suffer lethal damage from the electrical shockwave that the rods instantly emitted to her body, but another to have to wait for someone to pick her up.

    ".....Uggghhhhhhmmmmmhhhh, this fucking suckkkkkksssssss...." Her voice looked slightly dry "...Oh..." Her yellow eyes widened a bit as if revived when she heard footsteps coming from below.

    Daniel''s slow footsteps were a major annoyance to Syndrana as she turned her head around and noticed that Daniel had gotten more blood on him again.

    "Took you long enough... Nah, that was way too long, wasn''t this supposed to be fast?" Syndrana was referring to the early part of the plan back at the rooftop "You did decent." Daniel collected the first metallic rod located at the south of the staircase "Decent? That was S+ acting! I perfectly timed my apprehension with the train''s arrival! You will not receive that kind of synergy anywhere else, mister!" She spoke proudly of herself "You were supposed to drag them all the way to the train''s platform... But you didn''t, you allowed them to remain at the entrance which fucked up everything since I had to kill the rest that ran away. If they had been at that same spot, I would''ve killed them faster." Daniel was critical toward her, to which she showed a displeased expression.

    Finally grabbing the other rod and now in front of Syndrana, who remains motionless on the ground, Daniel looked at her from above.

    "...If you kill me, you won''t get in." She tried to defend herself "Really? How so?" Daniel was evidently curious "You are on one of the superbases of the organization... You are a fucking idiot if you think that you''ll get away with killing me here, Daniel." Syndrana was hinting at the very fact that every place on the island is somehow being recorded through a myriad of surveillance cameras in several spots; the current place included "Hmm..." Daniel looked a bit indecisive as he was forced to acknowledge what Syndrana had just said.

    He put the two rods on his belt just like two police batons and talked to Syndrana once again.

    "Get up." He ordered her "Huuuuh?! Can''t you see that the rods emit a stupid volt on the human body enough to paralyze it for at least thirty minutes?! I can''t move! You''re gonna have to carry me!" Syndrana gave Daniel the order "I''m not carrying you." Daniel stated "No, you are. Man up and carry me. I want princess style too!" Syndrana began to abuse her current condition to try to convince Daniel to have her way "You have a hard time processing my words, Syndrana." Daniel grabbed her right wrist only and began to descend down the stairs "H-Huh?! Wait, you''re not going t----" Syndrana''s face was hit over and over by the sharp edge of the staircase degrees as Daniel dragged her all the way to the train.

 Volume 24 - Chapter 170: Trial of Delphinus.

    Rena''s component was a mysterious key that had unknown applications. Throughout the entire student''s body''s time on this island, no one found a way to utilize that cryptic-looking key that Rena holds in her frail hands. Shaped with a skull in its head while containing an ancient relic-type of design to it; Rena continued to observe the key, as the elevator had at last arrived at the destination.

    The elevator''s doors slowly opened and Rena''s group, which consists of twelve girls and three boys, saw the upcoming environment.

    "It''s... beautiful..." Stunned in awe, as Zaya, a girl from the group walked forward mildly, a looming ambiance was revealed.

    Dark-blue gentle skies above mixed heavenly with the hundred-meter trees that housed yellow fireflies alongside a clearly visible red mist aurora that embraced the sacred atmosphere. Soothing winds going from east to west gave them a pleasant sense of being; the cold yet low water tapped their feet though they didn''t mind it.

    As for the general area of the current section, aside from the massively tall trees covered in fireflies, the area expanded on all sides with no limited closure in sight. The ground was a mixture of water and sand, surprisingly. It felt like being on the semi-wet part of a beach except there were trees everywhere towering you.

    If given importance, for any matter at all, the elevator is part of a gigantic tree like the others that can only be witnessed by leaving the elevator.

    "So cool, the tree embodied the elevator?!" Rena, surprised at the aesthetic detailed in the nature of the atmosphere, looked exultant "It''s nothing I''ve ever seen before... The trees are as tall as buildings... This feels so... unreal..." One of the boys, Ludo, commented as his expression became serene once utterly absorbed by the mystical cent of the fireflies "But we need to find the place to place this key in... The question is, where...?" Rena decided to consult her teammates on this matter as she wasn''t finding any territorial clues that could aid her endeavor.

    What was keeping Rena from uncovering further clues as to where she should go was the lingering fog that was created from the aurora mist. The effect of the mist would get in the way of anyone who would try to see through a direction too much.

    "Let''s simply walk forward. Once we spot something, we make our move, how about it?" Persulia, another girl from the small group, proposed to Rena, and Rena showed a bright adoring smile as she gladly accepted it "Sure, Persulia! Alright everyone! Let''s win!" The morale of the team rose more with Rena in the lead.

    They started to walk forward, merging their shoes slightly into the welcoming low water. Though they admired the fireflies and the aurora effects in that dazzling moonlight, they soon started to notice that the water''s color would subsequently transcend from transparent all the way to scarlet red.

    Without questioning why, they were more focused on finding some sort of clue in order to place the key and return to Ryousuke Kawahara and the others. Rena and the rest of them wanted to make their leader, Ryousuke Kawahara proud, and Rena, though young still, was very brave in spirit. There was a religious force within her that wouldn''t allow her faith to falter.

    And upon finding a location that would be akin to an element of her faith, Rena couldn''t believe her eyes as her group alongside her, after traveling through a small river that was collecting the majority of the water ultimately forming an incredibly deep downward waterfall on the edge of the area, found a faraway chapel.

    "It''s a chapel! Dear God, how advanced it looks! Guys, this is magnificent! The construction of this island and this particular section had Jesus Christ in mind!" Rena looked absolutely baffled as she toppled her posture forward by accident near the edge of the waterfall "Rena, be careful!" Basilik, one of the remaining boys, managed to save Rena from completely falling over the waterfall by positioning his hands on her shoulders "O-Oh God! Sorry, I got too excited!" Rena apologized as she realized the danger of the situation "Geez, you''re too excited about this, huh...? Well, it does look cool! But it''s pretty far away, isn''t it?" Yet another girl from the group, Fabiana, made her voice be heard.

    Noticeably, she was telling the truth as well. Although they are on the edge of a waterfall, if they look below, on the right or left side of the powerful water flux that pours all the water down, they can see that the waterfall is at least five hundred meters tall. Not only that, but they didn''t see any way to continue forward via some way to the right or left side. A horizontal line defines where they stand and there is no way to go down apparently.

    Speaking of the area below; it''s relatively different from the one they are in.

    With no trees in sight, the entire area below is firstly made of an oval lake that is over three kilometers in length. Given its oval structure, it''s no wonder that it''s surrounded by a rocky structure which is oval as well. That particular structure keeps the water in check and most importantly, it helps channel the water to two places at once. The first place is to the north side of the area which has a small opening that allows the water to continue to the north side which unravels a completely new area that they know not of.

    As for the second place the water would travel; it was visible to them, but first, it''s necessary to address just what exactly lies at the center of the lake. Already pointed out by Rena, there is a chapel in sight. This chapel is painted in all red and holds the characteristics of a cathedral more than a chapel. This cathedral is covered with yet another oval fortress that shields the entirety of the area from the overwhelming pool of red water from the lake. But the fortress has a multitude of channels that allow them to capture the stream of the water and thus, the water is sent downstream in an area that they couldn''t see, but it can be assumed that there is another area below the cathedral.

    However, the crucial point remained.

    "How are we getting in the church...?" Rena knew that the cathedral was very likely the highlight point here "There''s a bridge that connects all the way to it, but... It goes underneath the waterfall... Which means there has to be an entrance to it somewhere..." Rena''s reasoning gave birth to an idea that a girl immediately spoke "Maybe one of the trees has an elevator that will lead below the waterfall and we can then access the bridge...?!" Cecilia, one of the girls, made a point that everyone was very quick to agree with since they came from that exact same way "Oh my God, you''re right!" The first agreement came forth "So, that one?!" Another girl, Sandra, pointed at the gigantic tree that was perfectly aligned with the cathedral from a coordinated perspective on the left "Let''s try it!" On Rena''s signal, the entire group moved west and started to examine the tree.

    Engaged in the same collective endeavor of possibly finding something in the tree that would make an elevator door pop up just like the elevator within the tree they emerged in, they sought a way to make it happen. However, that''s easier said than done.

    They tried to check if there was some sort of hidden switch, a fake wood spot that had a secret button, and even touch the body of the thick tree that has withstood more time than they could ever know, but no result came forth.

    "Maybe only that tree worked?!" Fabiana began to doubt that there was a way to access the area below the waterfall via the trees "...Wait, maybe..." Rena now remembered something that she felt in her skirt''s right pocket.

    A tingling searing sensation could be felt on the upper section of her tight and once she took ahold of that mysterious key that was the everlasting component of this section.

    Rena held the key up high and the remaining members could see that the head of the key which is in the shape of a golden skull, is actually showing a brighter color, similar to a state of temperature meltdown.

    "The key...? But just what could it do? We didn''t see any entries, righ---" At the mere presence of the key itself now, the tree''s lower body opened a square-shaped area of three meters unraveling a hidden elevator inside which stunned all the rest "Wait, the key does that?! But that doesn''t... make any sense...? A key is supposed to be used in holes that have a key opening..." Persualia found this occurrence strange "Perhaps it has a bigger usage?" Ludo thought that even though the key''s presence had opened this new avenue, there was a unique place where the key could be used "It''s most likely where the component---this key---must be placed... Come on, we''re almost there!!" Rena jumped into the elevator and so did the rest as they followed her.

    Their trip to the way below the waterfall was therefore initiated as the elevator rapidly descended.

    At the same time, two individuals who had collectively worked together to gather the component from the prior section and ultimately had placed it in its place were done taking the elevator that would lead them to this particular section which was otherwise known as "The Vast Pool", though many knew not this.

    Breathing some fresh air offered by this different atmosphere instead of inhaling the artificial condescending air offered by the elevator, Daniel and Syndrana arrived at the ninth section, however far from their targets who were way ahead; gaining tempo advantage.

    "Uggggghhhhhhh..." Feeling nauseous, Syndrana clung to Daniel''s back while leaving the elevator which made him feel utterly uncomfortable "Daniiieeellll, can''t we stop for a bit, I''m gonna throw up, I swear, dude!!" She became very emotional about it, but she was not expecting some sort of positive reply from Daniel "......." He looked at her and saw that she was genuinely feeling nauseous "Three minutes." Daniel dropped her arms from his back and let Syndrana''s frontal body splash onto the low water mercilessly "Agghhh!!" She somewhat choked on the water.

    Leaving her behind, Daniel was aiming to go forward in order to scout the perimeter, although he had already been here before.

    "Ughhh, where are you going...? You''ve been here before, you dimwit! You know that they are heading for the cathedral, what''s the rush?! Hey, Daniel?!" Syndrana saw that Daniel''s body was starting to shake as she recomposed her posture, now having her clothes a bit soaked though not much "...Shut up...!!" Daniel''s reaction made him reach out for a pack of pills that is in his black pants'' right pocket; but his grip was so weak that while opening the upper part of it, multiple pills started to become submerged in the water and a vast majority was being swept away by the somewhat strong water flux to the north side.

    Daniel entered a state of paranoia and rapidly tried to recover as many pills as he could just by simply grabbing them with his fingers, and while doing so, he was taking every single one of them to his mouth desperately.

    "Nonononononononono----" Syndrana saw that Daniel''s abnormal reaction was something that she was not aware of "Daniel? Hey, what''s wrong?! Ugh, you can''t take so many pills at once! That''s like your seventh pill! You''ll overdose, you fucking moron!" Summoning her strength, Syndrana went to where Daniel was, just a bit up ahead, and tried to cease his right arm "GO AWAY, YOU BITCH!!" Daniel immediately lashed out and used his right arm to perform a back fist against her right hand.

    However, given that Syndrana has a physical aptitude in martial arts, to say the least, she saw the back fist coming and twisted Daniel''s right arm with a simple arm twist.

    "AGGGGHHHH!!! LET GO!! LET GO, I NEED TO CATCH THE PILLS!! I NEED IT!! PLEASEEE!!" Daniel begged while crying; meanwhile, Syndrana utilized her right knee and neutralized Daniel''s back in order to stop his movements "Chill out already!! You need to vomit the pills, right now!! You took way too many, Daniel! You''re gonna have an overdose and you will die, damn it! And I''m not letting you die until I get what I want, you hear me?!" Syndrana made her ground and with her left hand, from behind Daniel''s head, she put her fingers on his mouth "?!?!?!?" Perplexed while trying to move around but nevertheless not successful due to the relentless lock Syndrana was applying, Daniel was forced to vomit the pills once Syndrana''s left hand fingers went all the way down his throat "BLEGGGHHHHHH!!!" The pills were now fully out.

    With no strength left, Daniel''s body flopped onto the water with the pills having completely vanished into the water stream that would connect with the waterfall on the north side.

    "Calm now...?" With serious eyes, Syndrana asked Daniel, who was crying "...I need ittttt.... I neeeddd the Xanaxx.... Please, just one... I''ll go insane without them..... Ahhhhhh!!!" Daniel howled an emotional cry "What a mess you are. So that''s what''s keeping you in check; Xanax. Say, Daniel, tell me, who gave you those pills...?" Taking advantage of the weak Daniel, Syndrana aimed to extract information "...I''m not telling you... You''re just going to leave me behind if I tell you want you want to know..." Daniel continued to wheep "............" Syndrana didn''t expect Daniel to be so mentally resistant to the point of still being aware of that angle "Too bad for you then, mister. No more pills for you." She released Daniel from the lock and allowed him to feel a bit free.

    Now up and looking down on Daniel from below with pity, Syndrana was quick to address the situation.

    "I know that you need to have a few screws loose in the head to even be selected for a trial to begin with, but you''re a nutjob, Daniel. You kill with no remorse, manipulate, mistreat others, engage in drug usage, and suffer from apparently deep emotional problems. And from the looks of it, you are now the useless one." She splashed some water onto the fallen Daniel with her right shoe and kneeled down to Daniel''s face in order to engage in more conversation "Give me the equation and I will get it done for you. There is no need for you to go through this and become a slave to drugs if you can''t handle her absence..." Syndrana emphasized to Daniel, as she began to utilize the water nearby with her right hand to cleanse Daniel''s bloody face off the rivers of blood within "I''ve been informed about your case. I know what happened too." Syndrana continued to clean his face with a comprehensive yet solemn look on her face.

    Covering Daniel''s entire vision with her face showing up to him, Syndrana also whipped his tears with her soft gentle fingers.

    "There''s no shame in admitting it. You are starting to lose it, aren''t you?" She asked and waited for a response from Daniel who didn''t respond "I would do it, no shame, if I was in your position. She killed herself; you don''t know why and that haunts you. But let me tell you this, Daniel, it would equally haunt anyone over and over, if the deepest and most meaningful person to you, killed herself. It''s a haunting feeling that never leaves your heart and when you are at your weakest, the sentiment strikes the most... And when it does... No amount of self-constructed apathy can save you... After all, defensive mechanisms like that, have their validation prizes..." She spoke to Daniel, who was somewhat surprised by her sudden insight.

    Still cleaning up his face, Syndrana waited for Daniel to speak and he did, but with a weak voice still.

    "...The rebirth process... I... I don''t care about my life... I just want her back... I don''t mind dying... Or rather, I want Yulia to be alive again... I don''t think that I... would be able to show myself to her like this after breaking our vow..." Daniel spoke with thorns on his throat, having immense difficulty spelling his upcoming sentence "...Vow...?" Syndrana simply asked "...Yeah... Us, criminals, we are doomed. This program was essentially made to kill us, but... That''s fair. To be honest with you, I don''t remember doing any crimes that would lead me to having a thousand years in jail, but that''s besides the point..." Syndrana found this particular choice of words somewhat interesting and wanted to intervene, but allowed Daniel to continue talking.

    Slightly getting up, Daniel placed his back against a nearby tree and looked to Syndrana on his right, with her knees on the water still.

    "I was about to come clean. Me and her; we will strive for a life where the two of us could live together and so, in order to obtain that harmony, we made a vow to stop any criminal activity and dedicate our lives to each other..." Daniel smiled while talking, showing a level of joy "But then she killed herself. Out of the blue. It''s so strange. You think you know the person so well, in and out, from zero to one hundred, up to down, and then you get a surprise like that." Daniel laughed a bit and then looked at Syndrana again "Hey, Syndrana, I know that you really don''t give a shit and just want the equation, but thanks a lot. Considering the degree of bad I am, to have someone who is still at least capable of pretending to give a fuck, is heartwarming, to say the least." Daniel thanked Syndrana in his own way as he got up.

    Somewhat relieved and not feeling as depressed as before, Daniel stretched his muscles and cracked some bones.

    "If she''s brought back through the rebirth process, then she will know why she did it and she can tell you. I seriously don''t understand your angle anymore, Daniel. You can have a life with her; just give me the equation. What more do I need to do to prove that I have no underlying intentions?" Syndrana asked, now walking towards Daniel, who was relatively more composed and able to structure his sentences far better "Because you''re not me." Daniel answered and Syndrana was baffled "Huuuuhhhh?! What kind of answer is that?! How does that matter?" She demanded to know and Daniel smiled at her, genuinely, while answering "I have to be the one, Syndrana. Because I love her and the one thing I need to do in order for her to know that I love her is to be there for her when she wakes up. And so, I will get into the organization and I will perfect the equation in order to recreate her from scratch." Daniel turned his back to Syndrana and started to walk forward.

    Mildly impressed by Daniel''s words, she was, however, still not satisfied with that answer.

    "So you never planned on ending your life?" Syndrana mentioned the earlier occasion "That depends. I might have to rearrange her memories. It''s alright if she doesn''t remember me; just the knowledge that she''s breathing again, is enough for me. It''s all I want." Daniel spoke the truth "Woooow, look at you, mister charming white knight! Soooo, that''s why you don''t mind killing these innocent people? Even though the trial is telling you to literally murder them without them doing anything wrong?" They walked forward and started to visually grasp the edge of the waterfall "Oh, that''s alright. I enjoy the process a lot. Because, I am going to die, sooner or later, and I will die a horrible death. From here on, it''s only downhill. I''ll do anything to get her back, so I might as well enjoy the ride, right?" Daniel reasoned "What the hell! Hahaha, you are so nihilistic, Daniel!!" Syndrana bursted out laughing "You remind me a bit of the leader, I have to be honest." Syndrana confessed and gained Daniel''s attention.

    At the same time, however, they reached the edge of the waterfall where they could see Rena''s group enter the faraway cathedral.

    "How so?" Daniel was curious and Syndrana, taken by an emotional swing, spoke words that she normally wouldn''t "Many don''t know that the leader is actually a super gentle guy. He has, of course, extreme ambitions that he upholds with a high level of cruelty and displays very often his manipulative and sadistic side, but there is this gentle side to him that he only shows in his weakest moments." Syndrana spoke as Daniel watched her speak with some second-degree embarrassment "Oh, you love him." Daniel claimed "No kidding, huh!" She slapped Daniel on the top of his head "So, the plan? Or are you planning on allowing them to move on? Also, you do know that you are at an extreme disadvantage once you enter the cathedral, right? If that twerp has any idea on how to use the key, this won''t be easy." Syndrana made sure that Daniel was at least minimally prepared for what was about to come.

    However confident, Daniel was not stressed about it.

    "I hate this place. Don''t ask me why, but my inner fibers just despise it." Daniel, dead-serious, back to his cold self, looked at the cathedral with hatred "...Why...?" Curious but not telling why, Syndrana wanted to know "What the hell did I just say? I said, don''t ask me why. It''s just something engraved in me. It''s not that I have something against religion, I just hate the modern applications?" Daniel wasn''t even sure of himself while saying that.

    Syndrana didn''t answer and looked at Daniel permanently.

    "The fuck?" She spoke out loud by accident "Huh?" Unable to understand her sudden comment, Daniel was confused "...Nothing. Nevermind." She didn''t disclose any of her thought process but nevertheless kept a keen eye on attention, as a newfound interest was born "Let''s recap, shall we? About the cathedral, at least..." Daniel and Syndrana began to formulate a strategic session.

    <hr>

    Before entering the lengthy red-colored bridge wearing the decoration of an ancient unknown design, Rena''s group was basking at the glorious sight. The nearby cathedral which towered over them by amassing at least five hundred meters in height was surrounded by a luscious water that resembled blood at its core. However, the bridge---that contains over a kilometer in length and holds a decent twenty meters in width---was also a very appealing aspect of this environment. On each side of it, every five meters, a pillar of fire would emerge the more they would walk forward. Given the natural borders that the bridge offers, they held a fair forty centimeters in height which was sufficient to protect the surface of the bridge from the outer red water.

    Just like a 3D scenery, the closer they got to the end of the bridge---a gigantic abrasive shadow consumed them as it came from the solar contrast of the entirety of the cathedral.

    Rena looked at the very top of the cathedral from below and wondered just one thing in particular.

    "This is the first cathedral---I was calling it a church earlier, but this is clearly a cathedral----that doesn''t have the Lord showing in any sort of statue..." Rena and the others noted it too, how there wasn''t a single Christ cross on the outer side of the frontal of the cathedral "It must be inside... And speaking of inside, do you think it''ll fit in?" Now face to face with the cathedral''s dual doors which have a supreme height of fifty meters and a jaw-dropping width of thirty meters, they found themselves questioning just how a single key could open the two colossal doors that dwarf their existences, physically speaking "Wait, let me try something..." Rena had an idea, as she took possession of the key once more.

    In that wide area of two hundred meters to each side by the end of the bridge, the group of sixteen saw a miracle occur in front of them.

    Firstly, the red-colored door glittered in dark gold on its borders began to demonstrate a triangle-type aura that covered most of the door''s surface. Following that up, on the three triangle''s ends, three eyes that looked incredibly alive, looked at the group below and acknowledged their existence. Ultimately, by that acknowledgment and obeying the key that Rena was holding up high toward the sealed doors, the eyes joined all at once and formed an angle turn so that the eye that has twenty meters in length was horizontal.

    "What... The... HECK?!" Rena refused to say a similar word to the one she said last as the eye blinked once; highlighting the massive eyelashes--- simultaneously causing the area below the eye to elevate until the eye.

    With that, the seal was officially off and an entrance to the inner of the cathedral was formed; in the shape of a triangle. However, they started to grow undoubtedly frightened at the sight of the utterly realistic eye that kept on looking at them through its black iris.

    "OH MY GOD, WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" Terror was starting to run rampant as the group members had never witnessed something so insidious to look at "IT''S A DAMN EYE!! WHAT IS THIS PLACE?! IT''S COVERING THE WHOLE DOOR!! AND IT''S ALIVE?!" Unable to recompose herself, Cecilia placed her shaky hands on the top of her head as she feared the one thing above her "Everyone, be not afraid!" Rena, not lacking in courage although somewhat demolished mentally at the face of something so horrific, tried to compose her team "We can''t be afraid! As long as I have the key, then we will be able to place it and get back to everyone! The faster we do this, the better!!" Rena proposed.

    Essentially speaking, she was telling them to stop whining and get to work in a sympathetic way. There was the merit of not being around the live eye, so they didn''t argue and went inside the cathedral''s inner area which was shaded in light red.

    Fairly standard in its presentation, there were a wide variety of seat rows to the left and to the right; about fifty to be exact, which was already more than the usual. There were no other rooms to the left or to the right, but there was a noticeable open path in the middle in-between the rows as it usually is inside a cathedral. Normally, it''s covered with some sort of carpet that leads all the way to the central altar. However, the middle path was adjoined with a myriad of human corpses that intertwined with one another; thus forming a bridge to the altar; something that is only seen in nightmares.

    "Bleeegghhh!!!" One of the girls, Susan, threw up at the horrific sight and she wasn''t alone on that "Am I seeing this correctly?! There are hundreds of dead human beings cemented on the ground that leads to the altar!! What am I WATCHING?!" Fabiana got exultant in a pessimistic way too, however, hope was somehow reignited once Lulu elevated the key, as she hoped to bring forth some result "A way down...?!" Confused as to why a sudden rupture within the path they are in just formed a road that leads down though only slightly inclined, they were baffled by the applications of the key.

    But, the path that leads below is actually a road that utilizes all the human beings assailed on the path to the altar and since there are no degrees, it would be like descending a stairway case with human body members as degrees, which was uncomfortable, to say the least, for them.

    "You can''t be serious, right?! It''s inviting us down?! Oh man, this is so messed up! I just wanna go home already...!!" Ludo showed signs of emotional weakness but Rena was the first one to bravely take a step forward into the semi-illuminated red-shaded descending path below; stepping on dead disfigured human beings molded one to another---exhibiting artistically horrifying anatomies "Everyone, I''m very scared..." Rena took a step down below and then spoke to the spiritually divided members of her group, with fire in her eyes "It''s at times of weakness where you must be strong! That''s what my mother always told me! And most importantly... Pray." Rena seriously said "...Pray...?" Not seeing the merit of the action, Ludo was a bit skeptical "Yes; pray. Pray for your success and God will hear you... God never ignores anyone. So, come on!" Rena turned her back on the rest and began to walk over the mountain of corpses below.

    Unsure how to reply or how to feel encouraged, they nonetheless admired her sheer bravery. They didn''t feel that Rena was blind to what was happening, but they definitely knew that she was fighting off this newborn fear by praying.

    By going through the descending road of corpses that have somehow not rotten, they encountered a hidden path below the cathedral where reverse rectangular windows on the right side were spotted. Those red windows allowed them to see the red water from the channels near the oval area surrounding the center of the outer cathedral as it slid down like multiple waterfalls at once. The noise created by such waterfalls was abundantly impressive but also a sight to look at.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    As of now, they have entered a small ongoing descending spiral staircase that was arguably small to the point where they had to walk one by one down at their respective pace. Soon after, they would reach a poorly illuminated area at the base of the area.

    They looked firstly at the height of the spiral staircase which was close to three hundred meters. The light at the top of the staircase is undoubtedly stronger than the one they were currently provided with.

    "Rena, use it on the door, probably?" Basilik suggested, as another enormous door that conquered their heights combined was shown on the south parameter of the indefinite lengthy base floor area that they were in "It''s bound to work." Rena showed confidence and so, they walked in the south direction of the area filled with levels of visible fog as well as a multitude of ten-metered occasional pillars that would light up the more they advanced "Wait..." Fabiana noticed the existence of two people present on the two sides of the door that had the same design as the door on the cathedral''s entrance.

    On the right side, Syndrana gestured a bow and Daniel, who was clean of the previous blood, did the same, on the opposing side. As Syndrana noticed them approaching, they engaged in the dialogue as planned.

    "Greetings, travelers! I am June, one of the monitors of this section!" The ball was passed onto Daniel who put on an extremely charismatic and emphatic face "...My name is Adam, and I too, am one of the monitors of this section!" Daniel''s manner of speech was way less eccentric but it still landed the mark "Adam?" Syndrana asked Daniel lowly "...Yup." He confirmed it and then Syndrana shrugged and went on "Congratulations on coming thus far, I am sure you are here on behalf of the exam?" Syndrana asked a question that would bring a lot of worried answers right away.

    Rena''s group approached both of them and they started talking, feeling relieved now that they were meeting some authority figures, from their perspective.

    The first to speak was Rena, who placed her right palm on the center of her chest.

    "Oh thank God! We were so worried because we had no idea what was going on! We just encountered so many... creepy things..." Rena was definitely looking for an explanation "My apologies. Those are not real; so don''t be afraid." Daniel continued after Syndrana "They are highly artificial holograms with advanced sensory technology to them. So if they may seem too realistic, then don''t worry, it''s all part of the gag!" Daniel laughed and so did Syndrana "Goddamn it, that''s cool! But it got us so scared, holy...!" Ludo let out a vast portion of air and sighed in relief "Onto a more important note now..." Daniel decided to elevate the pacing a bit and got their attention "I assume that you are here to place the key component in its place, correct?" Rena answered Daniel''s question instantly "Yes. We wish to return to the upper part of the island as soon as possible! There are many others who are most likely already done with their task and above waiting! We don''t want to lose the race, hahaha!" Speaking with enthusiasm, Rena got her companions feeling the same energy "You''re right, Rena; ain''t no way I''m losing this race! Hey, you said you''re monitors, right? Then, can you help us find the place to put the component?!" Sandra mainly spoke to Daniel instead of Syndrana as she asked that.

    However, it was Syndrana who answered.

    "That''s a given, hahaha!!" She laughed in a maniac way, earning a bit of a scared reaction from the rest, but she proceeded in a calm manner "We are tasked with guiding those who have gained access to this area all the way to the secret area. It''s like this in every section; so your companions are all being guided. But I must ask, where are the criminals exactly? All of you aren''t in the database..." Syndrana asked a question that they knew had to be asked eventually "We are cooperating with Ryousuke Kawahara who is our de facto leader! We have all split into groups in order to place the components in the ten sections! But there''s a time limit!! We only have about maybe ten minutes or so?! I don''t know, I''m really worried!" Rena was beyond self-conscious about the timing that had appeared when the criminals'' teacher made his appearance through a video.

    Daniel offered a ticking clock to Syndrana and then, after looking at it, she spoke to Rena and the rest.

    "I''m afraid your worries are misguided. It''s already been completed!" Syndrana informed them and their jaws almost dropped "What?! How?!" Fabiana demanded to know "Apparently there was only the necessity of placing six components in their place and they were put in their place before the timing went out. So, this means that you don''t have to feel pressured about the timing, all that''s left to do is place the component and you can enjoy the trip back home!" Syndrana said words that would make each and every one of them hug each other in joy while almost crying "Oh thank God!!" Rena got down on her knees amidst the celebration crying "We get to go home, Rena!!" Zaya was jumping back and forth; pushing Rena up in order to celebrate.

    Interrupting their little happiness session with cruelty, Daniel''s voice reigned supreme in volume as he subsequently laid out the upcoming information.

    "Don''t relax yet. There''s a tricky gimmick to this section, unfortunately, and the key is very much necessary in order for you all to make your escape." This shrouded information put an unease on their shoulders suddenly "Wait... What... What do you mean by that...?" One of the girls, Pandora, asked in fear and Syndrana answered for Daniel "It''s easier if you just follow us. God, even I want to go home!" Syndrana showed a similar desire to them, which made them ultimately relax "I must ask you, Rena, to use the key to open the door. We emerged from another entrance but even we, don''t have control over these doors." Syndrana explained while falsifying an alibi for the both of them "Oh ok." Rena believed in them right away and put the key up high while chanting a speech "OPEN UP!!" Though she didn''t believe it would affect the order at all, the result on the other hand, was against her expectations.

    At a supernatural speed, almost automatic with blinding speed in the movement; the doors opened themselves as fast as firing bullets ----causing a massive airwave to blow.

    "What the?!" Persulia was shocked at this and couldn''t believe what had just happened as they all looked at the glowing key that Rena was holding "........" Daniel and Syndrana held a rigid stare onto the key and acknowledged how willing Rena was to utilize the key "And on we go!" Syndrana declared as the upcoming area was now visible to the rest.

    First starting with a wide horizontal row of ten golden degrees, an uprising stairway was shown as it upheld ten consecutive stops every ten degrees. Once the first ten degrees were reached, there would be a spacious interval of five meters in length and then the ten degrees would follow. A regalia yet lustrous royal staircase design was therefore exhibited to them; meanwhile, the left and right sides of the area were covered with foggy windows where the outside scenery of the cataracts of red water was blurry---however enough to give some decent illumination.

    As of now, they have a hundred degrees to climb in order to reach the mysterious top door.

    Standing in front of the group at a five-meter distance from them, Daniel and Syndrana put on stone-cold apathetic faces while engaging in a little conversation.

    "We follow?" She asked without looking at him "Yes. The blood cycle needs them alive, so we can''t kill them, as I''ve said before." Daniel repeated words "You two are kinda young, not gonna lie." Using a less formal manner of speech, Ulrich, the third and final boy, spoke out and Daniel intercepted "Young? Yeah, maybe me! But June here is twenty years old, she''s on her way to speedrun every reformatory in town!" Daniel cracked a joke and everyone laughed.

    Syndrana got offended somehow.

    "Adam, don''t let them know you''re a drug addict." She lightly laughed and caused the group to feel mixed over Daniel "Guys, she''s just joking, hahaha!" Daniel looked at them and awkwardly laughed "I''m not lying guys, he''s on Xanax..." Syndrana was enjoying herself and Daniel got pissed off to the point where he stopped talking "Awwww, now he''s moody! Hahaha!!" Syndrana laughed in such a sinister way that it wouldn''t be long before she realized that she wasn''t exactly attracting their attention anymore "..........." The group watched the two of them continue to walk up.

    After three minutes of climbing in silence, another door lay in sight as they now stand on a higher ground in the area. The width of the area is fairly small though as it only has five meters in width. Likewise, the door wasn''t as tall or even close to resembling such monstrous height, but it had different elements to it.

    Upholding a circular structure in the center, the circle consisted of three small circles on the north, southwest, and southeast sides of it. Furthermore, at the very center of the circle, there was a dormant closed eye that fit inside the circle which already told them that it was far smaller than the behemoth they encountered previously. In addition to that, they could tell it was a dormant eye because of the eyelashes and the overall anatomy of it.

    "So fucking creepy...!!! To think that it''s a hologram... It''s... outstanding in a sense, but I can''t get over the feel that I can''t process it being totally a hologram! It looks and feels so real!" Fabiana went ahead and touched the dormant''s eye eyelashes and felt the same as if touching something she could grasp over physical sentience "Don''t be fooled now, this is a highly advanced technological island with the purpose of putting the criminals of the exam through some deadly trials; that''s why it looks like a horror movie!" Syndrana began to talk to the girls and they started to talk in a very eccentric manner "Oh my gosh, that makes so much sense! Maybe it''s a way for them to be more conscious about their wrongdoings...? This scenario would make anyone scared, so maybe that''s it!" Sandra agreed with Syndrana.

    Daniel didn''t like the fact that they were getting side-tracked. He also thought that Syndrana talked too much.

    "Yasssss!! Bad boys need to learn their lessons!!" Syndrana agreed and talked in a girly manner "But where are the female criminals?" Ulrich asked a different question "Aren''t we losing too much time?" Daniel intervened, even though everyone was actually looking forward to answering that question "I suppose...!" Rena, who was absorbed into the social atmosphere for a bit, was brought to her senses and took out the key once again "SEAL, UNLOCK!" This time, choosing completely different words as she judged that the door was sealed, Rena delivered the command.

    Lighting up a faint glowing red aura on the north circle, a glittering sound of something being unlocked was heard but only a small sound. Following the sound, an intersecting line made of blood was transfused to the southwest and then to the southeast; ultimately awakening the dormant eye from its slumber.

    "DEAR GOD----" Rena put her two hands on her mouth impulsively "It''s crying blood!!" Susan shouted as the group witnessed the open eye emitted a nonstop blood river from the inferior corners of the eye.

    With a blood-red retina, the eye, upon carving in its system the number of unidentified members present and whilst not registering the members that bypass its judgment ----began to rotate once by ninety degrees, so the eye was totally horizontal and then a fissure appeared in the middle of the circle which resembled that of blood; ultimately opening the door but also allowing an unknown mist infiltrate the current area albeit not much.

    "......!!!" Daniel''s expression slowly became in mild pain as his brain started to feel like it was entering meltdown yet again; Syndrana took notice of this, however, and as the group awaited some sort of indication about whether or not they should walk into the upcoming room covered in enigmatic mist, she gave a formality in a speech "I know it might be hard to ignore the authentically realistic holograms, but it only gets worse from here. Do your best to ignore everything you will see from here on, for your mental health''s sake." Syndrana took a step forward and so, though reluctant at first, the group followed her.

    She cast one side glance at Daniel and upon understanding the necessity, Daniel did not advance into the room with mist; which didn''t allow anyone to grasp just what exactly was in the room, to begin with.

    "Mister Adam...? Are you okay?" Rena, ever-caring, noticed that Daniel was feeling pain and couldn''t stop holding his two hands on his head, and so, Syndrana intervened on Daniel''s behalf "Ahhh, he''s alright, Rena, my dear!" Syndrana got in front of Rena and she couldn''t see Daniel "But he looks like he''s in pain, Lady June!" Respectful yet honest, Rena didn''t drop her stance "He has asthma and this mist provokes an allergic reaction to it; so I better hope none of you have it!" Syndrana came up with a lie.

    Rena looked worried in Daniel''s direction, who was showing a weak reaction, but in the end, he looked at Rena and gave a thumbs-up which allowed Rena to move on, albeit she was still worried about his condition.

    Moving towards the fog that harbors a decisive location, they began to fade under the fog, but a voice played its words in the ambiance as Daniel could hear it.

    "....ght here...." Entranced with the red-colored mist, a very faint feminine voice that Daniel could immediately recognize, was heard "....lia..." His vision trembled as Daniel saw the foggy presence of Yulia midst the fog, though her entire body was still unclear; because she kept slowly but surely walking forward ".....W-Wait...!" Daniel, weak in strength and feeling the pressure from the mist surrounding the atmosphere; lagged behind as he made his sluggish way forward while chasing his fallen idol.

    Still unclear about where they are or what exactly they are supposed to be searching for, Rena''s group was skeptical as they followed Syndrana through the fog.

    "Lady June, could you tell us about what''s next...? This way, we can avoid any unnecessary jump scares..." Rena politely asked Syndrana and she answered, but didn''t turn back to them "I can''t do that, it ruins the surprise!" Syndrana was adamant on not telling them "Come on, at least a clue?!" Ulrich begged "Hmm... A clue, huh..." Syndrana considered while still leading the way forward through the mist "Are any of you familiar with rituals?" Syndrana asked the question "Rituals...?" Rena didn''t understand where Syndrana was coming from and she was additionally somewhat afraid of what Syndrana might say "Oh yes, my darlings---rituals. They are often tied with brands and sacrifices! So, here is the clue to all of you: If it''s a ritual, what will it be sacrificed?" Though a clue, it definitely was a question that would spawn other questions subsequently.

    Regardless, their attention would soon be brought forward to the focal point of the area as the mist began to lack potency.

    "What..." Rena, in awe, while feeling fear, couldn''t believe her eyes, as her expression became twisted with worries "That can''t be...! No, no..." Her head trembled as she saw a fifty-meter-tall red throne engulfed in blood dripping from the arms of the throne which consisted of arm bones and the ends made out of golden skulls "Please, I ask you once again to-------" Syndrana tried to calm them down, but Rena in particular, was extremely agitated and began to voice her complaint "This is hideous! Even for an idea! Who thought this was alright?! How is forming a cathedral for this demon however beneficial in the hope of reforming criminals?! THIS---THIS IS HERESY!!" Her voice rose in volume and her group was siding with her.

    To truly understand Rena''s degree of agitation, it''s necessary to know her religious ground and where her beliefs stand. Throughout her life, ever since a young age, she has been a loyal Christian alongside her family. Given that nature, it''s no surprise that seeing a massive figure painted in red color whose height brutally towered all of them---upholding actually sixty meters as it was able to fit in the bloody throne----resembling Satan.

    Rena immediately realized what kind of cathedral this was and even though her task was to put the component in its place; she couldn''t ignore this sudden event and as such, she began to verbally prosecute Syndrana.

    "Why?! Why aren''t you showing a sign of agreement with me?! This is a cathedral for Satan! This entire island is built on Satanism and yet you are looking at us with that wicked smile, Lady June!!" Angry but still seeking an explanation, Rena looked at Syndrana "Oh dear, oh dear! Rena, darling; you so misunderstand----this is a mere hologram and I completely agree with you! But there is nothing that can be done! It wasn''t my idea!" Syndrana dodged the bullet.

    Or so she thought.

    "You lie! Your ignorance is all over the place! God knows liars and so do I!" Illogical but somehow managing to sentimentally damage Syndrana, Rena began her wild accusations "Excuse me...?" The group began to slowly retreat back as Syndrana begged her pardon to Rena "You show no agitation or fear before this living embodiment of evil; as a matter of fact, you have the face of a worshiper... You... You..." Rena readied the verbal canon "WITCH!!" Rena released her right finger and aimed at Syndrana; her shout echoing in the hollow area.

    Perplexed and moody at the accusation, Syndrana tried to compose herself.

    "W-Wait a second, I think you got the wrong idea here, Rena! I was just playing, that''s all, I have no relation to this at all!" She tried to calm Rena down "LIAR, YOU WITCH!! Everyone, she''s a witch!" Rena insisted that her group members got the message "W-Witch...?!" Not exactly believing in Rena but questioning the usage of the word, Persulia asked Rena "Those who believe, and even the ones that aren''t opposed to Satan, are all witches! She''s no different! Lady June is a WITCH!!" Syndrana was now mad "SHUT YOUR MOUTH, INSOLENT CREATURE, I AM NOT A WITCH!!! HOW DARE YOU TALK TO ME LIKE THAT, I''LL KILL YOU A-------" Noticing her slip, Syndrana placed her hands on her mouth as she was surprised by the lack of control on her part.

    Genuinely surprised by her mistake, Syndrana was speechless and in that second of silence, it was all done for.

    "R..." Fabiana couldn''t finish the initiation "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!" All of the members of the group ran backward, fleeing for their lives "Oh no you don''t!" Syndrana cut her right palm with the guerrilla knife that she had borrowed from Daniel and allowed her blood to be dropped onto the floor.

    Due to the mist, it''s only natural that they aren''t aware of where they currently stand.

    It has a name; Sigil of Baphomet. Otherwise known as a pentagram, it is composed of three triangles that ultimately intertwine with one another to form the shape of a star in the middle of a circle. Once any type of blood is spilled onto the surface of this forbidden sigil, the outer circle will light up flames first. Then, the flames will transcend into all the lines within the pentagram, which ultimately form a pentagram of fire. Of course, this meant that escape was no longer possible.

    "We''re surrounded by fire!! Rena, use the key!" An immediate suggestion came forth as fire spread beyond control within the gigantic pentagram they found themselves in "...What the...?! I feel so... weaaaakkkk...!!" Ulrich''s skin began to deplete as his body vitality was being drained by something "I feel so sick...." Cecilia''s face was so skinny that by each second, layers of her skin were missing "Everyone?! What''s going on?!" Nervous as to why nothing was happening to her while seeing everyone around her close to the flames being sucked out of their lives by something, Rena held the key up high and uttered the one thing she could think of "G-God, save us all from the witch!!" This would, of course, provoke a reaction, since the key holds nigh-omnipotent power over this section as a whole.

    Nevertheless, it cannot perform the impossible despite its virtuality. That naturally includes saving people who are beyond dead---or specifically speaking, human beings whose bodies have had their blood emptied out from them.

    Therefore, instead of the key obeying the order of protecting her group, the function was brought to Rena, who gained the power to instantly cancel out the pentagram and its flames. However, it was too late for the rest, as their blood was effectively drained from the sigil and transferred over to the blood cycle of the figure standing on the throne, who was not showing any physical reactions.

    "A-Ahhh...!!" Exhibiting sadness and despair, Rena was now able to see through the less dense red mist her group members'' bodies all limp and lifeless; completely skinned out of their blood "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!! NO, WHY! GOD, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THEM!!" On her knees, she started crying and trembling over the large shock that she was processing, and midst of that, Syndrana approached her at the very center of the black pentagram with a malefic grin "Oh my silly little Rena! Oh no! Oh no, no, no, NO! Poor you! And for sure, poor them, HAHAHA!!" Laughing like a mad witch, Syndrana began to exhibit choices of dialogue that were seemingly not modern at all as Rena couldn''t accept their deaths "Your fault... This... All your fault..." She muttered that while turning her head to Syndrana who was nearby "Hmmmmmmmmm?! My fauuuuulllllttttt? And just who are you fooling exactly?! This would have all gone nicely if you just hadn''t made such a blunder in calling me a... WITCH, out of all the names! Goddamn it all to hell, GAH!!" Syndrana unleashed a raging scream into the air.

    At her wit''s end, still not giving up on her faith, Rena got up from the ground and wore the face of a demon; completely blinded by rage while strongly holding onto the key, which made Syndrana back up a little bit as she knew from a mile away what was about to happen.

    "O-Oh, I wouldn''t do that if I were you! No, no, no, no! Missy, you must be wiser and stronger than that! Don''t give into the temptation; it''s a sin, remember?!" Syndrana laughed in Rena''s face as she saw Rena being completely bulletproof to her words just now; making her retreat even more "You need to be eradicated for what you have done...!" Rena readied her speech as Syndrana feared the power of the key; knowing fully well that whoever holds the key has absurd power just by conjuring a simple order "GOD; SLAY THE WITC-----" Syndrana had visions of the untold past as Rena attempted to give out that order.

    Piercing her head four times with a pistol from the left side, Daniel shot Rena to death as she didn''t have time to react.

    "I''m sorry, could you repeat that, Yulia? They were being so noisy I think I missed a detail..." Oblivious to Rena''s now-dead body on the floor spilling blood everywhere into the pentagram; though this time not triggering the pentagram''s mechanics as the key had lost its host, Daniel walked through her "D-Daniel?! You idiot, you weren''t supposed to come, I had all of this planned out, for fuck''s sake! You were not supposed to kill her because she had to give up the ownership of the key and I was about to work on that, you retard!" Angry that the plan was spoiled even though she was actually about to die, Syndrana lashed out at Daniel who simply ignored her and kept on walking to the throne where the entrance to the focal point of this section lay beneath the lowest part of the throne "Yeah, I can destroy this island, don''t worry." Daniel, from Syndrana''s perspective, was speaking to himself.

    Syndrana was mildly disturbed by Daniel''s incomprehensible behavior, but as he kept on walking to the center of the lower part of the throne that has a door that requires a certain quantity of blood to be open; which it was, given the earlier sufficient sacrifices----Daniel had spoken a line that completely threw her off guard.

    The line about the island''s destruction.

    Fast, she ran in his direction and bumped his right shoulder.

    "What the hell are you talking about, Daniel?! The island?! You want to destroy it?! Explain yourself!!" Nervous since she knew where he was headed, Syndrana demanded an explanation but Daniel was only focused on his left side, as if he was permanently looking at someone---with an angelic smile and loving look in his eyes "Are you kidding me?! Sana will be thrilled! She''s been through a lot ever since you died! Can you imagine her face?! I definitely can''t!" Daniel was radiating with positivity and Syndrana immediately realized what was happening; now keeping a reasonable distance from Daniel---about a meter behind him while also speaking out loud "Of course, the mist has such effect in altered brains that have become one with the soul liquid... It shows no effect on the normal cortex, that''s why we didn''t see or experience something similar to him... Oh Daniel, what... Just..." She sighed "You want to see her so badly that you gave into the false image of the mist...? At this point, you can''t be helped. For fuck''s sake, I''m only doing this at this point for the equation; if not I would have killed him already..." Syndrana spoke her true thoughts as she found Daniel''s existence and his unpredictability to be far too overbearing currently.

    They entered a semi-dark linear hall beneath the lower part of the brutally tall red throne; just after crossing the figure''s legs.

    "Earth to Daniel, hellllloooooooooo?" Still a meter away from him, Syndrana called out to Daniel but no answer came forth---or rather, he was too busy talking to his fallen idol that is apparently on his left side "She''s not real, Daniel. The mist is causing you to hallucinate and the pain in your brain was simply a procedure trying to warn you to not go any further---but you''re a fucking moron and went inside the mist; deeeeeepppp into it like the lunatic you are and so, she looks authentically real to you, doesn''t she...?" Her words went to deaf-ears unfortunately "...You leave me no choice..." Muttering that in such a way that Daniel couldn''t have possibly heard her, Syndrana decided to physically overpower Daniel as he is trying to do something that would be catastrophic, to say the least; however, as Syndrana rushed from behind with the aim to physically paralyze his movements, a cold oval touch to her open forehead was made by a pistol which was ready to shoot "You talk too much. Interrupt Yulia one more time and I''ll put ten bullets to your brain." Daniel gave a lingering death stare to Syndrana.

    Receiving mental shock to her mind as she didn''t expect Daniel''s physical reaction to be that fast, Syndrana gulped and upon realizing that Daniel was not in his usual self, she became more aware of Daniel.

    "...I apologize..." She genuinely said that to Daniel, who looked to his left side in order to say something "What?! But she keeps talking over your lines, Yulia! No, I don''t care! If she does it again, she will DIE!" Daniel and the person he is talking to showed great signs of arguing "W-Wait, don''t be mad at me! I didn''t mean to shout, I-I-I-I just lost control!" Daniel limped forward as if to follow a person who was furiously trying to walk away from a scary person; though Daniel tried to persuade her.

    Now left with a greater distance from Daniel, Syndrana reasoned something to herself.

    "It''s the mist. It''s still present and it will be even in the control room... I have to shut it down and the hallucination will wear off..." She decided to make her move as she approached Daniel, however, she waited until Daniel was speaking in order to technically not interrupt one of Yulia''s lines "But I---" She took her opportunity "Daniel, can I say something?" She politely asked and Daniel looked at her with disgust but after looking to his left and getting what appeared to be a confirmation, Daniel spoke to Syndrana while pointing the gun at her with an apathetic face "Speak." Syndrana felt that this current Daniel could not be manipulated but even so, she tried one simple trick "I need to pee... Uh, there''s a bathroom ahead, mind if I go ahead...?! Please, I''m almost leaking, I swear!" Syndrana did her best to show the reaction of an average girl needing to perform her urinal necessities.

    Looking at her with stone-cold black eyes, he didn''t say anything to Syndrana but he rotated his head to his left subsequently.

    "Well?" He asked her and shortly after, she gave an answer "No, I won''t allow it, Yulia. She''s lying." Syndrana responded to this accusation "I swear I''m really n---" Daniel struck back with an imperial shout "SHUT UP, BITCH!" Daniel''s voice echoed through the hall as they were almost in the control area "Listen, Yulia, I will give her a chance and that''s it. If she''s lying, her head will roll." Syndrana became nervous and confused at Daniel as he focused his attention on her now "You can pee. Do it; I''ll watch." Perplexed, ashamed, and stiff, Syndrana couldn''t believe Daniel''s words "Y-----You''re not serious. Are you?" She asked in disbelief "You said you need to urgently pee. Show me that you aren''t lying." Daniel was in fact getting argued over this by the voice of Yulia but he opted to ignore it, as he pointed the gun to the right wall; telling Syndrana to give Daniel evidence "Do it." Daniel demanded one more time; physically approaching Syndrana out of sheer dominance.

    In utter disbelief and forced to accept this reality, as she knew for a fact that Daniel, the person whom she had visual confirmation through footage, could easily take another''s life---almost as naturally as inhaling oxygen out of necessity, Syndrana was forced to perform her urinal "necessity" in front of Daniel who watched it without blinking an eye as she felt beyond disgusted.

    "After all of this, do the world a favor and give up on breathing." After demonstrating Daniel evidence and elevating her posture, she looked at Daniel with apathetic eyes, refusing to show shame "What, you want to see my pussy too?" Very aggressively, she spoke but Daniel didn''t reply and instead now decided to walk forward while talking to Yulia on his left; albeit that''s just a hallucination driven by the mist effect "I know it doesn''t erase what I did, but now that I have you by my side, I just don''t care anymore. I''ll destroy the entire island and bury this superbase alongside it. I''ll dedicate my entire life to you." Syndrana was getting annoyed at Daniel''s ultimatums about destroying the island and knew she had to do something before Daniel was given the chance to do it.

    Revealing itself to be a dead blood factory that harnessed specifically ONLY the blood from dead individuals and only that; it would take many by surprise due to the ritual earlier draining live blood from the individuals. However, that blood which was still coming from a live human being was thoroughly distributed through the vast pool surrounding the cathedral. The actual dead blood is only acquired much afterward through an entirely new process.

    In width, it possessed seventy-five meters and upheld a seemingly infinite height as the ceiling would go dark after reaching so high. On a side note, however, Daniel has in his possession the key that was previously in Rena''s ownership, but he is currently not aware of the predicament that came from not properly relinquishing the ownership of the key like Daniel and Syndrana had formulated a plan for it.

    The elements in the area varied from a wide range of biological thick tubes encapsulating types of blood---naturally all dead despite the type, highly advanced computers, a central plasma containing a width of a hundred meters and fifty meters in height which is absurd by modern standards, and most importantly, to the north side of the red room, there is a massive control panel with all sorts of buttons.

    However, each button or rather----each task can only be executed at a blood price. Not according to one''s, but according to the general dead blood accumulated within the factory.

    Given that there is an authentic almost-full storage of dead blood, it should be no problem to execute all sorts of tasks that this section allows.

    With all things considered, this only leaves one question left: Where and how should the key be used? By all means, it''s a key and according to its nature, it doesn''t have the old-fashioned utility of only being useful upon landing on the right lock; no, it has a cognitive response and is able to virtually interact with other technological devices/artifacts in this section.

    Nonetheless, none of this excludes the fact that it''s still a key with a lock lying somewhere waiting to be used and in order to move on to the tenth and final section, it''s crucial to be able to place the component in its place. If it''s a key, it''s logical that there is only one place where it could fit.

    But things were far more complicated thanks to Daniel not being in control; which made things extremely fragile.

    After walking to the control room and guiding himself and Syndrana to the control panel, Daniel halted before pressing the button that said "Emergency Self-Destruction", which was a button whose existence is questionable at the very least.

    "I''m about to do it, alright?" Make no mistake, Daniel didnt'' speak to Syndrana who is watching him from behind, but to the imaginary figure of Yulia on his left "......" With a serious face, Syndrana knew that a single moment would be decisive.

    She knew that Daniel would show no hesitation when it came to killing her, so there was no room for any sort of manipulative tricks.

    One moment where Daniel''s attention would be completely absorbed onto something would be when he would press the self-destruct button which would come at a margin of time where it''s thought to be impossible to match.

    Receiving a bullet to the tip of her long yellow right nail, Daniel was too late when it came to shooting Syndrana''s hand as after she pressed the "Turbomax air button" the air in the control room elevated in the south direction which caused both Daniel and Syndrana to momentarily fly.

    "AGGGHHHHH!!" Feeling the damage after falling, but no longer surrounded by the mist as the button''s purpose was to cleanse the entire area of the section that had mist, Daniel began to hear an alarming sound as he saw a countdown on the gigantic plasma on the north side "Fifty-nine minutes and fifty-three seconds...? Agh, what the fuck... What is this...?!" Daniel on the ground, supported his head with his right hand, specifically on the right side of his cortex as he was wondering why his head was so fuzzy "Ugghhhh..." Recovering from the blow-out nearby, Syndrana got up and now addressed the elephant in the room "Hi, Daniel, you absolute piece of shit, thanks for setting the island on self-destruct mode!" She spoke very sarcastically as she rushed over to Daniel "HUH?! WHAT?! OGH----------" She delivered a massive kick across his face and now held the pistol that Daniel was using to threaten her earlier.

    Rolling in pain over how powerful Syndrana''s kick was, Daniel could barely compose herself.

    "In order to avoid wasting time, I will make this very simple for you to understand. The self-destruction button order can be canceled, however, it''s in the supercomputer within the main energy crystal which is in the tenth section!" Daniel wasn''t comprehending what the worry was so he spoke "What... the hell are you talking about?! Just put the key in the coffin and we can hurry over to the tenth section and put a stop to this... Also, how the hell did I set the island on self-destruct mode?! I don''t remember doing that! All I remember is being near that door and the mist made my b---" Syndrana got tired of his monologue and catapulted the conversation "I get it, Daniel, that''s not the issue at hand here though! You killed Rena, the previous owner of the key, and her blood had to be processed while she was holding the key but you kept it to yourself when you got the crazy idea of turning the island into self-destruct mode!" They started to argue.

    Daniel was trying his absolute best to remember what happened after the door had opened with the mist coming through, but he couldn''t remember. It was like watching a video where the middle part was erased and it skipped straight to the borderline of the end.

    "Don''t bother, just trust me right now and listen! It''s impossible to access the tenth section via normal means because the process didn''t work; Rena died without her dead blood being absorbed with the key which is the only thing required in order to advance: the key''s owner''s dead blood, but now that''s impossible because the owner is you! So unless you plan on killing yourself, you can forget advancing to the main energy crystal..." Daniel got up and noticed that Syndrana had spoken very specifically in regard to one thing.

    He approached her with a serious look on his face as the bombarding volume kept on going, just like an emergency siren.

    "Normal means...?" Daniel took the bait "...Yes. I am a monitor. This, is not a problem for me. But it is for you. And let me just tell you, Daniel, if you say no, then we will die here together, like lovers in arms. Difference is, the organization will sooner or later bring me back through the rebirth process, and as for you..." She mocked him with a grin "Tough luck, tiger." Daniel realized the hopelessness of the situation "Ahhhh..." He knew what she wanted and as such, in order to avoid wasting time, Daniel asked one simple thing "Do you have a pen?" Her eyes widened in surprise as she didn''t expect her bargain to come through.

    Midst all the noise, Syndrana laughed at Daniel as she gave him a pen and her small notebook which is just about fifteen centimeters tall. In it, Daniel started writing. His annoyed expression indicated to Syndrana that he was being forced to write the equation against his will and as Daniel advanced past the known point for Syndrana, her mind was blown away; her eyes widened and her jaw slightly began to drop as she found the elements unthinkable.

    "It will take you a few attempts to get it done, but if you have vast experience in the rebirth process it shouldn''t take you long." Daniel finished writing the equation and snapped her pen in half in a feat of rage as Syndrana was still absorbed into the equation "HEY!" Daniel shouted at her due to the sheer fact that time is slowly running out "This better work, Daniel. I will cut your balls off if it doesn''t, okay ? ?" She smiled at Daniel with a lingering dominant stare "..........." Daniel didn''t reply to that question but kept a solid posture nevertheless.

    Syndrana moved away from the area where Daniel stands and the former accompanied her to the central panel control area.

    "It''ll take you at least five minutes to get to the main energy crystal''s section, let alone actually getting to the core crystal, but you already know that." She pressed the button that allowed an emergency escape submarine to emerge on the north area''s bay "You have failed two trials, technically, Daniel. But a deal is a deal; since you gave me the equation I will allow you to proceed as if nothing ever went wrong." On the right side of the megacomputer, a capsule in the shape of a dragon''s head this time, emerged from the ground--- indicating Daniel''s escape route.

    No longer feeling the necessity to be around, Syndrana walked forward confidently to the north bay of the area where there is a small red pool of water with a submarine ready to be piloted that could be maneuvered to escape from the island.

    As well as her, Daniel didn''t feel the need to say anything more as he got into the capsule; having no more vision of Syndrana who had officially taken the equation into her hands.

    "Departure to the Main Energy Crystal will now begin. Dear customer, I must ask, but how do you feel about the journey thus far?" Euporia asked as the capsule took a strong start; firing itself like a bullet shot from a gun with a target in its aim "...Exhausting..." Admittedly, Daniel was starting to feel fatigued from all the actions that have taken a drastic physical toll on him.

    Relaxing back on the comfortable driver''s seat as Daniel began to witness channels of magma through the areas the dragon head was going through, he put his right hand on his heart and paused his eyes for a moment.

 Volume 24 - Chapter 171: Trial of Magnetar Parsec-Alter-Saggitarium.

    At first glance, this island of an unknown name holds a shimmering tall point that anyone can visually capture from afar: its volcano; however dormant. Streaming over its dormancy amid a seemingly infinite time for a slumber; the island''s heartbeat was born out of a century.

    Prematurely, at the very stark of its momentum, the engines all realigned themselves into a singularity; as they made their aim to the core of the island in order to draw enough energy from it to enhance its detonation that was ordered a while ago. On the outer surface of the island which excludes the central temple where the elevators that give access to the ten secret sections lay in, but also the ten sections as a whole too, the island started to quake on a magnitude of 9.8; outreaching the world record for earthquake magnitudes.

    In a sense, the island had already started to ecologically decay; but the paragons inside the tenth and final section of this island had no idea that there were such effects going on.

    They did, however, become aware of the excruciating loud notice that the island was undergoing the self-destruction procedure as a high-volume warning in the form of a robotic presence ever-present in the ten sections delivered the notification at will''s notice.

    "Dear customers, I must briefly inform you that this island has been set to self-destruct in thirty minutes." Caught off guard while in the middle of their journey in the tenth section which has already twenty minutes in store for them, they were caught off guard by the sudden announcement "Please contact an administrator for quick access to an emergency evacuation area. I apologize for the inconvenience." Euporia apologized while leaving Denko''s group with an uneasy feeling after it.

    Apart from Shiori Denko, the leader of the group in charge of placing the two encrypted walkie-talkie devices in their respective place, there was a semi-high number of people in her group, which is thirty-two as a whole; two criminals that this exam was aimed toward additionally remain in the party on behalf of the entire party''s consensus.

    Face-to-face with the main gateway stone which had unknown usages, after walking for twenty minutes from the elevator which left them in wonder when they walked into this mystical-looking environment, the party reflected on the current dilemma.

    "Did I just hear that right?" Ringo showed panic and many others did too "You did, no doubt about it." Denko was not about to undergo a dialogue that would further waste time and so, she decided to act according to the facts quickly "We simply have to place the component in its place. We follow the procedure; we can''t allow ourselves to grow intimidated by this." Showing valor and dignity in the face of the posing great danger, Denko encouraged them "She''s right, Ringo. If there is one thing we have learned about this island is that there is too much beyond our control. With that said, wasting time is a big mistake----we need to move forward..." Rayazaki, who is side to side with Ringo, lifted her spirits and Kuzan went a step ahead to the center of the area.

    The current area is a floating allusive white cloud in the midst of a bright day with no clouds in the upper light blue sky---only a singular dark planet with traits of orange lines in its center which is positioned in the north level of the sky. Temperature-wise, it''s fairly neutral, not too cold nor too hot. As for the main attraction within the floating white cloud containing a wide of fifty meters at least, in the center, a small black-inked waystone of a meter, buried in the depth of the cloud, stood with two magnetic balls of small height attempting to collide with one another but nevertheless unsuccessful as their magnetic natures are actually the same.

    "There''s no other way around it, this is it. But just what..." Curious while not entirely consulting the group for what should be done next, Kuzan reached out his right hand to the tallest point of the black waystone and in a flash, all the existences within the cloud were sucked into the gravitational field force within the waystone itself "What the?!" Rayazaki was the first one to blurt out a line as they were all teleported into a completely new area.

    With no sky in sight and surrounded by bright orange-lava waterfalls everywhere, they found themselves in an oval crater of gray stone adjoined to nearby lava with a way up on the north side.

    "LAVA?!" Akari became paranoid as the parallel of the area revealed to be a fantasy-like lava oasis, where they are surrounded by an ocean of lava with waterfalls of lava stacking upon each other---creating some occasional magmatic catharsis "Be calm! We can''t lose track of ourselves! We aren''t even feeling the temperature of the environment which already tells us that we are supposed to be here!" Denko reasoned as she noticed that the temperature was warm but not to the point where they were melting "Up we go, come on!" Placing herself on the lead, Denko started her march to the top.

    A crater-like staircase with steps of mid-width and the staircase itself reigning over a hundred meters shaped in an upper diagonal way, led the way for them to the first station.

    The more they climbed, the more they could witness the abstract imagery of the area as they witnessed channels of lava overflowing to the north side. The north side emits a strong current of lava that is being channeled for some reason.

    "The volcano will erupt, either that or the lava is accumulating as a way to blow this entire place up. But why did the island suddenly go into self-destruction mode...?" Rayazaki, confused, spoke out loud as they envisioned what the area ahead held "Someone must''ve triggered it. Unless it''s specifically a countdown designed for the criminals who reach the final stage... No, that makes more sense, now that I think about it..." Denko reflected on her reasoning as the final step was climbed.

    Though similar to the primal area after the teleportation, it was now up higher; at least five-hundred meters above the ocean of perilous lava below. With the same width as the last area as well---an oval structure upholding fifty meters to its circle with a small height of two meters, this crater which would be labeled entirely as a station because it''s a magnetic station capable of uniting two levitating craters so long as they don''t entirely match with one another, was proving to contain enigmatic elements to it.

    But it''s not easy to understand just what exactly they were supposed to do.

    "Any idea what that is...?" One of the male members of the group asked and all the attention was brought forth to Denko, who was looking at both of the objects while thinking "Two waystones----and on their north side, there are floating craters... Given that there is a stairway forward, it''s best to ignore it and continue as we stand nothing to gain from losing time." Choosing between finding out what the waystones do and if they are connected with the floating craters parallel to them or simply following forward, Denko and her group decided to press forward "Ahhhhh, no." But he begged to differ.

    Scratching his semi-long black spiky hair bangs while brushing them up a bit, Daniel, who was climbing the staircase that they were previously in, decided to intervene from behind as he thought that Denko''s decision to ignore the waystones was incorrect to say the least.

    Of course, Daniel''s existence, which was thought to be dead to all of them, since they saw his body killed by multiple spears, is functionally confusing to look at.

    "B-Bro?!" Kuzan cracked a smile of joy amid his confusion as he was glad Daniel was alive "Hi, Kuzan." Daniel greeted Kuzan though with apathy all over the place as he stopped his tracks "HOW----" Rayazaki was interrupted by Daniel who judged that there was no time for surprises, despite all the present members being bewildered by his presence "Spare me the lines, I know them all. Listen, I know this place infinitely better than all of you ever could, you cannot ignore the waystones, ever. I will explain why now." Taking no time to listen to their opinions, Daniel quickly strode forward and cut through their group while aiming at the left waystone.

    These two way stones, each placed on the left and right center of the area, contain a similar design to the one that they first encountered but they were essentially different in their purpose. While the primary waystone teleported them into this area, upon seeing what it did once Daniel reached out to the left waystone with his right hand, it became clear.

    "It brings the opposing one closer..." Denko noted as she saw that the floating crater belonging to the right waystone''s parallel direction coming closer albeit a bit slow and not entirely progressive as it stopped halfway "Two people need to do this at once; get on the other one too." Daniel ordered and everyone was reluctant to do it, so Daniel offered some convincing insight instead of blatantly showing a dominating know-it-all attitude "By standing with your right hand to it like I''m doing, you will manage to bring the opposing crater closer to the station and it will land where the other crater already is..." They still didn''t understand "Once they match, the craters will unite as one and the crater will take you to a new station where you can decrease the levels of resonance..." Daniel spoke about the levels of resonance through a physical example.

    He released his right hand which is stretched out to the waystone and put it down, making the floating crater to its initial distance. Then, he switched to the right waystone and performed the exact same action with his hand.

    "As you can see, it''s actually faster than the previous crater. They have opposing rhythms and that''s what I meant by "resonance". They work on opposing forces and all waystones essentially have to be perfectly matched. So, for example, there has to be two people in front of the waystones and they have to perfectly match each other in rhythm in order to make the two craters gather." Daniel didn''t mind explaining it, but he wasn''t aware of the amount of superstition he was causing just by dropping this amount of untold information that they didn''t know about.

    Without a doubt, as they began to retreat back a little, they saw that Daniel was a person who had an agenda of his own and that there was something more at play here. That alone was information that the slightest minimally intelligent human being on this planet could process.

    Abhorrent by the social distancing from the entire group, Daniel clicked his tongue while making his stand.

    "Look, there''s no time for questions here! It''s been almost twenty minutes now and if you all cooperate with me without asking anything, there is a way to stop the self-destruction." Daniel gave the key-crucial information they were very much needing to hear "It can be stopped?! But how?!" Ringo questioned Daniel as she exhibited great interest suddenly but so did all of them, realistically "This is the main section that controls and generates the electro-magnetic energy pulse of the island. It goes without saying but the lava below is all submerging into the great energy tube in which all the lava will be blasted from. Given that, the island will be in an eruptive state." This was Daniel''s complicated and unnecessary way of saying that the volcano would soon decimate the island and everything in its path "Wait a goddamn second, Ringo!" Rayazaki stood in front of her, very overprotective.

    A verbal disagreement broke out as Rayazaki could handle Daniel''s attitude no longer----even if the endeavor as a whole was counterproductive.

    "What the fuck?! You just warp in here, tell us all of this, know all of this, and you expect us to follow through like a horde of hounds bound to their master?! You were dead! I SAW YOUR BODY LIFELESS; PIERCED WITH SPEARS!! EXPLAIN THAT SHIT!! WHO AM I LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW?!" Rayazaki pointed his right index finger at Daniel; his face containing a high level of extreme nervosity meanwhile, Daniel kept a straight face while rebooking the claims "Rayazaki, you have the wrong interpretation here. I know all of this because this isn''t my first time here. And besides..." He looked at not Rayazaki, not Kuzan, not Ringo, but to Denko only, who was silent in the background, trying to analyze Daniel''s agenda "You seem clever, you must be the leader here. Surely nuclear-waste-Rayazaki couldn''t handle this group with his impulsive attitude." He provoked Rayazaki and he thought of going forward in order to hit Daniel.

    However, Denko calmly stepped forward and placed her right hand on Rayazaki''s left shoulder---Rayazaki fuming with rage as he stared down Daniel''s arrogant facial expression basking in Rayazaki''s stress.

    "I believe you have a point, Daniel." Acknowledging the situation and making everyone present surprised by this, Denko didn''t dismiss Daniel''s upbringing "You said you could get this done in ten minutes. Tell us what we have to do." Denko knew that the circumstance demanded such, so she didn''t hide "........." Impressed by her attitude, Daniel was left stunned for a bit, as he saw a fading reflection of his fallen idol "We wish to put a stop to the self-destruction and we will help you by showing cooperation, however, only if you tell us, right now, where the components must be placed..." Denko player her move and Daniel immediately replied with the answer "It''s at the top station. In order to get there, we need to decrease the resonance levels by the maximum. You understand that we must all cooperate, right? The more people we have, the better." Daniel told Denko to make it count and as such, she summoned their attention and gave an order to her group "You might not like it, but there is no better option. Complain later to me, but we will be at his mercy. Remember, we have to make it back at all costs. And for that reason, I''m counting on all of you." She smiled at everyone present as she placed herself in the center.

    Daniel continued to observe Denko as he couldn''t shake off the image of his fallen idol from his vision.

    Now facing Daniel, Denko looked at him and he knew that they were ready to go forward.

    A bit over fifteen minutes remained until the countdown; the large stream of lava from all the waterfalls was now depleting tremendously as the rapid development showed over the atmosphere below.

    "At the same time. One---two----three." With ease, Daniel and Denko, who were at opposing waystones, managed to extend their hands at the same time and since the right waystone''s crater is faster than the left waystone''s, it was necessary for their rhythms to be perfectly matched in order for the initial crater to not rapidly overtake the slower one.

    From about twenty meters up ahead, they witnessed the two craters smashing each other into boulders and thus, the borders went to the lava below.

    "What the fuck, they just collided and turned to nothing?!" Rayazaki, dissatisfied with this development, as he, alongside the group with Daniel, where on the edge of the crater, looking down below right where the two crater''s bits were thrown at "....It''s emerging!" One of the girls noted as she saw a completely new metallic platform with a square structure and a width of ten meters, arrive with speed near the edge of the station where they find themselves in "Two of you will go and you will find slightly different objects that need the same method applied; they will serve as magnitude resonators---this will make the resonance decrease and our upcoming station will be easier. Furthermore, a crater to the upcoming station will be summoned on the east side of the crater where you will be standing. Take that floating crater and meet us there." Daniel resumed everything and Denko, upon absorbing that information chose her two members well.

    Shiori Denko noticed from the exercise just now done between her and Daniel that there has to be a wavelength of compatibility. Whether it means that the two people find themselves mutually comfortable with one another or if it''s simply natural due to external factors; it doesn''t matter as long as it''s done. There is, however, merit in choosing people who are already on a mutual emotional wavelength with one another.

    "Leandro, Barbara, can you two do it? Compatibility is actually a big component at stake here, so I''m positive you two can make it." Denko gave them their vote of trust "...I''ll try, no promises..." Leandro, nervous still, from the circumstance, didn''t fully trust himself to deliver "We got this! We''ll meet you up ahead, come on!" But his girlfriend, Barbara, pushed him to do it and so, he gained a higher level of confidence as they jumped onto the steel platform that took them far into the west; beyond their sights.

    With nothing else to do and without feeling the necessity to talk, Daniel moved to the north side of the crater and started to elevate his speed through the staircase''s stone steps. Denko, as she felt that her group wasn''t in length with Daniel''s speed, gave an order immediately.

    "Faster! This is no time to relax! Prepare yourselves with pairs! If you''re a couple and you feel like your emotional connection is strong, then you''re already on the line! If not, then pick someone who you feel you can match your rhythm!" Denko climbed the steps while striding forward at great speed; almost reaching Daniel''s---but Daniel''s right leg speed was abnormally absurd from her perspective "Daniel---how much time?!" Not shying away, Denko asked Daniel, who was precisely ahead of everyone and almost reaching to the next station which towered the previous one "Twelve minutes and fifteen seconds." He calmly replied "What?! And we can still do it?!" Denko asked and Daniel didn''t answer.

    In a sense, Daniel not answering the question was already an answer itself---and Shiori Denko didn''t fail to capitalize on that.

    In less than a minute, after precisely running while being physically out of touch with running, some members were out of breath. The new crater presented four waystones; two to the left and two to the right. However, this crater contained something different from the previous craters.

    The waystones were powerfully linked with magmatic chains that seemed to possess overflowing lava running through them and those chains were bound to the endless lava below which is now at least a thousand meters below the current station.

    "This one is a little different. The flow of the magma has to be balanced and it''s a crucial factor in order to stop the self-destruction. Essentially, what''s causing the island to go into self-destruction mode is the state of the flow of the lava. If the chamber''s lava is contained then it can''t be released onto the island which means that we can temporarily hold the eruption." Daniel explained the importance here "But it''s not enough, right?" Denko asked as she posed in front of the left waystone, meanwhile, Kuzan and Rayazaki took the right waystones; Daniel was in charge of the leftmost waystone "It''s crucial, as I said." Daniel readied his speech "I will have to match with Rayazaki. You and Kuzan will have to do the same, but not at the same time, understand?" Daniel spoke words that didn''t make much sense to them because it was a different order altogether from the prior one.

    However low time, they didn''t question Daniel and as such, they envisioned the four floating craters from afar and decided to go with it.

    "One, two---thr--" Rayazaki pressed it earlier than Daniel, and his floating crater flew close by at a blinding speed "Rayazaki... Now''s not the time..." Daniel was aware that Rayazaki did that on purpose "........." Rayazaki looked behind him and at Ringo specifically and then, after a bit, focused forward "Let''s try again. One, two, and... THREE." Their resonance was on point and since the two craters were at the same speed, they matched at the moment of departure.

    But instead of them colliding with one another and smashing themselves into bits, they simply came forward and underwent the left and right side of the crater.

    "Send a pair." Daniel ordered Denko, without looking at her, and also told her something in addition "Nine minutes, just do it, and then perform the next action and do the same." Receiving this information, Denko turned around and directed herself to the group "Ina, Gustavo, please." Not a couple, but Denko felt that the two could go toe-to-toe thanks to their personalities.

    Without speaking to each other, they went opposing ways and rode their respective craters into a place that is, according to their perception, a resonance balancer, just like Daniel had previously told.

    Needless to say, but since the resonance is now more balanced, Denko and Kuzan didn''t have trouble balancing it out and as such, they were successful in bringing the two craters to the north and south side of the crater they stand in. In addition to that, Denko sent another pair which made their group now consist of twenty-seven people; Denko included.

    After some time, no longer than thirty seconds, they saw the chains tied to the waystones were completely colored in lava and melted away the waystones.

    "It... melted?!" Kuzan, confused asked "Let''s go. There are still two more stations before we can completely stop the flow." Daniel gave a hint "If the flow is stopped then it won''t erupt, right?" Denko asked yet again, as they walked into yet another upperward diagonal staircase---the lava below going wildfire in havoc "Stopping the flow means that the great tube won''t allow more lava to be harnessed into the magma chamber. If the magma chamber hits a sufficient level of lava to implode, it will set off. So no, it doesn''t necessarily stop because it will still release out all the lava that''s already in the chamber." Daniel gave his explanation and thus, they moved forward.

    Their way up was now safely reassured as Daniel was speeding through the steps---the others following him as they felt that there was no other choice.

    "Hey, it''s really weird! How come none of them have come back?! You said that they were supposed to be able to return to the upcoming station!" As they reached the third station, which had new elements to it, the first thing the group members became very conscious of, was the fact that Daniel''s reassurance that the members who were sent to the supposed area where they would fix the resonance between the floating craters, had not yet returned "The crater''s speed is relatively slower, so they will eventually be here. I forgot to mention." Daniel told them, without batting an eye to them "Six minutes and thirty-seven seconds. We need four minutes perfectly timed if we want to do this in time." Daniel presented them with the harsh reality.

    The third station held controlling priorities over the state temperature of the lava since it runs on electromagnetic subatomic particles. Given its nature, it doesn''t necessarily stop the flow of the lava from reaching the chamber; rather it fully manages to grasp the necessary temperature it must have.

    "There are eight separate rivers up ahead that all condense and process the lava. These... They ensure that the lava that is streaming through those rivers is directed onto a single singularity which is the magma chamber. If we shut all these down, then they will not specifically go into the chamber." Daniel explained the necessity of the machines that are in front of the eight waystones spread out in the center of the area "Then where will it go?!" Akari asked Daniel, mildly impatient "To the ocean below, it will simply stay there; in order for the lava to be deposited into the chamber, these machines are crucial. Without them active, their course will be off. Come on, people, LET''S GO! WE HAVE TO DO THE EXACT SAME THING AS EARLIER AND THEN THE REST WILL TAKE THE RESPECTIVE CRATERS INTO THE RESONANCE CHAMBERS WHERE YOU CAN SHUT OFF THE LAVA''S COURSE!!" Daniel ordered with a shout.

    Not seeing much choice although none of them liked the fact that they were being ordered around by Daniel, someone who showed up at the eleventh hour, eight people, four of them being Daniel, Denko, Kuzan, and Rayazaki, stood in front of the eight waystones. These waystones had something that made them different from the prior ones, they were adjoined with gigantic scaling thermometers that had to show an evenly matched temperature in-between certain waystones in order to completely blend in together.

    For example, Daniel and Rayazakis'' waystones, which are polar opposites of one another; Daniel on the leftmost waystone and Rayazaki on the far rightmost, had an initial temperature of 0. However, for the resonance to be acceptable, the temperature required must be evenly matched. Daniel''s waystone requires 320 degrees Celsius to be output by Rayazaki and Rayazaki''s requires 765 degrees Celsius. By stretching out their hands to the waystones, they are channeling a flow in the temperature that rapidly advances from 0 to 150 in about two seconds.

    Needless to say, but it''s tasking to match this.

    "DAMN IT!!" Daniel had matched Rayazaki''s waystone''s necessary thermometer''s temperature of 765, but Rayazaki was showing great deals of struggle just to get it done "Rayazaki, you need to match it correctly..." Daniel told Rayazaki but told him something in addition "Count to four seconds and just when you''re about to reach it, you let go of it." Daniel offered insight on the precise countdown.

    Rayazaki looked at Daniel with doubt at first but as he saw that Daniel already had precise knowledge about how these cryptic machines worked, he opted to fully trust his opinion.

    "......" Stunned at the precision of Daniel''s information and the fact that through his information alone he was able to get the correct timing down, Rayazaki gritted his teeth without looking at Daniel "Form eight pairs and head to the resonance machines and stop the flow of the lava from entering the chamber! Come on, there''s not much time, hurry!" Denko let out the imperial order and four pairs; eight people as a whole, went to the resonance craters that are located far beyond their visual reach.

    With the four pairs leaving the group to the resonance craters, the group was now down to twenty-one people; excluding Daniel. Aside from that, the massive thermometers melted alongside the waystones after a few seconds; which was a common theme with the waystones and the engines they were endorsed with.

    Their path up top was now clear and the climb began once again as they rapidly ran through the rocky upper diagonal staircase leading to the final station.

    "This is it, isn''t it?! But I don''t see some sort of way to put a stop to the self-destruction!!" Ringo complained as she walked into the oval crater which is two-thousand meters above the lava ocean below imploding with magma explosions "It doesn''t matter. I am manually preventing the self-destruction from going off. Now that the flow of the lava has been blocked from going into the chamber, there is only one thing left to do..." Many could guess just what exactly Daniel was referring to, as they looked at the remaining ten waystones "We release the remaining lava that''s accumulated inside the magma chamber and that way, even if it''s set on self-destruction mode, it will release nothing..." Denko claimed as she reasoned.

    Far wider and possessing a large range of machines at sight with only one waystone in the center, which surprised a few, the final station unraveled itself. It''s important to notice that there is technically no way up; this of course refers to the fact that there is no existing staircase leading up or just any other place---except down, naturally.

    Spread over the north side of the hundred-metered length oval crater, five enigmatic silver clocks with the size of five meters stood on top of the respective five pillars which are crucified onto the crater. These clocks indicated a specific time for five sections.

    "The lava has to be deposited back to the ocean below and can''t be allowed to remain in the chamber..." Up ahead, beyond the current crater they are in, by looking below, they could see a gigantic river with an endless width containing lava that would start to fall into an unknown place like a massive magma waterfall "That''s what''s feeding the chamber all the lava. These clocks are all differently timed because they all refer to different things. Starting from the left, that clock which has twenty-one hours and fourteen minutes and one second on the clock is----" Daniel, though more than eager to explain all the upcoming information, was brutally interrupted by Rayazaki "Dude, how do we deplete the lava from the chamber?!" Reasonable, Rayazaki wanted to know how to solve the problem "Yeah, if we can take the lava out from the chamber, then the eruption won''t work! Come on, tell us how!" Ringo was impatient too and Daniel was mildly upset that his explanation was short-lived.

    He looked at them with spite but nonetheless was able to get to the point that they wanted him to get at.

    "There''s not much time, do as I say, and the self-destruction will be manually halted." He warned them and they got ready to obey his orders "Five of us will operate the clocks. I, Rayazaki, Kuzan, your leader and..." Daniel was having trouble picking one of them but he pointed out at Ringo in the end "You." He made Rayazaki question his intentions while doing so "What about the rest?!" Akari questioned Daniel and he answered instantly "The rest of you will need to reach the waystone and all of you, at the same time, will be teleported into the final resonance station where you will have to pull an anchor which will allow the lava that''s within the chamber to be deposited back into the ocean through one of the channels." But they weren''t getting something that Daniel was talking about "Anchor?! What?!" Akari questioned Daniel again "You will know once you see it. It takes a lot of physical strength to drive the anchor in, that''s why all of you need to be present. NOW GO!" Daniel gave the order with a loud shout.

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    One minute and a few seconds on the clock remained.

    By now, the group which was previously composed of twenty-one people, was now reduced to four people, excluding Daniel. The overall absence of the remaining group members was something that was gradually becoming a conscious worry for Denko, Rayazaki, Ringo, and Rayazaki. However, they were now face to face with their respective clocks as Daniel would lay down the explanation of what they had to do in order to deplete the lava from the magma chamber that is located below their visions.

    "We will time the depletion that will cause the lava to be depleted at the same time to a single spot. For that to happen, the clocks timings have to be adjusted so they match the intended timing. We will all put the timing into midday. HURRY, WE HAVE LESS THAN A MINUTE!" Daniel began to maneuver his clock and so did the four of them.

    In essence, the clock pillars that exhibited large silver clocks on their top, had three valves in the middle. The left valve controlled the pointer that was connected to the seconds, the middle valve controlled the pointer that was connected to the minutes, and the right valve controlled the pointer that was connected to the hours. By turning the valves around, albeit this required a lot of physical strength, it was possible to align the clocks into a single mirroring parallel.

    Daniel''s clock, the leftmost, was at the time of 21:13:48 now, but he managed to quickly pull the valves correctly and put it on the timing of midday/midnight: 00:00, effortlessly.

    "Thirty-seven seconds." Daniel simply said as he turned to his right, where Denko was showing physical struggle to adjust the hours, minutes, and mainly the seconds---since the seconds also matter when it comes to getting everything right "Why do the seconds require so much... strength...?!" This wasn''t Denko that complained, but Ringo who was on the third clock "......." Rayazaki was done with his clock which had the initial time of 09:38:16 and so, he rapidly went from his clock to the third one, where Ringo was "Kuzan, help Denko when you''re done! This is not something that can be dealt with alone!" Rayazaki said that, despite having just done so.

    Ringo''s clock which was initially set to 03:59:25, was physically hard to maneuver for a particular set of reasons. First of all, the maneuver connected the hours, was arguably the weakest of all in terms of physical requirements. However, the real deal starts to level up once the middle valve has to be piloted since this valve requires a precise set of physical strength, but thankfully, all Ringo had to do was spin it to the right just to make the minutes zero again. The hardest part is arguably the maneuver that''s in charge of the seconds.

    Rotating that valve is the equivalent of pushing a 30 kg metal. Given that, it''s no wonder that Ringo, a girl with no physical experience in such activities, saw so much struggle in just doing that.

    "Twenty seconds." Daniel, not offering any help of sorts, saw the four of them undergo an immense physical trial that was proving to put their wits to the limit "I''m done! Denko, I''m coming!" Kuzan exited the fourth clock and aided Denko who has her clock now set on 00:00:14, meaning that all that''s left is to turn back the seconds "Kuzan, I''ll leave it to you!" Abandoning her clock and fully entrusting it to Kuzan as she judged this was something he wouldn''t have a problem achieving in the long run, Denko went to the third clock where Rayazaki was gritting his teeth in order to strike back the clock.

    With Kuzan and Rayazaki on the clocks, Denko and Ringo stepped back as they were, unfortunately, powerless to do the task which requires a fair amount of physical strength.

    "Ten seconds, fellas." Apathetic but seeing the progress that they were making, Daniel spoke to Kuzan who is on the second clock with the time of 00:00:08, and Rayazaki on the third clock with the time of 00:00:13 "DAAAAMMMMMNNNN IIIITTTTTTT!!! COME ONNNNN!!!" With all of his strength, while letting rivers of saliva drip from the corners of his mouth, Rayazaki shouted a cry as he pushed the valve; effectively reducing three seconds per second "WOOOOOAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHH!!!" Kuzan, who needed not to do much else but nevertheless felt that he was in a pinch, summoned all of his strength and was able to reduce the clock to 00:00:00 with three seconds on the clock.

    Switching immediately from the second clock to the third clock, Kuzan, along with Denko and Ringo, gave Rayazaki assistance by putting their hands on Rayazaki''s valve while turning it to the right---ultimately shouting as they miraculously managed to time the clock to 00:00:00 just as sudden earthquake mildly hit the atmosphere, causing the present individuals to show visible problems in holding their physical ground.

    "Bro! Did we do it?! Why is it shaking so much?!?!" Kuzan, unsure of whether or not it had worked, asked Daniel, who was calmly adjoined next to one of the clock pillars with his right hand supporting it "Yeah. Look." Daniel pointed at the ocean of lava below.

    From the seemingly infinite ceiling which is foggy due to the evaporation of the lava below, two metallic structures found their way into the edge of the massive waterfall where the lava was being poured into the magma chamber and thus, a blockade was formed as the lava could no longer flow into the chamber.

    "But that was not our doing. It was them." Daniel pointed at exactly from afar, in the west direction, where a faraway wide crater---precisely similar to those that appeared on the sideways of each station---lies with individuals on it "There they are... Goddamn it, that was slow! You could''ve said something..." Rayazaki complained to Daniel "Are you okay, Ringo?" At the same time, he helped Ringo get up the shaky ground that was showing no signs of stopping its quaking process "........" Denko, who was capable of supporting herself by using the structure of the second clock''s pillar, noticed a flaw in what was happening "I don''t get it." She advanced and walked to Daniel, who was now on the west edge of the crater, seeing the lava being locked up---despite the mild earthquake "What are these clocks for? How do they connect with the blockade showing up? You said that it was their doing; they brought forth the blockade... With an anchor, you said... Tell me, for what purpose did we do this...?" Curious and also feeling lost in information, Denko looked at Daniel from behind as he refused to bat an eye at them.

    Overflowing with lava and no longer being able to transition to the other side, the ocean below was becoming far taller since it had less room to spread out. There is also the fact that the magma chamber has been accumulating lava for almost thirty entire minutes. There is no telling just how deep the chamber really is, but just taking into account the time that it took to accumulate lava, already tells that it''s by no means little. As a matter of fact, if it was aimed to destroy the island as a whole with an eruption, it had to be in large quantity.

    Which brings the question to life.

    "Any minute now." Daniel spoke out loud as he furiously tapped his right foot into the quaking ground "For what, bro?! What''s going to happen?!" Kuzan asked as he came to be side by side with Daniel, who was demonstrating a grim grin "Just watch, Kuzan..." He didn''t elaborate "You said that we could place the component in the top station... Is this not it?!" Denko asked Daniel who didn''t answer just like last time "Answer her, damn it!" Not Rayazaki, but Ringo, frustrated by Daniel''s deceptive behavior, shouted at him.

    A single rupture in the ground below made Daniel notice it, as he looked at the foggy ceiling of the entire area where they stand. All they have to do is look up, and they will know.

    "It''s here... You don''t wanna miss this... This is the fun part!" Daniel remained enigmatic while alluding to something else "The fuck...?! What in the fuck is wrong with you?! You''re not making sense! Hey, why aren''t they coming back?! I see them all from afar! It''s not just twenty, it''s the entire rest! They are all in that floating crater from afar, but it''s not showing any signs of moving!" Rayazaki showed great distrust toward Daniel, who ignored him "Why you...!!" Rayazaki, who could no longer be controlled, decided to reach Daniel from behind and come face to face with him "ANSWER M------MMUUUUHHH---" Daniel reacted fastly to his movement and used his right hand to tap Rayazaki''s mouth, which surprised him, to say the least "Be quiet..." Daniel kept looking at the west direction "...And here we go!" Daniel released the hand from Rayazaki''s mouth "What?!" Unable to understand, just like any of them who kept looking in the west direction trying to figure out what Daniel was all about, they all witnessed it in a single moment.

    Violently pouring down from the upper level though not coming into contact with where they now stand, the five of them watched the lava that was being contained in the magma chamber being released onto the entire ocean of lava. This, however, came from above.

    "OH MY GOD!!" From the edge of the crater, Denko watched the remaining members of her group being poured on by the contained lava just like a kitchen sink''s faucet being turned on "AHAHAHAHA!!" Like a psychopath, Daniel went on a laughing spree, as Kuzan and Rayazaki were left speechless by the horror that they witnessed "OOOOHHHH GOD----" Putting her two hands on her mouth, Ringo broke down crying on the ground after watching her classmates melt "DANIEL............!!!!" Possessed by rage, Rayazaki clenched his fists and with the aim to kill, lashed out at Daniel with a wide-open right fist, to which, Daniel didn''t bother to dodge and instead intercepted the fist fully with a guerrilla knife on the punch itself---shattering Rayazaki''s right-hand bones "AAAAGGGHHHHH!!!!" Deflected, Rayazaki fell to the ground in pain.

    The ground had now stopped shaking and Daniel was no longer laughing. And now, with Rayazaki crying in pain on the ground, Daniel decided to take full control of the situation.

    Starting off with Ringo, he took out one of his pistols while putting his guerrilla knife back into his belt and shot her in the middle of her head mercilessly.

    "?!?!" Perplexed and confused with Daniel''s actions, Denko was left stunned by the chain of events happening "B-Bro?! What did you do that for?! Rayazaki!!" Indecisive between confronting Daniel who was holding a gun that could very well kill Denko and aiding Rayazaki who had a serious injury to his right hand, Kuzan became nervous but Daniel tried to make it all seem reasonable as he pointed his gun at Denko; who is cold on the ground, unable to know what to do "Kuzan, Rayazaki, I have nothing against you two. As a matter of fact, I think we can come to an agreement where the two of you could be alive by the end of this." Daniel offered his words of reason while still remaining with his gun aimed at Denko "....Ringo....!!!" Agonizing over Ringo''s death, Rayazaki started to cry "I don''t get what you''re saying, bro! Why did you shoot her?! And the way you were laughing back then!" Kuzan didn''t like Daniel''s new attitude, a side of him that Kuzan had never seen before.

    But this was all strange to Daniel as he thought that Kuzan would definitely understand him.

    "Kuzan, what are you talking about? You''re talking like a goodie two-shoes but you''re a criminal, just like me. Same goes for you too, Rayazaki." Daniel made his stand "And as for you... You''re going to have to die, get that through your thick skull." Daniel announced Denko''s death sentence as her eyes widened "Y-You can''t! She''s master---I mean, Kawahara''s..." Kuzan, struck with guilt if something bad were to happen to Denko, accidentally blurted out those words, which surprised Daniel "...Wait, really?" Daniel looked at Kuzan and then looked at Rayazaki, in order to get a read on their expressions "...Don''t touch her, leave her out of this, you motherfucker...!!" Defensive over Denko, Rayazaki emitted a killing scent to Daniel "...Huh." Daniel looked at Denko for a bit in the eyes, but she was looking at the ground, due to her inability to know how to act.

    Walking up to her, Daniel got on the ground with his left knee and grasped her chin, making her look at him with her tears running through her face.

    "LEAVE HER ALONE, DANIEL!" Rayazaki forcefully got up from the ground and shouted to Daniel "Please, bro! You don''t have to do this! She won''t do anything, I promise!" Kuzan tried to verbally reason with Daniel "Hmmm... Kawahara... But you don''t really like him, right? I mean, you just faked the whole thing because you were too afraid of his status in the long run. It''s not something hard to---" Against his expectations, Daniel was interrupted by no other than Denko who looked at him with fierce eyes "...Wrong... You''re wrong...! Don''t you dare assume anything about him!" She shouted back at Daniel with no fear in her soul; creating an echo within the area.

    Surprised and somewhat impressed by her attitude yet again, Daniel whistled in her direction.

    "It''s decided, you''re the one." Daniel elevated from the ground while leading toward Rayazaki on his left side "W-What are yo----" Daniel shot Rayazaki''s right shoulder mercilessly "AAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!!" On the ground for the second time now, Rayazaki felt excruciating pain and Daniel was quick to point the gun at Kuzan next "Kuzan, support Rayazaki on his left side." He coldly ordered and pointed the gun at Denko next "Woman, you will do the same but on the opposite side. Support Rayazaki." Denko took a while to process this while still on the ground "NOW!" But Daniel''s shout woke her up enough to the point.

    Supporting the wounded Rayazaki who had blood rivers dripping down from his right broken fist and his severely injured right shoulder, Kuzan and Denko managed to lift him up despite his undergoing lingering physical trauma.

    Daniel decided, on the other hand, to walk to the third clock which is the middle one, went from behind the pillar and used a key from his central belt on it---but the three of them couldn''t see just what exactly he was doing, all they knew was that he was trying to achieve something.

    However, a problem was arising.

    "BRO! RAYAZAKI''S BLEEDING TOO MUCH, HE''LL DIE AT THIS RATE!!" Switching from Daniel and Rayazaki with his worried eyes, Kuzan requested some sort of assistance "We can fix that." Daniel simply said those words with an apathetic voice as he removed the key from the pillar, which caused an additional staircase to be elevated on the north side "...What...?" Shocked, as she thought that there were no other stops, Denko didn''t see it coming as they all stared into the upper diagonal staircase made of crater, but also far hotter and denser since it came from the lava below "On we go. It would''ve been easier if this was actually the final station but there are still a few more stops." Daniel ignored them and walked through the pillars containing the clocks---reaching for that staircase leading to an unknown place.

    Feeling the blood on their clothes, Kuzan and Denko became increasingly alerted for Rayazaki''s life.

    "Rayazaki! Hang in there! I will do anything to save you!" Kuzan said, albeit based on Daniel''s shallow words "Hurry up, creatures! If we don''t hurry, Rayazaki over there will be forced to mirror the poor sidewalk on the center of the crater, HAHAHA!!" Daniel insulted Ringo which made Rayazaki cry in agony while feeling tremendous rage "...Damn it---!!! If only...!!" Showing grief and lament, Rayazaki''s pride took a deep hit as Denko and Kuzan began to move toward the staircase "It''s alright." Denko said to Rayazaki although her facial expression was showing a mere reflection of her past composure.

    As they supported Rayazaki through the upper staircase which had yet to show an endgame location, Denko engaged in a dialogue with Daniel.

    "Are there more like you in the other sections?" Denko wanted to assert the safety of the other groups and evaluate the potential losses "Nope. Just me. And that''s all that''s needed." This confused her "Wh...What do you mean by that?" She asked unsure of whether or not Daniel, who is almost ten meters ahead of them now, would answer "Oh, my dear, they were never getting out of here alive. But, I know what you''re thinking..." Daniel swiftly turned around for a bit and spoke to Denko with a lunatic''s smile "How could I have been at the same time in all the nine other sections?! It''s simply not possible. It goes against common sense to assume such a thing because time is equal to every place, without exception. But... What if I told you that all the ten sections that are lying underneath the island are nothing more than locations of a time and space that is not Earth?" Daniel offered mysterious words that didn''t make sense to them at all "That... So, this place is not the island...?" Denko was attempting to figure out at least that.

    Daniel smiled at her but didn''t reply, simply resuming his tracks to the top.

    After a minute of walking through the staircase while carrying Rayazaki, Denko and Kuzan came face to face alongside Daniel with a smaller oval crater that didn''t have a waystone but instead had a tomb in the middle of it.

    It''s also important to be aware that the illumination in this area is far darker than the ever-glowing atmosphere within the lower levels of this area due to the illumination emitted from the lava. Noticeably, they were now so up high that the distance from the lava ocean below felt like observing a faraway shore on the top of a lighthouse.

    "A tomb..." Denko noticed it as Daniel was standing in front of it, speechless "Bro, please... Rayazaki is bleeding so much..." Begging Daniel with a sad look on his face, Kuzan wanted to find a way to save Rayazaki, whose life was treading side to side "Weird..." But Daniel ignored Kuzan and kept staring at the name within the tomb which was actually encrypted in numbers.

    Unlike an average tomb, this one didn''t have the familiar elements of one. Yes, it''s buried in the thick crater below, but there are two layers above in which the supposed buried body remains. It''s covered in red and upholds golden borders yet the eye-catching aspect of it is the identification of the body that is buried. Approaching the seven-length metered tomb with the small height of one meter, Denko, Rayazaki, and Kuzan, cast their sights onto it.

    "1, 4, 1, 13. 23, 5, 9, 19, 8, 1, 21, 16, 20... Well, it''s encrypted, but it all starts from here." Daniel monologued to himself as he inserted a special golden key into the lock located on the right horizontal side of the tomb; making a loud ancient click emerge from within the surface "My advice? Just do it and don''t think about it." Daniel jumped inside the open tomb now since the click actually unlocked the frontal cover of the tomb which made possible access to the inner zone of the tomb.

    No longer in the area, Daniel had jumped into the open tomb. As for the three of them, they were left with a single option, should they want to potentially save Rayazaki though they know not how.

    "Turning back is impossible, I believe." Denko panted and presented her opinion "What are you talking about...?! Leave me here and go with Kuzan back to Kawahara... You can''t stay any longer here, Denko... He''s---he''s out of his mind... And I think I know the reason why..." Rayazaki, after connecting some dots, laughed and gave his thoughts to Denko and Kuzan, who were watching over him "He had a girlfriend but she committed suicide out of nowhere... We all thought that he was done for, but all this time..." Rayazaki coughed some blood "Rayazaki!" Denko and Kuzan, fearing for Rayazaki''s life, decided to take action "...He said that the two of you---your lives---they are up to debate and given the fact that he is a merciless killer... There''s no other choice, Rayazaki..." Denko was in favor of going forward "I don''t understand him any longer, but... I don''t want you to die, Rayazaki! I-I-I-I-I---" Kuzan kept crying while trying to form his upcoming words "We have to go!" Staying strong, Kuzan and Denko dragged Rayazaki, who was looking lifeless, into the tomb''s area.

    From up close, as they looked into what was inside the tomb, they found a massive black area containing only black.

    "He jumped into it... If I had to guess, it will take us to a whole new place, just like when we took the first waystone from the floating cloud into the crater inside the volcano... Kuzan, on my watch?" Denko looked at Kuzan on her left "One---two---three!" Summoning their physical strength, they managed to jump into the dark hole while supporting Rayazaki''s body weight, as they ventured into a completely new area.

    <hr>

    Muxiphobia.

    Through a very small telescope, the astronomer Galileo Galilei discovered the spheroid gas giant which he would name after a Roman emperor----Jupiter. Many years later it would be claimed that this gas giant; a planet nonetheless with an ongoing storm lasting a time beyond anyone''s certainty---was in fact, and still is, the biggest planet in the entire solar system.

    Despite being able to fit more than 1300 Earths inside Jupiter; the real thing is barely visible in the sky; sometimes, depending on the month and time of the day, it is possible to see a small speck of what it really is. Yet from Earth''s perspective, it could just be confused for another star. Likewise, Venus can often be confused for one though it''s frequently visible from the Earth''s globe.

    As such, there is no real fear amongst human beings when it comes to Jupiter despite its titanic size.

    There was a phobia formed around the time Galileo Galilei found Jupiter.

    "........" At first, a silence adjoined with a sparse sense of darkness was inflicted as the three landed on the spot "...So dark... Wait, where are w--------" Kuzan, who looked down below and saw faraway stars glittering from the bottom direction---in every direction as a matter of fact---erupted his head forward and saw something unthinkable "A-Ahhh...!!" Trembling, Kuzan immediately looked away from it "You''re not serious... No, no way... It''s not possible. It''s..." Denko tried to breathe air and she did just fine, saw her two feet on the spacial dark matter albeit not floating but simply being still like on top of some structure "...Not possible...!! This has to be some sort of hologram. There''s just no way that..." Denko refused to accept it "........Oh my fucking God." Rayazaki, on the other hand, slightly elevated his head and saw the entire thing for himself as horror populated their consciousnesses.

    Not far from it, although they don''t know why they can even be physically alive if they are looking at the real thing and are isolated from Earth''s atmosphere, they saw the greatest and biggest imaginable piece of existence that their eyesight ever allowed them to look at.

    Covering 85% of their vision, Jupiter as a whole, clusterred with millions of storms inside its atmosphere; the most noticeable being the great red spot which looked at the three of them like an impending eye---was seen at first glance.

    Never in their lives, did they feel so remarkably small, physically speaking. If the common moon was replaced with Jupiter, it would be massive but the sky would still be wider. Furthermore, the distance from the Earth and the planet itself in this scenario, would not necessarily evoke such horrors.

    However, if seen from exactly 29 million kilometers, which is technically a lot, it would shatter the very perception that the average human being has on planets.

    "OH MY FUC----AHHH... AHHH!!!" Rayazaki looked up and down on Jupiter "It''s not real!! DON''T THINK IT IS!! NO MATTER WHAT!!" Offering a coping mechanism, Denko told Rayazaki "No, that''s the real thing." From behind, Daniel startled them, as he entered through the spacial matter "JESUS-------" Scared out of her life, Denko''s heart almost physically stopped "Bro, what the hell is this!? Jupiter?! This close?! This isn''t funny, I''m scared! I''ve never been this scared!! What is this feeling?! I can''t even look at it, it''s so----" Daniel finished Kuzan''s sentence "Big? You''re precisely right, Kuzan. And I''ve looked into it. It''s called Muxiphobia." Daniel further explained it "People from Earth couldn''t even dream of perceiving something like this... I mean, just look at it... It makes you feel so small that you dread for your own existence... Cosmic horror is so enthralling, hahaha..." Laughing with a sickening voice, Daniel walked forward.

    Denko observed Daniel walking and noticed that his footsteps were provoking some sort of reactive waves similar to bare feet touching the water but among the dark matter around him.

    "Daniel..." Denko, alongside Kuzan who was also supporting Rayazaki, followed Daniel "What?" He didn''t turn around and kept on walking north side, facing Jupiter---the great spot at the very horizon from afar "How are you going to save Rayazaki?" Curious, she asked "Oh, it''s simple. Once we reach his house, I can put Rayazaki inside an auto-regenerative healing capsule and his blood loss will be halted alongside with his damaged properties being thoroughly healed." Daniel''s answer gave birth to a lot of questions but he silenced them with one follow-up "Enjoy this experience, woman. It''s your last." Daniel kept reminding her that she was in fact going to die as they walked to the north side.

    It would take them around three minutes to envision a small house mysteriously standing amid the dark matter; like an isolated island in the middle of the vast Pacific ocean.

    This house at first looked abandoned and looked like an old facility covered in gray, but at closer range, it held the fine structure of a three-floored house. Windowless and in the shape of a triangle, the way in was through the middle as a black-inked rectangular entrance of five meter showed itself.

    "Good job not absolutely freaking out, guys." Daniel clapped as he momentarily stopped "Before we get in, I want us to reach a consensus and for that to happen I''m going to have to tell you some truth." Daniel held his breath back and spoke to the still cosmically terrified Denko, Kuzan, and the injured Rayazaki "I''m not supposed to be here. The plan was simple; I go through each section and exterminate all the students that have been brought to this island. However, after some errands here and there, it became complicated to do it on my own and once I got in the tenth section, it became a bit abrupt. That''s why it went like that." Daniel brushed his frontal hair with his right hand "I don''t understand... Why did you do it..." Rayazaki asked Daniel, as his voice was fading out "Why? I was ordered to." Daniel answered "Ordered to...?!" Revolted and confused, Kuzan asked "Yes. I mean this from the bottom of my soul when I say this: I never held any initial grudge toward those that I had to kill in order to accomplish my mission." Daniel spoke with a serene face.

    But Rayazaki begged to differ, as he elevated his posture despite his lingering wounds.

    "Fucking liaaaaarrrr!!! YOU ENJOYED IT! I SAW YOUR FACE WHEN YOU KNEW THAT THE LAVA WAS GOING TO BE POURED ON THEM!! DON''T FUCKING TELL ME THAT YOU DID THIS BECAUSE YOU DIDN''T HAVE A CHOICE!! YOU KNEW YOU HAD ONE!!" Rayazaki screamed at Daniel who formed a wide-open smile the more Rayazaki spoke "Yeeeesssss!! See, that''s the fun part, HAHAHA!!" Daniel held his stomach with his left hand while laughing out loud "I WANTED THEM TO FEEL SO DESPERATE, KNOWING THEY WERE GOING TO LOSE THEIR LIVES SO THEY COULD KNOW A MERE FRACTION OF WHAT IT''S LIKE TO LOSE SOMEONE YOU GENUINELY FUCKING LOVE, OUT OF NOWHERE! AND THROUGH THAT MENTAL ANGUISH AND NECESSARY SUFFERING, I AM NOT ALONE IN MY PAIN ANYMORE, HAHAHAHA!!" Daniel loudly laughed in their faces.

    They remained silent but became vastly aware now, that Daniel, was under no circumstance, a person that could normally be reasoned with.

    "But listen." He completely froze his expression and turned serious for a second "I have nothing against you two. Kuzan, Rayazaki, you lovely pieces of shit. You''re exactly like me. I consider you two brothers, believe it or not!" His serious expression remained "Huh...?!" Perplexed, Kuzan was speechless "What... the fuck did you just say...?" Rayazaki too, had a similar reaction of disapproval "Mhm? No, come on now, you must''ve told her, right?" Daniel posed the question "..........." But they kept their silence as a sudden shame struck cords "Oh. Well, that explains things." Daniel commented as his vision was now on Denko, who was looking at Rayazaki and Kuzan----the two that refused to currently look her in the eye "Let''s go inside. We need to get Rayazaki back to normal." Daniel didn''t wait for them and they walked inside; the moment they placed their feet in it, the artificial aurora-like lights lit up.

    Revealing itself to be fairly hollow with cement covering the floor from long ago, the first floor had a stone staircase leading below.

    However, there was one specific thing that sparked the interest of the three of them as they walked in, standing in the middle of the lonely area.

    Two coffins embroidered in the same pattern as the early tomb though not containing the same height---these two being slightly taller for about a meter, lay in the center, with two computers that were linked through a multitude of cables that supported the computers'' energy.

    Daniel sat on top of the red coffin and pointed at the three of them to sit on the opposite coffin''s surface, to which they did.

    "I bet you''re curious." He simply said "...I don''t care about it... People can change." Denko confidently said "Change? People can change? Huh... Well, what does that mean? Enlighten me here." Daniel genuinely asked without showing traces of sarcasm or irony in his voice "...Fine." Taking a deep breath and attempting to explain what she meant, Denko took a portion of her frontal blonde hair to the right side of her side in order to clear her vision and spoke "Everyone does wrong things in their lives. Some, people like you, will keep on doing it for a longer time than others. It''s a matter of scale. If people can become aware that they have to put a stop to their impulses, then they can change." Daniel''s eyes widened "Impulse? What an odd logic." He judged her and she halted her speech "No, go on." He urged her "...Rayazaki and Kuzan are criminals... I know that much..." Daniel interrupted her "Do you? I mean, we are branded as criminals, but it''s the equivalent of labeling socially awkward outcasts as criminals just because they act a little bit different from normal. If they haven''t told you their crimes, then do you really have concrete absolute evidence that they are in fact criminals?" He silenced her "Ah, you don''t... See?" Nevertheless, she went on "That doesn''t matter, Daniel." Denko held her ground.

    But Rayazaki, who was on the verge, decided to speak out for himself.

    "Wait." He looked at Denko from his right "He... has a point... as much as it pains to admit it..." Rayazaki coughed blood "RAYAZAKI!!" The two of them worried over his health "I... don''t think it''s fair for the two of us to receive your kindness. Kawahara played a big role in making the group and... I admit, I enjoyed it. As a matter of fact, I grew up to love it. Denko... You need to know what I did. And after that, promise me, that you will tell me your honest thoughts..." Rayazaki had a confession planned in mind "Stop! You don''t have to do this! You two will live and I will die, you don''t gain anything by doing this, Rayazaki, just stop..." Trying to be logical but close to tears, Denko attempted to stop Rayazaki''s words "...Don''t worry... This is out of my own accord... Kuzan, you better tell her too... Because, I don''t think that I have enough courage to do this anywhere else or with somebody else..." Daniel was emitting sheer happiness as he watched the climax go down.

    With a steady breath, Rayazaki placed his two hands on Denko''s shoulders, the right one bloody while the other one not as much, and solemnly confessed.

    "Back when I was twelve, I used to be a boy scout. I... used to take advantage of girls when they would enter the confession chambers..." Rayazaki couldn''t really continue as he was shaking with shame "..........." Denko showed nothing of the prior sentiments and simply awaited for Rayazaki to continue "One by one, at a different time of the day, I would rape them until I was satisfied! I would keep their mouths shut with a rope inside the chamber since the confessions were made alone and when I was done with them, I would keep the bodies in a nearby forest...!!" Rayazaki was speaking with so much spark that Denko quickly grew terrified "HAHAHAH!! A rapist is trying to make a point to me?! A killer too!" Daniel couldn''t control himself "Guys, stop!! Rape and murder are very serious things! You''re going to scare her at this rate!" Kuzan became aware of Denko who was getting up from the coffin, attempting to distance herself from Rayazaki "...What the... fuck...!" Scared, she was quick to move away from Rayazaki.

    In response to this, Daniel took out one of his pistols and pointed at her head sideways.

    "Sit the fuck down." He ordered her "Why...?" Daniel answered her "Because I told you to sit the fuck down." Her expression grew even more terrified "D-Denko, it''s fine, really, I---" Rayazaki was trying to speak but it was too late; the moment she caught a glimpse of his true nature, in spite of what she had said, her fear formed a defensive mechanism "YOU RAPED AND MURDERED INNOCENT GIRLS, RAYAZAKI!!" She shouted at Rayazaki, whose reality was being shattered "...Eh...?" She held back not a bit "Y-You...!! How many of them were?!" She nervously asked while still raising her voice "H-How many...?! You expect me to have kept a count?! There were so many, at least twenty girls would come on a daily basis..." Rayazaki confessed "...Dear God...!!" Midst this, Daniel spoke to Denko "Woman, you have three seconds to sit down." He announced the countdown.

    She looked at Kuzan subsequently as she judged Rayazaki to be beyond saving or worth her time.

    "I never killed anybody! Or raped, I swear!!" Kuzan started with that "Then what did you do?! What did y------" Daniel''s countdown had gone down "One." He got up, stuffed his pistol in his central belt, and with his right hand, grabbed Denko''s face entirely "?!!?!?" She was forcefully put in between Rayazaki and Kuzan "Kuzan, it''s your turn. Rayazaki, don''t let her escape. After all... You want to know her final judgment, don''t you...?" Daniel smiled at Rayazaki.

    Forcefully locking Denko''s movements despite being injured, Rayazaki was able to keep her in the same place with his two hands, even his broken right fist---which adjoined to the combination. His face, though nervous and guilty, was also slightly infuriated.

    "R-Rayazaki...?! Let me g-----" Rayazaki looked at Denko with apathetic eyes as he spoke one single word "Liar." Daniel advanced the stage "Kuzan, come on, don''t keep the lady waiting!" He laughed it off as the nervous Kuzan was unable to come to terms with the confession "I don''t want to...!!" Kuzan spoke about his decision "Really? You don''t want her to know? I think you do..." He provoked Kuzan with a malicious grin "No...! No! Rayazaki, please don''t hate her!! She''s just scared!!" He defended Denko "....What... did you do, Kuzan...?" This wasn''t about curiosity, but rather, a defensive action took place as Denko spoke without thinking "...Please, don''t make me say it..." Kuzan was still adamant about saying it.

    Not Daniel, not Denko, but Rayazaki, forced Kuzan to speak about his inner dark secret that he was refusing to tell.

    "Tell her! Let her judge you too! Come on, you know who you are!" Applying even more force to Denko''s wrists, Rayazaki shouted at Kuzan "FINE! I GET IT, SHUT UP!!" Never before seen, Kuzan broke out of his formal attitude and raised the volume of his voice to an entirely new level "Yeah, I used to rob all sorts of stuff, didn''t matter what!" Kuzan spoke with pride, refusing to be shallowly judged by anyone present; even earning Daniel''s respect "I would break into houses in the middle of the night and would use weapons to beat people up so I could steal precious things! I even would steal from disabled people often from a blind people''s center! But so what?! It doesn''t compare to what they did! I''m not a murderer or a rapist!" Kuzan used the same argument in order to keep reminding Denko of what he wasn''t.

    Less nervous but still feeling the need to ask a question, Denko gulped and asked Kuzan.

    "...Why did you do all of that, Kuzan...?" Simply wanting to know the core reason as to why, she asked "..........For my sister..." Kuzan''s face became nervous and he was having trouble keeping eye contact with Denko "Pffffttttt!" Daniel laughed "No, no, no. Kuzan, you shouldn''t lie to her. Remember, she''s in a fragile state! Spare her the lies, tell her the real reason! The one reason as to why we always do it despite all the moral implications behind it!" He urged Kuzan to speak the truth.

    Kuzan gritted his teeth, looked at Denko, who was shaking in horror, and upon seeing her premature reaction, Kuzan already knew that Denko was never going to treat him with the same hospitality again.

    "Oh... So that''s who you are." Kuzan spoke with apathetic eyes to Denko "....No...." Refusing to believe in it, Denko blurted that "Bro, you''re right. I couldn''t ignore it! The vice told me to do it again and again! IT''S SO FUCKING ADDICTIVE!!" Kuzan erupted in laughter "SEE?! YOU DO IT ONCE, YOU WANT TO LATER DO IT AGAIN!" Daniel rose up from the coffin and opened his arms to which Kuzan jumped in and hugged Daniel happily "Bro, I knew you''d get it!!" They shared a moment of happiness, Rayazaki smiled a bit and Denko knew that she didn''t belong there.

    It wasn''t all quite clear to her yet. How this development had come down in the first place or just what exactly was holding it back from happening.

    "I''m going to die, aren''t I...?" Denko asked Daniel while looking at the ground; the three boys placed their eyes on her "I don''t want you to die, Denko..." Rayazaki still felt the same way genuinely speaking "This is just our nature, I think if we can get past that, then we can still hang out..." Kuzan tried to adjust things from that angle "There''s no way I would ever hang out with fucking psychopaths like you... All this time... You lied and deceived all of them... It''s... pretty clear that I''m going to die... So, I want to know, one thing, Daniel..." Tears started to well up in her eyes "Ryousuke... Are you going to kill him?" Her tears ran through her horrified expression but Daniel didn''t even have to think about it "Nope, no way. He''s one of us. I think... he''s just a little confused like Rayazaki and Kuzan over here and tried to have a change of heart because he figured that if he could prove himself to innocent bystanders like you, that it would allow him to ease up his inner mental burden. And I''m telling you, that''s just bullshit." Daniel laughed it off once again.

    Mildly relieved, Denko spoke her next words to Daniel.

    "...Uh... Hold on a second..." Daniel crooked his posture as Kawahara watched him from his right side, burning with hate though paralyzed "This is weird... I can''t remember it. And it was like in less than an hour ago; well, according to the time there, at least. The time here has always been the same but since it''s in different places, it naturally has its own predetermined time and how it interacts with this one, so don''t let it get to you..." Daniel gave up on trying to come back to that scene "...Shiorrrriiiiii....!!!" Struggling immensely to even flinch, Kawahara tried to put his hands on Daniel''s right shoulder---covered with his black t-shirt filled with blood "I need you to understand something: It''s not that I openly defend criminals like us, but I like to think of us as a primordial unity. And for that reason, unless I''m given an order, I won''t ever try to kill any of you. What happened was unfortunate and it''s best to forget about it." Daniel relaxed his head back into the seat where he and Kawahara were standing.

    Daniel breathed in and out with his eyes closed; Kawahara''s vision was starting to fade away.

    Transiently, before he could catch this moment for the last time, Daniel would speak to him one more time.

    "Everything will go back to how it was. I''ll pretend like this never happened. Kawahara... What you took, or rather, what I injected you, is a two-week memory loss agent. It takes an hour to act, but... I don''t think you''ll be awake anytime soon, right Kawa---" Daniel felt Kawahara''s head stumbling on his right shoulder "Oh... You''re tired too... But..." Daniel patted Kawahara''s blonde hair which had black ends; ultimately elevating himself while placing Kawahara on his back "We gotta go! Don''t worry, big guy! I have a lot of things planned! And you... are a part of the many people I will include in them..." Daniel confessed to the sleeping Kawahara, who had tears running down his face which emitted emotional turmoil.

    To the bright light at the end of the area on the north side where a helicopter awaits outside ready to take, they enclosed their journey on this island of memories.

 Volume 24: Chapter 172: Low End; High Tide.

    The morning in the upcoming day rose to full height.

    The spring''s song was illustrious and upheld itself vividly. Newborn clouds repaired the fragile morning star''s surroundings and hummingbirds would entangle themselves in their departures. However, amidst those departures, there were some that returned as well in spite of their long-term absence.

    A familiar industrial yet organic fresh air alleviated his nostrils as the plausible reminiscent atmosphere displayed its upcoming scenario.

    "You can go now." Their primary teacher, upon walking into the classroom filled with students---which is something that hadn''t happened in more than a week now---warned the substitute teacher, Yuka, and as she saw his figure, she was quick to grab her personal utensils while leaving the desk "Byeeee!!" She eccentrically waved at the students present to her right side, but due to the tense atmosphere, no response came forth.

    Basara Tenma took a seat at the desk that is located on the south parameter of the squared-shaped area containing twenty meters in width and ten meters in height. From that position, after crossing his hands and intertwining his fingers respectively, he looked at the students in the classroom.

    "Looks like we are back in business, after all, the boys'' exam is over." He spoke coldly "I will now announce the winners of this exam." Basara took a file containing a few classified papers located on his right and read through them "Satou Rayazaki, pass." Rayazaki, next to Hinagiku, became confused but didn''t wish to interrupt Basara "Takeshi Kuzan, pass." Kuzan had a similar reaction but not the same formality "Huh? Oh, yay!" He simply yielded a small victory cry which earned him side looks "Ryousuke Kawahara, pass." Kawahara knew not what to think of this as he simply pondered with a shackled expression; his right hand covering his mouth expressing deep thought "Toharoh Tsudo, pass." Tsudo let out a relieved sigh "Hirakibo Tatsu, pass." Tatsu kept looking at Kawahara, pondering a few things on his own "Hiroyoshi Sagasuga, pass." Sagasuga closed his eyes and bowed his head as a manner of presenting his gratitude "Hajime Hyunda, pass." Hyunda was struggling to keep a normal expression as he supported his face''s right side with his right palm; his eyes always going from open to close as a way of showing a desire for a greater sleep "And lastly, Daniel Lead, you too, pass." Daniel showed no visible emotion to this and simply looked at Basara once.

    Basara had more to say, so he elevated from his desk''s seat and began to circulate over the classroom, starting from the left side where a table for two people lay -----Rikishima Ikkiri occupying it, however, alone.

    The illumination of the room was steadily growing as the artificial lights were closed yet Basara''s looming shadow as he walked created a decisive shilloute.

    "The rest that didn''t make it back are no longer part of this program as a such, the numbers have been steadily decreasing. I am, however, somewhat glad, that some of you, especially the clusterfuck waste of atoms on the male side, have decided to elevate your testosterone levels by taking the exams seriously!" Showing a brazen smile while openly mocking the remaining eight boys, Basara demonstrated his usual attitude "But... Something rather... Unexplicable happened." He stopped walking and adjoined his back to the north wall.

    Behind Daniel Lead and Lus Sera---Daniel not bothered enough to look in his direction---Basara envisioned all of the class and its students---which, majority of them, looked at him as he delivered critical information in regard to something that had taken place in the island.

    "Percy Phoenix." A moment of silence was upheld "Does this name ring a bell to any of you?" Sagasuga answered immediately as he simultaneously raised his right hand "Yes; I know him. He''s a member of the student council, teacher." Eyes were on Sagasuga, including his table partner''s on his left, Tateyana "As expected. Something rather controversial occurred when the boys'' exam took place. You see, Percy Phoenix decided to use his high position as one of the members of the student council in order to facilitate an educational trip. On paper, he proposed a visit for a week to an area in London, for educational purposes only. You know how it is, something so simple that you don''t even have to bat an eye to it." Basara explained it "But it wasn''t...?" Shizuku, who is on the right side of the room, on the fourth dual table all the way to the south side of the room---north from Basara''s perspective now---asked.

    Basara clicked his two right fingers; his index and his thumb in Shizuku''s direction.

    "Right you are, Shizuku. Phoenix had another idea. A rather questionable one..." Instead of posing another question to the class, Basara delivered the truth "Truth is, Percy took over six hundred students from various blocks all over the school to a deserted island instead of London." The girls became somewhat bewildered although the boys not as much "They were taken to the same island where their exam took place?" Akimiyashika asked Basara from his left side, on the southwest dual table with Kawahara "Am I lying?" Basara asked out loud.

    The target for this question was not Akimiyashika or any of the girls present. It was, as a matter of fact, aimed toward the boys and only them.

    "No, you''re not..." Tatsu was the first one to express his feelings "They came to that island. I remember it all so clearly; not only that, they kept us as prisoners most of the time..." Tatsu looked at Kawahara on his north side with hatred "Damn right, they fucking did!" Tsudo also expressed his feelings, far more vividly "Language, you waste." Basara warned Tsudo "......." He posed a silence but was quick to speak afterward "Tatsu is speaking the truth! They formed ten groups under ten leaders and kept us imprisoned the whole time after we got captured! Isn''t that right, Sagasuga?!" Seeking verbal agreement as he feared his attitude didn''t allow him to get his point across nicely, Tsudo passed the ball onto Sagasuga.

    Correcting his posture while looking at Basara, Sagasuga emitted a respectful aura to everyone who was looking at him.

    "I''m afraid they speak the truth. In the midst of our exam, we were thoroughly interrupted by their existences which came to be mild interruptions as we were held captive for days to come. However, this wouldn''t be the case if they weren''t particularly motivated by Kawahara, who sabotaged us directly." Eyes were now on Kawahara "...What...?" Feeling stabbed mentally, Kawahara turned to Sagasuga on his right; as Sagasuga sat on the very middle dual table at the center of the classroom "Though I know not what happened to Percy Phoenix, you became their leader somehow and an ongoing hunt for us was initiated which proved to be... highly unpleasant." Hyunda followed Sagasuga up "You, Kuzan, Rayazaki, kept us bound to trees just to halt our movements while you took the sole pleasure of allowing yourself to get ahead in the exam. Christ, all that beating was hard to get over, man..." Hyunda looked at Kawahara from the south with a provocative stare "WHAT!?" Arkalee looked at Kawahara too with hatred "The hell are you talking about?! I never did anything like that!!" Kawahara, who was becoming suddenly nervous, was finding it difficult to avoid the quickdraw allegations.

    Kuzan and Rayazaki wanted to intervene but after seeing how rough Kawahara was being treated, they kept their mouths shut.

    "Why are you dodging this, Kawahara?! You were their leader, weren''t you?! Don''t try to------" Interrupting Tatsu''s verbal rant, Basara unleashed a louder response "SILENCE." It echoed perfectly through the room; the windows on the left even felt agitated "What happened between you all, is not the main concern here." Basara clarified "...What?" Tsudo''s eyebrows became rigid as he thought that the topic was about that.

    Basara now decided to move through the right side of the classroom where Sana''s table, which is in front of Daniel''s, and kept on walking while delivering new information to the now curious class.

    "The actual concern is those students. As I''ve said, over six hundred students went to that island, so, they should have naturally gone back. However... After being thoroughly analyzed; the island has found no record of their existence. No bodies, no clues, nada." Basara stated "Mind you, this "field trip" was approved by at least four of their teachers, the sub-president of the student council, the president himself, and most importantly, the principal himself. So, even though I said that it was all papers in the end, Phoenix did manage to get their approval, somehow." This raised questions "But how? Is being a student council member that much of a power figure...?" Gale asked Basara but Sagasuga answered in his place as he believed he had a more precise answer "I don''t believe it''s tied to the position, Gale." Her eyes fell on Sagasuga, from across the classroom "There are, other methods... when it comes to obtaining a consensus between two parties, especially among wealthy elites like Percy Phoenix and the teachers of block A." Sagasuga indirectly implied a few things.

    Not just Gale, but almost everyone in the room, understood what he was trying to imply.

    "It''s like that." Basara confirmed it as his journey in a circle across the classroom was halted as he stationed himself onto his desk once more "Now that the message has been delivered, I''m sure you understand what this means." Basara looked mainly at the boys present "Wait, I''m not a part of this! They all went on their own into the elevators and after the section showed a signal of being completed, I went to the helicopter with Tatsu!" Tsudo immediately pleaded not guilty, despite not being directly accused "Save it, Tsudo, you''re wasting time. Not only is the island being searched to the ground, you boys, will be subjected to questioning after classes are done. However, the protocol issues that classes must go on." Basara got up and grabbed nearby chalk from the lower border of the dusty main board "Open your books; classroom will now resume!" Like before, the scenario played itself.

    <hr>

    Around 3 o''clock, during the afternoon, after the classes were done, the students began to disperse themselves---no longer tied to a single room. Through the second floor and a short descent to the base floor, they would exit the notorious block F; firmly bathing in light spring rain droplets--utterly gentle and harmless.

    Daniel, dressed as a student with a dark blue blazer and a white shirt underneath---accompanied below with stark dark uniform pants as well as black shoes, was approached by his teacher Basara, who towered his height slightly, during his exit of block F.

    "Daniel, you''re up tomorrow." He spoke to Daniel as they crossed eyeglances "Yes." Daniel meekly replied, not showing much interest "..." Basara looked at Daniel for two seconds, but after that, he moved on; leaving Daniel near the entrance of block F, where other students were passing through.

    The dorms lay to the south area, so Basara went to the east direction, where the uprising blocks remain. Though Daniel could go through the sheltered path that connects block F all the way to the dual path that enables anyone to decide between walking to their desired dorm down south, Daniel also took the east direction.

    Or rather, he attempted to walk in the east direction, where a sheltered path definitely lies, but he was put to a halt as two girls appeared from his side; one from his right and another from his left.

    They greeted him with smiles and closed eyes.

    "Hiiii!!" Yukishiro and Shizuku made themselves known as Daniel didn''t muster a liking to their existence "What?" Already bothered, Daniel demanded to know why they were in his way "Wow, what a pushover you are." Yukishiro spared nothing "Seriously, he''s made out of stone, maybe he''s the one?" Shizuku looked at Daniel''s apathetic face and pondered while tilting her face to the right "I''m not in the mood for your clown gestures, fuck off." Daniel looked at the two of them with a malicious serious stare "We''ll get to the point." Shizuku was very quick to dismiss her prior attitude "We would like to ask you a few question---" Yukishiro attempted to reason with Daniel "Not interested." He took three steps forward, showing no signs of interest.

    Paving his path to the east side, he forcefully came through Yukishiro and Shizuku---who dodged Daniel''s collision by taking two steps back from where they came from.

    They watched Daniel''s back as he carried his school pack with his right hand on his right back''s side.

    "Wanna follow him?" Shizuku asked "No... He''s not the type that can be naturally reasoned with. He has an agenda of his own..." Yukishiro deducted as she formed a telescope with her semi-wet left hand; the rain pouring on a higher intensity now from the sideways "For someone like him to talk, there has to be something that only he wishes to know..." She smiled "Ahhhh, that''s just like you, Yuki... He''s definitely not over her death, after all..." Shizuku''s eyes shrank "We need to persist with our investigation, my dear." Yukishiro finalized.

    <hr>

    On the northeast side of the school which is over ten kilometers in width and length, near block C, a football field could be visioned. Wet and filled with pools of water all over but more importantly, with little to no people anywhere in sight, this football field held a sheltered area to the west side of it that was a ten-metered rectangle that allowed anyone to sit on it; completely safe from any sort of torrential rain.

    Not safe from the rain which had been ongoing for a while and since the sheltered path doesn''t extend to the area where this particular football field is located, Daniel was a victim of torrential rain. His clothes were wet; his bag too, and his face was covered with droplets.

    "A perfect day to stay inside, wouldn''t you agree, Daniel?" Sagasuga asked Daniel, who was now entering the sheltered area where the brutal sound from the rain droplets'' impact could be heard with extreme vocal resonance "He''s lying to you, Daniel. Rain is the best, isn''t it?" Hyunda cracked a smile at Daniel.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Daniel didn''t answer their question and instead sat in the middle seat in between Hyunda and Sagasuga.

    The three of them watched the torrential rain pour onto the mud forming water-intersected pools furthermore.

    "Daniel, what do you think of your performance?" Sagasuga asked "...Sufficient." He said though slightly hesitant "Sufficient? I''m curious; elaborate." Sagasuga gently suggested and Daniel became nervous, but nonetheless committed into explaining it from the start "The first trial, Sirius A, went arguably very well. I didn''t waste too much time and got to the point fairly quickly. In Canopus, Rigil Kentarus, Arcturus, Vega, and Antares, it all went according to the agenda." No objections were made, as Sagasuga and Hyunda listened to Daniel "But... I got somewhat careless during the seventh trial, Sigma." Daniel exhibited rage as his eyebrows couldn''t stop twitching "What happened?" Sagasuga asked.

    Thoroughly, Daniel covered every detail and told Sagasuga and Hyunda how it exactly went down.

    Until he had to reach the part about the soul liquid.

    "So, why did your brain start feeling immense pressure by then?" Daniel momentarily looked at Hyunda as Sagasuga made that question "...My medicine, I neglected it and I got anxiety attacks... That''s why." Daniel went with that line "That''s poor judgment, Daniel. You knew what you had to do and yet you not only suffered an injury, but you were...?" He made Daniel go forward but he was finding it hard to continue as the implications would connect.

    Hyunda sighed and spilled the truth as he judged that there was no point.

    "I gave him a vial of soul liquid beforehand, Sagasuga." Contrasting his usual balanced expression, Sagasuga''s expression started to descend into a more decensored one as he found this piece of information intolerable "Hyunda, why would you do that? It''s strictly forbidden to give any of the trialists the soul liquid. Have you gone mad?" Hyunda gave Sagasuga his explanation on the matter "I didn''t think he would have it in him, honestly." Hyunda confessed to Sagasuga and Daniel felt hurt by that statement "...What...?!" He wanted to know why Hyunda didn''t give him a vote of confidence.

    All this time, Daniel was under the impression that the vial of soul liquid was something that Hyunda had given him because he wanted to look out for him but in reality, it was simply a worst-case scenario insurance.

    "Come on, Daniel. You were bound to screw up sooner or later---you need to take frequent medication and on top of that, you were tasked with killing innocent people. Even if you don''t want to acknowledge it, it must have subconsciously placed a burden on you." Daniel begged to differ "No, not at all. I felt completely free and independent while killing all of them. I liked the feeling of being in control, Hyunda." Hyunda and Sagasuga looked at each other simultaneously "Regardless, you did screw up. Yoh played a trick on you, as you''ve described it, and your right calf was torn apart, was it not?" Forced to acknowledge Hyunda''s point, Daniel didn''t rebook this time.

    Knowing it was meaningless to hide all the information from Sagasuga now, Daniel told the rest to Sagasuga and Hyunda, all the way until he returned back to the school via helicopter.

    "Daniel... First of all, do you realize just how many infractions you have broken?" Sagasuga asked Daniel, and Daniel began to show visible nervosity "Uhh..." He looked at Hyunda "No, I never told you that you could use them." He didn''t defend Daniel "I-I didn''t know that I couldn''t use them!" Sagasuga looked at Hyunda with an abhorrent expression "It''s not your fault, Daniel. It''s his." Sagasuga sighed "And----her''s too. I am undoubtedly curious as to why she was the selected one? There were so many other options, Hyunda. Did you get her to come to the island?" Sagasuga asked Hyunda and Hyunda calmly replied "No, I sent a monitor request but after some thinking, I suggested her because she does have more experience with the rebirth process and thought it would further motivate Daniel to succeed. I wasn''t wrong." Hyunda delivered his explanation.

    Sagasuga sighed yet again as he didn''t find Hyunda''s explanation satisfactory.

    He took a deep breath and talked to Daniel now.

    "There''s a lot to digest here, Daniel. Hyunda and I will have a detailed discussion about whether or not you ultimately qualify to be a member, Daniel." Daniel became perplexed "W-What?! I completed eight out of ten trials! That''s eighty percent, Sagasuga!" Presenting a percentage-type of approach, Daniel made his stand "Indeed, if all there was at evaluation were the passage of the trials, then you''d be undoubtedly qualified. However, that''s simply not true. To give you an example, you abused the Galilei device for far too long. You took your time with them far, FAR too long. Despite the Galilei device allowing you to functionally control the pre-determined time within the sections so that it never starts unless a section is either cleared or via an administrator''s decision---in this case, it''s deemed a success----it''s still not an excuse." Harsher now, Sagasuga showed no quarter.

    Seeing as he wasn''t getting across Sagasuga or Hyunda, Daniel began to feel a bit emotionally agitated as he was unsure of what he would do if he were not to be elected.

    "Daniel." Hyunda''s call made Daniel snap out of it "Go to sleep; you''re not fully recovered from the trials still. By tomorrow, I will give you the answer." Daniel could barely accept that but there wasn''t anything that he could do about it "You did well, Daniel. It''s just a matter of putting everything into the scale and seeing whether or not it''s balanced." Sagasuga adjoined his opinion to it as well.

    <hr>

    A little bit after that, Daniel made his way to the male dorms though looking defeated; psychologically. The raindrops were now not as severe but they could still be sensed, as he walked through the crater on block F''s left side.

    "Well..." He rotated his jaw upward amidst apathy in order to feel the rain even more "If I''m not in, then I will just end it. What a shame though... I gave Syndrana a fake equation; I wrote it from my memory from the time I told Youjo a part of the real equation... Yet, how come I know the real equation... No, it''s not that I know it, but... Didn''t I always have it...?" Daniel rapidly put his two hands on top of his brain while kneeling down with his back adjoined to the wall of block F.

    The thought of the real equation---the genuine deal---the alma matter of it; just by simply taping into that thought process, although he couldn''t do this before, he arrived at a singular conclusion.

    "When?! When...?! I always had it with me! From the start! But who was it that...." Daniel''s memory began to remember a time when he had kept the genuine article with him, but it was eventually stolen away from him "Oh..." Daniel elevated his posture and aimed toward the male dorm on the west side.

    Passing through the small gate containing a height of three meters and a width of four, Daniel had officially entered the dorm and he could already hear noises.

    "THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY?! SAY IT ONE MORE TIME, I''LL CLOBBER YOUR HEAD INTO THE VENDING MACHINE, FREAK!!" Rayazaki''s voice was heard from the cafeteria which is just up ahead all the way to the north side for Daniel "BET, PUSSY!" Tsudo''s voice was heard as well but this time, a table could be heard being trashed to the side.

    Daniel took out his shoes and shook his head so the droplets all over his hair would decrease.

    Direction-wise, if Daniel wanted to go to the cafeteria, all he had to was go north. Since there are only bathrooms to the hallways'' left, Daniel''s choices were to either go to the path on his right which will lead to his dorm''s supervisor''s room, or he could ultimately start to climb the stairs that start on his right side a meter from his current position.

    He judged that who he wanted to talk to was not in the cafeteria as he thought that he would''ve heard him already, so he ascended to the second floor of the dorm.

    Semi-bright illumination covered Daniel as he entered the second floor which contains six rooms. Furthermore, the hallway holds a grand size of twenty meters yet a small width of a meter and a half. There are two one-metered rectangular-shaped windows allocated on the east and west side of the wall on the right---one can see the not faraway female dorm from them and a few blocks up north.

    As Daniel walked further into the hallway, he didn''t encounter anyone, but that somewhat made sense for him. He knows that Hyunda and Sagasuga are absent from the dorm. Rayazaki and Tsudo are downstairs having an argument alongside Tatsu and Kuzan, which only leaves a single person left.

    In the very last room just right before ascending to the third floor, Daniel knocked on his door.

    "Kawahara, it''s me, Daniel." His voice was rather apathetic "The fuck do you want? Not in the mood, dude." Very harshly, Kawahara left nothing to hide as he seemed quite angry "Don''t you want to know the truth? It''s bothering you, isn''t it?" A few seconds of silence remained and loud footsteps could be heard.

    Suddenly, with extreme precision, even to the point of mildly surprising Daniel---Kawahara opened his door and used his right hand to drag Daniel into his room while slamming the door at the same time.

    The bright artificial light emitted from the sole lamp that came from Kawahara''s headboard right next to his bed; made the luminosity here somewhat poor.

    "You! Speak, NOW!" Getting physically intimidating with Daniel by adjoining Daniel''s chest to the right wall of his room, Kawahara forced Daniel to speak "...That hurts... Can''t I have a seat instead?" Daniel proposed "Daniel, you can seat later, I don''t give a fuck! I want to know what''s happening!!" Kawahara let go of Daniel''s chest and untied the upper buttons of his own blazer "I don''t mind telling you that, Kawahara." Daniel said "On with it." He ordered "Not so fast. I will tell you everything from scratch and you will understand everything, but I need it back." Daniel now walked in Kawahara''s direction so he could see Daniel''s serious eyes.

    However, Kawahara did not understand what Daniel was saying at all.

    "Daniel, what the fuck?! BE DIRECT!!" Kawahara shouted at Daniel "THE BOX! YOU HAD KUZAN STEAL IT FROM MY ROOM MONTHS AGO AND YOU KEPT IT WITH YOU!!" Daniel showed visible emotion as well as agitation "......" Kawahara''s face became rigid and chained as he tried to think of Daniel''s words.

    After precisely five seconds, just as Daniel was about to burst, Kawahara turned his back on him and headed to his bed to the left.

    He took a seat and then clicked his fingers.

    "I remember now! You were stupidly obsessed with that fucking box! But wait, we had a deal, Daniel!" Kawahara remembered it; Daniel walked in his direction side to side with Kawahara''s eighty centimeters tall and a meter width plasma on his right "The deal or the truth, you choose." Daniel offered him a choice "Both." He struck his bargain "There''s no way I can do that. Have you seen the way she looks at our teacher? You''re out of his league." Daniel delivered the truth "Shut up, that''s not true, I------" Not in the mood for some sort of comical dialogue, Daniel became very persistent "I''m not here to waste time, Kawahara. You will be the primal suspect at the end of this and once evidence piles up... Well, let''s just say your fate will become equal to those that you don''t see anymore in the classroom." Kawahara gulped.

    Intersecting their vision; their strong eyes looked at one another and Kawahara refused to bargain any further.

    He got up from his bed, walked to the northeast side of his room, which is a square-shaped one, upholding three meters to each angle----and went for his drawers where he keeps his usual clothes. There are four drawers but Kawahara went to the second one and after digging through the clothes there, Daniel saw a mini box that was smaller than Kawahara''s right hand. This box contained familiar colors such as scarlet red and glittering gold on its borders.

    Most noticeable was the fact that the box which is in the shape of a coffin, is a blockade with a small horizontal cylindrical lock encrypted in numbers. Therefore, it will only open if the correct numbers are all inserted.

    Kawahara showed no hesitation in tossing it to Daniel, despite Daniel not thinking that was a great idea.

    "WATCH IT!!" Daniel firmly caught the locked miniature of a box with his two hands just like holding a newborn baby; in addition to lashing out at Kawahara "I tried many, MANY times to open it, but not even I have the patience to waste my entire life on calculating all the possible numbers until I just get the right combination. IT''S A FUCKING 19 NUMBER COMBINATION, MAN!!" Kawahara also complained as Daniel kept on observing the coffin-like miniature box in his hands; holding a look of admiration somewhat crossing the line of obsession.

    Transiently, Kawahara snapped his right-hand fingers in front of Daniel''s face in order to wake him up.

    "YO!" Daniel hid the box inside his pants'' right pocket and put on a serious expression "So, where to start..." Daniel took a seat on Kawahara''s bed, in the middle of it meanwhile Kawahara supported himself with his back against his wide wooden desk; his two hands holding onto the boarders as he faced Daniel.

    For about thirty minutes, Daniel would tell Kawahara a version of the story that he envisioned to be a conventional narrative from his point of view.

    Therefore, after a lengthy explanation and answering many questions, Daniel was done with his long story. Kawahara, on the other hand, had a difficult expression. He was unsure of how to process the entirety of the newfound information and how to perceive it from an objective standpoint. His facial expression was margining between rigid and nervous.

    Daniel found it necessary to offer some more words, as he snapped his neck to the right side a little bit.

    "...Now you understand why you, Kuzan, and Rayazaki will be the primal suspects." Kawahara immediately asked something "How the hell is it possible that I remember everything from all the way I killed Percy Phoenix, but after that, I just can''t...?! The last thing after that I remember is waking up here in my bed the next day!" Kawahara described his experience "You must feel confused, but now you know why, Kawahara. Anyways..." Seeing as Daniel didn''t gain anything more from being here as he had achieved his two goals, he got up from Kawahara''s bed.

    Not looking in Kawahara''s direction, Daniel simply walked straight into the room''s door, seeking an exit.

    "Wait. I need to say something." Kawahara made Daniel stop just before opening the door lock "....?" Daniel slightly rotated his head to the right just so he could see Kawahara''s face as he got up too; placing his right hand on Daniel''s right shoulder "I''m sorry about your girl, man." Daniel''s eyes widened "...." Unable to respond, Daniel couldn''t form a verbal reply "It''s fucked up, no one should have to go through what you went through and what you''re going through. I don''t know from experience but I just want you to know that I---" Daniel interrupted Kawahara "Thanks. Me too." Daniel smiled and replied, but Daniel''s second sentence confused Kawahara momentarily although he instantly brushed it off as he figured this wasn''t the time "You should try some other one, it''ll be easier, just saying." Kawahara offered his suggestion, with a smug-looking expression.

    For a single moment, in utter, plain disbelief, Daniel was left stone; speechless---Kawahara wondered if something had happened to Daniel.

    Until he saw Daniel''s lips start to twist in laughter.

    "Haha..." Daniel''s eyebrows formed a ridiculous structure as he felt the need to perform a crescent hysterical laughter "HAHAHAHA!!!" Exhibiting a clinically unstable type of laughter, Daniel put his two hands around his stomach area as he fell on the ground with his knees laughing nonstop "HAHAHAHAHA!!!" Dripping saliva from his mouth''s corners began to unravel itself but more importantly, Daniel''s laughter was the trouble; it was a strange, cryptic, unholy laughter that Kawahara had never heard before---and this transiently haunted him "What the----" Daniel in the midst of his laughing spree, got up from the ground and stopped laughing; resuming the dialogue now in a normal manner "Kawahara... Haha... If... Hah..." But he was still struggling with keeping a straight face "If something out of the ordinary happens, let me know. All of you, are like brothers to me. And trust me, we are all going to make it. All of us." Daniel saw himself out of Kawahara''s room, still lowly laughing---ultimately closing the door with brutal strength.

    Kawahara was left wordless as he pondered whether or not he knew the person he was just talking to.

    <hr>

    Not far away; as a matter of fact, too close to where the conversation took place, a reception was thoroughly transmitted to the two-way radio device in the middle of the table. Seating in the lonely cafeteria in the middle of the afternoon, all the way to the table on the southwest corner which holds the capacity for four, Yukishiro and Shizuku paid close attention to the reception.

    "Dude''s fucked in the head..." They heard Kawahara''s dialogue as his electronic voice came from the radio''s reception and didn''t do anything as they wanted to see what Kawahara had to further say "Still, Kuzan and Rayazaki should by now know, otherwise they will be confused and won''t understand the situation. I need to resume the Hideout''s activities as soon as possible..." Shizuku spoke out loud to Yukishiro as she heard that "Hideout? Rings a bell?" Shizuku shrugged midst her confusion "Hmm..." Yukishiro put her right hand''s face on her chin while thinking "It has to be a secret area, for sure. But that''s strange... We found no such thing during our "trip" there, right?" She wanted to confirm with Shizuku "Nope, we didn''t. Kawahara here, is holding onto a secret..." Shizuku lowly laughed as she looked at the radio in the form of a walkie-talkie "Oh, my dear, that''s not it! That''s not it at all..." Yukishiro''s sudden wicked smile caught Shizuku''s attention.

    Furthermore, Yukishiro shut down the radio as she judged that further information wasn''t necessarily crucial.

    "That story... Do you believe it, Shizuku?" Yukishiro questioned Shizuku and with a huge smile, she replied "Nooooppppeeee, although there''s probably some truth to it; just a lot of lies mixed up. Mister Daniel is a clever one; he took the initiative to go out of his way to feed a story that Kawahara would probably otherwise never know, right?" Yukishiro agreed "Yes, yes. I agree very much. Now the question remains... Just what was Daniel''s goal with this initiative...? He could''ve kept his mouth shut and let the blame eventually fall onto Kawahara as he said, but he went out of his way to do something here... Don''t you find it rather odd, Shizuku?" They greatly enjoyed asking each other these questions "Oh it''s odd alright. However, through this alone, we have definite proof---or rather, some substantial evidence though not concrete, that Kawahara was involved with Percy Phoenix''s supposed death." Shizuku reasoned.

    Yukishiro saw this from another point of view, however.

    "Proof? Oh, Shizuku, you''re so much better than that..." She gently massaged Shizuku''s orange hair''s left bang; the latter feeling slightly embarrassed "It''s not about proving what happened, but rather, to collect the pieces of the puzzle. If we go out of our way to let them know what we know, then that''s no good. And for that matter, you know what''s next?" Yukishiro''s eyes became narrowed as her ideas spread like wildfire in Shizuku''s brain "In order to collect the pieces of the puzzle, we need to first know where the pieces are, but if they are already for our use, then we hold nothing back." She concluded.

 Volume 25 - Chapter 173: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part I.

    Every block in this school ranges from five hundred meters in height and a hundred in width; all in the structure shape of a building with a rising crescent top. However, it''s noteworthy to mention that block F does not uphold such luxurious traits, as a matter of fact, it holds little to nothing in resemblance. Especially is the case when considering the prestigious block A where the top floor is abundantly over the top; far overreaching the other block''s tops.

    Centralized at the north side of the school as a whole, at the top level, on the first floor of the two floors, the student council body held a meeting in bright morning daylight.

    "This is an absolute disgrace." Liyuga, one of the now-seven members of the student council, on the right side of the rectangular fashionable table, stated his disappointment with visible rage all over his face "How? How on Earth did this happen?! This is outrageous and the worst part of it all is that there hasn''t been a single body found! This school is done for if this ever gets out!" He slammed his right fist onto the table''s surface which was protected by a red mantle all over it.

    Each student council member was seated on a small elegant throne that was covered in gold and had black pillows in its bottom and back areas. Furthermore, their height slightly towered their users as it held two meters and fifty centimeters; accompanied by a very small width of sixty centimeters. Aside from the main black horizontal door which had the appearance of a gate in terms of design---on the south side of the room, the north side was by a singular gigantic window occupying 80% of the wall and it served as a way to portray the strong solar illumination onto the room, but it was mainly an enhancing factor when it came down to the target of who the light was essentially directed towards.

    "It can''t get leaked, no matter what..." Skan remarked, on the left side of the table, southwest direction "But the students already know and the absence of the six hundred students is making them panic; questions are being raised. Our school''s students numbers prior to this were 2186 and now they are six hundred less. A quarter of our students just vanished due to a "slip" on Phoenix''s fault and now we are left to deal with this..." Krale, left to Skan, looked to the north side of the table, where the main head lies "President, this is definitely Phoenix''s fault but more importantly, we can''t keep ignoring their existence... Despite having no direct evidence that it was them, just the very fact that it''s public knowledge that Phoenix took various airplanes with those students to that island---which is the same island where the criminal upheld their monthly exam: it''s enough for us to know that it''s time." Krale laid out his real thoughts to the president, whose appearance was poorly illuminated due to the stark contrast between the bright light emitting from the window behind him.

    Not the president himself, but instead, his new right arm, spoke.

    "What do you propose? Specify and elaborate, if possible." Her name is Andrea; an Italian girl posing a height of 1,72 cm, amassing long thin dark brown hair that would extend until her bosom, gorgeous serene light blue eyes, and more importantly, through her fair skin, anyone could see an impenetrable seriousness at all times in her expression "We expel them once and for all. They contribute absolutely nothing to our school; as a matter of fact, the longer they remain, the more prejudice it will bring in the long run!" Krale''s proposal was intercepted with silence as Andrea looked at the president first and upon seeing that there was no reaction from his side---as she is sitting on his left side, she spoke for herself and the law of reason that had to be clarified "I''m afraid that''s impossible to achieve for a variety of reasons." She united her fingers and entered in a state of reason.

    Before she would speak, the president turned his back on the entirety of the student council and elevated from his chair; ultimately walking up to the window''s boarders so he could see the grandiose sight only granted from such a position----his back body now visible to all.

    "The first main reason is the fact that they are not students endorsed in our school; ergo---not our possession. They strictly belong to the private institution controlled by an international governmental force that holds various countries tied to the program they take. If they are not our students, then we can''t essentially issue anything against them as they can only be expelled through their program''s characteristics." Andrea''s words weren''t well received as another member interrupted her.

    Seated on the right side of the table, right to the middle east, a semi-tall laid-back young man who is actually a freshman, said some words.

    "That alone represents the entire issue, doesn''t it? The fact that they have immunity to that degree makes us useless in every sense, Andrea." He sighed as he placed his right hand on his face''s right side.

    To the youngest member of the student council who has short spiky upward blonde hair alongside yellow eyes and an overall abhorrent expression to him, Andrea calmly answered.

    "I was not done, don''t interrupt me again, Bryce." Bryce, feeling the pressure, gulped and kept his mouth shut "The second main reason is: The merge is no longer a viable option." Reintroducing a concept that was brought up once by Percy Phoenix some time ago, Andrea took a greater dive into it as she closed her eyes momentarily "The "Merge" is the name of the process for which the government is labeling in case anyone desires to buy the criminals that are within the program. Their price corresponds to their jail sentences x10. Needless to say, but it takes an incredible amount of financial wealth to perform a single purchase unless you are abundantly rich." Andrea hinted at Percy Phoenix and of course, everyone in the room got the message "Now, this isn''t to say that the merge is impossible because if the principal wants, he could very well go out of his way to perhaps purchase one of the criminals and since it was done on the principal''s behalf, it would make the criminal officially a student of this school to which, expulsion is possible." Andrea offered a solution.

    Andrea''s solution, however, raised a question among the present members, especially to another female member called Vanessa.

    "Isn''t the principal literally forced to at least purchase a few?! At this rate, their influence and existence alone would be sufficient to permanently upset the atmosphere among the students of the school. Furthermore, if they aren''t put in check, our reputation will decrease! Nobody will respect us because the criminals haven''t been dealt with yet the principal on his own accord decided to sign a deal with the government just so they could house the criminals inside the school...! What is the principal thinking?!" Rightfully so, Vanessa complained and now, the main center of attention spoke from afar, looking down on the school below "Frankly, you''re absolutely right." Still without turning his body to the table; the president spoke as Vanessa became glamorous at his approval "Albeit the principal''s power over the school is nigh omnipotent, that doesn''t allude us from our tasks, doesn''t it? There''s no need to play detective and find out who is responsible; they are criminals and for that reason alone, I believe that they should entirely be restricted from our school as a whole. However, if expulsion is not an option, then there is a way to manufacture that very phenomenon." Though confusing at first, it was eventually understood by the present members.

    Bryce exulted himself by erupting from the throne-chair as he understood.

    "Y-You don''t mean...!? But will the principal approve...?" Everyone looked in the president''s direction "I''m afraid that it''s not irrefutable for not even he can hold his breath against this calamity to come." Just barely, through his dark blazer and stern glasses---they felt the impending eyestare from him as he became convinced of his own judgment against the criminals.

    <hr>

    3 pm.

    "And that will be all for today; dismissed." Basara closed his book and the classroom had officially ended "Daniel, stay." As they were all starting to exit the classroom via the main door on the southeast side of the room, only Daniel remained though some were curious enough to stay for a bit yet they ultimately didn''t "Put them on." Basara tossed what appeared to be a pair of cuffs to Daniel''s table but they were far thicker and would cover a larger part of the wrist "Leave your bag here, you''ll get it done when we''re done. Hurry up." Daniel was deeply looking into the cuffs as he had never seen such cuffs before.

    However, ultimately, Daniel decided to cuff himself and leave the school bag in the classroom midst of a bright mildly tempered start to an afternoon.

    Journeying all the way to central block A through the chains of paths underneath metallic roofs while also attracting partial attention due to how Basara was carrying Daniel by a chain that is tied to his handcuffs, they were aiming toward the first floor of the block---nowhere near the higher levels.

    Passing through the elegant red carpet covered with famous philosophers in golden statues situated on the borders of the carpet itself; the carpet that extended itself onto the middle of the wide hall with no windows---only side doors to the left and the right; leading to private rooms----ultimately would reach to either a shiny diamond-covered staircase that would lead upward or a private room on the complete north.

    In front of the golden door with designs reminiscent of past-century East Europe architecture, Basara stopped walking as he held the left doorhold with his right hand.

    "Go." He said to Daniel, not showing any emotion at all "......." Daniel looked at him and after looking forward only, did Basara open the door for Daniel.

    As the door opened, Basara gave the chain that was connecting to Daniel''s cuffs to the guard inside; however, Basara did not walk any further and simply closed the door once Daniel got inside.

    "Welcome, Daniel Lead." Daniel was absorbing the little details of the wide room with a relatively small ceiling such as the poor illumination strictly formed by the fact that there is only one light source being the central oval lamp that shines to the small metallic table with two chairs on each side---one being completely out of touch in terms of design as it served its purpose independently from the average chair opposing it; there were also two people present to which Daniel had no idea how to identify them as he stood a few meters away from them on the doorstep "Take a seat, this will be a very, very, long thorough questionnaire and I wouldn''t want you to feel tired all of the sudden, so come on!" The enthusiastic old doctor urged Daniel to move forward.

    Daniel''s eyebrows became rather stiff as he knew that he had walked into something that he wouldn''t come out unscathed. But what truly was triggering his strings was the elderly doctor''s attitude; it was that abundantly clear narcissism that somehow managed to stifle him but also because Daniel was sent to sit on an electric chair.

    He could wait and get sent there regardless by the second person in the room who was dressed entirely as a guard; upholding every item on the table such as multiple radios, two guns, two batons, two handcuffs, and most importantly, this nameless guard was holding a cellphone on his right hand to which Daniel envisioned could become troublesome depending on what it was being used for.

    However, Daniel exited the darker portion of the room and slowly but surely as his chain hit the ground subsequently, got close to the electric chair that was opposing the elderly doctor who wore a green robe with long sleeves though they were rather wavy; resembling that of a kimono. His round silver glasses emitted a powerful reflection to the point of tunneling any vision when it came to the doctor''s eyes, should Daniel want to see them.

    There were a few items on the table that Daniel took note of.

    "Yes, go on, don''t be afraid now!" Enthusiastic and giggling, the elderly doctor with long white hair extended his extremely right skinny hand in the direction of the electric chair "Oh, but first..." The doctor spoke and the nameless guard whose face could barely be seen as his frontal hat greatly covered it with an overpowering shade.

    Connecting a USB driver onto Daniel''s cuffs'' upper side since it does have a receptor, the guard was then able to drive the cable that was now linked to Daniel''s cuffs all the way to the vagrant polygraph on the right side of the table.

    As for the polygraph---not to be confused with a lie detector device, on the right side of the metallic table; strictly not on the table''s surface, but literally on the right area next to the table, a one-meter machine lay. Perhaps a copy of the authentic genuine article, this polygraph resembled greatly the model 5D created in 1960. With a seemingly endless variety of buttons to its upper side, it was mainly able to revert the attention all the way to the center where the blood pressure is noted on the lines of paper through the graphs.

    Still, Daniel sat on the electric chair which had a volt storage on the very top of it.

    "No need for the usual lie detector strategy---I like it better this way! So, Daniel..." The doctor took a sip of his mildly warm green tea on his right side; elevating it to his lips before speaking to the silent Daniel once more "When was the last time you had a truthful conversation with another person?" Daniel looked to his right and he, the guard, and most certainly the doctor, could now get a read on Daniel''s blood pressure as it was being synthesized on the polygraph which had a central television just for the sake of allowing a better grasp onto the waves "......" Daniel didn''t reply.

    His blood pressure was showing no sign of elevating as it remained in a calm state. Likewise, the same could be said for his respiratory state, therefore, by not replying, Daniel was not forced to participate in this conversation.

    "Oh mother of---Give him a spike, will ya?" Talking to the guard, the doctor ordered and via touch to the personal phone on his right hand, he was able to send a barrage of electricity onto Daniel''s body "AAAGGHHHHH!!!!" Caught off guard as his entire body was brutally ravaged by the volts; to the point of emitting some outer spark, Daniel''s position was now known to him "It seems that we have started on the wrong foot, Daniel..." He fiddled with his long white thin beard with a smug look on his face as he gazed upon the electrocuted Daniel who was having trouble physically composing himself "I''m going to ask you again, so make sure you don''t miss it." Daniel''s vision became blurry as the voltage had severely damaged him "When was the last time you had a truthful conversation with another person?" The doctor repeated himself to Daniel.

    Managing to somehow recompose himself, Daniel''s body frequently twitched but now, he had his eyes on the elderly doctor.

    "...Not too long ago... Two days ago, I think." Daniel didn''t specify and the doctor took a look at the blood pressure which was on the rise, but there was also the fact that Daniel had been electrocuted "That''s a good boy. So, Daniel, I must ask because it''s a first time for me----even for someone as old I!" The doctor laughed "What acts did you do to receive a 1000-year sentence?! That''s practically ten lives; if they are well lived, of course!" Curious, the doctor was spilling saliva and Daniel tried to remember the cause of it all "......I don''t remember." Daniel, with some shame, said such a cliched line, and the doctor, as well as Daniel "Don''t give me that!" Although the heart rate was perfectly calm and far from showing signs of a lie being told, the doctor felt as if Daniel was somehow tricking the polygraph.

    Naturally, an order for Daniel to be electrocuted again was issued and this time, the doctor waited until Daniel was physically composed, though this took a few minutes.

    "What did you do to receive a 1000-year sentence? It''s entirely classified for some reason but you want to know the most interesting part? Here I''ll tell ya." Barely composed, Daniel with his eyes half-open, listened to the doctor "The crimes of all your classmates have layers of classifications and some took a real deal to uncover since this type of information is very, but very, valuable. We adults; the sovereigns; the pioneers---we treat this like a chess game and for pawns to be as valuable as pieces...?! Such an outrageous doing!" He further complained "But what I''m saying Daniel, is, you are a very interesting creature; shrouded in a deep mystery that not even you seem to remember. So here is the more relevant question; you said you don''t remember any of it and let''s assume that''s true... Therefore, how far into it can you remember? Think of your oldest memory and describe it to me." The doctor asked.

    He allowed Daniel to compose himself even further as Daniel was showing signs of attempting to remember as far back as he could.

    "Right before you were enlisted in the program, you were arrested for killing four young men, Daniel. You remember that much at least, correct?" The doctor made Daniel visit the part prior to his enlistment "...Yes..." The doctor continued after his agreement "Who were they, Daniel?" He asked and saw Daniel''s blood pressure rising "...I don''t know...!! I can''t remember anything past my detention time and when I came to it, my crime was told---I had killed four people..." Daniel was showing visible struggle as he wasn''t understanding himself "Oh dear Jesus, what am I to do with you..." He gave the command and Daniel was electrocuted once more as the doctor judged that Daniel was blatantly lying to his face.

    After a few more minutes, the doctor resumed his questioning.

    "That was all out of curiosity since it''s not related to the task at hand at all. Now comes the real test!" Going to the table''s left side where there are some files alongside a pen; the doctor opened the files to which Daniel had not a clue to what they contained "It''s very simple. I ask, you answer. You don''t answer in the range of three seconds, you get electrocuted and then we repeat the same question. For the record, it''s already 4 pm, so let''s try to keep things at a reasonable pace. If you keep your silence, then you won''t like what''s to come... Do yourself a favor and answer the questions with clarity so we can all go home early." The doctor was done with his warning to Daniel.

    Sincerely acknowledging the information delivered by the elderly doctor who had a serious expression, Daniel released his inner rage via a long heavy breath and then sat on the electric chair just like a normal person would.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    "Unfathomable..." The doctor''s eyes opened wide "What?" Daniel didn''t understand the doctor and the doctor quickly corrected himself "Nothing, mind you. Daniel, do you know anything about the disappearance of the 600 hundred students of this school?" Daniel''s heartbeat somewhat rose and the doctor took notice of that "I am aware that they were on that island though I knew not how they got there." Daniel didn''t lie to the doctor as the blood pressure exhibited was fairly normal.

    The doctor wrote something down as he crooked his head forward; Daniel unable to see just what exactly he was writing.

    "Daniel, did you kill any of them, by some chance?" Daniel''s blood pressure remained normal as the preparation for this question was already made long ago "I didn''t." He simply said and the doctor noted "Percy Phoenix''s helicopters drove the students into that island; that much we know as it can be comproved. However, despite a great investigation of the island, no body was found. Why do you think that''s the case?" He looked at Daniel with a firm glare "Because the students decided to turn back, most likely." He was countered "That is impossible, the helicopters remained spread over the island so they couldn''t have gotten anywhere. Daniel, is there a part of the island that is blind to the naked eye?" Daniel''s brain instantly projected the various hidden sections "No." His respiratory rate slightly elevated and the doctor noticed that, making Daniel a bit nervous thus making his blood pressure slightly rise.

    Uninterested in teasing Daniel, the doctor continued.

    "Do you think it''s a coincidence that the students went to the island which was the exact same place where your special exam was held?" Daniel answered instantly "No." He showed no lying signs "When was the last time you killed someone?" With no pause, the doctor asked and Daniel took a second and a half to answer, slightly alienating his timing when it comes to answering "Those four people?" He looked to be in deep thought but his respiratory rate rose to medium "Would you ever kill innocent people, Daniel?" Daniel pondered a good angle for an answer to this question "No, never." He answered with clarity "When you killed those people on the island, did you enjoy it?" The doctor asked "Well, I----" Unaware of the trap, Daniel subconsciously formed the beginning of a sentence but was quickly silenced by himself as he saw the doctor smiling in his direction.

    Feeling nervous for the first time to this degree, Daniel''s blood pressure immensely rose for a period of time as he tried to calm his respiratory rate though to no avail.

    "Now that''s more like it, ghahaha!!" The doctor laughed out loud and Daniel tried to assume more emotional control "Daniel, did you kill Percy Phoenix?" Daniel instantly replied negatively "No." And the doctor continued "So you know who killed him." This was not a question, but a statement made out of confidence as the doctor claimed after looking at his perfectly calm blood pressure "I never said that." Daniel denied his allegation "Alright. Tell me, how are you feeling?" Completely unrelated to the island incident, Daniel felt a bit weird after being questioned like that "Not great... The volts hurt." He tried to dodge the core value of the question and the doctor went for the killshot "How are you holding up after her suicide? It must''ve felt incredibly intrusive to have a special exam on a deserted island while having to process her death like that..." The doctor was laughing while projecting words that could be described as "empathetic" yet Daniel knew that was not the nature of them.

    Daniel''s heartbeat alongside its natural flux rose to high levels as the polygraph didn''t fail to capture that.

    "Stick to the damn questions..." Beheading the doctor with his deadly eye glare, Daniel gave that order "Ah, but ya know, Daniel, analytics like me love to trace every detail and seeing how Yulia killed herself with no apparent reason-----" The levels rose as Daniel''s body began to tremble in rage "---Deep down in your system, a turmoil must''ve been born; a frustration of not being able to understand just WHY, she killed herself like that! Surely anyone in your position would seek a method of releasing all that pent up frust------" As the doctor''s voice''s volume toppled, Daniel''s upper body fell on top of the table in order to verbally fight back at the doctor "DON''T YOU FUCKING DARE USE HER NAME YOU PIECE OF SHIT, I WILL FUCKING K-----AAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHH!!!" Naturally, as the guard was watching, he physically intervened and smashed Daniel''s head sideways onto the table with a slam.

    Not once, but twice, the guard did that and put Daniel back in the chair. Once there, Daniel was electrocuted as his screams of pain were not a new sound to the two in charge here.

    "Ohohoho!" Laughing in Daniel''s face from across the table, the doctor couldn''t control himself "Why, yes! It does look like there is a turmoil inside you, Daniel! Have you ever wondered how deep the rabbit hole goes?! GHAHAHAHA!!" Further laughing as Daniel received repetitive shockwaves midst his painful experience, the doctor became more and more interested in Daniel.

    For the upcoming four hours, the doctor would utilize his methods to question Daniel in all sorts of things until he was satisfied.

    <hr>

    8 pm.

    Dark, as the newborn spring is still relatively close to the prior winter, the school''s atmosphere was embroidered in night-time. If there is something that the school has to show during night-time it''s the amount of light pillars it has in every corner. No matter where one goes, every five-ten meters there is bound to be a light pillar.

    However, it''s important to notice that circulation around the school campus after 10 pm is strictly forbidden, but even so, despite the two-hour difference, many students were comfortable inside their dorms as the quality of their dorms varies from what block they are endorsed in.

    Kicked onto his rear while being tossed to the outer ground outside block A with no one around, Daniel''s body was thrown by the guard who was responsible for him during his session with the doctor.

    Now fully closed, block A no longer had any access as the guards officially shut the whole block down as it only works from 7 am to 8 pm. Lingering and struggling to make physical movements as his face was practically adjoined to the cold stark night ground, Daniel''s lifeless eyes watched the moon slowly rising from the left angle.

    "Ahh..." He could barely get up, looked forward and saw an illuminated path that led all the way down south; which was the main path to the other blocks from block A and if Daniel continued down south and followed the usual routine, he could get to his dorm in no time "How the hell..." His posture kept tilting back and forth like an undead person as the upward blinding lights intersected with his appearance the more he traveled on his own "...I need to talk to Hyunda..." Daniel felt immediately the urgency to talk to Hyunda and as such, he made his way to the dorm.

    Once there, he entered through the main door as it was opened while supporting his movements with his right hand on the wall in order to gather some strength.

    He passed through the room of their dorm''s guard; George Kentucky and continued to advance north as the faraway illumination grew stronger contrasting the currently poor insufficient lamps filled with electricity that offered intervals to its function.

    He saw two individuals only in the cafeteria but they were not eating. Illuminated now by the stronger lights, Daniel walked into the cafeteria with a wide width and a somewhat tall ceiling as it always has been. Currently, the windows are still open and thus the night wind infiltrated the atmosphere yet the two individuals seated on the very central table of the room playing what seemed to be a game of chess; paid no mind to that minor detail.

    Panting, Daniel slowly walked in their direction and they greeted him.

    "Welcome back, Daniel. How was the session with the doctor?" Sagasuga asked though not looking at Daniel but instead looking at the chess board as he decided his move "He can barely move, Sagasuga, what kind of question is that? Take a seat and drink some water." Hyunda alluded to his right seat but Daniel took a nearby chair and placed it in the middle of the east side of the table so he could watch the game from a central perspective "Good choice." Sagasuga lowly commented and after Daniel drank the cold water from the medium-sized piece of glass that was placed on Hyunda''s right side; he talked "How do you two know about the doctor?" Hyunda answered "Kuzan was bitching about it yesterday but you must''ve not noticed. That''s how." Hyunda explained and Daniel accepted his reasoning.

    Sagasuga made a complaint toward Hyunda in regard to the game.

    "I don''t understand why you can''t just part ways with the bishop pair, Hyunda. It''s not key-crucial to winning every match." He remarked and Hyunda countered as they spoke in monochromatic voice tones "Shut up, freak. Stop offering me queen trades, you know how much I hate equalizing." Hyunda had to move his queen to optimal squares in order to avoid trading with Sagasuga''s queen as Hyunda had a file with doubled pawns; something that could be argued to be a slight advantage in the middle/end-game "So?" Sagasuga talked to Daniel "It was something else... I''ve never seen such a polygraph before... It incorporated five components into its reading. I know heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration were there, but I couldn''t figure out the other two. Furthermore, the more conscious I got and tried to manipulate the truth the more it backfired." This caused Hyunda and Sagasuga to withdraw their vision from the board and look at Daniel simultaneously "Does he know?" Hyunda asked, utterly serious.

    Daniel looked at the two of them with a displeased look as he felt that he wasn''t being trusted at all.

    "Hell no. He used some tricks on me but it was mainly torture in the form of eletruction... My fucking skin is fried, I can still feel the zaps..." This was true as Daniel would find himself twitching regularly "Good job. And, fear not, Daniel----no matter how much they dig, they will never find conclusive evidence. As long as you remember that, you have nothing to fear." Sagasuga smiled at Daniel "It''s going to be annoying, so bear with it. After all, they just lost a quarter of their students so there will be naturally some repercussions..." Hyunda began to be vague "Do you two know if something is going to happen?" Daniel asked as he figured that their intel would provide to be resourceful.

    Needless to say but since they are members of an organization that controls such a superbase possessing highly advanced technology, their knowledge would be far advanced, in Daniel''s mind.

    "There''s no telling, Daniel." Hyunda''s answer made Daniel confused "You''re not serious... You always know things ahead of time, Hyunda." Dead serious, Daniel spoke to Hyunda but Sagasuga replied in his steed "It''s different now, Daniel. Whatever happened before didn''t involve an event of such a scale and as such, no matter how we come to terms with it, there will be consequences. We are a force to be reckoned with." Sagasuga also vaguely spoke "That doesn''t say anything. It''s just a matter of time before the interrogation sessions go from questions to torture. We have no rights as we are utensils of the program. You do realize that if nothing is done, then there is no telling what might come, right?" Daniel looked at the two of them who resumed their game; their eyes on the board once more "That''s exactly what we''ve been telling you. If it''s a matter of time, then we wait." Hyunda said to Daniel.

    However, Daniel wasn''t agreeing with their lack of "activity" and so, his expression got sour extremely quickly.

    "Sigghhhhh..." Hyunda heavily sighed as he saw Daniel''s face and then looked at Sagasuga "Draw?" Sagasuga asked "Yeah." Sagasuga and Hyunda began to put the chess pieces back to their original place and once they were retracted, Sagasuga got up from the table "I must attend to my usual routine, so with that said, goodnight, Daniel, Hyunda." Sagasuga showed courtesy as he saw himself out of the cafeteria, leaving Daniel and Hyunda all alone.

    Daniel faced Hyunda as he sat on Sagasuga''s previous seat; the chess board was taken away by Sagasuga who stuffed the pieces onto two mini-chess piece bags.

    Hyunda didn''t say anything and was prompting Daniel to speak up.

    "You said you''d tell me today, Hyunda." Daniel didn''t forget Hyunda''s words "Hm... That''s true." Hyunda limited himself to those words "So?" Daniel insisted "You don''t pass, Daniel." Unapologetic, Hyunda gave Daniel the answer but most definitely not the answer he was looking for as Daniel''s expression became maddening "What the fuck... Hyunda, I killed all of them, without fail. Those six-hundred pigs; I slaughtered all of them. How the fuck did I fail? Explain." Hyunda didn''t hesitate to deliver another part of the truth "It''s your methodology. We don''t necessarily need people who take too much time with their actions. Daniel, whether you like it or not, you prolonged their suffering for your own enjoyment when the mission was to simply eradicate them with the help of the Galilei device which allowed you to control the time in the respective sections. However, you chose to entertain yourself instead of fully prioritizing the objective. No matter how you look at it, Daniel, you enjoyed it." Daniel gritted his teeth as he didn''t want to accept it.

    Daniel tried to retort back.

    "It shouldn''t matter that much if I enjoyed it! You understand, don''t you, Hyunda?! After Yulia killed herself, I was left with so much sadness, anguish, sourness, and... rage..." Daniel''s killer face came to life and Hyunda witnessed it "How was I supposed to not enjoy it...? The island felt great, Hyunda! I miss it so badly! Always being in control; I miss that feeling! I need it!" Daniel''s lips'' corners widened as his psychothic smile showed "You get it, right?!" Daniel wanted some confirmation and Hyunda smiled back at Daniel "Damn right I fucking do." Hyunda also exhibited a psycothic smile "But to be a member of the organization it means that we have to be pawns for our leader and our leader prioritizes efficiency above all; he detests emotion put on the line when a mission comes up." Daniel''s face was reverting back to his normal one; his disappointment started to show "I said yes, but Sagasuga and the other members who reviewed your trials unfortunately decided against it." Hyunda expressed his sincere words and Daniel was left speechless.

    For three whole seconds, Daniel couldn''t muster a reaction to the information he had just received.

    "...No way... After all that, I..." Still conflicted, he couldn''t accept it "............" Hyunda silently watched Daniel put his two hands on each side of his head as he looked at the surface of the table; not looking at Hyunda "..If I had known, I would''ve told her the whole thing... Maybe she would have done it..." Hyunda became interested in Daniel''s words suddenly "What do you mean?" He asked and as Daniel began to lowly laugh midst his anxiety session, he didn''t care to hide his true thoughts "That chick, Syndrana, has the whole equation wrong, haha..." Daniel confessed "The anti-death equation?" Hyunda asked "Oh yeah, the one and only... You showed me a portion of the equation; the one known to the books, but Hyunda..." Daniel now looked at Hyunda "It''s all wrong! The books presented a simpler equation and..." Hyunda allowed Daniel to continue; as Hyunda united his two hands---intertwining his finger while adjoined his frontal face to them "It''s strange but it''s like I have all the calculus in my head somehow. Things have been crazy lately, Hyunda. Did you know? I tried to remember what I did to get here but I only knew that I killed four guys; anything prior to that is pitch black!" Daniel began to hysterically laugh "Am I going crazy? Hey, Hyunda, say something. You''re creeping me out with your silence, come on, man..." Daniel begged Hyunda to talk.

    Absorbing all of this, Hyunda spoke to Daniel.

    "If the equation you gave Syndrana is the wrong one, then, Daniel----do you know the true anti-death equation?" He questioned Daniel; breaking his silence "Huh? I----Well, it''s tough but... I... I don''t... Well, have the full equation... Yet." Daniel spoke a bit too much "Yet?" Hyunda''s interest sparked "Ignore that, I must be going crazy." Daniel gulped, realizing his mistake "No, you''re not." Hyunda denied Daniel''s claim "What?" Daniel tilted his head sideways "I said, you''re not. You''re not going crazy; you''re in the process of becoming just a little more illuminated, that''s all. But Daniel... You can''t ever know the true anti-death equation." Hyunda''s words made Daniel question the basis for such a claim "What do you mean by that?" Hyunda laughed and then answered "There are multiple anti-death equations as there are many more types of equations, but the leader came up with all of them. You can never reach the truth when it comes to such a thing, Daniel. Especially if you''re not a member yourself, after all." Hyunda reminded Daniel that he was in fact not included in the organization.

    Angry and bitter, Daniel''s expression was boiling with rage.

    "........" Hyunda''s vision narrowed as he seemed to want to say something more "Hey, Daniel?" He provoked Daniel to look at him "You''d do anything to get her back, right?" Pissed by how he was asked such a question with such an obvious answer, Daniel didn''t reply well "Are you fucking kidding me with that bullshit again, HYUNDA?! HAVE I NOT PROVEN MYSELF?!" He raised his voice and Hyunda whistled "I was impressed, it was entertaining to watch. In my opinion, many members are slaves to the mindset, but I enjoyed what I watched. That''s why, Daniel, if you are still not accepting the rejection..." Daniel closely listened as he thought Hyunda would give him another chance "Ah, no, it''s too soon." Hyunda got up from the table which provoked a wave of interest from Daniel as he did too "What?! Hey, Hyunda!!" He chased in Hyunda''s direction as he aimed to the north direction "Come on, man, don''t leave me hanging! What were you going to say?!" Daniel could not shake off his curiosity as he got in front of Hyunda despite the latter walking nevertheless "Daniel." But now he stopped and faced Daniel face to face.

    Hyunda''s expression grew far more stern and impatient as his words lacked his usual cool mannerisms to them.

    "You''re not on the island anymore. Control yourself, already. You''ve been acting too suspicious, Daniel. You need to lay low and laying low means that you don''t go around and try to get every opportunity that you can just to get into the action. I understand that you''re traumatized by her death; but I think you have bigger problems to deal with." Hyunda now continued to walk but Daniel didn''t chase him and so, Hyunda spoke one last time as he exited the cafeteria "The doctor... He''s just the start. Unfortunately for us, we might''ve attracted attention a bit too much..." Enigmatic, Hyunda left Daniel alone in the cafeteria.

    Losing sight of Hyunda, Daniel took the nearest by chair to his left and sat down on the cold empty table; sinking into a state of depression.

    With his face crying tears rolled up in his crossed arms, he talked to himself.

    "Yuliaaa.... I miss you so much..." His crying grew more and more intense by the second "I---I---I---I don''t.... have the... strength to carry on with you...! I''m so attached to you and I can''t get over you....I don''t want to....!!" He strengthened his physical grip on his closed fists as he gritted his teeth savagely "...Hey Yulia... What should I do now...? Do I just... end it...? I''m so tired........" Daniel sunk his head deeply into his arms.

    Without realizing it, Daniel had fallen asleep in the middle of the cafeteria.

    <hr>

    5 am.

    At first, it was a massive blow onto the structure that created the landing of it and while doing so, the noise from the collision surely woke several students up.

    It felt like an earthquake for a subsequent second and Daniel, who was sleeping in the middle of the cafeteria, woke up in the middle of the night at 5 am, alongside his other dorm mates.

    "What the hell was that...?!" Not Daniel, but Rayazaki who was coming down from the second floor with haste, became alerted as the outside noise definitely woke him up "........" Daniel quickly noticed he had fallen asleep and wiped the dry tears off his face as he heard many footsteps being performed across the dorm "What..." Daniel looked outside to the east side of the cafeteria where the windows are still open and midst of the night ambiance combined with no lights at all, he saw a glimpse of what was to come.

    Not wanting to stick around the cafeteria as Daniel felt that many of his dorm mates had all gone outside, Daniel took the path to the left----the cafeteria''s light being turned off----yet that wasn''t such a problem as Daniel could guide himself through the night light somehow.

    Running through the main hall, he saw his male companions on the outside all staring at above; like gazing at the stars.

    Not a single one of Daniel''s male companions was missing as they all looked exactly to one specific place despite the structure of it not being held to a singularity at the very top.

    "Heavens, what atrocity this is..." Sagasuga, in his green pajamas, commented while looking at it "I mean, it was predictable but I expected it to at least be under a construction time----to just have multiple helicopters drop this on us is fucking cold." Hyunda couldn''t hide his surprise either----as he was wearing only white pajama pants with his top naked "Bro!" Kuzan, from Daniel''s right---as he entered the outer ara in the middle of the school''s concrete---alerted Daniel who couldn''t stop looking at it "What a way to start the day off..." Daniel was not pleased as he joined the scene on the frontal side of the boys'' dorm.

    Daniel still had his uniform on as he didn''t sleep in his room; Kawahara walked up to him and agreed with his take.

    "Tell me about it. Any idea what exactly this is supposed to accomplish? As far as I can see, the goal is clear." Kawahara looked at it while asking that albeit answering the question at the same time---he wore a black winter robe while yawning "What, can''t you see? It''s a damn prison cell!" Tsudo, with his wavy light blue pajamas; wearing a malevolent sleepy expression, told all of them.

    However, a partial opinion came, not from the boys, but from the girls'' side as their dorm was just a few twenty meters away from the boys'', all the way to the right.

    Akimiyashika, Hinagiku, Tateyana, Gale, Arkalee, Lus, and Kanawari----Yukishiro, Shizuku, and Sana remained at the dorm as they were seeing the scenario unfold through the windows---all wearing their respective pajamas, suddenly walked in the boys'' direction.

    "It''s more than that. It''s better if we can access the rooftop, this way we can all see it." Lus, with her pink hair tied to a ponytail, spoke to the crowd of boys present but mainly to the silent watch guard otherwise known as George Kentucky who was absent from the conversation as he stood still with his back against the dorm''s door---eating a chicken sandwich "Climb, I ain''t moving." Uninterested, George gave the authorization to them.

    Without wasting time at all, they all collectively made haste to the third floor of the boys'' dorm and climbed onto the rooftop where they could now envision the scenery with far more clarity.

    "WAIT, WHAT?! AM I SEEING THIS CORRECTLY?!" Arkalee couldn''t hold herself back from speaking up "Why aren''t the other blocks... Oh..." Kanawari realized the obvious to which, Lus pointed out "It''s fairly obvious by now but for some reason, a gigantic cage was dropped onto the terrain that covers the entire block F and the two dorms----and of course, nothing more." Lus described their reality.

    Upholding five-hundred meters in height in the shape of a squared cage with metallic grids to it; its width being that of two thousand---the cage that was placed under their block and their dorms had a completely dark ceiling that would block out any sunlight. There were also no visible doors at sight or ways to get in; mainly because the entire cage looked like a prison cell as the structure that was adjoined to the ground was made of indestructible steel.

    However, there was a slight factor that added an extra layer of paranoia to all the criminals present.

    A familiar voice spoke to not only Daniel, but to everyone present, from above----specifically from the ceiling''s direction though utterly black.

    "My, does it look fine!" A robotic senile voice earned all of their attention as they turned their heads in the ceiling''s direction which was roughly four hundred meters away from where they are "Who is that...?" Gale asked, skeptical "T-That''s----!!" Kuzan immediately recognized it "........." Daniel''s expression became rigid as he definitely knew who it was "Welcome to the cage, little birds! Made for you and you only---in this cage, you will be given the opportunity to enhance your social skills by communicating with each other more and more! But that''s not all, my lovely pawns! This interaction is restricted to ONLY YOU CRIMINALS!!!" The doctor exhibited a sickening laugh; raising preoccupations "That''s why, starting from today, as an agreement has been reached; every day there will be a special exam for all of youuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!" Shock and anxiety hit the atmosphere.

    Staggered by the newfound information, the boys and the girls were left momentarily speechless as they fully understood what it meant to have daily special exams.

    "T-That can''t be! A special exam, every day?!" Shook, Hinagiku couldn''t compose herself "Yes, my dear! And I will now tell you all something far more important! Although I am not your teacher, I am the one in charge of making all of the exams, gahahahaha!!!" Once again, his sickening laughter was heard through the ceiling "No, no, no! No fucking way, that can''t be right!" Tsudo placed his two hands on his head; kneeling down on the ground amidst despair "The expulsion rate is so absurdly high with every exam and now we have daily exams?!" Everyone watched Tsudo''s emotional reaction to the information.

    But it was too soon for them to relax, as the doctor delivered more unpleasant news.

    "Oh my dear lab rats----you might want to hurry up because if you''re not in class in five minutes, you will be expelled, gahahahah!!" The doctor delivered crucial information furthermore "Today is a mighty exception but every day, at 5 am, you will have to come to classes! Forget the usual schedule, I''m talking about something more exquisite, gahahaha!!" Running down the boys'' dorm, they moved with great urgency.

    Thus, their lengthy battle began.

 Volume 25: Chapter 174: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part II.

    Dressed in their school uniforms, the summoned students of class F sat in their respective seats. Some yawned, some cursed at the necessity of the circumstance but none of them took their eyes off their teacher Basara, who stood in the center of the podium near his desk on the north side of the classroom, with his hands behind his back.

    Still with barely any light at all and having to guide themselves through the illumination given by the above artificial lamps; the students put all their attention on their teacher.

    "I''m sure you''ve heard, so I''ll clarify----Yes, it''s true. Every day, a special exam will occur." Many were still stunned at the doctor''s words previously but now upon given confirmation, dissatisfaction began to show "That''s insane, teacher! Why did this occur?! What did we do to deserve this?!" Tateyana lashed out; side by side with Sagasuga at the central table "You know why." He simply said and Tateyana, like all the others, somewhat understood why the circumstance was given birth "Before we begin, here are a few news." Basara grabbed the nearby white chalk and began to write on the board.

    Basara wrote exactly three phrases.

    "I''ll explain." He turned himself back to the confused students and spoke about the context "First of all, as you can see---" He pointed at his first phrase "All of your prior warnings, regardless of how many have been reduced back to ZERO. So, congratulations! You are once again in the safe zone!" Basara applauded the students yet the tension grew even more as none of them found any comfort in the fact that their warnings had been suddenly reduced to zero; despite the positive factor that it offers "And as for this---" Now onto the second phrase "Your schedule from this day on is exactly as it says: Classes begin at 5 am and end at 10 pm. However, be aware that you will be given a chance to eat for thirty minutes between 2 pm to 2:30 pm, just so you don''t starve to death!" Basara chuckled as he laughed at the terrible conditions given.

    Complaints were made.

    "You''re not serious, teacher! How can you stand by this?! That''s 17 hours in class every day!" Akimiyashika wanted Basara to reconsider "Damn right, what a mess this is." He agreed with Akimiyashika and Akimiyashika---relieved---smiled transiently until Basara finished her off with his verbal continuation "I can''t believe I''m stuck here 17 hours with all of you every FUCKING day of the week! No weekends for all of you and most certainly not for me! So shut the fuck up and listen, because you''re not the only one who will go through with this!" Basara''s shout shattered Akimiyashika''s ego as she felt broken by Basara''s shout "Enough with your complaints, you can bitch about it all you want, the situation won''t change." Basara added.

    Now finally, Basara went to the third phrase; the true main point.

    "You read it right; it''s not three warnings anymore, it''s FIVE! You can fuck up to four times, jerk off four times, cut the aim, and pop champagne four times but after that, you are going to sleep six feet deep!" But that was not all "In contrast though, by each exam you come out successful, you earn a badge!" Basara went to his desk and took out a very small plastic bag with about 20 badges "Each exam contains a badge and it will be attributed to the winners! Having a badge is the equivalent of being given immunity for a warning! In other words, the more you win, the less you have to worry!" Basara laughed out loud in a ridiculous manner while saying something in addition "JUST WIN, GET IT?! HAHAHA!" No one found him funny and instead found Basara to be terrifying as he was foreshadowing something unbelievable.

    Erasing the phrases on the board with his right hand and then clasping them together; making some powder pop up, Basara moved on to the main dish.

    He faced all of the students present and spoke.

    "The exam that''s about to follow and all the upcoming exams have nothing to do with the subjects you''ve been taught so far. As a matter of fact, you are entering new territory as of now, so brace yourselves." Basara took out a file containing multiple white sheets of paper and passed them through the students so they could get a firm grasp on the exam''s contents "Pay attention to me as I will explain it plain and simple." Basara demanded as he once again stood on the podium "Kawahara, Hyunda, Kuzan, Hinagiku, what did I just say?" Unhappy that some weren''t voluntarily looking at him when he said so, Basara called them out.

    The explanation thus began.

    "All of you, individually, will write a challenge that a person at random in the classroom, will take on." This startled them "Hold on, wha---" Yukishiro, nervous tried to speak "SILENCE, DON''T INTERRUPT ME." Basara''s shout quaked Yukishiro''s existence "On the area of the challenge, you must write it under five minutes. As for the challenge itself, it can be anything as long as it''s achievable within the classroom itself. It can be things like asking for a rubber, a piece of information, or just about anything. Simple, right?" But this wasn''t simple to grasp "I don''t get it." Kuzan spoke as he couldn''t really grasp the concept that was being at play here.

    Basara sighed and tried to explain it from another angle.

    "Kuzan, look at your paper where it says "Challenge declaration"." He said and Kuzan looked at it "Yeah, I see it, but what I don''t understand is how anyone can just make a challenge of literally anything! I mean, that''s absurd, isn''t it?! What if I''m asked to be naked?!" Kuzan gave such an example "You don''t have to worry about that; I will make sure that no absurd challenge gets processed as I will read all of them before distributing them randomly." Basara''s words gave the class some level of relief "Simply write something that''s achievable and a random person in class will be tasked with such a challenge. You must, however, not reveal your name in the form. It''s very simple. YOU MAY START, FIVE MINUTES ON THE CLOCK!" Basara finished his explanation and clapped twice while the class became nervous.

    The present time was of 5:23, so once the clock hits the margin of 5:28, their deadline would be announced.

    Daniel, on the other hand, wasn''t worried about the time in particular, but rather, something else.

    His expression wasn''t as sleepy as the others; his table partner, Lus Sera, had an arguably tired expression but she was already writing her challenge down.

    "......." Daniel pondered the real meaning behind this and just what exactly was supposed to be achieved by issuing challenges all over the classroom randomly "...." Daniel looked to his right side, attempting to sneak a peek at Lus'' challenge, but she immediately looked at him with threatening eyes "Don''t look." She said "Why? It''s better if we know what we''re going to write down, what if your challenge goes to me?" Daniel attempted to reason "Write yours first then." She proposed, as Daniel didn''t have anything written down yet "......." He thought about what she said.

    Ultimately, after a minute of thinking, Daniel wrote his challenge down.

    "If I reveal it, will you?" He attempted to reason once again "I don''t mind." She said "Alright." Daniel looked forward to the nearest table in front of them where Sana sat alone; to their left, Hinagiku and Rayazaki remain, still writing down "......" He silently passed the white sheet with the challenge face down to Lus and she took a note of it "Boring." She remarked as she passed her own "....." Daniel grasped the paper and saw her challenge; ultimately returning the paper back to her "......." Lus wondered what he thought about it.

    After a few minutes, the time was up.

    "And that''s it, turn your sheets upside down! Whoever didn''t write their name on the name area will be automatically disqualified thus earning a warning! And no, you don''t get to go back to sleep early!" Basara yelled at all of them "Wait, what? You told us not to write our names..." Gale innocently remarked "IN THE FUCKING CHALLENGE, YOU DUMBASS!!" Basara''s spree of shouts was visibly scarring their psyche but at the same time, those that had gotten such confusion from what Basara said earlier, immediately corrected themselves by writing their names in the respective area.

    One by one, Basara collected the sheets and went back to his desk, where he took some time to check the challenges.

    "Yukishiro, come here." Already, Yukishiro was called due to her challenge "Oh Jesus..." Rayazaki, stressed out by the possibility that Yukishiro had written something absurd, began to tap his feet onto the ground as he saw Yukishiro get up from her seat with a devilish grin on her face---now standing in front of Basara''s desk "What is this shit? Did I not make myself clear when I said that it has to be ACHIEVABLE? This is not achievable." He returned her sheet back to her hands "Oh, but it is achievable...." She giggled "Do you wanna fucking fail the exam?" Basara made his point clear "......No." She said "Then write something achievable; you have thirty seconds." Basara ordered as he kept checking every challenge form.

    Yukishiro went to her seat and wrote her challenge; taking no more than thirty seconds while subsequently turning her sheet back to Basara, who didn''t complain about her challenge this time.

    After checking all of them, Basara ripped off the name form area from the papers just so only the challenge part would remain and grasped all of the sheets; mashing them all together onto the table''s surface three times while shuffling them like Poker cards so they would be random.

    To ensure that they weren''t stacked, Basara shuffled the challenges more thoroughly as they had lost a greater portion of their size from the previous cut.

    Now sure that they were shuffled correctly, Basara got up and began to distribute them one by one all over the classroom.

    "For now, you will not look at the challenge as it''s placed face down. Only when I say so, may you turn the paper around." Being allusive, Basara said as he handled the papers from down south to the students "For now...?" Trying to get some information, Shizuku asked "Yes, for now." Basara offered nothing "Do we have a time attached to the challenge?" Kanawari asked Basara from the right file of the classroom "What do you think?" Again, not offering any inclusive information, Basara made the students nervous "Now that''s done, I''ll explain the upcoming detail." After distributing the challenges all over the classroom, Basara stood on the central podium on the north side of the classroom.

    Many were hesitant about knowing what their challenge was yet none of them dared to look at it as their teacher was watching over them.

    "Accomplishing the challenge is the key part, but what''s going to be tested is just how well you know your classmates and so----after you have done the challenge, you will write down who you think issued the challenge for you." This raised questions "Where? In the challenge form?" Sana asked "Yes, where else?" Sarcastic, he replied and added "Begin." Sitting down on his desk, Basara allowed them to flip over the challenge forms.

    Eyes began to sparse over one another as many wondered who got whose challenge.

    Calmly but fast, Daniel turned his around; Lus immediately looking at his---Daniel subsequently caught hers as well.

    "How was this approved....." Daniel expressed his discontent over his challenge "......" Lus, on the other hand, wasn''t happy with hers too.

    She looked at Daniel for a few seconds and he felt her eyestare while pondering how to go about his challenge.

    "What?" He looked at her by turning his head to the right side "It''s not hard, why don''t you just do it?" She was curious as to why Daniel was taking so long "I------" But suddenly, Hyunda got up from his table, which is located to the northeast on the second file, next to Arkalee, and shouted "Yukishiro is the ugliest bitch in existence, she should just kill herself!" Phrasing it in an overly dramatic way, Hyunda looked at Yukishiro who was on the upper north side of the third file as he shouted his challenge to her "WH----" Bewildered, she didn''t take this well; as some girls started to giggle at her "THE FUCK ARE YOU ALL GIGGLING FOR?! I KNOW IT WAS Y-------" Yukishiro, with her erupted posture exulted, was immediately interrupted by Basara "SHUT THE FUCK UP!!" His shout echoed throughout the room "B-But.....!!" Still resilient, Yukishiro didn''t want to back down "Articulate that energy into the challenge you''ve been given." Basara ordered her "........" Super pissed off, Yukishiro slammed her fists onto her table---as she has a table partner no longer.

    However, that was one of the many "questionable" sets of actions to come.

    "What the hell..." As Rayazaki saw Kawahara trying to awkwardly kiss the girl next to him, Akimiyashika, he couldn''t help but think of him as some creep "W-What the hell are you doing!!!" Slapped across the face so hard that Kawahara went down on the floor, Akmiyashika defended herself as she was about to get kissed by Kawahara "Holy shit..." Tateyana, next to Sagasuga, started to laugh "No way." Not believing that Kawahara''s challenge had been approved, many started to laugh as they realized what Kawahara''s challenge was "What was that for?! It''s the damn challenge, just close your eyes!" Now back up, Kawahara complained as Akimiyashika began to physically distance herself from Kawahara by getting out of her seat "Fuck YOU! Who wrote this damn challenge?!" Akimiyashika turned towards her classmates in order to get a genuine grasp on who could''ve issued such a challenge.

    Firstly, she looked to the northeast all the way to the third file where she was and Yukishiro came to her sight.

    "Teacher!!" After looking at Yukishiro and Yukishiro only, Akimiyashika, feeling bashful, went to have a conversation with Basara "This cannot be allowed! I know it''s achievable but I cannot accept it!" She made her stand "And?" He didn''t care, however "A-And?! This is harassment, is it not?!" Akimiyashika tried to get on a reasonable side with Basara "Harassment? That''s rich coming from a criminal. Are you unfamiliar with the concept of hypocrisy or do I have to give you a lesson on that?! BACK TO YOUR FUCKING SEAT, NOW!!" Once again, Basara''s shout echoed through the room, silencing all other lines being spoken "....!!!" Borderline starting to cry, Akimiyashika was forced to go back, but she didn''t take a seat as it''s next to Kawahara "I am not sitting next to you!" Therefore, she walked all the way to Sana, who was on the first file to the right side of the classroom---in front of Daniel and Lus.

    Angry and taking Sana by surprise, Akimiyashika grabbed the table''s right chair by force and sat down with her challenge in her hand still.

    However, the problem wasn''t solved as Kawahara started to follow Akimiyashika.

    "It''s just the challenge-------" Kawahara was trying to justify himself "GET AWAY FROM ME, I DON''T CARE!!" Kawahara was, however, resolved to take the challenge into his own hands as he was on the border of their table "I HAVE TO GET IT DONE OR ELSE I WILL FAIL!!" Kawahara wasn''t being very appealing "KISS SOMEONE ELSE!!" Disgusted, she kept retorting "I FUCKING CAN''T! IT LITERALLY SAYS AKIMIYASHIKA, READ IT!!" Kawahara exhibited his challenge form and Daniel, Lus, Sana, Hinagiku, Rayazaki, and Akimiyashika of course, saw what the challenge really said "I DON''T CARE, KAWAHARA!!" This discussion was starting to heat up and so, complaints started to be made "Hey, can you two shut up already?!" Tsudo, on the second table on the first file in the classroom, called out to the two of them "Stay the fuck out of this, will you?! I''m trying to be reasonable!" Kawahara looked back at Tsudo with anger "She doesn''t want you to kiss her, man! Just let her go!" Appealing to Akimiyashika''s defense, Tsudo started a chain of attacks toward Kawahara as it would vary from person to person.

    Shizuku gave her own opinion too.

    "I saw you, Kawahara---you tried to sneak in a surprise kiss instead of just showing her what your challenge was... Very manipulative." Kawahara became furious "SHUT UP, THAT''S NOT TRUE!!" Hinagiku jumped to Akimiyashika''s defense too "You should have just told her, Kawahara!! How cowardly of you!" Accusing his indignity, Hinagiku became impulsive; Lus added a comment on it as well "You''re being a nuisance, can you leave already?" Coldly, she asked for his withdrawal "Just try the next challenge, there are probably more." Daniel offered his own opinion to Kawahara, who was being branded as the villain "....Tsk!!" Furious but acknowledging that he couldn''t achieve what he came for, Kawahara went back to his table and kicked the table grandly "WHO THE FUCK WROTE THIS DAMN CHALLENGE?!" Expecting an answer, Kawahara looked at all of them, but only one thing came at him.

    To be more precise, a flying piece of chalk which was surprisingly tough; hit Kawahara''s head sideways---causing the ladder to be mildly stunned.

    "If you can''t do it, sit the fuck down, Kawahara." Naturally, Kawahara complained "We will know who wrote the challenges after we deliver the challenge form to you, right?!" Thirsting over the person who had written him this challenge form, Kawahara wanted to at least know "Write down who you think it is and if you''re correct, you will know." Basara simply said and Kawahara took no time in writing down who he thought was the culprit behind the challenge.

    Daniel, upon witnessing that, noticed that the very nature of these challenges had a hyper reactive chaotic impulsive when it came down to solving them.

    Now that Akimiyashika was in front of them, Daniel talked to her.

    "Are you alright, Akimiyashika?" Daniel asked her; as she turned around facing his direction albeit slightly paranoid still "...No. This is sickening!" Daniel crossed his fingers and erupted his palms while nodding "You''re right." He then spoke to her and Sana in a very low manner while not attracting too much attention; Lus also paid attention "Did any of you write this?" Daniel showed his challenge to the two of them and analyzed their facial expression; each body language detail to the core.

    Akimiyashika''s pale skin was something that Daniel found beautiful as well as her light green emerald eyes; however, in combination with an expression that incorporated doubt and uncertainty, her natural beauty became controversial though her long luscious thin red hair that forms a curtain at the top was an eye-candy certainly. Sana, on the other hand, was quick to give Daniel an answer.

    "Isn''t that...?" Sana looked in Sagasuga''s direction "It makes sense..." Lus agreed "Because of the formality?" Daniel asked the three of them and Akimiyashika replied "Not that I have seen it but in my opinion it wasn''t a girl that wrote it, because it has... How do I say this..." Akimiyashika was struggling to find the right words and made a shackled expression "He wouldn''t get it, but she''s right." Lus insulted Daniel though he didn''t seem to care about it "I see. Well, now that I have shown mine, would you two show us yours? I think if that if we can combine our intelligence and figure out the handwriting then we can already be ahead." A silence was formed "What do you say?" Daniel wanted to hear what the two of them thought.

    Granted, Daniel had already revealed his challenge, and assuming that it was from Sagasuga and from no one else, they could believe that they have the upper hand and as a matter of fact, cooperation here is a great deal.

    Thus, Sana spoke.

    "...Only if I can see yours..." Not to Daniel, but to Lus, Sana talked to "And if I show mine, will you show and Akimiyashika as well?" Greedy, Lus struck her bargain "I think we four win simultaneously if we can get ahead and combine our intel. Of course, accomplishing the challenges themselves is something that''s not related." Fair and simple, Daniel was offering a balanced exchange "Ok, I don''t mind, here." Without restraint, Sana showed her challenge to the three of them as she placed it in the middle of Daniel and Lus'' table.

    They analyzed the challenge''s content but that was not the aim of the revelation.

    And also, their eyes focused on Akimiyashika as she had to reveal her challenge after Sana, which she did.

    "Now, you too, Lus." Akimiyashika demanded as she placed her challenge on the table "I keep my word." Lus said as she also placed her challenge on the table "From who do we st-----" Sana wanted to take the initiative and get a better grasp of the position but midst such, Kuzan got up from his chair and started to enthusiastically, though against his will, lick the floor next to him four times "BLEEEGGHHHH!!!" Borderline vomiting while being tremendously laughed at, Kuzan couldn''t find a way to erase the dirt from the unclean floor of his tongue "Jesus... How humiliating." Akmiyashika commented.

    However, Daniel wanted to make progress, so he snapped his right index finger with his right thumb and performed an attention call.

    "Hey. Let''s get to work." Apathetic, Daniel made sure that the three of them heard his opinion "We will start with Sana''s." Sana was somewhat worried about Daniel''s attitude but in the end, she focused on the calligraphy in her challenge "It''s a boy for sure." Akimiyashika claimed immediately "No doubt it, the question is..." A major problem arose as the calligraphy was particularly generic "....." Daniel began to think of a solution for a bit.

    Instead of talking to the three of them as they were waiting for something decisive, Daniel simply utilized his vision to get a firm grasp on the type of caligraphies that were nearby.

    From a classroom''s perspective, Daniel and Lus'' table had a terrible localization if the aim was to get a visual grasp because, since the classroom has three vertical files---each containing four dual tables in each file----their table is the one closest to the entrance/exit door which means that they are not well centered. There isn''t anything besides the thick yellow cemented wall to their right and to their left, Hinagiku and Rayazaki are seated.

    He could somewhat see through the table that was up next in the north direction to Rayazaki''s table where Sagasuga and Tateyana were standing; however he could not get a grasp on their calligraphy, but that was another issue that Daniel was facing.

    The majority of them just weren''t dumb to the point of exposing their calligraphy like that as it could pose an advantage to anyone that is able to know who wrote their challenge.

    "There is a better way of going about this, I think." Sana said and their eyes were on her "Assuming we aren''t all lying and telling the truth, we can withdraw the four of us from the equation---along with Sagasuga as he is the one who wrote Daniel''s challenge. If we count ourselves out, in our class, we have Hyunda, Rayazaki, Tsudo, Tatsu, Kawahara, and Kuzan for the boys, which makes six. As for the girls, we have Yul------" Sana felt mildly stunned as she realized what she was about to say "I---" Trying to compose herself, Sana attempted to speak again but Daniel spoke in her turn "Hinagiku, Gale, Arkalee, Ikkiri, Kanawari, Tateyana, Yukishiro, and Shizuku, which makes eight." He allowed her to continue her reasoning "...We just need to find a way to know what boy wrote this." Sana finished her point.

    Midst this, Basara spoke words that would surely bring an end to any pointless strategies.

    "One minute left." He didn''t shout and simply allowed his voice to be one with the atmosphere "For what?!" Basara didn''t reply to Arkalee''s question.

    However, it was evident as day that Basara''s words were the equivalent of a one-minute clock and as such, Daniel, like many others decided to do their respective challenges----or rather---they attempted it; whether or not they would be successful, was something they would find out.

    The girl with purple twin-tails who is always with her two arms adjoined to Hajime Hyunda, Kitsuya Arkalee, sought help from Hyunda in order to finish her challenge; while located on the third of the four tables on the third row on the left side.

    Unashamed despite her nervous demeanor, Arkalee shoved her breasts through her uniform onto Hyunda''s arm.

    "What do I do, Hyunda?! I don''t wanna do it!" Her pale-skinned face alongside her elegant eyeliner would make any boy undoubtedly attracted beyond control "Then just don''t do it, Arkalee. You''re going to get yourself hurt if you do that, you know?" But Hyunda, a boy with white eyes and spiky white mid-downward hair upholding a unique curtain style to his hair, didn''t give much of a reaction to her girlfriend, Arkalee "S-Should I do it...?" Indecisive, Arkalee asked him "Well... If you don''t do it, then some unknown consequences could arise. Maybe if you don''t do it, you will be sent away, and then..." Arkalee''s face quickly became filled with horror at the thought of her no longer being with Hyunda "O-Okay! I''ll do it! I''ll do it! I don''t want to be anywhere but with you!" She said with a nervous smile "Awwww." Hyunda used his right head to bring Arkalee''s head to his side and then gave a kiss on her open forehead; making Arkalee feel excited "That''s my girl, I knew you had it in you." Hyunda smiled back at her.

    The challenge being: "Break your fingernail and toss the fingernail on the garbage can.", was intercepted by Arkalee as Hyunda hugged her while she did it.

    Though her scream was heard, the others were busy indulging in their atrocious challenges; battling between doing them or not.

    Thus, on the central table, Sagasuga and Tateyana, side by side, pondered their challenges with little time on the clock.

    "Ugh, help me?!" Tateyana, a girl with long dark-purple hair posing a tidy fringe, looked at the composed Sagasuga with glaring eyes----Sagasuga himself resigning from committing to his challenge "I don''t see how I can possibly serve you any good, Tateyana. It''s clear that it''s something you have to do it on your own." Sagasuga calmly said as he showed no commitment toward his own challenge "I know, but that''s...! I don''t have anything against her and I kinda like her as a friend..." Tateyana began to show conflict over it "Oh dear." Sagasuga sighed and then came to Tateyana''s side just a little more to the left; making her become a bit more conscious about their height difference and Sagasuga''s vagrant appealing perfume "You have to throw a shoe to Lus, Tateyana." He placed his eyes on her.

    Mildly stunned by the combination of Sagasuga''s appearance such as-----his well-kept medium-sized black curtain hair with shaved ends on the lower part of his back as well as his sides; his unexpected physique as it became clear that Sagasuga does possess a build beyond the average as she looked at his specks in addition to his shoulders followed by his medium-sized biceps underneath his white uniform shirt; his captivating darker eyes; and his fresh and nice breath-----Tateyana couldn''t keep her eyes of him.

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    "In my opinion, if you are subtle about it, she will most likely notice that''s part of the challenge. In other words, if you think she will get it, then there''s nothing to fear." Sagasuga gave his reasoning "...I guess..." She seemed indecisive "...What about you?" She asked "I''m not doing it." Sagasuga coldly replied "Why though? What happens if it leads you to fail the exam?" Sagasuga was pondering that possibility "It is what it is." Sagasuga decided to add something more "Do it and let her know that you did it, she won''t think badly of you." Sagasuga persisted with Tateyana "Yeah, I think so too." They reached a consensus.

    Tateyana elevated from her chair after taking out her right shoe and upon looking at Lus from afar and crossing eye contact with her, she fearlessly threw her right shoe in Lus'' direction---aimed at her face.

    However, it was all so sudden to Lus that in the end, the shoe wasn''t intercepted by anyone and it reached her face; the frontal part of the shoe landed on her nose which caused a blood waterfall to immediately fall onto her lips.

    "OH MY G---" Tateyana put her hands on her mouth as the unexpected happened; Daniel who is on Lus'' right side, decided to use this opportunity to see who would react to this in a way that would tell some sort of information "....." Lus, as she was being watched by many, despite the clock running out, decided to throw back the shoe at Tateyana; however, it wasn''t a normal throwback----Lus threw the shoe at Tateyana straightly aimed at her face with blinding speed "Oh dear." Sagasuga intercepted the shoe with his left hand that was thrown at Tateyana; Lus fully elevated from her seat with a bitter expression "A-Ahh!!" Afraid of the throw, Tateyana fell back on her chair; Sagasuga placed her shoe on their table "Don''t do that again." Lus looked at Tateyana from afar and then proceeded to take care of herself.

    There wasn''t anything that was remotely convenient for her to clean herself with and so, she decided to rip off sheets from her school''s journal in front of her while wiping the blood from her nose as well as her bleeding lips.

    "What?!" Unhappy that she was being watched by mainly Daniel, Sana, Akimiyashika, and Tateyana, Lus lashed out "Nothing..." Sana turned around and faced her challenge "I was going to ask if you''re-----" Lus interrupted Akimiyashika "I''m fine." Lus sternly said "......" Daniel crossed looks with Lus but in the end, said nothing.

    While this was happening, others were executing their challenges.

    "This is just not happening." Shizuku looked at her challenge, which was somehow permitted "Disgusting." Her table partner, Tsudo, commented as he analyzed what the challenge was "Oh my. I know who wrote that challenge for you, Tsudo." She leaned to Tsudo''s left direction as she showed great interest in his challenge "Oh yeah? Tell me!" Tsudo ordered "So impulsive, I dislike that attitude." Shizuku criticized Tsudo''s attitude "If you''re not gonna help then shut up." Tsudo put on a mad expression "I can help you." Shizuku begged to differ "How?" Tsudo was now fully invested "I will tell you, if you do the challenge." Shizuku offered help in her own way "No way, tell me first and then I''ll do it." But Tsudo decided to argue against her "Nah-nah." She shook her head sideways "I''m not doing mine so I don''t lose anything here. Are you also not going to do it?" She provoked Tsudo.

    Tsudo, the boy with a short haircut in the color of red; his sides completely cut but in zig-zag patterns---ultimately his upper hair forming an upper crest; became curious about what Shizuku had to offer, but more importantly, he could not stop looking to an area that is a bit below her face.

    "Yeah... Ok." He conceded and Shizuku, the girl with a short orange haircut, put her two palms together on her face''s left side while tilting her head in the same direction "Now that''s the attitude!" Tsudo got up from his chair with a fearless look in his eyes.

    Firstly, he started with Kuzan, the boy with short blonde hair, seated next to Kanawari, a gorgeous girl with long blonde wavy hair, on the first row of tables on the east side---their table being the second from the north direction.

    "Kuzan, spit on my face." With a serious face, Tsudo requested Kuzan, who became perplexed "Please, there''s no time!" He begged Kuzan to do it; Kanawari couldn''t help but laugh "...Ok." Kuzan didn''t see any further reason to prolong this and spit on Tsudo''s face; the saliva bullet landing on his forehead "......." Tsudo was fuming but he decided to move on to the closet boy on the first file, after Kuzan "Dani----" Before Tsudo could request it, Daniel spit on his nose.

    Rayazaki, who was next on the list since he is next to Daniel''s table on the left, decided to also spit on his face without waiting for his request. After Rayazaki, came Sagasuga, who was seated on the table up ahead of Rayazaki''s.

    "Absolutely not, how uncouth." Without showing any signs of cooperation, Sagasuga dismissed the challenge "Come on, man! It said that I had to get spit on by every boy in the class!" Tsudo made his stand "But that''s foolish. You do realize that you are technically included, right?" Tsudo realized the massive problem "How are you going to spit on yourself, Tsudo?" Sagasuga''s question made Tsudo become lost in his thought process "...Holy shit, you''re right." Tsudo, defeated, went back to his seat as he ripped off a white sheet to clean up the saliva from his face.

    On the other hand, as they watched Tsudo fail his challenge due to his own incapacity, they started to criticize it.

    "Can''t you just spit in the air and make it land on yourself and then that counts it as landing it?" Rayazaki whispered that to Hinaguku''s left ear; causing her to giggle "That''s true, haha." Hinagiku whispered back to him "I think he was too mad to notice it." Rayazaki added "Yeah." Hinagiku continued with something else as she looked at her own challenge "What do you think happens if we don''t do our challenges?" Hinagiku asked Rayazaki.

    Rayazaki, the boy with a somewhat tall height compared to Hinagiku''s small height, gave his answer immediately to the girl with Chinese bum as her hairstyle---the dark blue hair completely stacked on top as it''s supported by two metallic needles.

    "I don''t think we fail, but maybe we just lose this round?" Rayazaki gave his opinion "And you?" He wanted to know what the girl with diamond-blue eyes had in mind "That''s exactly what I had in mind, Rayazaki! I think we''ll keep on doing these rounds over and over... Though I don''t know what the aim really is..." Mysterious, the objective remained hidden "I also don''t know." They agreed on that and looked at their challenges "I''m not doing mine. Not even if I''m held at gunpoint." Rayazaki said as he looked at his challenge with fury "I can''t say I don''t relate..." Hinagiku showed an agreement with the downward spiky blond-haired Rayazaki.

    Seating alone in the third row on the west side, Tatsu, a boy with short black loose hair, took no time to perform his challenge at all.

    He elevated his right fist and pounded his right eye fearlessly as if he was killing himself.

    "What the f..." Rayazaki kept watching Tatsu as he specifically kept on hitting his right eye with his backward right fist---to the point where it eventually would create such a swelling accumulating a black color "No goddamn way I''m doing this; there''s no reason for me to." Yukishiro silently said that to herself as she smashed her challenge with her right hand "No way." Sana said as she saw that many weren''t actually committed to the challenges "Yeah, there''s just... Nope." Akimiyashika adopted the same stance "Sounds silly, but it would hurt a lot, wouldn''t it?" Kanawari asked Kuzan who already had finished his challenge "Ehhh..." He didn''t seem to agree with her take "Kuzan, you''re not suggesting that I...?" Kanawari twisted her eyebrows "Aren''t you just boycotting this because the others are? Your challenge is kinda soft, I''m jealous!" Kuzan expressed his honest sentiments.

    However, Kanawari didn''t take his opinion well and decided to object to it.

    "I expected more from you, Kuzan. I''m honestly disappointed." Kanawari turned her challenge upside down "You''re being silly, Kanawari." Kuzan didn''t agree with her attitude "I should know better than take an opinion from a guy who didn''t hesitate to lick the floor." She insulted him "Wh--- Hey, that''s rude..." Kuzan became a bit upset at her.

    Gale, a small girl with rectangular black glasses, decided to ignore her challenge as well, as she sat alone in the third file. Ikkiri opted to not do her challenge at all, as a matter of fact, she simply placed her head on her two dormant arms and tried to sleep for a bit as she also sat on the third file, a table just up ahead of Gale.

    Given the circumstance at hand, with so many people not doing the challenges, Daniel and Lus had taken all of this into account.

    "... Unbelievable..." Forced to come to terms with her decision, Lus decided that it was time to execute it; her expression growing far bitter as she began to take off her blue blazer---leaving only her white uniform''s shirt on "Wait, hold on, we can create a wall for you." Akimiyashika suggested as she got up "It''s better this way, Lus, if you''re really going to do it." Sana too, got up and placed herself in front of Lus "Wait, I''ll block from my side too." Hinagiku got up and suggested that, although she didn''t know what the challenge was "...I appreciate it." Lus showed sincere gratitude as she transiently closed her eyes while putting her fingertips on the buttons of her shirt''s upper parts.

    There was, however, one individual in the midst that couldn''t be bothered, which naturally posed a problem.

    The girls'' eyes fell on him with an ominous stare combined.

    "Daniel." Sana called out to him; trying to be nice "What?" Uncaring, he looked at Sana and asked "Don''t "What?" her, you know what Lus'' challenge is! Go away, distance yourself for a bit!" Akimiyashika was annoyed at Daniel''s apathy "No, I won''t." Daniel stood his ground "You''re not serious, Daniel! Have you no dignity?!" Hinagiku protested but Daniel once again, defended his posture "This has nothing to do with dignity, I will not abandon my position. You can strip, I won''t bat an eye on you." Daniel expressed his genuine intentions "That doesn''t help, you freak... Your mere presence is a problem." Lus wanted Daniel to go away nevertheless.

    Daniel looked at Lus with dead eyes; his words becoming hollow.

    "I don''t give a fuck about you, why should I care? You think I''ll look at your breasts after their stripped off? I won''t. Stop bothering me and just do it." Daniel was quickly branded as a disgusting individual as Lus found herself in a position where she had little to no time on the clock "......" Pressured, Lus undid her shirt''s upper buttons and with shame, she took off her black bra---her breasts momentarily showing though Daniel kept looking at his challenge----and subsequently put her buttons back up, completely undoing the process---however she didn''t put her blazer back on as the challenge also required that.

    The curtain call rose as Basara clapped his hands once.

    "TIME!" Erupting his posture to full height, Basara got up from his desk''s chair "Sit down, all of you!" All of them wrote down who they thought issued their challenge---even the ones that didn''t do the challenge at all "Any further attempts at executing the challenge will earn you disqualification from the exam as a WHOLE, not just this round." Basara confirmed something that some already speculated as he began to collect the challenge forms from Gale firstly and then Ikkiri, slowly but surely aiming to collect them all "There will be another round...?" Hinagiku asked, now that she was on her seat---no longer covering for Lus, likewise Sana and Akimiyashika too "Akimiyashika, back to your seat!" Basara completely ignored Hinagiku and demanded Akimiyashika to sit back next to Kawahara "NO!" She yelled back at Basara and he stopped his tracks as he collected Tatsu''s sheet.

    He placed his death stare on Akimiyashika from across the room; a massive silence was therefore born.

    "Did you not listen to what I just said?" He placed the sheets on Tatsu''s table; facedown---Akimiyashika began to be afraid "I-I did but I am not going back there! He''s a sex offender, teacher!" Kawahara lashed out at her "It was part of the challenge, you dumbfuck, I didn''t mean i---" Kawahara was silenced by Basara''s shout "KAWAHARA, BE SILENT!" Such a shout made Kawahara trap his own mouth in endless silence as he dared not to fight back against Basara''s verbal might "Akimiyashika, back to your seat, NOW." He attempted verbal persuasion once more "N-No....!" Far weaker now, Akimiyashika talked back, still not backing down "Oh, I see... You think I don''t have the power to put you back in your place?" Basara immediately strode in Akimiyashika''s direction; striking horror onto her soul "I just don''t want to sit next to him------" Basara, upon reaching Sana''s table, elevated Akimiyashika completely by taking ahold of her two arms; fully locking her "NOOOOOOO!!!" Subsequently, he placed Akimiyashika on his right shoulder as he carried her to Kawahara''s table with his right hand on her lower part.

    Embarrassed and full of shame that her skirt was being displayed from the back, she decided to beg.

    "Stop! Stop! I''ll go, I swear!" But Basara remained stoic as many were thrilled by such treatment as a form of entertainment, especially Yukishiro who was laughing out loud "Kawahara, on your left." Basara said and Kawahara pushed Akimiyashika''s chair back, just so she could "safely" land on it though Basara dropped her very casually with no effort in preservation "AHHHH!!!" Accidentally moaning but also releasing a shout from her butt falling onto the chair''s rough surface, Akimiyashika howled in pain---now back on her desk alongside Kawahara, much to her displease "Do that again and I''ll drop your ass into the abyss." Dismissing Akimiyashika, Basara walked by and retrieved the challenge forms located on Tatsu''s table.

    Now without any interruptions, Basara collected all the challenge forms.

    Once done, Basara went back to his desk and analyzed the contents in store for him; some students yawned while some just tried to sleep in the midst of such silence.

    Eventually, after two minutes of pure silence, Basara shattered the silent atmosphere with his upcoming words.

    "Retards, you really think you have the luxury to not take the challenges, huh? Very well." He got up with the challenge forms in his two hands "I will now announce the winners and the losers." Undivided attention was cast onto Basara as he stood in the middle of the classroom''s podium "Iris Gale, your challenge which was: "Dance until your body gives out" was not accomplished. Also, the name of who you thought issued this challenge to you won''t count because unless the challenge itself is successfully done, it won''t count." Basara revealed useful information "All you had to do was dance." Basara scolded Gale "Ridiculous..." She hated the challenge itself and said nothing more "Naturally, you''re the loser here." Basara added salt to her wound and moved on "Rikishima Ikkiri!" He shouted in Ikkiri''s direction.

    Sleepy, Ikkiri was forced to wake up as she brushed her eyes with her hands.

    "P-Present!" She said in a hurry, trying to compose her long blue hair''s dual front "Rikishima Ikkiri, your challenge: "Rip off two of your teeth and eat them in front of the class" was not accomplished." She immediately complained "Of course not... But how was it allowed in the first place...?" Nervous, she genuinely wondered but Basara didn''t answer that question and continued instead "You didn''t announce who you thought was that put up the challenge for you, so there''s that." Basara moved on to the next on the line but not ultimately before speaking to Ikkiri once again "It''s a good thing you failed this round, because whoever sleeps during the rounds will be automatically on the loser''s bracket, so you just saved yourself from some massive disappointment!" Basara laughed out loud and the class became aware of another thing.

    He fiddled with the sheets.

    "Hirakibo Tatsu! Congratulations, you have not only successfully done your challenge which was: "Punch yourself until your right eye becomes pitch black", but you also nominated the person who made the challenge itself correctly!" Basara revealed who it was "It was you, Tatsu! Holy shit, the odds were low, but damn! You sure look like you had a blast!" Basara laughed at Tatsu''s miserable state; his right eye in utter pain which attracted a lot of attention "Yukishiro! For your brilliant effort of not realizing the simple challenge of: "Do the compass game with everyone in class", you will receive a standing ovation! Everyone, please clap for her!" At Basara''s orders, nobody dared to go against him and as such, a standing ovation was performed, which absolutely infuriated her "I was never going to play such a dumb challenge! Whoever wrote this fucking challenge should FUCKING END THEIR MISERABLE LIVES RIGHT NOW!!" Yukishiro declared with spite all over her voice.

    But Basara laughed at her.

    "What a riot, get a load of this idiot! Trust issues much? Oh, sweet sour child, don''t worry, you''re not alone on the loser''s bracket because so many RETARDS like you refused to take the challenge they were given! And naturally, the names you wrote here don''t count. It can only be one." Basara became serious as he noted "But it was more than one. They are plotting against me, teacher. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!" She demanded "Hush, nobody cares." Basara moved to the next one and Yukishiro kicked her table''s right corner in a fit of rage.

    And now, Basara would start with the second row where the pair would be allocated.

    "Kitsuya Arkalee, you are congratuled." Basara said with sincerity as he looked at Arkalee, who is in front of him---next to Hyunda, but also, she was trembling from her right hand a lot while crying tears of pain "Your challenge which was: "Break your fingernail and toss it into the garbage can, was performed correctly." Basara said and Arkalee flashed a smile while also looking at Hyunda "Hyunda, I did-----" But, Basara still had something to say "However, your guess was wrong. This challenge was not written by Rikishima Ikkiri, and as such, you will be joining the losers'' bracket!" This sparked some comments within the classroom.

    Starting with Ikkiri herself who placed her sight on Arkalee from the left side.

    "...What... I would never...." Ikkiri lowly spoke to herself "What do you mean it wasn''t Ikkiri?! Who else would write such a challenge to me?! She stabbed me before and now she wants more, can''t you see?!" Arkalee ruthlessly began her spree of accusations, beginning with Ikkiri "She didn''t stab you, you''re LYING!" Akimiyashika jumped to Ikkiri''s defense "You''re the liar here, Akimiyashika! I even went to the school''s hospital for it! Stop defending her already!" Arkalee turned around to Akimiyashika who was behind her "You faked it, Arkalee!" Hinagiku decided to join in "You, Shizuku, and Yukishiro, decided to make Ikkiri seem like the orchestrator here out of some sick twisted personal agenda that only YOU have against her! Face yourself already!" Hinagiku was not afraid to crossfire shots here.

    Yukishiro, feeling offended, had no choice but to participate. Shizuku decided to not talk.

    "Shut the fuck up, midget! That''s not what happened!" Insulting Hinagiku''s height, which would provoke Hinagiku to elevate her posture, Yukishiro talked back to her "I am not a midget, you ugly atrocious swine!" Hinagiku insulted Yukishiro in such a manner that Rayazaki couldn''t help but burst his laughter out loud along with many others "HOW DARE YO-------" As Yukishiro got up from her chair, she was hit with a strong piece of white chalk from behind her head "AHHHH! WHAT THE HELL?!" Feeling pain on a higher level, she sat back on her chair and cowered her head "AUUUU!!" Hinagiku was hit with a frontal white piece of chalk on her forehead which also caused her to cower.

    Basara then looked at Arkalee and Akimiyashika one by one.

    "You drama queens are getting out of hand. After this is done, I have something special for you five." Basara tossed the flying chalk on his left hand back to his desk as he continued with his speech "Who wrote Arkalee''s challenge was: Kaneta Tateyana." It appears that Basara himself, cannot keep the challenge''s creator hidden and as such, he decided to reveal the identity of the creator which earned her far too much attention "I didn''t think you''d actually do it! You''re insane, Arkalee!" Tateyana started off by accusing Arkalee, trying to justify herself "What the hell are y------" Hyunda was quick to interrupt Arkalee by whispering a few words into her ears which made her feel sensitive in a way "........Okay." Consenting to Hyunda''s words, Arkalee backed off completely.

    Tateyana found it strange, but nevertheless, she took the circumstance and accepted Arkalee''s withdrawal.

    "Next up, Hajime Hyunda." Basara, of course, didn''t want to waste any more time "Your challenge was: "Say: "Yukishiro is the ugliest bitch in existence, she should just kill he---" Yukishiro interrupted Basara "Teacher, please!!" She tried to make Basara not say it and after a few seconds of silence, Basara spoke again "-----rself!" Yukishiro grabbed her blonde hair strands in rage "Very easy, as a matter of fact, to even say this is a challenge is an insult to the very definition of a challenge itself, but alas, you did do it. You wrote down Akimiyashika''s name as the challenge''s creator and goddamn it Hyunda, you''re FUCKING RIGHT!" Basara clapped to Hyunda "Thank you, I mean it." Hyunda took the compliment though sarcastically.

    Sparks of emotion were spread even further between Yukishiro and Akimiyashika.

    "I will fuck you up!" Yukishiro talked back to Akimiyashika from afar "Someone had to say it, it''s the damn truth!" Akimiyashika was looking for a fight again "Shut the fuck up, both of you. The longer you fight the more you prolong my surprise." Basara captured their attention as they knew not what Basara was planning "With that said, Hyunda joins the winner''s bracket. Moving on!" He advanced to the next sheet "Ryousuke Kawahara, your challenge, which was: "Kiss Akimiyashika on her lips" was utterly failed!" Basara laughed at Kawahara''s failure "Who did it?!" Kawahara wasn''t angry about failing the challenge but rather at the one who issued the challenge to begin with.

    Naturally, since Basara had to reveal who it was, given that the challenge was attempted in some shape or form, he said it.

    Or rather, she did.

    "Oh, it was me~" Shizuku waved at Kawahara from the row to his right "You bitch!" Kawahara erupted from his chair "Kawahara, sit down!" Basara ordered "Damn it!" Kawahara sat back down, and Akimiyashika glared at Shizuku with hatred; gritting her teeth in the process "That''s right, Shizuku was the one. But hey, I will congratulate you for trying. You fucking suck at it, but at least you tried!" Basara laughed in Kawahara''s face along with many others "Therefore, you go to the loser''s bracket. Izayoi Akimiyashika, you''re next, child!" Akimiyashika felt incredibly offended by Basara calling her that "I am not a child!" She argued back "That''s what all childs say! You had the challenge of: "Tell everyone in class a lie that only you believe in" and you didn''t even try!" Basara laughed at Akimiyashika; placing his right hand on his forehead from laughing too much.

    However, as they analyzed what the challenge itself meant, many were confused.

    "Wait, what...? Huh?" Kuzan became perplexed as he could not understand the challenge "Teacher, it''s an impossible challenge! I demand that it is revoked, please!" Akimiyashika immediately made her case "No can do, Akimiyashika. Because, it is in fact possible, but you didn''t even try it." Basara dismissed any attempts to revoke the challenge "How is it possible?!" At least, she wanted to know the true answer to her challenge "Can''t you think for yourself?" Basara laughed at her once again "I----" Basara jumped over Akimiyashika''s line as she became bashful "NEXT!" Just like that, Basara moved on.

    Akimiyashika''s disappointment aside, the upcoming targets on the list were Tateyana and Sagasuga; Basara opted to start with the nervous Tateyana.

    "Kaneta Tateyana, you are congratulated for successfully doing your challenge which was "Throw your shoe at Lus'' face"!" Basara clapped but Tateyana didn''t feel like celebrating "With that said, you labelled Yukishiro as your guess..." Basara revealed such information and Yukishiro was pissed, once again "Are you just going to blame me for everything that happens?! Get a brain, you whore!" Insulting Tateyana, the latter was forced to defend herself "You don''t like anyone so only someone as mean as you would write that!" Tateyana''s words were swiftly countered by the revelation of the true orchestrator "Well, as it turns out, it wasn''t Yukishiro, but----young Gale here!" Basara clapped in her direction.

    Many were not expecting the real orchestrator behind the challenge to be Gale.

    "That''s..." Sana couldn''t have imagined it "Why did you do it? My name, you wrote on the challenge, why?" Seeking an answer, Lus talked to Gale all the way across the room "....." Refusing to answer Lus, Gale didn''t bat an eye on her which made Lus slightly mad "Lus, do I have to say it or will you calm down?" Basara tried to reason with Lus "I''m alright teacher, go on. If the coward doesn''t want to reply, then that''s her problem, not mine." Lus aimed to disclose the conversation "I''m sorry I just couldn''t take you seriously with that blood on your face." Still not looking at Lus but lightly laughing at her nevertheless, Gale pushed her buttons "Hey!" Basara yelled at the two of them "Shut the fuck up! I am not about to lose my shit just because you girls can''t keep your beefs in check! Hiroyoshi Sagasuga, you''re next!" Lus and Gale were now on terms that they did not know would come.

    Moving forward, however, the focal point was now Sagasuga, since Tateyana was declared a loser here for not guessing the culprit correctly despite correctly doing the challenge.

    "Your challenge was: "Pick a physical fight with someone in the class and lose", and well, given the circumstance and since you opted not to engage in a fight and deliberately lose like the challenge said, you lose." Basara kept it simple "It is not my cup of tea what the challenge itself implies. I do question the poor values of whoever wrote this challenge." Composed, Sagasuga said nothing more and Basara moved on "Mayabashi Hinagiku and Saitou Rayazaki, since you both refused to do the challenge like a normal human being and took the retard route, I''ll be taking both of you on at once!" They gulped "Hinagiku, your challenge which was: "Eat all your crayons" was failed." Basara spoke with visible abhorrent disappointment "But teacher, I am not eating my crayons, especially all of them! That''s stupid!" Hinagiku tried to make some sort of appeal.

    Basara yawned in response.

    "Stupid twerp, how''s that my problem?" Basara maniacally continued his laughing spree onto the losers as he left Hinagiku crushed "Rayazaki, your challenge was: "Draw teacher Yuka completely naked and have our teacher rate it", was not attempted whatsoever!" Rayazaki, of course, complained "I''m not good at drawing! I''m not going to do something that I''m not good at!" Rayazaki used that excuse "What a damn shame, I was curious, you know?" Basara said and many girls became embarrassed rather quickly "Oh gosh, teach!" Shizuku commented that as she laughed "So daring, my." Kanawari also commented "Why would anyone ask that though?" Somewhat mad, Akimiyashika questioned "Who knows? But I do know one thing..." Basara said.

    A short silence was issued.

    "YOU TWO FUCKING FAIL! NEXT!" Basara laughed out loud like a true maniac and moved on to his next targets located on the first file "Mayuraki Shizuku, your challenge, which was "Eat a boy''s pubic hair" was not fulfilled." Shizuku justified herself as many others found the challenge highly controversial "Uh... There''s like, no way, I would ever do that, teacher! How was it approved?!" Shizuku laughed in a desperate manner "It''s about what is technically achievable." Basara said "Yes, but you also said that it cannot cross the line of absurdity! Telling me to eat a boy''s pubic hair is beyond ridiculous." Shizuku made her stand and many were curious as to what Basara had to say "You retards didn''t get jackshit of what I meant by absurd..." He lightly laughed.

    Fastly, Basara closed in on Shizuku and spoke to her face with dead serious eyes.

    "By absurd I mean, if it''s not life or death, you are to fucking do it. Get it now?" Shizuku''s eyes widened "But----That leaves a lot of possibilities open." Shizuku said to Basara with a wicked smile on her face, Basara backing off now "Anything remotely sexual isn''t allowed, of course. Exposure is another thing. But alas, you fail!" He shouted in her direction and moved on to her table partner "Toharoh Tsudo! Your challenge which was "Get spit on by every boy in the class" was mildly attempted but you gave up halfway! What a fucking loser, HAHAHA!!" The entire class laughed at Tsudo for the majority "Who the fuck issued the damn challenge?! I don''t give a fuck about th---" Basara slapped Tsudo''s right side of his head heavily "Language, moron!" Tsudo cowered in pain.

    Nevertheless, Basara did go forward with the revelation.

    "The challenger was no other than Kanawari." Tsudo looked behind immediately where he found Kuzan and Kanawari; the latter wearing an apologetic expression "Yahaha, I really didn''t think you''d go for it! In my mind, it was just so ridiculous that no one would ever attempt it! I''m sorry Ts------" Tsudo replied with a calm fury in his words "You better fucking hope you don''t get my challenge next, BITCH." Preparing his revenge, Tsudo began to think as he moved back forward; leaving Kanawari slightly afraid----not even Kuzan defending her this time "LOSER!" Basara poured the salt on Tsudo''s wound before moving on to Kuzan and Kanawari.

    Confident, Kuzan met Basara''s eye glance as he was ready to be intercepted.

    "Takeshi Kuzan!" Basara shouted "Yes, sir!" Happily, Kuzan replied "Your challenge, which was: "Lick the floor with your tongue four times" was successfully accomplished! But please, Kuzan, on behalf of the block''s cleaners, don''t take their jobs." The majority of the class laughed at Kuzan uncontrollably "You chose Kawahara as the culprit and goddamn it! YOU WERE RIGHT!!" Kuzan was applauded by Basara and Hyunda, who also decided to start congratulating the winners "OH HELL YEAH! I''M A WINNER!" Kuzan was feeling high and thus, elevated his posture and struck a victory pose "You''re the floor''s champion, Kuzan." Kawahara said and afterward, the class laughed at Kuzan again, causing him to be depressed.

    Unlike Kuzan, Kanawari already knew that she wasn''t going to get positive feedback.

    "Gayakirima Kanawari, congratulations on failing the easiest challenge of them all: "Write the alphabet with a scissor on your right forearm"!" Basara became baffled at the low difficulty level of the challenge but Kanawari didn''t think so "I am not doing that! Why would I damage my skin for a challenge as dumb as that? Talk about silly!" She laughed it off "Let''s hope the skin care pays off against the doctor." Basara lowly murmured "Eh...?" Kanawari and many others didn''t know how to take Basara''s words which were shrouded in mystery "No way..." But Kuzan, who had prior experience with the doctor started to see the future "........" Daniel didn''t fail to catch that as he narrowed his vision in skepticism.

    Sana was up next as Kanawari was labeled as a loser, naturally, in this round.

    "Nasha Sana, yet another retard who decided not to take her challenge which was: "Touch your elbow with your tongue on your own without anyone''s assistance"!" Of course, Sana gave the valid excuse "Teacher, it''s not achievable... How on Earth am I supposed to touch my elbow with my tongue?! Please show me you doing it!" Immediately demanding evidence, Sana, and all the others became curious if Basara could in fact touch his elbow with his tongue.

    Basara sighed and then laughed with his eyes closed as he put the challenges down on his desk---ultimately going to the center of the podium to give a demonstration.

    "No way he''s..." Yukishiro couldn''t believe what was about to happen as Basara took off his black tuxedo, only leaving his white uniform shirt which ended up revealing a brutally stacked physique capable of capturing all the girls'' attention in a single glance "Step one! Raise your right arm up forward and then bring the forearm back so your elbow is fully visible!" Basara did exactly as his words and brought his forearm back "Step two! Use your left hand and bring your arm up in your shoulder''s direction so your elbow becomes more inclined!" Basara''s elbow became rather close to his mouth, with a ten-centimeter distance "Step three! Force your shoulder to rotate to the left so the elbow is placed at the center!" Some were following thus far and they started to notice that in order to do what Basara is doing, they would have to almost dislocate their shoulder "T-Teacher, that''s impossible!" Kuzan complained "Don''t be a whiny bitch and get that shoulder in!" Basara encouraged Kuzan.

    But Kuzan, and many others, just didn''t go through with it as the shoulder rotation was proving to be extremely painful.

    "Final step! Stretch your neck forward and you got it!" Basara shocked the majority of them as his tongue reached the tip of his elbow; once done---a loud crack from his right shoulder as it was contracted back, could be heard "Sorcery..." Hinagiku became skeptical as even she, someone with a low frame, couldn''t do it "You need to try harder, Sana." Basara scolded her and Sana became a bit sulky; her eyes managing to land on Hyunda on the second file who transiently looked at her but was quick to look elsewhere "Lus Sera! I applaud the very courage of your endeavor." Basara didn''t laugh this time as he saw Lus hiding her upper chest area with her two hands "Who...?" Already jumping steps, she demanded to know who it was "Calm down. Your challenge, which was: "Take your bra off and don''t put it back on for the whole day" was successfully done, but you didn''t get the right guess though." This shocked Lus, but made her just more relentless "It wasn''t Tsudo?!" Many girls were also shocked that it wasn''t Tsudo.

    Naturally, Tsudo felt instigated but he was actually curious to know who else had such an idea.

    Basara''s eyes fell on him slowly and all the girls, along with the remaining boys followed.

    "Oh yeah, sorry about that, Lus." Hyunda looked back at the sour Lus and said something in addition; Arkalee gasped "The plan was for a boy to receive the challenge and since us boys don''t possess bras, it would be the equivalent of a disqualification, so really, it wasn''t personal, unlike the whole shoe throw festival that you two had going on there, haha." Hyunda lowly laughed as he passed the event as something mild "Arkalee, can you fucking keep your boyfriend on a leash? What the hell is this? Is this funny to you?" Not to Hyunda, but to Arkalee, Lus spoke "Lus, don''t be like that." Hyunda intercepted it, however, looking at her once again "I wasn''t talking to you." She coldly said "I know, but it''s just unfortunate. And... You didn''t have to take the challenge, right? So, who really is at fault here?" Hyunda asked Lus "That''s enough, Hyunda. The mistress is getting sensitive." Basara lightly laughed which provoked a dissatisfactory reaction from Lus "You''re a failure of a teacher!" She glared at Basara "So emotional for a condemned criminal. Grow a consciousness over your own actions, Lus." Basara scolded her.

    Though Lus wanted to say more, she put on a demon''s face as she became extremely bitter at what had just happened but more importantly at the fact that she had to go through with the challenge for the entire day.

    "And now, we are at the end''s bracket! Daniel Lead; your challenge was: "Help someone with their challenge" and it was utterly failed. You didn''t even try to help Lus, your table partner. Narcissist much?" Basara asked the apathetic Daniel "Where is he?" Daniel asked Basara; completely dismissing his failure "Who?" Basara prompted Daniel to make the reply more concrete this time around "The doctor." Many became curious as to what Daniel meant to say.

    Basara, now done with his announcements, decided to wrap things up as he tossed the challenges to the trash can located on the northeast corner of the classroom; ultimately making his way to his podium again.

    "Hirakibo Tatsu, Hajime Hyunda, and Takeshi Kuzan; as the ONLY winners of the first round, you have the interval of ten minutes. You can either remain in the classroom or go somewhere else, as long as you are here in ten minutes." As they heard that, they got up from their respective chairs "W-Wait!" Arkalee spoke to Hyunda; Tatsu was already on his way out---Kuzan shortly following him "You can''t just leave me here! I''ll miss you!" Arkalee tried to appeal to Hyunda "Sorry, gotta eat something. I''ll be back in no time." Hyunda''s words sparked interest among the rest "Eat? What do you mean by that?" Kawahara asked Hyunda aggressively, but Hyunda shrugged as he left the classroom---ultimately casting an eyeglance to Daniel very transiently.

    Now that the three winners had exited the classroom for now, Basara decided to walk up to the exit door that is on Daniel''s right; making not a single speech.

    Given that, it caused a grave worry as the students could not understand what his silence meant.

    "Teacher? Where are you going?" Akimiyashika asked as they all looked in his direction "Coffee break, I''ll be right back." Basara slid the door but it made a click that they all knew what it meant "He... just locked the door..." Tsudo said as his worries grew bigger.

    First, the lights were turned off and the insufficient daylight transmitted through the windows on the west side, was far from enough to give some sort of illumination. Following that up, their paranoia became unstoppable as they heard a familiar senile voice through the four sound columns spread over the upper corners of the classroom.

    "Why hello my narcissistic flowers, a beautiful day is it not?! Gehehe." They immediately recognized it "It''s the damn old man again!" Rayazaki became alerted as the combination of the doctor''s virtual presence combined with the lack of illumination, threw him off "Such crude treatment! Alas, I am here to bring you a reward!" He announced with enthusiasm "A reward? Damn it, the teacher didn''t tell us about this! Fuck, I knew he was hiding something!" Kawahara also started to panic "Given that you are all under the false impression that the challenges can be avoided, I am here to give you a taste of what will come if the challenges are forfeited..." The doctor started to laugh out loud "GAYAHAHAHAHA!" Once again, his senile laughter haunted the present students as a cold wave of gas was emitted into the classroom through the sound columns.

    Slowly but surely, the temperature of the atmosphere, which was around eight degrees Celsius, was increasingly decreasing as the seconds went by.

    "We''ll start with minus twenty celsius degrees, my flowers! Enjoy the next ten minutes thoroughly!" The doctor disconnected while laughing like a true lunatic; leaving the remaining students to fall victim to the impending cold as a consequence.

 Volume 25: Chapter 175: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part III.

    "Attcho!" Basara sneezed as he entered the classroom; ten minutes later---alongside Tatsu, Kuzan, and Hyunda "Good morning again, retards!" Though it was only ten minutes, Basara greeted them yet again as he sat on his cold desk''s chair "T-T-Teacher...." Akimiyashika trembled as she struggled to erupt her head in order to face Basara from afar "Hm? What''s up, Akimiyashika? You coming down with the flu or something?" Basara sipped on his plastic coffee''s cup and curiously looked at the weak Akimiyashika "Holy shit, please raise the temperature of the room or we''re going to die, I swear!" Yukishiro, also trembling, begged Basara.

    Basara simply sipped.

    "Raise the temperature? No, I''m good." Basara looked at Tatsu, who still has a massive swelling on his right eye, on the third file from the left "Tatsu, are you cold or something?" Tatsu didn''t think twice about answering "No, sir." Stoic, his answer was met with hatred from his classmates who had remained in the classroom as a way of punishing them from not playing the round of challenges "T-T-Teacher! T-T-That''s not f-f-f-air...!! We didn''t know t-t-t-t-" Rayazaki could not finish his sentence as he hugged himself; attempting to create some sort of heat spike to get him out of this cold atmosphere "We didn''t know we would be punished like that teacher!" Hinagiku finished his sentence while trembling still.

    Basara looked at Hinagiku with confused eyes.

    "What the fuck did you think was going to happen? All this time, you just fail an exam and nothing happens. But now? Well, fuck around and find out!" Basara crushed his cup energetically and tossed it to the trashcan that is ten meters to his left "Prepare yourselves, abortions! The next round will begin in one minute!" This sparked strong interest in all the present students; the degrees varying---but now they looked at this notice with seriousness "The winners of the prior round are spared from the consequence of failing the round." Basara said as he collected more challenge sheets from a file on his desk "Huh." Hyunda remarked out loud, while hugging Arkalee, as she needed some body temperature "I''m no quitter!" Kuzan happily declared; his table partner Kanawari kept trembling as her brain felt frozen.

    Naturally, Basara distributed all the challenge forms and then, once done, he looked over the trembling students who had to endure minus twenty degrees Celsius for ten minutes; the punishment ceasing to exist the moment those ten minutes passed---the temperature of the room slowly turning back to neutral; however extremely cold still.

    "I''m feeling kind, so I''ll motivate you idiots more. There are two main consequences for cold weather: Frostbite and Hypothermia." Basara began to explain the dangers of cold weather to them "Let''s talk about frostbite. I want you all to look at your fingertips." Basara ordered.

    They all did and noticed that their fingertips were no longer light skinned but instead entering the territory red; contrasting the color of their hands somewhat.

    "M-My skin...!" Kanawari became nervous as she glanced at her frozen fingertips which were by now numb "Cold exposure to the skin will give your skin nightmares, Kanawari. Maybe you should''ve thought twice. Not feeling so smart right now, are you?" Basara mocked her as she despaired "In general, it''s really just skin damage. So, if your priority isn''t daily skin care like Kanawari here, you have nothing to worry about." This, of course, wasn''t well received by the girls but Basara moved on "And now, Hypothermia. The average body temperature is around 37 degrees, so tell me, what''s your body temperature now?" Basara asked with a smirk "Teacher, I will die at this rate...!" Tateyana said as she trembled; her table partner Sagasuga somehow was completely stable.

    Dismissing Tateyana''s rebook, however, Basara began to distribute the challenges.

    "Five minutes to write them. Five minutes to attempt the challenge. Sink or swim!" Basara clapped to the class with his back turned against them as he went to his desk''s seat.

    Unlike the last time, the majority of the class had a determined aura to them as they became determined to at least perform their given challenge. With flame-passion, the majority wrote their given challenge that would be distributed at random.

    "...." Lus, after finishing her challenge, decided to look to her left side; as she wasn''t trembling as much as before "You''re not going to do it?" She was genuinely surprised as she witnessed Daniel doing something else instead of writing the challenge "......" Daniel stopped writing in his usual school journal and cast his hollow black eyes on Lus "Give them hell." He simply said and resumed his writing; which was not the challenge "........" Lus couldn''t comprehend his behavior and therefore decided to completely ignore Daniel for now.

    Sana would occasionally place her eyesight on Daniel but she was also worried about writing her own challenge too.

    As morning rose to six o''clock, the time for their challenges was consumed.

    "Enough, stop writing." Basara got up from his chair and clapped once as he began to collect the challenge forms "Be aware that if your challenge is within the lines of absurdity, as I''ve explained on my own terms, it will have to be re-written. However, if this happens twice, that person will lose the round." Basara only said this after he was done collecting all of the challenges; now facing Lus and Daniel''s table as he collected Lus'' challenge; his eyes fell on Daniel who couldn''t stop writing like a machine "Daniel, you didn''t write anything." Basara''s eyestare combined with his immense height over Daniel who was crooked forward while writing, would intimidate just about anyone "I know." Daniel didn''t look at Basara and kept writing with impressive speed "Last time I checked, you weren''t Russian." Basara collected the blank challenge form from Daniel and moved on to his desk.

    For a moment, various eyes fell on Daniel as they found his behavior to not be in the line of someone rational; considering what they had to endure thanks to their prior reluctance.

    Now onto the challenges, Basara analyzed them as he had to make sure that everything was alright.

    "Tsudo, get your fucking ass in here!" Tsudo was instantly summoned and he became nervous as he had to walked, ashamed from all the stares, to Basara''s desk "This isn''t allowed; you can''t attribute this challenge to a single person only. It has to be universally possible; if this challenge doesn''t land on your target then it won''t work." Basara explained "But doesn''t that mean that whoever gets it won''t be able to perform the challenge and fail?" Tsudo tried to reason "Retard, fucking listen to me one more time and get your ears out of the water, for fuck''s sake." Basara sighed while dramatically waving Tsudo''s challenge form back and forth at him with his right hand "Your challenge can be anything that is remotely achievable as long as it doesn''t enter the outside boundaries of common sense. But if you design the challenge to a person only, then it''s not ACHIEVABLE for anyone else! Did I make myself clear here?" Basara asked.

    But Tsudo defended his point by pointing his ring hand''s index finger to Hyunda.

    "That logic is not valid, come on! Hyunda used the same method, why did you allow his challenge to go through last time but not this one?!" People around the room started to see things from Tsudo''s perspective "It''s not the same, Tsudo." Hyunda looked at Tsudo with calm eyes and defended himself "How not?" Tsudo confidently asked "My prior challenge was that you had to take off your bra and blazer for the whole day." Hyunda simply said "Exactly! A boy could never do that! Even you said so!" Tsudo laughed at Hyunda "I did, but was I right?" Tsudo became confused "What...?" All eyes fell on Hyunda "From my understanding, there''s nothing stopping you from getting a girl''s bra onto yourself and then perform the challenge, no?" Giving an unhinged analogy, Hyunda earned many girls'' fiery attention "Dude, what the fuck?" Tateyana from behind, found Hyunda disgusting.

    A chain of comments against him began.

    "You''re disgusting! Who would allow that?!" Hinagiku lashed out at Hyunda and he replied "She would." Hyunda hugged Arkalee "No, shut up! That''s not true!" Tsudo became emotional as he looked at Arkalee, who was blushing immensely; feeling comfortable with Hyunda''s warm hug "I... wouldn''t mind, if that''s what you wish for..." Arkalee looked at Hyunda as she said that; the class becoming baffled "Unbelievable! Teacher, come on! This isn''t applicable to any other boy! Plus, the challenge said "YOUR" bra! Her bra isn''t yours, dumbass!" Tsudo wasn''t giving up as his voice grew in volume "Arkalee, do you agree with Tsudo?" Hyunda looked at Arkalee "No." Arkalee coldly replied "Excuse me?!" Tsudo was losing it "Everything that''s mine is his~" Arkalee smiled back to Hyunda "Tsudo, stop digging your hole." Basara said to Tsudo "Fuck you and your girlfriend, this is bullshit!" Angrily, Tsudo took the challenge form from Basara, went to his table and rewrote the challenge; ultimately giving it back to Basara as it was now deemed acceptable.

    After reviewing every challenge, Basara started to shuffle them just like before.

    While doing so, he spoke to the class as a whole.

    "You do realize the harder your challenges, the higher the chance you fail, right?" Basara asked as he looked over the students "So we should just write easy challenges?" Tateyana asked "I don''t know. What do you think?" He made her think and then started to distribute the challenges, starting from the first table, where Gale seats in.

    Naturally, the challenge forms were upside down and could only be flipped up whenever Basara gave the thumbs-up.

    On the podium now, Basara spoke again.

    "You have five minutes, BEGIN!" He clapped twice and then went to his seat; the students eagerly turned their challenge forms up.

    Lus looked at her challenge with a perplexing response; her eyebrows became rigid as her patience was tested again.

    "This---" The paper itself began to tremble as Lus had to face the challenge given to her "I''m sick of this..." She lowly said yet Daniel, who heard her words, didn''t bat an eye on her---he simply kept writing "Lus, do you want to share?" Sana turned around and faced the angry Lus "I will pass." Passive-aggressive, Lus denied her request "...." Defeated, Sana turned forward now.

    Without even five seconds passing, a first attempt was initiated by Kuzan, who was feeling confident from winning the prior round.

    "Kana, are you alright?" He hid his challenge form inside his pants'' left pocket and directed all of his attention to Kanawari, who is still trembling from the earlier circumstance "I don''t think so..." Nervous, she trembled with her two arms crossed; her hands on her upper arms "Hm..." Kuzan decided to put his chair closer to her''s, their distance shrank in an instance "Let''s hug each other." Kuzan whispered to her ear "Kuzan, I''m not in the mood for jokes, you silly goose." A bit offended, Kanawari rejected Kuzan''s approach.

    Kuzan crooked his head to the left to the point where he could see Kanawari''s pale skinned face from below and then spoke to her with sincerity in his voice.

    "I can warm you up, Kana. I wasn''t here, so I''m not actually cold. You know, the cold''s gonna do you bad. You could, uh, get a hypothermia." Kuzan told her ".....But, that''s---" Reluctant, she didn''t know what to say; as she looked around but only saw people focused on their challenges, thus no one was paying attention to them, not Sana from behind, and not Tsudo and Shizuku up ahead "You don''t mind, Kuzan? I''m freezing here..." Extremely serious, Kanawari was desperate for her body to receive more temperature "Come here!" Gladly, Kuzan opened his arms and then hugged each other with their arms wrapping each other "Oh God, you''re definitely warmer than I am, Kuzan." Still trembling but getting warmer now, Kanawari stated.

    Kuzan had a difficult expression on his face as he pondered deeply if it was worth it or not.

    "Kuzan? What''s your challenge?" She asked and Kuzan went silent for a bit "It''s, uh..." Kuzan thought for two seconds and then replied "I have to perform a backflip..." He said, with a low laughter "Oh gosh, that''s... Can you do it?" Her body was gradually growing less colder "Noooppppeeeee." Kuzan didn''t try to hide it "And yours...?" Kuzan moved his right arm on her back to attempt to warm her up; accidentally feeling a part of her back that would make Kanawari a bit more self-conscious ".....I''m warm now, I think." Kanawari didn''t move now "Oh, um..." Kuzan began to slowly disjoint himself from Kanawari and they resumed their usual stance; side by side "Thank you, Kuzan! I take back what I said earlier... That was mean, I''m sorry." Kanawari showed genuine regret.

    Happy, Kuzan brushed his short blond hair and took her apology with a smile.

    "You''re so sweet, Kana." Kuzan''s innocent smile at display momentarily managed to charm Kanawari for a short glance "...You too." Attempting to dodge further conversation in such topic, Kanawari brought forth her challenge form and turned it to Kuzan "Erm, here you go... Don''t let anyone see it, please." She asked Kuzan with great care and thus, Kuzan took a small glance of it in a discrete way; he didn''t raise the sheet at all and only slightly elevated it "Hm... This is a toughy. Can you do it?" He returned the form and looked at Kanawari "...I really don''t want to do it, but if I don''t, I''ll just go through that again..." Her expression showed torment and nervosity "There''s no way I''m enduring that again, Kuzan." With conviction, Kanawari allowed Kuzan to know her true intentions.

    As such, Kuzan decided to propose a viable strategy for her challenge.

    Their voices were lower than usual.

    "This is easy, actually." Kuzan had an idea as his eyes widened "Eh? Really?!" Kanawari became delighted as Kuzan said that "It is. Your challenge demands you to eat something from the garbage can. It sounds disgusting at first and it really is, but can''t we just put something there right now and have you eat it immediately?" Kuzan offered his solution to Kanawari "But Kuzan, that''s still eating garbage! It doesn''t fix the problem at all..." Kanawari became stressed "But, it can''t be helped, can it...? Please, just endure this one, Kana. If you win this round, you basically get immunity in the next one if the challenge is too hard for you." He attempted to console her as she sulked "......." But she still harbored doubts "I have an idea, Kana." Kuzan began to dig deeper into his right pocket.

    As his usual thief trademark, Kuzan showed something that he had stolen from the cafeteria.

    "A bread...?" Kanawari glanced upon the plastic wrapped bread that Kuzan was hiding in his right pocket---though he put it below their table just so no one could see it "It''s a cheese bread, it''s nice." Kuzan began to complement his achievement "I don''t like cheese, Kuzan." She coldly said "...Just take it off and eat it. Here, I''ll give you this and you''re gonna go to the trash can, pretend that you''re choosing a trash item to eat, but you''re really going to eat this bread that you''re going to put in the can." Kuzan laid out his advice and strategy "B-But... Can''t I just eat the bread without taking it to the garbage can...?!" Kanawari proposed something reasonable "Our teacher is watching us..." Kanawari looked at Basara, who was multi-tasking by watching all the students one by one undergo their challenge.

    Noticing this, Kanawari became even more conflicted about the task.

    "On second thought... Kuzan, it''s fine, I----" Kuzan interrupted her "No, it''s not! It only gets harder from here because everyone just wants to write absurd challenges! If you fail this round, then you can''t escape the punishment, right? And what if you get hypothermia...? Kana, I don''t want you to... die, you know?" Kuzan''s words shook her core greatly "I''m not... going to die... right...?" Kanawari sounded certain at first but it turned into a question, asking for some certainty "We''re disposable, Kana. Criminals like us don''t have the luxury of thinking that we have rights. We have what we have." Kanawari was forced to make a choice "Come on, you won''t even notice it." Kuzan tried to convince her "I just can''t... Eat garbage...?! Ridiculous..." Their conversation was entering circles and Kuzan had to make up his mind about something too "Geez, Kana..." Kuzan sighed as he gave a defeated look to Kanawari.

    Utilizing his right hand, Kuzan dove into her forehead to feel her forehead''s temperature; but he then used his own forehead against her to feel the temperature.

    "You''re gonna die if you get another shot at it." Kanawari became bashful since Kuzan was very close to her "I know... I''m sorry, but I just... But, why do you care so much, Kuzan? We''re just friends, aren''t we?" She looked him in the eyes "Yes, yes, we are. Alright then." Kuzan distanced himself from Kanawari "I respect your decision." He scratched his back hair "...Thank you." Kanawari wasn''t showing any signs of changing her attitude "..........." Now that there was silence between the two of them, Kanawari was rethinking her decision somehow ".........If I do this, then will you help me with the next challenges until this day is over...?" Seeing this as a one-time chance, Kanawari made a deal with Kuzan.

    Kuzan, who had thought his entire endeavor was not going to happen, managed to lit up his hopes as Kanawari said that.

    "Oh, I don''t mind. I can''t take on the challenge for you, but as you can see, I can offer some advice, so if you''re fine with it, then I accept." Kuzan showed a calm judgment "...Okay, then I..." Kuzan had a last saying as Kanawari was struggling with the right words "You''re pretty." He said, with a serious face "...What?" Stunned, she didn''t know how to react "Sorry, I just----can''t really---hide it. Every time I look at you it just hits me, haha..." Kuzan showed an elegant smirk, exhibiting his stark white teeth, only to Kanawari "Thanks..........." Slowly, as she processed the contents of Kuzan''s words, Kanawari blushed "W-W-W-Wait, Kuzan...?! What are you...!" Trying to keep down the volume, Kanawari put her hands on her mouth as she looked at Kuzan back and forth, who had a serious expression "You''re so cute when you get embarrassed, you know?" Kuzan did not hold back "What are you doing?! This isn''t funny...!" Feeling toyed, Kanawari demanded Kuzan to stop.

    However, Kuzan did the exact opposite.

    "Weird question, but do you have a... boyfriend?" Kuzan asked a bit embarassed "Kuzan, you''re... No, I----Wait, you really-----" She couldn''t process it well "It kinda hit me on the island, but maybe you are the one for me? I think about you a lot, if that helps." Kanawari''s face became red and she looked around in order to see if there was anyone catching what was happening "Kuzan, if this is a joke, please stop... You won''t like me when I get mad-----" Kuzan placed his right hand on her left tight in her skirt''s surface "I don''t wanna be your friend, Kana. And----I think you also don''t want to be my friend." Kuzan''s touch made her heart quake slightly "...This is too sudden, I need time to think..." Aware of Kuzan''s real feelings, Kanawari started to take them into consideration "Just say yes or no, Kana..." Kuzan demonstrated impatience "It''s not that simple...! There''s more time------" Kuzan interrupted her once again "It''s not about the time, I just need to know. Yes, or no? It''s fine if you don''t like me..." Kuzan said to Kanawari.

    Having avoided Kuzan''s eyes for a while, Kanawari looked at Kuzan though, extremely flustered.

    "I like you, dumbass! But----you picked the worst timing! God, you goofus! Give me the bread!" Displaying a more aggressive attitude, she demanded a shot at the challenge itself "I love you too! Here!" The bread was now handed over to her and thus, Kanawari got up from her seat and rapidly walked to the trash can located on the northeast corner of the room.

    Reluctantly, she put the bread on the square-shaped metallic trash can which contained items such as a bloody nail, dirty napkins, multiple plastic coffee mini-cups, traces of saliva, boogers, dead cockroaches, and random plastics.

    She almost throw up just from looking at the bottom of it, so she turned her head back to Kuzan and he looked at her with serious eyes; Kanawari resigning herself from her prior quitter''s attitude.

    "Oh God." Slowly, she dug the breath into the trash can as some eyes fell on her "Dive it deeper." Unexpectedly, Basara ordered Kanawari who was only putting the bread on the surface and now, many eyes were on her "I''ll do it, okay?! Stop looking!" Kanawari became nervous as she dug it even further "All the way to the bottom until it touches it, Kanawari!" Basara enjoyed this "UGH, SHUT UP!!" Her powerful shout surprised many but in the end, she took the bread all the way to the bottom of the trash can "Up it goes!" Basara gave the order and so, Kanawari pulled it out.

    Now, she glanced at the bread that was wrapped around stinky grease and buggers.

    "Ten seconds left!" Basara said as the class began to finish their challenges; Kanawari looming over the disgusting bread she would have to take in "Tap your nose and eat it, come on." Kuzan got up from his seat and met up with Kanawari on the trash can''s area "Kuzan, I---Oh God, I will throw up." Kanawari trembled and Kuzan grasped her right hand with gentleness "No, you won''t. You''re stronger and more committed than that, aren''t you?" Kuzan followed his words "I have written the name in your challenge, I have a pretty good idea on who would create such a challenge." He reassured her "Do it. Don''t think, do it." Kuzan demanded action from Kanawari''s right hand.

    Her eyes wavered and her expression became transiently filled with despair, but in a single instant, she put the bread in her open mouth; tapped her nose with her left hand---ultimately crunching the tiny bread that fit in her mouth.

    A single swallow was made after a few crunches.

    "ERRGHHH----" Attempting to vomit, Kanawari made a forcing sound, but Kuzan used his two hands to stop her from throwing up "You need to eat it otherwise it won''t count, get through this!" Kuzan motivated Kanawari as her tears came out of her eyes "That''s enough, STOP." Basara clapped once "Back to your seats, NOW!" Basara erupted from his chair and thus, Kuzan and Kanawari retreated back to their seats; Kanawari feelings extremely nauseous.

    All eyes were on Basara again; as this would prove to be crucial.

    "I will say this: Congratulations on waking the fuck up. I know it was hard for your tiny brains to process at first, but you finally did it!" Basara sarcastically clapped as many students felt ashamed "I will now collect all the challenges, so get your fucking hands OFF THEM!" His shout echoed through the room and Basara began to collect the challenges.

    As Basara did so, Kuzan looked at his challenge once more while purposely making sure that Kanawari could not see it from any angle, and gulped.

    He decided to pat her head with his right hand as Kanawari wasn''t feeling well at all.

    "There, there... Just hang on, once the round is over and you win, you can go to your dorm drink some water." Kuzan patted her gorgeous thin blonde hair "...What if the name is wrong, Kuzan... I..." She blocked her mouth as the urge to vomit came up "It''s not." He simply said as Kanawari looked at him with glittering eyes "Alright, I trust you." She placed her vote of trust in Kuzan "Hm." Kuzan nodded.

    But now, all attention turned to Basara as he silently emerged from his seat yet again; his destination the podium.

    "Here we go again, let''s start this off." Basara cracked his neck to the left "Gale Iris!" Basara''s shout quaked her existence as Gale became nervous "You had the challenge of: Spin around until you vomit." Everyone looked at Gale who had traces of vomit dripping down from her mouth "Clean that fucking mess up Gale after I''m done." They all saw the pool of vomit in the corridor of the third file and looked at Gale with disgust as they saw her mouth dripping with vomit "Absolutely disgusting." Lus made herself be heard "HEY!" Basara shouted in Lus'' direction "Slut." Gale giggled as she let that one slide in "Lus, back the fuck off." Basara pointed at Lus with his right hand "Why? Someone has to say it. Look at that damn monstrosity!" Lus pointed at the pool of vomit as she exulted herself from her chair "Do I fucking have to repeat myself?" Basara gave her the death stare.

    Lus twitched her eyebrows and subsequently sat back on her seat; Basara''s attention turning to the ill-looking Gale.

    "Your guess was: Satou Rayazaki; and you nailed it, congrats!" Basara clapped to Gale and Rayazaki became confused "BULLSHIT, HOW?!" Rayazaki could not understand how his challenge was perceived "How did you guess it was me?!" Gale replied though she didn''t look at him "Just luck." Forced to take that answer; Rayazaki was left confused "Rikishima Ikkiri!" Ikkiri replied with apathy "Yes." Basara gave out his judgment "Your challenge which was: Do the compass challenge with everyone in class, a reoccurring challenge, was not accomplished successfully." They all looked to Ikkiri''s hands "Ahaha... I guess not..." Ikkiri laughed with her head down as her hands pierced in blood were on the table displayed "You stopped halfway, Ikkiri. You fail." Basara didn''t torment Ikkiri any further as he judged that she already was suffering enough from the compass stabs.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Ikkiri wasn''t able to write down who she thought was the orchestrator behind the challenge, as well.

    One particular eye glance from Hyunda to Ikkiri''s hands was pierced onto the atmosphere as his expression became rigid.

    "........." Hyunda''s eyes starred intensively onto her trembling bleeding hands; his neck veins popped "Hirakibo Tatsu, your challenge: Make sure the person in front of you fails the challenge, was accomplished correctly, likewise your guess which was; Mayuraki Shizuku was also correct! You stabbed Ikkiri''s hands so hard that she couldn''t move them anymore, impressive." Tatsu remained stoic "TEACHER, THIS IS INSANE!" Akimiyashika stood up to Basara, who she thought was also at fault here "Look at her hands! What are you trying to accomplish by allowing this?! She can''t even move them!" Akimiyashika desperately appealed in Ikkiri''s defense "It''s unfortunate, Akimiyashika, but that''s just the nature of this exam. Ikkiri didn''t need to do it and yet----" Hinagiku interrupted Basara "We don''t have a choice, teacher! That malicious old man will set the room''s temperature to negative degrees and it''s all over for us! Please, can''t you just allow challenges to be a bit more balanced?!" Hinagiku asked Basara with her emotions on her sleeve.

    Basara starred into Hinagiku''s soul for a second.

    "Who the fuck do you think you are to come up with your own terms?" Once again, Basara forced her to resign from her position as Hinagiku began to create a furious silence "I''m done explaining how things work for you retards. I''ve done my fair share. You can bitch about it one time, as you are entitled to your own opinion, but that''s it." Basara issued his warning "Kyoko Yukishiro!" All eyes were on the extremely angry Yukishiro who wore a demon''s face "Your challenge: Sit on a boy''s nose for four minutes, was thoroughly accomplished!" Her face was swimming in shame and humiliation "I''m always available." Rayazaki flashed a smirk to Yukishiro "You have no purpose, just kill yourself." Yukishiro gritted her teeth in rage "How vile you are, Rayazaki... I thought better of you but you are just like the rest." Hinagiku delivered a hard kick on Rayazaki''s lower right calf which made him agonize in pain "Unfortunately for you, Yukishiro, your guess which was: Ryousuke Kawahara, was WRONG." Basara laughed in her face.

    Instead of voluntarily getting angry, Yukishiro decided to listen to Basara, who was going to reveal the real culprit.

    "Kanawari, congratulations on being allusive." Yukishiro immediately looked at the still-nauseous Kanawari on the first row "You made it to the list, garbage eater." Yukishiro decided to write down something on her journal "The selection is random, you''re wasting your time..." Kanawari talked back to Yukishiro "Oh yeah? Keep believing that, garbage eater." Yukishiro smiled wickedly as she wrote her name down "Don''t listen to her, Kana." Kuzan told Kanawari "Yeah..." She agreed and Basara decided to move on.

    Onto the second file again, Basara started off with the couple.

    "Kitsuya Arkalee, your challenge which was: Insult the living shit out of the person behind you, was accomplished with success." A lot of people looked to Sagasuga, who was behind Arkalee "Your guess which was: Kyoko Yukishiro, was right too. Well done." Basara didn''t clap and Arkalee smiled while raising her left hand up "Yay! What a coincidence, haha!" Many watched how unphased Sagasuga was after being thoroughly insulted by Arkalee "Hajime Hyunda: Your challenge, which was: Write "I''m a waste of oxygen and I will end my life very shortly" on your forehead, was done perfectly." Many were surprised by this because Hyunda had to write it with his right hand on his forehead.

    He hugged Arkalee tightly as he said the upcoming words with a wide smile on his face.

    "I couldn''t have done it without my angel, of course, who guided my hands, right?" Hyunda said as many people from the front rows saw the phrase written in his forehead with black ink "But Hyunda, you didn''t write the name of who you thought it was that issued this challenge, so you fail, you fucking moron." Basara laughed in Hyunda''s face and his face became stunned "Wait, huuuuuh?! I didn''t write the name?!" Hyunda seemed genuinely shocked "Oh my God, why didn''t you do it?!" Arkalee became nervous "I must''ve forgotten! Haha!" Hyunda just laughed it out and Basara moved on to the one on the list.

    Kawahara, with a shackled expression, looked confidently at Basara, who had an abhorrent expression as he was about to tell Kawahara''s challenge.

    "Ryousuke Kawahara, your challenge of: Fit as many things as you can in your mouth until your mouth bleeds, was done successfully." Basara''s disappointed voice came from the fact that Kawahara looked like a complete idiot with so many pens, papers, rubbers, and scissors "Akimiyashika, clean that damn mess for him, please." Basara ordered "Why do I have to do it?! It''s his responsbi------" Basara gave her the death stare "Alright! Damn it, take them out already!" Akimiyashika demanded Kawahara, who was bleeding from the corners of his full mouth that had irregular outer shapes to spit the contents to the table.

    Gladly, Kawahara did, but the disgusting saliva that came to Akimiyashika as a consequence, set her on fire.

    "HOLY SHIT, YOU''RE DISGUSTING!!" Akimiyashika became bewildered from the saliva she got the moment Kawahara threw up all the sticky materials to the table "Shut up, this shit was painful!" Kawahara complained but the dripping saliva made Akimiyashika stressed "CLEAN YOURSELF, YOU SCUMBAG!! HERE!!" Akimiyashika took out a few napkins from her skirt''s right pocket as she possesses a pack full of them "Oh..." Kawahara clean himself up first "Help me out here, clean up the materials!" They both started to clean the material full of saliva "Your guess, however, which was Toharoh Tsudo, was wrong." Kawahara and Tsudo exchanged serious glances "The fuck?" Tsudo became confused as well as partially insulted "Bitch." Kawahara gave him a stare.

    However, uncaring, Basara moved on to Akimiyashika as she also had to be judged.

    "Izayoi Akimiyashika, your challenge which was: Give your underwear to a person of the opposite gender; was not accomplished as you didn''t even try it." Basara sighed and Akimiyashika defended herself "I''m not doing that, I''d rather die." Dead-serious, Akimiyashika stated her intentions "Then keep it up." Basara coldly moved onto to his next target.

    Sagasuga positioned himself well with his fingers intertwined as he looked at Basara.

    "Hiroyoshi Sagasuga, your challenge: Cut as much hair as you can with a scissor, was accomplished thoroughly." Basara''s eyes widened as he saw Sagasuga''s new haircut "I appreciate it." Many still couldn''t process the new Sagasuga, visually speaking "You might as well shave at this point." Basara suggested to Sagasuga "It''s a probability among the many." Sagasuga closed his eyes and took a heavy breath; Tateyana unable to hold her laughter along many others "Your guess which was: Tateyana, was right, so congratulations!" Basara clapped as Sagasuga sighed and complained to Tateyana "Your sense of humor needs an update just like your face." The insult was sufficiently loud for anyone close by to hear.

    Naturally, Tateyana got upset over Sagasuga''s remark.

    "What the fuck?! That was out of nowhere!" She turned to Sagasuga with a sour expression "Keep your remarks to yourself, please." Sagasuga closed his eyes, refusing to face her "You could''ve asked me to cut your hair, idiot! Then it wouldn''t have come out like this! HAHAH!" Tateyana once again laughed at Sagasuga''s hair, which was arguably shorter than usual and was almost entirely bald; it looked like the cut of someone with no experience in the department "The challenge was to me, not to you." Sagasuga sighed and Basara moved on to Tateyana herself "Kaneta Tateyana!" Basara''s shout made Tateyana nervously put her eyes on Basara.

    Firstly, Basara laughed at the challenge itself and then spoke.

    "Haha, what the hell----" He placed his left palm on his face "Your challenge---HAHA---" He was struggling to keep a straight face "Your challenge: Put your body upside down while balancing on your chair until the teacher calls you out, was accomplished rather nicely, HAHAH!" All the present ones already knew that Tateyana was flipped upside down on her chair while supporting herself with her two arms; somehow perfectly exhibiting acrobatics despite displaying her red panties as her skirt wasn''t protecting it "Oh, I can do this all day! You thought I was ashamed?! HAHA!" Boldly, Tateyana laughed "She has no dignity, just move on to the next one, teacher." Akimiyashika, who is in front of her, commented as she found Tateyana''s acting deplorable "Good grief. Your guess was right: Toharoh Tsudo." All eyes were on Tsudo, who wasn''t happy that his challenge didn''t land on his target.

    Moving on, Basara went to the previous losers, Hinagiku and Rayazaki.

    "Mayabashi Hinagiku! Your challenge which was: Walk on all fours with your knees only (Your feet can never touch the ground) across the classroom until the teacher stops the time, was done correctly." A lot of people looked at Hinagiku from behind, mainly to her knees which were purple "Jesus..." Basara moved on to the important part as many saw that Hinagiku''s knees were damaged thoroughly "Your guess which was: Mayuraki Shizuku, is wrong." Basara cold said; Shizuku looked at Hinagiku from afar "You think lightly of me if you think I would just let you off the hook with something so simplistic." She giggled "Ah, sorry, you''re so simple that it didn''t cross my mind." Hinagiku had accepted her loss but she was adamant on letting Shizuku know her thoughts "So mediocre you are." Shizuku said as she turned around.

    Basara judged Rayazaki next.

    "Saito Rayazaki, your challenge, which was: Hit yourself on your right leg with your fist using your maximum strength until the teacher collects your challenge, was done accurately." Basara claimed "Get up." He immediately ordered Rayazaki "I-I can''t!" Rayazaki didn''t try to elevate himself from his chair "Try it, or else you fail this round." Basara spared no sympathy "......" With no choice, Rayazaki firstly placed his left hand on the table and with his right hand supported on the wall behind him, he elevated his posture "Good, now stand still." Basara said but Rayazaki immediately tumbled down to the right where Daniel is "Nice, so you really did the challenge accurately. Just wanted to confirm." Basara moved on to the other part as Rayazaki struggled to drag himself back to his chair.

    After Rayazaki crawled, Basara delivered the good news.

    "Your guess which was: Saito Rayazaki, was correct!" Basara once again laughed in his student''s face "Holy shit, it''s so fucking hilarious when you have to do your own challenge because you retards actually don''t think about the small chance of your challenge landing on you HAHAHA!!" Rayazaki, tormented by his own challenge, felt emotional anguish accompanied by the tremendous physical pain from having to punch his leg for so long.

    Onto the first row, where Tsudo and Shizuku are seated in the frontline, Basara continued.

    "Toharoh Tsudo! Your challenge of: Pick a fight with the teacher, was not executed whatsoever!" Gossip circulated all over the classroom "I am abundantly disappointed, the fact that I alone approved this challenge should indicate that I am fine with you picking a fight with me..." Tsudo gulped "Yet you did not." Basara''s cold but confident words left Tsudo speechless momentarily ".....There''s no way I would''ve come out alright....." Tsudo said "Who knows? Either way, you fucking fail so congratulations on the second coming of hypothermia!" Basara laughed maniacally "Damn it...!!" Tsudo became severely ashamed of his fear.

    Naturally, his next target for judgment was Shizuku.

    "Mayuraki Shizuku, you had the challenge of: Make sure the person next to you doesn''t complete his challenge-----" Immediately, Tsudo became mad "What the fuck?!" He erupted from his chair on spot "You lied to me when you said all those?!" Shizuku''s mischievous smile was shown as she had to justify herself "It''s the nature of the exam, Tsudo----but I don''t think it would be wise to even go about it in the first place..." She looked at Basara "Bullshit, I was going to pick a fight with him but I listened to you like a fucking dumbass and look where that got me!" He argued "That''s on you, is it not?!" She countered "The fuck DID YOU JUST S----" Basara slammed his right hand on the center of the table "Your challenge, Shizuku, which was for you to make sure the person next to you fails, was executed." Tsudo gritted his teeth though he got back on his seat "Your guess which was: Gale Iris, is also correct." Basara delivered the final words.

    Shizuku celebrated as she looked at Gale from afar.

    "Yay!! Thanks, Gale! Muaaaaah!" She sent a kiss with her right hand to the stoic Gale "...Wait a goddamn minute..." Rayazaki became skeptical and so did Tsudo.

    Moving over to Kanawari and Kuzan, Basara continued.

    "Gayakirima Kanawari." She gulped albeit she was somewhat more relaxed "You had the challenge of picking something up from the trash can and eat it. As witnessed, you did exactly that, so good work." Basara congratulated her though what she really wanted to know came after "Your guess which was: Hajime Hyunda, was correct, also." She became ecstatic "YES!!" They all saw her exultant attitude and how happy she was for getting the challenge right "Kuzan, I did it---thanks to y----" As she turned to her left side, Kanawari''s lips intertwined with Kuzan''s forcefully "...?!" A strong wave of reactions was created from that kiss alone.

    Basara was slightly disappointed but couldn''t help but laugh a bit from distance.

    "Idiot, hah!!" Basara chuckled as he saw Kuzan kissing Kanawari with no hesitation "There''s just no way----" Tsudo was dumbfounded and Shizuku covered her mouth in awe "What----" Kanawari removed Kuzan away from her with a push "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Mildly flustered but nervous, Kanawari demanded to know Kuzan''s intentions "....Sorry... It really wasn''t anything personal..." Kuzan averted his gaze from Kanawari and refused to look at her "...What?" Unable to understand Kuzan''s actions, her eyes widened "Kuzan----what was that?" Her tone became monochromatic as she demanded an answer "Hey." She hit his right shoulder and caught a glimpse of Kuzan''s guilty expression.

    It dawned her, but Basara went all the way.

    "Takeshi Kuzan!" All eyes were on him "Your challenge of: Kiss the person next to you on the lips after they''re done being judged by the teacher in regard to their challenge, was achieved!!" Basara even clapped to Kuzan though he was being judged by many of the girls within the classroom "Piece of shit..." Lus became bitter "Disgraceful behavior, Kuzan, you don''t do that!" Akimiyashika pierced him with a confrontation though Kuzan did not face it "Your guess which was: Kitsuya Arkalee, is correct too!! Everyone, a round of applause for Kuzan!!" Basara ordered.

    Nevertheless, not a single person beside himself did that; as the tension grew bigger.

    "Hah------" Her hollow laughter alarmed him "It was part of the---" Kuzan turned to the hectic Kanawari "So that means you get away with all those lies you told me earlier? Hm?" She pushed his right shoulder rather forcefully "I know it wasn''t the right thing to do but it''s not like you''d accept it if I just were to ask y------" As he attempted to justify himself, Kanawari slapped him across the face "FUCK YOU!!! YOU DON''T-----" She slapped his neck as he started to fall down from the unexpected impact on the floor "---KNOW THAT TO A CERTAINTY!! WHY WOULD YOU ASSUME SO, YOU FUCKING DUMBASS?!" Not only angry and bitter, she additionally started crying as she followed to Kuzan on the ground; utterly mounting him as she kept slapping him across the face---switching from slaps to punches though very meek in form.

    Naturally, interference had to be made.

    "Girls, get her off him!" Basara ordered "Otherwise, you all fail this round." Greatly concerned now, Gale, Yukishiro, Arkalee, Shizuku, and Tateyana got up from their seats and attempted to stop Kanawari who was conducting a physical onslaught onto Kuzan.

    However, as they made their way, there was an interference in the form of a couple of girls that didn''t necessarily agree with what they were about to do.

    "Move out of the way, Lus, or we ALL lose this round!" Arkalee complained first as she saw Lus blocking their way from the central side "Not a fan of cold? No worries, I''ll teach you a thing or two if you respectfully go back to hugging your boyfriend like you always do." Though rather confident in her words, Lus expression was stone cold to the mad Arkalee "Why you---She''s going to kill him!" Arkalee mentioned as everyone was seeing the one-sided slaughter "It''s deserved, he deserves it!" Akimiyashika stepped up and further blocked their way "Oh please, it was part of the challenge! She''s literally overreacting, let us get through so we can get her off Kuzan ALREADY!" Yukishiro yelled at her "Get through me then, bitch." Up close and personal, Akimiyashika stared at Yukishiro right into her eyes.

    A bad omen began to be felt as not even the boys were able to ignore.

    "Uh oh..." Rayazaki blurted "Say that agai---" Yukishiro''s facial expression turned rageful as she uttered those words though ultimately interrupted "BITCH." Akimiyashika clarified it "Oh you''re so FUCKING DONE FOR!" Yukishiro grabbed Akimiyashika''s red hair strands by force "GYAAAAAAA--OFF ME!!!" Likewise, she did the same "Hands off Aki, YOU!" Hinagiku immediately struck Yukishiro with low kick to her left calf "AGHH!!!" Naturally, she was struck down, but took Akimiyashika down on the floor by pulling her hair strands harder "AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHH!!!" Chaos broke lose.

    Naturally, he had to intervene as he got up from his seat.

    "Sagasuga, Hyunda, Kawahara, get in there AND FUCKING STOP THEM." He said as he went to where Kanawari was "Yes, sir." Sagasuga got up from his seat immediately "Arkalee, go back." Hyunda ordered her as he went to the center "Y-Yes!" Happily she backed off "Sucks, I wanted to see the whole thing..." Kawahara exhibited his displease "At three." Sagasuga spoke to Hyunda "And we go!" Hyunda and Sagasuga grabbed Yukishiro by her two arms and dismounted her from Akimiyashika "FUCKING LET GO OF ME, THIS BITCH''S GONNA PAY, SHE''S DEAD!!" Yukishiro showed resentment as she was dragged back "YOU''RE THE ONE THAT''S GONNA PAY FOR EVERYTHING YOU''VE DONE, YUKISHIRO!! DON''T THINK I DON''T KNOW WHAT YOU DO BEHIND THE SCENES, FUCKING LIAR!!" Their screams became abundantly loud, though Kawahara pulled Akimiyashika back.

    On the other hand, Basara halted both of Kanawari''s wrists as she was brutally beating down the defenseless and unresponsive Kuzan.

    "That''s quite enough." Basara stopped Kanawari "Let go of me---he has to pay!" Her blond hair strands were all over her face; contrasting her usual balanced outlook "You''re free to go on, if you insist----but unlike those two, I''m willing to allow you to remain in this room without having you go through what they will." Basara''s serious words managed to infiltrate Kanawari''s mind midst all the chaos "........" Unsure, she instilled silence "It''s your best course of action. Also---" She replied immediately "Ok." Basara after two seconds released her wrists calmly "Sure, I too can play that game." Mysteriously enough, Kanawari got up from Kuzan''s body and went back to her seat as she whipped her tears.

    Simultaneously, two guards that the whole class had never seen before, arrived in the classroom.

    Branded in pure black, their uniforms were fairly standard and they made their way to where Yukishiro and Akimiyashika are being held down by Sagasuga, Hyunda, and Kawahara.

    "Good FUCKING GRIEF!" Basara slammed Akimiyashika and Kawahara''s table at the very center "I told you FUCKING DRAMA QUEENS THERE WOULD BE CONSEQUENCES BUT YOU DIDN''T LISTEN!!" Unlike ever before, Basara demonstrated a high degree of emotion which got Yukishiro and Akimiyashika authentically alarmed "...What consequences...?" Yukishiro showed visible nervosity as all eyes were on the two guards "Teacher, I''m sorry I didn''t mean to----" Uncaring, however, Basara rebuked Akmiyashika "Shut the fuck up, you had your chance. You too, fuckface." He indicated to Yukishiro "Take them away for the next hour, have them back at 8 am." Basara gave the orders to the silent guards.

    And as such, Hyunda and Sagasuga let go of Yukishiro; Kawahara of Akimiyashika. Subsequently, they were forcefully dragged out of the classroom by the two guards.

    "W-Where are you taking me?!" Yukishiro tried to get answers from the unresponsive guard "I really won''t do it again, I SWEAR TEACHER!!" Still trying to appeal to Basara while crying, Akimiyashika was ignored "Off you go now." The doors were closed by Basara ultimately and a powerful silence hit the room.

    As Basara went to the podium, a question out of curiosity was made by Shizuku.

    "Teacher, where were they taken...?" She asked, showing a very vulnerable attitude "Did I give you the permission to talk?" Basara pierced her entirety with his death stare "No---" He continued despite her short answer "Then don''t fucking talk. Anyone that complains is still within the time to go where they are going. And let me tell you; cold is FAR better." This didn''t answer much but was sufficient for Shizuku and the others to know their place.

    Taking a deep breath, Basara addressed the two individuals now on their dual table though they were far from amicable.

    "I don''t care if there''s bad blood between you two, I''ve said what I said. You two will remain in the same place. Did I make myself understood?" Basara stared at Kuzan and Kanawari "Yes." Both of them replied very lowly in a hollow tone while looking down to their table''s surface.

    It resumed.

    "Nasha Sana, you had the challenge of: Apply permanent glue to your lips and close them when the teacher calls your name up, and it was done successfully." Her lips were sealed "Your guess was: Kuzan Takeshi, was right too. Congratulations." Sana didn''t nod, she simply took it and allowed Basara to move on to the remaining two others.

    Leaving only two to go, Basara was quick to look at her, though her expression was that of a furious lion.

    "Lus Sera, you had the challenge of: Cut your face on both of your cheeks two times from your eyes all the way to your chin as if you were crying." All eyes were on her except Daniel, who didn''t neglect on his writing "It''ll take way more than that to bring me down." She stood her ground "Your guess which was: Hirakibo Tatsu, is correct." Tatsu looked at Lus from afar with skepticism "...How...?!" It didn''t add up whatsoever to him "....." Lus remained silent however "Good job." Basara nevertheless congratulated her as well as saying additional advice "Reach out to your dorm''s guardian as soon as possible." However, Lus had a different opinion "Thank you, but I''m fine. I wouldn''t want to think that the person who wrote this has gained some merit in validation so I''ll keep it!" She confidently smiled, freaking Tatsu out from afar.

    Basara didn''t insist and as it was coming to an end, this second round that is, all eyes were on Daniel, who was adamantly writing.

    Even Basara was somewhat at a loss of words for his behavior.

    "Not only did you not write the challenge which immediately makes you lose the round, you also neglected the challenge which was given to you: Make all the girls fail their challenges." The challenge alone was enough to conjure the attention of all the girls present, however, they didn''t want to interrupt Basara "First-hand generosity, you''re welcome." Entertaining Basara as well as the class, Daniel let out that comment in a very apathetic voice tone "I was wrong." Basara facepalmed "You are from Russia." Many didn''t understand this so he elaborated "Only a person from Russia would willingly welcome this much cold." He sighed "I will now announce the winners." Basara went to his desk and sat down.

    Puzzled by Daniel''s behavior, Lus attempted to understand what he was doing.

    "You are going to die." She said "Great." He replied with apathy "...I can''t understand you." Lus shortly gave up as she saw Daniel not stopping in his writing endeavor.

    The annunciation began.

    "The winners are: Gale, Tatsu, Arkalee, Sagasuga, Tateyana, Rayazaki, Shizuku, Kanawari, Kuzan, Sana, and Lus." Unlike the first round, a lot of winners emerged this time though some losers did remain "If this is your first time winning, you have ten minutes to be back here. If this is your second time winning, you have twenty." Basara introduced a new rule "Huh." Kawahara spoke out loud, despite being behind two loses "The losers are to stay in this room." Basara began to walk out and as such, so did most of the winners.

    One by one, they followed Basara to the outside of the classroom as they had their own agendas on how to spend their time.

    Inside the classroom, the students that would remain would be: Ikkiri, Kawahara, Hinagiku, Tsudo, and Daniel. Yukishiro and Akimiyashika admittedly lost this round too, they were however, somewhere else.

    "I''ll meet you in a second, go outside." As Basara was about to close the classroom''s door, Hyunda spoke to Arkalee "But---" She attempted to rebuke, unwilling to let go of his arm "This is an order." He made her go with simply just that "...I love you!" Arkalee was saddened but went outside of the classroom, venturing down below the stairs "Ah wait, teach." The door was technically already closed but not locked "What? You have immunity this round, so you don''t have to stay." Basara explained the obvious "I want to though. Is that against the rules?" He asked "It isn''t. Is that what you want?" Basara looked into him seriously "Yeah, I''d like that a lot, actually." Opening the door again, which caused all the eyes from the remaining figures inside the room to land on him, Hyunda was back inside the classroom.

    Ultimately, a loud shut was formed.

    Ikkiri glanced at him and so did Hinagiku from afar as they were hugging each other in order to survive the cold. Tsudo also glanced at him though Hyunda did not, as he continued to advance to the north side of the classroom.

    "Masochist much?" Kawahara asked as he trembled "......" He didn''t reply, however, and simply took place in Lus'' seat.

    As of now, the temperature of the room is a gentle -25 degrees. Hyunda inhaled the cold air through his nostrils and sighed as he allowed his posture to break loose in the chair.

    Arkalee''s voice could be heard outside, but the immersion of the cold wave was fairly potent in sound, so her voice really wasn''t that potent.

    "Why?" He looked at Daniel, who was trembling; unable to resist the consequences of the glacial temperatures "You know why." Daniel continued to write "Great, so you don''t get approved and you decide to go down this way? End of story?" Hyunda showed displease "I won''t entertain this pointless charade. You should''ve gone ahead and stayed out of the classroom, as you can see, this temperature isn''t as welcoming as you''d think." Daniel offered kind words "You really find this pointless, Daniel?" Hyunda looked to the ceiling that was shrouded in a dark glossy blue "If it was only this exam, then it would be fine. However, day by day, it''ll show to be too problematic. Assuming that I do get through everything, to what end? I can''t have Yulia back, so why should I bother. I want to die, and so, I will fail until I succumb to the temperatures." Daniel confessed.

    Hyunda took a deep inhale and was quickly found in a situation where he didn''t have much room for options.

    "Objectively speaking, if you wanted to conquer this exam, would you be able to?" Hyunda looked at Daniel, though he did not return the gaze "There are many loopholes. In all honesty, it''s quite simple." He said "I see..." Hyunda asked another question "This cage, prison, or whatever you want to call it; do you think they''ll remove it one day?" Daniel didn''t stop writing "Absolutely not. We''ve gone too far in the island." Hyunda corrected him "We?" He mildly chuckled "My bad." Hyunda continued "I took a look at it in the prior interval, it''s impossible to get out." Daniel took note "I see. Well, I did have an idea, but frankly, I gave up on it since I''m extremely committed to the current strategy." Daniel admitted.

    Hyunda wasn''t liking Daniel''s approach.

    "So there is a way out?" Hyunda got closer to Daniel as he took a peek at what he was writing "It''s unsure. But the very nature of the place within this area indicates that there should be. So, it''s very much a 50/50, if I''m optimistic, but realistically it''s a 10/90." Hyunda''s eyes widened slightly as he saw the content of his writing "...Let me see if I understood everything there is to know here." Hyunda gathered up his thoughts "Hm, ok." Daniel didn''t mind that "You''ll withdraw that suicidal stance of yours and work on winning the exam for your own sake, if you do get a place within the organization?" Hyunda asked him.

    For the first time, Daniel halted his writing and placed his tired eyesight on Hyunda even though determination could be seen within his dark eyes.

    "That shouldn''t even be a fucking question. My reason for breathing is one. If I can get that goal, I will do whatever it takes. I think I''ve made this point quite a lot often." Daniel wasn''t wrong "...I can''t let you in. That''s not how it works." Hyunda told the truth "Then why the fuck bother talking to me even? Were you hoping to get something from me despite knowing it wouldn''t work? You''re smarter than that." Daniel resumed his writing "There is, however, something that can be done to immensely alter your chances of entering the organization." Now fully stop writing as he tucked his pen away, Daniel placed his eyes on Hyunda "Go on." Not desperate, Daniel was patient "Frankly speaking, this situation is a bit tough. The organization is almighty but me and Sagasuga are just members in the end. It''s not an omnipotent source of power at our disposal whenever we want. That''s why I would like to use this situation to test out your potential." Daniel didn''t speak out and allowed Hyunda to proceed.

    As a matter of fact, Daniel closed his journal.

    "They oppose our plans. Especially the old man. But it''s important to know that this school is now against us more than ever. They are willing to let us undergo this lethal treatment. In other words, our lives haven''t been as disposable as they are now. It should go without saying that it''s possible to kill someone just by making them fail numerous times at this exam." Hyunda argued "It''s one of the ways, I agree." Daniel share similar words "I want you to not only find a way out, but to unite as many members from the class so our results turn out to be victorious." Daniel was having trouble understanding Hyunda''s last words "Are you suggesting that I unite the class and have us all magically triumph victorious? That''s ridiculous, the nature of this exam alone goes against that entire ideology." Daniel was quick to tell the truth "There is no way to avoid collateral damage completely." He added.

    But that was not what Hyunda meant.

    "Find a selective number of people, put them under your command, and use them to fabricate more wins-----does that sound impossible to you?" Hyunda said "I see." Daniel looked around "I align, if my seat is guaranteed at this exact moment." Daniel listed his terms "That''s not possible, Daniel." He was rejected "Then it''s a n---" Hyunda added something else "I am able to provide you with the resources of a member, however." Daniel became interested "Elaborate." Hyunda closed his eyes and talked "To be a member of the organization, though at the lowest level, means that you essentially have the bare minimum of the resources that are provided from the organization at your disposal." He said "I''m not a member, but you are saying that if I align that I will be able to utilize the minimal resources that can theoretically be provided to the lowest tier member?" Daniel wanted to make sure.

    Simply nodding, Hyunda gave the green light.

    "I see." Daniel united his fingers and put up a thinking pose "I can''t make everyone win. Only realistically decrease the loses. Success comes with sacrifice." Daniel added something else too "Furthermore, if I''m going to do this, then are you and Sagasuga going to be active?" Daniel asked "What do you mean by active?" Hyunda replied with a question of his own "I''m saying, do you have an agenda of your own which will collide against mine? Or are you completely and utterly free to be used at my disposal?" Hyunda chuckled "Ah, I see. I''ll be very blunt, I''ll only be useful if the situation truly is challenging and demands skill to be solved. Otherwise, count me out." Daniel acknowledged this "How about now? Are you?" He cut right to the chase "Fine. If I like what I see, I''ll keep my interest, if not, then you are on your own." Hyunda told "Tell me more about what is available to me since in theory, I''m a low tier member, or rather, have the privileges of one." Daniel said and Hyunda began to tell him.

    From the opposite side of the room, far to the left down south, Ikkiri and Hinagiku watched Daniel and Hyunda talk; likewise so did Kawahara and Tsudo though the overbearing cold made them not want to interact.

    "Got it. And Sagasuga?" Daniel asked "Yeahhhhhh, good luck with that..." Hyunda was skeptical "Hmmm..." Daniel was forced to acknowledge that "Three minutes left, by the way." Hyunda informed him "Two and fifty seven, actually, but close enough." Daniel surprised Hyunda slightly.

    But not more than his upcoming action.

    Daniel momentarily erupted from his seat and clapped twice, earning the attention of the other people present.

    "All of us except Hyunda are two losses behind. I can say with a high degree of confidence that if I am to endure this once again, I will die. I am not only famished, but I am not feeling well whatsoever." They still stared at Daniel nevertheless "There is not much time, but I would like to form a group with all of you." He cut right to the chase "A group...?" Ikkiri looked at Daniel and then Hyunda "Yes. I propose a group with the six of us and only us. If you are willing to accept this term, then I will not only provide a winning strategy for the next round, but exploitable loopholes that will further ensure our victory in the next rounds." Daniel started to walk the center where Kawahara''s table is at and Hyunda started to adjoin the table that was behind and in front of his, so the six of them count sit.

    Without much resistance, however, the six of them came to the center.

    "Spill. If it''s to win and survive the next round, I''m it, I don''t care." Tsudo said as he sat on the right side of the central south table "I''m the same... I''m willing to put my emotions aside for now in order to recover this losing streak, but you better have a solid plan..." Hinagiku was suspicious "I have." Daniel reassured "Do you? You''ve been jacking off this past two rounds, so that''s a lot of talking, do you have what it takes to back it up?" Kawahara interrogated "...I don''t think we have much of a choice anyways..." Ikkiri meekly said "It''s as she says, though I''m here only now under this temperature, it''s evident this is a fatal recipe. Let''s hear him out." No objections were made and instead, they placed their heavy gazes on Daniel, who had two minutes to convey his strategy.

    The clock strikes.

 Volume 25: Chapter 176: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part IV.

    "You may begin your challenge. Or not, if you''d like." Basara chuckled as he declared the start of the third round.

    Yukishiro and Akimiyashika were absent for this round still as their whereabouts are currently unknown. As a winner of the former round combined with the last round, you are granted 20 minutes and not just 10. Therefore, Tatsu and Kuzan were not present.

    15 students were currently present.

    "Show me." Hyunda ordered Arkalee right away "Kay~" She showed no hesitation in hiding it and so, Hyunda with his right hand conjured the hand signal of two fingers down below his table "I''ll help you out, don''t worry." He was quick to lend a hand as he grew closer to Arkalee physically.

    On the north side of the classroom, where Hinagiku and Rayazaki stand, Hinagiku caught a glimpse of Rayazaki''s challenge.

    "Good luck." She coldly said as she conjured a hand signal similar to Hyunda''s from Rayazaki''s blind spot so he couldn''t catch a glance of it, except it showed a single finger only "Gee, thanks. What''s yours?" Rayazaki asked, though very much displeased with his challenge "Here." Hinagiku accidentally looked to Daniel but instantly flinched back as she realized.

    Leaning towards the center where Akimiyashika usually stays in, Kawahara did something on his own as he turned his back to Sagasuga and Tateyana.

    "Hey babes, here''s the deal, I share my challenge, you share yours----if it''s mine, I''ll tell you if it''s mine, how about it?" Except Kawahara didn''t wait and simply placed his challenge letter in the surface of their table.

    Without replying first, Sagasuga and Tateyana noticed the context of the challenge that Kawahara had been given.

    "A bit extreme..." Tateyana remarked "..." Sagasuga looked to his challenge and Tateyana''s who is hidden beneath her right arm though it can be slightly seen from his perspective "So, what do you say?" Kawahara looked at the two of them with a playful smirk "I''ll pass." Sagasuga immediately declined his offer "Oh come on, I''ve shown you mine, where''s the equality?" Kawahara was quick to complain "You didn''t wait for my answer, that''s just manipulation on your end. It''s a no." Sagasuga closed his eyes and wouldn''t budge.

    As such, Kawahara''s interested landed on the indecisive Tateyana who firstly looked at Sagasuga and only then to Kawahara.

    "Uh--thanks but no, thanks!" Kawahara leaned forward upon hearing those words from her and elevated her left arm with brute force "HEY!!" He caught a glimpse of her challenge''s body text, which was the structure he was looking for all along in a challenge letter "Oh oops~" Kawahara let go of her arm as soon as he obtained the necessary information "ASSHOLE!!" She shouted in a manner that would summon momentary attention "Oh, I know who wrote that." Kawahara said as he erupted his two right fingers and placed them on his forehead "........" Sagasuga observed closely as Kawahara instantly turned his back away from the curious Tateyana "Huh?! W-Wait!" It landed.

    On the third row on the left side, where Ikkiri and Gale resided in, since Tatsu has an additional ten minutes for his usage; similarly though not at the same time also, Yukishiro is absent.

    Ikkiri gulped.

    "Hey..." A meek shout out was heard from her, though Gale opted to ignore "....." Ikkiri acknowledged this and was even more nervous "..." She looked at Hinagiku who looked at her almost instantly "....." Hinagiku realized that Ikkiri was struggling to get Gale''s attention "...God." Hinagiku swiftly got up and went to her right side, where Daniel and Lus resided in.

    Daniel didn''t bat an eye on her, but Lus did as Hinagiku strictly went in her direction.

    "What?" Hinagiku looked a bit shackled but she still dove in and whispered a few words into Lus'' right ear "......" Lus looked at Ikkiri as she received Hinagiku''s information and Ikkiri nodded "Fucking BITCH." Lus shouted without restrain "Language, GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!" Basara was heavily annoyed by her attitude "I apologize, teacher, coward tactics bother me, that''s all. But I suppose expecting the contrary from such a WHORE would be illogical!" She chuckled "I''ll stop." But she hastily corrected herself.

    Gale smiled a little bit as she saw Lus getting heated up. Hinagiku started to walk back to her seat.

    Kawahara placed his eyes on Lus, then on Gale, and ultimately on Lus again.

    "Ayo, what''d she say?" Kawahara looked at Lus as he tilted his neck in an obscure way "Kawahara, mind your own business." Not Lus, but Basara spoke "Oh nah teach, come on, there''s been a juicy beef between Lus and Gale going on, I want in on the TEA!" He expressed himself vividly and Basara sighed "Kinda curious too." Hyunda didn''t deny it "What''s with you two?" Hyunda looked at Gale and then Lus "She made me do that challenge, use your brain." Hyunda was having trouble remembering it "I didn''t make you do it, it randomly landed on you, and now you''re over-glorifying a pure coincidence by hating on me, hah." Gale cast a snark glance at Lus from afar.

    By doing so, she allowed her posture to be open on the right side as her right arm was no longer covering what she was hiding from her classmates.

    "So random that you looked at me with malicious eyes and even called me a slur. Oh yes, I''m totally buying your story, don''t worry, vomit queen." Lus replied back from afar "Kill yourself..." Gale showed visible agitation "I would say ladies first, but you''re unfitting of that title, so go straight ahead, will you?" Lus suggested "Shut up." Basara coldly said and neither of them took the narrative any further onto one another "...You''ll see..." Gale, determined whispered that to herself.

    As she attempted to correct her posture, she looked at Ikkiri with mean eyes, which made Ikkiri gulp and feel extremely nervous.

    "The hell are you looking at, huh?!" Ikkiri couldn''t reply as she felt frozen for a moment but her right hand exhibited two fingers to which Hinagiku caught from a far away distance "....." Swiftly, without Rayazaki noticing, Hinagiku mimicked Ikkiri''s movements and showed the two fingers to Daniel.

    Located on the south of the classroom, where Tsudo and Shizuku stood, Daniel placed his cold glaze specifically to that location alone.

    "I show mine, you show yours?" Tsudo glanced at Shizuku and asked "Um sure-----if you help me out with it, that is." Shizuku made her term "I''ll try my best." Tsudo said "I''ll take that as a yes, you go first." Shizuku demanded "...." Tsudo wanted to look at Daniel yet felt his impending stare nevertheless "...Here." Tsudo showed his challenge to Shizuku "Yikes... Here." She did the same and the moment she did, Tsudo showed one finger with his left hand from an angle that Shizuku could not see from.

    Obtaining a fair share of information, Daniel decided to cease his inactivity.

    "It''s not her." He looked at Lus, who was trying to think of a way to do her challenge "Excuse me?" She didn''t understand where he was coming from at all "If I tell you who it is, will you help me?" Daniel looked at her while whispering that extremely lowly "How do you know it''s not her?" Lus questioned "The format. Isn''t it making you think something is up with that format?" He made Lus think "If you look back at her first challenge, was the format the same?" This question made Lus realize something "......" Yet she didn''t give an answer right away.

    Seeing as he wasn''t able to buy her trust immediately since she''s looking at him with skepticism, Daniel opted to do something else instead.

    He looked at Kawahara for a brief second and after four seconds, he was noticed by him.

    By utilizing his own challenge, he waved his paper sheet, indicating for Kawahara to show it to Lus.

    "...What..." Lus was dumbfounded by how the format was the exact same as hers "It''s not a coincidence. There are multiple challenges spread with that same format all over the room too." Lus looked at Daniel with even more skepticism now "What does that mean?" Daniel answered rather quickly "It means I know who wrote the challenge in that format. How about I reveal that person to you?" This development was out of Lus'' perception but she didn''t object to it "Show me then." She demanded.

    To elaborate on the format of the challenge letter that Lus has, it''s important to know the differences in design first. A normal challenge letter is simply a normal squared white paper. The format that was added, however, contained two black lines covering all the sides of the letter two times on different layers.

    Furthermore, on the bottom right corner of the paper, there were two letters in capitals.

    Lus'' challenge had the capital letters of "QH".

    "The two letters are the first letter of the name and surname but ahead, so you have to search for the letter that''s ahead of the presented." Daniel informed her "R and I?" She asked "Hm." Daniel then looked to the west side of the room, to the first row where only two individuals resided in "......." Lus looked at Daniel, but then followed his glance too "Rikishima... Ikkiri..." Lus whispered.

    It took Ikkiri five seconds to notice Daniel and Lus'' glance.

    Daniel then elevated his three fingers from his left hand to Ikkiri and Ikkiri then began to write.

    "See?" Daniel spoke out loud "......" Lus was somewhat skeptical but not as much as she saw Ikkiri''s written message ''It was me who wrote it'' "It''s not Gale, but Ikkiri who wrote your challenge." This sparked an interest in her "And how do you know all of this?" She naturally asked "I can''t tell any more. Unless, you are willing to help me. Take it or leave it, is what I''m saying." Lus carefully analyzed what Daniel could be plotting "What do you want to help me with, exactly?" She asked Daniel.

    Daniel glanced at Lus coldly and judged whether or not she was the type to backstab.

    "...." He glanced at Kanawari "No." She instantly replied "What do you think I''m asking you to do?" He asked "You want to use her." She assumed "I want to know whether or not she got the same format as your challenge." Lus didn''t know what to make of this "And if she does?" Lus coldly looked into his pitch black eyes "Then all you do is tell me that information. Simple, right?" Surely enough, it was simple "If she doesn''t?" She asked "Then all you do is tell me that information." Daniel smiled now "Simple, right?" Lus understood not his full intentions.

    She gave it some thought.

    "That''s all?" She made sure "Yes, all." She gained certainty after hearing him "Alright. Wait here." Lus took her challenge with her.

    Daniel waited and after almost a minute, Lus came back. Kanawari was busy attempting her challenge, though she looked back from time to time.

    "...It doesn''t." Daniel instantly got up from his seat and brushed his hair "I see, thanks." Apathetically, he thanked her "What are you going to do?" She was skeptical once again of Daniel''s behavior "Nothing." He simply answered and took a seat next to Sana.

    There were two minutes left on the clock and Daniel had not attempted his challenge whatsoever.

    ".....?" Daniel looked sorrowful "Hey..." His eyes hollow, his words utterly apathetic "How are you?" He started with that "......." She couldn''t talk due to the permanent glue on her lips "I guess I do have an idea... I know you can''t talk right now, so listen... Hey, um..." Daniel scratched the back of his head "It hasn''t been easy for me----" Sana started to feel a bit tearful "........." She placed her left hand on his right shoulder "I miss her a lot." His words were on point "But I''m trying to get my shit back together, you see." He looked at her with dead-serious eyes.

    On to the focal point, Daniel made his stand.

    "I don''t want you to fail. Yulia wouldn''t like that, especially given the unfair nature of this exam. I can''t allow that." His expression emitted seriousness and abundant determination "........-----" Sana attempted to deny his words "No, I have to. And I insist-----please, let me do this... I couldn''t help her in her most dire hour... And if something were to happen to you, her best friend... I-I-I-" Daniel closed his right fist and clenched it with regret "........" Sana didn''t pretend to not know what was going on so instead she wrote her thoughts on her journal "...How are you going to help me though...?" She sincerely asked in her journal.

    Daniel was quick to elaborate as he presented his challenge to her.

    "This is my challenge. Do you have any idea who could''ve issued this challenge to me?" Sana analyzed the odd structure of the challenge "...I seriously don''t, I''m so sorry..." Sana wrote her true mind "That''s alright. Now that I''ve shown you mine, could you show me yours?" He suggested "......." She subtly showed him her challenge "Oh, the same as mine." He commented "Well, not the same challenge, but the interesting structure, hah." He giggled.

    Sana giggled too, albeit awkwardly due to the permanent glue.

    "This''ll be easy, all you have to do is sit back and let me handle it." Daniel then proceeded to help her with her challenge, as Lus watched the two of them with skepticism towards Daniel as a whole.

    <hr>

    "Stop. Back to your seats, time is up." Basara''s words were imperial and so, all of the students that weren''t placed on their seats, did exactly that "Quite a lot of commotion suddenly, what is this? Did the cold awaken your dormant brain cells?" Basara was genuinely surprised by the shift in activity.

    He directed himself to the podium and began to declare the results.

    "Gale Iris, you had the challenge of: Make sure that the person behind you (if there is no one behind you, then on your side or your front) succeeds in their challenge! To which, you did help Ikkiri succeed!" Basara eagerly said though his expression was that of a bored one "Your guess which was: Mayabashi Hinagiku, was correct too!" Basara clapped "Holy shit, talk about easy, MUST BE NICE!!" While he clapped, Gale looked at Hinagiku with a lot of doubts, but nevertheless took the victory "Ridiculous." Lus lowly said though it was enough to be heard.

    Following Gale up, was Ikkiri.

    "Rikishima Ikkiri, you had the challenge of: Drink all of your pens'' ink and don''t throw up, to which was done successfully. Gale made sure you weren''t able to throw up." Ikkiri looked authentically nauseous "Your guess which was: Kitsuya Arkalee, was also correct!" This immediately sparked a reaction from Arkalee "A pure coincidence, don''t get COCKY, YOU GODDAMN SLUT!" Bitter, Arkalee shouted in Ikkiri''s direction while clinging to Hyunda''s left arm "......." Disgusted, Ikkiri didn''t reply as she cleaned the black ink from her lips whilst stopping her urge to vomit.

    Now moving to the second row, Basara started with Arkalee.

    "Kitsuya Arkalee, you had the challenge of simply: Do anything your table partner wishes you for (If you don''t have one, then the nearest by person of your choice), so Hyunda, what did you ask?" Basara interrogated him "I asked her to help Gale out with her challenge." He said "How did you help her out?" Hyunda had to now elaborate "I told Arkalee to tell Gale that she was the one who wrote the challenge that landed on Ikkiri which made Gale''s challenge a success." Basara sighed "Is this true, Arkalee?" Arkalee was somewhat bitter still "Yes... Yes, it is. I helped Gale and told her that---my NAME---should be written in Ikkiri''s challenge as the orchestrator..." Arkalee confessed.

    Basara acknowledged this and moved on.

    "I see. Your guess which was: Toharoh Tsudo, was correct as well." Eyes were on Tsudo, though he did not look back "Now, you, Hajime Hyunda." Hyunda composed himself "You had the challenge of: Eat as much paper as you can from your journal until the time is over." They all caught Hyunda crouching on paper still "They''re left overs, please understand." He said "Pfft." Ikkiri giggled very silently "Can he go to the bathroom now and drink some water?! Please?!" Arkalee begged "Absolutely not. Your guess which was: Sato Rayazaki, was also correct." Rayazaki was flabbergasted "How the fuck did you randomly got it right?!" He was not accepting it "Pure luck, I guess?" Hyunda didn''t look at him and simply gave him that.

    Following the two of them up, was Kawahara, who was alone.

    "Ryousuke Kawahara, you had the challenge of: Do push ups from the moment you see this and don''t stop until the teacher calls time, which was... somehow, done perfectly!" Not even Basara could hide his surprise from the abnormal feat "It''s all about back control and tempo!" He laughed it off with pride "..........." Lus felt utterly defeated in a way "Your guess which was: Lus Sera, was also correct!" Lus didn''t look at Kawahara but to Daniel who ignored her gaze "Wooooohoooooooo!!!" Kawahara celebrated "How?" She asked Daniel "Hm?" Daniel looked at her now "How did he know it was me?" She persisted "How would I know?" He asked "You------" She clicked her tongue "........." And rapidly went back to observing to prove her newborn thought.

    Moving to the table behind him, Sagasuga and Tateyana were on the mark now.

    "Hiroyoshi Sagasuga, you had the challenge of: Strip your top uniform until the end of the day!" Many girls in particular stared at his ripped physique "Heavily inconvenient but so be it." He was bothered but it wasn''t the end of the world "Your guess which was: Gale Iris, was also correct!" Basara clapped "Collateral damage." Sagasuga justified it "......" Gale was unable to tell just how exactly he was able to pinpoint it was her that ended up being his guess.

    Tateyana was next.

    "You had yet another simple challenge, which was: Help someone that has two losses already complete their challenge! Talk about being lazy and unoriginal!" Basara complained as this wasn''t the first time this type of challenge had emerged "So, who did you help, Tateyana?" Tateyana answered instantly "Tsudo..." She was somewhat displeased "Tsudo, is this true?" Basara asked "I guess we''ll know when my time is up." He reasoned "True. Either way, your guess which was: Hajime Hyunda, was correct, so you''re already half-way there!" Basara spoke though he sighed.

    Without a thorough conclusion, Basara moved on to Hinagiku and Rayazaki.

    "Mayabashi Hinagiku!" He shouted "Yes!" Extremely confident, Hinagiku replied "You had the challenge of: Paint your whole face in black without any flaws whatsoever!" They all looked at her face and some burst in sheer laughter "BAHAHAHA, WHAT''S THAT?!" Shizuku couldn''t control herself "You''re just jealous I was able to do this in less than five minutes by myself when quite literally no one else in this room could ever!" She was rather proud of her achievement "Though narcissistic, I will objectively praise you on that end. You''re in luck our skin variance is non-existent here; either way your guess which was: Kaneta Tateyana, was correct too." Hinagiku smiled at the stunned Tateyana who really thought it was impossible "Come again~" She still couldn''t believe it.

    Rayazaki was the following target of Basara''s evaluation.

    "Satou Rayazaki... You had the challenge of: Pick a fight with everyone in class and receive at least three punches to your face per fight (The teacher is also included), and it was not even attempted whatsoever!" Rayazaki instantly defended himself "It''s bullshit! How''d you expect me to do the challenge when I had to literally kill myself in the prior?! It''s ridiculous to even attempt it, and FUCK YOU, whoever had this stupid idea! What if it had landed on you?! Shit yourself!" Rayazaki punched the surface of their table "Excuses, excuses, excuses, we get it, HAHAHA!!" Basara maliciously laughed it off alongside some others though not many.

    Now onto the third and final row, Basara addressed the challenge that would not only determine Tsudo''s circumstance but Tateyana''s.

    "Toharoh Tsudo, you had the challenge of: Get the permission of a girl to touch her boobs and fiddle with them for thirty seconds!" Tsudo felt snarky and obtusely confident in a sense "Whore." Not Tsudo, but Kanawari spoke in Tateyana''s direction "Shut up..." Tateyana felt offended "Where''s your honor?" Kanawari asked "Hah, you''d rather die with honor to the cold? Sorry, I can''t relate---I''d rather win." She spoke with seriousness "And Tsudo, on that note, did Tateyana help you complete your challenge?" Tsudo was very quick to reply with a smile "Oh yes, she was." He winked at her with his left eye, Tateyana feeling mildly disgusted "...Gross..." Sagasuga added a comment "You had other options." He said.

    However, Tateyana looked at Kawahara instead of particularly anyone else.

    "...No I didn''t..." She remarked very lowly "Well, given that I witnessed that, I can confirm that Tateyana did help you complete the challenge, so with that said, back to Tateyana''s challenge, it was thoroughly accomplished!" Basara declared "I already spoke about your guess, which was Hyunda, so you passed, congratulations." Looking at Tsudo now, Basara continued his judgment "It was a success on your end and your guess which was: Gayakirima Kanawari was right!" Basara happily declared it "What did I tell you?" Tsudo looked behind to the bitter Kanawari "It''s just the start." She countered "Hah, no." He added something else "No, it''s not. Unless you mean your downfall, then that''s-----" Tsudo was paralyzed as he encountered a cold impending doom stare in that same line, in the seat behind Kanawari, and then Sana''s.

    His stare made Tsudo''s mouth be sealed immediately as he gulped.

    "Mayuraki Shizuku!" Shizuku wasn''t particularly eager this time as she didn''t show her usual smug smile "...." Basara then proceeded to declare her challenge "Your challenge which was: Drink at least a liter of a liquid from within the classroom, WAS NOT ATTEMPTED!!" Many began to imagine what the choices were when it came to such liquid "I''m not drinking piss, for FUCK''S SAKE!" Shizuku abrasively declared "The challenge isn''t telling you to do so." Basara replied "Well, I''m so sorry but I did ask everyone in the classroom if they could so gently lend me their water bottles but it turns out that no one, you included, teacher, had any!" She went further "So what''s my other choice here exactly?!" She complained while yelling "What were you doing in the last ten minutes when you were allowed to leave the classroom?" Basara argued.

    Shizuku realized her mistake but she didn''t want to admit it and laughed it off instead.

    "Oh PLEASE. Like I had a way to actually guess a stupid challenge like that was going to be thrown in my direction! That''s superstition at that point!" She reasoned "True. You naturally fail." Basara nevertheless gave the ultimate result "How fair." She sarcastically said.

    Absent from her table partner, Kuzan----Kanawari was next.

    "Gayakirima Kanawari, you had the challenge of-----" Kanawari spoke for Basara instead "Make out with a person of the opposite gender." She spoke very succinctly "I failed, not only that, I additionally didn''t name anyone. Move on to the next one." However, Basara said something before moving on "You''ll die by your honor then?" He genuinely asked "So be it." Lus showed visible physical agitation in her face as Daniel didn''t fail to notice that "Alright." Basara acknowledged her answer and moved on.

    Glued, her lips couldn''t move. Therefore, Sana couldn''t utter a single word.

    "Nasha Sana, you had the earnest challenge of: Vow to an individual who lost this round that you will help them complete their challenge regardless of how tasking it is in the next round; and if you can''t, then you not only lose this round but the subsequent one." Basara explained the thorough challenge that Sana got "I understand you can''t speak right now, but I need to know, who is this such said individual?" All eyes were on Sana "Mayuraki Shizuku." By contrast, all attention was pinpointed to the one behind her who replied with a stark confident tone.

    Shizuku in particular looked into Daniel, nervous yet unable to tell why she was picked.

    "Isn''t that right, Sana?" Daniel asked "...." She nodded affirmative "I see. There is no particular rule against this type of challenges that delay the challenge, since this one does have a heavy consequence. With that said, Sana''s challenge this round will be judged in the upcoming round. That means your upcoming free twenty minutes have been greatly reduced to ten since you need to be here in the next round." Not a lot of people complained "Hold on teacher... Isn''t delaying it kinda too good?" Rayazaki spoke and explained his reasoning "Sure, you STILL have to do it in the next round but being able to escape the TEN minutes of cold is very advantageous." Rayazaki made his point "Is that a complaint?" Basara asked "Yes, it is." Rayazaki looked at Sana with a hateful glare "Some of these challenges are absurdly easy while some are HARD. There''s a clear difference in difficulty in this round for some reason..." Rayazaki pointed out.

    Truthfully, no one argued back.

    "I see. While it''s a valid complaint, she does receive double the consequences if she doesn''t comply. It''s fair in my eyes, but I understand your complaint so I''ll relay it to the superiors." Basara said "......." Rayazaki wasn''t entirely pleased, though.

    Leaving only two individuals left, the round was practically almost done.

    "Lus Sera, you had the challenge of: Do something nice for your table partner." Rayazaki laughed it off "HAHAHA, WHAT?!" He couldn''t hold himself back "Are you serious?! This is supposed to be a challenge, what the fuck is EVEN THAT?!" Many shared his opinion though they didn''t go out of their way to show it "Stop complaining, not every challenge has to be malicious in the first place. You''re just jealous I was chosen with one that had the complete opposing nature of the challenge you got." Lus defended herself "Sure, sure, sure! Let''s pretend you totally didn''t luck out HAHA!" Rayazaki couldn''t control himself "This is so fucking RIGGED!" Basara continued, however "What exactly did you do that could be qualified as nice for Daniel, Lus?" Her turn to explain was due.

    Lus looked at Daniel serenely though Daniel didn''t as he kept chewing.

    "I offered him a whole pack of my delicious peach gums, he''s feeling bliss as we speak, isn''t that right?" All eyes were on the apathetic Daniel who chewed on a singular peach gum "Sure." He simply said "........." Lus gave him an annoyed stare "Fair enough." Basara shrugged "Also, did Daniel tell you who the orchestrator of your challenge was?" He asked though many didn''t understand what this meant "Yes. He told me it was Rikishima Ikkiri." Basara acknowledged "I see. Well, your guess which was: Rikishima Ikkiri, was also correct." He declared "......." Lus looked at Ikkiri and then at Daniel with a high level of skepticism "What?" Daniel looked at her with his side eye "I told you." He said "I know." She replied. And now, the turn was lastly on Daniel.

    Basara started to walk down to the south door of the classroom while reaching out for his keys as he started to open the door.

    "Daniel Lead, your challenge which was: Tell your table partner who the orchestrator of their challenge is, and be right." Stunned expressions were made in utter disbelief "How the fuck..." Rayazaki could not believe it either "That can''t be right, that''s just----what?" Basara opened the door "To which you did, and your guess which was: Ryousuke Kawahara, is also right!" Daniel instantly got up before anyone else "That''ll be all for this round! Be here in ten minutes if you were successful, and if you were not you stay HERE!" Daniel rapidly pass through the now open door and descended.

    Naturally, if there were any prior winners from the previous round, they would have an additional ten minutes to spare.

    Such people are: Gale Iris, Hirabiku Tatsu, Kitsuya Arkalee, Hiroyoshi Sagasuga, Kaneta Tateyana, Takeshi Kuzan, Sana Nasha, and Lus Sera.

    "Wait, teacher. I have a question" While many students were rapidly leaving, Lus quickly went to talk with Basara "What now?" She was very conflicted "Am I allowed to give the extra ten minutes I have to someone el---" Basara interrupted her "Absolutely not. Out of the question, Lus. I''m closing, you''re either leaving or you stay with them." Lus looked over the people who were forced to stay, such as Kanawari, Shizuku and Rayazaki, though Kanawari more in particular "Then I''m stayi---" Kanawari interrupted her from afar "Don''t be stupid, Lus. Teacher, take her away, please." Basara tucked Lus'' left shoulder "Wha-----" Ultimately, he dragged her away from the classroom "Take her advice, Lus." And closed the classroom where the three individuals would have to endure glacial cold for the next ten minutes.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Walking off, Basara left Lus in solitude but not before saying something.

    "Eat something." Feeling bitter about her friend being locked away, Lus grit her teeth and went back to her dorm.

    <hr>

    Male dorm, 5:42 am.

    "Eight minutes left." Hyunda said as they climbed down the rusty downward stairway from within a hidden part of the kitchen "Sufficient." Daniel said as they ventured deeper into the unknown area that their dorm supervisor, George Kentucky, had allowed them to go to "What exactly do you want?" Hyunda asked as he took a step forward, leading Daniel further "I need to see what I can obtain first." Hyunda chuckled "Alright. If you''re wondering about Arkalee, I sent her on some extra errands since she''ll have twenty minutes. Letting her win every time would be massively convenient, you know?" Daniel argued back "Until she decides to stay with you in the classroom." Though Hyunda argued back "That can be arranged-----and it should be..." Hyunda was searching for something amidst the dark now that they hit solid surface and were no longer travelling through the stairway degrees.

    After a while, he managed to find a light source switch and pulled it off.

    Basking in artificial light, the cave that contained seemingly endless small closed wooden boxes, was a sight to be hold.

    "All of this, at my disposal?" Daniel asked as he walked around in the dusty ground where myriads of boxes lay "No, only this." Daniel turned around and looked to his right in the mildly illuminated room where Hyunda pointed at a very small wooden box "......" Daniel got closer to Hyunda and observed the box "Here." Hyunda gave him the box after unlocking the locker with one of his keys "It''s light." Daniel remarked.

    He took an inside look at what the box had.

    Then closed it.

    "This is all I''ll ever get?" Daniel wanted to make sure "It''s what I can technically only provide to someone who is at the lowest level. Mind you, you''re technically not in, so this is generosity on my behalf." Hyunda clarified it "...." Daniel acknowledged "Got it." Immediately, Daniel opened his backpack and started to put everything that was within the box into his backpack.

    Knelt on the floor, Daniel was entirely focused while Hyunda was keeping track of the time.

    "Boring strategy, by the way." Hyunda remarked in an abhorrent tone "......" Yet Daniel kept packing "It won''t work, it''s too random." He said to Daniel "Besides-----" Now done, Daniel erupted after putting his backpack on his bag "It''s a test, don''t get confused." Daniel started to climb the stairs but not before looking at Hyunda one last time "The instructions remain the same. Same format, same signals, same type of challenge." Daniel then exited the cave while leaving Hyunda to wonder what he''s thinking about.

    <hr>

    Female dorm, 5:44 am.

    Many of the girls were eating their morning breakfast because Olivia had specifically prepared various portions of meals on this day, which already made them think that it could not be a coincidence.

    Via artificial light, they were able to see their surroundings better albeit the cold was making them tremble.

    On the east side of the cafeteria, eating a variety of sweets while drinking orange juice, Hinagiku and Ikkiri-----Hinagiku with her face extremely blurry as she had to clean it up due to the black paint covered all over it and Ikkiri, who was still recovering from having drank so much black ink-----happily ate in a ferocious manner.

    However, Ikkiri started choking the moment an individual joined their table, Hinagiku almost turning stone in the process too.

    This individual now had her face practically scarred from both sides due to her previous challenge which made it so where there were two lines all the way from the bottom of her eyes to the end of her jaw.

    "KHA----" Ikkiri was attempting to correct her own posture "Juice, drink it!" Hinagiku suggested as she saw her taking a seat to Ikkiri''s left side "Mind if I sit?" Lus asked the two of them "S-Sure! We''re just eating anyways..." Hinagiku drank her orange juice from her glass as well "How?" Lus took a bite out of her red apple "Hm...?" Hinagiku looked at Lus as she mirrored her; Ikkiri somewhat more composed now "You told me that THAT bitch was the one who issued my challenge since you also told me that Ikkiri saw the challenge, explain that." Lus wasn''t backing down.

    Hinagiku and Ikkiri looked at each other.

    "Don''t play dumb with me. Because for some reason, I later on was informed that the challenge I had received was not from that bitch Gale but from you, Ikkiri." Ikkiri felt nervous "You even confirmed it as his command, which was weird to say the least." Lus was merciless with her words "Not only that, but he was right. How do you explain that?" She specifically asked Ikkiri "....I can''t tell you, I''m sorry..." Ikkiri said "So you do know. Well, that much is obvious----but you can''t tell me?" Ikkiri nodded to her words.

    Switching from Ikkiri to Hinagiku, Lus persisted.

    "A surprising outcome, was it not? In the first round, there were plenty of losers, in the second round, not as many, but still a couple, and now only three. If I didn''t know better, I would say this is almost too good to be true." Hinagiku also felt nervous "I''ll make this extremely simple: You either tell me what''s going on or I''ll expose your scheme to the rest of the class." Hinagiku and Ikkiri made troubled expressions "...How will you go about that?" Not Hinagiku, but Ikkiri asked "In the worst possible way. It has something to do with the format of the challenge. I got it and so did Daniel. Likewise, I saw Sana''s challenge too though she doesn''t know this, and it was in the same format. In the challenge, there are two letters----those two letters tell who wrote the challenge if you go to the letter that is up ahead. My challenge had the letters of Q and H, which if I advance, are R and I." Lus dealt the blow "Rikishima Ikkiri." She presented.

    Seeing as there weren''t many corners to be cut, Hinagiku and Ikkiri sighed at each other.

    "You''re mean, Lus..." Hinagiku told her as she ate one of the cream sweets "Tell me." Lus said "We are supposed to not tell anyone, though." Hinagiku explained "I don''t care. Too many people got the other people right. It''s a working strategy, but I want to know everything." Ikkiri spoke this time "You won''t tell a soul?" She looked at Lus with serious eyes "You have my word." Hinagiku and Ikkiri looked at each other "...Daniel can''t know that you know, ok?!" Ikkiri applied pressure "....." Lus became certain now that she heard his name "He won''t." Lus confidently spoke.

    Ikkiri sighed and then began to talk after looking around and making sure that nobody else could see.

    "Daniel told us before the last round started that we, as a group, would write our challenges in a new format. Double lined on the surface two times, and we would write our first and last name''s capital letters in the bottom right corner." Lus corrected her "Except it''s the letter prior to your actual name''s first letter." Lus was correct "Yes." Hinagiku continued "Furthermore, our challenges have to include messages that will benefit anyone within the classroom. In other words, instead of wishing someone to do harmful things, it has to be the exact opposite." Lus now realized why a few challenges had such nature in opposition to the challenges prior.

    Having absorbed this, there still wasn''t something that she understood, however.

    "Alright I understand how you can tell who wrote which challenge IF you receive a challenge letter within that format, but that doesn''t explain how you two knew who wrote your challenges since you two didn''t receive letters with the same format, right?" Lus boldly asked "We don''t need to in order to know who exactly wrote for us." Lus wanted an explanation "How not?" Hinagiku took a step further "At the moment we have 19 students in our class. If we count out Aki and that whore Yukishiro, we''re down to 17. Plus, Kuzan and Tatsu were absent due to the extra ten minutes, so realistically it''s just 15. Six of us wrote those challenges, so really, if you subtract you are left with 9 unknown blanks." Lus still didn''t understand where she was getting at "Given that we are paired with someone else most of the time, or just close to someone... If we are able to see the challenge letter from that said person, we can determine whether or not the person received a challenge with our format. We would know immediately, but the others wouldn''t." Lus sipped on her black tea.

    The lengthy yet necessary explanation continued.

    "Rayazaki didn''t have the same format, so I could determine that the person who wrote it was within that said 9 people. But of course, that''s not enough to determine who wrote it." Lus agreed "Exactly, so how?" Ikkiri answered this time "It''s something we gather upon going around the classroom and analyzing who got our challenges and didn''t." Lus argued "That still doesn''t explain it, you''re just six, as Hinagiku said." Ikkiri revealed the additional piece "...It''s a mutual exchange. Someone that receives our challenge won''t know who it is but we know for a fact." Lus then started to think and realized "...I see..." Lus spoke an extra line "You offer to know who is the orchestrator and in return they reveal which challenge they wrote?" Lus theorized "That''s the common approach that he suggested, yeah." Hinagiku confirmed.

    Lus was slightly stunned.

    "That''s..." She was still testing the idea in her head "You noticed how we were circulating around the classroom? We were telling each other who wrote the challenge and so on based on the information we obtained after we traded. So at one point, we kinda always knew the people behind the challenges." Hinagiku concluded "Two minutes left... We should go." Ikkiri alerted "Yup. Damn it, I kinda wanted to eat more!" Hinagiku expressed herself as she stretched out her arm "....." Lus additionally got up and accompanied the two of them out as many of the other girls were also leaving for the classroom "Lus?" Ikkiri questioned "You got ten other minutes, stay and eat." Hinagiku suggested "...I''ll go." She said "What? Why?! It''s ten extra minutes, that''s crazy!" Hinagiku was in disbelief "I''m not letting her go through that again..." Determined, Lus spoke.

    Understanding her preoccupation now, Hinagiku and Ikkiri didn''t argue back though they said a few things before taking off; Lus accompanying them as she endeavored.

    "Please, don''t tell anybody..." Ikkiri spoke to Lus, a bit terrified "No matter what..." Hinagiku added.

    Lus was curious as to why Hinagiku and Ikkiri''s expression would show such heavy worry whenever it came down to that aspect.

    "I won''t..." Lus confirmed yet again as she couldn''t figure out the meaning behind their horrified expressions.

    <hr>

    5:50 am.

    "What are you doing here, Lus?" Confronted by Basara immediately as she entered, all eyes were on her "Would it be alright for me to not waste those ten extra minutes and enter the round?" She asked "What the---are you crazy?" Rayazaki spoke, bewildered "Holy shit, you are." He concluded as he let out a small laughter amidst his trembling "There''s no rule against it." Basara was dumbfounded too "It''s just really dumb." He confessed "Thank you." Respectfully, with all the attention on her, she went to the right side of Daniel, in their table.

    Even Daniel found it strange.

    "Why not enjoy your extra time?" He asked her "I''m free to do what I want with my own time." She said as she grasped her cold chair "True." He didn''t deny it.

    As of now, the students that are absent are those enjoying their extra ten minutes which are: Gale Iris, Kitsuya Arkalee, Hiroyoshi Sagasuga, and Kaneta Tateyana. Noticeably, Hirakibo Tatsu and Takeshi Kuzan which had twenty minutes left to enjoy prior, were now back in the classroom.

    In other words, there were only 13 students within the classroom.

    "For those who are on their winning streak, friendly reminder that if you win this round you get to enjoy not just thirty, but forty minutes, as each round contains a ten minute interval so that''s how it''s been decided." Basara released the news before allowing the new round to begin "......." Tatsu and Kuzan gave serious and deep thought into this "Likewise, those that won the last round, should be motivated too. With that said, you may now begin." Said Basara after distributing the challenge sheets across the classroom.

    Lus looked around and analyzed just how many were left within the classroom.

    "........" She unconsciously placed her eyes on Daniel while writing her challenge "......" Additionally, she tried to see what Daniel was writing, or rather---apply to the simple format of the challenge yet Daniel was thoroughly blocking it with his entire back and so, she couldn''t see it "You''re trying too hard." He commented which made her annoyed "I share, you share after?" He suggested to Lus immediately "I''ll think about it." She started writing her own challenge "Got it." Likewise he continued.

    She thought about doing something to her challenge though ultimately she did not.

    <hr>

    "Time''s up, hands off, brats." Basara''s words remained religious and so, everyone flipped their challenges face down while he collected them.

    Without even a minute to look over, Basara made haste and shuffled the challenges and started to distribute them all over the class.

    Upon receiving her challenge, Lus felt relieved momentarily due to the easy nature of her challenge.

    "I share, you share?" Daniel was quick to call her out "...Ok." Lus didn''t deny it.

    Thus, Daniel presented the challenge to Lus and she noticed that unlike his previous challenge, this one didn''t have that exquisite format. Furthermore, the nature of his challenge was the opposing of Lus''.

    "...." Swiftly, without anyone noticing, Lus shared her challenge very quickly "Ah." A smile appeared on his face "Easy, am I right?" He added while chuckling, which was creeping Lus out "Unlike yours..." She noted "Hm, you make a point." Daniel resigned himself to his seat and instead of attempting his challenge, he started to place his eyes on numerous locations across the classroom.

    Given the nature of Lus'' challenge as it was one of the random challenges written by the group of the six people commanded by Daniel, himself too, she didn''t have to worry about her challenge. Therefore, she decided to follow Daniel''s eyes and see where they landed.

    Daniel firstly put a single finger on his lips; his right hand index finger, pointing strictly at himself----his two left hand fingers pointing at Lus though she did not notice this.

    Starting with Hyunda, she watched him give a one finger signal to Daniel, which was something that she didn''t know what to take as. Following Hyunda came Kawahara, who was behind Hyunda, who gave him a two finger signal this time around. Tsudo at the end of the row where they stand from their perspective, gave a one finger signal whilst pointing at Shizuku and two fingers afterwards pointing in his own direction.

    On the other hand, to their left, Hinagiku gave a two finger signal while pointing at Rayazaki and then a one finger signal while pointing at herself. Lastly, Ikkiri elevated two of her fingers while pointing at herself, but showed just a single finger when pointing at Tatsu who is ahead of her.

    "Hm..." Daniel pondered for a few seconds, Lus observing him "......" Sana, from the front, shyly placed her eyes on Daniel and he immediately got up and went to her seat "Don''t worry, I''ll help you out as promised." He boldly declared.

    Sana had to help out Shizuku with her challenge this round in order to be victorious in this round and the prior, so given that Daniel told her that he would help, he didn''t have much of a choice.

    Lus began to see, however, a wide spread of activity within the classroom. Kawahara and Hyunda would frequently go to other classmates in order to switch information as well as help them with their own challenges. Likewise, this information would then be switched and conveniently traded off until a correct assumption could be made.

    "This is..." Lus was prematurely in disbelief still as she witnessed such a huge trade of information circulating around the classroom "Two minutes left." Basara reminded them, and Lus had no choice but to do her challenge.

    Though Kuzan was occupying the seat next to Kanawari, Lus started to walk in Kanawari''s direction and whispered something in her right ear.

    "I need your help, could you come and sit with me? No one can see this." Kanawari was visibly uncomfortable "......." Yet she couldn''t bring herself to deny a request from her best friend "Fine. But Daniel wil----" Upon getting up, she realized that Daniel was not seated in Lus'' table, so they hurriedly went back to the table and started their conversation.

    Due to what happened with Kuzan and Kanawari, Kanawari''s mood had taken a huge shift.

    "It''s my challenge." Lus didn''t waste time and presented her challenge "...You''re kind." Though bitter, Kanawari understood what Lus was implying "So, in order for me to do my challenge, I have to help you---my best friend---succeed in it~" Lus showed a soft gentle smile to Kanawari "......." Resistant at first, Kanawari couldn''t hold herself back as she tightly hugged Lus "I''m sorry---I was not ready for it..." Kanawari confessed as she trembled while weeping a bit "It wasn''t your fault, it was his, please." Lus calmly said as she patted Kanawari''s head "...Thank you, I really needed to hear that." It took Kanawari a bit to compose herself back, but as she did, she was now ready.

    By that conclusion, she presented her challenge and the first thing Lus noticed was the lack of design that her challenge has.

    Momentarily she felt a stare from the person that is on Sana''s side and nervously erupted her head by instinct.

    "?!" However, Daniel had her eyes on Sana as he was talking to her "Lus----?" Kanawari showed worry "It''s nothing----also, this is definitely possible." Lus contrasted her behavior fairly quickly but it was enough for Kanawari to reignite her hopes "...Really? I honestly thought I was doomed." Lus begged to differ "Let''s get it started, we don''t have much time..." Instead of losing time bickering, Lus helped out Kanawari do her challenge "..........." Daniel watched their movements as they started to consult their teacher, Basara, first "Hey, Sana." While looking at Lus and Kanawari, Daniel asked Sana an additional favor "Could you write me two letters? My handwriting sucks, but yours, on the other hand... It''s a mastercraft, if I''m honest. Just a simple demonstration, please." He now turned his head to his right where the lip-glued Sana is located.

    Daniel went out of his way to tell which ones to her.

    "Yup, perfect. As I thought, your handwriting is so pretty..." He complimented her "......" She felt slightly bashful "But thanks! Anyways, let''s go to Shizuku; go ahead, I''ll follow you." Sana nodded and drifted away from her seat as Daniel analyzed the piece of white paper from her journal where Sana wrote the two specific letters "......." He looked at Lus and Kanawari, who were on the second row now, abiding to Kanawari''s challenge "..........." Mimicking Sana''s handwriting, Daniel wrote two complete separate letters and then discreetly, he placed a small paper note that he had ripped off a page on Lus'' journal while ultimately stashing the rest of the white paper piece in his right pocket.

    <hr>

    "Understood." Time was up, but Basara was on a call with someone yet the call concluded rather fast without going over a minute "I apologize for the delay." Basara decided to address the curtain call "Stop. Time is due." Nobody disobeyed, though Lus felt shackled as she couldn''t fight off an unknown doubt in her system "You wrote that, right?" Lus was feeling quite nervous "Wrote what?" She was trying to be silent "This!" Albeit it was only barely, she was making a fuss about the piece of paper she presented below "No, I didn''t." Daniel coldly said.

    Lus felt torn apart.

    "I-I-I---" She gulped "What''s wrong?" Daniel looked into her fragile face "Calm down and explain." Lus didn''t like how she was acting yet she told Daniel what was on her mind regardless "I already knew the person behind my challenge because it had the same format as the last one, and I just had to follow the two letters up ahead of the ones that were presented!" She was trying to not get as much attention as possible, but it was completely backfiring "Lower your voice and whisper everything to my ear." Daniel told her as he leaned his face closer to hers while taking note of the information "I thought that it was you who delivered those two letters to me to write in Kana''s challenge since you helped me out before, but if it''s not you then that means I might have gotten the wrong name!" She explicitly told her worry; Kanawari feeling slightly afraid as she didn''t understand what Lus was fussing about.

    Basara was already collecting the challenges from the second row, but Lus decided to do something out of impulse.

    Erupting from her seat, Lus attempted to sneak into Kanawari''s desk which was two desks away.

    "Lus Sera, back to your seat, NOW." Basara''s shout froze her "----Ghhh!!" Conflicted, she said something before ultimately retreating fully "It''s the wrong name, you need to ch-----" Basara interrupted her, further ruining her mood "I SAID NOW!!" In shame, after being yelled at from afar, Lus fled back to her seat "It''s also FUTILE to change your guess as doing so will result in failure of all upcoming rounds!" The terrifying applications of this alone stopped Kanawari from altering anything as she dreaded for what would happen if she did "Good fucking God, you pests can''t stop pissing me off for a single minute---it''s impressive." Defeated, Lus gritted her teeth; Daniel fully observed her every reaction.

    After collecting all the challenge sheets, Basara went to the podium and gave the news.

    "I have some news to communicate in regards to subsequent changes that will occur in this exam. Though this is our only first hour, there will be a permanent change which is: The winner of the respective round cannot stay inside the classroom, no matter the circumstance. Also, challenges cannot be delayed from this point on." Rayazaki struck a victory pose instantly "Yes! Fuck YES! Oh thank you so---" Basara''s voice towered Rayazaki''s "FURTHERMORE, reminder that your dear friends, Akimiyashika and Yukishiro, will be back, not in two rounds from here, but in the next one!" This reminder upset some people, however they didn''t voice their complaints.

    Fiddling the sheets now, Basara started his judgment.

    "Hirakibo Tatsu, you had the challenge of: Eat Gale''s leftover vomits." Tatsu not only had a black eye from his prior challenges, but he now had vomit all over his mouth and desk "Oh my FUCKING GOD!" Rayazaki felt like throwing up "I suppose there''s an entire meaning to downbad now, holy fuck..." Not even Tsudo could hide his surprise "You''re on your third win, congratulations!" Tatsu couldn''t reply as he kept throwing up over and over "You''re cleaning that shit up before leaving, my boy. Because you''ll have an additional forty FUCKING minutes! Ah yes, your guess, which was: Lus Sera, was correct, naturally." The attention summoned to Lus greatly "Ever heard of subtlety, sweetheart?" Basara sighed as he asked Lus though she was far more concerned about something else.

    Onto Ikkiri, Basara addressed her situation.

    "Yet another lazy boring challenge for you, Ikkiri, congratulations on the win!" Ikkiri smiled a bit "...Than----" Basara shouted at her "IT WAS SARCASM, YOU''RE LUCKING OUT!" He then proceeded to tell her challenge as Ikkiri''s smile was dispelled "Sing your favorite song to a person of your choice! Now tell me, who did you sing this to?" Hyunda replied instead of her "It was to me, teach. Her voice downgraded, haha!" Hyunda laughed it off "Wha----!" Annoyed, Ikkiri showed a rapid resolve to argue back "That''s not true, you moron! I was just not ready that''s all!" She blushed but Hyunda further teased her "Taylor Swift too! It was doomed from the start, HAHA!!" Hyunda jammed his right fist onto the table "Why you-----" Ikkiri was angry "Oh for fuck sake, not this early in the DAMN MORNING!" Basara exhibited a complaint immediately "Anyways, your guess which was: Hajime Hyunda, was also correct." Ikkiri smiled and exchanged a shy glance with Hyunda who is on her right though in the second row.

    Next on the list was no other than Hyunda.

    "Hajime Hyunda." Hyunda intercepted "That''s me!" He sounded jubilant "You had Rayazaki''s prior challenge, which was: Pick a fight with everyone in class and receive at least three punches to your face per fight (The teacher is also included), which was ATTEMPTED and you succeeded in it!" Rayazaki made a comment in Hyunda''s direction though his bruised face wasn''t entirely visible to him "You''re insane. Enduring the cold was the better play, WHAT THE HELL!" Rayazaki reasoned "I''m going for that grind, you shee." Hyunda couldn''t talk that much due to the swelling on his face "We grinded your face, fucking idiot." Basara concluded as he revealed Hyunda''s guess "Your guess which was: Gayakirima Kanawari, was correct." Hyunda flashed a thumbs up to Kanawari who was feeling a bit guilty about the aftermath "A little gentle next time, queen." He tried to smile but his right cheek hurt "....." Admittedly, Kanawari did show remorse in her facial expression.

    Kawahara''s turn came.

    "Ryousuke Kawahara, you had the simple task of: Help a previous loser complete their challenge and be successful at it. So, who did you pick?" Given that there were only three losers, Kawahara didn''t have much to go around "Rayazaki, of course. There''s no way I''d let him endure the cold three times in a row." Everyone caught the figure of the trembling Rayazaki "Your guess, which was: Ryousuke Kawahara, is right, for the record, so you''re halfway there." His challenge would be confirmed depending on whether or not Rayazaki was successful in his own challenge.

    Tateyana and Sagasuga were absent due to the extra time, so up next was simply the last duo of the second row; Hinagiku and Rayazaki.

    "Make sure a person with two consecutive wins absolutely succeeds in their challenge." Basara spoke while mainly looking at Rayazaki "Looks like you finally got the good side of the spectrum, huh?" Rayazaki was mildly annoyed but couldn''t complain "It is what it is." He just took it as it was "I made sure Kuzan did his challenge correctly." Kuzan, on the other hand, looked apathetic from the prior beating still "What a clusterfuck this is! Kawahara''s challenge is entirely reliant on you and your challenge is also reliant on Kuzan. GET A FUCKING ROOM YOU THREE!" Basara slammed his notebook on the empty desk "Regardless, your guess which was: Toharoh Tsudo, was correct!" He was halfway there already.

    Hinagiku was next and unlike Rayazaki and Kawahara''s challenges, she didn''t get so lucky with its nature.

    Nevertheless, she wasn''t the type to back down from a challenge.

    "Mayabashi Hinagiku, the bravest soul here--you had yet another peculiar challenge and while you could''ve backed down you just didn''t." Basara applauded her "Play the compass game with the entire class. Every person will have a round and the compass must go in-between all of your fingers without fail; the teacher must make sure of this." Her hands were not only trembling, but tremendously bleeding "Unfortunately for you, the school''s nursery only opens at 8 am and it is almost 6 am so you''ll have to settle for Olivia''s treatment." Basara suggested "...It''s okay..." She was in deep pain despite her words not showing "......." Rayazaki couldn''t understand why she would go through all that trouble "Narcissistic bitch..." He lowly whispered to himself "Your guess which was: Hirakibo Tatsu, was also correct." Hinagiku looked at Tatsu with harmful intentions though the latter did not.

    With that said, all the attention was all in the third row, where Tsudo and Shizuku would be judged.

    "Christ." Basara sighed as he started with Tsudo "Alright, you had the very simple challenge of: Do an act of kindness for every people in the classroom, according to their wishes." Basara spelled it out "Let''s do this very simply." He said as he placed his eyes on the nauseous Tatsu "What did Tsudo do as an act of kindness according to you, Tatsu?" Through his ragged breathing, Tatsu replied "He---or rather..." Tatsu felt the urge to vomit "Jesus Christ." Basara found this sight to be unholy "...Tsudo grabbed Gale''s vomit leftovers and put them in a plastic cup..." Some had the strong will to vomit "Was that his wish?" Basara asked Tsudo "Yeah, he said that he didn''t want to lick the entire floor and eat her vomit, so I did him the favor of collecting it!" Tsudo explained.

    Basara sighed.

    And through a thorough interrogation to every single person in the room, it was evident that Tsudo did an act of kindness which was according to their wishes.

    "Fair enough, Tsudo. All of that in five minutes too, good job." Basara genuinely praised him "All in day''s work, fuck YEAH!" Tsudo gave a victory shout "Now onto the complicated part..." The great detail of attention was summed up to attention "I''ll be evaluating your challenge as well as how Sana helped you out, Shizuku." Shizuku didn''t disapprove "Draw the entire alphabet with a scissor on your back." Practically everyone in the room already knew what had happened, but they still couldn''t keep their eyes off Shizuku''s back which was exposed----as she silently guarded her front with her head down.

    Coming closer to Shizuku, Basara took a good look at her bleeding back, as her bra was untied.

    "From A to Z, every single letter. The form is good too, as expected from Sana." Lus voiced a complaint "Teacher, it shouldn''t count." Though not her challenge nor the orchestrator, she argued "The fuck?" Shizuku elevated her head slightly and gave Lus a mean glare "The challenge says that the one who gets it has to draw the alphabet on their back. Sana drew it for her, it should not count." Lus accused "...I used her hands to draw it..." Sana defended herself "So? It shouldn''t count because you technically applied the technique yourself. Shizuku couldn''t even begin to draw it because it''s naturally hard to draw things on your back." Some agreed with Lus and some didn''t.

    It was clear that there was one and only true judge here though.

    "She passes; likewise, so does Sana in her prior challenge. Though Shizuku had Sana and Daniel''s help, they both used her hands to write down the alphabet on both sides of her back. No matter how you look at it, they simply guided her hands, so in theory, it stands." Lus wasn''t happy about it "How cheap..." She clicked her tongue "The fuck is wrong with you? Do you have any idea how much this shit hurts?" Shizuku asked "Actually, I do." She forced her to look at Lus'' face which had two sides cut deeply "Your guess, which was: Sato Rayazaki, was correct." He revealed.

    Rayazaki was dumbfounded.

    "Cold was better, admit it." Shizuku refused to admit it though she was fuming as well as hurting "Dress up when this round is over." Basara told her "Yeah, no fucking shit." Basara moved to the dysfunctional duo behind "Takeshi Kuzan!" Branded with hateful glares by most girls, especially the one on his right, Kanawari, Kuzan''s turn was up "...." His usual flare was smoked out "Give your teacher 10 bucks." Basara revealed the extremely easy challenge "Are you fucking with me RIGHT NOW?!" Shizuku engulfed her emotions on fire "This prick gets not only to walk away with free forty minutes but a challenge that''s barely the equivalent of doing nothing?! He had Kawahara''s help AND Rayazaki''s too so he naturally got their money, this wasn''t hard at all!" Shizuku''s complaint raised the many complaints within the class "I''ll have to agree with her... It''s just not right for him to be this rewarded..." Kanawari added "There should be a minimal level of difficulty in these challenges... Plus, the teamwork alone proved to be very useful, no?" Tatsu voiced his complaints too.

    Basara begged to differ, however.

    "Are you creatures that retarded? Or maybe straight up masochists? You finally catch a glimpse of something right happening and your first thought is to get rid of that thing?" Basara became disappointed "You should be glad that there isn''t a level of difficulty required yet." His last word caught some attention "...Yet?" Kanawari nervously asked "Your guess, which was, Daniel Lead, was correct----Kuzan." Daniel spoke to Kuzan as his name was called "What did I say?" The hollow words made Kuzan be thankful "......" Kanawari looked at Daniel with a mean side-glare as Kuzan was still silent despite his restriction no longer being applied.

    However, with Kuzan''s challenge, also came Rayazaki and Kawahara''s, so Basara didn''t leave them out before moving on to Kanawari.

    "As mentioned previously, Kawahara, you had the challenge of helping out a previous loser in their challenge, which as you mentioned was Rayazaki, so how did you provide him with assistance?" Kawahara elaborated effortlessly "I gave him nine bucks to give to Kuzan." Basara turned to Rayazaki "Is this true?" Rayazaki was pinpointed "Yes, it is. I provided the additional one buck to Kuzan, so he absolutely could win the challenge." Now Basara divulged the truth "As you can see, I got this from Kuzan." Basara presented a couple of bucks and some coins in his right hand "Bullshit. It''s so motherfucking convenient when you have two other people doing your work for you..." Shizuku, ironically, complained "Shut the fuck up." Basara advanced "Gayakirima Kanawari." Basara finally called her name out.

    Both her and Lus were extremely nervous, not due to the content of the challenge, but due to something else...

    Her ragged breath alerted Kuzan yet he did not dare utter a word.

    "Quite the stupid challenge, but I admire the bravery in pursuing it." Basara mentioned "I might as well evaluate you too, Lus." Lus agreed "Yes, my challenge was to help my best friend, who is Kana, succeed in her challenge." Proudly, Lus declared "Correct. So, Kanawari, you had the challenge of: Get everyone in class to kiss your naked right feet." Kanawari was deep shrouded in shame as she reminded herself of how she was able to achieve this challenge "Naturally, this was an utterly impossible task to achieve, but your good friend Lus, made sure that you would." Basara then explained "By making herself be useful to everyone in the classroom whenever they had trouble with their challenges. Or rather----she made a proposal to which I have yet to communicate with my higher ups----" Shizuku interrupted "Teacher, please see to it that it gets approved. I find it better." She argued.

    Everyone already knew what this other suggestion was.

    "I see. It is not against the rules to make suggestions so long as they involve the challenges, but don''t be surprised if they''re rejected every time." Basara continued "You performed the challenge fully by getting everyone, myself included, to kiss your feet." Kanawari stepped in "Please don''t go into detail, you''re a TEACHER, for crying out loud..." She smashed her closed left fist on her table "Lus, you made the guess of: Mayabashi Hinagiku, which was correct." Though this was already a victory in a sense, Lus urged Basara to answer something else "Did Kana get her guess right?!" Her body language was fairly all over the place as it was beyond readable.

    At the current moment, the one holding the fate of Kanawari for this round, is no one but Basara.

    "She didn''t." He coldly gave the truth away "Kanawari, you wrote: Nasha Sana, as your orchestrator but in reality, it was Mayuraki Shizuku. Tough luck, Kanawari." Basara added the nail in the coffin to the defeated Kanawari who helplessly started to tear up "You fail." Her face became distorted with sadness as she felt betrayed by the one closest to her "But I didn''t succeed then, so I lose this round too." Lus spoke her true thoughts.

    However, Basara disagreed.

    "You''re wrong, Lus." Lus became aggressive "Excuse me...?!" No longer dignified, she only wanted Basara''s words "Your challenge was to make sure your best friend succeeded in their challenge, but the challenge and the guessing part are separate." She refused to accept this kind of reasoning "That''s not TRUE! The challenge and the guessing part are BOTH part of the challenge, not one and the other!" Basara refuted her "That''s not how it is at all, Lus. I never claimed they were together." She didn''t settle for it "No----" Basara attributed the rightful award to her "You pass this round, END OF STORY." Closing the chapter itself, Basara let out an imperial shout as Lus felt overwhelmingly guilty "......" Daniel placed his hollow eyes on her as she crumbled in regret.

    With only two people left remaining, Basara was extremely quick to wrap this up.

    "Sana Nasha, you had the challenge of the prior round which was a confirmed success but in this round, you had the challenge of: Name a single country from A to Z, excluding two letters of your choice!" Basara quickly went over her paper sheet that she gave him when she was done "From my understanding, you opted to not use the letter W and X, which is actually extremely correct on your end." Sana was nervous for a bit, but that feeling turned into surprise "......." She wanted to look behind her, to the figure that helped her solve this dilemma as well as most of her challenge by listing most of the country names "Your guess, which was: Takeshi Kuzan, was also correct." Her eyes widened "...How did you know all of that...?" He couldn''t genuinely hide his awe "Nevermind, sorry." He realized her lips were glued and that she couldn''t actually speak.

    Lastly, Daniel came, as Lus'' situation had already been addressed.

    "Daniel, you had the challenge of gluing your own lips, but from the looks of it, you didn''t even try it. Congratulations, retard." Despite being understandable why one wouldn''t want to do that to themselves, the consequences of neglecting a challenge were already engraved into everyone''s brain "A bit inconvenient." He spoke "Not as inconvenient as the next ten minutes; you fail. And now..." Basara started to walk to the south door as a menacing cold started to plague the classroom''s atmosphere "Wait, I have something I would like to discuss with the whole cl----" Lus got up from her seat, slammed her hands onto the table''s surface "EVERYBODY WHO HAS WON THIS ROUND HAS TEN SECONDS TO LEAVE THE ROOM OR ELSE YOU STAY HERE AND FREEZE TO DEATH!!" Everybody utterly ignored Lus'' words and began to flee the classroom as if there was a shooter aiming at them.

    Authentically ignored, Lus felt hopeless as she watched Kanawari despair in her seat now that she was condemned to the cold for the next ten minutes.

    "Hey." Two losers remained in this room for sure "Off." Daniel pointed at the door where Basara is at; his voice absent from any kindness "I won''t, I''ll stay her----" Basara began to take heavy strides in Lus'' direction "Oh no you won''t." Forcefully, Basara grabbed her by the left wrist and began to drag her out "LET GO OF ME! I SHOULD''VE LOST!!" Her body was thoroughly dragged like a ragged doll "But you didn''t." The moment Basara got ahold of the door, he trashed Lus'' body to the outside hall.

    <hr>

    A merciless door slam exiled the two losers from the rest of the class as the authenticity of the cold began to spread like wildfire across the classroom.

    The thickest fogs compare though none of them come close to the stark inferior temperatures that are boarding -30 degrees.

    Furthermore, due to the foggy weather, the tables in the room were barely visible----some completely shrouded.

    Quietly, amidst the silence and the cold, a beautiful silence could be witnessed.

    "I find it serene." Daniel took a seat next to her ".....?!" Unaware of his presence infiltrating her desk, Kanawari became alerted amidst her weeping "It''s allusive, but it''s welcoming. Clogged yet perceivable." Her trembling was intense, unlike Daniel "What do you want...?!" Instead of speaking directly to her, Daniel did something that she would not expect in a million years.

    Unveiling a long comfortable blanket, Daniel wrapped her body around it.

    "How do you like it?" He asked "I had trouble fitting it inside my backpack, but it''s helpful, since no rule strictly goes against it." Daniel reasoned "...Why?" She wrapped her fingers tightly around the winter blanket "Your face is almost purple, Kanawari." She felt fear "Do you know what that means?" Daniel glanced at her from a bottom angle "It means... Your cells are rapidly dying by the second... But I reason you''ll make it." He composed himself as he comfortably sat on the cold chair "What is that supposed to mean? Are you telling me that if I go through this again that I''ll die?" She asked "Yup. Actually, I might be wrong. Maybe you will just fall down from the cold. You''re not seeing things clearly, are you now?" Though a guess, he was right as Kanawari''s vision was blurry.

    Daniel''s face was barely visible throughout the cold.

    "Unfair... I got the name wrong because Lus wrote it for me..." She blamed "True. She thought it was someone else." Daniel agreed "But you know, you can''t blame her. She really was sure it was that someone. Do you know why?" Kanawari was not understanding Daniel''s point until he closed in on her face "I made her think so. I wrote that piece of paper that landed on the top of her journal because in the last round I gave her the correct name of her guess as well as the correct guess to your challenge, to which she helped you out, didn''t she?" Her eyes widened "Did you not wonder how she randomly knew despite not providing a concrete logical reasoning? It''s a set up, Kanawari. Likewise, you failing, is all a set up orchestrated by me. You here, with me, in the cold, is not the result of mutual coincidence but one-sided manufactured events copulated into this singularity." Daniel confessed.

    She further trembled as she wanted to distance herself from the menace that was Daniel.

    "You''re sick... You tricked Lus into thinking she was at fault, you fucking psychopath! She''s all by herself crying now, what is the matter with you?!" Despite the brutal negative temperature, Kanawari spared no mercy with her words "But it''s kinda funny, hahaha!" Daniel laughed "All it takes is a feeling of it, and once you know that the challenge has landed on you, you feel safe. You no longer feel like you''re a target. You can sit back and relax; because you know what you will win the round." His twisted glare landed on her "But if it''s the opposite, you''re fucked and there''s no way out HAHAHA!!" Kanawari began to truly lose hope "It''s unfair, no matter how you look at it. You have ill-intentioned people wanting to terminate your agenda and you can really hope that their challenges are less hurtful than the others. Absurd, don''t you find it?" Contrasting his prior hectic behavior, Daniel was now speaking in a rational tone.

    He continued to make his point.

    "The only way to obtain fairness in this type of circumstances is to instill your own "fairness"." He justified it "What the hell is your point?! Stop with the soliloquy already, damn it...!" She cried even though her tears were frozen by now ".........." Daniel firmly grasped her facial expression "You''re disposable." Her heart skipped "What..." Forcefully, he removed the blanket around her body and pushed her to the frozen floor "W-What the hell are y-----" Intertwining between her legs, Daniel pressed his right knee onto her vaginal area "GHHHH------" In pain, she howled "I have a proposal for a relationship." He further pressed his knee deeper "I need someone motivated but with a keen sense of obedience. However, I figured that obedience is best when forced, so here is the breakdown----" Her mouth started to drip saliva from pain as her weeping continued "I lay the instructions; you obey." Daniel tossed a burner phone to her chest area "Wh-What is----" However, he wasn''t done "Disobey me, tell this to anyone----trust that I will know and trust that the moment you do, is the moment your life here becomes a nightmare..." He got down to her face and gripped her jaw tightly in a savage manner "I will fucking kill you by making you fail all of your challenges and after that, your best friend, Lus----" A wicked smile created from the depths was born "----is next." Her intense panting could be felt as she unconsciously let out urinal fluids.

    Taking out the burner inside his right pocket, Daniel began to tell his agenda as he didn''t remove his position from her.

    <hr>

    "Hmmnhhhh..." The feeling of a lackluster nap resonated concretely within the doctor''s soul as he sipped on his hot earl tea "Oh he''s quite the freak alright." He noted as he watched the late livestream of the exam being displayed in multiple monitors within the living room of that secluded lightly illuminated area, in the central couch "The crowd''s hella demanding, sheeeeshhhhhh..." A young man within the living room, finishing dressing up a school uniform befitting of the school the criminals are allocated in, showed up as he adjusted his tie.

    The view count by now would be surrounding the numbers of 145 thousand.

    "Stop yer yapping and go do what you''re told." The doctor hurried him up whilst casting a side-glance "Yeah, yeah, gramps, I''ll be back in no time---goddamn I can''t wait for the crowd to cheer for me!" He flashed an abrasive wide smile filled with contagious laughter as he watched the rampage of replies within the comment sections "...Hmpf..." As his grandson left the area, the doctor continued to sip on his tea calmly yet his eyesight pierced onto the screen "Let''s see how you deal with this one, Daniel Lead. You won''t ever see it coming, gyahahah!!" Demonically, with only one hour passing by, the degree of difficulty was elevated unknowingly.

 Volume 25: Chapter 177: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part V.

    Absent from the fifth round were: Takeshi Kuzan, Hirakibo Tatsu; these two being third consecutive winners and for those that are two wins now, Lus Sera, Nasha Sana, Toharoh Tsudo, Mayabashi Hinagiku, Ryousuke Kawahara, Hajime Hyunda, and Rikishima Ikkiri. Returning to this round, however, are: Gale Iris, Kitsuya Arkalee, Hiroyoshi Sagasuga and Kaneta Tateyana.

    Furthermore, two students that had been locked away for an hour were now back too: Izayoi Akimiyashika and Kyoko Yukishiro.

    At the current moment there are 12 students, though in theory, it should only be 11.

    "Hm..." He looked at the crowd of the criminal students "Introduce yourself, will you now?" Basara wasn''t liking how long he was taking to speak "Aren''t there supposed to be 24 students? I''m only seeing 11 right now..." He stood high on the podium alongside Basara "Stop pretending you don''t know why that''s not the case, hurry up or I''m disqualifying you this round, punk." Basara cast a glare "Sigh." He opened his arms willingly "Hello, my name is Seok Yin!" With a bright smile, Seok, the medium-height young man---with vagrant upward short white hair---in the same uniform as the students from this school greeted the remaining members of the class "Who the fuck?" Rayazaki was the first one to question it.

    All of them were thoroughly confused as to who this person was.

    "He''s a transfer student." Basara said "Think of me as a guest." Seok added "Take a seat, will you?" Seok looked around "I''ll stay there." He pointed to the central table in the second row, where Hyunda currently is absent "No way, Hyunda is already here!" Arkalee refused to budge "It doesn''t matter, Arkalee. He''ll take a different seat when Hyunda comes back, since he does have 20 minutes to spare." Basara clarified "And that''s how it is~" Though Arkalee argued, the progress had to be set "You may begin writing your challenge now." Naturally, the development was set in stone and thus, every person in the room started to think of their own challenge.

    <hr>

    "Halt." Basara''s words solidified the grounding and all students stopped attempting their challenges long after they had been issued their own challenges "Any further action will lead you into failing." Of course, no one dared to go against his word and thus, Basara started to prepare to judge their challenges.

    When reaching Seok''s seat due to the fact that Seok had given him a hand signal to come over, Seok snapped his two right fingers and made Basara crunch down so he could whisper something to his ear.

    "......." His expression showed nothing, but after a short while, Basara spoke back "I see." Many became speechless and in awe by what Seok could''ve said to Basara "What''d you say?" Rayazaki questioned him from afar "Surprise~" Seok put on a smile as he twisted his neck to Rayazaki "...The fuck..." Anxious, Rayazaki was dying to know, though he wasn''t the only one.

    After returning to the podium, Basara started to judge them one by one.

    "So, to summarize: the winners of this round are: Kyoko Yukishiro, Seok Yin, Kaneta Tateyana, Sato Rayazaki, Mayuraki Shizuku and Gayakirima Kanawari." A high number of students won this round "God bless this stupid challenge format, holy shit." Rayazaki whispered out loud "The what now?" Seok became intrigued "Oh, you didn''t receive it?" Rayazaki laughed at Seok "Pretty sure he''s just talking about the random format challenge that you get every now and then..." Kanawari spoke to Seok "If you get it, I think you receive a super easy challenge which is impossible to fail." She added "Oh, neat!" He happily said.

    However, by now, all of the winners had to exit the classroom as the losers would remain to be frozen for the next ten minutes.

    Ultimately, with no sense of wanting to overstay their welcome, they simply exited the classroom.

    <hr>

    The sixth round showed the return of many students, and the absent ones were: Hirakibo Tatsu, Kaneta Tateyana, Sato Rayazaki, Mayuraki Shizuku, and Takeshi Kuzan. Granted, the returning ones would be: Lus Sera, Nasha Sana, Toharoh Tsudo, Mayabashi Hinagiku, Ryousuke Kawahara, Hajime Hyunda and Rikishima Ikkiri.

    Though given ten minutes to enjoy, it didn''t dismiss them from the upcoming round. So the only way to thoroughly skip a round is to win twice. That was a common understanding already.

    "Out." Hyunda walked to Seok, who sat on his seat "...?!" Kanawari rapidly felt a vibration in her skirt''s right pocket and checked the notification "Sheesh, harsh. You her boyfriend?" The attention was onto Seok who wasn''t getting up "That''s right. You gonna get up or do I have to drag you out?" Hyunda cast an impending stare on Seok from above as Arkalee watched him with adoration "Woohie, can''t argue there then, though where should I really------" A suggestion was made from the first row "Um, if you don''t mind..." All eyes were on Kanawari "...My table partner is on a winning streak so he doesn''t really have to attend this round." She felt nervous.

    Seeing no reason to say no, Seok got up from his seat and walked to Kanawari; ultimately taking Kuzan''s seat.

    "...I''m Kanawari, hi!" Amicably, she greeted him "You already know my name, but I''ll say it again in case you forgot---it''s Seok!" Seok flashed an attractive smile "Haha, nice to meet you...!" Kanawari brushed her side hair "Begin." Basara declared after handling the challenge forms.

    It went extremely normal, until Basara, when there were thirty seconds left to stop writing the challenges, decided to speak out.

    "Stop, I have something to communicate." He gathered all of the attention present, Seok''s smug grin rose "I''ve been noticing that a few of you have been shaping the format of the challenges and while that was not a problem, it''s been addressed to me that for fairness reasons, it will be abolished. Likewise, the two letters that I see on the bottom right corners will count too. Therefore, from this point onward, should your challenges have a format that isn''t just the simple paper sheet, you automatically lose the round." This was sufficient to wreak havoc almost instantly "That doesn''t make any sense, teach! How does altering the format have anything to do with fairness?" Kawahara complained first "The challenges are distributed randomly too!" Hinagiku argued.

    Basara attempted to explain as well.

    "It has to do with the difficulty of the challenges that have the format altered. They are incredibly easy and that''s a problem." He closed his eyes "Huh? That''s weird, weren''t you the one who called us out on how we were doing alright due to the low difficulty in these challenges? What''s wrong with wanting easy challenges?" Hyunda said "Not all of us are interested in insane challenges just to show off..." Tsudo spoke as well "I think so too..." Ikkiri agreed "Whine all you like, the decision has been made." The group started to feel nervous; their eyesights slowly but surely started to land on Daniel "Alright." Daniel spoke lowly while he chuckled.

    To further add insult to injury, Basara reinforced a restriction at the current moment.

    "You''re not allowed to alter the format if you''ve already altered. In other words, if you did what I just said was forbidden, just accept that you''ve lost this round." He sentenced all six of them to losing this round "Uh, teacher, can I ask something?" Seok spoke now "Say it." Basara told him "Are we allowed to know who wrote those challenges in those forms? I don''t see why we shouldn''t, but I just want to make sure..." Seok told his lines extremely loosely to which Basara replied instantly "It will be revealed after I finish collecting the challenges. With that said, you have thirty seconds to resume." Only one question remained.

    Did all of them write the challenges in the format already?

    Lus looked at Daniel who opened his journal again while fully exhibiting his challenge sheet to the public by placing it on the boarder of their desk.

    "What are you doing..." She questioned him "Don''t rely on me this round, whatever you do, do not seek my assistance." Daniel began to write in his journal again "What the hell is that supp--" Lus sighed "Whatever..." Her attention was pinpointed into finalizing her own challenge.

    After halting every student and collecting their challenges, Basara did not hesitate on calling the perpetrators out whilst fully exposing them to the present members in the process.

    "The ones that wrote the challenges in a format that was different from the simple white paper were: Rikishima Ikkiri, Mayabashi Hinagiku, Ryousuke Kawahara, Hajime Hyunda, Toharoh Tsudo, and Daniel Lead!" Basara clearly shouted as he exposed them "And as such, you AUTOMATICALLY FAIL THIS ROUND! Not only that, but your challenges won''t be distributed either!" This meant quite a lot, as already six people lost this round "Furthermore, you will also not be a target of your classmates'' challenges." Basara concluded.

    In other words, by taking the six of them out of the equation, the only real contenders would be: Gale Iris, Kyoko Yukishiro, Kitsuya Arkalee, Izayoi Akimiyashika, Hiroyoshi Sagasuga, Gayakirima Kanawari, Seok Yin, Nasha Sana, and Lus Sera. In total, only 9.

    It also went without saying that amidst this chattering and gossip going around in regard to this new event, that a few people within the exposed group were dissatisfied with this development, to say the least.

    <hr>

    Concluding the seventh round, there was a wide variety of losers this time around.

    The unwelcoming cold grew rampant across the classroom, especially to Daniel, who was on his third loss suddenly.

    "I must confess, I didn''t think it would be exposed this soon. Sure, the challenges were getting easier but it was a bit sudden." Hyunda sighed and placed an additional blanket on the trembling Daniel "Cut the shit, you know why it was exposed." Kawahara wasn''t in the mood to bicker as he placed his legs crossed across the central table the six of them were on "It''s that fucker." Tsudo''s expression was a spiteful one "I don''t think anyone here didn''t notice that it was his doing, because like Hyunda said previously, it was weird since the teacher congratulated us on our endeavors earlier..." Ikkiri reasoned as she hugged Hinagiku "...Daniel, you said that you would always have a winning strategy, but you''re on your third loss already..." Hinagiku gave Daniel a skeptical glare.

    Stuffed with four blankets, Daniel endured the cold for the third time as his face was blue; his lips authentically frozen.

    ".....Are you doubting me....?" He had visible trouble speaking as his trembling would not stop "...You said that this alliance would always favor the entire group. If the leader can''t even look out for himself, then I must know!" Hinagiku raised her voice; getting the attention of partial members who had also lost the round ".....So that''s your doubt..." Daniel chuckled "......." Hinagiku didn''t understand him "What''s the plan, Daniel?" Kawahara asked, once again not willing to endure pointless chattering "....We poke more holes for now...." This was an unsatisfactory answer "Poking holes? Daniel, we need a way to stop this guy!" Hinagiku showed her stand.

    The rekindling eyes kept staring at him from behind as she purposely endured the cold.

    "Alright..." His nonstop trembling peaked "...Here is what we''ll do in the upcoming round...." Daniel let out his thoughts to them as they conjured his plan into their minds.

    <hr>

    For the first time in a while, the entire class was present as the rare circumstance of every student perfectly aligning in this event occurred.

    "Good morning, people!" Basara told them that, despite already being almost two hours deep into this "Reminder that this exam only ends at 10 pm today. It''s 6:30 am, which means if you count out the half-hour lunch you''ll have from 2 to 2:30 pm, that''s somewhere around 16 hours!!" Basara''s words did not bring joy to anyone present "What! That''s crazy talk, seriously?! 16 hours?! Are you guys even human?! HAHAHA!!" Seok laughed it off "It should be evident by now, but I''ll say it anyways..." Basara mainly looked at Tatsu and Kuzan, who are on their third winning streak "The more you win, the more time you get to be absent. Eventually, if you do the math, you''ll arrive at the conclusion that you can skip a few hours of the exam through a very lengthy winning streak." Many saw that Basara was right.

    In theory, it''s possible. Whether or not realistic; a completely different matter. Not only does it require luck, but several other factors.

    Nevertheless, Basara decided to offer that supportive gesture.

    "Don''t be smartasses and try the same shit." Basara spoke specifically to the six as he handed out the challenge sheets "Don''t worry, teach, we won''t alter the format." Kawahara chuckled "Yeah, haha." So did Tsudo "........." Seok became skeptical at their confidence, and so did the rest as they looked at the majority of the six who had a supreme confidence in their expressions "Whatever, begin." Basara declared as he finalized distributing the challenge sheets all across the classroom.

    On the challenge sheets, there must be a signature by the student who attempted it on the top border that is mandatory for them to write down otherwise they will be disqualified. In contrast, in the bottom corner, the challenged individual had to write their guesses.

    Furthermore, each challenge sheet contains a number on the top right corner that''s never erased and that''s how Basara can know which student wrote which challenge since he has a sheet with the numbers which are always correspondent to a certain student as this never changes.

    This was something that everyone knew by this point and was a core fundamental at this stage of the game.

    "Hey." A demonstration of interest by Daniel to her was made the moment Basara gave the ok "...?" She was skeptical but didn''t necessarily object to her curiosity when it came to his words no longer "Want a free win?" He simply asked "......" Lus looked over her challenge "I''m afraid it''s impossible, I''ve been given a hell chal----" Daniel interrupted her "Your challenge doesn''t matter." His words bewitched her "What do you mean by that...?" Daniel''s cryptic smile emitted a certain mystic confidence to her "It means exactly what it means..." Daniel extended a sheet to her below the desk without anyone noticing "......?!?!" Her eyes widened "T-There''s no way this can-----" She was instantly skeptical and doubtful "Everyone will follow it." His words spoke volumes in confidence alone "............" Lus knew for a fact that it was a dangerous path to take.

    Especially because this method solely relies on capitalizing on one factor and one factor alone.

    Even so...

    She felt the thrill, despite the contrasting logic.

    "You''re insane..." She chuckled as she took the mysterious sheet from him.

    <hr>

    After the evaluation, Basara gave the brief summary, as one student in particular was going through something that he could not understand.

    "To sum it up, surprisingly enough, all of you pass this round except for one person!" Basara started to look at him as he felt pressured by the sheer shame "There must be some sort of mistake, teacher...!" Seok raised his voice "Don''t worry, you do have the extra ten minutes so you get to escape the cold. Don''t be so sad, it happens. Even if... It was only you." The entire class started to giggle at him "Tough luck, my guy! Welcome to our world HAHAHA!!" Rayazaki laughed his ass off alongside many others.

    Yet Seok found something extremely wrong with this entire round.

    "Are we not going to talk about how literally every one but me got the easy challenges?!" Seok made a point that no one was really able to refute though there were a few complaints about his attitude "There''s no way you''re bitching about the easy challenges when you got two of them prior, right? Because that would be mega-hypocritical." Akimiyashika pointed out "That''s not my point, damn it! My point is; why ONLY me?! Every single one of you got the basic challenges! How is that even possible?!" His complaint was met with further mockery "Holy shit, shut the fuck UP!" Hyunda was annoyed at his attitude "Who the fuck are you even? What crimes did you even commit to be here?" Questioning his origins, Shizuku was curious "Aw, look at him, he''s gonna cry...?" Arkalee teased him and got the whole class laughing in the process.

    Eventually, since the round was over, for the first time ever, every student was able to leave the classroom as they all had won the round.

    As Basara closed the door, Seok confronted him-----some students still lurking around.

    "What the hell was that?!" Seok was fuming "?" Basara didn''t understand where Seok was coming from "I thought it was supposed to be just like I told you, do you realize just how fragile your position is right now?!" He tried to speak in a low voice tone "You told me to get rid of the format and the letters, to which I did----no challenge had those. What happened was most likely teamwork on their end, since you were far too impulsive on your end." Basara reasoned "That still DOESN''T fucking explain how I got the shittiest challenge of them all and it was so ridiculous I couldn''t even attempt it! For fuck''s sake, we''re entertaining millions here, how dare you make me look like such a clown?!" Basara was getting tired of his persistent narcissism "I''ll look over if there was some mistake, but as far as I can tell, there were none. On the other hand, if you''re really convinced they are up to something, you can always just do the exact same thing you did last time." This particular sentence intrigued a certain someone who was lurking around the corner albeit unnoticed by the two of them.

    Mad, Seok decided to enjoy his ten minutes as he started to leave the block with anger.

    "Um, Seok----" A gentle feminine voice greeted Seok from behind as he attempted to climb down the empty staircase "What?!" He looked behind and saw the fragile figure of Kanawari trying to reach out to him "...I was wondering if you wanted to uh, eat..." Kanawari looked off and on to Seok, who was beyond doubtful of her "I''m not hungry, fuck off." Dismissing her entirely, Kanawari''s suggestion was rejected ".........." And so, Kanawari was left useless as Seok wandered off.

    <hr>

    "Ahh....." Daniel, after taking a quick hot shower in his room during the ten minute interval, felt whole again as the previous cold temperatures weren''t as oppressive as before "The ninth round is about to start." Seok looked uneasy "If everyone else gets an easy challenge and I don''t, then you definitely messed up." Seok spoke directly to Basara from the seat that usually is where Kuzan allocates himself in though this time around, he''s absent as his winning streak is on a rampage, so he was able to sit there once again "At that point, yes." A collective sense of confidence amidst the majority of the class rose to full height.

    After everyone wrote their challenges, Basara, as per usual, took a simple glance at the challenges and after checking whether or not they would be alright to enter the round, he shuffled; like always.

    Seok observed this method thoroughly as he attempted to see if Basara was doing something suspicious.

    Nevertheless, as normalcy dictated, Basara shuffled the challenges and went on to distribute them.

    "........" Seok''s face became static the moment he received his challenge, or rather, when everyone was allowed to turn over their challenges "...Uh..." Kanawari uttered that out loud a bit, though not too loud "Well, if you got the type of challenge again, then don''t worry..." Kanawari was quick to show her challenge to Seok "...Because I also got it..." This swiftly dispelled Seok''s worry "But this is just ridiculous! How on Earth are you even supposed to do these challenges?!" Kanawari gave her reasoning "Uh, you see... This is pretty much random, so there will always be those really near-impossible challenges that will land on you from time to time." She explained.

    She went a step further and explained the occurrences that had happened prior to that, albeit Seok already knew.

    "...Hey is there really a way for me to complete this challenge or do I have to skip it again...?" Seok didn''t want to have to face the consequences of losing a round as he didn''t have the additional ten minutes to spare this time "........" Kanawari looked into Seok for a few seconds "...I---" A sudden vibration was felt in her skirt''s right pocket ".....?" Seok wondered why she suddenly tilted her neck to the right "...I don''t think so... But from my personal experience, it''s better to attempt them regardless of how dang---" Seok denied her suggestion "You''re fucking retarded." He outright said that, earning the attention of a few people nearby "I''d rather endure ten minutes of cold than attempt this shit." He threw his arms to the back of his head; placed his two crossed legs on the surface of the table and surrendered.

    <hr>

    "The losers this round are: Rikishima Ikkiri, Kaneta Tateyana, Sato Rayazaki, Toharoh Tsudo, Seok Yin, and Gayakirima Kanawari." Unlike the previous round, the losers were multiples "As you can see, Seok, the same thing didn''t happen this time around." Basara spoke as he started to walk to the door which would allow the winners to exit the room "......" Seok was unhappy but he was forced to recognize the truth.

    Intertwining with the atmosphere, the glacial cold came down like a curse as Basara closed the door.

    "...What now?" Seok looked to his right where Kanawari stands "...You endure the cold." She replied as she started to tremble "........" Seok wasn''t immune to this and soon enough, he felt the temperatures as they decreased "Oh fuck no, I''m not having this shit..." He lowly whispered to himself as he took out the phone from his pants'' right pocket "...." Kanawari didn''t fail to notice it as Seok got up and started to walk to the isolated part of the classroom located near the west south side.

    As he isolated himself, Ikkiri sat behind Kanawari amidst the cold.

    "...?" Kanawari looked behind as she found Ikkiri''s behavior mysterious "...Hey." She said "...Hi?" She was unable to tell what Ikkiri''s intentions were "Cold, isn''t it..." Ikkiri immensely trembled "Yeah..." Their conversation didn''t go anywhere ".....Huh?!" After almost a minute, Rayazaki noticed a contrasting temperature difference.

    Instead of being completely cold, the temperatures were starting to board the the positive ones albeit not quite.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "It''s warmer than before..." Despite that, they still trembled, but Tateyana was right "......" All of their eyes were on Seok who had returned to the seat next to Kanawari "......" Daniel, Hyunda, and Kawahara, on the rooftop of their dorm, listened to the conversation through Daniel''s burner as it was on an ongoing call with another burner "Inconvenient." Hyunda noted "Wasn''t the plan to make the fucker fail to the point where he would die from the cold? If with a simple phone call he can just make the temperatures change, then there''s no real danger." Kawahara sighed.

    Daniel was silent as he continued to listen to the ongoing conversation.

    "You know what sucks? This would show them that they can''t fuck with us as they please, but this dude just has too much power to interfere. If I had to guess, he''s connected with that shitty old fart." Kawahara said as he looked at Daniel "They look alike, kinda." Hyunda shared his thoughts as the wind fluttered; the morning sun finally at sight on the cradled horizon "I wonder..." Daniel finally spoke "What?" Kawahara was curious "He does have the power to conveniently alter whatever is inconvenient to him when it comes to our exam. So, in a sense, if you''re paired up with him in a losing endgame, things won''t truly ever go south for you too, right?" He reasoned as he got up from the cold ground near a turbine "Yeah, that does sound about right. If you lose the round and so does he, nothing bad really happens to you." Kawahara concluded.

    With that said, there were a few things that they still had to go over.

    "Sooner or later the strategy will be exposed. We''re capitalizing on the fact that there isn''t a database for the challenges and that''s how we''re getting away with these fake challenges." Hyunda exposed "Because each challenge sheet has a number which is attached to a student. My number is 11, so whenever there is a challenge sheet with number 11, any of us already know it''s me." He continued.

    To be more precise, given the nature of this exam, it''s necessary to keep a certain track. What''s been decided was that each student would have a sheet attributed to them to write the challenges---but they are not random challenge sheets.

    Each student has been attributed a cardinal number. Those sheets contain those numbers, and certainly, it''s possible through teamwork to know which student has written which challenge because their teacher Basara, has been distributing these challenges in that same order. That alone, however, doesn''t defeat the fact that malicious challenges could be imposed onto another person, which means that even if someone knows who wrote such said challenge, it still wouldn''t matter.

    "But our challenges are completely different. We are using fake challenge sheets with the same cardinal numbers just under different ones while keeping the other sheets to ourselves." Hyunda said something else too "It was worth letting her win so many times just so she could print so many of those." Hyunda chuckled "There''s a massive fucking issue though..." Kawahara grew skeptical of how long this strategy could last due to this particular factor "If the teacher checks the challenges and notes them down, and later on re-reads our challenges, then he''ll know by memory that it''s been altered. Actually, I''m surprised he hasn''t noticed already..." He confessed while getting nervous "It''s because in his mind, this simply isn''t possible. The idea of us printing a perfectly equal challenge sheet is just out of our grasp while in reality that''s not the case." Daniel said.

    Still, Kawahara had a point.

    "It''s alright. The real point of strategy comes now anyways." Daniel got to the exit door and began to leave the area as they did the same.

    <hr>

    "......" Lus looked at Daniel as he was left in the classroom with the other loser after failing the twelfth round.

    Seeing Ikkiri and Hinagiku up ahead chatting as they were about to reach the downward staircase, Lus talked to them from behind.

    "Mind telling me what the hell is going on?!" She wasn''t descending the staircase "....." They both made silence; Hinagiku then briefly sighed "Well, we got time, so why not?" She said "Yeah, I mean... Everyone has been granted basically free wins for the past three rounds..." Ikkiri reasoned "Except Daniel and Seok." Lus came down "Outside----I wouldn''t want him to overhear this." Hinagiku insisted.

    And thus, as 8 am wasn''t that far off now, since they have an additional 40 minutes to spare, in other words, two rounds freed-----they went to the female bathroom within the block.

    In the hallway of mirrors and sinks, they started their conversation as they judged that no one was around after they even checked the bathroom stalls.

    "Why is Daniel doing this?" Lus naturally had no clue "You wouldn''t know because you didn''t lose the round when this happened, but this was during Seok''s second loss. His first was spared due to the additional ten minutes he had, but not during the second." Ikkiri continued after Ikkiri "I recall it extremely clearly; he was on his phone with someone and after he ended his call, the room temperature increased..." Lus was shocked "What... How is that even possible----does this mean that Seok is afflicted with the ones that are controlling the room''s temperatures?" Hinagiku answered without hesitation "Obviously. But here is the interesting part... This only applies if he loses. In the tenth round, he didn''t lose and as such, Tsudo, someone who lost the round on purpose, noticed that unless he commands it, there won''t be a change in the temperatures." Hinagiku addressed.

    Though, it was already fairly obvious in that sense, it was just a measure to prove whether or not they were right.

    Which they were.

    "So wait---he''s losing on purpose just to see what happens? What? Why?" Lus understood what he was doing, but not why he was doing it "...I don''t know, actually..." Hinagiku, despite being in Daniel''s group, didn''t entirely understand the purpose of the logic either "I think that he''s just trying to test the boundaries, no?" Ikkiri got the attention of the two of them "Suppose that this happens with an elevated frequency... If the aim of the higher ups is to make us go through that cold and have us do crazy stupid challenges like that over and over... Then haven''t they failed in a sense?" Ikkiri was not wrong.

    Due to the current strategy, most of the students were circulating fake challenges to each other and based on the simple nature of the fake challenges, there weren''t any complaints. Not only was it an easy out to the main agonizing consequence of failing a round, but it would lead to a student enjoying their free time more.

    Tatsu and Kuzan, who are on their winning streaks, have been able to be absent for almost two hours now due to their winning streak.

    Likewise, other students which have been consecutively winning again and again, just didn''t care enough about what was going on and simply went along as long as it meant that they won.

    "He''s trying to see what happens if this goes on?" Lus asked "That has to be it... Unless... Unless, there''s just something else I''m not seeing..." Ikkiri deeply pondered something else yet she didn''t speak about what she had in mind "...Here was I thinking he was in danger..." Lus felt embarrassed and sighed "Wait..." Hinagiku found something strange "This can''t go on, I just realized." Ikkiri didn''t see why "Why not, Hina?" She answered rapidly "Assuming our strategy is never noticed, this means that only the two of them will be stuck in the classroom until this exam is over. But Seok has a connection to the outside." They still didn''t understand where she was getting at "They want to kill us because of what happened on the island, so they have to stop this..." Hinagiku reasoned and they began to think about her point.

    And she was right.

    "Our viewership has dropped drastically in the last hour..." In a dark room full of monitors albeit the only angles were four as they monitored the activity within the classroom, the doctor was forced to confront the truth as he saw the number of viewers decrease.

    He sipped his hot tea from the central couch as the other staff members engaged in their respective work.

    "Mhmmm..." He didn''t like it; but what he didn''t like more was how he was constantly getting a phone call from his grandson "He''s a nuisance, and I gave him such a simple task..." He picked up the annoying vibrating cellphone "What are you doing, Seok? I gave you very clear instructions on how you had to take Daniel Lead down; just him alone. Yet you can''t even do that..." He expressed his resentment "Should we raise the room temperature more, sir?" One of the staff members in his black suit asked as he was in charge of manipulating the temperature.

    This irked the doctor, however.

    "The damn temperature is supposed to be our way to kill them but YOU''RE IN THE WAY, DAMN IT!!" Forcefully, the doctor crushed his hot tea cup with his left hand; letting the fierce melting liquid intertwine with his skin "That''s enough, Seok. Win a single round and make your exit, I should''ve known better." A guard rapidly hurried up and gave the doctor a towel to clean himself "...Got it, gramps..." Though defeated, Seok wouldn''t dare disobey his grandfather.

    After ending the call, Seok took a soft breath in the atmosphere that was plagued with a fresh air containing 3 degrees; temperature which was not negative.

    Seok had glanced at him a few times, but it bothered him how the latter had never glanced at Seok before-----or rather, Seok never caught him doing so.

    "...Hey, dude." Their seats weren''t that far off from each other; as a matter of fact, they were pretty close-by "Hm?" Daniel halted his writing and caught Seok talking to him for the first time "Mind if I sit?" Seok pointed at the seat Sana usually stays in "Sure, she''ll be absent for the next round, just like all the others." This was a fact as the only people to have lost in the previous three rounds were Daniel and Seok "Haha, yeah, thanks!" Feeling as if it was safe, Seok took a seat parallel to Daniel''s.

    He immediately confessed something as he was profoundly nervous.

    "Um, dude, don''t you think it''s weird how only the two of us have been losing these past rounds?!" He laughed in despair "Ah yeah, it''s weird alright! Fuck, I want to enjoy some free time, but this isn''t so bad either." Daniel stretched out his right arm while supporting it with his left arm "But it''s cold, no?" Seok said "Is it now?" Daniel blew a small whistle which showed a white aura in the air due to the prior cold "This is nothing compared to what we had a while back." He sternly looked at Seok now.

    Somehow, Seok found his words to be extremely confident.

    "Doesn''t it scare you---to die in the cold?" Seok asked, his expression showing hints off fear "It''s trivial, really. I''ve lost count of the times I wanted to die already, so when it comes, it comes. How about you, Seok? Have you ever felt like you had your days so numbered that you just didn''t care anymore?" Daniel asked a question that Seok would have no way to reply to as he struggle to even speak a word "Let''s cut the chase, Seok." Daniel closed his journal "It''s not a coincidence." He told "Wh---" Daniel''s words toppled Seok''s "You and I are trapped here. That''s the script. Want to break out of it?" Daniel offered "What the hell are you saying?" Seok genuinely asked and Daniel sighed in annoyance.

    He found that Seok''s lackluster reactions and predictable lines were not his cup of tea.

    "You''re not getting out of here alive, if you don''t cooperate, Seok." Daniel began his threat "You''re giving someone instructions to lower the temperature of this room, otherwise you''d be suffering here out in the cold with me and your life would be in real danger. That''s not happening whatsoever which only leaves the obvious out: You are afflicted with the old man." Daniel''s words made Seok visualize the image of his grandfather instantly "How do you know that......" Horrified, Seok didn''t know how to perceive him "Ahhh, so I was right. God, I actually thought it was someone else, but it''s good to know it was him! Thank you so much!" Daniel placed his two hands on Seok''s shoulders "I''m not obeying you, fucker..." Feeling offended as Daniel talked about his grandfather, Seok''s tone became defiant.

    Daniel reacted calmly and allowed Seok to make his stand.

    "You can''t kill me, otherwise you''re fucked. There are four surveillance cameras in this room." On the square-shaped area, four of them are allocated "Neither can I ever become a subject to the cold as my grandfather wouldn''t let me die here." Daniel''s eyes widened "...Grandfather----" Seok realized his mistake "I-----It doesn''t fucking matter!" He didn''t try to correct himself at all "What''s your point? The next round is you against me. You''re not winning the next round." Seok begged to differentiate "No, I will." He spoke with high confidence "The only people participating in the next round are you and me. I will write a lousy easy challenge that will either land on you or me." He realized "......" Daniel''s eyes sharpened "If it lands on me, then I win this round! If it doesn''t and your challenge which is an impossible to do type of challenge, then I will simply decline. Until with every round, it lands on me. It''s fifty fifty. Eventually, I will be blessed with my challenge." Seok was quick to see the benefits of this unique situation.

    Despite the low likelihood of this circumstance even coming to life in the first place, this is definitely one of the scenarios that is possible thanks to it.

    "I see. What then? You enjoy your victory, what stops me from doing the same thing again?" Seok didn''t understand "What?" Daniel elaborated "It''s fifty fifty like you said. In other words, you also can''t escape me forever. You do realize that, right?" Daniel pointed out "Pfft, I see now..." Seok understood why his grandfather ordered him to retreat "You won''t see me ever again." With utmost value, Seok spoke words that Daniel could simply not ignore "......" He fully realized what Seok''s intentions were now.

    A loud unlock was heard as Basara entered the room; nobody else entering it they enjoyed their extra time.

    "Can it get more empty than this?" He made the rhetorical question to the two of them "Hey, teacher, I have a request, since this round is just between Seok and me." Daniel asked as Seok didn''t leave his seat "Speak." Basara gave permission "Is it alright for the writing to not take so long as five minutes and when we both are done, we simply tell you so? Likewise, the same with the challenges, since it''s only the two of us who will be participating anyways." Daniel made a proposal so reasonable that Seok immediately jumped the gun "Yo, make that happen! Right now!" Upon seeing that Seok gave the order, Basara did not object to Daniel''s suggestion "Understood, have it your way." Basara handed the two of them their challenge sheets.

    It didn''t take more than ten seconds.

    "I''m done." Both Seok and Basara were caught by surprise "What the----" Seok turned around by instinct "Did you----" Basara attempted to ask "I wrote my name, yes." Daniel''s challenge was already upside down "......" Seok, feeling challenged, took no time in writing his simplistic challenge as he had envisioned "I''m done." Thus, Basara took no time whatsoever to collect their challenges and he took a very quick look at them.

    Unlike the previous times, Basara didn''t go back to his desk and instead simply ripped off the part where they placed their names, so the other person wouldn''t be able to tell. However, it was impossible not to be able to tell since it was two people.

    "Have at it." He gave the two of them their challenges.

    Upon flipping his challenge, Seok realized that he had gotten a challenge different from his own, which was Daniel''s. Yet this further confused him because the nature of the challenge he had received was the exact opposite of what he had thought to have gotten from Daniel.

    Although the challenge itself wasn''t exactly pleasing yet it was far from torture.

    "I resign." Daniel declared, which surprised Basara and Seok "Why...?!" Seok felt played to a degree "Even I can''t help but be curious. It''s so simple." To their questions, Daniel simply opened his journal and started to write; opting for silence instead "To each their own." Basara shrugged as he looked at Seok, who was just as confused.

    However, this was the golden opportunity that Seok was waiting for. In order to win this round and return to his grandfather, all he had to do was no longer be trapped here in this room which was not allowing him to complete his endeavor.

    Seok''s challenge which was written by Daniel was a very simple one.

    "Happy?" Seok placed his cellphone on Daniel''s desk "The pin. That''s what I wrote." Daniel didn''t allow Seok to get away "1029" Hateful and with resentment, Seok told Daniel and upon inserting the pin, Daniel confirmed it "Thanks." He simply said.

    With that done, Basara saw no reason to delay this.

    "It''s as simple as it gets. Seok Yin, you had the challenge of: Give your phone permanently to the other person person partaking this round that isn''t the teacher nor yourself; also provide the pin to your cellphone and be truthful whilst doing so." Seok realized that it was inconvenient to not have access to his cellphone but he didn''t have much of a choice in his mind "It was executed perfectly and your guess which was: Daniel Lead, was also correct." After that, came Daniel "Daniel Lead, you had the extremely easy challenge of: Clap twice." The challenge alone was laughter worthy yet none of them laughed "And you failed by not attempting it; or rather, by entirely resigning, so you naturally fail this round." Basara started to make his way to the exit.

    Accumulating his first win in a while, Seok could''ve simply ventured to the outside of the room, but he insisted on getting it back.

    "Give it back already!" Daniel was confused by this "What part of "permanently" did you not understand, Seok?" He was ruthless "Guh....!!" His teeth clattered "Seok, get out." Basara ordered "But---" Seok''s words were met with a strong glare from Basara "Now." His words were final as Basara left Daniel to lose for the fourth time in a row.

    Immediately after, the moment he became alone in the classroom, he dealt a call from Seok''s phone to a number that he was typing from his burner.

    It took Daniel to write an extra message from Seok''s phone as the person on the other side did not pick up the first three times.

    Only then, did the person pick up.

    "He just left, pass this message to either Hinagiku or Ikkiri: See how he gets out but don''t let yourselves be found out." He hung up and resumed his writing in his journal.

    <hr>

    In less than a minute later, with great worry, Hinagiku and Ikkiri, on the outskirts of the female dorm, while maintaining a dutiful outlook onto the main building of attention which was block F, were encountered by someone who they didn''t think they would meet so out in the open.

    "...Daniel told me to tell you guys that Seok just left the classroom and that we have to see how he gets out." Hinagiku and Ikkiri were confused to say the least, but the fact that she had an order from Daniel was sufficient for them to know what was happening "...I should''ve known..." Hinagiku said "We should tell Hyunda and the others so we can get a better reading on t-----" Ikkiri''s words were cut short as the three of them saw Seok leaving the main building with a very impatient attitude all over his body "Shit, hide, hide!!" Kanawari told them as the three of them retreated to the insides of the female dorm; below a hallway that had open windows.

    Gasping and panting, the three of them slowly but surely, elevated their heads and peeped outside of the window to where Seok was.

    Right now, Seok, who exited the main building, otherwise known as block F, went not to the south side where the two dorms (the male and the female) are allocated in. Instead, he began to walk in east direction.

    "Where is he going......" Ikkiri''s expression grew curious "...No clue..." His movements seemed oddly brusque and his striding form utterly impulsive "...Hey, what exactly did he tell you?!" Hinagiku questioned the nervous Kanawari "H-He just told me to tell you two that he was leaving the building and that you had to stalk him to see how he gets out or something...!" But they didn''t understand "Get out...? There''s no way to get out, right?" Hinagiku argued "There shouldn''t... But he wouldn''t just randomly say that..." Ikkiri put trust in Daniel''s words.

    Seeing how Seok was getting away, Kanawari decided to step up.

    "Let''s split in three paths... I''ll take the front, Ikkiri, you''ll go by the east and Hinagiku, you''ll go through block F''s direction." Kanawari got up and proposed "Ok." Ikkiri was quick to accept it "Fine." So was Hinagiku and thus, they decided to leave the dorm as they endeavored.

    Behind the hallway that would grant any of the female students access to the cafeteria, Lus hid herself as she listened to that conversation as it wasn''t that faraway.

    "...A way out...?" She lowly whispered to herself as she saw the three of them move out; her next course of action being one that would be in the same line of thinking as theirs.

    <hr>

    10 am rose to its latest potential; the primordial sun blessed the lukewarm atmosphere and the classroom felt rejuvenated.

    Every single member was present in the classroom, even the ones with their prolonged winning streaks.

    However, there was one absence and that alone was impossible for the rest to not notice.

    "Where is Seok, teacher?" The questioning began "He''s absent." Basara simply said as he distributed the challenge sheets "Oh, we know, but where is he?" Yukishiro questioned "Do your research." He didn''t elaborate "So what happens now? What''s the consequence for him?" A lot of dissatisfied comments started to erupt "He fails the rounds that he''s not present in." This reasoning was beyond lackluster "But he''s not here nor anywhere to be found, so how can he feel the damn cold that we have to go through every time we fail?!" Rayazaki spoke the thoughts of many "I don''t know." Basara refused to elaborate yet again.

    Naturally, everyone knew something was up.

    "Begin." Basara went back to his seat on his desk and gave the starting signal "......" Daniel felt a sudden vibration on his pants'' right pocket and checked the new message "...." He looked at Kanawari who was attempting eye contact albeit never fully committing it.

    Likewise, Hinagiku and Ikkiri, also kept looking at Daniel hoping that he''d understand.

    <hr>

    On the backside of block F, in an area where the sun shouldn''t be able to infiltrate yet in a direction it did, the four of them met.

    "So?" Daniel placed his right calf on the back of the wall; crossed his arms while closing his eyes and allowed them to tell what they were able to perceive "It was crowded with guards all over the area, it''s beyond restricted..." Hinagiku started off; Daniel didn''t interrupt them as they went on "It''s the abandoned classroom----" Daniel''s eyes opened as he applied brute force on his left forearm; the three of them noticing it with a minimal degree of awareness ".....I see...." His expression was distorted with rage "What else?" He pressured them.

    Kanawari decided to share some information that she viewed as crucial.

    "The entrance garden is covered with two guards and there are more than likely cameras all across----" She took an exasperated breath and continued "I saw him go inside it from afar, and stayed there for almost an hour..." Kanawari felt nervous as she had to say the upcoming words "He didn''t come out..." She expected Daniel to react with fury yet he inclined his posture and looked to the leaves on the ground as he pondered "......" They didn''t know what to make of his reaction "You mean to tell me that in that abandoned classroom, that he was able to leave elsewhere?" Daniel asked Kanawari "...I don''t know, I didn''t dare approach because you said that we couldn''t be found out..." She reasoned "I see. I''ll see it for myself then. Don''t follow me." His words were imperial.

    Daniel decided to then turn around and leave the scene without saying a word; leaving the three of them speechless.

    "...Do we follow him...?" Hinagiku spoke to Ikkiri, but Kanawari was able to hear that as well "...Maybe not now..." Ikkiri suggested "......" Kanawari though curious, didn''t want to get on Daniel''s bad side, so she opted not to follow him as well.

    <hr>

    On the outskirts of the block F, near the east side, he walked serenely to the place where a distant memory vividly replayed itself to him.

    The image of his fallen idol, Yulia, was guiding him all the way to the abandoned classroom where they once held a conversation with their hearts open to each other.

    Basking in the morning light though covered with a cradled shadow, Daniel was able to enter the perimeter that was granting him access to the faraway classroom.

    Simultaneously, however, he was captured in the cameras as he let his activity be exposed.

    "You can''t be here." The fallen idol vanished as a tall bulky guard approached Daniel; giving him a heavy palm bump in the process which made him take a few steps back "......" He felt sorrow as he had to watch her go ahead; his face emitting sadness "...." He brushed the back of his head in annoyance and composed himsefl "Um... I''m looking for my new classmate, Seok Yin." Daniel looked not only to the guard that confronted him but to the other on the right side of the shattered metallic gate that encompasses the entrance to the abandoned classroom "He is nowhere to be found. We''ve looked all over him across the dorms, and block F, and yet he''s nowhere to be fou---" The guard interrupted Daniel before he could finish his sentence "We don''t know. Neither do we care. This place is off-limits." The guard gave Daniel an intimidating glare going as far as intimidating him with his height alone.

    Daniel asked a simple question in return despite this.

    "Why is it off-limits?" He wanted a clear answer "It just is." Yet he didn''t receive it "No." He didn''t like it "You can''t do this. That place is-----" The guard shoved Daniel back once again, though more forcefully this time around "Back the fuck OFF, bitch!" He felt provoked "You have no right!! That place is where she opened her heart to me!!" Emotional, Daniel argued back, which made the other guard on standby release his hidden taser which electrocuted Daniel "AGHHHHHH!!!!" This reminded him of his early times with the doctor as he fell on the ground "Get him off the terrace..." He said "Lousy bitch..." The two of them dragged Daniel''s body.

    Yet thanks to their negligence, Daniel was able to see a tiny glimpse of a shoe as well as a part of the ever-familiar uniform pants in the semi-open door of the abandoned classroom to the east side though only barely.

    <hr>

    A new change made the majority upset, but their sights alone were enough.

    "Given the unfortunate circumstance that happened on the island, our numbers have been fairly reduced." Basara emphasized as he walked across the classroom "We no longer have the same numbers as before. Initially, class F was made by 24 students. Due to the nature of this exam, two male students were already kicked out such as: Setsuna Sasuga and Kotaro Ryoken. Last month, you lost one of your female companions, Hikaru Yulia, thanks to that tragedy." His expression turned grim as a turmoil was shaken inside "However, on the island, we additionally lost students such as: Akenama Kan and Kogami Akihiko. In other words, you are now reduced to 19." None of them found Basara''s words satisfactory "With that said, this is where these four come in." Basara finished walking around the classroom and gave the spotlight to the new faces.

    Seok was nowhere to be found amidst the four of them.

    He was, however, allocated now elsewhere, where he was prior to the time he came to block F.

    His grandfather greeted him with a disappointed glaze.

    "Worthless." Spiteful, the doctor said "...I''m sorry..." He didn''t want to admit his defeat but even so, he apologized to the person he cared for the most "Sit down." Seok didn''t dare to sit as he was trying to be respectful "Sit!" However, he insisted, to which Seok didn''t have much of a choice in the matter "Do you know why you failed, Seok?" He asked as he sipped on his tea.

    Now that the illumination was brighter, thanks to the open curtains behind, they could see each other better.

    "I kept getting trapped with Daniel over and over, and if I were to allow MYSELF to be a victim of those ridiculous temperatures, then I would''ve died, wouldn''t I?!" The doctor sighed "Ahhh, you damn IDIOT!" He slapped his grandson across his face, causing him to tear up "You failed because you didn''t play along with the damn challenges!" Seok was confused "W-What do you mean, grandfather?! I wrote the challenges according to the trend in order to avoid being weeded out but it backfired-----" The doctor felt the need to correct his grandson''s impertinence yet again "That''s not it!" He clashed his fist on the wooden table upfront "Taking the challenges head on means that you''re also supposed to endure their consequences..." Seok realized what his grandfather was implying "G-Grandpa there''s just no way that I could..." Seok couldn''t finish his sentence as he tried to compose himself.

    The doctor knew for a fact that his grandson wasn''t cut out for this type of tasks.

    "You didn''t have the balls to go down with Daniel and he took full advantage of that." His words were merciless but truthful "That is, however, fine." With a serene expression, the doctor spoke to his grandson as he sipped on his tea "It was a mere test of his expertise. I wanted to see just how the brat would react, and it''s frankly impressive how fast he adapts..." The doctor added something else "He''s a monster when it comes to adapting to a bad scenario. I could never rely on a pure soul like you, whose inner turmoil isn''t as corrupted as him to take him down, Seok." Seok was surprised that all of this time he wasn''t the one who was on his grandfather''s mind "That''s why instead, we will use the likes of them." Seok''s attention became solely focused on the gigantic plasma television that transmitted the ongoing action from within that classroom.

    As they introduced themselves, the new stage took a step further and thus, Basara immediately shifted the tempo.

    A quick resonant clapping sound was enough to draw the attention of everyone present.

    "Make groups of four. You have one minute; those who are not in a group will be disqualified for the entirety of this exam." Basara''s words put the class into pure chaos "Hold on, what''s that supposed to mean?!" Rayazaki got up from his seat "Give us an explanation, teacher!" Kuzan also wanted to know "For what reason do we need to form groups?!" Gale too, spoke.

    Nevertheless, Basara refused to elaborate and simply said:

    "Forty-seven seconds remaining. Choose wisely." As much as they wanted to know what Basara was referring to, they knew better.

    Thus, the majority of the class started to form groups of four, since in total, there can only be six groups of four. Some people already knew from the get-go who they wanted in their group. Nevertheless, given that the total count of students now was 23, there had to be a group with 3 people only.

    However, an incredible vast majority immediately held their eyesights on one particular individual, who sits on the first row, at the very end.

    They didn''t anticipate, just like him, the rapid movements of the three new students as they raided Daniel''s desk with no hesitation whatsoever.

    "Oh my gosh, I am such a fan!" One of the new students, a girl with medium height, fairly long dual black and white hair, who goes by the name of Samantha, held Daniel''s left hand whilst trembling from ecstasy "Teacher, we will be forming a group with Daniel Lead, so write that down!" A boy this time, with the name of: Elijah, with average height, slightly taller than Samantha''s, wearing stern glasses and upholding a light-blonde spiky hairstyle, spoke to Basara from afar while looking at Daniel with a daunting glare "Wh---You don''t get to decide that!" Lus intervened as she got up "Got it." Basara''s opinion contrasted Lus as he began to take note of the new group that was being formed "Early bird gets the worm~" A short haired girl, her name being: Ellie, with an uneven bob cut spoke to Lus as she grew irritated by the circumstance.

    Daniel didn''t bother to resist it either.

    "Are you sure you want this?" He asked the three of them with a serious glare as the class watched this development unfold "Mhm~" Samantha didn''t deny it "Fuck yes." Ellie affirmed "We wouldn''t want anything else." Elijah wore an expression full of conviction as he said that "Alright." Daniel accepted it "This is my group, teacher." His consent didn''t matter at this point, but he still said it.

    The first group of four was created in the heat of the moment underneath layers.

 Volume 25: Chapter 178: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part VI.

    The afternoon''s sun was prominent; the fluttering outside winds gaining turbulence in sequence.

    "Stop, that''s enough." The ever familiar words to this first day were far too common by now "I''ll announce the winning and the losing groups." Tension was built as Basara took grasp of the six challenges that were formed prior.

    Given that there are six groups in the classroom, the four individuals of each group were sharing a singular table, thus Basara started with the group nearest to him, from the southeast side.

    "The first group I''ll be evaluating is you lot, group 1." Basara placed his cold gaze on Yukishiro, Arkalee, Shizuku, and Gale "This challenge fits the criteria that was earlier established: Challenges cannot contain a nature that is helpful or kind in any regard; they must be written with a ill-intended intention." This specific new criteria obviously shifted the tides and abolished the prior schemes completely "This group had the challenge of: Choke each other like you want to kill each other without killing each other, if someone dies, then the group fails." Their notorious ragged breaths combined with the constant flux of tears served as lingering evidence of what happened earlier.

    Noticeably, Gale Iris was having trouble breathing so much that she had to ventilate frequently; likewise Shizuku too, but Yukishiro was helping her regain her posture.

    "How-----How was this allowed------Teacher---" Shizuku, weak, spoke out to Basara "Huh?" Basara did not show empathy "As long as it''s achievable, it must be done. That''s the rule." He reminded them "But----That''s----AGH----" She choked "Easy!" Yukishiro tapped her back "It was done with success based on observation." Basara applauded "However, in your group guess, in which you put group 5, was wrong. Therefore, you fail." They became paralyzed as they dreaded the consequence "Nevertheless, getting the first task done gives you half of the time you''ll suffer, not fully, so you''ll be freed halfway, so rejoice!!" They became less alarmed but they still were terrified "Do the consequences remain the same? You know... It''s cold, right?" Arkalee asked to Basara, while switching eye contact with her boyfriend Hyunda, who was far on the same row as her, just up ahead on the north side.

    Basara utterly ignored her and moved on to the second group after he declared their defeat.

    "Group 2!" Basara''s evil grin spoke lengths to them "I''ll fucking kill you when I catch you outside." Kawahara declared as he cleaned his bleeding nostrils with a paper "Shut the fuck up, bitch." Hyunda was bitter as he licked the blood dripping from his nose with his tongue "What a shitshow, Rayazaki''s face is twisted." Basara commented "Get the fuck on with it..." Extremely pissed off, Rayazaki refused to elaborate any further banter despite his face being swollen and bleeding from his nose and mouth''s corners "No mercy on the transfer student, I guess..." The other person that was in the group of four transfer students that were introduced prior was one of them, his name: Stratos.

    Stratos is around their age, has a very small height for a male, and a considerable chubby size. His hair is wavy and light-brown and wears round glasses.

    Naturally, due to the evil nature of the challenge, Stratos'' face was authentically ruined and had bruises all over it, not to mention bleeding fountains.

    "Beat the shit out of each other until you bleed, all members of the group have to be severely injured to the public eye." Basara couldn''t hold his laughter back "HOLY FUCK, YOU CLOWNS ACTUALLY DID IT, HAHAHAH, I CAN''T BELIEVE IT!!" Nobody else laughed, however "True peak comedy, I''m telling you. On the other hand, your collective guess, which was, group 2, was right! Ah, it never gets old to see your own challenge land on yourself, does it now? Granted, the likelihood became higher, so that''s that." He didn''t congratulate them and simply moved on to the second row where two other groups remain in.

    At the center of the second row, another group of four, group 3 awaited to be judged.

    "Lus, Kanawari, Hinagiku, and Ikkiri." Basara spelled out the whole group "Whoever did this challenge, please kill yourself, NOW." Lus angrily spoke out to the rest of the class with her eyes closed; the other girls expressing visible discomfort too "The challenge was: If you''re a boy, approach a girl and get one to sit on your lap while she dances and shakes her ass in your ass. If you''re a girl, approach a guy and let him grab your ass and tits for as long as he likes until he gives the ok!" Basara was exulted "Wow, you girls are truly committed!" He genuinely said "Can you NOT?!" Lus became violent with her words "Stop being sarcastic and just tell us if we got the challenge guess right because you know for a fact that we did it, FOR FUCK''S SAKE!" Although she was the only one speaking, she spoke for all of them.

    Basara didn''t bother to torture them as he saw their embarrassment.

    "Yes, you four did exactly that---" Kanawari added something "DON''T REVEAL WHO, JUST GET ON WITH IT." Basara thus did so "So fucking whiny, holy shit. Your guess, which was: group 1 was correct, so congratulations on th-----" Basara noticed the immediate bad blood between the two groups "You bitches think this is funny?!" Group 1, consisting of Yukishiro, Shizuku, Arkalee, and Gale, were giggling and gossiping "SILENCE. I WILL NOT REPEAT MYSELF." Basara corrected Lus on the spot and she slammed her right fist on the table "I will fucking not forget this." She marked her glare onto their group in specific.

    Regardless, progress had to be made, so Basara moved to group 4, positioned at the north of the second row.

    This group consisted of Akimiyashika, Kuzan, Sana, and Tateyana.

    "Group 4, you had the challenge of: Play the compass game with your eyes closed when your turn comes up until the time is done (there can''t be any intervals between the rounds, whoever is done must pass the compass to the other person or else the group fails)" Grotesque, their desk was filled with blood as the hands of the four of them looked like something out of a horror movie "Please let me go to the nurse......." Crying Tateyana begged "This can kill, no...?! How did you allow this, teacher?!" Akimiyashika, crying, also argued "Oh shut up, you''re not gonna die from a compass game." He reasoned "WHY DON''T YOU TRY IT INSTEAD THEN?!" Kuzan shouted, incredibly bitter-sweet "Quiet. Your group guess, which was: Group 6, was NOT correct!" This further added stress to them "GOD FUCKING DAMN IT, UGH!" Tateyana lamented "Tough luck." Basara moved on.

    To the third row, on the south side, the penultimate group was judged.

    Group 5 was made of three individuals, not four, due to the fact that the number in total is 23, so there had to be such a group.

    "Bash your heads into the wall until there is only one left standing, pretending to pass out won''t be allowed and it will be supervised by the teacher..." Basara looked at the two individuals on the floor "I can confirm that they indeed passed out from the bashing." Basara said "How can you be sure that they''re simply not faking it?" Yukishiro argued as she looked at Tatsu and Tsudo motionless on the cold floor "Credit their efforts, please. They really tried." Sagasuga, with a bleeding forehead, and now with a complete shaved head, spoke his mind "I''m the ultimate judge here and that''s my final judgment." Basara concluded "Bullshit but whatever." Yukishiro left it at that "The group guess, which was: group 4, is correct, so group 5 passes the entire challenge." Sagasuga closed his eyes as he accepted his victory "Carry them out of the building, Sagasuga." Sagasuga sighed at this order "Tasking but alright." He was getting side glances from group 4 yet he paid them no mind.

    Lastly, group six was up, and many people were particularly looking forward to it for a couple of reasons.

    "......." Lus looked at most of the individuals with skepticism and even a drip of cynicism as she saw their undying confidence, except for Daniel "Group 6!" Basara shouted "You had the challenge of: Bite off the earlobe of a member of your group (every member has to have a ripped part of the earlobe by the end)!" The unhinged challenge was heard loud and clear "What the fuck... Who would even..." Rayazaki questioned as he became bewildered "Goodness gracious." Sagasuga exasperated "This challenge was not attempted whatsoever by any of you, so you automatically fail!" Given by the inactivity from the group, many wondered why such was the case, but now it was evident.

    The individuals from the group began to express their feelings towards the said challenge.

    "There''s no way I''m doing that, are you crazy?" Ellie spoke abhorrently as she polished her nails "It''s violent... I don''t like violence, right, mister Daniel? Violence is bad, right?" She looked for Daniel''s approval yet he kept writing in his journal, despite being side by side with her "No offense, but I rather keep my earlobe intact, so pass." Ellijah grinned while explaining himself "Fucking pussies can''t do the damn challenge like everyone else, lameeeeeeee!" Kawahara provoked a chain reaction "For real, what the fuck is even the point if you''re just gonna get frozen to death!" Rayazaki spoke in agreement "I mean, it''s the earlobe though... Like, you have no way to recover that, I think I would''ve accepted the cold at that point..." Tateyana said "Don''t mind their stupidity, they beat the shit out of each other." Hinagiku added.

    Though by now, this meant that the round was over and thus, Basara concluded by adding a final speech.

    "The groups that can leave the classroom and enjoy their free twenty minutes are: group 2, 3, and 5." Basara gave information that was qualified as new "Twenty minutes...?" Yukishiro questioned "Yes, things have changed, slightly. Win once, you get twenty minutes. However, it won''t stack anymore." Basara said something else in addition too "But, to the groups that have done the task correctly but didn''t guess right, you have to stay here for ten minutes; such groups are: group 1, and 4. Group 6 obviously will get the full twenty minutes because they didn''t even try like the dumbasses that they ARE!!" Basara felt the need to spite them though none of them, weirdly enough, were shaken by that "And that''s that. Get the fuck out now, if you''ve won." Basara started to walk out of the classroom.

    Thus, groups 2, 3, and 5, began to walk out of the classroom collectively, albeit Lus went slower as she kept on looking at group 6, mainly Daniel, and his peculiar group mates.

    "........." Her inner skepticism ran rampant yet she had to leave the classroom though as she did, Daniel''s eyes did cross her from faraway, leaving her surprised.

    They started to descend out of the block.

    "Hold it." Lus halted and spoke to Hinagiku and Ikkiri; Kanawari lagging slightly behind them "Isn''t this just strange?! First Seok and now those four?!" Lus made a point "Yeah... Something''s definitely happening..." Hinagiku didn''t bother to deny it "Right?! And can you believe it? They specifically went to Daniel and just forced their way into adding him to their group!" Ikkiri caught up on something that didn''t exactly add up "But Daniel didn''t bother to deny it, as a matter of fact, he agreed..." Her expression became confused "That''s exactly my point! It''s weird! Why didn''t he do anything?! Did he tell you two something about this?" She asked "...No." They both replied "Then why...?" Kanawari began to walk behind them as she approached "Hey, what''s up?" She introduced herself.

    The three of them looked at her, and the atmosphere was slightly weird.

    "Oh hey, Kana." Lus was friendly however "We were just talking about how weird this whole thing about the new transfer students was... And how they specifically targeted Daniel." Kanawari was nervous "Uh... Yeah, that was weird." She agreed "But what about it?" She asked "It''s weird! What''s going on, exactly..." Skeptical, Lus began to be extremely curious "I---" A loud vibration caught the attention of Lus, Ikkiri, and Hinagiku "Hm? What''s that?" Lus questioned as they looked at Kanawari ".....One second." She turned around while looking at her new notification "Hey---Kana? What''s that? Is that a burner...?" She recognized it despite Kanawari showing her back "......." Kanawari didn''t respond immediately but had a very complicated expression ".....Fuck this....." She closed the phone and started to run off outside "Wh---Kana?! Hey, what''s wrong?!" Lus asked her but Kanawari was relentless as she escaped.

    <hr>

    The afternoon was adjoined with an unprecedented heat wave within the classroom.

    "HOLYYYYYYYY." Basara stripped the top button of his white shirt; no longer wearing a tuxedo "What the fuck... Is this temperature..." Rayazaki was out of breath as he entered the classroom again for the round "It''s their way of showing variety, I think." Hyunda spoke out as he also was feeling hot "How did you losers enjoy the heat wave? Miss the cold already?" This was mainly towards the losing group and not those that simply had to stay in the forty-five degrees Celsius for simply ten minutes "It would have been preferable, right, mister Daniel?" Samantha blushed as she leaned closer to Daniel, though the latter remained unresponsive as he kept writing simply "We might die at this point, if we fail our upcoming challenges." Elijah said while chuckling and adjusting the front part of their glasses "How unlucky would that be, haha?" Ellie added.

    The round quickly began and thus, each group engaged in the given challenges.

    <hr>

    "The following groups are the winners of this round: group 1, 2, 3, and 5. Group 4 failed to successfully guess the correct group, so they stay an extra ten minutes here. On the other hand, group 6, lost again, so they get another round at hell, but now with ten additional degrees, so enjoy!" Basara cruelly declared as he started to walk out of the classroom "...Again..." Lus spoke those words as she left the room while looking at group 6 in particular "............" Daniel kept a stern look towards Kanawari, albeit the latter refused to give a reply in any shape or form "......." Daniel closed his eyes as Basara shut the door out.

    Rapidly, the temperature of the room started to increase, though Daniel didn''t bother to strip down anything as he simply accepted the heat which came with his sweat.

    Though group 4, Akimiyashika, Kuzan, Sana, and Tateyana, were still in the room, they didn''t necessarily pay much attention to what was about to happen.

    On Daniel''s left side, the female individual known as Samantha, who has dual black and white long hair, kept staring at him with an obscure level of dedication. Ellie, the short-haired girl with an uneven bob also looked at him from time to time with a cryptic grin. Additionally, the tall boy known as Elijah, did the same.

    Therefore, Daniel judged it was fit to have at least a conversation. He halted his writing and closed his journal; ultimately sighing.

    "The suicide strategy, really?" He looked at the three of them collectively "It''s full-proof. You will die buried with us in this hell of a heat, Daniel." Ellie guaranteed "Why? It means you''ll die too..." The heat wave was starting to form again and naturally, the temperature of their skins increased vigorously "There''s nothing in it for you except death." Daniel didn''t see the point of their strategy at all "You fool, that''s not the point at all." Elijah said "?" Daniel glanced "We want to die with our fallen idol." Samantha spoke with a heavy blush on her face "Explain this nonsense." Daniel demanded to know.

    The three of them looked at each other and then Ellie began to speak.

    "This-----" She looked around and also glanced at the other students within the classroom "This classroom, is made out of juvenile criminals, yes?" Daniel didn''t respond but he agreed "Hey." Samantha closed in on Daniel''s left ear "How many institutions like this do you think there are?" Daniel looked at her but then looked at Elijah who would speak next "It''s scattered all across the globe, juvenile criminals forced to be students in normal schools-----surely you didn''t think that this was the first time they attempted something like this?" Elijah corrected himself immediately "No, no way you would, after all---you alone are the object of adoration of thousands---perhaps even millions of us. Us, broken souls, we need something akin to the depth of our turmoil in order to feel whole..." Elijah spoke with visible sadness.

    Daniel tilted his head up high as he accessed the difficulty of his situation.

    "Others know who I am?" Daniel was dumbfounded "Why of course, that goes without saying. Your case is one of the most studied; a thousand years worth of crimes yet no one really knows why. Many have and still continue to suspect whether or not you exist, but..." Elijah touched Daniel''s left shoulder "It''s you in the flesh; Daniel Lead." He smiled wickedly "........" Daniel glanced at his hand as Elijah took it away "We are transfer students from another school----just like the other students from this class, we too undergo the same exams. However, this is much more different than the usual and when we were offered with a chance to meet the one and only Daniel Lead..." Ellie became embarrassed and weak "...I just couldn''t resist it..." Samantha added something too "It''s been the greatest honor, mister Daniel Lead..." She whispered to his ear.

    Once again, he was forced to recognize just what type of circumstance he was about to endure.

    "Think not ill of us, we are truly fans of yours, Daniel Lead." Elijah said "Really? Fans of mine? Then, will you do anything I say?" Daniel tried one last trick "This infernal atmosphere; it''s your tomb. The page is burning." Eljiah replied "I see. Negotiation is really not possible then. A shame..." Daniel lamented "Though... Do you mind a bit of sport?" Daniel asked "Give it up, we''re not being manipulated. You must be a hell of a genius, if you actually have a thousand years to bail out. Hell, the fact that you''re this stoic when we literally just spoke about what''s going to happen to you is evidence enough that you have at least two plans up your sleeve." Ellie was precise "......" He couldn''t deny it, so he scratched the back of his head "At least hear me out first. You''re authentically free to ignore my words, of course, but..." Daniel spoke an additional set of words "Then you won''t know the true extent of what I''ve done." He formed an utterly confident smirk.

    Stunned, the three of them knew not how to react.

    On one hand, they knew that Daniel''s words were not to be trusted and that they shouldn''t listen.

    But...

    "Hey..." Samantha reached out to Daniel''s sweaty hand amidst the hellish heat and started to pant "What did you just say...?!" She was shaking "Sam, you stupid fu----" Daniel interrupted Ellie "Not even the government knows the full extent of my crimes. They think they do, but they don''t. A wide variety of sources can be found in certain people and a specific organization for sure, but they will just tell you a fragment of it. So, I believe it''s only fair, to you, my biggest fans, that I offer you some real fanservice." He spoke with an uncanny enthusiasm "Shut the fuck up, I''m not hearing y----" Ellie once again tried to interrupt, but this time, Elijah was the one who interrupted her, demanding her silence right away "Shut the fuck up, woman...!" Not composed, Elijah was only interested in listening to what Daniel had to say.

    Ten minutes had passed, thus, the other group left the room, which left Daniel and the other three to die in the heat.

    Daniel started to strip his white shirt''s buttons just to the point where a small portion of his abdominal area and chest could be seen. Furthermore, he started collecting his sleeves up to his elbows as he teased them with his lack of speech.

    "So?!" Samantha, impatient, spoke out "I will sell you my crimes." He simply said "...Sell your crimes...? What? Explain yourself." Elijah wanted a thorough reasoning here, to which, Daniel didn''t fail to deliver "I propose a mini game. Nothing will change in the exam, we will write a challenge to a group at random and likewise we will also receive a challenge at random; I don''t intend to change this formula." Ellie rushed him "So what do you propose exactly?" She started to unzip her blouse and even went as far as to reveal portions of her chest area alongside her bra though Daniel maintained his glance to her eyes "We will play the lottery." They were confused but Daniel elaborated "The four of us will make five guesses directed to each group." He ripped off a paper sheet from Samantha''s journal without her permission though the latter just admired the act instead of objecting it.

    Laying out the instructions with a pen, Daniel guided them.

    "In front of each group, you will write either: "Win" or "Lose" and then you will place the sheet down facedown at the very center of the table so we can all have a view of where they are." They didn''t reply but implied him to continue "Whenever the teacher is done..." Daniel patted his face with his two hands due to the immense sweat "I will check to see if the results are accurate or not." Ellie interrupted "Why you?" Daniel answered "You will all see, and besides I''m the host here. Show some respect, will you? I''m offering something remotely entertaining on the surface level." Elijah took another route "What happens after you check the results?" He truly wanted to know as he looked at Daniel with a serious glance "There will be a criteria. Let''s start from scratch. If you guess not a single one right, then nothing happens to you." He was quick to show them relief "Now let''s suppose you guess one right, what does this mean?" Daniel said.

    He elevated his right index finger.

    "One. Whoever guesses it, I will tell you a crime of mine, it won''t be the same as the others." They gulped "Likewise, if your count increases to two, I will tell you two. Same with three, four, and five. Very simple, yes?" Certainly, it was simple to understand "Alright, what''s the catch?" Ellie asked Daniel, fully suspicious "This has to benefit you somehow, so what''s the other option? If I get all my guesses right, you must obey whatever challenge it is given to us, and not only that, but if I do get all of them right, and you don''t get the same number, then I won''t tell you anything. You''re not allowed to boycott the challenge, that''s what I am proposing, most importantly." He was truthful "You''re ridiculous, don''t you know? Anyone can tell that you have something planned!" Ellie accused Daniel instantly.

    Yet he begged to differ.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    "Something planned? Are you out of your mind?" He became irritated and visibly agitated "Huh?" She got nervous "Out of nowhere, you three approached me and forced this group idea, to which the teacher agreed with, so it''s fair to say that this was orchestrated." Their heartbeats increased "And the next thing I know, you three want to die with me via the consequence of failing a challenge. Now, tell me, Ellie, how on earth would I be capable of this much preparation? Where is the evidence that I even knew about you guys coming in to deliver this nasty tactic on me?" Daniel lay back on his chair and crossed his arms midst the heat wave "..............." Ellie truly didn''t have anything to say "There is no evidence." Daniel concluded "My status is making you paranoid. This is nothing more than a silly gamble at trying to get a chance here. Nothing more than that. I don''t want to die, it''s as simple as that. Or what, do you actually think you''re being manipulated by me by some god master plan and that I knew this beforehand? How delusional can you get?" He resorted to insults.

    Frankly speaking, Daniel''s words were true and the three of them knew for a fact that he was correct. Because all this time, they were watching him from afar.

    "....I''m not playing the stupid game." Ellie was adamant "Come the fuck on..." Daniel was disappointed in Ellie''s behavior "Aren''t you my fan, huh?!" Daniel shifted his stance and tilted his position forward so he could mirror Ellie''s face close to hers; she watched Daniel''s lunatic expression at full glance "THEN FUCKING PLAY THE GAME YOU STUPID BITCH, YOU STAND EVERYTHING TO WIN! STOP DICKRIDING ME AND EXPECTING THE IMPOSSIBLE OUT OF ME, GODDAMN IT HAHAHA!!" Ellie was terrified "Seriously... Hey, play it. You know you want it. Don''t you wanna know? I can tell you things that the government would be dying to know... Drug rings, pedophile organizations, rape campuses, black market locations, Al Qaeda hideouts, you name it, I know so much shit that the government doesn''t that you''d be by far the most privileged out of all of us.... All you have to do is play a guessing game, Ellie." He showed his wicked smile as he backed off to his seat "...Holy shit... It''s really you----" Ellie''s eyes widened "....Fin-----" Ellie was interrupted by Elijah, who wanted to clarify a few things.

    He stripped off his white uniform shirt and just like that, his extremely ripped upper body was at full display.

    Lastly, he adjusted his glasses to the very center.

    "Not so fast, Ellie." He spoke with clarity "It doesn''t add up." Daniel didn''t agree "What doesn''t?" Elijah answered fast "You stand nothing to win, Daniel Lead. It''s just not safe to bet on this." Daniel sighed "How insecure can you creatures get? What do I have to do to give you three the ultimate security measure to partake?" Daniel allowed Elijah to think for a while "...Hm..." Elijah finished thinking "Show us what your guesses are as you write and you''re not allowed to change them." Ellie and Samantha found the suggestion ridiculous but not even more ridiculous than the quick affirmation from Daniel "Sure." They were skeptical to say the least "It''s completely based on who I think can pull off who guessed who, so it''s utterly RNG. If you want to copy my results, then that''s fine with me." Daniel showed no quarter "......" Unlike Ellie, Elijah wasn''t prone to backing down whenever he felt that it was a good time to jump in "I accept it, I''m in." He relaxed back and showed stoicism.

    As twenty minutes had passed, Basara opened the classroom and the temperature started to go down drastically.

    "...I already said fine, so yes, I''m in." Her skepticism was never truly erased but Ellie said the yes as the remaining students started to enter the classroom "Ngghhh..." Samantha looked at Daniel as she let that out "I am most interested, so it''s a yesssss, even though hehe, I much prefer burning you in a fire than learning all your secretsss~~" She confessed "I doubt it." Daniel replied "Buckle up, bitches, next round is up!" Basara declared as he closed the door.

    Thus, the next round started.

    <hr>

    After the challenges had been delivered, they ignored the challenge that were given and Daniel simply opted to play his cards by dealing out a sheet where Ellie, Elijah, and Samantha could vote their guesses.

    And most naturally, Daniel did as he agreed to and began to instantly write his guesses.

    "Here." Daniel swiftly dragged his sheet to the center of the desk, right above their challenge to which they were ignoring "You can''t be serious." Elijah couldn''t believe it "It''s final, I won''t make a move about it. My guesses, which are: group 1 to win, group 2 to win, group 3 to win, group 4, and ultimately, group 5 to win, are final, as I said." Daniel spoke his guesses out loud.

    Elijah examined his guesses thoroughly without jumping ahead first but Ellie began to look at the other groups to see if there were any suspicious interactions yet no one was switching eye glances with Daniel.

    "I''ll be taking this theeennnnnn!~" Samantha showed no shame as she copied Daniel''s guesses "........" Ellie kept on the watch because for Daniel to have some sort of beneficial outcome here, all of his guesses would have to be right "If you don''t get them right, then you''re dead next time, it''s as simple as that." Ellie reasoned as she copied the same sheet as Daniel "........" Elijah, on the other hand, wasn''t as confident as these two and was trying to think of an alternative way that Daniel could be manipulating them.

    It''s clear that the only winning scenario for Daniel is for him to get all the guesses right.

    By doing so, their agreement in which they have to do the next challenge stays. Therefore, from their perspective, there is no way that Daniel could be lying to them. Furthermore, if Daniel is lying, then he is most likely dying in two rounds due to the overheating. Because this round is utterly lost, since they are not attempting the challenge whatsoever.

    However, it still doesn''t explain how his plan would work since guessing which group will win is incredibly hard if it''s at random.

    Ultimately, Elijah decided to try and gather information across the tables to try and scourge any information that he could.

    "Time''s up." Basara''s words were mandatory to obey "I will now tell the results." And thus, Basara went on.

    The final result was something that was beyond their comprehension entirely.

    "Congratulations to all the groups who have successfully did all the challenges and have gotten their guesses correctly!" Basara clapped "There''s no goddamn way..." Ellie was dumbfounded by the predictions being right "However, group 6, once again, REFUSED to do anything so they will stay here inside like the fucking clowns that they are! Enjoy the upcoming fifty degrees Celsius!" Thus, with the rising temperatures, group 6, which is made out of Daniel, Ellie, Samantha, and Elijah, stayed in the classroom.

    There wasn''t a single group that didn''t also fail to guess which group did which.

    "What did you do?!" Ellie questioned Daniel immediately "This could not have been a coincidence! You can''t just say that the other five groups will get it right and expect us to just buy it." She was beyond pissed off "Hm? Then what do you suggest happened then, Ellie?" Daniel locked her eyesight on her "They had to know, this is all bullshit." Elijah and Samantha observed their argument "Know? Know how? How on earth would they know my guesses? Did you see me talk to them this entire time?" She clicked her tongue in utter annoyance "I was here the entire time, I approached no one. You kept your eyes on me this entire time, ever since you got here. Or are you gonna go on a conspiracy theory spree again?" Daniel openly mocked her with a grin "You gotta give mister Daniel a bit of credit here, he did get them all right... Somehow~" Samantha was happily indulging in Daniel''s company.

    However, after Daniel brushed his hair back with his two hands, he got the core of the matter.

    "Since you all voted the same as me, it means that I have therefore obliged to tell you five secrets each. So, which one of you is first?" Daniel hurried them "I''ll go first~" Samantha offered herself "I see. Any specific secrets you want to know?" Daniel turned his eyes to her and asked "Your choice, mister~" She giggled "Alright. Ellie, Elijah, look elsewhere, I''ll write down the five secrets to Samantha. Likewise, when your turn comes up, the other two will do the same." Daniel reasoned "Fine..." Ellie didn''t object "Ok." Same with Elijah and thus, Daniel begin to write five secrets of his crimes that he claimed earlier that the government had no idea of. This gave interest to the doctor as he watched the scene unfold with Seok.

    Seok was eating a cup of chicken noodles though he was confused.

    "What the hell are they doing? Were they not supposed to be extremely confident since they will die with Daniel Lead?" Seok judged based on their expressions and given that the video does not show a full voice coverage, it''s impossible to tell what they are saying yet they can clearly see what they are doing "They will die, no matter what happens. They are sold out on killing Daniel Lead, let him play his ploy, it won''t do him any good, gahaha." The doctor laughed out loud "Isn''t this the same exact scenario as last time, grandps?" Seok questioned the doctor.

    The doctor wanted to simply brush off the question but he didn''t mind answering.

    "They are suicide bombs, they will fail all challenges on purpose, so it''s just a matter of time before Daniel Lead dies from an extreme lack of hydration. Trust me, Seok, you don''t want to be him right now." The doctor was empathetic "Not the point, grandps..." Seok went on "What is he writing? He''s sharing things with them... Are you sure we shouldn''t do anything about it?! It sucks that we can''t get a read on what he''s saying! Plus, multiple viewers have complained about this issue. Can''t we get some lip-readers to get a translation on what they are saying?" This was a notorious problem for sure.

    If the doctor truly wanted to enhance the experience to the outside, then this issue would have to be solved.

    "There are only four cameras in the room right now. Two on the south side, east and west, and vice-versa on the north side. But it''s true, this will have to be fixed..." The doctor acknowledged it "Thank you, grandson." Seok felt happy for the compliment.

    On the other hand, Daniel was done delivering the secrets to the other three.

    "It''s not fiction, but I have no way to prove them. However, how else do you think I''ve gotten a thousand year jail sentence? It''s due to the accumulation of my crimes. The government decided to add a surplus of my crimes and decided to go with it." Daniel reasoned "I trust we have an agreement now and that you''ll seriously try in the upcoming round?" He wanted to make sure "I don''t mind~" Samantha lied "Sure." Elijah did too "Yeah, that was the deal, after all..." She was thinking of something else too, but she lied naturally too "Oh good, that''s fantastic, I get to leave in the next round then!" Daniel cracked a smile as he stretched his arms midst the heat wave.

    However, before symbolizing the beginning of the next round as there was a minute left until Basara and the others returned to the room, Daniel made yet another bargain.

    "I think that most of you, if not all of you, really think that I controlled the way the results were planned out." Daniel confessed as he sighed "Which is why, in the upcoming round, I want to to erase that doubt. The doubt that I am somehow in control with my choices." Daniel''s words were mysterious "How do you plan to do that?" Elijah asked "You three will write my guesses." They became shocked "Wh----That makes no---Huh?!" Ellie didn''t know what to think of this; she became out of her mind "What''s wrong? Did I not make myself clear here?" Daniel genuinely asked "Let me get this straight----" Ellie went on to the check with Daniel as Basara opened the door of the classroom which allowed the other students to enter the classroom "You are saying that you will allow us to just write your guesses this time?" The students saw their group talking and many were curious "That''s right. Simple, right?" Daniel looked at the three of them "......" None dared to object.

    Thus, the next round began.

    <hr>

    Upon getting the challenge this time, Daniel took great interest in it.

    "Give two of your nails (each member must do this) to a random girl in the class!" Daniel spoke loud enough for the rest of them to hear, including the other groups "It''s doable, shall I go first?" Daniel looked at Elijah, then Ellie, and ultimately, Samantha, who were writing Daniel''s guesses "Yeah, I''ll do it after you do it." Elijah spoke with apathy as he passed the guessing sheet to Ellie "Fantastic, I''ll go ahead then." Daniel started to look at his right hand.

    Thoroughly, Daniel grasped the middle finger of his right hand and utilized his left hand fingers to scourge the nail out through a series of physical struggles.

    "Uh..." He wasn''t really able to get it out from the surface of his finger despite the blood all over it "I think that I need help." He admitted "Samantha, could you help me out? I need to get it off so I can go to my other nail." Daniel reasoned "Sure~!" Samantha was done writing the guess and thus, placed the sheet on the middle of the desk "Ouch..." Apathetic, Daniel let out a small howl of pain as the blood from the finger started to swarm "Nghh..." Samantha erotically licked the ripped nail and sucked the fresh blood dry "Hey." Daniel was annoyed "The other one, hurry up." He rushed her and thus, they were able to perform the task on Daniel''s side successfully.

    Two nails were on the table now, belonging to Daniel.

    "Alright, who is next?" Daniel showed a happy expression as he looked at Elijah, Ellie, and Samantha "Fucking no one, you retarded fuck." Ellie was merciless "Eh?" Daniel gained a newfound expression "What?" He didn''t understand Ellie''s words "You''re dying here, Daniel Lead. You didn''t actually think that you''d get to walk out of the classroom and scheme something with your pals, did you now?" Elijah adjusted his glasses "I would appreciate it if you didn''t underestimate us so much, mister Daniel..." Samantha showed a sorrowful expression "Oh..." Daniel muttered "So that''s how it is." He was utterly locked.

    Daniel gave some thought.

    "Alright." He moved on fairly quickly "Let me see what you guys wrote." They were in a state of permanent surprise by how indifferent Daniel was to the revelation "Ehh... So the groups that will win this round, according to the guesses you wrote as mine are: group 2 and 5, and group 1, 3, and 4, will lose..." A permanent silence was formed within the class for about two seconds, to which the three of them found awkward yet this silence was quickly dispelled shortly after as the groups resumed their activity "..What the..." Ellie was sweating due to stress "Alright, fair enough." Daniel didn''t have any objections.

    Now the real question would be what they would write.

    "Hm..." Daniel saw their guesses and they were divided "So you''re not voting for the guesses you have made in my place this time around? Why?" He asked out of sheer curiosity "To be honest with you, I don''t really care about this stupid game of yours." Ellie confessed "I just wanna see you wither, Daniel." She delivered the truth "I see." Daniel was indifferent "The secrets were definitely nice to know, but they hold no use, in the end, they are just for curiosity. You should know by now since we refuse to do the challenge that we cannot be manipulated to our cores. There are humans like that, Daniel Lead, that are so illogical at their cores, that they simply cannot be reasoned with." Elijah argued ".....Is that so....?" He narrowed his vision down "What about you, Samantha?" Daniel turned to his left, where Samantha kept on sucking the nails "Nghhh... Well..." She paused the nails on her lips "I am indeed very curious about what else you are hiding but... I believe death to be more beautiful than anything else sooooooo I want us all to die in your arms!" She laughed like a maniac, attracting the attention of nearby students.

    Daniel was disappointed.

    He found that their choices were lacking in intelligence.

    "Elijah." He called out to him and forced a glance clash "You said that they had no benefits, but how do you know that''s true?" Elijah was confused but nevertheless answered "They don''t, it''s just a confession of your crimes." Daniel started to lowly laugh in response "Hahaha.... Oh, you lack so much imagination, not just you, these two as well..." His narrowed vision met the three of them "The old man doesn''t know shit." They weren''t expecting him to be mentioned "...You know doctor Hwan...?!" Ellie spoke out of line "Ellie, damn it!" Elijah kicked Ellie on her left calf "!!" She tapped her mouth as she realized her blunder "Doctor Hwan... So that''s his name. But yes, I''m talking about him. We did have a conversation prior to this day." This was news to them.

    Undeniably, the three of them were curious as to where Daniel was going with this and thus, they didn''t interrupt him.

    "Did you know that our crimes, as students from this international government plan to reform us juvenile criminals are deeply archived into layers that are extremely costly in terms of money?" The truth shocked them "Our crimes are information which is worth thousands. The digits multiply beyond your wildest imagination and frankly, it''s not a surprise as to why. They are valuable information that could lead to massive discoveries, as you can probably imagine. So, with this in mind, how would you feel to know that you know more about my crimes than the old man does?" Daniel chuckled "He was dying to know what I have done but it''s not that simple. There really isn''t evidence lying around and----" Ellie interrupted Daniel as she judged his words to be nonsensical "What is your point?" She coldly asked.

    Hook in, the fish is caught.

    Daniel adjusted his posture.

    "Do you not have a desire for your own freedom? I understand the sentiment of adoration for someone you deeply are invested in, but that can''t be all there is to it. We are young, we have too much time left on this Earth. I don''t even need to ask, but if you could be granted the chance to be free from this program and retake your life, you would very much enjoy the opportunity, no?" Daniel was thorough "What the hell are you saying..." Ellie wanted Daniel to get to the point, to which he did "Sell my crimes to him and buy your freedom, is what I''m saying." Daniel said something absurd which was met with criticism right away "2 minutes left!" But not before hearing Basara''s loud shout before "This has to be the most laughable manipulation attempt you could''ve thrown at us, holy fuck!" Ellie chuckled "Why do you think so?" Daniel asked, and Elijah answered this time "How do you suppose that telling him your crimes would buy us our freedom? Do you realize just how absurd that statement is?" Elijah asked.

    To this, Daniel took out a smartphone from his right pants'' pockets and placed it on the desk.

    "What is----" Ellie''s words were toppled by Daniel''s "Bargain your way with the doctor. I am the most notorious criminal out of them all in this program, yes? Trade the information for your freedom." He insisted "That''s not how it works, I would have to speak to the doctor privately and right now there is no method of doing that-----" Daniel''s grin rose to full height "Oh there is." Elijah''s mouth opened "He just so conveniently happens to be a phone call away." Daniel looked at the cellphone "His grandson was a tad bit naive, far more than that---if I''m really honest. That''s his phone. I do know the pin, so if you want to give it a go, go for it." Daniel proposed "...What''s the code?" Daniel gave it to Ellie right away and she was able to access Seok''s phone without a second''s hesitation, to which she saw a number that was called several times "It was earlier, but if you truly have seen what happened before then you''d know that the temperature of the room was manipulated; it was Seok who called him to do that, over and over. I know this, because I did it on purpose." Daniel didn''t bother hiding it.

    Basara gave the shout which indicated that there was only one minute left, but this was barely noticed by them.

    Their priority was no other than accessing the truth in Daniel''s words.

    "All you have to do is call. Demand your freedom in return for my crimes; you lose nothing by trying." Daniel reasoned as he snatched the phone back by force from Ellie "...Then give it back...?!" She didn''t understand why he did that "It''s all yours." He extended the cellphone to the center of the table as the three of them tried to grasp it, only for Daniel to elevate it to the air "If you do the challenge, that is." He struck his bargain "Fucking knew it..." Ellie spoke with spite "Death or freedom, which one is it?" Daniel posed the question "Thirty seconds left!!" Basara''s shout was detrimental here "I am crushing this phone, should you not comply, also." They became far more nervous than they should "You-----!!!" Ellie was thoroughly confused, but Elijah and Samantha, on the other hand, didn''t hesitate to comply.

    <hr>

    Granted, the end of the round came by and Basara announced the winners and the losers.

    "Winners: Group 3, 5, and 6! Losers: Group 1, 2, and 4!" This time around, there was a diverse variety in the winners and the losers "Ghhh----" In pain, Ellie trembled as she wrapped a paper around her right thumb and right index finger to cover some of the bleeding "A brilliant display of bravery thus far, I like how there isn''t any doubt anymore when it comes to whether or not you should do the challenges!" Basara gave the compliment and then started to direct himself to the end of the classroom, where three groups would be able to venture outside to enjoy their additional twenty minutes.

    As agreed, Daniel handed them the phone and started to move out of the classroom, which left Elijah, Ellie, and Samantha behind.

    "Elijah, stalk him!" Ellie was furious at her agonizing injuries "Excuse me? I need to get into contact with the doctor, NOW." He became abrasive as they talked on the outskirts of the classroom.

    Looking at the three of them, however, against their knowledge, were a group of three people in particular, who were hiding behind a wall on the east side of the hall, just so they could see and listen to what they are talking about.

    "You HAVE to follow him around because we can''t enter the damn male dorm, he has to be plotting something so get your ass moving and track him down!" Ellie insisted and wasn''t letting him off the hook "...We will give you the opportunity to talk to the doctor later, Elijah, I promise..." Samantha tried to talk him into it "Bullshit, you won''t. I fucking know you won''t! Just let me talk to him and mark an appointment, I have all the secrets related to his crimes! This is Daniel Lead we are talking about, of course there are people dying to know bits of information, just let me talk to hi----" Ellie shouted "SHUT THE HELL UP, ELIJAH! HE CAN''T BE ALLOWED TO TRY ANYTHING, TRACK HIS ASS DOWN, I''LL GET THE APPOINTMENT FOR YOU SINCE YOU KNOW A PORTION OF HIS CRIMES TOO, NOW FUCKING GO!!" Ellie''s shouts were beyond loud, but it was enough to get Elijah away from the scene as Ellie and Samantha started to deal out a call.

    Naturally, Elijah was seen sprinting at such force that he didn''t even notice the three individuals hiding in the hallway, as they became utterly nervous.

    Yet the sight of his figure running down the staircase indicated that they were not seen whatsoever.

    "...Did I hear that right...?!" Ikkiri was skeptical "No doubt about it, there''s something going on..." Hinagiku reasoned "Don''t just stand around there, come on!" Lus hurried them to follow Elijah and thus, they began to follow his tracks.

    A minute after tailing Elijah without getting noticed, they saw him enter the boys'' dorm as they hid themselves behind pillars.

    "...Shit, we can''t go in, can we...?" Lus asked as she looked at the entrance that was covered by the male dorm''s supervisor, George Kentucky "Just like a boy can''t just come inside ours, yeah, we can''t..." Hinagiku agreed "Hey, what did he mean earlier? When he said that he has all the secrets to his crimes? He was talking about Daniel, for sure." Ikkiri made a confident claim "If I had to guess it was due to something that Daniel said but it''s been weird all afternoon long, the three of them have been targeting him relentlessly and------" A surprise caught their sights, which made them hide more cleverly in-between the pillars.

    Elijah was seen as he was nervously looking around outside of the dorm a minute after his search inside the dorm.

    "Where the fuck is he?!" He shouted out loud, unaware of those around him at all "Hey!" Returning back to the entrance of the dorm, Elijah was face to face with the colossal giant otherwise known as George Kentucky "What?" His abhorrent expression was enough to tell it all, but even so Elijah tried to bargain "Where is Daniel Lead?! You keep a track of who goes in and out, right?!" Insignificantly smaller, Elijah''s height in comparison made him puny as George took a heavy step forward "Oh, I do, bitch." He took a bite out of his chicken sandwich "Didn''t see him. Besides, you fucking checked the dorm yourself, so the fuck are ya asking me that shit for? Piss off." The crumbs of the sandwich got on Elijah''s glasses "Argh!" It was unpleasant "Gross, damn it!" While this was happening, a question emerged from the three of them.

    Lus was the one who posed it.

    "Where the hell could he have gone then?" She looked at Ikkiri and Hinagiku "...Maybe he didn''t leave block F at all? It''s possible he just is in the bathroom, no?" Ikkiri threw a guess "Last time we met him was on the-----" Hinagiku realized what she was about to tell Lus "-----Nevermind, uh, he''s probably still in the block." She also changed the subject instantly "Still, what''s the purpose of all this, Lus?" The two of them looked at her while expecting an answer.

    On the mark, Lus began to walk to a place where she thought she could find a certain someone.

    "Follow me, this has been very strange all day, and I won''t settle for no answers." At her mercy, Hinagiku and Ikkiri followed Lus who ventured to a lower part of block F.

    <hr>

    "Teacher." Caught smoking on the perimeter outside block F while browsing on his phone, with his back against the wall, Lus called out to Basara "Hm? There should be a few minutes left, ten or less. Well, eight to be entirely more precise. What is it, Lus?" There was also Hinagiku and Ikkiri with her, but it was Lus who mainly made her bargain "First Seok and now, those four. I won''t count Stratos or whatever his name is called, but I''m mainly talking about Elijah, Ellie, and that girl Samantha." Basara continued his smoking session "What of them?" He let out a cloud of smoke "I don''t believe they are transfer students. It''s all too suspicious and sudden, what are they doing here?" She asked "Hell if I know." Basara wasn''t cooperative whatsoever "Please, teacher, you know something! There has to be a specific reason why the three of them targeted Daniel, right? It wasn''t just a coincidence." Lus was surefire.

    Basara looked at her for two seconds and judged whether or not he should tell the words that he wants to say.

    "It''s all a charade, that''s all I can say." Basara tossed the cigar to the ground "What?! Can''t you be more specific?" Lus felt as if Basara definitely knew something "I can''t say anymore----but----" His serious glare persisted her "It''s not a coincidence. Let what is happening be a lesson for you. Avoid getting the spotlight as much as you can or else you''ll just end up attracting the attention of those who have a truly twisted agenda." Basara began to enter the building without leaving much of an explanation.

    <hr>

    "....." Lus felt explicitly conflicted as she looked down on the ground inside block F.

    There was almost a minute left for the next round to start, so she simply sat on the top degree of the staircase within the hall of their classroom.

    By that point, many students were starting to walk in her direction as they climbed their way up to the classroom, naturally.

    Amidst them, was a frail girl that was Lus'' best friend, who crossed glances with her; causing Lus to get up.

    "Kana." She spoke and Kanawari was reluctant to say another word "Uh..." However, she tried to justify herself "I had something to do earlier, sorry about that." Another presence walked by, though Lus was entirely focused on Kanawari to notice "I was worried about you, you''ve been so strange today. Is it still about Kuzan?" Kanawari had a difficult expression "Ah no, listen---I''m----" Her expression grew a combination between surprised and utterly shocked "Kana?" Lus found her reaction weird.

    Therefore, she decided to track her eyesight to see where it landed.

    The target was Daniel, who was drinking a huge bottle full of water.

    "What the hell is he thinking?!" Kanawari blurted that out loud "What? Wait, what do you mean?!" Lus confronted Kanawari "Get inside!" Basara, on the east side of the hall, spoke to the last remaining individuals outside, which were just the two of them "He''s insane...!" Kanawari refused to make eye contact with Lus as she shook her head left and right "Hey, tell me, what do you mean?!" Lus ignored Basara''s words and prioritized knowing what was going on "He is going to die!" Kanawari spoke her true mind without thinking of the consequences "...What?! You''re not making any-----God, let''s go inside!" Lus didn''t bother missing out on the next round, however.

    Once inside, her eyes were on Daniel, who was drinking the water bottle.

    "Someone''s thirsty." Basara mentioned as he reached the podium "The lack of hydration caught me off guard, I need to drink as much water as I can..." Daniel was already half-way through the bottle; his group members watched him drink it like a savage "Share some with your group members, next time." Basara suggested "Sure." Daniel put down the water bottle in the middle of the table "If you guys wanna drink some water, just go for it. Nothing forbids you from doing so. Besides, if we have to endure another heat wave, then it''s determental for you to drink water." Daniel spoke factual information.

    On the central side, within the second row, Lus, Kanawari, Hinagiku, and Ikkiri were united as a group once again, awaiting for Basara to give out the orders.

    "Oh God..." However, Kanawari was having a panic attack as she placed her two hands on her head "Kana, what the hell is wrong?! Just explain yourself already!" Lus was puzzled by Kanawari''s strange behavior as of recently and she wasn''t the only one "Did something happen, Kanawari?" Ikkiri placed her right hand on Kanawari''s left wrist and couldn''t help but notice how cold it was "Oh God, oh God, oh God!" She wasn''t making loud noises by any means; as a matter of fact, she was trying her best to not get reactions around her "She''s not reacting normally..." Hinagiku noticed that "Hey, what''s wrong?! Talk to me, Kana!" Lus shook her shoulders in despair.

    Trembling, Kanawari thought of one thing and one thing alone as she looked behind in Daniel''s direction; in the third row, where she saw the water bottle being drank without a second''s hesitation.

    From Samantha, to Ellie, and ultimately to Elijah, the three of them drank refreshing crystal water until the water was no more and felt immensely rejuvenated.

    However, it was the sufficient string. Though she tried to cover up her mouth at first, it was inevitable.

    It came down running like a raging water fountain of vomit.

    "BLEEEEGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" The entire desk was covered with Kanawari''s continuous vomit, which caused the members of the desk to get up instantly "HOLY SHIT!!" Ikkiri accidentally blurted that out "THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED?!" Rayazaki got up as he saw Kanawari throw up without stopping "Teacher, she isn''t feeling well, can she go to the nu------" Lus was brutally interrupted by the obvious answer "God fucking no. Also, WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?! THERE ISN''T A SINGLE GODDAMN CHALLENGE THAT TELLS YOU TO THROW UP!!" Even Basara was disgusted by what was happening.

    Amidst this commotion, it was fairly normal to have an undivided attention to Kanawari, who just vomited out of nowhere.

    Nevertheless, there were a few students that didn''t neglect themselves as they looked to the north side of the third row.

    "Wait, huh...? I feel so..." Ellie was relatively dizzy; her vision blurry----she had to support her head with her hands but her blood running down her nostrils and eyes were visible "What the hell is this...GHHHH-----" Choking on saliva bubbles, Elijah''s body started to descend on the floor as an overpowering paralysis hit him suddenly "....Ahhhh.... Ahhh......." Panting over and over, due to the fact that her body was feeling tremendously weak, Samantha was trying to guess what was happening; her eyes then looked to the person on her right side "Hey, guys?!" Daniel was mainly talking to Elijah and Ellie, but Samantha clung to his body in her dire time of need "...Y-You...!!" Her eyes began to bleed rivers of blood "Hey, teacher!! They aren''t feeling well, we need assistance here!!" Suddenly, the shift of the spotlight was rearranged as Samantha''s body collapsed on the floor alongside Elijah and Ellie.

    The start to the afternoon was marking a marching mayhem.

 Volume 25: Chapter 179: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part VII.

    Basara instantly received a call to which he was not allowed to decline.

    "Yes..." He understood the gravity of the situation as the students within the class watched the chaotic situation unfold "Everyone, back to your original seats NOW!" His orders were heard and thus, Basara went straight forward to the last desk within the third row where the collapsed three new transfer students were allocated in.

    At the same time, five black-suited guards rushed inside the classroom at grand speed.

    "What the hell?!" Rayazaki was startled by the quickness in their footing "Take him out!" The leader of the guards abruptly ordered that as they locked in Daniel "Hold up, what the fuck?!" Kawahara got up "Kawahara, DON''T do anything." Basara shouted with such immense strength that the whole room full of students didn''t dare to think twice "But----just what the hell is this----?!" They saw Daniel, taken by two guards on each side, Elijah carried by a guard, Ellie and Samantha too, though their conditions far worse in comparison.

    A silence struck the classroom as they had no idea what just happened except for one person in particular.

    <hr>

    "Poisoning, to be specific, cyanide poisoning." A quick report had been performed by the school medical doctors in the private medical section of block A, where students were not allowed to meddle "Cyanide..." The doctor''s vision narrowed as he took a long glance at their pale bodies laying in the medical beds "The fastest poison to act, known to take minutes; depending on the dosage, even seconds to kill... And you mean to tell me that they died from cyanide poisoning?" The doctor questioned the head doctor of the hospital "It''s far more likely that they took something beforehand, a few minut-----" Doctor Hwan shouted "Don''t SCOLD me in something I''ve known for longer than you have!!" The hospital doctor cowered "They were in a call with me through my grandson''s phone the whole time!" He argued.

    Though cowered and feeling intimated, the middle-aged hospital doctor within block A, gave the doctor a more surefire reasoning.

    "It had to be the bottle then, sir..." Retaking another look at what happened through the footage in a computer, the doctors were beyond clear.

    A loud buzzing sound was made to the doctor in the form of a call, but he declined the call instantly.

    "Absurd, Daniel Lead intook the content of that bottle and he''s doing fine! As a matter of fact, he''s still alive, by contrast to these three!" The doctor argued fearlessly "But it''s the only logical explanation!" Another call was made to the doctor "Why you-----" Furiously, he declined the call again and even thought of shutting off his phone but for several reasons, he couldn''t "How on earth would the water bottle be mixed with cyanide and he got to walk out of it freely?! He would need several antidotes to counter that and that''s even assuming that he somehow has access to all of that!" The doctor countered "...Sir, they died from cyanide poisoning... If he or someone else mixed it in the bottle and he took several antidotes prior, then... It would result in simply water, because water and poison together result in simply water..." Doctor Hwan thought it was strange.

    Yet another call was made.

    "A rundown inspection has to be performed." The doctor was annoyed "There is no lingering evidence that it connects to him yet, but if it''s acknowledged, then he can die from execu-----" The call was spammed over and over as a newform of gaining his attention "DAMN IT, YOU STUPID CHILD, SEOK!!" He wanted to cut his phone in half but picked up the call from Seok instead "DO YOU NOT REALIZE THAT I HAV----" Seok''s loud voice interrupted the doctor with godspeed.

    Not only Seok, but a wide multitude of people, including some of the individuals from the student council, formed a circle over the myriads of computer screens that were accessible within that room; the location being unknown.

    "The viewership skyrocketed just a few minutes ago!!!" His enthusiasm spoke volumes to the doctor "What...?! How?!" The doctor was feeling mixed as he received the news "Our viewership from the start wavered from 150,000 viewers to 200,000, but a clip just sent viral and it jumped to 350,000 suddenly!!! Holy shit, the chat is going crazy, it''s fucking epic!" Seok grouched at the galore of comments swarming in the comment sections within the streaming platforms scattered across the globe on the dark web "What clip?!" The doctor asked "The one where the three of them died, what else?! Oh---although the vomiting one got attention too, but holy shit, everyone went batshit crazy at their deaths HOLY FUCK!!!" Shaken, the doctor was forced to understand something.

    Albeit, at the same time, he wanted to determine something else, so he ended the call abruptly, leaving his grandson hanging.

    He needed to deal out a call to the guards within the block in order to carry out his wish.

    However...

    "....?!" The surprises didn''t end as he received a call from someone he could not possibly ignore, thus he picked it up without delay "Yes?" He was met with a snark voice; though he knew who he was, they had not met prior "Doctor Hwan, the one and only?" It wasn''t old by any means, but not young "Yes, that is me." Doctor Hwan composed himself as the name from the call spoke heights "I would like to know why you removed him without my authorization." To the point, he cut off Doctor Hwan''s corners short "He''s the prime suspect of the deaths of those three, I believe a thorough investigation should be----" He disliked the reasoning by a mile "Oh no, no, no! Their deaths----they increased the avenue, do you not REALIZE, doctor Hwan?" Doctor Hwan was shocked at his reasoning ".....I see..." Though he understood at the same time "I will put him back in, principal Wojak." Dissatisfied, doctor Hwan was forced to accept it.

    The other side of the call is from a place where the afternoon sun is visible though from a very high standpoint.

    To be in his place, would be the equivalent of climbing to the peak of that school.

    "Oh and one last thing----" He walked to the balcony where the full height of block A could be seen in comparison to all the others; a crystal clear towering height crushed all of them mercilessly, but especially the faraway block F, the smallest "Yes?" Doctor Hwan''s eyes widened at the request "...Sir, if I may inquire-----" Doctor Hwan didn''t find this method to be authentically well-thought out but Wojak was relentless in his pursuit which made doctor Hwan hopeless "It will be applied in the next round..." The doctor gulped as the call ended "Well..." He cleaned the sweat of his forehead as the other doctor watched silent though nervous "They are criminals so it''s not a problem..." He reasoned as he made yet another call.

    <hr>

    He was back rather quick and was dragged by force into the classroom by two guards who then closed the classroom, but not before one of them told a sentence to Basara from afar.

    "You have one minute to explain, after that, the round starts." Basara didn''t reply back as he watched him close the door "Daniel, to your seat." Daniel simply walked to his desk where Lus was now, where Elijah, Ellie, and Samantha were previously.

    Needless to say, he was both blessed and cursed with attention-seeking glances from his classmates though they dared not speak as Basara would deliver crucial information about the upcoming round.

    "The groups will be random from this point onward." Basara clicked on his remote and allowed the projector allocated at the center of the ceiling of the classroom to project a roulette "The rules will remain the same. But there will be an additional rule..." Basara took a heavy breath as he kept the students in suspense "The death of a participant will terminate all the activity for today, but it won''t work if the orchestrator is caught or has any conclusive evidence linked to them." Basara closed his eyes as he said the words that he was not fine with; a visible discomfort was spread "Huh...?" Tateyana was the first to react "Sorry, what?" Tsudo couldn''t believe the words that Basara had just said "I will repeat myself one more time." Even Basara found it hard for them to process this right away "If one of you dies and there isn''t a way to find a conclusion to who "killed" such person, then the day ends." He was simplistic this time.

    Given the extreme lack of time, Basara was forced to get things rolling.

    "The groups will now be chosen." The entire class was thoroughly shocked and as the groups were chosen in the roulete, a simple question emerged "Teacher, are we allowed to use any means to kill someone?" Daniel instantly earned horror glances from his classmates "Shut the hell up, Daniel..." Basara exasperated "You of all people saying that..." Basara was anxious suddenly.

    Very quickly, however, the groups were decided and were separated into five brackets since there were only 20 students left.

    Group A was made of Akimiyashika, Hinagiku, Rayazaki, and Daniel.

    Group B was made of Ikkiri, Gale, Kawahara, and Hyunda.

    Group C was made of Kuzan, Shizuku, Kanawari, and Tsudo.

    Group D was made of Arkalee, Tatsu, Lus, and Yukishiro.

    Group E was made of Stratos, Sagasuga, Sana, and Tateyana.

    After quickly adjoining themselves into their tables, Basara started to distribute the challenge sheets.

    It goes without saying that the atmosphere was beyond heavy.

    "Start." Basara declared.

    All students had stripped off their blazers and were only wearing their inner white uniform shirts due to the heat.

    On the east side of the classroom, on the south side, group B was allocated. On the north side of it as well, was group D. To the central row, in the middle area, group E was allocated. On the west side, otherwise the third row close to the opening doors, in the south side, was group C, and lastly, on the top side, was group A.

    The idea remained the same; each group had to write down a challenge with a ill-intended nature to another group though this challenge would be random.

    However, the new rule gave birth to some interest.

    "Hey." Daniel stunned Akimiyashika, Hinagiku, and Rayazaki momentarily just by talking "Interesting rule, don''t you guys think?" They glanced at his apathetic eyes "From my understanding, if any of us dies, the day is concluded if they can''t find conclusive evidence. In other words, we get to enjoy the entire day." Daniel giggled "Now, I don''t know about you guys, but I''m tired as hell." Daniel displayed a sleepy and tired expression "So, any one on your mind who you wanna kill?" Daniel asked the poisonous question "You killed them, didn''t you?" Rayazaki was the one who asked "Elijah, Ellie, and Samantha?" Daniel turned to his right to converse with Rayazaki "Who the fuck else, shithead?" Daniel hummed "Hmm... I guess the suspicion is on me. What, do you think they drank poison or some shit from the bottle? But I was drinking from it, so how would you explain the fact that I''m completely alive and kicking?" Rayazaki was pissed off "That''s the fucking thing, I can''t explain it nor anyone else for that matter!" Daniel went back to his question, however.

    This time with the other nervous two individuals in mind.

    "I''ll ask again, is there anyone you specifically would like to see get killed off?" Daniel was not hiding the fact that he very much enjoyed this particular rule whatsoever "........" His targets had someone in mind for sure.

    Akimiyashika was utterly emerged with the thought and as for Hinagiku, she was more divided on whether or not she should actually be listening to what Daniel is implying.

    "...How would you go about it...?" Akimiyashika raised her head and asked "I can''t go into details. Because after this round is over, our groups will be shuffled. In other words, I could quickly become a target." Daniel reasoned "But are you saying there is a way to kill someone in this exam without getting it to you?" She asked "I believe so, yes. It''s pointless to make a group fail over and over because it''ll be random, so you can''t really pinpoint target someone unless it''s this round. And even then, for you to strictly want to kill someone, it would have to be done not here----but elsewhere." This was confusing to Akimiyashika "What?" Daniel went a step further and Daniel whispered something to the three of them "No matter how ruthless your challenge, it''s not enough. So if you think you can kill someone with a challenge, then cease that nonsensical reasoning already." Daniel was quick to shatter their delusions.

    On the other hand, the other groups were also delving into their own strategies.

    "Toxic." Shizuku spoke out loud "So much for that..." She sighed as she looked at Kanawari, who was trembling "Stop..." Kuzan looked at her with a mean glare "Or what? God, what a shit group, right, Tsudo?" She seeked his approval "Yo, shut up and think of a damn challenge." He wasn''t in the mood for her tricks "Hmm... Hm..." She looked around to the other groups "Can you kill someone with a challenge?" She asked the three of them and got their attention rather quickly "...No, the teacher wouldn''t allow it. You can''t just make a challenge that implies such things, Shizuku." Kuzan gave his thoughts but she was bored with his lackluster understanding "That''s not it..." She sighed.

    She explained.

    "We trick the teacher." Tsudo was curious "How? He will just reject any challenge that implies lethality or highly dangerous. A proof of that is that stupid compass game, it''s extremely dangerous but not lethal to the point where you could die from it." Tsudo reasoned "That is indeed stupid, yes. However, I''m talking about a challenge that seems harmless on the surface, but can actually kill someone accidentally..." They were confused to say the least "I don''t care..." Kanawari said "All of this is fucking stupid..." She projected a traumatized look in her eyes "This rule is just fucked up, it''s promoting murder!" She began to tremble "Kana..." Kuzan spoke in her direction.

    However, by doing so, Kuzan earned her retribution.

    "Don''t ever talk in my direction again, you piece of shit." Her words were hollow and full of hatred "Do us all a favor and kill yourself in a way that no one would be able to tell that it was you so your life can actually have a purpose." Her trembling resumed and she hugged herself while looking at the surface of the table "........." Kuzan felt hurt but didn''t fight back "Oh it''s pointless with this group it seems..." Shizuku reasoned yet Tsudo was in deep thought; he looked at the north of the third row as he pondered something.

    Kawahara was done writing the challenge.

    "Not that it''s any of my business but..." Hyunda relaxed back on his chair and asked as he gathered their attention "If there was someone you could kill in our class, who would that be?" He looked at Kawahara, Gale, and only then, Ikkiri "All of you motherfuckers could die for all I care." Kawahara boldly told "Kill yourself." Gale retorted "Would be fucking great, wouldn''t it? Actually, how would it even look like, to be the last one standing? Shit, that would be kinda hype, to have some sort of competition like that, not gonna lie..." Kawahara was too busy imagining the scenario in his head, so Hyunda looked at Gale instead "Why do you ask?" She was slightly bashful towards Hyunda as she got a good read on his physical structure "I''ll keep it real, I don''t want to spend another ten hours at this. I don''t know why this happened, but I don''t necessarily believe everyone in this classroom is mandatory." Hyunda added something "I think that one person going out of the equation could very well transition into one less enemy." His reasoning was appealing to Gale.

    Gale flickered with her bangs intertwining with her right finger.

    "...I do have someone..." She said "No, it''s none of you." She additionally reassured "But I''m not telling you. Because it''s not as if a challenge can kill that said person, right?" She asked Hyunda but Kawahara answered "Not if you let them know that''s your intent anyways. But yeah, that''s the gist of it." Hyunda didn''t beg to differ "That''s right. It has to be done some other way." Hyunda said "But... Then how do you explain what happened?" Gale was referring to the earlier incident "That''s exactly my point. They didn''t die because of a challenge." Hyunda chuckled "........" Gale realized what he was implying.

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    In a different direction, to his southwest side, he looked at Ikkiri, who was looking at him, though down.

    "And you?" The eyes were on her "...Uh..." She was unsure what to say "...Why do we have to think of killing each other...? Isn''t the rule entirely optional?" Kawahara sighed "Booooooringggggg." He crossed his arms "....It''s just my opinion anyways..." She looked down "......." Hyunda took a glance at her as she did so "You don''t want anyone gone, really?" He asked her this time "...Yeah." She spoke with reluctance, and Hyunda took a deep breath this time around.

    Positioned on the center of the classroom, now that the table was clean though it still smelled of vomit, group E held a conversation in regard to the idea as well.

    "In my opinion, make peace with your enemies." Sagasuga offered his words to the group "Sorry, what?" Tateyana found him weird "I''m saying, don''t become a target. If someone dies and the murderer isn''t found, then you get to go home early, which is good since this new schedule is heavily unbalanced. However, at the same time, if you become too goal-oriented about the benefit of this new rule, it means that you can''t idly standby and will have to make it work in your favor, in one way or another." He reasoned more in depth this time around "......." Sana was still glued in her lips so she couldn''t talk "So you''re saying that we should do absolutely nothing?" Tateyana asked sarcastically "Simply put, yes." Sagasuga didn''t deny it "Oh, you''re insane, I''m telling you." Tateyana shrugged "No, I''m not. It''s an amazing benefit, but whoever commits to it, surely isn''t thinking about the consequences to come." Sagasuga said.

    The newest member of the classroom as well as the only survivor of the transfer students, spoke this time, as he felt comfortable around Sagasuga.

    "I like Sagasuga''s idea." He was reluctant to speak "We shouldn''t have to kill anyone but..." He gulped "In case it does happen... I guess I wouldn''t mind the benefit... But I don''t wanna be a part of it..." Sagasuga nodded "That''s the spirit." Sagasuga then looked at Sana "How about you Sana? Are we on the same page?" Sana nodded affirmative "That''s great, how harmonious." Sagasuga was delighted "Let''s now think of a less harmonious challenge for our poor foes." Sagasuga grinned.

    And lastly, perhaps the most dysfunctional group of this round...

    "......" A dead silence was formed between the four of them, but Lus eventually broke the ice "Let''s not be uncooperative now, we are in the same group, whether we like it or not." She admitted that much "How funny would it be if you died?" Yukishiro taunted her "I''m not dying. Can''t say the same for you though." Lus didn''t hold back "Is that a fucking threat?" Lus didn''t respond "Hey, bitch, I fucking asked you something." Yukishiro became sour "Yeah, I heard. I just figured that talking to a dead body wouldn''t do me any good." She appeared extremely confident to Yukishiro "I sometimes wonder where you get all that bullshit confidence from, but I guess since it''s bullshit it''s normal since it''s coming from you." She giggled "........" Tatsu didn''t like to speak.

    Arkalee was too busy glancing over Hyunda to be useful, so he figured that there was no other choice.

    "Can I write the challenge instead?" He looked over to Lus "No." She denied it "I''m the leader here, Tatsu. Didn''t you hear me from the start?" In the beginning, Lus declared herself as the leader, so there wasn''t any room to argue "No one agreed to that bullshit." But of course, some differed, including Yukishiro "Let''s be honest here, no one likes you here, right, Tatsu?" Yukishiro pressured Tatsu "...No comment." He didn''t side with anyone and wasn''t also necessarily on the hunt for Lus'' wrath "Arkalee, what do you think about her, pretty narcissistic, am I right?" Lus fought back immediately "Who the fuck are you to talk about narcissism? You''re the most self-centered whore of them all!" Lus'' voice was heard throughout the room and gathered quite a bit of attention "It''s just a challenge, as long as it''s evil enough that''s all that matters..." Tatsu stepped in "I agree with you. That''s why, you should let me do it." The argument would continue.

    One minute was left to decide on the challenge but on Daniel''s table, it was about something else entirely.

    He commanded their attention through the nature of his words.

    "I don''t find it nonsensical." Daniel spoke "But none of you want to speak your minds, so I''ll just say this: Lunch time is approaching." He looked at the clock "Right now, it''s almost 2 pm, after this round is over, we will be given an interval of 30 minutes, assuming we do ace the challenge given and guess correct, if not then simply 20 minutes-----and during that time, whoever wants to tell me who you want to die, can talk to me about it." Daniel used words which could only be described as absurd "Do you realize how suspicious those words make you?" Rayazaki pointed it out "I didn''t kill them, Rayazaki." Daniel defended himself "Oh for fuck''s sake, you''re not fooling anyone on this. I don''t care if I don''t have evidence, you''re connected with their deaths somehow." Rayazaki didn''t back down and Daniel also didn''t care.

    He preferred to steal the attention of the other two girls in question here: Akimiyashika and Hinagiku.

    "Preferably contact me before I enter the male dorm because I''ll have to eat and will only be available many minutes after." Daniel didn''t pressure them as they gave serious thought.

    Though by now, it was evidently clear that to them, the offer was too good to pass on.

    <hr>

    "Nothing?! Not even a single gram of cocaine or drugs or anything like that?!" The doctor confronted the guards at the perimeter "We searched every room and there was not a trace. Girls included, sir." The head guard reassured "What a load of baloney..." The doctor refused to believe them "Is there any other place you''d like us to search next, sir?" The doctor dismissed the guard unwarranted question with a hand signal as the doctor went back inside.

    By climbing down into a dark staircase, the doctor would find himself in the room where all the activity was monitored.

    In this room, footage with cameras that watched the classroom, the dorms, hallways, and many others, were allocated.

    A figure of deserved respect, though much younger, was now present.

    "You will have to forgive my tardiness, doctor Hwan. The school''s council president is not such an undemanding position by contrast to what you might think." He didn''t look at the doctor "Hmpf, sturdy brat." He sat down on the couch with the young man.

    As of now, the doctor observed him as he was rewatching everything that had happened.

    "Ah, there it is." He pinpointed the timing and skipped to it which indicated he already had prior knowledge "......." The doctor rewatched the event "How did they die?" The sight of Elijah, Ellie, and Samantha collapsing was a sight for everyone in the room to glance at "Cyanide poisoning." This gave birth to a series of questions "They didn''t intake anything within that last hour, so it came from the bottle based on their actions. How is he unscathed, doctor?" He used that last word very precisely to the point of irking the doctor "...Probably a combination of antidotes." The doctor''s lack of confidence in his words was showing "How on earth did he have access to that?" He was surprised "How am I supposed to know?! In the first place, how the hell did he have access to poison in the first place?!" The doctor didn''t understand the origin of certain things.

    This got him thinking as he put his right hand fingers on his chin.

    "Did you do a sear----" The doctor interrupted him "Yes, it''s been done. And no, nothing." The doctor sighed in annoyance "I see. The answer is simple then." This caught the doctor''s attention "What do you mean?" He turned around to the doctor this time; his glasses reflecting the plasma light "It''s clear he has access to lethal methods but he needs to obtain them from somewhere, and that place would be one that isn''t open to the world. It can''t be found, it''s a secret hideout." The doctor couldn''t exactly agree "Bullshit, that would require a level of construction prior." The doctor spoke "You said it yourself now." He chuckled ".......Are you serious..." The doctor gained far more stress.

    But still, this conversation wasn''t going anywhere.

    So, he changed his point.

    "It''s a surefire way to erase them one by one. Day by day, they''ll grow exhausted of this. Thus, we present them with a solution. Clever, right?" He was feeling proud "I don''t fucking care, they''re trashy criminals, they can kill themselves for all I care..." The doctor wasn''t thoroughly honest "Hmm..." And he knew that "But what if Daniel Lead dies?" The doctor was triggered "Gahaha as if!" His response was confusing "Oh?" But the doctor corrected himself "Don''t get me wrong... He may have defeated my first wave, but it''s just a matter of time before he runs out of options. Do you know what enables killers to be found? Is it their lackluster methods? Their predictable killing patterns? Attraction to someone?" Doctor Hwan posed the question.

    Though the other didn''t answer as he wanted to hear the doctor''s answer.

    "It''s consistency." He spoke what he thought was the truth "No matter how smart ya are, if you''re consistent at it, you''ll be found in no time." As for the student council president who had yet to give his name, he didn''t speak back and instead, started to walk out the moment he saw that the round was over.

    <hr>

    "Groups A, B, and E, you''re allowed to enjoy your thirty minutes of lunch time!" Many of the students within that section were beyond happy and started to leave the classroom immediately "However, groups C and D will stay here an extra ten minutes, so that''s less time for you guys!" Basara started to walk to the closing door as did many others as well.

    Despite belonging to a losing group, Lus didn''t hesitate and took a heavy stride to Daniel as he was about to leave the classroom.

    She pulled him by his left forearm and quickly spoke something to his left ear.

    "......" Yukishiro witnessed that and started to distance from Tatsu and Arkalee, since they were from the same group, however, she looked at Arkalee and signaled her to get going with her as well as she cast a glance at Shizuku from faraway.

    Additionally, Gale also came along and so, the four of them were together on the south central table of the room.

    Lus noticed this, but did nothing as she judged it wouldn''t benefit her strategy.

    "What the fuck did that bitch tell him?" Yukishiro asked lowly "I wouldn''t know, she literally whispered to him." Arkalee said "I have an idea, let''s kill the bitch." Yukishiro spearheaded that "How?" Gale asked "We four gang up on her in the bathroom and stab her with a knife to death. Then we flush the knife down, the bathrooms don''t have cameras." Yukishiro''s plan lacked caution to say the least "Hold on... The hallway to the bathroom does though..." Shizuku said.

    But to this, Yukishiro gave her detailed planning.

    "...Oh, that could work..." Arkalee agreed "But why Lus? Let''s kill Ikkiri instead, no?" Yukishiro instantly differed with her "Goddamn it, Arkalee, fuck off with your Ikkiri obsession just because she likes your man, for fuck''s sake!" She couldn''t hold back anymore "She has to fucking die." Arkalee didn''t back down "Lus needs to die more, the bitch is plotting to kill me. So, do we agree with the plan?" Yukishiro was looking for an approval "......" Though reluctant somewhat, none differed.

    Lus watched them with a predator look, fully aware of what they might have been saying.

    And so, when the ten minute mark came, Basara opened the door and they were able to be free for lunch time.

    <hr>

    "What the hell?" They were dumbfounded by her behavior and strange course of action "She literally took her lunch in a box and hasn''t come back ever since..." Arkalee noted as the four of them watched Lus eat in her box from afar in one of the benches that''s in-between the two dorms "Just what the hell is she planning..." Yukishiro was beyond skeptical, but it became evidently clear the moment they saw him walk out of the male dorm.

    Lus was displeased by his tardiness by a long shot.

    "I said twelve minutes, not eighteen." Daniel saw her blissful figure indulging in her meal with care "Sit." She told him as she used her right hand to clear the leaves off the bench on her right side "Who made that meal?" Daniel didn''t sit yet and simply looked at the meal, which was spaghetti with two boiled eggs "Relax." She confidently sliced one of the eggs "I used the free time in the morning from winning of the many rounds to make my meal ahead of time." This prompted another question from Daniel "Where did you place it?" His tone was serious "...That''s not of your business." He didn''t care enough to pursue where she put it so he tried another angle "Did you put it in a place where others could reach out to it, somehow?" She answered very confidently "Trust me, no. If you''re worried that someone has poisoned this or placed anything on it that might kill me, then don''t worry, they would never guess where I placed it." She smirked.

    Daniel judged that she was telling the truth and took a seat now.

    "So?" He hurried her "I need to know beforehand, has someone else reached out to you with the desire to kill someone in class...?" She looked at him with a pressuring look "Yes." He didn''t deny it "......." Lus was taken by surprise but not much "...Am I a target...?" She asked and tried to judge the answer not based on what Daniel would say but based on his expression "Yes." But she took his words with far more consideration "...Why are you telling me this then... Are you trying to manipulate me?" She gave him a threatening stare "You don''t understand." Her expression stiffened "You asked me if you''re a target; does this necessarily mean that I was tasked with targeting you?" Lus understood immediately.

    She wrapped her fork around the spaghetti and took it to her mouth.

    "....." She finished swallowing "I don''t have to question it, I just know you were involved." Daniel was tired of the accusations "Don''t accuse me without evidence, it''s getting annoying..." He said something in addition "What did you want to talk about?" He rushed her again "Do it again." She said ".....?" He didn''t fully understand what she meant "Kill someone and end the game for today." A vice could be seen in her eyes "Hm..." Daniel was glad that there was a point to this conversation "I''ll get to the point..." Lus looked to her surroundings and saw Yukishiro, Gale, Arkalee, and Shizuku having lunch but also watching them from afar "......" Daniel knew this naturally.

    Lus spoke her mind about who she wanted to die.

    "That''s who I want dead. I don''t care how you do it nor if you''re caught, just them dead, is enough. Look, I frankly doubt you''ll be able to pull it off. Most of the girls are avoiding being together and those that are----are in groups. But I am not one of those so I''m subjected to ploys far more than I should. That''s why I want you to do it. Even so, it''s something that requires methods beyond my knowledge, not to mention resources which I find... Just cryptic and mysterious to obtain, if I''m really honest..." She gave a long rundown of her thoughts to Daniel "And what do I get in return if I do that?" Daniel tilted his head all the way back as he watched the boys in the canteen waiting for him "My undying loyalty." Daniel looked interested "Whatever you do, as long as I''m not a target of your agenda, I will not question it. Get her off the classroom, and in return that''s what I will reward you with." Daniel''s eyes widened "...You mean that? Really?" Lus was creeped out by how serious he looked at her.

    But even so, she weighted the benefits and then explained what she really meant by "undying loyalty".

    "It doesn''t include any stupid benefits, so don''t get the wrong idea. But I vow to show cooperation against this stupidity that''s ongoing, so think of me as an ally, is what I''m saying." She felt the need to clarify "And------" Some loud footsteps were heard from behind as Lus turned her head around, likewise so did Daniel "An ally?" Yukishiro gave a mocking stare to Lus "How cute..." Shizuku launched herself forward, going as far as letting her chest hit Daniel''s back "...." Daniel immediately got up and bounced it off "What the hell do you whores want?" Lus showed no quarter "I was just curious why you were eating here on your own only to find that you and Daniel were having a heart to heart talk... My oh my, how suspicious..." Yukishiro giggled "You two wouldn''t be plotting something, would you now?" Arkalee looked at Daniel and Lus "You''re going to die." Merciless, Lus spoke to Yukishiro.

    She was not able to take this with a logical mindset.

    "What the fuck...?!" Daniel began to leave the scene as he figured that there wasn''t anything else to do "........" Yukishiro, Shizuku, Gale, and Arkalee began to circulate Lus from all angles "What the hell do you want?" Lus tried to get up from the bench "Agh!" But was put down immediately by Yukishiro on the spot with a right hand push, causing the remaining leftovers of the lunch box to fall on her clothes "You''re fucking done for, you bitch." Shizuku took a hold of Lus'' top pink hairstrands, close to her top hat "AGH, LET GO OF ME!!" Additionally, Arkalee and Gale also did the same but from multiple directions, Shizuku began to spill the food from the box on her face-----though Lus simply used her hands to protect her hat at all costs "Not so tough on your own, ARE YOU NOW?!" Lus accidentally, or rather----out of instinct placed her glance on the faraway Daniel who had his back turned against her "......." He halted his footsteps for a while and gave some thought about this.

    And then took back and went in the direction where they all are.

    "Huh? The fuck do you want? Do I have to remind you that your girlfriend killed herself? HAHAHA!!" Yukishiro laughed it off "........" Daniel looked at Yukishiro in particular "Let her go." He said with a hollow tone "Or what, huh?! What''re you gonna do, mister?" She taunted him further "For every five seconds you keep your hands on her, one of you will die today." The silence was created and the laughter ceased "What..." Unsure how to react, Yukishiro wanted to laugh but at the same time, as she looked at Daniel''s deep dark eyes, she knew that he was not lying "Ten seconds, two of you go." Gale was sweating "Fifteen seconds, three of you go." Arkalee was nervous as well "And lastly, if you four remain here after twenty seconds, then you four will die today, without fail." He finished delivering his unbelievable words, as Lus saw Daniel with a saving grace.

    He reminded them of the actuality.

    "With that said, five seconds have passed, so one of you is dying today." Daniel didn''t move from his position whatsoever and kept his mental clock ongoing "......" Gale was the first one to remove her fingers from Lus'' hair "Huh?! Don''t listen to him, he''s not going to----" Arkalee subconsciously removed her fingers as well "Eight----" Daniel announced the live countdown "What the hell---Yuki, just drop it, he''s fucking insane!" Shizuku backed off while ultimately removing her fingers from Lus'' hair too "Nine----" Against her will, Yukishiro removed her fingers "Hm." Daniel took a last glance at Lus and then went back to where he was originally going.

    The four threatened girls watched him calmly leave the scene with disgust yet fear as they did not know what to make of his words.

    "...." Lus'' eyes glistened as she saw Daniel leave the scene.

    <hr>

    All of the boys, except Stratos, the new face, were summoned to Daniel''s room.

    Not only was it crowded, but incredibly suffocating. Yet Daniel took the center of attention as he took a seat on his desk''s chair.

    "I missed out on my third dish for this shit, this better be worth my fucking time." Rayazaki, with his back against Daniel''s closet, glared at Daniel "I''m kinda curious, I mean, you called all of us out here, a place that the girls couldn''t possibly have access to our conversation, so this is spicy shit, I just know it." Kawahara confessed; his seat being on the tip of the bed all the way to the right.

    Daniel didn''t bother to hide what was on his mind, but before doing that, he wrote a specific sentence in a white sheet and showed it to everyone.

    Upon reading it, most of the boys had a conflicted expression but they didn''t utter a single word as they understood what it implied.

    Only then, did he tell them.

    "I have a deal to propose to all of you, should you cooperate and follow my orders for today." Tsudo was eager to learn "Speak it, then." He told "Alright. The plan is to kill Yukishiro." This sparked reactions "Dear lord, why?" Sagasuga sighed "Good fucking riddance, holy shit, I''m in." Kawahara didn''t deny his enthusiasm "Ehhh... Isn''t she like super observant and impossible to manipulate though?" Rayazaki had a more reserved opinion "She doesn''t strike me the type to be put down easy..." Tsudo spoke nervously "How do you intend to do that?" Tatsu asked.

    Without hesitation, Daniel was quick to elaborate on the plan he had for her demise.

    "......Holy shit, what is your brain even made of?" Tsudo was dumbfounded to a sheer depth "Sounds utterly absurd, but considering how many of us are involved... I wouldn''t say it''s necessarily impossible." Rayazaki shared his thoughts "But why Yukishiro?" Kuzan asked "She''s beyond problematic. Sooner or later, she''s a bomb that will detonate, and I figured that out of all the girls to take out, it would be her. Besides, it would be a waste to just let this opportunity pass by. Unless any of you want to stay inside that shitty classroom for the next eight hours." That was obviously not the case "God fucking NO." Rayazaki quickly expressed himself "I''m so fucking sleepy I feel like I''ll vomit every second." Tsudo spoke "I will admit that I find the amount of hours spent on a day here, to be extremely unfair." Sagasuga didn''t disagree "But hold on..." Tatsu noticed something off the mark.

    Frankly, it was not just Tatsu, but everyone present.

    "What do we stand to gain by siding with you?" The question had to be asked "............" Daniel gave some thought "I need to first know just how skilled you guys are. And then..." Daniel tilted his head up high "And only then will I tell you guys what the reward is-----" Kawahara immediately interrupted Daniel "I''m out if you don''t tell." He didn''t leave room for manipulation "......" Daniel disliked this but felt as if he didn''t have much of a choice "There''s a way out." This irked them with curiosity "Sorry, what?" Rayazaki tilted his posture forward "A way out of the cage." Daniel was more specific "Shut the fuck up, you''re lying." Tsudo spoke with a fierce vigor "No, no, I''m not. There really is a way out-----" Tsudo interrupted him "Motherfucker, if you''re talking about that abandoned classroom then fucking forget it, it''s swarmed by guards, I am not listening to your suicide str------" Daniel interrupted Tsudo back this time "It''s not through there." A mystery that could not be vanquished was felt in Daniel''s words.

    Many were in deep thought but Daniel said something else to give a hint.

    "An underground passage." Daniel spoke words without evidence "You''re crazy. That''s just bullshi-----" Hyunda, who had been quiet thus far, spoke "It''s not, Tsudo." Tsudo was in disbelief "The abandoned classroom holds a passage that connects to the other blocks as well. Think of it as a sewer system of some sorts." This time, Rayazaki spoke "Even if that''s true, wouldn''t that mean that the passage can only be accessed through that classroom?" Daniel corrected him "No, there is a passage in our dorm." They were more shocked to know this now "However, this is all I''m going to say for now. The choice is yours. Accept the deal and be rewarded with a way out, or stay at their mercy." Daniel struck his bargain though to them, this didn''t feel like a deal at all, since the choice was so one-sided.

    On the other side, in the female dorm, Yukishiro, Shizuku, Gale, and Arkalee listened to the entire conversation in Shizuku''s room.

    "Holy fucking shit..." Yukishiro couldn''t hide her surprise as well as her anxiety "Seriously? What the fuck?" She was trembling so hard that the recording device hit the floor "Hey, calm the fuck downnnnnn!" Shizuku held Yukishiro''s hands; Yukishiro turning her head to Shizuku in sequence "That was way way too elaborated! They actually will try to kill me!" Gale interjected with her opinion "But it''s meaningless now that you know what they will try. Plus, by making Daniel''s plan fail, he will lose credibility and the boys won''t trust him, which in turn will make them more subjectable to trusting us..." Gale''s reasoning calmed Yukishiro down somewhat.

    There were less than five minutes on the clock yet they felt like they could reason further.

    "...You''re completely right, actually... Fuck me, I was just..." Yukishiro kept having the same flashback over and over to where Daniel gave that specific threat saying that one person would die today "It''s fine... I mean, I was freaked out too... Because three people have died today and they were in HIS group so how the hell could I have not taken his words seriously?!" Gale spoke about her anxiety "You''re right... I was freaked out too..." Arkalee didn''t hesitate to share "It''s as they say, Yuki-----" Shizuku was interrupted "Don''t... call me that... We''ve been over this so many times..." Her spiteful demeanor was becoming apparent "...The point is, now that we know, he can''t do anything about it. Just remember to not eat anything for the rest of the day nor go anywhere on your own." Shizuku offered her advice.

    But Yukishiro''s paranoia grew.

    "What if I have to take a shit? What the fuck then? What if I''m, I don''t fucking know, assassinated?!" The three of them found her words to be absurd but didn''t feel like it was the right time to tell her that "That couldn''t be done without a trace, come on now..." Shizuku gave an anxiety chuckle "HUH?!" Yukishiro grabbed her face with her two hands, scarying Shizuku "DID YOU NOT JUST HEAR THAT ENTIRE PLAN?! THAT MOTHERFUCKER ISN''T HUMAN, I''M TELLING YOU! WHO THE FUCK PLANS THAT FAR?!" Her shouts began to be heard on the outside "I''m not leaving the block, I don''t care. I''m staying glued to the teacher. I''m not DYING." Yukishiro became over vigilant.

    Though, not vigilant enough as the girls outside of the room they were in, collectively recorded the audio conversation through their burners.

    <hr>

    Mildly warm and illuminated, the classroom felt pleasing.

    Yet the atmosphere was dense and massively conflicting.

    "I sincerely hope you had a very fulfilling lunch and that you put all those nutrients which give your brain the utmost energy to do your tasks to its fullest potential." Although it could be labeled as sarcasm, Basara genuinely meant that "Let''s spin the wheel, shall we?" They watched as the new groups were formed.

    The newly formed groups at random were:

    Group A: Tateyana, Tsudo, Gale, and Hinagiku.

    Group B: Daniel, Kawahara, Hyunda, and Yukishiro.

    Group C: Lus, Kuzan, Ikkiri, and Sana.

    Group D: Sagasuga, Akimiyashika, Kanawari, and Tatsu.

    Group E: Arkalee, Stratos, Rayazaki, and Shizuku.

 Volume 25: Chapter 180: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part VIII.

    "That''s just ridiculous." Daniel was the first to complain as he put the challenge down on the table; Hyunda taking a hold of it subsequently "I''ll endure the heat alright." Kawahara snatched the challenge by force as he got a good read on it "Tch, usually I would be down to take the victory, but yeah, not much of a choice here. Tough luck." He surrendered.

    The challenge sheet which was allocated randomly by another group, landed on their group. Group B is made of Daniel Lead, Hajime Hyunda, Ryousuke Kawahara, and Kyoko Yukishiro.

    Yukishiro, the one who still had yet to say something, started her endeavor, as she sat next to Kawahara.

    "I don''t think it''s impossible." She started with that "It''s not about being impossible." Daniel quickly countered "Hold on---" Yukishiro tried to make her voice resonate "It''s about being ridiculous, I''m not doing it." Daniel started to strip his shirt''s buttons as he braced for the consequence "Wait a goddamn second, you----" However, Yukishiro wasn''t having it "It doesn''t have to be like this, we can definitely do it---" She felt a light tap on her left shoulder "Give it up, this requires collective effort." Kawahara allowed her to know the true outcome "It''s as he says, Yukishiro." Hyunda added "There''s a limit to just how much we can abide to a challenge, especially when it''s asking all of us to slice our earlobes with a pair of scissors. I don''t mind damaging myself temporarily, but I''m not accepting permanent damage like that." Hyunda concluded his reasoning.

    It goes without saying but if asked to willingly cut off their own earlobes with a pair of scissors, in a situation of life or death, it would be preferable to cut off the earlobes.

    However, this was clearly not such a situation. Losing this round means that the losing group would have to endure extremely high temperatures yet that would be about it.

    Nevertheless, Yukishiro was demonstrating a tremendously agitated expression as she knew that this wasn''t all there was to it.

    Eventually, the round came to an end and the results were declared by the homeroom teacher, Tenma Basara.

    "The winners of this round are: Group A, C, and D! The losers on the other hand, are the remaining: Group B and E!" The twenty upcoming minutes for the winners meant quite a lot although it wouldn''t stack anymore, where as in, the losers would have to spend the upcoming twenty minutes in the heated classroom.

    Naturally, the winning groups were forced to leave the classroom, and as such, eight people remained in the classroom as the temperatures began to increase.

    "Shit, I didn''t miss this a fucking bit..." Kawahara let out the complaint as he started to strip his white uniform shirt, allowing his ripped physique to be exposed "Honeyyyy~" Arkalee was very quick to move to their table to meet Hyunda "Oh, Arkalee? Come here, we should talk!" Hyunda, was beyond enthusiastic to have a conversation, as Yukishiro decided to sneak in to another table where she would meet a member from group E.

    Located on the south side of the classroom, Yukishiro and Shizuku had a conversation, the two of them beyond alerted.

    "Hey, what the hell are you going to do about it?!" Shizuku whispered to Yukishiro "Shut up, I''m thinking about it...." Yukishiro bit her right nail "Their strategy is to make you fail every time and make you die by the heat... Usually, this wouldn''t work but since Daniel got the entire boys to side with him, it means that he has all of them at his disposal." Shizuku further reasoned as Yukishiro delved deeper into her thought process "They will write absurd challenges every time and if it requires collective effort, which most likely will be the case, the boys in your group will simply not cooperate." That was the gist of Daniel''s simple strategy at first glance "...The only scenario in which you can escape this is by having a group which is not made of boys..." Shizuku proposed the only realistic scenario for Yukishiro.

    The numbers of boys currently is 9. The numbers of girls, on the other hand, 11. In theory, Yukishiro has a higher likelihood of containing a group with more female individuals than male ones.

    "That''s relying on luck and assuming that the girls in my group will ACTUALLY try and get the challenge rolling. The only real scenario where that happens would be if my group was made of me, you, Gale, and Arkalee. And even then..." Yukishiro looked at Arkalee fawning over Hyunda far away "...I wouldn''t put by bet on Arkalee... Hyunda agreed with Daniel''s plan, which means he will most likely..." Shizuku''s guess was something that Yukishiro instantly agreed to "That''s just too risky..." She was continuously stomping on the ground "It''s no good... The strategy is..." Yukishiro was giving in to the negativity.

    Shizuku tried to offer an alternative way of thinking, on the other hand.

    "....Hey..." She didn''t want to say those words because she knew just how badly it would hurt her pride "...?" Yukishiro looked at her frail eyes "I''m not saying you have to do this, but if worse comes to worse and you''re in a position where you were like in the last round, surrounded by a lot of boys who won''t even start the challenge no matter what then..." Shizuku whispered her alternative to Yukishiro "Are you fucking with me----" Shizuku briefly interrupted Yukishiro "What other choice do you have?! You heard his plan, you know he plans on killing you, there''s no other choice!" Yukishiro felt like screaming and slapping Shizuku.

    But unfortunately, the truth was, there was no other choice.

    <hr>

    Twenty minutes later, the new round began and the temperatures of the room went back to normal even though a lot of people were sweating as well as suffering from dehydration.

    As for the new groups this round, it would be this bracket:

    Group A: Kuzan, Daniel, Yukishiro, Stratos.

    Group B: Gale, Kanawari, Tsudo, Kawahara.

    Group C: Tateyana, Shizuku, Rayazaki, Arkalee.

    Group D: Hinagiku, Akimiyashika, Sagasuga, Hyunda.

    Group E: Lus, Tatsu, Ikkiri, Sana.

    This spelled bad news for Yukishiro as she was forced into a group that could only be labelled as disastrous.

    "No way." Daniel instantly threw the towel the moment he saw the challenge and then looked to Kuzan "...Yeah, I''m not doing it." Kuzan rejected the challenge with a visible reluctance "Uh..." Stratos couldn''t understand why they were instantly rejecting "It''s possible, right?!" Yukishiro quickly hugged Stratos'' left arm as she was next to him "Yeah, it is, but it requires every member of the group to do it..." He placed his eyes on Daniel and Kuzan mainly "No is no." Daniel was not changing his ways "I''m not entirely comfortable with the challenge... I don''t mind taking the loss this round." Kuzan, the previous winner, didn''t mind this.

    Something to note about these challenges is that they all had the very same essence; the demanding malicious nature but the necessity for a collective effort and teamwork to be presented.

    If collective effort cannot be presented, then the challenge can''t naturally be toppled.

    "That''s... That''s just unreasonable, NO?!" Yukishiro spoke to the two of them, although mainly Daniel "The challenge? I agree. Sucks that I''ll have to endure more heat..." Daniel lamented as many others watched the ongoing argument "Why YOU----" She turned around and looked to Basara "Hey teacher!! Shouldn''t there be a rule that punishes inactivity?!" Basara was in deep thought "You know what, that''s not a bad thought." To her surprise, he actually agreed "Then---" Her smile was short-lived "But that''s just not the case at all. You can''t force someone into taking a challenge when the very fact that not taking a challenge means that you are putting yourself in a terrible position. Not to mention that the challenges are probably worth skipping over, no?" Basara argued "Daniel here skipped the prior challenge and now he''s about to do the fucking same! Isn''t it unfair how I''m taking the collateral damage here?!" She appealed to her side.

    Many saw her point.

    "Isn''t he also inviting himself to die with that stance though?" Basara reasoned "It''s true." Daniel, much to Yukishiro''s surprise, agreed "I have the most experience when it comes to the limits here, so let me just say that if I stay here for more than three times, then I will absolutely drop dead. I''m just really reluctant, that''s all, Yukishiro." He looked at Yukishiro with dead hollow black eyes "It''s still bullshit how others have to suffer from his attitude though!" She argued "It is what it is." Basara closed the argument and Yukishiro was fuming.

    She thought of utilizing the strategy but reasoned to herself that the presence of Daniel alone would affect the strategy in the long run and as such, group A forfeited this round by not taking the challenge.

    Eventually, the results were announced.

    "The winners of this round are: Group B, D, and E! The losers are: Group A and C!" Basara exited the classroom instantly and so did the winners.

    Yukishiro, Shizuku, and Arkalee held another conversation in a faraway table.

    "There''s just no fucking way that I''m somehow getting placed with Daniel in the next round, RIGHT?!" Yukishiro tried to be as silent as possible as she was the furthest she could be from Daniel "I''ve thought about that and there''s just no way, I''m sorry. It''s decided via RNG through a spinning wheel, it''s just unfortunate..." However, this wasn''t enough to calm Yukishiro down "But what if he''s in control of that?!" She proposed "How?" Arkalee asked "I don''t fucking know, but he''s too confident! And besides he might just be trying to-----" Yukishiro accidentally placed her eyesight on the table where her group was prior.

    In that table, Daniel was taking out mini water bottles from his backpack and giving it out to the individuals that were thirsty.

    This included not only the members from his group, Kuzan and Stratos, but the other people from group C, Tateyana and Rayazaki.

    "Hold the fuck up..." Yukishiro became severely skeptical as she saw the four boys indulge without restraint "This has to be bait, no matter how you look at it!" Yukishiro reasoned.

    A loud shout out to the three of them came from Tateyana, who was at the central table, happily drinking the water that Daniel had given to her.

    "Hey you stupid goofballs, wanna drink some?! Daniel has a fuckton!" Tateyana''s water bottle was spilling water all over her white blouse "I got a few if you guys wanna drink it. There''s really no rule that doesn''t allow me to bring water bottles. It''s great to survive the heat waves since the cause of death is mostly dehydration, so if you keep yourself hydrated it helps." Daniel gulped and gulped as he intook the water.

    Shizuku unconsciously tried getting up, but was stopped by Yukishiro who kicked her left calf.

    "You won''t." Yukishiro ordered "Don''t fall for his tricks... How do you think those three died, damn it?!" She remembered her of the previous tragedy "But they''re drinking just fine?!" Shizuku argued "Daniel drank from the same bottle as those three and survived, he must be pulling the same trick, you''re better than this, come on, Shizuku!!" Yukishiro adamantly tried to make her point "Heeeey, it''s not poisoned." Daniel talked from afar.

    Yukishiro glared at Daniel with hate and spite and managed to convince Shizuku and Arkalee to not fall into Daniel''s ploy, despite not falling into what Daniel had said in the meeting with the boys from the class earlier.

    <hr>

    The new round groups are:

    Group A: Sagasuga, Kuzan, Tateyana, Kanawari.

    Group B: Hyunda, Kawahara, Sana, Tatsu.

    Group C: Akimiyashika, Arkalee, Rayazaki, Daniel.

    Group D: Yukishiro, Tsudo, Gale, Hinagiku.

    Group E: Lus, Stratos, Shizuku, Ikkiri.

    This new bracket confirmed something new to Yukishiro: Daniel was not manufacturing the groups in some way and that they were in fact random.

    However, there was a boy in her group and as such, the moment Basara was done distributing the challenges----Tsudo forcefully took a glance at it, toss it to the center of the table whilst crossing his arms, ultimately saying a line that Yukishiro had predicted it.

    "Not doing it." Tsudo caught the immediate attention of Hinagiku and Gale; Yukishiro opted to let them argue and see how things developed from there "What---why not?!" Gale became disturbed as she was next to Hinagiku "For fuck''s sake, can''t you read it?" She had read it and so did Hinagiku and Yukishiro "All it''s asking us to do is kick each other five times in the genital area..." Hinagiku showed a visible displeased attitude "And you''re comfortable with doing that? What if I kick you so hard you never recover?" Tsudo reasoned "...It''s still better than enduring the heat, I feel like..." Hinagiku countered somewhat reluctantly.

    But Tsudo completely begged to differ.

    "Hinagiku, you haven''t lost a round ever since lunch. Just endure this one and win the other one. You can''t tell me that you truly find this necessary." Tsudo was right and Hinagiku went silent "What about you, Gale?" Tsudo asked her "I don''t mind and as a matter of fact, I want to do it." She was thorough "Well shit, too bad." Tsudo was not changing his stance and just like that, the group found itself with a member that refused to cooperate.

    Yukishiro figured that now was the better time to execute her strategy.

    Thus, she began to whisper a few lines into Tsudo''s right ear, to which he was not expecting.

    Hinagiku and Gale saw a clear excitement as Tsudo gulped, for some reason.

    "....." Tsudo analyzed correctly what Yukishiro was offering him and looked around and tried to see if Daniel was looking at him, to which, he was not.

    Feeling as though Tsudo wasn''t entirely convinced, Yukishiro whispered something in addition, which made his eyes widened.

    It took him twenty seconds to have a shift in attitude.

    "Uh, hey..." Hinagiku and Gale looked at Tsudo as he had something to say "If we do the challenge, do you promise to not kick my dick too hard and I won''t kick your pussies too hard or hard at all, for that matter?" Tsudo phrased it in such a vulgar way that the girls were beyond repulsed "...Yeah, that''s fine..." Hinagiku was disgusted "I would prefer that, if you don''t mind." Gale didn''t bother to deny it "Gently, please~" Daringly, Yukishiro spoke to Tsudo as his breath got heavier.

    Basara would announce the winners a few minutes after.

    "The winners this round are: Group A, B, C, D, and E! In other words, all of you fucks get to enjoy free twenty minutes! Everybody OUT!" Basara''s words were imperial and as such, everyone vacuumed the classroom, although Yukishiro and Tsudo took a different destination than all the others.

    <hr>

    Back and forth, Tsudo guided her head with his two hands as he forced her to suck it.

    "OHHH---HOLY SHIT!!" In that dark and lowly illuminated male bathroom within block F, Tsudo couldn''t contain his ecstasy as Yukishiro proved to be very efficient "You''ll swallow it, bitch." Tsudo kept guiding her head back and forth in a violent motion as she struggled to breathe "Load incoming, one, two and FUCK!!" He unleashed it as Yukishiro showed a tremendous disgust towards this act as a whole.

    Once done, Yukishiro''s corners were dripping with his semen yet she made sure to lick it.

    "Satisfied now...?" She asked with a degree of fury "No, you said I could fuck you." He reminded her "Under one condition..." She also reminded him as she got up "Yeah, he''s planning to kill you." Tsudo confessed "How?" Her eyes became focused "He made every boy in the class come to his side and promised a way out if we cooperated." This was something she already knew "Yeah, but how does he intend to kill me, that''s my question." Tsudo had some thought but opted for the logical course "Well, by making you die from the heat wave. If you''re paired with a boy in a group, you will fail. That''s why, this shit must be kept a secret, otherwise..." Yukishiro began to strip her clothes "Oh looks like you fucking get it alright." Their intercourse began.

    <hr>

    Tsudo passing through the corridor indicated Shizuku, who was hiding behind the parallel hallway, that it was alright for Shizuku to come through, to which she did---without letting Tsudo notice her.

    The sight of Yukishiro trembling while dressing her clothes up gave Shizuku a heavy sorrow.

    "I shouldn''t have... I''m sorry..." Shizuku lamented "Hey, at least I got out of the loop, hahah!" Yukishiro laughed in dismay "At what cost though..." Shizuku massaged Yukishiro''s left shoulder "He''s just the first. Men are naturally slaves to their instincts. That fucking motherfucker wants to kill me? Go ahead, Daniel." Slowly, she erupted from the ground "If you really think that I''ll just surrender to the hopelessness of the situation, then you really don''t know me at all." Her motivation rose to full height.

    <hr>

    By the end of the next round, Yukishiro and Tatsu went to the bathroom alone; Lus and Hinagiku not failing to notice this whatsoever.

    Instead of exiting the building, Lus and Hinagiku stalked the two of them and hid behind a hallway just so they could hear the sexual noises that Yukishiro and Tatsu were conducting.

    "She''s sucking dick to win over the boys..." Hinagiku was bewildered "I must confess that I didn''t expect her to stoop this low... But handing out blowjobs and sex in exchange for a favor is something that I could see her doing, so I guess there''s that." Lus reasoned "We should tell Daniel that he''s going to get backstabbed." Hinagiku proposed "Agreed, let''s go to the male dorm." Seeing as they were wasting their time there, the two of them quickly exited the block as they had an entirely new destination in mind.

    <hr>

    "I ain''t letting you bitches in, fuck off." Eating another chicken sandwich, the male dorm''s supervisor, George Kentucky, denied Lus and Hinagiku the passage that they wanted "We just want to talk with Daniel, getting in is very subjective here." Lus phrased it in a way that George didn''t take a liking "Erm, we just would like to talk with Daniel! There''s not much time left, could you call him for us?!" Hinagiku took a different approach "So fucking annoying! I''ll call him once and if his ass doesn''t come here, then it''s on him, not on me, ya hear?!" George proceeded to shout Daniel''s name to the point where they had to cover up their ears.

    They could take a sneak peek into the linear hallway of the dorm since the frontal gate door was open yet they could not go through it, obviously.

    It proved to be sufficient as they saw Daniel come from the higher section of the dorm, although...

    "Why is he wearing a white coat and glasses?" Hinagiku instantly questioned as she saw him from far away "...." Lus opted to keep her opinion to herself yet Daniel rapidly stuffed away the glasses and the white coat "Four minutes left, right?" He asked the two of them as he stationed himself near George "Yes, but I think you should know something... Can''t you come with us?" Daniel didn''t deny this and went with the two of them this time around.

    The place they went was the west edge of the male dorm where the sun would be most absent.

    "Hm, that could be problematic." Daniel remarked as he crossed his arms "Be careful, she will try to get the boys to her side by... well, being a whore!" Lus exulted herself "That''s true." Daniel didn''t deny it, which made Hinagiku think that this was somehow in his calculations "Why are you not worried about this? The fact that she''s just going to keep doing this over and over means that she might prove to be hard to deal with, no?!" Daniel agreed though he didn''t understand where she was coming from.

    Even though he had an assumption as to why Hinagiku was arguing like that.

    "I failed, I think." He confessed, which shocked the two of them "What...?" Lus let that out "I wanted to kill Yukishiro by making her succumb to the heat, since it would prove to be advantageous but that was under the impression that every boy would just not cooperate. So far, Tsudo and Tatsu have fallen into her trap and really, there''s not much I can do about it." Daniel added something else "Maybe I should go for it too." Lus and Hinagiku became disgusted "What the fuck!" Lus'' expression was thoroughly repelled "Men, I swear!" Hinagiku started to leave the scene alongside Lus.

    Seeing how the two of them were disappointed, he let them know something else.

    "Hey!" They looked back at him transiently "Around 5 pm, we''ll be holding a banquet full of food and drinks." He would say his upcoming sentence in a way colder tone "Make sure to spread the rumor." They acknowledged and moved on.

    <hr>

    By now, it was 4:30 pm.

    Groups would intertwine between doing challenges and not doing them as they saw that enduring the heat every now and then was fine if it meant escaping the hellish challenges. In other words, there was already a thorough understanding of how the game worked.

    Which, in turn, made the viewers slightly upset due to the lack of friction.

    "It''s been two hours! Why hasn''t anyone died yet?!" Seok let out that complaint in the room full of computers with loads of staff members allocated "Daniel Lead managed to kill them in less time than that and yet you mean to tell me that he''s having trouble doing it now?! The views are decreasing, for fuck''s sake..." He kept analyzing the view charts over and over.

    Throughout the day, the views peaked when Elijah, Ellie, and Samantha died. A strong wave of views additionally emerged when the new rule was announced but due to the suspense, many people simply decided to leave; despite the sudden growth.

    "Hmm..." The doctor sipped on his tea on that couch as he watched the stream from the central plasma TV "There can''t be a trace left, that''s how it works, Seok." Doctor Hwan''s reasoning didn''t appeal Seok at all "Technically, there wasn''t any trace to Daniel Lead when he supposedly killed them off, so what''s the difference here? The dorms have been checked over and over and there wasn''t any substantial evidence found. This is bullshit..." Unfortunately, the doctor couldn''t help but agree deep down "...Indeed..." The doctor had to make his move "Seok, what''s the viewership right now?" Seok replied quickly "214643 viewers. It''s not bad by any means, it surpasses our initial margin, but the comments..." Seok''s main worry were the reactions.

    Accordingly, if the goal is to get more views, then the crowd must be entertained at all times and this goes without saying.

    "A bummer, truly..." The doctor lamented as he was looking forward to it "I wanted to see what exactly you were planning but I suppose that I will have to rush things here, so please----do keep us entertained." The doctor made the call as he judged it was now or never.

    <hr>

    The beginning of the new round during 4:50 pm was halted as Basara had a new announcement.

    "A new update---" He got the attention of everyone present without fail "The newest rule of: The death of a participant will terminate all the activity for today, but it won''t work if the orchestrator is caught or has any conclusive evidence linked to them, will expire in exactly one hour from now." This news had mixed reactions yet the students dared not to manifest their emotions as they allowed Basara to continue "This means that if it''s not done within an hour... Yeah, you''ll spend the rest of the day here until 10 pm." Basara wasn''t showing much enthusiasm as his attitude was akin to the one when he announced this uncanny new rule.

    Seok, on the other side, was the first one to criticize this new decision as he navigated around the couch where the bright lights from the television would aim at.

    "Are you crazy, gramps?! If this doesn''t work, then our views will die!" Truthfully, Seok''s take was on point "Hmpf, so what?" However, the doctor didn''t seem to agree "So what?! It''s 4:51 pm right now, why are you forcing this when we could have waited for the upcoming hours?! Sure, the viewership has been steadily declining but that doesn''t mean it will----" Seok was brutally interrupted "Who is in charge here, Seok?" His penetrating glaze landed on Seok from behind "........" Seok cowered "That''s what I thought. Listen here, my stupid grandson---your father didn''t have the knack to teach you common sense, so I''ll do it in his place-----in situations like these, only those who commit the most absurd actions for their own gain will remain supreme in the end. And now...." His vision was twisted to the stream "Now we see whether or not this is common sense." The round began.

    The groups chosen are:

    Group A: Shizuku, Lus, Yukishiro, Daniel.

    Group B: Stratos, Kawahara, Tateyana, Arkalee.

    Group C: Gale, Hyunda, Kuzan, Sana.

    Group D: Sagasuga, Tatsu, Hinagiku, Rayazaki.

    Group E: Akimiyashika, Tsudo, Kanawari, Ikkiri.

    After shuffling the challenges, Basara distributed the five challenges across the classroom.

    "Start." The main order allowed the groups to envision their challenges immediately "......" Yukishiro felt doubt but nevertheless tried it as she whispered something to Daniel''s right ear; earning Lus'' utter disgust though she did not object "I''ll think about it." Daniel said, but he was very quick to correct himself "Actually---if I do the challenge and cooperate, then could you do me a favor, Yukishiro?" Daniel asked "Oh? Yes, ask away." She didn''t deny it "You see, we''re going to hold a banquet near the male dorm and I was wondering if you could come? I asked some of the girls to tell the others, but I wasn''t sure if you''d come." He openly confessed to her while letting Lus and Shizuku know this too.

    Granted, Yukishiro already knew about this "banquet" as the rumors spread like wildfire.

    "Sure!" Yukishiro put on a smile "What''s the banquet for though? Are you planning on poisoning us?!" Yukishiro said sarcastically "Oh yeah, I am. I''m going to make you drink moonshine with poison without you noticing it, and you will die!" Daniel lowly laughed and made Yukishiro, Lus, and Shizuku stunned "Huh? Hey, it''s a joke, what the hell?" Daniel fired his middle finger to Yukishiro''s forehead jokingly "Ha... Haha!" Yukishiro laughed too though late "You''re funny!" She replied in the manner "I try." Daniel concluded and as such, Daniel didn''t hesitate to cooperate in this challenge.

    By the time the challenges were done, Basara declared the victors and the losers.

    "To conclude this round, every single group won and not a single one lost. How boring, let''s get the fuck out then." As they all got up, Yukishiro was quick to go in Basara''s direction seemingly seeking a refugee.

    On the outside of the classroom, as Basara closed the classroom, he saw Yukishiro simply standing there on his right.

    "What is it?" He questioned her as he took out the master key from the lock "Huh? Uh, nothing." She didn''t say anything else "No, don''t give me that. What do you want?" Basara wasn''t convinced as he found her attitude strange "Huh? I really meant what I said, it''s nothing. Can''t I be around you?" Yukishiro posed a question that bewildered Basara.

    On the other hand, as he hadn''t left the building yet, Daniel approached the two of them but spoke in Yukishiro''s direction.

    "Hey, Yukishiro. What are you doing? The banquet''s gonna start. You said that if I did the challenge that you''d come." Daniel''s apathetic tone was thoroughly showing "...Oh sorry, I''ll skip. I''m just not hungry nor thirsty..." Yukishiro closed her eyes as she made that excuse "What? But you said you would." Daniel insisted as Basara watched this conversation "And I said that I''m not in the mood for it, Daniel. Sorry, maybe some other time." She was hoping he would quit "But that''s not what you said, Yukishiro. When I asked if you''d come to the banquet you replied with "Sure", therefore affirming that you would. So why are you showing an attitude that''s the opposite of what you said a while ago?" Daniel''s voice rose in height.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Seeing as she wasn''t getting her point across, she relied on Basara instead.

    "Teacher, he''s kinda bothering me..." She grew closer to him "Daniel, you can''t force people to come to that "banquet", you know? She''s probably suspicious of you and frankly, anyone should be." Basara went against Daniel "Oh I understand that. But what I don''t understand is the value of lying in this situation. You could have just said no, yet you lied instead. Why, Yukishiro?" Daniel felt instigated "I-I just said that on the spot, what the fuck?! Do you actually think I''m going to go down there and have food and drinks when I could die at any second?! Are you crazy, you motherfucker?! Oh wait, you are!" She hugged Basara tightly; going as far as wrapping around his left arm ".......I see..." Daniel completely understood her gameplan.

    Basara, by contrast, felt the need to execute this circumstance quickly.

    "Daniel, I''ll have to call in the guards if you continue to harass her-----" Basara explained "Fine." Displeased, Daniel turned his back on them; but not before giving Yukishiro a death glare "Your word against mine." This particular sentence sent a chill down her spine "Huh...?" She felt haunted as she saw Daniel walk away.

    <hr>

    "I promise it won''t hurt." Behind the female dorm, where a small fraction of light can sneak in, a bright fire was formed through the lighter as Hyunda got on his knees; mainly his right one with his left leg supporting the weight "......." Sana sat on the small three-degree staircase in front of the door that would additionally connect to the back of the dorm "I''ll just burn the glue around the corners of your lips but it won''t damage your skin." Despite saying that with caring, Sana didn''t fully trust him.

    With his lighter, Hyunda started to burn the hard rubber around her lips due to the permanent glue that had been infused with her lips.

    "And that should do it." Slowly, he removed the rubber from her mouth and Sana tried to move her lips albeit it came out as awkward "Ashhulee..." Her words came out in a fuzzy way which made Hyunda laugh "HAHA!! Sorry about that! Truth is, I wanted to do this earlier but my girlfriend just wouldn''t leave my side, you see." He was bashful to an awful degree; Sana meanwhile got up from the staircase as she smocked her lips again and again.

    Hyunda began to walk to the left side where his destination would lay.

    "Where are you going...?" Somehow able to speak more fluently but still lagging in speed, Sana asked "The banquet! Come on now, you weren''t able to eat, so you could definitely go for a dish or two, no?" Hyunda reasoned with a stark smile.

    Although he was right, there was something else on his mind.

    "I''m not going unless you tell me the truth, Hyunda..." Hyunda halted as he approached the brighter edge of the corner "Truth?" He simply asked "Yeah... About what''s going on... What is this banquet for? Is someone going to..." She gulped "---Die?" Though reluctant, she asked "Hmm... Probably. I''m not entirely sure, if I''m honest. The main idea would be a yes, but I''m not the planner here." Hyunda told her "Who is then?" Hyunda started to grow closer to her direction "The main star, of course. He''s been gaining popularity as of lately and it should have been that way since the start. I frankly find it offensive that the public is only recognizing him now, but I believe that today marks the stone-age for the testament." Vaguely, Hyunda delivered those mysterious words.

    Annoyed at this, Sana began to complain.

    "You always do this; I ask for the truth and you go on this vague conversation always. It''s so annoying." She sighed "It''s Daniel, isn''t it? God---he''s not ok..." Worried, she started to confess her feelings about him "Yulia''s death tore him apart and he hasn''t been the same ever since and now it feels like he''s going down hill..." This created a smile on Hyunda''s face "I know and I love it." She became very angry "Why do you?! He''s your friend, and he probably killed those three guys, didn''t he? I won''t question how but you helped him... I''m sure... Why do you keep doing this? You''re instigating this, Hyunda. Way too much." Hyunda fell silent "...Ah well. I have my reasons. He and I go way back." This sparkled Sana "Huh...? You two----knew each other before...?" She asked.

    However, not in the mood for an interrogation, Hyunda snatched Sana''s hands and hugged her tightly, much to her surprise.

    "H-Hyunda?!" Elated yet confused, Sana felt nervous "So many questions, but why bother answering them when you can just discover them slowly and surely?!" He dislocated from her after giving a tight hug "Come on now, it''ll be huge, everyone in the class will be there!" He guided her to the main attraction.

    <hr>

    "A banquet, you say?" Doctor Hwan caught the attention of several staff members, student council members, as well as his grandson, Seok "Say what now?!" Seok immediately rushed over to the couch "Understood... I''ll send a team to record it then. Thank you." He hung up the call.

    Elevating from his seat after pausing his old fashioned tea cup on the silver-glass table in front of him, doctor Hwan gave his decree.

    "I want a team to record and stream the public area outside the male dorm where there is a banquet going on NOW!!" With haste, a team of staff members with cameras ready to record at any given moment started to exit the area "Oi, what?! A banquet?! Explain yourself, gramps!" Impatient, Seok demanded "Shut your trap, fool! That bastard thought he could avoid the spotlight and execute his task without anyone noticing... HAHA, THE FOOL!!" In sheer ecstasy, doctor Hwan took a grand seat once again in the couch as he watched the upcoming spectacle.

    <hr>

    The afternoon sun shun in a peculiar way through the huge cradle covering the entirety of block F as well as its two adjacent dorms.

    Driven by hours of preparation, there were four separate long rectangular-sized tables allocated near the male dorm just in front. Two of those tables contained food that varied from chicken wings, breasts, shrimp, stake, skewers, salad, fries; practically anything that one would like to see in a banquet. Likewise, in the other two tables, there is a variety of drinks as well as junk food/snacks.

    Regarding the drinks, they are mainly soda and water; no alcohol.

    The current members allocated in the area is mainly the entirety of the body of class F, with all the boys present and some of the girls present.

    Daniel took the initiative and started to strike the chicken wings like a mad man.

    "God---" He chunked on them over and over with his two hands; making some of the present girls be disgusted by his behavior "It''s just so fucking GOOD!!" Gruesome, Daniel didn''t care, but soon enough, he started to choke due to eating too fast "GAHH---" One person immediately came to his rescue.

    Taking a giant glass cup of water, Kawahara slapped Daniel''s back and delivered it to him.

    "What the fuck, don''t die HAHA!!" Daniel gulped down the water as he seriously struggled; ultimately placing his right hand on his chest out of worry "Holy shit... I really thought I was a goner..." Daniel drank more and more water "Ahhhh---" Rejoicing, Daniel went to the adjacent table where he could refill his water.

    Every boy was either eating or drinking, yet no girl was actually touching anything.

    Sensing as a waste of opportunity, Sagasuga approached the crowd of girls who were observing far away with two glasses of water in his two hands.

    "I have a pretty good guess as to why you are all reluctant, so I figured that I should dispel those worries as soon as possible." He extended the two glasses of water to the crowd of girls who were with their backs against the pillar walls "Oh forget it. You must think we''re dumb or something hahah." Shizuku remarked, feeling utterly annoyed "I don''t understand." Sagasuga showed genuine concern "It''s poisoned, we all know it''s bait. We saw how those three died, they had their water poisoned, Sagasuga." That was her reasoning "....." Sagasuga still couldn''t understand "So, you think this water is poisoned?" Sagasuga asked Shizuku "Yes, I do." She was quick to reply as well "I see." Sagasuga acknowledged the depth of their worries.

    Sagasuga then proceeded to drink the two glasses of water right in front of them.

    "So, by your theory, I should die soon, just like them now?" Sagasuga asked "In theory, yes." Shizuku was not giving up "You bitches are crazy, we are literally all drinking and eating the same food, that''s just paranoia." Rayazaki presented himself as he ate a skew "We lose nothing by skipping out on this, I hope you realize that. If one of you has the plan to kill anyone here through food or water, it''s a complete waste of time." Shizuku stated "Ok, enjoy missing out then!" Midst this, Daniel approached Lus, as she was somewhat disgusted by his manners "Ew, don''t get near me." She felt like vomiting.

    He licked his fingers and then explained the difficulty at hand here.

    "I''m going to need you to step up; nothing is harmful." Daniel added something else too "Unless a chain is started, it won''t work. Besides, we''re being watched---look to the right side----" Daniel cast a glance at two people who were trying to remain hidden for the sake of not letting anyone know that they were being recorded "What the..." Daniel closed in on Lus as he spoke "Do it. Nothing is poisoned. Not a single thing. This is not it, this is just bait." Lus wasn''t skeptical so she decided to go with the flow as she sighed "If I die, I will haunt you and kill you in whatever life is after, again and again." Seriously, Lus said such a thing.

    With absolute confidence, Lus dirtied her hands and took a bite out of a chicken wing as well as a large sip of cola with Daniel.

    "YUMMY!!" She felt exulted as the remaining girls admired her bravery and stupidity "Atta girl, you finally realized just what the hell you''re missing out on, eh?!" Kawahara was the first one to complement her as she quickly gathered a crowd of attention by the boys "I don''t believe the lunch meal was sufficient, was it now?" Sagasuga remarked "Absolutely NOT!!" Lus charmed most of the boys with her newborn enthusiastic attitude "Anyways, where did you guys get all this stuff from?!" Some girls started to draw near as they didn''t want to miss out on the conversation "King George----our supervisor, actually has a shit ton of food stacked up so we asked him if we could create a banquet for the class since we would all be starved out and then we could eat in the breaks from the rounds; he said yes!" Kuzan eagerly explained "Pretty simple, right? Though, we''re really lucky that he said yes." Tatsu took a step forward.

    On the other hand, indulging deeply into the food which is available for just about anyone, George approached the scenery.

    "The fuck are ya clowns yapping at?! YA THINK THIS SHIT IS POISONED?! BRATS I SPENT THE WHOLE MORNING COOKING, SHUT YO BITCHES ASSES UP AND EAT BEFORE I FUCKING SHOVE IT DOWN YOUR THROATS YA WHORES!!" Admittedly, George freaked a lot of girls out, but managed to erupt a festive spirit within the boys "YES SIR, YES SIR!" The boys happily began to indulge "Hey Arkalee, come here and eat!" Though not eating due to suspicion, this was utterly shattered as Hyunda''s words were like religion to her "I''m on my way~" Shizuku was in dismay "What---!! Don''t go you stupid---AHHH!!" Realizing she as too late, Shizuku gave up on reaching out to Arkalee and only Gale stood next to her.

    By now, the only two girls who weren''t actually eating and drinking were Shizuku and Gale.

    While it is true that they lose nothing by not eating or drinking, they were left with some five minutes on the clock for the upcoming round.

    "So, unless I''m missing something, this is all an elaborated plot to kill Yukishiro, yes?" Gale tried to reason with Shizuku "Yuki is the main target, yes." She didn''t deny it "So, by that logic, his target is simply her and not anyone else, right?" Shizuku became annoyed "...Yes... Where are you going with this? You''re not actually thinking of going along with their stupid acts, right? Reminder that you don''t know why those three randomly dropped dead and Daniel is 100% the route cause of this. You would have to be FUCKING stupid to try to eat anything." Shizuku gave a reasoning full of flaws to which Gale didn''t hesitate on exploiting "Then how come literally every single one of them is eating? I can''t believe I''m agreeing with that dickhead Rayazaki, but this is pure paranoia." Shizuku was stunned at Gale''s audacity.

    Gale''s eyes were fully on Lus, who was basking at the center of attention.

    "...It also shows a tremendous lack of confidence. I''m done, I''m eating, if something bad happens I can''t possibly be the only target since they will all take collateral damage." Gale''s logic was one that Shizuku couldn''t approve "So you''d actually take the risk and die?!" Shizuku became angry "Oh pleaseeee! He''s after Yukishiro, you even heard his plan! This was NOT included! Get over yourself, gosh you''re so lame to be around sometimes, I swear!" Brushing Shizuku off, Gale decided to become one with the party as she went on to eat.

    Gale distanced herself as much as she could from the crowd although she would occasionally cast a glance or two at Lus.

    A boy that is usually carried by his girlfriend around, was seen this time, however, alone.

    "Oh hey---" His mere voice startled her as she struggled to pick up her salad in a small plate; Gale falling backwards "Woah, don''t fall now, princess." Hyunda was fast to save her fall with his two hands "Hyunda..." His upper tall structure was visible to her as she felt embraced by his two hands though she quickly composed herself "I was about to ask you if you saw Arkalee, haha, she suddenly ghosted me out of nowhere!" He laughed childishly "Um, no." She paused her plate on the table and looked around but couldn''t catch the glimpse of Arkalee "That''s weird, she''s just---always around you... Huh." Gale found it strange.

    Around ten minutes remained until they had to go back.

    "Oh well, doesn''t really matter." Hyunda just shrugged it off and grabbed a plate in order to pick some vegetables "How do you fancy some onion?" He asked her as he picked up onion slices with a utensil "I like onions, but mainly tomatoes. Not really a big fan of lettuce, if I''m really honest..." She confessed "Yeah same, yuck." Hyunda served a plate full of onion slices and a wide variety of tomato slices as well "For the miss." He showed courtesy as he gave her the plate "And now, for me~" She felt flattered by his manners as he took her unfinished plate and started to dive into the contents.

    Hyunda decided to talk about something else.

    "Do you know where Yukishiro is? I haven''t seen her ever since the last round, it''s strange because everyone else is here." Hyunda looked around yet couldn''t see Yukishiro "I don''t really know but if----no, I do actually know where she is..." Gale picked those words precisely "Oh?" Hyunda was very much intrigued "She is clinging to teacher Basara as she is afraid that she''ll become a target." Hyunda showed a confused expression "Why though? A target? What does she think it''s going to happen to her? A massive food poisoning? If that''s the case, then everybody here will also die, that''s just stupid." Gale couldn''t be happier "That''s exactly what I was saying to Shizuku but she''s really hung up on a conspiracy theory, I swear to God!" Hyunda didn''t interrupt her and allowed her to go on "They''re all saying that Daniel killed those three but it couldn''t have been through the water because Daniel also drank it. He couldn''t have avoided it, that just doesn''t make any sense, right?" She sought confirmation from him.

    But first, after seeing just how much Gale had spoken out and how her voice was running out, Hyunda offered her a glass of water.

    She knew not what to make of this as a glass of water in this occasion felt highly suspicious.

    "Oh----" Hyunda realized it "I''ll drink half; if you die, I die, vice-versa, heh." Hyunda started to gulp until it was halfway "There you go, shouldn''t be an issue now, right?" Seeing as it wasn''t a problem, Gale decided to take a sip.

    Daniel was approached by Kanawari as she whispered something to his ear whilst he ate some waffles.

    "Pour it into two bottles and bring the rest here with Olivia. Place them on the furthest and start promoting interest." Kanawari trembled "Please..." She couldn''t look at Daniel; her voice authentically lacking in strength "Let this be the last... I am not comfortable with this type of work...!!" She started to weep "Then do your job. If it all goes well, you did enough, so make sure to pour your heart out on this one!" Daniel said with a cryptic enthusiasm as Kanawari began to walk back to the female dorm in order to execute her task which was crucial to the plan.

    Against all expectations, however, came Yukishiro who was adjoined by Basara like a leech.

    "Oh?!" Kawahara couldn''t hide his surprise as he took a bite out of a chicken leg while simultaneously drinking soda "Bitch queen is back, let''s fucking goooooooo!!!" Rayazaki chuckled while pouring down some coke "What the hell is all of this?" Basara looked around to the banquet and Sagasuga intercepted him with haste "Given that nothing forbids us from eating in our free time, in order to compensate for the hours we didn''t eat at all as well as the awful conditions, we decided to hold a banquet that can be used by all of us throughout the day." Precise, Sagasuga delivered "Quite bold to hold a banquet like this after just witnessing three deaths a few hours ago, no?" Basara was still not convinced "This is a bit heartless and overjoyous, maybe I should forbid this from now on." Basara''s words captured the attention of everyone.

    To Basara, Daniel simply extended a chicken wing and a glass of water.

    "Please, teacher. These are the absolute best, don''t doubt King George''s cooking." Daniel was utterly serious; his conviction unclouded "Daniel, put that back. I didn''t say I wanted it." Coldly, Daniel''s attempt was rejected "....." And thus, he put it back "He----" Yukishiro began to form a speech "HE''S TRICKING YOU ALL! HE WANTS TO KILL ME!! HE OPENLY CONFESSED TO ALL THE BOYS THAT HE WANTED TO KILL ME, DAMN IT!! HE TRIED TO FORCE ME TO COME HERE JUST SO HE COULD KILL ME, THIS SON OF A BITCH!!" Portraying a victim act, Yukishiro began to cry "How am I going to kill you?" Daniel sighed "I''m sick and tired of being accused as the killer, give me some concrete proof, will you?" Oddly calm, Daniel began to fight the allegations "Food poisoning! You can''t trick me, you bitch! I know that you have poisoned at least one of these foods!!" Yukishiro kept up with her claims "You keep on lacking the evidence. And just where the hell would I get this poison from anyways? You''re not making sense, shut the fuck up." Violently, Daniel tossed the water to Yukishiro''s face from his cup of glass.

    Obviously, this outraged her very fast.

    "HOW DARE YOU!!! I KNOW YOUR PLAN, YOU DUMBFUCK!! I''M NOT DYING TODAY, YOU CAN''T MAKE ME!! FUCK YOUUUUUUUUUU!!!" Totally emotional and lacking in control, Yukishiro''s loud shouts warranted her to be allocated away from the scene "Shut up ALREADY!" Not Daniel, but Lus, took a step forward and decided to fight back "You''re so damn ANNOYING, why do you have to make it all about you?! You''re not the only one stressed about this!" Lus confessed "DID YOU NOT HEAR ME?! I SAID HE''S PLOTTING AGAINST ME!! UGH, FINE, I''LL GET THE EVI----" Shizuku interrupted Yukishiro before she could make the crucial mistake "NO, NO, STOP. YOU KNOW THIS DOESN''T END WELL, PLEASE THINK RATIONALLY!" She begged as she got closer to the scene.

    On the other side of the picture, Seok and the staff members were rejoicing.

    "Holy shit... A death hasn''t even happened and yet the views are going up and up, the chat is LOVING IT!!" Seok was jumping back and forth, unable to control his enthusiasm "They are absolutely great content to farm over; and to think that this is only the first day..." Doctor Hwan chuckled.

    Basara was naturally forced to intervene.

    "ALRIGHT, ENOUGH!!" His loud shout brought the attention of everyone present "Fucking childs, I swear to God! You have five minutes left, fuck!" Basara reminded them as he took Yukishiro away via brute force "And you---you need some stability, what the hell was that?!" Weeping while glaring with hatred to Daniel, Yukishiro was taken back to block F.

    It goes without saying that the mood would naturally get awkward now.

    Except that was not the case.

    "God, I HATE THIS BITCH!" Lus started the entire movement "I know right?! All she does is whine and will try to gaslight you, FUCK!!" Akimiyashika, unable to settle control over her emotions, also spoke out loud too "I don''t think a single person likes her at this point, but fuck, she knows how to suck..." Tsudo made the remark "On God." Kawahara agreed "What a vulgar conversation, honestly." Sagasuga said as he drank the half-full glass of water.

    Midst this, two figures emerged from the female dorm.

    Carrying 20 water bottles; 10 on each silver plate, Kanawari and the female supervisor, Olivia, delivered the good news.

    "Hi dears!!" Enthusiastic and wholesome, Olivia showed herself to the public in a white coat "Hi Olivia!" Hinagiku happily replied while waving "Um, so since we will have to endure heat most likely given that we can''t win most of the challenges or some are better to ignore, Olivia and I filled water bottles up for everyone!" With a bright smile, Kanawari announced "I''ll be putting them here in this table with Olivia, if you don''t mind." Kanawari gently said as she, alongside Olivia, started to form a line with water bottles.

    Most were not skeptical whatsoever since Olivia and Kanawari were the ones who filled up the bottles.

    "Goddamn it''s pretty large!" Kawahara took the initiative and stole the first bottle, which provoked a large chain "Could definitely come in handy." Tateyana agreed as she snatched hers "I wonder if it''s allowed to bring some of the food to the classroom..." Kuzan pondered as he took his'' "Just don''t let him know and you should be good." Hyunda reasoned as he did the same; which ultimately, after the present people, which are about 18, left two bottles left.

    The total number of people would be 20, but there are two people absent; Yukishiro and Shizuku.

    "Oh my where is Yukishiro and Shizuku, my darlings?" Worried, Olivia tried to get an access to the situation "Ehhh, they had a strange conversation with us and went back to block F." Tateyana replied "Oh but that''s no good. I wouldn''t want them to endure the heat, like Kanawari said, without water... Can any of you sweethearts deliver the bottles to her...?" Although good-intended, this proved to be rather tasking for a particular reason "That''s gonna be impossible, grandma. They''re under the stupid delusion that drinking or eating anything from this banquet WILL KILL YOU. BAHAHAHA!!!" Kawahara laughed out loud along with some other boys "Why?" Olivia simply asked.

    Midst this, while eating a hot wing, George dropped by.

    "Gotta give it to someone the bitch can trust, don''t cha think?" His munching was supreme "And who would that be...?" Slowly but surely, all eyes turned to Gale, as she was the one who was the closest to the two of them; albeit there was some confusion between her or Arkalee in this case "There''s no guarantee they''ll accept it, but I can try..." Gale said "Wouldn''t be surprised if they didn''t accept it honestly." Rayazaki argued "Even so, please try. It''s been three hours since they last had a drink or food. They cannot survive for long without water, especially if they have to endure the heat." Sagasuga appealed to Gale "If we consider the fact that no one is dying over this hour and that the new rule will expire, it means that those idiots will at least need water." Hyunda reasoned.

    Daniel felt like offering an additional advice to Gale while drinking from his water bottle.

    "Drink some from yours first and then drink from hers. This way she''ll be entirely convinced since nothing will actually happen. It''s just water that Olivia and Kanawari deposited into the bottles. Knock some sense into their brains, will you?" Daniel tapped Gale''s shoulders "Alright, guess I''ll try!" Somewhat enthusiastic, Gale reaffirmed.

    Due to the low time on the clock, Daniel called all the boys back into the dorm as he would lay out the final act to them.

    <hr>

    Now at 5:20 pm, this would mark the last ten minutes of the rule. Five minutes are not needed to form a group as it''s randomly chosen, but five minutes could be held to form a challenge. Likewise, the additional five minutes would be spent attempting such said challenge.

    In other words, to make something happen within the upcoming ten minutes, would be of best interest; if the reality can allow it, that is.

    "Gramps....!!! Our viewership is peaking right now!!! 400,000!!! But what if it fails?! Like, how is someone going to DIE in the next ten minutes?! They don''t even have guns, just HOW?!" Seok was beyond hooked as the climax was seemingly approaching "Remember how there wasn''t anything like that in the first place and yet those three died? It''s just a matter of trying to replicate either the same scenario or..." The doctor sipped "A completely new one." The students would now enter the room.

    However, before getting in, Gale would attempt to deliver the water bottles.

    Carefully, Gale approached Shizuku and Yukishiro from behind.

    "Hey guys, here." She was scorned immediately with skepticism instantly "You''re fucking retarded if you think I''m drinking that." Yukishiro coldly told her "I''ll agree here, you would have to be retarded." Feeling as though she was being belittled, Gale decided to open her water bottle and took multiple sips of it "Ahh---See?!" Nothing truly happened "That proves nothing, stop." Yukishiro ignored Gale and so did Shizuku, without taking the water bottles.

    By this point, Yukishiro and Shizuku had made it evidently clear that drinking or eating would be out of the question.

    They were not taking chances whatsoever.

    "Uh, teacher, I have a request before we start, do you mind? It has to do with the challenges and I think it''s something that has to be addressed." Daniel summoned the attention of the classroom and got Yukishiro in particular, extremely nervous "T-Teacher! Come on now! Can''t you listen to his request some other round?! Why this one in specific?!" Yukishiro''s fragile state was beyond apparent to anyone "Hm... Daniel, speak." Denying Yukishiro''s appeal, Basara allowed Basara to speak.

    Yukishiro clench her teeth in a feat of rage as Daniel was allowed to proceed.

    "There aren''t sufficient rewards for winning. Having free twenty minutes feels too little in comparison in comparison to what we have to suffer should we lose. Not to mention that the challenges are incredibly hard due to the malicious self-implemented rule which doesn''t allow us to write compassionate challenges by contrast." He got up from his seat and truly made his point now "I propose that the winning groups should have the right to have a reward that really feels like one." Daniel didn''t specify but on the other hand, gathered the attention of everyone present; including the partial kind mostly "Go on." Basara could not deny this development.

    A wicked smile was born from his lips.

    "Sovereignty over the group that we rightfully guess; of course, if we topple the challenge firstly----that is." Many didn''t understand what Daniel meant by "sovereignty" yet they wanted to know "Explain." Basara demanded "It''s simple; for example----if my group gets the challenge, does it correctly, and guesses the group correctly, then that means that my reward will be complete control over that such said group. In other words, I get to order them to do one simple thing and they are not allowed to disobey. If they do, they must drop out of the program; or rather---be executed like our good old friends." He concluded his insane take "So----everyone..." Daniel didn''t look at his classmates but instead at the four cameras spread throughout the room "What do you say?" Manically, he extended his two arms sideways.

    This was instantly met with negative opinions though.

    "That is ABSURD! Teacher, don''t even think about it! 20 minutes is ENOUGH compensation for fuck''s sake! This is just greed and also because he CLEARLY has an agenda which indicates that he wants to kill me!" Yukishiro''s last part wasn''t that well acknowledged by the masses, but many agreed with her first point "I don''t see why we need to go down this path, Daniel. Complete control over the other group and if they don''t obey they get expelled via the program which leads to execution? What if you order something absurd, what then?" Sagasuga reasoned "Then we simply forbid absurd takes. Just simple ones will do. Basically, just like a challenge, no? What''s the harm?" Daniel countered "I just don''t agree with this at all..." Shizuku complained "......" Basara, on the other hand, was simply waiting.

    Naturally, this was spiraling out of control on the other side of the board.

    "Holy fucking shit, the pool results are in..." Seok announced as all the staff members instantly checked it; doctor Hwan instantly rushed over to Seok''s side just so he could see the results as well "Goodness gracious..." The doctor began to sweat as he saw the overwhelming difference in the votes "A 99,7% in favor of him and 0,03% against it WHAT THE FUCK!!" Seok lost his mind "But wait, they''re also demanding a time extension because not only is this taking almost five minutes but because they really want to see it happening and realistically, it''s impossible by now since by the time they start doing the challenges they might--------" The staff member that spoke was interrupted by the sour doctor Hwan "YA THINK I DON''T KNOW THAT BRAT?! QUIET AND GO BACK TO WORK!!" Cowering, the staff member did exactly that.

    The decisive phone call to Basara was dealt amidst the arguments within the classroom.

    "I see." Basara hung up and instantly got up; meanwhile Daniel sat down.

    An announcement was made, for the final curtain.

    "First of all, your proposal has been accepted, Daniel---" Controversy sparked all across the classroom yet no one dared to interrupt Basara directly "However, it will only be applicable for this round and not afterwards. Secondly, there will be a time extension for the rule; given that it''s 5:24 pm right now, it''s been decided that it will end on 5:40 pm--" Yukishiro couldn''t hold back this time around "THAT IS SUCH BULLSH----" A shout as loud as thunder quaked her entire existence "SHUT THE FUCK YOU INSIGNIFICANT WASTE OF OXYGEN INTERRUPT ME ONE MORE TIME AND I''LL BE THE ONE ACTUALLY DOING THE KILLING." Unhinged yet thorough, Basara managed to shut her up "With that said, let''s get this shit started." Basara looked extremely forward to this, just like many others.

    For this special round where anticipation lay the most, the groups are:

    Group A: Stratos, Akimiyashika, Hinagiku, Tateyana.

    Group B: Yukishiro, Sagasuga, Ikkiri, Tatsu.

    Group C: Hyunda, Shizuku, Tsudo, Daniel.

    Group D: Sana, Rayazaki, Kuzan, Lus.

    Group E: Gale, Kawahara, Arkalee, Kanawari.

    "Begin!" Tasked with writing the challenges, the five groups didn''t waste time around whatsoever.

    Unable to disobey the malicious nature of the exam, each group was forced to write down an utterly despicable challenge; yet the core strategy here was to gather who wrote which challenge.

    "Stop." After five minutes had passed, which marked 5:30 pm, Basara gave the halt and collected the challenge sheets one by one.

    After thoroughly examining their contents, Basara decided that it was alright for the exam to proceed.

    "Not pulling any punches, eh?" Basara shuffled the challenges and then started to distribute them table by table "BEGIN!" On the clock, every person in the room flipped their main challenge without fail "...." Daniel immediately got up and so did many other boys as they started to circulate the classroom "What the fuck---Oh no, no!" Yukishiro got upset instantly "Teacher, come on! This can''t be allowed!! They are just going to trade information, for fuck''s sake!!" Basara shrugged "At this point you''re complaining about something that you previous took advantage of in the past. Use your brain and find a way out." But there was no way out in this situation.

    The theory was always simple: As long as you tell what challenge you wrote to the person who has yours, they will tell which one their group did. If it''s the one you received, then you trust that information. Naturally, you can be lied to in these situations, but in this case it''s slightly different since it''s being exchanged from boy to boy.

    In other words, Yukishiro had absolutely no way to combat this strategy whatsoever and even if she tried to get the favor from a boy in her group, it would be pointless as what matters right now is what happens now.

    "Hey Sagasuga, who did this challenge...?" Unable to recognize the handwriting, Yukishiro sought help from the balanced and rational member of the group "I have an idea, yes." He didn''t deny it "Who?" Yukishiro asked "Group A, no doubt." Sagasuga reaffirmed "Ok, got it. Now let''s do the challenge..." She glared at Sagasuga "Absolutely not. What a hideous task." Sagasuga glanced at the challenge with abhorrence "All it''s fucking asking for each member to rip out a damn TOOTH and give it to a person of your group to eat it. Just take out one of your back ones FOR FUCK''S SAKE!" Sagasuga begged to differ, however "I am not alright with permanent self-mutilation, Yukishiro. I won''t budge." Pissed off by his adamant attitude, Yukishiro clicked her tongue and tried her luck with Ikkiri instead.

    However, before Yukishiro could even speak, Ikkiri did instead.

    "...No, you don''t deserve it." Blatantly, Ikkiri glared at Yukishiro with hate "Why you-----" Seeing as there was no other choice, Yukishiro looked at Tatsu "H-Hey, if you convince them to partake this challenge, then I''ll do anything for you! Anything, ANYTHING. I mean------" She snuck her right hand into his genital area "-----it." While trying to sound as erotic as possible "Yeah no." Utterly obliterated, Yukishiro was turned down instantly.

    Left with a sense of dread and hopelessness, Yukishiro felt at complete loss.

    <hr>

    It was now 5:35 pm and the timing for the challenges ceased.

    Yukishiro''s dread felt impending. Yet at the same time, she thought of countermeasures in case something went brutally wrong for her.

    "The winners for this round are: Groups A, C, D, and E! And that leaves, of course, the one and only losing group... GROUP B!" No one in the group except for Yukishiro felt brutally terrorized "This is UNFAIR, TEACHER! They refused to do the challenge and I couldn''t do anything because the challenges require collective effort!" She whined but Basara was not done "And now... For the group that received group B''s challenge and guessed it correctly..." Basara declared the winner in a loud manner "GROUP C!!" Yukishiro''s eyes widened as she began to tremble in fear "No..." Her head shook in horror as Daniel''s eyes lay on her.

    Doctor Hwan and Seok, alongside the other staff members, saw their numbers skyrocket like never before.

    "My God, there''s no way the principal is complaining about this..." Seok remarked "They are hyping him like crazy... But like, won''t this just fuck Daniel up though?! If he really tries to kill Yukishiro here, somehow, all the suspicion will be on him! He would have to be crazy, no, gramps?!" Seok had a point "Oh it''s true alright. We weren''t able to find concrete evidence but at this point, if someone dies due to this new rule then Daniel is the suspect. The problem lies in finding evidence though. Unless there is a terminal link to the source; just like how we couldn''t find a trace of poisonous substances within the male dorm, it won''t matter. But... That won''t work well for him." The doctor reasoned.

    The decree of the new rule was given to Daniel''s group and after consulting with his group, he gave the call to Basara.

    "Alright, we''ve decided on what we are going to do." Daniel spoke with supreme confidence "Say the word then." Going towards the central table of the room, after taking something of importance from his backpack, Daniel directed to Yukishiro, Sagasuga, Ikkiri, and Tatsu------all of which, except for Yukishiro, looked at Daniel with an easygoing expression "You four will all drink water from these bottles." He presented the same water bottles that had been distributed in the past "Teacher, I have a question!" Yukishiro instantly sought assistance "What?" Mildly annoyed still, Basara nevertheless intercepted Yukishiro''s question "If I die here, I want there to be NO DOUBT that it was all Daniel''s fault and that he must get executed for it." Yukishiro continued "The authorities must know that what''s about to happen is not a coincidence and that I was thoroughly set up by everyone in this GODDAMN FUCKING ROOM!!" Weeping, she concluded.

    Though unreasonable, Basara considered the scale of her words and decided that it would be fair to accept what she just said if it should happen.

    "He will no doubt be placed under massive suspicion. I will do whatever it takes to make sure, if you die right here and now, after drinking the water or later, that Daniel is sent to execution." Those words rang deep to Daniel in an alarming way "Alright, fucking fine then. I die, you die with me. I''ll spend eternity killing you, if that''s what it takes." Such a line was just produced "Great, so, pick your bottle." Daniel ordered "Pick the one with the poison." Yukishiro taunted him "There is no such thing. It''s just natural water, I don''t even have ways to poison the water..." Daniel made a confused expression "I don''t think he does too." Sagasuga reaffirmed as he sipped on the water.

    Tatsu did the same and so did Ikkiri, erasing any doubts albeit Yukishiro remained skeptical still.

    "If you don''t do it, you will actually die through execution and that''s not on me-----that''s on you." Daniel said to Yukishiro, who was in a corner "Teacher, you better keep your word. EVERYONE!" Yukishiro gave a speech to everyone present "If I die, you VERY WELL COULD BE NEXT!! DON''T BE FOOLED BY THIS PRETENTIOUS DOUCHEBAG WHO ACTS ALL INNOCENT WHEN HE HAS SAID ON RECORD THAT HE WANTS TO KILL ME!!" She took a few deep breaths and then, out of paranoia mixed with fear, she trembled as she tried to drink water "......." Her body absorbed the water nutrients for the first time in a while "So, does it taste good?" Daniel asked her ".........." Yukishiro tried to see if she was feeling something out of the ordinary.

    Seeing as there was nothing more to be done except to announce the time, Basara gave a quick rundown as he judged this situation to be brutally time-wasting.

    "It''s 5:37 pm right now, so unless something magical happens in the next three minutes, the new rule has expired. Round is over; the winners get out and the losers stay!" Given Basara''s decree, only group B remained inside the classroom.

    <hr>

    Outside of the classroom, Daniel whispered something to Hyunda.

    "Wow, holy shit." Hyunda couldn''t hide his surprise as Daniel told him about the mixture "No, no way, I gotta see it, hold up." Enthusiastic, Hyunda took a step forward and talked with Gale, who was walking alongside Shizuku; starting to descend the long staircase that would lead to the first floor of block F "Hey!" Hyunda called out and Gale immediately looked back; so did Shizuku "Hyunda? Oh hey, I----" Hyunda interrupted Gale''s sentence before she could say anything else "This is gonna sound like such a strange question, but do you remember exactly which one was your bottle?" This peculiar question was something that neither Gale nor Shizuku knew the answer to.

    Primarily because the designs look exactly the same, there is no way to differentiate.

    "Uh, let me see..." Gale went to her backpack and took out the three water bottles that she had accumulated "Oh." She noticed that there was one that had slightly less water as she had taken a few sips from it earlier while trying to convince Yukishiro and Shizuku to drink it "This is definitely mine, but why...?" Even Shizuku was curious as to why "I lost mine and wanted a new one, so I figured that I could ask you to lend me yours since it''s somewhat half-full while you could enjoy your other one. Uh, would that be fine?" Gale was quick to give the positive answer "...Sure..." She felt bashful suddenly; Shizuku additionally took out the water bottle that was meant to her "Oh right, you still have Yukishiro''s so there''s that! See you at the banquet!" Said Hyunda as he made haste down below where Daniel was.

    As they took a step down the staircase, Shizuku and Gale took a sip on their water bottles.

    Their glands tried to remember the natural scent of water----how organic and refined it can be.

    Which by no means should ever indicate a searing sensation that starts to burn your throat down like a summer fire adjoined with an endlessness of dread of miasma corrupting your lungs like a plague.

    "AGHHHH-----!!!" Not only feeling weak, but facing head on tremendous brain damage at sudden, Gale and Shizuku began to see things twisted without being able to tell where things are-----their sights were barely functional "Whaaaaaaat theeeeeee---------" Tilting over and over, their throats felt severed and their voices sealed.

    Shizuku tried to take a step forward and support herself on the handrail on the left side but her body felt so limp that she allowed her back to flow into the pit that is in-between the staircases; naturally letting her fall ten meters below with her body landing on the cold ground----ultimately splattering her face as well as bending her skull backwards.

    "GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!" Tateyana let out that shout as she saw Shizuku''s body crumble down from above "W-What the fuck! Shizuku!?" Tsudo was beyond shocked and frankly agitated "Wait... Wait, wait..." Kawahara, nearby the first floor, almost on the way out, noticed Shizuku''s dead body and additionally, checked what time it was "HEY TEACHER!!!" Shouting as loud as possible, Kawahara exited the building and ran to Basara who was on the border of block F.

    <hr>

    "You have GOT to be kidding me. HOW?!" Seok was in disbelief as he watched the footage alongside the staff members "We saw so many of them drink water from bottles, and yet you mean to tell me that somehow those two got the bad spectrum?!" It truly didn''t add up "That''s not even the most mind-blowing part... It''s the fact that there were thirty-seven seconds left until the rule expired and whoever managed to get them killed, got rewarded for it big time..." One of the staff members included.

    Doctor Hwan saw the steady decline in viewership now as the day was officially over for now, due to the prominence of the rule. Even though it brought forth an elevated streak of views, it also meant that their avenue would cease for the day.

    "I understand, I will be ordering the team to make all the due preparations for tomorrow, sir." Doctor Hwan affirmed as he sipped on his tea "Oh? I see. No, that''s fine, I''ll see to it. Yes, thank you, sir." The call ended and Seok ran to his grandfather''s side "So, any news for tomorrow?! Do we already know what new game we''ll be putting them through?! It''s gotta make the numbers go up and uppppppp!!" Seok was bubbly "Quite the contradiction compared to their class'' numbers. Do you know how many people from that classroom died today?" Seok answered quickly "Five!" He added something else too "And we didn''t find a single damn clue to who killed them!" Even though the first act mainly points at Daniel.

    As for the second act, it mainly points to Hyunda, but the evidence is as great as the first one.

    <hr>

    A loud emotional cry could be heard throughout the entire building as Lus and Daniel met on the back side of block F, during that afternoon, where the sun was starting to set.

    "I asked for Gale, not Shizuku..." Lus was somewhat shaken as she glanced at Daniel with his arms crossed "Collateral damage, actually. Gale was supposed to give the bottle to Yukishiro and sooner or later, Yukishiro would drink it too." Daniel reasoned "Alright, what did it contain?" She was beyond curious "I doubt you have the precise knowledge to know just exactly what I''m talking about but it''s a mixture of Moonshine, Spirytus Stawski, and a paralyzing agent." Lus became bewildered "What the FUCK!" She couldn''t control herself "Moonshine?! Seriously, where do you get this stuff?!" She demanded to know but Daniel wasn''t just about to reveal it.

    Instead, Daniel changed the subject.

    "So, since Gale is dead, I have access to this undying loyalty of yours now?" He took a glance at Lus, who was reluctant to confirm right away but nevertheless did it after a long breath "Yes... It''s an agreement." These words were really good for him "That''s great! I already want a favor from you, Lus." He took no time at all "And what would that be now?" She didn''t sound annoyed but rather just curious and eager to learn what he had planned for her "Deliver this to Yukishiro''s room without delay, that will be all. Oh, preferably don''t let her know that it was you." Daniel gave Lus a paper sheet, a box with something inside, and a wrapped letter.

    Lus definitely wanted to take a peek at the contents inside.

    "Don''t check it, simply deliver it to her front door." Daniel began to walk away "......" Lus tucked in the contents into her backpack "Thanks!" She thanked with a smile though Daniel didn''t reply back and instead, went to the one direction where the multitude would await them.

    <hr>

    The male dorm had an immense concentration onto one side in particular.

    Given the circumstance at hand, Basara was alerted that Mayuraki Shizuku, who was found with her body splattered on the first floor; as well as Gale Iris, whose body fell down the stairs yet would never recover again-----were in fact dead. The causes are still being discovered but what mattered for all of the boys and admittedly some of the girls was that the day was over.

    Although initially set to end on 10 pm, it ended around 5 pm, closer to 6 pm. That would be about four hours in addition.

    "Spill it, bitch." Tsudo, somewhat angry and bitter at Daniel, demanded to know the truth "Spill what?" There was a degree of confusion here, in the cafeteria area where every male would seat across in tables "How the fuck we are getting OUT. That''s literally the only reason we agreed in the first place." Tsudo made a good point "Motherfucker... You didn''t have to kill her!" Tsudo couldn''t control his emotions quite well.

    Hyunda decided to intervene as he figured he had a way to create a more logical avenue here.

    "Dude, you got to fuck Yukishiro like three times today, stop crying just because you''re never going to fuck Shizuku now that she''s dead." Hyunda hit the spot "I fucking know, shut UP!" Tsudo agreed on another aspect though "But holy shit, she does suck good, what the fuck? Like, am I the only one?" Many shared his opinion, in contrast to what Tsudo was thinking "Nah dude, she has been at it since young I just fucking know!" Kawahara agreed "We should never kill her..." Tatsu remarked.

    The real topic at hand, however, had to be discussed, and so, Rayazaki was the one who sparked interest again.

    "Daniel, the way out. Explain that." Far too serious, Rayazaki paid undivided attention to Daniel "Fair enough..." Daniel acknowledged it and looked at Kawahara for a brief second "What''re you looking at me for?" Kawahara was genuinely clueless "Kawahara, it''s time." Daniel continued "The way out is through the Hideout." Kawahara became dumbfounded "Show us the way and I''ll show you the way as well." Daniel bargained.

    Class F students remaining: 18.

 Volume 26: Chapter 181: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part IX.

    The fading sun quietly aligned with the meek horizon.

    "That''s all there is to it." Daniel inhaled a fair portion of the oxygen around him as he placed his eyesight on the majority of the male body within the cafeteria "It goes without saying that this can''t be achieved via solo efforts and requires us to utilize our numbers to our advantage. Not only that, if we get caught, it''s all over." He was quick to cut to the chase "And you''re telling me that it''s right there, in that room?" Rayazaki was skeptical and made a torn expression full of doubt---Daniel on the other hand, allowed Kawahara to take the wheel "It''s encrypted. I''ve tried to unlock it several times, but it''s no use. The code has 20 slots." Kawahara sighed "So?" Tsudo didn''t understand the issue "Are you telling me that all this time you couldn''t have tried to unlock it? Sure, it''s 20 slots, but it''s possible." He reasoned.

    Kawahara was profoundly irritated.

    "Shut your fucking mouth, bitch. It''s not that simple." Tsudo was angry at Kawahara''s words but allowed him to justify himself "First of all, the slots are made of numbers. Each slot can go up from 1 to 26. Let me ask you this, dumb fuck---what do you think has 26 numbers, just straight up from the top of your head?" Kawahara made the puzzling question "What... Look..." Tsudo was confused as he didn''t know the answer "The alphabet?" Tatsu made the guess "Bingo. Someone with a brain here, good lord." Kawahara rejoiced "Ok but what does that have to do with----" Tsudo was interrupted as Kawahara continued "It''s hinting something, clearly a name, most likely. 20 slots can only indicate that it''s a full name. Or whatever else, it doesn''t matter---" Kawahara got to the core of the matter as he had everyone''s eyes on him "After a slot is inserted, you can''t revert it. Furthermore, if you insert all the available slots, any combination that you had in your mind, it will fucking fry your hand with a motherfucking whooping volt that will send your ass flying to Mars!" Everyone more or less understood what he was implying "And to add insult to injury, it fully resets and becomes unavailable for the next 24 hours." He concluded.

    Stuck with a conundrum, Kawahara wasn''t able to offer a solution.

    "But our good friend Daniel here has a solution to this problem!" Kawahara patted Daniel heavily on the back from his left side with his right palm; causing Daniel to stumble a bit forward due to the sheer strength in the patting "Otherwise he wouldn''t have just suggested an escape plan that strictly revolves us being able to pass through the "passage", which is THEORETICAL, by the way!" Kawahara''s sarcasm was applying pressure onto Daniel "RIGHT?!" Everyone looked at Daniel "Hm..." He looked apathetic but in deep thought "...Wait, why would you suggest all of that----I mean, you KNOW the combination, right? Otherwise, you wouldn''t have suggested it, right?" Rayazaki spoke in Daniel''s direction but he also spoke what everyone was trying to assert off.

    This time, Daniel stopped his thought process and got up from his chair as he delivered his reasoning.

    "Of course I know it. But it can''t be done now. Not at this precise moment." He was elusive "Why not right now though?" Tsudo, was not satisfied "We need a decoy and alibis." Daniel countered "Alibis?! This is our rest time, no? How the fuck are they going to find us out-----" Tsudo was countered not by Daniel, but by Sagasuga "Tsudo, it''s not about taking the opportunity while we can but rather to pick the most precise timing to execute it." Sagasuga reasoned and spoke an additional sentence as he drank his glass of water "I think we should trust Daniel on this one. After all---he allowed us to topple the challenges today. Perhaps a vote of trust wouldn''t hurt, I think." His calm and serene expression was a sight to behold, despite his newly shaved head "......" Tsudo ceased his attitude; in the midst of this, Hyunda decided to leave the scene quietly as he ventured to the top of the dorm "Alright, I agree with the plan, but I have a question, Daniel." Tatsu earned Daniel''s attention; Kuzan on the other hand, lit up the light of the cafeteria was it was getting dark.

    Many were physically tired and were looking forward to their sleep and yet they paid attention to Tatsu''s question, as it inquired something that minimally warranted the worry of everyone in the class today.

    "None of us are going to die------right?" Tatsu was slightly nervous yet didn''t exhibit such symptoms on his physical surface "Us?" Daniel asked "Us, boys. We agree with your plan, therefore, we are exempt from any danger. That''s what we agreed on, right?" Daniel tried to recall such a moment "Oh. Sure." He gave an ambiguous answer "No need to worry, Tatsu. As I said, for the plan to work, the more numbers, the better." Daniel gave his reasoning "........." Tatsu found his reasoning to lack empathy "Alright, good to know." He dismissed himself instantly as Daniel locked his sight onto him "Alright people, let''s fucking sleep, we gotta be up at 5 am tomorrow!" Kawahara gave the imperial order and many did as he said.

    <hr>

    The sight of the falling sun swimming on the blazing horizon ignited his eyes with a searing sensation as he couldn''t draw himself out of the obsession ring.

    "Time is running out..." Hyunda, supported on the balcony of the rooftop, softly muttered "How so?" Daniel made his presence known from behind as he intercepted Hyunda''s words "It''s rhetorical, forget it." Hyunda clarified as Daniel joined his left side on the balcony with his hands supported on it "So, what are your thoughts, Hyunda?" Daniel didn''t waste time around and Hyunda gave his insight instantly "It was alright. You drew too much attention though. But it''s fine, since that''s what you wanted anyways." Hyunda stated "Yeah. If I become the focus, then that just means that the others will get less spotlight and will be able to be more useful. I don''t mind this outcome." Daniel reasoned too "I see. Aside from that, I really think it was alright. But again, it all comes down to the big escape. Enduring these challenges can be relatively trivial, honestly." Hyunda confessed.

    It would naturally be decided if they could escape all of this through Daniel''s plan, however, there was something that not even Hyunda knew.

    Something that, Daniel, was a bit ashamed to admit.

    "......I lied about something back then." Hyunda turned to his left and looked at Daniel with concern "The combination... I seriously thought I had it and my brain didn''t even deny it for a second, but the more I tried to recall it..." Daniel supported his head with his two shaking hands "....." Hyunda continued to observe "So you thought you knew the combination and that''s why you told us that plan?" Daniel couldn''t stop shaking "I''m screwed, aren''t I? Look, this shit happened back in the island in the tenth section; there was a part where it was encrypted and had a very similar description to the same in the hideout, but I never got to unlock it----I had that key, which allowed me to bypass it." He explained the problem "Hm... Well, I can''t give you that key, sorry." Hyunda showed a level of regret.

    However, that wasn''t what was troubling Daniel, for some reason.

    "Hyunda, I can''t make this shit up but I can''t make sense of what''s been happening lately. My brain feels as if it knows things that it shouldn''t. It''s not normal, is it?!" Daniel sought a level of confirmation "Certainly not. Have you been taking your medication with frequency though?" Daniel stopped trembling as much as Hyunda asked "I have... Fuck man, what now? If I don''t come up with something I''ll lose all credibility and they won''t cooperate with me. Why the hell did I think that I knew it?!" Daniel felt immensely confused "Maybe you do know it." Hyunda lowly said "What?!" Daniel obviously didn''t agree "Sounds like a big issue to me though. I''ve provided you with material to which you are making usage of, but that key is beyond the current reach. I can''t say I relate to the issue you''re having, since, well, it''s pretty unrelatable, honestly, but yeah." Hyunda shrugged "Wait, so what happens now?" Daniel was at a crossroad suddenly.

    Hyunda put his right palm on the lower side of his jaw and thought for a while.

    "I don''t know, honestly. Getting access to the key sounds like the way to go, but that''s, as I said, beyond my reach. Hmm..." Daniel hopelessly looked at Hyunda, hoping for him to give him a way out of this situation "Ah..." Hyunda made the expression of someone who just thought of something that could maybe work "I can''t say I recommend this route, but you could try Sagasuga." Daniel argued immediately "He isn''t as open as you. He''s frankly hard to reason with, because he won''t budge unless things go his way. Damn it..." Daniel began to feel nervous but Hyunda didn''t agree with Daniel''s stance "I think you''re misunderstanding his character. You just know too little about him. Look, I''ll be frank. He is most likely the only one who can get you out of this. After all, the plan starts tomorrow. Can you really afford to be this picky about it?" He couldn''t.

    Daniel reflected on Hyunda''s words.

    "You know what, you''re right. He is also a member of the organization. He should have access to the key---" Hyunda interrupted Daniel with fierce strength "Give up on the damn key. It''s the combination. I''ll let you know right away that I don''t know it and I''m not lying. I only know a few and they have combinations which are formed of seven slots." Hyunda confessed "Are you saying that he knows then?" Daniel asked "Not sure, honestly. Could be, could be not. All I know is that I can''t help you here." Hyunda started to leave the terrain "Oh." He would say something before completely exiting the scene "Thanks for the extra damage you did to her. I wasn''t planning on going to her right away, but you facilitated it quite a lot, so yeah, thanks." Daniel knew what he was referring to but had his mind elsewhere.

    The frail connection between Daniel and Sagasuga would be highlighted at the fact that his doubts grew by the second and yet, he had no choice but to gamble on this shot.

    <hr>

    11 pm. Central hospital.

    The diagnosis made out from the doctors in charge of determining the cause of the students deaths had been finally dealt to the hands of doctor Hwan.

    "Dear God." Unable to hide his shock, the doctor found it hard to believe as he looked at the results; the room being full of variety in terms of individuals "Let me have a look too, if you don''t mind." The student council president suggested as he adjusted his glasses "Behold and laugh, if you must." Doctor Hwan relinquished the papers to him "Hmm..." Over and over, he went through each paper "Am I to believe that their deaths all had the same origin?" He threw that question into the air; mainly aimed at the doctors who composed the autopsies "Based on what we have been able to see, I would be very inclined so." A confident man, representing the medical team; with a surgical mask on his face, stepped up "They were not only poisoned but intook drinks which were mixed with substances such as cardiac glycoside digoxin, hydrogen cyanide, moonshine, and... spirytus..." The doctor couldn''t mask his unease.

    Liyuga scratched the back of his head as he couldn''t understand one thing.

    "Alright, enough. HOW?" His displeasure was shared among the student council "Those substances require a lot of set up and to simply mix them up in one go is..." Andrea was in deep thought "They weren''t mixed up entirely onto a singularity. The first wave that killed the first three was mainly cardiac glycoside digoxin and hydrogen cyanide. Not to mention that there was a very strong cardiac paralyzing agent mixed in which led to whoever intook the drinks to have their heart rates completely stopped." The doctor reasoned "Which doesn''t explain why Daniel Lead wasn''t affected by it, correct?" Skan asked "Yes, that''s right. It''s a mystery still. However, it goes without saying that they all died from intaking those drinks. That is not a question, but a fact." He was thorough.

    On the other hand, the student council president, had something else to offer, in the midst of the night.

    "Isn''t it fine?" His words made the entire student council widen their eyes "President, I beg your pardon?" Andrea couldn''t understand the president''s stance "While it is true that there has been multiple checks of the male and female dorm by the guards, nothing was ever found. And still, things like this are done. It leaves you wondering... If they are truly hiding so much from us just to execute their little ploys, then what were to happen should it be found out?" The president was not only being ambiguous but a bit controversial "That would be for the best, no? The moment we find evidence and connect the finger-prints to such chemicals, we can expose the orchestrator and be done with this nonsense." Andrea reasoned "How morally right and I would usually agree." The president said.

    Glancing over the doctor as well as many other members who had not yet introduced themselves, the president elected to make his point on the moment, despite how cold it may seem.

    "However, no matter how you look at it, what happened was authentically beneficial to our strategy." Andrea''s expression became distorted "Our aim is to get rid of these criminals, who have been, against our will, populating the school that we love and cherish. Our means to do so would be to buy a portion of them and then have them expelled. But as we discussed, that approach is unrealistic. But, against the odds, an opportunity like this has been presented on us. An opportunity where they are shackled, restricted, vulnerable, and predictable. Andrea, tell me... Do you honestly believe that these oxygen thieves deserve minimal empathy?" He posed the question "...No." Andrea didn''t deny it "I suppose not. It''s just... No, nevermind." She didn''t exhibit her true thoughts on the matter.

    Taking a peek at the dead students, mainly Gale and Shizuku, the student council president, on behalf of the school''s principal, gave the following decree.

    "Our viewership must rise. We must set the tone and he is counting on all of you. Furthermore, cease all your instigation and let things be as natural as they can. Finish installing all of the necessary components and have it all ready for tomorrow. The second event will go as planned." His cold voice was undoubtedly accurate for the mood as no one begged to differ.

    <hr>

    Not a single student didn''t show up at the entrance of block F at 5 am. Firmly aware of the consequences, there was simply no room for any other paths.

    The shimmering cold breeze made several students tremble, however, they were naturally more absorbed into other newborn factors.

    Basara presented a few starting ones; as he was accompanied by a team of four black-suited guards carrying boxes with cryptic devices inside of them.

    A single clap to the air was enough to summon all of their attention onto a psychological cataclysm.

    "All of you, LINE UP!" Without delay, the student body didn''t hesitate to comply; the student at the front being Lus followed behind by Daniel "No resisting, these bad boys will go to your necks!" Basara hinted at thick mechanical neck chokers that were being put around their necks "I don''t advise trying to remove them, you might not like what it has to offer." Basara suggested as the distribution kept pilling up.

    In addition to the chokers which were sunk in deep iron, with ten dormant crystal lights scattered throughout them, which alarmed all of them-----they were also given black watches to their left wrists. Furthermore, instead of climbing all the way to the top floor where their usual classroom would be, they instead were guided by Basara and the guards to a room within the base floor where their brand new endeavor would be adjourned.

    Situated in the eastern side of the block, upon the guards unlocked the closed two doors with keys, a loud ominous opening was formed; where they would behold something entirely new.

    "Holy shit." Kawahara, the usual enthusiast, couldn''t hide his surprise as they entered the room "So many of them... What the hell is this, a recording studio?!" Tateyana felt repulsed by the mere sight.

    Unlike the rough conditions the usual classroom would present itself to the students, this room was far more enchanted in a sense. Amassing a width of twenty meters in a square-shaped area, the room would have a towering ceiling with enormous height.

    Perhaps the true highlight feature would not be what they are most worried about, but instead of the normal scattered tables; either individual or dual ones, there was a single focal point being: a round table made of eighteen seats. Each seat had a pen and paper for some reason.

    Though, of course, that was not the source of discomfort. The true source would be the mere fact that there are a wide variety of cameras circulating all across the room. The standard four cameras occupying each corner of the top ceiling were replaced by cameras on every side of the wall instead. The ceiling had hanging cameras focused on the center on the round table, but also, floating robotic eyeballs that were orbiting around the room.

    In total, however, to cover every possible angle as well as the students, without having to resort to a distant angle, there were 98 cameras; combined with the myriad of floating orbits.

    The figure of their undivided hatred made his existence be known as he was projected onto the north side of the room near the abysmal white wall towering with supreme height.

    "Good morning, my beautiful narcissistic FLOWERS!!" Brimming with an uncanny enthusiasm, doctor Hwan presented himself through particles which gave everyone in the room the feeling that it was actually him in person and not just a gigantic holographic projection "AHHH WHAT THE F----" Kuzan, scared out of his wits, jumped backwards, hitting the wall with brute force "Shithead is back, you hate to see it." Kawahara remarked "Looks so real..." Akimiyashika stated as she couldn''t help but admire the accuracy in the projection "First of all, allow me to congratulate all of you for surviving the first day!" The doctor began to clap, and even though it was a projection, the sound of the claps were heard as if they were real, if not more than that "It wasn''t easy, I''m sure, to withstand all of those nonsensical challenges and I can see that even most of you haven''t really recovered from the perils of accepting them, but alas, it couldn''t be helped!" The doctor was proud to congratulate them as he moved with a weird ecstatic feeling.

    The stage for the next challenge, however, was addressed instantly.

    "In order to stay true to my words, yes, today will be marked with another special exam! And so will the next day and so on! This is all, of course, to improve your social skills and deepen the bonds between all of you!!!" Doctor Hwan let out of a malefic laughter while gathering the collective hatred of the opposition "That''s why I figured that in order to truly test those bonds that you developed yesterday, that I would put all of you through not only a tasking challenge, but to also, ELEVATE your standings to the world!" Many didn''t understand what the doctor was saying.

    Nevertheless, it wouldn''t need an explanation because the doctor''s words caused the students'' awareness to be expanded instantly.

    "Behold, where you currently stand!" All across the walls, the curtain was unveiled, in the form of various shapes "Oh great, we''re being recorded... I mean, the cameras and everything made it obvious but this is just..." Hinagiku looked to her right and saw a hologram projection of multiple streams containing a multitude of angles "Hey, look to the center, it''s behind the old man." Rayazaki was the first one to mention it as he found it rather interesting "That number... What the hell... There''s even a chat..." Arkalee trembled as she hugged Hyunda tightly "So it''s a streaming platform..." Lus came to the conclusion.

    Hovering around 150,000 viewers as well as providing cameras for all the viewers to see the current live event, the live stream had a visible chat reaction message log scattered across the room in a virtual mirage. In addition, there are other streams under different labels with assigned numbers to them.

    "...Classroom of doom..." Daniel had his eyesight permanently locked on the left upper corner where the other labels were shown "14, huh?" The streaming title had caught his attention as well as how the only difference between the other titles were the numbers "I must apologize! I have made the grave mistake of not letting you know just how famous all of you are, but as you can see..." The doctor''s hologram faded into nothingness and instead of him, a holographic digital ladder was presented "On your first day, you managed to reach number 3 on the ladder out of all the other classrooms!!" The ladder would cover numerous other streams based on their rankings "Classroom of doom? What the hell? Hey, we''re the third one, right?" Tsudo asked "He just said that, man..." Rayazaki remarked.

    Labelled as "Classroom of doom", the other streams appeared on full display in the forms of ranking.

    "These are the views yesterday amassed by each stream individually and I have to say, for the first day, to reach third place-----considering many other classrooms are already going at it for quite a while; to say it''s impressive, is an UNDERSTATEMENT." The doctor pointed out "Oh yeah?! That''s great man! Apparently it''s alright to profit from us like this?! Talk about illegal, no?!" Rayazaki complained "You promoted murder yesterday and manipulated us into thinking that it was alright! How dare you?! People died!" Hinagiku was very transparent as well "Oh, how rich... The hypocrisy... It never fails to amuse me every time. At the sight of the mere inconvenience you criminals will resort to moral allegations even though you''re the worst of them all!!" The doctor laughed; along with many others as they ridiculed all of them in the chatting platforms "Hey." Daniel called out to the doctor while pointing at another section that was behind them "What''s this about?" Everyone''s attention turned to Daniel at first and then to the hologram behind them.

    The doctor materialized again and explained what they were seeing.

    "That''s the individual ranking based on yesterday''s performance." A ladder of 18 individuals was presented to them and the majority of them looked to one individual alone "What''s the basis for this ranking, doctor?" Daniel asked, in a hollow tone "I wonder... Perhaps you''ll find out if you play... Are you interested, Daniel Lead?" In an enticing voice tone, the doctor asked, as Daniel turned around and glanced at the doctor coldly "Ok, let''s do this." Forming the altitude of the movement, Daniel began to take a step forward.

    The majority of the students were paying attention to the myriads of comments swarming and while they were very interested in what they were saying, they also opted to take a step forward as well.

    On that round table with 18 seats, the students took their seats.

    <hr>

    With the doctor no longer in the picture, all of the attention was entirely summed up to Basara, who was standing tall on the unique golden podium on the south side of the room, slightly away from the round table yet not much.

    In his two hands, he held golden papers containing valuable and utmost critical information.

    Through the microphone, he spoke diligently.

    "The first round will now begin." He put down the papers on the podium "W-What?! We didn''t even receive an explanation! Is it the same event as yesterday?!?!" Akimiyashika was shaken "Yeah, what the hell?! Explain, teacher!" Tateyana also argued "Please... Don''t put us in the dark..." Ikkiri looked at Basara, but this was beyond his control.

    A horrifying holographic design containing a round wheel with the eighteen names of the present students appeared. A skull remained at the center, but was quickly lit up as it started.

    "What the fuck?!" Rayazaki found it strange how a fire was going through the wheel''s names and how the skull remained vigilant with its two eyes pointing at the name that would go through the fire "Hey, what happens now?! Are we going to get picked off?! What does this mean?!" Hinagiku tried to talk to Basara, but that was not effective as he alienated himself from interaction momentarily.

    Thirty seconds was all it took for the selected name to be lit up in flames, causing the skull to cast a roar throughout the room.

    "FUCK, it''s loud!" Kawahara covered his ears "Agghh---" So loud to the point where their eardrums felt the pressure and even some blood began to drip from the corners of it "It''s decided then." Basara followed up "No, wait..." Kanawari, terrified, started to nod to the right and left, in utter denial, however, as two guards snuck behind her----combined with the fact that her front seat had clicked an open path way to the central chair that had erupted from the ground simultaneously, it led to her state of paranoia "WHAT IS THIS?! WHY WAS MY NAME CHOSEN?!" Kanawari was tucked in by the two guards who utilized brute physical strength to overpower her as well as driving her to the enigmatic chair "ANSWER ME!!" She looked at Basara with rage and yet he remained emotionless.

    Lus, on the other hand, attempted to get up, but was quickly ceased by Daniel who held her left hand with brute force.

    "No." He looked at her in the eyes "Resist, you must. And trust me." The sight of her trembling expression with heated rage was one observed by a few ".....!!" Lus clenched her teeth, and Daniel started to decrease the volume of the force "If anything bad happens to her, I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU BASTARDS!!" Forcefully, Lus took a seat once again.

    The two guards had successfully managed to put Kanawari at the central chair which had the withering resemblance of a royal throne dusted in gold, but it completely shackled its host with metallic chokers down to the ankles and wrists; authentically destroying any possibility of movement. Kanawari attempted to cease it, but was in vain as she was locked up.

    "Those motherfuckers..." Lus was looking at the comments spread all over the room "Don''t pay attention to them, Lus." Hinagiku told her as she sat on the right side to Lus "They''re insulting her... My friend is being mocked by these random nobodies, I swear I---" She was briefly interrupted by Basara, who upon checking the conditions, started to dial the necessary information "Kanawari is the first down the line and so, the judgment begins." Basara''s words were eerie to say the least "Judgment?" Hyunda was the first one to question it.

    However, as if settling for a mysterious pattern, Basara did not elaborate and instead simply allowed the next stage to be highlighted in the form of an accusation.

    Written in artificial letters, a script of five meters was visible to everyone on the south of the room.

    "Gayakirima Kanawari is responsible for the killing of her middle school''s class on her sixth grade via the utilization of biological warfare, which was used to spread a bacteria wave amongst them all by herself." Basara recited the exact words presented in the script to the class as well as the multitude of viewers "...No..." Kanawari shook her head in dismay "That''s... No..." Her denial continued "As the jury here, I ask all of you; do you agree..." The tension grew "Or disagree?" Basara presented the choice "The choice is yours. You have one minute to vote. A simple yes or no is all it takes. This is simplicity in its purest form." Basara said as he passed the ball now to the students.

    With a minute left on the clock, pointless chattering would have to be avoided and yet there was simply too much confusion.

    "What... Vote? Like, say yes or no?" Ikkiri made the question "Probably the---" Rayazaki''s words were cut short as he noticed that the paper in front of him had gained a small wall of text, containing what Basara had just said "Wait, since when did the paper have this option?! Did it just appear out of nowhere?!" Rayazaki''s question was answered by Sagasuga, who stood on the southwest center "It''s like that. Most likely a projection. There''s even a yes/no option." Daniel, on the other hand, threw a question at Basara "Teacher, what happens if we vote yes and no?" Silence was met, however "He''s not going to answer from the looks of it." Hinagiku stated.

    Forty seconds remained on the clock. As a matter of fact, to be even more helpful, an hourglass in the shape of a clock was visible to all of them so they knew just the time.

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    "I didn''t do it..." Shaken, Kanawari lowly spoke "I know. You wouldn''t do that, Kana." Lus got up from her seat and spoke to the rest of the class "Vote no. Kanawari is not lying. She did NOT do it." Lus issued her orders "Yeah, she just said she didn''t..." Ikkiri softly spoke with some reluctance "Hey, you didn''t do it, Kanawari?" Kawahara asked Kanawari from afar "...I didn''t do it, I swear..." She didn''t look at him and instead kept looking at the ground whilst chained to the chair "Hmm..." Kawahara brushed the back of his hair "Vote no, Kawahara." Lus gave him a dominant stare "Hmm..." He was in deep thought.

    Twenty seconds remained, and the majority had yet not voted completely.

    "How hard can it be?! JUST FUCKING VOTE NO!!" Lus'' shout echoed throughout the room "Alright, I won''t be a cheeky bitch and argue here." Kawahara cast his vote "....." Daniel observed Kanawari and then at the very last second, cast his vote "....!?" Lus'' perplexed expression was born from his vote.

    Now that the round was terminated, Basara would announce the upcoming sequence of events.

    "Here are the scores for round one, behold." A ranking ladder appeared at the very center where they could all see the results "What the..." Kawahara felt slightly mad "Zero points?" Rayazaki, who had voted no, complained as well "Daniel and Sagasuga got three points though..." Akimiyashika noted as they all started to look at them "Wait, what did you guys vote? Yes or no?" Tateyana requisitioned "No, of course." Daniel was cold and straight to the point "It''s quite obvious she''s lying, I''m sorry." Sagasuga was apologetic towards Lus mainly.

    Ranking on the ladder with 3 points out of 33, Daniel and Sagasuga were on the lead.

    But, something out of the ordinary happened.

    A bim sound was heard by the 18 of them.

    "The fuck---" Kawahara immediately looked at his choker, and saw a bright red light illuminated in the shape of a circle "What''s with the light, hey!!" Rayazaki questioned it too "Quiet down, round two will begin now." Basara, uncaring, in the midst of the panicking, decided to accelerate the tempo as the students who voted "no" were absorbing this mysterious consequence "Gayakirima Kanawari is the descendant of Shiro Ishii, the surgeon general of unit 731." A newfound wall of text appeared on the paper whilst the previous one was erased, along with the option of voting for a yes or no "Do you agree or disagree?" Basara simply presented the question "It''s up to you; a minute is left." The hourglass presented itself as the second round began.

    Kawahara was the first one to fire the trigger.

    "Kanawari, is this true or no?" All eyes were on her "......" She remained silent as if trying to remember something "Hey, I''M TALKING TO YOU!" Kawahara shouted "Watch it, you bastard! Don''t talk to her like that!" Lus argued to Kawahara from a distance "No, no, no, she''s CRUCIAL here. If this is a questionnaire about her wrongdoings or whatever, then she SHOULD provide us with correct answers!" Kawahara reasoned "Lus, he has a point..." Tateyana said "Besides, this shouldn''t be hard, just say yes or no and don''t lie, Kanawari..." Tateyana''s voice grew sharp "...I don''t know." She gave that unsatisfactory answer.

    Thirty-five seconds remained.

    "Shiro Ishii..." Hinagiku murmured "...?" Rayazaki looked at Hinagiku, who had her head down "Oh, shit, I know the guy." Hyunda instantly gathered all of the attention within the room to him "Or rather, I know who the guy is." He elaborated "The teacher said he was from unit 731 and unit 731 should be related to world war two, no?" Arkalee spoke "Hm, yeah. I would go more in depth but time is of essence as we speak. Kanawari, can you tell us your full name?" Hyunda threw that question to Kanawari "..........." She remained silent "OH COME THE FUCK ON!!" Kawahara got up from his seat and slammed his fists to the table.

    Fifteen seconds remained.

    "The reason we want to know your full name is to see if you share at least a name of his. Which, would make you, POTENTIALLY, a descendant of his!" Akimiyashika explained "So?! Kanawari, we need an answer!!" Rayazaki rushed her "......" She refused, however, and given the fact that there were five seconds left, everyone opted to go with their gut though some simply didn''t vote "The second round is over, the results will now be displayed." Basara announced.

    Unlike the first round, there was a lot of variety this time around.

    The one at the top was Sagasuga with six points. Daniel had three points, as well as now----Kawahara, Yukishiro, and Tatsu. The rest had still yet to score.

    "Holy shit, you are! The fuck did you lie for?!" Kawahara immediately jumped the gun to Kanawari "I said I don''t know!!" Kanawari put her two hands on the sides of her head as she shouted that "What do you mean you don''t know... You knew very well, didn''t you..." Hinagiku''s creepy voice haunted Kanawari from afar "...No, I really didn''t..." She denied it as she made slight eye contact with Hinagiku "Liaaaaaaaaaaarrr......" Slowly, Hinagiku uttered the word, even more intensely "Ah shit, another one..." Rayazaki complained "The fuck is this...!! Can someone tell me?!" Tateyana felt extremely pressured.

    By now, those with zero points, had accumulated two red lights on their chokers. The second light was now present in the north-east section of the choker.

    "....." Daniel noticed that a light grew on the north direction of his choker despite having 3 points still "Kana..." Lus felt tormented as she looked at Kanawari''s undergoing anxiety "Third round will now start." Basara coldly declared "Oh boy." Rayazaki gulped "It''s easier if you just answer with the truth, bitch... Think of your position a little bit..." Tsudo said to her "......?" Not understanding, Kanawari was confused.

    The script emerged and was re-written now as Basara declared it.

    "Gayakirima Kanawari has a history with drugs and prostitution." Kanawari instantly grieved and bent her head down as she grabbed her blonde hair strands with her interlocked fingers from the strained hands "Oh God------" She further trembled and was having trouble breathing "Yes or no? What do you think? As always, your decision matters the most, so give it a shot!" Basara allowed the third round to begin as the hourglass was born; with a single minute as its lifeforce.

    A more reasonable person approached Kanawari from afar this time around; as they naturally were unable to physically contact her due to her position on the central chair.

    "Kanawari, I think it''s safe to say that all of us have done horrible and extremely stupid things that we shouldn''t have." Daniel talked in a serene tone; earning Kanawari''s horror, surprisingly "It''s embarrassing and against your will, yes, but we will be in your position eventually. Why not set the tone?" Daniel suggested "...........No..." But she refused, Kawahara took a very deep breath in response "You''re a criminal like all of us. Criminals have morally wicked habits. For a girl, who is a criminal, doing drugs and engaging in prostitution is something not out of the picture." Daniel earned negative attention "That''s going too far, shut up." Lus spoke to Daniel, as she tolerated him "She probably did it." Hyunda spoke his thoughts "No, wait, what if she did one but not the other? What then?" He countered his own thoughts like that.

    Thirty seconds remained.

    "So it''s a trick question...?" Ikkiri looked at Hyunda and asked "What else would it, you fucking whore?! Grow a brain, GOD!" Arkalee retorted fairly quickly "....." Ikkiri cowered in response "Hey, is that the case, Kanawari?" Tateyana asked her "....." But she didn''t reply "What''s with you?! I''ve sucked dick before, just fucking tell us!" Tateyana brutally admitted "Jesus!" Akimiyashika was in awe "What?! At least I''m being honest! I bet you did too, don''t act like a saint all over the sudden!" She taunted Akimiyashika "What does that have anything to do with it?!" Truly, time was running out.

    The last person Kanawari expected her to defend her, spoke up.

    "Kanawari wouldn''t do that." Kuzan''s voice was heard loud and clear "I don''t believe it. I''m sure she did horrible things but not of those kinds. I''m voting no." Kuzan immediately wrote it off "I don''t believe it either." Lus spoke in her defense and voted no as well "Hey, Kanawari, yes or no?" Kawahara looked at her "......." But she refused to reply.

    At the end of the day, everyone had to decide for themselves and thus, the third round came to an end.

    "The third round results are in, as you can see." By Basara''s words, the ranking ladder was shown.

    Standing on the top undefeated, was Sagasuga, with nine points. Behind him was Daniel, Yukishiro, Tatsu, and Kawahara, with six points. Earning finally three points; Arkalee, Hyunda, Rayazaki, Hinagiku, Sana, Akimiyashika, Tateyana, Ikkiri, Stratos, and Tsudo, got the correct answer as well.

    Those that failed incorrectly were: Lus and Kuzan, who had zero points.

    Furthermore, their chokers gained an additional red light on the north-east side, now amassing to three.

    "........" Kuzan''s eyes widened as he looked at Kanawari who wouldn''t stop sobbing "...I''m sorry..." She said "It''s alright! You don''t have to say anything, Kana! No one in their right mind would reveal private information like that!" Lus defended her "You mean, only someone dumb, wouldn''t." Akimiyashika spoke "Huh?" Lus looked at Akimiyashika with a glaring stare "I hate to break it to you, but she''s being too much of a drama queen. It''s the third round and she still has NOT told us the truth! We''re out here in the dark and she refuses to still do it!" Akimiyashika explained herself "She doesn''t HAVE TO. IT''S IN HER EVERY RIGHT FOR PRIVACY, YOU DUMB BITCH!!" Lus got up from her seat "Hey." Basara spoke from afar "Get down on your seat now, Lus. Or else I''ll add a light to your choker." Basara threatened.

    This sparked the interest of many, however, they kept it concealed.

    "......" Lus looked at Daniel transiently, who had his eyes closed and then sat down "The fourth round will now begin." The new script appeared and the old one vanished "Gayakirima Kanawari killed her sister when she was six." This caused Kanawari to unleash a scream in response "AHHHHHHHHHHH STOP IT!!" She throbbed in despair "Now... What do you think? Is it a yes, or is it a no?" Basara let the hourglass spin and thus, a minute was left on the clock.

    Sagasuga, the reigning champion, attempted his way with Kanawari.

    "I''ve killed my brother." He confessed openly "Not my brother, but yeah, I also killed a family member too." Akimiyashika added "Hm. It is of no shame to tell us the truth, Kanawari. I vow to answer with the truth if you ask me a question when my time comes to be in your position, should you ask. That is, if you reply truthfully, here and now." Sagasuga proposed a mutual exchange "........" Yet she remained silent.

    Forty seconds left to go.

    "It''s your choice. It''s clear by now that these questions, or-----accusations, are interlinked with the information that the government has of our criminal records. And, whether you like it or not, you are going to slowly get exposed in this round." Sagasuga offered his thoughts "And you''re saying that I should just admit to the truth instead of thinking about my own privacy?!" She retorted "There is no privacy here. It''s pointless to think with that mentality." Sagasuga countered "I''m not saying it! Besides, nothing bad happens if you vote for the wrong answer!" Kanawari boldly claimed.

    The entire chat flooded with comments saying things that caught the attention of many.

    "Heeeeey, they''re saying our fucking heads will blow the fuck up when the ten lights are completed..." Rayazaki dialed out the critical information as he read the comments "Literally anyone could have guessed that. They are hell-bent on promoting our deaths for entertainment." Hinagiku coldly said.

    Fifteen seconds to go.

    "Kana..." Lus couldn''t say it "My offer stands still." Sagasuga didn''t give up "I am interested in the truth." Sagasuga said "........" But, despite all opinions, Kanawari still refused to budge.

    Thus, the fourth round came to an end and the ranking ladder was the following:

    1 - Sagasuga (12 points)

    2 - Daniel (9 points)

    3 - Yukishiro (9 points)

    4 - Tatsu (9 points)

    5 - Kawahara (9 points)

    6 - Arkalee (6 points)

    7 - Hyunda (6 points)

    8 - Rayazaki (6 points)

    9 - Hinagiku (6 points)

    10 - Sana (6 points)

    11 - Akimiyashika (6 points)

    12 - Tateyana (6 points)

    13 - Ikkiri (6 points)

    14 - Stratos (6 points)

    15 - Tsudo (6 points)

    16 - Kuzan (3 points)

    17 - Lus (0 points)

    "Why would you pass on Sagasuga''s offer like that? Everyone except Lus voted yes. Hell, even Kuzan did." Akimiyashika questioned Kanawari but she remained unresponsive "Who fucking knows? Maybe she wants one of us to die?" Kawahara spoke out loud "......." And some started to believe it "W-What?!" Kanawari felt the need to explain herself "No, that''s not my-------" Basara interrupted her instantly "Quiet, the fifth round shall now begin." The new script unfolded and it caused many to be shocked "Ain''t no way. That''s an instant no." Kawahara read it at with precise speed and came up with the answer.

    Basara would now read it out loud.

    "Gayakirima Kanawari is responsible for the killing of Junko Furuta." Basara claimed "Yes or no? Go." The hourglass began.

    Instead of asking Kanawari, Kawahara offered a fast way to speed up things.

    "I''m going to save us all some time here and just say why it''s not her. Junko Furuta was born in the 70''s, and died in the late 80''s. Kanawari over here, WASN''T even a fucking sperm nor a thought in her parents'' heads at that time! Vote no, dumbasses." Kawahara explicitly stated "I mean yeah, I had some recollection of the event, given that it was before we were born, but that''s true." Tateyana said as she voted no.

    However, out of curiosity, Daniel engaged in a dialogue with Kanawari.

    "Yes or no, Kanawari?" Kanawari was beyond confused "...What...? It''s a no..." She said without much delay but a visible reluctance could be seen as she refused to maintain eye-contact "Hm... It would be unfortunate if you had been responsible for the killing of another Junko Furata..." Many suddenly regretted already voting no "No, stop, what?!" Akimiyashika was dumbfounded "That would be wild, I can''t lie, holy shit." Rayazaki released a heavy breath forward in suspense "So, which is it, Kanawari?" Daniel asked her ".........." But she didn''t reply "Wait, you''re not serious... Please tell me you''re trolling." Tsudo questioned Kanawari from afar.

    Ten seconds remained.

    "There''s no way it''s true. Vote no." Kawahara insisted "Ahh shit... Why is that the moment we vote yes or no, the wall of text immediately goes away... Damn it..." Tateyana complained.

    At the end of the fifth round, everyone had cast their votes and the ranking ladder appeared.

    "UNREAL." Kawahara was pissed "UN FUCKING REAL, I''M TELLING YOU!!" He directed his verbal rage to Kanawari "YOU EVEN SAID IT WAS A NO, YOU LYING BITCH!!" Referring to the conversation earlier with Daniel, Kawahara brought it back "What are the odds..." Sagasuga sighed as he had to reflect on his loss.

    Nobody won the fifth round, however. Not even Daniel, who made the entire interrogation to Kanawari.

    "The sixth round will now begin." Given how quick the pacing has been, not even ten minutes had passed "Gayakirima Kanawari was raped by her father when she was five." An upset was formed "ENOUGH WITH THIS SHIT, WHO IS COMING UP WITH THESE QUESTIONS?! SHOW YOURSELF NOW!!" Lus got up from her seat and slammed her hands on her table "I did warn you, didn''t I?" Basara snapped his right hand fingers.

    Lus has zero points thus far. The fifth round gave her an additional red light to her choker, but now with Basara''s action, it gained the sixth.

    Her choker''s right side is more than half-way to go until it''s complete.

    "Holy shit, she has six now..." Rayazaki noted "I DON''T CARE, STOP DOING THIS!!" Uncaring, however, Lus didn''t mind it "Stop it, Lus, or I''ll add another one." Basara warned her "NO! THIS HAS GONE FAR ENOUGH!! WHO''S IN CHARGE HERE?!" She started her verbal rampage "Another one then." Basara snapped his fingers again and Lus'' choker now had seven red lights "DO YOU THINK IT''S FUN TO MAKE SOMEONE GO THROUGH THIS JUST FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT?! WE ARE HUMANS TOO, REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE HAVE DONE, IT DOESN''T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT!!" Basara exchanged a glance with Daniel swiftly "Lus, stop it, for crying out, you''re gonna get yourself killed..." Tateyana showed worry "I don''t fucking care. I rather die than be served as entertainment. I''ll die with honor gladly." Daniel''s eyes widened in response to these words, unknowingly.

    A keen resemblance that had been forgotten by his fallen idol rehabilitated a missing emotion.

    "This is how it''s going to go if I see any of you try the same as her." Basara added another snap, which made Lus'' choker gain the eight light "I much rather die than let you shame my friend like that, you son of a bitch." Lus glared at Basara with hatred as well as the people in the comments "Stop it." Daniel''s voice reached out to Lus "No, I''m sorry. I''m not going to----" Daniel looked at her with displease "You plan to not keep your word? So much for honor." Lus'' expression became twisted "I-----That''s not what I meant at all...!!" Her rage wouldn''t calm down "Will you or will you not?" Daniel asked her, showing a tremendously disappointed expression "What''s with that look... Do you honestly think that I..." She was in disbelief ".........." Daniel kept looking at her "..........." Lus managed to regain her emotional control after a while.

    Meanwhile, the others were casting their votes, naturally.

    "I''m sorry." Lus sat down and grabbed her hair strands weakly as she looked down on the table "........." Unbeknownst to Lus, Daniel had cast a vote in her stead while she was on a verbal rampage "Sixth round is over." Basara declared "Oh God----the vote---what happens now if I don''t vote...?! No wait it''s... gone...?" Lus realized what happened fairly quickly "Not voting is the same as voting incorrectly." Daniel clarified "You''re boarding death, you know?" Lus took a heavy breath as she felt incredibly relieved "I didn''t mean to put it like that..." Lus was lamenting what her earlier action was implying "I fucking hate this. And the fact that I''m going to be in Kana''s place eventually down the line... Maybe it''s better to die, hah..." She lowly laughed "But I don''t want you to die, Lus." Daniel spoke in her direction "....." She didn''t look at him but listened carefully "I hate it too. I really can''t imagine it... If that was Yulia... I would have want to murder every single one of them too..." Lus looked at Daniel briefly.

    And saw the true emotion in his face as it swirled anger and bitterness all combined.

    "That''s why, I''m telling you... It only gets worse from here, but you have to fight it. Alright?" Comforting Lus, Daniel''s words did manage to reach out to her "......" She looked to the right direction away from Daniel shortly "......?" Daniel couldn''t see her reaction at all.

    On the other hand, the seventh round would now begin, as the rankings had been updated.

    "Gayakirima Kanawari is a pathological liar." Unlike the other claims, this was a softer one "Decide, yes or no." The hourglass was set in motion.

    Tateyana, without shame, asked the question out loud.

    "Pathological liar?" Clueless, she asked her other classmates "Uh... I think it''s when you''re lying but you are so into it that you do it out of habit and not because you necessarily wanted to lie..." Akimiyashika offered her insecure take, but Kawahara was fast to correct her "A pathological liar is someone that cannot help but lie on impulse. No matter the situation, regardless if it''s right or wrong, they will lie. It''s beyond their control." He stated "That." Akimiyashika added.

    But there were some doubts regarding something else.

    "I''m sorry, but what is the basis for this?" Lus asked "Oh God, are you seriously going to waste time again?" Arkalee questioned Lus'' true intentions "No... That''s not what I meant..." She would then explain "Kana doesn''t strike me as one. Yes, she did... offer some inaccurate information earlier, but I don''t believe it qualifies the same as when a pathological liar lies... She was just feeling pressured because she had to relive past traumas, most likely..." Every word she spoke, was with great care "I think so too." Sagasuga agreed "Kawahara''s explanation was quite on point and the profile just doesn''t match Kanawari to me. I am voting no here." Sagasuga, the highest ranked student in this round declared as such.

    Given the fact that Sagasuga had only lost one round out of seven, many did not even question if this was worth delving into and simply followed the example.

    Which led to victory.

    "The rankings are now available." Basara allowed the participants to see the rankings "Hey teacher, when are you going to tell us what happens if we end in the first place?" Rayazaki pinpointed Basara "Not like you''d know since Sagasuga is in the lead." He replied "Shit, that''s true... What the hell are you, a psychic?" Rayazaki asked Sagasuga, non-ironically "I''m lucky, I suppose." Though there were a few with 15 points, there was no one with 18 points, like Sagasuga.

    The eighth round would start after the rankings were announced.

    "Gayakirima Kanawari is a biological warfare fanatic and has used chemicals to terminate other people''s lives." Basara laid out the claim "You already know it, get to work." The hourglass appeared before them again.

    Like the last round, someone had to ask the question that could be labelled as the elephant in the room.

    "I''m sorry for being too clueless, but biological warfare? The fuck is that?" Tateyana asked a question that actually, many knew not the answer to "...Can''t say I actually know it..." Akimiyashika, unlike last time, couldn''t even form an opinion on it "....." Kawahara, was in deep thought.

    A surprising accurate answered emerged, however.

    "The usage of biological factors, which most of the time, if not always, end up in diseases." All eyes were on Hinagiku, including the scared Kanawari "There is a wide variety of them, such as: bacteria, virus, rickettsiae, fungi, and protozoa. Their toxins are what kills the people, mainly." Hinagiku coldly kept looking at Kanawari "Wouldn''t you agree, Kanawari?" Thirty seconds remained ".........." She remained utterly unresponsive, however "Vote yes." Hinagiku declared.

    This sparked some controversy as Hinagiku''s newfound confidence in this subject was too sudden.

    "Hold up, midget, how do you know this much about biological warfare? I was thinking about chemical warfare, but I had no idea you knew this much." Kawahara confessed "Doesn''t matter. Vote yes, if you want free points." Hinagiku persisted "Why are you so sure that Kanawari knows all of this? Like, yeah, her silence is really fucking suspicious and doesn''t help her case at all, but what gives?" Tateyana questioned Hinagiku "The first accusation which was claiming that Kanawari was the perpetrator behind her middle school''s class assassination, was proven to be right as Sagasuga and Daniel voted yes and were awarded with three points. The second accusation which claimed that she was the descendant of Shiro Ishii, proved to be right. And now, the eighth accusation mentions biological warfare? It''s too much of a coincidence..." Her glare was fixed on Kanawari; but Kanawari could not look back.

    She felt as if she was being hunted down for the sins of her ancestors far more than her own.

    In a similar vein, the ancestral path began to strike a cord on doctor Hwan, who watched the stream from the same room as yesterday, albeit by himself and some staff members, who were not asleep. His grandson, Seok, was also not present.

    "Heavens... To think we were lied this much... It wasn''t Daniel Lead..." The doctor grabbed the front of his face with mild brute strength as he agonized over the missing factor "A descendant of that man... It fits the bills, only someone who is of the same lineage and has studied his works could come up with something this inexplicable..." Visions of a long past caught up to the doctor in the midst of that moment.

    The eighth round was concluded and not a single person voted no.

    Basara didn''t waste time and accelerated onto the ninth round.

    "Gayakirima Kanawari''s fingerprints were found on a flask containing deadly chemicals which were used to apply lethal toxins in her highschool graduation ceremony which got over a thousand people killed." Some were shocked at such wild accusation "You may begin with your voting session now." Basara said and people started to question Kanawari, despite her ongoing uncooperative stance "Did you do it?" Hinagiku questioned her in a cold tone "........" Her silence upset many "Just give up, she won''t answer..." Akimiyashika said.

    However...

    "...I hated my highschool life. I''m sorry." With hollow eyes, Kanawari apologized "Hey, it''s ok, we''ve all done fucked up shit. As long as you''re aware that you''re not an alien here, that''s all that matters." Kawahara phrased it in a way many were fond of "So, is that a yes or a no? Because that was a bit ambiguous." Kawahara asked "...Ugh..." Kanawari whipped off her tears with her two hands "It''s a yes..." She confessed "That''s how I actually got here, because for the first time, I was caught." She further said as everyone voted yes "Then how were your other crimes covered?" Lus asked "I don''t know, but I''m assuming they did some intensive research on me and formed all sorts of assumptions." She settled for that answer.

    Basara would announce the results of the ninth round.

    "A smooth passage. Well done. It hasn''t even been ten minutes." Basara congratulated them "Not gonna lie chief, this challenge is very much cheeks." Kawahara yawned "All you gotta do is just get the right information from the person at the center and it''s that simple. Holy fuck, I''m already bored!" Rayazaki freed his thoughts on the matter as well "For real, can I like, go back to sleep?" Tateyana joined the fray as well "................" Daniel looked over the comments, mocking all of the present students "It''s a good thing they don''t know the meaning of subtility." Hyunda spoke out loud "The tenth round will now begin." Relaxed, the students didn''t think much of it.

    The wall of text was formed and Basara recited it, like always.

    "Gayakirima Kanawari''s fingerprints were found on several untouched cups of glass from the banquet yesterday." A most puzzling accusation was made "........" Kanawari, could not say a word "Start." With a minute left, the multitude instantly started to ask around "This doesn''t mean anything." Lus was the first to say it "People can touch several cups of glass. It''s especially fine to be wary due to what happened yesterday..." She further stated "Is it now?" A voice that hasn''t spoken yet got all eyes on her slowly "Two people died yesterday from drinking water and suddenly we get to learn that Kanawari has supposedly a lot of knowledge about biological warfare and chemicals... A bit... too coincidental, don''t you think, Lus?" Yukishiro''s haunting glare consumed Lus transiently "Kanawari never said yes to any of that." Lus countered "But she did admit to killing all of her highschool with deadly chemicals just a minute ago... I find it really strange... Maybe the one who killed Shizuku was Kanawari." Yukishiro''s restless face combined with her cold words were a sight to behold.

    Kanawari in the midst of this, still kept her silence, as she unconsciously switched quick glances with Daniel, though the latter did not reciprocate this interaction.

    "Looks like one of those where you actually don''t know for sure which to vote..." Tateyana said "Oh I know! Let''s ask the top ranked guy here!" With fifteen seconds left, everyone''s attention was summed to Sagasuga "It''s as you said, Tateyana. There is no way to know. Besides, it could just be a trick accusation due to what happened yesterday. I''m sorry, but it''s better if you all vote what you truly think of, it''s more fair that way." He reasoned "True. So, yes or no?" She asked him still "..." Sagasuga ignored her and voted instantly and some caught a glimpse of his vote "It''s a no!" Tsudo immediately spoke "Ayyyy!!" Kawahara, along with many others, opted to go for the no option.

    The results were then shown alongside with the paranoia of the newborn red lights on their chokers.

    "That''s your ninth light, Lus..." Akimiyashika noted "......" Lus suddenly felt glad that she didn''t by some chance manage to accumulate another light "If there was one more round instead of just the next one and you got both wrong..." Ikkiri''s words were enough for Lus to understand what she meant right away "Wait, why did we vote no?" Kuzan asked the relatively obvious question "Uh, because Sagasuga voted no..." Tateyana answered "Yeah but wasn''t it obvious that it was a yes?" He argued "No?" Akimiyashika answered in Tateyana''s place "Why no?" He continued "Well, how was it obvious that her fingerprints were in the cups of glass? It said several." She reasoned "What if she was just being paranoid about which drink to pick?" Kuzan persisted "Dude... I don''t know... She refuses to uh... ELABORATE?!?!" Akimiyashika was pissed off.

    The winners of this round were a short few; Daniel, Yukishiro, and Tatsu.

    Nevertheless, the true eyecandy that they all had been waiting for would come at the tenth, soon to be the eleventh round.

    The final round.

    "Since it''s the final round, you will be given two minutes instead of one." Basara delivered a huge relief to many "Finally, we can articulate some thoughts." Sagasuga spoke for the majority "Answering the upcoming accusation correctly will earn you six points and should you fail, you will earn the equivalent of two defeats." Not a single person didn''t look at Lus "...What..." She instinctively murmured that whilst feeling extremely nervous "Lus, I will give you the answer, don''t worry, please..." Kanawari, for the first time, made such a compromise but even so, Lus couldn''t help but feel uneasy as the comments were laughing at her.

    Basara issued the final round''s accusation.

    "Gayakirima Kanawari should die for her crimes." That simple accusation was made and yet it tore Lus apart rapidly "Two minutes, make the best of it." Basara''s words didn''t help her inner conflict whatsoever.

    A short silence was formed, but Sagasuga eventually broke it.

    "For the record, it''s not saying that Kanawari will die if we vote yes, but just a roundabout way of asking us if her crimes warrant her death." Sagasuga explained in a calm manner "I additionally believe, that just like all of us, her crimes do warrant her death. Objectively speaking, the answer should be a yes." Out of all the people in the room, Sagasuga was speaking to Lus in particular "Even if that means wishing death to your friend?" Lus retorted, bitter "That''s purely emotional. I''m sure Kanawari knows you won''t mean it." Many agreed with him though they didn''t bother to voice it "That''s fucked up. What kind of a friend am I if I wish my one and only true friend death?!" Lus didn''t elevate from her seat but her voice did "Hm..." Sagasuga realized he wasn''t able to go through her psyche "Kanawari, do you mind?" So he turned to the center instead.

    Still locked up in the chair, with a minute and a half remaining, Kanawari was now the center of attention.

    "It''s as he says, Lus. I''m a bad person, but whenever I''m with you, I don''t feel so bad." Lus'' expression saddened "Don''t say that..." Kanawari''s as well "Vote yes, it''s fine. I mean..." Kanawari giggled "When your turn comes up, if this accusation comes up, you bet your sweet ass I''ll say yes!" She laughed loudly this time "Why you----hah...!" Lus reciprocated "Hmm, this didn''t even need a minute..." Daniel remarked as he cast the obvious vote along with everyone else.

    They had to however, wait for the end of the round and there was about a minute left.

    "Hey teacher, we have all voted, why can''t we move on?" Rayazaki questioned the necessity "Rules are rules." Basara simply watched the hourglass go by "Whatever....." Rayazaki shrugged "Hey what the hell..." Kanawari, began to read the comments posted in the real time "Why are they all saying that the real game starts now? This was the first round." Ikkiri questioned "They keep fucking saying how clueless we are and spamming those cringe emotes, I can''t even look at it without dying from cringe." Tateyana said "But why the fuck do they keep mentioning how fucked Lus is? Do these clowns actually think we''ll get this vote wrong?" Kawahara was confused.

    Lus was slightly nervous so she did the one thing she thought would ease her anxiety.

    "...Hey, what''s going to happen?" She asked him "Don''t ask questions I don''t know the answer to. I''m not a prophet, I can''t predict the future." Daniel was truthful "Then guess! Something! What does your brain tell you that it will happen?!" Lus wanted an answer, no matter what "I think your anxiety levels would skyrocket if I told you what''s truly on my mind." Daniel honestly confessed "Which is...?!" Daniel caught a glimpse of the hourglass and simply opted to let the time run out "Time is up, the results will now be announced in the form of the ranking ladder." With great anxiety, Lus closed her eyes and refused to look at the hologram as the results were projected.

    The standings by the eleventh and final round for Kanawari''s judgment are:

    1 - Sagasuga (30 points)

    2 - Daniel (27 points)

    3 - Tatsu (24 points)

    4 - Sana (24 points)

    5 - Arkalee (21 points)

    6 - Hyunda (21 points)

    7 - Akimiyashika (21 points)

    8 - Hinagiku (21 points)

    9 - Yukishiro (21 points)

    10 - Kawahara (21 points)

    11 - Stratos (21 points)

    12 - Tateyana (21 points)

    13 - Tsudo (18 points)

    14 - Ikkiri (18 points)

    15 - Rayazaki (18 points)

    16 - Kuzan (15 points)

    17 - Lus (12 points)

    Basara let out a slow clapping ovation in Sagasuga''s direction.

    "Congratulations, Sagasuga. Though your score was not perfect and you were wrong in the two of the eleven rounds of Kanawari''s judgment, you still managed to score above the margin and landed in the first place. Therefore, you will be rewarded immediately." Everyone was curious as to what Basara would give Sagasuga as a reward "....." They kept looking at him and Sagasuga and after a while, saw Sagasuga look down on the screen of the watch on his left wrist.

    Most of them looked to their watches, but their screens remained black, completely unresponsive nor functional in some sort.

    "Ah! Your screen lit up!" Tateyana spoke out loud in a childish tone "True." Sagasuga didn''t deny it and the screen swiftly went black before anyone could see what it had said "What did it say?" Akimiyashika asked "I don''t think I should say it." Sagasuga confessed as he crossed his arms in suspense "Say what? Dude, drop the mysterious act and tell us, what the fuck?" Rayazaki said "Place first and you''ll realize. If the reward is the same, that is." Sagasuga added.

    They figured that he wasn''t going to budge on this.

    "So what happens now? The skull wheel picks another one and we repeat this?! Alright, let''s fucking do it, I''m so fucking down to be the one at the center." Kawahara was beyond eager to prove a point "Execution...?" Arkalee was weirded out and tightly hugged Hyunda "They keep spamming it for some reason." Hyunda''s words would force everyone to look at the chat logs scattered across the room "What the fuck does that mean?" Tsudo, curious yet on guard, murmured.

    The spacious white aura shrouded in a clear artificial white began to bath itself in a red canvas, presenting a color branded in fiery blood.

    "Okay what the fuck now?!" Tateyana became increasingly alarmed along with many others; but the bimming sound coming from their neck chokers caught them off guard as well "Hey what the? The red lights are fading out of the chokers..." Kanawari told them as she could see it better from her current position "Huh?! Oh shit, you''re right... Wait, does this mean that as long as we get through a round without someone having all the red lights filled that we eventually reset? That''s fucking sweet." Rayazaki noted "Phew, what a relief..." Ikkiri let out a relieved breath.

    Midst that, the binding chokers that were chaining Kanawari down on her wrists and ankles were immediately open.

    "Kanawari, please return to your original seat, now." Basara''s words allowed the frontal cover of Kanawari''s seat in the round table to open a dual path to which she could seat beside Lus "...Yes..." She cast a hateful glance at Basara, but Basara''s cold stare intimidated her to the point where her return to her seat "Welcome back, lying bitch." Kawahara sarcastically said "Sorry about that..." Kanawari apologized sincerely "You didn''t exactly set the tone but at least we got a good idea of what to expect now, so thanks." Tsudo gave a bitter congratulations to her.

    Though, of course, the one she really wanted to talk to would be the one on her right side.

    Kanawari hugged her and Lus hugged her back.

    "I''m sorry, I was not ready for that..." Kanawari wheeped "It''s alright now, it''s over, you endured it well... I''m sorry you had to go through that. They had no right..." Kanawari nodded in agreement "Yeah... Lus, I really-----" The unknown heat coming from Lus'' neck alerted Kanawari, as well as the vigorous color light that interlinked with her closed vision "Kanawari, you might wanna back off." Hyunda warned her from afar "No.....!" Kanawari''s facial expression grew a resonating terror "...Huh...? But why didn''t it...?!" Lus couldn''t understand as she looked down on the nine illuminated lights on her choker "Or else your head might just go off as well." Arkalee sinisterly added.

    With all eyes on her, Lus was now the target of the upcoming development.

    "Kanawari, I thought I told you to return to your original seat." Basara''s voice grew colder and sharper by the second "Do it." He spoke the imperial line "I''m sorry." Kanawari instantly apologized and sat down on her respective seat "Uh, teacher, Lus'' lights from the choker haven''t vanished yet like all of ours... What''s going on?" Ikkiri asked the reasonable question "What are you talking about, Ikkiri? Why would they vanish? In the first place, what led you to believe that the lights around your chokers would go away just because you thought the round was over?" Basara''s question wasn''t met with an answer, instead, he elevated the sequential development "The round is not over, only the first part. The judgment, is over. Now, begins the execution." Basara declared as he clapped once to the air.

    Locking her shoulders and arms, the exact same bodyguards as before, held their next victim right now to the center of the stage, as Lus'' seat opened a path just like Kanawari''s, a while back.

    "Stop this! Isn''t the round supposed to be random and chosen by the wheel?! Why are you taking Lus?! ANSWER ME!!" Speaking mainly to Basara, Kanawari yelled "Look over there." Basara pointed to the top left corner of the room, as Lus was stationed forcefully onto the central chair, receiving the same treatment as Kanawari "Bounty...?" Hinagiku sharpened her vision as she saw the system''s introduction.

    Lus'' picture, engraved in a golden boarder, presented a new concept for the students of class F.

    "Allow me to explain the bounty system. Between the 18 of you, there will always be one person which will be excluded in order to be the target of the judgment. In the respective rounds in the judgment, through the voting sessions, you will be able to accumulate points. This means that, there will always be one person who will accumulate less points than the other. By that margin, the loser at the bottom of the rankings, will become subjected to the second phase of the event." Basara spoke words that infuriated many "Why?! JUST WHY?! YOU COULD HAVE TOLD US THIS FROM THE START, TEACHER!" Kanawari''s anger rose to full height "Silence..." Basara added something else "Nothing bad happened... Well, yet." Basara exhibited a wicked grin.

    The core to the matter was rushed by Daniel, as he wanted to know more about the system.

    "Elaborate on the system, since you said you would explain it, please." Daniel bargained "The loser of the judgment round will gain a bounty. In this case, our good friend Lus, who naively thought she could just sit back and relax, is the one you all should work hard towards, when it comes to gathering her bounty, as you can see now." Basara snapped his fingers and additional information below her picture which was exhibited, was shown.

    <blockquote>

    Target: Lus Sera.

    Points earned from her death (collectively): 12 points.

    Points earned from her death (individually): 24 points.

    Bonus reward: Additional free 4 hours until the next round, if she dies.

    </blockquote>

    Such words made Lus'' eyes widened as her heart was set on perpetual paranoia.

    "A-Ah...." Her breath slowly started to become ragged "Her death...? My... death...?!" The anxiety levels started to rise up "Are you fucking serious... So this is what it means to be at the bottom of the rankings...? What the fuck..." Tsudo gulped as if he knew he had just dodged a bullet "They are seriously promoting death again and this time..." Akimiyashika looked at the rewards "It''s being treated as a game, her life..." Hinagiku became upset yet couldn''t help but be diminished by the horror of the actuality.

    The beginning of the day would prove to be forever divisive as things would never be the same after today.

 Volume 26: Chapter 182: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part X.

    Basara''s decisive snap would enable the momentum consequently.

    "Roll the dice." The enigmatic words caused a screen with the pictures of the 17 students, Lus excluded, to appear "A-Ahhhh...!!" Lus began to heavily ventilate as she fell into deep despair due to the unknown nature of the current event "Lus, no matter what happens, I''ll see that nothing bad happens to you!" Kanawari reassured from her seat.

    However, nobody else did the same as they were authentically drawn into finding out the entire meaning of this.

    A gigantic dice began to land on the virtual map and started to roll until it landed onto a picture only.

    "...." She didn''t like the fact that the dice had stumbled on her image at the beginning of this at all "Sana, it looks like you''re the first." Basara spoke as all the others looked at her, including the terrified Lus "Do you mind perhaps elaborating..." Pressured, she asked Basara "Yes, naturally. Lus is to be executed, and you have been granted the power to execute her." Basara let out such sparse words "What does that mean..." Sana, and the others, didn''t understand.

    Basara signaled his right hand''s index finger downwards and Sana began to look at her paper.

    "Hey, what does it say?" Hyunda asked far away as he wasn''t close to Sana''s seat "It''s telling her to resign a quantity of her points..." Rayazaki, without any regard for Sana''s privacy, took a peek of what appeared in Sana''s paper and only hers, and spoke out loud "....." Sana was mildly annoyed, but realized that it was beyond impossible to try and cover it up "Resign a quantity of her points? Like how? Is there an option that''s allowing you to do that?" Hyunda asked "Yeah, tell us, Sana!" Arkalee tightly hugged Hyunda''s left arm in-between her chest "......" Sana was visibly annoyed but nevertheless explained from her point of view "My 24 points that I earned from the previous event are at display and there is an option below that''s allowing me to add a specific number of the points , which I own, that I wish to resign..." Sana looked at Basara.

    But Basara remained cold and unresponsive as per usual.

    "Why not try one?" Rayazaki asked the question "Are you fucking crazy?! What if it adds a chip to her choker?!" Kanawari revolted instantly at Rayazaki''s suggestion "And what sense would that make?! It''s telling her to resign a quantity of her points for a reason and I hardly believe it will be THAT outcome." Rayazaki retorted back "No." Kanawari denied it "Hey, what happens when she resigns her points?!" Not to Basara, but to the commenters, Kanawari asked instead "Good idea." Sagasuga commended her "Uh oh, they''re in a trolling mood..." Tateyana reflected "Wait." Hinagiku halted as she caught sight of an insightful comment "One of them said that you get options according to the amount of points you give. In other words, in theory, should you give one point, you receive one option." Hinagiku spoke with a loud voice as she clearly wanted the commenters to listen to her.

    They started to praise her and didn''t deny the truth.

    "It''s fair to say it''s the truth. Rayazaki''s suggestion seems solid to try out, just give one up, Sana." Kawahara added "Hm..." Sana was about to press the plus mark on the point withdrawal "Add three. More variety that way." Hyunda suggested instead "......" Kawahara felt offended "Okay..." As Sana pressed the plus mark three times, Lus dreaded for her life.

    A window of new opportunities was open as Sana resigned three of her points, leaving her with 21 points instead of her prior 24.

    "Yup, Hinagiku was right, three options did appear..." Rayazaki confirmed, with visible reluctance "What does it say?! Tell us!!" Kanawari blatantly insisted "Very rich coming from you, the person who lied multiple times just in order to avoid telling the truth..." Sana felt the need to tell her that "It doesn''t matter and I apologized already! But please, just tell us, so we can get Lus out of this!" Kanawari attempted to bargain "....." Tatsu, who was next to her, saw all of the three options and opted to remain silent "Thirty seconds to go." Basara''s words made the turbulent ticking hourglass appear on the far top side of the room, as a form of countdown.

    Lus decided to tell Sana her honest thoughts on the matter.

    "......If it''s regarding my past, then... Pick the less revealing option, if you must...!" Lus tepidly said to Sana "...It... doesn''t target you in that aspect at all..." Sana was perplexed "I think option 1 is the best because honestly..." Rayazaki offered his insight "Option 3 is less bad, in my opinion. I can see a world where it could come in handy" Kawahara, who had elevated from his seat, was present within the area "Option 2 is out of the question!" Tateyana yelled out.

    Less than ten seconds were left to go.

    By now, a wide variety of people were surrounding Sana and giving her their thoughts, but time was of the essence.

    "Guys, back the hell off and let her choose. Your turn will most likely come, would you like to get swarmed from behind like that? Learn some fucking manners." Hyunda''s expression grew angry "Sana, pick the one you want, regardless of what anyone says." He added "........" With five seconds on the clock, Sana looked at Lus "...I''m sorry..." Sana clicked her option.

    The ticking hourglass started to vanish and the three options were now highlighted on the screen where they all could see them.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Take all of Lus Sera''s points (12 points) in exchange for minus 4 red lights from her choker.

    2 - Forfeit multiples of 3 points in order to light up red lights on Lus Sera''s choker according to the quantity.

    3 - A finger from Lus Sera will be randomly sliced thus awarding her with +50 points as well as decreasing the red lights on her choker to 0.

    </blockquote>

    The highlighted answer would be showered in glittering gold as it stood above the others.

    "W-What the hell?!" Lus got an anxiety attack as she carefully analyzed all of the options "Sana, you chose the first option, which means that Lus'' points have been thoroughly depleted to zero. However, this means that Lus'' red lights on her choker have been decreased by four, thus she''s on five red lights now!" Lus felt the bimming sound on her choker alarming her as she watched the red lights firmly shut down until there were only five lit up "Holy shit, she''s in the lead now." Tsudo pointed out as the ranking ladder was instantly updated.

    1 - Sana (36 points)

    2 - Sagasuga (30 points)

    3 - Daniel (27 points)

    4 - Tatsu (24 points)

    5 - Arkalee (21 points)

    6 - Hyunda (21 points)

    7 - Akimiyashika (21 points)

    8 - Hinagiku (21 points)

    9 - Yukishiro (21 points)

    10 - Kawahara (21 points)

    11 - Stratos (21 points)

    12 - Tateyana (21 points)

    13 - Tsudo (18 points)

    14 - Ikkiri (18 points)

    15 - Rayazaki (18 points)

    16 - Kuzan (15 points)

    17 - Kanawari (0 points)

    18 - Lus (0 points)

    Though no one present knew what it meant to be at the top or what the merit was from the position, it was clear by now that being on the bottom side was not a favorable spot. However, to see such a shift in points suddenly, it caused a decent uproar.

    "Dude, what?! She just got those points from her, for free!" Kuzan couldn''t believe the sight "Not for free but yeah, what the fuck?" Kawahara was dumbfounded as well "But now Lus doesn''t have to worry about the red lights as much since her choker only has five of them lit up." Tatsu added "True... I guess out of all the options, the first one was a no-brainer. I mean, I can see how being left with zero points can be extremely bad now that the game is progressing, but the other options are just..." Akimiyashika weighted the scales precisely.

    Lus, out of honor, directed her words to Sana, now slightly more composed.

    "...Thank you, you saved me..." She took a deep breath, despite trembling "......." Sana felt guilty but she didn''t mind being on the lead, for some reason "66?" Ikkiri questioned out loud as she saw the points on the ranking ladder.

    Previously, the maximum point input was 33. Sagasuga, though leading at the time, managed to get 30 and not 33, the maximum. However now, it''s revealed that the maximum input is 66.

    "Seems like it updates whenever a new phase starts. It could also hint at the number of rounds but I wouldn''t put too much faith in it." Hyunda told her "Can''t even figure it out that much, you whore?" Arkalee added the insult to her "I was just asking..." Ikkiri tried to fight back this time "What''d you just say to me...?" Arkalee could not believe Ikkiri finally responded to her retorts "It was just a question and you are mad because Hyunda replied it to me... Keep your feelings in check, please." Ikkiri cast a spiteful glare at Arkalee "HUH?! COME AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE BIT----" Basara intervened "Arkalee, do I have to say it?" She knew very well what he was implying "I better not catch you outside." Arkalee settled for the threat, which made Ikkiri anxious.

    In order to progress the event, a dice was once again rolled.

    "Tsudo, it''s your turn." Basara gave the decree "..." Tsudo watched the dice land on his picture and thus, he was given the opportunity to forfeit his points for the selective options.

    Tsudo''s current points are 18; which was something he immediately, like many others, checked on the available ranking ladder.

    "Hey, forfeit at least 10 and pick the least damaging one!!" Kanawari began to instantly demand "But why though?" He kept fiddling with the points back and forth instead of pressing an option which would allow him to surrender them "What? What do you mean why? Just do it..." Kanawari began to give Tsudo a cold glance "Aren''t you just fucking bold, Kanawari? You bold, sly bitch... You lied to us, got us almost killed just because you wanted to lie and now you want me to obey your demands?" Tsudo adjusted his numbers precisely, which got several reactions immediately "Dude, don''t---" Kuzan tried to halt Tsudo''s right hand as he was about to press the selected number, but he was far too slow.

    Kanawari''s hopes were shattered as Tsudo spoke subsequently.

    "You told the truth one time in the last round, so naturally, I''ll attribute some justice!" Tsudo boldly laughed out loud as a single option appeared "Only one?! Are you fucking crazy?!" Kanawari was beyond bewildered by the fact that Tsudo had only forfeited one out of his eighteen points.

    A single option was highlighted to Tsudo.

    "Mhmm... How interesting..." Tsudo snapped his fingers obliquely "Hey, teacher!" Tsudo called out to Basara "What happens if I don''t pick the option?" He asked and Basara gave an answer, surprisingly "It''s your choice, you only live once." The self-explanatory words gave everyone a core understanding of what would happen.

    Lus tried to bargain her way out.

    "Wait, Tsudo!" She kept drawing breaths in an utter state of anxiety "You most likely just gain another chip! Think about it... You won''t die just by refusing... Because we are put to entertain them! Therefore, we have to be alive, so it would be counterproductive for a participant such as you to just die for opting to say no..." Lus made a fair point "Nope, bullshit." But Tsudo instantly disagreed "They are fucking mocking you right now, what do you make of that, Lus?" 5 seconds remained "Oh PLEASE, think this carefully! I never did anything to deser----" Just as time was about to run about, it was chosen.

    Tsudo''s one and only option was highlighted on the screen in a golden frame.

    "OH GOD NO...!!" Kanawari started to waver as she grabbed her blonde hairstrands "There''s no fucking way, that''s what''s gonna happen, right?!" Akimiyashika thoroughly questioned the possibility "Oh shit... That''s like... Uh..." Tatsu was somewhat speechless "Nothing personal, there was simply no other choice." Tsudo showed a mocking grin as he cast a hate glance at Kanawari "Ahhh..." Yukishiro created a sinister laughter "AHAHAHAH!!" Her burst of laughter was simply one among the reactions as Lus had to witness the punishment that was chosen to her on occasion.

    The highlighted option dealt out by the singularity was:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Lus Sera''s left knee will be hammered three times in exchange for three of her choker''s red lights.

    </blockquote>

    A pathway was open to the center where Lus was imprisoned in her chair. This pathway would be the one where Lus'' previous seat was allocated and it would be the one where one of the guards, swinging a war hammer with a thick wide dimension in its entirety, would go to.

    "AHHHH----" Lus gasped in terror as she started to shake "Holy fucking SHIT!" Tsudo burst out laughing "There''s no way your knee is surviving that shit, good luck!" He kept on laughing "MOTHERFUCKER, I''LL KILL YOU!!" Kanawari yelled out to Tsudo but didn''t get up as she feared the consequences.

    Back and forth, the war hammer which was half the average human body, weighing 50 kilograms, kept swinging in a horrifying momentum.

    Until the guard was face to face with Lus, towering her.

    "If you''re lucky, your leg won''t break." He added the brutal sequel "Can''t say the same for your knee though." The guard began to draw distance as he took a few steps back whilst elevating the war hammer upwards "NO! PLEASE, IT''LL BREAK MY KNEE!! I''LL NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK WITH MY LEFT LEG AGAIN IN MY WHOLE DAMN LIFE!!" Lus howled out and cried to the guard, but the guard prioritized the swing instead of replying to her words "MAKE IT STOP, TEACHER!!" Kanawari begged "IT''S RIDICULOUS HAVING THIS MUCH POWER OVER SOMEONE LIKE THIS!! SHE''LL NEVER WALK PROPERLY AGAIN!!" She further added, her face full of tears and an expression full of bitter lament "No, no, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO!!" Lus kept twitching her left leg, out of control, back and forth, alternating in position.

    In the midst of numerous reactions, among the commenters, as well as her classmates, only one voice was able to reach out to Lus, in her hyperbolic state of paranoia.

    "Keep your leg firm and stable as much as possible, otherwise the impact will clobber your entire leg." The war hammer was ready to dive, now at the peak of the momentum "If you don''t, your calf will be destroyed and then, you will truly never walk again." Lus retreated her leg, or rather, attempted to, but was still far too shocked and unstable to do so.

    The first strike hit on her left knee mercilessly.

    "AGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Suffering an abominable level of pain, Lus felt victim to the first strike as she spat out drips of saliva whilst howling in absolute pain "JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!!" Tsudo increased the volume of his laughter "And so it begins." Sagasuga crossed his fingers as he closed his eyes in order to not witness the carnage "And here comes the second------" Lus'' cries were something that many were beyond uncomfortable yet there was a wide mixture of reactions "HEY, DO IT HARDER! YOU''RE NOT PUTTING ALL OF YOUR STRENGTH INTO IT! DO IT UNTIL HER CALF BONE LEAVES HER BODY!!" Yukishiro demanded, as she smiled like a maniac "MORE, MORE, MORE!!" Arkalee joined the party "MAKE THE BITCH SUFFER, I FUCKING HATE YOU!!" Yukishiro added as pratically everyone viewed her with a degree of spite.

    With the second strike dealt, the third and final strike, managed to make Lus'' knee emit a cracking noise as Lus yelled out the hardest.

    "Broken." Kawahara stated "She''ll need auxiliary crutches to even walk." Rayazaki felt sorry as she watched Lus in physical and emotional agony "At least she''s not dead..." Tateyana felt disturbed but was also forced to acknowledge it "There was no reason for this..." Kanawari lowly spoke to herself as she became horrified "No, wait... This all happened because I lied and Lus always trusted me and voted positive... If I had just told everyone the truth, then she would have accumulated more points and not ended up at the bottom...!!!" Kanawari broke down in tears loudly "........" Daniel watched her from a distance as well as Lus, who was emotionally broken whilst in a state of permanent physical suffering.

    On the other hand, since the three strikes had been delivered to Lus'' left knee, it would mean that the red lights on her choker would decrease by three.

    Therefore, Lus now harbors only two red lights.

    "Tch, since I fucking lost a point, I''m behind Ikkiri and Rayazaki..." Tsudo clenched his teeth "Definitely can''t land on the bottom..." Upon witnessing the power of a single choice, Tsudo began to feel the pressure, somehow.

    Though Lus was recovering and feeling beyond distraught, Basara had to accelerate the momentum of the event.

    "Roll the dice." The third round of this particular segment otherwise known as "execution" would go on "Please, please, please, please!!" Yukishiro was feeling like a child as she watched the dice roll onto the pictures "Hmm... It''s kinda interesting how you are no longer able to be selected if you already have been..." Rayazaki said "Variety is important." Sagasuga countered "True---" The dice had finally landed "Oh?" Hyunda became curious "......." He suddenly felt the entirety of the eyes fall on him "It appears you have been chosen, Stratos." Basara claimed "Choose your amount within the time." He added "Yes, sir..." A very reluctant confirmation came forth.

    Stratos, the newest transfer student, or more commonly known as the survivor from the previous game, who managed to live, unlike Elijah, Samantha, and Ellie, had the power to make the choice.

    Given his current points, which are 21, he was in deep thought.

    "Whatever you do, don''t pick one... Preferably not two either..." Kanawari gave a sad look to Stratos "Uh well-----" Yukishiro was quick to interrupt "Hey, why not? Why not just use one instead?" Yukishiro made the suggestion with an evil grin "Don''t FUCKING listen to her!" Kanawari retorted "No, you should listen to me! You have to think for yourself in this game! Pick one and don''t waste points!" Yukishiro was adamant in her decision "Considering that there will be a round where you can gather yourself points just like we did when Kanawari was "judged", it''s wise to not waste points at all. Eventually, you will be able to earn more and you will be in a more favorable position! Furthermore----" A cold voice spoke to the resonance "Lies." His cold voice sent a horror shiver to Yukishiro as he drew the attention to him "Sana was able to exchange Lus'' points for her safety, amassing twelve in total." Daniel spoke the truth "Wait, that''s true..." Kuzan noticed "Then... There should be options that allow you to increase your points... in exchange for something that involves Lus." Akimiyashika reasoned.

    Despite feeling tremendous fear due to recent events, Yukishiro nevertheless spoke out, though in a more frail tone.

    "T-That''s not... true...! Sana was able to get the points because Lus had them, so your reasoning no longer makes sense because Lus has NONE!" Yukishiro pointed out at the ranking ladder and Lus'' points were exhibited "Fifteen seconds." Basara felt the need to remind them "Don''t do this, Stratos. You''re just wasting your points, Lus doesn''t have any more points so the options that will appear to you will most likely not be usable! Think and use your common sense if you have any!" Yukishiro persisted "I hate to fucking admit, but doesn''t she kinda have a point? Sana was only truly able to get her points but now that she has zero, the actual likelihood is very slim." Kawahara crossed his arms "Wh----" Akimiyashika was baffled by his sudden agreement "....." Stratos acknowledged the opinions scattered throughout the table.

    In the end, before time ran out, he made the decision of 5 points, thus placing him behind Tsudo, who now has 17 points-----Stratos, with 16.

    "Hey, make some room, for fuck''s sake!" Rayazaki became clustered in the midst of the crowd as they all looked at the five options that Stratos had "......" Basara snapped his fingers which caused Stratos'' five choices to be highlighted on the screen "Yeah well, there was no point in keeping it a secret." Rayazaki started going to his seat, just like many others as they saw no longer a point in standing around.

    The five choices exhibited to Stratos are the followings:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Swap your current points with Lus Sera (you will be awarded half of those points as compensation).

    2 - Lus Sera''s left forearm will be sliced in exchange for her immunity in the next five rounds.

    3 - 1000 points will be awarded to Lus Sera, in which, both of her legs will be sliced off.

    4 - In the next round, forfeit any number of available points to you in order to be in control of the input numbers of the participant, in which case, the forfeited number becomes the input number.

    5 - Lus Sera''s right knee will be hammered three times in exchange for two of her choker''s red lights.

    </blockquote>

    Such options provoked a variety of reactions, as they implied a lot.

    "What the hell, that''s a bombshell if I''ve ever seen one." Rayazaki was having trouble processing all of it at once "Swapping points... He has 16, so he would be giving Lus that and he would get 8? But wouldn''t he just be at the bottom then?" Ikkiri reasoned "It''s a pretty bad option, honestly. No way I would pick that." Hinagiku further added "But like, look at option 2, 3, and 5..." Tateyana pointed out, distressed "What the fuck is immunity? Like, do you not get picked? Or you''re just, you know, immune in general to any sort of consequence? No red lights, no executions and so on? If so, that''s kinda fucking nice... Although..." Tsudo was aware that it came with a huge price "Is there even a point of getting a thousand points in an event that will only last a day, in exchange for your legs??? There''s no fucking way this is logical!!" Akimiyashika couldn''t shake off what the third option truly implied "The fifth one is most touching." Yukishiro claimed "I think you should go with option five, Stratos! If you do, you are making sure that Lus has no red lights to worry about and no other option offers that! It''s really caring and well-thought out!" Yukishiro''s sarcasm was beyond oppressive to the rest.

    There was, however, the one option that wasn''t discussed thoroughly and with little time on the clock, Stratos was heavily pondering.

    "Hey, don''t even think about option 4..." Yukishiro began to indulge "Why not?" Stratos asked "Why not?! Are you insane?! It''s because you''re down 16 points, so if you bet more, you''ll-----" Stratos quickly countered "But Lus is at zero points currently." Yukishiro couldn''t make sense of what he was trying to say "Exactly." Hyunda spoke out in agreement "None of the options give her any points unless you consider option one, but it''s a terrible option. So, unless you''re looking to make her life more miserable than it already will be from here on, I think the choice is simple." Hyunda smirked "Wait, it''s not that simple---" Sagasuga added something else as Yukishiro tried to interrupt "I would bet five, you''ll be left with ten, but if you proceed wisely in the judgment round, you should be able to gain your momentum." He reasoned "Yup, so I''m gonna do just that." Without hesitation, Stratos made his choice.

    The fourth choice was highlighted in gold as it was chosen by Stratos.

    "Oh thank God...!!" Kanawari puffed her chest as she dreaded for Lus, who was physically unresponsive at the current moment "Thank you...!! Thank you so much!!" Kanawari looked at Stratos as she cried out "......No problem..." For some reason, he felt out of place "Well shit, that was anti-climatic. So what does this mean? The next person that is picked will be in Stratos'' control?" Tsudo asked to the rest of his classmates "Yeah, he''ll be able to choose the number point input..." Rayazaki showed anxiety ".....?" Tsudo didn''t understand what this meant.

    Naturally, in order to progress, the dice was rolled. The students that couldn''t be picked by now were: Sana, Tsudo, and Stratos.

    "Oh for FUCK''S sake! I have the worst motherfucking luck!" Rayazaki yelled out "Huh?! You got picked and you have the worst luck? What are you, fucking retarded?!" Tsudo argued "Shut the FUCK UP! You''re no longer relevant to the round, bitch!" Rayazaki argued intensively and then looked at Stratos, who was in the opposite direction "Don''t you dare. Don''t you FUCKING dare!" Rayazaki pointed at him with his right index finger.

    The current situation would be dictated by Stratos as he had his 16 points to use in Rayazaki''s place. Therefore, the point reduction option didn''t appear to Rayazaki, but to Stratos instead.

    "I don''t get it. Why''s he freaking out, Sagasuga?" Tateyana asked "Is it that hard to figure it out?" Sagasuga genuinely asked "Uh..." Tateyana was, however, clueless "I guess not." Sagasuga came to the conclusion "Hey!" She became mad but Sagasuga elaborated "Look at the ranking ladder. How many points does Rayazaki have?" Sagasuga asked "Uh, 18?" Tateyana replied "Wait..." Tateyana halted as she began to see it "Oh! Oh damn, that''s...!" She realized the possibility "It''s a bit frightening, the more you think about it. I''m curious to see his choice for this matter." Sagasuga confessed as Stratos was selecting a personal number quota that would fit his personal liking.

    Upon the insertion, Rayazaki was revealed with his choices, alongside the number of them, as they appeared on the screen.

    Furthermore, the ranking ladder was instantly updated, with the current standings being:

    1 - Sana (36 points)

    2 - Sagasuga (30 points)

    3 - Daniel (27 points)

    4 - Tatsu (24 points)

    5 - Arkalee (21 points)

    6 - Hyunda (21 points)

    7 - Akimiyashika (21 points)

    8 - Hinagiku (21 points)

    9 - Yukishiro (21 points)

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    10 - Kawahara (21 points)

    11 - Tateyana (21 points)

    12 - Ikkiri (18 points)

    13 - Tsudo (17 points)

    14 - Kuzan (15 points)

    15 - Rayazaki (8 points)

    16 - Stratos (6 points)

    17 - Kanawari (0 points)

    18 - Lus (0 points)

    "Oh, I''m up a spot." Kuzan noted "MOTHERFUCK---WHY?!" Rayazaki didn''t elevate from his seat but nevertheless questioned Stratos "......." He refused to elaborate and chose silence, however "You are fucking dead. I''m gonna pound your ass, bitch. Just wait until we''re out of here." Rayazaki declared.

    Though fueled with rage since his points went from 18 to 8, Rayazaki was blessed with the widest avenue of choices. Therefore, the options highlighted on the screen were:

    <blockquote>

    1 - 10,000 points will be awarded to Lus Sera in exchange for her legs and arms.

    2 - Lus Sera will be awarded points equivalent to the participant''s wish (limit 10) which will be additionally added as red lights on her choker.

    3 - Lus Sera''s right and left hands will be sliced off in exchange for immunity on this day alone.

    4 - Lus Sera''s right eye will be removed in exchange for 500 points.

    5 - Forfeit 100 points and swap the current subject of the judgment round for any of your classmates of your choice.

    6 - Lus Sera''s choker''s red lights will be depleted at the cost of a finger up to the missing quantity.

    7 - Transfer your points to an individual in your class (minimal point input: 50).

    8 - Lus Sera will be forced to drink a bottle full of poison which will award her with 100 points.

    9 - Lus Sera will lose one finger of her choice but will receive a boost in her point acquisition by 50% in all of the rounds of this day.

    10 - Lus Sera will be awarded points equivalent to the highest current score (+1) but the next round''s individual''s choice will be not under their control (their points will be used randomly and the option choice as well).

    </blockquote>

    "My fucking wh---This is too much shit to process!!" Rayazaki instantly complained; the others began to attempt to analyze the options and what they could imply "One minute left." Basara gave the reminder to Rayazaki as he had to make a choice "Lus..." Kanawari kept looking at Lus as she remained numb, unresponsive "...I can''t let you suffer... No..." Strongly, Kanawari composed her attitude fastly and decided to talk to Rayazaki "Rayazaki, don''t pick any option that will hurt her! You already saw what happened to her, don''t make her go through more, I beg of you----" A noble vow came forth on her end "Please... Don''t hurt my best friend." Her voice was thorough and sincere.

    A few selected individuals took attention to Kanawari''s plea, however, most were still, analyzing what the contents of this game were by now.

    There was also a time reminder, so Rayazaki could not keep thinking forever.

    "I don''t know about that." Rayazaki openly confessed as he let out a tense breath "What?" Kanawari was slightly worried at Rayazaki''s revolted expression "I''m not going to spend time arguing with you because you just want to defend her, but you of all people, should not talk. After all, you are to blame for what''s happening to her." Rayazaki spearheaded the guilt catapult "But I didn''t know! No one did! That''s different! Of course if I kne-----" Rayazaki shouted "SHUT UP! I''M THINKING! BACK OFF OR SHE DIES I SWEAR!" Rayazaki felt the need to add something else in order to make sure everything went his away "Any form of backseating coming from you, and I will do it. If you got that shit, then stop fucking looking at me with those puppy eyes bitch, because her fate is in my hands..." Successfully, Rayazaki inserted dominance as he watched Kanawari quietly cower in fear.

    Thirty seconds were about to hit the clock as the hourglass gave the demonstration.

    "Lus, hey!" He shouted in her direction, Lus'' eyes faintly following in Rayazaki''s direction "I''m going to assume you can listen. I don''t intend to kill you, but I have my points to worry about because of that retard. I''ll get straight to the point: I need points and you are going to help me! Option 7 says that you are able to transfer points to a classmate of your choice but the minimum is 50! So, with that in mind, I want you to, right here, right now, PROMISE me and sign this verbal contract with me that you will do exactly that if I pick the one and only option that can save you." Rayazaki''s glaze pierced Lus from afar.

    Given how close time was running out and due to the fact that Rayazaki had to spend time conveying his point, Lus was entirely forced to make a choice for survival.

    Therefore, with agony, pain, and a multitude of pain, Lus emitted a meek confirmation.

    "I''ll do it..... I promise I will get you 50 points as soon as I can....." She gave the verbal confirmation as her faint-eyesight matched Rayazaki''s dominant one, contrasting "You better not be lying." Rayazaki let out a small yet rigid breath "Alright, I''ve decided and I will pick the second option!" Rayazaki let out a firm loud declaration as a small screen appeared in front of him "Hey, Rayazaki." Yukishiro spoke out to him as she was somewhat close by "If your aim is to make Lus gain 50 points, then you should give her nine points. Of course, not ten because she''ll die and then you won''t get those points you got, according to your verbal contract." Yukishiro demonstrated a charismatic attitude "......." Rayazaki gave some thought into her suggestion despite his hatred for her.

    It was common sense by now than being at the bottom of the rankings was bad. But being the absolute fodder and last one, would essentially make you fight a losing battle that can only be toppled through several factors that are not clear as to whether or not they can even be achieved.

    By the opposite mind, it''s critical to aim to get out of that predicament.

    "Interesting." Rayazaki simply said "It''s just a thought, but she would be on the lea-----" Rayazaki inserted his desired quantity of points that Lus would receive as well as the ones that would be applied as red lights on her choker.

    A single beaming sound was heard in Lus'' neck.

    "Given that Rayazaki opted to offer Lus one point, this round is now over and we will quickly move on to the next one." Basara said as the ranking ladder was updated.

    The only difference would be that Lus now has one point and is in front of Kanawari, who has zero points.

    "........" Kanawari, though very worried about Lus, couldn''t help but notice the fact that she was at the complete bottom despite not being the one constantly enduring the suffering "Tsk." Yukishiro clicked her tongue in annoyance in the midst of that "Excuse me, but when will this end?! When the selection goes through everyone?!" Ikkiri asked, nervous "Roll the dice." Basara, as per usual, limited to those words "....!!!" Ikkiri''s anxiety grew even larger as she had to endure the possibility of becoming one of the "executioners".

    Regardless, the dice had little to no mercy as it spun around the virtual border---indulging in the length of the possibility within the margin.

    "Oh fuck." Tateyana blurted as she was chosen "Maaaaaaaan, why meeeeee?!" This was not the reaction of someone who was annoyed by getting picked, but by someone who felt genuine disgust for the situation "Can''t I just pass my turn to the next person?!" Tateyana directed her attention to Basara yet Basara simply pointed with his left finger to the hourglass that was ticking with a minute.

    Though many are still trying to pursue information from Basara, they have all, by now, solidified the mentality that it''s very counterproductive to even waste time trying as he will not comply. Which will result in a couple of seconds being lost.

    "Ugh, why does this game punish me so hard if I just select one point?!" Tateyana was fuming at her screen as she hover the number of points she wanted to commit, with her right delicate finger "What do you mean punish you? You''re wasting a single point, which is the most economical choice you have. I don''t see how the game punishes you, Tateyana." Yukishiro spoke to her from afar across the table "Huh...?!" This, however, visibly upset Tateyana "What? Did I not say the truth just now? Or am I missing something?" Yukishiro put up an offended front "Just shut up, you never say anything good..." Tateyana concluded.

    Tateyana attempted to focus on deciding which number would be the correct one, and to do so, she consulted the ranking ladder in which she saw her points.

    "No offense, but with 21 points and considering how stable your position is, I think it would be a waste to even waste more than two points, because if you do, you''d be with 18, assuming you waste like 3, for example, which would tie you with Ikkiri." Yukishiro explained "What part of "shut up" did you not understand?!" She was quick to lash out "Please, just let me talk, I swear this is for your own good! Just look at how many people you have with 21 points! The positions in the ranking ladder are utterly random, that''s why you can''t afford to go any lower, if you think about it..." Yukishiro gave a shrewd look to her "And if you''re by some chance thinking that you can afford to----" Not Tateyana, but Kanawari, interrupted Yukishiro brutally with a loud tone "She''s trying to get you killed by wasting your time! It''s already been more than thirty seconds!" Tateyana then looked at the hourglass "W-What?! That''s not what I------" Yukishiro attempted to defend her claim "Use 6 points! We need a big pool of options to make sure Lus doesn''t get hurt!" Kanawari clarified.

    If the intention was to save someone, then surely, picking a wide number such as six, would be satisfactory.

    "Six sounds good." Akimiyashika shared her opinion "Hey, mind the time, it''s 25 seconds left and you still have to make your choice! Just fucking do it already!" Rayazaki insisted to Tateyana "UGH, FINE!!" Out of impulse, Tateyana clicked the surplus option six times and then attempted to click to confirm it "..............." However, she took two seconds to look at the number, for some reason ".....?" Kanawari was confused; Yukishiro flashed a grin.

    With twenty seconds on the clock, Tateyana''s number input was revealed by the number of options that appeared on the screen, which were the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Lus Sera''s left ear will be entirely cut off in exchange for 50 points.

    2 - Lus Sera''s right eye will be removed in exchange for 500 points.

    3 - Pick one of the options above and apply it to yourself, in which case, all rewards go to you instead.

    </blockquote>

    The mere fact that only three options appeared, didn''t take anyone present to realize what had truly happpened.

    "ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY YOU BITCH?!?!?" This time, Kanawari did elevate from her seat "SHUT UP! THIS IS NOT A GAME WHERE YOU CAN EASILY FORFEIT SO MANY NUMBERS JUST LIKE THAT!!" Tateyana counterargued "If you had PICKED six like we discussed instead of three like you did on your own then...!!! OH GOD!!" Kanawari started to ventilate "Kana, calm down!!" Kuzan attempted to comfort her from afar, but it was no good.

    Despite the sudden shock, there had to be a decision to be made.

    "I didn''t expect that from you, honestly." Sagasuga openly confessed "Shut up... It''s not that I want to but... Agh, FUCK!! Maybe I should have really gone for six...?!" Tateyana began to somehow slowly regret her decision.

    Nevertheless, it was already applied.

    "Time is running out, Tateyana. Why not go for option 2?" Yukishiro proposed "Shut the fuck up." Tateyana instantly replied "Hey, hey... There''s no need to be mad... But if we''re truthful, the fact that you chose to only forfeit three of your points, already means that deep down you are intending to at least not lose, am I right?" In a serene tone, Yukishiro questioned Tateyana "Yeah, I''m not a loser! What''s wrong with that?!" Tateyana became defensive "She just got unlucky." She added "Holy shit, hurry up and fucking choose!" Arkalee pressured "Yeah, both options fucking suck for her, so just pick one!" Tsudo added his saying as well "This was so unnecessary... She already has a broken knee and now she either goes blind from one eye or loses one ear..." Hinagiku felt dread.

    Roughly twenty seconds were on the clock for the decision to be made.

    "Hey, you said you aren''t a loser, right?" Hyunda questioned Tateyana, who she found surprising to talk to yet felt the need to retort "Yeah, that''s right. I fucking hate losing and I''m hyper-competitive!" Hyunda grinned "I''m the same! So, by that margin, isn''t option 3 really the best?" He elevated the point up "If you pick it and by that logic pick option 2, you would be with 518 points; ergo the winner thus far. Your lead would be massive." Hyunda suggested "...But that''s at the cost of my right eye..." Around less than ten seconds remained on the clock "So? If you pick option 1, which is the least damaging one, Lus will be on the lead with 51 points. All that you''re doing is making her the winner. What if she utilizes the le----" A loud voice coming from Yukishiro interrupted Hyunda "PICK ALREADY, TIME IS ALMOST UP!!" It was enough to bring Tateyana back to her senses as she picked one of the three options "........." Hyunda made a bored expression.

    The highlighted option would be glittered with gold.

    "Please...!!!" Though very unresponsive and still agonized over the extreme pain she felt when her knee endured astronomical levels of physical trauma, Lus was sufficiently shocked when she saw the option chosen "I have nothing personal against you, but you can survive with just one ear..." Tateyana showed a level of regret "Why... Why... I did nothing to you...!!" Lus met Tateyana''s frail eyes and looked at her with bitter rage "...There''s no other choice... Because in the long run..." Tateyana refused to face Lus any further "Oh shut the fuck up, you ugly bitch! You got the easiest of them all! It''s just an ear, you won''t die from it!" Yukishiro laughed "You do realize you will suffer even greater the moment you are picked, right?" Tateyana questioned Yukishiro with bloodlust on the table "Oh boo-woo! Hate me more, all that matters is staying in the lead and you can''t touch me!" Yukishiro claimed "..........." Tateyana had no argument but still harbored hatred for her attitude.

    Just like last time, the guard that was responsible for inflicting the permanent wound on Lus'' left knee, came forth with a pair of ironclad scissors.

    "It''s easier if you don''t focus on it too much." The guard solemnly offered his advice "Yes, yes, yes!!" Yukishiro was ecstatic "Think of it when you''re doing a piercing! Usually the piercer will try to sweet talk you with some random crap when in reality it''s all to make sure that you are not focused on the pain that you''re going to go through!" Yukishiro delivered the reasoning while laughing in a sinister manner "Kill your fucking self, holy shit, I can''t stand listening to you ANYMORE." Akimiyashika''s expression grew full of rage "Aw, so you did tolerate me before? That''s cute~" Unfazed, Yukishiro passed it like that.

    A fountain of blood emerged from Lus'' left side of her head, where her ear was previously allocated.

    In that rigid hand with a black leather glove, the ear remained as the guard walked out.

    "Dude''s fucking cold, won''t even leave her ear sheeeeeeeeeeeeeshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Kawahara couldn''t help but laugh at the situation "Hey, I can''t see it from this side, but what''s even left of it?" Tsudo asked to the ones who saw the whole thing "End your existence." Kanawari looked at Tsudo with hatred "Your life serves zero purpose. You have no right to breathe. KILL YOURSELF!" She spared no words "Woah how scaryyyyyyyyyy!!" Tsudo made a jester expression "So, can anybody answer the question?" He persisted "Oh it''s lovely!" Yukishiro said as she had gotten up from her seat just to watch the scenery "There''s like this part of it that''s still intact so it shows the inner organ and everything! Fabulous HAHAHAHA!!!" Bursting out of laughter, Yukishiro celebrated Lus'' demise.

    Even so, progress had to be made and thus, the dice was rolled, as Lus began to feel even more numb.

    "Sagasuga, it''s your turn." Basara said, as all eyes were on Sagasuga now, who had the option to forfeit up to 30 points "Hm, so it seems." Sagasuga began to then ponder the quantity of points he should forfeit "Oh shit, she''s in the lead now, I forgot that it gave her 50 points..." Tsudo gasped as he looked at the ranking ladder, where Lus is now seated at the top with 51 points "Even Sana is behind." Tatsu noted.

    Though many expected Sagasuga to take more time to consider everything, Sagasuga did not.

    "Oh MY fucking God." Arkalee was baffled at the mere sight of it "There''s no way you actually just... You''re out of your mind, Sagasuga!" Tateyana looked over to Sagasuga, who kept a neutral expression "It''s relatively obvious, in my opinion." Sagasuga balanced it out "But all in one minute?! Your brain won''t even be able to process half of the shit there so good fucking luck!" Rayazaki felt anxious but still left those words "That will not be a problem." Sagasuga swiftly countered as he took a brief look at the screen.

    Flooded with 30 options, the screen demonstrated an even wider variety this time around, as Sagasuga had forfeited all of his points.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Decrease Lus Sera''s red lights from her choker by taking points from her (1 red light is equivalent to 10 points) in which case those points are transferred to you.

    2 - Lus Sera''s right foot will be cut off in exchange for 1,500 points.

    3 - For the rest of the day, you will receive a 50% point acquisition boost in exchange for Lus Sera''s remaining red lights on her choker.

    4 - Lus Sera''s left arm will be sliced off for 750 points.

    5 - Forfeit 100 points and select an individual from your class; that individual will receive a 50% point acquisition decreasement boost for the rest of the day.

    6 - Forfeit 250 points and switch with the individual that''s currently being executed (you will be awarded with 125 as an added bonus).

    7 - Lus Sera will be injected with cyanide poisoning in exchange for 100 points.

    8 - 10,000 points will be awarded to Lus Sera in exchange for her legs and arms.

    9 - Lus Sera will be granted 20,000 points but will be the target of the next execution regardless of the outcome of the subsequent round.

    10 - A 5,000 point bounty will be placed on you and whoever manages to kill you via the means of the game, will be awarded the bounty points. However, should you not die today, you will be awarded 10,000 points before the conclusion of today.

    11 - Forfeit 2,000 points and select an individual besides yourself, to be granted immunity for today.

    12 - Lus Sera''s right wrist will be hammered five times but her choker''s red lights will be depleted to zero.

    13 - Lus Sera''s left foot will be cut off for 1,500 points.

    14 - Lus Sera will be stabbed on her eyes by a knife twice in exchange for 400 points.

    15 - Forfeit 250 points to make an individual that can no longer be subjected to judgment, be brought into the game. Furthermore, that individual that was chosen, may or may not be selected for judgment immediately (if they do, they are awarded with 100 points).

    16 - Lus Sera will intake a drink that will permanently damage her vocal cords in exchange for 75 points.

    17 - Lus Sera''s nose will be cut off for 250 points.

    18 - Place a 30 minute time bomb around Lus Sera''s heart, which in return will give her 500 points. 1000 points can be used from Lus Sera to remove the bomb.

    19 - Target one of your classmates; earn half of their points thus reducing them from the extraction (this option is only available if you have killed someone via the mechanics of the game).

    20 - Forfeit points that you own to place a bounty on one of your classmates (if you kill the person with that said bounty, you will earn double the number of what you forfeited).

    21 - Forfeit 300 points to end the round, in which case, you will be awarded with 150 points.

    22 - Lus Sera will suffer instant death penalty, but you will become the target for execution in the next round though you will be awarded all of her points.

    23 - Re-roll the dice at the cost of 100 points (you will be excluded from the round).

    24 - Forfeit 1000 points and you will be granted access to see all of the possible options within the game; only you will be granted access, however.

    25 - Lus Sera''s arms and legs will be cut off in exchange for 5000 attributed to her; in addition---2,000 points will be attributed to the other participants as a bonus.

    26 - Lus Sera can forfeit 500 points in order to terminate the round; if you see this option, say out loud "26".

    27 - Forfeit 2,500 points in order to get priority knowledge on who will be chosen for the next round of judgment.

    28 - Lus Sera will be injected with dyslexia paralysis in her veins in exchange for 300 points.

    29 - Pick one of the options above and apply it to yourself, in which case, all rewards go to you instead.

    30 - Transfer your points to an individual in your class (minimal point input: 50).

    </blockquote>

    The monstrosity was laid bare naked as they all were shocked beyond their measures at the mere sight of the colossal height within the opportunities.

    "What the fuck?! W-Which one do you even choose?! There are so many of them!!" Akimiyashika became bewildered as she tried to read them one by one "Hold up, I might be able to get a good read on this before the entire minute goes off..." Kawahara deducted as he made a serious face "One minute?! It''s forty seconds by now!" Kuzan was trying to understand the multitude of options but nevertheless was extremely wary of the hourglass that was displaying the time "Sagasuga..." Kanawari looked at Sagasuga, who, surprisingly, took his eyesight from the faraway wide screen and met Kanawari''s "Yes? How can I help you?" This statement made quite a few speechless, as Kanawari was as well, for a while "I----Uh, well, please don''t pick one that... harms her!! I swear that I----" Kanawari couldn''t finish her sentence well.

    Firstly, Lus had her left knee hammered three times and underwent excruciating levels of physical trauma, and just a while ago, she had her left ear completely removed to further add injury.

    Kanawari''s mental state was authentically fragile; akin to the essence of hourglass itself.

    "It''s alright, you don''t have to say it. I understand. You''re her best friend and best friends look out for each other in the best way that they can. I can sympathize with that." Sagasuga, despite the time running out and not paying any attention to the options, still emphasized with the wavering Kanawari "I don''t want to hurt her anymore, I believe she has suffered severely and very unfairly while at it, too." Sagasuga added as he lamented "Yes...!! So please..." Kanawari showed desperation "Alright, I think I know a fair way to solve this, Kanawari." Less than thirty seconds were on the clock "Verbal contracts are tied to responsibility. Let me ask you this; are you able to commit to a verbal contract with me under one condition, in order to save your friend?" Sagasuga was vague "Wh-----YES!! I don''t fucking care, yes! Just don''t hurt her, I''ll do anything!!" She showed no hesitation to protect Lus "Very well." Sagasuga crossed his fingers as he laid his two elbows on the table "I want, for the rest of the day, every time you win a point, regardless of the quantity of that point, half of it, to be instantly transferred to my point account." Sagasuga''s proposition sparked controversy "Hold up---what the fuck? Isn''t that the same as with me and Lus?!" Rayazaki questioned Sagasuga "Yes. Your idea was based of the option to transfer points to a classmate; the minimum being 50, so it works in theory." Sagasuga confirmed.

    But that was not what Rayazaki meant.

    "Not what I meant! My option works because there''s an option but how the hell does yours even work?!" Rayazaki made a good question "What? You haven''t noticed?" Sagasuga gave an abhorrent look to Rayazaki "What? What do you mean----" Rayazaki couldn''t make sense of Sagasuga "Kanawari. I need your answer, there are ten seconds left." Sagasuga''s right finger, which was pressed on the screen in front of him, on the lower right corner where the options remain to be seen, represented a symbol that many had not be aware of "Yes! Okay! Sure, I don''t mind!! Just don''t----" Sagasuga instantly interrupted her "Accept it then, on your screen." Sagasuga ordered, coldly "Eh----" Kanawari instantly looked down and saw an option that was presented to her only "DONE!!" Five seconds remained, as Kanawari had pressed the option to accept the verbal contract with Sagasuga.

    Rayazaki, on the other hand, couldn''t help but be extremely baffled by his lack of knowledge; or rather----how Sagasuga knew that such an option existed to begin with.

    "Option 3!" Sagasuga, without hesitation, shouted, and the third option, out of the thirty, was highlighted in divine gold.

    Lus'' red lights on her choker were thoroughly depleted, and so, there was a resonating sound, just like it was witnessed when her classmates had finished the judgment round.

    Furthermore, an additional factor was presented itself.

    On the big screen, a congratulations message appeared, glittered in ancient gold.

    "That''s enough! The round is now over as it has been cleared!" Basara declared as he ceased all activity "What... Cleared...?! How is it cleared?! There are more of us to go at it, teacher!" Yukishiro persisted, indignant by the fact that she was not granted the chance to continue "The next round will start at 6 am! Those who are late, even by a second, will suffer the consequences!" Basara cared not for Yukishiro''s words and simply gave the orders, as he started to walk away towards the main door on the northwest side of the grand room "What the hell! So we''re not gonna get an explanation as to why the round just ended like that?!" Yukishiro was still visibly pissed off, as her other classmates, began to elevate from their seats; each going their respective ways.

    However, since the round was over, it meant that Lus was no longer bound to the central chair. The mechanical binds on her ankles and wrists were elevated, thus, she could freely walk away.

    If she could, that is.

    "Lus!!" Bursting with a broken sprinting form, Kanawari went to her left and underwent the open path that was north of Lus'' seat, which was now open "Oh dear God!!" As Kanawari reached the chair, Lus remained unresponsive, completely numb "L-Lus...?!!??" Kanawari shook Lus'' shoulders, hoping for a response, but all that could be seen was Lus'' hollow eyes, which were barely open at all, as well as a thread of blood circling around her neck''s left side "Move." Daniel''s voice made Kanawari go out of the way by instinct.

    Alongside Daniel, was Hinagiku and Ikkiri, who looked at Lus with great worry.

    Daniel immediately began to use his right hand, mainly his two fingers, on the left side of her neck, in search for a pulse.

    "It''s faint." He claimed "Hinagiku, Ikkiri, carry her to the male dorm and wait at the entrance." Daniel gave the orders "Uh...?!" Ikkiri was slightly confused "Kanawari, you come with me." By force, Daniel grabbed her left arm "Fast." Kanawari glanced at Daniel, who had a stone-cold expression, then glanced over to Lus "You''re going to be fine! I promise...!" Weeping, Kanawari was taken away by Daniel, who exited the room with stride "........" Hinagiku''s miscellaneous expression became shrouded with a cunning aura "Ikkiri, let''s do this." Taking Lus'' right arm to her shoulder, Hinagiku presented an amicable tone "Okaaaaay... Uh, Hina..." Ikkiri had one particular worry "Don''t worry; if that bitch Arkalee even tries to lay a finger on you, I''ll show her a world of pain!" Hinagiku flashed a confident grin "Ahhh..." Ikkiri took Lus'' left arm "Thank you so much..." Ikkiri then, alongside Hinagiku, proceeded to head to the male dorm''s entrance as instructed.

    <hr>

    5:32 am, male dorm''s entrance door.

    The door of the male dorm that was closed was slowly opened by Kanawari, who had been granted the permission to enter the male dorm.

    "Come, fast..." Kanawari had a worried expression "Avoid making noises, I''ll guide the way..." Hinagiku and Ikkiri didn''t reply, but saw George Kentucky, the male dorm''s supervisor on the right side of the entrance, carefully observing them.

    They thought of greeting him, but for the first time, it was possible to access the male dorm.

    Forward to the north, they walked until they had to turn up to the staircase to the first floor.

    "Uhm..." Ikkiri quietly broke the silence "How... are we able to just freely walk in here...? This is the boys'' dorm, isn''t this, you know... against the rules...?" She mainly asked Kanawari "...I don''t know... Ask Daniel..." Kanawari couldn''t quite give an answer.

    Eventually, after climbing to the second floor, they reached one of the rooms, in which, Daniel and Kuzan were allocated in, standing up right near the bed.

    "Kuzan...?" Slightly revolted, Kanawari questioned Kuzan''s presence "Lay her on the bed, right now. Kuzan, make sure no one gets in." Daniel demonstrated Kuzan''s purpose "Yes, bro!" Kuzan got out of the way and attempted to walk outside, but stopped at Kanawari''s step "It''ll be---" Kanawari interrupted "Get the hell out!!" Unleashing that vile scream, Kanawari demanded Kuzan''s absence, which made Kuzan''s expression twist "Wh----I was just trying to fucking calm you down...!" Bitter, Kuzan angrily closed the door and began his vigilance as instructed.

    Slowly, Hinagiku and Ikkiri placed Lus on the bed, sideways, as she remained unresponsive.

    "What''s going to happen now...?" Ikkiri asked the dire question; as Daniel went to the desk''s surface, in the opposite direction "Her left knee was hammered three times and her left ear was cut off. I''m sorry to ask you, but could you show me her head''s left side? I need to completely see it." Daniel asked and Ikkiri was hesitant "Sure, no problem." Hinagiku, on the other hand, didn''t mind it and dived deep into Lus'' left side "Watch it... Don''t try anything funny..." Kanawari threatened Hinagiku, whose expression could not be seen from that angle "Oh, I won''t..." Hinagiku settled and showed the rest of the how Lus'' left side was.

    Daniel, Kanawari, and Ikkiri witnessed the, for the lack of a better description, horrific sight that was Lus'' left ear-----which was missing the helix and lobe, only exhibiting a small tube being the tympanic membrane; naturally causing it to bleed profoundly.

    "Hm... I''m probably going to need another dosage, she''s very close to dying." Daniel confessed "Wh---But we went over this!" Kanawari exclaimed "All that this will do is just numb the pain. We have to naturally attend to the wound. But first..." Daniel put down the syringe which was filled to the maximum with a green substance and bent down to Lus'' left knee.

    Without any care whatsoever, Daniel navigated his entire right hand on the broken knee as he tried to get a feeling of what the surface was like now.

    "AH.........AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" Lus, though numb, began to cry and emit pain noises as Daniel did the movement over and over "STOP THAT!!" Kanawari kicked the ground furiously "It''s shattered. The entire bone structure has collapsed. There''s no going around it." Daniel got up and went to the desk once again, upholding the syringe "Wait, you''re going to inject her on her knee...? Is that a painkiller, Daniel?" Ikkiri asked "It''s similar. It''ll numb the pain for four hours straight, although..." He double-checked the potency with his eye "Hey, I''m going to need you two to stop her from screaming." Daniel''s words managed to somehow alarm Lus enough to get a reaction from her "....W-What.... are you going to.... do to me...?!" Terrified, Lus looked at Daniel and the syringe in specific with horror.

    A mixture of lidocaine and bupivacaine was thoroughly ready to be exploited alongside a subtle essence of epidural steroids.

    "Cover her mouth and lock her movements from up to down; though it''s not as if she can do much, but it would help out immensely if we didn''t attract more attraction than we already are." Daniel ordered Hinagiku, Ikkiri, and Kanawari----albeit Kanawari felt the most reluctant "Kanawari, why don''t you cover her mouth? What if Yukishiro hears her?" Daniel said such words "You''re the fucking worst Daniel..." With resentment, Kanawari began to move towards Lus'' top side "...Kana, what the hell is he going to inj---MMMBNGNH----!!!" With apprehensive force, Kanawari blocked Lus'' mouth "It''ll be very quick and won''t hurt...!!" Kanawari said the obvious lie, which caused Lus to further panic.

    Hyperventilating, Lus'' arms began to circle all around, until Hinagiku stopped their movements with her two arms, only leaving her functional right leg, which was stopped, though very poorly executed, by Ikkiri.

    "Do it NOW!" Kanawari gave the order to Daniel "The first five minutes will feel like hell, but after that, you''ll feel good in no time." Daniel gave the words that would put Lus'' anxiety to the maximum as he forcefully injected the substance all the way to Lus'' femur, passing the patella and then the anterior cruciate ligament "MMGHHHHHHH!!!!" Even though Kanawari was holding Lus'' mouth, it still emitted saliva bubbles from the corners.

    After Daniel was done injecting half of the substance, Kanawari wondered why he wasn''t switching to the upper side as planned.

    "Daniel---?!" He instantly answered "It''s not enough, I have to give her the full dose on the knee. The patella is gone, if I give her half, the pain will still be there. It doesn''t help that the ligament is very damaged as well; likewise, most likely the upper calf in all likelihood. So, it''s just not enough, Kanawari." Daniel gave her the rundown, which silenced her as she understood it completely "Keep her under control." Daniel gave the final order as he dealt the remaining half, deep to the ligament.

    Lus underwent pain which 95% of human beings would never experience in their lifetime, statistically speaking.

    Once done, Daniel slowly removed the syringe from the depth of her knee.

    "Kuzan!" Daniel gave the shout and Kuzan instantly walked in, carefully closing the door "I need to go somewhere quickly, stay here and keep an eye on Lus. Kanawari, if she enters a state of cardiac arrest, do as you know." Daniel walked past Kuzan, opening the door and quickly sliding away "Okay, you got it..." Kuzan had a difficult time being in the same space as Kanawari but also with four other girls present.

    Regardless, the situation was not the same.

    "........" Hinagiku carefully heard the footsteps throughout the hall and then started to twitch her legs back and forth "......" Ikkiri realized what this meant upon seeing Hinagiku''s stiffened expression "Uh, Kuzan?!" Ikkiri, who was still having trouble containing Lus'' right leg''s turbulent movements, called out to Kuzan "Yeah?" Feeling out of place as all the girls were holding Lus, Kuzan could barely watch them in the eye "Could you switch with Hinagiku...? We need to keep control on Lus, so if you could just do what Hinagiku is doing, it would be really cool of you...!" Ikkiri said, with a quirky voice "Oh! Sure, no problem! I just gotta hold her arms..." Hinagiku instantly got off Lus and allowed Kuzan to try "You got this!" Hinagiku, with a ragged voice, gave Kuzan a pat in his left shoulder.

    As Kuzan tried to gain control of Lus arms, he tried to be gentle.

    "GAAH---!!!" He ended up getting hit on the nose with strength beyond his expectations.

    After Kanawari and Ikkiri instructed Kuzan on how to properly tame Lus'' movements for a while, Hinagiku decided to exit the room; leaving with a soft lock on the door.

    <hr>

    In an unknown level within the male dorm itself, Daniel, under a lowly bright illumination, jiggled with substances; pondering which one to correctly apply.

    "Wait..." It dawned on him as he held a red substance flask and a blue substance flask as well "The results of the mixtures could have entirely different effects if the equation changes... Naturally, this is all just to enhance the feeling of pain reversed, but it works a little bit too well. I should conduct more experiments..." Daniel, however, put down the two flasks in the flask aligner containing myriads of other flasks with numerous different substances, and took the same one as earlier.

    A vibration to Daniel''s brain was emitted suddenly as it trembled; causing a drip of pain.

    "Agh---what the... Not again..." The substance''s liquid started to spread all over the table and so, he had to refill it one more time "........" In the midst of that silence, surrounded by the darkness of the room, his audition was set out to hear just about anything "...?" His audition caught a sound of something extremely faint, coming from near the entrance, within the darkness itself.

    As he looked back, he saw the entrance door, which was firmly locked.

    To further secure himself of his thought, Daniel brought up the key of this particular level and ringed it twice, causing a sound to be made.

    "Right, right, that''s normal. Now let''s try and conceal my breathing to see if it still remains." Daniel patiently waited until there was nothing else to be heard and then placed his two fingers on his nose, to block the respiration temporarily "........" Yet it still persisted "........" Daniel had to be aware of the time, as he had other ideas in mind to execute.

    He finalized the syringe and then took one step forward, however halting afterwards.

    "What is this? There can''t be another person in here. But it''s the same. The noise that''s being repeated with a three second rhythm is the sound of another human inhaling oxygen through their nose and that''s not mine because I have been holding mine for six seconds." Daniel reasoned "But my brain wouldn''t tell me false information. In other words, someone is here." Daniel reassured himself as he looked to the darkness "Can''t waste too much time though..." He added and then took another step forward "............" He analyzed the sound rhythm "It changed to six seconds now because I altered mine to four seconds. Huh." Once again, Daniel was assaulted by a wave of insecurity but was nevertheless curious to know the truth, so he tried something "Looks like I got followed, so, if you come out now, I won''t do anything to you, I promise." Daniel spoke very softly.

    However, no response came forward.

    Instead, the breathing was alternated.

    "......" Daniel could not afford to waste time, in spite of his curiosity "Oh well." Confidently, he took a step forward and then two "......" Seeing as there was no difference, he started to climb the staircase that would lead to the exit; a faint light could be seen from the top window of the door, which Daniel used as a guide.

    Slowly but surely, Daniel took steps forward, until he reached the doorhold, to which he tried to grasp.

    "?!" His brain sent an emergency signal instantly, and even though he managed to turn back with precise time, the target were his legs, which were kicked in the back of the knees with cold precision.

    As a result, Daniel fell from the staircase with his body on the ground. The individual did not give Daniel any time to react whatsoever as she took control of his waist; controlling the momentum with her body on top of his fallen one.

    "Ahhh---good to know I was right. That''s a new discovery in my book." Daniel, upon catching glance of her, despite the low illumination, commented that with a smile "What are you?! How did you know? I''m very curious now..." She spread her knees to Daniel''s forearms, further locking his movements "I''m slightly clueless about it too, but, if we''re going to speak about things we don''t understand, then how about you tell me why you had to stalk me all the way here, Hinagiku?" Her movement upwards caused her face to be far more visible due to the light reflection of the door''s window.

    Her expression was stark cold, emitting little to no emotion.

    "I am sorry, I didn''t want to physically assault you nor interfere with your agenda, but I couldn''t afford anyone else to hear this." Nobly, she apologized "But after what happened yesterday, combined with what just happened now... I am profoundly convinced, that you are not only extraordinary but... also someone that is among those that are barely comprehensible at all." Hinagiku confessed her thoughts, whilst taking out a pair of scissors out of her skirt''s pocket "I don''t think there''s a need for that." Daniel said, after watching Hinagiku present the scissors.

    Precisely to the throat''s area, above the upper area of Daniel''s choker, Hinagiku turned the scissors upside down and aimed at it with great speed; halting at the very last second.

    "I''ll cut to the chase, there''s someone who I want you to kill. I don''t know how, but you have succeeded five times. Furthermore, this shit death game that we''re playing right now, clearly promotes death, so by no means, do you have an excuse." Daniel sighed "And if I don''t cooperate?" Daniel had to ask "You will die here. No one can know this information. This is not negotiable, do you understand?" Hinagiku laid out the terms as she opened the scissors; bordering Daniel''s Adam''s apple "Why can''t you do it yourself? I got my own things; I''ll have you know quite a lot of people have expectations for me right now. I don''t think I can afford to care about yours. Besides, you said it yourself, it''s a death game. You can do it, can''t y----" Hinagiku interrupted Daniel swiftly "No, I can''t. It hurts to admit it, but I''m just not that smart. Or rather----I am not you. I think that''s more appropriate. I don''t know what it is about you lately Daniel, but I am starting to truly believe that those thousand years worth of jail might not be a fairy tale anymore. So, I am trusting you with my request." Hinagiku now put the scissors fully open on his Adam''s apple; ready to be sliced.

    Seen as there was no room for development and how time was running out, Daniel pushed the next stage forward.

    "Who? I''ll give it consideration, at least." Daniel attempted to negotiate "I said it''s not negotiable. I''m only going to give you one more chance, Daniel. I trust you to be smart enough to know what I am potentially capable of. Show me that you are a man of superior judgment and not one of obtuse grandiose." Hinagiku''s cold glaze pierced Daniel''s.

    Daniel thought of other alternatives, but in the end, gave up.

    "I got it, I value my life. I must live through all of this, after all..." His resolution was lit in his eyes "....." Hinagiku couldn''t help but notice "Tell me." Daniel simply said "Kanawari." Daniel wasn''t entirely shocked, but it still slightly caught me off guard "Why her? She''s very useful. Killing her would-----" Hinagiku''s furious voice cut Daniel''s speech short "You don''t understand. You just don''t. That man''s bloodline must be cut OFF!" Her breath was all over the place "Given... Daniel... Likewise, if it''s accomplished... I''ll return the favor... Drop a name and I''ll let the magic play out." Hinagiku offered the other side, now that Daniel had given his word "So, do we have a deal?" Pierced prematurely in his upper neck area with light shreds, Daniel started to feel the scissor''s edges dive deep "......." The unspoken outcome had been thoroughly preordained.

 Volume 26: Chapter 183: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part XI.

    The cut delved deeper; to the point where it couldn''t be ignored any further.

    "Say yes." Hinagiku insisted, as she maintained her deadly shrouded glance "I want your word, Daniel. We''re not leaving until you say so. You will promise me, that within the boundaries of this game, you will kill Kanawari." Hinagiku then added something else "I understand you and her are most likely on useful terms, and that she was most likely the one who provided you help with killing the others, but I don''t care." Her stance was immovable "Say yes." The last straw was dealt.

    A decision had to be made on the spot. Daniel had analyzed the likelihood of Hinagiku bluffing with her words, but he digressed on that regard.

    "Alright." He truly gave up this time "There''s not much of a choice, so I guess I just gotta do it." Daniel shrugged "So, can you back off and take the scissor off my throat, Hinagiku?" Daniel gently asked, with an eerie smile on his lips, which crept Hinagiku out slightly "Not until you guarantee me something else..." Her words caused Daniel to sigh "Come on... I''m very low on time here... Make up your mind." He was starting to get annoyed at the current situation "In the next round, you must provide me evidence that you are intending to kill her through the game. Use whatever means, I just need to know that some progress is being made." Hinagiku unfairly made another demand "And if I don''t?" Daniel''s expression was starting to grow even more pissed "Then I will expose all of this to the higher ups. In no time, this place will be found and I am sure that you wouldn''t want that, would you now?" Hinagiku formed an evil grin, out of spite "......." Daniel was rendered speechless "So? Make up your mind." Hinagiku countered with that "Alright, I got it, get the fuck off me now, I''ll comply." Daniel finally surrendered to the situation.

    Satisfied, Hinagiku''s expression transiently grew smug as she slowly elevated from her central position whilst withdrawing the scissors from Daniel''s neck.

    Daniel, on the other hand, adjusted his choker''s position so it would cover the slices on his Adam''s apple edges.

    "....." Daniel, before getting up, looked around and found the syringe with the necessary substance, lying on the floor "What is this, by the way?" Hinagiku looked around, despite the low illumination "What else? It''s a laboratory." Daniel got up and turned around "Yeah, I know that. But why here? Was this always here?" She was persistent, much to Daniel''s displease "I''ll explain along the way." Daniel concluded there was no avoiding this collateral damage, and so, he grasped the doorhold once again "Oh, you will? You won''t try to hide it from me?" She was genuinely surprised as she climbed the staircase to the door as well "You''ll just threaten me over and over until I give you satisfying answers. So, this is the logical course." The brim light outside of the door''s window was open "I like logical men, so enlighten me on the subject." Hinagiku tucked back her scissors into her hair by separating the dual blades thus forming a bun.

    As soon as the outside of the door was breached, a new path was therefore open. Cladded in steel in cube-like shapes, the straight forward path containing twenty meters, would end with a ladder leading down below. The right side of the hallway, which had a significant height, almost resembling the experience of walking through a sewer, contained a single cradled sparse window of iron lines that would allow the outside artificial light emitted from the light pillars to infiltrate, thus providing them with the necessary illumination.

    Hinagiku walked behind Daniel, as she watched his every moment.

    Additionally, Hinagiku''s nose was struck with a horrible smell shortly as she walked through a certain part of the hallway.

    "Have you ever necessarily questioned if this place is a coincidence or not?" Daniel asked "As in? In general or are you alluding to something else?" Hinagiku was trying to shake off the bad smell "Just in general. We all have different origin stories but the same starting point. You, like I, was caught, brought to the authorities, and for some unspoken reason, subjected to this program. Or maybe you turned yourself in. It doesn''t matter; the point I''m trying to make is that, we, for that matter alone, gained this school as a destination------and ever since then, there has been something on my mind ever since... from... probably... day one..." Hinagiku''s curiosity peaked as she became hooked "And that is...?" Daniel halted immediately, three meters away from the ladder ahead.

    Mysteriously, he started to walk to his left side, while palpitating the metallic walls, covered with rusty bolts.

    One by one, Daniel went over the walls, until the fourth one.

    "What are you doing?" Hinagiku was genuinely clueless as she saw Daniel unwind the bolts stuck on that fourth wall "It shouldn''t take too long." Daniel assured as he had three more bolts to unwind since he had just done the northeast one; on that cube-shaped wall.

    Hinagiku was mildly shocked at the mere sight of it, unable to show complete immunity to disgust, as Daniel took out the front metal from the wall---now that all the bolts had been removed.

    A corpse, not entirely decayed, covered with cockroaches, leaches, and spiders, was shown.

    "Bgh---" Hinagiku thought she wouldn''t have to, but she did have to put her two hands on her mouth in order to not throw up "Classes started on December 25th, so given the current date, which is May 3rd, there''s been roughly a five month difference. I''m no expert in body decomposition but if it''s left intact without the interference of insects, since they are mainly what causes the body to decompose, it should last a year. Given that, how is it possible that it''s swarming with so many of them right now?" Daniel posed the question to Hinagiku "It just isn''t... But that should mean that this body had to be recent then... Which doesn''t make sense because I''ve never seen this guy before..." Hinagiku spoke the truth, still in disgust, which brought happiness to Daniel "How right you are! But, this body has been here for almost a year!" Daniel made the cryptic claim.

    This, however, explained little to nothing to Hinagiku.

    "Let''s continue our walk, shall we?" Daniel said "Sure, but continue. Don''t just leave your point hanging, I hate unfinished conversations." Hinagiku climbed down the dark ladder after Daniel "Oh. Well shit, I''m actually quite the talker, so you''ve been warned." The length of the ladder itself was over fifty meters.

    A streaming water sound could be heard down below as a small river circulating on the bottom of the low-illuminated area, remained, surrounded by mud.

    "I was going through some bad depression and would often end up wandering around the dorm, believe it or not. One of the places I would mostly go to would be the cafeteria, naturally. However, it occurred to me that there was milk missing to put in the cereals. I love my cereals so much..." Daniel started to make a strange laughter "....." Hinagiku found him silly "So, I went to the pantry and nothing really happened." Daniel gave the anti-climatic line "Huh? Where the hell are you going with this??" Hinagiku felt misleaded as they kept climbing the ladder down "Well----when we got back from the island, I went back to the pantry and heard a voice." Daniel confessed "A voice?" Daniel landed on the ground, and extended his right hand to Hinagiku, which she used to land on the muddy platform "Oh yeah, a voice. And it was, you guessed it, that guy you just saw!" Daniel told, with felicity "I get it now... You heard the voice and searched all over the dorm and then-----" Hinagiku was interrupted by Daniel swiftly "Nope, all it took was less than a minute for me to realize that the pantry had a hidden door behind the area where most of the food supply is. By palpitating the texture of the walls around it, the materials varied extremely. Mainly, the dorm is made out of old sand, which isn''t common at all, in this day of age. Nowadays, cement is the approach, but to actually see the difference, led me to believe that it couldn''t be a coincidence." Daniel reasoned, as he stood there, face to face, with the mildly surprised Hinagiku.

    By now it was around 5:49 am, with little to no time on the clock yet Daniel made the decision to invest in this talk, for some reason.

    "You''re not normal, you''re crazy. You''re telling me you found the way into this, just by palpitating the walls?! That is nonsense, but oh well, I guess I just have to believe you... So?" Hinagiku shrugged but hurried him to make his verbal stand "But it''s the truth, I''m telling you. Anyways, the guy was still breathing, but was caged in there, against his will. Obviously, you must''ve realized, but judged on the distance of the height from the dorm and where he is... His voice should----" Hinagiku followed "Impossible to hear, yes. And... what did you do to him? You said he was still breathing, Daniel..." Hinagiku turned skeptical and asked.

    Daniel took out a relatively old stopwatch with a timer, which caught Hinagiku''s attention, as he took a notice of the time.

    He started to walk northeast towards a low oval dark tunnel.

    "Answer me." She moved along with Daniel to the tunnel, where darkness would reside, absent from any light "I did a lot of interrogation in exchange for providing food supplies and I got more than what I bargained for. It''s a fucking shame though! Ahhh---I went overboard with my experiments on him! I started to drug his food with the substances in the lab after running some equations----which led to his accidental death!" Daniel laughed like a maniac in the tunnel "So yeah, he''s dead because of that. The lab is where I''ve been getting all the supplies and----" Hinagiku followed up with her own words "And where you and Kanawari have been plotting all this time..." Her voice turned cold and caused Daniel to stop his tracks in the darkness, though he could not be seen, where as Hinagiku was slightly illuminated from the end-light of the tunnel''s entrance "What''s with you and her? You told me that it was about a "man", are you referring to Shiro Ishii?" Daniel started to move again.

    Hinagiku felt silent for a while and didn''t respond.

    "I won''t force it out of you. In all honesty, I hate telling things about my privacy, but I just want to know if your entire ordeal against her is because of her lineage." Hinagiku, after a short period, also started to walk again "Daniel, do you know about Shiro Ishii?" She coldly asked "No." He answered "Ok. Well, I never told anyone this, so if I see that someone knows this information beforehand when they shouldn''t know then----" Hinagiku solidified the threat "I have no interest in your origins or your backstory. It won''t raise or degrade my opinion about you. Know that." Daniel clarified "......" She didn''t know how to answer that, but after taking a deep breath, she began to talk "I come from China, Nanjing. More precisely, I am the last child of the Wanyan clan." She started to speak about her origins "The Wanyan clan is quite the old clan, it had honor and dignity, way before I was born. However, during the second world war, the Japanese imperial army invaded China, and particularly a city, which was Nanjing. The invasion has a more accurate name..." Daniel walked more slowly as Hinagiku steadied her breath "The rape of Nanjing." She felt staggering pain just by saying those words "Countless people from Nanjing were killed, brutally tortured, the women were horrendously raped over and over----all at the hands of the one who put a command to the operation; which further led to the captured people from Nanjing, to be experimented on." She explained the situation with grief but rage.

    Daniel instantly understood the situation now.

    "I see. But the second world war was long, long ago. We''re in the 2000''s now. There was nothing that could have been done by your part." Daniel was truthful "Oh, I know. The people that died in Nanjing are long gone. Some still live, despite the trauma, but... not my clan. My grandmother was raped and kept as hostage to the Japanese for their sick entertainment and years later... my mother was born..." Hinagiku was twitching with rage "My fucking blood...!!!" Hinagiku started to ventilating, casting ragged breaths forward "Immerse with Japanese fucks!! Who raped my bloodline!!!" Then, she unleashed the scream "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Beyond Daniel''s expectations, her piercing scream held enormous volume "Ahhhhh---Ahhh---Ahhhh!! I hate the Japanese. They portray themselves as modest and hard-working individuals but they did WHAT they did! And now, after all this time, I finally get a glimpse of what is a relative to the lineage of that man?!" She closed in on Daniel "She has to die. No good can come out of a being that''s related to him. You agree that she has to die, right?" Hinagiku saught confirmation right away as she held Daniel''s right shoulder "It doesn''t matter what I think, you made me commit into killing her, Hinagiku". Daniel dodged the bullet.

    Hinagiku released a light smile and then walked right past Daniel in front of him, where the end of the tunnel could be spotted; emitting a slight illumination from above.

    "How right you are. You will kill her. That fucking experimental pig... Better kill her before she awakens her dormant rapist gene..." Hinagiku maliciously laughed.

    Though Daniel kept walking, there was something that was still not making any sense at all to him.

    "Just do it yourself, I don''t fucking get it why it has to be me. I heard your motives and I understand the grudge. But it''s clear that it''s you who gains the satisfaction from killing her. How is me, orchestrating her death, going to bring you any satisfaction? It makes no sense." Daniel brushed his hair back and forth "........" She put her head down; her expression unable to be seen and ascended to the upward ladder that was after the tunnel; right at the top "......." Daniel took note of her silence as he stood on the edge of the end of the tunel; where an obscure colossal height could be observed down below-----where a water concentration lays.

    The lengthy ladder would enable the two of them to climb back up to a crater that is located thirty meters up.

    "You can climb, I think it''s too dark to see it even if you look up." Hinagiku bashfully said "I won''t look." Daniel started to climb and in no time, they reached the crater "You haven''t made your point, by the way." Hinagiku reminded, as she dusted off the dirt from her front skirt "I think my point is pretty self-explanatory. None of this, that you see here, was done by us. Either it was already built here long ago, or..." Hinagiku continued for him "Other criminals, like us, have been endorsed to this school, under the same program and had their way?" Daniel nodded "How else would you explain this crater? It was clearly dug up and most likely blasted." Hinagiku couldn''t exactly believe that "Blasted...? With a TNT?" She still made the assumption nonetheless "It''s one of the possibilities. But yes, the point was, we are not the first ones. As a matter of fact, I''m very certain that what we are currently undergoing, is one of the core stages that all prior classrooms experienced too. Thus, our deaths, will be nothing more than entertainment stepping stones." Daniel lowly laughed as he started to enter the perimeter of the door behind the food supply within the pantry.

    However, before totally going into the dorm once again, Hinagiku halted Daniel.

    "Wait a second. Are you giving up to this?!" She looked him into the eyes "Hm... I had a pretty good plan, but that was before knowing this was going to happen. But we''re just kinda screwed, unfortunately. They say the karma of our sins find us eventually down the road, so maybe this is it?" He grinned "Then just make a new plan!" Daniel was confused "A new plan? There''s no need." He turned around and took a hold of the doorhold "Hinagiku, listen up. Planning is nothing more than imagination without proper set up. Which is why, you''re going to help me do exactly that." In the last sparse minutes, Daniel told her.

    <hr>

    With Daniel and Kanawari''s support, on each of Lus'' sides, she was able to seat properly onto one of the southwest seats of the round table.

    Roughly, Lus took a seat, with an uneasy expression, on Daniel''s left side.

    "Goodness gracious, you''re an eyesore to look at!" Yukishiro laughed from afar "How old are you again?! Are you sure you shouldn''t be making your way to the reformatory instead of here?! HAHAHA!!" Maliciously, she taunted Lus, which visibly upset her "Why you...!!" Despite the pain though numb by now, Lus still showed a fighting spirit.

    The clock struck at 6 am for the second round.

    Basara emerged on the podium within that holographic virtual room and commenced it.

    "Kanawari is excluded for the round of judgment as the rules dictate; begin." Basara''s words enabled the screen in which the 17 students, Kanawari excluded, were highlighted in squared-rows-----as they became victims to the spinning dice "Great, time for yet another exposure." Rayazaki sighed as he watched the dice relentlessly spin around "Ah shit..." Tsudo let out a disappointed sigh as all eyes fell on him; as well as the front of his table, automatically open on the spot "Tsudo, you are required to walk to the chair." Basara said, even though two guards were already on his way there to make sure of that "It''s chill! I''ll go there by myself!" Tsudo reassured with a cocky grin.

    In the end, the two guards shackled Tsudo''s wrists and ankles, just as they did to anyone who sat on the chair before.

    "Tsudo, don''t be a fucking retard and lie to us." Kawahara was the first one to instigate this matter "Be truthful and no one will hunt you down just in case in the future you land in an unfavorable position." He finished with the threat "......." Tsudo felt particularly irritated "...Yeah, no worries. I value my life, so I won''t lie! The moment the claim is made, I''ll tell which one is true." Tsudo said "Hey, check out the ranking ladder! The point gauge has been updated!" Tateyana, with excitement pointed out at it "You''re right, it''s up to 99 points now." Akimiyashika then followed up with another set of words "Wait, does that mean it''s the maximum capacity for the points we can potentially fully store?" She particularly looked at Basara, however.

    As per usual, no response came forth from his end.

    Nevertheless, in order to entertain the audience which overtook 300k viewers at 6 am, Basara had to progress the event.

    "Let''s begin." The script of the accusation was written out extremely well for everyone to see from all angles, regardless of where they are seated "Toharoh Tsudo has raped over fifty children varying from the age of 5 to 11." Such an accusation was made, which made Tsudo dread "W-What the fuck?! Out of the bat, like that?!" Tsudo clicked his tongue as he gained disgusted reactions "One minute to go." Basara announced as the hourglass spun.

    The mere accusation caused a wide variety of hateful comments incoming Tsudo''s way.

    "Tell me it''s not true." Akimiyashika spoke in Tsudo''s direction, with a hate stare "Huh?! Why the shock?" He was genuinely confused "So you fucking did it...?" Hinagiku trembled with rage "....." He didn''t immediately give a reply "Yes or no, Tsudo..." Kawahara applied the pressure "We''re not here to fucking judge you..." He added "Well shit, I feel so fucking judged right now." Tsudo stared into Kawahara''s eyes "It can''t be helped." Sagasuga interfered "Rape is a horrendous crime and anyone with a history is bound to be sensitive over it." He adjusted "That''s putting it LIGHTLY, Sagasuga! We''re talking about rape here! Not killing, drug usage, or pity theft, but rape! AND ON FUCKING MINORS TOO!!" Akimiyashika became agitated.

    Others joined the fray as well.

    "It''s in a league apart from killing...! Rapists should not be allowed to breathe!" Tateyana glared at Tsudo, with thirty seconds on the clock "Children... Raped... How fucking SICK are you?!" Akimiyashika backlashed at Tsudo "What the fuck?! Calm your tits, I haven''t said anything! Haven''t you thought that perhaps it''s lying to you, you dumb bitch?!" Tsudo claimed "Is it?! WELL?!" A short silence was held "........" Tsudo felt the pressure as everyone''s eyes were on him "......." Tsudo looked up and down, with a shackled expression "Jesus fucking Christ, just say yes or no! Who gives a shit about what they think!" Kawahara instilled "Excuse me?!" Akimiyashika turned to Kawahara almost instantly "We''re not going anywhere with this shit, just let him answer and then judge him accordingly!" Kawahara reasoned "..............." Akimiyashika settled, then looked at Tsudo.

    Even so, Tsudo still kept looking up, with a very confused expression.

    "....How many were they again..." Tsudo whispered to himself very, but very lowly, to the point where no one should have been able to hear it "..........." Daniel instantly switched to his left side, where Lus remains and dove deep into her right ear, which is intact unlike her left one "........." Lus took ahold of the information and gave a nod "Hello?! We''re waiting here!" Tateyana insisted, as Tsudo''s prolonged the answer "Holy shit, you actually did it, you crazy motherfucker." Yukishiro was surprised "Wh---" Tsudo wasn''t allowed to react as Yukishiro followed it up with a hysterical laughter "HAHAHA!! People tend to look up when they are trying to remember something and you definitely were trying to remember how many kids you raped just to see if it went above fifty!" Many took note from this assumption as there were ten seconds on the clock "So?! Yes or no!?" Tateyana once again insisted, in a far more aggressive voice tone "I don''t fucking know I didn''t keep a count, for fuck''s sake!!" Tsudo openly confessed.

    The entirety or at least a big majority, became upset, but not to the point where they could lose out on the reward for the right answer.

    "So you don''t know the answer, that''s what you''re saying?!" Akimiyashika asked, as her right index finger trembled in front of the screen in front of her "I''m not trying to hide the truth I swear, I just didn''t fucking keep a count...!!" Tsudo explained himself "Disgusting piece of fucking SHIT! KILL YOURSELF!!" Akimiyashika insulted Tsudo as she was forced to cast her vote, along with everyone else.

    The results were cast and thus, the ranking ladder was updated. Tsudo, as the subject of judgment, is excluded during this particular session as he cannot gain points himself---just like Kanawari in the first round.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Lus Sera (57/99 points)

    2 - Sana (42/99 points)

    3 - Daniel (27/99 points)

    4 - Arkalee (27/99 points)

    5 - Hyunda (27/99 points)

    6 - Akimiyashika (27/99 points)

    7 - Hinagiku (27/99 points)

    8 - Yukishiro (27/99 points)

    9 - Kawahara (27/99 points)

    10 - Tatsu (24/99 points)

    11 - Tateyana (24/99 points)

    12 - Ikkiri (24/99 points)

    13 - Kuzan (21/99 points)

    14 - Rayazaki (16/99 points)

    15 - Stratos (12/99 points)

    16 - Sagasuga - (12/99 points)

    17 - Kanawari (3/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    A difference was instantly noticed by them.

    "Six points now, huh?" Rayazaki noted as he stretched "Yeah that''s what I noticed too! Do they increase every round?" Kuzan suggested "That would actually make sense because the point requirement in the options are just ridiculous, so it would add up." Hinagiku supported Kuzan''s theory.

    Tsudo was chased by Akimiyashika relentlessly, however, on the other hand.

    "Kill yourself." She coldly said "Fuck no, shut the fuck up." Tsudo fought back "Do the world a major favor and just stop breathing. YOU''RE A CHILD RAPIST!!" Angry, Akimiyashika elevated from her seat "Oh yeah?! Well shit, so what?! I enjoy the shit out of it, what''re you gonna do about it?!" Tsudo didn''t bother to deny the truth "Besides, I bet one thousand percent that I''m not the only rapist in this goddamn room, so shut the fuck UP!! Hey, maybe you''re one too?" Akimiyashika was blantly accused by Tsudo, who couldn''t hold back his laughter "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" In a feat of rage, aware of the possible consequences, Akimiyashika slammed the table with her two fists and backed off "You will fucking die, mark my words." She cast a haunting deadly glare onto Tsudo "Oh NOOOOOOO!!!" Tsudo showed genuine fear for a second "Anyways." And ultimately a strong bored reaction to her whole spectacule.

    Granted, the second round had to be formed. Therefore, the second accusation was written in the script for them right away.

    "Toharoh Tsudo has taken apart in human trafficking." The second claim was made "Yes or no? Decide at your leisure." Basara let the hourglass spin as the full minute started to wind.

    Instead of falling victim under pressure, Tsudo decided to do the simple thing.

    "Oh yeah, it''s true." He earned elevated quantities of hatred mostly among the girls "Vote yes, and remember that I am NOT a liar!" He shouted as he laughed "Disgusting piece of fucking shit..." Hinagiku felt sick as she was about to press the positive answer on her screen.

    She, however, looked at her right, where Lus was voting as well as Daniel.

    ".....?!" Granted, her vision was sufficient to be able to see which votes were cast.

    After a full minute, the second round came to an end and the only person who voted no was Daniel.

    "Huh? Daniel, what the hell?" Tateyana couldn''t comprehend the pattern choice behind his behavior "Hm... No, I genuinely didn''t think that he was telling the truth. Kinda like those questions you just have to double-check, you know?" He posed "But I said I wouldn''t lie?" Tsudo wasn''t able to understand where Daniel was coming from "Oh yeah, don''t mind me then!" Daniel widened his eyes as he shrugged it off ".......?!" Yukishiro began to think as to what Daniel was up to.

    The third round would start afterwards as Daniel accumulated his second red light.

    "Toharoh Tsudo has killed and impregnated his mother." Basara''s words caused multiple individuals in the room to want to throw up "Ugh, why are all these accusations so fucking direct... No discreteness, I swear..." Tsudo let out an annoyed breath "Y-You raped your mother?!" Kuzan spoke this time "Not just her, my dude! My sister as well! Give it a shot and you wi----" Kuzan''s imperial shout silenced the room "I''LL KILL YOU, BASTARD!!!" For the first time, Kuzan demonstrated a slight potency of his rage.

    After a short silence, Daniel broke it.

    "This is just no fun, I think." He caught the attention of everyone present "As it stands, if everyone answers correctly according to Tsudo, the standings will speak for itself. Kanawari will wind up at the bottom." Nobody understood what he was trying to say "Annnnnnnnnnnnndddddddddd? That''s how the game works, what is your point exactly...?" Yukishiro questioned Daniel "It''s dull. Besides, she''s under the condition that Sagasuga imposed and it''s already showing. Two rounds have passed in this judgment round and she only has 6 points. Meanwhile, Sagasuga has 24. She''s doomed." Daniel continued to make the reasoning "And?! Again, so fucking what?" Yukishiro lashed out "Dude, what the fuck are you on about? Not to side with bitch queen here, but you''re not making any sense." Rayazaki added up.

    Roughly forty seconds remained on the clock.

    Daniel went to his screen, down to the bottom right corner, with his right index finger and pressed the cryptic symbol without moving the finger away from it.

    "Tsudo, I hereby propose the following: If the results of every claim made from here on are the opposite of what you claim to be, you will win six of my points." Daniel spoke no further words "...Huh?" Tsudo was confused, to say the least "What the hell is he on about?" Tatsu questioned "It''s simply that. I want to bring fairness to the competition and the fact that you will lag behind by being the subject of this round of judgment is something that I don''t like." Daniel explained his point further "You won''t get any points this round and when you enter the third upcoming round, you will lag behind by comparison. It''s a huge disadvantage, if you think about it." Daniel made Tsudo reflect instantly "...Shit, now that you mention it..." Daniel added something else to the equation "Currently, you uphold 17 points. Now, take Kanawari, for example. She has 6 points. Assuming she gets all the answers right and this judgment round goes up to 10 or more rounds, it would mean, adding with Sagasuga''s bonus reduction, that she can accumulate up to 30 points if it''s ten rounds!" This shocked Tsudo "W-What?! That''s so fucking unfair!!" Many others were starting to realize the unfairness too.

    Twenty-five seconds remained on the clock.

    "Tsudo, don''t listen to him..." Yukishiro bargained "He''s playing with your insecurity, if you don''t accept it, then Kanawari takes the fall, it''s that simple!" Yukishiro reasoned "But what after, Tsudo? Kanawari undergoes the execution round, but you will still be at the bottom after. You''re just delaying the inevitable..." Daniel counter-argued "Don''t do it! It doesn''t make any sense! It''s most likely a tr-----" Despite Yukishiro''s best attempts, Tsudo was easily persuaded "I-I''ll do it...!! I can''t fucking lag behind...!! I accept the contract!" By his voice alone, the check mark on the virtual screen was ultimately accepted.

    Thus, Tsudo was now bound to the verbal contract between him and Daniel.

    "That''s just crazy..." Akimiyashika looked at Daniel "How on earth is this any beneficial to him...?!" She kept wondering as so did many others.

    However, given the little time on the clock, fifteen seconds to be precise, it was necessary to adapt to the current situation.

    "Wait, wait, wait, wait...!" Tateyana made a twisted confused expression "Huh?! The opposite of what he claims...?!" She was wrapping her head around the bubbling enigma presented to her "Hey, Tsudo! Yes or no?!" Kawahara made the bargain, with little to no time on the clock "Uh, wait...." Tsudo, who was still processing the contract''s content, had to make a choice very soon "For fuck sake, you idiots! He didn''t deny it and even further confirmed it! Vote yes and stop overthinking this shit already!" With five seconds left, Rayazaki took the lead "........" Tsudo chose silence this time around.

    At the end of the third round of this second round, the standings were updated:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Lus Sera (63/99 points)

    2 - Sana (48/99 points)

    3 - Sagasuga - (36/99 points)

    4 - Arkalee (33/99 points)

    5 - Hyunda (33/99 points)

    6 - Akimiyashika (33/99 points)

    7 - Hinagiku (33/99 points)

    8 - Yukishiro (33/99 points)

    9 - Kawahara (33/99 points)

    10 - Tatsu (30/99 points)

    11 - Tateyana (30/99 points)

    12 - Ikkiri (30/99 points)

    13 - Kuzan (27/99 points)

    14 - Daniel (27/99 points)

    15 - Rayazaki (22/99 points)

    16 - Stratos (18/99 points)

    17 - Kanawari (9/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    The sheer difference in a certain position alarmed everyone by the instant.

    "OH MY FUCKING GOD, DID SAGASUGA JUST JUMP TO THE THIRD PLACE?!" Tateyana was in awe, with her jaw open "What''d you expect?! He''s getting half of Kanawari''s points, which are three, assuming she gets the correct answer and he has a 50% point acquisition boost! He''ll earn the double of what he bargained for without consequence!" Rayazaki angrily explained "That is... just... wow..." Even Yukishiro was stunned at the rapid growth from Sagasuga "........" But Tsudo''s eyesight was not set on Sagasuga''s, but on Daniel''s points.

    As if reading his thoughts, Daniel gave the number to Tsudo.

    "By theory, it''s 24. However, it''s actually 36, assuming it''s above ten rounds..." Daniel kept a stark confident smirk "It is but a necessity; because it''s already plain evident that whoever is being judged is at a tremendous disadvantage." Daniel emphasized the same point was again "..........." Tsudo''s expression rapidly grew far more serious and less charismatic by the pacing.

    The fourth round would launch forward as Basara would dictate the progress.

    "Toharoh Tsudo has committed cannibalism." The fourth claim was born "Decide at your own leisure, creatures." Basara simply dismissed and let the hourglass do the talking.

    Given the new circumstance, they had to approach Tsudo slightly differently.

    "I''ll just tell the obvious here just so we are clear...!" Yukishiro readied the verbal canon "Their contract is not confusing at all." Her opinion was not well accepted "Explain and fast, bitch." Rayazaki insulted Yukishiro who gave him a death stare but nevertheless explained it "...The contract rewards Tsudo for lying about his claim. Therefore, the true answer is the opposite of what he says, because that''s the only way he can extract six points from Daniel!" Yukishiro declared "So just vote the opposite and you''re good?!" Kanawari asked "Why yes, it''s that simple!" Yukishiro complimented as she turned her eyesight to Tsudo, at the very center "Isn''t it, Tsudo?" She taunted ".............." Tsudo, on the other hand, kept silence.

    Fifty seconds were left on the drain.

    "It''s a win-win situation for you, Tsudo. And a lose-lose situation for him!" Yukishiro pointed at Daniel "Tsudo, you can just basically tell the lie, we will know it''s a lie and vote the opposite, while you get free six points from Daniel!!" Yukishiro burst out laughing "Wait... That''s... She''s not lying, that''s how it is..." Tateyana was forced to reflect upon it "But why bother to give your adversaries a free lead?" Daniel asked Tsudo "........." Tsudo remained in silence "What...?!" Yukishiro clicked her tongue "...Hey, Tsudo, yes or no?" Hinagiku, this time around, asked Tsudo "......" But no response came forward "Hey, why isn''t he answering... It''s been thirty seconds already..." Kuzan started to suspect something.

    That something being, something so obvious, that many would only come to realize as the round was about to finish.

    Through many attempts at conversation, when the last two seconds were left, Tsudo spoke.

    "IT''S TRUE!!" Tsudo declared as time ran out.

    Naturally, no one was dumb enough to the point of waiting around for Tsudo''s answer, so they went with what they thought was accurate.

    "Hm..." Sagasuga reflected as he looked upon the ranking ladder "Ehhhh?! He didn''t commit cannibalism?! Seriously?!" Tateyana became overstatic "I''m surprised, considering he''s a fucking demonic child rapist." Akimiyashika admitted "I''m pretty sure that no one got that one right..." Ikkiri attempted to guess "That''s wrong, actually. Lus got it." All eyes were turned to Lus "She''s even in the lead by a strong-slide." With 69 points, Lus was dominating this second round, only behind Sana, who currently has 48 points.

    On the other hand, Tsudo''s name was adjoined to the ranking ladder, despite being the subject of the judgment. The standings for the fourth round were the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Lus Sera (69/99 points)

    2 - Sana (48/99 points)

    3 - Sagasuga - (36/99 points)

    4 - Arkalee (33/99 points)

    5 - Hyunda (33/99 points)

    6 - Akimiyashika (33/99 points)

    7 - Hinagiku (33/99 points)

    8 - Yukishiro (33/99 points)

    9 - Kawahara (33/99 points)

    10 - Tatsu (30/99 points)

    11 - Tateyana (30/99 points)

    12 - Ikkiri (30/99 points)

    13 - Kuzan (27/99 points)

    14 - Tsudo (23/99 points)

    15 - Rayazaki (22/99 points)

    16 - Daniel (21/99 points)

    17 - Stratos (18/99 points)

    18 - Kanawari (9/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    Four red lights had been lit up on Daniel''s choker by now due to failing four times consecutively.

    "So let me get this straight..." Kuzan tried to figure it out by himself "He waited until the very last second to reveal the opposite answer so no one could take advantage of that?!" Kuzan was shocked and surprised at the sight of the strategy "It''s flawless!" Tsudo enjoyed bathing in the attention "I know the answer, I just vote for the opposite during the last second and you all can''t do shit about it so you''ll just have to blindly vote! Fuck yes, I''m leading this shit, thanks Daniel!!" Tsudo laughed it off "No problem." And Daniel thanked him with a smile.

    There were some individuals around the classroom that were starting to get alarmed by Daniel''s impossible-to-understand strategy which seemed astronomically suicidal in insight.

    The fifth round of the second round came to light.

    "Toharoh Tsudo killed Akenama Kan." The long forgotten name emerged after so long "...Who...?" Arkalee asked her boyfriend, Hyunda, seated next to her "One of our prior classmates. He was found dead on the island." He explained to her "Oh... Hey, did you do it, Tsudo...?" Arkalee asked, analyzing the possible reactions Tsudo would give.

    But Tsudo remained absurdly stoic and didn''t even flinch for a second. Regardless, there was a small discussion about the topic as it proved to have a minimal degree of interest among them.

    "I don''t really think Tsudo did it." Yukishiro spoke up "And how would you know? You weren''t even there, it was a boys only exam in that freaking island." Akimiyashika countered "Oh chill out red-head... I''m just stating the obvious... Because it wasn''t only Kan that died, but also Ryoken and Akihiko." Yukishiro brought some more forgotten names back to the table "Christ, I even forgot they existed." Rayazaki boldly said "They didn''t mark much impression..." Ikkiri lowly spoke to herself.

    Forty seconds remained.

    "Hm, no, but you did it, didn''t you, Tsudo?" To everyone''s surprise, Daniel directed those words to Tsudo "Uh, what?!" Kuzan was shocked to hear that from Daniel "What, don''t you remember, Kuzan?" Daniel looked puzzled as he glanced over to his left, where Kuzan wasn''t too far from him "It was during the second week, Tsudo and Kan got into a fight because they didn''t want to share their food so Tsudo killed him with a rock to his head thirteen times! Shit was crazy, wasn''t it, Rayazaki?!" Daniel spoke with high enthusiasm and a carefree attitude ".....??" Rayazaki became really confused "Bro, I don''t remember any of that..." Kuzan was honest to Daniel "Really?! Try to remember it. We had a group! It was me, you, Rayazaki, and Kawahara. Hey, you remember it too, right, Kawahara?" This time, Daniel directed his words to Kawahara.

    Unlike Kuzan and Rayazaki, Kawahara fully knew what Daniel''s intent here was.

    "He''s right, you know? Don''t tell me you guys don''t remember it? We saw the shit go down with our own two eyes that night!" Kawahara claimed "Huh...?! That''s... Weird, I just can''t... remember it..." Kuzan was trying his hardest to remember "Are you guys trolling me or some shit...?! Hey, Tsudo! Is it true or not?!" Rayazaki turned his attention to Tsudo, this time around.

    Twenty seconds remained; Tsudo didn''t answer but looked less composed now.

    "He''s not gonna talk because that''s part of his strategy, right? Down to the last second..." Arkalee was showing anxiety "That''s right, sweetheart." Hyunda''s words made Arkalee smile "It''s completely 50/50 at this point. Which is why we should divide our options. We have been going with the same predictions so far, but I think it''s fair for us to go separate ways, don''t you think?" Hyunda proposed "...No." Arkalee quickly rejected "Our choices have to be the same... Because we are together..." Her voice gradually grew serious, emitting a certain level of obsession "Don''t you think so, Hyunda...?" She gazed at him with adoration yet a keen sense of control "........." By contrast, his expression grew blank and bored "I don''t, actually." He disagreed ultimately "What... Hyunda, can you not? Not right now, just go with it, alright?!" She started to raise her voice "......." His expression grew resentment this time "Ok." He simply said "So you''ll do it?" She asked, just to make sure "Yeah, for sure. I''ll do it. No problem." He closed his eyes and gave her a stark smile whilst patting her head.

    Daniel would more often than not, monitor Hyunda''s behavior, unlike most. Out of 8 to 10 times, Daniel''s attention was on Hyunda.

    "I DID IT!!" On the very last second, Tsudo spoke out "Ah FUCK!!" Akimiyashika snapped as she pressed the positive option button "I didn''t have the time to process that it would be a lie, for fuck sake..." She further added "Isn''t your brain just slow?! What, never played a game before?! This shit''s easy!" Yukishiro flexed her victory in this round.

    Even so, the results were mostly divided and Tsudo''s strategy was actually proving to work. The standings for the fifth round were fixated as the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Lus Sera (75/99 points)

    2 - Sana (48/99 points)

    3 - Sagasuga - (45/99 points)

    4 - Hinagiku (39/99 points)

    5 - Yukishiro (39/99 points)

    6 - Kawahara (39/99 points)

    7 - Tatsu (36/99 points)

    8 - Arkalee (33/99 points)

    9 - Hyunda (33/99 points)

    10 - Akimiyashika (33/99 points)

    11 - Tateyana (30/99 points)

    12 - Ikkiri (30/99 points)

    13 - Tsudo (29/99 points)

    14 - Rayazaki (28/99 points)

    15 - Kuzan (27/99 points)

    16 - Stratos (24/99 points)

    17 - Daniel (15/99 points)

    18 - Kanawari (9/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    Before the sixth round started, there was some animosity.

    "Holy fuck, fuck you Daniel!" Tateyana complained, despite being well rounded in the middle points "Huh?" He found her words abrasive to say the least "Don''t "Huh?" me! If it wasn''t for your stupid contract, Tsudo would be telling us the right answers but now he''s doing the opposite---he''s thinking for himself instead of helping us out!!" She complained but Daniel remained indifferent "Sounds like you''re having trouble adjusting to the competition... I see..." Daniel chuckled "What...?!" She did not take that lightly "Hey, hey, if you lag behind, I''ll do a nice contract with you next round just like I did with Tsudo... Ah, only if you end up in his position though!" Daniel reassured her with an unwavering confidence "That contract won''t be worth shit, you retard. You won''t have points to spare..." She felt like stating something relatively obvious to Daniel across the table "You''re not seeing the picture here." Daniel left it at that, with a taunt that would consume her mind.

    Basara initiated the rhythm once again, as Daniel fell onto the second last place.

    "During his time while in middle school, Toharoh Tsudo created a group which consisted of serial rapists who engaged in theft, killing, and raping women in the area of Shinjuku." A more detailed claim came forth this time around "Dive deeper into your thoughts." Basara left it at that as the sixth round underwent it''s tracks.

    There was a significant problem at hand immediately and Tsudo caught wind of it immediately. Though, it wasn''t him that initiated the momentum.

    "A bit too detailed, don''t you think?" The charismatic Daniel spoke not only in Tsudo''s direction but to everyone present "If we''re gonna rely on ourselves to guess if this is right or wrong, then yeah, no shit." Kawahara didn''t deny it "......." Tsudo gave some thought as he analyzed what he had to lose and win, should he want to commit into this.

    He took a glance at the ranking ladder, where his points were visible. Not only his, but Daniel''s and the others''.

    On the other hand, Kanawari, felt far more nervous than before, as she was practically on the losing side. Not practically, but in total, reality combined with actuality.

    Daniel, seated with Lus on his left side and Hinagiku on his right side, decided to whisper a few words into Hinagiku''s ear as Tsudo was in deep thought.

    Shortly after, Hinagiku began whispering certain words into Kanawari''s left ear, since she is right next to Hinagiku.

    "....!?" Kanawari was at a loss of words as she didn''t understand the meaning of Hinagiku''s words "Don''t doubt his words... Or you''ll regret it, you hear me...?" Hinagiku threatened Kanawari on the spot, showing an attitude similar to the prior round "What''s with you...!?" She snapped momentarily but Hinagiku turned cold, not letting the argument scale.

    In the end, Tsudo judged to stick to his usual strategy of only telling the truth at the very last second.

    "I didn''t do it." Calmly, Tsudo confessed "Oh for fuck''s-----" Rayazaki slammed his right fist on the table "AGHHHH!!!" He released a shout of frustration, but he wasn''t the only one that got it wrong as many others didn''t get it right either "It''s half-right. I was a part of the group but I definitely didn''t create it. Besides, it''s long long, disbanded... I think..." Tsudo finished his with reluctance and major hesitance.

    The standings of the sixth round were automatically shown:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Lus Sera (81/99 points)

    2 - Sana (56/99 points)

    3 - Sagasuga - (54/99 points)

    4 - Hinagiku (46/99 points)

    5 - Yukishiro (46/99 points)

    6 - Kawahara (46/99 points)

    7 - Tatsu (36/99 points)

    8 - Tateyana (36/99 points)

    9 - Tsudo (35/99 points)

    10 - Rayazaki (34/99 points)

    11 - Arkalee (33/99 points)

    12 - Hyunda (33/99 points)

    13 - Akimiyashika (33/99 points)

    14 - Ikkiri (30/99 points)

    15 - Stratos (30/99 points)

    16 - Kuzan (27/99 points)

    17 - Kanawari (12/99 points)

    18 - Daniel (9/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    A clapping ovation came from Daniel instantly.

    "Well done! Now imagine where you would be if you had those 17 points still! You''d be behind seven other people! But that''s not all! You''re almost on the way to the winning side, only one point away from equalizing with Tatsu and Tateyana!!" The standing ovation did not stop from his end "......." Although being far up, Tsudo wasn''t liking how he wasn''t feeling in control at all "You''re fucked, you realize that?" Yukishiro spoke to Daniel in a harsh tone, but she voiced practically everyone in that regard "Huuuuuuuuh?! What the fuck are you on about, bitch?" With a mocking face, Daniel taunted Yukishiro "Retard''s got a death wish, it seems! I just fucking hope the dice rolls don''t blacklist me this time around!" Despite saying that, Daniel could not stop laughing "------Hahahaha-----" As if infected by a wave of contagious laughter, Daniel seemed as if he was losing it.

    Down to the last place, with six red lights on his choker, Daniel claimed the intention, but it was still far from over.

    Without wasting any time at all whatsoever, the seventh round came to light.

    "Toharoh Tsudo''s jail sentence is the equivalent of 150 years." Basara said "Is it, or not? Let''s see how good your memories are." The hourglass dealt the trick.

    Most of them jumped the gun immediately because there was a certain point of time that was decisive to this particular segment.

    "Hold a goddamn minute, didn''t we get a gauge at each other''s jail sentences when we started back in December?!" Akimiyashika spoke with haste "That''s right, we did." Kawahara answered "Oh, right! I remember now!" Tateyana smashed her right fist horizontally on her opposite open palm dramatically "Uh, what was it again...?!" Kanawari asked out loud, as she desperately wanted to know the right answer "80 years." Kawahara went with that "No, no, it was 45 years, what are you on about?!" Akimiyashika counter-argued "45 years? Does that even make sense, Aki?" Hinagiku, this time, questioned her "It fucking doesn''t! Based on the first accusation alone, considering he doesn''t even remember how much----there''s no way that 45 years alone is ENOUGH to go around it!" Akimiyashika added.

    Sagasuga then, jumped to the conversation, as he offered insight on the matter.

    "It varies from country to country but given how serious rape allegations can be, I''ll just go with Japan''s standards, since that''s where we are currently allocated; but more importantly, where Tsudo most likely committed the crimes since Shinjuku was brought up." He then laid out the critical information "If done to an individual under the age of 18, imprisonment for less than 6 months is not possible and it''s required an imprisonment for more than 10 years. Likewise, if the sexual indecency conducted results in death and injury, then it won''t be less than 6 years." Sagasuga finished "What the FUCKING FUCK?!" Kuzan exulted himself in pure unfiltered rage "Ten YEARS?! THAT''S IT?! AND WHY DOES IT GO DOWN AT LEAST 6 YEARS?! WHAT''S WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY''S JUSTICE SYSTEM?!" Kuzan clenched his fists to the table "I feel the same, Kuzan. However, there are cases where the accused convict is labeled a lifetime sentence. Whether or not that''s the case... Is something I can''t tell." Sagasuga admitted as he looked at the hourglass, causing his other classmates to do the same.

    Twenty seconds remained on the clock.

    "Wait, what is a lifetime sentence anyways?" Arkalee threw the question at Hyunda, but all others looked at him instead "I don''t think the case applies here but it''s self-explanatory. It expires when you rot and die in prison. Now I''m not saying Tsudo doesn''t deserve it, but if Daniel over here didn''t receive a terminal sentence, then I don''t think that the juridical system has applied that treatment to any of us." Hyunda clarified "...Uh, so where exactly does that leave us? Tsudo''s not gonna tell us, so..." Sana tried to get the answer out "...Hey, Dan----" In the midst of it, Lus tried to reach out to Daniel.

    Only to find a strange occurrence, as Daniel was showing a vague sign of weakness; holding onto the two sides of his brain with his two hands whilst trembling.

    "...Why...?!" Greeting his teeth, Daniel exhibited struggle "Da-Daniel...?! Is there something wrong with you...?" Lus showed a high level of affection while worrying about him, but Daniel was quick to dismiss her "No, nothing." He composed himself again "......." Lus naturally found this strange as Daniel looked even more worn out than usual "...There are only eight seconds left, are you not gonna... you know, vote...?" Lus was finding it weird, how he wasn''t voting with his usual confidence ".........." Forced to recognize the situation, Daniel looked at the hourglass and quickly thought for himself before giving the conclusive answer "What do you think?" He genuinely asked her, with so much little time on the clock "H-Huh?! Y-You''re asking m----" Lus was divided given the time on the clock "45 years don''t add up considering what has been gathered so let''s go with the verdict here!" With two seconds on the clock, Lus voted positive and Daniel voted the opposite.

    Tsudo did not forfeit the opportunity and waited until the very last second to make his strike.

    "FALSE!!" Some were fortunate enough to vote the opposite as it would symbolize the profitable choice but only a slight margin of them did.

    The bimming sound of the red light on Daniel''s neck was the sign of the early victory for her, but she was additionally worried as to why Daniel felt so confused suddenly.

    Before the eighth round began, the standings were fixated, as per usual:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Lus Sera (87/99 points)

    2 - Sana (62/99 points)

    3 - Sagasuga - (62/99 points)

    4 - Hinagiku (52/99 points)

    5 - Yukishiro (52/99 points)

    6 - Kawahara (52/99 points)

    7 - Tatsu (42/99 points)

    8 - Tsudo (41/99 points)

    9 - Rayazaki (40/99 points)

    10 - Akimiyashika (39/99 points)

    11 - Ikkiri (36/99 points)

    12 - Stratos (36/99 points)

    13 - Tateyana (36/99 points)

    14 - Arkalee (33/99 points)

    15 - Hyunda (33/99 points)

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    16 - Kuzan (33/99 points)

    17 - Kanawari (15/99 points)

    18 - Daniel (3/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    Tateyana was the first to cast the large emotional outburst.

    "FUCKING STUPID FUCK!! DAMN IT, DANIEL! IT''S ALL YOUR FAULT THAT TSUDO OVERTOOK ME AND THAT I''M FALLING DOWN NOW!!" Her emotions became boiled and brutally bitter "Aw, I think your worries are relatively over now, sweetie~" Yukishiro''s words caught Tateyana''s attention "What..." She was begging for an explanation on how her anxiety would come to an end.

    It was something a selected few had come to notice.

    "Daniel no longer has six points to give, which means that Tsudo can''t receive more." This information caused Tateyana''s face to ease up "Oh... And since there are like a few rounds left..." Tateyana started to see the opportunity to climb back up "Yup! Tsudo no longer gains anything from this, so him lying in this situation wouldn''t be as beneficial." But Tsudo begged to differ "Huuuuuuh?! And why the fuck would I deliberately tell anyone the correct answer?! I''m at the FUCKING EIGHT PLACE! PUT SOME MOTHERFUCKING RESPECT ON MY NAME, BITCH!!" Tsudo pointed out at the ranking ladder.

    It was something that even Yukishiro, who was three layers above, had to recognize.

    "And you, Tateyana... You''re lower than me now bitch, so DROP THE DEMANDS!!" Eager for control, Tsudo commended a narcissistic attitude "You don''t fucking wanna piss me off, bitch! Remember what happened to Lus?!" Lus was showered with humiliation "....!!!" She twitched in pure rage "Bitch''s never walking again for the rest of her life!! So tell me, do you wanna give it A GO?! HUH?!" Tsudo threatened Tateyana on the spot "Fucking child RAPIST, YOU''RE GOING TO HELL, CLOWN!!" Tateyana kicked the lower bottom of her seat which caused a general loud noise from it "UGHHHH!!!" Frustrated, she wrapped her fingers around her long hair as Tsudo laughed like a maniac.

    The eighth round would now begin, as Basara had collected the upcoming claim.

    "Toharoh Tsudo had a hobby in high-school which consisted of raping the girlfriends of other people. In addition to this, he collectively tore apart their uterusus and collected them in a jar in his room." Perhaps the most cryptic of all claims for Tsudo just came forth "EWWWWWWW WHAT THE FUCK MAN! ARE YOU FUCKING HUMAN EVEN?!" Yukishiro expressed an abysmal disgust "Blah blah blah, I can''t wait to see the shit you come up with to justify yourself when you''re in MY POSITION!" Tsudo defended himself "One minute to go." Basara said as the hourglass applied.

    Given how Daniel no longer has any points to subtract, Tsudo''s stance was a relatively obvious one.

    "........" His silence was absolute as he saw no benefit in answering to any of their questions, should they even try, in the first place "So this is just yet another blind guess?! For fuck''s sake, I thought that the moment Daniel would run out of point to give that he would start talking again but he''s gotten so FUCKING ARROGANT with his lead! UGH!" Akimiyashika hated Tsudo''s attitude, much more his demonic evil grin "But now he''s seating comfortably with 41 points despite being the target of the judgment round which shouldn''t normally allow you to gain any points..." Even someone like Ikkiri was brought down by the unpredictability of the events "Heh, you know who to thank for that!" Tsudo spoke, as many glared at Daniel with spite.

    Something noteworthy about him was that he was chuckling as if infected by contagious laughter once again.

    "Oh, what, Daniel?! What''s so funny again?! You are FUCKED, I swear the moment the I get the chance to give up my points, I will mess you up!" Tateyana was more emotional than ever "Hahahahaha----" But Daniel laughed nonstop, even requiring his two hands on his stomach as he almost rolled out of his chair "I guess the depression he got from Yulia''s suicide really got to his head huh..." Arkalee reasoned "Hmph..." Hyunda softly chucked as well "Ahhhhhhhhhh-------Hey, Tsudooo..." Daniel was trying to recompose himself as he directed those very words to the silent Tsudo, on the very center.

    Thirty seconds remained on the clock.

    ".......?" Tsudo saw no reason to reply "I would like to know the answer to this one, so could you please tell the truth?" Daniel gently asked "Pffftt...." Yukishiro''s mouth had a stroke "PFTAHAHA!!" This time around, it was Yukishiro that started to laugh out of proportion "Jesus fucking Christ, what is this?! A circus?!" Rayazaki felt undignified by their reactions and odd choices of dialogue "Huhhh?! Why the fuck would I?! I can''t gain any more points so I might as well make you fucks overthink and fall into your own doubts------" Daniel ceased his laughter with precise control and led on to the chase "Oh but you can gain more points." Tsudo''s eyes widened "Come on now. Don''t tell me you forgot?" Daniel twisted his head to the right side slightly.

    Daniel sighed as he knew Tsudo didn''t entirely process what he meant a while back.

    "I said it was 24, but also said that it was 36, in theory, if it went above ten rounds. Right now we are at the eighth one, so tell me, how many points have you won since you were contracted?" Daniel posed the question and Tsudo started to think about the answer like all the others "24. Just like I said." His prediction came to light "Wait, holy shit!" Tateyana got a jumpscare "But how the hell can it be up to 36?!" Tsudo demanded to know "Don''t you know?! Come on, now! TSUDO!!" Daniel shouted as he forced Tsudo to come and realize the truth.

    The truth on how to further his points and exploit the full utility of the contract was unraveled as all Tsudo had to do, was but one simple thing.

    "It''s all true, down to each detail. VOTE YES, DANIEL!!" Specifically demanding, Tsudo told the truth with five seconds on the line "Wait, what if he''s lying?!" Tateyana didn''t trust Tsudo "Vote yes, Tateyana." Sagasuga told her "Tsudo is telling the truth so Daniel can accumulate six points." Tateyana then realized it "So he can steal back those six points in the upcoming round...!!" She became furious as she voted positively "BUT NOW I''M AHEAD OF THE STUPID FUCK HAHAHA!!" Tateyana rejoiced immensely.

    A dark sinister laughter from Tsudo was born as the last seconds ran out.

    "HAHAHAHAHA!!!" The hourglass expired and thus, the results were announced via the ranking ladder, as Tsudo continued to laugh in a sinister sadistic manner "YOU FUCKING IDIOTS ALL FELL FOR IT!! YOU REALLY THOUGHT I WAS THAT THIRSTY FOR POINTS THAT I WOULD JUST DO IT?! FUCK NO, I CAN PLAY THE LONG GAME TOOOOO HAHAHAHA!!!" Drolling saliva made from premature ecstasy swindled through his lips "The likelihood was small, but to think he would do it... Interesting." Sagasuga was forced to reflect, once again, due to the nature of his failure "No fucking way, dudeeeeeee!!" Rayazaki felt repulsed.

    The rankings for the eighth round were the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Lus Sera (87/99 points)

    2 - Sana (62/99 points)

    3 - Sagasuga - (62/99 points)

    4 - Hinagiku (52/99 points)

    5 - Yukishiro (52/99 points)

    6 - Kawahara (52/99 points)

    7 - Tatsu (42/99 points)

    8 - Tsudo (41/99 points)

    9 - Rayazaki (40/99 points)

    10 - Akimiyashika (39/99 points)

    11 - Ikkiri (36/99 points)

    12 - Stratos (36/99 points)

    13 - Tateyana (36/99 points)

    14 - Arkalee (33/99 points)

    15 - Hyunda (33/99 points)

    16 - Kuzan (33/99 points)

    17 - Kanawari (15/99 points)

    18 - Daniel (9/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    As they all observed their points not going up and the rankings not change at all, they rapidly came to the same conclusion.

    "Holy shit... What the fuck... He actually LIED!!" Yukishiro raged "Why the fuck would you lie, Tsudo?! In the next round you could have won six points from Daniel, damn it!!" Tsudo was speechless, much to Yukishiro''s confusion and practically everyone else "How.... the fuck....!" Trembling, Tsudo gulped as he couldn''t believe it.

    Despite the rankings not changing, not all points remained the same.

    Daniel grinned in pure ecstasy as he saw Tsudo''s anxious expression dripped in sheer horror.

    "That''s the expression... That raw facial reaction... Hahahaha------!!!" Releasing another wave of laughter, Daniel enjoyed pulling his strings "He... voted no?!" Inexplicably, Daniel had voted against what all the others had as they believed in Tsudo "Hey Tsudoooooo! Don''t look like that man! Now all you gotta do is follow the plan and these six points are alllllll yours~" Daniel continued his laughter spree ".........!!!!!" By contrast, all the enjoyment that Tsudo had, went down the drain, as he felt utterly manipulated against his will.

    The ninth round was administered almost immediately by Basara.

    "Toharoh Tsudo went to the same kindergarten as Mayuraki Shizuku." Yukishiro was left stunned as she heard her name "Your compass; your decision." Basara entrusted his students to make what they could out of this.

    Given the value of the contract, Tsudo''s stance at the given moment, would be one that they would be most familiar with.

    Or so they thought.

    "Hey, hey, hey, Tsudoooooo!!" Daniel''s over-confident voice was starting to get on Tsudo''s nerves "Shut the fuck up, Daniel..." But he chuckled in response "Awww, why the long face? You already know what to do. Get down to the last second and tell the opposite; you win my six free points." Tsudo didn''t like it, even if it went against common sense ".........." Tsudo''s eyes became narrow as he felt into a state of mild temper.

    In a parallel avenue, however, Yukishiro questioned Tsudo.

    "You two already knew each other?" Her eyes widened "........" Tsudo looked at her but didn''t tell her a single thing "Fucking speak you FREAK! That''s my best friend we''re talking about!!" Yukishiro exulted herself "EX-best friend, let me just add that." Daniel chuckled out of control, prompting tears from Yukishiro "Ghhhhh!!!!" In a state of rage, Yukishiro''s face became twisted in agony "Ain''t no way that''s true. He just wanted to fuck her, isn''t that right, Tsudo?!" Kawahara confronted Tsudo from another angle "........" But he remained silent.

    Regardless, an attempt was made from many boys, from that same angle.

    "Oh, he definitely did. I remember back in the beginning of January when we all caught him bust one while moaning her name, FUCK!!" Rayazaki reminded the rest of the boys "Ewww...!!" Hinagiku expressed instant disgust "I-I didn''t do that shit, that''s cap!" Tsudo blushed out of shame as he tried to defend "No man, you definitely did it, it''s not cap. You shot your load on the walls so hard George made us all clean it up because you refused to man up and tell him it was you!" Tatsu spoke eagerly "Ahhhh, trueeeee!! It was alll over the place, what the hell, hahaha!!" Hyunda laughed it off "I remember it specifically because Daniel was the one who tried to really argue with our supervisor the hardest but he just wouldn''t budge!!" Hyunda continued to laugh along with many others as they disgraced Tsudo''s embarrassing experience.

    But Lus, the one of Daniel''s left side, didn''t take her eyes off him for that specific time, as she saw Daniel made the same expression as he did a while ago.

    "What''s wrong? Talk to me..." Lus asked gently, once again, as she saw Daniel put his two hands on his brain "You''re in pain, aren''t you? Are you hurt?" Lus placed her right hand on Daniel''s left forearm "It''s fine... It''s just...!!" Daniel moved up his head and looked at Hyunda, who was already looking at him, with a locked expression "........" He instantly realized that Hyunda might know the solution to his problem.

    Down to the last second, Tsudo did something truly unexpected, on the other hand.

    "What the fuck?!" Rayazaki felt bewildered "Hey, you bitch! Why didn''t you say anything?! Shit, I had to forcefully vote, for fuck''s sake!" Tsudo was interrogated by his sudden inactivity as it made no sense at all "You literally passed on six of his points for the ego?! What the fuck is with you?!" Yukishiro further complained "Not like it''s gonna delay the inevitable." Tsudo spearheaded with those words "............" They all fell silent as they observed the rankings.

    The ninth round''s rankings were the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Lus Sera (93/99 points)

    2 - Sagasuga - (74/99 points)

    3 - Sana (68/99 points)

    4 - Hinagiku (58/99 points)

    5 - Yukishiro (58/99 points)

    6 - Kawahara (58/99 points)

    7 - Tatsu (48/99 points)

    8 - Akimiyashika (45/99 points)

    9 - Ikkiri (42/99 points)

    10 - Stratos (42/99 points)

    11 - Tateyana (42/99 points)

    12 - Tsudo (41/99 points)

    13 - Rayazaki (40/99 points)

    14 - Kuzan (39/99 points)

    15 - Arkalee (33/99 points)

    16 - Hyunda (33/99 points)

    17 - Kanawari (18/99 points)

    18 - Daniel (9/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    Arkalee, upon seeing the drastic change in places, felt the need to communicate with her beloved boyfriend, who was much indifferent to this.

    "Um, Hyunda?" Her eyes were serious as well as her voice tone "Yeah, sunshine?" Happily, Hyunda smiled at her "Hahaha... You''re so... Uh, love, I''m confused about something." She was blushing at the compliment Hyunda threw at her "Oh, that''s not good. Let''s communicate then." Hyunda resolved "Mhmhm... So, mind telling me why we suddenly dropped so low? This all started when I disagreed with your choice." Her voice grew deeper and menacing by the second "Uhhh... Bad luck, I guesssss?! I really don''t know..." Hyunda brushed his spiky white hair back and forth "Oh really... We were doing so well before and now we are falling off... Huh, what a coincidence..." Arkalee turned immensely skeptical "Wait. Are you doubting me, Arkalee? This all just happened because Tsudo didn''t help us out, so it was a 50/50. I''m not lying when I say it''s bad luck, it just is." Hyunda sighed "........" But she didn''t believe his words, this time.

    Sana paid close attention to this particular interaction from them, as she was not far away whatsoever.

    "Given that the last round is the upcoming one, you will be granted two minutes after the claim is done. Furthermore, instead of 6 points, it will be 12 points that will be awarded to the ones that are on the majority side. However, by contrast, the ones on the losing side, will lose 12 points." Basara introduced a new elements despite the already similar premise "Let''s begin." Basara stated.

    Just about everyone in the room could guess what the final claim would be and many were already mentalizing their votes as they imagined it.

    "Toharoh Tsudo deserves to die for his crimes." Basara made the last claim of this second round "Decide, judges." The hourglass spun, though relatively slower this time around.

    There were a few things to process and filter out first, granted that it was different in some aspects.

    "Any idea of what he meant by "majority side" and "losing side"?" Ikkiri asked the obvious question "Are you THAT dumb?! It''s making us choose! We can vote yes or no, and by the end, the results in the majority will go to the side that has the most votes; while the losing side will have the ones which have the least votes!" Arkalee angrily explained though she was right "......" Ikkiri awaited for another response, however "It should be as Arkalee says. So, let''s get to voting, I don''t think there''s really any difficulty here in deciding." Tatsu said "H-Hold the fuck up!" Tsudo, on the other hand, begged to differ "Isn''t it a little odd?!" He felt nervous "What is?" Kawahara asked "How last time when it was Kanawari''s turn, none of this "side" bullshit occurred?! What if I actually die from the negative votes?!" Tsudo theorized "That''s a great idea." Akimiyashika widened her eyes as she instantly pressed her vote "!??!?!" Lit up on the screen, a new division occurred.

    Divided as black and white, two separate rows with respective pictures and names attached to them, were visible.

    The first one shown was Izayoi Akimiyashika, on the black side.

    "Let me just say this; I don''t believe myself to be a good person, but I can say with a HIGH degree of confidence that I am better than this fucking CHILD RAPIST who deserves to die! Vote yes and don''t overcomplicate this!" She demanded "You have to fucking die, I totally agree!" Tateyana, without a second thought, cast her vote and joined the black side "I wish this vote would kill you, Tsudo... Those children will never live their lives the same AGAIN." Kuzan spoke with rage as he also cast the vote to the black side "Disgusting." Yukishiro joined the frail as well as she saw no benefit in voting in the opposite side.

    Granted, Tsudo had no possible way to come back from this, but he still tries to make a point.

    "Aren''t you all judging me way too harshly and quickly?! For fuck''s sake, we''re all criminals, we''re all irredeemable pieces of shit with no good qualities!! Give me a chance, I can chang-----" His speech was cut shortly "Motherfuckers like you will never change----I''m saying this because I know I won''t." Kawahara said as he joined the black side "It''s an addiction but of course, no one likes to be confronted about it..." Hinagiku justified as she also joined the black side.

    There wasn''t even a debate about it; the majority voted for Tsudo to die and likewise, the points were entirely decided from a theory stance.

    "But are you fucking CRAZY?!" Akimiyashika was the one who shouted in his direction "You REALLY don''t think he deserves to die?!" The questions started to pile up "He has raped minors, people that had loved ones and even belonged to a group that did all sorts of immoral acts! How does he not deserve death?! Please, explain to me, your perspective." Daniel was assaulted by her verbal artillery to no end "He deserves as much death as any criminal. Immorality is immorality. If you cross the line, there is no going back. The scales just differ, right, Tsudo?" Tsudo didn''t like the fact that Daniel, the person who he finds the most annoying right now, is defending him "No, no----there are crimes that should not WARRANT death! Theft, for example. But RAPE? Daniel, why did you vote NO?!" Akimiyashika was truly pissed off "Akimiyashika, calm down and you''ll realize why he did it." Hyunda tried to reason with her "Don''t fucking tell me to calm down, clown." She retorted "I''m just sayingggggggggggg-----" Akimiyashika remained abrasive and verbally relentless "Rape is the worst crime possible. Not even killing, torture, or war crimes come close!!" Truth to be told, not a lot of people in that room actually disagreed with her.

    Given the situation, however, it was due time as it had officially ran out; the golden two minutes, that is.

    The sides had been taken and likewise, the bonus point applications and reductions were applied.

    "Huuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhh?!?!" The first one to notice it was Rayazaki as he held his jaw in an upper angle "What?! What?!" Tateyana, overly alert, demanded Rayazaki to explain his dramatic reaction "What do you mean "What?! WHAT?!", stop looking at your fucking points and look at the top ones!" Tateyana then did exactly that as she saw the final standings.

    Which are:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Lus Sera (205/99 points)

    2 - Sagasuga - (200/99 points)

    3 - Sana (80/99 points)

    4 - Hinagiku (70/99 points)

    5 - Yukishiro (70/99 points)

    6 - Kawahara (70/99 points)

    7 - Tatsu (60/99 points)

    8 - Akimiyashika (57/99 points)

    9 - Ikkiri (54/99 points)

    10 - Stratos (54/99 points)

    11 - Tateyana (54/99 points)

    12 - Tsudo (53/99 points)

    13 - Rayazaki (52/99 points)

    14 - Kuzan (51/99 points)

    15 - Arkalee (45/99 points)

    16 - Hyunda (45/99 points)

    17 - Kanawari (24/99 points)

    18 - Daniel (0/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    Compared to the last round, there were no changes in places.

    "HOW ARE THEY UP TO 200 POINTS?!? IS THAT A VISUAL BUG OR SOME SHIT?!" Tsudo, who had his shackles released automatically as soon as the round was over, cried out while still seating down on that chair "There''s no bug, if the number output, which in this round, was 99, is broken, you will be awarded bonus points." Basara, for once, explained "Ohhh, SO NOW you feel like explaining THAT massively crucial information?! You''re full of shit, teacher!" Arkalee reasonably complained "And you..." This time, she directed her words to Hyunda which got multiple people''s attention "Don''t drag us down any further..." She said "But we won this last one, didn''t we..." Hyunda justified "We''ll see." Her voice turned cold as her vigilance over Hyunda increased.

    Sagasuga was mildly disappointed as he placed his two hands together in unison.

    "Talk about close. But, you can''t get them all right, can you? Then again, you only failed once, so congratulations to you, Lus!" He started to clap at a reasonable pace in Lus'' direction "I''m aware it''s not compensation for what happened to you, but I just wanted to say that I''m impressed!" Sagasuga did not lie with those words "......." Lus, on the other hand, didn''t look as satisfied as someone in her position should "Wait! Teacher, I need to have a word with Lus before we start the execution round!" Rayazaki stepped up, as Tsudo sat in-between him and Yukishiro "Thirty seconds." Basara said as he looked at his clock.

    Rayazaki''s attention was fully directed to Lus, who knew exactly what he would say.

    "I can''t do it yet. Please be patient." She locked her stare onto him as well "No, I don''t give a fuck. I want my fifty extra points, NOW!" He demanded "That''s not magically possible... I have to wait until I get the chance to transfer them to you with the transferring option." This was something Rayazaki already knew "That''s right! So, no second thoughts over here! I saw you two whispering a lot to each other, fucking love-birds!" Lus felt mildly embarrassed "SHUT UP!! That was different." After the round had come to an end, Daniel decided to whisper quite a lot of words onto Lus'' ear and right now, he is doing the same with Hinagiku, who is carefully listening to his every words "Whatever, you get the point. Waste at least 30 points to make sure you get the option!" Rayazaki demanded "30 points is a lot." She argued back "Huuuuuuuuh?! YOU SAID YOU WOULD. KEEP. YOUR. WORD." Rayazaki slowly said "........." She remained silent to that "You will live to regret it if you don''t. I fucking saved you out of mercy, YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN A LOT WORSE THAN TH---" Rayazaki''s verbal rampage was put to an halt by Basara "SILENCE!!" Daniel''s front desk was automatically open by Basara''s words.

    The two guards stepped up to Daniel''s position immediately and with the help of Daniel, who voluntarily put up his two arms while up, he was allocated to the central chair.

    "The execution round will now begin and as such, your red lights will be thoroughly depleted from your chokers." They watched their lights go down one by one until there were none left at all "That, of course, doesn''t apply to our good friend Daniel here, as his choker houses NINE red lights; one light away from..." Basara stopped and gave a small chuckle "Tense, isn''t it? I''m one light away, hahahaha!" Daniel manically laughed as he was shackled and tied down to the chair by the guards "You idiot....!!" Sana couldn''t contain her emotions as she despaired for Daniel''s well-being "......." Hinagiku quickly glanced at Lus, now that Daniel wasn''t in the middle of them "I''m curious to see how you''ll go about this." Hinagiku softly chuckled "What are you talking about?" Lus felt provoked "Oh, nothing. A promise versus loyalty. I wonder which one you prize the most?" Hinagiku finished with an overly arrogant look as she diminished Lus "........" This had an effect as Lus felt divided, mostly with a choice to make.

    Shortly afterwards, Basara would announce the bounty crowned to Daniel, for being at the very bottom, with a staggering accumulation of zero points.

    But Basara nearly forgot to do something.

    "I can''t believe I almost forgot, but Lus, congratulations on landing in the first place. In addition to the free hundred points, enjoy it." As soon as Basara''s words came to light, Lus received a notification on her screen "...." Hinagiku caught an immediate glance of it, as Lus accepted it as fast as she could "Use it wisely." Sagasuga advised her "....." She felt nervous knowing Sagasuga could have such an advantage at any given time now "Alright, here is the bounty!" Basara''s gestures summoned the details to the screen where Daniel''s bounty could be seen.

    <blockquote>

    Target: Daniel Lead.

    Points earned from his death (collectively): 24 points.

    Points earned from his death (individually): 48 points.

    Bonus reward: Lunch hour will last two hours instead of one.

    </blockquote>

    The contents were analyzed a bit.

    "Two hours for lunch...? Yo, that''s kinda lit, not gonna lie!" Tsudo laughed "I''ve been wondering what they mean by "collectively"... Does it mean when someone helps you kill the bounty target? I really don''t get it." Ikkiri was left pondering "Who gives a shit, it''s fucking time ahhhhhhh!!!!" Yukishiro felt ecstasy as she was finally at the verge of climaxing given the situation "The selection will now begin and so, the execution of Daniel Lead, begins." Basara''s words swung the momentum profoundly.

    <hr>

    Through the skull of fire, lit up in chaotic golden flames, the selection was formed. One by one, excluding Daniel---the target of the execution round---it chose.

    "Ahhh fuck, fuck, fuck, I can''t contain myself!" Yukishiro didn''t stop stomping the ground whilst holding her head with her fingers "Give me the fucking chance and I will fucking kill YOU!!" Yukishiro was very open about her feelings towards Daniel "---Hahaha----" Daniel felt like laughing again, despite his circumstance "But I will not die, though." With absolute confidence, he declared, smirking "Huuuuuuh??!! You''re one LIGHT AWAY from dying, you are so dead. Nobody here is dumb enough to pass on those free points. It''s do or die." Yukishiro reasoned "Killing a free point source like me, is something only someone with a retarded mindset like you would do. So, whoever kills me, is retarded." Daniel countered "Hah, bullshit! You''re just trying to cover your ass!" Yukishiro didn''t fall for it.

    It landed, at last.

    He didn''t particularly want to have a shot at this, but there was no other choice.

    "Tatsu, congrats." Not Basara, but Daniel congratulated him "....." He didn''t exactly know how to reply to this "One minute to choose how many points, one minute for which option you will pick. Go." Basara initiated the momentum once again.

    Tatsu was immediately spoonfed with partial opinions.

    "Tatsu, I have a proposal to you!" Yukishiro wasted no time whatsoever as she pressed the lower right half of her screen in order to form a verbal contract "If you forfeit a single point only, 22 points of mine will be transferred back to you, which will effectively make you third on the list within the ranking ladder!" Yukishiro became thoroughly confident of her contract as it was 22 free additional points to Tatsu "You''re fucked in the head, Daniel did nothing to you." Rayazaki was the first one to call her out "Mind your own business, rat! This is personal! So?!" She turned her attention to Tatsu once again "Hmm..." Tatsu gave thought to her suggestion.

    Daniel, as a measure of defense, spoke to Tatsu.

    "No offense, but if you''re fine with just 22 points, you might as well swap places with me, because with that loser''s mentality, you''re a goner!" He laughed out loud "Don''t fucking listen to him, DAMN IT! It''s free 22 points, you''ll be third on the ladder, ahead of Sana, even!!" Yukishiro reinforced her decision "For now." Daniel said "Hey, look, how do you think Sagasuga got this far? He gave up all of his points, started with 0 points this round and is now up 200 points, only five points behind the first place. Do you think you will make it big in this game with some fucking mediocre compensation like that?!" Yukishiro got pissed off "Ghhhh!!!" She clenched her teeth and Tatsu knew that a mere 22 points would not do it "Okay, I have another propo-----" Yukishiro attempted again but Tatsu was quick in forfeiting his points.

    Most of Tatsu''s time was put onto analyzing the ranking ladder and how his position would fall, depending on the point sacrifice.

    "10 huh? Economical." Kawahara commented as Tatsu''s options appeared on the screen "At least he''s not suicidal like Sagasuga and uses all of his points." Akimiyashika also dropped the comment "....." Daniel began to analyze the options.

    The following options were available to Tatsu:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Transfer your points to an individual in your class (minimal point input: 50).

    2 - Daniel Lead''s choker''s red lights will be depleted at the cost of a finger up to the missing quantity.

    3 - Daniel Lead''s left hand will be cut off in exchange for seven of his red lights (+50 points).

    4 - Daniel Lead''s right arm will be cut off in exchange for 750 points.

    5 - Daniel Lead will lose one finger of his choice but will receive a boost in his point acquisition by 50% in all of the rounds of this day.

    6 - Transfer half of your points to Daniel Lead in exchange for a 20% point acquisition boost for the next four hours.

    7 - Pick one of the options above and apply it to yourself, in which case, all rewards go to you instead.

    8 - Daniel Lead''s choker''s red lights will be depleted by seven but his right shoulder be hammered five times.

    9 - Daniel Lead''s nose will be cut off for 250 points.

    10 - Forfeit 50 points; Daniel Lead will earn a 50% point acquisition deduction for the rest of the day, but the round is over.

    </blockquote>

    Due to the additional one minute left, Tatsu was left pondering.

    Right now, his points are 50.

    "Should have gone for more..." Tatsu immediately reflected "No, no, you''re doing fine! Just pick the fourth option!" Yukishiro insisted "And give him 750 points...?" Tatsu looked at Yukishiro as if he was talking with someone incredibly dumb "It''s a fucking arm. He''ll never have that back for the rest of his life. Would you be alright if that was you?!" Yukishiro reasoned "Just shut up and let the man decide." Rayazaki intervened "Personally though, I would go for the tenth option. Because Daniel realistically can''t climb back up. But that''s just me." Rayazaki shrugged with his hands up in the air.

    Rayazaki''s words sprung a fountain of merit and logic with certainty. There was, however, one option that caught the attention of Tatsu and was rolling his head over and over.

    "7 and then 5. Your lead is immense. Do it." Daniel commanded "Hmm...." Tatsu had a difficult expression "Wait, huh?! You''re really going to pick option 7 and then option 5?!" Arkalee questioned Tatsu from afar "...It''s just one finger... I can definitely live without one..." Tatsu was starting to see more and more merit "Dude..." Kuzan wasn''t comfortable with his approach as it involved the sacrifice of a body piece part "Hey Tatsu, I have an offer for you, so listen up." Daniel spoke this time around.

    His hands were entirely locked up, so there was no way for him to form a verbal contract.

    "Pick option 3." Daniel summoned a lot of reactions "Say what?!" Akimiyashika didn''t believe him "Oi, oi, oi! You fucking nutjob! That''s your goddamn left hand, you know?!" Kawahara showed a wide smile despite his reaction "Daniel, don''t do it, please...!!" Sana begged, almost in tears, severely worried "...." He smiled at Sana, but nevertheless continued with his deal "If you choose that option, then until the rest of the day, every time you score a point, 3 of my points will be transferred to you." Daniel made his bargain and Tatsu immediately countered it "Six. The stakes will only rise from here, Daniel." He wasn''t happy about it "No, Tatsu, that''s my goddamn hand we''re talking here." Daniel didn''t budge either "I don''t care, you''ll get 50 points for that." He was right "50 points which will realistically be used by whoever is next and next for their own gain just to ensure I don''t "suffer" the consequences. You''re losing it here and you know it." Daniel reasoned far more firmly this time around.

    Tatsu was unable to counter-argue and with little time on the clock he had to make the choice.

    "No." He denied it "........." Daniel became silent "I''ve made my decision, it''s option 7!" The six prior options then became highlighted "That''s fucking crazy... People are ACTUALLY falling for this bullshit?! What the fuck?!?!" Arkalee was beyond bewildered "Fucking disgusting... I could never..." Akimiyashika added "I''m jealous, that''s such an overpowered option in this scenario... I would''ve done it at the speed of light..." Kawahara sighed profoundly with an added loud volume to it "I''m pretty sure Daniel noticed it too late, but the fact that he proposed the other offer means that he miscalculated just how great that option really is. It''s his mistake for even mentioning it." Rayazaki calmly rationalized everything "And I will choose option 5 to apply to myself." Tatsu was able to get the most profitable option in the end.

    At a cost, of course.

    One guard, through Daniel''s seat pathway, scoured through the perimeter and faced Tatsu face to face----with a guerrilla knife on his right hand.

    Tatsu gulped as he had mixed feelings about it still; even if the decision was already applied.

    "The left pinky one..." Tatsu specifically extended his left pinky finger while retracting the rest of his fist "Very well." Coldly, the guard accepted the choice and took ahold of it forcefully; slicing it roughly afterwards "AHHHHHHHHHGGGG---------" A small fountain of blood began to occupy his table "HOLY SHIT!!" Arkalee felt like throwing up "Yeah, no shit it hurts." Kawahara reflected "Worth it though..." Rayazaki also dropped the comment.

    Most of them were, however, slightly impressed at Tatsu''s resolve to earn points while initiating a winning plan. In addition, they were starting to realize the inevitable nature of this impending cruel game.

    "Given Tatsu''s choice, a 50% point boost acquisition will be inquired as well as additional 50 points." Basara said as the ranking ladder was updated immediately.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Lus Sera (205/99 points)

    2 - Sagasuga - (200/99 points)

    3 - Tatsu (200/99 points)

    4 - Sana (80/99 points)

    5 - Hinagiku (70/99 points)

    6 - Yukishiro (70/99 points)

    7 - Kawahara (70/99 points)

    8 - Akimiyashika (57/99 points)

    9 - Ikkiri (54/99 points)

    10 - Stratos (54/99 points)

    11 - Tateyana (54/99 points)

    12 - Tsudo (53/99 points)

    13 - Rayazaki (52/99 points)

    14 - Kuzan (51/99 points)

    15 - Arkalee (45/99 points)

    16 - Hyunda (45/99 points)

    17 - Kanawari (24/99 points)

    18 - Daniel (0/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    Yukishiro''s jaw dropped as she saw Tatsu rise in rankings.

    "Unbelievable...!" Sana couldn''t hide her shock as she was overtaken "No sacrifice; no victory." Hyunda hummed "Spin the skull." Basara wasted no time whatsoever, despite the fact that Tatsu is feeling a throbbing pain right now while trembling as blood continues to drip forward.

    Tatsu no longer could be within the skull''s selection, therefore the next individual at hand to try their luck would be someone else.

    Eventually, the skull stopped and selected its prized idol.

    This idol; jumped from her seat, as she couldn''t believe that she was chosen.

    "YES!!! YES!!! YES!!! OH MY FUCKING GOD, FUCK YES!!! FINALLY, YOU''RE FUCKING FUCKED, DANIEL!!!" Yukishiro jumped around the perimeter like a little child ".......!!!!" Lus gulped as she felt that the plan would not work if Yukishiro was taken into the equation "......." Sagasuga observed Lus for a while "Dear me. You always take too many unnecessary risks for the sake of dominance." He sighed "What the?" Tateyana, on his right side, could not comprehend his words.

    Yukishiro hurried back to her seat in order to execute her devilish agenda.

    "Kick: Kyoko Yukishiro." Sagasuga uttered those words out loud "......" Daniel got annoyed at Sagasuga''s choice "H-Huh....?!" The choice screen in front of Yukishiro disappeared instantly "Hey teacher! My screen just disappeared?! What gives?! Hey, I want to waste one point! Just FUCKING ONE!! LET ME DO IT!!!" Over and over, she touched the air forward, where her screen previously was "Unfortunately, your turn was forcefully skipped." Basara said, but it served nothing to calm her rage "BULLSHIT!!! WHY THE FUCK?!" Sagasuga felt the need to explain "It''s the winning reward me and Lus have accumulated. We get the chance to kick one individual of our choice from any round. You, were kicked from this round by me, Yukishiro." Calmly, Sagasuga ironed out the details "Sagasuga...!! I didn''t take you and Daniel to be butt-fuck friends, you PIECE OF SHIT!!" Sagasuga sighed at the insult "Ignorant." He assaulted her with a disappointed glance "Take a seat and don''t cause a scene. You''re still in it." Sagasuga pointed out at the screen where the dice would be re-rolled.

    In it, Yukishiro''s picture was still visible, unlike Tatsu''s. But that didn''t calm her down whatsoever.

    "You had no right...!! I have to avenge... Shizuku....!!!" Though she tried to keep it down, she accidentally blurted those words out "Spin the damn skull." Basara had no time nor patience for this drama and so, he moved on.

    The skull''s favorite was therefore shortly after, chosen.

    "Rayazaki, there you go." The skull landed on Rayazaki and subsequently, he took a deep controlled breath "Fuuuu..." Collecting all of his desire to win, Rayazaki instantly made the choice without hesitation, after consulting his points "Hoooo-lllllyyyyyyy-----" Kawahara burst out laughing as the screen became flooded with numerous options "Not again..." Arkalee felt dizzy just looking at it "I recall you complained about me not having the time to make the correct choice when I wasted 30 of my points, but this is your retort? I find you very hypocritical, Rayazaki." Sagasuga accused "Shut the fuck up..." Rayazaki blacked out everyone''s opinions as he had one desire in mind.

    For the record, he forfeited 50 points. Furthermore, although there is a single minute to choose how many points one wishes to forfeit and another one to choose the option that will be applied to the subject of the execution round, they do not stack up. Meaning; the moment Rayazaki forfeited those points, a whole new minute started.

    The choices highlighted were the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Forfeit 2,000 points to make an individual win double of the points they gather from their correct guesses but should their guesses be wrong, they will be lose triple the points instead for the rest of the day.

    2 - Forfeit 5,000 points to take a permanent leave for the day (you will be awarded 2,500 points in return).

    3 - Daniel Lead''s left foot will be cut off for 150 points.

    4 - Daniel Lead''s genital material will be cut off for 3,000 points.

    5 - Forfeit 2,000 points and select an individual besides yourself, to be granted immunity for today.

    6 - Daniel Lead will be granted 20,000 points but will be the target of the next execution regardless of the outcome of the subsequent round.

    7 - Forfeit 7,500 points in order to acquire a new player to take your place (in which case, every point the player obtains will be transferred to your point account and you are free to take a day off, but if the player dies or hits the total points of 0 points; you will be forced to return to the game as soon as possible.)

    8 - Daniel Lead''s spine will be removed for 15,000 points.

    9 - Daniel will be injected with dyslexia paralysis in his veins in exchange for 300 points.

    10 - Daniel Lead''s both foots will be cut off in exchange for 500 points.

    11 - Forfeit 1,250 points in order to win a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should you get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when you get a claim right (should you fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back).

    12 - Daniel Lead''s left eye will be removed in exchange for 500 points.

    13 - You will be awarded 300 points, but will start the next round with 9 red lights.

    14 - Daniel Lead''s left ear will be entirely cut off in exchange for 50 points.

    15 - Daniel Lead''s red lights on his choker will increase according to the amount of points you forfeit.

    16 - A finger from Daniel Lead will be randomly sliced thus awarding him with +50 points as well as decreasing the red lights on his choker to 5.

    17 - Daniel Lead''s choker''s red lights will be depleted by seven but his right shoulder be hammered five times.

    18 - Daniel Lead''s choker''s red lights will be depleted by three but his left and right wrist will be hammered three times.

    19 - Daniel Lead''s right and left knee will be hammered two times each in exchange for six of his choker''s red lights.

    20 - Daniel Lead will be awarded points equivalent to the highest current score (+1) but the next round''s individual''s choice will be not under their control (their points will be used randomly and the option choice as well).

    21 - Daniel Lead will be awarded 100 points, but will have his lips sealed off for the entire day.

    22 - Daniel Lead will be forced to drink a bottle full of poison which will award him with 100 points.

    23 - Daniel Lead will be awarded 5,000 points but he must name ten parts of his body that he wishes to dispose of.

    24 - Forfeit 500 points and change the quantity of a number within the regulations of Daniel Lead''s bounty.

    25 - Daniel Lead''s right and left ears will be cut off for 200 points.

    26 - Forfeit 250 points to make an individual that can no longer be subjected to judgment, be brought into the game. Furthermore, that individual that was chosen, may or may not be selected for judgment immediately (if they do, they are awarded with 100 points).

    27 - Target one of your classmates, they can forfeit 1000 points to nullify this, otherwise they will be the targets for the next execution round regardless of rankings (this only applies if you have killed someone via the mechanics of the game).

    28 - Forfeit 400 points and select one of your classmates; if they don''t kill someone via the game mechanics in four hours, they will die.

    29 - For the rest of the day, you will receive a 25% point acquisition boost in exchange for seven of Daniel Lead''s choker''s red lights.

    30 - Place a 1 hour minute time bomb around Daniel Lead''s heart, which in return will give him 500 points. 1000 points can be used from Daniel Lead to remove the bomb.

    31 - Forfeit 12,500 points to kick someone permanently from the game, besides you.

    32 - Re-roll the dice at the cost of 100 points (you will be excluded from the round).

    33 - The first five rounds of every judgment will earn you the correct point quota, regardless of the answer (this only applies if you have killed 2 people via the game mechanics).

    34 - Forfeit 4,000 points, you can choose the claims that will be used in a judgment round of your choice as well as apply a rule of your own.

    35 - Forfeit 7,500 points to negate all previous bonuses and effects applied to all of your classmates (you are excluded).

    36 - Forfeit 25,000 points; absorb all bonuses and effects all to yourself, your classmates will be awarded 10,000 points each, but they will have their respective bonuses and effects depleted.

    37 - Forfeit 2,000 points, for the next three hours, your choker''s red lights cannot be lit up.

    38 - Daniel Lead''s legs will be cut off in exchange for 1000 points.

    39 - A 3,000 point bounty will be placed on you and whoever manages to kill you via the means of the game, will be awarded the bounty points. However, should you not die today, you will be awarded 7,500 points before the conclusion of today.

    40 - Forfeit 50,000 points to transfer classes.

    41 - Forfeit points that you own to place a bounty on one of your classmates (if you kill the person with that said bounty, you will earn double the number of what you forfeited).

    42 - Earn 1,000 points; if Daniel Lead doesn''t die in this round of judgment, ten red lights will be lit up on your choker.

    43 - Forfeit 2,000 points, your rewards will be doubled.

    44 - Daniel Lead''s toes will all be cut off in exchange for immunity today.

    45 - Forfeit 100 points, you can decide how many rounds the next judgment round will have.

    46 - Forfeit 1000 points and you will be granted access to see all of the possible options within the game; only you will be granted access, however.

    47 - Daniel Lead''s legs, arms, nose, ears, and eyes, will be removed in exchange for 50,000 points.

    48 - Select up to five of your classmates; earn half of their points combined but they must be below 1,000 (this only applies if you have killed three people through the game mechanics).

    49 - Transfer your points to an individual in your class (minimal point input: 50).

    50 - Forfeit 50 points and select an individual from your class; that individual will receive a 50% point acquisition decreasement boost for the rest of the day.

    </blockquote>

    According to anyone''s common sense; it is beyond foolish to attempt this.

    Which is why Rayazaki, when choosing this stance, had a simple idea in mind. A simple yet effective way, to prevent wasting enough time.

    "No, there''s just no way to process all this shit in one minute...!!" Akimiyashika felt terrorized by the length "Haha, I see..." Hinagiku, who had already taken out the secret white paper sheet she had stuffed in her skirt''s right pocket, started to write down all she could----the section that she was ordered, at the very least "Thirty seconds left, my man! Hurry up!" Kawahara spoke.

    Daniel, upon looking at the options, however, took great interest in a deal with Rayazaki.

    "Hey, Rayazaki." He didn''t take his eyes off that one specific option "What now... I''m still processing all this shit... The ones that are important to me anyways..." He brushed his hairstrands in annoyance "I see... Well, take a look at option 6." Daniel pointed out "......" Rayazaki glanced up "No fucking way." Rayazaki instantly declined "Just listen... Sign a verbal contract with me saying that upon the receival of those 20,000 points, 10,000 will be transferred back to you, so this way, we will be equal." Rayazaki''s eyes widened at the mere thought "Sure, I can''t make a contract with you, but you can. Oh, you definitely can." Rayazaki''s temptation grew.

    Interference came forth, as this option deviated from the beneficial margin of balance.

    "Don''t commit to this, Rayazaki." Sagasuga started "And why not?" Rayazaki already had decided on his option "There''s no reason not to, Rayazaki... We will be the power sources and everyone else will be milestones. Don''t think twice about this and just form the contract..." Daniel persisted with his bargain "......" Rayazaki looked at Sagasuga, however "Don''t do it." Sagasuga closed his eyes "It''s a trap in more ways than you can imagine. Build your lead slowly. Shortcuts like this are bound to lead you to your demise." Sagasuga finished with that explanation "......." Ten seconds remained.

    Rayazaki took one last glance at the options, mainly between three options, whilst ignoring the partial opinions circulation, and went for it.

    "Option 29..." Mad, Rayazaki chose but he kept pondering about a certain option "Wow, no balls! HAHAHA!!" Hyunda laughed at Rayazaki in the face SHUT UP! YOU DON''T EVEN KNOW THE ONE I''M REFERRING TO!!" Rayazaki shouted "Mhmm... You don''t mean option 13, right? Because that''s the one you should have gone for." Hyunda spoke Rayazaki''s mind "............" His face twitched in rage "That''s just suicidal though..." Arkalee commented "Nope, but it takes, as I said, balls." Hyunda countered "More like your balls will explode." Tsudo adjusted "Talk about anti-climatic... I was expecting some crazy shit, but it''s just a point boost acquisition... A 25% percent one at it too..." Tateyana let out a disappointed breath "On the other hand, Daniel''s lights are down to two..." Ikkiri saw them reduce one by one "Crazy to think just how close he was to..." Akimiyashika felt incredibly uncomfortable just imagining it.

    Nonetheless, the momentum had to be gained once again.

    "Spin the skull!" Basara, impatient, took the pedal to the metal.

    A first-timer was crowned after a short while.

    "Kuzan, treat him well!" Basara said as he gave a hellish laughter "One minute to decide and then one minute to apply. Go." Basara clapped both of his hands as Kuzan felt incredibly nervous.

    Daniel was the first to speak to him before anyone else could.

    "Kuzan, don''t forfeit more than 6 points." Daniel''s expression grew stone-cold "But-----" Daniel proceeded to shout in order to wake some sense into Kuzan "DON''T FUCKING WASTE YOUR PITY ON ME. BE OBJECTIVE AND PLAY TO WIN OR ELSE YOU''RE DEAD TO ME!!" Daniel''s shout echoed throughout the gigantic hollow room "What the fuck...?" Tateyana could not understand Daniel''s decision whatsoever "Is he fucking asking to die or some shit?!" Tsudo didn''t understand it as well "...Bro... I... I----Ok." Kuzan steeled himself.

    Beneath Kuzan''s looming expression, his decision to forfeit 5 points was made, out of respect for the one he considers his brother, Daniel.

    Therefore, the five options were highlighted on the screen, in a golden gradient:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Forfeit multiples of 6 points in order to light up red lights on Daniel Lead''s choker according to the quantity, however, Daniel Lead will receive those said points.

    2 - Daniel Lead can choose a quantity of his fingers to be cut (minimum 5) and will be awarded 6 points for each finger cut.

    3 - Daniel Lead''s right knee will be hammered two times in exchange for his remaining red lights on his choker.

    4 - Daniel Lead''s right eye will be removed in exchange for 500 points.

    5 - Transfer your points to an individual in your class (minimal point input: 50).

    </blockquote>

    Kuzan dreaded but one particular option gave him hope for this situation.

    "Don''t." Daniel''s glacial-toned voice stopped Kuzan before he could commit it "Please... The other ones are just..." In agony, Kuzan started to weep "I don''t mind being left with one point, I---" Daniel used another angle "So you plan on having a single point going to the next round?! One point, against all the others?! Are you trying to die, Kuzan?!" The argument escalated "No! Damn it, NO! But I don''t want to use any others so I''ll use this one!" Kuzan remained immovable "Coward." Daniel looked at Kuzan out of spite "You''re going to leave her? All alone? Your sister, at the hands of that fuck? I misjudged you, Kuzan..." Kuzan''s face twitched with rage and indecision "Hold on, what...? Kuzan, what is Daniel talking about...?!" Kanawari talked to Kuzan from afar "SHUT UP, THIS DOESN''T CONCERN YOU, KANA!!" In a loud voice, Kuzan shut her off.

    Less than twenty seconds were left off to Kuzan as he had yet to press a single option.

    "Kuzan, choose option two." In a serene tone, Daniel commanded "No. No, no, you''re my brother, I can''t hurt you... Brothers don''t hurt each other!" He refused to budge as he placed his two fingers on his head "Kuzan, please listen to me. Nothing has changed. Even if my body falls apart, it will still work." Daniel spoke with utmost confidence "You will see her again. I promise you." Kuzan''s eyes widened as he thought of his little sister "Emi....!!" Sobbing, Kuzan was unable to control his bursting emotions "I miss her so much...!!" Ten seconds remained "Trust me, Kuzan. Do that for me, brother." Daniel didn''t take his eyes off Kuzan for a single second.

    Down to the last two seconds, Kuzan meekly picked option two as he broke down.

    "I''m sorry...!!!" Kuzan sobbed further, his nose running snot "You did brilliant. Thanks." Happy, with an ecstatic look on his face, which was incomprehensible to Kuzan, Daniel smirked "Fucking psycho..." Yukishiro observed Daniel with unfiltered hatred "Hmmmphh..." Hyunda hummed once again as he saw through Daniel''s words "Daniel....!!!" Sana didn''t cry, but she felt tremendous emotional agony as she had to watch what was about go down.

    As the second option was highlighted, one of the guards went through Daniel''s seat and stood in front of him with a guerrilla knife.

    Daniel already had in mind everything.

    "Every single one. Preferably cut the index finger, middle finger, ring finger and pinky fingers all in a line like I''m going to show you." Daniel used the lateral sides of the chair in order to place the spoken fingers on the boarders of the edges so the cut would come cleaner and would waste less time "Afterwards, I will put my thumbs out and you will finish the job." His orders were concluded "......" Transiently, the guard was stunned at the cryptic nature of this particular segment "What are you waiting for? They are all lined up, hurry up." Daniel grew impatient; the guard took no time to apply the measures.

    His classmates, on the other hand, finally started to go more in depth about his true thoughts about Daniel.

    "What am I watching? Did this guy seriously just get all of his fingers cut off and not show a slight hint of pain? Tatsu over here is crying still." Tsudo''s eyes were blank as he watched the guard walk away with all of Daniel''s fingers "Alien. You''re a goddamn alien, dude..." Rayazaki felt disgusted "Are you sure he''s not a robot? His behavior isn''t humanly comprehensible. Like, I get the no remorse and emotionless shit, but this is just getting absurd!" Tateyana theorized "No, I am human alright." Daniel talked back to them "I''m just more committed than all of you, that''s all." He let out a provocative smirk "Motherfu----" Rayazaki felt insulted to a high degree "Daniel..." Sana couldn''t stop trembling "Yulia, I''m so sorry... I hope you''re not watching this right now..." She felt like sobbing; almost falling apart "I hope so too." Daniel said, as he looked up to the white hollow ceiling.

    Alas, it was not over.

    Despite complications, all that truly happened was Daniel getting all of his fingers cut, which resulted in him earning 60 points------Kuzan no longer being able to partake in the selection wheel, and Daniel still having to endure more agendas.

    "Spin it." Basara didn''t care and the skull began to approach its new target slowly.

    The decisive landing was taken.

    "FINALLY." Rayazaki let out "Lus, you''re up. Don''t treat him too badly, he can''t even count anymore." Basara joked "HAHAHAHA-----" Daniel lost it as Hyunda, Kawahara, and Tsudo laughed hysterically too "Men, I swear." Akimiyashika looked at all of them, disappointed "For real..." Tateyana didn''t disagree "Ahhh, Lus, you know what to do. Hurry the fuck up and transfer those points to me. Come on, you got 205. Let me further add something, the person with the highest score below 200 and 100 is Sana, who has 80 fucking points. This means you can effectively afford to waste a few more than a hundred points. You have no excuse." Rayazaki became lethal with his words as he assaulted Lus with his death stare "I know." She reminded him.

    With one minute left to decide how many points to forfeit, Lus took heed of Daniel.

    "Thirty should be enough." He said "HUH? THIRTY? Fuck no. YOU WILL FORFEIT AT LEAST 50. I am not taking any chances, YOU BITCH. I saved your skin, you owe me that much!" Rayazaki argued once again "I will fucking say it again; forfeit at least 50, you will be left with 155, give back the 50, and you will be left with ultimately 105 points. 25 POINTS AHEAD OF SANA, THE FOURTH PLACE. WHAT EXACTLY IS SO CONFUSING HERE THAT I AM NOT UNDERSTANDING?!" Rayazaki was fuming as he was making his point "He kinda has a point though, doesn''t he? What''s the matter, hurry up and do it. Keep your word." Tsudo further pressed.

    Midst such said pressure, Hinagiku kept her dominant stare on Lus, as she watched her make the decision.

    "........." A most conflicted expression emerged out of her "...I''m sorry..." She lamented as she forfeited fifty points "........." Daniel watched Lus, as Lus couldn''t place her eyesight on Daniel, out of sheer shame "Mph." Not impressed, Hinagiku degraded Lus, as she watched the transfer go down.

    Despite all the other numerous options, there was only one option that Lus chose and that was the option to transfer points to any classmate of your desire with the minimum of 50 points as a wager.

    "Much appreciated and pleasure doing business with you. I won''t forget this act of loyalty, Lus." Rayazaki smirked and winked at her, but she was definitely not in the mood as she felt conflicted "Don''t take it upon yourself, loyalty is not for everybody." Hinagiku taunted her with a grin "Shut the fuck up... It''s not about that..." The turmoil inside her twisted "That''s alright. I''ll show you what true loyalty is all about. Observe, maybe you can grasp a mere fraction of the concept, hah." Hinagiku became obnoxiously smug.

    The current standings are the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Sagasuga - (200/99 points)

    2 - Tatsu (200/99 points)

    3 - Lus Sera (105/99 points)

    4 - Sana (80/99 points)

    5 - Hinagiku (70/99 points)

    6 - Yukishiro (70/99 points)

    7 - Kawahara (70/99 points)

    8 - Rayazaki (62/99 points)

    9 - Daniel (60/99 points)

    10 - Akimiyashika (57/99 points)

    11 - Ikkiri (54/99 points)

    12 - Stratos (54/99 points)

    13 - Tateyana (54/99 points)

    14 - Tsudo (53/99 points)

    15 - Kuzan (46/99 points)

    16 - Arkalee (45/99 points)

    17 - Hyunda (45/99 points)

    18 - Kanawari (24/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    Lus had officially been dethroned and fell all the way to the third place, whereas in, Sagasuga remained supreme once again, as the first place.

    The skull once again decided which person would become the executioner as it plundered through the remaining pictures.

    "...That''s just so..." Lus couldn''t believe who it was that was chosen "Hmph." Hinagiku put on a sadistic smile "Shrimp, you''re up! Go easy on him, if you so wish for it." Basara sarcastically added "I would appreciate it if you didn''t bring up my height like that..." She lowly murmured to herself "Oh boy, let me guess---you''re cooperating with Daniel and he''s saved this round? Fucking great, spare us the boredom and just choose 70 options and pick the point acquisition one!" Yukishiro actually made a very solid and helpful suggestion despite that not being the intention at all "Hmm..." Hinagiku entered in a state of deep thought as she pondered how many points to forfeit.

    She looked at Daniel at the center, who gave him a simple nod.

    "No shot." Kawahara was the first to notice as he loudly said that "Holy shiiiiiiittttttttttttttttt...!!!" Tsudo burst out laughing as a singular option appeared on the screen "That''s fucking cold, Hinagiku! What did he do to you to deserve that?!" Rayazaki was thoroughly shocked at her decision to only forfeit a singular point "The devil does walk among us..." Arkalee began to see Hinagiku from an entirely new perspective "Oh my. I truly didn''t think you had it in you. It appears I''ve misjudged you, well done, midget!" Yukishiro threw a sarcastic clapping ovation in her direction "No...!!! Daniel...!!" Sana no longer could hold the tears in and dread for Daniel''s well-being to the maximum.

    The singular option which was highlighted was:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Daniel Lead''s right and left hands will be cut off in exchange for 400 points as well as the remaining red lights on his choker.

    </blockquote>

    Daniel profoundly sighed as he looked at Hinagiku with bitter emotions.

    "Mhmmm!" She nodded sideways in a silly way with her eyes closed "Oh!!" A sudden realization came forth as her vision opened "Oops!" She smacked her own head with her right hand "........" Daniel also realized something new about her "Daniel, are you ready to say goodbye to your hands?" Basara asked him "Not much of a choice, captain." Daniel reversed his palms as the guard once again infiltrated the perimeter; on the way up to where Daniel is "I am NOT fucking watching this!" Arkalee said as she closed her eyes with her two hands "It''s a goddamn horror show... A nightmare..." Akimiyashika''s anxiety was rising in levels.

    Instead of a guerrilla knife, the guard carried a katana on his waist, dragging the edge of it on the cold floor.

    Daniel began his demands.

    "Listen up because this is somewhat important. You need to go up on the side and cut just about where my wrist starts! I don''t want any shallow cuts! It must be done precisely! See this line on the wrist?" Though Daniel had no way of pointing to it since his wrists are locked, he is able to take them out slightly so it shows up a bit more "Yes..." The guard paid close attention to his demand "Alright, you have to precisely slice this part then. You do have experience in cutting people, right?" Daniel was heavily preoccupied "That''s what he''s worried about?!" Ikkiri got anxious just by trying to be in his place "Don''t bother, he''s a lunatic." Akimiyashika solidified "Hey, can the plan even be executed with his hands gone..." Rayazaki whispered to Kawahara "Hmm..." Kawahara made a difficult expression "The switches will be on a timer... But someone will definitely need to press them. It doesn''t have to be him, however. After all, we are just going to place them." Kawahara reasoned "Yeah, but how the fuck is he going to do that when he has no hands?!" Rayazaki brought up a good point "Not sure, actually. But he wouldn''t do all of this despite the risks, so he must have some back-up measure." Kawahara''s words made Rayazaki curious in knowing what the measure is "And assuming there is no countermeasure?" Rayazaki asked "I''ll just assume charge. After all, he said that the plan would work because the goal was achievable by all of us which is true." A more satisfactory answer was drawn forward.

    Rayazaki settled for that and began to watch the horror show.

    "You fucking brat, mind your manners!" The guard was revolted at Daniel''s arrogance "Hurry up." Basara talked back to the guard, who was taking far too much time "Why did you do it?!" Sana, from afar, lashed at Hinagiku "......." She thought of how to answer "I am not in the mood for losing too many points. I''ll take the objective climb!" Hinagiku flashed a smile "But you didn''t have to do this, Hinagiku!! Daniel is going to lose his hands now! Look at what you''ve done! You didn''t even try and just picked a single number off!" Sana showed visible rage "And? They are my points! It''s not my fault that Daniel deliberately sabotaged himself by getting every option wrong in the judgment round!" Hinagiku countered "She does have a point, Daniel didn''t even try-----" The first cut was dealt, which drew everyone''s attention "URK----" For the first time in the room, someone vomited at the sight of a body piece being cut off; that person being---Akimiyashika.

    Daniel''s left hand, which has no fingers to it, fell off to the ground as Daniel tilted his neck upwards in order to coordinate some of the pain.

    "Ahhh.... Now this one has potential..." He said as the guard moved over to the other side "Hey, a bit more upward. The cut isn''t 100% aligned. Now it looks slightly jagged to the bottom..." Daniel critiqued the guard''s cut "Shut the fuck up..." He was annoyed alright, but took more time in dealing the cut with a lot more accuracy as well "Oh fuck, I can''t hold it----BLEGHK---" Arkalee threw up to her right side, which led the vomit to land on Hyunda''s trousers "Are you fucking serious?" Hyunda was not pleased whatsoever and couldn''t control that reaction as he watched Arkalee barf over and over "........." His annoyance was very much visible to anyone, as they didn''t drop a comment.

    The right hand fell onto the ground and Daniel''s wrists were no longer attached to their prior forward body pieces.

    "Hmmm...!!" Daniel moved his forearms up and down despite being locked "I could get used to this..." The newfound experience was something he was enjoying "Oh hell no. He''s enjoying the fact that his hands got cut off! WHAT THE FU---!!" Tateyana felt so sick that she had to control her mouth in order to not throw up "Oh God...!!" Sana lamented as she saw Daniel "Ah, I see. This pretty much confirms it now..." Daniel''s shackles were automatically released, from his wrists and ankles "Not a bad round, I think the viewers quite liked it, but there''s room for improvement." Basara criticized "Be here at 7 am, on point." Dismissing the event, Basara began to walk out of the classroom as well as some other students, who didn''t particularly find it worthwhile staying over.

    <hr>

    The one to rush over to the center, was Kuzan.

    "BRO!!!" With great worry, Kuzan ran over and collected the ripped fingers off the ground "A-Ahhhhh!!!!" As he did, with his knees on the floor, Kuzan started to have a panic attack "How could this have happened...!! Bro, why did you do this to yourself?! Just look at this...!!" Kuzan held Daniel''s fingers up high on his two frail hands while Daniel got up from the chair "It''s ok, but I''ll need your help, so meet me in the bathroom in five minutes, alright? Bring me a first aid kit, ask George and said that I requested it. If that doesn''t work, talk to Hyunda." Daniel further added something, going as far as whispering it to Kuzan''s left ear "Oh and... Keep those hidden, will you? Preferably away from anyone." Daniel patted Kuzan on the back with his right forearm "Go." As Daniel instructed, Kuzan started to collect Daniel''s missing fingers and palms.

    Hinagiku was seen leaving the room earlier and by now, the only people left in the room would be Kanawari and Lus.

    Kanawari held her position low in order for Lus to support herself.

    "...?" Kanawari and Lus looked as Daniel approached them "Wait, Kana, I need to say something---" She felt the immediate need to apologize for it "Listen, Daniel---" She couldn''t exactly face him in the eye "How are you feeling? Does it hurt still?" Daniel showed genuine care for Lus, which made her subconsciously lift her head in order to meet his gaze "Uh... I----" She was a bit stunned "Hm..." Daniel squatted down in order to face her left knee which was trembling "Let''s see..." With his right forearm, Daniel poked it "ARGH!!!" Lus shouted in pain "What are you doing?!" Kanawari''s expression darkened as she found Daniel''s action unnecessary "That''s no good at all. Kanawari, go prepare one." Daniel coldly ordered "N-No! We can''t inject her with more!" Kanawari argued back albeit fraily "Oh, I see. So your suggestion is to leave her suffering like this? What a great fucking friend you are." Daniel laughed in her face as she cowered "Go and do it. Be there in five." Kanawari was left with not much of a choice but to abandon her position "I''ll be right back, Lus..." Despite not agreeing with the procedure, she had another idea in mind.

    Thus, Daniel and Lus were left alone in the room.

    "Let''s go, I''ll help you!" Daniel showed a charismatic attitude to Lus as he took her left side "...Stop..." Lus felt guilty "Hey, you gotta put your arm around my shoulder, it facilitates the movement a whole lot." Daniel looked at her looming expression "I''m sorry... I said I would pay you back with undying loyalty but I didn''t follow through with your order. I just... couldn''t do it..." Lus confessed with shame and guilt "Hmph, yeah, that''s a good thing!" Lus'' head twisted in Daniel''s direction "?!" She found his words shocking as she was expecting a reprehension "I ordered you to not keep your word to Rayazaki and pick an option that involved me getting points specifically at the cost of a body part." Daniel revealed as he tucked his head beneath Lus'' left arm, thus starting to walk with her support "But I didn''t..." That much, he already knew "Why didn''t you, Lus?" Aiming forward, Daniel asked her, with no pressure ".........." She resolved to silence.

    Crossing the room''s door, Daniel noted that the time was 6:31 am.

    "Daniel... Your hands... You''ll never have them again... How have you just accepted that so easily?" Daniel''s lack of physical pain was mindblowing to her, to say the least "It sucks. But it''s not the end of things. Plus, I''m in the lead now." Daniel twisted his head where he could see the still visible ranking ladder "Those 560 points can''t be worth it! This is a stupid fucking game that forces you to sacrifice body pieces in order to stay on the lead! I thought you of all people would know better than that!" Lus lashed out at Daniel, but with a very weak voice "Did you eat your breakfast?" Daniel asked "...You''re dodging the subject..." Lus felt annoyed "So did you." Daniel chuckled "You can''t even eat now..." Lus pointed out "Trueeeeeeee...!!" Daniel put out a reaction that seemed like he hadn''t thought of this consequence at all "Wait, you didn''t consider it that?!" Daniel tilted his head upwards "Such an idiot, oh my god." Lus lightly laughed.

    <hr>

    Four minutes later, Daniel lay Lus on his bed where she could rest up her broken knee.

    "You have to get that treated. As soon as possible!" Lus immediately told Daniel "It''s arranged." Daniel''s words weren''t very convincing as blood kept dripping from his uniform''s sleeves "Bandage it, at least!" She said, out of impulse "Me? How?" Daniel pointed out "Not you, damn it! You must have it, so have someone else get it for you... I can''t really... walk..." Lus shamefully admitted "I appreciate the level of concern." Kanawari, in a rush, entered the room.

    Out of breath, she immediately took out a syringe with a green substance inside it and a pack of pills.

    "Okay, I got some high painkillers as well as a muscle paralysis injection!" Kanawari declared "But isn''t that what I already was shot with?" Lus asked as she dreaded the scenario once again "It''s different. What I injected you with earlier specifically targets the nerves in your knee to stop giving much of a reaction. This one simply paralyzes the activity. In order words, anesthesia, but far more potent and stronger." This didn''t make Lus much comfortable "Hey, you said it yourself; you can''t even walk. So what''s the harm?" Daniel reasoned "Besides, I can''t inject you with it, anymore." Daniel held his wrists high as blood was running through them.

    Seeing as Kanawari was in the room, Daniel decided to exit the scene as Kanawari would handle the rest with proper care.

    "Where are you going...?" Lus asked as Daniel grabbed the doorhold by locking his inner elbow, thus attempting to unlock it "To get myself treated, where else? I''ll get someone to bring you some food for you and Kanawari in a while. Preferably, don''t leave the room until I come back, which, will be almost five minutes before the next round begins." Daniel switched positions and closed the door with his elbow "......." Kanawari and Lus watched him leave as blood dripped from his sleeves.

    <hr>

    Coming down from the staircase, Daniel went left as he reached the bottom floor, where the main bathroom would be.

    "Oh, good." Daniel immediately was relieved that Kuzan had the first aid kit with him "Who gave it to you, Kuzan?" Daniel asked as he closed the distance between him and Kuzan "...Hyunda." Daniel looked at one of the bathroom stalls that had a door closed behind Kuzan "......" Daniel then proceeded to instruct Kuzan "Alright, turn on the water." Kuzan paused the small first aid kit on the ground and turned on the water "Oh, I forgot. He also gave me this bottle..." Kuzan said.

    As he opened the kit, a mini-liquor bottle could be found.

    "....." Daniel saw great utility in that; as he allowed the water to cleanse the bacteria transiently "Nice, do me a favor and pour it." Daniel gave him his wrists "This will probably hurt a fuckton, bro." Kuzan gave the warning as he positioned the bottle "It''s effective, so it can''t be helped." Daniel closed his eyes "Alright..." Kuzan opened the bottle up and poured the whisky onto the wrists like gasoline "Ahhhhhhhhhhh..........!!!" Unable to avoid a physical reaction, Daniel let out a small cry "It fucking stings so fucking much, holy shit... This is like, the power of the sun, if a human being could merge into its own physical senses..." He constructed the reasoning "Now apply the povidone, please..." Kuzan did exactly did "I''m so sorry." Kuzan apologized as he saw Daniel''s forearm bone coming out of the wrists "Stop that..." Daniel got genuinely annoyed at Kuzan''s attitude "Now bandage it, wrap it around thoroughly." Daniel finalized the order.

    But Kuzan was feeling far too guilty and as such, he had to say a few words out of obligation.

    "I will drop down below. It''s only fair. Whatever will be, will be." Kuzan was resolved "Not this again. Did I not say how you have to do this in order to see Emi again? It''s your sister. Be a bit more mindful. Come on." Daniel bashed his head onto Kuzan''s forehead "You''re my brother. And we''re in this together!" Their breaths became merged "This?" Daniel held his bandaged wrists up to the medium height "This is the first step to getting us ahead. And many more to come!" Daniel clarified "It''s alright... Hey, hey..." Kuzan started sobbing "Come on, come here..." Daniel offered Kuzan a hug "I''m sorry...!!" Kuzan kept apologizing for what he did to Daniel.

    After a full minute of hugging back and forth, Daniel told Kuzan something.

    "Kuzan, I need you to bring some food for Kanawari and Lus. They haven''t eaten anything and they are resting in my room. I would bring them if I could, but..." Daniel''s condition was proving to already be unfavorable "Okay." Kuzan whipped his tears "Leave it to me, bro!" Resolved, Kuzan exited the stage as he left behind the first aid kit with Daniel.

    Admittedly, Daniel was feeling a magnitude of pain, but what was troubling him was the fact that he would have to rely more on people forward due to his handicap.

    "Did you develop a crush on me or something? This can be qualified as stalker/fangirl behavior, you know?" To the bathroom stall behind him, Daniel spoke "......." A soft feminine hand emerged as it pushed the door forward slowly "Risky place also." Daniel pointed out "We could have met somewhere else." He further added "Oh, my bad there. I didn''t know you would be so picky about it. Don''t you know that bathrooms are like a chapel to girls?" Hinagiku revealed herself entirely to Daniel.

    Daniel decided to take a few steps back in order to decrease the volume from their conversation and Hinagiku followed shortly.

    "So?" Daniel rushed Hinagiku to speak "You must''ve forgotten about our deal, Daniel... I said you had to prove in the round we just played, that you intend to kill Kanawari." Daniel allowed her to keep going as he listened "I followed your every order down to the core, I even noted down most of the options that didn''t involve you, just as you said. Furthermore, I picked the option that would grant you points. Yet this is how you repay me?" Hinagiku felt offended "Hey, cut me some slack. I am handicapped." Daniel played the victim "Oh, don''t give me that bullshit. You wanted this, all of it. I''m not dumb like Kuzan nor easily consumed by guilt like Lus. I''m aware of your game. And you, are aware that I know that." She cut to the core of the matter "If that''s the case, then you would have noticed that Kanawari is done for." Daniel''s voice grew apathetic "She is isolated. And she will be. Kanawari, just like at the end of the first round, is at the last place. What do you think this means?" Daniel asked Hinagiku.

    In response, Hinagiku kicked Daniel''s right calf slowly.

    "You think everyone''s so dumb that you feel the need to fake emotion or hide things from them, huh? I know damn well, Daniel. By isolating her, you are making her your target or rather---leaving her as a free kill should anyone want to get rid of her." Hinagiku explained "Then what''s your issue? If you''re dissatisfied, then wait for your turn in the next round. It''s not like I''ll fall to the bottom again after this." Daniel was not understanding where she was coming from "If anything, your demand was just so easy that I almost overlooked it. So, really, tell me----what do you want from me?" Daniel tried to get to the heart of the core "Enough with the tests, just tell me." Hinagiku looked at Daniel in the eye.

    She figured that Daniel had already gotten a good idea of what she was about to ask.

    "You have a plan to escape, don''t you?" She pinpointed it "......" Daniel didn''t respond "What do I have to do to be a part of it? I-----" She gulped "Daniel, assuming, whatever your escape plan is, if----hypothetically speaking----works... Then what is the end goal here? It''s not just a random escape plan, correct? You have an end goal in mind." Hinagiku skipped the steps of the boundaries but got where she ultimately wanted in the end "I don''t know what you''re talking about." Daniel''s expression emitted apathy "You do... You''re smart, cunning, and you''re not afraid to get things done if it means that things will progress. I like that..." She praised him to no avail "Well, let me ask you this----do you have something you want to do with your life?" Daniel asked the simple question to Hinagiku "........" Hinagiku found the question puzzling so she gave it some thought.

    Seeing as they weren''t getting out of there any time soon, Daniel paused his back on the wall.

    "I don''t have anything. I''ve killed all my family." Hinagiku blatantly said "Frankly, I''ve pondered suicide many times. But this has been proving to be most interesting, especially right now. So to answer your question, no, I don''t think so..." Hinagiku looked down as she hid her expression "Then you have no right to know." Her eyes widened "Someone who has no vision for the future can''t be of assistance to me in that regard." Daniel was cold but truthful with his words "That''s---That''s not entirely true...!" Hinagiku contradicted herself "Huh? But you just said so! You said you don''t have anything. The reason you''re alive, according to your words, is for the sake of the thrill. Listen, I''m not saying it''s wrong or right----that''s entirely up to you, but that''s just the same as breathing for the sake of breathing, almost like you have no other choice but to live because you can inhale oxygen every two seconds." Daniel cast a punishing glance at Hinagiku.

    Hinagiku gulped and got more nervous. She pondered whether or not she should be truthful given all the conditions...

    "Umm... Uh..." As Hinagiku stumbled in her own words, Daniel calculated what time it was in accordance to how much time it had passed since he glanced at the clock in the room where they played the round, how many steps he took, the number of seconds he wasted on his room with Lus and Kanawari, and the rest ".........." A total of 13 minutes had gone by "Hinagiku, I don''t have all da------" His audition captured footsteps rapidly approaching the bathroom at an alarming pace "Shit! Why the fuck did you decide to come here of all places?!" Daniel started to become nervous "Get in the fucking stall and lock it!" Daniel ordered and Hinagiku was quick to then notice the approaching footsteps.

    In the very same bathroom stall that Hinagiku was hiding prior, she locked the door and herself with Daniel.

    Daniel took a seat on the center of the toilet; pretending to be using it. Hinagiku, on the other hand, in order to not give herself away, sat on Daniel lap with her legs horizontally crossed.

    "........." Daniel didn''t like the option that Hinagiku picked "........" She didn''t seem to mind it, by contrast.

    Three individuals took place in that bathroom, in the dawn of the day, nearing 7 am.

    "Make it quick, I still wanna eat." Tsudo already complained "Same. Shit, mornings are really not my thing..." Tatsu revealed as he yawned; his left palm''s end completely wrapped in a bandage now "Likewise, I would also like to go back and eat. So, I''ll be brief." Upon hearing his voice, Hinagiku got shocked.

    It was Sagasuga.

    "I want to form an alliance; this alliance will be between me, and you two." Sagasuga initiated with that "This alliance proposes the following: None of you will be harmed by the game''s consequences and likewise, I also won''t. In addition to that, we will form a master point account." This caught the interest of everybody present, Daniel included "Master point account?" Tatsu asked, curious "Yes. A master point account is an account in which, a sum of points will be guarded to every round." Sagasuga''s words were vague "Wait, you''re allowed to create an account and secretly deposit points to it...?!" Tsudo got excited at the idea "Hah, no" Sagasuga shut it down "What I am saying is; my account will be the master account. My points; will be yours in that regard, but there has to be a point transfer every round on our end---that''s my emphasis." Sagasuga explained.

    This got Daniel into deep thought, as Hinagiku looked at him from the back, with her neck slightly twisted to the left.

    "That''s... That''s a lot to invest in, Sagasuga. Especially since it all goes to you." Tatsu laid out a reasonable complaint "And how would we even "transfer"? Doesn''t that only work via the option to transfer points, minimum 50, when someone is being executioned?" Tatsu asked "No, not at all. Verbal contracts." Sagasuga needn''t explain more "I see! You propose a verbal contract to us in the room when you can and we will accept it? What''s the contract going to be like?" Tsudo asked, this time around "I will propose a verbal contract to the two of you to transfer to me, at the end of each round, 20% of your points." Tsudo and Tatsu became displeased extremely quickly "20%?! You are NUTS!" Tsudo replied with full force "It''s too much, Sagasuga..." Despite their denial, Sagasuga added an extra factor "There is an additional benefit, however, should you agree... Should you desire, to let''s say, eliminate competition... I, along with the points that will be bestowed to the "account", will be used for the purpose of eliminating such said "competition", if I made myself be understood." They, of course, understood "........" Tatsu and Tsudo entered in a state of deep thought.

    Sagasuga was not impulsive nor impatient, however.

    "Take your time to decide. By the third round, approach me with the decisive answer. See you soon." With his arms adjoined behind his back, Sagasuga exited the scene, leaving Tatsu and Tsudo alone with Daniel and Hinagiku, though they don''t know about them "Sagasuga doesn''t seem like the backstabbing type..." Tsudo reasoned "Yeah, it takes me back to the island. He''s really calm and collected. Honestly, out of everyone in the class, I would trust him the most. I also trust him more than Daniel, for example. You can''t tell what the guy is thinking, but Sagasuga is more open on the other hand." Tatsu said "........." Daniel''s expression darkened "Yeah, I fucking agree too much. Still... 20%... Hm..." They gave thought "Let''s eat, we should keep an eye on the others to see if they are up to something. By the way, is it just me or did you hear some female voices on the way here?" Tatsu asked Tsudo "Huh?! No way, what the fuck? I would know, trust me." With shameless confidence, Tsudo admitted "Strange... Must be the lack of sleep..." Tatsu scratched his forehead.

    They additionally left the scene and only when they heard no footsteps, did they talk again.

    "Sagasuga reaching out to Tsudo and Tatsu? Pretty fishy, if you ask me..." Hinagiku commented "Alliances are bound to be formed in this game. As a matter of fact, we are already taking action almost as one, for mutual beneficial interest." Daniel said, as Hinagiku turned her posture around, facing Daniel''s face "Yeah, but he''s taking a step further. If he succeeds then Sagasuga''s point empire will be something out of this world..." Hinagiku pointed out, slightly nervous "........" Daniel gave some thought about an idea that he had for a while "What? What are you thinking? Come on, share with me! Aren''t we in this together...? You could share, it doesn''t hurt, doesn''t it?" Hinagiku was getting tired of Daniel''s silent treatment "Hm..." Daniel looked at Hinagiku for a while "Well, fine." He figured there was no danger in telling this to her.

    But first, there was something that was bothering Daniel.

    "Get out of my lap first, though." Daniel ordered "They aren''t here anymore." Hinagiku was forced to recognize this "Oh... I''m sorry." She apologized and turned her rear in Daniel''s direction, almost colliding with his face "...Are you gay?" Without meaning to, Hinagiku blurted that out "No." Daniel''s expression darkened once again "Erhm, of course not, you were Yulia''s boyfriend! Just testing you." Hinagiku justified it with that "Whatever. Anyways, my idea is the following: Sagasuga has played this game before." This shocked Hinagiku "Wow..." Something to simple yet she would never have thought of it "It would make perfect sense. How he behaved in the first round, prioritizing the point boost acquisition, the verbal contract with Kanawari, knowing how a verbal contract works, and most importantly... The fact that he knows how to terminate a round of execution." Daniel made several points "An execution round ends when there are no red lights on your choker, right?" Hinagiku already arrived at the conclusion.

    Daniel smiled as she found her intelligence pleasing.

    "I like that." Hinagiku became bashful for a split second "Yeah, that''s it. If you paid close attention, if the person that''s being executed has a ton of red lights, mainly close to ten------the options that will appear will focus more on how to decrease those red lights instead of the others which tend to focus on sacrificing body parts or get you ahead." Daniel continued "There''s also the fact that Sagasuga used the "kick" option on Yukishiro." Daniel got annoyed at the mere thought "He really saved your ass, didn''t he? She was definitely going to kill you, no doubt. Honestly, I thought you were a goner." Hinagiku admitted "That just further proves it. He has too much knowledge about this game. My theory is that he attended another class and underwent this game before. Know how? There was an option to transfer classes. Did you spot it?" Hinagiku jumped "I did! I thought you didn''t, but you don''t miss out, huh?! But wait, are you saying that he was apart from another class?!" Hinagiku grew closer to Daniel physically "Could be. Anyways, that''s what I was thinking for a while amongst other ideas. By the way, how are you getting out without being noticed?" Daniel was genuinely curious.

    Not only now, but prior, Hinagiku had managed to successfully infiltrated the male dorm without being noticed.

    "I''m a ninjitsu expert. Tailing people around and going undercover is child''s play to me." Daniel already had an idea, but didn''t know into full detail "I knew it." Daniel smirked "?" Hinagiku pondered what was on his mind "Say, can I ask you a favor?" Daniel realized he had to check in on Lus before it was too late "That depends. Say it first and I''ll consider it. Apply a reward to it as well, or else, nuh uh." She shook her head sideways "Ok." Daniel took a deep inhale "Tail Hyunda without him noticing you." He started "Hyunda...? He spends all of his time with Arkalee though? What is the point? Are you interested in their bad love story? Geez, I thought more of you, Daniel..." Hinagiku sighed as she became disappointed "Tail Sana and Ikkiri, as well. Don''t let them notice you." This further confused Hinagiku.

    The entire ordeal was not making sense to Hinagiku at all.

    "Can you explain?" She simply asked "Details later, just do your job." Daniel was cold "No, I kinda want details now... You''re asking me to stalk my dear friend, Ikkiri." Hinagiku felt offended "........" Daniel really didn''t want to say anything else but he felt as if he didn''t have much of a choice in the matter "...Just stick to Hyunda then." He refused to elaborate "GAH, you''re so boring when you''re like this! You should share more! That''s why no one gets you!" Hinagiku was brutally honest "And what''s the reward?" Of course, the important part "It''s up to you, but only if you are able to come back with valuable information about what''s going on with Hyunda and Arkalee." Daniel was more in-depth now "Ahaaaa... So that''s what you wanna know... Well, you two are pretty good friends... But wait..." Hinagiku realized the connection "...Oh, I see... Well..." Hinagiku sighed once again "Ok, mister. I''ll see what I can do. And remember, it''s UP TO ME to choose the reward." Hinagiku unlocked the door and then started to walk to the right, where a dead end with a wall containing small rectangular windows on the top remains.

    As Daniel got out of the stall, he saw Hinagiku nowhere.

    "What a useful sentiment." He made his way to his room as he said that.

 Volume 26: Chapter 184: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part XII.

    7 am.

    Not a single person was late, but there was a high degree of attention towards Daniel, who walked to the south-most seat on the round table.

    "That can''t fucking happen to me... I will never go that low for this shit..." Tateyana murmured to herself, in deep paranoia "He can''t even eat or wipe his ass anymore... What the fuck even goes through the head of someone like that?!" Tsudo took a seat on the north-most side as he said that as well.

    Daniel was usually sat next to Lus and Hinagiku, but this time around, there was a slight difference.

    "Shoo." To Hinagiku, before taking a seat, Daniel spoke in an insulting way "What..." She didn''t respond lightly and gave a strong look of disapproval "Go and do your job." Daniel remained cold "Stupid..." Hinagiku changed her trajectory and sat right next to Arkalee, on the eastern side, who is seating next to Hyunda.

    Lus, with the help of Kanawari, took a seat in her previous seat. Kanawari was then ready to sit next to her, mainly on her right side.

    "On my right side, now." Mercilessly, Daniel ordered Kanawari "Do I really have to?!" Not loud, but still repulsed, Kanawari questioned the necessity "Not unless you want to climb even further down." Daniel made her aware of her situation "Take a seat already." Basara ordered everyone who had yet to take one "Kana... Listen to him, he can help you out of this situation... And I''ll do everything in my power to make sure you come out on top as well." Lus strongly said "......." Kanawari still felt repulsed by Daniel but ultimately did as he told since Lus convinced her.

    Therefore, Daniel had Lus on his left side and Kanawari on his right.

    "....." Hinagiku felt mildly irritated at the mere sight of it "Abortions, welcome to the third round. Albeit you may feel like you''ve seen plenty, you have, in fact, seen nothing at all. This is one of the many rounds we will be playing today and as such, the individual who will be judged will now be selected!" Basara, the crowd entertainment master, lit up the expectations of the commenters on fire as the comments went crazy.

    Given that every judgment round excludes the people that were already selected prior, it would mean that Kanawari and Tsudo no longer could be chosen.

    Therefore, the selection began as the dice was cast on to the minefield covered with sixteen pictures of the class.

    A most anticipated entry was drawn already on the third round.

    "Well, well, well..." The dice perfectly chose its target as the anticipation grew by the second "Holy shit, now this will be fucking cinema!" Kawahara rejoiced "Are we finally gonna know what he did to get awarded all those years?!" Rayazaki questioned, as the chat kept producing more and more comments; the views additionally pumping out numbers never seen before "Daniel, you''re on stage, get the fuck moving!" Basara eagerly ordered, albeit the guards would do the serving here "Hmmm......" Daniel was displeased as he sighed; the guards slowly but surely made their tracks to where he was from behind.

    Given how much little time he had until the guards arrived, Daniel opted to confine an avenue of his plan for this round with the person he trusted the most currently.

    As such, he dove into Kanawari''s left ear and started to dealt the critical information.

    "There he fucking goes again whispering to those bitches!!" Tsudo was mad at the female privilege Daniel had been receiving as of lately "Hey, Daniel, get off her and get going!" Tsudo further added with spite and agony.

    In the end, Daniel had to be carried away by the two guards to the chair and get locked up as he was selected as the target for the judgment round.

    Before the round started, however, Basara had to address something meaningful, specifically in regard to someone like Daniel.

    "Given how Daniel can no longer effectively press the virtual screen that appears before him, he will be granted the permission to do that but under a new condition..." Basara looked towards Daniel "Daniel, if you wish to say yes, say yes and if otherwise, say no. Simple, right?" Basara asked "Yup, very simple. Okay, let''s get it started!" Very excited, like a little child unable to contain his inner exctiment, Daniel rushed forward "Excited to get exposed for all the horrendous shit you did?" Yukishiro grinned "Oh yeah, big time. To be honest, I''m really lucky here..." Daniel lowly laughed and asked something else to Basara, though not expecting an actual answer "Hey, teacher! Am I somehow able to form a verbal contract in this position?" Daniel asked.

    Naturally, no response came forward so he just shrugged.

    Undeniably, it was a disadvantage.

    The first claim was shortly made by Basara as everyone was at the edge of their seats.

    "Daniel Lead has been selling drugs ever since his middle school and has international connections with Central and South American cartels." The first criminal allegation shot at Daniel was drawn "One minute." The hourglass appeared as it dictated the time left.

    Daniel looked at the visible ranking ladder and gauged at his current points, which are 560. Kanawari kept firmly starring at him, awaiting for his signal, though he did not reply in any manner whatsoever.

    The first attempt was made shortly after by Kawahara.

    "I almost forget you''re not Japanese, you''re American." Kawahara''s expression gave off the expression of someone who had forgotten something crucial "But aren''t you North American? What''s with the Central and South American ties?" He exploited the hole immediately "It has to be a fake allegation then... There''s no way he could have a history with Central or South American cartels..." Akimiyashika reasoned "Well, is that true, Daniel?" All eyes were on him as they awaited for his answer.

    Daniel rapidly decided on his approach for this first round.

    "Yeah, it''s true." Many didn''t expect this as their expressions were filled with surprise "In my middle school, in Los Angeles-----I frequently sold drugs which varied from weed, cocaine, heroin, anabolic steroids, GHB, methamphetamine, and mostly alcohol. I can''t go in depth about the sources of how I was able to sell them with such high frequency, but we did pay for the services of bulk carriers in order to make business to the Mexicans, Jamaicans, Belizeans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Bolivians, Brazilians, Argentinians, and so on." Daniel was thorough and built a sense of keen information around his classmates.

    Forty seconds remained.

    "He''s 100% lying." Yukishiro accused Daniel instantly "He has 560 points, he wants to keep the lead. And what better way to do that to make sure we don''t score at all?!" Her reasoning appealed to the minds of many "Yeah no, you''re right... He has an insane lead... Why the fuck would he give us free points when he receives none? It makes no sense." Rayazaki dutifully agreed "Ehh, I think it''s the opposite here. It''s a classic example of reverse psychology." Kawahara now commanded everyone''s attention once again "You seriously think he''s telling the truth because he thinks that we have no option but to think that he''s lying to us since he has such a lead...?!" Akimiyashika asked, nervous "Yeah, that''s right. I would do that in the given scenario. Though... Well, you said it yourself, didn''t you, Daniel? That this information is right and accurate?" The culprit was interrogated once again.

    He felt like they were going around too many circles so he decided to keep it straight.

    "I am not lying here. Those 1000 years are not fiction. If you doubt me, then you are essentially doubting the information that the government has provided you. And at that point, I can''t help but think that you are simply..." Daniel started to grin "Massively overly fucking insecure----hahahaha---" He released a mocking wave of laughter "Bastard..." In the end, everyone cast their votes.

    There was a slight division as there were people that believed and didn''t believe Daniel. Thus, the rankings were updated immediately.

    <blockquote>

    2 - Sagasuga - (224/250 points)

    3 - Tatsu (200/250 points)

    4 - Lus Sera (117/250 points)

    5 - Hinagiku (82/99 points)

    6 - Sana (80/99 points)

    7 - Kawahara (82/99 points)

    8 - Yukishiro (70/99 points)

    9 - Akimiyashika (69/99 points)

    10 - Ikkiri (66/99 points)

    11 - Stratos (66/99 points)

    12 - Tateyana (66/99 points)

    13 - Rayazaki (62/99 points)

    14 - Kuzan (58/99 points)

    15 - Tsudo (53/99 points)

    16 - Arkalee (45/99 points)

    17 - Hyunda (45/99 points)

    18 - Kanawari (24/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    "Twelve now. They must multiply by each round..." Kawahara noted "AHHHHHHHH!!" Rayazaki fumed for voting no, which caused him to go from the 8th place all the way to the 13th "Despite being top on the ladder, Sagasuga''s ranking is viewed as second because Daniel can''t gain points this round..." Ikkiri also noted "But why are there different breaking points though? I thought it was all the same for everyone, but Lus has 250 as her breaking point, meanwhile Sagasuga and Tatsu have 300..." Ikkiri continued to ponder and Hinagiku, who is on her left side, answered "It must be connected to how many points you are able to accumulate. Get enough points and you will know for sure." She reassured as she was confident about her opinion.

    Regardless of the trade of opinions, the second round was addressed fairly quickly.

    "Daniel Lead is responsible for the killing of the missing students that went to the island where the special exam took place, last month." Basara referred to the infamous disappearance of the 600 students that used to belong to this school "Take your time." Basara said, although there was realistically speaking, only a single minute left.

    Daniel pondered if it was time to execute it yet.

    "Hm..." He looked up in indecision "There should be a bigger division. This will not be effective enough..." He waved his neck from left to right like a pendulum swing.

    On the other hand, in order for points to be secured with certainty, most of them checked over the facts presented in the last round.

    "So, just as a clarification, he actually didn''t lie?" Tsudo asked Sagasuga, who he knew for a fact had scored 12 points----24 in reality due to his 50% point acquisition boost "I wouldn''t have been able to score positively otherwise, Tsudo." Sagasuga briefly explained "You must also understand----" They all paid attention to his upcoming words "Daniel has 560 points. Confusion is arguably a very viable strategy here..." Sagasuga pierced Daniel''s eyes, as Daniel replied with an evil glance "Typical..." Daniel was starting to become alerted of Sagasuga as of lately.

    In conclusion though, there was something to be taken into consideration and so-----not Kawahara-----but this time, a girl, began the bargain all by herself.

    "Um, Daniel... I know this might be... uh, overly revealing, but..." Ikkiri showed massive reluctance yet nevertheless connected the finishing line "Did you kill them?" A short silence was formed.

    Forty-five seconds remained.

    "Oh yeah, I fucking did it." It took a while for everyone to process; Hyunda''s eyes widened in response to Daniel''s comment "Every single one of them. I swatted their lives like mosquitoes in the summer. I remember it all so vividly in my mind..." Daniel''s eyes rolled up as he said those unbelievable words "I will say it so there is no confusion amongst you, I did it. This is the objective truth." Daniel returned his serious gaze to the center of the room.

    But of course, they knew better than trust the words of Daniel blindly.

    "Boys, is this true?" Akimiyashika was the first one to ask, as she mainly looked at Kawahara on her left "......." Kawahara thought about it and then looked at Daniel; ultimately arriving at the only logical conclusion "Well---I wasn''t expecting you to confess what you did, Daniel, but yeah, it''s true. He killed them all!" Kawahara''s face was dead serious "Wait, seriously?! I mean, I wouldn''t put it past behind him, but..." Tateyana had doubts still.

    There was some room for counter-arguments however.

    "Please don''t be fooled." Sagasuga''s voice was like a divine providence at times; not a single person dared to ignore it "I don''t recall such an event and frankly, no one here from the male side does. And that''s granted because Daniel was with us all along. This information that he''s providing you with, is utterly false." Sagasuga confidently made the claim "Huh... I don''t doubt you for some reason, but I want to hear it from all of you..." Yukishiro was still unable to erase her inner skepticism.

    Twenty seconds remained.

    "I don''t think so." Rayazaki was the first one to deny it "Frankly, I hardly recall the island at all, it''s so weird..." Every time Rayazaki kept reminding himself of the island, his expression would stiffen "If bro says he did it, he must have done it..." Kuzan said with much doubt "No, it''s really weird, you see... Daniel was technically seen dead on the island pierced with spears underneath the main area where our exam would take an end... It''s inexplicable how Daniel is even here in the first place..." Tatsu said words that could only be classified as most puzzling "Look, I''m the same as Tatsu here. We just got to the area and then went home in helicopeters. We actually didn''t see Daniel the entire time while on the island except that one time he was shown dead!" Tsudo told "He did it, I''m telling you." Kawahara reinforced his belief "As I said, it''s nonsense. Think logically, if Daniel really did kill them, then clues would have been found. It''s an island, not some sort of secret area with numerous hideouts." Sagasuga, on the other hand, defended his belief "How would I know?" Everyone was disappointed with Hyunda''s lackluster response.

    Ten seconds remained.

    Out of all the opinions, there was something that could be agreed on.

    "It''s controversial. Besides, how would he kill so many without getting noticed? It doesn''t make sense!" Akimiyashika refuted "But you''re not seeing the picture here, Akimiyashika." Daniel grinned "What?" He proceeded to shortly explain despite the little time on the clock "The island has tons of secret areas that the outside world will never have access to. I manipulated all of them into going inside each of the ten sections and disposed of them------" He was interrupted by Sagasuga briefly "Everyone, cast your votes before it''s too late!" Taking charge, he wasn''t allowing Daniel to gain the tempo he wanted ".........." He was struck with sudden adversity as the results were about to be posted.

    Division remained, but not as much.

    <blockquote>

    2 - Sagasuga - (404/600 points)

    3 - Tatsu (224/250 points)

    4 - Lus Sera (117/250 points)

    5 - Kawahara (94/99 points)

    6 - Sana (92/99 points)

    7 - Hinagiku (82/99 points)

    8 - Yukishiro (82/99 points)

    9 - Akimiyashika (82/99 points)

    10 - Rayazaki (80/99 points)

    11 - Ikkiri (78/99 points)

    12 - Stratos (78/99 points)

    13 - Tateyana (78/99 points)

    14 - Tsudo (65/99 points)

    15 - Kuzan (58/99 points)

    16 - Arkalee (45/99 points)

    17 - Hyunda (45/99 points)

    18 - Kanawari (30/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    Sagasuga''s breakthrough made everyone acknowledge his might immediately.

    "Insane! That gave him what, 150 points as an added bonus?!" Tateyana asked "Yup, holy shit, those bonuses are coming in clutch..." Rayazaki noticed "It''s still a bit far from the first place, however." Sagasuga didn''t surrender to arrogance and acknowledged Daniel, whose points can''t be currently seen.

    Arkalee''s face twitched with rage, no longer being able to handle what was happening on her end.

    "That''s enough, Hyunda..." She gave him a menacing stare "What is?" Clueless, Hyunda asked "You''ve been getting all the wrong answers so far! And Kanawari is almost catching up to us! We''re so far behind and it''s your fault!" This time, there wasn''t a single person who didn''t hear this "Huh? Didn''t I tell you that it was luck? In the first round, I thought Daniel didn''t do it, so I voted no. Turns out he wasn''t lying, so I went for it this round. But he was, so that''s what happened. I''m just having bad luck..." Hyunda was genuinely annoyed at Arkalee''s accusations "You----You can''t manipulate me like this! I don''t want to fall down!" Arkalee wasn''t biting his words whatsoever though "......." Hinagiku observed as the argument scaled.

    The third round shortly started, as Basara didn''t wait around.

    "Daniel Lead has an habit of raping under-aged girls and eating their body parts afterwards." A claim with a similar nature to Tsudo''s was made "What do you think?" The hourglass spun once again as Basara posed the question to all of them.

    The first thoughts were expelled instantly out of their minds.

    "He did it. A 1000 years worth of jail? You can''t have that without rape crimes. This should be a no-brainer." Tsudo, the person who felt the most entitled to answer, gave his thoughts and then further added something else with great pride "Once you get the ball rolling, it''s incredibly fucking hard to stop. Isn''t that right, Daniel?! Shit''s super fucking addictive! The lack of consent is such a turn on, isn''t it?!" Tsudo spoke with saliva dripping from the corners of his mouth "Is that really true?" Daniel, not bothered by what Tsudo was saying, asked him with a child-like curiosity.

    Then, a most controversial conversation took place as there was about 50 seconds left to go.

    "Is rape really that tempting?" Daniel asked Tsudo, who was confused by his choice of words "Wha---Yeah, of course it is. There''s no better feeling than raping someone and completely having your way against their consent! It breaks their egos and they will never recover from it! Whether they like it or not, you will forever be a memory to them in that regard! It''s amazing!" Tsudo passionately spoke about it "Hmm..." Daniel made a very shackled expression "Isn''t their lack of consent already an implication that you lost against them?" Daniel argued "Huuuuuh?" Tsudo did not understand Daniel''s words at all.

    Forty seconds remained on the clock and no one interfered as they were trying to gauge Daniel''s authenticity on the matter of the claim.

    "Think for a second. Rape, as you described, is an action that aims to break someone''s spirit completely and leave them unable to recover from it for the rest of their lives. But while that does sound like a winning scenario, the mere fact that you had to rape them in order to have your way, shows that you not only possess a deep sense of self-insecurity but a very fragile ego. What was the first person you ever raped like, Tsudo?" Tsudo was confronted about something that he personally didn''t like diving into "Come on now. There''s no use in hiding it. Everyone here knows you''re a rapist and a pedophile. Or, are you unsure of your point?" Daniel grinned, provoking Tsudo furthermore.

    Twenty-five seconds remained.

    "Fine... You''re pissing me off..." Tsudo decided to go in depth "The first person I raped was my elder sister. That manipulative, sycophantic sly bitch...!! I fucking hate everything about her! Always telling me what to do with my life like she knows any better just because she''s older than me and is well-received in the family... I had enough one day and stabbed her in the legs to cut her off from her moves and raped her! SHIT FELT SO GOOD, FUCK!!!" Tsudo began to grab his inner genitalia with his right hand beneath his trousers "THE FUCK?!" Multiple people nearby him wanted to get away from him immediately as the movement increased "GROSS!! TEACHER, MAKE HIM STOP!!" Tateyana demanded to Basara, but he was unresponsive.

    Daniel, on the other hand, continued.

    "A symbol of inferiority, in the end. It''s in the same level of killing when it comes down to being unfair. If both sides are equal, then it''s fair, but if there''s a gun pointed at your head, then you''re doomed. There are some elements of similarity in the nature..." But Daniel still couldn''t digest the appeal in his brain "Let''s cut the shit, did you do it or not?!" Akimiyashika, the most vigorous one, asked Daniel with visible rage "I did. But it wasn''t really for pleasure, you see." Daniel tried to justify it "Sick BASTARD!!" Akimiyashika became convinced "Wait, you really..." Lus looked at Daniel with a horrifying expression "But of course, I did it. Tsudo wasn''t lying when he said that it''s impossible to have a thousand years worth of jail without committing rape. It''s quintessential for a criminal to engage in forced sexual activity..." Daniel let out a devilish laughter "........" Her expression remained shackled as she didn''t want to believe it.

    Just before the round would come to an end, Arkalee decided to experiment on something, as she wanted to see the results and so, with knowledge of what Hyunda had voted for, she went for the opposite.

    After that, time was up and thus, the results were endorsed which allowed for the rankings to be ultimately updated.

    <blockquote>

    2 - Sagasuga - (404/600 points)

    3 - Tatsu (224/250 points)

    4 - Sana (204/250 points)

    5 - Lus Sera (129/250 points)

    6 - Kawahara (94/99 points)

    7 - Hinagiku (94/99 points)

    8 - Yukishiro (82/99 points)

    9 - Akimiyashika (82/99 points)

    10 - Rayazaki (80/99 points)

    11 - Ikkiri (78/99 points)

    12 - Stratos (78/99 points)

    13 - Tateyana (78/99 points)

    14 - Kuzan (70/99 points)

    15 - Tsudo (65/99 points)

    16 - Arkalee (57/99 points)

    17 - Hyunda (45/99 points)

    18 - Kanawari (30/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    "He LIED!?" Akimiyashika was stunned as she didn''t see the points increase whatsoever "He got us good, not even Sagasuga scored..." Rayazaki reflected as he watched his points remain the same as the last round and Sagasuga''s not change as well "What the fuck...!? How though?! He didn''t commit rape?! That shouldn''t be possible..." Tsudo could not believe it "Maybe he actually did, just not in the category that was presented to us?" Kawahara tried that angle "That has to be it." Tsudo told himself "There''s no way you have that many years and you''re not a rapist. It''s just not possible." He refused to ultimately believe otherwise.

    Hyunda spoke to Arkalee in regard to a very obvious change in the rankings.

    "Hey, why did you vote the opposite of what I voted?" He was mad "Just to see if there was any change and would you look at that...? There was." Arkalee said "So you''re going to vote the opposite of me from here on?" Hyunda asked "Maybe. I want to see if this "bad luck" of yours is a coincidence or not..." Arkalee remained overly vigilant "......." Kanawari looked at Daniel with preoccupation now more than ever "Sana''s up high again..." Yukishiro, who got this round wrong, looked at Sana as she soured in the rankings once again "The breakthrough is just massive. In theory I should get it too... Though... You are most interesting with your choices of lies, Daniel..." Hinagiku smiled at Daniel in the center.

    Regarding Kanawari, Daniel remained unresponsive as it was not time yet.

    It was, however, time for the fourth round.

    "Daniel Lead has performed a public shooting of his class in the seventh year of his middle school with a rapid machine gun, amassing in a total of 23 deaths." Basara claimed "False? True? What do you think?" The decision was put onto the students as the hourglass showed itself.

    Daniel quickly pondered his stance in this round and executed it without a second thought.

    "Nope, didn''t do it." He quickly denied it "I will give you very simple evidence as to why: The first claim made against me said that I sold drugs in middle school and as you learned, it was true. Given that, how could I have performed a public shooting of my class when that would affect my entire business as a whole? It makes no sense." Daniel said with a sigh "Weird for you to just openly confess to that when you have already shown that you can lie..." Akimiyashika pinpointed Daniel; to which he gave her a mocking look "I just pity you guys because otherwise you can''t make a progressive lead and will fall back over and over." He released another wave of laughter, which provoked Akimiyashika.

    Kawahara had one idea in specific and with a touch on the cryptic symbol down below to the right-----the one passage of the verbal contracts, he pressed it and proposed a contract of interest to Daniel.

    "Daniel, here is an offer for you; if you tell the truth about this claim in specific, then I will award you with 6 points. This, of course, only lasts until the end of this round." A verbal contract appeared in front of Daniel "Yes, I accept it." Without thinking much, Daniel went for it "Wh---Shit, you can actually do that...!" Just now, Tateyana realized that such options were possible "I completely overlooked that you can actually do that... Wait, this changes everything..." Rayazaki felt dumb as he hadn''t given much thought about it.

    Given Kawahara''s contract and how time was of essence, Daniel followed the plan.

    "Yeah, I did it. Motherfuckers deserved it. I won''t go into detail but they all deserved bullets in their craniums. I don''t regret a single thing." Daniel spoke with utmost honesty "I see. Thanks." Kawahara cast his vote and alongside, so did many others "......." There were, however, people that remained extremely skeptical about Daniel telling the truth in this case.

    Regardless, the round eventually came to an end and the results dropped.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Daniel - (566/600 points)

    2 - Sagasuga - (410/600 points)

    3 - Tatsu (248/250 points)

    4 - Sana (216/250 points)

    5 - Hinagiku (206/250 points)

    6 - Lus Sera (129/250 points)

    7 - Kawahara (94/99 points)

    8 - Stratos (90/99 points)

    9 - Yukishiro (82/99 points)

    10 - Akimiyashika (82/99 points)

    11 - Rayazaki (80/99 points)

    12 - Ikkiri (78/99 points)

    13 - Tateyana (78/99 points)

    14 - Kuzan (70/99 points)

    15 - Arkalee (69/99 points)

    16 - Tsudo (65/99 points)

    17 - Hyunda (45/99 points)

    18 - Kanawari (36/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    "Motherfucker..." Kawahara''s expression darkened as he realized it "H-Huh...?! Wait, huuuuuuuuuh?!" Tsudo could not understand why his points didn''t go up "What? Too hard to understand what just happened? Need some in-depth explanation about it?! HAHAHA!!" Daniel laughed in the faces of those who weren''t able to keep up with his thought process "It was pure luck, you''re getting off from the fucking confusion you''re causing, you manipulative cunt." Tateyana accused Daniel.

    However, there was someone that defended him.

    "Luck? You''re just so dumb and impulsive, aren''t you, Tateyana?" Hinagiku''s radish smile combined with her over the top arrogance intertwined in her speech would make anyone''s blood boil "The common thought here is that Daniel would lie to Kawahara in order for Kawahara to not receive the breakthrough which would give him an additional 100 points." Tateyana then impulsively said her opinion "Yeah, that''s what IT should have happened! We saw Tsudo do this, so by all means, he should have lied to Kawahara in order to get everyone who didn''t believe him to vote for no!" She complained as many believed the same "But that''s where your mere thought process falls short... He already knew all of this and saw that Kawahara would vote for the opposite of what Daniel had told! So, the true answer all along was that he did it but from the way he lied, he made it seem like he didn''t do it." Hinagiku''s explanation caused everyone who fell under this trick to feel stupid "So he actually fucking did it?! WHAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTT?!" Rayazaki lost his mind "Also, look at his point gauge... 600?!" Everyone witnessed the gigantic comparison in points when it came to Daniel and the rest.

    It wasn''t entirely hard to predict but by now it was clear that Daniel''s words fell short in terms of trust. Not only that, but they were mixed with half-truths that in combination with other deceptive elements, could help to construct carefully crafted lies.

    Even so, Daniel felt that Hinagiku didn''t have to do this.

    "She''s over-explaining it." He sighed "Can we move on though?" The fifth round had to be addressed fairly quickly, however.

    Basara didn''t waste time on this and conjured the fifth claim.

    "Daniel Lead had a girlfriend in highschool for one year and a half." Daniel''s face became distorted "......????" A facial expression, emitting so much confusion, was seen in his face and nobody failed to miss that "I''m sorry, but isn''t this about my criminal past? What is this?!" He exclaimed "Yeah, what the fuck? We don''t care about his romantic life!" Tsudo exulted himself "Deal with the cards you''ve been dealt." Basara said as the hourglass spun.

    This one was slightly tricky for many reasons.

    "........!!!" Daniel''s eyes suddenly widened "Ohhh shitttttttt..." His words brought forth the face of someone that had just remembered a not-so-distant past "Don''t tell me..." Sana was slightly mad as she gauged at Daniel''s expression "Hold the fuck up, how long ago was your highschool anyways? 1 year ago? 2? 3?" Kawahara asked Daniel "Uh......." Daniel thought for a bit "2, I think." He settled with that "You think? Mate, you think? Come on, this shit isn''t hard to remember. Besides, a girlfriend for a year and a half isn''t something you can just forget either." Kawahara''s words brought a spark of truth to the table.

    But Daniel''s expression seemed genuine to many. To the point where many already started to vote.

    "I don''t think there''s much debate here. It''s also better to not get entangled in his words." The decision was firmly made on the spot "No wait... He''s faking it... He has to be! He''s too smart! I don''t want to admit it, but he''s just faking it for sure!" Akimiyashika boldly admitted "Uh... What was her name again... Claudia...? Or was it Rachel... No, wait, I think she was Asian, actually." Daniel, amidst this, kept making guesses with avid confusion "You''re actually dumb if you think so. That''s the clear sign of someone who is trying to remember an old name..." Sana spoke as she cast her vote "..........." But Akimiyashika was not convinced whatsoever.

    In the end, everyone gave their respective votes.

    "Holy shit, I AM FUCKING DONE WITH THIS SHIT, WHAT THE FUCK MAN!!" Rayazaki erupted in a feat of rage as the results were presented in the newly updated ranking ladder.

    <blockquote>

    2 - Sagasuga - (424/600 points)

    3 - Tatsu (248/250 points)

    4 - Hinagiku (218/250 points)

    5 - Sana (216/250 points)

    6 - Kawahara (206/250 points)

    7 - Lus Sera (142/250 points)

    8 - Yukishiro (94/99 points)

    9 - Stratos (90/99 points)

    10 - Ikkiri (90/99 points)

    11 - Akimiyashika (82/99 points)

    12 - Rayazaki (80/99 points)

    13 - Kuzan (82/99 points)

    14 - Arkalee (82/99 points)

    15 - Tateyana (78/99 points)

    16 - Tsudo (65/99 points)

    17 - Hyunda (45/99 points)

    18 - Kanawari (42/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    Due to the fact that Kawahara''s contract only lasted for a single round, Daniel''s points were not highlighted on the ladder.

    "You goddamn FUCKING LIAR!!" Tateyana lashed out at Daniel "Hollywood should just fucking hire you at this point, are you having fun?!" Many felt deceived and while lying is a natural part of this game, they didn''t enjoy that Daniel was going an extra mile just to manipulate their perceptions "HAHAHA-----" Daniel laughed out loud "Wait, wait, wait..." He calmed himself down "Are you guys in the need of help by some chance??!!" Daniel was overly ecstatic with his words "Don''t tell me that you are struggling that hard to pass through the 99 point barrier just because you can''t get the right answer... That wouldn''t be the case, RIGHT?!" Daniel taunted them straight up "AGHHHHHHH!!! I HATE YOU, DANIEL!!" Tateyana cursed him.

    But he was not wrong. There was a clear struggle due to Daniel''s allusive tactics.

    Such proof could be found in those that have not successfully scored yet with consistency despite the round moving on to the sixth now.

    "Daniel Lead commands a secret organization and is the leader of it." An abrupt claim was made "What do you think, creatures?" Basara''s words allowed the hourglass to appear.

    Daniel became extremely puzzled at the claim but decided that it was time to execute his plan as it was the sixth round now.

    Pinpointing Kanawari, Daniel didn''t stop staring at her for a second.

    ".......Hmmmmmhhhh....." Nervous and anxious, Kanawari took deep breaths and caught the attention of Lus and Hinagiku.

    It took three seconds for her, but she got up from her seat and stood there for a while, gathering everyone''s attention.

    "Everyone, I have something I would like to say to all of you----and I think you should listen!" Kanawari''s word choice made Daniel giggle "Make it fast, we are under a minute and I would like some words out of Daniel in regard to this." Kawahara rushed her and Kanawari gulped as she felt incredibly nervous due to the pressure.

    Nevertheless, she pressed the symbol on the lower right side of her screen and directed her words to Daniel.

    "Daniel Lead, do you accept the following conditions for the formation of a contract in your name: Until this judgment round is over, an individual that accepts this will be granted an additional 12 of your points should they vote correctly but if they fail to do so, 12 points from the individual will be awarded to you?" An outrageous action was commenced "W-What?! Hey, what do you think you''re doing?! Teacher, no way this can be allowed, right?!" Yukishiro protested immediately "......" Basara didn''t object to this "I do accept it." The confirmation gave birth to the phenomenon that they would all witness.

    Daniel''s confirmation allowed an additional screen-window to the right, to appear to all of them.

    "What the hell is this?" Akimiyashika said with a hollow voice; Daniel didn''t waste time and explained it in his way "Kindness. Generosity. Fairness. It''s up to you, of course. Look, I won''t lie, I don''t expect even half of you to accept the contract. But I will say this: the target is not everyone. It''s for those of you that want to win and break the barrier. So to those of you; calmly read what is written and choose whether or not to accept it." Daniel settled with that for now.

    Their screens had the option to whether or not accept the contract that was provided by Kanawari, in accordance with Daniel. However, this contract is strictly applied to Daniel. Essentially, it''s asking them if they want to raise the stakes even higher.

    "This is 100% a trap, fuck no." Yukishiro declined it immediately by pressing the "X" option "......" But much to her dislike, multiple people were pondering the utility of this contract "Say, he has 566 points, right?" Tateyana asked, while still being conscious of the time on the clock.

    Which is roughly 30 seconds.

    "Yeah, he got an additional 6 from Kawahara..." Rayazaki confirmed "Huh...." Tateyana pondered it thoroughly "You people are fucking CRAZY if you dare accept this! If you get it wrong, he wins 12 of your points! He will build an advantage over you so fucking fast, DAMN IT!!" Yukishiro claimed, with much anger behind her every words "But like, if I accept this, then my winning percentage will go up! Who cares if he''s lying?! I will just play 50/50!!" Tateyana''s poor choice of words didn''t resonate well with the crowd at all.

    Seeing as his contract wasn''t being viewed well, with little time on the clock, he gave reassurance.

    "Tell you what, I will tell you the answer of this one for free, how about it?" He went for that "You will? Without us having to accept it?" Tatsu instantly asked "Yeah. Think of it as a free trial. How about it?" Daniel adamantly tried to sell his new contract "Tell us THEN!!" Tsudo demanded, with 15 seconds left to go "Under one condition... You will accept the contract, if my answer is correct." Daniel insisted on this "...Yeah, alright, you have my word." Tatsu said, with a stone-cold face "Same here." Kawahara agreed too.

    And likewise, many others did, except Yukishiro who already had denied the contract out of spite.

    "It''s true." The unexpected revelation was made "I can''t give the name, but I created it with certain people during the time in my middle school. After all, that''s when my drug empire started and as it already has been discussed, it is accurate information since the first claim proved to be true." Daniel brought back old information to reassure them "True... There''s no way you could have a drug empire without owning an organization in the first place... As expected of you, bro." Kuzan blindly voted yes.

    Before the time ran out, they all cast their respective votes according to their beliefs in regard to Daniel''s word.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Daniel - (554/600 points)

    2 - Sagasuga - (452/600 points)

    3 - Tatsu (248/250 points)

    4 - Hinagiku (242/250 points)

    5 - Sana (228/250 points)

    6 - Kawahara (206/250 points)

    7 - Yukishiro (206/250 points)

    8 - Stratos (202/250 points)

    9 - Lus Sera (142/250 points)

    10 - Rayazaki (95/99 points)

    11 - Arkalee (94/99 points)

    12 - Ikkiri (90/99 points)

    13 - Akimiyashika (82/99 points)

    14 - Kuzan (82/99 points)

    15 - Tateyana (66/99 points)

    16 - Tsudo (65/99 points)

    17 - Kanawari (54/99 points)

    18 - Hyunda (45/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    There were already, a lot of things to digest as a chain of chaotic reactions was formed.

    "ARGHHHHHHH FUCK YOU DAMN IT!! I''M KILLING YOU IF I GET THE CHANCE, YOU FUCKING LIAR!!" Tateyana got up from her seat and directed all of her rage to Daniel who laughed nonstop from his seat "Wait... What just happened...?" Kuzan asked, relatively clueless and Ikkiri answered as she was nearby "Daniel lied... Which is weird because he was trying to promote his contract and said that he wouldn''t lie, but what really happened is that he used that as a diversion in order for the ones who voted "yes" to not gain any points..." Ikkiri, being one of them, pointed out.

    Yet there was something that wasn''t making sense to Kuzan.

    "Why are bro''s points on the screen though? That would only be the case if he were to win points, but he actually lost some?! Wasn''t it 566 or am I missing something?!" Kuzan''s questions were very reasonable "How dumb can you be?" Yukishiro, slightly mad but feeling confident now, spoke to Kuzan "It''s all because some actually accepted his contract beforehand and tried to get some points as a countermeasure. Isn''t that right, Tateyana?!" She mocked the very emotionally frail Tateyana who was agonizing over her choice "Shut up, shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!!!" Her actions clearly backfired "She accepted the contract and actually believed in what Daniel said!! So she went -12 immediately, HAHAHA!!" Tateyana had to endure a mocking session "Hmm... Wait, but if that''s the case then why isn''t Daniel seating at 588 points... If Tateyana lost 12 points and those were transferred to Daniel then why isn''t he below 12 points in comparison to his prior 566 ones..." Ikkiri, confused said out loud those words.

    Kawahara clarified.

    "For you to know that, you have to look for two individuals who have obtained 24 points. Since Daniel''s contract extracts 12 points from him to the ones that got the vote right, you would have to know ahead of time which ones won 24 points by now..." Kawahara kept looking at the ranking ladder "Uh..." Ikkiri''s memory isn''t the greatest "Oh, Hina...!!" However, Ikkiri was quick to notice how Hinagiku had way too many points "Hehe." Hinagiku grinned to Ikkiri "Huh, but wait, who the hell else?! I remember them all vividly... Oh, Rayazaki?!" Kuzan noticed that Rayazaki had gone up in points "No, not me." But Rayazaki quickly denied it "I have a 25% point acquisition boost. I get 15 points every time I get it right." Rayazaki then gave Kuzan the clue "Look near the bottom." Rayazaki sighed.

    It wasn''t obvious at first but then after connecting some dots, it was revealed who had accepted Daniel''s contract.

    "It''s Kanawari, you dumbfucks!" Tateyana pressed the matter as their slow guessing was making her mad "She had 42 but now has 54, it would actually be 24 but half of her earned points go to Sagasuga!" Tateyana caught everyone by surprise with her deduction "Oh what? So you can think?" Yukishiro became genuinely surprised "Shut the fuck up...!!! I''m not dumb, I''m just having bad luck!" Tateyana was met with laughter "Ahhhh---But yeah, it was Kanawari who accepted the contract and got it right, because in theory, it should give you 24 points, but 50% of her points coming from a guess are given to Sagasuga, so 6 of them go to him. If Sagasuga had gotten it right, he would have..." All of them looked at the ranking ladder as Kawahara''s point gained fruits.

    The seventh round was almost starting but just before it did, Kanawari tossed an embroidered paper to Lus'' lap; trying to avoid as much attention to her as possible.

    "......." Lus quietly read the paper and tucked it inside her skirt''s right pocket "Hmmm... And what does this mean, mister...?" Hinagiku watched their particular interaction and decided to capitalize on that.

    Alas, the seventh round came to light and several people had chosen whether or not to accept Daniel''s contract to their own accord as the window had not vanished; since it lasts until the end of this judgment round-----meaning anyone is free to accept it or decline it whenever they so please. Albeit, there''s a margin in advantage/disadvantage when it comes to the timing.

    "Daniel Lead was only arrested one time in his life." A lackluster claim was made "Go." The hourglass appeared once again.

    Immediately right off the bat, the students brainstormed.

    "Isn''t this just a reference to how you are arrested before going here? Did someone get arrested before this?!" Akimiyashika questioned everyone "Yeah, I did, a lot of times, mainly for suspicion." Tsudo openly confessed "I didn''t fucking ask you, someone else!" Tsudo cursed at her instantly "Well yeah, of course. Detention is very common, no? You''ve been arrested more than once, haven''t you?" Kawahara asked "......" Akimiyashika kept her silence.

    Daniel decided to intervene as there were fifty seconds left to go.

    "That''s a lie. I''ve been arrested way too many times to the point where I''ve lost count. Too many bails as well." Daniel laughed it off "I don''t believe you." Akimiyashika accused him "Then just ignore what I said and try to find a more plausible answer. But if you think drug lords aren''t often arrested then you aren''t on par with reality." Daniel insulted Akimiyashika, who was struggling to find the right answer "Akimiyashika, a word, if you may." Sagasuga drew her attention "What..." Her mood was foul but Sagasuga nevertheless made his point "It''s 50/50. Vote for what makes the most sense to you. That''s all." Sagasuga kept it short and cast his vote "...Yeah, true..." Akimiyashika thoroughly analyzed the claim and then made her choice.

    There was, however, someone that saw this an opportunity.

    "Alright Daniel, let''s fucking talk some language." Rayazaki pressed the right lower corner; implying the formation of a verbal contract "Oh, I love it." Rayazaki''s confidence in contrast to the rest made Daniel smile "Tell the truth about this claim and you get 12 points from me. Lie about it, and 24 points will be deducted from you. Do you accept this contract?!" A window appeared to Daniel "Hm..." Daniel pondered the weight of the contract "This shit again?! Did he not learn anything from Kawahara''s failed attempt?" Tsudo rejected Rayazaki''s approach in his mind immediately "No..." Tatsu had a different take on the matter.

    Thirty seconds remained.

    "It''s different. Rayazaki has a 25% point acquisition boost, so if all things go accordingly, he wins 15 points. 15 points since 12 + 25% equals 15, and then the standard 12 points from Daniel''s contract, amassing to 27. And ultimately, 12 would be subtracted from those 27 due to his own condition, thus leaving him with 15 points to earn. However, should Rayazaki get it wrong, he initially will lose 12 points. Not only that, but since he accepted the contract, he will lose an additional 12." Tsudo then realized "But he fucking put up the condition that if he were to lie that he loses 12 points... So, 24 as a whole... It''s still a fuckton." Tatsu then concluded "Indeed, so Rayazaki has put himself in a somewhat winning scenario because all he has to lose is 12 points, the ones he gets from failing to guess the right answer, where as Daniel will lose 24. Furthermore, should you add the contract, he will lose an additional 12, leading up to 36 points as a loss." It was now up to Daniel to see if he were to accept the deal "Yes, I accept it!" With utmost confidence, Daniel accepted it.

    Daniel''s confidence had mentally scarred a few already and accepting this form of contract which in theory brings more damage than benefit to him, spoke volumes of how much he couldn''t be trusted.

    "I have never been arrested before the one time I was; which led me here. I''ve used numerous aliases, scapegoats to take my place, and even had people get arrested for me on purpose since I paid them to." Daniel naturally confessed to his crimes "Alright, thanks!" Rayazaki instantly pressed the positive option since there was, quite literally, no drawbacks for him.

    For those who hadn''t vote, they took great time in weighting out the pros and cons.

    "There''s no fucking way he''s lying, right?! He WOULDN''T do that for the sake of trolling and seeing more people not get points, right?!" Tateyana was freaking out as her hands trembled "As I said to Akimiyashika, just vote whichever makes the most sense. In the end, there is no one that knows the answer, except him." Sagasuga tried to reason with Tateyana, but it was in vain ultimately "W-Wait...!! What if this is all just a trick?! He''s putting on a facade in order to make people vote no, since that''s what benefits him and since Rayazaki will come out on top of the deal, it also means that Daniel would profit if many others voted no, if he''s lying! The points he would gain from this scheme would be outrageous!!" Tateyana entered a state of paranoia "But wait...!! That''s it! He''s thinking that''s what I''m gonna do, so-------Ahhh NO FUCK WAIT, WHAT IF HE''S-----!!!" Tateyana''s trust issues in regards to Daniel''s words, peaked.

    And to add insult to injury, Daniel marked Tateyana with his daunting glare as his mocking grin rose to the surface, horrifying her.

    Time ran out and thus, the results were collected and ultimately compiled onto the ranking ladder.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Daniel - (566/600 points)

    2 - Sagasuga - (464/600 points)

    3 - Tatsu (236/250 points)

    4 - Hinagiku (230/250 points)

    5 - Sana (228/250 points)

    6 - Stratos (226/250 points)

    7 - Yukishiro (218/250 points)

    8 - Rayazaki (210/250 points)

    9 - Kuzan (206/250 points)

    10 - Ikkiri (202/250 points)

    11 - Kawahara (194/250 points)

    12 - Lus Sera (166/250 points)

    13 - Arkalee (82/99 points)

    14 - Akimiyashika (70/99 points)

    15 - Hyunda (69/99 points)

    16 - Kanawari (66/99 points)

    17 - Tateyana (66/99 points)

    18 - Tsudo (65/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    "Oh no." Tateyana, in authentic disbelief, suddenly saw herself in the second last place "I''m going to fucking lose it." Hopeless, Tateyana became apathetic as her hollow eyes firmly locked to the ranking ladder "I am so fucking lost, I swear to God. What just happened, can someone explain? I don''t want some long-ass explanation, just a one sentence, please." Tsudo, the person now at the last place, quietly asked, as his eyes emitted despair.

    Rayazaki felt brutally entitled to answer it, with a ridiculous over-confident expression.

    "He told the truth, dumbass! What else is there to draw from this shit?!" Rayazaki laughed at Tsudo, who snapped "But this is WEIRD!! So fucked up too! I didn''t ask for these mind games! FUCK! Hey, Daniel!! Why can''t you just tell the truth as it is?! I''m sick of your shit!" His rage started to escalate upwards "Huh? But I did tell the truth to Rayazaki. I lied at first, but he gave me a good deal, so I accepted it. What''s so hard to see here?" Daniel was puzzled "AAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Tsudo agonized instead of replying with words.

    Close by, Hyunda smiled as he finally got one right.

    "NICEEEEEEE!!! I GOT IT, HAHAHAH!!!" Out loud, clearly audible to everyone, Hyunda threw his fist up in the air "I finally got lucky, sighhhhhh..." He profoundly sighed in order to expel the anxiety "Hey, thanks for the contract, Daniel, it''s coming in handy!" Hyunda gave the thumbs-up with both of his hands to Daniel "Not gonna lie, I got lucky too. Decided the 50/50 strategy and it worked!" Kuzan said, as he has a solid lead now "How? How did those two knew? Lus and Kanawari both got it right... How... Kanawari also rose to fourteenth place despite being the second last one last round..." Yukishiro''s suspicion grew as she started to delve deeper into the ideas.

    By now, the only people that had not yet accepted Daniel''s contract were: Sagasuga, Sana and Tsudo. Despite the initial controversy, Daniel''s contract was already proving to be highly beneficial for most of the students.

    The eighth round would soon start.

    "Daniel Lead has played this game more than once." Basara''s claim, as per usual, dealt significant shock "What the... Huh?" This particular one, strung in an unseen angle "Decide." Basara allowed the hourglass to do its job.

    It was evident by now, but the number of rounds in a judgment round would go up to either ten or slightly above. Thus far, the first one was 11 rounds and the second one, 10.

    "Hmmm?! Wait, Tsudo, you''re at the bottom?! OH SHIT!!" Daniel laughed like a maniac "SHUT UP!!" But Daniel kept on laughing "No, no, no, this shit is hilarious! There''s no way you make it out, you do know that, right?! Like, I''m not just saying that out of spite, these vixens will fry you alive, tear you limb by limb!" Daniel''s word choice pissed a lot of people off "Who are you calling "vixens"?!" Akimiyashika started first "Huuuuuh?! You of course! You want to kill him badly, don''t you?! He''s a rapist and you seem to be more than pleased to get rid of one!" Daniel giggled out loud "If you actually meant what you''d say, you would help me by fucking Tsudo up..." Tsudo turned around and argued with Akimiyashika "Excuse me?! What the fuck?! You---You think I actually will die?!" Tsudo was desperate.

    He then turned to Daniel, as a measure of security.

    "H-Hey man!! Your plan only works if all of us are alive! You even said that it''s critical to have more members! If you want it to work, then I have to live!!" Tsudo smiled as he saw Daniel''s annoyed expression "Plan? What plan?" Yukishiro asked "Yeah... What plan, Tsudo?" Hinagiku followed it up, as all eyes were on Tsudo "Heh...!" He grinned "Danieeeeeelll, do yourself a favor and think of how I can get out of this unfavorable position or else I''ll expose all of it and it won''t work!!" He threatened Daniel.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Despite not wanting to acknowledge Tsudo''s attempt at manipulating him, it was something serious that had to be handled, otherwise the plan that was subjected to all of them would be exposed. And given the amount of exposure going on, it would go without saying that it could prove fatal to the overall plan.

    "Alright, go on ahead." Daniel''s words froze Tsudo "What?" An almost silent reply came from the shocked Tsudo "Let the world know, Tsudo. Expose all of it. It''s your life, after all. You, the owner of it, should have full control of whether or not you wish to forfeit it so merely. So, I encourage you, speak your heart out!" Daniel further motivated Tsudo.

    Twenty seconds remained on the clock.

    "But I should mention, the claim is false. I have zero recollection of ever playing this game. And if I really did, then I wouldn''t have treated it so measly." Daniel confessed "Daniel, that fucking better be true. Or else I''m exposing it." Tsudo gave no quarters "Man, I don''t fucking care about you exposing it... It will be achieved regardless of how many people know it. After all..." Hyunda and Sagasuga''s eyes widened as they heard the upcoming words "This is my domain. Every corner is like home time for me. Mere outsiders like you have no room to breathe------HAHAHA!!" Out of control, Daniel kept laughing over and over "As I thought... The effects are kicking in surprisingly more rapidly than they should... It should take at least a month before the brain is able to merge with the new host, but this is..." Sagasuga murmured to himself.

    Tsudo, on the other hand, opted to ignore Daniel''s "strange" words and kept a strong firm to his vow.

    "You better not be fucking lying... Or else forget about escaping..." Tsudo decided to accept Daniel''s contract and then cast his vote.

    The results dropped as soon as the round was over.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Daniel - (566/600 points)

    2 - Sagasuga - (500/600 points)

    3 - Hinagiku (404/600 points)

    4 - Tatsu (250/250 points)

    5 - Yukishiro (230/250 points)

    6 - Sana (228/250 points)

    7 - Ikkiri (226/250 points)

    8 - Stratos (214/250 points)

    9 - Rayazaki (198/250 points)

    10 - Kuzan (194/250 points)

    11 - Kawahara (182/250 points)

    12 - Lus Sera (154/250 points)

    13 - Akimiyashika (94/99 points)

    14 - Tateyana (80/99 points)

    15 - Kanawari (78/99 points)

    16 - Arkalee (70/99 points)

    17 - Hyunda (69/99 points)

    18 - Tsudo (52/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    Daniel''s expression was most puzzled; Tsudo''s teeth gritted with unfiltered anger.

    "You are fucking retarded!" Daniel wanted to laugh but he was amazed by the stupidity "You seriously thought I would lie so you voted no, when you gave me the threat? It''s like you don''t even trust your own words..." Daniel became rapidly disappointed furthermore with Tsudo''s lackluster competitive spirit "That''s it! You''re fucking done for, Daniel...!!" Tsudo erupted from his seat without warning and spoke to the crowd.

    Many wanted to complain about the results, but they listened to Tsudo instead; Daniel doing nothing to possibly stop him.

    "This retard is planning an escape plan, you hear?! It''s going to happen during lunch time and it''s going down through a secret passage in the male dorm!!" This was brought to light to an even greater attention source.

    The student council collectively watched the stream, in that place, alongside doctor Hwan and many other staff members. Blessed with low artificial light, they enjoyed the spectacle yet were undoubtedly curious about this.

    "An escape plan? Daniel Lead?" The president threw the question up in the air "How interesting... Have there been attempts before at the other schools you''ve attended to, doctor?" Andrea asked "Practically all the time. Most of it comes from the desire to run away from the destructive nature of this game and I don''t blame the damn kids but it just never works and that''s for one simple reason..." The reason was highlighted immediately "Their chokers, which they can never take off their neck, are being traced. But this is, of course, something that they will never know. Hide this knowledge from them and 10 out of 10 times, they will attempt a sneaky plan by using underground passages or avenues with similar elements." The doctor revealed "Ho..." The president was reassured at this "I see, then there''s no need to worry because even if they attempt something, as long as we take action, it''s pointless?" Lyuga spoke to the doctor.

    Usually, the doctor would reply with more confidence, but something about Daniel''s attitude and how carefree he is to this exposure, threw him off.

    "It might be necessary to apply more measures, if you ask me... Implanting guards on the male dorm would be a start yet your president is so adamant on giving them freedom." The doctor could not understand the student council''s president''s approach "It''s for entertainment''s sake. Let the avenues do the talking." These words didn''t please the doctor whatsoever.

    The exposure, on the other hand, commenced as everyone watched.

    "Supposedly, this passage will lead us out of the cage since it connects to one of the blocks, so be on the look for that!!" Embracing total insanity, Tsudo started to talk "He''s just spewing shit, don''t believe him." Kawahara tried to shut him down "HUUUUUUUH?! No, no, no! We planned this shit YESTERDAY because we were so fed up with this bullshit agenda, for fuck''s sake! Hey, why don''t you guys search in the male dorm better?! MAYBE YOU''LL FIND A SURPRISE OR TWO, WHO KNOWS!!" The exposure further escalated "GO TO KAWAHARA''S ROOM AND YOU WILL FIND A PASSAGE!! COME ON, IT''S RIGHT THERE, SEARCH IT UP!!" Kawahara became extremely mad; veins started to pop all over his body "You''re gonna fucking regret this, Tsudo." His expression darkened as Kawahara refused to settle for something that wouldn''t qualify as "deserving" for Tsudo.

    The doctor spoke to the president once again.

    "You can''t tell me you plan to let this slide too?!" He was seriously worried about the president''s negligence "Hm, no, of course not. Send guards to Ryousuke Kawahara''s room and livestream the entire thing to the viewers." Still stuck with the same mentality, the president had strong ties to whatever it meant to please the crowd "Finally..." The doctor got up from the couch, which is filled with many other student council members, and gave orders to the black-suited guards on standby "YOU LOT, YA HEARD THAT?! GET YOUR ASSES MOVING TO THE MALE DORM RIGHT NOW!! AND YOU-----" Approaching the cameraman, nervously preparing his gears, the doctor coldly said: "Make sure to record everything and go as far as you can..." He whispered that into his left ear in order to make sure that he got it "Understood." Convinced, they set out.

    By now, the entire plan had been spoiled by Tsudo, which took about two minutes. The reason why Basara even allowed Tsudo to speak for so long was because he was ordered to let him.

    "Wait, that''s pretty clever, Daniel." Akimiyashika praised him "Thanks, I came up with it all by myself. In theory, it would work, but Tsudo here decided to rain on my parade." Daniel sighed "But that''s ok, I''m sure Tsudo won''t mind what''s coming for him." By now, it would consume Tsudo "Must be so fucking sad, HUH?" Tsudo tried one last attempt "Give me all the best you got, but it won''t matter! This is a game where everyone dies, you RETARDS!!" Tsudo argued with that logic "So you''re offering yourself for the sacrifice? Got it..." Rayazaki bitterly spoke in Tsudo''s direction "Tsk. Yeah right... As if..." Tsudo sat down ultimately, not giving up, despite the fact that he is at the bottom.

    Basara, after witnessing the event, decided to accelerate the moment once again----thus the ninth round began.

    "Daniel Lead cheated on his previous girlfriend by kissing Nasha Sana." Gasps were formed, as Daniel''s expression became distorted "........!!!" Overcame with rage, Daniel gave a violent staredown to Basara "What do you think of this claim? Does it make any sense to you?" Basara left them with the choice as well as the one singular minute "Wow." Tsudo, of all people started to talk "This is so fucking funny, holy shit! You cheated on Yulia with Sana?!" Daniel''s eyes narrowed as his killing intent aimed at Tsudo grew astronomically.

    Daniel had to think rationally, in contrast to his inner emotional turmoil.

    "Should we come clean with it, Sana?" Daniel looked at Sana "Excuse me...?!" Angry, distraught, and furious at the claim itself, Sana didn''t understand where Daniel was coming from "I love Yulia, but you know... This claim, is it really lying...? Is it not what happened?" Daniel''s eyes looked empty; Sana became speechless as she was filled with turbulent emotions "Daniel... What are you saying?! That''s----that didn''t happen! Stop saying that, right now!" But Daniel begged to differ "No, come on, it was during the concert, someone pushed me and I accidentally kissed you in the lips." Sana, although confused at first, slowly realized where Daniel was playing at "You...!! This is not something to treat like a game...!!" It was precisely because she knew what Daniel''s intentions were, that she was mad and in disarray.

    A proposition came forward as there were only thirty-five seconds left.

    "Daniel, I will give you 24 of my points if Tsudo gets the wrong answer this round." Tsudo instantly turned around "What the fuck?! Are you that fucking mad I leaked it?! HAHA!!" Tsudo laughed in despair "Quick, Daniel. Yes or no?" Kawahara insisted with Daniel "Yeah, ok, I''ll do it." The contract was hereby formed "You desperate motherfuckers just wanna see me fall but this was all your fucking fault, Daniel! You can''t be trusted, you motherfucking liar! Look at all this division, it''s all you!" With spite, Tsudo accused Daniel.

    But Daniel was simply attempting to think of a very small strategy to execute which would 100% make Tsudo fail this round.

    "Hm..." While Daniel was thinking of a strategy to execute, Sagasuga took heed of the overly nervous Tsudo "Shit, shit, shit, shit----I''m so fucked, the fuck did I do that for!?" Inexplicably, Tsudo began to show a high level of regret for his actions "Tsudo." Sagasuga, nearby him, just about two seats away to his right, called out to Tsudo, who slowly looked into his direction "There is a way, but you must recall my suggestion." Sagasuga additionally looked at Tatsu "....." Though Tatsu didn''t reply in the same manner.

    Daniel took notice of what they were discussing.

    "Hmm... What does the future hold, should he live..." Daniel began to envision a future where Tsudo wouldn''t be subjected to the execution round "No." His sharp thought kicked in "What good will it do?! I''m fucked, regardless!" Tsudo said "Nonsense." Sagasuga dispelled Tsudo''s worries slightly "There is a very clear and effective way to keep you from being subjected to the upcoming execution round, and no one in this room, can stop this strategy." Sagasuga, brimming with confidence, said.

    Though there are less than twenty seconds left, multiple people were enticed by Sagasuga''s words.

    "Hey...!! Sagasuga, you''re not bailing him out, are you?! What are you thinking?!" Akimiyashika protested immediately "He''s a fucking rapist! Let him undergo the execution round!" Many seemed to agree with Akimiyashika "She''s right! Tsudo must die! A child rapist... cannot be allowed to breathe..." Kuzan demonstrated his rage "I understand your feelings." Sagasuga crossed his fingers "If you do, don''t do ANYTHING!! AND I MEAN, ANYTHING. OR ELSE YOU''RE IN THE SAME LEAGUE FOR TRYING TO DEFEND A PEDOPHILE WHO IS ALSO A RAPIST!!" Akimiyashika''s voice scoured through the volume charts.

    Before time ran out, Daniel had a word with Tsudo.

    "Tsudo, on a real note, it didn''t happen. Yulia is the love of my life, no one will ever replace her. Committing an act of cheating would be something that I wouldn''t be able to live with." Daniel''s words, at this point, meant nothing to Tsudo, even if he takes his emotional intuition into the equation "50/50. Leave it to chance. Chance is luck. Luck encompasses success and failure into two sides. Your winning odds remain even, should you place your good logical faith in chance, an element of balance." Sagasuga proposed "..........." Tsudo clicked his tongue and ultimately, closed his eyes as he blindly voted.

    The results for the ninth round were in.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Daniel - (566/600 points)

    2 - Sagasuga - (512/600 points)

    3 - Tatsu (436/600 points)

    4 - Hinagiku (392/600 points)

    5 - Yukishiro (242/250 points)

    6 - Sana (228/250 points)

    7 - Ikkiri (226/250 points)

    8 - Stratos (238/250 points)

    9 - Rayazaki (225/250 points)

    10 - Tateyana (204/250 points)

    11 - Kuzan (182/250 points)

    12 - Kawahara (170/250 points)

    13 - Lus Sera (142/250 points)

    14 - Arkalee (94/99 points)

    15 - Hyunda (93/99 points)

    16 - Kanawari (90/99 points)

    17 - Akimiyashika (82/99 points)

    18 - Tsudo (40/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    A most quick realization was made from those who got the correct and incorrect guesses.

    "Wait, it''s true." Rayazaki, who voted positive, became certain "Daniel cheated on Yulia for Sana? That''s crazy... But I wouldn''t put it past him..." Tatsu remarked "Seriously? God, no wonder she killed herself. Her best friend cheated on her with her boyfriend!" Yukishiro maliciously laughed "Ohgod---" Succumbing to the weak feelings under pressure, Sana began to weep whilst guarding her face with her two arms on the table.

    Context aside, something happened that hadn''t happened in a while.

    "Oh, we got it right this time! Nice!" Hyunda smirked at Arkalee happily "Haha yeah..." Arkalee rejoiced but at a lower level "I mean... You planned this... There is no way you voted no, haha..." Hysterically, Arkalee murmured that to herself "Hey, sweetheart. Let''s vote together next time from here on, alright?" Hyunda suggested to Arkalee "Mhm, okay!" Happy, Arkalee accepted, but still kept an undying vigilance over Hyunda''s actions.

    Tateyana, who had won this round, found herself suddenly panting due to the victory.

    "Oh God! Thank you! Now this pretty much guarantees that I won''t end on the bottom bracket!" Where as Tsudo... "Hey, Sagasuga! What''s the plan?! The 50/50 didn''t work, man!!" Given that it''s a 50/50, there''s obviously an equal chance of winning and failing "Keep silent for now." In a harsh tone, Sagasuga ordered "What....?! I am going to fucking die!!" His voice started to crack as he started to cry "Oh my... So you did cheat on her with Sana, Daniel..." Hinagiku was genuinely surprised that she got her guess wrong "So you''re fine with that type of stuff..." She looked over Daniel, who had a blank expression, contrasting the emotional Sana.

    Many would expect the tenth round to be the last, but Basara''s start told otherwise.

    Though, Basara had an uneasy and mildly puzzled expression as he was reading the upcoming claim.

    "Every month, all over the world, a person named Daniel Lead dies." By far, out of all the claims, this one was the most confusing to digest "Tell me your thoughts on this, will you?" The hourglass appeared.

    The first thought was an obvious one.

    "It could be true. We humans as a whole are eight billion." Tatsu found the claim possible due to the sheer number of humans all across the globe "But, EVERY MONTH, a person named Daniel Lead, the exact same name as this guy, dying? That sounds INSANITY!" Rayazaki suspected the claim, by contrast "........" Daniel kept thinking about the context of this claim.

    A most unexpected person, decided to offer his thoughts on the matter.

    "I think it''s impossible." Hyunda would then further elaborate "To be more precise as to why, it''s important to know just how many people die in general." Hyunda then started to delve into the statistics based on his own knowledge "Studies show that every month, 4,6 million people die. In a week, the estimate is around 1,5 million. If we go over to a day a week, then it''s 150 thousand. In a single hour, 6 thousand. And of course, in a single minute, 106." This was news to many of them present; as a matter of fact, it wouldn''t be authentically wrong to assume that only Hyunda knows these numbers concretely "So, what is there to take from this..." Akimiyashika asked, a bit confused "Well---the claim stated that a person named Daniel Lead dies every month, all across the globe. I''ve mentioned how 4,6 million people die every month. Tatsu mentioned that our population is 8 billion. This might be hard for some of you to imagine, but the mere comparison, is absurd, to say the least." Hyunda concluded.

    While obvious to some that Hyunda had a point, there were some that struggled in the mathematical department as a whole.

    "Whatever, this sounds like another 50/50." Tateyana concluded as she placed her blind faith on a random vote "There''s no way this is random. It''s impossible." Hyunda sighed "Let me just give you people the very crucial factor here. If we know our population is 8 billion then you just have to do one thing." They waited for Hyunda''s revelation "Multiple 4.6 million 12 times, since a year has 12 months." But this was met with distraught "HOW THE FUCK DO I KNOW THE RESULT TO THAT?! I FUCKING HATE MATH!!" Tateyana tried to defend her lazy approach "Same, I can''t stand Math..." Tsudo agreed, but Tateyana thought nothing of it "It''s 55.2 million. That''s how many people, in theory, die a year. Take 55,2 million away from 8 billion and what do you get? You get: 7,94 billion. Well, roughly around that..." Hyunda knew there were more numbers as a whole.

    Hyunda''s explanation had left 15 seconds on the clock.

    "Wait, that sounds highly unlikely then..." Ikkiri saw his point "Right?" Hyunda agreed "I''ll say it again, it''s not 50/50. Daniel over here isn''t some sort of sci-fi experiment that gets to experience death every month and is born every day. Let''s be realistic for a second." Hyunda voted negatively as so did Arkalee "Wait, Daniel, what''s your answer?!" Despite only seven seconds remaining, Akimiyashika "An obvious no." He settled for that "I don''t think he knows the correct answer to this one, honestly. Otherwise, he would''ve tried some shit..." Yukishiro claimed as he witnessed Lus and Kanawari''s reactions.

    Both of them looked extremely indecisive on what to vote.

    The round was concluded shortly after; with the rankings updated:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Daniel - (874/1000 points)

    2 - Sagasuga - (512/600 points)

    3 - Tatsu (424/600 points)

    4 - Hinagiku (416/600 points)

    5 - Yukishiro (242/250 points)

    6 - Sana (228/250 points)

    7 - Stratos (226/250 points)

    8 - Ikkiri (214/250 points)

    9 - Rayazaki (213/250 points)

    10 - Kawahara (194/250 points)

    11 - Tateyana (192/250 points)

    12 - Kuzan (170/250 points)

    13 - Lus Sera (166/250 points)

    14 - Arkalee (82/99 points)

    15 - Hyunda (81/99 points)

    16 - Kanawari (78/99 points)

    17 - Akimiyashika (70/99 points)

    18 - Tsudo (28/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    The first thing they did was to see their points and upon seeing the collective reduction, they saw Daniel''s points. The sheer colossal difference in points, as they realized that it was only possible due to the words of one person, made him become the target of hate.

    "HYUNDA, YOU RETARD!! Damn it, I''m never falling for this shit or anything that comes from your mouth ever again!!" Tsudo complained as he further dropped down the line "If it was only Tsudo who dropped down then I wouldn''t be this upset, but Daniel practically gained over a hundred points in a single ROUND!! AND HE BROKE THE FUCKING BARRIER TOO!!" Rayazaki confessed with bittersweet anger "HIS POINTS ARE OVER 800!!! WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH THAT?! FUCK YOU, HYUNDA!!" Tateyana cursed him as so did many others "DIE, PIECE OF SHIT!!" It continued on and on as Hyunda became the target of harassment.

    Hyunda could not believe it though, how he had gotten it wrong. His expression was filled with doubt as he thought he had everything right.

    "W-What?! No way...!" His jaw dropped "But it doesn''t make any mathematical sense... So I guess it''s a coincidence then...?! Huh...!" Genuinely confused as to how he got the answer wrong, Hyunda couldn''t stop thinking over it "......" Arkalee paid attention to Hyunda''s expression to see any cracks in it, but caught nothing "Bad luck, I suppose?" Hyunda came to that conclusion himself "Yeah, that has to be it..." He reasoned to himself.

    Daniel tried to make sense of the claim but his brain could not produce a thought akin to that of an evidence in regard to it.

    The eleventh round would then start and everyone, without exception, had a singular expectation.

    "Daniel Lead was raised in an orphanage in Brazil and killed all of his dormmates when he was 5 years old, with a kitchen knife." Daniel''s face became one with confusion once again "Fucking Brazil?!" Kawahara couldn''t hold his inner laugh "What says you, excellencies?" Basara left it at that.

    Daniel profoundly sighed.

    "Ugh... Nope, nothing..." He made a defeated sigh as he thought of a strategy "No matter how much I try, I just can''t seem to recall..." He sighed yet again "Wait a goddamn second, this is the eleventh round! Shouldn''t this have already stopped?!" Rayazaki made a valid complaint "It''s probably the last before the final one? But I agree, it''s dragging on for so fucking long. God, these judgment rounds feel never-ending..." It was true, as Tatsu remarked "There''s no way you were raised in fucking Brazil, I am not buying it." Kawahara instantly voted no "It doesn''t help that your name is Daniel, which is multi-diverse in multiple languages too... Ugh..." Akimiyashika struggled to find the right answer.

    Daniel concluded his thought process.

    "Voc�� acha?" Kawahara''s eyes widened "FUCKER!!" Subsequently, Kawahara grabbed his hairstrands "AHHHH, FUCK HE KNOWS THEIR LANGUAGE!!" Having accepted defeat, Kawahara agonozing "Wait, that''s Brazilian...?!" Tateyana asked the fuming Kawahara "It''s called Portuguese, you dumb slut. But yes, it''s the language that they speak in... AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Unleashing a loud scream, Kawahara looked at his score "Shit... Tateyana and Kuzan will be ahead of me if they vote it right...!!" He took ahold of his head sideways "Ohhh my fucking leaaaaaaaaadddddddd!!!" Everyone understood that Kawahara was having a mental breakdown "It''s just -12 points, chill." Hinagiku reasoned as she voted "My points..." Thoroughly defeated, Kawahara started to mumble to himself.

    There wasn''t much conversation as this round was decided fairly quickly.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Daniel - (832/1000 points)

    2 - Sagasuga - (512/600 points)

    3 - Tatsu (412/600 points)

    4 - Hinagiku (404/600 points)

    5 - Yukishiro (242/250 points)

    6 - Ikkiri (238/250 points)

    7 - Sana (228/250 points)

    8 - Stratos (214/250 points)

    9 - Rayazaki (201/250 points)

    10 - Kawahara (218/250 points)

    11 - Tateyana (180/250 points)

    12 - Kuzan (168/250 points)

    13 - Lus Sera (154/250 points)

    14 - Akimiyashika (94/99 points)

    15 - Hyunda (93/99 points)

    16 - Kanawari (90/99 points)

    17 - Arkalee (70/99 points)

    18 - Tsudo (52/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    The results proved to be catastrophic.

    "I am DONE!! GET DANIEL OUT, I DON''T WANNA PLAY AGAINST HIM!!" Arkalee vouched her complaint towards Daniel "Hmm, we voted different this time, I guess you finally had a bad luck round!" Hyunda snapped his right hand fingers and claimed "No!" Arkalee got up "Not bad luck! You... You two are collaborating on this!" She made the accusation "Huh?! Say what now?" Hyunda''s face became weirded out "Every damn time, you get it wrong! I don''t know what you two are doing, but this is intentional! That''s how Daniel''s points are so high now! Your entire blabbering made Daniel get over a hundred points last round! Because everyone listened to you, Daniel climbed up!!" Arkalee raged "Shit... She kinda has a point... Daniel is LITERALLY a COUPLE HUNDRED POINTS away from breaking THAT 1000 POINT BARRIER!! How many fucking points will he earn that?!" Tsudo, on the losing side, despite having actually won this round, saw Arkalee''s point.

    Hyunda argued slightly.

    "You''re so moody today. What''s with you? You''re so annoying lately..." Hyunda yawned "I''m... WHAT?!" Enraged, Arkalee became consumed "You''re the one at fault here, you bitch." Many were surprised at Hyunda''s specific choice of words, as their jaws dropped; some even went out of their ways to place their hands in front of their mouths-----mainly the girls "Oh snap... Is this really happening?" Addicted to the drama, Yukishiro became delighted "What did you just... call me...?!" In disbelief, Arkalee trembled as Hyunda got up and faced Arkalee "A bitch. I''ve been telling you for you to pick a different choice from me, but you decided otherwise. Then you decide to pick the opposing choice to me in spite of insisting on picking my choice. You''re dragging me down, Arkalee." Hyunda then started to walk towards the southwest, far from where he is "HEY!! GET BACK HERE, WE''RE NOT DONE!!" Arkalee wanted a piece of her mind, but right now, all attention was onto where Hyunda was going.

    The eyes followed him as Arkalee desperately chased after him.

    And eventually, he halted his tracks behind Tatsu.

    "Swap seats with me, will you?" In a demanding tone, Hyunda told Tatsu "W-What?!?!?!? You''re going to swap places?! You''re distancing yourself from me?!" Arkalee stepped on the ground "No... Why me?" Tatsu was perplexed at Hyunda''s seat target "What, you won''t do it for free?" Hyunda asked "Hyunda, listen to me! You can''t do this, I won''t allow it! I''m your girlfriend, you have to listen to me!!" But Hyunda paid her no mind and focused on the indecisive Tatsu "Hm..." Seeing as he was left with no choice, Hyunda gave Tatsu an undeniable deal.

    Hyunda added a countermeasure, as he summoned the voting screen with a swipe of his right finger.

    "32 points go from me to you if you swap, how about it?" Tatsu''s eyes widened as he subsequently looked at the ranking ladder "WHAT?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME, HYUNDA?! YOU''D DO THAT FOR A CHANGE OF PLACES, TO BE AWAY FROM ME?!" Arkalee grabbed onto Hyunda''s right arm sleeve "Let fucking go, Arkalee." Hyunda coldly ordered "No! What''s with you?! Why now?! You love me, don''t you?! So, OBEY ME!!" Her voice gained new volume "Today, tomorrow? When, Tatsu? Is it not appealing to you or some shit? If I take my finger off it, it''s cancelled, by the way." Hyunda completely ignored Arkalee once again and applied the pressure on Tatsu.

    Nobody wanted to tell Tatsu the real obvious answer because they knew just how good of an offer it was for simply swapping sweats.

    And Tatsu, knew from heart, that it was not a deal to pass. Therefore, he got up from his seat and instantly pressed the accept button.

    "I ACCEPT IT!! I WILL SWAP PLACES WITH YOU, YES!!" Arkalee''s jaw dropped, as well as her face which became hectic with negative emotions "HYUNDA!! YOU DON''T WANT TO DO THIS!!" Seeing as she was no longer being listened to, Arkalee tried another angle "Get out, now." At Hyunda''s command, Tatsu started to walk to the seat where Hyunda was previously "HYUNDA, PLEASE!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! ANSWER ME!!" She shook Hyunda over and over, but Hyunda was starting to get annoyed "Teacher, can you tell these guards to get this leech off me?! I can''t even take a seat, for fuck''s sake! I gave up 32 of my points, Tsudo might catch up to me if he wins the next round since I have a mere 61 points!" It was interesting why Basara was allowing this drama to get this far.

    He was, however, ordered not to interfere, as something that relates to point deduction/acquisition, should be allowed to fully escalate.

    "Arkalee, will you go back to your seat now?" Basara asked "NO!! I WANT HYUNDA!! HE''S MY BOYFRIEND, I HAVE TO TEACH HOW TO CLEARLY TREAT ME GOOD BECAUSE THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT IT! OH NO, IT ISN''T!" Arkalee didn''t like Hyunda''s attitude and rebellion towards her, so she didn''t back down and tried to approach him as he took his seat "No? Ok." Basara signaled the guards to arrest her and she was placed back to her seat via brute force "That''s one light to you, move again and it''s another." Arkalee''s red lights, which were six, went to seven now "You...!! We''re not done talking!!" Arkalee pointed at Hyunda, from across the table, with tears and red eyes "True, gotta make sure the next one is the last one!" Hyunda remarked "Shiiiiittttttttttttt!!!" Rayazaki got excited "AGHHH!!!" Drowning in tears mixed with rage, Arkalee smashed her fists on the table; her makeup becoming widely spread across her face.

    Daniel and Hinagiku swapped glances midst this.

    "Wait, speaking of red lights... Who has the most right now?!" Kuzan asked a valid question "Tsudo for sure... He has nine... He''s one wrong guess away from blowing up!" Tateyana, who has 7 red lights, pointed out "A-Ahhhh!!!" Tsudo, upon seeing with how many red lights were lit up on his choker, confirmed that it was that spoken amount "No, wait... How many does he have?" Hyunda was questioned by Tatsu from afar "Hmm... Eight?" He checked them "Yeah, eight." He said, without any worries, thus it was confirmed that Tsudo indeed had the most.

    Basara, by another slide, figured that too much time had gone to waste already.

    "Daniel Lead contributed to Hikaru Yulia''s suicide." Daniel began to feel it "Decide, excellencies." Basara gave the heads-up "Do you feel safe?" Not to Basara, but towards the numerous cameras scattered across the room, even the orbiting ones, Daniel referred to as he said that "You must really think you''re above me to go out of your way to write down those lines and send them over here---where I can hear them." His face radiated apathy, not a trace of rage, despite the nature of his words.

    Naturally, no response came forth.

    "He brings an interesting point!" Seok, doctor Hwan''s grandson, spoke to the rest of the student council body, as the doctor was currently absent "Who is in charge of these questions?! Are they pre-written, or is there somebody actually delivering them to their teacher?" This got a lot of the student council members thinking, but they ultimately consulted the president as he sat on the very center of the couch, eating a slice of brownie cheesecake "Hmn..." He cleaned up the corners of his lips with his personal handkerchief "You''re mistaken to think that someone is writing them, but you are right to assume that they are pre-written. In reality, there are dozens of claims about the criminals, but the person in charge simply picks the one they prefer." The president highlighted "I see... So, who is selecting them?" Andrea asked.

    But the president simply shrugged sideways.

    "I''m afraid that''s out of my reach. We are merely spectators here, the ultimate puppet master is the principal, as per usual..." The unsatisfactory answer arrived "Ahh, man what a let down. I kinda wanted to know who it was... Because, really, we didn''t get to learn much about Daniel Lead so far, it''s somewhat disappointing? Like, take this claim for example. It''s not meant to be a revealing factor of his criminal life but almost as if..." Liyuga stopped midway "......." He realized something "What? Speak." Andrea insisted he expelled his thoughts "I---I don''t know, it feels a bit too personal in regards to recent events?" Nobody understood what Liyuga felt "Aren''t the claims supposed to be personal whether or not they are recent? Anyways, that''s not even the most disturbing part. Why are they in their 12th round? Is there some basis for deciding the number of rounds in a judgment round?" Skan asked "Hm, I don''t know either..." Krale replied "But maybe it''s sticking to a pattern? First it was 11, then 10, and now 12? Meaning it will go to like 9 and then 13?" Bryce, the youngest of them, suggested "Let''s just watch. If anything, I''m more intrigued by what will be found out by the searching squad." They settled as they watched the event unfold.

    His face was thwarted with nervosity.

    "Uh, this might be bad... Shit, aren''t I gonna be the one who will be executed?!" Hyunda gasped as his face started to sweat "Y-You only noticed it now?!" Akimiyashika, who is on his left side, found his stupidity overwhelming "I... I didn''t plan on giving all of them up! I just wanted to get the fuck away from Arkalee, sighhhhhhh..." He profoundly sighed, as he bashed his head into the center of the table "...I can''t say I don''t understand how you''d feel, after all, it must be pretty suffocating." Akimiyashika sympathized "It is. She''s so fucking patronizing and hard to please. Man, why did I ever think she was good for me?" Hyunda sighed once again "...How would I know..." Akimiyashika shrug Hyunda aside and focused on engaging questions to Daniel and the rest in order to extract information that could lead to a better outcome.

    Hyunda''s head rolled to the right side, where he saw familiar brown hairstrands.

    Out of curiosity, he fiddled with them, with his right hand.

    He found them quite silky.

    "........" Refusing to give a damn about the vote, she didn''t lift her head from her arms.

    Hyunda''s fingers then started to go to her neck, where he started to tickle it.

    She quickly grabbed his right hand with her left hand, as her face erupted out of shame with tears falling on her cheeks.

    "Stop that...!!" A mixture of shame with rage was seen on her face "Oh, Sana!" Hyunda looked at her, with a smile "Why''re you so down, suddenly?!" He asked, to which she didn''t instantly replied.

    Instinctively, she looked at the hourglass and twenty seconds were exhibited.

    "What do you want?" An extremely hostile yet calm question came from her "Yeah well, I''m kinda fucked, so I need your help." Hyunda was honest as he recomposed his posture; as so did Sana but more slowly "You are fucked because you wasted 32 points to switch places, you moron. Tsudo had the fall guaranteed but then you did that stupid deal with Tatsu! Now he might have a chance to get a safe spot! What''s with you?!" Sana shook her head in utter disappointment.

    It''s more than just true.

    Hyunda''s current points on the ladder are 61.

    "But well, if you do manage to get it right, you will be at 85 points, but that''s assuming you do and that Tsudo doesn''t... You know..." Sana calculated the dangers "Oh, so there''s a chance for me?!" Hyunda beamed with hope "Aghhhh, no! You''re stupid, you deserve to fail!" Sana became mad, as time started to tick "Ehhh, you''re so mean, wow!" Hyunda''s face decomposed in sadness "I am not." She denied the accusation "No, you are. But you''re not, if you tell me the right answer. You see, I''ve been having a streak of bad luck recently. I''ll vote what you''ll vote." Hyunda decided.

    Across the table, Arkalee was watching them talk with hatred and rage.

    "You filthy womanizer...!!! You took advantage of me all along, you goddamn...!!!" Her teeth were on the verge of cracking down from all the cackling "Hey, don''t forget to vote, or else----" Tatsu reminded Arkalee "Ah, I know! Damn it!" Arkalee knew the right answer all along "...No way, I don''t wanna vote..." Sana refused, even with less than ten seconds on the clock "Suicide? Really?" Hyunda was surprised "Don''t stop me." Her eyes were serious "Hm..." Hyunda took a quick grasp of the time as it kept winding down.

    He voted accordingly and then forced Sana to vote by grabbing her left hand''s index finger all the way to the part where it said "yes" on her voting screen as well as pressing the still open contract that Daniel had to offer; all with her fingerprint.

    "Hyunda!!" She was authentically mad and ready to kill as her bloodlust grew higher "You''re not dying on my watch." Sana felt emotionally manipulated "That was foul...!! This type of claim---he doesn''t deserve it, coming from me...!!" She started to cry again "And you know that..." All the results were accumulated.

    Thus, the twelfth round''s standings were the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Daniel - (700/1000 points)

    2 - Sagasuga - (548/600 points)

    3 - Tatsu (480/600 points)

    4 - Ikkiri (466/600 points)

    5 - Yukishiro (454/600 points)

    6 - Sana (452/600 points)

    7 - Hinagiku (428/600 points)

    8 - Kawahara (242/250 points)

    9 - Rayazaki (228/250 points)

    10 - Akimiyashika (218/250 points)

    11 - Tateyana (204/250 points)

    12 - Stratos (202/250 points)

    13 - Kanawari (202/250 points)

    14 - Kuzan (192/250 points)

    15 - Lus Sera (178/250 points)

    16 - Arkalee (94/99 points)

    17 - Tsudo (76/99 points)

    18 - Hyunda (49/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    "OH THANK FUCK!!" Tsudo gasped for some air as he avoided the last red light to be lit up, by getting the right answer "Now that''s more like it!" Kawahara liked where he was seated in the ranking ladder at the current moment "68." Tatsu summed up the points he earned this round and the ones he got from Hyunda''s deal "Oh, I will get there soon... Keep drowning, darling..." To Hyunda, Arkalee said those words almost silently "......." Hinagiku''s expression darkened as she saw how she got overtaken "Everybody voted yes, so Daniel took some motherfucking damage, hah! He had 832 points but lost so many to the point where he is at a mere 700 points!" Rayazaki laughed as he was close to promotion as well.

    Daniel maintained a blank expression as he kept firming looking over the cameras and not his classmates, at all.

    "I mean, considering he shouldn''t have gotten a fucking point to begin with-----I hate to admit, but this is pretty good..." Tateyana claimed "The only reason he has been able to get points is because of how many people like you have accepted his contract. He would be sunk by now." Sagasuga became disappointed "Ah... True... Though, you haven''t accepted his contract yet?!" The window was still open right beside him "And I won''t. It doesn''t affect me." Sagasuga remained indifferent.

    To conclude, everybody was satisfied.

    And Basara, the momentum generator, produced the upcoming lines as he took a deep breath.

    "Daniel Lead, in order to hide the evidence of his narcotic past, has divided his drug empire in 195 countries, thus ordering his organization to bury narcotics in them, in hidden hideouts." Another claim was made "ANOTHER ONE?! ARE YOU FUCKING WITH ME?! THIS IS THE THIRTEENTH ROUND, ENOUGH!! COME ON!!" Tsudo was beyond agitated "......" Sagasuga noticed the abnormality as well "Wait, seriously... Another one...? I mean, I don''t mind, actually..." Ikkiri murmured to herself, seeing how she was fourth on the ranking ladder "This has to be the last round to the one where we have to vote on whether Daniel should die or not." Akimiyashika concluded.

    Without saying anything this time, Basara allowed the hourglass to do its work.

    "Erm, Daniel?" Ikkiri spoke to Daniel, who was looking at the cameras still "What?" He still kept firmly staring at them "Uh, do you have some thoughts about this?" It was rather unusual to see Daniel not try to manipulate the wave of information "Figure it out by yourself." He coldly replied "....." Ikkiri got shut down fairly quickly "Wait, why is Ikkiri suddenly so active?" Arkalee asked out loud but Tatsu replied as he is next to her "Look at her ranking..." Tatsu pointed out "Hmrh?" Arkalee found it absurd to do so, but she did nonetheless "What." A singular word of disbelief came forth "There''s no way. That has to be a mistake. That whore----this can''t be allowed! Fucking fourth place?! Ugh, how many more to the list?!" Tatsu was curious about this "list" that Arkalee briefly mentioned.

    There was some discussion amongst them.

    "Alright, so it''s pretty evident that Daniel is a drug lord----given that, is it really hard to believe he chose to split up his empire all across the globe?" Rayazaki asked "It kinda isn''t... Don''t wanna ego boost the dude but he does have some braincells..." Tateyana tried to avoid complimenting him as much as she could "But why all over the globe?" Akimiyashika asked "Probably for worst case scenario back-up measure and also because it''s an insanely well-thought out strategy. The police and justice systems work differently from country to country, and let''s just say that, South American countries, for example---are NOTORIOUS for allowing this kind of shit. It''s a fair yes." Kawahara concluded.

    Everyone was starting to swing to the side of the positive answer as they believed that Daniel truly did it.

    "Holy shit, I actually wouldn''t be surprised if some of the ADHD drugs I did in the past were provided by Daniel''s resources." Tsudo voted yes as he said that "Hey, Daniel! How rich are you?!" Tateyana asked, just out mere curiosity "All the money I had is gone." He openly confessed as many started to vote "Oh, what happened to it?" Tateyana persisted "As if I fucking know." He replied with a puzzling answer "Uh, it''s YOUR money, no? You managed your money, no?" Tateyana had a firm grip and a logical point, actually "Yeah. I would like to think so. Unless, of course... Someone else managed for me." Daniel kept delivering answers that only gave birth to more questions.

    Sana, on the other hand, was finding this particular claim to be really not what it seemed to be.

    "Didn''t expect Daniel to be the Gol. D. Rogers of the real world!" Hyunda whistled in shock "Mhm..." Sana''s eyes narrowed "Hey, what''s up? You''re a contrarian, suddenly? Should be a yes, no?" Hyunda gauged her thought process "I am not." She denied it, slightly irritated "Oh?" Hyunda prompted the answer "It''s just... 195 countries is too much... That''s all the official countries in the world. Is there really a need to hide the narcotics in all of them? Wouldn''t it be safer to hide them in multiple yet less places where their whereabouts are simply... you know... unknown...? Why bother to place them in official countries that could get them checked out eventually...?" Hyunda was thoroughly surprised at Sana''s ability to reason "Smart." He let out the praise "I''m voting no..." Sana was about to click it "Ugh, you forced me to accept the contract, so fuck you. Now if I fail to get the correct answer I will lose 12 points in addition to getting a red light." Sana cursed Hyunda.

    Hyunda voted at the same time as Sana.

    "But you broke through the point barrier thanks to it. Gambling is fucking fun, isn''t it?" Hyunda smirked in her direction "It''s fucking not. Also..." Sana clearly saw what Hyunda voted "You don''t agree with me?" She found his behavior strange but deep down knew "I do, actually." Hyunda didn''t mind telling the truth "Are you serious... Not you too... What''s with you two... This can''t be happening..." Not just disappointed, she was worried "Hey, listen, I kinda wanna kill my girlfriend super bad, so I need some way to do it and there is no better way to do it than..." Hyunda''s smile increased "You... don''t have to..." Sana tried to conjure a sentence "Hm? What''d you say?" Hyunda wanted her to repeat herself "...Nothing......" The results were shown shortly after.

    The most intense and drawn out judgment round, in its thirteenth round, presented the following results:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Daniel - (828/1000 points)

    2 - Sagasuga - (560/600 points)

    3 - Sana (476/600 points)

    4 - Tatsu (468/600 points)

    5 - Ikkiri (454/600 points)

    6 - Yukishiro (454/600 points)

    7 - Hinagiku (452/600 points)

    8 - Kawahara (416/600 points)

    9 - Rayazaki (216/250 points)

    10 - Stratos (214/250 points)

    11 - Kanawari (214/250 points)

    12 - Arkalee (208/250 points)

    13 - Akimiyashika (206/250 points)

    14 - Lus Sera (202/250 points)

    15 - Tateyana (192/250 points)

    16 - Kuzan (180/250 points)

    17 - Tsudo (64/99 points)

    18 - Hyunda (37/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    Immediately, Tsudo got up from his chair, the moment he saw his ranking points decrease thus indicating the inevitable for him.

    "OH SHIT, OH SHIT!!! I''M GOING TO FUCKING DIE!! MY HEAD''S GONNA EXPLODE, HOLY FUCKKKKKKKKK!!!!!" In a stage of maximum paranoia, Tsudo couldn''t contain himself "OH MY FUCKING GOD, NOT LIKE THIS, PLEA----" But despite the tenth red light being lit up, nothing actually happened.

    Which shocked a lot of people.

    "Wait, he DIDN''T DIE?!" Akimiyashika was revolted "WHY?! TEN RED LIGHTS, AS THE CHAT SAID, SHOULD GET YOUR HEAD BLOWN OFF!! ISN''T THAT WHAT THE RED LIGHTS ARE FOR?! WHAT GIVES?!" She directed her words to Basara, mainly "You will just have to find out." Basara was allusive as always "Holy shit, I am alive?!" Tsudo gasped for air continuously as he couldn''t believe it "There''s no way this doesn''t come with danger... Maybe you actually only get your head blown up when you have ten red lights lit up? As if it''s some sort of detonation pattern? Maybe it will send a shock wave only if at the time, there were already ten red lights..." Hinagiku reasoned, further scarying Tsudo "Eh? No, no... AHHH FUCK ME, I DON''T WANNA DIE!!!" Tsudo started to cry and got on his knees.

    More specifically, he knelt on the cold floor, and put his two hands together as he conjured the following words to Sagasuga.

    "I accept the deal, just please make some miracle happen! I don''t wanna die nor do I wanna be subjected to execution! Come on, please!!" Tsudo begged "VILE SCUM!! DON''T ACCEPT IT, SAGASUGA!! I WILL PAY YOU 100 POINTS!!" Akimiyashika began to form a verbal contract "Hiroyoshi Sagasuga, until this judgment round is over, if you do nothing to help Toharoh Tsudo, I will award you with 100 points!" The contract appeared on the screen, in front of Sagasuga "Holy shit, she''s out for blood..." Rayazaki was surprised at Akimiyashika''s determination for Tsudo''s demise "HUH?! Man, please! I''ll do anything!! Throw me a lifeline, that''s all I''m asking for!!" Tsudo changed his request in a way that not even Sagasuga could ignore "Anything, you say?" Sagasuga was most interested.

    It was at times like these, where Sagasuga''s true nature could be seen, even at a minimal glance.

    "Yes, anything! Under the condition that I don''t die or become subjected to execution! That''s all I''m asking!!" Entrusting his blind faith to Sagasuga, who houses 560 points, Tsudo was helpless "Alright. I don''t want you to die and frankly, I don''t want anybody here to die either, so I will fulfill your conditions if you accept the following contract..." With his right hand, Sagasuga began to dial out the verbal contract "For as long as you''re alive, 50% of your points will be transferred to me every time you get them right." Kanawari twitched as she started to see a pattern "Hey, isn''t that literally the same shit he said to Kanawari when he got a shot at Lus?!" Rayazaki said "Yup..." Notoriously, Sagasuga made his bargain ".........25%, please......." Tsudo counter-bargained "Not good enough. I believe my offer was fairly generous, so with that in mind, I''m bumping it up to 65%." Sagasuga made Tsudo instantly regret trying to counter-bargain; his face emmited far too much sweat by the second "6-65%?! That''s---!!!" Tsudo feared the worst outcome.

    He was so nervous and afraid to the point where he couldn''t even process the entire calculations should he accept this deal.

    "I-I accept.... it....." With hollow eyes and a looming despair, Tsudo got up a little bit and pressed the option that would allow him to accept the contract.

    Sagasuga, in a manner of courtesy, got up from his chair and extended his right hand to Tsudo.

    "A pleasure doing business with you." Shaken and defeated in spirit, Tsudo cowardly took the hand and recomposed himself "He''s fucked..." Akimiyashika canceled the contract with Sagasuga the moment Tsudo accepted Sagasuga''s "65%? Jesus Christ, that''s... So let''s say he gets the 24 points, you know, the 12 from the round itself and the 12 from Kanawari, since if she gets the right answer, she will be awarded with 24 points but half of those are extracted to Sagasuga, thus 12... Now add the possibility of him accepting Daniel''s contract, which would give him an extra 12, in total 36... How much of that goes to Sagasuga...?!" Ikkiri spoke, a bit anxious "1 fucking 5. Yuuuuuuuuup." Rayazaki answered to Ikkiri, but gave another piece of information "A grand additional 15 points. Each round, if everything goes accordingly and he gets everything right, he wins 36 points. But now, if you add this contract to the fucking equation, he will win 65% points from Tsudo... For that to happen, Tsudo must score positively, which means he would win 24 points, 12 from the round and 12 from Daniel. Now, apply this shit and Sagasuga is stealing 15 points from Tsudo!!" Rayazaki stressed his point "How much in total then?!?!?" Ikkiri made a valid question.

    Sagasuga didn''t mind answering.

    "I''m afraid you two forgot a crucial detail and that''s I am under a 50% point acquisition boost, since I earned it last round." Ikkiri and Rayazaki were shocked as they forgot "Therefore, you have to add an extra 12 points to the entire equation, which would give me 63 as a whole if everything goes right. With that said... I''m not taking Daniel''s contract, so your reasoning''s conclusion isn''t off the charts. 51 points is indeed the best case scenario for me " Sagasuga admitted "Show-off..." Rayazaki didn''t like Sagasuga''s attitude "Impressive reasoning, Rayazaki, Ikkiri." He applauded them "I just want everybody to know that in this game, in dire times of need, I won''t hesitate to help you." Sagasuga showed a serious expression "Help, my fucking ass..." Rayazaki very well knew what taking a deal like that meant.

    Sagasuga was slowly starting to radiate an aura of superiority, but alas, Basara decided it was time.

    "Daniel Lead has won over 60 billion USD ever since he was born. On his arrest, nothing was on him, including credit cards or even money itself. However, a day prior to his arrest, it was determined that three transfers containing 20 billion USD, had been made. Is this true?" Basara announced the fourteenth round "Another one...?! What is this shit?! It''s been almost like, half an hour?!" Signs of fatigue were starting to show "Stop complaining and just vote. Also, stop yapping while you''re at it. The reason these rounds keep getting longer is because of the yapping in-between!" Kawahara made a point.

    As soon as the hourglass appeared, Sagasuga approached Daniel with a verbal contract.

    "Daniel, I have a most interesting offer for you." Sagasuga radiated with a polite stance and a soft smile "Say it." Daniel didn''t deny the approach "Until this judgment round is over, should you tell the truth in regard to the claim of the round and only that, at the end of it, 300 of my points will be transferred to you." Sagasuga limited himself with those words.

    Not only was this deal absurd, but everybody knew it at first glance. It''s those things that someone immediately knows it''s objectively the best.

    "Holy fucking mother in hell, that''s such a raw deal, what the fuckkkkkkk!!!" Rayazaki was jealous of Daniel "No, it''s a horrible deal." Lus remarked right away "But why the fuck go down 300 points? It''s too much. I understand the intention, but 300? Cocky motherfucker..." Everybody understood that Sagasuga planned to make full usage of the point acquisition boost.

    The question at hand is; will Daniel accept the deal?

    "Wait!" Akimiyashika talked to Daniel "You can''t do this! You must not, it''s a trap!" She took no time to elaborate "Should you actually accept his deal, everybody will vote according to what you say, because in theory, Sagasuga will award you with 300 points at the end of things, but don''t you find it strange how long the number of rounds have been?!" She brought that to light "True... They have been getting longer and longer..." Ikkiri agreed "I''ve run down the calculations for you and in a round, if everyone votes in accordance to what you say and is under your contract, you will lose-----" Daniel gave the answer, going as far as interrupting Akimiyashika "204 points." He already knew the answer, which stunned Akimiyashika transiently, but not enough to let her continue her point "It''s not worth it! Even if this is the last round before the final one, you will lose an additional 408 points! 300 IS NOT ENOUGH COMPENSATION, DANIEL!!" Everybody was perplexed at Akimiyashika''s quick deduction.

    However, Sagasuga decided to give Daniel a piece of his mind and criticized Akimiyashika''s reasoning.

    "That''s a very lackluster reasoning, in my opinion." Akimiyashika felt stung "Akimiyashika, you must''ve forgot... Daniel is great at lying. Do you honestly think he would give the right answer to begin with? His most viable strategy is to actually accept my deal and then proceed to tell the right answer, which is a lie. Granted, he won''t be awarded 300 points from me at the end of it all, but the points he will win from the confusion would be greater. So, in a sense, you might be inclined to think that my deal is the wrong option to accept but... My deal already has the very good merit that I just mentioned." Akimiyashika more or less understood Sagasuga''s point "You''re saying he should accept it due to the allusiveness of it?!" She tried to draw a conclusion "But wait a fucking second!! This is to SAVE me!" Tsudo yelled out.

    Twenty-five seconds remained on the clock.

    "If Daniel accepts the contract and actually tells the truth, Tsudo will just answer the same as Daniel claims. But at the same time, he actually loses so much... Akimiyashika has a point." Rayazaki sided with Akimiyashika "Oh dear. Daniel, just accept it. She made it sound like you''re going to lose that much, but in reality, it''s probably half of it. Furthermore, you will earn some points from the people who think that you are lying. She''s making it sound completely one-sided and I think you know how unrealistic that is. As a matter of fact, you, yourself, have proven that such one-sided events, in the midst of confusion, cannot happen." Sagasuga ultimately concluded and silenced his lips.

    Fifteen seconds remained.

    "You made a bad deal, Sagasuga. You took everyone for granted when all that had to be done was a simple math calculation. Daniel, deny the contract! You don''t benefit from it! Also, if Tsudo dies, then Sagasuga doesn''t get the enormous 65% point boost acquisition which will eventually probably dethrown you! Please, think rationally!!" Akimiyashika kept making solid points.

    Ten seconds remained and after only looking at the cameras, Daniel made his move.

    "I accept." Akimiyashika''s face stiffened "God-fucking-damn it...!!" She was filled with bitter emotions after coming out defeated "No, it''s not true. A single transfer was made, that''s all." Nobody immediately voted as they didn''t know what to make of this "REMINDER!" Akimiyashika''s voice roared "If Daniel is lying and this is in fact not the accurate claim, Sagasuga''s contract is off and Tsudo will fucking die!" She said as she cast her vote "That... actually tells me nothing. Shit, this doesn''t concern me, I''ll just 50/50 this shit, whatever..." Rayazaki said "Same..." Many actually had the same approach but some were either convinced that Daniel was lying or that he was telling the truth "Please, please, please...!!" Tsudo prayed as he cast his vote.

    The round was shortly concluded afterwards.

    As such, the rankings were the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Daniel - (860/1000 points)

    2 - Sagasuga - (584/600 points)

    3 - Tatsu (506/600 points)

    4 - Sana (500/600 points)

    5 - Hinagiku (476/600 points)

    6 - Yukishiro (454/600 points)

    7 - Ikkiri (442/600 points)

    8 - Kawahara (404/600 points)

    9 - Stratos (238/250 points)

    10 - Akimiyashika (230/250 points)

    11 - Lus Sera (226/250 points)

    12 - Tateyana (216/250 points)

    13 - Rayazaki (204/250 points)

    14 - Kanawari (202/250 points)

    15 - Arkalee (196/250 points)

    16 - Kuzan (168/250 points)

    17 - Tsudo (52/99 points)

    18 - Hyunda (25/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    The ten lights aligned in sequence, flashing one by one, emitting a bimming sound.

    Once the sequence was finished, the red lights would turn green, thus initiating the chain reaction.

    With the radius of 20 centimeters, Tsudo''s neck sprung upwards; detaching itself from the torso like a lightning bullet.

    A rain of blood fell onto the round table and only those on the opposite side were unscathed from the blood drops that were splashed across.

    At last, his head landed on the cold floor, tumbling four times before completely looking in the direction of his classmates, as his eyes became depleted of life.

    The first complaint was drawn as well as the first death of this game.

    "YOU FUCKING RETARD!!" Yukishiro spoke with spite in direction to Akimiyashika "You weren''t supposed to fucking tell Daniel all of that! Because of you, the confusion was larger! You should have just let him accept the deal and Tsudo wouldn''t have died like this! Fuck, how am I supposed to torture the rapist now?! ARGH!!" Yukishiro was furious as she kicked her desk "I---don''t understand... What did Tsudo vote...?!" Akimiyashika looked at Sagasuga.

    With a degree of convenience, Sagasuga was cleaning up the upper part of his bald head which had large portions of blood in it, with his handkerchief.

    "He voted no, Daniel lied." The truth was revealed "Wise choice, Daniel. What a shame though." Sagasuga sighed as Tsudo''s death meant that he would not gain an additional point source "Thanks, Akimiyashika." Akimiyashika was startled "I don''t think I would''ve given it that much consideration, but after you put it into words, I was really committed into the idea of confusing everyone and it worked, all thanks to you." She wasn''t happy about it, as she primarily wanted Daniel to refuse the deal.

    But at the same time, with Tsudo dying, to Akimiyashika, it felt like a satisfying result had been breached.

    Her expression darkened drastically as she said the upcoming words.

    "Teacher, what will now happen to the body?" A legitimate question was asked, though no answer was expected "It will be disposed of, of course." But, Basara provided an answer, surprisingly "Uhm, if it isn''t much, could we get a full minute with the body, just to say some words?" Akimiyashika asked "30 seconds and then the next round starts." Akimiyashika immediately got up from her seat "Wait, what''s she gonna do?" Kawahara got up from his seat "She''s been on the edge about Tsudo..." Rayazaki got up and likewise, a domino effect was created and they all got up "Hey... I''m locked in here..." Daniel, alienated, saw his other classmates form a circle around Tsudo''s headless dead body, which had been carried over by Akimiyashika.

    Akimiyashika initiated the momentum by stomping the genital area mildly.

    "....I''m out..." Rayazaki instantly went to his seat "Fuck you, Tsudo! I had an entire plan for you, but you didn''t do yourself any favor by doing this, so good fucking riddance!" Kawahara grabbed Tsudo''s head, tossed it to the air and the performed an airborne roundhouse kick onto it----ultimately resulting in the head landing across the room.

    More towards the genital area, Akimiyashika''s stomping improved and gained even more speed.

    "You''re going for his dick?" Tateyana asked, genuinely curious as she watched the entire thing go down "No, I''m aiming for his fucking balls. Leave." The stomping didn''t stop "Shouldn''t we undress his trousers and boxers then to get a better aim?" Arkalee, made the suggestion and Akimiyashika glared at her with impending darkness "Lend a hand, then." She replied back.

    With some little fifteen seconds on the clock, Tsudo''s trousers and boxers were unzipped and removed.

    "Holy fuck, I can''t watch it!" Kuzan went to his seat and placed his hands on his eyes "LALALALALA----!!! I CAN''T HEAR ANYTHING LALALALALA----!!!" Rayazaki, in order to somehow not listen to the cracking noise, decided to sing out loud.

    Now that it was visible, it started as Akimiyashika gave the order.

    "Pull it up, so it doesn''t get it the way." Tateyana didn''t mind "Aye, go ahead." Leaving the testicles untouched, they were far more separated from the superior part "Damn, I wish there were some scissors to cut the------" Yukishiro''s speech came short as she saw Akimiyashika furiously stomp on the testicles with brute force, clearly aiming to crush them "DIE!! DIE!! DIE!! DIE!! YOU!!! FUCKING!!!! PIECEEE!!!! OFFFF!!!!" The cracking noise on the left side served as a traumatic experience to the male variety "OH FUCK!!!" Rayazaki felt shivers down his spine as he was able to listen to the noise "SHITTTTTT!!!!!" Akimiyashika was thoroughly separated by the guards who held her back "That''s enough, Akimiyashika! It''s been thirty seconds, get back to your seats now!!" All the girls, except Akimiyashika, went away quietly.

    Akimiyashika''s expression became tearful but also intertwined with the presence of undying rage.

    "LET FUCKING GO OF ME, THE RIGHT ONE STILL WORKS!!! I''LL FINISH IT SO HE CAN NEVER DO IT EVER AGAIN!!!" The guards slightly struggled to control her top side as her legs became turbulent; fueled with hectic movements "Not like he will anyways, his fucking head is across the room, you bloody idiot!" Kawahara tried to calm her down "ARGHHHH!!!!!" She howled out but was ultimately placed in her original place.

    Before the upcoming round started, two guards took Tsudo''s body out of the room; one carried the head and the other the entirety of the remains.

    "My Johnson doesn''t feel safe, suddenly." Kuzan cracked a joke, although he was extremely terrified by what the girls did to Tsudo''s dead body "Hey, one of us just died and you crack a joke?" Tatsu said "Huh? He deserved to die... That piece of shit raped kids and enjoyed it... I just wish he was actually subjected to the execution round so he could suffer..." Kuzan''s expression became gloomy but sadistic "He got off easy..." Kanawari murmured to herself while covering her face with her arms "Blame Akimiyashika for not thinking ahead of time. You clearly have a grudge against rapists and you don''t even plot your revenge carefully? That''s why I hate hot-heads like you, typical red head!" Yukishiro insulted her "That''s alright." She spoke with apathy "Tsudo was, ultimately, just an example. Because... At the end of the day... What''s there to say there isn''t one more amongst us?" She looked over the boys, one by one "She''s got the devil inside her." Sagasuga commented as he kept cleaning himself up until he was tidy enough.

    After a lot of partial commission, the next round which would be the fifteenth, would begin.

    "Daniel Lead hates Christians and has gone out of his way to kill people who are extremely uptight about their religious beliefs in Christianity." Another claim was made "You know, I''ve been thinking about this and maybe the rounds in a judgment round are actually connected to his jail sentence? Since he has the largest, he gets more rounds? Just a thought." Tateyana proposed the idea "Begin." Basara allowed the hourglass to spin "It''s possible, but seriously... Ughhh, at this rate we''re going to be in here for an hour! It''s been almost fucking thirty minutes!" Rayazaki was getting tired.

    In a contrasting vein, the topic of discussion brought spark to some controversy.

    "Hey, you got a problem with religion?" Kawahara asked Daniel "......." Daniel didn''t reply, but his expression was shackled as he was feeling assaulted by an unknown turmoil "Spit it out, I''m not gonna hurl you down!" But Kawahara''s expression remained quite hostile "Not really, no." Daniel maintained a blank expression "Are you sure? You didn''t have a dramatic episode with religion? Hey, people dying over religion is actually quite common. If I had to bet if there is someone in here with a crime history regarding their religion or the religion of others, I would totally go for a big yes." Kawahara persisted, very adamantly "So, spit it out, what''s the issue you got with Christians? You don''t like God?!" Daniel''s expression emitted fury "........!!!!" He wanted to say specific words, but ultimately restrained himself from it "I don''t care about religion." He told "Don''t seem like it. You seem pretty agitated, captain." Kawahara remained hostile.

    The question was then asked to Kawahara.

    "You''re... Christian?" Hinagiku asked him "No, actually, no." Kawahara denied it "Then what''s the fuss?" Hinagiku didn''t understand Kawahara''s point of view "God exists, Daniel. No need to hunt others down because of it." Kawahara cast his vote "Escapism." Daniel couldn''t resist it this time "What''d you just say?" A vein popped in Kawahara''s lateral head "Rationalism is the solution. Not what you think can save you." Daniel was economical with his words "Ohhh I seeee... So, how many did you kill just because they believed in God? A couple of, you know, innocent hundreds?" Kawahara became disgusted by Daniel but laughed it off "Can criminals even be allowed to be secluded into the holy figure such as God? Doesn''t that lack rationality in the first place?" Daniel asked Kawahara "You''re not forgiven. Why not abandon the idea that God exists and live with principles that follow rationalism exist? Religion is a facade." Daniel started to get defensive.

    Thanks to their argument, which became ongoing, there was some discussion about this.

    "I didn''t take Kawahara for someone who believes in God..." Sana mumbled loud enough for Hyunda to hear "Hmm... I''m not buying it. Daniel never really demonstrated signals, though it''s not as if there always has been the opportunity for him to do so. Nope." Hyunda voted negatively "WH---!!" Sana became alerted "You fucking idiot, your head is gonna fucking blow up if you get this one wrong!" Sana started to panic "But I won''t. Daniel''s my best friend. I''ve known him, for a long, long, loooooooongggggggggg timeeeeeeeeeeeeee.........." Hyunda said, with a satisfied smile and a resting expression "Wait, really... So you two knew each other before this?!" This was news to Sana, but she attempted to confirm it yesterday "Oh yeah. We go way back. We''ve known each other for centuries." Hyunda hummed "Coincidentally... Don''t tell anyone about this, but..." Hyunda whispered something to Sana''s left ear as Arkalee watched with unfiltered rage "Are you serious?" Sana''s eyes widened in disbelief "I''m not lying, I swear, it''s the truth. Ah, but don''t talk to him about this. He can''t know, so you know..." Hyunda looked at Sana with a dominant stare "Yeah, alright..." She secluded her lips and voted the same answer as Hyunda.

    Ultimately, the results were drawn via the ranking ladder.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Daniel - (872/1000 points)

    2 - Sagasuga - (808/1000 points)

    3 - Sana (524/600 points)

    4 - Tatsu (492/600 points)

    5 - Yukishiro (466/600 points)

    6 - Hinagiku (464/600 points)

    7 - Ikkiri (430/600 points)

    8 - Akimiyashika (404/600 points)

    9 - Kawahara (392/600 points)

    10 - Stratos (250/250 points)

    11 - Lus Sera (250/250 points)

    12 - Arkalee (220/250 points)

    13 - Tateyana (204/250 points)

    14 - Rayazaki (192/250 points)

    15 - Kuzan (192/250 points)

    16 - Kanawari (190/250 points)

    17 - Hyunda (49/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    "Dudeeeeeeee, so you didn''t do it?" Kawahara was massively disappointed by his failure "Told you." Daniel retorted "You didn''t tell me shit, you master manipulator." But Kawahara wasn''t the only one that failed "He does this every fucking time. He''ll pretend to be agitated about it, defend his story, but didn''t actually do it. Sagasuga was right, 50/50 is the way. You win some, you lose some." Akimiyashika, a winner of this round noted "Speaking of Sagasuga..." They all saw the breakthrough "A free fucking additional 200 points for the breakthrough... That is ridiculous..." Rayazaki reflected "He might catch up to Daniel this round..." Ikkiri spoke "You fucking morons. Don''t make me have to mention it every time, but the reason as to why he''s even AHEAD is because of you stupid fucks accepting his God forsaken stupid contract!!" Yukishiro lashed out at her classmates once again.

    She went out of her away to draw a comparison in order to vent her feelings of frustration.

    "Daniel is currently at 872 points, 128 points away from breaking the 1000 point barrier. But let''s rewind the clock a little bit before you stupid fucks accepted the contract. How many----" Her voice became harsher "-----points did Daniel have?" She asked to the rest of the class "Uh..." Ikkiri tried to recall it "Oh, I know it''s 56-----" Kuzan was violently interrupted as Yukishiro released a godly dramatic shout "560 FUCKING POINTS!!!" Her voice echoed through their ears "AND HOW MANY DID HE WON SO FAR THANKS TO THE CONTRACT?! 306!!! HE HAS WON MORE POINTS THAN LITERALLY SOME OF YOU!!! YOU ARE ALL FUCKING RETARDED!!" Yukishiro settled down after insulting everyone.

    While she does have a point, many actually don''t believe the contract to be as stupid as she claimed.

    Breaths of anxiety drew forward as the next round was warming up.

    "Please, for the love of GOD, can this be the final one?!" Arkalee was extremely impatient as she was looking forward to one thing only "For real... This is dragging on for too longgggggggggg!!! Wait, I feel like I''ve said this? Have I said this before?!" Kuzan started to wonder if he was going crazy "I don''t need to learn more about Daniel, I''m good, please..." Rayazaki exhaled a ragged breath.

    But their wishes weren''t met.

    "Daniel Lead was bailed out of a perpetual jail sentence when he was 14 by a woman named Isabela Silva." Yet another claim was made "How many rounds has it been?" Without any spirit, Kuzan asked "I think this is the seventeenth..." Tateyana said "No, dumbass, it''s the sixteenth..." Yukishiro corrected her "Oh..." This aside, the claim had to be investigated.

    Kawahara began the interrogation.

    "Damn Daniel, how deep does the Brazil lore go here?! Are you even NORTH AMERICAN?!" Kawahara laughed out loud "Eh? It''s related to Brazil again?" Hinagiku asked Kawahara "That''s a Portuguese name, for your information. But okay Daniel, this can''t be true though. Because in one of the prior claims it''s been discovered that you were arrested only one and this claim says that you''ve been bailed. In other words, to be bailed, you''d have to be arrested." Kawahara voted with utter confidence "That''s actually true, this is not arguable." Rayazaki also voted "I''ll blame it on the system if it''s wrong, though there''s no way it is." Many started to vote.

    Likewise, Sana also tried to vote; but Hyunda halted her right shoulder transiently----Akimiyashika watched this.

    "Hold your horses, lady." Sana''s eyes narrowed "What? Why? Kawahara is actually right. Even I remember it. The claim was made in the earlier rounds, which was: Daniel Lead was only arrested one time in his life. This claim proved to be true, though Daniel tried to manipulate this... It''s right there..." Sana wasn''t understanding Hyunda''s reluctance "But do you actually need to be arrested to have a jail sentence laid on you?" Hyunda''s words made Akimiyashika participate "You mean when investigations are made on you without you knowing which could lead you to getting charged, without necessarily getting arrested?" Sana started to see his point "Yup, that''s it. In the first place, to assume that Daniel hasn''t been charged before, is something that shouldn''t be done. You can be charged without getting arrested. The police just happened to be lucky enough to find him once, that''s what I''m saying. I''m voting yes." Hyunda, who has ten red lights, didn''t hesitate.

    Naturally, should he be wrong, his head will be sent flying.

    "Daniel, what are your thoughts here?" Ikkiri asked, again "Never heard the name in my life. Doesn''t ring a bell either. I have no history with Brazilian women either, these are completely fake allegations." Daniel spoke with unclouded accuracy "But you have cheated on your ex with Sana though?" Yukishiro taunted Daniel "Fake allegation." Daniel became a bit defensive "Even though it was proven right?! Yeah RIGHT!" Yukishiro voted positively "I''m researching that bitch when I get on my phone." Rayazaki voted as well.

    The rankings for this round are:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Daniel - (872/1000 points)

    2 - Sagasuga - (808/1000 points)

    3 - Sana (548/600 points)

    4 - Tatsu (480/600 points)

    5 - Hinagiku (480/600 points)

    6 - Yukishiro (478/600 points)

    7 - Akimiyashika (430/600 points)

    8 - Lus Sera (424/600 points)

    9 - Ikkiri (418/600 points)

    10 - Stratos (388/600 points)

    11 - Kawahara (380/600 points)

    12 - Arkalee (244/250 points)

    13 - Kuzan (214/250 points)

    15 - Tateyana (192/250 points)

    16 - Rayazaki (192/250 points)

    14 - Kanawari (178/250 points)

    17 - Hyunda (73/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    Kawahara was skeptical as soon as he saw the loss of points.

    "I don''t buy it. The Brazil arc definitely didn''t happen. RIGGED!!" Kawahara threw a tantrum "Just accept the loss and move on." Hyunda countered as he was making a swift comeback "You got lucky, motherfucker. Don''t speak." Kawahara became pissed "Getting arrested and bailed out doesn''t necessarily intertwine. Right, Akimiyashika?" Kawahara''s eyes narrowed "Yeah, that''s what happened. Still hard to believe though..." Hyunda had successfully avoided his death.

    Not a single person spoke as all they wanted was one thing and one thing alone.

    "Congratulations for your endurance. The next round, will be the last one from this judgment round." Basara''s words made the majority of them smile "FUCK YES!!" The celebration started "ALMOST FORTY MINUTES INTO THIS SHIT!! OUR INTERVAL WILL BE SO FUCKING SHORT!!" They kept going, but Basara announced the upcoming sequence "Since it''s the last round, you will be given free five minutes to discuss. Furthermore, instead of 12 points, it will be 24 points that will be awarded to the ones that are on the majority side. However, by contrast, the ones on the losing side, will lose 24 points." They took great note of it "It multiplies. This''ll be a wrap." Rayazaki was confident "Then, let''s begin." Basara said as the script appeared.

    The final claim was then made.

    "Daniel Lead deserves to die for his crimes." The repeated last claim was therefore made "Have at it!" The five-minute long hourglass appeared in all its glory by Basara''s command.

    At first glance, the moment the screen appeared with the two options in front of them, it was relatively obvious.

    "Does it matter what the fuck we actually think of the claim? It doesn''t matter if it''s true or false, as long as there is a majority side, that''s all that matters. After all, we technically all deserve death according to the spectrum." Rayazaki tried to get some clarity from his classmates "Yeah. So, what are we voting for?" Yukishiro asked "Let''s just go with yes and get this over with. The faster the better... I don''t really get why five minutes are even required..." Tateyana expressed herself "Kay, so who''s going to start?" Yukishiro asked "I----" Rayazaki wanted to command instantly.

    But Lus spoke up with a higher voice.

    "Does he really deserve to die though?" Lus made the controversial question "Huh? Who gives a shit? We know that the falsehood of the claim doesn''t matter." Kawahara claimed "I don''t believe that''s necessarily the case." Lus gardened the attention of everyone present "First it was Kanawari and we voted that she should die and yes, according to her crimes, there''s---" She hesitated slightly "A justifiable degree of certainty to it." Kawahara urged her "Hm, hm, and?" Lus continued, after gulping "Then, there was Tsudo, who undeniably deserved to die. And now-----" Akimiyashika intercepted her "You''re saying that Daniel doesn''t deserve to die, despite what he did...?" Akimiyashika wanted to make sure.

    Lus was feeling nervous but had to put on the facade, so, she presented the confident act.

    "Yes, Daniel doesn''t deserve to die." Her expression was mixed up "No, no way you''re serious? You think that Daniel----as it was proven by the previous claims-----who is a narcotic, a public school shooter who killed dozens of his classmates, a cheater and a manipulator, doesn''t deserve to die?!" Akimiyashika didn''t find Lus'' defense very well made "....Yes, I don''t believe he does." Akimiyashika was baffled "Pure nonsense. You''re over your head." She could not accept it "Narcotics orchestrate so many deaths with their drug deals though, Lus. It''s not those things where you are DIRECTLY responsible for the deaths but you are indirectly co-related to so many indirect ones!" Rayazaki tried to put some sense onto Lus "He doesn''t deserve to die." But she remained immovable.

    There was but one conclusion to take in order to move forward from this.

    "Alright, who gives a fuck about what she thinks? Let''s just vote together, for the LAST TIME!" Rayazaki found the prior segment a complete waste of time "It won''t work." Lus remained defiant, which annoyed Rayazaki profoundly "Listen here, I don''t give a fuck about your crush on Dan-----" She dealt the trigger "9 of us will vote no." The room was silenced for a short while.

    Rayazaki was momentarily stunned as he knew not what to say, so someone else took the wheel.

    "Explain yourself." Arkalee demanded an answer from Lus "It was pre-determined in case Daniel was ever subjected to a judgment round that 9 specific individuals from the classroom, would vote no, in case it was determined that he should die, in accordance to the votes." Lus explained "And if he didn''t?" Arkalee forced another answer, as her mood worsened "...I can''t say that." This answer was not satisfactory "AH GREAT, YOU CAN''T SAY IT?! But you can obey his orders like a dog?!" Lus felt wounded "Vote no, that''s all. Otherwise, you''re screwed. We are the majority, and you will lose out on points, should you vote yes. Because, unless you can''t do Math, you''d realize that since we are 16 voters as a whole, 9 is the greater half..." Lus essentially threatened the ones that dared to go against the tide.

    Rayazaki finally spoke.

    "This shit makes no fucking sense, I''m sorry." He was polite in his own way "Again, WHO GIVES A FUCK?! We just vote no, like the fucking madame wants then! But of course, only after we see her doing it." Rayazaki was not dumb enough to fall for a dumb trick like that "......" Lus maintained her silence "Oh my FUCKING GOD!!" Tateyana lashed out "WE HAD SUCH A SIMPLE THING BUT NOW WE ARE IN DOUBT AGAIN BECAUSE OF THESE FUCKING MIND GAMES!! FUCK YOU, DANIEL!" She directed her rage at Daniel "You guys need to work on your coordination better. A single person shouldn''t have this much influence over all of you." Daniel arrogantly said "YOU DON''T! YOU REALLY DON''T!" Tateyana brutally declined "Yeah sure..." Daniel became smug which just pissed Tateyana even further.

    4:15 minutes left.

    "Teacher, can we walk around the room to discuss things in private with our classmates before time is up?" Hinagiku made the first move "Allowed." Basara didn''t object it "...?!" Yukishiro immediately became suspicious of Hinagiku who started to get up from her seat.

    Hinagiku went around the room and ordered her direction to Kanawari''s seat where she whispered something for almost ten seconds to her.

    "HEY! What''s with the whispers?! Cut it out!" Arkalee erupted from her seat, enraged "Mhm?" Hinagiku disconnected herself from Kanawari''s ear "Oh, this is just something I had to talk to Kanawari about. It''s nothing." Hinagiku said "I don''t believe you, bitch. I think you two are plotting under HIS ORDERS!" Arkalee pointed at Daniel "Wow, I would put my hands up in the air if I could and say you got me." Daniel lowly laughed "UGH!!" Daniel''s sarcasm didn''t please Arkalee.

    Afterwards, Hinagiku went back to her seat which was next to Tatsu and since Tatsu is next to Arkalee, it would mean that the one next to Hinagiku on her left, would be someone else.

    That person being, Kuzan.

    "Can we fucking vote already?! There''s no way that she''s telling the truth, by the way..." Arkalee wanted to make more of a point than ever "Daniel gave her this order but there is NO WAY that there are nine of us who are collaborating on this with them!" Arkalee accused "Aren''t we going in circles here? Like, FUCK, let''s just vote! WE ALL WIN, DO WE NOT?!" Rayazaki was not understanding what the difficulty here was.

    By theory, in everything it has to offer, Rayazaki is right.

    If everyone votes the same, then they will be on the majority side, thus earning 24 points each, individually.

    "We all win alright. And that''s the problem." Hinagiku sparked the news to Rayazaki, who after two seconds, realized what was really happening ".....!!!" He started tapping his fingers on the surface of his face and then looked at the ranking ladder "Wait a goddamn fucking second..." Something else dawned Rayazaki "Does his stupid fucking contract still apply?!" He asked a question that many started to ponder naturally.

    Midst that, Kanawari elevated from her seat and went in the direction of a specific individual within the room; Yukishiro and Arkalee kept a note of her movements.

    "Does it?!" Tateyana, who hadn''t voted yet, like all the others, was curious too "Wait, bro''s contract gives you +12 of his points if you get the answer right but you will lose -12 of your points which will be transferred to him if you don''t, right?" Kuzan gave his perspective "Hold up..." Kawahara tried to recall the entire contract from his memory alone "....Until this judgment round is over, an individual... that accepts this will be granted an additional 12 of your points...... should they vote correctly but if they fail to do so, 12 points from the individual will be awarded to you..." Kawahara managed to thoroughly recite Daniel''s contract.

    Kawahara then gave Rayazaki the critical element he was missing out.

    "If we all vote, for example, yes----then we are awarded 24 points. However, something that hasn''t been explored yet is the falsehood or truthhood of this claim because the emphasis is on the "majority" and the "minority" side." It was as he said "Wait, that''s fucked up! You''re telling me that even if we all side on the same vote, if it''s wrong, then Daniel COLLECTS 16 of our votes?! That''s fucking 192 points for him IF we get the answer wrong! AND HE LOSES NOTHING BECAUSE THE MOTHERFUCKER CAN''T VOTE!!" Rayazaki came to the shocking realization "The answer is super fucking obvious though, no?" Yukishiro intervened "A 1000 years worth of jail time and you mean to tell me the system doesn''t condemn him to death? You''re delusional like her if you think otherwise." She pointed at Lus, who was listening to the conversation.

    2:58 minutes left.

    "So let me get this straight---thanks to his contract, we will-----assuming we get the wrong answer-----lose the 12 points due to his contract. Furthermore... If we end on the minority, we lose an additional 24... AMASSING TO A 36 POINT LOSS?!" Tateyana surprisingly did the math all by herself "But, if all things go right-----I get 24 points from the claim itself and then... another 12, so the same 36. The stakes have risen by 12, essentially." Tateyana concluded "You got the gist of it." But Yukishiro had to reinforce something "We must all vote the same and it must be true... That''s why..." Without explaining her reasoning, Yukishiro got up from her seat.

    Subsequently, she directed her words to Daniel.

    "You won''t break the barrier." Her impending stare became daunting "No, I will. Give up, it''s futile." Daniel strongly countered "I know what you are doing, Daniel. You gave those whores the order to go around and sell your points in order to vote no!" The accusation summoned all the attention, as Hinagiku and Kanawari halted their tracks with their respective conversations---with their respective individuals "It''s pretty obvious that if you get people to vote wrong that you will earn points from those people. Lus said that 9 people here will vote no and since you know that the correct answer to this claim is a yes, in theory, you will win 12 points multiplied by 9, which is 108. Where as the other remaining 7, will be on the minority and since they will get the right answer, they will be awarded with 24 points. HOWEVER, you will only lose 84. So, by adding the difference, you will actually only gain 24 points." Yukishiro closed her eyes.

    But to many, her reasoning was extremely pointless and seemed like a waste of time.

    "Did you just fucking contradict yourself?" Rayazaki asked her, baffled "Hmpfh, no. This is just what he wants you to think will happen. If you obey theory construction, it will lead you to the conclusion that Daniel can''t break the barrier and will only earn 24 points." Yukishiro then gave her ultimate reasoning "That''s why he it''s necessary to find the only way that logistically helps him break through the barrier. Have a fucking look at his points!" Everyone gauged at Daniel''s points on the ranking ladder "872 and the point barrier is 1000... He needs just an additional over 128 points to break through..." Ikkiri mumbled to herself but it was enough for everyone to listen to the right answer.

    2:07 minutes remained.

    "How? How is he getting that many points?" Tatsu asked Yukishiro "There''s only one way." Yukishiro raised her right index finger to her chest height "In order to achieve 128 raw points without drawbacks, the first thing he will do is to get 8 people to vote for the side of the majority, since it will mean that the larger number of people control the answer. To get this, he ordered them to go around and distribute some sort of deal that would make those OTHER people vote accordingly." This didn''t make sense to many "You''re fucking confusing us, just get to the point..." Rayazaki was tired of her repetitive stances "Simmer down, I''m getting to it. I mentioned how he needs at least 8 votes in accordance to the truth in order to gain those 12 points! And he will ONLY get those 12 points, if you vote INCORRECTLY!" It finally made sense "Wait, wait! So Lus is lying?!" Lus felt silent and slightly nervous upon getting the accusation.

    Hinagiku and Kanawari went back to their seats with defeated expressions.

    "Vote YES, and Daniel doesn''t get rewarded, simply. She was trying to mind-game us into thinking that yes wasn''t the right answer when all along, IT IS! Because, objectively speaking, Daniel can only receive those 12 points if you actually fail to answer the claim correctly. In other words..." Yukishiro prepared her verbal assault "UNLESS YOU WANT THIS FUCKER TO GO OVER HIS POINT BARRIER, VOTE YES, RIGHT NOW!!" Yukishiro began the sequence.

    Without hesitation, she pressed yes.

    "Alright, let''s fucking do this." Rayazaki voted the same "Hm..." Hyunda looked over to Yukishiro "That didn''t make any sense whatsoever." Hyunda spoke lowly, but earned Akimiyashika and Sana''s attention from both of his sides "Isn''t she just manipulating the rest into voting the vote she wants in order to get her outcome?" Hyunda''s words were confusing to them "She''s always like that but... Even I have to agree that I wouldn''t want to give Daniel so many free points..." Akimiyashika confessed "That''s the thing, she''s making it sound like this is about him, but isn''t she willingly getting the wrong answer here?" Hyunda''s words were even more confusing "Explain yourself." But Sana wanted to know what he was thinking "Hm, alright. I don''t think she gives a shit about the points Daniel gets. I think she''s just using that as a way to manipulate people into voting what she''s voting with one particular goal in mind..." Sana and Akimiyashika awaited in suspense for his answer.

    0:47 seconds remained.

    "To drown the ones below her. Take Rayazaki, Tateyana, Kuzan, Kawahara, and Arkalee. They have all voted yes, like she did. But truth is, if Daniel really did get more people in secret to vote for the opposite, what does this mean?" He allowed Sana and Akimiyashika to process this information slowly, but answered it anyways "She gave the answer that will actually put them in the minority, thus, even though their claims are right, they are on the minority. By being in the minority, as pointed out, you lose 24 points. However, you gain 12 points should you be right, so in a sense----it''s like they are being told that they will only lose 12 points in total. It''s not a bad deal." Sana was disturbed "That... doesn''t add up, Hyunda. Like, at all. If we follow your reasoning and Yukishiro is truly in the minority, then she loses 24 points. She rejected the contract. It makes no fucking sense, what you just said." Akimiyashika couldn''t help but agree.

    0:21 seconds remained.

    "Right? Right? It''s full-proof. The alibi is very strong and hard to deny. Besides, it''s not as if she can actually pretend to vote otherwise since your vote appears on the screen. It''s already there." Hyunda admitted to Sana being right.

    There were a few people left to vote, as they were saving it for the last second.

    "And that''s why we should vote no, because Yukishiro is the biggest dumbfuck in existence." Hyunda voted no "Huh?! I don''t get you! What are you talking about, Hyunda? We have to vote yes, because that''s what wins us the most points... And we will be by the majority at the end of it." Sana was right "Yes. You''re right. As a matter of fact, not anyone is wrong. You could argue this was a waste of time." Hyunda made Sana become extremely perplexed "What..." Unable to understand, the voting session came to an end.

    Naturally, not a single person failed to vote.

    The end board with the division of the "majority" and the "minority" sides, were ultimately exposed.

    Highlighted in white and black, the results shown were:

    Minority/Majority side (voted no):

    - Lus Sera

    - Kanawari

    - Hinagiku

    - Tatsu

    - Sagasuga

    - Hyunda

    - Ikkiri

    - Stratos

    (8 players voted no)

    Minority/Majority (voted yes):

    - Tateyana

    - Kuzan

    - Rayazaki

    - Arkalee

    - Kawahara

    - Sana

    - Akimiyashika

    - Yukishiro

    (8 players voted yes)

    And then, the points were attributed:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Daniel - (872/1000 points)

    2 - Sagasuga - (808/1000 points)

    3 - Sana (548/600 points)

    4 - Tatsu (480/600 points)

    5 - Hinagiku (480/600 points)

    6 - Yukishiro (478/600 points)

    7 - Akimiyashika (430/600 points)

    8 - Lus Sera (424/600 points)

    9 - Ikkiri (418/600 points)

    10 - Stratos (388/600 points)

    11 - Kawahara (380/600 points)

    12 - Arkalee (244/250 points)

    13 - Kuzan (214/250 points)

    15 - Tateyana (192/250 points)

    16 - Rayazaki (192/250 points)

    14 - Kanawari (178/250 points)

    17 - Hyunda (73/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    Although a lot of confusion and a lack of an understanding was present through this judgment round-----this was by far the most inexplicable event thus far.

    "Ah, so I was right." Daniel murmured as he saw the rankings "What... just happened... The rankings... didn''t change at all?!" Yukishiro started to feel the sweat coming from the top of her head "That''s not all... Why the HELL does it say "Minority/Majority" when there should be a minority and majority separation?! It makes no sense!" Arkalee laid out the complaint "So there were no points that were gained and extracted? What?" Rayazaki was still looking for an answer.

    Sagasuga didn''t mind answering.

    "Now that Tsudo is dead and since Daniel can''t participate, we have been reduced to 16 players in this judgment round. Given that, what should happen if 8 people vote equally to one side each?" He posed the question "As if I know... Though, there can''t be a majority nor a minority in that case...!!" Rayazaki realized "Correct. If there isn''t a side that can be taken, then the points will not be attributed. In other words, the 24 points from this round, were not gained. In a similar vein, those that accepted Daniel''s contract would only gain the additional 12 points if they could make the right claim." Sagasuga''s words brought forth another point "But isn''t there an objective truth here?! I understand the majority and the minority side logic, but the claim itself is partial. There has to be a true answer to it, which should be a big "yes"! In other words, why wasn''t I attributed with the additional 12 points for voting the correct answer regardless?!" Tateyana was furious.

    Daniel gave her his reasoning.

    "The only objective truth is the one that we decide. That''s----what I think anyways." Many didn''t accept his reasoning well "What the fuck?! Makes no sense!" Tateyana retorted "The decision of whether or not a person should die belongs to all of us. And therefore, it''s ultimately crafted by our votes. We couldn''t come to an agreement in the majority nor the minority by that manner, so we were left with a perpetual state of indecision." They still didn''t take his reasoning with kindness and were revolted as they felt they had been stolen from the promised points from the contract "But you didn''t break the barrier as you said you would." Yukishiro reminded Daniel "Your plan would never allow it to happen because I realized it too early and exposed it, hahah!" Yukishiro laughed towards Daniel "Indeed, good job." Daniel, contrasting Yukishiro''s expectations, praised her instead "I couldn''t have gotten this result without you, so thanks." He radiated a smile in her direction "?!?!?!" Beyond perplexed, Yukishiro felt like she was dancing on a web thread as she saw Daniel''s laughter rise to prominence.

    <hr>

 Volume 26: Chapter 185: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part XIII.

    7:43 am.

    Still in the room, after quite a few rounds, the execution round would take place shortly. But first, it was necessary to attribute the missing elements.

    "I''ve just gotten the word and Daniel will not be receiving the reward for placing first in the judgment round." Basara declared as it was being debated whether Daniel should receive it or not "Under no circumstances can an individual that was not specifically part of the judgment round----and one that wasn''t the target of it-----can win the rewards." Daniel became bored "That''s unfair... I won and lost so many points throughout the rounds, why not just give me what I rightfully deserve?" He demanded "You DON''T deserve it!" Yukishiro yelled out "The only reason you got this far was because everybody else accepted that stupid fucking contract of yours!" She then spoke to the rest with aggression "This is ALL your fault. I warned you at the start to not accept it and look where we are!" She became aggressive.

    While true, there were a lot of people that profited from his contract.

    "It''s not that bad... As a matter of fact..." Ikkiri reflected on how she was able to stand at a firm 418 points, due to the contract''s help "It''s very 50/50, but if you get lucky, the contract feels amazing." Akimiyashika told "Whatever..." Yukishiro shrugged "Sagasuga, you will be awarded with the reward as you have the most points out of all the players excluding Daniel." Through Basara''s words, Sagasuga got rewarded as he received the notification "Great, so you can kick people AGAIN!" Yukishiro was still furious from the last time she was kicked in the prior round "It would appear so." He didn''t deny it.

    And now, the target for the execution round would be brought to the light.

    "Wait, am I dead?" Hyunda realized he was the target as he was at the bottom "OH SHIT, RIGHT!! TSUDO DIED!!" He adjoined both of his hands to his head "Oh I''m so fuckeeeeeeddddddddddddd..." He despaired as the two guards went behind him; the front of his seat now open.

    Being carried away to the center, where Daniel no longer is, Hyunda was entirely shackled by the guards down to his wrists and ankles.

    Daniel, on the other hand, took a seat in-between Lus and Kanawari.

    "So, how did it go?" Daniel asked Kanawari mainly, though Lus was still a part of the conversation partially "...They know. And some have taken great interest in it..." Kanawari replied, reluctant "Hm, alright." Daniel accepted that and turned to Lus, on his left "I''ll leave it up to you." Daniel trusted her "I''ll do my best..." Feeling the burden of the weight, Lus couldn''t 100% confidently reply to Daniel.

    Before the skull was spun, Basara would announce the bounty.

    <blockquote>

    Target: Hajime Hyunda.

    Points earned from his death (collectively): 48 points.

    Points earned from his death (individually): 94 points.

    Bonus reward: +200 points to the killer.

    </blockquote>

    The bounty made Hyunda dread.

    "W-Whaaaaaaaaaaattttttttttttttt?! That''s crazyyyyyyyyyyy!!! Oh man, I am so fucked!" He sighed "What''s with him? He''s on the execution row and he''s in the mood to be sarcastic?" Yukishiro found Hyunda''s behavior strange "Hey, Sagasuga, don''t let them kill me! Use your almighty deus ex machina power!" Hyunda said "We''ll see." Sagasuga adjusted his seat.

    Basara''s words would lead the momentum.

    "SPIN THE SKULL!!" Between the 16 of them, the skull of fire would undergo through multiple students "Huh, so if someone kills Hyunda all alone, then that person gets 294 points, basically..." Rayazaki started to see the merit "That''s a fucking lot..." Tateyana noted as she saw the bored Hyunda at the center "Guysssss, there''s no need to kill me! Just keep me at the bottom every time and you won''t have to worry about nothing!" Hyunda tried to reason "I mean, you''re so behind that you kinda make a point." Akimiyashika couldn''t deny it "...This idiot... Does he have some sort of plan or... Is he really going to just die....." Sana''s expression stiffened as she didn''t want to believe it.

    Eventually, it landed.

    "Oh boy." Rayazaki was reminded of what happened the last time her name was chosen "Yeah, no way he''s making it out alive." Tateyana added "Hinagiku, you''re up! One minute to choose how many points you wish to forfeit and-----" Hinagiku finished it "Yeah, yeah, I know." The option to forfeit points appeared in front of her.

    Before committing, she looked at Daniel, who gave him a simple nod.

    "Wait, don''t commit anything!" Arkalee spoke with seriousness in Hinagiku''s direction "I have a proposition for you, so please, listen..." Hinagiku didn''t reply but cast her eyeglance on her as she witnessed Arkalee perform the formation of a verbal contract "Hinagiku, 121 of my points will be awarded to you if I get to be the next one to execute Hyunda." A possible contract was formed "SERIOUSLY?! You can actually pull out a contract that does that?!" Tateyana was shocked "Hmm..." Hinagiku found the deal very appealing "Wait, wait, wait! Hinagiku, don''t!" Hyunda tried to reason with Hinagiku "She will kill me, big time!! No, probably something worse... Don''t accept it, we can talk this out." He laughed "And why are you laughing? I get 294 points if I kill you." Hinagiku reminded him "Oh? What are you waiting for then?!" Hyunda rushed her "Hinagiku... All you have to do is swap with me and you break through the barrier... Also, I won''t kill Hyunda. Oh no, I wouldn''t do that..." She looked at Hyunda with sinister eyes.

    Daniel felt like consulting Lus about this.

    "She might just accept it, sigh." He envisioned "Do you think Arkalee is serious about not killing Hyunda?" He looked at Lus "She''s his girlfriend. I strongly doubt she actually wants to kill him. But at the same time... Shouldn''t she just follow what you said?" Lus glanced at Hinagiku with distrust "It would be worth it to get Arkalee out of the round." Daniel replied "If you say so..." Anxiety was filled in her voice.

    Hinagiku came to terms with her decision fairly quickly.

    "I accept." She pressed the mark and 121 points were immediately awarded to her "HOW MANY DID SHE GET?!" Rayazaki, overly aware of the barrier breakthrough, looked over the newly updated ranking ladder.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Daniel - (872/1000 points)

    2 - Sagasuga - (808/1000 points)

    3 - Hinagiku (800/1000 points)

    4 - Sana (548/600 points)

    5 - Tatsu (480/600 points)

    6 - Yukishiro (478/600 points)

    7 - Akimiyashika (430/600 points)

    8 - Lus Sera (424/600 points)

    9 - Ikkiri (418/600 points)

    10 - Stratos (388/600 points)

    11 - Kawahara (380/600 points)

    12 - Kuzan (214/250 points)

    13 - Tateyana (192/250 points)

    14 - Rayazaki (192/250 points)

    15 - Kanawari (178/250 points)

    16 - Arkalee (123/250 points)

    17 - Hyunda (73/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    Rayazaki''s jaw dropped.

    "HOLY FUCK, SHE''S ALMOST AHEAD OF SAGASUGA AND DANIEL!!!" Tateyana squealed "Heh." Hinagiku became rather smug as she enjoyed the side comments "That''s just crazy though... To forfeit that many fucking points just to be the one who serves the revenge..." Kawahara recognized Arkalee''s tenacity.

    And now, the executioner would be Arkalee-----as Hinagiku was officially out of the round.

    "If you apologize now... And promise to never do that again, I will give you the least painful option of them all." Arkalee glared at Hyunda with dead eyes "Apologize? Apologize for what? Calling you a bitch which is true?" Hyunda tilted his head to the right "I''M SERIOUS! YOU''VE EMBARRASSED ME IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY AND I DON''T LIKE THAT!!" Her voice grew in volume as she smashed her closed fists on the desk''s surface "That''s the reason? Nevermind, calling you a bitch is an understatement. You''re a waste of oxygen." Hyunda just casually laughed it off.

    Arkalee was momentarily stunned by Hyunda''s poor choice of words. Subsequently after, she clenched her teeth and made her darkest expression yet as she forfeited 50 points.

    "Fifty?! What is she planning...?" Sana was shocked by the number of points forfeited from Arkalee''s end "Hyunda might suffer something worse than death..." Akimiyashika was disturbed as the 50 options appeared on the screen.

    Such options available were:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hajime Hyunda''s both hands will be cut off in exchange for 8 of his choker''s red lights (+100 points)

    2 - Hajime Hyunda''s right arm will be cut off in exchange for 6 of his choker''s red lights (+400 points)

    3 - Transfer half of your points to Hajime Hyunda in exchange for a 25% point acquisition boost for the next three hours.

    4 - Hajime Hyunda''s choker''s red lights will be depleted by five but his right and left shoulders will be clobbered with a warhammer ten times (+50 points)

    5 - The fire skull will be spun at the cost of 100 points (you will be excluded from the round)

    6 - Hajime Hyunda''s right eye will be removed in exchange for 650 points.

    7 - Hajime Hyunda''s points will be increased by 50% in exchange for an added red light to his choker.

    8 - You will be awarded 400 points, but will start the next round with 9 red lights.

    9 - Forfeit any multiples of your points (x12) and add the same number to Hajime Hyunda''s choker''s red lights.

    10 - Hajime Hyunda''s both feet will be cut off in exchange for nine of his red lights (+500 points)

    11 - Hajime Hyunda can forfeit 500 of his points in order to terminate the round; if you see this option, say out loud "11".

    12 - Forfeit 2,000 points, your rewards will be doubled for the rest of the day.

    13 - Forfeit 150 points; target one of your classmates----they will be swapped with Hajime Hyunda as the execution round''s target (Hajime Hyunda can forfeit 50 points in order to nullify this)

    14 - Hajime Hyunda''s will be granted immunity for the whole day but he must choose 5 parts of his body to be disposed of.

    15 - Transfer your points to an individual in your class (minimal point input: 75)

    16 - Hajime Hyunda''s legs will be cut off in exchange for all of his red lights (+800 points)

    17 - Earn 1,000 points; if Hajime Hyunda doesn''t die in this round of execution, ten red lights will be lit up on your choker.

    18 - Forfeit 100 points, decide the number of rounds within the next judgment round.

    19 - Hajime Hyunda''s left ear will be cut off in exchange for 5 of his choker''s red lights (+50 points)

    20 - Hajime Hyunda''s nose will be cut off for 8 of his choker''s red lights (+100 points)

    21 - Forfeit 1,000 points; target one of your classmates, for the rest of the day they will receive a 50% point acquisition decreasement boost.

    22 - Hajime Hyunda''s genital material will be cut off for 3,500 points.

    23 - Hajime Hyunda''s lips will be sealed for the entire day in exchange for all of his choker''s red lights (+700 points)

    24 - Forfeit 1,500 points and select one of your classmates that has been previously been through a judgment round of their own; they will be the target of the next judgment round.

    25 - Forfeit 500 points to buy a new player into the game (they will start with the same points as the lowest ranked player, but with -50 points instead)

    26 - Forfeit 5,000 points, target one of your classmates and for the next round, you get to determine how many red lights can be lit up from their choker.

    27 - Hajime Hyunda''s both eyes will be stabbed three times each with a knife in exchange for all of his choker''s red lights (+600 points)

    28 - Claim 200 points (this only applies if someone died in this round)

    29 - Forfeit 500 points, you will be absent for the next two rounds (you will receive 250 points + the points of the lowest ranked player when you return)

    30 - Deplete red lights from Hajime Hyunda''s choker by acquiring points for him (1 red light = 12 points)

    31 - Forfeit 8,000 points to negate all previous bonuses and effects applied to all of your classmates (you are excluded)

    32 - Hajime Hyunda will be awarded with 500 points but every time his choker receives a red light, it will be 2 instead of 1.

    33 - Hajime Hyunda''s fingers will be cut off in exchange for 5 of his choker''s red lights (+100 points)

    34 - Players above 5,000 points cannot participate until you reach 6,000 points (this only applies if you have killed two people via the game''s mechanics)

    35 - Forfeit 400 points to end the round, in which case, you will be awarded with 200 points.

    36 - For the rest of the day, you will receive a 25% point acquisition boost in exchange for 8 of Hajime Hyunda''s choker''s red lights.

    37 - Hajime Hyunda''s legs and arms will be cut off in exchange for all of his choker''s red lights (+5000 points)

    38 - Earn 1,000 points; you cannot participate in execution rounds for the rest of the day.

    39 - Earn x500 points up to the number of times a body part of yours has been removed via the game''s mechanics.

    40 - Forfeit 1000 points and you will be granted access to see all of the possible options within the game; only you will be granted access, however.

    41 - Forfeit 500 points; for the rest of the day, for you alone, the time limit becomes 5 minutes.

    42 - Hajime Hyunda''s forearms will be cut off in exchange for 7 of his choker''s red lights (+500 points)

    43 - Hajime Hyunda''s will be injected with poison cyanide in exchange for 5 of his choker''s red lights (+50 points)

    44 - Hajime Hyunda will receive a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day in exchange for his calves and forearms.

    45 - Target one of your classmates; earn half of their points thus reducing them from the extraction (this option is only available if you have killed someone via the mechanics of the game)

    46 - Forfeit points that you own to place a bounty on one of your classmates (if you kill the person with that said bounty, you will earn double the number of what you forfeited)

    47 - Pick one of the options above and apply it to yourself, in which case, all rewards go to you instead.

    48 - Forfeit 100 points; remove Hajime Hyunda''s bounty.

    49 - Transfer your points to an individual in your class (minimal point input: 100).

    50 - Earn 30,000 points (this only applies if you''ve killed 6 players via the game''s mechanics)

    </blockquote>

    As per usual, whenever a lot of points are forfeited, most of the students become hyperbolic and have a tendency to react dramatically.

    "There''s no way to read all of them in UNDER A MINUTE!!" Akimiyashika found Arkalee''s point usage rather reckless "Hey, I just spotted an option that literally extends the time duration up to five minutes... That''s kinda neat though you gotta give 500 of your points up..." Kuzan said as he was trying to process as many options as he found "At this point, they kinda repeat themselves, but if there''s one thing I''m noticing it''s that the quantity of the points have increased..." Hinagiku remarked.

    Despite conversations, there was roughly thirty seconds to go and Arkalee was deeply examining which one to choose.

    "Please not my fucking dick, I''m begging you..." Hyunda humbly requested "It''s tempting. I just might. Who knows who you''ll use it on, since your infidelity keeps sparking out of control..." Arkalee didn''t deny the possibility "Oh fuck, I''m literally screwed. Though, those 3,500 points don''t sound too bad. Hmm... You know what, go for it, I think I can actually live with it." Hyunda''s agreement perplexed the entire room "Oh but don''t ask for it when it''s gone, just saying." Hyunda reminded her "Arkalee, DON''T." Yukishiro was against the idea.

    A more objective stance was formed by Yukishiro despite the twenty seconds on the clock.

    "If you give him that many points, he will fucking terrorize us." She feared the power of someone with 3,500 points in this simplified game "Hey, why don''t you choose option 36? It will give you a point acquisition boost. It''s thanks to those that Sagasuga and Tatsu have been able to keep strong leads." Sana reasoned "Hey, don''t forget about me! I TECHNICALLY HAVE ONE TOO!!" Rayazaki exclaimed but was ultimately ignored by Sana "Covering up for him, huh?" Arkalee caught Sana in the act "..........." Sana became nervous as she wondered what Arkalee had truly on her mind.

    A last attempt was made at negotiation with 10 seconds on the clock.

    "Isn''t option 38 literally so fucking good though? You get free 1000 points and you still get to earn points through the judgment rounds although you can''t partake in the execution rounds, but like IT''S SUCH A FUCKING LEAD!!" Tateyana found it ridiculous how Arkalee was not showing signs of agreement whatsoever "Guys, thank you so much for defending me and I appreciate all the efforts, but she''s gonna kill me and then kill herself." Hyunda concluded "Oh shit, for real?!" Akimiyashika was bewildered at the idea "Yup, believe it. We''ll be together this way, am I right?" Hyunda smiled at Arkalee from afar.

    But she was not in the mood for jokes and thus, she pressed her desired option after carefully analyzing what she really wanted.

    The option was ultimately highlighted in glitter gold as it became the chosen one.

    With an uncanny smile combined with an eerie expression, Arkalee commended Hyunda right away, as the other students could only feel sorry for what he was about to endure.

    "Congratulations, honey pie~!" Her sweet charming feminine voice was heard loud and clear throughout the room "You are mean..." Hyunda didn''t despair but he pretty much knew that the situation was hopeless as two guards with katanas in their waists started to venture in his direction through the open path in his seat next to Sana and Akimiyashika "That is a lie! I am not mean! If I was mean, sweetheart-----I would''ve chopped your dick off! Hell, I would''ve actually done the suggestion you said. But, you see, Hyunda----I am kind and generous!" Arkalee simplified as Hyunda sighed "I think there''s a pair of wheelchairs in the dorm..." Hyunda mumbled to himself.

    The option that was highlighted was: "10 - Hajime Hyunda''s both feet will be cut off in exchange for nine of his red lights (+ 500 points)".

    "Lus...?!" Ikkiri from afar looked at Lus with resentment and even a degree of hatred "............" Lus refused to look at her but there was some clear level of guilt all over her face "Thanks." Daniel told her "This wasn''t part of the plan..." Lus felt manipulated to a certain extent "Everything is." Daniel looked at her with a commanding glare "....." Lus wasn''t all that happy but tried to understand why Daniel nevertheless allowed this to happen.

    Hyunda''s ankle shackles were released by the guards as they had to get a clean angle to cut both of them.

    "Can I get some fucking anesthesia beforehand?! This is kinda crazy, no? Just-----rawdogging it like that?" Hyunda found the treatment very harsh "I''m not pain-immune like some alien." The left guard held Hyunda''s right calf up meanwhile the other guard positioned himself with the katana above his shoulders; ready to take a swing "Don''t worry Hyunda, I''ll take good care of you~~ After all, you won''t even be able to walk." Arkalee didn''t laugh but still felt like empowering Hyunda with a feeling of dependence "Ugh, just fucking get this over with it, I can-----" The first slice came forth as Hyunda''s right foot was cut off; emitting a dripping blood fountain "AHHHHHHHH MOTHERFUCKER HOLY SHIT, WOAH THAT FUCKING----AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Hyunda agonized in pain whilst laughing and crying "This motherfucker is laughing after his foot got cut off. URK-----" Rayazaki couldn''t hold himself and threw up on the ground near him "GROSS!!! WATCH WHERE YOU THROW UP, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!" Yukishiro caught a little splash of his vomit.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    With adoration and obsession, Arkalee started to droll from her lips as she saw Hyunda''s foot which is still covered in his socks and shoes----roll to the right side of the central area.

    "Ahhhhh~~~!!! Hyunda''s... foot....!! All to me...!!" She became ecstatic and even went as far as bending her posture forward in the balcony "Hyunda..." Ikkiri found a great level of concern as he agonized "All that shit just for 500 points and it doesn''t even deplete all of his red lights... This is demonic from Arkalee." Tateyana noted "I feel bad for Hyunda, kinda. I mean, he''s going to die. No one is stupid enough to pass on his bounty. The lead would be substantially massive." Kuzan admitted "Yeah." Tateyana agreed as the remaining foot was cut off.

    Now completely footless, Hyunda''s choker''s red lights were depleted to 1 and he was awarded with 500 points but thanks to his point barrier breakthrough which was 99 points, he was awarded with the bonus points gained from breaking it, which were an additional 100. Therefore, his current points are at 673.

    "Fourth place! Congrats, darling!!" Arkalee cheered for him as Hyunda reached a position within the ranking ladder than he never had thus far "Aggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......" Hyunda was moving his neck left and right slowly as his head''s side veins became more visible by the minute "I can never get used to this... Human physiology is just so powerful and magnetizing once it kicks in... There''s such a real genuine sensation to it... Truly magnificent..." Hyunda lowly laughed "Alright, let''s move on." Basara, uncaring to the event that just unfolded, decided it was time to accelerate the momentum.

    Despite Arkalee being the lowest of them all in terms of current rankings, she had dealt significant damage.

    "SPIN IT!!" Basara coldly demanded and thus, the skull chose its next target "He... can never walk again in his life..." Akimiyashika''s mind had once again engraved the dangers and consequences of this game "Why... There are no rewards for this...! I get that it''s a fight for survival, but... Society will never accept you anyways... And if your start to give pieces of your body up... Then what''s the point?!" She felt like she was climbing a never-ending wall "......." Sana couldn''t disagree with her, so she didn''t talk back in any manner, but she also felt that the lack of rewards was severely mysterious.

    Eventually, it landed.

    "Have at it, Daniel!" Basara happily declared "Tsk." Yukishiro clicked her tongue "Seriously?! What the fuck man, why him of all people..." Tateyana hated the fact that he was chosen by the skull "Hm..." Daniel had less than a minute to go with 57 seconds to play with.

    He didn''t think he had the necessity to look at the amount of points he had, as he already knew what to do----given that it follows the chain of the plan.

    However, the plan was based on the worst case scenario, where he wouldn''t be picked by the wheel. But since it''s completely random, Daniel had more freedom in this case.

    "If he kills Hyunda, he wins 294 points which is enough to break through the barrier... And with the added point bonus from doing so, he will be on the winning end, no matter how you look at it." Rayazaki reasoned "But... 294 points... for someone who willingly didn''t mind having his hands cut off for a huge amount of points, doesn''t seem like something he would settle for..." Akimiyashika said "Daniel... Don''t do it, not again..." Sana begged Daniel with a low voice.

    In the end, Daniel forfeited 100 points, lowering him all the way down to 772 points, thus placing him behind Sagasuga and Hinagiku.

    "You''re insane, you don''t have the brain to process all of this shit in ONE FUCKING MINUTE!!" Yukishiro thought that Daniel was thinking of his intelligence a bit too high.

    Since Kanawari and Lus are on his side, he issued the order.

    "Lus, start from the top, Kanawari, start from the bottom. Check the point boost acquisition ones." In order to gain freedom to do what he really wants to, he set out the orders to them "Alright..." Kanawari agreed "Kana, aim for the options that have the "%" symbol in them to cut time." Lus offered her advice "I know..." Kanawari then started her endeavor as so did Lus "Hey Daniellll, please dude, no more body parts from me. I can''t even walk after this, show a little mercy." Hyunda laughed but was serious "Of course not. Can''t have you in the lead now." Daniel struck with a smile "That''s what you''re worried about??? Fuuuuuuuucking brutal, I swear....." Hyunda roughly giggled.

    After wasting twelve seconds, Kanawari was able to find a few options that Daniel could possibly want.

    "I found two from the first 50... The first is option 16: For the rest of the day, Hajime Hyunda will be granted a 50% point acquisition boost in exchange for his two arms and his remaining choker''s red lights (+300 points). Then, the second, which is option 41: You will receive a 10% point boost acquisition in exchange for Hajime Hyunda''s remaining choker''s red light." Kanawari spoke with a certain level of anxiety in her voice.

    Then Lus spoke afterwards.

    "I found three, actually." Lus, who had analyzed the 50 options above Kanawari''s, spoke with precise speed behind her voice "Option 68: Forfeit 400 points, you will receive a 25% point boost acquisition for the next three hours." Lus followed it up quickly "Option 73: Hajime Hyunda will be granted a 75% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day in exchange for his legs and remaining choker''s red lights (+100 points)." She delivered the last available option "Option 94: Forfeit 500 points; you will receive a 100% point boost acquisition for the next four hours in exchange for your arms and legs..." She finished it, with also a bit of anxiety.

    Daniel was divided between choosing for a particular reason, as there was but twenty seconds on the clock.

    Lus and Kanawari felt like offering her opinions in order to go along with the plan''s logic.

    "Daniel, go for option 41. You lose nothing and in the next round if the points earned multiply by 2, which would be 24, you will earn 26. It''s still a difference." Lus worried as she said that, looking at Daniel''s wrists as he supported his chin on his right open wrist which has a disturbing visible image of his forearm''s bone showing "Objectively speaking, it''s option 73... But, option 73 and 94 won''t work because the option to select an option to apply it to yourself is the 70th one..." Kanawari said, as it meant that there were realistically only 3 options "Option 94 is very tempting. But four hours is too little." Daniel came to the conclusion.

    Ten seconds remained.

    "You can already tell from a mile away that since it''s Daniel, the fucking psycho, he won''t kill Hyunda and is looking to apply one of the fucking options to himself..." Yukishiro spoke to Arkalee "Yes, exactly. Hyunda is not in danger. As a matter of fact, I would say it''s pretty much the opposite... Fufu..." Arkalee kept staring at Hyunda''s open ankles "Stop staring, bitch." Hyunda interjected Arkalee "Nopeeeeee." But she didn''t care.

    A decision was made as Daniel pressed his desired option, thus giving him another minute.

    "Option 70? Oh. So, which one do you wish to apply to yourself?" Daniel had 69 other options to choose "He fucking chose so many but it didn''t fucking matter because his two cocksuckers were scouting for specific options meanwhile he just searched the one that allowed him to switch things around..." Yukishiro kept on resenting the current events "Option 16, sir." Option 16 became highlighted "DANIEL?!" Sana shouted at him from a distance "You are FUCKING INSANE! You''re gonna die, you know? Two arms? Absolutely psychotic!!" Akimiyashika kept getting more and more disgusted by Daniel''s choices "He doesn''t care..." Ikkiri realized "But... Two arms... How are you... going to live normally now, Daniel?" Sagasuga genuinely asked "I''m not." Daniel told the truth.

    Daniel''s desk front was open and two guards walked in his direction from the open pathway in Hyunda''s desk.

    "Are Katanas all you have to cut?" Daniel asked the guards, as they approached "What does it matter to you?" The left guard, annoyed by Daniel''s consistent nagging when it came to cutting, asked "A lot, actually. I want a clean cut. But before that, I need to know. What is the general conclusion that is taken here when cutting an arm?" Daniel asked a serious question "The shoulder will remain, if that''s your question." Basara answered instead "I see..." Daniel got up from his seat and then spoke to Kanawari and Lus "Sorry, could you give me a hand and undress my shirt? I really can''t do it on my own, I have to show them the parts of the arm that will be cut and those that won''t." He asked them and they were momentarily stunned as they didn''t know if Daniel''s request was serious or not "Please." Daniel insisted and they got up, though Lus struggled a fair share but due to the low distance of just a couple of centimeters, it wasn''t much "The front buttons and then take it off." Daniel gave the prominent order.

    There wasn''t embarrassment or anything of the sort. They dutifully undressed Daniel and his upper body was exposed to the rest of the world.

    ".......!!" Hinagiku''s eyes widened "Show-offffffffffffffffffffff!!!" Rayazaki tried not to look at them "Okay...!" Tateyana started to breathe rapidly "Listen up, because I don''t want there to be any confusion whatsoever." Daniel turned around and faced his own desk.

    As Lus and Kanawari watched the shredded front more clearly, they blushed slightly as Daniel placed his right arm, which lacked now a hand, fully forward in order to demonstrate an example to the guards.

    "This right here, is where the arm starts." With his left forearm, Daniel''s wrists landed on the end of his shoulder deltoid "You must leave the shoulder as much intact as possible. Which is why I would like to know if you have steel blades or specifically kitchen knives made for cutting." After the instruction was given, Daniel glanced at the two guards "Just do it." Basara didn''t like Daniel''s choice when it came to wasting time "But DO YOU have it?!" He still wanted to know regardless "It doesn''t matter. Get a hold of him." The left guard told the right guard as he began to walk towards Daniel "Disgraceful bastards... Remember how to cut it... It''s important, I need my shoulders to have value." The entire reason was revealed.

    In the end, one guard held Daniel''s right shoulder with immense grip and strength, and the other delivered a powerful clean cut to the arm; isolating from the shoulder.

    Daniel analyzed the cut as he tilted his head to the right side.

    "It went a little above the arm, a part of my shoulder was cut. Especially the lower deltoid..." Daniel showed displease "Please, be more professional about this. Our crime history isn''t an excuse for your lack of professionalism. Take yourself and your duty seriously." Daniel cast a hollow glance at the guard responsible for cutting "Shut up..." Visibly annoyed, the guard had one more chance to redeem himself as the guard holding Daniel switched sides "How far ahead does this entire thing put him?" Arkalee asked Tatsu "He gains a 50% point boost acquisition and other 500 points... Which is 1272. However, there''s also the bonus point breakthrough to take into account..." Arkalee found him useful "Mhm, yeah. So, what do you think his points will be at then?" Tatsu began to ponder "The breakthrough for 600 is 200. I can only imagine that the breakthrough for 1000 is something amongst either 250 or 400... I realistically think it''s 400." Arkalee absorbed all of his information "So... Worst case scenario, he gets 1672 points and has a 50% point acquisition boost..." Arkalee dreaded momentarily "Yeah." Tatsu gulped.

    Though, of course, it came at a price.

    The other side was thorn apart with speed and precision.

    "URKKKK----" Unable to view it with open eyes, many started to throw up as well "Oh come the fuck on, it''s not that disgusting!" Kawahara said as he watched the guard finish the cut "It IS!! Why do I gotta throw up twice in less than two hours for fuck''s sake?!" Tateyana complained as she was uncomfortable with the sight "I just don''t get it. What''s so terrifying about seeing parts of a body get thorn apart?" Kawahara couldn''t understand.

    At the end of it, Daniel''s arms were on the floor and he was bleeding from the end of his shoulders nonstop.

    "I''ll expect a better performance next time." To the guard that dealt the two cuts, Daniel spoke as he went to his seat once again, which closed as he sat on it "Tsk, brat..." The guard was offended but reflected on his cuts "Oh, this kinda hurts." Daniel remarked "Kinda...?!" Lus found his remark absurd "It should stabilize after defecting, but the pain can only be dealt with injections." Kanawari spoke knowledge that Daniel knew "It is what it is." Daniel shrugged his shoulders and looked to the ranking ladder.

    The updated ranking ladder was the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Daniel - (1672/2000 points)

    2 - Sagasuga - (808/1000 points)

    3 - Hinagiku (800/1000 points)

    4 - Hyunda (673/800 points)

    5 - Sana (548/600 points)

    6 - Tatsu (480/600 points)

    7 - Yukishiro (478/600 points)

    8 - Akimiyashika (430/600 points)

    9 - Lus Sera (424/600 points)

    10 - Ikkiri (418/600 points)

    11 - Stratos (388/600 points)

    12 - Kawahara (380/600 points)

    13 - Kuzan (214/250 points)

    14 - Tateyana (192/250 points)

    15 - Rayazaki (192/250 points)

    16 - Kanawari (178/250 points)

    17 - Arkalee (73/250 points)

    </blockquote>

    Not only astronomical, Daniel''s lead proved to be beyond unreachable as some were already believing they could never reach his position.

    "Wow... I am impressed, mister..." Hinagiku murmured to herself "The self-sacrifice; the ego, all the bad qualities of the book..." She demonstrated an aroused smile "Okay but like, he can never use his hands again! Carry anything! Clean his ass from his shit! Pee! Write! Use a phone! Do a functional job! Open a door! Touch something or someone!" Yukishiro adamantly defied Daniel''s accomplishments "His life is fucked. Enjoy this false "victory", cripple!!" Yukishiro laughed at Daniel "Hahaha----" Moving his head up and down slowly, Daniel looked at Yukishiro "You don''t plan on sacrificing a single part of your body for this game?" A question of interest was raised "Huh? No fucking way I do." She replied rapidly "Really..." Daniel leaned back as he absorbed the abhorrent reply on her end "Alright." He giggled once but didn''t say anything else "......." Yukishiro remained observant and questioned whether or not it was really necessary.

    Despite the whole entanglement, the execution round was not over. All of this because Daniel picked the option that would apply to himself, so Hyunda is still in the center.

    "SPIN IT!! WE''RE GOING TO BE HERE FOR AN HOUR SOON, FOR GOD''S SAKE!!" Even Basara showed impatience due to the fact that there were only 12 minutes until 8 am "This feels like it''s been a whole fucking day and you''re telling me we''re only getting started...!??!?!" Tateyana despaired at the reality of the situation.

    The next target was chosen rapidly as Hinagiku, Arkalee, and Daniel were excluded. Naturally, so is Hyunda, as the execution round''s target.

    "......." Hyunda''s face radiated a level of concern "Tatsu, he''s all yours." Basara allowed Tatsu to have the privilege as he had a full minute to choose how many points he wished to forfeit "........" Lus looked at Daniel with urgency "Wait." Daniel simply said as he looked at Tatsu and not her "......" Lus found it risky but went along with it.

    A surprise was formed at that given moment.

    "Tatsu, how about a deal?" Daniel tried to negotiate "....." Tatsu, who looked ready to kill, didn''t exactly pay attention "Should you kill Hyunda, you are rewarded with 294 points, plus you break the point barrier, thus earning an additional 200 points, which in total gives you 494 points. In the end, you will be at a large 974 points. Although you will be very high up on the rankings, you still won''t be ahead of me." Daniel''s point just proved to piss Tatsu off "Daniel?!" Lus called him out "BUT, BUT, that can change. 600 of my points, what do you say?" The ridiculousness on Daniel''s end felt neverending to many "This motherfucker needs to be studied. What is this?" Kawahara found Daniel brutally stupid "So wait, if he accepts Daniel''s 600 points, Tatsu will be at 1080... Add the barrier breakthrough of 600 points which is 200 and... HE''S AT 1280 POINTS?! WHAT THE FUCK?!" Tateyana screamed out "ABSURD!!" Akimiyashika also found the deal outrageous.

    But the nature of the deal was much yet to be explored.

    "600 of your points? For free?" Tatsu asked "Of course not, dumbass." Daniel rejected Tatsu''s doubts instantly "I will offer you----or rather, she will----" Daniel spoke in Kanawari''s direction "A contract where 600 of my points will be given to you if you pick a specific option within the very wide sea of options that are available." Daniel''s deal''s nature was revealed a bit "And what option would that be?" Tatsu asked "I''m glad you asked! I was reading a lot of options a while back and found one that pleased me. No, don''t worry, it doesn''t involve giving up any of your body parts. It''s an option that reads the following: "Forfeit 100 points, decide the number of rounds the next judgment round will have." That one." Daniel spoke Tatsu what he had in mind.

    The natural question followed as 27 seconds remained on the clock.

    "And how many would that be...?" Tatsu was fully skeptical "You decide." Daniel flashed a smile "Me?" Tatsu was surprised by Daniel''s lack of restriction and so were the others "Yup, you. Ah, but give up at least 50 points to ensure that it appears. So far it has, but you never know, so keep that in mind. So, what do you think?" 21 seconds remained on the clock "......." Tatsu was left to ponder about this deal.

    It was a given that many saw this deal as something sent from the heavens and thought that Daniel was stupid.

    "What''re you waiting for?! You have a 50% point acquisition boost and you''ll be in the first place!" Arkalee rushed Tatsu "I know..." Tatsu found Daniel''s enigmatic smile far too annoying to ignore "It''s a once in a lifetime deal, Tatsu. Not even I would ignore it. Your arsenal of options from here on is abundant, to say the least." Sagasuga added "Yeah. Yeah. Yeah... No, yeah, there''s no mistake about this." Tatsu reassured of himself as he became more confident "Alright, have Kanawari conjure the verbal contract for you!" Tatsu gave the heads-up to Daniel and in a matter of 10 seconds, Kanawari formed a deal involving Tatsu and Daniel, which Tatsu ultimately accepted.

    Subsequently, Tatsu forfeited 50 points as he checked the options.

    "Lucky motherfucker." Yukishiro became annoyed as the option was visible "Oh, it''s option 26!" Daniel noticed Tatsu and Tatsu immediately caught attention of it "Option 26!" As the option was chosen, Tatsu was immediately rewarded with 600 of Daniel''s points thus instantly updating the ranking ladder, however had 100 extracted as the option requires 100 points to be forfeited "10!!" Arkalee demanded "No, FUCKING MAKE IT ONE SO WE GET A WHOLE HOUR!!" Rayazaki told him "No, WHAT?! Don''t make it one, I need to get my points back up, Tatsu!!" Arkalee became overly nervous as she realized how a single round would be extremely bad for her "Let the whore die, Tatsu. Pick one and enjoy the lead." Rayazaki reinforced the idea.

    Arkalee gritted at Rayazaki and then wrapped her two hands on Tatsu''s right hand as she started to sob.

    "Please make it 10, Tatsu... I don''t want to die...!!" Arkalee grieved as Tatsu was unable to control her "I''m so low on points..." This particular line infuriated Rayazaki "THAT''S BECAUSE YOU FUCKING WASTED THEM ON THAT STUPID DEAL!! OI, TATSU, LET''S KILL THE WHORE!! MAKE IT ONE ROUND, WE''LL COOK HER ASS!!" Rayazaki became feisty "....." Tatsu decided to approach this from another angle.

    Having seen this one time before, he decided to be proficient.

    "How many rounds do you want the next judgment round to have, Arkalee?" Tatsu asked her "Huh... I said 10." She clarified "Are you sure?" He asked again "....." Arkalee looked at Tatsu in the eyes and then thought about it some more "No, make it 15..." Her words brought the fury of many "15?! ANOTHER FUCKING ONE HOUR IN HERE?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Tateyana spat as she shouted "I NEED POINTS, FUCK OFF!!" Arkalee defended herself "TATSU, PLEASE!!" Arkalee begged Tatsu, going as far as kneeling to him sideways.

    Hyunda yawned as she saw Arkalee''s behavior.

    "And I''m the unfaithful one? You might as well give him a blowjob from that angle, you prostitute." Hyunda spoke out, causing a nerve to break in Arkalee''s mind "Hyunda-------!!!" Tatsu decided to consult his points as he didn''t have much time "Arkalee." He twisted his chair and faced her while holding on to the right side of his screen "I will allow your request of 15 rounds, and will reward you with an additional 100 points----if from here on, forever, your choice in all of the execution rounds, belongs to me." The verbal contract was proposed.

    Tatsu''s approach surprised Sagasuga.

    "I really thought that he was going to do the same I did to Kanawari, but that''s..." Sagasuga couldn''t deny the potential of this contract "100 points?! OKAY, I ACCEPT!!" Arkalee happily accepted it as she immediately saw the merit "...Oh fuck, that''s kinda..." Rayazaki gulped "Tatsu has control of her decisions in the execution rounds? What does that mean, exactly..." Kuzan wanted to know just how far it applied.

    But at the end of everything, Tatsu decided that the next judgment round will contain 15 rounds.

    Partially, the newly updated ranking ladder was the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Tatsu (1130/1500 points)

    2 - Daniel - (1072/2000 points)

    3 - Sagasuga - (808/1000 points)

    4 - Hinagiku (800/1000 points)

    5 - Hyunda (673/800 points)

    6 - Sana (548/600 points)

    7 - Yukishiro (478/600 points)

    8 - Akimiyashika (430/600 points)

    9 - Lus Sera (424/600 points)

    10 - Ikkiri (418/600 points)

    11 - Stratos (388/600 points)

    12 - Kawahara (380/600 points)

    13 - Kuzan (214/250 points)

    14 - Tateyana (192/250 points)

    15 - Rayazaki (192/250 points)

    16 - Kanawari (178/250 points)

    17 - Arkalee (173/250 points)

    </blockquote>

    The extreme lack of predictability was raising the numbers of viewers by the minute and this was something that did not go uncaught.

    "Unbelievable. 9 minutes until 8 am. And we are STILL NOT FUCKING DONE WITH THIS ROUND!! I swear to God if I''m next, I''m killing Hyunda. Nothing personal, but I gotta take a SHIT!!" Tateyana openly confessed "Too much information." Hyunda retorted "I don''t give a shit, I need to leave!! NOW!!!" Tateyana begged for the chance to come.

    And as per usual, with nothing to stand in the way, Basara accelerated the momentum and allowed the skull to be spun.

    Until it landed on its target.

    "A first time over here." Basara looked in her direction as she couldn''t stop looking at Hyunda''s ankles, which were bleeding tremendously "UGH!" Arkalee felt disgusted "Hmm..." Daniel pondered if the entirety of his plan would even come true thanks to this particular choice "Oh, it''s you, Ikkiri!" Hyunda enthusiastically announced "....." Ikkiri looked at Hyunda with worry but also resentment "Oh come on... Don''t be like that..." Hyunda followed it up "Pick the one that''s most beneficial to you. Did you know? You have higher chances of winning tons of points during execution rounds and not in judgment ones? Yeah, it''s like that, I think. So, really, go for it. Do what you want." Hyunda spoke with utmost honesty and a brutal level of sincerity as no traces of sarcasm could be seen in his voice.

    Ikkiri''s one minute had yet to expire but she was taking a fairly long time.

    "Alright... I made up my mind..." Ikkiri''s eyes lit up resolution "......" Hyunda became irritated by the implication of it "Kill him or HARM him any further and I will fucking fry you alive..." Arkalee threatened Ikkiri.

    Steeled with resolve, Ikkiri turned to her left and faced Arkalee from not so far away.

    "Unlike you, I don''t harm someone I care about..." She lowly murmured "I CARE ABOUT HIM!!" Arkalee disliked Ikkiri''s words "So much that you cut off his feet HAHAHAH!!" Kawahara unleashed a loud wave of laughter "Because he needs to learn how to rely on me..." Arkalee once again defended herself "She is beyond insane." Akimiyashika admitted, close to Sana "The fact that she tries to justify it too..." Sana was also mad at Arkalee.

    Ikkiri opted to forfeit 100 points.

    "Ikkiri?!?!" Akimiyashika, someone who doesn''t approve of this methodology, questioned her right away "She''s crazy. EVERYONE''S CRAZY TODAY, CINEMA!!" Kawahara applauded as he found Ikkiri''s choice rather reckless "Ikkiri..." Hinagiku pondered just what exactly Ikkiri''s angle was.

    With less than a minute to go, Ikkiri had her mind on one specific option only.

    "Ikkiri, don''t do it." Hyunda coldly spoke to her "I''ve made up my mind... You can''t change it..." Ikkiri retorted as she looked over the options "Oh shit, she''s going for the kill?" Rayazaki threw a guess "Would be wild." Tateyana added "This is a game that can''t be won unless you constantly stay in the lead. This won''t get you anywhere but the opposite." Hyunda''s expression started to darken and became infused with rage "I figured." She said as she spotted the ideal option within the category of options she was searching for "Option 39!!" Ikkiri spoke out loud and a singular option out of the 100 of them became highlighted in glitter gold.

    Hyunda sighed and made a difficult expression as his head lowered.

    The option chosen read the following: "Forfeit 300 points; you and Hajime Hyunda will gain a 50% acquisition boost for the next two hours in exchange for his remaining choker''s red light."

    As Ikkiri''s points radically dropped from 318 all the way to 18, Hyunda''s choker''s red lights were authentically depleted and his ankles and wrist shackles were released as well.

    The current time is: 7:55 am.

    Basara wasted no time in saying what they all wanted to be said.

    "Alright, round is over! Be here in fucking five minutes, AND DON''T BE LATE IF YOU DON''T WANNA BLOW UP LIKE THAT MOTHERFUCKER!!" Angered by how much time this particular segment took, Basara exited the room as he desperately wanted a coffee "Looks like it didn''t come up. Even better." Daniel got up and extended his right shoulder to Lus "...You don''t need to offer me help to walk when you..." Lus took great notice of Daniel''s lack of arms "Wrap your left arm around my neck and walk slowly." Daniel said as he then looked at Hyunda, at the center still in the chair "He''s fucked." Lus remarked "....." Daniel and Lus, alongside Kanawari, started to exit the room.

    After a short while, the majority of the students began to exit the room entirely.

    Hyunda, on the other hand, supported himself with his two hands on the right and left side of the central chair, until he tumbled forward and fell face-off on the ground.

    "Oh----" His mouth splattered on the floor "Ugh... Well shit, time to honor my great-great-great-great and furthermore beyond, ancestors, by following their example..." He elevated his face from the cold ground and then bent his knees; allowing his calves to be far higher "Alright, let''s do this." With his two hands, he began to advance forward to his desk which has an open path "Mhm, this is actually good triceps workout. There are merits to this." He acknowledged as he lifted his head; further accelerating the momentum with each palm landing on the ground "Look at you, wow." The annoyance of her voice made Hyunda want to ignore her.

    But Arkalee precisely stood at the entrance of his desk; blocking his way.

    "We''re done, Arkalee." Hyunda figured that it was now a good time as ever "Huh?" In utter disbelief, Arkalee looked at Hyunda from her much higher stance "I said we''re done. This is a break-up. Right? That''s how it''s done. Yeah." Hyunda was making sure that he had it right "No..." Arkalee denied it "Oh, yes. Believe it. Fucking hell, you cut off my feet just because I swapped places? You''re lucky a break up is all you get. Out of my way, go suck Tatsu''s dick or something." Hyunda imperially demanded, but Arkalee stood frozen in place as she glared at Hyunda with a high degree of fury.

    The left side of Hyunda''s face was brutally assaulted by Arkalee''s right leg kick.

    "UGH-----" It didn''t lack in strength and Hyunda was pushed back as it shattered his balance "HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT TO ME?! AFTER ALL WE''VE BEEN THROUGH?!" Another kick landed on his face from the same leg "NO! NO! NO! NO! WE''RE NOT BREAKING UP!! YOU''RE MINE AND ALWAYS WILL BE!! SAY THAT AGAIN, AND I''LL CUT YOUR LEGS NEXT, YOU HEAR ME?!" She stopped kicking him as she awaited for a response on his end "Fine, I''ll just crawl with my elbows, no biggie." Hyunda replied in a fashion Arkalee didn''t like "WRONG ANSWER!!" His smile was broken by yet one of her sinister kicks, as the abuse continued "I''M GONNA STEP YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN UNTIL YOU LEARN YOUR LESSON!!" Her anger further escalated as Arkalee began to brutally abuse Hyunda with no interference.

    Near the entrance door, however, Ikkiri stood watching, daunting yet saddened, without wanting to be noticed.

    "She didn''t have to do that... It''s so cruel... I want to help him...!" She murmured in agony "I really don''t think that''s a good idea." Hinagiku, who was still in the area, watching as well, gave Ikkiri a piece of her mind "I don''t care if their boyfriend and girlfriend, Hyunda''s still my friend. I hate seeing him like this... He doesn''t deserve to be here..." Ikkiri confessed "Oh---you and Hyunda----are friends?" Hinagiku questioned Ikkiri "Yeah... And she... Well... Ah, nevermind..." Ikkiri made a defeated apathetic expression "No, no, go on... You gotta be stressed, right?" Ikkiri started to walk away from the entrance door slowly and Hinagiku followed her "I''m not really in the mood, Hina. But thanks. I appreciate it." Her head was down "Hey... Don''t be like that, Ikkiri. Let''s get going to the dorm, you can still eat something. Even if, well, there are like, three minutes left for the next round." Hinagiku suggested "I''m not hungry." Ikkiri''s mood kept worsening by the second "......." Hinagiku cast a glance at her and one last glance at the open room "Ok." She accepted that.

    <hr>

    7:57 am.

    As soon as the male students left the main block, they instinctively went in their dorm''s direction.

    However, a multitude of black suits and cameras recording the entire thing, caught them off guard.

    "SHIT-----No, no, NO!!" Kawahara was the first one to sprint forward; aiming at the entrance "Kawahara?!" Rayazaki found his movements rather weird and nervous.

    Attempting to barge into the entrance, Kawahara was rapidly put to a stop as their supervisor, George Kentucky, grabbed Kawahara''s white shirt''s collar from behind as he stood hidden in one of the supporting pillars.

    "AGH---" Mildly chocked, Kawahara''s sprint came to an halt "Wouldn''t do that if I were ya. They''ve been inside for like half a fuckin'' hour. Can''t even use the goddamn kitchen!" Showing a great displease in his expression, George warned Kawahara "What---" Kawahara tried to recover from the choke; the remaining male students came forth "What are they doing here?!" Kawahara questioned as they saw the entirety of the dorm getting swept by black suits left and right "It''s under investigation. Consider the dorm off limits for now." George declared the imperial order to every single one of them.

    Daniel tried to argue as he came forth.

    "Can''t I go in? Just to have a word?" He asked "I was ordered to not let any of you pests in. Take it and leave it." George shut him down "Greattttttt, fuck... I wanted to eat..." Rayazaki''s stomach growled "You threw up, you stupid motherfucker. No shit you want to eat." Kawahara pinpointed at Rayazaki "You''re the only one that didn''t throw up after seeing the horror show! Freak." Rayazaki retorted.

    George noticed a difference as he saw the crowd of male students.

    "Where is Hyunda? And that punk Tsudo?" The two individuals, gone from the crowd, were interrogated "Hyunda''s in the block. Tsudo''s dead." George didn''t flitch at Daniel''s words, but also took notice how Daniel was bleeding from his shoulder pits all over his white shirt "One less mouth to feed; more ingredients saved!" George spoke "Guys, let''s get the fuck going." Kawahara reinforced "Yeah, there''s one minute left. Let''s hurry." Daniel turned his back to the dorm and decided to accelerate his step "Hey, Daniel!" George called him out "You planning on going back to being a baby?! BUAHAHAHAHA!!" George laughed at Daniel''s lack of body parts "Pfft." He couldn''t turn back and waste time but he mildly giggled.

    The fourth round would shortly commence.

    Class F''s remaining students: 17.

 Volume 26: Chapter 186: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part XIV.

    8:00 am.

    No one failed to be present, and as such, Basara would take the momentum to full swing.

    Or so they would be led to believe...

    "There won''t be additional time, but whenever you''d like, feel free to use the vending machine." Basara pointed at the mysterious vending machine on the north side of the room "When did they install it?! They had like a vacuum of three minutes!!" Tateyana was perplexed by how the vending machine was suddenly there "It came through the hallway!" Arkalee said as she crossed her legs sideways; placing Hyunda''s two cut feet below her chair "Apparently you gotta pay points to get something. It''s really drinks and food, not very different from a vending machine at all." Kawahara, who was not seated at the round table and instead face to face with the vending machine, explained "How much for a water?" Rayazaki asked.

    Kawahara gave the brief answer.

    "50 points for a 50 liters!" The outrageous price didn''t appeal anyone "50 POINTS FOR THAT?! WHEN I CAN LITERALLY JUST WAIT AND DRINK WATER IN THE DORM?! NO THANKS!!" Tateyana revolted "....Wait..." Kuzan noticed it "This might be our only food source since we can''t get into the dorm..." He added "Oh yeah, it was all flooded with guards and what-not, what was that all about?" Akimiyashika asked "We can''t get in because they are conducting researches thanks to that FUCKING DICKHEAD!!" Kawahara kicked the vending machine out of rage "Kawahara, don''t do that again." Basara warned "Yeah, yeah." Kawahara went to the table and took his seat.

    The main event would start as well as the fourth round.

    Regarding the selection, those that cannot be selected by the dice are the following students: Gayakirima Kanawari and Daniel Lead.

    Thus, the dice was ready to be cast.

    "ROLL IT!!" Basara ignited the spark immediately.

    Slowly but surely, as the anticipation curtains drew closer, the target was chosen.

    "Ahhhhaaaaahhh..." Hyunda, still recovering from his wounds on his ankles whilst having to endure the brutality of Arkalee''s attacks previously, lay back on his chair as he sat between Sana and Akimiyashika "Ikkiri, you''re up!" Basara declared with uncanny enthusiasm as Ikkiri gulped "Ikkiri...!!" Akimiyashika felt fear "This is bad... Very... but very... bad..." Hinagiku said as she dreaded "Hahaha..." Arkalee rejoiced in bliss as she started to clap "HAHAHAHAHA!!! YOU''RE SO FUCKED!! YOU CAN''T GAIN POINTS THROUGH THE ROUND DESPITE THE POINT ACQUISITION BOOST!! YOU''RE FUCKED, BITCH!!" Bouncing her posture forward, Arkalee exhibited a psychotic laughter as Ikkiri was dragged to the center of the room "I told you to pick the most beneficial to you..." Hyunda rolled his head sideways as he said that.

    After Ikkiri was locked up in the central chair-----the chair where multiple human body pieces had been cut in the previous hours-----Basara reminded them of something important.

    "Brace yourselves, this will be a long one." He said "Yeah, all because that CLOWN OVER THERE, ALLOWED IT TO BE!!" Rayazaki pointed at Tatsu not far from his right "FUCKING FIFTEEN ROUNDS!!!" Rayazaki was boiling with rage "And why are you complaining? Don''t you have a fucking point acquisition boost?" Tatsu countered "I''M TIRED!!" Rayazaki''s eyes widened "I NEED SOME FUCKING COFFEE!!" He further complained "Then go get some." Kawahara said as he pointed at the vending machine "........." Rayazaki turned around and looked at the vending machine and gave it some thought.

    Ikkiri''s situation was fairly perilous as she could not gain any points this round since she cannot answer any of the claims. With only 18 points; Ikkiri started to ventilate as she dreaded further and further.

    "Hmm..." Daniel carefully analyzed the situation "It''s worth trying, when the time comes." He settled and so, Basara would initiate the claims.

    Glittered in gold, the first claim was produced.

    "When she was 10 years old, Rikishima Ikkiri, while boarding an airplane with her parents---was the victim of an airplane accident crash which only resulted in a few people''s survival; including her own." The first claim was drawn "Have at it." The usual hourglass appeared.

    Ikkiri''s expression stiffened and she refused to face forward and look only at the ground beneath her feet.

    "Hey, Ikkiri? Wanna help us out or something?" Rayazaki started the conversation "....." But Ikkiri refused to look up "Forget it. She''s done for. It doesn''t matter if you don''t get a single claim right this judgment round, during all the fifteen rounds, Ikkiri will be the target of execution because she has a mere 18 points." Kawahara acknowledged and voted what he thought was correct "Kinda fucked up... Bad luck, honestly. I feel fucking bad for you, Ikkiri." Rayazaki offered his pity as he cast his vote.

    Akimiyashika and Hinagiku both felt sorry for Ikkiri but in the end they cast their votes too.

    As the minute was about to run out, Daniel spoke.

    "Yes." He said out loud, gaining the attention of many people "Huh? OH right! He actually has to speak his vote out loud since he has no hands nor arms!" Tateyana remembered "So he actually believes the claim... Well, let''s see it..." Kawahara fixated his eyesight on the newly updated ranking ladder.

    Which was:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Tatsu (1178/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    2 - Daniel - (1120/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    3 - Sagasuga - (868/1000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    4 - Hinagiku (800/1000 points)

    5 - Hyunda (721/800 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 1:56:25 hours]

    6 - Sana (548/600 points)

    7 - Yukishiro (502/600 points)

    8 - Akimiyashika (430/600 points)

    9 - Lus Sera (424/600 points)

    10 - Stratos (412/600 points)

    11 - Kawahara (404/600 points)

    12 - Rayazaki (222/250 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    13 - Kuzan (214/250 points)

    14 - Tateyana (192/250 points)

    15 - Kanawari (190/250 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    16 - Arkalee (173/250 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    </blockquote>

    "Tch, lucky bitch..." Arkalee clenched her teeth as she noticed she got it wrong "So, how did you survive the airplane crash?" Kawahara asked Ikkiri "This information isn''t a lie, it''s accurate; coming straight up from the government itself." He added "..........." But Ikkiri resolved to silence only "Well shit, this might be boring unlike the last round!" Tateyana exclaimed, as she didn''t score this round "At least there won''t be a master manipulator trying to rig every choice of the corner..." Yukishiro cast a hateful glance at Daniel, who had got it right this round as well.

    Something else caught Kuzan''s attention though as he pointed at the ranking ladder''s screen.

    "Hey, they added the bonuses right next to the points!" This was something that they already had noticed "Yup, it''s better to keep a track of the shit that''s going on. Though, my memory is so fucking good that I find it offensive." Kawahara interjected "Oh thank God!" Tateyana rejoiced, on the other hand as she found this incredibly useful "So it does multiply; the points you gain per round. Now it''s 24." Hinagiku confirmed her suspicion "And... Sagasuga won 60 points this round..." Sana noticed as Hyunda intercepted "He''s a menace, I can''t lie. It might not seem like much at first glance but the Kanawari factor is adding +12 points to him every round if she gets it right." Hyunda deducted "...Yeah..." But Sana was more worried about the blood running down his nostrils as well as his left face''s cheek which was turning purple.

    Basara wasted no time and moved on to the upcoming round, as given the number of rounds this time around-----time was of essence.

    "Rikishima Ikkiri killed her cousin by suffocating her with a pillow when she was 12 years old." The second claim came forth and Basara simply allowed the hourglass to dictate the tempo.

    Ikkiri once again resorted to silence as she didn''t want to give the right answer.

    "You are fucking boring, aren''t you?" Yukishiro questioned from afar "If you know that you''re going to be subjected to the execution round, then why don''t you make this simpler and tell the truth so this can be over with faster?" She further questioned Ikkiri''s method "........." Ikkiri didn''t reply in any manner though "She''s so resigned to not answering, but why? There''s nothing you can do to avoid the outcome, Ikkiri. Hey, if you tell the truth from here on, I won''t do anything bad to you in the execution round!" Tateyana tried to reason with her "........." But Ikkiri didn''t bother to look at her.

    At the end of things, everyone cast their votes and the ranking ladder was updated in no time.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Tatsu (1178/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    2 - Daniel - (1120/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    3 - Sagasuga - (916/1000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    4 - Hinagiku (824/1000 points)

    5 - Hyunda (721/800 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 1:53:47 hours]

    6 - Sana (572/600 points)

    7 - Yukishiro (502/600 points)

    8 - Akimiyashika (454/600 points)

    9 - Stratos (436/600 points)

    10 - Lus Sera (424/600 points)

    11 - Kawahara (404/600 points)

    12 - Rayazaki (402/600 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    13 - Kuzan (238/250 points)

    14 - Arkalee (197/250 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    15 - Tateyana (192/250 points)

    16 - Kanawari (190/250 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    </blockquote>

    "Let''s GOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Rayazaki threw his right fist into the air as he broke the barrier successfully "I broke the fucking barrier! 30 points is so fucking lit!!" He struck a champion pose "Calm down bitch, you''re not even ahead of me. Your ranking position hasn''t changed at all." Kawahara noted, though slightly irritated "For now." Rayazaki confidently snarled "Tsk...!!" Kawahara knew that Rayazaki had an edge on him that could prove to be most beneficial.

    Ikkiri looked at the ranking ladder to check a certain ranking and as she did, her expression slightly darkened.

    "Hey..." Lus spoke in Daniel''s direction "Yes?" He turned to his left and faced Lus subsequently "Are you not gonna come up with some contract like the last round?" She asked the valid question that earned the attention of Kanawari, Tateyana, Kuzan, and Kawahara who were nearby Daniel''s seat "That''s right, that''s right! Make this interesting, bro!" Kuzan wasn''t against the idea at all "No, please don''t...!!" Tateyana didn''t like the idea at all "Hm... Why would I do that?" To Lus and no other, Daniel asked "You''re supposed to tell me why you aren''t." Lus replied "Hah. Well, there''s no reason to. I have a 50% point acquisition boost. I can gain points. There''s no legitimate reason for me to offer some sort of contract." Daniel explained.

    But Lus insisted.

    "Are we not going to do anything about Ikkiri?!" Lus showed genuine concern "We?" Daniel didn''t understand her stance "Yes, we. Isn''t there some way for you, who has so many points to get her out of this unfavorable position while still making some profit on your own? You were in the same position as her and thanks to your contract, you managed to climb even further..." Lus made a valid point "She has a point... That shouldn''t have happened, but the fact that your contract had the double point factor---it appealed to many, such as myself, even... Ugh..." Tateyana didn''t want to admit it.

    Daniel then understood what Lus really wanted.

    "So you really want to get Ikkiri out of this position, no matter the cost?" Daniel asked her "I don''t hate her." Lus further emphasized "Sure, she made a huge mistake by forfeiting so many points, but the unfair nature of being the target of the judgment round is hard to counter unless there is a plan." Lus explained "Hmm..." Daniel looked at her serenely, but he thought that Lus wasn''t understanding something crucial "Do you really want that? For Ikkiri to not be in her position?" Daniel asked, just to make sure "Huh...? Well yeah, that''s what I sa----" Lus then unconsciously switched her glance to Kanawari, who was beyond nervous and subsequently, the ranking ladder.

    There, she saw who was at the bottom.

    "....Forget what I just said......" Reluctantly, Lus reaffirmed "Ikkiri... made her own choice." She added "True." Daniel concluded the conversation as Lus knew what it meant if Ikkiri were to leave the position "........" Hinagiku though, didn''t fail to listen to this conversation from not so far away.

    The third claim would be made shortly by Basara.

    "Rikishima Ikkiri killed her twin sister, Rikishima Kuzuri, when she was 13 years old." Ikkiri''s face slightly distorted but not for a long time "Family drama, huh? Well, what do you think?" As per usual, the hourglass did the trick.

    Hinagiku struck forward with the initiative as she had plan in mind.

    "Ikkiri!" With high enthusiasm yet a degree of seriousness, Hinagiku managed to grab Ikkiri''s attention as she erupted her head up "Hina...?" Ikkiri knew not her intentions "Stop! Just let her fall to her own grave, Hinagiku!" Arkalee abruptly tried to disperse Hinagiku''s actions "No, I don''t think so." She elevated from her seat "Listen, I have a deal for you that will save you from this unfavorable position, so please accept it!" Hinagiku pressed the symbol on the lower right of her screen.

    With Ikkiri''s undivided attention as well as Arkalee''s, Hinagiku recited the verbal contract.

    "Rikishima Ikkiri, do you accept the following contract: Until this judgment round is over, I will not be able to score any points, but instead, you will, thus giving you the opportunity to play in this round." Calmly, Hinagiku struck her bargain "WHAT?! THAT CAN''T BE ALLOWED! ISN''T THAT AGAINST THE RULES, TEACHER?!" Arkalee immediately saught Basara''s confirmation "If the contract allows it to be formed, then anything goes. All that matters is consent." Basara explained "Hina, I can''t... This means that you will fall behind!" Ikkiri opposed immediately "Nonsense. I have 824 points. No matter how you look at it, I will not fall into the bottom." Hinagiku rapidly countered.

    Midst this, Yukishiro made a question.

    "How can Ikkiri accept the contract, teacher? Her wrists are tied, she can''t press the screen." The valid question raised awareness among them "That''s right, I find it strange too. I was under the impression that you can''t accept contracts when you''re tied down, since you obviously can''t form them due to the fact a screen won''t show up----even at the range of a single finger." Kawahara agreed "Well?" Basara instead, looked at Ikkiri as he was hoping for an answer "I-----" But she was brutally interrupted.

    Lus didn''t get up but her voice brought volume to the table.

    "You have no right to accept such a deal." Coldly, Lus spoke "Excuse me?" With a bitter expression, Hinagiku didn''t like Lus'' tone "It''s beyond unfair. Only you know the true answer to all of these claims. And if it means that you will be able to play, then you can simply wait until the last second to vouch your answer to those claims and strategically speaking, since we are at the third round and there are twelve rounds left-----you, with your 50% point acquisition boost, can objectively get 576 points and that''s not even COUNTING the bonus points you get via breaking the barriers!" Lus spoke with a visible anger front.

    Twenty seconds remained.

    "And what the hell is wrong with that?! Everyone else can score and NO ONE has 18 points like Ikkiri! Unfair? You''re out of your mind. You''re just scared of what happens if Ikkiri accepts the contract..." Hinagiku maliciously smiled "BITCH!!" Lus lashed out "Please stop..." Ikkiri didn''t like how Hinagiku and Lus were treating each other "Hold up, the contract is way too good." Rayazaki noticed "It''s mediocre. It only saves Ikkiri, but sets her up for the next round quite well since she has the point acquisition boost for another hour. Lus said Ikkiri can in theory obtain 576 points, but, Ikkiri had 418 points before this and her barrier was 600. So, if there is a drawback, it''s that it won''t be enough for her to break through. Lus is actually exaggerating when she says that the bonus points matter." Kawahara spoke mildly out loud.

    But it was actually heard by most of the people.

    "Kawahara is exactly right! It only serves as a way to guarantee that Ikkiri won''t fall into the bottom." Hinagiku reinforced her proposal "Guarantee? That''s a bit rich, but you do you." Kawahara didn''t agree that it was a surefire way to save Ikkiri "I''m aware..." Hinagiku retorted "Ikkiri, don''t accept the contract if you have any dignity. I know that look on your face..." Lus took note of the time as it drew to ten seconds "You want to die, don''t you?" Ikkiri''s eyes widened "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Hinagiku smashed her fists onto her desk as Lus'' attitude began to infurate her "There''s no use in hiding it, I know the feeling of guilt all too well. I don''t need to know what you are hiding it, I just know you want to die for something you did. And, you are committed into that action, aren''t you?!" Lus questioned Ikkiri with fierce intentions.

    Six seconds remained; Ikkiri''s expression swam in guilt and sadness.

    "It''s all my fault...!!" Her expression no longer emitted apathy and was starting to radiate tremendous sadness "You fucking idiot..." Hyunda showed displease as he lowly murmured that to himself "IF YOU ARE, DON''T MAKE SOMEONE ELSE TAKE YOUR PLACE!!" Lus concluded as she cast her vote "IKKIRI, DON''T LISTEN TO HER AND ACCEPT THE DEA-----" Time ran out as the votes were collected.

    Thankfully, though argumentative, Hinagiku and Lus both voted, but Ikkiri had another saying.

    "I don''t want to hurt anyone again...!! I''m not accepting it, I''m sorry, Hina....!!" Virtually shattering itself to pieces, the contract proposed ceased to exist "Ikkiri, why..." Unable to understand how Ikkiri could refuse that, Hinagiku switched her eyesight to Lus "Hmpf..." Adamantly, Lus maintained a proud expression "Don''t worry, Kana... As I said, nothing bad will happen to you..." To Kanawari, Lus showed her protective side "Even... at the cost of Ikkiri''s life...?!" Kanawari asked, nervous "No matter who. I don''t... betray my friends or the people I care about." Lus expression became twisted with rage "......." Daniel adjoined all these factors.

    The newly updated ranking ladder was:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Tatsu (1178/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    2 - Daniel - (1120/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    3 - Sagasuga - (966/1000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    4 - Hinagiku (848/1000 points)

    5 - Hyunda (769/800 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 1:50:01 hours]

    6 - Sana (572/600 points)

    7 - Yukishiro (526/600 points)

    8 - Akimiyashika (454/600 points)

    9 - Stratos (450/600 points)

    10 - Kawahara (428/600 points)

    11 - Lus Sera (424/600 points)

    12 - Kuzan (412/600 points)

    13 - Rayazaki (402/600 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    14 - Arkalee (221/250 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    15 - Tateyana (192/250 points)

    16 - Kanawari (190/250 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    </blockquote>

    "The fuck?! She actually did it?!" Tateyana was bewildered "NICEEEEE!!!" Kuzan celebrated as he broke the barrier "I fucking hate 50/50''s so much. Fucking luck!" Rayazaki smashed his desk with his right fist "Tatsu and Daniel haven''t gotten a single right one yet..." Sana noticed as their points remained unmoving "Those two, though high on the list, should not be the one you should keep your eyes on..." Akimiyashika particularly looked at a singular position "Sagasuga... How many points does the 1000 point barrier breakthrough give him?" Sana asked and Hyunda replied "400 points. If Sagasuga gets the next one right, he will be seated at a whooping 1,414 points." Hyunda''s words made Sana and Akimiyashika''s eyes widened "How?! And he hasn''t lost a single body piece unlike Tatsu and specifically Daniel! What the fuck...!" Akimiyashika couldn''t believe it "He''s a terror on display but no one notices it." Hyunda smirked.

    The fourth claim swiftly came forth as Basara wasted no time.

    "Rikishima Ikkiri is guilty for making an entire class of students commit suicide from the top of a high school building." Ikkiri''s eyes wavered in terror "Christ." Tateyana couldn''t hide her surprise "Is this one of those cases of dissociative personality disorder?" Lus asked Daniel.

    The hourglass was already spinning, granted.

    "What do you mean?" Daniel kept looking at Ikkiri in order to extract some elements of truth while thinking "You know what I mean, come on. I''m talking about having another personality so dominant that you have to, for certain reasons, keep it hidden by displaying another persona as a mask." Daniel tilted his head up twenty degrees "PTSD?" He glanced down at her "Likely." Lus confirmed "I think that''s her case. She''s guilty of most of these cases as it''s been proven. So, whoever Ikkiri was prior to this, is someone completely different." Lus made her theory "Where are you going with this?" Daniel still had to see her ultimate point "...I think we can guilt-trip her." Daniel''s eyes opened with joy to the maximum "Oh?" He smiled as well "Don''t get too excited but... There''s probably a way. I''ll think of something, just wait." She said to Daniel "Mhm, alright." Happily, Daniel accepted her words "That''s cheating..." Hinagiku''s eyes narrowed as she saw the two of them talking "You said you''d kill her so why are you working in the opposite direction... Are you betraying me...?" The suspicion grew as the round was over in no time.

    The ranking ladder for this fourth round was the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Sagasuga - (1414/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    2 - Tatsu (1178/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Daniel - (1120/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    4 - Hinagiku (872/1000 points)

    5 - Hyunda (793/800 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 1:48:23 hours]

    6 - Sana (596/600 points)

    7 - Yukishiro (526/600 points)

    8 - Akimiyashika (454/600 points)

    9 - Kawahara (452/600 points)

    10 - Stratos (450/600 points)

    11 - Kuzan (436/600 points)

    12 - Lus Sera (424/600 points)

    13 - Rayazaki (402/600 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    14 - Arkalee (221/250 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    15 - Tateyana (216/250 points)

    16 - Kanawari (190/250 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    </blockquote>

    "Dear fucking God." Sana couldn''t hide her surprise "You weren''t joking when you said that..." Akimiyashika didn''t look at Hyunda but went out of her way to admit it "And to make things worse, he''s literally about to break the barrier in less than a hundred points. Maybe it''ll give him 500 points as an added bonus." Hyunda further clarified "500?! So wait, he''s actually not that far off from using all those broken options that we actually never thought would be possible?!" Akimiyashika asked "Yeah, that''s right. This is a progressive game. I bet you at first thought that it would take at least a couple of days for us to get there, but reality is, this game is hyper explosive in tempo. And the most decisive factor of them all is..." The answer was beyond obvious.

    Before the fifth claim would be made, Daniel made a request to Kanawari.

    "I need your help with the vending machine, I''m kinda thirsty. I would ask Lus, but her pair of crunches still hasn''t been imported from China." Lus slightly heard that "Watch it, armless freak..." Lus gave a menacing glare to Daniel "Okay..." Kanawari got up and with his own legs, Daniel went around his chair and started going to the vending machine.

    Hinagiku caught notice of their actions as well as some others.

    In the north side of the room, a light-blue vending machine with the height of two meters and almost half a meter in width; stood in front of them. Due to its features, it contains a chain of electrical sparkling lights that run through the top and bottom, sideways. This vending machine goes by the name of "Apex".

    "Rikishima Ikkiri was expelled from her high school during her tenth grade due to a bombing explosion attempt." Basara made the fifth claim; causing Kanawari to momentarily turn around "Uh... Can I go back to my seat now...?" Kanawari asked Daniel "Not yet... Oh, this does have a voice reception, how nice!" Daniel was surprised by the fact that the vending machine had such an ability; already taking into account his physical incapacity "One 500 ml natural milk bottle please!" Daniel ordered "Client: Daniel Lead. Points extracted for one 500 ml natural milk bottle: 65." A robotic voice reported to Daniel and after the extraction was done, a 500 ml milk bottle could be seen on the bottom of the vending machines where the products can be ultimately received.

    Daniel didn''t have to say it and Kanawari squatted down in order to catch it for him.

    "You''re now on 1055 points, which means I have 183 points to go to get to you." Hinagiku revealed herself from behind as she snatched the milk bottle from Kanawari''s right hand with her own left "Eeek!!" Unaware and caught in a surprise, Kanawari faltered as she fell down to the other side "You can go now, sorry about that." Daniel thanked Kanawari and Kanawari went back to her seat right afterwards, albeit uncomfortable.

    Hinagiku juggled with the milk bottle from her right to her left.

    "Did you vote already? There are only thirty seconds left." Daniel asked "Oh no, I was just checking on you. Do you need help with something, Daniel?" Hinagiku flashed a gorgeous smile "Yeah, I do actually. Could you open that bottle and place it on the lower part of my teeth? You know, like this?" Daniel extended his lower jaw forward.

    The method would be simple but it would require Hinagiku to specifically place the lower part of the bottle on the lower teeth which in turn would make Daniel able to get a tight grip of it with his upper teeth; thus ultimately allowing him to gulp the milk.

    "Ok!!" Hinagiku took the stamp out of the bottle and then proceeded to tilt the bottle 70 degrees downward whilst holding it up high "Open wide!" Daniel unlocked the roof of his mouth even further "Ahhhh-----" But instead of feeling the begging of the bottle on the teeth as he would envision, he instead felt a shivering liquid pouring down from his head "OH MY GOD, I''M SO SORRY!!" Apolegetic and nervous, Hinagiku simultaneously earned the attention of every individual in the room as well as breaking the bottle of milk made out of glass as it shattered on the floor "........." Daniel wasn''t quite pleased by her performance.

    With a mere fifteen seconds on the run, Daniel was drenched with milk on his hair, face and shirt; with droplets dripping.

    "Wait, hold on, let me clean your face..." From Hinagiku''s perspective, she dived into her right side, which would be Daniel''s left side "Hey, what''s going?!" Lus asked Kanawari "Hinagiku dropped the bottle... No, she''s up to something..." Kanawari no longer could hide it "That sly bit-----Arghh---!!" Lus tried to get up but reality was harsh on her.

    With her tongue, Hinagiku began to lick the white droplets out of his face.

    "You can lick the rest later, let''s go vote now." Daniel figured this was the most logical "Oh, I----agree." Hinagiku withdrew herself as she noticed that there were only ten seconds on the clock "By the way----I really, really, but really hope, that you aren''t trying to delay the inevitable. She is going to die. And for that to happen, I don''t think it''s necessary for Ikkiri to die first." Hinagiku, with stride went back to her seat and voted "........." Daniel did the same, but he was left with a decision to make as he voiced his vote "Yes!" He said as he was the very last person to vote.

    The updated ranking ladder showed itself:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Sagasuga - (1414/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    2 - Tatsu (1178/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Hyunda (1141/1500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 1:44:10 hours]

    4 - Daniel - (1103/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    5 - Hinagiku (894/1000 points)

    6 - Sana (596/600 points)

    7 - Yukishiro (526/600 points)

    8 - Akimiyashika (478/600 points)

    9 - Kawahara (476/600 points)

    10 - Stratos (450/600 points)

    11 - Lus Sera (448/600 points)

    12 - Kuzan (436/600 points)

    13 - Rayazaki (434/600 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    14 - Arkalee (221/250 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    15 - Tateyana (216/250 points)

    16 - Kanawari (202/250 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    </blockquote>

    "About time I scored." Daniel sighed as he looked at the ranking ladder "You got overtaken though." Lus felt disturbed by the sheer number of milk droplets in Daniel''s face "I can''t tell if it''s luck or not, but he scored right three times in a row. I have a hunch that he actually..." Kanawari began to deduct something "Yeah. There''s no doubt about it." Daniel reassured "For crying out loud...! That bitch had no right, you wasted your points for that milk bottle, right?!" Lus showed anger and Daniel turned to her direction "A couple of them." Daniel settled for that.

    Kanawari felt the need to intervene.

    "...That was 65 points... She broke the bottle on purpose. What did she say to you?" Kanawari asked "What''s with you two? She has a crush on me, she''s just expressing herself. What''s wrong with that?" Kanawari and Lus were momentarily stunned "Uh..." Lus knew not how to answer "Er---" Kanawari also didn''t know "More importantly... We have to do something really, but really important..." Daniel sighed profoundly "Kanawari, you''re a nuisance." He dealt the true trigger.

    The sixth round would be initiated by Basara as the sixth claim was ready to be recited; although they opted to ignore the claim momentarily and had a conversation instead.

    "You''re referring to how I''m not able to score consistently?" Kanawari felt mad but knew the truth "That''s exactly right. I understand that it most likely saved Lus, but it doesn''t erase the problem. If you don''t score, you don''t score. And when you score, you score half. Sagasuga ultimately profits." Daniel reasoned "Sagasuga can''t be stopped... The contract he did with Kanawari and his point acquisition boost has turned him into a point devouring monster." Lus pointed out "Yes, correct. Which is why we need to bring him down and put him where he belongs." Daniel said as Basara uttered the claim out loud "Rikishima Ikkiri has lied about her age several times in the past and has used the identity of other female individuals to her own gain." The sixth claim was then formed "I have an idea." Lus was eager to present the idea.

    They opted to ignore the claim for as long as they could.

    "I can''t remember how many points it required, but there was an option in the execution rounds that allowed you to target someone and take away all of their bonuses..." Lus suggested "That would be great, I can''t lie..." Kanawari thought as much and Daniel tilted his head in the ceiling''s direction "Give me five seconds." Daniel told the two of them "......" They didn''t reply but kept looking at Daniel "It costs 8000 points." Daniel remembered "At least, according to the last round. Now it''s probably... 9000... It''s a really powerful option." Daniel added "So... I''m fucked??" Kanawari felt nervous as she asked "No. Because, that''s not realistically speaking, an option to aim for. The one I was thinking is the one that targets one person in the whole class and the person will get a 50% point decreasement boost." Daniel told "But that... Only makes Sagasuga SLIGHTLY less powerful, right?!" Lus knew this was true.

    And it was.

    "Undoubtedly. Kanawari''s case is a hard one to crack." Even he admitted "Besides, that option previously cost 1000 points. It''s absurd to even try and target him now." Daniel''s words only brought paranoia and distress to Kanawari "So you don''t have a plan to make my situation better?! Is that what you''re telling me?!" Thirty seconds remained "Hmmm..." Daniel had a difficult expression "It''s not really realistic considering that Ikkiri doesn''t want to cooperate. If she did and there was a way to stop this 50/50 bullshit, then your situation could actually be saved, I''m not joking." Daniel spoke words of hope.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Lus pondered whether or not it was worth it.

    Daniel turned around in her direction and told her some words.

    "There are only 9 rounds left. Don''t wait around if you know it''s a good plan and it works. Come on, show me what you got." Daniel pressured her "But...!!" She wasn''t entirely confident "There''s no guarantee that she won''t accept some sort of contract from somebody else and then drown Kanawari down the water." Lus'' eyes widened "!!!!" She felt that it was now or never "There''s no guarantee this will work, but I''ll try it...!!" Her words weren''t the utmost confident but she refused to bow down.

    In Ikkiri''s direction, Lus formed a verbal contract proposition.

    "Ikkiri! Please hear me out, I have something to tell you that I think you should know!" Lus summoned Ikkiri and the rest of the class'' attention in a single shot "Another attempt?" Kawahara whistled "What good will even come out of that mouth of yours..." Hinagiku pinpointed Lus rather silently "Lus, please... Can''t I have this?" Ikkiri''s dry tears could be seen all over her face "You can, but I just want you to know that it doesn''t have to be this way." Fifteen seconds remained "What?" Ikkiri didn''t understand Lus at all "Hey, what the fuck?! You just said a while ago that Ikkiri had it coming!! You even were against Hinagiku''s contract, you bitch!!" Arkalee accused Lus of lying.

    Instead of replying to Arkalee, Lus didn''t waste time and proposed the contract.

    "Rikishima Ikkiri, should you answer truthfully about the claims until the end of this judgment round, half of my points will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda, but in exchange, I want your 50% point acquisition boost to be under my possession." Lus'' contract was formed "...Wait... That... doesn''t save Ikkiri at all..." Arkalee realized "Yes. As a matter of fact, it''s almost as if it''s specifically targeted to make her lose..." Tatsu remarked.

    Eight seconds remained.

    "Ikkiri, don''t do it. I don''t need her points. I''m fine as I am. She''s taking advantage of you and you know this. Say no." Hyunda coldly spoke in Ikkiri''s direction "But... You might get first place..." Ikkiri softly smiled "I really won''t. I''ve done the math and I still fall behind Sagasuga." Five seconds remained "But you... will be stronger than the rest just like you always are, right...?" Ikkiri smiled once again in Hyunda''s direction "Don''t---" Hyunda''s words were too late "I accept the contract." With a meek voice and two seconds on the clock the decision was made "I did it!" A few who hadn''t voted yet due to the circumstance managed to hold off and vote accordingly "FUCK!!" Rayazaki kicked his desk "IF ONLY I HAD KNOWN!!!" He was, unfortunately, one of the victims.

    And like that, the 50/50 chance dilemma was broken.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Sagasuga - (1474/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    2 - Tatsu (1226/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Hyunda (1189/1500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 1:42:57 hours]

    4 - Daniel - (1151/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    5 - Hinagiku (918/1000 points)

    6 - Sana (820/1000 points)

    7 - Yukishiro (550/600 points)

    8 - Lus Sera (496/600 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 1:42:57 hours]

    9 - Akimiyashika (478/600 points)

    10 - Kawahara (476/600 points)

    11 - Kuzan (460/600 points)

    12 - Stratos (450/600 points)

    13 - Rayazaki (434/600 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    14 - Arkalee (245/250 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    15 - Tateyana (240/250 points)

    16 - Kanawari (214/250 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    </blockquote>

    "She---She''s ahead of me!! She was three places below as well!!" Akimiyashika exclaimed "But now it''s more simplified... Ikkiri can''t lie or else half Lus'' points won''t be transferred to you. Furthermore, if she does lie, Lus will just enjoy this lead... Why the hell did she do it?!" Sana couldn''t understand her actions at all "......" Hyunda closed his eyes as he had nothing to say "You''re not... going to tell me?" Sana asked Hyunda "It''s her decision. Besides, you will soon learn." Hyunda said "I see..." Sana wasn''t entirely satisfied.

    On the other side, Daniel critiqued Lus'' decision.

    "That''s your master plan? The "guilt-trip" strategy?" His face emitted apathy and boredom "Yes, it is. And it worked. Ikkiri is bound to be last place now and Kanawari is saved. Because the rounds from here on are self-explanatory. Furthermore, I didn''t take away her wish to die, so this was bound to work." Daniel didn''t agree completely "What are you going to do about it if someone tries to disrupt the strategy? Also, this lead of yours; it''s nothing more than an illusion." Daniel warned her "I''m aware..." Lus replied "Still, to think you''d take advantage of her frail emotional state. I didn''t know you had it in you." Daniel smiled wickedly "It wasn''t on purpose..." Lus countered "Oh really?" Daniel wasn''t convinced "Yes, really. It''s just... whenever you feel so guilty that you want to die... if there is someone you care about that benefits from your death, you don''t think twice about it." Lus clarified "..........." Daniel became silent "And Hyunda to her..." They watched Ikkiri as she had a hopeless smile on her face as she looked at Hyunda from afar.

    The seventh claim was formed by Basara.

    "Rikishima Ikkiri and Hajime Hyunda went to the same highschool." Basara presented the claim and Ikkiri instantly replied "It''s true..." She started to chuckle a little bit while crying dry tears "Do you still remember it, Hyunda?" Hyunda was momentarily stunned as he was taken back "Yea---" A louder voice intruded "FUCK OFF AND DIE!! THAT''S MY BOYFRIEND, YOU SLUT!! STOP TALKING UNLESS IT''S RELATED TO------" For the first time, Ikkiri allowed her voice to reach an inconceivable height "CAN''T YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH FOR ONE SINGLE SECOND GODDAMN IT?!" Arkalee was taken aback and so were many others "What the..." Arkalee couldn''t believe Ikkiri''s expression which was far different from her usual one.

    Purely rage could be traced all over her face.

    "He broke up with you. What you just said is false, therefore. Besides, I''ve known him for a longer time!" Ikkiri reduced her voice volume slightly but not too much "If I''m going to die then just allow me to spend my last moments with the person I cherish the most, which is-----" Ikkiri''s face blushed prematurely but her expression blossomed from rageful to jubilant "You, Hyunda. I love you!" Her smile was brighter than all lights within the room "That''s nice." Hyunda chuckled as many were still processing what was going on "Huh?! What the---what''s happening?" Rayazaki was dumbfounded "Peak lovers quarrel apparently." Kawahara added.

    Hyunda finished his sentence, however, as he was not done.

    "But I''ve loved you the longest time and still continue to do so." Hyunda smiled back at Ikkiri "WHAT?!?!" Ikkiri was momentarily taken aback but Arkalee exploded in the most dramatic way as she began to cry violently "You... could have..." Ikkiri felt bitter "Words aren''t my thing. You know that." Basara clapped his hands "Alright, shut the fuck up and vote, you clowns. She even gave you the answer." The order was restored but in reality, it was far from the truth.

    The ranking ladder for the seventh round was:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Sagasuga - (2034/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    2 - Tatsu (1274/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Hyunda (1237/1500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 1:40:42 hours]

    4 - Daniel - (1199/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    5 - Hinagiku (942/1000 points)

    6 - Sana (844/1000 points)

    7 - Yukishiro (574/600 points)

    8 - Lus Sera (544/600 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 1:40:42 hours]

    9 - Akimiyashika (502/600 points)

    10 - Kawahara (500/600 points)

    11 - Kuzan (484/600 points)

    12 - Stratos (474/600 points)

    13 - Rayazaki (464/600 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    14 - Arkalee (419/600 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    15 - Tateyana (414/600 points)

    16 - Kanawari (226/250 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    </blockquote>

    "IT''S---IT''S FUCKING OVER 2000!! GODDAMN, WHAT THE FUCK!!" Rayazaki was bewildered by Sagasuga''s lead "And to make matters worse, that fucking 2500 point barrier will most likely be BROKEN as well!!" Tateyana added.

    Sagasuga''s supreme lead was making everyone recognize him slowly but surely.

    "Must be nice... How many times have you played this game before, Sagasuga?" Daniel asked the question everyone was deep down thinking "I was thinking the exact same!! Maybe he actually transferred over to this class because of this game?! That would explain how he knows all of this!!" Kuzan deducted "Oh..." Sagasuga placed his right hand on his chin and made a thinking pose "I suppose the cat is out of the bag..." The revelation was made "Bummer, I was intending on keeping this hidden but there''s no use in hiding it as it''s too obvious." Sagasuga reasoned "C-CHEATER!!! THIS CAN''T BE ALLOWED!!" Yukishiro pointed her fingers at Sagasuga, who put his hands up "Woah, hold on a second, this isn''t cheating---Yukishiro." Sagasuga tried to defend himself "No, IT IS, you know most of the rules and you''re plotting something to stay on the lead!!" She didn''t give up on her end as well as the argument escalated.

    Lus was surprised by Daniel''s deduction.

    "I thought about it, but to me it just seemed that it all came from base intelligence. Is there really such an indicator that he played the game?" Lus asked, curious "Aside from the fact he just said so, there is no concrete evidence. But... I think there''s more." Daniel became shrouded with mystery in his words "Yes... We are probably only witnessing the tip of the iceberg. As it stands, in order to harness viewers; there is a mandatory law of entertainment. If you think about it logically, this sort of circumstance, is boring. Therefore, there has to be a new stage." Daniel reasoned "A new stage?" Kanawari intervened in the conversation "Yes. One that only Sagasuga knows. And it''s one that rewards those with points and most likely..." Lus finished his sentence "...Kills." Their eyes narrowed the calm and stable Sagasuga who didn''t falter no matter what.

    The eight round would begin.

    "Rikishima Ikkiri is guilty of killing her stepfather." Ikkiri would answer "That''s---not true..." The memories made her uncomfortable "But you know, you should have done it; yourself." Hyunda interjected "Ahahaha..." Ikkiri lowly laughed "I wanted to, but someone got the best of me in that regard..." She happily sighed "I would kill him over and over and over and over and over and over times infinity if I had the chance!" She unleashed a brutal shout "If only." Hyunda smirked as he voted "Hyunda....!!! All this time...!!! You deceived me, you actually loved her all along?!" Arkalee couldn''t stop crying nonstop as she put her hands with her hard-pressed fingers on her face.

    "......" Tatsu observed how Arkalee was struggling to cope "I''m sorry about that." He spoke with serenity "But at least Ikkiri will die." Tatsu reminded her "Oh damn right she will----" Arkalee cleaned up her tears "You have my decision. Tear her up in the most painful way possible." Arkalee went cold as her vision became eternally grazed onto Ikkiri''s figure.

    After the voting, the ranking ladder updated as the eight round concluded.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Sagasuga - (2094/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    2 - Tatsu (1322/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Hyunda (1285/1500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 1:38:47 hours]

    4 - Daniel - (1247/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    5 - Hinagiku (966/1000 points)

    6 - Sana (868/1000 points)

    7 - Yukishiro (598/600 points)

    8 - Lus Sera (592/600 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 1:38:47 hours]

    9 - Akimiyashika (526/600 points)

    10 - Kawahara (524/600 points)

    11 - Kuzan (508/600 points)

    12 - Stratos (498/600 points)

    13 - Rayazaki (494/600 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    14 - Arkalee (443/600 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    15 - Tateyana (438/600 points)

    16 - Kanawari (238/250 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    </blockquote>

    "I gotta say, I''m a lot calmer now knowing that it''s no longer a 50/50... Goddamn it, it''s all your fault, Daniel..." Tateyana blamed Daniel for her distress "Ikkiri..." Akimiyashika glanced at Ikkiri from afar "There... has to be something that I can do to prevent that outcome... Even if you want----" Hyunda interrupted her "Do you have the right?" He questioned her with serious eyes "I''m her friend, I have the right to care about her!" She felt tearful.

    Hyunda sighed and placed his left hand on Akimiyashika''s right shoulder.

    "You''re a good friend. Did Ikkiri ever go in depth about what truly happened?" Hyunda asked in a low voice "Some... details... But she always said that there was something that she could never forgive herself and that no matter what I would, or anyone for that matter----her mind would not change about it. She''s so stubborn about it... I''ve tried multiple times to get to know what it is, but she never told me." Akimiyashika''s eyes balanced tears on the edge "And Hinagiku?" Hyunda persisted, with a calm attitude "Again, she doesn''t tell us about it. She treats me and Hina the same. She''s fair, in that regard." Akimiyashika smiled softly "I see. Akimiyashika, since you are most likely the one Ikkiri trusts the most... I have a favor to ask." Akimiyashika''s hopes lit up "What is it?! You have a plan to save her?!" Her hopeful smile was shown "No. The favor I have to ask you is: Respect her decision, no matter what." Hyunda delivered, sternly ".....What?" In disbelief, Akimiyashika didn''t find Hyunda''s words pleasing at all "How can you say that?! You... love her!!" Tears began to descend as Akimiyashika pushed Hyunda''s left hand away from her shoulder with sheer force.

    Hyunda wanted to say more words, but he simply smiled in her direction.

    "Yeah, I do." In Ikkiri''s direction, Hyunda said.

    The ninth round would begin.

    "Rikishima Ikkiri is partially responsible for the infamous "Tokyo Rail Terrorist Incident", which resulted in 316 deaths." Ikkiri, who usually would answer quickly, had a bit of trouble answering this time "Partially is right in this case, don''t you think?" Hyunda interjected as per usual "I didn''t... know it would turn out like that..." Ikkiri showed a high level of regret in her facial expression "But hey, it worked! We made ourselves famous." Hyunda cackled "More like infamous... Ah, it''s a yes, I''m partially responsible." The true answer was dealt.

    Lus spoke to Daniel.

    "Hey, aren''t those two literally accomplices?" The question was posed "Oh yeah, big time." Daniel didn''t deny it "And they both ended up in here... What are the odds..." Lus began to suspect something "Is this perhaps the only school with this program in Japan?" Lus proposed as she voted "That can''t be true." Daniel declined instantly "And why is that?" She asked "It''s bad for business. Japan has a lot of criminals, especially juvenile ones. For this program to flourish financially according to their agenda, it''s most likely distributed randomly all across the country, by its districts. Currently, we are in Kanagawa. Japan has 47 districts in total. It makes no sense for us to be the only ones. Besides, if Sagasuga really played this game prior, then he most likely comes from a different school; ergo, another district." Daniel spoke his mind "........" Lus was a bit stunned by the sudden information "You---seem to know a lot about this." She remarked "It''s all theory and speculation. Even you can come up with this." Daniel admitted "I... guess so..." That wasn''t enough to shake Lus'' suspicions however.

    The ranking ladder for the ninth round was the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Sagasuga - (2154/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    2 - Tatsu (1370/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Hyunda (1333/1500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 1:36:18 hours]

    4 - Daniel - (1295/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    5 - Hinagiku (990/1000 points)

    6 - Sana (892/1000 points)

    7 - Lus Sera (840/1000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 1:36:18 hours]

    8 - Yukishiro (822/1000 points)

    9 - Akimiyashika (550/600 points)

    10 - Kawahara (548/600 points)

    11 - Kuzan (532/600 points)

    12 - Rayazaki (524/600 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    13 - Stratos (522/600 points)

    14 - Arkalee (467/600 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    15 - Tateyana (462/600 points)

    16 - Kanawari (250/250 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    </blockquote>

    "It''s pissing me off, even if it''s temporary..." Yukishiro became annoyed as she was overtaken by Lus "So, how many points will Hyunda actually get from Lus?" Tateyana, who wasn''t in the mood to do the math, asked Sagasuga "Since there are six more rounds left, it means that Lus will win 48 points multiplied by six." Sagasuga didn''t elaborate on the answer "Uhhh..." She really didn''t want to do the math in her head "It''s 288." Sagasuga said "Oh! But well, with the bonuses, really, how much will she gain?" Tateyana adamantly pursued the answer from Sagasuga "She will gain an additional 400 points from breaking the 1000 point barrier, which will happen in four rounds. Her points by the end of the 13th round will be 1432." Sagasuga wanted Tateyana to do the rest by herself.

    And she did, albeit reluctantly.

    "Uhhh okaayyy, so..." She put her two hands on both of the sides of her head "48 by two is... Uhh... 96!!" Tateyana was happy she got it right "Correct. Now add 96 to 1432 and what do you get?" Sagasuga posed a most tasking challenge to Tateyana "Oh my fucking God, that''s too much for me, nope!" She gave up "Tateyana, add 100 to 1432 and then subtract 4. What do you get?" Sagasuga gave her a shortcut "Uh... 1528....?! Oh wow, that was super simple!" Sagasuga couldn''t help but be baffled by how simple this was "And you got 500 points from breaking the 1500 point barrier, which means she will be at 2028 points by the end of this?!" Tateyana exclaimed.

    An outsider intervened.

    "Now divide that." Kawahara told her with a relaxed expression "............." Tateyana didn''t even try "BAHAHA!!" Kawahara burst out laughing immediately "SHUT UP!! THIS ONE ISN''T EASY, OK?!" Tateyana tried to make her stand "They do teach you how to divide in elementary school, Tateyana." Sagasuga pointed "Shut up and tell me the answer! How many points will Lus be at and how many will be given to Hyunda as a result?!" Tateyana wanted answers.

    Sagasuga adjoined his palms as he answered by the order.

    "2028 divided by 2 is 1014. Therefore, Lus will be left with 1014 points by the end of this." Tateyana''s eyes widened "W-WHAT?! WHAT FUCKING ILLUSION?! HUUUUUUUUH?! SHE DOESN''T LOSE AT ALL!!!" Tateyana found the contract to be overly advantageous to Lus "That''s not really true. She will be left with 1014 points and will have a massive distance from the 2500 barrier. The deal is not as good as you think." Kawahara countered her "Okay, so, um, Hyunda?" She ignored Kawahara and asked Sagasuga "Homework for you." Sagasuga concluded "EHHHHH!!!" Tateyana detested how the conversation ended.

    But the tenth round was on the way as the claim was formed.

    "Rikishima Ikkiri is the leader of a terrorist group named "T.E.R.R.O.R." Ikkiri laughed out loud to Basara "Why---why did you---" She couldn''t control herself and Hyunda started laughing too "HAHAHAHAHA!!!" Despite having no feet, Hyunda exercised his lower body a bit by going back and forth with his calves beneath his desk "Did the teacher say something funny...?" Kanawari asked Daniel "Inside joke, if I had to guess." Daniel shrugged "Ikkiri, yes or no?!" Lus persisted "Ahh?" Ikkiri tried to calm herself from laughing too hard "Ahhh, it''s a no, of course. Hey, did you eve find out who the leader was??!?" Ikkiri switched her mood as she asked Hyunda "Huh?" Hyunda composed himself again.

    Midst that, people started to vote as their chat went on.

    "I did, I did. But it was after you were arrested, dumb fuck." Hyunda insulted her "Wh---What''s with you?!" Ikkiri smiled, despite the insult "You should''ve followed my plan instead, but you went with yours. And look where it got you." Hyunda expressed disappointment "I got here and you were here a few days afterwards... Coincidence?" Ikkiri poked at Hyunda as she smiled widely "Of course not, you dumbass. I had to get here on my own, otherwise you''d die from depression without me. What the hell are you without me? Nothing!" Hyunda laughed out loud "You''re so FUCKING NARCISSISTIC!!" But Ikkiri laughed out loud too.

    To the rest of the class, Ikkiri and Hyunda''s interactions were akin to the ones of two who loved each other, clearly.

    "How do you get here on purpose?" Lus asked Daniel, after voting "How would I know?" Daniel replied with abhorrence "Guess then. Come on." Lus didn''t give up "As I said, I wouldn''t know, it''s not like you can decide how you get here on purpose. It''s random. Our selection was random." Daniel clarified with the facts "That''s right. So, how did Hyunda get here, supposedly?" Lus asked yet another question that Daniel had no answer to.

    But the theme was to guess and not give concrete truthful answers; so Daniel allowed his imagination to roll free.

    "Bribing could be an option. Maybe after learning about Ikkiri''s location, he investigated on how it was done and got himself caught. Or perhaps he went into contact with someone from the program who has ties to the police and got himself here on a request of his own. The criminals in this program have to be minimally entertaining. If the aim is to show the world what we are really made out of; then you can''t pick some random thieves or someone who hostaged a bank, or went on a 3 people killing spree. No, it has to be on a larger scale. Or..." A more realistic option came to Daniel''s mind "Yes?" Lus was curious as Daniel''s expression became stiffened "No... I mean, there is-----No, I don''t know that, it''s dumb to assume so---" Lus interrupted and grabbed Daniel''s head with her two hands.

    Ultimately forcing him to face her face.

    "Tell me." He could feel her apricot-fragrance breath run through his nostrils "He might have played this game right on time. Maybe he was caught a day or two after and transferred here." Daniel shared his true thought "......." Lus backed off and made a thinking pose "It could be. But I don''t buy it. What''s with this guy anyways? Haven''t you noticed it, Kana?" This time, Lus turned to Kanawari "Who?" She asked "Hyunda. Why is he here? What has he done?" Lus kept asking questions out of nowhere "...How would I know...?" Kanawari replied as Lus became even more curious about the current events.

    The rankings for the tenth round were the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Sagasuga - (2214/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    2 - Tatsu (1418/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Hinagiku (1414/1500 points)

    4 - Hyunda (1381/1500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 1:34:26 hours]

    5 - Daniel (1343/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    6 - Sana (916/1000 points)

    7 - Lus Sera (888/1000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 1:34:26 hours]

    8 - Yukishiro (846/1000 points)

    9 - Akimiyashika (574/600 points)

    10 - Kawahara (572/600 points)

    11 - Kuzan (556/600 points)

    12 - Rayazaki (554/600 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    13 - Stratos (546/600 points)

    14 - Arkalee (491/600 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    15 - Tateyana (486/600 points)

    16 - Kanawari (412/600 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    </blockquote>

    "Heh." In Daniel''s direction, Hinagiku smirked "What the hell is she grinning for? She will be overtaken in no time. Hell, even I will overtake her." Lus confidently remarked "But still, you have to admit she''s a force to be reckoned with. To be this far without any boost? That''s something." Daniel acknowledged Hinagiku''s strength "That fucking Satan spawn only knows how to play foul, and it''s because of her that you are a goddamn cripple now, Daniel." Lus felt the need to remind him "Bleeding from your shoulders nonstop. Tatsu over there is showing human emotion by constantly feeling the pain of his lost pinky, but you? What are you made of, Daniel? Are you an alien? You have to feel physical pain, if you are human. What''s your excuse?" Lus demanded to know.

    Daniel gave some thought on how to answer.

    "I feel it. I''m just not showing it. Physical trauma is mostly acknowledged by reactions, but you''d be surprised by how much pain your body can tolerate without showing a single reaction." Lus wasn''t satisfied with that reasoning "So you''re saying that just because you''re aware it''s nothing more than physical trauma that you get a pass?" Lus wanted to make sure she got the right perception about this "It''s like that. As long as you''re aware that your nerves, which are exposed, are on fire and that pain is the only natural sensation, you have the freedom to think that even if you complain or show struggle about it; you ultimately can''t make it go away." Daniel explained "So you embrace the sensation? I see, you''re a masochist." Lus remarked "Maybe he is too." Lus looked at Hyunda.

    The eleventh round would now start with the eleventh claim.

    "Rikishima Ikkiri used to have over a million followers on social media platforms because she would more often than not, stream terrorist attacks while masked." Ikkiri mildly laughed this time, more controlled "Ahhh those were the good times, weren''t they?" To Hyunda, she spoke "Hey, you still got that shitty camera we bought with that money we stole from them?!" Hyunda demonstrated high enthusiasm "Noooooooo!!" Ikkiri began to laugh uncontrollably "Whaaaaaaaat?! Seriously?! What happened to it?! It had all the videos and the photos..." Hyunda demonstrated sadness "Well, it got confiscated, dumbass. Of course I could never take it back!" Ikkiri gave the simple reason "Tsk... If only there was some way to get it back..." Hyunda sighed "What, what? You really think so?" Sagasuga had to interrupt them very briefly "I don''t mean to interrupt but could you tell us if it''s t------" Ikkiri gave the answer "Oh yes, believe it." And resumed talking with Hyunda from afar carelessly "Those two have some aura shit going on, what the fuck." Rayazaki noticed "Doesn''t change the fact that she''ll be dead in a matter of minutes." Yukishiro added.

    On the other side of things, doctor Hwan was observing two simultaneous recordings from the mildly illuminated room.

    In one TV on the left, the stream with the students of class F partaking the game and the other on the right, the stream that the black suited guards were transmitting as they investigate Ryousuke Kawahara''s room.

    "So he was right." Seok referred to Tsudo''s reveal "Unbelievable. To think that in plain sight, the room contained such an entrance to a completely different place." Doctor Hwan was baffled as his expression stiffened "Usually, these underground places are connected by other similar places, like underneath a particular piece on the floor or behind something really heavy... However, to think that BY LUCK, one of the guards managed to make the entrance of a hole erupt in the middle of his room BY RANDOMLY PRESSING THE LIGHT SWITCH OF THE CHANDELIER MORE THAN TEN TIMES!!!" Doctor Hwan was losing his composure quickly "Chill out, gramps! At least we found it! Actually, it makes sense as to why it was due to luck. Toharoh Tsudo didn''t explain how to get there, he just said to investigate Ryousuke Kawahara''s room." Seok snapped his fingers consequently.

    At the current moment, through the usage of lanterns, the guards, alongside the camera man, are walking down into a downward path that was open through a hole that covers half of the width of Ryousuke Kawahara''s room. It''s a crater that was masked under the floor, previously.

    "How far does this go...?!" Liyuga, who actually came along with them as he personally wanted to inspect what was going on, kept on walking alongside the crew as he pointed the lantern forward "We have been walking down for five minutes now..." One of the guards noted.

    Resembling that of an ancient cave, the path wasn''t entirely linear and it would be the equivalent of a downward spiral. The width of the corridors are fairly small so they have to walk one by one as the camera man stays in the frontline. The height also isn''t the greatest.

    "Wait..." One of the guards halted as he noticed a difference in color from afar "That''s... a door. A metallic door...!!" Liyuga exclaimed and the doctor intervened as he made his demand through the radio "Get in there and show us what''s inside!!" The doctor demanded "On the way!!" As they hurried, they eventually faced the towering monstrosity.

    The eleventh round would have the fixated standings:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Sagasuga - (2274/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    2 - Tatsu (1466/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Hinagiku (1438/1500 points)

    4- Hyunda (1429/1500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 1:34:26 hours]

    5 - Daniel (1391/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    6 - Sana (940/1000 points)

    7 - Lus Sera (936/1000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 1:34:26 hours]

    8 - Yukishiro (870/1000 points)

    9 - Akimiyashika (598/600 points)

    10 - Kawahara (596/600 points)

    11 - Rayazaki (584/600 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    12 - Kuzan (580/600 points)

    13 - Stratos (570/600 points)

    14 - Arkalee (515/600 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    15 - Tateyana (510/600 points)

    16 - Kanawari (424/600 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    </blockquote>

    "Only four more to go. Shit, I''m kinda hungry... But I don''t wanna waste my fucking points on that shit..." Rayazaki said "Maybe Olivia will lend us some food? King George said the dorm was off limits..." Kuzan was growling too "You creatures can''t enter the female dorm, it''s our sanctuary!" Tateyana spoke with spite "No, no, no, Lus and Kanawari went in earlier, it''s time to pay the favor back!" Kawahara revealed "......." Daniel sighed at Kawahara''s actions "That''s not true, we weren''t there!" Lus denied it "No, come on, everyone knows you were! Ain''t that right, fellas?" Kawahara asked the boys "Damn right, I even saw you climbing up those stairs." Rayazaki looked at Lus "You were hanging on Daniel and Kanawari, I saw you two go up a little bit." Even Sagasuga intervened "Nonsense. This is misinformation. I don''t agree!" Lus denied it until the very end as the argument escalated.

    Basara issued the twelfth round swiftly in a matter of seconds.

    "Rikishima Ikkiri is guilty for killing a wide portion of the terrorist group otherwise known as T.E.R.R.O.R." Ikkiri''s expression distorted with sadness and grief "Ahhh...!!" She felt a staggering pain in her heart as her breath became ragged "Noooooooo..!!!" With her head down, Ikkiri began to cry immensely "Vote yes, oxygen thieves." Hyunda spoke in a rash tone "I''ll hear it from her." Lus begged to differ "It''s the truth. I know for a fact, right, Ikkiri?" Ikkiri was interrogated as everyone didn''t vote yet.

    Fifty-two seconds remained.

    "Ughhh... I''m sorry....!!" Like a child crying for the first time, Ikkiri couldn''t control herself "I don''t think she''s lying..." Kanawari gave her opinion "It''s a hella of an act if it''s like that, but she gains nothing from it. So it really happened." Kawahara concluded as he voted "Ugghhhh...!!!" Ikkiri''s crying didn''t stop and Hyunda sighed "Hey, Ikkiri, I don''t hate you for it." Hyunda spoke with serenity but with a level of visible anguish in his voice "I had a choice and..." Hyunda interjected "You chose the option you wanted. What''s wrong with that?" Hyunda persisted and Ikkiri lifted her head slightly, with her eyes blurred "But... I killed all of them... I loved them, every one of th-----" Hyunda interrupted her "They were pieces of shit." Ikkiri''s eyes widened "They were lowlife terrorists who wanted to make names for themselves in this contemporary era. They deserved to be put down." Hyunda was merciless "That------" Ikkiri gulped "That may be true... But...!! They were the ones who recognized me first!!" She argued back "Thanks to them, I mattered, finally! I didn''t have a place but they gave me one! I HAD NO RIGHT, HYUNDA!!!" Her shout echoed through the white room "......" Hyunda didn''t reply.

    Due to the argument, many weren''t middling in.

    "Okay so, she and Hyunda belonged to a terrorist group named T.E.R.R.O.R?" Lus talked to Daniel "Ikkiri for sure, but nothing says that Hyunda did." Daniel corrected her "But it''s likely." Lus reaffirmed "Yes." Daniel didn''t deny it "And she is responsible for killing a wide majority of them, so she feels guilty for it and wants to die." Lus concluded "But why did she do it? Hyunda mentioned she had a choice." Kanawari highlighted "We might find out in the upcoming rounds." Daniel said and they awaited.

    The twelfth round ranking ladder was the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Sagasuga - (2334/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    2 - Tatsu (2014/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3- Hyunda (1477/1500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 1:32:29 hours]

    4 - Hinagiku (1462/1500 points)

    5 - Daniel (1439/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    6 - Lus Sera (984/1000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 1:32:29 hours]

    7 - Sana (964/1000 points)

    8 - Yukishiro (894/1000 points)

    9 - Akimiyashika (822/1000 points)

    10 - Kawahara (820/1000 points)

    11 - Rayazaki (814/1000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    12 - Kuzan (804/1000 points)

    13 - Stratos (594/600 points)

    14 - Arkalee (539/600 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    15 - Tateyana (534/600 points)

    16 - Kanawari (436/600 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    </blockquote>

    "Three more... Fuck, I want some water..." Tateyana looked over to the vending machine "...No, no, I can just get some water from the dorm." She managed to hold herself "I have to wonder how their investigation is proceeding." Sagasuga expressed concern "Relax, they won''t find it. There''s a very tricky mechanism behind it." Kawahara confidently remarked.

    Liyuga placed his right palm on the cold steel that was the dual door that towered them with five meters in height and a considerable three meters in width.

    However, the most alarming factor was the eye that was evenly distributed in the middle of the door; vertically, with its iris open at full display.

    "What the hell am I looking at?" Liyuga shivered in fear as he took a step back "Is this what Toharoh Tsudo mentioned...?!" Seok questioned as he watched the stream with doctor Hwan and most of the student council members "Any idea of what that eye is?" The president asked the elder figure, doctor Hwan "...Can''t say I do, but... An eye..." The doctor had an assumption but found it too unrealistic to say it "Liyuga, any way to get inside?" Andrea wanted to make progress "I found it!" Liyuga gave the news as he saw a metallic pillar erupt on the right side of the area.

    The pillar spoke to them as their presences were welcomed.

    "Greetings, customers. I am Alma, the moderator of this district''s gate." A male robotic voice serenely spoke to them "What the fu---" Liyuga was caught off guard "Did that seriously just happen?" Seok was flabbergasted "The pillar talked? Interesting." The president was amused, on the other hand "Individuals; unrecognized. You are not in the database. I''m afraid that the password entry will be reduced to a one-time only chance in order to prevent further infiltration. Security level: Delta." Alma said "Password? Hey, Toharoh Tsudo didn''t mention any of that, did he?" Seok asked the other student council members.

    Andrea took a sip of her black tea.

    "No, he mentioned no such thing. All he said was that in Ryousuke Kawahara''s room we would find the passage that would lead to the other blocks, as it was exposed in Daniel Lead''s plan." Andrea clarified "I''m under the impression that Tsudo had no idea about this, though." Bryce added "Because if he did, he definitely would have exposed the password. In other words, there are only a few of them that know the password. Plus, the password is a one-time try only. I don''t think we should try to randomly insert it." Bryce suggested "I agree, it''s too risky. If we want to secure the password, I think we should bait into giving us the password." Krale would then propose a method "Oh? That could be interesting, wouldn''t you agree, doctor?" After hearing the method, the doctor was 50/50 on it "We''ll see." The doctor kept thinking about the eye in particular.

    The thirteenth claim would be made by Basara.

    "Rikishima Ikkiri was arrested because she was found guilty of detonating 10 bombs all over at her highschool." Ikkiri though not composed fully, answered immediately "That''s false." She denied it "...So what really happened after you killed the people of that terrorist group, Ikkiri?" Lus exorcised her curiosity "Mind your own damn business, you''re getting free points thanks to me. Is that any way of showing gratitude?" Ikkiri assaulted Lus with a bitter expression and caught her off guard completely "I-----" Ikkiri continued "Respect the privacy of others and enjoy your lead." Coldly, Ikkiri shut Lus down "Jesus." Kawahara was surprised "She might as well let everything out considering the outcome. Let''s just get this shit over with." Yukishiro wasn''t liking how long this was taking.

    Thus, the standings for the thirteenth round were fixated:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Sagasuga - (2394/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    2 - Tatsu (2062/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3- Hyunda (2025/2500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 1:30:48 hours]

    4 - Daniel (1487/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    5 - Hinagiku (1486/1500 points)

    6 - Lus Sera (1432/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 1:30:48 hours]

    7 - Sana (988/1000 points)

    8 - Yukishiro (918/1000 points)

    9 - Akimiyashika (846/1000 points)

    10 - Kawahara (844/1000 points)

    11 - Rayazaki (844/1000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    12 - Kuzan (828/1000 points)

    13 - Stratos (818/1000 points)

    14 - Arkalee (563/600 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    15 - Tateyana (558/600 points)

    16 - Kanawari (448/600 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    </blockquote>

    "Only two more rounds to go. Phew..." Seok felt the pressure of the game "You know, this game is kinda interesting. If it weren''t for the brutal consequences I wouldn''t mind playing it." Seok confessed "Shut yer trap, you imbecile." The doctor scolded Seok immediately "Why are they all agreeing with the opinion that Rikishima Ikkiri is going to die? Killing someone makes no sense in this game. I understand the bounties are good, but there are far more merits to keeping someone alive at the very bottom every round. There is no way that they haven''t noticed it yet." Bryce found it strange "But there are a few options that reward you if you have killed someone in the game..." Andrea spoke with disgust "She wants to die as she said but it''s really weird. It''s almost as if, in this game, your life, will always have value. Huh!" Skan was astonished at the discovery "I can definitely see how this is an interesting game to many." He added "Interesting?" The doctor begged to differ.

    Skan thought he was right but as soon as the doctor started to chuckled, he realized something.

    "This is merely the advent. The real battle starts when the components arrive..." The doctor felt the need to add something else "Or rather, when he does." The doctor got up from his seat and began to walk in the direction of the other staff members who are on their computers in the southwest of the room "He?" The president asked "No idea." Bryce replied "I don''t know any more than you do." Andrea replied as well.

    To one of the staff members, the doctor posed the importance of the question.

    "How long until he arrives?" The staff member, who is a young woman in her mid 20''s, replied back "In theory, in ten minutes. He has left Mumbai two hours ago!" The doctor acknowledged "I see..." And subsequently turned back and went back to his seat "An Indian amongst us? How fancy." The president lightly laughed "He''s a babbling buffoon!" The doctor clarified "How amusing." But the president didn''t mind it.

    The penultimate round began as Basara announced the fourteenth claim.

    "Rikishima Ikkiri, in her own accordance, struck a deal with the Tokyo police department that included revealing the locations of all the known hideouts of T.E.R.R.O.R. to her knowledge in exchange for Hajime Hyunda''s immunity." The remaining piece of the puzzle was added "A fucking snitch, HUH?! You fucking hate to see it. Congrats, I was going to exploit you for further points, but I really will kill you out of spite when my turn comes." Kawahara declared "Okay~!" Ikkiri happily smiled back at him "What the fu---Weird bitch!" Kawahara was bewildered "So, the answer?" Rayazaki pressed the matter "I''ll let Hyunda answer for me. Tell the truth, sweetheart~" Arkalee''s blood boiled to the highest degree "I''ll kill you so fucking bad, I swear to God, I will give you the worst option out of them all, there''s no WAY you''re making out ALIVE!!" Arkalee cursed Ikkiri and in response, Ikkiri started concentrate a large spitball on her mouth "AKKPUUHH!!" Aimed at Arkalee, who is five meters away from her, Ikkiri managed to land the saliva canon onto her left eye with keen precision "ARGHHH!!!" Caught in the act, Arkalee covered her face with her own two hands.

    On the other side of the attention, everyone else was waiting for Hyunda to say the truth in regard to the claim itself.

    "It''s true, the dumbass did it. She actually thought it would mean shit but as per usual, nobody respects her and the police did the logical thing. Bust my ass and spread it wide open." This particular comment made Ikkiri burst in pure laughter "HAHAHAHA!!! I wouldn''t let you get away!!" Ikkiri confessed "You bitch... You actually told them about me and where I was at the time?!" Hyunda laughed as well but he was offended "Mhm! I wanted to see what you''d come up with! I thought we would meet again one day even if we went to different prisons, but hey, you managed to find me, again." Ikkiri this time showed a solemn silent smile "I control the show and write all the lines. How could I forget you?" Hyunda replied in the same manner "Awww, you really do love me then? It''s not just a joke, but actual reciprocation?" Ikkiri bashfully asked "Yeah, but I made it really obvious several times. Sorry about that. I think that we could have had a different ending together but... I''m inclined to give you what you want even if they all stand in my way." This particular line alarmed everyone.

    Mainly Akimiyashika and Hinagiku.

    "Ikkiri is not dying!! I won''t allow it!" Akimiyashika adamantly refused to give up "You''re sick, Hyunda. You say you love her but you want to kill her, which is what she wants so try and convince her that there is another way out!" Hinagiku tried to reason with Hyunda as well but he shrugged as he chuckled "You two just don''t get it. What is necessary---to make you inferior beings understand----that you are not in control here?" He posed the question as the ranking ladder updated "What...?!" Akimiyashika, next to him, viewed him with hatred "Hmm..." Daniel pondered if it was the correct time now "No, not yet." He murmured "You have something planned but you still don''t feel like executing it?" Lus didn''t fail to miss out on Daniel''s words "I need to understand why Ikkiri feels the need to die so badly. I think that the final claim will tell. Until then." Daniel resolved himself "Yeah..." Lus agreed as well.

    The standings before the fifteenth round were the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Sagasuga - (2454/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    2 - Tatsu (2110/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3- Hyunda (2073/2500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 1:28:30 hours]

    4 - Hinagiku (2010/2500 points)

    5 - Daniel (1535/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    6 - Lus Sera (1480/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 1:28:30 hours]

    7 - Sana (1412/1500 points)

    8 - Yukishiro (942/1000 points)

    9 - Rayazaki (874/1000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    10 - Akimiyashika (870/1000 points)

    11 - Kawahara (868/1000 points)

    12 - Kuzan (852/1000 points)

    13 - Stratos (836/1000 points)

    14 - Arkalee (587/600 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    15 - Tateyana (582/600 points)

    16 - Kanawari (500/600 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    </blockquote>

    "Holy fuck, I''m almost there!!!" Tateyana was excited "Alright let''s move on to the last round! It''s been half an hour already!!" Kawahara wanted to get things done "More like, let''s get to the part that actually matters. Sure, learning a thing or two from everyone is fun, but the really fun part is the execution rounds..." Yukishiro acknowledged "The final piece of the puzzle. Now we will know why she wants to die so badly." Lus commented "...Isn''t that because she killed those people from the terrorist group that she was found of? She really was crying back then, like a lot. I think that was the real reason. We just don''t know why she did it." Kanawari corrected Lus "That''s true, Kana. Well, we probably will now." Lus concluded.

    And Basara wasted no time whatsoever and went for it, as the fifteenth round began, with its last claim.

    "The corpse of Rikishima Ikkiri was found buried beneath a small bridge, last year, on December 7th." Basara had trouble keeping a poker face "What?" Ikkiri unconsciously released that word and turned to Hyunda''s direction immediately "...." But Hyunda didn''t say anything despite the multiple eyes on him "Oh dear." Sagasuga lowly murmured and sighed in disappointment "Hey, what''s the right answer?!" Tateyana, hungry for points, demanded Ikkiri to answer "That''s----" Ikkiri tried to remember the date of December 7th from last year "....Huh..." Ikkiri''s eyes widened "No, I remember everything else but December 7th is..." Ikkiri''s words were bringing displease to the round table "YES OR NO?!" Tateyana persisted "It''s as simple as that. Though, you''re here alive, so there''s no fucking way that can be true!" Rayazaki voted false "WAIT! DON''T VOTE!!" Ikkiri tried to warn them "Nope, it''s obviously false." And many became convinced, despite Ikkiri''s attempt at solving the truth.

    The further confusion was investigated by Lus.

    "It''s false, right?" She asked "........" Daniel looked at Hyunda for a few seconds as he only encountered a stoic expression "Does it matter?" Daniel asked "What? Yes, of course it matters?! Remember what my contract with Ikkiri is?" Lus questioned whether or not Daniel had forgotten about it "Your contract only works if Ikkiri answers truthfully. She hasn''t answered with a yes or no thus far. So, if she ultimately doesn''t answer with both, you can''t qualify it as lying, so your contract will not apply." Daniel reminded Lus "Yes, I know! But why wouldn''t she answer truthfully? She must know whether or not this is true." Thirty seconds remained "....." Daniel cast a heavy glance at Lus "Rikishima Ikkiri is in front of you, yes?" He asked her "Yes, she is." And Lus didn''t deny it "Then what''s the doubt? Vote." Daniel found this discussion pointless "...After you." Lus'' words were confusing to Daniel "Do you actually think I''ll vote the opposite?" The conversation continued "I think you know something that I don''t. Something that makes no sense in theory." Lus revealed "That''s superstition. Stop being stupid." Daniel argued "Vote then?" Lus prompted Daniel "........" Daniel found her attitude annoying.

    On the other side, in that specific room, doctor Hwan grew peculiarly curious in regard to this.

    "What happened on December 7th last year?!" In a demanding tone, the doctor asked the staff members as they did their research intensively "It''s as their teacher said... The body of Rikishima Ikkiri was found underneath a crater buried beneath Nihonbashi bridge!" One of the staff members confirmed "Huuuuuuuuuh?!" Bryce found that claim to be ridiculous "No, no, no, look over it again! It can''t be the same person! I mean, how the hell is she there then?!" He wasn''t able to believe in such fantasy "But it''s the truth, the images match! Same DNA as well! It''s Rikishima Ikkiri! Though reports concluded that Rikishima Ikkiri must''ve died in that exact same day." The open websites which had "Rikishima Ikkiri" has the headline were beyond numerous "It''s even a famous case... I knew about most of her crimes beforehand, but this is completely new. How did this level of information not surface?!" The doctor found it immensely strange "What was the cause of death?!" The doctor persisted as he turned to his left, where a male staff member would give the answer "She died to a fatal wound in her cerebrum''s right side, caused by a bullet..." He reluctantly said "So she was on the run and got caught and shot, huh?" The doctor assumed "The reports didn''t find a single gun at the scene, so it wasn''t determined who caused it..." He kept researching "Just what is this...!!" The doctor became revolted.

    With fifteen seconds on the clock, bargains were made.

    "Hey Ikkiri! You seriously don''t remember?! That''s not fucking funny, just say yes or no!!" Yukishiro hadn''t voted yet as she was thinking of securing the truth somehow "Hyunda won''t score anything from the contract if you lie!" Yukishiro told "No, that''s only if I lie, silence is not lying..." She countered "I wonder if that''s really how it works! You never know, the system might interpret in another way, you know?!" Yukishiro boldly laughed "........!!!" Ikkiri seriously tried to remember the events during that day, but all she could remember would trace her back to one person, who she lifted her head towards "I''m sorry." Hyunda had an apologetic look as he said those words "......?!" Akimiyashika couldn''t find his words more confusing "....." Sana as well "But hey, it''s what you wanted, so don''t worry. As always, I got you. You just gotta trust me." Hyunda smiled to Ikkiri "Hyunda, what''s the answer to this claim----it''s not true, right? I''m----Rikishima Ikkiri, so that means-----" Hyunda simply smiled and the time began to run out as everyone cast their votes; Hyunda saving his vote for last.

    Akimiyashika and Sana didn''t fail to capture it.

    "What-------the hell?! You---you just voted yes?!" Akimiyashika became further enraged with Hyunda "50/50? How could I know?" Hyunda gave that logic "Huh....!?" Akimiyashika felt delirious "......." Sana didn''t say anything but observed.

    And thus, the results for the last round were integrated as well as the ranking ladder:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Sagasuga - (2454/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    2 - Tatsu (2110/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3- Hyunda (2121/2500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 1:27:01 hours]

    4 - Hinagiku (2010/2500 points)

    5 - Daniel (1535/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    6 - Lus Sera (1480/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 1:27:01 hours]

    7 - Sana (1412/1500 points)

    8 - Yukishiro (942/1000 points)

    9 - Rayazaki (874/1000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    10 - Akimiyashika (870/1000 points)

    11 - Kawahara (868/1000 points)

    12 - Kuzan (852/1000 points)

    13 - Stratos (836/1000 points)

    14 - Arkalee (587/600 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    15 - Tateyana (582/600 points)

    16 - Kanawari (500/600 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    </blockquote>

    And thus, the last round of the judgment round was therefore concluded.

    "I didn''t score..." They started to realize "Me neither... And I voted no..." More and more opinions grouped "Then, did someone get it right or did we all vote no?" Kuzan asked "One person got it right, apparently!" Akimiyashika began by elevating her right arm "THIS STUPID MOTHERFUCKER!!" To Hyunda, who had a solemn expression, closed eyes---ultimately resting his right fist on the right side of his face, Akimiyashika blamed "I got lucky." His expression remained stoic "I played the 50/50 since it was the logical decision. Ikkiri didn''t tell us the answer, so why on earth would I be so utterly confident in a single option like all of you? Retards." Blatantly insulting them, Hyunda didn''t hold back "When you take your name into consideration, do you honestly think that you are the only person alive with that name? How retarded can you be?" His attitude remained calm "So you''re suggesting that the claim was specifically aimed at another Rikishima Ikkiri?" Lus asked him "Yeah, that''s right. Remember back when it was Kanawari''s turn? Didn''t a similar question arise?" Hyunda took them back.

    Kanawari answered as she was the one that was the target during that judgment round.

    "He''s talking about the killing of Junko Furuta. There is a very famous case about one, but as he mentioned, there is always the possibility of someone else having that exact same name." Kanawari digressed "BULLSHIT! HE''S LYING! HE KNOWS SOMETHING WE DON''T!! IKKIRI, WHAT HAPPENED ON DECEMBER 7TH, LAST YEAR?!" Akimiyashika erupted in flames from her seat "I DON''T KNOW!!" Though nervous, Ikkiri fought back "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON''T KNOW?! YOU CAN''T REMEMBER A SINGLE THING?! DO YOU HAVE AMNESIA OR...." Akimiyashika cast her impending glare on Hyunda, from far up "Or are you covering up for something he did?" With a cold tone, Akimiyashika asked Ikkiri whilst looking at Hyunda "No, I really can''t remember. I''ve tried going over it and I can''t even remember anything from the day. It''s as if my brain has no recollection of December 7th as a day, because... Frankly, I can''t remember anything that revolves around December 7th!!" Ikkiri made her stand "ARGHHH!!!" Akimiyashika felt bitter and enraged "This is bullshit. I will get answers for this, you fucker!" She resolved herself and took a seat again.

    And alas, the execution round would begin shortly.

    <hr>

 Volume 26: Chapter 187: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part XV.

    "I just realized something... Why on earth did Ikkiri get chosen as the target for the execution round when Kanawari wasn''t chosen in the first round despite bbeing technically the lowest ranked as well?" Tateyana brought some critical information back to the attention "Yeah... Why didn''t we get the very obvious last claim that involves us taking sides?! What gives?" Kuzan knew what she was referring to "I don''t fucking know. I don''t understand half of the shit that''s going on in this round. Let''s just get this shit over with." Rayazaki admitted and desired for a faster progression.

    However, Basara would make a few announcements before starting the execution round.

    "As per decided upon the contract formed by Lus to Ikkiri, half of Lus'' points will be extracted and will be now attributed to Hyunda." As Basara said, the ranking ladder was updated.

    <blockquote>

    1- Hyunda (3611/4500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 1:25:37 hours]

    2 - Sagasuga - (2454/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    3 - Tatsu (2110/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    4 - Hinagiku (2010/2500 points)

    5 - Daniel (1535/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    6 - Sana (1412/1500 points)

    7 - Yukishiro (942/1000 points)

    8 - Rayazaki (874/1000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    9 - Akimiyashika (870/1000 points)

    10 - Kawahara (868/1000 points)

    11 - Kuzan (852/1000 points)

    12 - Stratos (836/1000 points)

    13 - Lus Sera (740/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 1:25:37 hours]

    14 - Arkalee (587/600 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    15 - Tateyana (582/600 points)

    16 - Kanawari (500/600 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    17 - Ikkiri (18/600 points)

    </blockquote>

    "NOW THAT''S MORE LIKE IT!!" Yukishiro was tremendously happy with Lus'' downfall "Damn it!!!" Lus crushed her right fist on her desk''s surface "If only you had gotten the last one right, you''d have broken the barrier." Daniel reminded her "More importantly, how did Hyunda get so many points...?!" Kanawari was shocked and not even Lus could ignore it, despite her tantrum "740 points from Lus and 750 as an added bonus from breaking the 2500 point barrier." Daniel made the calculation with haste "I was supposed to have 1014 points by the end of this!! Why the hell did we not have the fucking same last claim as the other rounds?!" Lus felt revolted "Adapt, there''s no use in crying about it." Daniel told her "You have a 50% point boost acquisition for the next round, so it''s not the end of the world." Daniel added "But that barrier...!! Even if in the next round, since the points will be multiplied---thus 48---add the 50% bonus---I will receive 96 points every round!" Lus complained "It''ll take me at least 8 rounds to get through the damn barrier!!" Lus didn''t stop complaining "It''s still a better position than where you were prior the contract. Show some backbone, you''re being mocked." Daniel didn''t like how others were perceiving Lus at the moment "...I know..." Lus felt mildly relieved by his words.

    The secondary announcement by Basara was drawn.

    "Hajime Hyunda, given the fact that you landed first on the ranking ladder in this judgment round, you will be awarded with the usual reward." The option appeared in front of Hyunda and accepted without hesitation "So he gets to skip someone''s turn now..." Tateyana noticed "Who else can do that?" Kuzan asked "Uhhh, that would be Lus and Sagasuga, I think..." Tateyana reluctantly confirmed and Sagasuga turned in her direction "That''s right. The three of us, can effectively skip three people''s turns. However, it''s important to know that even if you skip their turns, they will not be out of the selection." Sagasuga clarified "So wait... Even if you skip someone''s turn, if the skull lands on you again, you get to go again?!" She asked "Yes, that''s right. Even if, the odds are low." Sagasuga concluded.

    The third announcement came forth.

    "This execution round''s target will be the lowest ranked individual currently; Rikishima Ikkiri. However, you will be attributed five red lights to your choker." Five red lights lit up on her choker on the front side "...Goddamn it...!!" Akimiyashika was feeling beyond nervous "Furthermore, here is the bounty!" Basara''s words contained high enthusiasm as the bounty was revealed in glitter gold to everyone present.

    <blockquote>

    Target: Rikishima Ikkiri.

    Points earned from her death (collectively): 96 points.

    Points earned from her death (individually): 192 points.

    Bonus reward: You may forfeit any number of points in order to view that many options; the point requirements in every option will be cut in half.

    </blockquote>

    Ikkiri felt nervous but she smiled.

    "Looks like my death is pretty rewarding. I haven''t felt this desired in a while." Her right hand started to tremble "...?! But why...? I''ve decided that I want to..." Tears once again started to fall down from her eyes "Ikkiri...!! Please, give up on that stupid idea of dying!! I''ll do everything in my power, just hold on!!" Ikkiri was still processing how she found it strange, but due to the recent words from Hyunda, she was having a change of heart "I----" Her heart ached "......!!" She unconsciously looked at Hyunda, who met her gaze instantly "Don''t worry. I respect your decision." Hyunda reassured ".......!!!" She felt conflicted to say the least "Mhm, that''s more like it. Looks like she realized it." Daniel spoke alone "Yes, even if you want to die out of guilt, a spring of purpose and having the words of that one person said out loud to you, can heal all of your pain and wash away all of your sorrow. That''s not incorrect." Daniel smiled "And how do you know that, soliloquy?" Lus intercepted "It''s practical theory. Sentimental string theory." Daniel tilted his head ninety degrees "She doesn''t want to die. All she wants is for Hyunda to know that she''s deeply sorry for what she did. Even if she doesn''t find herself worthy, just for her to know that she is loved, is enough. Her spirit is restoring. And so, there''s a chance." Daniel gave the heads up in his mind "I don''t mean to be the paragon of bad news, but... Others don''t share this interest. Especially her..." Lus looked at Arkalee who had the coldest expression possible.

    Ultimately, Basara, the leader of the momentum in this game, started the long awaited execution round.

    "SPIN THE FUCKING SKULL!!!" Everyone but Ikkiri was a valid target for selection as the impending skull of doom moved through the oval wheel with their pictures "A 50% discount in the options is fucking crazy, I''m not pussying out. Nothing personal, but that''s just TOO FUCKING GOOD!!!" Rayazaki became one with the game''s intentions "There are OTHER ways to progress without killing someone!!" Akimiyashika countered Rayazaki "I''m not into torture, so I won''t go for her body parts. I''m not that twisted." Rayazaki truced "But you''re fine with killing her for your own gain?!" She asked "Damn right. I will fucking do it on the spot. BECAUSE I''LL BREAK THE FUCKING BARRIER HAHAHAHA!!!" Rayazaki maniacally laughed as Akimiyashika realized what she was surrounded by.

    A round table full of criminals deeply awaiting to unleash their pent up desires---no matter the cost.

    "Hyunda, you''re up!!" Basara declared as the skull of fire landed on Hyunda.

    However, before another move could be made, Sagasuga interfered.

    "Kick: Hajime Hyunda!" Without mercy, Hyunda was once again put back into the wheel "The fuck? Oi, Sagasuga! What the fuck did you do that for?!" Hyunda showed a rare sight of violent emotion "Your lead is a problem. You have far too many points. It''s only logical that you should not be allowed to receive a turn." Sagasuga justified "You can''t stop the momentum." Hyunda warned him "The momentum is useless if you don''t get a turn to execute it." Sagasuga countered "....!!!" Enraged, Hyunda''s expression deeply darkened "I''ll remember that." He lowly murmured as his closed right fist---adjoined to the right side of his face----started to emit blood from within "......." Sana watched closely as she had never seen this side of Hyunda before "Thank God...!!" Akimiyashika dreaded Hyunda''s turn but was relieved due to Sagasuga''s action.

    Once again, the skull was spun as the tension escalated.

    "Fuck my life, I''m sweating so fucking much!!" Tateyana unzipped some of her chest''s buttons, but nobody paid attention as they were entirely focused on who would get the turn "Well, well, look at how the tides turn----Sagasuga, it''s your turn!!" Basara declared as Sagasuga adjoined his two hands "Mhm..." He looked at Hyunda and so did many others.

    Nonetheless, nothing happened, surprisingly.

    "Seriously? He''s not kicking him?! Why though? Hyunda has such a lead that it makes no sense to give Sagasuga a turn. I would skip Sagasuga 10 out of 10 times." Yukishiro couldn''t comprehend Hyunda''s decision "Sagasuga, please! Don''t kill her or harm her!!" Akimiyashika got up from her seat "Mhm, I have an idea on how we can arrange a solution for that." The majority of them already knew what this implied "Oh God, not again. He does this shit every time." Kawahara''s expression darkened "Yeah... Fucking CON-MAN...!!" Kanawari expressed her negative feelings.

    There would be forty-five seconds left, but Akimiyashika traveled to Sagasuga''s position with great speed. Upon seeing her, Sagasuga opted to elevate from his seat and received her, as he saw her desperate expression.

    "Aki...!! Don''t... commit anything stupid, please!! Be smart!" Ikkiri spoke words that Akimiyashika wasn''t expecting to hear "Ikkiri...!! So you''ve given up on the idea!!" This brought a smile on her face "Akimiyashika, can I have your undivided attention for the remaining forty seconds?" She instantly turned to Sagasuga as her facial expression became serious "Yes. Let''s discuss terms!" Akimiyashika was eager to make some negotiations "I''ll cut to the chase, I will forfeit 100 points in order to choose an option that will give Ikkiri the least painful consequence of them all that revolves around depleting her five red lights from her choker. Once the choker has no red lights, the round ends. Are we in agreement that this is the truth?" Sagasuga asked "Yeah... I know for a fact that''s true. Okay, I like the idea... Alright, so... How about this; I give you 150 points and you do exactly that? You will have to forfeit 100 points, but the extra will be enough for you to break the bar-----" Sagasuga interrupted her "50% of your points, from here on, will be transferred to me. That''s my price." Sagasuga made the devil''s deal.

    Ikkiri felt the need to intervene.

    "AKI!! YOU CAN''T!! IT''S A POISONOUS DEAL THAT WILL MAKE YOU HIT ROCK BOTTOM IN THE LONG RUN!!! LOOK AT WHAT IT DID TO KANAWARI!! YOU CAN''T ACCEPT IT, NO MATTER WHAT!!!" Ikkiri used Kanawari''s circumstance as evidence "That cheeky bitch...!!!" Lus didn''t like Ikkiri''s words "She has a point though. The deal is beyond bad." Daniel spoke "...Please, another option." Thirty seconds remained "Alright, I don''t mind variety." Sagasuga then offered a new deal "How about this one? From here on, until the end of the day, should you get a claim right and I, at the same time, get a claim wrong, the points from that claim will be extracted from my account back to you. However, should the opposite happen, I get the claim''s point from your account to mine via extraction. What do you think?" Twenty two seconds remained "Uh... Wait." Akimiyashika took a while to process this.

    Ikkiri also gave thought about this deal.

    "Can someone simplify this?" Tateyana needed an easier explanation "Okay so----imagine this in the previous round: I score, you don''t? I get 24 of your points. You score and I don''t? You get 24 of my points." Kawahara simplified it spectacularly "That''s the essence of it." Sagasuga further added "So much poison... Fufufu..." Yukishiro mumbled to herself "Ok, I accept. That----has to be better than the deal you gave to Kanawari..." It was the popular opinion "Alright, I''ll form the verbal contract then." And afterwards, it became accepted "A pleasure doing business with you, Akimiyashika." Sagasuga extended his right hand to Akimiyashika and she reluctantly shook it "........" Ikkiri let out a sigh of relief.

    Subsequently, Sagasuga forfeited 50 points.

    "Only 50?!" Akimiyashika was outraged "Yes. I would like your help as well, in finding options that specifically------" But a most unexpected turn of events happened "Kick: Hiroyoshi Sagasuga!" Not Hyunda, but Lus, harnessed all of the attention as Sagasuga''s turn was skipped "WHA-----" Akimiyashika was shocked "WHAT THE HELL?! WHY?!" Akimiyashika began to walk in Lus'' direction, though Lus didn''t leave her seat "........." She posed silence and refused to elaborate "ANSWER ME, YOU BITCH!! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?! YOU WANT TO KILL HER, IS THAT IT?!" She further walked down to Lus'' direction and was ready to initiate combat "Settle down, I gave the order. I don''t like giving Sagasuga too much room to breathe." Daniel revealed "I should''ve fucking known...!!" Basara decide to intervene "Akimiyashika, back to y----" But she already knew it "I KNOW, I''M GOING!!" And thus, she went back to her seat.

    Once again, as no progress was made, albeit this time, there was a change in the atmosphere, the skull would venture through the wheel as it picked its selected idol.

    "I was hoping he would waste 100 points as he said... Smart." Daniel praised Sagasuga "Why...?!" Lus couldn''t understand Daniel''s decision "Because we need to have our turns. We can''t let the round just end like this." Daniel said "But don''t you get it?! Sagasuga was probably the safest person to bet on them all and if------" The skull slowed down and picked its target.

    He erupted in flames as his eyes were engulfed with ambition.

    "Oh you''re so mine!!" Rayazaki snapped his fingers "Oh fuck... The only one that can stop him now is...!!" Akimiyashika reverted her head to her right side, where Hyunda coldly observed everyone "H-Hyu---" It was denied before it could be formed "No." Mercilessly, Hyunda denied it and Akimiyashika left her seat to get on her knees "I BEG OF YOU, PLEASE CONVINCE HIM SOMEHOW!!! HE''LL KILL HER FOR THE SAKE OF IT, HE HAS NO CONCEPT OF STRATEGY!!!" Those words pissed Rayazaki off more than she could imagine "THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY?! DID YOU CALL ME A RETARD YOU RED-HEAD BITCH?!?!?" Rayazaki''s head veins began to show "Please!!! Anything, I swear I''ll----" Akimiyashika began to tear "What a fucking mess you are. And you dare to call yourself a friend of her? Get the fuck up." Hyunda''s words had a low volume but a high potency "Rayazaki, eyes on me, now." Hyunda spoke to Rayazaki from afar as they were equally distant.

    However, Rayazaki was not in the mood.

    "Oh fucking forget talking, I''ll just FUCKING FORFEIT SOME PO------" Hyunda''s voice rose in volume "KILL HER AND YOU''LL NEVER BE IN THE LEAD!!!" Those particular words made Rayazaki halt but he still hovered the points as he was selecting how many he wished to sacrifice "There is a way for you to get up to 2000 points." Rayazaki halted his fingers immediately "...?!" Sana doubted Hyunda for a second "I saw it in the previous rounds. The option that says that you win 1,000 points but if the target of the execution round doesn''t die, your choker is lit up with ten lights." Hyunda revealed the answer "And you fucking THINK that I''m going to buy that bullshit?!" Rayazaki didn''t believe Hyunda "Yes. Ikkiri will die." Ikkiri felt shivers down her spine and was sincerely starting to feel terrified "Hyunda...!!!!" Akimiyashika resented him to the maximum "No fucking way. Where''s the guarantee?! Sure bro, I know that option! I was the one that saw it since it was within the 50 of the options I chose! I know it works, but where''s the guarantee!?!?" Rayazaki confirmed something "He''s sold onto the idea." Daniel spoke "It''s a stupidly good option." Lus didn''t deny it.

    Hyunda offered his countermeasure by pressing the lower half of his screen, thus forming a verbal contract.

    "Satou Rayazaki, if Rikishima Ikkiri doesn''t die this round, do you accept all of my points?" Rayazaki''s eyes widened along with the rest of the others "Insanity!!" Yukishiro let out a laughter "WHAT A RIOT!!! HE LITERALLY WANTS TO KILL HER SO FUCKING BADLY, WHAT THE FUCK?!" Kawahara also couldn''t believe it as he laughed out loud "WHAT THE FUCK IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?! I''M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU, CLOWN!!" Akimiyashika promised "Hyunda, you''re getting too over-confident..." Even Sagasuga admitted "Hyunda, listen I---!!!" With pain in her voice, Ikkiri wanted to speak, but Hyunda''s voice reigned over "RAYAZAKI!! WHAT''LL IT BE?! SETTLING FOR SOME BABY POINTS, OR THE WHOLE FUCKING PACKAGE?! PICK!!! FAST, LOSER!!" Pressuring Rayazaki, Hyunda made his stand.

    Rayazaki slowly descended into a laughing spree.

    "Hahaha....!! HAHA....HAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Demonstrating a demonic laughter, enough to terrify the majority of them, Rayazaki was uncontrollable as he laughed "YOU''RE SO FUCKING ON, DUDE!!" Rayazaki accepted the contract without hesitation and forfeited 100 points subsequently.

    The myriad of options appeared before Rayazaki though they didn''t matter as Rayazaki was only searching for one in specific.

    "I''ll start from the bottom." Hyunda offered his help "Much appreciated!" Rayazaki started from the top "Hyunda!" Ikkiri reached out to Hyunda, but he didn''t look at her and instead kept searching for the option "I---Does it really have to be this way?!" Ikkiri realized she spoke words that would most likely infuriate Hyunda "You said it yourself, that you wanted to die. You can''t help but feel guilty to the point where you want to die. I''ll give you that, just wait. Don''t be too----" Ikkiri interrupted Hyunda "I''ve changed my mind!!" Feeling absurd, she spoke to Hyunda, who still didn''t flitch "I see." He simply said "Hyunda...!! Please, just let me talk to you... I know you''re mad and I deserve to die for what happened but what if----" Hyunda spoke to Rayazaki "73, go." Rayazaki travelled with his vision all the way to it "Holy shit.. It''s 1,500 points...!! What the fuck, that''s so much more!!" Rayazaki pressed the option without hesitation and was instantly awarded 1,500 points "Fucking CHRIST!!" Tateyana''s expectations were authentically shattered as she watched the updated ranking ladder.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda (3611/4500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 1:20:33 hours]

    2 - Rayazaki (3367/3500 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    3 - Sagasuga - (2404/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga] [Every time Izayoi Akimiyashika scores a point, the same quantity will be subtracted from Hiroyoshi Sagasuga''s point account and transferred to her account in the process]

    4 - Tatsu (2110/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    5 - Hinagiku (2010/2500 points)

    6 - Daniel (1535/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    7 - Sana (1412/1500 points)

    8 - Yukishiro (942/1000 points)

    9 - Akimiyashika (870/1000 points) [Every time Hiroyoshi Sagasuga scores a point, the same quantity will be subtracted from Izayoi Akimiyashika''s point account and transferred to his account in the process]

    10 - Kawahara (868/1000 points)

    11 - Kuzan (852/1000 points)

    12 - Stratos (836/1000 points)

    13 - Lus Sera (740/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 1:20:33 hours]

    14 - Arkalee (587/600 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    15 - Tateyana (582/600 points)

    16 - Kanawari (500/600 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    17 - Ikkiri (18/600 points)

    </blockquote>

    Rayazaki''s smile widened so much that he had no idea it could be that wide.

    "HOLY FUCKING SHIT, I''M CUMMING!!!" Beating his genital area guarded by his trousers, Rayazaki slammed his right fist forcefull in ecstasy "OH FOR FUCK''S SAKE, CONTROL YOURSELF YOU ANIMAL!!!" Akimiyashika reprehended Rayazaki "HUUUUUUUH?!?!?! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! I''M ALMOST THE FUCKING KING OF THE HILL!!! AND I DEFINITELY WILL BE IF IKKIRI DOESN''T DIE, AIN''T THAT RIGHT, HYUNDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!" Rayazaki psychotically tilted is head in Hyunda''s direction "Yeah, that''s right." Hyunda didn''t shy away "Teacher, tomorrow or today?" Hyunda pressed the matter "Impatient fuck, fine." Basara then accelerated the momentum as the events would be one with the flow of unpredictability.

    Daniel smiled amidst the chaos.

    "We''re getting close to the platonic nature. A glimpse of genuine interaction. For how long have I been wanting to see it..." Daniel''s eyes started to darken "Genuine interaction?" Lus questioned "Nothing, don''t mind me." He chuckled "Alien." She lashed out that last word as the skull spun.

    Rayazaki no longer could be chosen, therefore the selection was minimally decreased.

    "No... way....!!!" Akimiyashika''s legs gave up as her arms and face fell flat onto the desk "So much for that. Goddamn it, I wanted to see how this would unfold..." Yukishiro was annoyed at his selection "Hyunda, you''re up. AGAIN!" Against all odds, Hyunda was chosen again "GODDAMN IT, WHERE THE FUCK IS OUR TURN?!" Arkalee complained "Wait, HYUNDA!!" Hinagiku got out of her seat and went in his direction.

    With a fast stride, Hinagiku initiated her negotiation.

    "Ikkiri doesn''t want to die. It''s no longer her will. She changed her mind, have you taken into consideration that she might want to spend her life with you instead of dying?!" Hinagiku went straight to the point "I don''t want to die, I''m sorry, Hyunda!!" Ikkiri began to weep profoundly "I thought you were mad at me all along because I had to kill them all for the sake of saving you but I didn''t have a choice! I didn''t enjoy it at all! I regret it every day and it''s painful because nobody else but you can understand my pain!!" Ikkiri''s nose began to emit snot as well "And I thought that as long as you were the one that killed me that I wouldn''t have any regrets, but I...!! I...!!" Ikkiri no longer could produce a verbal speech "You''re tired, I can tell." Hyunda smiled to Ikkiri "Just for how long did you think that I was unaware? I''ve known all along, Ikkiri. But I need you to understand something." Hyunda adjusted his position in his seat with his two arms "I alone cannot support you. The time we had, that''s in the past. It can never be the same as before. Things have changed and unfortunately, I''ve come to realize many truths that I didn''t ask to know. So, as unfortunate as it is and no matter how much I love you, I have to play my part in this story." Hyunda''s hand strode fast to the option where he could forfeit points "HYUNDA, WAIT YOU FUCKER---!!!" Despite Hinagiku''s fast attempt, it was too late as Hyunda forfeited 50 options.

    Engulfed in horror, Ikkiri started to dread for her life tremendously.

    "Please....!!! I don''t want this!! All I want is to be next to you, Aki, Hina, everyone....!! There has to be another way to stop this!!" Ikkiri begged Hyunda "HOW MANY POINTS DO YOU WANT?! I''LL GIVE YOU ALL OF MINE!!!" Akimiyashika presented the offer as she pleaded dramatically "I''LL ALSO GIVE MINE, YOU''LL BREAK THE BARRIER FOR SURE!!" Hinagiku also tried her best but Hyunda simply kept looking at the options.

    As the measure called, the plan was set in motion.

    Amidst the chaos, a verbal contract window appeared in front of Ikkiri as her blurred eyes could barely see the content of it.

    "OPTIO-----" As Hyunda was ready to execute the option that would grant him the desired outcome, Ikkiri''s voice came out louder as her desire to live screamed throughout her body and mind "YES, I ACCEPT IT!!!" The gears then proceeded to shift.

    Hyunda halted his option as he realized that Ikkiri''s ankles and wrists were once again freed and by contrast, a desk''s front was open.

    "What the fuck is this?" Hyunda asked as Daniel started to take steps forward to the center, without needing the assistance from the guards "Oh, don''t mind it. It''s still your turn, Hyunda. Although, I''m the target now, that''s all." Daniel introduced himself as Ikkiri''s savior "Mind getting off, Ikkiri? Go warm my seat up for me, please." Daniel charismatically smiled "Ikkiri, are you betraying me?" Hyunda coldly asked "Wha---No, Hyunda, I---" Daniel covered her entire image as his white sleeves kept hanging due to his lack of arms "Hyunda, there''s no need to kill any one of us in this game. It''s, really, very, but very, pointless." Daniel cast one last glance at Ikkiri from behind and told him some words "Go now, you two will figure it out later. Please?" He smiled and Ikkiri couldn''t help but be momentarily enchanted "Yes...! And thank you!!" With a strong stride, Ikkiri entered the outside area of the oval area.

    Akimiyashika and Hinagiku both greeted Ikkiri with a forceful hug.

    "OH MY GOD, YOU''RE ALIVE!!! OH GOD!!!" With all of her might, Akimiyashika gave the tightest hug to Ikkiri "I WAS SO WORRIED FOR A SECOND!!!" Hinagiku as well "UGHHH!!! Guysss, I can''t brea---" Although happy, Ikkiri was being suffocated "Let go, you two!" Lus, who was right around the corner, told them off and they disjointed themselves from Ikkiri "Oh sorry..." Akimiyashika apologized "Mhm, it''s fine...!! I''m really happy too but I gotta admit that contract was...!!" Ikkiri looked at the ranking ladder "Wait, WHAT?! Ikkiri, your points!!" Hinagiku couldn''t believe the sight as Ikkiri''s position had swiftly changed in regard to where she previously stood.

    <blockquote>

    1- Hyunda (3611/4500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 1:18:58 hours]

    2 - Rayazaki (3367/3500 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    3 - Sagasuga - (2404/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga] [Every time Izayoi Akimiyashika scores a point, the same quantity will be subtracted from Hiroyoshi Sagasuga''s point account and transferred to her account in the process]

    4 - Tatsu (2110/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    5 - Hinagiku (2010/2500 points)

    6 - Sana (1412/1500 points)

    7 - Yukishiro (942/1000 points)

    8 - Daniel (935/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    9 - Akimiyashika (870/1000 points) [Every time Hiroyoshi Sagasuga scores a point, the same quantity will be subtracted from Izayoi Akimiyashika''s point account and transferred to his account in the process]

    10 - Kawahara (868/1000 points)

    11 - Kuzan (852/1000 points)

    12 - Stratos (836/1000 points)

    13 - Ikkiri (818/1000 points)

    14 - Lus Sera (740/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 1:18:58 hours]

    15 - Arkalee (587/600 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    16 - Tateyana (582/600 points)

    17 - Kanawari (500/600 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    </blockquote>

    "818 points?! How did that happen?!" Akimiyashika pressed the matter on Ikkiri meanwhile Hinagiku drew the conclusion as she looked at Daniel in the center "He transferred me 600 of his points and then I made a contract with you which said: You will be awarded 600 points if you swap places with Daniel Lead." Lus revealed "But why-----" Ikkiri wanted to ask "Don''t ask, his idea. Apparently he figured out something really obvious that we haven''t. Go back to your seats because this might still be far from over." Lus warned them and they did exactly that, though Ikkiri took a seat in Daniel''s place per his request.

    With twenty seconds left to go, Hyunda had to make the decision.

    It was also important to notice that Ikkiri''s red lights on her choker were depleted but Daniel had his red lights replaced by the same quantity. In other words, they also swapped conditions.

    "If you die right here and now, you''ll die with regrets. So, with that in mind, what''s the deal?" Hyunda questioned Daniel as he smiled at the center "Oh. I have come up with a strategy in order to avoid all this unnecessary killing. Yes, believe it or not, we can all play this game and remain friends. As a matter of fact, we can use this opportunity to deepen our bounds, even!" Daniel sprung with enthusiasm "What the hell is he talking about?!" Yukishiro became undignified "I''m killing Daniel once and for all, this motherfucker ALWAYS gets in the way of my plans!!" Arkalee testified "........" Hyunda''s dark expression remained for a while.

    But after two seconds, his usual snarky expression returned.

    "Shit, my motivation is gone now. I don''t wanna play this anymore." Hyunda sighed "Option 21!" Hyunda ordered and as per instructed, it was executed.

    Option 21 reads the following: Forfeit 200 points; the skull will be spun (you will be absent from this execution round''s selection).

    "Haaaaaaaaaaaaa....!!!" Akimiyashika released a painful but necessary stressful breath as she acknowledged that Hyunda was no longer participating in this execution round "......" Sana wanted to say a few words, but didn''t think the time was there yet "I don''t fucking understand how we keep missing these. This is not some fucking friendship anime bullshit... People will die and one has actually died, so why the FUCK is he treating this like one?!" Yukishiro revolted at Daniel "But it''s true. My plan has a happy ending and we all profit." Daniel confidently stated "Oh yeah?! Spill it out then!" She demanded "Not now." He retorted "LIAR!!" Yukishiro accused him once more but he didn''t care.

    The skull was spun, for the fifth time.

    "Another first time! Akimiyashika, stop crying and woman up!" Basara mocked her ".....!!" She felt revolted but since it was her turn, she gave some consideration to the current events "Alright... You saved Ikkiri and you said you had a plan... I''m willing to cooperate." Akimiyashika extended her help "Fantastic, just what I needed. Alright, I want everybody''s attention because this game, is actually, completely solved." Daniel''s words shocked everyone.

    Especially doctor Hwan alongside the student council members.

    "Hey, what does he mean by that?!" Bryce felt nervous "A loophole?! No, no way, this game doesn''t have it, right?!" Skan looked for the president''s approval "Who knows?" He didn''t count out the possibility "This man... Always has something devious planned... He spoke of a happy ending, but if it comes from a criminal like him..." Andrea couldn''t trust Daniel at all.

    He then decided to reveal the details as all eyes were on him.

    "Some of you might have noticed, but in the previous execution round, before Ikkiri''s, which was Hyunda''s, there was an option that read the following: Forfeit 500 points to buy a new player into the game (they will start with the same points as the lowest ranked player, but with -50 points instead)." Some didn''t seem to remember but a few did "Yeah, I saw it. What of i-----" But Kawahara instantly realized "I seeeeeeeeeeeeee.......!!!" He placed his right palm all over his face as he saw the possibilities "Wait, there really was such an option?!" Tateyana asked "Yes, there is. Though, it''s probably 650 points now." Sagasuga confirmed "I''ll get straight to the point. Every round, we kill the new player and repeat the process." Daniel''s words brought shock to the table as they all thought about what he meant.

    He went a step further and elaborated.

    "It''s very simple. What Akimiyashika will do is forfeit 100 points and look for the option that says that." Akimiyashika felt the need to interfere "W-Wait a damn sec----" But Daniel continued "Next up, the upcoming person on the selection will choose the option that reads: Forfeit 400 points to end the round, in which case, you will be awarded with 200 points." Ikkiri continued Daniel''s reasoning as she saw where it was all heading up "And then we do this in the next round over and over because the new player will always be -50 points lower!!" She smiled and so did many others "Yes, that''s right. So, let''s get this started. There''s no need for us to actually kill each other." Daniel reasoned "Okay... I was reluctant at first but now I''m pretty sure we''ve broken the game!!" The plan was then set in motion.

    Following step by step, the plan came into fruition.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    "UGHHHH HE GOT SO LUCKY THAT LUS WAS CHOSEN AFTER AKIMIYASHIKA!!!!" Seok grabbed his hairstrands as he raged "But wait, haven''t they broken the game?!" Skan "Calm down. It''s a valid tactic..." The doctor acknowledged "But a useless one in the long run." The doctor radiated his eerie smile "And how is that the case...?! Their strategy is perfect! They will spawn camp this new player! Even if Hajime Hyunda will have 0 points by the end of this round, it doesn''t matter because he has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next hour! Isn''t this a problem?!" Skan persisted "A problem and a solution always exist in the same space!" The central main door of the door was automatically open on the east side; where a semi-tall individual with clear Indian ethnicity----with a black collar shirt and tight black trousers as well as clean black shoes; strode forward with flamboyance.

    As he took off his dark yellow round sunglasses, he extended his arms obliquely.

    "I am here, at last!! I must apologize for my long awaited arrival as everyone wanted to see me, but you must understand that being the CEO of 32 Indian companies is not easy!!" Every single person, including the staff members, as well as the student council, and doctor Hwan---all rose from their seats and bowed down "Now, now!! Where is the most critical pers-----" As he flamboyantly walked through them, he saw the two ongoing streams.

    His tempo stopped as he was authentically drawn into one of the streams.

    "Erigaisi, sir?" Doctor Hwan elevated his head slightly as he saw the shocked face of the man "How did one of them manage to get all the way here? That shouldn''t have been possible...!!" Despite saying such words, Erigaisi quickly corrected himself "It''s nothing, nevermind. More importantly, report the current situation." Instantly, he demanded a breakdown "Yes." Doctor Hwan then proceeded to deliver all information.

    With Lus, the round was terminated as Daniel was allowed to leave the central chair.

    Furthermore, due to the plan, there was a significant shift in points as well as rankings:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Rayazaki (9722/10000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    2 - Sagasuga - (2404/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga] [Every time Izayoi Akimiyashika scores a point, the same quantity will be subtracted from Hiroyoshi Sagasuga''s point account and transferred to her account in the process]

    3 - Tatsu (2110/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    4 - Hinagiku (2010/2500 points)

    5 - Sana (1412/1500 points)

    6 - Yukishiro (942/1000 points)

    7 - Daniel (935/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    8 - Kawahara (868/1000 points)

    9 - Kuzan (852/1000 points)

    10 - Stratos (836/1000 points)

    11 - Ikkiri (818/1000 points)

    12 - Arkalee (587/600 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    13 - Tateyana (582/600 points)

    14 - Lus Sera (540/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 1:16:54 hours]

    15 - Kanawari (500/600 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    16 - Akimiyashika (170/1000 points) [Every time Hiroyoshi Sagasuga scores a point, the same quantity will be subtracted from Izayoi Akimiyashika''s point account and transferred to his account in the process]

    17 - Hyunda (0/4500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 1:16:54 hours]

    18 - ??? (0/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    A brief moment of silence was made, as some even refreshed their eyes to make sure they were seeing it correctly.

    "Uhh... UHHH....!!!" Kuzan kept blinking non-stop "No way. How?" Yukishiro, placid, refused to believe it "Hm, this might be the first time so many points have been obtained in such little time. In a mere four rounds too..." Sagasuga dully noted "You are fucking retarded. So fucking retarded, holy shit." Kawahara''s expression darkened as he pinpointed Hyunda "You had the option to kill her! Why did you wait so much time around when you could have done it?!" Kawahara argued "He wasn''t fast enough because Ikkiri instantly accepted the contract." Hinagiku countered Kawahara "Oh that''s just fucking BULLSHIT!! You waited on purpose, didn''t you? You''re not fucking fooling me. But in the end, you got 0 points and gave Rayazaki this colossal lead. Good job, you RETARD!!" Kawahara kicked his desk "......." Hyunda held his head down with his right fist placed on the right side of his face as he refused to elaborate.

    The attention quickly shifted as Rayazaki bathed in supremacy.

    "Low and behold, peasants, for I hold the authority!!" With high volume, he gave his decree "No, you fucking don''t, you creep." Lus replied quickly "Huuuuuh?!" Rayazaki disliked her attitude immediately "Your points mean nothing because we will kill this new player and repeat the same strategy." Lus had total faith in the strategy "Looks like someone hasn''t been paying much attention. Hahah, sure, sure, keep believing in that shit strategy..." Rayazaki mocked Lus "...??" It wasn''t just Rayazaki that found the strategy lackluster "She lives in wonderland rent free." Yukishiro commented "Wh----" Lus was ready to argue "Teacher!" Daniel decided to engage in the importance of another subject.

    As for some reason, they weren''t dismissed despite the round being over.

    "The new player, where is he? Or she?" The question everyone wanted to know the answer to, was asked "That''s right, that''s right! Where is our fodder?!" Kuzan, who was enthusiastic about the strategy, spoke as well "The player will be introduced next round." Basara declared.

    Doctor Hwan, on the other hand, after telling everything, allowed Erigaisi to make the decision.

    "Alright, that''s enough." He pressed his right hand forward and told doctor Hwan to halt his speech "Though impressive by theory, the numbers are still lukewarm. Already peaking at 600k isn''t bad, but the clients know what we have to show! And as such, we have to give them what they want! This is business, people! We are their patreons and they demand entertainment! PUT UP THE COUNTDOWN NOW!!!" As instructed per Erigaisi, the staff members in charge of demonstrating the virtual graphics in the room, began to execute the command without hesitation.

    A gigantic countdown screen showed up on the south of the virtual room, containing such a brutal height and width that it was impossible for anyone to not notice it.

    The countdown had the following numbers: 15:36.

    "What the fuck is that?!" Tateyana was the first to question it as she got up from her seat by instinct "I don''t know it just randomly showed up!!" Kuzan as well "Hey, Sagasuga!!! You''ve played this game before, you even admitted it!! What the hell does this mean?!" Kanawari briskly asked "I''m not answering that." Sagasuga resolved himself to silence "What...?!" This was something that not only Kanawari found displeasing "I''ll give you 100 of my points if you tell me, Sagasuga!" Rayazaki started to bargain "Ah, but just to me as I SAID! Plus, you''ll break the bar---" Sagasuga stopped Rayazaki''s tracks "No means no. Don''t waste your time." Sagasuga''s voice turned cold "......" Rayazaki suspected Sagasuga''s attitude as his silence implied a lot of things.

    Basara gave the last ordeal.

    "Be here at 9 am, on POINT!!" Basara began to exit the room and unlike the other times, the students weren''t particularly sure as to what to do "Hmm... Hey, how are you feeling?" Daniel looked away from the screen and turned to his left where Lus is "........" Lus didn''t say anything but her stiff expression told it all "Kanawari, are you able to do something about it?" To his right, Daniel consulted Kanawari "...Uhh, without your access to the male dorm, it''s a bit difficult. Pain-killers will have to do the trick, Lus..." Kanawari dealt the bad news "...I... see...." Lus sighed "Daniel, can you tell us what you think about that countdown?" Lus asked as Kanawari went around in order to support Lus on her way out of her chair "I''m not a prophet, so nope." Daniel got up from his seat by supporting his right foot on the edge of the desk and then using his left foot to create distance from the chair "....Where are you going? You can''t access your dorm..." Lus narrowed her vision "Social interaction is important." Daniel started to leave the room and by that margin some people also decided to leave the room as they went to their desired locations.

    Though Hinagiku wanted to leave the room as well, she was pressed to be with Akimiyashika as the two of them had to stop Ikkiri.

    "Stop." Akimiyashika prevented Ikkiri from going into Hyunda''s direction by halting her left shoulder "Ikkiri, don''t." As well as Hinagiku who held Ikkiri''s right shoulder with a far stronger grip "Guys..." Ikkiri kept looking at Hyunda who remained alone in his seat as Sana was no longer in the area "He tried to kill you, despite you saying that you didn''t want to meet that end multiple times. Don''t go near that fucking psychopath...!!" Akimiyashika''s words were loud enough for Hyunda to hear them "You heard them, Ikkiri." He lowly laughed without opening his eyes as his right fist remained adjoined to the right side of his face "Better stay a mile away from me or I''ll try to kill you again." Coldly, Hyunda spoke "No, you won''t." Ikkiri refused Hyunda''s words "You''re a dumbass, like always!" Ikkiri''s expression stiffened but she emitted a small smirk as she turned away "Let''s go, I''m hungry!!" At Ikkiri''s command, Hinagiku and Akimiyashika started to make their way to the female dorm.

    As time went on, the room started to become empty but Hyunda didn''t leave his seat nor did he open his eyes.

    A singular person took Akimiyashika''s seat, left to Hyunda. He had purchased a small water bottle in order to hydrate himself at the cost of 50 of his points.

    He opened it and began to gulp three times and then covered the stamp.

    "You had the open shot, Hyunda." Sagasuga commented as he looked to the ceiling "I know." Hyunda replied in an abhorrent tone "Granted, it''s not a mission from the organization but I genuinely thought you''d do it. You already had the options in mind. There were plenty of opportunities to do it before she accepted the contract. In other words, you wanted this outcome?" Sagasuga asked "Mhmmmmmmm....." Hyunda murmured "You''re going against the script, Hyunda. You do realize that by not killing Ikkiri; the chain of events no longer obeys the law of sequence therefore?" Sagasuga wanted to make sure that Hyunda understood the implications "It doesn''t matter. We both know what''s coming. All I wanted was to kill her so she wouldn''t have to witness the horror-show, but it''s too late. I fucked up, admittedly." Hyunda sighed "From here on, it''s a free for all. Plans will not work." Hyunda added "I see." Sagasuga opened the bottle and took another gulp "By the way, the results are already proving to work magnificently. Is that why you didn''t do it? Are you trusting Daniel to keep up?" Sagasuga asked.

    Hyunda then slowly opened his eyes.

    "If----if out of all of them, the resonation is successful, then what does that mean, Sagasuga?" Hyunda''s eyes were fully open as well as utmost serious "It means the operation was a success. Many members will rejoice; myself included. Our agenda can finally be put into practice." Sagasuga admitted "Yes. Yes. YES!!" Hyunda cracked a smile "But this is a problem, Hyunda. Daniel is one thing. But... If the merge is too successful then... How do you plan on stopping him?" Sagasuga asked the last question "Everything''s fine. I am his most valued interest, for the outcome of our deal is what he''s really aiming for. Strictly speaking, no matter the events, I cannot die---for that means that his outcome will never be given life." Hyunda concluded.

    <hr>

    His face became one with asphalt.

    The temperature at the current moment was a solid 18 degrees, which is fairly hot for a morning.

    "Hmmm..." He couldn''t utilize his arms to adjust his head position as his body was long stretched, so Daniel had to use his left and right knee to bend his upper body upwards "Hmmm...." From left to right, Daniel would continuously try and receive signals ".....Oh, there we go." After changing his position in the asphalt more to the right side, Daniel''s hearing was finally able to capture it "That''s strange. The hideout isn''t a place that goes so deep. It takes about a minute to travel from Kawahara''s room to it. So, how come so many people are climbing to the surface from a place so deep down..." Daniel was left confused and then arrived at a singular conclusion as he adjusted his face to the gigantic cradle above "Uhhh... What are you doing?" An unfamiliar fierce female voice talked to Daniel as he could see three female individuals approaching his location.

    Their silhouettes covered the rising star perfectly.

    "Oh, Akimiyashika." Except it wasn''t just her, but also Ikkiri and Hinagiku "Yes, that''s me... Why are you lying on the ground, Daniel?" Akimiyashika was weirded out by Daniel''s behavior as he looked at their faces from below "I''m sunbathing." Daniel replied "Sunbathing...?!" She didn''t believe that one bit "But this is a good opportunity as ever. Can you guys help me back up? All you have to do is grab my sleeves and I''ll balance myself back up!" Daniel suggested.

    And after they pulled his sleeves back up, he balanced his body through his legs.

    "And there we go..." Daniel found his balance and now could stand face to face with the three of them as they stood near the male dorm that was being patrolled by a large number of black suits "I can''t even imagine how inconvenient your life will be from here on." Akimiyashika confessed "It''s already proving to be difficult, honestly." Daniel didn''t hide it "Yeah." Akimiyashika looked to the ground and then took a deep breath before bowing down to Daniel "Thank you so much for going out of your way to save Ikkiri!!" Trembling, Akimiyashika thanked him "If it wasn''t for that damn contract that psychopath would have...!!" Ikkiri, though grateful, felt the need to correct Akimiyashika "Don''t hate him, please, Aki..." But Akimiyashika remained adamant about her stance "Of course I would save her. Nobody has to die and you-----are all my friends, my comrades, whatever you want to call it." Daniel clarified as he didn''t think Akimiyashika had to go through such lengths "...Still, thank you..." She felt more than obliged to thank him nevertheless.

    She ultimately raised her head back to her posture so they could continue to talk.

    "About the strategy---do you honestly think it''ll work?" Ikkiri asked him "No, of course not." Daniel was blunt "W-What?! Then why did you suggest it to everyone else?!" Ikkiri was shocked "Well, because I want it to work, even if I don''t think it will..." Daniel sighed "I''m confused." Akimiyashika confessed "Listen---while really good in theory, there will be those who will not like the idea too much, even if the strategy protects everyone." Daniel said with clarity "That''s why, I would be thankful if you three coul-----" As Daniel was about to finalize his sentence, his eyesight was stolen by the large exit made from a group of individuals that came from inside the male dorm.

    A wide variety of black suits, staff members, a camera man, and what appeared to be a student in the school''s uniform----was enough to summon the entire attention of the other students that were lurking around the corner.

    "That''s Liyuga, no?!" Akimiyashika instantly noticed as Liyuga was infiltrated amongst the black suits with his uniform at full display "Who?" Daniel asked "Oh, I guess you weren''t here when that happened..." Hinagiku remembered "He''s a member of the student council, so------" A most loud voice came forth as he approached the area, but kept his distance from the group "How was the trip down the hideout, your excellency?!" Kawahara mocked them with a gigantic grin.

    However, this was met with guns pointing at Kawahara.

    "Take another step forward and I''ll put a bullet in your brain!" The issue was given "Sheeeeeshhhhhhh!!! So fucking cold, fine I get it!" Kawahara took a step back as he was accompanied by some other students "Hey though, can we go inside now that your trip is over?!" Kuzan asked "It''s far from over." Liyuga walked in their direction and spoke "Hey, you----!!" One of the black suits tried to stop Liyuga from going west in the direction of the other criminals "If they try anything, just shoot them. I want to talk with Ryousuke Kawahara. Come forward!" Unexpectedly, Kawahara was suddenly given permission to come forward as the others observed.

    Midst this, Kuzan approached Daniel from behind, as well as Lus and Kanawari.

    "Bro, who is that guy?! How is a student from the school inside the cradle?!" Kuzan posed the natural question "Either he was inside first or there is conveniently a way for them to make their way here while outside the cradle." Daniel concluded "Also, that''s a member of the student council. We don''t know much about them, do we?" Daniel laughed "I only really remember Percy Phoenix, I hate how that guy put bounties on our heads back on the island." Kuzan''s words brought interest to the girls nearby "What? Is that true?" Lus asked "It is, but that''s not really important. Besides, Percy Phoenix is dead." Daniel answered.

    The conversation would take place as Kawahara confidently stared down at the calm Liyuga.

    "What''s the password?" Liyuga started "Huuuuh? The password?" Kawahara feigned ignorance "The door required a password to go further. Plus, it''s a one-time only type of password as the pillar said." Liyuga spoke words that Kawahara had trouble understanding "......." He stared at Liyuga and pondered the possibility of this being sarcasm from his behalf "The password isn''t limited to one time only. If you input the password once and it''s incorrect, you''ll have to wait a day in order to try again. Also, what pillar?" Kawahara told "......" Liyuga carefully analyzed Kawahara''s words "No, that can''t be. The pillar specifically told us that the password is a one time only thing. And also, a security system was activated upon arrival, called Delta." Liyuga revealed and Daniel''s eyes widened "Oh, I see." Kawahara noted and didn''t break his poker face "Alright, I understand. But I''m not telling you the password, dumbass." He blatantly insulted Liyuga "Your escape plan has been folded, Daniel Lead." Liyuga looked towards Daniel on the east side as he said that "Unfortunately." Daniel sighed.

    Kawahara touched another angle.

    "Did you feed the fish by some chance? It''s been a while since I''ve done that and I''m worried that they might''ve died." Kawahara gave an apologetic look "......." Liyuga maintained his poker face "No, I didn''t." He simply replied "Oh, alright. But you did see the aquarium, right?" Kawahara asked "Yeah, I did. What of it?" Liyuga asked this time "No, no, that''s great. I just thought you could''ve feed them, that''s all." Kawahara brushed his back hair "I will get the password from you." Liyuga decided to step away as he felt his phone ringing to which he immediately picked up "Yes, it''s me. I''m returning--------Oh shoot, he''s there already?! I''ll be right back!!" With a sense of urgency, Liyuga and the rest of the group started to go to the west side and would then take a turn to the north side.

    In order to prevent them from getting followed the black suits started to form a wall in order to not only block their movements but their vision.

    "Tsk! We can''t even see where they''re going...!!" Akimiyashika complained "Excuse me just a little bit------" Kawahara, without any manners whatsoever, came through and snatched away Daniel with an arm lock "OFGH------" It was so strong that he coughed for a bit "HEY, LET GO OF HIM!!" Hinagiku was defensive but Daniel gave the word "It''s alright-----" He coughed "I want to talk as well---" And coughed again.

    Behind the female dorm, Kawahara and Daniel talked, but there were some lurkers around the corners even then.

    "What the fuck is going on? That was not the hideout at all." Kawahara noticed "Yeah well... I can''t say I know any better." Daniel told him "There is no aquarium though, right?" Daniel made a fidgety expression as he asked "No, there isn''t. I lied about it. That''s how I know he''s lying about it. In other words, they were not in the hideout and were somewhere else. Spill the beans, Daniel." Kawahara started to knot Daniel''s sleeves "Hey... I would appreciate if you didn''t do that..." Daniel complained "Oh yeah? Then explain what really happened. I''m not leaving until I get a satisfactory answer." Kawahara said as he kept knotting the sleeves together "......." Daniel took into consideration his surroundings.

    After thorough consideration, Daniel spoke.

    "They think they found the hideout but it''s actually another location. Why didn''t you ask Liyuga how they found out about the hideout?" Daniel asked Kawahara "Because what else would be BUT the hideout?" Kawahara found the question nonsensical "Fair point." Daniel admitted "There was a cameraman along with them, so it was recorded without a doubt. It goes without saying that the doctor knows what went down. But one thing is for certain-------the password is not the same as the hideout one, because there isn''t even a pillar in the hideout." Daniel clarified "Hmmm..." Kawahara halted his knotting "The fucker said he would take the password from me, in other words, he believes I actually know the password and will try to negotiate with me... How interesting!!" Kawahara smiled as he realized "Can I go now?" Daniel asked "Wait, no, not yet. I need to know. Are you serious about the spawn-camp shit?" Kawahara asked "Dead serious. This game has no merit. So, by that margin, we shouldn''t play like it has any." Daniel told "...So what if it suddenly had some form of merit?" Kawahara narrowed his vision "..........." Daniel couldn''t answer to that question "Figures." Kawahara then started to walk to the south, in the opposite direction of the lurkers.

    Daniel went for the opposite direction as he came across them on the edge of the corner.

    "He knows." Daniel told the six of them as he saw them knelt down on the ground "Is it true?!" Akimiyashika jumped the gun "Yeah, bro!! Some other place other than the hideout?!" Kuzan joined the fray as well "It doesn''t matter, we can''t walk inside the male dorm, so this is a pointless discussion." Daniel sealed his lips as he walked forward "But why are there underground facilities in the first place? Isn''t that kinda weird? It''s almost as if this particular side of the school was built with some partial ideas in mind..." Daniel closed his eyes as he heard Akimiyashika and the others talk.

    The withered blossoms that swirled the morning wind weren''t the signal-----but the forgotten fragrance that he was so familiar with.

    As his eyes opened, he knew that the fragrance; the essence of the smell could only belong to one person.

    Forming like a trail, the path to the central block kept emitting more and more of the smell to his nostrils as his eyes opened fully.

    "....!!!" He halted his tracks prematurely as the others were behind him "......?" Hinagiku noticed Daniel''s shocked expression "How many minutes are there before the next round?" He asked as he stared at the frontal door of the block "Five minutes!" Kuzan replied "Do you want to go already?" Lus asked as she was supported by Kanawari "You girls eat something, Kuzan, let''s go." Daniel ordered as he accelerated the tempo "Ehhh, but I wanted to see if I could get some food from the female dorm..." Kuzan became depressed "I''ll buy you something from the vending machine." Daniel reassured "Yay!!" Kuzan celebrated as he went with Daniel to the main block "......" Hinagiku found Daniel''s sudden mood switch rather strange.

    As the countdown went on, Liyuga and the other members returned to the respective location.

    "Any clues about the password?" Bryce asked Liyuga as he showed to be tired whilst joining the rest of the student council members in the couch "Nope. I tried talking to Ryousuke Kawahara about it, though." Liyuga said "That''s nice." The president replied "But don''t forget to greet him now." The president''s words caused Liyuga to realize just who was watching the entirety of the activities around "..!!!" Immediately, Liyuga got up from his seat and went in the direction of Erigaisi, who was too busy dealing with phone calls "S-Sir, it''s-----!!" Erigaisi noticed him but opted to ignore him as he turned his back in order to focus on the call "That''s enough, come back." The president ordered and Liyuga did exactly that "What''s that countdown for?" Liyuga asked "Oh, that? It''s the main event. Don''t you see the numbers rising? Apparently it''s common knowledge that by 9 am, it''s when it gets serious. Even I am thrilled to know what the contents are." The president admitted.

    After dealing with the phone calls, Erigaisi gave the general order.

    "Only bring in the player when the announcements are done! Don''t let the other players catch a glimpse of her!" Erigaisi''s orders were imperial and could not be disobeyed "A new player? What the hell happened?" Liyuga, who had missed everything, asked "Daniel Lead came up with a strategy that involves buying a new player every round and by that logic since the option to buy a new player means that the new player will have -50 points of the lowest ranked player, it should in theory mean that the player has no hopes of climbing up. Thus, instead of killing his classmates, Daniel is trying to kill the new player on spawn." Andrea explained "...What...?! Isn''t that bad for the viewers?! Won''t that mean the views will drop due to the predictable nature of the game?! Isn''t that bad for the overall revenue?!" Liyuga would then feel some light hand taps on his right shoulder "How right you are! It''s bad, just like you said! However, it''s no problem!" Erigaisi''s eerie smile managed to leave some members creeped out "Observe." Erigaisi then gave the final order "Get the components ready to march forward to the block!! I want everything in place without delay!!" Erigaisi''s orders could not be disobeyed.

    <hr>

    Thirty seconds before the next round that comes by 9 am, everyone would already be present in their respective seats as they watched the countdown decrease.

    There were two mysterious elements that kept being brought up on the round table.

    "I mean, it''s another criminal, right?" Tateyana threw the question up in the air "It wouldn''t make sense otherwise, right?" She continued "Yes." Sagasuga united his hands and didn''t deny it "In this game, only criminals are allowed. Seok was the exception." Sagasuga added "He''s lucky he didn''t actually die back there. Oh yeah, are there any news as to what killed the others?" Hinagiku asked Basara, who remained silent on the podium "......" The countdown was what remained important in the long run.

    And as 9 am arrived, the countdown screen was shattered like a glass broken into multiple pieces.

    "What the?!" The visual effects were enough to cause some photosensitive epilepsy "Ugghhh!!!" The mere action of opening their eyes again against the blinding lights of the new screen proved to be challenging.

    However, given enough time, they were all able to glance upon the new screen that was covered in black and red, in a pyramid shape.

    "Have you-----ever wanted to start over?" The contents began to unravel themselves slowly as the pyramid started from the bottom "What-----is all this?!" Kanawari was startled as were the others "If the answer to that question is no, then you will know your place here in no time. If, however, the answer to that question is a yes, then rejoice!!" Basara''s arms flew up in the air like an orchestra''s maestro "For you can start over and take back your life!!" His voice rose in volume as the pyramid of contents became highlighted.

    This game has no name.

    No matter how many times players all across the globe play it, there has never been a designated name for this game, whose true nature reveals itself at 9 am.

    The pyramid was split into ten sections and presented itself as the following, starting from the bottom where the hierarchy begins:

    <blockquote>

    Points required to unlock the 10th zone - 15,000 points

    Points required to unlock the 9th zone - 30,000 points

    Points required to unlock the 8th zone - 50,000 points

    Points required to unlock the 7th zone - 75,000 points

    Points required to unlock the 6th zone - 100,000 points

    Points required to unlock the 5th zone - 150,000 points

    Points required to unlock the 4th zone - 200,000 points

    Points required to unlock the 3rd zone - 250,000 points

    Points required to unlock the 2nd zone - 350,000 points

    Points required to unlock the 1st zone - 500,000 points

    </blockquote>

    "So many points required...!! But what for!? This game has no merit!! This is pointless!!!" Akimiyashika rightfully argued and Basara replied logically "Indeed, so far, there has been little to no merit. Which is why, it''s necessary to be given such!" Basara''s demonic finger snap allowed the first curtain to be open "Oh...." Yukishiro awed as the 10th zone was revealed.

    From the bottom, where the area of the pyramid is the largest in width, the part where it said "Points required to unlock the 10th zone - 15,000 points" was thoroughly replaced by a sentence cladded in dark scarlet red.

    <blockquote>

    "Acquire a prosthetic body piece that has been severed off your body through the game. Bonus rewards revealed upon purchase."

    </blockquote>

    A source of interest was created upon seeing that.

    "W-Wait..." Tateyana made a blurry expression "What the fuck? A prosthetic body piece?! Uh, like a fucking arm? Or leg?!" She was really confused "Yes, any. As long as it''s been cut off from you. Take Daniel for example, who lacks two arms." Sagasuga presented him as the example "So... He can potentially forfeit 15,000 points in order to buy a prosthetic arm back?!" Arkalee dreaded and Basara added new information "That is correct. An entirely new body piece that matches your structure is awaiting, believe it or not. Through rapid surgery, it can be achieved." Basara reassured "That''s-----" Many were baffled at the new opportunity.

    The question then arose.

    "So wait... It''s actually fine to sacrifice body pieces...?" Kuzan posed the question "NO!!" Akimiyashika instantly denied "That---that can''t be true, this has to be a mistake, no...!!" She refused to believe it, no matter what "It says rewards, so more than just one..." Rayazaki dully noted "I might just try it..." Rayazaki murmured to himself but everyone caught him saying that "I''m not fucking sacrificing a body piece, no matter what!!! That shit has to HURT!!!" Tateyana argued "Teacher, move on please." Kawahara became more interested in what the other zones had to offer "There''s no fucking way I''m ever sacrificing a body piece of mine for this stupid ass game...!!" Tateyana kept denying it.

    Basara''s finger snap revealed the 9th zone.

    <blockquote>

    "Acquire a new identity, in exchange, your current one will be erased from all records all across the globe. Bonus rewards revealed upon purchase."

    </blockquote>

    At the cost of 30,000 points, such option was available, which caused most of the students present to widen their eyes in shock as well as their jaws that fell off.

    "W-W-W-W-WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!??!?!?" The majority of the student body rose up from their seats as this option proved to be massively appealing "A new identity and my current one will be erased across the globe?! So no one will know the old me?!" Yukishiro laughed as she eagerly spoke "Yes, that''s correct. By picking this option, the current you, is no more. Instead, a new you is born." Basara clarified "Wait a damn second! Does this mean that with a new identity that all criminal allegations in my current name will be dropped?!" Rayazaki asked with fiery eyes "That depends. If your new name is Satou Rayazaki, then no." Basara replied with sarcasm "Teacher, come ON!!!" Rayazaki pressed Basara "What do you think?" But Basara found that this question was self-explanatory "That means... What I''ve done in the past, no longer matters in the public eye with this option....!!!" Kanawari took this option far too seriously "......." Hinagiku disliked what Kanawari was currently thinking as her vision deeply narrowed with hatred.

    The eight zone was revealed not too late after each individual came to their own conclusion.

    <blockquote>

    "Select a university of your choice across the globe, no matter which, you will receive 1 billion dollars in the shape of a student loan. Bonus rewards revealed upon purchase."

    </blockquote>

    "Wait, any...?" Lus took a particular interest in this segment "Yes, any. Regardless of which country, if you pick this option, you will obtain a student loan worth 1 billion dollars." Basara answered "........." Lus'' jaw slightly dropped "It doesn''t fucking matter if you can''t get the fuck out of here though." Kawahara reasoned "True... But it''s... Like... I mean, I have my highschool done so technically..." Kanawari also saw the merit "Lucky bitch, I dropped out." Rayazaki clenched his teeth "That''s your fault, not mine..." Kanawari murmured without allowing Rayazaki to listen to it "Isn''t 1 billion dollars way too fucking much though?! Does it even go over a million in most degrees?!" Arkalee asked "I don''t know actually..." Tatsu murmured "It''s better than nothing. You never have to worry about the debt of your loan and you can purchase your career to the fullest to be whatever you want to be. How is that a problem?" Lus became argumentative "Ehhh... So that''s what you have in mind..." Arkalee eerie smiled to her ".........." Lus posed silence and allowed Basara to progress forward.

    The seventh zone was additionally revealed fairly quickly.

    <blockquote>

    "Acquire a full body plastic surgery plan. Bonus rewards revealed upon purchase."

    </blockquote>

    The nature of this zone proved to be sensitive to some.

    "E-EWWWWWWWW?!?!" Tateyana exclaimed "What the fuck?! Like, why?! What gives?!" She found the mere proposition disgusting "I kinda agree, like what?!" Arkalee found it outrageous as well "Why would I need to change how I look?!" Arkalee posed the question "You don''t have people who would kill you just by looking at your face?" Kawahara asked her "........" Arkalee posed a silent stance "It''s disgusting, still! But I get the point you''re trying to make!" Tateyana argued "From head to toe, plastic surgery, I can look however I like? I can---look completely different from the person I currently am?" Yukishiro this time took interest "Yes, that''s exactly what it means. For those interested in this option, it''s allowed to demonstrate a gallery of people who underwent this program of plastic surgery in which case, you will be able to witness just how accurate it is. But not now." Basara told them "........" Yukishiro had a serious look "She''s actually considering it..." Lus murmured "If you combine the plastic surgery along with the new identity combo, you are essentially reborn, except you get to be the very person you want to be. Pretty neat, I can''t lie." Daniel seemed to find the option alluring "........." Lus looked at Daniel with a disgusted look.

    The sixth zone came next, at the cost of 100,000 points.

    <blockquote>

    "All criminal charges against you are dropped; furthermore, you can select an individual all across the globe to be charged with your charges. Bonus rewards revealed upon purchase."

    </blockquote>

    "Wait, ANY person?" Yukishiro once again took active interest "There''s no fucking way that''s true. You can''t, for example, choose the president!" Kawahara laughed out loud "But you can." Basara begged to differ however "Huh?" Kawahara fell short as he couldn''t believe Basara''s affirmation "Whether or not that works in your favor though, is another question. However, it''s worth noting that these charges will not be traced back to you. In other words, there is no link between you or that person." Basara added "That''s... insane." Kuzan greatly thought of this advantage "So... that means that you can make a single person suffer without them ever knowing it was you...?" Akimiyashika asked Basara "Yes..." Basara felt like he was explaining things that were far too easy to understand "Fantastic, I have to wonder who can actually make it out of my allegations?" Daniel pondered "...Nobody..." Lus answered.

    The fifth zone was revealed five seconds after.

    <blockquote>

    "Your points in this game will become your bank account under your credentials. Bonus rewards revealed upon purchase."

    </blockquote>

    "But you have to give up 150,000 of your points for that and your points will be zero so what''s the fucking POINT?!" Tateyana became angry "Isn''t that great even so?" Ikkiri this time argued and made her point "If you ever reach a point where you can choose this option, the points you''ll be winning per round have to be massive. You could easily forge your own bank account." Ikkiri suggested "......." Tateyana started to imagine it "Maybe the rewards fix the issues that the nature of the option presents. Maybe they give you some compensation points or even boosts..." Hinagiku suggested "A boost? Holy shit that would be... Wow..." Kuzan was mindblown.

    However, it was actually something that grabbed the deepest interest of some individuals within the room.

    Alas, Basara presented the fourth zone.

    <blockquote>

    "Select a country across the globe; you will gain citizenship of it and will travel to it via helicopter. Bonus rewards revealed upon purchase."

    </blockquote>

    By far the most appealing offer was made.

    "I can actually start over..." Akimiyashika became magnetized by the option "H-Hey!!" She turned to Basara "If I pick this option and select, uhhh---the US, for example----am I still bound by the program?!" She asked a question that everyone wanted to know "But of course you are. You will simply attend the program in that said country." Basara''s words made the offer seem inferior to the rest now "Then what''s the fucking point!? Where''s the freedom in THAT?!" Tateyana complained as well "Hold it, we''re getting there..." Kawahara reassured.

    Without interference, Basara revealed the third zone.

    <blockquote>

    "You will be granted legal immunity until you die. Bonus rewards revealed upon purchase."

    </blockquote>

    Yet another most enticing offer was revealed.

    "Legal immunity? As in, immune to the fucking law?" Kawahara asked Basara "Yes, rat. No matter what shit you do, you cannot be held accountable." Basara spoke unbelievable words "T-THERE''S NO WAY THAT''S TRUE!! THAT''S TOO MUCH POWER!!!" Yukishiro became engulfed in the possibilities as she denied it "As much as I want to agree, truth is... That''s not the case. But I suppose you''ll never know until you try it." Basara concluded "Mhm..." Daniel gave some thought about this option "No, it doesn''t matter." He quickly crossed it out of his mind "...You don''t plan on resuming your drug empire saga?" Lus asked him "I don''t." Daniel replied "Really now..." She instigated "Yes, Lus." Daniel simply awaited for the next revelation.

    The second zone came forth.

    <blockquote>

    "Erase your memory up until a part of your life that you wish to no longer remember. Bonus rewards revealed upon purchase."

    </blockquote>

    They were unaware of what to make of this one.

    "This... is not funny..." Ikkiri became enraged by this particular option "I can imagine." Basara emphasized "Can you? If so, then why would this be up here as some sort of joke?!" Ikkiri became even more infuriated "Because it''s not a joke." Basara''s words shocked her and many others "Details about this can be further known at a later time, but I''ll give you my word------this option is not a lie. Your past trauma, can be erased from your memory. The sorrow, pain, anguish, and horrifying experiences caused by others to you-----and you to others-----can be erased, genuinely." Basara''s words allowed the students to each individually dive into their minds about what haunted them as they pondered whether or not this was all a big joke "Hey......" Kawahara made his darkest expression yet "This better not be a fucking joke or else I''ll fucking kill you, you hear me...?" To Basara, Kawahara threatened with a daunting hollow voice "If you''re interested, then we can talk later. Though, of course, this is the second zone we''re talking about. 350,000 points are required to acquire it..." Basara emitted a diabolical smirk.

    And lastly, the first and final zone; the pinnacle of the pyramid, was ultimately revealed.

    <blockquote>

    "Drop out of the program; you are no longer bound by the game and as an added bonus you may select two prior zones at the cost of 0 points. Bonus rewards revealed upon purchase."

    </blockquote>

    The outroar was formed.

    "HOLY SHIT!!" Kuzan slammed his two fists on the table "So there''s a way out after all?!" Akimiyashika smiled as she rejoiced "I get it...!! All this time, it''s been building up to this!! If only I had known it would go this deep...!!! I had an idea but this is just...!!" Yukishiro became jubilant and ecstatic "And you also get to select two of the other zones, so you are not only out of the program, but you can essentially fix your fucking life however you want it!!" Tateyana also noted "This-----this changes everything...!!" Lus became so excited she started to tremble "........." Daniel was perhaps one of the few only individuals who saw zero merit to this entire event.

    Midst this, he decided to glance at Hyunda, but Hyunda remained unresponsive with his right fist dormant on his face as per usual.

    "And so, that concludes the explanation. We are already running late and we have to start the fifth round." Basara declared "Wait... 500,000 points, I just realized..." Akimiyashika blurted out "Is that even realistically achievable? I mean, what''s the deadline?" To Sagasuga, Akimiyashika directed her words and Sagasuga didn''t mind explaining this "In theory, this game is played until there are no players remaining." He revealed "Um... What?" She became horrified "Yes, that''s right. That''s the only way that I know how the game ends." Sagasuga further revealed "So we... have to kill each other in order for the game to FUCKING END?!" Akimiyashika became alerted "No, of course not. The teacher just provided an alternative. All you have to do is get 500,000 points and you get to waltz out of here for free and you get many other things as well!" Sagasuga happily declared.

    But therein lay the question.

    "So what''s the most effective way to get points?" Kuzan asked Sagasuga "Getting the right answer, of course." Sagasuga told "No, no, that''s not---That''s not the most effective way." Kawahara laughed "You''re a sly one, Sagasuga. To lie to them this early. Come on now, the real easiest way to farm points is to fucking kill people." Kawahara harnessed the attention of all the students "That----" Akimiyashika was stunned for a moment "Yes, that''s right." Daniel intervened and the center of attention was shifted back to him "The bounties that come from the kills are extremely useful. And granted, believe it or not, it''s actually possible for every single one of us to achieve the first zone." Daniel was quick to give the good news "You----No, stop, you''re lying..." Yukishiro, who usually is against Daniel, accused him of lying but she wanted to see why he thought so "No, no, I''m not." Daniel elevated from his seat.

    With quick mathematical precision, Daniel delivered the reasoning.

    "You have to first understand something: Our classes go all the way from 5 am to 10 pm. There is a lunch break at 2 pm, which lasts all the way to 2.30 pm, so it''s fair to assume that the other half of the hour won''t actually be dedicated to another round, so activities resume at 3 pm." Erigaisi became enticed by the way Daniel was drawing the attention "Oh?" He crossed his legs and placed them on the top of the glassy squared-table in the front "Each round usually occurs within the time of an hour. This will be our fifth round. The points we earn from a correct guess will be the double of the prior round-----24, which now will be 48. In the sixth upcoming round, at 10 am, the points we will win will be double of that; 96. In the seventh round, at 11 am, we will win the double of that; 192. In the eighth round, at midday, we will win the double of that; 384. In the ninth round, at 1 pm, we will win the double of that; 768. In the tenth round, at 3 pm, we will win the double of that; 1,536. In the eleventh round, at 4 pm, we will win the double of that; 3,072. In the twelfth round, at 5 pm, we will win the double of that; 6,144. In the thirteenth round, at 6 pm, we will win the double of that; 12,288. In the fourteenth round, at 7 pm, we will win the double of that; 24,576. In the fifteenth round, at 8 pm, we will win the double of that; 49,152. And lastly------" Daniel''s lengthy reasoning was making a few not understand the depth of his calculations but there were some that were keeping up as he would deliver the ultimate answer "In the sixteenth round, at 9 pm, the last hour of the game, since 10 pm is when our classes end for the day------we will win the double of 49,152 points per choice which is 98,304!!" The sheer shock of the realization left them momentarily speechless.

    Daniel took advantage of the silence to say his speech.

    "By the last round, a single right answer is the equivalent of 98,304 points. Add the bonuses you''ll probably achieve and tell me; are 500,000 points that much? Don''t they seem small in the long run?" Daniel asked to the rest of them "Uhhh..." Bryce had the impulse to say it as the other student council members were rendered silent "Didn''t he just break the game?" Bryce felt nervous too "Not just break... He literally---WHAT THE FUCK!!!" Skan flipped his switch as he couldn''t comprehend how such a strategy could be born on the spot "There''s nothing worse than a criminal with a high intelligence..." Andrea dreaded but tried to remain calm "True." The president, however, took a bite out of his cake as he radiated a composed aura.

    Daniel went a step further.

    "Drop your personal agendas against one another and obey my strategy. The new player that''s coming; we will kill that player. The bounty distributes points to every one of us if we kill the player collectively, which just makes the progress faster. Then, we do it, over and over, until 500,000 points are achieved for all of us." Many were starting to see Daniel''s point "No, that''s...!!" Yukishiro didn''t want to admit "Fuck, it just works though...!!!" She refused to look at him while saying that "Alright, I''m ball. As long as no one tries any shit, I''m in." Kawahara sided immediately "I''m the same, holy shit!! I don''t wanna kill anyone from the class, you''re all my friends even if you''re well---AGHHHH, I''m in!!!" Kuzan refused to elaborate any further "I don''t see the problem with this strategy. As long as there is a swift agreement between everyone, I think we all win and fix all of our lives. I''m sure that everyone here, myself included, has things that we want to achieve and for that to happen, it would be crucial to drop out of the program." Sagasuga reasoned "I''m in." He smiled as he entered the fray as well "I''M IN TOO!!" More and more agreements came forth.

    And thus, in less than a minute, every single person agreed to partake in Daniel''s strategy.

    "But isn''t this SO BAD FOR US THOUGH?!" Bryce rightfully complained and instinctively looked at Erigaisi "Hm?" Erigaisi noticed Bryce''s nervous expression and patted his left shoulder "Worry not, boy!!" Erigaisi laughed "Do you honestly believe this to be enough to shatter the tempo of the game? Dear Buddha, we would be a bunch of incompetent clowns otherwise, wouldn''t we? But I''ll let you onto something-----I''m friends with a witch!" Erigaisi smiled "A... witch?" Bryce found his words absurd "Yes, a witch. A rather obsessed witch. She asked me to specifically navigate this segment from this area and I think I''m starting to understand now why. It all simply..." He relaxed his arms behind the couch as he tilted his head backwards "----makes sense now!" He laughed to no stop.

    As Basara was dealing with phone calls, he was ultimately given the signal.

    "Alright. Bring the new player in!!" As per Basara''s orders, the black guards began to venture outside of the room in order to bring the player inside the room "This---this is fantastic...!!" Lus was happy, beyond happy "You''re a genius, Daniel." She complimented him "It''s a very basic calculation. As long as it contains numbers, I can solve it." Daniel reassured "Even so! You managed to get everyone to agree with you and you''ve solved the game!! Now we can all be free!! You can, you know---also get your arms back together, even if they are prosthetic ones!!" Lus started to tear up as she heavily shook Daniel "I never----thought I would say this to you... But it''s almost like you''re some kind of her------" Lus as she teared up, looked at Daniel, who was firmly staring at the entrance of the room, as if he saw a ghost "...Daniel----?" Lus only saw Daniel''s eyes widened to the max as his silent mouth began to slowly open up "No....." His mouth released a whisper and Lus was forced to look to the entrance.

    As the player was accompanied by two guards, she looked around the room and found it rather spacious.

    "Woah, this place is enormous!!" Her voice made Sana instantly turn around from her chair "?!" Her expression became twisted from happiness but also a sense of false reality "That---that can''t be you!!" Sana got up from her seat whilst trembling "Oh great. She found out." Hyunda sighed as he looked at the new player "I can''t say I predicted this." Sagasuga lowly admitted "...lia....!!!" Daniel used his left leg in order to kick his entire leg backwards which resulted in it falling over "There''s no way that''s possible..." Kanawari couldn''t believe it either, as Daniel began to composed his body although it lacked balance and the strides had irregularities.

    Once near Basara, he introduced the new player to the rest of the class.

    "As per request from Akimiyashika, a new player was brought into the game! Say hello to Yu-----" Daniel with irregular strides, with his shirt''s white sleeves bouncing all over the place, rapidly went in the direction of the new player with a bright happy smile "YULIIAAAAAAAAA---------ARGHH!!!" Brutally punched to the face by one of the guards nearby, Daniel''s body flew backwards "Huh?! What the---!!" The new player took two steps back "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!?!" She unleashed a scream in Daniel''s direction as Daniel was put down by the guard that got on top of his back; thus halting his movements "....Wh....at...?" In disbelief, though his head was pressed down by the guard''s hand press, Daniel muttered those words to her "Yulia, it''s me... Daniel, how---Wh----What do you mean you don''t...." He gulped "Remember m------" Despite his attempt, this only resulted in her becoming more erratic "I DON''T KNOW YOU!!! Ugh, and I have to play this stupid game too!! Can my life get any worse, damn it...!!" With disgust and repugnance, she looked at Daniel from above "Nonononono-------" He didn''t want to believe it, not one bit "Take him away, you fools! We don''t got all day!!" By Basara''s orders, two guards dispatched Daniel back to his seat by force "A-AHHH...!! No... NOOO!! Y-You''re her, you''re just like her!! WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON''T KNOW ME?!?!? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF HOW MUCH I------" With a hit to the solar plexus, Daniel was put unconscious as he got dragged to his seat.

    Once there, the guards put his dormant body on his chair.

    "That was unnecessary, but allow me to introduce you, once again, the new player to this round---" She preferred to introduce herself instead of allowing Basara to hog the spotlight "Oh fuck off. My name is Yulia! And I''m here to win back my freedom, in other words-----to kill the living shit out of every single one of you." Yulia smiled as she saw her targets on the oval table "It''s a pleasure to meet you~" The spiral spun once again.

 Volume 26: Chapter 187.5: Ebb and Flow.

    The midday sun ebbed beautifully alongside the water trail of steel where the conduct of the train would undergo.

    At a normal and steady pace, the train kept moving forward in its track, as it contained eight carriages. Plenty of people in it would hog the semi-open windows in order to get a glance at the shimmering horizon where the ocean water and the faraway islands; colliding with sea creatures----played in harmony.

    In particular, she was eager and would bend her posture forward as the wind blew her large light brown straw-hat backwards.

    "It''s so beautiful!!" Although he wanted to pay attention to her radiant smile, he placed importance in recovering the straw-hat as he knelt down on the ground in order to pick it up "Don''t go forgetting about your hat now, you were so happy when you bought it." He remarked as he gave her back the straw-hat; her vision and his ultimately colliding "I know, I know!! But look, Daniel!! The whales sometimes jump----" As she happily said those words, a whale of 30 meters just so happened to perform a high jump and splashed to the surface of the ocean faraway "SEE!?" Completely absorbed, she admired the scenery even further, once again allowing the straw-hat to fall flat on the ground again "Seriously-----" Daniel sighed "Oh well, as long as you''re happy, Yulia..." Daniel let out a small smile as he picked the straw-hat again.

    After a few minutes, as the train stopped in the middle of a station that was surrounded by nothing except sparkly bright ocean water, a few passengers left.

    Yulia sat on the seat next to the window and Daniel sat on the parallel seat in front of her. Her left leg intertwined with his right leg and Daniel could notice her long yellow dress flutter with the wind minimally. His black jeans, on the other hand, remained grounded.

    The train would move forward to the next stop as the train station started to become a mirage.

    Midst this, Yulia sighed as her head navigated down.

    "What''s wrong? That''s the third sigh now." Daniel noticed "Ahhh, it''s just..." Yulia didn''t want to bother him "Come on, Yulia. What did we agree on? Don''t tell me you forgot." Daniel became worried that she might have "No way I forgot, silly! We always have to tell our worries to one another, no matter how ridiculous because that''s the best way we can expand our love for each other!" Daniel felt relieved as Yulia flashed a confident grin "Well, ok, ok..." Yulia took a deep breath and then told her worry "I... kinda miss them?!" She couldn''t believe her own words "Them?" Daniel had a hunch but asked just in case "Yes, them. Our classmates! Well, former classmates..." Yulia seemed saddened "Hmhmm..." Daniel thought about it as he placed his right index finger on the soft surface of his lips "I also do miss some of them, but all of them? That''s a bit of a stretch." He confessed "I know, I know! But it just kinda clicked now that we are on our trip!" She said "Oh? How so then?" Daniel was curious about her thoughts.

    A faraway train station surrounded by nothing but water was visible faraway from Daniel''s point of view.

    "It was... a surreal experience for me. I never thought that I would say this but... After all those three years, I kinda grew attached to all of them. Even to the ones I hated at first." Yulia''s face became serious "Even Kawahara?" Daniel laughed lowly "I----" She wasn''t expecting to be confronted so suddenly "Well, yeah!! I always hated that asshole Kawahara because he was never up to any good!! Always lying and getting the better of others, also that annoying attitude of his----he thinks he''s better than anyone!!" Yulia demonstrated intense fiery rage "I can testify to that. I don''t think he''ll ever change, but maybe he can become a better person thanks to her." Daniel told "I hope so... I mean, she''s not perfect and can be very argumentative most of the time, but I think that she can do it." Yulia sighed "But yes, I have learned that I hold no longer a grudge against any of them and I wish them the best." Yulia added "I''m going to miss Sana a lot too..." Yulia became sad "Don''t you two literally talk all the time though? Aren''t you two texting each other right now?!" Daniel became exasperated as he had a feeling that Yulia was being melodramatic.

    Yulia quickly rose from her seat and jumped to Daniel''s right side, where her body became rapidly adjoined to his, though he didn''t mind this at all.

    "We ARE!!" She showed the text logs from her phone to Daniel "They are pretty recent. It''s like you two can''t live without each other. Are you going to become lesbian for Sana and leave me to die when I get old and grumpy?" Daniel mocked her "As if!! We already agreed that we are going to grow old together!! Alsoooooooooooo...!!" Yulia wanted to say something as she slightly blushed "I''ve been thinking about it and... Well, since..." She tucked her phone inside her dress'' right pocket and whispered to Daniel''s left ear "Since we are going to live together, do you-----" Daniel finished her sentence "Want to start a family?" She was momentarily stunned "The answer is yes, you fucking idiot." Subsequently, Daniel''s lips dived right into Yulia''s---who was still stunned but thoroughly embraced the sensation effortlessly afterwards.

    They arrived to yet another train station and some passengers started to leave as well.

    Not too long after, the train departed forward once again as the midday sun started to descend down south slowly.

    "Kinda of a shame that I can''t get your mother''s blessings though. I really wanted her to know that her daughter has succeeded in life and will have a son and a daughter soon ahead of her life..." Daniel demonstrated regret and Yulia was somewhat saddened but kept a soft transparent smile nevertheless as she wrapped her arms around Daniel''s right arm "That''s-----alright, I think. I''m sure that somewhere, she''s watching us and she already approves that-----after all, I got such an amazing boyfriend waaahh!!" She squished his right arm even though he didn''t mind it at all "Though... What about your parents?" Yulia asked as she looked at Daniel''s face "Hm... To be really honest with you, as long as I have you and only you, I really don''t give a f-----" Yulia released her arms from Daniel''s and interrupted him as she got angry "You always say THAT!" Her facial expression was dissatisfied and bitter "...." Daniel scratched the back of his head "But it''s the truth, Yulia. I love you so much that nothing else compares." Daniel couldn''t hide it "I know, you have stressed this point quite a lot of times. Far too many, actually, but I''m not complaining." She giggled transiently but didn''t digress "I want other people to know what it feels like to be loved by you! Of course, your love for me is everything and will always be mine, but think about your mother and your father! You don''t even know them or where they are!" Yulia''s words made Daniel feel a bit uncomfortable "But that''s because... I really don''t know---or rather, haven''t seen them in years..." Daniel''s expression darkened.

    Yulia felt as if this was something that Daniel didn''t want to talk about, but even so, she persisted.

    "And that''s completely fine...!" She was hesitant but delivered it "You know how I said that my real father is still out there...?" She brought some old memories back "Yeah, you told me three years ago back in the abandoned classroom. I could never forget that conversation." Daniel gulped "...I''m glad to know you still remember it..." Yulia smiled "Well---I don''t want to meet him, but-----I WILL!!" Daniel''s eyes widened "And you will be there for me to give me your supernatural strength because... I alone can''t do it... And NO, don''t tell me----I know I don''t have to, but I need that son of a bitch to know that I won''t be a failure like him and that my life is great! And it''s all thanks to you, Daniel..." Once again, her smile emitted an ebullient radiance to it "That''s why, I have to do the same to you. And I am not taking no for an answer." Yulia refused to budge "......." Daniel was hoping to argue back.

    He sighed and released a relieved smile as he thought greatly of Yulia.

    "Really----you are the best thing that has happened to me." Daniel confessed "The same goes for me." Yulia added "Hey, if we are going to have a family and all that, then we can''t really keep that promise, can we?" Daniel reminded Yulia of an old promise they made at the end of their first year "Wooooooooow!" Yulia was shocked "I---I didn''t forget about it!!" Yulia lied "Uh-huh..." Daniel was slightly disappointed "I''m sorry, but----I obviously didn''t think about it because it''s such a nihilistic promise! I mean, the promise was; we would kill ourselves when we grew too old. But if you think about it... We only made that promise because of what was happening at the time! We didn''t think about having a family back then!" Yulia realized "It''s a NO!! Whoever dies first must watch over our children and make sure that everything goes right for them!!" Yulia instantly crossed it "I thought so..." Daniel agreed "That was a pretty hectic first year though. Yikes..." Yulia remembered some bad memories from it.

    Once again, a far away station surrounded by nothing but water was at sight from Daniel''s perspective.

    "I really thought we wouldn''t be together anymore back then..." Yulia reminisced "Yulia... It''s in the past..." Daniel didn''t feel like she needed to reminisce that much "I know but... I---I was so scared... When you broke up with me and made that whole lie up, I thought you hated me from the start and I saw no meaning in life..." Yulia began to cry and Daniel brought her head closer to his chest with his right hand "I felt so horrible I tried to kill myself, but then... Just as I was about to, you showed up and stopped me from pulling the trigger... I could never forget your words..." She smiled as the intensity of her tears increased "Idiot... I would never let you die... Besides, it was that bastard''s fault. Everything; his endgame too." Daniel demonstrated rage "Mhm..." Yulia felt comfortable as she dove into his chest deeper with her head "Promise me you''ll never let me go?" Yulia said as she lowly whispered those words "I promise..." Daniel adjoined his chin to Yulia''s head below "No matter what happens, I will never let go of you. Even if you stop loving me one day, I will still love you. Even if you die, I will still love you. Even if you come back a totally different person, I will love you and only you. Even if------" Daniel halted his words for a second "Well, I think you got the point. It''s only you." Daniel finalized as he closed his eyes in happiness.

    The next train station saw the highest drop rate of passengers leaving the train, to the point where most carriages were actually empty.

    Furthermore, there were some bizarre changes in the weather that Daniel didn''t fail to notice as he opened his eyes.

    "......What... the...?" He looked to his left and saw the horizon which was bathed in scarlet red alongside the falling black sun "That can''t be right... The sun is black---Hey, Yulia---" He turned his head to his right side as he talked to Yulia but he had not noticed that the weight of her body was already gone "...Yulia...?!" His body moved and he noticed that there were no people in the carriage where he and Yulia were.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    However, he did notice a trail of blood that mysteriously started from Yulia''s seat, next to his right.

    "Huh...?!" He followed the trail with his eyes and saw that it stretched all the way to the closed door that would allow any passenger to advance to the next carriage "Yulia! Hey, where did you go?!" He began to feel frightened as he looked in every direction "Shit, our bags are gone too, what the fuck?!" He looked above to the ceiling where the passengers kept their travelling bags, but there were absolutely none.

    Even so, the train kept moving forward; he however, could not see any station up and beyond from the window-----where the black sun and the supernatural red ocean would align.

    "This is fucking nonsense..." He took a step to his right and analyzed the trail of blood "I must''ve fallen asleep and this is a nightmare. I guess I''ll just have to figure it out on my own then." He came to that conclusion and decided to follow the trail of blood which led him to the door "Hey, Yuliaaaaaaaaaa!!" Daniel kept shouting "Wake me up, I think I fell asleep and I''m not liking this nightmare! We should be arriving soon and we got a plane to catch!" Daniel was finally face to face with the door, which unknowingly opened itself, further revealing a trail of blood down the line of the next carriage, where there were no passengers.

    Except for one, which happened to be crossing to the other door further ahead.

    "....Yulia...?" He couldn''t fail to recognize her blonde hair strands fluttering across the brazen winds within the carriage "Seriously... What is this..." Daniel was getting frustrated by this scenery that he didn''t ask for as he went forward to follow Yulia.

    The vagrant soul had a window of awakening, at last. Through the inner turmoil, it tried to take a form, regardless of what it could be, as long as it could perceive and understand the context of the current scenery.

    It began to absorb the blood stained on the ground as well as the surrounding nitrogen alongside its hydrogen. By accumulating living atoms, it started to form, slowly but surely. It grasped the nature of this scenery and by that notion, it was able to form an even far perceivable version of what it wished to be.

    "Ahhh..." Daniel was getting annoyed as he was on the seventh carriage; with only one left "If you''re bleeding then come here and let me see your wound, Yulia!" Every time he would cross to another carriage, the end of the next carriage would have Yulia cross the door "I gotta say though, I''ve never felt this much control over a dream. It''s usually so surreal and beyond my control, but I can clearly feel my limbs and even the oxygen around me..." Daniel found it strange as he advanced to the final carriage.

    Shrouded in a darker tone, the sky had turned vastly black and the sun was nowhere at sight. The illumination was poor and the only source was the faraway full red moon, that specifically aimed at her figure, as she remained grounded------with tears overflowing her pale expression.

    Daniel advanced slowly as he noticed that the train was no longer moving.

    "It stopped moving, why?" He looked outside from all directions but saw nothing except the dark water engulfed in aggravating dark shades "You know, it saddens me, every time I think about it..." Yulia kept looking outside as the trail of blood led to her "What... does...?" Daniel reluctantly asked as Yulia went to the window on her left and put her right bloody palm on the window "Yulia, you''re bleeding so much------!!!" The shock came from the fact that Yulia turned her head to her left side, where Daniel could fully see it.

    The imagery of her head showing the scattered brain and missing skin sent shivers of horror to Daniel''s spine.

    "I loved you, but all this time, you just used me for the sake of your little ploy and when you finally decide that it''s alright for you to love me... You let me die----you fucking coward." Her words became shrouded with glacial coldness "N-Noo...!!" A wave of memories began to surge to Daniel''s brain as he felt tremendous pain; to the point where he had to support it with his two hands "Oh yes." She removed her palm from the window and began to walk in Daniel''s direction as he began to feel limp from the brain pain "You terrorized me by faking so many emotions and you thought that you had the right to live happily ever after with me...?" Yulia slowly crunched down to Daniel''s position as he kept trembling in pain, on the ground "There''s no fucking way you can, you goddamn psychopath." She forcefully placed her bloody hands on Daniel''s head''s later sides "YOU KNEW ALL ALONG WHO WAS BEHIND IT AND YOU DIDN''T STOP IT FROM HAPPENING!! YOU LET ME DIE, IT''S ALL YOUR FAULT!! YOU KEEP PRETENDING THAT YOU DON''T KNOW IN ORDER TO EASE YOUR INNER GUILT, BUT YOU KNOW!! OH YES, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW EVERYTHING, DON''T YOU, DANIEL?!" Yulia''s face became distorted with madness and bitterness as she forced Daniel to watch every single word she uttered "A-AHHHHHHHH!!!!" In fear, Daniel retreated backwards, attempting to reach the door.

    Multiple attempts were made from him, but the lock didn''t budge.

    "You are such a fucking coward, Daniel... And hey, haven''t you been getting closer to a lot of girls recently?" Yulia slowly began to close distance "Fuck, fuck, fuck---Why isn''t it----" Daniel started to panic as he kept looking back and forth, afraid of Yulia "You have... My dear----emotionless, cold, ruthless----Daniel, is secretly a womanizer who likes to feel needed by the female whores around him as he pledges his undying loyalty to his one and only in his mind..." Yulia''s expression darkened "That''s not right. When did I give you the permission to look at another woman? Didn''t you say that you''d continue to love me even after I am dead? That''s cheating, Daniel." The distance was closed as Daniel had nowhere to run "N-NO!! I DIDN''T DO IT!! I NEVER STOPPED THINKING ABOUT YOU EVEN FOR A SECOND, YULIA!! THE ISLAND---I---I DID THOSE THINGS BECAUSE THEY WOULD BRING ME CLOSER TO YOU---!!!" Daniel gave up on the door lock and faced Yulia.

    The unexpected occur as Daniel could no longer feel the majority of his legs; his body tumbled forward impulsively.

    "?!?!?" His face splattered on the cold ground as the turbulent winds started to infiltrate the atmosphere "A-AHHHHHHHHH!??!" Noticing the tremendous pain from his legs, he noticed that his two calves were gone and that he was heavily bleeding from the pits "That''s the excuse you bank on your brain? Come on now, Daniel..." The calf abruptly clashed with her upper teeth as the bite was performed "You did those things---to those innocent people---because you enjoyed it, not because you thought they would bring you closer to me!!" Daniel watched the sight of his caves being devoured by a Yulia that he could not recognize anymore "AHHHHHHH!!! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" Perplexed and beyond afraid, Daniel started to claw his way up to the door, but it was to no avail.

    The blood from his nails began to show as the desperation further emerged.

    "You''re a bad boy, Daniel~" She munched over the other calf as her aptitude only increased in magnitude "I need to teach you a lesson, since you''ve been lying to me all this time, it seems!!" Yulia tossed the caves aside and mounted on all fours in the direction of the scared Daniel.

    Daniel tried to halt her movements by using his right arm, but Yulia softly pushed that arm in her direction, which caused it to be removed from his right shoulder.

    "A-AHHHH?! HOW?! AGHHHH!!" Yelling in agony, Daniel was unable to understand how it was possible "YOU TASTE SO GOOD, DANIEL!!!" Devouring his arm in a savage manner, Yulia didn''t deny it as she rapidly went for his left arm "STOP IT!! YULIA, STOP IT!! I''M SORRY I LIED AND MANIPULATED YOU!!! I DIDN''T KNOW ANY BETTE-----AGHHHHHHHH!!!" Tears of pain began to show as his left arm was removed with ease once again "PLEASE, JUST--------" The rampage went on as Yulia began to perform all sorts of inane acts on the helpless and defenseless Daniel.

    Left with nothing but his own head, Daniel was still breathing fine as she watched Yulia eat his intestines.

    "I''m sorry.... I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m so sorryyyy...." With pure grief, Daniel begged Yulia for forgiveness "Hum?!" Interrupted on her meal, Yulia grabbed Daniel''s head up high with her soiled hands "It''s alright!! You learned your lesson, didn''t you?!" Yulia smiled with blood on her teeth as well as a distinctive trail all over her face "I''m sorry... I won''t do it again... I promise..." His eyes no longer could emit any life "You say that, but you still let me die, didn''t you though?" Yulia questioned "I was indecisive and thought that you deserved better so I didn''t interfere..." He confessed "Which led me to taking my own life." She followed "Yes..." He couldn''t deny it "It saddens me every time. I''m the idol of your mind but there''s so much contradiction. Do you even love me, Daniel?" Yulia looked at him with hollow eyes "You''re all that matters to m------!!" With brute force, Yulia pierced his lips as she kissed him.

    By performing the kiss, Daniel''s brain began to overflow with memories of Yulia''s thoughts; majorly those in regard to Daniel.

    The truth he had no way of knowing, was revealed to him. And likewise, to Yulia, the opposite was achieved.

    "Oh... That''s... sad..." Yulia dropped Daniel''s head on the ground as it began to tumble "From day one, you just manipulated me... Even after I shared all my life with you, Daniel..." Red tears began to ebb and flow "But I guess I already knew this! HAHAHAH!!" She placed her fingers on her stained face "There''s nothing new to be gained about you. You are and will always be the same piece of shit, Daniel." A gun suddenly appeared in her right hand as her head began to grow back to normal "Y-Yulia?! NO, THAT''S-----" Daniel was frightened to the maximum as he couldn''t move whatsoever "Hey, did you know? When you said that you weren''t good enough for me? I really hated that. Such a weak attitude. But now that I think about it..." She cocked the gun to the right side of her brain, as Daniel''s eyes widened "You were right." The loud gunshot was the sufficient trigger for Yulia''s body to fall flat on the floor to the right side with an ever increasing blood pool swirling from her head.

    It took about two seconds for Daniel to process what had happened.

    "No... No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no..." He was unable to move from his position as he had the notion of the fact that he had no other limbs besides his head "You can''t do this to me...!! NOT AGAIN!!" First came the upper body pieces, as they gave him the necessary movement to advance in the direction of Yulia''s dead body "You can''t die on me! Not like this! NO, I WON''T ALLOW IT!!" The middle and lower body pieces swiftly regenerated with ease "I LOVE YOU!! I SWEAR I DO!! I''M NOT BEYOND SAVING BUT I NEED YOU SO SAVE ME, YULIA!! I DON''T CARE IF YOU HATE ME, I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU EVEN SO!!!" Now with his entire body at his disposal, Daniel was quick to take hold of Yulia''s body albeit it was unresponsive.

    Daniel didn''t notice, but the ocean water was starting to be drained in the horizon''s left direction at an alarming pace.

    "Yulia, please answer." He shook her head "Please." He insisted and shook her head until a cracking noise was made "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! GODDAMN IT, WHY?! THIS WASN''T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN A SECOND TIME!!!" Yulia''s head became bent backwards as her neck snapped; her hollow lifeless eyes were at full display "I promised you that I wouldn''t let you die... That wasn''t a lie and yet, you died again, on my watch... No... That can''t happen... We are meant to be. We have to. Yeah. Even if, you, well, don''t... like me as much as I remembered, that''s... fine..." The ocean water drained took the form of an inevitable gigantic tidal wave approaching the train rapidly "If we are ever together again... I will never let you die, Yulia..." With his right hand, Daniel adjusted Yulia''s head and gave her a kiss as the tidal wave crashed the two of them, alongside the train and everything in the way.

    After destruction, came recreation.

    Seeds were planted and eventually sowed. Trees grew, civilizations built themselves, and times advanced greatly.

    The mirage of the sun that day, gave the light for the path where they would be.

    It followed the impulsive current of water ebbing in the direction of the ravine. Though it started with immense width, it would ultimately be reduced to a small canal connecting to the inside. However, once inside the ravine, where the sun would shy away at the top, the current revealed a larger pond.

    This pond was unknown to any civilization. It would be the sanctuary where two skeletons would lay beneath calm palm trees alongside their fading compositions in a small beach within the pond.

    After taking everything into account, he felt that it was time.

    On the bottom of the pond, where darkness habituates, the awakening was performed as he began to swim upwards.

    "Ahhh---Ahhh...!!" He gasped for some air the moment he reached the surface of the warm pond "........" Then rotated his head back and forth in every direction possible----hearing the noises of seagulls and the ricochet of the small waves hitting the small beach up ahead.

    He held his arms up high while floating and saw his caucasian skin, but also noticed that his body had an undoubtable retained youth to it.

    "Oh..." He kept checking his hands and even took a dive in order to see how his legs looked "I get it. This is, a first, then?" He realized "Huh!" He decided to take another dive but would soon navigate towards the beach itself where his feet would meet seashells "Most creative. I can see why our compatibility is valid!" He noted as he kept on marching forward towards the serene palm trees with his naked body.

    Face to face with the two skeletons that are seated next to each other, with their hands intertwined with one another, he saw the connection right away.

    "It looks like... I am here again." The echo of his words caused Daniel''s head to immediately erupt from the surface of his table "!!!!!!" Once again, he was brought back to reality "Well, well, look who''s back!" He recognized Basara''s words immediately "Daniel! Hey, Daniel, can you hear me?!" He recognized Lus'' voice as well as the fact that she was waving his left sleeve.

    Midst the organization of his thoughts, only a single thought remained imperial to every order.

    With his vision, he scoured through every seat where his classmates are seated and only after looking at the center, did he notice her.

    Her expression had rage but as well as a clear level of distress.

    "Goddamn it...!! How unlucky did I have to be to be chosen as the judgment round target when I have no points?! Fuck------!!" Yulia clenched her teeth "Huh...?" In pure disbelief, Daniel didn''t understand why something like this was happening to her in the first place "Rejoice, Dan!" Kawahara clapped in Daniel''s direction "Your tactic was a massive success! It''s the ninth round and this bitch is done for. After we''re done with her, we''ll buy another player and it''s all done!" Kawahara flashed a smirk "Done... with... her...?" Lus became highly alerted by Daniel''s hollow words "No, Daniel...! That''s not her! You can''t believe it!!" More opinions started to bubble around Daniel, coming from all directions.

    But Daniel pierced his glaze to the center, where Yulia remains.

    "Please... Please, save me!!" Crying, Yulia cried out for help towards Daniel "I don''t have any way of gaining points and they all are planning to kill me... It''s unfair...!!" The turmoil grew expediently "You won''t die." The conviction resonated "Never again, on my watch. Even if----I have to face the whole world, I promise that you won''t die, Yulia!" The conflict began.

 Volume 27: Chapter 188: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part XVI.

    December 7th, 2018, roughly a year before it all began.

    On the north side of Hokkaido, far, far away from Japan, there is an island that belongs to Russia that goes by the name of: Sakhalin Island.

    In-between that island in specific and the district of Japan that is Hokkaido, there is an unknown location that is entirely classified as a state secret in accordance to a secret diplomatic deal formed between Japan and Russia.

    Amidst the raging storms and perpetual water tornados alongside its inhumane tidal waves, a singular helicopter drove at full throttle towards the scouring entrance of the world''s deepest underwater prison of them all; the impregnable fortress of Hadal.

    Only after being allocated 350 kilometers down to the fortress; the individual reached the 1456th floor.

    The highly mechanical advanced door with over twenty locks, was ultimately open after being unlocked through an automated security system.

    Afterwards, the hologram of a female individual in virtual matter appeared before the individual who was carrying a brief-case with him.

    The door made a resonating click as the upcoming 1456th floor was entirely revealed to him.

    "Welcome, doctor Almatorav." The robotic voice welcomed the dubious individual with pale skin, tall height, long white spiky hair, who is wearing a formal white suit containing a black shirt underneath with a white tie to complement it "It''s a pleasure to see you again. The minister of China as well as the ambassador of Mongolia have been most infatuated to be in contact with you, doctor." He began to walk as the hologram began to walk to his right side "Oh?" He prompted another line from her.

    Unlike a normal prison, there weren''t cells after cells, containing each individual aligned; only separated by a mere fraction of meters. Instead, every twenty meters, there would be an allocation containing a door either to the right or to the left, which had its endless security protocols. Through those doors, there would be a glassy oval tunnel that would lead to an individual room, where the said prisoner would be allocated. However, unlike a normal prison, this one was far better in terms of conditions. Down to the illumination, equipment care, ambiance, and even suitability.

    As he walked straight forward, almost reaching the first intersection to the left side which would lead to a room containing a prisoner, a classical musical piece was played, which caught the doctor''s attention.

    "Ever since your proposal of a DNA transplant system regulation certification plan has been accepted, they have been greatly interested in your other ideas." She said "That''s about time. Even after all the other ideas I''ve proposed in the past... But it''s good to know that it''s working now." He passed through the first door, but did not bat an eye, even though the prisoner that was far away yelled out to him words he could simply not be bothered to respond or give thought "Doctor, may I help you? You seem to be looking for a certain individual and with all due respect, this floor has a grand total of 153 individuals." She appeared in front of him through virtual transfiguration and recreation "Mhm... No, I''m not looking for a certain individual, but my individual must meet the conditions for this experiment." The doctor entrusted his worries "I''ve had my share of knowledge when it comes to the individuals and I think I found a few selective ones." The doctor added "I see. Shall we continue then, doctor?" She asked "Yes..." The doctor''s age is unknown but the frequency of his physical movements were slightly sluggish as it resembled that of an old man.

    Eventually, after searching through the floor, the doctor arrived at a singular conclusion.

    "It won''t do. They are too mentally unstable and lack the individualism. Alexia, what is the floor that contains the individuals that have the most interesting cases? I need to be stimulated enough to see through this..." The doctor issued "Clarify "interesting", doctor." Alexia demanded, as they were about to enter the exit elevator located on the most south "It must be something that grabs my utmost interest... That makes me want to immediately experiment on that subject! Human individualism is vast but authentically untapped in the long run!" The doctor dropped his brief-case on the floor "Yes! One that has to meet the characteristics of a worthy specimen of my--------!" The doctor''s eyes became allured as he looked to his right side; where the last room of the floor would remain.

    He could not mistake those numbers. Those carefully drawn numbers within the chamber that was otherwise the room of the prisoner.

    "Doctor? Are you alright?" Alexia asked, as the doctor blinked his eyes twice, in suspense "What''s his story? How come he wasn''t on the recommended list?" The doctor began to walk towards his right as the individual kept on writing mathematical equations all across his squared-shaped room with only his blood as a supply "I don''t believe he qualifies as interesting, doctor-----according to your patterns." Alexia told him "As for him..." Alexia then proceeded to give all the details of the individual to the doctor.

    Now face to face with the room, where only a glassy door would separate them, the doctor fully looked at the scrawny skinny individual that kept writing mathematical equations non-stop.

    His height towered the individual''s, given that the individual was writing the equation with a crouched position.

    "You are using your own blood to write down all the mathematical equations?" The doctor asked the individual, who didn''t break eye contact "It can''t be helped...." His voice lacked strength and his face had severe nutritional intake issues "There are no other ways... My mind is clogged from calculus...." The speed of the equations did not falter, further amusing the doctor though he didn''t erase his stone expression "From all the calculus?" The doctor asked "Yes.... It''s hard to keep all of it inside my brain for over a year every single day without rest....." The doctor became even more interested "765 days. When did it start?" The doctor inquisitioned "It never stopped." The individual countered "What are you trying to achieve?" The doctor persisted "It... doesn''t... matter..." He sighed and kept on writing down to his right.

    Out of blood which was used as a substitute for ink, the individual did the one thing that was allowing him to keep going.

    He first got up and grabbed a plastic cup. Afterwards, he sat down as he placed it on his right side; ultimately biting several arteries from his right and then left wrist which would allow the blood to circulate to the cup.

    "I must finish it. I have to... I don''t... have... anything else..." Bathing his right index finger and then his left index finger, the individual continued to calculate, exhibiting his ambidextrous prowess "?!" For the first time, the doctor''s eyes widened as he began to understand the root of the calculus, and to what human being it belonged "The law theory... Who taught you that?" And for the first time, the individual looked at the doctor, without being able to believe his words "You... are interested in the calculus of someone like... me...? Even after what I did...?" Through so many days without rest and endless calculations, he had never foreseen this event.

    The doctor elevated his right hand, which gave the signal for Alexia to unlock the several security protocols that guarded the room''s door.

    "Tell me..." The door was unlocked and the imagery of the doctor''s uncanny white eyes forever engraved his mind "If you had the option to choose between a new life where you could revert all of your mistakes, to subdue all of your wrong decisions, and fix the life of the one you cherish the most; would you abandon everything for that option?" The individual''s eyes widened "That''s... That''s not possible...!!" Meekly, he withdrew to the back of his room where his back went against the glassy wall "Usually, yes. Call it a fabrication of delusion, but if there is something that calculus has taught you, my subject, it''s that-----there''s more of what we don''t know in comparison to what we do. The measurements don''t even add up, correct?" He could not refute such information as he saw the doctor drop his right knee.

    Furthermore, with his two hands, which were covered with black gloves, the doctor placed his hands on the trembling brain of the individual.

    "It''s not a fantasy. I''m sure you''re aware, which is why----in exchange for what you have inside your brain; I can make your wish come true." The doctor adjoined his forehead to the individual''s "A man will die but not his ideas." The unwanted reminisce came to an end.

    <hr>

    ".........." He glanced at the clock as the first round was about to start and then took a wide notice of the individual that was lying unconscious next to Kanawari and Lus "........." Furthermore, he looked at the person who is occupying Toharoh Tsudo''s previous seat, which happens to be two seats to his right.

    That individual was none other than Hikaru Yulia, who by all means, had been declared dead. Not just declared dead, but her body was seen dead by multiple individuals, and right now, at a state of encompass, he figured that the time was right.

    "Who are you?" Kawahara interrogated her "Huh? Didn''t I already introduce myself? I''m Yulia! Why are you fucktards staring at me?! It''s disgusting!" Her face emitted distrust and conceit "No, you''re not." Kawahara calmly replied but with a stronger voice this time "I''ll ask again; who are you?" Yulia didn''t hesitate to answer "And I''ll say it again, I''m Yulia!" But this affirmation brought forth some counter lash "That---that can''t be!! You---" Sana was trying to speak but her words could barely come out "WHO ARE YOU!?!?" She, however, made a great effort in yelling back to the individual that was presented as Hikaru Yulia "How many times must I say it...?" She sighed "I''m Yulia. The one and only." She concluded as she grinned at Sana, who was crying.

    Hyunda placed his right hand on her left shoulder as he offered some words.

    "It''s a bad joke. Don''t let it get to you." He closed his eyes "Why....?!?! Who the fuck---came up with this idea...?! And why is it possible that----!!!" Sana''s anger was beginning to boil completely.

    Even so, as the ambassador of the game, Basara could not allow the game to remain unplayed. Regardless of the players'' emotional state or physical state, the rounds had to be conducted, no matter the cost.

    "Roll the dice!" With a visible degree of enthusiasm, Basara declared the momentum "Hey, Daniel!! Wake the hell up...!!" Lus kept shaking Daniel''s right sleeve but it was to no avail "It''s useless, Lus... He really is knocked out..." Kanawari told her "That---why the hell did this specifically have to happen now...?!" Lus was firmly aware of the possibility now that she was present "Please, just wake the hell up...!!" Lus kept shaking his sleeve over and over in desperation.

    It landed, eventually.

    "UGH!!" Yulia''s voice cried out "Oh, fantastic. She''s really fucked now, there''s no way out." Yukishiro was pleased "Yeah... You can''t gain points if you''re the target of the judgment round." Ikkiri added as she coldly viewed Yulia as the sacrificial lamb "It''s probably for the best that he stays unconscious... It''s nothing personal, but for the sake of the strategy, you have to die." Akimiyashika boldly said to Yulia as she was dragged to the center against her will "Goddamn it...!!" Trembling, Yulia was beyond nervous "This... This was not in the damn plan, you bitch...!!" The locks to her ankles and wrists were therefore formed.

    And with that out of the way, the first round was able to start.

    "Can I get an explanation here?" Bryce, in utter disbelief asked the people in the room for an answer "I mean, that''s her, right? The Hikaru Yulia that everybody in this school knows, right?! March 27th, one of the female criminals commits suicide! No one forgot about her so why the hell am I seeing the very splitting image of her right now?!" His complaint was emotional but reasonable as well "I see, so there is a history going on here?" Erigaisi asked "Yes..." Andrea then filled him in on the details "Oh my, how tragic." He placed the lower parts of his right fingers on the surface of his lips "That''s quite devious, I must confess." Erigaisi was shocked "But no, I have no idea how that''s possible. Oh well, who cares?!" Erigaisi opened a pack of potato chips right next to him and dove deep for a few "Let''s just enjoy the spectacle! The best dramas are those that are the most unpredictable, wouldn''t you all agree?!" Erigaisi began to offer a few potato chips but the entire student council body was more worried about the fact that too many unprecedented events were happening that were undoubtedly beyond their control.

    At the top of block A, on the highest possible point, where everything is visible from his perspective, therein lay the puppet master.

    With his hands tied together, he observed the ongoing events through multiple monitors.

    "I wasn''t informed of this..." His stern voice was heard loud and clear by the person on the other side, who he was on a voice call with "Likewise." The male voice, which had the resemblance of someone with an old age, though not by a larger margin, answered back "Who is in charge of dispatching the new players?" The principal asked, clearly unsatisfied but still nevertheless monitoring everything "It''s regulated by an automated system that chooses players in accordance to the current circumstances. In order to combat the risks, the system releases the caged player that is most fitting to eliminate the obstacle. What''d you think? Pretty neat system, right?" Despite the excitement from the other party, the principal didn''t find this to be so surefire as it was being presented "And this is the answer to counter Daniel Lead''s strategy?" He asked and the other voice replied immediately with confidence "Yes, it is. In order to assure that the viewers don''t lose interest, we will resort to any method to keep the entertainment going." The principal closed his eyes "Hmm..." He was still not entirely convinced.

    The other voice felt like elaborating even further as the principal was feeling undermined.

    "It''s not every day that you see someone trying to clear the game so early, but even I was shocked when I saw that a solution to the game was presented so early! I''ll have you know that the game by default cannot be changed, so it''s true that the points they earn through a right claim doubles every round. In other words, it''s technically possible to get an endgame where no one else dies but the player they buy, which is troublesome to say the least. It brings back some bad memories, because Daniel Lead was not the first one to attempt this." The voice confessed and the principal took interest in hearing the rest as he opened his eyes once again "What happened?" He delved deeper "Uh, well... It was most peculiar. At first, the strategy was proposed and since it was the first time, we didn''t exactly have a countermeasure to it, so we just had to accept it. Every round, they bought a new player in order to kill the said player. The tactic was working so well that we almost had to shut down the entire event." The voice was speaking in distress.

    But this didn''t add up, according to the principal''s thoughts.

    "Which was why, we had to approach the player individually after a round, in order to negotiate with him. You must have noticed, but these criminals don''t particularly harbor any sort of interest for one another. Especially in the case where their freedom is promised." The third round began on the side of the criminals "Even so, the strategy works, in theory. Simply buy the new player, kill the player, and the points are inevitably acquired. Frankly speaking, the game''s biggest weakness has already been exploited. And there were many complaints towards this! To the point where we seriously considered the possibility of eliminating the option to buy a new player. However-----against our expectations, the solution to this conundrum didn''t come from within, but from the player that came up with the strategy itself!" The principal was perplexed "How come?" He wanted to know the secret "It''s very, but very basic once you think about it. You''ll feel so dumb once you know it." The voice became condescending "Tell me. I demand to know!" The principal roughly demanded "Well, don''t tell me I didn''t warn you." The voice then proceeded to tell the strategy.

    Profound sweat droplets emerged from the principal''s face as he began to show delirium.

    "Unbelievable...!!! Then-----this game----!!" The voice followed up "Yup. It''s like that. Remember, old sport----the key is entertainment. Anything that goes against it, is a big no. Entertainment equals money and lack of entertainment results in prejudice. With that in mind and taking your goal into consideration, you would do well to prioritize entertainment above anything else." He was reminded "Right now, after the strategy was explained by Daniel Lead, some viewers lost interest, around 100k or so... However, after seeing the dashing entrance of Hikaru Yulia and Daniel Lead''s reaction to her, they are hooked. They demand to know what happens next. See, we know what we are doing. We have been doing this for more than a decade. And as technology evolves day by day, it will only expand itself. Right now, our streaming platforms are illegal and that''s normal, considering the type of content we are providing. However, given enough time... We will start to shift our tendencies more towards the technological side simply due to the fact that technological dominance will become far more potent in... well, since we are in the year of 2019, around 2022 or 2023; simply put-----no human being on this planet will be able to live without the value of technology. Therefore, it''s inevitable that our viewership and interest grows. Would you not agree so?" After the lengthy explanation, the voice asked the principal for consensus "We''ll see." He remained grounded without jumping to conclusions too soon.

    By now, the seventh round would be under way.

    "Edward, the agreement is 10 billion, correct?" The principal addressed the voice this time, by his real name "That''s correct, Wojakinov." The voice became cold and assertive "Contribute 10 billion to the organization as an entrance fee and your position will be placed under consideration." Edward stated "Mhm... 10 billion..." Wojakinov checked his financial avenue that he was gaining due to this game alone on one of the monitors "It''s worth it." Edward reassured "Besides, you should at least have half of it, given how many sponsors you have. I think you''ve hit the jackpot with this line up----" Wojakinov interrupted Edward as he wanted to confirm one last thing.

    The eight round would shortly start on the other side.

    "That player you mentioned-------" Edward lowly laughed "Ahhh, you wanna know who he is?" Wojakinov didn''t reply but implied such "Don''t freak out too much, but I was not lying when I said you''d hit the jackpot. Sure, Daniel Lead was a critical ingredient but the real reason as to why your stream has so many viewers-------surely, it couldn''t be from a first timer like him, despite his alluring premise-----no, you see, it''s right under your nose..." The name was then revealed.

    Fully awake, Daniel made his intent clear.

    "I promise you won''t die, Yulia... Not again...!!" No one was unable to ignore his conviction as his eyes ignited "Huh?! Hold on a second, what the hell are you talking about?! You were the one that said that we should kill the new player that we bought, Daniel! I sacrificed many of my points for this!! She has to die, there''s no other option!!" Akimiyashika began to argue "Watch your mouth, insignificant waste of space. She has to die? I don''t like your tone." Daniel''s eyes narrowed "?!" Akimiyashika was not comprehending Daniel''s sudden mood swing "Wait, Aki!" Ikkiri intervened from afar "He thinks it''s actually her! Daniel, you have to know better than this to know it''s not her! You''re intelligent and came up with a winning strategy! This is all a set up by the ones in control of the ga-----" Ikkiri''s words were shortlived "Shut the fuck up." Daniel''s words remained cold "....Daniel...." Ikkiri didn''t feel like giving up "You know that''s not her... Come on, she doesn''t even act like the Yulia we all knew!" Ikkiri told him "Are you done with your worthless speech?" Daniel asked her "...Don''t hate us for this..." Ikkiri saw no point in trying to further argue.

    The ninth claim had already been made and Daniel only woke up after the voting session was done.

    By now, considering how every point was acquired and respectfully deducted, the ranking ladder is the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Rayazaki (15046/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day]

    2 - Sagasuga - (4412/4500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga] [Every time Izayoi Akimiyashika scores a point and Hiroyoshi Sagasuga doesn''t, that quantity will be subtracted from Hiroyoshi Sagasuga''s point account and transferred to her account in the process]

    3 - Tatsu (3590/4500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    4 - Hinagiku (2346/2500 points)

    5 - Sana (2296/2500 points)

    6 - Yukishiro (2130/2500 points)

    7 - Ikkiri (2102/2500 points)

    8 - Stratos (2024/2500 points)

    9 - Arkalee (2023/2500 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    10 - Kawahara (2008/2500 points)

    11 - Kuzan (1444/1500 points)

    12 - Tateyana (1422/1500 points)

    13 - Daniel (1415/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    14 - Lus Sera (1212/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 00:38:51 hours]

    15 - Hyunda (864/4500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 00:38:51 hours]

    16 - Kanawari (844/1000 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    17 - Akimiyashika (362/1000 points) [Every time Hiroyoshi Sagasuga scores a point and Izayoi Akimiyashika doesn''t, that quantity will be subtracted from Izayoi Akimiyashika''s point account and transferred to his account in the process]

    18 - Yulia (0/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    "There''s only one way to get her out of this..." Hinagiku already knew what Daniel was planning "Seriously... This bitch had to get in the way... But not for long..." Hinagiku shouted in Lus and Kanawari''s direction "DON''T LET HIM MAKE A CONTRACT WITH YULIA, YOU DUMBASSES!!" There was about only one way for the armless Daniel to make a contract with her "Y-You want us to....?!" Kanawari was confused as to what the plan was here "We cover his mouth..." But Lus understood and began to circulate her hands in the direction of the oddly composed Daniel.

    He kept observing the points in the ranking ladder and after a basic calculation, he spoke his sentence.

    "If she dies, you all die." With haste, Daniel''s mouth was closed by Lus and Kanawari''s hands "?!" The shock was still enough for everyone to process what he meant by his early surrender "I knew it was a fucking mistake to trust you for a second!!" Yukishiro demonstrated rage "God-FUCKING-DAMN-IT!!! NONE OF THIS WOULD''VE HAPPENED IF SHE DIDN''T SHOW UP!!!" Tateyana burst her anger at Yulia in the center "Oh dear. It seems like we got quite the situation in our hands, don''t we?" Sagasuga sighed "How about we all calm down and realize the obvious?" Sagasuga managed to draw all the attention.

    He spoke with clarity as he stayed composed.

    "We don''t kill Yulia and we continue with the strategy. How about this?" He proposed "T-That''s right! We can just do that and it won''t affect anything! We''ll just continue to gain points!" Kanawari was beyond happy with this strategy "We buy another player and if that player just so happens to be Yulia, then what?" Kawahara questioned Sagasuga "...I think the odds are quite low, Kawahara..." Sagasuga found the possibility ridiculous "The possibility of this happening was already beyond low and yet it happened. I think it''s fucking time we admit the truth of what''s happening, lads." Kawahara now commanded the attention "There''s someone behind the screen that has a clear vendetta against Daniel and this has been the case for a bit now. It''s not a coincidence that they sent four assassins to get Daniel earlier yesterday and it''s not a coincidence that a fucking goddamn Yulia clone or whatever the fuck I''m looking at right now, just so happened to be the new player! Come on, wake up already!" Kawahara shouted loud and clear.

    And granted, this brought forth some wave of agreement.

    "He''s fucking right, Sagasuga." Yukishiro defended Kawahara''s claim "I am willing to bet all my points on how if we follow the strategy, that another Yulia will just show up!" Yulia felt distressed by this claim "That---that can''t be true! I''m the only on----" Yukishiro countered her "BULLSHIT!! I DON''T FUCKING KNOW WHAT''S GOING ON, BUT YOU ARE NOT HER!! YOUR CHARACTERS DON''T EVEN MATCH, FOR FUCK''S SAKE!!" She was quickly shut down "WHO ARE YOU BEHIND THAT MASK?! DID YOU GET PLASTIC SURGERY IN ORDER TO LOOK LIKE HER?! THAT''S GOTTA BE IT!!" Sana got up and made the claim "N-NO!!" Yulia adamantly denied it "THAT''S NOT TRUE!! THAT''S NOT WHAT HAPPENED...!" Yulia further insisted "Then what DID HAPPEN, BITCH?! WHY ARE YOU WEARING MY DEAD''S BEST FRIEND''S FACE AND------" Yulia yelled back "THAT''S NOT WHAT HAPPENED, I''M TELLING YOU!!" Her expression was full of grief and sadness "YOU GODDAMN BITCH...!!!" She didn''t like how much she was into this act "Why the hell are you doubting me even?! It''s my identity!! I''ve been ''Yulia'' since the day I was born!! FUCK YOU!!" Her eyes pierced Sana''s "....!!!" She felt nauseous by the avalanche of lies "Sana." Hyunda called out to her "She''s beyond your reach." He then added something "She has more to gain from lying than admitting it, it seems." Sana didn''t want to accept the truth of the matter.

    The conversation had yet to reach a critical conclusion.

    "So what now... I mean, the execution round is coming up..." Kuzan felt like there was no clear direction here "Let''s just fucking kill her." Hyunda spoke out loud "It''s either we do it or we follow the strategy, which, just like Yukishiro said-----has a very high likelihood of falling into the same pattern." Daniel carefully watched Hyunda from afar as he couldn''t speak due to his mouth being blocked "It''s a bad and awfully executed joke, Daniel. But maybe her death will make you snap out of it." Hyunda sided with the idea "After all, you were the one who proposed we kill the new player. No backing down now." Hyunda was fully convinced "That''s right... You''re my friend, Daniel. That''s why her death will get you out of that damn delusion!" Ikkiri''s words made Daniel''s expression become brutally bitter.

    Regardless, it had to go on.

    "Simmer down, drama lovers, there''s still some content left." Basara would then announce the tenth round.

    Erigaisi would receive a most urgent call, causing him to erupt from his seat on the couch.

    "Did you figure out who did it?" He intercepted it, earning the attention of the student council "....?" Andrea was curious to see what was happening in the call but didn''t approach him "Ah, I see. A meeting, already?!" Everyone turned their heads around to where Erigaisi was walking in circles "I am only available tomorrow, I thought I made that clear! No, I can''t! I can''t! I''m telling you if the meeting is today, I absolutely can''t!" Erigaisi began to be truly dramatic "I don''t give a shit! Just do it without me! If anyone asks for my opinion just say I am in accordance with the most agreed opinion! Bye!" Angrily, Erigaisi hung up "Is everything alright, sir Erigaisi?" Liyuga asked the distressed Erigaisi "Ah yes, of course!" He adjusted his hair form with his right hand as he went back to his seat in the couch "Just some incompetent fools who can''t do nothing without their leader, nothing much!" Erigaisi once again delved into the potato chip bag "I... see..." Liyuga was a bit suspicious but limited his vocabulary.

    He looked bored.

    With his points that he had acquired, he didn''t feel nearly as respected as he should be and that''s because; even though many acknowledged his points, they just thought that was all there was to it.

    Despite his consequence in the last round that deemed that he would have ten red lights fully lit up, thus, a single additional one would symbolize his death----he still managed to get every claim right. Naturally, a deal was worked out between him and the current target of the judgment round, right before she was taken away to the very center.

    But even then, the mere thought didn''t seem right with him.

    Dominance had to be asserted, especially if the power is great by nature.

    "What the fuck is this? Why?" He couldn''t understand it, as he placed his right fist on the right side of his face "I have over 15000 points. I am above Sagasuga by miles. The difference is astronomical so why isn''t anyone talking about it? Hey, what the fuck... That''s not... right... That''s not how you treat your king..." Rayazaki''s expression darkened ".........." He placed his eyesight on Daniel, who had his speech blocked "Why does this shit have to be about you? You''re not the main character..." Rayazaki''s teeth clenched "Heh, okay, okay, I''ll teach you a fucking lesson that you''ll remember for a lifetime... I gotta say, I''m pretty fucking lucky now that she''s here..." Savagely, he licked his lips whilst looking at the hopeless Yulia at the center.

    The tenth round was over and thus, Basara would declare it.

    "Given how that was the last judgment round, we will now be advancing to the ex-----" An intervention was cut short "Wait up, teacher! This isn''t seating right with me!!" Rayazaki eagerly intervened "....." And Basara was forced to acknowledge it by questioning the nature "Does it involve the game?" He asked "Oh, it sure does!" The confirmation was made.

    Tenma Basara, under no circumstance, is allowed to firmly shut down a situation that revolves around the game''s point progression or digression.

    "Hey, you." Rayazaki looked at the center "Yes, you! I''m talking to YOU!" She could not ignore his words despite crying "Me...?!" Yulia faced Rayazaki from afar "Yes." Rayazaki calmly replied "What... the hell is he planning...?!" Lus became alerted "It''s really unfair how you were bought only to not score. So, how about I lend some of my points to you so you don''t just up and die?" Many became perplexed "Wait... What the hell are you saying?" Akimiyashika became worried "What? Oh, right. I should just show what I mean, shouldn''t I?" Rayazaki grinned as he erupted his right index finger to the right bottom corner of the virtual box.

    Everyone knew what he was about to do and as he did, Daniel''s face became rageful at the mere thought as he started to grin his teeth.

    "Yulia, I hereby offer you 2000 of my points if from here on, but every time you score a point, half of them have to be transferred to my account." The contract was struck and the window of the contract appeared in front of the hopeless Yulia as Rayazaki felt in control.

    Their premade deal was therefore executed, as Yulia was acting according to Rayazaki''s orders. She would blink twice if the claim was wrong and if the claim was right, she would blink thrice. That''s how Rayazaki got everything right.

    However, this wasn''t met without some sort of backlash.

    "BUT ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY, YOU BASTARD?!" Hinagiku got up from her seat and lashed at Rayazaki, who remained smug and beyond unaffected "Crazy? No, no-----" Without any sort of hesitance, it was cleared "YES, I ACCEPT IT!!" Yulia yelled as loud as she possibly could "Oh dear." Sagasuga murmured as he saw the ranking ladder become updated "What the fuck is happening?! She just...!!" Lus removed her hand from Daniel''s mouth and Kanawari instinctively did the same as they observed the ranking ladder.

    Which now was:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Rayazaki (13046/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki]

    2 - Sagasuga - (4412/4500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga] [Every time Izayoi Akimiyashika scores a point and Hiroyoshi Sagasuga doesn''t, that quantity will be subtracted from Hiroyoshi Sagasuga''s point account and transferred to her account in the process]

    3 - Tatsu (3590/4500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    4 - Hinagiku (2346/2500 points)

    5 - Sana (2296/2500 points)

    6 - Yukishiro (2130/2500 points)

    7 - Ikkiri (2102/2500 points)

    8 - Yulia (2100/2500 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki]

    9 - Stratos (2024/2500 points)

    10 - Arkalee (2023/2500 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    11 - Kawahara (2008/2500 points)

    12 - Kuzan (1444/1500 points)

    13 - Tateyana (1422/1500 points)

    14 - Daniel (1415/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    15 - Lus Sera (1212/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 00:36:19 hours]

    16 - Hyunda (864/4500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 00:36:19 hours]

    17 - Kanawari (844/1000 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga]

    18 - Akimiyashika (362/1000 points) [Every time Hiroyoshi Sagasuga scores a point and Izayoi Akimiyashika doesn''t, that quantity will be subtracted from Izayoi Akimiyashika''s point account and transferred to his account in the process]

    </blockquote>

    "What... have you done...?!" Ikkiri was distraught as she saw who was at the very bottom "HAHAHAHAHA!!! NOW THAT''S MORE LIKE IT!! YES, YES!!" Rayazaki laughed in pure ecstasy as he watched all the reactions unfold subsequently "No... way... Why did this...?!" Akimiyashika was in utter disbelief as her face became horrified "What the fuck happened to the plan?" Kawahara asked Rayazaki "Ahhhh?! What plan?! Oh you mean that pussy shit that HE proposed?! Oh, I was fine with it, but you knowwwwwww, he really struck a nerve on me when he said that anyone that lays a finger on her will die! I got offended, you see!!" Rayazaki kept on laughing nonstop as Kawahara remained calm "So you''re fine with becoming a target?" He asked "Huh? Oh yeah. Sure. Yeah, yeah. I don''t mind. Good luck with that, HAHAHAH!!" Rayazaki didn''t stop his laughter spree.

    Hinagiku started the movement immediately.

    "Ikkiri, we''ll split 500 points in half!" In accordance, Ikkiri began to form the contract at the same time as Hinagiku "Woah, what''s happening?" Yukishiro smiled as she saw the level of desperation made from the two of them "Izayoi Akimiyashika do you accept 500 of my points?!" Ikkiri began, but no contract could be formed "W-Why?!" She was unable to understand why "Why didn''t it work, teacher?!" Hinagiku redirected herself to Basara "Thirty seconds." He replied in that manner "Damn it, you''re so fucking useless!" Ikkiri retorted "Wait, what are you guys doing?" Akimiyashika asked them "We will save you, Aki, just accept it! But why couldn''t we----" Hinagiku then realized "I get it! It has to be related to the game! We can''t just give her free points!" She arrived at the conclusion "So there has to be a string attached?!" Ikkiri reasoned "Yes!!" Hinagiku replied back "Amazing. Synergy can be beautiful indeed." Sagasuga complimented them.

    However, they weren''t the only ones who were quick to realize what this meant, if the contracts really did go forth.

    "Wait... If Akimiyashika is bailed, then the next one on the line is-----" As Tateyana came to the conclusion and looked in her direction, a contract was being formed by Lus "Kanawari, I''ll give you 200 of my points but 25% of the points you earn in the next hour will be transferred to my account!" Nobody failed to notice this "What...?!" Hinagiku was not pleased whatsoever "O-Okay, fine...!!" Kanawari didn''t fully agree with the approach but in order to save herself, she accepted the deal.

    With twenty seconds remaining, the ranking ladder was updated.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Rayazaki (13046/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki]

    2 - Sagasuga - (4412/4500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga] [Every time Izayoi Akimiyashika scores a point and Hiroyoshi Sagasuga doesn''t, that quantity will be subtracted from Hiroyoshi Sagasuga''s point account and transferred to her account in the process]

    3 - Tatsu (3590/4500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    4 - Hinagiku (2346/2500 points)

    5 - Sana (2296/2500 points)

    6 - Yukishiro (2130/2500 points)

    7 - Ikkiri (2102/2500 points)

    8 - Yulia (2100/2500 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki]

    9 - Stratos (2024/2500 points)

    10 - Arkalee (2023/2500 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    11 - Kawahara (2008/2500 points)

    12 - Kuzan (1444/1500 points)

    13 - Kanawari (1444/1500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour]

    14 - Tateyana (1422/1500 points)

    15 - Daniel (1415/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    16 - Lus Sera (1012/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 00:35:04 hours] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour]

    17 - Hyunda (864/4500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 00:35:04 hours]

    18 - Akimiyashika (362/1000 points) [Every time Hiroyoshi Sagasuga scores a point and Izayoi Akimiyashika doesn''t, that quantity will be subtracted from Izayoi Akimiyashika''s point account and transferred to his account in the process]

    </blockquote>

    Another drastic change was made just by a contract alone.

    "I love this." Yukishiro couldn''t help herself "Ikkiri, let''s go with the same!! We''ll apply the same condition and get Aki out of the situation!" Hinagiku proposed but she saw Ikkiri shaking for some reason, as fifteen seconds remained "Hey, you should hurry up and fucking choose already." Hyunda spoke to the horrified Ikkiri.

    There was, obviously, a very clear reason as to why Ikkiri wasn''t committing to the contract even if all the indications were there.

    Akimiyashika noticed why she wasn''t doing it.

    "I-Ikkiri!! Y-You can''t be serious?!" She thought this was illogical by all means "He tried to KILL YOU." Akimiyashika spoke with a higher voice now completely pointing at Hyunda next to him "HE HAD HIS CHANCE!!" Akimiyashika argued violently "DON''T YOU DARE LAY A FINGER ON HIM!!" Arkalee got up and started to argue with a loud voice from afar "SHUT THE HELL UP, WHORE!!! NOW''S NOT THE TIME!!!" Akimiyashika shouted at full maximum towards Arkalee "IKKIRI, CHOOSE ME!!! YOU CAN''T TRUST THIS GUY, FOR FUCK''S SAKE!!! JUST FUCKING DO IT ALREADY!!!" In a demanding tone, Ikkiri was purely pressured "I-----I CAN''T!!! THAT''S----WHY?!" Ten seconds remained on the clock "IKKIRI, SUBMIT THE CONTRACT WITH ME!! 500 POINTS EACH!! COME ON, IT''S NOT MUCH!!!" Hinagiku was still not committing to the contract despite having the idea in mind "I CAN''T!! I''M SORRY, I JUST CAN''T---!!!" Ikkiri began to weep "You----Ikkiri----!!!" Akimiyashika felt regret.

    But she then spoke the words she never thought she would say to her.

    "YOU USELESS SACK OF SHIT!!! YOU''RE IN LOVE WITH A FUCKING PSYCHOPATH THAT TRIED TO KILL YOU AND AFTER I DEFEND YOU THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?! FUCKING KILL YOURSELF, YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT!!!!!" Akimiyashika showed no regret in her actions as Ikkiri''s eyes widened "HINAGIKU, OFFER ME 1000 OF YOUR POINTS!!! YOU KNOW THIS ISN''T RIGHT!!! SO, DO IT!!!" Five seconds remained "I....." Hinagiku, without being able to control her thoughts correctly, looked at her own points, merely "HINAGIKU!!! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!" In pure distress, Akimiyashika demanded some sort of action as she got up from her seat, slamming her palms on the table "...No way." Coldly, Hinagiku rejected the idea.

    Zero seconds remained.

    Basara''s maddening clap signified the bringing of her doom.

    "AND THAT WRAPS IT UP!! THE EXECUTION ROUND''S TARGET HAS BEEN CHOSEN!!!" Akimiyashika, in disbelief, felt weak on her knees as she fell back on her chair, with everyone watching her every movement "N-No... THAT---CAN''T BE...!!" Horror began to rapidly consume her as Yulia''s shackles were freed "So the game finally begins." The unheard voice began to show his true colors as the time was exact.

    <hr>

    Thoroughly locked from her ankles to her wrists, Akimiyashika was the center of attention as Yulia was able to be set free. Her seat was Tsudo''s prior seat, right next to Rayazaki.

    "T-Thank you...! I was really a goner, if it wasn''t for you...!!" Yulia showed a desperate affectionate smile to Rayazaki as she fawned over him "Hey, no problem! If you ever need points, just hit me up! We can work it out!" Rayazaki was happy to show some mutuality "...Really?" Yulia''s face turned slightly serious "Mhm? Oh yeah. As I said, I''m your man if you are in need of points." Rayazaki still showed his confidence "...Oh. That''s... reassuring!!" Yulia closed her eyes and said such.

    Daniel observed their conversation with deadly eyes and an exasperated expression.

    "My... woman..." Daniel lowly whispered those words as Lus and Kanawari watched it unfold "My woman... You have no right... You have to pay..." His hollow expression remained but it was clear to the two of them that he was not stable by any means "........" They both crossed glances with each other and Kanawari nodded sideways and Lus closed her eyes as she could only hope for the best.

    However, the current situation was far from the best.

    "Behold, the bounty!!" Basara''s words revealed Akimiyashika''s bounty right away for the entire student body to perceive.

    <blockquote>

    Target: Izayoi Akimiyashika

    Points earned from her death (collectively): 192 points.

    Points earned from her death (individually): 384 points.

    Bonus reward: You will be able to view the same options presented to you the moment you forfeited points and you will be allowed to have one option for free that is below your points in total.

    </blockquote>

    "No..." Akimiyashika was in denial as she shook her head sideways over and over "......." Kawahara had a rare stoic expression as he watched Akimiyashika struggle "D-Daniel!!" Out of desperation, she directed her words to Daniel "Get me out of this position! I''ll do anything you ask me!" Daniel''s expression remained shrouded "You did it so many times! I can be useful to you! I am smart and cunning!!" She let out a smile midst that "You will be useful." Daniel coldly replied "Eh...?" Akimiyashika didn''t know what to make of those words "Rayazaki! Since you came in first place this round, you''ll be blessed with the reward!" The usual reward was therefore presented to Rayazaki as he accepted "How fitting, only I am able to kick whoever the fuck I want now. That''s more like it." Rayazaki''s narcissism was starting to radiate.

    Hinagiku and Ikkiri refused to face Akimiyashika for the time being, as their feelings were conflicted.

    As a silence infiltrated the atmosphere, Basara took advantage of that in order to accelerate the momentum.

    "SPIN THE SKULL!!!" At his command, through 17 pictures, the skull of fire underwent his way in order to pick the individual that would have the most control over Akimiyashika''s doom "I can''t say I expected this, honestly..." Liyuga was dumbfounded by the recent events "You thought too highly of them, Liyuga." Andrea scolded him "Andrea..." Liyuga gulped "She''s right." The president agreed with Andrea and gathered all of the attention of everyone in the room "You can''t forget who they are and what their life choices have been. Observe." As the president said those words, their eyes were glued to the screens as tension rose to the highest level.

    Eventually, it landed. The dread decimator had been chosen by the wheel.

    "Daniel-fucking-Lead." Basara''s words were monotone but he clapped in his direction as Daniel became the center of attraction "......." A silence was formed as everyone was curious to see what Daniel''s plan was "Daniel, let''s stick to the plan..." Akimiyashika tried to reason with the motionless Daniel who would not remove his eyes off Yulia no matter what "Buy a player... And the round ends... You said it yourself, d-didn''t you? That no one has to die and that we can all have a happy ending! It''s not too late for that!" Akimiyashika tried to be as calm and reasonable as possible despite the constant nonstop shivering "......." Daniel removed his eyes from Yulia momentarily, who was feeling slightly uncomfortable by how much attention Daniel was paying solely to her, and placed his vision on the ranking ladder "Daniel....!!" Akimiyashika felt stressed as her words went to deaf ears.

    Akimiyashika has four red lights on her choker, out of ten.

    Once he had absorbed all the necessary knowledge, Daniel made the decision.

    "I wish to forfeit 100 points." He looked at Basara as he said such "I see. It''s allowed then." The horizon was broadened by Basara''s words and the sea of options ultimately expanded as the 100 choices were revealed to everyone.

    With only a singular minute to choose, Daniel was presented with the following options:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Izayoi Akimiyashika''s both hands will be cut off in exchange for 2 of her choker''s red lights (+200 points)

    2 - Izayoi Akimiyashika''s right arm will be cut off in exchange for 4 of her choker''s red lights (+800 points)

    3 - Transfer half of your points to Izayoi Akimiyashika in exchange for a 25% point acquisition boost for the next three hours.

    4 - Izayoi Akimiyashika''s choker''s red lights will be depleted by three but her right and left shoulders will be clobbered with a warhammer ten times (+100 points)

    5 - The fire skull will be spun at the cost of 100 points (you will be excluded from the round)

    6 - Izayoi Akimiyashika''s right eye will be removed in exchange for 1300 points.

    7 - Izayoi Akimiyashika''s points will be increased by 50% in exchange for 6 added red lights to her choker.

    8 - You will be awarded 800 points, but will start the next round with 9 red lights.

    9 - Forfeit any multiples of your points (x48) and add the same number to Izayoi Akimiyashika''s choker''s red lights.

    10 - Izayoi Akimiyashika''s both feet will be cut off in exchange for four of her red lights (+1000 points)

    11 - Izayoi Akimiyashika can forfeit 1000 of her points in order to terminate the round; if you see this option, say out loud "11".

    12 - Forfeit 2,000 points, your rewards will be doubled for the rest of the day.

    13 - Forfeit 300 points; target one of your classmates----they will be swapped with Izayoi Akimiyashika as the execution round''s target (Izayoi Akimiyashika can forfeit 50 points in order to nullify this)

    14 - Izayoi Akimiyashika will be granted immunity for the whole day but she must choose 5 parts of her body to be disposed of.

    15 - Transfer your points to an individual in your class (minimal point input: 500)

    16 - Izayoi Akimiyashika''s legs will be cut off in exchange for all of her red lights (+1600 points)

    17 - Earn 2,000 points; if Izayoi Akimiyashika doesn''t die in this round of execution, ten red lights will be lit up on your choker.

    18 - Forfeit 200 points, decide the number of rounds within the next judgment round.

    19 - Izayoi Akimiyashika''s left ear will be cut off in exchange for 2 of her choker''s red lights (+200 points)

    20 - Izayoi Akimiyashika''s nose will be cut off for 4 of her choker''s red lights (+500 points)

    21 - Forfeit 1,000 points; target one of your classmates, for the rest of the day they will receive a 50% point acquisition decreasement boost.

    22 - Izayoi Akimiyashika''s chest will be cut off for 3,500 points.

    23 - Izayoi Akimiyashika''s lips will be sealed for the entire day in exchange for all of her choker''s red lights (+1400 points)

    24 - Forfeit 3,000 points and select one of your classmates that has been previously been through a judgment round of their own; they will be the target of the next judgment round.

    25 - Forfeit 1000 points to buy a new player into the game (they will start with the same points as the lowest ranked player, but with -50 points instead)

    26 - Forfeit 10,000 points, target one of your classmates and for the next round, you get to determine how many red lights can be lit up from their choker.

    27 - Izayoi Akimiyashika''s both eyes will be stabbed three times each with a knife in exchange for all of her choker''s red lights (+1200 points)

    28 - Claim 600 points (this only applies if someone died in this round)

    29 - Forfeit 1000 points, you will be absent for the next two rounds (you will receive 250 points + the points of the lowest ranked player when you return)

    30 - Deplete red lights from Izayoi Akimiyashika''s choker by acquiring points for her (1 red light = 48 points)

    31 - Forfeit 10,000 points to negate all previous bonuses and effects applied to all of your classmates (you are excluded)

    32 - Izayoi Akimiyashika will be awarded with 1000 points but every time her choker receives a red light, it will be 2 instead of 1.

    33 - Izayoi Akimiyashika''s fingers will be cut off in exchange for 3 of her choker''s red lights (+250 points)

    34 - Players above 10,000 points cannot participate until you reach 11,000 points (this only applies if you have killed two people via the game''s mechanics)

    35 - Forfeit 800 points to end the round, in which case, you will be awarded with 400 points.

    36 - For the rest of the day, you will receive a 25% point acquisition boost in exchange for 3 of Izayoi Akimiyashika''s choker''s red lights.

    37 - Izayoi Akimiyashika''s legs and arms will be cut off in exchange for all of her choker''s red lights (+7500 points)

    38 - Earn 5,000 points; you cannot participate in execution rounds for the rest of the day.

    39 - Earn x1000 points up to the number of times a body part of yours has been removed via the game''s mechanics.

    40 - Forfeit 1,500 points and you will be granted access to see all of the possible options within the game; only you will be granted access, however.

    41 - Forfeit 700 points; for the rest of the day, for you alone, the time limit becomes 5 minutes.

    42 - Izayoi Akimiyashika''s forearms will be cut off in exchange for 4 of her choker''s red lights (+1000 points)

    43 - Izayoi Akimiyashika will be injected with poison cyanide in exchange for 2 of her choker''s red lights (+200 points)

    44 - Izayoi Akimiyashika will receive a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day in exchange for her calves and forearms.

    45 - Target one of your classmates; earn half of their points thus reducing them from the extraction (this option is only available if you have killed someone via the mechanics of the game)

    46 - Forfeit points that you own to place a bounty on one of your classmates (if you kill the person with that said bounty, you will earn double the number of what you forfeited)

    47 - Pick one of the options above and apply it to yourself, in which case, all rewards go to you instead.

    48 - Forfeit 250 points; remove Izayoi Akimiyashika''s bounty.

    49 - Forfeit 5,000 points, target one option and it will be removed for the whole day.

    50 - Earn 30,000 points (this only applies if you''ve killed 6 players via the game''s mechanics)

    51 - In the next round, forfeit any number of available points to you in order to be in control of the input numbers of the participant, in which case, the forfeited number becomes the input number.

    52 - Izayoi Akimiyashika will be awarded points equivalent to the highest current score (+500) but the next round''s individual''s choice will be not under their control (their points will be used randomly and the option choice as well).

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    53 - Decrease Izayoi Akimiyashika''s red lights from her choker by taking points from her (1 red light is equivalent to 500 points) in which case those points are transferred to you.

    54 - Forfeit 1000 points and switch with the individual that''s currently being executed (you will be awarded with 500 points as an added bonus).

    55 - Izayoi Akimiyashika will be granted 40,000 points but will be the target of the next execution regardless of the outcome of the subsequent round.

    56 - A 10,000 point bounty will be placed on you and whoever manages to kill you via the means of the game, will be awarded the bounty points. However, should you not die today, you will be awarded 20,000 points before the conclusion of today.

    57 - Forfeit 4,000 points and select an individual besides yourself, to be granted immunity for today.

    58 - Izayoi Akimiyashika will intake a drink that will permanently damage her vocal cords in exchange for 500 points.

    59 - Izayoi Akimiyashika will suffer an instant death penalty, but you will become the target for execution in the next round though you will be awarded all of her points.

    60 - Forfeit 5,000 points in order to get priority knowledge on who will be chosen for the next round of judgment.

    61 - Forfeit 4,000 points to make an individual win double of the points they gather from their correct guesses but should their guesses be wrong, they will be lose triple the points instead, for the rest of the day.

    62 - Forfeit 7,500 points to take a permanent leave for the day (you will be awarded 5,000 points in return).

    63 - Forfeit 10,000 points in order to acquire a new player to take your place (in which case, every point the player obtains will be transferred to your point account and you are free to take a day off, but if the player dies or hits the total points of 0 points; you will be forced to return to the game as soon as possible)

    64 - Izayoi Akimiyashika''s spine will be removed for 30,000 points.

    65 - Forfeit 2,000 points in order to win a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should you get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when you get a claim right (should you fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back)

    66 - Izayoi Akimiyashika will be awarded 15,000 points but she must name ten parts of his body that she wishes to dispose of.

    67 - Target one of your classmates, they can forfeit 5000 points to nullify this, otherwise they will be the target for the next execution round regardless of rankings (this only applies if you have killed someone via the mechanics of the game)

    68 - Forfeit 1,600 points and select one of your classmates; if they don''t kill someone via the game mechanics in four hours, they will die.

    69 - Place a 1 hour time bomb around Izayoi Akimiyashika''s heart, which in return will give her 500 points. 3,000 points can be used from Izayoi Akimiyashika to remove the bomb.

    70 - Forfeit 30,000 points to kick someone permanently from the game, besides you.

    71 - The first five rounds of every judgment will earn you the correct point quota, regardless of the answer (this only applies if you have killed 2 people via the game mechanics).

    72 - Forfeit 10,000 points, you can choose the claims that will be used in the upcoming judgment round as well as apply a rule of your own.

    73 - Forfeit 50,000 points; absorb all bonuses and effects all to yourself, your classmates will be awarded 25,000 points each, but they will have their respective bonuses and effects depleted.

    74 - Forfeit 8,000 points, for the next three hours, your choker''s red lights cannot be lit up.

    75 - Forfeit 100,000 points to transfer classes.

    76 - Select up to five of your classmates; earn half of their points combined but they must be below 10,000 points (this only applies if you have killed three people through the game''s mechanics)

    77 - Forfeit 10,000 points, target one of your classmates; they cannot accept contracts in the next five hours.

    78 - Select one of the zones (from the 10th to the 7th) and claim it (this only applies if you''ve killed five people through the game''s mechanics)

    79 - Forfeit half of your points; the skull will be spun again but you won''t be excluded from the round.

    80 - Forfeit 3,500 points and target one of your classmates; for the next four hours, that individual will not die.

    81 - Choose any of the options prior and apply it to any of your classmates (this only applies if you''ve killed ten people through the game''s mechanics)

    82 - All of Izayoi Akimiyashika''s choker''s red lights will be increased (even the final one) but you must choose a body piece that you wish to forfeit (+600 points)

    83 - Instantly kill Izayoi Akimiyashika (you must have claimed at least one zone)

    84 - Forfeit 20,000 points; target one of your classmates, they count as two players.

    85 - Forfeit 5,000 points; no new players can be bought in the next two hours.

    86 - Izayoi Akimiyashika will gain immunity for the next four hours but she must forfeit three of her body pieces (+2000 points)

    87 - Forfeit 3,000 points, you will gain knowledge of the answers to every claim in the upcoming judgment round.

    88 - Target the most recently bought new player; adjust their point barrier to any number you desire that isn''t above the highest score in half.

    89 - Forfeit 1,000 points, adjust your point barrier.

    90 - You may choose two options instead of one (this only applies if you''ve killed two people through the game''s mechanics)

    91 - Forfeit any number of your points and target one of your classmates; that individual''s points cannot go higher than the total amount of the points you just forfeited for the next two hours.

    92 - Forfeit 10,000 points; contracts cannot be formed in the upcoming hour.

    93 - Absorb 25% of the total collective points from all the individuals playing to your account (this only applies if you''ve killed one person through the game''s mechanics)

    94 - Forfeit 1,000 points; earn the right to kick someone in the next round (only one time)

    95 - Earn half of the combined points of all your classmates but you can no longer kill any player (this only applies if you''ve killed seven people through the game''s mechanics)

    96 - Forfeit 500 points in order to extend the time limit right now to 3 minutes (you can pick another option afterwards)

    97 - You will be granted complete immunity until the end of the day (this only applies if you''ve killed ten people through the game''s mechanics)

    98 - Forfeit 7,500 points; any player below you will receive a 50% decreasement boost for the next two hours.

    99 - Forfeit 2,000 points; every time you score correctly, the points will double (this effect stacks), however, should you score incorrectly more than three times, you will die.

    100 - Every time a player dies, half of their points will be transferred to you (this only applies if you''ve killed two people through the game''s mechanics)

    </blockquote>

    The average human can read 5 words per second. Considering the length of each sentence at display, it''s fair to assume that it would require a total of three seconds, with best precision, to read one completely.

    However, reading and then processing it, are two separate things. There is a vast importance in knowing what the context of what you are reading implies. Therefore, it''s critical to be able to assert what matters or not.

    With that taken into consideration, it''s reasonable to assume that in order to read and process a sentence, it usually takes around 5 to 6 seconds.

    Should this logic be applied to the current circumstance, then reading and processing every sentence out of 100 that are shown at full display, would take around somewhere between 500 seconds and 600 seconds.

    By default, it''s unreasonable to attempt to try and do this sort of method with the intention of knowing which option is the best.

    But he, was, different.

    "Kick him, Rayazaki....!!" Yukishiro immediately insisted as she began to feel her intuition on the edge "That freak is actually trying to read all of them, look at his eyes and the way he''s paying so much attention!!" She couldn''t stop feeling in doubt "........" Rayazaki, on the other hand, took this opportunity to get a good read of as many options as he could before he would decide whether or not he would kill Daniel "He''s not following the strategy he proposed, is he now?" Tateyana asked Sagasuga "I strongly doubt it. His... conviction seems rather... malicious this time around..." Sagasuga''s eyes narrowed as he could not ignore the danger of the threat "Rayazaki, kick him. He''s the worst person to have power right now." Kawahara told "No, there are worse people to have the option to choose right now." Rayazaki reasoned "He will kill her." Kawahara told "And? So will practically anyone else now." Rayazaki countered ".........." Kawahara became silent and sighed while tilting his neck upwards "You can''t say I didn''t try..." He lowly murmured.

    Akimiyashika tried to bargain again, as there were about thirty seconds left.

    "Alright... I... don''t... mind having a body piece cut off, but please choose one that isn''t too painful!" Akimiyashika began to accept the possibility of having a body piece cut from her "Anything but dying, please!! I... don''t want to die...!! My story hasn''t even been told yet, I...!! I just don''t want to die, Daniel!" She begged as she cried out with tears "Hmm?!" Rayazaki, upon encountering a certain option, acted on impulse "KICK, DANIEL LEAD!!" This action surprised just about everyone "What the?!" Sana was confused "I think he saw the horrors in a certain option." Sagasuga spoke "......." Daniel didn''t speak to Rayazaki but cast one last glance at him while silently smiling with his eyes narrowed "Son of a----" Rayazaki felt stressed "Hey, why did you kick him?" Yulia asked him "He can''t have that..." Rayazaki told Yulia "Have what?" She continued "........" Rayazaki posed silence.

    Without anyone to stop the next person, it would become far more decisive.

    And thus, Basara demanded it.

    "SPIN THE SKULL!!!" His calling arranged the symphony immediately as the selection between 17 people was arranged once again.

    In no time, the skull chose its arbiter.

    "Tatsu, your turn." Basara gave him the privilege "Ugh...!!" Akimiyashika didn''t feel entirely comfortable with Tatsu on the lead "Kill her." Arkalee demanded from him "......." Tatsu remained silent and forfeited his desired quota.

    Which was 100 points as well and a similar sea of options appeared before him, with most of the options being the same except for a few.

    "Tatsu, please..." Akimiyashika felt distraught "Shit, it''s actually kinda impossible to tell what the fuck this guy is thinking as well..." Tateyana confessed "We know zero about the guy except that he probably has a crush on Arkalee for whatever reason." Kuzan added "Yeah." All eyes remained on Tatsu but he eventually made his call.

    It was a most surprising option.

    "Option 63!" Most jaws dropped as they began to see the pattern "Fuck me, what the fuck is wrong with this dude''s head?! I mean....!! Like, I guess, but...!!" Tateyana understood the decision but still didn''t fully support it "Option 63 allows you to pick to pick an option that is prior to it. So, which one will it b------" Basara''s words were cut short as Tatsu had made up his mind for the moment he saw it "Option 53! I want it to be applied to myself, NOW!!" Tatsu demanded and Rayazaki''s teeth gritted "THIS IMPUDENT PIECE OF SHIT, YOU DARE!!!" Rayazaki''s throne was threatened "Wait, what does option 53 do to yourself, exactly?!" Tateyana asked Sagasuga instead of looking at the board "It reads the following: Izayoi Akimiyashika will be awarded points equivalent to the highest current score (+500) but the next round''s individual''s choice will be not under their control (their points will be used randomly and the option choice as well)." Sagasuga replied logically "Uhh...!!" Tateyana realized it "Hold the HELL UP!! Doesn''t this mean that Tatsu will be the highest one now and the next person won''t have control over how many points they waste and their choice will be beyond their control?! Besides, the target won''t be Tatsu and it will be Akimiyashika!!!!" She was beyond dumbfounded but so were many others as they realized what was about to happen.

    But the one most enraged was without a shadow of doubt, Rayazaki.

    "GOD...FUCKING....DAMN IT....!!!" He couldn''t believe that he was dethroned that early as the ranking ladder updated the moment Tatsu''s option applied to him.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Tatsu (18446/20000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    2 - Rayazaki (13046/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki]

    3 - Sagasuga - (4412/4500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga] [Every time Izayoi Akimiyashika scores a point and Hiroyoshi Sagasuga doesn''t, that quantity will be subtracted from Hiroyoshi Sagasuga''s point account and transferred to her account in the process]

    4 - Hinagiku (2346/2500 points)

    5 - Sana (2296/2500 points)

    6 - Yukishiro (2130/2500 points)

    7 - Ikkiri (2102/2500 points)

    8 - Yulia (2100/2500 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki]

    9 - Stratos (2024/2500 points)

    10 - Arkalee (2023/2500 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    11 - Kawahara (2008/2500 points)

    12 - Kuzan (1444/1500 points)

    13 - Kanawari (1444/1500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour]

    14 - Tateyana (1422/1500 points)

    15 - Daniel (1315/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    16 - Lus Sera (1012/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 00:28:57 hours] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour]

    17 - Hyunda (864/4500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 00:28:57 hours]

    18 - Akimiyashika (362/1000 points) [Every time Hiroyoshi Sagasuga scores a point and Izayoi Akimiyashika doesn''t, that quantity will be subtracted from Izayoi Akimiyashika''s point account and transferred to his account in the process]

    </blockquote>

    The tides turned quickly as Tatsu was able to stand on top now that Rayazaki came in second place.

    But now, there was a bigger problem at hand.

    "What the fuck happens now?!" Kanawari questioned Daniel though he didn''t reply, yet Lus did "It''s beyond our control... Just pray you''re not the target of the skull because the points deducted are random...!!" Kanawari gulped "Random?! So there''s no set quantity?!" She dreaded.

    Regardless of worries, the option set in motion was already underway. Thus, the skull spun through the wheel as it chose its next target; albeit Tatsu is excluded now.

    "Newcomer, tough luck for you!!" Basara pitied Stratos as he was chosen "Damn it..." His expression darkened.

    Afterwards, instead of Stratos being able to pick how many points he wished to forfeit, the quantity that was forfeited, was a random number between 1 to 2024.

    "924!!! HOLY SHIT, THAT''S ROUGH!!!" Everybody started to mock him as 924 options suddenly appeared on the gigantic screen "You need something beyond good to save your ass now, boy." Arkalee grinned as Stratos had lost almost half of his points "Unreal..." He detested the circumstance as his option was chosen at random.

    But despite that, it was not Stratos that was having the worst time here. That''s right; that would be Akimiyashika, who had her life at the hands of two psychopaths and now, her life could very well be terminated randomly.

    Option 259 was chosen and it read the following: Forfeit a body piece of your choice; your point barrier will be adjusted to the closest number to your current points.

    "Yikes." Kuzan felt sorry for Stratos "Ahhh..." Akimiyashika let out a relief breath as she was not the target this time "Oh, come on...!!" Stratos became enraged "This is such bullshit, man!" He furtheer complained "Well, what''ll it be?" Basara asked Stratos "Uh... My pinky finger, the left one..." Stratos was quick to come to terms with his fate as a guard cut it open with his guerrilla knife "AGGHHHHHHH....!!!" In pain, Stratos lost his pinky finger "At least he got the adjustment... It''s 1500 points now. It could be way worse." Sana noted "It almost makes no difference, actually." Hyunda added "Yeah..." Sana agreed as the suspense grew.

    Down to the fourth spin, the skull would choose its next target as Akimiyashika dreaded.

    With Tatsu and Stratos out of the equation, only 15 others remained to be chosen.

    "Kanawari, you''re up!!" Basara declared "......!!!!" Akimiyashika met Kanawari''s eyes and knew not what to expect of this outcome "Don''t kill me... Please, I''m begging you, anything but that...!!" Akimiyashika once again pleaded "Just let me go...!!!! I CAN''T TAKE THIS ANYMORE, THIS IS SO FUCKING STRESSING!!!" As Akimiyashika cried out, Lus felt her pain "PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!!! NOT MY LIFE, I''M SERIOUS!!!" Her cries didn''t stop.

    Kanawari had her mind set on one thing and one thing only.

    Fixing her current situation and restoring her balance.

    Thus, she started by forfeiting 50 points.

    "Remember, there''s that option. It''s your only choice." Lus reminded Kanawari "Yeah... There''s no other way to get rid of this damn curse otherwise..." Kanawari acknowledged as she cast a hateful glance in Sagasuga''s direction "........." Sagasuga noticed this "I select option 13!!" Without hesitance, Kanawari revealed which option she was choosing.

    Which read as the following: Forfeit 300 points; target one of your classmates----they will be swapped with Izayoi Akimiyashika as the execution round''s target (Izayoi Akimiyashika can forfeit 50 points in order to nullify this)

    "Halt, Kanawari." Sagasuga elevated from his seat "Don''t bother, you''re done for." She got up as well "Hear my proposition first. I think we can solve this rationally. There''s no guarantee that things will work the way you want them to." Sagasuga enticed Kanawari with his words "...That''s a pretty bold statement. Are you claiming that your chances of surviving are high?" She grinned "No, of course not. Even I know for a fact how improbable it is. Henceforth, I want to negotiate terms and I believe they benefit you more than gambling on the possibility of me dying, which would break the bind of our contract, which is what you want, correct?" Sagasuga was persuasive "........" Kanawari looked at Lus "......" Lus didn''t say anything "Speak, then." Kanawari, feeling in control allowed Sagasuga to navigate the situation.

    Face to face with her, Sagasuga went down to the core.

    "I propose the following: Our contract becomes null." Kanawari was interested "And how does that work? You just propose it and it can be done?" Kanawari asked "Yes. However, that wouldn''t entirely benefit you. So, I propose additionally the following: Not only will our contract be nullified, but the reverse will be proposed to you." Kanawari became perplexed for a second "....." But she tried to create a poker face "Well... Make the contract, then." She demanded "Hm... Alright." Sagasuga analyzed her expression "Gayakirima Kanawari, do you agree to nullify our contract that states that every point you earn will be attributed to me by half, and if so, do you additionally agree to have the condition be applied to me; under the premise of the following..." Kanawari''s face became distorted "Huh?! No, no, no, sto----" But Sagasuga continued with his plan "You must select Satou Rayazaki as your target." His plan was therefore revealed.

    Rayazaki fell into madness shortly after.

    "Bitch, I will fucking MURDER YOU!!" To Kanawari, he gave that threat "Pick me, I fucking dare you. Do it, bitch." Rayazaki tempted her "Watch what my points can do if I put my mind into it. Test the waters, come on." He persisted with his taunting "Ok, but why not Tatsu instead? Rayazaki is second place, Sagasuga." Yukishiro questioned "For the sake of some order. I''m trying to get the best outcome here. So, Kanawari, please hurr-----" Sagasuga became dumbfounded with her upcoming words "Nobody here is a bigger threat than you, you fucking master manipulator...!!" She instantly rejected the contract "Don''t do this. The endgame doesn''t favor you at all. Think rationally, please. You''re being too emotional right no-----" Kanawari completed her intended sentence "MY TARGET IS HIROYOSHI SAGASUGA!!!" Against Sagasuga''s prediction, such an outcome came to light as Akimiyashika''s shackles were freed "This is... utter nonsense." For the first time, Sagasuga began to lack composure.

    His expression began to darken as he didn''t necessarily agree with the course of action.

    Even so, with Akimiyashika free, Sagasuga took her place.

    "Oh thank God!!" Akimiyashika, now freed and outside the center, cried out as she looked in the direction of Ikkiri and Hinagiku "I''m just------" Their expressions weren''t friendly whatsoever and Akimiyashika quickly remembered what she said to Ikkiri and Hinagiku "............" Her mouth was slightly open and she looked down on the ground as she had no words to say to the two of them who looked at her, not as a friend, but as someone they were ready to kill.

    With Sagasuga at the very center, the tides shifted once again.

    The individuals absent from being chosen by the skull are: Tatsu, Stratos, and Kanawari.

    14 others were still available and Akimiyashika could potentially participate as Sagasuga held four red lights on his choker due to the transfer that happens. As well as Akimiyashika''s previous bounty.

    "Spin it." Far more serious now, Basara allowed the skull to pick its target "...I didn''t expect her to actually survive..." Lus confessed to Daniel, who didn''t pay attention to what she said "...He can''t be allowed to live... He has to die, for the sake of that dumb contract being abolished...!!" Kanawari was adamant about it "You dumb fucking fuck." Without looking at her, Daniel insulted Kanawari "?!" She felt massively offended "You had the perfect opportunity and you blew it. I''m killing you in the next round." Daniel declared "Huh!?" Lus'' facial expression twisted "You''re insane...!!" Kanawari felt fear just by looking at Daniel''s eyes "No. No, I''m not." He denied it as Kanawari grew even more fearful "I should have chosen him, not Sagasuga..." Kanawari had this particular thought to herself as she overlooked Daniel completely.

    The skull landed eventually.

    "Ikkiri, make it count!!" Rikishima Ikkiri, the chosen name, gave forth the permission for the decision and as such, Sagasuga instantly made his move "Ikkiri, I have a proposition for you." Sagasuga told her "Okay, say it." She remained very composed and even welcomed the suggestion "Terminate the round and I will give you half of my points." The deal was proposed "Jesus..." Kuzan couldn''t hide his surprise "That''s definitely enough for her to break her barrier and go even further..." Tateyana reasoned as well "Hmm... Thanks, but no, thanks." Ikkiri smiled at Sagasuga.

    Then, she proceeded to forfeit 50 points as she had one particular option in mind.

    "Option 32!!" Ikkiri declared "Oh, I see. You''re a gambler? I can''t say I''m fond of that." Sagasuga critiqued.

    Option 32 reads as the following: Forfeit 2,000 points in order to win a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should you get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when you get a claim right (should you fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back).

    "You''re dumb... Stop running away from it..." Hyunda became mad at Ikkiri''s decision "I''m trying..." Ikkiri struggled to make the decision on her own "........!!!" Akimiyashika noticed how the positions have changed.

    The updated ranking ladder was the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Tatsu (18446/20000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    2 - Rayazaki (13046/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki]

    3 - Sagasuga - (4412/4500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga] [Every time Izayoi Akimiyashika scores a point and Hiroyoshi Sagasuga doesn''t, that quantity will be subtracted from Hiroyoshi Sagasuga''s point account and transferred to her account in the process]

    4 - Hinagiku (2346/2500 points)

    5 - Sana (2296/2500 points)

    6 - Yukishiro (2130/2500 points)

    7 - Yulia (2100/2500 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki]

    8 - Arkalee (2023/2500 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    9 - Kawahara (2008/2500 points)

    10 - Kuzan (1444/1500 points)

    11 - Kanawari (1144/1500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour]

    12 - Tateyana (1422/1500 points)

    13 - Daniel (1315/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    14 - Stratos (1100/1500 points)

    15 - Lus Sera (1012/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 00:26:35 hours] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour]

    16 - Hyunda (864/4500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 00:26:35 hours]

    17 - Akimiyashika (362/1000 points) [Every time Hiroyoshi Sagasuga scores a point and Izayoi Akimiyashika doesn''t, that quantity will be subtracted from Izayoi Akimiyashika''s point account and transferred to his account in the process]

    18 - Ikkiri (52/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back).

    </blockquote>

    "Dumb-fucking fuck." Hyunda was not pleased at all "The bitch is not worthy of you..." Hyunda cast a hate glance at Akimiyashika who was starting to regret her shameful phase earlier "I... I....!! Oh God, why did I------" She covered her mouth "Don''t get it twisted, please." Ikkiri made Akimiyashika look at her "You will rot and I will be there on top of you to watch as you die." Akimiyashika''s eyes widened "Because that''s what a true friend would do~" She grinned to the terrified Akimiyashika, who started to maniacally lowly laughing "Ha... hahaha...!!" Her mental state was shaken to say the least.

    Nevertheless, Basara had to get the ball rolling.

    "Spin it, NOW!!" With Sagasuga still at the mercy of 13 others, the game went on.

    Quickly, it landed, as Tatsu, Stratos, Kanawari, and Ikkiri, are excluded.

    "Sana, lead the way." Basara announced as Sana was chosen "......" Very moody due to the recent circumstances, Sana was not in the most rational mindset "Question: Is it a coincidence that the other options that were chosen by the others no longer appear?" She asked Basara, but Sagasuga answered "No, it''s part of the game. If you pick an option, it will be filtered out. That''s why Tatsu played it well by using that combination." Sagasuga clarified "Ah. Alright. I see." Her voice was monochromatic "So, I can''t use the same option as Kanawari. Fantastic." Her sarcasm was leaking "Sagasuga... Give me one reason as to why I shouldn''t have your death calm my nerves?" Her eyes were tired, almost as if she had gone to a state of mind not so distant.

    Sagasuga calmly delivered his reasoning.

    "Because I am not your target and it''ll give you a false sense of accomplishment. Why not carefully plan your takedown and see this opportunity as one to gather free points at the cost of my freedom?" Sagasuga was thorough "Oh, how right you are. That''s right. I should carefully strategize everything and just ignore how I''m feeling. How logical of you." Sagasuga was not feeling that his words made any impact at all "Alright, you convinced me. That was a sound reasoning to me. However, I''m feeling bad right now. I won''t kill you. But I''ll come up with something." Those were not the words Sagasuga wanted to hear "Sana, we can talk this out..." He said "Can we?" She forfeited 100 of her points "Yes, yes, we can." Sagasuga still saw opportunity for reason "I like you. Calm and reasonable." Sana confessed "I''m flattered you think so." Sagasuga sighed.

    Sana picked an option that made many get up from their seats as they widened their eyes.

    "W-WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU...?!" Rayazaki was unable to see as to why she would give him such a lead "That''s annoying." Tatsu''s expression darkened "She''s literally Satan, holy shit!!" Kuzan exclaimed as well "Nothing personal. I''m just feeling bad right now." Sana justified it "So bad that you''re going to give his body nightmares." Hyunda added "......." Sana looked at Hyunda with an abhorrent glance "It doesn''t concern you." She replied to him "Oh dear. Am I in danger, by some chance?" Sagasuga maintained his composure as four guards approached him, carrying several killing tools.

    Two hacksaws, multiple katanas, guerrilla knives, a chainsaw, and a set of syringes alongside some band wraps to cover up the open wounds, were brought along.

    In the most extreme cases, the staff members will do everything they can to make sure the individual does not suffer from such pain where it would become fatal.

    After all, the option that was chosen was the following: Option 37: Hiroyoshi Sagasuga will be awarded 15,000 points but he must name ten parts of his body that he wishes to dispose of.

    "Toes count as one. Fingers count as one." One of the guards clarified "I''m aware." Sagasuga sighed heavily "Alright, then name them." The other guard, who is holding the chainsaw, demanded "Toes, fingers, hands, forearms, arms, shoulders, feet, calves, nose and then the thighs." Sagasuga named them all "I''ll keep my ears and my eyes." Sagasuga sighed once again "You''re a demon..." Akimiyashika spoke to Sana "Shut the fuck up and be glad that''s not you. Because if it had landed on me, that would be you." Akimiyashika once again grew horrified "Christ...!!!" Rayazaki threw up to his right side as the cutting started "BLEGH!!!" Tateyana also threw up as it was showing to be beyond her control "OH GOD, HOLY FUCKING SHIT!! JESUS CHRIST!!!" Many other reactions went underway as Sagasuga underwent what could only be qualified as perhaps one of the most brutal tortures of them all.

    Only 1,2% of the human population knows the physical pain Sagasuga underwent that day.

    "Ahhhhh....!!" Unable to be composed as he was not immune to physical pain, Sagasuga looked at his new body "No hands. No forearms. No shoulders. No feet. No calves. No thighs. That''s... How do you even get out of there?!" Tateyana asked Sagasuga "Oh, worry not.... At such times, the guards are actually forced to get me to my seat when the game is playing. When it''s not though? Yeah, tough luck, hahahah...." Sagasuga''s ragged breath alongside his profound sweating were begging to show.

    But despite that, the round was not actually over, as some players were more absorbed onto the fact that Sagasuga was once again, the king of the hill as the ranking ladder updated.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Sagasuga - (24412/25000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga] [Every time Izayoi Akimiyashika scores a point and Hiroyoshi Sagasuga doesn''t, that quantity will be subtracted from Hiroyoshi Sagasuga''s point account and transferred to her account in the process]

    2 - Tatsu (18446/20000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Rayazaki (13046/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki]

    4 - Hinagiku (2346/2500 points)

    5 - Sana (2296/2500 points)

    6 - Yukishiro (2130/2500 points)

    7 - Yulia (2100/2500 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki]

    8 - Arkalee (2023/2500 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    9 - Kawahara (2008/2500 points)

    10 - Kuzan (1444/1500 points)

    11 - Kanawari (1144/1500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Hiroyoshi Sagasuga] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour]

    12 - Tateyana (1422/1500 points)

    13 - Daniel (1315/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    14 - Stratos (1100/1500 points)

    15 - Lus Sera (1012/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 00:25:58 hours] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour]

    16 - Hyunda (864/4500 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the next 00:25:58 hours]

    17 - Akimiyashika (362/1000 points) [Every time Hiroyoshi Sagasuga scores a point and Izayoi Akimiyashika doesn''t, that quantity will be subtracted from Izayoi Akimiyashika''s point account and transferred to his account in the process]

    18 - Ikkiri (52/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back).

    </blockquote>

    "Stupid fuck. You could''ve picked another option, there was no need to give him so many points! You''re not even satisfied, your face is completely stoned!!" Rayazaki shouted at Sana, who remained motionless "True..." She acknowledged "It appears, only one singular thing can bring me the utmost satisfaction..." She pierced Yulia with her eyesight "Bitch..." Yulia narrowed her eyes.

    Basara was forced to rev the engine of the momentum.

    "CHRIST, WE''RE NEVER GETTING OUT OF HERE AT THIS RATE!!! SPIN THE FUCKING SKULL!!!" No longer composed, Basara threw a pose as he wanted to see a conclusion to this execution round as soon as possible.

    With the exclusion of Tatsu, Stratos, Kanawari, Ikkiri, and now Sana, there were only 12 other individuals at display.

    "Oh dear. Out of everyone here, I was sure that you''d be the one that I could never truly reason with. See face to face, value to value, perspective to perspective..." Sagasuga brutally sighed "So it seems." He replied "Hyunda, you''re UP!!!" Basara declared as the name "Hajime Hyunda" was chosen "......." Daniel transiently took his eyes off Yulia and paid attention to Hyunda this time around.

    Despite what Sagasuga said, he did try to reason with Hyunda.

    "I am, very, but very desperate..." Sagasuga''s ragged breath was showing nonstop as his eyelids grew tired "I think you''re tired. Don''t you need a rest, man?" Hyunda serenely spoke to Sagasuga "You think so?" Sagasuga asked "Yeah. Putting up with my bullshit all the time has to be tiring, no?" Hyunda grinned "Hah... That''s true. If that''s what you mean, then yes, you best believe that I am tired. Tired of you, I am." Sagasuga sighed "What the hell are they talking about?!" Yukishiro could not find this conversation even more strange "Hey, Sagasuga!!! Don''t give up, you can do this still!!" Tateyana cheered for him "I wonder... Well, Hyunda, how about all of my points for a round closure?" A most absurd offer was made.

    The offer, was so strong, that it created silence throughout the room.

    "You''ve gotta be fucking kidding me." Yukishiro was in disbelief "24k points, just for a round closure?! Holy fucking shit..." Kuzan was static "That''s impossible to decline..." Lus admitted "..........." Daniel remained silent.

    Hyunda crossed his forearms and closed his eyes as he became the center of attention.

    "But how boring are we, as a whole?" He asked the question "Chapter after chapter, delivering nothing but cheap plot twists, lackluster character motivations... My audience hungers. It hungers so much, beyond their wildest dreams." He began to draw skeptical attention as everyone wasn''t understanding what he was talking about "He''s insane... No, I had an idea he was, but this just proves it... The dude''s fucking delusional." Rayazaki claimed "I am the paragon here, your messiah. Your expectations are not just fantasies..." He calmly opened his eyes as he forfeited 200 points "200?! What for?!" Akimiyashika didn''t understand the necessity "Behold, you monkey." The astray of possibilities was open as the 200 options were revealed.

    Though they tried to read it, it was far too many.

    "I take it you''re not attending it?" Sagasuga questioned Hyunda as he kept looking for his desired option "The witch must be hunted. She has gone too far. Nobody messes with my story. It''s my story." Hyunda defended "I do agree. However, I don''t think the endgame favors you." Sagasuga confessed "I always win." Hyunda finally saw the option he had in mind amidst the lower 150''s "Well, if you say so..." He shrugged "And..." Sagasuga looked in the direction of Daniel, who remained cold-hearted "Es ist gut zu wissen, dass die Sonne am Ende des dunklen Horizonts hell scheint, nicht wahr?" Sagasuga lowly recited those words, which caused Daniel to transiently flinch and open his eyesight more attentively towards him now "....?!" Unaware as to why he was able to break out of his own suspense, Daniel looked at Sagasuga now, far more carelessly "Lass uns wieder Tee trinken, mein Freund." Hyunda had come to terms with his decision.

    Option 145: Increase Hiroyoshi Sagasuga''s choker''s red lights up to the quantity of points that you can forfeit (1 red light = 100 points).

    Hyunda chose all of his 800 points, thus placing eight additional red lights on Sagasuga''s choker, which was far more than enough to do the job.

    "You showof--------" Sagasuga''s words weren''t fully completed because at Hyunda''s executed order, the explosion within the choker caused Sagasuga''s head to fly up in the air as a blood eruption formed from his neck "EEEEEEK!!!!" Tateyana grew immediately afraid as she realized that Sagasuga had been dealt with "No---fucking way-----that Sagasuga, really, died?!" Akimiyashika was baffled by how unrealistic this was in her mind "...Nobody''s safe... then..." Kuzan realized, as his eyes grew hollow.

    Kanawari, on the other hand, as she saw Sagasuga''s head roll on the floor with his lifeless eyes, got up and celebrated.

    "YES!!! FINALLY, OH MY GOD!!!" Freed from her contract, as it no longer appeared as one of the side effects in the ranking ladder, Kanawari was beyond happy "I can finally score points normally now...!!" She looked at Lus, who for some reason, had a terribly rigid expression "Lus...?" She didn''t understand why "...So that''s why...!!" She kept looking up to who was in the first place "........" Daniel as well had an extremely rigid expression as he could not ignore what just had happened.

    Hyunda''s order killed Sagasuga, and for the first time in this game, someone died at the hands of somebody else. In other words, Sagasuga was killed by Hyunda.

    Thus, when such happens, there is a natural flow to follow.

    "Due to Sagasuga''s death, the transfer will be made accordingly." At Basara''s command, Sagasuga''s name was erased from the top and the point transfer began "What the...!!!" Hinagiku couldn''t help but be shocked "Sagasuga''s contracts will all expire and it was as if they never existed, so that means you won''t be able to keep them." Basara spoke to him "Yeah, I know." Hyunda didn''t deny it "However, his points will all be yours, so with that in mind, accept them." There wasn''t much of an option though, as Hyunda''s name replaced Sagasuga and the ranking ladder was instantly updated.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda - (24476/25000 points)

    2 - Tatsu (18446/20000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Rayazaki (13046/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki]

    4 - Hinagiku (2346/2500 points)

    5 - Sana (2296/2500 points)

    6 - Yukishiro (2130/2500 points)

    7 - Yulia (2100/2500 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki]

    8 - Arkalee (2023/2500 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    9 - Kawahara (2008/2500 points)

    10 - Kuzan (1444/1500 points)

    11 - Kanawari (1144/1500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour]

    12 - Tateyana (1422/1500 points)

    13 - Daniel (1315/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    14 - Stratos (1100/1500 points)

    15 - Lus Sera (1012/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the next 00:24:13 hours] [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour]

    16 - Akimiyashika (362/1000 points)

    17 - Ikkiri (52/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back)

    </blockquote>

    Some had a feeling this would happen but to those that didn''t, this entirely stunned them.

    "Hyunda''s... at the top?! With Sagasuga''s points?!" Tateyana was in disbelief "I see... That really confirms it... If you kill someone in this game, then all of their points will be transferred to you... At least the contracts don''t remain, but..." Hinagiku now began to see one of the true natural aspects of this game "That''s right. Killing is salvation. For your own good, you have to kill. Ideas such as friendship, thoughts such as alliances, or lifelines, do not work. This game only rewards those who have a neverending narcissism." Hyunda eloquently spoke to the rest "Nar...cicissim...?!" Akimiyashika, on his left side, questioned him "Yes, creature." She felt mocked by his condensing voice "How much do you think you matter? This is my question to all of you." He said "........." A silence was posed but they knew very well what he was referring to.

    Basara would then announce the reward for the bounty, which was previously Akimiyashika but due to Kanawari choice of swapping Akimiyashika with Sagasuga, it became Sagasuga''s.

    "Given how there was collective work in the work of Sagasuga''s demise, the bounty reward will be in the collective category because Sana also dealt damage which technically contributed to his death." Basara''s words weren''t well accepted "What...?! It was Hyunda who dealt the final blow! Sana just damaged his body, he would have survived without Hyunda''s decision!" Arkalee argued "It works like this." Basara defended the game "Therefore, Sana, you will be awarded with 192 points and so will you, Hyunda." The addition was added, but it wasn''t enough to break either Hyunda nor Sana''s point barrier "However, since Hyunda did kill Sagasuga, technically----it means that the bonus reward will be attributed to him alone and not Sana!" Basara''s words made Sana''s expression stiffened though she did not bother to react "With that said, get on with it." Basara hurried him.

    Tateyana asked Sagasuga the obvious question.

    "Um, Sagasuga? What was the bonus reward again?" She turned to her right "........." A short silence was made by her "Oh... R...ight..." Her usual fierce behavior was gone as she gulped "......So you''re really gone now, huh." She faced her head down while feeling sad "Dumbass... You were supposed to be invincible... But I guess... In this game, not even someone like you could come out on top... So how can I-------" Her distress increased by the second.

    The bonus reward for the bounty is the following: You will be able to view the same options presented to you the moment you forfeited points and you will be allowed to have one option for free that is below your points in total.

    Hyunda''s current points are: 24668.

    "You''ll have an addition minute, Hyunda." Basara said "Thanks." Hyunda definitely didn''t mind this "This... is bad...!! He can start picking those ridiculous options that are only allowed if you''ve killed someone...!!" Kanawari immediately saw the danger "Most of them require you to kill more than one, but there are some that just... don''t..." Lus gulped as she had no clear idea of what Hyunda would choose "......." She looked at Daniel, who nonetheless, didn''t take his eyes off Yulia for a second "........." Lus wasn''t feeling entirely satisfied with the current circumstance.

    Hyunda had the one minute where he was allowed to choose his option, the one minute and a half right after Sagasuga''s death in which the screen with the 200 options he had chosen prior, remained open-----and now had a full minute.

    "Does somebody want to die?" He asked to the multitude "...What?" Arkalee questioned him "I''m saying-----does anyone here want to be taken out of their misery before proceeding any further? I''m feeling generous, so if you want to be removed, I''m willing to make the once-in-a-lifetime exception." Hyunda was sincere "........" But nobody answered him as they didn''t want to partially influence his decisions for an even more catastrophic outcome "I see. Let''s elevate the stage a little bit. This script needs some changes." Hyunda''s demonic smile began to show as he pressed his desired option.

    There were far too many good options. Options, that are, so ridiculously good, that the only logical thing to do was to keep a mouth shut. And that''s due to the fact that Hyunda has over 24k points and he is able to select an option that is below that point cost, for free.

    If Hyunda wanted to create a lead above the rest, he could, without a shadow of a doubt.

    "Let''s start by taking the trash out, before we can do that, though." Hyunda corrected himself firstly "Things need to go back to how they were. I do not take interference lightly..." His expression darkened "OPTION 185!!!" Shouting as loud as he could; breaking his usual monochromatic expression, Hyunda began to control the feelings of everyone present as they were forced to look at option 185 "!!!!!!!!" Rayazaki felt immediate leg cramps just by thinking of the possibilities "Not good....!!!" Tatsu even recognized the danger as well "Hyunda... Are you..." Sana spoke in his direction pondering if their aims collided for a second.

    Option 185 reads as the following: Forfeit points that you own to place a bounty on one of your classmates (if you kill the person with that said bounty, you will earn double the number of what you forfeited).

    Since Hyunda didn''t have to forfeit his actual points, it would mean that no point subtraction would be made.

    However, in order to execute this option, a sum between 1 to 24668 had to be made.

    Hyunda put all of his points on the line.

    "The FUCK?!" Rayazaki yelled out "So... You don''t have to bet your points at all?!" Arkalee was confused "The reward allows him to not have to forfeit any points... So in theory, he can use as many points as he wants so long as it''s below 24668..." Yukishiro spoke "But wait... Why would he forfeit that many points?!" Tateyana didn''t understand "And who is he targeting...?! I mean, that''s a lot of points as a bounty!!" She added as the confusion further grew "........!!!" Daniel felt Hyunda''s permanent stare and came to the rapid conclusion of who is target was "This is not a romance story, let this be the first time out of many that I''ll say it..." Hyunda''s devilish grin showed as he picked his target, much to Daniel''s displease "NO, DON''T---!" But it was too late.

    His words were imperial as the option would only be thoroughly executed after Hyunda selected a picture within the 16 available pictures of his classmates, that was presented to him in his digital screen.

    "Her....? Why---" Yukishiro could not make sense out of it "Why not Rayazaki or Tatsu...?! They have the most points, so it would only make the most sense to-----" She gasped "..........." Her eyesight became blurry as she looked at Hyunda again "You don''t belong here." With utter coldness in his voice, he talked to her, as she cowered in fear "No way...!!!" She began to tremble "Wh...What the FUCK HAVE I DONE TO YOU!?!?" Yulia started to quake as she became pallid "People, your attention, please." Hyunda summoned the attention of everyone once again "But first, a general question; anyone can answer: How much do you love yourself?" Perplexion hit the surface to many "Yes, self-love. I love myself. I think I''m great." Hyunda admitted "What the... fuck? What...?!" Kanawari couldn''t understand his approach "I''m trying to insinuate something, Kanawari." He sighed "Just answer it." Hyunda persisted "...I don''t hate myself..." Tateyana was the first one to answer "That''s it? No self-love?" Hyunda was disappointed "I like myself... If that''s the question, fine!!" Akimiyashika boldly answered "But what does this have to do with anything?!" Akimiyashika further added.

    Hyunda became completely serious.

    "I don''t think you people love yourselves enough. So, in order to test your self-love, or to say a worse word-----the depth of your narcissism----I command each and every single one of you to kill Hikaru Yulia!!" With a high pitched voice, Hyunda gestured his arms in Yulia''s direction "You fucking... PSYCHOPATH!!! WHAT''S YOUR PROBLEM, DUDE?!" Yulia felt fear "24k points, all for one person. No need to hold back. Emotion doesn''t matter in this game. Only the truly intelligent and cunning ones, who know how to bring someone down, will come out on top. So... with that in mind, which one of you will be the first to kill h------" His speech became interrupted "Shut up, Hyunda...." With a cold rage to the surface, his face emitted a rage of an unknown depth "Oh?" Hyunda smiled in his direction this time around "Yulia, don''t be afraid." Daniel spoke in Yulia''s direction, who was tearing up "No matter what happens, I won''t let you die." With utmost confidence, Daniel added "....!!!" Yulia trembled as everyone started to view her as a target "So he says, but don''t let him fool you, people-----those are just words. Ignore him, drag Yulia down and you win 24k points for free! To be a winner or to stay a fucking loser, you decide!!" Hyunda started to laugh out loud as the round came to an end.

    After Basara gave the usual warning for everyone to be there in a couple of minutes, right before 10 am, most students began to leave the area, although some stayed.

    "Wow." Bryce had his eyes wide open "I did not expect this turn of events, AT ALL." He confessed "Me neither... I expected Hiroyoshi Sagasuga to make it all the way through the end..." Skan confessed "Nobody is safe when the execution round comes up. There are too many options that lead to different outcomes. It''s frankly quite complex. Does this game have a name?" Andrea talked to Erigaisi, who was drinking a large cup of beer "Ahh far too many!! There is technically no official name, but we call it the cradle of the narcissists. I''ve been thinking of making a movie trilogy just based on the most interesting streams, honestly... Or even a TV series about them..." Erigaisi debated "Cradle of the narcissists... I... see." Andrea remained observant "It''s a fitting title. The raw humanity in this game is eventually drawn out. It''s one of my favorite bits!" Erigaisi laughed "........." The student council began to wonder if Erigaisi''s mind was really in the right place.

    There would be fifteen minutes left for the next round, which would begin at exactly 10 am.

    "Yulia." Daniel stalked the two of them as she wrapped her right and left arm around his right arm while climbing down the stairs "This shitstain again...!" She looked behind as she saw Daniel on the top of the stairs looking down on the two of them "What are you doing? Why are you not with me?" Daniel could not understand "Dude, get a fucking clue, would you..." Rayazaki glared at him as Yulia''s cleavage collided with his right arm "Yulia... That sort of behavior... is not... acceptable..." He could not believe what he was seeing "What the hell are you talking about?! And why are you acting like you''re my boyfriend or some shit?!" Her face became distorted with rage "That''s because you are my girlfriend, Yulia." He admitted it "No, I''m fucking NOT, what?! Weirdo, kill yourself!!" She retorted back to him in a fierce manner "Yulia... You''re going to die if you hang around him... He is going to kill you for that bounty..." Daniel''s expression looked hollow ".........." Yulia looked at Rayazaki for a split second, in doubt.

    But Rayazaki was quick to mask this.

    "That won''t happen, I promise." Rayazaki vowed to Yulia with the utmost seriousness "...." But she wasn''t entirely convinced and thought that an explanation as to how she could be saved would be better "He''s lying to you, Yulia." Daniel intervened "Oh? And how so?" Rayazaki prompted a response from him "Everyone will go after the option to swap whoever is at the bottom first with you by proposing a point split from your death. No amount of points will save you. Only I know how to save you, Yulia." Yulia panicked a little bit "Th---That''s...!" She couldn''t exactly deny it "Don''t listen to him, Yulia! He''s only trying to use his words to manipulate you, that''s all he does!" Rayazaki let go of Yulia''s arms and approached Daniel face to face "Fucking freak, don''t you think that I can see through your act?! You''re only approaching Yulia now because of her bounty!!" Rayazaki grabbed Daniel''s collar with his right hand but his face remained looking at Yulia "You''re going to die if you don''t rely on me, Yulia. You need to stop with the infidelity, right now." Daniel''s hollow eyes were assaulting Yulia "I think you''re the one that needs to stop, you''re getting on my fucking nerves! You think you''re some hot shit, don''t you?!" Rayazaki punched Daniel in the face mercilessly "........!!!" Thrown out of balance without his arms to defend himself, Daniel fell on the ground.

    A right kick was followed to the face furthermore.

    And eventually, it became a beatdown as Rayazaki plummed Daniel, as he didn''t bother to resist.

    "H-hey, isn''t it dangerous if someone sees us?! Couldn''t we get penalized in the game later on or some shit?!" Yulia theorized "...Ahhh... Ahh..." Out of breath from so many punches and kicks, Rayazaki cleaned up his forehead with his right forearm''s sleeve "...Fine..." Rayazaki settled "COME NEAR HER AGAIN AND I''LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!" Without restrain, Rayazaki shouted to Daniel''s face "Let''s go!" Grabbing Yulia''s left side by force, they ventured down "......" Yulia cast one last glance at Daniel before leaving the scene.

    His nose was bleeding tremendously and his face had multiple bruises as well, as he stared at the high ceiling in the lukewarm morning.

    "I have to save her... She doesn''t know what she is doing... Yulia, you won''t... die... I promise...." The two of them observed Daniel from the lower side of the downstairs where Daniel didn''t have an angle to see them "He changed completely. It''s almost as if he''s completely enchanted by her existence." Ikkiri noted "That''s not him... It''s all her fault..." Hinagiku was angry at the most recent events "If she''s dead, then it will all go away..." Hinagiku was convinced "......" Ikkiri wasn''t so sure if she agreed with her on that regard "What do we do about------" Hinagiku was about to ask but Ikkiri could guess by a mile "Akimiyashika? She comes after Yulia. You don''t say those words to your friends." Ikkiri was unforgiving "I agree..." Hinagiku nodded "I''m aiming to win, Hina." Ikkiri felt this was the best time to be honest "My score right now is low, but it will go up. That''s why I''ll say this, to you, who I still consider my friend..." Ikkiri''s eyes became hollow as she looked at Hinagiku "Don''t aim for Hyunda. He and I will win this game and be happy afterwards." Ikkiri stated "..........." Hinagiku posed silently "That''s why... Let''s kill Yulia!" She happily smiled "Oh yeah, let''s fucking kill the bitch!" Hinagiku also celebrated.

    Usually, everyone leaves the room, but due to the fact that he can''t walk normally, he opted to stay in his chair with his right fist adjoined to the right side of his face as always.

    Arkalee would usually be around but she is so mad at him that she purposely distanced herself from him.

    Thus, there should be no one else in the room besides him.

    "What is this? Do you want my autograph or some shit?" He didn''t open his eyes "......." And she didn''t reply "No, we are not having this conversation. I hate your stereotype too much. Fangirls are annoying as hell. Get the fuck out and go and try to come up with some edgy plan that will not ultimately work at all. After all, that''s your entire character, if you think about it." He laughed "And just because you only now found out that it was me all along, doesn''t make it special either. Leave the room." He insisted as he found her existence entirely offensive.

    She got up from her seat and sat on the seat where Sana usually is.

    Without making a single word, she continued with her silence.

    "......." Hyunda was starting to become annoyed, so he slowly opened his eyes ".........." The usual person would be authentically shocked to find out that a person is, quite literally, in front of your face, only separated by three milometers "Hi." She said, as Hyunda could feel her every breath, and mainly her arms that wrapped around his neck.

    "I said to get out." Hyunda used his right hand and grabbed her by the neck; thus putting her back to her chair, violently "Ouch.....!!" Given that her back collided with the chair, she was unable to not feel the pain "We have nothing to talk about." Hyunda looked at her now "No, we do." She begged to differ "We don''t." Hyunda persisted "Please, with all due respect, you don''t understand." She argued "Don''t understand what, exactly?" Hyunda eyes scorned her "The fact that I have so much to thank you for. I am no longer bored because of you." Hyunda sighed in an abhorrent manner "I don''t have time for this... Get to the point, too many unnecessary lines. Make it short." Hyunda wanted a drawn out conclusion already.

    She hesitated for a while, but she ultimately found the words she thought would bring her closer to her goal.

    "What is my role in your story?" Hyunda, for once, didn''t find her words boring "My story?" He asked "Yes. Your... story... You keep bringing it up with other lines. Other have called you delusional but... I don''t believe so. So, tell me, Hyunda, in your story, what is my role?" She once again asked "I can''t say it anymore. The script has been altered against my will." Hyunda confessed "But why?" She became incredibly disappointed as her head tilted to the right "It''s your story! How could you let anyone else interfere...?!" She became mad "Unforeseen elements. One such as the witch. She''s the one that''s on my mind. I''ve killed her more than ten thousand times in my mind over the thirty minutes..." Hyunda''s face started to boil with rage "But, your role, huh? You''re out of luck. Initially, you had one. But now it''s uncertain. The side characters weren''t supposed to shine and be on the spotlight this much." Hyunda added "...What was my initial role in your story then, Hyunda?" She asked "Let''s see, Yukishiro..." He recalled back to the story initially.

    Yukishiro listened to her intended role and then started to weep.

    "Please, can I have the entire room for myself? I really like silence." Hyunda begged "It''s so chaotic." Yukishiro admitted it as her tears filtered with her make up "Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeee..." Hyunda begged once again "But what now?! This is not going according to the script at all, Hyunda!" She said "Yeah, I fucking know, I''m working on it. That''s why you clowns will kill Yulia and that''s step one." Hyunda clarified "Hmm... That... That might not be enough, no?" Yukishiro questioned Hyunda "......." He allowed her to say her doubts "Sure, Yulia is killed, but Daniel will be unstable and unpredictable. He''s far more of a threat than what you''re willing to acknowledge. I think you need someone to balance things out here and there. It''s not enough to control the crowd, you also have to read people''s intentions, and you alone, can''t do that." Yukishiro was bold with her choice of words "Give me a role to play in this story. I won''t fawn over you, I simply want to be of service. Now that I''m aware it was you, Omega-----I have nothing to fear. Tell me the entirety of the plan and I am your puppet." Yukishiro became obedient "..........." Hyunda judged whether or not it would be worth it.

    Kanawari returned to the entrance of her dorm after going to the kitchen.

    There were about ten minutes left, but for the girls, eating was actually an option.

    Near the entrance of their dorm, there was a garden square with four wooden benches and in the furthest, Lus was seated as her expression was filled with agony.

    "Here..." Kanawari took the seat next to Lus as she gave her a well made sandwich and a bottle of water "Th...anks...." Her response wasn''t entirely strong "......." Kanawari felt the weird atmosphere and she knew the reason as she looked to the entrance of block F "It''s not making any sense, right?" She told Lus "I mean, how can it be...?" Lus was slightly mad "She killed herself... To bring her back... Like, I know it''s not her, but the intent is obvious! Whoever is behind this just wanted to mess with Daniel! The plan was perfect! Everyone agreed to it!" Lus couldn''t stop shaking her head as she ate "........." Kanawari pondered whether or not this was the right time to tell her this.

    But seeing as this would be a good opportunity, Kanawari gulped and decided to reveal some things.

    "Hey, Lus?" Kanawari put on a horrifying smile as Lus looked to her left ".....?" She naturally took interest but found Kanawari''s reaction unnatural "I don''t think you should associate with Daniel anymore. He is dangerous and I mean, far more than what you know..." Her eyes showed a hollow depth "Kana, what are you saying...? Sure, he''s a criminal and has very messed up records, but he''s incredibly rational and can be very smart. It''s all her fault, I''m telling you!" Lus denied it "No, that''s... Ah... Remember those three? That died mysteriously...?" Lus knew "Of course. Samantha, Ellie, and Elijah. What about them?" She took another bite out of the sandwich.

    Kanawari gulped.

    "They died because the water they drank was poisoned. How do you think that happened...?" Kanawari was nervous "......." And Lus was quick to figure it out "...But that couldn''t have been you. Because they drank from the same bottle as Daniel, and Daniel would have died." Lus reasonably concluded "...You''d think, right?!" Kanawari exulted herself, alarming Lus "Wha...?" Lus was finding Kanawari rather paranoid "Listen. But don''t tell anyone. Especially him, please, I''m begging you..." Kanawari''s two hands were shaking and on Lus'' shoulders "That human... might as well not even be human!!" Kanawari''s face was closed to Lus'' "Kana... You''re... Wh... What do you mean?" Lus reluctantly asked "Do you remember all those times I told you that I had to go somewhere else?" Lus was then reminded.

    Kanawari, ever since yesterday, has been coming up with a lot of excuses to go to the bathroom and many others, to which Lus found strange, but she wasn''t away for too long.

    "Yes... What does that have to do with it...?" Lus asked regardless "...The male dorm, has an underground conduct which leads to a laboratory..." Kanawari revealed to Lus "......" Lus allowed her to proceed "This laboratory was a place that Daniel informed me about... How he had any idea of my background is beyond me, but... maybe he kept an eye on my botanic garden, that''s the only logical explanation..." Kanawari took a bite out of her hand''s right nails "What about the lab?" Lus made Kanawari continue "It''s laboratory that most likely has numerous years to it, but what''s crucial to know is that it''s where I was able to get those effective injections that numbed your pain... They worked, really, but really well, didn''t they?" Lus couldn''t deny it as her left knee trembled "Yes... These pain-killers, are frankly not enough..." She confessed as some sweat was starting to show on her neck and face "Okay... This lab, has a lot of dangerous chemicals. Chemicals, if fused with others, put into a liquid bottle, are sufficient to kill someone. Far more, if I''m honest... Which is why you have to know, Lus..." Kanawari took a deep breath.

    And then told her the truth.

    "That water bottle was not only poisoned, but instead, it was mixed with ingredients that Daniel specifically asked for, to be ultimately mixed up together: a 200 ml of cardiac glycoside digoxin, a 350 ml of hydrogen cyanide, 500 ml of moonshine, and... 175 ml of spirytus!!" Lus understood nothing about those components "Lus, it doesn''t matter who you are, if you drink that bottle, you are dead. However, to make matters worse... This wasn''t the last time he came up with the request. Yes... Do you remember how Gale and Shizuku also "mysteriously" died?!" Kanawari asked her "...You''re not... serious?!" But Kanawari nodded her head affirmatively "Yes, Lus! All his ideas! Although, for Shizuku and Gale, he asked me to add... uranium 235... for some reason..." Kanawari couldn''t quite make anything out of that.

    But Lus was not understanding how this was all possible.

    "Kana... There''s no way it was the same bottle... I mean, th-that would kill...." Lus looked at her surroundings and tried to not attract too much attention "BUT IT''S TRUE!! I DON''T KNOW HOW, BUT HE IS ABLE TO DIGEST IT EVEN IF THAT GOES AGAINST ALL LOGIC!! HE''S NOT HUMAN, I''M TELLING YOU!!" Kanawari started to freak out "You''re not making any sense! There''s no way a human being could take all of that and live!!" Lus argued back "...I knew you''d say that..." Kanawari regained her composure as she had predicted this outcome "Take this, if you so doubt me." Reaching out to the depths of her skirt''s right pocket, Kanawari took out a mini bottle of 20 centimeters and offered it to Lus "...What... is this...?" Lus received it as she paused her sandwich on her lap "Everything he ordered me to input in the drinks. If you ever want to find out... just give it to him. Hell, mix it in a water bottle and give it to him." Kanawari looked vindictive "But... that would kill him!" Kanawari grabbed her thin blonde hair strands in fury "NO! NO! NO! AND NO! I''M TELLING YOU I''M NOT BEING DELUSIONAL, LUS!! HE DRANK THE SAME FUCKING BOTTLE FROM ALL OF THEM TWICE AND SURVIVED!! HE''S NOT HUMAN, GODDAMN IT!!" She got up "...No way." She refused to believe it "...You''re too stressed, Kana..." Lus adamantly told her "........." Kanawari was dumbfounded for a split second.

    She then looked up to the the cradle above and made her decision.

    "Fine. Whatever. Don''t believe me then. You''d know more about this than me, haha..." Swiftly, she got up from her seat and began to march into the female dorm "Wh...?! Kana, you''re not mad, are you?!" No response came forth as Kanawari kept on making her way "W-Wait...!!" Wanting to fix things right, Lus tried to get up from her seat "AGH...!!!!!" Her knee, however, didn''t allow for that, as she was stuck there with excruciatingly dolorous pain "Don''t... leave me...!!" She cried out to Kanawari, who was starting to want to swing into a different direction.

    On the other hand, he remained in obscure solitude as he pondered what exactly to do, in that perpetual state of mind, near the main room------in the partial right hallway with downstairs.

    Her infiltration was nothing new to him, but his sight abhorred her.

    "When are you going to stop pretending? You know that''s not her. You''re too smart for this. You''re the man who has devised strategies over and over in the past few hours. I refuse to believe this isn''t anything but an act." Hinagiku stood tall, for her small height, as Daniel laid his body against the wall, with a defeated expression "No good... She''s going to die... My love... will...." Daniel''s expression wasn''t something that Hinagiku could see from her perspective "I''m going to kill her." Daniel stopped breathing and instinctively tilted his neck upwards, to see Hinagiku''s dead serious expression "I''ll do whatever it takes to bring you back. So, if this is an act, cut it out. Let''s work together..." Hinagiku insisted "She won''t die. No, Yulia... won''t..." Hinagiku cut his words short "She will. Hyunda''s option signalized her downfall." Hinagiku was ruthless "She won''t die..." Daniel kept on denying it "Ahhh, is that so...?" Hinagiku was starting to get annoyed.

    There were a few reasons as to why Hinagiku reached out to Daniel, but she went with one of the primary ones.

    "Regarding Kanawari, when are you going to kill her? I''m growing tired here. Plus, things have drastically changed. It''s impossible to predict what''s next." Hinagiku looked at Daniel with unwavering cold eyes ".........." Daniel went silent for a second "...You want her dead next round?" Daniel regained his composure, surprisingly "That was our deal." Hinagiku reminded him "...Right... Right... Right...!! Oh, RIGHT!!!" Daniel shook his body in a weird manner "?!" Even Hinagiku was freaked out by his motions "How could I forget...!! That was our deal...! I have to keep my word, or else she''ll scold me for lying...!!" Daniel began to show delirium "You..." Hinagiku''s eyes narrowed "Alright, alright." Fully composed, Daniel drew closer to Hinagiku "She''s dead this round. I guarantee you." Hinagiku was alleviated because she saw the old Daniel back to her for a split second but wasn''t convinced at all "Elaborate." Hinagiku demanded an explanation.

    Five minutes remained.

    "I can''t elaborate." Daniel was quick to admit it "Excuse me?!" Hinagiku didn''t like that "It''s one of those plans that works when the accomplice has no idea how it works. If you can''t agree with my methodology, then I won''t kill her. I should mention though, by killing Kanawari, I mean-----I will drag her out, strategically, to the bottom." Hinagiku was undoubtedly curious as to how that was even remotely possible "Literally everyone will try to kill Yulia, so explain to me, please, how it''s possible to subvert this." She wasn''t letting go of this "I can''t. It''s something incredibly subtle. I''m aware that everyone is out to kill her... That''s why... Nobody can know about this. Yes, not even you. If someone suspects this, then it won''t work." Daniel refused to elaborate.

    Hinagiku was in a state of indecision. She held Daniel up high in her expectations, but sometimes, even he, was too tricky for her to predict.

    "It involves me doing something, doesn''t it?" She tried to reach out from another angle "But of course. You are essential here, to this plan. Tell me when you want to start, because the faster, the better." Daniel rushed her "..........." Hinagiku looked at Daniel once again "...Let''s hear it." The details were then underway.

    Meanwhile, as minutes started to go by, the students began to ascend, by climbing up the stairs.

    She was not looking forward to this at all, by a mile. After getting the treatment she got last round, she could barely stand up straight.

    And as she tried to climb one of the starting steps of the staircase, she tripped on one of the degrees by accident, tumbling her body forward by impulse.

    "AHHH---" Her face was right about to hit the edge of the upcoming degree, until she noticed that two hands were comfortably navigating her shoulders "Slow down, princess. Your time is not here yet." It was impossible to not recognize that overly arrogant voice but Akimiyashika had not the strength to refute it, as he dragged her body up, allowing her to compose herself again "......." She gave him a daunting glare "Gee, that''s the thanks I get from saving you from getting a 180 on your face?" Kawahara shrugged and sighed as he shook his head sideways in sheer disappointment "Red heads are bad for men, I swear to God." Kawahara lightly jabbed her hair from behind "I should have died..." Akimiyashika began to initiate dialogue, much to Kawahara''s surprise.

    The two of them began to slowly walk, side by side, as they climbed the stairs together.

    "I underestimated the game. What I really should have done was to be more mindful of my points..." Akimiyashika reflected as she had her head down "Daniel''s plan wasn''t bad at all. No one could predict that this mind-fuckery bullshit would''ve happened. But yeah, giving up so many fucking points like a retard like that, was nothing short of a clusterfuck!!" Kawahara insulted her by demonically laughing at her face "...I''m going to die. The gap is horrendous." Akimiyashika told him "Hold your horses, Yulia comes first." Kawahara reminded her "I''m talking after that..." She was not a fool "Oh." Kawahara noted "Yeah true. You, like most people, will die. A shitty game, if you ask me. Especially when you have clowns like that bastard hyping shit up like that. Truly disappointing." He admitted it "......." Kawahara kept looking at her as she remained silent "Do you like magic?" He asked her.

    She stop for a moment as she became dumbfounded.

    "Hah?" She had no better reply "Come on, I''m serious!" Kawahara also stopped "Stop with your jokes! I''m not in the mood, DAMN IT!!" Akimiyashika shouted at him "It''s not a joke, just answer the question!!" Kawahara''s face remained serious "What are you..." Akimiyashika knew not what to make of this.

    As she gave some thought, she had a fading memory where she and her brother where having fun-----mainly because he was performing magic tricks.

    More often than not, her brother would catch her off guard with really simple magic tricks like hiding a coin behind her ear, the levitating card, and the spoon bending-----when they were younger.

    "I do..." She bashfully confessed "Yeah, I knew it. It was all over your expression, BAHAHAHA!!!" Kawahara laughed at her face again "URGH!!!" She got grumpy and started to accelerate her tempo, leaving Kawahara behind "Wait, wait, wait! Holy shit, I was joking, chillax girly!" But it was not enough to slow her down, so Kawahara had to be decisive "I can do magic!" He shouted in her direction "Wanna see it?!" He asked her "...No... I''m not a kid, what the hell..." She scorned him heavily "Come on, it''ll be fun!" Kawahara decided to follow her up as he caught on to her pace fairly quick.

    Only another row of stairs remained, as most students were already on the primary floor, for the exception of the two of them.

    "No. Stop bothering me." Akimiyashika grew tired of him "What a bore you are. Fine, I''ll show you a magic trick for free, since it''s your first time..." Kawahara sighed but Akimiyashika didn''t stop climbing the degrees "I can guess with 100% accuracy who the target of the judgment round will be." Akimiyashika momentarily stopped "Yeah, right." She didn''t believe him "Arkalee. 100%." Kawahara told her "Righttttttt...." She ignored him and proceeded to the room as Kawahara was left behind with only a minute left "..........." Before going forward to the main hall, Kawahara had yet another reminisce of the not so distant past.

    <hr>

    The last minutes before the surgery, there was a conversation between him and doctor Almatorav, in his private office.

    He sat on the chair in front of his metallic desk with a large white coat that covered his body all the way to his angles.

    Doctor Almatorav, on the other hand, went over the details once again.

    "In exchange for a portion of your brain''s content, the surgery will go underway. Your new name, will be "Ryousuke Kawahara" as you agreed to." He organized the papers that contained the numerous contracts they agreed upon "Furthermore, your body will be remodeled and genetically modified according to the model that you proposed. You will be, for all intended purposes, a completely different person, Daku." But there was a part that didn''t make much sense to the doctor "Daku, you were very insistent on keeping the same personality traits." He pointed out "Yes." He nodded as his expression remained monochromatic "I only want to change in appearance and have a completely new identity. However, I must remain the same, deep down. You said this wasn''t a problem." Daku argued "Yes, I did say that. I was just making sure." The doctor got up and started to walk in Daku''s direction.

    He lightly patted his left shoulder.

    "Rest assured, she won''t know." The doctor calmly said "No matter what life you lead afterwards, she won''t know. However..." The doctor removed his hand from his shoulder "There is something that you should know, regarding her." Daku''s face became alarmed "What... happened to her...?!" He elevated from the chair, though he was feeling weak due to the regulations before the surgery "As you''re aware, it''s been more than a year since you last saw her and..." The doctor told Daku everything that happened to his sister "No... way... Akimi... You...!!" In disbelief, Daku had a difficult expression.

    The doctor, however, was sympathetic and understood that Daku deserved a fair share of comfort for his upcoming sacrifice, from his point of view.

    "I know where she is right now, or rather----where she will be." The doctor informed Daku "Where...?" He timidly asked but with clear resolve "It''s being organized. But it''s essentially a program that will put together criminals into a single school, in order to attempt to rehabilitate them." Daku thought of the idea as not only dangerous but stupid "But that''s ridiculous...!! You''re telling me my sister will be put together with other criminals?!" Daku, despite not having much strength, showed quite a lot of vigor "Yes..." The doctor grabbed a nearby object in one of his elevated shelves, that was a most peculiar detailed triangle "I am in debt to you. It''s not every day that I encounter individuals that possess your level of intellect and are willing to openly collaborate to this extent. So, as a token of generosity, I am willing to make some calls here and there, and you, Daku-------or rather------Ryousuke Kawahara----will be with her in that said school." The doctor made his offer "Naturally, you will have to behave like a criminal accordingly, but that shouldn''t be a problem considering your background. Therefore, your crimes and backstory will be entirely fabricated. But, it can happen, should you-------" Kawahara didn''t even think twice about this "GET ME IN. I''LL DO ANYTHING TO KEEP AKIMIYASHIKA SAFE, NO MATTER THE COST!!!" He exhibited tremendous strength and will, to which, the doctor was pleased "Oh...?" He saw this as an additional opportunity.

    After putting down the triangle on the shelf again, the doctor opened one of the drawers from the parallel shelf on the left side of the room.

    There, he took a hold of a steel-framed picture.

    "I understand. It will happen. But------I suppose this might qualify as greedy of me, but I can''t help but worry." The doctor kept looking at the picture of unknown context from Kawahara''s perspective ".......?" He didn''t oppose "Tell me. I''m aware I''m benefiting you, but this will give me another shot at life and I will see my sister again, even if... I''m a completely different person..." Kawahara showed regret "How thoughtful of you!" The doctor commended his attitude "Very well. You see, I happen to have a son and he''s a bit rebellious right now." Kawahara was surprised "You...? A son?" He was genuinely dumbfounded "Yes... He should be around your age, I believe... So, if by some chance you happen to cross him there, would you teach him a lesson that he wouldn''t forget?" Kawahara didn''t know how to interpret this "He''s an error of mine. One that should never have been made..." The doctor''s cold words faded as the memory transmigrated.

    <hr>

    "Hey, why not seat next to me? Your seat got taken, apparently." Kawahara told Akimiyashika as they both entered the room "........." She didn''t think twice as she didn''t want to be near Hyunda nor the other two individuals who she now has a bad relationship with "...Alright..." In the west side of the oval table, Akimiyashika took a seat to Kawahara''s left; to her left would be Tatsu.

    As 10 am rose to full height, there was only one thing to do.

    "ROLL THE DICE!!!" The next target for the judgment round was being produced as the dice had to choose between 13 pictures "........." Akimiyashika attentively looked at where the dice was landing "I told you so." Despite the dice not landing still, Kawahara went out of his way to lowly whisper that to Akimiyashika.

    It shortly landed though.

    "UGHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Her annoyed voice was justifiable, after all, being the target of the judgment round means that you can''t score points "No... way..." Akimiyashika was baffled as she looked at the smug Kawahara with her jaw open "Get going, Arkalee!" Basara ordered her "I know, damn it! Tatsu, please!!" Before she could be taken away from the guards, she begged Tatsu "Don''t suck his dick too hard, or he''ll go limp HAHAHA!!!" Hyunda diabolically laughed "HYUNDA, SHUT UP!!" Arkalee demonstrated a clear altitude of rage as she yelled at him "That had to be luck...!!" Akimiyashika still didn''t believe it "Magic, I''m telling you." Akimiyashika still didn''t believe it "That was pure luck." She claimed "Nuh uh." Kawahara denied "Bullshit, I''m right. LUCK!" They continued to argue "You stupid bitch... Fine, how about I prove it to you then..." His words enticed Akimiyashika "...Hold up, what...?" She was, without a doubt, certaintly allured.

    Kawahara decided to unveil something to impress her.

    "Do you believe in magic?" He asked Akimiyashika "........." She didn''t answer "No." Kawahara told her "No, what?" She was confused "That''s what you answered in your head." He clarified "......" He was right "And that''s the correct answer. It''s a load of bullshit, there''s always a logical answer to it, nothing is a coincidence." He added "But how about another magic trick? If I''m right about this one, then you have to believe in magic until you die." Those oddly familiar words, resonated deeply with Akimiyashika "What the... I... Do you, by some chance-------No, nevermind...!!" She found it too unreasonable to even ask "Alright, fine! Show me this magic trick!" She demanded.

    The guards were done with tying Arkalee''s shackles down to her wrists and ankles.

    "I will tell you who''s going to die this round." Kawahara pointed his finger right at the individual "Without a shadow of doubt, him." The sixth round would now begin as death drew near.

 Volume 27: Chapter 189: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part XVII.

    "Hajime Hyunda and Hirakibo Tatsu have over 15000 points." Andrea alerted them "Yes. At any time, it can be done." The president replied while sipping on his tea "But Hirakibo Tatsu''s case isn''t even severe. I mean, if it was me, of COURSE, I would want to have my finger back but..." Bryce thought about it logically "...There''s no way I would give up so many points for it..." He ultimately said "Right." Liyuga agreed and then proceeded to add "And a brief reminder that the 1st zone, which costs 500000 points, allows them to choose two other prior zones at the cost of 0. In other words, there''s a valid argument to not waste your points early on click and bait zones like that." Liyuga crossed his arms, as he became deeply invested in the game.

    The debate continued.

    "But there are options that reward you for picking zones though. Hajime Hyunda ignored those options and----for some reason went with that option." Skan told "As well as options that immediately reward you for killing other players. He ignored so many of those options that it didn''t make sense at all." Krale agreed "If I recall correctly, there was an option that allows you absorb 25% of the points of all the other remaining players to your account, which can only be applied if you''ve killed a person in this game. So, Hajime Hyunda, could have an enormous lead over them by now." Andrea gave them her reasoning "But we saw how having an enormous lead can technically backfire." The president retorted "Yes... Hirakibo Tatsu overthrew Satou Rayazaki by using the option that allows you to select an option to be applied to yourself, in which case was the option to be awarded with the highest points (+500) but the next round''s individual''s choice and point output won''t be their choice. It''s a very good option to use in order to gain a lead." Andrea continued "Yes, even if it comes at the possible cost of the person at the center." The president agreed.

    It escalated even further.

    "But hold on... Doesn''t this mean that we will have a repetition of the same events?!" Bryce noticed "In theory, it''s possible. If the option that Andrea mentioned is behind the option that allows you to apply to yourself, then it doesn''t matter how great Hajime Hyunda''s lead is; the person that is randomly chosen by the skull will be able to do what Hirakibo Tatsu did." Liyuga sweated "...He had the option to not make this possible, however..." Andrea narrowed her eyes to the individual on the top of the ladder "That is true." The president agreed "Unless my memory serves me wrong, there was an option that allowed you to erase an option for the rest of the day. And given how that option wasn''t too expensive, Hajime Hyunda could have definitely gotten rid of an option that would threaten his reign; potentially the option to choose one of the other options and apply it to yourself." The president concluded "So... why didn''t he...?" Liyuga asked "I wouldn''t know." He shrugged "After all, we are talking about someone, who out of all those grandiose options, decided to pick one that applied an abysmal bounty on Hikaru Yulia. They are smart, yes. But their course of rationality is not one that can be easily predicted." He sipped on his earl tea once more "Is it just me or are you guys totally emerged into the game?" Seok, who had been quiet, alongside his grandfather---doctor Hwan, asked all of them "..........." They couldn''t exactly deny it.

    Erigaisi saw this as an opportunity.

    "If you want, I could make some calls here and there to make one of you partic----" Their rigid and stoned expressions told Erigaisi everything he needed to know "Now that''s more like it!" He clapped to the air "Let''s enjoy the spectacle, shall we?! After all-----we are all dying to know who dies next!" Erigaisi spoke the words of truth.

    The first round would now begin, as Basara had the claim ready to be recited; Arkalee would now be the target for the unknown number of rounds within this judgment round.

    "Kitsuya Arkalee has a history with killing all of her past boyfriends." The starting claim was made "........" Nobody actually thought about the difficulty of this claim for even a second and made their respective votes "........" Tatsu remained with his eyes closed and Arkalee understood what he meant "But how many did you have though?" Nobody failed to vote at this point, as he interrogated Arkalee "Fuck OFF!!" Her expression remained utterly bitter "You''re the fucking worst, you piece of shit...!!" And she began to cry "Eh? But it was a legit question, no? What''s wrong with wanting to know how many boyfriends died at the hands of my ex-girlfriend??" Hyunda could not understand what Arkalee was going through at all "I will kill you and then myself after, I swear to God..." Arkalee solemnly vowed "I guess I''m not getting an answer to this." He concluded.

    The standings for the first judgment round of the sixth round were the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda (24574/25000 points)

    2 - Tatsu (18642/20000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Rayazaki (13214/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki]

    4 - Hinagiku (2444/2500 points)

    5 - Sana (2394/2500 points)

    6 - Yukishiro (2228/2500 points)

    7 - Yulia (2148/2500 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki]

    8 - Kawahara (2104/2500 points)

    9 - Kuzan (2040/2500 points)

    10 - Tateyana (2018/2500 points)

    11 - Daniel (1507/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    12 - Kanawari (1216/1500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour]

    13 - Stratos (1196/1500 points)

    14 - Lus Sera (1132/1500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour]

    15 - Akimiyashika (458/1000 points)

    16 - Ikkiri (196/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back)

    </blockquote>

    Something was noticed, right away.

    "Arkalee is out of the picture since she can''t receive points... How many points did she have?" Akimiyashika turned to her left and asked Kawahara "Her points were 2023, so she still has a slight lead compared to some. Although, not for long, if this keeps up." Kawahara deducted "........." Akimiyashika tried to open her mouth as if to ask something, but instinctively sealed her words away, out of fear "........." Kawahara didn''t fail to notice this, but made no moves.

    The second round would now begin as the upcoming claim was ready.

    "Kitsuya Arkalee has been admitted to a lunatic asylum at the age of 13." Basara recited "Just one? Bullshit." Hyunda scorned her as he pressed his desired option "I am normal... You don''t understand me at all..." Arkalee rejected Hyunda''s words "So normal you haven''t returned my feet. Give them back already." Hyunda demanded "N-NO!!!" Arkalee shook her head sideways once "Is there an age limit to asylums? Like, when can you be admitted here in Japan?" Yulia asked and Rayazaki replied "By general rule, if you''re under 15 years old, you can only be admitted to an asylum through court laws and shit like that, I think..." Though Rayazaki was confident, his delivery left Yulia skeptical "........." Rayazaki wasn''t pleased by her silence.

    So, Rayazaki approached Arkalee via an immediate verbal contract right away.

    "Kitsuya Arkalee, should you answer every claim truthfully, I will give you 1500 of my points by the end of this-------" Arkalee intercepted it immediately "Hell no." Coldly, she shut down Rayazaki "1500 points?! You''re gonna have to forfeit way more than that if you want to keep scoring with accuracy!" Arkalee followed it up "Why you...!! YOU''RE NOT EVEN SCORING!! YOU''LL BE CLOSE TO THE BOTTOM BY THE END OF THIS!!!" Rayazaki persisted "I DON''T CARE!! BRING SOME BIGGER NUMBERS TO THE TABLE AND THEN WE''LL TALK!!!" In the end, a deal wasn''t made.

    The results for the second round were therefore announced via the ranking ladder''s newest update:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda (24574/25000 points) {1 red light}

    2 - Tatsu (18834/20000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Rayazaki (13262/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki] {1 red light}

    4 - Hinagiku (3540/4500 points)

    5 - Sana (2490/2500 points)

    6 - Yukishiro (2324/2500 points)

    7 - Yulia (2196/2500 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki]

    8 - Kawahara (2104/2500 points) {1 red light}

    9 - Kuzan (2040/2500 points) {1 red light}

    10 - Tateyana (2018/2500 points) {1 red light}

    11 - Daniel (1699/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    12 - Kanawari (1290/1500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour]

    13 - Stratos (1196/1500 points) {1 red light}

    14 - Lus Sera (1156/1500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {1 red light}

    15 - Akimiyashika (458/1000 points) {1 red light}

    16 - Ikkiri (336/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back)

    </blockquote>

    Arkalee''s face stiffened as she looked over the scores.

    "Lucky bitch..." She didn''t make eye contact with her "So, she wasn''t admitted...?" Tateyana asked "Yes, that''s the case." Kanawari, who had switched places this round, was seated in Sagasuga''s previous place, no longer next to Daniel "It''s just like Sagasuga said, it''s very 50/50..." Tateyana stressed "...Not quite." Kanawari begged to differ "Eh?" Tateyana was interested in what she had in mind "Pay attention to Tatsu''s score from this round forward." She told Tateyana while whispering to her right ear "Something''s not right. He also only votes during the last second..." She further added "...Ok." Lus observed both of them with a complicated expression.

    Daniel, who had her eyes fixated on Yulia most of the time, was a bit vigilant over the score this time around and he would occasionally feel Hinagiku''s glance hovering him from afar.

    Alas, the third round would begin.

    "Six years ago, a piano teacher was found guilty for stuffing his young students inside pianos, locking them without a way to escape." This particular claim made some of them twitch their eyebrows "The fuck..." But Basara continued "It was found in recent years, that Kitsuya Arkalee was guilty of this and not the said teacher." Basara now concluded his claim.

    The interrogation began.

    "How much do you want for this claim, Arkalee?" Kawahara bargained "Let''s see..." Arkalee was open for discussion "500 points!" She made her price "........" Kawahara''s expression became stoic as he looked over his points "Is that a yes?!" Arkalee shook her head sideways twice "Or a no?" She didn''t move her head at all as she looked at Kawahara "It''s a no, you retarded bitch. 500? In your fucking dreams!" Kawahara proceeded to vote "......" Akimiyashika voted the same, despite having no ground for her vote "You''re 15 years old." Hyunda spoke to Arkalee "So...?" Arkalee was confused "So, you had to be 9 years old when this happened." Hyunda voted as he refused to elaborate "......." But this got other people thinking about the likelihood of Arkalee doing it.

    After their internal questioning, the voting session was done as the ranking ladder updated.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda (24670/25000 points) {1 red light}

    2 - Tatsu (19026/20000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Rayazaki (13382/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki] {1 red light}

    4 - Hinagiku (3540/4500 points) {1 red light}

    5 - Sana (2490/2500 points) {1 red light}

    6 - Yukishiro (2420/2500 points)

    7 - Kawahara (2200/2500 points) {1 red light}

    8 - Yulia (2196/2500 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki] {1 red light}

    9 - Tateyana (2114/2500 points) {1 red light}

    10 - Kuzan (2040/2500 points) {2 red lights}

    11 - Daniel (1891/2000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    12 - Kanawari (1290/1500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {1 red light}

    13 - Lus Sera (1252/1500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {1 red light}

    14 - Stratos (1196/1500 points) {2 red lights}

    15 - Ikkiri (476/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back)

    16 - Akimiyashika (458/1000 points) {2 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    "I should have fucking known..." Rayazaki regretted doubting the claim "Arkalee the nutjob, of course you fucking DID IT!!!" Rayazaki took out her anger to Arkalee "THEY DESERVED IT!!!" Arkalee defended herself "Fucking shit...!!" Rayazaki was showing an inability to control himself "I gotta adjust my point barrier, damn it...!!" Rayazaki reminded himself of the option that allowed him to do so "Uh..." Yulia wanted to say something to Rayazaki, as she saw Kawahara overtake her position "W-Would it be possible to dissolve our contract?" She reluctantly smiled in his direction as Rayazaki was baffled "Huh? Fuck no, what the fuck?" Rayazaki''s eyes widened "I gave up my points for you. Just sit there like a dog and enjoy your lead." Coldly, he concluded as he didn''t further bat an eye to her "........" Yulia was beginning to see a pattern.

    The fourth claim would then be made by Basara, the maestro of the game.

    "Kitsuya Arkalee has the habit of cutting cat tails and inserting them into mail letters for certain individuals." Disgust was brought forth this time "Why the fuck would you do that?" Kuzan questioned Arkalee "Do what?" She questioned "Don''t play dumb! The cats! Why would you cut their tails and mail them?!" Kuzan erupted from his chair.

    However, it was an act.

    "What the FUCK?! I WOULD NEVER DO THAT!!" Arkalee shook her head sideways once "I don''t believe you!!" Their argument continued "Oh... I think..." Tateyana noticed something "?" Kanawari was curious as to what she had noticed "It doesn''t hurt to try..." Tateyana voted according to her newfound perception.

    The results dropped in no time.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda (24670/25000 points) {2 red lights}

    2 - Tatsu (19218/20000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Rayazaki (13406/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki] {2 red lights}

    4 - Hinagiku (3636/4500 points) {1 red light}

    5 - Daniel (2833/3500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    6 - Sana (2490/2500 points) {2 red lights}

    7 - Yukishiro (2420/2500 points) {1 red light}

    8 - Kawahara (2296/2500 points) {1 red light}

    9 - Yulia (2244/2500 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki] {1 red light}

    10 - Tateyana (2210/2500 points) {1 red light}

    11 - Kuzan (2136/2500 points) {2 red lights}

    12 - Lus Sera (1372/1500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {1 red light}

    13 - Kanawari (1338/1500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {1 red light}

    14 - Stratos (1196/1500 points) {3 red lights}

    15 - Ikkiri (616/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back)

    16 - Akimiyashika (554/1000 points) {2 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    His sudden overtake could not be ignored, despite only being the fourth round.

    "He''s been getting every claim right..." The rumors started to spread "But how...?! That..." They had not the idea of how it was possible "I think I know how..." Tateyana, on the other hand, caught Kanawari''s attention as she went into detail "Unless it''s luck-----Arkalee will shake her head sideways once and it''ll be false... If she shakes it twice, it''s actually true..." Kanawari was skeptical "How do you know that...?" She asked "That''s because I voted no and it was correct." Tateyana deducted ".........." Kanawari saw this as an opportunity "...Don''t speak about this to anyone..." Kanawari whispered to her ear "........" Tateyana started to see an interest grow.

    Hinagiku, this time, looked at Daniel for more than a few seconds, as one of the conditions was met.

    However, he didn''t return the glance.

    The fifth round would be underway now.

    "Kitsuya Arkalee has collaborated with other individuals on pornographic content at the age of 12." Arkalee felt bashful immediately "WHORE!!" Not with the intention to sound angry, Hyunda simply exclaimed out loud "SHUT THE HELL UP, IT''S NOT LIKE THAT, YOU IDIOT!!!" Arkalee brutally denied it "It''s...!!! NOT...." Arkalee violently shook her head twice "...LIKE THAT!!!!" And with that in mind, Tateyana and Kanawari instantly voted.

    Due to the fact that there is a certain limit to how long some of the plans take to execute, there were far too many elements that didn''t allow for further inspection.

    As such, Daniel finally looked into Hinagiku''s eyes and Hinagiku got up from her seat, while earning a slight bit of attention from everyone else.

    She only had to walk a few meters around the round table to her left in order to see her.

    "What... is she doing...?" Kuzan was curious about Hinagiku''s movements as she stopped near Ikkiri''s seat and whispered some words to her ear "......." Ikkiri thought about it as she looked at the rankings "Alright." Ikkiri agreed "....." Hinagiku swiftly retreated and went back to her seat "...What was that?" Kanawari became stressed as Hinagiku''s movements worried her "I don''t know, but it doesn''t look like she made any contract with her... Her points haven''t changed nor have there been an added bonus..." Tateyana told Kanawari "......." But Kanawari was feeling alarmed.

    The first step was executed.

    Shortly after, the results were announced as the ranking ladder was updated.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda (24766/25000 points) {2 red lights}

    2 - Tatsu (19410/20000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Rayazaki (13406/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki] {2 red lights}

    4 - Hinagiku (3732/4500 points) {1 red light}

    5 - Sana (3586/4500 points) {2 red lights}

    6 - Yukishiro (3516/4500 points) {1 red light}

    7 - Daniel (3025/3500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    8 - Kawahara (2392/2500 points) {1 red light}

    9 - Tateyana (2306/2500 points) {1 red light}

    10 - Yulia (2292/2500 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki] {1 red light}

    11 - Kuzan (2232/2500 points) {2 red lights}

    12 - Lus Sera (1492/1500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {1 red light}

    13 - Kanawari (1410/1500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {1 red light}

    14 - Stratos (1292/1500 points) {3 red lights}

    15 - Ikkiri (756/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back)

    16 - Akimiyashika (650/1000 points) {2 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    Everyone had noticed it by now, henceforth, it was impossible to not capitalize on it.

    And since Tatsu was included, he elevated two of his fingers for Arkalee to begin with the other plan, in case the pattern was figured out.

    "It''s starting to make a significant difference." Liyuga noticed "Whoever is bound by an effect that drains a percentage of their right claims, inevitably ends up benefiting less, and by that margin, the one on the other end, ends up winning more. But if you ask me, it''s far more visible the points that you don''t gain rather than those that are transferred to the other person''s." He reasoned "Take those two, for example." Liyuga pointed at their respective profile pictures "They are practically about to cross their barriers as well." Skan noted "Yeah, but they are not the ones at the bottom, still. I don''t know how, but Rikishima Ikkiri has gotten every single claim right so far and the stupid bonus has been paying off!" Bryce exulted himself "True... How is she getting them right every time... Then again, so is Hirakibo Tatsu and Daniel Lead..." Andrea dully noted.

    The sixth round would begin now, as it would be halfway done.

    "Kitsuya Arkalee has secretly sold one of her cousins to the black market two years ago." The claim was made "Well, thoughts?" Kawahara questioned Arkalee, on the look for suspicious body language "......." For the next five seconds, she would not say a single word "Silence it is." Kawahara said "Yeah, it''s true! I completely sold her off because she borrowed my shoujo Manga collection without asking! I''ll never forget how she took all the volumes of Maid Sama!!!" Arkalee showed anger, which seemed to be utterly genuine "...Uhh..." Tateyana was dumbfounded.

    Because Arkalee did not shake her head in some manner whatsoever.

    So, Tateyana attempted to bring forth some other points to see how she would respond. Midst that, Kanawari would elevate from her seat and go towards a separate direction transiently.

    "Didn''t she steal it then and not borrow it? Aren''t you confusing the terms?" Tateyana asked her "Y-Yeah! I meant that! She stole it from me, without my permission!" Arkalee clarified it, this time around "Okay, so how did you sell her off to the black market then?" She asked "Connections! I had plenty of them back in the day!" Arkalee smiled "...Although you were 13 years old at the time...?" Skeptical, Tateyana continued "YES!! It''s really not that hard!! Men are so desperate for female attention they will do anything for it!!" Arkalee blatantly admitted "You would know that the best, wouldn''t you?" Hyunda teased Arkalee, much to her displease "Keep talking like that and your life will soon be at my hands, Hyunda..." Arkalee''s expression darkened as she murmured that.

    She decided to initiate the conversation now that she was by Lus'' side, right next to her chair, in-between her and Daniel.

    "Hey, Lus..." Kanawari''s expression was withered "........." Lus already had an idea of what was going through her mind "...It''s about the contract... Can we dissolve it, please?" Kanawari asked her, in the most gentle way possible as they crossed glances "Why now...?" Lus asked "It''ll be dissolved in less than an hour... Can''t you wait until then?" Lus calmly proposed "......." Kanawari twitched her eyebrows for a split second "I don''t think I... can, Lus... Because the difference is starting to become slightly massive." Kanawari replied, to which Lus didn''t actually agree "Well, calm down... It''s not "massive", we are both on the same wavelength, haha..." Lus felt like Kanawari was being a bit too paranoid as she brushed her pink hair with her right hand "That''s for now! But you actually get 24 extra points from me every time I score right! We are on the sixth round, and assuming this goes beyond ten rounds, the contract is allowing you to gain over 100 free points while I will score less than those, thus creating a 200 point difference between us!" Kanawari exulted herself slightly.

    However, Lus was still not seeing the reason for such commotion.

    "I mean... Come on... I gave you my points earlier... Do you..." Lus gulped "...Actually think that you''re in a position to negotiate?" Kanawari was startled "What...?" Lus then defended herself "I have to make those points back, Kana! And for that, the boost is necessary! It''s just temporary! You know this, don''t you?!" Lus stood her ground "Besides, what''s the big deal?! There are more people behind us right now..." Lus looked over the ranking ladder "......I see..." Kanawari held her head down and started to retreat to her seat "......Ka-----" Lus tried to reach out to Kanawari but her words escaped her throat "Yes." Daniel''s vote was intercepted by the system "Oh..." Daniel took this time to look at Kanawari''s expression from afar "That''s bad. She''s going for you." Daniel abruptly said those words, to which Lus could not ignore "...What?" She felt alarmed and distressed "Oh, nothing. Don''t mind me..." Daniel resumed his vigilance onto Yulia, who was starting to become more and more worried.

    But to Lus, Daniel''s words, this day, would come to bear an excruciating weight, as they already were.

    The ranking ladder updated at the end of the round:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda (24862/25000 points) {2 red lights}

    2 - Tatsu (19602/20000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Rayazaki (13406/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki] {3 red lights}

    4 - Hinagiku (3732/4500 points) {2 red lights}

    5 - Sana (3682/4500 points) {2 red lights}

    6 - Yukishiro (3516/4500 points) {2 red lights}

    7 - Daniel (3217/3500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    8 - Tateyana (2402/2500 points) {1 red light}

    9 - Kawahara (2392/2500 points) {2 red lights}

    10 - Kuzan (2328/2500 points) {2 red lights}

    11 - Yulia (2292/2500 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 50% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki] {2 red lights}

    12 - Lus Sera (2088/2500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {1 red light}

    13 - Kanawari (1410/1500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {2 red lights}

    14 - Stratos (1388/1500 points) {3 red lights}

    15 - Ikkiri (756/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back) {1 red light}

    16 - Akimiyashika (746/1000 points) {2 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    "H-Hey...!!" She could not ignore this any longer, so she shook his left arm thoroughly "What?" He was finding her rather annoying, although he technically benefited from her "Dissolve the contract! Your lead is immense, you don''t need my points anymore, dude!!" Yulia made her stand, which annoyed Rayazaki any further "Calm the fuck DOWN!" They started to earn some partial attention before the round began "NO!! GIVE ME SOME POINTS, OR ELSE THEY''LL OVERTAKE ME, DAMN IT!!!" She began to demand "YOU SAID I COULD COME TO YOU IF I NEEDED SOME POINTS, AND I NEED THEM NOW!!!" Yulia got up from her chair and revolted against Rayazaki.

    It was true. Rayazaki did say to her that she could, in fact, come to him should he need more points. And given the current situation, either Yulia earns 48 points (half of 96 points, which is the current point currency for this round) or she wins nothing at all.

    Meanwhile, all of the other players that are behind her, will either not win anything at all, or they will score 96 points if they get one claim right. In other words, it takes Yulia to get a claim right twice while the others only have to do it once.

    In a mathematical sense, her situation is prejudiced.

    "Christ..." Rayazaki didn''t want to look like someone who didn''t command power "Alright, I got it..." He pulled his chair behind with a swing, effortlessly "5000 of my points, what do you say?" Yulia''s eyes widened "R-Really?!" Yulia began to feel happier, as Rayazaki used his hands to remove his trouser''s belt "Oh yeah." He then directed himself to Basara, who was watching this unfold, as well as the rest of his classmates, who were speechless "Hey, teach! Anything is allowed as long as it''s within a contract''s length and directly involves the game, RIGHT?!" Rayazaki''s demonic grin showed "Yes..." Basara closed his eyes as he sighed "Anything goes, so long as the contract is valid." He added "That''s great, let''s get this going with, then." Rayazaki directed himself to Yulia "Yulia, I''ll form a contract with you that will give you 5000 points. This contract will be the following: An additional 25% of your points will be deducted to my account for the this moment forward until an hour has passed, but after that, our contracts will be dissolved." Rayazaki proposed to her "......." Yulia gave it some thought.

    On the other side, as this event unfolded, the student council began to question what was about to happen.

    "Uh... I am not... the only one that''s thinking what I''m thinking.... RIGHT?!" Bryce brought up the topic "If killing is allowed, then... I suppose... it only makes sense to not prohibit other acts, even if..." Andrea had a rough expression "It''s quite common, I''ll have you know!!" Erigaisi was more than happy to elaborate on the matter "Sexual intercourses are a weapon! Even more so, when your life depends on it!" Erigaisi made an aroused smile "Disgusting.....!!" Andrea felt like puking.

    The idea was proposed, but not the contract.

    "So, after an hour, the two contracts will dissolve and I''m no longer tied to you?" Yulia asked "Yup. You''ll be able to naturally climb faster that way." Rayazaki unzipped it "Alright, make the contract!!" Yulia accepted the terms "About that. You see, I need some benefit on my own." Rayazaki fully relaxed his posture onto his chair "......?" Yulia didn''t understand what he was implying "...I can''t believe that''s allowed..." Hinagiku reprehended Rayazaki''s attitude "Anything goes, huh?" Kawahara thought about it "Fucking suck it." Rayazaki ordered Yulia "....!?" Her eyes widened "E-Excuse me...?!" She didn''t take it well "What?! I''m telling you to swallow my dick and put it down your throat, woman!" Rayazaki was mad over the fact that she was not understanding something so simple.

    It was in fact, something that everyone had caught up on.

    "Do that and I''ll form the contract! Now get on with it! Or fucking don''t, but don''t fucking come crying to me when you''re down on the very bottom, with no one to rely on BECAUSE YOU GOT A FUCKING BOUNTY ON YOUR HEAD, YOU DIPSHIT!!!" Rayazaki''s shouts were impossible to ignore as well as the truth in his words "........." Yulia''s expression became shackled as she knew that there was no other way to do this.

    With each thrust, Rayazaki felt bliss beyond his knowledge.

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhh....." His voice leaked out as everyone else watched the motions of her head, back and forth "...This... No way, I''m never----Oh God-----" Kanawari felt the urge to throw up as she began to wonder if she were to ever come down to such a position "Yulia....." He didn''t take his eyes off her for one second, but his expression emitted bitter sadness "Alright, wrap it up, bimbo! We don''t got all day here!" Hyunda was getting tired of the lack of progression in regard to the game "......!!!!!!" Having taken it all in, Yulia was overwhelmed.

    Lus was horrified, but not for what most would think.

    For the first time in a while, she didn''t feel like she was safe, standing next to him, as his eyes emitted a looming despair.

    "...But was that even worth it though?!" Bryce, who saw the whole thing, questioned "5000 of his points! His point barrier is 20000! That just can''t be right!" Bryce was trying to filter out the logic behind Rayazaki''s sudden choice "There''s so much fun in madness, isn''t there?!" Erigaisi talked eagerly to the shaken Bryce "Huh...?!" He didn''t agree "Just look how motivated he is!" Erigaisi pointed at him, as the cameras switched mainly over to his reaction as the crowd demands it "What does this mean?! How will he react?! What will he come up with?! And more importantly..." The unspoken sentence was heard the loudest.

    The seventh round would now start, as Yulia and Rayazaki had concluded their activity; resulting in the formation of the contract where Yulia would be awarded with 5000 of Rayazaki''s points, in exchange for an additional 25% point deduction from Yulia''s account in the upcoming hour.

    "Kitsuya Arkalee collects the body parts of all of her past boyfriends, including their genitalia, which she kept inside several jars in her house''s cave." Nothing about this was surprising anymore "A brief reminder: the fifth claim said she made collaborated pornographic content at the age of 12 and we all noticed this was in fact, true." Hyunda remarked "It''s not FUCKING LIKE THAT!!!" Arkalee impulsively replied "By the way, was it consensual or were you raped?" Hyunda, with no remorse whatsoever, asked, genuinely curious "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" To Arkalee''s screams, Hyunda couldn''t stop laughing it off.

    Tatsu wasn''t happy as to how Arkalee was missing the track here.

    "Arkalee, true or not?" He asked, to which Arkalee decided to follow his lead "......" After ten seconds, she replied "Yeah, what of it?" Arkalee''s face turned cold "They were all scum and deserved to have their dicks chopped off!!" Arkalee didn''t back down "Now I know which option she''s gonna pick if you''re ever on the center again, Hyunda." Sana lowly laughed "If." He added.

    With thirty seconds on the clock, Daniel wasn''t feeling entirely in a rational mood.

    Thus, he got up from his chair, which alerted Lus for a split second.

    "Daniel, where are you going..." Lus had a bad feeling about this as Daniel no longer felt like he could be normally approached.

    His point of interest was one of individuals at the bottom of the rankings.

    "Can I have a minute of your time?" With dead eyes, Daniel glanced upon him, as he became nervous "...What...?" Daniel squatted down and then whispered the deal to his ear "...Hold the fuck up... What is going on? First Hinagiku and now him...?" Tateyana found this strange "......" Kanawari was starting to breathe faster by the minute, out of sheer anxiety "....I accept." Stratos confirmed it to Daniel and Daniel went back to his seat "Hey, hey, hey!!" Rayazaki shouted in Daniel''s direction, which made him halt "What the hell are you two whispering about?! SHARE WITH THE CLASS, PUSSY!!" Daniel looked at him with hollow eyes "You want to know how you''re going to die that badly?" Rayazaki became paralyzed "Wh----HAHAHAH!!!" But he just laughed it off as he saw Daniel going back to his seat.

    Just before all the votings were made, Rayazaki ordered Yulia.

    "Find out what he told him at the start of the next round." Yulia nodded "Got it." Resolved, Yulia was on a mission as her target was Stratos, who was not too far away to her right "Daniel...?" Lus talked to Daniel, who decided to cast a glance on her "What''s up? Are you in pain, Lus? I think we''re made from the same cloth, then." Daniel emphasized "That''s... not funny..." She didn''t laugh one bit despite Daniel''s nihilistic small laughter "I know you probably won''t listen to this since you love her but... Please, it''s not her..." Lus tried to put some sense in Daniel''s head "I know, but that''s alright." Daniel confessed "Then... Why are you acting like----" Daniel then followed it up "But it''s enough. I don''t care who''s behind it. It will do. I''ll correct her from scratch and make her into the Yulia I know......" Lus began to lose hope as she saw Daniel''s eyes become vicious "Lus, I''ve been meaning to ask you something." Daniel changed the subject.

    Meanwhile, the rankings updated:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda (24862/25000 points) {3 red lights}

    2 - Tatsu (19794/20000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Rayazaki (8406/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the rest of the upcoming hour] {4 red lights}

    4 - Yulia (8292/10000 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the upcoming hour] {3 red lights}

    5 - Hinagiku (3732/4500 points) {3 red lights}

    6 - Sana (3682/4500 points) {3 red lights}

    7 - Yukishiro (3612/4500 points) {2 red lights}

    8 - Daniel (3409/3500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    9 - Tateyana (2498/2500 points) {1 red light}

    10 - Kawahara (2488/2500 points) {2 red lights}

    11 - Kuzan (2328/2500 points) {3 red lights}

    12 - Lus Sera (2112/2500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {2 red lights}

    13 - Kanawari (1484/1500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {2 red lights}

    14 - Stratos (1388/1500 points) {4 red lights}

    15 - Ikkiri (896/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back) {1 red light}

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    16 - Akimiyashika (746/1000 points) {3 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    "AH FUCK, SO CLOSE!!!" Tateyana slammed her fists on the table as she couldn''t break the point barrier "He''s getting every single one right... As I thought, patterns work against me, rather than working in my favor..." Tatsu deduced "Our positions are equal in that regard, but it would be wise to prive him out of points if possible..." He then proceeded to make the necessary calculations in his head.

    Lus widened her eyes as she heard Daniel''s question.

    "Stop that. Right now..." Lus made a killer expression towards the monochrome Daniel "Why? You''ve noticed how she looks at you. For how long are you going to run away from it?" Daniel further pursued "She... wouldn''t do that! We''re best friends! No, she... wouldn''t...!!" Lus shook her head over and over "In denial, oh well---I guess you didn''t learn from those three. That''s fine." Daniel started to detach himself from Lus "Hey, you said that you''d reward me with undying loyalty and so far, you have done exactly that---sorta---so here is one." Daniel looked into her shaky eyes.

    Then Lus was bombarded with his request.

    "Kill yourself." Lus pondered for a few seconds if those words were actually said to her or not "You''re a liability. By killing yourself, you are dying on your own terms, you get to keep your honor. Nobody can sully your death if you die on your own terms. But more importantly, you don''t actually contribute to the other players------" Lus tried to speak amidst his rapidfire speech "What---the hell did you just----" But he continued "Your life in this game, has actual value. Sooner or later, someone will be rewarded for your life, because the points you have, will be transferred to that person, upon your death------" Lus spoke loud this time "YOU''RE OUT OF YOUR GODDAMN MIND!!!!" Lus snapped at Daniel violently "STOP TALKING TO ME!!!" If she could move away, she would, but due to her physical condition, Lus was tied to her chair "Hey, what''s going on over there...?" People began to suspect their argument "Friendship is not real, Lus. Not when your life is on the line." Daniel left her with those last words "Not another word." Her voice became the coldest yet as their relationship became bitter.

    The eighth round would now begin.

    "Kitsuya Arkalee''s uncle, Kitsuya Reinin, has been accused of sexual assault onto the nine-year old Kitsuya Arkalee and is serving a life-time sentence." Basara laid out the claim "......!!!!" Arkalee''s expression became enraged "That would explain why she''s so fucking twisted." Akimiyashika murmured "True... I don''t doubt this happened, but again... There''s an easier way to go about this..." Kawahara had already noticed the pattern.

    And Tatsu had already noticed that they noticed the pattern.

    "Arkalee, tell me the truth, is it true or false?" Tatsu came forth as he elevated three of his fingers this time "He raised his fingers again. There''s another pattern coming..." Tateyana didn''t fail to catch that "......" And Arkalee proceeded with the plan "I honestly can''t remember." Arkalee feigned ignorance "Oh fuck off with your bullshit and just answer the damn question!" Kawahara demanded from her "...No, I''m serious." Arkalee''s expression looked rigid "...Sorry, Tatsu..." She became apologetic.

    Without much to go around, Tatsu waited until the very last second in order to vote, and thus, the results came forth in the newly updated ranking ladder.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda (24958/25000 points) {3 red lights}

    2 - Tatsu (19986/20000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Rayazaki (8478/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the rest of the upcoming hour] {5 red lights}

    4 - Yulia (8316/10000 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the upcoming hour] {3 red lights}

    5 - Sana (3778/4500 points) {3 red lights}

    6 - Hinagiku (3732/4500 points) {4 red lights}

    7 - Yukishiro (3708/4500 points) {2 red lights}

    8 - Daniel (3409/3500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] {1 red light}

    9 - Kawahara (3584/4500 points) {2 red lights}

    10 - Tateyana (2498/2500 points) {2 red lights}

    11 - Kuzan (2424/2500 points) {3 red lights}

    12 - Lus Sera (2112/2500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {3 red lights}

    13 - Kanawari (1484/1500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {3 red lights}

    14 - Stratos (1484/1500 points) {4 red lights}

    15 - Ikkiri (1036/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back) {1 red light}

    16 - Akimiyashika (842/1000 points) {3 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    "Oh shit, he finally didn''t score!" Seok, who had been paying attention to Daniel''s score, exulted himself and jumped from the couch without noticing "Simmer down, child!" Doctor Hwan found his behavior a bit excessive "I am confused... Does Rikishima Ikkiri''s boost decreasement effect only take effect if she gets a claim wrong in a row? Because so far, she only got one wrong and it didn''t decrease her points then..." Skan theorized "Yes, it''s exactly like that. But frankly, even I find it absurd how often she''s scoring. If this is entirely based on body language alone and from presented patterns, then she can be a fearsome foe..." Andrea delivered "It''s still so dumb to me. Satou Rayazaki threw such a lead just for the sake of his ego." Bryce could not accept the decision "Besides, she''s only receiving 24 points now! 75% of her points are literally gone for the next hour!! I''m aware it''s ultra bad for her, but for Satou Rayazaki to make his way up, he has to adjust that point barrier!!" Bryce continued to throw his opinions "Not necessarily, Bryce." Liyuga intervened "What?" Liyuga reminded Bryce of something relatively obvious.

    One of the factors highlighted in the previous round.

    "Kill a player yourself, and that player''s points will be transferred to you. Do that, and the point barrier no longer is much of an issue." Liyuga told Bryce "But that only applies if you really kill a player with a lot of points! He needs over 11000 points to break his barrier, so the only logical choices right now are Hajime Hyunda and Hirakibo Tatsu, WHICH WILL NOT BE CHOSEN SINCE THEY ARE NOT AT THE BOTTOM, unlike someone like Izayoi Akimiyashika." Bryce was on point "Yes, but we already went over the fact that it doesn''t matter who is higher or not; if you can pull out the combo of switching the target of the execution round with the one with the highest points then you will------" Krale was about to conclude his sentence "Hmpf." The president felt humorous as most of the student body realized the critical flaw "That''s right. Just because you can do it, it doesn''t mean you should." By now, the flaw was evident.

    Yulia, who had gotten some valuable information out of Stratos, returned to Rayazaki, before the ninth round.

    "This is bad...!!" Yulia''s face was torn with stress "...?" Rayazaki prompted her to tell her everything as she whispered it "He said that Daniel would give him half of his points if he chose you in the upcoming round to be swapped with whoever ends at the bottom, if he gets a turn!!" Rayazaki''s face became perplexed "Are you fucking-----" He glanced at Daniel from afar, who happened to be looking at Rayazaki with mocking eyes "GHHHHHH!!!!" Enraged, Rayazaki felt like crushing his own desk with his fists.

    To counter this and ensure Rayazaki''s safety, she proposed something logical.

    "Why not go around and propose that you''ll give more than that to anyone who puts him in the center in the same way?" Yulia proposed ".....!!!" Rayazaki was stunned at her suggestion "That''s... Shit, that''s actually not bad at all...!!" Rayazaki was fond of the suggestion "But I can''t waste too many points... I need to adjust my point barrier first..." Rayazaki was starting to show reluctance "But... How else are you supposed to convince the others to switch places with him?!" Yulia didn''t agree that now was the time to be hesitant "........" Rayazaki didn''t want to admit that she had a point "...But I can''t go any lower than...!!" He was starting to slowly realize that his bargain chips came at a tremendous cost, from here on "Well... He proposed half of his points to Stratos, so... If we take that into consideration, all you need to offer is slightly above the cut. How many will it require?" Yulia asked Rayazaki, who made the calculations "...Assuming he breaks his point barrier soon, he would be around..." He looked at Daniel''s points "...Somewhere between 7500 and 8000 points, so he''s essentially offering 4000 points to Stratos... And of course, he accepted the offer because he''s at the fucking bottom!!!" Rayazaki came to the conclusion "So, offer 5000 points to everyone in the room in exchange for putting him at the very center, no?" Yulia proposed "Alright, go and tell him that then." Rayazaki ordered Yulia and Rayazaki started to make his preparations.

    The ninth round would begin shortly.

    "A lot of motion between the players, eh?" Seok was amused "Negotiations are a must in this game." The president sipped on his tea "Hey, how many rounds will this judgment round have anyways?" Seok asked his grandfather "Twelve." He replied with a grumpy voice "So three more to go... But in theory, for them, they are probably thinking that this will end in the next round, so they will most likely pull out their big guns earlier." Liyuga said "Yes... Well, let''s watch and be quiet." Andrea demanded their silence as she grew invested.

    Basara would recite the ninth claim aimed at Arkalee.

    "Kitsuya Arkalee has been arrested more than three times for falsely accusing male individuals of groping her." Basara terminated the claim and all eyes were on Arkalee "......" Tatsu didn''t flinch and Arkalee knew what this meant "I honestly can''t remember." Arkalee, just like the previous round, feigned ignorance "...Sorry, Tatsu..." Arkalee created the same apologetic look as well.

    Thus, there was only one conclusion to take from this pattern. Anyone who had gotten the last claim right or wrong, would know the right direction.

    Midst the voting, within that one minute time-span, Daniel elevated from his chair once again; alerting Rayazaki, Yulia, and mainly Lus as she didn''t like where he was going.

    "No... Wh... What the hell are you doing...." Tateyana noticed him approaching, but he was mainly interested in the person on her right "Kanawari." He recited her name and Kanawari abruptly felt terrified as she was called "We need to talk." Daniel coldly demanded "No..." This time, Kanawari, didn''t move from her seat "What do you mean, no?" Daniel asked her as the two of them gained partial attention "I''m not obeying your requests any longer...!!" Daniel felt stunned at the impudence of her words "Figure it out by yourself, Daniel!" Shutting him down, Kanawari was no longer available for Daniel to use "........" He was speechless, transiently "Oh, alright..." He turned around "I guess you don''t care about who''s going to try and kill you...." Kanawari didn''t fail to overhear that as he went back to his seat "You----what did you just say---" But Daniel returned back to his seat.

    For the plan to work, there was only one loose string remaining.

    "Please------lend me some of your points----!!" Ashamed, she could not say better words because the intent was clear "And why should I?" He wasn''t feeling like it, as he made a bored expression, with little to no time on the clock, though the two of them had already voted "Because....!!" She was desperate and her expression could not lie about it "...I don''t want to die...!! Or go through that experience again, it''s horrifying!!" Akimiyashika was tearing up while feeling genuinely terrified "You should''ve thought about that more thoroughly before you wasted your points. Isn''t this deserved?" Kawahara reasoned "I----Yes, but-----!!!" Akimiyashika was running out of words to say, that to her, would make sense.

    So, out of impulse, she picked the set of words that didn''t make sense to her but hoped it would bring a different reaction out of him.

    "If I get chosen as the execution round''s target, then your words were lies and he won''t die, right?!" She didn''t point at him, but Kawahara knew who she was referring to "Maybe you''ll get swapped out by him, who knows?" Kawahara shrugged "Wh-----" Akimiyashika was baffled by the sheer indifference of Kawahara''s motions "That''s impossible! If I''m swapped then it''s only for Yulia!" Akimiyashika claimed "No, no one will swap you out for her. Definitely not her. Oh no..." Kawahara became serious "What...?! She''s worth 24k points! Of course I''m getting swapped!" Kawahara sighed at her assumption "You never change... You envision the result you want, but you are too lazy to go through the motions and figure out how to get there." He began scolding her, with his eyes closed "Alright, Akimiyashika. What needs to happen for my prediction to come through?" He asked her "....?!" She had no idea how to reply to it.

    Kawahara then told her the truth of the matter as the ranking ladder was updated.

    "I randomly said what I said. This game has too much luck involved. Me, pointing to that guy, and say he''s going to die this round? All bullshit." Akimiyashika was bashful for believed his words "You damn LIA----" Kawahara pressed with his speech over Akimiyashika''s "But despite that being bullshit, it''s possible for it to happen. Death is an open interest among us. And well, Akimi----" Akimiyashika''s eyes widened in surprise "Luck doesn''t last forever. So, without a doubt, if you end up at the very bottom of this round, you will die." Kawahara proceeded to add something else "1 billion percent." He concluded "So, you better figure out a way to increase your points, or you are, shortly speaking, dead. Shit, I can''t believe I''m emphasizing this so many times. Just fucking do something, what the fuck? WAKE UP!!" He snapped his fingers right in front of her face, which caused her to blink very rapidly "F-F-FINEEE!!!!" Pressured and desperate, Akimiyashika began to think of a way to increase her points, albeit Kawahara has said that he refuses to lend her his points.

    The ranking ladder is now the following:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Tatsu (30178/35000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    2 - Hyunda (24958/25000 points) {4 red lights}

    3 - Rayazaki (8550/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the rest of the upcoming hour] {6 red lights}

    4 - Yulia (8340/10000 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the upcoming hour] {3 red lights}

    5 - Daniel (7601/10000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] {1 red light}

    6 - Hinagiku (3828/4500 points) {4 red lights}

    7 - Yukishiro (3804/4500 points) {2 red lights}

    8 - Sana (3778/4500 points) {4 red lights}

    9 - Kawahara (3680/4500 points) {2 red lights}

    10 - Kuzan (3520/4500 points) {3 red lights}

    11 - Tateyana (2498/2500 points) {3 red lights}

    12 - Lus Sera (2112/2500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {4 red lights}

    13 - Kanawari (1484/1500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {4 red lights}

    14 - Stratos (1484/1500 points) {5 red lights}

    15 - Ikkiri (1176/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back) {1 red light}

    16 - Akimiyashika (842/1000 points) {4 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    "Th-That''s....!!" Akimiyashika, instead of worrying about her situation took notice of the first place "...So you planned this far... I get it now..." Arkalee mumbled to herself as she saw Tatsu overtake even Hyunda "That''s gonna be me in like a minute or two, so don''t get it twisted, alright?" Hyunda talked to the rest "Boosts are..." Hinagiku had an idea but by now it was beyond evident "Beyond essential." The president finished Hinagiku''s line "It is, statistically speaking, impossible to get out of the bottom bracket in the upcoming rounds, without a point acquisition boost." He added "Indeed. And as far as I know, the only way for someone to achieve such a boost is either by a contract with another player or for them to pick the option that allows the former options to apply to themselves; in which case, they have to pick one of the options that gives them the boost." Andrea closed her eyes as she said those words "At the cost of a body piece, though!" Bryce reminded her ".......Would I be able to do that if I were in their position...?" Skan started to ponder, slightly terrified.

    Stratos looked over to Daniel and Daniel didn''t fail to make eye-contact with him.

    Daniel nodded to Stratos.

    "Damn it...!!!" Akimiyashika entered a state of dread as she realized her end could be near "I was counting on this guy, who somehow knows the nickname that my elder brother used to call me, but he just refused to help me!! And what''s more, Hinagiku and Ikkiri aren''t going to help me----no, they want to kill me after what I just said!!" She looked over to Daniel "...No, even he won''t help me. Ever since Yulia''s come back, he hasn''t been approachable in a sense... I need someone who wouldn''t mind helping me, even if it meant that I would do something drastic...!!!" Her paranoia increased "I don''t want to die. I don''t want to die. I don''t want to die. I don''t want to die. I don''t want to die. I don''t want to die. I don''t want to die. I don''t want to die. I don''t want to die. I don''t want to dieeeeeeeeeeee!!!! I DON''T WANT TO FUCKING DIE!!!! I DON''T EVEN KNOW WHERE MY BROTHER IS RIGHT NOW, ALL I WANT IS TO BE WITH MY BROTHER!!!!" Her paranoia peaked as her brain reached for the most logical thought of them all.

    Her eyes landed on him by instinct and his eyes met her as well.

    The tenth claim was recited by Basara.

    "Kitsuya Arkalee has visited an underground black market, two months ago, with Hajime Hyunda." The main attention was directed to the second name "No, that wasn''t a black market..." Arkalee mumbled "Oh boy. Suddenly the pressure is on me. Whatever will I do? If I get the right answer, I breakthrough and if I don''t... Well, then what?" He posed the question to everyone "I can give it to you. But what do you have to offer that I want?" He continued "It''s just one claim..." Hinagiku was finding Hyunda over-dramatic "Oh yes, one claim! Free 96 points! Now, let''s do some basic reasoning: Assuming this is the last round before the final one, since you know, our teacher does announce that------I think he has to, because considering his personality, I don''t think he would give two shits about it------" Hyunda giggled as he got a death glare by Basara "In conclusion, there are probably either two rounds or three left. Anymore than that is possible, but I don''t think the crowd wants to see an all-out claim brawl. It''s boring! The only fucking good thing about this game are the execution rounds! The judgment round is boring! It''s a fucking self-inserted backstory arc that nobody asked for! So, with that in mind, can you really afford to be picky?" He mainly looked at those who were very close to breaking their point barriers.

    To entice further interest, Hyunda added a few words.

    "Oh yeah. To those that want to know the right answer, I will privately tell you-----and only you will know!" Hyunda''s words alarmed some "You-----" Tateyana showed great interest, as there were about thirty seconds on the clock "OK, WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" Tateyana got up immediately and began to approach Hyunda "Since anything goes, suck my dick and make me cum, how about it?" Hyunda made the outrageous demand "WHAT THE FUCK?!" Arkalee was not pleased whatsoever as she exulted herself "You haven''t changed your womanizer ways, I see...." Ikkiri as well, but she was less expressive about it "UHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Tateyana was blushing but there was something else on her mind "Twenty seconds to suck, five to go. Decide." Hyunda pressured her into making the decision.

    Which would be bigger; the desire to keep her honor or having the correct answer to get ahead of others, potentially?

    "FUCK YOU, NO WAY!!" Tateyana blatantly rejected Hyunda, despite him making the effort of distancing his chair from his desk to create some distance "YOU HORNY MOTHERFUCKERS NEED HELP!!!" Furious, Tateyana went to her seat and Hyunda sighed with his eyes closed "It''s probably for the best, she would most likely bite it off------" As Hyunda was complaining, a partial voice interfered rather quickly "I''ll do it." She took a step forward.

    Lus became static and unable to say a word as she observed Kanawari get on her knees, in front of Hyunda.

    "Oh?!" Hyunda was surprised by Kanawari''s approach "Keep your word..." Kanawari insisted as she gave Hyunda a daunting glare, whilst unzipping the trouser''s fly "Dive in." Hyunda invited her along as many were baffled by Kanawari''s stance, just to get a free answer.

    Bryce, the younger member, was feeling rather, uncomfortable as he watched the event unfold.

    "OK, THAT WASN''T NECESSARY, NO?!" Bryce mainly looked at Andrea "Yes, it wasn''t..." She agreed, though annoyed she was used as a point of reference "Bryce... Mind your manners..." The president scolded him a little bit "I----I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to, but-----!!!" Everyone understood "I don''t know, she got it easy if you ask me." Erigaisi begged to differ "Huh?!" Bryce was in awe "Shalyva would have to do some insane tongue stretching to make me cum in under twenty seconds! Don''t even get me started on Harini! If I didn''t know any better, I would say that the white-haired guy pitied her and allowed her to have the answer!" Erigaisi''s set of words disturbed some of the present members "Please don''t use such uncouth words, for the love of God!" Andrea facepalmed "Reminder that we are all minors..." Liyuga added "Especially him." Seok pointed at Bryce "Y-Yeah!!" Bryce reluctantly agreed "Wait, you mentioned two of your wives?!" It clicked "Not my wives! They are part of my harem in Mumbai!" Erigaisi then proceeded to add an unnecessary dump of information about his "harem".

    Kanawari managed to return to her seat on time and attribute the answer given by Hyunda.

    "No... That... No... No, no, no, no..." Lus shook her head over and over as she saw Kanawari voting "Where''s the honor at?" Daniel asked her "That''s not her... Kana... wouldn''t... go that low just for some points...!!" Lus started to panic "Mind you: She had to make him ejaculate in less than twenty seconds." Daniel reminded her ".......!!!!" She gritted her teeth "I wonder... Can that even be achieved without prior experience on the matter?" Daniel genuinely asked Lus, whose eyebrows twitched in doubt "No way, right? I mean... She looked like she knew how to get in the position all too wel----" The impertinent shout came forth "SHUT THE HELL UPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!" Lus adjoined her two hands against her head, whilst shaking "JUST SHUT UP....!!!" For the first time in quite some time, Daniel saw the underlying nature of Lus, as her eyes lit up an undying fire of rage "Mhm...." He felt compelled as everyone watched them argue.

    The standings were the following, now that the round was over:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda (37554/45000 points) {4 red lights}

    2 - Tatsu (30178/35000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Rayazaki (8742/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the rest of the upcoming hour] {6 red lights}

    4 - Yulia (8364/10000 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the upcoming hour] {3 red lights}

    5 - Daniel (7793/10000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] {1 red light}

    6 - Hinagiku (3924/4500 points) {4 red lights}

    7 - Yukishiro (3900/4500 points) {2 red lights}

    8 - Sana (3874/4500 points) {4 red lights}

    9 - Kawahara (3776/4500 points) {2 red lights}

    10 - Kuzan (3616/4500 points) {3 red lights}

    11 - Tateyana (2498/2500 points) {4 red lights}

    12 - Lus Sera (2136/2500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {4 red lights}

    13 - Stratos (2080/2500 points) {5 red lights}

    14 - Kanawari (2056/2500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {4 red lights}

    15 - Ikkiri (1316/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back) {1 red light}

    16 - Akimiyashika (938/1000 points) {4 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    "See? What did I say?" They hated his blatant narcissism "I gotta wonder if it''s even worth kicking people when you can just keep accumulating it..." Hyunda laughed "This guy...!!" Tateyana was outraged "DAMN IT!!!" She slammed her fists on the table "No, no way I miss the next two or three... It''s 50/50...!!" She argued "Just open wide and you''ll get it right!" Hyunda shouted across the room "GHHHHHH!!!!" She couldn''t fully deny the advantage of it.

    The eleventh round, the penultimate one before the final, would begin now.

    "Kitsuya Arkalee has in her possession allegedly, over thousands of stolen jewelry, including diamond necklaces, rings, earrings, and many more." Arkalee awaited for Tatsu''s signal "......." He formed a "0" symbol with his right hand and Arkalee understood the signal ".........." Thus, she posed silence "Oh for fuck''s sake...!! 50/50?!" Tateyana fumed "I guess there''s no point in sticking to patterns now that Tatsu has broken his point barrier..." Hinagiku mentioned "50/50 is the best way to do it." Kawahara seemed to agree.

    Though he was mildly surprised by Kanawari''s stance earlier and still somewhat is, Kuzan found this particular claim oddly strange for his liking.

    "There''s no way you stole that many items by yourself." He claimed and harnessed Arkalee''s attention instantly "Hah?!" She felt offended "So..." Kuzan ignored her "Someone did it for you. Is your family rich?" Kuzan asked "..........." Arkalee refused to reply "Ever had a butler?" Kuzan asked again ".........." Arkalee''s expression grew serious and a little nervous "Ah, so you have..." Kuzan then instantly voted "........." Many followed Kuzan''s example "........." Tatsu made an abhorrent look towards Arkalee "It''s not my fault that he caught on to it!" She answered in her mind to Tatsu.

    The results were inserted after the voting session was done, thus rapidly updating the ladder.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda (37650/45000 points) {4 red lights}

    2 - Tatsu (30370/35000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Rayazaki (8936/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the rest of the upcoming hour] {6 red lights}

    4 - Yulia (8388/10000 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the upcoming hour] {3 red lights}

    5 - Daniel (7985/10000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] {1 red light}

    6 - Hinagiku (4020/4500 points) {4 red lights}

    7 - Yukishiro (3996/4500 points) {2 red lights}

    8 - Sana (3970/4500 points) {4 red lights}

    9 - Kawahara (3872/4500 points) {2 red lights}

    10 - Kuzan (3712/4500 points) {3 red lights}

    11 - Tateyana (3594/4500 points) {4 red lights}

    12 - Lus Sera (2256/2500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {4 red lights}

    13 - Stratos (2176/2500 points) {5 red lights}

    14 - Kanawari (2128/2500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {4 red lights}

    15 - Ikkiri (1456/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back) {1 red light}

    16 - Akimiyashika (1434/1500 points) {4 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    "Huh?! How come they all scored?!" Bryce couldn''t understand "Takeshi Kuzan became too confident of his assumption, which created a domino effect. It turned out he was right." Liyuga noted "As expected of the master thief..." Seok complimented him "But holy shit, we are finally getting to the juicy bit!!!" Erigaisi celebrated "...Why do I have a feeling that a lot of things will happen before the execution round?" Andrea murmured to herself "You might just be onto something." The president agreed with Andrea.

    Basara, the maestro, followed the sequence.

    "Given that the next round will be the last round of this judgment round, it will be slightly different." The interest was captivated "...I don''t like this..." Tateyana was already negative "No, it''s a good thing. It was made to promote interest, so with that said, allow me to tell you all what happens to those that successfully score in the upcoming final claim!!" Basara commanded all interest as he would tell them "Naturally, the points will be doubled. Therefore, given that you win 96 points should you get the claim right, you will instead, earn 192 points." The tension grew as Basara was delaying the main topic "Please, just tell us what''s different this round." Ikkiri insisted "The people that get the claim right in this upcoming final round, will be able to select two options subsequently, instead of only one." Basara''s words proved to be staggering "W...What...?! Two options?! Not just one...?!" Rayazaki was stunned "That''s insane, right?! No, it''s gotta be!!" Tateyana claimed as the others kept thinking about the possibilities.

    He then added the final clause.

    "It''s, however, only available in this round, though. As I said, it''s an interest promotion. So, with that said, let''s get right into it!!" Basara would shortly announce the last claim "Two options... How will that work?" Liyuga asked the members of the student council "Tenma Basara said it was to promote "interest" so in other words, they most likely have intentions of upholding the idea of allowing players to use two options. It will, most likely, come at a high cost, but this is a good opportunity to allow them to see just how powerful it can be." The president deducted "Right. It will allow them to think more freely, however..." Andrea had a worry "...The person who will be the target for the execution round will be..." Their attention would now be shifted back to the main event.

    With everything to lose and win, this meant life or death for some, potentially.

    "The crime that got Kitsuya Arkalee selected for this program was: The killing of every girl in her highschool, which was organized by the creation of an only-girls after party during her graduation." Basara made the last claim and Arkalee''s expression darkened "Five minutes to go, so, use this time very wisely." Basara terminated his speech "Five... minutes...?" Many didn''t saw the necessity of this "They really want us to show them a brawl." Hyunda lowly laughed "Uh, so... Unless you get the right claim, you won''t get the two options which are very nice..." Tateyana reasoned "........" Their eyes traveled to the figure at the center.

    The one that holds the power to decide who wins those 192 points is no other than the person at the center; Kitsuya Arkalee.

    "They all know by now." Yulia told Rayazaki "All?" He asked "...All I could come into contact with... Some are just..." Yulia in the end, couldn''t contact everyone "It''s fine... They''ve been told that if Daniel approaches them with something in regard to me that I will offer them the said quantity. That alone is enough. Plus, Stratos will put him at the very center if he''s chosen." Rayazaki reasoned calmly "Yeah..." But Yulia was immensely worried about the more realistic approach.

    In her mind, this didn''t make any sense.

    "Alright, name your terms." Kawahara was the first one who began the instigation "5000 points!" Arkalee told "Please, be more reasonable." Kawahara was still serious "Oh, I''m being serious. Fork 5000 points and I''ll tell you the right answer to thi----" He saw the opportunity "Oh wait, I know the answer lol." The attention totally shifted as Arkalee looked at him with strong hatred "Hyunda....!!!" She gritted her teeth "DON''T BELIEVE A WORD HE SAYS, HE''S LYING TO YOU!!! I NEVER TOLD HIM THE TRUTH ABOUT THIS!!!" Arkalee angrily defied the possibility.

    Hyunda shrugged as he seemed indifferent to this.

    "No, no, you did tell me. Come on now, don''t tell me you forgot?" Hyunda tempted her "........." Arkalee''s expression remained stoic, without giving a sign "Alright, people!" Hyunda clapped his hands "To those that don''t want to obey Arkalee''s unreasonable demands, come to me and we can work it out! After all, we got more than four minutes remaining!!" Hyunda was happy to announce that he was offering his generosity ".........." However, they all knew what he meant "Sorry bros, but I''m only accepting points if it''s from you! 96 minimum! You can''t say it''s a bad deal, eh?!" Hyunda looked over to the male players "Motherfucker, you''re copying me." Rayazaki was annoyed at Hyunda''s stance "The wise steal, always." He retorted "Wise, my ass!! I bet you''re fucking lying and you just want to feel in control, don''t you?!" Rayazaki continued to defy Hyunda "Huh? No, no, any girl that blows me will have the right answer. I promise." He crossed his two fingers as if to symbolize a promise.

    Daniel and Hinagiku crossed glances with one another; which meant that the time was now.

    "......" Hinagiku elevated from her seat and went to where Ikkiri is "........" Ikkiri, as she saw her approaching, got up from her seat and the two of them decided to have the conversation now, since Hyunda was hogging most of the attention "Now?" Ikkiri asked her as she kept looking at the main table where the conversation is ongoing "Yes." Hinagiku confirmed it "Alright... But I have to ask; why?" Ikkiri''s expression stiffened "...I wasn''t told the details. I was just told to do this." Ikkiri sighed "And you went along with his words...? Just how far do you trust him? I swear, Hina..." Ikkiri couldn''t understand Hinagiku''s approach "Well, it''s whatever. Hit me up with the contract." Hinagiku got ready to recite it "By the way, if I hadn''t proposed you this and Akimiyashika manages to gain points to overthrow your lead, what were you planning on doing?" Hinagiku asked as she formed the contract "Secret." The contract was formed as Hinagiku and Ikkiri formed a very temporary contract in exchange for some points.

    On the other hand, Daniel got up from his seat and went in the direction of Stratos, which caught the attention of Yulia and Rayazaki from afar.

    "What''s he up to..." Rayazaki, stressed, observed with Yulia, as Daniel approached Stratos "Go and see what they''re talking about!" Rayazaki ordered Yulia "Ok..." She elevated from her seat and started to walk from the right wing in order to get a glimpse at what Daniel and Stratos were talking about from afar "It works." Daniel confidently replied to Stratos "If it doesn''t..." He was very stressed at the possibility of failure "Worst case scenario, I''ll back you up. I never betray my word." Daniel put on a solemn expression "Oh, really?" From behind him, Yulia sneaked him.

    Daniel''s eyes became enchanted by her appearance and the mere fact that she was breathing so close to him.

    "Yulia..." He slowly turned to her direction, where Yulia was, with a gentle expression "What were you two talking about?" She expressed enthusiasm "We were discussing the best possible strategy to save you." Daniel remained honest and didn''t lie to the one person he vowed to never lie to "........" Yulia was momentarily stunned as she wasn''t expecting to hear that "Isn''t that right, Stratos?" Daniel put on a stoic dead expression as he placed his eyesight on the nervous Stratos next to him "Yeah..." Stratos avoided eye-contact with the gorgeous Yulia out of sheer anxiety "She''s so beautiful..." He reflected "Stratos, it''s time." Daniel told him and he began to walk at a normal pace past Yulia.

    She turned around and wondered where he was going.

    "Wai----" She tried to warn Stratos, but got instantly alarmed by something far greater that required her immediate attention "Hnnnmmmmm....." His nostrils were fully able to capture her scent as Daniel sniffed her neck''s right side "!?!?" Alarmed, Yulia instantly retreated "Ahhh, it really is you... I couldn''t mistake your scent, Yulia. How many times will y-----" A hurtful slap rained across his face as Daniel was sent back by her "GET OFF ME, YOU CREEP!!!" Embarrassed but mainly outraged, Yulia yelled at Daniel as she created some distance "Woah, what happened there?" Attention began to split "Daniel got slapped across the fucking face, that''s what happened." Daniel was having trouble getting up as he couldn''t use his hands nor his elbows for some balance" Oww....." In the end, he had to use his legs to bring himself back up, but Yulia had retreated back to Rayazaki.

    Speaking of which...

    "Right now?! No fucking way." Rayazaki brutally shut down his demand "But I need those points right now, dude... I want to get higher on the list!!" Stratos began to show more emotion as he kept demanding "The audacity...!! Listen here, you stupid fuck. The deal was: I will lend you 5000 points, if you select Daniel as the target of your choice to be swapped when the execution round begins, not BEFORE." Rayazaki angrily emphasized "If you got that, fuck off." Rayazaki applied the pressure "...Daniel said that he would offer me all of his points if I successfully did the same to you..." Stratos confessed as Rayazaki became horrified "Wh-What...?! All of his points, to fucking swap me...?!" Rayazaki''s body started to shake in rage "Eh?! Seriously?!" Yulia, who was right next to Rayazaki, entered the conversation.

    Two minutes and a half remained.

    And Rayazaki had to think of a way to inevitable avoid this outcome.

    "...I can''t fucking give you all my points, that''s fucking absurd...!!!" Rayazaki wasn''t in the mood to be delusional over some unfortified wager "...Don''t hold it against me then..." Stratos began to show signs of retreating ".......!!!!" Rayazaki reached out to his left forearm and halted his movements "Hold the fuck up, you''re not going anywhere. Hear my proposition first." Rayazaki began to negotiate terms with Stratos "......." After hearing the proposition, Stratos gave it some thought "That''s--------" He thought it a second time "No, I''m only accepting that if you increase it by 1000 points. Daniel''s entire points for a chance like that, is very incomparable, dude..." He acknowledged "1000?! Bastard, I have to fucking fix my point barrier, I can''t be loaning so much money at once!!" Rayazaki complained "Then I''m not accepting the deal." Stratos became defiant "You retard...!! Daniel''s deal only works if you actually get chosen!!" Rayazaki retorted yet again "So does the one you initially proposed." Stratos replied "Yes, I FUCKING KNOW. Which is why, I''m offering you certified points for a deal that doesn''t even require you to be chosen, so make up your mind!!" Rayazaki''s voice kept increasing.

    Yulia had some particular thoughts on the matter as the clock was ticking.

    "So... That fucking creep is trying to get Rayazaki swapped by the target of the execution round at all costs; he even went around the class and from the looks of it, proposed half of his points to whoever got Rayazaki swapped with the said target. Rayazaki then told me to spread the information that he would give 5000 points to whoever swapped the execution round''s target for Daniel Lead... A few minutes ago, Daniel Lead told Stratos that he would give ALL of his points if he successfully swapped the target for Rayazaki!!" She looked over Daniel''s points "That''s no joke. I don''t know why, but this Daniel guy is mega obsessed with me. I''m not interested in knowing why that''s the case, but this guy is seriously hunting down Rayazaki! That''s 7985 points just to get Rayazaki in the center! No, if he gets the upcoming claim right, it''s 192 doubled. Over 8000 points!! But..." She had the idea down in her mind ever since the last round.

    Yulia looked towards the left side of the oval table, where the prominent figure of her doom lay; fully enjoying the motions produced by their mouths back and forth.

    "It''s not my first time sucking one for points... I got off pretty easy, I''ll admit it, but this guy... Maybe I should...." She became tempted "No... I have to attach myself to the very best, which means that I have to attach myself to point sources that aren''t necessarily the best out there, in order to extract more of their points cohesively. Rayazaki is experiencing a point acquisition decline due to the current events, so it''s safe to say that I''ll need to switch hosts soon. But who is-------" Her eyes unconsciously met Daniel''s from afar, as he gently smiled "...........This.... was not part of the plan at all, woman..." Her thoughts concluded.

    1 minute and 14 seconds remained.

    "And it''s done." The contract between the two was formed "...Do I get a saying when my turn comes up?" Akimiyashika asked Tatsu, as she stood near his chair "Absolutely not." He coldly rejected her "........" She was slightly annoyed at that "You''re an investment in a sense, and I need to get my money back, Akimiyashika. Don''t think that I saved you out of pity." Tatsu cleared it up "...Sure....." She started to distance herself from Tatsu as she looked at Kawahara, who was observing her all this time.

    She took a seat next to him with a defeated look on her face.

    "What else could I have done...?" Akimiyashika looked at the surface of her desk as she said those words "Suck dick for a few points?" Kawahara tilted his head "......" She looked at him with annoyance "No, no, it''s serious. I mean, just look at how many he has on his cock. Shit hurts to watch, my ego is on fire..." He couldn''t deny it as he looked at Hyunda from afar with a few selected female individuals trusting his word "Co-dependence is... I hate it..." Akimiyashika told him "I''ll do it... I learned my lesson...!!" Akimiyashika looked resolved "...If I get the chance to kill... I will fucking do it." Her eyes turned hollow "........." Kawahara finally saw some utility in her, but it was too early to tell.

    It was when there were thirty-five seconds left.

    By now, there were only two choice paths that the players had taken.

    The first choice path: Try and negotiate with Kitsuya Arkalee regarding the truth of the claim.

    The second choice path: Trust Hajime Hyunda''s word on the matter and take it for granted.

    Though many tried to negotiate with Arkalee at first, her demands proved to be beyond ludicrous, so most of the players were divided between betting it at random or follow the second choice path. A few girls went for Hyunda''s consultation on the matter and after doing sexual deeds for him, he privately told them, one by one, the answer.

    However, it doesn''t change the fact that there is no guarantee that Hyunda is telling the truth. Even so, some found it better to trust him on the matter as they saw that he had no reason for lying.

    For Lus, on the other hand, to keep her honor, she decided to stick to the 50/50.

    "...Huh...?!" Out of mere curiosity, she decided to check her points and her position in the ranking ladder.

    The last time she checked her position, she was allocated in the 12th position, with 2256 points.

    Time began to become far too critical.

    "HOW-------HOW AM I LAST PLA-----WHAT?!?!?" Lus could no longer hold herself as she saw the ranking ladder "Mhmmm... Looks like you got played." Daniel saw the ranking ladder as well as Lus nervously looked at him "Daniel, what is happening?! This has to be some kind of mistake!! I''m in the DAMN LAST PLACE------" Daniel swiftly interrupted her as time ran out "It''s not a mistake. It''s your lack of preparation and commitment." His dark eyes pierced Lus entirely as there were thirty seconds left.

    Given that everyone had voted, the call of the hour was nigh.

    "And now, low and behold!" Basara''s chant would lead them to glance over the newly updated ranking ladder.

    Which was:

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda (37250/45000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account] {5 red lights}

    2 - Tatsu (23254/35000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Yulia (8436/10000 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the upcoming hour] {3 red lights}

    4 - Arkalee (8023/10000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account]

    5 - Rayazaki (7580/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account] {7 red lights}

    6 - Daniel (7369/10000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control] {1 red light}

    7 - Stratos (4868/7500 points) [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account] {5 red lights}

    8 - Akimiyashika (4684/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] {5 red lights}

    9 - Yukishiro (4188/4500 points) {2 red lights}

    10 - Sana (4162/4500 points) {4 red lights}

    11 - Kawahara (4064/4500 points) {2 red lights}

    12 - Hinagiku (4020/4500 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control] {5 red lights}

    13 - Kuzan (3904/4500 points) {3 red lights}

    14 - Tateyana (3786/4500 points) {4 red lights}

    15 - Ikkiri (3692/4500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {1 red light}

    16 - Kanawari (3528/4500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account] {5 red lights}

    17 - Lus Sera (2256/2500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] {5 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    Although a little number of them was already aware of the ongoing changes that happened in that span of five minutes; most of them, were not.

    "What the HELL?!" Tateyana exulted from her seat "What''s with all the changes?! WHAT?!" She was beyond clueless "I knew a thing or two, but seriously, what..." Yulia couldn''t hide her shock as well "HOW THE HELL DOES ARKALEE HAVE 8000 POINTS?! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!" Rayazaki released his anger to the smug and over-confident Arkalee "Heh... Stupid fucks... YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD ME ALL ALONG?! BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Laughing like a lunatic, Arkalee took everyone by surprise "Akimiyashika''s score sure went high... I expected a change, but she got a nice deal off, although..." Hinagiku kept analyzing the contracts shown.

    There was far too much going on for the players to rationalize. It would take partial viewers to internalize all of the ongoing events in those five minutes to have the right accurate information in order to filter it out.

    Henceforth, all eyes were on him, as he gently put down his porcelain tea cup; ultimately crossing his right leg before addressing the mountain of events.

    "Let''s start from the very beginning, just when Kitsuya Arkalee was selected..." Through a VOD review, the president went back exactly when Arkalee was selected as the judgment round''s target "Pay close attention to the ranking ladder, for Kitsuya Arkalee''s name will vanish the moment she is locked into the chair." The president blessed them with information that they didn''t know about "Wait, that happens?!" Bryce was surprised "Now that you mention it... I never really did pay attention to when the name of the target vanishes from the ranking ladder as it only shows up after the last round is done like it did now..." Liyuga admitted "Right here." The president paused.

    He then zoomed in on Tatsu''s camera and then they saw it for a brief second.

    "He proposed a contract to her?!" Bryce was stunned "...It adds up why he scored perfectly now..." Liyuga murmured as he placed his right fingers on the surface of his lips "It wasn''t entirely noticeable because Kitsuya Arkalee accepted it without a second thought." The video was unpaused and as Arkalee was carried away by the guards, she managed to instantly press the green check option with her right finger "The contract that was proposed was the following: Kitsuya Arkalee will be awarded with 5000 of Hirakibo Tatsu''s points but in return, for the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier, the bonus points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account, by half." The president recited the contract "So Kitsuya Arkalee was never in danger..." Krale noticed "Indeed. Let''s proceed." The president wanted to get a move on.

    He pressed fast forward x32 in order to reach to the last five minutes, when the last claim was made.

    "Look at the ranking ladder and tell me if you see any new bonuses; implying the opening of new contracts." They looked at the digital ranking ladder available on the right screen "No... Also, I just noticed something! Hirakibo Tatsu''s contract with Kitsuya Arkalee should have exposed him on the ranking ladder since the bonus shows on your name regardless, but it didn''t! Why is that?!" Bryce questioned "That''s... a good question..." Andrea couldn''t deny it "Uh... What if it doesn''t show until the name of the person you''re contracted with, shows up?!" Seok tried to guess "No, that doesn''t make sense. Because Hirakibo Tatsu''s bonuses involving Kitsuya Arkalee were shown throughout the whole round right next to his name. That couldn''t have been why..." Andrea rejected the approach "Geh..." Seok felt defeated "That''s because new contracts with a person whose name isn''t shown on the screen during a judgment round will be hidden, albeit the prior contracts will be shown!" Erigaisi clarified "That''s... sneaky, no? And also, not fair." Andrea didn''t like it "The illusion gives entertainment!" Andrea sighed at Erigaisi''s predictable line "Back to what I was saying... There were essentially no new contracts outside of that one. So, let''s go, one by one." The president then unpaused the VOD and focused on the ranking ladder.

    The playing speed was at x4 speed. In front of them, there are four plasma screens with immense width and fair height.

    The first plasma screen shows footage of the players expressions, by circling around them, going through each player. This, of course, can simply be adjusted by pressing the desired number (if the number on the remote controller that is pressed is the equivalent of the player''s ranking, then the camera will be permanently focused on them).

    Following that up, the second plasma screen exhibits the wide variety of motions produced by the players and is labelled as the main screen since it''s through that screen that you are able to follow everything, in general. The distance is very balanced and more often than not, the priority goes to the players that are in question about something or have extremely high points.

    Next; the third plasma screen focuses on the player that''s at the center; whether it''s during the judgment or execution round.

    Lastly, the fourth and final plasma has the ranking ladder with the points and the bonuses available, which are synchronized with the ongoing time of the game. In other words, it''s impossible to have a delay.

    "There!! Pause and look at Mayabashi Hinagiku and Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonuses!!" Bryce, with a keen eye, noticed a change right away "Oh!" Seok paused the VOD with his own remote controller albeit the president has his own "They are also talking to each other... This was something I noticed back in the earlier rounds, Mayabashi Hinagiku went to Rikishima Ikkiri''s chair and told her something. This is without a doubt, planned." Andrea concluded "It''s very likely. This was the first contract in these five minutes, which was: In exchange for 1000 points, in the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier." The president, based on the screen and the point additions and subtractions, told "Uhhh... So, in theory, Rikishima Ikkiri, got 1000 points from Mayabashi Hinagiku... So, how come Mayabashi Hinagiku, currently suffered no such thing?!" Bryce couldn''t understand it "We''ll get there." The president halted Bryce momentarily.

    The VOD was unpaused and the next contract was spotted fairly shortly after.

    "That is most odd, I have to say." The president''s expression became stiffened "BUT IS HE DUMB?! HE IS, DON''T ANSWER IT!!" Bryce was outraged "Uhhh, so what happened?!" Seok, clueless, asked "Satou Rayazaki and Stratos came to a deal in the form of a contract which is the following: In exchange for 1500 points, the next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account." Andrea informed them "But it''s ridiculous!! He has a point barrier of 20000! Why is he giving away his points?! Is he THAT DUMB?!" Bryce was having a mental meltdown "It''s Daniel Lead. I don''t know what he told Stratos, but it managed to make Satou Rayazaki lose points. Although, it''s not a bad bonus, if I''m honest." Liyuga reasoned "His bonus with Hikaru Yulia will end as soon as the next round begins. I agree that this was a dumb move." Skan sided with Bryce "RIGHT?!" Bryce felt happy that he had some window of agreement.

    The search continued as the VOD was unpaused.

    "Ahh, so that''s how she got out of that position..." Liyuga said, as the VOD was paused "I was beyond certain she would be at the very bottom at the end of this, but she actually managed to pull it off." The president complimented her in a sense "Izayoi Akimiyashika approached Hirakibo Tatsu since she desperately needed points in high quantity." Andrea added "Yes. The contract that Hirakibo Tatsu proposed to her was the following: In exchange for 2500 points, Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over." They now understood "....Isn''t that kinda good...?!" Seok thought "Possibly." The president didn''t disagree "However, without this contract, Izayoi Akimiyashika would not have been able to get out of her prior position." He concluded and unpaused the VOD "Pause." Andrea instantly told him.

    It was roughly formed two seconds later.

    "Why did Daniel Lead decide to offer 1000 of his points like that..." Liyuga questioned "Huh?" Seok wasn''t understanding "Daniel Lead offered the following contract to Mayabashi Hinagiku: In exchange for 1000 points, in the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control." Andrea recited it "I get the merit, but... Was that really a necessity... What did it accomplish, exactly?" Bryce questioned "It''s a nice bonus, plus, he only had to forfeit 1000 of his points." The president replied "Yeah, I know...! But like, why would she accept it though?! She had 3000 points prior to it because she handed 1000 of them to Rikishima Ikkiri, for whatever reason, but to actually accept a contract that doesn''t allow you to play in the execution round?! That has to be DUMB!!" Bryce now fully explained his reasoning "Oh, I see. True, you make a point..." Liyuga admitted as he thought deeper.

    Five seconds later, the next contract was spotted as well.

    "Hajime Hyunda..." Andrea spoke that name with utter disgust "I think I''m traumatized for life..." Bryce confessed as he had to watch those entire five minutes "Hajime Hyunda, apparently by Gayakirima Kanawari''s request, decided to offer her a contract that implied the following: In exchange for 400 points, the next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account." The president theorized "That''s... a pretty bad deal, no? I mean, think about it. In the next round, the points you''ll earn per correct claim will be 192. Multiply 192 by 3, you get 576. How are 400 points even worth it? She should have demanded at least 500." Skan reasoned "You have to take into consideration the time of when this contract happened and the ranking positions." Andrea told him "Oh..." He then proceeded to look over the ranking ladder "Oh shoot, Gayakirima Kanawari was actually at the bottom when there were 31 seconds left to go?!" He finally noticed "Yes. Although a subpar deal as you said, it was enough for her to break her point barrier. By breaking the point barrier of 2500, you are attributed an extra 1000 points. That''s why she accepted it. As long as it''s enough to break the point barrier, that''s all that matters." Andrea further added.

    Which now lead to the reasonable conclusion as all the explanations had been made.

    "Lus Sera is the target of the judgment round, for Gayakirima Kanawari''s contract with Hajime Hyunda proved to be critical." Andrea concluded "With that said, let''s get back to it." She demanded "We can just follow it up from here instead of potentially spoiling oursel-----" Seok''s command on his remote controller, brought forth their greatest fear "OH SHIT--------!!" He accidentally exited the VOD and brought them back to the real time of the ongoing stream "WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU DO THAT------" Bryce exulted himself at Seok "S-SORR-----" Seok''s eyes were accidentally drawn away from the angry Bryce and instead, were allocated to the central screen "WHAT THE...!?" Bryce couldn''t control his emotions as he saw the conclusion of the round "NO WAY, HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?! REWIND, REWIND, RIGHT NOW!!!" Bryce demanded, albeit it was something that not a single person in that room wasn''t curious about.

    To understand and shed light on the subject, it''s necessary to dive back to when there was one minute left until the round was over.

    "I''m impressed at the lack of teeth, I gotta say." Hyunda fully relaxed his upper body as he saw Kanawari below him, underneath his desk, performing her duty "It''s usually all teeth, zero technique.... Some fresh air is nice..." In a rush, Hyunda put his right hand on the top of Kanawari''s head "Throat it, now." He moved her head closer to him "........GH!!!" Unable to breathe properly, Kanawari was forced to swallow every single bit "Suck it down to the very last, not a single drip of it will come out of your mouth, do you hear me?" Hyunda placed his cold white eyes on her "......." She didn''t neglect this duty from her.

    Impeccably, Kanawari performed the blowjob.

    "Alright. The answer is..." Hyunda whispered it to her right ear as she kept swallowing it.

    With fifty seconds on the clock, Kanawari hadn''t seen anything that was going on, thus, she had no idea about the other contracts. Hyunda zipped his trouser''s fly and looked at the ranking ladder.

    "Oh shit, you are going to fucking die it seems." Kanawari instantly turned around as she was leaving "?!" She took quick notice that she was in fact, in the last place, with 2128 points "H-HOW?! AKIMIYASHIKA AND IKKIRI WERE BEHIND ME!! EVEN STRATOS...!!!" Kanawari shouted, as she went over their names in the ranking ladder, with their respective new points as well as bonuses "I''ll spare you the entire lecture; they formed contracts and earned sufficient points to get themselves out of their predicaments. While you were busy sucking my long cock, they were making amends for themselves." He sighed "No..." She dreaded as she placed her fingers on her face "Such a shame... I wanted to try that pussy next..." Sana was disgusted by Hyunda''s behavior but didn''t interfere "I''LL DO IT, JUST PLEASE LEND ME YOUR POINTS!!" Kanawari didn''t hesitate.

    Forty seconds remained.

    "Kanawari, I''ll give you exactly no more than 400 points; which is enough for you to break the point barrier." Hyunda proposed and Kanawari paid attention to the board "I--------" She knew what it would meant "Please, give me more than that! 1000, at least!" She knelt down to Hyunda and begged "I''ll have sex with you as many times as you want, just give me 1000 points!!!" She smiled amidst the despair "Oh fuck no. Choose, Kanawari-------your life or your best friend''s." Hyunda pressured her "No, please...!!! Give me more points, it''s not enough afterwards...!!" Kanawari told her "...Wait..." Hyunda had misunderstood Kanawari for a second.

    A most grand evil smile erupted from the corners of his lips.

    "Are you telling me you don''t give a shit about Lus dying and that you only care about the aftermath?!" His eyes widened in ecstasy "Huh...?" Kanawari didn''t understand the necessity of the question "Oh, her...?" She twisted her neck in Lus'' direction "She''s fully under the impression that I won''t do it, but..." A most unhinged smile was shown "HUH? THIS IS A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH FUCK THE DAMN BITCH!!! I''LL DO ANYTHING TO KEEP ON LIVING!!!" Kanawari demonstrated her tenacity as Hyunda smiled with his teeth cackling "GOOD, GOOD, THAT''S THE FUCKING SPIRIT!!!" He clapped at her.

    "Ah, but no. Only 400. Take it or leave it. If you need more points in the next round, we can work it out. But for now, only 400." Hyunda remained in control until the very end "It''s up to you, my sweet whore." He began to form the contract.

    Lus fell into a deep state of paranoia as there were less than thirty seconds on the clock.

    "At least she got the message first. This means that between the two of you, one was clearly smarter than the other." Daniel cracked his neck to the right side "I''ll say it again; kill yourself. This will result in Kanawari being selected in the execution round, but nobody can technically benefit from your death." Lus'' head began to tilt downward as she had came to a conclusion "...If I don''t get selected, Kanawari will be selected..." She realized "Yes, that''s what I just said. But, you get to keep your honor. As I already said, if you kill yourself, nobody can sully your death. A happy ending for y----" Lus sneaked a look at Daniel with the will to kill "You planned this, didn''t you?" Her words never sounded more hostile "........" Daniel felt his life on the thread.

    His upcoming words would choose whether or not he would live.

    "Ever since you said you''d repay me with undying loyalty, I''ve been curious. To be honest, I think you''re a liar." Lus'' expression stiffened to the maximum as her eyes narrowed "And to expose you, I planned every single thing in this round. I pinned you against Kanawari, because I think you''re a liar, Lus..." He spoke with utmost seriousness as there were eighteen seconds on the clock "To die for your friend, you would be an amazing friend. If, by all means, you don''t object the fact that Kanawari sold you out and deliberately took Hyunda''s contract, you are an impeccable friend. If someone were to analyze the concept of friendship and used you as a pillar of reference; I would not find it illogical at all." He closed his eyes "But, you lied to me. Because by staying a friend to Kanawari, you are no longer pledging your undying loyalty. Your word, therefore, has no value." Her eyes widened in suspense "In a sense, it''s all your fault. But let''s see..." Daniel looked at the clock.

    Over ten seconds remained and Lus'' head was in meltdown.

    "I find it strange. Do you actually not have any ambitions beyond this cradle?" He asked her as she remained silent whilst looking at Daniel with impaling eyes "A life of your own? A dream to fulfill? Experiences you wish to obtain? If the answer is no, then... All the words I said are sufficient. If, somehow, yes... Make me your lifeline, Lus." Five seconds remained.

    The next five seconds would be critical as Lus purely acted based on her desires that she held deep down in her selfish, vain soul.

 Volume 27: Chapter 190: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part XVIII.

    "AND TIME IS UP!!!" Basara clapped his hands up in the air as the ranking ladder was still exhibited "Before we move onto the execution round, I''ll announce those that managed to get the correct answers, which in turn will mean that those selected individuals get to select two options if they are chosen by the skull in the upcoming execution round!" Basara would then proceed to announce their names "Hirakibo Tatsu! Hikaru Yulia! Daniel Lead! Stratos! Kyoko Yukishiro! Nasha Sana! Ryousuke Kawahara! Takeshi Kuzan! Kaneta Tateyana! Rikishima Ikkiri! All of you, have passed!" It meant, however, that those that weren''t called, didn''t have this privilege "Y-You lied?!" Kanawari was in shock as she didn''t correctly score "Oh, oops." He laughed ".....!!!!" Kanawari became visibly annoyed "But hey, I also didn''t score." Hyunda shrugged "You are shrewd, Hyunda..." Sana recognized "Indeed, fufu." Yukishiro smiled as she was enjoying the show.

    There was, of course, the mandatory reward for placing first in the judgment round.

    "Hajime Hyunda, congratulations you fucking worthless gigolo!" Hyunda rapidly accepted the reward that was blessed to him "Lovely." He didn''t mind the reward as per usual "AND NOW, WE WILL BEGIN THE EXECUTION ROUND!!!" Basara announced as the crowd went wild "Oh for fuc------" Liyuga halted himself "Language..." Andrea was not in the mood "I''m sorry, I just----" Liyuga sighed as he was disturbed as well "Guys, I''m so sorry, I didn''t mean it..." Seok got on his knees and apologized "Doctor, please control your grandchild." Andrea took her rage out on doctor Hwan "Seok, you imbecile, how dare you embarrass me like this?!" He chopped Seok heavily on his head "OWWWWWWWW!!! THAT HURTS, GRAMPS!!!" It was, in fact, extremely painful as doctor Hwan hit an acute point in his cortex.

    The lowest ranked player would be selected as the target of the execution round.

    "GAYAKIRIMA KANAWARI, STEP RIGHT UP!!!" Basara loudly shouted as the passage was open in front of Kanawari''s seat, next to Tateyana''s "!?!??!?!?!?" Her face emitted the most perplexed combination of violent emotions in that split second "W-WHAT?! I''M NOT THE TARGET, LUS IS!!!" Out of instinct, Kanawari pointed at Lus, from afar "CHECK AGAIN, I AM NOT-------!!!!" Unbeknownst to her, there was a significant change in the rankings.

    Not a single person didn''t look at the ranking ladder, which was updated a few seconds ago.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda (37250/45000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account]

    2 - Tatsu (23254/35000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Yulia (8436/10000 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the upcoming hour]

    4 - Arkalee (8023/10000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account]

    5 - Rayazaki (7580/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account]

    6 - Lus Sera (6256/7500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    7 - Stratos (4868/7500 points) [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account]

    8 - Akimiyashika (4684/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    9 - Daniel (4369/10000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    10 - Yukishiro (4188/4500 points)

    11 - Sana (4162/4500 points)

    12 - Kawahara (4064/4500 points)

    13 - Hinagiku (4020/4500 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control]

    14 - Kuzan (3904/4500 points)

    15 - Tateyana (3786/4500 points)

    16 - Ikkiri (3692/4500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier]

    17 - Kanawari (3528/4500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account]

    </blockquote>

    "He gave her 3000 points..." Andrea was baffled "There''s always a delay when the judgment round ends! Tenma Basara has to announce a few things and he took advantage of that to sneak that contract in, OHHHHHHHHH-------" Bryce supported his head with his two hands "NO, WHY?! WHEN THE ROUND ENDED, LUS WAS AT THE BOTTOM!! IT''S UNFAIR, PLEASE!!!!" Kanawari tried to reason with Basara as she was taken away to the center, fully dragged "But did I announce who was the target of the execution round though?" Basara''s face radiated apathy "Y-YOU...!!!" Kanawari turned her attention to the unresponsive Lus, who hadn''t said a word yet "YOU SOLD ME OUT LIKE THAT LUS?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!?!?" Kanawari''s anger exploded "You''re the one that sold me out..." Lus'' eyes narrowed toward the center, where Kanawari was being shackled against her will "...Kanawari." Her facial expression was frozen and there was only a singular thought in her mind.

    Basara would now announce the detailed bounty on the target of this execution round.

    "Low and behold, the bounty!!" On the wide screen, it appeared.

    <blockquote>

    Target: Gayakirima Kanawari.

    Points earned from her death (collectively): 384 points.

    Points earned from her death (individually): 768 points.

    Bonus reward: You may select a zone and acquire it at half of its original price.

    </blockquote>

    "Ehh... It''s kinda... like... Why now?" Tateyana didn''t really like the bonus reward "Is it even worth it to waste your points on a zone this early anyhow?" Yukishiro asked Hyunda "Who knows?" He shrugged "You played the game, so tell us." Sana insisted "Find out by yourself, Sana." He retorted "Useless..." She clicked her tongue "At least the points increased, but... 768 points seem kinda little..." Kuzan complained "I need more points..." He added.

    There were many opinions on this, but the main attraction was not the bounty, at all.

    Without delay, after seeing the nervous and paranoid Kanawari, who wouldn''t stop screaming-----ultimately now locked and tied to the chair-----Basara commenced the rhythm of chaos.

    "SPIN THE FUCKING SKULL!!!" Basara''s voice chant seemed demonic to Kanawari, who began to cry out of desperation "Wait... We know how it ends, but... we didn''t saw who killed----" Andrea interrupted Skan "Quiet." Skan''s lips were sealed as he feared the attentive Andrea, whose eyes fully wide open "............" The suspense grew as they watch the uncaring fire skull go through 16 pictures.

    For a beginning, there is always an end.

    It landed, ultimately.

    "KUZAN, YOU''RE UP!!!" Momentarily, Kanawari stopped crying as she saw that Kuzan was chosen "........" Hyunda thought if it was worth it "No, my audience deems it necessary that this happens." He murmured as he concluded "K-Kuzan.....!!" Kanawari smiled to Kuzan "Heya Kana! You''re in a pretty rough shape..." Kuzan lamented "I-----" She gulped "I------" She gulped again as she had trouble speaking "I really hate this game, I am going to keep it real with you..." Kuzan took a heavy breath "Kuzan, please....!!!!" Kanawari wouldn''t stop sobbing "Please... Please don''t... kill me...!!!" She begged dramatically "Oh, I won''t." Kuzan was quick to deny it ".....!?" Kanawari became rather alarmed.

    But Kuzan only had one thing in mind, which led him to forfeit 100 of his points.

    "He can choose two options...!! Is he going for the kill?!" Tateyana gulped "Of course he''s not." Kawahara rejected the idea "Kuzan may be an idiot, but he understands how money works. If you understand how money works, then..." Kawahara halted his breath "Your odds at winning this game are absurdly high..." The options were chosen without hesitation as Kuzan pinned them down.

    He first tracked the option by observing which options contained the symbol of "%" and then took almost the entirety of the one minute to observe just how many options he could apply to himself.

    "My first option will be option 13!!" Kuzan demanded "What...?!" Bryce didn''t understand Kuzan''s approach "I also don''t follow... I mean, the path of victory here is VERY OBVIOUS if you have the option to pick two options!!" Skan couldn''t comprehend as well.

    Option 13 reads as the following: Gayakirima Kanawari''s choker''s red lights will be depleted by 4; you will earn a 50% point acquisition boost for the next three hours.

    Therefore, it was immediately applied, as Kanawari was down to a singular red light on her choker.

    However, since Kuzan is able to pick another option, he went for it.

    "I''ll then pick option 68, which allows me to apply an option that''s beneath the other 67 options, to myself." Kuzan released a heavy deep breath "I choose option 25!!!" Without reluctance, Kuzan made his decision "He''s getting serious, it seems..." Sana noted "Maybe the reality check has finally come through!" Hyunda laughed as Kuzan''s desk''s front was open, which allowed the two guards carrying the variety of deadly tools, to arrive at the scene.

    Option 25 reads as the following: Gayakirima Kanawari''s left arm will be cut off in exchange for her choker''s remaining red light (+2500 points).

    "It just doesn''t make any fucking sen------" Bryce was immediately corrected "LANGUAGE, I SAID!!" Andrea reminded him as her loud voice echoed throughout the room "EEEEK!! I''M SO SORRY!!" He repent immediately "His brazenness aside, he has a point." Liyuga admitted "The path to victory is beyond clear if you have two options. It''s already been confirmed that you get all the points of the person you kill in this game. So, with that said..." Skan decided to finish Liyuga''s sentence "All he had to do was pick the option that allows him to swap one of his classmates for Gayakirima Kanawari as the first option, and then when that''s that, you go for the kill! ALL HE HAD TO DO WAS SWAP GAYAKIRIMA KANAWARI FOR HAJIME HYUNDA AND HE WOULD HAVE WON ALL OF HIS POINTS, PLUS THE BOUNTY AND THE POINT BARRIER BREAKTHROUGH!!!" Skan was going insane as he could not comprehend Kuzan''s thought process.

    But there was a reason for it.

    "There''s no way we could have that, could we?" Erigaisi brought to light something "In order to prevent such an exploitable strategy, every time a player can choose two options instead of one only; that specific option will allow you to do that but at the cost of the other option not being available." Erigaisi clarified "Wait... So if Takeshi Kuzan had done that... He would actually be giving the other player the opportunity to kill Hajime Hyunda?!" Bryce realized "Yes." The president confirmed "But this is a good example as to why using that option is bad. Even if you didn''t have two options; it''s still----objectively speaking------a bad choice." The president stretched the point even further "You are essentially allowing someone else, at random, mind you that, to have the opportunity to get so many free points. That''s why, although the premise of swapping the target for Hikaru Yulia sounded alluring, it''s ultimately a counterproductive move." He concluded "......." Some of the members of the student council that weren''t aware of this, reflected on this "........" But Andrea thought of a way of actually making this work, under a specific condition.

    Feeling scourging pain, Kuzan''s left shoulder''s pit was bleeding tremendously from the cut.

    "AGHHHHHH......!!!!" He could only yell "DAMN IT...!!!!" He took heavy breaths "For the record, the vending machine is now selling highly effective anesthesia in the form of syringes. If you need your wounds bandages or disinfected, you may speak to Olivia afterwards." Basara declared the news "Oh gee..." Kuzan''s breath was now thoroughly ragged and without strength "How generous... Thanks, teach..." He kept on struggling over his lost arm "Uhhh so in conclusion..." Tateyana looked over the ranking ladder "Where does that put him?" Many were curious too as they looked over the ranking ladder.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda (37250/45000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account]

    2 - Tatsu (23254/35000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Kuzan (9904/10000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours]

    4 - Yulia (8436/10000 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the upcoming hour]

    5 - Arkalee (8023/10000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account]

    6 - Rayazaki (7580/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account]

    7 - Lus Sera (6256/7500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    8 - Stratos (4868/7500 points) [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account]

    9 - Akimiyashika (4684/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    10 - Daniel (4369/10000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    11 - Yukishiro (4188/4500 points)

    12 - Sana (4162/4500 points)

    13 - Kawahara (4064/4500 points)

    14 - Hinagiku (4020/4500 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control]

    15 - Tateyana (3786/4500 points)

    16 - Ikkiri (3692/4500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier]

    17 - Kanawari (3528/4500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account]

    </blockquote>

    His rise was alarming and most of all, unexpected.

    "Ok..." Tateyana gulped "He''s close to breaking his point barrier too..." Akimiyashika noticed "That calculation was not a mistake..." Kawahara noted "But then again, we witness the craziest shifts in every execution round, so I guess it''s only normal...?!" Akimiyashika ultimately concluded.

    Despite Kuzan''s position shift, the show had to go on, as the execution round would be alive as long as there were pictures left for the skull to select; and most importantly-----a target to kill.

    With the exclusion of Takeshi Kuzan, 15 other individuals remained to be potentially chosen by the skull.

    "SPIN IT!!!" At Basara''s command, the skull''s slow oval march was initiated, until it fully accelerated into full speed; carefully picking its target.

    Kanawari dreaded her well-being when she was picked.

    Sagasuga''s fate was ultimately delivered by her choice alone, but Sagasuga''s words came back to haunting Kanawari transiently.

    "SANA, MAKE IT COUNT!!!" Basara was happy to announce that Sana was this round''s executioner "Why hello there, Kanawari..." Sana''s expression remained cold "I hope you don''t mind me using your situation to my advantage..." Her wicked smile began to show "PLEASE...!!!" Kanawari entered a new layer of despair as Sana thought for a while.

    It was something that everyone had noticed, but it was crucial to remember at all times when playing the execution rounds.

    "Let me guess, she''s going to forfeit 100 points and select the option that allows you to apply any of the prior options to yourself?" Bryce made the guess "That''s no longer possible." Andrea corrected him "Any option that''s used once in this execution round, no longer becomes available." He reminded him "RIGHT...!!!" He remembered now "But wait, she has two options to pick from... What could she be thinking so hard about...?" Bryce found her behavior puzzling "I don''t know, but one thing is for certain..." Andrea already knew it.

    There was essentially a surefire way for Sana to earn a lot of points subsequently. Would it, however, be wise in the long run to chase after a large quantity of points without any good bonuses?

    She didn''t think so, as she forfeited 50 of her points.

    "Not 100? Cheeky." Hyunda critiqued her "This is not about the options..." Sana murmured "?" Hyunda was curious now.

    Sana would then get up as fifty seconds remained.

    "I''ll be brief; I''m willing to accept points in order to increase Kanawari''s points." Sana made her intentions be known "Under one condition though; it has to be at least half of the points in the option within your desire. If you got that, you have thirty seconds to negotiate." Sana then proceeded to cross her arms as the room fell silent for a while.

    There was a visible lack of understanding going on.

    "What did she just... say?!" Seok was confused, to say the least "It makes sense now that they know that the target of the execution round gives all of their points to the killer upon their deaths..." The president spoke "So wait... Nasha Sana is trying to imply that she is willing to expand the value of Gayakirima Kanawari''s life...?!" Skan was outraged at the idea "It''s wicked and immoral, however, there is undoubtedly an avenue of interest..." Andrea wasn''t morally blind to the point of not noticing.

    And certainly, no one in that room failed to see just how lucrative this idea could be.

    "Sana, what about your second option?" Tatsu asked "What about it?" She was vague, with a snarky look on her face "I want to know if you are willing to use your two options with the idea you just proposed." Tatsu clarified "Yes, it''s possible and I''m willing to do it. Want to give it a go?" Sana happily asked "....." Tatsu posed silence as he went over his points "G-Guys...?!" Kanawari could not believe what was about to be discussed "If you increase all of her choker''s red lights to 10 and then select the option to cut her legs, I will give you half of the points required afterwards." Tatsu struck the first bargain "HUH?! NO, PLEASE!!" Kanawari dreaded even further "Hold up, this is just a terrible idea." Hyunda interrupted the entire thing, which made Sana a bit mad "You''re getting annoying, Hyunda..." Her eyes narrowed "I''m dead serious. If you give her too many points, the option to terminate the round will be available to her. It costs 4000 points, so just know that." Hyunda adjoined his right fist to his face calmly "FUCK YOU!!! WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?! I CAN HELP YOU, RETARD!!" Kanawari shouted at Hyunda with all of her rage "........" Hyunda''s words made Sana rethink her stance.

    However, he didn''t back down.

    "This can easily be solved." Tatsu would proceed to elaborate as Kanawari became even more nervous by the second "Use the option that allows you to select an option and erase it for the rest of the day." Everyone knew about this option by now.

    It had been on the mind of every single player, but nobody thought about using it for one very good reason.

    "No way. Are you crazy? The option costs 25000 points currently. I am poor in points, Tatsu. So, what will it be?" Sana pressured him "How about a loan?" Tatsu would then say something beyond absurd "20000 of my points to you; you will earn 3500 additional points from the point barrier bonus. Sum it up with your current points, you will have 27662 points." Sana''s jaw dropped "Are you----Wait, hold on---You mean to tell me that you will give me 20000 of your points if I select the option to erase the said option?! What then?! My points will be 2662 afterwards! I just went minus!" Sana found Tatsu''s deal beyond unreasonable "It would usually be unreasonable. However, with your second option, it''s a different matter. You can bargain to someone else." Tatsu proposed.

    It was a bit difficult to understand the implications of Tatsu''s words.

    "I see, how interesting." But the president caught on quickly "He is willing to give 20000 of his points to make Nasha Sana be able to afford the option to erase the said option..." The president sipped on his warm tea "But Nasha Sana doesn''t benefit from this! It''s as she said! She''ll be in prejudice!!" Bryce agreed with Sana''s words "Normally, yes. However, if Nasha Sana sticks to her words and tries to negotiate with someone else, they might be interested." Bryce then saw what he meant "Oh dam-----" Andrea looked at Bryce "Er----But the time! There''s no time!!" Bryce was right.

    There was about fifteen seconds left and with this much little time on the clock, there were little to no hope of negotiations.

    "Option 41 will be my first option..." Sana was visibly mad because her initial idea wasn''t well accepted "And then, option 15!!" The options were executed thoroughly without delay.

    Option 41 reads as the following: Forfeit any multiples of your points (x96) and for each multiple, add a red light to Gayakirima Kanawari''s choker.

    Option 15 reads as the following: Deplete 9 red lights from Gayakirima Kanawari''s choker; for the next four hours, you will have a 75% point acquisition boost.

    "OH GOD----PLEASE, JUST LET ME GO!!!!" Kanawari begged, but it went to deaf ears "........." Sana ignored Kanawari and kept the mad expression as she saw her points decline "I mean, it''s a good idea, don''t get me wrong." Hyunda felt like he should have a word with her "Shut up." She coldly retorted "......." Hyunda didn''t feel like anything he would say would have an effect on her.

    Regardless, the ranking ladder was updated as Sana added 9 red lights to Kanawari''s choker, which initially left 10 lit up on her choker. Meaning, she lost 960 points, for the second option. Not to mention the 50 points prior to it, used to open the options.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda (37250/45000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account]

    2 - Tatsu (23254/35000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Kuzan (9904/10000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours]

    4 - Yulia (8436/10000 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the upcoming hour]

    5 - Arkalee (8023/10000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account]

    6 - Rayazaki (7580/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account]

    7 - Lus Sera (6256/7500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    8 - Stratos (4868/7500 points) [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account]

    9 - Akimiyashika (4684/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    10 - Daniel (4369/10000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    11 - Yukishiro (4188/4500 points)

    12 - Kawahara (4064/4500 points)

    13 - Hinagiku (4020/4500 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control]

    14 - Tateyana (3786/4500 points)

    15 - Ikkiri (3692/4500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier]

    16 - Kanawari (3528/4500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account]

    17 - Sana (3248/4500 points) [Has a 75% point acquisition boost for the next four hours]

    </blockquote>

    "So, why didn''t her idea work? Didn''t we go over how beneficial it was?" Seok asked "Hajime Hyunda explained it." Liyuga spoke "If Gayakirima Kanawari is given too many points, she can easily scour for the option that allows her to terminate the round at the cost of 4000 points. At that point, it not only backfired, but Gayakirima Kanawari is back into the game." He concluded "Okay but... What if what Hirakibo Tatsu said happens?" Bryce threw the idea out in the air "Unrealistic, so far. Because only one person can pull it off and it requires 25000 points. Furthermore... Who knows what he actually will chose if he gets a turn..." Andrea concluded as the skull was spun once again.

    Takeshi Kuzan and Nasha Sana were no longer available to be chosen.

    Therefore, the skull would go through 14 others.

    "Lus." Basara spoke in her direction "You''re up." He continued "I know..." She pinpointed Kanawari with a deadly glare "......!!!" Kanawari immediately felt shivers as her skin became colder by the second "Hmm..." In control of her decisions, Daniel gave it some thought "Kill her." Lus coldly ordered "If you let her live, she will come back to bite you. Trash like her needs to be disposed of, Daniel." Ruthless, Lus commanded with that type of speech "I DIDN''T MEAN IT!!! I WAS PRESSURED INTO IT, BY HYUNDA!!!" Kanawari tried to reason with Lus "Woah there! You gladly accepted it though, didn''t you?" Kanawari''s face twitched "T-THAT---THAT''S NOT TRUE, LUS!! DON''T LISTEN TO HIM, I SWEAR I DIDN''T MEAN FOR YOU TO BE AT THE BOTTOM!!!" Kanawari persisted "Hey..." Lus couldn''t understand something.

    As well as many others.

    "Aren''t you talking to the wrong person here?" She asked Kanawari, while exhibiting a mocking expression "Ughhhh!!!" Once Kanawari looked to the right side, where Daniel is, she lost all hope "Oh God. I''m dead." She looked down on the ground in order to avoid eye contact as much as possible "Hmm....." Daniel was in deep thought "What''s wrong? Sad that you can''t take your own limbs again?" Basara mocked Daniel "A bit..." He admitted it "Woah." Erigaisi was shocked "Wait, Lus Sera didn''t score correctly in that last claim. So Daniel Lead can only choose a single option..." Krale reminded them "True... It leaves me wondering just exactly what''s on his mind..." This was the eternal question that everyone had as soon as Daniel opted to forfeit a set quantity of Lus'' points.

    He decided to forfeit 100 of her points.

    "......." She was hesitant on knowing what he would choose in her steed, but felt like he was not aiming to kill Kanawari "How about another test of loyalty, Lus?" Lus'' expression darkened "Why... What more do you want? You have control over my choices for the entire day and that alone is still not enough? Not even when I want to kill my ex best friend with all my might?!" Lus questioned Daniel more thoroughly "There''s a line between loyalty and utility. Let''s see if you have what it takes..." Daniel would then announce his desired option "Option 75!" All eyes traveled down to where that option was "YOU-----!!!" Lus immediately blurted as she saw what the option was.

    Option 75 reads as the following: Forfeit 2,000 points; every time you score correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should you score incorrectly more than three times, you will die.

    "It''s not enough to just say "yes". It''s not enough to want to be "useful". It''s necessary to be progressively superior, Lus." Daniel told her ".....!!!!" She gritted her teeth in pure unfiltered rage "I fucking hate you so much." She was about to cry "Don''t cry now, you''ve been given a chance. Use it wisely and you might even become the one at the top and then... your dreams..." Daniel didn''t finish his words but he let Lus ponder the deeper meaning "AGHHHH...!!!" Kanawari was breaking down from all the pressure "Yup... I know that feeling...!!" Akimiyashika sympathized to a degree "You believe you have seen everything until you are forced onto that chair and your life is at the hand of everybody else... It''s fucking horrifying." The ladder was updated shortly after.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda (37250/45000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account]

    2 - Tatsu (23254/35000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Kuzan (9904/10000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours]

    4 - Yulia (8436/10000 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the upcoming hour]

    5 - Arkalee (8023/10000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account]

    6 - Rayazaki (7580/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account]

    7 - Stratos (4868/7500 points) [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account]

    8 - Akimiyashika (4684/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    9 - Daniel (4369/10000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    10 - Yukishiro (4188/4500 points)

    11 - Lus Sera (4156/7500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.]

    12 - Kawahara (4064/4500 points)

    13 - Hinagiku (4020/4500 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control]

    14 - Tateyana (3786/4500 points)

    15 - Ikkiri (3692/4500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier]

    16 - Kanawari (3528/4500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account]

    17 - Sana (3248/4500 points) [Has a 75% point acquisition boost for the next four hours]

    </blockquote>

    With Lus out of the way, the momentum had to be initiated.

    "SPIN IT!!! WE DON''T GOT ALL DAY!!!" Basara ordered as the skull traveled through the remaining 13 other players "He''s investing on her, it seems." Liyuga deducted "Most likely. Lus Sera''s choices in the execution round are under Daniel Lead''s control now until the end of the day. This means that unless she has a lot of points to spend, she is very much otherwise, not as useful as the others." The president agreed "Still... How unlucky do you have to be to not score three times in a row?" Bryce asked "Considering the fact that Daniel Lead somehow managed to score 11 out of 12 in the judgment round, I don''t think this will be an issue." Andrea reasoned "At the end of the day, it''s 50/50. Even if you don''t score twice, the third time won''t be as uneven, it''s still 50/50." The president added.

    The target was chosen.

    "Rikishima Ikkiri!!" Basara shouted her name with fashion "That''s ME!!" She smiled in a dorky manner "She has two choices, because she actually scored..." Lus spoke to Daniel, despite still being mad at him "Yes." He simply said "........" Lus gave him an apathetic glance "I will copy your every answer, Daniel. If I die, you will lose value. You understand that, right?" Lus spoke with confidence, for the first time in a while "......" Daniel''s eyes slightly widened as he was surprised "No way, you''re finally in the mood to be of use, Lus?" Daniel mocked her with a smile "I will fucking choke you with your sleeves, you narcissistic bastard..." She grunted as she threatened him "Be careful not to trip." Daniel mocked her yet again.

    Ikkiri thought for a while about what she wanted to achieve from Kanawari''s misery and how she could profit from her life to the maximum.

    "Woah, I can''t switch other players with Kanawari and use my second option... That sucks so much..." She lamented "It''s this game''s "balanced" side." Hyunda remarked "Balanced, good one." Ikkiri lowly laughed "We really needed to eliminate the option that allows the player to escape the execution... Hyunda, you dumbass, why didn''t you do that..." Ikkiri was mad at his lack of decision making "That doesn''t promote skill and fair play. The player at the center, should be allowed to get a chance at escaping this horror show." Hyunda replied back "Liaaaaaaaar, you just want to see us suffer and struggle for your amusement!" Ikkiri laughed "TRUE, HAHAHA!!!" He didn''t deny it and got hateful glances "Mhm... Well then..." Ikkiri opted to forfeit 50 of her points.

    Ikkiri had come up with a rather malicious idea.

    "Alright, I''m taking offers in regards to increasing Kanawari''s points." Sana was shocked and bewildered as she heard her proposal "What are you, stupid?! We went over this! The only way to stop Kanawari from escaping is by erasing the option------" Ikkiri interrupted her immediately without a second thought given "No, there''s a more simple method. It''s already in one of the exhibited options." Ikkiri told her "....." And Sana went over the options.

    She realized her point but wasn''t sure if it would work.

    "Does that even work...?!" Sana asked Basara, but he shrugged "Hyunda, how about it? Wanna help me out?" Ikkiri asked him "Hell no." He replied quickly "Idiot." She as well "Hmm... Tatsu?" Ikkiri confined herself to the second place "What''s the option you have in mind?" He asked, first of all "42." Kanawari looked over the option "AHHHHH?!" She immediately realized what it meant "I think it works... I mean, if you think back, the only way for Kanawari to escape the round is to shout the number of the option that allows her to do so. Take away her ability to shout and what happens?" Ikkiri''s idea came to fruition "I mean..." Hinagiku started to see the potential value "Very well." Tatsu was in the mood to negotiate "How much for her legs?" Tatsu asked "Hmm..." Ikkiri looked over the option that allowed her to cut Kanawari''s legs "Since it gives her 3200 points, I want half of it, Tatsu------so 1600." Thirty seconds remained on the clock "......." Tatsu entered a state of deep thought.

    There was something that seemed like a flaw, however.

    "If you press the option to cut her legs, it comes at the cost of her choker''s red lights." He told her "Well, that''s only if we do go for that option." Ikkiri said "What----What''s on your mind then?" Tatsu reluctantly asked "I''m thinking about first sealing her lips and then picking the option that increases her points by 50%, which doesn''t come at the cost of a red light." Ikkiri revealed her intention now "I see. And you want half of that?" He asked "Ugh, yes, Tatsu. Don''t waste my time if you''re not going to comm------" An instant pop up appeared on Ikkiri''s screen, with a contract "Now we''re talking..." She sounded excited "But... This condition... I can''t accept it." She rejected Tatsu''s proposal "By increasing Kanawari''s points by 50%, it will mean that her points; breaking the point barrier included----will be at 10556. By giving you half, you will receive 5278, which, if you include your barr-----" Ikkiri was getting tired of Tatsu''s never ending explanations "12306 points, I know! But I am not obeying this condition!" Ikkiri''s mood became foul "I see... No deal then." Tatsu cancelled the contract right away.

    Ikkiri sighed and looked at Hyunda in the hope that he would go along with it.

    "It takes 7 red lights to seal her lips. She has only one. Do something about that first." Ikkiri sighed again "You guys are cowards!" She threw a tantrum "You''re the one that wants to exploit others! Just focus on yourself, for fuck sake!" Hyunda replied in the same manner "Oh, fine. Wanna see me be egotistical too? Think I can''t?!" Ikkiri threatened "Oh fuck, what is she up too?!" Arkalee dreaded her decision out of nowhere "WATCH!!!" With something to prove, Ikkiri selected her first option "OPTION 41!!!" Ikkiri would proceed to make yet another reckless purchase "She''s putting me to shame with these impulsive decisions...!!" Hyunda couldn''t help but genuinely smile at everything she did "AND THEN, OPTION 13!!!" With a grand smile, Ikkiri purchased her desired options.

    Option 41 reads as the following: Forfeit 400 points, decide the number of rounds within the next judgment round.

    Option 13 reads as the following: Forfeit 2000 points; adjust your point barrier.

    "How many rounds do you wish the next judgment round to have, Ikkiri?" Basara asked her, but there was already an option that allowed her to select a quantity of numbers "Hmmm..." She scoured through the available points and tried to see how many rounds she could, hypothetically speaking, ask for "Oh, only 20?! Bummer..." She sighed "20?!" Arkalee freaked out "There''s no way someone doesn''t die from that..." Opinions started to spread "Hmm..." Ikkiri did the necessary calculation in her head "Hina..." She knew that the option she picked would ultimately also benefit Hinagiku as well "Oh well." But she didn''t care "16! Because I''m turning 16 in June!" Thus, the number of rounds was chosen "Oh for fuck''s sake-----" Many didn''t like this "This... is bad..." Akimiyashika came to terms with it "No shit." Kawahara agreed "But I''m a genius and I won''t get 10 claims wrong, so who gives a shit!" Kawahara just laughed it off.

    And as for Ikkiri''s second option...

    "I want my point barrier adjusted to 1500!" As it was the only available number close to her point barrier, she had to pick it "Very well. You love wasting points, don''t you?" Basara questioned her as he also found her behavior impulsive "It''s fun!" She didn''t shy away from it "I see." Basara acknowledged it.

    And with Ikkiri out of the picture, as well as some options that no longer could be picked again this round, the skull was spun once again.

    "SPIN IT!!!" Basara highly demanded right away "Hold on, I just noticed something..." Bryce started the dialogue again "Why aren''t they killing Gayakirima Kanawari?" There were a few reasons for it, but Andrea went for the one she thought was the most logical "Putting Rikishima Ikkiri aside... All of their choices have been... an investment towards the future rounds. And that investment, in their minds, is far more worth it than killing Gayakirima Kanawari." She told Bryce "Killing Gayakirima Kanawari individually, will give you 768 points. Add up her points, 3528, you receive 4296. Add your point barrier breakthrough, and you probably receive a lot. However, there is an undeniable merit to picking other options. Such as the boosts..." The president offered his insight "In other words, in more rash terms------Gayakirima Kanawari''s life is not valuable to the point where they have to kill her without a second thought. As a matter of fact, they have been discussing and trying to come up with methods to increase her life''s value... for a reason, Bryce." Bryce felt like he was scolded on something relatively obvious "I... get it..." He reluctantly gulped.

    Before it landed, the ranking ladder was updated as Ikkiri''s position plummeted once again, by her own accord.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda (37250/45000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account]

    2 - Tatsu (23254/35000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    3 - Kuzan (9904/10000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours]

    4 - Yulia (8436/10000 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the upcoming hour]

    5 - Arkalee (8023/10000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account]

    6 - Rayazaki (7580/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account]

    7 - Stratos (4868/7500 points) [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account]

    8 - Akimiyashika (4684/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    9 - Daniel (4369/10000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    10 - Yukishiro (4188/4500 points)

    11 - Lus Sera (4156/7500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.]

    12 - Kawahara (4064/4500 points)

    13 - Hinagiku (4020/4500 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control]

    14 - Tateyana (3786/4500 points)

    15 - Kanawari (3528/4500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account]

    16 - Sana (3248/4500 points) [Has a 75% point acquisition boost for the next four hours]

    17 - Ikkiri (1242/1500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier]

    </blockquote>

    In no time, the skull landed on its upcoming target, as Kuzan, Sana, Lus, and Ikkiri, are out of the picture.

    "About time, HOLY FUCK!!" Kawahara shouted "Oh God..." Kanawari, became fearful for her life once again "Isn''t this your first time?" Basara asked Kawahara "It is!" And he didn''t deny it "Congratulations, you get to pop your cherry!!" Basara clapped and Kawahara gave him the middle finger.

    Kawahara scored the last claim correctly, so he is able to pick two options instead of one.

    "Alright, let''s cut the shit. There''s only one reason why we aren''t killing her and we know it all too well." Kawahara summed up the attention of the remaining players who had yet to be chosen "Here are my demands: At least 5000 points and a solid bonus boost for the next hour. Preferably a 50% point bonus boost." Kawahara demanded "......" Silence filled the room "Oh right, I will mention this----big guys----should my demands not be fulfilled, don''t be surprised by what happens next." Kawahara''s face became serious "What do you mean?" Hyunda asked him "If, let''s say, out of spite, I want one of you clowns to be swapped, then don''t pin it on me. I need points, but I don''t mind co-working temporarily, if you catch my drill." Kawahara explained it with his own words "......." Hyunda gave it some thought.

    It was possible. And, statically speaking, if Kawahara is out of the picture, it would mean that there are only 11 players left to be chosen.

    If there is an intention to profit from Kanawari''s life, then a decision would have to be made now.

    "Add nine red lights to her choker and then seal her lips, which requires her red lights to go down by eight. Do that and I''ll fulfill your demands." Tatsu, stepped right up "Hit me with the contract, big guy." Kawahara wanted to see more from him "Sure." Tatsu didn''t hesitate "WAIT!!" A voice cried out in desperation "Hm?" Kawahara looked at the very center "What do I have to do... for you to end this round?!" Kanawari asked as she figured that Kawahara could ultimately be reasoned with "Nothing. I''m about to receive 5000 points, which is more than you can ultimately put up on the table. Sucks to be you, but you are fucking dead." Kawahara shattered Kanawari''s expectations as he forfeited 200 of his points "OH GOD-----!!!" Kanawari dreaded as she saw the two guards approaching her at the center now that the central lane was open.

    Kawahara had to pick a different way to add red lights to her choker because Sana had already picked the option that allows a player to add red lights to the target''s choker by forfeiting multiples in 96.

    In other words, he would have to expand his options.

    "Tatsu, give me a hand and look for options that allow you to add red lights to her choker!" Kawahara wanted cooperation "Got it." And Tatsu was more than happy to oblige "........." Lus was slowly breaking out of her hatred mold "What''s wrong?" Daniel noticed it right away "Nothing..." She refused to elaborate "Don''t worry. She will die." Lus'' face twitched "Can''t they just fucking do it then...?! This is just... torture, at this point...!!" Lus spoke "Your life, in this game, needs to have value. If your life has no value, then others will try their best to make sure your life has value. Isn''t it beautiful how thoughtful these people can be?" Daniel admired Kawahara and Tatsu''s dedication to the cause "You''re not alright. I know this is obvious, but there is something deeply wrong with you and I''m not sure if you even know what that is." Lus confessed her true thoughts "That might be true. But at least... I remain true to my core when it matters." He looked at Lus now "What about you? Are you true to your core?" Tatsu had managed to spot the option.

    The option that was first picked as Tatsu noticed it, was 158.

    It reads the following: Forfeit half of your points; Gayakirima Kanawari will earn a 50% point acquisition boost, but her choker''s red lights will be lit up fully (excluding the last remaining one).

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    Following that up, the second option that was picked by Kawahara was option 73: Gayakirima Kanawari''s lips will be sealed for the entire day in exchange for eight of her choker''s red lights (+2800 points).

    And since these apply in the sequence that the options were picked, it would mean that the first option would take priority.

    Therefore, Kanawari''s choker''s red lights were fully lit up at the cost of Kawahara''s point by half.

    And now...

    "NO, GOD NO!!! PLEASE, I''M BEGGING YOU!!! SOMEONE, I DON''T CARE WHO, JUST SAVE ME!!!!" With hyper-turbulence, Kanawari''s movements became uncontrollable as she tried to physically break free from her chair while emitting her loudest cries "I DON''T DESERVE THIS, PLEASE!!!! LUS, PLEASE CONVINCE THEM!!! SAVE ME, YOU HAVE THE POINTS!!! FORM A CONTRACT, I''M BEGGING YOU, PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!" Towards Lus, Kanawari yelled ".........!!!" A sudden impulse was driven by Kanawari''s words as Lus was showing a rather meek composure in regard to this.

    A sudden physical trauma is necessary to break out of a psychological mold at times.

    Depending on how deep the person is into that mold, the physical trauma would have to be severe.

    His left foot dove deeper into her left broken knee, from an oblique angle; causing Lus to scream instantly.

    "AAAAAHHHGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Despite the focal point being Kanawari, who was surrounded by two guards with their necessary tools at hand, Lus'' scream proved to be so loud that not a single person could ignore it "What''s going on over there?!" Basara questioned Lus, whose face was radiating with physical agony "Knee injury! I''ll take care of it!" Daniel withdrew his left leg from the angle "Let''s see..." Daniel balanced his body and entered beneath Lus'' table "The painkillers wore off, so now she''s feeling the pain! Continue with the event, teacher!" Daniel told him "It was going to undergo anyways." Basara rose his hand up in the air and the guards began to execute the second option that was chosen "GHHHHHH....." With saliva dripping from her mouth''s corners, Lus could barely compose herself "Sorry about that... I had the very bad feeling that you were about to do something stupid, so it appears I''ll have to guide you through the motions here, Lus..." Daniel''s forehead became softly adjoined with Lus'' left knee "Hate her. She tried to kill you by manipulating the positions. Why are you thinking of saving her? For fuck''s sake, make up your mind already, woman..." Daniel erupted his head slightly just to meet Lus'' trembling gaze "Say all the words you really want to say to her. You won''t have another time." With a strong swing, Daniel rammed his forehead onto Lus'' left knee "GHHHH.......!!!!!!!" Wanting to avoid attention, Lus didn''t scream.

    Afterwards, Daniel got out of that position and went back to his chair.

    The method that the guards used to seal Kanawari''s lips was a rather simple one; a very rough tape would be wrapped around her mouth, which would effectively not allow her to fix or move her lips in any manner. Furthermore, an unbreakable iron-clad glue was applied all over her lips, so even if by some chance the tap was to be removed, it would not matter.

    Kanawari was officially unable to recite a single word from here on.

    "A pleasure doing business." Kawahara rejoiced as he had a good outcome, only accepting the contract when everything was done "Let''s see if the theory works..." Ikkiri got curious, now that Kanawari''s lips were officially sealed.

    At the same time, the ranking ladder updated.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda (37250/45000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account]

    2 - Tatsu (18254/35000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account]

    3 - Kawahara (10532/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account]

    4 - Kuzan (9904/10000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours]

    5 - Kanawari (9828/10000 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account] [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    6 - Yulia (8436/10000 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the upcoming hour]

    7 - Arkalee (8023/10000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account]

    8 - Rayazaki (7580/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account]

    9 - Stratos (4868/7500 points) [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account]

    10 - Akimiyashika (4684/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    11 - Daniel (4369/10000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    12 - Yukishiro (4188/4500 points)

    13 - Lus Sera (4156/7500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.]

    14 - Hinagiku (4020/4500 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control]

    15 - Tateyana (3786/4500 points)

    16 - Sana (3248/4500 points) [Has a 75% point acquisition boost for the next four hours]

    17 - Ikkiri (1242/1500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier]

    </blockquote>

    "Hirakibo Tatsu could have cancelled the contract and screwed Ryousuke Kawahara..." Liyuga noticed "I''m surprised he didn''t..." Andrea confessed "He''s a mysterious guy... Seriously, who is he..." Seok murmured as he saw doctor Hwan going over some files "These... are not legit..." His intuition spoke out loud "What isn''t?" The president asked "These files! They don''t add up!" Doctor Hwan showed spite "Nothing has been adding up for a while now..." Bryce complimented "Wait... No, seriously------how the hell did it reach that ending then?!" Bryce stopped himself "........" No one knew the answer to that.

    But by now, with 9828 points, it was no longer a doubt.

    Gayakirima Kanawari''s life has value and strong interest.

    "SPIN IT, FOR FUCK''S SAKE!!!" At Basara''s order, the skull of doom ran rampant.

    Those who can no longer be chosen by the skull are: Kuzan, Sana, Lus, Ikkiri, and Kawahara.

    "Oh shit----" When his picture was chosen by the skull, everyone in the room knew that there wouldn''t be a repetition like before "SATOU RAYAZAKI!!!" Basara chanted his name up and Rayazaki, determined to fix his points, only had one choice "Alright, let''s get this shit over wi------" However, he has the power where others do not "Kick: Satou Rayazaki!" Loudly, Hyunda declared the usage of his reward "GODDAMN IT, FUCKING MOTHERFUCKER!!!! FUCK YOU!!!!" With absolute rage, Rayazaki slammed his fists onto his front desk "Don''t get upset, the chances of you being chosen in the upcoming spin are the exact same as before you were chosen." Hyunda shrugged in a mocking manner "AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Unable to contain himself, Rayazaki shouted as he released his pent up stress.

    Once again, the skull was spun, with the same odds for everyone.

    However, just because you have the same odds, it doesn''t mean that you are arbitrarily favored, by any means.

    "Oh no..." The moment they saw his name, they knew that the outcome for him would be astronomical "Hirakibo Tatsu." Basara smiled as Tatsu was chosen "......" Tatsu, who had his eyes closed, decided to open them now "She''s done for. There''s absolutely no reason not to kill her." Yukishiro claimed "I wonder about that..." Hyunda had a different idea in mind.

    The death of Gayakirima Kanawari, in total, excluding barrier breakthroughs, gives 10596 points.

    In the hands of someone with a barrier breakthrough coming up soon, it would be extremely advantageous.

    "Who wants body parts from her?" The unexpected came to life, as Tatsu spoke those words "Wh----" Lus was confused "Yup, that''s the correct approach." Kawahara agreed "I have two options. I''ll have to use one of them to increase her red lights, but only the other one will allow me to get rid of a body part of hers, which will give her more points." Tatsu explained his approach and then added some more crucial information "The ones that haven''t been chosen and that can be chosen are: Tateyana, Arkalee, Rayazaki, Hyunda, Daniel, Hinagiku, Yulia, Yukishiro, Akimiyashika and Stratos." Their names were called out "To all of you, who can be chosen in the next spin, you should be aware that the profit you gain can be massive. That''s why I''m open for business. Send me a contract my way and I will accept it, as long as it''s at least half of the points that Kanawari will gain from the option. Lastly, it can''t be under 3000 points. I must earn at least, 3000 points." Tatsu''s demands became rather brutal to some.

    But his words were true.

    "Say..." Akimiyashika gulped "Let''s say I offer a contract that says: If I''m chosen, then I will have to transfer those said points-----will you still accept?" Akimiyashika asked "Of course not." Tatsu rejected her right away "........" Akimiyashika was finding it rather difficult to forfeit at least 3000 points like that "Tatsu, no one will offer you such points, man." Hyunda began to talk with Tatsu "Not even you?" Tatsu asked "Just get this over with and kill her. No need to be a baby just because you''re not gonna break your barrier." Hyunda sighed "You and I are the only ones with a significant lead." He added "And you don''t want to make your lead far more significant?" Hyunda was questioned "If only it worked like that." Hyunda lamented "I see. So no one wants to try?" He asked all the other remaining players "3000 is too much..." Yulia admitted "Way too much..." Rayazaki followed it up "Got it." Tatsu understood and decided to stick to his other plan.

    He forfeited 100 of his points right away.

    "Option 51 and option 100, please." Tatsu monochromatically ordered "Seriously...?! She''s going to live... AGAIN?!" Tateyana was beyond surprised "This guy..." Yukishiro was rather enticed by the options that Tatsu picked "Yup, you got it." Hyunda confirmed Yukishiro''s suspicion despite her not speaking yet "It wasn''t obvious at first, but if you take everything into account, there''s really only a singular logical explanation for this." Yukishiro lightly smiled as the options were executed in sequence.

    Option 51 reads as the following: Forfeit 2000 points to buy a new player into the game (they will start with the same points as the lowest ranked player, but with -50 points instead)

    Option 100 reads as the following: Forfeit 4000 points, your rewards will be doubled for the rest of the day.

    "Double... the rewards...?!" The implication was already far too great "And we''re also getting a new player... What is he thinking?!" Tatsu''s behavior could not be comprehended by many "Kanawari''s value didn''t go up, and he''s only further away from his point barrier..." The ranking ladder was then shortly updated.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda (37250/45000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account]

    2 - Tatsu (12154/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account]

    3 - Kawahara (10532/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account]

    4 - Kuzan (9904/10000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours]

    5 - Kanawari (9828/10000 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account] [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    6 - Yulia (8436/10000 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the upcoming hour]

    7 - Arkalee (8023/10000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account]

    8 - Rayazaki (7580/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account]

    9 - Stratos (4868/7500 points) [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account]

    10 - Akimiyashika (4684/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    11 - Daniel (4369/10000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    12 - Yukishiro (4188/4500 points)

    13 - Lus Sera (4156/7500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.]

    14 - Hinagiku (4020/4500 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control]

    15 - Tateyana (3786/4500 points)

    16 - Sana (3248/4500 points) [Has a 75% point acquisition boost for the next four hours]

    17 - Ikkiri (1242/1500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier]

    </blockquote>

    "HUH?!" Arkalee''s jaw dropped as soon as she saw Tatsu''s bonuses "EXCUSE ME?! WHAT?! NO!!!" She refused to believe it "Co-dependence has its price, Arkalee." Hyunda told her "WHY YOU----TATSU, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" Enraged, Arkalee elevated from her chair "It means what it means. What else could it mean?" Tatsu replied it normally "BUT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ABSORB ALL MY BONUS POINTS NOW!!! I WON''T EARN A SINGLE DIGIT!!!" Arkalee complained "Yes, and?" He asked "AGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Out of pure rage, Arkalee grabbed all of her hairstrands and was forced to cope up with the new reality.

    With Tatsu out of the picture, the skull was ready to be spun.

    "SPIN IT!!!" Basara, impatient, wanted this round to be over with "It should be coming up, right...?!" Bryce asked them "Yes. Either the next round or the after." Andrea confirmed it "Man..." Seok was beyond suspenseful as the rounds grew heavier.

    The only players that can be chosen by the skull now are: Tateyana, Hyunda, Daniel, Hinagiku, Yukishiro, Stratos, Akimiyashika, Rayazaki and Yulia.

    "Oh..." The moment the skull landed on his picture, Liyuga began to saw how everything went down "Daniel Lead..." Andrea, with caution, muttered his name.

    The target of the skull was no other than him.

    "Daniel, break a leg!" Basara passed the baton to him ".........." Daniel''s eyes narrowed completely as he awaited patiently for this opportunity "If he kills her, he breaks his point barrier..." Yukishiro became alarmed "But he won''t." Yukishiro and Sana both looked at Hyunda as he said that "He wanted to, but he won''t. Oh no... Definitely not anymore..." Hyunda then began to slowly laugh as he had an idea of what was about to go down.

    According to Lus'' expectations, now was the time.

    "Please... Let me just say those words, before you..." Lus made the request "......." Daniel took a quick glance at her eyes and saw that she was ready for it "Make it count." Daniel, with forty-five seconds on the clock, gave Lus the spotlight.

    After a deep breath, Lus erased all of her weakness and proceed forth.

    "Kanawari, look at me."Already traumatized, without hope of getting out alive, Kanawari could barely move her head "I said... LOOK AT ME!!!" After Lus dealt the last shout, Kanawari looked over to where Lus was, on her left "I know you can''t speak, but I don''t care, you will listen..." Kanawari had once seen that expression from Lus in the past "I am your friend and ever since we''ve been friends, I''ve never failed to be your friend. It wasn''t an exaggeration, all those times when I said I would die for you if I said I had the chance. However... After what you did... To deceive me, manipulate me into believing that you deserve better... I feel betrayed. I don''t like feeling betrayed or manipulated. That''s why, Kanawari, I hope you make better decisions in your next life." Kanawari''s tears ran faster and her terror increased to the maximum "Because you already made plenty of fucking bad decisions in this one." Lus then looked at Daniel "She''s all yours." Coldly, Lus gave him the permission "Woah, she''s cold." Hyunda whistled "Too bad though." Daniel forfeited 100 points.

    The usual wide sea of options was available for a singular minute. There were some new options here and there, but the majority of the options were options that were already previously seen.

    Since Daniel correctly scored in the round of the last claim, he can pick not only one option, but two.

    As Daniel read through the options that he hadn''t seen pop up on the screen in this game so far, he found one that had untapped potential.

    "Hmm... This one has real potential..." A low light smirk was born from his lips ".......?" Lus found it strange that Daniel was not going straight for the obvious choices "What''s wrong? Do you need me to help you scout the choices that let you kill her? Or are you thinking deeply about your second option?" Lus was considerate "No, no. This... I want to try this one." Daniel became decided "OPTION 65!!!!" Shouting as loud as he could, Daniel picked his first option "....?!?!?" Lus'' face became perplexed "WH---WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!" She freaked out at the nature of the option "It works." Daniel then followed it up with his desired second option "And for my second option; option 97!!" The true change came to light as the second option proved to be unorthodox.

    Lus was so baffled that she could not produce a single word; she stood motionless as she pondered what was even the meaning of her words back then.

    Hinagiku found it entertaining and witty in a sense, but ultimately came to a singular conclusion.

    "You really can''t be trusted, Daniel... What am I going to do with a boy like you, seriously..." She was disappointed but invigorated to see the outcome of this now.

    Option 65 reads as the following: Forfeit all of your points; your point barrier will be reset; furthermore, for the rest of the day, should you get 5 claims correct in a row, you will be awarded with the total of points of those claims.

    Option 97 reads as the following: Forfeit 1000 points; target one of your classmates----they will be swapped with Gayakirima Kanawari as the execution round''s target (Gayakirima Kanawari can forfeit 500 points in order to nullify this).

    "There''s... no way this is beneficial... right?!" Bryce pondered as he sweated "Hmmm..." The president began to think whether or not it was "Daniel, you crazy rat, who''s your target for the second option?" Basara asked "Oh, he knows." As soon as the word "he" was said, not a single male individual in the room felt ultimately saved "Who?" Basara insisted and Daniel then looked at him with scorning eyes as his target squirmed in rage "You, of course." Daniel looked at Rayazaki with a staggering expression "GO OUT AND BLEED FOR THE CROWD, RAYAZAKI!!! HAHAHA!!!" Laughing like a true maniac, Daniel ultimately selected his target for the second option "DANIEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!! I''M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU I SWEAR!!!! AGHHHHHH------!!!!" Quickly, Rayazaki was overpowered by two guards who went behind him, as his desk opened the lane to the central chair "YOU''RE THAT MAD SHE BLEW MY DICK?! FUCKING SUCKS TO SUCKS!! SHE''S A WHORE!!! YOUR GIRLFRIEND IS A FUCKING WHORE THAT SUCKED MY DICK, LET THAT SINK IN!!!!" As Rayazaki assaulted Daniel verbally, he just kept on laughing without a care in the world.

    Midst that, Kanawari''s shackles were released, albeit her mouth restrain was permanent.

    She had a lot of trouble believing that she not only managed to stay alive, but that her body remained unscathed.

    "Told you nothing bad was gonna happen!" Hyunda told Kanawari, but she was far too traumatized to look anywhere but the ground "Hey, get here!!" Tateyana loudly shouted at Kanawari so she could go back to her seat; which she ultimately did, although very meekly, as if lost.

    Given that Kanawari was no longer the target of the execution round, it meant that Rayazaki''s turn to be shackled came forth.

    "You could argue it was predictable, but... Kanawari living for that long is really... how do I say this..." Yukishiro wasn''t able to find the correct word "Lucky." Sana finished for her "Almost..." Yukishiro replied "I think she died in a sense. Sigh, she might just..." Hyunda had a bad feeling about Kanawari''s future.

    Now that Rayazaki was thoroughly restrained, Basara had to elevate the momentum.

    "SPIN IT!!!" As Basara said that, Bryce noticed a flaw "Wait, wait---This is dumb! He has 7580 points! The option to terminate the round at the cost of fewer points will come up!" Bryce insisted with his belief "...In theory." Liyuga, who had seen through everything, already deducted the reason for the outcome "In theory?" Bryce wanted to know what Liyuga was referring to "Watch." He told him.

    And so, the skull landed.

    "Shrimp, you''re up!!" All eyes were on Hinagiku "It''s not me who you have to look at." She decided to remind them "Oh, RIGHT!!" Tateyana, who had forgotten about it, looked over to Daniel, who was in fact in control of Hinagiku''s turn during this particular execution round "........." Rayazaki didn''t speak a word and waited to see what Daniel would do "Please pick 100 options, please pick 100 options, please pick 100 options, please pick 100 options, please pick 100 options, please pick 100 options, please pick 100 opt-----" They all thought he had gone insane as Daniel kept reciting the same words over and over "Oh sorry, I shouldn''t speak your thoughts out loud. That''s a bit insensitive." Daniel sighed "YOU PIECE OF FUCKING SHIIIIITTTTTTTTT.......!!!!!!" Rayazaki''s face twitched with uncontrollable rage.

    Currently, Rayazaki only has a single red light. There are a wide variety of options that allow players to add red lights to a player''s choker, but they have crafty conditions.

    It is also worth noting that Hinagiku did not score correctly during the last claim, thus, Daniel only has one option to choose from.

    "I''ll forfeit five points." Many became staggered "FIVE?!" Arkalee was baffled "Why five only?!" Akimiyashika also didn''t understand "...I wouldn''t even bet that much, honestly..." Kawahara murmured to himself "Huuuuuuh?!" Akimiyashika still couldn''t comprehend "........" Rayazaki tried his best to maintain his poker face "Well, at least he was economical about it..." Hinagiku showed some appreciation as the five options were exhibited on the screen.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Decrease Satou Rayazaki''s red lights from his choker by taking points from him (1 red light is equivalent to 500 points) in which case those points are transferred to you.

    2 - Satou Rayazaki legs and arms will be cut off in exchange for his remaining choker''s red lights (+15000 points)

    3 - Transfer your points to an individual in your class (minimal point input: 1000)

    4 - Earn 4,000 points; if Satou Rayazaki doesn''t die in this round of execution, ten red lights will be lit up on your choker.

    5 - Increase Satou Rayazaki''s choker''s red lights by nine (he can forfeit 2000 of his points to you in order to deny this)

    </blockquote>

    Rayazaki''s expression darkened with stress as his desired option did not show up.

    "Why not simply forfeit a single point if the aim was to make sure he didn''t get a chance to escape?" Skan asked "The odds are low, but presumably..." Andrea drew a guess "OPTION 4!!" Without any sort of hesitance, Daniel spoke in regard to his desired option "YOU COULD HAVE ASKED!!" Hinagiku, mad, got up from her seat and decided to go straight to where Kanawari was previously seated "Huh? You''re getting 4000 points. Stop talking." Daniel found Hinagiku''s complain unreasonable "I could have gotten more if you just decided to fucking kill him..." Hinagiku now took her seat, on Daniel''s right "Oh, it''s you." Hinagiku noticed Lus "What do you want..." Lus was not finding her presence exactly necessary "Oh, just a talk with him. Don''t mind us..." Lus didn''t like the way she said that.

    The option was instantly applied and the ranking ladder was updated without delay.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda - (37250/45000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account]

    2 - Tatsu (12154/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account]

    3 - Hinagiku (11520/15000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control]

    4 - Kawahara (10532/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account]

    5 - Kuzan (9904/10000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours]

    6 - Kanawari (9828/10000 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account] [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    7 - Yulia (8436/10000 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the upcoming hour]

    8 - Arkalee (8023/10000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account]

    9 - Rayazaki (7580/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account]

    10 - Stratos (4868/7500 points) [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account]

    11 - Akimiyashika (4684/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    12 - Yukishiro (4188/4500 points)

    13 - Lus Sera (4156/7500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.]

    14 - Tateyana (3786/4500 points)

    15 - Sana (3248/4500 points) [Has a 75% point acquisition boost for the next four hours]

    16 - Ikkiri (1242/1500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier]

    17 - Daniel (0/50 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added]

    </blockquote>

    "Is this your way of compensating for your failure?" Hinagiku spoke to him a low voice in order to not get Lus'' attention, thought this wasn''t exactly working "You went along with the plan; you get rewarded. It''s that simple." Daniel simplified in a low voice too "My... How chivalrous for a psychopath like you..." Hinagiku''s sarcasm was activated "But surely you don''t think that makes what I said about you not doing the task, going away, right?" Hinagiku asked "..........." Daniel remained stoic and didn''t reply "Well..." Hinagiku looked over to Kanawari, who was still shaking, despite being comforted by Tateyana "Seeing her this torn and traumatized is oddly satisfying..." She wasn''t entirely dissatisfied with the outcome.

    Basara took a deep breath and rotated his shoulders.

    "Christ..." He got ready "FUCKING SPIN IT, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!" By Basara''s orders, the skull would spin again.

    By now, only 8 other players would have to be able to be chosen. In this execution round, 8 players were already chosen and yet none of them died.

    "RED-HEAD, YOUR TURN!!" Akimiyashika''s name was chosen "Knock it off!" Akimiyashika didn''t appreciate being mocked "I gotta ask, but why red? Got tired of black?" Kawahara asked her "Uhhh yeah... Well, it was a mood swing at first, it looked weird at first, but it grew on me!" Akimiyashika was happy to elaborate "Oh, gotcha." Kawahara gently smiled as he closed his eyes ".....Wait, how does he know that... My hair used to be black..." Akimiyashika wanted to interrogate him but her attention became more focused on the one who had control over her points.

    Tatsu, on the other hand, had to take into consideration what the right amount of points was to be forfeited.

    Akimiyashika did not score correctly during the last claim, therefore, Tatsu does not have access to 2 options.

    "Tatsu, let''s negotiate." Rayazaki, with a formal posture in the chair, spoke to Tatsu "Sorry." Tatsu forfeited 3 points right away from Akimiyashika''s side "COME ONNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!! DON''T YOU WANT SOME POINTS?!" Rayazaki fumbled "I do. But I have to keep a keen watch over the others as well." The three options were highlighted on the screen as Rayazaki prayed for that one specific option to appear.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Satou Rayazaki''s nose will be cut off for 4 of his choker''s red lights (+1000 points)

    2 - You will be awarded 1600 points, but will start the next round with 9 red lights.

    3 - Earn a 25% point acquisition boost for the next hour, but whenever you get a claim wrong in the next hour, two red lights will be lit up on your choker instead of one.

    </blockquote>

    Rayazaki further stressed.

    "DAMN IT...!!! I JUST NEED FOR THAT OPTION TO APPEAR BUT THEY AREN''T FORFEITING ENOUGH POINTS!!!" Rayazaki''s inner struggle began to show as his sweat was shown to be profound "Option 3!" Tatsu decided for Akimiyashika "......." Akimiyashika didn''t know what to exactly think of this option "...This is bad... I need them to forfeit more than these small numbers...!!" Rayazaki''s brain was hyperactive as he deemed it that his life was entirely on the line "A point boost is nice..." Akimiyashika saw the benefit "....." But Kawahara didn''t think she was seeing through the act very well.

    Without a fatal outcome, the skull was to be spun again.

    Basara, this time around, simply moved his right hand and symbolized the motion necessary for the skull to be spun, and so, it was underway as the new target would be picked.

    "Arkalee, you''re up!!" Basara declared but in reality, it was the person next to her that had the total control "Ok, this is getting a bit absurd, his control is..." Hinagiku finally noticed "Arkalee has over 8000 points to choose from... The options are actually there..." Tateyana feared for the outcome as she desperately wanted to be chosen.

    Since Arkalee was the target for the judgment round, she naturally couldn''t have gotten the last claim right as she wasn''t able to vote for herself.

    "NOT TATSU AGAIN, FOR FUCK''S SAKE!!!!! GIVE ME SOME OTHER PREY!!!! Though... For some reason, Tatsu has not shown a single interest in killing so far... For some odd reason..." Even Rayazaki found it strange.

    Tatsu forfeited 5 points from Arkalee, and Rayazaki looked over the options that were exhibited on the screen, with the hope of escape.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Increase Satou Rayazaki''s choker''s red lights by forfeiting multiples of your body pieces, in which case, a body piece will equal one red light; but in exchange, for each body piece you forfeit, you will earn 1000 points.

    2 - Forfeit 2,000 points; target one of your classmates, for the rest of the day they will receive a 50% point acquisition decreasement boost.

    3 - Forfeit 5,000 points in order to get priority knowledge on who will be chosen for the next round of judgment.

    4 - Deplete red lights from Satou Rayazaki''s choker by acquiring points for him (1 red light = 96 points)

    5 - Forfeit 2000 points and switch with the individual that''s currently being executed (you will be awarded with 1000 points as an added bonus).

    </blockquote>

    Rayazaki, once again, dreaded.

    But not as much as Arkalee, once she realized that those five options didn''t necessarily contribute to her well-being.

    "P-Pick option 2!! Target Ikkiri, please!!" She begged "Hmm... Why though?" Tatsu genuinely asked "Because she deserves to die." Arkalee replied without thinking "I don''t see how that''s beneficial for me. Arkalee, what body pieces do you want to give up?" Tatsu asked her "..........?!?!?" She was confused and bewildered, which was why she took a quick glance at the other options "No... NO, NO, NO!! STOP THAT, TATSU!!" Fearful, she got up from her chair as her face emitted paranoia to the highest level "I''ve been thinking and... Since I win the bonus points for myself... You won''t actually be that close to your point barrier." Arkalee wanted to run, but the nearby guards spelled doom to her "Breaking the point barrier of 10000 points, gives you 5000 points, which will be mine. After that, the closest point barrier is 15000. In other words... 6 of your body parts will have to go." Tatsu ultimately concluded "Arkalee, get back to your seat-------" As Basara was trying to control Arkalee, she began her emotional rampage.

    By evacuating from her seat, Arkalee tried to make a run for it as she rapidly aimed at the door on the southwest, which is the closest to where she is.

    "NO!! NO!!! LET GO OF ME, I DON''T WANT THIS!!!" It goes without saying that she was captured in no time by a singular guard who held her arms in the back "I DON''T WANT TO GO THROUGH THAT SHIT!!! PICK ANOTHER GODDAMN OPTION, TATSU!!!" Arkalee angrily demanded, as her legs would not stop moving back and forth "Option 1!!" Without hesitation, Tatsu pressed his desired option "YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!!! I''LL KILL YOUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!" Two guards moved her chair back and the other guard in charge of restraining Arkalee, moved her back to that chair "Tie her up." The guard ordered from the other two, who applied ropes on her wrists and ankles, to restrain her "Tatsu, how many do you wish to forfeit?" Basara asked him "THIS IS SUCH BULLSHIT!!! IT''S MY TURN!!! THIS SHOULDN''T HAPPEN!!! IT''S ILLOGICAL!!!" Arkalee didn''t cease her talking "She''s getting annoying, cover her mouth." One of the guards said "Thank you!" Hyunda applauded their wise decision as Arkalee''s eyes narrowed Hyunda thoroughly "Woah, don''t look at me like me like that. What''d you expect? You gave him the right to control you in the execution rounds. SURELY YOU DIDN''T THINK THIS WOULDN''T BACKFIRE FOR SOME REASON, RIGHT?!" Arkalee would unleash her loudest scream before her mouth being fully covered "HYUNDA I SWEAR TO GOD I''LL FUCKING KILL Y--------MHMMGGGH-----" Applying the same method as they did with Kanawari, Arkalee''s mouth was temporarily sealed and would only be undone after the option was executed.

    Tatsu picked 6 body parts of Arkalee to be disposed of: her two hands, her two forearms and her two arms.

    "GGUUHHHH---" Akimiyashika couldn''t control herself and vomited to her left "There, there..." Kawahara patted her back as Akimiyashika was trembling whilst ventilating "That----That-----that could have been-----me!!" Akimiyashika finally realized what it meant to sell her control "But you were not. So, you''re lucky." Kawahara remarked "UUUUHHHHH----!!!" She placed her two hands on her head, completely horrified as she glanced at Arkalee, who was undergoing through the torture.

    It wasn''t the first time a body part was cut off, but this one was particularly hard to watch------despite not coming close to what Sagasuga got as a treatment.

    After it was done, the ranking ladder was updated.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda - (37250/45000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account]

    2 - Tatsu (17154/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account]

    3 - Arkalee (14023/15000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account]

    4 - Hinagiku (11520/15000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control]

    5 - Kawahara (10532/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account]

    6 - Kuzan (9904/10000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours]

    7 - Kanawari (9828/10000 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account] [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    8 - Yulia (8436/10000 points) [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the upcoming hour]

    9 - Rayazaki (7580/20000 points) [Has a 25% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day] [Every time Hikaru Yulia earns a point, no matter the quantity, 75% of it will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki for the rest of the upcoming hour] [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account]

    10 - Stratos (4868/7500 points) [The next time Stratos breaks his point barrier, 50% of his bonus points earned will be transferred to Satou Rayazaki''s account]

    11 - Akimiyashika (4684/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    12 - Yukishiro (4188/4500 points)

    13 - Lus Sera (4156/7500 points) [Every time Gayakirima Kanawari earns a point, no matter the quantity, 25% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera for the rest of the upcoming hour] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.]

    14 - Tateyana (3786/4500 points)

    15 - Sana (3248/4500 points) [Has a 75% point acquisition boost for the next four hours]

    16 - Ikkiri (1242/1500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier]

    17 - Daniel (0/50 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [In the next execution round, Mayabashi Hinagiku''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added]

    </blockquote>

    "All of her bonus points... were thoroughly absorbed..." Bryce gulped "H-Hey, I know they are all dangerous and should obviously be locked up, but... aren''t they a little TOO DANGEROUS?! Like, come on! We are almost the same age!" Seok was worried "All the more reason as to why we need to continue with this game. For the sake of our school''s future, it''s necessary that they all die." They didn''t expect the president''s sudden cold words "That''s------" Andrea felt like she was caught off guard "I think it''s in the upcoming round." Liyuga remarked "I think so too." The president didn''t disagree "It''s not quite often that you see an execution round last this long! This certainly has kept the viewers on the edge, I''m impressed!" Erigaisi decided to clap as he found the criminals ability to entertain, far above the mediocre likes he is used to.

    Only six other players can be chosen: Yukishiro, Hyunda, Tateyana, Stratos, Yulia, and Kanawari.

    "GET A MOVE ON, NO NEED TO WAIT FOR MY SIGNAL!!!" Basara loudly ordered and the skull spun once again.

    She was already chosen, but to her, it felt like it had been a long time.

    "OH FUCKING FINALLY!!! THANK GOD!!!" Tateyana took a good moment to relax as she was beyond happy "Alright...!! She can be reasoned with." Rayazaki decided it was time to execute his plan "Hey! If you pick 100 options, I''ll give you all of my points!!" Rayazaki made his bargain "........." Tateyana became stoic for a moment "I''m so hungry..." She said out loud as she hadn''t eaten in a while now "All you have to do is form a contract that says you''ll pick 100 options and----------" Tateyana instantly forfeited 100 of her points.

    Rayazaki didn''t waste time whatsoever and as soon as the sea of options appeared, he had only one thing to do. It is also important to know that since Tateyana scored the last claim correctly, she is able to select two options instead of one.

    "ALL I HAVE TO DO IS SEARCH FOR THE OPTION THAT SAYS I HAVE TO SAY THE NUMBER, WHICH IS THE OPTION THAT ALLOWS ME TO GET OUT!!!" With precision, Rayazaki started from the top and did exactly as his thoughts demanded "100 points?!" Lus found the approach unnecessary ".........." Daniel looked at Tateyana and the moment he did, it happened.

    Rayazaki was completely merged into finding the option and after twelve seconds, he did exactly that.

    The option that allows him to terminate the round is option 67. All he has to do is shout "67" and the round is terminated.

    It''s primarily the main reason as to why no one sane would pick 100 options. It''s better to play safe and select a few options.

    However, she is greedy. Greedy beyond any measures and to do add it up, highly impulsive.

    "SIXTY-SEV-------" The small radius of the explosion almost reaches a meter but in insight, it''s 70 centimeters in all angles "LET''S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! YES, WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Tateyana struck a champion pose as she celebrated Rayazaki''s death, earning the attention of everyone present "Oh thank God!" Yukishiro was getting tired of the dragged out round "It''s been more than forty minutes..." Sana wasn''t happy as well as she got up "Hey, Sana?! Can you carry me all the way to------" She interrupted Hyunda''s words "Eat shit." Hyunda became transiently depressed "Alright, let''s get THE FUCK MOVING!!! BE HERE IN TWENTY!!!" Basara ordered and most of the students started to leave the room.

    They, on the other hand, had trouble understanding what had happened.

    "What... exactly happened?!" Bryce asked "I mean, we knew that Satou Rayazaki would end up dead and that Kaneta Tateyana would kill him thanks to Seok spoiling us, but still!!" Seok felt instigated "I already apologized, chill!" He got slightly irritated "It''s alright." The president raised his left hand "To understand what happened, you need to only look at where Kaneta Tateyana was looking at, the moment she forfeited those 100 points." The president decided to unwind almost a minute back and then they saw it.

    It would take Rayazaki 12 seconds to notice that the option was there.

    "Where is she looking at so suddenly...?!" It was a mystery, because Tateyana spent her good chunk of five seconds trying to scout the option that would allow Rayazaki''s choker''s red lights to be lit up to the maximum "He saw it, but if I had to take a guess, Mayabashi Hinagiku and Lus Sera helped him out. It''s something he already did, but essentially, they outran Satou Rayazaki." The president reasoned "He then proceeded to shout the option, which was option 52 that reads as the following: You will be unable to use your second option and your next five point acquisitions will be cut in half; also add 10 red lights to Satou Rayazaki''s choker." Andrea explained "She could have picked fewer options instead of gambling it like that... So compulsive and greedy..." Andrea was confused as she took a notice of the updated ranking ladder.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda - (37250/45000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account]

    2 - Tatsu (17154/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account]

    3 - Tateyana (15534/20000 points) [Kaneta Tateyana''s five upcoming point acquisitions will be halved]

    4 - Arkalee (14023/15000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account]

    5 - Hinagiku (11520/15000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier]

    6 - Kawahara (10532/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account]

    7 - Kuzan (9904/10000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours]

    8 - Kanawari (9828/10000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account] [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    9 - Yulia (8436/10000 points)

    10 - Stratos (4868/7500 points)

    11 - Akimiyashika (4684/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over]

    12 - Yukishiro (4188/4500 points)

    13 - Lus Sera (4156/7500 points) [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.]

    14 - Sana (3248/4500 points) [Has a 75% point acquisition boost for the next four hours]

    15 - Ikkiri (1242/1500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier]

    16 - Daniel (0/99 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added]

    17 - ??? (0/99 points)

    </blockquote>

    "The two players at the top didn''t change, but the same can''t be said for the others." The president noted "What time is it...?" Bryce asked, feeling sleepy "10 am. Do you want to return to the main building?" Andrea asked him "Well, no... This is... fun, I guess?!" Bryce''s eyes widened in response "I''m afraid I''ll have to go back for a couple of hours." The president got up "I''ll continue to watch the stream from my phone, in my office." The others felt the need to ask "Do you need assistance?" Skan asked "No, I''m fine. Just a couple of meetings, here and there. It''s also important to be in touch with the students as the student council president!" The president started to walk towards the north side in the direction of the luminous area where a faraway elevator could be spotted "I''ve been meaning to ask, but are we supposed to supervise this event or something? What exactly are we here for...?" Bryce asked, now that the president was nowhere near at sight "We have to keep the school safe. And to do that, we must see this through and make sure that they don''t try anything. We are to act if they try some sort of escape plan, as Toharoh Tsudo said earlier." Andrea clarified "...Yeah, but how..." Bryce murmured in the midst of his confusion.

    <hr>

    Rayazaki''s lifeless head was collected by one of the guards while the rest of his body was put inside a plastic bag.

    Afterwards, the guards would have to exit the building, by descending the two levels of the block. Granted, they would be left behind a few minutes later after the execution round was over.

    After leaving block F, they would venture towards the west side, far past the male and female dorms, where the cryptic classroom that has been abandoned, remains-----overguarded like a fortress by endless suits. It is, without a shadow of doubt, impregnable.

    "I regret never checking that classroom with more attention. I went there once, saw what I saw, got bored and then waltzed out." Kawahara confessed as he sighed "Same... I don''t think infiltrating is even possible. Not to mention... We don''t have access to our dorm." Kuzan----who was bleeding relatively from his left shoulder''s pit, after taking a syringe mixed with anesthesia and a durable painkiller that lasts for a couple of hours that can be bought from the bending machine at the cost of 500 points-----sighed as well as the two of them looked over their dorm, which was beyond overpopulated with black suits "Hey." Hinagiku came down from the female dorm and greeted the two of them "Sucks what happened to Rayazaki, doesn''t it? Oh well, he was a piece of shit, I bet. Deserved." She told her true feelings on the matter despite the two of them not asking for it "The dumbfuck could have survived if he didn''t waste his points like a dumbass and tried to act like the king of the hill all the time." Kawahara told her "Honestly, I was really sure Kana was going to die. She''s now a bit of a problem with that lead of hers..." Kuzan admitted "Wanna swap her in the next round and divide the points?" Hinagiku proposed "Hmm..." Kuzan gave it some thought "I''m joking. Nothing ever goes as planned." Hinagiku lightly laughed "But anyways, have you seen Daniel? I can''t seem to find him..." Hinagiku got down to the core of the matter.

    There was a reason as to why Kuzan and Kawahara were at the front of their dorms while watching the fortress that was the abandoned classroom.

    "Oh, so that''s why I couldn''t find him. He just went to a place so obvious that it didn''t occur to me." At the borderline of the wide horizontal grid gate where the black suits are guarding the entrance, Daniel was lying down with his head near a sewer metal stamp "..........." He had his right ear adjoined to it, and although he was near the grid gate, the guards didn''t bother to kick him out "Squat down and lend me your ear." Without allowing her to initiate the dialogue, Daniel talked first "What is it?" Hinagiku did exactly that and squatted in a rather shameless position "Go to the female dorm normally to the rooftop and watch 6 pm o''clock at all times. Do it naturally, but preferably fast. The elevator is fast----if it''s even an elevator..." Hinagiku was puzzled by this sudden request "And who exactly should I watch out for? Reminder, we are inside a cradle." Hinagiku asked "Whoever emerges from it. Go and be here in two or so minutes." Daniel ordered "And what if I don''t want to?" Hinagiku forced Daniel to now look at her "........." He shifted the angle of his head slightly to the right side just so he could see her figure, but he couldn''t see anything but what she was deliberately shamelessly showing him "How old are you again...?" Daniel''s expression emitted mockery to her "........" Her expression became stark cold.

    Swiftly, she got up and performed a rapid kick stomp onto Daniel''s balls.

    "Why do I get the feeling that bro said something he shouldn''t have?" Kuzan watched the scene as Hinagiku withdrew herself to the female dorm "Let''s check on him." Kawahara and Kuzan began to walk forward as Hinagiku went in the opposite direction "Not like we got anything better to do. They won''t let us inside the female dorm anyways." Kawahara found it stupid "After the claims that Tsudo was faced with, they think we are all rapists. Man..." Kuzan as well, found it unnecessary "Owww..." Daniel kept rolling back and forth, in agony "I don''t think they have syringes for that kind of pain." Kawahara lowly laughed "That bitch..." Daniel was not feeling alright "Hey, Dan. Don''t tell me you are still thinking of escaping? The plan was decent, in my opinion, but after it was exposed, it''s a given that it would never work..." Kawahara emphasized "The plan was to get it exposed..." Daniel got up "?!" Kawahara and Kuzan didn''t expect those words "The real problem is how we proceed..." Daniel still didn''t give up "........" But Kawahara and Kuzan, had different opinions.

    After witnessing the rewards from the game, they had to be honest with him.

    "Dan, nobody actually wants to escape anymore." Kawahara''s face became serious "........." And then, Kuzan told his fair share as well "Assuming we do escape, what then? It''s just a matter of time before we''re caught again and by then, we will be thrown into a real cell. It''s just... not worth it, bro." Kuzan admitted "I see... So, even you two are willing to accept being part of this game as long as you get what you want out of it in the end?" Daniel asked "It''s a once in a lifetime opportunity." Kawahara said "And I don''t think anyone but you sees it as otherwise." He added "......." Daniel looked down on the ground, inoculating his expression "Got it." Daniel smiled as he raised his face back up again "You two are right. It''s stupid to try anything else but the game." Daniel laughed "My bad, I should''ve known." He sighed and retreated back to his initial position; going to the ground and adjoining his right ear to it, in a rather uncanny manner.

    The female dorm wasn''t as quiet as before, since Arkalee had suffered severe body mutilation. Her screams of pain were beyond staggering.

    "AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! DAMN IT, THIS SHIT HURTS!!!! IT HURTS SO MUCH, I''M GOING TO DIE FROM PAIN, OH MY GOOOOOOODDDDDD!!!!!" After losing her hands, forearms and her upper arms, which covered the requested parts from Tatsu, Arkalee was undergoing through pain that she had not yet experienced "Stay STILL!!" Olivia, who was bandaging her shoulder pits, which are tremendously bleeding, told her "SHUT UP AND MAKE THE PAIN GO AWAY!!! INJECT ME WITH SOMETHING, PLEASE!!!" Arkalee begged as she cried out "Shouldn''t you have bought some injections from the vending machine?" Olivia asked her "I HAVE NO HANDS, YOU DUMB BITCH!!! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO INJECT MYSELF?!?!?" Arkalee became far more delirious "I thought you had a boyfriend who would do anything for you..." Olivia found it strange as she finished wrapping the bandages around her shoulder pits "........" Arkalee''s expression, which was previously full of rage and bitterness, slowly became a more condensed, weaker, and sadder expression "UUUUUUUGHHHHHH....." Tears began to overflow her face "Oh dear..." Olivia more or less understood what had happened and brought Arkalee''s head closer to her chest as she cried out in high volume.

    Lus, who was watching this from afar, in the cafeteria, decided to sip on her water which contained painkillers dissolved.

    "........" Kanawari was nowhere at sight, but Lus didn''t want to face her either, so she roughly got up and began to walk to her dorm''s entrance-----having to drag her left leg due to the brutal injury "Oh, Lus, dear!" Olivia noticed Lus limping on her way out, despite still treating Arkalee "Go to the pantry, if you can! There should be a set of crunches in there that you can use!!" She told her "...Oh... Got it. Thanks." Lus looked relieved as she heard that.

    The pantry is located at the end of the first floor, on the east side, where the staircase for the first floor is.

    Lus had to support herself through the wall on her right in order to get there.

    ".....!?" As she reached close to the door, Lus saw Hinagiku coming down from the upper floor at the speed of light, completely ignoring her and going for the dorm''s exit "What the..." Lus felt like she had to see what she was up to, so she decided to open the pantry and soon as she grabbed her pair of used crunches, she also made the effort to exit the dorm.

    On the second floor, however, she was exploring uncharted territory. Every room has a frame border with a designed name to it, and thus, the rooms belong to the name within that said border.

    There is a key attributed to the students of class F, so normally, it would take one to enter the said room.

    And as she tried to enter her room, she was met with that reality.

    "......." She tried three more times to enter the room, albeit the response was the same every time "Could it be that you''re missing the key?" On the edge of the west side of the second floor, leaning towards the staircase that will lead to the rooftop, Yukishiro stood "They were given the moment we were allocated here, so naturally, we all have them. We are supposed to carry them all the time as well." She began to approach her slowly "But I suppose your case is more complicated... When you died by yourself, your key was thoroughly removed. In other words, your room is, for all intended purposes, not accessible." She explained "Fear not, however, for he is graceful." Yukishiro presented an ominous key, straight from her skirt''s right pocket "That''s this room''s key?" She asked "You could say that, yes." Yukishiro replied as Yulia took the key from her hand.

    A soft opening was formed as Yulia introduced the key to the door.

    "Thank yo---" As Yulia turned around, Yukishiro was no longer there "Where did... she go?" Yulia could have checked the staircases, but after seeing this opportunity, she opted to take full advantage of it.

    There was around 10 minutes until the next round, so Yulia had a few minutes to lose.

    "........" Yulia was in awe due to how good the room smelled but as well as how tidy it was.

    The books on her desk were organized, alongside the pens and pencils, each in their own row. Her bed was fully composed and not a single sheet was standing out; it was utterly ordered. Her curtains were closed, however, and Yulia decided to open them, so some sunlight could sneak in----in addition to some fresh morning air.

    "Ahhh..." Her hair fluttered with the gentle wind as she inhaled the relaxing oxygen "This feels so good... I could definitely get used to this!" She took a step back and jumped to the impeccably organized bed "MHHHMMMM!!!!" She smashed her face onto the soft gentle pillows that smelled like apple fragrance "SHO GOOOOOOOOOOD!!!" Her words got mumbled due to the pillows as her legs moved back and forth in happiness "Mhmmmm....!!" She rotated her position until she was face to face with the yellow ceiling of her room "When was the last time I sat on such a comfy bed... I can''t even remember... Sakhalin was just..." Her expression darkened as she didn''t finish those words "But... What now? That woman told me that I''ve been given the chance to take my life back... I''ve seen how this game comes and goes, it''s possible." She acknowledged to herself "Attach yourself to the strongest players and take full advantage of them. Boys mainly, are super easy to take advantage of. They can''t control their carnal desires and will wish to satisfy themselves no matter the cost. That''s how Rayazaki----ultimately died----except not... He really got mad and swapped him for Kanawari----who was lucky to not get killed off. That''s how he died." Yulia reflected.

    Yulia noticed that on her right, on top of the wooden headboard, there was a small mirror.

    She reluctantly reached out for it, but ultimately, did grab it and began to look at her face.

    "I''m so beautiful like this..." Her eyes widened in awe as she smiled "My face is so well-proportioned! My eyes are so light-colored and this body too...!!" With her eyes, she mainly looked at her chest, but as well as her tights too "It''s as if... I can just forget about how I looked... My previous identity, how I was, my prior experiences... They... don''t have to apply!" She reached that conclusion.

    After further inspection, Yulia decided to put the mirror back to the headboard----but not in the exact same position as she didn''t care about where it was placed.

    "Now I''m curious... This------Yulia------what was she like?" Yulia got up from her bed and left the top of her sheets slightly off "The woman told me nothing about her. I was simply ordered to play the game. I was, apparently "chosen" and given the opportunity." Her direction was aimed towards the desk, where there are nine drawers; four on each side, and a central one.

    She began by investigating the drawers on the right side, starting from the top.

    "What is all this?" The first drawer contained notebooks from her, on a lot of subjects "She..." She read the notes and couldn''t help but admire the pretty calligraphy "Oh... Wow..." None of the words and numbers in the notes went overboard or were they out of order; it was perfect "Alright..." She was a bit overwhelmed but couldn''t help but admire it as well "And now..." She went to the second drawer, after stuffing the notebooks on the first drawer again, with no particular intention of keeping it in the same order "No way... She drew too?!" After finding art books from Yulia, she kept fiddling from page to page.

    At first, the drawing varied from contemporary backgrounds, animals, and abstract paintings. However, after around twenty pages, the shift of focus began to unravel.

    "......" Yulia recognized who the person was in the drawings by a mile "He... was not joking... So she really was his girlfriend? That would explain why there are so many drawings of him... Seriously, there are too many!!!" A compilation of 50 pages came forward as they revealed a lot of drawings of Daniel "She even drew drawings of them together..." Around 6 drawings were made, with a lot of imagination in mind "She must''ve really loved him, huh..." Yulia came around the end of the notebook as an unfinished drawing was created "I have no idea what this is supposed to be." Yulia closed the art book and stuffed it inside the second drawer; moving to the third drawer "A to do things list... Let''s investigate." Yulia was fairly committed into this now "She''s crazy." Yulia rapidly closed the book that contained her to do list "How can a criminal dream of a romantic life with another criminal? It''s nonsense and never works." She remarked as she moved to the final drawer on the right side "...?" The drawer was authentically empty and Yulia had to squat down in order to get a good glimpse of what was there "No, nothing here. How... strange..." Yulia got up and decided to check the middle drawer.

    The middle drawer and the drawers on the left side contained plenty of additional information about Yulia in the forms of either books, photos, accessories, her old phone, which is depleted of all its battery, a gold medal, and a wooden mahjong board game set. Essentially, they were all fairly filled and they couldn''t compare to the drawer that Yulia saw nothing in.

    "That doesn''t sound right..." She suspected that the drawer had more compared to what it was showing "Why would this one be empty when all the others aren''t? She... doesn''t seem like the type of person to do this..." She bent her knees over and got on all fours "There has to be something here..." With her right hand, she tapped the surface of the drawer, made out of wood, and looked for anomalies ".......!?" A short contrast was allocated in the northwest corner of the surface "It''s... higher, but just by a tiny bit...!" She kept palpitating the surface in-between and out to make sure she had the right assumption "No, there''s no doubt, there''s something here, below..." She went for the exterior of the drawer and pulled out the entire drawer out.

    And then, she twisted it upside down and shook it over and over.

    "There is something here!!" It was clear by now, but there was something thin, with low height, beneath the surface of the drawer''s ground "Come on!!!" She shook it more and more and the south side of the ground began to fall off slowly "A----haaaaaa!!" After it fell off, the item that was carefully hidden, was revealed "What the..." Her face became perplexed as a diary was revealed "So she kept a diary...? She''s more innocent than I thought..." Yulia grasped the diary, which had a significant height and a fair width, with a picture as the thumbnail of her and Sana on the bottom and her and Daniel on the top "She was also not lying..." Yulia realized "I have five minutes left..." She started going through the pages "There''s no way I''m reading all of this! She writes too much on every day''s entrances! This has over a hundred pages, easily!!" Impulsive, she went down to the last pages, flipping through pages that had pictures adjoined with glue to them and many other notes "...?!!?" The sight of that unorganized calligraphy and messy writing caught her off guard "Is this even the same person?!" She pondered as she checked the day entry "March 27th... Wait, what happened that day...?" Curious now, Yulia took a seat on her desk''s chair and began to read the rather short entry as well as the last chapter of her diary.

    Roughly a few minutes earlier...

    Hinagiku, short on breath, arrived at where she thought Daniel would be, but he was nowhere near at sight.

    "He told me he would be here... Don''t tell me he actually thought I wouldn''t do it?!" She was perplexed and started to look around; mainly in the direction of the male dorm that was swatted by black suits "I CAN''T EVEN USE THE GODDAMN KITCHEN?! THEN LET ME USE THE BASEMENT, I NEED TO HIT MY DAILY LEG PRESS PR, YOU SKINNY ASS MOTHERFUCKERS!!" George Kentucky, the male dorm''s supervisor, argued with the black suits guarding the entrance of the dorm "Calm down, please. The dorm is under inspection still-----" He was brutally interrupted by a deafening shout "INVESTIGATION MY ASS, BITCH!! I SAW THAT KID WALK OUT AND HEARD THE CONVERSATION!! THERE''S NO INSPECTION GOING ON!!" The black suits started to become rather nervous "Orders are orders..." But even so, they had to maintain their ground "When it''s done, you''ll be able to enter again..." He gulped "That''s it. Nobody tells me what to do." George started to wrap his white sleeves backwards, while winding up his right arm in a menacing manner ".........." The guards unconsciously reached out to their belts, where their guns are hidden "Wait, wait, wait." His voice intervened as he walked from the east side "........." Hinagiku was curious as to where he was as he saw him.

    He made his point quick as he began to further approach the area.

    "I don''t mind not having to use the male dorm." Daniel said "WELL, I DO!!!" And George blatantly countered as his fist was right up in the air, ready to unwind a devastating blow "That''s not what I meant to say! I''m saying, isn''t it fine if we can use the female dorm?! Can''t you use Olivia''s kitchen instead?" Daniel argued "OH HELL NO!! THAT''S A PUSSY KITCHEN!! YOU BAKE MUFFINS AND PIES THERE, NOT RAW CHICKEN BREAST AND REAL MANLY PROTEIN INTAKES!!! NOT ON MY TURF, BITCH BOY!!" Once again, Daniel was unable to reason with him "But they''re not going to let you inside any time soon. It might be the case for the rest of the day. They are convinced that we are hiding something there, so why not just shift locations?" Daniel proposed "AND I''M FUCKING TELL YOU THAT''S NOT HAPPENING!!" George defied again "You know, Olivia could use a hand or two. The banquet yesterday did a number of her and she''s stuck tending to the wounds of the others, like Arkalee, who got her arms cut off." Hinagiku spoke to him "I''m sure she would appreciate some help and you know, you could actually use the kitchen!" George halted his fist, despite still feeling like that wasn''t solving the issue at all "While at it, cook something for us, please." Daniel sighed "Don''t make me waste points on that shitty vending machine that sells plastic food... I can''t stand not eating your food, king..." Daniel showed genuine sadness ".......!!!!" George started to retreat his fist entirely and the black suits began to feel relieved again "You... really... think so...?" George looked at Daniel with deadly eyes.

    One wrong answer could cause a disaster.

    "No, I''m dead serious. I can''t get my daily protein intake and it''s messing me up. That plastic egg sandwich that Hinagiku fed me earlier from the machine felt so bad that I want to throw up." Daniel looked at Hinagiku "It''s true. He''s been saying that ever since the dorm was seized by them. He''s also not the only one. Rayazaki bought a burger from it and instantly threw up!! He said that it''s just not the same!!" George''s eyes widened and a gigantic smirk began to show "Oh.... OHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Motivated, George withdrew his stance and began to bravely march forward to the female dorm "OLIVIA!!! I''M COMIN'' OVER!!!!" With high might in his voice, no girl could ignore that, especially Lus, who just exited the dorm now and had to move to her left in order to not collide with the giant that is George Kentucky.

    Daniel and Hinagiku began to walk a bit more forward towards the female dorm as well.

    "Did you tell him that Rayazaki died?" Hinagiku asked "No." Daniel replied immediately "I don''t think he has noticed it nor that he cares about it. He didn''t show a single flying fuck when Tsudo died either." Daniel added "Oh, great." She sighed "AH, YES!!" Hinagiku kicked Daniel''s left leg "........" Daniel abhorrently looked at Hinagiku "Mhmm...?!" Hinagiku had her entire right leg left shaking from the impact "Kick the other next time." Daniel advised "I------Whatever..." Hinagiku couldn''t quite tell why she had felt such an abnormal impact from Daniel''s left leg "So, I was watching from the rooftop like you said in that precise angle, and it was strictly aimed at block E..." Hinagiku demonstrated a sudden displease "And?" But Daniel didn''t care "And it''s a regular block like all the others! But what messes me up is how the timing collided with 10:45 am! It''s the timing for the interval between 10:45 and 11:00 am! So, naturally, a lot of people left the building!!" Hinagiku exclaimed "Did anyone suspicious leave the building before?" Daniel asked "No, they all left at the same time, in hordes. Not a singular person left before." Hinagiku added "......." Daniel wasn''t satisfied with the results.

    Lus began to approach the two of them.

    "What are you two talking about?" She awkwardly asked "Nothing that''s relevant to you." Hinagiku coldly replied "Stop that." Daniel told her "Why..." Hinagiku didn''t like how Daniel talked to her "Someone definitely left..." Daniel mumbled "Not just someone, as I said. Every student that is taking classes in block D will have to leave for the recess during the interval. It''s not optional, I believe." Lus still wasn''t understanding what they were talking about "Why would you look for people leaving block D?" Not to Hinagiku, but to Daniel, Lus questioned "Don''t ask how I know, but I''m confident that a student council member left the building at exactly 10:45 am. More precisely, around 10:46 am, in order to blend in with the crowd better." Daniel explained "Oh... But, aren''t they easy to spot though? They have their own uniforms. Did you not notice that from Liyuga earlier?" Lus thought that Daniel knew this "......" He turned his head towards Hinagiku, who was now in deep thought "No, no, there was no one like that. They all had the same uniform..." Hinagiku was sure "......." Daniel could only think of a singular option.

    Near block C.

    Despite the altitude in the school''s hierarchy, he didn''t mind it. It''s almost believed to be against the school''s dressing code, but, student council members are allowed to dress their usual uniforms; they are simply also allowed to wear their special attire. Even so, the president had an attire of his own for special occasions should he need a quick change of clothes; available in all the blocks that students may access.

    "Ahhh..." After chunking a good amount of water from the public water fountain, the students around him were baffled, as they saw him engulf his mouth on water that they didn''t believe to be worthy of him "P-President! Do you need a handkerchief?! I have one!" A gentle girl approached him, almost taking out the handkerchief out of her skirt''s right pocket "I appreciate the concern, but as you can see, I''m just fine." He halted her with a smile "But, how about you? Do you need my help?" Usually, out of courtesy, nobody would dare to waste his time; as a matter of fact, they tend to keep a one meter distance from him in all angles, out of sheer respect "Um..." She was, in fact, having difficulties, as the spring finals were coming up "Do you have two minutes of your time...? It''s Calculus and my teacher didn''t explain it well... Topology..." But, to those that have talked with him at least once, they would know that the distance is authentically unnecessary "Topology is a bit tricky, isn''t it?" He giggled, earning her affection "Very well. Do you mind accompanying me to the cafeteria just up ahead? And don''t worry, we can take ten minutes, there''s no need for small talk." He proposed "......!!!!" Her face became ecstatic, consumed with happiness "YES!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!" Many were jealous, zealous, and even admired the girl''s courage, but most importantly, they greatly recognized the president''s charisma.

    Ever since the cradle has been put up, the students have been able to relax and felt far safer than they could before.

    "I heard some rumors and according to master Liyuga, it was president August that proposed the idea of the cradle!" The voices went around "Apparently, they are going to get rid of the criminals once and for all! Seriously, it''s been so nerve-wrecking ever since we''ve had to co-exist with them! I wish they would just die!!" The opinion on the matter remained strong as ever "I''m sure the student council is doing everything in their power to ensure that the criminals can no longer put a foot outside the cradle... And peace will be restored with them out of the way...!!" It went on and on.

    They could not have foreseen the sheer magnitude of the impact, however...

 Volume 27: Chapter 191: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part XIX.

    11 am.

    As per usual, nobody was late. To make sure of that, some players even stood inside the room instead of going to their respective dorms.

    With every player present, including the new player that everyone kept staring at, the round was ready to start; as the points this round would be 192 per correct claim.

    "ROLL IT!!" The dice was cast as there were 11 possible choices ".........." Her mood darkened as she was the choice, this time around "You are in big trouble." Hyunda immediately looked to his left side "NASHA SANA, STEP RIGHT UP!! THE CHAIR IS COMFY JUST FOR YOU!!" Basara spoke words that Sana could not disagree more "16 rounds, without scoring..." The implications were dreadful "Oh, right... We have 16 rounds because Ikkiri decided as such... In other words, if we actually get 11 claims wrong we actually die?!" Stratos feared for his life "That''s right!!" And Ikkiri was happy to agree with him "16 x 192 is 3072, so that''s too much to miss..." Kawahara deducted "She might actually even be behind the new player when the execution round comes up..." Akimiyashika began to feel sorry for Sana as she was accompanied to the central chair albeit she was not demonstrating a rebellious attitude about it.

    And that was because Sana already knew the amount of unfair advantage she held.

    "Shit..." Kawahara didn''t like how confident and snarky Sana looked at the center "Wh-What is it?!" Akimiyashika got worried as soon as Kawahara''s expression darkened "She knows exactly what''s going on..." He sighed "???" Akimiyashika didn''t understand "THE FIRST ROUND WILL NOW BEGIN!!" Basara commanded the attention of every single person present.

    With 16 rounds left to go, this would be the lengthiest judgment round yet.

    "Ever since 6 years old, Nasha Sana has practiced money laundering." The first claim was therefore made "Money laundering? Me? Hmm..." Sana pondered with a smug look on her face "Oh fuck..." Tateyana also came to the realization "This is..." She gulped and decided that it would be wise to get the ball rolling in her favor "Hey, Sana!" She called out to her "Hmm? Oh, hi." Sana calmly replied which made Tateyana even more nervous due to her calm behavior.

    But even so, an attempt had to be made.

    "What do I have to do to get the right answer from you?!" She went straight to the point and nobody interrupted their dialogue as fifty seconds remained "That was quick." Sana remarked "Well, for starters, I need to score. Without that, we aren''t going anywhere at all." Sana cut to the chase "But you can''t score..." Tateyana countered "Oh, not necessarily. I think that if you propose to me a contract that has a condition that I score, that it will work." Sana clarified "Is that... even possible?" Akimiyashika turned to Kawahara "Technically." Kawahara remained motionless "......." Tateyana gave it some thought.

    Forty seconds remained.

    "Anything on your mind, captain?" Hinagiku''s sarcasm dripped to him "Don''t form a single contract with Sana." Daniel then looked to his left "Especially you. Stick to observation." He ordered "Ok... I''m... good at observing people, yeah." Lus confidently told herself "Oh Daniel..." Hinagiku sighed "Uh so... I think I''ll hold off on that!" Tateyana reluctantly backed off "Oh really? Fine then, enjoy playing the 50/50! I''m sure that nothing bad will happen down the way!" Sana giggled "The odds are not in your favor..." Tateyana countered "Oh but the odds don''t matter, actually. Because, unless I get what I want, at least one person in this judgment round will die the same way Tsudo did." Sana became cold "Sheeesh, that''s my girl!" Hyunda clapped "...." Sana looked at him with a disgusted look.

    At the end of the day, nobody wanted to test the waters just yet and so, the first round came to an end, with the updated ranking ladder on the screen.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda - (37826/45000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account (2/3)]

    2 - Tatsu (17154/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {1 red light}

    3 - Tateyana (15534/20000 points) [Kaneta Tateyana''s five upcoming point acquisitions will be halved] {1 red light}

    4 - Arkalee (14215/15000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account]

    5 - Hinagiku (11770/15000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {1 red light}

    6 - Kawahara (10724/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account]

    7 - Kuzan (9904/10000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours] {1 red light}

    8 - Kanawari (9828/10000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account] [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day (2/3)]

    9 - Yulia (8436/10000 points) {1 red light}

    10 - Stratos (5060/7500 points)

    11 - Akimiyashika (4684/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] {1 red light}

    12 - Lus Sera (4540/7500 points) [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.] [Scored correctly one time]

    13 - Yukishiro (4380/4500 points)

    14 - Ikkiri (1924/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier]

    15 - Hugo (192/250 points)

    16 - Daniel (0/99 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added] {1 red light}

    </blockquote>

    "So she didn''t do it..." Tateyana was forced to recognize as she went for the wrong choice "Mhmm..." Daniel was slightly puzzled "There''s nothing to drain off..." He added "It''s really 50/50, her body language isn''t telling shit." Hinagiku noticed "By the way..." Lus was curious and decided to alert Daniel "He''s ahead of you, but it shouldn''t be a problem for you to catch up." Lus told him "......." Daniel looked to his left side, where the newest player bought by Tatsu in the last round is.

    The second round would then begin.

    "Nasha Sana has been found guilty of tearing apart limbs from people who were drugged before." The claim was stated "Oh no, my necrophilia secret is out..." Sana looked preoccupied for a second "So, you drugged people with paralyzing substances and then cut off their limbs? Hey, that''s kinda neat! Did you sell those body pieces to anyone, Sana?" Kuzan asked her, with enthusiasm "Oh, um... I can''t tell names, obviously----but I know someone that knows someone that knows someone----blah, blah, blah, you know how it is!" Sana laughed in a charming manner "Ah, I see! One more question though..." Kuzan managed to capture Sana''s full attention "What''s your number one tool for cutting limbs?" He calmly asked "......." Sana gave it some thought "Kuzan, there''s no way I''m revealing that. It''s a matter of privacy!" She replied back "Oh, my bad!!" Kuzan laughed it off and instantly voted.

    Kanawari, who is on Tateyana''s left side, saw Kuzan''s option for voting as he is on Tateyana''s right. And likewise, so did Tateyana.

    "The last time he questioned Arkalee, he got it right..." Tateyana pressed the same option as Kuzan and so did Kanawari "Oh, but I wouldn''t rely on that, Tateyana~" Sana, from afar, saw what they were doing "If you want the correct answer, then I am all ears... Just form a contract where I am able to score with you, for example." Tateyana''s expression stiffened "Just imagine this... Your contract implies the following: Every time you correctly score, I score as well. So simple, right?" But therein lies the problem "That doesn''t really work, Sana." Hyunda interfered from afar "?" Her expression flinched as Hyunda sighed "Alright, time for some explanation. Assuming the idea is there and the contract is formed, you won''t be able to gain any points, Sana. Why? Because the target of the judgment round cannot earn points of their own. Take your mind back when Daniel won a lot of points when he was the one being interrogated. Did he score points of his own or did he win the points of others?" Hyunda asked her "He earned the points of others but he was also able to lose his own points. Are you telling me that I can''t earn points of my own but that I can lose them instead?" Sana was quick to realize "It''s unfair in that regard, but yes, it''s why the idea doesn''t work." Hyunda concluded.

    But this wasn''t enough to bring Sana''s idea down.

    "Then how about this instead----a contract where I earn half of the points you score----should I tell you the correct answer?" Sana proposed, with thirty seconds on the clock "But my five upcoming point acquisitions are halved..." Tateyana didn''t see too much benefit "So? You have plenty of points! And to make things better... When I said that I would give you the correct answer----what I also meant to say was that I alone can give you---alone---the right answer." Tateyana''s eyes widened "How...?!" Many were paying attention to this chit-chat, naturally "Hit me up with the contract and I''ll give you some hints. You''ll have to use your brain though!" Sana warned ".........." Tateyana was having a lot of second thoughts.

    Now that she has a solid lead, she thought that it would overly zealous to seek any further for now.

    "Nope, I''m done. I''m good, there''s no way I will have such bad luck... My lead is immense as well..." Tateyana said, cackling "Oh God, that''s just really dumb." Sana countered "What good is your lead if you die?" Those words sent a shock down to Tateyana''s core as she was further enticed despite resolving herself out of the possibility.

    Even so, the second round was concluded as no contract was made yet.

    The ranking ladder updated as well.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda - (38210/45000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account (1/3)] {1 red light}

    2 - Tatsu (17154/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {2 red lights}

    3 - Tateyana (15630/20000 points) [Kaneta Tateyana''s five upcoming point acquisitions will be halved (4/5)] {1 red light}

    4 - Kuzan (15288/20000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours] {1 red light}

    5 - Arkalee (14215/15000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] {1 red light}

    6 - Hinagiku (11962/15000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {1 red light}

    7 - Kawahara (10724/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {1 red light}

    8 - Kanawari (9828/10000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account (1/3)] [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    9 - Yulia (8628/10000 points) {1 red light}

    10 - Yukishiro (7072/7500 points)

    11 - Stratos (5060/7500 points) {1 red light}

    12 - Akimiyashika (4876/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] {1 red light}

    13 - Lus Sera (4540/7500 points) [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.] {1 red light}

    14 - Ikkiri (2356/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier]

    15 - Daniel (484/600 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added] {1 red light}

    16 - Hugo (192/250 points) {1 red light}

    </blockquote>

    "Only two people have managed to score correctly now..." Lus pointed out "It''s luck, but I have to admit that Ikkiri scoring in her position is very beneficial. But..." There was also a catch if she were not to score and Hinagiku didn''t fail to capture that "Damn it." Daniel was displeased "I didn''t want to score..." He got grumpy "...?" Lus didn''t understand why such was the case.

    The third claim rapidly came forth.

    "Nasha Sana''s father has not been found in more than five years. However, in 2013, an autopsy of a missing leg was revealed to belong to her father." Sana''s expression was blank, utterly unclouded "That''s a no, right? It''s connected to the last claim and I got it right since I voted no, which means that Sana doesn''t cut people''s limbs off." Tateyana talked to Kanawari "........" But her lips were sealed "Oh right, you can''t talk for the whole day..." She realized once again "Hey, at least you got to live." She remarked as she confidently voted.

    The first real contract was formed, as he was behind already.

    "That''s a tempting offer, Tatsu..." Sana giggled as she placed her eyes on Tatsu, after reading the contract form that''s in front of her "But surely you don''t think that after what I saw you did to Arkalee that I wouldn''t have second thoughts about it?" Sana''s expression became serious "YOU-----!!" Arkalee realized what the condition for the contract was right away "I think it''s worth it. You won''t be able to score and realistically, it all comes down to luck." Tatsu reasoned "Yes... You are even offering me 7500 points in order for only you to know the answers... And considering how you have a 35000 point barrier to break, you would be significantly behind too..." Sana found it strange "Yes, I am deliberately putting myself in a bad spot just to find a way to get the correct answers. The situation is that dire, Sana." Tatsu acknowledged "Oh, I''m sure it is... But I don''t like this outcome, so NO!" The contract was firmly rejected for the first time.

    This raised the question.

    "What was the condition...?" Lus asked Daniel "The same that he always proposed." Daniel replied "The one that gives you points but he''ll be in control of your decisions in the execution rounds?!" She became aware "Yes. 7500 points from Tatsu would put him at below 10000 points with an enormous distance from his point barrier. Unless he were given a chance to adjust his point barrier, you could argue that this didn''t entirely benefit him." He told her "There''s no way I would ever accept that. It''s fine if it''s for a round, but for the whole day? Tatsu is taking her for granted." Hinagiku joined the conversation "But... It just goes to show that your points don''t actually matter that much in this judgment round... Usually, the one that''s being judged is the one at the center but it''s almost as if she''s..." Lus couldn''t finish the sentence.

    With no contract accepted still, the third round came to a swift end and the ranking ladder was updated right away.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda - (38402/45000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account (1/3)] {1 red light}

    2 - Tatsu (17154/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {3 red lights}

    3 - Tateyana (15630/20000 points) [Kaneta Tateyana''s five upcoming point acquisitions will be halved (4/5)] {2 red lights}

    4 - Kuzan (15288/20000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours] {2 red lights}

    5 - Arkalee (14407/15000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] {1 red light}

    6 - Hinagiku (12154/15000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {1 red light}

    7 - Kawahara (10916/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {1 red light}

    8 - Kanawari (9828/10000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account (1/3)] [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day] {1 red light}

    9 - Yulia (8628/10000 points) {2 red lights}

    10 - Yukishiro (7072/7500 points) {1 red light}

    11 - Stratos (5252/7500 points) {1 red light}

    12 - Akimiyashika (5068/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] {1 red light}

    13 - Lus Sera (4924/7500 points) [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.] [Scored correctly one time] {1 red light}

    14 - Ikkiri (2356/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {1 red light}

    15 - Hugo (534/600 points) {1 red light}

    16 - Daniel (484/600 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added] {2 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    "And there goes my short-lived streak..." Ikkiri sighed as she became depressed for not scoring once "Oh thank God she didn''t score!" Bryce was happy that Ikkiri didn''t live up to his expectations "I was almost convinced she actually was applying some unknown sorcery to get all the right answers!" He continued as he mainly spoke to Andrea, the figure who would be most prominent now that president August was away for the time being "If you are talking about the last judgment round, it was because Kitsuya Arkalee and Hirakibo Tatsu were hiding their interactions through patterns. That''s how she was able to get a valuable grasp on what the answer could be. In other words; body language. Kitsuya Arkalee was also far more emotional than Nasha Sana, who is in firm control. As long as there isn''t a pattern, this is a 100% 50/50 type of game." Andrea gave her reasoning "So it''s just a matter of when a new pattern arises..." Skan thought "But for that to happen, the players must feel like they need to be in a contract with Nasha Sana. Take Hirakibo Tatsu, for example... Although his point lead is massive and he has noticeable bonuses to him, if he doesn''t score correctly in most of the rounds, he will die. A contract has to be made between the two of them." Andrea noted "Or, for someone else to form a contract and exhibit a pattern. It''s a very tricky situation..." Liyuga became stressed.

    The fourth claim came forth as Basara wasted no time.

    "Nasha Sana is an accomplice to the murder of her chemistry teacher in highschool." Basara said "One minute to go." He reminded them, but it was useless by now as everyone knew that already.

    The negations took a stronger stride this time around.

    "How about this then?" Tatsu formed yet another contract and Sana analyzed the content "Man, you are OBSESSED with that condition!!" Sana was delirious "It''s just for one round." Tatsu clarified "You will be with 10000 points by the end of this. I don''t think you have room for worry." Tatsu added, calmly "Tatsu, I am not surrendering my ability to vote in the execution round." Sana calmly told him as well "It''s a 1 in 16 chance. Do you realize how improbable that is?" Tatsu grew weary of her adamant attitude "Oh, I am aware, but what if I''m chosen? You can just transfer my points to yourself and it will be like I was just scammed! FUCK OFF!!" Sana shouted in his direction and rejected the contract "......." Tatsu was struggling to convey his way "Sana, you''re kinda turning me on, stop that." Hyunda made the comment "And why are you acting like you''re immune to this dilemma too?" Sana didn''t intercept his particular comment but was curious "No, no, listen----if I die, then my points won''t go to anyone. Surely you guys will figure a way to keep me alive." Hyunda was optimistic "HAH! You really think so?!" Sana laughed at him "But hey, if you need a hero to save you just in time, I''m your man!" Hyunda smirked at her "Kill yourself." She was instantly disgusted by his fake prestigious chivalrous act of an attitude.

    But Tatsu wasn''t the only one who wanted to negotiate with Sana.

    "Tell me what you think about it!" Nobody expected Ikkiri to offer her a contract "Mhmm..." Sana gave it some thought as there were thirty seconds left "So you only want the four next ones?" Sana was surprised at the lack of demand "Uh, yes! I don''t want to enforce some condition that you won''t like, I am aware that you hold the control here! So, give it some thought, ahhh but... Just in case you do decide to accept it, please think of a way of telling me the answers to the claims in ways that only I can know and others won''t." Ikkiri became serious as she demanded that "........" Sana gave it some additional thought "Okay, I''m in for it. I accept the contract, Ikkiri." Sana smiled at her "Yay!!" And Ikkiri celebrated "What''s the contract?!" Tateyana was looking at the ranking ladder, where there bonuses would be exhibited and it would be the only way for the players to know exactly what Ikkiri proposed.

    Though a player has to make a verbal chant in order to form a contract, there is no set necessity for the chant to contain loud volume. Even an almost silent chant can be formed, as long as the system behind the contract understands it.

    Ikkiri took advantage of that and alluded many that were not looking at her in that specific time.

    "For the next four rounds, every time Rikishima Ikkiri scores, Nasha Sana will receive half of the points that Rikishima Ikkiri earns from those claims." Hinagiku recited the condition that was applied "Wait, next four rounds? So not this one?" Lus wanted to make sure "Yes." Daniel confirmed it "In other words... This round is still 50/50..." Lus was starting to get stressed "Not for long..." Daniel added as well.

    With the contract formed, the fourth round came to an end and the ladder was updated instantly.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda - (38402/45000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account (1/3)] {2 red lights}

    2 - Tatsu (17442/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {3 red lights}

    3 - Tateyana (15726/20000 points) [Kaneta Tateyana''s five upcoming point acquisitions will be halved (3/5)] {2 red lights}

    4 - Kuzan (15672/20000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours] {2 red lights}

    5 - Arkalee (14407/15000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] {2 red lights}

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    6 - Hinagiku (12154/15000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {2 red lights}

    7 - Kawahara (11204/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {2 red lights}

    8 - Kanawari (9828/10000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account (1/3)] [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day] {2 red lights}

    9 - Yulia (8628/10000 points) {3 red lights}

    10 - Yukishiro (7264/7500 points) {1 red light}

    11 - Lus Sera (5692/7500 points) [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.] [Scored correctly two times] {1 red light}

    12 - Stratos (5252/7500 points) {2 red lights}

    13 - Akimiyashika (5068/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] {2 red lights}

    14 - Ikkiri (2018/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] [For the next four rounds, every time Rikishima Ikkiri scores, Nasha Sana will receive half of the points that Rikishima Ikkiri earns from those claims.] {2 red lights}

    15 - Daniel (1068/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added] {2 red lights}

    16 - Hugo (534/600 points) {2 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    "Huh...?!" Lus was shocked at her progress "H-How many... points did I just earn from that correct guess...?!" In the blink of an eye, she managed to overthrow Akimiyashika and Stratos "768." Daniel answered her "If you get the next one correct you get the double of that; 1536 points." He added and made Hinagiku quiver "What..." She found the bonus slightly ridiculous to say the least "That''s almost enough for me to break through...!!" Her hopes got up "I''m glad you''re motivated." Daniel smirked at her "Pour all that energy into figuring out how Ikkiri and Sana will communicate a way to the right answer." Daniel told her "You don''t have to tell me that..." She said, as she grew fierce as well as her desire to score once again.

    "I must score... If I do, I will earn 1536 points which will put me at 7228 points...!!! And if I can keep that up, then...!!!" Her greed started to become insatiable now that this option provided her a new sea of opportunities "......." And Daniel didn''t mind that attitude of hers, at all.

    The fifth round came forth quickly as the next four rounds would prove to be most tasking to some.

    "Nasha Sana organized the public destruction of a bus station near her highschool." The claim was made "Alright, Ikkiri----how do you wanna do this?" Sana began to trade "It''s up to you, just present a way and I''ll figure it out! It can be of any difficulty!" Ikkiri told her "Any? Alright, we''ll start with something simple for the first claim then..." Sana put her plan into motion "Oh God..." Tateyana gulped "I can''t really remember it all very clearly... But I think it was around November 25th or something; I asked a couple of friends if they were in the mood to stir some shit up and then six guys approached us... No, I think it was 5? Yeah, definitely five..." Sana seemed to be deeply trying to remember something from the past "I''ll skip to the point, but those five guys were from another school nearby and they were thugs. They not only beat the shit out of my friends but even raped the other girl... Thankfully, I had managed to run away earlier, though of course, that would come to bite me later... Regardless, I didn''t like it. So I told a group of thugs from my school what happened and they were outraged. The next day, a group of 19 thugs from my school marched into the school, alongside some others and things didn''t end up well..." Sana concluded as her face was full of grief.

    There was a short silence at first.

    "Well, do I need to repeat it, Ikkiri?" Ikkiri was slightly stunned "Uhh..." Ikkiri realized something "No, I''m fine." She said "Okay. Alright then." Sana was happy that she understood "Just vote whatever she votes..." That was the basic approach "No, that won''t work. She will wait until the last second. Even if you camp her behind her chair, you still have to be in your seat in less than a second and if you don''t vote, then I honestly don''t have trouble believing that your head will explode." Kawahara rejected Akimiyashika''s approach "So what then?! A 50/50?!" Akimiyashika asked him, hoping for an answer "No, this one is easy." Kawahara admitted it "W-Well, then what''s... you know, the answer...?!" She trembled as she asked "Sister, you''re not independent enough. Arrive at a conclusion of your own." Akimiyashika thought that Kawahara was mocking her with those words.

    The alignment had yet to be made on the other side of the table.

    "Daniel, what''s the correct answer?" Lus didn''t hesitate to ask him "I can''t say yet. I''m being watched." It''s true, because some of the players have taken a notice of Daniel''s absurd streak of correct guesses from the earlier rounds; particularly the last, and have decided to only vote after what he voted "I have to vote by speaking the answer to the screen, so it takes two seconds at least." Daniel added "...Hence why you should just tell me the correct answer to my ear..." Lus didn''t give up "So needy..." Daniel sighed "Wh----I''m your asset!! Invest in me, no!?" Lus was not understanding Daniel''s preoccupation "Have you even given thought about what Sana said and how it connects to the answer?" Daniel asked "No, of course not. Because I don''t need to. You''re the genius here, so I left all the hard work for you." She was honest "......" Daniel was unsure whether or not that was a good thing "I''m not saying it." Daniel retorted "Why NOT?!" Lus got angry "Because they are drawing answers from you... Someone from the opposite direction can see what you are voting just by looking at your screen. If you vote close to my time, then people will just vote the same..." Daniel explained.

    Twenty seconds remained.

    "...I get that. But who cares? Seriously, if I score, then I score way more..." Lus still defended her point "Alright, I get it, Lus... I''ll tell you what I think is the correct answer for this one. But you''ll have to use your brain for the next one, alright?" Daniel proposed "No... No, you should keep telling me the correct answers..." Lus didn''t agree "......." Daniel gave her a monochromatic glance "And what if I don''t know the correct answer?" Daniel asked her "......" Lus didn''t know how to reply "You will still vote." She countered "And I will vote for that answer." She was faithful to her course of action "How reliable." Daniel remarked "Oh stop that... It''s all your fault..." Lus gave him a dark glance.

    The fifth round came to an end as Daniel voted in the last two seconds; Lus and Hinagiku followed him up in that regard.

    Thus, the ranking ladder was updated as well.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda - (38978/45000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account (0/3)] {2 red lights}

    2 - Tatsu (17730/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {3 red lights}

    3 - Kuzan (16056/20000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours] {2 red lights}

    4 - Tateyana (15726/20000 points) [Kaneta Tateyana''s five upcoming point acquisitions will be halved (3/5)] {3 red lights}

    5 - Arkalee (14599/15000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] {2 red lights}

    6 - Hinagiku (12346/15000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {2 red lights}

    7 - Kawahara (11684/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {2 red lights}

    8 - Kanawari (9828/10000 points) [The next first 3 correct guesses from Gayakirima Kanawari will be transferred to Hajime Hyunda''s account (0/3)] [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day] {2 red lights}

    9 - Yulia (8628/10000 points) {4 red lights}

    10 - Yukishiro (7456/7500 points) {1 red light}

    11 - Lus Sera (7228/7500 points) [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.] [Scored correctly three times] {1 red light}

    12 - Stratos (5252/7500 points) {3 red lights}

    13 - Akimiyashika (5068/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] {3 red lights}

    14 - Sana (3344/4500 points) [Has a 75% point acquisition boost for the next four hours] [For the next four rounds, every time Rikishima Ikkiri scores, Nasha Sana will receive half of the points that Rikishima Ikkiri earns from those claims.]

    14 - Ikkiri (2114/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] [For the next four rounds, every time Rikishima Ikkiri scores, Nasha Sana will receive half of the points that Rikishima Ikkiri earns from those claims.] {2 red lights}

    15 - Daniel (1452/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added] {2 red lights}

    16 - Hugo (926/1000 points) {2 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    She was ecstatic at the positive result.

    "YES, YES, YES, YES!!! HE KNOWS, HE JUST DOES!! WITH HIM, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, I SWEAR!!!" Lus'' thoughts echoed happiness "That bonus is..." Tatsu didn''t fail to capture Lus'' rise despite not altering any position this time around "Ummm, Sana...?" Ikkiri, with a rather disappointed expression, confronted her "Please don''t use the cypher code again... That was like... very obvious..." Ikkiri wasn''t happy at all "Oh, I''m sorry. I just wanted to get a minimal grasp of the level of intelligence around here..." Sana confessed "Oh?" Kawahara felt intrigued "Nossa..." Hugo felt stressed as he was thrown into the lion''s den.

    His seat was Tsudo''s prior seat.

    In order to avoid any attention, Hugo has been going with the flow thus far and frankly, ever since Sana began to command the attention around here, nobody paid attention to him, which goes according to his plan.

    "...Cy...pher code...?" Andrea was a bit confused "Vice pres?" Skan was worried about her "You don''t know it? It''s not used that often, so I don''t fault you." Liyuga emphasized "........" Andrea didn''t confirm nor deny it and allowed Liyuga to continue with the explanation "The answer to this claim was "Yes". In order to arrive at that answer, Nasha Sana had to mention the number 25, by mentioning November 25th, the number 5, by mentioning the five thugs, and the number 19 by mentioning the 19 thugs from her school. Go through the alphabet in order and you arrive at the answer." Liyuga explained "OH SNAP, IT''S "YES"!!" Bryce was shocked "...Bryce...." Liyuga expressed serious disappointment "Wh-What?! They never taught us this! The school is at fault, not me!" He became pragmatic "Well, you have a point and in all honesty, Nasha Sana wasn''t completely obvious about it... It''s just... Against them, it will require much more than that..." Liyuga''s expression darkened.

    The sixth round would now begin as the sixth claim would be recited out loud---with only ten other rounds to go.

    "Nasha Sana has a history with drug usage and has been caught with large amounts of cocaine when she was barely 14." The claim itself provided content, but it would not be more than a 50/50 "Alright, ready?" Sana asked Ikkiri "Yup." Ikkiri nodded and Sana took a deep breath and closed her eyes fully "What in the world is she going to do..." Akimiyashika became stressed as she fell victim to the course.

    The precision in her speech would come naturally, but Sana would not pull any punches as her speech''s speed would reach impeccable velocity.

    "Zero, one, zero, one, one, zero, zero, one!!" Sana took a deep breath as she readied the verbal canon "HUH?!" Tateyana was flabbergasted "ZERO, ONE, ONE, ZERO, ZERO, ONE, ZERO, ONE!! ZERO, ONE, ONE, ONE, ZERO, ZERO, ONE, ONE!!!! ZERO, ONE, ONE, ZERO, ONE, ZERO, ZERO, ONE!!!!!!" Sana now opened her eyes as she had to take yet another deep inhale for her final speech "WHAT THE HELL IS SHE SAYING?! SHE''S JUST SAYING ZERO AND ONE?! WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!" Arkalee asked everyone else "HELL IF I KNOW!!" Tateyana couldn''t figure it out either "ZERO, ONE, ONE, ZERO, ONE, ONE, ONE, ZERO!!!!!! ZERO, ONE, ONE, ZERO, ONE, ONE, ONE, ONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sana''s shout came to an end as she concluded her speech.

    Her ragged breath was all over the place; but even so, she cast a tired glance at Ikkiri.

    "I am not repeating that..." She clarified ".........." With almost forty seconds on the clock, Ikkiri decided to cover her ears to the maximum with her two hands and inside her brain, she replayed the speech that Sana made just a few seconds ago "I''m ashamed to admit but I''m completely clueless." Yukishiro turned to Hyunda "Cypher code was basic. This is just the evolution of it, in a sense." He told her "So it''s a code that involves numbers..." She came to the conclusion naturally "Binary?" She asked "Yes." Hyunda didn''t shy away from it "Unfortunately, in most cases, people have heard of it but don''t know how it actually works." Hyunda sighed.

    It was true. Some of them, though not the majority, could tell that it was some sort of code.

    "I need help." Daniel was very quick to admit as he summoned Lus and Hinagiku''s attention "...Wait... Are you serious...?!" Lus didn''t want to believe it, but from Daniel''s expression, which emitted vague confusion, she became aware "Wow, you don''t know binary code? That''s a shame, because neither do I!" Hinagiku exclaimed "Binary code?" He asked her "I literally just told you that I don''t know the binary code. I could even be wrong, but whenever a lot of zeroes and ones are involved, it''s usually binary code..." Hinagiku explained "I see... Lus, do you have any idea of how binary code works?" He turned his attention to Lus, with some twenty seconds on the clock "No?! How would I know the binary code?! I wasn''t taught about it in school!" Lus replied fiercely "........." This was troublesome for Daniel, because they were running out of time.

    With only twenty seconds on the clock, Daniel made the decision to replay the speech that Sana made, in his brain and leave it to his brain to arrive at the logical conclusion it could create.

    Thus, he closed his eyes permanently until the very last two seconds.

    "Uggghhh?!??!" Lus was not happy with Daniel''s radio silence "I wouldn''t interrupt him if I were you. He has a kin for numbers, so maybe he will arrive at the right answer." Hinagiku told Lus "........" Lus then looked at the solemn Daniel, who was undergoing through the passage "I sure hope so..." She gulped.

    And eventually, he opened his eyes, as Lus and Hinagiku both held out until the very end and awaited for his answer.

    "Yes!" He shouted minimally, and Lus and Hinagiku both voted yes as well "Please, please, please...!!!" Lus desperately wanted to score as it would mean she would earn the double of her previously earned points.

    As the sixth round concluded, the ranking ladder was updated.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda - (39170/45000 points) {2 red lights}

    2 - Tatsu (17730/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {4 red lights}

    3 - Kuzan (16056/20000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours] {3 red lights}

    4 - Tateyana (15726/20000 points) [Kaneta Tateyana''s five upcoming point acquisitions will be halved (3/5)] {4 red lights}

    5 - Kanawari (15212/20000 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day] {2 red lights}

    6 - Arkalee (14599/15000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] {3 red lights}

    7 - Hinagiku (12346/15000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {3 red lights}

    8 - Kawahara (11684/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {2 red lights}

    9 - Yukishiro (10148/15000 points) {1 red light}

    10 - Yulia (8628/10000 points) {5 red lights}

    11 - Lus Sera (7228/7500 points) [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.] {2 red lights}

    12 - Stratos (5252/7500 points) {4 red lights}

    13 - Akimiyashika (5068/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] {4 red lights}

    14 - Sana (3560/4500 points) [Has a 75% point acquisition boost for the next four hours] [For the next four rounds, every time Rikishima Ikkiri scores, Nasha Sana will receive half of the points that Rikishima Ikkiri earns from those claims.]

    14 - Ikkiri (2330/2500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] [For the next four rounds, every time Rikishima Ikkiri scores, Nasha Sana will receive half of the points that Rikishima Ikkiri earns from those claims.] {2 red lights}

    15 - Daniel (1452/1500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added] {3 red lights}

    16 - Hugo (926/1000 points) {3 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    "HUH?!!" Lus was shocked "Not enough time..." Daniel clicked his tongue "But did you get a clue to how it works?" Hinagiku asked him "I had to see the number patterns and draw logical conclusions as to how they could be conveyed to letters. Sana made intentional stops which symbolized the order and quantity of the numbers attributed to those letters. I voted yes, but since I got it wrong, it means that the correct answer was no." Daniel was visibly mad for a reason "I had no excuse... Calculus, out of all things... It''s my expertise...!!" His eyebrows twitched "You''re all forgiven if you can get the next one right!" Hinagiku told him as she slapped him in the back "Daniel, I was going to win 3072 points... My breakthrough would put me at 12800 points..." Lus could not come to terms with it "Don''t worry, if the next one is still the same, then we will score correctly." Daniel oozed with confidence "So you did figure out how it works..." Hinagiku remarked "So... quickly too..." She found it fascinating yet alarming.

    The seventh round would now begin.

    "Nasha Sana has been accused of plagiarism in regard to copying several Youtube channels." A new claim was made "Youtube channels? You can get into jail due to plagiarism?" Kuzan didn''t have the knowledge on the matter "Not really..." Tateyana countered "Unless it''s something outrageous, like copying content from very famous content creators who will do anything to make sure you live hell, you will not face any consequences." Tateyana added "I see." Kuzan became confident of the nature of the claim "Shall we swap methods?" Sana proposed to Ikkiri "No, it''s fine, actually. Just go slower and no intervals. The phrase should be bigger as well. Well... You only have forty-seven seconds, so go for it!" Ikkiri told her.

    Sana wasted no time whatsoever, as she took a decisive final breath.

    "ZERO ONE ZERO ZERO ONE ONE ONE ZERO ZERO ONE ONE ZERO ONE ONE ONE ONE ZERO ONE ONE ZERO ONE ZERO ZERO ONE ZERO ONE ONE ONE ZERO ZERO ONE ONE ZERO ONE ZERO ZERO ONE ONE ONE ZERO ZERO ONE ONE ZERO ONE ONE ONE ONEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!" An almost incomprehensible scribble of words was ushered out of Sana''s mouth "I''m not even gonna pretend to know what the hell she just said." Tateyana cast her vote at random "There was never any need to." Kuzan told her "This shit is not normal, I swear..." The opinion was popular "All of this just for an answer..." It went without saying that those who didn''t understand the binary code would not try it.

    However, for those that knew the binary code, this could be argued to be easy. But with such little time and the amount of butchering that went on with Sana''s speech, it actually proved to be difficult.

    And then there was he, who he had yet to figure out the entirety of it, despite there only being twenty seconds left to go.

    "A pen, do either of you have it?" Daniel asked the two of them "No, not me..." Hinagiku denied "I have..." Lus dug her skirt''s left pocket and pulled out a backup pen that she always carries "Why do you------" Hinagiku didn''t understand the necessity of carrying it "Fantastic. Write on your left palm the numbers I''m about to tell you with utmost precision." Lus wanted to complain but saw the time and didn''t think twice about it "Zero, one, zero, zero, one, one, one, zero." In about five seconds, Lus wrote it down "Now write below it. Zero, one, one, zero, one, one, one, one." Yet another five seconds were taken, leaving only ten seconds on the table "There''s not enough time, Daniel!" Hinagiku warned him "........" And she was right.

    But it was alright.

    "I already know the answer now. These first two letters are identical to the last two ones. The only different ones are the middle ones." Daniel told them with little time on the clock "No is no." Daniel added "What''s the answer?!" Lus was not in the mood for the riddles as time was running out "NO!" Daniel shouted and Lus and Hinagiku voted "Ahh... I really should have swapped methods..." Ikkiri realized as she looked over to Daniel''s side "So he knows binary code too...? But he got the prior claim wrong and I used the binary code..." Sana thought as the seventh round concluded.

    The ranking ladder was updated instantly.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda - (39362/45000 points) {2 red lights}

    2 - Tatsu (18018/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {4 red lights}

    3 - Kuzan (16440/20000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours] {3 red lights}

    4 - Tateyana (15822/20000 points) [Kaneta Tateyana''s five upcoming point acquisitions will be halved (2/5)] {4 red lights}

    5 - Kanawari (15596/20000 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day] {2 red lights}

    6 - Arkalee (14791/15000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] {3 red lights}

    7 - Hinagiku (12538/15000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {3 red lights}

    8 - Kawahara (12164/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {2 red lights}

    9 - Yukishiro (10340/15000 points) {1 red light}

    11 - Lus Sera (10112/15000 points) [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.] [Scored correctly one time] {2 red lights}

    10 - Yulia (8628/10000 points) {6 red lights}

    13 - Akimiyashika (5260/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] {4 red lights}

    12 - Stratos (5252/7500 points) {5 red lights}

    14 - Sana (3800/4500 points) [Has a 75% point acquisition boost for the next four hours] [For the next four rounds, every time Rikishima Ikkiri scores, Nasha Sana will receive half of the points that Rikishima Ikkiri earns from those claims.]

    14 - Ikkiri (3570/4500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] [For the next four rounds, every time Rikishima Ikkiri scores, Nasha Sana will receive half of the points that Rikishima Ikkiri earns from those claims.] {2 red lights}

    15 - Daniel (2336/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added] {3 red lights}

    16 - Hugo (1518/2000 points) {3 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    "Am I mistaken to believe I am safe now that I only have a single red light and there are nine other rounds left?" Yukishiro giggled at Hyunda "It''s like that. You don''t even have a bonus, so that''s impressive in a sense." Hyunda complimented her "Yes... But neither do you..." She highlighted "But unlike you, I am not safe. If by some odd chance I don''t get a correct one from here on, then I will actually die." Hyunda noted "That''s true... But, mhm... Say..." Yukishiro looked in Yulia''s direction "If she were to die by this conundrum, wouldn''t your plan be rendered ultimately useless?" Yukishiro had to ask "That''s a ridiculous assumption, to begin with." Hyunda denied it right away "To assume, he would let her die----that''s not how the story works." Hyunda knew the lines "Very well..." Yukishiro felt more magnetized as she followed the script carefully.

    The eighth round would shortly begin.

    "Nasha Sana has been charged multiple times by the accusation of doing sexual favors to one of her teachers against their will." The claim was drawn forward "Do one that you think that nobody in this room, myself included-----can hope to decipher..." Ikkiri requested "........" Sana knew that if Ikkiri didn''t score, then neither did she "Please don''t be under the silly assumption that I won''t be able to verify what the answer is, Sana------just limit yourself to your approach..." Ikkiri giggled "Alright." Sana saw no problem in doing that "Write down in your palm whatever she says." Daniel ordered Lus "My skin isn''t fucking paper!" She complained but was ready at any notice.

    It came.

    "Eight four three." Sana stopped momentarily "Two six seven nine three seven." And took a small breath away "Four seven--------nine three seven." Sana concluded ".........." Ikkiri posed silence and didn''t vote right away "Wait...!! Let me trace the letters through the alphabet, that''s gotta be it!!" Tateyana was hopeful "Tell me what you came up with afterwards!" Kuzan welcomed her enthusiasm ".........." Kanawari didn''t look as confident as before as she knew the binary code, but not this type of code.

    Lus was dutiful and noted everything down on her left palm.

    "843 267937 47 937..." She left some spaces as she thought that Sana was intentionally delaying the answer "I have no fucking clue." Hinagiku was quick to admit it "But you do, right?" Lus looked at Daniel ".........." He did the logical thing and ran through the alphabet to decipher it instantly "Hdc Bfgicg------HUH?!" Tateyana was bewildered "Yeah, it doesn''t work like that." Kuzan voted as he was confident of his answer "W-What?! So you know what''s going on?" Tateyana and Kanawari both looked at Kuzan "Uhhh---No, no, I am just telling you that it''s not something that can be easily cracked, so I''m better off not thinking about it!" Kuzan smiled "..........." The two of them found him useless in this regard.

    Daniel''s knowledge in mathematics, calculus, algebra, and other similar areas, don''t necessarily intertwine with codes. Codes are akin to languages in this regard; though there is knowledge about the language, there is no clear way of identifying what it means.

    "I can most likely come up with a positive answer, but only if she were to do it again..." Daniel gave them the negative reply as thirty seconds remained "50/50 it?" Hinagiku asked "Yes; I don''t know the answer to this one. It''s also worth noting that their contract ends as soon as this round ends as well." Daniel reminded the two of them "........." Lus didn''t vote as Hinagiku did "Don''t be stupid..." Daniel didn''t find her approach necessarily logical "I am serious. I don''t know the correct answer here. If I vote incorrectly, then you will vote correctly. If you vote incorrectly, then I vote correctly." Daniel told her "It''s nevertheless 50/50, so it''s alright if I vote what you vote, Daniel." Lus argued "........." He found her rather oppressive as of late "Have it your way." He dismissed it.

    The ranking ladder was updated shortly after the eighth round ended.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda - (39362/45000 points) {3 red lights}

    2 - Tatsu (18018/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {5 red lights}

    3 - Kuzan (16824/20000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours] {3 red lights}

    4 - Kanawari (15980/20000 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day] {2 red lights}

    5 - Tateyana (15822/20000 points) [Kaneta Tateyana''s five upcoming point acquisitions will be halved (2/5)] {5 red lights}

    6 - Arkalee (14791/15000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] {4 red lights}

    7 - Hinagiku (12730/15000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {3 red lights}

    8 - Kawahara (12164/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {3 red lights}

    9 - Yukishiro (10340/15000 points) {2 red lights}

    10 - Lus Sera (10112/15000 points) [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.] {3 red lights}

    11 - Yulia (8820/10000 points) {6 red lights}

    12 - Stratos (5444/7500 points) {5 red lights}

    13 - Akimiyashika (5260/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] {5 red lights}

    14 - Sana (4040/4500 points) [Has a 75% point acquisition boost for the next four hours]

    15 - Ikkiri (3810/4500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {2 red lights}

    16 - Daniel (2336/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added] {4 red lights}

    17 - Hugo (1518/2000 points) {4 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    "Woah..." Sana didn''t expect Ikkiri to actually score "Phone code, good choice! A shame I actually know all of the modern codes, teehee~" Ikkiri stuck her tongue out "Fucking nerrrrdddddddddddddddddd......" Hyunda was pissed "HEY!!" Ikkiri shouted in his direction "Fucking NEET I swear to God, you know TOO much useless shit." Hyunda didn''t slow down with his words "DON''T SAY THAT!! I STUDIED A LOT OF THINGS THAT YOU DON''T KNOW!!!" Ikkiri smiled though argumentative "That''s her excuse for casually knowing too much. You should have seen her at her prime with her glasses~" Hyunda smirked at Sana at the center "UGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH--------" Ikkiri was irritated this time around.

    Before the ninth round would begin, Sana was struck with a proposal.

    "What do you say? Pretty nice, right?!" Kuzan elevated his wide smile to Sana "Oh great, another contract... Damn it...!!" Yulia was getting more and more stressed as she kept a firm count of how many red lights she has on her choker "The math is simple; if I breakthrough, my bonus points will be 5000. And I am offering you 5000 of those points, furthermore a single additional one out of charity! All for yourself..." The offer was far too tempting to decline "Hold on, what?" Tateyana was confused at Kuzan''s words "Only she can see the context of the contract... Kuzan, that bastard..." Kawahara became weary of him "What is he planning...?!" Akimiyashika got nervous as well.

    Though reluctant, after giving it thought, nothing seemed wrong about it. As a matter of fact; only a large margin of profit remained for Sana, in hindsight.

    "Yes... I accept it..." Kuzan became ecstatic "HELL YES!!! You''ve made an excellent choice, Sana! Don''t worry, this isn''t some sort of scam! We both greatly benefit here!" Kuzan flashed a smirk and gave his thumbs-up "..........." But Sana had a hard expression "Hm..." Daniel looked over the ranking ladder and saw the new condition applied to Sana and Kuzan "In exchange for all of Nasha Sana''s current points which will be transferred to Takeshi Kuzan upon this contract''s formation... If until the last round, Takeshi Kuzan correctly scores, then 5001 points will be attributed to Nasha Sana directly from Takeshi Kuzan''s account...?!" Lus was skeptical about it "Sana already accepted the deal, which means that if Kuzan doesn''t score correctly once, she is at zero points. Why would she do such a thing?" Hinagiku thought it was beyond risky "No, no---you guys are painting me as a bad guy but I am not that type of person... I actually just want to score because I benefit from this more than she does. Just do the math and you''ll see." Kuzan told them.

    Akimiyashika tried to make the calculations by herself.

    "Uh so... Kuzan just won all of Sana''s points which were..." She could not remember as she looked at the ranking ladder which was already updated "4040." Kawahara told her "4040!! Yes, I remember now!" She rapidly added as she pretended to know all along "And Kuzan''s points right now are..." She cast a glance and gulped "25864...?! How much did he win from breaking the barrier?!" She asked "5000." Kawahara answered yet again "And if Kuzan gets all the correct answers from here on then... That''s... Uh..." She couldn''t wrap her head around it "3072 points for Kuzan. Assuming that he sticks to the deal..." Kawahara was skeptical about it "In other words....!!! Kuzan will be uh...!!" Akimiyashika couldn''t remember the exact number "Dear sister, I swear... You need to work on that brain of yours." Kawahara sighed "Stop SAYING THAT!!" She was emotional about it.

    Kawahara ignored that and delivered the answer anyways.

    "It''s 28936. Minus the 5001 that will be given to Sana in theory and Kuzan will be at a grand 23935, albeit his point barrier will be 30000 and not 25000." Kawahara reasonably concluded "That''s... still a fuckton of points no?! And just for 5001 points from him?!" Akimiyashika found the deal unfair "You''d have to see things from her perspective. If the deal goes well, she will win 5001 points, break her point barrier and be awarded with 2500 additional bonus points; thus she will be at 7501 points. By the way... That''s above you, Akimi." She could no longer ignore those words "I know... But... My situation isn''t dangerous yet... And besides, they will have to communicate a way to get to the answer, so we''ll see..." Akimiyashika wasn''t ready to give up.

    With things out of the way, Basara deemed it was time for the ninth round to begin.

 Volume 27: Chapter 191.5: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part XIX.

    "Nasha Sana has been arrested twice for stealing cigarettes." The claim was made by Basara "Okay, how are we going to do this, Kuzan?" Calm now, Sana asked him "A jewel''s price has its value, doesn''t it?" Kuzan asked her ".....??" Her expression became shackled as she didn''t know what Kuzan was trying to imply "A thief''s job is to steal; primarily that is-----but if you ask me, unless you have a client of your own, the thief''s job is split in two! One; you acquire the goods... And two; you sell the goods and therefore earn your profit!" Kuzan explained it "However, from the looks of it... I have to steal the goods from you, Sana..." He adjoined his fingers and cracked them in reverse "Tell me, do you know how much a diamond ring costs?!" He enthusiastically asked her "I------No..." She didn''t deny it "Alright, do you have an idea?" He continued "...Yes..." She replied "That''s good. Now imagine this----you have a diamond ring. You have it and it was given to you. However, you have grown tired of it and want to sell it. And then---let''s say that I want to buy that diamond ring from you..." Sana listened closely "What the hell is he on about?" Lus also didn''t understand what Kuzan''s plan was "I''ve always thought Kuzan as a dumb person, let''s hope I''m still right..." Hinagiku dreaded slightly.

    Kuzan got to the point as there were forty seconds on the clock.

    "You have the idea of the price of the diamond ring, Sana?" Kuzan asked "Yes..." Sana had a thought about Kuzan''s true intention "Alright, I''ll try to purchase it. Let''s start with 100$!!" Kuzan made his first bargain "No, rejected." Sana was quick to reject it "Hmm... 200$?" Kuzan tried again "Nope, too low." Sana rejected him again "Hmm..." Kuzan gave it some thought "No, seriously, WHAT IS GOING ON?!" Akimiyashika was definitely not the only one confused "Interesting mind games, Kuzan..." Kawahara complimented him "500$!" Kuzan bargained once more "Close but no cigar...!" Kuzan thought more and more "ALRIGHT, 1000$!!!" Kuzan shouted "YOU WISH!! REJECTED!!" And Sana laughed "FINE THEN, 4000$!!" Kuzan tried it again "Hmm..." Sana for once, decided to give it some thought "It''s still a no, Kuzan." Sana sighed "Damn it...!!" There were twenty or so seconds on the clock "But I am close to the price, right?" Kuzan asked "Who knows..." Sana was elusive about it "Alright... 6500$ IT IS!!" Kuzan struck his bargain "CORRECT!!" Sana clapped in his direction "HELL YEAH!!!" Kuzan got up and struck a champion''s pose.

    The confusion did not cease.

    "Daniel..." Lus looked at him "Hm... I have an idea... But I need to see more evidence..." Daniel told her "Please share this "idea" of yours with me." Lus demanded "No. You will definitely overthink it. 50/50 it." Daniel countered "I will vote whatever you vote." Lus told him "No, I''m voting at the last second, or rather---two seconds..." He warned her "You''re seriously going to try and vote the same as Kuzan?" The distance between them wasn''t massive as he was far to the right "No, that''s pointless. He will literally vote at the last second and there is nothing anyone can do about this." He said "Then why at the last second, Daniel..." She felt frustrated "So I can think more... Don''t distract me, now that you know that." Daniel''s voice turned cold "........." Lus became silent though annoyed as she eventually voted as well.

    The ninth round eventually ended and the ranking ladder updated.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda - (39362/45000 points) {4 red lights}

    2 - Kuzan (26248/30000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours] [5001 points from Takeshi Kuzan will be awarded to Nasha Sana if he gets every claim right until the judgment round is over] {3 red lights}

    3 - Tatsu (18306/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {5 red lights}

    4 - Kanawari (15980/20000 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day] {3 red lights}

    5 - Tateyana (15822/20000 points) [Kaneta Tateyana''s five upcoming point acquisitions will be halved (2/5)] {6 red lights}

    6 - Arkalee (14983/15000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] {4 red lights}

    7 - Hinagiku (12730/15000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {4 red lights}

    8 - Kawahara (12452/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {4 red lights}

    9 - Lus Sera (10496/15000 points) [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.] [Scored correctly one time] {3 red lights}

    10 - Yukishiro (10340/15000 points) {3 red lights}

    11 - Yulia (8820/10000 points) {7 red lights}

    12 - Stratos (5444/7500 points) {6 red lights}

    13 - Akimiyashika (5260/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] {6 red lights}

    14 - Ikkiri (3810/4500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {3 red lights}

    15 - Daniel (2336/2500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added] {5 red lights}

    16 - Hugo (1518/2000 points) {5 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    "You''re... kidding me..." Yulia''s mouth slowly dropped "I''m already with seven red lights...?!" She grabbed her hairstrands in the midst of her paranoia "DAMN IT!! IT''S NEVER LIKE THIS!!! POINTS DETERMINE THE FLOW OF THIS GAME AND YET YOU''RE TELLING ME THAT MY LIFE IS ACTUALLY IN DANGER JUST BECAUSE I DON''T KNOW THE CORRECT ANSWER?! BULLSHIT!!!" It was an experience that she was not familiar with whatsoever "But even so... There is a clear path to victory... It doesn''t matter if I don''t know the answer... He does..." Yulia became confident of her skills as her eyes narrowed onto leading Kuzan.

    It was something that it took the others as well no time to capitalize on, but some decided to follow a different path in order to escape this conundrum.

    "So?" Tatsu, far more serious than before, faced Sana from afar as he was not in the mood to be a victim to this current circumstance "Umm----" Sana was just about to accept it as she saw no reason to decline such a favorable contract coming from Tatsu "Woah, hold your horses there!" But she was interrupted by Kuzan "?!" Sana didn''t see the deal here "If you accept any contracts, I will not keep my word, Sana..." Kuzan''s expression turned glacial cold "WHAT?! WHY?!" She was outraged by the sudden manipulation "Don''t hold it against me, please... But you see, even if you try to tell me the wrong answer from here on out of spite, it''s not as if I can actually die in this judgment round..." Kuzan exhibited his devilish grin.

    And he''s right.

    Hypothetically speaking, if Kuzan were to get all the wrong answers for the upcoming claims, his choker''s red lights would be increased to seven. His current red lights are three, and although the choker can only uphold ten red lights, it''s a known factor that it takes the eleventh red light to be the ultimate trigger for the detonation. He is, in other words, immune to the dilemma.

    "Sana, I can offer you way more than that." Tatsu earned her attention "......." But she felt like she knew where this was going "10000. Double of what Kuzan has offered to you." Sana definitely liked the proposal but the condition, on the other hand... "Tatsu, NO! I am not forfeiting my own place in the execution rounds!" Sana remained adamant "......." Tatsu was getting slightly annoyed by her behavior "And why the hell not? Your lead will be immense------" Sana had to interrupt him "I WILL NOT ACCEPT POINTS AT THE COST OF MY FREEDOM!!" Sana shouted in his direction "Fucking bitch....!!!" Tatsu was losing his composure.

    But Tatsu''s movement gave an idea to those that wanted to get the correct claims.

    "Hold up, Sana! I think I have just the deal for you!" Tateyana came into play "7500 of my points! That''s it! And I get the correct claims! Tell me that''s not better than what Kuzan is offering you!" Tateyana dared her to say no "I''m warning you that I will not keep my word, Sana..." Kuzan was serious "Besides, good luck communicating it in a way with her that she will understand that will make others not. You''re aware, right? Our code and what we developed in a matter of seconds is something that will prove to be difficult for the rest to assert. If you try and come up with something like that with her then..." Kuzan let out a mocking grin "FUCK YOU!!! FUCK YOU, FUCK YOU, FUCK YOUUUUUU!!!" Tateyana was not fond of Kuzan''s words "But, it''s your call! If you don''t see the advantage in this illusion, then..." Kuzan looked at Yulia from afar "Then there''s really nothing else to say..." Kuzan kept grinning "...!??!" Yulia was thoroughly confused as to why she was hawked by Kuzan from afar.

    But to everyone else, it was clear what Kuzan was referring to.

    Even so, despite all this commotion, no contract was accepted and the tenth round would be instilled quickly.

    "Nasha Sana has been found the culprit for the death of two of her classmates, who were her friends back in highschool." The claim, which lacked value in the shock department, served only to feed the momentum that Kuzan had constructed "Tell me something you wish you had, that could be stolen!" Kuzan told her "Oh fuck, not this shit again...!!" Tateyana wasn''t looking forward to this "A Nintendo Switch! I always wanted to play a few games in it!" Sana told him with much enthusiasm "Oh, I see, I see..." Kuzan thought about what price the most recent Nintendo Switch model was "Alright! 500$!" Kuzan made his first bargain "That''s..." Sana gave it some thought "Mhm..." She was definitely interested "Ahhh, no... Pass!" Sana ultimately rejected the offer regardless "Fuck..." Kuzan was in trouble "Then, how about 850$?!" Kuzan bargained yet again "Okay, I''ll take it!!" Sana smiled and thus, their conversation concluded with just two bargains.

    Bryce felt like it was a waste of time trying to comprehend it; but the others were delving deeper into it.

    "This----can''t be nonsense, right? I mean, Takeshi Kuzan scored correctly in the last round, so if he does... Then..." Skan thought there was something more at hand "Could it be----that he''s finding the answer by how much he believes the object to be worth...?" Liyuga proposed "What...?" Krale was curious "Takeshi Kuzan is a master thief. Yes, all of them, are thieves----they have stolen property which does not belong to them, but Takeshi Kuzan, according to the records of his crimes-----takes this way extremely. Therefore, he must have knowledge about the value of these objects that he steals. He even told us earlier that he sells the goods in order to earn profit. So, he definitely knows..." Liyuga told them "Okay... But where does that leave us...?" The question was persistent.

    Whether or not it was worth it, there was a single consensus here.

    All that mattered was getting the correct answer. For those who have more red lights then they should have, it''s a given that they must act before it''s too late.

    "Heeeeyyyy~" There were quite a few sweat droplets around her face that exhibited a fake smile "Heya!" Kuzan greeted her with a smile, as there were thirty seconds left "I-----woah, that''s quite the lead, I just noticed..." Yulia was in shock as she saw that Kuzan was in fact in the second place "Yup! Heh, I daresay I might surpass Hyunda before this round ends, actually..." Kuzan confidently stated "W-What?! No way, how?!" Yulia took advantage of the commotion and swirled around Kuzan, as Tateyana and Kanawari watched "Bitch, go back to your seat!" Tateyana told her aggressively "Hey! Don''t be rude to my customer!" Kuzan apprehended her right away "Customer?" Yulia thought "It''s 192 per answer! Of course, there isn''t a way to transfer points, so a contract will have to be formed. What do you say?!" Kuzan was excited to do business "Uh..." Yulia''s plan was not even allowed to be executed.

    Twenty-three seconds remained.

    "We don''t have time to waste!" Kuzan told her fiercely "Here is the contract that I propose: Every round, until the very last, you will forfeit 192 of your points to me; in exchange, I will tell you the right answer!" Kuzan gave her the idea "Er---Can''t it be the other way around?" Yulia thought that something was wrong with Kuzan''s "simple" idea of a contract "I will accept if it states that every time I correctly score, 192 of those points will be transferred to you!" Yulia said "There, that should fix it-----" Kuzan interrupted her "Nope, I said what I said." Yulia''s eyes widened slightly "Wh----" Kuzan would elaborate as time-efficiently as he could "Listen----by trusting you with the right answer, there will be others who will spy on you. It goes against my policy to endanger my client, you see... I don''t want to put you in further danger, so please just trust me here!" Kuzan begged her "........" Yulia wasn''t pleased at all.

    She looked at the remaining time, which was fourteen seconds.

    "I----Okay, make the contract and tell me the answer, please I need to go back to my seat in order to answer!" Yulia just wanted to get out of the dilemma "Right away, hold up..." Kuzan began to form the verbal contract "Lend me your ear real quick..." Yulia crunched down and told the answer to Yulia "Now go!" Kuzan ordered her as there were six seconds on the clock "........" Sana looked at Kuzan and Kuzan looked at her "........" Kuzan exhibited three fingers firstly, then four, then five, then ultimately silently spoke it with his lips and Sana understood what his plan was "...Good..." Sana had no objections.

    The tenth round came to an allusive end as the ranking ladder was updated.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda - (39362/45000 points) {5 red lights}

    2 - Kuzan (26824/30000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours] [5001 points from Takeshi Kuzan will be awarded to Nasha Sana if he gets every claim right until the judgment round is over] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hikaru Yulia will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {3 red lights}

    3 - Tatsu (18306/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {6 red lights}

    4 - Kanawari (15980/20000 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day] {4 red lights}

    5 - Tateyana (15822/20000 points) [Kaneta Tateyana''s five upcoming point acquisitions will be halved (2/5)] {6 red lights}

    6 - Arkalee (14983/15000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] {5 red lights}

    7 - Hinagiku (12922/15000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {4 red lights}

    8 - Kawahara (12452/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {5 red lights}

    9 - Lus Sera (11264/15000 points) [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.] [Scored correctly two times] {3 red lights}

    10 - Yukishiro (10532/15000 points) {3 red lights}

    11 - Yulia (8820/10000 points) [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hikaru Yulia will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {7 red lights}

    12 - Stratos (5444/7500 points) {7 red lights}

    13 - Akimiyashika (5260/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] {7 red lights}

    14 - Ikkiri (4002/4500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {3 red lights}

    15 - Daniel (3720/4500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added] {5 red lights}

    16 - Hugo (1518/2000 points) {6 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    "Wow, he didn''t lie..." Yulia noticed "It''s fine then... Who cares if I don''t score? I won''t die at least..." Yulia felt satisfied with knowing that at least as she puffed her chest ".........." He, however, didn''t like how the flow of this was going "I... haven''t scored in three rounds... B-But it''s 50/50...!!" Akimiyashika gritted her teeth as she found herself in a dangerous situation "Hurry up and figure out what they''re doing and then you''ll score." Kawahara told her "Easier said than done! Hey, you''re the genius here, aren''t you?! Show me some of that magic of yours and tell me the secret behind their interaction!" Akimiyashika demanded right away "No. You''ve grown too spoiled for my tastes." Akimiyashika shivered "What..." She had trouble believing it was the same Kawahara that she knew for a while "No, seriously----who are you...?!" She has been fighting a ridiculous assumption for a while in her mind "What I am, my past----it doesn''t matter. In this game, who you are, doesn''t matter. Only the victorious matter. And right now, you''re the loser. So tell me, what can you hope to do to change your predicament, Akimi?" She no longer had any doubt in her mind, but had a far more brutal task to accomplish.

    The eleventh round would now begin.

    "Nasha Sana has orchestrated a massacre of her entire classroom by organizing a send-off party which ultimately resulted in the deaths of 23 other people." Basara made the claim "Pffft." Sana found it funny, but nobody was actually that interested "Heeeey Sanaaaaa, I haven''t scored in two rounds, can you just tell me the answer? I''ll give you a kiss later, I swear." Hyunda, with a bored and lazy expression asked "Hyunda, have you thought about the amount of oxygen that you consume?" She dismissed him "Wooooooow, why are you acting so coldddd to meeeeeeee..." He sighed "Hey wait... I can actually die if I don''t correctly score the remaining ones..." Hyunda''s eyes widened "Do you need assistance?" Yukishiro kindly asked "I''ll just leave it to chance, as he would say." Hyunda shrugged "Hmpf, very well..." Yukishiro adored his side.

    Kuzan and Sana underwent their usual----inexplicable to many----dialogue.

    "Now, what will it be this time?" Kuzan asked her "The Hope Diamond!" Sana spoke with elegance "The Hope Diamond... I can''t say I''m familiar with its price, but I''ve heard rumors..." Kuzan confessed "Don''t worry about the price; I know it." Sana reassured "Oh really?! That''s great!" Kuzan was happy to know that "Uhh, okay... 50 million!" Kuzan made his first bargain "HELL NO!!!" She rejected it right away "100 million!!!" Kuzan continued "NO, KUZAN!! THAT''S TOO LOW!!" She rejected him again "AGHHHH, 500 MILLION?!?!?" Kuzan randomly guessed as he dramatically put his right hand on his face as if facepalming "500 million...?! That''s... Hmm... That''s a very tempting offer..." Sana gave it some thought "See? Right there? That''s the line." Daniel told the two of them "...I''ll only believe it if we do score..." Hinagiku was still skeptical about Daniel''s theory "They can alternate the pattern, but frankly, nobody else seems to have caught wind of it. And furthermore... Most of them have actually given up on trying to figure out what''s the deal here..." Lus gulped as Daniel said that.

    Kuzan and Sana''s dialogue had terminated a short while and with thirty-five seconds on the clock; Kuzan was under the attention of quite a few people.

    Tatsu, Arkalee, Akimiyashika, Stratos, and even Tateyana, who had such a lead-----were all around him; albeit the latter is already close by regardless.

    "Arkalee, why are you here..." Tatsu found her stance rather problematic "Motherfucker... DON''T TALK TO ME AFTER WHAT YOU DID!!" Her lack of arms was the cause of hysterical laughter coming from Hyunda far away in the opposite direction "FUCKING FUCK YOUUUUUUUUUUU HYUNDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!! I FUCKING HATE YOU SO FUCKING M-------" Kuzan clapped three times with vigor "HEY HEY!!! WE DON''T GOT TIME TO WASTE, YOU GUYS!!" Kuzan refused to let this chance slide.

    He got up and directed his proposal to every single one of them in order.

    "Tatsu, usually I would demand 192 per round, but in your case, since you actually get a 100% boost, I''m demanding 288!" Kuzan told him "........" Tatsu pondered whether or not it was worth it to commit into it "Arkalee, I''ll cover 192 per round for you." He told her "SO I NEVER GET TO SCORE, RIGHT?!" She was rather happy "Huh? Uh, yeah...?!" Kuzan found it strange how she didn''t want to score "Oh---" He realized soon after though "Well, whatever----Akimiyashika, Stratos, and Tateyana, the same applies to all of you! Form a contract with me that specifically says: Until the last round of this judgment round, you will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan!" Twenty-two seconds remained on the clock "That''s fucking ABSURD!! WHERE IS THE GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL HAVE THE RIGHT ANSWER, KUZAN?!" Akimiyashika argued right away "I never betray my clients'' trust!!" Kuzan solemnly vowed "It''s bullshit, no way!" Akimiyashika felt resigned "Yeah, what the hell..." Stratos was turned off as well "Alright! Have fun you guys! I''m sure in your next life you''ll feel fucking dumb for not taking my words seriously when you realize how easy it could have been! Have fun dying!" Kuzan didn''t mind if they all decided to just go away.

    And in reality, none of them wanted to accept these stupid conditions.

    Midst this, Yulia approached Kuzan from the other side as the others gave some deep serious thought about it, with little to no time on the clock.

    "Alright, but under one condition..." Tatsu awaited as Kuzan whispered the answer to Yulia, who hurried back to her seat "And what will that be?" Kuzan was willing to hear "I''ll tell you later, not now. Time, Kuzan." Tatsu was aware "Oh, I know!! All of you, you too!! If there are no contracts this round made to me, I''m not rethinking this!!!" Kuzan was tyrannical as there were twelve seconds on the clock "KUZAN, I SWEAR TO GOD------!!!" Tateyana started to recite the contract "I WILL FUCK YOU UP IF YOU''RE LYING!!!" Akimiyashika as well; and rapidly, in less than five seconds, Kuzan had five contracts to his disposal to accept.

    He prioritized telling them the answer right away, though.

    "Yes." None of them wasted time as there were six seconds left and went back to their seats and voted; meanwhile Kuzan accepted all of the contracts just before the round ended "Ahhhh...!!! Ahhhh...!!!" Akimiyashika, who got to her seat just in time, took a few breaths "I have to admit, even I didn''t foresee such an advantage to him. If I didn''t know any better, I would say he''s a marketing genius. It''s a shame he actually fell down all the way to this shithole... Kuzan might have had an actual promising life otherwise..." Kawahara noted to himself.

    The eleventh round ended and so, the ranking ladder was updated.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hyunda - (39362/45000 points) {6 red lights}

    2 - Kuzan (28456/30000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours] [5001 points from Takeshi Kuzan will be awarded to Nasha Sana if he gets every claim right until the judgment round is over] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hikaru Yulia will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hirakibo Tatsu will forfeit 288 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kaneta Tateyana will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Stratos will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Izayoi Akimiyashika will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kitsuya Arkalee will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {3 red lights}

    3 - Tatsu (18306/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hirakibo Tatsu will forfeit 288 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {6 red lights}

    4 - Kanawari (16172/20000 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day] {4 red lights}

    5 - Tateyana (15822/20000 points) [Kaneta Tateyana''s five upcoming point acquisitions will be halved (1/5)] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kaneta Tateyana will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {6 red lights}

    6 - Arkalee (14983/15000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kitsuya Arkalee will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {5 red lights}

    7 - Hinagiku (13114/15000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {4 red lights}

    8 - Kawahara (12932/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {5 red lights}

    9 - Lus Sera (12800/15000 points) [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.] [Scored correctly three times] {3 red lights}

    10 - Yukishiro (10724/15000 points) {3 red lights}

    11 - Yulia (8820/10000 points) [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hikaru Yulia will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {7 red lights}

    12 - Stratos (5444/7500 points) [Until the last round of this judgment round, Stratos will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {7 red lights}

    13 - Akimiyashika (5260/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Izayoi Akimiyashika will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {7 red lights}

    14 - Ikkiri (4434/4500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {3 red lights}

    15 - Daniel (4104/4500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added] {5 red lights}

    16 - Hugo (1518/2000 points) {7 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    They had a natural curiosity in knowing just how much he had won from all the contracts.

    But they didn''t expect this...

    "HOW MANY POINTS DID HE JUST WIN??!?!?!?" Bryce exulted himself from his seat and while Andrea wanted to correct even, even she----was shocked "It was more than a thousand I''m pretty sure...!!" Seok contributed "So many bonuses..." Liyuga gulped "I haven''t done the calculations but it''s definitely a lot! I haven''t seen anything like this before, so early in the rounds! We are already in the morning but the numbers don''t reach this high until noon! We are hitting new grounds today!" Erigaisi clapped with enthusiasm "I am most definitely making a show out of this day alone." Erigaisi murmured to himself.

    But despite Kuzan''s new heights in terms of points, there was a sense of security implanted in the hearts of those who had been contracted.

    Simply by consulting Kuzan after the claim was made, they would know the correct answer. Sure, their points will be transferred to Kuzan, but it''s better than dying----for them.

    The twelfth round commenced shortly.

    "Nasha Sana has cut her mother, limb by limb, and used a meat mincer machine in order to make food portions, which were mysteriously mailed to several locations." A most macabre claim was made "Jesus----I know it''s not really relevant anymore, but WHAT THE FUCK!!" Tateyana couldn''t help herself "Kuzan, let''s get down to business..." Sana wanted to wrap this round up "Gladly. What''s on your mind?" He asked "Do gemstones vary too much in price?" She asked him "Hmm... They do, however, one thing is for certain... There''s none that''s cheap!" Kuzan told her "Ah, thank you, I see. We''ll go with an emerald gemstone then!" Sana established the groundline "Got it! 1 million from me!!!" Kuzan went right after the answer "Absolutely not, that''s too cheap..." Sana was abhorrent with her words "Yeah, I know, I know... Let''s go for... 25 million!!" Kuzan upped the price by a slight margin "Kuzan, that''s still too low! NO!!" And Sana rejected it "Oh fine... I see, you really do know the price of it then..." Kuzan had his mindset right on the matter.

    This segment here was a mere educational line in order to encode the truth.

    "Alright... No, I really believe it now." Hinagiku had seen all that she needed to see "I think Ikkiri also caught wind of it, though sooner..." She additionally remarked "Probably." Daniel didn''t deny it "......" Daniel looked to his left side and saw Lus, who couldn''t contain her excitement "3072...!!! 3072...!!!" She didn''t like the fact that she had to wait even more time for her ambition to come true; as an ecstatic smile kept growing more and more.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Kuzan was frequented by Tateyana, Akimiyashika, Arkalee, Tatsu, Stratos, and Yulia.

    To each and every one of them, Kuzan whispered, individually, the answer.

    "I''m getting dethroned it seems..." Hyunda sighed with depression "Yes... But you could''ve done something about it." Yukishiro critiqued "No altering the script." He told her "Never---ever, alter the script. Everything must be natural, but direction must be there. Every character matters, has their own role, and will act differently according to the circumstance. To be an arbiter, interference is not allowed. Therefore, I too, am one." Hyunda waved his arms simultaneously "And so---the symphony unravels..." The twelfth round would come to a swift end shortly.

    And with that, the ranking ladder would update afterwards.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Kuzan (42588/45000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours] [5001 points from Takeshi Kuzan will be awarded to Nasha Sana if he gets every claim right until the judgment round is over] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hikaru Yulia will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hirakibo Tatsu will forfeit 288 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kaneta Tateyana will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Stratos will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Izayoi Akimiyashika will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kitsuya Arkalee will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {3 red lights}

    2 - Hyunda - (39554/45000 points) {6 red lights}

    3 - Lus Sera (20872/25000 points) [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.] [Scored correctly four times] {3 red lights}

    4 - Tatsu (18306/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hirakibo Tatsu will forfeit 288 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {6 red lights}

    5 - Kanawari (16172/20000 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day] {5 red lights}

    6 - Tateyana (15630/20000 points) [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kaneta Tateyana will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {7 red lights}

    7 - Arkalee (14983/15000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kitsuya Arkalee will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {5 red lights}

    8 - Hinagiku (14556/15000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {4 red lights}

    9 - Kawahara (13412/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {5 red lights}

    10 - Yukishiro (10724/15000 points) {4 red lights}

    11 - Yulia (8628/10000 points) [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hikaru Yulia will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {8 red lights}

    12 - Ikkiri (6164/7500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {3 red lights}

    13 - Stratos (5252/7500 points) [Until the last round of this judgment round, Stratos will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {8 red lights}

    14 - Akimiyashika (5068/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Izayoi Akimiyashika will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {8 red lights}

    15 - Daniel (4488/4500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added] {5 red lights}

    16 - Hugo (1710/2000 points) {7 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    The pandemonium started.

    "HUH?!" The eighth red light was lit up on their respective chokers "KUZAN, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!?!?" Akimiyashika got up from her seat "YEAH, WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT?! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO TELL THE ACCURATE ANSWERS!!!" Yulia as well, as she pointed at Kuzan "ME TOO...!! WHY DID YOU LIE, KUZAN?!" They didn''t settle for words and started to walk into Kuzan''s direction "DO YOU WANT TO FUCKING DIE, KUZAN?!" Tateyana, who also got the wrong answer, right on his right side, held her hands up high, wanting to strangle him "H-Huh?!?!?" Kuzan had an extremely nervous expression "W-Wait, you guys!" Kuzan was most definitely in trouble.

    A physical brawl was most surely approaching.

    "Any sort of brawl or usage of violence that isn''t in accordance with the game, will be punished by adding red lights to your chokers!" Basara''s words made the three of them freeze "BUT---THAT''S UNFAIR, TEACHER!! HE LIED TO ME AND MY POINTS WERE DEDUCTED!!! COME ON, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!" Akimiyashika begged Basara as she cried "But wasn''t it you who proposed the contract despite fully knowing it could come down to that?" Basara asked her "IT''S A MATTER OF HONOR, DAMN IT...!!! FUCK YOU, KUZAN!!!" Defeated, with tremendous rage on her shoulders, Akimiyashika went back to her seat "Damn it...!!!" Stratos felt a shiver down his spine "Are you serious... That Kuzan, really..." Hinagiku was dumbfounded "........." Daniel only had his eyes for her; who had her core entirely shaken.

    But Kuzan felt like there was something more to say.

    "Uhh, guys?! I''m pretty sure I just confused the order!" Kuzan told them that "AND HOW WOULD THAT BE POSSIBLE WHEN THE ANSWER WAS ALL THE SAME?! THERE WAS ONLY ONE CORRECT ANSWER! YES OR NO, IT''S THAT SIMPLE AGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Akimiyashika screamed out of her lungs "That was because I didn''t want others to catch wind of the correct answer, so I switched the answers, but..." Kuzan hummed "Sana, it looks like we need to switch up." Kuzan told her "I agree..." Sana, who had been paying attention to the ladder, could not ignore her rise "Ohh...?" Lus felt over-confident "Are they fearing me, by some chance...?" She chuckled "That''s good... But I''m scoring no matter what..." Her eyes narrowed as she only saw success "TEACHER, WHAT''S THE MATTER!? WHERE IS THE NEXT CLAIM?!" Lus shouted at Basara "Someone''s feeling herself..." Yukishiro didn''t like Lus'' stance "Our gap is large, but if she does score..." Hyunda couldn''t deny it "Very well." Basara saw that the tension was high and given how hyped the comenters were for the next round, he didn''t waste any time whatsoever.

    The thirteenth round came forth; which symbolized that there were three other rounds to go.

    "The crime that got Nasha Sana arrested was burning her aunt on fire alongside her children as they died in a locked room." Sana''s expression darkened "Kuzan, what do you got for me?" Since Kuzan said he wanted to switch up methods, Kuzan would have to innovate "Country game." Kuzan told her "I-----Okay..." Sana wasn''t sure if this was the most effective method "I''ll start! GO!!" Kuzan''s brain began to speed through the alphabet "STOP!!" Sana waited less than two seconds "E!" Kuzan passed the ball to Sana "Uh... Estonia!" She got one right "Damn... Uh..." Kuzan, on the other hand, had trouble "I actually don''t know! Can I get a clue, please?!" Kuzan asked "Did you even try... Well, okay... Ecu..." Sana said no further "......" Kuzan gave it some thought "Wait, I know this one! Ecuador!" Kuzan got it right "Impressive... Egypt." Sana was quick "DAMN! HOW DID I FORGET THE MOST SIMPLE!!" Kuzan fretted "Uhh... A clue?! I really don''t know more!" Kuzan begged her "No, Kuzan. No more clues. If you don''t reply in five seconds, then I win this round!" Sana declared her terms "Wai---Erm----Eh---Uhhhh...!!!" Kuzan could not meet her conditions.

    And in less than fifteen seconds, Kuzan was defeated.

    "Daniel, what does this mean?!" Lus wasted no time and went to the most reliable information source she could think of "What do you think?" Daniel asked her "It doesn''t matter what I think---what matters is what you think! Thanks to you, I was able to score four times! Make it a five!" Lus was honest to the core "Not good enough." He rejected her approach "What?!" She was not happy with that "I believe I know the method that they are using and through the vote, it will be confirmed. But unless you tell me the correct method and how to achieve it, I won''t tell you..." Lus'' expression stiffened "I told you, Lus, loyalty is not enough... You have to be useful..." He was not happy with her codependent behavior this round "....Fine, give me a sec..." Lus felt dignified to take the challenge.

    Thirty-five seconds remained.

    "Guys, get your asses in here or else I won''t tell you the answer! I will tell every single one of you the correct answer this time!" Kuzan vowed "I really will, so please trust me! I won''t deceive you!" Kuzan vowed yet again "You better not be lying..." Yulia got up from her seat "No, no, that was just a misunderstanding, I swear." Kuzan waved his right hand a few times "Wait." Tatsu got up from his seat and approached Kuzan, as the others who were bound by his contract also did "........" Kuzan heard Tatsu''s request "Oh, alright..." Kuzan was fine with it "Here is the right answer! You will score, watch!" Kuzan went to the ears of each individual and told them the answer, even if they were dying to kill him.

    If it weren''t for Basara''s words, then Kuzan would be in a lot of trouble.

    "It has to be the same as the previous method he used, right?!" Lus asked Daniel "Is that all you could gather?" Daniel asked her, as there were twenty seconds on the clock "I mean! There''s no other way they could understand each other so well otherwise, is there?" She tried to confirm an answer with Daniel "Is that all you could gather?" She became annoyed and moody "Fuck you! I''m trying, respect me, please!" She demanded "......." Daniel wondered if there was actually something conclusive in her research "...I''ve come to notice that Sana really makes sudden stops and tries to guide Kuzan to some sort of answer. Thus, I think I know what the correct answer is." Lus told him as there were thirteen seconds on the clock "Alright, vote then." Daniel urged her "........" She drew her right finger forward to the screen.

    However, there was some obvious reluctance.

    "What''s wrong, Lus? You''re confident that you''ve figured it out, right?" Daniel provoked her "......." But she pondered about something "Yes... I believe I know the right answer, but... What if I''m wrong?! If I''m wrong, then the bonus will be reset and I will lose out of the points!! It''s better to just wait and see what Daniel will vote... He----knows better. His brain was made for this. I am right in entrusting my choices to him, because he knows better..." Lus came to the conclusion "Ah, I see." Daniel looked at her as if he could read her mind "You have no self-confidence, do you now?" Lus'' eyes widened "No... self-confidence...?" The thirteenth round came to a swift end.

    And thus, just like every time, the ranking ladder was updated.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Kuzan (44220/45000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours] [5001 points from Takeshi Kuzan will be awarded to Nasha Sana if he gets every claim right until the judgment round is over] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hikaru Yulia will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hirakibo Tatsu will forfeit 288 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kaneta Tateyana will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Stratos will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Izayoi Akimiyashika will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kitsuya Arkalee will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {3 red lights}

    2 - Hyunda - (39746/45000 points) {6 red lights}

    3 - Lus Sera (20872/25000 points) [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.] {4 red lights}

    4 - Tatsu (18306/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hirakibo Tatsu will forfeit 288 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {6 red lights}

    5 - Kanawari (16172/20000 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day] {6 red lights}

    6 - Tateyana (15438/20000 points) [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kaneta Tateyana will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {8 red lights}

    7 - Arkalee (14983/15000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kitsuya Arkalee will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {5 red lights}

    8 - Hinagiku (14748/15000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {4 red lights}

    9 - Kawahara (13892/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {5 red lights}

    10 - Yukishiro (10724/15000 points) {5 red lights}

    11 - Yulia (8436/10000 points) [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hikaru Yulia will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {9 red lights}

    12 - Ikkiri (6596/7500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {3 red lights}

    13 - Stratos (5060/7500 points) [Until the last round of this judgment round, Stratos will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {9 red lights}

    14 - Akimiyashika (4876/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Izayoi Akimiyashika will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {9 red lights}

    15 - Daniel (4488/4500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added] {6 red lights}

    16 - Hugo (1710/2000 points) {8 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    The reception was far worse this time, as Kuzan had purposefully pulled everything to his advantage and thrown those he controlled at a disadvantage.

    "I''LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!" Tateyana shouted at the mocking Kuzan "Oh yeah? Go for it then. I''m sure nothing bad will happen to you!" Tateyana gritted her teeth "They''ve all been lied to..." Liyuga remarked to the remaining student council members "It was a false promise, but they had no other choice. They confined all of their faith on Takeshi Kuzan and hoped that he wouldn''t lie. He has lied twice and they have all fell for his scheme. Not only are they lives in true danger, but Takeshi Kuzan is about to break another barrier." Andrea couldn''t erase her stress as she wondered the magnitude of rage the individuals were feeling right now.

    Though engraved with rage and the urge to kill Kuzan, their worst fear was not Kuzan''s words-----but just to what length an offense could be qualified in order for them to earn an extra red light.

    "I will kill him. Nobody lies to me..." Akimiyashika cried tears as she greeted her teeth "You''ll die first." Kawahara told her "It---It wasn''t supposed to go like this...!! Why wouldn''t he keep his word?! He gains the same thing!" Akimiyashika couldn''t understand his thought process one bit "It''s simple, really." Kawahara didn''t elaborate any further "The less players... The better..." Yet his mind agreed with the idea.

    On the other hand, she could not believe what had just happened.

    "You----Why the hell did you choose the wrong answer..." Dumbfounded, Lus looked at Daniel "Hm? Well, I haven''t found out the method yet, so I just went with 50/50. You did the same, right? Hinagiku?" He asked her "Yeah and it''s been working wonders! Just two more and I''ll achieve my goal!" She smirked "No... No, no, no..." Despite her lead, Lus couldn''t come to terms with the wasted potential "You knew the answer, you just voted it wrong to make me fail..." Lus shook "Yeah, that''s right. What a shame, Lus. Do you want to know how many points you could have right now?" Lus already knew the answer "37016.......!!!!!!" With the added bonus of 10000 points, Lus knew for a fact that her points would skyrocket "Why... WHY?! I''M YOUR ASSET, DANIEL! THE MORE I SCORE, THE BETTER FOR YOU, NO?! WHAT''S THE POINT OF TRYING TO TEACH ME THIS LESSON?! IT''S NOT NECESSARY!!" She felt like crying "I told you, Lus. You have to be useful. Loyalty does not equal utility. What will it take for you to understand what this means?" Daniel asked her "..........." She could not reply, unfortunately.

    As Lus underwent through her emotions, Daniel''s interests started to navigate north, where she would remain, still shaken to her core, unaware of what the true direction really was.

    The fourteenth round would now begin.

    "Nasha Sana has been accused of animal cruelty due to the fact that she has killed at least three dogs." Sana''s expression darkened "Wow, another dog hater? When are we getting married?" Hyunda asked her "Ugh, shut up..." She didn''t feel like continuing "Kuzan, let''s do this..." She was looking more forward to this "There''s no need anymore." Sana was shocked at Kuzan''s words "What...?" It hadn''t clicked to her yet "Hm? I said, there''s no need anymore, Sana. I don''t care about your answer. As a matter of fact, I''m hoping I get it wrong so the contract is dissolved..." Kuzan grinned as he began to show his true colors "YOU SON OF A BITCH!! THIS WAS YOUR PLAN ALL ALONG?!" Sana was burning with rage "Hey, hey, stop branding me as the villain... Weren''t you the one who made a victim out of everyone here in the first place? None of this would''ve happened if you had just told the right answers from the start. In a sense, you are heavily to blame, Sana." Kuzan could not stop grinning as his arrogance was dripping from his expression alone.

    "So... Nasha Sana will be the target for the execution round?!?!" Bryce asked "If she doesn''t do something about this, yes... She has zero points and the only way for her to gain points would be if Takeshi Kuzan doesn''t score incorrectly... In other words... She has to get lucky and hope Takeshi Kuzan somehow scores...!!" Liyuga told them the truth "What----but there''s no way that''s realistic, right?! I know it''s possible, but...!!" And Bryce was right, although realistic, there was no ultimate guarantee.

    A true 50/50 befell for all of them, as Kuzan was not interested in going for a pattern.

    "WAIT, SO THIS MEANS THAT YOU CAN NOW ACCEPT CONTRACTS, RIGHT?!" Tateyana caught wind of it pretty quickly "Yes-----" Before Sana could even begin her sentence, Tateyana acted quickly "I''LL GIVE YOU 5001 OF THOSE POINTS MYSELF BUT I MUST SCORE, YOU HEAR?! AND ONLY ME!!! FUCK THE OTHERS, I WILL NOT BE DECEIVED ANY LONGER!!!" Tateyana passionately demanded out of Sana "You...." And strangely enough, a genius idea came to Sana right at that moment as her expression became blank.

    But the thoughts in her brain all aligned.

    "It''s possible... No, but-----It''s unrealistic! If Kuzan knows what I''m planning, then it won''t work-----but...!!! The merit would be huge, I wouldn''t have to settle for a mere 5001 points, no, I could----!!" The intensity of the desire caused her brain to come up with a tactic of deception "No... It''s possible... I just need to... control my emotions perfectly and not let my mask slip... That''s right... Nobody lies better than me..." Hyunda''s gaze upon her intertwined with her cold eyesight "Watch me..." She momentarily closed her eyes.

    She then looked at Tateyana and then the time of the round, which was a mere twenty-four seconds.

    "Alright, Tateyana. Form a contract that states that I will be awarded 5001 points at the end of this judgment round, should you correctly score until the end..." The first order was in the making "Say no more...!!" Tateyana took about four seconds to make the contract and Sana accepted it instantly by saying the positive word "........." Kuzan paid attention to their interactions as it was crucial for Kuzan to not score correctly "Okay. Only you, you said? Well, I''ll make this easy for you then..." Sana maintained her blank expression to the maximum "The answer is no." Sana openly confessed the answer to the claim for the first time "?!" Many were surprised but... "Of course she''s saying the truth. She wins 5001 points from Kaneta Tateyana should she say the correct answer and none will come from Takeshi Kuzan either way." Liyuga deducted "Yes, I agree." And Andrea didn''t have much else of a saying in the matter.

    But Sana took it a step further as she only had eyes for Tateyana.

    "...Wait..." Just as Tateyana would vote, Sana called out to her meekly, with fifteen seconds on the clock "Wait until the very last second and then vote......" With her lips she would continue her words "....Huh?!" Tateyana has no experience in lip reading "....Oh, I see..." But Kuzan, on the other hand, had an idea of what Sana was plotting.

    Furthermore, Sana''s left hand, had her index and middle fingers intertwined.

    "She lied about it being no, by saying "yes" with her lips at the end. In addition, she''s intertwining her fingers, which implies that she''s lying about what she just said prior. Tateyana is so dumb that she needs very easy signals in order to understand what the correct answer is. Therefore, the actual answer is yes. However, since I want to get the wrong answer, I will vote no. Ultimately, this means that Tateyana and I will vote for the same thing. But that''s the incorrect answer. She is trying to mind-game me." Kuzan became decided as he voted no "......." He cast a glance at Tateyana, who gulped as she voted yes "Yes, exactly like that. Now let''s see the results..." Kuzan pinpointed his eyes to the newly updated ranking ladder.

    As so did everyone else, as the fourteenth round ended.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Kuzan (60852/70000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours] [5001 points from Takeshi Kuzan will be awarded to Nasha Sana if he gets every claim right until the judgment round is over] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hikaru Yulia will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hirakibo Tatsu will forfeit 288 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kaneta Tateyana will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Stratos will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Izayoi Akimiyashika will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kitsuya Arkalee will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {3 red lights}

    2 - Hyunda - (39938/45000 points) {6 red lights}

    3 - Lus Sera (20872/25000 points) [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.] {5 red lights}

    4 - Tatsu (18018/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hirakibo Tatsu will forfeit 288 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {7 red lights}

    5 - Kanawari (16556/20000 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day] {6 red lights}

    6 - Tateyana (15438/20000 points) [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kaneta Tateyana will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [5001 points from Kaneta Tateyana will be awarded to Nasha Sana if she gets every claim right until the judgment round is over] {8 red lights}

    7 - Hinagiku (14940/15000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {4 red lights}

    8 - Arkalee (14791/15000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kitsuya Arkalee will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {6 red lights}

    9 - Kawahara (13892/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {6 red lights}

    10 - Yukishiro (10724/15000 points) {6 red lights}

    11 - Yulia (8436/10000 points) [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hikaru Yulia will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {9 red lights}

    12 - Daniel (7372/7500 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added] {6 red lights}

    13 - Ikkiri (7028/7500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {3 red lights}

    14 - Stratos (4868/7500 points) [Until the last round of this judgment round, Stratos will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {10 red lights}

    15 - Akimiyashika (4684/7500 points) [Izayoi Akimiyashika''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Izayoi Akimiyashika will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {10 red lights}

    16 - Hugo (1710/2000 points) {9 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    Kuzan''s eyebrows twitched as he saw that the contract was still lingering to his name in the ladder.

    "Absurd... The only successful scenario for her would be one where Tateyana and I both equally score... No---it''s more complicated than that..." He paused his right fist on the right side of his face as he delved deeper "In order for Sana to win the 5001 points from Tateyana, Tateyana has to correctly score. In order for me to get rid of the contract, I have to score incorrectly and it''s done. Which conclusively means that I should never vote the same as her... If I don''t, we can never have the same vote. It was this simple and yet... Tateyana waited until the last second as Sana said and our answers actually collided-----no, no, no, it was my mistake. I came to the conclusions that drove me into voting that, when in reality, it''s just a matter of not voting what Tateyana votes for..." Kuzan arrived at the conclusion at last.

    But these thoughts, were, to put it in a mild manner-----luxury, compared to the maelstrom of those that are just one red light away from being blown into oblivion.

    "I''M GONNA DIEEEEEEEEEE!!!! AND I DON''T WANNA FUCKING DIE, SOMEBODY HELP MEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!" Stratos elevated from his seat and began to freak out "SANA, I''LL GIVE YOU ALL MY POINTS IF YOU JUST TELL ME THE RIGHT ANSWERS, PLEASEEEEEEEE!!!" On the edge of his desk, Stratos begged as he made his most desperate request "No fucking way... Your points aren''t even that big..." Sana looked at him with disgust "PLEASE, I''M BEGGING YOU!!! I DIDN''T SIGN UP FOR THIS, I DIDN''T WANT TO BE HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!" Stratos continued his emotional cryout "I DON''T CARE, SHUT UP!! I''M NOT HEARING YOU OUT, IT SUCKS BUT IF YOU''RE LUCKY YOU''LL MAKE IT OUT ALIVE!!" Sana tried to at least be optimistic "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! I DON''T WANNA DIE!!! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEA-----NGHMGHH-----" A guard swept behind him and applied a temporary steel mask in order to cover his mouth as well as restrain his movements "You will not disrupt the pace of the game with your tantrum. Back to your seat, NOW!!" By kicking Stratos in his calves, the guard dragged Stratos, who is crying, all the way back to his seat via brute force.

    There was, also, someone else with ten red lights, who could very well have her final moments in the last round.

    "Um." With her head down and with her weakest voice yet, she talked to the only person who would hear her "Do you think that Hinagiku or Ikkiri would lend me their points?" She asked him, while only looking at the surface of her desk "No." Kawahara coldly replied "Yeah, I think so too." She was aware "If you were in my situation, what would you do?" She asked once more "Hard to say. It''s not a matter of points but a matter of asserting the truth. You could wager a lot of points, even all of yours----but that wouldn''t be enough to please her, most likely. You got unlucky. That''s all there is to it." Kawahara was thoughtful "So you''d do nothing?" She went to the core of the matter "No. I am I. What I can do, is not determined by what can be done at the given moment. I always prepare ahead, so if I was in your situation, I would''ve acted long ago. You acted, but you got deceived. It is what it is, Kuzan played his cards well and took advantage of people like you who are easy to manipulate so long as they are promised an escape." Kawahara spared no quarters "Ahhh....." Her pale expression began to be overflowed with silent tears.

    Kawahara patted Akimiyashika on the back twice.

    "This is karma----for what I''ve done..." Akimiyashika drew that conclusion ".........." Kawahara remained silent as Akimiyashika slowly surrendered to the hopelessness of the situation "When was the last time you voted something different from me?" Daniel asked Lus "......." She felt mocked "I admire the attitude and commend it." Daniel flattered her "Shut up." Lus coldly shut him down "Mhm, alright." And Daniel accepted it "Teach, let''s get the show on the road, shall we?" Hyunda thought that the pacing was slow "Indeed." And Basara agreed, as a matter of fact.

    The fifteenth round, therefore, came.

    "Nasha Sana had an abortion before." Sana''s expression was stark cold "No, no, you behave too much like a virgin, no way." Hyunda instantly voted as he threw that snark insult at her "You''d be shocked to know there''s more to me than you''ll ever know..." She giggled "........." Hyunda was actually stunned for a while "Sana!" Tateyana, however, called out to her "Right." And she had a task to accomplish.

    Sana took a deep breath and told Tateyana all that she had to do.

    "Tateyana, I''ll keep it real with you----just vote whatever Kuzan votes." Her words were confusing to say the least "!??!" And especially to Tateyana "I had a suspicion, but you are really going for it... It''s dumb and unrealistic, Sana..." Kuzan remarked "It has a 25% chance of working, no, that''s being optimistic, it''s a 11% chance, at best." Kuzan noted to her "Huh? Wait, what?! Sana, just tell me the answer or you won''t get 5001 points! What''s wrong with you?!" Tateyana was not understanding "Wait, this is stupid." Kuzan turned to Tateyana this time around "What Sana is saying is nonsense. You actually don''t need to vote correctly anymore. There is only this round and the upcoming one. Even if you fail both, you will get 10 red lights, which is not enough to blow your head off." Tateyana''s eyes widened "Y-You''re right...!!" Tateyana noticed that Kuzan had a point "In other words, you can just vote whatever you want and not what she''s telling you." Kuzan added "And not only that, if you don''t vote correctly, then your contract with Sana is dissolved. In other words, we are in the same dilemma." Kuzan explained.

    With forty seconds on the clock, Tateyana was starting to see the picture, now that she had the option to not fall into the trap of needlessly forfeiting 5001 points to Sana. All she had to do was get the claim wrong; the same as Kuzan.

    But therein lies the question.

    "So they both have to incorrectly score...?" Lus was trying to grasp the situation at hand here "The moment Kuzan doesn''t score correctly, his contract with Sana is dissolved. Likewise, the same can be said for Tateyana, so yes." Hinagiku simplified it "Wait, then all they have to do is vote differently and one of them is guaranteed to have the way out!" Lus came to the conclusion "Looks like my plan has been seen through..." Sana threw the towel as she sighed "It is like that, Tateyana. The moment you get an incorrect claim, the contract is over and you won''t be handing any points to me..." Sana was honest about it "But... Does he deserve that outcome though?" Sana pierced Kuzan with her glare "No, I don''t think so..." She added "Tateyana, don''t listen to her." Kuzan warned her "......." But Tateyana was curious "Listen----if you vote the same as Kuzan, there are two outcomes: One; you two don''t score, thus your contracts are dissolved. Two; you two do score, but your contracts stay. Now you might be asking, what''s the deal here? Well, you see, there is a slight chance, if you vote the same as Kuzan---that he will actually correctly score and he will be forced to give me 5001 of his points!" Sana told her "But why do I have to vote the same as him?!" Tateyana asked "You don''t, that''s what I''m telling you." Kuzan replied instead "Tateyana, I''ll be honest, this is too much theory for your brain, so I''ll give you the basic reasoning: If you want to see Kuzan have to give up 5001 of his points, then do it! HE HAS TO PAY FOR LYING THIS MUCH, DON''T YOU THINK?!" Sana pulled her strings "FUCK YES, HE HAS!!" Kuzan sighed.

    At the end of the day, throughout much confusion, they were oversimplifying a simple 50/50.

    "Go ahead, Kuzan! Vote!" Tateyana urged him "........." Kuzan was getting tired of this "This is just a 50/50. It''s luck, besides it''s improbable. And it''s just 5001 points. I don''t care." Kuzan was steeled with resolve and just voted, as there were fifteen seconds on the clock "WHAT DID HE VOTE JUST NOW?!?!?" Sana asked Tateyana "HE VOTED NO!!" She told her "I don''t care." Kuzan knew what they were up to "It''s literally 50/50." Kuzan closed his eyes "Damn it...!!!" Sana gritted her teeth "Well, what now?! What does that mean, Sana?!?!" Tateyana wanted a conclusive answer "Ahhhh...." She sighed "SANA, JUST TELL US THE ANSWER!! HOW HARD CAN IT BE!! PLEASE, I''M GOING TO DIE!!!!" Akimiyashika begged Sana "........." And Sana gave it some thought "No." She simply said, as there were ten seconds on the clock "I-I-I-I--I-------I-----!!!" Akimiyashika trembled "WHAT IF SHE''S LYING?!?!" Sana''s cold glare confused Akimiyashika and she didn''t know what to believe it "Akimi." Kawahara spoke to her in a serious tone "If there is a plan for you, then you''ll make it. You just have to believe it." Kawahara told her, as there were five seconds on the clock "I will believe it... I won''t give up, I SWEAR!!! I am not fated to lose, I still have so much ahead of me...!!!" Akimiyashika demonstrated a valiant spirit and Kawahara smiled upon her "It is what it is." He softly spoke as time ran out.

    With a lot on the line, everyone voted in time and thus, the awaited ending of the fifteenth round came to life, as the ranking ladder updated.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Kuzan (62484/70000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours] [5001 points from Takeshi Kuzan will be awarded to Nasha Sana if he gets every claim right until the judgment round is over] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hikaru Yulia will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hirakibo Tatsu will forfeit 288 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kaneta Tateyana will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kitsuya Arkalee will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {3 red lights}

    2 - Hyunda - (40130/45000 points) {6 red lights}

    3 - Lus Sera (21256/25000 points) [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.] [Scored correctly 1 time] {5 red lights}

    4 - Tatsu (18018/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hirakibo Tatsu will forfeit 288 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {7 red lights}

    5 - Kanawari (16556/20000 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day] {7 red lights}

    6 - Tateyana (15438/20000 points) [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kaneta Tateyana will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] [5001 points from Kaneta Tateyana will be awarded to Nasha Sana if she gets every claim right until the judgment round is over] {8 red lights}

    7 - Hinagiku (14940/15000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {5 red lights}

    8 - Arkalee (14791/15000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [Until the last round of this judgment round, Kitsuya Arkalee will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {6 red lights}

    9 - Kawahara (14180/15000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] {7 red lights}

    12 - Daniel (11256/15000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added] {6 red lights}

    10 - Yukishiro (10916/15000 points) {6 red lights}

    11 - Yulia (8244/10000 points) [Until the last round of this judgment round, Hikaru Yulia will forfeit 192 points every round to Takeshi Kuzan] {10 red lights}

    13 - Ikkiri (7460/7500 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] {3 red lights}

    14 - Hugo (1710/2000 points) {10 red lights}

    </blockquote>

    It''s important to know just how wide the radius of the mini detonators which reside inside the chokers are. It''s 68,7 centimeters from all angles.

    If it were to detonate close to someone, the risk of injury would be severe, to say the least. It''s not a problem if it''s right at the center, where there aren''t people close by the radius, but if it''s close by, then it''s definitely a problem. However, there is at least a meter of distance between the players, so there is no chance of injury in this case.

    "GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!" The loud screeching began as two players were eliminated, out of sheer misfortune alongside a combination of other ill elements "WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!?!" Tateyana was caught off guard by the two simultaneous loud explosions "Heads fucking rolled, that''s what happened." Hyunda was straight to the point "Mmmm... I thought they would last longer..." Ikkiri confessed "But I guess you get what you deserve, BITCH!!! BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Ikkiri released an hysterical laughter midst her bliss.

    Her head landed on the ground, while tumbling down and down, and the same was for Stratos, who also met the unfortunate outcome.

    "Damn it." Kawahara''s expression remained monochromatic "Collect the bodies, we aren''t done yet! COME ON!!" By Basara''s orders, the guards immediately began their pursuit against Akimiyashika and Stratos, who had their heads detached from their heads "Leave the head..." Kawahara got up from his seat "What''s he doing?" Many watched Kawahara as he went in the direction of Akimiyashika''s lifeless head.

    Akimiyashika''s head had rolled all the way to the west side of the room, but Kawahara took his time and walked slowly, in order to retrieve it. Afterwards, he went back to his seat, as he dragged her head with his right hand through her red hairstrands; where he ultimately reversed her face to him----once seated.

    "There was no plan for you, you shithead of a sister. You just had to learn that the hard way, so now you know..." Gently, he kissed her forehead as her pale hollow dead eyes were at display "I''ll show you how it''s done, so sit back and relax. I''ve always been a shitty brother, but at least, this----I''ll do." The guards collected the dead body of Izayoi Akimiyashika on his left and the dead body of Stratos as well "Good night and sleep tight, Akimi." He proceeded to retrieve his lips from her forehead as the time of departure came.

    The sixteenth round and final round, of this judgment round, would soon begin.

 Volume 27: Chapter 192: Narcissists Cradle Arc - Part XX.

    "And that makes it four..." She was not pleased whatsoever about the results "I''ve more or less figured out how the three others died, but there is something inexplicable about it... How can you consume the same liquids, which have fatal and damaging properties and still walk out of it alright?" She posed the question as she tapped her right fingers on the dark mechanical surface of the desk "Common theory says you can''t. Science definitely says you can''t; in other words, it would require a completely different and unique organism into a being in order to make it true. And that''s saying a lot because you are a human being by all means... That is to say, you are not what you seem to be..." She strove for more conclusions of her own "I have to wonder if you know----or if... You are minimally aware, that you are not a being with the accordance... Maybe you''re one of many but not quite?" She grinned "Seriously...!! Who are you----No... What are you...?!" Her ecstatic eyes traced all the way to Daniel''s exposed image as the last round of the judgment round would begin.

    Izayoi Akimiyashika and Stratos were no longer part of the game. Thus, 15 players remain, with the one at the center being Nasha Sana.

    Basara, as always, commanded the tempo.

    "Since this will be the last round, it means that the value of the claim will be doubled if right. However... It also means that the value will be doubled in the opposite way if it''s wrong, so choose wisely. And there will be five minutes!" Basara told them "Oh thank God... I''m actually grateful for the time..." There was a consensus about it, to say the least "Double the value of the claim..." Lus pondered the value of her claim, should she get it right "......." And looked at Daniel transiently, though he had not his eyes on her "...He won''t help me... He''s dead set on the idea that I have to be useful and won''t argue otherwise... I have to make something happen on my own, then..." Lus then started to think about her approach.

    And then the final claim came.

    "Nasha Sana is the member of a cult who has the doctrine of killing infants who are plagued with incurable diseases." The eerie claim was drawn "Weird shit..." Tateyana murmured "Go." The five minutes were at full display on the large upper screen all over the room as each second started.

    There was, naturally, the utmost necessity to ascertain the truth about this claim.

    "Hmm... Time to pull some strings..." Ikkiri drew a conclusion on her own and got up from her seat; going in the direction of one of the people with the maximum number of red lights on his choker, all the way to the west side "Sana, what are your terms?" Tatsu began to negotiate with her "........" Sana had given thought about this and how things could ultimately benefit her more "Remember, you currently have zero points. You will, at maximum, be awarded 5001 points, plus the point barrier breakthrough bonus. So long as Kuzan and Tateyana don''t vote the same answer." Tatsu gave them a snark look "Hey man, I''m all down for that! But she actually wants to see me burn, so she did just that in the last round! Seriously, what''s with you?" Kuzan was annoyed at Tateyana "IT''S BECAUSE YOU LIED, KUZAN!! AND THANKS TO YOU, TWO PEOPLE JUST DIED, YOU KNOW?!" She brought a true fact to the light.

    Had it not been for Kuzan''s deceptive tactics, Akimiyashika and Stratos would most likely be alive.

    "But how dumb are you?" Kuzan''s face grew abhorrent "What...?!" And Tateyana was in the mood to argue "I''m dead serious, Tateyana. You''d have to be dumb if you think that what I just did, doesn''t entirely benefit us more." Kuzan told her "How so? You just killed them for the sake of it! ALL OF THEIR POINTS, GONE!! AND THE WORST PART IS, THEY DIDN''T GO TO ANYONE!! NOW WE''RE STUCK WITH THE DAMN SACK OF SHIT THAT DOESN''T EVEN HAVE 2000 POINTS!! FUCK!!!" Tateyana kicked her desk''s lower case "Not necessarily, no." Kuzan begged to differ instantly and caught her attention once more "What do you mean..." She was, undoubtedly, curious, but on guard nevertheless after what had happened "If he dies, then who is the lowest on the ladder?" He asked her.

    Tateyana took a quick glance but kept also something else in mind.

    "It''s Sana... Best case scenario, she has 0 points... Worst case scenario, she has 5001, plus the additional points from the barrier breakthrough..." Tateyana''s expression grew stern "No, that''s wrong. The worst case scenario is; she gets the full effect of our contracts if we get the claim right, which would give her 10002 points. Add the bonus breakthrough that she gets from breaking the 4500 point barrier, which is 2500, and she will be seated at a grand 12502 points." She became shocked "Wh----" But Kuzan was not done "Now tell me, do you see my idea here?" The interest was starting to grow.

    The waves of conversation didn''t slow down as there were 4:38 minutes left on the clock.

    "Tatsu, first of all-----" The negotiation commenced "That condition is off limits. Even for a single round. Absolutely not." Sana shut him down immediately in that regard "........" He maintained his blank expression "I want 5000 points." She made the demand "Sana, get real..." Tatsu was not pleased with her absurd words "I am serious. I have zero points and----" Tatsu interrupted her "You will get 5001 points from either Kuzan or Tateyana, very likely. The only chance that you don''t is if they both get the claim wrong. It''s a 25% chance... The chances of you getting the 5001 points from either of them is 75%. Don''t fuck with me, make more reasonable demands." His intense and serious glance penetrated her very soul "......" And she gulped out of sheer nervosity "Fine... I want 2501 points then..." Sana demanded "........." Tatsu gave it some thought.

    He looked at the ranking ladder and pondered very deeply.

    "3500 and I get to have your turn in the execution ro-----" Sana detested the persistent attitude "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO." Her cold rageful eyes told Tatsu everything he needed to know "........" Tatsu brushed his hair''s right side "Alright. Under a condition, Sana. Should the answer be different from what you just said, you will have to give me those 2501 points back. Are you alright with the basis of this contract?" He proposed to her "Hold on-----are you implying that you want me to say out loud the right answer...?" She asked, skeptically "That is exactly what I''m proposing." And Tatsu didn''t shy away from it "You----FUCKING MORON, LISTEN------" She took a deep breath "There is no way I''m telling you out loud what the right answer is because those TWO----" She pointed at Kuzan and Tateyana "IF THEY KNOW WHAT THE RIGHT ANSWER IS, THEY WILL VOTE THE OPPOSITE ANSWER AND MY GODDAMN CONTRACTS GO TO ASHES!!!" Sana couldn''t stress it enough as she felt she was explaining something very obvious "That can be arranged." He told her "HAH?!" She was not liking this conversation one bit.

    Tatsu sighed as he went more into detail about it, while Kuzan and Tateyana listened.

    But he actually deemed the two of them crucial for his plan.

    "I have a proposal for the two of you---a very temporary one." Tatsu looked at Kuzan and Tateyana "Hm?" Kuzan was interested "And what would that be?" Tateyana asked, though skeptical but Tatsu went right to the point "I want one of you two to vote differently from the other in order for Sana to win those 5001 points; and in return, I will offer the two of you, 25% of my points for each of your right claims for the next two hours." The proposal was made ".........." They started to consider it.

    4:11 minutes remain.

    "So it doesn''t matter who?" Kuzan asked "Wait, it shouldn''t be me! My points are lower than yours! If you don''t agree, then I''ll just vote the same as you!" Tateyana threatened Kuzan "Ahh..." Kuzan sighed "Tatsu, it''s a nice deal. I''m in." Kuzan was all aboard "Wait, wait..." Sana had a saying in the matter at hand here "So, let me see if I got this straight-----in exchange for me telling you guys the correct answer out loud, which EVERYONE will be able to hear it-----Tatsu will give me 2501 points, and I will earn the contract of one of the two of you for sure... Which means 5001 points as well..." Sana tried to assert the facts "Yes, Sana. You will, for all intended purposes, by the end of this-----be with 10002 points. And all you have to do is just go along with it." Tatsu made it easier for her "Wait, wait! I never said I agreed, time out!" Tateyana intervened "LISTEN, THERE''S NO WAY I''M GIVING UP 5001 OF MY POINTS TO HER, WHAT THE FUCK?! KUZAN, MAN UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT YOU DID EARLIER BY BEING THE HERO HERE!!" Tateyana brutally demanded "........" But despite what one would think, Kuzan didn''t outright deny it "Interesting... The merit is..." Kuzan gave it more additional thought to himself.

    There was more to this than what one would expect, in all likelihood.

    "Is it really that bad if I am the one that forfeits those 5001 points? I currently have 62484 points. Minus those 5001, and I''m left with 57483. However, this means that I will have to vote correctly, which means that I will score. Since this round will give me double of the points, I would usually get, that means I will have the double of 192; 384. However, I have a 50%, so it''s doubled---768, ultimately. Now, if I add up the other remaining points I will receive from the other contracts, that would be 288 from Tatsu, 192 from Tateyana, 192 from Arkalee and 192 from Yulia; 864 points in total. Stratos and Akimiyashika died, but for the sake of getting the low value players out of the way which will increase the value of the bottom players in return; it was necessary. In other words, I will win 1632 points from the claim and bonuses alone, so I am losing 3369 points, which will leave me at 59115 points. However, it''s also important to add the fact that I will receive a 25% point share from Tatsu in the upcoming two hours..." He became completely immersed in his own profit world as he leaned back on his chair "The next round will contain 384 points per right claim. Double that, and it''s 768, which is what I will receive per right claim. But if I take into consideration the boost... Tatsu in the next round, should he score correctly in the upcoming round; thanks to his 100% point acquisition boost, will receive 1152 points per right claim... If I take 25% of that, it''s 288. Therefore he will actually only score 864 points and I will score 1056 per right claim. So, in order for me to successfully breakthrough the point barrier in the next judgment round, I need to correctly score 11 times in a row..." He sighed profoundly "Kuzan! What''s gotten into you, hey!" Tateyana called out to him as they were awaiting for his approval.

    But Kuzan had yet to think more as he dove deeper into his thought process.

    "11 rounds is too much. The pacing is just slow... How can I fix that-----there is a simple solution to the matter, yes... The reason it comes down to 11 rounds is due to a simple factor and that is the 25% percentage. Let''s hypothetically suppose that instead of 25% of his points, it''s 50%... What is the result then... I already know that Tatsu will score 1152 per claim... Apply the 50%, which is 1152 by half and it''s 576. So, per right claim, I will receive 1344 points... Now, in the next round, it would take me..." He made the precise calculation "9 rounds... So it only goes down by a slight margin... But it''s better, and it earns more profit. No, I definitely profit here." He abandoned his own world and composed himself again "Tatsu!" He called out to Tatsu, who is a few meters to his left "I have a counter-proposal. Instead of 25%, I want 50%. However, only for one hour." He proposed "No." Tatsu instantly declined "I would be giving 75% of my points then, that''s------" But Kuzan was not done "No, you''ll be giving me the 50% and Tateyana will receive none." Tateyana became startled "HUH?!?!? THE FUCK, KUZAN?!" However, she was greatly misunderstanding something "Wait, wait! I have a better offer for you, which outdoes his 25%..." He turned to Tateyana "25% of my upcoming bonus points, what do you say?" A most unexpected proposal was made "Uh... what...?" Tateyana had no idea what to think about his proposal "........" Tatsu started to make the calculations as Kuzan said that.

    Kuzan decided to explain the great deal to her and how it benefits her in the long run.

    3:24 minutes remain.

    "For my upcoming bonus points that I will receive from the barrier breakthough, it will be 15000, which is obviously a lot. If you take 25% of it, you get 3750 points." Tateyana became aware "And, uhh... I get that just by..." Tateyana was unsure what the application here was "It remains the same. The idea is the following: Instead of you receiving 25% of Tatsu''s points per right claim, which are 288 in the next round-----you will receive 3750 guaranteed whenever I break the point barrier. And let me tell you something else: this benefits you more than what Tatsu is offering you, because the deal with Tatsu requires you to score correctly and I think you know just how random that can be..." Kuzan mainly looked at her eight red lights on her choker "........" And Tateyana couldn''t disagree "Alright, Kuzan. I''m game." Tatsu was fine with the idea, as a matter of fact, even more than before "That''s great, so here is how it will go----" Kuzan would then proceed to lay out the order of the contracts.

    Which were the following:

    Firstly, the contract between Sana and Tatsu: Nasha Sana will be awarded with 2501 of Hirakibo Tatsu''s points, should he get the correct claim this round.

    Secondly, the contract between Kuzan and Tatsu: In the upcoming judgment round, for every claim that Takeshi Kuzan gets right; 25% of it will be awarded from Hirakibo Tatsu''s account to Takeshi Kuzan''s account, but Takeshi Kuzan must vote correctly in this round.

    And lastly, the contract between Kuzan and Tateyana: The next time Takeshi Kuzan breaks his point barrier; 25% of those earned bonus points will be transferred to Kaneta Tateyana''s account, but Kaneta Tateyana must score incorrectly this round.

    Thus, there was a mutual agreement and with that out of the way, there could be some progress.

    "The true answer is yes." Not a single person in the room failed to capture her words "Kinda fucked up, no?" Kawahara pinpointed Sana "Think what you like. I won''t go in depth about it, but it''s the true answer. As you all observed, I have little to nothing to gain if I lie, so it''s up to you whether you believe me or not." Sana left it at that.

    2:49 minutes remain.

    The votes were starting to be cast, however, they were admittedly cast at improbable times.

    Kuzan has voted yes.

    Tateyana has voted no.

    Tatsu has voted yes.

    Arkalee has voted yes.

    Hyunda has yet to vote.

    Yukishiro has yet to vote.

    Kawahara has yet to vote.

    Kanawari has yet to vote.

    Hinagiku has yet to vote.

    Hugo has yet to vote.

    Yulia has yet to vote.

    Daniel has yet to vote.

    Ikkiri has yet to vote.

    And as for Lus...

    "Can we talk?" She had to use her crutches that Olivia had lent her earlier in order to get to the vending machine, where her target resides "Oh, Lus!!" She was eccentric and met Lus with a flashy smile, as she was trying to choose which choice was more economic "...." Lus found it weird that a girl was actually trying to purchase something from the vending machine "Ahhh---" And Ikkiri noticed it right away "It''s cappuccino! Olivia only has black coffee and-----" She moved quickly to Lus'' right ear and whispered it "I fucking hate black coffee sooooo muchhhhhhhhhhhhh...." Ikkiri''s expression darkened "No, like seriously what''s the appeal?! It''s SO sour and not enjoyable AT ALL! You think so too, right?!" Ikkiri was looking for approval as she wanted to purchase her option "Oh yeah, totally. More like, I''ve never been a fan of coffee in the first place. Caf�� au lait is more of my thing." Lus told her "Woooooow---" Ikkiri was stunned "That''s actually a really good choice! I love the smoothness of it! You should definitely try cappuccino then!" Ikkiri recommended her but still didn''t purchase anything "...Do you want one for yourself?" Lus asked her "Mhm..." Ikkiri tilted her head back and forth for a while "Yeeeeeeesssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh~~~" And Ikkiri didn''t deny it.

    The price for a cup of cappuccino, either low, medium, or full, was 100 points.

    "Here you go..." Lus handed her the full cup of cappuccino just as Ikkiri had requested "Thank you~~" It came with additional mini sugar bags which Ikkiri didn''t hesitate on pouring; the two of them "HMMMMMM~~~~!!!" Ikkiri took a long sip of it as it was lukewarm though slightly hot at it "You should try it too!" Ikkiri offered Lus the cup for a sip "I''ll let you have the full pleasure." Lus showed courtesy "Hm, if you say so~" Ikkiri took another sip "Talk." Her voice turned cold suddenly and Lus knew she was serious too "You only got a single one wrong out of all the 15 claims... How..." Lus couldn''t hide her interest "Hmmm, so you noticed, eh?" Ikkiri sipped once again and decided to adjoin her back to the entirety of the vending machine, where she could glance at the players on the faraway oval table "It''s not normal..." Lus remarked "Yes, I know~" Ikkiri acknowledged "I never knew I had it in me until I was pushed outside of my comfort zone for wanting to know people for who they really are, but once you do----all you''ll see is patterns..." Lus became rather intrigued "...Patterns?" She reluctantly asked "There''s no person that doesn''t have at least one. I have it, you have it; everyone has it." Ikkiri emphasized.

    2:17 minutes remained on the clock.

    "Sana''s pattern isn''t an easy one, but frankly, her motivation is what made all the answers easy to read. Now tell me; what do you think Sana''s motivation here really is, Lus?" She posed the impending question "To win enough points where she isn''t put at the bottom." Lus replied "Yes, that''s a very obvious one, right? I mean, Sana has made a contract that has depleted her from her points to Kuzan, but it looks like it''s not going to matter that much, so there is a chance that she might end up at the bottom regardless------just kidding..." Ikkiri pointed at the ranking ladder where the contracts were at full display "Sana is bound to receive 5001 points from Kuzan and 2501 from Tatsu. In total, she will be seating at whooping 10002 points." Ikkiri told Lus "Yes, I''m aware. So her motivation was points, after all----that''s how you deducted the answers...?" Lus still didn''t understand "Huh? No, of course not. How could I?" Ikkiri questioned "Well..." Lus didn''t actually know the answer and was hoping for one.

    Ikkiri took the final sip of her cappuccino and then proceeded to toss it to trash can adjoined to the vending machine on the left side.

    "Her motivation, I said. What is her motivation for winning points, I asked myself..." Ikkiri made a serious expression "It wasn''t her motivation for points that seemed wrong, but rather----how easily she accepted everything... You''d think she didn''t think through enough but... I had a hunch and that hunch turned out to be true." Lus gulped "What hunch..." Ikkiri giggled "The truth is, Sana doesn''t care about the points at all! There really is only one thing that''s on her mind........." Their eyes traced all the way to the oval table, where the individual lies "By the way, Lus... There''s something I''ve been meaning to discuss with you and I think it benefits us both..." Nobody would hear the details of this conversation until later on.

    It''s a simple yes or no, in theory.

    Add the fact that Sana has deliberately told everyone the right answer, it becomes more and more obvious as to what the answer should be.

    "She wouldn''t lie..." Yulia''s right hand trembled severely as she was indecisive between which decision to vote for "But...!! She wants me dead, so she might have actually lied?! It''s absurd, but it adds up, doesn''t it?! She won''t gain any points but I will die! She wants me dead because I am impersonating her friend! I can tell just from the cold looks in those eyes... She wants me to die...!!" The answer became elusive more than ever as his steps grew closer to her "I am dead if I get the wrong answer...!! And the only way to get the right answer is to trust what Sana told them, but I just--------" The steps stopped amidst her inner turmoil.

    The silence for that split second felt like it belonged to them, as Yulia felt paralyzed.

    However, her head started to rotate upwards as she saw his face clinging to the top of her chair.

    Their eyes met transiently.

    "You could have said something..." Daniel''s expression was saddened by that fact "I------" She was somewhat stunned still from the way Daniel was looking at her with his black eyes "Yulia... This is a matter of life or death for you and you don''t even think about relying on me, the only person who actually cares for your well-being... Why?" He solemnly asked her "........." She felt nervous but at the same time, unaware of how to properly respond "...What''s the right answer then...?" She asked "The one that doesn''t get you killed." Daniel told her "Which is?!" This time, she exulted herself "Ahhh... You..." Daniel went to her right side and sat on the empty seat which was previously Rayazaki''s.

    Yulia came to notice that Daniel didn''t have arms. No, she already knew from their first encounter, but she wasn''t completely aware nor did it take the full time to process it.

    It crept her.

    "What''s your story?" Daniel asked her "Huh...?" She was somewhat nervous "Come on now, I''m not going to hurt you, Yulia-----don''t look at me with those frightened eyes..." Daniel drew closer to her face "All I want is your well-being, and so... It''s a given that I want to know everything about you, including how you are standing right in front of me after I held you dead with my two arms..." Daniel''s expression grew serious as Yulia became even more nervous "But-----that can come later. Right now, we have a bigger issue in our hands, don''t we?" Daniel acknowledged that there should be a priority in this case "Yes, you----are not the Yulia that Sana knows. She is consumed with the idea that you have to die and luckily-----or not-----for her, you have 10 red lights on your choker. Which means there is a 50% of your head flying across the room. Now, knowing this, how do you think we should solve the matter here, Yulia?" He graciously smiled at her, switching from his previous hard expression.

    She figured that in order to access the truth of the matter faster, that she should not argue and go along with Daniel''s words.

    Thus, she began to slowly relax in his presence.

    "I... I don''t know... I don''t know what to think anymore...! She wants me dead but I don''t know just how far she''s planning to go for that ambition! Like, yes, it makes no sense for her to forfeit all that she has to gain in order to kill me, but at the same time...!!" Yulia grabbed her hairstrands as she began to demonstrate paranoia and breathing rather raggedly "Hey, look at me..." Daniel demanded as his face mirrored hers "You don''t have to stress it... I know it''s a matter of life or death, but everything is going to be alright, Yulia. So, breathe..." Yulia began to control her breath a bit, but she was still scared "In and out..." Daniel was patient with her "There, like that... Damn...!! If only I had my hands I could feel your face..." Daniel showed an apologetic and tormented expression "I''m sorry......" His expression emitted further grief as he was showing signs of wanting to cry "You-----Er, Daniel..." She called his name for the first time "!!!!!" His eyes widened "Can you continue...? As you said, we could talk later, so shouldn''t we prioritize, you know..." Yulia was hoping he would get the message "I''m sorry, you''re completely right, Yulia! I shouldn''t have wasted your time like that, my bad." Daniel closed his eyes as he apologized.

    Yulia was surprised by how respected she was in the presence of Daniel, who she believed to be an obsessed creep for the most part.

    "The simple truth is; there is no way to determine the right answer." Yulia was staggered "You can draw infinite theories about Sana and what the right answer is, but it''s just 50%. Yes, Sana loses a lot and most likely will die shortly after if she lied about the answer, but that would lead you into believing that the real answer is no. But on the other hand, even if you vote no, there is an equal 50% chance that Sana foresaw that you''d vote no and thus, the answer is the simple yes, in which case she ultimately not only benefits from the points, but you die. It could be argued to be the best possible scenario for her..." Daniel deduced "Then it''s yes...?!" Yulia tried to guess it "Usually, yes. However, I think she foresaw my interference, so you need to add the fact that she put a countermeasure to my words to you, which is why I believe the answer to ultimately be no, since it goes against the previous guess." Yulia understood "So, you see, it''s really 50/50%. I''m not a hero who knows the right answer but I think it''s yes, because Sana would foresee all of this. There''s the argument for the answer to be no by that same logic, but I don''t think she considers me that smart, honestly." Daniel admitted and Yulia began to grow terrified now that Daniel had told her the truth of the matter.

    0:48 seconds remain.

    "Which is why I came up with a simple solution to this matter myself." Daniel looked extremely resolved "If you die, then I die as well." Yulia was perplexed "Um, WHAT?!" Daniel adjoined his head to Yulia''s "The radius of the detonation is around 60-70 centimeters, from my observation. Should I be this close to your choker, then there''s no doubt about it, I will die." Daniel reinforced "This---This guy plans to die with me in case I get the wrong answer?! What the fuck is wrong with him?!" She rapidly grew nervous again "No, no, I need to know the answer somehow, I------" Her thought process was interrupted "Nobody else will want to go near you. They fear that they will catch the damage from the explosion, Yulia. It''s sad to say, but nobody else will die with you. If you die, you die alone----despised and ignored by the rest. Just like all the others have died, nobody will care for your death..." Yulia''s eyes widened as the time on the clock was running out "I already voted my answer. It was yes." Daniel told her, still with his head adjoined to her right side of her head, near her waterfall braids.

    0:27 seconds remain.

    "There''s no way this is all you want with your life, right? I don''t know what you''ve been through but you have shown the spirit and willingness to do whatever it takes to come out on top----even going as far as committing disgraceful acts..." Daniel''s voice became bitter for a while "But still, it''s you, Yulia. You never give up, to the very end. My one and only immortal. With you, anything is possible. So don''t worry, even if you die, I will be right there alongside you. You won''t die alone, because I love you, Yulia..." He secretly whispered the words that nobody has ever said to Yulia in her whole life prior to this.

    Yulia didn''t know how to answer to those words, but there was a certain feeling blooming inside her sheltered heart.

    "What is this... Nobody has ever told me all these words... Not even... my parents, not once..." Her expression became saddened as she could not control the tears that were coming out of her eyes "I''m so happy I can''t stop crying, why... I didn''t come here to receive these words, I just came to play the game and free myself but why do I feel so warmed up inside my heart...?!" Her heart began to throb faster and faster "He-----loves Yulia. Daniel, loves Hikaru Yulia. I am... Yulia. So..." She began to advance her right finger forward "That''s it... Nice and easy, take your time, Yulia..." Daniel encouraged her as her right index finger began to travel faster to the ultimate destination.

    0:13 seconds remain.

    "There we go. Ah----don''t worry though... If we do die, then it''s not just us that will die, hahah..." Daniel cast an eerie smile "....?" Yulia didn''t really understand what he was trying to say "Close your eyes, Yulia." Daniel closed his eyes "And count with me, our possible final seconds..." Yulia began to close her eyes "Seven---six----" Daniel initiated the countdown on his own "I don''t want to die. I hate this game and how it pins everyone against each other but... If I do live, then..." Yulia opened her eyes transiently and looked at Daniel''s face "-----Four----three-----" And realized something.

    0:00 seconds remain.

    Time is up.

    "AHHHHH HOLY SHIT, FUCK, FUCK!!!" Still not used to the sudden outburst from the explosion, Tateyana got instantly frightened "WHO THE FUCK DIED NOW?!" Arkalee asked the question but her eyes traced back to the one person who had not been given a single chance to shine whatsoever.

    His body remained on that same chair that he was in, but his head was sent flying across the room. Not a single person felt sad that the new player who was bought in the last round-----Hugo-----just died.

    There was, however, cause for commotion was the ranking ladder updated and the judgment round came to a swift end.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Kuzan (59115/70000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours] [In the upcoming judgment round, for every claim that Takeshi Kuzan gets right; 25% of it will be awarded from Hirakibo Tatsu''s account to Takeshi Kuzan''s account] [The next time Takeshi Kuzan breaks his point barrier; 25% of those earned bonus points will be transferred to Kaneta Tateyana''s account]

    2 - Hyunda (40514/45000 points)

    3 - Hinagiku (22324/25000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier]

    4 - Kawahara (20140/25000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account]

    5 - Tatsu (18306/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] [In the upcoming judgment round, for every claim that Takeshi Kuzan gets right; 25% of it will be awarded from Hirakibo Tatsu''s account to Takeshi Kuzan''s account]

    6 - Lus Sera (17792/25000 points) [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.] [Scored correctly 2 times] [Every time Rikishima Ikkiri gets a right claim, 50% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera''s account]

    7 - Kanawari (17324/20000 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    8 - Ikkiri (15324/20000 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] [Every time Rikishima Ikkiri gets a right claim, 50% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera''s account]

    9 - Tateyana (14862/20000 points) [The next time Takeshi Kuzan breaks his point barrier; 25% of those earned bonus points will be transferred to Kaneta Tateyana''s account]

    10 - Arkalee (14791/15000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account]

    11 - Daniel (12024/15000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added]

    12 - Yukishiro (11300/15000 points)

    13 - Sana (10002/15000)

    14 - Yulia (8436/10000 points)

    </blockquote>

    "Don''t read it, just accept it. There''s no time." After chanting the contract verbally, Daniel told Yulia that and Yulia decided to accept it without a second thought "How----did Hugo die...?!" Sana blurted that out, unable to understand what exactly had happened "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT''S TIME ON ROUND!!" Basara clapped his hands in the air as the tension grew.

    Upon accepting Daniel''s contract, there was a minor yet relevant change in the ranking ladder as it was updated yet again.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Kuzan (59115/70000 points) [Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours] [In the upcoming judgment round, for every claim that Takeshi Kuzan gets right; 25% of it will be awarded from Hirakibo Tatsu''s account to Takeshi Kuzan''s account] [The next time Takeshi Kuzan breaks his point barrier; 25% of those earned bonus points will be transferred to Kaneta Tateyana''s account]

    2 - Hyunda - (40514/45000 points)

    3 - Hinagiku (22324/25000 points) [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier]

    4 - Kawahara (20140/25000 points) [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account]

    5 - Tatsu (18306/35000 points) [Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account] [For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account] [In the upcoming judgment round, for every claim that Takeshi Kuzan gets right; 25% of it will be awarded from Hirakibo Tatsu''s account to Takeshi Kuzan''s account]

    6 - Lus Sera (17792/25000 points) [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.] [Scored correctly 2 times] [Every time Rikishima Ikkiri gets a right claim, 50% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera''s account]

    7 - Kanawari (17324/20000 points) [Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day]

    8 - Ikkiri (15324/20000 points) [Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back] [In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier] [Every time Rikishima Ikkiri gets a right claim, 50% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera''s account]

    9 - Tateyana (14862/20000 points) [The next time Takeshi Kuzan breaks his point barrier; 25% of those earned bonus points will be transferred to Kaneta Tateyana''s account]

    10 - Arkalee (14791/15000 points) [Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account]

    11 - Daniel (12961/15000 points) [Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day] [Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over] [If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added] [Hikaru Yulia''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over; and Daniel Lead will receive half of the bonus points Hikaru Yulia receives the next time it happens]

    12 - Yulia (12501/15000 points) [Hikaru Yulia''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over; and Daniel Lead will receive half of the bonus points Hikaru Yulia receives the next time it happens]

    13 - Yukishiro (11300/15000 points)

    14 - Sana (10002/15000)

    </blockquote>

    "WHAT?!" Sana couldn''t control herself as she saw Yulia no longer in the same boat as before "TSK...!!!" Sana decided to try and turn the tides "GET YULIA ON THE BOTTOM AGAIN, SHE''S WORTH 12501 POINTS AND THOSE 24000 AS WELL!!! I''M NOT WORTH IT!!!" Sana shouted the message across the room and Yulia became frightened "S-She''s right!! I am worth so much more that it wouldn''t make any sense-----!!" Yulia came to the terrifying conclusion "Hmm..." Kuzan gave it some thought "She does have a point. In terms of merit, killing Yulia is the optional way to go about it. But... It''s not just you, Sana, it also takes more points to get Yukishiro out of that position too..." Kuzan emphasized as Sana became horrified "No-----This----This isn''t how it was supposed to go... HOW DID HUGO NOT VOTE YES!?" The much needed answer was saught out by her.

    The eccentric annoying voice found her way to Sana.

    "Didn''t expect that DID YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU?!" Ikkiri began to hysterically laugh in her face "YOU------" Sana''s expression grew bitter and resentful "Ahhhh really, all I had to do was convince him that he had to vote no and that was all it took. I convinced him that your aim was to kill Yulia and that by that logic, you had actually lied to the whole world as you didn''t care for points, but the truth is, none of that was true. What you were really looking for was Hugo staying alive so he could take the bullet for you, weren''t you? That''s why you ACTUALLY had to tell the truth in this round! There was NO possible way of hiding it, HAHAHAHAHA!!!" Ikkiri laughed once again "FUCKING BITCH!!!" The emotions grew bitter and bitter "Seriously... Ikkiri managed to deceive him that far...?!" Tateyana was surprised "That''s not the only thing that happened apparently..." Kuzan had taken note of Ikkiri and Lus, who now had a contract bound to each other.

    Regardless, Basara didn''t have all the time in the world.

    "TAKESHI KUZAN!! NOT ONLY DID YOU MANAGE TO OVERTHROW HYUNDA, BUT YOU AMASSED A LEAD SO ABSURD THAT YOU CLIMBED OVER 50000 POINTS!! And for that alone, there is a bonus reward that is gifted to you for that milestone, in addition to the usual reward..." Basara enticed Kuzan "OH?!?!?" And he couldn''t hide his child-like excitement "Use it at your leisure." The usual reward of being able to kick a player from the execution round was attributed, but as well as an extremely good one that could potentially be a game changer.

    Which was: Takeshi Kuzan will be the first player chosen by the skull in the upcoming execution round and he will have the option to select two options, which----if they cost points, will be halved.

    "HUUUUUUUUUUUUUH!??!?!?!?" Tateyana dropped her entire jaw "WHAT DOES IT SAY?!" Hinagiku wanted to know and although Tateyana looked at her, she was so utterly speechless that she could not say another word "Oh... MY... GOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!" Tateyana continued to be melodramatic as Kuzan accepted the rewards without a second thought, with a malicious grin on his lips "This''ll be fun....!!" The advent was at hand.

    But that was not all.

    "AND NOW FOR THE BOUNTY, LOW AND BEHOLD!!" As Basara chanted those words, Sana''s bounty was presented to the rest of them.

    <blockquote>

    Target: Nasha Sana.

    Points earned from her death (collectively): 768 points.

    Points earned from her death (individually): 1536 points.

    Bonus reward: A 50% point acquisition boost.

    </blockquote>

    "That''s kinda neat, not gonna lie..." Kawahara murmured "Oh no, Sana. It looks like you are at your death''s door now!" Hyunda told her "It---shouldn''t have been like this...!!!" Her paranoia was starting to kick over as her bargain didn''t ultimately pay off.

    <hr>

    With no contract offered to Sana, she would not have her shackles removed whatsoever, as she is the target of the execution round.

    In this rare scenario, what actually happens is that-----the target of the execution round, will have the highest of the red lights that a player previously had, that is still alive. In other words, Sana has ten red lights on her choker, just as Yulia had.

    "SPIN THE SKULL!!!" Basara ordered but the skull would have its destination already preordained "I''m speechless..." Skan admitted to the rest "Same here..." Krale agreed "And that''s how it should be! Good entertainment like this doesn''t come every day, does it now?!" Erigaisi brought forth a strong point.

    But Andrea felt like this was the correct time to address an issue that she believes should get fixed.

    "It''s not a problem that I am having trouble with-----but I can''t imagine that every single viewer can keep up with all the points and what''s going on in-between." She looked at Erigaisi "It''s not enough to know that you win 192 points per round, which was the case in the last judgment round-----there were far too many additional points. For example, it would be great if we could know just how many points a player will win if they break their barrier. In addition to that, it would tremendously help if there was a notification near the player that tells us how many points they have earned." Andrea was thorough "Oh, I know." And Erigaisi was aware that this was an issue "So why..." Andrea could not comprehend "Business, my dear! Everything you just said is available for those who pay the premium features! Otherwise, there is no such comprehension. And there are MANY MORE AVAILABLE FEATURES! Pay 50$ right now and you can acces-------" Andrea brutally sighed as Erigaisi''s propaganda tired her "Please just let us see through those lenses..." Andrea was not in the mood to argue "What''s wrong? Not in the mood for some basic calculus?! It''s really simple, isn''t it?!" Erigaisi saught the opinion of others.

    But not even doctor Hwan wholeheartedly agreed.

    "It''s an unnecessary hassle! Hurry up and let us see it, damn it!" He demonstrated his anger "You people are BORING!! BUUUUUUU!!" Erigaisi started to boo them but also gave the signal to one of the staff members, in order for a new enhanced ranking ladder to appear "Ok... Now that''s much better!!" Seok agreed "Damn right!" Bryce expressed himself but got a mean side glance from Andrea "Language, Bryce... Learn to behave... Don''t think that just because president August isn''t here that I will overlook it..." Bryce felt shivers down his spine "Yes, ma''am...!!" Andrea resumed her vigilance now to the execution round.

    As always, it landed.

    "SURPRISE, SURPRISE, IT''S DIPSHIT KUZAN!! WHO COULD''VE FORESEEN THIS EVENT?!?!?" Basara was unusually enthusiastic with his dark sarcasm "What did I do to deserve that..." Kuzan felt mocked "Hush..." Tateyana gave him a deadly glare, but to Kuzan, there were more important things at hand "Oh God...." Yulia still couldn''t believe it; she felt like her heart was about to leave her body during the last judgment round and the interval between that and the execution round "Breathe... It''s all right now." Daniel calmed her down "I was----I was so scared, oh my God----" She took a long deep breath and looked at Daniel''s eyes with dazzling eyes "But you came through for me, you saved me... I----" Daniel smiled at her "Of course I would. I love you, Yulia." Making the most innocent smile of them all, Daniel captured her heart "........" Her mouth opened slightly in the midst of the daze "I... I think I''m in love... with this guy..." Yulia''s new found sentiments would start to blossom at a rapid pace.

    Kuzan, on the other hand, opted to forfeit 100 points and thus, the wide sea of options appeared before him, with some additional interesting ones.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Forfeit 25,000 points, double the points you earn from breaking a point barrier (this only applies if you''ve killed five players through the game''s mechanics)

    2 - Nasha Sana''s right arm will be cut off in exchange for 4 of her choker''s red lights (+2500 points)

    3 - Transfer half of your points to Nasha Sana in exchange for a 25% point acquisition boost for the next three hours.

    4 - Nasha Sana''s choker''s red lights will be depleted by three but her right and left shoulders will be clobbered with a warhammer ten times (+850 points)

    5 - The fire skull will be spun at the cost of 1000 points (you will be excluded from the round)

    6 - Forfeit all of your points, your point barrier will be reset; furthermore----if you score five claims correctly in a row, the sum of those claims will be added to your account.

    7 - Nasha Sana''s points will be increased by 50% in exchange for 6 added red lights to her choker.

    8 - You will be awarded 3200 points, but will start the next round with 9 red lights.

    9 - Forfeit any multiples of your points (x192) and add the same number to Nasha Sana''s choker''s red lights.

    10 - Nasha Sana''s both feet will be cut off in exchange for four of her red lights (+5000 points)

    11 - Nasha Sana can forfeit 11000 of her points in order to terminate the round; if you see this option, say out loud "11".

    12 - Forfeit 10,000 points, your rewards will be doubled for the rest of the day.

    13 - Forfeit 2,500 points; target one of your classmates----they will be swapped with Nasha Sana as the execution round''s target (Nasha Sana can forfeit 1250 points in order to nullify this)

    14 - Forfeit points (5,000 per player in this case), buy a new player for every quantity of 5,000 points you forfeit; furthermore, whenever they die, you will be crowned as their killer and you will be awarded with their respective points upon their deaths.

    15 - Transfer your points to an individual in your class (minimal point input: 5000)

    16 - Nasha Sana''s legs will be cut off in exchange for all of her red lights (+5600 points)

    17 - Earn 8,000 points; if Nasha Sana doesn''t die in this execution round, ten red lights will be lit up on your choker in the upcoming judgment round.

    18 - Forfeit 1,500 points, decide the number of rounds within the next judgment round.

    19 - Forfeit half of your points, remove one contract of your choice among the players.

    20 - Nasha Sana''s nose will be cut off for 4 of her choker''s red lights (+2500 points)

    21 - Forfeit 5,000 points; target one of your classmates, for the rest of the day they will receive a 50% point acquisition decreasement boost.

    22 - Nasha Sana''s chest will be cut off for 7,500 points.

    23 - Nasha Sana''s lips will be sealed for the entire day in exchange for all of her choker''s red lights (+4000 points)

    24 - Forfeit 6,000 points and select one of your classmates that has been previously been through a judgment round of their own; they will be the target of the next judgment round.

    25 - Forfeit 3,500 points to buy a new player into the game (they will start with the same points as the lowest ranked player, but with -50 points instead)

    26 - Forfeit 25,000 points, target one of your classmates and for the next round, you get to determine how many red lights can be lit up from their choker.

    27 - Nasha Sana''s both eyes will be stabbed three times each with a knife in exchange for all of her choker''s red lights (+3600 points)

    28 - Claim 2000 points (this only applies if someone died in this round)

    29 - Forfeit 3000 points, you will be absent for the next two rounds (you will receive 250 points + the points of the lowest ranked player when you return)

    30 - Deplete red lights from Nasha Sana''s choker by acquiring points for her (1 red light = 192 points)

    31 - Forfeit 30,000 points, choose the next five players who will be chosen by the skull this round and place them in any order you so desire.

    32 - Nasha Sana will be awarded with 5000 points but every time her choker receives a red light, it will be 2 instead of 1.

    33 - Nasha Sana''s fingers will be cut off in exchange for 3 of her choker''s red lights (+1550 points)

    34 - Players above 20,000 points cannot participate until you reach 21,000 points (this only applies if you have killed two people via the game''s mechanics)

    35 - Forfeit 2200 points to end the round, in which case, you will be awarded with 1800 points.

    36 - For the rest of the day, you will receive a 25% point acquisition boost in exchange for 3 of Nasha Sana''s choker''s red lights.

    37 - If there are less than 10 players currently, claim a zone that''s between the 10th to the 7th, for free.

    38 - Earn 10,000 points; you cannot participate in execution rounds for the rest of the day.

    39 - Earn x2000 points up to the number of times a body part of yours has been removed via the game''s mechanics.

    40 - Forfeit 5,000 points and you will be granted access to see all of the possible options within the game; only you will be granted access, however.

    41 - Earn the points that the players who previously played this game had all to yourself, as long as they weren''t killed by another player (this only applies if you''ve killed two players through the game''s mechanics)

    42 - Forfeit 50,000 points, target one other player, they cannot adjust their point barrier until the end of the day.

    43 - Nasha Sana will be injected with poison cyanide in exchange for 2 of her choker''s red lights (+1500 points)

    44 - Nasha Sana will receive a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day in exchange for her calves and forearms.

    45 - Target one of your classmates; earn half of their points thus reducing them from the extraction (this option is only available if you have killed someone via the mechanics of the game)

    46 - Forfeit points that you own to place a bounty on one of your classmates (if you kill the person with that said bounty, you will earn double the number of what you forfeited)

    47 - Forfeit 7,500 points and target one of your classmates; for the next four hours, that individual will not die.

    48 - Forfeit 5,000 points, if Nasha Sana is killed this round, you will gain a 50% point acquisition boost (in case you already have one, the percentage is summed)

    49 - Forfeit 30,000 points, target one option and it will be removed for the whole day.

    50 - Earn 50,000 points (this only applies if you''ve killed 6 players via the game''s mechanics)

    51 - In the next round, forfeit any number of available points to you in order to be in control of the input numbers of the participant, in which case, the forfeited number becomes the input number.

    52 - Nasha Sana will be awarded points equivalent to the highest current score (+2000) but the next round''s individual''s choice will be not under their control (their points will be used randomly and the option choice as well).

    53 - Forfeit 10,000 points; adjust your point barrier.

    54 - Forfeit 2,500 points and switch with the individual that''s currently being executed (you will be awarded with 2000 points as an added bonus).

    55 - Nasha Sana will be granted 50,000 points but will be the target of the next execution regardless of the outcome of the subsequent round.

    56 - Forfeit 75,000 points, whenever you lose points, you point barrier will automatically adjust to the closest number possible within the point barriers.

    57 - Forfeit 6,000 points and select an individual besides yourself, to be granted immunity for today.

    58 - Forfeit 35,000 points, all other players besides you, count as two players.

    59 - Nasha Sana will suffer an instant death penalty, but you will become the target for execution in the next round though you will be awarded all of her points.

    60 - Forfeit 8,000 points in order to get priority knowledge on who will be chosen for the next round of judgment.

    61 - Forfeit 100,000 points, any option that is used by you cannot be used by other players for the rest of the day, furthermore, if you have killed at least two players through the game''s mechanics, you will win 50,000 points

    62 - Forfeit 10,000 points to take a permanent leave for the day (you will be awarded 8,000 points in return).

    63 - Forfeit 10,000 points in order to acquire a new player to take your place (in which case, every point the player obtains will be transferred to your point account and you are free to take a day off, but if the player dies or hits the total points of 0 points; you will be forced to return to the game as soon as possible)

    64 - Nasha Sana''s spine will be removed for 30,000 points.

    65 - Target one other player, their turn in the execution rounds until this day is over, will be under your control (this only applies if you''ve killed three players through the game''s mechanics)

    66 - Nasha Sana will be awarded 25,000 points but she must name ten parts of his body that she wishes to dispose of.

    67 - Target one of your classmates, they can forfeit 10,000 points to nullify this, otherwise they will be the target for the next execution round regardless of rankings (this only applies if you have killed someone via the mechanics of the game)

    68 - Forfeit 3,200 points and select one of your classmates; if they don''t kill someone via the game mechanics in four hours, they will die.

    69 - Forfeit 30,000 points, choose the next five players who will be chosen by the skull this round and place them in any order you so desire.

    70 - Forfeit 45,000 points to kick someone permanently from the game, besides you.

    71 - The first five rounds of every judgment will earn you the correct point quota, regardless of the answer (this only applies if you have killed 2 people via the game mechanics).

    72 - Forfeit 15,000 points, you can choose the claims that will be used in the upcoming judgment round as well as apply a rule of your own.

    73 - Forfeit 75,000 points; absorb all bonuses and effects all to yourself, your classmates will be awarded 37,500 points each, but they will have their respective bonuses and effects depleted.

    74 - Forfeit 10,000 points, for the next three hours, your choker''s red lights cannot be lit up.

    75 - Forfeit 130,000 points to transfer classes.

    76 - Select up to five of your classmates; earn half of their points combined but they must be below 20,000 points (this only applies if you have killed three people through the game''s mechanics)

    77 - Forfeit 15,000 points, target one of your classmates; they cannot accept contracts in the next five hours.

    78 - Select one of the zones (from the 10th to the 7th) and claim it (this only applies if you''ve killed five people through the game''s mechanics)

    79 - Forfeit half of your points; the skull will be spun again but you won''t be excluded from the round.

    80 - Pick one of the options above and apply it to yourself, in which case, all rewards go to you instead.

    81 - Choose any of the options prior and apply it to any of your classmates (this only applies if you''ve killed ten people through the game''s mechanics)

    82 - All of Nasha Sana''s choker''s red lights will be increased (even the final one) but you must choose a body piece that you wish to forfeit (+2,500 points)

    83 - Instantly kill Nasha Sana (you must have claimed at least one zone)

    84 - Forfeit 30,000 points; target one of your classmates, they count as two players.

    85 - Forfeit 10,000 points; no new players can be bought in the next two hours.

    86 - Forfeit 10,000 points, if you are chosen to be the target of the next judgment round, you may vote as well.

    87 - Forfeit 9,000 points, you will gain knowledge of the answers to every claim in the upcoming judgment round.

    88 - Target the most recently bought new player; adjust their point barrier to any number you desire that isn''t above the highest score in half.

    89 - Forfeit 12,500 points; if the current target for the execution round dies, the round will begin once more and the target for the execution round will be the lowest ranked player (this only applies if you''ve killed three people through the game''s mechanics)

    90 - Forfeit 10,000 points; you may choose two options instead of one for the rest of the day and therefore use the remaining other option subsequently (this only applies if you''ve killed two people through the game''s mechanics)

    91 - Forfeit any number of your points and target one of your classmates; that individual''s points cannot go higher than the total amount of the points you just forfeited for the next two hours.

    92 - Forfeit 20,000 points; contracts cannot be formed in the upcoming hour.

    93 - Absorb 25% of the total collective points from all the individuals playing to your account (this only applies if you''ve killed one person through the game''s mechanics)

    94 - Forfeit 3,000 points; earn the right to kick someone in the next round (only one time)

    95 - Earn half of the combined points of all your classmates but you can no longer kill any player (this only applies if you''ve killed seven people through the game''s mechanics)

    96 - Forfeit 1000 points in order to extend the time limit right now to 3 minutes (you can pick another option afterwards)

    97 - Forfeit 25,000 points, every time you kill a player, you earn double their points.

    98 - Forfeit 12,500 points; any player below you will receive a 50% decreasement boost for the next two hours.

    99 - Forfeit 10,000 points; every time you score correctly, the points will double (this effect stacks), however, should you score incorrectly more than three times, you will die.

    100 - Every time a player dies, half of their points will be transferred to you (this only applies if you''ve killed two people through the game''s mechanics)

    </blockquote>

    The question whenever someone forfeits this many points always arises no matter the circumstance.

    "He has two options... What does he want to do...?" The fate of the round could entirely be decided already just by his whim alone "...If Kuzan decides to kill me, he will break his point barrier... I''m done for...!!" Sana thought to herself as she grew even more nervous by the second "Not only that, but I can''t skip this round because I don''t have 11000 points...!!" She noticed "Hmm..." Kuzan already had a few ideas in mind, as there were only fifty seconds left to go.

    The long-term profit is not something that must see when they are face to face with overwhelming grand quick-term profit.

    However, he knew how to mitigate that temptation.

    "Sana has 10002 points, so if I kill her, I win those. Furthermore, add the 1536 to the equation and I receive 11538 points, which if I summed to my current 59115 points; is 70653. The bonus points from breaking the barrier are most likely 20000. Therefore, I will be at 90653 points, which is a lead that towers everyone. And thus, I will be 409347 points away from my goal. In a sense, I''m ahead so much that it''s not even worth comparing. Logically, I should just kill Sana and enjoy the benefits. I''m sure the bonus reward which is the 50% point acquisition boost will turn into a 100% acquisition boost which will enhance my progress even further. Right. How simple, so I should just do that..." Kuzan lowly laughed "OR SO A LOSER WOULD FUCKING THINK!! There is no point in having a massive lead if it means that it can be thrown into disarray just out of a revenge''s whim!!!" Kuzan looked to Tateyana, Tatsu, Arkalee, and the others.

    The singular conclusion was far too obvious.

    "It is obvious what they are thinking. They want me to get more points so they can choose the option to swap me for whoever is at the center. Tatsu controls Arkalee''s turn, not to mention his own. Bro controls Lus and now Yulia''s turn, as well as his own. The likelihood of bro getting a turn is significantly higher than the rest by that margin... That''s right... It doesn''t matter how high your lead is if you get swapped in the long run. Accumulate all you want, if you are swapped, you are done for. That''s how even a useless human like Tateyana was able to get out of her bad situation; all because Rayazaki got swapped which led to his death. But that ends now. No more unfair swaps. I WILL SET THE WINNING TRAJECTORY TO MY VICTORY, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!!!" Kuzan became authentically decisive.

    A single short breath was all it took out of him.

    "THE FIRST OPTION WILL BE OPTION 49!!!!!!!" Kuzan''s command immediately demanded everyone to look at option 49 "Option 49?!" Lus was alarmed "That bastard...! He''s playing to win... He doesn''t give a shit about immediate compensation..." Kawahara''s expression darkened "But I''m curious... Which option will he..." Hinagiku pondered quite deeply as the turmoil amongst the players rose.

    Option 49 reads as the following: Forfeit 30,000 points, target one option and it will be removed for the whole day.

    It is also important to notice that due to the fact that Kuzan broke the milestone of 50000 points, he was gifted with the ability to select two options instead of one. In addition, the options that cost points, will be halved in their cost terms.

    "THE OPTION THAT I WILL ERASE IS OPTION 13!!!!!!" For a while, as everyone looked at option 13, the option started to slowly fade away from the ranking ladder and the numbers started to adjust "Wait, that''s the option that allows you to swap the target of the execution round for another player!!!" Arkalee became alarmed "AHHHHHHH FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!" Tateyana expressed extreme anger at Kuzan''s actions "......" Daniel''s expression also darkened and Yulia took a quick notice of that "...Were you planning on swapping him...?" She gently asked "Yes, I was. But now it''s all for naught. Kuzan... I didn''t think he would be able to think this far. I suppose I''ll have to take him serious now." Daniel composed himself.

    But it wasn''t just Daniel that had this thought.

    By erasing this ability, it effectively meant that Kuzan''s point kingdom was something that couldn''t be toppled by a mere cheap sequence like the option that allowed Kuzan to be swapped with Sana.

    No.

    In order to threaten Kuzan''s reign, a more in-depth set of strategies would have to be created; that much they came to realize.

    "But... It''s still 15000 points. Usually, it would cost 30000 points, but it''s halved now... He took a significant hit!" Yulia cracked a smile "I wouldn''t celebrate just yet, Yulia." Daniel warned her "Sure, he has 44115 points right now and his point barrier is 70000, but he still has another option left..." Daniel added "!!!" Yulia had forgotten about that already "Then is he going for the kill?!" Yulia offered her suggestion "No." Daniel instantly denied it "Killing Sana will give him 10002 points as well as 1536, which together sum to be 11538. It''s not enough to break his point barrier." Daniel argued "I------I see..." Yulia was mildly impressed "...Daniel''s actually smart, huh? He doesn''t strike me like all the others, for some reason... I feel like he has a cool head on his shoulders..." Yulia''s eyes dazzled.

    And as for Kuzan''s second option, the one he would choose would be...

    "OPTION 53 WILL BE MY SECOND OPTION CHOICE!!" As per usual, the eyes would follow his words "........" Tatsu''s expression became annoyed as he saw the option that was chosen "Of course..." Yukishiro found the option only natural "Hey, I''m in the lead again." Hyunda noted as Kuzan was forced to forfeit 5000 of his points "It would cost him 10000 points to select that option but the fact that it comes at half the cost is just...!!" Hinagiku couldn''t help but think that this was all extremely calculated "This guy----might just win this whole thing..." She dreaded the thought.

    Option 53 reads as the following: Forfeit 10,000 points; adjust your point barrier.

    Since the cost is at half, Kuzan had to forfeit 5000 points, which puts him at 39115 points, with the closest point barrier being the 40000 point barrier.

    "ARE YOU SERIOUS?! HE''S JUST GOING TO CLIMB TO THE TOP SO EASILY AGAIN, FUCK!!" Arkalee expressed her anger "AND NOW WE CAN''T EVEN SWAP HIM FOR WHAT HE DID, ARGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" She was showing signs of extreme delirium "I hate to agree with a lunatic like her, but... His future is looking extremely good... No, he has a 50% point acquisition boost and that contract with Tatsu which gives him 25% of the claim''s points from Tatsu to Kuzan, should he correctly score..." Lus gulped "Hypothetically speaking, should he score correctly in the next round, the points he will earn from that claim alone will be-------" Hinagiku, who is just a seat away from her to her right, where Daniel is still away from, answered for her "960 points." Lus turned her head to the right side "...And all it takes is another right claim for him to break the point barrier..." She added.

    By now, it was clear that Kuzan was decently respected and someone to look out for due to his drive.

    However, the target at the center, was completely unscathed by this entire ordeal and thus, now that Kuzan had finished exerting his rightful power of choices, it was time to move on.

    Basara wasted no time whatsoever.

    "SPIN IT, SPIN IT, SPIN IIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!" With bursting eccentricity, Basara excited the crowd even further as Sana''s life was trending on the very edge "By the way, I forgot to ask, but when do you plan on progressing the story?" Yukishiro asked, knowing the full script "Whenever I get the chance, but for that to happen, two things need to happen." Hyunda didn''t actually disclose what those two things were to Yukishiro "Rest assured, you are a vital piece to my script in my absence. It goes without saying that your presence will need to be memorable beyond just words." Yukishiro blushed immensely as she felt flattered "I am most honored..." Her heart pounded faster and faster "Yes... Omega''s script... It will be achieved, no matter the sacrifices..." She exhibited a sinister grin as the skull would slow down on its track.

    And eventually, it landed, now that Kuzan could not no longer be chosen.

    "Oh would you look at that... ARKALEE, YOUR TURN!!!" Basara loudly announced "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! DAMN IT, HOW?!?!?!?" Arkalee demonstrated tremendous hate for the selection "........" Tatsu had an extremely annoyed expression at the moment "Now, what will you do, Tatsu?" Kuzan lowly spoke "Will you admit that your investment was a mistake and try to win or will you persist?" Kuzan posed the question and Tatsu deeply sighed as he forfeited 100 points.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    The same sea of options appeared with a few additional ones and some old ones out of the loop.

    "Tatsu... If you end the round, I will do it. I will give you my turn for the whole day, just end the round, right here and now!!" Sana realized the dread of the situation "It''s not that I don''t want to, but there''s just no better option right now, so no." Tatsu rejected her "WHAT?! AFTER ALL THAT TALK!?" Sana became supercilious "Shit, he''s going for the kill?!" Tateyana pondered as Tatsu went straight for the one option he had in mind "OPTION 15!!!" Tatsu loudly declared.

    Arkalee began to shake vigorously and formed an expression filled with unfiltered rage.

    "I''LL KILL YOU TATSU!!!!! YOU FUCKING FUCKER, DON''T YOU FUCKING DAAAAAAAREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!! RAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" The guards had to instantly restrain her, despite the fact that Arkalee has no arms, from behind.

    Option 15 reads as the following: Transfer your points to an individual in your class (minimal point input: 5000)

    Tatsu''s input was 14983 points, which Arkalee owned.

    "And to whom will you transfer those points?" Basara asked as Arkalee had her mouth covered, but was dying to kill Tatsu "All to me!" Tatsu proudly told "And so it is!" Basara allowed it to proceed and thus, the transfer was made, which revealed the newly updated ladder, with some interesting new features for the players to observe.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hajime Hyunda:��40514/45000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 15,000 points������Zones that are available for purchase: 10th and 9th������Number of players killed: 1������Recent point history: Won 384 points, 6:45 minutes ago��

    <hr>

    2 - Takeshi Kuzan:��39115/40000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 14,000 points������Zones that are available for purchase: 10th and 9th������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Lost 100 points, 1:46 minutes ago; Lost 5,000 points, 1:04 minutes ago; Lost 15,000 points, 1:25 minutes ago��

    Contracts:��Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours������In the upcoming judgment round, for every claim that Takeshi Kuzan gets right; 25% of it will be awarded from Hirakibo Tatsu''s account to Takeshi Kuzan''s account������The next time Takeshi Kuzan breaks his point barrier; 25% of those earned bonus points will be transferred to Kaneta Tateyana''s account��

    <hr>

    3 - Hirakibo Tatsu:��33289/35000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 12,500 points������Zones that are available for purchase: 10th������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Won 1,152 points, 6:45 minutes ago; Lost 576 points due to the contract with Ryousuke Kawahara which awarded Ryousuke Kawahara with half of Hirakibo Tatsu''s claim''s points, 6:45 minutes ago; Lost 288 points due to the former contract with Takeshi Kuzan that stated that at the beginning of every judgment round, during the prior judgment round, Hirakibo Tatsu had to give 288 points to Takeshi Kuzan; Won 14,983 points because Kitsuya Arkalee transferred those points to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account��

    Contracts:��Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day������Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over������For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account������For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account������In the upcoming judgment round, for every claim that Takeshi Kuzan gets right; 25% of it will be awarded from Hirakibo Tatsu''s account to Takeshi Kuzan''s account��

    <hr>

    4 - Mayabashi Hinagiku:��22324/25000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 10,000 points������Zones that are available for purchase: 10th������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Won 384 points, 6:45 minutes ago; Won 2,000 points due to the contract with Rikishima Ikkiri which awarded Mayabashi Hinagiku with half of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier which were 4,000, 6:45 minutes ago; Won 5,000 points from breaking her 15,000 point barrier, 6:45 minutes ago��

    Contracts:��In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier��

    <hr>

    5 - Ryousuke Kawahara:��20140/25000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 10,000 points������Zones that are available for purchase: 10th������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Won 384 points, 6:45 minutes ago; Won 576 points due to the contract with Hirakibo Tatsu which awarded Ryousuke Kawahara with half of Hirakibo Tatsu''s claim''s points, 6:45 minutes ago; Won 5000 points from breaking his 15,000 point barrier, 6:45 minutes ago��

    Contracts:��For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account��

    <hr>

    6 - Lus Sera:��17792/25000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 10,000 points������Zones that are available for purchase: 10th������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Lost 5,000 points upon making a contract with Rikishima Ikkiri, 8:01 minutes ago; Won 1,536 points, 6:45 minutes ago��

    Contracts:��Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over������Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.������Scored correctly 2 times������Every time Rikishima Ikkiri gets a right claim, 50% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera''s account��

    <hr>

    7 - Gayakirima Kanawari:��17324/20000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 7,500 points������Zones that are available for purchase: 10th������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Won 768 points, 6:45 minutes ago��

    Contracts:��Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day��

    <hr>

    8 - Rikishima Ikkiri:��15324/20000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 7,500 points������Zones that are available for purchase: 10th������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Won 5,000 points upon making a contract with Lus Sera, 8:01 minutes ago; Won 4,000 points from breaking her 7,500 point barrier, 6:45 minutes ago; Lost 2,000 points due to the contract that states that Rikishima Ikkiri, upon breaking her point barrier, will transfer half of those points to Mayabashi Hinagiku, 6:45 minutes ago; Won 864 points, 6:45 minutes ago��

    Contracts:��Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back������In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier���� ��Every time Rikishima Ikkiri gets a right claim, 50% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera''s account��

    <hr>

    9 - Kaneta Tateyana:��14862/20000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 7,500 points������Zones that are available for purchase: None������Number of players killed: 1������Recent point history: Lost 384 points, 6:45 minutes ago; Lost 192 points due to the former contract with Takeshi Kuzan that stated that at the beginning of every judgment round, during the prior judgment round, Kaneta Tateyana had to give 192 points to Takeshi Kuzan��

    Contracts:��The next time Takeshi Kuzan breaks his point barrier; 25% of those earned bonus points will be transferred to Kaneta Tateyana''s account��

    <hr>

    10 - Daniel Lead:��12961/15000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 6,000 points������Zones that are available for purchase: None������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Won 768 points, 6:45 minutes ago; Lost 1,565 points by making a contract with Hikaru Yulia; Won 2,500 points due to the contract with Hikaru Yulia that states that Daniel Lead will be awarded with half of her bonus point upon breaking her point barrier��

    Contracts:��Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day������Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over������If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added������Hikaru Yulia''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over; and Daniel Lead will receive half of the bonus points Hikaru Yulia receives the next time it happens��

    <hr>

    11 - Hikaru Yulia:��12501/15000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 6,000 points������Zones that are available for purchase: None������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Won 384 points, 6:45 minutes ago; Won 1,565 points by making a contract with Daniel Lead; Lost 2,500 points due to the contract with Daniel Lead that states that Daniel Lead will be awarded with half of Hikaru Yulia''s bonus points upon breaking her point barrier; Lost 192 points due to the former contract with Takeshi Kuzan that stated that at the beginning of every judgment round, during the prior judgment round, Hikaru Yulia had to give 192 points to Takeshi Kuzan��

    Contracts:��Hikaru Yulia''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over; and Daniel Lead will receive half of the bonus points Hikaru Yulia receives the next time it happens��

    <hr>

    12 - Kyoko Yukishiro:��11300/15000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 6,000 points������Zones that are available for purchase: None������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Won 384 points, 6:45 minutes ago��

    <hr>

    TARGET OF THE EXECUTION ROUND: 13 - Nasha Sana:��10002/15000������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 6,000 points������Zones that are available for purchase: None������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Won 5001 points due to the contract with Takeshi Kuzan that stated that if Takeshi Kuzan scored correctly until the end of the prior judgment round, Nasha Sana would be awarded with 5001 of his points; Won 2500 points from breaking her 4,500 point barrier; Won 2501 points due to the contract with Hirakibo Tatsu that stated that if Hirakibo Tatsu got the correct claim guess during the last round of the judgment round, Nasha Sana would be awarded with 2501 of Hirakibo Tatsu''s points��

    <hr>

    14 - Kitsuya Arkalee:��0/15000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 6,000 points������Zones that are available for purchase: None������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Won 384 points, 6:45 minutes ago; Lost 192 points due to the former contract with Takeshi Kuzan that stated that at the beginning of every judgment round, during the prior judgment round, Kitsuya Arkalee had to give 192 points to Takeshi Kuzan; Lost 14983 points because Kitsuya Arkalee transferred those points to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account��

    Contracts:��Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over������For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account��

    <hr></blockquote>

    Despite the shocking move from Tatsu, the majority of the players were mostly allured to the newly updated ladder and its new design.

    "OH SLICK!! I LIKE IT!!!" Ikkiri expressed her opinion right away "Oh wow..." Lus was taken away for a split second "Hey, you can even see how the points were acquired now! That''s great, now I don''t gotta use my brain that often just to get to know all the details." Hinagiku remarked "It''s convenient." Kawahara calmly admitted "It''s good to know how many points I''ll receive once I break my barrier..." Yukishiro said "It''s too extra! Why do I feel like someone who is authentically extravagant is behind this design as a whole?!" Hyunda threw the question up in the air.

    Erigaisi smiled radiantly.

    "But why are they able to see it? I thought it was a premium feature? What sense does it make to expose it to the public?" Andrea couldn''t understand it "It''s a sneak peek, angel! It''s called "cultivating interest" which in long term means that that interest will be harvested!" Erigaisi explained as he held his right index finger up high "I see." She was apathetic about it "Well, the ladder aside----what Hirakibo Tatsu just did is..." Skan was more interested in the game''s current state "Yes... It''s demonic, but considering how far away he was from his point barrier, I don''t think he had any other choice." Liyuga shared his opinion "Furthermore, Takeshi Kuzan eliminated the option to swap players... Interestingly enough... If Takeshi Kuzan wanted, he could have swapped Nasha Sana for Hajime Hyunda and had gone for the kill..." He added "That''s just greedy and would most likely backfire. Yes, his lead would be immense, but with the option to still be swapped, it would be a matter of time before what happened to Hajime Hyunda in this scenario, would happen to Takeshi Kuzan. It was an excellent choice, I must admit..." Andrea couldn''t hide it.

    The victim of this entire event was struggling to contain herself as the guards held her arms behind her chair.

    "Jesus...!!! She''s like a rottweiler!! Tatsu, you''re gonna die!!" Tateyana warned him "Sana." Tatsu focused on Sana instead of Arkalee though, despite the grunging noises coming from Arkalee''s side as well as an abysmal bloodlust "This is what you get for not obeying my demands. You thought that there wouldn''t be consequences, but defiance is not------" Sana could not bear to hear it one more second "Oh shut the fuck up... I''ll gladly drop dead if it means I don''t get to endure what Arkalee will have to go through... I bet you planned to exploit Akimiyashika in the long run like that too!" Sana turned then to Arkalee "Am I right, Arkalee?! GOOD LUCK BAHAHAHAHA!!!" Releasing a lunatic laughter, Sana set Arkalee further on fire.

    There was, however, a necessity to move forward as the millions demanded the momentum to proceed.

    Thus, the skull spun as Kuzan and Arkalee were excluded from the round.

    "Better start snacking, this round will be LOOOOOOONNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG!!" Bryce started to take some of the cake slices that were on the table in front of them "Most likely. They are all looking for benefit, so killing Nasha Sana could prove to not be the best choice." Liyuga told "I think they''ll buy new players, no?" Krale asked "I''m not sure, actually... Because the current lowest ranked player has 0 points and even if you buy a new player, they should actually have the advantage over Kitsuya Arkalee because her point barrier is far away. How will they deal with this for their benefits?" Liyuga replied "Uhh... Maybe they''ll pick the option that increases the number of rounds again?!" Bryce proposed "It''s a possibility... After all, thanks to Rikishima Ikkiri picking that option in the last round, it resulted in three deaths... That''s how devastating it was..." Andrea dreaded "And what''s worse is; nobody got awarded for their points upon their deaths. There was like over 10000 points combined, I think... What a waste!" Seok showed intelligence for once "You guys are so INVESTED!!! One of you should enter a round of this game, I''m telling you!!" Erigaisi didn''t give up on his idea "Nonsense." Andrea brutally rejected the idea.

    Eventually, it landed.

    "Lus, YOU''RE UP!!!" Basara didn''t look at her, but instead looked at Daniel as he announced that "That''s not where I am!" Lus felt offended, despite knowing why he did that "Why are they all----Oh, right! You have her turn! You get to choose whatever option you want for her!" Yulia came to the realization "Correct." Daniel had the option to see through the screen and he already had in mind how many points he wished to forfeit on Lus'' stead "W-Wait...!!" Lus felt the need to talk to Daniel, so she grabbed her crutch "Just wait, please!!" Lus had to say her words no matter what, even if it meant walking down half of the table just to go where Daniel is, though limping in pain from her right knee.

    He greeted her with a cold glance.

    "What are you doing? Go back to your seat, Lus." He told her "Wh------" His words hurt her, out of nowhere "Look...!! Don''t use my points recklessly!! Remember that the option to adjust the point barrier is gone, so don''t invest big, that''s all I''m gonna say!" Lus was resolved to go back to her seat now "That''s not up to you anymore." He paralyzed her movements "YOU------!!!!" Lus snapped as she turned around "I''ll forfeit 100 points!" Since Daniel had no arms, or hands for this matter, he had to spell everything out.

    And thus, the wide sea of options appeared, with some other options that made their entrance, but for the majority, the usual ones remained.

    "Daniel, DON''T YOU DARE!!" Lus warned him "Go back to your seat, you''re overreacting." Daniel told her "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?!" Lus violently asked him "Hey!" Her voice reached Lus as she got up from her seat "You''re being mean to Daniel for no reason! He saved you, didn''t he?! Why are you doubting him?! Show some respect, would you?!" Lus felt tarnished as she had to endure Yulia''s unwanted criticism "Big talk for a COCKSUCKER LIKE YOU!!!" Lus decided to retaliate and Daniel sighed as he saw their clash "I HAD NO CHOICE, I DIDN''T WANT TO DO IT!!!" Yulia defended herself "I''ll forfeit 100 points." Midst their dramatic clash, Daniel told the screen that and the sea of options appeared "YOU HAVE NO HONOR, CHARACTER, OR PERSONALITY, SHUT YOUR GODDAMN MOUTH, YOU FUCKING FAKE!! THE ONLY REASON YOU ARE EVEN RELEVANT TO THE EQUATION IS BECAUSE YOU''RE HIS------" Daniel didn''t like her tone "Lus, shut your mouth or I will pick something you definitely won''t like." Daniel coldly glanced at her ".......!!!" And Lus felt brutally hurt.

    There was a heavy lump on her throat as her expression became conflicted; not a word could come out.

    "Leave." Daniel calmly said "!!!!!!" The feeling turned into rage as she gave Yulia a death glare instead "?!?!" Alarmed, Yulia retreated three steps back in fear from her potential actions "...Alright, Daniel... Have it your way... But don''t be surprised when she doesn''t keep her word... Who knows..." Lus started to slowly walk back to her seat "After all, she is different from the person you------" Daniel had enough of her words "GO AWAY!!" His loud shout made Lus retreat as she felt deeply ashamed "YOU FUCKING MORON...!!! DON''T YOU REALIZE I''M THE ONLY ONE ON YOUR SIDE?!?! THAT WHORE IS JUST DECEIVING YOU FOR THE SAKE OF POINTS, NOTHING SHE SAYS IS GENUINE!!!" Tears started to emerge on the upper corner of her eyes as her eyes became slightly red "Yulia, sit." Daniel looked at her, still serious "Please?" But he gently smiled to her, showing compassion "...Sorry..." Yulia felt like she needed to say those words to him, since he showed a rasher side of him "It''s alright, I''m not mad. I just need silence, so just wait a bit..." Daniel said as he concentrated on choosing which option would be the most beneficial in this case.

    There were about thirty seconds left for Daniel to choose his desired option out of the hundred options.

    "Daniel." The voice from the central chair reached out to him "What is it?" Daniel was still analyzing the options that obeyed the pattern that he was specifically searching for "You can''t save her. You already failed once and you will fail again..." Completely given up on her life, Sana would only speak out of spite "To you, that-----faker-----who is impersonating my best friend and the only person I ever respected truly..." Her dead eyes pierced Yulia''s soul "That bounty, which is placed on you, will be the seed to your death. Enjoy your time while you can, because YOU WILL DIE BY THE END OF THIS!!!" Yulia crawled back on her chair "WHAT THE-----I''M NOT A FAKER, I ALREADY SAID THAT!!! I AM YULIA, I AM HER!!!" Yulia defended herself "Oh fucking God. I can''t take this shit anymore... I''m legit gonna throw up. This has got to be a nightmare, I''m convinced at this point." Sana sighed as she began to smile amidst her darkest hour "Daniel, put me out of my misery. Your plan is as obvious as her lies." Sana told him.

    Daniel stopped glancing at the option as he became decided.

    "Option 9." The decision was set in stone "And it''s a wrap." Kawahara acknowledged "I''m surprised, usually there are so many options to let it slide the kill, but he really is going for it." Yukishiro was stunned momentarily "Of course he is. It''s all in his hands. And he is not about to let the same tragic incident befall again!" Hyunda''s smile started to grow "Ahhh... You are so..." She felt more and more entangled with each segment of completion "Ahhhh, wait, wait... I just gotta say a few words, if you don''t mind. So hold out while you can." Sana told Daniel as she twisted her head to the southwest side, where Hyunda is.

    A demonic smile erupted from her lips albeit the option would be executed in the midst of that moment.

    Option 9 reads as the following: Forfeit any multiples of your points (x192) and add the same number to Nasha Sana''s choker''s red lights.

    Due to the high number of red lights on her choker, only 192 points were necessary for the outcome.

    "Your loss, hone------" The explosion caused by the choker''s detonation was something that they were growing more and more accustomed to "........" Lus was speechless as she had not yet arrived at her seat but saw her position in the ranking ladder and couldn''t believe it "I expected a lot, but this is just absurd..." Ikkiri got somewhat annoyed "She overtook me..." Kuzan was somewhat stunned "She''s going to be a problem..." Kuzan admitted to himself "No... The real problem is not Lus, it''s..." His eyes traced back to Daniel who was calm and composed "That''s a lot of points...!!! All of it just in one kill..." Yulia couldn''t help but be impressed "She''s almost in the first place too..." Hinagiku found Lus'' position to actually be overwhelming.

    With Sana''s death, as her head rolled on the ground faraway, the round ended and the ranking ladder was ultimately updated.

    <blockquote>

    1 - Hajime Hyunda:��40514/45000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 15,000 points������Zones that are available for purchase: 10th and 9th������Number of players killed: 1������Recent point history: Won 384 points, 6:45 minutes ago��

    <hr>

    2 - Lus Sera:��39238/40000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 14,000 points������Zones that are available for purchase: 10th and 9th������Number of players killed: 1������Recent point history: Lost 100 points by forfeiting that amount in order to get 100 available options to choose from; Lost 192 points due to the option chosen, which required Lus Sera to forfeit multiples of her points (x192 per red light) in order to light up red lights on Nasha Sana''s choker; Won 10,002 points because Lus Sera killed Nasha Sana; Won 10,000 points from breaking her previous point barrier of 25,000 points; Won 1,536 points via the reward from the bounty placed on Nasha Sana��

    Contracts:��Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over������Every time Lus Sera scores correctly, the points earned will be doubled (this effect stacks), however, should she score incorrectly more than three times, she will die.������Scored correctly 2 times������Every time Rikishima Ikkiri gets a right claim, 50% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera''s account������Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day��

    <hr>

    3 - Takeshi Kuzan:��39115/40000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 14,000 points������Zones that are available for purchase: 10th and 9th������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Lost 100 points, 1:46 minutes ago; Lost 5,000 points, 1:04 minutes ago; Lost 15,000 points, 1:25 minutes ago��

    Contracts:��Has a 50% point boost acquisition for the upcoming three hours������In the upcoming judgment round, for every claim that Takeshi Kuzan gets right; 25% of it will be awarded from Hirakibo Tatsu''s account to Takeshi Kuzan''s account������The next time Takeshi Kuzan breaks his point barrier; 25% of those earned bonus points will be transferred to Kaneta Tateyana''s account��

    <hr>

    4 - Hirakibo Tatsu:��33289/35000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 12,500 points������Zones that are available for purchase: 10th and 9th������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Won 1,152 points, 6:45 minutes ago; Lost 576 points due to the contract with Ryousuke Kawahara which awarded Ryousuke Kawahara with half of Hirakibo Tatsu''s claim''s points, 6:45 minutes ago; Lost 288 points due to the former contract with Takeshi Kuzan that stated that at the beginning of every judgment round, during the prior judgment round, Hirakibo Tatsu had to give 288 points to Takeshi Kuzan; Won 14,983 points because Kitsuya Arkalee transferred those points to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account��

    Contracts:��Has a 100% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day������Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over������For the next four hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 100% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account������For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account������In the upcoming judgment round, for every claim that Takeshi Kuzan gets right; 25% of it will be awarded from Hirakibo Tatsu''s account to Takeshi Kuzan''s account��

    <hr>

    5 - Mayabashi Hinagiku:��22324/25000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 10,000 points������Zones that are available for purchase: 10th������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Won 384 points, 6:45 minutes ago; Won 2,000 points due to the contract with Rikishima Ikkiri which awarded Mayabashi Hinagiku with half of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier which were 4,000, 6:45 minutes ago; Won 5,000 points from breaking her 15,000 point barrier, 6:45 minutes ago��

    Contracts:��In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier��

    <hr>

    6 - Ryousuke Kawahara:��20140/25000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 10,000 points������Zones that are available for purchase: 10th������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Won 384 points, 6:45 minutes ago; Won 576 points due to the contract with Hirakibo Tatsu which awarded Ryousuke Kawahara with half of Hirakibo Tatsu''s claim''s points, 6:45 minutes ago; Won 5000 points from breaking his 15,000 point barrier, 6:45 minutes ago��

    Contracts:��For the next hour, whenever Hirakibo Tatsu wins a point, 50% of it will be transferred to Ryousuke Kawahara''s account��

    <hr>

    7 - Gayakirima Kanawari:��17324/20000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 7,500 points������Zones that are available for purchase: 10th������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Won 768 points, 6:45 minutes ago��

    Contracts:��Has a 50% acquisition boost for the rest of the day��

    <hr>

    8 - Rikishima Ikkiri:��15324/20000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 7,500 points������Zones that are available for purchase: 10th������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Won 5,000 points upon making a contract with Lus Sera, 8:01 minutes ago; Won 4,000 points from breaking her 7,500 point barrier, 6:45 minutes ago; Lost 2,000 points due to the contract that states that Rikishima Ikkiri, upon breaking her point barrier, will transfer half of those points to Mayabashi Hinagiku, 6:45 minutes ago; Won 864 points, 6:45 minutes ago��

    Contracts:��Rikishima Ikkiri has a 75% point boost acquisition for the rest of the day, but should she get a claim wrong, the 75% point boost acquisition will become a 75% point boost acquisition in reverse and will only change back when she gets a claim right (should she fail to get it right three times in a row it will not go back������In the upcoming hour, Mayabashi Hinagiku will earn 50% of Rikishima Ikkiri''s bonus points earned from breaking her point barrier���� ��Every time Rikishima Ikkiri gets a right claim, 50% of it will be transferred to Lus Sera''s account��

    <hr>

    9 - Kaneta Tateyana:��14862/20000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 7,500 points������Zones that are available for purchase: None������Number of players killed: 1������Recent point history: Lost 384 points, 6:45 minutes ago; Lost 192 points due to the former contract with Takeshi Kuzan that stated that at the beginning of every judgment round, during the prior judgment round, Kaneta Tateyana had to give 192 points to Takeshi Kuzan��

    Contracts:��The next time Takeshi Kuzan breaks his point barrier; 25% of those earned bonus points will be transferred to Kaneta Tateyana''s account��

    <hr>

    10 - Daniel Lead:��12961/15000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 6,000 points������Zones that are available for purchase: None������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Won 768 points, 6:45 minutes ago; Lost 1,565 points by making a contract with Hikaru Yulia; Won 2,500 points due to the contract with Hikaru Yulia that states that Daniel Lead will be awarded with half of her bonus point upon breaking her point barrier��

    Contracts:��Has a 50% point acquisition boost for the rest of the day������Lus Sera''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over������If a claim is correctly guessed five times in a row, the sum total of the points of those five claims will be added������Hikaru Yulia''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over; and Daniel Lead will receive half of the bonus points Hikaru Yulia receives the next time it happens��

    <hr>

    11 - Hikaru Yulia:��12501/15000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 6,000 points������Zones that are available for purchase: None������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Won 384 points, 6:45 minutes ago; Won 1,565 points by making a contract with Daniel Lead; Lost 2,500 points due to the contract with Daniel Lead that states that Daniel Lead will be awarded with half of Hikaru Yulia''s bonus points upon breaking her point barrier; Lost 192 points due to the former contract with Takeshi Kuzan that stated that at the beginning of every judgment round, during the prior judgment round, Hikaru Yulia had to give 192 points to Takeshi Kuzan��

    Contracts:��Hikaru Yulia''s turn will be under Daniel Lead''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over; and Daniel Lead will receive half of the bonus points Hikaru Yulia receives the next time it happens��

    <hr>

    12 - Kyoko Yukishiro:��11300/15000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 6,000 points������Zones that are available for purchase: None������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Won 384 points, 6:45 minutes ago��

    <hr>

    13 - Kitsuya Arkalee:��0/15000 points������Points earned upon breaking the upcoming point barrier: 6,000 points������Zones that are available for purchase: None������Number of players killed: 0������Recent point history: Won 384 points, 6:45 minutes ago; Lost 192 points due to the former contract with Takeshi Kuzan that stated that at the beginning of every judgment round, during the prior judgment round, Kitsuya Arkalee had to give 192 points to Takeshi Kuzan; Lost 14983 points because Kitsuya Arkalee transferred those points to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account��

    Contracts:��Kitsuya Arkalee''s turn will be under Hirakibo Tatsu''s control in the execution rounds until this day is over������For the next two hours, whenever Kitsuya Arkalee breaks her point barrier; 50% of her bonus earned points will be transferred to Hirakibo Tatsu''s account��

    <hr></blockquote>

    "So she was mad... It''s alright though. Hm... I can''t wait to see her reaction, haha." Hyunda remarked as he saw Sana''s head across the room "Another bitch down, three more to go..." Ikkiri was happy about the outcome and started to get up as she stretched her arms out "ALRIGHT BE HERE IN 13 MINUTES!!! DISMISSED!!!" At Basara''s command, the 7th round of this deadly game came to an end and most of the players started to exit the room albeit some opted to remain in it for a while "HUH?! WAIT WHAT, IT ENDED ALREADY?!?!" Bryce was in disbelief "...I also wasn''t expecting that..." Andrea confessed "Killing is extremely good in this game! Look where a single kill got her!" Erigaisi reinforced "Don''t say those words so casually please." Andrea requested "Oh please~~ This is just a game, it''s like watching an anime! Sure, some deaths are sad, but do you actually give a shit and does it affect your life? NOPEEEEEEE!!" Erigaisi exhibited a childlike speech "Unbelievable..." Andrea was distraught "....?" Something occurred amidst that.

    Andrea took out her phone from her skirt''s right pocket and saw that president August was calling her.

    "Yes?" Politely she answered, as she got up and started to walk towards the elevator, where she could be absent from the rest as they engaged in their respective dialogues "Hello, hello." The loud sound of helicopter skids was noticed right away by her "On a trip, at this time...?" Andrea already understood and August was indeed inside a helicopter, flying far across the school up in the skies "If it eases your mind, I will be back in a matter of hours though I know not how many." August enjoyed the view of the prefecture of Kagoshima as he looked outside of his window "I understand." Andrea showed respect "Take good care of them while I''m gone. I''m still going to continue to watch it on my phone, but I''ll have to inevitably draw away from it when the reunion is at hand. That''s all." August settled for those words "Understood. Any further requests?" She asked "No, but preferably, don''t let that overly-suspicious Indian entrepreneur manipulate any of you into participating the game. Especially Bryce or Liyuga-----I have a bad feeling that they will inevitably grow a desire to join the fray but we both know that''s just foolish." Andrea closed her eyes.

    She couldn''t agree more as she smiled a bit.

    "Leave everything to me. Four criminals just died in this round alone. When you return, the school will be back to normal and it will be just like it used to be." Andrea''s expression darkened for a second "I believe so too, Andrea." He terminated the call on his own accord and went back to watching the stream, though by now, the round was over "I must confess that I am dying to know what the worst case scenario is------that he can come up with-----that is-----" He entertained the thought mildly but to no avail.

    <hr>

    Due to George Kentucky''s influence, the female dorm had become the new shelter for the remaining male players who wanted to eat inside their cafeteria.

    Every student from class F was present with the exception for Hyunda and Yukishiro, who remained in that room.

    The table rows were filled with a variety of plates of food prepared by George and Olivia while the prior round underwent. These plates contain dishes such as: various sushi rolls, steaming hot udon noodle bowls, curry with white rice, onigiris, sashimi, ramen pots, miso soups, yakisoba and many, many more.

    "OH YEAH, I''M EATING GOOD ALRIGHT!!!!" Kuzan didn''t hold back and kept eating onigiri rice balls, one after another "You bitches had the pleasure of eating this? I''M FUCKING MAD!!" Kawahara devoured multiple sushi rolls at once as well "Much better..." Tatsu murmured as he enjoyed the yakisoba while eating on the same grand rectangular table as the rest, since all of them were eating as well "TATSU, YA BITCH!! I HEARD THAT, WHATCHU IMPLYING HUH?!" Tatsu choked slightly "N-Nothing...! It''s great, that''s what I meant!!" Tatsu covered himself "WATCH YOUR TONGUE, BOI----YOU ARE DINING IN THE HALL OF THE KITCHEN GOD SUCH AS I!!!" George gave himself an ego boost as he watched from the parallel table to the right side with Olivia on his side "Dear me... Just how many people died in this hour alone...?!" Olivia was thoroughly shocked.

    Ikkiri burped abruptly.

    "Four!!" She replied while still chewing "Oh yeah, four people actually died, what the hell!!" Tateyana couldn''t stop eating from the ramen pot as well as drinking some iced tea "It''s all your fault, Ikkiri." Hinagiku settled for a simple udon noodle bowl "Teehee~" Ikkiri closed her right eye and hit herself lightly on the head as if to jest "No, no, you did good." Kuzan told her from afar as they were on opposite ends "The low value players are out, and so the value has gone up!" Kuzan then proceeded to correct himself "EXCEPT NOT!!! TATSU, WHAT THE HELL DUDE?!" Kuzan demonstrated genuine frustration ".........." Tatsu didn''t feel like replying to Kuzan''s retort.

    She was present in the room, but she was consumed with a feeling of wrath as she couldn''t even eat.

    Arkalee was simply staring at Tatsu and Tatsu had to endure her glare.

    "Hey, Tatsu? Why did you make all those unnecessary contracts?" Ikkiri asked her "They weren''t unnecessary. You ruined them." Tatsu countered "Oh----you mean Hugo. You bought him and you expected that I would just let you manipulate him into being your slave?" Ikkiri was clearly picking a fight "It doesn''t matter." Tatsu was verbally economic "Icky." Ikkiri found him weird "Wait, where is Hyunda?" She realized that he was not present at all "He can''t walk, remember? Arkalee over here cut his two feet." Hinagiku told her "No-----but, he could have asked or something. Or is he cheating on me with her? That has to be it." Ikkiri sighed "My list just keeps on growing..." Ikkiri''s eyes reflected lament but eccentricity as well.

    It was something that she had never experienced. Not only was the food extremely good, but despite the atmosphere being filled with criminals with devious pasts, it didn''t feel overly alarming to her. It was magical in a sense, where outside of that room, there was a certain type of harmony.

    However, that wasn''t what truly had consumed her mind.

    No------it was his passionate and silent solemn gaze that he would watch her every action.

    Every motion her right hand made. Every time she blinked. Every breath she took. Every time her mouth opened to receive food. Every time she shied away from meeting his eyes.

    He was watching her as he sat across her, in front of her.

    "How is it?" Daniel softly asked "It''s... really good..." Yulia was eating a miso soup and a yakisoba bowl that she was curious enough to try "I''m glad then! Eat all you want, Yulia. Do you need something to drink?" Daniel asked "Umm..." There was already a cup of water in front of her dishes, but she actually wanted some cola "Your arms, I-----" Daniel cleansed her doubt "I can just ask George, you know, the big beefy guy, to get it for me, so it''s not a problem~" Daniel smirked "Ahh... Then cola, please!! Um, for two..." Yulia was slightly embarrassed as she said that "Alright." Daniel happily got up and started to walk in the east direction, where Olivia and George would be.

    But, as he went on his way, he stopped by Hinagiku and whispered a few words to her ear.

    "....Mhmm..." She munched and Daniel got a move on "What did Daniel say to her?" Yulia was watching Daniel the whole time "Hey, sorry to bother, king-----I don''t have arms or hands for that matter, so could I get two glasses of cola for my girlfriend and I? Preferably, add a straw for her and some ice cubes. A teardrop of lemon is fine too. Mine can be as simple as possible." Daniel requested "Oi... I''m not your goddamn slave." He disliked Daniel''s attitude "Please-----it''s the first time my girlfriend is having Japanese food and she says the food is really good! You two are great cooks!" Daniel complimented them "What the------Who are you and what have you done with Daniel?!" George was caught off guard but Olivia was already on the job.

    After a few seconds, Olivia was done with the drinks and started to slowly walk alongside Daniel as she carried the drinks.

    "Thank you so much, ma''am." Daniel showed respect "It''s not a problem, Daniel. But... I''m sorry if this sounds intrusive, but is that really..." Olivia kept looking at Yulia who was not that faraway now "It is her." Daniel told her "........." Olivia knew not how to reply to those dark eyes full of conviction "I see... It''s just-----so strange... But I suppose it''s not as strange as this event... I have to wonder about my future if you are all gone. What will class F be made of if there is no one here at the end of it?" Olivia made a point "Well, Olivia, it''s really simple----if there is no class F, that''s the end of class F." Daniel made a cryptic smile.

    The wait was over and Yulia was handed her cup of cola specially made for her.

    "And for the gentleman who had the heart to ask for this~" Olivia placed the simple cola cup that was sufficiently filled in front of Daniel, who was having no dishes "Thank you, Olivia." Daniel was grateful "Ahhh thank you so much!! Your food is really good, you have no idea!! You''re an amazing cook, and that mister too!!" Yulia was jubilant "Oh, you flatter me!!" Olivia giggled "I''ll let you two have your moment then~" The truth was, although they were all seated in a rectangular table, Daniel and Yulia were incredibly far away from the rest, almost ten seats away "An angel, isn''t she?" Daniel asked Yulia as she took a gracious sip of her cold cola "Mhmmm!!" Yulia couldn''t help but agree "God, I love cola so much!! You need to have it!!" Yulia was feeling happy "Ah, I really can''t though-----" Yulia began to go around and quickly leaped to Daniel''s right side by pulling her left leg up a bit "........." Daniel''s eyes widened as he was stunned for a split second "It''s alright, I''ll help you drink it..." Yulia reached out to her own cup, instead of the one in front of Daniel and held up high with her right hand.

    Daniel looked at Yulia and saw that Yulia was feeling slightly nervous for some reason.

    "Um... It''s fine... You can drink it from mine, I''m cool with that." Yulia pulled the cup closer to Daniel''s lips "......." He accepted it and started to gulp as the cup was held safely by her hand alone "...I should use this chance to completely seduce him... I feel like if I do, my odds of winning are extremely high and, well......." There was a part of her that didn''t want to admit to certain things.

    As Daniel gulped, Yulia decided to navigate some strings.

    "AHHHH!!" By a slip, Yulia turned the remaining cola liquid to Daniel''s uniform shirt and he got soaked "Hm?" This naturally caught the attention of everyone who was eating "What''s going on over there?" Kawahara asked "I---I accidentally spilled some cola on his shirt... Do any of you have an additional shirt that you can lend to Daniel?!" The liquid began to run rampant "Yeah, I got another one but it''s in the DAMN MALE DORM THAT''S CRAWLING WITH THOSE FUCKING BLACK SUITS!!" Kawahara aggressively replied "It''s as he says, we''re all given two uniform shirts at the beginning. Sorry bro, you''re gonna have to endure------" But Olivia didn''t actually agree "Wait, I do have an extra pack of uniform shirts for both genders in the pantry, I believe..." Olivia told them "Eh, seriously?!" Yulia was in awe "Yes, come with me, Daniel." Olivia told Daniel "Sure." Daniel got up from his seat, dripping with cola liquid "Wait, I''ll come too! It''s my fault this happened..." Yulia put on an apologetic face and the two of them began to exit the cafeteria "........." But there were some curious eyes on the two of them as they suspected their movements.

    Inside the pantry, Olivia gave them an update on the matter.

    "Oh... It turns out I don''t have it after all... How... strange..." Olivia was thoroughly struck "Oh that sucks...!! I really wanted you to be able to get into a new shirt, Daniel!" Yulia told him "It''s alright, I can bear with it." He replied "How----?! It''s unbearable, I bet! You have to shower at least!" Yulia told him "I can''t." He instantly said "........." Olivia had an idea of where this was going "Ah, the youthful..." She began to leave the area and Yulia made her move "...We can go into my room if you''d like... There is a towel there... I can dry you, at least." She proposed "Well then, what are we waiting for?" Daniel smiled as he went along with the ride.

    They climbed step by step, while staying on each side.

    On the second floor, Yulia began to take out a key that Daniel had long forgotten what it was supposed to be and yet its existence brought forth its memory.

    "Who gave you that key, Yulia?" Daniel, with a more serious tone, asked her "Yukis-----What was her name again..." Daniel''s expression stiffened "Yukishiro..." He murmured and Yulia glanced at him as he was in deep thought "...Is that a problem? She just gave it to me, out of nowhere." She told him "No, it''s not a problem." Daniel dispelled her worry "Oh, ok." And Yulia and Daniel continued to walk forward until they were on the door.

    Once there, Yulia looked to both sides of the hall, but saw no one there. And only then, did she unlock the door.

    "Come on in~" She gently smiled at Daniel and he smiled back at her "As you wish." Daniel walked right in and Yulia didn''t hesitate to lock the door instantly as she tucked her mysterious key inside her skirt''s right pocket.

    She began by flopping onto the bed that wasn''t entirely as organized as before. Her body rotated back and forth, exhibiting parts of her legs that a girl with normal common sense usually wouldn''t show off that easily.

    "Ahhhhaaaaaaahhhhhh...." She sounded bored "........" Daniel felt like he had entered a new dimension as he had never been in Yulia''s room before "Hmmm...." Yulia stopped rotating her head and paused for a second as she looked at Daniel, who was examining the details of her room "Alright tiger, it''s time for me to give you what you want out of me..." Yulia became decisive as she got up from her bed and began to approach Daniel from the back.

    Her voluptuous breasts adjoined his white shirt rapidly as she embraced his lower abdomen with her hands.

    "Yulia?" Daniel called out to her "I... want it." She murmured those words "It?" Daniel asked "Yes..." Yulia whispered to his right ear "Alright. On the bed, then." Daniel compromised "......" Yulia was surprised by his sudden willingness "Okay..." Yulia decided to guide Daniel to the bed by pushing his arm sleeves, which were easy to guide from.

    Once there, Yulia flopped onto the bed backwards and exposed all of her body as she allowed her arms to go up freely.

    Daniel looked at her but momentarily stopped in order to look at the bottom of the entrance''s door.

    "........" Daniel halted for a while as he kept on looking to the same spot "Is... there something wrong...?" Yulia timidly asked "Ah, no." Daniel gave up on looking at it and focused on Yulia instead.

    One step at the time, Daniel pierced his right knee onto the bed and then dove his face slowly to Yulia''s face, where their lips would be extremely close, almost to the point of touching.

    Their eyes looked at each other and their breaths could be felt by one another.

    "Are you sure?" He asked her "...Yes..." She reluctantly said "Hmpf, alright then." Daniel went for her right side where her ear twitched just by his breath alone "Ahh..." She couldn''t control the reaction "Just out of curiosity----how many times did you do it with the others in the place you are from?" He whispered that question "Wh----I... never did it with anyone, Daniel..." She tried to maintain her posture "No, no----" He giggled "I mean, before this body transformation. The real you." Yulia''s eyes widened "How many times?" Daniel persisted, while still being near her right ear "I... I don''t know what you are talking about, Daniel... This is how I''ve always been since birth...!" Yulia''s breaths began to grow in velocity "So, you have been Hikaru Yulia ever since birth?" Daniel asked "Hm..." She didn''t deny it "Where were you born, then?" Daniel asked ".........." Yulia momentarily entered a state of silence "The woman never told me where she was born, so..." Yulia decided to gamble "...Japan, where else?" She answered "Ah..." Daniel chuckled a little bit "You poor, poor liar..." He began to distance himself from her ear and Yulia as a whole with disappointed eyes.

    At a normal pace, Daniel started to look at the door and was starting to withdraw himself.

    "...The door is locked..." Yulia reminded him "Not a problem. If I kick it with my left leg, it will easily crumble." Yulia found his words hard to believe "Wh---Why are you doing this?" She couldn''t understand his behavior "I''m turned off. Yulia, could you open the door? I have somewhere else to be." Daniel requested "I am not opening the door until you have sex with me..." Yulia got up from the bed "You''re too honest, woah. You''re way off character. Forget it, I thought you could make it but the personality just isn''t there. I guess you can''t replace something genuine with plastic, after all." Daniel expressed disappointment once again "What---?! What does that mean?!" Yulia hurried to his location and faced him.

    Daniel''s face was full of abhorrence and even a hint of disgust.

    "It means that even if you were to completely become her under my own supervision, it would ultimately fail. That''s why I''ve been doing this. I thought you could replicate her, but no. You''re just a hopeless whore. That''s why you''re trying to get me to subdue you, because you think that male creatures are nothing more than slaves to their sexual desires. And you would be right about that, actually. I''ll admit that I want to do it, but you are so bad at acting that it''s just not worth it." Daniel didn''t cut any quarters "Open the door, fake." He ordered as his height towered her as well as his pitch black eyes that kept staring into her like a void "He----He knows?! So he wasn''t under the delusion that I was actually her all along?! Fuck, I thought he was! He acted like he was, the whole time too!" Yulia gradually became nervous "You have ten seconds or I''m bringing the door down----and, after this, I won''t help you anymore. You will be on your own. But of course, a whore like you can just attach yourself to another-----but don''t be too surprised about the outcome..." He started to laugh in her face "Ahhh!! No, no, no!! Please, why?! You love me, don''t you?! You can''t do this to someone you love!!" Yulia tried that approach.

    Daniel sighed in her face.

    "You''re not her." He coldly told her "I AM HER!! LOOK AT ME, I''M YULIA!!" She retorted violently "Yulia was born in Colombia, not in Japan." Daniel told her the truth "Wh-----S-So?!" She was too nervous to understand the implication "So you are just a random person who was made to look like her in order to set me up. Five seconds, by the way." Daniel reminded "I------" Her breath was starting to become ragged "IT WASN''T MY CHOICE!!! I WAS TOLD I COULD BE FREE IF I JUST WENT THROUGH WITH THE SURGERY, DANIEL!! I DIDN''T HAVE AN IDEA TO BEGIN WITH!!" Yulia began to cry out of nervosity "Please...!!! I----I just want to be free and live my own life...!! I''ll do anything to get my life back, so please-----" Her face became full of tears as she begged "Don''t get mad at me and just tell me what I should do...!!!" Exhibiting an ugly crying, Yulia showed an expression to Daniel that he had never seen before; a genuine human nature of the glimpse of the person behind that mask.

    He smiled transiently and decided to kiss Yulia on her forehead, calming her right away.

    "That''s the way. Now you''re getting it." Daniel withdrew his lips from her forehead "Come here, let''s talk." Daniel sat on the left corner of her bed as Yulia stood mildly paralyzed "You don''t have to tell me who you are, what happened in your past, or any of that------" He reassured "No, all I want to know is what happened that got you into becoming Yulia----everything about that." Yulia turned around, still sniffing "Will you do that for me, Yulia?" His expression reached its seriousness "If you do---I will continue to love you and together, we can not only win this game, but go to heights we never have before----together." Yulia began to walk slowly as she reached out to the seat on Daniel''s right "...Alright..." Using her hands, she began to wipe the tears out of her face "Use the back of my shirt, for that. It''s not wet from the cola." Daniel suggested "...Thanks..." And Yulia did that.

    With five minutes left until the next round, Yulia would tell Daniel all the details, as far as she could remember.

    Amidst their conversation, he was being carried like a princess all the way from the room where the rounds are held, to the entrance of the male dorm, that was occupied by the guards.

    "This---was not in the script..." Yukishiro continued to carry him, despite her physical strength lacking "Sorry, I have to improvise. It only really works if I get to pick the option but before that, I have to make some preparations." Hyunda apologized to her "Your mood is unpredictable." She remarked "Oh, I know-----and pause me there, right on that mini-stair case" Hyunda told her as he pointed at it with his left hand "Hmmm?!" Ikkiri didn''t fail to capture the sight of Yukishiro carrying Hyunda with the destination being the male dorm, as she stuffed a gigantic sushi roll onto her throat "...." Kawahara got up instantly as he saw that Hyunda was up to no good "Where''re you going?" Kuzan asked him, but Kawahara didn''t reply and simply kept on making his way to the exit.

    Ikkiri decided to follow Kawahara as well as they had the same destination.

    "Hey, what''s going on?!" Tateyana was alarmed "It''s those two..." Lus got up and used her crunch to follow the rest "Hyunda and Yukishiro...?!?!?" Arkalee burst into anger fairly quick and decided to also go along "Domino effect, so I have to go as well!" Kuzan joined the fray and eventually, the remaining present players went along as well.

    Yukishiro had paused Hyunda onto the staircase which is made of three degrees before entering the main terrace near the entrance of the male dorm.

    "Gracias." Hyunda told her as he looked at his calves'' ends "Heeyyyyyy, do any of you want to explain why the male dorm isn''t accessible? It''s been a couple of hours, gents." Hyunda talked to the respective black suits guarding the male dorm''s entrance "........." But they remained unresponsive "Oh, alright." Hyunda sulked as he was ignored "I guess you guys don''t want to know the secret routes then." The guards were no longer not interested "I''ll have you know that the one you guys most likely found out was just one of the many routes------Hm?" Hyunda noticed that he was being filmed by staff members who were nearby on the scene, right inside the male dorm''s cafeteria "Ahhh, that saves me the trouble, actually. Uhh, what was his name again?" Hyunda tilted his head backwards and asked Yukishiro.

    Meanwhile, most of the others arrived at the scene.

    "Liyuga, that''s his name." Yukishiro softly smiled with a smug expression "Ahh, Liyuga---right, right-----hard to keep track with all the meaningless side characters..." Hyunda brushed his hair slightly "Fufufu---" Yukishiro mildly chuckled "Hyunda, what''s going on?" Ikkiri was the first one to confront him "Oh, Ikkiri-----!!!" He couldn''t hide his happiness as he saw her "Hi, hi, you seem happy. Too happy, rather." She remarked "Oh, I''m not allowed to be happy?" He retorted "You go about it in a way that''s not great." Ikkiri didn''t hide it from him "Hey, I''m working it out, I told you this many times." Hyunda replied quickly as well "I have yet to see the effort fruit into something different..." Ikkiri was disappointed "Yeah, yeah..." Hyunda brushed his hair again and decided to cut the chat with her "Gents, can you call Liyuga here? There''s not much time for us until the next round and I have something of utmost importance to communicate with him." Hyunda picked his word choices "......." The two guards looked at each other.

    Since it was being filmed, it was being transmitted to them, as well.

    "Liyuga, what does Hajime Hyunda want from you?" Andrea questioned him right away "...I''m not sure, actually..." Liyuga felt alarmed "I see." Andrea then talked to doctor Hwan "Please communicate to the guards in the front that you would like to know what he means by that." Andrea ordered "And I''m supposed to take orders from ya?!" Doctor Hwan demonstrated a rebellious attitude "Yes, you are. At the current moment, president August is away from the school, so according to the rules of the student council, the vice-president is to temporarily assume the role of the president of the student council in the case of the former''s absence." Andrea didn''t falter "I take orders from the director, not August." Doctor Hwan countered "But have it yer way. For I am also curious about what this punk has to say..." Doctor Hwan then proceeded to talk to the guards on the phone, while giving them orders.

    Their conversation was done as this happened.

    "And that''s all..." Yulia was thorough and didn''t tell a single lie "I see." Daniel judged that she was not hiding anything based on her expression "Do you not believe me...? I guess you don''t----" Daniel twisted his head lower and graced Yulia with a smile "No, I do. It adds up and it''s possible considering the game''s circumstances. Getting a surgery and being able to completely look like someone else is definitely a probability." He reassured her "...Thank God, he believes me... I was worried that he might snap if he sensed that I was lying when I was not..." Yulia felt relieved "And you really don''t know her name?" Daniel asked "No, I really don''t... All I know about her is that she has long black hair and seemed to be around our age, surprisingly enough..." Daniel''s eyes widened.

    Furthermore, he received such a shock that he started to laugh as he held his head low.

    "HAHAHA-----" His teeth were widely exhibited "D-Did I say something that upset you...?!" Yulia was immensely worried "HAH--Huh? Ah, no, no, no----forget that. Ahh, tell me one thing... Did this woman by some chance talk in a way that didn''t seem to be fitting of her age?" Daniel asked a most complicated question to Yulia "Uhh....!!" Yulia was really not sure how to reply to this, so Daniel had to elaborate a bit on this "Someone who speaks like she''s from the last century or has old customs. For example, we use slang nowadays and even you can agree that''s pretty normal. Did she use any of those?" Daniel asked "Uh... No, I don''t think so----Wait, wait!" Yulia remembered something "She actually insulted me a fair bit and told me that I should be more educated in her presence. And-----I''m not sure if this is relevant or not, but she used one sentence that haunted me a bit..." Yulia gulped "Say it." Daniel ordered her "Yes... It was: ''I too know what it''s like being lied to. I detest it and harbor it harder than anything else. I never forgive anyone that lies to me, especially the one I love only. So, if he does that to me, he has to pay, therefore I wholeheartedly emphasize with the feeling, my dear...'', that was the sentence!!" Yulia told Daniel "..........." Daniel was now 100% sure of it "Wait..." Yulia found Daniel''s reactions rather weird.

    She even thought of something that she shouldn''t have.

    "Do you actually know her?" She asked "Nope, I don''t. I was just curious, that''s all-----" Daniel halted his speech as he noticed a shift in the sound, mostly in the lower bracket of the dorm, that was nothing like the sounds he has heard for a while "...What the..." Daniel got up from the bed and immediately dove into the ground with his right ear adjoined to the surface "?!" Yulia found his movements strange "Yulia, do me a favor and-------" It is necessary to go back two minutes before this.

    The orders had been thoroughly given and the guards no longer had a reason to continue the silence treatment.

    "You; speak." The black suit on the left approached Hyunda, who was waiting "Obedient hounds, I love those." He chuckled "I need to talk to my dear senior, Liyuga. He''s curious about the password, isn''t he? Well, who knows... I might just be in the mood to give it to him..." Hyunda spoke enticing words "WHAT?!" And Liyuga got up from his seat "Calm down." Andrea told him "Tell him to be here in less than two minutes or I am not giving him the password and if I''m feeling generous, I might reveal another hidden passage as well." Hyunda became snarky "I have to go----" Liyuga got up from his seat "You''re not going anywhere, Liyuga!" Andrea ordered him "But-------" Liyuga really wanted to go "No, you should listen to her, really." Erigaisi, of all people told him.

    However, he meant something else in addition.

    "The timing is terrible and there are only three minutes until the next round. That''s why, I''ll be the one to go there!" Erigaisi offered himself "......" Andrea didn''t necessarily object to that "And rest assured, I''m just there as a mediator. I''m setting things up, for there is content to be explored to my public!" Erigaisi showed flamboyance and decided to walk at a reasonable pace to the elevator "What... What do you mean by setting things up?!" Liyuga asked but Erigaisi was simply whistling as he marched towards the elevator "Money, money, money..." He clicked his fingers as he got inside the elevator.

    With roughly three minutes left, the elevator that Erigaisi rode didn''t necessarily go upwards; no-----it firstly had to travel in an horizontal line and only after ten seconds did it start to go up.

    The elevator would then open the door and the entrance that was revealed was no other than the chalk board within the abandoned classroom, which would open up sideways----ultimately allowing Erigaisi to swiftly progress forward.

    "...Holy sh----!!" Yulia had to take cover immediately behind a pillar as she saw Erigaisi coming out of the abandoned classroom "He was actually right!! Someone would come out of the abandoned classroom!! But how did he know that?! What is he, some kind of genius?!" Yulia was momentarily amazed, but she also noticed on her right side that Daniel was leaving the female dorm and near the entrance of it, there was Hinagiku.

    As preordained, Daniel wanted to have a small chat with her.

    "There is most likely a way to find a connection in-between the dorms. It''s most likely an elevator that has to travel from an unknown place within the school and eventually it crosses the dorms, ultimately landing in the abandoned classroom." Daniel told her "Yeah, no kidding... And why is there an Indian coming our way?!" Hinagiku was disgusted as she saw Erigaisi walk with a full swagger all the way to where Hyunda was "......." Daniel was stunned for a bit as well "Listen-----I need you to do something for me in the next break-----" Daniel began his request "Why not ask your girlfriend? She seems to be fully into you now. You know, even after she----" Hinagiku used her right hand back and forth close to her mouth as if stroking onto something "It''s not something that she, or anyone else, for that matter---can hope to achieve. You''re the only one." Hinagiku tried to maintain her blank expression "Fuck this guy, seriously..." She had this intrusive thought "So?" Hinagiku sighed.

    Yulia arrived at the scene, but Daniel still said the words to Hinagiku in a lower voice tone.

    "I have to get something from the lab again, just one last time. After that, I really don''t need anything else." Daniel told her "Are you crazy?! The only way to access the lab is through the male dorm----unless there is a connection in the female dorm to it, but even then..." Hinagiku had her doubts "There has to be. It''s on the ground floor, I think. Look for places that you think could have an entr-----" Daniel''s speech was cut short "Hey..." Yulia greeted them, but had a grumpy expression "Urgh..." Hinagiku couldn''t bear what was about to happen and decided to step forward to the main scenario "I demand compensation in the next round, Daniel. I''m not a cheap woman like the others." Hinagiku decided to pick those words as she left, while giving a hateful glance at Yulia "......" Daniel started to think what she could identify as compensation "...What was that..." Yulia felt insecure "Oh, nothing. It''s just her personality leaking out." Daniel told her "...She said she demanded some compensation... What was that about...?!" Her expression twitched with rage "Points, most likely." Daniel reasoned "You-----You''re awfully friendly with the other girls, aren''t you..." Yulia noticed "No, not at all. I only have eyes for you, Yulia. That''s why I looked at you the whole time since you arrived, haven''t you noticed?" Yulia blushed "Yes, I---did---" She couldn''t deny that fact "Then you don''t need to think about anything else. You''re the only one for me." His words sounded magical to her sometimes.

    The main figure arrived at the scene, with nothing to hide, as there were roughly two minutes and a bit left. The black suits which were inside the dorm aligned outside in order to form a line that secured the entire exterior.

    "Hello, my friends!" To all the players nearby, Erigaisi greeted them with a smile.

    "An Indian? I fucking hate them..." Tateyana blurted that out "They are excellent customers though. But I can see where you''re coming from." Kuzan found her words unnecessary, slightly "Huh? That''s Liyuga?" Hyunda pointed at Erigaisi who was in front of him now "Ahhh, no. I confess that not even I know that person. Nor have I ever seen him..." Yukishiro was skeptical "And you''d be correct to assume that!" Erigaisi clapped to Yukishiro in particular "However, time is very short on the clock and I need you, my friends, to partake in the upcoming round without delay-----so here is what will happen-----whenever the next round ends, you-----" He pointed at Hyunda "You will be present here without fail! And likewise, so will Liyuga, but he couldn''t come right now due to the fact that he is attending his class right now!" Erigaisi told "Oh, we''re delaying the inevitable, are we? The pacing has been shit lately, you know? The readers are not happy about this..." Hyunda sighed "Readers? I only have viewers! But I do agree." They came to terms fairly quickly "Alright, I''ll be here right after the round ends. But I demand to talk to Liyuga beforehand, alright?" Hyunda became serious.

    Erigaisi welcomed the suggestion.

    "Oh, that''s fine. However, you will be surrounded by black suits and your movements will be recorded thoroughly, do you agree, even then?" Erigaisi smiled "I love the fucking attention galore, so let''s ball." Hyunda and Erigaisi came to a mutual agreement "Don''t be late then! And get going, all of you! I expect great things from the next round!" Erigaisi began to walk in the west direction where the abandoned classroom is located "So he says, but all that''s going to happen is that Arkalee will die..." Yukishiro noted "All the more reason to look forward to it." Hyunda added.

    Everyone started to leave and went in the direction of block F, where the 8th round would begin, right at the beginning of midday.

    "Hey..." He wrapped his muscular right arm around her neck "What do you want?!?!?" Not loud, Arkalee was resentful of Kawahara''s approach "What I want? Well, I''m here to offer you a deal, Arkalee. Since you are pretty much dead no matter what you do, you technically have nothing to lose except your life; which is guaranteed by the way... Seriously, nobody will fork over 15000 points for you. Not me, not him, nobody. Which only leaves one option left..." Kawahara knew that Arkalee had the eyes of someone who was willing to do anything for the sake of prejudice "How badly do you want to mess shit up?" The question that should not have been asked to a person like her, was asked "Anything that drowns someone else with me, especially him....!!!!!!" Kawahara profoundly smirked as his plan was starting to grow some foundation with Arkalee as the stepping stone.

 Hiatus Update

    Hey, hey!

    So, believe it or not, I do have some words written, like over 6k, for the upcoming chapter, but when I was writing, I had the urge to just re-read everything again to know just how the story should flow as we are approaching the end of this arc which ends in approximately either one volume or the other (I think it''s two volumes) but the point is, it''s sorted out.

    What isn''t sorted out is how it will affect the characters and I felt that I needed a proper grasp as to what the characters stand for and what I had in mind for them so I''m seating through the chapters, reading one by one, wanting to shoot myself for being way too lazy to even give a proper background description of the school or how the characters are expressing themselves... Anyways, it''s just to say that as soon as I finish re-reading (I''m on chapter 38) that I will resume Classroom of Doom. I also have like, a serious urge to add some illustrations to the chapters as I''m reading them, but if I do that, I will most likely only be done in a year, WHICH IS NOT OPTIMAL LMAOOOOOO. But I''ll probably add an extra illustrations and as soon as I release the newest chapter, I''ll leave the link of the chapters so you can check them out.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    See you soon and enjoy the new thumbnail with Daniel in it!